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turning to page one
turning to page one
written by
1997
Good Will Hunting
an Original Script
by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck
The following is Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's Award Winning Script for Good Will Hunting. It is what Matt Damon and Ben Affleck originally wrote on paper before the movie was made.
FADE IN:
CUT TO:
The bar is dirty, more than a little run down. If there is ever a cook on duty, he's not here now. As we pan across several empty tables, we can almost smell the odor of last nights beer and crushed pretzels on the floor.
CHUCKIE
Oh my God, I got the most fucked up
thing I been meanin' to tell you.
As the camera rises, we find FOUR YOUNG MEN seated around a table near the back of the bar.
ALL
Oh Jesus. Here we go.
The guy holding court is CHUCKIE SULLIVAN, 20, and the largest of the bunch. He is loud, boisterous, a born entertainer. Next to him is WILL HUNTING, 20, handsome and confident, a soft-spoken leader. On Will's right sits BILLY MCBRIDE, 22, heavy, quiet, someone you definitely wouldn't want to tangle with. Finally there is MORGAN O'MALLY, 19, smaller than the other guys. Wiry and anxious, Morgan listens to Chuckie's horror stories with eager disgust.
All four boys speak with thick Boston accents. This is a rough, working class Irish neighborhood and these boys are its product.
CHUCKIE
You guys know my cousin Mikey Sullivan?
ALL
Yeah.
CHUCKIE
Well you know how he loves animals
right? Anyway, last week he's drivin'
home...
(laughs)
ALL
What? Come on!
CHUCKIE
(trying not to laugh)
I'm sorry, 'cause you know Mikey, the
fuckin guy loves animals, and this is
the last person you'd want this to
happen to.
WILL
Chuckie, what the fuck happened?
CHUCKIE
Okay. He's driving along and this
fuckin' cat jumps in front of his car,
and so he hits this cat--
Chuckie is really laughing now.
MORGAN
--That isn't funny--
CHUCKIE
--and he's like "shit! Motherfucker!"
And he looks in his rearview and
sees this cat-- I'm sorry--
BILLY
Fuckin' Chuckie!
CHUCKIE
So he sees this cat tryin to make it
across the street and it's not lookin'
so good.
WILL
It's walkin' pretty slow at this point.
MORGAN
You guys are fuckin' sick.
CHUCKIE
So Mikey's like "Fuck, I gotta put
this thing out of its misery"--So he
gets a hammer--
WILL/MORGAN/BILLY
OH!
CHUCKIE
--out of his tool box, and starts
chasin' the cat and starts whackin' it
with the hammer. You know, tryin' to
put the thing out of its misery.
MORGAN
Jesus.
CHUCKIE
And all the time he's apologizin' to
the cat, goin' "I'm sorry." BANG,
"I'm sorry." BANG!
BILLY
Like it can understand.
CHUCKIE
And this Samoan guy comes runnin'
out of his house and he's like "What
the fuck are you doing to my cat?!"
Mikey's like "I'm sorry"--BANG--" I hit
your cat with my truck, and I'm just
trying to put it out of it's misery"--
BANG! And the cat dies. So Mikey's
like "Why don't you come look at the
front of the truck." 'Cause the other
guy's all fuckin flipped out about--
WILL
Watching his cat get brained.
Morgan gives Will a look, but Will only smiles.
CHUCKIE
Yeah, so he's like "Check the front of
my truck, I can prove I hit it 'cause
there's probably some blood or
something"--
WILL
--or a tail--
MORGAN
WILL!
CHUCKIE
And so they go around to the front of
his truck...and there's another cat on
the grille.
WILL/MORGAN/BILLY
No! Ugh!
CHUCKIE
Is that unbelievable? He brained an
innocent cat!
BLACKOUT:
The opening credits roll over a series of shots of the city and the real people who live and work there, going about their daily lives.
We see a panoramic view of South Boston.
Will sits in his apartment, walls completely bare. A bed, a small night table and an empty basket adorn the room. A stack of twenty or so LIBRARY BOOKS sit by his bed. He is flipping through a book at about a page a second.
Chuckie stands on the porch to Will's house. His Caddilac idles by the curb. Will comes out and they get in the car.
We travel across crowded public housing and onto downtown. Finally, we gaze across the river and onto the great cement- domed buildings that make up the M.I.T. campus.
CUT TO:
The classroom is packed with graduate students and TOM. PROFESSOR LAMBEAU (52) is at the lectern. The chalkboard behind him is covered with theorems.
LAMBEAU
Please finish McKinley by next month.
Many of you probably had this as
undergraduates in real analysis. It
won't hurt to brush up. I am also
putting an advanced fourier system on the
main hallway chalkboard--
Everyone groans.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
I'm hoping that one of you might prove
it by the end of the semester. The
first person to do so will not only be
in my good graces, but go on to fame
and fortune by having their
accomplishment recorded and their name
printed in the auspicious "M.I.T. Tech."
Prof. Lambeau holds up a thin publication entitled "M.I.T. Tech." Everyone laughs.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
Former winners include Nobel Laureates,
world renowned astro-physicists, Field's
Medal winners and lowly M.I.T.
professors.
More laughs.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
Okay. That is all.
A smattering of applause. Students pack their bags.
CUT TO:
The place is a monster indoor funpark. Will, Chuckie, Morgan, and Billy are in adjoining batting cages. Will has disabled the pitching machine in his and pitches to Chuckie. The boys have been drinking. Will throws one to Chuckie, high and tight. Several empty beer cans sit by the cage.
CHUCKIE
Will!
Another pitch, inside.
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
You're gonna get charged!
WILL
You think I'm afraid of you, you big
fuck? You're crowdin' the plate.
Will guns another one, way inside.
CHUCKIE
Stop brushin' me back!
WILL
Stop crowdin the plate!
Chuckie laughs and steps back.
CHUCKIE
Casey's bouncin' at a bar up Harvard.
We should go there sometime.
WILL
What are we gonna do up there?
CHUCKIE
I don't know, we'll fuck up some smart
kids.
(stepping back in)
You'd prob'ly fit right in.
WILL
Fuck you.
Will fires a pitch at Chuckie's head. Chuckie dives to avoid being hit. He gets up and whips his batting helmet at Will.
CUT TO:
SEAN McGUIRE (52) sits, FORMALLY DRESSED, on the roof of his apartment building in a beat-up lawn chair. Well-built and fairly muscular, he stares blankly out over the city.
On his lap rests an open invitation that reads "M.I.T. CLASS OF '67 REUNION."
While the morning is quiet and Sean sits serenely, there is a look about his that tells us he has faced hard times. This is a man who fought his way through life. On his lonely stare we:
CUT TO:
A thirty year REUNION PARTY has taken over the lawn. A well dressed throng mill about underneath a large banner that reads "WELCOME BACK CLASS OF '72." We find Professor Lambeau standing with a drink in his hand, surveying the crowd. He is interrupted by an approaching STUDENT.
STUDENT
Excuse me, Professor Lambeau?
LAMBEAU
Yes.
STUDENT
I'm in your applied theories class.
We're all down at the Math and Science
building.
LAMBEAU
It's Saturday.
STUDENT
I know. We just couldn't wait 'till
Monday to find out.
LAMBEAU
Find out what?
STUDENT
Who proved the theorem.
In the bleachers of the visiting section we find our boys, drinking and smoking cigarettes. Will pops open a beer. The boys have been here a while and it shows.
Billy sees something that catches his interest.
BILLY
Who's that? She's got a nice ass.
Their P.O.V. reveals a girl in stretch pants talking to a beefy looking ITALIAN GUY (BOBBY CHAMPA)
MORGAN
Yah, that is a nice ass.
CHUCKIE
You could put a pool in that backyard.
BILLY
Who's she talking to?
MORGAN
That fuckin' guinea, Will knows him.
WILL
Yah, Bobby Champa. He used to beat
the shit outta' me in Kindergarten.
BILLY
He's a pretty big kid.
WILL
Yah, he's the same size now as he was
in Kindergarten.
MORGAN
Fuck this, let's get something to eat...
CHUCKIE
What Morgan, you're not gonna go talk
to her?
MORGAN
Fuck her.
The boys get up and walk down the bleachers.
WILL
I could go for a Whopper.
MORGAN
(nonchalant)
Let's hit "Kelly's."
CHUCKIE
Morgan, I'm not goin' to "Kelly's Roast
Beef" just cause you like the take-out
girl. It's fifteen minutes out of our
way.
MORGAN
What else we gonna do we can't spare
fifteen minutes?
CHUCKIE
All right Morgan, fine. I'll tell you
why we're not going to "Kelly's."
It's because the take-out bitch is a
fuckin' idiot. I'm sorry you like her
but she's dumb as a post and she has
never got our order right, never once.
MORGAN
She's not stupid.
WILL
She's sharp as a marble.
CHUCKIE
We're not goin'.
(beat)
I don't even like "Kelly's."
CUT TO:
Lambeau, still in his reunion formal-wear, strides down the hallway, carrying some papers. A group of students have gathered by the chalkboard. They part like the red sea as he approaches the board. Using the papers in hand, he checks the proof. Satisfied, he turns to the class.
LAMBEAU
This is correct? Who did this?
Dead silence. Lambeau turns to an INDIAN STUDENT.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
Nemesh?
Nemesh shakes his head in awe.
NEMESH
No way.
Lambeau erases the proof and starts putting up a new one.
LAMBEAU
Well, whoever You are, I'm sure you'll
find this one challenging enough to
merit coming forward with your identity.
That is, if you can do it.
The street is crowded as our boys drive down Broadway. They move slowly through heavy traffic, windows down. Chuckie sorts through a large "KELLY'S ROAST BEEF" BAG as he drives.
MORGAN
Double Burger.
Will holds the wheel for Chuckie as he looks through the bag.
MORGAN (cont'd)
(same tone)
Double Burger.
Chuckie gets out fries for himself, hands Will his fries.
MORGAN (cont'd)
I, I had a Kelly's Double Burger.
CHUCKIE
Would you shut the fuck up! I know
what you ordered, I was there!
MORGAN
So why don't you give me my sandwhich?
CHUCKIE
What do you mean "your sandwhich?" I
bought it.
MORGAN
(sarcastic)
Yah, all right...
CHUCKIE
How much money you got?
MORGAN
I told you, I just got change.
CHUCKIE
Well give me your fuckin' change and
we'll put your fuckin' sandwhich on
lay-away.
MORGAN
Why you gotta be an asshole Chuckie?
CHUCKIE
I think you should establish a good
line of credit.
Laughter, Chuckie goes back searching through the bag.
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
Oh motherfucker...
WILL
She didn't do it again did she?
CHUCKIE
Jesus Christ. Not even close.
MORGAN
Did she get my Double Burger?
CHUCKIE
NO SHE DIDN'T GET YOUR DOUBLE BURGER!!
IT'S ALL FUCKIN' FLYIN' FISH FILET!!
Chuckie whips a FISH SANDWHICH back to Morgan, then to Billy.
WILL
Jesus, that's really bad, did anyone
even order a Flyin' Fish?
CHUCKIE
No, and we got four of 'em.
BILLY
You gotta' be kiddin' me. Why do we
even go to her?
CHUCKIE
Cause fuckin' Morgan's got a crush on
her, we always go there and when we
get to the window he never says a
fuckin' word to her, he never even
gets out of the car, and she never
gets our order right cause she's the
goddamn MISSING LINK!
WILL
Well, she out did herself today...
MORGAN
I don't got a crush on her.
Push in on Will who sees something O.S.
Will's P.O.V. reveals BOBBY CHAMPA and his friends walking down the street. One of them casually lobs a bottle into a wire garbage can. It SHATTERS and some of the glass hits a FEMALE PASSERBY who, although unhurt, is upset.
CHUCKIE
What do we got?
WILL
I don't know yet.
Will's P.O.V.: The woman says something to Bobby. He says something back. By the look on her face, it was something unpleasant.
MORGAN
Come on, Will...
CHUCKIE
Shut up.
MORGAN
No, why didn't you fight him at the
park if you wanted to? I'm not goin'
now, I'm eatin' my snack.
WILL
(smiles)
So don't go.
Will is out of the door, jogging toward Bobby Champa. Billy gets out, following Will with a look of casual indifference.
CHUCKIE
Morgan, Let's go.
MORGAN
I'm serious Chuckie, I ain't goin'.
Leaving the car, Chuckie opens his door to follow.
CHUCKIE
(spins in his seat)
You're goin'. And if you're not out
there in two fuckin' seconds, when I'm
done with them you're next!
And with that, Chuckie is out the door.
CUT TO:
Will comes jogging up towards BOBBY CHAMPA, calling out from across the street,
WILL
(smiling, good naturedly)
Hey, Bobby Champa! I went to
Kindergarten with you right? Sister
Margaret's class...
Bobby is bewildered by this strange interruption and unsure of Will's intentions. Just when it looks as though Bobby might remember him, Will DRILLS HIM with a sucker-punch which begins the
FIGHT SEQUENCE: 40 FRAMES OVER M. GAYE'S "LET'S GET IT ON."
Will's momentum and respectable strength serve to knock the hapless Champa out cold.
As soon as Will hits Bobby, his friends CONVERGE ON WILL. Billy JUMPS IN and wrestles one guy to the ground. The two exchange messy punches on the sidewalk.
Will is in trouble, back pedaling, dodging punches, trying to avoid being overrun.
When Will goes for one guy, another has an open shot and he HAMMERS WILL with a right hand to the head.
Will is staggered and bleary, as a second guy winds up for a shot he is BLIND SIDED by Chuckie who hits the kid like he was a tackling sled, lifting him off the ground.
Chuckie turns to see Will still outnumbered. It's all Will can do to stay standing as Morgan DROP KICKS one of Champa's boys from the hood of a car.
Contrary to what we might think, Morgan is actually quite a fighter. He peppers the kid with a flurry of blows.
The fight is messy, ugly and chaotic. Most punches are thrown wildly and miss, heads are banged against concrete, someone throws a bottle.
In the end, it's our guys who are left standing, while Bobby's friends stagger off. Chuckie and Morgan turn to see Will, standing over the unconscious Bobby Champa, still POUNDING him.
ANGLE ON WILL: SAVAGE, UGLY, VICIOUS, AND VIOLENT
Whatever demons must be raging inside Will, he is taking them out on Bobby Champa. He pummels the helpless, unconscious Champa, fury in his eyes. Chuckie and Billy pull Will away.
The POLICE finally arrive on the scene and having only witnessed Will's vicious attack on Champa, they grab him.
A crowd of onlookers have gathered. Chuckie addresses them.
CHUCKIE
Hey, thanks for comin' out.
WILL
Yeah, you're all invited over to
Morgan's house for a complementary
fish sandwhich.
The Police slam Will into the hood of a car.
WILL (cont'd)
(to Police)
Hey, I know it's not a French cruller,
but it's free.
The cop holding Will SLAMS his [Will's] face into the hood, another cop uses a baton to press Will's face into the car. The look of rage returns to Will's eye.
WILL (cont'd)
Get the fuck off me!
Will resists. Another cop comes over. Will KICKS HIM IN THE KNEE, dropping the cop. Momentarily freed, Will engages in a fracas with three cops. More converge on Will, who -- though he struggles -- takes a beating.
CUT TO:
Sean sits, exactly as we first saw him, except his tie is now loose and an empty bottle of BUSHMILLS is at his side. He stares out over the City. A MATRONLY LANDLADY comes out of a doorway on the roof.
LANDLADY
Sean?
Sean doesn't answer.
LANDLADY (cont'd)
Sean? You okay?
SEAN
Yeah.
A beat.
LANDLADY
It's getting cold.
After a moment, she retreats back down the stairs. Sean doesn't move.
DISSOLVE:
The morning sun reflects brilliantly off the river.
CUT TO:
Will emerges from the courthouse. Chuckie is waiting for him in the Cadillac with two cups of DUNKIN' DOUGHNUTS coffee. He hands one of them to Will. This feels routine.
CHUCKIE
When's the arraignment?
WILL
Next week.
Chuckie pulls away.
CUT TO:
Students walk to class, carrying bags. More than any other, students seem to be heading into one PARTICULAR CLASSROOM.
