"HOOKER &
BEAR"
by
Charles Deemer
3550 SW
Pomona St.
Portland, OR 97219-7518
charles@charlesdeemer.com
1-503-452-8277
FADE IN:
EXT. NOB
HILL BAR & GRILL - DAY
A bar and
cafe in a suburban neighborhood.
INT. NOB
HILL BAR & GRILL - TABLE - DAY
At a table
are Robert BASS, known as "Bear", and Red HOOKER.
Two retired
old men over breakfast. They've done this
thousands of
times before.
They eat a
moment in silence. They know one another so well
they don't have
to talk much.
Hooker
pushes an envelope across the table.
HOOKER
Happy birthday. You don't look a
day over eighty.
Bass stares
at the envelope. It clearly contains a card.
BASS
How long have we known each
other?
HOOKER
Fifty years or more.
BASS
Fifty-two. I don't remember ever
getting a birthday card from you.
HOOKER
Who said it's a birthday card?
Bass opens
the envelope and finds...
A GREETING
CARD
showing an
airplane trailing a sign that says "Bon Voyage!"
BASS
You're taking a trip?
HOOKER
We are. The original manuscript
of Kerouac's "On the
Road" is on
display at the Smithsonian all
month. I think we should go see
it.
2.
BASS
Drive three thousand miles to go
to a museum.
HOOKER
(he uses "asshole"
affectionately)
It's an icon, asshole. A 120-foot
scroll that changed history.
EXT. NOB
HILL BAR & GRILL - DAY
They come
outside.
HOOKER
We always talked about taking a
cross-country trip together.
BASS
That was before senility. I was
going to write my novel this
summer.
HOOKER
Bear, you've been saying that
every summer for thirty years.
Hooker sees
disapproval in Bass' change of expression.
HOOKER
Just think about it. Give me a
call when you change your mind.
EXT.
NEIGHBORHOOD - BASS' APARTMENT - DAY
Bass drives
a economy car, which pulls into an apartment
parking lot.
INT.
APARTMENT - MAIL BOXES - DAY
The mailman
is delivering mail.
BASS
Why don't we eliminate the middle
man and you just deep six my junk
mail for me?
MAILMAN
You got a personal letter today.
Bass looks
at him in disbelief.
3.
INT. BASS'
APARTMENT - KITCHEN - DAY
Bass drops a
pile of junk mail and one personal letter on
the kitchen
counter. He picks up the latter.
The return
address reads: "Farmington Detective Agency."
He opens the
envelope.
A letter and
a second, smaller envelope are enclosed. He
glances
quickly at the cover letter and rips open the small
envelope.
A
hand-written letter. He reads:
STEPHANIE (V.O.)
"Dear Robert, Hello. I
really
don't know where to start with
this letter. It has come to my
attention that you have been
trying to get in touch with me. I
don't know why, after all these
years, you have an interest in
me.
I can only assume that you are
trying to make amends for the
past. However, I am not at all
ready to make amends with you.
About 3 years ago I had a memory
recall regarding my visit with
you in Maryland. In that recall I
remembered an incident of sexual
abuse that occurred between you
and I. It has taken me a long
time to begin coming to terms
with this memory, though I have
absolutely no doubt that the
incident did, in fact, take
place.
I want no part of you! I am
asking that you respect my
boundaries and stay away.
Sincerely, Stephanie."
Bass stares
at the letter. He picks up the small envelope.
The return
address is from College Park, Maryland.
Bass goes to
the phone. He punches a number from memory.
INT.
BOARDING HOUSE - HOOKER'S ROOM - DAY
Hooker lives
in a small studio apartment in a boarding house.
Small but
immaculate. A soldier's room.
The phone
rings.
4.
INTERCUT
HOOKER
Hooker.
BASS
Let's do it.
HOOKER
All right! That was quicker than
I expected.
BASS
How soon can you get ready?
HOOKER
First you're not interested, now
you're in a sprint.
BASS
Will first thing in the morning
work?
EXT. COLLEGE
CAMPUS - FACULTY PARKING - DAY
Bass' car
pulls into a college parking lot.
EXT. COLLEGE
CAMPUS - QUAD - DAY
Bass walking
across campus. He passes PROF. ADAM SHELL, a
former
colleague.
BASS
Adam.
SHELL
If I didn't know better, I'd
think you were heading to the
library. I thought retirement
meant you did a lot of fishing.
BASS
Inquiring minds never rest.
INT. COLLEGE
CAMPUS - LIBRARY - DAY
Bass at the
computer. He's brought up a list of books under
the subject
"Childhood Sexual Abuse." They have titles like
"Sexual
Healing", "Michelle Remembers", "Too Scared To Cry",
"Dancing
With Daddy".
5.
Then a
different title changes Bass' expression.
INT. COLLEGE
CAMPUS - SHELVES - DAY
Bass looking
for a book. He finds it and grabs it.
The book is
"The Myth Of Repressed Memory: False Memories
And
Allegations Of Sexual Abuse" by Dr. Elizabeth Loftus.
INT. COLLEGE
CAMPUS - TABLE - DAY
Bass reading
the book.
DR. ELIZABETH LOFTUS
(V.O.)
"...memory fades with time,
losing detail and accuracy; as
time goes by, the weakened
memories are increasingly
vulnerable to 'post-event
imagination' -- facts, ideas,
inferences, and opinions that
become available to a witness
after an event is completely
over.
... Once these details were
inserted into a person's mind
through the technique of exposure
to post-event information, they
were adopted as the truth and
protected as fiercely as the
'real,' original details."
INT. COLLEGE
CAMPUS - COPY MACHINE - DAY
Bass copying
pages from the book.
EXT. COLLEGE
CAMPUS - LIBRARY - DAY
Bass coming
down the stairs.
A woman
catches up with him. This is MARY, 60s.
MARY
Robert Bass?
Bass stops
and turns.
MARY
It is you! Mary Warner.
6.
BASS
Mary? My God, it is you.
MARY
I kept staring at you in the
library. I couldn't believe it
was you. How long's it been?
Thirty years?
BASS
More. Do you live here?
MARY
I came down from Seattle to visit
my daughter. Over thirty years.
Listen, do you have time for
coffee?
EXT.
SIDEWALK CAFE - TABLE - DAY
Bass and
Mary over coffee at a sidewalk table.
MARY
Did you keep in touch with anyone
from Chesapeake?
BASS
Hardly. Given the circumstances
of my departure.
MARY
It was a crazy time, wasn't it?
After Sally came out, about a
year after you left, I felt
guilty about not being your
friend. Once I understood she was
a lesbian, everything made sense.
You needed a friend then. I let
you down.
BASS
I let myself down. I should have
left quietly.
MARY
Quiet you weren't. Your scandal
kept the cocktail parties buzzing
till the thing happened between
Jim and Stacy.
BASS
Don't tell me they split up. They
were everybody's favorite student
couple.
7.
MARY
Of course, you wouldn't know.
Remember cute little Carrie?
Apparently Jim molested her.
As Mary
talks silently on, Bass is lost in thought. The
subtext is
clear: if Jim molested Carrie, might he also have
molested
Stephanie?
EXT.
CHESAPEAKE - FARMHOUSE - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
SUPER:
"Chesapeake, Maryland. Summer, 1972."
Dozens of
cars parked around an isolated farmhouse.
INT.
FARMHOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
A younger
Bass, 30s, mixing a drink in a noisy, crowded
kitchen.
Sitting at
the breakfast bar is STEPHANIE, 8, plain and
looking out
of place.
BASS
Jim! Here you go!
JIM, 20s,
takes the drink.
BASS
Have you met my daughter,
Stephanie?
JIM
No. Hi there, Stephanie!
An
embarrassed Stephanie turns away.
BASS
She's a little shy.
JIM
But what a cutie.
EXT.
SIDEWALK CAFE - TABLE - DAY
Mary leaning
toward Bass.
MARY
Robert, I asked if you could come
to dinner tomorrow night. I'd
like you to meet my daughter.
8.
BASS
I'm leaving on a trip tomorrow.
MARY
Where are you going?
BASS
To see the Kerouac Scroll at the
Smithsonian.
MARY
A literary pilgrimage! How
exciting.
EXT. STREET
- DAY
Bass walking
with Mary. She stops at a car.
MARY
This is me. Will you send me a
postcard?
BASS
I need an address.
She already
is fetching a business card. She hands it to him.
MARY
Maybe you can visit me in Seattle
some time.
BASS
I'd like that.
She leans
forward and kisses him on the cheek.
MARY
It's so great to see you again.
Have a wonderful trip.
Bass looks
stunned by the kiss.
INT. BASS'
APARTMENT - NIGHT
Bass sitting
by the phone. He looks indecisive, as if he's
been sitting
there a long time.
INT.
FARMHOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Bass with
SALLY, 20s, tall, striking. Through the kitchen
window,
Stephanie alone, twirling around to amuse herself.
9.
BASS
I feel so awkward around her. I
wish she was a boy. We could play
catch.
SALLY
I could take her shopping with me
if you like.
BASS
Would you do that? It'd give me a
chance to get some writing done.
Sally
touches him on the cheek.
SALLY
She doesn't bite.
BASS
I feel like we're from different
planets.
SALLY
I'll take her off your hands for
the afternoon.
BASS
What would I do without you?
They kiss.
INT. BASS'
APARTMENT - NIGHT
Bass picks
up the phone. He doesn't dial. He sets down the
receiver.
EXT.
HOOKER'S BOARDING HOUSE - DAY
Hooker
sitting on the steps with a small suitcase.
Bass' car
pulls up.
Hooker puts
the suitcase in back and climbs in.
The car
pulls off.
EXT. INTERSTATE
- DAY
Bass' car on
the interstate, leaving the city.
10.
EXT. TRUCK
STOP - DAY
Pulling into
a truck stop.
INT. TRUCK
STOP - BOOTH - DAY
Bass and
Hooker after breakfast.
Bass looking
at a small notebook. Hooker is smoking.
BASS
Okay, here's the itinerary: we
use only four interstates, 84,
80,
76 and 70, which takes us to
Boise, Salt Lake City, Cheyenne,
Lincoln, Des Moines, Iowa City,
South Bend, Toledo, Cleveland,
Pittsburgh and Washington D.C. I
figure a week to ten days to get
across the country. I don't want
to push it with my bad back.
Here,
this is for you.
He hands
Hooker an envelope.
HOOKER
What's this?
He takes out
money. Big bills.
BASS
So you have spending money.
HOOKER
What do you get in return?
BASS
We stay in no smoking rooms.
HOOKER
You're getting off cheap.
Hooker
pockets the money.
BASS
It's Hollywood's money.
HOOKER
You're still whoring for them?
11.
BASS
I don't have to. I won't live
long enough to spend what they
already paid me.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
Back on the
road. Bass driving.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Hooker
starts to light up.
BASS
Ah-ah. That's what rest stops are
for.
