The Shape of Water Page #9

(beat)

I- I never understood why they are

so damn happy anyway. So happy

about a-slab of animal... protein-

in- in that shade of green- that

should come with a warning label..

(beat)

But I guess they smile because that

is their future- Your future. Just

like your pies- These horrible

pies. Turning around in their nice,

shiny glass towers- But tasting

like ashes in my mouth. Have you

ever seen a real key lime pie?

It’s not green. It’s actually

beautiful. Who makes these pies?!

Who makes them?? What are they-

really? Sh*t. Bright, fake-colored

sh*t. Made by no one. Eaten by no

one... You don’t even know where

they come from... Do you? You don’t

even know that...

He leaves

PIE GUY:

They come from Albany, F*ggot.

CUT TO:

74 INT. ELISA’S APARTMENT - DAY 74

Elisa scrubs her bathtub clean.

A knock on the door.

She opens:
it’s Giles.

GILES:

I have... no one else- you are the

only person that I can talk to...

Elisa is moved. Signs “Me, too...”

GILES (CONT'D)

Whatever this thing is... You need

it... So- Just tell me what to do.

They embrace.

CUT TO:

75 EXT. SAND PILES - DAWN 75

Hoffstetler waits. Smoking.

The car arrives.

76 INT. BLACK SEA RUSSIAN RESTAURANT -SAME 76

The main room of the restaurant now. Empty.

MIHALKOV:

Moscow will not support your plan.

Too risky. Too soon.

HOFFSTETLER:

What-

MIHALKOV:

There is not enough time.

HOFFSTETLER:

But I have told you, they will killit-- And it is sentient. I am sure

of that now. Did you tell them

that?

MIHALKOV:

I did.

HOFFSTETLER:

And?

(beat)

I can do it. Myself and two

operators.

MIHALKOV:

No.

MIHALKOV pulls out a small black steel case and places aSMALL, CLOCKWORK DRIVEN DEVICE- a “Popper” (we will see it in

action soon).

MIHALKOV (CONT’D)

We have only two choices, Dimitri,

One:
You must delay the procedure,

a week, minimum...

HOFFSTETLER:

That is not possible.

MIHALKOV:

I understand. Which brings us up tooption two.

Takes the “Popper.”

MIHALKOV (CONT’D)

Israeli “Popper”-you set it nextto a fuse box-it will buy you fiveto ten minutes in the dark: no

cameras- no containment doors- Then-

Opens the small case. Inside: two syringes full of silvery

liquid.

MIHALKOV (CONT’D)

You inject it with this-

HOFFSTETLER:

Inject it?

MIHALKOV:

Kill it. Destroy it- Are you allright?

HOFFSTETLER:

I came to this country-to learnwhat I could- as a patriot, yes-

but also as a scientist. This

creature- It should not be killed.

Not by them. Not by us.

(beat)

There is still so much we can learn-

He pushes the syringe box towards Mihalkov.

MIHALKOV:

We don’t need to learn. We need

Americans not to learn. They don’t

learn, we win.

Mihalkov pushes the syringe box back.

77 OMITTED

78 INT. CADILLAC DEALERSHIP - DUSK 78

STRICKLAND is admiring a beautiful Cadi 1962 Coupe: All Fins.

Jet tail lights. Sleek metal body.

DEALER:

Cadillac DeVille. Best car ever

made. V8, 390 CID, clean, crisp

like a fresh dollar bill. Climb

right in-

STRICKLAND:

I am just idling around.

The Dealer (blue suit, blue tie) opens the door using a bluehandkerchief.

DEALER:

AM/FM stereo sound, Airconditioner, power windows, powerbreaks, power steering, power

seats...

(beat)

All deluxe interior appointment

choices. 143 options. The Taj-Mahalon wheels.

STRICKLAND:

I’m not sure about the green.

DEALER:

Oh, no. Not green, my friend.

(beat)

Teal.

STRICKLAND:

Well, Teal looks green to me.

DEALER:

But it isn’t, see? It’s a limited

edition. Twelve coats of paint.

Polished by hand. All authentic

chrome detailing. Four out of five

successful men in America drive a

Cadillac.

