Starman Page #30

EXT. HIGHWAY 70 - DAY

A passing car TAKES US TO the STAR MAN as he runs along the

shoulder to a maroon and white '57 Chevy that has pulled off

to pick him up.

EXT. '57 CHEVY - DAY

A swarthy, bald MAN with hairy arms leans across the seat.

MAN:

Where are you going?

STAR MAN:

Las Vegas, please. I do not speak

English.

MAN:

Hop in.

INT. '57 CHEVY - DAY

MAN:

(re-entering the flow

of traffic)

I can only take you to Grand Junction,

but you'll have a better chance to

get a ride from there.

The STAR MAN smiles.

MAN:

Where you from?

The STAR MAN starts to point to the sky, then catches himself.

STAR MAN:

I don't understand.

MAN:

Parlez vous Francais?... Habla

Ingles?... Sprechen zie deutsch?

These are foreign words to the STAR MAN and he pastes on his

smile.

MAN:

Good job, neither do I. What do you

do for a living?

STAR MAN:

(pretending)

I don't understand.

MAN:

I'm a cook. Do you understand 'cook?'

STAR MAN:

No.

COOK (MAN)

Food. Eat. I prepare food. I work as

a cook. That's how I make money.

STAR MAN:

I understand.

COOK:

What do you do?

STAR MAN:

(searches for an

answer, then)

I make maps.

COOK:

Hey, that sounds interesting. You

like it?

STAR MAN:

Eh... yes.

COOK:

Make any money?

STAR MAN:

No.

COOK:

(takes a pack of Camels

out of his pocket)

You don't get rich as a cook, either,

believe me. I got a girl going to

college this fall. The wife had to

go back to nursing to help pay for

it.

He sticks a cigarette in his mouth and flips one up for the

STAR MAN.

COOK:

Smoke?

The STAR MAN takes it, quickly examines it, then positions

it in his mouth at the exact angle the Cook did. His eyebrows

raise when the Cook flicks his Bic and puffs an ash on the

end of his cigarette.

The butane flame is swung in his direction and he flinches

back before allowing the Cook to singe his Camel. He copies

the Cook's puffing and the end of his cigarette begins to

glow.

COOK:

She wants to become a doctor. She's

a bright kid. Hard worker. I think

she'll make it. But the damned

inflation's driven the tuition up so

high it makes it real tough on a

family like ours.

The Cook inhales deeply from his cigarette and blows smoke

at the windshield. The STAR MAN mimics the inhalation, then

chokes. His eyes bulge and his cheeks puff out as he tries

to be cool and not cough. The Cook takes no notice of his

struggles.

COOK:

I got two other kids. I don't know

what we'll do when they get old enough

for college.

Smoke starts to dribble out of the Star Man's nose and mouth.

Puzzled, he re-examines his cigarette.

COOK:

Everybody blames it on the oil crisis.

That might be where it starts. But I

think a lot of people are just using

that as an excuse to rip the rest of

us off. I see it every day in the

kitchen. Peaches. We use the gallon

cans. The price has gone up three

times in the last year. And now the

cans are only half full.

The Cook takes another drag. As if etiquette required it,

the STAR MAN hurries to copy him. This time there are no ill

effects.

COOK:

Do you have children?

STAR MAN:

No.

COOK:

They're damned expensive and a pain

in the ass sometimes, but I wouldn't

trade having them for anything.

The Cook flicks his ash out of the window. A moment later,

the STAR MAN mirrors his action.

COOK:

What do you think of America?

STAR MAN:

It is beautiful.

EXT. ELMO'S - DAY

A truck stop set back as little as the law allows from the

BUZZ OF INTERSTATE 70.

JENNY (O.S.)

I'm looking for a guy about this

tall, with brown hair and really

gray eyes...

We FIND Jenny at the set of fuel pumps nearest the highway

dogging an ATTENDANT while he services an 18-wheeler

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