FIGHT CLUB

TYLER

What did you want to be Raymond K. Hessel?

A long beat while Raymond weeps and says nothing. Tyler COCKS the gun.

Jack JERKS back, wincing, sweating.

JACK

... Tyler?

TYLER

I'm busy.

Tyler continues, to Raymond:

TYLER

The question, Raymond, was "what did you want to be"?

Tyler begins to squeeze the trigger.

JACK (croaking with dry mouth)

Answer him!

RAYMOND

A VETERINARIAN!

TYLER

Animals.

RAYMOND

Yeah ... animals and s-s-s --

TYLER

-- *Stuff*. That means you have to get more schooling.

PG 67

RAYMOND

Too much school.

TYLER

Would you rather be dead?

Tyler shoves Raymond's wallet back into his pocket.

TYLER

I'm keeping your license. I know where you live. I'm going to check

on you. If you aren't back in school on your way to being a

veterinarian, you will be dead. Now, get the hell out of here.

Raymond staggers into the darkness. Tyler watches. Jack, still

clinging to a branch with a deathgrip, looks at Tyler. Tyler slowly

turns to face Jack.

TYLER

Raymond K. Hessel, tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of your

life. Your breakfast is going to taste better than any meal you've

ever eaten.

Jack's eyes light up. He looks at the fleeing Raymond, then back at

Tyler. He sighs, then shakes his head, then cracks his weird, little

crooked smile. His eyes glow. He looks with almost religious

reverence at Tyler.

Tyler turns and smiles at Jack.

TYLER

To make soap, first you have to render fat.

CLOSE UP - SIGN: "DANGER - BIOHAZARD"

PULL BACK TO WIDE ON

EXT. FENCED-IN BIOHAZARD WASTE DUMP SITE - NIGHT

Tyler is on the ground, inside the fence. Jack's at the top of the

fence, trying to get through the BARBED WIRE. He does so, but wobbles

and gets his shirt snagged. Tyler tries to help him. Jack falls,

ripping his shirt. Tyler breaks the fall, gets Jack to his feet.

FOOTSTEPS. FLASHLIGHT BEAM. Tyler pulls Jack down behind a DUMPSTER

-- one of DOZENS in the site. A silhouette of a SECURITY GUARD moves

along the perimeter, waving the flashlight around. He finally walks

back toward the adjacent building, goes inside.

PG 68

MOVE BACK to Tyler and Jack, who emerge from hiding. Tyler eagerly

grabs the lid of the closest dumpster. Jack gapes at the "biohazard"

sign.

TYLER

The best fat for making soap -- because the salt balance is just right

-- comes from human bodies.

Tyler lifts the lid -- it CREAKS. Jack breathes heavily, afraid to

look. Tyler pulls out an industrial-sized, think plastic bag full of

PINK GOO. Jack reacts to the smell, turning away. His eyes focus on

the side of the adjacent building and its SIGN: "BODY SCULPTING

CLINIC".

TYLER

>From the asses and thighs of rich women, paydirt.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

Jack watches at Tyler stirs a boiling pot.

TYLER

As the fat renders, the tallow floats to the surface of the water.

EXT. WASTE DUMP SITE - NIGHT (RESUMING)

Tyler and Jack climb back over the fence, each carrying several bags of

fat. One of Jack's bags gets caught on the barbed wire and rips,

spilling the goo all down the fence. Jack's pants and shoes get

covered; he slips and slides. Tyler starts laughing. Jack starts

laughing.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT (RESUMING)

Tyler shows Jack two pots which have a skinned-over layer.

TYLER

When the tallow separates, there will be a clear layer on top. It's

glycerin. We can mix it back in when we make the soap.

EXT. WASTE DUMP SITE - NIGHT (RESUMING)

Tyler helps Jack over the fence. They both fall to the ground on the

other side, laughing. They try to get up and they both slip in fat,

falling on their asses. They laugh louder. FOOTSTEPS; FLASHLIGHT.

PG 69

Still hysterically laughing, they both get up, slide and fall down

again, get up yet again and stagger away, disappearing around a corner.

INT. TAXICAB - MOMENTS LATER

Jack and Tyler, slimed with fat, hold their bags, giggling. The CAB

DRIVER gives them a deadpan look.

END OVERLAPPING INTERCUT. CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN - LATE NIGHT

Tyler and Jack have fat stains and rips on their clothes from the waste

dump. The pots boil. Tyler stirs. He sticks a spoon into a pot and

lifts up a scoop of the glycerin layer. Then, he grabs a can, opens,

it.

TYLER

Lye -- the crucial ingredient for making soap. A paste of lye and

water can burn through an aluminum pan. A solution of lye and water

will dissolve a wooden spoon. Combined with water, lye heats to over

two hundred degrees.

Tyler licks his lips until they're gleaming wet. He takes Jack's hand

and KISSES the back of it. The saliva shines in the shape of the kiss.

Tyler poises the can of lye over Jack's hand.

TYLER

This is a chemical burn, and it will hurt more than you've ever been

burned.

Tyler pours a bit of the flaked lye onto Jack's hand. Jack's whole

body JERKS. Tyler holds tight to Jack's hand. Tears well in Jack's

eyes; his face tightens.

TYLER

Look at your hand.

Jack looks -- the burn is swollen glossy in the shape of Tyler's kiss.

Jack's face spasms, but he forces himself to endure it.

JACK (V.O.)

