STREET ANGEL
Daniel Keys Moran

Copyright 1989, 1995 by Daniel Keys Moran. All rights reserved.

STATEMENT OF RIGHTS:
I, Daniel Keys Moran, the Author, hereby release this work to
the public for reading purposes.  It may be transmitted AS A
TEXT FILE anywhere in this or any other universe or dimension,
without  reservation, so long as the work's text is not
altered IN ANY WAY.  No fee may be charged for such
transmission, save handling fees comparable to those charged
for shareware programs. This is the ONLY use of this work that
is released to the public.

THIS WORK MAY NOT BE PRINTED, PUBLISHED, COLLECTED, PRODUCED,
PERFORMED, ADAPTED OR REPRODUCED VIA ANY MEDIUM NOW EXISTING
OR WHICH MAY IN THE FUTURE COME INTO EXISTENCE WITHOUT WRITTEN
PERMISSION FROM THE AUTHOR. THIS WORK IS LICENSED FOR READING
PURPOSES ONLY.

                       General notes:

This screenplay was begun while Ronald Reagan was still President,
and completed about midway through the Bush presidency. I think it
a good story, but there are (of course) things I would do differently
today.

This will very likely be turned into a novel at some future date; I
have hopes yet that it will someday be produced.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                         STREET ANGEL
                       Daniel Keys Moran

FADE IN:

EXT. MEDIUM SHOT -- AN ALLEY -- NIGHT

Six bums are gathered around a trash fire. Talking. The
scene is shot in a flattering light, with QUICK CUTS among
the bums -- like a beer commercial. At any moment you expect
to hear a mellow voice begin singing "Tonight is kind of
special--"

They are in fact drinking wine together, passing the bottle
around:  BILLY, CAPTAIN JACK, HARRY THE HORSE, JEROME,
NEARLY NORMAL TOM, and DREADFUL SAM.
                              
                        DREADFUL SAM
               You know, I dream about robbing The
               Bank. About going in there and taking
               that money away from them and, and,
               doing things with it.
                              
                           JEROME
               Such as?
                              
                        DREADFUL SAM
               I always wanted a car. One of them
               nice cars with --
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Wheels.
                              
                        DREADFUL SAM
                  (enthusiastic)
               Yeah, yeah! That's it. And windas.
                              
                           JEROME
               Windows, Dreadful Sam.
                              
                        DREADFUL SAM
               Yeah, yeah, windows. So's I could
               sleep in it and not get wet when it
               rained.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Would you go places in it?
                              
                        DREADFUL SAM
                  (considering idea)
               Why -- sure I would. I'd go to, to,
               Glendale.

CU BILLY
                              
                            BILLY
                  (quietly)
               If I had a million dollars I'd buy a
               house and go live in it. And start a
               business and run it. And I'd be
               happy.

ON JEROME, DREADFUL SAM, AND HARRY THE HORSE
                              
                            GROUP
                  (a rising chorus)
               Happy, happy, happy!

CU CAPTAIN JACK
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (seriously)
               That's a good thing to want. A home.

GROUP SHOT -- FAVORING JEROME, NEARLY NORMAL TOM
                              
                           JEROME
               A million dollars! I ain't never even
               had a thousand dollars. If I had a
               million dollars -- Jeez. I'd buy --
                  (long pause, considering)
               -- more food than me and Nearly
               Normal Tom could eat....We'd give
               what was left over to you guys of
               course.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               That's good of you, Jerome.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               What would you do if you had a
               million dollars, Captain Jack?
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Why, I suppose I'd buy me a new set
               of clothes. And a plane ticket for an
               airplane ride. Ain't never ridden in
               a plane, I'd like to some day.
                              
                        DREADFUL SAM
               Planes is satanic!

Everybody looks at him.
                              
                            BILLY
               I don't think so, Dreadful Sam.
                              
                        DREADFUL SAM
               Then tell me this, smart-ass. How do
               they stay up in the air?

ANGLE ON BILLY
                              
                            BILLY
               Well, they push -- from the backs --
               and the wings get pushed up -- by the
               air underneath them -- and -- uhm --

Billy stumbles to a halt and looks around at the other bums
for help.

GROUP SHOT

They are all considering the proposition that planes are
indeed satanic.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (mutters under breath)
               A boat ride? No, damn it, I been on a
               boat.

Harry the Horse breaks the silence.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Terminal Sue told me the other day
               that God was really a big strawberry
               poptart.
                              
                        DREADFUL SAM
                  (shrieking)
               Heresy! Heresy! Strawberry poptarts
               are a false prophet that sprang from
               the spit of a platypus and the semen
               of a three-horned toad!
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               How about balloons? Is a balloon ride
               okay?
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               A false prophet?
                              
                        DREADFUL SAM
                  (to Captain Jack)
               Balloons are fine. No problem.
                  (to Harry the Horse)
               Yeah. Actually blueberry poptarts are
               God.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

OPENING CREDITS -- "STREET ANGEL"

EXT. THE BANK -- DAY

Gleaming in the early morning sunshine; a repository of
virtuous Republican money.

LONGER SHOT -- THE BANK W/PARK IN THE BACKGROUND

The CAMERA MOVES past the Bank and into the park across the
street. It's a gorgeous, brightly lit day, and the park is
full of people laughing, riding bicycles, picnicking. The
CAMERA STOPS WITH A SHOT of a bubbling fountain, spraying
water up into the bright sunshine. At the right-most corner
of the shot a bench is visible. Billy is sleeping beneath
it. In the far left corner of the shot is The Bank.

NEW ANGLE -- DREADFUL SAM AND THE BANK

Dreadful Sam, a black bum, is crouched in bushes at the edge
of the park, studying the entrance to The Bank. He looks
down at the gun in his hand and toggles the safety back and
forth a couple of times -- clearly uncertain which setting
is OFF. Finally he makes up his mind, and starts across the
street, toward The Bank. As he enters the street we CUT TO:

WIDE ANGLE -- DREADFUL SAM VISIBLE IN FG, MOVING

-- a man in a red convertible Mercedes drives between
Dreadful Sam and The Bank. Dreadful Sam's head swivels to
follow the convertible as it passes, and the camera now
LOCKS ON AND TRACKS THE CAR smoothly, as though Dreadful Sam
has just been yanked to the left, out of the frame. WE PAN
slowly and smoothly as the car moves, in a semi-circle from
the passenger's side to a shot from the driver's side. The
man inside the car is GARY WEISS, a thirtiesh white man in a
$1,000 gray silk suit. He has two car phones, one of them up
to his ear in this shot, and he's cutting deals as he
drives; his VOICE IS DISTANT, with just a word here and
there -- "DEAL," "LEVERAGE" -- actually audible. The car
glides down to the corner at the southeast corner of the
park, and turns right. THE SHOT HAS TRACKED COMPLETELY
AROUND; we are shooting from the driver's side. The CAMERA
FOLLOWS the car, smooth and steady, and then the CAMERA
SIMPLY STOPS -- no jerkiness, merely stopping. Weiss and his
car continue left, out of the frame -- and there in the
center of the frame is Billy.

He sleeps beneath the cement bench we saw earlier, back
turned on the world. He is using a red backpack for a
pillow.

END CREDIT SEQUENCE -- MEDIUM SHOT HARRY THE HORSE

Walking carefully, popcorn in hand. The Bank is visible in
the BG. Harry the Horse is a small, skinny bum in his
forties. He seats himself carefully on the bench Billy is
sleeping beneath, puts the popcorn down on the bench,
spreads his legs and without rising from his seat bends over
to look beneath the bench.

ECU -- HARRY'S UPSIDE-DOWN FACE, BILLY'S POV
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Billy?

CU BILLY, RIGHT SIDE UP

Billy opens one eye. WE SEE a young man, who, beneath the
grime, long hair and beard, might be acceptable looking. He
closes the one eye, opens the other. Then he closes both
eyes and, slowly, opens them together.
                              
                            BILLY
               Harry the Horse?

ECU -- HARRY, UPSIDE DOWN
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Billy. Wake up. It's about to happen.
                  (coaxingly)
               I brought popcorn.

CU BILLY
                              
                            BILLY
               Good morning, Harry... Popcorn?

ECU -- HARRY UPSIDE DOWN
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Yeah! Dreadful Sam is robbing The
               Bank!

TWO SHOT -- BILLY AND HARRY

Billy rolls out from underneath the bench, and joins Harry
sitting up. He yawns, scratching himself casually. In the
B.G. we see an oversized squad car cruise by; Billy examines
the obviously ancient popcorn with suspicion, and does not
see The Arrival, but Harry the Horse's eyes widen.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (still groggy)
               When did he go in?
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Just a minute ago. But, but -- the
               cops!
                              
                            BILLY
                  (suddenly awake)
               You mean --

CU HARRY THE HORSE'S TERROR-STRUCK FEATURES
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Him.

CU ULTIMATE LAWMAN -- THROUGH WINDSHIELD -- DAY

The ULTIMATE LAWMAN has parked his patrol car now and sits
in the front seat, watching the entrance to The Bank and
eating a box of chocolate doughnuts. The Ultimate Lawman is
seven and a half feet tall and weighs three hundred pounds;
his head touches the roof of the patrol car. Suddenly we
hear GUNSHOTS.

EXT. BENCH -- CU BILLY, SPEAKING AROUND POPCORN
                              
                            BILLY
                  (impressed)
               -- the Ultimate Lawman.

EXT. SQUAD CAR

Odd parts of his squad car are as oversized as himself --
the radio, bubble machines, the sirens, the spotlight, all
the really cool cop paraphernalia.

INT. CAR -- THE ULTIMATE LAWMAN -- DAY

The Ultimate Lawman chews away on his donut, watching the
entrance to The Bank, visible from this angle. More GUNSHOTS
are heard.

EXT. PATROL CAR -- THE ULTIMATE LAWMAN

The Ultimate Lawman gets out of the patrol car and
unholsters his gun. It's a huge gun, the biggest damn
handgun in the history of the world. Still chewing a
doughnut, like Dirty Harry with his hot dog, he walks across
the street, through traffic, and into The Bank.

TWO SHOT HARRY AND BILLY

At the movies, munching on popcorn, watching.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Uh-oh....

EXT. THE BANK -- WIDE SHOT THE BANK'S ENTRANCE

We hear two quick, 1930s-style CAPGUN SHOTS, and then a HUGE
EXPLOSION, like a cannon going off.

FX -- SLOW MOTION

Dreadful Sam backpedals out through the door, gun in one
hand, a bag marked "MONEY" in the other. He has been shot
square in the middle of the chest. The Ultimate Lawman
follows him out into the street, grinning savagely, smoking
gun in hand -- bad news on the hoof -- and shoots Dreadful
Sam again before Dreadful Sam can fall. The Ultimate Lawman
LAUGHS unpleasantly; Dreadful Sam falls, money flying
everywhere.

NORMAL MOTION RESUMES

The Ultimate Lawman stands over Dreadful Sam's motionless
body and points the gun at him.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (happy, getting off on it)
               Freeze! You're under arrest. You have
               the right to die; to bleed and scream
               and beg for mercy --
                  (turning suddenly, roars)
               WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?

TWO SHOT -- BILLY AND HARRY THE HORSE -- STARTLED

ANGLE ON THE ULTIMATE LAWMAN

He fires two shots without warning.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (screaming)
               I want to TALK TO YOU!  COME HERE!

He FIRES AGAIN, twice, blowing a hole in the bench between
Billy and Harry the Horse. It comes apart; Billy and Harry
sprawl on the ground.

TWO SHOT BILLY AND HARRY THE HORSE --

-- scrambling to their feet and running away.

ANGLE ON ULTIMATE LAWMAN

He holsters gun and looks down at Dreadful Sam's twitching,
bleeding form.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Punks...should've arrested them, too.

The Ultimate Lawman gathers up the scattered money bags.
Passersby look at him curiously; the Ultimate Lawman speaks
to them.
                              
                   ULTIMATE LAWMAN (CONT.)
               Just gathering evidence, citizens,
               best move along before you get hurt
               resisting arrest.

They move on quickly. The Ultimate Lawman trots across the
street, opens his squad car's trunk, and throws the money
in.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEYWAY -- NIGHT

A long shot down an empty alleyway, somewhere in Los
Angeles. WE HEAR the sounds of traffic; cars, the low RUMBLE
of trucks, occasional SIRENS. It's an enclosed area, and in
it Billy, Jerome, Nearly Normal Tom, Captain Jack, and Harry
the Horse are gathered together around a trash can fire,
protected from the wind by a huge garbage dumpster. Jerome
is a young black man with Big Muscles; Nearly Normal Tom is
a smaller young white man who is a mute, dressed simply and
rather neatly by bum standards -- you might not know he was
a bum; and Captain Jack is an older black man. Captain Jack
speaks in the rhythm and with the accent of a Southern
revival preacher.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               It's all to do with money!

CU CAPTAIN JACK

-- from the shoulders up. He is the classiest of the bums by
a good bit; his clothes were good when they were new, and he
is the cleanest of the five. He wears earrings with purple
feathers dangling from them. He has wise eyes and he clearly
Knows Things.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               ... so the Japanese buy up our saving
               bonds, thereby subsidizing our
               deficit spending --

GROUP SHOT THE FIVE BUMS -- FROM GROUND LEVEL

A bottle of wine is being passed around. Captain Jack sits
with his back to the wall; Billy is propped up against his
pillow and backpack, reading a newspaper by firelight.
Jerome has muscled his way into the best spot, in the corner
by the garbage dumpster; Nearly Normal Tom sits next to him,
and they are sharing food out of a can.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               -- in the last ten years we've gone
               being from the world's largest
               creditor nation, to the world's
               largest debtor nation. We owe --
                              
                            BILLY
                  (reading from paper)
               Four trillion dollars, Captain Jack.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Four trillion dollars!
                              
                           JEROME
               I never even had a thousand dollars
               in my life ... wasn't so bad when me
               and Tom was inside. Nobody else had a
               thousand dollars.

Jerome takes a long pull of the wine.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Jerome, you're drinking too much of
               the booze. If you can't share nicely,
               I'm not going to share with you
               a'tall.
                              
                           JEROME
               I'm sorry, Cap'n Jack.

In the BG, Billy is munching on some unidentifiable treat
he's pulled from the pocket of his long coat. (A bit of
business:  when appropriate, throughout the movie, Billy
should have some sort of snack stashed in his pocket --
twinkies, a fruit pie, raising, etc., and should munch on it
occasionally, perhaps sharing with Harry the Horse.)

Jerome passes the bottle to Harry the Horse, who drinks the
last of it and goes into a coughing jag. Captain Jack sighs.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Harold, I tell you and I tell you,
               and you just don't listen. You got to
               stop sleeping by those damp vents.
               They keep you warm while you's on
               'em, but soon as you get off, poof!
                  (waves his arms like a
                  magician)
               Icicle city. And you's unhealthy to
               start.
                  (pause; looking around)
               Now, you asked me why it happened,
               why they shot Dreadful Sam.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               In the chest. Blood all over it --
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               The thing is, gentlemen, that
               Dreadful Sam was a dumbfuck.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               -- was just awful. Least they didn't
               shoot him in the head. That's what
               hurts the worst, you know, is when
               they shoot you in the head.
                              
                            BILLY
               How would you know? You never been
               shot before.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               I have too! I been shot dozens of
               times!
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (glares at Harry)
               A dumbfuck ... Dreadful Sam, that is.
                              
                           JEROME
                  (speaks carefully)
               Cap'n Jack, I don't think you're
               exactly -- correct -- about this. So
               Dreadful Sam wasn't as smart as you
               are, but he wasn't so stupid. Shit,
               he was probably as smart as me.

Billy and Harry the Horse start laughing. Nearly Normal Tom
glares at them. Jerome looks confused. Harry's laughter
turns into coughing.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Now, that ain't nice ... see, you got
               to look at things logical, Jerome. If
               Dreadful Sam could've got away with
               the money, then that would be smart.
               But the Ultimate Lawman killed him,
               so he's a dumbfuck. Now --
                              
                           JEROME
               Dreadful Sam owed me a thousand
               dollars!
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (severely)
               I'm so tired of you all interrupting
               me. Why can't you be more like Nearly
               Normal Tom? He ain't always butting
               in edgewise on me!
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
                  (muttering to Billy)
               Only 'cause he can't.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Look, first of all Dreadful Sam was
               dressed in shitty clothes. They was
               better than yours, and lots better
               than Billy's, but they wasn't as good
               as mine, and if I was to go into The
               Bank, the guards would know I ain't
               got no account with them.
                              
                           JEROME
               I guess ... shit, I ain't never gonna
               get my thousand dollars.

Billy examines himself: electric green tie, a dirty red
velvet longcoat that The Artist Formerly Known As Prince
might have thrown out, and scuffed up black boots.
                              
                            BILLY
               What's wrong with my clothes?

Jerome and Harry laugh loudly; even Nearly Normal Tom,
usually the soul of tact, grins.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Now, boys, that ain't nice.
                  (to Billy)
               Ain't nothin' wrong with your
               clothes, Billy. They keeps you warm
               and that's all the concern you gots
               on the street.
                              
                           JEROME
                  (frowning)
               Okay, so Dreadful Sam is a dumbfuck
               because he ain't dressed right when
               he goes to rob The Bank.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Well, a little bit that's it. Mostly
               Dreadful Sam's a dumbfuck on account
               of the brain surgery he used to have.
                              
                           JEROME
               Wait, wait ... so if Dreadful Sam is
               smart to start --

Harry the Horse bursts into a fit of giggles, and repeats
"smart to start" several times. Jerome backhands him hard
and goes on talking while Harry searches for loose teeth.
                              
                           JEROME
               -- then the only thing that gets him
               shot right off is cause he's dressed
               bad.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Absolutely. Clothes make the man.
               Clothes give the measure of social
               standing, of wealth and success.
                              
                           JEROME
               So what if Dreadful Sam was dressed
               good?

Captain Jack frowns. Harry the Horse and Nearly Normal Tom
pay attention. Billy is still examining his clothes.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Why then, maybe he gets to rob The
               Bank.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               You think one of us could do that? If
               he was dressed right?
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (wisely)
               Possible.
                              
                           JEROME
                  (shouting)
               Well, shit! If I had the money to
               dress nice, I wouldn't want to rob
               The Bank!
                              
                            BILLY
               We can't all afford to dress nice.
                  (they all look at Billy.)
               But I bet one of us could afford to
               get dressed nice.