The classroom is even more crowded than last we saw it. Tom takes notes as Lambeau plays along with the excited environment with mock pomposity and good humor.
LAMBEAU
Is it my imagination, or has my class
grown considerably?
Laughter.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
I look around and see young people who
are my students, young people who are
not my students as well as some of my
colleagues. And by no stretch of my
imagination do I think you've all come
to hear me lecture.
More laughter.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
But rather to ascertain the identity
of who our esteemed "The Tech" has
come to call "The Mystery Math
Magician."
He holds up the M.I.T. Tech featuring a silhouetted figure, emblazoned with a large, white question mark. The headline reads "Mystery Math Magician strikes again."
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
Whoever you are, you've solved four of
the most difficult theorems I've ever
given a class. So without further
ado, come forward silent rogue, and
receive thy prize.
The class waits in breathless anticipation. A STUDENT shifts his weight in his chair, making a noise.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
Well, I'm sorry to disappoint my
spectators, but it appears there will
be no unmasking here today. I'm going
to have to ask those of you not enrolled
in the class to make your escape now
or, for the next three hours be
subjected to the mundities of
eigenvectors.
People start to gather their things and go. Lambeau picks up a piece of chalk and starts writing on the board.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
However, my colleagues and I have
conferred. There is a problem on the
board, right now, that took us two
years to prove. So let this be said;
the gauntlet has been thrown down.
But the faculty have answered the
challenge and answered with vigor.
CUT TO:
19 OMITTED
Lambeau comes out of his office with Tom and locks the door. As he turns to walk down the hallway, he stops. A faint TICKING SOUND can be heard. He turns and walks down the hall.
Lambeau and Tom come around a corner. His P.O.V. reveals a figure in silhouette blazing through the proof on the chalkboard. There is a mop and a bucket beside him. As Lambeau draws closer, reveal that the figure is Will, in his janitor's uniform. There is a look of intense concentration in his eyes.
LAMBEAU
Excuse me!
Will looks up, immediately starts to shuffle off.
WILL
Oh, I'm sorry.
LAMBEAU
What're you doing?
WILL
(walking away)
I'm sorry.
Lambeau follows Will down the hall.
LAMBEAU
What's your name?
(beat)
Don't you walk away from me. This is
people's work, you can't graffiti here.
WILL
Hey fuck you.
LAMBEAU
(flustered)
Well... I'll be speaking to your
supervisor.
Will walks out. Lambeau goes to "fix" the proof, scanning the blackboard for whatever damage Will caused. He stops, scans the board again. Amazement registers on his face.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
My God.
Down the hall, we hear the DOOR CLOSE. He turns to look for Will, who is gone.
CUT TO:
A crowded Harvard Bar. Will and our gang walk by a line of several Harvard students, waiting to be carded.
MORGAN
What happened?
(beat)
You got fired, huh?
WILL
Yeah, Morgan. I got fired.
MORGAN
(starts laughing)
How fuckin' retarded do you have to be
to get shit-canned from that job? How
hard is it to push a fuckin' broom?
CHUCKIE
You got fired from pushing a broom,
you little bitch.
MORGAN
Yah, that was different. Management
was restructurin'--
BILLY
--Yah, restructurin' the amount of
retards they had workin' for them.
MORGAN
Fuck you, you fat fuck.
BILLY
Least I work for a livin'.
(to Will)
Why'd you get fired?
WILL
Management was restructurin'.
Laughter.
CHUCKIE
My uncle can probably get you on my
demo team.
MORGAN
What the fuck? I just asked you for a
job yesterday!
CHUCKIE
I told you "no" yesterday!
After two students flash their ID's to the doorman (CASEY) our boys file past him.
ALL
(one after another)
What's up Case.
With an imperceptible nod, Casey waves our boys through. A fifth kid, a HARVARD STUDENT, tries to follow. He is stopped by Casey's massive, outstretched arm:
CASEY
ID?
Chuckie is collecting money from the guys to buy a pitcher, all but Morgan cough up some crumpled dollars.
CHUCKIE
So, this is a Harvard bar, huh? I
thought there'd be equations and shit
on the wall.
Chuckie returns to a table where Will, Morgan and Billy have made themselves comfortable. He [Chuckie] spots two ATTRACTIVE YOUNG HARVARD WOMEN sitting together at the end of the bar. Chuckie struts his way toward the women and pulls up a chair. He flashes a smile and tries to submerge his thick Boston accent.
CHUCKIE
Hey, how's it goin'?
LYDIA
Fine.
SKYLAR
Okay.
CHUCKIE
So, you ladies ah, go to school here?
LYDIA
Yes.
CHUCKIE
Yeah, cause I think I had a class with
you.
At this point, several interested parties materialize. Morgan Billy and Will try, as inconspicuously as possible, to situate themselves within listening distance. A rather large student in a HARVARD LACROSSE sweatshirt, CLARK (22) notices Chuckie. He [Clark] walks over to Skylar and Lydia, nobly hovering over them as protector. This gets Will, Morgan, and Billy's attention.
SKYLAR
What class?
CHUCKIE
Ah, history I think.
SKYLAR
Oh...
CHUCKIE
Yah, it's not a bad school...
At this point, Clark can't resist and steps in.
CLARK
What class did you say that was?
CHUCKIE
History.
CLARK
How'd you like that course?
CHUCKIE
Good, it was all right.
CLARK
History? Just "history?" It must
have been a survey course then.
Chuckie nods. Clark notices Chuckie's clothes. Will and Billy exchange a look and move subtly closer.
CLARK (cont'd)
Pretty broad. "History of the World?"
CHUCKIE
Hey, come on pal we're in classes all
day. That's one thing about Harvard never
seizes to amaze me, everybody's talkin'
about school all the time.
CLARK
Hey, I'm the last guy to want to talk
about school at the bar. But as long
as you're here I want to "seize" the
opportunity to ask you a question.
Billy shifts his beer into his left hand. Will and Morgan see this. Morgan rolls his eyes as if to say "not again..."
CLARK (cont'd)
Oh, I'm sure you covered it in your
history class.
Clark looks to see if the girls are impressed. They are not. When Clark looks back to Chuckie, Skylar turns to Lydia and rolls her [own] eyes. They laugh. Will sees this and smiles.
CHUCKIE
To tell you the truth, I wasn't there
much. The class was rather elementary.
CLARK
Elementary? Oh, I don't doubt that it
was. I remember the class, it was
just between recess and lunch.
Will and Billy come forward, stand behind Chuckie.
CHUCKIE
All right, are we gonna have a problem?
CLARK
There's no problem. I was just hoping
you could give me some insight into
the evolution of the market economy in
the early colonies. My contention is
that prior to the Revolutionary War
the economic modalities especially of
the southern colonies could most aptly
be characterized as agrarian pre-
capitalist and...
Will, who at this point has migrated to Chuckie's side and is completely fed-up, includes himself in the conversation.
WILL
Of course that's your contention.
You're a first year grad student.
You just finished some Marxian
historian, Pete Garrison prob'ly, and
so naturally that's what you believe
until next month when you get to James
Lemon and get convinced that Virginia
and Pennsylvania were strongly
entrepreneurial and capitalist back in
1740. That'll last until sometime in
your second year, then you'll be in
here regurgitating Gordon Wood about
the Pre-revolutionary utopia and the
capital-forming effects of military
mobilization.
CLARK
(taken aback)
Well, as a matter of fact, I won't,
because Wood drastically underestimates
the impact of--
WILL
--"Wood drastically underestimates the
impact of social distinctions predicated
upon wealth, especially inheriated
wealth..." You got that from "Work in
Essex County," Page 421, right? Do
you have any thoughts of your own on
the subject or were you just gonna
plagerize the whole book for me?
Clark is stunned.
WILL(cont'd)
Look, don't try to pass yourself off
as some kind of an intellect at the
expense of my friend just to impress
these girls.
Clark is lost now, searching for a graceful exit, any exit.
WILL (cont'd)
The sad thing is, in about 50 years
you might start doin' some thinkin' on
your own and by then you'll realize
there are only two certainties in life.
CLARK
Yeah? What're those?
WILL
One, don't do that. Two-- you dropped
a hundred and fifty grand on an
education you coulda' picked up for a
dollar fifty in late charges at the
Public Library.
Will catches Skylar's eye.
CLARK
But I will have a degree, and you'll
be serving my kids fries at a drive
through on our way to a skiing trip.
WILL
(smiles)
Maybe. But at least I won't be a prick.
(beat)
And if you got a problem with that, I
guess we can step outside and deal
with it that way.
While Will is substantially smaller than Clark, he [Clark] decides not to take Will up on his [Will's] offer.
WILL (cont'd)
If you change your mind, I'll be
over by the bar.
He turns and walks away. Chuckie follows, throwing Clark a look. Morgan turns to a nearby girl.
MORGAN
My boy's wicked smart.
Will sits with Morgan at the bar watching with some amusement as Chuckie and Billy play bar basketball game where the players shoot miniature balls at a small basket. In the B.G. Occasionally we hear Chuckie shouting "Larry!" When he scores. Skylar emerges from the crowd and approaches Will.
SKYLAR
You suck.
WILL
What?
SKYLAR
I've been sitting over there for forty-
five minutes waiting for you to come
talk to me. But I'm just tired now
and I have to go home and I wasn't
going to keep sitting there waiting
for you.
WILL
I'm Will.
SKYLAR
Skylar. And by the way.
That guy over there is a real dick and
I just wanted you to know he didn't
come with us.
WILL
I kind of got that impression.
SKYLAR
Well, look, I have to go. Gotta' get
up early and waste some more money on
my overpriced education.
WILL
I didn't mean you. Listen, maybe...
SKYLAR
Here's my number.
Skylar produces a folded piece of paper and offers it to Will.
SKYLAR (cont'd)
Maybe we could go out for coffee
sometime?
WILL
Great, or maybe we could go somewhere
and just eat a bunch of caramels.
SKYLAR
What?
WILL
When you think about it, it's just as
arbitrary as drinking coffee.
SKYLAR
(laughs)
Okay, sounds good.
She turns.
WILL
Five minutes.
SKYLAR
What?
WILL
I was trying to be smooth.
(indicates clock)
But at twelve-fifteen I was gonna come
over there and talk to you.
SKYLAR
See, it's my life story.
Five more minutes and I would have got
to hear your best pick-up line.
WILL
The caramel thing is my pick-up line.
A beat.
SKYLAR
Glad I came over.
CUT TO:
Our boys are walking out of the bar teasing one another about their bar-ball exploits. Across the street is another bar with a glass front. Morgan spots Clark sitting by the window with some friends.
MORGAN
There goes that fuckin' Barney right
now, with his fuckin' "skiin' trip."
We should'a kicked that dude's ass.
WILL
Hold up.
Will crosses the street and approaches the plate glass window and stands across from Clark, separated only by the glass. He POUNDS THE GLASS to get Clark's attention.
WILL (cont'd)
Hey!
Clark turns toward Will.
WILL (cont'd)
DO YOU LIKE APPLES?
Clark doesn't get it.
WILL (cont'd)
DO YOU LIKE APPLES?!
CLARK
Yeah?
Will SLAMS SKYLAR'S PHONE NUMBER against the glass.
WILL
WELL I GOT HER NUMBER! HOW DO YA LIKE
THEM APPLES?!!
Will's boys erupt into laughter. Angle on Clark, deflated.
The boys make their way home, piled into Chuckie's car, laughing together.
Shot of car crossing over the Charles St. Bridge, overtaking a red-line train.
Travelling through narrow back roads in Charlestown, passing the Bunker Hill monument.
Arriving at Will's house and dropping him off.
DISSOLVE TO:
Lambeau walks into a small garage facility. The area stores lawn machinery and various tools. An older man, TERRY (58) sits behind the desk reading the BOSTON HERALD sports page. Lambeau has obviously never been here before. He takes in the surroundings, somewhat uncomfortable. Gets dirty.
LAMBEAU
Excuse me. Is this the buildings and
grounds office?
TERRY
Yeah, can I help you?
LAMBEAU
I'm trying to find the name of a student
who works here.
TERRY
No students work for me.
LAMBEAU
Could you just check, because the young
man who works in my building--
TERRY
Which one's your building?
LAMBEAU
Building two.
Terry checks a list behind his [own] desk. Looks up.
TERRY
Well, if something was stolen, I should
know about it.
LAMBEAU
No, no. Nothing like that. I just
need his name.
TERRY
I can't give you his name unless you
have a complaint.
LAMBEAU
Please, I'm a professor here and it's
very important.
TERRY
Well, he didn't show up for work
today...
Terry takes a beat. Holding all the cards.
TERRY (cont'd)
Look, he got his job through his P.O.
so you can call him.
Terry goes through a stack of paper on his desk. Takes out a card and hands it to Lambeau. Lambeau looks blankly at the card which reads: "PAROLE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM."
Will stands before JUDGE MALONE (40) being arraigned. It is fairly unceremoniuous, the coutroom nearly empty, save Will and the PROSECUTOR. Lambeau walks in from the back.
WILL
There is a lengthy legal precedent,
Your Honor, going back to 1789, whereby
a defendent may claim self-defense
against an agent of the government
where the act is shown to be a defense
against tyranny, a defense of liberty--
The Judge interrupts to address the prosecutor.
JUDGE MALONE
Mr. Simmons, Officer McNeely who signed
the complaint isn't in my courtroom.
Why is that?
PROSECUTOR
He's in the hospital with a broken
knee, Your Honor. But I have
depositions from the other officers.
WILL
Henry Ward Beecher proclaimed, in his
Proverbs From Plymouth Pulpit back in
1887, that "Every American citizen is
by birth, a sworn officer of the state.
Every man is a policeman." As for the
other officers, even William Congrave
said; "he that first cries out 'stop
thief' is 'oft he that has stolen the
treasure."
PROSECUTOR
Your Honor--
Will cranks it up.
WILL
(to Prosecutor)
I am afforded the right to speak in my
own defense by our constitution, Sir.
The same document which guarantees my
right to liberty. "Liberty," in case
you've forgotten, is "the soul's right
to breathe, and when it cannot take a
long breath laws are girded too tight.
Without liberty, man is a syncope."
(beat, to Judge)
Ibid. Your Honor.
PROSECUTOR
Man is a what?
WILL
Julius Caesar proclaimed-- Though he
be wounded--"Magna..."
The Judge interrupts.
JUDGE MALONE
Son,
(a beat)
My turn.
The Judge opens Will's CASE HISTORY.
JUDGE MALONE (cont'd)
(reading)
June, '93, assault, Sept. '93
assault...Grand theft auto February
'94.
A beat, the Judge takes particular notice.
JUDGE MALONE (cont'd)
Where, appearantly, you defended yourself
and had the case thrown out by citing
"free property rights of horse and
carriage" from 1798...
Lambeau has to smile, impressed. The Judge shakes his head.
JUDGE MALONE (cont'd)
March, '94 public drunkenness, public
nudity, assault. 10/94 mayhem.
November '94, assault. Jan. '95
impersonating a police officer, mayhem,
theft, resisting-- overturned--
The Judge takes a beat. Gives Will a look.
JUDGE MALONE (cont'd)
You're in my courtroom, now and I am
aware of your priors.
(beat)
I'm also aware that you're an orphan.
You've been through several foster
homes. The state removed you from
three because of serious physical abuse.
The Judge holds a look to Will, who looks down.
JUDGE MALONE (cont'd)
Another Judge might care. You hit a
cop, you go in.
(beat)
Motion to dismiss denied.
The Bailiff goes to remove Will from the courtroom.
JUDGE MALONE (cont'd)
Keep workin' on your arguments, son.
A word of advice for trial; speak English.
As Will is removed from the courtroom, Lambeau approaches Judge Malone who is stepping down from the bench.
LAMBEAU
Excuse me, your Honor.
(offers hand)
Gerald Lambeau.
An awkward beat. Lambeau waits for some sign of recognition.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
I'm a professor at M.I.T.
(beat)
Combunatorial Mathematics.
The Judge offers only a blank look.
JUDGE MALONE
Oh. Pleased to meet you.
LAMBEAU
Do you have a minute?
