Ox, as "Socrates" is addressing the audience. He reads
from a cheat sheet under his toga.
OX
-everything is different, but the same. Things are moderner than before...
RYAN
watches. Behind him, the clock reads 2:32. Meanwhile --
IN THE POLICE STATION
A "FLASK" goes off as Socrates'"mug shot" is taken. Then
he is shoved into a nearby cell with John the Serf as
Beethoven is brought in to be photographed.
Across the way is Joan of Arc, in a holding cell, with a
bunch of prostitutes and bag. ladies.
A WIDER SHOT
REVEALS that we are in the back room of the hectic, buzzing
Police Station. Historical Figures are being booked,
photographed, printed, and locked up.
CAMERA BEGINS PULLING BACK through the confusion and soon
we are ina =--
QUESTIONING ROOM
where we catch a snippet of conversation between a
POLICEMAN (OFFICER JAMES) and Abraham Lincoln.
OFFICER JAMES
Name?
LINCOLN
Abraham Lincoln.
OFFICER JAMES
Birthday, Mr. Lincoln?
LINCOLN
February 12, 1809.
CONTINUE PULLING BACK, to --
ANOTHER DESK
where Sigmund Freud is being questioned by a PSYCHIATRIST.
PSYCHIATRIST
Why do you claim to be Sigmund Freud?
FREUD
Why do you claim I'm not
Sigmund Freud?
PSYCHIATRIST
Why do you keep asking me questions? Freud smiles and strokes his goatee.
FREUD
Tell me about your mother.
CONTINUE PULLING BACK, to -=
A LINE-UP ROOM
where Genghis Khan is lined up next to three other savage-
looking PUNKS. An Employee from the Big 5 points to Khan
as we --
CONTINUE PULLING BACK, to the --
FRONT ROOM
where Captain Williams is with the last Historical Figure,
Billy the Kid.
wo
aa
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS
Empty your pockets.
Billy the Kid pulls chewing tobacco, bullets, and i9th
century money out of his pockets.
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS
Got any ID?
Biliy pulls out a "WANTED" poster and proudly unrolls it.
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS
(unimpressed)
Anything else?
Billy the Kid shrugs and pulls out a Pudding Cup as we --
CONTINUE PULLING BACK, through the main door, and out into
the station's --
PARKING LOT
where, after a moment, the station wagon whips in and
screeches to a halt. Bill and Ted jump out.
BILL
You go inside and talk to your dad: I'm gonna scope the place out. Missy, I mean, Mom, please watch Napoleon.
Napoleon smiles coyly at Missy as Ted rushes inside --
THE STATION
where he dashes over to his father.
TED
Dad -- !
Captain Williams looks at Ted, fed up.
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS
Pack your bags, Ted.
. TED
What?
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS
You're going to military school, Ted.
NA
TED
But, Dad -- !
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS
I don't want to hear it, Ted.
TED
But -- !
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS
Ted. Go home and pack your bags. Now.
Captain Williams ushers Ted toward the door (above which a
clock rezads 2:37), and forces him --
OUTSIDE
Where the door closes behind him. Bill rushes up.
BILL
How'd it go?
TED
Bad. Our Historical Figures are all locked up and my dad won't let ‘em out.
BILL
If only we had your dad's keys.
TED
We could steal ‘em, but he
iost ‘em two days ago.
BILL
If only we could go back in time to when he had ‘em, and steal ‘em then.
Beat.
TED
Well, why can't we?
BILL
Cause we don't got time.
TED
We could do it after the
report.
Bill's eyes light up.
BILL
Ted! Good thinkin', dude! After we do the report, we'll time travel back to two days ago, steal your dad's keys and leave them here... ,
TED
Where? BILL I dunno...
(pointing)
...how about by that tree?
The guys run to a nearby tree as Bill continues:
BILL
That way, when we get here now, they'll be waiting for us.
He looks behind the tree, sure enough, A SET OF KEYS is
lying in the grass. Bill proudly picks it up.
