What Just Happened? (35 page)

B
EN
: That's what everybody says their first week in prison.

Ben smiles and walks out
.

Cut to:

EXT. PALAIS THEATRE

Sean Penn is exiting off in the distance, above the fray, oblivious to any darker vibe on the horizon. He spots Ben across the red carpet. He raises his thumb up and then down as if asking for a score. Ben gives him a big thumbs-up. Sean continues down the red carpet
.

Johnny, Aba, and his Euro friends intercept Ben. Aba spread-eagles his arms and reaches for Ben, trying to give him a big
haimisha
bear hug. Ben neatly sidesteps him and pulls away
.

B
EN
: (
a rueful smile
) It's too soon.

EXT. PALAISE THEATRE—NIGHT

Ben walks out onto the first tier overlooking the red-carpeted staircase. As he descends to an avalanche of photographers, Lou is making her descent at the same time. They are forced to go down the stairs together. Lou is stone-faced to Ben but both are trying to keep the vibe up for the cameras
.

B
EN
: You know … Lou. I gotta say. And I've given this some real thought.

L
OU
: You've given it some thought. That's refreshing.

B
EN
: It occurred to me … something … on reflection, when I saw the movie tonight with a fresh head, it actually kind of grew on me.

L
OU
: Is that so?

B
EN
: I think it's better longer.

L
OU
: Did you say it's better
longer
?

B
EN
: It had a better flow. More depth. I actually think time will be its ally.

Lou just looks at him
.

L
OU
: Please.

B
EN
: And you know what …

L
OU
: No.

B
EN
: I think the ending, the ending had a lot of courage. Lotta courage.

L
OU
: Good to know.

Lou looks at Ben like he's ‘dead man walking.' Ben shrugs
.

B
EN
: Hey. That's what I think.

When they get to the bottom of the staircase, they go separate ways. Ben sees the dog from the movie and her handler proudly scurry across the wide sidewalk. The dog is already being photographed by the paparazzi
.

Cut to:

INT./EXT. TAXI—FRENCH COASTLINE

TIGHT ON BEN riding in a taxi through the Croisette on his way to the airport. It is very early in the morning. The traffic is light. His bags are next to him
.

T
AXI DRIVER
:
Un tres belle noir monsieur
.

B
EN
: Excuse me?

T
AXI DRIVER
: A beautiful night in Cannes.

Ben peers out at the Mediterranean. Passing quickly by is the huge billboard of
‘Fiercely.'
Ben stares at it as it fades in the distance
.

B
EN
: Yes.

The taxi moves off the main drag and enters the thruway. Bold French signs indicate directions to the airport. Several smaller billboards of
‘Fiercely'
whiz by
.

His cell phone rings. Ben answers it. The camera slowly and irrevocably pushes in on his face
.

B
EN
: Hello? …

K
ELLY
: Ben? Ben?

B
EN
: Kelly?

K
ELLY
: Hi Ben. The big sofa chair just came back from the upholsterer and I was sitting in it, and it made me
think of you. So, I thought I'd call to see how everything went. With the screening and all.

B
EN
: The chair came back?

K
ELLY
: This morning.

B
EN
: What sort of fabric?

K
ELLY
: A bright red bouclé fabric. Gorgeous.

B
EN
: Bright red? You know, I always thought it was great just the way it was.

K
ELLY
: I felt like a change.

B
EN
: Yeah, but bright red? Honey, I don't know, I can't picture that.

K
ELLY
: I like it.

B
EN
: You know … hey, it's your chair. I know that now. I know that. I got it. It's your chair.

The taxi pulls off the main road heading toward the kiosk entrance to the airport
.

Ben looks at his watch: 1:00
AM

In the neon glow, he can see several expensive private jets parked on the tarmac. A French guard approaches the taxi
.

F
RENCH
G
UARD
:
Bon soir, monsieur. Oui monsieur
, (
in French
) what is the tail number? And I need a passport.

S'il vous plait
.

B
EN
: Kelly, hold on one second … What's he saying?

T
AXI DRIVER
: He needs the tail number and a passport.

B
EN
: There's the passport and the tail number is, 2112F. Yes. 2112F. (
to Kelly
) Where was I?

K
ELLY
: You actually said ‘it's your chair and I know that now.' It's so sweet of you to realize that. Thank you.

B
EN
: I do reali … hold on. Hold on. (
to the taxi driver
) What's he saying?

T
AXI DRIVER
: He say ‘the plane already gone.'

B
EN
: No. That's impossible, because I'm not on it.

Ben leans out the window and sees a jet taxiing by as if it can't get away fast enough
.

B
EN
:
Deux. Un. Un. Deux. F …

The French guard continues shaking his head as a deafening ROAR of a jet plane pummels the taxi
.

