Oldboy
Oldboy
by
Ernesto M. Foronda & Fabian Marquez
CLOSE ON:
REVEAL:
MAN (O.S.)
...ford every stream, follow every
rainbow, till you find your dream.
CHLOE
Sorry we’re closed.
GUS
Wait, it’s my daughter’s birthday. I
need a gift.
GUS (CONT’D)
C’mon look at that face. Who smiles like
that anymore?
GUS (CONT’D)
I just worked an eighty hour week for
that smile. Now I don’t even have a
birthday present.
2.
GUS
Five minutes, I promise.
CHLOE
Five minutes.
GUS
What do girls want at this age?
CHLOE
How old is she?
GUS
One.
CHLOE
I see. Well for that age...
CHLOE
It’s not so much what she wants, but what
she’ll have to remember.
GUS
I tried to come earlier, but work was a
killer. Closed the biggest account of my
life today. Ever heard of the Buick Le
Sabre?
CHLOE
No.
GUS
You will.
(singing)
“Le Beauty. Le Power. Le Sabre!”
CHLOE
My dad drives a Buick.
3.
GUS
Well, this isn’t your dad’s Buick.
Everyone’s gonna want one.
CHLOE
So you came up with their slogan?
GUS
Slogan, song, the whole campaign. All
me. And I fucking closed it. They
bought it in the room. In the ROOM!
GUS
Greatest day of my life!
CHLOE
Wow! You should be celebrating.
GUS
I am. Everyone’s next door at
Franklin’s.
(mood darkens)
But, you know, my wife... She hates the
hours. Hates what I do. Makes it kinda
hard sometimes, keeping the two worlds
separated.
CHLOE
I think I know just what you want.
CHLOE
I knew you’d like them.
GUS
How much?
(as she looks for the tag)
Never mind, I’ll take them.
GUS
Thank you very much. Most people
wouldn’t have opened that door.
CHLOE
Sure they would’ve.
GUS
Not these days, with the ‘Me Generation’
and all. You know you can tell more
about a person from how they interact
with total strangers than with their
closest friends. Means you have a good
heart. That’s rare, hold onto it.
He holds her in his gaze and for some reason she can’t
look away, unable to move. Gus takes a step closer, a
confident look on his face. She yields to him. Is this
a kiss?
MIKE
There you are! Come on, Gretchen found a
girl for you.
GRETCHEN
She doesn’t speak a word of English. You
can talk about the Buick deal all night.
MIKE
(rattling the door)
What are you buying? Let me in!
GUS
I’ll be right out.
MIKE
Fine.
GUS
Sorry, they get a little crazy when
they’re drunk.
5.
CHLOE
I hope your daughter enjoys it.
GUS
Listen...can I buy you a drink?
CHLOE
Good night.
GUS
Night.
Gus exits the store. Through the window we see him get
tackled by drunken Mike as Gretchen CACKLES like a hyena.
CUT TO:
GUS
(into phone)
You knew what my day was like so what do
you want from me? Then don’t wait up.
GUS
I know it’s late. Just...just put her
on.
GUS
(into phone)
Hi sweetie! It’s Daddy. Da-Dee!
(MORE)
6.
GUS(CONT'D)
Happy birthday my angel. I bought you
something and I can’t wait to give it to
you. Can you wait up for me? Hello?
Angel?
REVERSE:
The light turns GREEN and the Bus pulls away, revealing
the phone booth now to be EMPTY. Gus is gone without a
trace.
MIKE (O.S.)
GUS!? Where’d you go, you fucker?!
CUT TO:
TITLES
OLDBOY
INT. HALLWAY
GUS
Come talk to me. Tell me why I’m here,
okay? I should know the reason why. You
want money? Tell me how much.
GUS (CONT’D)
What is this place? Just tell me how
long I have to stay in here. Just tell me
that, huh.
GUS (CONT’D)
Come here you sonuvabitch! I’ll fucking
kill you, motherfucker!!!
GUS (CONT’D)
I saw your face you chicken shit!
GUS (CONT’D)
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. Just tell
me, two weeks? Or...?
The feet manage to push Gus back behind the door and
latches the door shut.
GUS
You fucking cunt! You think this is
funny? I’ll break your skull open and
piss on it!!!
GUS (CONT’D)
I’m gonna cut of your balls and shove it
in your eye socket you fuckin’ faggot!
You hear me?
CUT TO:
GUS (V.O.)
In advertising they say a picture’s worth
a thousand sales. But people only see
what they want to see.
GUS (V.O.)
My slide show reminded me of print ads,
the captions missing for me to fill in.
GUS (V.O.)
I look around me and it makes me wonder
if this prison is endorsed.
GUS (V.O.)
When they play ‘Climb Every Mountain’,
the gas comes. When the gas comes I fall
asleep.
10.
The lights in the room dim and Gus falls off the bed and
onto the carpet. With his face on the carpet, he notices
a trail of ants crawling away and into a small crack on
the wall.
The other man begins to tidy the room. The man takes an
EMPTY GLASS and places it in a plastic zip-loc bag.
TELEVISION
REPORTER (V.O.)
Kayla Harris’s body was found stabbed in
the neck, late Monday morning...
TELEVISION
11.
REPORTER (V.O.)
In their suburban home. Neighbors are
outraged and the police are requesting
that anyone with further information to
please call the hot-line. Her husband,
who disappeared a year ago, is wanted for
questioning...
REPORTER (CONT’D)
Blood found at the crime scene and a
glass with fingerprints matched that of
Gus Harris...
