Pulp Fiction

LANCE

Look, just keep talkin' to her, okay? While she's gettin' the shot, I gotta get a medical book.

VINCENT

What do you need a medical book for?

LANCE

To tell me how to do it. I've never given an adrenaline shot before.

VINCENT

You've had that thing for six years and you never used it?

LANCE

I never had to use it. I don't go joy-poppin' with bubble-gummers, all of myfriends can handle their highs!

VINCENT

Well then get it.

LANCE

I am, if you'll let me.

VINCENT

I'm not fuckin' stoppin' you.

LANCE

Stop talkin' to me, and start talkin' to her.

WE FOLLOW Lance as he runs out of the living room into a...

INT. SPARE ROOM

With a bunch of junk in it. He frantically starts scanning the junk for the book he's looking for, repeating the words, "Come on," endlessly.

From OFF SCREEN we hear:

VINCENT (O.S.)

Hurry up man! We're losin' her!

LANCE

(calling back)

I'm looking as fast as I can!

Lance continues his frenzied search.

WE HEAR Jody in the living room now as she talks to Vincent.

JODY (O.S.)

What's he lookin' for?

VINCENT (O.S.)

I dunno, some medical book.

Jody calls to LANCE.

JODY (O.S.)

What are you lookin' for?

LANCE

My black medical book!

As he continues searching, flipping and knocking over shit, Jody appears in the doorway.

JODY

Whata re you looking for?

LANCE

My black fuckin' medical book. It's like a text book they give to nurses.

JODY

I never saw a medical book.

LANCE

Trust me, I have one.

JODY

Well if it's that important, why didn't you keep it with the shot?

Lance spins toward her.

LANCE

I don't know! Stop bothering me!

JODY

While you're lookin' for it, that girl's gonna die on our carpet. You're never gonna find it in all this shit. For six months now, I've been telling you to clean this room –

VINCENT (O.S.)

– get your ass in here, fuck the book!

Lance angrily knocks over a pile of shit and leaves the SHOT heading for the living room.

LIVING ROOM

Vincent is bent over Mia, talking softly to her, when Lance reenters the room.

VINCENT

Quit fuckin' around man and give her the shot!

Lance bends down by the black case brought in by Jody. He opens it and begins preparing the needle for injection.

LANCE

While I'm doing this, take her shirt off and find her heart.

Vince rips her blouse open.

Jody stumbles back in the room, hanging back from the action.

VINCENT

Does it have to be exact?

LANCE

Yeah, it has to be exact! I'm giving her an injection in the heart, so I gotta exactly hit her in the heart.

VINCENT

Well, I don't know exactly where her heart is, I think it's here.

Vince points to Mia's right breast. Lance glances over and nods.

LANCE

That's it.

As Lance readies the injection, Vincent looks up at Jody.

VINCENT

I need a big fat magic marker, got one?

JODY

What?

VINCENT

I need a big fat magic marker, any felt pen'll do, but a magic marker would be great.

JODY

Hold on.

Jody runs to the desk, opens the top drawer and, in her enthusiasm, she pulls the drawer out of the desk, the contents of which (bills, papers, pens) spill to the floor.

The injection is ready. Lance hands Vincent the needle.

LANCE

It's ready, I'll tell you what to do.

VINCENT

You're gonna give her the shot.

LANCE

No, you're gonna give her the shot.

VINCENT

I've never does this before.

LANCE

I've never done this before either, and I ain't starting now. You brought 'er here, that means you give her the shot. The day I bring an ODing bitch to your place, then I gotta give her the shot.

Jody hurriedly joins them in the huddle, a big fat red magic marker in her hand.

JODY

Got it.

Vincent grabs the magic marker out of Jody's hand and makes a big red dot in Mia's body where her heart is.

VINCENT

Okay, what do I do?

LANCE

Well, you're giving her an injection of adrenaline straight to her heart. But she's got a breast plate in front of her heart, so you gotta pierce through that. So what you gotta do is bring the needle down in a stabbing motion.

Lance demonstrates a stabbing motion, which looks like "The Shape" killing its victims in "Halloween".

VINCENT

I gotta stab her?

LANCE

If you want the needle to pierce through to her heart, you gotta stab her hard. Then once you do, push down on the plunger.

VINCENT

What happens after that?

LANCE

I'm curious about that myself.

VINCENT

This ain't a fuckin' joke man!

LANCE

She's supposed to come out of it like –

(snaps his fingers)

– that.

Vincent lifts the needle up above his head in a stabbing motion. He looks down on Mia.

Mia is fading fast. Soon nothing will help her.

Vincent's eyes narrow, ready to do this.

VINCENT

Count to three.

Lance, on this knees right beside Vincent, does not know what to expect.

LANCE

One...

RED DOT on Mia's body.

Needle raised ready to strike.

LANCE (O.S.)

... two...

Jody's face is alive with anticipation.

NEEDLE in that air, poised like a rattler ready to strike.

LANCE (O.S.)

... three!

The needle leaves frame, THRUSTING down hard.

