Danny pulls a business card from his jacket, picks up the
phone again, and dials the card's number.
OCEAN'S 11 - Rev. 5/31/01 7.
DANNY
Yes, Officer Brooks? My name is Danny Ocean. I'm just out, I'm supposed to check in with you within twenty-four hours.
(listens)
No, sir, I haven't gotten into any trouble. No drinking, no sir.
(listens, finishes his bourbon)
No, sir, I wouldn't even think of leaving the state.
OFF the sound of a JET fly-over we...
CUT TO:
A11 EXT. HOLLYWOOD CLUB (DEEP) - REAR ENTRANCE - NIGHT A11
PULLING OFF the Capitol Building, we PICK UP Rusty
(tall, angular, ebony) leaning against his Ford Falcon.
TOPHER (O.S.)
Hey! Hey, Rusty!
Rusty turns to the voice and --
CUT TO:
ANOTHER ANGLE
MOVING WITH him and Topher Grace, the actor, as they push
down a back alley.
TOPHER
Hey, I don't know if you're, uh, you know, incorporated or anything, like Rusty Ryan. And, I don't know, incorporated, but you should think about it, really, 'cause I was talking to my manager yesterday --
RUSTY
Bernie?
OCEAN'S 11 - Rev. 5/31/01 8.
A11 CONTINUED: A11
TOPHER
No, not Bernie, I mean not, not that Bernie, my business manager, he's also Bernie, he was telling me that since this, what we do, could be considered research for, you know, a future gig, that I should be able to write it off as a business expense. So he suggested that it'd be better if I wrote you a check, and thereby --
Rusty looks at him: are you stoned?
TOPHER
Or, or we could keep it cash.
By this time, they should have entered --
A12 INT. HOLLYWOOD CLUB (DEEP) - NIGHT A12
-- where they must weave through hordes of young
Hollywood nightclubbers.
RUSTY
Alright. Who's here?
TOPHER
Josh is here. Seth is here. David couldn't make it. He's got two weeks of reshoots on Lusitania because somebody just figured out forty percent of the budget is coming from Germany.
RUSTY
That's a problem.
TOPHER
Barry is here.
RUSTY
I thought they let him out to do that H.B.O. thing in Vancouver.
TOPHER
Couldn't work the dates. Oh, and he brought his girlfriend.
OCEAN'S 11 - Rev. 5/31/01 9.
A12 CONTINUED: A12
RUSTY
Not the one from --
TOPHER
Uh-huh.
RUSTY
(beat)
I quit watching when Kate left Don after his accident.
They pass on, and into --
A13 INT. BACK ROOM - NIGHT A13
Small but stylish. Rusty enters, Topher in tow.
RUSTY
Good evening, guys. Let's play some cards...
A glance at the table reveals: the three waiting players
are all young TV stars (Josh Jackson, Seth Green, Barry
Watson) here for a group poker lesson with Rusty.(One
star, indeed, has brought his girlfriend, Katie, also
a known actress, to observe.)
A glance back at Rusty reveals: he's in for a long
night.
RUSTY
... and let's play some cards.
AT TABLE - LATER
The group lesson has begun.
TOPHER
A hundred bucks to me...
(mulling it over)
Ah, what the hell. Pocket change. Call.
Rusty leans into Topher's ear, whispering:
OCEAN'S 11 - Rev. 5/31/01 10.
A13 CONTINUED: A13
RUSTY
Why you bet a certain way is your business. But you have to make them think you're betting for a reason. Understand?
SAME SCENE - LATER
To another player:
RUSTY
Seth. You know what you have. Looking at them doesn't change them. Leave 'em where they are and make your bet.
SAME SCENE - LATER
To another player:
RUSTY
You're showing. Yeah, I know she's your girlfriend, Barry, but you can't... Thank you.
SAME SCENE - LATER
To another:
RUSTY
Josh. Deal to your left.
SAME SCENE - LATER
A WAITRESS enters from the club, and DANCE MUSIC with
her. As she distributes a fresh round:
WAITRESS
One McCallum neat. And four bottled waters.
Rusty takes in the sight -- bottled fucking water on a
poker table.
SETH
(triumphantly)
Two pair -- nines and twos.
Rusty checks his hand: a full-house full of face cards.
OCEAN'S 11 - Rev. 5/31/01 11.
A13 CONTINUED: (2) A13
RUSTY
(folding)
You got me.
(as Seth rakes in his winnings)
Let's take a little break.
A14 INT. HOLLYWOOD CLUB (DEEP) - NIGHT A14
At the bar, Rusty orders a double. He needs it.
BARTENDER
(shouting over music)
How's the game going?!!
RUSTY
It's been the longest hour of my life.
BARTENDER
What?!
RUSTY
(at the same volume)
I'm running away with your wife.
The Bartender, not able to hear him, smiles and flashes
a thumbs-up before moving away.
BARTENDER
Cool, man!
Behind the bar two go-go dancers writhe behind red-light-
district windows, and Rusty catches his own fatigued
expression in their reflection. Then, out the corner
of his eye, he catches sight of a man passing through
the pulsating crowd. Someone familiar to him. He
follows.
