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by Anthony Bennett (mhsdawgs@yahoo.com)
Rated:
Genre: Film Noir
User Review:
This screenplay is copyrighted to its author. All rights reserved. This screenplay may not be used or reproduced without the express written permission of the author.
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FADE IN:
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EXT. STREET - NIGHT |
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A car pulls up to next to an abandoned building on a rundown
street. In the driver's and passenger's seat respectively
are DYLAN YOUNG and ANDREW CRANE; their appearances declare
them far too well-monied to be there for any reason beyond
the obvious. Outside stands JUDE THADDEUS, a drug dealer
whose occupation has clearly eroded his life. Andrew
prepares to step out when Dylan grabs his arm. |
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DYLAN
What happens if something goes
wrong? |
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ANDREW
Dude, don't be such a fucking
pussy. |
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DYLAN
Right. Because nothing ever goes
wrong in a drug deal. |
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ANDREW
If you're so worried about it, why
did you come? |
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DYLAN
Maybe I just wanted to be here if
something happened to you. |
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ANDREW
(sigh)
Fucking saint. All right, look. If
it's that big a deal, just drop me
off and take the car around the
block. Should something happen,
I'll call you. If not, just come
back around and get me. |
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ANDREW
(opens door)
Hey, man. I really do appreciate
the ride. |
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DYLAN
(shifts into drive)
No problem. |
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2.
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Andrew steps out and the car slowly rolls away. |
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ANDREW
(intently)
Anything to sell? |
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Andrew pulls out a twenty. Jude is reaching in his pocket
when |
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A COP has been watching them the entire time and makes his
move. Andrew and Jude run into the abandoned building. |
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INT. ABANDONED BUILDING - NIGHT |
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Andrew and Jude run through the abandoned house. Andrew
pulls out his cell phone and begins to dial. Jude opens the
window to the fire escape, then reconsiders. He opens a
nearby door and pulls himself and Andrew through it,
silently shutting it just as the cop comes into view. |
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INT. WALK-IN CLOSET - NIGHT |
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Andrew is still dialing the phone. Jude smacks his hand
down, then places a finger over his mouth to counter
Andrew's perturbed expression. |
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INT. ABANDONED BUILDING - NIGHT |
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The cop examines the window to the fire escape and the
street below, and realizes they've gotten away. He punches
the door to the closet. |
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3.
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INT. WALK-IN CLOSET - NIGHT |
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Andrew and Jude recoil at the sound of the door, then listen
in relief as they hear the cop walk away, finally relaxing
as the front door opens and closes. |
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Andrew exchanges his money for two small baggies. |
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JUDE
(pulls out
business card)
Pleasure doing business. Next time
just call this number and we'll
set something up. |
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EXT. STREET - NIGHT |
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The car pulls up to the building. Dylan looks around
confused for a moment, then steps into the building, looking
frustrated at his friend's lack of punctuality. |
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INT. WALK-IN CLOSET - NIGHT |
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Jude attempts to hand Andrew the phone he knocked away as
Andrew moves to open the door, but both stop upon hearing
something in the hallway. Both step back, and Jude pulls a
gun, beating back Andrew's hands as Andrew tries to take it
away. |
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INT. ABANDONED BUILDING - NIGHT |
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Dylan walks through the hallway, looks at the open window,
then hears sounds of a scuffle from behind the closet door.
He quickly walks over and extends his hand to grab the knob. |
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INT. WALK-IN CLOSET - NIGHT |
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Jude and Andrew stop scuffling when they hear the footsteps
coming near them, standing like statues. As the door opens,
Jude instinctively raises his gun to eye level and fires;
both recoil in shock and horror as they realize who's been
shot. |
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4.
