W i l d  a t  H e a r t

a love story

 

written by

David Lynch

 

based on the book by

Barry Gifford

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now the story of Sailor and Lula.....

1. EXT. CITY STREET - DAY

 

A MAN rides a screaming massive Japanese motorcycle - wound out to

maximum R.P.M. up the street.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

2. SIGN BY ROADSIDE

 

The sign reads “KIDS PLAYING - SPEED BUMPS”.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

3. EXT. CITY STREET - DAY

 

With a whine from hell, the front tire of the motorcycle hits a speed

bump.

 

The motorcycle becomes airborne and on the way up slices itself in half

as it scrapes along the full length of a Datsun Kingcab.

 

In the air, the rider and motorcycle twist violently as they fly by.

 

The motorcycle bounces off a black ’66 Chevrolet and makes a sound like

the end of the world.

 

The rider hits the same Chevy a moment later.  Like a broken ragdoll

shot from a canon, the man punches through the back window blowing glass

for a block.  He stops somewhere under the front seat and a bubble of

blood forms out his nose.

 

The motorcycle continues on sliding and spinning with an ear-piercing

howl for one entire city block.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

4. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS - VACANT LOT - DAY

 

Two rabid dogs fight ferociously in a vacant lot - ripping each other’s

flesh.  An OLD COUPLE, both with walkers, inch painfully along nearby.

 

                             OLD WOMAN

                  Oh my God! ... Why they doin’ that?

 

                             OLD MAN

                  Who the hell knows.  What you have

                  in your mouth?

 

The old woman begins to turn away, covering her mouth with her hand.

 

                             OLD MAN

                  Spit it out!!! ... Pull your teeth

                  out ... doctor said.  What you

                  tryin’ to do?  SPIT IT OUT!!!

 

The Old Man grabs the Old Woman by the neck and squeezes.  Out comes a

tangled and sticky ball of hard fruit candies.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

5. WASP NEST

 

A thousand wasps hover threateningly in the air around the nest.  A

SMALL GROUP OF HARDENED CRIMINAL NINE-YEAR OLDS sporting hideous grins,

bat the nest violently to and fro with sticks.  One kid busies himself

shooting a large can of Black Flag garden spray into a crack in the

nest.  Another stomps half-dead wasps up and down the sidewalk.  All the

kids are making animal noises of one sort or the other.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

6. INT. FORTUNE HOUSE - DAY

 

The telephone rings.  MARIETTA PACE FORTUNE, a rich Southern woman

around fifty, carries her Martini and Rossi sweet vermouth drink across

the livingroom and answers the phone.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Hello...  Who is this?...

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

7. INT. PEE DEE COUNTY WORK FARM - DAY

 

A GUARD stands by as SAILOR RIPLEY, twenty-three years old - lost

somewhere between the cool long-gone generation and a used-car salesman

- speaks on a prisoner phone in a green cement cubicle with one bench.

 

                             SAILOR

                            (into phone)

                  ...Sailor Ripley...  Can I talk

                  to Lula?

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

6A. INT. FORTUNE HOUSE - DAY

 

                             MARIETTA

                  There’s no way in hell you can speak

                  to her and...

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

7A. INT. PEE DEE COUNTY WORK FARM - DAY

 

                             SAILOR

                        (feeling a smile coming on)

                  What?...

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

6B. INT. FORTUNE HOUSE - DAY

 

                             MARIETTA

                  ...Yes you heard me...  Don’t ever

                  call back here again.

 

Marietta hangs up the phone as LULA PACE FORTUNE, Marietta’s twenty-year

old daughter, comes quickly down the stairs.

 

                             LULA

                  Mama???

 

                             MARIETTA

                  You know who it was and you know

                  you aren’t, and I mean ARE NOT    

                  gonna see him EVER...  End of story.

 

                             LULA

                            (quietly)

                  Like hell.

 

Marietta, her hand still on the telephone, grips the receiver so hard

her knuckles turn white.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

8. INT. FORTUNE HOUSE - LULA’S ROOM UPSTAIRS - DAY

 

Lula enters her room and cranks up her stereo.  Speed metal music jumps

up to around one hundred twenty decibels.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

9. INT. PEE DEE COUNTY WORK FARM - DAY

 

The guard escorts Sailor away from the telephone and back to his cell. 

The iron bars of the door slide across Sailor’s face and close with a

bang.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

10. EXT. THE MUSIC BAR - NIGHT

 

A beat-up, red ’64 Ford Falcon station wagon filled with insane

TEENAGERS on speed and PCP race out of control down the street past the

club - leaning out the car in every direction.  They scream out to the

desolate-looking passerby.

 

                             TEENAGERS

                  EAT SHIT MOTHERFUCKERS!!!!!!

 

The camera cranes up to the neon club sign and gets lost among the hot

pink neon, the frantic moths and the intense electric buzz.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

11. INT. THE MUSIC BAR - NIGHT

 

Lula and her friend, BEANY THORN, sit at a table drinking rum Coca-Colas

while watching and listening to a white blues band called THE BLEACH

BOYS.  The group segues smoothly from Elmore James’s “Dust my Broom”

into Robert Johnson’s “Me and the Devil” and Beany lets out a snort.

 

                             BEANY

                  I can dig this music...  But not

                  that singer.

 

                             LULA

                  Why?...  He’s right in the groove.

 

                             BEANY

                  He’s so ugly.  Guys with beards and

                  beer guts ain’t quite my type.

 

                             LULA

                            (giggles)

                  Seein’s how you’re about as thick as

                  a used string of unwaxed dental floss,

                  don’t know how you can criticize.

 

                             BEANY

                  Yeah, well, if he says that all that

                  flab turns into dick at midnight,

                  he’s a liar.

 

Lula and Beany laugh and swallow some of their drinks.

 

                             BEANY

                  So, Sailor’s gettin’ out soon, and

                  you’re gonna see him?

 

Lula nods and crushes an ice cube with her back teeth and chews it.

 

                             LULA

                  Meetin’ him at the gate.  That phone

                  call this afternoon was the signal.

                  My deranged mama’s hid the keys to

                  my car.  But of course, I know

                  exactly where they are.

 

                             BEANY

                  I didn’t hate me so much, I’d feel

                  better wishin’ you luck.

 

                             LULA

                  Can’t all husbands be perfect, and

                  your Elmo prob’ly wouldn’ta ever

                  got that second one pregnant, you

                  hadn’t kicked his ass out.

 

                             BEANY

                  So you’re gonna be needin’ the

                  “blue-bird” pretty soon?

 

                             LULA

                  Real soon ... I’ll be makin’ the swap

                  tomorrow, and thanks again, Beany.

 

The Bleach Boys kick into some kind of Professor Longhair swamp mambo.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

12. EXT. BAY ST. CLEMENT - DAY

 

Plumes of smoke from fires rise in the distance.

 

DISSOLVE TO:

 

 

13. INT. FORTUNE HOUSE - DAY

 

An empty livingroom.  The smoke from the city fire appears during the

course of the DISSOLVE to be in the livingroom - then it disappears.

 

An empty hallway.

 

An empty stairway.

 

 

13A. INT. FORTUNE HOUSE - MARIETTA’S BEDROOM - DAY

 

Feet (Lula’s) was across carpet.

 

A closet door opens.

 

A hand (Lula’s) reaches into the pocket of a coat in her mother’s

closet.  The hand comes out clutching car keys.