STRICKLAND:

That a fact?

DEALER:

This here is the future. And youstrike me as a man who is headingthere.

STRICKLAND:

Where?

DEALER:

Why- The Future. You are the man ofthe future.

(beat)

You belong in this car.

Strickland climbs in.

CHICA CHICA BOOM starts in the soundtrack.

CUT TO:

78A MONTAGE 78A

-STRICKLAND drives his brand new car. He smiles. Other Cars

honk at him.

-Drivers give him the “thumbs up”

-He is in a dream.

78AB -ELISA AND ZELDA MOP THE CORRIDOR. 78AB

78B OMITTED 78B

78C -STRICKLAND ENTERS THE COMPLEX. GOES BY THE GUARD SHACK. 78C

78CaA -VIEW FROM CARGO AREA IN CINEMA. IN THE BACK ALLEY GILES LAYS

78CaA

A STENCIL TO LETTER THE SIDE OF THE VAN: LAUNDRY. BY HIS

SIDE:
THE LAUNDRY SHEET WITH THE LOGO.

He lays the paint.

78CA - STRICKLAND PARKS HIS CAR. 78CA

78CC OMITTED 78CC

78CD - GILES PULLS THE STENCIL AND ADMIRES HIS HANDIWORK. 78CD

57

78CE -STRICKLAND CLEANS A SMALL SPOT ON THE FIN. 78CE

He crosses the parking lot, like a king-

and goes by the smoking employees.

78D -ELISA LOADS TOWELS INTO A LAUNDRY VAN. 78D

78DD OMITTED 78DD

78E OMITTED 78E

78F INT. LAB - NIGHT 78F

Elisa empties a paper basket. In the B.G. Hoffstetler and

other SCIENTISTS monitor the creature on the gurney.

Elisa approaches a small door in the far side of the lab-

marked SERVICE CORRIDOR.

Hoffstetler watches her surreptitiously.

79 INT. NARROW CORRIDOR - NIGHT 79

-Elisa peeks at the narrow service corridor.

Walks through it. Emerges into

79AA INT. LOADING DOCK - NIGHT 79AA

- the loading dock...

79A INT. LOADING DOCK - SAME 79A

ZELDA smokes her cigarette with the gang. She watches asElisa enters the dock and looks at the VIDEO CAMERA.

80 INT. GILES APARTMENT - DAY 80

The music carries on. On TV, Carmen Miranda dances.

GILES:

So I will drive down the loadingdock- at exactly 05:00 am.

(beat)

(MORE)

GILES (CONT'D)

Shifts are changing, yes- So we

have...

Elisa signs:
“FIVE”

GILES (CONT'D)

...five minutes... Five A.M. Five,

five. Give me your watch. You’llmove the camera... We’ll

synchronize our watches. Just like

the movies.

(beat)

I’m so proud of you. You’re not

afraid.

(Elisa signs)

Oh, you are? Very? Don’t tell methat! I’m terrified!

Giles finishes reproducing Elisa’s ID card, using his skillsas a draftsman. He holds up the finished ID.

GILES (CONT’D)

I think it’s some of my best work.

Then he glues his own picture and fills the name-

GILES (CONT’D)

Michael Parker. A good, trustworthyname. Bit butch...

Loads it in a typewriter: fills in date of birth, etc.

GILES (CONT’D)

Age? I thought- fifty one?

Elisa looks at him.

GILES (CONT’D)

Fifty four?

Silence. Uses Ink to turn the “1” into a “7”.

GILES (CONT’D)

Oh, you know? There is no need tobe rude: Fifty seven- I put the

hair on, I can pull it off. now-

He models two sweaters.

GILES (CONT’D)

This one or this one? I think this

one says “Working Man” and Move

Thor!

(MORE)

GILES (CONT’D)

This one- with butterscotch `tie-

says “casual but with stylish”. I

agree. Then we’re ready.

CUT TO:

81 81

INT. STRICKLAND’S OFFICE - NIGHT

Music ends. Strickland stands in front of his wall of

monitors- checking every detail.

He eats little candy. Spots Elisa cleaning in a corridor.

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