EXT. TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK – NIGHT

Roger walks through the park, en route to the show. He sees Mimi across the way. She is buying smack from the dealer. Roger walks up, pulls Mimi aside.

ROGER
Hey.

MIMI
Hey.

ROGER
Look, I just want to say... I'm sorry for the way—

MIMI
Forget it.

ROGER
I was outta line. Can I make it up to you?

MIMI
How?

ROGER
A dinner party. At the Life Café. After Maureen's show.

MIMI
Sure. I'd like that.

They exchange a smile. The DEALER walks up, shoves Roger.

DEALER
Hey, lover-boy. You steal my client, you die.

ROGER

(angrily shoves back)
You didn't miss me. You won't miss her.

The dealer backs off, intimidated by Roger's anger. Roger takes Mimi's hand, pulls her across the way, en route to the show.

EXT. TENT CITY – MOMENTS LATER – NIGHT

At first, it's silent to us. But we can see the noise. Hundreds of people. Homeless. Little kids. Dozens of police in riot gear. Mark with his camera. Roger with Mimi. Angel with Collins. Joanne backstage with the P.A. system and light board. Benny on the corner, standing with his investors. Signs waving. People shouting.

Fires burn in the trash cans, keeping the crowd warm, and casting ribbons of smoke across the scene, making it look like the place for a showdown.

Maureen stands at the corner of the stage, ready to go on. She's trembling, nervous. Joanne massages her shoulders. Maureen takes a deep breath, steps onstage.

The audience sees Maureen. Their applause and cheers soars to a deafening level. Maureen raises her hand. The stage goes black. People look around in anticipation. Police speak on walkie talkies.

Suddenly, LIGHTS BLAST ON. The stage is bathed in a bright glow. A huge metal sculpture of a Christmas tree adorns the back of the stage. Mark excitedly begins to film. Maureen steps to the microphone.

MAUREEN
Last night, I had this dream. I found myself in
a desert called Cyberland. It was hot. My
canteen had sprung a leak, and I was thirsty.
Out of the abyss walked a cow. Elsie. "I am
forbidden to produce...

(grabs her breast)
... Milk," she said. "In Cyberland, we only
drink...

Maureen moves to a special microphone, taped red.

MAUREEN (CONT'D)
... Diet Coke."

The microphone throws the words in reverb. "Diet Coke, Diet Coke, Diet..." The audience cheers and applauds with tremendous enthusiasm. Benny exchanges a worried look with his investors and father-in-law, Mr. Grey, who is slowly fuming.

MAUREEN (CONT'D)
She said, "The only thing to do is jump over
the moon." They've closed everything real
down. Barns, troughs and performance
spaces! And replaced it all with lies and rules
and virtual life.

Special microphone. The reverb: Life, life, life, life...

MAUREEN (CONT'D)
And there's only one way out...

On the back of the stage, THREE BACKUP SINGERS appear.

THREE BACKUP SINGERS
Leap of faith. Leap of faith. Leap of faith.
Leap of faith.

MAUREEN
Only thing to do is jump over the moon. I
got to get outta here! It's like I'm being tied to
the hood of a yellow rental truck, being
packed in with fertilizer and fuel oil, pushed
over a cliff by a suicidal Mickey Mouse! I've
got to, got to, got to, got to, got to, got to, got to,
got to, got to, got to find a way. To jump over the
moon.

THREE BACKUP SINGERS
Leap of faith. Leap of faith. Leap of faith.
Leap of faith.

MAUREEN
Only thing to do is jump over the moon.

The crowd is with her, starting to sing along. Mimi, Angel and Collins are singing. Roger smiles. Mark continues to film.

Maureen goes to the next verse, looks to the back of the crowd. Her eyes meet Benny's.

MAUREEN (CONT'D)
Then a little bulldog entered. His name (we
have learned) was Benny. And although he
once had principles, he abandoned them to
live as a lapdog to a wealthy daughter of the
revolution.

Mr. Grey shoots a cold, insulted look to Benny. Scared, Benny dashes over to a nearby RIOT COP. Benny whispers to the cop, giving the policeman very specific orders. The cop nods, moves to a group of RIOT POLICEMEN, repeating Benny's instructions.