There is silence for a bit. Then Harry the Horse starts
coughing again, for real this time, unable to stop.
                              
                            BILLY
               You think he's going to die tonight?
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (studying Harry)
               Noooo ... not tonight. It be a while
               yet fore he goes.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. -- ALLEY -- NIGHT -- CU BILLY

He sleeps curled up on the concrete with his backpack. The
fire is out.
                              
                   HARRY THE HORSE (V.O.)
               Billy?

Billy opens one eye, awake instantly.
                              
                            BILLY
               Yeah?

FAVORING HARRY THE HORSE, SHIVERING
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Could you get me some water?

Billy sighs.

EXT. GAS STATION

Billy fills a plastic jug from the water hose at a gas
station. A black and white cruises by -- not the Ultimate
Lawman -- and Billy fades back into the darkness behind the
air compressor until the cop has passed.

EXT. ALLEY -- TWO SHOT BILLY AND HARRY

Harry drinks thirstily from the jug, then whispers:
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Thanks. Billy?
                              
                            BILLY
               Yeah?
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               This AIDS thing, you get it from
               sharing needles?
                              
                            BILLY
               It's one of the ways.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               You sure that's what I got?
                              
                            BILLY
               I'm not a doctor. It sounds like what
               I've read about in the papers.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               I wish I knew how to read.
                              
                            BILLY
               It's not too late. I'll teach you.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
                  (after a pause)
               Damn, you don't got to lie to me. I
               ain't got much longer and you don't
               got to lie to me about it.
                              
                            BILLY
               Yeah.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
                  (coughing)
               ... it's all right.
                  (smiles weakly)
               You just hang in there with me a
               little longer.... Don't let me die
               alone.
                              
                            BILLY
               You know I wouldn't do that. You go
               to sleep now. Tomorrow we'll go to
               the park and scare all the people
               wearing ties.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. A PLUSH CORNER OFFICE -- DAY

Decked with the investment firm usual; an expensive sound
system PLAYING VIVALDI, modernist office furniture, a view
of downtown. The plate on the desk says Gary Weiss; Weiss,
the slick yup seen earlier in the Mercedes, sits behind the
desk. The Ultimate Lawman sits across from him, in uniform,
jarringly out of place. Weiss is studying papers, a bit
preoccupied.
                              
                            WEISS
               You're not doing badly, all
               considered. The portfolio's balancing
               out quite nicely. Some good growth
               stocks, some very secure bonds, a
               couple of highly liquid margin
               accounts in the event you need to
               travel quickly.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (pleasantly)
               Now what is that supposed to mean?
                              
                            WEISS
                  (smiles blandly)
               As your investment counselor, I can't
               speak too highly of relationships
               built on trust. I don't concern
               myself about your need to work with
               large amounts of cash, you don't
               worry about my thirty percent --
                  (great sincerely)
               Mr. Lawman, trust is the driving
               force in American business today.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (glittering cop stare at
                  Weiss)
               Do I take it you -- assume -- that
               this is dirty money? That I'm a bad
               cop?

Weiss's manner changes; he leans forward, gives the Ultimate
Lawman the same glittering stare, speaks in clipped tones.
                              
                            WEISS
               You're a heterosexual white male who
               smokes and eats the flesh of innocent
               animals. What am I supposed to think?
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (leans forward; pissed off)
               It's exactly those darn stereotypes
               that do so much damage in our society
               today.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. PARK -- ECU MIME -- DAY

The mime smiles a big ugly mime smile.

EXT. PARK -- TWO SHOT JEROME & TOM

They sit together on a bench, relaxed, elbows up on the
backrest, watching the mime work a passer-by. In the distant
BG, Billy is hitting up passers-by for change, while Harry
sits nearby. The mime does the usual vicious mime things --
walking into the wind, being in a cage, climbing a rope --
and Jerome's features get darker and darker.
                              
                           JEROME
               Man, I hate mimes.

Nearly Normal Tom looks at him. Jerome shrugs.
                              
                       JEROME (CONT.)
               It's not like they can't talk. They
               don't talk -- and people give them
               our money 'cause of it. It's spooky-
               ass behavior.

He sits, watching the mime. Abruptly he nods, gets up and
walks over to where the mime is working. An OLDER MAN drops
a quarter in the mime's hat, hurrying out of frame as Tom
approaches. The painted-white-faced mime smiles at Tom,
gesturing mimishly at the hat at his feet. Tom stares at
him. The mime makes a moue of disappointment, gesturing
sadly. Tom stares at him blankly. The mime, obviously
slightly miffed, starts going through his routine -- walls,
rope, wind, etc. -- and Tom stares at him without expression
throughout. The mime reaches the grand climax of his routine
(juggling flaming chainsaws, if you must know) -- finishes
up, and stares expectantly at Tom.

Tom gives the mime a mimish smile of his own, reaches into
both of his pants pockets at the same time, and turns them
inside out.
                              
                            MIME
               You're pretty fucking smart, aren't
               you?

He pushes the smaller man, a sissy school yard sort of push.
In the BG, Jerome, in no particular hurry, gets up off the
bench and walks forward.
                              
                            MIME
               At least I do something for my money,
               instead of just begging for it.
                  (pushes Tom again)
               At least I do something for society.
               Don't have anything to say to that,
               do you?

Jerome comes up behind the mime, puts one hand on his
shoulder, and casually shoves him to the ground.
                              
                           JEROME
               He can't talk. He's a mute and you
               shouldn't push him like that.
                              
                            MIME
                  (scrambles to his feet,
                  yelling)
               Mime-bashers! MIME-BASHERS!

NEW ANGLE -- ANOTHER MIME, ELSEWHERE IN PARK

Jerome, Tom, and the 1st Mime are visible in the BG. The 2ND
MIME comes running.

RETURN TO SCENE --

-- as the 2nd Mime arrives. Jerome grins at the mimes.
                              
                           JEROME
               You want it? C'mon, I'll do you both
               at once.

But the 1st Mime is backing away quickly, still yelling --
                              
                            MIME
               Mime bashing is a crime! A crime! I'm
               going to report you bastards!

-- and the 2nd Mime, joining him, mimes "fuck you" at Jerome
in a universal gesture. Jerome laughs, turns back to Tom,
who's investigating the left-behind remnants of the mime's
hat in disgust. Jerome looks also.
                              
                           JEROME
               Jesus.... everybody must hate mimes.

ON BILLY AND HARRY THE HORSE, A WAYS OFF

Watching the disturbance.
                              
                            BILLY
               What do you suppose that was about?
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
                  (wisely)
               Must have been one of those bad
               mimes.

Billy nods; no doubt.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. STREET -- TWO SHOT -- DAY

The Ultimate Lawman is helping an OLD LADY across the
street. The old lady smiles tremulously at the Ultimate
Lawman when they reach the other side, and the Ultimate
Lawman smiles at her graciously.

CU OLD LADY

As she takes a piece of gum out of her mouth, looks around,
and sticks it on a nearby lamp post.

TWO SHOT -- ULTIMATE LAWMAN AND OLD LADY

He casually whops the old lady upside the head with his
billy club.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Remember please that littering is
               illegal, ma'am.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. LAPD OFFICE -- TWO SHOT -- DAY

CAPTAIN "BUD" MACKENZIE, LAPD, is a cop in his fifties, gray-
haired and lean. Possibly he looks a bit like the late,
unlamented Darryl Gates. He stands at his office window,
back turned. Seated in front of him is a BANKER MAN in a
Banker's Suit, in the midst of a tirade as we open.
                              
                         BANKER MAN
               ... and they smell! And they sleep on
               the sidewalks in front of The Bank
               and urinate in the alleyway behind
               it! And now they're engaging in
               criminal pursuits! Bank robbery, mime
               muggings -- it has to stop!

PROFILE SHOT OF CAPTAIN MACKENZIE
                              
                          MACKENZIE
                  (grimly staring out window)
               There's not a lot we can do about the
               loitering problem, sir. Smack 'em
               with the billy clubs, they get
               uppity. Taser's no damn good on them,
               the whole damned Satanic army of them
               are hopped up on angel dust to begin
               with. They won't let us use choke
               holds on them any more --

RETURN TO TWO SHOT
                              
                         BANKER MAN
               Why the hell not?
                              
                          MACKENZIE
                  (vaguely)
               Couple of the Negro dark ones died
               from it. Something to do with
               abnormal neck veins, I believe. No,
               we can't do much about the loitering.
               But the robberies, yes -- I've got my
               best man on it. My best cop.

LONG SHOT OF AN ALLEYWAY -- DIMLY LIT, EERIE -- DAY

The Ultimate Lawman has a bum up against the wall, pistol
inside the bum's mouth. MacKenzie's voice continues:
                              
                  CAPTAIN MACKENZIE (V.O.)
               In a city full of armed, crazy, mean-
               tempered cops -- there's only one
               Ultimate Lawman.

The Ultimate Lawman slams the bum against the wall a few
times, one-handed, like Shaq with a basketball.
                              
                  CAPTAIN MACKENZIE (V.O.)
               He's seven and a half feet tall and
               weighs three hundred pounds. When
               criminals shoot him it just pisses
               him off. He spits poison and smokes
               Marlboroughs and all by himself has
               put the fear of God Almighty into
               more drug dealers and lowlife
               Democratic scum than the FBI, NIA and
               DEA rolled into one.

CU ULTIMATE LAWMAN -- ANGLED UP FROM HIS FEET

In the gloom he looks thirty feet tall.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Thank you for doing your duty,
               citizen.

SHOT OF ULTIMATE LAWMAN, BUM TWITCHING AT HIS FEET

ZOOMING IN ON MARK.. MACKENZIE

As he turns from the window, faces the camera and speaks
from the depths of that certain manly sort of cop passion:
                              
                      MARK.. MACKENZIE
               I love that man!
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. BEACH -- TWO SHOT HARRY AND BILLY -- NIGHT

They sit together on a deserted stretch of beach, a trash
fire burning in a can in front of them. A slow-paced scene.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               What are you going to do when I'm
               gone?
                              
                            BILLY
               I don't know, Harry. I don't suppose
               I've thought about it.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               You should start.
                              
                            BILLY
               We should be getting back, Harry. The
               buses stop running in half an hour.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               How about we wait here until the
               morning bus. It's nice here ... and
               I'm kind of tired.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY -- GROUP SHOT -- DAY

Harry the Horse, Billy, Jerome and Nearly Normal Tom are
crouched around a paper bag which Jerome has produced. The
CAMERA PANS around the bums in a slow semicircle as Jerome
sets down the bag and, instead of a bottle of wine, takes
out a small revolver.

SERIES OF CLOSE SHOTS OF BUMS

Jerome smiles, obviously pleased; Harry grins nervously.
Billy looks uncertain. Nearly Normal Tom, standing behind
Jerome, manages to look disapproving and stone-faced at the
same time.

GROUP SHOT OF BUMS
                              
                           JEROME
               Well? Ain't it about the most
               beautiful thing you ever seen? Nobody
               fuck with you if you carrying this.
                              
                            BILLY
               I don't know, Jerome. Dreadful Sam
               had a gun, and he got shot pretty
               completely dead.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               In the chest, was what it looked
               like.
                              
                           JEROME
                  (angry)
               This here is a good gun.

He waves it and the others duck quickly, which makes Jerome
angrier.
                              
                           JEROME
               Don't you got no appreciation? I had
               to beat up a friend of mine for this!
               A good friend, damn it! Shit, you
               could at least admit it's nice-
               lookin'!
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               It's very nice -- that's a pretty
               gun.
                  (nods vigorously)
               Yep, that's a really pretty gun.
                              
                           JEROME
               Pretty? Oh, you is such a ... a ... a
               dumbfuck, Harry the Horse. Guns ain't
               pretty.
                  (waves the gun toward Billy)
               You think this is a pretty gun?
                              
                            BILLY
               No.
                              
                           JEROME
               There you go.
                  (smiles)
               This here's an impressive gun, that's
               the truth. Why, I bet if I was --

Jerome continues to wave the gun, which, of course, because
Jerome is a dumbfuck, is loaded with the safety turned off.
                              
                       JEROME (CONT.)
               -- to rob The Bank, I bet the
               Ultimate Lawman wouldn't do me like
               he did Dreadful --

LONG SHOT DOWN ALLEYWAY --

-- of the bums standing around the dumpster. There is a
single THUNDEROUS, BOOMING GUNSHOT. Jerome and Tom, Billy
and Harry the Horse stand completely still for perhaps three
seconds.

MEDIUM SHOT -- JEROME IN PROFILE

Jerome is in the left half of the frame. It is COMPLETELY
SILENT. Jerome looks at the gun as though seeing it for the
first time. He looks away from the gun, following the
direction of the muzzle. The CAMERA PANS SLOWLY TO THE
RIGHT, to Harry the Horse. There is blood on Harry's face.
He looks blankly at Billy and Jerome and Nearly Normal Tom.

GROUP SHOT OF BUMS --

Harry the Horse is centered, with Jerome and Tom to his left
and Billy to his right. Suddenly Harry the Horse SCREAMS and
grabs his head as though he's going to try and twist it off:
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               I been shot! Oh fuck I been shot! Oh,
               I been shot, I been shot!
                  (falls to his knees)
               I'm bleeding, oh Jesus I'm gonna die,
               Jesus, I'm sorry I shot horse, it's
               the damn CIA, Jesus, they made me use
               that shit an' I didn't know ....
                              
                           JEROME
               Shit.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               -- I'm bleeding in the head, Jesus,
               I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, he
               shot me in the head, he shot me in
               the head --

Billy kneels slowly next to Harry. He pulls Harry's hands
away from his head and examines him.
                              
                            BILLY
               Jerome, you're such a stupid fuck.
               You shot his goddamn eyebrow off.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Oh my sweet Jesus, that stupid
               motherfucker shot my eye out, I'm
               blind in my eye --
                              
                            BILLY
               Harry, listen, it's your eyebrow,
               calm down, he just shot your eyebrow
               off. That's all, it was the brow, not
               the whole eye.

LONG SHOT -- REVERSE ANGLE

Captain Jack comes swaggering toward them, stops --

CU CAPTAIN JACK, CLEARLY DISGUSTED
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Well, of all the foolish shit.

LONG SHOT FOUR BUMS, CAPTAIN JACK'S POV

We cannot hear them; Jerome gestures wildly again, gun still
in his hand. Billy is pouring water from the jug over
Harry's eyebrow, washing his face.

CU CAPTAIN JACK

He has a toothpick in his mouth, which he fiddles with as
though it were a cigarette. The bums have not seen him yet,
and clearly he wonders if he wants to join them. After a
moment's thought, he shakes his head no, and starts walking
toward them.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               I could go get drunk....
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY -- NIGHT

The bums are sitting around the dumpster again. Harry the
Horse has a big band-aid over his right eye where his
eyebrow got shot off.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               You's too damn big.

CU JEROME
                              
                           JEROME
               Say what?

GROUP SHOT
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               I said, you's too big.  And too mean
               lookin'. And the wrong color and you
               don't look like no damn Oreo, like
               you was white inside. Them guards
               would shoot you comin' in the door.
               Know how hard it'd be to find a nice
               suit for you? And even if we put you
               into one the right size you still
               wouldn't look like you was no normal
               person.... Nope. Got to be Billy.
                              
                            BILLY
               Uhm -- wait -- see --
                              
                           JEROME
               Billy? Why?
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Coulda been Harold, but you shot him
               in the eyebrow and he can't go into
               The Bank lookin' like that. Can't be
               Tom, cause he can't talk. Can't be
               you cause you's too big and you like
               that gun too damn much.
                  (mutters)
               Can't be me cause I'm allergic to
               bein' shot at.
                              
                           JEROME
                  (sullenly)
               Damn it, this is my gun. I stole it
               from a friend.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               And used it to shoot a friend.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Shut up, Harold, I had just about
               enough of your whining. I'm sorry
               Jerome was a dumbfuck and shot you in
               the eyebrow. But it was, sir, at
               least partial, cause you was standing
               in front of him and the gun. That was
               plain dumb.
                              
                            BILLY
               Captain Jack, I'm not going to rob
               The Bank.... It's immoral. It's
               wrong.

There is a moment's silence from the bums.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Well, can't nobody make you do
               nothing you don't want. 'Course we
               was all depending on you.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (desperately)
               Captain Jack -- I wore clothes like
               that once. It made me crazy. I don't
               want to put them back on.
                              
                           JEROME
               Billy, you is really stupid. Look,
               these ain't the same clothes.
                              
                            BILLY
               They're the same kind of clothes.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               I remember. Oh, yes, I do. It was a
               long time ago, wasn't it?
                              
                            BILLY
               What do you mean?
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               When you wore the good clothes, and
               worked in the Salvation Army store,
               down on Mission Street. I remembers.

CU BILLY, STARING INTO THE DARKNESS

He speaks carefully, distinctly.
                              
                            BILLY
               How do you know that?

CU CAPTAIN JACK, SMILING
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               I knows lots of things. I been on
               these streets longer than anybody
               remembers and I seen a lot of stuff.
               I seen stuff you wouldn't even
               believe, and I remembers them. I
               remembers you, when you wore them
               good clothes, boy, and you looked
               nice ... real nice.

CU BILLY
                              
                            BILLY
               Really?

CU CAPTAIN JACK
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Like Robert Redford, Billy.

CU BILLY
                              
                            BILLY
               Who?

CU CAPTAIN JACK
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (calmly)
               I means, like Tom Cruise, Billy. Like
               Tom fucking Cruise.
                                        
                                        FADE TO WHITE:

EXT. THE BANK -- DAY, HAZY SUNSHINE

The white haze thins; WE SEE Billy and Captain Jack, sitting
at a bus stop across from The Bank. Billy is reading the
newspaper. Captain Jack is talking, calmly, reasonably,
without any of the show mannerisms he uses in front of the
other bums.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               It's all to do with money. You got
               one percent of this country, they own
               sixty percent of everything. One
               percent! Money is power and the
               measure of all success. With money
               Harry could have a doctor. With
               money, could have been enough social
               workers one maybe got to him in time
               to tell him not to share no damn
               needles. With money you could change
               things.
                  (gestures at The Bank)
               Look over there. The Bank is insured
               by the Federal Gov'ment. It loans
               money by the hundreds of millions to
               those who already have it and denies
               it to those who need it. And when The
               Bank gets in trouble, whose taxes get
               raised up to bail it out? Why, the
               taxes of the very same people
               couldn't get a loan from it in the
               first place!