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INT. WALK-IN CLOSET - NIGHT |
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Andrew falls to his knees, sobbing over Dylan's body. Jude
attempts to run away, but Andrew catches him by the foot and
begins to savagely beat him. |
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ANDREW
(hysterical)
I'll kill you! You bastard! |
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Jude finally takes the gun, still in his hand, and
pistol-whips Andrew, throwing him off and allowing an
escape. Andrew fumbles through his pockets for his cell
phone before crawling back to Dylan's corpse, grabbing his
cell phone and calling the police. |
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INT. JUDE'S APARTMENT - DAY |
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Jude's apartment is spare but cluttered, his coffee table
filled with the spare parts of several projects/ A clock on
his mantle reads 7:30; he's drinking coffee and poring ver
the newspaper. |
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NEWSPAPER PAGE |
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Jude runs his finger across the headline "MAN SLAIN IN DRUG
DEAL", then reads until he finds the name "DYLAN YOUNG".
Taps twice as the phone rings, lets the machine pick it up,
to reveal the menacing voice of Jude's loan shark CASPER
FERRARI. |
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FERRARI (VO)
Jude, it's Casper. I've given you
as long as I could, and I've been
very patient. Now I'm sending a
friend to escort you here. Don't
run, don't hide, it'll only make
things tougher. |
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APARTMENT |
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Jude picks up Andrew's cell phone from the table, as well as
his gun, putting both in either pocket of his jacket. He
hears a knock on the door and takes a moment to collect
himself. He smiles, and moves to answer the door. |
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5.
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INT. HALLWAY - DAY |
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It's not Ferrari's associate, it's Jude's landlord BILL, an
aged, squat man with a similar demeanor. |
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JUDE
Bill, I can pay you tonight. |
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BILL
How many tonights have I heard
that? |
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JUDE
Look, do you want collateral? |
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BILL
Half my apartment is furnished by
things you own. I can't accept any
more collateral, and I can't give
you any more time. I'm sorry. |
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Bill ponders for a moment as a large man in a dark suit
comes down the hallway. There is no mistaking him; he is
FERRARI'S THUG. |
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THUG
Casper Ferrari has business with
this man. |
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THUG
(steps forward)
Casper Ferrari's business takes
precedent. |
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JUDE
Hey, Bill. Let me talk to this guy
a second, and I'll be right out.
Save your face a lot of trouble. |
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THUG
No, you're coming with me. |
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JUDE
Come on, just come in, have a cup
of coffee, let me sort this out,
then we'll go to your boss and see
what's going on. |
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6.
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THUG
(considers a
moment)
Make it quick. |
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INT. JUDE'S APARTMENT - DAY |
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The thug walks in, Jude behind him. Jude closes the door and
eyes his opponent's back. |
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JUDE
Here, let me take your jacket. |
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Jude grabs the lapels of his jacket and rips them off his
shoulders, trapping his arms in the motion. Jude pulls the
gun from his pocket and aims it at the thug's head. |
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JUDE
Take off your watch and drop it to
the floor. See that chair over
there? Sit down. |
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The man does both. Jude grabs a roll of duct tape from his
table and ties the man's hands town with one hand and his
teeth. He picks up the man's watch and heads for the door. |
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INT. HALLWAY - DAY |
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Jude hands the watch to Bill and talks to him as he walks
away. |
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JUDE
I know you said no collateral, but
it's not really an option now.
Just take it and I swear I'll have
the money by the end of the day,
or you can move everything out. |
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Jude starts to run, but Bill grabs him by the arm. |
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BILL
Look Jude, I like you, but... |
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Jude rolls his eyes, turns around and punches his landlord
in the face, knocking him to the floor. He offers an
apologetic look, then runs away. |
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7.
