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42 INT. VERONICA'S BEDROOM--DUSK 142
VERONICA vaults through her bedroom door. A Barbieish doll
wearing a BigFun T-shirt hangs from a noose. With a whimper,
she swerves away from it, looks to her open window, and then
dives onto her bed.
143 EXT. OUTSIDE THE SAWYER HOUSE--NIGHT 143
J.D. laconically leans against his motorcycle with his legs
suavely crossed. He looks uo to Veronica's bedroom window and
hears another whimper emerge. He puts a cigarette in his mouth
and lights it with a smile.
144 INT. VERONICA'S BEDROOM--NIGHT 144
VERONICA curls into a fetal position on her bed and closes her
eyes.....tighter and tighter as J.D.'s voice.
J.D. (O.S.)
"You can't ever find a place nice
and peaceful because there isn't any."
VERONICA flops around to see J.D. kneeling over her on her bed
reading Heather Duke's copy of The Catcher in the Rye.
J.D.
Nice. It's got that Catcher-in-the-Ryey-
I-hate-the-world-and-the-world-hates-me-
so-let's-commit-suicide ambience. Give
it a try, underline something.
J.D. giddily underlines words then slides into a prone
position, tossing the book to an enraged VERONICA.
VERONICA
Get off my bed, you sick psycho.
You think you're a rebel. You're
not a rebel. You're a sick psycho.
(increasing rage)
Do you think you're a rebel? Do you
think you're a rebel? I wanna know!
J.D.
You say tomayto, I say tomahto. Let's
call the whole thing off...Hold it!
VERONICA freezes and J.D. reaches up to her hand where she
holds the Catcher in the Rye. Her index finger is curled into
the book. Sitting up, J.D. carefully opens the book at that
place and peers in.
J.D.
Look at that. Eskimo. One word. I
love it. I usually go for whole
sentences myself, but hey this is
perfecto. Eskimo. So mysterious...
VERONICA
Wait a....You're not listening! I'm
not on your side....
145 INT. THE DUKE KITCHEN--NIGHT 145
The sound of a lock being jimmied is heard moments before
VERONICA and J.D. burst through the door. J.D. moves to the
dishwasher and opens it like a burglar opening a safe.
VERONICA
You're still not listening! I'm not..
J.D.
(pulling out the knife)
Nag, nag, nag, nag. nag.
VERONICA
(taking the knife from him)
This knife is filthy.
J.D.
What in the hell do you think I'm
doing? Taking out her tonsils?
VERONICA
I think I know Heather a bit better
than you, okay? If she was going to
slash her wrists, the knife would
be absolutely spotless.
J.D. grabs a dishtowel and vigorously wipes off the knife.
J.D.
How's this? Can you see your
fucking reflection?
She can and so can the viewer. Tears well in VERONICA's eyes.
She begins to shudder, a shattered smile quaking on her face.
VERONICA
Tomorrow someone else will move
into her place. That person
could be me.
(suddenly deliriously defiant)
Ha, there's only one of us who knows
Heather's handwriting and if you think
I'm doing another suicide note.
J.D.
(laughing)
You don't get it, do you? Society
nods its head at any horror the
American teenager can think to
bring upon itself. We don't need
gloves and does anyone really
care about exact handwriting?
J.D. tears his gloves off with a giggle. He takes a pen from the
kitchen counter and paper from a cutesy memo pad. He shoves the
pen in VERONICA's hand and grabbing her hand, forces her to
scribble LIFE SUCKS on the paper.
J.D.
Perfecto. Man, I've even got a
marked-up Catcher in the Rye.
What else does a suicide need?
J.D. pulls out the copy of the Catcher in the Rye and opens a
door revealing HEATHER DUKE, asleep in an artful pose on a
couch, MTV images from the T.V. flashing against her.
J.D.
(raising the knife)
If you'll excuse me......
VERONICA
No-o!
J.D. hos in the adjoinging room and slams the door. VERONICA
races to the door wailing. She maniacally rattles the doorknob
trying to open the locked door.
146 INT. AN ANOYNYMOUS T.V./HEATHER DUKE'S ROOM--NIGHT 146
The sound of the rattling doorknob subtly turns into wild
African music thundering on the soundtrack as PAULINE FLEMING
ethereally moves to a blackboard with three chalk strokes on
it and makes a fourth chalk stroke.
147 INT. NEWSPAPER/YEARBOOK WORKSHOP--DAY 147
In speeded-up imagery, DENNIS, PETER, and the YEARBOOK GIRL
maneuver pictures of HEATHER CHANDLER, KURT, RAM, and HEATHER
DUKE in mind-bogglingly countless ways in order to accomodate
them all on the same two page layout.
