Collateral


COLLATERAL 

written by 
Stuart Beattie 

revised draft by 
Frank Darabont 
9/12/00 

current revisions by 
Michael Mann 
8/24/03 

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY 

8/28/03 (blue) 
8/28/03 (pink) 
9/01/03 (yellow) 
9/02/03 (green) 
9/03/03 (goldenrod) 
9/08/03 (buff) 
9/10/03 (salmon) 
9/14/03 (cherry) 
9/16/03 (tan) 
9/18/03 (blue) 
9/21/03 (pink) 
9/22/03 (yellow) 
9/24/03 (green) 
9/26/03 (goldenrod) 
9/27/03 (buff) 
9/29/03 (salmon) 
9/30/03 (cherry) 

MM revs. 10/02/03 (tan) 
MM revs. 10/04/03 (blue) 
MM revs. 10/06/03 (pink) 
MM revs. 10/09/03 (yellow) 
MM revs. 10/10/03 (green) 
MM revs. 10/11/03 (goldenrod) 
MM revs. 10/12/03 (buff) 



9/18/03 MM revs. (blue) 1. 
FADE IN: 
A1 INT. BRADLEY TERMINAL - BLURS - DAY A1 
slide past in a 400mm lens. Then, entering a plane of focus is 
VINCENT. He walks towards us...an arriving passenger. Suit. 
Shirt. No tie. Sunglasses and expensive briefcase say 
"confident executive traveler." The suit's custom-made but not 
domestic. His hair and shades are current, but it would be 
difficult to describe his identifying specifics...grey suit, 
white shirt, medium height. And that's the idea... 
* 
* 
CLOSE BEHIND VINCENT 
OVER his left shoulder, walking through milling travelers 
towards the distant wall of metal and glass, sunlight streaming 
at him... 
* 
ANOTHER BUSINESSMAN 
- suit, blonde crew cut - walks to camera. Same sunlight, but 
it hits him from the side. His trajectory is from the left. 
His eyeline is slightly right. Just now, he looks down at a 
ticket in his hand... 
OVER VINCENT'S LEFT SHOULDER... 
right now something catches Vincent's eye. 
into each other... 
And the two men bump 
TWO-SHOT... 
You okay? 
VINCENT 
Sorry... 
Vincent puts down his briefcase. 
briefcase. 
The man has a similar 
MAN 
(North London working- 
class accent) 
Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, mate. 
LA... 
Enjoy * 
VINCENT GRABS THE BRIEFCASE OF THE MAN 
with the North London working-class accent. And continues 
towards the exit. Was it an accident? Was it a brush pass? 
The Man's accent signified nothing to us except one thing: 
foreign origin. 
VINCENT 
approaches until he's in ECU... 
(CONTINUED) 


10/6/03 MM revs. (pink) 1A. 

A1 CONTINUED: A1 
OVERHEAD SHOT: VINCENT 
up from the bottom of the frame, departs across the floor with 
the yellow tile, until we lose him into the milling hundreds of 
Angelenos, heading out into Greater LA and its eighteen million 
people. 
1 CREDIT SEQUENCE: 1 
Images wipe across the screen, kinetic and abstract, floating 
and dreamlike in SLO-MO: 
Shades of yellow. Ribbons of silver. Shimmers of chrome. 
Headlights sweeping past, flaring to white. Brake lights 
flashing, halating red. Reflections of overhead fluorescence 
flowing like liquid along windshield glass... 
SOUNDS are dreamlike and abstract, reverberated and discordant, 
bouncing off concrete walls: car doors OPENING and CLOSING. 
Brakes. A BABBLE of multi-lingual crosstalk. 
Racing Forms. A Farsi newspaper. African hands on a 
Blackberry. Max's hands do The New York Times crossword. A 
West African speaks French into a cell phone. Metallica in a 
headset. Hip-hop, Norteno... 
* 
* 
* 
* 
Mechanics hands change tires, replace air cleaners, close a 
hood. 
* 
* 
2 INT. TAXI DISPATCH - L.A. - DAY 2 
ORANGE and YELLOW FORD CROWN VICTORIAS are wiping screen. We 
find ourselves in a busy garage at change of shift. A balletic 
convergence of arriving and departing cars. One's door's flung 
open... 
* 
* 
3 INT. ONE CAB - MAX'S HANDS 3 
enter. They wipe the seats with paper towels and 409...a DMV 
LICENSE fitted into the small Lexan holder. On it is a picture 
of Max. 
Lights being checked. Indicators. Hazards. Switches. Similar 
to a pilot doing an aircraft check list. Fast. All fine. 
REVEAL NOW: MAX'S BRIEFCASE * 
He opens it, preparing for his workday. CD caddy of personal 
mixes goes on a visor. Spreadsheet peaks out a worn Mercedes 
S500 brochure, clipped open. A submarine sandwich from Subway. 
* 
* 
* 
(CONTINUED) 


10/6/03 MM revs. (pink) 1B. 

3 CONTINUED: 3 
LONG LENS: OTHER CABBIES - OTHER FACES * 
load-in. Southern California diversity - some unshaven, 
swapping stories, counting cash, one stands on the passenger 
seat to shout over the roof to his pal, spills his coffee, 
couldn't care less... 
* 
* 
* 
* 
Not Max. His cab is fly. Among cabbies he is GQ. 
And as CAR HORNS BLARE. AD LIB BANTER. CABBIES SHOUT. 
gets behind the wheel, closes the door... 
Max 
4 INT. CAB - DAY 4 
...and WHAM! The noise evaporates. 
a moment to savor it. 
Welcome silence. Max takes 

(CONTINUED) 



10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 2. 

4 CONTINUED: 4 
He starts the engine. 
turns it off. 
RAP MUSIC BLARES from the radio. Max 
He dumps a CD into the changer. MOZART SONATA fills the cab. 
From the open briefcase, Max also pulls out one last thing... 
A TATTERED POSTCARD 
which depicts the whitest sand and bluest sea you can imagine. 
A dream place. An endorphin-releasing groove. Limitless 
horizon. It's the Maldives Islands in the Indian Ocean. 
MAX 
slips the postcard under the rubber bands on the visor. He can 
see it whenever he wants to. But not now. He flips the visor 
up, puts the car in gear and pulls out. 
CUT TO: 
5 EXT. LA DOWNTOWN - MAX'S CAB - LATE DAY 5 
northbound on the 405 or Harbor Freeway, an on-ramp to the east 
105. It's all magical in the light. Max's cab, rocketing along 
circulinear ramps into complexity of five traffic streams...
* 
6 INT. CAB 6 
...harsh reality intrudes. Max is driving a YOUNG PROFESSIONAL 
COUPLE with carry-on bags, having a heated argument about... 
MAN 
...it's always you. Why is everything 
always directed at you...? 
WOMAN 
...everything is not "always about 
me." He was being sarcastic and you 
goddamn well know it... 
MAN 
...I'm sorry, I didn't hear it that 
way... 
WOMAN 
...oh, bullshit! How about the dig 
about the makeover...? 
MAN 
...what do you want me to do, punch 
the guy out? I work with him. And 
you're perfectly capable of taking 
care of your own...... 
(CONTINUED) 


10/6/03 MM revs. (pink) 3. 

6 CONTINUED: 6 
WOMAN 
(interrupts) 
...well, last I checked, you were 
sleeping with me, so unless you wanna 
start fucking him, I suggest... 
Max endures it silently, invisible as furniture. 
exist as far as his passengers are concerned... 
He doesn't 
7 INT. CAB - LATE DAY 7 
...as Max drops an elderly Asian couple in Little Saigon... * 
Up ahead, he sees a cluster of CHINESE GANGBANGERS in their 
early 20's wearing cheap suits, white shirts and no ties. Some 
guy gets pushed to the ground, punched and kicked while four or 
five watch, amused. 
* 
Max's first instinct... * 
MAX 
Hey, leave-up on him, man... 
One GANG MEMBER, eating take-out with chopsticks, hears, turns, 
sees Max. 
GANG MEMBER 
Say what? What you lookin' at, bitch? 
(stream of hot Cantonese) 
He throws his food container. Another throws a beer bottle. 
Max hits the accelerator as the bottle bounces off the rear 
windshield... 
8 EXT/INT. CAB - GAS STATION - LATE DAY 8 
by the freeway. Mexican murals are coated with a patina of 
corrosion from the fumes. We find Max cleaning Chinese take-out 
off his cab with the water hose while the gas pump CLICKS OFF. 
The Attendant he's known for five years finishes a taco. * 
ATTENDANT 
(in Spanish) 
How'd you get the chop suey all over 
the cab? 
* 
* 
* 
* 
MAX 
(in Spanish) 
I didn't. The cab got in a fight with 
a gang of Chinese Cholos. 
* 
* 
* 
* 
ATTENDANT 
(in Spanish) 
There's been sprouts by the passenger 
door. 
* 
* 
* 
* 
(CONTINUED) 


10/6/03 MM revs. (pink) 3A. 

8 CONTINUED: 8 
Max hangs the nozzle back, gets in the car... * 
Max slips his credit card into the briefcase. We glimpse the 
Mercedes S500 catalogue again. And Max flips the visor down, 
staring at the island. Soothed by the blue. 
* 
* 
We're seeing the most private of Max's rituals, the one he 
doesn't share with anybody. 
Now, he starts hustling for calls by posting himself in a nearby 
zone. See Max work the computer. He bids and gets a next load. * 
DISPATCHER 
(get language) 
CUT TO: * 
9 OMIT 9 * 


10/12/03 MM revs. (buff) 4. 

10 OMIT 10 
11 INT. CAB - MAGIC HOUR - SUPERIOR COURT BUILDING - MAX 11 
presumably, has dropped a load in front. He fills out his trip 
sheet. A pedestrian businessman asks directions to LAX. Max ad 
libs, directing him to the people-mover. 
Yellow cylindrical stairs...a pretty young WOMAN descends into 
the interior lobby. 
Max finishes his notation. 
The young WOMAN detours through media and the rush-hour crowd 
while talking rapid fire into a cell phone, starts toward Max's 
cab, waving at it... 
Max doesn't see her, starts to pull away. 
She gives up, turns toward a green City Cab behind her, but it 
just picked up a load. 
Then, Max catches sight of her and stops. Red taillights. 
She turns and starts for the cab. 
We SEE Max regard her in his rearview mirror. 
and loads a different one.
He ejects a CD 
ADDENDUM: WILD DIAL FOR ANNIE ACTION while Annie's on the cell 
phone to UNHEARD LEGAL ASSISTANT/TRANSCRIBER... 
* 
* 
ANNIE 
I need it transcribed... 
* 
* 
ASSISTANT'S VOICE (UNHEARD) 
Off of what? 
* 
* 
ANNIE 
Off the line sheets. 
* 
* 
Why? 
ASSISTANT'S VOICE (UNHEARD) * 
* 
ANNIE 
'Cause I think it's him on there. In 
the gold Lexus on the cell. If it is, 
he's enhanceable, 'cause of priors in 
the late '80's... 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
ASSISTANT'S VOICE (O.S.) 
What about tomorrow afternoon? 
* 
* 


10/12/03 MM revs. (buff) 4A. 

11A EXT./INT. CAB 11A 
The woman, ANNIE FARRELL, enters the cab. Everything about her 
says "serious professional" from her suit to her briefcase and 
purse. Still on her cell, her attention is focused on the call. 
ANNIE 
...no, the transcriptions need to be 
done by seven a.m.. Period. Okay? 
* 
* 
MAX 
How ya' doin'? Where to? 
ANNIE 
Downtown. 312 North Spring Street. 
Take Sepulveda to Slauson to La Brea. 
La Brea north to 6th into downtown. 
Max pulls away from the curb, starts the meter and turns left. 
ANNIE (CONT'D) 
(into cell phone) 
So you'll be up late. I'm pulling an 
all-nighter, too. Save the tears. 
* 
She ends the call, starts to check her voicemail on her phone. 
Max's eyes in the rearview mirror... 

(CONTINUED) 



10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 5. 

11A CONTINUED: (2) 11A 


MAX 
I'll take 105 east and up the 110. 
It's faster. 
ANNIE 
(doesn't look at him) 
What? 
MAX 
(louder) 
105 to the 110 is faster. 
ANNIE 
110 turns into a parking lot around 
USC. 
MAX 
This late, the 110 is moving, but La 
Brea north of the Santa Monica is 
jammed. 
* 
* 
* 
ANNIE 
110 north of the 10 you get people 
going to Pasadena and they drive slow. 
* 
* 
MAX 
That's why I jump off at Grand. 
(looks at her) 
But, hey, surface streets is cool. 
That's what you want, that's what we 
do... 
* 
* 
Annie looks up for the first time. Skeptically... 
ANNIE 
Are we taking bets? 
wrong? 
What if you're 
MAX 
Your ride is free. 
ANNIE 
You got yourself a deal. 
12 EXT. OLYMPIC BLVD. - DUSK TO NIGHT 12 
Max's cab maneuvers easily through light traffic past golf 
driving ranges. 
13 INT. CAB - DUSK TO NIGHT 13 
Annie glances up from a legal brief, noticing the lack of 
traffic. 
(CONTINUED) 


10/9/03 MM revs. (yellow) 5A. 

13 INT. CAB - DUSK TO NIGHT 13 

 Annie glances up from a legal brief, noticing the lack of 
traffic. 

(CONTINUED) 



9/1/03 MM revs. (yellow) 6. 

13 CONTINUED: 13 


ANNIE 
Go ahead, say it. Go ahead. 


MAX 
...lucky with the lights. 


ANNIE 
You weren't "lucky with the lights." 
What you were was right. I was * 
wrong... 

 (glances at his license) 
...Max. 


 She sets the brief aside, eyes tired anyway. She notices the 
MUSIC playing faintly up front. Bach's "Air on a G String."

 ANNIE (CONT'D) 
You mind turning this up? 


 Max doesn't mind at all. He tweaks the volume up. Annie leans 
her head back to listen, closes her eyes. 

MAX 
You like Bach? 


ANNIE

 (nods) 
I used to play this piece in high 
school. 


MAX 
Let me guess. Woodwinds? 


ANNIE

 (smiles) 
Viola. I never had the lungs for wind 
instruments. 

MAX 
Could'a fooled me, the way you were 
unloading into that cell phone. 

ANNIE 
(laughs) 
Different instrument... 


 (beat) 
You know, if you'd only listened to 
me, we'd be all bogged down in traffic 
right now, and you would have made an 
extra five bucks. 

MAX 
Yeah? Keep it. Buy yourself 
something. Go wild. 


(CONTINUED) 


10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 7. 

13 CONTINUED: (2) 13 


ANNIE

 (off his silence) 
A gentleman. I thought chivalry was a 
necessary casualty of gender 
politics... 

MAX 
Not a big thing, you know...? 


ANNIE 
How many cabbies get you into an 
argument to save you money? 


MAX 
There were two of us. I killed the 
other guy. I don't like 
competition... 

 She's charmed by his deadpan. 

ANNIE 
You take pride in...being the best at * 
what you do...?

 MAX 
This? 


 (hesitates) 
This is temporary. You know. Pays 
the bills. I fill in with this. I 
WILL be the best at what I do, but * 
that's something else. 

ANNIE 
What else? 


MAX 
I'm setting up something... * 

ANNIE 
Like tell me...?


 MAX 
...limo company I'm putting together. 
Island Limousines. An island on 
wheels. So I'm part-timing until I 
get delivery, Benzes off leases, work 
up my client lists, staff up, all * 
that... 

 An uncomfortable beat. He turns the conversation back to her: 

 MAX (CONT'D) 
You like being a lawyer? 


(CONTINUED) 


9/26/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 7A. 

13 CONTINUED: (3) 13 

ANNIE 
You psychic? 

(CONTINUED) 



10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 8. 

13 13

CONTINUED: (4) 

MAX 
I'm starting an 800 hotline. 
(off her look) 
Caught your phone call. And even if I 
hadn't, there's the dark pinstripe. 
Elegant, not too hip, which rules out 
advertising, plus a top drawer 
briefcase, that you live out of, purse 
looks like a Bodega... 
* 
* 
* 
ANNIE 
(laughs) 
Bottega. 
MAX 
...Bottega. Guy gets in my cab with a 
machete? I figure he's a sushi chef. 
You? Clarence Darrow. 
Annie can't help laughing. 
ANNIE 
Not quite. He worked defense. 
prosecutor... 
I'm a 
Big case? 
MAX 
Yeah. 
ANNIE 
14 EXT. FEDERAL BUILDING (NOT 312 SPRING STREET) - DOWNTOWN DUSK 
14 
Max's cab slides in to the curb. Beat. Still a lot of 
pedestrian and car traffic, people heading home for the night. 
15 INT. CAB - ANNIE'S 15 
smile fades as she gazes up at her building, some anxiety comes 
back. 
ANNIE 
You got us here fast... 
She digs in her purse for the fare. 
MAX 
You never answered my question. 
like what you do? 
You 
ANNIE 
(hedging) 
Yeah. 
(CONTINUED) 


10/12/03 MM revs. (buff) 9. 

CONTINUED: 

MAX 
But not right now...? 

ANNIE

 (nods) 
No, I do...like I can't wait. ...I 
love standing up in that courtroom. 

 (hesitates) 
At the same time...I always get this 
clenched-up thing the night before the 
first day... 

MAX 
Clenched-up how...? 

ANNIE

 (beat) 
I think I'm gonna lose. I think I 
suck. I think my case sucks. I 
haven't prepared enough. My exhibits 
aren't in order. People are gonna 
figure out that I don't know what I'm 
doin'. And I've had this charade 
going for years. I represent the 
Department of Justice of the United 
States government and my opening 
statement is gonna fall flat at the 
really important point and the jury's 
gonna laugh at me. 

 (beat) 
Then I cry... I don't throw-up. A 
lot of people throw-up. I have a 
strong stomach. 

 (beat) 
Then I get it together. And rewrite 
my opening statement. Work the 
exhibits. For the rest of the night. 
That's my routine. 

 (looks up with a smile) 
In the morning, it starts. I'm fine. 

 Max is focused on her eyes. 

MAX 
You need a vacation. 

ANNIE

 (faint smile) 
I just had...a vacation. On the 
Harbor Freeway.

 She takes money out of her purse. 

15 

* 
* 

* 

* 

* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 

* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 

* 

* 

* 

(CONTINUED) 



10/12/03 MM revs. (buff) 9A. 

15 CONTINUED: (2) 15 

MAX 
No. Not in a cab. You need your head 
straight, gotta get your unified self 
up, get harmonic...you know... 

ANNIE 
When was the last time you took a 
break? 

MAX 
I take little ones all the time. 

ANNIE 
How often? 

MAX 
Dozen times a day. 

 He flips the visor down, revealing the postcard of white 
beaches, clear green water. It's the first time he's shared 
this with anybody: 

 MAX (CONT'D) 
Maldives Islands. It gets heavy, I 
take five. Go there. 

(CONTINUED) 



9/8/03 MM revs. (buff) 10. 

15 15

CONTINUED: (2) 
On impulse, he slips the postcard free and offers it to her. * 


ANNIE 
No, I couldn't take that...I couldn't. 
MAX 
Yes, you could. You need it more than 
I do. 
(off her hesitation) 
It helps. I promise. 
She accepts the postcard, surprised and touched. Her gaze 
lingers on his for a moment. She holds it. 
ANNIE 
Wow. Thanks for everything, Max... 
MAX 
Sure thing. 
She gets out of the cab, starts to walk away... 
...but turns back, ducking into the cab's window. Looking a bit 

 flustered, she pulls a business card and offers it to him. 
ANNIE 
In case you ever...I don't 
know...wanna start an investigation of 
a Fortune 500 company or argue cab 
routes or something... 
And with that, she goes towards the three assistants waiting for 
her outside the revolving door. Max is left somewhat stunned, 
holding her card. He glances down at it: 
ANNIE FARRELL 
ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY 
CRIMINAL DIVISION 
CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 
Meanwhile... 
15A INT. FEDERAL BUILDING, GARAGE - DOOR 15A * 
A hand punches a sequence of numbers into a keypad. The garage 
is visible beyond. The lock unlocks. We see it is Vincent who 
walks into the steel interior staircase from the garage. 
16 INT. FEDERAL BUILDING - VINCENT - DUSK 16 * 
emerges from the interior staircase into the lobby in his good 
suit with the expensive briefcase. Casually, he glances to his 
right. We don't know why... 
* 
* 
(CONTINUED) 


9/8/03 MM revs. (buff) 10A. 

16 CONTINUED: 16 

 OVER VINCENT 

 in front of him is a guard station and a row of tumbrils that 
require an identity card to not trigger and alarm. Vincent 
produces his card, scans it across the top. * 

(CONTINUED) 



9/8/03 MM revs. (buff) 11. 

16 CONTINUED: (2) 16 
The indicator goes GREEN. Vincent slips the card into his 
briefcase and walks through, towards the bank of elevators. 
However, he doesn't take an elevator. He walks past them 
towards an escalator down to the street. Why did he walk into, 
through and out of the lobby of the building? 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
FRONTAL CLOSE: VINCENT 
and PAN RIGHT with him as he and we start a descent on the 
escalator from the stone foyer to the street level. 
* 
* 
PAST VINCENT'S HEAD, * 
riding the "up" escalator is Annie Farrell and the group of 
lawyers. Vincent looks at her, appreciatively, then away. 
* 
* 
17 OMIT 17 
17A EXT. FEDERAL BUILDING - VINCENT 17A 
exits, approaches us, and ARM DOWN to include the yellow top of 
Max's cab... 
Max still holds Annie's business card, marveling at it and her. 
From the FRONT... 
Hello? 
VINCENT 
MAX 
(glances back) 
Uh, yeah... 
And Max can't hide his eyeline and interest... 
VINCENT 
Let's go to... 
(Max isn't paying 
attention) 
You free? Or... * 
Vincent starts towards another cab pulling up... * 
MAX 
Yeah, yeah, sorry... 
Vincent gets in. * 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 12. 

17A CONTINUED: 17A 

 MAX (CONT'D) 
Where to? 

 VINCENT 
452 South Union Street. 

17B INT. CAB - MAX 17B 

 pulls out, starts the meter. 

 VINCENT 
(checks his watch) 
How long you think this'll take? 

MAX 
Fourteen minutes. 


