The Heat by Katie Dippold

This script made me laugh out loud more than possibly any script I have ever read. Didn't remember loving the movie that much, but maybe I did? 

Outline and lessons on next page...

 I think I'll start this section with a discussion of the lessons I learned...

1) Both characters were grounded in compelling back stories. Ashburn is a foster kid. Mullins put her brother in jail and comes from an angry and dysfunctional family. These issues don't come up immediately but they are revealed by the end. Importantly, it's clear that these back stories inform how these women behave. Ashburn is obsessed with control and keeps people at arm's length. Mullins is a maniac.

2) Comedy for the sake of comedy is great. The dialogue b/w the two leads is awesome, and lots of the laughs come from Mullins' lines. But this movie does a great job of inserting comedy for the sake of comedy. One scene where Ashburn performs a tracheotemy for no reason comes to mind as an example. That doesn't effect the plot, but the way she behaves is born from her character, and it's funny, so it's in there. The show EPISODES also uses this technique a lot. Exposition conversation happening? Interrupt it with an unrelated but funny character or moment.

3) Clear and broad characters. Ash and Mullins are total opposites. That conflict so clearly fuels the comedy. Mullins is outspoken about how Ash is nuts. And Mullins is just nuts. So that's a clear recipe for constant laughs.

4) The WGA had both the spec that sold and the shooting draft. The shooting draft was ZIPPIER and POPPIER. Maybe those feel like odd words, but it just felt PUNCHIER. Characters spoke a little more distinctly and concisely, for instance. And there was more MOVEMENT in the action. Here's a photo of the first pages side by side as a comparison...

SPEC on left. SHOOTING on right.

5) This is a romance between the leads, and that relationships is VERY clearly traced. First they are enemies. Then they have successs together but don't acknowledge it. Then they celebrate a victory. Then Ash buys Mullins curtains. By the end, they are emotionally supporting one another like only best friends and family could. Throughout all this they learn more information about each other, so we see each of them gradually humanized in the other eyes. Essentially at first they assume the worst stereotypes but then realize that the other is a more nuanced person. This is really cool, because it reflects what good characters need to be. The audience needs to see that they're human to love them, and THEY need to see each other as human to love each other too. THAT'S SO COOL. 

6) Comedy and conflict comes from pride and ego. PEOPLE SOUND STUPID WHEN THEY TRY TO SOUND SMART AND THAT IS HUGE IN THIS MOVIE. 

7) The big set up and pay off is rooted in their relationship with one another. (Easy set ups and pay offs are easy, they don't need to be written about, but this is cool...) The whole time they disagree about how to be law enforcement, disagree about strategy. At the very end, each suggests THE OTHERS strategy on how to handle a problem. What a great and clear way to demonstrate growth, closeness and understanding. 

8) Below find an ELEGANT INTERCUT...
 
MULLINS STEPS OUT OF JASON’S HOSPITAL ROOM AND DIALS HER CELL PHONE.
 
INT. ASHBURN’S NEW OFFICE - CONTINOUS
 
ASHBURN OPENS BOXES IN A NCIE CORNER OFFICE WITH A VIEW OF BOSTON. HER PHONE RINGS, SHE HITS SPEAKERPHONE. INTERCUT. 

NOW ON TO THE OUTLINE...
​
​SEQUENCE #1

• OVERHEAD SHOT of white van through a bad hood
• QUEENS: Meet ASHBURN
• IN SHITTY HOUSE: Ashburn bursts in w/ SWAT. Swat fails, then Ashburn finds drugs and guns.
• OUTSIDE: Ash gets in her car and acts tough but forgot there was no driver.
• CHINESE SPOT: Ash picks up food. Work guys eat w/o her. Clear that she’s lonely and not well liked.
• ASH HOUSE: All alone with a cat that’s not even hers.  Opens a MEMO about A PROMOTION THAT’S LOOMING IN HER OFFICE.
• BOSTON GHETTO: Prostitue
• MULLINS CAR: We meet Mullins, who does whatever tf she wants.
• GHETTO: Mullins arrests the John.
• BOSTON STREET: Mulins picks up Rojas.
• FBI FIELD OFFICE: Boss HALE tells Ashburn about the Boston job. Sends her there to prove herself before he gives her the promotion.
  • Part of this is a walk and talk.
  • Ash commits to find the bad guys.

