Title: **THE LAST BIRTHDAY CARD**
Credit: Written by
Author: Stu Maschwitz
Draft date: 7/8/1998
Contact:
 PO Box 10031
 San Rafael CA 94912
 Registered WGAw No. 701428


# ACT I

=Meet the players and set up the world. Two hit men with very different lives.

>HERE WE GO:

## Meet Scott

=And his friend Baxter.

### Scott's SF Apartment

INT. SAN FRANCISCO APARTMENT - DAY

[[Shot: Exterior establishing, Scott's SF apartment.]]SCOTT is painting.[[Shot: Wide, Scott's apartment. Scott is painting at an easel.]]  Badly.[[Shot: OTS to painting.]]  Let's not mince words.

His apartment is littered with art supplies and canvasses, and a nice southern-exposure's worth of light is pouring in through the windows onto the hardwood floor and let me tell you, it just isn't helping -- the work in progress that the paint-covered Scott is pondering is just not that good.

Never one to give up, he's about to dab one more stroke of burnt umber onto the wretched thing when a SOUND in the hall snaps him out of it.

INT. HALLWAY, SCOTT'S APARTMENT BUILDING - A MOMENT LATER

The MAILMAN is just leaving, and Scott rushes over to his box.[[Shot: Scott at the mailbox, opening, sifting through.]]

.BACK IN THE APARTMENT

Scott sorts through the mail.[[Shot: OTS, moving with Scott, sorting mail.]]  There are bills, of course, and "You've won a million dollars" type things, and some announcements of shows at galleries South of Market.  And a BIRTHDAY CARD.

It's that last one that gives him pause (not that you're surprised -- it _is_ the damn title of the film).[[Shot: Up at Scott holding card.]]

He opens the card.  A simple little number inside of which is hand written:

          Scott --

          Jacob Billups
          Palace Hotel, RM 412
          1:00 pm tomorrow

[[Shot: OTS Scott reading card.]]Scott exasperatedly throws down the card on the table[[Shot: Wide as Scott throws down card, reaches for phone.]] and picks up the phone, hitting speed dial #1...[[Shot: Scott presses speed dial button.]]

CUT TO:

### Baxter's Music Studio

INT. BAXTER'S SAN FRANCISCO APARTMENT - SAME

BAXTER's place is devoted to his music career.  Well, it could be a career, any minute now, but for the time being Baxter is that rarest of commodities -- the unemployed musician.

Baxter is having a Yani moment at the keyboard, headphones on, and doesn't hear the phone for a bit.[[Shot: Wide: Baxter in his studio, rocking out.]]  When he does, he's not happy to be interrupted:

BAXTER
(picking up phone)
What?

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. SCOTT'S APARTMENT

Scott gestures with the card, as if that helps.[[Shot: Wide, weird angle: Scott holding card, phone.]]

SCOTT
I got another birthday card today.

BAXTER
That's great![[Shot: Closer on Baxter, on phone.]]

SCOTT
It is?

BAXTER
Haven't you been complaining about money lately?

SCOTT
What else is new.

BAXTER
So I don't see the problem.

SCOTT
It's just been a while.  I guess I was getting lulled into thinking I had a normal life.

BAXTER
Unemployed artist in debt.

SCOTT
I was going to go down to the gallery tomorrow.

BAXTER
Oh, poor Scott.  Instead you've got to make ten grand for an afternoon's work.  I wish I had your talent, buddy.

SCOTT
Thanks for the support.

BAXTER
Did that girl ever call back?

SCOTT
What do you think.

BAXTER
Girls don't like to call.

SCOTT
Complete the sentence -- girls don't like to call Scott.

BAXTER
I'm going back under the headphones, killer.

SCOTT
Your neighbors thank you.

Scott hangs up.  Looks at the birthday card.  Stuffs it in his pocket.

On his desk, a pile of art supplies and such.[[Shot: Scott's POV of desk.]]  He shoves it all aside and uncovers a briefcase.  Pops it open.[[Shot: Low, wide. Scott clears off desk, opens cases.]]

It contains a Galco leather shoulder holster and two Beretta 92F pistols, one black, one nickel plated.[[Shot: OTS into cases, revealing guns.]]  He picks up the black one and begins to check and clean it.[[Shot: Low, wide. Scott cleaning his gun.]]

> FADE OUT.[[Slugline Settings ABC01]]