Suburban Connecticut, outside of New York City, 1973. The
still after a terrible storm. Trees dripping, their branches
torn, the air warming just before the break of a new day. The
train lies dark and motionless, a few flashing yellow
emergency lights up front, as a work crew removes debris from
the track.
INT. TRAIN. PRE-DAWN
Various passengers, huddled uncomfortably, cold, asleep.
On Paul Hood, 15-and-a-half, stoner-preppie look, hunched up
in his seat under the faint emergency exit light. He reads
his Fantastic Four comic book by the pale light of the
emergency exit sign.
Suddenly, the lights begin to flicker on and the hum of the
train's engines returns.
The conductor enters the car, blasting forth in his classic
nasal voice.
CONDUCTOR
Good morning ladies and gentlemen --
He sounds like a baseball announcer.
PASSENGERS
(mumbling, ad lib)
What ladies?
CONDUCTOR
-- this train originating at New
York's Grand Central Station is
back in service - next stop will be
New Canaan, Connecticut. New
Canaan, Connecticut, next stop!
He moves on to the next car.
The train begins to move.
Paul rubs his elbow against the window and looks out into the
still-dark early morning.
He looks back down at his comic book.
On the comic book: Reed Richards (also known as Stretch) has
zapped his young son with a cosmic ray gun to neutralize the
destructive energy that Annihilus has implanted in him.
The Thing, Medusa, Flame, and Richards' wife Sue Storm look
on, stunned.
"THEN YOU'VE TURNED HIM INTO A
VEGETABLE. YOUR OWN SON." "DON'T
YOU SEE, SUE? HE WAS TOO
POWERFUL... IF HIS ENERGY HAD
CONTINUED TO BUILD, HE WOULD HAVE
DESTROYED THE WQRLD!"
Paul looks up again, thinking.
PAUL (V.O.)
In issue number 141 of The
Fantastic Four, published in
November 1973, Reed Richards has to
use his anti-matter weapon on his
own son, who Annihilus has turned
into a human atom bomb. His son is
the result of Richards' coupling
with the earthling Sue Storm, and
the problem is that the cosmic rays
that infused Richards and the rest
of the Fantastic Four on their
aborted moon mission have made
young Franklin a volatile mixture
of matter and anti-matter.
EXT. TRAIN BRIDGE. PRE-DAWN
The train moves slowly through a suburban, semi-forested
landscape.
PAUL (V.O.)
And that's what it is to come from
a family, if you analyze it
closely. Each of them is negative
matter for the other ones. And
that's what dying is -- dying is
when your family, which is in fact
your personal negative matter from
which you emerge -- it's when the
family takes you back, thus hurling
you back into negative space...
INT. TRAIN. CONT'D.
On Paul, as the sun breaks over the horizon. His face glows
warmly in the yellow light. He looks down idly at the comic
book.
PAUL (V.O.)
So it's a paradox -- the closer
you're drawn back in, the further
into the void you're thrown.
EXT. CONRAIL STATION. EARLY MORNING
The train slowly pulls in.
The train doors open, and Paul, weary from the long night,
emerges. He sees his family gathered at the other end of the
platform -- Ben, 40, a bit worse for wear but still retaining
traces of his boyish looks; Elena, 37, distant and elegant
even in her oversized sweater; and Wendy, 14, a sullen
suburban Lolita.
He pauses, regarding them.
They stand, silent, even dignified, awaiting him.
EXT. ST. PETER'S SCHOOL. MORNING
To establish. A typical New England prep school.
INT. PAUL AND FRANCIS'S DORM ROOM. MORNING
Cramped, a mess, but quaint. Paul shares the room with
Francis Davenport IV, a dissolute, smart-ass son of money.
Paul's alarm clock rings. He slams his hand down on it and
jumps out of bed, fully clothed in his rumpled preppie
uniform of frayed khakis, loose tie, shirt with one tail
untucked in, etc. Across the room, Francis beckons from his
desk, as he finishes loading up a four-foot-high bong.
