The Deer Hunter Page #2

ALBERT:

Damn right!

VINCE:

What do you think, Sal? Jesus, you

think we'd miss this?

Now SAL is embarrassed. He makes a gesture with his hand.

NICK:

(with a laugh)

C'mon. C'mon you guys!

They all start into the swirling snow. NICK with an arm

around SAL.

VINCE:

And we want you to know, Sal, that

any help you might need--

ALBERT:

Yeah, Sal--

MERLE:

Willing fingers--

ALBERT:

Extra feet!

INT. V.F.W. POST - DAY

The place is large and drafty and rundown. A huge American

flag hangs from the middle of the ceiling. Under it WOMEN are

laying white table cloths on trestle tables. Off to one side

a half dozen OLD MEN wearing VFW hats are Scotch-taping paper

ribbons to the brick wall. Two OLD MEN are on stepladders,

two more are bracing the ladders and the operation is under

the direction of a pair of World War I VETS standing side by

side. Their hands tremble. Their four eyes loom huge behind

corrective lenses.

VET 1

Up I would say... What would you

say?

VET 2

Up.

VET 1

(signals)

Up ribbon!

One end of the ribbon is moved up. The two VETS study it.

VET 2

Down I would say... What would you

say?

VET 1

Down.

VET 2

(signals)

Down ribbon!

Suddenly there is a commotion. The WOMEN who are setting up

the tables all rush to the door as the OLDER WOMEN come in

with the wedding cake. The OLDER WOMEN look half-frozen and

as they move toward a table the cake receives a great chorus

of Uhh's and Ahh's. Suddenly one of the OLDER WOMEN

collapses. Friends rush to her aid, seat her in a chair and

give her wine. The WOMAN takes the glass, tosses it off in

one swallow and grins. EVERYONE laughs.

EXT. COLUMBINE STREET - BOTTOM OF HILL - DAY

A big, battered old shark-finned black Cadillac approaches,

coming fast.

INT. CADILLAC - DAY

NICK, SAL, MERLE, VINCE and ALBERT are all laughing. NICK is

at the wheel.

VINCE:

Hit it, Nick!

OTHERS:

Go Nick! Hit it, baby!!!

EXT. COLUMBINE STREET - DAY

The car bangs over potholes and slams into the grade. We

watch as it reaches the half-way point, then the three

quarter mark...

INT. CADILLAC - DAY

NICK bends forward over the wheel, peering out through the

slapping wipers.

GUYS IN THE CAR:

(chanting)

Do it, Nick! Do it! Go Nick, Go! Do

it! Do it, Nick! Go!

The car fishtails, loses speed... to a creep.

NICK:

Back! All hands to the rear!

ALBERT and MERLE, who are sitting in front, immediately throw

themselves into the back seat on top of SAL and VINCE.

GUYS IN BACK SEAT

Easy... 'At's it, easy! Easy,

Nick... Easy!

EXT. COLUMBINE STREET - TOP OF HILL - DAY

The Cadillac inches up the last ten feet, gains level ground

and skids to a stop. From inside comes a MUTED CHEER.

INT. BRIDE'S HOUSE - BEDROOM - DAY

ANGELA is dressed in her white bridal gown and veil. She is

plump, pretty, with a solemn, round face and big brown eyes.

ANGELA leans forward into a mirror.

ANGELA:

(sincerely)

I do.

A pause. ANGELA scowls and tries it again.

ANGELA (CONT'D)

(heartfelt)

I do.

ANGELA tries it a few more times. It sounds worse and worse.

ANGELA (CONT'D)

I do, I do, I do!!!

ANGELA stares at herself. Now she looks desperate and

unrelievedly forlorn. Bursting into tears she throws herself

on the bed. Someone has slipped a photograph under the

pillow. The photograph is face down and as ANGELA pulls it

out she sees that something is written on the back:

ANGELA (CONT'D)

(reading, slow)

"This is it -- more or less...

Love, Mom."

ANGELA frowns, turns the photograph over. It is a picture of

Michaelangelo's "David". ANGELA stares at the figure for a

long, long moment...

ANGELA (CONT'D)

Oh, wow.

INT. JOHN'S BAR - DAY

The place is packed with boisterous STEELWORKERS drinking

boilermakers. Deerheads are mounted in a long row over the

bar, and hand-painted murals decorate the walls. The murals

depict hunting scenes and display an eerie tone -- at once

comical and frightening -- as if the animals held some secret

from the hunters, some power beyond their own.

JOHN bangs out from behind the bar with a tray of beer. At

the same moment SAL comes in with NICK, MERLE, ALBERT and

VINCE. JOHN, who is a great bear of a youth, puts down his

tray, wraps his arms around SAL and begins jumping him around

the floor, grinning ear to ear. The STEELWORKERS turn, desert

their places and swarm around SAL, joking and shouting

congratulations.

INT. LINDA'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY

LINDA is thin -- a skinny slip of a thing with a hauntingly

lovely face. Wearing her bridesmaid's dress she stands alone

in the kitchen, staring at the ceiling. Thumping noises are

coming from the room above. The thumping gets louder.

There is a crash, then another crash, as if furniture were

being thrown around. A MAN'S VOICE begins cursing and there

is more thumping and crashing. Suddenly there is a thud...

and then silence.

LINDA bites her lip. She crosses to the stove, ladles stew

into a bowl, butters bread, pours a cup of tea and puts it

all on a tray.

INT. LINDA'S HOUSE - FATHER'S BEDROOM - DAY

The room is a wreck of broken furniture. Chairs are turned

over, lamps are smashed and the pictures hang cockeyed on the

wall. In the middle of the room, face down on the floor, is

LINDA'S FATHER. His coat is torn, one shoe is missing and he

holds a half-empty bottle in his hand. Behind him, through

the open window, snow is blowing in.

LINDA comes in with the tray. She stands for a moment

expressionless, looking down at her father. Then she sets the

tray on the bureau and kneels beside him.

LINDA:

Daddy?

FATHER:

(mumbles)

Go... f***ing hell!

LINDA reaches down, takes her FATHER by the shoulder and

rolls him over. It takes some effort and the face that comes

up is gray, unshaven and implacably bitter. Saliva dribbles

from his mouth, there is a cut with the stitches still in it

seaming his forehead and as LINDA looks at him he begins

cursing again.

FATHER (CONT'D)

F***ing sh*t... all around, like a

sea! Like an ocean!

LINDA gets up and closes the window. She comes back, gets

down on the floor beside her father and pushes him toward the

bed. Then, hiking up her bridesmaid's dress, she takes him by

the shoulders again and heaves him onto the coverlet. The

effort is almost too much for her. Tears begin to burn in her

eyes, but when he slips back she tries again. The father

groans, begins to mumble, and then, when she almost has him

on the bed, he suddenly lifts his hand, catches her full in

the face and pushes her violently across the room.

LINDA crashes backwards over a fallen chair and smashes into

the wall. As she gets to her feet her father advances on her.

FATHER (CONT'D)

F***ing b*tch... All b*tches!

He swings, catches her in the face again, hard.

LINDA:

Daddy...! Daddy, it's me!

FATHER:

Hate 'em. F***ing b*tches!

LINDA'S FATHER swings at her again, loses his balance and

falls on the floor. LINDA stands looking at him, holding her

jaw. She is crying. Tears are streaming down her face.

EXT. COLUMBINE STREET - TOP OF HILL - DAY

Seven MUSICIANS, carrying their instruments, file silently

through the falling snow.

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