The Stunt Man Page #14

INT. HELICOPTER

Gabe at the eyepiece of the Mitchell, slowly tilting up and down to

follow the action.

GABE:

Fan-f***ing-tastic. Whaddya been

feeding that soldier-boy...brave

pills?

Through the plastic bubble, the biplane can be seen in the distance

going through its antic maneuvers.

ELI:

It's not what he's eating...it's

what's eating him...that makes it

sort of interesting.

(through intercom)

Okay, drop the package.

- 73

CLOSE ON BIPLANE

Cameron holds the boot poised, lets go. Then, the pilot is struck

by a bursting shell. As he slumps over, the plane skids and slips

and drops off into a spin. Cameron clings for his life as the

sickening momentum grows, until his feet are flung out from under

him and he dangles from the wing, whipping in space.

117

WIDE ANGLE:

Suddenly it becomes clear how what we are seeing is possible -- the

airplane is no longer in flight, but is dangling a few feet above

the ground, suspended from the cable of the huge crane. The crewmen

shove at its tail and wingtips to keep it revolving. Cameron is,

indeed, clinging to the wing strut, his feet held in space by the

centrifugal force. But, if his hands slip, he will fall ten feet

instead of to certain death.

118

ANGLE ON ELI AND CAMERA CREW - SHOOTING FROM GROUND

ELI:

How is it?

GABE:

(panning and tilting)

Su-f***ing-perlative.

ELI:

(into walkie-talkie)

Okay, now level out.

119

ANGLE ON CRANE OPERATOR

Easing some levers back.

120

POV THROUGH LENS

As the spin slows down and the plane appears to level out, Cameron

regains his footing, perches on the wing and looks forward in

growing horror.

121

WIDER ANGLE:

As the swinging arm of the crane glides the plane forward toward a

stand of trees at the edge of a clearing.

122

123

124

- 74

PAST CAMERON - MOVING SHOT

We see the rapidly approaching trees. Closer and closer, until with

a horrendous crash, the plane sails between two trunks, shearing off

the wingtips, the nose smashing into another, hurling Cameron off

the wing like a crumb flicked from the table.

EXTREME CLOSE UP - CAMERON

Apparently hurtling through the air, his eyes widen at the impending

impact. A gasp and then a sharp cry. But instead of the

crash...the ANGLE WIDENS and we see it is Cameron reaching orgasm.

With extreme contentment on his face, he rolls over revealing Nina,

who, it is clear, has also had a lovely time.

WIDER ANGLE - INT. NINA'S HOTEL BEDROOM - NIGHT

They are in bed in a pleasant large room (the Queen Anne Suite),

untidy, with script pages, wigs, costumes, fresh flowers, the

leftovers of a room service dinner. Nina caresses his back,

noticing bruises. She kisses them gently and starts to giggle. He

looks at her quizzically.

NINA:

That's twice for me today. Now.

And when I watched you do the stunt.

The ALARM CLOCK on the dresser BEGINS RINGING. He sits up, puzzled.

NINA (CONT'D)

I have to study my scene for

tomorrow. The Old Lady at the

cemetery. It's brutal. I set the

clock in case we dozed off.

Cameron gets up, moving toward the dresser to turn off the clock,

but instead stops at the stand holding the Old Lady wig. He runs

his fingers through it as the clock continues to ring.

CAMERON:

How come they cast you as an old

lady?

NINA:

I start out as a young girl hiding

this American flyer. I'm Austrian...

Will ya turn off the clock?

Subtly, we sense something is bothering Cameron. He ignores the

still-ringing clock.

- 75

NINA (CONT'D)

Anyway, his patriotism is stronger

than his love and he leaves me with

another little patriot in my belly.

During this he has taken the wig and puts it over his head, glancing

in the mirror.

CAMERON:

Why can't I double for both of you?

I could use the money and I don't

look half bad.

NINA:

(seriously)

Honey, you'll ruin it. Take it off.

He does.

NINA (CONT'D)

The clock's electric. It'll ring

forever.

Instead of turning off the clock, he crosses to the Old Lady's dress

on a hanger. He looks at the dress appraisingly.

CAMERON:

Eli might really go for that, the

big soldier as a little old lady.

Disturbed, Nina leaves the bed, turns off the alarm clock and

adjusts the wig properly on its stand.

NINA:

What's wrong?

CAMERON:

Everything's beautiful.

They embrace and cling to each other. She starts back for the bed,

but he detours for the clock and pulls out the alarm again, and

again it BEGINS RINGING.

NINA:

What are you doing?

- 76

CAMERON:

We've got to consider Eli. If you

don't study the scene, he'll be

mad...then you'll get mad...and I'll

get shot out of a cannon.

With the alarm still ringing, he starts toward the bed.

NINA:

Did you fall on your head today?

CAMERON:

I want it to ring.

NINA:

Why?

CAMERON:

For me, that's why. That's Eli

yelling for you to work on your

scene and us saying, "Up yours,

Eli," and I like that.

NINA:

Do you want to leave?

CAMERON:

I want to make love to you while Eli

is screaming his head off.

The whole idea is so incongruous that she starts laughing. He gets

on the bed with her. THE ALARM CONTINUES TO RING. They struggle

about, giggling at the absurdity.

NINA:

I can't make love with the clock

ringing.

CAMERON:

Betcha can.

While he moves over her body, she grabs a pillow and hurtles it at

the clock. It falls over, but keeps on ringing. By now, Cameron

has entered Nina and she is rapidly becoming more involved in that,

than in the clock.

CAMERON:

(to ringing clock while

making love to Nina)

You tell 'em, Eli.

- 77

CLOSE ON MOVIOLA

In the darkness, the machine is like an ominous hunchback,

splattering shards of light against Chuck's intensely watching face.

He is highly disturbed at the unseen image.

CHUCK:

(to himself)

Crazy bastard!

ANGLE WIDENS, showing a small STORAGE ROOM has been converted to a

makeshift EDITING ROOM, where Chuck sits working the MOVIOLA.

Slowly becoming aware of someone, he glances up through the spinning

reels and dimly sees Cameron leaning in the doorway.

CHUCK:

There was no way it could go

wrong...unless he just went ape.

Cameron ambles over as Chuck reverses the film to see it one more

time. Even as he catches a glimpse of the film whirring backward,

he realizes he's seeing BURT'S DEATH SCENE in the water. Now Chuck

has reached the beginning of the film and is moving it forward

again.

125A

CLOSE UP - VIEWER OF MOVIOLA

The film whirs as we see through the windshield over Burt's

shoulder, the car flying through the air, hitting the water and

sinking beneath the surface. Burt goes through the motions of a man

trying to free himself.

CHUCK:

The harness is okay...the roof is

holding...it all seems fine.

CAMERON:

But look at him struggle...

CHUCK:

...Badly. Eli wouldn't use a foot

of it...poor slob died for nothin'.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Sweat is running down Cameron's face. Finally, with dread...

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