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BASIC INSTINCT
INT. A BEDROOM - NIGHT
It is dark; we don't see clearly.
a man and woman make love on a brass bed. There aremirrors on
the walls and ceiling. On a side table, atop asmall mirror, lines
of cocaine. A tape deck PLAYS theStones: "Sympathy for the
Devil."
Atop him... she straddles his chest... her breasts in hisface.
He cups her breasts. She leans down, kisses him...
JOHNNY BOZ is in his late 40's, slim, good-looking. We don'tsee
the woman's face. She has long blonde hair. The CAMERASTAYS BEHIND
and to the side of them.
She leans close over his face, her tongue in his mouth...she
kisses him... she moves her hands up, holds both of hisarms above
his head.
She moves higher atop him... she reaches to the side of thebed...
a white silk scarf is in her hand... her hips abovehis face now,
moving... slightly, oh-so slightly... hisface strains towards
her.
The scarf in her hand... she ties his hands with it...gently...
to the brass bed... his eyes are closed...tighter... lowering
hips into his face... lower... over hischest... his navel. The
SONG plays.
He is inside her... his head arches back... his throatwhite.
She arches her back... her hips grind... her breasts arehigh...
Her back arches back... back... her head tilts back... sheextends
her arms... the right arm comes down suddenly...the steel flashes...
his throat is white...
He bucks, writhes, bucks, convulses...
It flashes up... it flashes down... and up... and down...and
up... and...
EXT. A BROWNSTONE IN PACIFIC HEIGHTS - MORNING
Winter in San Francisco: cold, foggy. Cop carseverywhere. The
lights play through the thick fog. TwoHomicide detectives get
out of the car, walk into thehouse.
☆☆2.☆☆
NICK CURRAN is 42. Trim, good-looking, a nice suit: a faceurban,
edged, shadowed. GUS MORAN is 64. Crew-cut, silverbeard, a suit
rumpled and shiny, a hat out of the 50's: aface worn and ruined:
the face of a backwoods philosopher.
INT. THE BROWNSTONE
There's money here -- deco, clean, hip -- That looks like aPicasso
on the wall. They check it out.
GUS
Who was this fuckin' guy?
NICK
Rock and roll, Gus. Johnny Boz.
GUS
I never heard of him.
NICK
(grins)
Before your time, pop.
(a beat)
Mid-sixties. Five or six hits.
He's got a club down in the
Fillmore now.
GUS
Not now he don't.
Past the uniformed guys... nods... waves... past theforensic
men... past the coroner's investigators... theyget to the bedroom.
INT. THE BEDROOM
They walk in, stare -- it's messy.
It's like a convention in here. LT. PHIL WALKER, in his50's,
silver-haired, the Homicide guys: JIM HARRIGAN, late40's, puffy,
affable; SAM ANDREWS, 30's, black. ACORONER'S MAN is working the
bed.
LT. WALKER
(to Nick and Gus)
You guys know Captain Talcott?
They nod.
GUS
What's the Chief's office doin'
here.
CAPT. TALCOTT
Observing.
☆☆3.☆☆
LT. WALKER
(to the Coroner's
Guy)
What do you think, Doc?
THE CORONER'S GUY
The skin blanches when I press it --
this kind of color is about right
for six or eight hours.
LT. WALKER
Nobody say anything. The maid came
in an hour ago and found him.
She's not a live-in.
GUS
Maybe the maid did it.
LT. WALKER
She's 54 years old and weighs 240
pounds.
THE CORONER'S GUY
(deadpan)
There are no bruises on his body.
GUS
(grins)
It ain't the maid.
LT. WALKER
He left the club with his
girlfriend about midnight. That's
the last time anybody saw him.
NICK
(looks at body)
What was it?
THE CORONER'S GUY
Ice pick. Left on the coffee table
in the living room. Thin steel
handle. Forensics took it
downtown.
HARRIGAN
There's come all over the sheets --
he got off before he got offed.
GUS
(deadpan)
That rules the maid out for sure.
CAPT. TALCOTT
This is sensitive. Mr. Boz was a
major contributor to the mayor's
campaign. He was Chairman of the
Board of the Palace of Fine Arts --
☆☆ 4 ☆☆
GUS
(to Nick)
I thought you said he was a rock
and roll star.
LT. WALKER
He was a retired rock and roll
star.
CAPT. TALCOTT
A civic-minded, very respectable
rock and roll star.
GUS
What's that over there?
We see the white powder laid out in lines on the smallmirror
on the side table.
NICK
(deadpan)
It looks like some civic-minded,
very respectable cocaine to me,
Gus.
CAPT. TALCOTT
(evenly, to Nick)
Listen to me, Curran. I'm going to
get a lot of heat on this. I don't
want any... mistakes.
Nick and Talcott look at each other a beat, then --
NICK
Who's the girlfriend?
Lt. Walker looks at the notepad in his hand.
LT. WALKER
Catherine Tramell, 162 Divisadero.
Nick writes it down. He and Gus turn, leave. CaptainTalcott watches
them. He looks disturbed.
INT. THE LIVING ROOM
as they head out --
NICK
Talcott doesn't usually show up at
the office 'till after his 18
holes. What are they nervous
about?
GUS
They're executives. They're
nervous about everything.
☆☆ 5. ☆☆
LT. WALKER (O.S.)
Nick!
He stops, turns, sees Walker behind them. Walker comes upto them.
LT. WALKER
(to Nick)
Keep your three o'clock.
NICK
Do you want me to work the case,
Phil, or do you want me to --
LT. WALKER
I said keep it.
