In the murky world of guilt and power, one man’s battle could decide the fate of justice.
Watch the original version of Michael Clayton
Prologue
The city never slept, for it was a beast that thrived on the chaos of millions of lives intersecting, people selling their souls to dreams and power. It was in this city that Kenning & McGray, the prodigious law firm, towered over the rest, a beacon of prestige and influence. The firm was a powerhouse, a modern-day titan defending the powerful against the powerless. It was a game of wolves and lambs, and the wolves always had the upper hand.
Amid the sea of corporate suits, one man held a unique position. Michael Clayton, an established “fixer” within Kenning & McGray, solved problems that others couldn’t comprehend, problems that threatened to topple empires. His job was a tightrope walk over the abyss of legal and moral conundrums. Clayton’s expertise was damage control, and he was damned good at it, but not every situation was a walk in the park.
Clearwater Chemicals. The name echoed through the hallways of Kenning & McGray, a chilling whisper of the scandal that was brewing. A wrongdoing concealed beneath layers of power and money, laughing in the face of justice. Clearwater was a ticking time bomb, and the fuse was lit.
Amid this storm was Robert Keaton, a brilliant attorney and a man of integrity, thrown into the maelly fight against Clearwater. The guilt gnawing at his conscience, the burden of representing a guilty party was cracking him, piece by piece. It was a slow fall into oblivion, and no one saw it coming.
Chapter 1: The Unraveling
Keaton sat in his office, the four walls closing in on him, suffocating him. The dossier of Clearwater Chemicals sprawled across his desk, a Pandora’s Box of secrets and lies. The more he delved into the case, the darker it got. He was defending a monster, a corporate behemoth that had left a trail of environmental damage and human suffering in its wake.
His hands trembled as he skimmed through the reports; waterways polluted, species endangered, communities devastated by health problems. It was a horrifying tableau of corporate greed, and Keaton was its defender. The realization brought waves of nausea, his guilt echoing in the harsh glare of his office light.
The office phone rang, startling him out of his thoughts. On the other end was a voice filled with venomous joy. Brock Simmons, Clearwater’s CEO. The conversation was brief, Simmons oozing arrogance, assuring Keaton of their victory in court. The call ended, leaving Keaton immersed in the silence of his guilt.
Days turned into a blur, with Keaton skipping meals, ignoring calls, and losing sleep. His once crisp shirts now hung loose on his frame, the hollows under his eyes deepening. He was a man on the edge, teetering dangerously over the precipice of sanity. And one afternoon, it all came crashing down.
During a meeting with Clearwater’s top executives, Keaton had a breakdown. His guilt spilled over the brim, morphing into an outburst of unfettered emotions. He hurled accusations, unveiled truths, his voice echoing through the silent room. It was a scene of dramatic revelation, a shocking display of moral courage, and the subsequent fall of a man.
Keaton’s breakdown spread like wildfire throughout Kenning & McGray. Whispers filled the hallways, partners exchanged worried glances, and assistants scampered to contain the scandal. A crisis was unfolding within the firm’s high walls, and it called for the skills of their best fixer.
Michael Clayton entered the firm, ready to extinguish the flames surrounding Keaton’s scandal. Little did he know that this case would unravel a tangled web of deceit, threatening to shatter the world he had fought so hard to protect. As he stepped into the chaos, Clayton was about to embark on a journey of truth, justice, and ultimate redemption.
Chapter 2: The Fixer’s Arrival
The office of Kenning & McGray had an air of tension that morning. An uneasiness lingered like an unwanted guest amongst the mahogany desks and polished glass, like a note of discordance in an otherwise harmonious symphony.
Enter Michael Clayton, the “fixer”, a man who made a career out of managing chaos. The firm’s go-to solution for the messiest kinds of trouble. He was a seasoned player in the game of corporate law. His job was simple–to take the complicated and make it simple, to make problems disappear. So, when news of Keaton’s breakdown reached the higher-ups, their response was immediate and unanimous, “Get Clayton.”