HOOKER
The next one then.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - REST STOP - DAY
Bass pulling
in.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - REST STOP - DAY (LATER)
Bass pulling
out.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - ANOTHER AREA - DAY
Cruising in
the slow lane.
INT.
RESTAURANT - BOOTH - DAY
Finishing
burgers.
Bass pushes
his daughter's letter in front of Hooker.
BASS
Read this.
Hooker
starts reading the letter.
HOOKER
(still reading)
Helen put her up to this.
12.
BASS
That never crossed my mind.
HOOKER
She hated you for leaving her for
Sally.
BASS
I left her before I met Sally.
HOOKER
Not in Helen's eyes.
He returns
the letter.
HOOKER
Where's your daughter now?
BASS
College Park, Maryland.
Hooker
thinks a moment.
HOOKER
You're not on this trip for
Kerouac. You're going to see your
daughter.
BASS
Wouldn't you?
HOOKER
Damn right. A man's character is
the most important thing he has.
BASS
I have a suspect. I found out a
student I knew molested his step-
daughter. He was at our house
parties all the time. He could've
gone upstairs to Stephanie's room
and nobody would've known the
difference.
HOOKER
Tell your daughter that.
BASS
It may not make a difference.
13.
HOOKER
This is such bullshit, Bear.
Makes me sick Helen would pervert
a kid's mind like this. If you're
a child molester, then I'm a
raging drag queen.
The WAITRESS
has appeared and overhears this. She looks
shocked at
what she's heard.
HOOKER
(to Waitress)
Does he look like a pedophile to
you?
Bass and the
waitress are both stunned.
WAITRESS
Pardon me?
HOOKER
We're brain-storming a new movie
idea. A man's accused of
molesting
his daughter, only he's innocent.
But of course, the damage is
done,
you're guilty until proven
innocent in the world's eyes.
Would you see a movie about that?
WAITRESS
You make movies?
HOOKER
He writes them. I'm just an idea
man.
WAITRESS
(to Bass)
You write anything I might have
seen?
HOOKER
You see "Rain Main"?
WAITRESS
I love that movie!
Hooker
smiles and points at Bass. Bass manages to grin.
WAITRESS
I can't believe this!
(to Bass)
Can I get your autograph?
14.
EXT.
RESTAURANT - DAY
Walking to
the car.
HOOKER
You didn't want her to think
you're a pervert, did you? I
rescued you, asshole.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
Back on the
road.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Hooker,
riding shotgun, sees something ahead.
HOOKER
Check this out.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
They pass a
hitchhiker. This is ANGEL, 20s, wearing all
black,
Gothic, with pink spiked hair and jewelry hanging off
her flesh
everywhere.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Hooker turns
around to stare at her.
HOOKER
God damn, man, can you believe
that shit? You ever get students
like her?
BASS
The style is called Gothic. She's
yesterday's news, to tell the
truth.
HOOKER
What the hell can she be
thinking?
EXT.
INTERSTATE - REST STOP - DAY
Bass takes
the turn off into a rest stop.
15.
INT. REST
STOP - BATHROOM - DAY
Bass at the
sink. He stares at himself in the mirror. He
looks old.
EXT. REST
STOP - DAY
Hooker sits
on a picnic table, smoking. Bass arrives.
HOOKER
That hitchhiker we passed ... I
think she had a nose ring. If she
has a cold, do you think she
blows bubbles?
Hooker
laughs like hell.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
Back on the
road.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass
driving.
HOOKER
Jesus Christ! Are we there yet?
BASS
We've barely begun.
HOOKER
Tell me about it.
BASS
We need some way to pass the
time.
How about we rap?
HOOKER
Rap? While you weren't
looking,
Bear, the sixties went long gone.
BASS
They didn't die, they got usurped
by the mainstream. That's the
genius of this country. If
something threatens, incorporate
it as your own.
HOOKER
So what would we rap about?
16.
BASS
Whatever. Pick a topic.
HOOKER
This sounds like "The
Canterbury
Tales."
BASS
Or "Tuesdays With
Morrie."
HOOKER
Heavy, heavy.
BASS
Let's rap about something light.
Sports. You want to start?
HOOKER
You start.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
The car
drives on.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Picking it
up.
BASS
Jocks today have no class. Some
lineman sacks the quarterback.
Big deal. That's his job. So he
struts around like he's just won
the Super Bowl.
HOOKER
And those end zone dances after a
touchdown!
BASS
They're the worst. What assholes.
Can you imagine Huge McElhenny
doing a dance after scoring? Or
Alan Ameche?
HOOKER
Joe Perry? Gayle Sayers? Jim
Brown?
BASS
No way. Players today are
arrogant
dicks.
17.
HOOKER
And millionaires.
BASS
There are millionaires sitting on
the bench.
HOOKER
When McElhenny turned pro, a
reporter asked him to compare it
to college ball. He said, "I
like
pro ball all right but I don't
like the salary cut."
EXT. SMALL
TOWN - CAFE - DAY
The car
parked in front of a cafe in a town off the interstate.
INT. CAFE -
TABLE - DAY
Bass and
Hooker over pie and coffee.
BASS
You know what I like to watch
these days? Women's sports. You
still get a feel for the old
days.
HOOKER
Not to mention all those sweet
young things running around in
shorts. Sports as mental
masturbation.
BASS
Everything doesn't reduce to sex.
HOOKER
Of course it does.
BASS
At my age, it doesn't.
HOOKER
The mind never ages. You've got a
decrepit body with the mind of a
horny teenager, just like me.
They eat.
HOOKER
Poker. There's a neglected sport.
18.
BASS
Poker isn't a sport. It's a game.
HOOKER
Same difference.
BASS
A sport is not the same thing as
a game.
HOOKER
What are you, playing the
intellectual snob card? To most
people, they're the same. Miss!
He waves at
the WAITRESS. In so doing, he knocks his cup of
coffee to
the floor.
The WAITRESS
hurries over and sees the mess.
HOOKER
I need a smoke.
Hooker is
out of there. Bass closes his eyes. The waitress
rushes off
for a mop.
EXT. CAFE -
DAY
Bass comes
out. He sees Hooker up the street, waving his arms.
EXT. LIBRARY
- DAY
Bass joins
Hooker in front of a small building, the library.
HOOKER
Follow me.
INT. LIBRARY
- DAY
Hooker leads
Bass to a large dictionary on a table. He opens
it to a
marked place and reads.
HOOKER
"Sport: physical activity
engaged
in for pleasure."
He turns to
a second marked place.
19.
HOOKER
"Game: activity engaged in
for
diversion or amusement." I
rest
my case.
BASS
Let me see that.
He looks at
the entries himself.
BASS
You editorialized. "Game: a
physical or mental
competition."
Sport is always physical.
Obviously poker is mental, so
it's not a sport.
HOOKER
Let me see that.
Hooker
reaches for the dictionary but Bass stops him. They
wrestle for
control of the book -- and in the process...
RIIPPPPP!
... a page gets ripped out.
PATRONS look
up. A shocked LIBRARIAN rushes their way.
HOOKER
I need a smoke.
And he's out
of there.
Bass has his
wallet out when the librarian arrives. He drops
a pile of
bills on the open dictionary.
BASS
This should cover it.
EXT. LIBRARY
- DAY
Hooker is
smoking on the steps. Bass comes out.
HOOKER
The hell poker isn't physical.
I've seen fights break out during
a game. I've seen people get
shot.
Not physical, my ass.
EXT. MOTEL -
NIGHT
The car
parked at a motel.
20.
INT. MOTEL -
ROOM - NIGHT
Two beds.
Bass' bag on one, Hooker's on the other.
INT.
RESTAURANT - NIGHT
Over dinner.
HOOKER
Rap two: sex and lust.
BASS
Oh, boy.
HOOKER
The cliche is right. Men trade
love for sex. Women trade sex for
love.
BASS
It's more complicated than that.
HOOKER
We're animals, Bear. The Puritans
understood this and condemned
everyone to hell unless they
controlled their natural
instincts
and bought into Jesus. Your
beloved sixties knew this and
everybody partied. That's what I
miss about the sixties. Easy sex.
BASS
There was no AIDS.
HOOKER
What's your best sex ever? Sally,
right?
BASS
That was so long ago. But of
course. And you?
HOOKER
There've been so many, I hardly
know where to begin.
BASS
I thought it would be that grad
student you had an affair with.
You wrote pretty hot letters
about her.
21.
HOOKER
Maybe. Or...
BASS
Who?
HOOKER
I don't know if I should tell you
this.
BASS
We tell each other everything.
Eventually.
HOOKER
Sally.
BASS
Sally what?
A moment of
comprehension.
BASS
I don't believe you told me that.
HOOKER
It was after you'd split up, for
Christ's sake. I was back east on
business and decided to drop down
to the shore and say howdy. I
didn't give a shit if she was a
lesbian or not. Imagine my
surprise when she seduced me.
BASS
Yeah, right.
HOOKER
I swear to God I didn't start it.
You said she was a lesbian. And
she was. She used me to get back
at you for screwing her student.
She just didn't figure it would
take me thirty years to tell you.
Bass stares
off.
INT. MOTEL -
ROOM - NIGHT
They are
both in bed watching TV.
22.
BASS
Well, at least we can say we've
both been to bed with the same
woman. In all those years, she's
the only one.
HOOKER
Different tastes and good sense.
BASS
I can see Sally doing that. She
was so pissed at me. And rightly
so. I should've left quietly
without causing a scandal.
HOOKER
No scandal? Wouldn't be the Bear
everyone knows and loves.
A silence.
BASS
I wonder what Sally would say
about Stephanie. She was there,
maybe she saw something I missed.
HOOKER
She'd know you wouldn't do such a
thing. You should use her as a
character witness. A man's
character is the most important
thing he owns.
EXT. MOTEL -
DAY
Hooker out
front smoking.
Across the
way, a car door opens. And Angel comes out of the
back seat.
She carries a suitcase and a guitar.
She strolls
out to the road and sticks out her thumb.
Hooker
fascinated by her.
A truck
pulls over. Angel climbs in.
Bass comes
out.
HOOKER
You'll never guess what I just
saw.
23.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
Back on the
road.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass
driving.
HOOKER
I bet he got a blow job.
BASS
Who?
HOOKER
The trucker who picked her up.
BASS
You sound jealous.
HOOKER
Of a blow job? What a concept.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
Cruising in
the slow lane.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Hooker perks
up.
HOOKER
Rap number three: Wives. I'll
start. The first truism about
wives: they never turn out to be
the woman you thought you
married.
BASS
Hear, hear!
HOOKER
They become this different
person,
this social construct, this wife.
Wife’s rule number one: rule the
nest! Keep it in order. The wife
is a boss first and foremost.
It’s biological. She protects the
nest.
24.
BASS
So you come home from work tired,
wanting nothing more than to
relax, have a drink, think of
nothing or at least nothing that
involves work or responsibility.