A worried Roger sees what has transpired between Benny and the cops.

MAUREEN (CONT'D)
One, two, three... "That's bull," he said. "Ever
since the cat took up the fiddle, that cow's
been jumpy. The dish and the spoon were
evicted from the table - and eloped. She's
had trouble with that milk and the moon ever
since. Maybe it's a female thing. 'Cause who'd
want to leave Cyberland anyway? Walls ain't
so bad! The dish and the spoon, for instance.
They're down on their luck, they come knockin'
on my doghouse door, and I say, "Not in my
backyard, utensils! Go back to China." The
only way out is up. Elsie the cow whispered to
me, "A leap of faith. Still thirsty?" she asked.
Parched. "Have some milk." I lowered myself
beneath her swollen udder and sucked the
sweetest milk I'd ever tasted.

Maureen makes a loud, slurping, sucking sound. Some of the homeless people watch on. Some confused. Some insulted.

MAUREEN (CONT'D)
"Climb on board," she said. And as a harvest
moon rose over Cyberland, we reared back.
We sprang into a gallop. Leaping out of orbit!
I awoke singing:

The backup singers continue:

THREE BACKUP SINGERS
Leap of faith, leap of faith, etc.

MAUREEN
Only thing to do is jump over the moon. Over
the moon. Over the—
(moos like a cow)
Mooooooo! Moooooooo! Moooooooo!
C'mon! Moo with me!

Maureen encourages the audience to moo with her. Several audience members join her, beginning to moo.

MAUREEN (CONT'D)
Moo with me. Come on. That's right! Moo, damn you!

Some of the crowd moo's. Others chant slogans seen on signs. The rest laugh. Mark Cohen rolls his eyes at Maureen and keeps filming. Mimi, Angel, and Collins moo. Roger smiles. Benny is deadly still.

MAUREEN (CONT'D)
Yes, moo! When they tell you people don't care, moo! When they want to quietly wipe out an entire tent city of people, and then watch It's a Wonderful Life on TV, moo! When they tell you that there is only one way to live...

The crowd gets more into it. Mooing. Little homeless kids smile and moo. Mark is filming. Listening.

MAUREEN (CONT'D)
... one way to be... when they say they don't have a choice, and you know that they've convinced themselves that they're right... moo! When they say that you'll never make it big and think that what you do is any less valid because of it... moo!

The crowd is starting to get rowdy. Stepping on a few policemen's toes unwittingly.

BACKSTAGE... Maureen is sweating, wiping off her face. Joanne doesn't look pleased, she looks scared.

JOANNE
It's getting out of control, Maureen.

In the midst of this, one of the cops PUSHES a protestor. The protestor PUSHES BACK.

Others JOIN in. Angry protestors and police STAND OFF. Shoving. Shouting. A punch is thrown. A RIOT begins. At first it's the cops against the protestors. Then everyone begins to JOIN IN. Mark PANS his CAMERA AWAY from the stage, begins to FILM the riot.

Maureen stops her show, tries to stop the rioting.

MAUREEN
(softly, scared)
People. Please. Let's be cool...

Joanne joins Maureen onstage, trying to pull her off.

A policeman shoves a protestor into the light board. The lights flash. Some go on. Some start to strobe, flashing. Then all the lights go out, except for the ones in the apartments surrounding.

A policeman shoves a homeless man into a trash can. The trash can gets knocked over, and the Christmas tree goes up in flames. The snow dances in the air.

A cop tries to arrest Angel. He gives the cop a swift kick in the shins, followed by an elbow to the jaw. The cop drops to his knees. Angel grabs Collins, Roger and Mimi, trying to escape through the crowd.

ON THE STAGE... Joanne watches in horror. Maureen sees a cop beating on a homeless man. She LEAPS from the stage, into the crowd. Joanne follows.

As homeless people get shoved around. And cops get hit with bricks and bottles. Angel tries to lead the group onto a fire escape. One cop stands in front of them. It looks like they're done for until...

