PHILADELPHIA

Jamey answers nervously:

                              JAMEY
                    I've never known that to happen
                    before. No.

                              JOE
                         (fires this question)
                    Did you have something to do
                    with this file being lost
                    accidentally-on-purpose?

                              BELINDA
                    Objection!

                              JOE
                    I'll rephrase.
                         (to Jamey)
                    Did you have anything to do with
                    this file being... misplaced?

                              JAMEY
                    Absolutely not.

Joe stands, staring at Jamey. Too long. Jamey squirms.

                              JOE
                    Are you a homosexual?

                              JAMEY
                    What?!

Joe pressing forward, toward Jamey.

                              JOE
                    C'mon, Mr. Collins. Are you
                    homosexual? You know, gay?

The COURTROOM ERUPTS: ACTIVISTS booing Joe, Wheeler's crowd
expressing OUTRAGE, JURORS looking confused.

Andrew takes in the commotion, as the JUDGE BANGS HIS GAVEL.

                              JUDGE GARNETT
                    Hold it, hold it!

Andrew trains his attention on Joe.

                              BELINDA
                    Objection! Where has this come
                    from?! Suddenly Counsel is
                    attacking his own witness. Mr.
                    Collins' sexual orientation has
                    absolutely no relevance to this
                    case.

                              JUDGE GARNETT
                    I said, HOLD IT!
                         (the courtroom QUIETS)
                    Mr. Miller. Could you kindly share
                    with me exactly what's going on
                    in your brain, because I don't
                    have a clue at the moment.

Joe faces Andrew, also curious to know what Joe's up to.

                              JOE
                    Your Honor, everyone in this
                    courtroom is thinking about sexual
                    preference, sexual orientation,
                    whatever you want to call it.
                    They're looking at me, and
                    wondering about it...
                         (looking at Andrew)
                    They're looking at Mr. Beckett, and
                    wondering about it. They're looking
                    at Mr. Wheeler and wondering about
                    it. They might even be looking at
                    you and wondering about it. So,
                    let's get it out in the open. Let's
                    talk about what this case is really
                    about: the general public's
                    hatred... our loathing, our fear of
                    homosexuals.

DEAD SILENCE while the Judge thinks it over.

CLOSE ON ANDREW.

                              ANDREW
                         (to himself)
                    Very good.

CLOSE ON BELINDA CONINE.

CLOSE ON CHARLES WHEELER.

CLOSE ON MIGUEL.

CLOSE ON WALTER KENTON.

CLOSE ON BOB SEIDMAN.

CLOSE ON THE MARINE JUROR.

CLOSE ON JAMEY COLLINS, sweating bullets on the stand.

                              JUDGE GARNETT
                    In this courtroom, Mr. Miller,
                    justice is blind. To matters of
                    race, creed, color, religion.
                    And sexual orientation.

                              JOE
                    With all due respect, Your Honor...
                    We don't live in this courtroom,
                    do we?

                              JUDGE GARNETT
                    No. We don't... However, as
                    regards this witness, I'm going to
                    sustain the defense's objection.

                                                  CUT TO:

COURTHOUSE MEN'S ROOM, FIVE URINALS, THREE SINKS (INT./DAY).

The MARINE JUROR, the RETIRED POSTAL WORKER JUROR, and AN
UPTIGHT BUSINESSMAN JUROR stand at the urinals, with an empty
urinal between each of them. The MARINE JUROR whistles while
he pees (a classic rock tune, like "Radar Love.") The
BUSINESSMAN sighs, "Ahhhhhh."

The RETIRED POSTAL WORKER JUROR jingles change.

The ROCK MUSICIAN JUROR enters, stepping up to the urinal
between the BUSINESSMAN and the MARINE. He unzips, and it seems
to take him an incredibly long time to extricate his urinary
organ. This does not escape the MARINE'S notice.

                              ROCK MUSICIAN JUROR
                         (innocently, to Marine)
                    I have some gay friends. What's
                    the biggie?

The MARINE says nothing.

                              ROCK MUSICIAN JUROR (CONT.)
                    Everybody has a couple of gay
                    friends. Don't you?

                              MARINE
                    No, sir. I do not.

The MARINE moves closer to the urinal, so that no one can see
his private parts.

                              ROCK MUSICIAN JUROR
                    You might have them, and just
                    not know they're gay.

The MARINE shakes, zips, flushes, turns away. He pauses to look
directly at the ROCK MUSICIAN JUROR.

                              MARINE
                    I know.

                                                  CUT TO:

WALTER KENTON ON THE WITNESS STAND (INT./DAY) ...

                              JOE
                    And how many weeks at a time
                    would you be out to sea, without
                    stopping at port?

                              KENTON
                    Anywhere from two weeks, to
                    several months.

                              JOE
                    Any women on board?

Kenton glances at the MARINE JUROR.

                              KENTON
                    Not when I was in the Navy.

                              JOE
                    So during those long voyages,
                    months at a time, out to sea, no
                    women in sight, a hundred,
                    hardworking, robust, young men,
                    in the prime of their life, at
                    the peak of their natural
                    appetites, desires, their god-
                    given, hormonal instincts...
                    Anything going on?

                              KENTON
                    Going on... like...?

                              JOE
                    Like... two sailors playing hide
                    the salami.

Andrew covers his face with his hands.

                              BELINDA
                    Objection!

                              JUDGE GARNETT
                    Mr. Miller!

                              KENTON
                         (can't resist)
                    We had one guy like that.

                              BELINDA
                    You haven't ruled on my
                    objection, Your Honor.

Kenton seems eager to tell his story. Joe stands with
crossed arms, waiting.

