A C R O W D E D R O O M
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.
EXT. FRONT DOOR
YOUNG OFFICER
You're sure you're not William
Stanley Milligan?
BILLY
Huh?
The YOUNG OFFICER throws the pizza up into BILLY'S face
and pulls out his gun, holding it against his head.
YOUNG OFFICER
Freeze. Police Officer.
BILLY
What's going on?
COPS are suddenly everywhere. Bursting in through the
back door, piling out of cars, all with guns drawn.
INT. REAR OF APARTMENT
Where the TWO OFFICERS who heard voices are barreling
through, expecting an ambush.
FIRST OFFICER
He's not alone!
SECOND OFFICER
Alright, motherfuckers, come on out!
THE YOUNG OFFICER grabs BILLY and turns him around. Using
BILLY'S body as a shield, he drags him through the
apartment, looking for accomplices.
THE COPS
kick the closet door, then the bathroom door -- all empty.
ONE COP
steps on a LEGGO fort -- crushing it.
ANOTHER COP
grabs a Smith and Wesson nine millimeter from under a
chair in the living room.
YOUNG OFFICER
Where are they?
BILLY
Who? There's no one here.
A COP
finds several paintings. He moves one and reveals the
picture of the little boy we saw being worked on earlier.
BOXERBAUM enters frame. It clicks. He goes over to BILLY
and yanks his fingers open. They're completely paint
stained.
ANOTHER COP
finds wallets, cash and I.D.'s on top of a dresser. He
picks up two credit cards and a drivers license belonging
to Carrie Dryer. Donna West and Polly Newton,
respectively.
YOUNG OFFICER
(as he cuffs Billy)
William Milligan, you're under
arrest. You have the right to
remain silent...
(etc.)
As we PRESS IN on BILLY.
EXT. THE FRANKLIN COUNTY JAIL
As a police truck pulls up. TWO GUARDS open the rear
doors and out steps a group of PRISONERS, all handcuffed
to each other -- except for BILLY, who pops out free as a
bird, giving the GUARDS the finger. The BLACK PRISONER
who had been cuffed to him is panicked.
BLACK PRISONER
I didn't do nothin' I swear I didn't
do nothin'
ONE GUARD holds BILLY while the other re-cuffs him.
INT. POLICE STATION
TV CAMERAS and REPORTERS everywhere, demanding
information. POLICE CHIEF KLEBERG makes his way through
the chaos without answering them. We FOLLOW him into a
room where TWO OFFICERS are unloading a carton onto a
table. It is filled with every make weapon imaginable.
KLEBERG
Jesus Christ. It's a fucking
arsenal.
INT. CELL
BILLY sits in the middle of the floor drawing a picture.
It's simple, childish. TWO GUARDS watch him from the
other side of the bars. One holds a cup. The other bangs
the bars with his nightstick.
FIRST GUARD
Hey, Jew Boy.
SECOND GUARD
What do you know -- we have a
goddamn Rembrandt on our hands.
FIRST GUARD
Maybe he can draw himself a new
asshole after the cons at Lima get
through humpin' the one he's got.
They don't look too kindly on
rapists over there.
SECOND GUARD
They sent you down some Kool-Aid.
You want it?
BILLY looks up.
SECOND GUARD
Is that a no?
The GUARD starts to turn away, but BILLY gets up. He
comes to the bars and reaches for the cup. The GUARD
grabs his wrist and pulls.
SECOND GUARD
Hey, you think we oughta tattoo this
Jew Boy?
FIRST GUARD
Yeah. Put some numbers right there.
BILLY pulls his arm free as the GUARDS laugh.
SECOND GUARD
Here ya go, Rembrandt.
He throws the drink onto BILLY'S picture, ruining it.
Instantly, BILLY changes. His eyes, his gait. His chest
expands and his adrenaline flows a mile a minute as he
gets up and walks over to the toilet bowl. He squats and
grabs hold of it. The GUARDS give each other a look, then
eye him warily. Sweat pours down as he focuses his
strength till it's like the pinpoint of a laser. Then,
with a mighty heave he rips the toilet from the wall,
stands and hurls it at the GUARDS in one impossible
motion. It smashes into a million pieces -- porcelain
shards fly into the GUARD'S faces, cutting them to
ribbons.
INT. CELL
BILLY being beaten senseless by SIX GUARDS as they put him
into a straitjacket.
INT. CORRIDOR
BILLY is nearly unconscious as the GUARDS drag him down
the narrow hallway -- laying into him the entire way.
INT. SOLITARY CONFINEMENT
They throw BILLY in. His head hits the cement hard as the
cell door slams shut behind him with a thunderous echo.
INT. PRESS CONFERENCE
KLEBERG in front of a phalanx of microphones, reading a
statement.
KLEBERG
We do have a suspect in custody.
His name is William Stanley
Milligan. He has one prior
conviction from a run-in with a
prostitute.
INT. CORRIDOR
A GUARD carries a tray of food toward BILLY'S cell.
KLEBERG (V.O.)
We continue to treat this
investigation very carefully and
very thoroughly but with the
evidence we've already gathered, we
feel extremely confident.
The GUARD reaches the cell door. As he opens it.
GUARD
O.K., rapist, chow time. We all
took turns spitting in your food
before I brought it down, but you
can ignore that, can't ya? Just
pretend it's soup...
His eyes suddenly go wide.
GUARD
Jesus H. Christ.
ANGLE
BILLY is fast asleep in the middle of his cell. He is out
of the straitjacket and is using it as a pillow. And he's
sucking his thumb.
INT. PRESS CONFERENCE
KLEBERG
Open and shut. A textbook
investigation.
INT. A DRAB WHITE ROOM
DR. ADAM FINK, a clinical psychologist, sits across a
table from BILLY.
TIGHT ON A PAGE OF NOTES
At the top of the page, beside BILLY'S vital statistics,
DR. FINK fills in his name. Underneath, he writes:
PRELIMINARY REPORT.
ANGLE
on them both, DR. FINK just watches for a moment. BILLY
is withdrawn and out of it, like a boxer who's taken one
too many left hooks. There's a wall between him and the
world.
DR. FINK
Do you know why you're here, Billy?
No response.
TIGHT ON THE FORM
Under COMMENTS, the DOCTOR writes: eyes completely normal.
No evidence of nystagmus.
ANGLE
DR. FINK
Billy?
BILLY
(snaps back slightly)
Oh.
DR. FINK
Do you know why you're here?
BILLY
No.
DR. FINK
Did you understand what the police
officers said when you were
arrested?
BILLY
The... what?
DR. FINK
Do you know why you've been
arrested? Billy?
He just stares blankly. DR. FINK writes.
TIGHT ON THE NOTES
DR. FINK is adding: SULLEN; NON-COMMUNICATIVE; TOTALLY
DISORIENTED.
BILLY
suddenly energetic, even hyper -- night and day to the way
we've just seen him.
BILLY
(laughing)
You should have seen their fuckin'
faces when them van doors opened and
BOOM!. There I am, out of the cuffs
and givin' them the finger. Shit...
Whassamatter, Doc, not actin' crazy
enough for ya? How's this?
He rubs his lips up and down with his finger and makes a
"crazy" sound. As he does:
ANGLE
to reveal he's talking to DR. RICHARD EDMUNDS, in the same
room, some time later. EDMUNDS holds DR. FINK'S report
and is completely confused. BILLY laughs. Then:
BILLY
Who do you have to fuck to get
somethin' to eat around here? I'm
starving. And a lawyer might be
nice. What do you say?
TIGHT AS BILLY CONTINUES
Next to DR. FINK'S report, we see DR. EDMUNDS' hand fill
in his own report. He's already put down his name,
BILLY'S name and underneath written: FOLLOW UP REPORT.
Now we see him writing: OUTGOING, OBNOXIOUS, TOTALLY
COHERENT AND AWARE. EYES NORMAL.
BILLY
The novelty's wearin' thin, you know
what I mean? I been in places worse
than this in my life, and I'll tell
you something... there isn't a box
on Earth can hold me. Certainly not
this two bit, rinky dink drunk tank.
DR. EDMUNDS
I'd like to talk to you about the
attacks.
BILLY
Hey, I wasn't there. I don't know
what they're talkin' about because I
didn't do a fuckin' thing they
accused me of. And I don't lie.
Using his right hand. BILLY starts doodling a sketch of a
landscape on the table with a marker. EDMUNDS looks at
him quizzically.
DR. EDMUNDS
I want to play a little game. Write
down the first thing that comes into
your mind.
He moves a pen and a piece of paper toward BILLY, who
writes with his right hand. EDMUNDS looks at the
information on his form.
TIGHT ON THE REPORT
Scan down BILLY'S listed vital statistics -- Hair: Brown;
Eyes: Brown; Height: six feet; Weight: 175; Birthdate: 2-
14-55; etc. until he gets to: Left Handed.
BACK TO BILLY - FINISHING
He hands back the paper. It says: I AM INNOCENT.
TIGHT ON THE PREVIOUS TWO REPORTS
On DR. EDMUNDS, "Left Handed" has been crossed out and
"Right Handed" written in. Next to them is a third form,
with the NAME: DR. CLAIRE HUBBARD and SUPERVISOR'S REPORT
written underneath.
ANGLE
The same room. DR. HUBBARD, hopelessly confused, and
BILLY, who now appears to be a frightened child. Fragile.
Near tears. Knees drawn up into a fetal position in the
chair.
DR. HUBBARD
Are you alright? You look like
you're about to fall apart.
BILL
I'm scared.
DR. HUBBARD
There's nothing to be scared of.
I'm Dr. Hubbard from the Southwest
Community Mental Health Center and
I'm here to ask you a few questions.
Where are you currently living?
BILLY
Here.
DR. HUBBARD
What's your Social Security number?
BILLY
I don't know.
DR. HUBBARD
Is it 126-44-6218?
BILLY
I don't know.
DR. HUBBARD
Billy, if I'm going to help you,
you're going to have to try and...
BILLY
Billy's asleep.
DR. HUBBARD
What?
BILLY
Billy's asleep. And the others
don't want me to wake him up.
DR. HUBBARD
What others?
BILLY
The other people. They want Billy
to stay asleep.
DR. HUBBARD
Who are these other people?
BILLY
I can't talk about it. I made a
mistake telling you. Promise you
won't say anything to anyone.
DR. HUBBARD
I promise. But you have to tell
me...
BILLY
(upset)
I can't...
DR. HUBBARD
Alright, you don't have to say
anything else, but would you do me a
favor?
BILLY
What?
DR. HUBBARD
Would you sign your name for me?
BILLY
O.K.
She gives him a pen and paper. He takes it into his left
hand and scrawls in a child's penmanship: DANNY.
INT. HALL OUTSIDE OF SAME DRAB WHITE ROOM
Through the door, we see BILLY, alone, waiting. Outside,
DR. HUBBARD and JUDY STEVENSON, a public defense
attorney, are talking.
JUDY
Multiple personality disorder? You
mean like Sybil?
DR. HUBBARD
Worse -- if one of the personalities
is a violent criminal.
JUDY
With all respect, Doctor, if you
were a rapist, caught dead to rights
with a ton of evidence in your
apartment, wouldn't you try and make
up a story, too? Trust me, this is
a guy who read a bestseller and got
a brainstorm.
DR. HUBBARD
Maybe, but I don't think so. He's
already been seen by three separate
doctors because no one could make
head of tails of him.
JUDY
Well, I thought I'd seen it all, but
I have to admit "I didn't do it, he
did" "No I didn't" "Yes he did" --
that's a new one even to me.
DR. HUBBARD
Just come in and talk to him with
me -- then decide.
JUDY
We'll represent him no matter what.
We have to. But fine--
(as they go in)
I only have a caseload that high
sitting on my desk while I waste a
whole afternoon here...
INT. GARY SCHWEICKART'S PUBLIC DEFENDERS OFFICE
The first thing we hear is reggae music: Bob Marley's
"Jammin", with a male voice that can't really sing,
singing along. Then we PAN along the office -- a royal
mess -- books, papers everywhere -- a poster of the BILL
OF RIGHTS with "NULL AND VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW"
stamped across it in red letters. We finally come to a
big, bear-like figure in an ex-hippie's khaki shirt and
jeans -- late thirties, with a beard and an oversized
stogie, skankin' around the office. This is GARY
SCHWEICKART.
GARY
(in a Jamaican
accent)
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my
client, Jah Skank Irie, is innocent.
For it is not the ganja weed that is
on trial here today, only the man...
mon.
JUDY burst in.
JUDY
Gary, put down what you're doing and
get your ass down to Franklin with
me.
GARY
(Jamaican accent)
Whoa -- don't get your knickers in a
twist -- you'll give yourself one of
them aneurisms.
JUDY
I'm serious, Gary. I think you
should see this.
She dumps her notes on his desk.
GARY
(drops the accent)
Billy Milligan?
JUDY
Yes.
GARY
Uh uh. Sorry, Judy, one of the
perks of getting to be the boss is
you don't have to give up all your
free time representing the Campus
Rapist if you don't want to. And I
don't want to. Besides, I already
met him before I ordered the
psychiatric evaluation, and he
specifically asked for a female
lawyer.
JUDY
(smiles, she knows
he's gonna like
this)
He's not guilty.
GARY
(he does, his eyes
twinkle, he loves a
challenge)
Not guilty? They got enough hard
evidence to lock him up till
doomsday.
JUDY
(leans in)
I'm telling you, Billy Milligan did
not commit those rapes. At least
come down and talk to him.
A beat. GARY leaps up, grabs his beret to leave.
INT. THAT SAME DRAB WHITE ROOM
JUDY, GARY and BILLY. BILLY has withdrawn completely into
himself -- eyes half-closed, his lips moving in some
internal conversation. JUDY looks at GARY, who just sits
there -- skeptical and impassive. Finally, BILLY opens
his eyes and is suddenly infused with the same belligerent
energy he had while talking to DR. EDMUNDS.
BILLY
(to Judy)
Who's Ranger Bob?
JUDY
This is Gary Schweickart. He works
with me in the Public Defenders
office.
BILLY
Howdy, Bob.
GARY smiles tightly. He doesn't like him right off.
JUDY
You don't remember meeting him
briefly when you first came in?
BILLY
(shakes his head)
That's not a face you forget.
JUDY
I know that you requested a female
attorney, but Gary's the most
qualified...
BILLY
I didn't request nothin'
JUDY
Well, Billy did.
BILLY
Billy's asleep.
GARY
(getting annoyed)
Well, someone did.
BILLY
(imitates Gary)
Well, someone ain't me.
JUDY
Who are you?
BILLY
Tommy.
JUDY
And have we met before?
BILLY
Yeah. You came in with one of the
headshrinkers.
JUDY
And at that time you answered to the
name Billy?
BILLY
We all do. Saves time. But that
don't mean we like it.
GARY
Alright... Tommy... we'd like to ask
you a few questions. How old are
you?
BILLY
Sixteen.
GARY
How much time do you spend as Billy?
Were you there when he got out of
the straitjacket?
BILLY
(laughs)
Yeah, that was me. Billy couldn't
get out of a wet paper bag. I can
dislocate my shoulder to slip it
down to where I can loosen the ties.
GARY
Where'd you learn to do that?
BILLY looks away.
JUDY
Tommy?
BILLY
You got somethin' else you wanna
know or can I leave?
JUDY
No. Please. How many of you live
there with Billy?
BILLY smiles.
JUDY
More than three? More than five?
BILLY
I'm not really sure. A lot.
GARY
Were you there when... whoever you
were at the time was arrested?
BILLY
No. That was Danny.
JUDY
The little boy.
BILLY
Danny's the keeper of pain.
GARY
What does that mean?
BILLY
College man, Bob? Ivy League?
GARY steams.
BILLY
It means whenever Billy's in any
pain, Danny comes onto the spot to
take it.
JUDY
The spot? What's that?
BILLY
Jesus Christ... it's not my job to
answer all these questions. I'm
outta here.
JUDY
No, wait... Tommy...
But BILLY has retreated into himself once again. Eyes
glazed and half-closed -- lips moving silently.
GARY
This is what you dragged me here for
in the middle of the day?
JUDY
Wait.
In a moment, BILLY "returns" -- but now he sits with
impeccable posture, his fingertips pressed together in
front of him. He speaks in clipped, precise tones with a
perfect Knightsbridge English accent.
BILLY
I must apologize for Tommy's
impudence. He gets frustrated from
being locked up. My name is Arthur.
How do you do?
JUDY and GARY exchange a look. He ain't buying it.
JUDY
How do you do?
JUDY looks again at GARY, who half rolls his eyes.
GARY
(mutters)
Yeah, how are ya...
BILLY
Well, understandably, I've been
better. But Tommy said you have
some questions.
JUDY
Yes. Gary was asking about the
arrest.
GARY
The police found an arsenal of
weapons in your apartment.
BILLY
I have nothing to do with those.
The only one permitted to handle
guns is Ragen. He's the Keeper of
Rage.
GARY
He used those guns when he kidnapped
and raped those three women.
BILLY
(icily calm)
Ragen never raped anyone. He
committed the robberies because we
were skint, but he denies,
absolutely, having anything to do
sexually with those women. And of
the many things he undoubtedly is, a
liar is not among them. All our
lives people have accused us of
being liars. It's become a point of
honor never to tell a falsehood.
JUDY
But if you don't always volunteer
the truth, then that's lying by
omission.
BILLY
Oh come now. As an attorney, you
know very well a witness is under
no compulsion to volunteer
information he hasn't been asked
for. You would be the first one to
tell a client not to elaborate
unless it was in his best interest.
But why don't you meet Ragen and ask
him yourself?
JUDY
Isn't Ragen the one who pulled the
toilet from the wall and threw it at
the guards?
BILLY
He's learned to control his flow of
adrenaline. It gives him unnatural
strength.
(playfully)
But don't worry -- he won't hurt you.
Unless, of course, he feels
threatened.
GARY
Alright... Arthur -- I'd like to
meet him.
BILLY smiles -- then gets up and moves his chair to the
far side of the room -- putting as much distance between
himself and them as possible. He sites back down and then
retreats once more. Eyes look down -- lips move.
GARY
How much education has he had?
JUDY
Not much. Some high school. D
average. I.Q.'s a hundred. He
paints, though.
GARY
Paints?
JUDY
Portraits, landscapes. He's good.
Then, BILLY'S back. He seems bigger -- hulking --
crouched like a wary fighter. The tension in his facial
muscles change his appearance. His eyes squint narrowly,
giving them a piercing quality -- his brow beetles. And
he speaks in a thick, Slavic accent.
BILLY
Who called me a liar?
GARY
(a little unnerved)
I said the evidence indicated that
someone in there raped those three
woman.
BILLY
I admit three robberies near
university. But other things you
say I do is a lie. And if we go to
jail, I'll kill the children. Jail
is no place for little ones.
JUDY
What little ones? There are
children there with you?
GARY
If you killed the little ones...
wouldn't that also mean your own
death?
BILLY
(coolly)
We are all different people.
GARY
But when you get hurt...
BILLY
I feel nothing.
JUDY
Because Danny is the Keeper of Pain?
