"TRUE ROMANCE" (1993)

TRUE ROMANCE

by

Quentin Tarantino

August 1992 Early Draft

FOR EDUCATIONAL

PURPOSES ONLY

When you're tired of relationships, try a romance.

"His films are a desperate cry from the heart of a grotesque fast food culture."

-French critics on the films of Roger Corman.

"... Beyond all the naivete and stupidity, beyond the vulgarity inherent in the amount of money involved, beyond all this, a certain grandeur had rooted itself into the scheme, and I could still spy a reckless and artistic splendor to the way we had carried it out."

-Clifford Irving on the Howard Hughes hoax.

TRUE ROMANCE

FADE IN:

DETROIT SKYLINE - TWILIGHT MONOTONE

BEGIN MAIN TITLES. Gotham city in deep winter. PERCY SLEDGE hammers out, "When A Man Loves A Woman." Dark, overcast, snow-filled skies shroud big black monoliths set in wastelands of a post holocaust city -- occasional car headlights dissect the blackness.

SERIES OF SHOTS

Ansel Adams type city scapes, the CAMERA MOVES INTO the darkness of the vertical monoliths TO FIND occasional human creatures comforting themselves around open fires. Glimpsed, cracked lips and frightened eyes assault the CAMERA THROUGH a haze of cold breath.

A dark planet resembling the pupil of an eye reflects an open fire. Red veins dissect the gray, white void around the planet. It blinks -- it is an eye.

END OF TITLES.

SCREEN TO BLACK:

FADE IN:

Gotham city rises up in the b.g.

A smoky cocktail bar in downtown Detroit.

CLARENCE WORLEY, a young hipster, hepcat, is trying to pick up on an older lady named LUCY. She isn't bothered by him, in fact, she's a little charmed. But, you can tell that she isn't going to leave her barstool.

Lucy takes a drag from her cigarette.

Lucy laughs.

Lucy takes a drag from her cigarette.

TITLE CARD: "MOTORCITY"

The SOUNDS of the CITY flow in through an open window: CAR HORNS, GUN SHOTS and VOICES. Paint is peeling off the walls and the once green carpet is stained black.

On the bed nearby is a huge open suitcase filled with clear plastic bags of cocaine. Shotguns and pistols have been dropped carelessly around the suitcase. On the far end of the room, against the wall, is a TV, "Bewitched" is playing.

On the opposite end of the room, by the front door, is a table. DREXL SPIVEY and FLOYD DIXON sit around it. Cocaine is on the table as well as little plastic bags and a weigher. Floyd is black, Drexl is a white boy, but you wouldn't know it to listen to him.

BIG DON WATTS, a stout, mean-looking black man who's older than Drexl and Floyd, walks through the door carrying hamburgers and french fries in two greasy brown paper bags.

Drexl and Big D bump fists.

Drexl and Big D bust up.

Drexl and Big D get up from the table, disgusted and walk away leaving Floyd sitting all alone.

Big D sits on the bed, his back turned to Floyd, watching "Bewitched."

Without turning away from "Bewitched" he picks up the shotgun and tosses it to Drexl.

Then, in a blink, he points the shotgun at Floyd and BLOWS him away.

Big D leaps off the bed and spins toward Drexl.

Drexl, waiting for him FIRES from across the room.

The blast hits the big man in the right arm and shoulder, spinning him around.

Drexl makes a bee-line toward his victim and FIRES again.

Big D is hit with a blast, full in the back. He slams into the wall and drops.

Drexl collects the suitcase full of cocaine and leaves.

As he gets to the front door he surveys the carnage, spits, and walks out.

Sonny Chiba, as "Streetfighter" Terry Surki, dives into a group of guys, fists and feet flying and whips ass on the silver screen.

Clarence sits, legs over the back of the chair in front of him, nibbling on popcorn, eyes big as saucers, and a big smile on his face.

A cab pulls up to the outside of the Lyric. The marquee carries the names of the triple feature: The Street- fighter, Return of the Streetfighter, and Sister Streetfighter. ALABAMA steps out of the taxi cab and walks up to the box office.

A BOX OFFICE GIRL reading an Iron Man comic looks at her.

Alabama walks into the lobby and goes over to the con- cession stand. A young Usher takes care of her.

It's still assholes and elbows on the screen with Sonny Chiba taking on all comers.

Alabama walks through the doors with her bounty of food. She makes a quick scan of the theater. Not many people are there. She makes a bee-line for the front which just so happens to be Clarence's area of choice. She picks the row of seats just behind Clarence and starts making her way down it.

Clarence turns and sees this beautiful girl all alone moving towards him. He turns his attention back to the screen, trying not to be so obvious.

When Alabama gets right behind Clarence, her foot thunks a discarded wine bottle, causing her to trip and spill her popcorn all over Clarence.

Alabama sits back in her seat to watch the movie.

Clarence tries to wipe her out of his mind, which isn't easy, and get back into the movie.

They both watch the screen for a moment. Then, Alabama leans forward and taps Clarence on the shoulder.

Jumping at this opportunity.

They both watch, eyes wide, as Sonny Chiba kicks ass.

TIME CUT:

THEATER - LATER

On the screen, Sonny Chiba's all jacked up. Dead bodies lay all around him. "THE END" (in Japanese) flashes on the screen.

The theater lights go up. Alabama's now sitting in the seat next to Clarence. They're both applauding.

ALABAMA

Great movie. Action packed!

She shows Clarence her driver's license.

Clarence and Alabama are outside the theatre. With the marquee lit up in the b.g. they both perform unskilled martial arts moves. Clarence and Alabama break up laughing.

Clarence and Alabama are sitting in a booth at an all night Denny's. It's about 12:30 AM. Clarence is having a piece of chocolate cream pie and a Coke. Alabama's nibbling on a piece of heated apple pie and sipping a large Tab.

Alabama takes a bite of pie, puts down her fork, and looks at Clarence.

Clarence scoops up a piece on his fork and Alabama bites it off.

She looks at Clarence and smiles.

Clarence looks at her closely. He picks up his soda and sucks on the straw until it makes that slurping sound. He puts it aside and stares into her soul.

A smile cracks on her face and develops into a big wide grin.

It's about 1:30 AM. Clarence has taken Alabama to where he works. It's a comic book store called "Heros For Sale." Alabama thinks this place is super cool.

Clarence gets a box off the shelf.

She holds up a little G.I. Joe-size action figure of a black policeman.

He pulls out a plastic-encased Spiderman comic from the box.

Clarence shows the comic book to Alabama.

We see the Sgt. Fury panels.

She's looking into Clarence's eyes. He turns and meets her gaze.

