PHILADELPHIA

                      PHILADELPHIA  

                    by RON NYSWANER

September 21, 1992

FADE IN:

VARIOUS SHOTS OF PHILADELPHIA EXTERIORS (EXT./DAY) ...

which may include the Liberty Bell, the Italian Market,
scenes along the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers,
Independence Square, the Russian Orthodox neighborhood, the
ghettos of North Philly.

MAIN TITLES PLAY OVER THIS SEQUENCE which culminates in a
SHOT OF...

                                                  CUT TO:

PHILADELPHIA'S GLORIOUSLY ORNATE CITY HALL (EXT./DAY) ...

TITLE: "Philadelphia City Hall."

CITY EMPLOYEES, JUDGES, COPS, LAWYERS, CRIMINALS, TOURISTS
pour into City Hall, into...

                                                  TO:

TWO STORY HIGH CORRIDORS THAT REEK OF HISTORY (INT-DAY).

Young lawyer JAMEY COLLINS darts through the crowd, carrying
an accordion file under his arm like a football.

Jamey elbows his way through a JAPANESE TOUR GROUP.

Jamey trots up a marble staircase, two steps at a time

                                                  TO:

JAMEY RUNS LIKE HELL DOWN A THIRD FLOOR CORRIDOR, FOOTSTEPS
making a racket...

Jamey rushes toward a door marked "JUDGE TATE."

RAISED VOICES from inside Judge Tate's chambers:

                              JOSEPH MILLER (OS)
                    This construction site is
                    causing mortal and irreparable
                    harm to an unsuspecting public!

                              ANDREW BECKETT (OS)
                    My client has one of the finest
                    and most respected safety records
                    in the business, Your Honor!

Jamey shoves open the door, REVEALING TWO LAWYERS (BACKS TO
CAMERA) STANDING BEFORE JUDGE EUNICE TATE: ANDREW BECKETT
(in conservative gray) and JOSEPH MILLER (in pinstripes).

                              JUDGE TATE
                    One at a time. Mr. Miller?

                              JOE
                    Your Honor, since Rockwell Corp.
                    began construction, the
                    surrounding residential
                    neighborhood has been enshrouded
                    in a cloud of foul-smelling,
                    germ-carrying, pestilent dust.
                    My client is being forced to
                    breathe known carcinogens daily!
                    Other residents are coming forth
                    on a daily basis to add their
                    voices of outrage!

                              ANDREW
                    Your Honor, I submit there were
                    no complaints until Counselor
                    began knocking on doors,
                    drumming up business. And the
                    dust, which Counselor refers to,
                    has appeared on only three
                    occasions. Each time it has
                    been examined and the results...

Behind his back, Andrew wiggles his fingers. Jamey stuffs
a document into Andrew's hand.

                              ANDREW (CONT.)
                    Limestone. Messy, but innocuous.

Andrew submits the report to the Judge.

                              JOE
                    Innocuous?

                              ANDREW
                    Defined by Webster's as harmless.

                              JOE
                    I know what it means. Your
                    Honor, imagine how the children
                    in this neighborhood have been
                    made to feel. The pounding of
                    construction ringing in their
                    ears as this skyscraper, a
                    tribute to mankind's greed,
                    grows daily, casting an ominous
                    shadow over their lives, filling
                    them with dread even as they are
                    surrounded in a black, toxic
                    fog, blocking out the sun while
                    poisoning their lungs! And
                    Counselor calls it harmless?!

His back turned momentarily to the JUDGE, Andrew mouths to
Jamey: "Not bad." But he whips around, serious again:

                              ANDREW
                    Your Honor, Counselor is
                    attempting to portray my client
                    as a hideous manifestation of
                    evil and corruption. But
                    nothing could be further from
                    the truth. Rockwell has
                    generously contributed ten
                    thousand dollars to this
                    neighborhood's schools, clinics
                    and youth centers! Granting a
                    restraining order on the
                    construction site will throw
                    hundreds of Philadelphians out
                    of work, and will lend
                    validation to this contemptible
                    and groundless nuisance suit,
                    which speaks directly to the
                    kind of greed and treachery that
                    today is threatening the very
                    fabric of our society.

Judge Tate looks skeptically at both lawyers.

                              JUDGE TATE
                    Let's not go off the deep end,
                    gentlemen. I thought we were
                    talking about some dust.

                                                  CUT TO:

A MAN ON CRUTCHES HOBBLES INTO A COURTHOUSE ELEVATOR AND IS
joined by Andrew and Joe, crowding inside (INT./DAY) ...

As soon as the doors close, Andrew whips out a micro-
cassette recorder, making notes, and Joe, in the opposite
corner of the elevator, does exactly the same thing.