 VINCENT 
Fourteen? Not fifteen? Not thirteen? 

MAX 
Two minutes to get onto the 101. 
Transition to the 110 to the 10 and 
exit on Normandie is four minutes. 
North on Normandie is five minutes. 
Two minutes to South Union 'cause 
there's roadwork. Thirteen plus one 
for "shit happens." 

 Vincent checks his watch. 

 VINCENT 
Mind if I time you? 


 (Max shrugs) 
What do I get if you're wrong? A free 
ride? 

MAX 
An apology. 


 Max heads for the 100 on-ramp. 

 MAX (CONT'D) 
...I already offered up the free ride * 
today. * 

 VINCENT 
To who? * 

MAX 
...some girl. * 

(CONTINUED) 


10/9/03 MM revs. (yellow) 12A. 

17B CONTINUED: 17B 


 VINCENT 
Did you ask her out? 
Vincent's read Max's mind. Max hadn't thought it through that 
far. Now that he does, reality sinks in. Annie's out of his 
league and he knows it. 
Gone forever, Max jams her card under the rubber bands on the 
visor. 
CUT TO: 
18 EXT. 6TH STREET BRIDGE OVER 110 - NIGHT 18 * 
Max's cab zooms across, heading out of downtown. * 


10/9/03 MM revs. (yellow) 13. 

INT. CAB - VINCENT 

 Max changes the subject. 

MAX 
First time in LA? 

 VINCENT 
No. To tell the truth, whenever I'm 
here, I can't wait to leave. Too 
sprawled-out. Disconnected. You 
know...? But that's me. 

 (beat) 
You like it here? 

MAX 
It's home. 

 VINCENT 
17 million people. This was a 
country, it would be the fifth biggest 
economy in the world. But nobody 
knows each other. Too impersonal. 
But that's just me...you know... 

 (beat) 
I read about this guy. Gets on the 
MTA, here, and dies. Six hours he's 
riding the subway before anybody 
notices. This corpse doing laps 
around LA, people on and off, sitting 
next to him, nobody notices. 

MAX 
I see your point. Yeah... 

 Vincent glances around the cab. 

 VINCENT 
Cleanest cab I've ever been in. Your 
regular ride? 

MAX 
Yeah. I share it with the dayshift 
guy. 

 VINCENT 
Prefer nights? 

MAX 
People are more relaxed, you know? 
Less stress, less traffic, better 
tips. 

 VINCENT 
You get benefits? 

19 

* 

* 
* 

* 

(CONTINUED) 



10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 14. 

19 19

CONTINUED: 

MAX 
Like sick leave? * 
VINCENT 
Retirement? Health and welfare? * 
MAX 
It's not that kind of job. 
VINCENT 
Start a union. 
MAX 
Me, specifically? 
Why not? 
VINCENT 
MAX 
Last thing I need is a reason to keep 
driving a cab. It's temporary. I'm 
fillin' in, you know, while this 
other thing I'm putting together is 
shaping up... 
VINCENT 
How long you been driving? 
MAX 
Twelve years. 
Hardly temporary... 
VINCENT 
Really? What else are you putting 
together? 
Max hesitates. He's not as secure as he was with Annie. 
MAX 
I don't talk about it. 
but... 
No offense, 
VINCENT 
(smiles, shrugs) 
None taken. Talkers and doers. 
you, I like doers. 
Like 
20 EXT. SOUTH UNION STREET APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT 20 
A rundown, quasi-deserted area. Alienation in the twilight. A 
lonely tenant watches the city from an open window. Max's cab 
pulls to the curb... 


9/24/03 MM revs. (green) 14A. 

21 INT. CAB - VINCENT 21 
closes his briefcase, checks his watch. 

(CONTINUED) 



10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 15. 

21 CONTINUED: 21 


 VINCENT 
Fourteen minutes. Man, you're good... 

MAX 
Lucky with the lights. 


 VINCENT 
Yeah, sure. You probably know the 
light schedules, too. 

 (leans forward) 
Listen...I'm in town on a real estate 
deal. A closing. One night. I got 
five stops to make, collect 
signatures. See some friends. Then I 
got a six a.m. out of LAX. Why don't 
you hang with me for the night...? 

MAX 
I'm not a hire car. It's against 
regs... 


 VINCENT 
Regulations? These guys don't pay you 
sick leave. 

 (pulls his wallet) 
How much you pull down a shift? 


MAX 
Two-fifty, four hundred. * 

 VINCENT 
I'll make it six hundred. Plus an 
extra hundred if you get me to LAX and 
I don't have to run for the plane. 

 Vincent draws CRISP HUNDRED-DOLLAR BILLS from his briefcase, 
fans them like a magic trick. Meanwhile, a car pulls up behind 
double-parked Max. Vincent steals a glimpse of his PC. See a 
real estate prospectus-looking display. 

 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
...take a chance. 


MAX 
Man, I don't know. 


 VINCENT 
Yes, you do. 


MAX 
(succumbs) 
Yeah. Okay. 


 Vincent smiles, gives him a firm handshake. 

(CONTINUED) 


10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 15A. 

21 CONTINUED: (2) 21 

 VINCENT 
Cool. We got a deal. Here's three 
hundred down. What's your name? 

(CONTINUED) 



9/2/03 MM revs. (green) 16. 

CONTINUED: (2) 
Max. 
Max? 

 Vincent gets out.

21 
MAX 

 VINCENT 
I'm Vincent. 
Max calls after him: 
MAX 

 I can't double park here... 
VINCENT 
I'll meet you in the alley behind the 
building. 
Understood. Vincent steps into the building foyer, while... 
Max puts the car in gear... 
22 EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT 22 
...and pulls into the alley behind the apartment building. 
23 INT. CAB - MAX 23 
brings the car to a stop and notices Vincent's briefcase lying 
on the back seat. A trusting soul. Max smiles. 
MAX 
Definitely not from around here. 
He kills the engine. Silence. 
There's a noticeable lack of city noise. DISTANT talk radio. 
Spanish gospel from a Baptist church. An occasional car passes 
the mouth of the alley. 
Max trades Mozart for Beethoven. 
Max checks his watch. Dinnertime. 
briefcase on the passenger seat. 
He turns to his battered 
It's filled with carefully arranged items. NAPKINS in the 
pockets. UTENSILS in the pen holders. FOIL PACKS of mayo and 
mustard and Thousand Island Dressing. 1.5 liter PLASTIC BOTTLE 
of vitamin mineral water. The well-worn Mercedes brochure for 
the S500. A spreadsheet, like a handwritten business plan. A 
large submarine sandwich wrapped in two halves. Neat note pads. 
Everything's in methodical order. 
* 
* 


9/14/03 MM revs. (cherry) 17. 

23A EXT./INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - VERY CLOSE PAST VINCENT 23A 
climbing stairs with palm trees and downtown behind... 
23B INT. CAB - MAX 23B 


 spreads Thousand Island on the sandwich. He glances up at the 

visor. He tilts it down, peering at Annie's business card, 
wondering what to do. Will he call her? 
He sits a moment, fighting a wave of sadness. Unhappy with 


 himself. With his life. His place in the world. 
23C OMIT 23C 
23D INT. CAB - MAX 23D 

 raises the sandwich to take a bite... 
FROM THE FLOOR UP PAST MAX + THE STEERING WHEEL (VFX - GRN SCRN) * 
up THROUGH the windshield is the twinkle of stars in the night 


sky. Suddenly, a dark shape from above blacks out the sky. It 


 descends towards us. As Max takes a bite... 
...WHAM! SOMETHING HUGE rocks the cab on its axles! GLASS rains 
down. A HEADLIGHT EXPLODES! The windshield FRACTURES! Max 
bounces off the ceiling. His submarine deconstructs all over 
the interior. His coffee spills... 


 ...and then abrupt, stunning silence. 


 What hit him. An earthquake? Max takes a dazed beat. He peers 
at the windshield... 
THE DEAD FACE OF A FAT MAN STARES AT HIM. 


 Max recoils with a yell, scrambles from the cab, heart 
pounding... 
24 EXT. ALLEY - FROM ABOVE: CAB - NIGHT 24 * 
A CORPSE is angled across part of his roof and windshield in a 
bathrobe. There's shards of window glass from upstairs 
everywhere. It makes a halo around the cab. 
* 
Max is stunned. 

(CONTINUED) 



10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 18.

 24 CONTINUED: 24 
He looks to see where the body came from. 
MAX POV: 3RD STORY (SOUTH UNION LOCATION) 
A window on the top floor is broken out. 
in the breeze. 
A white curtain flaps 
24A LOW ANGLE: CMS MAX 24A * 
turns. Vincent has entered the alley and now stops. * 
Max's first thought: this passenger will think Max ran into * 

 this guy. 

MAX 
He - He fell on my cab...! 
(points) 

 VINCENT 
(pause) 
You always stutter? 

MAX 

 Well, yeah. Yeah. Guy fell on my 

 motherfucking cab from up there...! 

 Max looks up, points again, as if Vincent might have missed it * 
the first time. Vincent's focus hasn't left Max. * 

 MAX (CONT'D) 
I think he's dead. 


 VINCENT 
...taken two .45s and did a high dive 
onto his head. It's a good guess. 

 Max stares at Vincent. It's sinking in. Vincent, meanwhile, * 
has to make his decision. About Max. Kill him and find 
another, or... 


MAX 
You - you killed him? 


 VINCENT 
No. I - I shot him. The bullets and 
the fall killed him. 

 A frozen beat. Everything's out in the open. Max realizes he's 
in trouble. He backs away, thinking escape... 

 ...and like lightning, Vincent's .45 H+K is in his hand. To Max 
the .45 caliber bore is the diameter of the Spring Street 
tunnel. 

(CONTINUED) 


10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 18A.

 24A CONTINUED: 24A 


 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
Red-light-green-light? Light's red. 

 Max freezes. 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 19. 

24A CONTINUED: (2) 24A 


 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
You can run, but you'll die tired. 

 Max nods. Shakily raises his hands. 

 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
Put down your hands. 
(beat) 
Are you cool? Say "I am cool." * 

MAX 
You are cool. 


 VINCENT 
No. 
(beat) 
You say you are cool. 


MAX 
I am...I'm cool.


 Vincent decides. The gun disappears back into Vincent's 
waistband. 

 VINCENT 
Okay. Help me out here. * 

MAX 
With what? 


 VINCENT 
El Gordo decided to get some air and 
not take the stairs. So we go to plan 

B. Pop the trunk. * 
MAX 
My trunk? 


 VINCENT 
(Isn't it self evident?) I can't * 
leave him here. So unless you want 
him riding up front with you...and 
given the hygiene... 

 (smells) 
...and his sphincters let go... 


 Max reluctantly pops the trunk, circles to the front of the car. 
Vincent reaches over the hood, grabs the corpse by the bathrobe 
lapels, heaves the body into a sitting position. 

 VINCENT (CONT'D) 

 Gonna roll him off the hood. * 
(a homily for Max) * 
Always lift with your legs... * 

(CONTINUED) 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 20. 

24A CONTINUED: (3) 24A 


MAX 
I don't think I can do this. 
VINCENT 
He's only a dead guy. 
Dos. Three. 
On three. Uno. * 
He rolls the corpse off the hood. Grimacing, Max gets a firm 
grip under the arms. Vincent gets the legs. 
Got it? 
VINCENT (CONT'D) 
Yeah. 
MAX 
They start shuffling toward the trunk. 
YELL, almost dropping his end. 
Suddenly, Max lets out a 
What? 
VINCENT 
MAX 
His hand moved! 
twitched! 
His goddamn hand 
VINCENT 
It's a spasm! Jesus, don't be such a 
girl... 
ANGLE FROM INSIDE TRUNK 
as they heave the body inside, pausing to catch their breath. 
VINCENT (CONT'D) 
(to heavy dead person) 
Never heard of a treadmill? 
* 
* 
He slams the trunk, shutting us into DARKNESS... 
25 EXT. CAB - NIGHT 25 
...and we find Max frozen like a statue while Vincent is dousing 
the hood with Max's 1.5 liter bottle of drinking water. 
VINCENT 
Six liters of blood in the average 
Angeleno, he's gotta dump all his...on 
your cab. 
(a final dousing) 
Okay, that's good enough. 
Vincent heads for the car, notices Max's feet are frozen to the 
concrete. 
* 
* 
(CONTINUED) 


9/14/03 MM revs. (cherry) 21. 

25 CONTINUED: 25 


MAX 
Uh, look...why don't you, like, take 
the cab... 

 VINCENT 
"Take the cab..." 


MAX 
Yeah. I - I'll chill. You know. 
And...they don't check. You know? 
They don't. They don't know who's 
driving these things. You, me... 

 VINCENT 
And you promise you will never tell 
anybody? Right? ...get in the 
fucking car. 

 Max does. Vincent gets into the back seat... 

26 INT. CAB - MAX 26 

 behind the wheel, turns the key. The ENGINE GRINDS. He tries 
again. MORE GRINDING. 

 VINCENT 
Can we leave the scene of the crime, * 
now, please? 

MAX 
I'm trying... 


 He turns the ignition again. GRIND. GRIND. Vincent's getting 
steamed: 

 VINCENT 
Max. 


MAX 
It's not me! 


Grind. Grind. 

 VINCENT 
The engine is already on. Put the 
little pointer on the letter "D." "D" 
stands for Drive. 

(CONTINUED) 



9/29/03 MM revs. (salmon) 22. 

26 CONTINUED: 26 
Max pulls out of the alley... 
27 EXT. STREET - AS MAX'S CAB 27 
MAX 
You're making me nervous. 
VINCENT 
I'm making you nervous? 
on a schedule...
I'm the one 
...accelerates away, disappearing, another CAR appears. 
27A EXT. UNION STREET 27A 
It cruises down the street and stops in front of the apartment 
building. 
RAY FANNING emerges from the car. Edged hair, an earring, 
sports clothes. A salesman or a player or a dealer. Forties, a 
face with character and some miles. And something insistent 
about his intent... 
* 
He heads towards the entry gate, rings a buzzer. Waits a 
moment. Rings again. Nothing. Plus...he looks like he could 
kick your ass if he wanted to. 
He pulls a thin plastic card from an inner pocket of his jacket, 
jimmies the door lock... 
28 INT. APARTMENT BUILDING COURTYARD, THIRD FLOOR - FANNING - 
NIGHT 
28 * 
approaches across the balcony walkway against the junky palms 
and downtown skyscape. 
He knocks on the door...causing the door to swing in slightly. 
He glances down, sees the lock was pulled. Tensing, he fades to 
one side, his hand going to his holster at his hip. 
He draws a Beretta, reaches out and pushes the door all the way 
open... 
29 INT. APARTMENT - NOTHING - NIGHT 29 
A dark shambles. Old take-out. A TV. Fanning enters 
cautiously, alert for the slightest movement or sound. 
* 
FANNING 
Ramone? 
(beat) 
Estas fiestando con una chica? 
* 
(CONTINUED) 


9/29/03 MM revs. (salmon) 22A. 

29 CONTINUED: 29 
Nothing. Fanning cautiously enters the bedroom, worried now. 
Reemerges. Nothing. 
* 
30 INT. APARTMENT - FANNING 30 * 
carefully negotiates the corners and slides along the wall to 
SEE... 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 23. 

30 CONTINUED: 30 
THE BROKEN WINDOW 
Glass missing. He leans out. A dizzying drop. A halo of 
broken glass on the alley below...in the center of which is a 
big blank spot. 
Fuck. 
FANNING 
And he produces his police radio and we realize he's a cop. 
31 INT. CAB, TRAVELING - MAX - NIGHT 31 
Max winds his way through surface-street traffic, in shock, 
sneaking anxious glances at Vincent in back. Vincent's got the 
tablet PC from his briefcase, studying it. The silence is 
thick. 
Max's hand is shaking. He lifts it off the wheel, tries to 
steady his fingers. Vincent diverts some attention to Max... 
VINCENT (O.S.) 
Try deep breathing. 
What? 
MAX 
VINCENT 
Adrenaline's wearing off. You get 
shaky after. Some people slip into 
shock. It's not uncommon. Deep 
breathing helps. 
Max starts drawing in breaths, letting them out slowly. 
VINCENT (CONT'D) 
Is that better? 
MAX 
I think so. 
They stop at a RED LIGHT. Max glances at the passenger seat. 
Dressing and stray pieces of lettuce and mortadella. He parks 
the gearshift and goes for the paper towels, cleaning up. 
Vincent over the tablet PC, taking in Max. Softly: * 

(CONTINUED) 



10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 24. 

31 CONTINUED: 31 


 VINCENT 
What are you doing? 


MAX 
It's a mess. 


 VINCENT 
So? 


 Max keeps wiping, as if getting the seats clean might put 
everything right again. 

 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
Lady Macbeth. Leave the seats. The 
light's green. We're sitting here. 

 A CAR HORN HONKS behind Max. The car whips around them to get 
through the intersection. 

 DRIVER 
Asshole! 


 VINCENT 
You no longer have the cleanest cab in 
La-La Land. You gotta live with that. * 
Focus on the job. Drive. 

Right. Max puts the car in gear and proceeds. 

 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
(checks the PC) 
7565 Fountain. You know it? 


MAX 
West Hollywood.


 VINCENT 
(checks his watch) 
How long, you figure? 


 Max has to force himself to concentrate: 

MAX 
Seventeen minutes. Why? 


 Silence from the back. Max into the rearview, realizing: 

 MAX (CONT'D) 
Oh. Oh, no. You're kidding. We... 

 VINCENT 
I told you we had other stops to make 
tonight. 

(CONTINUED) 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 25. 

31 CONTINUED: (2) 31 


MAX 
You said you were visiting friends! 

 VINCENT 
They're somebody's friends... 


 (changes display) * 
You drive a cab. I make my rounds. 
We both do our jobs, you might make it 
through the night and come out seven 
hundred bucks ahead. 

MAX 
I...I'm not trying to piss you off, 
see? Okay? But I can't drive you 
around so you can murder people... 
Man, that's not my job... 

 VINCENT 
Tonight it is. 


MAX 
You don't get it. I mean it. Really. 
I'm not up for this... 

 Vincent realizes Max is on the verge of panic. 

 VINCENT 
You are stressed. I understand that. * 
Keep breathing. Stay calm. 

 Max starts deep-breathing again, exhaling slowly. Vincent stows * 
the PC. * 

 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
Are you breathing? 


MAX 
Yes. 


 VINCENT 
Good. What else calms you down? 
Candy? Cigarettes? Breathe. 


MAX 
Music. 


 VINCENT 
Play music. 


 Max turns on the CD. SOFT CLASSICAL. 

 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
Chopin prelude. Stodgy. 
(Max nods) 
Here's the deal. 
(MORE)


(CONTINUED) 


9/24/03 MM revs. (green) 26. 

31 31

CONTINUED: (3) 

 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
You were gonna drive me around and 
never be the wiser. But because of El 
Gordo's high dive, we're into Plan B. 
Still breathing? 
(beat) 
Now. We have to make the best of it. 
Improvise. Adapt to the environment. 
Darwin. "Shit happens." The I 
Ching...whatever. Roll with it... 
* 
I Ching? 
window! 
MAX 
You threw a man out a 
VINCENT 
I didn't throw him, he fell. 
MAX 
What'd he do to you? 
Nothing. 
VINCENT 
I only met him one time. 
MAX 
Then how can you kill him like that? 
VINCENT 
I should only kill people after I get 
to know 'em? 
(off Max's look) 
Six billion people on the planet and 
you get bent out of shape 'cause of 
one fat guy? 
MAX 
Who, who was he? 
VINCENT 
What do you care? 
Rwanda? 
Ever hear of 
Rwanda. 
MAX 
Yeah. * 
VINCENT 
Tens of thousands killed before 
sundown. Nobody's killed people that 
fast since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 
Did you bat an eye, Max? Did you join 
Amnesty International, Oxfam or 
something? No. 
(off Max's silence) 
(MORE) 
(CONTINUED) 


9/14/03 MM revs. (cherry) 27. 

31 CONTINUED: (4) 31 


 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
I off one Angeleno, you throw a hissy 
fit... 

 Max stops at another RED LIGHT. 

MAX 
I don't know Rwandans. 


 VINCENT 
You don't know the guy in the trunk, 
either. 

 (beat) 
If it makes you feel any better, he 
was a criminal involved in a 
Continuing Criminal Enterprise. 

MAX 
Oh, that makes it okay, then. 'Cause * 
all you're doing is taking out the * 
garbage... 

 VINCENT 
Something like that... 


 (distracted) 
What you need to remember is that 
nobody gets out of this alive. Even 
if we quit smoking. Cut out red meat. 
Everybody dies... 

 Suddenly -- A BRILLIANT GLARE OF FLASHING LIGHTS stabs at the 
cab. Max sees -- 

--an LAPD CRUISER behind the cab. The ROOFTOP LIGHTS 
FLASHING... 

 COP #1 (P.A.) 
Please pull the vehicle over to the 
curb. 

 Max complies. A second bright beam lights up the interior. TWO 
UNIFORMED COPS emerge from the patrol car. Faceless 
silhouettes, approaching cautiously. 

 VINCENT 
(low) 
Get rid of 'em.


 MAX 
How? 


 VINCENT 
You're a cabby. Talk yourself out of 
a ticket. 

 The cops are now circling to either side of the cab, using 
Maglite FLASHLIGHTS. 

(CONTINUED) 


10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 28.

 31 CONTINUED: (5) 31 

 Vincent eases the briefcase off his lap, his hands clear his 
field of movement, spread open his jacket to better reach his 
waistband and his H+K. 

MAX 
Please. Don't do anything. 

 VINCENT 

 Then don't let me get cornered. You 

 don't have the trunk space. 

MAX 
I can't believe this... 

 Vincent's hand reaches... 

 VINCENT 
Believe it. 


MAX 

Don't. I'll talk to them, I'll talk 

 to them...! 

 VINCENT 
(re: cops) 
Probably married. 


 A COP'S HAND descends to the driver's window, raps loudly, GOLD 
WEDDING BAND catching the light as it taps on the glass. 

 VINCENT (CONT'D) 

 Maybe that one's got kids. Probably * 

 his wife's pregnant... 

MAX 
I'll deal with it! 


 A FLASHLIGHT BEAM pops on at the driver's window. Cop #1 
glaring light into Max's eyes. 