BILL
See!?
TED
Whoa! Yah! So after the
report, we can't forget to do
it -- otherwise this won't
happen.
{beat)
But it. did happen! Hey! It
was me who stole my dad's
keys!
BILL
Exactly, Ted.
(looking at the watch)
C'mon dude! We got some Historical Figures to rescue!
And the two of them sprint toward the Police Station door,
stopping at the top of the stairs to look back at --
a, THE STATION WAGON
Where Napoleon is still smiling at Missy, casually
attempting to put his arm around her by faking a yawn.
BILL
Missy, I mean, Mom, will you please bring the car around back? ;
Missy nods and starts the car as the guys head into --
THE STATION
where they enter the front room, and crouch near the wall,
out of view of Captain Williams.
TED
How are we gonna get past my dad, dude?
BILL
(thinks; then)
Do you got a tape recorder at
home?
TED
Yah.
BILL
Okay. We gotta remember to get the tape recorder, and set a timer on it for...
Bill looks up at a clock. It reads "2:39."
BILL
22-2:39. Got it? TED
(concentrating)
Got it. What should I say on
it?
We begin to HEAR TED'S VOICE emanating from an adjacent
room.
TED'S VOICE (0.5.)
Dad! Hey dad! I'm over here!
BILL AND TED
Look at each other, grin, do a silent AIR GUITAR, and, as: CAPTAIN WILLIAMS
leaves his desk and moves toward his son's voice --
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS
Ted?
BILL AND TED
quietly crawl past, sneaking into -- THE NEXT ROOM
Where they stop in front of OFFICER JAMES, who looks up
from his desk, recognizing Ted.
OFFICER JAMES
Oh -- hello, Ted. I'm sorry, but I can't let you back here.
TED
That's okay, Officer James. Oh, hey, Row come there's a picture of Motley Crue in with your family portrait? ;
Officer James looks at the photo on his desk where, sure
enough, between the family portrait and the glass frame is
a photograph of the four snarling, devilish members of
Motley Crue.
OFFICER JAMES
Well, how did...?
And as Officer James tries to pry the unwanted photo out of
the picture frame --
BILL AND TED
sneak past his desk.
BILL
(sotto)
You got that? TED Of course I got that -- it was my idea. ; BILL
Whoa -- watch it, dude.
Bill points to an officer -- OFFICER CHED. But Ted brushes
it off.
TED
Oh, he's okay. He's my buddy.
16090
OFFICER CHED
(noticing them; friendly)
Hi, Ted. ;
TED
Hi, Officer Ched.
The guys walk past him and Ched goes back to his work.
TED
(sotto; to Bill)
Remind me to do something nice for him.
As Bill and Ted pass, Officer Ched opens a desk drawer and,
much to his delight, pulls out a PUDDING CUP and a SPOON.
OFFICER CHED
(pleasantly surprised)
Hey...a pudding cup.
He smiles as he cracks it open.
Meanwhile --
BILL AND TED
Are now crawling toward the back roon.
TED
Dude! Check it out!
Ted points to the side of a desk, where the "Wyld Stallyns"
insignia has been drawn. Under it is a note.
BILL
(reading)
“Dear Bill and Ted. Good luck on the report. Sincerely, Bill S. Smith, Esquire, and Ted "Theodore" Williams."
TED
That was nice of us.
Bill looks closely at the note, noticing an addendum.
~~ BILL
Whoa -- look.
(reading)
"P.S. Duck."
ae 7
The guys du, just in time to see --
OFFICER LOGAN
walking past, eyes narrowed suspiciously. He continues on,
out of the room. :
The guys breath a sigh of relief and check the "coast".
BILL
I think we're all clear.
TED
Let's go, dude!
The guys hurry across the floor toward --
‘THE CELLS
Where the Historical Figures -- mixed in with bums,
derelicts and hookers -- all perk up when they see --
BILL AND TED
grandly crossing toward them with the keys. Ted moves to
the back window while Bill begins to open the cell doors.
