Written by LAWRENCE KASDAN Clean Shooting ... - …

1 THE BODYGUARDW ritten by LAWRENCE KASDANC lean Shooting DraftFebruary 1992 FOR EDUCATIONALPURPOSES ONLYSCREEN IS BLACKIn the darkness we hear dripping water, the echoingapproach of two sets of footsteps. There is the sound ofa sudden, quick scuffle, a heavy fall of BOOMING GUNSHOTS. Two from one gun, one fromanother. So fast and close, they're barely distinguish-able. The sound of the SHOTS ECHOES against concretewalls and dies away. , SLOW, FADE IN:1 INT. UNDERGROUND GARAGE (NEW YORK) - NIGHT1 FRANK FARMER'S FACE -mid to late 30s, peers intently over a smoking gun. Heis The - HIT MANdead on his feet, leans against a car. A gun dropsheavily from his hand. His life ebbs as he slides slowlydown the car door to his knees then falls forward, facedown on the cement SLOW PULL BACK reveals that FRANK is lying on top ofKLINGMAN. Protectively pressed body to body on thefilthy cement floor of the garage. Klingman, a handsome,50-year-old arbitrageur, gasps in barely controlled fearas his Armani suit soaks up a black pool of oil.

2 Thereis no two men are lying near the right front fender of ablack limousine. Blood spreads from the body of the hitman, a few yards away. Klingman starts to raise himselfup but Farmer keeps him pressed to the floor, stillalert for any further TITLES beat, and VOICES are heard Farmer wheels, snub-nosed .357 aimed at !ANGLE - DOORWAY TO GARAGEA uniformed chauffeur freezes in his tracks. Farmerlowers his weapon and (calm, but an order)Call has CRANED UP TO a high, almost-frozen WIDE SHOT ofthe scene. It TRACKS AWAY INTO CITY STREET - NIGHT2 Passing traffic reveals the storefront of a TV , behind the reflections of the city lights, allthe TV sets are showing the same picture, the glitteringimage of a woman singing. (We will recognize the womanas Rachel Marron.) We cut tighter and tighter on theimage until it is almost broken up into its scanninglines. Through the city noise comes the sound of hersong "I have Nothing."2 AINT. DAN'S APARTMENT - DESK TOP - NIGHT 2AA battered old desk.

3 Scattered across the top -- a pileof blank white paper, a jar of glue, a stack ofmagazines, a pair of scissors, a TV remote control,softly in the , a TV is playing the same image we sawin the store window, the same song. Hands appear. Male hands. They open a drawer and removea pair of translucent rubber gloves. Carefully they put thegloves on. The SNAPPING of the rubber is the only hands pick a magazine off the stack: Screen put the magazine down and pick up the scissors. Aheadline on the cover reads: "RACHEL MARRON'S GREATESTTRIUMPH!" The scissors start to cut. Meticulously theyexcise the name "RACHEL MARRON" from the page. With thecare of a HOLLYWOOD PREMIERE - NIGHT3A tumultuous crash of screaming, pushing bodies. Armsstretch out, cameras flash, sunguns flare, microphonesare thrust forward. A deafening cacophony of "Rachel!Rachel! Rachel! Over here! Over here! This way,Rachel! Rachel! Rachel!" We cannot see the object ofthis frenzy.

4 We catch a brief glimpse of an attractive,well-dressed young woman (NICKI), exiting with the othercelebrities, as she is pushed and casually jostled asideby the mass of surging fans and media. Her face is calmand impassive as she watches from the KLINGMAN'S OFFICE DEN - NIGHT5In a paneled room tastefully hung with a few choice paint-ings that reflect Klingman's success as an arbitrageur,he pours two snifters of brandy as he speaks with hands ever shake, Frank?FRANKS ometimes. It's just How did you know?FRANKI saw him washing the saw don't wash cars on theparking hands a glass of brandy to Frank, who looks at know, I'd like you to stay passes a small sealed envelope to 'm not good in permanentpositions, my feet go to two men smile at each other. They raise their glassesin a joint salutation -- Klingman drinks. Frank doesn' DARKENED ROOM - DESK TOP - NIGHT6 The rubber-gloved hands are glueing the word "TIME" ontoa message that is taking the classic form of a ransomnote.

5 Each word has been cut from a different page andis in a different typeface. The note is being assembledwith such care that it has an unusually neat appearanceand is quite easy to read. It reads:MARRON BITCH -- YOU HAVE EVERYTHINGI HAVE NOTHING. THE TIME TO DIE IS ..7 EXT. CHARITY CONCERT - EVENING7A blur of hands and faces. Excited fans. Pieces of paper,autograph books, notes are thrust forward INTO the , a mass chanting "Rachel! Rachel! Rachel!"Hands of Rachel's entourage accept some of the CLOSEUP, we see Rachel's hands signing "Best wishes, Marron" on an out-stretched open palm. In themidst of the urgent forest of hands and paper, a be-ribboned black doll is thrust forward, bearing the legend"RACHEL, WE LOVE YOU."8 EXT. FRANK FARMER'S HOUSE - EVENING8 SLAM of a CAR DOOR. Frank gets out of a cab with twosuitcases. His house is a modest stucco affair on asmall lot. He goes up the walk and puts down his suit-cases. He looks at rampant foliage and overgrown circulars cover his doorstep.