 A SECOND FLASHLIGHT BEAM pops on, this from Cop #2 on the 
passenger side. Checking out Vincent in the back. Vincent 
smiles good-naturedly. 

 Max rolls his window down. Cop #1 leans down, and we see his 
face for the first time. A clean-cut blonde guy. 

(CONTINUED) 



10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 29.

 31 CONTINUED: (6) 31 


 COP #1 
License and registration. 


 Max pulls them off the visor, hands them over. The cop examines 
them by flashlight. 

 COP #1 (CONT'D) 
Pulled you over 'cause your * 
windshield's smashed. * 

 (beat) * 
All of this current? * 

MAX 
Yes, officer. 


 From the other side of the cab, COP #2 lets out a laugh. He's 
playing his flashlight beam across the seats. Mustard and mayo 
everywhere. 

 COP #2 
Wha'd you, have a food fight in here? 

 Max gives Vincent an "I told you so" look in the rearview 
mirror. Meanwhile, we HEAR dimly on the POLICE RADIO about a 
domestic disturbance on 83rd and Hoover and some officers 
responding. 

 Cop #2 plays his beam across the cracked windshield and damaged 
hood. Faint reddish traces in the paint. His smiles fades.

 COP #2 (CONT'D) 
Is that blood? * 

MAX 
Yeah. See... 
(thinks fast) 
I hit a deer. 


 COP #1 
A deer... 


MAX 
Over by Slauson.


 COP #1 
A "South Central" deer? 


MAX 
Goddamn deer jumped out in front of 
me. You believe that? 

 COP #1 
(indicates Vincent) 
Why you still carrying a passenger? 

(CONTINUED) 


10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 29A.

 31 CONTINUED: (7) 31 

MAX 
I was headed back to my depot, see, 
you know? And his drop's on the way. 

 COP #1 
Yeah, but your cab's not safe to 
drive. And we're going to impound it. 
We need to do a vehicle inventory 
while we wait for the tow truck. Pop 
the trunk and step out of the vehicle. 

 (swings flashlight beam to 
Vincent) 
(MORE) 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 30. 

31 CONTINUED: (8) 31 


 COP #1 (CONT'D) 
I'm sorry, sir, you'll have to phone 
for another cab.

 VINCENT 
Is that necessary, Officer? I'm just 
a half mile from here. 

 COP #1 
I'm afraid it is. Please exit the 
vehicle. 

 (to Max) 
You, too. 


 Max hears a SOFT CLICK behind him. The unmistakable sound of a 
safety CLICKED OFF. He meets Vincent's gaze in the rearview * 
mirror. A whisper: 

 VINCENT 
You open that trunk, they go inside. 

 Behind Vincent, through the rear windshield, Max sees Cop #2 
moving to the trunk, playing his flashlight across it... 

 Max, mouth dry... 

MAX 
Hey, man, it's been a long day. You 
know? It's so slow, I pay this guy to 
ride so I don't get lonely... 

 (re: Vincent) 
My first fare. How about a break? 
I'm heading to the barn, anyway... 

 COP #1 
Get out of the car. And open the 
trunk... 


 Max tosses a hopeless look into the rearview. Vincent's staring 
at him. No mercy there. 

 Max steps from the car. The cop escorts Max toward the rear, 
Vincent smoothly pulls his H+K from his waistband and emerges on 
the passenger side, gun held out of sight and a heartbeat away 
from opening fire... 

 ...a CRACKLE OF STATIC, a PANICKY VOICE COMES OVER THE POLICE 
BAND: 

 POLICE RADIO 
Officer needs help. We got a man with 
a gun. Shots fired at 83rd and 
Hoover... 

 Cop #2 to his partner. 

(CONTINUED) 


9/14/03 MM revs. (cherry) 30A. 

31 CONTINUED: (9) 31 
COP #2

 Let's go. 
Off-screen radio talk from many responding units... 

(CONTINUED) 



10/2/03 MM revs. (tan) 31. 

31 CONTINUED: (10) 31 


 COP #1 
(to Max; leaving) 
Get that cab back to your garage... 

 The cops pile into their black-and-white and ROAR off into the 
night. 

 Max and Vincent are left standing, gazing across the cab at each 
other. 

 VINCENT 
Breathe. 


 Max starts deep-breathing as they get back in the cab... 

 CUT TO: 

32 EXT. HOTEL + PENTHOUSE - CORPULENT MAN - NIGHT 32 * 

 in an attorneys suit with rapper clients. 

 VINCENT 
(to himself) 
I thought Californians exercised...? 

 REVEAL Vincent looking at his PC. Vincent pulls from his 
briefcase an identity card for a Notary Public and a second gun, 

 a .45 Cal Para-Ordnance back up. He moves the slide, checking 
there's a round in the chamber. Max hears metal on metal, looks 
up. As Vincent holsters it in the small of his back... 
VINCENT (CONT'D) 
(abrupt tone) 
What are you lookin' at? 

 He gets out and enters the passenger seat next to Max in the 
front. 

 VINCENT (CONT'D) 

 Hands on the wheel. Ten and two. 

 Like they taught you in driver's ed. 

MAX 
Why? 


(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 32. 

32 CONTINUED: 32 


 VINCENT 
Because I say so. * 

 Max grips the steering wheel. Vincent has plastic ties and 
proceeds quickly and efficiently to bind Max's hands to the 
steering wheel. 

 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
Cab's a disgrace. No wonder the cops * 
pulled you over. 

 On the way out of the car... 

 DISPATCH RADIO (O.S.) 
Max? Max? You out there, you son of 
a bitch? 

 Vincent looks to Max... 

 VINCENT 
Who...is that? 


MAX 
Lenny, my dispatcher. 


 LENNY (O.S.) 
I know you're out there! Answer the 
goddamn call! 

 VINCENT 
What happens if you don't? 


MAX 
He'll keep calling. 


 LENNY (O.S.) 
Max? Answer!


 Vincent reaches across Max, pulls the mike off the dash, holds 
it up to Max's mouth. 

 VINCENT 
Don't blow it. 


 Max nods. Vincent thumbs the toggle. 

MAX 
Uh, yeah? Lenny? It's me. 


 LENNY (O.S.) 
I got off the phone with the cops. A 
desk sergeant called to check you 
brought the cab in... 

(CONTINUED) 


9/14/03 MM revs. (cherry) 33. 

32 CONTINUED: (2) 32 
Silence as Lenny waits for a reaction. Max and Vincent trade a 
look. Vincent shrugs, thumbs the toggle. Say something. 
Yeah? 
MAX 
So? 
LENNY (O.S.) 
So? So, aside from I hate talking to 
cops, they tell me you crashed the 
goddamn cab? 
MAX 
It got crashed! I didn't... 
LENNY (O.S.) 
Do I care what, where or why? 
payin'! 
You're * 
VINCENT 
It was an accident. 
liable. (Tell him.) 
You're not 
* 
MAX 
It was an accident. I'm not liable. 
LENNY (O.S.) 
Bullshit! I'm making you liable! 
It's comin' outta your goddamn 
pocket... 
* 
Vincent stares at Max, expecting him to respond. 
VINCENT 
Tell him to stick the cab up his fat 
ass. 
MAX 
I can't do that. He's the Man. 
So what? 
VINCENT 
MAX 
I need the job. 
VINCENT 
No you don't. 
LENNY (O.S.) 
You still there? I'm talking to you! 
Max? Max? 
Vincent abruptly puts the mike to his mouth, thumbs the toggle. 
(CONTINUED) 


9/14/03 MM revs. (cherry) 33A. 

32 CONTINUED: (3) 32 

 VINCENT 
He's not paying you a damn thing! * 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 34. 

32 CONTINUED: (4) 32 
LENNY (O.S.) 
Who the hell are you? 
Vincent glances up, tilts the visor down to see Annie's business 
card. 
VINCENT 
Richard Riccardo, Assistant U.S. 
Attorney. A passenger in this 
taxicab, and I'm reporting you to the 
DMV... 
* 
LENNY (O.S.) 
(beat) 
Let's not get excited. 
VINCENT 
Not excited? How am I supposed to not 
get excited, listening to you try to 
extort a working man? You know 
goddamn well your collision policy and 
general liability umbrella would cover 
the damages. What are you trying to 
pull, you sarcastic prick? 
* 
* 
LENNY (O.S.) 
I'm just tryin' to...to... 
VINCENT 
Tell it to him. 
(shifts the mike) 
Tell him he's an asshole. 
MAX 
(hesitates) 
You're an asshole. 
VINCENT 
Tell him next time he pulls any shit, 
you're gonna stick this yellow cab up 
his fat ass. 
MAX 
Next time you pull any shit, I'm gonna 
stick this yellow cab up your fat ass. 
Vincent clicks off, hangs up the mike. Looks at Max. 
Beat. Max, taped to the steering wheel, nods. 
VINCENT 
(smiles) 
Don't wait up, hon. 
late. 
I gotta work 
(CONTINUED) 


9/24/03 MM revs. (green) 34A. 

32 CONTINUED: (5) 32 
He grabs the ignition keys, shuts Max's door, strolls away. 

(CONTINUED) 



10/2/03 MM revs. (tan) 35. 

32 CONTINUED: (6) 32 

 Max watches in the sideview mirror as Vincent vanishes into the 
building. 
Max is left alone, trapped in his own cab in the alley. 
Max jerks and strains against the duct tape, trying to free his 


hands. He gives up, breathing hard. 
32A OMIT 32A 
32B INT. HOTEL, PENTHOUSE - NIGHT 32B * 

 The overweight LAWYER, SYLVESTER CLARKE, who we saw on Vincent's 
P.C., separates from two girls and a second man, all watching 
TV, to answer a phone... 

 SYLVESTER CLARKE * 
He identify himself? * 
(beat) * 
Sure. Let him up. * 
32C INT. LOBBY - VINCENT 32C * 
in shades leaves the Hotel Security and enters the elevator. * 
Meanwhile... * 
A32D INT. HOTEL, PENTHOUSE - SYLVESTER CLARKE A32D * 
crosses towards the front door. * 
32D EXT. HOTEL - ALLEY - MOVING IN ON MAX 32D * 


 He glances in the sideview, wondering where Vincent is, 
straining for a glimpse. 
Nothing. Just darkness back there... Mind racing... 


MAX 
HEY! HEY! OVER HERE! I'M IN THE 
CAB! HEY! HELP! 

 The street traffic's distant; nobody's around. 
MAX (CONT'D) 
HELP! GODDAMN IT! THERE'S A MAN WITH 
A GUN! HE'S GONNA KILL PEOPLE! 


 Max thrashes wildly against the duct tape, screaming with 
frustration. He starts head-butting the car horn... 
BEEEEEP! BEEP-BEEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEP! BEEP-BEEP-BEEEEEEEEEP! 
He raises his head, checking the street traffic a quarter block 


away. No one on the sidewalk takes notice of Max's cab. 
(CONTINUED) 


10/2/03 MM revs. (tan) 35A. 

32D CONTINUED: 32D 


 MAX (CONT'D) 
Oh, fuck me. 


 He shifts low on the seat, getting his knee under the dashboard. 
He slams his knee up, hitting the RED EMERGENCY LIGHT BUTTON 
concealed there. EMERGENCY STROBES START FLASHING at the front 
and rear of the car... 

 ...and still nobody notices. 

 MAX (CONT'D) 
GODDAMN IT, I'M FLASHING LIKE A 
CHRISTMAS TREE OVER HERE. 

 He throws a look to the sideview mirror, sweaty and tense, 
knowing he's out of time. 

(CONTINUED) 



10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 36.

 32D CONTINUED: (2) 32D 
THE SIDEVIEW MIRROR 
IN WHICH WE SEE Max's reflected eyes. 
breathlessly away as he struggles... 
Seconds ticking 
He head butts the horn again. 
horn! 
BEEP-BEEP. BEEEEP. Flashers and 
MEANWHILE the ANGLE SHIFTS in the mirror, leaving Max's eyes and 
bringing into view the building and the penthouse at the top and 
we SEE... 
...TWO SILENT MUZZLE FLASHES light up the windows like 
flashbulbs going off. Another death. Then A THIRD FLASH...then 
nothing. Lights out. Meanwhile... 
MAX (CONT'D) 
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.
* 
* 
He is head-butting the horn. BEEEEP. BEEP-BEEP. 
the mirror. This time when he looks, he sees... 
And he checks * 
YOUNG WHITE GUYS. 20-25. They were on the sidewalk. Now they 
detour into the alley and approach the distressed cab from the 
back, shielding their eyes from Max's flashing lights. 
MAX (CONT'D) 
Oh. Oh, thank God! Hey, hey, man, 
help me out here! 
WHITE GUY #1 
Yo, whassup? 
MAX 
(fast, stumbling) 
I got my, my hands taped to the 
steering wheel, here, by this guy, 
who's taped me in the car, 'cause he's 
up in the building somewhere... 
CLOSER, now, the four are in baggies, hoodies and tattooed with 
lightning bolts on their necks, swastikas on chests, one has 
"5150" tattooed on his shaven eyebrow (police code for 
emotionally disturbed)... 
WHITE GUY #2 
You all trapped in there and shit? 
MAX 
...yeah, he's coming back. Hurry. 
Get me loose so I can call the cops... 
WHITE GUY #1 nods...and pulls a chromed .380 and points it at 
Max. 
(CONTINUED) 


9/22/03 MM revs. (yellow) 36A. 

32D CONTINUED: (3) 32D 

 WHITE GUY #1 * 
Fuck that, man, gimme your wallet. 

(CONTINUED) 



9/22/03 MM revs. (yellow) 37. 

32D CONTINUED: (4) 32D 

 The others have walked off down the alley, laughing. One tosses * 
a beer bottle that smashes. Utter disbelief from Max... 

MAX 
Are you kidding me? 


 WHITE GUY #1 
I will fuck you up! Hand it over. 

MAX 

 (beat) 

 My hands are taped to the damn

 steering wheel! 

 It takes a moment for WHITE GUY #1 to process this. He steps to 
the window, presses the .380 against Max's cheek. It's utterly 
terrifying, everything happening fast: 

 MAX (CONT'D) 
...don't shoot me, don't shoot me... 

 WHITE GUY #1 
Then get your ass up, up... 

 Max pulls himself up by the steering wheel, trying to get his 
butt off the seat to give the Young Man access. The White Guy 
#1 gropes for Max's back pocket, trying to get the wallet, 
pressing the gun to his face, the other guys down the alley, 
turn the corner. 

 White Guy #1 pulls Max's wallet, pockets it... 

 ...and pauses, seeing Vincent's briefcase on the back seat. 

 He yanks open the back door, grabs Vincent's briefcase, too, and 
walks off after his friends. White Guys #3 and #4 turned the 
corner. White Guy #2 lingers. 

 Max, still taped, is shaken. He can't believe what happened. 
He looks through the windshield at... 

 WHITE GUY #1 

 ...walking off, cocky as hell, about to vanish into the night... 

 BACK OF WHITE GUY #1 

 VINCENT (O.S.) 
Yo' homie... 

 White Guy #1 turns, to see the silhouette of Vincent. He raises 
his .380 side-handed, like he sees gangsters do on MTV. White 
Guy #2 joins him. 

(CONTINUED) 


10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 38. 

32D CONTINUED: (5) 32D 


 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
(even) 
That my briefcase...? 


 White Guy #1 approaches Vincent from the front...#2 from 
Vincent's left. 

 WHITE GUY #2 
May-be. And what the fuck else you 
got? 

 He closes on Vincent with the .380, held high and on the side. 
Vincent's left slams aside #1's .380. Draws and FIRES from the 
hip, putting TWO ROUNDS into #1. HAMMERS-ON TWO ROUNDS to the 
sternum, pivots. ONE to the head of #2. All in 1.6 seconds.

 White Guy #2, falling backwards, is dead before he hits the 
ground. #1 never saw it coming. Vincent picks up his case, 
retrieves something from #1's pocket, puts one more into the * 
head of #1 on the way back to the cab... 

 ...where Max saw it all. Frozen in horror. Astonished. 

 The rear door opens. Vincent hefts his briefcase into the back 
seat. He gets into the front. 

 Vincent sits for a moment, staring off, not looking at Max. 
Maybe ready to kill him. 

 Vincent raises something into view. Max's wallet. He tosses it 
in Max's lap. 

 Vincent flicks his hand. CLICK-CLACK, a Reeves folding hunter 
in dull metal, razor sharp... 

 VINCENT 
(quietly) 
Where's the button? Under the dash? 

MAX 
(dry whisper) 
Yeah. 


 Vincent leans over and slices the plastic tie, freeing Max's 
hands. Beat. 

 VINCENT 
You mind turning it off? 


 Max doesn't move for a moment, then reaches under the dash and 
turns off the strobes. 


10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 39.

 33 INT. CAB - MAX + VINCENT (TRAVELING) - NIGHT 33 
Vincent in the back seat. (Juxtapose to a different continuity. 
Through the side window, we see Crenshaw Boulevard barbershops, 
music shops. We're stopped for a light.) Max is shell-shocked. 
* 
* 
VINCENT 
Another collateral. 
MAX 
What's that? 
VINCENT 
Collateral damage. People in the 
wrong place at the wrong time. 
(meets Max's gaze) 
And you? You attract attention? You 
are gonna get people killed who didn't 
need to be. Understand? 
MAX 
I'm low on gas... 
VINCENT 
Pull in there. 
33A EXT. GAS STATION, IN STREET - TAXI - NIGHT 33A 
pulls by. 
TIME-LAPSE - MACRO-CU: NUMBERS 
race by. WIDEN. SEE Max filling up the taxi. Vincent is 
positioned off the right rear corner from where he is line-of- 
sight to everything. His affect is flat, distant. Max has 
witnessed violent death and the full, lethal capabilities of 
Vincent. Neither say a word...until softly... 
Vincent? 
MAX 
Yes, Max? 
VINCENT 
MAX 
Am I collateral? 
Pause. A long one. 
VINCENT 
I haven't decided. 
Max is silent. Absorbing this. Vincent checks his watch. 
Unexpectedly, his mood changes up. 
(CONTINUED) 


10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 39A.

 33A CONTINUED: 33A 
But, hey! 
schedule. 
VINCENT (CONT'D) 
New news. We are ahead of 
Huh...? 
MAX 
* 

(CONTINUED) 



10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 40.

 33A CONTINUED: (2) 33A 


 VINCENT 
We got time to kill. 
(fast change-down) 
You like jazz? 
MAX 
I'm...what? Sorry? 
Jazz. 
VINCENT 
MAX 
Not that much. 
VINCENT 
Guy told me about a place off 
Crenshaw. Leimert Park. All the West 
Coast greats played there. Dexter 
Gordon, Thelonious Monk, Chet Baker. 
Like that... 
(off Max's look) 
Buy you a drink. Expand your 
horizons... 
* 
Max doesn't get Vincent's mood up-change. 
CUT TO: 
34 EXT. SOUTH UNION APARTMENT BUILDING, ALLEY - CRIME SCENE - 
NIGHT 
34 
COPS and FORENSIC TECHNICIANS. In the midst of it all is: 
Ray Fanning. He wears his badge, visibly, now. We find him 
turning as his superior, RICHARD WEIDNER, 50-ish, is entering 
the crime scene. 
WEIDNER 
...this informant of yours, what's his 
name, Ramone? 
FANNING 
Ramone Gallardo. Supposed to take him 
for a drink. I come here, find this. 
WEIDNER 
You been working him? * 
FANNING 
Four months...a low-level player, he's 
been feeding me stuff on Felix. 
* 
(CONTINUED) 


10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 40A. 

34 CONTINUED: 34 
WEIDNER 
Reyes-Torrena? Forget Felix. Feds 
are all over that. They don't want us 
anywhere near it. 
* 
* 

(CONTINUED) 



10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 41.

 34 CONTINUED: (2) 34 


 FANNING 
Since when is the LAPD working for the * 
Feeb? * 

 (points up) 
Besides, Ramone flew out a window. My * 

C.I. flew out a window, he's got 
Felix's handprints on his ass. Yes? 
That makes it ours. 
WEIDNER 

 (as if to a child) 
Where's the homicide, Ray? Where's a * 
body? All we got is glass... 

 He spreads his hands at the alley floor in a gesture that says 
"show me something besides glass." 

 FEMALE CRIMINALIST (O.S.) 
And blood... * 

 WEIDNER * 
Huh? * 

 FEMALE CRIMINALIST * 

 (off looks) 
...blood...down here...in the 
glass...here's some more... 


 A FEMALE CRIMINALIST (SID) examines the alley floor with Luminol * 
and a handheld BLACKLIGHT WAND, picking out dark patterns. * 

 FEMALE CRIMINALIST (CONT'D) 
...small splatter patterns here...all * 
over there... * 

 SHINING FLASHLIGHTS pick out blood on the alley wall. Fanning 
steps to where the cab was parked, stands in the middle of the 
blank spot surrounded by the glass, points down: 

 FANNING 
Ramone flew out the window. Went * 
splat. Here's the glass. * 

 (beat) 
Then some tires rolled over it. * 

 WEIDNER 
How's that spell homicide? Maybe he 
jumped. 

 FANNING 
Sure. He's depressed. So he jumps 
four stories out a window onto his 
head. 

 (mimics) 
(MORE) 


(CONTINUED) 


10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 41A.

 34 CONTINUED: (3) 34 


 FANNING (CONT'D) 
"Wow, that feels better!" Picks 
himself up. "Now, I think I'll go on 
with the rest of my day..." 

 PLAINCLOTHES COP (O.S.) 
(from above) 
Ray! Catch! 


 Two uniformed cops have approached. * 

(CONTINUED) 



10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 42.

 34 CONTINUED: (4) 34 
Weidner and Fanning glance up. A PLAINCLOTHES COP is leaning 
out of Ramone's broken window, dangling a clear plastic baggy. 
He drops it. It comes sailing down... 
* 
* 
...right into Fanning's grasp. 
to Weidner... 
He glances down at it, shows it 
TIGHT ON WEIDNER 
...revealing two spent .45 cal. shell casings in the bag. 
WEIDNER 
(switches) 
So, who's got what? Any witnesses? 
We been knocking on doors? 
* 
COP #1 
Old guy across the street, lives above 
the deli? Says he saw a cab parked 
here earlier tonight. There were two 
guys working under the hood. 
WEIDNER 
Description. What did he see? 
COP #1 
"Kinda" saw...guy's got glasses like 
coke bottles. 
FANNING 
Did he "see" it or did his seeing eye 
dog see it? 
COP #1 
Late-model four-door Ford. 
orange. 
(off Fanning's look) 
Maybe it was a taxi cab. 
Yellow or * 
* 
WEIDNER 
Four thousand taxis in LA County. 
(beat) 
What else...? 
That's it. Uniforms go back to work. 
doesn't know what to shoot. 
Photographer shows. He 

(CONTINUED) 



10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 43.