148 INT. FRONT OF THE CAFETERIA--DAY 148
With even more speeded-up imagery, four STUDENTS wearing "What
a Waste, Oh the Humanity" T-shirts toss out tons of black
armbands into a hungry crowd.
149 INT. CHURCH--DAY 149
The wild African music and the speeded up imagery slams to a
halt at the sigh of HEATHER DUKE lying serenely in a coffin.
FATHER RIPPER wearing dark sunglasses and a terrifying toupee,
walks in front of her to address a sizable group of ADULTS and
STUDENTS sitting in foldout chairs before him. FATHER RIPPER
dramatically looks over the crowd before finally speaking.
FATHER RIPPER
Eskimo.
FATHER RIPPER lets the word hang in the air, then holds up THE
book.
FATHER RIPPER
Heather Duke underlined a lot of
things in this copy of The Catcher
in the Rye, but I believe the word
Eskimo, underlined all by itself is
the key to understanding Heather's pain.
VERONICA stands in a corner with an "Oh brother" look on her
face.
FATHER RIPPER
On the surface, Heather Duke was the
vivacious young lady we all knew her
to be. But her soul was in Antartica,
freezing with the knowledge of the way
fellow teenagers can be cruel, the way
parents can be unresponsive, and as she
writes so eloquently in her suicide note,
the way life can suck. We'll all miss
Sherwood's little Eskimo. Let's hope
she's running noses with Jesus.
HEATHER _CHANDLER_ moves next to VERONICA holding a plate of
steaming spaghetti. She is wearing nerdy glasses and
something that looks like an intergalactic prison unifrom.
HEATHER CHANDLER
Is this turnout weak or what? I had
AT LEAST seventy more people at
my funeral.
VERONICA
Heather? Wha...
HEATHER CHANDLER
Oh God Veronica, my afterlife is
s-o-o boring. If I have to sing
"Kumbaya" one more time...
VERONICA
What are you doing here?!
HEATHER CHANDLER
I made your favorite. Spaghetti.
Lots of oregano.
With a squeal, HEATHER CHANDLER plunges VERONICA's face into
the plate of spaghetti.
HEATHER CHANDLER
Dinner!
150 INT. VERONICA'S BEDROOM--NIGHT 150
Uncurling from the fetal position that she had fallen asleep
in, VERONICA's tightly closed eyes snap open in a sweat as her
mother's voice continues to filter through the door. It's all
been a dream...........
MOM (O.S.)
Dinner! Veronica! Dinner!
VERONICA closes her eyes and holds her heart. She suddenly
launches to her desk, opens her diary, shoves on her
monocle, catches her breath, and begins writing.
VERONICA (O.S.)
Dear Diary, no one can stop J.D. Not
the F.B.I., the C.I.A., or the P.T.A.
That is to say, no one but me. I know
where J.D. is coming from and where
he is heading. He's wrong, but I'm going
to teach him what's right. I'm going
to stop J.D....If it's the last thing
I do.
VERONICA leans back in her chair, sweating. She reaches in the
pocket of a blazer draped over the back of the chair and pulls
out the cigarette J.D. had given her eariler in the film. She
puts it in her mouth unlit then takes it out and puts it back
in the blazer.
151 EXT. OUTSIDE THE SAWYER HOME--NIGHT 151
J.D. remains laconically leaning against his motorcycle with
his legs suavely crossed as he was before Veronica began
dreaming. J.D. finishes his cigarette and pulls out a gun. He
checks the bullets, puts the gun back in his coat, and heads
toward the house.
152 INT. VERONICA'S BEDROOM--NIGHT 152
VERONICA hugs J.F.K. the cat then rips down the hanging doll.
153 EXT. THE SAWYER FRONT YARD--NIGHT 153
J.D. leans a ladder against the Sawyer house.
154 INT. THE SAWYER DINNER TABLE--NIGHT 154
MOM sets down three plates of spaghetti. DAD watches on.
MOM
Does she want a written invitation?
(yelling upward)
Veronica! Dinner!
155 INT. VERONICA'S BEDROOM--NIGHT 155
J.D. crawls through VERONICA's window. Hanging from the
rafter, neck in a noose of bedshoots, is VERONICA.
156 INT. THE SAWYER DINNER TABLE--NIGHT 156
MOM sets a glass of milk at VERONICA's place, distressed.
MOM
Honey?
157 INT. VERONICA'S BEDROOM--NIGHT 157
J.D. paces the room, sweating and ranting, waving a gun in
one hand, the Barbieish doll in the other.
J.D.