And what happens? The wife meets
you with a list of things to do.
HOOKER
A faucet's dripping, the lawn
needs mowing, the roof leaks.
Blah blah blah.
BASS
Blah blah blah.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
The car
cruises along the interstate.
HOOKER (V.O.)
Wives are born meddlers. They
don't know shit about plumbing
and now they're telling you how
to change a washer.
BASS (V.O.)
They're thirty pounds overweight
and bitch about you
over-eating.
Meddle, meddle, meddle.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - REST STOP - DAY
Pulling into
another rest stop.
The car
parks. Bass and Hooker get out.
HOOKER
Well, looky here.
Across the
way, Angel sits at a picnic table.
Hooker
starts toward her.
BASS
Hooker?
Hooker
ignores him. Bass heads for the rest room.
25.
INT. REST
STOP - REST ROOM - DAY
Bass doing
his business.
Bass staring
at himself in the mirror. Still old.
EXT. REST
STOP - DAY
Bass sees
Hooker talking with Angel. He walks to the car.
Bass leans
against the car, waiting.
Finally
Hooker approaches.
BASS
No.
HOOKER
Just to Cheyenne.
BASS
No.
HOOKER
Too late. I already offered.
And Angel
arrives. She's a trip: the spiked pink hair, lip
rings and
nose rings and earrings, dressed entirely in black.
But the guitar
case is gone.
ANGEL
Hey, man.
HOOKER
This is Bear. This is Angel.
BASS
Hey.
HOOKER
Allow me.
He opens the
back door.
ANGEL
I really appreciate this.
HOOKER
What happened to the guitar?
26.
ANGEL
You passed me before, right? I
thought it was you. I left it in
a truck. I'm so pissed.
She crawls
in.
Hooker grins
at Bass. He has a signature grin, full of the
suggestion
of mischief.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
On the road
again.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Angel leans
forward.
ANGEL
Where you guys headed?
HOOKER
To our nation's capital to honor
the Kerouac Scroll with our
presence.
ANGEL
What's that?
HOOKER
Professor, you want to fill her
in?
BASS
Be my guest.
HOOKER
The original manuscript of
"On
the Road," which Jack
Kerouac put
through his typewriter in one
long continuous sheet of teletype
paper, over one hundred feet
long.
ANGEL
That's awesome! I love it! If I
write a book, that's what I'm
going to do.
HOOKER
And what would your book be
about?
ANGEL
My wild and crazy life.
27.
HOOKER
For example?
ANGEL
I've spent the last two years
doing legal tricks in a house in
Winnemucca. I've had a lot of
weird experiences, believe me.
HOOKER
You don't look old enough to be a
hooker.
ANGEL
I hate that term. I provide human
services.
BASS
Male services.
ANGEL
Human services. You'd be
surprised
how many couples and ladies come
to a house.
HOOKER
Angel, you write the book, and I
guarantee you I'd read it.
He grins at
Bass. Bass just stares at him.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
And the long
drive continues.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Angel
napping in the back seat.
BASS
(softly)
Only as far as Cheyenne.
HOOKER
(softly)
Calm down. Think of what a
blessing this can be. Doing a
favor for a hooker.
BASS
(softly)
Christ, Hooker.
28.
HOOKER
(softly)
You're a prude all of a sudden?
Bass doesn't
reply.
HOOKER
(softly)
Just don't let your attitude
screw this up for me. I mean it.
BASS
(softly)
Cheyenne. No farther.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - REST STOP - DAY
The car
parked.
Hooker and
Angel in the distance at a table.
Bass comes
out of the men's room.
Hooker meets
up with him. Angel stays at the table.
HOOKER
Actually Cheyenne is only where
she picks up the interstate to
Denver. After some personal
business there, she's on to New
York.
BASS
Why are you telling me this?
HOOKER
I'm getting her a room in
Cheyenne.
BASS
And you're spending the night
with her?
HOOKER
She likes the idea, so why not?
BASS
Do you realize how crazy this is?
Hooker grins
at him.
29.
EXT. MOTEL -
NIGHT
The car
parked in a motel lot. There's an adjacent restaurant.
INT.
RESTAURANT - NIGHT
Bass sits in
a booth across from Hooker and Angel. They act
like lovers,
sitting close, whispering, giggling.
Bass slides
out. He picks up the bill.
It takes a
moment for them to notice him.
BASS
I want to start early in the
morning.
HOOKER
Aye, aye, sir!
Angel
laughs.
Bass turns
and leaves.
INT. MOTEL -
BASS' ROOM - NIGHT
Bass on the
bed, watching TV.
Next door,
giggles from Hooker and Angel.
Bass gets up
and turns up the volume of the TV.
But his
curiosity gets the best of him. He puts his ear to
the wall.
INT. MOTEL -
BASS' ROOM - DAY
Morning.
Bass getting dressed. A knock on the door.
BASS
Just a minute.
Buttons up,
opens the door. It's Hooker, who enters.
HOOKER
Sit down.
BASS
What's going on?
30.
HOOKER
Just sit the fuck down.
Bass does.
Hooker hovers over him.
HOOKER
Change of plans. I know you don't
like it, but let me explain. I'm
renting a car and we're driving
to Denver together, then on to
New York. I'll catch up with you
at the Smithsonian.
BASS
You crazy old--
HOOKER
Let me finish.
He's
searching for words.
HOOKER
There's no way to say it but to
say it. I have cancer, Bear. In
the pancreas and spreading.
Terminal. That's my secret motive
for the trip, just as yours is to
see your daughter. I wanted us to
do something special together. I
know what you're going to say.
The thing is, we still can do
that, on the way home. But I
can't turn this down, Bear. Put
yourself in my shoes. I think she
really is an angel. I have to
ride this pony for as long as I
can.
A silence.
BASS
Damn, Hooker.
HOOKER
Hey, no grief. I've lived longer
than I had any right to expect,
the way I've partied all my life.
And to get this blessing on top
of it all. Because that's what
she is to me. A blessing. So we
need to pick a day and time to
reconnect at the Smithsonian.
BASS
Damn it, let me think a minute.
31.
Silence.
BASS
How long will her errands in
Denver take?
HOOKER
A few hours.
BASS
You care if we continue on
together?
HOOKER
I'll still be spending nights
with her.
BASS
Remind me not to get the room
next door.
Hooker
grins.
HOOKER
Thanks, brother. I was hoping
you'd see it my way.
BASS
Get out of here and let me finish
dressing.
Hooker
leaves.
Bass changes
as soon as Hooker is gone. Grief pales over his
face. He
sits down and fights back tears.
EXT. DENVER
- INTERSTATE - DAY
Bass' car
approaching the Denver skyline.
EXT. DENVER
- BEAUTY PARLOR - DAY
Pulls up in
front of a beauty parlor. Angel hops out.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Angel at the
window.
ANGEL
Will fourish work?
32.
HOOKER
Bear?
BASS
Whenever you want.
ANGEL
Great. See you guys then.
She trots
off to enter the beauty parlor.
BASS
We have time to kill.
A SERIES OF
SHOTS
Bass and
Hooker playing tourist in Denver.
--walking
around a mall.
--driving
past Mile High Stadium.
--walking
through a museum.
INT. DENVER
- LIBRARY - DAY
Reading in a
library.
Bass gets
up.
BASS
Want to get a coffee?
Hooker
shakes his head. Bass makes note of the book he's
reading:
"From Here To Eternity."
BASS
I'll be back in a few.
EXT. LIBRARY
- DAY
Bass comes
out. He heads up the street.
EXT. COFFEE
SHOP - DAY
Bass comes
out with a cup of coffee. Heads back toward the
library.
33.
EXT. STREET
- PAY PHONE - DAY
Bass passes
a pay phone. Stops and goes back to it.
He takes out
his wallet and finds a business card.
Drops coins
in the phone and dials.
Ringing.
MARY (FILTERED)
Hello, this is Mary.
Bass frozen.
MARY (FILTERED)
Hello?
BASS
Hey.
MARY (FILTERED)
Who is this?
BASS
Robert Bass.
MARY (FILTERED)
Robert! Where are you?
BASS
Denver.
MARY (FILTERED)
What a surprise to hear from you.
Bass is
silent.
MARY (FILTERED)
Robert, is something the matter?
BASS
He's dying. He has cancer, and
they can't operate and--
Bass stops,
trying to control himself.
MARY (FILTERED)
I'm so sorry. Robert, it's so
good that you can spend time with
him now. I know it must be hard,
but this is the best thing you
two can do together.
34.
BASS
I'm sorry. I shouldn't by laying
this on you.
MARY (FILTERED)
No, I'm so glad you called.
Truly.
You can call me any time, day or
night.
A silence.
MARY (FILTERED)
Robert?
BASS
I'd better go. I left him in the
library.
MARY (FILTERED)
Call me any time. I mean it.
EXT. LIBRARY
- DAY
Bass
approaches to find Hooker having a smoke outside.
HOOKER
You ready to rumble?
EXT. DENVER
- VARIOUS STREETS - DAY
Cruising,
passing time.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass
driving.
HOOKER
You okay?
BASS
Under the circumstances.
HOOKER
I didn't plan this, Bear. She
dropped into my lap. What's the
cliche? Don't look a gift horse
in the mouth.
BASS
I'll be fine.
35.
HOOKER
She's a pro. If you want time
with her, just holler.
Bass stares
at him. Back to the road.
BASS
I'll be fine.
EXT. DENVER
- BEAUTY PARLOR - DAY
They park
outside the beauty parlor. Hooker gets out and
goes inside.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass takes a
deep breath. Holding it together.
Hooker
climbs in.
HOOKER
She's at the hospital visiting
her father.
EXT. DENVER
- HOSPITAL - DAY
The car
pulls into a pickup circle at the hospital. Slows to
a crawl.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass and
Hooker looking for her.
HOOKER
I guess we'd better park.
As they pull
away:
ANGEL (O.S.)
Hey!
HOOKER
Stop!
ANGEL (O.S.)
Hey, it's me!
Bass stops
the car.
36.
Angel rushes
up to the car. She has totally changed: short
dark hair,
no piercings, a young lady looking like a co-ed.
She gets in
the back seat.
ANGEL
No cracks, okay? My sister talked
me into doing this for the
benefit of my father. As soon as
I get to New York, I'm going back
to normal.
Bass catches
Hooker's eye.
BASS
(softly)
Normal.
EXT. DENVER
- INTERSTATE - DAY
Back on the
road.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - COUNTRYSIDE - DAY
The
interstate cuts through farmland.
INT. BASS' CAR
- DAY
Hooker turns
to Angel in back.
HOOKER
Make room, I'm coming back.
BASS
Hooker!
Angel helps
him. It's no easy matter for a man Hooker's age
to crawl
over the seat.
Hooker lands
in back. He and Angel laugh and embrace.