 34 CONTINUED: (5) 34 
Meanwhile, Fanning, lost in thought... 
FANNING 
Remember fall, 2001? That Bay Area 
deal? Oakland. Cabbie drove around 
all night. Killed three people... 
* 
* 
WEIDNER 
Then he flipped out, put the gun to 
his head. So what? * 
FANNING 
So the Oakland PD detective, 
whatshisname, never bought it. 
* 
Why? 
WEIDNER 
FANNING 
The Cabbie had no criminal record. No 
history of mental illness. Pops three 
people, then himself? And the victims 
weren't random. Two were involved in 
some pharmaceuticals scam... 
(off Weidner's look) 
Anyway, the detective always thought 
there was somebody else in that cab. 
35 INT. "DANIEL'S" JAZZ CLUB - NIGHT 35 
Dark and elegant - in an early '60's modern jazz kind of way 
with a low ceiling, small tables, leatherette booths, history 
soaked into the walls. A BLACK MAN in his late 50's, DANIEL, is 
playing a muted trumpet on stage with a QUARTET. 
CUSTOMERS are few, clustered at small tables or at a few curved 
leather booths. The walls are lined with great FRAMED PHOTOS of 
jazz icons. 
At one table, we find Vincent and Max. 
music... 
Vincent about the 

(CONTINUED) 



10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 44. 

35 CONTINUED: 35 


 VINCENT 

 ...a little '60's, early Miles thing * 

 happening... * 

MAX * 
I never learned to listen to jazz. 

 VINCENT 

 You don't learn to listen...anymore * 

 than you learn to breathe. Open your * 

ears. * 

 Vincent's attention's focused on the music. * 

MAX * 

 I get a beat. I don't really hear a * 

 melody... * 

 VINCENT 

 ...he's off the melody, behind the * 

notes. Outside what's expected. * 

 Improvising off impulse. Kind of like * 

 tonight. * 

MAX * 
Like tonight? * 

 VINCENT * 
Sure. * 

 (beat) * 

 This is nothing, if not "What's next? * 

 Right now. In the moment." * 

 (beat) * 
There's people...ten years from now? * 
Same job, same place, same shit. * 
Everything the same; keepin' it safe. * 
Over and over and over and over... * 

 (beat) * 
"Ten years from now?" Man, you don't * 
know where you'll be...ten minutes * 
from now...tonight. * 

 (beat; re: saxophonist) * 
That's what he's saying. Open your * 
ears. You'll hear it...in his * 
"dialoguing" with the trumpet... * 

 The WAITRESS arrives, an Asian woman with a tray of drinks: 

 WAITRESS 
'Nother Vodka tonic, hon? 


(CONTINUED) 


10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 45. 

35 CONTINUED: (2) 35 


 VINCENT 
And one for my friend. 
(indicates stage) 
Who's on the tenor sax? * 

 WAITRESS 
That's Daniel, baby, he's the owner. 

 VINCENT 
He is terrific. Would you be so kind * 
as to invite him over after his set? * 
I gotta buy him a drink. * 

 WAITRESS 
Sure thing, darlin'... 


 Vincent gives her a radiant smile and tucks a twenty dollar bill 
into her apron as she leaves... 

TIMECUT: 

 ...and we find Daniel sharing more than a few drinks with 
Vincent and Max, the place almost closed. Just the three of 
them. 

 DANIEL 
...I was a young cat back then, about 
nineteen, bussin' tables. Right here. 
Didn't pay but shit, but that wasn't 
the point. Being around the music, 
that was the thing. And I was. Take 
this one night...July 22, 1964...who 
walks in. Mr. Louis Armstrong. 

 VINCENT 
You're kidding me. 


 DANIEL 
Right through those doors. The man 
himself. 

 VINCENT 
Jesus... 


 DANIEL 
He was in town playing two gigs a 
night at the Coconut Grove in the 
Ambassador Hotel... After his last 
set, he decides to come on down to 
South Central to hang with his people. 
That's how he was, you see. Never 
forgot who we was. Money and fame an' 
all that? Meant nothin', long as he 
could blow that horn. 

 (MORE) 

(CONTINUED) 


10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 46. 

35 CONTINUED: (3) 35 


 DANIEL (CONT'D) 
So before you know it, he's up on that 
stage, doin' his thing. 

 VINCENT 
Was it great? Better than great, it 
had to be... 

 DANIEL 
Like Winton Marsalis says, it was 
pure, spiritual essence. Louis was 
playing. God was smiling. 

 VINCENT 
You heard Armstrong play live. I've 
never been this jealous. You get to 
talk to him? 

 DANIEL 
Did better'n that. 


 Vincent gives him a questioning look. Daniel smiles, raises his 
hands, mimes blowing a trumpet. 

 VINCENT 
No. 


 DANIEL 
Oh, my, yes. 


 VINCENT 
C'mon... 


 DANIEL 
Fella owned this place back then, cat * 
named Dix Dwyer, he let slip to Louis * 
that I played. So Pops, he just waves 
me right up. My heart about stopped. 
But I got up there all the same, and 
we played for nearly twenty minutes. 

 VINCENT 
Unbelievable... 
(to Max) 
...you hearing this? 


 Max is drawn into the story in spite of himself: 

MAX 
How'd you do? 


DANIEL 
How do you think? You ain't shit when 
you playing next to Louis Armstrong. 
But, Dippermouth, he was kind. He 
could see me trying. He carried my ass 
as best he could. 

(CONTINUED) 


10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 47. 

35 CONTINUED: (4) 35 


 VINCENT 
Remember what you played? 


 DANIEL 
Most vividly. 


 (ticking them off) 
"Potato Head Blues," "Sleepy Time Down 
South..." 

 (laughs) 
...then Pops laid some "Cornet Chop 
Suey" on me, and left me in the dust 
like a whipped dog. 

 VINCENT * 
Whipped dog? * 

 DANIEL * 
Whipped dog on a wet night. * 

 VINCENT * 
Crowd dig it? * 

 DANIEL 
(smiles, nods) 
The crowd was most kind. 


 (beat) 
I was born in 1945, but that was the 
moment of my conception. Right here 
in the used-to-be crowded room. * 

 Daniel picks up the bottle to freshen up their drinks... 

 VINCENT 
Crowds not here now? 


 DANIEL 
Oh, jazz ain't the draw it used to be. 

 VINCENT 
But the place looks great. 


 DANIEL 
Only 'cause I got the wherewithal to * 
finance keepin' it up on my own. * 

 VINCENT 
What a great story. I'll tell the * 
folks in Culiacan and Bogota that 
story. 

 ...and Daniel's hand freezes just as he's about to pour. He 
glances up at Vincent. 

(CONTINUED) 


10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 47A. 

35 CONTINUED: (5) 35 

 DANIEL 
You know the people in Culiacan and 
Bogota? 

 VINCENT 
(softly) 
'Fraid so. 

 Max is glancing from one to the other, unsure what's going on. 
Realizing it isn't good. 

(CONTINUED) 



10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 48. 

35 CONTINUED: (6) 35 


 DANIEL 
And here I thought you were such a 
cool guy. 

 VINCENT 
I am a cool guy. With a job I was 
hired to do. You know how it is. 

 There's genuine regret in Vincent's tone. Max feels his heart 
pounding, but manages to keep his voice steady: 

MAX 
Let him go, Vincent. 


 VINCENT 
I'm working here. 


MAX 
You're the one who keeps talking about 
going with the flow. You like the 
man, you like the way he plays. How 
about a little jazz, huh? 

 VINCENT 
Improvisation? That's funny from you. * 
(thinks about it, looks to 

 Daniel) 
Okay, some jazz for the jazz man. 
How's this? I'll ask a question? 


 DANIEL 
What question? 


 VINCENT 
Jazz question. You get it right, we 
roll. You disappear. Tonight. You 
don't go home, you don't pack a bag, 
you leave town...and nobody, I mean 
nobody, ever hears from you or sees 
you again. 

 DANIEL 
How do I know you'll keep your word? 

 VINCENT 
I never lie. Ask Max. Max, have I 
lied? 

 Daniel looks to Max. Hope, fear, and desperation in the older 
man's face. 

MAX 
No. No. He hasn't lied... * 

(CONTINUED) 


10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 49. 

35 CONTINUED: (7) 35 
Daniel absorbs this, looks back to Vincent. 
DANIEL 
Means you're a man who lives on 
reputation. 
(beat) 
I will take your word. And I will 
give you mine. If I walk out of here 
tonight, I'd go so far away, it'd be 
just like I was dead. 
* 
* 
Vincent nods. We have a deal. He eases something from his 
waistband. Max knows. His heart is in his throat. 
DANIEL (CONT'D) 
And one more thing. Those guys and 
their man, here, what's his name, 
Felix? 
* 
* 
* 
Yeah. 
VINCENT * 
* 
DANIEL 
Tell them, if by some chance I get 
this wrong...you tell them I had to. 
They laid a grant of immunity on me. 
So it was flip and play ball or go 
back inside. I ain't goin' back 
inside. 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
Sure. 
VINCENT 
* 
Daniel pours himself that drink. He lifts his shot glass, hand 
trembling slightly, knocks it back. Sets the glass down. 
DANIEL 
Lay it on. 
VINCENT 
It's simple. What was Louis' first 
musical instrument? 
DANIEL 
I know all there is to know about 
Louis. 
VINCENT 
Then let's have it. 
Daniel hesitates. 
(CONTINUED) 


9/14/03 MM revs. (cherry) 49A. 

35 CONTINUED: (8) 35 

MAX 

 (blurts out) 
It was a trumpet! Wasn't it? Wasn't 
it a trumpet? 

 Daniel shakes his head. 

 DANIEL 
Coronet. Bought it from a New Orleans 
pawnshop when he was a kid. 

 (MORE) 

(CONTINUED) 



10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 50. 

35 CONTINUED: (9) 35 
DANIEL (CONT'D) 
Cost him five dollars. Got a twodollar 
advance on his salary from a 
fine Jewish family he worked for, 
saved up the rest. 
* 
A frozen moment. An endless pause. 
staring at Vincent, waiting... 
Max not even breathing, 
...a beat of regret... 
...and Vincent's gun came up so fast, Max didn't even see it. 
THREE SMALL POPS. A different gun: .22 caliber Ruger with a 
thick, silent barrel. Three small holes. And Daniel's head 
falls forward. Vincent catches it, arranges Daniel's arms so 
that Daniel's head rests on them as if he's taking a nap. And 
Vincent did it gently, almost regretfully. A red mist of blood 
swirls in the air. 
Max is stunned beyond words, and powder-burned at such close 
range. 
Silence now. No one's noticed. 
kitchen. Softly: 
The waitress was in the 
VINCENT 
Tin horn. Cost him a dime. Rode the junk 
wagon and played for the neighborhood. 
People sold them stuff. Rags. 
Bottles. Whatever. 
* 
Max sits frozen, unable to move... 
CUT TO: 
36 EXT. STREET OUTSIDE JAZZ CLUB - NIGHT 36 
...and they exit the club. 
sees Max standing there. 
Vincent heads for the cab, turns and 
Let's go. 
VINCENT 
No. 
MAX 
VINCENT 
What you mean, no? 
I'm done. 
MAX 
Find another cab. 
Max turns, walking away. Vincent blinks at him, almost laughs. 
(CONTINUED) 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 51. 

36 CONTINUED: 36 


 VINCENT 
Max? 


MAX 
Leave me alone.


 (shouting) 
I'm collateral anyway, so do it and * 
stop making me a part of this! * 

 (beat) * 
I don't wanna know you! 

 Vincent grabs the back of his collar, slams him against the 
wall. Max's neck is a centimeter from breaking. Their faces 
are inches apart. 

 VINCENT * 
(low, threatening) 
I'm not playing. 

MAX 
You played him, man. * 

 (off Vincent's look) 
He got the answer right, would you * 
have let him go? 

 The question hangs in the air. Before Vincent can answer, the 
DISPATCH RADIO CRACKLES: 

 LENNY (FILTERED) 
Max? Maaax. Pick up, you dipshit. 

 VINCENT 
What is it with this guy? 


 LENNY (FILTERED) 
Maaaaaax! 


 Vincent spins Max, controls him, as he propels him to the cab, 
slams him against the fender. 

 Vincent releases him, points at him. Don't move. He reaches 
into the cab, pulls out the radio mike, clicks it on. 

 VINCENT 
You hassling my man again? 


LENNY 
Who are you? 


(CONTINUED) 


10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 52. 

36 36

CONTINUED: (2) 

 VINCENT 
Same fare you talked to last time. 
LENNY (FILTERED) 
What are you guys, taking an all-night 
tour? 
VINCENT 
We're gay lovers, what's it to you? * 
LENNY (FILTERED) 
Nothing! Aside from every night Max's 
mother driving me crazy, I'm dancin' 
on a rainbow! May he come on the 
line, please. 
VINCENT 
Hang on. 
(to Max) 
Carefully... 
Max takes the hand mike, clicks it on. 
Yeah? 
MAX 
LENNY (FILTERED) 
Your mother's calling every ten 
minutes. Why didn't he show? Are you 
all right? Where are you? 
* 
VINCENT 
(whispers) 
Show for what? 
MAX 
(ignoring him) 
Tell her I can't make it tonight, 
okay? 
LENNY (FILTERED) 
What am I, related to you? 
her yourself! 
You tell 
Lenny CLICKS OFF. Dead air. 
VINCENT 
Show up for what? 
MAX 
She's in the hospital. 
(CONTINUED) 


10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 53. 

36 CONTINUED: (3) 36 


 VINCENT 
You visit every night? 

MAX 
Yeah. What difference does it make? 

 VINCENT 
Cause if you don't show it breaks a 
routine. 

MAX 
So? 


 VINCENT 
So people start looking for you, this 
cab. That is not good. * 

MAX 
No. I can't take you to see my 
mother... 

 VINCENT 
Since when was any of this negotiable? 

CUT TO: 

37 INT. HOSPITAL - ENTRANCE - NIGHT 37 

 Stark corridors, queasy fluorescent lighting, PATIENTS and STAFF 
MEMBERS. A row of INJURED PEOPLE are seated along one wall, 
waiting for attention. 

 The AUTOMATIC DOORS swing open. Max and Vincent enter, the 
briefcase held at Vincent's side. As they enter and proceed up 
the corridor... 

 VINCENT 
Stay three paces in front of me and 
one to my left... 

 Max, seeing the innocent people along the walls, complies. 
Vincent sees in the ceiling a security camera mounted in a 
Perspex hemisphere and averts his face towards Max... 

 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
Flowers? 

 Max turns, sees a row of FLOWER BOUQUETS at the gift counter.

 MAX 
Waste of money. Won't mean a thing to 
her. 

 Vincent pulls an arrangement, tosses the flowers to Max, pulls 
his wallet to pay. 

(CONTINUED) 


9/21/03 MM revs. (pink) 53A. 
37 CONTINUED: 37 

 VINCENT 

 (sincere) 
She carried you in her womb for nine 
months. 


9/29/03 MM revs. (salmon) 54. 

38 INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT 38 
The elevator arrives. Vincent and Max get on. 
the button and the doors start to close... 
Vincent presses 
MAN'S VOICE 
Hold, please... 
Vincent puts his hand out, stopping the doors. 
the elevator with them... 
A MAN slides in 
38A INT. THE ELEVATOR 38A 

 ...and turns around. 
in the back corner. 
Detective Ray Fanning. 
His back is to him. 
He doesn't see Max * 
Five. 
FANNING 
Thanks. 
* 
Vincent hits the button. The doors close. 
The three of them ride up in that awkward silence you only ever 
experience with strangers in elevators. He glances to Vincent 
at the control panel, nods. 
VINCENT 
Having a good night? 
FANNING 
Mezzo-mezzo. You? 
* 
Vincent nods. Making do. The elevator stops. Vincent and Max 
get off to the right. Fanning continues riding up one more 
floor... 
* 
39 INT. FIFTH FLOOR HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - ELEVATOR DOORS - NIGHT 39 
open. Fanning gets off, turns a corner. 
"MORGUE." 
SEE a sign indicating * 
40 INT. HOSPITAL ROOM, LOWER FLOOR - MAX - NIGHT 40 
(POSSIBLY INCLUDE CORRIDOR) 
Enters with the flowers. Vincent appears behind him, hovering 
in the doorway. Max moves toward the bed... 
...where IDA RILKE lies hooked up to a heart monitor, a clear 
plastic oxygen mask over her mouth. She opens her eyes. 
Hi, Ma. 
MAX 
(CONTINUED) 


9/29/03 MM revs. (salmon) 54A. 

40 CONTINUED: 40 

IDA 
I've been calling and calling. 

(CONTINUED) 



10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 55. 

40 CONTINUED: (2) 40 


MAX 
I got caught up at work. 


IDA 
Why couldn't you call me on the 
telephone? I'm lying here, wondering 
if something horrible happened to 
you... 

MAX 
(to cut her off) * 
I brought you flowers. 

IDA 
What am I gonna do with flowers? 


MAX 
You're gonna cheer up. 


IDA 
How? By worrying... * 

 (wheezes) * 
...that you spend money on * 
things...that all they're gonna do is * 
wilt and die? 

MAX 
(to Vincent) 
See? 
(to Ida, defensively) * 
I didn't buy 'em. He did. * 

IDA 
Who? Come in. What I got is not * 
contagious. * 

 (beat) * 
Why didn't you tell me we had company? * 

 (to Vincent) 
And what's your name? Sorry. My son 
is rude. 

 VINCENT 
No harm done, madam. 


 She takes the flowers from Max, making a fuss over them: 

IDA 
You paid for my flowers? They're 
beautiful. Max, will you introduce 
us? 

(CONTINUED) 


10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 56. 

40 CONTINUED: (3) 40 


MAX 
Mom, Vincent. Vincent, my mother, 
Ida. 

 Vincent sets his briefcase by the door, approaches the bed, 
offers his hand. She takes it. He glows with charisma. 

 VINCENT 
I'm really happy to meet you, Mrs. * 
Rilke. 

IDA 
Oh, call me Ida. To what do we owe 
this pleasure? 

 Vincent sits in the chair at bedside. 

 VINCENT 
Well, I was with Max when he got the 
call. 

IDA 
And you came all the way here to see 
me? 

 VINCENT 
It's nothing. 


IDA 
Tell my son. You have to hold a gun 
to his head to get him to do anything. 

 VINCENT 
Tell me about it. 


 Vincent leans in, helps her adjust her pillows. 

IDA 
You must be an important client of 
Max's. 

 This catches Vincent slightly off guard. He glances to Max.

 VINCENT 
Client? I like to think of myself as 
his friend. A mentor. * 

IDA 
Max never had many friends. Always 
talking to himself in the mirror... 
It's unhealthy.

 MAX 
Hey, mom. How many times do I have to 
ask you not to do that? 

(CONTINUED) 


10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 57. 

40 CONTINUED: (4) 40 


IDA 
Do what? 


MAX 
Talk about me like...I'm...not...in 
the room, here.

 IDA 
(to Vincent) 
What's he sayin'? 


 VINCENT 
Ida, he says he's standing right here. * 
In the room. Here. * 

IDA 
(to Max) 
Yesss, you are, honey. 
(back to Vincent) 
He's sensitive.


 VINCENT 
I know. But I'm sure you're proud of * 
him. 

IDA 

 (directed at Max) 
Of course I'm proud. You know, he 
started with nothing. Look at him 
today. Here. Vegas. Reno... 

 Vincent looks at Max...squirming under the exposure.

 MAX 
Mom, Vincent's not interested. 
(to Vincent) 
Let's go. 


 VINCENT 
No. I am interested. *

 IDA 
What's your name, again? * 

 VINCENT 
Vincent... 


(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 58. 

40 40

CONTINUED: (5) 

MAX 
I came to see you. I saw you. 
look fine. Let's go. 
You 
He's kissed her and wants to get out of there. 
IDA 
Limousine companies. 
Yeah? 
VINCENT * 
* 
IDA 
He drives famous people around, you 
know? 
* 
* 
* 
VINCENT 
Limousine companies? 
achievement... 
What an 
Max heads for the door... 
IDA 
Visit again? * 
VINCENT 
I'm only in town tonight. * 
IDA 
When you come back? * 
Sure. 
VINCENT 
I promise. * 
IDA 
Well, nice to meet you, Vincent. 
* 
* 
He turns to find Max gone. He looks down, eyes widening. 
So is the briefcase. 
Vincent races out into... 
40A INT. THE HALLWAY 40A 
...and spins around, frantically trying to see where Max went. 
Nothing but a FEW PATIENTS and HOSPITAL STAFF... 
...and a door marked "STAIRS" swinging shut at the end of the 
hallway. He runs in that direction... 
40B INT. HOSPITAL STAIRWELL 40B 
Vincent bursts through the door into the stairwell, hearing 
RUNNING FOOTSTEPS below. He peers over the railing... 
(CONTINUED) 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 58A. 

40B CONTINUED: 40B 

 ...and sees Max three flights down. Max freezes, looking up, 
clutching the briefcase. A moment of eye contact...

 VINCENT 
Stop or I'll go back and kill her. 

MAX 
You'd do her a favor. 

 ...and Max keeps going, vanishing from view. Vincent takes off 
after him, plunging down the stairs at breakneck speed... 

 VINCENT 
I'll tell her the truth! 

(CONTINUED) 



9/21/03 MM revs. (pink) 59. 