I can't believe you did it. I was
teasing. I loved you. Sure, I climbed
up here to kill you, but first I was
going to try and get you back. With
amazing petition.
J.D. throws the gun on the bed and pulls from his coat the
computer printout sheet petition, then savagely rolls it out
on the floor. It is filled with signatures of different sizes,
styles, and colors. J.F.K. blinks.
J.D.
It's a shame you can't see what our
fellow students really signed.
J.D. flicks open a switchblade. He runs the blade beneath the
typed paragraph at the top causing it to peel off, reavealing
another typed paragraph.
J.D.
Listen. "We students of Westerburg
High will die. Today. Our burning
bodies will be the ultimate protest
to a society that degrades is. Fuck
you all." Not that subtle but neither's
blowing up the school. Talk about your
suicide pacts. When our school explodes
tomorrow, it's going to be the kind of
thing that infects a generation. A
Woodstock for the 80's. Damn, we
coulda toasted marshmallows together.
MOM (O.S.)
Honey, are you all right in there?
J.D. swiftly picks up the petition and heads out the window.
MOM enters the room and, seeing her hanging daughter, launches
into frantic screams.
MOM
Oh God, I knew it! No, no! I want my
baby back! I should have let you keep
that job at the mall. I was just afraid
of you coming home alone at night!
VERONICA opens her eyes.
MOM
I made your favorite! Spaghetti!
Lots of oregano!
VERONICA undos the noose around her neck but still remains
hanging for the rope runs all the way down her back beneath
her blazer and is tied around her waist. She undos the waist-
knot and lands on her bed. She quickly puts a small pillow over
the left-behind gun, unnoticed by her dazed MOM.
VERONICA
Hey Mom, why so tense?
158 INT. THE SAWYER DINNER TABLE AREA--NIGHT 158
Montage music plays as VERONICA rears up from her dinner plate
to see her stonefaced PARENTS and her CAT staring at her.
159 INT. J.D.'S BEDROOM--NIGHT 159
J.D. tools with a bomb at his desk. A KNOCK on the door. J.D.
turns down his stereo (and the Montage music).
BIG BUD DEAN (O.S.)
I need some help with my homework...
J.D.
Sorry tiger, I'm a little busy....
J.D. turns back up his stereo (and the Montage music).
160 EXT. FRONT OF WESTERBURG HIGH--MORNING 160
The Montage music continues as school buses arrive in front of
the school. STUDENTS pour out.
161 EXT. SCHOOL PARKING LOT--MORNING 161
STUDENTS come out of their cars.
162 INT. HALLWAY--MORNING 162
Typically hectic start-of-another-day-opening-and-slamming-of-
locker-action. VERONICA darts through the thoroughfare to her
locker.
A passing PAULINE FLEMING screeches to a halt, grabbing
VERONICA as she chokes on some styrofoam cup coffee.
PAULINE
Veronica! J.D. told me you
committed suicide last night!
VERONICA
Where is he? Where's J.D.?
PAULINE
We have to talk. I've got some
pamphlets in my office that will help
you decide if suicide is really for
you. Come on, let's go take a look.
VERONICA
Get a job.
VERONICA storms to her nearby locker. She swirls her locker
combination and opens it. She glances down the hall and
freezes.
In the distance, J.D. moves mechanically down the hallway
carrying a large gym bag, wearing a Walkman.
VERONICA climbs into her locker. She closes it until it is
barely perceptibly ajar. J.D. strides past the locker and into
the Boys bathroom.
163 INT. BOYS BATHROOM--DAY 163
J.D smoothly moves into a stall and closes the door. He
turns off his Walkman and ends the Montage music.
164 INT. THE HALLWAY--DAY 164
The hallway slowly clears as STUDENTS go to class. The bell
rings. A LATE STUDENT races through the empty hallway.
VERONICA carefully hatches out of her locker. She treads down
the hallway as if something were about to jump out at her.
165 INT. THE GYM--DAY 165
A group of cheerleaders including HEATHER MCNAMARA are lazily
doing cartwheels on the gym floor. On a small stage set up
beside them, other STUDENTS are putting up folding chairs.
PRINCIPAL GOWAN says "Testing" into a microphone.
J.D., toting the gym bag, slips through the gym door. He moves
unnoticed to a position underneath the bleachers.
166 INT. THE HALLWAY--DAY 166
VERONICA peers around a corner to see an empty hallway.
167 INT. GYM--UNDER THE BLEACHERS--DAY 167
Using heavy black masking tape, J.D. tapes a thermal bomb to a
steel support beneath the bleachers. Other thermal bombs can be
discerned taped to other supports.
