Zodiac Page #9

Synopsis: In the late 1960s and 1970s, fear grips the city of San Francisco as a serial killer called Zodiac stalks its residents. Investigators (Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards) and reporters (Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr.) become obsessed with learning the killer's identity and bringing him to justice. Meanwhile, Zodiac claims victim after victim and taunts the authorities with cryptic messages, cyphers and menacing phone calls.
Genre: Crime, Drama, History
Production: Paramount Pictures
  2 wins & 67 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.7
Metacritic:
78
Rotten Tomatoes:
90%
R
Year:
2007
157 min
$33,000,000
Website
3,260 Views


FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 48.

68 INT. S.F.P.D. PATROL CAR (MOVING) -- DAY 68

Toschi and Armstrong sit in the back of the black and white.

In the front seat are two patrolmen, FOUKE and ZELMS. Theydrive through Pacific Heights. Close to the Stine scene.

PATROLMAN FOUKE:

We got the call to circle the

scene, look for a negro-

TOSCHI ARMSTRONG

So this is three minutes Where was he?

after the shooting?

PATROLMAN ZELMS PATROLMAN FOUKE

About three, yeah-There, where that woman is.

TOSCHI:

Were you driving this way or the

other way?

PATROLMAN ZELMS:

This way.

ARMSTRONG:

This is Jackson and Maple. So,

the cab is catty corner one block

that way-

TOSCHI:

Did you slow down?

PATROLMAN FOUKE:

(across to Toschi)

Of course we slowed down! But

dispatch said he was a Negro Male

Adult-

TOSCHI PATROLMAN FOUKE

They corrected that. -this guy was white, not in a

hurry, sort of lumbering

along-

PATROLMAN ZELMS ARMSTRONG

But at the time they hadn't-Lumbering?

PATROLMAN FOUKE (CONT'D)

(answering Armstrong)

Like he was shuffling.

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 49.

68 CONTINUED:
68

ARMSTRONG:

He was stocky? Had a crewcut?

PATROLMAN FOUKE:

Yeah, but it was dark, he was in a

dark jacket, we didn't think-

TOSCHI:

Did you talk to him?

PATROLMAN FOUKE:

(beat)

No.

Zelms shoots him a look. Silence.

ARMSTRONG:

You need to sit down with a sketch

artist, so we can get a new

composite.

Neither of the Patrolmen can look at him. Toschi, realizing,

this is a nightmare for them, too.

TOSCHI:

Guys? It's okay.

The Patrolmen's faces - no it's not.

69 EXT. BUS GARAGE -- NIGHT 69

Sunday, October 19, 1969. CLOSE ON - the COMPOSITE SKETCH OF

ZODIAC as it's being handed out to a collection of BUS

DRIVERS who sit in folding chairs. Smoking. Bleary eyed.

Toschi sits in front. Looking just as bad.

TOSCHI:

Your number one priority is the

kids - you hear shots, you get

them down, lean on the horn and

keep driving. You drive on the

rims till you get to a populated

area, then duck and cover.

On the drivers. Shell shocked. Toschi rubs his brow.

TOSCHI (CONT'D)

I know you didn't sign up for

this, but we're doing everything

we can-

WOMAN BUS DRIVER

Like what?

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 50.

69 CONTINUED:
69

Toschi surprised. A large WOMAN BUS DRIVER in the third row.

WOMAN BUS DRIVER (CONT'D)

I got two kids too scared to go

near the windows in our house much

less to school. What are youdoing for them?

A general MURMURING of support from the other drivers.

Toschi, shocked into silence.

WOMAN BUS DRIVER (CONT'D)

That's what I thought. C'mon,

Johnny.

The Woman and several others rise to leave in disgust.

Toschi, watching them go. Paralyzed. Finally...

TOSCHI:

We're gonna catch this guy. We're

gonna catch him and put him away.

He means it. The Woman sees this in his eyes. She and the

others retake their seats.

70 INT. GRAYSMITH'S CAR (MOVING) -- MORNING

Monday, October 20, 1969. Graysmith, driving David to

school. Stonefaced. David, watching him. Neither speaks.

Both scared. As we hear a PLANE SOAR overhead...

70

71 EXT. SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE THIRD FLOOR -- DAY 71

Avery, working at his desk. The TV playing continuous NEWS

FOOTAGE OF THE BUSES. A shadow falls over him. Graysmith.