Bass watches
them in the rearview mirror. Hugging, kissing.
He looks
back to the road. A hint of jealousy.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - COUNTRYSIDE - DAY
Bass drives
on.
37.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass looking
in the mirror again.
My God!
Angel's bare back faces him. She appears to be
straddling
Hooker, rocking back and forth. They appear to be
making love
back there.
Bass in a
panic. This can't be happening.
In the
mirror: rocking, rocking. Gasps of pleasure.
Bass turns
up the radio. A country song. Music to screw in
the car by.
Bass looking
more worried than ever. Suddenly: a HONK.
A car has
pulled beside them. FOUR TEENAGERS are getting an
eyeful and
enjoying the show. Honking and thumbs up.
Bass finally
has to say something.
BASS
Will you people stop it?
As if on
cue, Angel lets out a loud gasp and slides off Hooker.
Hooker sees
the fan club alongside the car.
HOOKER
Out run them, Bear!
EXT.
INTERSTATE - COUNTRYSIDE - DAY
Bass pulls
away. The other car moves behind.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass
frantic.
BASS
What the hell do I do?
HOOKER
Pull off as soon as you can!
ANGEL
I'll keep them occupied.
She gets up
on her knees, facing the rear window. She
flashes her
breasts at the teenagers in the car behind them.
Improvising
a little dance for them.
38.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - EXIT - DAY
An exit
approaches. Bass takes it.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
The car
following stays on the interstate, honking as it
passes.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - EXIT - DAY
Bass pulls
to the shoulder and stops.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass looks
exhausted.
BASS
New ground rule. You can't make
love in the car.
EXT. MOTEL -
NIGHT
The car
parked in a motel lot.
INT. MOTEL -
BASS' ROOM - NIGHT
Bass tossing
and turning.
A knock on
the door.
Bass stirs.
Another knock. He sits up and turns on the
bedside
lamp.
A knock.
Bass, in
shorts and T-shirt, goes to the door. He opens it.
It's Angel,
wearing only a shorty see-through nightie.
Angel falls
in, immediately embracing him. She gives him a
lip-lock of
a kiss.
Bass
back-peddles until they fall onto the bed. Angel lies
on top of
him. She finally releases the kiss.
BASS
What do you think you're doing?
39.
ANGEL
Doing you a favor.
BASS
Get off. Get off!
Angel,
puzzled, scampers off him. She sits on the edge of
the bed.
Bass jumps
up and escapes across the room before turning to
her.
BASS
When I saw you, the first thing
that entered my mind is that
Hooker had a heart attack.
ANGEL
I'm sorry.
BASS
It happens to men his age, you
know. Men our age.
ANGEL
He's been fine. I can go more
slow if you--
BASS
That's not what I mean! I don't
want to have sex with you.
ANGEL
Okay.
A tense
silence.
ANGEL
If you're gay, that's fine.
BASS
I'm not gay.
ANGEL
You don't find me attractive?
BASS
You don't need me to tell you
you're attractive. I have things
on my mind.
ANGEL
Well, I didn't want you to feel
left out. Sorry for waking you
up.
40.
Looking
despondent, she goes to the door.
BASS
Wait a minute. I don't mean to
insult you. I'm just not in the
mood for this now. I'm still
dealing with ...
ANGEL
Your friend dying?
BASS
He told you?
ANGEL
Yes. I didn't know you knew.
BASS
Of course I'd know. When did he
tell you?
ANGEL
Our first night. He calls me his
angel.
BASS
I think I'd like to go back to
bed now. Don't say you're sorry.
Just go.
Angel
leaves, closing the door behind her.
Bass stares
at the closed door.
EXT. MOTEL -
DAY
Bass leaning
against the car, waiting.
Down the
way, Angel comes out of a motel room. She walks to
the car.
BASS
Good morning.
Angel gets
in the back seat.
Hooker comes
out and comes to the car.
BASS
Good morning.
HOOKER
Fuck you.
41.
Hooker gets
in the front seat.
Bass,
puzzled, gets behind the wheel.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass starts
the car. He looks at Hooker.
HOOKER
Just drive, for Christ's sake.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
Bass' car in
the slow lane.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Silence.
Bass drives. Hooker stares out the window.
In back,
Angel naps.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - REST STOP - DAY
The car
parked in a rest stop.
EXT. REST
STOP - MEN'S ROOM - DAY
Bass and
Hooker at adjacent urinals.
BASS
Would you please tell me what's
going on?
HOOKER
You just had to fuck it up for
me,
didn't you?
BASS
I didn't sleep with her.
HOOKER
Exactly.
Hooker zips
up and flushes. He leaves without washing his
hands.
42.
EXT.
RESTAURANT - DAY
The car
parked in front of a restaurant.
INT.
RESTAURANT - BOOTH - DAY
Silence
around the table.
Hooker sits
next to Angel but there is distance between them.
Angel slides
out.
ANGEL
I'm going for a walk. Meet you at
the car in twenty minutes.
She's gone.
BASS
Whatever's going on between you,
it's not my fault.
HOOKER
She thinks she's hurting your
feelings by sleeping with me. So
she won't fuck any more.
BASS
I never told her that. I rejected
her, for God's sake. I meant it.
I don't want sex with her.
HOOKER
Couldn't you have let her blow
you for my sake?
Bass looks
dumbfounded.
EXT. MOTEL -
PARKING LOT - NIGHT
The car
parked.
INT. MOTEL -
BASS' ROOM - NIGHT
Bass
watching TV.
EXT. MOTEL -
DAY
Angel
smoking outside near the car.
43.
Bass comes
out of his room.
BASS
Is Red ready?
ANGEL
I'm really sorry this happened.
It's all my fault.
BASS
What is?
ANGEL
He got drunk last night.
BASS
Where is he now?
ANGEL
Probably getting a drink. He left
while I was in the shower. Is he
an alcoholic or something?
BASS
We both are.
ANGEL
I didn't know. I wouldn't have
wanted champagne last night if I
knew.
BASS
It wouldn't have made any
difference.
ANGEL
After the first bottle, he kept
buying more. I couldn't stop him.
BASS
I'm sure he's in the nearest bar.
Let's find him.
INT.
RESTAURANT - COCKTAIL LOUNGE - DAY
Hooker alone
at the bar over a Bloody Mary.
Bass and
Angel appear alongside him.
BASS
Time to hit the road, Red.
44.
HOOKER
What's the hurry? Kerouac's not
going anywhere.
BASS
I mean it.
HOOKER
Well, as you can see, I'm a
little busy right now.
ANGEL
I'm taking a bus the rest of the
way.
She heads
for the exit.
HOOKER
Hey, wait a minute! You don't
have to take a bus.
He gulps
down the drink.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
Back on the
road.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass glances
at Hooker beside him. He is nodding off, close
to passing
out.
In back,
Angel stares out the window.
INT. MOTEL -
NIGHT
Bass
watching TV.
Hooker
enters with a six-pack.
HOOKER
I'm sleeping here tonight.
BASS
I don't want beer in here.
HOOKER
Yeah, well tough shit.
He sets the
six-pack on a table and opens one. He plops down
into a
chair.
45.
BASS
Why are you doing this to
yourself?
HOOKER
I'm already dead, Bear. What
difference does it make?
Bass has no
answer. He stares at the TV.
Hooker
drinks.
A SERIES OF
SHOTS
continuing
toward D.C. on the interstate.
--through
Indianapolis.
--through
Kansas City.
--through
Columbus.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
Bass' car
takes an off-ramp.
EXT. MOTEL -
DAY
The car
parked in the lot of a motel-restaurant complex.
INT.
RESTAURANT - BOOTH - DAY
Bass and
Angel eating dinner. No Hooker.
BASS
We ought to be just in time for
rush hour in the Big Apple.
ANGEL
It's no worse than anywhere else.
BASS
Where do you want to be dropped
off?
ANGEL
I have to make some calls first.
INT.
RESTAURANT - BAR - DAY
Bass looks
into the restaurant's cocktail lounge.
46.
Hooker sits
alone, drinking.
Bass turns
away.
INT. MOTEL -
BASS' ROOM - NIGHT
Bass
watching TV.
Hooker
enters with a six-pack. He takes out a beer and opens
it.
One sip.
HOOKER
This tastes like shit.
He goes into
the bathroom with the bottle.
Bass hears
the sound of beer being poured into the sink.
Hooker
returns. He takes the rest of the six-pack and puts
it in the
garbage can.
HOOKER
Tip for the maid.
He goes to
the door.
BASS
Where are you going?
HOOKER
We get there tomorrow, right? I'm
begging Angel to let me spend the
last night with her.
EXT. MOTEL -
DAY
Bass comes
out. He stretches.
EXT. MOTEL -
DAY (LATER)
Bass leaning
against the car, waiting. He looks at his watch.
A motel door
down the way opens. Hooker and Angel approach,
holding
hands.
Hooker opens
the rear door for Angel. She slides in, and
Hooker gets
in beside her.
Bass shakes
his head and gets behind the wheel.
47.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass looks
in the rearview mirror.
Hooker and
Angel are kissing.
Bass' mouth
opens but no speech comes. He changes his mind.
EXT. NEW
YORK - DAY
On the
highway into the Big Apple. A nightmare of traffic.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass catches
Angel's eye in the mirror.
BASS
Where do you want to be dropped
off?
ANGEL
Grand Central Station.
EXT. NEW
YORK - DAY
Onward in
the heavy traffic.
EXT. GRAND
CENTRAL STATION - DAY
Bass' car
near the station.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Angel leans
forward.
ANGEL
Anywhere is fine. I can walk from
here.
HOOKER
What kind of outfit do you think
this is? We offer door-to-door
service.
ANGEL
I bet you do.
More
kissing. Bass watching in the mirror.
48.
EXT. GRAND
CENTRAL STATION - DAY
The car
pulls up. Angel gets out. Hooker gets out.
YOLANDA,
20s, rushes to Angel. She has the same Gothic
appearance
of the earlier Angel.
YOLANDA
Oh my God! What happened to you?
ANGEL
I visited my father in the
hospital. Don't worry, I'll be
normal again.
They
embrace.
Hooker
stands by looking sheepish. Angel turns to him.
ANGEL
Well...
HOOKER
Well...
They
embrace.
Angel goes
to the car window. She hands Bass a slip of paper.
ANGEL
This will be my number. I want to
know how he's doing.
Bass nods.
YOLANDA
I'm double-parked.
ANGEL
Thanks for everything!
They rush
off.
Hooker waves
but Angel doesn't turn to see him. He climbs
into the
car.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
They sit a
moment.
BASS
You going to be okay?
49.
HOOKER
Let's get out of here.
EXT. NEW
YORK - DAY
Heading out
of NY, still stuck in traffic.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Both visibly
fried.
BASS
I can't imagine living in this
shit.
EXT. NEW
YORK - DAY
Farther
away, on a freeway leaving the city.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
He takes an
exit. A motel ahead.