 

 

13B. INT. FORTUNE HOUSE - STAIRWAY - DAY

 

Lula races down the stairs and through a door into the garage.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

14. EXT. FORTUNE HOUSE - DAY

 

The electronic garage door opens and Lula drives her ’80 Black Camaro

out and away.  The garage door closes automatically.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

15. EXT. CITY STREETS - DAY

 

Lula drives fast up a neighborhood street.  She turns a corner and

disappears.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

16. INT. BEANY THORN’S GARAGE - DAY

 

Lula throws her car keys under the front seat and goes around to Beany’s

’67 dark blue Thunderbird convertible - fishes around under the T-Bird’s

front seat for the keys - finds them - jumps in and takes off.

 

DISSOLVE TO:

 

 

17. EXT. FORTUNE HOUSE - DAY

 

Marietta leaves her Cadillac Seville in her driveway and enters the

house.  We can hear her calling out for Lula in the distance.  The

calling changes - it becomes angry.  The garage door opens and Marietta

comes storming out.  She leaps in her Caddy and peels out.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

18. INT. “SOUTHERN TIME” BAR - DAY

 

Marietta enters the bar on the run.  She calls out to the BARTENDER...

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Where’s Johnnie?  He’s not in his office.

 

                             BARTENDER

                  Haven’t seen ’im yet today, Marietta.

 

                             MARIETTA

                        (slightly hysterical)

                  Well I gotta find him - right this

                  minute!

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

19. EXT. PEE DEE COUNTY WORK FARM - DAY

 

Sailor is waiting out front as Lula pulls up in her T-Bird - throwing

out a cloud of dust.  They’re both smiling.

 

                             LULA

                  Hey baby...

 

                             SAILOR

                  Peanut...

 

They kiss tenderly and then Sailor walks around the car to get in while

Lula opens up a suitcase and gets out his snakeskin jacket.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Hey, my snakeskin jacket...  Thanks,   

                  baby...  Did I ever tell you that

                  this here jacket for me is a symbol

                  of my individuality and my belief

                  in personal freedom?

 

                             LULA

                  ’Bout fifty thousand times.  I got

                  us a room at the Cape Fear, and

                  guess what?...  I hear Powermad’s

                  at “The Hurricane.”

 

                             SAILOR

                             (smiling)

                  Stab it and steer.

 

Lula tromps it and throws out an even larger cloud of dust.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

20. INT. CAPE FEAR HOTEL - DAY

 

Sailor and Lula lay on the bed in the Cape Fear Hotel listening to the

fan creak.

 

                             LULA

                  Did you ever think somethin’ like

                  about the wicked witch of the east

                  comin’ flyin’ in?...  Did you ever

                  think somethin’ and then later think

                  you’ve said it out loud to someone?

 

                             SAILOR

                  I really did miss your mind while I

                  was out at Pee Dee, honey.  The

                  rest of you, too, of course.  But

                  the way your head works is God’s own

                  private mystery.  What was it you

                  was thinkin’?

 

                             LULA

                  Well, I was thinkin’ about smokin’

                  actually...  My mama smokes Marlboros

                  now, used to be she smoked Kools?

                  I stole ’em from her beginnin’ in

                  about sixth grade.  When I got old

                  enough to buy my own, I bought those.

                  Now I’ve just about settled on Mores,

                  as you probably noticed?  They’re longer.

 

 

                             SAILOR

                  I guess I started smokin’ when I was

                  about six...  My mama was already

                  dead from lung cancer...

 

                             LULA

                  What brand’d she smoke?

 

                             SAILOR

                  Camels, same as me...  Guess both

                  my mama and my daddy died of smoke

                  or alcohol related illness.

 

                             LULA

                  Gee, Sailor.  I’m sorry, honey.  I

                  never would have guessed it.

 

                             SAILOR

                  It’s okay.  I hardly used to see

                  them anyway.  I didn’t have much

                  parental guiding.  The public defender

                  kept sayin’ that at my parole hearin’.

                  He was a good ol’ boy, stood by me...

                  Even brought me some cartons of

                  cigarettes from time to time.

 

                             LULA

                  I’d stand by you, Sailor ... through

                  anything.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Hell, peanut, you stuck with me after

                  I planted Bob Ray Lemon.  A man can’t

                  ask for more than that.

 

Lula pulls Sailor over to her and kisses him soft on the mouth.

 

                             LULA

                  You move me, Sailor, you really do.

                  You mark me the deepest.

 

Sailor pulls down the sheet, exposing Lula’s breasts.

 

                             SAILOR

                  You’re perfect for me, too.

 

                             LULA

                  You remind me of my daddy, you know?

                  Mama told me he liked skinny women

                  whose breasts were just a bit too

                  big for their bodies.  He had a long

                  nose, too, like theirs.  Did I ever

                  tell you how he died?

 

                             SAILOR

                  In a fire, as I recall.

 

                             LULA

                  Started he couldn’t remember things?

                  Got real violent?  Mama kept tellin’

                  me it was on account of lead poisoning

                  from cleanin’ the old paint off our

                  house without usin’ a mask...  But

                  I don’t know.  Seems like his brain

                  just fell apart in pieces.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

21. INT. FORTUNE HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT

 

CLYDE FORTUNE tears a door off the kitchen cabinets and strews the

cabinet contents all across the counter and floor.  He puts his fist

through the kitchen window.  He leaps on the counter and bats the

kitchen ceiling light - smashing it.  He kicks over the refrigerator.

 

                             CLYDE

                  FUCKIN’ BITCH!!!!

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

22. INT. CAPE FEAR HOTEL - DAY

 

Lula’s eyes look off, remembering.

 

                             LULA

                  Finally in the middle of the one

                  night, with me and mama asleep

                  upstairs ... he poured kerosene over    

                  himself and lit a match.

 

                                                                CUT TO:

 

 

23. INT. FORTUNE HOUSE - LIVINGROOM - NIGHT

 

Clyde Fortune, completely engulfed in fire, races across and back the

livingroom until he collapses in a fifties modern armchair.  The drapes

behind him burst in flames.

 

                             LULA

                          (voice-over)

                  Near burned down the house.  We

                  got out just in time.

 

The whole livingroom goes up in flames.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

24. INT. CAPE FEAR HOTEL - DAY

 

CU the red hot ash of Lula’s cigarette as she inhales deeply.  As she

exhales a cloud of smoke she turns to Sailor.

 

                             LULA

                  It was a year before I met you.

 

Sailor takes the cigarette out of Lula’s hand and puts it into the

ashtray by her bed.  He pulls her to him and kisses her throat.

 

                             SAILOR

                  You have such a pretty, long neck,

                  like a swan.

 

                             LULA

                  Grandmama Pace had a long, smooth

                  white neck.  It was like on a

                  statue it was so white?

 

Sailor drifts his thumb over Lula’s left nipple then cups her breast in

his hand.  They kiss.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

25. INT. FORTUNE HOUSE - DAY

 

Marietta pours JOHNNIE FARRAGUT another shot of scotch.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  I knew this would happen.  Soon as

                  that piece of filth got out of

                  Pee Dee, I knew there’d be trouble.

                  He’s just got some kind of influence

                  over her I can’t decipher.  There’s

                  somethin’ wild in Lula I don’t know

                  where it comes from.  You gotta find

                  ’em, Johnnie.

 

                             JOHNNIE

                  He served his time for what he did.

                  Another thing...  If Lula went with

                  him of her own volition - willingly,

                  that is - there ain’t much can be

                  done about it.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Don’t talk down to me, Johnnie

                  Farragut.  I know what volition means,

                  and that’s why I want Sailor Ripley

                  off the planet!  He’s pure slime and

                  it’s leakin’ all over my baby. 

                  Maybe you could push him into makin’

                  some kinda move and then kill him

                  dead.  You’d only be defendin’

                  yourself, and with his record,

                  nobody’d fuss.