Clayton stepped out of the elevator onto the 37th floor, his dark eyes scanning the buzz of activity. There was an elegance about him, a quiet authority. He moved through the office like a surgeon on a battlefield, efficient and focused, a calm amidst the storm. He was not one for theatrics. His strength lay in his quiet resilience, his ability to find a way out of the most insurmountable problems.
As he made his way to Keaton’s corner office, he was greeted with anxious glances and hushed whispers. Keaton’s predicament had shaken the firm to its core. Clayton was their only hope of quelling the brewing storm. His reputation as the ‘corporate Houdini’ had preceded him, and with each step he took, the air grew less thick with panic.
He stepped into Keaton’s office, a room that now felt hollow without its inhabitant. The disorder was stark. Files scattered across the floor, legal documents spilled over the desk, an overturned chair. The remnants of a career that had crumbled under its own weight.
His gaze fell onto a tabletop picture of Keaton, his eyes reflecting a light that had since been extinguished. The man had been a star, the firm’s golden boy, now on the verge of becoming its greatest downfall. Clayton felt the gravity of the situation. It wasn’t just about cleaning up a scandal; it was about saving a man’s career, a man’s life. The stakes were higher than they’d ever been.
As he picked through the remnants of the office, Clayton found a hidden stack of confidential documents, files that shouldn’t have existed in the first place. His eyes skimmed the data, and he felt a chill run down his spine. Clearwater Chemicals, their billion-dollar client, was guilty. And Robert Keaton, the rising star of Kenning & McGray, had known all along.
This was more than a scandal. This was a corporate time bomb waiting to explode, threatening to consume the law firm and everything it represented. The scale of their client’s crimes was staggering. The number of lives ruined, irreversible. Suddenly, Clayton found himself on the precipice of a moral quagmire. His role, his loyalty, his very morality was now under question.
For Clayton, this case was a labyrinth with no end in sight. The essence of his job had been to do what was necessary, to protect the firm at all costs. But here, now, he was staring at a truth that refused to be silenced. A truth he couldn’t ignore, a truth he couldn’t fix.
The magnitude of his task became clear. He wasn’t there just to save a lawyer or protect a law firm; he was there to navigate a moral minefield, to right a wrong that seemed bigger than anything he had ever faced. The fixer, the problem solver, was now the bearer of a truth that could shake the very foundations of Kenning & McGray.
So he rolled up his sleeves. It was time to delve deeper into the quagmire, to unravel the lies and expose the unsettling truth. Clayton had walked into the firm as a fixer. Now he stood as the fulcrum on which the scales of justice teetered. Michael Clayton, the once celebrated problem solver, was now the pivot of a struggle between truth and power, conscience and loyalty, right and wrong.
The Fixer had arrived. But what was he to fix? And at what cost?
Chapter 3: The Proof
In the dim light of a secluded office, Michael Clayton, the fixer of Kenning & McGray, squints at Robert Keaton, the beleaguered attorney suffering from a seemingly all-encompassing guilt. Keaton, trembling and disheveled, hands over a thick bundle of papers. Clayton recognizes them as classified documents and leafs through them with an increasingly furrowed brow.
The documents are a cocktail of memos, lab reports, emails, and testimonies, all pointing to one thing: Clearwater Chemicals knowingly and willingly, for years, polluted the environment, causing disasterous health issues for the communities in their vicinity. This was the very lawsuit Keaton was defending Clearwater against – the lawsuit that drove him to the verge of madness.
The gravity of the situation sinks in, chilling Clayton. His mind whirls like a spinning top as he grapples with the implications of these documents. They are not only an indictment of Clearwater but also a potential death-knell for Kenning & McGray. The law firm’s reputation, once sterling, could be torn apart if this truth came to light.
