Out of Yellowstone, a screenplay, continued
INT. PAY PHONE IN LODGE - DAY
Rex listens on the phone. Robin stands a few feet away. He
shrugs as if to say there's not much to tell her.
INT. MIKE'S OFFICE - DAY
On the phone, a haggard Mike talks to Rex.
MIKE
(into phone)
...just more of the same. I wish
Robin was here to handle the
reporters. Anyway, call me on the
radio when you get near.
EXT. SIGNAL MOUNTAIN LODGE - DAY
Rex and Robin load their small suitcases into the back seat
of their Park Service sedan.
ROBIN
Geez. Free at last.
EXT. JACKSON LAKE - DAY
The sedan cruises along the upper end of Jackson Lake.
INT. SEDAN - DAY
Robin turns on the Park Service radio. The LOUD STATIC is
unbearable. Wincing, she turns it way down.
ROBIN
Geez, must be a lot of sun spot
activity.
EXT. SOUTH GATE, YELLOWSTONE - DAY
Rex pulls alongside the entrance booth as the car ahead
drives off.
From the booth, a cheerful woman Ranger with a name tag that
says VICKI BORDEAU answers Rex's inquiry.
VICKI
Yeah, lots of little quakes. But
there was one that had me nervous.
Lot of locals up from Jackson.
There's some really wild geyser
activity. They even think that
Steamboat might do it again. I
know I'm headed up there when I get
off.
EXT. ROAD ALONG YELLOWSTONE LAKE - DAY
The traffic is heavy as their Park Service sedan travels by
Yellowstone Lake.
EXT. REMOTE AREA, YELLOWSTONE LAKE - DAY
TWO FISHERMEN in a boat notice a sudden bubbling up of water.
FISHERMAN #1
That's weird.
FISHERMAN #2
Really weird. Let's move away -
in case it turns into something
ugly.
As the boat scoots away, massive steam mixed with rocks
explodes from beneath it and sends the boat flying.
EXT. BOARDWALK IN THERMAL AREA - DAY
A nice looking family of MOM, DAD, BRIAN (10), and KATIE (7)
walk along a boardwalk in the middle of a thermal area. Here
and there, OTHERS stroll or stop to look. TWO COOL DUDES
amble toward the family.
The Dudes are teenagers, 16. Although harmless, they are
rather scary looking. Their attire would be complete if they
had their usual skateboards along.
The family stops to look at a tiny, unnamed geyser. The
little geyser erratically spurts sprays of water. Nearby,
some water boils up.
The adults enjoy the little action, but the children lose
interest. The Dudes pause to watch.
DUDE #1
Cool!
DUDE #2
No, hot, Dude.
The children run on.
MOM
Don't run!
The children reach a widened spot in the boardwalk with rails
on one side. They stop to see what the signed attraction is.
The geyser there is quiet.
The parents start in the kid's direction.
A violent earthquake strikes. SCREAMING, the kids grab the
rails.
The upheaval knocks the dudes down hard. The parents go down
a little more gracefully. SCREAMS come from elsewhere.
This portion of the boardwalk becomes an island as sections
on both sides sink down into the water.
Where the kids are, the boardwalk tilts steeply crosswise
until only the rails are out of the water.
The terrified children clutch on tight.
KATIE
Mommy!
MOM
Katie! Brian, hang on. I'm
coming.
She goes after them, but her husband grabs her in time before
she enters the water.
MOM
Let go!
She struggles unsuccessfully against his firm hold.
DAD
That's boiling water. You can't
get there.
Dude #1 sits up, feels his bumped head and looks around
disconcertingly.
DUDE #1
Whoa!
EXT. OLD FAITHFUL INN - DAY
Here and there VISITORS mill about.
On the front door, a hand painted sign on poster board reads,
"INN CLOSED, EMPLOYEES ONLY".
INT. OLD FAITHFUL INN - DAY
SIX college-age CLEANING GALS walk from the back of the
lobby. They are in an exuberant mood.
CLEANING GAL #1
Day off! Yes!
CLEANING GAL #2
I'm going to Jackson and party.
CLEANING GAL #3
I'm gon' to Jackson an' find me a
cowboy.
They all laugh.
CLEANING GAL #4
Yahoo!