 

Johnnie pours himself another tumblerful of Walker Black Label.

 

                             JOHNNIE

                  I’ll locate Lula, Marietta, and if

                  she’s with the Ripley boy, I’ll

                  give him a talkin’ to and try to

                  convince her to come back with me.

                  That’s about all I can do.

 

He takes a long swallow from the tumbler.  Marietta begins to cry.  She

blubbers for a few seconds, and then stops as abruptly as she’d started. 

Her grey eyes glaze over.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  I’ll hire a hit man if you don’t want

                  to help me stop this thing.  I’ll

                  call Marcello Santos.

 

                             JOHNNIE

                  Now, Marietta, I am goin’ to help you.

                  And don’t be gettin’ carried away.

                  You don’t want to be bringin’ Santos

                  and his people into it.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  You’re just jealous of Santos cause

                  he’s sweet on me.

 

                             JOHNNIE

                  Darlin’, you ain’t seein’ Santos

                  again, are ya?

 

                              MARIETTA

                  Oh, Johnnie Farragut...  Don’t you

                  trust your very own Marietta?

 

                             JOHNNIE

                  Sorry, sweetheart.  Bein’ in love

                  with you like I am brings out that

                  ugly jealous side.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Well stop worryin’ about me and

                  start worryin’ about how you’re

                  gonna get that Lula back here and

                  away from that murderer.

 

                             JOHNNIE

                  Sailor ain’t a murderer.  You got to

                  get off that kick.  And far’s I can

                  tell, Sailor was entire clean prior

                  to that involvin’ Lula.  Even there

                  he was protectin’ her.  You oughta

                  be thankin’ him for that.  That Bob

                  Ray Lemon they say was comin’ after

                  the both of ’em.  Why am I tellin’

                  you this, you was around that night.

                  You ought to know just exactly what

                  happened.  Sailor just got a little

                  too forceful is all...  You remember

                  that night...

 

CU of Marietta’ eyes as she thinks back.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

26. INT. BAY ST. CLEMENT HOTEL - BALLROOM - NIGHT

 

We see Marietta standing in a carpeted hallway above the ballroom. 

Dance band music can be heard in the distance.  Sailor appears coming up

the hallway - slightly drunk - he carefully sets his drink on the carpet

outside the MEN’S ROOM.

 

Marietta’s POV of Sailor entering the MEN’S ROOM.

 

CU of Marietta’s glazed eyes and smiling face.

 

Marietta’s POV of walking toward MEN’S ROOM.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

27. INT. FORTUNE HOUSE - DAY

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Maybe I was there, but I didn’t see

                  anythin’.  All I know’s that trash

                  killed a man with his bare hands.

                  Hands which are now prob’ly all

                  over my baby!

 

                             JOHNNIE

                  Marietta, settle down now darlin’...

                  I want what’s best for her, too -

                  Like I said, I’ll do what I can to

                  bring her home.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

28. INT. CAPE FEAR HOTEL - DAY

 

Lula is standing in the bathroom of their room at the Hotel fooling with

her hair in front of the mirror.  Sailor can see her through the doorway

from where he lays on the bed.

 

                             LULA

                  Sailor, you are somethin’ else,

                  honey...  When I was fifteen, Mama

                  told me that pretty soon I’d be

                  startin’ to think about sex, and

                  I should talk to her before I did

                  anything about it.

 

                             SAILOR

                  But honey, I thought you told me

                  your Uncle Pooch raped you when

                  you was thirteen.

 

                             LULA

                  That’s true.  Uncle Pooch wasn’t

                  really an uncle.  He was a business

                  partner of my daddy’s?  And my mama

                  never knew nothin’ about me and

                  him - that’s for damn sure.  His real

                  name was somethin’ kind of European,

                  like Pucinski.  But everyone just

                  called him Pooch.  He came around the

                  house sometimes when Daddy was away.

                  I always figured he was sweet on

                  mama, so when he cornered me one

                  afternoon, I was surprised more’n

                  a little.

 

                             SAILOR

                  How’d it happen, peanut?  He just

                  pull out the old toad and let it

                  croak?

 

Lula brushes away her bangs and frowns.  She takes a cigarette from the

pack on the sink and lights it, then lets it dangle from her lips while

she teases her hair.

 

                             LULA

                  You’re terrible crude sometimes,

                  Sailor, you know?

 

                             SAILOR

                  I can’t hardly understand you when

                  you talk with one of them Mores in

                  your mouth.

 

Lula takes a long, slow drag on her More and sets it down on the edge of

the sink.

 

                             LULA

                  I said you can be too crude sometimes?

                  I don’t think I care for it.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Sorry, sugar.  Go on and tell me how

                  old Pooch done the deed.

 

                             LULA

                  Well, mama was at the Busy Bee havin’

                  her hair dyed?  And I was alone in

                  the house.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

29. INT. FORTUNE HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY

 

We see what she talks about.

 

                             LULA

                           (voice-over)

                  Uncle Pooch came in the side door

                  through the porch, you know?  Where

                  I was makin’ a jelly and banana

                  sandwich?  I remember I had my hair

                  in curlers cause I was goin’ that

                  night with Vicki and Cherry Ann, the

                  DeSoto sisters.  Uncle Pooch must have

                  known nobody but me was home, cause

                  he came right in and put both his

                  hands on my butt and sorta shoved me

                  up against the counter.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

30. INT. CAPE FEAR HOTEL - DAY

 

                             SAILOR

                  Didn’t he say somethin’?

 

Lula shakes her head.  She picks up her cigarette, takes a puff and

throws it into the toilet.

 

ECU of cigarette in toilet.

 

                             LULA

                  Not really.  Least not so I recall now.

 

Lula flushes the toilet and watches the More come apart as it swirls

down the hole.

 

ECU of cigarette coming apart as it swirls.

 

                             SAILOR

                  So how’d he finally nail you?  Right

                  there in the kitchen? 

 

                             LULA

                  No, he picked me up.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

31. INT. FORTUNE HOUSE - KITCHEN/MAID’S ROOM - DAY

 

We see what she talks about.

 

                             LULA

                          (voice-over)

                  He was short but powerful.  With

                  hairy arms?  Anyway, he carried me

                  into the maid’s dayroom which nobody

                  used.  We did it there on an old bed.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

32. INT. CAPE FEAR HOTEL - DAY

 

                             SAILOR

                  ‘We’ did it?  Whattaya mean?  Didn’t

                  he force you?

 

                             LULA

                  Well, sure.  But he was super-gentle,

                  you know?  I mean, he raped me and

                  all, but I guess there’s all

                  different kinds of rapes.  I didn’t

                  exactly want him to do it but I

                  suppose once it started, it didn’t

                  seem all that terrible.  It was over

                  pretty quick, and after Uncle Pooch

                  just stood there and pulled up his

                  trousers and left me there.  I

                  stayed in bed till I heard him drive

                  off.  Then I just went back into

                  the kitchen and finished makin’ my

                  sandwich.

 

                             SAILOR

                  And you never told nobody about it?

 

                             LULA

                  Just you.  Uncle Pooch never acted

                  strange or different after.  And he

                  never did anything else to me.  I

                  always got a nice present from him

                  at Christmas, like a coat or jewelry?

                        (pause)

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

33. TWO LANE HIGHWAY - DAY

 

One hundred twenty decibels - head on collision of a ’54 Ford Pick-Up

and a ’64 Chevy Station Wagon.  No survivors.  Balls of flame and

grinding metal.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

34. INT. CAPE FEAR HOTEL - DAY

 

                             LULA

                  Uncle Pooch died in a car crash three

                  years later while he was holidayin’

                  in Myrtle Beach.  They still got way

                  too much traffic there for my taste...