TELEVISION
GUS
How much for the knife? Ah that is
around 8 million dollars. Eight million
dollars for a knife? That’s
preposterous. Any other knife yes, but
not this knife. It belonged to a king.
A king?
GUS (V.O.)
The television is my only link to the
outside world. A world that’s clean,
wholesome. Untouched. It only lets you
see what it wants you to...leaving you to
always want more. It makes you wait
again and again, but never
satisfies...just reminds you that life is
only real if you believe it.
GUS (V.O.)
Everything makes sense. Everyone’s
beautiful. Perfect. I can sit around
the coffee shop all day with all my
beautiful friends and my problems will go
away in about half an hour or so.
GUS (V.O.)
My teacher, church, friend, and lover...
FADE TO BLACK
INT. ROOM
GUS (V.O.)
Are we being televised?
LATER
LATER
LATER
GUS (V.O.)
I wrote down all the people whom I fought
with, bothered, and hurt.
INT. ROOM
GUS (V.O.)
God I hate taquitos.
INT. ROOM
GUS (V.O.)
I had slipped into a dream world, while
the world around me lived on.
GUS (V.O.)
I had died. And in my death, something
was born. Something hungry and vital...
INT. HALLWAY
GUS (V.O.)
Something I could no longer control.
INT. ROOM
Gus with his shirt off has an intense look on his face.
He has drawn a SILHOUETTE of a man on the wall. The
plastic bubble serves as the head. He punches the bubble
HARD. Hard enough to leave bloody marks from his bruised
knuckles. He jumps around, restless enjoying the
physical activity.
GUS (V.O.)
Who would have done this to me? Was it
Mike? Harrison Bloom? Jon Donson?
Terry Eckhouse...?
CUT TO:
TRANSFORMATION MONTAGE:
GUS
Climb every mountain, search high and
low, follow every byway, every path you
know. Climb every mountain, ford every
stream...
CUT TO:
18.
INT. ROOM
LATER
LATER
CUT TO:
Gus reaches into his bed and secretly pulls out the wire.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
Scraping sounds.
19.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
INT. ROOM
GUS (V.O.)
I’ll be out in a month. Just one more
month, I’ll be out. One month. Just one
more month. Just one more month...
GUS (V.O.)
I’ll need money when I get out. Should
I rob or steal? No I’m just going to
find that motherfucker.
GUS (V.O.)
I should eat something first. But what?
Anything but fucking taquitos. No, I’ll
eat when he’s dead. I’ll eat over his
rotting body. Where am I anyway? Sounds
like the city. Doesn’t matter where I
am, I’ll find him. I’ll know when it’s
him and I’ll rip out his tongue. I’ll
break his neck and watch him beg for
death.
GUS (V.O.)
What if I get out and it’s the 52nd
floor? Even if I fall and die I’m still
going to find him.
GUS (V.O.)
In just one month I’m getting out. I’m
getting out...
CUT TO:
21.
DARKNESS
Images BLUR and distort. The dawning SUN seems all too
bright, like it’s burning his skin.
White birds fly above Gus who sits up. He squints pass
the landscape and sees the figure of:
Gus feels his body when a LOUD BOOMING SOUND fills the
air. He grabs his ears protecting them from the
deafening din.
GUS
Aaaagh!!!
Gus reaches the ledge begins to feel the man, his dark
suit, his skin. He reaches over and smells his scent
like a dog. Gus takes his free hand and runs it over his
face. Slowly, his vision returns to him.
MAN
Would this taste this good if I didn’t
know it was going to be my last?
The man takes one deep drag and throws the cigarette over
the building. Gus watches it fall to the street below.
The man closes his eyes and falls, stretches his arms and
freefalls by lying backwards -
The man opens his eyes and realizes that he’s virtually
suspended in air. Gus has the man’s tie in his hands and
keeps him from falling.
Gus looks at the resigned man but keeps his grip on the
tie. They stand there for a few seconds just looking at
each other, precariously near the ledge.
GUS (V.O.)
Maybe this was a test. A second chance
to undo what I’ve done. Or maybe it’s
fate laughing at me.
Gus reaches for the man’s coat, takes out a cigarette and
calmly lights it.
CUT TO:
MOMENTS LATER
Gus and the man sit down by the ledge staring at each
other. Gus smokes another cigarette as the man lights
it.
MAN
Do you know why you were kept in there
for twenty years?
23.
GUS
He’ll tell me when I find him.
MAN
But you’re free now.
MAN
Where you going?
VOLUNTEER
It’s OK. Take it. There’s plenty for
everyone.
CUT TO:
TABLES
CUT TO:
LATER
GUS (V.O.)
I remember this place. I used to come
here all the time.
GUS (V.O.)
Now it’s nothing I recognize.
EXT. STREET
CUT TO:
Gus runs down the street hitting a row of parked cars and
tripping their alarms. Pedestrians scatter out of his
way.
BLIND MAN
Excuse me. Can you help me cross the
street?
Gus pauses for a bit as the Blind Man reaches out for
him. He focuses on the Blind Man’s sunglasses. Instead
of taking his hand, he takes the sunglasses, puts them on
and walks away.
EXT. STREET
EXT. BRIDGE
EXT. PARK
GUS (V.O.)
What if this is a dream? What if I wake
up back in the room and all this was just
a dream? A hypothesis in my mind.
OLD MAN
I don’t know anything.
GUS
Who is this?
GUS
Show your face. Where are you?
