Walk The Line

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In Chapter 31 of FILLMORE, after working as on a prison fire crew and saving a family's life during a fire, after several attempts, Fillmore final gets paroled from prison ...


INT. WORK ASSIGNMENT OFFICE - DAY
Slim sits in Johnny’s office again.

JOHNNY
You met HATTIE MCDANIEL?

SLIM
Nice lady. Much prettier in person.
(low, conspiratorial)
And she wanted my ass.

JOHNNY
God-damn. You’ve led quite the life, Slim.

SLIM
Yeah. And look where I am now.

JOHNNY
What would you think about working outside?
Lots of fresh air and exercise? Good food?
(meaningfully)
Conjugal visits?

SLIM
Conjugal visits?

PUSH IN ON Slim’s face. Excited.

EXT. OPEN FIELD - DAY
A beautiful day. Bright blue sky.
Rolling fields of green.

Slim looks at the beauty.
Big, beaming smile.

ANGRY VOICE (O.C.)
Clarence Sims. Wake the fuck up.
We’re fighting a FIRE here.

CAMERA pulls back to reveal --

Slim, wearing an orange jumpsuit,
along with a dozen other PRISONERS.

They’re cutting a fire trail with hoes.
A RAGING WILDFIRE blazes nearby
filling the sky with BLACK SMOKE.

Several GUARDS and PARK RANGERS
watch over them as they chop down the foliage.

EXT. STATE PARK - NIGHT
A row of sleeping bags lie near the picnic tables.
Slim and the other men BEAT the bags with sticks.
BIG SNAKE comes twisting and scurrying out of Slim’s bag.

SLIM
GOT one --

EXT. BARRACKS - DAY
A series of barracks like those on a military base.
Not fancy, but a hell of a lot better than prison.

INT. MESS HALL - DAY
Slim sits with the prisoners eating lunch at long tables.
It’s quite a feast. Fried chicken. Mashed potatoes.
Greens. Rolls. Pitchers of ice tea.

The men chow down, enjoying the hearty fare.
It’s a rowdy bunch, enjoying themselves.

INT. BUNGALOW - DAY
A plain but clean single room.
Slim stands at the front door
saying goodbye to Wife’s Sister,
who we recognize from the visitor’s room scene.

SLIM
(kisses her)
You make this man feel alive again, baby.

PRETTY GIRL
And you make this girl feel --
(shyly)
Kinda naughty.

SLIM
But you said you’d done that before.

PRETTY GIRL
(blushes)
I lied.

He opens the door for her. She walks out.

EXT. BUNGALOW - DAY
We now see that Slim’s bungalow is one of many,
surrounded by chain-link fences topped with barbed wire.
She walks over to the gate and a GUARD lets her out.

INT. PAROLE BOARD HEARING ROOM - DAY
Three PAROLE OFFICERS sit at a table.
Black, white and Hispanic.

All, deadly serious-looking.
Slim gets up from his seat. Looks at them.

SLIM
Thank you for your time, gentlemen.

EXT. PAROLE BOARD HEARING ROOM - OUTSIDE CORRIDOR - DAY
Slim walks down the corridor holding a red slip of paper.
Another INMATE (30’s) walks by, sees it.

INMATE
Sorry, Slim. Maybe next time.

EXT. MOUNTAINS - DAY
Picture-postcard gorgeous.
Except for a FLOOD that’s raging in the valley.

Slim carries a BIG, FAT WOMAN (30’s) on his back,
and her FAT SON (10) under his arm.

EXT. ROADSIDE - DAY
Slim puts Fat Woman and Fat Kid down on the ground, now safe.

FAT WOMAN
Oh, Mr. National Guard Man, thank you so much for saving us.

SLIM
Lady, we’re not with the National Guard. We’re prisoners --

A group of other INMATES nearby hear this, start LAUGHING.

EXT. PAROLE BOARD HEARING ROOM - OUTSIDE CORRIDOR - DAY
Slim walks down the corridor holding a white slip of paper,
smiling and humming to himself.
A GUARD walks by, sees it. Smiles at him.

SMILING GUARD
Congratulations, son.

SLIM
(nods)
You have a nice day, officer.

EXT. JAMESTOWN PRISON - DAY
The main gate opens. Slim walks out,
dressed again in his pimp finery.

Nobody’s there to greet him.
In fact, nobody’s there at all.
He looks up at the sky. Smiles wistfully.

EXT. GREYHOUND BUS - MOVING - DAY
The big bus cruises down the freeway heading south.

INT. GREYHOUND BUS - MOVING - DAY
Packed with STUDENTS, a FAMILY with a CRYING BABY,
SINGLES, a sprinkling of OLD PEOPLE --
And SLIM, sitting in the back,
looking out of place, staring out the window.

SLIM
(mutters to himself)
I wish someone would shut that fucking baby up.
An OLD WOMAN (60’S) sitting next to him gives him a look.

OLD WOMAN

Well, I never.
SLIM
No shit.

THROUGH THE WINDOW
We see a sign. SAN FRANCISCO, 100 MILES.