FRANCIS
Arise and shine, young Hood.
PAUL
I hope you changed the water in
that bong from last night.
FRANCIS
(finishing a hit)
The water, as you call it, is a
special mixture of amaretto and
Ben&Ben blended for just the exact
chemical interaction with the last
of our precious Thai stick.
Paul reluctantly walks over and takes a hit. He coughs,
spewing uninhaled smoke.
FRANCIS (CONT'D)
Waste not Master Hood -- that was
$20 for the bag.
PAUL
(gathering books, papers,
almost talking to
himself)
Man, Francis, you are one drug
addled elitist freak, and when the
revolution comes I do not want to
be lined up with you and shot,
'cause you're fucking ripe for
political reeducation, you know,
like in the fields.
FRANCIS
Paul, cancel your mental
appointments, baby. What are you,
like still stoned from last night?
PAUL
(spraying some chloroform
mouth spray)
I gotta get to English class.
INT. ST PETERS' CLASSROOM. DAY
An English class in progress.
Paul Hood sits blankly, hardly listening, until he hears the
teacher call out.
TEACHER
Libbets?
LIBBETS
What Dostoyevsky is saying here is
that to be a Christian is to
choose, because you have to choose
of your own choice, but since you
can't choose to be good because
that would be too rational you have
to choose to be bad -- it's
existential.
TEACHER
Thank you Libbets, that's a very
compelling summary, but --
Paul looks at her, smitten. Marge, Paul's friend, notices his
look.
INT. ST. PETER'S HALLWAY. DAY
As class lets out, Paul accosts Libbets.
PAUL
Um, Libbets. Hey, Dostoyevsky, I'm
also really a fan, and what you
were saying, you know, have you
ever read The Idiot?
LIBBETS
The Idiot?
PAUL
If you liked Notes from
Underground, you'll love The Idiot.
LIBBETS
(turning to go)
Great, thanks for the tip.
PAUL
(after her)
The Idiot.
INT. ST. PETER'S HALLWAY. DAY
Paul walks with Marge.
PAUL
I'm in love with Libbets Casey.
MARGE
Yeah, well, you've been in love
with like every other girl here, I
was wondering when you'd get around
to Libbets.
PAUL
It's beyond mere physical
attraction.
MARGE
That's good, because I don't think
Libbets is capable of the sex act.
PAUL
Truly? Do speak.
MARGE
My diagnosis is messed in the head.
A poor little rich girl -- I mean
check out the jeans and fur look.
And lend your ears to this
brutality. Like her mom and step
dad and her step-sisters are going
to Switzerland to ski over
Thanksgiving break -- and like they
didn't invite her!
PAUL
How do you know this shit?
MARGE
They did it last year too. It's
like traditional or something.
They've got this humongoid Park Ave
apartment and she just holes up
there with a wad of cash.
(beat)
Aren't the hugely wealthy sad?
PAUL
(pause)
You think Francis is going to beat
me to the punch here?
MARGE
Since he sleeps with every girl you
ever show an interest in, why don't
you just keep your Libbets thing a
secret from him?
PAUL
Good thinking Marge.
INT. SCHOOL PARTY. NIGHT
Paul, Francis and friends enter the dark, crowded room.
Various kids are awkwardly dancing to some progressive fm
style undanceable rock (Jethro Tull, etc.) Francis hands Paul
the tail end of a joint, but Paul waves it away.
PAUL
No more man. I'm about to drop as
it is.
FRANCIS
See ya.
PAUL
Where you going?
FRANCIS
Paul, let me enlighten you about
something.
You and I exist on two opposite
sides of a great existential
divide, that being your pathetic
virginity on the one hand and my
astonishing number of sexual
conquests on the other. I'm off to
get laid. See you.
PAUL
Flame on, asshole.
FRANCIS
And remember, with your erogenous
zones lubricated as such with the
mighty herb, do not attempt
terrestrial contact with members of
the opposite sex -- because you
drone on like a motherfucker when
you're stoned.