Clarence hands her the Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commadoes comic book, he loves so much.

Clarence and Alabama make love in his bed. However, while they're not missing a beat during intercourse, Clarence can't shut up. The following dialogue sounds exactly like what it is, a man and woman in the throes of passion trying to carry on a conversation.

Their lips envelop each other.

Clarence's bedroom is a pop culture explosion. Movie posters, pictures of Elvis, anything you can imagine. The sweaty lovebirds are soaking in a post-passion hot bath. By the look of the comfort they share, it would be hard to imagine that they met not five hours ago.

It's the next day. Clarence wakes up in his bed alone. He looks around and no Alabama, but the skylight to the roof is open.

The stairs are down. Clarence pulls on a large ratty fur coat salvaged from a thrift shop and heads for the roof.

20. ***

DAWN

It is early, a time when even Detroit looks beautiful. Clarence's run-down Victorian apartment building is dwarfed between Gotham City high rises and 70's glass behemoths.

On the roof is an enormous Marlboro billboard -- Monument Valley frames the All American cowboy. On the catwalk, in a strange green underlight, which illuminates the billboard, is Alabama. She is sitting on a yellow plastic collapsible beach chair, swathed in a large overcoat and blanket. This is Clarence's terrace where he often surveys the city. He approaches Alabama along the cat- walk. She tries to compose herself.

Clarenc unfolds a second beach chair and sits next to Alabama.

Pause.

21. ***

Clarence is on his feet, furious.

When Alabama gives her answer, her voice cracks.

They seal it with a kiss.

CLOSEUP - ALABAMA'S WEDDING RING - LATER THAT NIGHT

PULL BACK to reveal the newlyweds are both snuggling up together on the couch watching TV. The movie they're watching is "The Incredible One Armed Boxer vs. the Master of the Flying Guillotine." Alabama watches the screen, but every so often she looks down to admire the ring on her hand.

We hear, O.S., the TV ANNOUNCER say:

Clarence looks at the TV.

25. ***

He feels the warmth of Alabama's hand holding his.

We see commercials playing.

He turns in her direction.

She's absent-mindedly looking at her wedding ring.

He smiles and turns back to the TV.

More commercials.

DOLLY CLOSE ON Clarence's face.

FLASH ON

Alabama, right after he proposed.

FLASH ON

In a cute, all-night wedding chapel. Clarence dressed in a rented tuxedo and Alabama in a rented white wedding gown.

FLASH ON

Clarence and Alabama, dressed in tux and gown, doing a lover's waltz on a ballroom dance floor.

FLASH ON

Clarence and Alabama in a taxi cab.

26. ***

Moving on top of her.

He starts kissing her and moving her down on the seat. She resists.

Seedy hole in the wall tattoo parlor framed between a Chinese take-away and a laundromat. Clarence's car sits with two wheels up on the curb.

colorizing a red banner. The banner reads: CLARENCE. A little airborne cherub sports the banner. Alabama is face down on a table sweating, gripping Clarence's hands. He is sporting a mirror tattoo on his upper arm but this time the banner reads: ALABAMA and the cherub is releasing an arrow from his bow.

An aging English punk rocker wearing baggy shorts, an assortment of strange body tattoos and Doc Martins, performs the surgery on Alabama's butt. BILLY IDOL'S "White Wedding" booms through the small sweaty space.

As Alabama goes through the painful tattoo, she fills Clarence in on her history.

FLASH ON

A big mean-looking black man in PIMP clothes.

FLASH ON

Pimp on street corner with his arm around Alabama, giving a sales pitch to a potential customer.

28. ***

FLASH ON

Pimp beating Alabama.

FLASH ON

Alabama passionately kissing the uninterested pimp.

TV WITH KUNG FU ON IT

CLARENCE'S FACE

There's definitely something different about his eyes.

Clarence springs off the couch and goes into his bedroom. Alabama's startled by his sudden movement.

Clarence splashes water on his face trying to wash away the images that keep polluting his mind. Then, he hears a familiar voice.

Clarence turns and sees that the voice belongs to ELVIS PRESLEY. Clarence isn't surprised to see him.

Clarence looks at Elvis.

which Clarence loads and sticks in a heavy athletic sock he's wearing.

Clarence returns.

He kneels down before her and holds her hand.

Image what Bel Air would be like if the crime rate got so bad that people just said "fuck it" and left. The dealers, pimps, and filth of the world have taken over. They just moved right into the large Victorian mansions that at one time were nice. That time is gone for sure, all the houses that still stand are in an accelerated state of decay.

Between the houses, in what was once spacious grounds, there now exists only no-man's lands where all of the deals take place. The living dead of the drug world wander about.

Clarence drives through all of this until he gets to the address written on the TV Guide.

It's pretty late at night. Clarence steps out of his red Mustang. He's right smack dab in the middle of a bad place to be in the daytime.

He checks his pulse on his neck, it's beating like a race horse. To pump himself up, he does a quick Elvis Presley gyration.

He starts walking into the large open field.

32.***

Clarence has a beat to his stride that says "confidence." But with each step into the dimly lit expanse, thoughts of "what the hell am I doing" begin creeping into his mind.

In the b.g., against the dilapidated mansions, Clarence can see the eerie glow that at one time may have been fireflies... today it's crack pipes.

Clarence approaches JUPITER, a diseased-looking dealer/ junkie who thinks Clarence is there to score.

This stops Clarence cold.

Clarence walks past him like a man on a mission.

And Jupiter walks off to confront another customer.

Clarence makes his way, more confident than ever, toward the door of a large, dark Victorian mansion.

Clarence steps up to the massive door of the house. His heart's really racing now. He has the TV Guide that Alabama wrote the address on in his hand.

He KNOCKS on the door using the HUGE KNOCKERS.

Marty answers the door.

A figure appears in the doorway, wearing a yellow Farrah Fawcett T-shirt. It's our friend, Drexl.

Drexl and Marty about-face and walk into the room continuing a conversation they were having and leaving Clarence standing in the doorway.

This is not the confrontation Clarence expected. He trails in behind Drexl and Marty.

Drexl looks over his shoulder at Clarence.

Drexl gestures to one of the three stoned hookers lounging about on couches in the large living room that has been transformed from something dignified to a cesspool.

Drexl sits down on the couch with a card table in front of it scattered with take-out boxes of Chinese food. The black exploitation movie The Mack with Max Julian is playing on the TV. This is not how Clarence expected to confront Drexl, but this is exactly what he expected Drexl to be like.

He positions himself in front of the food table, demanding Drexl's attention.

Clarence takes out an envelope and throws it on the table.

