PRETTY WOMAN

PRETTY WOMAN    

BY
JONATHAN LAWTON
STEPHEN METCALFE

 EXT. A HOUSE IN THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS - NIGHT

 The view of downtown Los Angeles from the enormous, ornate house
 is extraordinary.  A small outdoor dinner party is in progress.

 A MAGICIAN is entertaining guests.  Playing cards and coins
 appear and disappear in his nimble hands.

 INT. HOUSE STUDY - NIGHT

    EDWARD HARRIS stands at the window, impassively looking down
 at the party.  Edward is a handsome, well groomed man of around
 forty.  He looks tired; the kind of fatigue that can't be cured
 by a night's sleep.

       EDWARD
   (a murmur)
  Left pocket.

 And indeed, down below, the magician pulls the coin from the
 left pocket of the incredulous WOMAN's silk blazer.  More
 laughter and applause.

 The study is in keeping with the rest of the house.  Luxurious.
 Everything the best.  WILLIAM STUCKEY, Edward's contemporary,
 is a crafty looking lawyer who is the party host.  VANCE is an
 investment banker.  His assistant JAKE, is a financial
 researcher.  The other men are INVESTMENT BANKERS.  They are
 in dark suits and power ties.  On the table are stacks of
 documents and folders, the name "KROSS INDUSTRIES" is prominent
 on many of the folders.

       INVESTMENT BANKER 1
  Our banks certainly doesn't want
  to discourage Harris Enterprises
  from investing in California.
  We think this is a great new venue
  for you but you've got to
  understand the mergers and
  acquisitions market is changing.
  With the upswing in inflation we
  have to make these offerings
  tempting to offset the risk.

       VANCE
  Look, we're talking about hard
  assets and a straight liquidation.
  We have over a thousand man hours
  in this deal.

       STUCKEY
   (losing patience)
  This is a "no brainer".  There's
  no risk for you.  No one has ever
  lost money backing Mr. Harris.

       INVESTMENT BANKER 2
  Not yet.  But ship building is
  a new endeavor for you...

       STUCKEY
   (cuts him off)
  Come on.  You know we're not
  going to go into ship building.
  Besides, you're the ones with the
  troubled track record, not us!

       INVESTMENT BANKER 3
  Bill, be reasonable.  If you're
  really going to digest Kross
  Industries that quickly eighteen
  should not be such a problem.
  Besides, I don't think there's
  anywhere else you can go for the
  money in the time you have.

       EDWARD
  It's unacceptable.

 Edward turns from the window.  He hasn't miss a thing.  All
 eyes are on him.

       EDWARD
  Draymen Heux has offered me
  seventy-five in the pool at
  sixteen and a half.  I can secure
  the other half personally.  You
  have until tomorrow morning to
  make me a better offer.

 The bankers speechlessly stare at him.

       EDWARD
  The meeting is over, gentlemen.

 He turns away.  The bankers look at one another.  They rise.
 Silence as they exit.  When the door closes.  Stuckey explodes
 with laughter.

       STUCKEY
  Hah!  Did you see the look on
  their faces?

       VANCE
  You don't think we pushed too
  hard?

       STUCKEY
  NO way!  They'll come back.  They
  can't afford not to.  Edward,
  that bluff was beautiful.

       EDWARD
  Maybe I should have made it
  rhyme.

 The others stare at him, uncertain.  Stuckey laughs.  The
 others follow suit.

       EDWARD
   (looking at his watch)
  Well!  It's late.  We've been
  at this long enough.

 Stuckey rises.  Edward ushers Vance and Jake toward the door.

       EDWARD
  Gentlemen, enjoy the party.  The
  magician's wonderful.

 Vance and Jake exit.

       EDWARD
   (calling after them)
  Watch your left pocket.

 A BUTLER has entered the room.

       BUTLER
  Phone call, Mr. Harris.  It's Miss
  Charles.

       STUCKEY
  Cynthia?  Is she coming out?

       EDWARD
  We're about to find out.  Go on.
  Take care of your guests.

 Stuckey exits the room as Edward crosses to the telephone.

       EDWARD
   (into phone)
  Where are you, Cynthia?
   (beat)
  I see.
   (pausing, getting angry)
  No, I don't expect you to be at
  my beck-and-call.  Are you coming
  or not?

 INT. HOUSE - STAIRWAY - NIGHT

 Edward descends the long, curved stairway.  He has Vance in
 tow.

       EDWARD
   (all business)
  Prepare the filing papers.  Have
  them ready by the middle of the
  week.  I'll tell you when to
  submit them.

 The PEOPLE talking and drinking on the stairway gravitate
 toward Edward.

       A MAN
  Edward!

       EDWARD
   (turning on the charm)
  Yes!

       THE MAN
  Will we see you at the polo
  matches Wednesday?

       EDWARD
  Wouldn't miss it.
   (abruptly; to Vance)
  I want this done fast and easy.
  No slip-ups.  I want to be back
  in New York by Saturday.  Got it?

 He deftly keeps making his way through the crowd.

 INT. HOUSE - THE DOWNSTAIRS HALL - NIGHT

 Stuckey is sipping champagne and talking to a beautiful
 WOMAN in a tight sheath of an evening dress.  An elegant woman
     ELIZABETH STUCKEY approaches from behind him.  She taps him on
 the shoulder and he turns, startled.

       ELIZABETH
  Bill?

       STUCKEY
   (flustered)
  Oh... Hi, honey... Millicent,
  uh, uh, Millicent.

       MILLICENT
  Lowell.

       STUCKEY
  Lowell, right.  My wife,
  Elizabeth.

       ELIZABETH
   (ignoring her)
  Is Edward leaving?

