Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me

 

 

 

Screenplay by       David Lynch

          Robert Engels

 

Produced by       Francis Bouygues

          Greg Fienberg

 

Directed by       David Lynch

 

 

 

Cast List:

 

Sheryl Lee      Laura Palmer

Ray Wise      Leland Palmer

Moira Kelly      Donna Hayward

Kyle MacLachlan    Special Agent Dale Cooper

David Bowie      Phillip Jeffries

Chris Isaak      Special Agent Chester Desmond

Harry Dean Stanton    Carl Rodd

Dana Ashbrook      Bobby Briggs

Kiefer Sutherland    Sam Stanley

 

 

 

 

Fire Walk With Me,

Teresa Banks and the Last

Seven Days of Laura Palmer

 

 

 

FADE IN:

 

 

EXT. WIND RIVER, WASHINGTON – DAY

 

On screen it reads:

 

"1988, WIND RIVER, DEER MEADOW, WASHINGTON"

 

TERESA BANKS' body wrapped in plastic floating through Hells Canyon, drifting along in Wind River.

 

On screen it reads:

 

"TERESA BANKS"

 

 

FADE OUT

 

FADE IN:

 

 

EXT. FBI OFFICE IN PORTLAND

 

Establish.

 

 

INT. GORDON COLE'S OFFICE

 

GORDON COLE talks on the speaker phone.

 

COLE

Get me Agent Chester Desmond in Fargo, North Dakota.

 

 

EXT. HIGHWAY, FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA – DAY

 

A school bus. TWO very buxom PROSTITUTES are being handcuffed by a plain clothes special agent, CHESTER DESMOND. Another AGENT has his gun to the spread eagled BUS DRIVER's head. The KIDS inside the bus are screaming. The phone inside Chester Desmond's car starts to ring. Desmond walks to the car.

 

 

INT. DESMOND'S CAR – DAY

 

Desmond picks up the ringing phone.

 

DESMOND

Yes...

 

INTERCUT WITH:

 

 

COLE

 

COLE

Chet, I am calling you from Portland... Oregon.

 

DESMOND

OK, Gordon.

 

COLE

NO, IT'S OREGON, PORTLAND, OREGON. IT'S REGIONAL BUREAU CHIEF COLE. OUT IN PORTLAND OREGON. I NEED YOU OUT HERE, CHET.

 

DESMOND

(little louder)

OK, Gordon.

 

COLE

Oregon. A young Girl has been murdered. Seventeen years old. Named Teresa Banks.

 

DESMOND

(very loud)

Okay, Gordon!!!

 

Desmond electronically lowers the aerial adjusting the volume.

 

COLE

GOT A MAP OF THE ENVIRONS OF THE YAKIMA INDIAN RESERVATION WITH YOUR NAME ON IT. BETTER BRING A POLE.

 

DESMOND

Smell something fishy, huh?

 

COLE

I'VE GOT A SURPRISE FOR YOU, CHET. SOMETHING INTERESTING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHOW YOU. ARRANGEMENTS ARE BEING MADE AND I WILL MEET YOU AT THE PORTLAND, AIRPORT.

 

 

EXT. SMALL AIRPORT OUTSIDE OF PORTLAND – DAY

 

Small government plane lands.

 

 

ANOTHER ANGLE

 

Desmond exits the plane.

 

 

INT. SECURITY LOUNGE OF THE AIRPORT – SAME

 

Desmond enters. Cole and another man, SAM STANLEY, walk towards him.

 

COLE

(motioning to the man standing there)

CHET, GIVE SAM STANLEY THE GLAD HAND. HE'S COME OVER FROM SPOKANE.

 

Desmond and Stanley shake.

 

STANLEY

It's a pleasure. I've heard a lot about you.

 

COLE

SAM'S THE MAN WHO CRACKED THE WHITEMAN CASE.

 

DESMOND

Congratulations. I heard about that.

 

COLE

(plowing ahead)

YOUR SURPRISE, CHET. HER NAME IS LIL.

 

LIL walks to them from another room. She goes into a contorted dance.

 

 

LIL'S DANCE

 

Things we notice:

 

- She makes a sour face.

 

- She walks in place.

 

- She puts one hand in her pocket and makes a fist with the other.

 

- While she is doing this, she blinks with both eyes.

 

- She is wearing a red wig.

 

At one point during this Cole adds a sentence.