Vincent brings the needle down hard, STABBING Mia in the chest.

Mia's head if JOLTED from the impact.

The syringe plunger is pushed down, PUMPING the adrenaline out through the needle.

Mia's eyes POP WIDE OPEN and she lets out a HELLISH cry of the banshee. She BOLTS UP in a sitting position, needle stuck in her chest – SCREAMING.

Vincent, Lance and Jody, who were in sitting positions in front of Mia, JUMP BACK, scared to death.

Mia's scream runs out. She slowly starts taking breaths of air.

The other three, now scooted halfway across the room, shaken to their bones, look to see if she's alright.

LANCE

If you're okay, say something.

Mia, still breathing, not looking up at them, says in a relatively normal voice.

MIA

Something.

Vincent and Lance collapse on their backs, exhausted and shaking from how close to death Mia came.

JODY

Anybody want a beer?

CUT TO:

INT. VINCENT'S MALIBU (MOVING) – NIGHT
 

Vincent is behind the wheel driving Mia home. No one says anything, both are still too shaken.

EXT. FRONT OF MARSELLUS WALLACE'S HOUSE – NIGHT

The Malibu pulls up to the front. Mia gets out without saying a word (still in a daze) and begins walking down the walkway toward her front door.

VINCENT (O.S.)

Mia!

She turns around.

Vincent's out of the car, standing on the walkway, a big distance between the two.

VINCENT

What are your thoughts on how to handle this?

MIA

What's yours?

VINCENT

Well I'm of the opinion that Marsellus can live his whole live and never ever hear of this incident.

Mia smiles.

MIA

Don't worry about it. If Marsellus ever heard of this, I'd be in as much trouble as you.

VINCENT

I seriously doubt that.

MIA

If you can keep a secret, so can I.

VINCENT

Let's shake on it.

The two walk toward each other, holding out their hands to shake and shake they do.

VINCENT

Mum's the word.

Mia lets go of Vincent's hand and silently makes the see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, and speak-no-evil sign with her hands.

Vincent smiles.

VINCENT

If you'll excuse me, I gotta go home and have a heart attack.

Mia giggles.

Vincent turns to leave.

MIA

You still wanna hear my "Fox Force Five" joke?

Vincent turns around.

VINCENT

Sure, but I think I'm still a little too petrified to laugh.

MIA

Uh-huh. You won't laugh because it's not funny. But if you still wanna hear it, I'll tell it.

VINCENT

I can't wait.

MIA

Three tomatoes are walking down the street, a poppa tomato, a momma tomato, and a little baby tomato. The baby tomato is lagging behind the poppa and momma tomato. The poppa tomato gets mad, goes over to the momma tomato and stamps on him –

(stamps on the ground)

– and says: catch up.

They both smile, but neither laugh.

MIA

See ya 'round, Vince.

Mia turns and walks inside her house.

CLOSEUP – VINCENT

After Mia walks inside. Vincent continues to look at where she was. He brings his hands to his lips and blows her a kiss. Then exits FRAME leaving it empty. WE HEAR his Malibu START UP and DRIVE AWAY.

FADE TO BLACK
 

FADE UP

 
ON THE CARTOON "SPEED RACER"
 

Speed is giving a detailed description of all the features on his race car "The Mac-5," which he does at the beginning of every episode.

OFF SCREEN we hear a WOMAN'S VOICE... .

WOMAN'S VOICE (O.S.)

Butch.

DISSOLVE TO:

BUTCH'S POV

We're in the living room of a modest two bedroom house in Alhambra, California, in the year 1972. BUTCH'S MOTHER, 35ish, stands in the doorway leading into the living room. Next to her is a man dressed in the uniform of an American Air Force officer. The CAMERA is the perspective of a five-year old boy.

MOTHER

Butch, stop watching TV a second. We got a special visitor. Now do you remember when I told you your daddy dies in a POW camp?

BUTCH (O.S.)

Uh-huh.

MOTHER

Well this here is Capt. Koons. He was in the POW camp with Daddy.

CAPT. KOONS steps inside the room toward the little boy and bends down on one knee to bring him even with the boy's eyeline. When Koons speaks, he speaks with a slight Texas accent.

CAPT. KOONS

Hello, little man. Boy I sure heard a bunch about you. See, I was a good friend of your Daddy's. We were in that Hanoi pit of hell over five years together. Hopefully, you'll never have to experience this yourself, but when two men are in a situation like me and your Daddy were, for as long as we were, you take on certain responsibilities of the other. If it had been me who had not made it, Major Coolidge would be talkin' right now to my son Jim. But the way it worked out is I'm talkin' to you, Butch. I got somethin' for ya.

The Captain pulls a gold wrist watch out of his pocket.