The floor rolls, the building shakes. The gals run, dropping
everything. SCREAMS.
SLOW MOTION, the massive fireplace crumbles apart. The rocks
topple down onto the women.
INT. VISITOR CENTER, OLD FAITHFUL - DAY
The big undulating quake sends people panicking out the door.
The bewildered Visitor Center Ranger tries to say something
but can't get anything out. Finally he ducks under the
counter.
The building tilts.
EXT. VISITOR CENTER, OLD FAITHFUL - DAY
The earth opens like a big sinkhole that the visitor center
partially slides into. Visitors scramble out the hole.
As people scurry to their cars in an adjacent parking lot,
more sinkhole opens up devouring numerous vehicles.
Everyone's in panic.
The pit fills with liquefied earth, the consistency of
quicksand.
A LITTLE LATER
Completely full now, the pits gently bubble. Not all of the
vehicles have completely sunk, some cars and motorhomes still
have enough trapped air to be buoyant but are going down. A
Volkswagon Bug bobs. The FOUR VW PASSENGERS row with
assorted objects.
EXT. CHITTENDEN BRIDGE OVER YELLOWSTONE RIVER - DAY
A minivan begins across the Chittenden Bridge.
INT. MINI VAN - SAME
The FATHER drives. The MOTHER sits on the passenger side.
The SON, 10, and DAUGHTER, 12, are in the seat behind.
FATHER
I spy something that begins with R.
DAUGHTER
Rock? Road?
SON
River.
FATHER
That's it. Your turn.
SON
I spy something that begins with...
H.
The far side of the road rises up so sharply that the bridge
breaks in the middle. The broken edge passes upward in front
of the windshield of the terror stricken SCREAMING family.
It keeps rising as the minivan plunges into the river.
Crossing from the opposite side, SUV with a camper trailer
can't stop in time. The SUV dangles from the hitch. The
bridge tilts and knocks both off.
EXT. ROAD ABOVE GIBBON RIVER - DAY
A Cadillac motors along, heading west.
INT. CADILLAC - SAME
An ELDERLY WOMAN drives, her ELDERLY MAN holds a cane.
ELDERLY WOMAN
I can't wait to get to the motel
and put my feet up.
ELDERLY MAN
With a nice glass of wine.
The violent quake strikes.
ELDERLY WOMAN
Oh. Oh. Oh.
EXT. ROAD ABOVE GIBBON RIVER - DAY
The hillside slides.
INT. CADILLAC - SAME
Rocks and dirt pile down upon the car.
BLACK OUT
EXT. LE HARDY RAPIDS - DAY
Yellowstone River in the background, the Rex and Robin travel
by.
INT. SEDAN - SAME
Robin has dozed off. The violent earthquake bounces the car
jolting her awake.
REX
Holy...
Rex hits the breaks in mid air and...
EXT. LE HARDY RAPIDS - CONTINUOUS
The car now at a 45 degree angle skids and stops partially
off the road. Other vehicles, with their own problems, have
very near misses but no wrecks.
EXT. LAKE YELLOWSTONE HOTEL - DAY
TWO MIDDLE-AGE COUPLES head out the front door. A Big quake
strikes. SNAPPING and CRACKING. The couples make a run for
it. The hotel pillars crumble.
EXT. BRIDGE BAY MARINA - DAY
A BOATER is launching his yacht at the ramp. A MARINA MAN
waits on the dock where a BOAT RENTING FAMILY are returning
from their outing.
The BOATER'S WIFE unhooks the winch line.
The water rushes from the bay, pulling the yacht with it.
The rapidly receding water sweeps the rental boat with the
family away from the dock. The crafts that are tied up,
crash down.
MARINA MAN
Holy shit!
(beat)
Run. Run. Forget everything and
Run.
The marina man sprints away. The boat renters scurry on the
slippery bottom. The boater's wife charges after their
vessel.
A wall of water charges through the bay. The boater is out
of his truck watching.
BOATER
(yelling)
No.
The water crashes, smashing boats against the docks, tumbling
the boater's wife and yacht. The wave pushes up beyond the
front of the truck, pulling it and debris as it recedes.
BOATER
Laura!
A second wall of water, nearly twice the size, storms trough
the narrows and over the bridge, further destroying the
marina.
Fish flop on the land.