CUT TO:
A GUARD walks Will down a hallway toward a group of phones.
GUARD
One call, to an attorney.
(beat)
One.
The Guard gives Will a hard look for a beat. Then leaves.
WILL
How many?
Will picks up the phone, dials.
WILL (cont'd)
Hey, Skylar?
SKYLAR
Yeah?
WILL
It's Will, the really funny good looking
guy you met at the bar?
SKYLAR
I'm sorry, I don't recall meeting anyone
who fits that description.
WILL
Okay, you got me. It's the ugly,
obnoxious, toothless loser who got
drunk and wouldn't leave you alone all
night.
SKYLAR
Oh Will! I was wondering when you'd
call.
WILL
Yeah, I figured maybe sometime this
week we could go to a cafe and have
some caramels.
SKYLAR
Sounds good, where are you now?
WILL
You aren't, by any chance, Pre-law?
Are you?
CUT TO:
Professor Lambeau sits, waiting. Will is brought in, shackled, by the guard.
LAMBEAU
Hello. Gerald Lambeau, M.I.T.
WILL
Fuck do you want?
LAMBEAU
I've spoken with the judge and he's
agreed to release you under my
supervision.
WILL
(suspicious)
Really?
LAMBEAU
(beat)
Yes. Under two conditions.
WILL
What're those?
LAMBEAU
That you meet with me twice a week--
[This portion poorly Xeroxed, but Lambeau explains the need to meet with a therapist as the second condition]
WILL
If I agree to this, I walk right now?
LAMBEAU
That's right.
WILL
I'll do the work. I'm not going to meet
with a therapist.
LAMBEAU
Now, it won't be as bad as it sounds,
Will.
(beat)
I've already spoken to one therapist,
his name is Henry Lipkin and he's a
friend of mine. He's also published
four books and is widely considered to
be one of the brightest men in his
field.
(beat)
I'm sure it'll be better than spending
the next six months in jail.
CUT TO:
Will and Chuckie walk up to an enclosed trampoline. Billy and Morgan prefer to use it for their own version of "Wrestlemania." As Will and Chuckie approach, Billy is on top of a bloodied Morgan and has him in the "Cobra Clutch." Will and Chuckie watch for a beat. Billy tightens his grip.
BILLY
Submit, bitch! Submit! Submit!
MORGAN
(being strangled)
Suck my cock!
BILLY
Oh, Morgan!
Chuckie turns to Will, conspiratorially as they wait for the fight to finish.
CHUCKIE
What'd you get? You get leniency?
WILL
Probation, counselin', few days a week.
CHUCKIE
You're fuckin' good.
Will Smiles.
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
Just submit, Morgan. He's got you
in the Cobra Clutch.
MORGAN
(to Chuckie)
Fuck your mother too!
Will sits alone in his one room apartment, reading. A closer look reveals he is reading a self-help PSYCHOLOGY BOOK. Will is flipping through the book at about a page per second. He shakes his head and smiles. Upon finishing the book, he throws it in a nearby WASTEBASKET. Push in on the back of the book where a SMILING PSYCHOLOGIST is pictured.
Will sits in a well decorated Psychologist's Office. Across from Will sits the same PSYCHOLOGIST, HENRY LIPKIN (40), from the book. They are in mid-session.
WILL
That's why I love stock-car racin'.
That Dale Ernhart's real good.
PSYCHOLOGIST
Now you know Will, and I know, what
you need to be doing. You have a gift.
WILL
I could work the pit maybe, but I could
never drive like Dale Ernhart--
PSYCHOLOGIST
--you have a quality-- something you
were born with, that you have no control
over- and you are, in a sense, hiding
that by becoming a janitor. And I'm
not saying that's wrong. I'm friends
with the janitor that works in my
building. He's been to my house for
dinner. As a matter of fact I did
some free consultation for "Mike" --
that's not his real name. That's in
my book.
WILL
Yeah, I read your book. "Mike" had the
same problems as "Chad" the stockbroker.
PSYCHOLOGIST
Yes. The pressures you feel, and again, I
am neither labeling nor judging them,
are keeping you from fulfilling your
potential -- you're in a rut. So stop
the Tom Foolery -- the Shenanigan's,
Will.
WILL
You're right. I know.
PSYCHOLOGIST
Will, your not getting off that easy.
WILL
No, but, I mean you know...I do other
things. That no one knows about.
PSYCHOLOGIST
Like what, Will?
WILL
I go places, I interact.
PSYCHOLOGIST
What places?
WILL
Certain, clubs.
(beat)
Like, Paradise. It's not bad.
Will gives the Psychologist a furtive look.
WILL (cont'd)
It's just that feeling when you can
take your shirt off and really dance.
(beat)
When the music owns you. Do you
understand?
PSYCHOLOGIST
I might understand that.
WILL
Do you find it hard to hide the fact
that you're gay?
PSYCHOLOGIST
What?
WILL
C'mon, I read your book. I talked to
you. It's just something I know to be
true.
PSYCHOLOGIST
That's very presumptuous.
WILL
Buddy, two seconds ago you were
ready to give me a jump.
PSYCHOLOGIST
(a little laugh)
Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but
I'm married and I have two children.
WILL
I'm sure you do. You probably got a
real nice house, nice car -- your book's
a best seller.
PSYCHOLOGIST
You're getting defensive, Will.
WILL
Look, man. I don't care if you're
putting from the rough. There are
solid arguments that some of the
greatest people in history were gay;
Alexander the Great, Caeser,
Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Napoleon,
Gertrude Stein, not to mention Danny
Terrio, not many straight men can dance
like that.
PSYCHOLOGIST
Who is "Danny Terrio?"
WILL
If you wanna hit "Ramrod," take your
shot. Take some pride in it. You go
to church? So fuckin' what, God loves
you. I mean, Christ. A guy as well
known as you? By the time you put
your disguise on and skulk out of the
house Sunday nights you probably look
like "Inspector Cluseau."
The Psychologist calmly packs his things.
PSYCHOLOGIST
Well, I can see this is pointless...
WILL
You're getting defensive...Henry.
And hey, cheif--tell the wife, at
least. Christ, set her free.
The shrink gets up and walks out.
WILL (cont'd)
Fuckin' hypocrite...
The Psychologist comes walking out, much to the surprise of Lambeau and Tom who have been waiting in the lobby.
LAMBEAU
Henry?
The Psychologist keeps walking.
PSYCHOLOGIST
No. You know what, Gerry? This is
why I don't do pro-bono anymore. It's
not worth it to me.
LAMBEAU
What happened?
PSYCHOLOGIST
I don't have the time. I'm going on
national television this week.
LAMBEAU
Wait a minute, Henry...
He [Henry] is out the door. Lambeau looks to Tom.
CUT TO:
Will is in Lambeau's office. Lambeau is at the board, working on a diagram as Tom takes notes. Will seems disinterested.
LAMBEAU
This rectangle is subdivided into
rectangles. One edge of an inner
rectangle is an integer. Can you prove
that one edge of the larger rectangle
is an integer?
WILL
Of course.
LAMBEAU
Okay. How?
WILL
It's an integer proof.
Lambeau smiles.
WILL (cont'd)
What? Hey, look buddy my time's almost
up. You want me to sit here for an
hour and write it out?
Lambeau says nothing. Will gets up and goes to the board.
WILL (cont'd)
Look, I'll give you the key steps to
it but I'm not gonna do the whole thing.
Lambeau keeps smiling.
LAMBEAU
That would be a monumental waste of
time, wouldn't it, Will?
WILL
I think so.
LAMBEAU
I happen to know so.
Lambeau rises and goes to the board.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
You're thinking too hard. What if I
did this?
He draws a vertical line through the diagram.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
Now, what if I do this?
He draws a horizontal line through the diagram. He hands Will the chalk.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
Have you ever played checkers?
Will realizes what Lambeau is getting at. In a flash he starts drawing lines through the diagram, energized.
WILL
You color-code it. Half-red, half-
black. If that's an integer--
Lambeau steps in, writing with him [Will].
LAMBEAU
What's that?
WILL
Half-red, half-black--
LAMBEAU
--that?--
WILL
--Half-red, half-black--
LAMBEAU
--That edge!
WILL
An integer.
The two stop. They are silent for a moment. Like two gunfighters after a duel, they put down the chalk.
LAMBEAU
(checks his watch)
It would appear we got that proof in
under the wire after all. It's not
how hard you look at things, young
man, it's the way you look at them.
If you take aim before you fire, you
will find the most difficult problems
become, quite literally, child's play.
Will gets his coat.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
Will, you've managed to offend four of
my colleagues so much that they refused
to come back. You're meeting with the
leading hypnotist in the country next
week and Tom and I plan to sit in on
the sessions, so I expect you to behave
appropriately.
CUT TO:
Will sits in a chair across from Lambeau and the HYPNOTIST. Lambeau's assistant, TOM (33) takes notes. The Hypnotist makes small talk with Lambeau, who checks his watch.
LAMBEAU
Shall we start the, uh...
WILL
Yeah, when do I get my hypnosis? You
guys been talkin' for twenty minutes.
HYPNOTIST
Yes, Will. We'll get to that.
But first, why don't you go to sleep
for me.
He SNAPS HIS FINGERS and instantly Will's head goes BACK and his EYES CLOSE. The Hypnotist gives Lambeau a look.
HYPNOTIST (cont'd)
Would you mind standing on one leg?
Will gets up and stands on one leg. Lambeau is impressed.
TIME CUT TO:
Will is reclining, eyes closed, in a trance-like state. The mood is more serious now.
HYPNOTIST
Okay, you're in your bed, Will. Now
how old are you?
WILL
Seven.
HYPNOTIST
And what do you see?
WILL
Somethin's in my room.
HYPNOTIST
What is it?
WILL
It's like a small figure, hoverin'
over me. Gettin' closer.
Will flinches.
HYPNOTIST
You're in a safe place, Will.
WILL
It's touching me.
Lambeau makes a sound. The Hypnotist shushes him [Lambeau] with his [Hypnotist's] finger. Tom returns to his note-taking.
HYPNOTIST
Where is it touching you?
WILL
Down there.
(indicating genitals)
And I'm nervous.
HYPNOTIST
You don't have to be nervous, Will.
Lambeau and the Therapist trade looks. This is working.
WILL
'Cause I'm not ready.
(calming)
But the figure tells me everything's
gonna be all right. 'Cause the figure's
a Libra too. And we start dancin' and
it's beautiful--
Will breaks into song at full volume.
WILL (cont'd)
"SKY ROCKETS IN FLIGHT!"
LAMBEAU
(getting up)
Oh Jesus.
The Hypnotist gets up and starts heading towards the door. Will is still singing from "Sky Rockets."
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
Wait a minute, Barry.
HYPNOTIST
I have better ways to spend my time.
He is gone. Will stops singing, laughs.
LAMBEAU
Oh, for God's sake, Will.
WILL
Oh, come on! You're not pinnin' this
one on me. He left, I wanted to talk
to him for another twenty minutes.
I was havin' fun.
LAMBEAU
I told you to cooperate with these
people.
WILL
C'mon, that guy was a fuckin' piece of
work.
Will gets up and adopts a hypnotic persona in front of Lambeau.
WILL (cont'd)
(spooky voice)
Look into my eyes. I don't need
therapy.
LAMBEAU
Get out, Will.
WILL
Okay...don't forget to get another
therapist for next week.
LAMBEAU
That's enough.
Will is out the door. Lambeau turns to Tom.
TOM
I called Mel Weintraub this morning,
to check for availability.
LAMBEAU
What's the point?
TOM
What do you want to do?
LAMBEAU
There is somebody...
TOM
Who is he?
LAMBEAU
He was my roommate in college.
This is SEAN MAGUIRE'S "Dying and Bereavement" class. Emblazoned on the door is "room 101." While the lecture hall could hold sixty students, there are less than fifteen here today.
Sean Maguire lectures to the class in a resigned tone. Tired of teaching, tired of life, he finds himself resigned to the tedium of teaching core classes to an indifferent student body.
SEAN
Establishing trust is the most important
component in making breakthroughs with
a patient. Why?
A beat.
SEAN (cont'd)
Maureen?
MAUREEN'S only response is an empty stare.
SEAN (cont'd)
Keep up the good work, Maureen. Vinnie?
VINNIE looks up.
VINNIE
Because trust is an important thing.
SEAN
Don't bullshit me, Vinnie. Didn't
your brother give you the notes? Okay.
If a patient doesn't trust you then
they won't feel safe enough to be
honest with you--then there's no point to
them being in therapy. It's like saying --
"Fine, come here and don't tell me a
thing but go home feeling like you're
doing something about your problems--
and give me my fifty bucks before you
leave will ya'!"
He looks around the room for approval. No one is listening.
SEAN (cont'd)
If you don't help them trust you --
then there's no way you'll ever get
them to sleep with you. And that should
be the goal of any good therapist.
Insecure women, you know...nail 'em
when they're vulnerable, that's always
been my motto.
The students look up, somewhat stunned.
SEAN (cont'd)
See, I got Vinnie's attention.
Laughter. Sean starts to resume his lecture, when he notices LAMBEAU standing in the back of the room. There is an awkward moment.
SEAN (cont'd)
Gerry.
LAMBEAU
Sean.
SEAN
(to class)
Well, it seems we're in the presence
of greatness. Professor Gerald Lambeau
is a Field's Medal winner.
Combunatorial Mathematics. 1986.
The students stare blankly.
LAMBEAU
Hello.
SEAN
The Field's Medal is the Nobel Prize
for math.
(beat)
But it's only given out every four years.
A beat.
SEAN (cont'd)
Okay, that's all for today. Try and
get through Fernald by Monday.
The class starts to pack up and file out. Lambeau approaches Sean who steps down from the lecturn.
LAMBEAU
Good to see you.
SEAN
Good to see you.
LAMBEAU
Is there someplace we can talk?
CUT TO:
Will and Skylar on their first date. They watch a street MAGICIAN doing tricks with a rabbit. The guy's tricks are pretty good, but his on-stage persona could use some work. He is incessantly repeating the phrase "this is the rabbit, the rabbit really does the tricks." Will gives Skylar a look and they move on.
CUT TO:
Will and Skylar walk into the small shop.
SKYLAR
I don't know, it was just kind of the
boring suburban thing. Private school,
Harvard, and now Med. School.
(Beat)
I actually figured out that at the end
of it, my brain will be worth a quarter
of a million dollars. I shouldn't
have told you that...
WILL
I bet your parents were happy to pay.
SKYLAR
I was happy to pay. I inherited the money.
WILL
Is Harvard gettin' all that money?
SKYLAR
Stanford. I'm leaving in June after I
graduate.
WILL
So you just want to use me and go?
SKYLAR
Well, I'm gonna experiment on you for
my anatomy class, then go.
WILL
In that case, fine.
(beat)
Want to see my magic trick?
SKYLAR
Sure.
Will, pulls out a bulging HANDFUL OF CARAMELS.
WILL
Now, I'm gonna make all these caramels
disappear.
SKYLAR
Okay...
Will goes into all manner of hocus-pocus theatrics. Then shakes his hand wildly. The trick doesn't pan out and the caramels go flying all over the store. Skylar laughs.
WILL
It works better when I have my rabbit.
CUT TO:
Lambeau and Sean share a table at this exclusive restaurant. Sean seems slightly out of place in his wrinkled sport coat.
LAMBEAU
I didn't see you at the reunion.
SEAN
I've been busy.
LAMBEAU
You were missed.
(beat)
How long has it been since we've seen
each other?
SEAN
Since Nancy died.
LAMBEAU
I'm sorry, that damn conference--
SEAN
I got your card.
A FRY COOK hands Will and Skylar a pair of CHEESEBURGERS.
SKYLAR
Have you ever seen Annie Hall?
WILL
No.
SKYLAR
Well, there's this part of the movie
that's about how there's always this
tension on a first date where both
people are thinking about what's going
to happen with the whole 'good night
kiss' thing.
Will smiles.
WILL
I really don't 'date' that much.
SKYLAR
(laughs)
You know what I mean. I know you've
at least thought about it.
WILL
No I haven't...
SKYLAR
Yes you have. You were thinking you
were gonna get a good night kiss.