 

COLE

SHE'S MY MOTHER'S SISTER'S GIRL.

 

Cole holds four fingers in front of his eyes.

 

DESMOND

(noticing the fingers)

Federal?

 

Cole gives him the thumbs up.

 

Lil finishes her dance.

 

COLE

GOOD LUCK, CHET.

(turns to Sam)

SAM, YOU STICK WITH CHET, HE'S GOT HIS OWN M.O. MODUS OPERANDI.

(back to Chet)

YOU CAN REACH ME AT THE PHILADELPHIA OFFICES. I AM FLYING OUT TODAY

 

DESMOND

Right, Gordon. We'll be in touch.

 

 

EXT. HIGHWAY ON THE WAY TO DEER MEADOW – DAY

 

Desmond's car on the highway.

 

 

INT. DESMOND'S CAR – SAME

 

As they barrel down the highway –

 

STANLEY

That was really something. That dancing girl.

(after a beat)

What did it mean?

 

DESMOND

Code. If you work with Gordon you learn that right away.

 

STANLEY

Code, I've heard a lot about this.

 

Desmond pulls his arm back so that only his fingers come out of his sleeve.

 

DESMOND

Sort of shorthand.

 

STANLEY

(missing the humor)

Shorthand. Really?

 

DESMOND

We're heading into a difficult situation.

 

STANLEY

How do you figure?

 

DESMOND

I'll explain it to you. Do you remember Lil's dance?

 

As Desmond explains we –

 

INTERCUT WITH:

 

 

FLASHBACK: LIL'S DANCE

 

In slow motion.

 

 

ON LIL'S SOUR FACE

 

DESMOND

Lil was wearing a sour face.

 

STANLEY

What do you mean?

 

DESMOND

Her face had a sour look... that means we're going to have trouble with the local authorities. They are not going to be receptive to the FBI.

 

 

ON LIL BLINKING BOTH EYES

 

DESMOND

Both eyes blinking means there is going to be trouble higher up... the eyes of the local authority. A sheriff and a deputy. That would be my guess. Two of the local law enforcers are going to be a problem.

 

 

ON LIL PUTTING ONE HAND IN HER POCKET AND ONE IN A FIST

 

DESMOND

(continued)

If you noticed she had one hand in her pocket which means they are hiding something, and the other hand made a fist which means they are going to be belligerent.

 

 

ON LIL WALKING IN PLACE

 

DESMOND

(continued)

Lil was walking in place which means there's going to be a lot of legwork involved.

 

 

WE SEE COLE PUTTING HIS FINGERS IN FRONT OF HIS FACE AND SAYING LIL IS HIS SISTER'S GIRL

 

DESMOND

(continued)

Cole said Lil was "his mother's sister's girl". What is missing in that sentence? The Uncle.

 

STANLEY

Oh, the uncle is missing.

 

DESMOND

Not Cole's Uncle but probably the sheriff's uncle in federal prison.

 

STANLEY

So the sheriff had got an Uncle who's committed a serious crime.

 

 

ON LIL'S RED WIG

 

DESMOND

Right, which is probably why Lil was wearing a red wig meaning we are headed into a dangerous situation. Let me ask you something, Stanley, did you notice anything about the dress?

 

STANLEY

The dress she was wearing had been altered to fit her. I noticed a different colored thread where the dress had been taken in. It wasn't her dress or she must have lost some weight.

 

DESMOND

Gordon said you were good. The tailored dress is our code for drugs. Did you notice what was pinned to it?

 

STANLEY

A blue rose.

 

DESMOND

Very good, but I can't tell you about that.

 

Stanley rides along quietly for a while.

 

STANLEY

What did Gordon's tie mean?

 

DESMOND

What? That's just Gordon's bad taste.

 

STANLEY

Why couldn't he have just told you all these things?

 

DESMOND

He talks loud. And he loves his code.

 

STANLEY

I see. He does talk loud.

 

DESMOND

Gordon would not have sent us to Deer Meadow without thinking it was a high priority situation.

 

STANLEY

It must be a high priority situation.

 

 

EXT. HIGHWAY – SAME

 

Desmond's car drives off.

 

DISSOLVE TO:

 

 

EXT. DEER MEADOW SHERIFF'S STATION – AFTERNOON

 

Desmond and Stanley arrive. The Sheriff's Station is in a sorry state outside... They walk up to the old steps and enter.

