"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