CU BILLY READING NEWSPAPER -- HE LOOKS DISTURBED
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (caught in his own vision)
               Why, robbing The Bank is no more than
               simple justice.
                              
                            BILLY
               They're looking for the people who
               helped Dreadful Sam rob The Bank.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Simple ... say what?
                              
                            BILLY
                  (reading)
               It says two "homeless persons" -- I
               guess that's me and Harry -- were
               seen running away from The Bank after
               Dreadful Sam got shot. It says there
               was money that didn't get recovered.
                  (puts down paper)
               Says they've got the Ultimate Lawman
               looking for us.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY -- NIGHT

The bums are sitting around the dumpster. Billy sits next to
Harry the Horse, who's wrapped up in blankets for the night.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Jerome and Tom decided to move on for
               the night. I guess I'll go with 'em.
               Ain't safe for to stay here with the
               law lookin' for you boys.
                              
                           JEROME
               I think they should go looking.
                              
                            BILLY
               You are one cruel son of a bitch,
               Jerome.
                              
                           JEROME
                  (standing)
               You dumb white bitch, you want to --
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (sharply)
               Jerome! You --
                              
                            BILLY
                  (standing also)
               You slow moving, slow thinking nig--
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (pointing finger at Billy)
               Stop right there! He needs to be
               called a dumb nigger, I'll call him a
               dumb nigger!
                  (Billy shrugs in disgust;
                  Captain Jack turns to Jerome)
               You a dumb nigger. It's inhuman to
               send Harry out looking for place to
               spend the night, the shape he's in.
                              
                           JEROME
               I am out of here.

Jerome, and Nearly Normal Tom leave; Captain Jack and Billy
exchange glances, and then Captain Jack follows them.

CU BILLY SHAKING HIS HEAD
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY -- TWO SHOT BILLY AND HARRY -- LATER

It's quiet, with virtually no BG noise of cars.
                              
                            HARRY
               I thought they was our friends.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (tired)
               I guess they are, Harry. They just
               don't want trouble.

Billy curls up to sleep, hugging his backpack. Harry the
Horse sits near him, knees drawn up to his chest, drinking
from a bottle of whiskey.

SHOT DOWN ALLEYWAY -- CAMERA MOVING --

-- toward and over the dumpster, coming to a stop at the
edge of the alley -- and there, passing slowly by while
Billy and Harry prepare to sleep forty yards away, is a
police car with the hulking form of the Ultimate Lawman
crouched over the wheel.

TWO SHOT OF BILLY AND HARRY THE HORSE

Billy is almost asleep.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               I think I'm dying.

Billy sighs, does not respond for a moment.
                              
                            BILLY
               Yes. Soon, I think.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               I'm kinda scared.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (very gently)
               We could take you to County USC.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
                  (panicked)
               No no no! They'll put me in the
               straps like last time! Promise me you
               won't take me there again!

Billy sits up quickly, grasps Harry by the shoulders to calm
him down.
                              
                            BILLY
               It's okay! Harry, it's all right!
               Nobody's going to take you anywhere
               you don't want to go.

Harry stares at Billy wide-eyed.
                              
                            BILLY
               I promise, Harry. Okay? I promise.

He lets go of Harry, takes the bottle from him and screws
the cap on, tucking it by the side of his backpack. He lies
down again.
                              
                            BILLY
               Try to get some sleep ... we both
               need it.

There is a brief SILENCE.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Could I have my bottle back? I ain't
               had enough to get to sleep.

Billy leans over, silently hands the bottle to Harry.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Thanks.
                  (drinking)
               Mmm ... thanks.
                              
                            BILLY
               You're welcome. Good night.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               I ever tell you the first time I ever
               had whiskey?
                              
                            BILLY
                  (smiles in spite of himself)
               No, I guess you didn't.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               King Stanley gave it to me. Just a
               sip out of the bag he was always
               drinking from.
                              
                            BILLY
               King Stanley?
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Yeah. He was the King of Corona.
               That's where I was born, in Corona
               New York. He called hisself a hobo
               but I think it was just he'd been
               kicked out his house. Every morning
               he walked up and down all the streets
               in the neighborhood and said hello to
               everybody.

CU HARRY THE HORSE
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               I used to feel so sorry for him when
               I was little, cause he didn't have
               anywhere to live. But then when he
               died the neighborhood got up the
               money to have him buried, to give him
               a funeral. They buried him in a box
               that had a black velvet lining in it.
               Black velvet, Billy, as soft as could
               be.... I cried when they buried him.
               I thought it was the saddest thing I
               ever heard, that old man dying
               without family or friends.... but
               they buried him in a casket lined
               with black velvet. When I die they're
               gonna pick me up off the street and
               burn me to ashes.

Harry upends the whiskey bottle, killing it.

ON BILLY, LYING WITH EYES CLOSED
                              
                            BILLY
               Harry, man, go to sleep.

There is a moment of silence, and then the distinct sound of
Harry the Horse crying. Billy opens his eyes.
                              
                   HARRY THE HORSE (V.O.)
               I'm 44 years old ... and I'm gonna
               die ... and nobody is ever even gonna
               know I was here.

Camera SLOWLY MOVES IN on Billy. Harry speaks through tears.
                              
                   HARRY THE HORSE (V.O.)
               I used to tell people ... when I was
               younger ... about how I saved my best
               friend's life in the Army. I would
               tell them how proud I was of it ...
               that it was the only good thing I
               done in my life but because I done it
               I was a good person and that I
               mattered.
                  (several moments of crying)
               But it was a lie. I just made that up
               and after a while I got to where I
               believed it myself and I could
               remember how it happened. But it was
               a lie. I was never in the Army. I
               never had no best friend. Maybe if I
               did he could come bury me now I need
               it.

The CAMERA STOPS in CU on Billy, listening to Harry the
Horse cry. After a while the crying lessens and then stops.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (very quietly)
               I thought I was your best friend.

He sits up as though he's going to talk to Harry, and sees
that Harry's asleep, sitting propped up against the wall of
the alley, shivering. After a moment Billy digs into his
backpack, comes out with a ragged blanket. He tucks the
blanket around Harry the Horse like a father with a child,
and then lays back down again to sleep.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

CU CAPTAIN JACK LOOKING DISGUSTED

EXT. DOWNTOWN ALLEYWAY -- GROUP SHOT -- NIGHT

Captain Jack, Jerome and Nearly Normal Tom stand in the
alleyway with their hands clasped behind their heads. The
Ultimate Lawman paces the ground in front of them, billy
club in hand, raving, apparently not expecting answers to
his questions, certainly not waiting for them.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               ... so now I've got to find these
               boys! And bring them to Justice! Give
               them a trial for their crimes and
               then send them to jail Forever! So
               what I want to know from you is where
               are they? When's the last time you
               saw these men?

The Ultimate Lawman waves a poor artist's rendering of Billy
and Harry -- shambling caricatures as described by the
Ultimate Lawman.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               These men are believed to have
               abetted Samuel J. Koonzig, AKA
               Dreadful Sam, in his attempt to rob
               The Bank!
                              
                           JEROME
               Koonzig?
                  (to Nearly Normal Tom)
               No wonder he called hisself Dreadful
               Sam.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Shut up! I didn't tell you to talk!
                  (brief pause)
               Don't I know you?
                              
                           JEROME
               You arrested me and Nearly Normal Tom
               and sent us to jail for four years.

CU ULTIMATE LAWMAN -- ENRAGED
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               It wasn't long enough!

GROUP SHOT
                              
                           JEROME
                  (grins)
               You're right. It wasn't. We liked it.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               What?
                              
                           JEROME
               We enjoyed it. Being inside. They fed
               us every day. We didn't get rained
               on. We had beds to sleep on and we
               could take showers every day.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               You're not supposed to like it! That
               was punishment!

The Ultimate Lawman whacks Tom with his billy club.
                              
                   ULTIMATE LAWMAN (CONT.)
               It's supposed to be unpleasant!
                  (strikes Tom again)
               It's supposed to hurt!

Jerome takes a step forward to come to Tom's aid. In one
smooth move the Ultimate Lawman slides the billy club home,
whips out his gun and puts it in Jerome's face; he is
holding the gun in one hand and the drawings in the other.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (suddenly calm)
               I believe I'm finished here tonight.
               If you boys see either of these
               dangerous criminals I'd appreciate it
               if you'd give me a call. Otherwise
               I'll kill you all.
                              
                           JEROME
                  (under breath)
               I heard that.

The Ultimate Lawman walks backward.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Thanks for your help. It's always an
               inspiration to me the way the
               citizenry constantly steps forward to
               help the Los Angeles Police
               Department in its fight against
               crime.

CU CAPTAIN JACK
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               I could learn to dislike that man.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. STREET -- ANGLE ON BILLY -- DAY

The day is cloudy and overcast. Billy is bumming change from
a woman; she gives him a dime and Billy counts his change
when she's gone. It's enough: he walks down the street to a
liquor store and goes inside.

INT. LIQUOR STORE

Billy counts change out onto the countertop. There's a
bottle of cheap wine and three packets of Twinkies on the
counter. The clerk takes the money, Billy takes the Twinkies
and the wine, and leaves.

EXT. ALLEY -- TWO SHOT

Harry the Horse is still asleep. Billy leaves the wine and
one of the packages of Twinkies with him, and leaves.

MONTAGE -- PICO BOULEVARD, SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN -- DAY

This is one of the seediest, grimiest portions of Los
Angeles. Billy fits in here; it's clearly where he belongs.
He wanders through the streets, eating Twinkies out of a
pocket of his dirty red velvet overcoat. Four grimy homeless
children -- nine to sixteen -- are standing across the
street from Billy, with a sign that says WILL WORK FOR FOOD.
PLEASE HELP. Billy looks away without any change of
expression.

NEW ANGLE -- LONG SHOT OF CHILDREN

Gary Weiss cruises up in his red convertible Mercedes. He's
too far away for us to hear his conversation with the kids.
The older two kids approach the car -- JAKE, a black boy of
16, and KAREN, a blonde girl of 15. The two talk to Weiss
for a moment; finally Weiss leans over, hands two bills to
Karen; she hands them to Jake, and gets in the car as it
pulls away.

ON JAKE -- TRACKING

He rejoins the younger ones, MACK and HOLLY, respectively a
boy of 9 and a girl of 11.
                              
                            JAKE
               Let's go get some groceries.
                              
                            HOLLY
               How much did she get?
                              
                            JAKE
               Forty.
                              
                            MACK
               So we get to spend --
                              
                            JAKE
                  (severely)
               You know the rules. We save half for
               Karen. Same as you'd get to keep half
               if you did the work, or me.
                              
                            MACK
                  (sullenly)
               I know that. I meant the numbers.
                              
                            JAKE
                  (more gently)
               Oh. Twenty. Half of forty is twenty,
               Mack.

They walk down the street together, Mack's lips silently
shaping the words, "half of forty is twenty."
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXTERIOR BUILDING -- SIGN SAYS "FAST FOOD" -- DAY

A man is sitting in a car, talking to a grinning, malevolent
clown head.
                              
                             MAN
               No, no! I want a burrito!  With extra
               cheese! And a coke.

WE HEAR a gross, static-ridden, unintelligible parody of the
man's order.
                              
                         CLOWN HEAD
               BRRZHODO ZIXX ZIXX ZHEE ZHOA?
                              
                             MAN
               No, damn it! A burrito, with extra
               cheese! And a damned coke!
                              
                       GRINNING CLOWN
               BREZH ZHIRR. BRRZHODO ZIXX ZIXX ZHEE
               ZHOA. ZHELL SHOOP SHOOP.
                  (with growing enthusiasm)
               SHOOP ZHIP SHOOP!

TWO SHOT AT WINDOW -- BILLY AND JOHN -- DAY

John speaks into the mike:
                              
                            JOHN
               SHOOP SHOOP BUZZZ.
                  (turns to Billy and speaks
                  normally)
               Sorry, Billy. Got no misorders right
               now. Come back in a couple hours, if
               something gets made wrong, I'll put
               it aside for you.
                              
                            BILLY
               Thanks, man.
                              
                            JOHN
               No problem.

John returns to the mike; his voice begins to crackle and
buzz at high volume.
                              
                        JOHN (CONT.)
               MEZZH I TCHACH ZHRRRR JHORD?
                              
                            VOICE
                  (in hysterics)
               A burrito!  Please, that's all I
               want. You don't even have to put
               extra cheese on it. Just make me a
               burrito!
                              
                            JOHN
               BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ!
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

SHOT OF BILLY -- TRACKING -- DAY

He walks down a side street, into a slightly less seedy
neighborhood, as it begins to rain. Billy runs through the
rain to a building where several other people have
apparently taken shelter, and ducks inside.

INT. -- THE LIBRARY -- DAY

He finds himself inside, yes, The Library. He has entered
just behind a yuppyish couple who are laughing at their run
through the rain, but cease laughing when they see Billy.

CU BILLY -- TRACKING

He takes a wary, cautious step forward, into The Library.
Nobody but the two yuppies has noticed him. He moves further
in, into the rows of books. He keeps moving, further away
from the entrance, until he comes to a deserted reading area
-- tables and chairs. He sits at the table, running his
hands over the surface of the table. Billy stands abruptly,
turning around and around looking at all the books. He takes
a book off the shelves, at random, looks at it in wonder and
then puts it back. He stands motionlessly for a moment,
staring at the books. In the background we HEAR the
INDISTINCT VOICES of other patrons.

One title catches his eye. He reaches up, pulls down a book
entitled "HOW TO ROB BANKS SUCCESSFULLY." He looks at the
book, then back up at the row it came from. The entire row
of books is concerned in some way with bank robberies --
"STEALING FOR FUN AND PROFIT," "BANKS -- WHERE THEY KEEP THE
MONEY," and others like it. Billy takes down another book,
and then another, and then another, until his arms are full,
and carries them back to his table. The voices GROW LOUDER
as he is seating himself.

GROUP SHOT -- FAVORING LORI & JENNY

LORI CONNER is an attractive woman, a bit older than Billy.
The woman with her, JENNY, is in her early twenties.
                              
                            LORI
                  (hesitantly)
               Uh ... hello?
                              
                            JENNY
               Should I call the security guard?
                              
                            LORI
               I don't think that's necessary.
                  (to Billy)
               What are you doing?
                              
                            BILLY
               It's raining. Outside. I came in
               because it's raining outside.
                              
                            LORI
               I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask
               you to leave.
                              
                            BILLY
               Some other people did the same thing.
               They came inside.
                              
                            LORI
               I know. But you don't belong here.
                              
                            BILLY
               I'm reading. I know how to read.
                              
                            LORI
               I'm sorry -- I'm really sorry -- but
               if you don't leave security will come
               and make you leave. Which is it going
               to be?

Billy stares at her, then at the Jenny. Finally, angry but
not knowing what else to do, he gets up from the table.
                              
                            BILLY
               I guess I'm leaving.

MED. SHOT OF BILLY --

-- head down, pushing through the doors, out into the rain.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY -- TWO SHOT BILLY AND CAPTAIN JACK -- DAY

It's raining. Gusts of wind send sprays of rain out into the
area where Captain Jack and Billy sit. They have propped up
a large sheet of plastic against a pair of poles, and sit on
the side of the plastic away from the wind. Captain Jack is
cooking a closed, unlabeled can over an oilcan fire.
                              
                            BILLY
               I haven't decided that I'll do it,
               but if I do it at all it's going to
               be done right.

Captain Jack looks at Billy appraisingly, stirring the food
in his can.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               So you need to go research at The
               Library.
                              
                            BILLY
               That's right.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               I've heard dumber things than that in
               my time. A few. So ... we got to get
               you a suit.

Holding the hot can with a rag, Captain Jack opens it with a
can opener.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (stirring contents)
               Want a bite?
                              
                            BILLY
               What is it?
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (lifts spoon; makes a face)
               Cranberry sauce.
                  (hesitates, takes a bite.)
               Ain't half bad, though ... kinda like
               soup.

He digs in.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. A NICE SUBURBAN HOUSE -- NIGHT

The Ultimate Lawman's squad car is parked in the driveway,
and the Ultimate Lawman himself stands rapping on the front
door with his billy club. The front door opens and Gary
Weiss stands revealed in the doorway, blinking owlishly, in
a bath robe.
                              
                            WEISS
               Goddamn, Lawman, do you know --

The Ultimate Lawman jabs Weiss in the center of the chest
with his billy club. Weiss falls back, and the Ultimate
Lawman follows him in. Weiss is rubbing his chest --

INT. LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               They tell me that one hurts, that bit
               to the chest. I wouldn't blame you if
               you were a bit upset by it. No sir.
                              
                            WEISS
               What is it with you? Do you --

The Ultimate Lawman jabs him again.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Sit down, Mr. Weiss.
                  (Weiss does, abruptly)
               Do I have your attention now, sir?
                              
                            WEISS
               Talk yourself blue.

The Ultimate Lawman settles down on one of Weiss's end
tables; we hear vague CRUNCHING NOISES, but it supports his
weight. He smiles gently at Weiss, who is wary and guarded.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               I have a problem, sir. And I thought
               perhaps you could help me with it.
               You see, I've been assigned this bank
               robbery case, the one with the
               homeless men.
                              
                            WEISS
               Yeah, I saw it on the news.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Well, it has people concerned. When
               the homeless start robbing banks,
               why, who knows what's next? You have
               those people on every street corner
               and every freeway ramp these days.
               They're everywhere.
                              
                            WEISS
               Sign of the times.

Ultimate Lawman jabs him even harder with the billy club.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Mr. Weiss, that sounded the least bit
               sarcastic to me. You didn't mean that
               to sound sarcastic, did you?
                              
                            WEISS
                  (winces; shaken)
               No. Not at all.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Good, good. You see -- people are
               angry. Particularly Republicans, down
               somewhere inside these street people
               make them feel guilty, and they don't
               like feeling guilty. And they
               particularly don't like feeling
               afraid on top of feeling guilty. So
               they're upset, the media is buzzing
               all around on this, and there's lots
               of attention, lots of attention. I
               pull these boys in, I'm a hero. Case
               closed, we all go back to our normal
               lives. If I don't, I'm a dog. And
               well, it won't go too well for either
               of us. Rumors, loose ends here and
               there --
                  (shakes his head)
               You know how it is. That darn media.
                              
                            WEISS
               What do you want from me?
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               I got a tip the other day. Security
               at a hotel I think you know. Imagine
               my surprise, Tuesday afternoon of
               this week.