CAPT. KOONS

This watch I got here was first purchased by your great-granddaddy. It was bought during the First World War in a little general store in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was bought by private Doughboy Ernie Coolidge the day he set sail for Paris. It was your great-granddaddy's war watch, made by the first company to ever make wrist watches. You see, up until then, people just carried pocket watches. Your great-granddaddy wore that watch every day he was in the war. Then when he had done his duty, he went home to your great-grandmother, took the watch off his wrist and put it in an ol' coffee can. And in that can it stayed 'til your grandfather Dane Coolidge was called upon by his country to go overseas and fight the Germans once again. This time they called it World War Two. Your great-granddaddy gave it to your granddad for good luck. Unfortunately, Dane's luck wasn't as good as his old man's. Your granddad was a Marine and he was killed with all the other Marines at the battle of Wake Island. Your granddad was facing death and he knew it. None of those boys had any illusions about ever leavin' that island alive. So three days before the Japanese took the island, your 22-year old grandfather asked a gunner on an Air Force transport named Winocki, a man he had never met before in his life, to deliver to his infant son, who he had never seen in the flesh, his gold watch. Three days later, your grandfather was dead. But Winocki kept his word. After the war was over, he paid a visit to your grandmother, delivering to your infant father, his Dad's gold watch. This watch. This watch was on your Daddy's wrist when he was shot down over Hanoi. He was captured and put in a Vietnamese prison camp. Now he knew if the gooks ever saw the watch it's be confiscated. The way your Daddy looked at it, that watch was your birthright. And he'd be damned if and slopeheads were gonna put their greasy yella hands on his boy's birthright. So he hid it in the one place he knew he could hide somethin'. His ass. Five long years, he wore this watch up his ass. Then when he died of disentary, he gave me the watch. I hid with uncomfortable hunk of metal up my ass for two years. Then, after seven years, I was sent home to my family. And now, little man, I give the watch to you.

Capt. Koons hands the watch to Butch. A little hand comes into FRAME to accept it.

CUT TO:

INT. LOCKER ROOM – NIGHT

The 27-year old Butch Coolidge is dressed in boxing regalia: trunks, shoes and gloves. He lies on a table catching a few zzzzzz's before his big fight. Almost as soon as WE CUT to him, he wakes up with a start. Shaken by the bizarre memory, he wipes his sweaty face with his boxing glove.

His trainer KLONDIKE, an older fireplug, opens the door a little, sticking his head in the room. Pandemonium seems to be breaking out behind Klondike in the hallway.

KLONDIKE

It's time, Butch.

BUTCH

I'm ready.

Klondike steps inside, closing the door on the WILD MOB outside. He goes to the long yellow robe hanging on a hook. Butch hops off the table and, without a word, Klondike helps him on with the robe, which says on the back: "BATTLING BUTCH COOLIDGE".

The two men head for the door. Klondike opens the door for Butch. As Butch steps into the hallway, the Crowd goes apeshit. Klondike closes the door behind him, leaving us in the quiet, empty locker room.

FADE TO BLACK

TITLE CARD:

"THE GOLD WATCH"

WE HEAR OVER THE BLACK AND WHITE TITLE:

SPORTSCASTER #1 (O.S.)

– Well Dan, that had to be the bloodiest and, hands-down, the most brutal fight this city has ever seen.

The SOUND of chaos in the b.g.

FADE IN:

EXT. ALLEY (RAINING) – NIGHT

A taxi is parked in a dark alley next to an auditorium. The sky is PISSIN' DOWN RAIN. WE SLOWLY DOLLY toward the parked car. The SOUND of the CAR RADIO can be heard coming from inside.

SPORTSCASTER #1 (O.S.)

... Coolidge was out of there faster than I've ever seen a victorious boxer vacate the ring. Do you think he knew Willis was dead?

SPORTSCASTER #2 (O.S.)

My guess would be yes, Richard. I could see from my position here, the frenzy in his eyes give way to the realization of what he was doing. I think any man would've left the ring that fast.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. TAXI (PARKED / RAINING) – NIGHT

Inside the taxi, behind the wheel, is a female cabbie named ESMARELDA VILLALOBOS. A young woman, with Spanish looks, sits parked, drinking a steaming hot cup of coffee out of a white styrofoam cup.

The Sportscasters continue their coverage.

SPORTSCASTER #1 (O.S.)

Do you feel this ring death tragedy will have an effect on the world of boxing?

SPORTSCASTER #2 (O.S.)

Oh Dan, a tragedy like this can't help but shake the world of boxing to its very foundation. But it's of paramount importance that during the sad weeks ahead, the eyes of the W.B.A. remain firmly fixed on the – CLICK –

Esmarelda shuts off the radio.

She takes a sip of coffee, then hears a NOISE behind her in the alley. She sticks her head out of the car door to see:

EXT. BOXING AUDITORIUM (RAINING) – NIGHT

A window about three stories high opens on the auditorium-side of the alley. A gym bag is tossed out into a garbage dumpster below the window. Then, Butch Coolidge, still dressed in boxing trunks, shoes, gloves and yellow robe, LEAPS to the dumpster below.

ESMARELDA'S REACTION takes in the strangeness of this sight.

Gym bag in hand, Butch CLIMBS out of the dumpster and RUNS to the taxi. Before he climbs in, he takes off his robe and throws it to the ground.