Space Cowboys

Description

By Ken Kaufman and Howard Klausner

Informations

• Publié par: script-cinema
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• Licence : En savoir +
  Paternité, pas d'utilisation commerciale, partage des conditions initiales à l'identique
• Langue: English

Extrait

SPA

CE

COWBOYS

Writtenby
KENKAUFMANandHOWARDKLAUSNER

May1999Draft

FOREDUCATIONAL
PURPOSESONLY

MANUALMILITARYTYPEWRITER

hammersoutascreennarration:

SUPERIMPOSE:OCTOBER,1958.

ThesuccessfullaunchofSputnikIhas
startedrumorsthatmannedspaceflight
isayearawayfortheSovietUnion.The
UnitedStateshasassumedthetitanic
challengeof"Takingthehighgroundof
   space."

EXT.USAFPROVINGGROUND(CALIFORNIAHIGHDESERT)-DAY

ASONICBOOMinthecrystalbluedesertsky.Amodified
BellLabsX-2UltrasonicJET--basicallyarocketwith
stubbywingsthatlookmorelikevestigialfins--
SCREAMSupwards,an80degreeclimbintospace.Onits
sideisstylishlypainted"Daedalus."

INT.X-JET-CLOSEONALTIMETER-THATMOMENT

108,999FEET...THE"999's"rollover.

Thepilot'svoicestrainswiththeG-forcesandthinoxygen.

PILOT(V.O.)
109,000.Comeon,Frank,let's
pokeournoseintospace.

ThepilotisMajorWILLIAM"HAWK"HAWKINS,26.In
theseatbehindhimisMAJORFRANKCORVIN,29.Bothwear
bulkypressuresuitsandspacehelmets.

FRANK
No.That'senough,Hawk.We're
approachingheatbarrier.Let's
leveloff.
(intohisradio)
RecoverOne,thisisFalcon.
Beginningdescentnow.

INT.AIRFORCEB--THATMOMENT

TwelvemilesbelowtheX-2.Barrel-chested,buzz-cutted
Captain"TANK"SULLIVANisatthecontrols.

TANK
Roger,Daedalus.Gotyouonthe
scope,Frank.

Tanksharpenstheradarblip.Ashedoes,weseea
plastichulagirlnoptnemurtsniehtncing"anel"da

frenetically.

INT.X--THATMOMENT

Thealtimeterhits110,000.FrankandHawkarebreathing
harder.

HAWK
Bingo.110,000thfloor,ladies'
lingerie.

TheDRONEoftherocketMOTORHESITATES--ananosecond
atmost--thenRESUMESasnormal.

FRANK
Youcatchthat,Hawk?

Hawkisinthezone,listeningandfeelingtheairplane.

Hawk!

FRANK

EXT.DESERTGROUNDBELOW--THATMOMENT

CaptainJERRYO'NEILLsitsoutsideaUSAFtruckinfront
ofaradarscreenreadingaPlayboymagazine.Hereads
thecopyaloudtohimself.

JERRY
MissSeptember,herselfa
promisingstudentpilot,hasa
particularweaknessforstructural
engineerswithPh.D.'sinastro-
physics.

HeslowlymovesthePlayboyawayandseesascorpion
climbinghisbareankle.Herollsupthemagazine
tightly,holdsitabovethescorpion,readytoswatit.
Helooksatthescorpion...helooksatMissSeptember's
smilingfaceandairbrushed-breast...

Hecan'tdoit,hecan'tsullythisredheadedvision:He
calmlygrabsthescorpionbyitsstingertailandflings
it.Hawk'svoicecracklesovertheRADIO.

HAWK(V.O.)
She'salright,she'stalkingtome.
Youtrustme,don'tyou,Frank?

JERRY
Uhoh...herewegoagain.

INT.X--THATMOMENT

THROUGHthecanopy--thehorizon--theblueturnsto

2.

black.HawkandFrankaretouchingouterspace.

Frank,look.

HAWK

ThefullmoonisrisingoverthecurvatureoftheEarth.

HAWK
(calm,farawayvoice)
That'swherewe'regoing.Idon't
knowhow,Idon'tknowwhen...

Franklooksupfromthegaugesatthehorizon.Heis
mesmerized,speechless.Hawkstartstosing.Awesome
pilot,lousysinger.

HAWK
Flymetothemoonandletmeplay
amongthestars--

Franklooksoutthewindowatthemoon.TheROCKETMOTOR
HESITATESAGAIN,SPUTTERSandGOESSILENT.Allthegauges
droptozero.Enginefailure.Frankisjoltedbackto
reality.

HolyGod.

FRANK

AllwehearistheWINDbuffetingtheplaneandtheeerie
soundoftheplane'sairframeandbodyskinCREAKING.
Hawkworksfranticallytorestarttheengine,tryingto
jokethroughit.

HAWK
Hey,Frank,wannagetoutand
gimmeapush?

FRANK
Sonofabitch!

They'renosingover,beginningwhateverypilotdreads
most--aflatspin.ThecockpitALARMSOUNDS.

HAWK
Wehavetoeject.

FRANK
At112,000feet?!Areyououtta
yourmind?!

HAWK
We'renotgonnaridethisthingout.
CallMayday--we'repopping!