He waves his fingers toward Paul's eyes, in the classic
"stoned" gesture, then wanders off.
Paul looks on at the gathering. Marge waves to him from the
dance floor.
LATER:
INT. SCHOOL PARTY. CONT'D
Paul wanders, stoned, through the party. He sees Libbets from
across the room. She seems to be surrounded by friends.
INT. PARTY. CONT'D
Paul has cornered Libbets and is talking over the music.
There are just a few people left, most of them making out
with each other.
PAUL
(stoned)
-- because I've been reading
Kerouac and Ginsberg and those guys
were creating beat culture and
traveling and sleeping wherever,
and, of course, with all kinds of
people, but when you read carefully
the various contemporary accounts
of their lives, and, uh, these guys
didn't bathe much, I mean they were
really filthy, with like genital
crabs, lice, exceptionally strong
body odor...
Libbets smiles through her yawn.
EXT. SCHOOL BENCH. NIGHT
Paul sits alone on the bench, freezing cold, eating a donut.
Some kids from across the lawn yell good-night to him.
INT. DORM ROOM. EVENING.
Paul is at his desk. Francis enters, wrapped in a towel,
fresh from the shower.
PAUL
How can you do that man?
FRANCIS
Do what?
PAUL
Sleep all day. I mean, look, it's
already getting dark outside, and
you're just getting up.
FRANCIS
(beat)
Um, Libbets Casey.
PAUL
What?
FRANCIS
Aha! I could sense the vibe.
PAUL
What do you mean?
FRANCIS
Am I right or am I right?
PAUL
Shit. You're not planning --
FRANCIS
My man, I speak to you solely as a
comrade in arms offering
unconditional aid. I've been giving
this one a lot of thought, and I
believe that the two of you
together might just reach that
higher ground that --
A knock at the door.
STUDENT (O.S.)
Hood, telephone.
Paul rolls off his bed, opens the door.
PAUL
Don't mess with Libbets. I mean it!
INT. DORM HALLWAY. NIGHT
Paul walks to the pay phone at the end of the hall.
PAUL
Hello?
INTERCUT - HOOD HOUSEHOLD. NIGHT
It's a modern (shag carpet, geometric-patterned wallpaper,
etc.) suburban house.
Ben Hood talks on the phone, a drink in his hand.
BEN
Paul?
In the background, we can see Wendy watching Richard Nixon on
TV.
PAUL
Hi dad.
BEN
Hey guy. Things ok up there? You
all right?
PAUL
I'm fine dad.
BEN
Well good. Just confirming. You'll
be on the 3:50 Wednesday afternoon.
PAUL
Well dad, actually I thought I'd
take the morning train on
Thanksgiving -- got a lot of
studying, papers, you know, lab
experiments --
BEN
Lab experiments? Right smart guy --
Paul, you know your mother's gonna
be disappointed not to see more of
you -- In fact, let me make this
more than a simple request guy, I
think you should...
IN THE BACKGROUND:
NIXON
(on TV, from San Clemente
press conference)
Well, with regard to the questions
as to why Americans feel we were
wrong to make the tapes, that is
not particularly surprising. I
think that most Americans do not
like the idea of taping
conversations and, frankly, it is
not something that particularly
appeals to me...
BEN
Hold on for a second.
(turning)
Wendy, you want-to say hi to your
brother?
She frowns.
BEN (CONT'D)
Come on!
She gets up sullenly and goes to the phone.
WENDY
Charles.
PAUL
Charles. Have you been keeping out
of my shit? Have you refrained from
entering the sacred precincts of my
room?
WENDY
I have not touched your sh--
(looks at father)
Stuff. You watching this?
PAUL
Watching what?
WENDY
Nixon, doofus! It's incredible. He
should be shot.
BEN
(overhearing)
Hey, that's the president of the
goddam United States you're talking
about, Wendy!
From the kitchen, Elena overhears. She's dressed to go out,
but in the process of making a Kraft macaroni and cheese
dinner for Wendy.
