FIGHT CLUB
by
Jim Uhls
based on a novel by
Chuck Palahnuik
2/16/98
SCREEN BLACK
JACK (V.O.)
People were always asking me, did I
know Tyler Durden.
FADE IN:
INT. SOCIAL ROOM - TOP FLOOR OF HIGH RISE -- NIGHT
TYLER has one arm around Jack's shoulder; the other hand
holds a HANDGUN with the barrel lodged in JACK'S MOUTH.
Tyler is sitting in Jack's lap.
They are both sweating and disheveled, both around 30; Tyler
is blond, handsome; and Jack, brunette, is appealing in a
dry sort of way. Tyler looks at his watch.
TYLER
One minute.
(looking out window)
This is the beginning. We're at
ground zero. Maybe you should say a
few words, to mark the occasion.
JACK
... i... ann....iinn.. ff....nnyin...
JACK (V.O.)
With a gun barrel between your teeth,
you only speak in vowels.
Jack tongues the barrel to the side of his mouth.
JACK
(still distorted)
I can't think of anything.
JACK (V.O.)
With my tongue, I can feel the
rifling in the barrel. For a second,
I totally forgot about Tyler's whole
controlled demolition thing and I
wondered how clean this gun is.
Tyler checks his watch.
TYLER
It's getting exciting now.
JACK (V.O.)
That old saying, how you always hurt
the one you love, well, it works both
way.
Jack turns so that he can see down -- 31 STORIES.
JACK (V.O.)
We have front row seats for this
Theater of Mass Destruction. The
Demolitions Committee of Project
Mayhem wrapped the foundation columns
of ten buildings with blasting
gelatin. In two minutes, primary
charges will blow base charges, and
those buildings will be reduced to
smoldering rubble. I know this
because Tyler knows this.
TYLER
Look what we've accomplised.
(checks watch)
Thirty seconds.
JACK (V.O.)
Somehow, I realize all of this -- the
gun, the bombs, the revolution -- is
really about Marla Singer.
PULL BACK from Jack's face. It's pressed against TWO LARGE
BREASTS that belong to...BOB, 45, a moose of a man. Jack is
engulfed by Bob in an intense embrace. Bob weeps openly.
JACK (V.O.)
Bob had bitch tits.
PULL BACK to wide on...
INT. CHURCH MEETING ROOM - NIGHT
Men are paired off, hugging, talking in emotional tones.
Near the door, a SIGN on a stand: "REMAINING MEN TOGETHER."
JACK (V.O.)
This was a support group for men with
testicular cancer. The big moosie
slobbering all over me was Bob.
BOB
We're still men.
JACK
Yes. We're men. Men is what we are.
JACK (V.O.)
Six months ago, Bob's testicles were
removed. Then hormone therapy. He
developed bitch tits because his
testosterone was too high and his
body upped the estrogen. That was
where my head fit -- into his huge,
sweating tits that hung enormous, the
way we think of God's as big.
BOB
They're gonna have to open my pec's
again to drain the fluid.
Bob hugs tighter; then looks with empathy into Jack's eyes.
BOB
Okay. You cry now.
Jack looks at Bob.
JACK (V.O.)
Wait. Back up. Let me start earlier.
INT. JACK'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Jack lies in bed, staring at the ceiling.
JACK (V.O.)
For six months. I could not sleep.
INT. COPY ROOM - DAY
Jack, sleepy, stands over a copy machine. His Starbucks cup
sits on the lid, moving back and forth as the machine copies.
JACK (V.O.)
With insomnia, nothing is real.
Everything is far away. Everything
is a copy of a copy of a copy.
Other people make copies, all with Starbucks cups, sipping.
Jack picks up his cup and his copies and leaves.
INT. JACK'S OFFICE - SAME
Jack, sipping, stares blankly at a Starbucks bag on the
floor, full of newspapers and FAST FOOD GARBAGE.
JACK (V.O.)
When deep space exploration ramps up,
it will be corporations that name
everything. The IBM Stellar Sphere.
The Philip Morris Galaxy. Planet
Starbucks.
Jack looks up as a pudgy man, Jack's BOSS, enters, Starbucks
cup in hand, and slides a stack of reports on Jack's desk.
BOSS
I'm going to need you out-of-town a
little more this week. We've got
some "red-flags" to cover.
JACK (V.O.)
It must've been Tuesday. he was
wearing his "cornflower-blue" tie.
JACK
(listless management speak)
You want me to de-prioritize my
current reports until you advise of
a status upgrade?
BOSS
You need to make these your primary
"action items."
JACK (V.O.)
He was full of pep. Must've had his
grande latte enema.
BOSS
Here are your flight coupons. Call
me from the road if there are any
snags. Your itinerary...
Jack hides a yawn, pretends to listen.
INT. BATHROOM - JACK'S CONDO - NIGHT
Jack sits on the toilet, CORDLESS PHONE to his ear, flips
through an IKEA catalog. There's a stack of old Playboy
magazines and other catalogs nearby.
JACK (V.O.)
Like everyone else, I had become a
slave to the IKEA nesting instinct.