40B CONTINUED: (2) 40B 
MOVING WITH MAX 
careening dizzily down the steps with the briefcase, hurtling

 from one landing to the next, FOOTSTEPS ECHOING on concrete. 
MOVING WITH VINCENT 
racing down the steps like a madman, yanking his H+K from under 

 his jacket... 
41 EXT. HOSPITAL - ON REAR DOOR - NIGHT (OPTIONAL) 41 
Max comes through the stairway door, racing like crazy along a 

 row of HUGE ROARING INDUSTRIAL WASHERS, trying to make it to the 
EXIT DOOR at the far end... 
...and Vincent bursts from the stairwell in pursuit, pausing to 

 whip his H + K up in a two-handed grip, aiming down the length 
of the laundry room... 
...as Max vanishes through the exit door at the far end. 
42 EXT. HOSPITAL/ON REAR DOOR - NIGHT 42 
Max races out. 
42A OMIT 42A 
42B INT. HOSPITAL STAIRWELL - VINCENT 42B * 
racing down the stairs... * 
42C EXT. HOSPITAL - REAR DOOR - VINCENT 42C 
bursts through parking lot.

 42D EXT. HOSPITAL - WIDE: VINCENT (VFX) 42D 
See Vincent at end of parking lot running towards us. PAN LEFT 
to Max running up a walkway over the freeway. 

43 EXT. PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE - MAX 43 

 runs to camera along the bridge which we now reveal is above 
and... 
OVER THE FREEWAY 
Max runs up, exhausted. The stream of lights beneath them. Max 

 swings the briefcase back, preparing to hurl it... 
VINCENT 
Don't! 


(CONTINUED) 


9/21/03 MM revs. (pink) 59A. 

43 CONTINUED: 43 
...and Vincent's H+K is aimed at Max. Max looks back, sees 
Vincent, gun aimed at him... 
VINCENT (CONT'D) 
Red-light-green-light, Max. 
A heartbeat. A hesitation. And then... 

(CONTINUED) 



10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 60. 

43 43

CONTINUED: (2) 

 Bullshit. 
MAX 
...Max hurls the briefcase with all his might. Vincent watches 
in horror as it spins lazily through the air and crashes onto 
the freeway below where it's run over, flips in the air, is hit 
by a truck and the tablet PC is de-constructed into useless 
pieces of plastic and silicone. Vincent approaches. 
VINCENT 
(hisses) 
What the fuck was that? 
Jazz. 
MAX 
Max is suddenly on the ground, not knowing how he got there, 
about to die. 
Vincent, above, staring at Max. 
VINCENT 
You are screwing...with my work! My 
prep was in there. I'm coming up on 
number four. The night is no longer 
young. Are we getting adversarial? 
* 
* 
Each syllable like a bullet. 
almost admiring... 
Should Vincent kill him? Then, 
VINCENT (CONT'D) 
Didn't know you could do that... 
(beat) 
Let's see what else you can do. 
...and he pulls Max to his feet. 
CUT TO: 
44 INT. HOSPITAL MORGUE - NIGHT 44 
Fanning's in the "cold room" with a MORGUE ATTENDANT. 
ATTENDANT 
(checking his clipboard) 
We've had three come in tonight. 
John Does. Maybe one's your guy. 
Two 
The attendant nods at the first of four PLASTIC-WRAPPED CORPSES 
lying on stainless steel tables. Fanning draws the sheet back: 
Homeless Man with a beard. 
No. 
FANNING 
Not Ramone. 
(CONTINUED) 


10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 61. 

44 CONTINUED: 44 
The attendant makes a notation on his clipboard. 
at the next corpse. 
Fanning nods 
FANNING (CONT'D) 
Try that one. 
The attendant draws the sheet back. It's the Younger Man who 
mugged Max and took Vincent's briefcase. 
No. 
FANNING (CONT'D) 
Next... 
ATTENDANT 
That's what's funny. These three came 
in within half an hour of each other. 
And the kid and that last guy (number 
4)...they were done by the same 
shooter. 
FANNING 
Why do you say that? 
Fanning gets alert. 
ATTENDANT 
Same wound pattern. Two in the 
sternum. One in the head. Add this 
cat's shooting tight groups. 
(indicates chest) 
Double taps are a couple millimeters 
apart. 
Intrigued, Fanning steps to the fourth corpse. 
the sheet back. 
Attendant draws 
Fanning stares down at the dead face. Instant recognition. 
45 INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY + AUTOPSY ROOM - MINUTES LATER 45 
Fanning is on a pay phone, amped up, talking with Richard 
Weidner. (Weidner's at home, perched on the edge of his bed, in 
a crowded bedroom overlooking MacArthur Park or palm trees and 
city lights, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. INTERCUT as 
needed:) 
* 
* 
FANNING 
...yeah, I'm still at MLK. The John 
Doe doesn't pan out. Not Ramone. But 
you'll never guess who else is in the 
meat locker. 
WEIDNER 
Elvis Presley? 
* 
(CONTINUED) 


9/29/03 MM revs. (salmon) 61A. 

45 CONTINUED: 45 

 FANNING * 
Sylvester Clarke. Criminal-lawyer 
turned lawyer-criminal? 

(CONTINUED) 



10/6/03 MM revs. (pink) 62. 

45 CONTINUED: (2) 45 


 WEIDNER 
"Sly" to his clients... 

 FANNING 
...including my high-diving informant, 
Ramone, who he represented, who's 
still missing. Both of whom were in 
the exotic-substances business... 

 WEIDNER 
Ramone and "Sly" Clarke in one night? 

 FANNING 
In one night. Something bad is going 
down. And I don't think the Feeb know 
about it... 

 Weidner hangs up, hauling himself off the bed as we... * 

 CUT TO: 

46 INT. MAX'S CAB, TRAVELING - MAX - NIGHT 46 

 Max drives in self-conscious silence, feeling Vincent's gaze 
on the back of his neck. 

 VINCENT 
Limos, huh? 


MAX 
Don't start. 


 Vincent enters text into a cell phone/pager. 

 VINCENT 
Hey, I'm not the one lying to my 
mother. 

MAX 
She hears what she wants to hear. I 
don't disillusion her. 

 VINCENT 
Yeah, right. Maybe she hears what you 
tell her. 

 Vincent sends. Waits. 

(CONTINUED) 



10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 63. 

46 46

CONTINUED: 

MAX 
Whatever I tell her's never good 
enough. It's always been that way... 
My three older brothers...their wives 
made 'em move outta town. 
* 
Vincent closes the pager/cell. 
VINCENT 
You're goin' to a place called El 
Rodeo. It's on Whittier Boulevard in 
Anaheim. 
MAX 
Where on Whittier? 
VINCENT 
Look it up. 
MAX 
What's at El Rodeo? 
VINCENT 
Just drive. 
(beat) 
They project onto you their flaws, 
what they don't like about themselves, 
their lives, whatever. And then they 
rank on you, instead... 
MAX 
How do you know? 
VINCENT 
I had a father like that. 
MAX 
Mothers are worse. 
VINCENT 
Mine died when I was one. 
* 
* 
MAX 
What happened? 
VINCENT 
He hated whatever I did. 
Beat me up all the time. 
Got drunk. 
MAX 
Then what? 
VINCENT 
(intimate) 
I killed him. I was 12. 
(MORE) 
(CONTINUED) 


10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 63A. 

46 CONTINUED: (2) 46 


 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
He was the first. 
(off Max's look) 
I'm kidding. He died of liver cancer. 

MAX 
I'm sorry. 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 64. 

46 46

CONTINUED: (3) 

 VINCENT 
No you're not. 
(beat) 
So driving this cab "temporarily" is 
all bullshit...? 
* 
MAX 
It's not bullshit. 
VINCENT 
Twelve years is not temporary. 
MAX 
You gotta get cash together. 
Insurance, bond, maintenance, tires. 
Staff-up. Client lists. It's not get 
the car, put asses on seats. 
Why not? 
VINCENT 
MAX 
'Cause Island Limos will be more than 
a ride...like a club experience, a 
cool groove you don't want to end. 
Like that. So it's gotta be perfect. 
Perfect. 
* 
Uh-huh. 
VINCENT 
MAX 
Plus I got bills. She's been dying of 
the disease since I was in high 
school... 
47 EXT. EL RODEO NIGHT CLUB (ANAHEIM) - NIGHT 47 
Headlights pull through the jammed lot. Max's cab. And it 
pulls past the entrance to a parking slot near the alley. 
48 INT. CAB - NIGHT 48 
VINCENT 
Here's good. 
Max backs in, cuts the engine. Vincent checks it out, 
concealing himself as much as possible in the shadows of the 
back seat. 
VINCENT (CONT'D) 
Gimme your wallet. 
Why? 
MAX 
(CONTINUED) 


9/14/03 MM revs. (cherry) 64A. 

48 CONTINUED: 48 
Vincent snaps his fingers impatiently. Max pulls his wallet, 
passes it back. 

(CONTINUED) 



10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 65. 

48 48

CONTINUED: (2) 

 VINCENT 
I'll hold it for you in case they 
search you. 
MAX 
In case who searches? 
Vincent nods toward El Rodeo. 
VINCENT 
The people inside. Go in and ask for 
Felix. He's expecting you. 
Felix? 
MAX 
Okay. What's he look like? 
Dunno. 
VINCENT 
Never met him. 
MAX 
Who is he? 
VINCENT 
He's from who hired me. 
MAX 
I don't get it. 
VINCENT 
You destroyed my work-ups. And number 
four is due. Whatta you think, 
night's over? Called on account of 
rain? 
(beat) 
Go be me. In there. Score the 
backups. He'll have 'em on a flash 
drive or CD... 
* 
MAX 
(appalled) 
Why me? I can't. Why don't you go? * 
VINCENT 
They don't know what I look like. And 
I don't meet people. Like in risk 
management. Protect anonymity. And 
you're not going to screw that up. 
* 
* 
MAX 
How'm I gonna be you? 
(CONTINUED) 


10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 66. 

48 48

CONTINUED: (3) 

 VINCENT 
Max, who's SoCal Cab Company? 
SoCal? 
Ralph 
No. 
MAX 
VINCENT 
Ever met the owner? * 
No. 
MAX 
VINCENT 
Well, I don't work for them. I work 
for their bosses. They don't get to 
meet me, either. 
MAX 
If...if I don't pull it off...? 
VINCENT 
They're gonna kill you. 
(shrugs) 
You got ten minutes. 10:01? I drive 
the cab to the hospital and execute 
your mother on my way out of 
town...and don't pretend indifference. 
* 
MAX 
I can't do this. 
VINCENT 
You threw my PC onto the freeway. 
You've got balls bigger than Toledo. 
MAX 
If I pull it off, it's gonna get other 
people killed... 
VINCENT 
Out of options, Max. Take comfort in 
knowing you never had a choice. 
* 
MAX 
Uh, how long you been doin' this? * 
Why? 
VINCENT 
MAX 
In case he asks. 
VINCENT 
Private sector? Six years. 
(CONTINUED) 


10/6/03 MM revs. (pink) 67. 

48 48

CONTINUED: (4) 

MAX 
You get benefits? 
VINCENT 
No. Nor paid sick leave. Quit 
stalling. Get out of the cab. 
Max hesitates, opens the door, gets out... 
49 EXT. STREET - LONG LENS: MAX - NIGHT 49 
Crossing towards the entrance. 
FED #1 (O.S.) 
Who is this? 
FED #2 (O.S.) 
Not Julio Iglesias... 
...and we hear WHIRRING. ANGLE PULLS BACK... 
50 INT. SURVEILLANCE LOCATION - NIGHT 50 
Reveal FEDERAL AGENTS clustered loosely at a row of monitors, in 
a hard location. On the monitors are multiple views of El 
Rodeo's exterior entrances, two ND homes, the interior of two ND 
cars. One agent watches Max cross to the El Rodeo entrance. 
The room is littered with SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT and pizza 
boxes. 
SENIOR AGENT FRANK PEDROSA, permanently agitated, stands. 
camera on Max ZOOMS in, tracking him. 
The 
50A EXT. STREET OUTSIDE "EL RODEO" - PARKING LOT, FOURFIXTURE 
LIGHT STAND 
50A 
Move closer. REVEAL it's a camouflage housing, holding a video 
surveillance camera that RIGHT NOW pans and ZOOMS IN on Max. 
AGENT #1 (O.S.) 
Mark the time. 
50B INT. SURVEILLANCE LOCATION - PEDROSA 50B 
reacts to a SOFT KNOCK on the door. Fanning and Weidner are 
ushered in. Pedrosa glances at them, motions "hang on a 
second," as he stares at the monitor. 
* 
51 INT. EL RODEO, ENTRANCE - NIGHT 51 
Entrance does NOT have a crowd waiting to get in past disco 
bouncers. Only light traffic flows in and out. But, it does 
have extensive security. Max, hiding his terror, steps up to 
two men at the door. 
(CONTINUED) 


9/29/03 MM revs. (salmon) 67A. 

51 CONTINUED: 51 
MAN #1 
Yeah. 

(CONTINUED) 



10/6/03 MM revs. (pink) 68. 

51 CONTINUED: (2) 51 


MAX 
Uh, hi... 


 MAN #2 
Que pasa? Wha's up, homes? 

MAX 
I'm here to see Felix. He has 
something for me. 

 MAN #2 
(cold, believable) 
Don't know no Felix. 

 That's it. Max failed. He won't make it past the front door. 

MAX 
Uh. Say...say it's Vincent. I'm 
Vincent. 

 The two men trade surprised look. Suddenly cautious and 
respectful. They lead Max inside. 

52 INT. SURVEILLANCE LOCATION - NIGHT 52 

 Pedrosa watches the group exit into El Rodeo, then turns to 
Fanning and Weidner for quick introductions: * 

 WEIDNER 
Lt. Richard Weidner. LAPD. Major 
Narcotics Division. 

 FANNING 
Detective Ray Fanning. LAPD. Major 
Nar... 

 PEDROSA 
(interrupts, shaking 
hands) 
Yeah, hi, okay. Agent Frank Pedrosa. 

 WEIDNER 
Thanks for seeing us... 

 PEDROSA 
Yeah. You're welcome. How can I 
help? What's up? Why do you wanna 
know about our case? 

 FANNING 
Has there been any unusual activity 
tonight? 

 PEDROSA 
As in... 


(CONTINUED) 


10/6/03 MM revs. (pink) 68A. 

52 CONTINUED: 52 
FANNING 
As in a murder or maybe a murder spree 
in Wilshire Central. 
PEDROSA 
All quiet on the western front. 
Various people are asleep. Various 
people are not. They come and go in 
cars, pickups and taxis. Other than 
that, we're watching air move. 
(repeats) 
...your interest in our case? 
Fanning trades a surprised look with Weidner. A taxi? Fanning 
gestures. Pedrosa nods okay. Fanning rushes to the monitors, 
sees Max's cab peeking out from behind the corner of the 
building. 
* 
* 
* 
* 
FANNING 
Hood's all beat to shit. 
Weidner's fumbling on his cell phone, out, already dialing. 
On what?! 
PEDROSA * 
* 
On that. 
FANNING * 
* 

(CONTINUED) 



10/4/03 MM revs. (blue) 69. 

52 CONTINUED: (2) 52 
WEIDNER 
What's the license number? 
* 
Technician on the joystick pans a remote camera to the cab, 
pulling out his notebook and scribbling down the number... 
53 INT. "EL RODEO" - NIGHT 53 
...as Max is led into a cavernous, blue Day-Glo Sinaloan disco. 
And they move through dancers, in Sinaloan style: white cowboy 
hats, jeans, braided key chains, endangered-species cowboy 
boots. Hot ladies in spandex and other couture by Earl Scheib. 
As they approach a row of booths opposite a mural of famous 
corrida singers...more sophisticated security appears. PACO 
pats down Max. Another, Rubio, cautiously covers him. Then... 
MAX 
is led to a booth in which sits FELIX REYES-TORRENA. 
FELIX 
- unlike El Rodeo's population - wears Hermes bought in Paris. 
Reserved elegance... 
FELIX 
I thought you'd be taller. 
He's not invited to sit. 
FELIX (CONT'D) 
Anyway I look at this, I see only one 
thing. I see one thing with you. 
Here. Tonight. I see trouble. 
Gestures... Max sits, forces himself to meet Felix's gaze. 
So. 
FELIXVincent. Explain... 
Meanwhile... 
54 INT. SURVEILLANCE LOCATION - MONITOR - NIGHT 54 
REPLAYS Max's entrance. It's enhanced and the audio is 
filtered, eliminating RF interference and background noise. 
and they HEAR... 
We 
MAN #2 
Don't know no Felix. 
MAX 
I'm Vincent... 
(CONTINUED) 


9/1/03 MM revs. (yellow) 70. 

54 CONTINUED: 54 
The reaction in the room is electric. 
FED #3 
Did he say "Vincent?" 
55 INT. EL RODEO - NIGHT 55 
FELIX 
(light complaint) 
Vincent don't meet people. The jefes 
in Culiacan, Bogota, maybe. But he 
won't talk to you. But, now you are 
here. Okay. Why? 
* 
* 
* 
* 
For a moment it looks like Max isn't even going to get the words 
out. Then: 
MAX 
I lost my stuff. 
Pause. 
"Stuff"? 
FELIXYour "stuff"? 
Yeah. 
MAX 
FELIX 
I want you to listen to me real well. 
(beat) 
Special teams put together that list 
of..."dedos." 
* 
* 
Dedos? 
MAX 
FELIX 
Fingers. Informants. 
(litany) 
Signal intercepts, voice-recognizing 
software, surveillance...very 
expensive counterintel produced that 
list. 
(beat) 
An important list, wouldn't you say? 
And you "lost" it? 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
MAX 
I'm sorry. 
FELIX 
Sorry? Sorry does not put back 
together again Humpty Dumpty... 
(CONTINUED) 


9/1/03 MM revs. (yellow) 70A. 

55 CONTINUED: 55 
Max is nearly pissing himself. 

(CONTINUED) 



9/3/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 71. 

55 CONTINUED: (2) 55 

 FELIX (CONT'D) 
Do you believe in Humpty Dumpty? 

 Felix makes eye contact to PACO. Paco nods. Rubio, next to 
him, has his hand on an SMG and moves right to get a better line 
of fire on Max. 

MAX 
No. 


FELIX 
Do you believe in Santa Claus? 

MAX 
No. 


FELIX

 Neither do I. 

 (beat) 

 But my children do. They are still 

small. But do you know who they like 

 even better than Santa Claus? His 

 helper, Pedro Negro. Black Peter. 

 There's an old Mexican tale that tells 

 of how Santa Claus got so very busy 

 looking out for the good children that 

 he had to hire some help to look out 

 for the bad children. So he hired 

Pedro. And Santa Claus gave him a 

 list with all the names of all the bad 

 children, and Pedro would come every 

 night to check them out. And the 

 people, the little kids that were 

 misbehaving, that were not saying * 

 their prayers, Pedro would leave a 

 little wooden donkey on their windows. 

 And he would come back and if the 

 children were still misbehaving, he 

 would take them away and nobody would 

 ever see them again. Now, if I am 

 Santa Claus and you are Pedro, how do 

 you think jolly old Santa Claus would 

 feel if one day Pedro came into his 

 office and said, 'I lost the list.'? 

 How FUCKING FURIOUS do you think Santa 

 Claus would get?! 

 Paco's gun is visible. Safety clicks off Rubio's SMG. 

 FELIX (CONT'D) 
So tell me, Vincent. Tell me what you 
think. 

MAX 
I think... 


(CONTINUED) 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 72. 

55 CONTINUED: (3) 55 
He can't finish. 
What? 
FELIX 
MAX 
I think... 
(to security) 
...I think you should tell the man 
behind me to put that gun away. 
FELIX 
What did you say? 
MAX 
(low, tight) 
I said. Tell him to put the gun away. 
Before I take it and beat his bitch 
ass to death with it. 
* 
Felix eases back, measuring Max. 
MAX (CONT'D) 
I picked up a tail. 
Federal? 
FELIX 
MAX 
You tell me. How do I know? So I 
tossed the list and work-ups to 
protect...in part... 
(sees his clothes) 
...your Hermes, Facconable sorry ass. 
Felix considers "Max." 
MAX (CONT'D) 
You think I like comin' here? Like I 
got stupid all of an instant? Shit 
happens. You gotta roll with it. 
Darwin. I Ching... 
FELIX 
Has, uh... 
MAX 
The fat man. The penthouse guy. 
jazz man. It leaves two. 
The 
FELIX 
(checks his watch) 
Can you finish? 
(CONTINUED) 


10/6/03 MM revs. (pink) 73. 

55 55

CONTINUED: (4) 

MAX 
In six years, have I ever not? 
Meanwhile... 
56 INT. SURVEILLANCE LOCATION - NIGHT 56 
...while the Feds go apeshit at what they've been told. 
Meanwhile, Weidner answers his cell... * 
PEDROSA 
...are you telling me Ramone Gallardo 
and Sylvester Clarke were murdered 
tonight? Both killed...? 
FANNING 
...Sylvester for sure, Ramone... 
WEIDNER 
(interrupts) 
We got another D.O.A. One "Daniel 
Baker" in South Central... 
FED #3 
That's three? He killed three in one 
night? 
WEIDNER 
Three what? 
Fed #3 looks at Pedrosa. Mute. 
PEDROSA 
Three witnesses. 
(beat) 
For a secret grand jury, secret my 
ass... 
FANNING 
So who's left? Before you lose them, 
too... 
57 INT. EL RODEO - NIGHT 57 
In a carrying case, a ruggedized PC is brought to the table. 
Felix turns it on. Enters a password. Downloads two "files" 
(Targets #4 and #5) into a flash drive in the USB port. 
FELIX 
The last two... 
Felix unplugs the flash drive and pushes it across to Max. 
takes it. Their eyes meet. 
Max 
(CONTINUED) 


9/29/03 MM revs. (salmon) 73A. 

57 CONTINUED: 57 


 FELIX (CONT'D) 
Do not fail. 

MAX 
I never do. 

 Felix releases the flash ram. Max rises... 

(CONTINUED) 



9/29/03 MM revs. (salmon) 74. 