His eyes meet Keaton’s, and his friend beseeches, “Help me, Michael. Help us.” The request haunts Michael deeply, a plea echoing around the confines of his mind. This man, a once confident lawyer, now – broken, pleading for help, entrusting him with a crushing ethical dilemma.
Underneath the weight of the situation, Clayton is drenched in uncertainty. His duty to Kenning & McGray calls for burying these documents, ensuring the multi-billion dollar class action suit against Clearwater fails, protecting the law firm’s credibility. However, his conscience nags at him, the voice whispering about justice, about revealing the truth. He ponders, torn between loyalty, morality, and survival.
The omnipresent ticking of the table clock in his office seems louder, a cruel reminder of his dwindling time to decide. It taunts him, its rhythm echoing the racing thoughts in his head. A damning testament to Clearwater’s guilt lies on his desk, casting long, ominous shadows. Words emblazoned on the classified documents shout at him – Deception, Guilt, Destruction.
Restless nights follow, Clayton tossing and turning in his bed, a sea of fretful thoughts charting his sleep. He wakes up in cold sweats, the same nightmare replaying – Keaton’s breakdown, the law firm’s name tarnished, Clearwater’s victory, the victims of Clearwater’s negligence suffering.
His world spins out of control, every moment in the office, every meeting and phone call, every document he reviews, a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. The secret he carries is a debilitating weight, he realizes, not just a bearer of truth, but a weapon. A weapon that can either uphold justice or obliterate reputations.
Much like a storm brewing in the whisper of the wind, an unease has crept into Clayton’s life. Every conversation reeks of paranoia, every document carries a potential threat, every court hearing a battlefield fraught with dangers he can now envisage. The knowledge of Clearwater’s guilt has shifted his perspective, mutated his role from a simple fixer to possibly the last bastion of justice.
Days blur into nights, and nights into days, as Clayton teeters on the edge of a precipice, the truth in one hand, loyalty in the other. As the bearer of such a damaging reality, he holds an incredible power, a power that could shift the scales of the multi-billion dollar lawsuit irrevocably. The question is, which way will he let them tip? The choice he makes could echo far beyond the courtroom walls.
His days are consumed by scheming and planning, intricate webs of secrecy and disclosure. He knows he must tread carefully, each step a potential landmine, a wrong move potentially catastrophic. He navigates this new paradigm of existence, where every familiar face could be a menace, every ally a potential adversary, every victory a potential defeat.
Towards the end of the chapter, the man we knew as a fixer has been transformed. No longer is he just a facilitator of legal settlements and negotiations. He is now the key to a Pandora’s box that, once opened, could unleash a storm of repercussions, the likes of which Kenning & McGray and Clearwater Chemicals have never seen before. The choice of when, and if, to open it, hangs dreadfully in the balance.
The Michael Clayton at the end of this chapter is not the same as when he began. He has been irrevocably changed, morphed by a truth that carries an enormous burden. The question that remains is – which path will he choose? Will he turn his back on his firm’s reputation to serve a higher cause, or will he compromise on his principles to protect the status quo? Only time will tell.
Chapter 4: The Consequences
Michael Clayton, the law firm’s fixer, a man universally admired for his knack to rectify the most intricate problems, found himself tussling with the most challenging predicament of his professional life. The secrets of the classified documents had stung him like a cold, bitter wind, their venomous truth piercing through his ethics and convictions. Clearwater Chemicals, the multinational entity on trial, was no longer just the defendant. They were the villainous entity their accusers had painted them to be.
As Clayton grappled with this newfound knowledge, the first fallout of this catastrophic revelation arrived. It was a shock that would rock the firm to its core. Robert Keaton, the brilliant attorney who had been representing Clearwater Chemicals and who had passed on the secret documents to Clayton, was found dead. The news rushed through the firm like a dust storm, blinding everyone and leaving them disoriented. Clayton’s heart constricted in his chest; he was drowning in a tidal wave of guilt, sorrow, and unrequited anger for not taking more decisive action when Keaton confessed his turmoil.