JACK
(into phone)
Yes. I'd like to order the Erika
Pekkari slip covers.
Jack drops the open catalog on the floor.
MOVE IN ON CATALOG -- ON PHOTO of COFFEETABLE SET...
JACK (V.O.)
If I saw something like clever coffee
table sin the shape of a yin and
yang, I had to have it.
PAN TO PHOTO of ARMCHAIR...
JACK (V.O.)
Like the Johanneshov armchair in the
Strinne green stripe pattern...
INT. LIVING ROOM/DINING AREA/KITCHEN
The armchair APPEARS. PAN OVER next to armchair...
JACK (V.O.)
Or the Rislampa wire lamps of
environmentally-friendly unbleached
paper.
The lamps APPEAR. PAN OVER to wall...
JACK (V.O.)
Even the Vild hall clock of
galvanized steel, resting on the
Klipsk shelving unit.
The clock APPEARS as the shelving unit APPEARS on the wall.
JACK (V.O.)
I would flip through catalogs and
wonder, "What kind of dining set
defines me as a person?" We used to
read pornography. Now it was the
Horchow Collection.
A dining room set APPEARS. Jack, the cordless phone still
glued to his ear, walks INTO FRAME and continues.
JACK
No, I don't want Cobalt. Oh, that
sounds nice. Apricot.
Jack opens a cabinet, takes out a plate.
JACK (V.O.)
I had it all. Even the glass dishes
with tiny bubbles and imperfections,
proof they were crafted by the
honest, simple, hard-working
indigenous peoples of wherever.
He rummages through the refrigerator. It's practically
empty. Jack takes out a jar of mustard, opens it and uses
a butter knife to eat it.
INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE - DAY
Jack, eyes puffy, face pale, sits before an INTERN, who
studies him with bemusement.
INTERN
No, you can't die of insomnia.
JACK
Maybe I died already. Look at my
face.
INTERN
You need to lighten up.
JACK
Can't you give me something?
JACK (V.O.)
Red-and-blue Tuinal, lipstick-red
Seconals.
INTERN
(overlapping w/ above)
You need healthy, natural sleep.
Chew valerian root and get some more
exercise.
The Intern ushes Jack to the door. They step into the...
INT. HALLWAY
The Intern walks away from Jack, picks up a chart.
JACK
I'm in pain.
INTERN
(facetious)
You want to see pain? Swing by First
Methodist Tuesday nights. See the
guys with testicular cancer. That's
pain.
The Intern moves into the other room. Jack stares after him.
EXT. FIRST METHODIST CHURCH - NIGHT
Jack heads for the front door.
INT. FIRST METHODIST CHURCH MEETING ROOM - NIGHT
Jack stares at a group of men, including Bob, who are all
listening to a group member speak at a lectern. The SPEAKER
has pale skin and sunken eyes -- he's clearly dying.
SPEAKER
I... wanted three kids. Two boys and
a girl. Mindy wanted two girls and
one boy. We never could agree on
anything.
The Speaker cracks a sad smile. Some men chuckle, happy to
lighten the mood.
SPEAKER
Well, she had her first child a month
ago, a girl, with her new husband...
And, Thank God. I'm glad for her,
because she deserves...
The speaker breaks down, WEEPS UNCONTROLLABLY.
Jack watches. A couple of the men go up to the speaker,
comforting him, leading him away. A LEADER takes the stand.
LEADER
Everyone, let's thank Thomas for
sharing himself with us.
Jack, uncomfortable, joins EVERYONE ELSE:
EVERYONE
(in unison)
Thank you, Thomas.
LEADER
I look around this room and I see a
lot of courage. And it gives me
strength. We give each other
strength.
Jack looks around. Many of the men are sniffling, sobbing.
Jack squirms in his seat.
LEADER
It's time for the one-on-one. Let's
follow Thomas's example and open
ourselves.
Everyone gets out of their chairs and begins pairing-off.
Jack stands, uncomfortable.
LEADER
Can everyone find a partner?
Bob, his chin down on his chest, starts toward Jack,
shuffling his feet.
JACK (V.O.)
The big moosie, his eyes already
shrink-wrapped in tears. Knees
together, invisible steps.
Bob takes Jack into an embrace.
JACK (V.O.)
Bob was a champion bodybuilder. You
know that chest expansion program you
see on TV? That was his idea.
BOB
...using steroids. I was a juicer.
Diabonol, then, Wisterol -- it's for
racehorses, for Christsake. Now I'm
bankrupt, divorced, my two grown kids
won't return my calls...
JACK (V.O.)
Strangers with this kind of honesty
make me go a big rubbery one.
Bob breaks into sobbing, putting his head on Jack's shoulder
and completely covering Jack's face. After a long beat of
crying, Bob raises up his head, looks at Jack's NAMETAG.
BOB
Go ahead, Cornelius. You can cry.
They look at each other. Slowly, Jack's eyes grow wet.
JACK (V.O.)
Then... something happened. I was
lost in oblivion -- dark and silent
and complete.
Bob pulls Jack's head back into his chest. Jack tightens
his arms around Bob.
JACK (V.O.)
I found freedom. Losing all hope was
freedom.