BILLY
Exactly. Danny is empath.
JUDY
And Billy knows nothing about you?
BILLY
He has amnesia. Arthur and I keep
him asleep to protect him.
Depending on circumstances, either I
rule or Arthur does. In prison, I
control spot because is dangerous
place. As protector, I have complete
command. In situations where is no
danger, and where intelligence and
logic are more important, then
Arthur controls spot.
GARY
Do you know Tommy?
BILLY
Of course.
GARY
He mentioned the spot, too. Can you
describe to us just what that means.
Billy?... Uh...
(he looks to Judy
for help)
JUDY
Ragen.
GARY
Ragen.
But suddenly, RAGEN is gone. JUDY and GARY look at each
other. There is none of the usual lips moving and quasi
R.E.M. state. He's just blank. Then, in a moment, he
"returns". He seems tentative, frightened, softer.
JUDY
Hello.
No reply.
JUDY
Have we met? My name is Judy
Stevenson. This is Gary
Schweickart. We're your attorneys.
Do you have a name?
GARY
Judy.
She looks at GARY.
GARY
His eyes.
She looks back to BILLY. His eyes seem to wander and dart
back and forth of their own volition, like an ocular
pendulum.
INT. CORRIDOR
As GARY and JUDY come out. GARY immediately lights a
cigarette.
GARY
Either he's a multiple, or else he's
the greatest liar anybody's ever
seen.
JUDY
Right.
GARY
The question is which is it?
JUDY
(convinced)
Gary...
As they talk, WE CUT TO:
BILLY alone in his empty cell, eyes half-closed, lips
moving silently.
GARY (O.C.)
He's facing hard time.
JUDY (O.C.)
He's got one right handed
personality.
GARY (O.C.)
Lots of people are ambidextrous.
JUDY (O.C.)
Ragen speaks and writes prefect
Serbo-Croation.
GARY (O.C.)
So do ten million Serbs.
JUDY (O.C.)
Apparently, Arthur's fluent in
Arabic and Swahili.
GARY (O.C.)
Having a facility for languages
doesn't automatically make you one
hand short for bridge.
JUDY (O.C.)
The escape artist, the wandering
eyes, the electronics expert...
GARY and JUDY.
GARY
All of that can be mastered.
JUDY
All by one person? With a hundred
I.Q.? From a small farm in Ohio?
You're looking for some kind of
miraculous, inexplicable "thing" to
prove this to you beyond a shadow of
a doubt. Well, it's an illness,
Gary... not a magic trick. And I
believe him.
GARY
(sighs heavily)
I do, too. And I feel like I can
convince my wife of it when she asks
me why I came down here for fifteen
minutes, and came back five hours
later. But how in hell am I ever
gonna convince a judge? Or a
prosecutor? No one's ever been
acquitted of a crime before by
blaming it on another personality.
JUDY
You won't have to. He will.
INT. ISOLATION CELL
BILLY sits on his cot in a cold sweat. Something is
clearly terrifying him. He looks across the cell toward a
piece of steel over the sink shiny enough to serve as a
mirror. He is frozen.
INT. OUTSIDE THE ISOLATION CELL
It's a big, opaque, steel door with a small opening two
thirds up in the middle. A GUARD approaches with keys.
There's a loud rumbling coming from inside.
GUARD
Alright, Milligan. Exercise time.
As he turns the key:
GUARD
One hour in the yard, all to
yourself.
As he opens the door:
GUARD
Come on... Milligan...
Now we see BILLY lying in a pool of blood on the floor.
The sink is smashed into a million pieces and his wrists
have been slashed lengthwise with a shard of porcelain.
Hot water shoots from the blood-stained sink like a
firehose gone haywire. He meant business. He's fainted
and landed on his own arm, which is saving his life. The
GUARD runs in.
GUARD
Help! We got an emergency! Quick!
INT. HOSPITAL WARD - NIGHT
BILLY lies in bed, staring off blankly, while GARY and
JUDY talk to him.
GARY
How ya feelin', Billy? You were out
for quite some time.
JUDY
Do you know where you are? You're
in the hospital, but you're gonna be
just fine. Your hearing is going to
go ahead as scheduled.
GARY
Well, why don't you get some rest.
We'll check in with you tomorrow.
JUDY
Goodnight, Billy.
He remains motionless. They leave and we follow them into
the hall.
JUDY
What do you think?
GARY
I don't know. But there were no
hammers or crowbars in that cell
with him. He broke that sink with
his bare fist.
INT. HEARING ROOM
MEMBERS OF THE ADULT PAROLE AUTHORITY, JUDY, BILLY and A
PROSECUTOR, along with a COURT STENOGRAPHER and TWO POLICE
OFFICERS. BILLY'S wrists are bandaged. GARY enters,
obviously agitated.
JUDY
(to Gary)
What's wrong?
GARY
I just found out they're gonna try
and send him to jail for a parole
violation and keep him there till
the trial. We need him in a
hospital with doctors for those
ninety days to build a case.
JUDY
Parole violation?
GARY
But there's a statute of limitations
and this is the last day they can
nail him on it.
JUDY
What are you gonna do?
GARY
Wing it.
CHAIRMAN
(nods to the
Prosecutor)
Mr. Yavitch? Shall we begin?
PROSECUTOR
Mr. Chairman, members of the Adult
Parole Authority, the state moves
that possession of an unregistered
firearm is a direct violation of the
defendant's parole, and he should
therefore be remanded to Lebanon
State Prison until trial date.
GARY
Objection, Mr. Chairman.
MR. CHAIRMAN
Mr. Schweickart -- don't you own a
tie?
GARY
(disheveled as
usual)
I do, your honor, but I like to save
it for funerals.
CHAIRMAN
What is your objection?
GARY
Are these the weapons that were
found in the defendant's home?
PROSECUTOR
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Schweickart knows
damn well that they are.
GARY
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Schweickart does
not know damn well that they are
because Mr. Schweickart has yet to
see any ballistics report.
PROSECUTOR
The weapons have not been test fired
yet, you honor, so the report has
not been completed. But I fail to
see in what way that is prescient to
the decision at hand.
GARY
(winging it)
It is "prescient" counsel, because
without any proof of it's ability to
propel a ballistic, this... "thing"
is not a gun, your honor.
PROSECUTOR
Oh come on, Schweickart, of course
it's a gun.
(to the Chairman)
It's a gun. Obviously it's a gun.
GARY grabs it and holds it to his head.
JUDGE
Mr. Schweickart...
JUDY and BILLY duck -- the PROSECUTOR finches -- but GARY
pulls the trigger. It's unloaded.
GARY
Legally, until it shoots a bullet
it's as much a gun as it is a
zucchini. And having zucchinis
found in your apartment is not a
violation of Mr. Milligan's or
anybody else's parole. Mr.
Chairman, gentlemen, since the
statute of limitations of Mr.
Milligan's alleged parole violation
is up today. I move that the
defendant be allowed to stay at
Harding Hospital, under the
supervision of a trained psychiatric
staff until it is time for him to
stand trial.
PROSECUTOR
Mr. Chairman...
The CHAIRMAN raps his gavel.
CHAIRMAN
So be it. Next time get your shit
together, counsel.
Shakes his head, chuckling.
CHAIRMAN
Zucchinis...
EXT. HARDING HOSPITAL - DAY
BILLY is escorted from a police car by TWO UNIFORMED
OFFICERS. He is handcuffed.
INT. HARDING HOSPITAL
An admitting nurse signs a release form, accepting
delivery of BILLY with a big ORDERLY.
NURSE
Take those off him.
FIRST OFFICER
Not while he's still ours.
She finishes, they uncuff him. To the nurse:
FIRST OFFICER
Can I give you a little advice?
Keep him away from the toilets. Let
him piss in a bucket.
INT. CORRIDOR
BILLY, the NURSE and the ORDERLY walking down the hall.
NURSE
Doctor Harding's not here right now,
but he'll look in on you as soon as
he arrives.
As they walk, they pass people who are obviously deeply
disturbed, as well as TWO FEMALE PSYCH-TECHS.
FIRST PSYCH-TECH
(after they've
passed)
I'm not gonna stand for it.
SECOND PSYCH-TECH
Jean...
FIRST PSYCH-TECH
It's a con. It's a lousy con. And
I'm not gonna treat him.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM
BILLY is alone. He looks at the door. An eye is watching
him through the peephole.
INT. CORRIDOR
A PSYCH-TECH sits on a stool, watching him and taking
notes.
THE NOTES:
5:00 Sitting cross legged on bed, quiet.
5:15 Sitting cross legged on bed, staring.
5:32 Standing, looking out the window.
INT. DAY ROOM - DAY
BILLY sits, alone and sullen, while other PATIENTS either
smoke, play cards or stare into space. Another YOUNG MALE
PATIENT sits next to him. He's got a tin of peanut
brittle.
PATIENT
Want some? My folks bring it. Your
folks come visit you?
BILLY
My folks are divorced. Leave me
alone.
PATIENT
What's your name? Come on, what's
your name?
BILLY
Allen.
PATIENT
(sympathetic)
Only they call you Billy, right?
But that's not your name, is it? I
understand.
BILLY
(softening)
You do?
PATIENT
They do that all the time here.
(offers his hand)
Natalie Wood. How do you do?
BILLY shakes it.
INT. EXAMINING ROOM - DAY
At Harding Hospital. BILLY attached to an EEG, while a
TECHNICIAN looks at the results. He's obviously confused.
TIGHT
on the print out.
INT. OFFICE - DAY
At Harding. The TECHNICIAN is showing the printout to a
DOCTOR.
DOCTOR
It's got to be a mistake. A glitch
in the machine.
TECHNICIAN
I've never had a problem before.
DOCTOR
Well, what do you want me to say?
Adults do not emit spiked Theta
waves on their EEG's. Only children
do. Try changing the electrode.
INT. EXAMINING ROOM - DAY
The TWO DOCTORS are administering another EEG to BILLY.
They seem satisfied with the results this time.
DOCTOR
See? Completely normal. Those
electrodes are for shit.
TECHNICIAN
But I didn't change the electrode.
I had to order it.
INT. CORRIDOR
DOCTOR HARDING approaches BILLY'S peephole and peers in.
Beside him is the ADMITTING NURSE.
INT. ROOM
BILLY is on the floor, drawing. He's made a very
disturbing picture of a tombstone that's inscribed: DO NOT
R.I.P.
INT. CORRIDOR
NURSE
I think he's looking forward to
meeting you, Doctor.
DR. HARDING
(gulps a little)
I'll see him in my office. Lots of
coffee, please.
He heads off down the hall.
INT. OUTSIDE HARDING'S OFFICE
BILLY is dropped off by an ORDERLY.
HARDING
(rises to greet him)
Ah, Billy, come on in. Sit down.
Coffee?
The ORDERLY leaves, closing the door and shutting us out.
INT. HEARING ROOM
It's small and sterile. The JUDGE, PROSECUTOR,
STENOGRAPHER, DR. HARDING, GARY, JUDY and BILLY are
present.
HARDING
Your honor, based on my interviews
with the defendant, it is my opinion
that, William S. Milligan suffers
from Multiple Personality Disorder
and has fragmented into ten separate
personality manifestations. At the
time of the acts in question, I
believe he was mentally ill and
unable to distinguish between right
and wrong. Further, he did not have
the ability to refrain from
committing these acts. These
findings are consistent with a plea
of not guilty by reason of insanity,
and I would, therefore, recommend
that he be remanded to Athens State
Hospital for suitable treatment.
JUDGE
Mr. Yavitch, do you contest these
findings?
PROSECUTOR
No, your honor. The prosecution
does not.
JUDGE
Then, lacking any evidence to the
contrary, this court has no
alternative than to find the
defendant not guilty by reason of
insanity.
He raps his gavel three times.
EXT. COURTHOUSE
BILLY is led, handcuffed, by TWO POLICEMEN, out a back
entrance, but they still collide with a handful of
REPORTERS.
REPORTER
How do you feel now that you've been
found not guilty?
BILLY
I feel better now that it's all over
with and I finally have come back to
a reality that I've missed for so
long.
SECOND REPORTER
Do you have any recollection of the
crimes your other personalities have
been charged with?
BILLY
Very little. Certain things come to
me in forms of dreams that you could
call memories, but I can't really
distinct between memories -- the
realities...
REPORTER
(aside to another
Reporter)
Yeah, right. And I'm Doris Day.
BILLY
... because my emotions split so far
apart -- love, hate and fear...
SECOND REPORTER
Billy, what do you want to do with
your life?
BILLY
Become a citizen again.
The COPS lead him away.
INT. POLICE CAR
BILLY sits in back, flanked by the TWO POLICEMEN. It's
freezing cold. They're bundled up -- BILLY wears just a
suit. One POLICEMAN drinks hot coffee.
FIRST POLICEMAN
Well, you got away with it, didn't
ya? You must be pretty proud of
yourself.
BILLY shivers silently.
FIRST POLICEMAN
You turn my stomach. I've got two
daughters. Come on, you can tell
me -- you're fakin', right?
SECOND POLICEMAN
Ray...
(to Billy)
You look cold. You want some hot
coffee? Here.
The SECOND POLICEMAN, who wears thick gloves, purposely
shoves the cup at BILLY'S handcuffed hands so that the
coffee spills all over his lap, scalding him. The
POLICEMEN laugh.
Out the window, BILLY realizes they're passing by a turn
off on the road marked by a covered bridge. He gets
upset.
WE PRESS IN on BILLY. Then:
TYMPANI ROLL
INT. THE SHOWROOM AT THE EDEN ROC HOTEL IN MIAMI BEACH
It's 1958, and filled with middle aged JEWISH COUPLES out
for the resort's Saturday night entertainment. The MEN
are in suits and the WOMEN are dressed to the teeth --
falls attached to over-teased hair, false eyelashes and
stiff, heavy gowns. Minks draped over chairbacks.
Spotlights roam the stage and the audience.
ANNOUNCER (O.C.)
Ladies and gentlemen. The Eden Roc
Hotel welcomes you to the Grand
Ballroom. Have we got a show for
you tonight!
PRESS IN on BILLY, AGE THREE.
He's in a suit and bowtie, on a stool next to the kitchen
entrance, watching the stage in rapt fascination. WAITERS
and BUSBOYS rush past him loaded down with trays full of
drinks.
ANNOUNCER (O.C.)
Claire and Myrna -- the Barry
Sisters...
(applause)
The dancing stylings of Tanya and
Briaggi...
(applause)
And now, please welcome the adults
only comedy of Johnny Morrison.
THE STAGE
Over applause, the band plays JOHNNY'S lead-in music. He
bounds on stage, all sweat and smiles -- his old shirt
collar too tight for his extra chin. But the spotlights
keep roaming -- leaving him in the dark. He gives a "can
you believe this shit?" face and the audience reluctantly
plays along. This is the oldest shtick in the book. Once
again, the band plays his little intro. Once again the
audience applauds -- but less than before. And this time,
instead of the spots landing on him at the music cut-off,
they focus on an empty spot across the stage. Scattered
laughter. More groans.
BILLY
laughing hard.
THE STAGE
JOHNNY
Now you know why it's cheaper here
than the Fountainbleu.
Nothing. No response. Just chairs scuffling and forks on
dessert plates.
INTERCUT
Between BILLY and the SPOTLIGHT, as JOHNNY continues with
his act. BILLY is fascinated by it: it's sharp, defined
glow, lighting up just one perfect circle while all around
it is darkness.
JOHNNY
Two women at the Fountainbleu are
looking through a hole in the wall
into the men's steam room. They
see one poor shnook, naked as a
jaybird with a towel over his face.
The first woman says: "Ciel... would
you look at that? He's not Jewish."
The other woman says "Jewish? He's
not even a guest here."
Rimshot.
THE STAGE
JOHNNY
(flop sweat now)
Alright, already.
He whistles at the spot through his two fingers and
motions it towards him. It moves maybe a foot in his
direction. He commits the comic's cardinal sin -- he
laughs when the audience doesn't. He's the joke now.
BILLY
oblivious. Laughing -- deliriously happy. Suddenly, a
BUSBOY with a tray full of glasses bangs into him and
everything smashes to the ground.
BUSBOY
(cleaning)
Goddammit!
BILLY
I'm sorry.
BUSBOY
Get out of the goddamn aisle. I
been just missin' you all night.
BILLY
I couldn't see before.
BUSBOY
Well, that's too bad -- what the
hell are you doin' in here all
alone, anyway?
BILLY
(points to Johnny)
That's my Daddy.
BUSBOY
Yeah? Well, he stinks. That steam
room joke is as old as my Aunt
Bessie's ass.
He goes to lift BILLY off the stool.
BUSBOY
Now sit someplace else, before I
have you thrown out.
BILLY
No!
TWO BIG HANDS -- more like paws -- enter frame and lift
the BUSBOY off the ground. They belong to a second
BUSBOY, huge and mustachioed. He speaks with a thick
Slavic accent.
SECOND BUSBOY
Leave him alone.
BUSBOY
(scared)
Hey, buddy, I was only...
SECOND BUSBOY
Just leave him alone.
He tosses the FIRST BUSBOY aside like a piece of crumpled
up paper and gives his attention to BILLY.
BILLY
I couldn't see before. That's my
Daddy.
He lifts BILLY up onto his shoulders.
SECOND BUSBOY
There. Now you see everything.
THE STAGE
as JOHNNY finally walks over to the spot and steps inside
it. A couple of people applaud.
BILLY
on the BUSBOY'S shoulders -- eyes glued to his FATHER --
all lit up against the blackness.
INT. KITCHEN - DAY
BILLY'S MOTHER, DOROTHY, is coming, watching a soap opera
and talking on the phone all at the same time. BILLY,
still three, has a toy ambulance that he's running all
over with -- rolling it over everything, making siren
noises, "vrooming" at the top of his lungs. Finally:
DOROTHY
Billy, please -- can't you see I'm
tryin' to watch the TV? Now take
that someplace else.
He takes the car down the hall -- vrooming slightly
quieter. WE HOLD on a framed photo of JOHNNY MORRISON and
JIMMY DURANTE. Baby BILLY sits on DURANTE'S knee.
BILLY
arrives at a door leading to the garage. He opens it and
immediately starts coughing. It's filled with fumes. He
looks inside the car, which is running, and sees his
FATHER, slumped over on the front seat.
INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY
It's filled with people, all in black, all eating. BILLY
is in a black suit and bowtie, getting underneath
everybody's feet, still carrying his ambulance. He vrooms
very quietly. He looks over at his MOTHER, red-eyed from
crying, on a sofa with another WOMAN. DOROTHY breaks
down.
DOROTHY
My God, he looks just like him. I
can't look at him. I can't...
THE OTHER WOMAN quickly bustles BILLY away.
WOMAN
Come on, son. Your Mother's very
upset.
INT. BILLY'S BEDROOM
It's empty as the WOMAN brings BILLY inside.
WOMAN
Now you just sit up here and play
for a while, alright? That's all
grown up stuff goin' on downstairs.
And soon your Mama's gonna take you
back home with her to Ohio. Won't
that be fun?