GUS (V.O.)
More cilantro. Not enough cilantro.
CUT TO:
28.
LATER
CUT TO:
GUS (V.O.)
Not crunchy enough.
EXT. SIDEWALK
GUS (V.O.)
The seasoning...tastes different.
EXT. ALLEY
GUS (V.O.)
Too much onions.
29.
EXT. STREET
CUT TO:
GUS (V.O.)
The nostalgia is too much. I can’t want
it, but I do. They’ve twisted me into
loving my cell...
Gus slinks past her and out onto the sidewalk, where he
collapses. The MANAGER hollers at the Young Woman.
MANAGER
Anna! Come on, we’re busy.
With the sights and sounds blocked out, Gus can finally
breathe again. He sits up on the concrete, facing away
from the restaurant, refusing to look.
30.
GUS (V.O.)
I want to burn it to the ground. Watch
the people run from it screaming, their
flesh on fire. But I won’t. Not yet.
The door opens behind him once more, and black Army boots
CLOMP past him, arriving at a moped parked on the
sidewalk next to Gus. It’s the young woman from a minute
ago, Anna. She loads several delivery orders into the
basket on the back of the scooter, and mounts the little
bike. A magnetized placard on the moped announces its
purpose:
Anna REVS the motor and the bike takes off down the
street.
CUT TO:
ANGLE ON HILLCREST
CUT TO:
ANNA
Here...
She removes a pen from her back pocket and turns around,
offers her bare shoulder for him to write on, a
mischievous look on her face. The Clerk gets an eyeful.
ANNA (CONT’D)
I’ve got to get a clear copy, so don’t
forget to press hard.
ANNA (CONT’D)
Dessert?
ANNA
What do you want, man? You’ve been
following me all night.
GUS
(out of breath)
An address. Somewhere you deliver.
ANNA
I don’t have time for this.
GUS
Wait...
GUS
They order everyday. You’ve delivered
there. Just hear me out.
ANNA
What’s it worth to you?
GUS
I don’t have any money. It’s just the
address.
ANNA
Fuck off.
CUT TO:
GREASE MONKEY
Heya sweetness.
ANNA
Ooh, a whole dollar. Are you sure?
GREASE MONKEY
Haven’t had a chance to cash my check.
ANNA
Guess you’ll just owe me, bitch-ass.
CUT TO:
33.
ANNA (O.S.)
That’s him.
ANNA
Meet my friends, weirdo.
CUT TO:
GUS (V.O.)
All those days boxing a fake opponent.
Can years of theory actually work in the
real world? For a moment I question if
any of this is real.
GUS (V.O.)
Nothing is more real than blood.
Now wide awake, Gus puts his dukes up, dodges a punch,
then another. Dances. The men LAUGH at him. Gus
advances on them, goes to work:
The Monkeys get up and two of them rush Gus. The one
that stays behind unsheathes a KNIFE. Sunlight glints
off the blade as he jams it into Gus’ stomach. Gus still
tries to fight, but he’s losing too much blood.
CUT TO:
ANNA
...it’s getting infected...
CUT TO:
35.
ANOTHER NIGHT
ANNA
Good, you’re alive. I thought I was
going to have to stash you in a roll of
old carpet or something.
CUT TO:
LATER
LATER
She looks up in the mirror and sees him, kicks the door
shut.
CUT TO:
LATER
The days blur. Gus opens his eyes again. Anna is going
through his journals. Her face is streaked with tears.
CUT TO:
DAYS LATER
ANNA
Don’t ever touch me! I’ll fucking kill
you!
She does a line of coke off the computer table and grabs
her keys. As she heads out the door she stops under the
light of the hallway to glower once more at Gus-
ANNA
Shoulda let you bleed to death.
The door SLAMS shut and her army boots CLOMP down the
hall.
CUT TO:
37.
LATER
GUS
What’s wrong?
GUS
How long you going to keep me here?
CUT TO:
NEXT MORNING
ANNA
Looks like you’re pretty much healed.
ANNA (CONT’D)
Getting pretty strong too.
ANNA
That’s the good thing about men: when
they leave, they leave.
She sits down to eat. Gus wolfs down the bacon and eggs,
ravenous, sopping up the remnants with a piece of toast.
38.
ANNA
After this you’re free to go.
GUS
What about the address?
ANNA
What address?
GUS
I’m not leaving till I get it.
ANNA
The hell you are motherfucker! You leave
and you stay the fuck away!
ANNA
Get out.
ANNA
Get OUT!
Gus gets up and walks out the door. She looks over at
his journals.
CUT TO:
TEENAGE GIRL
Elevvvvvv-en... twelvvvvve. There you
go! Keep the change.
ANNA
I’ll scream.
GUS
I will leave you alone if you give me
what I want.
ANNA
Is it true? Those things you wrote in
the books?
GUS
Yes.
ANNA
Your daughter’s still alive. Have you
even tried looking for her?
ANNA
You’re so consumed by revenge you ignored
the most important part.
(beat)
Look, I’ll make you a deal. You go find
your dau-
GUS
You don’t know anything about me you
fucking little cunt! You give me that
address or I swear to fucking God I’ll
snap your neck like a twig.
40.
ANNA
Fuggcck... Youuu..
GUS
Fuck me?! Fuck YOU!
GUS
Let’s go.
CUT TO:
Anna and Gus walk along the street. Gus looks at her,
unsure.
EXT. BUILDING
GUS
(thru tears)
She’s happy somewhere. Somewhere I don’t
fit.