Tyler's kiss was a bonfire or a branding iron on my hand at the end of

a long, long road I pictured miles away from me.

PG 70

Jack takes his gaze off his hand and his eyes become glazed and

detached.

TYLER

Come back to the pain.

JACK (V.O.)

Guided meditation worked for cancer it could work for this.

TYLER

Don't shut this out.

JACK (V.O.)

I didn't think of the words "pain" or "searing flesh". I was going to

my cave to find my power animal.

Quick CUT TO:

INT. CAVE

Marla, looking beautiful in a stunning black dress.

As soon as Tyler speaks, we CUT BACK TO:

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

Tyler squeezing Jack's hand. Jack's eyes re-focus on Tyler.

TYLER

This is the greatest moment of your life and you're off somewhere,

missing it. Listen. Your father was your model for God. And if your

father bails out, what does that tell you about God?

Jack's face spasms in pain. He keeps his attention on Tyler.

TYLER

You have to consider the possibility that God doesn't like you. He

hates you. This is not the worst thing that can happen. His hate is

better that His indifference.

Jack becomes dazed again. CUT TO:

INT. CAVE

Marla drops to the ground and pulls Jack on top of her. Jack moves to

kiss her. CUT TO:

PG 71

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

Tyler tugs at Jack's arm.

TYLER

We are God's middle children, with no special place in history and no

special attention. Unless we get God's attention, we have no hope of

damnation or redemption.

Jack looks at Tyler and they lock eyes in a stare.

TYLER

The lower you fall, the higher you fly. The farther you run, the more

God wants you back.

Jack does his best to stifle his spasms and quivers of pain. Tears

drip from his eyes.

TYLER

Someday, you will die. And until you know that, you're useless to me.

Tyler's eyes fill with tears and he smiles. Suddenly, Jack starts

breathing heavily and he shakes his hand.

JACK

Fuck, man. This HURTS.

Tyler laughs; Jack, bearing the pain, cracks a weird little crooked

smiles, his eyes wide.

INT. KITCHEN - SUNRISE

Tyler watches as Jack cuts several perfectly shaped bars of soap.

Tyler finishes wrapping one. The wrapper says: "The Paper Street Soap

Company" in quaint writing.

INT. BARNEY'S - DAY

Jack and Tyler, wearing trenchcoats and looking like death-warmed-over,

wait by a counter and trendily-dressed and finely-coiffed SALESPEOPLE

zip around. Tyler is the picture of cool. Jack looks around as if

expecting to get arrested. He looks at his BANDAGED HAND, shakes it.

A BUYER, a woman, comes to the counter, smiles at Tyler; he smiles

back. MOS while Jack's VOICE is OVER the following: the Buyer looks

over a sample bar of soap. She nods, smiles and begins to fill out

forms.

PG 72

JACK (V.O.)

Tyler sold it to the stores at twenty bucks a bar. God knows what they

charged. We were selling rich women their own fat back to them.

EXT. STREET - NIGHT

Jack and Tyler march down the sidewalk, full of purpose, like

gunfighters heading for a show-down.

TYLER

Look at the guys in fight club. The strongest and smartest men who

have ever lived -- and they're pumping gas and waiting tables; or

they're slaves with white collars. Advertising has them chasing cars

and clothes. A whole generation working in jobs they hate, just so

they can buy shit they don't really need.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALLWAY - NIGHT

MEN are entering the gymnasium for the testicular cancer support group

"Remaining Men Together". Bob starts to file in with the rest, and

suddenly, Jack darts forth from the shadows and blocks his way.

BOB

Hi.

JACK

Hi, Bob.

Bob tries to go through the door, but Jack blocks him.

JACK

Are you really a man?

BOB

Yes ... we all are.

JACK

I'm not so sure.

Jack forcefully pushes Bob. Caught off-guard, he backs into a locker

with a bang. Jack slaps Bob's face.

JACK

Come on, you big moose. Let's see if you are.

PG 73

Jack punches Bob in the stomach. Bob puts up his hands to block. Jack

throws more punches. Finally, Bob punches Jack in the face, knocking

him staggering. Jack comes back and they pummel each other. Bob's

face gets redder with anger.

Then, Jack steps back, holding out his hands to signal "stop".

JACK

Let's take this somewhere else.

INT. BASEMENT - ELECTRONICS WAREHOUSE - NIGHT

The crowd screams insanely as Bob and Jack go at it in the circle of

light. Bob's eyes are wild with glee.

EXT. BASEMENT DOOR - ELECTRONICS WAREHOUSE - LATER

Everyone quietly sneaks out of the new location -- we've seen none of

these guys before -- this is a new chapter. Jack and Bob stagger out

last. They are both dripping blood and covered with bruises -- Jack

being in worse shape -- and they both grin with religious serenity.

Bob hugs Jack.

BOB

Thank you. Thank you.

Bob relaxes the hug and Jack drops to the ground like a sack, enervated

from the beating he took.

JACK

You're welcome.

JACK (V.O.)

Fight club -- this was mine and Tyler's gift -- our gift to the world.

EXT. STREET - DAY

Ricky grapples with a YUPPIE. They fall to the sidewalk, pounding each

other.

YUPPIE

WHO ARE YOU?! WHY DID YOU ATTACK ME?!

The Yuppie maneuvers Ricky toward a metal fence and insanely tries to

impale him on a spike. Tyler and Jack shoot INTO VIEW and grab the

YUPPIE, laughing.