AVERY:

(not looking up)

I believe we discussed the looming-

GRAYSMITH:

(conspiratorially)

Do you think they've considered

the water theory?

Avery looks up at him.

AVERY:

"Water theory"?

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 51.

71 CONTINUED:
71

GRAYSMITH:

Geographically, every attack took

place near a body of water, or a

water based name. Lake Herman

Road, Blue Rock Springs Road, and

Lake Berryessa-

AVERY:

Waaaash-ington and Cherry?

GRAYSMITH:

You think?

AVERY:

No.

GRAYSMITH:

I'm looking for patterns. I've

been reading this book "Homicide

Investigations" by Lemoyne Snyder?

He says you always look for

patterns-

AVERY:

No. You can't think of this case

in normal police terms.

GRAYSMITH:

Why not?

Avery stares at him. He's not going away. Avery sighs and

motions for Graysmith to sit.

AVERY:

Consider the fingerprint. You

have four crime scenes - Solano,

Vallejo, Berryessa, and here. No

usable prints at the first three

or on the letters...

72 INT. HALL OF JUSTICE -- HOMICIDE UNIT -- DAY 72

The print man BILL HAMLET sits at a folding table with a

magnifying glass, going through prints on 3X5 cards as Toschi

and Armstrong look on, frustrated.

TOSCHI:

How does our master criminal

suddenly come to the city and leave

a bloody latent? I mean, assuming

the gloves are his, he shoots the

cabbie, then takes them off?

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 52.

73 INT. SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE THIRD FLOOR -- DAY 73

GRAYSMITH:

So it's not his print?

AVERY:

Maybe, maybe not, but that's not

the point. The first attack-

GRAYSMITH:

David Farraday and Betty Lou

Jensen.

AVERY:

Both die, but from there on out,

he only manages to kill the girls.

GRAYSMITH:

Not for lack of trying.

74 INT. HALL OF JUSTICE -- HOMICIDE UNIT -- DAY 74

ARMSTRONG:

Mageau lives, Ferrin dies.

Hartnell lives, Shepard dies. He

gets so caught up with the women,

he forgets to finish off the men.

TOSCHI:

Plus, they're all couples, all

lovers lanes.

75 EXT. SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE THIRD FLOOR -- DAY 75

GRAYSMITH:

Paul Stine's not...

Exactly.

AVERY:

A beat. Graysmith getting it:

GRAYSMITH:

A single male cab driver killed at

Washington and Cherry doesn't fit.

AVERY:

So why did Zodiac kill him?

76 INT. HALL OF JUSTICE -- HOMICIDE UNIT -- DAY 76

Toschi turns to Armstrong, realizing:

(CONTINUED)

FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 53.

76 CONTINUED:
76

TOSCHI:

He's breaking the pattern.

77 INT. TOSCHI'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT 77

October 22, 1969. Asleep. The phone again.

for the light, it's not there. Picks up.

TOSCHI:

What?

Toschi reaches

ARMSTRONG (O.S.)

Someone claiming to be Zodiac called

Oakland P.D. a half hour ago. He

says he's gonna call in on Jim

Dunbar's morning show. He wants

either F. Lee Bailey or Melvin Belli

on to counsel him.

TOSCHI:

On television?

ARMSTRONG:

In three hours.

TOSCHI:

We better go wake up Melvin.

78 INT. TOSCHI'S CAR (MOVING) -- NIGHT

Toschi drives, Armstrong sits shotgun.

TOSCHI:

Animal crackers?

Exhausted.

78

Glovebox.

ARMSTRONG:

A VOICE from the floor of the backseat:

BELLI (O.S.)

Are these windows bulletproof?

We realize Belli is already in the car, hiding in back.

TOSCHI:

Yes, Melvin.

Armstrong gives him a look - Toschi shakes his head "no".

TOSCHI (CONT'D)

You don't have to lie on the floor.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote

James Vanderbilt

James Platten Vanderbilt (born November 1975) is an American screenwriter. He is best known for the films Zodiac, White House Down, The Amazing Spider-Man, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. more…

All James Vanderbilt scripts | James Vanderbilt Scripts

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Submitted by acronimous on April 27, 2018

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