CUT TO:
41.
She looks around for Gus, drops her grocery bag into the
small dining table and walks around. She looks out the
window but sees nothing. Lights a cigarette. Out of the
corner of her eye, she spies the journals neatly stacked.
She then hears the sound of the shower running. She goes
up to the bathroom door and touches it, slightly smiling
to herself.
INT. BATHROOM
LATER
INT. APARTMENT
CUT TO:
LATER
They sit there waiting for the other to eat. They catch
each others’ eyes but quickly look away.
CUT TO:
LATER
ANNA
Not the best orange chicken in the world,
but it’s cheap.
GUS
It was good.
ANNA
Guess anything’s a step up for you.
ANNA (CONT’D)
I mean, in a good way. Talk about rock
bottom, right? From this point forward,
nothing can be worse than what you’ve
already been thru. You know how many
people wish they could say that? That
they moved on.
LATER
GUS
What’s that?
ANNA
Found it by accident and now I’m hooked.
(beat)
It’s a list of registered sex offenders.
You can look up any address in the Unites
States and it’ll tell you how many of
them are in your area. I memorized my
delivery area, so I know what houses to
stay away from.
She clicks off the computer and walks over to him. She
turns his wrist over and sees the scars from self
inflicted wounds, running her fingers over them. She
looks at him, curious.
ANNA
Does it still hurt?
Gus takes her own hand and lifts her sleeve. She
protests a bit but he holds her hand in place with some
force.
He touches them the same way she touched his. Anna pulls
her hand away, places her head on his shoulder. He lets
her.
CUT TO:
NEXT MORNING
ANNA
Come on, let’s go.
44.
CUT TO:
She finds the address and stops the bike. As Gus gets
off the scooter, we see that he holds a HAMMER. He looks
at the building:
EXT. STOR-4-U
ANNA
Hope you find what you’re looking for.
She gets back on the scooter and leaves. Gus opens the
door.
GUARD
Leave it by the door.
TOPH
(on phone)
We don’t do celebrities or people with
bodyguards. No mafiosi either. Just the
small fries. If it’s over six weeks
we’ll waive the transportation fee.
CUT TO:
Toph sits strapped to his chair with duct tape. Gus now
stands in front of the monitors, watching the prisoners.
GUS
All your fucking little windows...
Reminds me of an ant farm. Do you like
ants, Toph?
GUS
Somebody does. Who likes ants this much,
Toph?
TOPH
I wouldn’t know. Stor-4-U is a
completely confidential business.
TIME CUT:
GUS
I’m taking one for every year.
46.
ANGLE ON KEYBOARD
ANGLE ON TOPH
GUS
You feel like talking now?
TOPH
I don’t know his name. I never even saw
his face.
TOPH
But I recorded it!
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
GUS
AB blood types raise your hand.
GUS
Hurry up. He’s lost a lot already.
The man in the middle takes Toph, carries him out. The
rest of the men glare at Gus, who charges into them with
the hammer blazing.
The men attack Gus from all sides. He’s hit many times,
but he never goes down. He is a whirling dervish,
swinging the hammer with exactitude and ferocity. For
every blow that Gus receives, he dishes out five. Knee
caps, elbows, jaws - all SHATTER from Gus’ blows.
One by one, the men drop like flies. He fights his way
through the men, all the way down the hall.
Gus smiles.
CUT TO:
MAN
Sir, are you alright?
48.
The Man hails a cab, puts Gus into it. Gus looks up and
is shocked at what he sees: it’s the same suicidal Man he
met on the roof of the building. Coincidence?
MAN
I have to thank you. You’ve given me
something to live for.
MAN
Pleasant dreams, Gus.
CUT TO:
It’s MIKE.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
Gus pushes his way out of the door, and almost vomits on
the sidewalk. The fresh air makes him feel better.
CLERK
You lost man?
GUS
This place. It used to be a kid’s store,
right?
CUT TO:
50.
TOPH (V.O.)
(on tape)
Anyone, anywhere, anyhow...
CUT TO:
VOICE (V.O.)
I want him gone a long time, but I don’t
want him crazy. Angry, desperate,
vengeful, yes. Crazy, no.
TOPH (V.O.)
You’re in good hands. We have
medication. Anti-psychotics. Quite
effective in most cases. We’ve seen it
work well up to five years. No doubt
longer. But I guess it all depends on
the duration. So how long is he...
VOICE (V.O.)
Twenty years.
Long silence.
TOPH (V.O.)
What did he do?
51.
VOICE (V.O.)
Gus, you see... he talks too much.
GUS
Who hates me this much?
MIKE
Whoever he is, I hope I don’t know him.
GUS
Mike... Was I a good friend?
MIKE
Have a drink Gus. Like old times.
Gus shakes his head. Mike walks back to the table, sees
the ENVELOPE on the floor, opens it. Gus looks at the
envelope then over to Mike.
MIKE (CONT’D)
An invoice...
(scanning the page)
Dated a few days ago.
CLOSE ON PAPER:
CUT TO:
INT. UNIT D
LIVING ROOM
Gus rounds the corner to see a light on. Two men stand
there. One is dressed casually, a genial smile on his
face. This is STEVEN. The other is large and muscled,
dressed in a suit and tie. Steven’s bodyguard, LARRY.
STEVEN
You should’ve stuck around to hear my
story.
GUS
Who are you?
GUS (CONT’D)
Tell me!
STEVEN
(cold as steel, with a smile)
You’ll have to earn it.
