WHEELING, DEALING

This is like a real Hollywood story that a well-known screenwriter insists is real:

A few days ago, he was stopped by a cop for running a red light and as the citation was being written, the cop asked him what he did. When he replied “write,” the officer became excited. “Ever do any movies?”

Turned out that the cop had seen and liked one of the writer’s films and launched into a detailed description of a story that he saw as a movie: a good cop gone bad because of drugs.

When the officer finished his scenario, the writer said that he had a better idea for the ending. And he’d be willing to provide it if the traffic ticket was torn up.

The cop concurred, claims our hero, who then wove him a heroic, repentant death for his hero.