The comment startles Weiss. The Ultimate Lawman reaches into
a shirt pocket, pulls out an envelope filled with photos.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Never trust rent-a-cops, Mr. Weiss.
               This sort of a kink, the way they do
               it, the ones who don't get caught, is
               they buy a van. Vans are popular
               among the kiddy crowd....
                  (spreads photo across coffee
                  table between them)
               That one way mirror was pretty near
               useless, tell you the truth. I only
               got a couple good shots out of twenty-
               four. Those two.
                  (gently)
               How old would you say she is?
               Thirteen?
                              
                            WEISS
                  (struggling for control)
               A photo's not proof of age. There's
               no way to prove how old she was.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Suppose I could produce this child
               ... Mr. Weiss, do you know what they
               do to "short eyes" in prison?
                              
                            WEISS
               You fuck. You set me up.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               What I need, Mr. Weiss, is about
               eighty thousand dollars of my money
               back. In cash. Two days.
                              
                            WEISS
               I can get fifteen out of the margin
               accounts, like I told you. And the
               stocks are --
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               You don't touch anything except the
               margin accounts. You get the balance
               wherever you need to, you'll find the
               bulk of it in those thirty percent
               commissions you've been charging me.
                  (gathers up the photos)
               I'll just hang onto these.

WE TRACK the Ultimate Lawman as he stands, heads for the
door. He turns back at the door.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Mr. Weiss, for future reference, men
               like you -- those with no backbone --
               you should stay honest. You'd never
               amount to much that way -- but you
               wouldn't have to wake up at night
               with the cold sweats, thinking about
               me. Good night, sir.

ANGLE ON WEISS FOR SEVERAL BEATS

He sits shivering in his bathrobe for quite a bit.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. SALVATION ARMY STORE -- DAY

Captain Jack enters the store; Billy hangs back a moment,
then follows.

INT. STORE -- THREE SHOT -- DAY

Billy, Captain Jack and a SNOTTY CLERK. The clerk sits
behind the counter, reading a book, and does not look up. In
the background we can see an old man, moving slowly, tagging
clothes. Billy is visibly nervous.
                              
                        SNOTTY CLERK
               You boys need a bath.
                  (looks up; suspiciously)
               We don't allow street people in here,
               boys. The door's over there. Before I
               call 911.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               We come to shop, sir.

Captain Jack leans over the counter, puts a hand on the
counter and whispers something to the clerk. When he takes
his hand away we have a momentary glimpse of greenery before
the clerk's hand sweeps over it.
                              
                        SNOTTY CLERK
               Don't leave fingerprints.

Captain Jack pulls Billy off toward the clothing racks.

TWO SHOT CAPTAIN JACK AND BILLY AMONG CLOTHES
                              
                            BILLY
               How did you do that?
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Jedi mind trick, for folks with weak
               minds.... Slipped him a buck. Doesn't
               surprise me you can buy people, but
               it always throws me some to find one
               I can afford. Here we are.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (nervous)
               I'd really rather not be here.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Been eight, nine years since you
               worked here. Nobody remembers.
                  (holds a suit against Billy)
               How about this one? Seven dollars.
                              
                            BILLY
               Fine.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (another suit)
               This here is nine dollars.
                              
                            BILLY
               That's fine too. Whatever.

Captain Jack looks around, sees that the old man in the back
of the shop is staring at them.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               We go with the black. Let me see your
               boots.
                  (Billy lifts up a foot.)
               Okay, we'll polish them, they'll do.
               Let's go.

As they head back to the counter, Captain Jack snags a long-
sleeved white shirt, measures it casually against Billy,
still talking.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               We'll get some toothpaste and a razor
               and soap at the liquor store. Should
               about do it.

Captain Jack places the suit and shirt on the counter, grabs
a gray tie from a rack of ties near the front counter, and
begins counting out nine dollars; four ones, a bunch of
quarters, and the rest in dimes and nickels. Billy stands
with his back to the old man, who is still watching him. The
clerk takes the money, counting carefully. When he's done:
                              
                        SNOTTY CLERK
               Have an adequate day, boys.

The old man comes to the front of the building as Captain
Jack and Billy leave. The snotty clerk glances at him.
                              
                        SNOTTY CLERK
               I know what you're thinking. But if
               those two were the bank robbers, they
               wouldn't be shopping here with their
               spare change. No, they'd be drunk in
               an alleyway some --

EXT. SALVATION ARMY -- DAY

Billy and Captain Jack are walking away. Behind them we see
the old man take a step out the door. He stands there, next
to a telephone pole, watching them. The CAMERA MOVES IN
TOWARD the old man's pain-filled features.

TWO SHOT CAPTAIN JACK AND BILLY -- OLD MAN IN B.G.
                              
                            BILLY
               That old man, that's Thomas. I used
               to work with him.

CLOSE SHOT OF OLD MAN
                              
                        BILLY (V.O.)
               He didn't even recognize me.

WE HOLD THE SHOT IN MEDIUM CLOSEUP for a beat, and then the
old man turns and walks back, moving slow, into the shop.
The CAMERA PANS LEFT, to the telephone pole, and holds. WE
SEE a pair of posters, with the same poor sketches of Billy
and Harry the Horse that the Ultimate Lawman was waving
around earlier. At the bottom of the posters it says:
                              
Call the Ultimate Lawman at 508-1728 if you have information
   regarding either of these Dangerous Wanted & Extremely
               Vicious Criminals. BIG REWARD!
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. GAS STATION -- NIGHT

The station where Billy got water. All the bums except Billy
are gathered around the bathroom door. A MAN walks by,
looking to use the bathroom:
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Sorry, sir, but the facility is in
               use at the moment.

INT. RESTROOM -- HARSH FLUORESCENT LIGHTING

Billy is changing. Literally. He's taken off all his clothes
and put them in a pile in the corner. The suit, shirt and
tie are hanging on the door to a stall. With a rag and soap,
Billy stands at the sink and washes himself head to toe. The
cleaner he gets, the more vigorously he washes. His long
hair hangs wet down his back. He shaves with soap and the
razor, rinses to get the soap off his face, and looks
himself in the mirror.

SHOT OF BILLY IN MIRROR, OVER HIS SHOULDER

The person looking back at us in the mirror looks different.
Billy touches his face, runs his hands over his smooth
cheeks with something like wonder. He looks at his hands, at
the clean nails. Suddenly he takes a small black plastic
comb and starts to comb his long tangled hair.

EXT. GAS STATION BATHROOM -- BUMS AT THE DOOR -- NIGHT

The door opens, and there, in the doorway, stands Billy. His
costume isn't perfect -- no belt, the tie is crooked, and
the boots don't quite work, and he's tied his hair in a pony-
tail that's a little ragged -- but the difference is
astonishing. Billy looks at them uncertainly.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Turn around. Straighten your tie.

CU BILLY --

-- as he  turns slowly, looks down to straighten his tie.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

CU BILLY -- EXT. THE LIBRARY -- DAY

Billy looks up from straightening his tie, and walks inside.

INT. THE LIBRARY -- TWO SHOT BILLY AND LORI

Lori stands at the checkout desk, checking out books for TWO
CHILDREN. She looks up at his entrance, smiles.
                              
                            BILLY
               Hello.
                              
                            LORI
               Hello.

She returns to the books she's checking out.

TRACKING SHOT -- BILLY

Billy moves purposefully inside The Library, to the desk he
was sitting at before. He grabs books off the shelf with
maniacal determination, piling up more books than he could
read in a month on the table in front of him, the piles
getting higher and higher and higher until Billy literally
vanishes behind the stacks of books.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. GAS STATION RESTROOM -- EVENING

Billy is changing back into his bum clothes. With the coat
and shirt off, he sniffs suddenly at his bum clothes,
looking surprised; they smell.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. ALL NIGHT LAUNDROMAT -- NIGHT

Billy is still dressed in the suit, watching his bum clothes
tumble dry.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY -- A MISTY NIGHT

The bums huddle together around the dumpster fire. The mist
CRACKLES SLIGHTLY around the fire. Billy wears his bum
clothes again; the suit swings in the breeze, on a hanger.
                              
                            BILLY
               The average take is $17,000. Better
               than ninety percent of the bank
               robbers get caught. About twelve
               percent get killed in the attempt.
                              
                           JEROME
               You think we shouldn't do it?
                              
                            BILLY
                  (staring into fire)
               I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT THE LIBRARY -- BILLY AT HIS TABLE, READING -- DAY
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY -- NIGHT
                              
                            BILLY
               The best time is after rush hour
               begins; only about five percent of
               people who rob banks after four
               o'clock get killed, and only eighty
               percent get caught. Late afternoon is
               a good time for us; we'll be fleeing
               on foot. The police will have a
               harder time getting to The Bank, and
               a harder time chasing us after they
               do.
                              
                           JEROME
               So when we going to do it?
                              
                            BILLY
               I don't know. Soon.... Not yet.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. THE LIBRARY -- TWO SHOT -- EVENING

Billy at his table, reading; Lori walks by, stops.
                              
                            LORI
               Sir? We're closing now.
                              
                            BILLY
               Oh. Let me -- put my books away, and
               I'll go.
                              
                            LORI
               Do you have a Library card?
                              
                            BILLY
               Uh, no.
                              
                            LORI
                  (smiles)
               Oh. Has it occurred to you that you
               could get one? And then you could
               take books home with you instead of
               having to read them here all day?
                              
                            BILLY
               A Library card?
                              
                            LORI
               Yes.
                              
                            BILLY
               I've never had a Library card.
                              
                            LORI
               Would you like one?
                              
                            BILLY
               I ... yes. Yes ... I think I would.
                              
                            LORI
               Come on up front with me.

INT. LIBRARY -- CHECKOUT DESK -- TWO SHOT

The lights in the rest of The Library have been turned off;
a single spot shines down on the checkout desk, illuminating
Billy and Lori in the midst of the dimness.
                              
                            LORI
               I'll need something with your current
               address, and you'll need to fill out
               the registration form.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (momentarily frozen)
               Uh -- I think I left my license at
               home. I mean my wallet. I left my
               wallet at home.
                              
                            LORI
               Oh. Okay, that's not a problem. Fill
               out the registration card with your
               address and the next time you come in
               -- tomorrow? -- bring some sort of ID
               with your address on it.

Billy stands motionless a moment, just looking at Lori.
                              
                            BILLY
               Never mind.

Billy backs away from her, into the darkness near the door.
                              
                            BILLY
               I've changed my mind.

CU LORI
                              
                            LORI
               What? Why?

MEDIUM SHOT BILLY, MOVING BACK --

-- into the darkness, features growing dimmer, more
indistinct.
                              
                            BILLY
               If I had a card, I wouldn't have an
               excuse to come see you.... What's
               your name?

INTERCUT LORI/WITH BILLY AT DOOR
                              
                            LORI
               Lori.
                              
                            BILLY
               Really?
                              
                            LORI
               Yes. Really.
                              
                            BILLY
               That's a very nice name. I'm Billy.

He backs out through the door, and the door swings shut
behind him.

CU LORI -- PUZZLED, INTRIGUED, FLATTERED
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY -- GROUP SHOT THE BUMS -- NIGHT
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               When do you think? When are we going
               to do it?

Billy stares unseeing into the fire.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               Billy?
                              
                            BILLY
               Soon.
                              
                       HARRY THE HORSE
               If I die before we rob The Bank I
               ain't never gonna talk to you again.
                              
                           JEROME
                  (pointedly not looking at
                  Billy)
               Police swept MacArthur park today.
               Picked up a couple dozen homeless --
               men, women, some kids... Almost got
               me and Tom. I don't suppose it would
               make too damn much sense to do one of
               these robberies they blaming us for.
                  (turns to Billy, voice rising)
               I would like to have me a thousand
               damn dollars just once in my life.
               Once.

Billy stares into the fire, and does not answer.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. LIBRARY -- TWO SHOT BILLY AND LORI -- NIGHT

Billy sits at his table, reading. Lori approaches.
                              
                            LORI
               We're closing up, Billy.
                              
                            BILLY
               Okay. Thanks.

He stands, putting his books back up on the shelf.

AT THE LIBRARY DOORS -- INTERCUT BILLY & LORI -- NIGHT
                              
                            LORI
                  (nervous)
               Billy?
                              
                            BILLY
                  (turning back)
               Yeah?
                              
                            LORI
               You want to get something to eat?
               There's a coffeeshop down the street.
                              
                            BILLY
               Excuse me?
                              
                            LORI
                  (still nervous)
               Look, if you're unemployed -- and I
               guess you are, the way you're here
               every day --
                  (deep breath)
               I mean, what I'm saying is I can get
               dinner.
                              
                            BILLY
               "Get?" You mean pay for?
                              
                            LORI
               Oh, Lord -- yes. I mean pay for.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. THE COFFEE SHOP -- NIGHT

The sign on the coffee shop says "The Coffee Shop."

INT. COFFEE SHOP -- TWO SHOT -- NIGHT

The table is scattered with the remains of their dinner
dishes. They've eaten and are sitting with their coffee. A
sign over their table says "THANK YOU FOR NOT SMOKING."
                              
                            LORI
               ... and by the time I was twelve I
               pretty much knew I wanted to do this.
               I love books. It doesn't pay very
               well, but in some ways it's the best
               job there is. It helps people.
                  (pause)
               Are you planning to rob a bank?
                              
                            BILLY
                  (quickly)
               What makes you ask that?

NEW ANGLE -- SIGN NOW SAYS "THANK YOU FOR NOT SCREAMING"
                              
                            LORI
               Well, all the books you keep reading.
               Most of them are about bank
               robberies.
                              
                            BILLY
               No, I'm, researching a book. For a
               book I'm writing. About bank
               robberies.

NEW ANGLE -- SIGN SAYS "THANK YOU FOR NOT VOMITING"
                              
                            LORI
               You're a writer? No wonder you're
               broke.
                  (sips her coffee, mutters)
               Oh well, at least you're not a
               lawyer.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (carefully)
               What's wrong with lawyers?
                              
                            LORI
                  (quick grin)
               These two lawyers are watching this
               woman walk through the park, and one
               says, "Boy, I'd sure like to screw
               her." Other lawyer says, "Out of
               what?"
                  (beat; Billy doesn't get it)
               You know what the difference is
               between a dead snake in the road and
               a dead lawyer in the road? Skid marks
               in front of the snake.
                  (he doesn't laugh; her grin
                  fades)
               Look, my ex is a lawyer. I supported
               us both while he went to law school.
               Six months after he passed the bar he
               told me he wanted a divorce and you
               know what?
                              
                            BILLY
               ... what?
                              
                            LORI
                  (leans forward)
               It was the best news I'd had in a
               year. I thought, great. Now I don't
               have to look at your fat ugly face
               ever again. Are you done?
                              
                            BILLY
                  (glances at his food)
               Uh... uh ... yes. Yes, I guess I am
               ... Uh -- thank you for the dinner?
                              
                            LORI
                  (standing)
               You're entirely welcome. Walk me back
               to my car?
                              
                            BILLY
               Sure.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. PARKING LOT -- LORI UNLOCKING CAR -- NIGHT

Billy stands on the sidewalk, 15 feet away.
                              
                            BILLY
               Lori?
                              
                            LORI
               Yes?
                              
                            BILLY
               Would you like to go to a movie?
                              
                            LORI
               Uhm ... Dutch?
                              
                            BILLY
               I can afford to buy you a movie. And
               a dinner.
                              
                            LORI
               Okay. How about Friday? 7:00, after
               The Library closes.
                              
                            BILLY
               Thank you.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY -- GROUP SHOT OF BUMS -- NIGHT

Billy, Captain Jack and Harry the Horse sit together. To one
side, Harry the Horse is wrapped up tight, wheezing slightly
with every breath. Billy sits with his back up against a
wall of the alley, face in his hands.
                              
                            BILLY
               I said I'd pay for her. Now she
               thinks I can buy her dinner and her
               movie. I don't even know how much
               those things cost any more.
                  (looks up)
               I haven't been on a date since I was
               seventeen.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               What you going to do?
                              
                            BILLY
               I don't know. I don't know what I've
               done. I want to go out with her.
                  (wearily)
               I don't have any money.

NEW ANGLE -- FAVORING JEROME AND NEARLY NORMAL TOM

Jerome produces the gun that shot off Harry's eyebrow.
                              
                           JEROME
               Yo, Billy. Catch.

THREE SHOT OF BILLY, CAPTAIN JACK AND HARRY

Billy looks up, plucks the gun out of the air.

ECU THE GUN
                              
                        JEROME (V.O.)
               You need money, go get it...

ON JEROME -- A CHALLENGING STARE
                              
                       JEROME (CONT.)
               ... if you got the balls.

ON BILLY -- LOOKING AT THE GUN
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. STREET -- NIGHT

A BOY, 17, hurries along a nearly deserted downtown street.
His hands are jammed down into the pockets of his coat, and
he walks swiftly, looking at the ground. At an alleyway he
pauses, looks undecided, and then decides to take the short
cut.

MED. SHOT BOY IN PROFILE -- TRACKING AS HE WALKS

LONG SHOT OF BOY WALKING DOWN ALLEY -- BILLY'S POV

The boy suddenly stops walking, staring at Billy.

MED. SHOT OF BILLY, BACKLIT, FEATURES INDISTINCT

He raises the gun slowly, pointing it down the alley at the
boy.
                              
                            BILLY
               Give me all your money. Do it now.

TWO SHOT OF BILLY AND BOY
                              
                             BOY
               But ...
                              
                            BILLY
               Don't argue with me. Please don't
               argue with me. Just do it.

Slowly, staring at the muzzle of the gun, the boy pulls out
his wallet. Billy steps forward, takes the wallet from the
boy's unresisting hand, and, one-handed, extracts the bills,
glancing down at them.

INSERT -- FOUR ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR BILLS

RETURN TO SCENE

Billy can't believe how lucky he's been. He starts to smile.
                              
                            BILLY
               This is four hundred dollars ...
               thanks.

He steps back, grin widening, and tosses the wallet to the
boy, holding the bills in one hand and the gun in the other.
                              
                             BOY
               Please don't do this to me.

Billy keeps moving back, gun steady on the boy -- and the
boy flips.

CU BOY
                              
                             BOY
               Damn you, that's my rent money!
                  (voice getting higher)
               If I miss my rent they're going to
               kick me out and I won't have any
               place to live!