She leaves and closes the door. He sits alone in the
middle of the floor. He spins the wheels of his ambulance
against the worn out rug.
BILLY
(softly, a siren)
Wooooo... woooo...
And he rolls it slowly out of frame. Beat... beat...
beat... it rolls back to him. And it's been turned around
to face him. BILLY looks up and smiles.
ANGLE
to reveal a three year old GIRL, all in white. She's the
girl from the painting with the rag doll.
GIRL
Vrooom... vrooom...
BILLY
He rolls it back to her.
INT. BOWLING ALLEY
There's a piano bar and DOROTHY is in a ratty, red
sequined dress, singing "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves
You." As she does, WE SEE BILLY, age eight, not really
watching, just sitting sullenly -- blowing air bubbles in
his Coke. Someone's watching though. CHALMER MILLIGAN
sits at the bar, smiling at DOROTHY. She starts
performing just to him. BILLY realizes what's going on
and watches carefully. CHALMER catches BILLY'S look and
feels exposed. He turns his attention back to DOROTHY.
LATER
CHALMER and DOROTHY, laughing in a booth over drinks.
PAN OVER
to the next booth -- BILLY is fast asleep.
EXT. CARNIVAL - NIGHT
Lots of people and rides. BILLY, DOROTHY and CHALMER are
in line for one ride, but as they get to the gate:
ATTENDANT
Sorry, he's too little. There's a
height requirement.
BILLY is stricken.
CHALMER
(to Billy)
Well, tell ya what -- you wait here
and we'll meet you right after.
It's a short one, this one.
He ushers DOROTHY onto the ride as BILLY steps aside --
watching and waiting.
INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY
CHALMER watches from the sofa as BILLY sits with crayons
and a pad on the floor. BILLY reaches for the red one,
but CHALMER'S foot comes down on it. A beat as BILLY
looks up at him. Finally, CHALMER lifts his foot and
BILLY takes it.
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
DOROTHY is shaking BILLY out of a deep sleep. She's
breathless with excitement.
DOROTHY
Billy, wake up. Look.
She shows him an engagement ring on her finger.
DOROTHY
He asked me to marry him. We're not
going to be alone anymore.
She hugs him tight.
INT. KITCHEN - DAY
BILLY and DOROTHY doing the dishes together.
BILLY
I don't know what to call him.
DOROTHY
Chalmer is your Daddy, now. You
call him Daddy Chal.
BILLY looks into the living room at CHALMER, asleep in
front of the TV, a beer in his hand. CHALMER opens his
eyes unexpectedly, startling BILLY.
CHALMER
What are you doin' in there? Only
sissies help their Mama's do dishes.
You come in here with me and watch
some TV.
BILLY is nervous.
DOROTHY
(privately)
Go on. He's you Daddy, now. You
mind him. He loves you.
BILLY goes inside.
INT. KITCHEN - EVENING
The three of them at the dinner table. No talking -- just
quiet eating.
DOROTHY
Billy, would you please pass the
salt?
He grabs it and goes to hand it to his MOTHER, but CHALMER
grabs his other wrist.
CHALMER
Salt gets passed clockwise.
BILLY
What?
CHALMER
Everything at the table gets passed
clockwise.
BILLY
Why?
CHALMER
Because that's how we did it when I
was growin' up. It learned me
manners -- you don't have everybody
reachin' all over the table for
everything -- gettin' in everybody's
food.
BILLY passes it clockwise, via CHALMER, who gives it to
DOROTHY.
DOROTHY
Thank you.
CHALMER
It's just like when I taught you to
sit with your hands on your knees
and your feet flat on the floor when
you're not eatin'. And you don't
have to know the reason for
everything, anyway. If I say to do
something, then that's enough.
Right?
BILLY
Yes.
CHALMER
Yes, what?
BILLY
Yes, Daddy Chal.
INT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING
CHALMER, BILLY and DOROTHY watching TV. Ed Sullivan.
CHALMER'S got a beer in one hand and his other arm is
around DOROTHY as he starts fondling her breast.
DOROTHY
(smiling awkwardly,
pulling away)
Chalmer...
CHALMER
(a hoarse whisper)
What...?
He leans in to kiss her neck. BILLY watches. CHALMER
looks right at him, then nuzzles her.
DOROTHY
(still mindful of
decorum)
No...
CHALMER
(climbing on her now,
but not really
threatening)
Don't tell me no -- we're married
now.
He thinks he's being playful. A hand inside her blouse.
BILLY still watches in silence.
DOROTHY
(catches Billy's look
to Chalmer)
Billy...
CHALMER
So?
He looks at BILLY once more, then, never taking his eyes
off him, slides his tongue into DOROTHY'S ear.
DOROTHY
(gets up)
We can go in the bedroom.
She leaves and goes upstairs. BILLY looks at CHALMER.
CHALMER
What are you looking at?
(an icy hiss)
You bend them eyes while I'm talkin'
to you, boy.
BILLY looks down. CHALMER drains his beer and tosses the
empty can at him, then heads upstairs. In a moment, we
hear a hit. DOROTHY screams. Another hit. BILLY sits
closer to the TV -- turns up the volume. A plate spinner
on Ed Sullivan. As the beating continues upstairs. BILLY
changes the channel, landing on an old Basil
Rathbone/Nigel Bruce Sherlock Holmes movie. He stare hard
as Holmes performs some miraculous demonstration of
deduction. BILLY turns up the volume till it drowns
everything else out.
INT. KITCHEN - EVENING
BILLY sits drawing at the table while his MOTHER does the
ironing. The drawing is a landscape, and remarkably good
for a nine year old.
DOROTHY
Is it that late? God, I don't know
where the time went.
She leaves the room and heads upstairs. As BILLY looks
up, he sees CHALMER standing in the next room, staring at
him. BILLY goes back to drawing, but is unnerved. He
looks up again -- CHALMER is gone. He tentatively leaves
the kitchen and pads very slowly into the living room. No
one there. BILLY sits on the sofa and looks up -- there's
CHALMER, leaning against the wall next to the entrance
way. BILLY is startled.
BILLY
Hello, Daddy Chal...
No response. CHALMER'S eyes bore a hole right through the
boy. BILLY picks up a magazine. He leaf's through a
couple of pages, consumed with fright, then puts it back
carefully -- perfectly -- in the center of the coffee
table. He glances up. CHALMER hasn't moved. He's still
staring. BILLY puts his hands on his knees and his feet
flat on the floor. Then he gets up and exits the room
from the opposite side where CHALMER is.
EXT. BACK PORCH
As BILLY comes out of the house. He goes into the yard
and wanders restlessly -- tosses a stick. He gathers all
his courage and looks back towards the house. There is
CHALMER, watching him from the window. Terrified, BILLY
starts to cry silently. Suddenly, his MOTHER'S voice
startles him.
DOROTHY
Billy!
She's at the upstairs window.
DOROTHY
Come on to bed!
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
BILLY lies awake. He's exhausted, but more scared. Every
time he starts to nod off, he forces his eyes back open
with a start. He pinches his arm and twists hard to keep
himself up.
INT. KITCHEN - MORNING
BILLY, eyes puffy from lack of sleep, sits opposite
CHALMER and DOROTHY. CHALMER doesn't look like he's slept
much, either.
DOROTHY
Look what I made for my two men
this morning. Pancakes and bacon
and fresh squeezed juice...
CHALMER
We're going to the farm today,
Billy. There's a lot to be done.
BILLY is gripped by fear.
INT. CAR
BILLY and CHALMER moving down a long, lonely road.
Neither one says a word. They both just stare straight
ahead.
EXT. CAR
As it turns off one road and onto another -- this one
containing the covered bridge. It's the same one that
adult BILLY passed in the police car. A farm can be seen
in the distance amongst the spindly, leafless trees.
EXT. FARM - DAY
CHALMER sits on the ground, drinking beer and staring.
ANGLE
to include the corn crib from the charcoal animation.
BILLY is locked inside, trying to ignore his step-father's
stare.
INT. CORN CRIB
BILLY sees a cardinal on a tree branch. He has some
paints with him and starts to sketch out the bird on a
piece of slate. Suddenly CHALMER pops up in front of him,
carrying a shovel. He unlocks the corn crib.
CHALMER
Come on...
He leads BILLY out and they walk off into a field as the
cardinal flies away to freedom.
EXT. FIELD
BILLY is digging a long hole that's already knee deep.
CHALMER sits and watches. He holds a rusty, hollow, metal
pipe in his hand -- about a foot long and four inches
wide.
CHALMER
Six feet. You hear me?
BILLY continues digging.
EXT. FIELD
CHALMER pushes a rototiller, churning up the ground for
the coming season.
WE FOLLOW him as he goes. Finally, he passes the pipe he
was holding earlier -- only now it sticks up six inches
from the ground. As CHALMER rides out of frame we hear
the amplified sound of shallow breathing.
INT. BARN
We see BILLY only from the naked torso up. Through a
window, we can see CHALMER outside, drinking under a tree.
His pants are undone. BILLY'S back is to us. He's tied
to the rototiller -- straddling it. His eyes are wet
from crying. He struggles against the rope, but it's no
use. Then, his eyes fix into the middle distance. He
stares so hard, it hurts.
A BRIGHT, WHITE LIGHT
shining straight into our eyes. At first it has no form,
no perimeters.
BILLY
staring.
THE LIGHT
feels like a birth as we PULL BACK from its center,
gathering velocity. It rumbles, then roars, until we
finally get to it's outer edge. Now it has a shape. It's
a spotlight -- sharp, defined. Surrounded by darkness.
Like the spot that shone on Johnny Morrison at the Eden
Roc.
BILLY
staring even harder.
THE SPOT
as a form emerges from it's deepest recesses. It's human.
A teenage boy. The figure stretches out it's hand.
BILLY
Suddenly, he blinks -- like we've seen the adult BILLY
do. His entire face seems to change. He's not terrified
anymore, merely confused. He reaches his face over to his
constrained hand and touches his cheek with his fingers.
He has no idea why he's been crying. He looks around the
barn -- then out at CHALMER, who is oblivious. BILLY
looks at the rope around his wrists. They are tied to
each other, close together, but there's still some slack.
He takes a beat, then uses one hand to push the thumb of
his other hand far across it palm. His eyes are clenched
in concentration. His hand turns beet red. Suddenly,
there's a snap and his thumb is successfully dislocated.
With his thumb pulled out of its socket and draped across
his palm, the thickest part of his hand is now thinner
than his wrist, enabling him to slide it out from the
rope. He snaps it back in place and undoes his other
wrist. Outside the window, CHALMER is now passed out
drunk.
INT. BARN
THE CARDINAL painted on the piece of slate. It's been
signed: BILLY. BILLY is fully dressed now, rubbing his
still red thumb, when he stumbles upon it. He picks up
the paintbrush next to it and adds some touches.
Satisfied, he signs a second name beneath the one that's
already there: TOMMY.
EXT. STREET
It's a brilliant Fall day. BILLY, age nine, is walking to
school past an apple orchard. He carries a big, shiny red
apple -- polishing it as he goes. He never sees the car
that suddenly rounds the bend and heads straight for him.
We hear a MAN and a WOMAN giggling drunkenly from inside
-- completely oblivious. It is virtually upon him, when,
as if shoved from behind by an invisible force, BILLY is
thrown clear of the automobile. It crushes the apple into
sauce and disappears around the next bend, but BILLY lands
safely. He starts to cry. Then we hear a voice. It has
a thick East European accent.
RAGEN'S VOICE
Christene...
BILLY looks up.
RAGEN'S VOICE
Please... don't cry... I get you
another apple.
TIGHT
on a adult pair of hands as they shimmy up a tree trunk
and grab an apple.
EXT. STREET
BILLY, holding this new apple, walking happily to school
once more.
RAGEN'S FACE
against a dark and indistinct background. He's inspired
by the Eden Roc busboy -- intense, olive-skinned, with a
full black moustache.
RAGEN
I will always be here to protect
you.
INT. BILLY'S APARTMENT
BILLY, age twenty one, is working out with a set of
nunchuks. He handles them like an expert, like a killer.
Sweat covers his bare chest. His hands are a blur. He
punctuates each move with a throaty war cry, still in the
thick Yugoslavian accent, as he uses a mannequin's face
and torso to simulate the disarming and vicious pummeling
of an attacker. He ends with a fierce, sustained scream
of a warrior. When he comes back to himself, he looks
down: the mannequin is in shreds. He opens the
refrigerator. It's empty. He grabs his wallet from his
pocket and opens it. It's empty. He throws it angrily to
the floor. He goes to the sink and sticks his head under,
to wash the sweat off the get a drink, when the doorbell
rings. BILLY approaches it warily. He keeps his accent
all through this.
BILLY
Who is it?
GORDY (O.C.)
Gordy.
BILLY grabs an M-16 from under a chair, reaches high on a
shelf for a clip and pops it in, then holds it to his side
as he opens the door a few inches. GORDY is eighteen,
thin, pale and high as a kite.
GORDY
Shit, it's cold. You got any
scotch?
He starts to enter, but BILLY blocks his way.
GORDY
What's wrong? We gonna do this in
front of the neighbors? I've got
the money.
GORDY takes out sixty bucks in crumpled bills. BILLY
looks at it, then lets him in. GORDY walks past him into
the living room.
BILLY
Where are you going?
GORDY
(not looking back,
imitates him)
Where am I going?
GORDY pulls out a dresser drawer and put it on the floor.
BILLY
Hey.
GORDY reaches in and BILLY moves right for him, the gun
barrel coming to rest on his back. GORDY pulls out a
cellophane bag that's been duck taped to the back of the
dresser. It's got several smaller bags inside, each
stocked with a different supply of pills.
GORDY
Whoa. Jackpot.
He turns and sees the gun pointed straight at him.
GORDY
What's wrong? I showed you the
money.
He tosses it to BILLY.
GORDY
Cool it.
But BILLY is stunned. He's never seen the pills before.
He lowers his gun and grabs the bag. As he opens it and
pulls out its contents:
GORDY
What are you gettin' all excited
for? Have I ever ripped you off?
Never. Wow, you got the reds.
BILLY drops the bag to the floor.
BILLY
How did you know this was there?
GORDY
(picking them up)
That's where you always keep 'em.
Oh no. Are you gonna get all weird
again? I hate when you do this
shit.
GORDY pockets sixty dollars worth of speed, then sees the
nunchuks and a set of free weights.
GORDY
I didn't know you were so into that
stuff.
He picks up the nunchuks -- does a few comically inane
moves.
BILLY
Put them down.
GORDY
(he does)
Boy, who put the bug up your ass
today? And what's with the commie
accent? You know, the guy I work
for is looking for a bodyguard.
Someone to drive the car to the
pick-ups and look like an animal so
no one pulls any shit. You wanna
meet him? The pay is good.
BILLY
How much?
GORDY
I don't know -- ask him. The
sumbitch is made of money. I'm
goin' over there now. You wanna
come?
BILLY
We need money.
GORDY
So come on. His name's Foley.
BILLY grabs a sweatshirt and they leave.
EXT. HOOVER RESERVOIR - DAY
As the water roars below, BILLY sits alone in his parked
car. Thirty yards away is a parked MERCEDES. TWO MEN sit
in the front seat, while GORDY leans in the back window
talking to FOLEY. BILLY is tense, but stoic. In a
moment, GORDY turns. He gets out of the car.
GORDY
He wants to talk to you.
BILLY gets out of the car. The other THREE MEN get out of
theirs. BILLY takes the long walk over, but upon reaching
them one MAN spins him around to face the car while
holding an automatic to his head and the OTHER starts to
frisk him. Immediately, BILLY elbows the MAN WITH THE GUN
in the throat, delivers a quick flurry of knifehand karate
strikes to his face, breaking his nose, then holds him in
front of his own body. BILLY grabs the MAN'S hand,
wrapping his finger around the finger that was already
guarding the trigger, and straightens the henchman's arm,
using it to point the gun directly at FOLEY.
BILLY
It is not good to move. I put
three bullets between your eyes
before you take step.
FOLEY puts his hands up. BILLY turns to the SECOND
FLUNKIE.
BILLY
You. Take gun from under jacket
with two fingers and put on ground.
The MAN hesitates.
BILLY
Do it now or you will be smiling out
of your sleeve.
He does as BILLY says. BILLY pushes the FIRST MAN away,
holding onto the gun.
BILLY
I would say you need better
bodyguard than these two.
FOLEY
(to the two men)
Go over there. I'm going to have a
talk with Mr. Milligan.
INT. MERCEDES
FOLEY presses a button and a bar opens.
FOLEY
What do you drink?
BILLY
Vodka.
FOLEY
No shit. Where'd you get a name
like Milligan?
BILLY
Names mean nothing. I am
Yugoslavian.
FOLEY
Well, Billy. I'm in the shipping
business, and my drivers need
protection.
BILLY
I am a protector. You have job. I
do it. I need money.
FOLEY
Oh, don't worry, you'll make money.
BILLY
Except one thing. I do not hurt
people unless my life is in danger,
and I do not harm womans.
FOLEY
It's a deal.
They shake hands.
INT. BILLY'S APARTMENT
GORDY'S taking a hit of speed and washing it down with a
swig of vodka.
GORDY
Where'd you learn karate? Who are
you really? Ex-C.I.A.? Mercenary?
But BILLY has drawn into himself -- lips moving silently.
GORDY
You O.K.?
(holds out the speed)
Here, you want a B.B.?
BILLY "returns". He quickly checks out the scene -- where
he is and who he's with.
BILLY
(almost relieved)
Gordy.
BILLY smiles and takes a pill. After he swallows it,
GORDY offers him the vodka. BILLY reaches past him for a
beer.
GORDY shrugs and picks up a volume of poetry by Emily
Dickinson.
GORDY
(laughs)
Poetry? You read this shit? Or you
got a girlfriend I don't know about?
BILLY has never seen it before. GORDY reads:
GORDY
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all.
BILLY grabs it and throws it across the room.
BILLY
I've never seen it before.
GORDY
No? Then who the hell's it belong
to?
The book has landed in front of a painting of the
withdrawn, teenage girl with long pair parted in the
middle.
As we PRESS IN on BILLY, we CROSSFADE to:
INT. BILLY'S BEDROOM - MORNING
He's nine years old. DOROTHY'S approaching voice wakes
him up.
DOROTHY
Billy! you're gonna be late for
school!
She opens the door.
DOROTHY
Billy, come on.
He looks at her, confused.
DOROTHY
Let's go. I'm making blueberry
pancakes.
INT. SPOT
The bright, white light, surrounded by darkness. PHIL is
there, tucking a napkin into his collar. He's a tough
looking twenty year old with bad skin and three days of
growth of beard.
INT. KITCHEN
BILLY, still age nine, tucking a napkin into his collar.
He's smothering his pancakes in a ton of syrup and wolfing
them down in huge, convict size bites.
DOROTHY
I'm not going to show this report
card to Daddy Chal. One D, all the
rest F's... What's wrong, Billy? I
know you're bright. You go to
school every day. Why don't you
learn? It's like there's two
Billy's. And one of them I don't
care for very much at all. Now
you're going to have to try and do
better, and that's all there is to
it. Understand?