                  And another thing, baby...  That

                  government of ours should be keepin’

                  us separated from outer space...

 

                             SAILOR

                  Here she goes again...

 

                              LULA

                  Sailor, that ozone layer is

                  disappearin’.  Seems to me the

                  government could do somethin’ about

                  it.  One of these mornings the

                  sun’ll come up and burn a hole clean

                  through the planet like an X-Ray.

 

Lula strikes a match and lights another cigarette.

 

                             SAILOR

                             (laughs)

                  That ain’t never will happen, honey.

                  Least not in our lifetime.

 

Somewhere in the hotel a woman laughs.  It is a kind of wild, crazy

laugh, and for the few seconds it lasts, Lula’s face goes pale.

 

                             SAILOR

                  You okay, honey?

 

                             LULA

                  That woman’s laugh creeps me out.

                  I heard somethin’ like that...

                  somewhere before...  Sound’d like

                  the wicked witch...

 

                             SAILOR

                  Just sounded like an old gal havin’

                  a good time to me...  You ready to

                  dance?

 

                             LULA

                  I’m always ready to dance.  But I

                  need me a kiss first, honey.  Just one?

 

Lula and Sailor kiss.  In the middle of the kiss, the woman’s

creepy/crazy laugh is heard again in the distance and Lula’s eyes snap

open with a kind of fear.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

35. EXT. FORTUNE HOUSE - BACKYARD - LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING

 

Marietta is escorting MARCELLO SANTOS and two stiff drinks to a table in

her backyard.

 

                             SANTOS

                  I knew you’d want it again...

 

                             MARIETTA

                  That’s not why I called.

 

                             SANTOS

                  Oh yeah - sure ... okay.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Santos...  It isn’t.

 

                             SANTOS

                  Have it your way...  But you want it.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Lula’s gone off with Sailor.

 

                             SANTOS

                  What do you want me to do about it?

 

                              MARIETTA

                  I want you to take care of Sailor, so

                  he won’t ever be able to bother my

                  baby again.

 

 

                             SANTOS

                  Take care of him?

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Yes.

 

                             SANTOS

                  What does take care of him mean?...

                  Do you want me to give him food or

                  some clothing?

 

                             MARIETTA

                  What’s with you?...  You know what

                  take care of him means.  I don’t

                  call Santos except for one big reason.

 

                             SANTOS

                  Big is the key word, and I’m telling

                  you I want it bad.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  I want you to get rid of Sailor.

 

                             SANTOS

                  Get rid of him?

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Yes...  Get rid of him.

 

                             SANTOS

                  How would I do that?  Send him on a

                  trip - like maybe to Hawaii?

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Santos, why in hell do you insist on    

                  playin’ this stupid game?

 

                             SANTOS

                  Just tell me what you want.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  I don’t need to explain anymore’n I

                  have...  You know damn well.

 

                             SANTOS

                  You need to explain it.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  All right...  I want you ... to ...

                  kill ... Sailor...  As simple as that.

 

                             SANTOS

                  Simple?  Kill him?...  How?

 

                             MARIETTA

                  That’s your business...  I don’t care

                  how.

 

                             SANTOS

                  Like an accident where maybe Lula

                  might also get hurt?

 

                             MARIETTA

                  NO...  For God’s sakes, Santos!

 

                             SANTOS

                  Well, like kill him with the atomic

                  bomb?

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Santos...

 

                             SANTOS

                  Explain it...  I told you.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Shoot him.

 

                             SANTOS

                  Shoot him?  Like with a gun?

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Yes.

 

                             SANTOS

                  Where?...  In the leg?

 

                             MARIETTA

                  No.

 

                             SANTOS

                  Where?

 

                             MARIETTA

                  In the head.

 

                             SANTOS

                  Shoot Sailor in the head with a

                  gun...  Now I’m beginning to get

                  it...  You want me to shoot Sailor

                  in the head with a gun.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Yes.

 

                              SANTOS

                  But where in the head?...  Not the

                  chin, I hope.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  No...  In the brains...  What little

                  I’m sure he has.

 

                             SANTOS

                  You want me to shoot Sailor in the

                  brains with a gun. 

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Yes.

 

                             SANTOS

                  Through the forehead?

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Yes.

 

                             SANTOS

                  Wrong!  It’s much better to blow a

                  hole in the back of the head ...

                  right toward the bridge of the nose

                  ...  Lots and lots of irreparable

                  damage.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  See!  I knew you had it all under

                  control.

 

                             SANTOS

                  Why didn’t you send Johnnie Farragut?

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Maybe I did...  Try New Orleans first...

                  Lula can’t ever stop talkin’ ’bout that

                  town.

 

                             SANTOS

                  On one condition...

 

He pauses and smiles strangely.

 

                             SANTOS

                  You give me your permission to kill

                  Johnnie Farragut.

 

                              MARIETTA

                             (whisper)

                  Santos...  No...  Please, Santos...

 

                             SANTOS

                  You’re not tellin’ me that you’re

                  sweet on him?

 

                             MARIETTA

                  No...  But...

 

                              SANTOS

                  One day he’s gonna find out what

                  we’re up to with Mr. Reindeer, and

                  he could cause us a lot of trouble.

 

They stare at each other for a moment.

 

                             SANTOS

                  I’m gonna take your silence as a

                  “yes”...

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Santos...  I can’t...

 

 

                             SANTOS

                  Shhhh...  It’s all right...  Also, I

                  either take you or that pretty

                  daughter of yours to bed.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  You fucker, don’t you ever touch

                  Lula -  You fucker, I’ll kill you.

 

                             SANTOS

                            (laughing)

                  Put your shoulders back.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  What?

 

                             SANTOS

                  Put your shoulders back, I said.

 

Marietta puts her shoulders back and Santos comes and stands in front of

her.

 

                             SANTOS

                  You got nice tits.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Someone’s gonna see us.

 

                             SANTOS

                        (smiling as he starts

                         to feel her breasts)

                  That’s just another part of the price

                  to pay.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Santos...  You kill that Sailor,

                  otherwise he’s gonna turn my baby

                  against me.

 

Santos lifts one hand up to Marietta’s chin and raises her face up

towards his.

 

                             SANTOS

                  Look at me...  There’s no turning back              

                  on this...  I’m gonna kill Sailor...

                  That’s for sure.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

36. INT. “THE HURRICANE” - A SPEED METAL CLUB - NIGHT

 

We see the sign which has all the letters tipped way over to the right -

as if in a hurricane.  Two leaning palm trees border the sign.

 

One hundred decibels of speed metal.  We see the name “Powermad” on the

bass drum.

 

The BAND segues into “Slaughter House” and it’s a hot one.  Sailor grabs

Lula and they start dancing like two jacked-up spastics in an electrical

storm.  a few PUNKS actually stop dancing to watch Sailor and Lula. 

They thought they’d seen everything.

 

CU of Lula and Sailor - they’re in love and dancing hot.  An IDIOT PUNK

moves close to Lula and rubs up against her as he dances by.  Sailor

turns to the lead guitar player and signals him to stop the music

immediately.  Suddenly everything is deathly quiet.  Sailor gives the

man a fully extended “Reno point”...

 

                             SAILOR

                  Are you going to provide me with an

                  opportunity to prove my love to my

                  girl?  Or are you gonna save

                  youself some trouble and step up

                  like a gentleman and apologize to her?

 

                             IDIOT PUNK

                  Don’t fuck with me, man.  You look

                  like a clown in that stupid jacket.

