The Shape of Water Page #15

177 INT. ELISA’S APARTMENT - SAME 177

Water spills from the bathroom door. Giles treads carefully.

GILES:

Oh, God- Elisa?

Knocks on the bathroom door. Water projecting from its entire

contour. Noises. The door opens. Water pours out.

Inside the Amphibian Man and Elisa, naked, covering herselfwith the plastic curtain.

Giles, soaked, laughs.

In the soundtrack: Trixie Smith sings MY UNUSUAL MAN

178 INT. GILES APARTMENT - SAME 178

Giles towels his hair.

GILES:

I’m toweling my hair, Elisa. My

hair. And- and- look at the arm:

healed. As if nothing had

happened... You said he was a god.

I don’t know. He ate a cat...

(beat)

You know what this means? We have

to keep him around- just a little

bit longer. You don’t want to lose

him, do you?

(beat)

We cannot just- let him go- like

that- We gotta keep him.

CUT TO:

179 INT. COMMAND CENTER / STRICKLAND’S OFFICE - DAY 179

Hoffstetler meets Strickland.

HOFFSTETLER:

You wanted to see me?

STRICKLAND:

Transcribe it, Sally.

SALLY:

Right away, Sir.

STRICKLAND:

Come on up- I have a few questions

for you.

HOFFSTETLER:

Of course.

Strickland climbs the steps to his office.

HOFFSTETLER (CONT’D)

Thank you.

Strickland gives him some water.

STRICKLAND:

Have a seat.

They sit.

HOFFSTETLER:

How’s it going? The investigation.

STRICKLAND:

Well- we have a promising lead.

HOFFSTETLER:

Really? That’s good to hear.

They sit.

STRICKLAND:

You joined us in Galveston. But

where were you before, Hoffstetler?

Where did you come to us from-

HOFFSTETLER:

Doctor.

STRICKLAND:

Excuse me?

HOFFSTETLER:

Doctor Hoffstetler. Protocol.

(beat)

Wisconsin. Madison.

STRICKLAND:

That’s right- You gave up a tenure

track position. Didn’t ya? Gave it

all up for us.

HOFFSTETLER:

I did.

STRICKLAND:

I suppose you’re getting ready toleave us now, then-

Hoffstetler drinks.

HOFFSTETLER:

Only if the creature isn’t found.

STRICKLAND:

What do you think? You think we

will-? Find it?

HOFFSTETLER:

Well, you said you had a lead.

Long beat.

STRICKLAND:

I do.

A HANDFUL OF STARS by Jon Eric Kellso starts.

179AA INT. GILES APARTMENT 179AA

Giles paints a portrait of Elisa and the Amphibian Man.

It rains outside.

Camera dollies across his window and discovers

179A INT. ELISA’S APARTMENT - DAWN 179A

The creature eyes the rain - almost pained-like a doggie who

wants out.

She watches him touch the glass. She touches his shoulder.

Scales come off in her hand.

179B OMITTED 179B

179C OMITTED 179C

179D EXT. DOCKS / CANAL - DAWN 179D

Elisa walks the canals-Rain.

The waters are rising, churning. Growing.

97

Near the 30ft mark.

179E OMITTED 179E

179F OMITTED 179F

180 EXT. BROWNSTONE BUILDINGS STREET / LOBBY -DAY 180

Raining. HOFFSTETLER, lugging two empty suitcases into his

building.

Watching from across the street: FLEMING IN HIS CAR.

181 INT. HOFFSTETLER’S APARTMENT - DAY 181

Hoffstetler enters his apartment. Telephone is ringing.

HOFFSTETLER:

Hello?

He looks around- tense. Out the window.

MIHALKOV’S VOICE

Extraction is ready. Same place,

Forty-eight hours.

HOFFSTETLER:

Forty eight hours???

They hang up. Hoffstetler looks out the window.

181A 181A

EXT. HOFFSTETLER’S APARTMENT - SAME

POV HOFF:
A car, lights on: Fleming, eating a sandwich andlistening to “Norman” by Sue Thompson

182 OMITTED 182

182A INT. COMMAND CENTER - DAY 182A

Sally awaits for Strickland.

