The Stunt Man Page #17

- 89

NINA (CONT'D)

...Nevertheless, I'm cancelling your

invitation to an intimate party

given by my parents, who arrived

unexpectedly to honor me on the

occasion of my birthday...but don't

feel too badly. As consolation for

a lovely evening missed, I'm

presenting you with the "good-sportof-

the-month" award.

From behind her back, she takes an APPLE with a tiny cocktail

parasol stuck in it and holds it out to Cameron. Cameron lies

glaring at her with mounting rage.

NINA (CONT'D)

Mr. Baum, will you notify this young

savage that it's customary to cover

one's privates when accepting an

award? It's one of the common

courtesies, like...congratulating

people.

CAMERON:

(coldly)

What should I congratulate you for?

The f***ing scene or for f***ing the

director?

Nina stands there shaken, looking at him sadly.

NINA:

For f***ing the director, honey.

(biting into apple)

Didn't you know that's how little

girls get into the movies?

She leaves. Cameron lies there seething, then abruptly leaps up and

storms into the bathroom. Sam sits rubbing his head, resumes

typing. Cameron rages out of the bathroom, flings himself onto the

bed. Unwinding the elastic bandage, he sprays ethyl chloride on his

knee. Sam's typing stops.

SAM:

(quietly)

Young man, taking my life in my

hands, I must inform you that you

are an a**hole.

Cameron ignores Sam.

- 90

SAM (CONT'D)

Being a devout masochist, it follows

that I'm Eli's best friend. I know

quite a lot about him and Nina.

CAMERON:

You and the entire crew, buddy.

SAM:

(wryly)

He met her three years ago. Two

lonely people rattling around New

York. A brutal winter. Eli's

marriage had just broken up...

CAMERON:

(interrupting in anger)

...All she had to do was tell me!

SAM'S VOICE

She could have done that in four

seconds. They went to bed once and

they were lousy as lovers. But they

had a problem. They liked each

other. They recognized some area of

mutual sensitivity. I'm boring you.

CAMERON:

You telling me he banged her once

three years ago?

SAM'S VOICE

(disgusted)

I'm going to see if they can put me

up in the employees' toilet.

He begins to type again, then philosophically...

SAM'S VOICE (CONT'D)

I think he 'banged' her twice to

confirm the awful truth...Was she

supposed to be a virgin?

CAMERON:

Yeah...

But he says this so sadly and looks so miserable that Sam knows he

has reached him and it touched.

SAM:

- 91

I had a virgin once. Had to go to

Guatemala for it. She was blind in

one eye and had a stuffed alligator

that said, "Welcome to Miami Beach!"

Cameron sits there feeling dumb and full of regrets. Then he gets

up, goes to Sam's closet and begins rummaging through the clothes.

Sam watches him curiously.

CAMERON:

So how's the new ending coming?

SAM:

I got fourteen versions. Take your

pick.

(worried about his

clothes)

What are you doing in there?

CAMERON:

(overly casual)

...Fourteen gory ways to die?

SAM:

Thirteen. In one version he

lives...turns the girl in, opens a

gay bar in Berlin, gains fifty

pounds and changes his name to

Goering...

(now deeply concerned)

...Please, anything but the

sweaters. You'll stretch the hell

out of the sleeves.

INT. RESTAURANT

The pleasant SEAFOOD RESTAURANT is on the pier over the water.

Cameron, now wearing Sam's sweater after all, is searching about the

crowded room trying to find Nina and what might be her family. He

is about to leave when he sees a group at a window table, a MAN and

WOMAN in their early fifties and a FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL,

attractive despite the baby fat. Something about the composite of

all their features is familiar enough to give them a second look.

In doing so, he sees a half-eaten BIRTHDAY CAKE on their table, in

front of an empty place. He goes to the table.

- 92

CAMERON:

(hesitantly)

I was sort of invited to a birthday

party and I can't seem to find

it...and this seems to be a birthday

party...

The FATHER, a hearty, bluff, good-natured man, looks at Cameron

amiably and with a father's intuition.

FATHER:

A birthday party is a birthday

party...sit down.

(Cameron does)

Who was this birthday party for...

animal, vegetable or mineral?

NANCY, the fourteen-year-old, giggles.

NANCY:

...Mineral.

MOTHER:

Will you stop teasing this young

man?

CAMERON:

She's really worth finding, ma'am.

She's a very rare mineral.

FATHER:

(pleased with Cameron)

How old is this mineral?

CAMERON:

This morning she was acting about

ninety, but she might be lying a

year or two.

The father now really comfortable, recognizing a fellow humorist.

FATHER:

No, you got the wrong table...this

one's acting like she's six...but

the missus tells me birthdays are

very emotional for the ladies.

At this moment Cameron can tell from their faces that they've seen

Nina behind him. He turns.

POV:

- 93

Nina has emerged from the ladies' room looking miserable and is

walking toward them. At the shock of seeing Cameron, her hand flies

to her mouth in such embarrassment and joy and confusion at the way

she feels, that she starts back to the refuge of the ladies' room.

Catching herself, she turns back to face him, her eyes now glowing

with tears of happiness.

142

HOTEL CORRIDOR - CLOSE ON CAMERON - LATER THAT NIGHT

He moves forward and kisses Nina. We now realize we are at her

HOTEL ROOM DOOR. She on the inside, he on the outside, kissing

through the doorway, which stands slightly ajar. With their mouths

barely parting:

NINA:

I'm sorry it got so late...that damn

five o'clock makeup call...I feel as

bad as you do...

CAMERON:

In the same place I do?

NINA:

Will you take a raincheck?

(slipping her room key in

his pocket)

...A permanent one?

He puts his hand on the pocket and grins at her.

CAMERON:

A season pass.

NINA:

(smiling)

Good night.

Closing the door.

143

INT. HOTEL BAR - LATE NIGHT

On HENRY (the ASSISTANT CAMERAMAN who Eli screamed at), his luggage

beside him, his elbows, empties, loose change scattered before him

on the bar top.

HENRY:

(looking up)

Lucky...hey Lucky, come over here!

- 94

ANGLE shifts to include Cameron a few stools down. He looks up from

his beer and crosses to henry.

HENRY (CONT'D)

Guess who tole 'em to take their job

and stuff it?

CAMERON:

Ya quittin'?

HENRY:

F***in' A. Gettin' out tonight.

But not without splittin' a Schlitz

with the one guy, 'cept me, who

wouldn't take sh*t from that

screwball.

As the BARTENDER is taking away the empties, Henry puts his finger

down on a DIME.

HENRY (CONT'D)

Change is for you, except that.

That's a very special dime.

(holds it up for Cameron

to see)

Know what this is? Ask me!

CAMERON:

It's a dime...am I close?

HENRY:

It's Eli Cross' ass. People think

'cause you're easygoin' they can

walk all over you. Bull-sh*t...I'm

blowin' the whistle with this dime

in that phone...killin' a man and

hiding it from the police...are you

kiddin'...? Who is he think he is?

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