 

                             SAILOR

                  This is a snakeskin jacket, and for

                  me it’s a symbol of my individuality

                  and my belief in personal freedom.

 

                             IDIOT PUNK

                  ...Asshole.

 

                             SAILOR

                  (as he moves toward the Idiot Punk)

                  Come here.

 

                             LULA

                  Sailor, honey...

 

The Idiot Punk tries to hit Sailor, but Sailor slaps him so hard his

knees almost bend backwards.  The Idiot Punk goes down - fighting back

tears and holding his cheek.

 

                             SAILOR

                          (helping him up)

                  I’m sorry to do this to ya here

                  in front of a crowd, but I want ya

                  to stand up and make a nice apology

                  to my girl.

 

                             IDIOT PUNK

                              (to Lula)

                  I’m sorry.

 

                             LULA

                  Hell, you just rubbed up against

                  the wrong girl is all.

 

                             SAILOR

                  That’s good...  Now go get yourself

                  a beer.

                        (turning to the band)

                  You fellas have alotta the same power

                  Elvis had...  Y’all know this one?...

 

Sailor starts to sing an Elvis Presley song, “Love Me.”  As the band

joins in with a perfect back-up - Sailor sings to Lula.  The Speed Metal

crowd is mesmerized.

 

DISSOLVE TO:

 

 

37. INT. CAPE FEAR HOTEL - NIGHT

 

CU of pink - the whole screen is filled with pink nylon.  Panning down,

we see Lula’s breasts, which stand up and say “hello.”  Lula puts on her

favorite pink shortie nightgown.

 

                             LULA

                  Why didn’t ya sing “Love Me Tender”?

                  ...  You told me that was your

                  favorite love song.

 

Sailor turns around from his sprawled on the bed position watching The

Dating Game show.

 

                             SAILOR

                  ’Cause I’m only gonna sing that song

                  to my wife.

 

Lula makes a face.  She lies down on the bed next to Sailor.

 

                             LULA

                  What you want to watch this trash for?

                  Ain’t one of those people have a real

                  thought in their brain.

 

                             SAILOR

                  That so?

                    (keeping his gaze on the TV)

                  You want to tell me what, if any,

                  real thoughts you had lately?

 

                             LULA

                  What you have to get personal about

                  so quick?  All I mean is you could

                  possibly read a book.

 

Sailor grunts.

 

                             LULA

                  What’s that honey?

 

                             SAILOR

                  We didn’t have no TV up at Pee Dee,

                  baby, you know?

 

Lula slides her head up and kisses Sailor on the cheek.

 

                             LULA

                  I’m sorry, sweetie.  I forget some

                  moments where all you been the last

                  two years.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Twenty-three months, eighteen days is

                  all.  Don’t need to make more’n it

                  was.

                    (referring to Dating Game show)

                  This couple’s goin’ on a date to

                  Hawaii.  The girl chose him over the

                  other two guys.

 

                             LULA

                  Don’t the reject guys get anythin’?

 

                             SAILOR

                  Gift certificates to Kentucky Fried

                  Chicken.

 

                             LULA

                  That don’t seem fair.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Hell, why should the Datin’ Game be

                  different from real life?  At least

                  them boys is gonna get somethin’ to

                  eat.

 

 

LATER - IN THE DARK

 

Sailor and Lula are in bed.  Lula lays in Sailor’s arms.

 

                             LULA

                  Sailor?

 

                             SAILOR

                  Yeah?

 

                             LULA

                  Wouldn’t it be fabulous if we somehow

                  stayed in love for the rest of our

                  lives?

 

                             SAILOR

                            (laughing)

                  You think of the weirdest damn things

                  to say sometimes, peanut.  Ain’t we

                  been doin’ a pretty fair job this far?

 

                             LULA

                  Oh, you know exactly what I mean,

                  honey?  It’d make the future so simple

                  and nice.

 

                             SAILOR

                  At Pee Dee, all you think about is

                  the future, you know?  Gettin’ out?

                  And what you’ll do and what you’ll

                  think about when you’re on the

                  outside again.

 

                             LULA

                  I just think about things as they

                  come up.  I never been much of a planner.

 

                             SAILOR

                  It ain’t altogether terrible just to

                  let things go along sometimes.

                  Lula, I done a few things in my life

                  I ain’t too proud of, but I’ll tell

                  ya from now on I ain’t gonna do

                  nothin’ for no good reason.  All I

                  know for sure is there’s more’n a

                  few bad ideas runnin’ around loose

                  out there.

 

ECU of match girding along the strike pad and bursting into flame.

 

Lula lights her cigarette.

 

                             LULA

                  You know there’s somethin’ I ain’t

                  never told you about, Sailor, and

                  this here’s a story with the lesson

                  that there’s a right time and a

                  wrong time for things to happen...

                  When I was almost sixteen I got pregnant.

 

Sailor looks her in the eyes.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Musta been a lesson tellin’ ya it

                  was the wrong time...  What did you

                  do, your mama find out?

 

                             LULA

                             (nods)

                  She got me an abortion...

 

CUT TO:

 

 

38. INT. ABORTION CLINIC - MIAMI - DAY

 

ECU of dying fetus with one hundred twenty decibels Lula’s scream over. 

The fetus twitches in its little pod of blood.

 

ECU of pulsing vein in Lula’s neck - LOUD VIOLENT HEARTBEAT SOUND - LIKE

A DOUBLE-PEDALED KICK BASS DRUM.

 

ECU of Lula’s forehead covered in sweat running down to her eyes - open

wide and WILD.

 

ECU of fetus into medical trash can.

 

ECU of bloodied abortion instruments.

 

The DOCTOR leans across the abortion table.

 

                             LULA

                           (voice-over)

                  ...from some old doctor with the

                  hairiest nostrils and ears I ever seen.

 

ECU of doctor’s nose and ears ... HAIR!

 

                             LULA

                           (voice-over)

                  Afterwards...  Momma says...

 

We see Marietta standing next to the doctor.

 

                             LULA

                           (voice-over)

                  ...I hope you appreciate my spendin’

                  six hundred dollars, not countin’

                  what it cost us to get here and

                  back...  This man’s the best damn

                  abortionist in the South.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

39. INT. CAPE FEAR MOTEL - NIGHT

 

                             SAILOR

                  You tell the boy who knocked you up?

 

                             LULA

                  It was my cousin, Dell, done it?  His

                  folks used to visit with us summers.

 

                             SAILOR

                  What happened to him?

 

                             LULA

                  Oh, nothin’.  I never let on to mama

                  about Dell bein’ the one.  I just

                  flat refused to tell her who the

                  daddy was?  I didn’t tell Dell, neither.

                  He was back home in Chattanooga by then,

                  anyhow, and I didn’t see the point.

                  Somethin’ terrible happened to him,

                  though.  Six months ago.

 

                             SAILOR

                  What’s that, peanut?

 

                             LULA

                  Dell disappeared.  Dell was learnin’

                  a hard lesson.  What I learned from

                  observin’ Dell is I think people who

                  are frightened want to disappear.

                  He’d startin’ behavin’ weird?  Like

                  comin’ up to people every fifteen

                  minutes and askin’ how they were

                  doin’?

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

40. EXT. CITY STREET - CHATTANOOGA - DAY

 

DELL, wearing a soiled double-knit suit stops a LADY in the street, and

smiling about the fact that earlier that morning he’s placed a cockroach

on his anus, he speaks to the woman.

 

                             DELL

                  How’re ya doin’?

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

41. INT. CAPE FEAR HOTEL - NIGHT

 

                             LULA

                  And just seemin’ real spacey and

                  actin’ funny.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Actin’ funny how?