As he tried to steady himself, Clayton found himself sinking further into the pit of Clearwater’s sins. He realized, with a sinking feeling, that Keaton’s death was more than just a staggering loss. It was an unmistakable message — a sinister warning from the corporation that had so much to lose. Clearwater was no longer on the defensive. They were attacking.
The cost of truth was suddenly more than just a vague philosophical question; it was a clear and present existential threat. Clayton was no longer just a fixer; he was a pawn in a deadly game of corporate chess. If he chose to expose Clearwater, he would become an obstacle that needed to be removed. If he chose to stay silent, he would become an accomplice in a high-stakes cover-up. Neither option sat well with the man who had once confidently navigated the gray areas of the law.
The weight of the situation hung heavily on his shoulders, but Michael Clayton was not a man to succumb to pressure. He was not a spectator in this gruesome spectacle, he was a player — a vital one. He had the power to shape the narrative, to manipulate the outcome. And he was not going to yield to the fear, the guilt, or the soul-crushing weight of his responsibility.
Keaton’s untimely departure had left a void, a hole that was rapidly filling with suspicion, fear, and a brewing storm of legal challenges. As Clayton worked his way through the chaos, he discovered a disturbing pattern. Keaton’s increasing paranoia before his death, his frantic obsession with the Clearwater case, his secretive behavior, and his final, desperate act of handing over the classified documents to Clayton — it all pointed towards a grim reality. Keaton had not died. He had been silenced.
Clayton’s world began to spin faster, the ground beneath him shaking with the magnitude of this realization. This wasn’t just about protecting the law firm anymore; it was about survival, justice, and honoring a fallen comrade. Clearwater had drawn first blood, but Michael Clayton was not one to back down from a fight. As the storm raged on, Clayton prepared for the thunder, the lightning, and the battle that awaited him. The consequences were dire, the stakes were high, but Clayton, the fixer, the fighter, the reluctant hero, was ready to face whatever was coming.
Chapter 5: The Betrayal
In the heart of the prestigious law firm, Kenning & McGray, the air grew heavy with suspicion and trepidation. In the hallowed halls where the truth was supposed to be sacred, duplicity had found a home. Michael Clayton, the firm’s esteemed fixer, was grappling with his worst nightmare; a snake was slithering in their midst.
Information that was meant to be confidential had been leaked, and Clayton knew that the mole was working for Clearwater Chemicals. Whispers of betrayal echoed through the office’s sleek corridors, creating an unsettling cacophony of doubt and fear. The walls, once symbols of strength and stature, were now closing in on Clayton –– a maze of glass and steel that harbored a traitor.
Clayton, a man who made a career out of knowing all the answers, was now faced with a question he couldn’t solve: who could he trust? A cloud of paranoia hung over him, wrestling with his sense of reason and responsibility. His mission was to save the firm, but to do so, he needed to unmask the traitor.
Within the confines of his study, surrounded by the comforting scent of aged books, Clayton meticulously analyzed the firm’s records. Searching through a sea of legal jargon, hunting for inconsistencies, his gaze was steady, defined by a relentless determination. He was looking for a needle in a haystack, but the burden of the firm’s future hanged heavy on his shoulders fueling his resolve.
Clayton’s investigation led him to understand the extent of the infiltration. Evidence had been tampered with, crucial conversations were leaked, and strategies were sabotaged. Someone from the inside was working against them, poisoning the roots of the firm.
The situation he found himself in was like the game of chess he used to play with his father. The firm was the king, always vulnerable; the staff were the pawns, critical because the enemy could be among them, and he was the knight, the playmaker navigating the board, ready to confront the adversary.
As the murky world of corporate deceit unfolded, Clayton uncovered clues leading towards the traitor. The reckless paper trail and encrypted mails pointed to an unlikely suspect: Jane Haynes, a prodigious new attorney who had earned her stripes rapidly but was seemingly focused and loyal. The betrayal stung even more, the thought that an insider could compromise them all for personal gain was an indigestible reality.