BILLY
Do you have any black coffee?
INT. THIRD GRADE CLASSROOM
It's very Eisenhower fifties mid-west. Thanksgiving
turkey cut-outs on the windows; Autumn leaf displays, etc.
The CHILDREN are all taking their seats. BILLY doesn't
know were he belongs. He finally sits, but immediately, a
GIRL approaches.
GIRL
That's my seat.
BILLY
Go to hell.
GIRL
Miss Haworth, Billy Milligan just
swore at me and he's sitting in my
seat.
BILLY
(under his breath)
Jesus...
BILLY stands and the GIRL sits.
MISS HAWORTH
What's the matter, Billy? Don't you
remember where your seat it?
He shakes his head no.
MISS HAWORTH
I'm getting very tired of this
little game, Billy. Now take your
seat.
By this time, there's only one seat left unoccupied.
BILLY sits.
MISS HAWORTH
Thank you. Now maybe we can get on
with our arithmetic test.
As MISS HAWORTH passes out the mimeographed quiz sheets,
BILLY is gripped with fear. He looks at the sheet. It's
like hieroglyphics to him.
MISS HAWORTH
Alright class, you may begin.
The KIDS start work -- BILLY freezes. A beat then:
TIGHT
on an adult hand, holding a pencil, poised over the test.
We hear an English accent:
ARTHUR (O.C.)
Oh, dear, really. You must be
joking.
ANGLE
on the classroom.
MISS HAWORTH
Ssh!
BILLY sits with a completely different posture and
demeanor. He looks down his nose at the test and races
through it. He's done almost immediately and puts down
his pencil.
MISS HAWORTH
looks up from her desk.
MISS HAWORTH
Done already?
ANGLE
to include BILLY. He's back to being himself -- scared
and confused. He has no idea how he got to school.
MISS HAWORTH
(approaching)
Aren't you even going to check your
work?
He doesn't respond. She takes the paper and looks at it.
Then:
MISS HAWORTH
Let me see your arms.
He rolls up his sleeves. Then she looks all around his
desk.
BILLY
What's wrong?
MISS HAWORTH
(extremely
suspicious)
They're all correct.
EXT. SCHOOL - DAY
It's a Saturday and there's no one around, except for
BILLY, now age fourteen. He's throwing rocks from about
thirty yards away -- trying to break windows. We're
behind him as he hears PHIL'S twenty year old voice.
PHIL (O.C.)
Hey.
VERY QUICK CUTS. FIRST:
An ANGLE on BILLY'S face, speaking as PHIL, with a thick
New York accent.
BILLY
What are you doing?
Another ANGLE on BILLY'S face, answering as KEVIN -- also
twenty.
BILLY
Bustin' windows.
An adult hand, picking up a rock.
PHIL (O.C.)
Cool. Let me.
BILLY
throwing a rock and shattering a window.
INT. SPOT
PHIL, in the light, wiping the dirt off his hands.
EXT. THE SCHOOL
BILLY is baffled, looking around.
BILLY
(as Kevin)
Where are you?
PHIL (O.C.)
Where are you?
BILLY
(as Kevin)
I'm standing on the hill -- behind
the school.
PHIL (O.C.)
Yeah? Me too.
INT. SPOT
KEVIN, now in the light. He's twenty, blonde hair, green
eyes -- a tough guy like PHIL.
KEVIN
What's your name?
PHIL (O.C.)
Philip, what's yours?
KEVIN
Kevin.
ANGLE
In the distance, KEVIN is lit in the spot. In the F.G.,
PHIL in semi-darkness, is unaware of him.
PHIL
That's a funny name.
KEVIN
Yeah? I'd bust you if I could see
you.
PHIL
Where ya live?
EXT. THE SCHOOL
BILLY casually throws rocks at the school, breaking
windows as he speaks.
BILLY
(as Kevin)
On Spring Street. Where you from?
PHIL (O.C.)
I'm from Brooklyn, New York, but now
I live on Spring Street, too.
INT. SPOT
KEVIN
KEVIN
It's 933 Spring. A white house.
Owned by some guy named Chalmer
Milligan. He calls me Billy.
KEVIN reaches down.
EXT. SCHOOL - BILLY'S HAND
picking up a rock.
BILLY (O.C.)
Jeez -- that's where I live. I know
the same guy. He calls me Billy,
too. I play along for the pancakes.
BILLY throws the rock -- then turns around.
INT. SPOT
KEVIN turns, as BILLY just did, and comes face to face
with PHILIP.
PHIL
I ain't never seen you there.
KEVIN
I ain't never seen you there,
either.
PHIL
(popping open a
Zippo)
Well, shit, pal, let's go down to
the woods and light fires.
KEVIN
Cool.
EXT. SCHOOL
BILLY runs off towards the woods, Zippo in hand.
INT. BILLY'S APARTMENT
BILLY, age twenty one, has discovered drugs stashed behind
the dresser drawer. He checks them out, then speaks with
Arthur's British accent.
BILLY
L.S.D. Kevin and Philip have become
undesirables. Something must be
done to banish them from the spot.
BANG!
MUSIC blasts. Elton John's "Madman Across the Water".
The screen is filled with a wash of deep blue. BILLY
enters frame, silhouetted against it, paintbrush in hand.
He attacks the blue with whites and yellows.
In a SERIES OF CUTS:
The painting is incredibly detailed -- fine, delicate
lines forming eyes and strands of hair -- but his manner
is frenetic. He paces the floor, staring at the canvas
the way a matador sizes up a bull, then hurls himself at
it -- always reigning himself in to achieve the
controlled, meticulous tension that the painting demands.
THE SPOT
ALLEN painting. Cigarette dangling from his mouth.
THE PAINTING
further along. It's like a story unfolding. Symbols,
clocks, faces -- all corresponding to some private vision
of BILLY'S.
INT. APARTMENT
TIME CUT. BILLY is drenched now. He paints a section,
then steps back to look at it. Dissatisfied he takes a
can of red paint and flings it across the canvas. He
stops a moment to catch his breath, then starts all over
again. In a moment, he "blinks". His demeanor changes,
his posture, the way he holds the brush. He goes from
looking like an artist in complete command of his craft,
to looking like some guy holding a paintbrush. He sees
the bag of drugs ARTHUR had left out earlier and picks
them up, hungrily. From out of an envelope, he shakes out
a small piece of paper with a stamp of a loopy cartoon
horse on it. He smiles wickedly, then puts it to his
tongue and licks the purple microdot off the tip of its
muzzle.
BILLY
painting -- tripping out of his mind.
BILLY - LATER
now ALLEN, the personality who had originally started the
painting. He's looking aghast.
HIS POV
PHIL has turned it into some sixties psychedelic nightmare
and signed it.
BILLY
lights a cigarette, then starts painting over it --
starting again.
BILLY
painting in detail once more. His neck is sore. His
fingers are sore. It's pitch black outside.
BILLY - DAWN
finally finished. Ashtray overflowing. He's looking at
the result. It is a major work -- complicated -- probably
over-complicated -- full of the confusion and enormity of
what's inside him. He signs it: ALLEN. He wipes the
sweat off his face, walks to the sofa and lies down. He's
asleep in seconds.
INT. APARTMENT - LATER
BILLY wakes up. A beat. He walks over to the painting.
He looks at it, then reaches for a handful of crayons.
INT. SPOT
Three year old CHRISTENE picking up crayons.
INT. APARTMENT - LATER
BILLY stands stunned. There are childish squiggles and
drawings all over the canvas. It's completely ruined.
His eyes fill with tears.
INT. DARKENED AREA
There is a male figure moving through the shadows, though
we can hardly discern any activity.
ANGLE
to include the spot in the distance. RAGEN is in it. In
the foreground, now, the lurking male figure enters the
frame. We see him, only partially and from behind,
watching RAGEN.
EXT. WOODS
Fourteen year old BILLY is practicing pulling a knife from
his boot and chucking it at a tree with lightning speed
and accuracy.
INT. SPOT
ARTHUR'S VOICE
Ragen Vadascovinich.
RAGEN turns quickly.
EXT. WOODS
BILLY has his knife out in a defense stance.
INT. SPOT
RAGEN is in the same position.
RAGEN
Where are you?
ARTHUR'S VOICE
I'm right here.
EXT. WOODS
BILLY is all alone, talking to himself in the woods.
BILLY
(English accent)
We are in the same body. We share
it. You are in my head and I am in
yours. And there are others as
well, but most of them don't know
about each other.
INT. SPOT
ARTHUR stands just outside the spot, talking to RAGEN.
He's twenty two, with a patrician air and John Lennon
glasses.
RAGEN
Is true -- I have heard voices
before -- but how can you be same
place I am? Is not possible.
ARTHUR
It's simple, really. Whoever is on
the spot holds the consciousness.
Right now, it's you. When it's
someone else, we are very often
unaware.
RAGEN eyes him warily.
ARTHUR
Do you play chess?
RAGEN
Of course.
INT. BILLY'S MIND
RAGEN and ARTHUR in a limbo-like space, playing chess.
Though they are obviously sitting, we can see not chairs.
It's like they are sitting in blackness. In the
background, we can see CHRISTENE, all of three years old,
sitting in the spot, drawing happily.
ARTHUR
If we are to survive in the world,
we will have to bring some order out
of this chaos. Billy wanders
around, oblivious, starting things
and not finishing them -- getting
into all kinds of ridiculous
scrapes -- switching in front of
people. And some, like Philip and
Kevin are quite destructive and need
to be carefully monitored.
INT. CLASSROOM
Fourteen year old BILLY and his class are taking a math
test, but BILLY, currently occupied by CHRISTENE'S
personality, is drawing pictures all over the test sheet.
A GIRL sitting next to him is watching him incredulously.
ARTHUR AND RAGEN
playing chess. CHRISTENE drawing in the spot in the
background.
ARTHUR
Ah, an Indian defense. Very good.
RAGEN
Who is that?
He indicates a four year boy sitting alone, staring
blankly.
ARTHUR
That is Shawn. He's completely
deaf. He takes the spot to block
out his mother's cries. We've got
all kinds here. But there's got to
be a way of controlling things.
RAGEN
Does Billy know about us?
ARTHUR
No.
RAGEN
Should he be told?
ARTHUR
I think it would drive him insane.
RAGEN
Then how can things be controlled?
ARTHUR
We'll make rules. Everyone will
have specific duties that are
tailored toward their particular
talents. Tommy is an electronics
genius, as well as an escape artist.
Several of us are painters. I excel
at foreign languages and dabble in
medicine and biochemistry. The
girls do domestic chores.
RAGEN
There are women here?
ARTHUR
Oh yes. April and Adalana. They do
the cooking, the shopping, the
cleaning... checkmate.
RAGEN
What about me?
ARTHUR
You shall continue your role as
protector...
EXT. ROAD
Fourteen year old BILLY jogging -- sweat pours down.
ARTHUR (V.O.)
... developing yourself physically...
learning the martial arts --
weaponry -- being able to step into
a dangerous situation at a moments
notice.
He speeds up -- running harder and harder. The intensity
in his face is enormous -- as if every fiber of his being
were perfectly focused on this one activity.
INT. CLASSROOM - DAY
A TEACHER is droning on, writing endlessly at the
blackboard. She has lost control of the class, which is
chatting away, paying little or no attention.
TEACHER
The War of the Roses was a series of
wars fought by two English families
in the late 15th Century for the
rule of the country.
As she speaks, the class gets quieter and quieter in the
background, until there's just the TEACHER and a strange
whispering.
TEACHER
The House of Lancaster had a red
rose as its emblem while the House
of York had a white rose. The
forces of the House of Lancaster won
and their leader, Henry Tudor,
father of the future Henry VII,
became king...
Finally, she turns around and stops speaking.
ANGLE
to include class. They are all staring at BILLY, age
fourteen, who sits at his desk, eyes glazed and half
rolled into his head -- lips moving a mile a minute --
whispering in a strange gibberish.
INT. SCHOOL COUNSELOR'S OFFICE
A sign on his desk identifies him as such. He faces
BILLY.
COUNSELOR
Do you know why you're here, Billy?
Do you want to talk about it?
BILLY looks away. The COUNSELOR comes around his desk and
sits close to BILLY.
COUNSELOR
You can say anything here. Go on.
What are your feelings?
BILLY
It's like a dream that comes and
goes. My step-dad hates me. I hear
him screaming. I hear other voices,
too. I get blamed for stuff I
didn't do. People call me a liar.
I never know what time it is -- or
what day it is. Sometimes I feel
like I'm going crazy. I don't know
what's in my pockets. And I see
lots of things that aren't real.
There's a locked door and someone's
pounding to get out. I see a woman
falling down and suddenly she's
turning into a pile of metal and I
can't reach her and I'm so scared
and lonely and I'm afraid to ask for
help. I need help. Oh God...
(self-conscious,
through sniffles)
Hey, I'm the only kid who can take a
trip without LSD.
COUNSELOR
It's all right, Billy. We're going
to get you some help.
INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE - DAY
BILLY being examined by a G.P. -- while his MOTHER looks
on. After a bit:
DOCTOR
Ears normal, eyes normal, throat
O.K. -- I don't see anything yet.
Alright, Billy, take off your pants.
His face crumbles. He's overcome by fear.
DOROTHY
Go on, Billy, you mind the doctor.
The DOCTOR reaches for BILLY'S belt, and BILLY screams in
terror.
BILLY
Nooo!!!
It echoes into eternity as WE CUT TO:
INT. COLUMBUS STATE HOSPITAL
BILLY walking down a corridor with a different DOCTOR,
leaving his MOTHER behind. As they go, they pass all
manner of disturbed children.
DOCTOR
Don't worry, Billy. No one's going
to hurt you. We're here to help
you.
INT. EXAMINING ROOM - DAY
The DOCTOR gives BILLY two pills in a small, paper
container. BILLY puts them in his mouth.
QUICK CUTS:
BILLY taking different pills on a different day.
The same day.
And again. Now he washes them down with water.
INT. DOCTOR'S CONSULTATION OFFICE
BILLY, DOROTHY and CHALMER, across the desk from the
DOCTOR.
DOCTOR
He certainly seems high strung, and
his mood swings are unpredictable.
He also likes to pretend or role
play quite a bit. But I don't
really see that there's anything
more we can do for him here. Try
changing his diet. He seems to do
better on Jello day.
INT. SCHOOL HALLWAY
As BILLY walks through with his books, other KIDS point
and whisper to each other. Some laugh. As he passes one
little GIRL, she yells from behind.
GIRL
Billy Milligan is a psycho! He was
in the loony bin!
The KIDS laugh.
EXT. THE ROOF OF THE HIGH SCHOOL
It's windy as all hell as BILLY inches his way towards the
edge. He's a million miles away -- his eyes fixed in the
middle distance.
INT. SPOT
BILLY, with the very same expression, inside the
spotlight. We hear voices from around the periphery.
RAGEN'S VOICE
We must do something. We must act
now.
ARTHUR'S VOICE
Push him off the spot or he'll jump.
EXT. THE ROOF
BILLY still moving forward -- ever closer.
INT. SPOT
He appears to be walking -- but he doesn't move. It's as
if he's on a treadmill.
TOMMY'S VOICE
Oh let him jump. Who needs him
around, anyway? Always embarrassing
us -- always getting us into
trouble...
ARTHUR'S VOICE
No. It's our responsibility to keep
him safe.
EXT. ROOF
BILLY'S picking up speed now. This is the final push.
INT. SPOT
BILLY going fast -- still gaining no ground.
RAGEN'S VOICE
Take spot. Quickly.
ARTHUR'S VOICE
(he's trying)
I can't.
TOMMY'S VOICE
The hell with him. Loser...
EXT. ROOF
BILLY at the edge -- about to jump.
INT. SPOT
RAGEN'S VOICE
No!
And now RAGEN emerges from the darkness, running full
speed. He tackles BILLY.
EXT. ROOF
BILLY suddenly throwing himself to the ground just a step
before going over.
INT. SPOT
RAGEN and BILLY on the ground.
RAGEN
(after catching his
breath)
We must put him to sleep, is too
dangerous otherwise.
ARTHUR emerges close enough to the light to be visible.
ARTHUR
I agree. He can no longer function
for himself. He shall relinquish
the spot indefinitely. Even if it
means he never wakes up again.
EXT. ROOF
BILLY, on the ground, eyelids heavy, lips moving.
Suddenly, he is still. Then, his eyes open fully. He
gets up. He's completely confused at being on the roof.
INT. SPOT
Which is now occupied by ALLEN, the fourteen year old, all
alone in the light. His confused expression is an exact
duplicate of BILLY'S on the roof. Somewhere in the B.G.,
a small girl laughs softly.
WE PAN OVER
into the surrounding semi-darkness, where RAGEN kneels
before CHRISTENE, a finger to his lips.
RAGEN
Ssh. Billy is sleeping.
WE CONTINUE TO PAN
as RAGEN indicates BILLY, lying in what we can only assume
is a bed -- but the darkness is too thick to see below his
body. He is fast asleep.
THIS IMAGE TRANSFORMS INTO ROTOSCOPE ANIMATION
which segues into a series of fluid images:
PAINTINGS
done by BILLY. Portraits, still lifes, landscapes -- done
and signed by different personalities, ending with a
portrait of SHAWN.
INT. LANCASTER ELECTROPLATING
It looks like something out of Dante's Inferno. Gigantic
machinery, churning out sparks and steam, motored by
propane and hydraulics. The noise is deafening as huge,
hook-covered ladders roll on suspended tracks and dip an
endless supply of metal parts into a succession of
electrified acid baths. MEN duck and weave in goggles and
huge, rubber gloves, narrowly avoiding decapitation or
electrocution as they do their routines.
WE TRACK TO BILLY
standing at the operator's control panel. It's a
mystifying series of buttons, levers and speakers -- and
BILLY is completely dumbfounded.
BILLY POV
He sees everything, but hears nothing. Silence. He is
deaf.
ANGLE - SOUND NORMAL
as suddenly there's a zinc stack up in one of the acetone
rinses. The parts keep rolling along on the overhead
conveyor track -- compounding the jam.
WORKER
Power off! Power off!
BILLY IN SILENCE
knows he's yelling at him, but hasn't any idea what he's
supposed to do. He sees the WORKER'S lips move.
WORKER
Milligan!
The FOREMAN runs up and pulls the power switch. The
entire apparatus grinds to a halt.
FOREMAN
(we lip read only)
What the hell is wrong with you?
ANGLE - SOUND NORMAL
FOREMAN
Don't you hear him? Billy? Knock
knock...
BILLY "blinks". He's confused. He knows where he is, but
not how he got there.
FOREMAN
What's going on?
BILLY
Nothin', Ted. We got a problem?
FOREMAN
Yeah, we got a problem. I got a
train wreck over there and you're
sittin' here pullin' your pud. You
do good work when you do it, but I
can't run my factory at your
convenience.
BILLY
What are you talkin' about?
(calls out)
Hey, Willie, you got a traffic jam?
FOREMAN
I'm sorry, Billy. You have to
leave.
BILLY
What?
FOREMAN
You're fired.
BILLY
Fired?