D
RIVER
:
Alors, monsieur
. This is your plane.

Ben looks out and sees a jet with the tail number 2112F taxiing down the runway as if it can't get away fast enough. Ben, not knowing how to react, jumps out of the taxi and chases the plane to no avail. The plane disappears in the distance
.

When the noise dies down, Ben hears Kelly's voice faintly muffled in the cell phone
.

B
EN
: Kelly, sorry … I, uh …

K
ELLY
: What just happened?

B
EN
: Oh, there's just a lot of traffic at the airport tonight.

K
ELLY
: Oh. When are you coming back?

B
EN
: You know, I thought … I heard about this great French bistro on the water … I thought, maybe, I'll stay an extra day or two, soak up the culture.

K
ELLY
: Sounds good. I'm jealous.

B
EN
: (
wryly smiling at the horror
) Hey, life's not bad. Can't complain.

POSTSCRIPT:

To be added over credits:

One year after the controversial screening at the Cannes Film Festival, the studio reluctantly opened
‘Fiercely'
in the USA. Amazingly, the movie did indeed ‘go through the roof.' It went on to gross 112 million dollars domestically
.

Lou was honored at ShoWest as the Visionary Movie Executive of the Year
.

INT. SHOWEST VISIONARY MOVIE EXECUTIVE AWARDS

INSERT OF LOU WALKING TO A PODIUM TO A STANDING OVATION. She opens her arms wide in gratitude, takes a bow. She has the sweet look of a fresh bride walking down the aisle
.

She was singled out for her courage to tackle controversial subjects, her relentless pursuit of the truth and her unique ability to form long-lasting relationships in the artistic community
.

Unfortunately, Jeremy hit the wall. He was arrested for a drug possession charge when he landed at Heathrow. He served four months in prison and is currently completing rehab in Australia
.

INT. JEREMY'S HOUSE

INSERT OF JEREMY WEARING A WOMAN'S WIG WHILE APPLYING EYELINER TO HIS LASHES. He looks at himself closely and then makes a minor adjustment to the wig
.

His agent confirmed that Jeremy has multiple million-dollar offers on the table and is about to announce his next film
.

Scott is now living with Kelly … in Ben's old house
.

EXT. KELLY'S HOUSE

INSERT OF SCOTT SEATED IN THE NEWLY RE-COVERED BRIGHT RED ENGLISH GINGHAM ARM CHAIR. He lifts up his drink leaving a big water stain on the stuffed arm. HE WAVES AT KELLY WHO IS COOKING DINNER IN THE KITCHEN
.

Good news for Dick Bell, the agent. He was able to get his movie star client back in the fold. The Actor re-signed with Dick's agency for the next three years
.

EXT. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY—MASERATI CONVERTIBLE (MOVING)

INSERT OF DICK DRIVING DOWN THE PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY IN A MASERATI CONVERTIBLE WITH A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN AT HIS SIDE. SUDDENLY HE PULLS OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD
.

His nervous stomach, however, never completely healed
.

EXT. PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY—MASERATI CONVERTIBLE (STOPPED)

INSERT OF A TIGHTER SHOT OF MASERATI DOOR OPENING, DICK'S HEAD POKES OUT. AAAAGGGHHH
.

Y
OUNG WOMAN
: (
O.S
.) You, okay?

D
ICK
: It's nothing.

Johnny, the Middle Eastern producer, is now living in Libya planning a series of low-budget action/horror movies
.

EXT. AFRICAN COFFEE HOUSE

INSERT OF JOHNNY WAITING TABLES AT AN OUTDOOR AFRICAN COFFEE HOUSE
.

He is currently under criminal investigation for income-tax evasion and the misuse of a German tax fund
.

Ben got a new three year multipic producing pact from Lou, which included a complete redo of his office on the lot
.

INT. BEN'S OFFICE

INSERT OF BEN'S OFFICE BEING PLUSHLY REDECORATED. A LARGE POSTER OF
‘FIERCELY'
FRAMED ABOVE THE LEATHER COUCH. The title ‘Fiercely' isn't there any more, the credits are gone, just “$230,000,000 strafed across the bottom. Ben, leaning back in his oversize desk chair, is reading a script
.

Six months later, after a heated dispute with Lou, his contract was abruptly rescinded. The cash buyout, which Ben's lawyer expects to be hefty, is still being negotiated
.

EXT. UCLA

INSERT OF BEN IN HIS CAR NEXT TO THE UCLA SIGN. HIS DAUGHTER, ZOE, LEANS OVER, PECKS HIS CHEEK, AND EXITS
.

BEN PRIDEFULLY WATCHES HER WALK OFF TO COLLEGE
.