WILL
(mock protest)
No I wasn't...
SKYLAR
Yes you were.
WILL
I was kinda' hopin' to get a "good night
laid" but...I'll take a kiss.
She laughs.
SKYLAR
Oh, you will?
WILL
No...I was hoping to get a kiss.
SKYLAR
Then why don't we just get it out of
the way.
He looks at her.
WILL
Now?
Both of them have cheeseburger in their mouths.
SKYLAR
Yeah.
They kiss, mouths full of burger. It's nice. A beat.
SKYLAR (cont'd)
That had to be the worst good night
kiss...
Will laughs.
WILL
Hey, look lady, I'm just here for the
free food.
She smiles.
SKYLAR
Free?
WILL
Hey, I spent all my money on those
caramels.
She laughs.
CUT TO:
Lambeau and Sean, having finished their meal. Lambeau has been pitching Sean.
SEAN
I've been busy, Gerry. I got a full
schedule.
LAMBEAU
This kid's special, Sean. I've never
seen anything like him.
SEAN
Not much free time, Gerry.
LAMBEAU
Have you ever heard of a man named
Ramanujan?
Sean nods his head.
SEAN
Yeah.
LAMBEAU
He was alive over a hundred years ago.
He was Indian. Dots, not feathers...
Sean finishes the joke. Lambeau chuckles.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
So this Ramanujan lived in a tiny hut
in India. No formal education, no
access to other works. But he came
across an old math book and from this
basic text he was able to extrapolate
theories that had baffled mathematicians
for years.
SEAN
And he mailed it to Hardy--
LAMBEAU
--That's right, Sean. He mailed it to
a professor at Cambridge who immediately
recognized the brilliance in his work
and brought Ramanujan to England.
SEAN
Where he contracted pneumonia and died
at a young age--
LAMBEAU
They worked together for the remainder
of their lives, producing some of the
most exciting math theory ever done.
Ramanujan's genius was unparalleled,
Sean. This boy is like that. But
he's very defensive and I need someone
who can get through to him.
SEAN
Why me?
LAMBEAU
I need someone with your kind of
background.
SEAN
My kind of background?
LAMBEAU
You're from the same neighborhood.
South Boston.
SEAN
He's from Southie? How many people
did you try before you came to me?
LAMBEAU
(looks squarely at Sean)
Five.
Sean gives a slight, knowing smile.
SEAN
Who? Barry, Henry, Rick...
Lambeau nods.
SEAN
Not Rick? You didn't send him to Rick?
LAMBEAU
Just meet with the boy once a week.
SEAN
Can we do it at my office?
LAMBEAU
That would be fine.
The waiter comes with the CHECK. Each man reaches for it.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
Sean, please.
SEAN
I got it.
LAMBEAU
It's on the college.
Sean relents.
CUT TO:
Establishing shot of the red-brick campus. Planes land at nearby Logan airport. Will walks up the steps.
CUT TO:
Sean's office is comfortable. Books are stacked against the wall. There is a PAINTING on the wall behind Sean. Sean is seated behind a desk. Lambeau sits in a chair in the back of the room, next to Tom. A long beat passes, they wait.
LAMBEAU
Any vulnerability he senses, he'll
exploit.
SEAN
I'll be okay.
LAMBEAU
It's a poker game with this young man.
Don't let him see what you've got.
Sean nods. Will walks in. Everyone stands to greet Will.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
Hello, Will. Any trouble finding the
place?
WILL
No.
LAMBEAU
Will, this is Sean Maguire. Sean,
Will Hunting.
Sean and Will nod. An awkward moment as the four men stand.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
Well, let's get started.
WILL
Yeah, let's let the healing begin.
Lambeau is slightly embarrassed. Sean smiles at Will's joke.
SEAN
Would you excuse us?
LAMBEAU
Tom.
SEAN
You too, Gerry.
Lambeau looks at Sean, surprised. Sean's stare is unwavering. After an awkward moment, Lambeau goes, leaving Sean and Will alone. Will doesn't look at Sean for more than a second. He seems more interested in the room. There is a long silence as Sean watches Will.
SEAN (cont'd)
Hello, Will. I'm Sean Maguire.
A smile crosses Will's face as he walks to his chair and sits. He lights a cigarette. Sean continues to watch him. Finally--
SEAN (cont'd)
Where are you from in Southie?
WILL
Did you buy all these books retail, or
do you send away for like a "shrink
kit" that comes with all these volumes
included?
SEAN
Have you read all these books, Will?
WILL
Probably not.
SEAN
(indicating a shelf)
How about the ones on that shelf?
Will's eyes flicker up to the shelf for an instant.
WILL
Yeah, I read those.
SEAN
What did you think?
WILL
I'm not here for a fuckin' book report.
They're your books, why don't you read
'em?
SEAN
I did.
WILL
That must have taken you a long time.
SEAN
Yeah, it did take me a long time.
Sean says this with pride. His determined stare and confident manner catch Will a bit off guard. Will rises from his chair and goes to the shelf.
WILL
(looking at book)
"A History of the United States, Volume
I." If you want to read a real history
book, read Howard Zinn's "A People's
History of the United States." That
book will knock you on your ass.
SEAN
How about Noam Chomsky's "Manufacturing
Consent?"
WILL
You people baffle me. You spend all
this money on beautiful, fancy books--
and they're the wrong fuckin' books.
SEAN
You think so?
WILL
Whatever blows your hair back.
Will returns to his chair. Pause.
SEAN
(indicating cigarette)
Guy your age shouldn't smoke so much.
Stunt your growth.
WILL
You're right. It really gets in the
way of my jazzercizing.
Sean does not seem at all affected by Will's attitude. He remains behind the big desk with almost half a smile on his face. Will is aware of Sean's confidence.
WILL (cont'd)
Do you lift?
SEAN
Yes, I do.
WILL
Nautilus?
SEAN
Free weights.
WILL
Oh yeah? Me too. What do you bench?
SEAN
285.
WILL
Oh.
Will gets up again and moves around his chair to Sean's painting. It is a picture of an old sailboat in a tremendous storm--by no means a masterpiece. Will studies it.
WILL (cont'd)
You paint this?
SEAN
Yeah. Do you paint?
WILL
No.
SEAN
Crayons?
WILL
This is a real piece of shit.
SEAN
Tell me what you really think.
WILL
Poor color composition, lousy use of
space. But that shit doesn't really
concern me.
SEAN
What does?
WILL
The color here, see how dark it is?
It's interesting.
SEAN
What is?
WILL
I think you're one step away from
cutting your ear off.
SEAN
Oh, "Starry Night" time, huh?
WILL
You ever heard the saying, "any port in
a storm?"
SEAN
Sure, how 'bout "still waters run deep"--
WILL
--Well, maybe that means you.
SEAN
Maybe what mea--
WILL
Maybe you were in the middle of a storm,
a big fuckin' storm-- the waves were
crashing over the bow, the Goddamned
mast was about to snap, and you were
crying for the harbor. So you did
what you had to do, to get out. Maybe
you became a psychologist.
SEAN
Maybe you should be a patient and sit
down.
WILL
Maybe you married the wrong woman.
SEAN
Watch your mouth.
WILL
That's it isn't it? You married the
wrong woman. She leave you? Was she
bangin' someone else?
Sean is walking slowly towards Will.
WILL (cont'd)
How are the seas now, D--
In a flash, Sean has Will by the throat. Will is helpless.
SEAN
If you ever disrespect my wife again...I
will end you.
WILL
Time's up.
CUT TO:
Will walks out of Sean's office past Lambeau and Tom who are sitting in the hallway.
WILL
At ease, gentlemen.
CUT TO:
Sean stands behind his desk in his office, still very much on edge. Lambeau walks in.
LAMBEAU
Five minutes, Sean. Are you okay?
A pause, Sean is staring at his painting.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
I'll understand if you don't want to
meet with him again.
SEAN
Thursday, four o'clock. Make sure the
kid is here.
CUT TO:
Will and Skylar sit in the stands watching the dogs run. They ad lib teasing one another about England, Ireland, and America.
SKYLAR
You grew up around here?
WILL
Not far from here, South Boston.
SKYLAR
How was that?
WILL
Pretty boring, I guess.
She smiles.
SKYLAR
I bet you have a great family.
WILL
You know, nothing special.
SKYLAR
You have a lot of brothers and sisters?
WILL
Do I have a lot of brothers and sisters?
SKYLAR
Yeah.
WILL
Well, Irish Catholic. What do you
think?
SKYLAR
How many?
WILL
You wouldn't believe me if I told you.
SKYLAR
What, five?
Will shakes his head.
SKYLAR (cont'd)
Seven?
Will shakes his head. Smiles.
SKYLAR (cont'd)
Come on.
WILL
I have twelve big brothers.
SKYLAR
Not a chance.
WILL
Yup, you're lookin' at lucky thirteen.
SKYLAR
Bullshit.
WILL
I swear to God.
SKYLAR
Your house must have been a zoo.
WILL
It was great. There was always someone
to play with, give you advice.
SKYLAR
Do you know all their names?
WILL
'Course I do, they're my brothers.
SKYLAR
Well...
WILL
Marky, Ricky, Danny, Terry, Mikey,
Davey, Timmy, Tommy, Joey, Robby,
Johnny, and Brian.
SKYLAR
(laughing)
Do you keep in touch with them?
WILL
All the time. We all live in Southie.
I live with three of them now.
Skylar smiles.
SKYLAR
I want to meet them.
WILL
We'll do that.
CUT TO:
As we pan across Sean's small apartment, we find it strewn with dirty clothes and the sink full of dishes. Although, if it weren't for the clutter, the place would feel pretty bare. A framed SPORTS ILLUSTRATED cover featuring a screaming Larry Bird and entitled "CELTIC PRIDE" hangs on the wall. Sean sits at the table next to another nearly empty bottle of BUSHMILL'S IRISH WHISKEY. He is deep in thought.
CUT TO:
Will strolls into the office. Sean is waiting there behind his desk. He seems different. More calm. Will and Sean stare at each other for a long moment.
WILL
You again. How the paintin' coming?
Sean stands up.
SEAN
Come with me.
CUT TO:
Sean and Will sit in the bleachers at the mostly empty park. They look out over a small pond, in which a group of schoolchildren on a field trip ride the famous Swan Boats.
WILL
So what's with this place? You have a
swan fetish? Is this something you'd
like to talk about?
SEAN
I was thinking about what you said to
me the other day, about my painting.
I stayed up half the night thinking
about it and then something occured
to me and I fell into a deep peaceful
sleep and haven't thought about you
since. You know what occurred to me?
WILL
No.
SEAN
You're just a boy. You don't have the
faintest idea what you're talking about.
WILL
Why thank you.
SEAN
You've never been out of Boston.
WILL
No.
SEAN
So if I asked you about art you could
give me the skinny on every art book
ever written...Michelangelo?
You know a lot about him I bet. Life's
work, criticisms, political aspirations.
But you couldn't tell me what it smells
like in the Sistine Chapel. You've
never stood there and looked up at
that beautiful ceiling. And if I asked
you about women I'm sure you could
give me a syllabus of your personal
favorites, and maybe you've been laid
a few times too. But you couldn't
tell me how it feels to wake up next
to a woman and be truly happy. If I
asked you about war you could refer me
to a bevy of fictional and nonfictional
material, but you've never been in
one. You've never held your best
friend's head in your lap and watched
him draw his last breath, looking to
you for help. And if I asked you about
love I'd get a sonnet, but you've never
looked at a woman and been truly
vulnerable. Known that someone could
kill you with a look. That someone
could rescue you from grief.
That God had put an angel on Earth
just for you. And you wouldn't know
how it felt to be her angel. To have
the love be there for her forever.
Through anything, through cancer. You
wouldn't know about sleeping sitting
up in a hospital room for two months
holding her hand and not leaving because
the doctors could see in your eyes
that the term "visiting hours" didn't
apply to you. And you wouldn't know
about real loss, because that only
occurs when you lose something you
love more than yourself, and you've
never dared to love anything that much.
I look at you and I don't see an
intelligent confident man, I don't see
a peer, and I don't see my equal. I
see a boy. Nobody could possibly
understand you, right Will? Yet you
presume to know so much about me because
of a painting you saw. You must know
everything about me. You're an orphan,
right?
Will nods quietly.
SEAN (cont'd)
Do you think I would presume to know
the first thing about who you are
because I read "Oliver Twist?" And I
don't buy the argument that you don't
want to be here, because I think you
like all the attention you're getting.
Personally, I don't care. There's
nothing you can tell me that I can't
read somewhere else. Unless we talk
about your life. But you won't do
that. Maybe you're afraid of what
you might say.
Sean stands,
SEAN (cont'd)
It's up to you.
And walks away.
CUT TO:
Will and Chuckie doing demo at the site. They throw cinderblocks out a window into a pile. They are filthy.
CUT TO:
Rain pounds South Boston. Chuckie sits with the Cadillac idling, humming to the radio. Morgan and Billy sit in the back, sharing a case of beer. Will is at a pay phone.
SKYLAR
Hello?
Will hangs up and runs back to the car, soaked.
CHUCKIE
Who'd you call?
WILL
No one. I didn't have the number.
MORGAN
What are you, retarded? You went all
the way out there in the rain and you
didn't have the number?
WILL
No, it was your mother's 900 number.
I just ran out of quarters.
Laughter. Chuckie pulls away from the curb.
MORGAN
Why don't we get off mothers, I just
got off yours.
There is a long moment of silence in response to Morgan's attempt at levity. Then laughter.
BILLY
You're a pretty funny guy. Here, have
a nickel.
Billy WHIPS his EMPTY BEER CAN off of Morgan's head.
MORGAN
Keep fuckin' with me. Watch what
happens.
BILLY
All right, then.
MORGAN
Watch what happens.
CUT TO:
Will sits across from Sean completely silent and takes out a pack of cigarettes.
SEAN
No smoking.
Will puts the cigarettes away. Sean stares at Will and occaisionally at the clock. Sean continues to check the clock on the wall. It is the only clock in the room and it is BEHIND Will. Their hour is almost up.
CLOSE ON: WILL'S EYES INTERCUT WITH THE CLOCK.
He is counting seconds. As the second hand crosses the twelve, Will stands up and walks out, leaving Sean alone.
Lambeau and Sean walk down the hallway after the session.
LAMBEAU
What do you mean "he didn't talk?"
You sat there for an hour?
SEAN
No, he just sat there and counted the
seconds until the session was over.
It was pretty impressive, actually.
LAMBEAU
Why would he do that?
SEAN
To show me he doesn't have to talk to
me if he doesn't want to.
LAMBEAU
Oh, what is this? Some kind of staring
contest between two kids from the "old
neighborhood?"
SEAN
I won't talk first.
Chuckie drops Will off at his apartment, watches him [Will] walk up the steps.
DISSOLVE TO:
Chuckie pulls up to the curb and walks up the steps to Will's front door. After a beat, Will emerges. They get back in [the car].
CUT TO:
Will and Chuckie at work. Chuckie shows Will how to be a man.
The bar is a bit more crowded than usual. Will and Chuckie walk back to their table, carrying beers. They pass a table of GIRLS, local regulars getting just as bombed as the guys. These girls are a little overdone. Too much make-up, too much hairspray, and too much body for such tight outfits. One of the girls, KRYSTYN, smiles at Will who seems subdued.
KRYSTYN
Hi, Will.
WILL
How you doin', Krystyn.
They pass the table of girls. Chuckie looks at one, ruefully.
CHUCKIE
I didn't get on Cathy last night.
WILL
Why not?
CHUCKIE
I don't know.
Chuckie turns back to one of the girls, calling out:
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
Cathy! Why didn't you give me none of
your twat last night?
A girl at the table, CATHY, holds up her PINKY FINGER and smiles-- revealing a mouthful of MISSING TEETH.
CATHY
Fuck you and your Irish curse, Chuckie!
CHUCKIE
She's missin' teeth, Will.
Will nods, not really into it tonight.
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
Plus, it's like, five to two Morgan
ends up marryin' her. There's only so
many times you can bang your friend's
future wife...
They get to the table. Will's heart just isn't in it.
