| QUIET (INT./DAY) ...
Andrew and his immediate family are gathered in the den, sitting
quietly, facing each other. Andrew's father, BUD, with an American
flag pin in his lapel, sits next to Sarah. Jill holds the hand of
her husband, REVEREND JIM. Two of Andrew's brothers,
MATT and RANDY, (big, athletic guys with mustaches) are there.
Andrew sits next to Miguel.
ANDREW
Things might be said, at the trial, that... are not going to be
easy for you to hear. Things about me, about my private life. And
I want to make sure it's
okay with everybody.
MATT
I appreciate you asking, Andy, but really, it's your call.
ANDREW
What do you think, Jill?
JILL
To be honest, I'm worried about Mommy and Daddy. They've had to
go through so much already...
And, we all know...
(very difficult to say)
There's going to be even worse things to deal with, eventually.
I wonder if it's fair to put
them through this.
Andrew's father STARES at his folded hands.
ANDREW
Mom?
SARAH
All I know is, you got through your diagnosis fine, like a trooper.
But when they fired you... you were so devastated, Andy... I don't
expect any of
my kids to sit in the back of the bus. Fight for your rights.
ANDREW
Thanks, Mom... Dad?
There's a pause before Bud Beckett speaks.
BUD
Supposedly, the Lord doesn't give you more trouble than you can
handle. But I'm having a hard time believing that these days.
Andrew's construction worker brother, RANDY, wipes tears from his
eyes. Clearly their father is in alot of pain.
BUD (CONT.)
Andy, the way you've faced this whole thing, you and Miguel, with
so much courage... your mother and
I have been so very impressed...
Andrew gazes at his father with incredible love. Miguel puts an
arm around Andrew.
BUD (CONT.)
I can't imagine there is anything, that anyone could say, that would
make us feel less proud of you.
ANDREW
(full of emotion)
Thanks, Dad. I love you guys. How about you, Randy?
RANDY
Hey. You're my kid brother, Andy. That's the bottom line. I mean,
what are those bastards going to say?
You're gay? Shit, I knew that when you were five years old.
Everyone LAUGHS. Andrew and Randy high five.
MIGUEL
Wait a minute...
(to Andrew)
You're gay?
More laughter. But Jill speaks seriously:
JILL
What about you, Andy? You're not a militant type. You've always
been so private.
CLOSE ON ANDREW:
ANDREW
I guess... I don't have time for that any more.
SARAH
Jim? Will you lead us in a prayer?
Everyone bows heads, holding hands in a circle.
REVEREND JIM
Dear Lord. Sometimes it is difficult to remember to be grateful...
CAMERA PANS THE CIRCLE, THE PRAYING FACES.
REVEREND JIM (CONT.)
To remember, in our times of sorrow and confusion, that we have
You to turn to, and each other. Bless and keep Andrew and Miguel,
dear Lord, deepen
and strengthen their love as they face the struggles that lay ahead.
Bless and watch over all of us, fill us with Your love, Your light,
and Your peace,
which passeth all understanding. In Jesus' name, we pray...
EVERYONE
Amen.
ROMANTIC MUSIC CROSSES CUT TO:
BECKETTS' LIVINGROOM, SEEN THROUGH THE VIDEO CAMERA (DAY) ...
A local entertainer (GUIDO PAONESSA) launches into a
standard, accompanied by a single guitar player, and Bud and Sarah
begin to dance, surrounded by family and friends.
GUIDO
"After all the days of Spring have flown..."
VIDEO CAMERA PANS: RELATIVES eating cake, KIDS chasing each other,
a GRANDMOTHER in a wheelchair holding a NEWBORN, watching silent,
video home movies.
CAMERA FINDS Andrew and Niguel eating anniversary cake (Andrew
barely touches his). Playing for the camera, Miguel dips his finger
into icing and smears it onto Andrew's nose. Andrew tries to reach
the icing with his tongue.
CAMERA PANS WITH ANDREW as he comes forward to dance with his mother,
while Jill dances with their father.
CAMERA RETURNS TO MIGUEL. MATT (behind the camera) says:
MATT (OS)
Hey, Miguel, can you imagine any two people being together for forty
years?
ZOOM IN CLOSE ON NIGUEL (who's watching Andrew):
MIGUEL
Yes. I can.
VIDEO CAMERA PANS to Andrew dancing with his Mom, lingering on
this IMAGE...
JOE (VOICE OVER)
Forget everything you've seen on TV, and in the movies...
CUT TO:
HELICOPTER SHOT, REVEALING ALL OF PHILADELPHIA (DAY) ...
TITLE: "Eight months later."
JOE (OS) (CONT.)
There won't be any last minute, surprise witnesses...
CUT TO:
A MAN LOOKING INTO CAMERA: HE'S YOUNG, CONFIDENT, ALL American,
a Marine (INT./DAY) ...
TITLE: "Opening statements."
The MARINE is a JUROR. CAMERA PANS others: a BLACK LADY SCHOOLTEACHER,
a POSTAL WORKER, an ASIAN COLLEGE STUDENT.
JOE (OS) (CONT.)
No one will break down on the stand with a tearful confession...
REVERSE ON JOE, ADDRESSING THE JURY.
JOE (CONT.)
You are presented with a simple fact: Andrew Beckett was fired.
You will hear two explanations for
why he was fired. Ours. And theirs...
Joe crosses the courtroom, coming to stand in front of...
ANDREW, whose appearance has changed: thinner, paler than we've
ever seen him, some blisters on his lips. But the most disturbing
thing about his appearance is the way he moves, slowly, like a much
older man. He's taking notes (which he will do relentlessly throughout
the trial.) And he has a cane at his
side, which he'll use throughout the trial.