FOREMAN
Come up front. I'll pay you off for
the week.
INT. CAFETERIA RESTAURANT - DAY
BILLY is at the cashier with a tray full of food. He's
still got grease stained hands from work.
CASHIER
That's $2.85, please.
BILLY reaches into his wallet -- but it's empty. He's
completely confused. He checks his other pockets as the
line gets impatient behind him, but pulls out fists full
of candy. He looks at the CASHIER in embarrassment --
then bolts out of the restaurant, leaving his food behind.
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
BILLY lies in bed, eyes half closed, lips moving. All we
can make out is a vague muttering.
INT. SOMEBODY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Right smack in the middle of a party. Lots of people
dancing, drinking, making small talk. We pick out BILLY,
sitting on a sofa next to FRANCINE. She's
unselfconsciously beautiful. Her edge is tough.
Unpampered. But not without its sweetness. BILLY looks
lost beside her.
FRANCINE
You O.K.?
BILLY
Yeah, fine.
FRANCINE
I kept sayin' "Billy". Did you hear
me?
BILLY
I was just thinking. Sorry.
FRANCINE
(flirting a little)
What about? Somethin' I made you
think about?
BILLY
Uh... who's party is this?
FRANCINE
I know, me too. I know he works at
the same plant as my friend Liz.
But she told me you used to work
there, too.
BILLY
I, uh... I'm embarrassed. I forgot
your name.
FRANCINE
(playful)
I didn't tell you yet. It's
Francine... And I know you're Billy.
I asked Liz right when I came in and
seen ya. God, that must sound so
slutty.
BILLY
I like girls to be a little slutty.
FRANCINE
(laughs)
I bet you do.
BILLY
I don't like the stuck up kind.
FRANCINE
I know -- me either. Walkin' around
all perfect like they don't have no
dark part. But you know they do,
'cause everybody does. That's my
favorite part -- the dark part.
How about you?
BILLY
I don't know. I guess I've never
run into it.
FRANCINE
Sure you have. People just don't
like you knowin' that's what you ran
into. Hey, do that trick with your
eyes again.
BILLY
What trick?
FRANCINE
Where you make your eyes go funny.
BILLY
How much have you had to drink?
FRANCINE
Me? What about you?
He looks at the beer in his hand, not knowing how it got
there, and not feeling the least bit drunk.
FRANCINE
One minute you're fallin' down
drunk, the next you're sober. You
gotta teach me that one. So, are we
going to your place?
He looks at her -- suddenly brightened.
FRANCINE
You said you'd show me your
paintings. Come on, I wanna see
'em. I'll just say goodnight to
Liz.
She gets up and crosses to her girlfriend. BILLY sits
there and fades away into himself. Immediately, he's back
-- drunk and cocky. He downs the rest of his beer and
walks toward FRANCINE, deftly grabbing a joint out from
behind some guy's ear as he passes. He puts an arm around
her waist and leads her out.
INT. CAR
Parked on the street -- BILLY and FRANCINE inside. She's
busy looking in her compact.
FRANCINE
Are you O.K. to drive? You downed
at least two sixes that I saw.
BILLY "leaves" a moment, then "returns" -- he has changed.
FRANCINE
Huh? Are you O.K.?
BILLY
(English accent)
I'm perfectly fine.
FRANCINE
(laughing, and doing
an English accent)
Oh, well then, home, William.
He starts the car and pulls out.
EXT. STREET
As BILLY and FRANCINE drive off.
FRANCINE (V.O.)
You're on the wrong side of the
road!
And, indeed, he is. An oncoming car narrowly misses them.
He pulls back to the right side and they continue out of
frame.
PAINTINGS
four or five, one after the other. Landscapes,
portraits...
FRANCINE
looking at them with BILLY.
FRANCINE
Hey, you're really good. I mean it.
The trees look like trees -- the
people look like people... I
couldn't do that.
BILLY
(he's Allen now)
Thanks.
FRANCINE
You sure must like kids.
Several of the portraits are of the "children".
BILLY
(he feels this
deeply)
Kids are very important. But you
have to be careful how you paint
them -- they're so easy to mess
up...
She leans over and kisses him tenderly. They separate.
She leads him to the bed. They kiss again. Their eyes
are closed -- but he opens his mid-kiss. His eyeballs
drift with nystagmus and a tear emerges -- rolling down
his cheek. He closes them again as he lays her down.
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
BILLY is naked, fast asleep.
ANGLE
to include FRANCINE, in his oversized tee shirt, silently
looking around the apartment. It's fairly run down and
cheaply furnished. There is a conspicuous absence of
photographs. She approaches BILLY'S desk. In one area,
it is stacked with medical texts and biology primers. In
another, tools, wires and electronic parts lie scattered.
She opens a drawer, checking to make sure she's not waking
him, and, inside, finds a few children's books: Dr. Seuss
"Green Eggs and Ham", "Little Red Riding Hood", etc. She
closes it and opens another. Inside are papers in hand
written Arabic. Pages and pages of it. She puts them
back and closes the drawer. She moves to his closet, goes
inside and closes the door behind her. She pulls a string
and the light goes on. There among his clothes, she finds
a .38 pistol inside a shoe box. She smiles. She's found
the dark part. She closes the box, turns off the light
and opens the door. There stands BILLY, scaring the shit
out of her.
BILLY
(sharply)
What are you doing in there?
FRANCINE
I got cold. I was looking for
pajamas or a sweater.
A beat, as he scrutinizes her. She smiles privately. He
grabs a robe off a chair and puts it around her shoulders.
He holds her to him.
BILLY
What happened? Last thing I
remember we laid down on the bed --
did I fall asleep for a minute?
FRANCINE
A minute? It's almost dawn. Come
on back to bed.
She leads him. As they lie down, she kisses him. She
pulls away.
FRANCINE
You're not tired, are you? Once
just ain't enough for me tonight.
She looks at him -- eyes twinkling. He has absolutely no
memory of their having made love.
INT. BILLY'S APARTMENT - DAY
He sits at his desk, translating Arabic from a thick
hardcover. As he moves the book closer, a note falls out.
It says: You have hidden talents. - F. BILLY crumples it
up angrily, then feels something in his pocket. He
reaches in and pulls out an empty condom wrapper. He
throws it in the trash.
BILLY
(English accent)
She spent the night. Bloody hell.
INT. SHOWER
BILLY scrubs himself, singing, feeling good.
INT. APARTMENT
BILLY, in his jacket, grabs his lunch pail and heads out
the door.
INT. CAR
BILLY driving, singing along with the radio.
EXT. LANCASTER ELECTROPLATING
As BILLY pulls up.
INT. LANCASTER ELECTROPLATING
In full operation. The belly of the beast. BILLY walks
in, happy as a clam. A couple of GUYS look at him funny.
BILLY
(nods)
Roy. Leaky.
He makes his way to the makeshift locker area: there are
boxes in rows attached to a wall, facing out. Each one
has a name written on masking tape. Several GUYS are
there, getting their goggles and gloves. BILLY ambles up
to what should be his box, but someone's in front of it.
He looks at the tape. There's a second piece of tape over
what obviously was once his. It now says JACK DECKER.
DECKER turns around.
DECKER
Yeah?
BILLY is confused, but consumed with an all too familiar
feeling of dread. He starts to back up. Another GUY
walks past him.
GUY
Hey, Billy. Long time, no see...
BILLY turns and bolts. He nearly knocks over the FOREMAN
as he heads for the door.
EXT. ELECTROPLATING FACTORY - MORNING
BILLY runs out of the building and leans against the chain
link fence. A beat, then he changes. His confusion and
panic replaced by RAGEN'S predatory glare.
EXT. BAIT SHOP - NIGHT
We're in back. Crates of worms have been delivered and
await unpacking tomorrow.
ANGLE
GORDY and BILLY in GORDY'S car as they pull up...
BILLY
(Slavic accent)
I do not like this.
GORDY
Calm down.
BILLY
They are early.
GORDY
So they're early. The merchandise
won't have a chance to get stale.
He pats the merchandise on the back seat: fourteen pounds
of marijuana, divided into bricks.
GORDY
Go on. Take the stash bag.
BILLY grabs a small satchel with a couple ounces in
plastic bags inside, and gets out, leaving the door open.
STACKS OF CRATES
filled with worms. BILLY and the CONNECTION meet in their
shadows.
CONNECTION
Well, well. The Russky.
BILLY is completely humorless. He gives up the taste.
The CONNECTION smells it. Feels it.
CONNECTION
Sticky. Green. Good. Bring out
the rest.
BILLY
Where are the guns?
The CONNECTION motions behind him.
ANGLE
A SECOND CONNECTION is standing by the car. Beside him,
on the ground, is a crate covered by a canvas tarp.
BILLY and THE CONNECTION.
BILLY
Bring over here.
CONNECTION
Dope first.
BILLY
No.
CONNECTION
Look man, we're cuttin' you a
ridiculous deal as it is.
BILLY
during the following, looks over at the canvas covered
crate. From underneath the bottom, he sees several worms
crawl out.
CONNECTION (O.C.)
You take advantage of my good nature
and I'm gonna take my toys and go
home.
BILLY and CONNECTION.
BILLY knows he's being stung.
BILLY
We do not do business.
He turns and walks back toward GORDY and the car. In an
moment, there is gunfire at his back. As the TWO
CONNECTIONS empty their clips, BILLY tears ass between
columns of stacked bait. Bullets splinter the wood,
blowing holes wide enough for tangled masses of worms to
squirm out of. BILLY returns some fire but GORDY has no
gun and can't cover him. BILLY reaches the car and dives
through the open window of the wide open door. He uses
the car chassis for protection, but it's too dangerous for
him to lift himself high enough to see where he's
shooting.
BILLY
lays on the ground and sees his attackers from their feet
to the bottoms of their thighs. He opens fire -- knee
capping one, and ripping a hole in the other's ankles.
They both hit the ground. Now BILLY can see their faces
under the car. He smiles and waves. GORDY has started
the engine by now and BILLY hauls himself into the
passenger seat. They take off, leaving the two wounded
CONNECTIONS writhing in the exhaust amongst the swarms of
escaped worms.
INT. APARTMENT
BILLY stands in the middle of the living room talking to
himself in an English accent.
BILLY
It's getting harder and harder to
keep control. The mix-up times are
happening far too frequently. The
undesirable personalities have been
stealing. And today I found this.
He's holding a bail receipt.
BILLY
(Slavic accent)
Someone is doing drugs. No one can
hold a job.
BILLY
(English accent)
It's all slipping away...
INT. APARTMENT
Press in on BILLY'S face -- lost, empty. He closes his
eyes and the screen blacks out. A second later:
BILLY'S POV
separating from kissing FRANCINE. She's sweating. They
have been making love. Blackout.
A SECOND LATER:
In a restaurant, facing people who are eating at other
tables. Blackout.
A SECOND LATER:
BILLY looking in the medicine cabinet mirror in his
bathroom. It's morning and he's going to shave. He opens
the cabinet, reaches for the shaving cream, then stops.
He can't figure out why there's a box of Tampax in there.
Blackout.
A SECOND LATER:
MEN working on a factory assembly line. Blackout.
A SECOND LATER:
Facing a MAN from the assembly line in a bar. He's
laughing at a joke BILLY told saying "You're a funny guy"
-- so his response is directly to camera. Blackout.
A SECOND LATER:
FRANCINE cooking in BILLY'S kitchen. We see her at the
stove from behind. Blackout.
A SECOND LATER:
FRANCINE, holding a new box of tampons and a wastepaper
basket, talking directly to camera.
FRANCINE
(peeved)
Why do you keep throwing out my
tampons? My toothbrush and my
hairspray, too. You know, if you
don't want me to keep stuff here,
just tell me.
A SECOND LATER:
A FOREMAN -- angry, veins bulging in his forehead.
FOREMAN
(to camera)
What do you call this?
He holds up a wrongly put together piece of machinery.
FOREMAN
My six year old could put this
together. Go home, Milligan.
You're fired.
Blackout.
A SECOND LATER:
BILLY'S hands shaking out a Tuinal and a Quaalude from two
separate bottles. He lifts his hands toward the lens.
Blackout.
A SECOND LATER:
Painting on a canvas. Blackout.
A SECOND LATER:
FRANCINE, naked, sitting up in bed. She's upset.
FRANCINE
(to camera)
I don't understand it. You're so
gentle when you make love.
BILLY
sweating, sitting opposite her in bed. The camera
continues pressing in on his face as it did at the start
of this section.
EXT. GAS STATION - NIGHT
It's a roadside stop on the highway -- empty and quiet.
BILLY is outside his car with the ATTENDANT, who's
finishing filling the tank. BILLY pays him and gets back
in the car.
INT. CAR
As BILLY sits. His eyes close a moment. When they re-
open, they are filled with fear and confusion. He sits
immobilized for a long moment, looking around for help.
He moves his hands toward the steering wheel.
TIGHT
on the steering wheel. Two small child's hands reach into
frame and grab it.
INT. CAR
BILLY with his adult hands on the steering wheel. He
looks down.
TIGHT
on the gas pedal as a small child's foot tries vainly to
reach it. He's way too short.
INT. CAR
BILLY, trying not to panic. He rubs his nose with his
sleeve. Finally, he moves over to the passenger seat and
waits for an adult to drive him home.
LATER
Same situation, only now he has to go to the bathroom. He
holds his crotch like a little kid. He gets out of the
car and sees the "MENS" sign. All is quiet as he walks
past three or four parked cars and enters the bathroom.
INT. BATHROOM
It's very dimly lit and BILLY'S eyes need a second to
adjust. The lightbulb's been removed from the overhead
fixture. The stall door is closed. A middle aged MAN in
a sweater and glasses is washing his hands. There are two
urinals, one low for children. That's the one BILLY goes
to. The MAN at the sink looks at BILLY in the mirror.
The stall door opens and a SECOND MAN steps out. He's a
big, working class kind of guy in a porkpie hat and
leather jacket. Instead of leaving, he just stands
against one wall. In a moment, a WOMAN comes out of the
same stall. She's tall and flamboyant. She sashays over
to the urinal beside BILLY and glances over. Now we get
our first real look at her. It's immediately clear that
she is a man in drag. BILLY, more confused than
frightened, looks at the transvestite, who smiles. Now
the other two men go into the toilet stall and close the
door.
TRANSVESTITE
Hey sweetheart, got somethin' there
for me?
The TRANSVESTITE reaches down to touch BILLY'S penis.
ANGLE
BILLY opening his eyes. There's fire in them. BILLY
grabs the TRANSVESTITE by the blouse, lifts him off the
ground and throws him into the side of the toilet stall,
leaving a big dent in the metal. He/she slides down,
quivering, to the floor. The TWO MEN come out of the
stall. One gets away, but one runs smack into BILLY who
punches him hard in the face. His ring cuts open the
MAN'S lip. He turns back to the TRANSVESTITE, who has
gotten up and is shrieking at him, waving a knife.
TRANSVESTITE
You bastard! I'll cut your heart
out, motherfucker!
In a flash, BILLY does a quick flurry of karate hits and
kicks that leave the TRANSVESTITE unconscious under the
sink. BILLY looks over to the SECOND MAN.
BILLY
(Slavic accent)
He will live. I am very careful
about what bones I break.
Suddenly, BILLY blinks hard -- shakes his head -- looks
around, quickly surveying the situation. He picks up the
TRANSVESTITE'S purse up off the floor and empties it --
nothing valuable. He turns back to the SECOND MAN.
SECOND MAN
No... please...
BILLY takes the MAN'S watch off his wrist. The MAN offers
his wallet, which BILLY takes. He now has a New York
accent.
BILLY
The jacket.
He takes it off the BILLY grabs it.
BILLY
Don't breath a word, you hear me?
You hear me?
SECOND MAN
(breathless)
Yes...
BILLY
(holds up wallet)
I know where you live, now.
And BILLY leaves.
INT. BEDROOM - DAY
From the bathroom we hear the shower running while
FRANCINE, sorting dirty laundry on the bed, has found
something that's stopped her dead in her tracks. The MAN
from the gas station's wallet lies in front of her, and in
her hands she holds credit cards with this stranger's
name. She looks over to the dresser. There's the watch.
Over the back of the chair is the leather jacket. On the
desk is a fistful of money. The shower is turned off.
She freezes. She quickly puts the things back in the
wallet and the wallet back in BILLY'S pocket. BILLY
emerges from the bathroom in a towel and kisses her on the
head as he passes.
INT. GRILLI'S TAKEOUT ITALIAN - NIGHT
GRILLI is making BILLY a hero: sausage, provolone, tomato
sauce. He puts it, steaming hot, into a white paper bag.
INT. BILLY'S APARTMENT
BILLY enters, tosses the keys on the table, lays the white
bag on the counter, and goes into the bedroom. He walks
into the closet and bends for his slippers as the door
shuts behind him. He stands up and hits his head on the
shelf. He slumps down, holding his head.
OUTSIDE THE CLOSET
crouched, he kicks open the door. He's changed. He's
like a panther. He grabs a gun from a shoebox and stalks
the apartment. As he enters the kitchen, he senses
movement. There's a strange, white bag on the counter,
and the steam rising makes it crinkle and move. BILLY
quickly aims and fires, bouncing it off the wall. He
ducks behind the counter, then peers over it cautiously.
The gun trained on the bag as it lays on the floor. He
walks around the counter and carefully uses the gun barrel
to open the top of the bag. There he sees what looks like
a bloody mess and jumps back, firing again. Finally he
can see that it's a sandwich. Confused, he picks it up
and puts it back on the counter. He goes back in the
bedroom, puts the gun down and lays on top of the bed. He
closes his eyes.
INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT
BILLY enters, rubbing his stomach. He grabs a plate and a
napkin and goes for the white bag. He sees what a mess it
is. He pulls out the shredded sandwich.
BILLY
What the fuck...?
INT. GRILLI'S
The phone rings and GRILLI picks it up.
GRILLI
Grilli's Heros.
BILLY
(on phone)
What's going on? I bought a
Stromboli hero and when I got it
home it was all mangled.
INT. BILLY'S APARTMENT
BILLY on the phone.
BILLY
It looks like it's been put through
a blender. You son of a bitch, you
just lost yourself a customer.
He hangs up.
INT. GRILLI'S
GRILLI is completely confused. As he hangs up:
GRILLI
Ohio, man. Must be something in the
water...
EXT. ROAD - NIGHT
BILLY'S car zipping down a two lane highway in the rain.
He's swerving.
INT. CAR - NIGHT
BILLY unloads a couple of Black Beauties and washes them
down with a swig of Jack Daniels.
EXT. POND - NIGHT
It's not far from the side of the road. BILLY'S pulled
the car over and sits, barefoot, in the swampy grass,
looking out at the water. A stray dog comes out of the
shadows. He's big, part Shepard, but seems friendly
enough.
BILLY
(New York accent)
Hey, Boy. What are you doin' here
all alone? C'mere.
But the dog hangs back -- his eyes flashing in the light
that's reflected off the water. Somehow he knows not to
come closer. Somehow he knows everything.
BILLY
What are you lookin' at me like that
for? What's wrong? Come here.