EXT. MOTEL -
DAY
Parking.
Both get out.
Hooker looks
across the way. A mini-mall in the distance.
HOOKER
I'm grabbing some smokes.
Bass sees a
gigantic LIQUOR STORE sign in the mall.
BASS
Red...
HOOKER
I'm not getting booze. I'm
getting smokes.
BASS
I'll be in the room.
INT. MOTEL -
ROOM - DAY
Bass
stretched out on the bed.
Hooker
enters, carrying a small paper bag.
50.
HOOKER
See? No hidden bottles. Asshole.
INT.
RESTAURANT - TABLE - NIGHT
Bass and
Hooker silent over dinner. Finally:
HOOKER
I think she really was an angel.
Bass nods.
INT. MOTEL -
ROOM - NIGHT
Both in bed,
watching TV.
Bass rolls
over.
BASS
Goodnight.
HOOKER
This bother you?
BASS
I'm beat. No way.
HOOKER
Night, Bear. Thanks.
INT. MOTEL -
ROOM - DAY
Morning.
Bass awakes. Hooker out like a light in the other bed.
INT. MOTEL -
BATHROOM - DAY
Bass
brushing his teeth.
INT. MOTEL -
ROOM - DAY
Bass
finishing dressing.
Hooker still
out cold.
BASS
You going to sleep all day?
No answer.
51.
BASS
I'm getting coffee.
INT.
RESTAURANT - TABLE - DAY
Bass reading
the paper over coffee. He looks at his watch.
INT. MOTEL -
ROOM - DAY
Bass enters.
Hooker still in bed, out cold.
BASS
Red! Time to get going.
He goes to
the bed.
BASS
Hey!
He touches
Red. Then shakes him. No response. Shakes him
harder.
BASS
Red, for God's sake! Red!
Nothing.
Bass rushes
to the phone. Tries to dial 911, screws it up,
calls the
office.
BASS
How the hell do I call 911?
EXT. MOTEL -
DAY
An ambulance
parked at the room.
Hooker
carried out on a stretcher.
BASS
Is he okay?
MEDIC #1
He'll survive.
MEDIC #2
We found two empty sleeping pill
bottles in the bathroom trash.
Medic #2
holds them up for Bass to see.
52.
INT.
HOSPITAL - EMERGENCY ROOM WAITING AREA - DAY
Bass
waiting. Fidgety, stressed out.
LATER
A DOCTOR
enters the area. Bass stands up.
DOCTOR
You're with Mr. Hooker?
BASS
A good friend, yes. How is he?
DOCTOR
Well, he's alive.
BASS
Can I see him?
DOCTOR
He's sleeping. We're going to
keep him for a few days. Do you
have a number where I can reach
you?
BASS
I want to stay on top of this.
DOCTOR
I understand. If I could have
your number--
BASS
We're on the road.
DOCTOR
Why don't we do this?
He takes out
a card. He starts writing something on the back.
DOCTOR
This is the number of my nurse.
If you call after four, we can
keep you informed.
BASS
When can I see him?
DOCTOR
I can't say at the moment. He
needs to see a counselor and have
more tests. Is there something
you could do for a few days?
53.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass holds
the envelope from his daughter. He looks at the
address.
STEPHANIE (V.O.)
About 3 years ago I had a memory
recall regarding my visit with
you in Maryland.
The same
number is in huge letters on a high rise building
across the
street.
EXT. COLLEGE
PARK, MARYLAND - BUILDING - DAY
Bass pulls
into the building's underground garage.
INT.
BUILDING - ELEVATOR - DAY
Bass takes
the elevator up to the main floor.
INT.
BUILDING - MAIN FLOOR - DAY
Bass looks
at a directory on the wall. The only STEPHANIE he
sees is
listed as DR. STEPHANIE COMPTON. Third floor.
INT.
BUILDING - THIRD FLOOR - DAY
The elevator
door opens and Bass steps out.
He walks
down the hallway. Finds the office and enters.
INT.
BUILDING - OFFICE - DAY
Bass in an
empty office. Plush carpet. Soft classical music.
At a desk, a
RECEPTIONIST. She looks up from doing her nails.
RECEPTIONIST
May I help you?
BASS
I'm here to see Dr. Stephanie...
He stops.
Panic. He forgot her last name.
RECEPTIONIST
Do you have an appointment?
54.
BASS
No. I'm her father. I've driven
three thousand miles to see her.
RECEPTIONIST
Oh! Just a minute.
She hurries
through a closed door.
Bass looks
around. He is sweating. Fidgety.
The door
opens. Only the receptionist steps through it.
RECEPTIONIST
I'm sorry, sir. You have to
leave.
Her voice is
tense. She looks frightened.
BASS
Pardon me?
RECEPTIONIST
I'll call security if you don't
leave immediately.
Bass starts
to speak, stops himself. He turns and goes.
INT.
BUILDING - HALLWAY - DAY
He stops in
the hallway outside the office. He closes his
eyes. Deep
breath.
CONCERNED WOMAN
Sir, are you all right?
Bass opens
his eyes to find a CONCERNED WOMAN looking at him.
BASS
I'm fine. Thank you.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass sits in
his car in the underground lot. He's reading
the letter
from his daughter.
STEPHANIE (V.O.)
In that recall I remembered an
incident of sexual abuse that
occurred between you and I.
55.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - DAY
Bass' car
back on the interstate.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - BRIDGE - DAY
Going over a
bridge over Chesapeake Bay onto the Delmarva
Peninsula.
EXT. EASTERN
SHORE - HIGHWAY - DAY
Driving
south along the peninsula of Maryland's Eastern
Shore. Flat
as a boxing ring.
EXT. HIGHWAY
- DAY
Passing a
sign, "Entering Chesapeake."
EXT.
CHESAPEAKE - MOTEL - DAY
Bass' car
parked at a motel.
INT. MOTEL -
DAY
Bass on the
bed, staring at the ceiling.
EXT.
CHESAPEAKE - OYSTER BAR - NIGHT
Bass parks
in the lot behind a small bar and restaurant
called the
Oyster Bar.
INT. OYSTER
BAR - NIGHT
He enters.
COUPLES at small tables that line the wall.
Bass finds a
vacant stool at the bar and takes it.
A BARTENDER
comes over.
BARTENDER
Name your poison.
BASS
You still have Oysterman on tap?
BARTENDER
Sure do.
56.
BASS
And a bowl of stew.
INT. OYSTER
BAR - BAR - NIGHT (LATER)
Bass
finishing his oyster stew. STACY appears behind him.
STACY
Robert Bass?
He turns to
her.
STACY
It's Stacy Evans. Well, Stacy
Williams then.
BASS
Stacy.
They
awkwardly embrace.
STACY
Will you join us?
INT. OYSTER
BAR - TABLE - NIGHT
At the table
is LARRY, Stacy's husband.
STACY
It is him!
(to Bass)
This is my husband, Larry. Robert
Bass.
LARRY
Nice to meet you.
BASS
Yes.
They shake
hands. Bass and Stacy sit down. Larry stands up
with the
check.
LARRY
Sweetheart, why don't I let you
two talk old times? Give me a
call and I'll pick you up later.
STACY
Or Robert could give me a ride.
57.
BASS
I could do that.
LARRY
Nice to meet you.
They watch
him go.
STACY
What on earth are you doing here?
BASS
It's a long story.
STACY
Is there a short version?
BASS
Actually I was thinking of
looking up Sally.
Stacy's
expression changes.
BASS
You don't approve?
STACY
I assume you mean calling her
first.
BASS
I could do that.
STACY
I recommend it.
BASS
Do you see her often?
STACY
Sally and I live in different
worlds now.
BASS
You mean because she's...
STACY
She's become very political.
She's actually something of a
controversial figure now. You
remember how conservative
Chesapeake is.
58.
BASS
Oh yes. I'm the guy who
scandalized the college, remember?
STACY
I remember you were on
everybody's
shit list. I owe you an apology
about that. After Sally came out,
suddenly what you did had a
different spin. You became a
sympathetic character.
BASS
Too bad I wasn't here to enjoy
it.
STACY
I had no idea how hard it was for
you.
Bass
attempts a smile. Not entirely successful.
STACY
It was all so long ago.
Bass looks
away, remembering.
EXT.
CHESAPEAKE - FARMHOUSE - DAY (FLASHBACK)
SUPER:
"35 years earlier."
Bass, 30s,
on the front porch of a Victorian farmhouse.
Fields of
crops surround it.
Sally, 20s,
comes out, carrying two gin-and-tonics. As slim
and gorgeous
as ever. She hands a drink to Bass and sits down.
SALLY
Bobby, we need to talk. I met
someone.
Bass stares
at her, waiting.
SALLY
I can't explain it. It just
happened.
BASS
Who is he?
SALLY
She.
Bass looks
puzzled.
59.
BASS
What are you telling me exactly?
SALLY
I met a woman, Bobby, and I found
myself attracted to her. I think
this is a part of myself I need
to explore.
BASS
You fucked her?
SALLY
You would make it sound crude.
She stands
up.
BASS
Either you fucked her or you
didn't.
SALLY
I won't bring this down to your
level.
She goes
back inside.
Bass stands
up. He slings his drink into an adjacent field.
INT. OYSTER
BAR - TABLE - NIGHT
Stacy looks
at her watch.
STACY
I have to get home. Can you come
to dinner tomorrow?
BASS
I'm not sure how long I'm hanging
around.
STACY
How about breakfast?
BASS
I might be gone before sunrise.
EXT. STACY'S
HOUSE - NIGHT
Bass' car
pulls up outside a modern house in a residential
area.
60.
INT. BASS'
CAR - NIGHT
Bass turns
to Stacy.
BASS
Remember Mary Warner? She told me
about Jim.
STACY
Such an ugly time.
BASS
The thing is, I got this letter
from my daughter. She thinks I
molested her that time she
visited. I swear to God I didn't
touch her.
STACY
My God. Jim.
BASS
What happened to him?
STACY
Last I heard he was working on
Oyster Island. That was years
ago.
BASS
My daughter won't talk to me.
She's convinced I did it.
STACY
I'm so sorry, Robert.
She gives
him an awkward embrace.
EXT. STACY'S
HOUSE - NIGHT
Stacy gets
out and waves. Bass pulls away.
INT. BASS'
CAR - NIGHT
Bass lost in
thought.
EXT. MOTEL -
DAY
Bass' car in
the lot.
61.
INT. MOTEL -
ROOM - DAY
Bass on the
phone.
INT.
HOSPITAL - HOOKER'S ROOM - DAY
Hooker in
bed on the phone.
INTERCUT
BASS
How are you feeling?
HOOKER
No complaints. Did you talk to
your daughter?
BASS
She wouldn't talk to me. I'm in
Chesapeake now.
HOOKER
Did you talk to Sally?