You could hear a pin drop in the room. Once Clarence started talking, Marty went on full alert. Drexl stopped eating and the whores stopped breathing. All eyes are on Drexl. Drexl drops his chopsticks and opens the envelope. It's empty.

Clarence flashes a wide Cheshire cat grin that says "That's right, asshole." Silence.

Before Drexl finishes the sentence, he picks up the card table and throws it at Clarence, catching him off guard.

Marty comes up behind Clarence and throws his arm around his neck, putting him in a tight choke hold.

Clarence, with his free arm, hits Marty hard with his elbow in the solar plexus. We'll never know whether that blow had any effect because just at that moment Drexl takes a flying leap and tackles the two guys.

All of them go crashing into the stereo unit and a couple of shelves that hold records, all of which collapse to the floor in a shower of LP's.

Marty, who's on the bottom of the pile hasn't let go of Clarence.

Since Drexl's on top he starts slamming his fists into Clarence's face.

Clarence, who's sandwiched between these two guys, can't do a whole lot about it.

He hits Clarence hard in the face with both fists.

Clarence, who has no leverage whatsoever, grabs hold of Drexl's face and digs his nails in. He sticks his thumb in Drexl's mouth, grabs a piece of cheek and starts twisting.

Marty, who's in even worse of a position, can't do any- thing but tighten his grip around Clarence's neck until Clarence feels like his eyes are going to pop out of his head.

Drexl's face is getting torn up but he's also biting down hard on Clarence's thumb.

Clarence raises his head and brings it down hard, crunching Marty's face and busting his nose.

Marty loosens his grip on Clarence's neck.

Clance wriggles free and gets up onto his knees.

Drexl and Clarence are now on even footing, but awkward footing it is. The two are going at each other like a pair of alley cats, not aiming their punches, just keep- ing them coming fast and furious. They're not doing much damage to each other because their positions, almost like a hockey fight.

Marty sneaks up behind Clarence and smashes him in the head with a stack of LP's. This disorients Clarence. Marty grabs him from behind and pulls him to his feet.

Drexl socks him in the face. One, two, three! Then he kicks him hard in the balls.

Marty lets go and Clarence hits the floor like a sack of potatoes. He curls up into a fetal position and holds his balls, tears coming out of his eyes.

Drexl's face is torn up from Clarence's nails.

Marty has blood streaming down his face from his nose and onto his shirt.

Drexl kicks Clarence, who's still on the ground, hurting.

Drexl kicks him again. Clarence curls up.

Drexl bends down and looks for Clarence's wallet in his jacket.

Clarence still can't do much. The kick to his balls still has him down.

Drexl finds the wallet and pulls it out. He flips it open to the driver's license.

He puts his foot on Clarence's chest.

CLARENCE'S POV

as he looks up.

BACK TO SCENE

He hands Marty the driver's license. Marty goes to get the car keys and a jacket.

While Drexl has his attention turned to Marty, Clarence reaches into his sock and pulls out the .38. He sticks the barrel between Drexl's legs.

Drexl, who's standing over Clarence, looks down just in time to see Clarence pull the trigger and BLOW his balls to bits. Tiny spots of blood speckle Clarence's face.

Drexl shrieks in horror and pain and falls to the ground.

Marty steps into the room.

Clarence doesn't hesitate. He SHOOTS Marty four times in the chest.

Two of the three hookers run out of the front door scream- ing. The other hooker is curled up in the corner. She's too stoned to run, but stoned enough to be terrified.

Drexl, still alive, is lying on the ground, howling, holding what's left of his balls and dick.

Clarence points the gun at the remaining hooker.

She doesn't move.

The hooker, tears of fear running her mascara, grabs a suitcase from under the bed, and on her hands and knees, pushes it along the floor to Clarence.

Clarence takes it by the handle and wobbles over to Drexl, who's curled up like a pillbug.

CLOSEUP - CLARENCE'S FORGOTTEN DRIVER'S LICENSE

in Marty's bloody hand.

BACK TO SCENE

Clarence puts his foot on Drexl's chest.

He doesn't. Clarence gives him a kick.

He does. It's now...

DREXL'S POV

from the floor.

He FIRES.

CLOSEUP

The bullet comes out of the gun and heads RIGHT TOWARDS us. When it REACHES us, the screen goes AWASH IN RED.

The front door swings open and Clarence walks in. Alabama jumps off the couch and runs toward Clarence, before she reaches him he blurts out.

She stops short.

Clarence leaves. Except for the TV PLAYING, the room is quiet. Alabama sits on the couch.

Clarance walks back into the room with a whole bounty of take-out food. He heaps it onto the coffee table and starts to chow down.

He stops and looks at her.

He starts eating french fries and hamburgers.

Alabama starts to cry. Clarence continues eating, ignoring her.

She continues crying. He continues eating and ignoring her. Finally, he spins on her yellling:

She looks at Clarence, having a hard time getting a word out.

Clarence is completely taken aback. They meet in a long passionate lovers' kiss. Their kiss breaks and slowly the world comes back to normal.

He picks up the suitcase and drops it on the table in front of them.

Clarence flips open the suitcase. Alabama and her husband's jaws drop.

A big white Chevy Nova is driving down the road with a sunrise sky as a backdrop. The song "Little Bitty Tear" is heard acappella.

CLIFFORD WORLEY is driving his car home from work, singing this song gently to the sunrise. He's a forty-five year old ex-cop, present security guard. In between singing he takes sips from a cup of take-out coffee. He's dressed in a security guard uniform.

Cliff's Nova pulls in as he keeps crooning. He pulls up to his trailer to see something that stops him short.

CLIFF'S POV (THROUGH WINDSHIELD) - TRAILER PARK

Clarence and Alabama are waiting for him in front of his trailer.

CLOSEUP ON CLIFF

Upon seeing Clarence, a little bitty tear rolls down Cliff's cheek.

BACK TO POV

Clarence and Alabama walk over to the car. Clarence sticks his face through the driver's side window.

All three enter the trailer home.

Clarence and Alabama walk into the living room.

He moves past Cliff and heads straight for the refrigerator.

Cliff looks at the girl. She smiles sweetly at him.

She is really pumping his arm, just like a used car salesman, however that's where the similarities end, because she's totally sincere.

Clarence steps back into the living room, holding a bunch of little ceramic fruit magnets in his hand. He throws his other arm around Alabama.

He hands her some money and his car keys.

He gives her some more money.

She opens the door and starts out. Clarence turns to his dad as the door shuts.

INSERT - BLACK TITLE CARD - "HOLLYWOOD"

FOUR YOUNG ACTORS are sitting on a couch with sides in their hands silently mouthing their lines. One of the actors is DICK RITCHIE. The casting director, MARY LOUISE RAVENCROFT, steps into the waiting room, clipboard in hand.