The dog recedes back into the darkness.
BILLY
Crazy mutt...
Then, in a moment, a car speeds past. There's a dull thud
as it goes. BILLY hears a whimpering noise and gets up.
He's blind drunk as he wanders toward the crying. There,
near the highway, lies the wounded dog. It's bleeding
like crazy, obviously a hit and run victim. BILLY kneels
down and scoops it up.
INT. HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM - NIGHT
BILLY bursts in, holding the wounded animal. He's in a
frenzy, flagging down any NURSE or DOCTOR in sight.
BILLY
(New York accent)
Help me. He's been hit by a car. I
found him by the side of the road...
NURSE
Sir, you can't bring him in here --
this is a medical hospital. We'll
call the veterinary hospital.
BILLY
He's not gonna make it to a vet.
NURSE
(going for a phone)
We'll send him in an ambulance.
There's nothing we can do.
BILLY
(chasing her)
What the fuck is wrong with you?
He's a living creature!
NURSE
(to another)
Call security.
BILLY
Fuck security.
A DOCTOR comes over.
DOCTOR
O.K., why don't you just settle
down. You've had a lot to drink.
BILLY ignores him and heads down the corridor.
BILLY
Somebody help me! Anybody!
SECURITY GUARDS head off after him, grabbing him by the
arms, trying to wrestle the dog away.
INT. BILLY'S BEDROOM - MORNING
He's asleep in bed, covers pulled up to his chin. He
looks like he had a bad night. His eyes pry open, one at
a time. It only takes a moment for him to realize
something is wrong. He looks down to the foot of the bed.
ANGLE
as BILLY slowly pulls the covers up, revealing his bare
feet. They're caked in mud and wet grass. The covers
keep pulling. His ankles are also filthy -- and something
more: there's a trickle of dried blood. He keeps pulling.
It's some grotesque true life parody of the horse's head
in "The Godfather." BILLY is completely covered in blood.
And he hasn't got any idea why. He's fully dressed.
INT. BATHROOM
BILLY is in a panic. His shirt is off and he's trying to
wash out the blood in the sink. He scrubs it first with
soap, then Comet and a brush. Suddenly, FRANCINE is at
the bathroom door, loaded down with groceries. She stares
in horror at what's going on.
BILLY
Go away!
He kicks the door shut in her face.
OUTSIDE THE BATHROOM DOOR
FRANCINE
Billy, what have you done?! There's
blood everywhere -- my God, Billy!
The door flies open. There's BILLY -- crazed.
BILLY
Get the hell out of here and don't
say a word to anybody.
He goes back to scrubbing.
FRANCINE
(near hysteria)
What's happening to you? I wake up
scared every day. Billy, I don't
know if you're gonna be sweet or act
crazy or sit and stare at the
wall -- and I don't know if it's my
fault or what I did wrong. Tell
me -- I can fix it. Please...
She stumbles to the closet, and pulls out the shoebox
while he comes into the bedroom and puts the wet shirt
over a chair to dry. She emerges with the .38 in hand.
FRANCINE
I know you have guns, Billy. You
don't have to hide them. I want to
know where you've been getting all
this money from? New watches, new
clothes -- you haven't held a job
steady in six months! Billy...
Billy...
She turns him around to face her. His eyes are rolled up
under his lids -- his lips going frantically. He's
oblivious to her as she pulls back in fear.
INT. SPOT
It's empty. Around the edges, ARTHUR, RAGEN, TOMMY,
ALLEN, PHIL and KEVIN are in a frenzied argument. In the
distance, we hear FRANCINE continuing to speak to BILLY,
trying to snap him back.
ARTHUR
It's time to break this off once and
for all.
ALLEN
No.
TOMMY
Where did all the blood come from?
RAGEN
(to Arthur)
You were supposed to dominate spot.
Is your fault.
ARTHUR
I'm trying -- I can't keep control.
The others steal time and I can't
stop them.
PHIL
So what? Would ya listen to him?
He thinks he shits crumpets.
KEVIN
(to Arthur)
If we all listened to you we'd be
sitting with our thumbs up our
asses.
ARTHUR
There must be some code, some kind
of order.
RAGEN
I agree.
ARTHUR
We must re-group. And the first
step is to eliminate her.
ALLEN
You can't. I won't let you.
ARTHUR
You've nothing to say about it.
ADALANA comes forward. She's nineteen, with long, stringy
black hair. Her eyes drift with nystagmus. She has a
pathetic kind of gravity that shuts the others up.
ADALANA
It's not fair. You can't shut out
the only love we have. No one else
touches us. Feelings matter more
than staying in control. They
matter more than anything.
PHIL
Shut up.
ADALANA
Without love we'll die.
Behind her, we can see TOMMY has gotten into the SPOT and
picked up the gun, which he now holds to his head and
cocks. The others don't notice.
INT. BEDROOM
As FRANCINE watches in fear. BILLY holds the cocked .38
to his head.
FRANCINE
Billy... Billy, come on...
He twirls it on his finger and puts the barrel in his
mouth.
FRANCINE
Billy... you're scaring me...
In one swift move, he aims and shoots out a lamp,
darkening the room to an eerie glow. FRANCINE screams as
the bullet leaves a hole in the wall.
INT. SPOT
As the others argue. RAGEN grabs the gun from TOMMY and
takes the spot.
RAGEN
You know rules! Only I touch guns!
INT. BEDROOM
BILLY angrily slaps the gun down on the desk. He turns
and paces as he rants:
BILLY
(Slavic accent)
Things have gone too far. I take
control from now on.
(English accent)
No, that's not the solution...
FRANCINE takes this opportunity to grab the .38 and run
out of the apartment. BILLY realizes and chases after
her.
INT. STAIRWAY
FRANCINE a flight ahead of BILLY, running for her life.
EXT. STREET
FRANCINE gets in her car and is frantically hitting all
the buttons to lock the four doors as BILLY reaches her.
He looks inhuman -- a maniac. He's carrying a screwdriver
and banging on the driver's side window with it, chipping
the glass. She turns the key and starts to pull away from
the curb, but BILLY jumps on the hood and starts
frantically puncturing the windshield with the
screwdriver. Shards of glass fly into the car, whizzing
past her face, cutting her forehead and cheek.
BILLY
(Slavic accent)
Give me the gun! Give me the gun!
Terrified, she stops the car, opens the window just wide
enough to fit the gun through. He grabs it and she
immediately rolls the window back up. He jumps off the
hood and stalks his way back inside as FRANCINE burst into
tears.
INT. AIRPLANE IN FLIGHT
A MIDDLE AGED WOMAN talks to BILLY, who sits next to her.
WOMAN
Fifty four years old, my first time
on a plane... can you believe it?
My daughter finally got me a ticket.
She says let me do something for
you. I said if you really wanna do
something for me, stop seeing that
musician who gave your dog angina.
The truth. He played that damn
guitar so loud, he killed the dog.
If I gave you her number, would you
call her? I'm gonna write it down.
(and she does)
Is this you first time going to
England?
BILLY
(English accent)
Madam, it's my home.
EXT. OUTSIDE THE GATES OF BUCKINGHAM PALACE
ARTHUR is in his glory. BILLY wears a suit and bowler
hat, and carries an umbrella.
IN FRONT OF BIG BEN
BILLY checks his vest pocket watch against the huge clock.
BILLY
crossing Abbey Road. He takes his shoes off first,
reproducing the album cover.
BILLY
coming out of a fish & chips shop -- happily munching
away. He passes a BUSINESSMAN in a suit. Next to him,
it's painfully clear how removed from reality ARTHUR'S
cliched vision of a proper Englishman is.
BILLY
(greets him)
Cheerio, wot.
The BUSINESSMAN gives an odd look to this antiquated
stranger as he passes.
INT. PUB - NIGHT
It's noisy and crowded. BILLY has a cream tea and is
sitting at a table, expounding to the several uninterested
people crammed onto his banquette.
BILLY
(as Arthur)
The decline of the empire can be
directly linked to disastrous labor
policies since the war. Misguided
attempts to withdraw from
colonization in Africa left a void
not only economically, but in the
national psyche. We must bring the
conservatives back to power
immediately.
The only person even looking at him is a PUNK with
"EXPLOITED" tattooed across his forehead and spiked, black
hair. BILLY looks down his nose at him.
BILLY
I've obviously returned just in
time.
EXT. WESTMINSTER BRIDGE - NIGHT
BILLY, alone in the lamplight, crossing the Thames with
the city lit up behind him. He is reciting Wordsworth's
poem as he goes.
BILLY
Earth has not anything to show more fair
Dull would he be of soul who could pass by
A sight so touching in its majesty
The city now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning...
It's the middle of the night.
BILLY
Well...
He stops and takes his return airplane ticket from his
pocket, looks at it a moment, then tears it into a dozen
pieces. He lets them scatter over the water like
confetti.
INT. BEDROOM - MORNING
BILLY wakes up wearing pajamas in a Hampstead bed and
breakfast. He doesn't know where he is. The bed is
strange. The room is strange. Panicked, he goes to the
window and looks out: double decker buses, big black
taxicabs, all driving on the wrong side of the street. He
turns back to the room, sweating now. He sees a suitcase
and lurches for it. He pulls out unfamiliar clothes,
toiletries. He finds his wallet. It's filled with
strange, colored money. Then he sees a passport he
doesn't remember obtaining. The picture has him in a suit
and a bowler. He notices a United Airlines ticket
envelope on the night table and opens it. It's empty.
He's verging on hysteria now as he runs out into the
hallway and down a narrow flight of stairs, where he
passes the PROPRIETOR.
PROPRIETOR
Bit of breakfast, then, gov'ner?
It's included...
But BILLY just tears past him, out the front door and into
the street. He paces the sidewalk, terrified and angry at
the same time, ranting to no one.
BILLY
What's going on? What the hell am I
doing here? What's wrong with me?
He falls down to his knees, tears streaming down now, and
beats his fists into the curb.
BILLY
What's wrong with me? I want to
die... please, God, let me die...
INT. GOVERNMENTAL OFFICE - ENGLAND
A UNIFORMED IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL is stamping BILLY'S
certificate of deportation. As a conversation goes on
around him, BILLY zones out -- lost in thought.
FIRST OFFICIAL
No passport, no money, no ticket
home...
SECOND OFFICIAL
That's not clever, is it?
FIRST OFFICIAL
Bloody Americans -- think they own
the world.
PRESS IN ON BILLY
We hear a FEMALE VOICE inside his head. It's insinuating,
manipulative.
APRIL (V.O.)
It's all your fault. Everything.
Our whole life is ruined and it's
all because of him. He has to pay
for what he's done to us. He has to
die. There are ways. Things we can
do to him...
INT. CORN CRIB
The one at the farm. CHALMER is tied, shirtless, to a
chair. A lit blowtorch enter frame and comes straight at
him. CHALMER screams.
ANGLE
APRIL nineteen, long hair, big, crazy eyes. She has the
blowtorch.
INT. PLANE
BILLY heading home from England. A UNIFORMED OFFICER sits
beside him, but he's staring off.
APRIL (V.O.)
We could burn his body -- bit by
bit -- so he'd never be able to hurt
anyone again. The heat would
cauterize his wounds as we went, so
there would be no blood.
INT. CORN CRIB
APRIL is force feeding CHALMER pills.
APRIL (V.O.)
We'd keep him awake with
amphetamines, so that he'd suffer
here on Earth -- before he went to
hell.
INT. AIRPLANE
BILLY is so intense by now, that the UNIFORMED OFFICER is
looking at him funny.
INT. SPOT
From the near darkness, APRIL whispers into RAGEN'S ear --
like the snake convincing Eve to bite the apple.
APRIL
Don't forget what he did to the
children. To Christene... He has to
be stopped. He has to die.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
BILLY has a telescope, which he's taking apart. He pulls
two hairs from his head and carefully wets them to the
inside of the eyepiece, which he's removed from the
telescope. He looks through it -- then glues the cross
hairs in place. He swigs from a bottle of Stoli.
INT. CHALMER MILLIGAN'S HOUSE
CHALMER MILLIGAN is getting ready for work: putting a
large key ring on his belt, etc. Of course, he's thirteen
years older then we've last seen him. He walks into the
front hall, but, as he passes the mirror, a light flashes
in the reflection, it blinds him for a split second. He
doesn't think much about it and goes for the hall closet
door.
EXT. HOUSE
The flash of light. It comes from the sun hitting the
homemade telescopic sight that BILLY has mounted onto a
carbine. He's hiding behind a tree across the road, with
the weapon aimed straight for CHALMER'S front door.
INT. HOUSE
CHALMER puts on his jacket, then his hat.
EXT. HOUSE
BILLY watching and waiting.
INT. HOUSE
CHALMER, ready to go, reaches for the doorknob.
EXT. HOUSE - BILLY'S POV
The doorknob turns.
BILLY
starts to pull the trigger.
THE DOORKNOB
stops turning.
INT. HOUSE
CHALMER, his hand still on the doorknob, realizes he's
forgotten something. He leaves the frame.
EXT. HOUSE
BILLY suspended, waiting. A car passes from out of
nowhere. The DRIVER looks over in BILLY'S direction.
BILLY ducks behind a tree before he's seen. His eyes half
close. His lips move.
INT. SPOT
RAGEN in the light, holding the carbine. ARTHUR emerges
from the darkness.
ARTHUR
What are you doing?
INT. HOUSE
CHALMER, in his bedroom, retrieves his wallet from a
dresser and leaves the room.
INT. SPOT
RAGEN aiming the rifle once more, while ARTHUR pleads with
him.
ARTHUR
You can't kill him. They'll send us
to jail -- including the children.
How do you expect them to survive in
prison?
RAGEN
I will protect them. He must be
stopped so he can never hurt
children again.
EXT. HOUSE
BILLY, carbine poised, still lost inside himself and
muttering.
INT. HOUSE
CHALMER re-entering the front hall.
INT. SPOT
ARTHUR
Killing is wrong. We only protect
ourselves if we are threatened.
APRIL emerges.
APRIL
What about what he did to us? We'll
never be able to get on with our
lives as long as we know he's
somewhere out there. We'll never
feel safe.
EXT. HOUSE
The doorknob is turning once again.
BILLY
aiming -- the scope pressed so tight against him, it
makes a deep, red imprint.
ARTHUR (V.O.)
Ragen...
INT. SPOT
ARTHUR has brought out CHRISTENE.
CHRISTENE
Please don't hurt him.
RAGEN looks over.
EXT. HOUSE
BILLY, sweating, his eye a couple of inched from the
eyepiece now.
FLASHBACK - VERY FAST
BILLY, age eight, tied to a door that's been taken off its
hinges and laid across two saw horses. CHALMER'S standing
over him with a knife and a cat. He lifts them out of
frame above BILLY'S naked chest. BILLY begins vomiting,
but because of his supine position, he chokes.
EXT. HOUSE
BILLY still sweating.
THE DOOR OPENS
The angle is such that we can't see CHALMER yet.
Suddenly, he emerges.
TIGHT ON BILLY
the trigger is slick with sweat.
FLASHBACK - VERY FAST
The Farm. From behind, we see CHALMER is taking a leak.
Once he walks away, we see that he's actually been
urinating into the pipe that sticks up from the ground.
THE PRESENT - CHALMER
shutting and locking the door behind him.
INT. SPOT
CHRISTENE has come right up to RAGEN. She's crying.
CHRISTENE
Ragen, I'm scared. I don't want
anymore nightmares.
ARTHUR
If we kill him, then they were all
right. We're crazy. And we will
never get better.
RAGEN looks at CHRISTENE.
CHRISTENE
(through tears)
Please...
He looks at APRIL -- a woman possessed with hatred.
EXT. HOUSE
CHALMER turns back from locking the door and comes down
the walk.
CHALMER
in BILLY'S crosshairs.
BILLY
Rifle poised.
CHALMER
suddenly looks up and straight at the lens.
BILLY'S FINGER
squeezes the trigger.
A SHOT RINGS OUT.
CHALMER
still alive, looks over.
LEAVES
scatter from the treetop.
BILLY
leaning against the far side if the tree -- the
carbine pointing straight up -- as leaves fall around him.
He is hyper-ventilating.
CHALMER
takes off in his car -- driving right past BILLY,
but never seeing him.
THE SPOT
CHRISTENE hugging RAGEN as ARTHUR looks on and APRIL
slinks back into darkness.
THE PAINTING
of DANNY with CHALMER looming over him.
BILLY - IN HIS APARTMENT
obliterates CHALMER with his hands, as we had seen
earlier, and starts to re-do the background in dark blue.
This is the first time since the rapes that we've seen him
wearing a full moustache.
BILLY
at his mailbox. The blue paint still on his fingers.
BILLY'S MAILBOX
as he pulls out an envelope. Inside is an eviction notice
for non-payment of rent. He crumples it angrily.
BILLY
(Slavic accent)
The money is gone. The bills have
not been paid.
INT. SPOT
RAGEN rants.
RAGEN
The trip to London leaves us broke.
Now we are evicted. Something must
be done.
PHIL and KEVIN approaches him.
PHIL
We can't hold a job. We can't count
on Billy to do anything. We're
starving. There's only one way for
us to make any money.
KEVIN holds out a pistol to RAGEN.
KEVIN
You don't have to hurt anyone --
just force some guy to cash a check.
In the shadows, CHRISTENE is standing, holding her rag
doll. Her big blue eyes starting to dim.
CHRISTENE
I'm hungry.
RAGEN looks at her, his heart full. He picks her up and
cradles her in his arms. This is the inspiration for the
painting of them we saw earlier.
INT. APARTMENT
BILLY, standing there, cradling thin air, gently rocking
back and forth. His gun is in the waistband of his pants.
EXT. ROAD
BILLY is jogging, wearing the same outfit he had on during
the rapes.
EXT. PARKING LOT
The same lot on the Ohio State campus where we saw BILLY
abduct the women. BILLY swigs from a bottle of vodka.
He's wearing dark brown tinted sunglasses.
INTERCUT
between BILLY and various students, teachers, etc., both
male and female. He has no plan. He's just looking for
someone to rob. He sees a young woman park a gold Toyota.
She gets out of the car -- it is DONNA WEST. BILLY turns
away to look elsewhere.
BILLY
(Ragen's accent)
I do not rob womans.
A beat. Behind his glasses, BILLY "blinks."
WE PRESS IN ON HIM
as he suddenly turns back toward DONNA WEST.
INT. SPOT
In the semi-darkness, RAGEN is passed out, cradling his
empty bottle of vodka.
WE PAN OVER
so that we're staring straight into the spotlight. It
blinds us. A hand raises the gun into frame.
EXT. PARKING LOT
DONNA WEST is leaning in through the passenger seat
window, when the gun enters frame and presses against her
arm.
WE PULL UP
to reveal not BILLY, but ADALANA holding it.
ADALANA
Would you please get in the car?
Terrified, DONNA gets in the car. ADALANA walks around to
the driver's side and gets in.
INT. CAR
Instead of ADALANA sitting down behind the wheel, KEVIN
does. He cuffs DONNA to the door and pulls her car keys
from her bag.