168 INT. THE EMPTY HALLWAY--DAY 168
VERONICA cautiously treads down the empty hallway, trying to
keep in control. Suddenly, packs of STUDENTS burst from
classroom doors behind VERONICA. The excited swarms of STUDENTS
move toward and past VERONICA, who has braked her troubled
treading to stiffly contemplate her passing peers. She latches
onto Geek RODNEY in a panic. RODNEY looks down at his clutched
arm with a nervous smile.
VERONICA
Rodney, where's everybody going?
RODNEY
It's Friday.....
VERONICA
Oh my God, another damn pep assembly....
RODNEY
Yeah, these things are pretty artificial,
but at least we all get out of class...
VERONICA ignores RODNEY's amiable attemots at conversation to
inquisitively move forward through the crowd.
169 INT. THE GYM--DAY 169
J.D. darts from out underneath the bleachers to the gym doors.
He pops the doors open and sees the crowd of STUDENTS move
toward the gym. He suavely pauses then dashes down a nearby set
of stairs.
170 INT. THE HALLWAY LEADING TO THE GYM--DAY 170
VERONICA continues to tensely surf the tidal wave of STUDENTS
heading for the gymnasium. She stops to watch her classmates
file into the gym like lemmings with increasing sense of dread.
She again latches onto a passing RODNEY.
VERONICA
Rodney, what's underneath the gym?
RODNEY (unconsciously) dramatically stops, turns to VERONICA.
and says........
RODNEY
The boiler room.
VERONICA blanches then lunges through the crowd. She topples a
couple disgruntled STUDENTS before careening down the staircase
beside the gym.
171 INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE THE BOILER ROOM--DAY 171
J.D. walks by the firm glass windows of the boiler room, eyeing
the pounding generators inside. He stops at a heavy steel door.
Placing down his gym bag, J.D. proceeds to swiftly pick the
lock. He swings open the steel door.
VERONICA (O.S.)
May I see your hall pass?
J.D. weilds around. A sweating VERONICA moves toward him,
pointing the bedroom gun at him.
J.D.
I knew that loose was too noose! I
mean, noose too loose! Goddamn you!
VERONICA
Like father, like son. A serious-as-
fuck bomb in the boiler room that'll
set off a pack of thermals upstairs.
Okay, so let's start by slowly putting
the bomb down on the ground.
J.D. looks down at the gym bag already on the ground. He folds
his arms and smiles. VERONICA forcefully moves closer.
VERONICA
Okay, okay. I knew that. I knew that.
Put your hands on your head.
J.D.
You didn't say Simon Says.
J.D. suddenly kicks out into VERONICA's stomach, doubling her
over and causing her to drop the gun. J.D. gracefully retrieves
it.
172 INT. THE GYM--DAY 172
The pep assembly is in full swing with rowdy STUDENTS in the
bleachers earthily shouting, giggling cheerleaders making
swaying pyramids, valiant band members struggling to be heard.
Various Jocks, stand on the stage with PRINCIPAL GOWAN as a
YEARBOOK PHOTOGRAPHER flashes away.
173 INT. THE HALLWAY BEFORE THE BOILER ROOM--DAY 173
VERONICA bends over quivering and clutching her bruised ribs.
J.D. raises the gun to her head.
J.D.
Live by the sword...
VERONICA swings her left arm up knocking J.D.'s gun hand
upward. She then sails her right fist into his face. The blow
annoys him more than it hurts him but J.D.'s momentary loss of
composure allows VERONICA to come in with another much harder
right hook. The blow sends J.D. stumbling back against the
boiler room, jarring the gun loose.
They simultaneously lunge for the gun. VERONICA, having the
better grip, pulls so forecfully that after wrenching the gun
from J.D., she loses control of it, flinging it down the hall.
VERONICA pops up to retrieve it but J.D. moves his legs
scissors-style around her and trips her.
174 INT. GYM--THE PREP ASSEMBLY--DAY 174
The assembly mindlessly blares on. Cheerleader HEATHER MCNAMARA
rah-rah-rahs. RODNEY and the other Geeks pass around a pair of
opera glasses, all intensely scoping out the cheerleaders. A
group of STONERS toke away beneath the bleachers, one of them
lackadaisically leaning against a thermal bomb.
175 INT. THE BOILER ROOM HALLWAY--DAY 175
A snarling J.D. stands up, pulling VERONICA with him.
J.D.
You think just because you started
this thing, you can end it?
J.D. violently kisses/bites VERONICA. While kissing, VERONICA
sees a fire alarm on a nearby wall. She closes her eyes then
savagely knees J.D. in the groin. VERONICA bolts to the alarm
and pulls it down. Nothing happens. J.D. gasps.