Dick pops up from the pack.

She sits behind a large desk. Her nameplate rests on the desktop. Several posters advertising "The Return of T.J. Hooker" hang on the wall.

Dick sits in a chair, holding his sides in his hands.

She puts her script down, and smiles at him.

Dick picks up the script and begins, but this time with a Brooklyn accent.

Ravnecroft puts her script down.

Dick smiles.

Cliff's completely aghast. He just stares, unable to come to grips with what Clarence has told him.

Cliff pauses and collects himself.

Alabama walks in through the door carrying a shopping bag.

Clarence and Cliff stand by Clarence's 1965 red Mustang. Alabama is amusing herself by doing cartwheels and handstands in the background.

Clarence sticks his hand out to shake. Cliff takes it.

They hug each other.

Clarence takes a piece of paper out and puts it into Cliff's hand.

Clarence turns toward Alabama's direction and yells to her.

Alabama runs across from where she was and throws her arms around Cliff and gives him a big smackeroo on the lips. Cliff's a little startled. Alabama's babbling like a Fresca.

The two get into the Mustang.

Clarence STARTS the ENGINE. The convertible roof opens as they talk.

Clarence, slowly, starts driving away.

Clarence PEELS OUT, shooting a shower of gravel up in the air.

As the Mustang disappears, Cliff runs his tongue over his lips.

Dick's apartment is standard issue for a young actor. Things are pretty neat and clean. A nice stereo unit sits on the shelf. A framed picture of a ballet dancer's feet hangs on the wall.

The PHONE RINGS. Dick answers.

Top floor, Las Vegas, Nevada hotel room with a huge picture window overlooking the neon filled strip and the flaiming red and orange sunset sky.

Clarence paces up and down with the telephone in his hand.

INTERCUT both sides of the conversation.

Clarence sits down on the hotel room bed. Alabama, wearing only a long T-shirt that has a big picture of Bullwinkle, crawls up behind him.

Before Dick can respond, Clarence puts Alabama on the phone.

He starts dictating to her what to say.

She hangs up the phone.

Dick hears the CLICK on the other end.

Extremely confused, Dick hangs up the phone. He goes over to the TV and picks up the day's mail. He goes through it.

INSERT - BILLS

Southern California Gas Company. Group W. Fossenkemp Photography. Columbia Record and Tape Club.

58. ***

ANGLE ON LETTER

It's obviously from Clarence. Addressed to Dick. Dick opens it.

A lower, middle-class trailer park named "Astro World" which has a neon sign in front of it in the shape of a planet.

A big, white Chevy Nova pulls into the park. It parks by a trailer that's slightly less kept up than the others. Cliff gets out of the Chevy. He's drinking out of a fast food soda cup as he opens the door to his trailer.

He steps inside his doorway and then, before he knows it, a gun is pressed to his temple and a big hand grabs his shoulder.

Cliff is roughly shoved into his living room. Waiting for him are four standing men: FRANKIE (young wise guy), LENNY (an old wise guy), TOOTH-PICK VIC (a fire- plug pitbull type) and VIRGIL (the quiet one).

Sitting in Cliff's reclining chair is VINCENZO COCCOTTI, the Frank Nitti to Detroit mob leader Blue Lou Boyle.

Cliff is knocked to his knees. He looks up and sees the sitting Coccotti. Frankie and Lenny pick him up and roughly drop him in a chair.

Frankie tells Tooth-Pick Vic in Italian what Coccotti said. He nods and exits.

Cliff's chair is moved closer to Coccotti's. Virgil stands on one side of Cliff. Frankie and Lenny ransack the trailer. Virgil has a bottle of Chivas Regal in his hand, but he has yet to touch a drop.

Before Cliff can finish his sentence, Coccotti slams him hard in the nose with his fist.

Cliff's defeated.

Coccotti looks at him.,

Coccotti looks at him for a long moment. He then gives Virgil a look. Virgil, quick as greased lightning, grabs Cliff's hands and turns it palm up. He then whips out a butterfly knife and slices Cliff's palm open and pours Chivas Regal on the wound. Cliff screams.

Coccotti puffs on a Chesterfield.

Tooth-pick Vic returns to the trailer, and reports in Italian that there's nothing in the car.

Virgil walks into the kitchen and gets a dishtowel. Cliff holds his bleeding palm in agony. Virgil hands him the dishtowel. Cliff uses it to wrap up his hand.

The awful pain in Cliff's hand is being replaced by the awful pain in his heart. He looks deep into Coccotti's eyes.

Coccotti leans over and hands him a smoke.

Cliff reaches into his pocket and pulls out a lighter.

All the men stop what they are doing and look at Cliff, except for Tooth-pick Vic who doesn't speak English and so, isn't insulted.

Coccotti can't believe what he's hearing.

Coccotti looks at him for a moment then jumps up, whips out an AUTOMATIC, grabs hold of Cliff's hair, puts the barrel to his temple, and PUMPS three bullets through Cliff's head.

He pushes the body violently aside.

Coccotti pauses. Unable to express his feelings and frustrated by the blood on his hands, he simply drops his weapon and turns to his men.

Tooth-pick Vic taps Frankie's shoulder and, in Italian, asks him "what was that all about?"

Lenny, who has been going through Cliff's refrigerator has found a beer.

When he closes the refrigerator door he finds a note being held on be a ceramic banana fruit magnet that says: "Clarence in LA: Dick Ritchie (Number and address).

TITLE CARD: "CLARENCE AND ALABAMA HIT L.A."

The red Mustang enters Los Angeles.

Dick's asleep in a reclining chair. He's wearing his clothes from the night before. His roommate FLOYD is lying on the sofa watching TV.

The sound of four hands KNOCKING on his door wakes Dick up. He shakes the bats out of his belfry, and opens the door, and finds the cutest couple in Los Angeles standing in his doorway.

Clarence and Alabama immediately start singing "Hello My Baby" like the frog in the old Chuck Jones cartoon.

Alabama throws her arms around Dick, and gives him a quick kiss. After she breaks, Clarence does the same.

Clarence and Alabama walk right past Dick and into his apartment.

The Pink's employees work like skilled Benihana chefs as they assemble the ultimate masterpiece hot dog.

Clarence, Alabama, and Dick are sitting at an outdoor table chowing down on chili dogs.

65. ***

Alabama is in the middle of a story.

He knocks the table and then looks at it.

66. ***

Alabama leaves to get another hot dog. Clarence never takes his eyes off her.

Dick sees where Clarence's attention is.