BASS
Not yet. I'm following my lead. I
may stay down here another day or
two. You okay without me?
HOOKER
They want me to talk to a shrink.
Don't say it, Bear. I know I
fucked up. We'll talk about it
later. You go defend your
character.
BASS
I'll be in touch.
He hangs up.
EXT.
CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE - DAY
Bass' car
enters campus. He parks.
EXT.
CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE - QUAD - DAY
Bass walks
across campus toward a large ivy-covered brick
building.
62.
INT.
CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE - BUILDING - DAY
Bass walks
down a hallway. He approaches an open doorway.
INT.
CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE - SALLY'S OFFICE - DAY
Bass appears
in Sally's doorway.
Now in her
60s, SALLY is still trim and pretty. She pages
through a
book. She looks up and sees Bass in the doorway.
Her hand
snaps to her heart, as if she might be starting a
stroke.
SALLY
Jesus God, Bobby. What are you
doing here?
BASS
I know you don't want to talk to
me but this is important.
Stephanie thinks I molested her
that time she visited. She had
this memory recall thing.
Sally just
stares at him.
BASS
I talked to Stacy and she told me
about what happened to Carrie. So
I was thinking maybe it could
have been Jim. I was wondering
what you thought.
SALLY
What the hell do you want from
me?
BASS
Sally, I didn't molest her.
SALLY
Fine. But you're molesting me
now.
Are you leaving or do I have to
call security?
BASS
I'm so sorry. Losing your
friendship is the last thing I
wanted to happen.
Sally picks
up the phone.
63.
BASS
I don't understand why we can't
be friends.
SALLY
Yes, this is--
BASS
I'm gone.
He hurries
out of the office.
INT.
CHESAPEAKE COLLEGE - HALLWAY - DAY
Bass, in a
daze, strides down the hallway. He almost runs
into a
FORMER COLLEAGUE.
FORMER COLLEAGUE
Bass! What the hell are you doing
here?
Bass
staggers on without replying.
EXT. ROAD -
DAY
Bass' car on
a country road on the sandbar of the peninsula.
EXT. BAYSIDE
TOWN - DOCK - DAY
Bass pulls
into a parking lot next to a ferry dock.
EXT. DOCK -
POSTAL BOAT - DAY
Bass and a
DOZEN TOURISTS board the postal boat.
EXT. POSTAL
BOAT - DAY
Bass on the
deck as the postal boat pulls away from the dock.
A FEMALE
PASSENGER, middle-aged, comes next to Bass.
FEMALE PASSENGER
Do you know how long it is to the
island?
BASS
Less than an hour.
64.
FEMALE PASSENGER
It's so beautiful. Isn't it?
BASS
Lovely.
But his
thoughts are clearly elsewhere. The woman waits for
a
conversation. Getting none, she moves on.
EXT. OYSTER
ISLAND - BOAT - DAY
The postal
boat approaches Oyster Island.
The boat
pulls into the dock. Bass watches from the deck.
EXT. OYSTER
ISLAND - LAND - DAY
The tourists
disembark. Bass is the last one off the boat.
He follows
the group on the short walk into town.
EXT. OYSTER
ISLAND - MAIN STREET - DAY
Bass stops
at a phone booth. He looks in the phone book and
finds an
address.
Walking on,
he sees a sign for BIKES FOR RENT. He enters the
store.
INT. STORE -
DAY
Bass goes to
the counter.
CLERK
May I help you?
BASS
I'm looking for an address, and I
may need a bike.
EXT. OYSTER
ISLAND - ROAD - DAY
Bass on a
bike. He is surrounded by stretches of flat land
with the bay
in the distance.
65.
EXT. ROAD -
MAIL BOX - DAY
Bass arrives
at a mail box, the one he's been looking for.
He turns off
the road onto a dirt road leading to a shack in
the
distance.
EXT. SHACK -
DAY
Bass pushes
his bike to the shack.
On the
porch, a large woman in a worn house dress. This is
TINA, 50s.
She sits in a rocking chair, staring out at Bass,
clutching a
coffee cup.
BASS
Hello!
Tina stares
at him.
BASS
I'm looking for Jim Williams.
TINA
You a friend of his?
BASS
Yes. I was. I haven't seen him in
thirty years.
TINA
He's on the bay checking pots.
He'll be home soon for lunch.
BASS
Can I wait?
TINA
Why not?
Bass sets
down his bike. He approaches the edge of the porch.
BASS
I'm Robert Bass. I knew Jim at
Chesapeake College.
TINA
I'm Tina. There's coffee inside.
You can help yourself if you
like.
BASS
Thank you, I will.
66.
TINA
In the cupboard above the sink is
a bottle of whiskey. Bring it out
with you. I could use some
sweetener.
Bass nods.
He climbs onto the porch and enters the shack.
INT. SHACK -
DAY
Inside is a
war zone. Old papers and magazines scattered
everywhere.
A sink full of dirty dishes. Bass grimaces at
the musty
odor everywhere.
He finds a
large coffee urn. Opens the cupboard and takes
out a cup
and the whiskey bottle. He blows in the cup.
EXT. SHACK -
DAY
Bass comes
out. He sets the bottle next to Tina.
TINA
Help yourself.
She pours
whiskey into her coffee cup.
BASS
Too early for me, thanks.
Bass looks
around for a place to sit. Chooses the edge of
the porch.
TINA
I don't know too much about Jim
going to college.
Bass nods.
He can't hide discomfort.
EXT. DIRT
ROAD - DAY
A beat-up
pickup comes rattling down the dirt road.
EXT. SHACK -
DAY
The pickup
parks at the shack. JIM, 50s, gets out. Still a
small wiry
man.
TINA
Look who here's to see you!
67.
Jim stares
at Bass.
JIM
Oh my God! Bear! What the hell
are you doing here?
He rushes
forward and grasps Bass in a bear hug.
BASS
I came to see you.
JIM
Man, it's been years! Let me get
a glass and catch up on the
party.
BASS
I need to talk to you about
something.
JIM
We've got all kinds of catching
up to do.
BASS
It's important. Can we go
someplace quiet?
Jim is
confused by this.
JIM
(to Tina)
How's the booze holding up?
TINA
Once you two get started, I know
we'll need more.
JIM
(to Bass)
We'll make a quick run to town.
Jim goes to
the pickup. Bass fetches his bike.
BASS
Might as well return this.
EXT. BAYSIDE
TOWN - MAIN STREET - DAY
The pickup
is parked in front of the store. Down the way is
a cafe with
outside tables.
Bass waits
outside. Jim comes out with a bottle of booze in
a paper
sack.
68.
BASS
I need to ask you something.
JIM
What's that?
Bass looks
around. Tourists walk the street.
BASS
Let's walk.
They start
off along the sidewalk.
JIM
Bear, you're acting a little
weird here. What's going on?
BASS
I talked to Stacy. I heard about
what happened to Carrie.
Jim stops.
JIM
What the fuck did you come here
for?
BASS
The same thing happened to
Stephanie when she visited. You
remember my daughter? She thinks
I did it. But I didn't, Jim.
JIM
And you think I did?
Bass doesn't
reply, as if waiting for him to answer his own
question.
JIM
Fuck you, man.
Jim thrusts
out and a flat hand hits Bear's chest. He steps
back.
JIM
You come all this way after all
these years to lay that old shit
on me? I can't believe it.
BASS
My daughter won't speak to me.
I'm not judging you, Jim. I just
need my daughter to understand
that I'm innocent.
69.
JIM
By putting the blame on me? Fat
chance, Red Rider. I'm as
innocent
as you are.
BASS
I know what happened after I
left.
I know--
JIM
You don't know shit. I'm innocent.
You get it? I'm innocent.
INT. STACY'S
HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY
Bass and
Stacy over coffee in her kitchen.
STACY
Of course he'd say he's innocent.
He signed a confession, Robert. I
can show you.
BASS
You don't have to. What was I
thinking? As if he'd tell my
daughter he molested her.
STACY
But I'm sure he did. Give me her
address. I'm going to write her.
BASS
You don't have to do that.
STACY
I want to. Maybe it will help.
EXT. STACY'S
HOUSE - DAY
Stacy walks
Bass to his car.
STACY
When will I see you again?
BASS
I think this is goodbye. I'm not
sure I have another cross-country
trip in me.
She embraces
him.
70.
STACY
I'm going to write her right
away.
Bass nods.
EXT. HIGHWAY
- DAY
Bass' car
heading north across the peninsula.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass lost in
thought.
EXT.
FARMHOUSE - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Dozens of
cars parked.
INT.
FARMHOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
A large loud
party in progress. Music playing.
Bass, 30s,
at the record player, looking through albums. Jim,
20s, comes
by.
BASS
What do you feel like hearing,
Jimbo?
JIM
Dylan! I'm going upstairs to use
the can.
BASS
Check the noise level up there
for me. I don't know if Stephanie
can sleep through this.
INT.
FARMHOUSE - UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Jim comes
upstairs. The music easily heard up here.
He moves
down the hallway. A light through an open door
spills out
ahead.
Jim reaches
the doorway. He looks inside.
STEPHANIE,
8, in bed, awake, the light on.
71.
JIM
Hey, there.
STEPHANIE
Hi.
JIM
Music too loud to sleep?
STEPHANIE
Yes.
INT.
FARMHOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Jim steps
inside the room. He closes the door behind him.
JIM
Is this better?
He smiles at
Stephanie.
JIM
I think it is better, don't you?
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass
driving. He exhales, as if ridding himself of the memory.
INT. HOSPITAL
- HALLWAY - DAY
Bass moves
down a hospital hallway. He reaches the room he's
looking for.
INT.
HOSPITAL - ROOM - DAY
Bass steps
inside. Hooker is sitting up in bed, watching TV.
He sees
Bass.
HOOKER
Bear, I'm being held against my
will.
BASS
What's the problem?
HOOKER
They want money. I should've been
taken to the V.A.
72.
BASS
I'll take care of it. How are you
feeling?
HOOKER
First things first. Get me out of
here.
A NURSE
steps in.
NURSE
Are you the infamous brother
Bear?
BASS
Don't believe a word he said.
NURSE
Can we speak a moment?
She gestures
for them to go into the hallway.
HOOKER
(after him)
Don't believe a word she says!
INT.
HOSPITAL - HALLWAY - DAY
The nurse
and Bass.
NURSE
It looks very bad.
BASS
I think we already knew that.
NURSE
He's very cantankerous. He
doesn't want to go to a hospice.
BASS
The thing is, He wants to die in
God's country.
NURSE
Pardon me?
BASS
There's nothing worse that could
happen to him than to die on the
east coast. We have to get back
to the Pacific Northwest.
73.
NURSE
I see. Well, you'd better take a
lot of pain pills with you. I can
get you some.
EXT.
HOSPITAL - DAY
Bass and
Hooker come out. Hooker walks with a cane. Bass
carries a
small bag, the pills.