WILL
I'm takin' off.
ALL
We're goin' late night.
WILL
I'm tired.
CUT TO:
Will and Lambeau work together at the board. They communicate non-verbally as they collaborate on a problem. After a particularly amusing series of numbers, they share a look and laugh.
CUT TO:
Will and Sean sit in silence. A long moment passes. Sean casually reclines in his chair, disinterested. Will restlessly looks around the room and then back to Sean. An odd half smile crosses Sean's face. After a moment:
WILL
You know, I was on this plane once.
And I'm sittin' there and the captain
comes on and is like "we'll be cruising
at 35,000 feet," and does his thing,
then he puts the mike down but forgets
to turn it off. Then he says "man,
all I want right now is a blow-job and
a cup of coffee." So the stewardess
goes runnin' up towards the cock-pit
to tell him the mike's still on, and
this guy in the back of the plane goes
"don't forget the coffee!"
SEAN
(smiles)
You've never been on a plane.
WILL
I know, but the joke's better if I
tell it in the first person.
A beat.
WILL (cont'd)
I have been laid you know.
Sean smiles.
SEAN
Yeah? You got a lady now?
WILL
Yeah, I went on a date last week.
SEAN
How'd it go?
WILL
Fine.
SEAN
Well, are you going out again?
WILL
I don't know.
SEAN
Why not?
WILL
Haven't called her.
SEAN
Jesus Christ, you are an amateur.
WILL
I know what I'm doing. She's different
from the other girls I met. We have a
really good time. She's smart,
beautiful, fun...
SEAN
So Christ, call her up.
WILL
Why? So I can realize she's not so
smart. That she's boring. You don't
get it. Right now she's perfect, I
don't want to ruin that.
SEAN
And right now you're perfect too.
Maybe you don't want to ruin that.
Will says nothing.
SEAN (cont'd)
Well, I think that's a great philosophy
Will, that way you can go through your
entire life without ever having to
really know anybody.
Sean looks directly at Will, who looks away. A beat.
SEAN (cont'd)
My wife used to turn the alarm clock
off in her sleep. I was late for work
all the time because in the middle of
the night she'd roll over and turn the
damn thing off. Eventually I got a
second clock and put it under my side
of the bed, but it got to where she was
gettin' to that one too. She was
afraid of the dark, so the closet light
was on all night. Thing kept me up
half the night. Eventually I'd fall
asleep, out of sheer exhaustion and
not wake up when I was supposed to
cause she'd have already gotten to my
alarms.
Will smiles, Sean takes a beat.
SEAN (cont'd)
My wife's been dead two years, Will.
And when I think about her, those are
the things I think about most. Little
idiosyncrasies that only I knew about.
Those made her my wife. And she had
the goods on me too. Little things I
do out of habit. People call these
things imperfections Will. It's just
who we are. And we get to choose who
we're going to let into out weird
little worlds. You're not perfect.
And let me save you the suspense, this
girl you met isn't either. The question
is, whether or not you're perfect for
each other. You can know everything
in the world, but the only way you're
findin' that one out is by giving it a
shot. You sure won't get the answer
from an old fucker like me. And even
if I did know, I wouldn't tell you.
Will smiles. A beat.
WILL
Why not? You told me every other
fuckin' thing. You talk more than any
shrink I ever met.
Sean laughs.
SEAN
I teach this shit, I didn't say I knew
how to do it.
WILL
You ever think about gettin' remarried?
SEAN
My wife's dead.
WILL
Hence, the word remarried.
SEAN
My wife's dead.
WILL
Well I think that's a wonderful
philosophy, Sean. That way you can go
through the rest of your life without
having to really know anyone.
A beat. Sean smiles.
SEAN
Time's up.
CUT TO:
Will is waiting outside the door for someone to come out -- so he can go in.
The door to Skylar's dorm is partially open. Will stands outside while Skylar remains on the threshold.
SKYLAR
Where have you been?
WILL
I'm sorry, I been real busy.
SKYLAR
You were busy? You know, I really was
waiting for you to call me.
WILL
Sorry. I'm sorry. Give me another
crack at it. Let me take you out.
SKYLAR
You should have called. I have an "O-
chem" lab due tomorrow and it's
impossible.
(beat)
It's not an excuse dummy. I want to
go out with you. But look:
She holds up her Lab. Will glances at it.
SKYLAR (cont'd)
Tomorrow?
WILL
Promise?
SKYLAR
If you bring the caramels.
Will smiles.
CUT TO:
Will sits in an outdoor cafe, thinking. After a beat, he leans over to two students working at a nearby table, borrows a pen and paper and starts writing.
CUT TO:
Will is a solitary figure strolling across the lawn. He stops at Skylar's dorm and knocks on the door.
CUT TO:
She emarges. He hands her the paper he was working on. It is her O-chem lab.
WILL
I couldn't wait till tomorrow.
SKYLAR
How the hell did you do that?
WILL
Didn't your mother ever tell you not
to look a gift horse n the mouth?
SKYLAR
I'm supposed to understand this.
WILL
You're not going into surgery tomorrow
are you?
SKYLAR
No.
WILL
Then let's go have some fun.
With a smile, she relents.
Sean and Will in session.
SEAN
Really? How'd the date go?
WILL
Do you still counsel veterans?
(beat)
I read your book last night.
SEAN
No, I don't.
WILL
Why not?
SEAN
I gave that up when my wife got sick.
WILL
Is that why you didn't write anything
else?
SEAN
(smiles)
I didn't write anything else 'cause
nobody, including most of my colleagues
bothered to read the first one.
WILL
Well, I've read you colleagues. Your
book was good, Sean.
(beat)
All those guys were in your platoon?
SEAN
Yeah.
WILL
What happened to that guy from Kentucky?
SEAN
Lon? He got married. He has a kid.
I kind of lost touch with him after
Nancy got sick.
WILL
Do you ever wonder what your life would
be like if you never met your wife?
SEAN
What? Do I wonder if I'd be better
off if I never met my wife?
Will starts to clarify his question.
SEAN (cont'd)
No, that's okay. It's an important
question. 'Cause you'll have your bad
times, which wake you up to the good
stuff you weren't paying attention to.
And you can fail, as long as you're
trying hard. But there's nothing worse
than regret.
WILL
You don't regret meetin' your wife?
SEAN
Why? Because of the pain I feel now?
I have regrets Will, but I don't regret
a singel day I spent with her.
WILL
When did you know she was the one?
SEAN
October 21, 1975. Game six of the
World Series. Biggest game in Red Sox
history, Me and my friends slept out
on the sidewalk all night to get
tickets. We were sitting in a bar
waiting for the game to start and in
walks this girl. What a game that
was. Tie game in the bottom of the
tenth inning, in steps Carlton Fisk,
hit a long fly ball down the left
field line. Thirty-five thousand fans
on their feet, screamin' at the ball
to stay fair. Fisk is runnin' up the
baseline, wavin' at the ball like a
madman. It hits the foul pole, home
run. Thirty-five thousand people
went crazy. And I wasn't one of them.
WILL
Where were you?
SEAN
I was havin' a drink with my future
wife.
WILL
You missed Pudge Fisk's homerun to
have a drink with a woman you had never
met?
SEAN
That's right.
WILL
So wait a minute. The Red Sox haven't
won a World Series since nineteen
eighteen, you slept out for tickets,
games gonna start in twenty minutes,
in walks a girl you never seen before,
and you give your ticket away?
SEAN
You should have seen this girl. She
lit up the room.
WILL
I don't care if Helen of Troy walked
into that bar! That's game six of the
World Series!
Sean smiles.
WILL (cont'd)
And what kind of friends are these?
They let you get away with that?
SEAN
I just slid my ticket across the table
and said "sorry fellas, I gotta go see
about a girl."
WILL
"I gotta go see about a girl"? What
did they say?
SEAN
They could see that I meant it.
WILL
You're kiddin' me.
SEAN
No Will, I'm not kiddin' you. If I
had gone to see that game I'd be in
here talkin' abouta girl I saw at a
bar twenty years ago. And how I always
regretted not goin' over there and
talkin' to her. I don't regret the
eighteen years we were married. I
don't regret givin' up couseling for
six years when she got sick. I don't
regret being by her side for the last
two years when things got real bad.
And I sure as Hell don't regret missing
that damn game.
A beat. Will is impressed.
WILL
Would have been nice to catch that
game though.
SEAN
(breaking)
Well hell, I didn't know Pudge was
gonna hit the home run.
They laugh.
TIME DISSOLVE TO:
The office is more crowded than usual. TOM and THREE of LAMBEAU'S COLLEAGUES including the esteemed ALEXANDER PEKEC are in the room. Will sits at a work-station which projects a proof of his [Will's] onto the chalkboard. Lambeau stands beside the projected image at the board arguing with Pekec, a foreign mathematician. The image is of a Ramses graph binary tree.
LAMBEAU
Alexander, I know your theory. The
boy is updating, he's strategy
stealing...
PEKEC
With a Ramses graph on the binary tree--
LAMBEAU
--But what he's doing, he's attaching
an edge to the adjacent vertex. He
can always failsafe to either side--
PEKEC
Maker can. This is not new, Gerry!
Pekec starts writing lines beside Will's proof on the board.
PEKEC (cont'd)
--but I can always garbage out
(writes frantically)
All the way to "N" to the minus one.
LAMBEAU
No, there's a limit.
PEKEC
The limit is not found!
(turns to Will)
The limit is not found.
WILL
But I can always go to the other side.
PEKEC
There is no proof--
Lambeau can no longer contain himself.
LAMBEAU
--Maker builds "K" to the "N." N is
three to the K times--
PEKEC
--But--
WILL
Look, I wrote it down.
They turn to Will who places his proof on the projector. The image is cast over their faces. It reads:
As Pekec reads and the realization dawns on him:
WILL (cont'd)
It's just simpler this way.
Lambeau turns with satisfaction to an understanding Pekec.
LAMBEAU
Alexander, your theory is changed.
CUT TO:
Will and Skylar in her room, post coital. They are wrapped in a sheet. Will is absent-mindedly playing the memory game SIMON. The pattern grows increasingly complex. After a beat:
SKYLAR
Why do we always stay here?
WILL
'Cause it's nicer than my place.
SKYLAR
I've never seen your place.
WILL
Exactly.
SKYLAR
What about your friends? Or your
brothers? When do I get to meet them?
WILL
They don't come over here that much.
SKYLAR
I think I can make it to South Boston.
WILL
Aah, it's kind of a hike.
SKYLAR
Is it me you're hiding from them or
the other way around?
WILL
All right, all right. We'll go.
SKYLAR
When?
WILL
Sometime. I don't know. Next week.
SKYLAR
What if I said I wouldn't sleep with
you again until you let me meet your
friends?
WILL
I'd say...
(reaches for phone)
It's only four in the mornin', they're prob'ly up.
She laughs. Stops him.
SKYLAR
You men are shameful. If you're not
thinking of your weiner then you're
acting on its behalf.
WILL
Then on behalf of my weiner, I'd like
to ask for an advance.
CUT TO:
Skylar and Will sit together along with Will's gang. The boys are considerably drunk, but it makes for good entertainment. Everyone here is having fun including Sylar.
MORGAN
Will, I can't believe you brought Skylar
here when we're all wrecked. What's
she gonna think about us?
WILL
Yeah, Morgan. It's a real rarity that
we'd be out drinkin'.
BILLY
I've been shit faced for like two weeks.
MORGAN
Oh great, tell her that! Now she really
thinks we're problem drinkers!
CHUCKIE
Two weeks? That's nothin'. My Uncle
Marty? Will knows him. That guy
fuckin' drinks like you've never seen!
One night he was drivin' back to his
house on I-93-- Statie pulls him over.
ALL
Oh shit.
CHUCKIE
Guy's tryin' to walk the line--but he
can't even fuckin' stand up, and so my
uncle's gonna spend a night in jail.
Just then there's this fuckin' BOOM
like fifty yards down the road. Some
guy's car hit a tree.
MORGAN
Some other guy?
CHUCKIE
Yeah, he was probably drunker than my
Uncle, who fuckin' knows? So the cop
goes "Stay here" And he goes runnin'
down the highway to deal with the other
crash. So, my Uncle Marty's standin'
on the side of the road for a little
while, and he's so fuckin' lit, that
he forgets what he's waitin' for. So
he goes, "Fuck it." He gets in his
car and drives home.
MORGAN
Holy shit.
CHUCKIE
So in the morning, there's a knock on
the door it's the Statie. So my Uncle's
like, "Is there a problem?" And the Statie's
like "I pulled you over and you took
off." And my Uncle's like "I never
seen you before in my life, I been
home all night with my kids." And
Statie's like "Let me get in your
garage!" So he's like "All right, fine."
He takes around the garage and opens
the door --and the Statie's cruiser is
in my Uncle's garage.
ALL
No way! You're kiddin'!
CHUCKIE
No, he was so hammered that he drove
the police cruiser home. Fuckin' lights
and everything!
MORGAN
Did your Uncle get arrested?
CHUCKIE
The fuckin' Trooper was so embarrassed
he didn't do anything. The fuckin'
guy had been drivin' around in my Uncle's
car all night lookin' for the house.
Everyone is laughing. Skylar speaks above the din.
SKYLAR
There was this Irish guy, walking down
the beach one day.
She has everyone's attention. Will is nervous.
SKYLAR (cont'd)
And he comes across a bottle, and this
Genie pops out. The genie turns to
the Irishman and says-- "You've released
me from my prison, so I'll grant you
three wishes." The Irish guy thinks
for a minute and says "What I really
want is a pint of Guiness that never
empties." And--POOF! A bottle appears.
He slams it down, and-- lo and behold--
it fills back up again.
C/U of Will. Hoping the joke pans out.
SKYLAR (cont'd)
Well, the Irish guy can't believe it.
He drinks it again, and again-- BOOM!
It fills back up. So, while the Irish
guy is marveling at his good fortune,
The Genie is getting impatient, because
it's hot and he wants to get on with
his freedom. He says "Let's go, you
have two more wishes." The Irish guy
slams his drink again, it fills back
up, he's still amazed. The Genie can't
take it anymore. He says "Buddy, I'm
boiling out here. What are your
other two wishes?"
(beat)
The Irish guy looks at his drink, looks
at the Genie and says... "I guess
I'll have two more of these."
The gang erupts with laughter.
CHUCKIE
It's a good thing no one's Irish here.
MORGAN
I'm Irish.
Chuckie, Will look at Morgan, baffled.
Everyone is walking out, saying good-bye. Chuckie goes over to Will and Skylar.
CHUCKIE
I'm glad you came by, changed my opinion
of Harvard people.
SKYLAR
See ya' Chuckie. I had fun.
Chuckie heads towards Will to say goodnight.
WILL
I don't know what the fuck you're doin'.
You're givin' us a ride.
CHUCKIE
What do I look like, Al Cowlins?
(seriously)
You want to take my car, drop her off?
WILL
I was countin' on it.
MORGAN
Chuck, let's go.
CHUCKIE
You're walkin' bitch, Will's takin'
the car.
Morgan mumbles something and staggers off. Billy follows with an indifferent shrug.
WILL
Thanks, Chuck.
CHUCKIE
Don't get too slap-happy, you're takin'
me home first.
WILL
I don't know, Chuck. It's kinda outta
the way.
CHUCKIE
Just 'cause you don't have to sleep in
the one room palace, don't start
thinkin' you're bad.
SKYLAR
(to Will)
I thought you said you'd show me your
place.
WILL
Not tonight.
CHUCKIE
Yeah, not tonight. Not any other night.
He knows, once you see that shit-hole
he's gettin' dropped like a bad habit.
SKYLAR
I wanted to meet your brothers...
Chuckie gives Will a curious look.
WILL
They're all sleepin' now.
(a beat, to Chuckie)
Let me get those keys.
CUT TO:
A cocktail party is underway. Professors mingle with representatives from high tech companies. Lambeau stands holding a drink and surrounded by several RECRUITERS. Apparently he's the star of the show.
RECRUITER #1
What I want to know, Gerry, is when we
get to meet this wonder-boy.
LAMBEAU
We're still working together, the boy's
a little rough.