 
SEQUENCE #2

• FBI BOSTON: Ash shows up and it’s clear she rubs people the wrong way. Ash is told: LOW LEVEL ROJAS JUST BROUGHT INTO LOCAL PRECINCT.
• BOSTON STREET: Ash takes Mullin parking spot. Pisses off Mullins.
• BOSTON PRECINCT: Ash w/ CAPT WOODS. Clear Woods is afraid of Mullins. Ash goes to question Rojas.
• OUTSIDE: Mullins has to climb out her window b/c Ash car blocked her in.
• INSIDE: Ash interrogates Rojas.
• OUTSIDE; Mullins keeps crawling.
• INSIDE: Ash gets close to Rojas ratting out his supplier.
• PRECINCT: Mullins finds the cage empty and is like WTF where is ROJAS???
• INTERROGATION ROOM: Ash and Mullins argue and almost fight. CAPT WOODS pulls them into his fofcie.
• CAPTAIN’S OFFICE: They continue to argue. Mullins sneak steals Ash’s keys and leaves.

 
SEQUENCE #3

• IRISH BAR: Ash hunts Mull down. They end up discussing the case a bit, but Ash won’Mull fake flatters Ash, then STEALS THE CASE FILE.
• JAIL: Mullins gets intel from her convict brother. Finds out who Larkin is (BIG BAD GUY IN CASE)
• EXT SHITTY BUILDING: Ash shows up with Rojas to meet the NEXT DEALER UP THE CHAIN. Lo and behold, Mullins is already there casing the place.  Ash tries to get her boss to kick Mullins off the case, but boss says “PROVE YOU CAN WORK WITH OTHERS, WORK WITH HER.” Ash has no choice but to go along with it.
• PAGE 32: Mullins agrees to work with Ash, as long as they both understand that it’s Mull’s case.

 
BEGIN ACT TWO – SEQUENCE #4
           

• INSIDE SHITTY BUILDING: The ladies talk about their interrogation styles. FANCY vs. BRING THE HEAT. Mull agrees to try the fancier way. The knock and meet TATIANA, the supposed next dealer up.
• IN TATIANA’S PLACE: Doesn’t quite go smoothly, the girls have opposite styles. Mullins freaks out and Ash uses the distraction to steal a suspicious cigarette.
• OUTSIDE: Ash is pissed, but then Mull reveals she created the distraction ON PURPOSE so Ash could steal the smoke. They also found NIGHT CLUB MATCHES that give them their next place to go. But first… MULLINS LIVES IN THIS SHITTY BUILDING and she needs her coat.
• IN MULLIN’S PLACE: It’s a mess. Mull calls curtains “window blankets.” There’s also a family photo, plus a huge WEAPONS STASH.

