Raising Arizona

GALE AND EVELLE'S CAR

Gale drives, gazing out at the road. Evelle holds Nathan Jr., occasionally bouncing him.

Contemplatively:

GALE

I luuuuv to drive.

EVELLE

You said somethin' there, partner.

GALE

... Yessir, I figure with the ransom and this bank, you'n I'll be sittin' in the fabled catbird seat.

Evelle is looking down at the baby, shifting him in his lap.

EVELLE
Uh, Gale... Junior had a, uh, accident.

GALE

What's that, pardner?

EVELLE

He had a little accident.

Gale looks over.

GALE

Wuddya mean, he looks okay.

EVELLE

No, ya see... Movin' though we are, he just had hisself a rest stop.

GALE

Well it's perfectly natural.

EVELLE

(very excited)

Hey Gale!

GALE
What now?

Evelle, beaming, looks up from the baby to Gale.

EVELLE

... He smiled at me!

THE SUN

A huge rumbling rippling red ball that fills the frame.

As we hear his footfalls on concrete steps, Smalls rises into frame, apparently climbing a stoop. The sun behind him throws him into silhouette; the extreme telephoto flattens him against the sun. Heat waves ripple between us and him, making his figure slightly waver.

The rumble builds, louder and louder, until it is snapped off by a –

INT. TRAILER

CLICK. The front door handle clicks open and Smalls stands in the doorway. The abandoned trailer is perfectly quiet.

The room is a complete shambles from the fight. Sunlight filters in between the slats of the venetian blinds. Smoke from Lenny Smalls' cheroot ripples up through the light.

After only a momentary pause at the door to take in the scene, Smalls goes directly to a specific spot in the debris and nudges some of it aside with his toe, exposing a piece of paper.

He bends down to pick it up but suddenly freezes, with a soft grunt of surprise.

HIS POV

At knee-height on the wall in front of him, "FART" is scrawled in crayon.

BACK TO SMALLS

As he stands up with the piece of paper.

THE PAPER

It is Gale's picture of the Farmers and Mechanics Bank.

INT. CONVENIENCE STORE

Close on a carton of diapers being set down on the check-out counter.

EVELLE (O.S.)

Know how you put these thangs on?

WIDER

Evelle and the Cashier, a late-middle-aged man (perhaps the proprietor of this small mom-and-pop store) face each other across the check-out counter. Evelle has various baby purchases – the diapers, baby food, etc. – piled on the counter. The Cashier is ringing them up.

Through the open door beyond them we can see a strip of the parking lot.

CASHIER
Welp. Around the butt, then up over the groin area –

EVELLE

I know where they go, old timer. I mean do I need pins or fasteners?

We see Gale trotting past through the visible part of the parking lot, cooing "Weeeeee!" as he holds Nathan Jr. Up over his head.

CASHIER

Well no, they got those tape-ettes already on there, it's self-contained and fairly explanatory.

EVELLE

Uh-huh...

He takes a plastic-covered squirt gun off a display rack and drops it on the counter. He is looking around at the other impulse purchases displayed by the register; he unhooks a bag of balloons.

EVELLE

... These blow up into funny shapes at all?

Gale is trotting by in the opposite direction: "Weeeeee!"

CASHIER
Well no. Unless round is funny.

Evelle is pulling a gun out of his belt.

EVELLE
All right, I'll take these too. Now you lie down back there –

CASHIER

Yessir!

EVELLE

– and don't you move till you've counted up to eight hundred and twenty-five and then backwards down to zero. I'll be back to check – see y'ain't cheatin'.

The Cashier is already down on the floor, out of frame.

CASHIER (O.S.)

You the diaper burglar?

As he heads for the door with the groceries:

EVELLE

Looks like I'm one of 'em.

EXT. STORE

As Evelle hurriedly emerges with the two bags. Faintly we can hear the Cashier bellowing: "One one thousand, two one thousand..."

EVELLE

Get the door, will ya?

Gale is slipping the baby back into his car seat, which sits on the roof of the car. He starts doing up the straps.

GALE
He's a real cheerful little critter once he warms up to ya.

Hands free now, Gale reaches for the back door.

EVELLE
Hurry up Gale...

Gale has the door open. Evelle starts throwing in the groceries.

EVELLE
I don't know how high this one can count.

GALE AND EVELLE'S CAR

Gale drives as Evelle sorts through his purchases.

EVELLE
Got him some baby grub... baby wipes... diapers, disposable... packet of balloons –

GALE

They blow up into funny shapes at all?

EVELLE

No, just –

Gale is looking around, puzzled.

GALE
Say, where's Junior?