 

 

INT. DEER MEADOW SHERIFF'S STATION, RECEPTION AREA – DAY

 

Agent Desmond and Stanley walk into a very small reception area. At the counter Desmond shows his badge to CLIFF HOWARD, the Deputy.

 

DESMOND

Good afternoon, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent Chet Desmond. I'd like to see Sheriff Cable.

 

Cliff just smiles for a long minute.

 

CLIFF

Why don't you folks have a seat. Make yourself at home. It's gonna be a while.

 

Desmond stays standing and Stanley sits. After another long moment, Cliff joins the SECRETARY in a conspiratorial giggle over the long wait they are planning to give the FBI. In the middle of a giggle Cliff smiles up at Desmond.

 

CLIFF

(continued)

Why don't you have some of that coffee. It was fresh two days ago.

 

Cliff has a good laugh over this and leans again over the secretary pretending to look at some paper work. They both laugh.

 

DESMOND

Okay, that's it. I've had enough of the waiting room now.

 

CLIFF

(still smiling)

Oh.

 

Desmond walks towards the door that obviously must go to Sheriff Cable's office.

 

Cliff blocks his way with his arm across the doorway, daring him to do something. While they stare eye to eye, Desmond's hand goes up slowly towards Cliff's face in a slow mesmerizing way. Cliff tries to knock Chet's hand away. Chet counters by grabbing Cliff's nose and pinches a nerve to its side injecting Cliff with a great amount

of pain.

 

CLIFF

(continued)

AAAHHHHHHHH...

 

Desmond spins the deputy 180 degrees placing himself on the inside of the office and then still pressing the nerve guides Cliff down into a chair.

 

While the Deputy's eyes tear copiously Desmond turns to the secretary.

 

DESMOND

You can start that FRESH pot of coffee right now.

 

Desmond stalks to Sheriff Cable's office. Stanley remains behind continuing to observe every detail.

 

 

INT. SHERIFF CABLE'S OFFICE – DAY

 

SHERIFF CABLE looks up from his work.

 

CABLE

How the hell did you...

 

Desmond shows his credentials.

 

DESMOND

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agent Chet Desmond.

 

Cliff, still holding his nose, appears just behind Desmond, who turns to him.

 

DESMOND

(continued)

That's all right, Deputy, Sheriff Cable can take it from here

 

Cable signals Cliff to leave.

 

DESMOND

(continued)

I'm here to investigate the murder of Teresa Banks.

 

CABLE

 

Well, little fella, we don't need any outside help here. I don't like you people sniffin' around my neck of the woods. In fact, when the state boys called me about a "J. Edgar" coming up I think I said, "So what?"

 

 

DESMOND

 

Your behavior is not funny and is wasting the time of the Federal Government.

 

 

CABLE

 

You're lucky I am not wasting you.

 

 

DESMOND

 

Well, little fella, let me put it this way. The operative word here would be "Federal". With or without the semantics of all this, I am now ordering you to release all pertinent information concerning Teresa Banks, both while living and deceased.

 

 

Cable retrieves a box with the paper work and some personal effects. He throws it to Desmond.

 

 

CABLE

 

A basic kill. Banks was a drifter and nobody knew her. My boys have been all over this. It's a dead end.

 

 

DESMOND

 

That's why we're here, Sheriff Cable. Where's the body?

 

 

CABLE

 

Out back in our morgue

 

 

Desmond starts to leave.

 

 

CABLE

 

(continued)

It's 4:30. We close at five.

 

DESMOND

We've got our own clock. We'll lock up.

 

As Desmond turns to leave he notices on the wall a framed Newspaper clipping with picture.

 

The caption reads:

 

"CABLE BENDS STEEL"

 

The newspaper shows a picture of Cable in a He-Man pose bending a steel BAR into a U shape. He turns to leave and Stanley seems to have appeared right on time. Desmond moves down the hall and Stanley follows.

 

 

EXT. SHERIFF'S STATION – DAY

 

As Desmond and Stanley walk to the adjoining morgue they see a pile of steel BARS similar to the one they saw Cable bending in the picture.

 

 

AT THE MORGUE DOOR

 

Stanley moves up to Desmond and speaks confidentially.

 

STANLEY

You know, Agent Desmond, I figure this whole office, furniture included, is worth 27,000 dollars.