HOOKER
Sorry to put you back so much.
They were supposed to take me to
the V.A.
BASS
They shouldn't have had to take
you anywhere.
HOOKER
I screwed up, I already admitted
that.
EXT.
HOSPITAL - PARKING LOT - DAY
They reach
Bass' car. Bass looks at his watch.
BASS
Ready for Kerouac?
HOOKER
Absolutely.
INT.
SMITHSONIAN - DISPLAY CASE - DAY
THE KEROUAC SCROLL
in a glass case, opened up to about
twelve feet.
One long continuous roll of teletype paper,
typewritten
with hand corrections on it.
Not much of
a crowd at this hour. Bass and Hooker stare at
the
manuscript in wonder.
BASS
This may be the greatest paean to
male friendship ever written.
INT.
ENLISTED MEN'S CLUB - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
G.I.s in
uniform crowded around a table, drinking beer.
74.
SUPER:
"Frankfurt Kaserne, Germany, 1958."
BASS, young
20s, is playing a guitar and singing a folksong.
In the crowd
around the table is HOOKER, a few years older.
EXT.
FRANKFURT KASERNE - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
SOLDIERS are
their way to the billets from the club.
Hooker
catches up with Bass.
HOOKER
I like your music.
BASS
Thanks.
HOOKER
Red Hooker.
BASS
Robert Bass.
HOOKER
People call you Bear, right? Big
body, short legs. Bet you played
linebacker in high school. About
your music -- I wish you'd played
more Woody Guthrie.
BASS
I played what I knew.
HOOKER
Well, man, learn more! He's the
King.
INT.
FRANKFURT KASERNE - MESS HALL - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Soldiers at
breakfast.
Hooker joins
Bass at a table. He has a book, which he sets
in front of
Bass.
HOOKER
Read this. I think you'll like
it.
The book is
"Bound For Glory" by Woody Guthrie.
75.
INT.
SMITHSONIAN - DISPLAY CASE - DAY
Hooker
touches Bass.
HOOKER
You seen enough?
Bass nods.
EXT. INTERSTATE
- DAY
Bass' car
finally heading west.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass
driving.
BASS
The scroll brought back some
memories. Reminded me of how we
met. You lent me "Bound For
Glory."
HOOKER
Then the Ramblin' Jack Elliott
record of Guthrie songs came out.
Doesn't get any better than that.
Bass nods.
HOOKER
We've been through a lot of shit
together, brother. I wouldn't
trade for any of it.
BASS
You got that right.
They
exchange a glance.
HOOKER
Just don't get sentimental on me.
If I die before we get to Idaho,
I'll never forgive your ass.
EXT. MOTEL -
NIGHT
Bass' car
parked in front of a room.
76.
INT. MOTEL -
ROOM - NIGHT
Bass
stretched out, watching TV.
Hooker in
the bathroom, having a coughing fit.
Bass gets up
and goes to the cracked door.
BASS
You all right in there?
The door
opens. Hooker stumbles out. He looks to be in pain.
HOOKER
Takes a minute for these goddamn
pills to kick in.
BASS
We could ditch the car and fly
home.
HOOKER
I'll be all right.
He starts
coughing, waves Bass off and returns to the bathroom.
Bass looks
worried.
INT.
RESTAURANT - BOOTH - DAY
Bass and
Hooker at breakfast.
HOOKER
You're right about Kerouac
bringing back memories. You know
what my favorite is?
BASS
Pendleton.
HOOKER
Asshole.
BASS
Hey, if that didn't define our
friendship, nothing did.
INT.
APARTMENT - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Bass, 20s,
and Sally, 20s, stumble into their apartment.
They've been
drinking.
The phone is
ringing.
77.
SUPER:
"Eugene, Oregon. 1969."
Bass picks
up the phone.
BASS
Hello ... Hey, we just came in!
(to Sally)
It's Red. ... What's up? ... No,
don't do that. ... Damn it,
Hooker, don't! Don't do a thing
till you talk to me first. ... We
can meet halfway. ... Pendleton
it is. ... Right now, yes.
He hangs up.
BASS
He's thinking of leaving Jennifer.
I have to talk to him.
SALLY
You just did.
BASS
In person. We're meeting at the
Pendleton Hotel.
SALLY
I'm not sure what you mean.
BASS
I mean, I'm driving to Pendleton.
Don't try to talk me out of it
because you can't. I'll be okay.
EXT.
APARTMENT - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Bass and Sally
at their VW. She embraces him.
SALLY
Take your time. I want you back
in one piece.
BASS
I'll be careful.
They embrace
again.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
The VW on
the interstate.
78.
LATER
Bass pulls
over and picks up a HITCHHIKER. A middle-aged man.
He opens the
door.
BASS
You mind driving?
Bass gets
out and into the back seat. The hitchhiker gets
behind the
wheel.
EXT.
INTERSTATE - TURNOFF - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
The VW pulls
to the shoulder.
INT. VW -
NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
The
hitchhiker shakes Bass, who is asleep on the back seat.
Bass stirs.
HITCHHIKER
This is where I get out.
EXT.
PENDLETON - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Sunrise. The
VW pulls into Pendleton.
EXT.
PENDLETON HOTEL - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Bass parks
in front of the hotel.
INT.
PENDLETON HOTEL - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Bass goes to
the front desk.
BASS
Does Hooker have a room here?
The CLERK
looks in the books.
CLERK
Are you Mr. Bass?
BASS
Yes.
79.
CLERK
He's in room 412.
INT.
PENDLETON HOTEL - ROOM 412 - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Bass enters.
The room is
dark. Hooker in bed, snoring.
Bass takes
the other bed.
LATER
The room is
light. Bass on the bed, fully clothed. He opens
his eyes.
The other
bed is vacant.
INT.
PENDLETON HOTEL - RESTAURANT - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Bass enters
the restaurant. Sees Hooker at a booth.
Bass slides
in. Hooker is reading the paper.
HOOKER
Sports?
BASS
Sure.
Hooker gives
Bass the sports section.
LATER
Empty
breakfast dishes. Both still read the paper silently.
Hooker takes
the check on the table and gets up.
HOOKER
I'll get this.
He goes to
the register.
EXT.
PENDLETON HOTEL - DAY (FLASHBACK)
Bass waiting
outside. Hooker comes out.
BASS
Which way you heading?
80.
HOOKER
North.
BASS
Have a safe trip.
HOOKER
You, too.
Bass starts
toward his car.
HOOKER
Thanks, brother.
Bass nods.
INT.
RESTAURANT - BOOTH - DAY
Back to
breakfast.
HOOKER
I never met a woman who
understands that story.
Bass smiles
and nods.
A SERIES OF
SHOTS
continuing
west on the interstate.
--along
farmland.
--at a rest
stop.
--cruising a
small town's Main Street.
--back on
the interstate, mountains ahead.
--into the
Rockies.
EXT.
CLEARWATER RIVER HIGHWAY - DAY
Bass' car
along the Clearwater River in northern Idaho.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass
driving.
81.
HOOKER
There's just one thing I need to
do in Orofino. Then it's on to
White Bird.
BASS
What's in White Bird?
HOOKER
It's where my people are buried.
I thought we'd camp and do some
fishing.
Bass looks
at him.
HOOKER
A little time in the woods would
be good for a city boy like
yourself.
EXT. OROFINO
- MAIN STREET - DAY
Bass' car
crawls along Main Street.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass
driving.
BASS
Should I park?
HOOKER
You going somewhere?
BASS
I thought you were.
HOOKER
Where I'm going is straight
through town.
EXT. OROFINO
- MAIN STREET - DAY
The car
continues along Main Street...
EXT. OROFINO
- ROAD - DAY
...and
climbs a hill outside of town.
82.
EXT.
CEMETERY - DAY
Bass parks
outside a small cemetery.
They get out
and enter.
Hooker leads
the way to a gravesite.
Two stones.
The first reads: "Jennifer Elizabeth Moore
Hooker. 1935
- 1999."
The second
reads: "Charles Oliver Hooker. 1955 - 1988."
HOOKER
The meanest trick the gods have
in their arsenal is letting a
father outlive his son.
He kneels at
the grave and turns silent.
Bass looks
on.
Hooker gets
up.
HOOKER
I don't know how the hell she put
up with me for so long. How many
times did I tell you I was
leaving her?
BASS
Many.
HOOKER
But I never did, did I? I think
that tells you something.
He looks
around.
HOOKER
I thought long and hard about
joining them up here. I always
thought it was a pretty place to
be put to rest.
BASS
Then why not?
HOOKER
One, I don't want to go through
eternity arguing with her. Two, I
know a place even prettier.
83.
EXT.
SPORTING GOODS STORE - DAY
Bass and
Hooker enter a sporting goods store.
INT.
SPORTING GOODS STORE - DAY
Bass pushing
a shopping cart. Hooker piles supplies into it:
two sleeping
bags, a tent, lantern, fishing gear.
Hooker stops
at a display case of guns. Pistols.
HOOKER
When's the last time you fired a
weapon?
BASS
In the Army.
A CLERK
comes up.
CLERK
Help you with something?
HOOKER
My friend here is looking for a
gun.
The
mischievous grin. Bass just shakes his head.
EXT. WHITE
BIRD - SALMON RIVER ROAD - DAY
Bass' car
drives along the Salmon River outside of White
Bird. Hills
covered with pines and firs rise from the river.
God's
country, to be sure.
INT. BASS'
CAR - DAY
Bass
driving. He looks moody.
HOOKER
Say it. You don't approve of
what's coming down.
BASS
I can think of only one reason
why you'd buy a gun.
HOOKER
You bought it.
84.
BASS
You insisted on it. I just paid
for it.
HOOKER
Bear, I need you to be on the
same wave length about this.
You're the closest man to me on
the planet. If you don't
understand what I'm doing, who
will?
BASS
I'm trying.
HOOKER
That's all I ask.
Bass drives
on, silent.
EXT. SALMON
RIVER ROAD - DAY
The car
pulls onto a road leading to a campground. Only a
few
scattered campers in RVs.
EXT. SALMON
RIVER - CAMPGROUND - DAY
Bass stops
at a campsite along the river. No neighbors,
perfect.
A SERIES OF
SHOTS Setting up camp.
--unpacking
the car.
--blowing up
air mattresses.
--putting up
the tent.
--setting up
the stove.
EXT. RIVER -
DAY
Late
afternoon. Bass and Hooker fishing on the river.
Hooker casts
like an expert. Bass, in comparison, is clumsy,
a novice.
Hooker hooks
a trout. He lets out a yelp.
He reels it
in and nets it himself.
85.
HOOKER
I got my dinner, Bear. Unless
you're fasting, you'd better get
busy.
EXT.
CAMPSITE - NIGHT
Evening.
Bass at the stove, frying up trout.
EXT.
CAMPSITE - CAMP FIRE - NIGHT
Around the
campfire.