CU BILLY

His expression is stricken, the grin gone.

CU BOY

He starts crying, speaks in an incoherent rush:
                              
                             BOY
               That's all the money I got, I'm
               behind two months and if I miss again
               they'll kick me out and I got nowhere
               to go, please, please don't do this
               to me.... I got nowhere to go.

CU BILLY
                              
                            BILLY
               Damn you. God damn you anyway.

His features are filled with horror. The gun drops to his
side, the hand holding the money opens slowly.

ON THE MONEY

The four crumpled hundred dollar bills float to the ground,
weightless and insubstantial.

LONG SHOT OF BILLY, RUNNING AWAY

EXT. BACK STREET -- NIGHT

Billy stops running, and walks, wearily, gun hanging in his
left hand.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. CITY STREET -- BRIGHT DAYLIGHT

Billy is back in his bum's clothes, smiling and charming,
begging for money from the passing pedestrians.

TWO SHOT -- BILLY AND AN OLDER MAN
                              
                            BILLY
               Sir! You! Yes, you. Hi there. How you
               doing? Could you spare a buck? See,
               I've got a date tonight and I'm
               trying to raise up the money to take
               her somewhere nice.

The man gives Billy a dollar.

TWO SHOT -- BILLY AND YOUNG WOMAN
                              
                            BILLY
               Hi, how are you today? You look like
               such a nice lady, could you spare a
               dollar?
                  (the woman keeps walking)
               That other guy just gave me one. Not
               a buck? How about change, you got any
               change?
                              
                            WOMAN
               I doubt it.
                              
                            BILLY
               Look, I got a date tonight, no
               really, I do. I'm going to take a
               shower first and change into good
               clothes but it's me going to have the
               date, and I need money to take her
               some place nice. How about it?
                              
                            WOMAN
               A date?
                              
                            BILLY
               Yes.
                  (makes eye contact)
               I know we can be scary sometimes. But
               I'm not lying to you.
                  (can't quite believe it
                  himself)
               I really have a date.

She digs into her purse.

MONTAGE SHOTS -- THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE

All treated to the "Hi there" routine.

EXT. ALLEY -- TWO SHOT -- MID-DAY

Billy and Captain Jack sit together. Billy counts his money.
                              
                            BILLY
               Sixty-nine fifty, sixty-nine seventy-
               five, seventy, seventy twenty-five,
               seventy-fifty ... seventy dollars and
               fifty-five cents.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (amused)
               Lot of money. Where you going to take
               her?
                              
                            BILLY
               A movie and dinner. I stopped at the
               theater and it costs seven dollars
               apiece for a movie, so that's
               fourteen. And dinners cost about
               fifteen dollars apiece so that's
               thirty, which makes forty-four. So I
               have about twenty-five left.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (nodding)
               I got the suit cleaned for you. And
               the shirt.
                              
                            BILLY
               Oh ... thanks, Captain Jack.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               You's welcome. You a remarkable young
               man. Only street person I ever knew
               went on a date. Maybe someday you'll
               be the only street person I ever knew
               robbed a bank.
                              
                            BILLY
               I don't know, Captain. It just seems
               -- I don't know. Taking things that
               aren't yours -- I tried that last
               night. It made me feel sick.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (gently)
               This is a different kind of thing,
               Billy.

Captain Jack looks down at the dirty asphalt --

CU -- CAPTAIN JACK LOOKING UP
                              
                    CAPTAIN JACK (CONT.)
               You don't hurt people who haven't
               hurt you. That's karma and it rules
               the world.

ON BILLY
                              
                 CAPTAIN JACK (CONT., V.O.)
               But that one percent I talk about,
               they practically took your whole life
               away from you.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (irritably)
               Look, my Dad put me out the door. Not
               some damn banker.

TWO SHOT FAVORING CAPTAIN JACK

Captain Jack looks at Billy. When he speaks, his voice is
quiet, but filled with a fury born of cold moral outrage:
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Best friend you got in the world is
               dying because he was a drug addict
               and that made him not a person. They
               spent tax money could have helped him
               on missiles. Billion dollar bombers.
               You got child whores over on Western
               and Sunset'll never see twenty cause
               of the same disease is killing Harry,
               the tax money to give them a roof and
               food was stolen by the wicked, I use
               that term the way they use it in the
               Bible, Billy, that money was stolen
               by the wicked sons of bitches ran the
               Savings and Loans. You got Jerome and
               Tom, two men I known since they was
               boys, more comfortable in prison than
               anywhere else in the world, cause the
               money could have taught either one of
               them to read and write while they
               were still young got spent on their
               prisons!

Billy stares, wide-eyed, at Captain Jack's fury.
                              
                    CAPTAIN JACK (CONT.)
               You a different matter. You got the
               wisest homeless man in this city to
               help you out. And you's white. Maybe
               you'd get off the street anyway. But
               you got a chance to take some back
               from the greedy rich bastards who
               made the shit you livin' in. Billy, I
               don't see nothing at all wrong with
               that.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY -- NIGHT

Captain Jack sits in front of a small oil can fire. Harry
the Horse lies next to the dumpster, coughing raggedly,
clutching newspapers around himself; he has his back to the
others. Jerome and Tom sit across from Captain Jack.
                              
                           JEROME
               So he really went on a date.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Yep.
                              
                           JEROME
                  (shakes his head)
               Poor sumbitch.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               How you figure?
                              
                           JEROME
               Women is smarter than us, Captain
               Jack.

Captain Jack nods; it's undeniably true.
                              
                           JEROME
               And they don't fight fair.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               That's a fact.
                              
                           JEROME
                  (wisely)
               They ain't quite like normal people,
               you know.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               That's been said 'bout black folk,
               Jerome.
                              
                           JEROME
               Say what?
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (smiles)
               Never mind.
                              
                           JEROME
                  (stirs fire)
               Oh, he thinks he's smart. Cause he
               can read. But that boy don't live in
               the real world.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. THE LIBRARY -- NIGHT -- IN FACT, FRIDAY NIGHT

Billy waits at the door while Lori shuts off the lights and
turns off the computers at the checkout desk.

EXT. THE LIBRARY -- TRACKING SHOT -- NIGHT

Lori locks the doors to The Library, turns to Billy.
                              
                            LORI
               Okay. Are we taking your car, or
               don't you have one?
                              
                            BILLY
               Uh ... I don't have one.
                              
                            LORI
               I didn't think so. Come on.

INT. RESTAURANT -- TWO SHOT -- NIGHT

Billy ostentatiously holds the door for Lori. As they enter
Lori speaks.
                              
                            LORI
               Can you get us a table, Billy? I've
               got to visit the ladies room.
                              
                            BILLY
               Sure.

Lori heads for the restroom, Billy and the CAMERA following.
Lori stops before the restroom door as Billy opens it.
                              
                            LORI
               What are you doing?
                              
                            BILLY
               I was getting the door for you. Like
               I've been.
                              
                            LORI
               And it's been -- nice. But I can
               handle this one myself.

Lori goes inside, and Billy is left standing nervously
outside. A HOSTESS approaches.
                              
                           HOSTESS
               Honey?
                              
                            BILLY
               Yeah?
                              
                           HOSTESS
               Don't try so hard. If she didn't like
               you she wouldn't have gone out with
               you in the first place.
                              
                            BILLY
               Okay.
                              
                           HOSTESS
                  (smiling)
               Come on, let me get you a table.

TWO SHOT -- BILLY AND LORI AT A TABLE
                              
                            BILLY
               When we came in I wanted to stand at
               the door and rattle all the change in
               my pockets. Ca -- my friend says that
               when you go inside a restaurant it's
               one of the first things you should
               do, is jingle the change in your
               pockets so they know you have money.
                              
                            LORI
                  (laughs)
               That's funny.
                              
                            BILLY
               Really? Funny how?
                              
                            LORI
               Well, it's -- charming, sort of --
                  (abruptly)
               Never mind. How did you like the
               movie?
                              
                            BILLY
                  (quickly)
               Did you like it?
                              
                            LORI
               Well, yes.
                              
                            BILLY
               So did I. It was very good.
                              
                            LORI
                  (bites lip, looks at Billy
                  oddly)
               You don't go to movies much, do you?
                              
                            BILLY
               No. Not since -- my Dad kicked me out
               of our apartment when I was
               seventeen. I haven't been to see a
               movie since then.
                              
                            LORI
               ... actually, I guessed that.
                              
                            BILLY
               How?
                              
                            LORI
               Well -- the bit with the change.
               People hardly ever pay for a movie
               with fourteen dollars of dimes and
               quarters.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (laughs)
               The ticket man didn't like that, did
               he?
                              
                            LORI
               No. No, not really ... Can I ask a
               question?
                              
                            BILLY
               Sure.
                              
                            LORI
               Are you going to buy dinner with
               change?
                              
                            BILLY
               No. Well, not really. I have
               seventeen one dollar bills. The rest
               is change.
                              
                            LORI
               Oh. Look ... do you mind if I pay?
               We'll put it on my card. It's just
               that I eat here a lot.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (bewildered)
               It's perfectly good money.
                              
                            LORI
               Well, I know that. But, trust me,
               let's just let me pay for it. It'll
               be better that way. You can pay me
               with the -- dollars and change -- if
               you want to.
                  (she pauses, laughs)
               You're an angel ... I've never known
               anyone remotely like you.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. LORI'S APARTMENT -- TWO SHOT -- NIGHT

Billy and Lori are standing in front of the doorway
together. We can't hear them. After a moment Lori and Billy
take simultaneous steps toward one another and kiss each
other. The kiss lasts a few seconds, and then they kiss
again briefly. Billy takes a step back, and Lori lets
herself into the apartment complex.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

MED. TRACKING SHOT -- BILLY -- NIGHT

He walks down the streets, hands in the suit's coat pockets,
wearing a bemused, lost expression. He walks through
downtown, into a seedy area, and past a Winchells. At first
all we see is a VAGUE PURPLISH GLOW in a corner of the
frame; as soon as the glow becomes distinct the CAMERA
TRACKS SWIFTLY AROUND BILLY, turning as Billy turns, to
focus across the street.

EXT. WINCHELL'S -- LONG SHOT -- NIGHT

There are fifty or sixty police squad cars at the Winchells,
all of them with their doors open, bubble lights blazing
blue and red. The Winchells lot is lit like something out of
a surreal video game arcade. Immense numbers of cops are
milling around in the lot; inside the Winchells there are
another twenty or so cops, standing at the counter, sitting
at every one of the little plastic seats.

CLOSE SHOT -- TRACKING -- BILLY

Eerie Danny Elfman, Oingo-Boingo-type music plays as he
crosses the street, into the crowd of donut munching cops.
He walks among the parked cars, between the cops --

NEW ANGLE -- TRACKING BILLY AMONG THE COPS

In the BG, cops with clubs are whacking and kicking the hell
out of some poor rodney. A commonplace sight; Billy doesn't
even notice. He continues into the Winchell's.

EXT. -- MED. SHOT THROUGH WINDOW --

-- of Billy standing in line behind all the cops. Aside from
the boys behind the counter he's the only person around
who's not in uniform.

INT. WINCHELL'S -- TWO SHOT OF COPS -- NIGHT
                              
                          FIRST COP
                  (whispered)
               He's been awfully irritable lately.
                              
                         SECOND COP
               They got him on that bank robbery
               case. The one with the derelicts.

CLOSE SHOT -- THE ULTIMATE LAWMAN

Hunched over a tiny donut table, face in his hands; the
picture of despair.

MED. SHOT -- BILLY WATCHING ULTIMATE LAWMAN

MED. SHOT -- ULTIMATE LAWMAN

He looks up suddenly, fixes Billy with an insane glare.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               They have no address. No place of
               employment.
                  (screaming)
               They don't register their darn
               vehicles!

GROUP SHOT -- BILLY AT COUNTER, ULTIMATE LAWMAN IN BG

The cop ahead of Billy leaves with his donuts. Billy steps
up to the counter as the Ultimate Lawman comes to his feet.
                              
                            BILLY
               A dozen chocolate donuts, please.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               They have no known associates. They
               don't carry driver's licenses. They
               don't have bank accounts. You!
               Citizen!

Billy is counting change out onto the countertop.
                              
                            BILLY
               Yes?

CU ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Where do you live?

CU BILLY
                              
                            BILLY
                  (pause; nervous)
               Downtown?

GROUP SHOT -- BILLY AT COUNTER, ULTIMATE LAWMAN IN BG
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               You see? He has an address! If he'd
               commit a crime we could find him!
               Arrest him and beat a confession out
               of him! Citizen!
                              
                            BILLY
                  (taking box of donuts)
               $3.15, right? ... uh, yes?
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Have you done anything wrong lately?
               Have you been bad?
                              
                            BILLY
               Oh, no, sir.

MED. SHOT ULTIMATE LAWMAN -- SITS DOWN ABRUPTLY
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (face in hands)
               It's pointless. I don't know why I
               try so hard.
                              
                            BILLY
               But what you do is important.

The Ultimate Lawman looks up at Billy.
                              
                            BILLY
               It's important to protect people, and
               to help them. People respect the
               police.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Yeah ... yeah, that's right.
                  (to the other cops)
               People respect us! That's why we do
               this.

Grumbling sound of agreement from the other cops.
                              
                          FIRST COP
               It ain't for the money.
                              
                            BILLY
               Money's not everything. There's pride
               in yourself. In trying to be a good
               person and do a good job.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Yes ...
                  (bull roar)
               Yes. I will find those derelicts!
                              
                            BILLY
                  (pause of realization)
               Well -- on the other hand --

His voice trails off; the cops stare at him, waiting for him
to continue.
                              
                            BILLY
               Never mind. You do a good job, sir.
               Do the best job you can. We're all
               counting on you! We all have faith in
               you!

Billy backs out the door of the Winchell's, shouting.
                              
                            BILLY
               You're the best! You're the biggest,
               meanest cop in the world and
               everybody knows it!

The cops all applaud as Billy flees with his donuts.

CU ULTIMATE LAWMAN

-- as Billy leaves the donut shop. WE HEAR the Ultimate
Lawman's voice trailing away into silence.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Who was that man?
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

TRACKING SHOT ON BILLY

Billy keeps walking, deeper into downtown, to their alley.
Captain Jack greets him as Billy approaches the dumpster.

TWO SHOT BILLY AND CAPTAIN JACK
                              
                            BILLY
               Hi, Captain. Brought you all some
               donuts.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (subdued)
               You had a good time on your date?
                              
                            BILLY
               Yeah. Yeah, I did.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Good. I'm glad to hear that.

Billy looks beyond Captain Jack, sees Jerome and Tom staring
at him.
                              
                            BILLY
               What's wrong?
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Harold passed away 'bout an hour ago.

The news literally staggers Billy. He sits down abruptly, on
the ground in his good suit, dropping the donuts. He looks
up at Captain Jack.
                              
                            BILLY
               How?
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Started coughing and just never
               stopped.
                              
                            BILLY
               Oh, God. Oh, Harry.... Where is he?
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (helping Billy up)
               Come on.

SHOT OF HARRY -- FAR SIDE OF DUMPSTER

He lies flat on his back, laid out as for viewing.

CU BILLY, LOOKING DOWN AT HARRY
                              
                            BILLY
               You didn't deserve this.

THREE SHOT -- CAPTAIN JACK, BILLY, HARRY'S BODY
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               We got to do something with him.
               Unless you got some better idea
               Jerome and Nearly Normal Tom are
               gonna carry him out to the street.
               Somebody'll come get him.

CU BILLY -- THE SHOT HOLDS
                              
                            BILLY
                  (after long pause)
               No.
                              
                     CAPTAIN JACK (V.O.)
               What do you want to --
                              
                            BILLY
               We're going to give him a funeral.
               With a casket lined with velvet and a
               stone to mark his resting place.

TWO SHOT BILLY AND CAPTAIN JACK
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Funerals costs thousands of dollars,
               Billy. They're expensive things.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (flatly)
               We're going to rob The Bank and give
               Harry a funeral.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (sighing)
               OK. But what the hell are we supposed
               to do with Harold until we get the
               money? He's going to start to smell.

CU BILLY
                              
                            BILLY
               I'll be right back.

INT. LIQUOR STORE -- ANGLE ON DOORWAY -- NIGHT

Billy strides purposefully toward the door; he pushes
through the door, moving quickly forward to FILL UP THE
FRAME.

ON CLERK -- LOOKING STARTLED, THEN FRIGHTENED

There is an ice machine behind the clerk.

CU BILLY --

He strides forward, bringing the gun up DIRECTLY TOWARD THE
CAMERA, cocking the hammer.
                              
                            BILLY
               Give me all of your ice!
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. LIQUOR STORE -- THE ULTIMATE LAWMAN -- NIGHT

Same shot as last, except that now the Ultimate Lawman
stands where Billy stood, glaring into the camera, gun
pointed at the clerk.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               He stole your -- ice?

TWO SHOT -- CLERK AND ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                              
                            CLERK
               Ye-yes, yessir.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               And you didn't call for three hours?
                              
                            CLERK
               We called right after he robbed us!
               Nobody came until now!

CU ULTIMATE LAWMAN

Enraged, the Ultimate Lawman cocks back the hammer --
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (shouts)
               We were busy!

TWO SHOT ULTIMATE LAWMAN AND CLERK

The Ultimate Lawman pulls the trigger five times -- BOOM
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM. The clerk flops onto the floor.

CU ICE MACHINE -- FIVE HOLES OUTLINE THE CLERK'S HEAD

SHOT OF ULTIMATE LAWMAN

The Ultimate Lawman leans over the counter, gun in hand,
curiously.

ECU THE CLERK'S HEAD

The clerk does not move. We HEAR A CRINKLY SOUND:
                              
                   ULTIMATE LAWMAN (V.O.)
               Well ... I guess he won't mind if I
               have some of his donuts.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

ECU HARRY THE HORSE'S HEAD -- NIGHT

Mirroring the shot of the clerk. Bags of ice lay all around
him, glowing white under the street lamps, as he stares
sightlessly upward. The CAMERA PULLS BACK, so that we see
Harry the Horse's entire body, with a small mountain of ice
around him. The dumpster has been moved to shield him from
sight from the street.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. SALVATION ARMY -- NIGHT

Shooting through a window whose wire mesh cover has been cut
through, and the window itself opened. Forms move inside.