Clayton battled the storm, finding himself in the eye of the tempest that threatened to disrupt the equilibrium of his life and the sanctum of the law firm. He would need to act, and act fast. But he was a fixer, he wasn’t bred for confrontation, he was bred to erase problems quietly.
But wasn’t this an adversary he needed to face head-on? How does one kill the monster without becoming one? Clayton was caught in a whirlwind of ethical dilemmas, his duty to the firm battling with his pursuit of justice.
The betrayal set a stage for a clash, a battle of wits, a gamble where every move would come with a hefty price. For Clayton, it wasn’t just about fixing a problem anymore. This was about loyalty, about the firm that had become a part of his identity, about justice that had been trampled by the foot of greed.
To confront Jane and expose the mole, he needed irrefutable evidence. The quest to gather proof pushed Clayton farther into the abyss of Clearwater’s sins. As he dug deeper, he began to see the invisible strings that maneuvered the puppets in this grand play of deceit.
The fixation of his gaze on the files, the feverish typing that echoed in the silence of his study, and the countless cups of coffee testified to the relentless dedication driving him. Clayton realized that the foundation of Kenning & McGray was on the line. The next move he made would determine the fate of the firm, the case, and the lives entangled within this turmoil.
Clayton had always been the firm’s anchor, but the storm of betrayal was testing his mettle. He was fighting against time and deceit, a race where the finish line kept moving farther away. But Clayton was not a man to back down. He had been brought into the ring, and he was going to fight until justice was served.
Chapter 5 ended with Clayton on the brink of unmasking the mole, teetering on the precipice of a life-altering decision. The once quiet fixer was now in the spotlight, the fate of Kenning & McGray resting on his shoulders. As the walls of the law firm bore witness, Clayton found himself at the heart of an earth-shattering betrayal, where the clash between loyalty and justice would decide the future of the firm.
Chapter 6: The Showdown
The sixth chapter arrived like a storm, an oncoming battle of mind and wits. Michael Clayton, his sharp wit shining under pressure, devised a plan to expose the mole in their midst, playing a double game to preserve his life and career. The corridors of Kenning & McGray became a battlefield, the walls humming with anticipation, a storm of intrigue brewing in the heavy air.
The boardroom echoed with silent accusations, its grandeur sharply juxtaposed with the grimace painted on every face. Clayton walked in, his facade of calm a stark contrast to the firestorm in his gut. His gaze darted around the room, hunting for a sign, a break in the veneer of loyalty displayed by his colleagues.
A torrent of whispers swept the boardroom as Clayton set his plan into action. He casually mentioned a supposed meeting with Clearwater. A clandestine rendezvous – detailed enough to arouse curiosity, vague enough to mask its non-existence. The bait was set.
Outside the imposing edifice of the law firm, night fell upon the city, its dark cloak a fitting backdrop to the ensuing subterfuge. Clayton’s eyes, piercing through the darkness, watched, waited. The harsh glow of a single streetlight illuminated the entrance, the silent sentinel to the drama unfolding within.
Inside his car, parked strategically to command a full view of the law firm’s entrance, Clayton kept a watchful eye, the muscle in his jaw twitching with restrained anticipation. Each second drew out like an hour, the street’s usual bustle replaced with an ominous hush.
Suddenly, a figure slipped out the law firm’s entrance, the dark of the night clumsily cloaking its identity. Clayton’s heart pounded in his chest as he recognized the figure. The traitor was none other than Sam Harper, a junior attorney whose ambition had clearly outshone his loyalty.
As he followed Harper’s car, Clayton’s mind reeled, the revelation a bitter pill. His hands clenched around the steering wheel, knuckles pale as moonlight. The city streets lay bare, devoid of their usual hustle, offering him a clear passage shadowing Harper’s route.