WENDY
He's a liar!
(still talking more to her
father than into the
phone)
Dean told him on March 21st about
Kalmback and Hunt, all about the
payoffs to the Watergate burglars,
so you tell me where the so-called
"Dean Report" is, but you can't
because it doesn't exist, because
he lied about Haldeman and
Erlichman and the April 17 tape,
that's why! Liar!
Ben retreats, going to the wet bar to pour another drink.
BEN
(muttering)
OK, OK, the defense rests.
(to Elena in the kitchen)
Want another?
ELENA (O.S.)
No thank you. We should be off.
BEN
Gotcha.
He puts the bottle back down without pouring.
INTERCUT BACK TO PAUL:
PAUL
(on the phone)
Hey Charles. Charles, calm down --
I wasn't in on it.
Elena, putting on her coat, comes into the den and gives
Wendy a kiss on the forehead as Wendy mumbles her good-byes
to Paul on the phone.
ELENA
Dinner's on the counter. We'll be
at the Williams's -- you know the
number.
(takes the phone from
Wendy)
Paul. Hi. Is there anything you'll
want, any particular kind of food
or snack or anything we can stock
up on?... You're all right? ... OK.
See you next week. I love you.
Back to Nixon on the TV.
NIXON
We must recognize that one excess
begets another, and that the
extremes of violence in the 1960s
contributed to the extremes of
Watergate...
On Wendy as she regards the TV, hearing her parents'
farewells as they leave through the front door.
EXT. WILLIAMS HOUSE. NIGHT
A large New England Colonial, with a few modern additions and
touches. We hear the sound of dinner chatter.
INT. WILLIAMS DINING ROOM. NIGHT
The kitchen door swings open into the dining room, and Mikey
and Sandy Williams emerge, each holding platters of food.
Mikey, 15-and-a-half, lost in space, and Sandy, 14, a sullen
and barely pubescent boy, each have towels draped over their
forearms -- they are the evening's "waiters".
They move unsteadily to the table, at which sit their parents
Janey (38, a hard-edged, sharp-witted beauty) and Jim (43,
large and a bit goofy, a genius inventor), together with
their guests, Ben and Elena Hood, and neighbors Dorothy and
Ted Franklin.
We jump cut through the evening's conversations, seen mostly
from the furtive POV's of the boys.
BEN
His brother came back --
DOROTHY
From where?
BEN
Vietnam.
DOROTHY
Oh. Are we going to talk about
this, about...?
ELENA
You should hear. It's very sad, he
was --
JUMP CUT:
Janey is whispering something into Mikey's ear, who returns
to the kitchen.
JIM
It was a benefit for the ACLU or
something, and Harry Reems himself
was there --
DOROTHY
The man with the -- from Deep
Throat?
JIM
The very one -- something about a
first amendment defense fund --
well I believe in it --
DOROTHY
Ted took me to see it.
JANEY
Ted, how romantic.
DOROTHY
I have to say, the movie didn't do
much for me. But being in that
theater, surrounded by all those
horny young college boys and
perverts, there was something in
the air that --
JUMP CUT:
The boys are pouring wine.
JIM
-- pulls right up to the pump,
jumps out like there's no gas
shortage, oblivious, and by this
point everybody in line's piling
out of their cars ready to kill the
guy, when they notice it's that
Reverend Edwards --
BEN
The Unitarian? The new one?
JIM
Yeah -- claims he pulled off Creek
Road and didn't notice the line
going back Mill Street for half a
mile.
BEN
He's either got his head in the
clouds or up his --
DOROTHY
I hear he's slept with half the
women in his congregation --
TED
Lucky bastard!
As this is said, Mikey accidentally spills some wine on Ben.
BEN
Hell! -- I mean, no problemo there
Mikey. Here, I --
Janey leans over with her napkin and attempts a cursory wipe
of Ben's pants. Is there a just barely noticeable frisson
between Ben and Janey as she removes the napkin? If there is,
Elena doesn't -- or pretends not to -- notice.
