The Devil's Advocate Page #4

21.

25 CONTINUED:
25

The floor is nothing but glass. Sixty stories above the world. A bridge between two skyscrapers.

HEATH:

I watched a Senator piss his pants right where you're standing.

Great.

KEVIN:

(non-plussed)

HEATH:

He's waiting for you. Good luck.

Kevin sucks it up.

but an open door.

Starts walking. Up ahead, nothing

CUT TO:

26 INT. MILTON'S OFFICE - DAY 26

First of all it's round. And large. The walls are made

of stone. No windows. There are dramatic shafts of

natural light from above. Stark and clean to the

extreme. No paper anywhere.

Kevin standing there. Taking in the space.

Behind you.

MILTON (O.S.)

Kevin turns. There he is.

Sorry.

MILTON:

Didn't mean to...

KEVIN:

No. Please.

(his hand)

Kevin Lomax.

MILTON:

(they shake)

John Milton.

KEVIN:

Nice to meet you.

MILTON:

Have we been treating you well?

Very well.

KEVIN:

Thank you.

(CONTINUED)

22.

26 CONTINUED:
26

MILTON:

Your wife, she's had a good time?

KEVIN:

She sure has. It's been great.

The whole thing's been great.

MILTON:

Good. That's our secret. We kill

you with kindness.

(walking the room,

circling)

What's your secret?

KEVIN:

I couldn't say.

MILTON:

You were a prosecutor.

KEVIN:

Out of law school. Five years in the Jacksonville D.A.'s office.

MILTON:

Sixty-four straight convictions.

What a number.

KEVIN:

I like to be in court. I didn't

plea out a lot.

MILTON:

What's that like? One day you're putting them away and the next you're setting them free?

KEVIN:

Takes a little getting used to.

MILTON:

Pays better though, doesn't it?

KEVIN:

Yes it does.

MILTON:

The math teacher. The Gettys

case. I hear you were brilliant.

KEVIN:

Prosecutor dropped the ball.

(CONTINUED)

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. 11/2/96 23.

26 CONTINUED:
(2) 26

Really.

guilty.

MILTON:

So you think your guy was

KEVIN:

I didn't say that.

MILTON:

What did you say?

KEVIN:

How's this? I began the case with a clear conscience.

MILTON:

(quiet a moment)

I was sure you had a secret.

KEVIN:

The men's room.

(beat)

Upstairs men's room in the Duval County courthouse. There's a hole

in the wall. Straight through to the next room.

(smiles)

I spent five years listening to juries deliberate.

I love it.

MILTON:

KEVIN:

Love it all you want, just don't repeat it. I'm not sure the

Florida Bar Association would

appreciate it.

MILTON:

You don't really want to go back to Florida, do you? Walk with me.

27 INT. MILTON'S OFFICE - PANEL - DAY 27

With that, Milton pushes a button.

open out to:

Huge panel screens

28 EXT. MILTON'S TERRACE - DAY 28

A reflecting pool. Water right to the edge. A narrow

walkway straight through the middle. And we're fifty stories above the city. The effect is staggering.

(CONTINUED)

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. 11/15/96 24.

28 CONTINUED:
28

MILTON:

What do you think? Some people can't handle it.

KEVIN:

It's peaceful.

MILTON:

Exactly.

(pleased)

Fill in the resume. Tell me about your family.

What does your father do?

KEVIN:

I never got to know my father.

He passed away before I was born.

My mom raised me. Just the two of us.

MILTON:

She never remarried?

KEVIN:

She wasn't married the first time.

MILTON:

That can't be easy in Gainesville.

KEVIN:

I don't think it's easy anywhere.

(re the view)

Holy sh*t...

MILTON:

Little different when you're looking down, isn't it?

(beat)

Tell me about her. Your mother.

What's she like?

KEVIN:

She's a preacher's daughter.

She's tough. She's worked in the

same poultry plant for as long as I can remember. I think she's up to eight-fifty an hour. She's got a church she really likes, so she's usually either there or they go out, they do a lot of volunteer work.

(CONTINUED)

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. 11/15/96 25.

28 CONTINUED:
(2) 28

MILTON:

'Many are in high places, and of

great renown:
but mysteries are revealed unto the meek.'

KEVIN:

So they say.

MILTON:

Didn't rub off on you? The book?

The church?

KEVIN:

I'm on parole. Early release for time served.

Suddenly they're quiet. Silenced by the view.

MILTON:

Lotta potential clients down there. (Sooner or later it all flows through the streets.)

KEVIN:

You don't have to sell me on New

York.

MILTON:

You like it here, don't you?

KEVIN:

Are we negotiating?

MILTON:

Always.

KEVIN:

Why do you need a criminal

department?

MILTON:

Because our clients break the law

just like everyone else and I'm tired of sending their business across the street.

KEVIN:

Are you offering me a job?

MILTON:

I'm thinking about it. You have

the talent. I knew that before

you got here. It's the other

thing I wonder about.

(CONTINUED)

DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - Rev. 11/15/96 26.

28 CONTINUED:
(3) 28

KEVIN:

What thing is that?

MILTON:

Pressure. Changes everything.

Some people, you squeeze them,

they focus. Some people fold.

Can you summon your talent at will? Can you deliver on deadline? Can you sleep at night?

KEVIN:

When do we talk about money?

MILTON:

Money's the easy part.

CUT TO:

29 EXT. LOMAX BUILDING AND STREET - DAY 29

Carnegie Hall. High off Central Park.

stretch pulls to the curb.

A Mercedes

HEATH (V.O.)

Mt. Sinai Hospital right up the

street. Some excellent schools.

(CONTINUED)

27.

29 CONTINUED:
29

The driver rushing to open the door. Heath, Kevin and

Mary Ann getting out of the car just as a group of uniformed school children come charging out of the building to meet their bus.

HEATH:

I doubt it was at the top of his list when Mr. Milton bought the building, but it's a great neighborhood for children.

30 LOOKING UP - BUILDING 30

A stately, pre-war apartment house. One unique touch;

the penthouse rises in a sort of wedding cake design.

CUT TO:

31 INT. LOMAX APARTMENT LANDING - DAY 31

Turn of the Century. Elegant. Two apartments per floor.

JACKIE HEATH waiting here. She is black, early thirties,

and very, very attractive.

The elevator doors open.

Kevin and Heath.

Mary Ann steps out, followed by

JACKIE:

You must be Mary Ann -- Welcome.

I'm Jackie Heath...

MARY ANN:

It's so sweet of you to come by.

Please.

JACKIE:

We live across the hall.

MARY ANN:

You're kidding?

HEATH:

Right here.

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