RECRUITER #2
We've got our share of eccentric
geniuses at Tri-tech. We know how to
deal with that.
RECRUITER #3
I think we all do.
Laughter.
RECRUITER #1
If you're not exaggerating, Gerry--
LAMBEAU
Was I exaggerating in nineteen eighty-
four when I told you I'd win the Field's
medal within two years?
More laughter.
RECRUITER #1
In that case the boy could run shipping
for us, routing--
RECRUITER #2
You say he doesn't have a diploma, but
we'll--
RECRUITER #1
I don't need to see a driver's license.
I can think of three departments right
now that he could head up for us.
LAMBEAU
At ease, gentlemen. We're looking
carefully at all our options.
RECRUITER #3
All right, Gerry. Close to the vest.
(gives him his card)
Good luck with these vultures.
He walks off.
CUT TO:
Timmy's Tap is a local watering hole, not unlike the L Street Bar. Sean is at the bar, telling a joke to TIMMY (45) the owner of the place, and several other REGULARS.
SEAN
So she goes runnin' up the aisle and I
figure "fuck it" and I yell out "don't
forget the coffee!
The men erupt in laughter. MARTY, one of the regulars pipe up.
MARTY
Bullshit! You didn't say that!
Timmy and Sean exchange a look.
TIMMY
Jesus Christ, Marty. It's a joke.
Lambeau enters, a bit overdressed in his sport coat and tie.
SEAN
Gerry! Any trouble finding the place?
LAMBEAU
Not at all.
SEAN
Timmy this is Gerry, an old friend of
mine. We went to college together.
TIMMY
Good to meet you.
LAMBEAU
Pleasure to meet you.
SEAN
Could we get a couple of sandwhiches?
(beat, smiles)
Put it on my tab.
Sean heads towards a table.
TIMMY
You ever plan on payin' your tab?
SEAN
(pulls out lottery ticket)
I got the winning numbers right here.
TIMMY
What's the jackpot?
SEAN
Twelve million.
TIMMY
I don't think that'll cover it.
Lambeau follows [Sean]. They sit.
LAMBEAU
You're here quite a bit, then.
SEAN
I live right around the corner.
LAMBEAU
You moved?
SEAN
I been here a couple years.
There is an awkward moment.
SEAN (cont'd)
You wanted to talk about Will?
LAMBEAU
Seems like it's going well.
SEAN
I think so.
LAMBEAU
Well, have you talked to him at all
about his future?
SEAN
We haven't really gotten into it.
LAMBEAU
Maybe you should. My phone's been
ringing off the hook with job offers.
SEAN
Jobs doing what?
LAMBEAU
Cutting edge mathematics.
Think tanks. The kind of place where
a mind like Will's is given free reign.
SEAN
That's great, Gerry, that there's
interest-- But I'm not sure he's ready
for that.
LAMBEAU
Sean, I really don't think you
understand--
SEAN
What don't I understand?
Timmy comes over with the sandwhiches.
SEAN (cont'd)
Thanks, Timmy.
LAMBEAU
Excuse me, Timmy. Could you help us?
We're trying to settle a bet.
TIMMY
Uh-oh.
LAMBEAU
Have you heard of Jonas Salk?
TIMMY
Yeah, cured polio.
LAMBEAU
You've heard of Albert Einstein?
Timmy smiles. Gives him a look.
LAMBEAU
How about Gerald Lambeau? Ever heard
of him?
TIMMY
No.
LAMBEAU
Okay thank you, Timmy.
TIMMY
So who won the bet?
LAMBEAU
I did.
A beat. Timmy leaves.
LAMBEAU
This isn't about me. I'm nothing
compared to this young man.
(beat)
Sean, in 1905 there were hundreds of
Professors who were renowned for their
study of the universe. But it was a
26-year-old Swiss Patent clerk,
doing physics in his spare time, who
changed the world, Sean. Can you
imagine if Einstein had given that up?
Or gotten drunk with his buddies in
Vienna every night? All of us would
have lost something. And I'm quite
sure Timmy never would have heard of
him.
SEAN
Isn't that a little dramatic, Gerry?
LAMBEAU
No, Sean. This boy has that gift. He
just hasn't got the direction. We can
give that to him.
A beat.
SEAN
He married his cousin.
LAMBEAU
Who?
SEAN
Einstein. Had two marriages, both
train-wrecks. The guy never saw his
kids, one of whom, I think, ended up
in an asylum--
--possible Unabomber addition--
LAMBEAU
You see, Sean? That's exactly not the
point. No one remembers that. They--
SEAN
I do.
LAMBEAU
Well, you're the only one.
Beat.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
This boy can make contributions to the
world. We can help him do that.
SEAN
Just...take it easy, Gerry.
LAMBEAU
Look, I don't know what else I can
say. I'm not sitting at home every
night, twisting my mustache and hatching
a plan to ruin the boy's life. But
it's important to start early. I was
doing advanced mathematics at eighteen
and it still took me twenty-three years
to do something worthy of a Field's
medal.
SEAN
Maybe he doesn't care about that.
A beat.
LAMBEAU
Sean, this is important. And it's
above personal rivalry--
SEAN
Now wait a minute, Gerry--
LAMBEAU
--No, no you hear me out, Sean. This
young man is a true prodigy--
SEAN
--Personal rivalry? I'm not getting
back at you.
LAMBEAU
Look, you took one road and I took
another. That's fine.
SEAN
Is it Gerry? 'Cause I don't think
it's fine with you. Give him time to
figure out what he wants.
LAMBEAU
That's a wonderful theory, Sean. It
worked wonders for you.
A beat. Lambeau gets up.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
Sean, I came here today out of courtesy.
I wanted to keep you in the loop. As
we speak the boy is in a meeting I set
up for him over at Tri-tech.
CUT TO:
Three well dressed TRI-TECH EXECUTIVES sit around a conference table, which is littered with promotional brochures. The executives exchange a confused look. One of them speaks.
EXECUTIVE
(tentative)
Well, Will, I'm not exactly sure what
you mean, we've already offered you a
position..
Cut to reveal: Chuckie sitting across from the executives, hair combed down, wearing his Sunday best.
CHUCKIE
Since this is obviously not my first
time in such altercations, let me say
this:
Chuckie rubs the tips of his fingers together, indicating "cash." The executives are baffled.
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
Look, we can do this the easy way or
the hard way.
The executives are completely blank.
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
At the current time I am looking at a
number of different fields from which
to disseminate which offer is most
pursuant aid to my benefit.
(a beat)
What do you want? What do I want?
What does anybody want? Leniency.
EXECUTIVE
I'm not sure--
CHUCKIE
--These circumstances are mitigated.
Right now. They're mitigated.
Chuckie puts his hands up, as if getting a vibe from the room.
EXECUTIVE
Okay...
Chuckie points to the third executive.
CHUCKIE
He knows what I'm talking about.
The third executive is baffled.
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
A retainer. Nobody in this town works
without a retainer. You think you can
find someone who does, you have my
blessin'. But I think we all know
that person isn't going to represent
you as well as I can.
EXECUTIVE
Will, our offer starts you at eighty-
four thousand a year, plus benefits.
CHUCKIE
Retainer...
EXECUTIVE
You want us to give you cash right
now?
CHUCKIE
Allegedly, what I am saying is your
situation will be concurrently improved
if I had two hundred sheets in my pocket
right now.
The executives exchange looks and go for their wallets.
EXECUTIVE
I don't think I...Larry?
EXECUTIVE
I have about seventy-three...
EXECUTIVE
Will you take a check?
CHUCKIE
Come now...what do you think I am, a
juvinile? You don't got any money on
you right now. You think I'm gonna
take a check?
EXECUTIVE
It's fine, John, I can cover the rest.
CHUCKIE
That's right, you know.
(turns to #1)
He knows.
Chuckie stands up and takes the money.
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
(to exec #1)
You're suspect.
I don't know what your reputation is,
but after the shit you tried to pull
today, you can bet I'll be looking
into it. Any conversations you want
to have with me heretofore, you can
have with my attourney. Gentlemen,
keep your ears to the grindstone.
CUT TO:
Will and Skylar sit in the open courtyard of this Harvard Square eatery. Skylar is working on another O-chem lab. Will sits across from her, slightly bored watching her work.
WILL
How's it goin'?
SKYLAR
Fine.
WILL
Want me to take a look?
SKYLAR
No.
WILL
C'mon, give me a peek and we'll go to
the battin' cages.
SKYLAR
It's important that I learn this.
WILL
Why is it important to you? If I
inherited all that money, the only
thing important to me would be workin'
on my swing.
SKYLAR
Clearly.
WILL
You're rich. What do you have to worry
about?
SKYLAR
Rich? I have an inheritance. It's
two handred and fifty thousand dollars.
That's exactly what it'll cost me,
minus about five hundred bucks, to go
all the way through med school. This
is what I'm doing with that money. I
could have done anything I wanted. I
could have expanded my wardrobe,
substantially.
WILL
Instead you're going to bust your ass
for five years so you can be broke?
SKYLAR
No, so I can be a doctor.
A beat. Will nods. She looks down, then up.
SKYLAR
All right, Mr. Nosey Parker. Let me
ask you a question? Do you have a
photographic memory?
WILL
I guess. I don't know. How do you
remember your phone number?
SKYLAR
Have you ever studied Organic Chemistry?
WILL
Some, a little.
SKYLAR
Just for fun?
WILL
I guess so.
SKYLAR
Nobody does organic chemistry for "fun."
It's unnecessary. Especially for someone
like you.
WILL
Like me?
SKYLAR
Yeah. Someone like you who divides
his time, fairly evenly, between the
batting cages and bars.
Will laughs.
SKYLAR (cont'd)
How did you do that? I can't...I mean
even the smartest people I know, and
we do have a few at Harvard, have to
study-- a lot. It's hard.
(beat)
Listen, Will, if you don't want to tell me--
WILL
Do you play the piano?
SKYLAR
Come one Will. I just want to know.
WILL
I'm trying to explain it to you. So
you play the piano. When you look at
the keys, you see music, you see Mozart.
SKYLAR
I see "Hot Cross Buns," but okay.
WILL
Well all right, Beethoven. He looked
at a piano and saw music. The fuckin'
guy was deaf when he composed the Ode
to Joy. They had to turn him around
to take a bow because he couldn't hear
the crowd going crazy behind him.
Stone deaf. He saw all of that
music in his head.
SKYLAR
So, do you play the piano?
WILL
Not a lick. I look at a piano and I
see black and white keys, three pedals
and a box of wood. Beethoven, Mozart,
they looked at it and it just made
sense to them. They saw a piano and
they could play. I couldn't paint you
a picture, I probably can't hit the
ball out of Fenway Park and I can't
play the piano--
SKYLAR
--But you can do my O-chem lab in under
an hour, you can--
WILL
--When it came to stuff like that I
could always just play.
Skylar is awestruck with admiration for Will, the Robot-pimp. So much so that Skylar has to kiss him, then push him away.
SKYLAR
I can't believe it's taken me four
years to meet you and I'm going to
California in two months, Will.
(beat)
Have you ever been to California? I
bet you'd like it.
Will freezes. A beat.
SKYLAR (cont'd)
Maybe not.
CUT TO:
Chuckie sits on his couch, watching cartoons in his boxers and a tee-shirt, eating cereal. The doorbell rings. He sits.
CHUCKIE
Get it, ma!
She doesn't. He gets up. Opens door. It's Skylar.
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
(surprised)
Hey.
SKYLAR
Hi.
CHUCKIE
How you doin'?
SKYLAR
Good.
An awkward beat.
CHUCKIE
How'd you know where to find me?
SKYLAR
(smiles)
You were the only Sullivan in the phone
book.
Chuckie smiles.
SKYLAR (cont'd)
Will and I dropped you off here,
remember?
CHUCKIE
Oh, right.
SKYLAR
This is your house, right?
Chuckie nods and is about to respond when he is interrupted by a nagging shriek from his mom.
CHUCKIE'S MOM (O.S.)
Get in here, Chuckie!
CHUCKIE
(calling back)
Pipe down, Ma!
SKYLAR
I guess so.
CHUCKIE
What? No. This is my mother's house.
I don't live with my mother. I just
stop by, help out. I'm good like that.
SKYLAR
Is this a bad time?
CHUCKIE
She'll live.
(beat)
If she starts yelling again I might
have to run in real quick and beat her
with the stick again but...
SKYLAR
Okay.
CHUCKIE
Let's take a walk.
Chuckie, still in his boxers walks with Skylar who is talking.
SKYLAR
See, now this doesn't feel right.
(beat)
When I made the decision to come over
here it felt right. I had all these
rationalizations... I just don't
understand why Will never tells me
anything, he won't let me get close to
him, he tells me these weird lies--
CHUCKIE
You caught that, huh?
SKYLAR
I just wanted to find out what was
going on...But now that I'm here it
seems strange, doesn't it?
CHUCKIE
Well, I don't have no trousers on...
She laughs. A beat.
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
I know why you're here. Will don't
talk much.
SKYLAR
I don't care what his family's like or
if he doesn't have any brothers, but
he doesn't have to lie to me.
CHUCKIE
I really don't know what to say. Look,
I lie to women all the time. That's
just my way.
(beat)
Last week Morgan brought these girls
down from Roslindale. I told them I
was a cosmonaut. They believed me.
But Will's not usually like that--
MAN ON PORCH
Put some clothes on, Sullivan!
CHUCKIE
Take it easy father!
She laughs.
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
All I can say is; I known Will a long
time-- And I seen him with every girl
he's ever been with. But I've never
seen him like this before, ever with
anyone, like how he is with you.
SKYLAR
Is that true?
CHUCKIE
Yeah, it is.
CUT TO:
Tom and Will are sitting waiting for Lambeau.
TOM
!! !
WILL
!! !
Lambeau enters going over a thick proof Will has completed.
LAMBEAU
This is correct. I see you used
Mclullen here--
WILL
I don't know what it's called.
LAMBEAU
--This can't be right.
(examining proof)
This is going to be very embarrassing.
Have you ever considered--
WILL
I'm pretty sure it's right.
Will gets up to leave.
WILL
(turning back)
Can I ask you a favor, can we do this
at Sean's from now on? 'Cause I leave
work to come here and the fuckin'
commute is killin' me--
LAMBEAU
That's fine, but did you ever think--
WILL
It's right.
(a beat, heading out)
Take it home with you.
LAMBEAU
Will, what happened at the Tri-tech
meeting?
WILL
I couldn't go 'cause I had a date. So
I sent my cheif negotiator.
LAMBEAU
Will, on your own time, you can do
what you like. When I set up a meeting,
with my associates, and you don't show
up it reflects poorly on me.
WILL
Then don't set up any more meetings.
LAMBEAU
I'll cancel every meeting right now.
I'll give you a job myself. I just
wanted you to see what was out there.
WILL
--Maybe I don't want to spend my life
sittin' around and explaining shit to
people.
LAMBEAU
The least you can do is show me a little
appreciation.
WILL
(indicates proof)
--You know how fuckin' easy this is to
me? This is a joke!
(crumples proof)
And I'm sorry you can't do this. I
really am. 'Cause if you could I
wouldn't be forced to watch you fumble
around and fuck it up.
LAMBEAU
Sure, then you'd have more time to sit
around and get drunk. Think of how
many fights you could have been in by
now.
Will turns around reveling that he's lit the PROOF ON FIRE. Will drops it on the floor. Lambeau drops to his knees and puts it out. He looks up at Will.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
You're right, Will. I can't do that
proof and you can. And when it comes
to this there are only twenty people
in the world that can tell the
difference between you and me. But
I'm one of them.
WILL
Well, I'm sorry.
LAMBEAU
So am I.
(beat)
Yes. That's right, Will. Most days I
wish I never met you. Because then I
could sleep at night. I wouldn't have
to walk around with the knowledge that
someone like you was out there. And I
wouldn't have to watch you throw it
all away.
Lambeau gathers his composure and calmly walks over to the wrinkled proof. He picks it up, smooths it out. (My guess is this is a mistake since Lambeau is already at the burned proof at this time)
CUT TO:
Will and Skylar lie in bed. Skylar watches Will sleep. She gets up and goes to the fridge. Returning to the bed:
SKYLAR
Will? Are you awake?
