Out of Yellowstone, a screenplay, continued
EXT. HELICOPTER SHOT, HAYDEN VALLEY - DAY
Seen from above, spitting lava, ash and steam spew from areas
near the road in south portion of the Hayden Valley. Patches
of charred grass smolder.
Only two cars remain unscathed on the evacuated roadway.
The lava devours them.
EXT. LONE PINE TREE - DAY
The bear throws dirt on Rex. HELICOPTER NOISE.
Robin looks up. It is difficult to see the helicopter
through the evergreen branches.
ROBIN
Oh thank God!
I/E. MILITARY HELICOPTER - DAY
The copilot DARRELL (who speaks with a backwoods southern
accent) looks down below. Pilot JOE is a cool-headed local
boy.
DARRELL
Lookee there, Joe, a grizzly bear!
I never seen one of them before.
EXT. HELICOPTER SHOT, BEAR - DAY
The bear's mass completely hides Rex. The tree is too thick
to see Robin.
DARRELL (O.S.)
Hey lookee. He's kilt himself
somethin'. Lets get us-en a closer
look.
I/E. MILITARY HELICOPTER - DAY
Switching his gaze from the bear to straight ahead, Joe
shakes his head firmly.
JOE
No, these animals are stressed
enough.
EXT. HELICOPTER SHOT, BEAR - DAY
The bear completely ignores the helicopter.
EXT. THE LONE PINE TREE - DAY
Robin waves her arm and pleads in anguish.
ROBIN
Oh please. Oh please. She looks
down at Rex.
The bear, still over Rex, paws and throws dirt over him.
I/E. MILITARY HELICOPTER - DAY
DARRELL
That bear won't make it. You know
that. He's trapped in here. Let's
get a closer look.
JOE
Darrell, we got human survivors to
look for.
Joe shoves the cycle stick forward.
EXT. LONE PINE TREE - DAY
The helicopter flies away.
With disbelief and anguish, Robin watches it go.
ROBIN
No! Come back.
Now she's angry.
ROBIN
Come back here you idiots.
She looks down at the bear. The bear has almost completely
buried Rex. Robin yells from her perch.
ROBIN
Get off him. Go. Get. Get outta
here.
She takes off a shoe and takes aim. The tree shakes with the
violence of a major earthquake.
Losing her balance she falls but grabs the limb she was
standing on.
The large beast gallops off.
Robin hangs with arms and legs wrapped around the wildly
shaking limb.
Rex lays in a heap covered with dirt and torn up grass.
EXT. HELICOPTER SHOT, NEAR LONE PINE TREE - DAY
The shadow of Frank's helicopter passes over the nondescript
heap that is Rex.
INT. FRANK'S HELICOPTER - DAY
The majority of the Boy Scout troop, now quite disheveled,
fill Frank's helicopter to capacity.
Looking intently down, Frank lowers the microphone from his
mouth in a weary sigh.
ADULT LEADER
Guys, keep your eyes peeled.
Frank glances out at the smaller Jet Ranger helicopter that
parallels his path.
EXT. JET RANGER HELICOPTER - DAY
A Boy Scout waves from the Jet Ranger Helicopter.
EXT. THE LONE PINE TREE - DAY
Robin, clinging to the shaking limb, looks up at the
helicopters flying over.
The quaking subsides. Robin drops down and scurries to
signal the helicopters with wildly flapping arms.
The helicopters keep on going.
Robin rushes to Rex.
ROBIN
Rex. Rex, can you hear me? The
bear's gone. Rex?
The mound of dirt stirs and Rex looks around. Slowly he
brings the weight of his upper body onto his hands.
ROBIN
Are you all right?
Rex, sitting, feels his head and looks over his arms.
REX
I think so.
With much concern, Robin examines his head and neck, brushing
off dirt and debris. Meanwhile they both keep a nervous eye
out for the bear.
A LITTLE LATER
Rex's shirt is off. Robin finishes the examination. She
finds herself admiring the strong physique, then catches
herself.
ROBIN
Incredible, there's hardly a
scratch.
The bear episode still unnerves him.
REX
I guess that playing dead stuff
works.
(trying for humor)
Would you like to admire my legs
too?
Robin breaks down.
ROBIN
I never felt so helpless in my
life. I thought you were being
killed and I couldn't do anything.
I thought that chopper would scare
it, but it didn't. I should have
come down and signaled. We could
have been rescued. But he didn't
see us. I could have...
Rex grabs her shoulders and gently shakes her.
REX
Stop it. It's okay. I'm okay
Robin is even more anguished.
ROBIN
But I froze. I couldn't help you.
I should have distracted the bear.
But I couldn't leave the tree.
Rex brings her into a hug.
REX
You did the right thing. You don't
mess with grizzly bears. If you
came down you'd have been mauled.