                              JUDGE GARNETT
                    Let's continue.

                              JOE
                         (to Kenton)
                    You had one guy "like that?"

                              KENTON
                    Yeah. But we took care of him.

                              JOE
                    How did you do that?

                              KENTON
                    We stuck his head in the
                    latrine, after ten of us had
                    used it.

LAUGHTER and SOME APPLAUSE from some SPECTATORS, and some
JURORS. ACTIVISTS BOO and HISS.

The JUDGE POUNDS HIS GAVEL.

                              JOE
                    You taught him a lesson.

                              KENTON
                    Yes, we did.

                              JOE
                    Like firing Andrew Beckett
                    taught him a lesson?

                              BELINDA
                    Objection!

                              JOE
                    I'll withdraw.
                         (moving on quickly)
                    You were aware, when you worked
                    with Maria Torres, that she had
                    AIDS, correct?

                              KENTON
                    She didn't try to conceal it.

                              JOE
                    So you are aware of the
                    difference between a lesion and
                    a bruise, is that correct?

                              KENTON
                    I know the difference. That
                    doesn't mean I'm always able to
                    recognize the difference.

                              JOE
                    But didn't you avoid contact
                    with Ms. Torres, after you found
                    out she had AIDS? She says you
                    acted repulsed by her and you
                    avoided her, is that correct?

                              KENTON
                    I felt, and still feel, nothing
                    but the deepest sympathy and
                    compassion for people like
                    Maria, who have contracted this
                    terrible disease through no
                    fault of their own.

                              CUT TO LOUD CLASSICAL MUSIC:

IN THE KITCHEN OF THEIR APARTMENT, MIGUEL POURS MEDICINE
into an IV drip unit (INT./NIGHT) ...

LOUD CLASSICAL MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND.

Miguel glances at a chart on the wall, in which a day is
broken into hours, with medical instructions for each hour

                              MIGUEL
                         (shouting over MUSIC)
                    Drew! Are you ready? If we
                    start at eight, we'll be done by
                    twelve.

Miguel taps the IV bag, getting the drip started.

A cat jumps onto the counter. Miguel holds it.

                                                  CUT TO:

ANDREW SITS AT THE DININGROOM TABLE, MAKING NOTES ON A LEGAL
pad, holding out his left arm (INT./NIGHT). A catheter is
imbedded into Andrew's arm, and Miguel is trying to get the
IV drip started through the catheter. The MUSIC is lower...

                              MIGUEL
                    It's not going through.

                              ANDREW
                         (focused on his work)
                    We'll have to flush it again.

Andrew reaches for a law book.

                              MIGUEL
                    Hold still. Shit.
                         (trying again)
                    The goddamn vein's clotted. We
                    have to go the goddamn hospital,
                    so they can change the goddamn
                    catheter.

                              ANDREW
                    I have too much work to do.
                    Skip the treatment.

                              MIGUEL
                    We're not skipping this
                    treatment.

                              ANDREW
                    I said, skip it, Michael. It's
                    my treatment.

                              MIGUEL
                    Fuck you.

                              ANDREW
                    Fuck you. This shit's probably
                    not doing me any good anyway.

                              MIGUEL
                    That shit's saving your life,
                    you asshole!

Miguel shoves away from the table.

                              ANDREW
                    What's wrong with you?

                              MIGUEL
                    Close the law book.

                              ANDREW
                    I'm not going to close the--

                              MIGUEL
                    CLOSE THE FUCKING LAW BOOK!

Andrew slams it SHUT.

                              ANDREW
                    ALLRIGHT IT'S CLOSED!
                         (beat)
                    Jesus!

                              MIGUEL
                    The least you can do is look at
                    me, while I'm sticking this shit
                    into your arm. Forget the
                    fucking case, one hour a day,
                    and give me a little of your
                    time.

                              ANDREW
                         (very quiet)
                    You don't think there's much
                    time left, do you?

                              MIGUEL
                    That's not what I said.

                              ANDREW
                    You're scared. You think we're
                    near the end.

                              MIGUEL
                    No.

                              ANDREW
                    Maybe I should start making plans, is
                    that what you think? Start
                    planning my memorial service?
                    "Begin to prepare for the
                    inevitable."

                              MIGUEL
                         (low)
                    Maybe you should think about it.

                              ANDREW
                    What's that mean?!

                              MIGUEL
                         (very difficult)
                    Maybe you should think about it.

A MOMENT.

                              ANDREW
                    I'm not going to die.

                              MIGUEL
                    That's right. We're on the
                    Positive Plan. You
                    don't have a Fatal Disease, you
                    have Manageable Illness.

                              ANDREW
                    You want me to give up? Let this
                    thing turn us into victims?

                              MIGUEL
                    Then, what are we, Drew?! The
                    winners? "Ladies and gentlemen,
                    the first prize of AIDS goes to
                    Andrew Beckett and his lover
                    Miguel..." Excuse me, I'm not
                    your lover. I'm your Care Partner.
                    FUCK!

                              ANDREW
                    I'm not ready to die.

                              MIGUEL
                    Do you think I'm ready for it?!
                    I hate this shit. I'm not a
                    fucking martyr! I hate every
                    goddamn part of it!

Miguel slides down the wall, sitting in a heap.

Andrew goes to him. They hug. Miguel holds him tight.

                              MIGUEL (CONT.)
                    Please don't leave me. I love
                    you so much. Don't die, don't
                    leave me, please...

Miguel rocks in Andrew's arms. Andrew kisses the top of his
head, holding tight.

                              ANDREW
                    I am so scared. I am so fucking,
                    incredibly, fucking scared...