SWORDFISH
by
Skip Woods
January 2001
Final Production Draft
FOR EDUCATIONAL
PURPOSES ONLY
1 BLACKNESS 1
We hear OVER...
GABRIEL (V.O.)
You know the problem with
Hollywood? They make shit.
Unbelievable, unremarkable shit.
I'm not some grungy filmmaker-
wannabee searching for
existentialism through a haze of
bong-smoke. It's easy to pick
apart bad acting, short-sighted
directing, or the purely moronic
stringing together of words many
of the studios term as prose. No,
I'm talking the lack of realism.
Realism. Not a pervasive element
in the modern American cinematic
vision.
FADE IN:
INT. STARBUCKS COFFEE SHOP - MORNING
Three men sit at a window booth drinking coffee and
talking. Two of the men sit on one side of the table;
STANLEY is in his early thirties, AGENT ROBERTS, early
forties. Both wear suits, the younger's is fairly
expensive and well cut, the other's is polyester, enough
said. The MAN across, however, is quite different. He
is what they used to call a "cool-cat."
GABRIEL (MAN)
Take Dog Day Afternoon for
example. Arguably Pacino's
greatest performance, excepting
The Godfather, Part I, and
Scarface, of course. A
masterpiece of directing, easily
Lumet's best. The acting, the
script, cinematography, all top
notch. But, they didn't push the
envelope. What if in Dog Day,
Sonny really wanted to get away
with it? What if, and here's
where it gets tricky. What if
they'd started killing hostages?
No mercy, no quarter, meet our
demands or the cute blonde in the
bell bottoms gets one in the back
of the head, bam, splatter. What?
Still no bus?
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
2.
1 CONTINUED: 1
GABRIEL (CONT'D)
How many innocent victims would
they let get sprayed across the
windows before the city reversed
its policy on hostage situations?
And this was 1976. No C.N.N., no
C.N.B.C., no M.T.V. No Internet.
Fast forward to the present, same
situation. Can you imagine the
feeding frenzy of the modern
media? In hours it would be the
top story from Boston to Budapest.
All caught in 150 millimeter zoom,
computer enhanced, and color
corrected. You would practically
taste the brain matter. Six
hostages die. Ten. Twelve.
Twenty. Thirty. Relentless. One
after another. All over a bus, a
plane, and a couple of million
dollars that were federally
insured.
He sits, letting the pictures sink in, then:
GABRIEL
Just a thought. I mean it's not
really within the realm of
conventional cinema, but what
if...?
ROBERTS
You know, this movie of yours, I
don't think it would have worked.
GABRIEL
Really? How come?
ROBERTS
(shrugs)
Audiences love happy endings.
GABRIEL
Pacino escapes. With the money.
Boyfriend gets the sex change
operation. They live happily ever
after.
Stanley shakes his head.
GABRIEL
No?
(CONTINUED)
3.
1 CONTINUED: (2) 1
STANLEY
No.
GABRIEL
Homophobia?
Stanley shakes his head.
STANLEY
Bad guy can't win. It's a
morality tale. One way or the
other, he's gotta go down.
GABRIEL
Oh, well. Life does tend to be
stranger than fiction.
(looking at watch)
Well, guys, gotta jet. This place
is kinda dead.
CAMERA PANS AROUND the coffee shop. Not a soul in the
place. We CONTINUE TO PAN AROUND 270 DEGREES TO the
front door, which is open. Outside the open doorway are
crouched a squad of heavily body-armored SWAT members,
packed together, and aiming automatic weapons inside.
ANGLE ON GABRIEL
GABRIEL
Thanks for the coffee.
He gets up. In his left hand, which has been hidden by
the table until now, he is holding a strange-looking
spring-loaded grip. Gabriel is looking back at them.
Smiles.
GABRIEL
Rene Descartes is sitting in some
bar in Paris. Bartender says,
'Hey, you want another drink?'
Descartes says, 'I think not.'
And disappears.
He smiles at his own joke, then turns and walks over to
the front door.
GABRIEL
Move.
No one even twitches.
GABRIEL
I won't ask again.
(CONTINUED)
4.
1 CONTINUED: (3) 1
He lifts up the device in his left hand.
ANGLE ON ROBERTS
who nods his head. The SWAT team moves back, letting
Gabriel out of the coffee shop.
GABRIEL
Thank you.
Gabriel looks back at Stan sitting in the booth.
GABRIEL
Stanley... you coming?
Stan slides from the booth as Gabriel exits the coffee
shop --
2 EXT. STARBUCKS COFFEE SHOP - DAY 2
SILENCE -- no sounds on the SOUNDTRACK.
Gabriel and Stanley stop just outside the doorway.
Gabriel dons a pair of hip little shades, then continues
across the sidewalk and into the street.
He nonchalantly looks up. Suddenly the THUMP of
HELICOPTERS and the WAIL of SIRENS dominates the
soundtrack.
Pandemonium. HELICOPTERS RIP the sky, L.A. County PD and
a bunch of news vultures. Squad cars block off both ends
of the street while SWAT trucks, news vans, and looky-
loos are packed together into the distance.
Sharpshooters lean out of windows and snipers are
positioned on every open rooftop. Hundreds of weapons
are pointed at this man who saunters across the street as
if he's on his way to Sunday service, without a care in
the world.
Slowly, Stanley follows Gabriel into the street.
Gabriel steps up on the far sidewalk, a huge armored bus
blocks most of the windows. He walks beside the bus,
under a huge "WORLD BANC" sign, and through the glass
front door, which shuts IN OUR FACE.
3 INT. BANK - CLOSEUP - GABRIEL - DAY 3
He turns away from the window and we FOLLOW him.
(CONTINUED)
5.
3 CONTINUED: 3
The interior of the bank looks like New Orleans on Fat
Tuesday. Three Hummers sit in the middle of the floor,
surrounded by broken glass. Between them rests a bright
red Ferrari F50 (Gabriel's).
All but one of the front windows of the bank, the one
with the door in it, has been welded over with 3/4 inch
plate steel.
Over two dozen hostages lie face down on the floor, arms
cable-tied behind their backs. Something has been duct-
taped around their chests and each is wearing what
appears to be a dog collar.
The other occupants of the room are nine men. All of
whom would look as if they were attending the fashion
event of the year were it not for the automatic weapons
each one carries.
GABRIEL
How we doin'?
One of the ARMED MEN finishes putting a collar on a
young, normally good-looking-but-now-covered-in-mascara,
whimpering blonde girl.
MARCO (ARMED MAN)
Done.
GABRIEL
Good. Take her out.
SUPERIMPOSE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 8:41:22...
The front door opens and one of the suited men drags out
the pretty blonde from earlier. She is sobbing and is in
such grief she can't even walk.
4 EXT. BANK - DAY 4
On the sidewalk, the suited man, his automatic weapon
slung, holds her up for everyone to see.
5 INT. BANK - DAY 5
Gabriel grabs his cell and dials.
6 INT. STARBUCKS COFFEE SHOP - DAY 6
Roberts sits in the Starbucks which has been transformed
into a high-tech command center reading a newspaper.
(CONTINUED)
6.
6 CONTINUED: 6
We cannot see the headlines. Federal and state officers
scramble around handling problems. The PHONE RINGS.
Assistant Director Bill Joy (A.D. JOY), an older-looking
guy who looks more like an accountant than an assistant
director of the FBI, is handed the phone.
A.D. JOY
Is everyone in position?
SWAT LEADER
Almost, sir.
ROBERTS
(looks up from
paper)
What are you doing?
We PAN AROUND.
A.D. JOY
(to SWAT LEADER)
Get her at your first opportunity.
SWAT LEADER
(into mike)
High ground one and two. You
have a green light.
ROBERTS
I've seen what this man is capable
of --
A.D. JOY
The F.B.I. does not negotiate with
terrorists. I assumed you'd be
aware of that.
(answering phone)
Joy.
Roberts picks up an extension.
GABRIEL (V.O.)
Don't talk, listen... When I made
my Dog Day Afternoon analogy, I
was not speaking metaphorically.
We have 22 hostages. Each has
been wrapped with 20 pounds of
C-four explosives.
CUT TO:
7.
7 EXT. BANK 7
SWAT guys making their way to the roof of the bank.
GABRIEL (V.O.)
On top of that we have taped 15
pounds of stainless steel ball
bearings --
8 INT. BANK - ANGLE ON GABRIEL 8
GABRIEL
-- making them the world's largest
walking Claymore mines.
CUT TO:
9 EXT. BANK - SHARPSHOOTERS 9
aiming down at Gabriel's merc.
The merc is holding up the weeping girl so everyone can
see what Gabriel is talking about. Unbeknownst to him,
red laser aiming dots appear on Gab's merc's chest.
10 INT. BANK - DAY 10
Stanley is being held by two of the well-dressed men.
CLOSEUP ON GABRIEL
GABRIEL
Around her neck is a radio-
frequency electronic dog collar --
11 INT. STARBUCKS - DAY 11
Roberts stops short as he hears this. He and Joy both
look at each other.