ROBIN
But...
REX
Shhh.
Robin relaxes into the hug. Rex releases the hug. They look
at each other as if they're going to kiss. Robin snaps back
into responsible ranger mode.
ROBIN
We can't stay here. That bear'll
be back. He was saving you for
dinner.
REX
You're probably right. But there's
a good climbing tree. And the
searchers will be looking for us
here.
ROBIN
Unless they've given us up for
dead.
REX
They wouldn't give up that easy.
ROBIN
I don't think we're the only thing
they've got to worry about.
She nods in the direction of the road.
ROBIN
Besides, that lava's too close for
my comfort.
Lava sparks over the area where the road should be.
REX
And just where do you suggest we
go?
ROBIN
We could go up toward the Norris to
Canyon road. That might still be
open.
REX
That's a long way.
ROBIN
Eight or nine miles, maybe.
The land rises up beneath them. In brilliant red light, they
shield their faces with their arms from the sudden burst of
heat.
The lava fountains up. Clouds of ash spew.
Hot rocks and ash plummet.
Rex and Robin flee.
The land rises and tilts until the lone pine leans at a 45
degree angle.
The noxious gasses are thick enough to be visible.
The two sprint, watery eyed, coughing.
REX
O.K. we're gone. But if that bear
comes after us, it's your turn.
EXT. GEORGE'S PICKUP TRUCK - DAY
A very nice pickup with a canopy is parked along a "Jeep"
trail surrounded by pine forest. The body is a bit crumpled
around one of the headlights.
INT. BACK OF GEORGE'S PICKUP - SAME
On a mattress, in a sleeping bag, in the bed of the pickup,
George sleeps. His identity is obscured by the cowboy hat
over his face.
A mild quake rocks the pickup. George stirs and mumbles
incomprehensibly.
GEORGE
Syl. Ish a furska. Uhmn.
Awake now, he brushes his hat back and blinks sleepily at his
surroundings. He looks at his watch, GROANS, and unzips the
bag.
EXT. SIGN, WEST YELLOWSTONE - DAY
George's pickup drives past the sign at the edge of the
village of West Yellowstone. He's the only life on the road.
EXT. CANYON STREET - DAY
The main drag in town is deserted until George rolls in.
I/E. GEORGE'S PICKUP, CANYON STREET - SAME
Still sleepy-eyed, George looks around uneasily. The
deserted street has a ghostly feel.
A SIREN wails briefly. George checks the rearview mirror and
sees a Montana Highway Patrol car.
EXT. CANYON STREET - DAY
A HIGHWAY PATROLMAN stands outside the driver's side window
of George's parked truck.
PATROLMAN
How did you get passed the road
block?
George returns a sleepy, puzzled look.
GEORGE
Road block?
PATROLMAN
The whole area's been evacuated.
Nobody's allowed in.
GEORGE
I'm with the Park Service. I'm
supposed to come up and join a
command post.
PATROLMAN
They left last night. The National
Guard had a command post to
evacuate everybody. But they moved
on.
GEORGE
Where'd the Park Service go?
The Patrolman shrugs and shakes his head.
PATROLMAN
If I were you, I'd get out of here,
far away, like I'm going to right
now.
GEORGE
Might as well head back to Jackson.
PATROLMAN
You can't get there. Teton Pass
avalanched last night.
GEORGE
Avalanched?
PATROLMAN
Jackson Hole had a big quake. Don't
know how much damage there was.
But it's being evacuated because of
Yellowstone.
INT. GEORGE'S PICKUP - DAY
The gas gage is near empty.
EXT. CANYON STREET - DAY
GEORGE
I don't suppose there's any gas
stations open?
The Patrolman shakes his head.
GEORGE
Places for coffee?
PATROLMAN
I've got a thermos.
Major shaking. A room above one of the stores bursts into
flames. The fire spreads.
GEORGE
A propane line probably broke.
PATROLMAN
God help me. We're going to rob a
gas station.
EXT. A FLOWERING MEADOW - DAY
Robin and Rex walk along through meadow. There are pine
trees nearby. A small flock of Canada geese fly overhead
HONKING. A red squirrel in a pine tree chitters a warning. A
coyote is absorbed in looking for mice.
ROBIN
Right here, right now, you wouldn't
think anything was wrong. Rex looks
up at the sky.
REX
It is a nice day for a walk in the
park.
A hawk circles overhead.
Robin stops and cocks her head to listen to the SOUND OF
SANDHILL CRANES. She spots them, smiles and points.
The cranes strut through the grass.
The coyote suddenly dashes away in terror. The cranes take
to the air, SQUABBLING.
The earth rumbles violently. The land rises beneath Rex and
Robin. Unbalanced, they drop to the ground.
The earth splits apart.
Robin is caught in the middle of the rapidly widening split.