Hooker makes
a groaning sound.
BASS
You all right?
HOOKER
Give me a sec.
Hooker gets
it together.
HOOKER
We had a good day. Maybe we can
get in a few more.
BASS
I'd like that.
HOOKER
So would I.
EXT.
CAMPSITE - TENT - NIGHT
In their
sleeping bags in the tent.
Hooker
groans in his sleep. Rolls over. He appears to be in
pain.
Bass leans
up, looks at Hooker next to him.
More
groaning, then Hooker settles down. He starts snoring
again.
Bass
relaxes.
EXT.
CAMPSITE - DAY
Bass at the
stove. Hooker down at the river.
86.
HOOKER
Crank up the stove, Bear! I
caught breakfast!
EXT.
CAMPSITE - TABLE - DAY
Bass and
Hooker eating fish for breakfast.
BASS
Are we having fish every meal? We
bought a case of beef stew.
HOOKER
If I catch fish, I eat it. It's a
law of nature.
BASS
How about stew for lunch?
HOOKER
How about both?
EXT.
CAMPSITE - DAY
Bass does
dishes. Hooker sits on the riverbank below.
BASS
I'm going to the can.
Hooker waves
acknowledgment.
EXT.
CAMPSITE - REST ROOMS - DAY
Bass comes
out of the men's room. There's a pay phone
outside. He
takes out his wallet and finds a card.
INT. SEATTLE
- MARY'S HOME - DAY
Mary is
entertaining a MALE GUEST when the phone rings.
INTERCUT
MARY
Hello?
BASS
Hello. It's Robert Bass.
MARY
Robert, hello!
87.
She winks at
her guest and blows him a kiss.
A silence.
MARY
Robert? Where are you?
BASS
We're camping in Idaho. Along the
Salmon River. His favorite spot.
It's almost over.
MARY
How'd he doing?
BASS
He gets a little worse every day.
Especially at night. He's popping
morphine like candy.
MARY
How are you doing?
BASS
He bought a gun. When he can't
take the pain any longer, he
plans to use it.
MARY
How do you feel about that?
BASS
It's hard to take.
A silence.
BASS
I shouldn't lay this shit on you.
MARY
All you can do is be there for
him.
A silence.
MARY
Robert?
BASS
I have to go. I'll check in with
you later.
He hangs up.
88.
INT. SEATTLE
- MARY'S HOME - DAY
Mary hangs
up.
MALE GUEST
Everything okay?
MARY
An old friend is watching his
best friend die.
EXT.
CAMPSITE - REST ROOMS - DAY
Bass stands
at the phone. He looks half-dead himself.
EXT.
CAMPSITE - DAY
Returning to
camp, Bass hears a GUNSHOT. My God! He sprints
the rest of
the way.
As he
arrives, a second gunshot.
He sees
hooker at the riverbank, firing a target cans.
Another
gunshot.
BASS
What are you doing?
HOOKER
Come down here! Your turn.
Bass joins
Hooker. More cans are lined up in the distance.
Hooker
offers the pistol.
HOOKER
See how your eye is.
Bass doesn't
reach for the gun.
HOOKER
I may need your help, Bear. Don't
let me down.
Bass takes
the pistol. He aims. Fires. Misses.
HOOKER
Try again.
A second
time -- and Bass hits a can.
89.
HOOKER
Good job. And I'm an easier
target.
Bass thrusts
the gun at him.
BASS
Stop it! A little of your morbid
sense of humor goes a long way.
After Hooker
takes the gun, Bass rushes off.
EXT.
CAMPSITE - PATH - DAY
Bass
walking, trying to compose himself.
EXT.
CAMPSITE - FIRE - NIGHT
Bass and
Hooker around the campfire.
HOOKER
I know this upsets you, Bear. It
upsets me, too. But what the hell
can we do about it? Not a damn
thing. We can't wish it away. We
can't pretend it isn't just
around the corner. I have no
regrets. I had a damn good life,
all things considered. By rights
I should've been dead years ago.
I'm one of the lucky ones. I get
to go out on a fishing trip with
my best buddy. What do I have to
complain about?
A silence.
HOOKER
I guess I keep forgetting it's
harder for you than it is for me.
BASS
It is, isn't it?
A silence.
HOOKER
One more thing we need to talk
about, Bear. If it happens I
can't do it myself and need your
help, you have to be careful what
you do.
(MORE)
90.
HOOKER (CONT'D)
You have to set it up to look
like suicide or they'll have your
ass in jail for murder. I already
put my intentions in writing.
It's in an envelope in my pack.
But cops are cops. Somebody's
going to want to use you for a
promotion. Make sure you cover
your ass, is what I'm saying. It
has to look like suicide, which
it is essentially, even if it
doesn't turn out that way.
Bass doesn't
respond.
HOOKER
I know you don't want to talk
about it. Just think about it.
Last thing I want is for you to
go to jail for helping me out.
BASS
I won't go to jail.
HOOKER
Good. Good.
They stare
into the fire.
EXT.
CAMPSITE - DAY
Bass brewing
coffee on the camp stove.
BASS
Red, you ready for coffee?
No reply.
Bass moves
to the tent.
INT. TENT -
DAY
Bass peeks
into the tent.
Hooker
groans, in visible pain.
BASS
Hooker?
He leans
next to his buddy. Hooker groans and grimaces,
turning this
way and that.
91.
BASS
Where are your pills?
HOOKER
Gone ...
BASS
Want me to help you up?
HOOKER
Bear ... it's time ...
Bass
freezes. He stares at Hooker.
HOOKER
Do it ... please ... Bear ...
But Bass
can't move.
HOOKER
Bear!
This gets
Bass up. He fetches the pistol from Hooker's pack.
He returns
to kneel beside his friend.
Hooker
appears to be in excruciating pain.
BASS
I love you, brother.
HOOKER
Bear ...
Bass points
the gun. He closes his eyes.
EXT.
CAMPSITE - DAY
A GUNSHOT.
Bass
staggers out of the tent. He is covered with blood and
brain
matter.
He stumbles
down to the river and falls onto his knees. He
throws up.
He slides
down the way, to a clean spot. He dips his hands
in the river
and splashes water on his face. He cleans up.
He looks up
and sees a pickup truck approaching the campsite.
Bass climbs
to the bank to greet it.
A MAN gets
out of the truck.
92.
MAN
I heard a gunshot.
BASS
So did I. I was fishing down the
way. I fell in.
The man
approaches.
BASS
My friend is very sick. I'll
check in the tent.
Bass heads
for the tent.
EXT.
CAMPSITE - DAY (LATER)
Yellow
police tape surrounds the campsite.
A police car
is parked near Bass' car.
An ambulance
pulls away.
Bass sits at
the table with a POLICE OFFICER.
POLICE OFFICER
We'll need a statement. You can
follow me to the station.
Bass nods.
EXT. POLICE
DEPT. - DAY
A small
building in a small town.
INT. POLICE
DEPT. - INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY
Bass sits at
a conference table. He looks emotionally drained.
SGT. CARVER
enters, a cowboy type.
SGT. CARVER
Mr. Bass? Stay seated. I'm Sgt.
Carver.
Carver sits
down across from Bass.
93.
SGT. CARVER
So. I understand you discovered
the body of ...
(looking at paper)
Clyde Hooker.
BASS
Yes, sir.
SGT. CARVER
What I'd like you to do, sir, is
put down in your own words
exactly what happened.
He slides a
yellow tablet and pen in front of Bass.
SGT. CARVER
From getting up in the morning to
finding the body. When you're
done, bring it to the front desk
out front.
He gets up.
SGT. CARVER
Can you do that for me?
BASS
Yes, sir.
Carver nods
and leaves.
Bass stares
at the top yellow sheet of paper.
INT. POLICE
STATION - FRONT DESK - DAY
Carver goes
to the DESK SERGEANT.
SGT. CARVER
What'd you get?
DESK SGT.
The gun's registered to Bass.
SGT. CARVER
Finger prints?
DESK SGT.
A ton.
94.
INT. POLICE
STATION - INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY
Bass writing
his statement. Sweating, squirming. This is not
easy to do.
INT. POLICE
STATION - FRONT DESK - DAY
Bass comes
forward with his statement.
BASS
Do I give this to you?
DESK SGT.
I can take it.
Carver comes
forward.
SGT. CARVER
I'll need your finger prints.
BASS
My prints are on the gun.
SGT. CARVER
Are they?
BASS
It's registered to me. We were
target shooting earlier. It's in
the statement.
SGT. CARVER
Good. This way.
EXT. POLICE
STATION - DAY
Carver walks
Bass to his car.
SGT. CARVER
Go to the Riverside Motel on Main
Street. I already reserved you a
room.
BASS
I'm not done?
SGT. CARVER
We need a day or two more and
want you handy. Since you're a
witness in custody, the room's on
us. Not your bar bill, of course.
95.
Bass just
looks at him.
SGT. CARVER
That was a joke. I'll be in
touch.
EXT.
RIVERSIDE MOTEL - NIGHT
Bass' car
parked in front of a room.
INT.
RIVERSIDE MOTEL - ROOM - NIGHT
Bass at the
phone. Staring at it. But he doesn't dial.
INT.
RIVERSIDE MOTEL - ROOM - DAY
Bass in bed,
sleeping in. The phone rings.
Bass stirs
and answers.
BASS
Hello?
INT. POLICE
STATION - INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY
Carver
giving Bass coffee.
SGT. CARVER
Let me get right to the point.
Suicide doesn't wash. You know
why not? Because the gun was
found six feet from the body.
Because the bullet entered the
left side of the brain, and you
told me your friend was right
handed. Now I think I understand
the situation here. He's dying of
cancer. He wants to put an end to
the suffering, and maybe he even
asks you to shoot him. Or you
can't stand watching him suffer
and take it upon yourself to give
him eternal peace. Which one was
it?
BASS
Is this where I ask for a lawyer?
96.
SGT. CARVER
You read me wrong, Bass. I'm not
after your ass. I could nail you
if I was. But my dad went through
the big-C and, looking back, I
wish I'd put him out of his
misery. I'm just curious. Off the
record, which way did it come
down?
BASS
I was fishing. I heard a shot,
and when I came back, he was dead
in the tent.
Carver
grins.
SGT. CARVER
You son of a bitch. Have it your
way. Get out of here. Get your
buddy's ashes and go home.
EXT. SALMON
RIVER - DAY
Bass wades
out into the river with the box of Hooker's ashes.
An eagle in
a tree looks on.
Deer in the
brush look on.
Bass tips
the box. The ashes spill out, some heavy enough to
drop into
the water, some floating downstream with the current.
When the box
is empty, Bass drops it. It rushes off with the
river.
The deer
scatter into the brush.
The eagle
takes flight. Bass looks up at it.
An image of
Hooker: grinning straight at us. The image that
will be
seared in Bass' memory.
FADE OUT