57 CONTINUED: (2) 57 
MAX (CONT'D) 
And as a token of appreciation...I 
want to offer you a discount. Yeah. 
All my services, here, tonight... 
Twenty-five percent off. 
FELIX 
Twenty-five? 
MAX 
Hell, make it fifty. 
FELIX 
Very generous. 
MAX 
(beat) 
By the way. Daniel said he was sorry. 
Felix nods. Max turns and walks out. 
The moment he's gone, Felix glances to Paco. 
questioning looks. 
They're giving him 
FELIX 
(in Spanish) 
Go to Fever. He's met me. If it 
begins to go wrong, close his eyes. 
He cannot fall into their hands... 
They rise. 
58 EXT. EL RODEO - MAX 58 
exits, taking in a deep breath of night air, stunned that he's 
still alive... 
59 INT. SURVEILLANCE LOCATION - MONITORS 59 
The Feds swarm, remotely ZOOMING and capturing images, everybody 
talks at once... 
ALL THE FEDS 
(chaotic, ad lib) 
...his face, make sure you get his 
face...Vincent the ghost...too grainy, 
too much noise...plus twelve dB of 
gain, you get noise or you get no 
image...you getting this? ...yeah... 
ANGLE SHIFTS to Fanning, cell phone to his ear, trying to block 
out the noise as: 
* 
(CONTINUED) 


10/9/03 MM revs. (yellow) 75. 

59 59

CONTINUED: 

 FANNING 
...yeah, uh-huh...African-American, 
medium build, dark hair...are you 
sure? 
Meanwhile, Pedrosa has separated from the group and on both a 
hard line and a Nextel is speaking urgently... 
PEDROSA 
(into Nextel) 
LA101 to chase units... I want a 
three-car revolving tail on that cab. 
LA102 is on him, now, at El Rodeo. We 
will do a take-down of the cab with 
Vincent in it before he gets where 
he's going. 
(into hard line) 
Locate our witness, Peter Yip...wife, 
girlfriends, mommy, daddy, whatever. 
Get him evacuated. Get him safe. 
(into Nextel) 
On the cab, the assault team, when 
they are in place, will do the takedown. 
Do NOT spook him before. I 
want Air Support up and to maintain at 
1,500 feet. 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
* 
Meanwhile... 
FANNING 
(into cell phone) 
E-mail me his license. Okay? 
wait... 
(to Weidner) 
Anybody else in that cab? 
I'll 
Weidner can't tell from the angle of the surveillance camera. 
In the street below, Max walks to the cab... 
60 INT. CAB - MAX 60 
...gets in behind the wheel, feeling limp. He lets out a slow 
breath, reluctantly passes the flash drive to Vincent, who 
already has Max's PC ripped from the dash and in the back seat. 
Vincent plugs the flash drive into the USB port. 
appears. Vincent double clicks the cursor on it. 
The icon 
VINCENT 
Vegas odds would have compelled a 
"don't pass" bet on you walking out of 
there... 
MAX 
...I'm very impressed. 
(CONTINUED) 


10/9/03 MM revs. (yellow) 75A. 

60 CONTINUED: 60 
Vincent enters a code. He sees what he needs. 

(CONTINUED) 



10/9/03 MM revs. (yellow) 76. 

60 60

CONTINUED: (2) 

 VINCENT 
Washington Boulevard. After-hours 
dance club near Crenshaw called 
"Fever." Know it? 
MAX 
Twelve minutes. 
Vincent quits the flash drive, looks at Max. 
and pulls out... 
Max starts the car 
61 INT. MAX'S CAB - VINCENT 61 
looks at Max through the rearview mirror. 
VINCENT 
You'll be late. Jump on the freeway 
and get me to the 105 west. 
* 
* 
Why? 
MAX 
Do it. 
VINCENT 
62 INT. SURVEILLANCE LOCATION - NIGHT 62 
While the Feds are departing to interdict the killer before he 
can take their next witness, Fanning is trying to get a word in 
edgewise to a fast-walking Pedrosa... 
FANNING 
...according to the cab company's 
dispatcher, this cabbie's been driving 
that cab for twelve years... 
So what? 
PEDROSA 
FANNING 
...so, you're telling me this cabbie 
walks into a phone booth and, shazaam, 
changes into a meat-eater, super- 
assassin? What's he do, squeeze 'em 
in between fares? 
PEDROSA 
No. Cabdriver Max is floating down a 
storm drain. He is stuffed in the 
trunk of a cab. He is being devoured 
by flesh-eating stretococcus... 
Fanning displays on his cell phone Max's picture from the DMV on 
Max's license. It's blurred, low-res. 
(CONTINUED) 


10/9/03 MM revs. (yellow) 76A. 
62 CONTINUED: 62 

 FANNING 
The guy, who walked out, looks like 
this guy...! 


10/9/03 MM revs. (yellow) 77. 

63 EXT. SURVEILLANCE LOCATION REAR LOADING DOCK 63 
...and coming down the steps, fast, Fanning and Weidner at their 
heels. Talking over his shoulder... 
PEDROSA 
'Cause he picked a cabdriver who looks 
like him... 
FANNING 
What's Vincent look like? 
PEDROSA 
Who knows. He's a ghost... 
not even his name. 
Vincent's 
FANNING 
I don't know... 
PEDROSA 
We do. 
(nods to Fed #1) 
FED #1 
We see private-sector security working 
for cartel groups in Colombia, Russia, 
Mexico...hiring ex-Special Forces 
types, ex-KGB all the time... 
PEDROSA 
Guys with trigger time, skill 
sets...real tradecraft... 
(beat) 
...like, look like a "cabdriver." 
* 
* 
They near their cars... 
FANNING 
What are you gonna do? 
PEDROSA 
Take down his ass. Save our witness. 
...as Pedrosa and other Feds climb into a Cadillac and a Buick 
and a third car. 
FANNING 
What if they're wrong? 
WEIDNER 
The guy identified himself as 
"Vincent" and just met with the 
bad people! 
(CONTINUED) 


10/9/03 MM revs. (yellow) 77A. 

63 CONTINUED: 63 

 FANNING 
Bullshit. There is something else 
going on. 

 WEIDNER 
It's not our game! 

 CUT TO: 


10/9/03 MM revs. (yellow) 78. 

63A INT. MAX'S CAB - REAR SHOT OVER MAX - NIGHT 63A 
to the 405 south on-ramp to the 105 west. Plus PROFILES * 
(L to R) + FRONTAL driving shots of cab to an off-ramp. * 

64 INT. LAX PARKING STRUCTURE - MAX'S CAB - NIGHT (GARY'S 64 
AIRPORT SHOT) 
enters and drives past CAM into the interior. Is Vincent 

 parking and leaving early? 
VARIOUS LOCATIONS + ANGLES INSIDE PARKING STRUCTURE... 
Max's cab drives up ramps under white strips of neon and crosses 


 the bridge to the adjacent parking structure at the northwest 
corner of the parking area across from the Bradley Terminal.

 64A INT. LAX PARKING - FBI MONTE CARLO 64A 
darts in after Max's cab...hesitates, keeps a distance...sees 
it's clear, then accelerates, tailing the cab. 

64B INT. LAX PARKING, UP-RAMP - MAX'S CAB 64B 
accelerates up an up-ramp... 
A64C INT. MAX'S CAB, ROOFTOP - VINCENT A64C 
has turned around in his seat and looks out the rear window. We 
see why the FBI couldn't follow... 
64C INT. PARKING STRUCTURE - FBI MONTE CARLO 64C 
pulls in and stops. It's in sight of but doesn't approach the 
latest up-ramp to the roof. 
FBI AGENT #3 
I follow him up there...we blow the * 

tail! * 
65 OMIT 65 
65A EXT. EMPTY ROOFTOP LOT - WIDE 65A 

 EMPTY PARKING LOT ROOF. Anybody tailing Vincent and Max would 
expose themselves right here. It's called a choke point. 
66 OMIT 66 
66A INT. MAX'S CAB - VINCENT 66A 
VINCENT 
(to Max) 
Let's go. 
(CONTINUED) 


10/9/03 MM revs. (yellow) 78A. 

66A CONTINUED: 66A 

 Max starts towards the down-ramp. 

66B INT. PARKING STRUCTURE - FBI MONTE CARLO 66B 

 FBI AGENT #4 
(into Nextel) 
LA103 to LA101. Pedrosa, Pedrosa... 
(to Agent #3) 
Air support... 

 FBI AGENT #3 
(into radio) 
LA103 to Air 4...you still have him? 

 HELICOPTER PILOT (O.S.) 

 Air 4 to LA103. I lost him. You're 

 in controlled air space. I gotta stay 

 out until I get clearance from LAX 

 tower... 

 FBI AGENT #4 
(into Nextel) 
Pedrosa...! 

67 INT. PEDROSA'S BUICK - PEDROSA - NIGHT 67 

 Listens. Then... 

(CONTINUED) 



10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 79.

 67 67

CONTINUED: 

 PEDROSA 
(on his cell phone) 
...you lost him? 
(he listens) 
He can head anywhere out of LAX. 
North or south on the 405, east on the 
105, the 110... 
Pedrosa's plan to intercept and take down Vincent just crashed. 
He rapidly recalculates. 
PEDROSA (CONT'D) 
They locate Peter Yip? 
FED #1 
(on phone) 
On with the wife. She thinks he's at 
Fever. They called. Can't get 
through. 
PEDROSA 
(to Driver) 
Washington and Crenshaw. Move! 
(into radio) 
LA101 to LA103, LA104, LA105. Fever. 
After-hours club on 2407 Washington, 
near Crenshaw. Pico Union. Hit it! 
LA105 (O.S.) 
(into radio) 
LA105 to LA101. Copy that. 
A67A OMIT A67A 
B67A AERIAL - MAX'S CAB B67A 
from inside the curve "cloverleafs" onto 105/110 interchange. 
C67A INT./EXT. MAX'S CAB C67A * 
under the interchange north (or southbound 110). 
D67A INT. BLACK SUV D67A 
One of Pedrosa's chase units with four SWAT-types in sports 
clothes jams off the freeway onto an exit ramp to surface 
streets, north on Western or north on Crenshaw. 
67A INT. MAX'S CAB - MAX + VINCENT - NIGHT 67A 
are riding in pensive silence through the neon visual noise of 
Koreatown. 
VINCENT 
Would you have called her? 
(CONTINUED) 


10/11/03 MM revs. (goldenrod) 79A.

 67A CONTINUED: 67A 

MAX 
Who? 


 VINCENT 
Your lady friend. The one who gave 
you her business card. 

 (Max is silent) 
Or was she just being polite? 

MAX 
I don't know. 


 VINCENT 
Why hold back? Why not act off your 
impulse? Pick up the phone? 

MAX 
All I owe a fare is a ride, Vincent. 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 80. 

67A CONTINUED: (2) 67A 

 VINCENT 

 It's not what you owe me. Time is 

 fleeting. Life is short. Time is 

luck. One day it's gone... 

 (beat) 

 You make it out of this alive, you 

 should call her. That's what I 

 think...anyway... 

 It's an important speculation from Vincent, given what's going 
to come later. And meanwhile... 

68-69 OMIT 68-69 

70 INT. FBI CADILLAC - PEDROSA 70 

 with two or three agents in the other two cars. One checks 
there's a round in the chamber of his .9mm, as the silent 
neighborhoods pass by. 

71 INT. S600 MERCEDES - PACO, RUBIO + TWO OTHER COLD-EYED 71 
KILLERS 

 Rubio has a silenced .9mm with an Aimpoint laser sight. 

72 INT. LAPD UNMARKED CAR - FANNING 72 

 at the wheel. Tailing the FBI cars at a distance, CROSSCHATTER 
drifting from the police band... 

72A EXT. OLYMPIC (OR?) - MAX'S CAB - NIGHT 72A 

 cruises east. Korean neon burns into the sodium-lit magenta 
sky. The streets are empty at four a.m. Reflected streetlights 
flow up the windshield, colors kicking off dented bodywork. The 
streets are deserted; the city seems dangerous. Max and 
Vincent's attention, suddenly, is taken by something else...

 72B INT. MAX'S CAB - MAX + VINCENT'S POV: THREE COYOTES -72B * 
NIGHT 

 separate and apart lope diagonally across Sunset. Adult males. 
Hunting. They're indifferent to urban habitation, as if they, 
not we, own this city... 

72C EXT. ALEXANDRIA STREET - ABSTRACT SIGNAGE 72C 

 becomes a frontal of Max's battered cab TO CAMERA and it turns 
right, as... 

73-74 OMIT 73-74 


9/21/03 MM revs. (pink) 81. 

75 INT. FBI BUICK - OVER PEDROSA + HIS POV THROUGH 75 * 
WINDSHIELD - NIGHT 

 A half block ahead he/we GLIMPSE Max's cab pull into the Fever * 
forecourt... 

 PEDROSA 
There...! 


75A INT. MAX'S CAB, APPROACHING "FEVER" NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT 75A 

 There's chaotic valet parking with Bentleys and a Lambo in 
choice spots. The party-till-dawn crowd. And in the thick of 
it... 

75B INT. FBI BUICK 75B 

 But they are preceded by a Porsche SUV, and a limo cuts them off * 
and tries to disembark a diva, two girlfriends and two guys, * 
with players heading into a club before Fever. Heavyweight * 
Security has a fuck-you attitude towards Pedrosa's Buick and the * 
SUV (LA105) until... * 

76 EXT. KOREAN MALL - FEDS - NIGHT 76 

 in tactical vests with CAR-15's; side arms...deploy. Vanity * 
muscle undergo instant attitude change. Pedrosa ad libs telling * 
diva to shut up and get back in the limo. BUT Max's cab has * 
disappeared from view. 

77-78 OMIT 77-78 

79 EXT. FRONT OF CLUB FEVER - PEDROSA - NIGHT 79 * 

 PEDROSA 

 We get Yip out. You take Vincent. * 

 Clean shots! Watch your backgrounds. 

 Pedrosa approaching the front entrance, the non-HRT are with the * 
BOUNCER, who, in response to a request we didn't see, is trying * 
to get a response on his radio from people in the interior...but 
fails, as his men enter. Meanwhile... 

80 OMIT 80 

81 INT. CLUB FEVER - VINCENT - NIGHT 81 * 

 propels Max past a bar, through screens of glass, frosted * 
alcoves...jammed with people. * 

 VINCENT 

 Booth towards the back. That's where 

 he hangs. Fat Korean guy. Terminal 

 acne as a youth. You go first. 

 (MORE) 

(CONTINUED) 


9/21/03 MM revs. (pink) 81A. 

81 CONTINUED: 81 


 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
Fifteen feet in front and three to my 
left. Wander, and innocent bystanders 
get the first rounds. Clear? 

 It's all black lacquer and frosted glass. 

(CONTINUED) 



10/6/03 MM revs. (pink) 82. 

81 CONTINUED: (2) 81 

 Back rooms - in Korean luxo - are for karaoke or the Korean 
hotties who hang by a counter, like a check-in area. Panels of 
glass in semi-circles in front of planting, some with sheets of 
water running down, separate the different zones. OR...it's 
cheesy disco with flat screens playing Korean music videos and 
stock market quotes with out-of-date Christmas decorations and 
black-lit outer-space murals. Visually, it's as noisy as the 
Korean hip-hop, which makes it impossible for anybody to hear 
anything. 

81A EXT. FRONT OF CLUB FEVER - FANNING + WEIDNER - NIGHT 81A 

 flash their LAPD badges, brush past the doorman, proceed in... 

81B INT. FEVER - CLOSE: VINCENT 81B 

 with Max in front and to his left, snakes through the crowd, 
swimming among them, scanning for Peter Yip, seeking his target 
in the back booths... 

81C PEDROSA + THE FEDS 81C 

 enter up the stairs. Staying as discrete as possible while 
urgent, while Pedrosa shoots looks, his POVs, Feds move south 
along east wall into densest part of the club...searching for 
"Vincent," trying to spot him before he can assassinate Peter 
Yip, searching for Yip, as... 

82 INT. CLUB ENTRANCE - PACO, RUBIO + TWO 82 

enter. They hang at the rear. Wait. Their job is to take out 
"Vincent" if it looks like there's trouble, a double-takeout, 
because "Vincent" must not fall into the hands of the FBI. He 
knows too much. 

82A PEDROSA 82A 

 searches, desperately, for Peter Yip, his last witness, to get 
him to safety. 

82B FANNING 82B 

 enters, scanning the crowd. Nothing. He and Weidner split-up. * 
And... 

82C VINCENT 82C 

 deeper among the dancers, now SEES distantly... 

 PETER YIP 

 for a moment. He's located towards the back wall across the 
dance floor in a booth on a raised area in the semi-circular 
room. With him are too-young Korean girls and a heavyset 
Rapper. The view got blocked by an African-American and a 
Korean bodyguard in suits near the booth, facing out. 

(CONTINUED) 


9/29/03 MM revs. (salmon) 82A. 

82C CONTINUED: 82C 
Behind the booth are five or six Korean gangsters. But on the 
dance floor, itself... 

(CONTINUED) 



9/21/03 MM revs. (pink) 83. 

82C CONTINUED: (2) 82C 
VINCENT SPOTS 
an outer perimeter of security. Bodyguards within the crowd, 
facing outward from the booth...looking for trouble before it 
gets to the row of booths and Peter Yip. 
MAX 
receives the glance from Vincent. He's gestured down the middle 
of the dance floor towards the rear. They work their way 
through the mass of bodies. Meanwhile, Vincent casually smiles 
at a girl and takes an oblique path, sliding along a convex side 
wall. Vincent's path brings Vincent up behind Bodyguard #1, who 
looks to the right as... 
BODYGUARD #1 
pounded in the kidney. His head is twisted around and torn 
back, dropping him to the floor amid the bodies and noise. 
Vincent's focus is already on BODYGUARD #2, as he kicks down 
with ferocious force, slamming Bodyguard #1 into 
unconsciousness... 
Bodyguard #2 intuits, turns. Vincent's foot slams his knee 
sideways, breaking it, Vincent's palm bounces the man's forehead 
back, his fist slams into his exposed neck, that fast. 
MAX 
buffeted by dancers, saw, backs away, as... 
BODYGUARD #3 * 
saw the assault on #2. He grabs for Vincent...who breaks the 
grab, pulls Bodyguard #3's head and neck down towards him, slams 
his knee into his rib cage twice, breaking things, spins the man 
backwards, rips his head sideways and back, a centimeter from 
breaking, and holding it there with his left arm, Vincent's 
right hand is filled with the H+K as he moves towards Peter Yip. 
82D PEDROSA, 82D * 
just then, SEES... * 
PEDROSA POV: PETER YIP * 
glimpsed in the booth from Pedrosa's angle. * 
PEDROSA 
(to Fed #1) 
There's Yip! Get him out of here! 
* 
* 
* 
And Fed #1 moves with Fed #2 along the wall on the opposite side 
towards Yip while Pedrosa crosses the floor, sees the 
disturbance and over his right shoulder, right there is... 
* 
* 
* 
(CONTINUED) 


9/21/03 MM revs. (pink) 83A. 

82D CONTINUED: 82D 
PEDROSA (CONT'D) * 
VINCENT!!! 

(CONTINUED) 



9/21/03 MM revs. (pink) 84. 

82D CONTINUED: (2) 82D 
Mad Dog Killer "Vincent." 
PEDROSA (CONT'D) 
(into lapel radio) 
Middle of the dance floor! 
is! 
There he 
82E FEDS + HRT WITH ASSAULT WEAPONS 82E * 
push through dancers... 
PEDROSA 
FBI! FREEZE, VINCENT! DON'T MOVE! 
FREEZE! HANDS IN THE AIR! 
* 
* 
Max hears they spotted Vincent. Then he realizes the three, 
four weapons of cops fighting through crowd are all aimed at 
him. People who aren't falling away from him are confused. 
is the loneliest man in the room... 
Max 
* 
* 
MAX 
Don't shoot! I'm not Vincent! 
But Korean hip-hop thunders. 
visuals. 
Korean music videos are crazy 
82F RAPPER 82F * 
next to Yip thinks HE'S getting busted, wants to get out 
while... 
BODYGUARDS #4 + #5 
at either end of Yip's booth struggle to see from where the 
threat is coming. 
KOREAN GANGSTERS * 
behind the booth put hands on weapons. They SEE Fed #1 + Fed #2 
slide behind patrons, closing in, to get Yip to safety... * 
VARIOUS FEDS (O.S.) 
(to Man) 
FREEZE! HANDS IN THE AIR! ON YOUR 
KNEES! NOW! NOW! 
KOREAN GANGSTER #1 - 
pushed sideways by Fed #1, who's trying to reach Yip - sees the 
weapon in Fed #1's hand. So he pulls his 9mm, which Fed #2 
shoves sideways but the gun FIRES, hitting an incoming... 
PEDROSA 
in the upper thigh, slamming him face first to the floor. 
(CONTINUED) 


9/21/03 MM revs. (pink) 84A. 
82F CONTINUED: 82F 
AND WITH THE FIRST GUNSHOT, ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE...

 82G MAX 82G * 
drops to the floor. Rounds are fired at him by Yip's Bodyguard 
#5. A dancer is hit. 


9/29/03 MM revs. (salmon) 85. 

82H PACO 82H 

 gives the look of Rubio, who's moved to within 30 feet from Max. 
He nods "yes"...take out "Vincent," but... 
REAL VINCENT 
advancing to the Yip booth, sees the red line through smoke and 


 the jewel of a laser point dance around Max's ear. Sees the 
source... 
VINCENT'S H+K 
over nearly-dead Bodyguard #3, swings left and punches THREE


 ROUNDS into Rubio... 

AND MAX 

 sees Vincent saved his life. 

VINCENT 

 spots... 

PACO 

 ten feet away... 
PACO 

As... 

 (looks from Vincent to Max 
to Vincent) 
You're... 
(he got the joke) 
He drops to the floor for cover...to disappear...while... 
82J MAX 82J 
is on the floor amid destroyed furniture, overturned tables, 
panicked patrons and... 
FANNING * 
...low, pushing through the chaos, gets a glimpse of Max. 
Fanning shoves sideways to reach him, imbued with this mission 
for some inexplicable reason... 
* 
82K AT BOOTH - PETER YIP 82K 
is protected by his confused scrum of Korean gangsters and 
bodyguards. Girls dove under tables. The Rapper and one 
Bodyguard struggles through crowd that traps them to get out, 
while... 
(CONTINUED) 


9/29/03 MM revs. (salmon) 86. 