 
SEQUENCE #5

• FBI FIELD OFFICE: Ash with a chart of the dealer hierarchy. They get PRINTS BACK from the cigarette and that leads them to the nightclub, where they think the supplier might be in charge. Some vibes b/w Ash and AGENT LEVY which Ash ignores.
• OUTSIDE: Mullins confronts Ash about how Ash shut the romance down.  Mull debriefs Ash on Club Ekko, it’s a douche hub etc.
• ASH’S CAR: A little getting to know you chatter. Mullins calls Ash out on Harvard pretension. Then they spot the next bad guy, LESOIRE, entering the club.
• IN THE CLUB: Ash has a fire alarm plan but the alarm is not connected. They decide they have to dance to get close to the guy. Mull says “Wait. Come with me.”
• IN THE BATHROOM: Mull tries to sexify Ash for the dancing. Not clear if it worked. ONCE AGAIN: ALL THE COMEDY COMES FROM THE DIFFERENCES IN HOW THESE WOMEN SEE THE WORLD. THEY ARE TOTAL OPPOSITES, AND MULL IS OUT SPOKEN, WHICH ALLOWS US TO REALLY EXPLORE THE DIFFERENCES.
• IN THE CLUB: A guy checks Ash out. The sexification worked!
• DANCE FLOOR: Ash inadvertently appeals to Lesoire, the bad guy. He syas “let’s get a drink.”
• VIP AREA: Ash struggles to get a hold of the bad guy’s phone. Mullins looks at her like DO IT from across the bar.
• BACK AT THE BAR: Mullins freaks out over the cost of a whiskey.
• VIP AREA: Lesoire drones on. Then Mullins approaches acting drunk and passes out on the table. Ash takes this opportunity to switch out the sim card in Lesoire’s phone. Then they hurry away.
• IN THE CAR: THEY HI-FIVE. Getting closer. (Last time they succeeded they Ash didn’t even acknowledge that Mull helped out). Then they notice have a tail. Ash tries to lose it and fails. Mullins hits the breaks, they get out for a shoot out, but IT’S DEA.
• A FEW MINUTES LATER BY THE VAN; The women talk to the DEA AGENTS.
  • Mullins secretly sees HER BROTHER JASON on the surveillance monitors in the van. He’s at the club talking to Lesoire, the bad guy. Shit. 

 
SEQUENCE #6

• OUTSIDE MULLINS’ APT: Ash reveals she knows the guy on the feed was Mull’s brother. Suggests they talk to him. We learn that Mull put him in prison. Mull storms off.
• ASH’S PLACE: Mull has broken in to “look into Ash” just like Ash violated Mull by reading Mull’s file. We learn that Ash is definitely a lonely weirdo and has been since HS. She needs people in her life. Then they leave.
• MULLINS FAMILY HOME: They all yell at Mull for arresting her brother back in the day. Then BROTHER JASON arrives and Mull says they need to talk. Meanwhile Ash sits down with the family at dinner.
• OUTSIDE: Mull confronts Jason about why he was at the club. Jason says he’s straight, but he gives her some info about the bad guys. They killed a guy and left him under the bridge last night.
• DINING ROOM: Ash all alone. Spots Mull out on the yard.
• YARD: Ash checks to see if Mull is OK. THEY ARE GETTING CLOSER WITH EACH SCENE. Ash bought Mull curtains, which pays off a joke and gets them closer.
• MORGUE: They check out the dead body that BROTHER JASON tipped them of about. They get a clue off dead person clothes. Ask to see other victim clothes.
• FIELD OFFICE: Levy provides clothing analysis. COMPETING PRIDE AND EGO BRINGS OUT A LOT OF THE COMEDY. THEY BOTH WANT TO BE SMART SO BAD IT MAKES THEM DO SILLY STUF SOMETIMES, AND THEY CALL EACH OTHER OUT ON IT TOO.
  • They learn that all the victims were killed at a paint factory