FRANK
(gaspingforair)
Wearenot...losing...another...
ship!

3.

EXT.X--THATMOMENT

Spinningwildly,plummetingtowardsground.Theright
wingshuddersandripsaway--theplaneinvertsinits
spin.

INT.X--THATMOMENT

HAWK
Don'tthinkaboutit,Frank.Just
doit.I'mgonnacountdownto
one.Ready?One!

HawkyankstheT-handle.TheexplosiveBOLTSBLOWthe
canopyoff.Twoscreams,oneofterror,oneofjoy,
astheyeject,thesupersonicwindhittingthemlikea
truck.

FrankandHawkareinfreefall--22milesoverthe
desert.Approachingthespeedofsound,theyscream
towardsEarth.Frankisparalyzedinastillfall.

Hawktumblesandsoarslikehisnamesake,livingevery
man'sultimatefantasy--pureflight.Sidebyside,he
seemsknarFtnuatotouabsieflehast.Frankpullsihs
ripcordat22,000,arrestinghisfall.Hawkkeepsright
ongoing.

EXT.GROUND-THATMOMENT

Jerry,binocularstrainedskyward,seesFrank'sparachute
deployOMBOginerndhutehtsraehehtnethemomexactlyta
oftheplanecrashingintothedesertfloor,

JERRY
That'sgottabeFrank...but
where'sHawk?

EXT.SKY-THATMOMENT

Hawkissoaring,spinning,laughingandscreaming,
ignoringthegroundcomingupquick.

INT.B--THATMOMENT

TanksearchesthroughthewindscreenforHawk,when
Hawk aiflngli-a-sh,flaly-realeef--rfrgilasltaspht
thecockpitwindshield,startlingTank.

Whooashit!!

TANK

4.

Hebanksthehugeplanehardlefttoavoidhittinghim.
Tankgrimlytakesthedancinghulagirloffthe
instrumentpanel,replacesherwithaplasticdashboard
Jesus.

EXT.SKY-HAWK

Onethousandfeet--Machoneplus.Sluggish,lethargic,
almostout.Hewillshiseyesopentoseetheground
comingupmightyfastandpullsthecord;thechute
releases.Agut-wrenchingforcenearlyyankshimoutof
theharnessasheispulledskyward--700mphtozeroin
threeseconds.Heopenshisfaceplate,gulpingair,
laughinglikeaschoolboy.

EXT.GROUND-THATMOMENT

Jerrylaughs,relieved,whenheseesthesecondchute.
Heclimbsintothetruck,tossesthePlayboyasideand
STARTStheENGINE.

JERRY
Crazysonofabitchalmostmade
likeabugonawindshield.

Hawktouchesdowneasily.Hefallsbackonhischute,
elated.

EXT.EDWARDSAIRFORCEBASE-THATMOMENT

Establishing.

INT.OFFICE-DAY

CUTTO:

TheofficeofMajorBOBGERSON,AirForceSpecial
ProjectsAdministrator.Only27,Gersonalreadyhasthe
lookofapolishedbureaucrat.Helooksoutthe
panoramicwindowbehindhisdeskatathick,blackcolumn
ofsmokerisingabovethedesert--obviouslythe
experimentalX-2.SIRENSaudible.

Hislookisneitheralarmnorconcern.Hestudiesthe
scenecoldlyandobjectivelylikeascientist.Andhis
eyesseemtosmile,asthoughthisisnorealcatastrophe
tohim.

EXT.DESERT-THATMOMENT

CUTTO:

AsFrankdescends,heliftshisfaceplateandlooksout

5.

at--

Acolumnofblacksmokeonthehorizon--wheretheX-2
crashed.

Franktouchesdown--notquiteasgracefulorelatedas
Hawk.Matteroffact,hetumblesover,caughtinthe
chuteandrigging.Alookofsingle-mindedrevengeon
hisface,drawotsergFsmihflednarahckanhaunesrnsse
Hawkawkwardlyinhisstiff,cumbersomepressuresuit.
Hawksitsup,howlswithjoy.

HAWK
112,000andIfeelfine!Let'sdo
itagain,Frank!

FrankpunchesHawkthroughtheopenfaceplateofhis
helmet,knockinghimoffhisfeet.

FRANK
Youalwayshavetopushthingsto
theirlimit,don'tyou?

HAWK
That'swhatIdobest,Frank.

Frankdivesonhim,theylockupinafight.Jerryjumps
outofthejust-arrivingtruck,anddivesintothemelee,
tryingtopullthemapart.

INT.BOBGERSON'SOUTEROFFICE-LATERTHATDAY

CUTTO:

Frankenters,literallyhatinhand.Hawkfollowshim
in,hatstillonhishead.Frankswipesitoff,shoves
itintohishands.ThedutysergeantopensGerson's
door.

INT.GERSON'SOFFICE-CONTINUOUSACTION

Theyenter,Gersonfacesouthispanoramicwindow--we
canstillseethesmokefromthebrushfirecausedbythe
crashoftheX-2.

GERSON
IsthatsmokeIsmell?Lookslike
afireoutbyRidgecrest.

FRANK
WecrashedtheX-2.

GERSON
Myfour-milliondollarX-2?Is
thattheX-2you're