CUT TO:
The boys, now in pajamas (Sandy's with padded feet, Mikey's a
combination of t-shirt and pj bottoms) are bringing out
coffee and dessert. The adults eye Mikey's handling of the
coffee pot with some nervousness.
DOROTHY
(unconvincing)
So fascinating. Do you get free
tickets to the movies, that kind of
thing?
BEN
No, my job is just to analyze the
entertainment stocks and advise our
institutional investors on where to
put their money. It's --
ELENA
Don't be so modest, Ben. It's a job
that requires a certain prescience
with regards to entertainment
trends. You were the first to
predict that Billy Jack would be a
hit --
BEN
(with a bit too much
conviction)
And as usual no one believed me...
Silence.
CUT TO:
The dinner party has moved to the living room for after
dinner drinks. Elena remains behind to help Janey pick up the
table. She stacks a plate on top of another.
JANEY
Please don't.
ELENA
It's not a bother.
JANEY
I insist.
(beat)
Don't touch them.
Elena realizes that there's an edge to Janey's voice.
ELENA
Oh.
JANEY
(realizing she's gone too
far)
It's really quite all right.
ELENA
Of course.
INT. WILLIAMS LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
The party progresses. Mikey and Sandy are lying on their
stomachs at the top of the stairs, out of sight.
DOROTHY
And to think -- they met at a key
party of all things.
ELENA
A key party?
DOROTHY
You know, it's a California thing.
That scuzzy husband of hers dragged
her kicking and screaming to one
when they were out in L.A. you
know, the men put their car keys in
a bowl, and then at the end of the
evening the women line up and fish
them out and go home with whoever's
keys they've got. Anyhow that's how
she met this Rod person or whatever
his name is and he's left his wife
and she's packing for California.
Irwin is devastated. It's so
ironic.
JANEY
Ironic?
DOROTHY
(caught out)
Well, um, yes. Ironic. His name is
Rod.
INT. WILLIAMS FRONT HALLWAY. NIGHT
The guests are leaving. The men shake hands, the women kiss,
and the men and women awkwardly peck each others' cheeks.
ELENA
Thank you Janey.
DOROTHY
It was lovely!
BEN
Hey Jim, next time you've got to
fill me in on whatever it is you're
up to these days.
JIM
Will do.
INT. STAIRWAY. NIGHT
At the top of the stairs, a rather dejected Sandy and Mikey
finish spying on the leave-takings below. Mikey nudges Sandy,
and they silently head back the upstairs hall.
INT. MIKE'S ROOM. NIGHT
They enter Mike's room -- the door has a "nuclear waste
positively no admittance" sign on it.
As Mikey reaches his bed, he doubles over, groaning, and
starts to make retching noises. He then throws himself onto
the bed, his head leaning over the far side.
Sandy walks over and sees a pile of vomit next to the bed.
Taken aback for a moment, he then reaches forward and picks
it up -- it's fake plastic vomit. He throws it on top of
Mike's back, but Mikey doesn't take notice.
SANDY
Stupid!
(pause, looking sullenly
at Mike's back)
Is Wendy Hood your girlfriend?
MIKEY
(not looking up, but
alarmed)
Who said so?
SANDY
No one.
MIKEY
I don't have a girlfriend.
Mikey returns to his reading -- a copy of The Sensuous Woman,
obviously well pawed over. He absentmindedly picks his nose.
As he flips the pages, a beautiful, almost electrical HUMMING
SOUND begins to fill his ears. He frowns and pauses to listen
to it.
Sandy, who has picked up a balsa wood miniature plane,
obviously doesn't hear it.
Mikey focuses on the plane as Sandy waves it through the air.
Perhaps the hum is the sound of its engines as it soars
through the sky...
INT. WENDY'S BEDROOM. NIGHT
There is a large poster of a cartoon version of Richard Nixon
"Tricky Dick" -- on her wall. Wendy is on the phone to her
friend Beth.
