True Grit PDF
Preview True Grit
‘True Grit Adapretion by ool and Behan Coen ~ ‘Busod on the Novel by Charles Pars This Prat: tune 12, 2009 “White lero on a black screen ‘The wicked flee when none pursuit ‘The quocation fates. A woman's ¥ Voice-Over People da not give it eredenee that 0 young girl gould eave hhomis end go off in the wintertime to avenge bes fer’ blood, but it did happen. ‘The steee ofa weatern ona, night, The suect is dserted. Snow falls ‘We tack slowly forward TTovas just Fourteen years of ago when a coward by the name of'Tor Chaney shut my lather down in Fort Smith, ~ ‘Arkansas, and robbed him of his life and his horse ud wo California gold pieees that he coriod in his trauser bund. A shape tes inthe street below the busled-aut porch railing of a two-story building. A. fig ideatiies the bolding ws the Monarch Boarding House, Papa wos a Cumberland Preshytorian and a Mason. We'd hired Chaney—for puil wages, abt on shares—owhen Chaney ‘was “down on bis ek." TF Paps had falling it wos his Kindly disposition; {dia nor get eny mean streak from bit. ‘The srumpled shape is abody. We bea the under of approaching hooves. He had takon Chaney up to Fort Sst help lead back string of mustang ponies he'd just bought fom # stock tnder fnamned Stonehill, In iawn, Chaney bad alien to drink and cards, aud lost all is money. Te got tino his head he'd bbeen chested aad went back tothe boarding house for his Vieuy rifle, Papa remonstzated, and Chaney shot him m the breast ‘A galloping horse enters rume and recetes, whipped on by a bareback sides. A lang- bareled vile Ge accuse the rfer's back with a sash cord. Hie disappenrs ino the falling nor, (Chnney fled. He coud have taken the time to sual the borse—or bitched up cree spaus of saules to « Concord stagecoach and sunsked a pipe, us it seer thut no one in that city was inclined to give chave. Chaney had mistaken its citzens for men. pay ‘We are looking ito the window of a moving train, Looking out past us is Fourleen-year-old girl, Maric Noss, Next to her is Yarwell, ‘middle-aged black aun. Reading backward inthe mlztoe ofthe window we see usttion sign easigg in as the tain slows: FORT SMITH. ‘The voiee-over continues: Voiew-Over ‘You might say, wat business eas i of my Fathers to smeskfle? My answer is lhis: he wax trying 0 do that short devil a good ourn. He was his brother's keeper, Does that answer your question? DEAD MAN'S ACE ‘Candlelight Aickers over the maw waxy Retires, voive accented) as Js that dhe mau? ‘The body, wrapped in a shroud, lies in a pine coffin, Metric sud Yarnell stand locking own att, An undertaker, erizaled and severely dressed, holds the cand, Yumoll Lord lord Matte ‘That is my fcher, Undertaker 1F you would oik to kiss hen it would be all eight Yarnell Hee bas gone bume, Prac the lard. Matte Pat the lid on. Why is itso amch? underraker “The quality ofthc casket and ofthe cmbalming, ‘The litle. appearance requires time and ack. And the chemicals come de. The particulars are in your bill. If you would Jikto ‘iss ii would be all sight Mattie No, Thank you, The sprit as flown, Your wire suis ty dollar. Undertaker ‘Yoo did not specify he was us be shipped Matic ‘Well sity dollars is every cent we ave, ItJeaves notbiag ‘or our board, Yarnell. you can see to the body's transport to ‘the tain station and accompany it home, and I wall have ro sloop here tonigh, Yarnell don't think your mama‘ want you to stay inthis town by yourself, Matic Tom't be helped. 1st have to collet fuher's thingy ned see to samme olher business, Yanelh ‘But 's your chap-arone! Your mama didn't say for you to soe no business here! Mattie : I is business Mama doean't now about. Tes allright, ‘Yarnell, diamiss you y Yamnell ‘Well I'm not sre I— Nate ‘Tell mama not to sign anything until T return ome and sce ‘that Papa is boried in his masnn’s apron, ‘Yo tho undertaker: Your tenns are agreeable if] alay pass the night hese Undertaker Here? Amoug these people? ‘Matic lacks azoud che eanpty room, Mattie ‘These perple? Lndertakor eet expecting three more souls. Sullivan, Sith, rd Hi ‘Tonge In The Rain. Mate How is it hat you know in advance? GALLOWS ‘Three men stend upon a rough-hewn thre banger gallows. The condemned ace vo white ‘mon and an Indian. They wear new jeans and flannel shirts buttoned to the neck, Each bas a anose around his neck, One of the white men is addresting the crowd Mau Ladice and gentlemen beware and win ap your children in the way that ehey should go! "You see what has become of amo bosanse of drink, 1 kiled a mam ina witing quisrel ovee 1 pocket ‘Mate is pushing her way trough the spectarors ehronging dhe town square Upon the gallows the coudernned sperker starts to weep, Man {CT bad zeesived good instruction ws a child { would be with any wile ant children today, away out on the Ciemarton River. 