The cop takes off his riot mask and reveals his face. It's STEVE. The man from the Life Support group.

STEVE
It's going to get worse. Get the fuck out of here!

Angel nods. Scared. Steve ushers most of them away from the fire escape down an alley. The last to go is Mimi. Roger grabs her hand. Across the way… Benny sees them together. Roger doesn't notice him. He just moves Mimi into the alley and disappears. We move in on Benny, shaking his head. Can't believe his luck. An idea forming.

Maureen is punching, kicking at the cop. Joanne manages to pull her away, back onto the stage, where they escape through an alley.

Mark is in the middle of the madness, filming everything. He turns his camera to a group of cops who throw some homeless folks into the rear of the paddy wagon. Mark is shocked silent. His camera jams. He smacks it.

EXT. LIFE CAFÉ – LATER – NIGHT

A large, fairly upscale East Village café. A LIGHT SNOW continues to fall. We hear the sounds of police and ambulance sirens, along with shouting and screaming, in the background.

Roger, Mimi, Angel and Collins arrive at the cafe entrance, joined by Maureen and Joanne, who tries to comfort her distraught lover.

JOANNE
(tender)
Baby, please. Calm down. It's gonna be okay. The audience loved you. They got your message.

MAUREEN
Before or after they got arrested? I mean... it was supposed to be a peaceful protest. How did it get so out of control?

ROGER
Benny.

MAUREEN
Benny?

ROGER
(nods)
He orchestrated the whole thing. I saw it all go down.

MAUREEN
That prick!

Mark dashes up to our group of bohemians. Mark is dancing on air, excited, happy, sporting a few bruises and scratches from the riot. Maureen turns on him, furious.

MAUREEN (CONT'D)
What are you so fucking happy about?

MARK
Guess who's headlining tonight's eleven o'clock news?

MAUREEN
Who?

MARK
You.

Maureen is confused, but intrigued.

MARK (CONT'D)
They bought my riot footage.

The mood turns from grim to exuberance. Joanne looks at Maureen.

JOANNE
Everybody in New York City is gonna see your show!

ANGEL
Honey, you're a star.

Maureen, eyes wet with tears, and a smile that could melt this cold night, turns to Mark. She moves close to him, appreciative, sexy.

MAUREEN
I don't know what to say... how can I repay you?...

Mark pauses, a slow smile. Joanne, jealous, steps between the two of them. Stern, she looks at Maureen.

JOANNE
Let the boy buy us dinner.

Everyone cheers, in unison. They excitedly enter the café.

INT. LIFE CAFÉ – NIGHT

The restaurant MANAGER, a high strung man, panics upon seeing Mark, Roger and the group of bohemians. He tries to shoo them out.

MANAGER
No. Please. No. Not tonight. Please, no.
Mister - can't you go - not tonight. Can't have a
scene.

ROGER
(walking by him)
What?

MANAGER
Go. Please. Go. You -

Suddenly, the doors open. Benny enters, with his investors and Mr. Grey. When Mimi sees Benny, her face goes COLD. When the manager spots Benny, he immediately ushers him through.

MANAGER (CONT'D)
Hello, sir.

Maureen leaps for Benny's throat, Joanne holds her back. Benny and his group are immediately seated. Roger looks back to the manager.

MANAGER (CONT'D)
I said no. Important customers.

MARK
What am I - just a blur?

MANAGER
You sit all night. You never buy.

MARK
That's a lie! That's a lie! I had a tea the other
day.

MANAGER
You couldn't pay.

MARK
Oh yeah.

Angel holds up a wad of cash.

ANGEL
Tonight we can.

The manager sighs, can't turn down the business. He leads the bohemians into the café. They pass Benny's table.

COLLINS
Benjamin Coffin III? Here?

MANAGER
Oh no.

THE BOHEMIANS
Wine and beer!

MAUREEN
The enemy of Avenue A. We'll stay.

MANAGER
Oy vey!

COLLINS
What brings the mogul in his own mind to the
Life Café?