6 He picks up afew and fishes a bunch of keys from his pocket. Acurious neighbor peers from behind a net curtain. As thedoor opens, we are aware of a further pile of mailinside. Frank's feet push the letters aside and goinside. The door shuts. 10 INT. FARMER'S KITCHEN - NIGHT10 Farmer has carefully set a place for himself at the tablein a breakfast nook. A bottle of red wine is open with aglass beside the stove he stirs and flavors a Boeuf Bourgignon andreads a Time magazine. He adds a splash of wine. Helifts the pot from the stove and tries a piece of the table, he looks at the place setting and absentlyeats another piece of meat. Finally he sets the pot onthe plate and eats from it directly while glancingthrough the DRESSING ROOM - CLOSEUP - CORNER OF DRESSING TABLE11 Lots of people are schmoozing in the dressing 's a loud buzz of excited chatter. Hands are stack-ing flowers, good luck messages, cards and cables by themirror. Through the blur and bustle, we glimpse the dollwith its embroidered ribbon message "RACHEL, WE LOVE YOU.

7 "Hands casually move it to one side, among the flowersresting on the small portable TV set. On the screen isan image of Rachel performing on stage, acknowledgingapplause, bowing. The doll EXPLODES, SHATTERING the TV, the MIRROR and theLIGHT SCREEN GOES BLACK, amid SHOUTS, SCREAMS FRANK FARMER'S HOUSE - BACK YARD - DAY12 Frank lounges in his shorts under the single tree, sun-glasses on, a glass of iced tea by his side. Strains of"DON'T WALK AWAY RENEE" come from a beat-up old-fashioned lawn sprinkler lazily waves water backand forth over the freshly cut grass. Throwing kniveslay scattered nearby. A wooden post is sticking out ofthe ground in front of the fence at the back of the DEVANEY, fiftyish, a distinguished-looking blackgentleman, stands nearby trying to engage Frank in aconversation that up to this point hasn't been going 's Rachel's personal , you won't protect Rachel Marronjust because she's in show business?FRANKI don't do the biggest money's in showbusiness says nothing.

8 His eyes are closed behind the sun-glasses. Devaney picks up one of the throwing holds it carefully by the blade and throws it. Itmisses the post by three feet and clatters against opens his eyes, sees what's going on and closes hiseyes (picking up another knife)Do you really do these things?FRANKIsn't she the one who collectsdolls?This is enough to distract Devaney from his (exasperated)Farmer, Rachel Marron is one of themost famous people in America. She'swon every music award invented. She'sgot the number one song in the countryright now and she'll probably benominated for an Oscar in her picture. And you want to know'Isn't she the ' Christ,man, where've you been?FRANKYou mean she doesn't collect dolls?DEVANEY(defeated)Yes. She collects thought I knew who she tries to size up whether Frank is kidding him ornot. Frank's face betrays nothing. Devaney gestures witha 're probably deadly with thesethings, aren't you? doesn't are you resisting this job?

9 $2,000 bucks a week.(no response)$2, are several good menavailable for that kind of you talked to Fitzgerald orRacine? Portman?DEVANEYYeah. Portman was senses an opening and sits down beside Frank for whathe takes to be the first serious but we're told you're the 's no such , we're talking about avery frightened lady. With old son. Believe me,I wouldn't be here if I didn't think this was for real.(long pause)Farmer, she begged me to get sits up finally and looks at Devaney a long picks up five throwing knives and stands right. I'll come and I'll lookthe situation over. If I take it,it's three thousand a (whistles)Okay. You must be very deadlyfor three grand a is now about twenty feet from the wooden post. Hethrows one of the knives. It misses the post andclatters against the 's face drops. Frank examines the next (mumbling)I know it's something second knife gets away from him at the top of his arcand disappears into some bushes about three feet fromDevaney.

10 Devaney stands up in a hurry and moves raises his hand to throw again, then stops andmotions Devaney off to the not stand right behind smiles weakly. Frank lets the third knife gowith one smooth knife sinks an inch into the center of the post. 's hand arching again. Throwing the remaining knives stick in the post forming a straight verticalline with the first MARRON ESTATE - WAVERLY LANE (BEL AIR) - DAY13 Frank stops his nondescript Chevy across the quiet streetfrom the closed, unmanned gate at the bottom of the 'S POVas he looks over the gate, the wall, the heavy vegetationand the rising grounds beyond.(NOTE: The use of the term FRANK'S POV, is not to betaken simply as a camera direction. Rather, it re-presents a recurring attempt to make the audience see inthe special way Frank sees. Frank lives by constantvigilance, heightened awareness. It is his genius andhis burden. The audience must be put in the position oflooking, searching, scanning with him.)