Meanwhile --
IN THE FRONT ROOM
Captain Williams has finally spotted the jabbering tape
recorder.
TED'S VOICE
-.e-now that you're finally listening to me, dad --
Captain Williams furiously turns the recorder off. All of
a sudden it comes up again.
TED'S VOICE
-~ there's something I want to tell you.
Captain Williams spots a second tape recorder, placed a
couple of feet away.
TED'S VOICE
(continuing)
I'm not a failure, dad. I'm not ignorant. I'm not selfish, and I'm not --
As Captain Williams reaches for the recorder:
TED'S VOICE
(continues)
Dad! Don't turn this off! I'm not done!
But Williams turns the machine off.
Ted's voice resumes yet again, from a third tape recorder:
TED'S VOICE
I told you not to turn it off. Dad. Listen: I'm gonna pass the test. And we're gonna start our band. |
Williams, livid, turns and storms back into the station.
HOLD ON TAPE RECORDER
Which continues running:
BILL'S VOICE
Way to go, Ted. We stalled
hin.
TED'S VOICE
What else do I say?
A beat, then:
TED'S VOICE
(deep, airy)
-+eand now, opening for Iron
Maiden...
BOTH VOICES
Wyld Stallyns!!
ATR GUITAR as the tape runs out.
AT THE CELLS
The Historical Figures are now crowded by the open window.
BILL
(to Ted)
Is the ladder ready?
TED
(looking out the window)
There is no ladder.
a
to
Ted does
Figures.
THE BACK
BILL
Don't tell me we forgot the ladder!
TED |
(pounding his
head)
Remember the ladder. Remember
the ladder. Remem --
BILL
(interrupting)
Ted -- it doesn't matter. If it's not there now, we're not gonna do it, so you don't gotta remember.
TED
I don't gotta remember? Excellent!
AIR GUITAR as Bill turns to the Historical
BILL
Great People, as time is of the essence, I must ask. that you all work together so we can get down to the car. Billy the Kid, please show the others how to make a Human Ladder.
As Billy the Kid starts to climb out the window, we:
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS
striding through the station toward:
where Bill is giving a "boost" to the Final Historical
Figure -- Sigmund Freud -- when Ted turns around and
freezes,
seeing:
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS
(entering; livid)
Ted. Just what in the hell do you <--??
CuT TO:
TED
{to himself) Bucket. Remember a bucket.
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS
Bucket?? What are -- ??
Just then a BUCKET drops down onto Williams’ head with a
¢Clang. (On the front of the bucket are the words: "Wyld
Stallyns Rules". )
Williams staggers around, trying to remove the bucket from
his head, hollow curses ringing from within. ©
TED
Sorry, Dad, but we gotta get to our History report. About to leave, Ted turns back.
TED
Oh -- I found your keys.
And as Ted places Captain Williams' keys on top of the
bucket and turns toward the window, we:
cut To:
THE SCHOOL AUDITORIUM
Where Randolf, as "Abe Lincoln," is just finishing his
speech. The clock behind him reads "2:44."
RANDOLF
...and so, in conclusion, I find that San Dimas...is a nice place to visit, but I ‘wouldn't want to live here.
Randolf smiles as the audience applauds.
MR. RYAN
scratches Bill and Ted's names off the sign-in sheet. He
shakes his head and crosses to --
THE FRONT OF THE AUDITORIUM
where he gives a supportive nod to the gloating Randolf and
steps up to the podium.
RYAN
Good report, Randolf. Good
work, class.
(to the audience)
Since we're short one report,
we'll be finishing a little
early today. I hope this was
as valuable and informative
for all of you as it was for
us.
Behind Ryan, the clock nears 2:45.
Then Ryan gathers his papers and steps down from the podium
and --
IN THE AUDITORIUM
The audience and students stand and are beginning to mill
about when <--
-- there is the SOUND of a HUGE CRASH outside. Tires
screeching, trash cans tumbling, voices yelling