The destination was a high-rise, an anonymous building in the city’s concrete jungle – Clearwater’s clandestine outpost. Clayton parked a safe distance away, watching as Harper disappeared into the building, his betrayal confirmed.
Clayton’s heart raged against his ribs, a battle drum against the silence. This was it – the moment of truth. His fingers dialed a number, etched deep in his memory – his old mentor, Judge Granger, a man of unwavering integrity.
He relayed his discovery, his voice steady despite the storm brewing within. Harper’s betrayal, Clearwater’s deception, all laid bare to the one man he knew could break the cycle of corruption. As he ended the call, Clayton felt a sense of surreal calm, his mission seemingly at its end. But the night was far from over.
On Granger’s advice, Clayton went back to Kenning & McGray, retrieving the damning evidence amassed by Keaton, Clearwater’s guilt captured in black and white. Time was of the essence, the need to protect the truth a relentless drive.
When Clayton returned, Harper’s car was gone. But the chaos had only begun. Armed with evidence and the betrayal of one of their own on the cusp of exposure, embarking on his final showdown, Clayton found his resolve. He was not just a ‘fixer’ – he was about to become the catalyst for justice.
In the heart of the city, as dawn peered over the horizon, Clayton braced himself for the storm. It was a showdown not just against Clearwater and their moles, but against his own past, his own choices. The road to redemption was laid bare, and Michael Clayton was ready to walk it. The storm brewed, the skies darkened, and Clayton stood at the precipice of a revolution. The showdown had begun.
Chapter 7: The Redemption
In the throes of pre-dawn, the city awoke into a reality far removed from the cloak-and-dagger corporate world that Michael Clayton had found himself entangled in. His world had shifted, the shadows lengthened, a maze of lies and duplicity that threatened everything he had worked for in his career.
His tired eyes stared into the abyss of his predicament. He had a choice to make. A damning revelation would throw Kenning & McGray into disarray. But justice had called on him, standing distorted in the mirror of corporate bureaucracy.
Every breath he drew punctuated the seconds of his decision. Every heartbeat was a drumroll for the morality play about to commence. It was a choice between saving the hallowed halls of the law firm he’d built his reputation in, or upholding the very tenets of justice that the same halls were supposedly built upon. He was a fixer, but this time, he would fix things right.
As dawn broke, Clayton slipped into a sea of black-suited corporate soldiers. He strode through the halls of Kenning & McGray, a lone figure, a sight as bewildering as his mission. He entered his office and drew the blinds, a fortress of solitude amidst the storm.
With the evidence of Clearwater’s guilt spread out before him, the magnitude of the task at hand struck him. The confidential documents showing Clearwater’s knowledge of the deadly side effects of their chemicals, the undeniable proof of the company’s colossal crime against humanity, sat heavy in his hands.
Planning the exposure of the mole added another layer of complexity. He had traced the mole’s activities, followed the breadcrumbs left carelessly behind, and it led him shockingly close to home. The mole was no outsider but a trusted colleague, a friend, adding a bitter taste to the already complex brew of emotions broiling within him.
As he began to set the pieces into place, inside his head, a clock ticked down ominously, a countdown to a showdown. The phone on his desk rang with relentless urgency, shrill warnings from the faceless sentinels of Clearwater, threatening to unthread his life. But he had a plan, a gambit to lure the mole into the open and unmask Clearwater’s deceit.
The day was relentless, a montage of whispered conversations, veiled threats, encrypted emails, and furtive glances. Paranoia pervaded the air as Clayton navigated the intricate maze of conspiracy: a clandestine chess game, with every move measured, every consequence calculated.
The final showdown happened not in a court of law, but in the very heart of Kenning & McGray. The trap was set, and the conniving mole walked right into it. Confessions spilled forth, secrets, once closely guarded, now brought into glaring scrutiny, skeletons of corporate greed tumbling out of the closet with reckless abandon.
