The Stunt Man Page #12

ELI:

You'll have it ready on time?

MECHANIC:

Yeah, but don't look under the hood

or you'll find a Chevy.

100B At the door, Eli can barely open it to squeeze through.

INT. STORAGE ROOM

An incredible number of people have wedged themselves into this tiny

smoke-filled room, peering over each other's heads toward a lighted

area at the far end.

ELI:

(shouting)

Harvey in here?

- 62

OFFSTAGE VOICE:

(yelling)

Quiet. We're shooting.

(then back to business)

Come on...let me have a little more

face...a little more face!

Eli squats on his haunches peering between the legs of the onlookers

and tugs on Cameron's sleeve to join him.

102

POV:

Hazily, through the restless shifting limbs, male and female, like

the first rays of morning sun breaking through to the depths of the

forest, we glimpse Raymond and Gabe shooting their eight millimeter

epic:
Two people screwing in a rowboat. Raymond suddenly throws

his hands up in despair.

RAYMOND:

(screaming)

Cut!

(indignantly)

Jesus, Kenneth. Great control. All

right, who's doubling for Kenny on

the inserts?

103

ANGLE ON ELI AND CAMERON

Cameron and Eli rise to their feet.

ELI:

Can you believe this? They spend

the whole day working in a

whorehouse and look how they relax?

That's dedication. You think sex

can save the world?

(grins at Cameron)

CAMERON:

That’s not my bag, Eli.

ELI:

Sex, or saving the world?

CAMERON:

...The world, that's your special

job. And Jesus, are we all lucky to

have you around...

Suddenly Cameron is shoved backwards by the door as someone pushes

against it to get in.

- 63

ANOTHER ANGLE:

It is Harvey standing in the doorway with Nina.

HARVEY:

(to Eli)

Hey Chief, ya lookin' for me?

Nina tries to peer over the heads of the crowd, pushing into the

room. Cameron steps toward her without thinking. He wants her out

of there.

NINA:

What's happening? What's going on?

GABE:

(joking)

Look who's here! Nina, we need you.

Still got your makeup on?

Nina, who by now has seen what's happening, laughs.

NINA:

That's a daring touch, Raymond! The

rowboat. Terribly symbolic.

There is general laughter, but not shared by Cameron. He

surprisingly finds himself angry at Nina's presence here and

everyone's easy familiarity toward her. She sees Cameron and Eli

through the smokey dimness and works her way toward them smiling.

Eli puts his arms about her shouting over the din.

ELI:

(kidding her)

Just like the old days, huh kid?

Remember the sunglasses and garter

belts back when we got our start?

Make you nostalgic?

More laughter. Nina turns to Cameron.

NINA:

Hi Lancelot. What's a nice boy like

you doing in a place like this?

Going to rescue the maiden from the

boat?

ELI:

He just asked if he could do the

rowing. Didn't you, kid?

- 64

CAMERON:

Having fun with me, aren't you?

It's Eli's potty training class.

Show little Lucky the pretty lady.

Make dirt on the pretty lady. Watch

little Lucky puke. Trouble with you

is you think the whole world is your

own personal crapper.

(Cameron starts to exit)

Have yourself a time...Just wallow

around in it, man. Watching you

makes me feel like Mr. Clean.

Cameron storms out in a rage. Eli watches with a thoughtful smile.

Sam, who has witnessed the outburst, turns to Eli, furious:

SAM:

...Goddamn little prudish bastard!

ELI:

No more than you and me...it's the

human condition. We just hide it

better.

SAM:

...Are you kidding?...If That guy in

the rowboat was a Marine sticking a

bayonet in her instead of a cock,

that uptight son-of-a-b*tch would

have saluted.

Eli starts laughing.

SAM (CONT'D)

F***ing Fascist. What are you

laughing at?

ELI:

It's just...that girl in the

rowboat, she looks exactly like your

daughter, Jennifer.

SAM:

(outraged)

Goddamn you, Eli. That's not funny!

He grabs Eli by the shirt front, cocking his fist.

ELI:

(laughing and wrestling)

- 65

Get 'em, Sam! Sic 'em! Kill 'em,

boy! That's my uptight killie

doggie...

Sam's anger fades to a sheepish grin, realizing he's fallen into

Eli's trap. Where his daughter is concerned, he's just as prudish

as Cameron. Eli snaps an affectionate headlock around Sam's neck.

SAM:

Son of a b*tch.

ELI:

(still laughing)

See what I mean? Old Victoria's

still got us all by the balls. God

save the queen!...Only difference

is, we like to make movies about it.

With hardly a pause, he turns.

ELI (CONT'D)

Harvey, dailies at six o'clock

tomorrow morning. We're shooting at

seven.

Rubbing his hands together (the old pro taking over), he starts

pushing his way through the crowd.

ELI (CONT'D)

All right now, let's put a little

bit of class into this production!

He elbows his way to center stage.

INT. BASEMENT SCREENING ROOM - NEXT DAY

On the folding chairs facing the PORTABLE SCREEN, a dozen people are

silhouetted against the light from the projected dailies. Cameron

enters, pausing so his eyes can adjust to the dark.

- 66

106 POV

In the dimness, Nina sits separated from Eli, Sam and a few others.

On the screen, a World War I British biplane in steady flight is

interrupted by a couple of subliminal cuts. Another subliminal

flash holds and replaces the scene on the portable screen. It's a

"NUDIE" SHOT -- a rear view of the lady taken in the rowboat the

night before.

VOICE:

What the hell is that?

The watchers all break up, recognizing the work of Raymond and Gabe.

GABE:

Hey Nina, there's your toothpaste

commercial!

RAYMOND:

I love her smile...

As Nina laughs good-naturedly, the airplane is back on the portable

screen.

107

ANGLE ON CAMERON

Involuntarily smiling to himself and now less uptight about last

night, he walks over and sits down beside her.

CAMERON:

(whispering)

How they get the film developed so

fast?

Without even glancing at him, Nina gets up and moves to a chair some

distance away. He is stunned, then angry. Then confounded. Then

resigned to the ways of women, he goes over and sits beside her.

CAMERON:

What's the matter?

NINA:

(turning on him)

Don't let the fact that Eli treats

you as an equal go to your head.

You're not!

CAMERON:

Thanks.

ELI'S VOICE

- 67

Nina, we're watching dailies.

NINA:

I'm sorry, Eli.

CAMERON:

But he can say anything and that's

okay...

NINA:

...That's right...

CAMERON:

...That's great...

NINA:

...What goes on in that dim little

head of yours? How dare you open

your mouth to him like that? Have

you the vaguest idea what he's

trying to say to people with this

film?!...That man is the most

dedicated, kindest...!

Eli's voice interrupts, angry, like a schoolteacher dismissing a

child for talking.

ELI'S VOICE

Nina, you can go now.

Nina, close to tears, quickly gets up and hurries out of the

theater, as Cameron sits there numbly staring at the screen.

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