A15 INT. HOLLYWOOD CLUB (DEEP) - BACK ROOM A15
Rusty returns.
TOPHER
Hey, Rusty, we got another player, if that's alright.
OCEAN'S 11 - Rev. 5/31/01 12.
A15 CONTINUED: A15
Topher indicates the new arrival: Danny. Rusty looks
as if there's a bad smell in the room.
RUSTY
What's this?
DANNY
The bouncer mentioned there was a game in progress. I hope I'm not intruding.
TOPHER
No intrusion at all --
RUSTY
What was his name, the bouncer's?
DANNY
I don't remember.
RUSTY
A card player with amnesia. This should be fun.
AT TABLE - MOMENTS LATER
Rusty deals the next hand.
TOPHER
What do you do for a living, Mr. Ocean? If you don't mind my asking.
DANNY
Why should I mind? Two cards, please...
(long beat)
I just got out of prison.
TOPHER
Really?
(a glance among the other players)
Really...
RUSTY
(half to divert attention)
Barry, you're showing again.
BARRY (O.S.)
Sorry.
OCEAN'S 11 - Rev. 5/31/01 12A.
A15 CONTINUED: (2) A15
JOSH
What'd you, uh, go to prison for?
DANNY
I stole things.
JOSH
What, like jewels? Diamonds?
A beat, then:
RUSTY
Incan matrimonial headmasks.
Looks are exchanged. Everyone digests that.
JOSH
From a museum?
DANNY
Gallery.
SETH
There a lot of money in those? Incan matrimonial...
DANNY
Headmasks. Some.
RUSTY
Don't let him fool you, Seth. There's boatloads. If you can move the things...
(finishing his deal)
One card to me.
(to Danny, pointedly)
... but you can't.
DANNY
My fence seemed confident enough.
RUSTY
If you're dealing with cash, you don't need a fence.
DANNY
Some people just lack vision.
RUSTY
Probably everybody in cell block E.
OCEAN'S 11 - Rev. 5/31/01 12B.
A15 CONTINUED: (3) A15
Now the other players realize. These guys have a
relationship. In fact, a criminal one. And, judging
from their steely glares across the table, not a happy
one.
DANNY
Well, that's all behind us now.
RUSTY
I should hope so.
Danny smiles, icily -- of course, it's not -- then pulls
out his wallet.
DANNY
I raise you five hundred dollars.
A hush in the room. Danny has thrown down the gauntlet.
He and Rusty hold each other's stares.
RUSTY
Guys: Day One: what's the first rule of poker?
BARRY TOPHER
Um, never bet on, uh, on 'Leave emotion at the
a -- door.'
RUSTY
That's right. My friend here just raised me out of pique.
(beat)
Today's lesson. How to draw out a bluff. This early in the game, that much money, I'm thinking he's holding nothing better than a pair of face cards.
(beat)
Seth, raise him.
SETH
Okay. Uh, your five hundred and... another two?
Rusty nods, and Seth pushes in his chips.
RUSTY
Tophe...
TOPHER
Seven to me. Plus three. What the hell.
OCEAN'S 11 - Rev. 5/31/01 12C.
A15 CONTINUED: (4) A15
RUSTY
Indeed. But be careful you don't push him too high too fast. Want to keep him on the leash. I call.
It's Josh's turn. He hesitates...
JOSH
What's that to me? A thousand?
RUSTY
All you have to do is call.
DANNY
(off Josh's further hesitation)
What? Your girlfriend holding your purse?
That does it. Josh is in. The bet's to Danny. He
checks his hand, and Seth starts to whisper to Topher.
DANNY
Contrary to what Mr. Ryan may say, Seth, I always check my cards before I make a bet. But be cafeful. I could tell from your face you're holding three of a kind or better.
(digging his wallet out)
Five hundred to call. And two grand more.
Danny stares Rusty down. The others look a little pale.
RUSTY
Guys, you're free to do what you like. It's a lot of money. But I'm staying in. He's trying to buy his way out of his bluff.
Nobody looks too eager to call, but nobody wants to
leave a grand on the table, either. Finally, Seth
ponies up, and the others -- not be outdone -- do, too.
RUSTY
We call.
Danny sets down his hand. Four nines. It's a winner.
The others, jaws dropped, throw in their cards. For the
first time tonight, Rusty blanches.
OCEAN'S 11 - Rev. 5/31/01 12D.
A15 CONTINUED: (5) A15
RUSTY
Shit. Sorry, guys. I -- I was sure he was bluffing.
As Rusty plummets in the estimation of all the guys
around him, Danny rakes in his pot.
DANNY
Thanks for the game, fellas.
(then)
Hey, I hate to ask this, but could you sign something for me? It's for the guys in the joint. They just love all your shows.
A16 EXT. HOLLYWOOD CLUB (DEEP) - NIGHT A16
A queue of clubgoers erupt in a frenzy as Topher and
company exit, and they begin signing autographs. Danny
and Rusty exit, too, but of course nobody gives a shit
about them.