Birdman Page #6

JAKEHow do you know?

LESLIEBecause he said he'd want to do it.

JAKEYes!

RIGGANJake. Hang on a minute.

JAKE(to Riggan)

Ask me if he sells tickets.

RIGGANDoes he sell tickets?

JAKEA shitload of tickets. Now ask me if the

critics like him?

RIGGANDo they like him?

JAKEThey want to spooge on him.

RIGGAN(Indicating Lesley.)

Hey.

JAKELeslie...

LESLIERight on his face.

JAKEEverything for a reason, right?

RIGGANYou think he'll be able to come tonight?

LESLEYI can call him and find out.

Riggan gives Jake a look.

JAKEI'll call his agent.

Jake charges out of the room. The camera follows him into...

10/29/14 / 16.

INT. HALLWAY - THEATER - CONTINUOUS66...the hallway and as Jake makes a left turn, Annie enters from

the right.

JAKEAnnie, turn the work lights on and get me a

fresh copy of the script. We’re gonna have

a “put in” tonight.

ANNIEWho?

JAKEYou’ll find out...

Jake disappears down the hall and we follow Annie through the

theater and onto...

INT. STAGE - THEATER - EVENING77...the stage, where she turns some of the stage work lights on.

We pan along the stage until we find Riggan, wearing the same

clothes as before, scanning the empty auditorium.

MIKE (O.S.)

Intimidating. Isn't it?

Riggan sees Mike Shiner (39) coming down the aisle, slovenly

dressed with mussed hair and intense eyes.

MIKE (CONT’D)

Do you have any idea who walked these

boards before you?

(Beat.)

Geraldine Page, Marlon Brando,

Helen Hayes, Jason Robards... And

now you. Riggan Thomson.

Riggan, trying to hide the intimidation.

RIGGANThanks for coming on such short notice,

Mike. I appreciate it.

MIKEHey. This is what we do.

(Indicates a script.)

So, you wrote this adaptation?

RIGGANI did.

10/29/14 / 17.

(CONTINUED)

MIKEAnd you're directing the adaptation and

starring...

RIGGANI am.

MIKEAmbitious.

RIGGANThank you.

A sly smile from Mike. He leaps onto the stage.

MIKEWhy don't we do a bit of it?

RIGGANHey, I wasn't expecting you to--

MIKEFirst preview is tomorrow, right?

RIGGANYeah, but you can go on with the script

until you feel comfortable--

MIKELet's just do some of it.

Riggan tries to hide his excitement. He grabs the script from a

nearby table and walks it over to Mike.

RIGGANTake a look at page twenty--

MIKEYeah. I don't need that.

RIGGANWhat?

MIKEI don't need the script. Just give me a

cue.

RIGGANWhat are you talking about?

MIKEFeed me a line.

RIGGANI don’t-- What?

10/29/14 / 18.

(CONTINUED)

MIKEFeed. Me. A line.

Riggan drops the script and begins the scene.

RIGGAN“I'm the wrong person to ask. I didn't

know the man. I've only heard his name

mentioned in passing. I wouldn't know.

You'd have to know the particulars. But

I think what you're saying is that love

is absolute.”

Mike stares at Riggan, hyper-focused.

MIKE(Ruminating.)

Am I saying that love is absolute?

(He transforms.)

"Yeah. The kind of love I'm talking about

is. The kind of love I'm talking about you--

"

(An intense pause.)

Well, you don't try to kill people.

Riggan is transfixed, and almost immediately intimidated.

RIGGANHow do you know the lines?

MIKEI have a thing, a whatever, a gift.

(A beat.) Come on, I helped Lesley get

off book. Hey, give me that cue again.

RIGGAN"I'm the wrong person to ask. I didn't

know the man. I've only heard his name

mentioned in passing. I wouldn't know.

You'd have to know the particulars. But

I think what you're saying is--”

MIKEOkay, can I-- Do you mind if I--

RIGGANNo, go ahead.

MIKEFollow me. He says, "I'm the wrong

person to ask." What's his intention?

Is he fed up with the topic?

Deflecting? Guilt about his wife maybe?

Then four sentences all say the same

thing... "I didn't even know the man."

10/29/14 / 19.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

Rate this script:4.8 / 5 votes