Clarence is so intense Dick doesn't know how to answer.

Clarence leans back thoughtfully and takes a sip from his Hebrew cream soda.

We see the Hollywood Holiday Inn sign. PAN TO the parking lot where Clarence's empty red Mustang is parked.

DICK'S JAW - DAY

drops. His hand reaches O.S.

CLOSEUP - SUITCASE

The reason for all the jaw dropping... the suitcase is full of cocaine! Dick's hand ENTERS FRAME and fondles a bag.

BACK TO SCENE

Clarence smiles, holding a bottle of wine.

Alabama's watching the cable TV.

Keeping her eyes on the TV, she pulls out a Swiss Army knife with a tiny dinosaur on it from her purse, and tosses it to Clarence. Clarence takes off the corkscrew and opens the wine.

In a couple of hotel plastic cups he pours some wine, a big glass for Dick, a little one for himself. He hands it to Dick. Dick takes it and drinks.

He tosses Dick the knife.

Using the knife, Dick snorts some of the cocaine. He jumps back.

He downs his wine. Clarence fills his glass.

Dick gulps half of his wine. Clarence fills it up.

71. ***

Dick rests his head in his hands.

A black panther, the four-legged kind, paces back and forth. PULL BACK. Dick, and ELLIOT BLITZER are walking through the zoo. One look at Elliot and you can see what type of actor he is, a real GQ, blow-dry boy. As they walk and talk, Clarence is eating a box of animal crackers and Alabama is blowing soap bubbles.

He takes one.

Elliot is more than satisfied. Clarence makes a comical face at Dick when Elliot's not looking. Dick is wearing an "I don't believe this guy" expression. Alabama is forever blowing bubbles.

We're in the snack bar area of the zoo. Alabama, Dick and Elliot are sitting around a plastic outdoor table. Clarence is pacing around the table as he talks. Alabama is still blowing bubbles.

Elliot hasn't the faintest idea what this is supposed to mean.

Elliot has been silenced. He nods his head in agreement.

Movie producer, LEE DONOWITZ, is driving his Porsche through the winding Hollywood Hills, just enjoying being rich and powerful. His cellular car PHONE RINGS, he answers.

Elliot is on the zoo pay phone. Clarence is next to him. Dick is next to Clarence. Alabama is next to Dick, blowing bubbles.

In the tunnel Lee's VOICE ECHOES.

Clarence takes the receiver out of Elliot's hand.

Virgil's knocking on Dick's door. FLOYD, Dick's roommate, answers.

Clarence is still on the phone with Lee.

stopped in traffic on Sunset Boulevard.

Still stuck on Sunset Boulevard, traffic's moving better now.

Traffic breaks and Lee speeds along. The b.g. whizzes past him.

Porsche is now speeding down a beachside road.

Pause. Clarence hands the phone to Elliot.

Elliot hangs up the phone.

He offers Elliot the animal crackers.

Elliot takes one.

He puts it in his mouth.

The red Mustang with Clarence and Alabama pulls up to the hotel. Alabama hops out, Clarence stays in.

They kiss.

He slams the MUSTANG in reverse and PEELS OUT of the hotel. Alabama walks her little walk from the parking lot to the pool area. Somebody WHISTLES at her, she turns to them.

She gets to her door, takes out the key, and opens her door.

She steps in only to find Virgil sitting in a chair placed in front of the door with a sawed-off shotgun aimed right at her.

She doesn't move, she's frozen. Virgil leans forward.

She does exactly as he says. Virgil rises, still aiming the sawed-off.

She does. He puts the shotgun down on the chair, then steps closer to her.

Virgil can't help but smile.

Virgil jumps up and does a mid-air kung fu kick which catches Alabama square in the face lifting her off of the ground and dropping her flat on her back.

Clarence, in his car, driving to get something to eat, singing to himself.

Alabama's lying flat. She actually blacked out for a moment, but the salty taste of the blood in her mouth woke her up. She opens her eyes and sees Virgil standing there, smiling. She closes them, hoping it's a dream. They open again to the same sight. She has never felt more helpless in her life.

Alabama wobbily complies.

Alabama looks in Virgil's eyes and realizes that without a doubt she's going to die, because this man is going to kill her.

Virgil doesn't waste a second. He gives her a side kick straight to the stomach. The air is sucked out of her lungs. She falls to her knees. She's on all fours gasping for air that's just not there.

Virgil whips out a pack of Lucky Strikes. He lights one up with a Zippo lighter. He takes a long, deep drag.

Clarence walks through the door of some mom and pop fast food restaurant.

The IRANIAN GUY at the counter says:

Alabama is violently thrown into a corner of the room. She braces herself against the walls. She is very punchy. Virgil steps in front of her.

She doesn't answer. He delivers a spinning roundhouse kick, to the head. Her head slams into the left side of the wall.

Nothing. He gives her another kick to the head. This time from the other side. Her legs start to give way. He catches her and throws her back. He slaps her lightly in the face to revive her, she looks at him.

She can barely raise her arm, but she somehow manages, and she gives him the middle finger. Virgil can't help but smile.

He gives her a spinning roundhouse kick to the head that sends her to the floor.

SIZZLING on a GRIDDLE. Chili and cheese are put on them.

ANOTHER ANGLE

Clarence is waiting for his order. He notices a CUSTOMER reading a copy of Newsweek with Elvis on the cover.

The Customer lowers his magazine a little bit.

He takes the magazine from the Subscriber's hands and starts flipping to the Elvis article.

Clarence and the Subscriber laugh.

Alabama's pretty beat-up. She has a fat lip and her face is black and blue. She's crawling around on the floor. Virgil is tearing the place apart looking for the cocaine. He's also carrying on a running commentary.

He's tearing the motel room up in general. Then he flips the mattress up off the bed, and the black suitcase is right there.

Alabama is crawling unnoticed to where her purse lay.

Virgil flips open the black case and almost goes snowblind.

Virgil closes up the case. Alabama sifts through her purse.

She pulls out her Swiss army knife, opens it up, Virgil turns toward her.

Alabama slowly rises clutching the thrust out knife in both hands. Mr. karate man smiles.

He moves toward her.

Alabama's hands are shaking.

He moves close.

Alabama's eyes study him. He grabs the front of his shirt and rips it open. Buttons fly everywhere.

CLOSEUP - ALABAMA'S FACE

Virgil's right, she doesn't have anything to lose. Virgil's also right about this being the moment of truth. There is a ferocity in women that comes out at certain times, and it's just there under the surface in many women all of the time. The absolute feeling of helplessness she felt only a moment ago has taken a one hundred-eighty degree turn into "I'll take this mother- fucker with me if it's the last thing I do" seething hatred.