WENDY
-- he knows that when the March
24th tape -- you know with Dean,
where Dean tells him that there's a
cancer growing on the presidency --
She pauses as Beth asks a question.
WENDY (CONT'D)
Who? No way. He's like a big
infected whitehead wearing jeans. I
wouldn't --
She hears the downstairs door open.
WENDY (CONT'D)
(whispering)
-- shit, it's my parents.
She turns her light out.
INT. HOOD UPSTAIRS HALLWAY. NIGHT
Ben and Elena walking past Wendy's room to their bedroom.
BEN
You'd think she'd learn how to cook
a chicken, eh? My drumstick was
still frozen when you cut inside
there. I'm probably going to get
whatever that disease -- and Jim,
how that guy ever became a
millionaire --
He pauses before a hall table, and, with his eyes, traces the
telephone cord under Wendy's room.
BEN (CONT'D)
Hmm. I knew she'd still be up.
Watch this --
But Elena simply continues into the master bedroom.
He starts to pull gently on the cord. And continues pulling.
No response for a few seconds. Then:
CONTINUED: 25
WENDY (O.S.)
(yelling behind her door)
Dad stop it!
BEN
Get to sleep young lady -- and I
mean it.
Wendy opens the door to her room.
WENDY
Fascist!
BEN
If I were a fascist I would have
sent you to one of those Southern
military academies a long time ago.
Now get to bed.
She slams the door.
He opens it.
INT. WENDY'S BEDROOM. NIGHT
Ben enters the room, angry.
BEN
Hey!
Wendy jumps into bed and under the covers, pulling them up
over her head. He stands over her, looking down at the
crumpled pile of sheet and blanket.
BEN (CONT'D)
(softening)
Hey, kiddo. Sleep well, huh.
He places his hand where her cheek should be, and caresses
the sheet.
WENDY
(without pulling the sheet
down, but nicely)
Good-night dad.
BEN
Good night kiddo.
Ben turns to the door, where he sees a silent Elena standing
in her nightgown, a slight smile on her face.
INT. HOOD BEDROOM. NIGHT
Elena is sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, on her side of
the bed. We hear the toilet flush from the master bath, and
see Ben emerge in his boxers. He pauses in front of the bed,
looking at Elena.
ELENA
(without opening her eyes)
You're staring at me.
BEN
I wasn't star--
ELENA
I've been thinking, Ben, about
Wendy. I was going to ask if she'd
come with me sometime to meet Dr.
Woolens.
BEN
That shrink -- the one you always
wanted me to see? I thought you
dropped him.
ELENA
I did, but -- somebody should
probably see her, talk to her...
You think she's ok?
BEN
Why shouldn't she be?
Elena just gives him a look, more sad than angry.
BEN (CONT'D)
(pause)
Then again, why should she be? I
mean with us, with our...
ELENA
So maybe you'll come too?
BEN
Oh not again Elena! If we've got
problems, why can't you just come
out and talk about them.
ELENA
It's you Ben who needs to talk.
I've had my say, and I'm waiting to
hear back from you.
BEN
Yeah but Elena, even you don't
believe all that "I'm OK. You're
OK" stuff you keep babbling about --
you say so yourself. I've been all
ears for about ten years now on his
subject, and --
ELENA
-- And you haven't moved out yet.
It's because you're too lazy, Ben.
Too scared or lazy to either deal
with us or simply make a decision --
BEN
Elena.
Silence.
ELENA
(sighing)
Sleep in the study? Please.
Ben picks up a pillow and walks out, pausing wistfully at the
door.
BEN
Good night.
ELENA
Good night.
INT. WENDY'S ROOM. NIGHT
Wendy hears her parents' door close and sees a strip of light
illuminate under her door as the hall light goes on, then
off.
EXT. MANHATTAN OFFICE BUILDING. DAY
A nondescript, cleanly "modern" building. Engraved on the
doors: "Shackley and Schwimmer, Securities Brokerage -
Established 1964"
INT. SHACKLEY AND SCHWIMMER CONFERENCE ROOM. DAY
Ben, seated, is finishing a brief presentation to a small
group of men, which includes George Clair, mid-thirties,
unctuously handsome.