J.D.
You, really didn't think I'd, forget,
forgetm to disconnect the....
VERONICA rockets her body down and picks up the gun. J.D. grabs
her and throws her against the steel boiler room door.
A jostled VERONICA raises the gun. J.D. howls then bounds
toward VERONICA, causing them both to careen down the steel
steps of the boiler room. At the same time, he inadvertently
kicks the gym bag/bomb down along with them. The gun spins from
VERONICA's hand and slides away. The bomb flies out of the bag
onto the boiler room floor. A digital clock on the bomb clicks
on at 5:00....4:59....4:58...
176 INT. GYM--THE PEP ASSEMBLY--DAY 176
The frenzied pep assembly crowd is now doing "The Wave". BETTY
FINN and her similar co-horts deliriously get into the act, all
sit in a circle at the bottom rows of the bleachers, pouting as
STUDENTS bounce up and down around them. Jocks stand on the
stage grinning and preening before the crowd.
177 INT. THE BOILER ROOM--DAY 177
VERONICA and J.D. are in a heap at the bottom of the boiler
room steps. VERONICA faintly works into a semi-sitting position
and gives an astonished glance to the bomb, its digital clock
clicking to 3:04. VERONICA crawls to the gun and levels it at a
rousing-up J.D.
VERONICA
The bomb's gone on, J.D.! How do
you turn it off? Tell me!
Fully standing, J.D. flicks open his switchblade. He gives
VERONICA "the finger," screaming in exploded saliva...
J.D.
Fuck you!
Seething, VERONICA shoots up at J.D. blowing off "the finger."
Shrieking in pain, J.D. drops the knife to hold this sudden
geyser of blood. VERONICA achingly stands, pointing the gun.
The bomb clicks down to 2:25.
VERONICA
It's all over, J.D. Help me to stop it.
J.D.
You want to wipe the slate clean as
much as I do. Okay, so maybe I am
killing everyone in the school
because nobody loves me. You have a
purpose though! Remember? Let's face
it, the only place different social
types can genuinely get along with
each other is in heaven.
VERONICA fires the gun at J.D.'s feet. The bomb clicks to 1:49.
She focuses her eyes on three red buttons on the bomb.
VERONICA
Which button do I press to turn it
off? Tell me!
J.D.
Try the red one, but seriously, people
are going to look at the ashes of
Westerburg and say there's a school
that self-destructed not because
society didn't care, but because
that school WAS society. Is that
deep or what? I'll let you put it in
your diary, babe. Free of charge.
VERONICA
Which red button, asshole?
J.D.
Press the middle one to turn it off.
If that's what you want babe.....
VERONICA picks up the bomb and puts it on a steel drum,
speaking with her back turned.
VERONICA
You know what I want, babe?
J.D.
(crouching)
What?
J.D. snatches up his switchblade and lunges toward VERONICA.
She springs away, causing him to bring the knife down past her
and onto the middle red button, stopping the clock on the bomb
at 00:17.
VERONICA
Cool guys like you out of my life.
VERONICA fires the gun twice into J.D.'s stomach. Coughing and
moaning, he splatters against a generator.
VERONICA
But don't worry, these here
were Ich Luge bullets.
J.D. closes his eyes and slumps to the ground. VERONICA wearily
regards the image of the knife stuck in the stopped bomb.
178 INT. GYM--THE PEP ASSEMBLY--DAY 178
A cheerleader does a cartwheel in slow motion as eerie music
plays. The manic crowd in the bleachers vibrates in slow motion
as well. At normal speed, a smiling VERONICA walks to the doors
of the gym and peers in.
The panorama of roaring students, posing jocks, and prancing
cheerleaders continues to unfold in slow motion. VERONICA walks
away......
179 EXT. THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL--DAY 179
VERONICA wearily pushes open the front door and emerges outside
of the school. She closes her eyes to therapeutically bask in
the sun's rays. A slight smile trembles onto her face. A
strange voice kills it.
J.D. (O.S.)
Color me impressed.
J.D. stands starkly in the distance before her, blood spurting
from his mouth onto his gunslinger coat.
J.D.
You really fucked me up, Veronica.
VERONICA
I thought I...you..I...
J.D.
You've got power, Veronica. Power I
didn't think you had. The slate is clean.
J.D. pulls open his coat revealing that the bomb is attached to
his torso. The green light is on and the clock says
00:10..00:09.
J.D.
Pretend I did blow up the school. All
the schools. Now that you're dead,
what are you gonna do with your life?
Script 8 |