 
SEQUENCE #7

• PAINT FACTORY: They spot the bad guys. Bad guys kill someone. They get caught be Lesoire.
• FACTORY FLOOR: It’s tense but Mullin gets them out of it and they capture BAD GUY JULIAN.
• FBI OFFICE: They discuss the best interrogation technique. Once again exploring their differences. Mullins agrees to be patient.
• INTERROGATION: Mullins is not patient. She seriously might shoot this guy. They find out the shipment is coming in Wednesday. Then CAPTAIN busts in.
• OFFICE: The DEA guys are pissed that the girls brought Julain AND LeSoire in. Hale takes Ash and Mully off the case.
• IRISH BAR: They order six shots and down them.
• LATER: They are drunk. They talk about how it’s hard being a woman in this field. Ash realizes that she’s fucked up b/c she’s an orphan.
  • LATER they try to “make a dance.”
  • LATER they throw darts at the bar tender
  • LATER still drunk.
  • MUCH LATER it’s “sad hour” at the bar.
  • A GUY tries to steal Ash’s car and it EXPLODES.
• OUTSIDE BAR: The ladies with the DEA and the exploded car.
  • They get an email that threatens Mullins family and let the FBI “take over,” so they can handle it themselves
• MULLINS HOME: Ash and Mull as the family packs.
• OUTSIDE HOME: The family gets in the van.
• GINA’S HOUSE: A comedy beat as they pick up one of the brother’s girlfriends.
• MOTEL – 3 HOURS AWAY: The family is there.
• ATTACHED DENNY’S: Ash tries to get Mull to put brother Jason on the streets to get intel. Mull says no.
  • SOMEONE CHOKES and Ash tries an emergency tracheotomy and fails
• LATER: the choking victim is loaded into an ambulance (Mull saved the da). THIS IS JUST ADDED COMEDY AND EXCITEMENT FOR NO REASON, THE “EPISODES” FORMULA FOR COMEDY, AND IT WORKS, ESPECIALLY B/C WHAT ASH DOES IS BORN FROM CHARACTER.
  • Jason calls and reveals that he put HIMSELF back on the street so he could help save the day. He gives them the info for the drop, CONLEY TERMINAL.
• CONLEY TERMINAL: The boat is clean.
  • LATER: Hale tells Ash to call it quits. Ash realizes that Mull is gone, at hospital for FAMILY EMERGENCY. Is it Jason?
• HOSPITAL: brother is induced coma.
  • MULL and ASH part ways
  • MULL commits to finding the guys that did this to Jason
• ASH PLACE: she packs up
• MULL PLACE: She plans her attack.
• ASH PLACE: Looks over her big win file from last year. Was Mullins right? Was the Red Falls Killer innocent?
• MULL PLACE: she plans her attack.
• FBI OFFICE: Ash turns in her files. Stands up for Mull when the guys make fun of her.
• DEALER APT: Mull pinched by a dealer but saved by Ash.

 
ACT 3 – They team up outside the law to take these assholes down.
 

• VARIOUS APARTMENTS lead them BACK TO ROJAS.
  • GREAT MOMENT WITH ROJAS: MULL SUGGESTS THE ASH ANSLYSIS TECHNIQUE, BUT ASH WOULD RATHER DO MULL STYLE ‘ROUGH ‘EM UP’
  • Rojas tells them where the stash is
• MULLINS APT: load up on guns.
• FACTORY: They kill LeSoire with grenade but then get captured
• LATER: THE DEA GUYS are the bad guys, stepping out of the shadows
  • DEA ADAM is big boss Adam. He leaves to go finsh Mull’s brother. But then Mull and Ash escape.
• HOSPITAL: They save the brother and kill the bad guy. (Shoot him in the dick at least.)
• HOSPITAL: They stay there to get treated. Ash connects with the flirty guy Levy, who finally seems respectable, but it’s a nice and small moment.
• POLICE CEREMONY: Mull gets an award, her family finally seems to kinda like her.
• HOSPITAL: The Mulls celebrate in Jason’s hospital room. Mull gets a gift from her dad (it’s sincere but to the audience it’s a joke).
• LATER: Jason connects with Mull, gald she got the bad guy.
• LATER IN HOSPITAL: Mull dials on her phone and gets Ash.
• ASH NEW OFFICE: Intercut as they talk. Mull signed ASH HS yearbook that no one signed. Nice pay off.
• ASH APT.: Mull shows up with the neighbor cat (that ASH pretended was her own). She basically kidnapped it hoping to reunite them but then realizes that Ash lied about it.
• THE END