GUS
(gritting through his teeth)
I’m gonna fucking rip your heart out.
53.
STEVEN
(shrugging)
Then you’ll never know why I locked you
up.
STEVEN (CONT’D)
Can you really live with that?
GUS
Fuck you!
STEVEN
You have five days to find out...
GUS
FUCK YOU!!!
STEVEN
After that, I’ll kill everything you ever
loved.
STEVEN (CONT’D)
You’re really horrible at protecting your
women.
STEVEN (CONT’D)
Like I said: be it a pebble or grain of
sand, in water they both sink alike.
(singing)
Follow every byway, every path you know.
Climb every mountain...
STEVEN (CONT’D)
You have five days.
54.
The effects of the song ends and Gus retains power over
his body and is able to move once again. Without missing
a beat, Gus rushes out of the apartment.
CUT TO:
ANNA SOBS when Gus enters, still tied up. Face bloody.
TOPH
Like ‘em? Teeth are replaceable.
TOPH (CONT’D)
I’m going to take something you can’t
replace.
Toph runs his hands over her body - a show especially for
Gus, who struggles futilely.
55.
Two men force Gus to face Toph, who walks over towards
them. One of his goons hands Gus a serrated hunting
knife, which he points at Gus’s heart. Slowly her runs
the knife towards Gus’s groin.
But nothing happens. Gus was toying with him. The thugs
LAUGH as Toph leans in close to Gus.
TOPH (CONT’D)
We always imagine it worse than it really
is.
(beat)
Now get ready for the real thing...
Toph puts the claw in Gus’ mouth again, only this time
finding a tooth.
KNOCK-KNOCK!
TOPH (CONT’D)
What’s this?
TOPH (CONT’D)
(to Gus)
Lucky sonuva...
(to his men)
Let’s go.
GUS
Stay.
TOPH
What?
56.
GUS
Stay... and fight.
GUS (CONT’D)
I’m gonna cut your hands off.
GUS (CONT’D)
You hear me?
INT. HALLWAY
As Toph and his men exit, Gus’s voice echoes behind them-
TOPH
(to his men)
What about my tongue?
With the gag gone, she gasps for air, sobbing. She tries
to scream but her dry throat won’t allow it.
Gus works her hands free from the binds. First one hand
then the other. Exhausted, she falls into his arms. He
barely has any energy left to catch her. She finally
stands on her own and pushes away from him.
With blinding speed, she cocks her hand back and SLAPS
him. Hard.
ANNA
You did this!!!
She finally falls into his arms, sobbing into his chest.
Without a word, Gus lets Anna take her anger out until
she’s spent.
ANNA (CONT’D)
Fuck you!!!
GUS
(in a whisper)
I won’t let anything happen to you again.
GUS (CONT’D)
I promise.
CUT TO:
LATER
She stirs in her sleep. She gasps and sits up, breathing
hard. She wakes from a nightmare, looks around the room.
GUS
I’m right here. You were having a
nightmare.
GUS (CONT’D)
Go back to sleep.
Gus keeps stroking her hair to try and soothe her. She
pushes his hand away, roughly.
ANNA
Don’t.
Gus puts his hand back on her hair. She tries to push
him away again.
Gus catches her hands and holds them like a vice. Then
he releases them gently and puts his hand back on her
hair and strokes it again.
Anna looks away and lies down facing away from him.
Tears stream down from her face.
ANNA (CONT’D)
I can’t make it stop.
ANNA (CONT’D)
I was fourteen. My grandpa was a
preacher. I was his perfect
granddaughter. Always attended Sunday
School at the church...
ANNA (CONT’D)
One Sunday after class, the teacher asked
me to stay late to help him clean up.
ANNA (CONT’D)
His hands were so strong. I couldn’t
stop him. I tried...
ANNA (CONT’D)
When I told my grandpa, he just looked at
me in this way. Like I did something
wrong. Like it was my fault. He said he
would take care of it, but he did
nothing.
(beat)
(MORE)
59.
ANNA(CONT'D)
So every Sunday I had to face this
monster and I couldn’t say a word. He’d
just smile and act like nothing happened.
I’d see him places, around town, always
with that same, sick smile.
GUS
You’re safe here.
CUT TO:
MORNING
LATER
CUT TO:
LATER
CUT TO:
EXT. BODEGA
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
Gus moves the Young Man aside and takes Anna by her hand.
ANNA
I needed a drink.
YOUNG MAN
This guy bothering you?
GUS
Leave.
GUS (CONT’D)
Let’s go.
ANNA
I’m not going anywhere. Leave me alone.
She moves towards the young man and wraps her arm around
him. She looks straight into Gus’ eyes and then kisses
the Young Man in front of him, her hand trailing down to
his crotch.
YOUNG MAN
(shit-eating grin)
I think she likes me.
Gus grabs onto Anna once again and drags her with him.
She tries to fight but can’t free herself.
The Young Man grabs onto Gus’ shoulder and turns him
around.
62.
BIG MISTAKE.
He grabs Anna, but she fights him tooth and nail, makes
a scene. SECURITY shows up. A BOUNCER pushes up on Gus,
but - BAM! - he gets a face full of fist. She SCREAMS.
Gus drags Anna out, almost carrying her out the door.
The crowd keeps away from Gus, not wanting to receive his
wrath, while others go in the aid of the Young Man, whose
face is covered in his own blood.
Gus carries Anna out the door in a giant bear hug. She
kicks and screams.