               ANDREW                      JOE
     ... plaintiff seeks to re-     ... whereas decedent had
     strain defendants from con-    pre-existing asthmatic
     tinued improper use of trade   condition and ride on
     name without...                Ultra Loop caused sub-
                                    sequent death...

Andrew and Joe stop at the same time, look at each other...

And turn toward the corner, seeking privacy.

               ANDREW (CONT.)              JOE (CONT.)
     ... plaintiff's permission or  ... complainant seeks
     authorization...               relief...

There's a PERSISTENT BEEPING, Andrew and Joe pull out their
portable telephones at the same time.

They look at each other: which phone is ringing?

                              ANDREW
                    You.

Andrew resumes his telephone conversation.

                              JOE
                    Right.
                         (into phone)
                    Miller.

The ELEVATOR OPENS: Andrew breezes past the MAN ON
CRUTCHES, saying to Joe:

                              ANDREW
                    Client of yours?

                              JOE
                    Funny.

Andrew hurries down the corridor. Joe waits a moment... then
pursues the MAN ON CRUTCHES.

                              JOE (CONT.)
                    Excuse me..? Sir? Yo!

                                                  CUT TO:

ANDREW EKERGES FROM CITY HALL, ONTO DILWORTH PLAZA BUSTLING with
PEDESTRIANS (EXT./DAY) ...

... DARTS into the street, hailing a cab.

                                                  CUT TO:

THE CAB PULLS UP TO A BROWNSTONE ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET,
Andrew hopping out, stuffing papers into his briefcase
(EXT./DAY) ...

RUSHING to the door marked "Dr. Roberta Gillman, Internal
Medicine."

Coming out is a YOUNG ASIAN MAN with a cotton ball taped to
the inside of his elbow.

                                                  CUT TO:

CLASSICAL MUSIC (INT./DAY) ... AS CAMERA PANS PATIENTS
(MOSTLY YOUNG MEN) in a cheerful room... some, like a UPS
DELIVERY MAN, are attached to IV's, some sit with arms
extended, waiting to be hooked to an IV by TYRONE, a BLACK
PHYSICIAN'S AID.

CAMERA FINDS ANDREW sitting quietly, with an IV drip running
into his arm. Andrew is wearing a Walkman, the source of
the CLASSICAL MUSIC, and he's reading a legal brief. Most
of the people in the room look SICKER than Andrew.

DIALOGUE CAN BE HEARD under the CLASSICAL MUSIC (although
MUSIC dominates the SOUNDTRACK).

                              TYRONE
                         (slapping a thin
                         PATIENT'S wrist)
                    Gonna have to start looking for
                    veins in your feet, sweetheart.

DR. ROBERTA GILLMAN, passes through, speaking to Andrew:

                              DR. GILLMAN
                    Andy. Can you stop at my office
                    on your way out?

                              ANDREW
                    Sure.

Andrew is distracted by A HISPANIC MAN across the room,
rolling up his sleeve for an IV -- his bare arms, hands,
face and neck are marked with PURPLE BLOTCHES.

Andrew closes his eyes, concentrating for a moment on the
CLASSICAL MUSIC... then goes back to work.

                                                  CUT TO:

ANDREW HURRIES OUT OF THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE, HAILING A CAB
(EXT./DAY) ...

                                                  CUT TO:

ANDREW HOPS OUT OF THE CAB, IN FRONT OF AN IMPRESSIVE
skyscraper in downtown Philly, at the end of the work day
(EXT./DAY) ...

Andrew pushes through glass doors into the plush "Wheeler
Building," pressing through the tide of WORKERS headed home.

                                                  CUT TO:

A BLACK PARALEGAL, ANTHEA BURTON, LEADS A YOUNG, BLACK LAW
CLERK (in suit and tie) to the elevators, at the sedate,
expensively appointed offices of Wyant Wheeler Hellerman
Tetlow and Brown (INT./DAY) ...

                              ANTHEA
                    ... up to Tax, on fourteen, and
                    get right back, I need you.

Andrew BLASTS out of the elevator, flashing Anthea a four-
star smile. They stride down the corridor together.

                              ANDREW
                    Just the dazzling paralegal I
                    wanted to see.

                              ANTHEA
                         (friendly)
                    I know what that means, and the
                    answer is no. I have a class
                    tonight. Exploit someone else.
                    And since you've asked ...

They pass a silver-haired partner, KENNETH KILLCOYNE.

                              KILLCOYNE
                    Solid work on the Rockwell
                    situation, Andy. Top-notch.

                              ANDREW
                    Thanks, Kenneth.
                         (to Anthea)
                    Your exam!

                              ANTHEA
                    Thank you. 98. I gotta go...

                              ANDREW
                    Ninety-eight?! Ninety-eight!

Andrew reaches the secretaries' station. A cheerful
secretary, SHELBY, shoves documents at him.