The aftershocks of the revelation reverberated through the firm, shaking it to its very core. Clearwater Chemicals, the mega-corporation, stood on the precipice of a downfall. The walls erected by corruption and deceit started to crumble under the weight of the truth. Clearwater’s stock plummeted, headlines screamed scandal, and a collective gasp echoed through the power corridors of the world.
In the end, Clayton stood not as a fixer but as a man who had made a choice, a choice that had restored justice and honor in a world steeped in deceit. He had become the fulcrum that shifted the balance. He was the catalyst that had precipitated a corporate apocalypse, an agent of justice that had exposed the monstrosity lurking beneath Clearwater’s polished veneer of respectability.
His redemption had come at a high cost – his reputation, friends, and perhaps a piece of his soul. But he had made things right, and as he looked into the dawning day, he saw a city unfettered from the grip of Clearwater Chemicals. Clayton had redeemed himself, not just as a lawyer or a fixer, but as a harbinger of justice. And as the dust settled, he knew that he had done the right thing, and he would do it all over again, given the chance.
This was his redemption.
Some scenes from the movie Michael Clayton written by A.I.
Scene 1
FADE IN:
INT. KENNING & MCGRAY LAW FIRM – LATE NIGHT
Robert KEATON (50s, disheveled but once sharp) sits hunched over his desk, documents spread out around him. ROBERT’s hands tremble as he scans a particular file. His eyes widen.
INSERT – CLEARWATER CHEMICALS DOCUMENT
ROBERT (V.O.)
(to himself)
They’re guilty… it’s all here…
Suddenly, the office door SLAMS open. It’s MICHAEL CLAYTON (mid 40s, calm with an air of authority). He freezes, surprised. Sees ROBERT.
MICHAEL
(distressed)
Robert? What’s going on?
Robert looks up at Michael, eyes wild.
ROBERT
(frantically)
It’s all a lie, Michael. Clearwater… We’re defending monsters.
He throws the file at MICHAEL who catches it, scanning the front page. His face hardens.
MICHAEL
(sighs)
We need to handle this, Robert. You need to calm down.
ROBERT
(angry)
Calm down? CALM DOWN? We’re complicit, Michael!
Michael moves closer, laying a calming hand on Robert’s shoulder. Robert shrugs him off, rising from his seat. He stumbles, visibly unsettled.
MICHAEL
(stern)
You’re having a breakdown, Robert. This… it’s not you.
Robert laughs bitterly, crumbling into his chair again.
ROBERT
(defeated)
You’re right, Michael. It’s not me. It’s what they’ve made me.
FADE OUT.
Scene 2
INT. KENNING & MCGRAY LAW FIRM – MORNING
The office is buzzing with hushed whispers, glances cast at ROBERT KEATON’S (50s, disheveled, anxious) empty office. The firm’s PARTNER (60s, stern, powerful) paces in his own office, his face reflecting concern.
Suddenly, MICHAEL CLAYTON (40s, calm, composed) enters, exuding an aura of quiet authority. The room quiets down. He heads straight for the Partner’s office.
INT. PARTNER’S OFFICE – CONTINUOUS
MICHAEL knocks on the open door. The Partner looks up, relief evident on his face.
PARTNER
Clayton, thank God you’re here.
MICHAEL
I came as soon as I heard. What’s the situation?
They both look at Keaton’s office. The Partner hands Michael a case folder.
PARTNER
It’s Clearwater. Robert believes they’re guilty.
MICHAEL
(raises eyebrows)
Believes or knows?
PARTNER
(sighs)
He says he has proof.
Michael’s face falls, realizing the complexity of the situation.
MICHAEL
(sighs)
Alright. I’ll handle it.
MICHAEL walks out, leaving the partner looking concerned.
CUT TO:
INT. ROBERT KEATON’S OFFICE – MORNING
Empty, save for scattered documents, a sign of a mind in disarray. Michael enters, looking around, getting a sense of the man he’s about to confront.
MICHAEL (V.O)
This… is going to be a long day.