 

                             LULA

                  Well, like mama told me, Aunt Rootie,

                  Dell’s mama?  She found cockroaches

                  in Dell’s underwear.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

42. INT. AUNT ROOTIE’S HOUSE

 

CU of Aunt Rootie - unfolds a pair of dirty jockey shorts and several

cockroaches fall out.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

43. INT. CAPE FEAR HOTEL - NIGHT

 

                             LULA

                  One time, Aunt Rootie caught Dell

                  puttin’ one big cockroach on his anus?

 

                             SAILOR

                  Hell, peanut...

 

                             LULA

                  One time - real late - like about two

                  thirty a.m.?  She found Dell up in

                  the black of night all dressed and

                  makin’ sandwiches in the kitchen.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

44. AUNT ROOTIE’S HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT

 

In the dark kitchen, AUNT ROOTIE finds Dell making sandwiches - slicing

them on the diagonal.

 

                             AUNT ROOTIE

                  What’re ya doin’?

 

                             DELL

                  Makin’ my lunch!!!

 

                             LULA

                           (voice-over)

                  Dell told her he was makin’ his

                  lunch and goin’ to work.  He’s a

                  welder?  And she made him go back

                  to bed.

 

We see Aunt Rootie cross the kitchen - take the knife away from Dell and

lead him out of the kitchen.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

45. INT. CAPE FEAR HOTEL - NIGHT

 

                             LULA

                  Then he’d carry on about the weather? 

                  Talk about how rainfall’s controlled by

                  aliens livin’ on earth.  Also how men

                  wearin’ black leather gloves...

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

46. INT. AUNT ROOTIE’S HOUSE - DELL’S ROOM - NIGHT

 

Dell, crying uncontrollably, is in the center of the room squatting like

an indian in his jockey shorts.  He has a long ruler stretched out in

front of him which he’s using to press down on the top of a lone black

glove on the floor.

 

                             LULA

                           (voice-over)

                  ...are followin’ him around.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Prob’ly the rain boys from Outer Space.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

47. INT. CAPE FEAR HOTEL - NIGHT

 

                             LULA

                  It ain’t so funny now, though.  December

                  before Christmas?  Dell disappeared

                  again and Aunt Rootie hired a private

                  eye to find him.  He was missin’ for

                  almost a month before he wandered back

                  in the house on mornin’ dressed in some

                  filthy Santa Claus suit.

 

 

48A. EXT. AUNT ROOTIE’S HOUSE - DAY

 

Dell walking to house.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

48. INT. AUNT ROOTIE’S HOUSE - DAY

 

Dell enters the front door in a Santa Claus suit so filthy you can

hardly see the red through the black.  He walks right past Aunt Rootie

and goes back into the kitchen.  There he immediately does a spread-

eagle on the floor and violently scratches his left ankle.

 

                             LULA

                           (voice-over)

                  The private eye cost Aunt Rootie over

                  a thousand dollars?  Then a little

                  while later Dell ran off a third

                  time to some place he said would

                  “give him peace of mind.”  Nobody’s

                  seen him since.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

49. INT. CAPE FEAR HOTEL - NIGHT

 

                             SAILOR

                  Sound like ol’ Dell’s more’n just a

                  little confused, peanut...  Too

                  bad he couldn’t visit that ol’

                  Wizard of Oz and get some good advice.

 

                             LULA

                  Too bad we all can’t, baby...  One

                  thing about Dell?

 

                             SAILOR

                  What’s that?

 

                             LULA

                  When he was about seventeen, he

                  startin’ losin’ his hair.

 

                             SAILOR

                  So?

 

                             LULA

                  He’s twenty-four now?  A year older

                  than you?  And must be ’bout bald.

 

                             SAILOR

                  There’s worse things that can happen    

                  to a man, honey.

 

                             LULA

                  Yeah, I suppose.  But you know somethin’

                  baby, hair does make a difference.

 

Lula turns to study Sailor.

 

                             LULA

                  I sure am glad they didn’t give you

                  no prison haircut...

                         (sexual whisper)

                  Gives me somethin’ to grab hold of

                  while we’re makin’ love?

 

They kiss passionately.

 

DISSOLVE TO:

 

 

50. INT. CAPE FEAR HOTEL - NIGHT

 

Sailor gets up from the bed and begins putting on his clothes.  Lula is

painting her toenails red.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Let’s go dancin’, peanut.  I’m

                  ready.

 

                             LULA

                  We gotta be careful, honey, my mama’s

                  gonna have Johnnie Farragut on us

                  like a duck on a june bug, and he’s

                  one clever detective?  You know how

                  clever?  He once told me that he

                  could find an honest man in Washington.

                  My toenails gotta dry first anyways,

                  Sailor.

 

                             SAILOR

                  One thing puzzles my mind, sugar...

                  You’re twenty years old - aren’t

                  you ever curious why your mama has

                  this fixation on keepin’ us apart?

                  Puttin’ a detective on us.  I’ll tell

                  ya Lula...  Well...  It’s more’n me

                  killin’ Bob Ray Lemon...

 

                             LULA

                  Maybe my mama cares for me just a

                  little too much...

 

                             SAILOR

                  Yeah, maybe...

 

Sailor’s eyes seem to be thinking back...

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

51. INT. BAY ST. CLEMENT HOTEL - HALLWAY ABOVE BALLROOM - NIGHT

 

We see an empty carpeted hallway and can hear a ballroom dance band

playing in the distance.  Sailor obviously slightly drunk, comes down

the hall.  He carefully, almost losing his balance, places his drink

outside the MEN’S ROOM and enters.  Marietta standing down at the other

end of the hall - also drunk - smiles and stares at the MEN’S ROOM door

through her glazed eyes.  Sailor enters the MEN’S ROOM.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

52. INT. MEN’S ROOM - BAY ST. CLEMENT HOTEL - NIGHT

 

Sailor steps up to a urinal and starts doing his business.  Marietta

suddenly appears - drunk and laughing.  She grabs him and pulls him into

a stall - closing and locking the door behind them.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Hey, Sailor boy, you wanna fuck Lula’s

                  mama?...

 

                             SAILOR

                  No.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Well, she wants to fuck you.

 

She starts trying to French kiss Sailor when an OLD MAN comes in to

urinate and Sailor and Marietta freeze - in a kiss.  Sailor is going

crazy in one way (wishing this wasn’t happening.)  Marietta is going

crazy in another.  The man finishes and as he leaves...

 

                             OLD MAN

                        (covering his eyes from

                         seeing them)

                  Lousy fuckin’ homosexuals...

 

                             SAILOR

                        (instantly pulling away

                         from Marietta)

                  What are you, sick?...  I’m with Lula.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  No...  I just wanted to kiss you

                  good-bye...  You know too much ’bout

                  little Lula’s mom...

 

                             SAILOR

                  Whattya mean?

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Well, Johnnie told me you used to

                  drive for Clyde and Santos...

 

                             SAILOR

                  So?

 

                             MARIETTA

                  So maybe one night you got a little

                  too close to the fire...  And you’re

                  gonna get burned, baby...  And

                  besides that, you’re shit...  D’you

                  think I’d let my little girl go with

                  shit like you?...  Why, you belong

                  right here in one of these toilets.

 

                             SAILOR

                  You’re gonna have to kill me to keep

                  me away from Lula.

 

                             MARIETTA

                  Oh, don’t worry ’bout that...

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

INT. CAPE FEAR HOTEL - NIGHT

 

                             SAILOR

                  It’s a prob’lm I don’t think’s gonna

                  go away too soon though...  Peanut,

                  I’m thinkin’ of breakin’ parole and

                  takin’ you out to sunny California.