12 INT. BANK - DAY 12
GABRIEL
Dog walks out of his yard, he gets
the shit shocked out of him.
13 INT. STARBUCKS - DAY 13
Hearing this, Roberts stands back up.
(CONTINUED)
8.
13 CONTINUED: 13
ROBERTS
Stop them --
In SLOW MOTION, A.D. Joy jumps for his radio.
GABRIEL (V.O.)
Same thing --
14 INT. BANK - CLOSEUP - GABRIEL - DAY 14
GABRIEL
-- their yard is this bank. So,
don't fuck with me.
15 EXT. BANK - SAME TIME 15
SWAT members move into position along the peripheral.
The merc turns toward them. The momentum swings his
shouldered weapon upward in SLOW MOTION.
16 INT. STARBUCKS - DAY 16
A.D. JOY
(into mike)
Hold your --
17 EXT. BANK - SAME TIME 17
The SWAT snipers take this weapon movement as an
aggressive act and FIRE into the merc, the BULLETS
RIPPING into him. He drops. A SWAT-armored vehicle
rushes in -- one of the team jumps out, in an attempt to
rescue the woman.
18 INT. BANK - DAY 18
STANLEY
No! Noooo!!
19 EXT. BANK - DAY 19
Hysterical, the hostage runs back toward the bank,
confusing the SWAT guy trying to rescue her. He reaches
for her but she fights him. Finally, he grabs her around
the waist and carries her on his shoulder into the street
as she screams toward the bank for help.
(CONTINUED)
9.
19 CONTINUED: 19
CLOSEUP - HIS FOOT (SLOW MOTION)
as he steps off the sidewalk.
ANGLE ON GIRL (SLOW MOTION)
She is screaming nooooo!
CLOSEUP - HIS FOOT (SLOW MOTION)
as it continues its stride.
CLOSEUP - RADIO DOG COLLAR (SLOW MOTION)
Around her neck. The green light blinks to red. BEEP.
NORMAL SPEED.
KABOOM!
BALL BEARINGS RICOCHET against the plate steel of the
bank.
20 EXT. STARBUCKS COFFEE SHOP - DAY 20
The ball bearings bounce across the street and tap
against the coffee shop.
21 INT. STARBUCKS COFFEE SHOP - DAY (SLOW MOTION) 21
Everyone in the coffee shop looks at each other like,
"What just happened?"
22 EXT. STARBUCKS COFFEE SHOP - DAY 22
As ball bearings roll back into the street.
FADE TO BLACK.
FADE IN:
TITLE SEQUENCE:
23 INT. CUSTOMS (LAX) - CLOSEUP ON AXL TORVALDS - DAY 23
SUPERIMPOSE: 3 DAYS EARLIER
(CONTINUED)
10.
23 CONTINUED: 23
AXL TORVALDS enters customs. A thirty-something European
who could easily pass for a season regular on
"Sprockets."
We PULL BACK. Torvalds is watching anxiously as his bags
are torn into like Christmas day at the Griswalds. The
two CUSTOMS AGENTS eye his three laptops suspiciously.
TORVALDS
(heavy Finnish
accent)
Please be careful --
-- one of the Agents cuts off his plea with a glance.
TORVALDS
(to himself, almost
inaudibly)
-- that equipment is quite
expensive.
Torvalds is wary of time. After several moments his bags
are being repacked when another passport is found.
The customs official holds up two passports. ANOTHER
CUSTOMS OFFICIAL takes them and walks over to Torvalds.
ANOTHER CUSTOMS OFFICIAL
Mr. Torvalds. Could you step
over here, please.
Torvalds glances at his watch. 1:45 PM.
TORVALDS
How long am I going to be delayed?
ANOTHER CUSTOMS OFFICIAL
It'll be just a moment.
Torvalds stands to the side, while two customs officials
compare his passports. They step over to a computer
terminal and punch in some data. It's 1:50 PM.
Torvalds notices a customs department employee wheeling a
cart of confiscated items out of a nearby service
elevator. He pushes the cart out of the oversized
elevator.
Torvalds shoots a glance back to the two officials
discussing his situation.
Torvalds casually picks up his computer case and coolly
walks over to the elevator.
(CONTINUED)
11.
23 CONTINUED: (2) 23
Torvalds walks in just as the doors close.
The customs officials conferring look around. Torvalds
is gone. One of them looks up and sees the numbers
changing above the elevator.
The customs officials race up to the escalator to the --
24 INT. MEZZANINE LEVEL 24
Torvalds exits the elevator -- and coolly makes his way
to the pedestrian walkway. He's halfway across it, when
-- multiple security teams appear and converge on him
from both ends.
He's finally wrestled to the ground.
DARK SUIT #2
(flipping a badge
in Torvalds' face)
Axl Torvalds. You are under
arrest.
CUT TO:
25 INT. BOARDROOM (WASHINGTON, D.C.) - DAY 25
SENATOR JAMES REISMAN -- R. (Georgia) strides confidently
into a small, windowless boardroom.
SENATOR REISMAN
This better be important, you
pulled me out of session.
DARWIN KAPLAN, the President's aide and one of the four
men in the room, definitely the most intense, smiles
thinly.
KAPLAN
Senator, I wouldn't have asked you
to come here if it wasn't.
The Senator starts to sit down. Kaplan turns toward the
Senator.
KAPLAN
Senator, we just received a
communication that Axl Torvalds
was intercepted entering the
continental U.S.
(CONTINUED)
12.
25 CONTINUED: 25
SENATOR REISMAN
When?
KAPLAN
Within the last two hours.
According to our source inside the
F.B.I., he was nabbed coming
through customs at L.A.X.
Alone...
SENATOR REISMAN
Do they know who they are dealing
with?
KAPLAN
It is unlikely, sir. It was a
routine check and Torvalds freaked
out. They just got lucky.
SENATOR REISMAN
This ain't good, boys. The Vortex
has used Torvalds before. What do
the feds know?
KAPLAN
Nothing as of yet. He's refusing
to speak English and the Finnish
consulate has already contacted
the State Department...
SENATOR REISMAN
So we haven't been compromised?
KAPLAN
We're not sure. We're working on
that right now.
SENATOR REISMAN
You better get sure real quick,
son, 'cause someone's cock's
liable to end up on the block on
this one. And I promise you it
won't be mine.
KAPLAN
Senator, I think we'll be okay
here --
SENATOR REISMAN
I don't fucking pay you to think,
Kaplan. I pay you to keep me
informed. I know the Vortex.
That's why I voted against using
him on American soil.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
13.
25 CONTINUED: (2) 25
SENATOR REISMAN (CONT'D)
It's like using the Ebola virus to
cure a cancer patient. Son, what
do you think's going to happen if
he starts tying up loose ends.
They look at each other.
KAPLAN
Yessir. I understand.
CUT TO:
26 EXT. MIDDLE OF NOWHERE - DAY 26
We are indeed in the middle of nowhere, no nothing as far
as you can see. We CONTINUE TO CRANE UP, a $140,000
Ferrari Modena flies down the road in a cloud of
suspended gravel toward Stanley's dilapidated, piece-o'-
crap trailer.
27 EXT. TRAILER - ROOF - DAY 27
Stan stands on the roof of his trailer, which was a
dilapidated shack in the 1950s and now is a lot worse. A
chained but scruffy-looking Rottweiler runs around in
front of the trailer.
Stan looks completely different than he did in the
opening sequence. He hasn't taken very good care of
himself. His hair is long, and right now standing on
end. He is wearing nothing but a dirty towel, and is
slicing golf balls off the roof. Whack.
As the Ferrari drives up he begins hitting golf balls at
it, but he just isn't very good. Nevertheless, after a
dozen bad hits, a lucky shot ricochets off the aluminum
hood.
CLOSEUP - FERRARI HOOD
CLANG!
BACK TO SCENE
Stan smiles as the car slides to a halt in the gravel
driveway, and turns back to his "work."
(CONTINUED)
14.
27 CONTINUED: 27
ANGLE ON STANLEY
As we hear the DOOR SHUT and SOMEONE COMES UP the
aluminum extension ladder.
A few moments later, in SLOW MOTION, GINGER appears at
the top of the ladder and steps onto the trailer's roof.
Stan turns around.
She is what the hack writers of the Thirties would call a
vision. Thesauruses could be exhausted searching for
adjectives that do her justice.
In the low-rent light of Stanley's white trash haven, she
is, by definition, a goddess.
STANLEY
Who are you supposed to be?
WHACK (slice).
She lights a cigarette, inhales deeply, then exhales.
GINGER
Hello, Stanley.
She knows his name.
GINGER
I'm Ginger.
STANLEY
Is that right?
WHACK (slice).
GINGER
For someone the N.S.A. has listed
as the most dangerous hacker in
America, you sure don't look like
much.
WHACK (slice).
GINGER
Don't look so surprised. I know
everything there is to know about
you, Stan. From your mom's maiden
name to how big your...
She glances downward then back up.
(CONTINUED)
15.