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EXT. STREET - DAY |
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Jude walks down the street, but ducks behind a stoop as he
sees Andrew talking to a cop. |
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COP 2
And how do you know this is the
guy's address? |
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ANDREW
He gave me a card with his home
number. If you have that, you can
find the address on the Internet. |
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JUDE'S FACE |
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Jude listens intently. |
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COP 2 (VO)
All right, kid. We'll have a
warrant by around eight, and we
can probably swing immunity in
exchange for your testimony. |
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STREET |
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Jude nonchalantly sneaks off as Andrew and the cop walk in
the other direction. |
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ANDREW
I just hope you find the son of a
bitch before I do. |
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COP 2
Is there a number where we can
reach you? |
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ANDREW
(fumbles in pocket)
Yeah, hang on...that son of a
bitch stole my phone! |
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INT. FERRARI'S OFFICE - DAY |
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Casper Ferrari is not a small man, either in stature or in
intimidation. In fact, he's downright corpulent. His office
is small, but shoeboxes and filing cabinets overflowing with
money decorate the place. He sits patiently until his door
opens, Jude striding through. |
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8.
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FERRARI
Jude, it's good to see you again.
Where, pray tell, is my associate? |
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JUDE
(desperate)
I'll explain later. Listen, if
you'll give me just a little more
time-- |
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FERRARI
(laughing)
Jude, Jude, Jude. I've given you
as much as I can--more, in fact,
than you deserve. Name one other
person who would lend you as much
as I have and let you stay in
repayment as long. while keeping
your body entirely intact. |
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Jude's demeanor changes from wide-eyed to smirking. |
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JUDE
God, was I hoping you'd try to
take the moral high road, just so
I could be the one to tell you
you're an amoral lardass and I
can't wait to see you in hell to
watch all that cellulite fry. |
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Ferrari is taken aback, but still attempts to control the
situation. |
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FERRARI
You do realize how much harder on
yourself you've made this? |
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JUDE
(pulls gun)
Funny thing about dying. You stop
giving a fuck. |
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Jude shoots him in the head. After a moment, he grabs a box,
takes a moment to assess the cash inside, then runs away. |
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EXT. STREET - DAY |
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Jude fumbles through his pocket and finds Andrew's phone. |
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9.
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SCREEN OF ANDREW'S CELL PHONE |
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Jude rifles through the contacts and finds a number entitled
DYLAN'S FAM, then highlights it. |
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STREET |
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Jude holds up a hand, but before he can call for a cab,
Andrew's phone rings. |
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ANDREW (VO)
I'm coming for you. |
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ANDREW (VO)
The fuck you think? |
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JUDE
Okay, just listen. I know I
screwed up, but you don't want to
kill me. Trust me, it's definitely
an overvalued act. |
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ANDREW (VO)
Only one way to find out. You
better pray the cops get to you
first. Go ahead and settle all
your affairs just to be safe. |
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JUDE
Much as I'd love to sit here
listening to you talk tough, I'm
actually trying to get that done
now. Later. |
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Jude hangs up and attempts to call a cab again. |
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A cab pulls over and Jude gets in. |
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10.
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CAB |
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JUDE
(hands driver wad
of money)
Take me to the library. Keep the
change. |
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INT. LIBRARY - DAY |
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Jude searches the Internet and writes down the address. On
his way out, he notices a PRIEST leaving a flier for a
church. |
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JUDE
I'm sorry to bother you, Father.
What time is confession at your
church? |
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PRIEST
Well, I can make an appointment
for you. How's 7:30? |
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JUDE
Sounds great. Where is it? |
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PRIEST
Corner of Swordfish and Vine. |
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INT. JUDE'S APARTMENT - DAY |
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Jude steps back into his apartment and sets his box on the
table, then rips the tape off the thug's mouth. |
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JUDE
See that box? That's your boss's
box. You want to know how I got
it? Didn't think so. |
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JUDE
See? Now I'm gonna have to gag you
again. But first, I got some
things to do. |
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11.
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INT. JUDE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT |
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Jude places the last of the money in an addressed,
mail-ready box, and grabs a stuffed sock, placing it
forcefully in the mouth of his captive. As he prepares to
walk out the door, he looks at the clock. |
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CLOCK |
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7:54. |
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EXT. ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC - NIGHT |
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The priest, obviously frustrated, is closing up shop for the
night. He has just finished locking the door to the chapel
as Jude lunges into the nearby bushes. |
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JUDE
Hey, Father, I'm here. |
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PRIEST
You're late. And very theatrical,
I might add. |
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JUDE
Well, you're not supposed to see
me, are you? |
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PRIEST
(sits beside
bushes)
Well, no, but...never mind. |
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JUDE
Bless me, Father, for I have
sinned. |
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PRIEST
How long since your last
confession? |
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JUDE
Since high school, I think. |
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PRIEST
What compels you to confess? |
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12.