EXT. CAR
As it pulls away from the curb.
INT. SPOT
ADALANA is upset and confused in the dark periphery of the
spot. In the actual light sits KEVIN at the wheel of the
car.
DONNA (O.C.)
Where are we going?
ADALANA clenches her eyes shut.
INT. CAR
ANGLE
on DONNA WEST.
DONNA
I know this is gonna sound
ridiculous, but I have an optometry
test today.
ANGLE
as ADALANA is suddenly sitting there. She looks at DONNA.
ADALANA
You can study for it if you want.
This won't take long. Go on.
INT. SPOT
ALLEN, visible in the dark, obviously upset, cigarette in
hand.
ALLEN
What's going on? Does Arthur know
about this?
INT. CAR
DONNA picks up a text book with her trembling free hand
and feigns studying. ADALANA behind the wheel.
EXT. ROAD
As the car drives through a deserted stretch of
countryside.
INT. CAR
DONNA is "studying", stealing glances at her abductor.
Suddenly:
ANGLE
KEVIN grabs her bag and pulls out her address book. As he
rips out pages:
KEVIN
I'm taking these addresses and phone
numbers. If you say anything to the
police, I'll send someone from my
brotherhood after you.
EXT. COLUMBUS STREET
BILLY "comes to" as RAGEN but we see BILLY'S body. He's
still dressed the same way. He is confused, as usual,
standing in front of a grocery store.
INT. GROCERY STORE - DAY
BILLY, still dressed the same way, is paying for a large
bag of groceries with a thick wad of bills. Behind him,
TWO WOMEN talk.
FIRST WOMAN
Kidnapped her right out of the
parking lot.
SECOND WOMAN
My God. Black fella or white?
FIRST WOMAN
Black, I think.
CASHIER
My daughter goes to that school.
BILLY
(Ragen's accent)
Thank you.
BILLY leaves, oblivious.
INT. BILLY'S KITCHEN
He still has his moustache as he loads the refrigerator
full of groceries and shuts the door, then leaves frame.
A beat. He returns and opens the refrigerator. It's
empty. He grabs his wallet -- it's empty. He touches his
face -- he is completely clean shaven.
INT. SPOT
ALLEN arguing with PHIL and KEVIN. In the B.G., ADALANA
controls the spot -- sitting behind the wheel of a
different car.
PHIL
Shut up, faggot.
KEVIN
Yeah. Go paint a picture.
ALLEN
This is a bad mix-up time. Arthur
should be controlling the spot. Or
Ragen if you're going to rob
somebody. Where is Ragen?
INT. SPOT
ADALANA behind the wheel. PHILIP watching.
INT. CAR
BILLY is driving through the woods. Handcuffed to the
passenger door is CARRIE DRYER. BILLY is muttering to
himself, wearing sunglasses.
EXT. CAR
As it bumps over train tracks.
INT. CAR
The jostling has made PHILIP appear in the car. He turns
on CARRIE.
PHIL
Take off your pants.
CARRIE
What?
PHIL
Take your fucking pants off!
She does the best she can with one hand.
PHIL
You won't run away without any pants
on.
INT. SPOT
ADALANA pleading with PHILIP from outside the spotlight.
ADALANA
Don't hurt her.
KEVIN
(comes up behind her)
Shut up.
ADALANA
I have to hold the spot. Please.
KEVIN
Fuck you.
ADALANA clenches her eyes shut.
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 hear "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. SPOT
PHIL and KEVIN looking at ADALANA, who is lit by the
spotlight.
PHIL
That fucking bitch.
INT. BILLY'S BEDROOM
Reality. A jarring switch. BILLY is in a frenzy. He's
ripping his wallet to shreds -- it's empty again. He
throws it across the room, breaking a vase. Then he sees
the cellophane bag full of pills and grabs it.
BILLY
(Slavic accent)
Dammit! Someone is spending all
money on drugs! Arthur!
INT. SPOT
RAGEN, alone, ranting.
RAGEN
Arthur!
INT. BATHROOM
As BILLY empties the pills into the toilet and flushes.
He looks up into the mirror -- and sees RAGEN'S
reflection.
EXT. WOODS
POLLY NEWTON and BILLY are sitting on the ground. He's
wearing his sunglasses. She's naked from the waist down.
He has a pencil and paper in his hand and is reading to
her.
BILLY
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all
And sweetest in the gale is heard
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm
I've heard it in the chilliest land
And on the strangest sea
Yet never in extremity
It asked a crumb of me
I can't let you have it. The police
could trace my handwriting.
He crumples it up and stuffs the pieces in his pocket.
ANGLE
POLLY is lying on her back -- cold and frightened. As she
speaks, ADALANA enters frame and lies next to her.
ADALANA
Do you know what it's like to be
lonely? Not to be held by anyone?
Not to know the meaning of love?
She takes off her sunglasses. Her eyes drift to the side
and dart back to center. She rolls on top of POLLY and
kisses her.
INT. SPOT - QUICK, SILENT CUTS
RAGEN passed out.
ANGLE
ARTHUR, also asleep.
ANGLE
CHRISTENE, sleeping, sucking her thumb.
EXT. WOODS
ADALANA on top of CARRIE DRYER.
INT. SPOT
ALLEN watching, crying.
ANGLE
PHILIP and KEVIN watching, annoyed.
EXT. WOODS
ADALANA on top of DONNA WEST.
INT. SPOT
ADALANA in the light -- just her face. Tears roll down
her cheeks.
ADALANA
I'm sorry we had to meet under these
circumstances. I really love you.
She puts on her sunglasses.
WE PAN SLOWLY AROUND
into the shadows, until we finally come to BILLY -- lying
on a bed of darkness -- fast asleep -- as he has been the
past seven years.
INT. SPOT
PHILIP and KEVIN.
PHIL
Alright, that's enough. Let's get
the check cashed.
INT. CAR
POLLY in the passenger seat as they drive -- but suddenly,
TOMMY finds himself behind the wheel. He looks over --
total confusion.
TOMMY
What the fuck?
INT. WENDY'S
TOMMY and POLLY having burgers and shakes. She's
completely freaked out. He assumes he's on a date.
TOMMY
So, I apologize for forgettin' your
name -- I haven't been out on a date
in a while... you have enough food?
You want somethin' else?
TOMMY "blinks."
ANGLE
Now PHILIP is there. He looks around -- annoyed at where
they are.
PHIL
(getting up, grabbing
her hand)
Come on.
INT. CAR
PHILIP and POLLY leaving the drive-thru window at the bank
with a fresh wad of cash.
INT. BILLY'S APARTMENT
DANNY, age eight, is building with a set of Leggos. He's
very determined -- as focused and concentrated as BILLY is
while painting. The doorbell rings. He answers it. The
COP is there, dressed in a Domino's Pizza uniform, holding
a pizza.
YOUNG OFFICER
You Billy Milligan?
DANNY
Who?
INT. LIVING ROOM
As instant replay of the earlier scene: COPS swarming the
place -- the YOUNG OFFICER using DANNY for a shield. ONE
COP steps on DANNY'S Leggo fort -- crushing it.
YOUNG OFFICER
Where are they?
DANNY
Who? There's no one here.
INT. CELL
CHRISTENE sits in the middle of the floor drawing a
picture. TWO GUARDS are there.
SECOND GUARD
They sent you down some Kool-Aid.
You want it?
CHRISTENE looks up.
SECOND GUARD
Is that a no?
CHRISTENE gets up, reaches for the cup, the GUARD grabs
her wrist.
SECOND GUARD
Hey, you think we oughta tattoo this
Jew Boy?
FIRST GUARD
Yeah. Put some numbers right there.
CHRISTENE pulls her arm free as the GUARDS laugh.
SECOND GUARD
Here ya go, Rembrandt.
He throws the drink -- ruining the picture.
ANGLE
as RAGEN rises into the frame -- fire in his eyes. He
walks over to the toilet bowl, squats and grabs hold of
it.
THE BARS
as the toilet crashes against them, exploding to
smithereens. The shards cut the GUARD'S faces to ribbons.
SIX GUARDS
beating RAGEN and putting him into a straitjacket.
INT. ISOLATION CELL
TOMMY in a straitjacket. He pops his shoulder out of its
socket, dislocating it, and slips free.
INT. ISOLATION CELL - LATER
CHRISTENE, asleep using the straitjacket for a pillow and
sucking her thumb, as we hear the approaching guard:
GUARD (O.C.)
O.K. rapist, chow time. We all
took turns spitting on your food
before I brought it down, but you
can ignore that, can't ya? just
pretend it's soup...
Light spills in from the corridor.
GUARD
Jesus H. Christ...
INT. SPOT
SHAWN sits in the near dark, making a heart inscribed
"Happy Valentine's Day."
PULL BACK
to reveal RAGEN and ARTHUR talking nearby.
RAGEN
February 14th. Is twenty first
birthday. I think it is time to
wake him.
ARTHUR
Absolutely not. He can't handle it.
RAGEN
In jail I control spot. Is time.
INT. CELL
BILLY is there now. We haven't seen him for a long time.
He is confused and disoriented.
INT. SPOT
As RAGEN, ARTHUR, TOMMY and ALLEN watch BILLY, who is in
the light.
BILLY
I thought I was dead. I though...
FLASHBACK
BILLY heading for the edge of Lancaster High School roof
at fourteen.
SAME THING FROM BILLY'S POV
The ground looks very far away.
INT. CELL
BILLY looks at his body. It can't be his. He sees the
bars. The cot. He starts breathing faster. He sees a
shiny piece of steel bolted into one wall, which serves as
a mirror. His knees are weak as he gets up and walks
towards it.
INT. MIRROR
He gets near enough to look at his reflection. Almost
immediately, he is reduced to utter panic.
Everything goes crazy. QUICK CUTS. No reality.
BILLY'S HAND
as it springs to his mouth to stifle a scream -- but the
hand is an adult's not the teenager's that he expects.
TIGHT
on ALLEN'S FACE against blackness.
TIGHT
on TOMMY'S FACE against blackness.
BILLY
looking in the mirror, touching his stubble. His thinning
hair. He cries out.
ANGLE
on the cell. BILLY is talking in ARTHUR'S English accent.
BILLY
My God -- sweet Jesus Christ.
FAST CUT
BILLY, in the cell, whirls around and hits the sinks with
his clenched fist. It shatters into a million pieces.
Water sprays everywhere. His hand is a bloody stump.
INT. SPOT
RAGEN, in the light, sweating buckets. His clenched fist
drips red.
BILLY
in the cell.
BILLY
(an anguished cry)
What's happening?!!
INT. SPOT
CHRISTENE in the spotlight, happily holding her hand in
the torrent of water -- splashing and playing.
INT. CELL
BILLY has his hand in the middle of the spray, as
CHRISTENE did.
INT. CELL - QUICK CUT
BILLY grabbing one of the porcelain shards from the floor.
BILLY'S WRIST
as he slashes it lengthwise.
TIGHT
on ARTHUR'S FACE against blackness.
TIGHT
on ADALANA'S FACE against blackness.
INT. CELL
As BILLY passes out, landing on top of his arm. He's in a
pool of blood and foam and porcelain.
TIGHT
on CHRISTENE'S FACE against blackness. She loses
consciousness.
ALLEN
against blackness. Confused, he loses consciousness as
well.
INT. SPOT
It's empty. Bright light illuminating nothing.
THE SCREEN SUDDENLY BLACKS OUT
DANNY
Everything is white and silent -- it's jarring after the
tumultuousness of the last section. He's in a hospital
bed, completely confused.
ANGLE
GARY and JUDY are there with him.
GARY
How ya feeling, Billy? You were out
for quite some time.
INT. EXAMINING ROOM - DAY
Eight year old DANNY is having an EEG performed. The
TECHNICIAN is confused by the printout.
INT. EXAMINING ROOM - DAY
The TECHNICIAN and DOCTOR are there now, looking at a
normal printout.
DOCTOR
See? Completely normal. Those
electrodes are for shit.
TECHNICIAN
But I didn't change the electrodes.
I had to order it.
WE PAN AROUND
to see that ARTHUR is now hooked up to the EEG.
INT. ROOM - DAY
Harding Hospital, as DR. HARDING watches through the
peephole. APRIL sits on the floor, drawing a tombstone
that reads DO NOT R.I.P.
TIGHT ON JUDGE
JUDGE
Lacking any evidence to the
contrary, this court has no
alternative than to find the
defendant not guilty by reason of
insanity.
He raps his gravel three times.
EXT. ATHENS MENTAL HEALTH CENTER - DAY
Establishing shot.
EXT. GARDEN - DAY
It's on the grounds at Athens. Several months have
passed. BILLY sits alone in the grass. We are some
distance away. He has a half finished canvas and a
paintbrush that hangs limply in his right hand.
ANGLE
closer as ROSALIE DRAKE, a nurse, approaches and sits next
to him.
ROSALIE
You're awfully quiet today, Allen.
I almost thought it was Danny
sitting out here, till I saw the
brush in your right hand. Allen?
BILLY turns his head toward ROSALIE. Her eyes well up.
ROSALIE
Oh my God.
BILLY
I'm Billy.
INT. DR. CAUL'S OFFICE
DR. CAUL is there, alone, with BILLY. BILLY seems stable,
self-possessed.
CAUL
Good afternoon, Billy. How are you
feeling today?
BILLY
Fine, thanks, Dr. Caul. How are
you?
CAUL
I'm just fine. Now, you've been
responding so well to the Amitol,
that I've talked with Arthur and
Ragen and the others, and we all
feel that you're ready for this.
BILLY
Yes.
CAUL
Alright then.
ANGLE
to reveal a VCR and monitor. DR. CAUL presses play and
we:
INTERCUT
between BILLY'S reaction and the screen. His emotions run
the gamut as he watches.
THE MONITOR
BILLY sitting in the very same room with DR. CAUL. They
wear the same outfits. BILLY'S knees are jiggling.
INT. OFFICE
BILLY notices his own knees are jiggling and stops them.
THE MONITOR
BILLY, eyes half closed, lips moving silently. And
suddenly, he's back, with all the facial and physical
characteristics we've come to recognize as RAGEN.
BILLY
You have made quite a few enemies,
Dr. Caul. I'm not one of your
enemies, at the moment. It is
Arthur.
DR. CAUL
Why?
BILLY
The things that Arthur was keeping
secret was exposed, the other day.
There was penetration by the
undesirables.
DR. CAUL
Explain the undesirables. We need
to understand that.
BILLY
The undesirables are people who was
silenced by Arthur because their
functions were no longer necessary --
um -- for a multitude of reasons
they were silenced.
DR. CAUL
Then why are they still around?
BILLY
What do you want us to do? Murder
them?
As he continues, we PRESS IN on BILLY, watching himself --
face to face with this locked door thrown open for the
first time.
THE MONITOR - TIME CUT - INTERCUT WITH BILLY WATCHING
Now it's the TOMMY personality.
BILLY
It gets frustratin' 'cause people
keep callin' ya Billy and you don't
pay attention and then, finally,
you're like: oh yeah, I'm Billy.
But I'm not Billy. I'm Tommy.
THE MONITOR - TIME CUT - INTERCUT WITH BILLY WATCHING
It's now the ARTHUR personality.
DR. CAUL (O.C.)
(on tape)
How did you learn Arabic? How did
Ragen learn Serbo-Croation? Or
Tommy electronics and escape
artistry...?
BILLY
(English accent)
Different ways. Books. The
library. By doing. Everyone has a
special job, special abilities --
and it is each person's
responsibility to develop them.
THE MONITOR - TIME CUT - INTERCUT WITH BILLY WATCHING
ALLEN smoking.
DR. CAUL (O.C.)
(in room)
That's Allen. He's the only one who
smokes. He's also the only one
who's right handed. At the time of
the trial, we thought there were
only ten of you, because Arthur had
already banished the undesirables by
that point.
BILLY
Yeah. Philip, Kevin, April,
Adalana -- he kicked a whole bunch
out when everything happened.
DR. CAUL
So then, how many of you are there
all together?
BILLY
Twenty three.
DR. CAUL
Twenty three. Plus Billy?
BILLY
Plus Billy.
THE MONITOR - TIME CUT - INTERCUT WITH BILLY WATCHING
DR. CAUL (O.C.)
(on tape)
What about Adalana? She's a female.
BILLY
(as Arthur)
You must understand that Billy
associates any type of male
sexuality with abuse and torture.
Just as Tommy can get out of ropes
and Ragen can protect himself
physically. Adalana was created to
make and seek love.
INT. THE ROOM
BILLY watching the monitor -- tears form.
THE MONITOR
It's the ADALANA personality -- meek, teary, nystagmatic.
TV ANCHORWOMAN
on the 6:00 news.
ANCHORWOMAN
In the ten months he's been at the
Athens Mental Health Center, campus
rapist Billy Milligan has been
described by doctors as a model
patient who has made enormous
progress and even started the
Foundation Against Child Abuse with
money earned from the sale of his
paintings. But there is a new
controversy swirling around him
today.
EXT. STEPS OF FRANKLIN COUNTY COURTHOUSE - DAY
It's a mob scene -- hordes of protesters, mostly women,
are screaming and chanting anti-rape slogans. A SPEAKER
quiets them. A LEGEND identifies the speaker as State
Representative Dick Molinaro.
MOLINARO
It has come to our attention that
Billy Milligan's doctors have been
letting him take unsupervised trips
from the hospital into town as part
of his therapy. This is completely
unacceptable! I have today called
Judge Kinworthy to sign a court
order sending Milligan away to the
maximum security facility at Lima,
where he'll never again be allowed
to roam freely in the community!
INT. GARY SCHWEICKART'S KITCHEN
He is watching the news while eating dinner with his
family. This has taken him completely by surprise.
GARY
What?!
INT. DR. CAUL'S OFFICE - DAY
DR. CAUL and GARY.
GARY
Is it true? Have you been letting
him out of the hospital?
DR. CAUL
Yes.
GARY
Alone?
DR. CAUL
He has a treatable illness, Mr.
Schweickart. And ultimately, the
point of any treatment is to make
the patient well enough to be
discharged.
GARY
But is he ready?
DR. CAUL
Yes. He's met all of his
personalities and is finally
becoming one Billy. He's no longer
a danger to himself or anybody else.
And you can take that to the bank.
GARY
Where is he now?
DR. CAUL
Upstairs. But it's crucial he not
be sent to Lima. It's a snake pit.
He'll revert completely. All the
work we've done here will be lost.
GARY
It's an election year. This
Molinaro guy has 'em all whipped up
into a frenzy. The National
Organization of Women, the National
Lesbian Coalition...
DR. CAUL
A little boy is repeatedly sodomized
and tortured for a period of years.
In order to survive, he fragments
his personality -- because he is
trying desperately to gain some kind
of control over what for him is an
unfathomable situation. That's a
basic human response, Mr.
Schweickart. No matter how unusual
the route he chose, since the dawn
of time, when man can't control his
reality, he makes up someone who
can. It's why we created God.
Ragen, Arthur, Adalana -- they were
Billy's God's -- and, like God, they
demanded terrible sacrifices. He
couldn't stop worshiping them when
they demanded he break the law.
