A CROWDED ROOM

A CROWDED ROOM

by

James Cameron

FADE IN:

We don't know what we're looking at. It's an abstract

mass -- swirling lines in constant motion -- but we're too

close to see any form.

As WE PULL BACK, we can now make out that they are what

seem like animated streaks of charcoal -- forming and

reforming into a series of drawings:

First, a small girl, clutching a rag doll. She stares

plaintively into the lens as around the edges of the

frame, a male figure with a thick, black moustache,

cradles her protectively in his arms.

But this image quickly changes to a landscape -- evil and

foreboding. A desolate farmhouse against an overcast sky.

Leafless trees with spiky tentacles for branches sprout

like eruptions from the very bowels of hell. It's every

shade of gray -- ominous, depraved.

Now we start to close in on this landscape's heart of

darkness -- a constricted old corn crib -- but before we

get close enough to see inside it, the scene shifts. A

pale, sad-eyed teenage girl looking straight at us. Then

we move to a line drawing of the rag doll that the little

girl had clutched earlier -- only now it hangs from a

noose, surrounded by long, shattered lines that recall the

farmhouse branches. The last shift leads us to a dark

haired little boy, scared into impenetrable silence, as he

is approached from behind by the immense, leering

presence of an adult male.

Finally, this Rotoscope animated picture transform itself

into reality -- an actual oil painting, wet and glistening

on a canvas. It's the first image we've seen that has

dimension or texture. In a moment, a paint-stained hand

enters the frame and feverishly smears the adult figure

beyond all recognition with its fingers, leaving the

little boy alone in the F.G. Then, the hand leaves,

returning with a paint brush. It re-does the area

surrounding the child in a wash of midnight blue. As it

does, we hear:

DONNA (V.O.)

He had some kind of stain or

something on his hands.

KLEBERG (V.O.)

Stain? What, like dirt?

BOXERBAUM (V.O.)

Oil?

DONNA (V.O.)

No. They were blue. Dark blue.

All over his fingers.

KLEBERG (V.O.)

Ink?

DONNA (V.O.)

No. I don't know what it was. But

it had a funny smell to it.

INT. POLICE STATION - NIGHT

DONNA WEST is a short, plump woman in her twenties, eyes

red from crying, hair in her face, talking to POLICE CHIEF

KLEBERG and DETECTIVE BOXERBAUM. She's huddled across a

table from them in a blanket. Beside her stands a FEMALE

POLICE OFFICER.

A LEGEND COMES UP ON SCREEN: OCTOBER 22, 1977

DONNA

Oh, God, I don't know. I can't

think.

BOXERBAUM

Alright, don't worry about his

hands. Just try and tell us

whatever you remember so that we can

get a statement.

DONNA

It was about eight A.M. and I was

getting out of my car in the parking

lot.

KLEBERG

This is at Ohio State?

DONNA

Yes, I'm an optometry student there.

EXT. PARKING LOT - MORNING

DONNA WEST is getting out of her beat up Toyota. We see

what she describes.

DONNA (V.O.)

I had gone around to the passenger

side to pick up some books, and as I

was leaning in...

BILLY MILLIGAN, a regular looking guy, maybe a little

burlier than average, with a full mustache and brown

tinted sunglasses, enters frame. He holds a small

revolver, which he presses against DONNA'S arm.

BILLY

Would you please get in the car?

Frightened, she does. BILLY goes around to the driver's

side and gets in. He takes out a pair of handcuffs and

cuffs her to the inside of the door. He goes through her

bag and pulls out her car keys. He starts the car and

drives off.

INT. CAR

As they drive away from the campus.

DONNA

Where are we going?

But BILLY is muttering to himself, oblivious to her

question.

DONNA

I know this is gonna sound

ridiculous, but I have an optometry

test today...

He looks at her suddenly.

BILLY

You can study for it if you want.

This won't take long. Go on.

She picks up a text book with her trembling free hand and

feigns studying.

EXT. ROAD

As the car drives through a deserted stretch of

countryside.

INT. CAR

DONNA is "studying" stealing glances at BILLY. Suddenly,

BILLY grabs her bag and pulls out her address book. As he

rips out pages.

BILLY

I'm taking these addresses and phone

numbers. If you say anything to the

police, I'll send someone from my

brotherhood after you.

INT. POLICE STATION

KLEBERG and BOXERBAUM.

KLEBERG

His "brotherhood"?

ANGLE

But now we see they're not talking to DONNA WEST, they're

talking to CARRIE DRYER -- a prettier GIRL also in her

twenties, also very upset. There's a sketch artist there.

CARRIE

That's what he said. He belonged to

a brotherhood and they'd send

someone after me if I said anything.

BOXERBAUM

Was he high? Could you tell?

CARRIE

It's weird. There was liquor on his

breath... I mean he reeked... but he

drove perfectly. In fact, he didn't

act drunk at all, except when he

would talk to himself.

SKETCH ARTIST

(holds up a sketch of

Billy)

How's this?

CARRIE

He didn't have a moustache. He was

clean shaven.

INT. CAR

BILLY is now clean shaven, driving through the woods.

Handcuffed to the passenger door is CARRIE DRYER. BILLY

is muttering to himself. He wears sunglasses.

EXT. CAR

As it bumps over train tracks.

INT. CAR

The jostling seems to jar him back to reality. He turns

on CARRIE.

BILLY

Take off your pants.

CARRIE

What?

BILLY

Take your fucking pants off!

She does the best she can with only one hand.

BILLY

You won't run away without any pants

on.