27 CONTINUED: (2) 27
GINGER
Bank account is.
STANLEY
How'd you get past my dog?
GINGER
(cute)
Boys like me.
STANLEY
Great. What are you selling
again?
WHACK (slice).
GINGER
Did I say I was selling something?
I'm here to help you, Stan. Look
at you, you're a mess.
WHACK (slice).
GINGER
My employer wants to meet you.
WHACK (slice).
GINGER
You're not very good at this, are
you?
STANLEY
You're fucking up my chi.
GINGER
Can I see that?
Begrudgingly he hands her the club. She tees up a ball,
pulls up her skirt far enough to reveal thong, and whack,
hits a ball that Tiger Woods would envy. CLANG.
She smiles, hands him the club back and pulls down her
skirt.
GINGER
You need to straighten your left
arm. You're bending it.
He looks at her.
GINGER
Trust me.
(CONTINUED)
16.
27 CONTINUED: (3) 27
He does and the ball goes flying 200 yards, perfect,
whacking a fridge with "200 YARDS" painted on it. CLANG!
Stan looks at the club, then tosses it to the ground,
climbing back down an aluminum extension ladder that
leads up through a makeshift hatch on the roof.
28 INT. KITCHEN 28
She follows but Stan ignores her and walks into his
bedroom.
She walks over, opens, and reaches into the fridge --
GINGER
This is not a nice place you have
here, Stanley.
-- and pulls out a beer --
GINGER
I've only been here a few minutes
and I'm already starting to feel
sorry for myself.
She walks into:
29 INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY 29
Stan walks back in, looking for semi-clean clothes.
STANLEY
You're wasting your time. I even
touch a computer, I go straight to
Leavenworth, do not pass go, do
not collect 200 dollars. Whatever
I was...
Stanley, pulling on his pants, lets the sentence hang,
unfinished.
He's putting on his shoes. She squats down in front of
him, resting her hand on his leg.
GINGER
Stanley, think about it, they
still teach your techniques at
M.I.T.
She smiles up at him, then takes a long drink of her
beer. Stan stares at her a moment, then...
(CONTINUED)
17.
29 CONTINUED: 29
GINGER
I'm not here to suck your dick,
Stanley, you can sit around doing
the martyr thing as long as you
like. He'll pay you just to meet
you.
STANLEY
(smiles)
I gotta go to work.
GINGER
Oh that's right, and fine work it
is, too.
(beat)
Stanley...
(beat)
Have you spoken to Holly lately?
She just dropped a 20 megaton thermonuclear warhead into
Stanley's universe.
30 EXT. STANLEY'S TRAILER - DAY 30
Stanley practically pitches her down the steps of his
trailer and slams the door.
GINGER
Shit...
31 INT. MALIBU HOUSE - DAY 31
A TELEPHONE RINGS in a multi-zillion dollar Malibu beach
house. A WOMAN, late twenties, grabs the receiver. Her
voice is of perfect timbre and accentless.
MELISSA (WOMAN)
Hello.
(CONTINUED)
18.
31 CONTINUED: 31
STANLEY (V.O.)
Melissa...
(beat)
Holly home?
MELISSA
(New York starts to
invade her accentless
accent)
Stanley. Why are you calling
here?
32 INT. STANLEY'S TRAILER - ANGLE - STANLEY 32
on phone. He stands in front of his now closed fridge.
It is covered with pictures of his daughter, Holly.
STANLEY
I want to talk with Holly.
INTERCUT BETWEEN the two.
Melissa's accent continues to travel eastward from
Midwest flat to full tilt Long Island.
MELISSA
It's...
(looks at her watch)
It's twelve-thirty, Stanley.
She's in school. You know it's
illegal for you to talk to her.
STANLEY
Don't do this, Mel. It's not good
for Holly --
MELISSA
How the hell would you know what
is or isn't good for my daughter?
You've spent the last two years in
prison.
STANLEY
Mel --
MELISSA
Stop calling me that, Stanley.
STANLEY
I just want to see my baby.
(CONTINUED)
19.
32 CONTINUED: 32
MELISSA
Well, she doesn't want to see you,
Stanley, and I swear to fucking
God, if you contact her, I'll have
Larry's attorney throw you into a
hole so deep and dark it'll make
Leavenworth seem like two weeks in
Vegas; during which I'll
personally pay two ball-busting
skin-heads to --
STANLEY
Wow, Mel, you can take the girl
out of the trailer park, but you
can't take the trailer park out of
the girl.
She regains control. Her voice is accentless once again.
MELISSA
(exhaling)
I will not let myself be
manipulated by you, Stanley.
Larry's her father now.
STANLEY
Larry's the porn king --
MELISSA
Larry's a film financier, a good
husband, and an astute
businessman. What films he's
involved in are a function of
profitability and none of your
business.
She is now downright icy.
MELISSA
Get help, Stanley, get into a
program, get a therapist, get a
dog, but whatever you do, stay
away from my child.
STANLEY
Your child? She's our child.
MELISSA
She will never be your child.
You'll never have the kind of
money to match Larry's lawyers in
court. Forget Holly.
(CONTINUED)
20.
32 CONTINUED: (2) 32
CLICK.
The PHONE GOES DEAD.
Stanley freaks, beats the receiver against the fridge,
again, and again. Then, he calmly hangs up the phone.
33 EXT. STANLEY'S TRAILER - DAY 33
Stanley walks down the steps of his trailer. Ginger sits
on the hood of her car in all her estrogenic glory,
smoking and petting Stan's dog.
STANLEY
What are you doing here?
Stanley's dog leans against her, happy.
STANLEY
(to dog, like
"traitor")
Judas.
GINGER
Hello, Stanley.
She smiles at him. He smiles back, about ready to stick
her in the trunk of her car.
STANLEY
Look, I'm beginning to lose my
sense of humor about --
GINGER
Let's cut through the bullshit,
Stan. If you ever want to have a
chance in hell of getting your
daughter back you'll shut up and
listen. Unless of course you want
to stay here in your pathetic,
loser life while she learns what
it's like to be a fluffer in one
of her new daddy's videos.
(CONTINUED)
21.
33 CONTINUED: 33
STANLEY
Do me the courtesy of not
confusing your own childhood with
my daughter's.
GINGER
Look at your situation, Stanley.
For twenty months you've been in
court six times, each time your
custody case has been thrown out.
Your situation doesn't look good,
sweetheart.
She blows smoke at him, thinking, then whips out her
trump card.
GINGER
How much would it cost to retain
the best family lawyer in the
country and regain custody of your
daughter?
STANLEY
All the way through the jury
trial?
GINGER
Yeah.
STANLEY
A lot.
She pulls out a large manila envelope. Opens it and
dumps the rubber-banded stacks of hundreds onto the
ground.
GINGER
This should get you started.
Stanley just stares at the money. He looks up at Ginger.
GINGER
Whattaya have to lose? Just meet
him. One time. That's it. You
don't like the setup, walk away.
STANLEY
That's it?
GINGER
That's it. And you keep the
money.
(CONTINUED)
22.
33 CONTINUED: (2) 33
She smokes, letting it all sink in. She puts out her
cigarette. They just stare at each other. She smiles.
FADE TO BLACK.
FADE IN:
34 INT. FBI INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT 34
Torvalds sits at a table in a room with a two-way mirror.
To his left, a three-piece suited Euroweasel (obviously
his LAWYER) nurses a steaming cup of coffee while
providing air cover from the two interrogating FBI
Agents.
The table is covered with empty coffee cups and cigarette
carcasses. Roberts eases quietly into the room in mid-
interrogation.
Torvalds says something in Finnish to his Lawyer.
AGENT #1
What did he say?
Torvalds again speaks to his Lawyer in Finnish.
AGENT #2
Your client is wanted on 24 counts
of electronic crimes in seven
different countries --
LAWYER
Finland does not recognize these
allegations as crimes. Your
laws --
AGENT #1
Do you see a Finnish flag hanging
on the wall, Ikea boy?
Torvalds speaks to his Lawyer.
AGENT #1
What did he say?
LAWYER
He said Ikea is Swedish.
AGENT #1
He understands English?
The FBI Agent's head is now close to imploding.
(CONTINUED)
23.
34 CONTINUED: 34
ROBERTS
Okay... Guys, why don't you give
me a few minutes here?
They turn to see Roberts smiling.
AGENT #2
Uh, sir...
ROBERTS
It's okay. Just a couple of
minutes.
AGENT #1
Yessir.
AGENT #2
You've fucked up now, Hamlet.
ROBERTS
(never taking his
eyes off Torvalds)
And Michaels.
AGENT #2
Yessir.
ROBERTS
Hamlet was a Dane.
AGENT #2
Adane?
ROBERTS
Forget it.
Roberts sits down in a chair facing Torvalds. He stares
at him a moment, just smiling, then...
ROBERTS
Why would the number one cracker
in the world risk life
imprisonment to enter the
continental U.S.?
LAWYER
My client has repeatedly reserved
his right not answer any questions
at this time.