 

                             LULA

                  Sailor! 

 

                              SAILOR

                  You up for that?

 

                             LULA

                  I’d got to the far end of the world

                  for you, baby...  You know I would.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Those toenails dry yet?  We got some

                  dancin’ to do.

 

We drift down Lula’s long white legs to her blood red toenails.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

54. INT. “THE HURRICANE BAR” - NIGHT

 

CU of Lula’s dancing feet in black spiked-heel sandals exposing blurred

blood red toenails.  Lula and Sailor are at it again - dancing as if

plugged in to the main power plant.

 

DISSOLVE TO:

 

 

55. INT. BAR - BACK OF “THE HURRICANE” - NIGHT

 

Drenched in sweat, Sailor and Lula sit at a corner table chug-a-lugging

“Rolling Rock” during the band’s break.  Lula notices a girl in the

corner eye-balling Sailor.  She splits her attention between the girl

and Sailor.

 

                             LULA

                  ...That’s an awful long way to go,

                  just to get some pussy.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Yeah, I had my first taste on that

                  trip to Juarez.  At that age you

                  still got a lot of energy.

 

                             LULA

                  You still got plenty energy for

                  me, baby.

 

Lula has had enough of the girl staring at Sailor.

 

                             LULA

                  Take a picture, bitch...  It’ll

                  last longer.

 

                             GIRL

                  Oh yeah?

 

                             LULA

                  I’ll slap those eyes right outta

                  your head.

 

The girl gets up in a huff and leaves.

 

                             LULA

                  Sorry, baby...  When’s the first

                  time you done it with a girl who

                  wasn’t hookin’?

 

                             SAILOR

                  Maybe two, three months after Juarez.

                  I was visitin’ my cousin, Junior

                  Train, in Savannah, and we were at

                  some kid’s house whose parents were

                  out of town.  A girl comes up to me

                  that was real tall, taller than me.

                 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

56. INT. JUNIOR TRAIN’S FRIEND’S HOUSE - KITCHEN - SAVANNAH

 

We see what he talks about.

 

                             SAILOR

                           (voice-over)

                  She looked right at me and run her

                  tongue over her lips and put her

                  hand on my arm - told me her name

                  was Irma.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

57. INT. BAR - BACK OF “THE HURRICANE” - NIGHT

 

                             LULA

                  What’d you say to her?

 

                             SAILOR

                  Told her my name.  Then she said

                  somethin’ like, ‘It’s so noisy

                  down here.  Why don’t we go

                  upstairs so we can hear ourselves?’

                  She turned around and led the way.

                  I knew I had an important lesson

                  to learn that day.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

58. INT. JUNIOR TRAIN’S FRIEND’S HOUSE - STAIRWAY - NIGHT

 

We see what he talks about.

 

                             SAILOR

                           (voice-over)

                  When she got almost to the top step

                  I stuck my hand between her legs

                  from behind.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

59. INT. BAR - BACK OF “THE HURRICANE” - NIGHT

 

                             LULA

                  Oh, baby.  What a bad boy you are!

 

                             SAILOR

                            (laughing)

                  That’s just what she said.  I had

                  a boner with a capital “O.”  I

                  went to kiss her but she broke off

                  laughin’ and ran down the hallway.

                  I found her lyin’ on a bed in a room

                  filled with assault weapons and

                  Penthouse magazines.  She was a wild

                  chick.  She was wearin’ bright orange

                  pants with kind of Spanish lookin’ lacy

                  black stripes down the sides.  You

                  know, them kind that doesn’t go all

                  the way down your leg?

 

                             LULA

                  You mean like pedal pushers?

 

                             SAILOR

                  I guess.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

60. INT. JUNIOR TRAIN’S FRIEND’S HOUSE - BEDROOM NIGHT

 

We see what he talks about.

 

                             SAILOR

                           (voice-over)

                  She just rolled over onto her stomach

                  and stuck her ass up in the air.  I

                  slid my hand between her legs and       

                  she closed her thighs on it.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

61. INT. BAR - BACK OF “THE HURRICANE” - NIGHT

 

                             LULA

                  You’re excitin’ me, honey.  What’d

                  she do?

 

                              SAILOR

                  Her face was half-pushed into the

                  pillow, and she looked back over

                  her shoulder at me and said, ‘I

                  won’t suck you.  Don’t ask me to

                  suck you.’

 

                             LULA

                  Poor baby.  She don’t know what she

                  missed.  What color hair she have?

 

                             SAILOR

                  Sorta brown, blonde, I guess.  But

                  dig this, sweetie.  Then she turns

                  over, peels off them orange pants,

                  and spreads her legs real wide and

                  says to me...

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

62. INT. JUNIOR TRAIN’S FRIEND’S HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT

 

                             IRMA

                        (her smiling face)

                  Take a bite of peach.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

63. INT. BAR - BACK OF “THE HURRICANE” - NIGHT

 

                             LULA

                             (howls)

                  Jesus, honey!  You more’n sorta

                  got what you come for...  You

                  better rum me back to the hotel,

                  baby...  You got me hotter’n

                  Georgia asphalt.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Say no more...  But go easy on me,

                  sweetheart...  Tomorrow we got alotta

                  drivin’ to do.

                   (he takes out a cigarette and laughs)

                  Hotter’n Georgia asphalt?

 

ECU of match striking and bursting into flames.

 

WHITE OUT:

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

64. INT. THUNDERBIRD CONVERTIBLE - DAY

 

Sailor is at the wheel of the dark blue ’67 Thunderbird convertible. 

They are flying down a two-lane Southern highway.

 

                             LULA

                  I’ll drop mama a postcard from

                  somewhere.  I mean, I don’t want her

                  to worry no more’n necessary.

 

                             SAILOR

                  What do you mean by necessary?  She’s

                  prob’ly already called the cops, my

                  parole officer, her p.i. boyfriend

                  Johnnie Farragut.

 

                             LULA

                  I suppose so.  She knew I was bound

                  to see you soon as you was sprung,

                  but I don’t figure she counted on

                  us takin’ off together like this...

                  I guess this means you’re breakin’

                  parole, then?

 

                             SAILOR

                  You guess?  My parole was broke two

                  hundred miles back when we burnt

                  Portagee County.

 

                             LULA

                  What’ll it be like in California,

                  Sailor, do you think?  I hear it

                  don’t rain much there.

 

                             SAILOR

                  You got about six more big states

                  to go before we find out.

 

                              LULA

                  We got through two states already.

 

Lula lights up a cigarette.

 

                             SAILOR

                  That don’t smell like a More. 

 

                             LULA

                  It ain’t.  It’s part of the lessons

                  of life.  I picked me up a pack of

                  Vantages before we left the Cape?

 

                             SAILOR

                  They sure do stink.

 

                             LULA

                  Yeah, I guess, but - and here’s the

                  lesson part - they ain’t supposed

                  to be so bad for you.

 

                             SAILOR

                  You ain’t gonna begin worryin’ about

                  what’s bad for you at this hour, are

                  you, sugar?  I mean, here you are

                  crossin’ state lines with a A-

                  Number One certified murderer.

 

                             LULA

                  Manslaughterer, honey, not murderer.

                  Don’t exaggerate.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Okay, manslaughterer who’s broke his

                  parole and got in mind nothin’ but

                  immoral purposes far’s you’re

                  concerned.

 

                             LULA

                  Thank the Lord.  Well, you ain’t let

                  me down yet, Sailor.  That’s more’n

                  I can say for the rest of the world?