WILL
No.
SKYLAR
Come with me to California.
WILL
What?
SKYLAR
I want you to come with me.
WILL
How do you know that?
SKYLAR
I know. I just do.
WILL
Yeah, but how do you know?
SKYLAR
I don't know. I just feel it.
WILL
And you're sure about that?
SKYLAR
Yeah, I'm sure.
WILL
'Cause that's a serious thing you're
sayin'. I mean, we might be in
California next week and you could
find out somethin' about me that you
don't like. And you might feel like
"hey this is a big mistake."
(getting upset)
But you can't take it back, 'cause you
know it's real serious and you can't
take somethin' like that back. Now
I'm in California, 'cause you asked me
to come. But you don't really want me
there. And I'm stuck in California
with someone who really doesn't want
me there and just wishes they had a
take-back.
SKYLAR
"Take-back?" What is that? I don't
want a take-back. I want you to come
to California with me.
WILL
I can't go out to California.
SKYLAR
Why not?
WILL
One, because I have a job here and two
because I live here--
SKYLAR
(beat)
Look, Will if you're not in love with
me, you can say that.
WILL
I'm not sayin' I'm not in love with
you.
SKYLAR
Then what are you afraid of?
WILL
What do you mean "What am I afraid
of?"
SKYLAR
Why won't you come with me? What are
you so scared of?
WILL
What am I scared of?
SKYLAR
Well, what aren't you scared of? You
live in your safe little world where
nobody challenges you and you're scared
shitless to do anything else--
WILL
--Don't tell me about my world. You're
the one that's afraid. You just want
to have your little fling with the guy
from the other side of town and marry--
SKYLAR
Is that what you think--
WILL
--some prick from Stanford that your
parents will approve of. Then you'll
sit around with the rest of the upper
crust kids and talk about how you went
slummin' too.
SKYLAR
I inherited that money when I was
thirteen, when my father died.
WILL
At least you have a mother.
SKYLAR
Fuck you! You think I want this?
That money's a burden to me. Every
day I wake up and I wish I could give
that back. I'd give everything I have
back to spend one more day with my
father. But that's life. And I deal
with it. So don't put that shit on
me. You're the one that's afraid.
WILL
What the fuck am I afraid of?!
SKYLAR
You're afraid of me. You're afraid
that I won't love you back. And guess
what? I'm afraid too. But at least I
have the balls to it give it a shot. At
least I'm honest with you.
WILL
I'm not honest?
SKYLAR
What about your twelve brothers?
WILL
Oh, is that what this is about? You
want to hear that I don't really have
any brothers? That I'm a fuckin'
orphan? Is that what you want to hear?
SKYLAR
Yes, Will. I didn't even know that?
WILL
No, you don't want to hear that.
SKYLAR
Yes, I do, Will.
WILL
You don't want to hear that I got
cigarettes put out on me when I was a
little kid. That this isn't surgery
Will lifts his shirt, revealing a six inch SCAR on his torso.
WILL (cont'd)
You don't want to hear that. Don't
tell me you want to hear that shit!!
SKYLAR
Yes I do. Did you ever think that
maybe I could help you? That maybe
that's the point, that we're a team?
WILL
What, you want to come in here and
save me? Is that what you want to do?
Do I have a sign that says "save me"
on my back?
SKYLAR
I don't want to "save" you. I just
want to be with you. I love you. I
love you!
Will, full of self-loathing, raises his hand to strike her.
WILL
Don't bullshit me! Don't fuckin'
bullshit me!
SKYLAR
(standing up to him)
You know what I want to hear? I want
to hear that you don't love me. If
you tell me that, then I'll leave you
alone. I won't ask any questions and
I won't be in your life.
A beat. Will looks Skylar dead in the eye. Lowers his hand.
WILL
I don't love you.
He walks out.
CUT TO:
Will leaves pulling on his clothes.
CUT TO:
Will sits across from two N.S.A. AGENTS, OLIVER DYTRESS and ROBERT TAVANO. These guys ar smug, clean cut, gung-ho and looking sharp in twin navy blue suits.
WILL
So why do you think I should work for
the National Security Agency?
DYTRESS
Well, you'd be working on the cutting
edge. You'd be exposed to the kind of
technology you couldn't see anywhere
else because we've classified it.
Super string theory, Chaos Math,
Advanced algorithms--
WILL
Codebreaking.
DYTRESS
That's one aspect of what we do.
WILL
Come on, that's what you do. You handle
more than eighty percent of the
intelligence workload. You're seven
times the size of the C.I.A.
DYTRESS
That's exactly right, Will. So the
question as I see it isn't "why should
you work for N.S.A." it's "why
shouldn't you?"
WILL
Why shouldn't I work for the National
Security Agency? That's a tough one.
Will bites his tongue, trying to make this work.
CUT TO:
Chuckie, Billy, and Will sit in the Sullivan kitchen. Billy cracks open a beer and Chuckie reads the sports page. Both boys are smoking. Will drinks a beer, distractedly. We hear the faint music track and soft moans of a PORNO MOVIE emanating from a back room. After a beat, Chuckie looks up.
CHUCKIE
Morgan, if you're watchin' pornos in
my mom's room again I'm gonna give you
a fuckin' beatin'!
After a beat, Morgan comes out of the back room, red-faced.
MORGAN
(innocently)
What's up guys?
CHUCKIE
Why don't you beat off at your house?
MORGAN
I don't have a VCR at my house.
Will pays no attention to this exchange
CUT TO:
Will is on pay phone talking to Skylar.
WILL
I just wanted to call before you left.
(beat)
I'm takin' all these job interviews.
So I won't just be a construction
worker.
SKYLAR
I never cared about that.
An awkward beat.
WILL
Yeah.
SKYLAR
I love you, Will.
(pause)
No take-backs.
Will says nothing.
SKYLAR (cont'd)
Will?
A beat.
WILL
Take care.
SKYLAR
Goodbye.
Will hangs up. Hold on him for an agonizing beat.
CUT TO:
Lambeau is scribbling away at work. Tom is taking notes. Will is tapping his fingers, waiting for him to finish.
LAMBEAU
I can...I'm almost there.
CUT TO:
Skylar stands at the gate, carry-ons in hand. Her flight is boarding. She looks for Will over the crowd.
CUT TO:
Will picks up a FRAME from Sean's desk. It is CARLTON FISK'S BASEBALL CARD. Will has to smile. Lambeau looks up.
LAMBEAU
What are you smiling at?
WILL
It's a Carlton Fisk baseball card.
Will can see that Lambeau wants more.
WILL (cont'd)
Pudge Fisk. You follow baseball?
LAMBEAU
No.
CUT TO:
The final boarding call is announced and the last passenger boards. After a beat, Skylar turns and gets on the plane.
CUT BACK TO:
Will, holding the card, reflects for a beat and puts it down.
WILL
Oh, well, it's just somethin' Sean
told me. It's a long story.
A beat.
WILL (cont'd)
You all set?
LAMBEAU
I've got the first part. The rest I
can do at home.
Will gets up.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
Will, the N.S.A. has been calling me
just about every hour. They're very
excited about how the meeting went.
Lambeau is excited. Will clearly is not.
WILL
Yeah.
CUT TO:
Will sits across from Sean.
SEAN
So you might be working for Uncle Sam.
WILL
I don't know.
SEAN
Gerry says the meeting went well.
WILL
I guess.
SEAN
What did you think?
WILL
What did I think?
A beat. Will has obviously been stewing on this.
WILL (cont'd)
Say I'm working at N.S.A. Somebody
puts a code on my desk, something nobody
else can break. So I take a shot at
it and maybe I break it. And I'm real
happy with myself, 'cause I did my job
well. But maybe that code was the
location of some rebel army in North
Africa or the Middle East. Once they
have that location, they bomb the
village where the rebels were hiding
and fifteen hundred people I never had
a problem with get killed.
(rapid fire)
Now the politicians are sayin' "send
in the Marines to secure the area"
'cause they don't give a shit. It
won't be their kid over there, gettin'
shot. Just like it wasn't them when
their number got called, 'cause they
were pullin' a tour in the National
Guard. It'll be some guy from Southie
takin' shrapnel in the ass. And he
comes home to find that the plant he
used to work at got exported to the
country he just got back from.
And the guy who put the shrapnel in
his ass got his old job, 'cause he'll
work for fifteen cents a day and no
bathroom breaks.
Meanwhile my buddy from Southie realizes
the only reason he was over there was
so we could install a government that
would sell us oil at a good price.
And of course the oil companies used
the skirmish to scare up oil prices so
they could turn a quick buck. A cute,
little ancillary benefit for them but
it ain't helping my buddy at two-fifty
a gallon. And naturally they're takin'
their sweet time bringin' the oil back
and maybe even took the liberty of
hiring an alcoholic skipper who likes
to drink seven and sevens and play
slalom with the icebergs and it ain't
too long 'til he hits one, spills the
oil, and kills all the sea-life in the
North Atlantic. So my buddy's out of
work and he can't afford to drive so
he's got to walk to the job interviews
which sucks 'cause the shrapnel in his
ass is givin' him chronic hemorrhoids.
And meanwhile he's starvin' 'cause every
time he tries to get a bite to eat the
only blue-plate special they're servin'
is North Atlantic scrod with Quaker State.
A beat.
WILL (cont'd)
So what'd I think? I'm holdin' out
for somethin' better. I figure I'll
eliminate the middle man. Why not
just shoot my buddy, take his job and
give it to his sworn enemy, hike up
gas prices, bomb a village, club a
baby seal, hit the hash pipe and join
the National Guard? Christ, I could
be elected President.
SEAN
Do you think you're alone?
WILL
What?
SEAN
Do you have a soul-mate?
WILL
Define that.
SEAN
Someone who challenges you in every
way. Who takes you places, opens things
up for you. A soul-mate.
WILL
Yeah.
Sean waits.
WILL (cont'd)
Shakespeare, Neitzche, Frost, O'Connor,
Chaucer, Pope, Kant--
SEAN
They're all dead.
WILL
Not to me, they're not.
SEAN
But you can't give back to them, Will.
WILL
Not without a heater and some serious
smelling salts, no...
SEAN
That's what I'm saying, Will. You'll
never have that kind of relationship
in a world where you're afraid to take
the first step because all you're seeing
are the negative things that might
happen ten miles down the road.
WILL
Oh, what? You're going to take the
professor's side on this?
SEAN
Don't give me you line of shit.
WILL
I didn't want the job.
SEAN
It's not about that job. I'm not saying
you should work for the government.
But, you could do anything you want.
And there are people who work their
whole lives layin' brick so their kids
have a chance at the kind of opportunity
you have. What do you want to do?
WILL
I didn't ask for this.
SEAN
Nobody gets what they ask for, Will.
That's a cop-out.
WILL
Why is it a cop-out? I don't see
anythin' wrong with layin' brick, that's
somebody's home I'm buildin'. Or fixin'
somebody's car, somebody's gonna get
to work the next day 'cause of me.
There's honor in that.
SEAN
You're right, Will. Any man who takes
a forty minute train ride so those
college kids can come in in the morning
and their floors will be clean and
their trash cans will be empty is an
honorable man.
A beat. Will says nothing.
SEAN (cont'd)
And when they get drunk and puke in
the sink, they don't have to see it
the next morning because of you. That's
real work, Will. And there is honor
in that. Which I'm sure is why you
took the job.
A beat.
SEAN (cont'd)
I just want to know why you decided to
sneak around at night, writing on
chalkboards and lying about it.
(beat)
'Cause there's no honor in that.
Will is silent.
SEAN (cont'd)
Something you want to say?
Sean gets up, goes to the door and opens it.
SEAN (cont'd)
Why don't you come back when you have
an answer for me.
WILL
What?
SEAN
If you won't answer my questions, you're
wasting my time.
WILL
What?
Will loses it, slams the door shut.
WILL (cont'd)
Fuck you!
Sean has finally gotten to Will.
WILL (cont'd)
Who the fuck are you to lecture me
about life? You fuckin' burnout!
Where's your "soul-mate?!"
Sean lets this play out. Possible "shepard" change.
WILL (cont'd)
Dead! She dies and you just cash in
your chips. That's a fuckin' cop-out!
SEAN
I been there. I played my hand.
WILL
That's right. And you fuckin' lost!
And some people would have the sack to
lose a big hand like that and still
come back and ante up again!
SEAN
Look at me. What do you want to do?
A beat. Will looks up.
SEAN (cont'd)
You and your bullshit. You got an
answer for everybody. But I asked you
a straight question and you can't give
me a straight answer. Because you
don't know.
Sean goes to the door and opens it. Will walks out.
CUT TO:
Will and Chuckie take crowbars to a wall. This is what they do for a living. As they routinely hammer away, Will becomes more involved in his battle with the wall. Plaster and lathing fly as Will vents his rage. Chuckie, noticing, stops working and takes a step back, watching Will. Will is oblivious.
CUT TO:
Lambeau and Tom are in his office. Will is nowhere to be seen. Lambeau is on the phone.
LAMBEAU
What I mean, Sean, is that I'm sitting
in your office and the boy isn't here.
(beat)
Well, it's ten past three.
(beat)
An hour and ten minutes late.
(beat)
Well, if he doesn't show up and I have
to file a report saying he wasn't here
and he goes back to jail, i won't be
on my conscience, Sean.
(beat)
Fine.
He hangs up. Tom picks up a FORM up off the desk.
TOM
What should I do?
LAMBEAU
The boy was here. He came in, sat
down and we worked together.
A blank look.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
He came in, sat down, and we worked
together.
TOM
Okay.
Tom understands, begins filling out the form.
CUT TO:
Will walks out carrying a brown bag. He is filthy, having just knocked off work.
CUT TO:
Chuckie is sitting on the hood of his Cadillac, watching Will across the street. Chuckie is covered in grime as well. Will starts walking towards Chuckie. As he draws closer, he heaves a can of Budweiser a good thirsty yards, to Chuckie who handles it routinely.
Will takes a seat next to Chuckie and they crack open their beers. Other workers file out of the site. They drink.
CHUCKIE
How's the woman?
WILL
Gone.
CHUCKIE
What?
WILL
She went to Medical school in
California.
CHUCKIE
Sorry, brother.
(beat)
I don't know what to tell ya. You
know all the girls I been with. You
been with 'em too, except for Cheryl
McGovern which was a big mistake on
your part brother...
WILL
Oh I'm sure, that's why only one of us
has herpes.
CHUCKIE
Some shows are worth the price of
admission, partner.
This gets a small laugh from Will.
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
My fuckin' back is killin' me.
A passing SHEET METAL WORKER overhears this.
SHEET METAL WORKER
That's why you should'a gone to college.
WILL
Fuck you.
CHUCKIE
Suck my crank. Fuckin' sheet metal
pussy.
(beat)
So, when are you done with those
meetin's?
WILL
Week after I'm twenty-one.
CHUCKIE
Are they hookin' you up with a job?
WILL
Yeah, sit in a room and do long division
for the next fifty years.
CHUCKIE
Yah, but it's better than this shit.
At least you'd make some nice bank.
WILL
Yeah, be a fuckin' lab rat.
CHUCKIE
It's a way outta here.
WILL
What do I want a way outta here for?
I want to live here the rest of my
life. I want to be your next door
neighbor. I want to take out kids to
little league together up Foley Field.
CHUCKIE
Look, you're my best friend, so don't
take this the wrong way, but in 20
years, if you're livin' next door to
me, comin' over watchin' the fuckin'
Patriots' games and still workin'
construction, I'll fuckin' kill you.
And that's not a threat, that's a fact.
I'll fuckin' kill you.
WILL
Chuckie, what are you talkin'...
CHUCKIE
Listen, you got somethin' that none of
us have.
WILL
Why is it always this? I owe it to
myself? What if I don't want to?
CHUCKIE
Fuck you. You owe it to me. Tomorrow
I'm gonna wake up and I'll be fifty
and I'll still be doin' this. And
that's all right 'cause I'm gonna make
a run at it.
