The Good Guys
This short script was part of an anthology series of short films to be developed by Habit Forming Films. The theme was “Whiskey, Gun, Cigarette” and each script was required to contain those elements.
Billy stumbles across a strange man in a field and gets a lesson on the difference between good guys and bad guys.
Script by David Accampo
FADE IN:
EXT FIELD - DAY
A wide, yellow field under blue skies. BILLY, a young boy,
traipses through the tall weeks, talking to himself.
BILLY
...but Mr. Sinister didn't count on this
secret passageway out of the Savage Land,
did he, Ka-zar? Now, once the X-men make
it to our hidden outpost, we'll fire up
Cerebro and find out what happened to
Cyclops...
Billy comes to an outcropping of large rocks in the field.
EXT FORT - CONTINUOUS
Billy's FORT is a sheet of plywood covering two of the rocks.
He hunkers down at the edge of it.
BILLY
Ah, here we are, safe and sound.
INT FORT - CONTINUOUS
Billy crawls into the shadowy space. COMICS and TOYS litter
the space.
BILLY
OK, Professor, we're back!
An empty whiskey bottle rolls out of the shadows and smack
against Billy's feet. At the other edge of the plywood, we
see a man's FEET stumble into view. Billy stands up.
EXT FORT - CONTINUOUS
Billy sees a MAN in a torn suit. He's dirty and bloodied.
MAN
Hey, kid. Sorry. Bottle got away from me.
Billy doesn't move. The man reaches into his suit coat. He
pulls out a PACK OF SMOKES, raises it to his lips and pulls
out a CIGARETTE with his teeth.
MAN (CONT'D)
Don't suppose you got a light?
Billy shakes his head.
MAN (CONT'D)
Eh. Filthy habit, anyway.
He spits out the unlit cigarette.
MAN (CONT'D)
Trying to cut down. So. What you playing?
BILLY
X-men.
MAN
Oh yeah? Who you fighting?
BILLY
Mr. Sinister.
MAN
Never heard of him. Sounds pretty bad,
though.
Billy nods.
MAN (CONT'D)
I used to...oh whoa...
The man staggers and collapses to his knees. He smiles at
Billy and leans back against a rock.
MAN (CONT'D)
You don't mind if I sit, do you?
He looks out at the field.
MAN (CONT'D)
I used to play super-heroes, too. Kinda
like that. Bad guys. Good guys.
Who...who's winning?
BILLY
(shrugging)
Good guys.
MAN
(laughing)
Yeah. That's good. That's the way it
should be.
BILLY
Mr. Sinister's pretty powerful, though.
MAN
The bad guys always seem cooler, don't
they? Better powers. Better clothes. But
that's the thing, ain't it? They're bad
guys. And sooner or later, they go down.
And why is that?
BILLY
Cuz they're bad?
MAN
Ah, that's what they want you to think.
Nah. Nah. The bad guys always lose
because they forget something.
It's...whatever...I don't know. You think
you're better. You think you you've got
all the angles covered. But eventually
the good guys find the one thing you
missed.
BILLY
Like what?
MAN
Oh. It could be a million little details.
What's your name, kid?
BILLY
Billy.
MAN
Billy. Well, Billy, where do you live?
Billy points to the edge of the field. The man reaches into
his pocket and pulls out a GUN.
MAN (CONT'D)
You maybe ought to head on home, Billy.
There are some guys coming. And believe
me you don't want to be here when they
get here.
BILLY
Who's coming?
MAN
The good guys, Billy. The good guys.
Billy runs off across the field. The man leans back and close
his eyes.
MAN (CONT'D)
Goddamn, I really could have used that
cigarette.
FADE TO BLACK.
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