Letting out a blood-curdling yell, she raises the knife high above her head, then drops to her knees and plunges it deep into Virgil's right foot.

CLOSEUP - VIRGIL'S FACE

Talk about blood curdling yells.

Alabama is kicked in the teeth with Virgil's left foot.

Virgil bends down and carefully pulls the knife from his foot, tears running down his face.

While Virgil's bent down, Alabama SMASHES an Elvis Presley whiskey DECANTER that Clarence bought her in Oklahoma over his head. It's only made of plaster so it doesn't kill him.

Virgil's moving toward Alabama, limping on his bad foot.

Alabama picks up the hotel TV and tosses it to him. He instinctively catches it, and with his arms full of television, Alabama cold-cocks him with her fist in his nose, breaking it.

Her eyes go straight to the door, then they go to the sawed-off shotgun by the door. She runs to it, bends over the chair for the gun. Virgil's left foot kicks her in the back sending her flying over the chair and smashing into the door.

Virgil furiously throws the chair out of the way and stands over Alabama. Alabama's lying on the ground laughing. Virgil has killed a lot of people, but not a one of them has ever laughed before he did it.

She laughs louder. Virgil's insane. He picks her off the floor, then lifts her off the ground and throws her through the GLASS SHOWER DOOR in the bathroom.

Alabama laying in the bathtub grabs a small bottle of hotel shampoo and squeezes it out in her hand.

Virgil reaches in the shower and grabs hold of her hair.

Alabama rubs the shampoo in his face. He lets go of her and his hands go to his eyes.

She grabs a hold of a hefty piece of broken glass and plunges it into his face.

The battered and bruised and bloody Alabama emerges from the shower. She's clutching a big, bloody piece of broken glass. She's vaguely reminiscent of the Tasmanian Devil. Poor Virgil can't see very well, but he sees the figure coming towards him. He lets out a wild haymaker that catches her in the jaw and knocks her into the toilet.

She recovers almost immediately and takes the porcelain lid off of the back of the toilet tank.

Virgil whips out a .45 AUTOMATIC from his shoulder holster, just as Alabama brings the lid down on his head. He's pressed up against the wall with this toilet lid hitting him. He can't get a good shot in this tight environment, but he FIRES anyway, hitting the floor, the wall, the toilet, and the sink.

The toilet LID finally SHATTERS against Virgil's head.

Virgil falls to the ground.

Alabama goes to the medicine cabinet and whips out a big can of Final Net hairspray, pulls a Bic lighter out of her pocket, and just as Virgil raises his gun at her, she flicks the Bic and sends a stream of hairspray through the flame, which results in a big ball of fire that hits Virgil right in the face.

He FIRES off TWO SHOTS. One which hits the wall, another that hits the sink pipe, sending water spraying.

Upon getting his face fried Virgil screams and jumps up, knocking Alabama down, and runs out of the bathroom.

Virgil collapses onto the floor of the living room. Then, he sees the sawed-off laying on the ground. He crawls toward it.

Alabama, in the bathroom, sees where he's heading. She picks up the .45 automatic and fires at him. It's empty. She's on her feet and into the room.

He reaches the shotgun, his hands grasp it.

Alabama spots and picks up the bloody Swiss army knife. She takes a knife-first-running-dive at Virgil's back. She hits him.

He arches up, FIRING the SAWED-OFF into the ceiling, dropping the gun, and sending a cloud of plaster and stucco all over the room.

Alabama snatches the shotgun.

Arched over on his back Virgil's eyes make contact with Alabama's eyes.

The FIRST BLAST hits him in the shoulder, almost tearing his arm off. The SECOND hits him in the knee. The THIRD plays hell with his chest.

Alabama then runs at him, hitting him in the head with the butt of the shotgun.

Ever since she's been firing it's as if some other part of her brain has been functioning independently. She's been absent-mindedly saying the prayer of Saint Francis.

Clarence, who's been hearing gunshots, bursts through the door, gun drawn, only to see Alabama, hitting a dead guy on the head, with a shotgun.

She continues. He puts his gun away.

She continues. He takes the gun away from her, and she falls to the ground. She lays on the floor trembling, still continuing with the downward swings of her arms.

Clarence grabs the shotgun and the cocaine, and tosses Alabama over his shoulder.

Everybody is outside of their rooms watching as Clarence walks through the pool area with his bundle. SIRENS can be heard APPROACHING.

Clarence is driving like mad. Alabama's passed out in the passenger seat. She's muttering to herself. Clarence has one hand on the steering wheel and the other stroking Alabama's hair.

A new motel. Clarence's red Mustang is parked outside.

Alabama, with a fat lip and a black and blue face, is asleep in bed.

Clarence is in a nondescript room speaking directly TO CAMERA. He's in a HEADSHOT.

A wonderful, gracefully flowing SHOT of the Hollywood hills. Off in the distance we hear the ROAR of a CAR ENGINE.

VAAAARRROOOOOMMMMM!!! A silver PORSCHE is driving hells bells, taking quick corners, pushing it to the edge.

Elliot Blitzer is the driver standing on it.

A blonde, glitzy COKE WHORE is sitting next to him. They're having a ball. Then they see a red and blue light flashing in the rear-view mirror. It's the cops.

He pulls out the sample bag of cocaine that Clarence gave him earlier.

She mouths the word "no."

She goes to slap him, she hits the bag of cocaine instead, it rips open. Cocaine completely covers his blue suit, at that moment Elliot turns to face a flash- light beam. Tears fill his eyes.

Elliot is sitting in a chair at a table. Two young, good-looking, casually-dressed Starsky and Hutch type police detectives are questioning him. They're known in the department as NICHOLSON and DIMES. The dark- haired one is Cody Nicholson, and the blond is Nicky Dimes.

Elliot starts crying. Nicholson and Dimes exchange looks and smiles. Mission accomplished.

CAPTAIN BUFFORD KRINKLE is sitting behind his desk, where he spends about seveny-five percent of his days. He's your standard rough, gruff, no-nonsense, by-the-book type police captain.

The two casually-dressed, sneaker-wearing cops rush in.

NICHOLSON DIMES

Krinkle, this is it. We Krinkle, you're lookin' got it, man. And it's all at the two future cops ours. I mean talk about of the month. We have fallin' into somethin'. it, and when I say we, You shoulda seen it, it I don't mean me and him, was beautiful. I'm referring to the

(MORE) whole department. (MORE)

94. ***

NICHOLSON (CONT'D) DIMES (CONT'D)

Dimes is hittin' him from Haven't had a decent bust the left about being fucked this whole month. Well, in the ass by niggers, I'm we mighta come in like a hittin' him from the right lamb, but we're goin' out about not likin' pussy like a lion -- anymore, finally he just starts cryin', and then it was all over --

Detroit. Very fancy restaurant. Four wise guys, FRANKIE, LENNY, DARIO and MARVIN, are seated at a table with Mr. Coccotti.

BACK TO KRINKLE

BACK TO COCCOTTI

TITLE CARD: "THE BIG DAY"

Clarence's red Mustang is parked on top of a hill just off of Imperial Highway. As luck would have it, some- body has abandoned a ratty old sofa on the side of the road. Clarence and Alabama sit on the sofa, sharing a Jumbo Java, and enjoying the sunrise and wonderful view of the LAX Airport runways, where planes are taking off and landing. A PLANE TAKES OFF, and they stop and watch.

Another PLANE TAKES OFF.

They kiss.

MONTAGE

Everyone gets ready for the big day.

Dick, Clarence and Alabama are just getting ready to leave for the drug deal. Floyd lies on the couch watching TV. Alabama's wearing dark glasses to hide some of the damage caused by Virgil.

She holds up the suitcase. The PHONE RINGS. The three pile out the door. Floyd answers the phone.

He starts to close the door, then opens it again.

He hangs up and looks at Clarence.

Clarence and Alabama are jumping around. Floyd even smiles.

Dick looks at Clarence. He doesn't want to go.

They exit.

We see the airport and MOVE IN CLOSER on a hotel on the landscape.

Lenny can be seen putting a shotgun together. He is sitting on a bed.

Toothpick Vic ENTERS the FRAME with his own shotgun. He goes over to Lenny and gives him some shells.

Marvin walks THROUGH the FRAME cocking his own shotgun.

The bathroom door opens behind Lenny and Frankie walks out twirling a couple of .45 automatics in his hands.

A room at the Beverly Wilshire. Nicholson and Dimes and four DETECTIVES from Internal Affairs are in a room on the same floor as Donowitz. They have just put a wire on Elliot.

The IA Officer at the tape machine gives a thumbs up. Nicholson, Dimes, and WURLITZER huddle by Elliot.

Clarence, Dick and Alabama en route. Dick refers to Alabama's beat-up face.

They stop at a red light. Clarence looks to Alabama.

Clarence and Alabama start kissing.

Marvin, Frankie, Lenny and Dario in a rented Caddy.

Clarence, Alabama and Dick get out of the Mustang. Dick takes the suitcase.

Clarence takes out a .45. Dick reacts. They walk and talk.

Pause. Clarence stops walking.

Dick and Alabama are both surprised and relieved.

He kisses her.

The three walk back to the car. Clarence gets behind the wheel. The other two get in. Clarence hops back out.

Clarence grabs the suitcase and makes a beeline for the hotel. Dick and Alabama exchange looks and follow.

Elliot's walking around the lobby. He's very nervous.

Clarence enters the lobby alone, carrying the suitcase.

He spots Elliot and goes in his direction. Elliot sees Clarence approaching him. He says to himself quietly:

Clarence walks up to Elliot, they shake hands.

Alabama and Dick enter the lobby and join up with Clarence and Elliot.

Nicholson, Dimes and the other detectives are surrounding the tape machine. Coming from the machine is Elliot and Clarence's conversation.

The four of them are riding up in the elevator. As luck would have it, they have the car to themselves. Rinky dinky elevator MUZAK is playing. They are all silent. Clarence breaks the silence.

Not sure he's heard him right.

Clarence hits the stop button on the elevator panel and whips out the .45.

Elliot does it immediately. Dick and Alabama react.

Pandemonium.

Clarence puts the .45 against Elliot's forehead.

No answer.

Elliot does. The .45 is still pressed against his forehead.

Elliot still hasn't answered.

With the .45 up against Elliot's head, Clarence puts his palm over the top of the gun to shield himself from the splatter. Alabama and Dick can't believe what he's gonna do.

Elliot, tears running down his face, starts talking for the benefit of the people at the other end of the wire. He sounds like a little boy.

Nicholson and Dimes shake their heads. They have a "well, that's that" expression on their faces.

Clarence puts down the gun and hugs Elliot.

Elliot, in a state of shock, takes Clarence's hand. Dick and Alabama are relieved.

Nicholson and Dimes listen open-mouthed, not believing what they're hearing.

Floyd is lying on the couch, watching TV. He hasn't moved since we last saw him.

There is a KNOCK on the door.

The door flings open and the four wiseguys rapidly enter the room. The door slams shut. All have their sawed- offs drawn and pointed at Floyd.

Clarence knocks on the door.

The door opens and reveals an extremely muscular guy with an Uzi strapped to his shoulder standing in the doorway. His name is MONTY.

They all move into the room, it is very luxurious.

Another incredibly muscular guy, BORIS, is sitting on the sofa. He, too, has an Uzi.

Monty begins patting everyone down.

He starts to search Clarence. Clarence backs away.

Boris gets up from the couch.

The TOILET FLUSHES in the bathroom. The door swings open and Lee Donowitz emerges.

They all sit around a fancy glass table except for Boris, who's getting the coffee, and Monty, who stands behind Lee's chair.

Boris starts placing clear glass coffee cups in front of everybody and fills everyone's cup from a fancy coffee- pot that he handles like an expert.

Clarence is on a roll and he knows it.

They're all listening to this.

Clarence puts the suitcase on the table.

The four wiseguys are at the desk.

Lee's looking over the cocaine and sampling it.

Boris fills both their cups. They both, calm as a lake, take cream and sugar. All eyes are on them. Lee uses light cream and sugar, he begins stirring his cup. Clarence uses very heavy cream and sugar.

Both are cool as cucumbers.

Lee continues looking at the merchandise. Alabama writes something on her napkin with a pencil and slides the napkin over to Clarence. It says: "You're so cool" with a tiny heart drawn on the bottom of it. Clarence takes a pencil and draws an arrow through the heart. She takes the napkin and puts it in her pocket.

Lee looks up.

Lee starts laughing.

Clarence, Alabama and Dick exchange looks.

Nicholson makes a hole with his thumb and forefinger. Dimes smiles and sticks his finger through the hole. They are triumphant.

The four wiseguys are coming up.

Monty brings in a briefcase with the money and puts it on the table.

They all stand.

- DAY

Clarence steps inside the bathroom and shuts the door. As soon as it's shut, he starts doing the twist. He can't believe he pulled it off. He goes to the toilet and starts taking a piss.

He hears the RHYTHMIC SNAPPING of a FINGER. He turns and sees the extreme closeup of Elvis' hand.

Everything's just as it was.

Suddenly, Nicholson, Dimes and the four Detectives burst into the room, guns drawn.

Everybody at the table stands up. Boris and Monty stand ready with their Uzis.

The four wiseguys burst through the door, shotguns drawn except for Frankie, who has two .45 automatics, one in each hand.

Half the cops spin around.

- DAY

Clarence and Elvis.

Elvis fixes Clarence's collar.

This is a Mexican standoff, if ever there was one. Gangsters at one end, with shotguns. Bodyguards at the other end, with machine guns. And cops in the middle, with handguns.

Dick's ready to pass out.

Alabama's so scared she's peed on herself. She places her hand on her stomach.

For Elliot, this has been the worst day of his life and he's about had it.

Dimes looks at Elliot.

Lee can't control his anger anymore. He grabs the coffee pot off the table and flings hot coffee in Elliot's face.

Elliot screams and falls to his knees.

Instinctively, Nicholson SHOOTS Lee twice.

Lee flops backwards over the couch and onto the floor.

Alabama screams.

Boris lets loose with the UZI, painting Nicholson red with BULLETS.

Nicholson flies backwards.

Vic FIRES his SHOTGUN, hitting Nicholson in the back, jerking Nicholson's body back and forth and then onto the floor.

Clarence opens the bathroom door.

Dimes hits the ground FIRING.

A SHOT catches Clarence in the face.

Alabama screams.

Clarences staggers backwards into the bathroom and falls onto the floor.

It might have been a stand-off before, but, once the firing started, everybody's either hitting the ground or running for cover.

Dimes, Alabama, Dick, Lenny, an IA officer and Wurlitzer hit the ground.

Boris dives into the kitchen area.

Monty tips the table over.

Marvin dives behind a sofa.

Frankie runs out of the door and down the hall.

With BULLETS flying this way and that, some didn't have time to do anything. Two IA officers were hit straight away.

Vic takes an UZI HIT and goes down FIRING.

Elliot gets it from both sides.

Alabama is crawling across the floor like a soldier in war, towards the bathroom.

Marvin brings his SAWED-OFF up from behind the sofa and FIRES. The SHOTGUN BLAST hits the GLASS TABLE and Monty. Monty stands up, screaming.

The cops on the ground LET LOOSE, hitting Monty.

As Monty goes down, his finger hits the trigger of the UZI, SPRAYING FIRE all over the room.

Cop cars start arriving in twos at the front of the hotel.

Alabama is still crawling toward Clarence.

The suitcase full of cocaine is beside Dick. Dick grabs it and tosses it in the air. Marvin comes from behind the sofa and FIRES. The suitcase is hit in mid-air and white powder goes everywhere. The room is enveloped in cocaine.

Dick takes this as his cue and makes a dash out of the door.

An IA officer goes after him.

Lenny makes a break for it.

Wurlitzer goes after him, but is pinned down by Marvin.

Alabama reaches Clarence.

She starts furiously trying to clear the blood out of his face.

Frankie runs down the hall, right into a cluster of uniformed police.

He FIRES his .45s, hitting two just before the others CHOP him to ribbons.

The hallway is empty but we hear FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING fast. Dick comes around the corner, running as if on fire. Then we see the IA Officer turn the same corner.

Dick screeches to a halt and raises his arms.

He does. Then coming from O.S., a SHOTGUN BLAST tears into the IA Officer sending him into the wall.

He starts running again and runs OUT OF the FRAME. Then Lenny turns the corner and runs down the hall.

Dick runs into the elevator area. He hits the buttons. He's trapped, it's like a box.

Lenny catches up. Dick raises his hands. Lenny aims the sawed-off shotgun.

Two elevator doors on either side of them open up.

Lenny looks at Dick. He drops his aim and says:

Lenny dives into the elevator car. Dick jumps into the other.

Dimes and Wurlitzer call to Marvin behind the couch.

The shotgun is tossed out from behind the couch.

Boris has caught a lot of buckshot but he'll live. He's sitting up against a wall.

Dimes and Wurlitzer have their guns drawn and aimed at the couch. From where they are they can also see Alabama and Clarence, although they don't seem to pose as much of a threat right now as Marvin.

Dimes and Wurlitzer exchange glances and then look back at the couch.

Suddenly, Marvin jumps up from behind the couch with a snub-nose REVOLVER. He BLASTS off THREE SHOTS.

Then Dimes notices the blood in Wurlitzer's stomach.

Wurlitzer drops his gun.

Wurlitzer sits down in the shot-up couch.

Dimes leans next to Wurlitzer.

But Wurlitzer is dead.

127. ***

He looks around at the battle zone. The room is torn apart. Nicholson's headless body is covered with coke from the suitcase. Dead bodies are everywhere.

Dimes EMPTIES his CLIP into Boris until it's clear Boris isn't going to be needing much of anything.

Then a BULLET cuts through Dimes' solar plexus. A shot that came from behind. A shot that came from Alabama.

Dimes collapses to the ground.

Alabama is holding Clarence against her. He looks practically unconscious. Alabama has that fire in her eyes of a mother lion defending her young. All she wants, and all she cares about is the man leaning against her.

She drops the gun to the ground.

They start to hobble out, then Alabama sees something... the suitcase full of money.

She looks around the carnage of the room, then down at the suitcase.

And with Clarence under one arm and the suitcase gripped tightly in the other, she walks out of the room.

Lenny is holding a woman hostage with the shotgun held to her head.

Fifteen COPS, all with their guns aimed at Lenny, are trying to talk him out of it.

The lobby is a scene of total chaos.

COP #1 It doesn't have to be this way, son!

COP #2 Put the gun down!

At another part of the lobby the elevator doors open up. Clarence and Alabama hobble out.

Amid all the chaos nobody (miraculously) notices... or cares to notice... Clarence and Alabama as they slowly walk out.

Just before they're out of the building the police OPEN FIRE on Lenny and yank the woman away from him. People scream.

Alabama and Clarence slip out the door and into the parking lot.

As they pass the police cars and firetrucks, amid all the chaos, we hear Alabama's voice:

Alabama and the delirious Clarence get into the red Mustang. With Alabama at the wheel they drive away.

Clarence is sleeping with his head in Alabama's lap. His face is covered with bandages. She drives, pensively thinking to herself.

They pass through the Tijuana border gate.

A little boy with nappy black hair and striking blue eyes runs into his mother's arms. His mother is Alabama. Next to her is Clarence, wearing an eyepatch. They pick the little boy up and walk down the beach, their pants rolled up, the water lapping at their feet, and the warm wind blowing in their hair.