INT. SALVATION ARMY -- NIGHT

Billy, Captain Jack, Jerome and Nearly Normal Tom move
through the dark. A match flares alight, and we see Billy
standing in front of a shelf with decorative candles on it.
He lights several, and the room becomes more visible.

TWO SHOT -- NEARLY NORMAL TOM AND JEROME

Nearly Normal Tom is holding up a suit, measuring it against
Jerome; shakes his head, pulls another from the rack.

TWO SHOT -- BILLY AND CAPTAIN JACK

Billy takes a pencil from near the cash register, and takes
the cover off of a book from the books being sold. On the
blank inside of the book cover he begins writing down the
things they take.

INSERT -- ECU INSIDE BOOK COVER

As Billy writes: 3 coats, 3 pairs of pants, two pairs of
shoes, 3 shirts, 3 pairs socks, 3 ties.

RETURN TO SCENE -- TWO SHOT BILLY, CAPTAIN JACK

Captain Jack adds up the tags from the clothes.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Eighteen dollars and twelve cents
               total for the pants. Twenty-six
               dollars seventy-five cents for the
               suit coats. Three dollars even for
               the ties. Fourteen-fifty for the
               shoes. Eleven dollars and five cents
               for the shirts.

INSERT -- ECU INSIDE BOOK COVER

Billy writes:

We owe you seventy-three dollars and forty-two cents for
what we took. We will pay you as soon as we can.

We're sorry. We needed it.

HOLD SHOT a beat --
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY BEHIND PAWN SHOP -- GROUP SHOT -- NIGHT

The bums are clustered around a back window with bars on it.
Billy is working the mesh covering, without success. Jerome
watches impatiently, then speaks.
                              
                           JEROME
               Move aside.

The other three move away from the door, Jerome included.
Nearly Normal kneels next to the door, and takes what looks
like a straightened paperclip from behind his ear. Face
intent, he probes at the lock for perhaps five seconds.
                              
                            BILLY
               Oh, come on, Jerome. We don't have--

The door swings quietly open. Nearly Normal Tom steps
inside; Billy looks surprised.

ECU -- SHOT OF AN ALARM SYSTEM CLOCK

Counting down -- bright red letters say 15 ... 14 ... 13 ...

INTERIOR PAWN SHOP -- TRACKING TOM

Nearly Normal Tom moves swiftly, confidently, through the
darkened shop. He knows exactly where the alarm system is
hidden; he drops on his back and wriggles underneath the
main counter. WE SEE the alarm; Nearly Normal Tom traces a
pair of wires down from the alarm, to a junction box; he
pops the box, takes the paper clip he opened the door with
and shorts together a pair of the terminals inside.

ECU -- ALARM CLOCK

The clock has stopped at 6.

THREE SHOT -- CAPTAIN JACK, BILLY, JEROME
                              
                           JEROME
                  (slightly embarrassed)
               What the hell you think we keep
               gettin' sent to jail for?

INT. PAWN SHOP -- NIGHT

The bums move inside and through the darkness, quickly, past
rows of guitars, amplifiers, television sets and jewelry.
Dimly visible behind one of the counters are rifles and
handguns, protected by a thick glass casing. Jerome hits the
glass with a crowbar, several times, until the glass chips
and then shatters. Billy reaches inside, takes out three of
the handguns and several cases of cartridges, and the four
run out of the shop.

INT. SALVATION ARMY -- TWO SHOT -- MORNING

The Ultimate Lawman and Snotty Clerk. The snotty clerk is
sitting behind the counter, hands clasped over one knee.
                              
                        SNOTTY CLERK
               Yes. Seventy-three dollars and forty-
               two cents, according to the note they
               left. We're staying closed today so
               we can run inventory and see if
               there's anything they didn't list.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (taking notes)
               So. They took three of everything,
               except for the shirts, of which they
               took four.
                              
                        SNOTTY CLERK
               That's what I said.

The Ultimate Lawman, calmly, without anger, grabs the clerk
by the shirt.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               I'd appreciate it if you would
               refrain from making sarcastic
               responses to my questions. I was at a
               pawn shop first thing this morning,
               and at the pawnshop they'd stolen
               three guns.
                  (voice rising slightly)
               The owner of the pawnshop seemed
               upset, and he kept asking where were
               the police when he needed us.
                              
                            CLERK
                  (nervously)
               Winchells?
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (lays his gun on counter)
               This is twenty-five shot .55 caliber
               semi-automatic handgun. The bullets
               leave the barrel at eight thousand
               feet per second.
                  (pause)
               I killed his car.
                  (releases clerk)
               Now. It seems to me whoever did this
               to you must shop here, or they
               wouldn't have left the note. Who are
               your poorest customers?
                              
                            CLERK
               Sir? Everybody who shops here is
               poor. We even get in street people
               sometimes.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Oh? ... tell me about it.
                              
                            CLERK
               Maybe ... three weeks ago two
               derelicts were looking for a suit
               here. Older black guy and a younger
               white guy.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               What kind of suit was it? And which
               one was it bought for?
                              
                            CLERK
               I think it was for the younger one. I
               don't remember what kind of suit it
               was.

The Ultimate Lawman stands motionlessly, lost in thought --

DREAM SEQUENCE -- BILLY AT WINCHELL'S

Standing, talking in the black pinstripe. Suddenly the black
pinstripe is gone, and Billy stands naked amid the crowd of
cops. A moment later the Ultimate Lawman imagines Billy in
bum's clothes -- not the clothes he actually wears, but a
shambling monstrosity of an outfit like something the
Creature from the Black Lagoon might have worn if he'd been
a bum.

RETURN TO SCENE
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               The suit he bought. It was a black
               pinstripe.
                              
                            CLERK
               Well -- yes. I think maybe it was.

The Ultimate Lawman takes his gun and puts it up against the
clerk's head. He withdraws a folded sheet of paper and
unfolds it one-handed.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Think carefully. Was it either of
               these two?
                              
                            CLERK
               ... maybe. Maybe it was this one.
                  (points at Billy's picture)
               That's not too far off.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (cocking hammer of the
                  automatic)
               Could you give us a better
               description?
                              
                            CLERK
               Oh, God, I'd sure love to try.

The Ultimate Lawman holsters his gun; he and the Clerk
prepare to leave.
                              
                            CLERK
                  (a high voice)
               Sir?
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Yeah?
                              
                            CLERK
               Can you really kill a car with that
               gun?
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (as they're leaving)
               Oh, goodness gracious yes. Works good
               on people too.
                  (voice trailing off)
               I rarely have to shoot people
               twice....
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. THE LIBRARY -- BILLY AT HIS TABLE -- DAY

Billy pores over floor plans from a book labeled City
Records.

INSERT -- PAGE FROM THE BOOK, LABELED "THE BANK."

RETURN TO SCENE

Billy is sketching the floor layout on a piece of paper when
Lori appears and sits down across from him.
                              
                            LORI
               Still working on the book?
                              
                            BILLY
               Yes. I'm almost ready to start work,
               though. There's not much left to
               research.
                              
                            LORI
               When do I get to see some of the
               book?
                              
                            BILLY
                  (absently)
               When I start writing it, I suppose.
               I've got to start soon ... before all
               the ice melts.
                              
                            LORI
               Ice?
                              
                            BILLY
               The -- uhm. Never mind.
                              
                            LORI
               Why are you drawing the floor plans
               to The Bank?
                              
                            BILLY
                  (cautiously)
               I need a copy for my work.
                              
                            LORI
               You could use the photocopier.
                              
                            BILLY
               Photocopier?
                              
                            LORI
                  (smiling uncertainly)
               Yes. There's one up front.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (slowly, looking off in the
                  distance)
               I remember those. You put money in
               them. Change. And it ... copies
               things.
                  (looks at Lori)
               I haven't used a copy machine in
               years.

THREE SHOT -- LORI, BILLY, AND COPY MACHINE

Billy has the book face-down on the glass.
                              
                            LORI
               It takes quarters. I know you have
               some. You press this button to choose
               how many copies, and then you put in
               whatever it asks for.
                              
                            BILLY
               I just want one.
                              
                            LORI
               Okay ...

Lori pushes the number "1", waits while Billy puts in a
quarter.

ECU PHOTOCOPIER

There is a rolling flash of light, and then the photocopier
spits out a sheet of paper and drops a dime in change.

RETURN TO SCENE

Billy hesitates a moment and then picks up the paper,
looking back and forth in wonder between his sketch and the
photocopy.
                              
                            BILLY
               I can't believe I was gone so long.

The camera TRACKS ON BILLY as he walks back to his table.
                              
                         LORI (V.O.)
               Billy? Where were you?

ON BILLY -- WALKING TOWARD BACK OF THE LIBRARY
                              
                            BILLY
                  (puzzled)
               I've got to get to work. There's so
               much I have to do.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. SIDE OF THE ROAD -- DAY

A SUCCESSION OF QUICK SHOTS, each a few seconds long:  the
Ultimate Lawman using a nail gun to staple Wanted posters to
the sides of telephone poles in seedy sections of downtown.
The new posters show recognizable drawings of Captain Jack
and Billy, and the original caricature of Harry. He walks
down the street like John Wayne come to blow away the Bad
Guy at high noon, slaps the papers up against the posts as
though he's attacking the posts, fires the nail gun as
though he's nailing gooks in the 'Nam. Each shot shows the
Ultimate Lawman nailgunning the telephone pole; in the BG OF
EACH SHOT, clearly visible, are yellow street signs.

FIRST SHOT:

A yellow street sign, visible in the background, says "DIP."

SECOND SHOT:

A new street sign says "PIG."

THIRD SHOT:

Street sign says "SHITHEAD."

FOURTH SHOT:

Street sign says "ASSHOLE."

As he's stapling the poster in this last shot, the Ultimate
Lawman slaps up a poster -- and pauses.

ECU ULTIMATE LAWMAN'S LEFT HAND

It's bleeding slightly; there's a sliver of wood under the
skin.

ECU ULTIMATE LAWMAN -- DISBELIEF BECOMES RAGE

MEDIUM SHOT OF ULTIMATE LAWMAN

He drops the nail gun and the posters and pulls the sliver
free; pauses and then quick draws on the telephone pole. One
shot, like the crack of doom, and the telephone pole
explodes as though a stick of dynamite has gone off inside
it. The telephone pole topples and falls to the street,
smashing a car as it falls. The Ultimate Lawman watches it
fall, tensing, breathing faster, and looks as though he's
having an orgasm when it strikes. After a moment he heads
back to his squad car.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (barely audible)
               God I love this job.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. MACARTHUR PARK -- TWO SHOT FROM ABOVE -- MORNING

Billy and Lori lie together on a blanket in the park. A
picnic basket lies at the foot of the blanket. Lori lies
with her head on Billy's shoulder; their eyes are closed as
though they are asleep.
                              
                            BILLY
               ... Catholic high school. And one day
               I was in a fight with this other kid
               and one of the priests came over and
               broke it up. I was all pumped up so I
               hit the priest before I knew who it
               was and they suspended me from school
               for it.
                  (pause)
               I really hated school. They kept
               trying to beat the love of God into
               me. So while I was on suspension I
               decided I wasn't going back. Dad and
               me had a fight about that. He kicked
               me out of our apartment.
                              
                            LORI
               I liked high school. After school my
               friends and I would go drive out to
               the beach, or down Pacific Coast
               Highway. And on weekends we went to
               parties together.
                  (shakes head)
               That's ten years ago. I still miss
               those people.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (props self up on elbow)
               Your friends had cars when you were
               in high school?
                              
                            LORI
               My parents bought me a Volkswagen for
               my sixteenth birthday. It was just a
               used one, but I loved that car.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (leans back; distantly)
               Must have been nice. The only people
               at my high school who had cars were
               drug dealers... I don't think I even
               knew anybody rich.
                              
                            LORI
               My parents weren't rich, Billy.
                              
                            BILLY
               Did they own a house?
                              
                            LORI
               Well, yes -- but they weren't rich.
                              
                            BILLY
               I grew up with three sisters and my
               parents in a one-bedroom apartment.
               My father grew up in Miami with five
               sisters and two brothers, in a one-
               bedroom apartment.
                  (pause; softly)
               You were rich.

EXT. FAST FOOD JOINT -- TWO SHOT FAVORING LORI -- DAY

Beneath the sign saying "Fast Food," Lori and Jenny are
eating lunch together. A telephone pole is visible in BG.
                              
                            JENNY
               So you had to show him how to use the
               photocopier?
                              
                            LORI
               Yes. And he said something strange,
               about how he couldn't believe he'd
               been gone so long.

Jenny makes a twirling motion against the side of her head.
                              
                            LORI
               And then on Saturday we went to the
               park together. And Billy thought my
               family was rich just because they
               owned a house.
                              
                            JENNY
                  (after a pause; smiles)
               He is sweet, though.
                              
                            LORI
               Yeah....
                              
                            JENNY
                  (different tone)
               That's weird.
                              
                            LORI
               The whole situation is weird. He
               misunderstands things that other
               people --
                              
                            JENNY
                  (pointing over Lori's
                  shoulder)
               That's not what I mean. That.

Lori turns in her seat to look at the poster on the
telephone pole.

CU TELEPHONE POLE --

A improved drawing of Billy, Captain Jack and Harry has been
posted.
                              
                        JENNY (V.O.)
               Doesn't that kind of look like him?
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY -- DAY

The Ultimate Lawman walks down the middle of the alley in
which the bums sleep. His squad car, bubble machine glowing,
is parked on the street outside the entrance to the
alleyway. The Ultimate Lawman walks slowly down the long
expanse of concrete, billy club in one hand, gun in the
other. He reaches the dumpster and with the club lifts the
lid of the dumpster.

CU -- INTERIOR OF DUMPSTER

The dumpster is nearly full of trash. The Ultimate Lawman's
billy club probes into the trash, withdraws.

ON ULTIMATE LAWMAN

The Ultimate Lawman squats slowly, looks puzzled at the side
of the dumpster. There are fifty or sixty melting pieces of
ice on the ground.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Ice?

He stands slowly, looking around, and heads back to his
squad car.

MEDIUM SHOT DUMPSTER

A significant pause, about ten seconds. Then the trash
stirs, and Harry the Horse, followed by Captain Jack, Jerome
and Nearly Normal Tom, rise up through the trash like divers
ascending through ocean waters. At first it looks as though
Harry the Horse is moving under his own power, and then it
becomes apparent that the others are each holding some part
of him. Harry the Horse's clothing is wet from the ice he's
been packed in.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               I'm gettin' awful tired of this silly
               shit.
                              
                           JEROME
               Screw Billy! What the hell we gotta
               wait for him for anyhow? First it was
               we couldn't afford clothes for
               everybody and then it was we couldn't
               afford guns for everybody and then
               Billy decides he needs us or we can't
               do it. But now we got the clothes and
               we got the guns and I don't see where
               we got to wait for him no more!

Nearly Normal Tom nods. Captain Jack sits back in the trash,
putting his head in his hands.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               We'll do it tomorrow. He'll be ready.

Nearly Normal Tom digs in the trash, pulling out partially
melted bags of ice.
                              
                           JEROME
               If you say so.

Jerome climbs out of the dumpster, heaves Harry the Horse
over the edge, and lays him down on the ground next to it.
Nearly Normal Tom starts handing down bags of wet ice.
                              
                           JEROME
               Me and Tom gon' have us a damn case
               of frostbite over this crap.
                  (pause; looks at Harry)
               I'm starting to wonder if Dreadful
               Sam was so stupid after all.
               Leastways he got buried.

CU CAPTAIN JACK -- HEAD IN HANDS, UNMOVING
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. LORI'S APARTMENT COMPLEX -- TWO SHOT -- NIGHT

Lori unlocks the door. Billy stands a few feet away. When
she has unlocked the door, Billy says:
                              
                            BILLY
               Good night.
                              
                            LORI
                  (clearly nervous)
               Will you come on in with me?
                              
                            BILLY
               Inside?
                              
                            LORI
               Inside. There's a roof, furniture.
               Like that.

INT. LORI'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT

A nice place, nothing particularly special -- a place a
librarian might actually be able to afford in Los Angeles.
There is one bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room.
The decoration is sparse; light furniture, brick bookcases,
artwork, as though Lori has never quite ceased living the
lifestyle of a college student. The greatest extravagance is
the second-story balcony with a view of downtown Los
Angeles, lit up at night. A sliding glass window, closed,
leads to the balcony. Billy wanders around, looking at it
all with a sort of wonder.
                              
                            LORI
                  (entering kitchen)
               Want something to drink?
                              
                            BILLY
               Do you have water?

ON LORI
                              
                            LORI
               Yes ... yes, I do.

TWO SHOT BILLY AND LORI

Billy has ended up standing at the window, looking at the
city. Lori brings Billy a glass of ice water. She's opened a
bottle of beer for herself.
                              
                            BILLY
               Thanks.
                  (gestures with glass)
               This is nice. You can't even see how
               dirty and cold it really is.
                              
                            LORI
               I was really sort of hoping that when
               I figured you out it was going to be
               something kind of romantic and
               mysterious.
                              
                            BILLY
               What do you mean?
                              
                            LORI
               A missionary. Someone who'd just
               gotten back from the Peace Corps,
               maybe somewhere in Africa. The worst
               thing I even imagined was that you'd
               been in prison.

Billy stands looking at her, quietly; she takes a sheet of
paper off the table, hands it to him.
                              
                            LORI
               This was on a telephone pole when I
               went to get lunch.

CU BILLY LOOKING AT DRAWING

His expression does not change. He drinks his water, looking
at the drawing. Finally he lets the drawing slip from his
hand, puts down the water. His eyes are unfocused and he's
not really looking at her.

INTERCUT BILLY AND LORI
                              
                            BILLY
               They did a pretty good job on me and
               Captain Jack. That's the black man
               with the feather earrings. Harry the
               Horse didn't look very much like what
               they drew, he was a lot uglier. I
               thought when I met him four years
               ago, that was where his name came
               from. Because he kind of looked like
               a horse. But Captain Jack told me it
               was because he was on horse all the
               time. Shooting up.

Billy looks at her, speaks gently.
                              
                            BILLY
               Harry stopped shooting up about when
               I met him. He wasn't afraid of
               diseases, he was just trying to do
               something right for himself. But it
               was already too late. He was dying
               and just didn't know it yet.
                  (pause)
               He was the best friend I ever had.
               When I met him I had just about given
               up on finding any decent people
               anywhere in the world. The friends I
               got left, he introduced me to
               them.... he died the night we went
               out the first time. He started
               coughing and couldn't stop.