                              SHELBY
                    Conference call's up. They just
                    started the roll call. Here's
                    the settlement agreement, the
                    red-lined copy's on your desk.
                    Need me in there?

                              ANDREW
                    No. Great. Thanks, Shelby.
                         (checking his watch)
                    It's 6:30, go home.

Andrew passes a colleague on her way out, RACHEL SMILOW:

                              ANDREW (CONT.)
                    Rach.

                              RACHEL
                    I'm late, I have to pick up Amy
                    from her afterschool but I want
                    to talk to you about that Hansen
                    thing.

                              ANDREW
                    Catch me later, I'll be here.
                    And tell Amy, I love her
                    painting, it's on my wall.

Andrew SAILS toward his office.

                                        CONTINUOUS CUT TO:

ANDREW ENTERS HIS OFFICE, KICKING THE DOOR SHUT (INT./DAY).

... DROPPING the documents on his desk, SCANNING them.

... ADMIRING a child's painting taped to the wall.

... PUNCHING into the speaker phone on his desk.

The SCREEN SPLITS, REVEALING A TELECONFERENCE OPERATOR:

                              OPERATOR
                    ... Karen Hargreave, representing
                    Lloyd Management Corporation?

The SCREEN SPLITS INTO THIRDS: Andrew, the OPERATOR, and
HARGREAVE (a sharp, California lawyer.)

                              HARGREAVE
                    Present.

As the OPERATOR continues the roll call, the SCREEN
CONTINUES TO SPLIT and HARGREAVE is replaced by a SERIES OF
LAWYERS in offices around the country, (MOSTLY WHITE MALES)
saying "Present" while in Andrew's section of the screen...

... Andrew dials a number on another telephone line,

                              OPERATOR
                    Andrew Beckett, representing
                    Saunders International?

Andrew punches into the conference call

                              ANDREW
                    Present.

The MULTI-IMAGE SCREEN is now joined by SARAH BECKETT, a
suburban, 60ish American MOM, in her backyard garden,
answering a portable phone.

                              SARAH
                    Hello?

                              ANDREW
                    Hi, Mom. It's me.

The LAWYERS are into the conference, in their portions of
the screen, (their VOICES HEARD underneath Andrew's
conversation with his mother).

                              SARAH
                    Andy! This is a nice surprise.
                    How are you, hon?

                              ANDREW
                    I'm fine.

                              SARAH
                    What's Dr. Gillman say?

                              ANDREW
                    Hold on, Mom.
                         (punching into the
                         conference call)
                    There's no way my client will go
                    along with that.

                              HARGREAVE
                    Who's this?

                              ANDREW
                    Andrew Beckett. Hi, Karen. I'm
                    sorry I interrupted...

He punches out of the conference, back to his Mom (glancing
over his shoulder to make sure the door is shut).

                              ANDREW (CONT.)
                    Gillman says I'm fine. My blood
                    work is excellent. T-cells are up.
                    Just a sec ...
                         (conference call)
                    Yes, I think that would alleviate
                    most of our concerns.
                         (back to Mom)
                    My platelets look good too.

                              SARAH
                    Are you on one of those conference
                    calls? I hate when you put me on
                    hold.

                              CUT ON ANDREW'S LAUGHTER TO:

THE MOON ABOVE THE WHEELER BUILDING LATE AT NIGHT (EXT.)

TITLE: "One-thirty a.m."

                                                  CUT TO:

ANDREW AT WORK IN THE FIRM'S LIBRARY (INT./NIGHT) ...

Andrew's fingers FLY across the keys of a notebook computer.

Needing a reference, he shoves his rolling chair away from
the computer... opens a reference book... grabs a carton of
Chinese food... (NOTE: The library may be equipped with a
computer terminal which Andrew uses for reference, rather
than a book.)

Andrew eats sauteed string beans with chopsticks, finding a
relevant citation:

                              ANDREW
                    Ah hah! Yes!
                         (chewing a string bean)
                    Rentworth v. Pennsylvania...
                    court of appeals affirms jury
                    award of punitive damages for
                    wrongful interference with
                    prospective economic
                    relations...

A SHADOW falls across Andrew. He IGNORES IT.

ANGLE: TWO MEN IN SILHOUETTE. WALTER KENTON says:

                              KENTON
                    Look at this fucking guy. He's
                    an animal.

Andrew's hands DO NOT LEAVE the keyboard.

                              ANDREW
                    Walter.

The SECOND MAN steps forward, a silhouette becoming visible
This is BOB SEIDMAN. He and Kenton wear tuxedos.

                              SEIDMAN
                    Are we interrupting, Andy?

                              ANDREW
                    In a word, Bob...

                              SEIDMAN
                    Charles is right behind me.

ANOTHER SILHOUETTED FIGURE APPEARS. This image has a
horror-film feeling to it.