ANNA
Let me go, you asshole!
GUS
Stop screaming.
ANNA
Fuck you.
GUS
You want to act like a little girl, I’m
going to treat you like one.
ANNA
You’re hurting me.
Gus puts her down and but keeps hold of her hand. He
walks down the street pulling her behind him.
63.
Gus drags Anna inside and pushes her into the apartment
roughly. Anna almost falls by the force. She comes
inside the apartment and looks around. She stares at the
set-up in the dining table. Gus stands there embarrassed
by everything. She looks over to him.
He doesn’t answer.
Gus looks at her stunned and hurt - it’s not the reaction
he was hoping for.
ANNA
I didn’t ask for this.
GUS
How long you been doing that shit?
ANNA
Get the fuck out. I want you to leave.
ANNA (CONT’D)
Just like everyone else. You get your
fix then your gone!
She hits him with her fists. One lands cutting Gus on
the lip. He tries to catch her flailing arms as she
begins to attack. Tears are streaming from her face.
Gus finally grabs hold of her hands.
GUS
That was the past. That’s not me.
ANNA
It never changes.
ANNA (CONT’D)
Leave me alone.
64.
TIME CUT:
CUT TO:
BATHROOM
CUT TO:
LIVING ROOM
LATER
GUS
What are you doing?
ANNA
Something I should’ve done a long time
ago.
She opens the box and we see that it’s filled with
mementos. Pictures of old boyfriends, love letters,
poems.
ANNA (CONT’D)
I don’t know why I held on to these for
so long.
She cuts and cuts and cuts. Picture after picture falls
into the trash, ex-boyfriend after ex-boyfriend.
CLOSE ON PHOTO:
ANNA (CONT’D)
What?
ANNA (CONT’D)
(with growing alarm)
That’s Steven. We just went on a few
dates.
GUS
It’s HIM.
66.
ANNA
Who?
ANNA (CONT’D)
What do you mean?
GUS
How did you meet?
ANNA
Online.
GUS
Did you FUCK him?
GUS (CONT’D)
Do you still talk?
ANNA
Sometimes.
GUS
Online or-
ANNA
Yes fucking online!
GUS
Log on. See if he’s there.
CUT TO:
ANNA
He’s on.
67.
GUS
Talk to him.
ANNA
Gus...
GUS
Talk to him goddammit!
GUS (CONT’D)
He watches my every move.
ANNA
I can’t do this right now.
GUS
Can’t fucking believe this!
But his words only make it worse. She can’t stop now.
He grabs her up in a tight embrace, almost too tight.
Anna sobs into his strong arms. She feels both comfort
and uncertainty. Security mixed with abject fear.
CUT TO:
MIKE
Someone’s been cut out.
GUS
Nevermind that. Look at the face.
MIKE
And you say his name is Steve?
GUS
Steven. Last name, Riordan.
MIKE
Riordan, Riordan...
(beat)
I don’t know this guy.
(beat)
Hey wait, remember Telly from high
school? He runs a software company that
finds people online. Maybe we could-
ANNA
His screen name’s Evergreen if that
helps?
MIKE
Evergreen..?
GUS
Mike...high school.
MIKE
Are you shitting me?
ANNA
What?
GUS
Mike and I went to a school called the
Evergreen Academy. I transferred to St.
Joe’s my sophomore year. It can’t be a
coincidence.
69.
MIKE
I don’t remember any Steven Riordan.
Then again, I can barely remember
college.
ANNA
We need a yearbook.
MIKE
Don’t look at me. I lost mine years ago.
GUS
I’m going down there.
MIKE
It’s two hours away.
GUS
Give me your keys. I’m borrowing your
car.
CUT TO:
GUS
No Steven Riordan in any grade.
70.
ANNA
Maybe it’s not his real name. We should
just look at the faces.
GUS (V.O.)
High school was a prison I left and never
looked back. Now I’m forced to look, but
I can’t see a thing. What crime
committed here could deserve such a
punishment?
GUS (CONT’D)
That’s the girls’ section.
ANNA
I know. I saw something...
ANNA (CONT’D)
Caroline Riordan.
ANNA (CONT’D)
Do you remember her?
CUT TO:
GUS (cont’d)
You thinking about auditioning?
Awkward silence.
GUS (CONT’D)
You should. I bet you’ll get it.
Caroline smiles.
CAROLINE
Oh yeah? How about you?
Gus scoffs.
GUS
Me? I was in the sixth grade production
of ‘The Sound of Music’ and I forgot all
the songs except one: ‘Climb Every
Mountain.’
CAROLINE
That’s my favorite song from my favorite
musical.
(beat)
I think actors are really cool.
GUS
Why would I wanna be cool?
GUS (CONT’D)
You’re new here, right? My name’s Gus.
CAROLINE
There’s my brother. I gotta go.
CUT TO:
ANNA
So what was she like?
The bus stops and Caroline gets off the bus. She walks
across the street to a PUBLIC BUS stop where she meets up
with her brother Steven.
CUT TO:
73.
The public bus makes a stop and Caroline and Steven get
off the bus. In the distance, Young Gus watches from his
bike.
CUT TO:
FATHER
Don’t you walk away from me.
Her father grabs her hand and pushes her close to him.
She pushes him back, struggling to get away. He slaps
her hard. Caroline manages to get free and runs out of
the house. She runs to the side of the house away and
leans up against the wall crying, her hand feeling her
stinging face.
SUSAN (cont’d)
(to Gus)
I’ll be just a sec.