EXT. ROAD ALONG YELLOWSTONE LAKE - DAY
The seiche (lake tidal wave) sweeps over the road pulling
cars into the lake.
EXT. SOUTH END OF HAYDEN VALLEY - DAY
BISON range the Hayden Valley.
INT. SEDAN - SAME
ROBIN
... and according to early
accounts, the Indians were afraid
of the place because of all the
earthquakes.
(suddenly uneasy)
Ough Oh!
REX
What's wrong?
ROBIN
There hasn't been any oncoming
traffic.
Rex looks at her with concern.
As he turns his attention forward, a frightened Rex grips the
steering wheel and tries to slam the brakes.
EXT. CREVICE IN ROAD, HAYDEN VALLEY - DAY
The vehicle crashes into a steep crevice that runs crossways
to the road. It ricochets back and forth on the way down.
INT. SEDAN, CREVICE IN ROAD, HAYDEN VALLEY - DAY
Air bags inflate. The car crashes back and forth on it's way
down. The motion stops.
EXT. CREVICE IN ROAD, HAYDEN VALLEY - DAY
The Park Service sedan is wedged eighteen feet below the road
level and a hundred feet or more above the bottom.
The doors open. Rex is partially out before noticing the
nothingness beneath. He saves himself with a quick grab of
the steering wheel.
REX
Yipe! Don't go out there.
Above, a luxury bus-like motorhome screeches and crunches to
a stop with nearly half of it over the edge.
INT. LUXURY MOTORHOME, CREVICE IN ROAD, HAYDEN VALLEY - DAY
The MOTORHOME DRIVER (mid 50's) recovers from momentary
shock.
MOTORHOME DRIVER
Cripe!
(to wife)
Quick, out the back.
EXT. CREVICE IN ROAD, HAYDEN VALLEY - DAY
The driver and his WIFE jump safely from the door at the
middle of the RV as another tremor strikes.
The motorhome teeters precariously.
Another shock, the car slides down a couple feet. The
motorhome falls into the crevice, which is now exceedingly
deep.
The front of the RV wedges just above the hood of the sedan.
The chassis's rear rests on the pavement.
INT. SEDAN, CREVICE IN ROAD, HAYDEN VALLEY - CONTINUOUS
Robin snatches the two-way hand held radio from the glove
box. Rex grabs a day pack from behind the seat.
EXT. CREVICE IN ROAD, HAYDEN VALLEY - CONTINUOUS
Apprising the situation, Robin uses the open window of the
open door as a foothold, climbs onto the roof and grabs an
underpart of the motorhome.
REX (O.C.)
What the Hell you doing?
ROBIN
Get up here, it's the only way out.
REX
There's nothing to hold on to.
ROBIN
Grab my leg.
REX
What?
ROBIN
Grab onto my leg. Hurry.
Rex uneasily manages to join her on the roof.
REX
Now what?
ROBIN
It looks doable.
She begins to climb the backwards slanting frame.
Though Robin's obviously an experienced climber, it's a
struggle of strength. She checks to make sure Rex is
following, then focuses.
REX
(to himself)
There's no way.
Rex climbs up a few feet. He's not as adept as she.
Grasping a greasy spot, he falls, lands on the roof and
slides.
SLIGHTLY LATER
Up near the edge about twenty PEOPLE have gathered. One is a
STOUT WOMAN (35).
STOUT WOMAN
Oh my God, there's a car down
there.
(beat)
Oh my God, there's someone under
the bus.
Robin has reached the crevice's side, where mercifully she
braces her feet against it as she ponders how to proceed.
ROBIN
Anybody got a rope?
Not expecting one, she tests for footholds. Satisfied, she
makes her move from under the vehicle.
Her footing gives way.
Just as she slips, a nylon tow rope drops to the rescue. A
MIDDLE AGED MAN and the motorhome driver hold the rope as she
crawls over the edge.
ROBIN
(gasping for breath)
Thanks.
Looking down, Rex is nowhere to be seen.
ROBIN
(frantically)
Rex. Rex.
REX (O.C.)
(muffled)
I'm in here... Anyone know how to
open the window.
STOUT WOMAN
Someone's in there.
The motorhome driver embraces his sobbing wife.
MOTORHOME DRIVER
Pull the two red handles.
