Cameron Crowe March 2003 . ELIZABETHTOWNeo yy ‘Welcome back, boys. >) ELIZABETHTOWN ‘The music of The Hollies’ “Jesus Was A Crossmaker” begins. It's a quiet, stately song, fit for an ang, And though this is oly the beginning, perhaps we sense something grand and final is about to occur. . FADE IN; ALARGE INDUSTRIAL TRUCK backs into a close shot. Mighty steel doors swing upward o reveal an entire truck full of shoe aaa any, many boxes of sboes, masked with aloud black stamp: RECALL. Camera slides mit as another gleaming tick ope its back doors to reveal similar cargo. And snother ‘And another. Two dock-workers share a rueful, knowing look. DOCK WORKER # 1 (to the shoes) ‘They begin the task of unloading this colossal shipment, VOICE ‘As somebody once said, there is a difference between a failure... HIGH-ANGLE “Twenty-two trucks unloading the shoe boxes. We are on the outskirts of the gorgeous “campus” sys shoe company whose world headquarters are ight herein the wids of Oregon just outside Portland ‘VOICE and a fiasco INT. MERCURY SHOE CORPORATE HELICOPTER - DAY DREW BAYLOR js 27. He sits igidly upright, a man facing his destiny, even though he’s ‘seated backwards. He's the only passenger in this company helicopter whisting over the tops of tall Oregon tres, In the distance, the magnificent Mount Hood, Drew Tooks at the large open ‘ide-window to the helicopter. It beckons, a tempting way out.EXT, MERCURY SHOE HEADQUARTERS - DAY - HIGH ANGLE “The speck that is Drew now exits the still-whirring helicopter which has just touched down at the top of the tallest building of this importantlooking compound, The voice continues helpfully, calm but resigned. oo VOICE ‘A failure is simply the non-presence of success. ‘Any fool can accomplish failure. PILOT ‘Watch your bead — Drew looks upwards at the slicing helicopter blades. DREW 6 me Pm fine. -___ INT. MERCURY SHOE HEADQUARTERS - DAY Drew wears a security id. badge as he walks the hallway. Young powerful types, all “casually” dressed, swivel back in chairs, frozen in mid-meeting as they see him. We know the look. It’s our ‘own look as we try hard not to gaze at a passing wreck on the highway. VOICE But a fiasco... ‘Drew artives-at another hallway juncture, a little unsure of his direction. He chooses the let path, He nods to people as he walks. Our narrator's thoughtful voice belongs to Drew, of course, and it stands in great contrast to his deceptively cheerful public front. DREW'S VOICE “fiasco” is a digaster of mythic proportions. A fiasco is a folk-tale told to others, that makes other people feel more alive... because it didn't happen to them. DREW (Gatly) I'm fine, GC INT, MERCURY SHOES HALLWAY ~ DAY. Drew arrives at the desk of ELLEN KISHMORE, 24. She's a high-level assistant with great