But you, you're sittin' on a winning
lottery ticket and you're too much of
a pussy to cash it in. And that's
bullshit 'cause I'd do anything to
have what you got! And so would any
of these guys. It'd be a fuckin' insult
to us if you're still here in twenty
years.
WILL
You don't know that.
CHUCKIE
Let me tell you what I do know. Every
day I come by to pick you up, and we
go out drinkin' or whatever and we
have a few laughs. But you know what
the best part of my day is? The ten
seconds before I knock on the door
'cause I let myself think I might get
there, and you'd be gone. I'd knock
on the door and you wouldn't be there.
You just left.
A beat.
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
Now, I don't know much. But I know
that.
CUT TO:
Lambeau stands across from Sean, seething.
LAMBEAU
This is a disaster! I brought you in
here to help me with this boy, not to
run him out--
SEAN
Now wait a minute--
LAMBEAU
--And confuse him--
SEAN
--Gerry--
LAMBEAU
--And here I am for the second week
in a row with my professional
reputation at stake--
SEAN
Hold on!
LAMBEAU
--Ready to falsify documents because
you've given him license to walk away
from this.
SEAN
I know what I'm doing and I know why
I'm here!
LAMBEAU
Look Sean, I don't care if you have a
rapport with the boy-- I don't care
if you have a few laughs-- even at my
expense! But don't you dare undermine
what I'm trying to do here.
SEAN
"Undermine?"
LAMBEAU
He has a gift and with that gift comes
responsibility. And you don't
understand that he's at a fragile point--
SEAN
He is at a fragile point. He's got
problems--
LAMBEAU
What problems does he have, Sean,
that he is better off as a janitor or
in jail or hanging around with--
SEAN
Why do you think he does that, Gerry?
LAMBEAU
He can handle the work, he can handle
the pressure and he's obviously handled
you.
SEAN
Why is he hiding? Why is he a janitor?
Why doesn't he trust anybody? Because
the first thing that happened to him
was that he was abandoned by the people
who were supposed to love him the most!
LAMBEAU
Oh, come on, Sean--
SEAN
--And why does he hang out with his
friends? Because any one of those
kids would come in here and take a bat
to your head if he asked them to.
It's called loyalty!
LAMBEAU
Oh, that's nice--
SEAN
--And who do you think he's handling?
He pushes people away before they have
a chance to leave him. And for 20
years he's been alone because of that.
And if you try to push him into this,
it's going to be the same thing all
over again. And I'm not going to let
that happen to him!
LAMBEAU
Now don't do that. Don't you do that!
Don't infect him with the idea that
it's okay to quit. That it's okay to
be a failure, because it's not okay!
If you're angry at me for being
successful, for being what you could
have been--
SEAN
--I'm not angry at you--
LAMBEAU
--Yes you are, Sean. You resent me.
And I'm not going to apologize for any
success that I've had.
SEAN
--I don't have any anger at you--
LAMBEAU
Yes you do. You're angry at me for
doing what you could have done. Ask
yourself if you want Will to feel that
way for the rest of his life, to feel
like a failure.
SEAN
That's it. That's why I don't come to
the goddamn reunions! Becaue I can't
stand the look in your eye when you
see me! You think I'm a failure! I
know who I am. I'm proud of who I am.
And all of you, you think I'm some
kind of pity case!
You with your sycophant students
following you around. And you Goddamn
Medal!
LAMBEAU
--Is that what this is about, Sean?
The Field's Medal? Do you want me to
go home and get it for you? Then will
you let the boy--
SEAN
--I don't want your trophy and I don't
give a shit about it! 'Cause I knew
you when!! You and Jack and Tom
Sanders. I knew you when you were
homesick and pimply-faced and didn't
know what side of the bed to piss on!
LAMBEAU
That's right! You were smarter than
us then and you're smarter than us
now! So don't blame me for how your
life turned out. It's not my fault.
SEAN
I don't blame you! It's not about
that! It's about the boy! 'Cause
he's a good kid! And I won't see this
happen to him-- I won't see you make
him feel like a failure too!
LAMBEAU
He won't be a failure!
SEAN
If you push him into something, if you
ride him--
LAMBEAU
You're wrong, Sean. I'm where I am
today because I was pushed. And because
I learned to push myself!
SEAN
He's not you!
A beat. Lambeau turns, something catches his eye. Sean turns to look, IT'S WILL. He is standing in the doorway.
WILL
I can come back.
LAMBEAU
No, that's fine, Will. I was just
leaving.
There is an awkward moment as Lambeau gets his coat and leaves.
WILL
Well, I'm here.
(beat)
So, is that my problem? I'm afraid of
being abandoned? That was easy.
SEAN
Look, a lot of that stuff goes back a
long way. And it's between me and him
and it has nothing to do with you.
WILL
Do you want to talk about it?
Sean smiles. A beat. Will sees a FILE on Sean's desk.
WILL (cont'd)
What's that?
SEAN
Oh, this is your file. I have to send
it back to the Judge with my evaluation.
WILL
You're not going to fail me are you?
Sean smiles.
WILL (cont'd)
So what's it say?
SEAN
You want to read it?
WILL
No.
(beat)
Have you had any experience with that?
SEAN
Twenty years of counselling you see a
lot of--
WILL
--No, have you had any experience with
that?
SEAN
Yes.
WILL
(smiles)
It sure ain't good.
From a child's P.O.V. we see a man, partially obscured by a doorframe. The man turns toward the P.O.V.
CUT BACK TO:
SEAN
(after a pause)
My dad used to make us walk down to
the park and collect the sticks he was
going to beat us with. Actually the
worst of the beatings were between me
and my brother. We would practice on
each other trying to find sticks that
would break.
WILL
He used to just put a belt, a stick
and a wrench on the kitchen table and
say "choose."
A large, calloused hand sets down a wrench next to a stick.
CUT BACK TO:
SEAN
Gotta go with the belt there...
WILL
I used to go with the wrench.
SEAN
The wrench, why?
WILL
Cause fuck him, that's why.
A long quiet moment.
WILL (cont'd)
Is that why me and Skylar broke up?
SEAN
I didn't know you had. Do you want to
talk about that?
(beat)
I don't know a lot, Will. But let me
tell you one thing. All this history,
this shit...
(indicates file)
Look here, son.
Will, who had been looking away, loos at Sean.
SEAN (cont'd)
This is not your fault.
WILL
(nonchalant)
Oh, I know.
SEAN
It's not your fault.
WILL
(smiles)
I know.
SEAN
It's not your fault.
WILL
I know.
SEAN
It's not your fault.
WILL
(dead serious)
I know.
SEAN
It's not your fault.
WILL
Don't fuck with me.
SEAN
(comes around desk, sits in front of Will)
It's not your fault.
WILL
(tears start)
I know.
SEAN
It's not...
WILL
(crying hard)
I know, I know...
Sean takes Will in his arms and holds him like a child. Will sobs like a baby. After a moment, he wraps his arms around Sean and holds him, even tighter. We pull back from this image. Two lonely souls being father and son together.
Will rides the Red Line, above ground. He looks out over the landscape. Small back yards, laundry hangs from wire lines. Chainlink fences, overgrown with weeds.
Will walking through South Boston. He cuts through a park. A senior citizen is spearing trach for the city.
Will at home. Not reading. Looks up at the ceiling.
Will walks up to a nondescript building, he walks through the glass doors, into the lobby.
CUT TO:
Will walks into the lobby. A SECURITY GUARD looks up.
SECURITY GUARD
Can I help you?
WILL
Yeah, my name is Will Hunting. I'm
here about a position.
SECURITY GUARD
One moment.
The guard reaches for the phone.
DISSOLVE TO BLACK.
FADE UP to the sound of laughter.
Chuckie is again regaling Will and the guys at their table.
CHUCKIE
Oh my God, I got the most fucked up
thing I been meanin' to tell you.
MORGAN
Save it for your mother, funny guy.
We heard it before.
CHUCKIE
Oh, Morgan.
They both get up, in one another's face. This is a play fight. "You gonna start?" "You gonna pay my hospital bills?"
WILL
Sorry to miss this.
Will comes back from the bathroom.
WILL
(to Chuckie)
You and Morgan throw?
CHUCKIE
No, I had to talk him down.
WILL
Why didn't you yoke him?
CHUCKIE
Little Morgan's got a lot a scrap,
dude. I'd rather fight a big kid,
they never fight, everyone's scared of
'em. You know how many people try to
whip Morgan's ass every week? Fuckin'
kid won't back down.
MORGAN
(from across the table)
What'd you say about me?
CHUCKIE
Shut the fuck up.
Billy walks in the door and give Chuckie a look. Chuckie turns to Will.
CHUCKIE
(To Will)
Hey, asshole. Happy Birthday.
MORGAN
You thought we forgot, didn't you? I
know I'm gettin' my licks in.
Laughter as the boys converge on Will. He goes willingly out the door.
As they come out the door, rather tha beating Will mercilessly, they stop. Morgan goes into his own, personal rendition of "Danny Boy." No one joins in.
CHUCKIE
Shut up, Morgan.
(to Will)
Here's your present.
Chuckie indicates an old CHEVY NOVA, parked illegally in front of the bar.
WILL
You're kiddin' me.
CHUCKIE
Yeah, I figured now that you got your
big job over in Cambridge, you needed
some way to get over there and I knew
I wasn't gonna drive you every day...
Laughter.
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
Morgan wanted to get you a "T" pass.
MORGAN
No I didn't...
Will approaches the car to take a closer look.
CHUCKIE
But you're twenty-one now, so--
BILLY
--Yeah, now that you can drink legally,
we thought the best thing to get you
was a car.
More laughter. Will inspects the Nova.
WILL
You're kiddin' me.
(a beat)
This is the ugliest fuckin' car I ever
seen in my life.
Laughter, a beat.
WILL (cont'd)
(serious)
How the fuck did you guys do this?
CHUCKIE
Me and Bill scraped together the parts,
worked on it. Morgan was out
panhandlin' every day.
MORGAN
Fuck you, I did the body work. Whose
fuckin' router you think sanded out
all that bondo?
CHUCKIE
Guy's been up my ass for two years
about a fuckin' job. I had to let him
help with the car.
WILL
So, you finally got a job Morgan?
MORGAN
Had one, now I'm fucked again.
WILL
(to Chuckie)
So what do you got, a fuckin' Hyundai
engine under there? Can I make it
back to my house?
CHUCKIE
Fuck you. I re-built the engine myself.
That thing could make it to Hawaii if
you wanted it to.
Chuckie gives Will a look.
CHUCKIE (cont'd)
Happy 21, Will.
CUT TO:
Will sits across from Sean.
SEAN
Which one did you take, Will?
WILL
Over at Tri-tech. One of the jobs
Professor Lambeau set me up with. I
haven't told him yet, but I talked to
my new boss over there and he seemed
like a nice guy.
SEAN
That's what you want?
WILL
Yeah, I think so.
SEAN
Good for you. Congratulations.
WILL
Thanks you.
(a beat)
So, that's it? We're done?
SEAN
We're done. You did your time. You're
a free man.
A beat.
WILL
I just want you to know, Sean...
SEAN
You're Welcome, Will.
WILL
I'll keep in touch.
SEAN
I'm gonna travel a little bit, so I
don't know where I'll be.
Will smiles.
SEAN (cont'd)
I just... figured it's time I put my
money back on the table, see what kind
of cards I get.
Will smiles. Sean hands him a piece of paper.
SEAN (cont'd)
I'll be checking in with my machine at
the college. If you ever need anything,
just call.
Sean smiles.
SEAN (cont'd)
Do what's in your heart, son. You'll
be fine.
WILL
Thanks you, Sean.
They embrace.
SEAN
No. Thank you.
WILL
(re: embrace)
Does this violate the patient/doctor
relationship?
SEAN
Only if you grab my ass.
They laugh.
WILL
See ya.
SEAN
Good luck.
Both men smile.
CUT TO:
Will comes out of Sean's office and sees Lambeau walking up.
LAMBEAU
(surprised)
Will.
WILL
Hey, how you doin'?
LAMBEAU
You know, you're no longer required to
come here.
WILL
I was just sayin' goodbye to Sean.
LAMBEAU
(a beat)
Sam called me. From Tri-tech. He
says you start working for them next
week.
Will nods.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
Well, that's, I think that's terrific.
Congratulations.
WILL
Thank you.
LAMBEAU
I just want you to know...It's been a
pleasure.
WILL
Bullshit.
They laugh.
LAMBEAU
This job... Do it if it's what you
really want.
WILL
I appreciate that.
A moment. Will starts to go, Lambeau watches him for a beat, Will turns back around.
WILL (cont'd)
Hey, Gerry.
LAMBEAU
Yes.
WILL
Listen, I'll be nearby so, if you need
some help, or you get stuck again,
don't be afraid to give me a call.
LAMBEAU
(has to smile)
Thank you, Will. I'll do that.
Will smiles, turns and walks away.
Sean is packing his office. Lambeau opens the door.
LAMBEAU
Hello, Sean.
SEAN
Come in.
LAMBEAU
Sean...
SEAN
(a beat)
Me too.
A moment.
LAMBEAU
So I hear you're taking some time.
SEAN
Yeah. Summer vacation. Thought I'd
travel some. Maybe write a little
bit.
LAMBEAU
Where're you going?
SEAN
I don't know. India maybe.
LAMBEAU
Why there?
SEAN
Never been.
Lambeau nods.
LAMBEAU
Do you know when you'll be back?
SEAN
(picks up a flyer from his desk)
I got this mailer the other day. Class
of Sixty-five is having this event in
six months.
LAMBEAU
I got one of those too.
SEAN
You should come. I'll buy you a drink.
Lambeau smiles.
LAMBEAU
Sean...
A beat.
LAMBEAU (cont'd)
The drinks at those things are free.
Sean smiles.
SEAN
Hell, I know that.
Both men laugh.
LAMBEAU
How about one now?
SEAN
Sounds good.
They start to walk out.
SEAN (cont'd)
It's on you though, until eight o'clock
tonight when I win my money.
Sean pulls out his lottery ticket. They start out down the hall.
CUT TO:
On their backs as they walk down the hall.
LAMBEAU
Sean, do you have any idea what the
odds are against winning the lottery?
SEAN
I don't know... Gotta be at least four
to one.
LAMBEAU
About thirty million to one.
SEAN
You're pretty quick with those numbers.
How about the odds of me buying the
first round?
LAMBEAU
About thirty million to one.
CUT TO:
Will sits alone, thinking. We hold on him for an extended beat until he gets up and walks away.
104 OMITTED
Begin final sequence.
A wide, establishing shot of Sean's apartment complex as the sun is setting. The lights are on in one unit. A tighter shot reveals Sean, in his apartment, packing his belongings in cardboard boxes.
The camera cranes down from Sean's window and onto the street, where we pan to reveal Will, sitting in his car and looking up at Sean as he packs his things. Will's car is packed full of clothes and books.
Chuckie and the boys drive down the street in the Cadillac. Morgan and Billy ride in the back, leaving the shotgun seat open for Will.
Will holds an envelope which he slips in Sean's mailbox. He puts the flag up and smiles as he looks up at Sean in his apartment who is still unaware that Will is there.
Chuckie pulls up in front of Will's house. He honks the horn, waits a beat, then gets out and heads toward the house.
Will drives away from Sean's house. Sean hears the car pull out and looks out the window. Sean sees Will's car pulling away. Curious, he investigates.
Chuckie walks up Will's front steps.
Sean walks out to the sidewalk and looks around. Seeing the mailbox flag has been raised, he walks over to it.
Chuckie knocks on Will's front door. There is no answer. He waits a beat, looks in the window. An incredulous smile slowly starts to form.
Sean opens the card Will left for him. It reads:
WILL
(in writing)
Sean-- If the Professor calls about
that job, just tell him, "Sorry, I had
to go see about a girl."
Chuckie walks back towards his car unable to contain the broad smile. He knows Will is gone. He shrugs in explanation to the guys. Morgan takes Will's seat as they pull away from the curb.
We pan up from the letter to Sean. A broad smile comes over him. This is a look we haven't seen. Sean is truly happy.
Will is on the road, driving away. As we pull back and credits roll, the car disappears into the horizon.
THE END
THE END