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JUDE
I'm a dealer, I've killed two men
in twenty-four hours, and I'm
either going to die in prison or
tonight at the hands of a loan
shark's lackeys. |
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PRIEST
(annoyed)
Look, this is a very solemn
ceremony, and you're half an hour
late, so if you don't mind... |
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PRIEST
(understanding)
Oh. Oh, my. |
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JUDE
Look, I don't know what happened.
The first guy was an accident, I
thought he was a cop. |
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The full reality begins to dawn on Jude. |
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JUDE
Just some kid. I wasn't even
dealing to him, he was a friend of
this other kid...Father, I sold
drugs to kids. Anyway, I'm reading
this kid's obit in the paper, and
he was a good kid. Dean's List,
studying to be a doctor, all of
that. |
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JUDE
Not so much. A loan shark, he
woulda killed me anyway. Still, I
realize I coulda handled the
situation better. |
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13.
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JUDE
Yeah. Anyway, Father, I stole some
money from him--Commandments break
easy the third time, you know--and
I'm gonna send it to his family. I
don't know why, it won't give them
their kid back. |
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PRIEST
You want to square things in the
physical sense, but we're not
completely physical beings. |
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JUDE
Yeah...I guess that's why I'm
here. |
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PRIEST
Squaring it in the eyes of God. |
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JUDE
Getting as close as I can. |
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PRIEST
I want you to turn yourself in,
but I know you won't do that. In
the meantime, you should be really
happy you did this. It was the
right thing to do. |
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JUDE
Am I gonna get the magic words? |
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PRIEST
(smiles)
I absolve you from your sins. In
the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit. |
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Of all people, Andrew now walks toward the scene. |
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ANDREW
Father O'Reilly, are you talking
to a bush? |
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PRIEST
(standing)
It's a long story, my son. I'm
going home now. |
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ANDREW
Okay, I'll make sure all the doors
are locked. |
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14.
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Father O'Reilly dusts himself off and walks away. Jude steps
out, to discover Andrew there. |
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INT. JUDE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT |
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The thug is being freed by two policemen. Bill is being
questioned. |
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COP 3
(holding gag)
Hey, there's money in this sock.
And a note..."To Bill, my
landlord." |
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BILL
(smiles)
That son of a bitch. |
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EXT. ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC - NIGHT |
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JUDE
(reaches to give
Andrew gun)
You're not the only person who
wants to see me dead, but you're
as close as it gets to deserving
it. |
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ANDREW
Look, I thought about what you
said, and... |
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JUDE
Kid, I got two murders and a
robbery on me. Somebody's gonna
get me, and it might as well be
you. |
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ANDREW
What kind of Catholic would I be
if I killed a guy at church? |
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15.
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JUDE
Kid, I'm gonna be dead within the
month if I go to prison. Think of
it as a mercy killing. |
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JUDE
Well, as of five minutes ago I'm a
Catholic again, so I can't do it
myself. |
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They both consider it a moment. |
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ANDREW
You know, it's just as much my
fault as yours. |
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JUDE
Yeah, but you can change that.
You've got time. Here's a package
for your friend's family. Make
sure it gets there. |
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ANDREW
Where'd you get the address? |
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ANDREW
(takes package)
OK. |
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Suddenly, the scene is awash in blue-red lights. A shot
rings out, and Jude clutches his chest. |
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JUDE
(pulls out phone)
Your phone. |
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Jude collapses and dies. The police officer Andrew spoke to
earlier enters the scene. |
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COP 3
We got a tip he was coming this
way. You okay, kid? |
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ANDREW
(looks at phone)
I'd been looking for this. |
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FADE OUT. |
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