82K CONTINUED: 82K 
VINCENT 
- the only calm in the storm - has dumped Bodyguard #3 and is 
moving on the cluster of protection at Peter Yip's booth, 
when... 
FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF BODYGUARD #1 
- breathing in rasps and risen from the dead - grabs for the gun 
in Vincent's right hand as... 
82L FANNING 82L * 
gets to Max. 
I'm Max! 
MAX 
I'm a goddamn cab driver! 
I know. 
FANNING 
I know! 
* 
Fanning grabs him, keeps him low, pushes his head down... * 
FANNING (CONT'D) 
I'm Detective Fanning, LAPD! 
getting you out of here. 
I'm 
* 
* 
...and they slide behind the back of the opposite banquettes, 
seeking cover, and break towards a rear exit. While... 
82M HEAVY KOREAN GANGSTER, ALSO... 82M 
slams Vincent's gun hand with a short baton. 
disarmed. Two Men are on him. 
Vincent's 
A KNIFE IN VINCENT'S LEFT HAND 
sinks into Bodyguard #1's leg, dropping him. 
KOREAN GANGSTER 
swings the baton for Vincent's head. Vincent steps inside. 
Traps the man's arm. Takes his baton, releases his torqued body 
and backhands it across the Gangster's neck. Vincent slams a 
forehand across his ribs. As the Korean Gangster, concussed, 
falls backwards, forcing Vincent to the floor... 
BODYGUARD #4, 
coming up the middle from Yip's booth, where attention focuses 
right now on the real threat: Vincent, FIRES A THREE-SHOT BURST 
from an SMG. And, Vincent, retrieving his H+K, rolls concussed 
Korean Gangster off of him, and... 
(CONTINUED) 


9/29/03 MM revs. (salmon) 86A. 

82M CONTINUED: 82M 

VINCENT 

 places FOUR SHOTS into Bodyguard #4. VINCENT'S ASSAULT WILL BE 
IN A STRAIGHT LINE. Now, he rolls onto one knee, FIRES TWO 
MORE, dropping African-American Bodyguard #5, who had two 
handguns blazing. And RISING... 

(CONTINUED) 



10/9/03 MM revs. (yellow) 87. 

82M CONTINUED: (2) 82M 
VINCENT ALMOST AT YIP'S BOOTH 
Korean Gangster is blown back. Another tries to help 300-pound 
Yip escape over the back. He's HIT. Peter Yip falls back into 
the banquette, his eyes wider because Vincent's coming. Vincent 
reloads. As his thumb hits the slide release and it jacks 
forward, he's already FIRED a round into Yip. And Yip's eyes - 
at the fierce face of death approaching - are filled in his last 
moments with Vincent, who FIRES four rounds. And one to the 
head. That fast. And the wall of frosted glass with a plane of 
water running down it behind dead Peter Yip is untouched, 
serene. 
82N WOUNDED PEDROSA 82N 
Feds are shouting. HRT are searching. Bodyguards are 
surrendering. Korean gangsters scream at each other. 
Korean infomercials, videos, while... 
Inane 
83 INT. BACK STAIRS - MAX + FANNING 83 
race past karaoke and music recording rooms and escape down the 
back stairs. Fanning pushes Max ahead, covers their rear. 
* 
MAX + FANNING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRS 
MAX 
Oh, man, am I happy to see you! 
don't believe it! 
I 
FANNING 
Yeah. I know. Relax. 
You're okay. 
Breathe. 
Other patrons have collapsed on the stairs and huddle on the 
landing. Max and Fanning slide by and step over them to get to 
the exit door to the back alley. 
MAX 
I can't believe it. 
it...! 
I can't believe 
Fanning guides Max forward. Emotions flood out of Max. Ten 
hours of traumatic stress. Max's nightmare is over. He's home 
free. Tears stream down his face. 
84 EXT. SIDE STREET BEHIND CLUB - WIDE: FANNING + MAX 84 
emerge. 
ground. 
forward. 
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. 
Max is horrified. 
Fanning is dead before he hits the 
Vincent grabs Max, propelling him 
VINCENT 
(fierce) 
GET IN! 
(CONTINUED) 


10/9/03 MM revs. (yellow) 87A. 

84 CONTINUED: 84 


 He throws Max behind the wheel, gets in the back... 

(CONTINUED) 



10/9/03 MM revs. (yellow) 88. 

84 84

CONTINUED: (2) 

DRIVE! 
VINCENT (CONT'D) 
Max - numb - hits the gas, peels out, his door left open, hands 
barely on the wheel, driving and motor skills impaired, scraping 
off the sides of adjacent cars. Dead Detective Fanning, now 
inert, is left behind. 
* 
CUT TO: 
85 EXT. AERIAL SHOT: LOS ANGELES CITYSCAPE - NIGHT 85 
STRAIGHT DOWN from above. Acid-mint streetlight in pools on 
Olympic Blvd. The yellow cab is the only vehicle heading east. 
Everything else streams west. Emergency vehicles. Flashers. 
86 INT. MAX'S CAB - MAX 86 
in shock. Back in purgatory...eternally in his cab's front 
seat. As the lone yellow cab drives east... 
SINGLE: VINCENT * 
VINCENT 
What a clusterfuck. Only thing didn't 
show up was the Polish cavalry. 
Max's life, controlled by Vincent, is a nightmare, perpetual and 
eternal... 
VINCENT (CONT'D) 
You don't wanna talk, tell me to fuck 
off... 
MAX 
(inaudible) 
...fuck off. 
Vincent's attention is out the window at the streams of 
emergency vehicles...at the earpiece, filled with LAPD and news 
helicopters. 
86A EXT. STREET - FRONTAL: THE ANONYMOUS YELLOW CAB 86A 
heads east. 
behind... 
All other traffic races to the debacle left 
VINCENT (O.S.) 
...blood, bodily fluid and death get 
to you? Try deep breathing. Or 
remember, we all die anyway... 
MAX (O.S.) 
You had to kill Fanning?! 
(CONTINUED) 


9/29/03 MM revs. (salmon) 89. 

86A CONTINUED: 86A 
VINCENT (O.S.) 
(blasé) 
Who's Fanning? * 
86B INT. CAB 86B 
MAX 
That cop! 
(beat) 
Why'd you have to do that? You 
couldn't wound him? The guy had a 
family, maybe parents, kids who gotta 
grow up without a dad, he was a good 
guy, and he believed me... 
VINCENT 
I shoulda saved him 'cause he believed 
you...? 
MAX 
No, not just that. 
VINCENT 
Yeah, that... 
MAX 
Yeah, so, what's wrong with that? 
VINCENT 
It's what I do for a living... 
MAX 
Some living. 
VINCENT 
Head downtown... 
MAX 
What's downtown? 
VINCENT 
How are you at math? I was hired for 
five hits. I did four. 
MAX 
(grim) 
One more. 
VINCENT 
There you go...! 
MAX 
Whyn't you kill me and find another 
cab. 
(CONTINUED) 


9/27/03 MM revs. (buff) 90. 

86B CONTINUED: 86B 


 VINCENT 
'Cause you're good. 
(shrugs) 
We're in this together. You 
know...fates intertwined. Cosmic 
coincidence. All that crap... 
MAX 
You're full of shit. 
VINCENT 
I'm full of shit? 
(beat) 
You're a monument of it. You even 
bullshitted yourself, all I am is 
taking out the garbage. Bad guys 
killing bad guys... 
* 
MAX 
'Cause that's what you said... 
VINCENT 
And you believe me...? 
MAX 
What'd they do? 
VINCENT 
How do I know? 
(beat) 
But, they all got that "witness for 
the prosecution" look to me. It's 
probably some major federal indictment 
against somebody who majorly does not 
want to get indicted... I dunno. 
* 
MAX 
That's the reason? 
VINCENT 
That's the "why." There is no reason. 
(beat) 
No good reason; no bad reason. To 
live or to die. 
MAX 
Then what are you? 
VINCENT 
(looks up) 
...indifferent. 
Vincent hesitates, then back out the window... 
(CONTINUED) 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 91. 

86B CONTINUED: (2) 

 VINCENT (CONT'D) 

 Get with it. Get over it. 

 ...millions of galaxies of hundreds of 

 millions of stars and a speck on one 

 in a blink...that's us. Lost in 

space. The universe don't care (about 

you). 

 (beat) 
The cop, you, me? Who notices? 

MAX 
What's with you...? 

 VINCENT 
As in...? 

MAX 

 Man, if someone had a gun to your head 

 and said: "You gotta tell me what's 

 goin' on with that person across the 

 street, there, what they think, who 

 they are, how they feel, or I will 

kill you"...they'd have to kill 

 you...wouldn't they...? 

 (beat) 

 'Cause you don't have a 

 clue...about...anyone. 

 (struggling for the words) 

 ...I don't think you, you have a clue, 

 period. Did anyone "do" for you in 

 your life...? Ever? When you draw 

 breath in the morning? Open your eyes 

 in the a.m.? You 

 anticipate...anything? Want anything? 

 Expect anything? I don't think so... 

 (beat) 

 'Cause you are low, my brother, way 

low... and some standard parts that are 

 supposed to be there?...with you, 

 aren't. So what happened to you, man? 

 What happened to you? 

 VINCENT 

 ...all the cabbies in LA, I get Max, 

 Sigmund Freud meets Dr. Ruth... 

MAX 
Answer the question. 

 VINCENT 
Look in the mirror. 
(on the attack) 
(MORE) 

86B 


* 

* 
* 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 92. 

86B CONTINUED: (3) 86B 


 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
...with your paper towels...a bottle * 
of 409...a limo company someday. How 
much you got saved? 

MAX 
None of your business. 


 VINCENT 
Your business "plan?" Someday? 
"Someday my dream'll come..."? 


 (beat) 
And one night you'll wake up and 
discover it all flipped on you. 
Suddenly you're old. And it didn't 
happen. And it never will. 'Cause 
you were never going to do it, anyway. 
The dream on the horizon became 
yesterday and got lost. Then you'll 
bullshit yourself, it could never have 
been, anyway. And you'll recede it 
into memory...and zone out in a 
Barcalounger with daytime TV on for 
the rest of your life... 

 (beat) 
Don't talk to me about killing. * 
You're do-in' yourself. In this 
yellow-and-orange prison. Bit by bit. 
Every day. 

 EXTREMELY CLOSE: Max is soaking up every word. 

 VINCENT (CONT'D) 
All it ever took was a down payment on 
a Lincoln Town Car. What the hell are 
you still doing in a cab? 

 The needle on the speedometer is creeping past forty... 

MAX 
'Cause I never straightened-up and 
looked at it, you know...? 

 VINCENT 
Slow down. 


MAX 

 (ignoring him) 
...myself, I should have. My brothers 
did... 

 (beat) 
Tried to gamble my way out from under. 
(That was) Another born-to-lose deal! 
Then, "it's gotta be perfect to go!" 
You know? Risk all torqued-down. 

 Needle pushing sixty... 

(CONTINUED) 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 93. 

86B CONTINUED: (4) 86B 
MAX (CONT'D) 
But you know what? It doesn't matter. 
What's it matter, anyway? 'Cause we 
are...insignificant out here in this 
big-ass nowhere. Twilight Zone shit. 
Says the badass sociopath in my 
backseat. So that's one thing I got 
to thank you for, bro... Until now, I 
never saw it that way... 
* 
* 
The cab goes blasting through an intersection on a red light. 
LOS ANGELES TIMES DELIVERY TRUCK SLAM ON ITS BRAKES as Max 
swerves, barely avoiding a collision. 
A 
VINCENT 
That was a red light! 
Max glances in the rearview. 
MAX 
...not until now. So what's it all 
matter? It don't. Fuck it. Fix it. 
Nothing to lose. Right? 
Vincent's H+K's aimed at Max's head. Max almost laughs. 
VINCENT 
Slow the hell down! 
MAX 
Why? What are you gonna do? Pull the 
trigger? Kill us? Go ahead, man! 
Shoot...my ass. 
VINCENT 
Slow down! 
Vincent? 
MAX 
Their eyes meet in the rearview mirror. Vincent is arrested by 
a look in Max that he's not seen before. It's the even, 
confrontational look of a man with nothing to lose. 
MAX (CONT'D) 
Go fuck yourself. 
Max slams on the brakes and cranks the steering wheel hard 
right... 


9/27/03 MM revs. (buff) 93A. 

87 EXT. STREET - RIGHT WHEEL 87 

 hits a low divider...rear end comes unstuck, rotating over the 
front right and flipping the cab into a violent roll onto its 
roof, spinning down the street, SMASHING off other cars, pieces 
falling off, spewing glass... 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 94. 

87 CONTINUED: 87 
...and then settling upside-down, revolving slowly to a creaking 
stop, antifreeze spilling across the pavement. 
And then everything goes silent, motionless, still. 
87A INT. CAB 87A 
Wreckage. Steam from the ruptured radiator. Crumpled metal. 
Missing hood. Disintegrated windshield...shattered glass. 
Max is trapped upside-down in his seatbelt, his roof half caved 
in, one side of his face streaked with blood. Alive but dazed. 
Movement in the back. Sharp intake of breath. Then a voice... 
Well. 
VINCENT 
That was brilliant. 
MAX 
Was your seatbelt fastened, honey? 
-- and a BLOODY HAND shoots from the darkness behind him, 
plunging an aluminum section that used to hold the perspex 
screen in place. Max jerks his head aside and the aluminum rail 
misses him by inches, ramming solidly into the headrest instead. 
* 
Max releases his seatbelt, dropping and hitting the ceiling of 
the cab. Vincent, sardined in the reduced space in the back, 
lunges forward. Max wildly fights to keep the knife at bay and 
crawl out his window. We hear a POLICE SIREN. Vincent, eyes 
glittering, kicks out the window on the other side. 
Max, crawling away on the pavement, keeping low, the taxi 
between them, looks back... 
MAX'S POV: VINCENT 
...in a glimpse, running off into the night. Vincent's hand 
pulls the .45 Para Ordnance backup from his waistband. 
Vincent's SHOES CRUNCH on broken glass. He vanishes into 
darkness as the SIREN GROWS near... 
Max pushes painfully to his feet. Looks around. 
A surreal moment. Max standing by his overturned cab, the empty 
city all around him, breathing the cool night air. 
Alive. 
It strikes him in that moment. He's survived the night. 
blood pumping through his veins is a fact. It stuns him. 
Overwhelms him. 
The 
(CONTINUED) 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 95. 

87A CONTINUED: 87A 
How good is life? 
The LAPD black and white screeches to a stop. 
out. 
A SERGEANT gets 
SERGEANT 
(into radio) 
12A75 requesting an RA unit at Grand 
and 9th for a TC with injuries... 
SERGEANT, looking at the truly wrecked cab... 
SERGEANT (CONT'D) 
Are you alright? What happened? 
And the mundane beauty of the question makes Max look at him 
like he's crazy, and there are tears streaming down his face. 
The Sergeant approaches Max, gentle but firm: 
SERGEANT (CONT'D) 
(as if to a child) 
You've been in an accident. An 
ambulance is on the way to help you. 
Do you understand what I am saying to 
you? Sit down on the curb. Okay? 
(Max nods) 
Anybody else in there? 
Max shakes his head. The Sergeant shines his flashlight on the 
passenger compartment, concerned about Max. 
SERGEANT (CONT'D) 
Don't worry about the cab. They'll 
get you a new one. You okay? * 
MAX 
(finds his voice) 
I'm...fine. Fine. Just dizzy and 
shit. 
* 
* 
SERGEANT 
Sit there and breathe deep, sir. 
You'll be okay. 
* 
* 
The Sergeant, now at the rear of the cab, to make sure there's 
no gasoline spill, suddenly freezes, his flashlight beam finding 
the trunk lid ajar from the crash, and inside is the corpse of 
Ramone Gallardo in a sprawled heap. 
SERGEANT (CONT'D) 
Put your hands where I can see 'em! 
Get on your knees! Slowly! 
Huh? 
MAX 
(CONTINUED) 


10/2/03 MM revs. (tan) 96. 

87A CONTINUED: (2) 87A 

 Sergeant's gun is out on Max. Max does as he's told, getting to 
his knees on the pavement. Curious. The whole thing strikes 
Max as insane. Absurd. 

87B OMIT 87B 

87C EXT. STREET - MAX 87C 

MAX 

Sure. Arrest me. Take me in. Police 

 station. LA County's good. 

 ...and he's on his knees, hands on his head. Sergeant coming up 
behind him, covering him. Per procedure, Sergeant holsters his 
weapon, draws his cuffs, and grabs Max's right wrist, cuffing 
it. 

 MAX (SLO-MO) 

 One arm is brought down behind his back... 

 MAX'S POV: PUSH SLOWLY INTO DEBRIS 

 from the wreckage. Granules of shattered safety glass. Max's 
on-board computer that Vincent used - upside down - and "ON"... 
And... 

 TIGHTER ON MAX (SLO-MO) 

 as he sees the display from Vincent's flash drive of the last * 
two targets. Max's falls forward and flattens his face on the 
pavement to see... 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 97. 

87C CONTINUED: 87C 
MAX'S POV PUSHING IN 
The split image. On the left is Peter Yip. On the right is... 
ANNIE FARRELL. ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY. 
MAX (SLO-MO) 
Breath goes out of him. Target #5 is Annie. As the Sergeant is 
struggling for Max's left hand, now, Max's lunges for... 
* 
* 
UNDER SHATTERED GLASS 
the visible grip of Vincent's .45 H+K. * 
MAX 
pulls the Sergeant off-balance, whips the H+K around while still 
on his back, jamming the gun to the Sergeant's head. Sergeant's 
hand reaches for his holstered Beretta... 
MAX (CONT'D) 
Get your hand off your gun! 
Max jams the gun tighter to the Sergeant's head. 
certain where to point it.
He's not 
MAX (CONT'D) 
Look, someone's gonna get killed if I 
don't, it's... 
* 
* 
SERGEANT 
(cuts in) 
PUT YOUR GUN DOWN! 
* 
NO! 
MAX 
I gotta go, see, you don't... * 
SERGEANT 
(cuts in) 
PUT THE GUN DOWN! 
* 
MAX 
HEY, HEY! When did this become a 
negotiation? 
Max grabs the gun out of the Sergeant's holster and tosses it 
under the car. He takes his second set of cuffs... 
MAX (CONT'D) 
Cuff yourself to the goddamn door. 
Sergeant cuffs his arm through the window frame of the open 
squad-car door. Max tosses the key. Trapped. 
(CONTINUED) 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 98. 

87C CONTINUED: (2) 87C 


 SERGEANT 
You're in a world of shit... 
MAX 
Good! Do us a favor. Call the 
police! I'm going to 6th and Fig. 
(running off) 
I got no time to explain... 
* 
* 
* 
...and the last the Sergeant sees of him, Max is vanishing up 
the street into the darkness. 
A87D EXT. STREET - MAX A87D * 
Running. 
Stripped of everything now. Operating purely on instinct. 
Vincent's gun in his right hand, handcuff dangling from his left 
wrist... 
Running. 
The city silent around him. 
the pavement... 
The only sound is his feet hitting 
Running. 
TWO COP CARS rocketing through an intersection a block or so 
behind him, SIRENS WAILING. Max veers for cover, not breaking 
stride, pressing on... 
More distant SIRENS, now, police units responding...Max, racing 
up the middle of the street... 
Seeing a late-night PARTIER coming out of The Standard with a 
CELL PHONE, Max grabbing the phone right out of his hand as he 
sails past him, the Partier spinning around to chase after 
him... 
PARTIER 
Hey, asshole! 
Max whips around, H+K snapping up. 
Fuck off! 
MAX 
The man does. Max keeps running, dialing, fumbling Annie's 
business card from his pocket, getting the numbers wrong, trying 
again... 
* 
(CONTINUED) 


9/2/03 MM revs. (green) 99. 

87C CONTINUED: (3) 87C 
...and he finally stops, gasping for breath, punching in the 
final numbers. LOUSY signal. CAMERA CIRCLES AROUND MAX * 
TO REVEAL... * 
87D EXT. PARKING STRUCTURE 87D 

 Max runs up the stairs of a parking structure to get a better * 
signal. He and we SEE... * 
MAX'S POV: FEDERAL BUILDING 
across the freeway. Dark offices. Only a few have lights on. * 


 Except... 
Three floors that are completely lit, 14th through 16th. 
MAX 
(gripping cell phone) 
C'mon, go through, go through... 
Through intermittent CELL PHONE STATIC, we hear RINGING on the * 
other end... 
87E INT. FEDERAL BUILDING LOBBY - VINCENT - NIGHT 87E 
uses a card similar to the one we saw in the front to gain * 
access to the elevator lobby without setting off the alarms. 
BUT this card's connected to a wristband with other key cards * 

 and an identification card of a heavyset black woman. We don't 
understand... 
WIDER * 
beyond Vincent the lobby's vacancy is sinister... * 

87F OMIT 87F * 
88 INT. ELEVATOR - NIGHT 88 

 Vincent rides up, watching the numbers climb... 
89 OMIT 89 
89A EXT. PARKING STRUCTURE - NIGHT 89A 

 Max waits, heart pounding, phone ringing, eyes scanning the * 

 windows... 
He sees a FIGURE on the uppermost well-lit floor, 16, through * 
the south windows cross an office to grab the phone. Annie. 


 INTERCUT WITH: 


9/2/03 MM revs. (green) 99A. 

90 INT. US ATTORNEY'S OFFICE - ANNIE - NIGHT 90 * 

 lays down some files and grabs up the phone, bleary from 
exhaustion. She wasn't kidding about pulling an all-nighter. 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 100. 

90 CONTINUED: 90 


ANNIE 
Annie Farrell. 


MAX 
(gasping for breath) 
Annie...it's Max. 

ANNIE 
(uncertain) 
Max... 


MAX 
Max, the cab driver! 

ANNIE 
(beat) 
Max? 


 (glances at clock) 
...kind of a strange time to be 
calling... 

MAX 
Listen! Listen, okay? There's a man. 
His name's Vincent. He's come to kill 
you! 

ANNIE 
He's...what? Where are you...? * 

MAX 
(shouting) 
Kill you! He is coming to kill you! 

ANNIE

 (beat) 
Is this a joke? 'Cause it is not 
funny. 

MAX 
A guy, Felix, hired him! Or people 
Felix works for. He's already killed 
witnesses, now he's coming after you! 
He was scoping out your building when 
I dropped you off. I don't know what 
happened, but he got into my cab. 

90A INT. ELEVATOR LOBBY - ELEVATOR DOORS 90A 

 slide open. Vincent emerges onto the floor, using a master key 
card to enter the office... 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 101. 