GUS
Susan Andrucki.
SUSAN (cont’d)
(on the phone)
Dana, I gotta call you back.
CUT TO:
LATER
GUS
Do you remember Caroline Riordan?
SUSAN
Caroline Riordan..?
GUS
Drama club.
SUSAN
God that name takes me back.
76.
GUS
You remember?
CUT TO:
SUSAN (V.O.)
Transfer student. Got in on a
scholarship, which basically meant she
was White Trash with a brain. Pretty
girl, but everybody knew where she was
from. What she really was.
GUS (V.O.)
What?
SUSAN (V.O.)
What else? A slut...
CUT TO:
SUSAN
Everyone tried to forget after what
happened. It’s funny how we remember
what we only want to remember. What
happened to her was awful.
77.
She stops.
GUS
I don’t remember much.
SUSAN
That’s right, you transferred.
(beat)
They found her body washed up on the
river. Drowned herself. Jumped maybe...
GUS
Why?
SUSAN
(shrugs)
Who really knew? There were so many
rumors around. She was pregnant, she
didn’t know who the father was...
(pauses)
There was one rumor...
GUS
Do you remember anything else about
her...or her brother?
SUSAN
Why don’t you go ask the person that
started all the rumors.
GUS
Who?
SUSAN
Your old buddy. Mike.
CUT TO:
Gus parks the car and takes out the keys. He turns to
towards Anna and sees her curled up on the seat sleeping.
She looks so peaceful that he decides not to wake her.
He quietly slips out of the car.
Gus pushes the doors open and enters the dark building.
He goes to the back wall to turn on the lights.
Gus walks down the aisles and takes a seat in the middle
of the empty theater. Frustrated he buries his head in
his hands. He closes his eyes, and lets the memories
take over. When he looks at the stage again he sees...
79.
THE STAGE
YOUNG MIKE
Can you fucking believe this? Drama Club
sucks. It’s like being in Special Ed.
YOUNG GUS
You should feel at home then.
Mike gives Gus the finger, steps back to admire his paint
job. Gus flicks his cigarette on the ground, stamps it
out with his foot.
YOUNG MIKE
I don’t know how I let you talk me into
this. All for some stupid chick.
YOUNG GUS
Oh you should talk. At least I don’t do
someone else’s homework to get to second
base.
YOUNG MIKE
It was third base. And believe me, it
was worth it.
YOUNG GUS
We got work to do.
YOUNG MIKE
Just this once, man. I think we’re going
all the way soon.
80.
YOUNG GUS
You wish.
THE CATWALK
Young Gus rests his elbows over the catwalk ledge and
looks around. He makes sure he's alone and pulls out a
joint from his pocket.
Both Young Gus and Present Day Gus retract into the
darkness careful not to be seen.
THE STAGE
She walks in the middle of the stage and looks out to the
audience. She likes it up here.
CAROLINE
Come flame of the sky...
81.
She stops, not liking the delivery. She closes her eyes
to get into the moment.
THE CATWALK
THE STAGE
She's good.
THE CATWALK
THE STAGE
THE CATWALK
THE STAGE
STEVEN
What madness is this? The bed you long
for - Is it what others shrink from? Is
it death that you demand?
CAROLINE
You missed a few lines.
STEVEN
See? You know it. You don't need to
practice.
CAROLINE
Stop...
CUT TO:
ANGLE ON CATWALK
BACKSTAGE
CAROLINE
What are you doing?
STEVEN
No one's here.
83.
She ducks under his arms and runs to a corner and sits on
a desk.
STEVEN (CONT’D)
But I’m here. I’m always going to be,
Caroline. I’m going to take care of you.
THE CATWALK
THE STAGE
STEVEN (CONT’D)
Who's there?
THE CATWALK
GUS
Mike?!!
CUT TO:
MIKE
Hang on. Let me find someplace quiet.
OFFICE
MIKE (CONT’D)
I’m about to close a massive deal. It’s
gonna put me back on top. Can we make
this quick?
GUS (V.O.)
Listen to me. I need you to remember
Caroline Riordan. From Evergreen.
MIKE
Doesn’t ring a bell.
GUS
(angry)
C'mon, this is important. Think! She
killed herself.
MIKE
(to visitor)
I’ll be with you in a second.
85.
CUT TO:
GUS
Is someone there with you?
MIKE
Yeah I gotta go...
GUS
Wait! She had long dark hair. She was
in theater. The same year as we were.
MIKE
Wait, I do remember that chick. That
crazy girl.
(beat)
She drowned herself in the river. It was
fucked up.
GUS
Why?
MIKE
Man, she was a total slut. Slept with
everyone.
(beat)
GUS
How could you forget something like that?
86.
MIKE
It was so long ago. Who knows what’s
true. Anyway, she died, end of story.
No one cared.
GUS
You told everyone!
(beat)
It was you...
MIKE
Fuck you man. That’s a shitty thing to
say...
GUS
But you did.
MIKE
Maybe I told a few people. But I wasn’t
the one that started it.
GUS
Then who did?
GUS
(serious, subdued)
I gotta tell you something, but you gotta
swear not to tell anyone.
Mike nods.
The FIGURE behind Mike has his tie off, wrapped around
his hands like piano wire.
EXT. THEATER
GUS
Mike? Hello? Mike!!!
Mike slumps over the desk, dead. Gus’ voice can be heard
thru the cell phone, calling out for him.
STEVEN
My sister was not a slut. You hear me?!
88.