Torvalds looks at Roberts' badge and says something in
Finnish, the only recognizable word being "Roberts." The
attorney and Torvalds both laugh. Roberts looks at the
attorney.
(CONTINUED)
24.
34 CONTINUED: (2) 34
LAWYER
He told me to tell Mister Roberts
that he is quite fond of 'The
X-Files.'
Again they smile. Roberts looks at the lawyer's cup of
steaming coffee and with one finger pushes it over into
the lawyer's lap.
ROBERTS
You need another cup of coffee --
LAWYER
(jumping up in
great pain)
Goddammit!
Roberts grabs him by the collar and slams him into the
wall, then pushes him out the door with a kick in the
ass. He grabs the briefcase and tosses it out after him
and locks the door.
He turns on Torvalds, smacking him across the face. He
pushes him into the wall and holds his badge in front of
him.
ROBERTS
Until a year ago I was head of the
largest task force on cyber-
criminals in the entire world.
But, I burned out. It happens. I
snapped. I shot a suspect in the
fucking hand. Accident. Do you
know how hard it is to work a
keyboard with one hand?
TORVALDS
Whatever you can do to me, he can
do worse. I'm already dead. The
only place I stand a chance is
back in my country. I have
friends there.
ROBERTS
I tell you what, you tell me what
I want to know and I guarantee
you'll be on the next flight to
Finland. First class. Courtesy
of the U.S. Government.
Torvalds thinks quietly.
25.
35 INT. VIEWING ROOM - NIGHT 35
Two FBI agents (BAD AGENTS #1 & 2) watch the
interrogation through a two-way mirror. One of the
agents looks surprisingly like Gabriel's merc that
carried the young blonde girl killed outside the bank
earlier.
TORVALDS (V.O.)
(over speaker)
I'll tell you what I know.
The Agents look at each other. Bad Agent #1 dials his
cell phone.
BAD AGENT #1
(into his cell)
Yes, this is Assistant Director
Joy, would you find Agent Roberts.
It's important that I speak with
him as soon as possible. Thank
you.
INT. FBI INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT
ROBERTS
Who is he?
36 EXT. PRAGUE NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT 36
A yellow Lamborghini Diablo drives up. In SLOW MOTION
Gabriel steps out of the car, wind whipping his full-
length, black Gucci overcoat.
TORVALDS (V.O.)
He exists in a world beyond your
world. What we only fantasize, he
does. He lives a life where
nothing is beyond him.
37 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT 37
TORVALDS
But it is all an act.
38 EXT. PRAGUE NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT 38
Gabriel walks through the crowd as if a celebrity --
(CONTINUED)
26.
38 CONTINUED: 38
TORVALDS (V.O.)
For all his charisma and charm.
For all his wealth and expensive
toys.
-- exchanging kisses and the lingering of hands, as he
slides through parting seas of beautiful people.
TORVALDS (V.O.)
Beneath it all he is a driven,
unflinching, calculating machine,
who takes what he wants, when he
wants, then disappears --
CUT TO:
39 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - ANGLE ON TORVALDS - NIGHT 39
TORVALDS
-- It works like this.
40 EXT. EMPTY SKY - NIGHT 40
TORVALDS (V.O.)
I fly to where I am to meet him.
He sends one of his people to meet
me.
A BOEING 777 SCREAMS overhead. We TILT DOWN. Stanley
and Ginger walk out of LAX. A white LIMO IDLES directly
in front of them.
Stanley is wearing a black T-shirt which proclaims in
large white letters across his chest, in true Scarlet
Letter fashion, "LOSER!"
TORVALDS (V.O.)
He tells me what he needs. I do
my job, I'm paid.
41 INT. PRAGUE - NIGHT 41
Upstairs on a lavish balcony Gabriel looks at the crowd.
PUSH INTO --
CLOSEUP - GABRIEL
smiling.
TORVALDS (V.O.)
And I leave.
27.
42 INT. FBI INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT 42
ROBERTS
That's a real nice story. But you
haven't given me shit.
Torvalds knows this and smiles at Roberts arrogantly.
The door opens, an FBI AGENT sticks his head in.
AGENT #1
Excuse me, sir... you have a call.
ROBERTS
So, take a message.
AGENT #1
It's Assistant Director Joy, he
said it's important.
ROBERTS
At least it's not my wife.
(to Torvalds)
You need to think about what else
you know.
(then, to Agent #1)
Watch him.
Roberts walks out of the room. The FBI Agent positions
himself outside the door.
43 INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT 43
Roberts walks out of the room. Torvalds' attorney is
there.
LAWYER
You will be hearing from my
gover --
ROBERTS
Shut up.
Roberts walks down the hall. The attorney, pissed, walks
back into the interrogation room.
44 INT. VIEWING ROOM - NIGHT 44
One of the two Agents watches the door, the other, Bad
Agent #2 steps over to the two-way mirror.
(CONTINUED)
28.
44 CONTINUED: 44
Torvalds talks to his attorney in Finnish. Apparently
his attorney is trying to convince him of something.
Torvalds, unfazed, walks over to the one-way mirror.
PULL BACK FROM Torvalds to reveal Bad Agent #2 calmly
screwing a silencer on to his .45. Torvalds leans closer
to the glass.
Bad Agent #2 sticks the silenced barrel of the gun up
against the glass -- right between the eyes of Torvalds.
Bad Agent #2 moves the barrel up and down between
Torvalds face and neck.
45 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - SAME TIME 45
Torvalds looks smugly into the glass. He lifts his hand,
holding up his middle finger.
46 INT. VIEWING ROOM - NIGHT 46
Bad Agent #2 moves his aim to Torvalds' tonsils. He
depresses the trigger slightly.
47 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - SAME TIME 47
Torvalds, middle finger in the air, smiles. Unbeknownst
to him however, a tiny red aiming laser has zipped
through the glass and is now positioned as a dot on
Torvalds' throat.
48 INT. VIEWING ROOM - NIGHT 48
Satisfied with the placement he PULLS the TRIGGER...
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
49 INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT 49
Roberts walks down the hall and turns right into --
50 INT. COFFEE ROOM - NIGHT 50
Roberts picks up the phone.
ROBERTS
This is Roberts, I have a call
from A.D. Joy.
(CONTINUED)
29.
50 CONTINUED: 50
FBI OPERATOR (V.O.)
Hold, sir.
Finally --
A.D. JOY (V.O.)
Joy.
ROBERTS
Roberts. You needed me.
A.D. JOY (V.O.)
What do you mean?
ROBERTS
You didn't call me?
A.D. JOY (V.O.)
You just called me...
Realization slowly hits him, he drops the phone and runs
from the room.
51 INT. HALLWAY - SAME TIME 51
Roberts runs down the hall and into:
52 INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - NIGHT 52
Roberts finds Torvalds and his attorney dead. Roberts
looks into the mirror.
Six clean bullet holes perforate his reflection.
ROBERTS
Shit!
53 INT. PRAGUE NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT 53
A huge, lavish, converted theater in downtown Los
Angeles. A 21st Century version of 54 on equal overdoses
of steroids and acid.
54 INT. VIP SECTION - NIGHT 54
Stanley and Ginger walk into a large area with individual
private booths in small rooms around the perimeter. The
rooms have the ability to be closed off by drawing huge,
thick velvet drapes.
(CONTINUED)
30.
54 CONTINUED: 54
GINGER
I wish you'd let me buy you a
suit.
STANLEY
I'm happy with what I'm wearing.
GINGER
You have no self-esteem, Stanley.
STANLEY
(dryly)
I know.
They walk into one of the booths in the back. Sitting
around a large, oval table is our antihero, Gabriel
Shear, surrounded by a handful of his crew and a gaggle
of beautiful model-types.
Ginger kisses Gabriel and with a healthy exchange of
fluids, then...
GINGER
Miss me?
Gabriel smiles, then looks back at Stanley.
GINGER
Gabriel, Stanley. Stanley,
Gabriel.
Gabriel just stares.
GABRIEL
(very familiar)
Big Stan. Nice suit.
STANLEY
Thanks.
GABRIEL
You know, they say it's the
clothes that make the man...
STANLEY
You buy it?
GABRIEL
Hope not.
(then)
Buy you a drink?
(CONTINUED)
31.
54 CONTINUED: (2) 54
STANLEY
I flew fifteen hundred miles for
this meeting, how 'bout we get to
the point.
GABRIEL
Actually you flew 1500 miles for
100 grand. But that's not the
point.
Stanley sits down. Gabriel pours Stan a glass of Crown.
GABRIEL
I heard this story about this
young hacker who made a virus that
broke the F.B.I.'s Carnivore
program that was actively reading
every subscriber's E-mail and
scrambled the systems. He did
what the federal judges wouldn't
do and kept the government out of
our Privacy.
STANLEY
I think I heard that. Story is he
went to jail and the federal
Carnivore program is back in full
swing. It was a real tragedy.
What can I do for you?
Changing the subject.
GABRIEL
Stanley, meet Helga.
Gabriel smiles.
The beautiful WOMAN to Stanley's right slides closer.
HELGA (WOMAN)
(heavily accented)
Hi, Stanley.
Stanley looks at her, she's a knockout; artificially
perfect. He looks back at Gabriel.
STANLEY
Look, I don't have a lot of
patience for this --
GABRIEL
Stanley, we have a problem, maybe
you can help us out.
(CONTINUED)
32.
54 CONTINUED: (3) 54
Stan looks around; everyone is smiling. Helga moves
closer to him.
GABRIEL
Take a look at this.
He is handed an open laptop, it glows. He sets it on the
table and spins it around in front of Stanley.
STANLEY
(like an alcoholic
faced with a fifth
of tequila)
You know I can't touch that.
Helga pours a shot of tequila.
HELGA
You like tequila, Stanley?
Helga shoots the tequila, then turns to Stanley, places
her lips against his. The gold liquid drips from their
lips as she spits it into Stanley's mouth.
He pushes her away, breaking the liplock, and swallowing
the tequila. She licks it from his face.
GABRIEL
No need for modesty, we're all
friends here, Stanley.
STANLEY
This is bullshit. I came --
GABRIEL
You want something from me, amigo,
I want something from you. D.O.D.
dBase, 128 bit R.S.A. encryption.
Whattaya think? Impossible?
Stanley's having a little trouble concentrating on
Gabriel.
STANLEY
Nothing's impossible.
Helga begins sucking on Stanley's fingers. He pulls them
away.
GABRIEL
So it can be done? Maybe slide in
a Trojan horse hiding a worm?
(CONTINUED)
33.
54 CONTINUED: (4) 54
STANLEY
Something like that. Is this an
interview?
GABRIEL
Sort of. Marco, let's give him
some incentive.
The drapes close. Two of Gabriel's crew step out. Marco
yanks out a .40 caliber Glock and quickly screws a well-
used silencer onto the end. Marco walks around behind
Stanley.
STANLEY
(now totally confused)
What are you doing?
Helga smiles, then drops her head into Stanley's lap. We
hear his PANTS UNZIP.
GABRIEL
Relax, Stanley.
He has to go with it.
GABRIEL
I've been told the best crackers
in the world could do this in
sixty minutes. Unfortunately,
I need someone who can do it in
sixty seconds.
STANLEY
You're kidding...
GABRIEL
'Fraid not.
Stan realizes now no one is smiling. He grabs the blonde
by the hair but can't pull her up.
GABRIEL
Forty-five seconds. Time is a
wasting, big guy.
The silencer is pressed into the back of his head.
Stanley tries to focus on the screen. Stanley sucks air
through his teeth, trying to focus.
GABRIEL
You have thirty seconds, Stanley.
(CONTINUED)
34.
54 CONTINUED: (5) 54
Stanley gives up on trying to get her up and his hands
start flying over the keyboard. We INTERCUT the ACTION
WITH a CLOSEUP of Stanley's hands working the keyboard,
and a CLOSEUP of Gabriel, and a CLOSEUP of the LCD screen
which reads in flashing red letters --
"ACCESS DENIED."
GABRIEL
She's very good, isn't she,
Stanley?
Tension builds as Stanley continues to work the keyboard.
"ACCESS DENIED."
GABRIEL
C'mon, Stanley. 20 seconds.
"ACCESS DENIED."
GABRIEL
Fifteen.
"ACCESS DENIED."
GABRIEL
Ten... Nine...
Faster and faster. "ACCESS DENIED."
GABRIEL
Three... Two...
"ACCESS DENIED."
He grabs her head. She doesn't come up. The screen
flashes:
"ACCESS DENIED."
GABRIEL
Too bad, Stanley. Ya gotta die.
Marco puts the silencer to his eye.
STANLEY
Wait... !
CLICK. The GUN is empty. Stanley tries to catch his
breath. Helga lifts up her head. Everyone laughs.
Gabriel walks around the table.
(CONTINUED)
35.
54 CONTINUED: (6) 54
GABRIEL
I was just fucking with you,
Stan.
Stanley is pissed. Helga, smiling, kisses him on the
cheek. Stanley tries to calm down. He gets up, shoots
someone's half-drank drink, zips his pants, then --
STANLEY
So was I.
Stanley hits the enter key and spins the computer around.
CLOSEUP - COMPUTER SCREEN
"ACCESS GRANTED" appears, and the Department of Defense
logo scrolls across the screen.
WIDER
Stanley gives them all a "fuck you" smile, then stomps
out through the curtain.
CLOSEUP ON GABRIEL
who smiles.
55 INT. CLUB - REST ROOM - NIGHT 55
Stanley pushes into the bathroom. He kicks the
wastebasket across the room.
STANLEY
Shit!
He pushes a club kid out of the way of the sink. He
turns on the water and washes his face. Slowly he leans
his forehead against the mirror. Ginger appears behind
him.
STANLEY
What are you looking at?
GINGER
Relax, Stanley. You can do this.
(CONTINUED)
36.
55 CONTINUED: 55
STANLEY
Get away from me.
GINGER
I want to help you.
STANLEY
Help? Help what, squeegee my
brain off the ceiling?
GINGER
It was just a test, Stan, you
passed.
Ginger pulls out a cigarette and a lighter from her
plastic overcoat.
STANLEY
A test... I don't know why I let
you talk me into this. I can't
believe how desperate I am.
She exhales toward Stanley.
GINGER
I thought you were here saving
your daughter, Stanley.
He turns around.
STANLEY
(pissed)
Look... I'd do anything to get
Holly back. But, if I end up in a
box or back in jail, then I really
can't help her, can I? What I
should do, is take my money and go
back to court.
GINGER
Back to court? Back to Melissa's
gladiators? You throw a hundred
grand at her, she'll throw five
back at you. It's not about
Holly, it's about beating you.
You know that. Think, Stanley.
STANLEY
What I'm thinking about is that
you're willing to put a gun to my
head to see if I can hack --
Suddenly three club kids come busting into the bathroom.
(CONTINUED)
37.
55 CONTINUED: (2) 55
Ginger interrupts him by slamming Stan between the
urinals and ramming her tongue into his mouth with the
kind of wet, aggressive action that takes a movie from
PG-13 to an R.
When the kids realize that the urinals are occupied, they
leave. Slowly Ginger takes her tongue out of Stan's
mouth. They look at each other. She smiles at him.
GINGER
(coyly)
Sorry...
A beat, for a moment there exists something between them,
then bam, she's all business again.
GINGER
So, let me sum it up for you,
Stanley. You live in a trailer.
(beat)
You're a felon, working a dead-
end job. You want to get Holly
back, Gabriel's your only shot.
ANGLE ON STANLEY
As he realizes she's right, he's got nothing to lose.
Slam! He smacks the mirror with his fist, then walks out
of the rest room. Ginger slowly lifts the cigarette.
She exhales, then slowly smiles. She's got him.
56 EXT. PRAGUE VALET - NIGHT 56
Next to the valet stand, Gabriel leans over the hood of
an evil-looking, bright-yellow Lamborghini Diablo
Roadster, a GAMEBOY CHIRPING in his hands.
Stanley walks INTO the FRAME. Without missing a beat,
Gabriel looks up --
GABRIEL
Big Stan. I was afraid we lost
you.
Gabriel stands up and walks toward Stan.
STANLEY
Tell me what the deal is.
(CONTINUED)
38.
56 CONTINUED: 56
GABRIEL
Let's go up to the house. I'm
having a little get-together. I'll
explain it to you there.
Gabriel smiles.
FADE TO:
57 INT. FBI LAB - NIGHT 57
Three GEEKY COMPUTER-TYPES sit in front of a huge array
of CRTs. They look up when Roberts stalks into the room.
He yanks off his jacket, crumbles it and throws it across
the room. They just look at each other.
ROBERTS
Tell me you have some good news
for me.
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #1
Actually we have a small ray of
hope in the vast darkness that is
your life, sir. Check this out.
On one of the 25-inch screens we see a terminal at LAX
with hundreds of people streaming by at 20x speed.
Torvalds is being apprehended. He freezes it.
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #1
See these two guys?
He points at two men watching this action from the
sideline. He pulls another monitor forward.
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #1
Now watch this...
He fast-forwards through the crowd until the two guys
show up again. He freezes it.
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #1
Recognize those two, same guys,
next day. Question is --
He slowly moves the action forward --
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #1
-- who's that?
The footage stops and zooms in on one of two travelers
who the two men are meeting.
(CONTINUED)
38A.
57 CONTINUED: (A1) 57
It is Stanley.
ROBERTS
Stanley Jobson...
The computer guys look at each other. One hands Roberts
an open copy of Wired magazine.
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #1
Wired's man of the year, 1996.
Pretty much a burnout but he was
the hacker zeitgeist of his day --
(CONTINUED)
39.
57 CONTINUED: 57
ROBERTS
I know who Jobson is. I busted
him.
(to Stan's image)
Why are you in L.A.?
Roberts looks at it. Then at the screen. A pop-up
screen shows Stanley's history.
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #1
His ex-wife lives in Malibu.
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #2
The new husband owns Backdoor
Films, a shady porn production
house in Chatsworth. Decent
production value but they only
shoot on video. His wife actually
starred in a couple of his videos.
Apparently she's an 'actress.'
Roberts moves the mouse to see Ginger.
ROBERTS
Who's the chick?
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #1
We don't know yet, sir.
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #2
Serious piece of talent.
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #3
Way outta his league. Something's
up.
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #2
You know he also has a ten-year-
old daughter, who he's not
supposed to see. Maybe that's why
he's here.
Roberts looks at him like he's an idiot.
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #2
Or maybe not.
ROBERTS
I want to know who that girl is.
Pronto.
Roberts stands.
ROBERTS
And stake out his daughter.
40.
58 EXT. GABRIEL'S HOUSE - POOL - NIGHT 58
The house is at the very top of the hills and the pool
hangs off the side of the cliff, way below the house.
The outer edge appears nonexistent, like the water hangs
frozen in air.
A very hip but very nasty soiree is in progress. More
Ibiza than Hollywood Hills.
Stanley sits in a chair beside a pool containing a half-
dozen beautiful un-clad model-types.
Gabriel is mingling through the crowd.
CLOSEUP - STANLEY
Stanley stares off into the glittering lights of L.A.
WIDEN.
GABRIEL
(smiles)
So Stan, tell me. How'd you do
it?
STANLEY
Do what?
GABRIEL
Break the code. At the club.
You broke the entire encryption, a
silencer against your eye and your
cock in someone's mouth, all in
less than sixty seconds. How?
STANLEY
I used a logic bomb, dropped it
through the trap door --
GINGER
No, you didn't. You didn't have
time.
GABRIEL
C'mon, you can do better than
that. How'd you do it?
STANLEY
I used a password sniffer.
Gabriel glances at Ginger who shakes her head.
GINGER
Uh uh.
(CONTINUED)
41.
58 CONTINUED: 58
STANLEY
Yes, I did --
GABRIEL
C'mon, Stanley. How'd-you-do-it?
STANLEY
I don't know exactly. I see the
numbers. In my head. All my
life. I don't answer equations, I
just see the answers. Same with
code. I can't explain ---
Ginger eases over to where Stan is sitting. She runs her
hands across his shoulders as she moves around him,
dancing to the MUSIC.
GINGER
Mozart always said he didn't write
music; he just wrote down what he
heard in his head. So did
Faulkner, just with words.
GABRIEL
(drinking wine)
You definitely have a gift, Stan.
The most powerful people on the
planet are like you. With a laptop
and a phone line you can make God
look like a thirteen-year-old
with a stack of Playboys and a
lack of imagination.
(beat)
C'mere, Stan, let me show you
something.
59 INT. GABRIEL'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 59
Stanley and Gabriel stand in Gabriel's primo designed
pad, staring at an array of supercomputers.
Stanley stands in front of the six huge flat panels,
linked together, in complete awe.
GABRIEL
Pretty impressive, huh.
(beat)
So...
STANLEY
So?
(CONTINUED)
42.
59 CONTINUED: 59
GABRIEL
Here's the deal. I need a worm,
Stanley. A hydra, actually. A
multi-headed worm to break an
encryption and then sniff out
latent digital footprints
throughout an encrypted network.
STANLEY
What kind of cypher?
GABRIEL
Vernam encryption.
STANLEY
A Vernam's impossible. Its key
code is destroyed upon
implementation. Not to mention
being a true 128 bit encryption.
GABRIEL
Actually, we're talking 512 bit.
STANLEY
It's impossible.
GABRIEL
Tell ya what, I'll pay you ten
million dollars. That should be
enough to get your daughter back...
(beat)
... unless of course it's impossible.
Stan thinks about it.
STANLEY
Nothing's impossible.
They shake hands and Gabriel heads toward the back of the
house.
LONG SHOT - GABRIEL
walking up the stairs toward his room.
Stan looks over to see Ginger staring at him.
STANLEY
What?
Ginger pulls herself up on the desk, spreading her legs
on either side of the keyboard.
(CONTINUED)
43.
59 CONTINUED: (2) 59
GINGER
C'mon, Stan. Let's get to work.
She turns on the computers. He backs away.
GINGER
It won't bite you, I promise.
STANLEY
I don't know. It's gonna be
pretty hard without a gun to my
head.
She reaches out and pulls him to her.
GINGER
Well, let's put a gun to your
head.
She kisses him and slowly he responds. She smiles.
GINGER
Tell me about your worm, Stanley.
They kiss.
GINGER
You surprised that a girl with
real breasts and an I.Q. over 70
can give you a hard-on?
Stan shakes his head.
STANLEY
I thought you were Gabriel's.
She looks at him a moment. She smiles at him and slowly
bends forward to whisper in his ear.
CLOSEUP - GINGER'S MOUTH
at Stanley's ear.
GINGER
(very slowly)
I am not what you think I am.
ANGLE ON GINGER AND STANLEY
As she leans back. She stares at him a moment then
slides off the desk.
(CONTINUED)
44.
59 CONTINUED: (3) 59
GINGER
You're a smart guy, Stanley. You
figure me out.
She hands him the bottle of expensive wine she's been
drinking, and then grabbing Stan by the belt-buckle,
pulls him casually behind her toward the pool house.
FADE TO BLACK.
FADE IN:
60 EXT. POOL - DAY 60
Lounging by the pool is none other than our heroine,
Ginger, topless, wearing nothing more than tiny, oblong,
green-tinted shades, a skimpy T-back, and a little silver
ring through her left nipple. She's reading Steven
Hawkings' A Brief History of Time. A shadow falls over
her.
The shadow moves. Ginger glances nonchalantly up, then:
GINGER
(sitting up,
grinning)
Don't you have that just-fucked-
the-neighbor's-cat look this
morning.
She reaches over, lights a cigarette, and inhales deeply.
He smiles, looking her up and down.
GINGER
Problem?
STANLEY
Pretty impressive.
GINGER
I thought we went over all that
last night.
STANLEY
(beat, then like
"stupid")
The book, Ginger.
GINGER
Ohhh.
(holding it out)
Look, no pictures. Get out of my
light.
(CONTINUED)
45.
60 CONTINUED: 60
They stare at each sharing a moment of God-only-knows-
what, then both break into smiles like two giddy seventh-
graders at the local skating rink.
Stanley nervously clears his throat. She's got him.
STANLEY
Can I borrow your car? There's
something I need to do.
She reaches down beside the chair, grabs her keys and
tosses them to him. Then:
GINGER
If you're going to see your
daughter, you might want to
reevaluate the way you look.
(goes back to
her book)
Just a thought.
He looks at her with open mouth amazement. In just 24
hours, she already knows what makes him tick.
She looks up from her book and winks at him, then returns
to her reading.
61 EXT. NEWTON MONTESSORI SCHOOL - DAY 61
A SCHOOL BELL RINGS and three hundred screaming kids of
all ages come running from the doors.
ANGLE ON HOLLY
Not your average ten-year-old. Even decked out in bell-
bottoms and sandals there is something about the way she
carries herself that is older; wiser; sadder.
She walks into a CLOSEUP and scans the driveway.
Reflected in her tiny, round lavender shades we see the
circular driveway of the school jam-packed with buses and
parental types in their M-series Mercedes and their Lexus
SUVs. She sighs. We CRANE UP, PANNING LEFT.
Holly walks to the edge of the street oblivious to the
mayhem. She looks up and down the street then slowly
drops her backpack and sits down on the curb. She pulls
a well-worn copy of William Gibson's Neuromancer from her
backpack, and turns up the raging ELECTRONICA from her
WALKMAN.
DISSOLVE TO:
46.
62 SAME SCENE - LATER 62
Now there is much less pandemonium. No more buses. We
CRANE DOWN TO a MEDIUM of Holly still in the exact same
spot. Holly sighs, pulls back her headphones and grabs
her StarTac from her backpack. She opens the phone and
dials.
63 INT. MALIBU HOUSE - DAY 63
The PHONE RINGS and we PAN AROUND the seemingly empty
house, finally COMING TO REST ON the back of the couch.
We JIB UP and TILT DOWN. Melissa is passed out in a pool
of her own drool. The PHONE continues to RING.
47.
64 EXT. NEWTON MONTESSORI SCHOOL - DAY 64
Holly hits the phone and then presses speed dial. We see
"Yellow Cab" scroll across the phone. She hits "SEND."
MAN (O.S.)
Can I give you a lift?
HOLLY
Look, creep, I don't think so --
She stands up, ready for a fight. And there, next to her
is her father; transformed. Under his arm is a three-
foot-tall stuffed giraffe wrapped with a big red bow.
HOLLY
Daddy?
(recognition)
Daddy!
She runs to him and wraps her arms around him.
STANLEY
Hey, sweetheart.
HOLLY
Daddy... What are you doing here?
I missed you so much.
STANLEY
Me too, baby. I brought you
something.
He holds the stuffed giraffe to her.
HOLLY
Oh, Daddy. If Mom finds out
you're here she's gonna have you
thrown back in jail.
STANLEY
It's okay, baby. Let me give you
a ride home.
He grabs her stuff.
STANLEY
C'mon.
He walks toward Ginger's silver Mercedes CLK which he's
borrowing. Holly runs and jumps on his back. They laugh
as he carries her to the car.
48.
65 EXT. MALIBU HOUSE - DAY 65
They sit in the CLK, parked down the street from Holly's
house.
STANLEY
You believe in me, right?
HOLLY
Of course, but --
STANLEY
I've found a way to get you back,
sweetheart. It's my one shot and
I'm taking it. Just give me a
couple of days.
HOLLY
(crying)
I don't want anything else to
happen to you, Dad.
STANLEY
Holly, everything's going to be
okay. You just have to trust me.
HOLLY
(crying)
I love you, Daddy.
Holly quickly kisses him, jumps out and runs, crying,
from the car at full speed, with the giraffe.
Stanley, tears rolling down his face, slaps the steering
wheel, trying to figure out how he screwed up his life so
badly.
Suddenly, the passenger door opens and a man in a DARK
BLUE SUIT and fed-issued shades gets in.
STANLEY
Who the fuck are you?
DARK SUIT #1
(flipping out
his badge)
Friend of a friend. Let's take a
ride.
He motions toward a black Taurus, now parked across the
street. In the back, he sees a face he recognizes.
(CONTINUED)
49.
65 CONTINUED: 65
CLOSEUP ON ROBERTS
BACK TO STAN
STANLEY
Shit...
The man kinda smiles at Stan.
DARK SUIT #1
(being a dick)
Gotta suck to be you.
STANLEY
Yep.
Stanley whacks the fed with his elbow across the bridge
of his nose and jumps out of the car.
INT. TAURUS
Stan runs across the hood of the Taurus and just jumps
over the railing.
66 EXT. SHEER CLIFF - DAY 66
We realize what Stan did probably wasn't the smartest
move in the world. The cliff is just barely on this side
of 90 degrees and drops off about five hundred yards
straight down to the PCH.
Stan falls in SLOW MOTION about thirty feet before the
cliff face angles out enough to break his fall. He begins
a combination of sliding and tumbling down the bluff.
67 EXT. MALIBU HOUSE (STREET) - DAY 67
Roberts runs to the railing and sees Stanley sliding/
falling down the hill.
(CONTINUED)
50.
67 CONTINUED: 67
ROBERTS
(to his men)
Cut him off at the bottom.
Roberts then hops the railing, as his men scramble for
the car.
68 EXT. SHEER CLIFF - DAY 68
Roberts hangs in mid-air a moment, then he too begins the
rolling fall down the hill.
ANGLE ON STANLEY
as he tries to keep his balance, is being beaten and
battered by the sharp, rocky ground.
Finally, he shoots off an outcropping and free-falls for
fifteen feet. Then it really gets bad.
Clear plastic sheeting has been stretched across the hill
to help control the erosion. To Stanley however, it is
the world's largest Slip and Slide.
He is no longer able to control, even badly, his descent.
Now, he is flying down the cliff face, only the rocks and
bushes that slam into his body, slows the descent.
Roberts, above him, is doing little better.
LONG SHOT ON CLIFF FACE
As Stan and Roberts slide toward the eight lanes of
blazing afternoon traffic on the PCH.
Finally, Stan bounces onto the black-top road. He runs
headlong into the traffic.
CARS SCREECH, HORNS BLARING, as they slide into each
other. Stanley does not lose the single-minded focus of
escaping.
Roberts, now at the bottom himself, watches as a CAR
SLIDES sideways into Stan, flipping him over it. Stan,
not stopping to feel the pain, runs across the hood of a
freshly-stopped car.
51.
69 EXT. BEACH - DAY 69
On the other side, Stan runs down to the beach and runs
down the sand at full-tilt, looking for any escape route.
Roberts has made up some time due to the auto-pedestrian
accident which slowed him down a little. Stan however is
faster.
Stan does his best Jerry Rice, as he runs down the beach
at full speed.
Suddenly, the Taurus comes tearing-ass across the beach
at Stanley. Stan veers, now running through the surf.
The Taurus veers as well, and Stan is forced to slide
across the hood to keep from getting whacked. The Taurus
breaks left, and slides further into the surf.
The FBI driver hits the accelerator and bogs the Taurus
down, tires spinning, throwing sand. Stan continues to
run as Roberts makes it to the Taurus.
ROBERTS
Fuck this.
He pulls his .40 CAL. from his shoulder holster and FIRES
it into the air. Roberts bends over trying to catch his
breath.
Stanley stops, putting his hands up.
DARK SUIT #2
Why didn't you do that earlier,
sir?
Roberts looks at the agent.
DARK SUIT #2
Sorry, sir.
ROBERTS
Go get him.
Three of the agents bring Stanley over.
Stan slides down by the back wheel.
ROBERTS
What are you doing in L.A., Stan?
STANLEY
(catching his
breath)
Vacationing...
(CONTINUED)
52.
69 CONTINUED: 69
ROBERTS
Why were you running? We just
wanted to talk.
STANLEY
Are you arresting me?
ROBERTS
For violating your parole by
leaving Texas without permission
or for evading a federal agent and
almost getting me killed in the
process?
Stan just looks at him.
ROBERTS
No, I'm not.
STANLEY
Then why are we talking?
ROBERTS
Didn't know the court lifted the
sanction preventing you from
seeing your daughter.
STANLEY
Fuck you.
ROBERTS
You just want to cut through the
pleasantries and get down to
business? Fine. I can help you
with your daughter, Stan. Help
me, I'll help you.
STANLEY
You'll have to forgive me, the
fact that you put me in jail for
18 months doesn't inspire a lot of
trust.
ROBERTS
Whether I agreed with what you did
or not, you broke the law,
Stanley.
STANLEY
I guess we were both doing what we
had to. This was a nice trip down
memory lane, but if you're not
arresting me...
(CONTINUED)
53.
69 CONTINUED: (2) 69
ROBERTS
So, why was it you are in L.A.
again?
STANLEY
I told you --
ROBERTS
-- vacationing. That's right. Ya
know it's funny. Axl Torvalds was
just here for a vacation, too.
Isn't it odd that the two best
hackers in the world are here at
the same time.
STANLEY
I'm a sucker for Disneyland.
(getting up)
Tell Torvalds I said hello.
ROBERTS
If you're not careful you can tell
him yourself. He's dead.
Stanley looks at Roberts.
ROBERTS
(to his men)
Give him a card.
They do. Stan looks at it.
ROBERTS
In case you think of anything else
you want to tell me.
Stan turns to walk off.
STANLEY
(to the agent
he elbowed)
Sorry about your nose.
ROBERTS
Hey, Stan.
Stan turns.
ROBERTS
You know, you're in way over your
head here.
(CONTINUED)
54.
69 CONTINUED: (3) 69
STANLEY
(walking off)
I know.
ROBERTS
It's a long walk back up the hill,
Stanley. You want us to give you
a lift?
Stan lifts his middle finger behind him and begins the
long journey back up the hill. Roberts collapses into
the passenger seat.
ROBERTS
Follow him.
RANDOM AGENT
Yessir.
CLOSEUP ON ROBERTS
watching Stan walk away.
CUT TO:
70 INT. GABRIEL'S HOUSE - GINGER'S ROOM - DAY 70
Ginger walks in and closes the door. She walks over to
the dresser and takes off her earrings. Then she reaches
under her dress and unVelcros the modified 10mm. Glock
and its thigh holster, dropping it on the dresser. She
then pulls off the hip, little designer dress she is
wearing, revealing the fact that she is wearing a tiny
transmitting receiver taped between her breasts.
She stares at herself in the mirror for a moment, then
slowly starts to untape the bug.
STANLEY (O.S.)
I have to hand it to you, Ginger.
You look good wearing anything.
Even a wire.
Ginger grabs her Glock and spins around, the holster
dropping away with the touch of a button.
She levels it on the dark corner of the room where
Stanley sits waiting, drinking a bottle of Gabriel's
expensive wine.
STANLEY
You gonna kill me?
(CONTINUED)
55.
70 CONTINUED: 70
GINGER
I'm thinking.
(beat)
What are you doing here, Stanley?
STANLEY
I should probably ask you the same
question.
He leans forward into the light.
GINGER
What happened to you?
STANLEY
Little accident.
(tossing her
her keys)
Sorry about your car. I've had a
pretty shitty day so far. Looks
like it just got worse.
(beat)
Who are you, Ginger?
GINGER
I can't tell you.
STANLEY
(incredulous)
You can't tell me? Well, that's
just fuckin' peachy.
GINGER
Think, Stanley.
STANLEY
(loudly)
Who are you?
GINGER
He'll kill me.
CUT TO:
INT. HALLWAY
Gabriel walking down hallway.
(CONTINUED)
56.