Jack pulls away from Bob. On Bob's chest, there's a WET
MASK of Jack's face from how he looks weeping.
JACK (V.O.)
Babies don't sleep this well.
INT. JACK'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Jack lies sound asleep.
JACK (V.O.)
I became addicted.
INT. SMALL PROTESTANT CHURCH - NIGHT
Jack moves into a "group hug" of sickly people, men and
women. In view is a sign by the door "Free and Clear."
INT. OFFICE BUILDING BASEMENT - NIGHT
Jack stands with a weeping middle-aged WOMAN. He begins to
cry along with her. A sign by the door: "Onward and Upward."
JACK (V.O.)
If I didn't say anything, people
assumed the worst. They cried
harder. I cried harder.
INT. PUBLIC BUILDING CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT
Everyone, including Jack, sits back in their seats, EYES
CLOSED. The Leader speaks into a microphone.
LEADER
Tonight, we're going to open the
green door -- the heart chakra...
JACK (V.O.)
I wasn't really dying, I wasn't host
to cancer or parasites; I was the
warm little center that the life of
this world crowded around.
LEADER
...And you open the door and you
step inside. We're inside our
hearts. Now, imaging your pain as a
white ball of healing light. That's
right, the pain itself is a ball of
healing light.
Jack, eyes closed, is silent...
LEADER
It moves over your body, healing you.
Keep this going and step forward,
through the back door of the room.
Where does it lead? To your cave.
Step forward into your cave.
INT. CAVE - JACK'S IMAGINATION
Jack walks along, moving through an ICE CAVERN...
LEADER'S VOICE
That's right. You're going deeper
into your cave. And you're going to
find your power animal...
Jack comes upon a PENGUIN. The penguin looks at him, cocks
his head to signal Jack forward.
PENGUIN
Slide.
The penguin jumps onto a patch of ICE and slides away.
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
Jack walks out a doorway, saying goodbye to people. He
walks down the sidewalk, shining with peace.
JACK (V.O.)
Every evening I died and every
evening I was born again. Resurrected.
CUT BACK TO:
INT. FIRST METHODIST CHURCH MEETING ROOM - RESUMING
Jack's still in an embrace with Bob.
JACK (V.O.)
Bob loved me because he thought my
testicles were removed too. Being
there, my face against his tits,
ready to cry -- this was my vacation.
MARLA SINGER enters. She has short matte black hair and
big, dark eyes like a character from japanese animation.
JACK (V.O.)
And, she ruined everything.
Marla looks around, raises a cigarette to her lips.
MARLA
This is cancer, right?
Bob and Jack stare, dumbfounded.
INT. FIRST METHODIST CHURCH MEETING ROOM - LATER
Everyone paired-off. MOVE THROUGH ROOM... FIND JACK'S FACE
as he stares... MOVE THROUGH ROOM... FIND MARLA'S FACE.
She's drinking coffee, smoking a cigarette.
JACK (V.O.)
This ... chick ... Marla Singer ...
did not have testicular cancer. She
was a liar.
INT. SMALL PROTESTANT CHURCH - NIGHT
Marla sits with the group, smoking, listening intently while
a member speaks. Jack spies on her.
JACK (V.O.)
She had no diseases at all. I had
seen her at my melanoma Monday night
group ...
INT. CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL - NIGHT
Marla sits at the end of a row, smoking. All the faces down
the row are turned toward her, incredulous...
JACK (V.O.)
... and at "Free and Clear," my blood
parasites group Thursdays.
Jack leans out further than the others, scornful.
JACK (V.O.)
-- And, again, at "Seize The Day," my
tuberculosis Friday night.
CUT BACK TO:
INT. FIRST METHODIST CHURCH MEETING ROOM - ANOTHER NIGHT
Jack watches... Marla's eyes are closed, her head on the
shoulder of the MAN she's embraced by. She opens her eyes,
catching Jack's stare. Jack looks away.
JACK (V.O.)
Marla -- the big tourist. Her lie
reflected my lie.
Marla rests her chin on the man's shoulder. Tears roll down
her cheeks. She wipes at them.
EXT. FIRST METHODIST CHURCH - NIGHT
Marla walks out, The support group's dispersing. Jack
exits amongst them. He spots Marla walking away.
JACK (V.O.)
And suddenly, I felt nothing. I
couldn't cry. So, once again, I
could not sleep.
Jack stares after Marla for a long moment. He walks away.
INT. BEDROOM - LATER
Jack, in underwear, is cross-legged on the floor, assembling
IKEA furniture, CORDLESS PHONE shouldered to his ear.
JACK
(into phone)
No, I just can't believe that card is
declined -- Okay, okay, let me give
you a different card number.
Jack gets his wallet off the floor, pulls out another card
and, MOS over the following, he reads it into the phone.
JACK (V.O.)
Next group, after guided meditation,
after we open our chakras, when it's
time to hug, I'm going to grab that
little bitch, Marla Singer, pin her
arms against her sides and say...
INT. MEETING ROOM - NIGHT - JACK'S IMAGINATION
CLOSE ON JACK as he CLAMPS his arms around Marla.