Lori sits on the sofa, rolling the beer between her cupped
hands, looking into it as though into a crystal ball.
                              
                            LORI
               You're not researching any damn
               book.... they shoot people who rob
               banks, Billy, do you know that?
                              
                            BILLY
               We're not going to hurt anyone. Harry
               died and I promised him --
                              
                            LORI
                  (tears in her eyes)
               And I thought you kept coming to the
               Library because you wanted to see me.

Billy is numb already; another disaster in a life that's
been full of them.
                              
                            BILLY
               I did.
                              
                            LORI
                  (crying for real now)
               Oh, God.

There is a long pause while Lori cries. Billy sits watching
her, wanting to do something and not knowing how. After a
bit her tears slow.

NEW ANGLE -- FAVORING LORI
                              
                            LORI
               I wanted so much for you to be
               somebody I could try with.
                              
                            BILLY
               We can try. I'm getting out of this.
               I'm going to get some money and I'm
               going to get a place to live like
               yours. And I'm going to have a job
               again like I used to.
                              
                            LORI
               I can't see you again.
                              
                            BILLY
               What? Why not?
                              
                            LORI
               I just -- I just can't do it.

INTERCUT BILLY AND LORI

TRACK BILLY during INTERCUTS; he stands, moves aimlessly
around the apartment.
                              
                            BILLY
               Give me a chance. You're -- I been
               empty all my life and I kept thinking
               something would come along and fill
               it up sometime. It never did, I never
               had anything but it was okay because
               I never wanted anything before.
                  (Long pause)
               Now I want -- I want to be with you.
                              
                            LORI
                  (not looking at Billy)
               That's not possible. Please -- just
               leave.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (urgently)
               It could --
                              
                            LORI
               I want you to leave. Please. Just
               leave.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (fumbling with the words)
               Listen, listen, listen. I can learn a
               job and not have to be like this any
               more, and then you and me could be
               together and --
                              
                            LORI
                  (in obvious pain)
               Oh, Billy. Stop it. Just please go.

MEDIUM SHOT

Billy's voice trails off. He stands motionlessly, framed in
front of the closed doorway. All expressiveness drains from
his features and he speaks like a dead man.
                              
                            BILLY
               Some day you're going to need help.
               Some day you're going to want to be
               with someone. When that happens, I
               hope whatever it is you want the most
               gets taken away from you.

CU LORI -- IN SHOCK
                              
                            LORI
                  (rising)
               Get -- get out.

CU BILLY
                              
                            BILLY
                  (naked fury)
               Would it help if I was rich? If I had
               a job and a car and a telephone?
               Would that make me a better person?

CU LORI
                              
                            LORI
               You get out right now!

Billy opens the front door and steps out.

LORI -- FROM BILLY'S POV

Lori stands abruptly, staring at Billy. This shot and the
following line are exact repeats of the moment when she
kicked him out of The Library the first time they met:
                              
                            LORI
               I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.

INT. CORRIDOR -- OVER BILLY'S SHOULDER -- NIGHT --

Lori is visible in the BG. Billy pulls the door quietly
shut, shutting her in and himself out, and then stands
there, motionless, outside the door for a long moment,
standing erect, both palms just touching the surface of the
door. The PEEPHOLE IS VISIBLE; after a moment the
apartment's interior lights are extinguished, and the
PEEPHOLE GOES BLACK.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. LIQUOR STORE -- TWO SHOT BILLY AND CLERK -- NIGHT

Billy points the gun at the clerk, wearily, clearly
disassociated from what's going on around him. The clerk is
the same one who was there the last time he stole ice from
this liquor store; he is wiping the countertop with a damp
rag, and does not stop when Billy points the gun at him.
                              
                            CLERK
               Ice machine's dead.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (pause)
               Really?
                              
                            CLERK
               Yeah. Ultimate Lawman shot it.
                              
                            BILLY
               Oh... Never mind.
                  (gestures at drinks with gun)
               You mind if I get a beer?
                              
                            CLERK
               You go right ahead.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (putting gun away)
               Thanks.

Billy stands looking at the varieties of beer.
                              
                            CLERK
               Try the Bud Dry. It's my favorite.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (taking six-pack)
               Thanks.
                              
                            CLERK
               It's cool.

Billy walks to door, turns to look at clerk.
                              
                            BILLY
               You going to call the police?
                              
                            CLERK
                  (laughs, keeps wiping counter)
               Don't be silly.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (nods)
               Good night.
                              
                            CLERK
               You too.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ROOFTOP -- ON BILLY -- NIGHT

Billy is atop a three-story building, squatting on his heels
and drinking the last bottle of Bud Dry. SUGGESTED
SOUNDTRACK MUSIC: Don Henley, You Must Not Be Drinking
Enough:
    
Well she passed on your passion
And stepped on your pride
Turns out you ain't quite so tough
You still want to hold her
You must not be drinking enough

In the corner of the frame, the Ultimate Lawman, in his
squad car, is VISIBLE. The music fades --

EXT. ULTIMATE LAWMAN'S SQUAD CAR

The Ultimate Lawman is sitting in his squad car, across the
street from The Bank, polishing his handgun.

ECU THE ULTIMATE LAWMAN

An odd light is shining from his eyes. His features are
sweaty, scarlet, satanic.

CU THE ULTIMATE LAWMAN --

His breath comes faster and faster as he polishes the long
gun barrel.

LONG SHOT OF SQUAD CAR --

PULLING BACK AND UP, until we see Billy included in the
shot. There is the distant SOUND of the Ultimate Lawman's
gun orgasm.
                              
                   ULTIMATE LAWMAN (V.O.)
               Yes! Yes!
                              
                            BILLY
               Yes indeed.

Very carefully, Billy drains the last of the Bud, lines up
the empty bottles one by one at the edge of the roof; picks
up one of the bottles, hefts it, and throws.

INT. SQUAD CAR --

The Ultimate Lawman is smoking a cigarette.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (slightly perturbed)
               I feel a great disturbance in the
               Force.

The Ultimate Lawman suddenly jerks as the first bottle
strikes the car.

EXT. CAR -- NIGHT

The others come down in a fusillade, all together, smashing
around the car. The Ultimate Lawman lunges out of the car,
gun drawn --

EXT. ROOF -- BILLY -- NIGHT

Watching the Ultimate Lawman point his automatic wildly at
nothing.
                              
                            BILLY
               See you tomorrow.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. THE BANK -- DAY
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. THE WINCHELL'S -- DAY

The Ultimate Lawman is sitting at a table, listlessly
picking at a box of donuts.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY -- GROUP SHOT -- DAY

Nearly Normal Tom is tying Jerome's tie for him. Captain
Jack stands in front of Billy, turning around in his suit to
be admired.
                              
                            BILLY
               Take the earrings off.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (indignantly)
               I was gonna!

Billy ignores him, loading bullets into his revolver.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (muttering for Billy to hear)
               You's getting a swelled head, boy.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. THE LIBRARY -- TWO SHOT -- DAY

Lori is at the checkout table, staring aimlessly. Jenny
walks over to her.
                              
                            JENNY
               Lori? Are you okay?
                              
                            LORI
               Hmm? Oh, I'm fine.
                              
                            JENNY
               Your mind hasn't been on the work all
               day, Lori. Is something wrong?
                              
                            LORI
               No. Yes ... I don't know. I don't
               know any more.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY -- DAY
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Jerome, Tom, let me see your guns,
               make sure the safeties are on.

Jerome sighs, but hands over his gun, an automatic. Nearly
Normal Tom does the same. Captain Jack glances at Nearly
Normal Tom's gun, hands it back. He turns toward Billy, so
that Jerome cannot see the gun in his hand, and while
talking to Billy ejects the magazine from Jerome's automatic
and manually flicks the cartridges out until the magazine is
empty.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Billy, you almost ready?

Billy is polishing the surface of his black boots. Harry the
Horse lies right next to him, in the remains of a pile of
melted ice. He looks up, sees Captain Jack cleaning out
Jerome's gun, and nods. The boots are gleaming by now but he
continues polishing them anyway.
                              
                            BILLY
In a second.

CU CAPTAIN JACK REINSERTING THE EMPTY CLIP

The camera TRACKS on the gun as Captain Jack turns around,
handing the gun back to Jerome.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. -- THE WINCHELL'S -- ULTIMATE LAWMAN'S SQUAD CAR

The Ultimate Lawman is sitting inside, with the driver's
door open and his legs outside. He is talking on the radio.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               Nothing? No civil disturbances? No
               armed robberies? No ice thefts?
                  (in fury)
               How about traffic jams?
                              
                         DISPATCHER
                  (confused)
               Well -- there are some traffic jams I
               could send you to....
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (icy self-control)
               That ... was ... a ... joke.
                              
                         DISPATCHER
                  (to someone else, voice
                  slightly muffled)
               Hey, the Ultimate Lawman made a
               funny.

The Ultimate Lawman bends his head in manly discouragement.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. THE BANK -- DAY

This is the most flattering shot of The Bank we have seen
yet; gleaming in the late afternoon sunshine, marble walls
shining.

INT. THE BANK -- DAY

We PAN AROUND the interior of The Bank in one complete
circuit. There are two entrances to The Bank, one at the
east facing the street and one at the west; the west
entrance opens onto an alleyway. The Bank is like something
out of a Nazi Andy Griffith Show, full of happy economically
secure white people with blue eyes. The guard at the door is
talking to a little boy who is watching him with adoration.
The tellers smile at their stations; the people in line are
all happy to be there. A sign over one of the windows says:
Remember, banking is a privilege, not a right. The Banker
Man who was seen earlier in Sergeant MacKenzie's office is
there, beaming as he surveys his productive little fascist
kingdom. After the first circuit the camera PANS FASTER AND
FASTER, until the interior of The Bank blurs into
nothingness:
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

GROUP SHOT -- STREET -- DAY

Captain Jack, Billy, Jerome and Nearly Normal Tom stride
purposefully down the street together.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

ULTIMATE LAWMAN -- IN CAR, HEAD IN HANDS -- DAY
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

UNMOVING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC -- DAY
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

APPROACH TO THE BANK -- BILLY'S POV -- DAY

REVERSE APPROACH TO THE BANK -- FROM INSIDE

The four bums are striding toward The Bank -- men on the
move.

EXT. BANK -- AT GLASS DOUBLE DOORS
                              
                            BILLY
               Okay, remember, Jerome, no names
               inside.

CU JEROME

Jerome looks insulted.

INT. BANK -- ON DOORS

Captain Jack pushes through with the other three closely
behind him.

CU GUARD -- TRACKING

-- Into a TWO SHOT as the guard sidles over to the Banker
Man, both of their happy expressions fading.
                              
                            GUARD
               Do we allow those kind of people in
               here? You know, dark ones?
                              
                         BANKER MAN
                  (grinding out words)
               They're dressed nice, I guess we have
               to.

LONG SHOT BILLY -- AT OTHER SIDE OF THE BANK

Walking toward the Banker Man and the guard. Billy's
expression is grim, serious. Behind him, the other three
bums are standing in lines for tellers.

TWO SHOT BANKER MAN AND GUARD -- LOOKING APPREHENSIVE

SHOT OF BILLY FROM BANKER MAN'S POV -- GETTING CLOSER

TWO SHOT OF BANKER MAN AND GUARD
                              
                         BANKER MAN
                  (muttering)
               Well, he's a likely looking young
               man. Good stock.

CU BILLY

He reaches into his coat --

GUARD TENSING

THREE SHOT -- FAVORING BILLY -- SLOW MOTION

He removes an apple from his coat, grins at the guard, and
tosses the guard the apple. While the apple is in the air,
and the guard is reaching for it reflexively with both
hands, Billy withdraws his revolver and points it at the
guard.

NORMAL MOTION RESUMES:
                              
                            BILLY
                  (shark grin in place)
               Hi there. We've come to make a
               withdrawal.

WIDE SHOT -- INTERIOR OF BANK -- CENTERED ON JEROME

The other three bums have their guns out, and people are
just beginning to realize what's happening, when Jerome
bellows:
                              
                           JEROME
               Everybody down! On the floor!

CLOSE SHOT -- BANK TELLER

ECU -- BANK TELLER'S FOOT TOUCHING STUD IN FLOOR
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. ULTIMATE LAWMAN'S PATROL CAR -- DAY

The Ultimate Lawman is as we left him, head in hands.
                              
                         DISPATCHER
               Uhm ... Mr. Lawman? Sir?
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (clicks mike; otherwise
                  unmoving)
               What?
                              
                         DISPATCHER
               There's a robbery in progress at The
               Bank. Would you like to handle that?
               Some of the other guys wanted to go,
               but I thought I should check with you
               first.

The Ultimate Lawman looks up slowly.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               A robbery? At The Bank?
                              
                         DISPATCHER
               Yes. That's right.

A peaceful look descends upon The Ultimate Lawman.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               I'm in complete control of the
               situation.

ON ULTIMATE LAWMAN'S SQUAD CAR --

-- tearing out of Winchell's.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. BANK -- WIDE SHOT -- APPROACHING EVENING

All but the four bums are lying on the ground. Captain Jack
and Jerome stand in the main area, watching the customers.
Billy and Nearly Normal Tom move behind the counter, taking
cash from the teller's stations and stuffing it into bags
that say "MONEY," "MO' MONEY," and "WHOLE LOTTA MONEY."
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

ULTIMATE LAWMAN STUCK IN TRAFFIC -- NEAR EVENING

After a long moment he whips the car out of traffic, up onto
the sidewalk, and begins driving maniacally down the
sidewalk.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. BANK -- TWO SHOT -- NEAR EVENING

Billy and Nearly Normal Tom are stuffing cash into the bags.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. STREET -- ULTIMATE LAWMAN, IN CAR -- NEAR EVENING

He whips the car off the sidewalk, through a troop of girl
scouts, and back onto the street. One of the little girl
scouts screams after him:
                              
                         GIRL SCOUT
                  (giving him the finger)
               Asshole!
                              
                        TROOP LEADER
                  (grabs Scout & shakes her)
               Never, never do that! Do you want to
               get pistol whipped?
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. BANK -- GROUP SHOT -- EVENING

Shot is centered on Jerome and Captain Jack. Billy and Tom
are tossing tied-up bags of money over the counters -- five,
six, seven, eight bags.

REVERSE OF APPROACH TO BANK -- FROM INSIDE

As the Ultimate Lawman drives his car up the steps of the
bank.

APPROACH TO BANK -- NEW ANGLE JEROME'S POV

Over Jerome's shoulder.
                              
                           JEROME
               Billy? He's here!

TWO SHOT TRACKING INTO GROUP SHOT

Billy stops dead for an instant, staring in disbelief at
Jerome. Then he and Nearly Normal Tom jump over the counters
and scramble to get the bags of money, while Billy screams
at Captain Jack:
                              
                            BILLY
               Would you tell him what I think of
               him?

GROUP SHOT -- FAVORING CAPTAIN JACK
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (to Jerome)
               You the dumbest nigger he ever met!

Billy grabs two bags and goes out the west door, the one
leading to an alleyway. He is followed by Captain Jack and
then by Nearly Normal Tom, with Jerome the last person left
in the bank.

INT. BANK -- WIDE SHOT

East door is at left of frame, west door at right of frame.
Jerome stands motionless, handgun hanging loosely at his
side, awaiting his chance to go mano a mano with the
Ultimate Lawman.

INT. BANK -- MED. SHOT OF EAST DOOR

The Ultimate Lawman kicks the doors open, steps through with
his shotgun in one hand and the automatic in the other.

MED. SHOT JEROME

He crouches into a shooter's position, holds the automatic
with both hands, and pulls the trigger several times:
click, click, click, click.

CU JEROME -- LOOKING PUZZLED

We see Captain Jack's arm enter the frame, grab Jerome by
the collar, and pull him backward, out the east door and
into the alley.

SHOT ULTIMATE LAWMAN --

The Ultimate lawman fires his handgun the entire twenty-five
times it's capable of, blowing away the east door and much
of the wall around it, firing the shotgun at the same time,
in an orgy of violence. When both the shotgun and the
handgun are empty the Ultimate Lawman screams:
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               STOP OR I'LL SHOOT!
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. BANK -- ALLEY -- NIGHT

The bums run down the dimly lit alleyway as fast as they
can.

SLOW MOTION -- THE ULTIMATE LAWMAN IN PURSUIT --

From the POV of the bums he's chasing, rage stamped
impossibly vivid on his features. He is unreal, inhuman,
pumped with adrenaline -- in the BG James Cameron is taking
notes for Terminator III.

ON THE BUMS -- TRACKING

They hit turn a corner and keep moving, and then another
corner and turn down that as well. And then again, and
again, with a feeling like running down a maze.

ON ULTIMATE LAWMAN -- TRACKING

Following the maze. He sees items of clothing being left on
the ground -- shirts, coats. The alleyways get narrower and
narrower, darker and darker. They are eerie, long damp
passageways now, lined with trash.

EXT. ALLEY -- ON BUMS -- TURNING CORNER INTO ANOTHER ALLEY

SHOT OF ULTIMATE LAWMAN

He rounds that same corner, seconds after the bums ducked
down it.

SHOT OF ALLEYWAY

A dead-end. Trash lies piled along the sides of the alley --
but no people.

MED. SHOT OF ULTIMATE LAWMAN --

Staring in disbelief.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (exploding in rage)
               Sh -- sh -- shoot! Darn! Oh, oh, oh,
               Hell!

He stands in impotent rage, and then with one last scream of
frustration runs on further down the maze of alleys.

LONG SHOT OF ALLEYWAY --

A long pause. Then, slowly, the piles of trash stir, move,
and turn into the four bums, now dressed once more in their
bum clothes.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. FUNERAL HOME -- GROUP SHOT -- DAY

Harry the Horse lies in splendor in his casket. It's a fine
piece of work, very expensive. Captain Jack is dressed in
his bum clothes, cleaned and with the odd rip sewn up; Billy
is wearing a new suit. Jerome and Nearly Normal Tom are
wearing new clothes as well, jeans and Nikes, Member's Only
blazers and designer sunglasses. An undertaker hovers
nervously in the background, watching them.

TWO SHOT -- BILLY AND UNDERTAKER
                              
                         UNDERTAKER
               Ah, excuse me. Sir?
                              
                            BILLY
               Yeah?
                              
                         UNDERTAKER
               Are you -- expecting anyone else?
               It's normal to have more people  than
               this for a viewing.

