Simone Page #16

Viktor cannot resist taking Elaine's photo with a small

pocket camera. Elaine is unaware of the shot.

Viktor turns away -- just as Elaine turns to look at him.

Viktor picks up a drink from the bar. A DRUNK WOMAN, perched

unsteadily on a nearby barstool, is knocking back Jack

Daniels. She accidentally brushes one of her discarded

glasses off the bar. Viktor catches it.

A HAND taps Viktor on the shoulder. HAL stands there

accompanied by his "Eternity Forever" co-star, MAC.

HAL:

Is she here?

VIKTOR:

I'm fine, Hal. How are you?

HAL:

(oblivious to his sarcasm)

Somebody said she was here.

Mac spots the two glasses in Viktor's hands -- one glass

lipstick-smeared.

MAC:

Oh my God, that's her glass!

(impulsively smelling

"Simone's" glass)

Jack Daniels, straight-up. She is

my kind of woman.

HAL:

(looking anxiously around

the room)

Viktor, where is she?

VIKTOR:

She's around.

MAC:

(dawning on him, glancing

to the far side of the

packed room)

Jesus, Hal... she's in the Ladies

Room.

HAL:

You know I sometimes forget she has

bodily functions.

VIKTOR:

(unable to resist)

I know what you mean.

HAL:

(anxiously looking to the

restroom)

I have to talk to her about my

experimental film. It's very...

experimental.

MAC:

Is that her? -- By the fountain.

Far across the party, a WOMAN, with a Simone-type hairstyle,

her back to us, is standing at the edge of a fountain.

VIKTOR:

(testy)

No. In fact, between us, she

doesn't really exist.

HAL:

(ignoring him, calling out

to the woman)

Simone!

MAC:

SIMONE!

Several nearby GUESTS, including ELAINE, overhear. They talk

over each other.

GUEST 1

-- Simone's here!

ELAINE:

(slightly the worse for

drink)

-- When did she arrive? Why didn't

someone tell me?

GUEST 2

-- Where is she?

MAC:

-- She's by the fountain.

GUEST 3

-- Simone, over here!

GUEST 4

-- Simone!

The rumor races through the party like wild-fire. The GUESTS

surge towards the fountain in a wave of mindless adoration.

The Simone lookalike herself spins around.

LOOKALIKE WOMAN:

Simone!

She gets knocked into the fountain. Several other GUESTS

also fall in the stampede.

Back at the bar, the BARMAN, autograph book in hand, deserts

his station. Viktor is left alone with the drunk woman.

LOCAL TV NEWS:

The limousines outside the hotel ballroom have been replaced

with ambulances. PARAMEDICS tend to GUESTS, bloodied and

battered in the stampede caused by Simone's "appearance".

ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER

(into microphone)

-- Forget "Eternity Forever", the

big news tonight was the surprise

appearance of Simone. Even these

seen-it-all superstars are

apparently not immune to Simone

fever and the resulting stampede

forced organizers to bring the

event to an early end. I spoke

with some of the departing guests

about their encounter with

Hollywood's most reluctant

superstar.

CUTS of interviews with VARIOUS bruised GUESTS.

EXECUTIVE 3

-- I would say, even more beautiful

in person, you have to see her to

believe her.

MALE GUEST 1

-- I can't reveal what we spoke

about. It was... personal. Simone

and I go back a long way.

FEMALE GUEST 1

-- When she talks to you, for that

moment, you are the only other

human being in the room.

FEMALE GUEST 2

(dress torn)

-- I really don't know what the

fuss is about. So over-rated.

She's done one film. Talk to me

when she's had the kind of career

I've had.

MALE GUEST 2

-- I do expect her to be nominated,

yes.

We return to the live shot of the ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER.

ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER

Fortunately, Simone was not amongst

the injured and was spirited away

as mysteriously as she arrived.

EXT. ECHO OFFICES - DAY

Max Sayer's car is parked outside of the Echo Building.

INT. ECHO OFFICES - DAY

In the ECHO war room, MAX SAYER is agitated. He paces back

and forth, railing at a table of cowering STAFFERS.

MAX:

-- She goes to a major, Hollywood,

A-list party and we don't get an

interview, a comment, we don't even

get a photograph? Is that what

you're telling me?

ECHO PHOTOGRAPHER

Nobody got a photograph. Nobody

ever gets a photograph.

MILTON:

We've got our best people on it,

Mr. Sayer.

MAX:

24-hour tail on Taransky?

MILTON:

Shutter bugs camped outside any

place he goes, every concierge and

maitre d' on the take. But this

Simone woman is good.

MAX:

(referring to a

"Confidential" FBI

report)

Obviously the name isn't real --

she's using an assumed identity,

travels under a false name, checks

into hotels with an alias. She

never stays in the same place two

nights in a row. Anything on the

satellite photos?

(irritated)

What about the fingerprints? What

happened when we dusted that hotel

suite?

MILTON holds up a glass taken from the hotel.

MILTON:

Well, we got some of Taransky's

fingerprints, a lot of your

fingerprints... but none of hers.

MAX:

(interest piqued)

Which means they're significant.

(beat)

Incriminating.

(beat)

Perhaps, criminal.

(getting excited)

She's hiding her past. She's

hiding her past.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes