La Vie

Written for the screen by Ryan Cole


__________________________

And now...
"La Vie"


OVER BLACK
We hear TWO vehicles hauling ***.

BLACK FRAME
TITLE CARD APPEARS:

LA VIE appears in GOLD LETTERS...

LETTERS FADE OUT
NEW LETTERS APPEAR

THE FIRST STORY...

SLAM CUT TO:

EXT. DESERT ROAD - SUNSET

A lonely, golden paradise stretches across our view. Cactuses are everywhere. There’s an animal popping out of the ground...near the skull of another animal.

A WHITE TRANS AM is thrown into our faces as it chases a fleeing BLACK VOLVO; ripping through our golden paradise and causing it to bleed sand and destruction. The two vehicles swerve left to right, then right to left; Trans Am spitting bullets at Volvo.

INT. VOLVO

CU of a BLOODIED RIGHT HAND manically steering the wheel.
CU of a BLOODY LEFT HAND holding a HUGE HAND CANNON out the window and firing at the VOLVO.

We count three POWERFUL BLASTS from the gun then...

...OPERATIC MUSIC BOOMS OVER THE SOUNDTRACK...

MACRO-CU on A BONEY FINGER PULLING THE GUN’S TRIGGER.

BULLETS POV:
Heading fast toward the tire belonging to the Volvo. IT HITS and the Volvo VIOLENTLY veers off the road.

...OPERATIC MUSIC CONTINUES...

The hand cannon lets out another LOUD BLAST.

INT. VOLVO

DAVID frantically tries to maintain control of the vehicle. JIMMY rides shotgun. He grabs the review mirror to see a gun hanging out the window and FIRE.

The window SHATTERS -- Jimmy looks at Davy right when a bullet ZOOMS through his head; blood splatters everywhere. Somehow, David’s body falling on the steering wheel causes the car to take a sharp right.

EXT. DESERT ROAD

As the OPERATIC MUSIC reaches a crescendo, the Volvo loses control, lethally flips, and rolls three times, finishing its tumbling and turning on its back; the golden paradise bleeds profusely.

...THE OPERATIC MUSIC CLIMAXES...

The Trans Am comes into frame and stops; steam rises from its hood. Two worn-out, SNAKE SKINNED BOOTS fall out onto the desert road.

CACTUS JACK (40's), bloodied and bruised, elegantly steps out of his vehicle and turns his back to us.

He’s wearing a pair of BLACK PAINTS and a BLUE BUTTON-UP SHIRT hangs out his JEAN JACKET...he basically looks like he came out of an episode of GUN SMOKE.

We can make out Cactus Jack taking out bullets from his jacket and slowly reloading his gun. When he finishes, he shifts his attention to the ruble in front of him.

*(Making it appear that he’s staring directly into the camera.)

For the first time, we see Cactus Jack’s face...and it looks like one of those faces that could tell 101 stories and still have enough to fill a rather large book. You see, Cactus Jack is today’s MARLON BRANDO, he’s CHARLES BRONSON; he’s the coolest looking cat you’ve eva’ seen and from this point on, he will be referred to as just simply Jack.

INT. VOLVO

Jimmy bolts up and lets out a yelp; he coughs up blood.

EXT. VOLVO
We see Jimmy unbuckle himself then fall to the vehicle’s new floor...which is its roof.

INT. VOLVO

Jimmy coughs up blood. His face has FEAR written all ova’ it along with the contortion that comes with a violent wreck. He grabs the rear-view mirror.

We see Jimmy’s POV looking at two, UPSIDE-DOWN boots approaching him.


SCREEN GOES TO SPLIT-SCREEN

LEFT:
Jack walking toward the Volvo

INSERT: ON OF THE HAND CANNON IN HIS HAND

CU of the back of Jack’s head as he makes his way to the Trans Am

RIGHT:
The Volvo

INSERT: OF A BLOWN OUT TIRE

Jimmy crawling out the front window

INSERT: ON KNEES DRAGGING THROUGH THE SAND

Jimmy’s POV looking at Jack looking at him

INSERT: A 9. MM BEING WITHDRAWN

END SPLIT SCREEN

WIDE-SHOT:
All is still in the raw, golden paradise. Nothing stirs except the chaos of the day and the two characters about to have-at-it. The feel is very Spaghetti Western.

We see Jack’s POV watching Jimmy’s head slowly emerge from the protection of the wrecked Volvo. He allows him to do so.

In the name of battle, the two men know and respect each other. In the past, Jack would have already busted a cap in Jimmy’s crown, but now, in present time, his present killing philosophy reminds him that firing upon an enemy while he is down would be going to a level that would lower him.

Jimmy moves from behind the Volvo to in front of it.

The two men get in a show down position; their guns to their sides.

THEN...

In a quick, quite, stylized manner, the two men savagely charge; firing bullets into each others body.

EX. CU BULLETS ENTERING - BLOOD MISTS
EX. CU TWO FINGER PULLING TRIGGERS – NOTHING BUT CLICKS
EX. CU BLOOD RUNNING DOWN INTO THE SAND

ZOOM OUT...

Both men are leaning against each other; staring into each other’s eyes. Jimmy’s seem to be searching for something, and that something is forgiveness.

JIMMY
(struggles - choppy)
Jack, I’m – I’m sorry - I.

Jack shushes him.

JACK
You don’t have to apologize for a damn thing, kid.

Jack’s eyes swell with tears as he see's something in Jimmy, for the first time, Jack sees Jimmy as a brother.

THEN...

Jimmy no longer has enough life to stand...he falls to his knees in front of Jack...

Jack holds on to him...

...Jack remains strong for the person who’s expiring. To ease Jimmy’s pain, he pats his head to comfort him in his last dying moments...then, Jimmy dies, and Jack collapses by him.

SMASH CUT RIGHT TO:

Over a close shot of a RED ROSE, a title card appears...

SEVEN DAYS EARLIER

...a VIOLIN'S RIFFS SWELL over the soundtrack as it
disappears.

EXT. FUNERAL -- DAY

A funeral is taking place. BLACK SUITES and DRESSES plauge the setting as if they are possible remedies for the tears that flow from all the attendes's eyes. Someone amongst these guests isn't sheading a tear...not a single one. That man is Jack.

REVREN PARKS is erected above three BIG, BLACK CASKETS. All three caskets have a head shot on the covers.

INSERT:

PICTURE #1 - JARED:
He has a grin the size of Texas and warm eyes as welcoming as any warm welcomer would have. He looks like someone you would meet and immediantly like.

PICTURE #2 - CHRISTOPHER
He has an intense face that seems to be hiding something, yet a grin that seems to suggest that he's an open book. He looks like a man that, if you were to make a first impression, that impression would be a positive one.

and...

PICTURE #3 - Matthew
He has a face that makes him appear wise beyond his years...which is thirty-something. He looks like one of those suckers who'd give a begging man money or help a little old lady across the street.

Unfortunetly...looks can, and in this case, are decieveing.

BACK TO SCENE

REV. PARKS
...and as they leave this world, our only hope is that they recieve love and happiness ten times more than it was given to us, by them, here on Earth.
(pause)
God bless thier souls. God bless their souls.

EVERYONE
God bless thier souls.

People start to leave. The ones who linger leave roses on all of the casket. Jack places a rose on the center of the three caskets, kisses his hand and passes it on to it, and then begins to walk away.

Two men walk up to his sides and stop him. The one of the left is STEVE-O, the one on the right is Q.

STEVE-O
You know you must have some balls to show your face at a joint like this.

Jack turns to speak to him.

JACK
Hello Steven...Q.

Q.
We should kill you, you do know that, right?

STEVE-O
Q, not here...or yet.

Jack looks at Q. He's looking directly at him. Jack lifts a side of Q's jacket to reveal a gun pointed directly at him.

STEVE-O
What are doing here?

JACK
I was just paying my respect, gentlemen. If my respect isn't welcome, I'll take it else where.

STEVE-O
You must have trouble sleeping at night. You kill a man then visit his funeral...are you drowning in regret and remorse yet.

JACK
No, just because I murdered these men does not mean I didn't respect them.

STEVE-O
Well, Lord knows I know how to hold a grudge, Jack...I know how to hold a grude reallll well, you know that. But having a grude is one thing and wishing hours and hours of tourterous pain upon someone else, as I do you, is another thing.

JACK
Are you trying picking a fight, school boy?

Q.
What'd the **** you jus say?

JACK
Now, gentlemen, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your buddies had it coming.

STEVE-O
What are you trying to say?

JACK
I'm trying to say that your friends are -- or were, back stabbers. And I'm Superman. And Superman don't like to be stabbed, especially in the back...they got what they deserved.

Q.
Well if your Superman, I'm Crypton, and I know fo sure my bullets will sting worse than Jared's did.

JACK
...can't we all just get along?

Q.
Getting along is far beyond the picture, my old friend.

JACK
Well, then I suggest my departure.

Jack begins to depart only be stopped when Q withdraws his weapon. Before he can pull the tigger, Jack, with lightning speed, withdraws a gun and shoves it in Q's stomach...beat...he looks directly in his eyes...Steve-O begins to withdraw his gun...Jack brings out another gun and point it at Steve-O's face.

JACK
Believe it or not, I'm a different person now. A different person that I was. If I weren't, this cementary would be diggin to new holes to barry to new assholes. I'm going to walk away now...pay me the respect I deserve and don't shoot me in the back.

STEVE-O
Fair enough. But if I see you again...I will kill you.

JACK
You just ruined the element of surprise, though.

STEVE-O
I kinda thought you knew that was the case.

JACK
You know I'll be expecting something from you, then...don't disappoint me.

Jack walks away from Steve-O and Q.

CUT TO:

You're a Tarantino fan aren't you? Me too.

I like the script, the dialogue you used really brings out the characters, and makes them like super-f---in'-cool. Hell the characters themselves are already super-f---in'-cool and how the story has played out so far has kept my interest. Keep up the good work.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mr. Blonde,