The bohemians take their place at a long table in the center of the room. It resembles the Last Supper. Several other bohemians, part of their entourage, join our main cast at the table. Benny stands and raises his glass. Sarcastic.

BENNY
I would like to propose a toast to Maureen's
noble try. It went well...

MAUREEN
Go to hell.

BENNY
Was the yuppie scum stomped? Not counting
the homeless, how many tickets weren't
comp'ed?

ROGER
Why did Muffy—

Mr. Grey glares at Roger.

BENNY
Allison.

ROGER
Miss the show?

BENNY
There was a death in the family, if you must
know.

ANGEL
Who died?

BENNY
Our Akita.

Angel and the group realize it was Benny's family dog he killed. Roger stifles a laugh.

BENNY, MARK, ANGEL, COLLINS
Evita.

Benny stands, hovers around Mimi. She's nervous.

BENNY
Mimi, I'm surprised a bright and charming girl
like you hangs out with these slackers who
don't adhere to deals.

"La Vie Bohéme" begins.

BENNY (CONT'D)
They all make fun. Yet I am the one
attempting to do some good. Or do you really
want a neighborhood where people piss on
your stoop every night?

The song breaks into melody. Benny gets right into Roger's face. All sarcasm now betrayal and anger.

BENNY (CONT'D)
Bohemia! Bohemia! It's a fallacy in your
head. This is Calcutta... Bohemia is dead.

Benny turns on Mark. It hangs in the air like a challenge. A beat. Mark looks to Maureen.

MAUREEN
Benjamin Coffin III... for all this and so much more...

Benny stares at Maureen. He looks like he could kill.

MAUREEN (CONT'D)
This one's for you.

Mark stands and raises his glass. The bohemians immediately enact a mock funeral. Mark delivers a "eulogy" to a rousing pipe organ.

MARK
Dearly beloved. We gather here to say our
goodbyes.

COLLINS & ROGER
Dies irae - dies illa. Kyrie Eleison. Yitgadal
v'yitkadash, etc.

Mark jumps up and lies on the table like it was a coffin.

MARK
Here she lies! No one knew her worth, the
late great daughter of mother earth. On this
night when we celebrate the birth...

The pipe organ is replaced by piano. A melody we've all heard before... an oldie but a goodie...

MARK (CONT'D
)In that little town of Bethlehem, we raise our
glass... you bet your ass to...

Maureen moons Benny. He doesn't blink.

MARK (CONT'D)
La Vie Bohéme!

The dirge is over. A cool and fun piano groove sneaks up. The company all move to it. First, shoulders. Then, heads. As they sing...

BOHEMIANS
La vie Bohéme. La vie Bohéme. La vie
Bohéme. La vie Bohéme.

The artists - Roger, Mimi, Angel, Collins - begin to suspect that Mark's rebuttal to Benny might simply be a fun, campy celebration of what they, and all artists, go through. They begin to smile, nod their heads. And tap their feet. As Mark sings...

MARK
To days of inspiration, playing hooky, making
something out of nothing, the need to express.
To communicate. To going against the grain,
going insane, going mad.

Mimi, Angel and Collins smile. Maureen is impressed. Mark approaches the crowd. Encouraging them to add their own little riffs.

MARK (CONT'D)
To loving tension. No pension. To more than
one dimension.

Mark points to a guy at the table.

GUY AT TABLE
To starving for attention. Hating convention,
hating pretension...

MARK
... not to mention of course, hating dear old
Mom and Dad.

The guy at the table smiles. Mark moves left. Everyone sings "La Vie Bohéme" as backup.

MARK (CONT'D)
To riding your bike, midday, past the three
piece suits. To fruits. To no absolutes.

He points to Collins.

COLLINS
To Absolut. To choice.

Collins looks to Angel.

ANGEL
To the Village Voice. To any passing fad.

She looks to Roger.

ROGER
To being an us for once...

Mark motions for Benny to join his friends, then points to Benny's investors.

ROGER (CONT'D)
... instead of a them.

The investors are upset at Benny. He calms them. Mark smiles, and the company kicks in with the chorus as Roger and Benny stare at each other. Cold and sober.