There is a long empty pause.
                              
                            BILLY
               No. Not really. He didn't have any
               friends except for us.

TWO SHOT -- JEROME AND NEARLY NORMAL TOM

As they leave the funeral home, go to wait outside.

TWO SHOT -- BILLY AND CAPTAIN JACK, BY COFFIN

Billy joins Captain Jack.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               I said goodbye already. I'll wait for
               you.

Billy nods, and Captain Jack leaves him alone with Harry's
corpse. Billy sits quietly, as though remembering, and
finally reaches into the coffin and pats Harry the Horse on
the shoulder.
                              
                            BILLY
               I got you a really nice stone.
               Granite. You'd have liked it ... you
               sleep tight, Harry.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. DESERTED PARKING LOT -- LONG SHOT -- DAY

The Ultimate Lawman stands next to his patrol car. Gary
Weiss is just pulling up beside him in a nondescript gray
sedan. When he steps out we see he's disguised with a long
trench coat and wraparound sunglasses. The Ultimate Lawman
shakes his head in what might be amusement.

EXT. -- TWO SHOT -- DAY

Weiss is sweaty, pale and shaky. He has a briefcase in one
hand.
                              
                            WEISS
               I brought as much as I could.
               $63,000. I swear I just couldn't do
               any better.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               I suppose it'll have to do, Mr.
               Weiss. Internal Affairs had me behind
               doors for four hours, and I'm hearing
               talk of a Grand Jury. And, as you
               pointed out, Mr. Weiss, trust is the
               driving force in American business
               today.

While speaking, he takes the briefcase, clicks it open;
looking inside, he riffles through his stock certificates
and bonds; doesn't even bother to count the cash. He closes
it -- it doesn't quite CLICK -- and takes it around to the
back of his squad car, opens the trunk and drops it in. He
goes back around the car, to get back in, without saying
anything at all to Weiss -- and Weiss explodes, shrieking:
                              
                            WEISS
               What's wrong with you?

CU ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               I beg your pardon?

TWO SHOT -- ULTIMATE LAWMAN AND WEISS
                              
                            WEISS
                  (voice quivering)
               This -- maniacal -- need to hurt and
               humiliate and control everyone ...
               it's just ...
                  (trails off)
               Why?

The Ultimate Lawman actually smiles at Weiss, his only smile
in this movie, a quiet moment of amusement among friends.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               I like it ... Mr. Weiss, would you
               take a strongly felt piece of advice?
                  (Weiss nods unwillingly)
               Go home and become a citizen again.
               Leave crime to the professionals. You
               lack the guts to be a bad man, and...
                  (shrugs)
               You certainly don't have what it
               takes to be a Lawman.
                  (taps badge on his shirt)
               You need one of these to do what I
               do. Take care, sir.

EXT. LAFAYETTE PARK -- GROUP SHOT -- DAY

Billy, Captain Jack, Jerome and Tom, among other bums.

TWO SHOT -- BILLY AND CAPTAIN JACK
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               You ain't giving it back, Billy.
                              
                            BILLY
               I don't need it, Captain Jack.
               Neither do you. We done what we got
               it for, and it's not our money.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (giving it a last try)
               Billy, when you read the newspapers
               to me, do you hear what you're
               reading?
                              
                            BILLY
               Yes. I do.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (genuine anger)
               Damn it, Billy. While you been
               homeless, and this country been going
               broke, the richest one percent of
               this country got a 35% cut in taxes
               so they could invest it in sports
               cars and beach houses and fur coats.
               We paid for it. You and me, Billy, we
               paid for it. And you look around this
               park. We all paid for it! ... Billy,
               you're an angel. You been taking care
               of other people all your life, your
               brothers and sisters when you was
               little, the last four years you been
               taking care of Harry the Horse. You
               didn't steal this money from them,
               Billy; the gov'ment stole it from
               you.
                  (pause)
               It's time you do something for you.
                              
                            BILLY
               I'm going to, Captain Jack. And I'm
               going to give the money back.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (sighs, giving up)
               Awright. You do that. But let's be
               clear between you and me, you ain't
               giving back my part of that money.
                  (righteously)
               I worked hard for that money. Run
               through those alleys with the
               Ultimate Lawman chasing me, made sure
               Jerome didn't kill nobody or get
               killed -- worked damn hard.
                              
                            BILLY
                  (smiles)
               Worked hard, huh?
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (actually considers it)
               Well -- worked as hard as those
               people at the bank who had it, didn't
               I?

As Billy considers this eminently sensible comment, nodding
to himself, Jerome and Nearly Normal Tom join them.
                              
                           JEROME
               You know, me and Tom been --
               discussing that idea you had, Captain
               Jack.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Oh?
                              
                           JEROME
               It's just -- so we got money now.
               Me'n Tom was talking about what to do
               with it.

Tom nods.
                              
                       JEROME (CONT.)
               We could buy food, and we could have
               a place to stay, and we could be
               clean and warm. But --
                  (shrugs)
               We done all that before when we was
               in prison. And we didn't have to
               think about where to hide the money,
               what things to spend it on, and if
               something that costs twice as much as
               another thing is worth it. And how do
               you figure out what to tip in a
               restaurant.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               I told you to eat at McDonald's.
                              
                           JEROME
                  (nods)
               Anyway, we decided to give ourselves
               up -- like you suggested.

Nearly Normal Tom nods again, looking perfectly satisfied.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (sighs)
               Probably not a bad idea for you two.
                              
                           JEROME
               We're going to miss you. Even you,
               Billy.

Billy looks at Jerome in surprise.
                              
                           JEROME
               A little. I wish you could come see
               us, visiting days.
                              
                            BILLY
               They have our pictures on the bank
               cameras, Jerome. I don't see how.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               We'll come see you off, though. Billy
               wants to give his part of the money
               back, so we'll -- well, we'll give it
               back.

Jerome grins, and Nearly Normal Tom smiles. Billy is clearly
confused.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Come 'long, Billy. Think you'll enjoy
               this.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. WINCHELL'S -- DAY

The Ultimate Lawman stands outside with a pair of other
cops, chatting. IN THE BG, some poor rodney is getting
whacked on by a bunch of cops.

ROOFTOP -- ACROSS STREET FROM WINCHELL'S -- DAY

Captain Jack and Billy sit in lawn chairs, watching
Winchell's, in a shot framing the one when Harry the Horse
and Billy watched Dreadful Sam robbing The Bank -- down to
the popcorn they're both munching.
                              
                            BILLY
               You think this is going to work?
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Uh-huh.

TRACKING SHOT -- NEARLY NORMAL TOM

Nearly Normal Tom creeps along through the rows of police
cars at the Winchell's, staying out of view of the cops,
until he stops next to the Ultimate Lawman's car. At the
Ultimate Lawman's car, he takes out a straightened-out paper
clip, and opens the car's trunk.

SHOT OF JEROME IN B.G., HIDING BEHIND FENCE

He has the "MONEY," "MO' MONEY," and "WHOLE LOTTA MONEY"
bags sitting near him. Tom WHISTLES ONCE, the first and only
sound he makes in this movie, and Jerome picks up the bags
one-handed, like a baseball pitcher, winds up and slings
them over the fence, one after the other -- STRIKE ONE, TWO,
THREE.

CLOSE SHOT -- NEARLY NORMAL TOM

-- grabbing the bags out of the air and dropping them down
into the open trunk. He closes the trunk quickly, using a
piece of cloth so he won't leave fingerprints, and backs
away.

GROUP SHOT -- ALL THE COPS
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               I'll be vindicated. I'll find them.
               And when I do I'll bring them to
               Justice! And then we'll cremate their
               bodies and fling their ashes back
               into the alleyways they came from!

The other cops applaud politely.

GROUP SHOT -- JEROME AND NEARLY NORMAL TOM APPROACH

The Ultimate Lawman breaks off his tirade and stares at the
bums, frozen motionless with indecision.
                              
                           JEROME
               'Scuse me, gentlemen. My friend
               Thomas and I would like to surrender
               ourselves the robbery of The Bank
               yesterday.

The other cops look at each other, shrug, and reach for
their handcuffs.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               They weren't there! It was somebody
               else!
                              
                           JEROME
               We were too! The cameras photographed
               us real good! We're guilty and you
               gotta arrest us cause we're
               surrendering!
                              
                           COP #1
               They do look like what the photos
               showed. I think we should probably
               arrest them.
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
                  (desperately)
               You can't! They like it inside. They
               like jail!
                              
                           JEROME
                  (to Ultimate Lawman,
                  sincerely)
               Look, this ain't working for us, sir.
               I know we agreed not to get arrested,
               but we don't like it out here. You
               can have all the money, we don't want
               none of it. We just want to go to
               jail. Just us, you don't have to go
               too if you don't want to.
                  (to other cops)
               We're guilty, officers, and we'll
               confess to anything you like.
                  (Tom nods vigorously)
               I demand you arrest us!
                              
                          YOUNG COP
                  (eager; a young Ultimate
                  Lawman)
               Are you boys insinuating that Mr.
               Lawman here is a Bad Cop?  That he
               helped you rob The Bank?
                              
                           COP #1
               So how come you insisted on taking
               that call, anyway?
                              
                       ULTIMATE LAWMAN
               This is ridiculous. I didn't --
                              
                           JEROME
               I'm not insin -- I ain't saying that,
               no sir. Not at all.
                  (stares at the Ultimate
                  Lawman)
               Just don't look in his trunk.

EXT. PARKING LOT -- ULTIMATE LAWMAN'S CAR -- DAY

Dozens of cops stand around the Ultimate Lawman's car. The
Ultimate Lawman is sweating, red-faced. One of the cops
opens the trunk with a crowbar... and inside are not only
the bags Jerome and Nearly Normal Tom just placed there, but
also the partially-open suitcase he picked up from Weiss. A
gust of wind blows a bunch of the bills out of the trunk,
sets them swirling around the police in a tiny storm.

WIDE SHOT -- THE TORNADO OF MONEY

GROUP SHOT --

A moment of SILENCE. Then the cops converge on the Ultimate
Lawman in a massive wave, billy clubs coming free. The
Ultimate Lawman literally disappears beneath their surging
forms. Deep cop voices CHANT IN UNISON:
                              
                            COPS
               YOU'RE UNDER ARREST. YOU HAVE THE
               RIGHT TO DIE; TO BLEED AND SCREAM AND
               BEG FOR MERCY --

The Ultimate Lawman's voice is nearly drowned out:
                              
                ULTIMATE LAWMAN (VOICE UNDER)
               I had a partner! I had a partner!

TWO SHOT -- JEROME AND TOM, SITTING AT CURB
                              
                           JEROME
                  (slightly worried)
               Don't worry, man. I'm sure they'll
               arrest us when they're done.

TWO SHOT -- CAPTAIN JACK AND BILLY

In the BG, we HEAR the chant continuing:
                              
                         COPS (V.O.)
               IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD A SLEAZY LYING
               LAWYER TO REPRESENT YOU, YOU WILL ROT
               IN JAIL FOREVER....
                              
                            BILLY
                  (excited)
               This is great! This is like in Jaws
               when they shot the air tank and the
               shark exploded --
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               A bit weak on pathos, strong on
               irony. I give it three and a half
               stars.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

INT. BROKERAGE HOUSE -- WEISS'S OFFICE -- DAY

Weiss sits at his desk, face in his hands. In the hall
outside, two cops, one the young Ultimate Lawman Clone, are
talking to a pair of black-suited SEC investigators.
                              
                       YOUNG UL CLONE
               Heads you SEC guys get him, tails
               he's ours.
                              
                      SEC INVESTIGATOR
               Toss it.

The cop flips a coin.

INT. WEISS'S OFFICE -- ANGLE ON WEISS -- DAY

The cop pokes his head in. Weiss does not look up.
                              
                            WEISS
               You cheated.
                              
                          YOUNG COP
               Of course. That one doesn't work on
               the FBI, they know it. Please stand
               up and face the wall, sir. Put your
               hands behind your back.

Weiss doesn't move.
                              
                            WEISS
               I wish you'd gloat a little. Be rude.
                              
                          YOUNG COP
               Well, sir, we're not taught to be.
               But if you don't get moving pretty
               quick, I will be forced to read you
               your rights.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. HILLSIDE ABOVE FREEWAY -- LONG SHOT -- NIGHT

It's dark. Billy sits up on a hillside overlooking a
freeway, wearing his suit, watching traffic zoom by beneath
him. Captain Jack sits next to him.

TWO SHOT -- BILLY AND CAPTAIN JACK
                              
                            BILLY
               I've been empty all my life... and I
               kept thinking something would come
               along and fill it up sometime. And
               then something did.
                  (Captain Jack nods)
               I liked it better when I was empty.
               It didn't hurt so much.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (softly)
               What are you going to do now?
                              
                            BILLY
               I could follow Jerome and Tom. The
               police would arrest me if I asked for
               it. I like the idea of having
               showers. A place to sleep.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Don't have to go to jail for that.

Billy nods, thinking.
                              
                            BILLY
               There's a shelter down on Pico I've
               slept at. I've been thinking about
               asking for a job. I bet I could keep
               a job.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Folks run that shelter, they ain't so
               honest. I know folks been rolled for
               everything they got in there.... You
               could probably get a better job than
               that.
                              
                            BILLY
               I suppose.

There is another pause, filled by the SOUND OF RUSHING CARS.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               Billy, you really love that girl?
                              
                            BILLY
               More than life itself.
                  (pause, considering)
               Not that that's saying much.
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
               I was you, I'd try her again.
                              
                            BILLY
               Yeah?
                              
                        CAPTAIN JACK
                  (looking out over the freeway)
               Take one last piece of advice from
               this old man. You try again.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. THE LIBRARY -- NIGHT

INT. LIBRARY -- MEDIUM SHOT LORI -- LIGHTS DIMMED

The Library's about to close. Lori's at her desk, eyes on
her paperwork. Billy enters, approaches the front desk. He's
wearing a new suit. Lori knows it's him and doesn't look up.
                              
                            LORI
               The Library is closing, sir.
                              
                            BILLY
               Not for five minutes yet.
                              
                            LORI
                  (looks up now)
               What can I do for you?
                              
                            BILLY
               I'd like to get a Library card.
                              
                            LORI
                  (back to paperwork;
                  dismissively)
               We require a piece of identification
               for that.

CU BILLY --

He takes something from his pocket, lays it down on the
counter.

INSERT -- AN ANCIENT, RAGGEDY SOCIAL SECURITY CARD

It says, with signature beneath: William Alger.
                              
                        BILLY (V.O.)
               Turn it over.

She does; on the back it says: General Delivery, Civic
Center, Los Angeles CA.

TWO SHOT, BILLY AND LORI
                              
                            BILLY
               That's my signature and that's my
               address. You mail something to me
               there, I'll get it.
                              
                            LORI
               What do you want a Library card for,
               Billy?
                              
                            BILLY
               I gave the money back.
                              
                            LORI
                  (surprised)
               What?
                              
                            BILLY
               We took two hundred and twelve
               thousand dollars. I gave back my
               share, fifty-three thousand.
                              
                            LORI
               You gave it back. All of it?
                              
                            BILLY
                  (very quietly)
               All of mine. We needed some of it to
               bury Harry.
                  (looking up at Lori)
               I love you. That's part of the reason
               I gave it back, because I knew you
               wanted me to. It's most of the reason
               I stole it to begin with, because I
               wanted to be with you. And I thought
               if I had the money maybe I could.

They stand together, in silence, for several moments after
that, simply looking at one another.
                              
                            LORI
                  (patiently)
               What do you need a Library card for?
                              
                            BILLY
               I need a Library card to come visit
               you.

Lori speaks very quietly, obviously moved.
                              
                            LORI
               You don't need a Library card for
               that, Billy.
                              
                            BILLY
               Really?
                              
                            LORI
               Really. You can come see me any time.
                              
                            BILLY
               Oh... well, I need one anyway.
                              
                            LORI
                  (slowly)
               Why?
                              
                            BILLY
               Well, first I have to learn about how
               you run for Congress.
                              
                            LORI
               Congress.
                              
                            BILLY
               And then I have to learn about how
               you run for ... uhm, they're like
               Congressmen only they get to stay in
               Washington longer.
                              
                            LORI
               The Senate.
                              
                            BILLY
               Right. Senators. And after I run for
               that, I can run for President.
                              
                            LORI
               Why in the name of God would you want
               to do something like that?
                              
                            BILLY
               If I was President you'd have to go
               out with me.
                              
                            LORI
               Well, we're closed right now ... but
               if you wanted to come back tomorrow,
               maybe we could ... work on it.

Slowly, with measured movements, not speaking, not smiling,
Lori lifts up the swinging counter-top that separates her
from Billy, takes a single step forward, and embraces him.

TWO SHOT -- LORI AND BILLY

Billy's back is to us, and we see Lori's face as she rests
her chin on his shoulder. Her eyes close, and they seem to
melt into one another, their embrace tightening; two people
in love, holding on for dear life.
                                        
                                        CUT TO:

EXT. SHOT OF LOS ANGELES -- NIGHT -- ROLL CREDITS

As credits roll over the shot of nighttime L.A., "This Land
Is Your Land" PLAYS OVER:

Well I rode that ribbon highway
I saw above me the endless sky
I saw below me the golden valley
This land was made for you and me
I've roamed and rambled and followed my footsteps
Through the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
And all around me a voice was calling
This land was made for you and me

The shot of Los Angeles grows significantly lighter, in the
moments before dawn.

This land is your land
This land is my land
From California
To the New York island
From the Redwood Forest
To the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me

Well the sun came shining and I was strolling
Through wheat fields waving and dust clouds rolling
And a voice was sounding
As the fog was lifting
Saying this land was made for you and me

The sun rises; traffic crawls down the freeways in the gray,
early morning light. We FOLLOW the traffic down the freeway,
out of Los Angeles as the sun rises, moving faster and
faster and faster down the freeways as the day brightens --

This land is your land
This land is my land
From California
To the New York island
From the Redwood Forest
To the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me

It's full day now, and we're zooming out of Los Angeles,
along a two-lane desert highway, and something red and
yellow and green and blue is swelling in the FG, and the
CAMERA'S MOVEMENT SLOWS, long enough to get a good look at
Captain Jack, stepping off the road and into the field with
a sign that says BALLOON RIDES, $25 PER 1/2 HOUR; the
MOVEMENT PICKS UP AGAIN and the road blurs as the music
fades, and then --

FADE TO WHITE:
