Michael Clayton Page #3

MARTY:

Here’s what I know: your deadline wastwenty minutes ago, so either you’refishing for a story or trying to getout of writing a retraction. In either

case, I wish you well...best of luck...

(as he hangs up--)

...sweet dreams.

BARRY:

So?

MARTY:

(scanning the room)

Where the f*** is Karen Crowder?

INT. LAW FIRM LADIES ROOM -- NIGHT

A CORPORATE LOGO -- embossed on a high-quality, Kevlar,

travel tote:

u/north

“we grow your world together”

THE U/NORTH BAG on a shelf above a row of sinks. Water

running. But no one there. Stalls in the mirror and --

INT. LADIES ROOM STALL -- NIGHT

KAREN CROWDER sitting fully dressed on the john. She is

Senior In-House Counsel for the largest agricultural/chemicalsupply manufacturer on the planet. She is hiding here. She

is trying to fight off a panic attack using a breathingexercise she read about in an airline magazine. As we hear:

ARTHUR EDENS (V.O.)

...even this, Michael -- even now --

that you’re here -- there’s a reason,

a reason it’s you -- every reason --

surely you can sense that -- how itpulls together -- how it gathers --

Nurse Michael -- Secret Hero -- Keeperof the Hidden Sins -- tell me you cansee that, Michael, for God’s sake...

INT. CHINATOWN CARD ROOM -- NIGHT

MICHAEL CLAYTON’S FACE -- A PHOTOGRAPH laminated onto a

Kenner, Bach & Ledeen ID card -- FILLS OUR FRAME. It’s a

man’s face. Son of a second-generation cop’s face. Father

of a ten-year-old boy’s face. A face women like more than

they know why. The good soldier’s face. THE ID CARD justone of several objects sitting at the bottom of a shittyplastic basket. Also here: one roll of breath mints, two

mobile phones, business cards, too many keys on a Mercedessecurity pendant keychain, and one heavy-duty steel Rolex.

PULL BACK TO REVEAL

THREE OTHER BASKETS ON THE TABLE. Three other sets of

personal objects. A SMALL HOLSTERED GUN in one of the

collections. A stack of empty baskets to the side.

WE’RE IN

A CHINATOWN CASINO. A basement hideaway on a dead night.

TWO BORED CHINESE BOUNCERS sitting with the plastic basketsbeside a walk-through metal detector. Only one of the room’sten tables is lit tonight. In the background, a CantoneseAnnouncer calling the first race at Happy Valley and --

MICHAEL CLAYTON glancing at his four hole cards. Four upcards in the middle of the table. The game is Pot LimitOmaha and the eyes are weary tonight.

MICHAEL:

Check.

THE DEALER is Chinese and all business -- looking to -

PLAYER #2

(Dominican dude)

I go like that. Check.

PLAYER #3 has a bad toupee and a plumber’s flashroll -

PLAYER #3/PLUMBER

(peeling off twenties)

Half the pot. Two hundred.

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