The Stunt Man Page #25

CAMERON:

No, he's in the hospital.

NINA:

Oh, no.

CAMERON:

Oh, yes. That ice cream's goddamn

cold!

(struggling for a proper

description)

His nose...it froze and his ear

froze, see...and...

Despite the horror of it, Nina starts giggling. She can't help it.

CAMERON (CONT'D)

(indignantly)

No, it's terrible!...He lost the tip

of his nose and his ear lobe...

- 135

179H

Then, Cameron, realizing the absurdity, starts giggling too. Out of

control, Nina scrambles to her feet and dashes for the ladies room.

Cameron follows her to the door, still talking as it closes behind

her.

CAMERON (CONT'D)

I'll tell ya, it's a bad year to

mess with cops. You get the FBI

screaming down on your ass...

NINA:

(through the door)

Oh, God. Too late...Thanks a lot!

Abruptly, Cameron's energy is gone. The hilarity is over. He leans

his forehead against the door in exhaustion and despair.

CAMERON:

(softly)

...If we woke up Eli and told him

about the ice cream...would he

forgive me and call off the

stunt?...

INT. GARAGE - PRE-DAWN

The DUESENBERG STANDS silhouetted in the darkness, light glinting

dimly off it like the gleam from fine wood of a splendid coffin

waiting in the slumber room before services begin. Behind it, a

side door of the garage opens. But it is not visitors coming to pay

their last respects, it is Cameron and Nina. He is wearing Burt's

clothes.

Nina moves quickly to a WHITE CONVERTIBLE as Cameron crosses to the

big overhead garage doors and hits the electric SWITCH. NOTHING

HAPPENS. He flips another switch and harsh overhead lights

illuminate the reality of the garage. Nina has started the

convertible, as Cameron tries to lift the garage door handles.

CAMERON:

How the hell d'ya open this thing?

VOICE (O.S.)

Sorry, folks, it's locked.

Nina gasps. Cameron whirls towards the voice. A COP with a big

flashlight stands in the open doorway peering in at them.

- 136

CAMERON:

We know it's locked. Would you open

up for us?

COP:

Can't...not 'til seven o'clock. Mr.

Cross's orders.

NINA:

(the actress)

I'm sure Mr. Cross will understand

when you tell him that Miss Franklin

had a sudden desire for Swedish

pancakes for breakfast and this

gentleman had a sudden desire to

keep me company...I'm Nina Franklin,

the star of the film.

COP:

Pancake house don't open 'til eight.

NINA:

That's all right, we'll find some

place.

COP:

Town's closed up pretty tight this

time of night.

NINA:

Then we'll drive to Cape Long.

COP:

Ya'll never get through the

roadblocks.

CAMERON:

Why not?

COP:

Chief's orders. Mr. Cross didn't

want any members of the company

leavin' town tonight. Guess he

wanted everybody good and rested for

the last day.

(he grins)

Figure it's no secret about the

Chief hopin' this is the last day...

- 137

NINA:

(fiercely)

Are you telling me that if I decide

to take a drive at any time of the

day or night or whenever I damn

please, I need Mr. Cross's

permission? Mr. Cross does not

control me or anyone else, including

this gentleman and he does not

control the public roads!

COP:

No, but the police do. I'll wake

Mr. Cross up and ask him if you

want, but it's an awful hour.

Should be somebody in the hotel

kitchen by now. I'll get 'em to

rustle somethin' up for you. Maybe

not pancakes, but eggs, if you want

it.

CAMERON:

I think the lady had her heart set

on pancakes, but thanks.

COP:

Okay. You change your mind, call...

I'll be around.

He leaves. The officer is gone and so is their plan. They're in

limbo...people in a waiting room whose flight has been cancelled.

- 138

CAMERON:

I can't believe it...He knows. The

son-of-a-b*tch knows whatever I'm

thinking. I'm beginning to feel

like something that Sam wrote! I'm

not real. I'm some jerk American

flyer from World War I who has to go

over a bridge and die because the

goddamn script says so! It's

crazy...I'm trapped in his goddamn

story. If somebody lost that page,

I'd be fine. If he crossed it out

and wrote something else like -- "At

the last moment, he veers the big

car from the railing--then goes

speeding on to live happy ever

after..."

(he looks at the

Duesenberg appraisingly,

then grins as a plan

starts to form)

...How about that?! Empty road, me

out there all alone, the crew 'way

back, breathless as I approach the

bridge. And then..."Hey, what

happened?!" A f***ing rewrite's

what happened! I'll have a fifteen-

minute jump on them before they

figure out they're shooting a new

version!

Nina has come to life, her eyes aglow like a shrewd little girl

who's already decided how the fairy tale will end!

NINA:

...And what about the love story?

What happens to the Austrian girl?

People will leave the movie feeling

terrible...I know! She goes with

him!

CAMERON:

How?

Nina has walked around to the back of the Duesenberg and opens the

TRUNK.

NINA:

In here.

CAMERON:

- 139

(cautiously)

Not bad. But, I think they arrange

to meet later...like in a Greyhound

Bus station a couple of towns away.

NINA:

No...look...

(she climbs in)

See how big it is? Comfortable,

too...Honestly, honey, it's a better

ending.

CAMERON:

(firmly)

Nina, get out of the trunk.

The pretending has ended.

NINA:

And what happens in the morning? Do

I show up on the set in my little

pink pinafore and say, "Hi, Eli.

Where's my hug and kiss...?" How do

I do that now?

CAMERON:

(sternly)

...Get out of the trunk.

NINA:

...Or should I trot up to my room to

catch a couple of winks and cuddle

up with a dozen sleeping pills?

CAMERON:

(angry)

It's my nightmare...Stay out! This

isn't the time to solve your

neurotic problems! I'm trying to

stay alive!

NINA:

(shouting back)

So am I. And I never claimed not to

have "neurotic problems!"

CAMERON:

(interrupting)

Oh, for Christ's sake...

NINA:

- 140

...They come with the body! It's

all one. A package deal!

The shouting ends...and in despairing silence, VOICES of approaching

WORKMEN are heard, grumbling that the coffee's late.

CAMERON:

(urgent whisper)

Nina, please, there's somebody

coming. Get out of the trunk...

As we glimpse the WORKMEN in the doorway, she reaches up, grabs the

inside of the trunk lid and pulls it down, disappearing from sight,

as the trunk slams shut.

EXT. THE OLD ABANDONED ROAD - EARLY MORNING

In the stillness, as the morning sun crests the trees, their shadows

move like a parting curtain, leaving sunlight to warm the old stones

of the abandoned road. The ancient bridge spans the black river,

idling toward the sea. It is a perfect day, tranquil except for the

faint distant "rumbling" intruding into our consciousness. As it

grows louder and LOUDER, a flock of birds is frightened from the

trees, a rusty beer can by the roadside begins to tremble and roll

from the vibration.

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