SALLY:

Sir, General Hoyt.

STRICKLAND:

Tell him I’m not in, tell him I

will call him back. Don’t put himthrough-

SALLY:

No, Sir- he’s in your office.

Strickland looks up: Hoyt drinks coffee by the window. Looksdirectly at him.

STRICKLAND (PRELAP)

I believe I have identified the

mole. I will confirm and act on it.

183 INT. STRICKLAND’S OFFICE - DAY 183

GENERAL HOYT:

At this point our only concern isthe asset. Do you have it?

STRICKLAND:

Still in the wind, sir-

GENERAL HOYT:

That won’t do. You’ll have to fix

it.

STRICKLAND:

Yes, Sir. I know. But- May I askone question, Sir?

GENERAL HOYT:

This wouldn’t be the appropriatetime, I don’t think.

Strickland finds a loose thread- sticking out from his jacket

lapel. Tucks at it- hides it- folds it.

STRICKLAND:

I need to ask, Sir- respectfully.

GENERAL HOYT:

Then go ahead, Son.

STRICKLAND:

You’ve know me for- how long?

GENERAL HOYT:

Thirteen years. Battle of Pusan.

183A OMITTED

183B OMITTED

STRICKLAND:

Yes, Sir- and in all that time, I,

I’ve never once

(beat)

This is-what happened here is- Aman is faithful, Sir- loyal,

efficient all of his life. All of

it- and he is- useful. And he

expects- He has certainexpectations in return. And he

fails, then- once. Only once. What

does that make him? Does that make

him a failure?

(beat)

When is a man done? Proving

himself, Sir? A good man. A decent

man-

GENERAL HOYT:

Decent?

(beat:
yes)

A man has the decency not to fuckup- that’s one thing. That is real

decent of him. The other kind of

decency-? It doesn’t really matter.

We sell it- Sure- But it’s an

export. And we sell it ‘cause wedon’t use it.

(beat)

See? Thirty six hours from now-

this entire episode will be over.

And so will you...

(beat)

Our universe will have a hole in it

with your outline. And you will

have gone on to an alternate

universe. A universe of sh*t. You

will be lost to civilization. You

will be unborn. Unmade. Undone.

(beat)

So- go get some real decency, Son.

And unfuck this mess.

183A

183B

184 EXT. BATHROOM - SAME 184

BAMM!! The door opens. Strickland enters. Almost entirely out

of breath- suffocating- gasping. Panicked.

He tries to calm down. Wets his face- lets the water run.

Liquid oozes from his hand. He pulls at the thread and pullsat it

-and it unravels his lapel. He gets angry and removes his

jacket violently and throws it down on the floor. Then he

looks deep in the mirror. Deep eye contact with himself.

STRICKLAND:

Thirty-six hours. Deliver. You

deliver. That’s what you do. Youdeliver. You don’t fail-

A fly lands on his hand, rubs its legs.

CUT TO:

185-186 OMITTED 185-186

186A INT. GILES APARTMENT - DAY 186A

Giles- all energy- paints a large canvas image of theamphibian man. Elisa goes by.

She enters her apartment without saying a single word.

187 OMITTED 187

188 INT. KITCHEN, ELISA’S APARTMENT - NIGHT 188

Elisa rips off a leaf in her calendar: The leaf exposed nowreads: RAIN. DOCKS.

She looks at window, Pelted by rain.

Buckets and pails on her floor pick up water from ceiling

leaks.

The Creature stands under one particularly big leak in the

kitchen.

Later:
Elisa peels eggs for the Amphibian Man. He looks grey,

weak.

Barely eats.

He looks at her- Suddenly, she whistles softly, then signs

and then, finally, sings- quietly at first:

ELISA:

You'll never know just how much

I’ve loved you... You'll never knowjust how much I care...

AMPHIBIAN MAN doesn’t react, she puts down her spoon andcontinues- with her impossibly sweet voice:

Rate this script:4.5 / 2 votes