1 don't krrar what ito hecome of them, 1 hope al pray thal you will not sight them and compel them to go into Tow company. iis blubbering will not let him ge on, He stops back, A man stauding by slips a black hood aver his head which continues to bel with sokbing, Matte hisses Lo «woman nearby: Manie (Can you poiat out the sherif? "The womaa indicates a figure auaoug the oficitors on the scaffold Woman ‘Hi ith the amisaces ‘The sesond eoniznned man is speaking Mux ‘Well I killa the wrung man isthe which-of-why Tm bere, iad Filled dhe man I meant 1 1 don't believe I sonld a bbeea convicted. Tsee men cut therein that. ccowd is worse ‘han rae, A cthioking pause, He nods, dhrvgeing. + Okay, te stops back and is Houde ‘The thiad mau stops Forward Indian T won ke to sxy— Me is hooded, speech out shor The hangman, band to his elbow, helps him step hack. ‘he execurioner pulls lever onthe scffold. ‘Three trapdoor: sscing open and thoy men sop. They hi he end of their ropes witha crack, Crowd ont ‘Two of the mien have their heads snapped to an angle and are limp aud ovis slowly. Cn, though, writes anc kicks, jackkuiting his tgs. Man (Oh, Sullivan eust’se Took weight in prison! His neck ain't beckel Sullivan continnes ro wthe and kick. Voice Hot tamales? ‘Matte looks down at w hay sellug bot lamates out ofa bueket Ten cone? LATER Mattie talking tothe sheriff whom we sav officiating ou the scaffold. ‘he square is emptying and, in the background, all tree men twist alwly, ihe lst man having finally ven wp the ghost. ‘The Mesicin boy sill hawks tamale fo strayalers, ShettY [Noy we cit arrcoed him. Ain't caught up co his, lit ont forthe Teartory. T would think he bas rowed in with Icky Ned Pepper, whase gang robbed 0 mail hack yyestaday oo the Potewn River. Martie ‘Why ate you nat looking for bien? Sherift {have no authority in che Endian Natiom, Tom Chaney isthe Dusiness of the U.S, marshals now. Marte ‘Whea will they arrest isi? Sheriff ‘Not 00 {am afzzid. The marshals are not well staffed and, {ll tll you frankly, Chancy is tthe end os long Fist oF fugitives and natefactoes Mattie (Could I bite a mardhal to pursue Tam Chaney? ‘Tha sheri looks at che gel ond ebuckles. Sheri ‘You have a lot of experience with bounty hunters? attic My answer is this: Thats sily questiyn, Tam bere to sete my Fether's affairs, Sheriff All lone? Mamie Tam the person fo it, Mama was never uny good at sia and she can hardly spell cat. Tntend to see papa's kiler hanged, Sheriff see, Well, Nolhing preventa you fom affiving rewicd, ‘or fom so informing a marshal, Ytequld have tobe real money, thovgh, to be permasive, Changy is across the river sn te Choctaw Nation lowe counmry, St will not be a daisy.picking expedition. Upwards of three-score US marshals have been slaughtered inthe Territory. Manic [ill sce to the money. Who's the best marshal? Sherif? 1 vrould have to weigh that proposition, Lieekon Wiliam ‘Waters is ie bos! (acker. He is half Comanche and itis something to see him cut for sign, The meanest ate is ouster Coghura. He is wpiiess man, deuble ugh und [Rear don’t enter into bis thinking, He loves to pull a cark ‘The bes is probably LT, Quinn, be beings his prisoners in alive. He may let one get By nav aad agsia but be believes even the worst of mien is ented toa fate shake. Quinn isa ood peace officer and a lay preacher ta boot. He will not plaot evidence of abuse u prisoner. He ies straight as string, Yes, 1 will say Quinn s about the best they have, Mane ‘Where cau I find this Rooster? MATTIE'S HAND Rapping ata door of rough plank, ‘After x hea, a yoicerasping and shocedt Voice ‘he jakes is occopied. ‘Wider. We se that Metis stands betore a outhouse, Martie Thnow itis occupied Mr, Cogburn, As I said, Thave uxiness with you, Beat, Voice have prior business, Mattie “You have been ait for quite some time, Mr. Caghur, Voice (roaring drank ‘There is no clock an my business! To hell wide yo! To beth ‘with yout How did you stalk aie here?! Mattie ‘he sheriff told me to look in the suloon. Tn the saloan they referred me bers, We must tlk. Voice (outrage) ‘Wome win’ allowed in the saloon! Mattie Lvvas not there asa customer. Tara fourteen years wld. No response, Malle reochce up ane saps again, vigorously. Beat, Voice (cutter) ‘The jakes is occupied. And willbe for some tsa PLANK PLOOR, ‘A caffin in dropped heavily into frame and we see, chalked onty the freshly milled wood of ite top: Ross Fell Conny Hold at station ‘After a resting beat, during which de coffin’s handle presuuably aljust their grip, the coffins shoved away over the straw-littered planking ofa ral freight cur. Once it bas been pushed filly in, the upright planking oP Ibe boxear door blurs though frame in the extreme foreground tif the doer slams (ore. ‘We hear the steam engine stat to eli and the foregrownd door maved slowly ofF withthe _tindig motion of the tain, SHOP DOOR ‘Swinging open. ts the barnlike door tothe mortician’s wotkenony; the Irish wdstsker Tbolds it open for Mattie. She curios ahedoll, Undertaker ‘You cau slevp in coffin if you lol. ‘Three bodies lay under shrouds on whigh work table, The arm ofthe nearest sicks out, ope burns omits wrist, Theee coffins ao ia vations slages of ansenbly. ‘Maute unwinds the Bedell onto the floor. Matic Now... yet STREET
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