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by RON NYSWANER
September 21, 1992
PART 1
FADE IN:
VARIOUS SHOTS OF PHILADELPHIA EXTERIORS (EXT./DAY) ...
which may include the Liberty Bell, the Italian Market, scenes
along the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, Independence Square, the
Russian Orthodox neighborhood, the ghettos of North Philly.
MAIN TITLES PLAY OVER THIS SEQUENCE which culminates in a SHOT
OF...
CUT TO:
PHILADELPHIA'S GLORIOUSLY ORNATE CITY HALL (EXT./DAY) ...
TITLE: "Philadelphia City Hall."
CITY EMPLOYEES, JUDGES, COPS, LAWYERS, CRIMINALS, TOURISTS pour
into City Hall, into...
TO:
TWO STORY HIGH CORRIDORS THAT REEK OF HISTORY (INT-DAY).
Young lawyer JAMEY COLLINS darts through the crowd, carrying an
accordion file under his arm like a football.
Jamey elbows his way through a JAPANESE TOUR GROUP.
Jamey trots up a marble staircase, two steps at a time
TO:
JAMEY RUNS LIKE HELL DOWN A THIRD FLOOR CORRIDOR, FOOTSTEPS
making a racket...
Jamey rushes toward a door marked "JUDGE TATE."
RAISED VOICES from inside Judge Tate's chambers:
JOSEPH MILLER (OS)
This construction site is causing mortal and irreparable harm to
an unsuspecting public!
ANDREW BECKETT (OS)
My client has one of the finest and most respected safety records
in the business, Your Honor!
Jamey shoves open the door, REVEALING TWO LAWYERS (BACKS TO CAMERA)
STANDING BEFORE JUDGE EUNICE TATE: ANDREW BECKETT (in conservative
gray) and JOSEPH MILLER (in pinstripes).
JUDGE TATE
One at a time. Mr. Miller?
JOE
Your Honor, since Rockwell Corp. began construction, the surrounding
residential neighborhood has been enshrouded in a cloud of foul-smelling,
germ-carrying, pestilent dust. My client is being forced to breathe
known carcinogens daily! Other residents are coming forth on a daily
basis to add their
voices of outrage!
ANDREW
Your Honor, I submit there were no complaints until Counselor began
knocking on doors, drumming up business. And the dust, which Counselor
refers to,
has appeared on only three occasions. Each time it has been examined
and the results...
Behind his back, Andrew wiggles his fingers. Jamey stuffs a document
into Andrew's hand.
ANDREW (CONT.)
Limestone. Messy, but innocuous.
Andrew submits the report to the Judge.
JOE
Innocuous?
ANDREW
Defined by Webster's as harmless.
JOE
I know what it means. Your Honor, imagine how the children in this
neighborhood have been
made to feel. The pounding of construction ringing in their ears
as this skyscraper, a tribute to mankind's greed, grows daily, casting
an ominous
shadow over their lives, filling them with dread even as they are
surrounded in a black, toxic
fog, blocking out the sun while poisoning their lungs! And Counselor
calls it harmless?!
His back turned momentarily to the JUDGE, Andrew mouths to Jamey:
"Not bad." But he whips around, serious again:
ANDREW
Your Honor, Counselor is attempting to portray my client as a hideous
manifestation of evil and corruption. But nothing could be further
from
the truth. Rockwell has generously contributed ten
thousand dollars to this neighborhood's schools, clinics and youth
centers! Granting a
restraining order on the construction site will throw hundreds of
Philadelphians out of work, and will lend validation to this contemptible
and groundless nuisance suit, which speaks directly to the kind
of greed and treachery that today is threatening the very fabric
of our society.
Judge Tate looks skeptically at both lawyers.
JUDGE TATE
Let's not go off the deep end, gentlemen. I thought we were talking
about some dust.
CUT TO:
A MAN ON CRUTCHES HOBBLES INTO A COURTHOUSE ELEVATOR AND IS joined
by Andrew and Joe, crowding inside (INT./DAY) ...
As soon as the doors close, Andrew whips out a micro- cassette
recorder, making notes, and Joe, in the opposite corner of the elevator,
does exactly the same thing.
ANDREW JOE
... plaintiff seeks to re- ... whereas decedent had
strain defendants from con- pre-existing asthmatic
tinued improper use of trade condition and ride on
name without... Ultra Loop caused sub-
sequent death...
Andrew and Joe stop at the same time, look at each other...
And turn toward the corner, seeking privacy.
ANDREW (CONT.) JOE (CONT.)
... plaintiff's permission or ... complainant seeks
authorization... relief...
There's a PERSISTENT BEEPING, Andrew and Joe pull out their portable
telephones at the same time.
They look at each other: which phone is ringing?
ANDREW
You.
Andrew resumes his telephone conversation.
JOE
Right.
(into phone)
Miller.
The ELEVATOR OPENS: Andrew breezes past the MAN ON
CRUTCHES, saying to Joe:
ANDREW
Client of yours?
JOE
Funny.
Andrew hurries down the corridor. Joe waits a moment... then pursues
the MAN ON CRUTCHES.
JOE (CONT.)
Excuse me..? Sir? Yo!
CUT TO:
ANDREW EKERGES FROM CITY HALL, ONTO DILWORTH PLAZA BUSTLING with
PEDESTRIANS (EXT./DAY) ...
... DARTS into the street, hailing a cab.
CUT TO:
THE CAB PULLS UP TO A BROWNSTONE ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET, Andrew
hopping out, stuffing papers into his briefcase
(EXT./DAY) ...
RUSHING to the door marked "Dr. Roberta Gillman, Internal
Medicine."
Coming out is a YOUNG ASIAN MAN with a cotton ball taped to the
inside of his elbow.