Rex extricates himself just in time. Another quake strikes.
The motorhome crashes down the pit.
Many cars have turned around and are headed back. About a
fifteen vehicles remain.
REX
(to everyone)
Turn back. You've got to get out
of here... fast as you can.
ROBIN
(into radio)
Unit 3 to Base.
SLIGHTLY LATER
The middle aged man has a pickup with a fifth wheel hitch.
MIDDLE AGE MAN
Looks like you guys could use a
ride.
REX
Sure looks that way. Thanks.
MOTORHOME DRIVER
Appreciate it. Try explaining this
to the insurance company.
(beat)
What the Hell's happening?
ROBIN
Oh Geez. No more cars are coming.
I bet that way's blocked too.
The stout woman peers down the abyss. The bottom glows red.
STOUT WOMAN
Oh God, Oh God. Oh Lord Sweet
Jesus. We're starin' into the
bowels of Hell.
(beat)
Come on Herald.
Her husband HERALD is transfixed on the site.
STOUT WOMAN
Herald. HERALD.
She pulls him away to their yellow convertible.
STOUT WOMAN
We gotta go, Herald.
She speeds away with him, passing many of the cars ahead.
The middle age man, Rex and Robin watch them go. Suddenly
they gasp in horror.
ROBIN
Oh my God!
A bright red splotch of sparking, spitting lava spews out of
the ground and devours the convertible.
Still fixated on the lava, Robin regains composure enough to
remember the radio.
ROBIN
(into radio)
Unit 3 to anybody.
EXT. THE LAKE SEISMIC AND GPS OBSERVATORY - DAY
Debris covers the site, the antenna is broken.
INT. YELLOWSTONE VOLCANO OBSERVATORY, UTAH - DAY
The seismographs are going wild. EIGHT SCIENTISTS and SIX
STUDENTS have an intensity about them -- this is deadly
serious yet wildly exciting.
SCIENTIST #1
We lost the Norris GPS station.
SCIENTIST #2
We're only getting spotty
transmissions from the Lake
stations. Still no signals from
Old Faithful.
Huff and a third scientist study various satellite images on
the monitors.
HUFF
This is happening way too fast.
SCIENTIST #3
Look here.
He points to a spot on the east side of Yellowstone Lake.
HUFF
Oh my God.
(beat)
Can't wait to see some videos.
EXT. GARDINER AIRPORT - LATE DAY
A Cessna Stationair lands at the small airport.
SLIGHTLY LATER.
It taxies up and Rob McCoy and intern DALLAS (22) quickly
board. They carry a few small equipment cases.
INT. CESSNA - LATE DAY
The plane taxies for takeoff. The three others on board are
with the US Geological Survey, they are the KLONDIKE (the
grey bearded pilot), AMY (40), and STEVE (late 20's).
ROB
Hey Klondike, good to see you.
Exciting times, huh? This is
Dallas, one of our interns.
KLONDIKE
This is Steve and Amy, also
Geological Survey.
(beat)
Keep an eye out for other aircraft.
The Governor's supposed to be out
there, there's some rescue
helicopters and who knows how many
idiot sightseers.
ROB
Aren't there flight restrictions.
KLONDIKE
Yeah, but who's going to catch
them?
INT. GUS'S MOTOR HOME - LATE DAY
Stella cooks dinner. Gus plays solitaire at the table. She
wears the same house dress with a cardigan sweater. He's in
Chicago Bears sweatshirt.
A medium quake shakes the motor home. Stella clutches the
sink counter.
STELLA
Oh God! Not again.
The shaking ends. Gus's cards are a mess. He seethes.
GUS
First thing tomorrow, we're outta
here. We should of left yesterday,
Stella. But no-ooo, you always
wanted to see Yellowstone. Well we
have seen Yellowstone.
EXT. TOWER FALLS CAMPGROUND - LATE DAY
A HOT-HEADED MAN (25) screeches his car into the campground
and slams the door as he gets out. The front of his vehicle
has a tow hitch.
HOT-HEADED MAN
(loudly to anyone)
We're trapped. There's three ways
out of here. I've been down all
three. Either they're caved in
sunk in or somethin'. Where's the
damn Ranger? Frickin' Ranger said
it was safe. We're trapped, damn
it. We're all trapped.