EVELLE

Wuddya mean, didn't you put him in?!

GALE

No, I thought –

The two men look at each other.

REVERSE

The two men's heads whip around to look in the back seat.

BACK TO FRONT ANGLE

They look at each other in horror.

GALE

Where'd we leave hirn?!

The two men's eyes widen as they remember at the same time: both look up at the roof of the car.

CLOSE ON GALE'S FOOT

Coming off the accelerator.

CLOSE ON EVELLE

Screaming as he watches the foot:

EVELLE

NOOOOOO!!

But too late.

GALE'S FOOT

Already plunging down on the brake. SQUEEEEEEEAL...

TWO SHOT

Evelle is screaming at the top of his lungs as the car rocks to a stop. He peers through the windshield, still screaming, but nothing has shot off the roof of the car.

He cranes his neck to look up the slant of the windshield toward the roof. This of course gives him no view; still screaming, he thrusts his body out his open window to look up at the roof. His scream is muted as his head disappears from view, then comes back full force as he ducks back in, frantically shaking his head.

With this Gale's last hope disappears and he starts bellowing also.

GALE'S FOOT

Rising from the brake to plunge down on the accelerator.

EXT. THE CAR

As it hangs a squealing U-turn and races off at top speed.

LOW WIDE SHOT

In the foreground Nathan Jr. sits upright in his car seat, in the middle of the road that fronts the convenience store. He is placidly looking at the scenery.

Faintly, we hear the Cashier bellowing:

CASHIER
... Seven hunnert ninety-seven one thousand, seven hunnert ninety-six one thousand...

GALE AND EVELLE

In their speeding car, both staring out at the road ahead, mouths gaping, emitting ear-splitting screams.

INT. STORE

Shot faces the front of the store with some of the street visible outside. The Cashier on the floor is out of frame, but we can hear him loud and clear:

CASHIER
... Seven hunnert ninety-one one thousand, seven hunnert – ah... bullshit.

He rises into frame, back to the camera, just as: We see Gale and Evelle's car, through the front window, roaring up the street. Quick as a shot, the Cashier has dropped back out of frame and resumes bellowing:

CASHIER

... Seven hunnert ninety – ought one thousand! Seven hundred eighty –

The car is starting to squeal to a screaming halt.

BACK TO LOW WIDE SHOT

With Nathan Jr. in the foreground. Gale and Evelle's car comes to a rocking halt behind – and inches shy of – the baby.

Evelle's door is already open. He bolts from it and runs over to the baby, blubbering. He picks up the car seat and Nathan Jr.

Gale is also getting out of the car.

EVELLE
Promise we ain't never gonna give him up, Gale! We ain't never gonna let him go!

Gale, choked up, speaks in a low unsteady voice:

GALE
We'll never give him up, EveRe. He's our little Gale Jr. now.

HI AND ED'S CAR
 

Hi driving. Both are staring wordlessly ahead at the road.

Hi looks over at Ed, glum but trying to be kind.

HI
... Ed, I realize I can't be much of a comfort to you. But lemme just say this...

He is nodding to himself.

HI

... You'll feel a whole lot better when –

ED

I don't wanna feel better.

HI

Honey –

ED

I don't care about myself anymore. I don't care about us anymore. I just want Nathan junior back safe.

HI

I know that –

ED

If we don't get him back safe, I don't wanna go on hvin'. And even if we do, I don't wanna go on hvin' with you.

This shuts Hi up.

After a moment:

ED

... I guess I still love you Hi; I know I do. I ain't even blaming you. The whole thing was crazy and the whole thing was my idea.

Hi clears his throat.

HI
Well, factually, I myself bear a very large –

ED

Lemme finish. Since those jailbirds took little Nathan I been doin' some thinking, and I ain't too proud of myself. Even if Mrs. Arizona had more'n she could handle, I was a police officer sworn to uphold the Constitution of the United States –

HI

Now waitaminute honey, you resigned before we –

ED

That ain't the point, M. We don't deserve Nathan Jr. Any more'n those jailbirds do. And if I'm as selfish and irresponsible as you –

HI

Y'ain't that bad, honey.

ED

– If I'm as bad as you, what good're we to each other. You'n me's just a fool's paradise.

FARMERS AND MECHANICS BANK

Baking in the noonday sun.

GALE AND EVELLE

Sitting in the front seat of their idling car, looking at the bank.

EVELLE

There she is.

GALE

Yep. Welp...

They look at each other. Gale reaches for his door.

GALE
... Let's do her.

EVELLE

Waitaminute. What do we do with Gale Jr.?

GALE

Wuddya mean, he waits here.