BOHEMIANS
La vie Bohéme. La vie Bohéme.

Maureen caps the line with a smack to Joanne's ass. Mr. Grey stares.

MR. GREY
(disapproving)
Ahhemmm!

MAUREEN
(hugs Joanne)
Hey, mister. She's my sister.

The manager arrives, pad in hand.

MANAGER
So that's five miso soups, four seaweed salad,
three soy burger dinner, two tofu dog platter.
And one pasta with meatless balls.

ROGER
Ugggh.

COLLINS
It tastes the same.

MIMI
If you close your eyes.

MANAGER
And thirteen orders of fries. Is that it here?

BOHEMIANS
Wine and beer!

Mimi and Angel jump up on the table and begin dancing.

MIMI & ANGEL
To hand-crafted beers made in local
breweries. To yoga. To yogurt. To rice and
beans and cheese. To leather.

Angel lies face down on the table. Mimi mimes fucking Angel from behind. Benny's investors shake their heads. Benny is too pre-occupied to deal with them.

MIMI & ANGEL (CONT'D)
To dildos. To curry vindaloo. To huevos
rancheros and Maya Angelou.

Mimi turns to smile at Roger, but he's distant. Collins and Maureen dance ballroom past him.

MAUREEN & COLLINS
Emotion devotion. To causing a commotion.
Creation. Vacation.

Maureen points to Mark...

MARK
Mucho masturbation.

Mark looks at Benny. It's a long stare. The look on both of their faces is simply recognition that the friendship will never be the same. Betrayal. Sadness. Anger. All wrapped up into one.

MAUREEN & COLLINS
Compassion, to fashion, to passion when it's
new.

COLLINS
To Sontag.

ANGEL
To Sondheim.

FOUR BOHEMIANS
To anything taboo.

The music takes on a hard guitar riff and harmony. Roger taps Angel, and begins dancing with Collins. Mimi feels outright ignored by him now.

COLLINS & ROGER
Ginsberg, Dylan, Cunningham, and Cage.

COLLINS
Lenny Bruce.

ROGER
Langston Hughes.

Maureen raises her fist.

MAUREEN
To the stage!

BOHEMIANS
To Uta. To Buddha. Pablo Neruda, too.

Mimi, fed up with Roger, grabs Mark. They dance. Mark sings and finds himself smiling.

MARK & MIMI
Why Dorothy and Toto went over the
rainbow... to blow off Auntie Em.

BOHEMIANS
La vie Bohéme.

Joanne and Maureen kiss. Mr. Grey looks at them, suspicious.

MR. GREY
Sisters?

MAUREEN
We're close.

The song is building. Angel jumps on top of Collins, who's on the table. They kiss.

ANGEL, COLLINS
Brothers!

Benny tries to calm Mr. Grey. Mark, Angel and Mimi are leading the dance.

MARK, ANGEL, MIMI & 3 OTHERS
Bisexuals, trisexuals, homo sapiens,
carcinogens, hallucinogens, men, Pee Wee
Herman. German wine, turpentine, Gertrude
Stein, Antonioni, Bertolucci, Kurosawa,
Carmina Burana.

The crowd is starting to shout out things. The other bohemians join them, now all dancing on the table.

BOHEMIANS
To apathy, to entropy, to empathy, ecstasy,
Vaclav Havel - the Sex Pistols, 8BC, to no
shame - never playing the fame game.

Collins stands on the table.

COLLINS
To marijuana.

BOHEMIANS
To sodomy. It's between God and me. To S&M.

Mr. Grey and the investors get up from the table; start to walk out of the restaurant. Benny runs to grab the manager.

BENNY
Waiter, waiter, waiter!

BOHEMIANS
La vie Bohéme.

The music continues as Collins stands and speaks.

COLLINS
In honor of the death of Bohemia, an impromptu salon will commence immediately following dinner. Mimi Marquez, clad only in bubble wrap, will perform her famous lawn chair-handcuff dance to the sounds of iced tea being stirred.

Mimi laughs. Collins gestures to Roger.