EXT. WOODS

The car is parked. BILLY and CARRIE stand beside it --

she is in a blouse and underwear.

BILLY

(gently)

Are you cold?

She shakes her head "no". BILLY lays CARRIE'S buckskin

jacket down on the muddy ground.

BILLY

(awkwardly, not

looking at her)

Take off your underwear and lay

down.

CARRIE dissolves in tears.

INT. POLICE STATION

KLEBERG and BOXERBAUM.

BOXERBAUM

(offers Kleenex)

It's O.K. You want to stop for a

while?

ANGLE

A different WOMAN is there, taking the Kleenex to wipe her

eyes. It is POLLY NEWTON, a little younger than the other

two.

POLLY

No. I'm all right.

KLEBERG

Did he hit you or push you or hurt

you in any way?

POLLY

No. He wrote me a poem.

BOXERBAUM

A poem?

POLLY

(nods)

A love poem. He never showed it to

me because he was afraid you'd trace

his handwriting.

EXT. WOODS

POLLY lies on the ground, naked from the waist down.

BILLY crumples up a piece of paper, then slides next to

her and holds her gently like one would a lover.

BILLY

Do you know what it's like to be

lonely? Not to be held by anyone?

Not to know the meaning of love?

He looks at her and takes off his sunglasses. His eyes

repeatedly drift slowly to one side, then dart back to

center.

INT. POLICE STATION

DONNA WEST and the two cops.

DONNA

It's called nystagmus. I'm an

optometry student. I recognized it

immediately. An involuntary

oscillation of the eyeballs.

INT. POLICE STATION

CARRIE DRYER and the two cops.

CARRIE

He never took off his glasses. I

don't know.

KLEBERG

Then what happened?

CARRIE breaks down.

CARRIE

He... raped... me...

EXT. WOODS

BILLY on top of CARRIE. We don't see much, but it's

obvious what is going on.

INT. POLICE STATION

DONNA WEST staring straight off into space.

EXT. WOODS

BILLY on top of DONNA. She stares off exactly as she had

in the police station.

INT. POLICE STATION

The FEMALE POLICE OFFICER holding POLLY, who is crying

uncontrollably.

EXT. WOODS

BILLY holding POLLY tightly after the rape. They are both

standing half-dressed.

BILLY

I'm sorry we had to meet under these

circumstances. I really love you.

His eyes drift and dart. He puts on his sunglasses.

INT. POLICE STATION

POLLY NEWTON and the OFFICERS.

POLLY

Then he drove me back into town and

made me cash him a check at my bank.

KLEBERG

(to Boxerbaum)

Same as the others.

POLLY

Then he took me to Wendy's.

BOXERBAUM

Wendy's?

POLLY

For a burger.

The COPS give each other a look.

INT. POLICE STATION

DONNA WEST and the OFFICERS.

DONNA

Then we finally went back to the

campus and he left. Oh yeah -- he

said his name was Phil.

THREE TRAYS OF MUG SHOTS

thud down onto the table

ANGLE

to include CARRIE DRYER and the OFFICERS.

CARRIE

There's this many criminals around

here?

BOXERBAUM

That's just the young, white male

sex offenders. And only the ones

who've been arrested.

CARRIE starts going through the photos.

POLLY

going through photos. She comes to one of BILLY, wearing

mutton chops. She stops. The OFFICERS react.

POLLY

It sure looks like him... but I

can't be sure.

DONNA, KLEBERG and BOXERBAUM.

DONNA

(jumps up, knocking

over her chair)

That's him. No doubt about it. I'm

positive.

KLEBERG picks it up and WE PRESS IN on a name:

WILLIAM STANLEY MILLIGAN.

EXT. OHIO STATE CAMPUS - NIGHT

A SERIES OF CUTS

It looks like an embassy under siege. Uniformed COPS

with dogs comb the area. Armed COPS keep watch from every

roof top. Flashlights dart everywhere -- occasionally

illuminating posters of the police sketch of BILLY on

campus walls and windows. In their dorm rooms, frightened

GIRLS watch from their windows, while below MALE CO-EDS

travel in packs with baseball bats. A newspaper vending

machine shows the Columbus Dispatch headline: CAMPUS

RAPIST MANHUNT CONTINUES - POLICE URGE CURFEW.

EXT. CHANNINGWAY APARTMENTS

A two story apartment complex. Three unmarked police cars

pull up in front.

INT. CAR

BOXERBAUM driving, a young PLAIN CLOTHES OFFICER in the

passenger seat.

BOXERBAUM

5673 Old Livingston. That's his

current address.

The YOUNG OFFICER checks his weapon, puts it back in the

waistband of his pants, then puts on a Domino Pizza hat

and grabs a pizza box from the back seat.

EXT. REAR OF BUILDING

TWO OFFICERS carefully approach the rear of BILLY'S ground

floor apartment. One looks in a window. He can't see

anyone, but the floor of the living room is covered with

kids toys: blocks, trucks, etc. Then we hear voices. We

can't make out what they're saying, but It's some kind of

argument between three men: one with an English accent,

one with some sort of Eastern European accent, and one

American mid-west.

FIRST OFFICER

Shit. He's not alone.

EXT. FRONT DOOR

As the YOUNG OFFICER rings the bell.

In a moment, BILLY answers the door.

YOUNG OFFICER

Pizza. You Billy Milligan?

BILLY

Who?

YOUNG OFFICER

Billy Milligan? 5673 Old

Livingston?

BILLY

I'm not Billy Milligan and I didn't

order any pizza.

INT. CAR

As BOXERBAUM watches from a distance -- his hand on his

gun.