 

Sailor laughs and shoots the T-Bird up to seventy. 

 

                             SAILOR

                  You please me, too, peanut.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

65. INT. JOHNNIE FARRAGUT’S ’69 MAROON BUICK - DAY

 

Johnnie Farragut drives down a Southern highway on his mission.

 

DISSOLVE TO:

 

 

66. INT. THUNDERBIRD - DAY

 

                             SAILOR

                  Life is a bitch and then you marry one.

 

                             LULA

                  What kinda trash talk is that?

 

                             SAILOR

                             (laughs)

                  What it says on the bumper sticker

                  up front.  On that pickup.

 

                             LULA

                  That’s disgustin’.  Those kinda

                  sentiments shouldn’t be allowed out

                  in public.  Is this Biloxi yet?

 

                             SAILOR

                  Almost.  I figure we should find us

                  a place to stay and then go eat.

 

                             LULA

                  Got anyplace special in mind?

 

                             SAILOR

                  We oughta stay somewhere outta the

                  way.  Not in no Holidays or Ramadas

                  or Motel Six.  If Johnnie Farragut’s

                  on our trail he’ll check those first.

 

 

66A. EXT. THUNDERBIRD/EXT. THE HOST OF THE OLD SOUTH HOTEL - DAY

 

They pass the Biloxi City Limit sign.

 

                             LULA

                  How about that one?  The Host of

                  the Old South Hotel.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Looks more like the Ghost of the

                  Old South, but we’ll try her.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

67. INT. THE HOST OF THE OLD SOUTH HOTEL - EVENING

 

The room is large but cheap.  Lula strips off the dishwater grey

bedspread and tosses it over by the bureau.  Sailor looks out the broken

window.

 

                             LULA

                  I H-A-T-E hotel bedspreads.  They

                  don’t hardly never get washed, and

                  I don’t like the idea of lyin’ on

                  other people’s dirt.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Come look at this.

 

                             LULA

                       (going to the window)

                  What’s that, honey?

 

                             SAILOR

                       (thinking about death)

                  There ain’t no water in the swimmin’

                  pool.  Just a dead tree fell in,

                  prob’ly from bein’ struck by lightnin’.

 

                             LULA

                       (thinking about granddad)

                  It’s huge.  This musta been a grand

                  old place at one time.

 

 

                             SAILOR

                  Let’s get fed, sweetheart.  The

                  light’s fadin’ fast.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

68. EXT. ROADSIDE PAYPHONE - NIGHT

 

Marcello Santos is making a phone call.

 

                             SANTOS

                  Hello there, Mr. Reindeer... 

                  Marcello Santos speaking.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

69. INT. MR. REINDEER’S POSH NEW ORLEANS RESIDENCE - NIGHT

 

An old man, MR. REINDEER, wearing a tuxedo is sitting on the toilet -

his pants down - talking on the bathroom phone.  He laughs a long deep

smoker’s laugh.

 

                             MR. REINDEER

                               (laughing)

                  Mr. Marcello Santos...  Hey there...

                  That was great shit you sent in last

                  month...

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

68A. EXT. ROADSIDE PAYPHONE - NIGHT

 

                             SANTOS

                  I gotta problem...  In fact, I gotta

                  coupl’a problems...

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

69A. INT. MR. REINDEER’S POSH NEW ORLEANS RESIDENCE - NIGHT

 

                             MR. REINDEER

                             (laughs again)

                  Gotta coupl’a problems, huh?...  For

                  each problem drop a silver dollar

                  through my mail slot...  With all

                  particulars...  We’ll work out

                  “il conto” later...

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

70. INT. JOHNNIE FARRAGUT’S MAROON ’69 BUICK - NIGHT

 

Johnnie Farragut steers the Buick down the dark highway past a sign

which reads, “NEW ORLEANS - 26 MILES”.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

71. EXT. BEACH - NIGHT

 

Sailor and Lula are walking along the beach.  Lula takes off her shoes.

 

                             LULA

                        (sing-song spells)

                  M-i-ss-i-ss-i-pp-i...  You can almost

                  hear that jazz blowin’ up from the

                  big N.O.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Lula...  I learned somethin’ interestin’

                  today on a science show I heard on the

                  radio...  How leeches is comin’ back

                  into style.

 

                             LULA

                  Say what?  Honestly, sugar, you can

                  talk more shit sometimes?

 

She takes out a cigarette the length and width of a Dixon Ticonderoga

No. 2 pencil and lights it.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Got you a pack of Mores again, huh?

 

                             LULA

                  Yeah, it’s a real problem for me,

                  Sailor, you know?  When I went in

                  that drugstore by the restaurant in

                  Biloxi?  I saw ’em by the register

                  and the girl throw ’em in.  I’m

                  not big on resistin’.  So what about

                  a leech?

 

                             SAILOR

                  Heard on the radio how doctors is

                  usin’ leeches again, just in old

                  times.  You know, when even barbers

                  used ’em?

 

                             LULA

                           (shuddering)

                  I got one on me at Lake Lanier. 

                  Lifeguard poured salt on it and it

                  dropped off.  Felt awful.  He was a

                  cute boy, though, so it was almost

                  worth it.

 

Sailor laughs.

 

                             SAILOR

                  Yeah, well listen to this...  Radio

                  said back in the 1920s a I-talian

                  doctor figured out that if, say, a

                  fella got his nose cut off or bit

                  off in, say, a barfight or somethin’,

                  they’d sew one of his forearms to his

                  nose for a few weeks...  Then put

                  leeches on it.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

71A. CU of MAN with forearm sewed to nose.

 

                                                                 CUT TO:

 

 

72. EXT. BEACH - NIGHT

 

                             LULA

                  Sailor?  You expect me to believe

                  a man’d be goin’ around with a    

                  arm sewed to his nose?

 

                             SAILOR

                             (nodding)

                  How they used to do it.  Course they

                  got more sophisticated ways now.

                  Radio said the Chinese, I think it

                  is, figured a better idea is by

                  insertin’ a balloon in the forehead

                  and lettin’ it hand down on the nose.

 

Lula shrieks.

 

                             LULA

                  Sailor Ripley!  You stop!  You’re

                  makin’ this shit up and I ain’t

                  gonna sit for it!

 

                             SAILOR

                  Honest, Lula.  I prob’ly ain’t

                  precisely got all the facts straight,

                  but it’s about what they said.

 

                             LULA

                  Honey, we’re goin’ to bed now and

                  it’s time to change the subject.

 

She’s so cute Sailor just has to kiss her.

 

DISSOLVE TO:

 

 

73. INT. THUNDERBIRD - SOUTHERN HIGHWAY - DAY

 

Sailor and Lula pass a sign that reads “NEW ORLEANS - 26 MILES”.  Sailor

pulls off the road into a Gulf gas station mini-mart and stops the car

next to a self-serve pump.  A sign on the top of it says “PLEASE PAY

INSIDE BEFORE FUELING.”

 

                             SAILOR

                  We’re about dry bones, sweetheart.

                  We don’t wanna have to push this

                  “bird” into New Orleans.

 

                             LULA

                  We sure don’t, honey...

                      (shouting to Sailor as

                      he goes into the store)

                  Get me a Mounds?

 

 

74. INT. MINI-MART - DAY

 

A tall OLD BLACK MAN about seventy years old, wearing a torn green

Tulane tee-shirt and a dirty orange Saints baseball cap, is filing items

on the counter by the cash register.  In the pile are four ready-made,

plastic-wrapped sandwiches, two tuna salad and two cotto salami; six

Twinkies; a package of Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies; four Slice

colas; two Barq’s root beers; and a large package of fried pork rinds,