ROGER
Mark Cohen will preview his new documentary about his inability to hold an erection on the high holy days.

Mark laughs. Roger gestures to him.

MARK
And Maureen Johnson, back from her spectacular one-night engagement at the 11th Street lot, will sing Native American tribal chants backward through her vocoder, while accompanying herself on the electric cello, which she has never studied.

Joanne sees Maureen playfully kiss Mark. Benny, looking for a waiter, runs into Mimi. He pulls her aside, careful that no one is watching.

BENNY
Your new boyfriend doesn't know about us?

MIMI
There's nothing to know.

BENNY
Don't you think that we should discuss—

MIMI
It was three months ago.

BENNY
He doesn't act like he's with you.

MIMI
We're taking it slow.

BENNY
Where is he now?

MIMI
He's right - hmmm...

BENNY
Uh-huh.

MIMI
Where'd he go?

She glares at Benny, turns and hurries back to the celebration. Benny turns, watches. Back to the bohemian celebration...

MARK
Roger will attempt to write a bittersweet, evocative song.

Roger picks out Musetta's theme on the guitar.

MARK (CONT'D)
That doesn't remind us of "Musetta's Waltz."

COLLINS
Angel Dumott Schunard will model the latest fashions from Paris while accompanying herself on the 10 gallon plastic pickle drum.

ANGEL
And Collins will recount his exploits as an anarchist... including the tale of his successful reprogramming of the M.I.T. virtual reality equipment to self-destruct, as it broadcast the words...

BOHEMIANS
Actual Reality. Act up. Fight AIDS!

Mimi, upset, confused, steps in front of Roger.

MIMI
Excuse me, did I do something wrong? I get
invited, then ignored all night long.

ROGER
I've been trying. I'm not lying. No one's
perfect. I've got baggage.

MIMI
Life's too short, babe. Time is flying. I'm
looking for baggage that goes with mine.

ROGER
(softens)
I should tell you.

MIMI
I've got baggage, too.

ROGER
I should tell you.

ROGER & MIMI
Baggage.

BOHEMIANS
Wine and beer!

Several BEEPERS go off, reminding people with AIDS to take their meds. Collins and Angel turn theirs off, take their pills. Roger turns his beeper off. Mimi turns off her beeper.

MIMI
AZT break.

All sound of the crowd is blocked out as Roger turns and looks at Mimi. The groove is replaced by a beautiful piano ballad. Mimi feels him looking and turns. They look into each other's eyes, and we see them as they see each other. Beautiful. We hear them sing.

ROGER
(shocked)
You?

MIMI
Me. You?

Roger takes her hand.

ROGER
Mimi.

Angel sees them and then looks over at Mark Cohen jumping on the table, filming and dancing. The look on her face is one of accomplishment. It's a private moment that ends with a smile.

The music slows into the lovely ballad "I Should Tell You." Roger leads Mimi through the back hallway, into the...

EXT. LIFE CAFÉ – OUTER COURTYARD – NIGHT

A summer courtyard, deserted in the winter. Tables and chairs are covered with several inches of snow. The glorious snow continues to fall. It's a magical, romantic night. Roger and Mimi enter, holding hands, alone. They look into each other's eyes, singing their love.

ROGER
I should tell you, I'm disaster. I forget how to
begin it.

MIMI
Let's just make this part go faster. I have yet to
be in it. I should tell you.

ROGER
I should tell you.

MIMI
I should tell you.

ROGER
I should tell you.

MIMI
I should tell I blew the candle out just to get
back in.

ROGER
I'd forgotten how to smile until your candle
burned my skin.

MIMI
I should tell you.

ROGER
I should tell you.

MIMI
I should tell you.

ROGER & MIMI
I should tell. Well, here we go. Now, we...

MIMI
Oh, no.

ROGER
I know. This something is... here goes.

MIMI
Here goes.

ROGER
Guess so. It's starting to... who knows?

MIMI
Who knows?

The song starts to build. CAMERA CRANES UPWARD. They become two small figures, alone, huddled together amidst the buildings and falling snow.

ROGER & MIMI
Who knows where? Who goes there? Who
knows? Here goes?