70 CONTINUED: (2) 70
INT. GABRIEL HOUSE - GINGER'S ROOM - DAY
STANLEY
That's not my problem, is it?
You're asking for a lot of faith
here, Ging, without givin' me any.
You --
GINGER
-- Stanley --
STANLEY
-- brought me into this mess --
GINGER
(pleadingly)
-- Stanley --
STANLEY
-- I deserve to know who's playing
me, Ginger.
(hitting each word)
Who the fuck are you?
CUT TO:
INT. HALLWAY - ANGLE ON GABRIEL
nearing Ginger's room.
INT. GABRIEL'S HOUSE - GINGER'S ROOM - DAY
GINGER
(quietly)
I'm D.E.A., Stanley.
Stan and Ginger hold a moment, as:
GABRIEL (O.S.)
Ginger...?
Stanley, in one quick thinking movement, rips the wire
from Ginger's chest and flings it behind the bed just as
the door swings open. Gabriel stands staring at them.
Ginger topless, weapon in hand and Stanley who looks like
he had the shit kicked out of him.
Ginger and Stanley both stare at him.
GABRIEL
Well, Ging, doesn't this look
friendly.
(CONTINUED)
56A.
70 CONTINUED: (2A) 70
GINGER
I'm a friendly girl.
Stanley looks at Ginger for a beat.
STANLEY
Actually...
Ginger stares at Stanley, who turns to look at Gabriel.
Gabriel looks at Stan, waiting.
STANLEY
Thought maybe you'd like to see me
get you your hydra.
GABRIEL
Get?
(CONTINUED)
57.
70 CONTINUED: (3) 70
Stan walks toward Gabriel.
STANLEY
C'mon.
Gabriel walks into the hall. Stanley looks back at
Ginger who mouths the words "Thank you." Stanley ignores
her. Ginger reaches down and grabs a shirt off the bed.
GABRIEL (O.S.)
You look like shit. Ginger kick
your ass?
STANLEY (O.S.)
(deadpan)
Funny.
Ginger sighs and tosses her gun onto the bed, then
follows them.
71 INT. GABRIEL'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY 71
Stanley, looking a little rough, sits in front of the
huge array of flat-panels. He works quickly. The
nitrogen system, an array of hoses winding across the
living room floor, intermittently SHOOTS JETS of GAS
upwards, dropping the temperature to a livable 85
degrees. Gabriel sits next to Stan.
Ginger walks in. She stands behind Stan as he works.
GINGER
Miss me?
STANLEY
Terribly.
COMPUTER
The screen shows the MIT University logo. Then "ACCESS
DENIED." His fingers work the keyboard.
CUT TO:
72 INT. MIT BASEMENT - NIGHT 72
As he talks, we TRACK DOWN an old, concrete stairwell and
down a long, dank hallway.
(CONTINUED)
58.
72 CONTINUED: 72
STANLEY (V.O.)
My senior year at M.I.T., I
created the source code for the
worm that I've been using for
years.
We TRACK AROUND a corner.
STANLEY (V.O.)
In the basement and through a file
room is the only P.D.P.-10 still
active and on the internet,
although only a few people know
this. It's an I.T.S. machine and
kept online just for historical
sake. I hid my worm inside it
where no one would ever think to
look.
We DOLLY INTO a CLOSEUP ON a large, ominous, dark
mainframe.
73 CLOSEUP ON STANLEY'S FINGER 73
hitting a key.
74 ANGLE ON PDP-10 74
as it HUMS TO LIFE.
75 CLOSEUP ON COMPUTER SCREEN 75
as it fills with lines of code.
ANGLE ON STAN
who turns around, a cocky grin on his face, like a proud
parent, she smiles at him.
Gabriel walks in.
STANLEY
Now I just have to modify the
code.
GINGER
He's fucking amazing.
GABRIEL
Yes he is.
(CONTINUED)
59.
75 CONTINUED: 75
She runs her hand affectionately across the side of his
head and walks out.
GABRIEL
I see you have a groupie.
STANLEY
(ignoring that)
You know, it'd be a lot simpler if
you would tell me exactly what the
hydra is going to be used for?
PUSH IN ON Gabriel as he thinks about it.
76 INT. LAMBORGHINI - MOVING - DAY 76
GABRIEL
Have you heard of Operation
Swordfish?
STANLEY
Nope.
77 EXT. STARBUCKS - DAY 77
The Lamborghini pulls up in front of a Starbucks.
GABRIEL
You'll appreciate the irony
here --
Gabriel gets out of the car, still talking. Stanley
follows.
GABRIEL
-- In the early Eighties the
D.E.A. set up a network of dummy
corporations as a government front
to launder drug money and gather
evidence. Problem is, the front
companies started making money.
Lots of money. By 1986, when
Operation Swordfish was
terminated, there was close to 400
million dollars in the D.E.A.'s
accounts.
78 INT. STARBUCKS - DAY 78
Gabriel and Stanley walk through the door and sit down at
a window table.
(CONTINUED)
60.
78 CONTINUED: 78
STANLEY
Money that just sorta disappeared.
GABRIEL
It didn't disappear. It just sat
in those accounts earning interest,
it's been 15 years. You have any
concept how much money we'd be
actually talking about today?
Billions, brother. That's nine
zeros.
(beat)
Look, this is a sweet deal. We
go in over phone lines. Pop the
firewall, drop in the hydra, and
just sit back and wait for the
money.
STANLEY
Before we can tap into the secure
cluster, you have to find one of
the banks on the backbone of this
network. Do you know how many
banks there are in the U.S.? It
could take years.
GABRIEL
No problem.
(beat)
Look behind you, Stan.
Stanley turns and looks out the window. They are sitting
directly across from the World Banc.
79 EXT. GABRIEL'S HOUSE - LONG SHOT 79
Gabriel and Stanley walk toward the house. The CAMERA
PANS LEFT and we can now see Gabriel's house, poolside.
We PULL BACK, THROUGH a window INTO:
80 INT. TRAILER - DAY 80
A small trailer across the canyon from Gabriel's house.
ROBERTS
Who is he?
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #1
We don't know that yet, sir.
(CONTINUED)
61.
80 CONTINUED: 80
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #2
There's definitely something going
on. There are two T-5 trunks
going into the house. That's
serious bandwidth. Thermal scopes
indicate a huge heat-load in the
main living area. Could be from
mainframes, although they must
have a genny 'cause power
consumption is right on par.
FBI AGENT #1
Some of these fellows might be
dressed in Armani, but they
definitely have the swagger of ex-
military. Maybe bodyguards but
they seem more like mercs to me.
FBI COMPUTER GEEK #1
From here we're having trouble
pinning any of them down. Sure
would be nice to task a satellite,
sir.
ROBERTS
I'm working on it. Send what you
have up-lines, maybe we'll have
one by the end of the week.
Roberts walks out of the trailer.
80A INT. GABRIEL'S HOUSE - DAY 80A
Stanley works at the computer.
80B INT. TRAILER - DAY 80B
Roberts looks out the window through a camera with a huge
lens.
80C LONG LENS POV 80C
Gabriel stands by the pool, his BACK TOWARD US. Slowly,
Gabriel turns around. He is staring directly AT US.
80D INT. TRAILER - DAY 80D
Roberts instinctively jerks his head up. Slowly he looks
back into the eyepiece.
(CONTINUED)
62.
80D CONTINUED: 80D
ROBERTS
Who the hell is that?
He presses the switch and the CAMERA'S SHUTTER WHIRLS.
81 INT. SENATOR REISMAN'S HOUSE (WASHINGTON D.C.) - DAY 81
KAPLAN
Senator.
SENATOR REISMAN
Close the door.
He does.
KAPLAN
We have a problem.
(walking toward desk)
Look at these.
Kaplan spreads out the surveillance photos on the desk.
The Senator looks up at Kaplan.
82 OMITTED 82
83 INT. REISMAN'S HOUSE - DAY 83
Reisman, who now stands in a windowless room. The only
furniture is a desk on which rests a small laptop and
what appears to be a speaker. An OPERATOR sits at the
desk, while Kaplan hovers in the b.g.
REISMAN
We have him yet?
COMMUNICATION (OPERATOR)
He's coming online now, sir.
Ready.
As Reisman speaks the Communication guy types.
REISMAN
We have a problem --
84 INT. GABRIEL'S HOUSE - DAY 84
Gabriel and Marco sit at the same type of apparatus, a
merc at the laptop. Reisman's dialogue comes out of the
SPEAKER, but it is no longer Reisman, it is a
COMPUTERIZED VOICE.
(CONTINUED)
63.
84 CONTINUED: 84
REISMAN (V.O.)
-- Seems you have gotten yourself
in a predicament.
GABRIEL
I'm not exactly following you.
85 INT. REISMAN'S HOUSE - DAY 85
REISMAN
Transfer the pictures.
86 INT. GABRIEL'S HOUSE - DAY 86
Gabriel looks at the surveillance photos as they come up.
We INTERCUT as they speak.
GABRIEL
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