CUT TO:
CLASSICAL MUSIC (INT./DAY) ... AS CAMERA PANS PATIENTS (MOSTLY
YOUNG MEN) in a cheerful room... some, like a UPS DELIVERY MAN,
are attached to IV's, some sit with arms extended, waiting to be
hooked to an IV by TYRONE, a BLACK PHYSICIAN'S AID.
CAMERA FINDS ANDREW sitting quietly, with an IV drip running into
his arm. Andrew is wearing a Walkman, the source of the CLASSICAL
MUSIC, and he's reading a legal brief. Most of the people in the
room look SICKER than Andrew.
DIALOGUE CAN BE HEARD under the CLASSICAL MUSIC (although MUSIC
dominates the SOUNDTRACK).
TYRONE
(slapping a thin PATIENT'S wrist)
Gonna have to start looking for veins in your feet, sweetheart.
DR. ROBERTA GILLMAN, passes through, speaking to Andrew:
DR. GILLMAN
Andy. Can you stop at my office on your way out?
ANDREW
Sure.
Andrew is distracted by A HISPANIC MAN across the room, rolling
up his sleeve for an IV -- his bare arms, hands, face and neck are
marked with PURPLE BLOTCHES.
Andrew closes his eyes, concentrating for a moment on the CLASSICAL
MUSIC... then goes back to work.
CUT TO:
ANDREW HURRIES OUT OF THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE, HAILING A CAB
(EXT./DAY) ...
CUT TO:
ANDREW HOPS OUT OF THE CAB, IN FRONT OF AN IMPRESSIVE skyscraper
in downtown Philly, at the end of the work day
(EXT./DAY) ...
Andrew pushes through glass doors into the plush "Wheeler
Building," pressing through the tide of WORKERS headed home.
CUT TO:
A BLACK PARALEGAL, ANTHEA BURTON, LEADS A YOUNG, BLACK LAW CLERK
(in suit and tie) to the elevators, at the sedate, expensively appointed
offices of Wyant Wheeler Hellerman Tetlow and Brown (INT./DAY) ...
ANTHEA
... up to Tax, on fourteen, and get right back, I need you.
Andrew BLASTS out of the elevator, flashing Anthea a four- star
smile. They stride down the corridor together.
ANDREW
Just the dazzling paralegal I wanted to see.
ANTHEA
(friendly)
I know what that means, and the answer is no. I have a class tonight.
Exploit someone else.
And since you've asked ...
They pass a silver-haired partner, KENNETH KILLCOYNE.
KILLCOYNE
Solid work on the Rockwell situation, Andy. Top-notch.
ANDREW
Thanks, Kenneth.
(to Anthea)
Your exam!
ANTHEA
Thank you. 98. I gotta go...
ANDREW
Ninety-eight?! Ninety-eight!
Andrew reaches the secretaries' station. A cheerful
secretary, SHELBY, shoves documents at him.
SHELBY
Conference call's up. They just started the roll call. Here's the
settlement agreement, the
red-lined copy's on your desk. Need me in there?
ANDREW
No. Great. Thanks, Shelby.
(checking his watch)
It's 6:30, go home.
Andrew passes a colleague on her way out, RACHEL SMILOW:
ANDREW (CONT.)
Rach.
RACHEL
I'm late, I have to pick up Amy from her afterschool but I want
to talk to you about that Hansen thing.
ANDREW
Catch me later, I'll be here. And tell Amy, I love her painting,
it's on my wall.
Andrew SAILS toward his office.
CONTINUOUS CUT TO:
ANDREW ENTERS HIS OFFICE, KICKING THE DOOR SHUT (INT./DAY).
... DROPPING the documents on his desk, SCANNING them.
... ADMIRING a child's painting taped to the wall.
... PUNCHING into the speaker phone on his desk.
The SCREEN SPLITS, REVEALING A TELECONFERENCE OPERATOR:
OPERATOR
... Karen Hargreave, representing
Lloyd Management Corporation?
The SCREEN SPLITS INTO THIRDS: Andrew, the OPERATOR, and HARGREAVE
(a sharp, California lawyer.)
HARGREAVE
Present.
As the OPERATOR continues the roll call, the SCREEN
CONTINUES TO SPLIT and HARGREAVE is replaced by a SERIES OF LAWYERS
in offices around the country, (MOSTLY WHITE MALES) saying "Present"
while in Andrew's section of the screen...
... Andrew dials a number on another telephone line,
OPERATOR
Andrew Beckett, representing Saunders International?
Andrew punches into the conference call
ANDREW
Present.
The MULTI-IMAGE SCREEN is now joined by SARAH BECKETT, a suburban,
60ish American MOM, in her backyard garden, answering a portable
phone.
SARAH
Hello?
ANDREW
Hi, Mom. It's me.
The LAWYERS are into the conference, in their portions of the screen,
(their VOICES HEARD underneath Andrew's conversation with his mother).
SARAH
Andy! This is a nice surprise. How are you, hon?
ANDREW
I'm fine.
SARAH
What's Dr. Gillman say?
ANDREW
Hold on, Mom.
(punching into the conference call)
There's no way my client will go along with that.
HARGREAVE
Who's this?
ANDREW
Andrew Beckett. Hi, Karen. I'm sorry I interrupted...
He punches out of the conference, back to his Mom (glancing over
his shoulder to make sure the door is shut).
ANDREW (CONT.)
Gillman says I'm fine. My blood work is excellent. T-cells are up.
Just a sec ...
(conference call)
Yes, I think that would alleviate most of our concerns.
(back to Mom)
My platelets look good too.
SARAH
Are you on one of those conference calls? I hate when you put me
on hold.
CUT ON ANDREW'S LAUGHTER TO:
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