The Stunt Man Page #16

OLD LADY (NINA)

But, we want these.

CARIBINERRI:

Please, signora. It's not right.

The grave is unmarked.

OLD LADY (NINA)

Ask the driver how many graves we

visited today. I could have chosen

five hours ago. I came here and my

soul said, "Oh yes." I know that is

hard to believe...

CARIBINERRI:

(shrugging)

Anything is possible, signora.

(tries urging her to her

feet)

Now, you must permit me to escort

you to your car.

OLD LADY (NINA)

As soon as I am gone, you will take

everything away.

CARIBINERRI:

No...

- 84

OLD LADY (NINA)

(tears streaming down her

face)

You will, and I can't stop you, and

it's wrong. We loved each other...

Where else should these go?

The unexpected sound of laughter makes her turn to see a SMALL GROUP

OF PEOPLE who've gathered beside their PARKED CARS watching.

OLD LADY (NINA)

Yes, I know I'm ridiculous, but you

laugh without knowing anything. You

would buy a plastic wreath for a man

of such importance.

She pulls free of the Caribinerri and, trying to kneel down,

stumbles and falls. Now, like some confused child, she searches

among the garments. Taking a SCROLL from a wooden box, she shakes

it at them like a schoolteacher would a ruler.

OLD LADY (NINA)

President Wilson...from the

President of the United States...for

heroism. To me for sheltering

him...

(smiling to herself)

How silly. I 'sheltered' him to be

with him. He was my beloved...Where

is it?...Oh, here, did you see this?

She now holds up a fist from which dangles a swastika on a sash.

OLD LADY (NINA)

Given to me by Adolf Hitler...for

our son. Our son...

Her voice suddenly fierce with the pain of that memory.

OLD LADY (NINA)

...Our son!!!

(then, with simple

reverence)

...A thousand years of peace...is

what he said. That would be very

nice.

The Caribinerri, spellbound, has taken a backward step, bumping into

a REFLECTOR, which now teeters and falls into the scene, knocking

off his hat, barely missing the Old Lady and crashing across the

grave and shattering all illusion. The Caribinerri stands there

- 85

with his eyes closed and his fists clenched, wishing he were in the

grave. Nina stands in speechless horror.

133

WIDER ANGLE - INCLUDING CREW SHOOTING

ELI:

(quietly)

Cut...

CARIBINERRI:

Eli, I'll kill myself.

ELI:

...and print.

It's deadly silent as Eli walks over to Nina. They stare at each

other for a moment.

ELI:

(eyes brimming over)

Thank you, baby.

They fall into each others arms like lovers never do.

134

MEDIUM - CAMERON WATCHING ELI AND NINA EMBRACE

Everybody is applauding, wild with joy over Nina's great

performance. Tears of happiness run unabashedly down Sam's nose.

Only Cameron is sullen, seething with anger and jealousy as he views

them in the light of his recent information.

A.D.

(through bull horn)

All right, that wraps the graveyard.

Don't pack it...just stick it in the

truck. Come on, we're losing sun,

everybody. In ten minutes at the

farmhouse!

Cameron is standing aside, while Nina vainly looks around for him.

Denise is unpinning her wig. Chuck approaches Cameron.

- 86

CHUCK:

Change of plans. We're making the

stunt a fire gag. When you come out

of the barn, you're in

flames...wanna try it.

Cameron, still watching Nina and Eli in the now dwindling circle of

admirers, doesn't answer.

CHUCK (CONT'D)

Look, don't do it if you don't

wanna...

CAMERON:

What does Eli say?

CHUCK:

You know Eli... "Tell the soldier

it's an extra hundred bucks and

he'll do it without the asbestos."

Whaddya say?

CAMERON:

Tell Eli to do it.

CHUCK:

Hey, what the hell is wrong with

you?

CAMERON:

I'm tired of being somebody's

goddamn clown!

ELI:

(moving into the shot)

Hey, you don't want to do it, don't

do it, but be happy! It's a great

day! Did you see her performance?

Terrific. It's a day for humility

and brotherly love!

CAMERON:

Fine, Eli. Let's be brotherly.

Milk brothers, sucking from the same

tit.

- 87

136

137

ANGLE - EXT. FARMHOUSE - DAY

As it explodes, Cameron is BLOWN THROUGH THE WALL -- ON FIRE. He

tumbles to the ground, frantically writhes, rolls, trying to smother

the flames, finally collapsing in some wagon tracks filled with

muddy water. Cameron lifts his head at the approach of a THUNDERING

SOUND...an ENGLISH CAISSON hurtles toward him, the driver dead and

mangled over the barrel of the gun, the horses insane with terror.

Before Cameron can move, the charging horses are on top of him. He

rolls between their hooves, the giant steel wheel of the caisson

barely missing him. Shells from a cannon barrage are bursting all

about. Cameron staggers to his feet and scrambles over a low stone

wall for protection, drops to the other side and then hurtles into

the air as the wall is shattered by an exploding shell.

CLOSE ON TRAMPOLINE

As Cameron falls into the shot, landing on a hidden TRAMPOLINE near

the stone wall, bouncing up and down 'til he finally comes to rest.

OFFSTAGE VOICE:

CUT!!

ANGLE TO INCLUDE ELI AND CREW

ELI:

Who said that?

Cameron stares over the edge of the trampoline as Henry, the

assistant cameraman, uneasily faces Eli.

HENRY:

We had a film run-out.

ELI:

(to Gabe)

How many feet are left in that

camera?

GABE:

(checking the Mitchell)

Thirty-six feet.

Eli advances murderously on the assistant cameraman, building to a

rage we have not seen in him before.

ELI:

Goddamn you! How many times are you

going to do this to me? How dare

you yell cut on my set?

- 88

HENRY:

(defensively)

Thirty-six feet is nothing...

ELI:

It's twenty-two seconds! In twenty-

two seconds, I could break your

spine...I could pinch your f***ing

head off like an insect and smear it

on the pavement...I could put

twenty-two bullets in that fat gut

of yours! The only thing I can't

seem to do in twenty-two seconds is

keep you from f***ing up my film!

Cameron is so intrigued that he hasn't realized an EMBER is burning

through his asbestos protector, until suddenly he feels the flame

and frantically begins beating it out and thus, is even denied the

pleasure of savoring Eli's anguish.

138

EXTREME CLOSE UP - NINA (INT. SAM'S AND CAMERON'S ROOM - NIGHT)

Rosy-faced and dewy-eyed and wearing a big floppy hat. Sensing

trouble with Cameron and that she might be at fault, she has decided

to do a campy, cutesy Blanche Dubois stepping off "THE STREETCAR

NAMED DESIRE" number, ten years too soon.

NINA:

(southern-belle sarcasm)

...I can't tell you how pleased I

was with your conduct. When you

congratulated me after my scene this

afternoon, all the other glowing

tributes faded to nothing...

139

WIDER ANGLE - INT. CAMERON'S AND SAM'S ROOM

Sam has stopped typing and sits silently, waiting for the storm.

Cameron lies on his bed in a T-shirt and shorts, an elastic bandage

around his knee and an ice bag at his neck, coldly watching Nina's

performance as she grandly moves through the doorway into the room.

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