She claws for a hold on clumps of grass.
The cleft widens to a steep chasm. Robin struggles for
footing but the loose ground slides beneath her feet.
She grasps for a better grip on the grass clumps.
Rex anxiously watches from the other side.
She gains a foothold and grasps a tiny willow bush. Feeling
secure in her handhold, she climbs. An aftershock rumbles.
The land gives way around her hold. Earth, grass, willow and
Robin tumble and slide to the bottom.
Robin reorients herself and looks up at Rex. She searches
for a way up the steep loose slope toward him. Nothing looks
good.
She climbs up. The rock gives. She slides back down. She
tries again with the same results.
Rex unbuckles his belt. Robin climbs.
Smoldering red glows through the rocks on the bottom. Robin
slides.
REX
Look down.
Robin looks. The rocks get redder. In a mid-slide
adrenaline rush she scrambles up, farther than before.
Rex has lowered his pants, holding one pant leg. Robin grabs
for the other pant leg, just out of reach.
Her feet give way.
Rex thrusts himself precariously farther. Robin grasps the
pants.
The weight pulls Rex. His bare legs slide. His stocking
toes dig in futilely.
Robin gets a foot hold. Rex manages to shinny back.
A BIT LATER
Robin catches her breath as she sits, energy spent. Rex
brushes the plant fibers off his legs.
ROBIN
Nice legs.
Rex throws her a surprised smile.
ROBIN
Cute butt, too.
He playfully flicks the pants at her.
INT. DISPATCH OFFICE IN TRAILER - DAY
A couple desks and several old chairs furnish the cramped
makeshift dispatch trailer. There is a bunch of radio
equipment of various types and ages. Antenna wires run up
the wall to a small hole. A large map of Yellowstone is
tacked up and dotted with colored pins.
Notebook computers sit on the desks.
Mike, the older ranger, and a young PARK POLICEWOMAN watch a
portable color TV.
On the television, Angela Greyfeather reports outside the
entrance of the Church Universal and Triumphant where vans,
pickups, and rental trucks, loaded with boxes of supplies,
head out the gate.
ANGELA (ON TV)
Just outside the north boundary of
Yellowstone National Park is the
church-cult community and world
headquarters of the Church
Universal and Triumphant.
On TV, a group of CHURCH MEMBERS load a rental truck, bucket
brigade style.
ANGELA (ON TV)
Here the followers of their
prophet, Elizabeth Claire, have
built well stocked fallout
shelters, in preparation for an
eminent Armageddon. But right
here, apocalypse is now, not from a
nuclear holocaust but from the very
ground they hoped would be their
refuge.
Of the three watching the television, only the policewoman
stands. The TV continues in low inaudible volume under their
conversation.
The policewoman rubs her hands gleefully.
POLICEWOMAN
I think that's poetic. That is so
poetic.
OLDER RANGER
You think that's so funny, look
where we're sitting. Anyone with
any sense has flown the coop.
Everything I own is back in Mammoth
And they haven't let me go back in
to get any of it. I should have
retired two years ago.
ANGELA (ON TV)
Evacuation orders have been issued
for everyone within a hundred miles
of the Park. Although the area
around Yellowstone is sparsely
populated...
Angela's voice fades out.
OLDER RANGER
A hundred miles? If it blows, I
heard all life will be wiped out
for four hundred miles. Every
direction.
A small quake hits.
POLICEWOMAN
Mercy, not again!
MIKE
That's it. We're gone.
The older Ranger picks up a microphone.
EXT. WOODS - DAY
Robin and Rex head through woods.
REX
...and Alan wants to play video
games professionally.
ROBIN
You mean like in tournaments?
REX
No, these companies hire people to
master their games. They have
these toll free numbers that people
can call when they get frustrated
and can't get to the next level.
And when the phone's not ringing,
they get...
Near Robin's feet, the bushes thrash in sudden commotion.
Robin jumps out of her skin.
A flushed GROUSE bursts into flight.
Robin places a hand over her racing heart and breathes
rapidly but with relief.
ROBIN
Boy am I jumpy.
Rex smiles kindly.
REX
It scared me too.
She laughs slightly. He laughs a little back. They head off
through the woods laughing, laughing way out of proportion.
Robin approaches a shallow spring and kneels by it.
ROBIN
Water!
REX
Wait! Don't all the streams have
giardia?
ROBIN
Yeah, but look at it this way, if
we get sick it won't affect us for
two weeks. In two weeks we can
either get to a doctor or giardia
will have been the least of our
problems.
LATER
Robin and Rex sit by the little stream. Rex has a shoe and
sock off and checks his foot for blisters.
REX
We made an acoustic room in the
basement so that Kevin could play
the drums. It could be the nicest
day and he'd be down there
practicing drums... But I guess I
shouldn't knock it. He just bought
a van, paid cash. It's a tax write
off because he hauls around the
band's sound equipment. He makes a
lot of money for a kid his age.