They finally surrender to each other, beginning to slow dance in the courtyard. Mimi puts her head on Roger's shoulder.

ROGER & MIMI (CONT'D)
Trusting desire. Starting to learn. Walking
through fire, without a burn. Clinging. A
shoulder. A leap begins. Stinging and older.
Asleep on pins. So here we go. Now, we...

Roger takes Mimi's hand, leads her back inside.

ROGER
Oh, no.

MIMI
I know.

ROGER
Oh, no.

ROGER & MIMI
Who knows where? Who goes there? Here
goes. Here goes. Here goes.

INT. LIFE CAFÉ – NIGHT

Roger and Mimi enter, holding hands, gazing into each other's eyes.

ROGER & MIMI
Here goes. Here goes. Here goes.

Mimi's eyes start to well up. Smiling.

MIMI
Is that why you didn't want to... you just didn't want to give it to... me?

It's the way she says "me," pointing to herself. Roger not wanting to taint her is maybe the kindest concern anyone has ever shown this girl. Roger can't know that. Mimi can't articulate it. But it's there. She cries.

ROGER
What? What is it?

MIMI
Nothing. It's nothing.

She wipes her tears and leans to kiss him.

ROGER
Mimi... I should tell you. I'm not a nice guy.

MIMI
Oh... you're wrong.

She does more than kiss him. Her face and shoulders and thin arms give everything she has to this boy. It's devastating. Roger is reluctant at first. Then, he begins to be swept up. The kiss is long and smoldering and clinging hopeful. Long, passionate. Perfect. Everything a first kiss should be.

The BOHEMIANS, seeing Roger and Mimi kissing, break into loud CHEERS and APPLAUSE.

BOHEMIANS
Yeahhh!

Mimi and Roger run back to their friends, jump up on the table and join the bohemians. They all shout out an art form, and then focus on a young artist who fits the bill.

BOHEMIANS (CONT'D)
To dance!

MIMI
No way to make a living, masochism, pain,
perfection, muscle spasm, chiropractors, short careers,
eating disorders.

Everyone is dancing, celebrating.

BOHEMIANS
To film!

MARK
Adventure, tedium, no family, boring
locations, dark rooms, perfect faces, egos,
money, Hollywood, and sleaze.

BOHEMIANS
To music!

ANGEL
Food of love, emotion, mathematics, isolation,
rhythm, feeling, power, harmony...

ROGER
(cutting in playfully)
... and heavy competition.

BOHEMIANS
Anarchy!

COLLINS & MAUREEN
Revolution, justice, screaming for solutions,
forcing changes, risk, and danger, making
noise, and making pleas.

PANDEMONIUM ERUPTS in the restaurant. Everyone is dancing on tables, chairs, and the bar. Benny is pleading with his investors to no avail. They walk away, leaving him alone.

BOHEMIANS
To faggots, lezzies, dykes, cross dressers,
too.

MAUREEN
To me.

MARK
To me.

COLLINS & ANGEL
To me.

BOHEMIANS
To you and you and you, you and you.

Mark says the final "you," pointing at Benny. He waves for Benny to come and join them. Still hoping that Benny thinks he belongs on the table rather than with the investors.

BOHEMIANS (CONT'D)
To people living with, living with, living with,
not dying from disease.

The bohemians move forward and Mark points at Benny.

MARK
Let he among us without sin be the first to
condemn...

ALL
La vie Bohéme. La vie Bohéme. La vie
Bohéme.

The bohemians continue their chant of "La Vie Bohéme" as Mark shouts.

MARK
Anyone out of the mainstream... is anyone in
the mainstream? Anyone alive? With a sex
drive! Tear down the wall. Aren't we all? The
opposite of war isn't peace... it's creation!

BOHEMIANS
La vie Bohéme.

The song hits a crunch point. Holding on a tense chord. Waiting for release. Everyone raises their fists high in the air. Defiant. The tension chord is released and they chant as one.

BOHEMIANS (CONT'D)
Viva la vie Bohéme!

SMASH CUT TO BLACK.