INT. DAY ROOM
At Athens. A NURSE sits reading the Columbus Dispatch.
BILLY is front page news. An AIDE pops his head in,
starting her.
AIDE
I'm grabbing some lunch. You have
to babysit.
He leads BILLY in.
AIDE
See you in an hour.
NURSE
(terrified to be
alone with him)
But...
The AIDE is gone. BILLY looks broken, a little boy. The
NURSE, however, is trembling so much that a lock of hair
on her forehead is vibrating. Suddenly, GARY enters. The
NURSE gasps.
GARY
Sorry.
NURSE
You startled me.
GARY
I'm Billy's defense attorney. Dr.
Caul said it'd be alright if I
talked to him alone...
Before the words are out of his mouth, she has bolted.
GARY
... for awhile. Hey, Billy.
BILLY looks up.
GARY
Long time no see.
BILLY
I'm sorry. I don't know who
you are.
And in that moment it all truly crystallizes for GARY for
the first time -- just what it's like to be BILLY
MILLIGAN. GARY smiles warmly and extends his hand.
GARY
Gary Schweickart. I'm your lawyer.
I'm here to help.
BILLY shakes it.
EXT. GRAVEYARD - DAY
It's on the hospital grounds, but as we TRACK with GARY
and BILLY, we see there are no names on the tombstones --
only numbers.
BILLY
I apologize. I don't remember a lot
of people I've met.
GARY
That's O.K. I'm meeting you now.
This is kind of a morbid place to
take a walk, isn't it?
BILLY
This is where I come sometimes to
try and sort things out. When you
don't have any family or a friend in
the world and nobody gives a damn
and you die here, all your records
are destroyed. But they keep a list
of who's buried where so that in
case some long, lost relative shows
up they can say "Oh yeah, he's
number forty one." That's what
happens to you if you're sick. If
you're the black sheep.
GARY
How's therapy going?
BILLY
Good. Last week in group therapy
they had another multiple there.
That was a crowded room.
GARY laughs.
BILLY
They're gonna send me to Lima,
aren't they?
GARY
Not necessarily.
BILLY
I'll die there.
GARY
There's going to be a hearing and
you're going to get to finally tell
your side of the story.
BILLY
No one believes that I'm sick.
GARY
They will. Unless they believe that
a little boy who was placed in a
mental hospital when he was fourteen
for acting like different people was
really planning his defense eight
years in advance.
BILLY
Why are you helping me?
GARY
'Cause you deserve it.
INT. SUBURBAN DEN - DAY
CHALMER MILLIGAN, flanked by a lawyer, sits on his couch
in front of a sea of microphones.
CHALMER
(referring to notes)
I, Chalmer Milligan, have been
accused by my adopted son, William,
of threatening, abusing and
sodomizing him, particularly over
the period when he was eight or nine
years old. This accusation is
completely false. William is a
habitual liar, and I feel that he is
continuing a pattern of lying which
he established many years ago.
These accusations have caused me
extreme embarrassment, mental
anguish and suffering, and I make
this statement in order to set the
record straight and clear my good
name.
EXT. ATHENS MENTAL HEALTH CENTER - DAY
Outside the fence, a crowd of protesters are there,
consumed with bloodlust. They chant and throw rocks at
the building, calling BILLY a liar and a rapist.
INT. DAY ROOM
BILLY sits with JUDY STEPHENSON listening to the furor
outside.
JUDY
Don't listen to them. They just
believe what they read in the
papers.
A NURSE enters.
NURSE
Billy? You have a visitor.
DOROTHY, BILLY'S mother, enters.
JUDY
I'll wait outside.
JUDY leaves with the NURSE. DOROTHY sits across from
BILLY.
DOROTHY
Hello, Billy. You look fine.
People sure are talkin' about you.
You're a regular celebrity. Billy,
I...
BILLY
It's all right, Mama. You went
through it, too. When I close my
eyes and picture you -- it's with a
bloody mouth and black eyes and half
the hair pulled out of your head.
She is crying.
BILLY
But I can't help you with your
guilt. Don't ask me to.
He takes her hand.
INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE OF DAY ROOM
DOROTHY passes JUDY on her way out.
JUDY
Are you alright? I'm Judy
Stephenson. I work in the Public
Defender's office.
DOROTHY
How do you do. I'm sorry...
JUDY
Don't be silly. But Mrs. Moore, I
wonder if I could talk to you a
moment?
DOROTHY
Yes?
JUDY
The statements your ex-husband has
made -- we have to know -- are they
true? Did Billy make it all up?
DOROTHY
I've made my statement. I wouldn't
have any way of knowing the
extent...
JUDY
Please. Off the record.
A beat. DOROTHY cries, then pulls her hair back,
revealing nasty disfiguring scars.
DOROTHY
This is Chalmer Milligan. And this.
And this. He destroyed that little
boy. And I didn't stop him.
She moves away down the hall, leaving JUDY alone.
INT. GARY SCHWEICKART'S BEDROOM - MORNING
He's tightening the knot on his tie in the mirror as his
WIFE looks on.
WIFE
Wearing a suit, huh? You must be
worried.
GARY
Piece of cake.
But his hand isn't steady enough to do the knot.
INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY
In GARY'S house. As he comes out from the bedroom he
passes his small, red-haired DAUGHTER.
DAUGHTER
(confused)
Daddy, you match.
INT. FRANKLIN COUNTY COURTHOUSE
We can hear the ever present protesters outside as GARY
and JUDY walk briskly down a corridor to the courtroom.
JUDY
See the paper this morning? People
believe Chalmer's story.
GARY
They also once thought you could get
the clap from toilet seats.
JUDY
You can't?
They turn a corner and walk smack into DICK MOLINARO and
ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL BANKS, who's leading the
prosecution.
MOLINARO
(nods)
Gary. Judy.
GARY
(pointedly)
Dick.
MOLINARO
You know Mr. Banks.
GARY
You send him to Lima and you're
gonna kill him.
BANKS
Lima's a mental health facility, not
death row.
GARY
It's a butcher shop. Dr. Caul
talks about medical conditions and
sacrificing Gods... you know what I
see? I see a little kid who had no
way out, so he created a bunch of
comic book heroes. The Justice
League of America. The escape
artist, the Yugoslavian hitman...
MOLINARO
The rapist.
GARY
No one wants to make him a saint --
we just don't want to execute a guy
who wasn't even there at the scene
of the crimes.
MOLINARO
I know you, Schweickart. You don't
think you're on the right side
unless you feel like the underdog.
Well, this time your compassion is
misplaced. Try thinking about the
victims. Try thinking about their
families. I'm gonna stop you, Gary.
And I'm not gonna lose a night's
sleep afterwards.
INT. COURTROOM
The JUDGE, BANKS, MOLINARO, SCHWEICKART, JUDY STEPHENSON,
BILLY, HIS MOTHER, A BAILIFF and A STENOGRAPHER. BILLY is
on the stand.
GARY
Have you ever been to Lima?
BILLY
Yes. For a week.
GARY
And when you were there, did you
receive hypnotherapy?
BILLY
No.
GARY
Group therapy?
BILLY
No.
GARY
Art therapy?
BILLY
No.
GARY
Do you have any confidence in your
doctor there, Dr. Milkie?
BILLY
No. He doesn't believe I'm sick.
He gave me Stelazine. It messed me
up.
GARY
Billy, before you were arrested and
Dr. Caul started treating you, did
you ever suspect that there was
anything wrong with you?
BILLY
Sure. I knew I lost time and heard
voices in my head, but I thought
that happened to everybody.
GARY
Didn't you think it strange that no
one talked about it?
BILLY
I was so scared and embarrassed, I
figured everyone else was, too.
Then, every once in a while, I'd
hear someone say "I don't know where
the day went" or "Did I have fun
last night?". I thought that was as
close as anybody came to discussing
it.
GARY
And how do you feel now, after ten
months at Athens?
BILLY
Well, I feel whole, like I'm one
person for the first time in my
life. I used to feel like a freak.
But then I got to thinkin' -- in my
life, I've learned to get out of
handcuffs and straitjackets, be a
righty or a lefty, control if I'm
drunk or sober, talk Arabic, Hebrew,
Yugoslavian, Japanese, learn martial
arts, play piano and drums, make my
eye shake, be an artist... And, I'm
no rocket scientist... my I.Q. is
pretty average -- so I got to
thinkin' if I could do all that,
then couldn't everybody? They just
don't know how to tap into it. But
if they have a brain, just like I
have a brain -- and it's made up of
the same muscle and stuff that mine
is, then maybe, just maybe, if they
went through what I went through as
a kid, they might have split up into
a bunch of different people like I
did. And then I didn't feel like
such a freak. I felt like someone
who got forced to open a door
everybody else gets to keep locked.
I felt like that but for the grace
of God go there.
(he turns to the
Judge)
I don't want to hurt anybody ever
again, your honor. I can't get out
of bed in the morning knowing what
I've done. But I want to keep
getting better. And I know that
won't happen if you send me to Lima.
BANKS
on his feet -- delivering his summation.
BANKS
(reads from a book)
Multiple Personality Disorder is a
form of narcissism. A willful
disease. Cowardly. It is the five
year old child with powdered sugar
on his lips saying "I didn't eat the
last doughnut."
He put the book down.
BANKS
You have already heard the testimony
from his psychiatric resident at
Lima State Hospital, Dr. Frederick
Milkie, who, after examining the
defendant, concluded not only that
he did not suffer from M.P.D., but
that in all probability, the
disorder itself does not exist. The
defense has certainly offered no
physiological evidence to the
contrary. Only differing
professional opinion. But, your
honor, the validity of Mr.
Milligan's psychiatric claims is not
at issue here. What is at issue is
the safety of this community from a
convicted sex offender.
GARY
That's a lie. He was acquitted.
BANKS
You're absolutely right, counsel,
and I apologize. He was
acquitted -- by reason of insanity.
Insanity, your honor. Insanity
which made Billy Milligan strap on a
Smith & Wesson, jog to the Ohio
State University campus, on not one,
not two, but three separate
occasions, abduct a young woman,
drive her to a secluded area in the
woods and rape her. And now, Dr.
Caul and his staff want to allow
this man, who is, by his own
admission and by the court's edict,
insane, to roam freely and
unsupervised through the streets of
this city. Well, your honor, if
this man is well and not serving
very hard time, then there has been
a gross miscarriage of justice. But
if he is truly insane, and not
responsible for his actions at the
time of the crimes, then send him to
Lima, where this community can rest
assured he will not be allowed to
walk the streets and do yet more
irreparable damage. When you break
a teacup, you glue it back together.
But do you ever feel safe using it
again? No. You put it away in the
cupboard and close the door. Your
honor, there's a lot more at stake
here than just being scalded by some
hot water.
He sits.
JUDY
(to Gary)
Jesus Christ.
JUDGE
Mr. Schweickart, are you ready with
your summation?
GARY gets up.
GARY
Your honor, the prosecution is
right. There is more at stake here
than just being scalded by some hot
water. There's also a hell of a lot
more at stake than a cracked teacup.
There's a human life. One that's
been robbed of every chance at
normalcy from the age of eight by
vicious and relentless child abuse.
Faust made a pact with the devil.
Well, Billy Milligan made a pact,
too. But he did it to survive.
Something inside his eight year old
mind said "I can't fight this man
who adopts me, then rapes me. Who
tells me to call him Daddy, then
buries me alive with just a metal
pipe over my face for air. And then
urinates down the pipe. I can't
protect myself -- and neither can my
mother. And I'm too afraid to tell
the police. Or a teacher. Because
if I do, he'll kill me. So I'll go
to sleep. And I'll let someone else
take over my mind and my body to
protect me. And they can escape out
of the ropes when he ties me up.
And they can defend me. And
outsmart him. And take the pain so
I don't kill myself just to make it
stop." The only problem was, the
personalities didn't conveniently go
away when he grew up and no longer
needed them. They stayed. And in
order to fight fire with fire, some
of those personalities had learned
to be as angry and destructive as
their tormentor. And finally one of
those personalities was a part of
him who needed and demanded love.
And her name was Adalana. And three
times, last October, in the woods
outside Columbus, she took it. By
force. The devil had finally come
with the bill. You've heard Dr.
Caul and Dr. Harding both testify
that Multiple Personality Disorder
not only does exist, but that it's
symptoms cannot be faked.
Amnesiatic fugue states cannot be
faked. Nystagmus cannot be faked.
And you've also heard them say that
he's no longer a threat to himself
or anybody else, but that if he's
sent to Lima, where he will be given
drugs instead of therapy, Billy will
almost certainly re-fragment, and
destroy all the remarkable progress
he's made since coming to Athens.
And although the prosecution has
made a lot of the fact that Billy's
doctors see it as essential to his
recovery that he be allowed
furloughs off of hospital grounds
and into the city, there is a
fundamental issue not being
addressed here -- and that is the
fact that Billy Milligan is not a
criminal. The court decided that
when he was found not guilty. And
they were right to do so, We all
like to think of ourselves as
compassionate and caring human
beings and yet as soon as that
compassion threatens to demand
something real from us -- a
demonstration -- proof of its
existence -- we draw the line.
Please, your honor, let's use this
opportunity to take one small step
in narrowing the gap between our
potential for compassion and the
reality of its limits. If I have an
incurable disease, and I don't know
it, and I give it to you, and you
die -- can I to be tried as a
murderer? No. I didn't know I was
sick. So you decide to quarantine
me instead, which is only sensible,
since we don't want me to hurt
anyone else. But, if I'm then cured
to the point where I'm no longer
contagious... do you never let me
out again? Billy Milligan has been
fighting for his life since he was
eight years old, your honor. Now
that he's finally got a piece of it
back -- please don't take it away
from him.
GARY sits.
INT. WAITING ROOM - DAY
BILLY, GARY and JUDY sit waiting. They say nothing.
BILLY'S eyes move from one to the other, but they don't
return the looks. Then, a BAILIFF enters.
BAILIFF
The Judge is ready.
INT. COURTROOM
As the JUDGE renders his decision.
JUDGE
The court finds that the respondent,
due to his mental illness, is
dangerous to himself and to others
and requires hospitalization in a
maximum security facility. It is
ordered, therefore, that the
respondent, William Stanley
Milligan, be committed to the Lima
State Hospital in Lima, Ohio.
He raps his gravel. BILLY sinks into his chair, into
himself. GARY knocks his stack of papers to the floor.
Outside the courtroom, there is an eruption of cheers as
MOLINARO gives the thumbs up at the window. GARY finally
approaches BILLY. They hug.
GARY
(in Billy's ear)
I'm gonna get you out. I swear to
God.
EXT. COURTHOUSE
BILLY being led away in handcuffs through the crowd.
Flashbulbs pop.
EXT. COURTHOUSE STEPS
GARY and JUDY watching as BANKS and MOLINARO are
interviewed.
INTERVIEWER
Do you have any comment, Mr.
Molinaro?
MOLINARO
Yeah, I have a comment. What took
them so long?
INT. POLICE CAR
TWO COPS shove BILLY roughly into the back seat.
COP
We got you now, motherfucker.
The car pulls away.
EXT. ROAD - DAY
The police car driving through a light drizzle. We hear
BILLY'S V.O.
BILLY (V.O.)
Dear Gary, Billy is asleep.
Something very bad is happening but
I don't know what. The doctors say
bad things about us and what hurts
most is they are right.
EXT. LIMA - DAY
The car pulls up and delivers BILLY. It is every bit as
horrific as one might expect.
BILLY (V.O.)
We, I, am a freak, a misfit, a
biological error. We all hate this
place, but it's where we belong.
COP
(as he gets Billy out
of the car)
Welcome to Hell.
INT. LIMA
MEN in the deepest throes of mental illness wander the
corridors, some naked, as BILLY is taken to his room.
BILLY (V.O.)
Ragen is stopping everything for
good. He has to. He says if you do
not speak, you do no damage to
anyone on the outside or the inside.
No one can blame us for anything.
A LINE
of zombied out MEN, including BILLY, getting their
Thorazine.
BILLY (V.O.)
The span of attention will be turned
inward and it will enforce the total
block. By shutting out the real
world, we can live peacefully in
ours. We know that a world without
pain is a world without feeling...
but a world without feeling is a
world without pain.
The MAN in front of BILLY has now reached the head of the
line. He becomes upset. He refuses the medication,
screams "No!" and runs off. BILLY steps up and takes his
medicine.
INT. CORRIDOR
BILLY walking aimlessly.
BILLY (V.O.)
When I'm not asleep and not on the
spot, it's like I'm lying face down
on a street of glass that stretches
out forever and I can look down
through it. Beyond that, in the
farthest ground, it seems like stars
of outer space, but then there's a
circle. A beam of light.
BILLY
receiving electro-shock therapy.
BILLY (V.O.)
It's almost as if it's coming out of
my eyes because it's always in front
of me. Around it, some of my people
are lying in coffins.
INT. CORRIDOR
A continuation of the earlier shot: BILLY walks aimlessly.
BILLY (V.O.)
The lids aren't on them because
they're not dead yet.
INT. ROOM AT LIMA
A DOCTOR, in a suit and white lab coat, is hitting BILLY
with a Bible as he's held down by ATTENDANTS.
DOCTOR
I rebuke you demons, in the name of
the savior, Jesus Christ! Leave
this wretched soul!
BILLY (V.O.)
They're asleep, waiting for
something. There are some empty
coffins because not everyone has
come there yet.
INT. CORRIDOR
BILLY continues walking. He reaches a MEN'S ROOM and
looks in. The toilets are stainless steel. He shifts his
gaze. The MAN who refuses his Thorazine is running the
sink water at a boiling hot temperature. He looks at
BILLY through the steam.
BILLY (V.O.)
Danny and the other young ones want
a chance at life. The older ones
have given up hope.
The MAN puts his finger under the water -- never taking
his eyes off BILLY. The flesh quickly bubbles and boils
off.
BILLY (V.O.)
Danny named this place because he
made it.
The MAN brings what's left of his digit to his mouth and
bites it off.
BILLY (V.O.)
He calls it "The Dying Place".
INT. BILLY'S ROOM
A GUARD throws in some paints, a brush and a piece of
paper, then leaves. BILLY picks up the paintbrush, but
sets the paper aside. He turns to the white wall and
starts a mural. It begins to segue into the Rotoscope
animation -- then flowing once more into reality as it
charts the accelerated progress of the painting. Back and
forth, until it's become a lush, green landscape.
Idyllic, lyrical.
WE PRESS IN on BILLY, in both reality and animation, as he
paints, until we can no longer see the room around him --
just BILLY, enveloped in this peaceful, green Eden --
painting himself out of Hell and into a world of escape.
LEGEND ON SCREEN:
Gary Schweickart appealed Billy Milligan's case to the
Supreme Court. On December 4, 1980, he was returned to
Athens State Hospital, where he was successfully fused.
Lima State Hospital was closed soon afterwards, amid
indictments for patient abuse.
A SECOND LEGEND REPLACES THE FIRST:
Today, after thirteen years in the Ohio Mental Health
System. Billy Milligan is a free man and supporting
himself as an artist.
FADE OUT.
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