91 INT. OFFICE - ANNIE 91 
tries to decipher what Max is saying through the CELL PHONE 
DROPOUTS: 
ANNIE 
Did you say Felix? As in Reyes- 
Torrena? How do you know about my 
case? I don't understand... 
MAX 
It doesn't matter! 
goddamn building... 
Get out of the 
92 INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT 92 
...but it's too late, Vincent's at a wooden door in the wood-and- 
glass office interior with an "Assistant U.S. Attorney Annie 
Farrell" sign. He kicks in the door at the lock. It slams 
open. He's through, H+K up... 
REVERSE: NOTHING 
Empty. 
in... 
No one's home. It's not the same office. Vincent steps 
92A INT. 16TH FLOOR OFFICE 92A 
Annie finally grasps what Max is telling her: 
ANNIE 
...okay, okay, Max, I believe 
you...I'll get out of the building... 
MAX 
No, no, wait...! 
93 OMIT 93 
93A EXT. PARKING STRUCTURE - MAX 93A 
sees across the freeway: Vincent looking through Annie's 
office. It's on the 14th floor... 
LOW ANGLE PAST MAX * 
CAMERA TILTS UP to reveal Annie two floors above. She's frozen 
at a table in the law library on the south wall, phone to her 
ear. 
* 
* 
* 
93B INT. 14TH FLOOR, ANNIE'S OFFICE - VINCENT 93B 
SEES purse, take-out, coffee cups...Vincent KNOWS she's still 
here. 
* 
(CONTINUED) 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 101A. 

93B CONTINUED: 93B 

 And the ANGLE becomes OVER VINCENT out the window to the parking 
structure below and to the speck on the roof - Max, watching 
him. 

93C EXT. PARKING STRUCTURE - MAX 93C 

MAX 
...he's two floors below you. 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 102. 

93C CONTINUED: 93C 
ANNIE 
In my office?! 
* 
MAX 
Where are you, what floor? 
ANNIE 
Sixteen, law library and files. * 
MAX 
He doesn't know you're up there! 
right where you are! Call 911! 
Stay 
ANNIE 
Max, are you sure? 
MAX 
Call the goddamn police! 
from that spot... 
Don't move 
94 INT. 14TH FLOOR - NIGHT 94 
Vincent pauses from examining offices with half-glass interior 
walls. His eyes going to a desk phone. Three banks of 
extensions. All dark. ONLY ONE of the extension buttons is 
GLOWING. Then it goes out. Then it lights up again. * 
Glowing light. It's Annie calling 911. 
extension's location. 
Next to it is typed the * 
Files Section, 16th Fl. 
Vincent looks up. 
his look... 
He knows where she is. CAMERA TILTS UP of 
95 OMIT 95 
95A EXT. PARKING STRUCTURE - MAX 95A 
sees, realizes Vincent knows where she is... 
MAX 
(into cell phone) 
Hang up. Hang up! Annie, get out! 
He knows where you are! 
96 INT. 16TH FLOOR FILES SECTION - ANNIE 96 
lost in CELL PHONE INTERMITTENT CUT-OUT... 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 103. 

96 CONTINUED: 96 
ANNIE 
Hello? Max? What did you say? 

No use. He's gone. She punches a clear line, dials 911... 
97 OMIT 97 
97A EXT. PARKING STRUCTURE - MAX 97A 

 frantically hits redial. Nothing. No signal. SHRILL FAST-BUSY 
TONE. No cell service. 
MAX 

Shit! 
Pure desperation. He glances over the abutment to the grass 
slope below. No time to think. He acts. Fuck it. He jumps, 
clumsily, falling, rolling... 

97B FALLING DOWN THE SLOPE 97B 
with Max. Desperate, not graceful, pushing to his feet, ankle 
wrenched, racing/hobbling, grass-stained hoody, across... 
97C INT. 14TH FLOOR - LONG LENS ON MAX 97C 
...crossing the bridge over the Harbor Freeway to the office 
building... 
98 INT. 16TH FLOOR FILES SECTION - NIGHT 98 
...as Annie listens to the 911 RECORDING: 
VOICE 
...call will be answered in the order 
received. If this is not an 

 emergency... 
99 OMIT 99 
99A EXT. FEDERAL BUILDING, LOBBY (GAS CO. WEST OVERVIEW) - MAX 99A 

enters. The sidewalk is elevated above the lobby. Through the 
brightly-lit glass walks Max sees the lobby is strangely vacant. * 
No security guards. (Then he SEES a LONG SMEAR OF BLOOD across * 
the white stone...) 

99B OMIT 99B 
100 INT. 16TH FLOOR FILES SECTION - ANNIE 100 
finally hears a CLICK ON THE LINE as: 

(CONTINUED) 


9/21/03 MM revs. (pink) 104. 

100 CONTINUED: 100 
911. 
FEMALE VOICE (FILTERED) 
How can I help you...? 
ANNIE 
There's a man in the building! 
trying to kill me. I'm... 
He's 
100A INT. UTILITY ROOM, 16TH FLOOR - FIRE AX 100A 
WHACK! Vincent swings it again, instantly severing the 16th 
floor's power and telephone trunk line. Sparks emit from the 
bundled cables in the thick conduit. He tosses the ax, exits 
into the hallway, jabs the elevator button... 
100B EXT. FEDERAL BUILDING, LOBBY (EAST VIEW) - MAX 100B * 
appears. And SEES...dead NIGHT WATCHWOMAN squeezed behind the 
security desk... 
* 
* 
101 INT. FILES SECTION - NIGHT 101 
...as Annie finds herself talking to a dead line: 
...hello? 
ANNIE 
Meanwhile... 
102 EXT. BUILDING LOBBY - NIGHT 102 
Max hurls a steel trash can at the glass wall with all his 
might. It just bounces off. 
Max pauses, stymied. He raises Vincent's H+K clumsily in one 
hand, braces himself, squeezes the trigger. Nothing. Is there 
a safety on this thing? He finds it. 
He tries again. FIRES TWO SHOTS into the glass door. The gun 
almost kicks out of his hand. But the door disintegrates. He 
walks through... 
103 INT. 16TH FLOOR FILES SECTION - NIGHT 103 
Annie, frozen with indecision. What to do? Stay or go? 
(In keeping with the building's design, a WALL OF GLASS 
separates this area from the corridor beyond, which is separated 
by glass from other offices and the lobby. Normally, you'd be 
able to see people working, walking the hallway.) 
Right now, the corridor's dark. Terrifying. 
She forces herself to move, to cross the office, run now...for 
the door to the... 
(CONTINUED) 


9/21/03 MM revs. (pink) 104A. 

103 CONTINUED: 103 
INTERNAL CORRIDOR 
...but she only gets ten feet before she's stopped by... 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 105. 

103 CONTINUED: (2) 103 
A door opening. 
stealthy. 
A SOFT FOOTSTEP. Somebody's there. Somebody * 
* 
She backs up, against the floor-to-ceiling windows. Frozen. 
Heart pounding. Listening. Against the city at night out the 
windows... 
* 
* 
She backs up, further towards the windows, back into... * 
103A INT. FILES SECTION 103A 
...where she backs past file cabinets. Not deep enough. 
Nowhere to hide. So she backs along the glass. Nothing now but 
the CITY GLOW spilling faintly through the windows. Low shelves 
of legal books. Tables offering no cover. While... 
A SHADOW 
tracks against the city laid out to the south, the 110 and 10 
like arteries carrying white and red cells (headlights and 
taillights)... 
ANNIE crouches under a table and crawls backwards. She can't 
hear a thing. Her heart pounds. The silence makes her want to 
scream. 
A POV of empty, scary office. Over the table, b.g., is the 
glass wall running the length of the office area. The corridor 
beyond. Empty. 
A SHADOW...? Did she see a shadow pass against the murky 
darkness out there? 
A soft sound. 
imagining it? 
Feet on carpet. Did she hear it? 
The breath catches in her throat. 
Is she 
Eyes wide. 
THE SHADOW 
in the bullpen by a corridor. 
It's Vincent. 
It lurks, silently. Waiting. 
FRONTAL: VINCENT 
And then he moves. Softly. Quietly... 
TIGHT ON ANNIE 
Under the table...by the windows. A huddled form against the 
city lights and helicopters. Waiting. Not breathing. Still as 
a statue. Then the urge is too strong. 
She's got to get out, get out now! 
Annie on her hands and knees, trying to crawl away, 
soundlessly... 
(CONTINUED) 


8/24/03 MM revs. 106. 

103A CONTINUED: 103A 
...not realizing that walking upon her, SOUNDLESSLY, from the 
back is Vincent. She doesn't know. He's a shadow in the 
dimness. 
* 
* 
ANNIE 
senses. Stops. Turns...and she sees the shape - twenty feet 
away - of Vincent...the Para-Ordnance .45 coming up. The .45 
cal barrel like a tunnel into nothingness. 
* 
* 
* 
VINCENT'S EYES 
are cold, indifferent. * 
VINCENT'S FINGER * 
squeezing off the slack on the trigger. * 
VINCENT'S EYES 
sense. Stops. Turns. * 
A SILHOUETTE 
in a doorway. Aiming a gun. He's backlit by a red emergency 
light on a rear wall. For a moment, Vincent can't bring himself 
to believe it... 
* 
* 
* 
Max? 
VINCENT 
MAX 
Let her go. 
Vincent smiles, it's harsh, almost canine... * 
VINCENT 
What are you gonna do, shoot m-- 
BLAM! A MUZZLE FLASH. 
sprawling. 
Vincent got kicked in the head. He goes * 
Max rushes up to Annie. Grabs her arm, jerks her away... * 
Max...? 
ANNIE 
He pulls her to her feet. Both of them backing away, running 
for the door. A GROAN. Max pulls her harder. 
* 
* 
VINCENT 
rises, gets behind cover. Sitting up, eyes glittering, hand 
clasped to the side of his head, blood coursing through his 
fingers. 
* 
(CONTINUED) 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 107. 

103A CONTINUED: (2) 103A 
VINCENT 
Jesus, Max. You shot my ear off. * 
He pulls his hand away, sitting on the floor, staring at the 
sheet of blood on his palm. He looks at the fleeing Max. 
* 
VINCENT (CONT'D) 
Okay, MAX! 
103B INT. GLASS CORRIDORS - MAX 103B 
has the H+K aimed, backing for the elevator lobby... 
103C VINCENT APPEARS 103C 
around a corner, clearing space. Fast. His Para-Ordnance up. 
Max and Annie running, now... Vincent sees vague shapes... 
BOOM-BOOM! BOOM-BOOM! Gunshots punch through the glass, inches 
from Max and Annie, collapsing walls revealing Vincent against 
the LA-scape. Blossoms of white flame: BOOM-BOOM... 
103D INT. ELEVATOR LOBBY 103D 
...and a moment later the GLASS WALL EXPLODES into the corridor, 
by a chair, CRASHING through it, followed by Vincent, into the 
elevator lobby, while... 
103E INT. ELEVATOR - MAX 103E 
hits the ground-floor button and "close," the doors taking a 
million years to do that. As they're sliding shut, he sees 
Vincent across the lobby, raising the gun... 
Max throws himself on Annie, both to the floor. BULLETS PUNCH 
through the paper-thin sheet-metal doors. But the elevator's 
moving now... 
103F INT. 16TH FLOOR HALLWAY 103F 
...leaving Vincent behind. He darts for the stairs. 
103G INT. ELEVATOR 103G 
Max and Annie on the floor, breathing hard, staring at each 
other in wordless shock. They reach the ground floor... 
103H INT. BUILDING LOBBY 103H 
...and Max drags her forward, the two of them racing across for 
the exit, seen WIDE + HIGH in REAR SHOT (Gas Co. lobby, running 
to S.E.)... 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 108. 

103J INT. BUILDING STAIRWELL 103J 
Vincent careens down the steps, the entire side of his head 
bloody, his ear mostly gone. He SLAMS through a door into -103K 
INT. LOBBY 103K 
-- where he finds the elevator standing empty. 
alarm, turns, runs across the lobby... 
He hears a door 
103L INT. LOWER LOBBY - VINCENT 103L 
enters and races down the frozen escalator to CAMERA. * 
A103M INT. MTA - REAR SHOT: MAX + ANNIE A103M * 
enter and run through the interior hall OR down the lower * 

 staircase. 

103M INT./EXT. MTA - LOW/WIDE ANGLE: VINCENT 
entering from the street, diagonally, down to CAM. 

 building is behind him.) 

104 OMIT 

105 INT. BOARDING PLATFORMS (GREEN LINE) - MAX + ANNIE 
race towards the boarding area. 

* 
103M 
(The office 

104 * 
105 * 
* 

 Hardly anyone in sight, except for an OLD WHITE HOMELESS GUY 
with a TV set in a shopping cart powered by a car battery. 
* 
* 
MAX 
CALL THE POLICE! 
* 
He stares at them like they're nuts. 
platform. No train! 
They run towards the empty * 
* 
Neon-lit, strange art, like dead people floating in a pool, 
hangs from the ceiling. 
* 
* 
Max and Annie run, turning this way and that, trying to decide 
what to do. 
* 
* 
A105A OVER MAX + ANNIE - SAME A105A * 
They run down ANOTHER STAIRCASE where we see the BLUE LINE 
PLATFORMS, running at 90 degrees. No train there, either! 
race down, anyway to get away, because... 
They 
* 
* 
* 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 108A. 

105A EXT. TOP OF STAIRS TO GREEN LINE PLATFORM - REAR SHOT: 
VINCENT 
105A * 
* 
runs into frame, SEES Max and Annie 50-75 yards away, racing 
down the stairs to the Blue Line...a difficult shot, Vincent 
aims, elevates the front sight... 
* 
* 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 109. 

105A CONTINUED: 105A 
BOOOOOM! BOOOOOM! BOOOOOM! Vincent FIRES THREE ROUNDS... * 
105B INT. BLUE LINE PLATFORM - MAX + ANNIE 105B * 
cut by .45 caliber bullets chewing craters in the ceramic tiles 
inches from them. 
* 
106 INT. BLUE LINE - MAX + ANNIE 106 * 
HEAR, NOW, A TRAIN PULL IN. BUT it's upstairs on the Green 
Line. They run down the platform for the stairs back UP! 
* 
* 
A106A INT. GREEN LINE PLATFORM - VINCENT A106A * 
running, SEES the train arriving on the OPPOSITE PLATFORM. He 
looks down to the stairs to the Blue Line. A train pulls in 
there, too! Decision time. 
* 
* 
* 
B106A INT. GREEN LINE, THE FOURTH SUBWAY CAR - MAX + ANNIE B106A * 
...are discovered crawling into the car. They collapse, low on 
the floor, waiting for the doors to close, the train to pull 
out, hoping Vincent hasn't followed... 
* 
* 
* 
VINCENT * 
has to decide, has to second-guess Max. A beat. The train sits 
there for seconds. It seems like hours, like fucking forever. 
Vincent riveted to the spot. Max + Annie praying Vincent 
doesn't appear. 
* 
* 
* 
* 
The doors start to close, sliding irrevocably shut. * 
VINCENT * 
Then he knows. With no hesitation, he leaps off the platform 
onto the rails as the train starts to pull out. 
* 
* 
C106A INT. FOURTH SUBWAY CAR - MAX + ANNIE C106A * 
are at the sliding which adjoins the fourth car to the 
third car. The train's picking up speed. Where's Vincent? 
a precaution, they start for the third car. 
As 
* 
* 
* 
D106A EXT. MTA - HELICOPTER FROM ABOVE D106A * 
...we're out of the subway on the surface... * 
106A INT. THIRD CAR - MAX + ANNIE 106A * 
low, down the aisle of the third car, rising for the door. 
Max turns and looks: 
And * 
* 
(CONTINUED) 


 106A CONTINUED: 
9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 109A. 
106A 
VINCENT * 
standing in the fourth car, staring at him. * 
106B OMIT 106B * 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 110. 

106C INT. SECOND CAR - MAX + ANNIE 106C * 
race in as ROUNDS pound through glass into the second car. 
ROUNDS SLAM through metal and glass. 
* 
* 
106D INT. FOURTH CAR - VINCENT - NIGHT 106D * 
VINCENT * 
is coming... * 
VARIOUS ANGLES 
...and the SEQUENCE BUILDS, Vincent working toward the front... 
Max and Annie desperately looking for cover. City racing by. 
Train racing by city. A few RAGGED PASSENGERS trying to huddle 
out of harm's way with nowhere to go. As the TRAIN THUNDERS AND 
SHRIEKS over the track junctures... 
THE FIRST CAR 
Max and Annie rush in, slide the door shut. This is as far as 
they can go. They drop into a crouch at the door, breathing 
hard, terrified, Max with his back against the wall, arm stiffly 
keeping the door handle wedged tight, his head just below the 
door's window. A harsh, ragged whisper: 
ANNIE 
Where's the next station? 
A frozen moment. Eyes locked. Knowing they're probably going 
to die together, even though they hardly know each other. 
THE TRAIN GOES BLACK, LIGHTS DYING AS THEY SHRIEK OVER ANOTHER 
JUNCTURE...then the LIGHTS RETURN, stuttering. 
Max rises slightly up, peers over the lip of the window. 
comes fucking Vincent down the aisle of the second car. 
Max. He shouts, barely audible from here... 
Here 
He sees 
VINCENT 
YOU CAN'T WIN, MAX! 
LIVING! 
I DO THIS FOR A 
...and he keeps coming, .45 at his side, a sheet of blood down 
his face from the missing part of his ear. 
...the visage of Vincent, the .45 in his hands, scares the shit 
out of the early-morning passengers. 
...and Max clutches the H+K, takes a deep, shaky breath, his 
eyes on Annie's, not even sure in that moment what he's going to 
do, probably die, and he lunges up, Vincent not ten feet away... 
AND THE TRAIN GOES DARK. 
(CONTINUED) 


9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 110A. 

106D CONTINUED: 106D 

 A BLIZZARD OF MUZZLE FLASHES, both men FIRING THROUGH THE 
WINDOWS at each other, GLASS SHATTERING between the cars and 
getting sucked away by the wind, Max screaming, face lit only by 
the GUNFIRE, clumsy in how he holds Vincent's H+K, firing one- 
handed, not aiming, not looking where he's shooting...Vincent's 
Para-Ordnance BOOMING OUT MASSIVE ERUPTIONS OF FLAME... 

(CONTINUED) 



9/30/03 MM revs. (cherry) 111. 

106D CONTINUED: (2) 106D 
...and then abrupt silence as the LIGHTS RETURN, Max looking 
down, his expression nearly childlike with terror. He stares at 
the H+K in his shaking hand, sees the slide is locked back gun's 
empty. He rises up. His look says, "go ahead, kill 
me..." through the shattered window. 
* 
Vincent's standing in the other car, right where we left him. 
Watching Max. A little smile on his face. 
107 INT. VINCENT'S CAR - NIGHT 107 
Vincent ejects the empty magazine. Before it even hits the 
floor or at his feet...Vincent's hand loading a full mag, the 
weapon pointed at Max, like it was when he reloaded and shot 
Peter Yip the first time. 
Odd, though. His fingers aren't working that well. His 
brilliant sleight-of-hand seems gone. He fumbles the reload, in 
fact. 
The magazine of stacked .45's drops, landing at his feet among 
the expended casings. A few fresh droplets of blood patter 
quietly. 
Vincent considers picking up the mag, but it suddenly seems like 
way too much trouble. He blinks at the .45 in his hand, as if 
confused, then turns and starts unsteadily back toward the back 
of the car. 
The .45 slips from his fingers, clattering to the floor. 
Max watches Vincent walk away. 
Vincent only makes it halfway. He has to sit. He grabs an 
aluminum pole, eases himself onto the seat, trying to catch his 
breath. 
Max slides his door open, steps across the bridge between cars. 
Slides the second door open. Enters. 
Vincent turns his head slightly, watching Max draw cautiously 
nearer. Max stares down, seeing the blood spreading across the 
floor beneath Vincent. Turning into quite a pool. 
Vincent tries to speak, can't quite manage. Max sits across 
from him. Annie appears in b.g., watching them. 
VINCENT + MAX 
sit there, riding the train. Softly: 
MAX 
We're almost at the next station. 
(CONTINUED) 


10/9/03 MM revs. (yellow) 112. 

107 CONTINUED: 107 
Vincent smiles faintly. He leans his head toward Max as if 
conferring a secret. In a halting whisper: 
VINCENT 
Guy. Gets on a subway. 
(off Max's look) 
Think anybody'll notice? 
Dies. 
MAX 
looks into Vincent's eyes. It means "I'm that guy" and "will 
anybody notice me when I'm gone?" 
VINCENT 
leans back, gazing straight ahead now. 
motion of the train... 
Rocking gently with the 
...and with much effort and to Max's amazement, Vincent emits a 
soft, rasping wheeze, but it's a faint laugh all the same. 
Max has no idea what's so funny to a dying man. Vincent looks. 
Max follows his gaze. There, right across the car, among all 
the ADVERTISEMENTS near the ceiling, is: 
AN AD 
The whitest sand and bluest sea you can imagine. 
Limitless horizon. 
A dream place. 
* 
107A INT. VINCENT'S CAR - MAX - DAWN 107A 
Vincent's no longer laughing. 
doing anything. Ever. 
In fact, Vincent's no longer 
Annie comes to Max and sits. She shivers. Max takes off his 
zippered, hooded sweatshirt and puts it around Annie. It's a 
small gesture. But it's a protective and confident act... She 
takes his hand. Dawn lightens the sky ahead. They ride the 
train together, side by side, neither saying a word. For now. 
The train pulls in to a station... 
WIDE ANGLE OF SUBWAY CAR 
...and Max pulls Annie to her feet. The doors open. They 
silently get off. The first sideways streams of yellow light 
shaft into the station. 
The doors close again. The train pulls out. 
(CONTINUED) 


8/24/03 MM revs. 113. 

107A CONTINUED: 107A 
WE HOLD ON Vincent for a while. Riding the train by himself, 
into the dawn, his head back as if sleeping, alone in the car, 
as the sun rises. 
* 
Another dead guy on the subway...riding into a new day. 
And Max, in his Polo shirt and dirty pants, an arm around Annie, 
wearing his stained sweatshirt, rises to us up the 
escalator...freeways, arteries of traffic behind them. 
* 
* 
* 
FADE OUT