 Stuckey looks up to see Edward moving quickly toward the door.
 Stuckey abruptly leaves the two woman together to follow Edward.

 EXT. THE HOUSE - NIGHT

 Edward comes out of the house.  Jags, a limo with waiting
 DRIVER and two BMW's pack the circular driveway behind a black
 Ferrari.  The limo driver leaps to attention at the sight of
 Edward.  Edward stands, making an obvious effort to keep his
 impatience under control.  Stuckey comes out of the house and
 down the walk.

       STUCKEY
  What's up, where you going?

       EDWARD
  Give me your car keys, will you,
  I'm going back to my hotel.

       STUCKEY
  At least stay for a drink.  This
  party's for you.

       EDWARD
  Apologize to Elizabeth for me.

 Stuckey gropes uncertainly in his pocket for keys.

       STUCKEY
  Listen, there're some major local
  talent inside just dying to meet
  you...

       EDWARD
   (as if delighted)
  Really?  Some high class gold
  digger who speaks French better
  than I do?
   (turning away)
  No, thank you.  I just got off
  the phone with one.

       STUCKEY
  Cynthia's not coming?

       EDWARD
  No.

 Edward grabs the keys out of Stuckey's hand.  He crosses to a
 black Ferrari and gets in.

       STUCKEY
  Let your driver take you.  We'll
  move the cars...

 Edward starts the car.

       STUCKEY
  Can you drive a stick?

 The car lurches forward with a squeal of wheels and promptly
 stalls.

       STUCKEY
  Edward, give me a break!

 With a squeal of tires, the Ferrari bucks out of the driveway
 and... stalls again.

       EDWARD
  Love this car!  Is it new?

       STUCKEY
  Yes!  And you don't even know
  where you're going!

 Edward starts it again and heads uncertainly uphill.  Stuckey
 watching, throws up his hands.

       STUCKEY
  That's the wrong way!

 CREDITS BEGIN AS IN A SERIES OF CROSSCUTS:

 EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS - NIGHT

 The Ferrari, moving fast through the Hollywood Hills, passes
 large, beautiful homes... Edward shifts, grinding gears...

 EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS - NIGHT

 The Ferrari comes to a red light and pulls up next to a Dodge Colt.
 The GIRL in the Colt looks at Edward and his car admiringly.
 Edward feeling confident now, revs the engine.  The light turns
 green.  Edward immediately stalls the Ferrari.  The Colt leaves
 him in the dust.

 INT. FERRARI - NIGHT

 Edward drives.  He blinks, shakes his head as if trying to rid
 himself of his own tired thoughts.

 EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS - NIGHT

 The Ferrari comes to the intersection of OUTPOST and FRANKLIN,
 stops.  Edward gets out of the car.  He looks at the street
 signs.  He has no idea where he is.  He signs.  He gets back
 in the car and takes off on Franklin heading East.

 EXT. A SIDE STREET IN HOLLYWOOD - NIGHT

 A crumbling old apartment building.  Dark alley ways, deserted
 parking lot.

 The Ferrari -- blink and you miss it -- motors past the building,
 looking very out of place on the street.

 PANNING UP  A building facade of lit windows and metal fire
 escape.  One window in particular.  A GIRL stands there in a
 short kimono, looking down.  And then she turns away.

 INT.  VIVIAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

 A SERIES OF SHOTS to see her dressing.

 INT.  VIVIAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

 VIVIAN turns and stares at herself in a grainy, cracked bedroom
 mirror.  She is twenty years old and a prostitute.  Make-up
 applied to give her a hard, older look doesn't quite succeed.
 She'd be innocently beautiful without it.  She is wearing tiny
 shorts, a tight tube top, thigh high boots.  She stares at
 herself, not really liking what she sees.  A moment.  She signs,
 turns off the light and walks out of the bedroom.

 INT. APARTMENT BUILDING HALLWAY - NIGHT

 Faded, peeling walls.  Thread bare, dirty carpet.  Vivian locks
 the apartment door behind her and starts down the dim hallway.
 A door suddenly opens, startling her.  An unshaved, enormously
 pot bellied MAN in a stained t-shirt stares at Vivian with pig
 eyes.

       LANDLORD
  Vivian.

 Vivian turns some "tough" on him.

       VIVIAN
  Yeah, what?

       LANDLORD
  Rent.  You're late.

       VIVIAN
  Don't give me that.  Kit gave it
  to you yesterday, cash.

       LANDLORD
  Kit give me nothin'.

       VIVIAN
   (suddenly uncertain)
  You bullshittin' me?

       LANDLORD
  Of rent I do not bullshit.

 Vivian hurries at a run back down the hallway.

       LANDLORD
  By the end of the week or you're
  otta here.
   (a beat)
  By the way, you look very nice
  tonight!

 INT. VIVIAN'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN

 Vivian pulls a coffee can off a shelf.  She pulls off the top.
 It's empty.  She tosses the can away, starts for the door.  She
 opens it.

 INT. APARTMENT HALLWAY - NIGHT

 Down the hallway, the landlord is standing in front of his open
 doorway, talking to a FAT WOMAN.  They both glance up.

 Vivian quickly closes the door.  She doesn't want to deal with
 them.

 EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT

 Vivian comes off the fire escape onto the sidewalk.  She hurried
 away.

 EXT. HOLLYWOOD BLVD. - NIGHT

 Vivian walks along, urgently looking for something... someone.

 A BABBLING STREET-TYPE goes by happily talking to himself.
 He wears an "I Love Hollywood" t-shirt.

 Vivian passes TOURISTS but doesn't notice them any more than
 she pays attention to the VAGRANT she passes further on, huddle
 in a doorway.

 A LONG-HAIRED KID on a SKATEBOARD goes by dropping off little
 bags to various STREET-TYPES.