JOE (CONT.)
It's up to you, to sift through layer and layer of truth, and determine
for yourselves the version that sounds the most true.
Charles Wheeler, Walter Kenton, Bob Seidman, Kenneth Killcoyne
sit BEHIND their lawyers, Belinda Conine and Jerome Green, and SEVERAL
ASSISTANTS at the defense table.
JUDGE GARNETT presides from his bench.
Among the spectators, Miguel sits next to Sarah, and
Andrew's sister Jill. AIDS ACTIVISTS in the background.
JOE (CONT.)
There are certain points in our version, that I must prove to you...
Point number one: Andrew
Beckett was... is a brilliant lawyer. A great lawyer. Point number
two. Andrew Beckett, afflicted with a debilitating disease, made
the legal, understandable, personal choice to keep the fact of his
illness to himself... Point number three:
His employers discovered his illness. And ladies and gentlemen,
the illness I'm referring to, is AIDS...
Joe pauses, letting that sink in.
JOE (CONT.)
Point number four. They panicked. And, in their panic, they did
what most of us would like to do with AIDS... Get it, and the people
who have it, as far away from us as possible.
Joe walks away from Andrew.
JOE (CONT.)
The behavior of Andrew Beckett's employers may seem reasonable to
you. It does to me. After all, AIDS
is a deadly, incurable, disease...
CLOSE ON MEMBERS OF THE JURY.
JOE (CONT.)
But however you come to judge the behavior of Charles Wheeler and
his partners in moral, ethical,
human terms... When they fired Andrew Beckett because he had AIDS,
they broke the law.
With a swift, direct glance at the Judge, Joe speaks with considerable
power and emotion:
JOE (CONT.)
And, when lawyers break the law, when this society loses respect
for the law, when that day comes,
our cherished institutions will be burned to the ground, and our
children and grandchildren will
live like savages.
CUT TO:
BELINDA CONINE ADDRESSING THE JURY (INT./DAY) ...
BELINDA
Fact. Andrew Beckett performed at a consistently mediocre level.
Fact. He made a grievous error on a multi-million dollar lawsuit...
Fact. He claims he is the victim of lies and deceit. Fact. Andrew
Beckett lied to his employers, going to great efforts to conceal
his disease from them.
Fact. He was successful in his duplicity. The partners at Wyant
Wheeler did not know Andrew
Beckett had AIDS when they fired him...
Belinda pauses in front of the plaintiff's table
BELINDA (CONT.)
Fact. AIDS is a tragedy...
Andrew looks directly at Belinda.
BELINDA (CONT.)
Fact. Andrew Beckett is dying.
Joe watches Andrew for his reaction.
BELINDA (CONT.)
Fact. Andrew Beckett is angry. Because his "lifestyle,"
his reckless behavior, has cut short
his life... And in his anger, his rage, he's lashing out. And he
wants someone to pay.
CUT TO:
ON THE WITNESS STAND: A SOLIDLY BUILT EXECUTIVE FROM A large insurance
company, MR. LAIRD (INT./DAY) ...
JOE
Andrew Beckett represented your company in a lawsuit in 1990, is
that correct?
LAIRD
Wyant Wheeler represented us.
Andrew glances toward the jury box: the MARINE JUROR writes in
a tiny notebook.
JOE
But, Andrew Beckett was in charge of litigation for the suit.
LAIRD
That's correct.
JOE
Were you pleased with his work?
LAIRD
We were satisfied.
Joe and Andrew exchange a LOOK -- Laird's response surprises and
disappoints them.
JOE
Were you satisfied, or were you pleased?
Laird glances toward Charles Wheeler before answering.
LAIRD
We were satisfied.
Joe refers to legal documents.
JOE
Mr. Laird, when I approached you about being a witness at this trial,
and you agreed, you gave
sworn testimony in a deposition.
Is that correct?
LAIRD
That's correct.
JOE
According to the deposition, you said you were "thrilled, impressed,
overwhelmed" by the quality of
Andrew Beckett's work. Do you remember saying that?
LAIRD
I may have said something like that. But that's not how I feel at
this moment.
Joe takes on a street-tough tone:
JOE
Okay, Mr. Laird. Explain this to me like I'm a four year old: Did
Andrew Beckett win your lawsuit
for you or not?
LAIRD
We won.
JOE
Did that thrill, impress and overwhelm you?
LAIRD
It satisfied me.
Joe STARES at the guy.
JOE
It's a long way between being overwhelmed and being satisfied. A
cheeseburger may be satisfying
whereas caviar and champagne and roast duck and baked Alaska for
dessert might be considered
overwhelming. Do you agree?
LAIRD
I might.
JOE
Five months ago you characterized Andrew Beckett as caviar and now
you're calling him a cheeseburger.
Your standards have shifted a great deal, and I'd like to know why
you've changed your mind.
LAIRD
Since that time I've devoted more thought to the subject, and that's
how I feel now.
QUICK CUT TO:
JEROME GREEN CROSS-EXAMINING LAIRD (INT./DAY).
JEROME GREEN
Partner Robert Seidman was the supervising attorney for your lawsuit?
MR. LAIRD
That's right.
JEROME GREEN
Does the supervising attorney guide the litigating attorney during
the trial?
MR. LAIRD
Often, he does.
JEROME GREEN
As far as you know, in the handling of your lawsuit, Andrew Beckett
was simply following orders.
LAIRD
That's a fair assessment of the situation.
Andrew glances over his shoulder: at Robert Seidman, who meets
his gaze.
CUT TO:
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