FADE TO BLACK.
TO BE CONTINUED.
Scene 3
INT. KENNING & MCGRAY – KEATON’S OFFICE – NIGHT
Robert Keaton sits behind his mahogany desk. Stacks of manila folders and legal pads envelope him. His eyes are bloodshot, his hand trembles as it clutches a document.
Michael Clayton enters, closes the door behind him.
CLAYTON:
Keaton, what’s going on? You look like hell.
Keaton doesn’t reply. Instead, he pushes a folder across the desk.
KEATON:
Read…
Clayton opens the folder. Clearwater Chemicals’ logo adorns the top. He scans the first few pages.
His expression alters, realization sets in.
CLAYTON:
Where did you get this?
KEATON:
It doesn’t matter. This…this is proof. Clearwater is guilty. We’re defending monsters, Michael.
Clayton runs a hand across his face, a gesture of stress and tension.
CLAYTON:
You know what this puts at risk, right? The firm, our jobs, your sanity.
Keaton nods, a bleakness in his eyes.
KEATON:
How can we live with this blood on our hands, Michael? How can we live with ourselves?
FADE OUT.
Scene 4
INT. KENNING & MCGRAY LAW FIRM – NIGHT
MICHAEL CLAYTON, late 40s, ruggedly handsome with a weary but determined look in his eyes, is pouring over classified documents. The office shadows loom over him.
Suddenly, his PHONE RINGS.
CLAYTON
(into phone)
Yes?
A pause. His expression changes, shock washing over his face.
CLAYTON
(into phone)
When?…How?…
His grip on the phone tightens. His knuckles go white. He looks at the documents, then back at the phone.
INT. KEATON’S APARTMENT – NIGHT
POLICE are everywhere, crime scene tape flapping in the wind. Clayton arrives at the scene, showing his ID to a UNIFORMED OFFICER.
Clayton approaches DETECTIVE SANCHEZ, 50s, hard-edged.
CLAYTON
You’re sure it’s him?
SANCHEZ
I’m sorry, Clayton. Ballistics leaves no doubt.
Clayton’s eyes are filled with sadness and fury as he stares at the wrapped body being carried out.
INT. KENNING & MCGRAY LAW FIRM – NIGHT
Clayton returns to his office, shutting the door. Consumed by both grief and determination, he turns his focus onto the classified documents and begins to piece together the deadly puzzle. Noticing a pattern, he sits back struck. His eyes reveal a horrible realization. Clearwater Chemicals isn’t just involved – it’s a murder plot.
To be continued…
FADE OUT.
Scene 5
INT. KENNING & MCGRAY LAW FIRM – NIGHT
Michael Clayton, 40s, sharp-eyed, shuffles through a pile of classified documents on his desk under a dim light.
Suddenly, a SHADOW crosses his office door. ENTER JILL, late 30s, Clayton’s secretary, a worried look on her face.
JILL
(nervously)
New intel, Michael. We’ve a mole.
CLAYTON
(skeptical)
And why would you believe that?
Jill places a recording device on Clayton’s desk.
JILL
(trembling)
Caught this. Two employees. Insider talk. Clearwater.
Clayton presses play. WHISPERS fill the room, the mole’s identity still concealed.
CLAYTON
(in disbelief)
This could ruin us…
JILL
(teary-eyed)
I know, Michael… I know.
A moment of silence as Clayton grapples with this information.
Jill EXIT. Clayton scrolls through the lawyer directory on his computer, suspicion clouding his eyes.
CUT TO:
INT. KENNING & MCGRAY LAW FIRM – MORNING
Clayton confronts senior partner, FRANK, 60s, old-school authority, with the recording.
FRANK
(shocked)
This is a declaration of war, Clayton!
CLAYTON
(fearless)
It’s a betrayal, Frank. I intend to find out who…
As Clayton walks away, Frank watches, a strange mix of fear and defiance in his eyes.
TO BE CONTINUED…