Suddenly repulsed by something, he hastily gets up and, still
wearing one shoe, hobbles away from the stream.
REX
Oh gosh! Ugh!
Robin looks all around trying to figure out the cause of his
behavior.
REX
Ticks!
A tick crawls up her pant leg.
ROBIN
Wahhh! Geez!
Robin picks off that tick and scrambles toward Rex. She
checks herself and picks off many.
ROBIN
I hate ticks.
Rex picks more off himself.
REX
Place is infested with 'em... Here,
check the back of me. She pulls
several off his back.
He looks over his arms, feels his hair, and scratches all
over.
EXT. FARTHER IN WOODS - DAY
Robin checks her watch as the two walk along.
ROBIN
We should be there soon.
EXT. FLOODED WOODS AND MEADOW - DAY
Walking along, Robin and Rex stop abruptly. In front of
their feet, the forest floor is covered with shallow water.
Squatting down, Robin gently touches a glacier lily.
ROBIN
These don't grow in water.
Beyond the tree trunks lies a flooded meadow with boiling
springs and rising steam.
ROBIN
This isn't supposed to be here.
REX
We're lost?
ROBIN
No, this is brand new.
Ducking tree branches, the two hurry along the edge of the
water.
They leap over a wide puddle and plow through thick low
brush.
A grassy point seems to connect to the far shore. Rex and
Robin head onto the point, then stop.
REX
Nuts!
Off to the right they see another flooded boiling meadow.
This one is larger and more thermally active than the other.
The two flooded fields are connected by a shallow area, about
100 feet across in front of Rex and Robin.
Squatting, Rex dips a small stick in the water and feel it to
check the temperature. Satisfied, he puts his hand in the
water.
REX
It's not very hot.
Rex in the lead, the two wade across the shallows. In the
middle, knee deep in water, Robin steps into a hole.
ROBIN
Aarch!
Rex turns around to look. Robin struggles to free her foot.
ROBIN
My foot's stuck in a hole.
Rex wades back, giving Robin something to lean on as she
manages to free her leg.
ROBIN
Crap! I lost my shoe.
She reaches down into the water, lower and lower until she
can barely keep her mouth above water.
Choppy wavelets ripple the water. The ground trembles.
ROBIN
Oh Geez, Oh Geez! It's getting
hot.
REX
Come on, let's go.
ROBIN
My shoe!
The quaking and rippling intensify.
REX
Forget the shoe.
Robin finds the shoe and raises it triumphantly overhead.
Her triumph transforms into terror.
ROBIN
Aaaaaah!
As she scrambles onward, a geyser blows through the water
behind her.
Rex grabs her arm and they stagger to a safe distance where
they watch the geyser gush impressively.
A bedraggled Robin dumps the water out of her shoe.
EXT. WOODS SOUTH OF NORRIS TO CANYON ROAD - DAY
Rex and Robin plod through the forest.
ROBIN
Oh God, I'm so hungry.
Smacking his lips at the reminder of food, Rex nods in
agreement.
Spying the vehicles on the road they stop. Taking almost
simultaneous deep breaths of relief, they smile at each
other.
Part of the long line of parked vehicles can be seen through
the forest. All the rigs face west (left).
REX
(disappointed)
They're abandoned.
ROBIN
That ain't no elk jam.
EXT. THE NORRIS TO CANYON ROAD - DAY
As they approach the road, Robin brightens with a wonderful
thought.
ROBIN
People don't drive through the park
without food.
Rex imitates Yogi Bear.
REX
Come along BooBoo. We're a gonna
snatch us a pic-i-nic basket.
ROBIN
(cartoonishly)
Right behind ya, Yogi.
The line consists of a variety of vehicles including large
motor homes, shiny pickups (with or without the fifth wheel
trailers they are designed to pull), various cars (some with
bicycle racks, one with a canoe), and a few rigs with
trailers.
One of the pickups is an extended cab four wheel drive with
oversize mud tires.
They try the doors of the last car of the procession. They
are locked.
The next vehicle is locked. So is the next, and the next.
Rex is calm, but Robin seethes. She tries in vain to get
into the canopy of a pickup.
ROBIN
Geez, everybody locks everything.
There's nobody left in the park.
Who the heck do they think is going
to steal anything?
This amuses Rex.
REX
Maybe a couple of marauding
rangers.
Farther on, Robin spies a bag of groceries in the back seat
of a mid-size car. Picking up a healthy rock she angrily
smashes the driver's window.
I/E. MID-SIZE CAR - DAY
Rex opens the rear passenger side door which was unlocked.
He reaches for the grocery bag.
REX
Uh, this side was unlocked.
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