GUS (V.O.)
You sick son of a bitch!
STEVEN
Don’t feel too bad. Mike got what he
deserved.
ANNA
How long have I been asleep?
We view his violent outburst from outside the car but can
only hear the incredible silence of the desolate road.
Gus and Anna sit on the bed. She faces him, he faces the
wall.
ANNA
You got locked up for twenty years for
saying that?
GUS
Whether it’s a pebble or a grain of sand
in water they both sink alike.
89.
ANNA
We beat the deadline.
GUS
Tomorrow is the anniversary of her death.
ANNA
But that doesn’t matter. You wanted to
know why. You have your answer. Now
it’s over. Let’s just keep going.
ANNA (CONT’D)
Someplace he can’t find us. We can start
over. You can walk away.
Anna waits for any sign from him for a beat, then resigns
herself to his silence. After a few moments, she takes
his arm, rests her head against his shoulder.
CUT TO:
CUT TO:
Anna and Gus hover over the strange gift box, bewildered
by its presence. Gus cautiously opens it.
ANNA
We don’t have to do this.
GUS
We have no choice. There’s no where safe
for us. Until I end it.
ANNA
What are we doing here?
91.
GUS
We need to talk. Alone.
ANNA
Gus.
(to the thugs)
Let go of me you assholes.
GUS
Go with them.
GUS
It looks like we've both got a score to
settle.
TOPH
It appears that way.
GUS
Tell me where he is.
CUT TO:
92.
ANNA (O.S.)
Don’t leave me here! Gus!
TOPH (V.O.)
An enemy’s enemy is a friend, right.
(beat)
It’s in the theater district.
GUS (V.O.)
If I don’t come back by tomorrow, let her
go.
Marquee lights and neon signs switch off one by one. The
theater district is sleeping.
CAROLINE
Come, flame by sky, Pierce through my
head! What do I gain from living any
longer? Oh how I hate living! I want to
end my life, leave it behind, and die.
Gus shakes his head trying to shake the image from his
mind.
THE STAGE
STEVEN
Congratulations. You made it just in
time.
STEVEN (CONT’D)
Go ahead, kill me. Then you'll miss the
best part.
STEVEN
There's so much more for you to learn.
GUS
Fuck you! I don't want to know anymore.
STEVEN
Then why are you here?
BACKSTAGE
STEVEN (CONT'D)
Up here.
STEVEN
I took that picture before she died.
95.
GUS
You took my life from me. Killed the
people I loved and for what? Because I
started a stupid rumor?
STEVEN
A stupid rumor...
(beat)
The rumor you started spread and spread,
like a disease.
GUS
I didn't mean...
STEVEN
You weren't even around to see what you
created.
GUS
It was a mistake.
STEVEN
That mistake cost me everything.
STEVEN
I wasn't strong enough to hold on to her.
CAROLINE
Don't cry.
(beat)
Let me go.
96.
STEVEN
Nooooo!
CAROLINE
Remember me.
GUS
I'm sorry. Is that what you want?
STEVEN
The time for apologies is long over.
FADE TO:
STEVEN
You underestimated me.
TOPH
(gritting it)
Get it fucking over with.
STEVEN (V.O.)
I worked my whole life to make money that
means nothing to me.
STEVEN
But it shouldn’t surprise me how far
people will go to get what they really
want.
GUS
She has nothing to do with this. Let her
go.
STEVEN
She has everything to do with this.
98.
GUS
I swear to god if you hurt her...
STEVEN
That's all up to you.
STEVEN (cont’d)
You care about her don't you?
GUS
What are you talking about?
Steven hands Gus the photo album. Gus looks at it, but
doesn't take it.
STEVEN
Take it!
Anna eyes the gun the gazes at the gift box he's placed
by him. She continues to rummage through her suitcase
finds what she's looking for.
Gus takes the album and opens the first page. A newborn
baby. Gus turns the page, pictures of Gus’s wife Kayla
and Gus holding the baby.
STEVEN
There's something about her. You must
have felt it right away...
GUS
What have you done?
STEVEN
I've made you fall in love.
STEVEN
Now you know how I feel.
STEVEN
I'm not going to kill you.
STEVEN (cont’d)
In the box next to Anna is that same
album.
She lifts her hands off the box and waits. Anna returns
her gaze to the box.
GUS
Please, I'm begging you. Don't show it
to her. This is all my fault. Don't
punish her.
GUS (CONT’D)
(beat)
I'll do anything. Anything you want.
STEVEN
The only thing I did wrong was to love
her, Gus.
STEVEN (CONT'D)
We loved each other and we were willing
to live with that fact.
(beat)
Now the question is, can you?
Steven picks up the phone with his free hand and dials.
He waits a beat until someone on the other line picks up.
STEVEN (CONT’D)
(on the phone)
Let her go...
Gus stands there with the gun still smoking in his hand.
Toph gets up off the chair and pulls out a train ticket
from his pocket.
TOPH
If I were you, I'd go as far away from
here as possible.
CUT TO:
GUS (V.O.)
Too many questions to answer, so I left
them all behind.
Gus’ hair has gone completely grey. His eyes have lost a
bit of their former ferocity. His face is wrinkled,
world-weary.
GUS (V.O.)
But wherever I went the questions
followed. What is happiness? What is
love? Where do we lay our hearts to rest
and move on with our lives?
103.
CUT TO:
Gus, who also looks older and a bit worn down. They
regard each other for a bit, not moving, not saying
anything.
FADE TO BLACK.