EXT. A VICTORIAN ON DIVISADERO - DAY
It is more a mansion than a house. They ring the bell. AnHispanic
MAID answers. They flash their badges.
NICK
I'm Detective Curran, this is
Detective Moran. We're with the
San Francisco Police Department.
We'd like to speak to Ms. Catherine
Tramell.
THE MAID
(after a beat, an
accent)
Just moment. Come in.
She leads them into a lavish, beautifully done living roomthat
offers a sweeping view of the Bay.
THE MAID
(continuing)
Sit, please. Just moment.
They look around, impressed. There is a Picasso on thewall here,
too.
GUS
Ain't that cute? They got his and
her Pig-assos, son.
NICK
(smiles)
I didn't know you knew who Picasso
was, Gus.
6.
GUS
(grins)
I'm a smart sonofabitch. I just
hide it.
Nick smiles -- and at that moment a beautiful BLONDE walksinto
the room. She looks like she has been asleep. She isin her early
20's. She wears a very sheer robe.
NICK
We're sorry to disturb you, we'd
like to ask you some --
THE WOMAN
Are you vice?
GUS
(after a beat)
Homicide.
THE WOMAN
What do you want?
THE WOMAN
(continuing)
Is he dead?
NICK
(after a beat)
Why do you think he's dead?
THE WOMAN
You wouldn't be here otherwise,
would you?
GUS
Were you with him last night?
THE WOMAN
You're looking for Catherine, not
me.
NICK
Who are you?
THE WOMAN
I'm Roxy.
(a beat)
I'm her -- friend.
She looks at them a beat.
☆☆ 7. ☆☆
ROXY
She's out at the beach house at
Stinson. Seadrift. 1402.
NICK
Thanks.
They start to head out.
ROXY
You're wasting your time. Catherine
didn't kill him.
A beat, they look at her, and go...
EXT. SEADRIFT - STINSON BEACH - DAY
Foggy. Cold. It is an expensive spit of land on theocean. Multi-million
dollar "beach houses" with gardensand swimming pools.
There are two Ferraris in thedriveway -- one black, one white.
They get out of the car in front of the house. They see awoman
in back of the house, sitting on a deck chair,staring at the sea,
a blanket around her.
As they get to her --
NICK
Ms. Tramell?
She takes a long look a Nick, then looks away.
CATHERINE TRAMELL is 30 years old. She has long blondehair and
a refined, classically beautiful face. She is notknockout gorgeous
like Roxy; there is a smoky kind ofsensuousness about her.
NICK
(continuing)
I'm De--
CATHERINE
(evenly)
I know who you are.
She doesn't look at them. She looks at the water.
CATHERINE
(continuing)
How did he die?
GUS
He was murdered.
CATHERINE
Really. Maybe that's why you're
from Homicide. How?
Nick glances at Gus.
☆☆8.
NICK
With an ice pick.
She closes her eyes a beat and then, still staring out, wesee
a thin smile. They see it, too, and glance at eachother.
NICK
(continuing)
How long were you dating him?
CATHERINE
I wasn't dating him. I was fucking
him.
They glance at each other again.
GUS
What are you -- a pro?
Catherine looks at him -- that thin smile again.
CATHERINE
No. I'm an amateur.
She looks away.
NICK
How long were you having sex with
him?
CATHERINE
About a year and a half.
NICK
Were you with him last night?
CATHERINE
Yes.
NICK
Did you leave the club with him?
CATHERINE
Yes.
NICK
Did you go home with him?
CATHERINE
No. We had a drink at the club.
We left together. I came here. He
went home.
NICK
Was there anyone with you last
night?
9.
CATHERINE
(looks at Nick)
No. I wasn't in the mood to have
sex with anyone last night.
They look at her a beat.
NICK
Let me ask you something, Ms.
Tramell? Are you sorry he's dead?
Catherine looks at him.
CATHERINE
Yes. I liked fucking him.
They stare at her. She looks out at the water.
CATHERINE
(continuing)
I don't really feel like talking
anymore.
GUS
listen, lady, we can do this
downtown if you --
CATHERINE
Read me my rights and arrest me and
I'll go downtown.
She doesn't even look at them.
CATHERINE
(continuing;
quietly)
Otherwise, get the fuck out of
here. Please.
A long beat as they look at her.
INT. A CORRIDOR - POLICE HEADQUARTERS
The door says: Dr. Elizabeth Gardner, Counseling. Nickopens the
door, peeks in. The receptionist is not there.A clock says 3:15.
INT. THE COUNSELING OFFICE
He walks in -- sees the inner door open, walks in.
NICK
I'm sorry, Beth. I -- I got hung
up in Stinson.
10.
DR. ELIZABETH GARDNER, the police psychologist, is a verygood-looking,
dark-haired woman. She is 30.
BETH
(smiles)
How are you, Nick?
NICK
I'm fine. Come on, Beth! You know
I'm fine! How the hell long do I
have to keep doing this?
BETH
As long as Internal Affairs wants
you to, I suppose. Sit down, Nick.
NICK
It's bullshit. You know it is.
BETH
(smiles)
I know it is -- but sit down anyway
so we can get it over with, okay?
He sits down.
BETH
(continuing)
So -- how are things?
NICK
(after a beat)
Things are fine. I told you.
They're fine.
She watches him closely.
BETH
(after a beat)
How is your -- personal life?
NICK
My sex life is fine.
(a beat)
My sex life is pretty shitty
actually since I stopped seeing you
-- maybe I should think about my
Electrolux again.
That embarrassed her; she looks away from him.
NICK
(continuing; after a
beat)
Sorry.
She shrugs. A beat.
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