EXT. ROADWAY, HAYDEN VALLEY - LATE DAY
A private Bell 204 Helicopter is on the ground where Rex and
Robin and thirty others are. Robin assists the first group
of eight in boarding. They include a FAT WOMAN, her CHUBBY
KIDS, and her unkempt WIRY HUSBAND who stares blankly into
space.
FAT WOMAN
Oh God. Oh God. Oh God...
The chopper takes off.
A WOMAN points.
WOMAN
Look! Fire!
The woods to the south are ablaze.
A LITTLE LATER
Rex speaks to the remaining 17 visitors who gather around
him.
R
The helicopter is taking you to
Grant Village, which is still in
Yellowstone about twenty miles
south of here by air. From there,
you'll be taken out of the park by
ground transportation...
EXT. LANDSLIDE AREA - LATE DAY
A bulldozer and FOUR PARK MAINTENANCE MEN work to clear a
comparatively small landslide which completely blocks the
Northeast Entrance road for about two hundred feet.
MAINTANANCE MAN #1
This has got me nervous as Hell.
MAINTENANCE MAN #2
If it slides again we're dead.
EXT. ROADWAY, HAYDEN VALLEY - LATE DAY
Rex and Robin hurry the second group into the helicopter.
FRANK, the pilot, gives a thumbs up sign.
The Helicopter departs.
EXT. LANDSLIDE AREA - LATE DAY
The bulldozer has punched a pass through the slide and is
working to make it drivable. A long line of vehicles waits
on the other side. ONLOOKERS CHEER.
MAINTANANCE MAN #1
(into handheld radio)
...yeah we're punched through.
Should be another fifteen, twenty
minutes. Over.
(pause)
You're breaking up. I can't hear
you. Over.
(winces)
If you can hear me, send them on.
EXT. ENTRANCE TO TOWER FALLS CAMPGROUND - LATE DAY
A Park Police car pulls in.
PARK POLICEMAN
(into Park radio)
Roger. Out.
HOT-HEADED MAN
(very loudly)
There's the damn Ranger. Hey we're
trapped. How the hell do we get
out?
PARK POLICEMAN
(into vehicle's PA system)
This is the Park Service Police.
The Northeast Entrance Road is now
open. You must leave now. This is
an emergency. Yellowstone National
Park is now closed.
All kinds of camping rigs begin departing.
PARK POLICEMAN
(through PA system)
This campground is closed. You
must evacuate immediately. It is
unsafe and illegal to stay here.
HOT-HEADED MAN
You guys said it was safe. You
said it was safe. If I end up
getting killed, I'm suing. I'm
suing anyway.
The Park Policeman gets out of his car and his face gets real
ugly.
PARK POLICEMAN
Leave this place.
The hot-headed man flees to his car.
The patrol car slowly moves on through the campground.
PARK POLICEMAN
(through PA system)
You must exit left and follow the
signs to Cooke City. The only road
open is by way of Cooke City...
EXT. WITHIN TOWER FALLS CAMPGROUND - LATE DAY
A frantic PREGNANT WOMAN waves down the patrol car.
PREGNANT WOMAN
My husband took our truck to take
the kids hiking. They should have
been back hours ago.
PARK POLICEMAN
Where did they go?
PREGNANT WOMAN
They said they'd start at Artist
Point.
PARK POLICEMAN
Ma'am, that bridge is out. But I'm
sure they're all right. They've
brought in helicopters to...
INT. GUS'S MOTOR HOME - SAME
Stella sits forlornly on the passenger side. Gus stares
ahead with steely eyes as slams the shifter into gear.
GUS
I hate this place.
EXT. ROADWAY, HAYDEN VALLEY - TWILIGHT
The middle-aged man with and Rex look off toward the fires.
MIDDLE-AGED MAN
I first moved to Jackson when they
had the fires here back in '88.
What a fiasco that was. Park
service going to do anything this
time?
REX
There wasn't lava spewing out then.
According to Frank, the pilot,
there's disasters all over the
park. If this is just the
beginning, it'll make '88 seem like
a Sunday picnic.
(pausing reflectively)
National Parks are supposed to be
lands of natural processes. People
forget that.
CHOPPER BLADES. The two look up.
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