BEN
But what, exactly, is stagflation,
this mixture of inflation and
stagnation, and how should we in
the securities industry understand
and accommodate it? Well -- and I
hope I'm not out of bounds here -
think of the money supply as a
large male organ, continuously
inflating, and yet, the societal
vaginal cavity simply wants more.
As the vicious circle of higher
returns without real satisfaction
continues, the money-organ may seem
to be in demand, but in fact even
the most inflated capital is
unwanted. This is why I suggest
that while we engage this mawing
abyss for the highest returns, we
at the same time fantasize, so to
speak, of the safe harbor of
capital appreciation.
The aging boss nods agreement.
SHACKLEY
(more or less mumbling)
Brilliant, brilliant.
George Clair just grins.
INT. BEN HOOD'S OFFICE. DAY
Ben is gathering papers, readying to leave. He looks up to
see George Clair in his doorway.
GEORGE
Hey there Benjie, you're becoming
quite the in-house philosopher.
When do you have time to think up
all that stuff -- Shackley sure
eats it up.
INTERCUT HALL IN FRONT OF BEN HOOD'S OFFICE
As we see that Clair is deftly fondling Hood's attractive
secretary as she is seated in the cubicle beside the door to
his office. She looks up coyly at Clair, hidden for the
moment from Ben's view.
Ben comes out of his office, pulling his coat on. Clair and
the secretary pull back, but it's clear that Ben has some
sense of what's transpiring between them.
BEN
George, I'm just trying to get a
global view of things -- can't just
look at the small picture.
There's an obvious rivalry between the two of them.
GEORGE
And speaking of which, you have
those market share charts Mr.
Shackley was asking about?
BEN
Gotcha George, not a problem.
Tomorrow. Hey, you want to start
covering the old filmed
entertainment sector yourself?
GEORGE
Ben you know that's your territory
- and I wouldn't dream to trespass
- you're the expert. Hey, how do
you think Paramount's gonna do with
that Blatty novel, what's it
called? The Exorcist?
BEN
Overpriced bomb, cost over $6
million -- no stars, and no one's
into the horror genre these days
anyway. I'm advising the company
recommend reducing positions there.
It's disaster films that are gonna
stay at the top.
GEORGE
Brilliant. Hey, you heading out a
little early today?
BEN
Got a meeting uptown.
GEORGE
(already moving off)
Right o'.
BEN
Up the organization!
(then, to himself)
Bastard.
The secretary pretends not to hear.
EXT. UNIVERSITY CLUB. DAY
An august New York institution. To establish.
INT. CLUB RESTAURANT. DAY
A stuffy, Ivy League atmosphere. A decades-old tradition of
serving overcooked American food. Ben is seated across from
his father, Harold Hood, a retired curmudgeon. There is a
walker parked by Harold's chair.
HAROLD
(waylaying a passing
waiter)
I'd asked for that double martini
about three hours ago!
WAITER
Coming right up, sir.
HAROLD
So asking me out for lunch -- what
prompted this exceptional event? --
Of course I'm paying.
BEN
We don't have to always go to your
club, dad.
HAROLD
And why are you still calling me
dad? You're forty years old
already, and --
BEN
-- Well what am I supposed to call
you?
HAROLD
That's besides the point.
The martini arrives, along with Ben's beer.
BEN
I was actually trying to see about
getting a little advice, you know --
HAROLD
Advice? I'm supposed to be getting
the stock tips from you, Ben.
Unless - have you quit your job?
They fired you?
BEN
You know, dah--
He looks up and sees his father slurping his martini, not
paying attention.
BEN (CONT'D)
Actually it's not about work, it's
advice about --
HAROLD
Oh for crying out loud Ben, you
don't mean to tell me that your
marriage is going down the drain
now --
BEN
Well, Elena and I have kind of been
talking, not really talking, but --
HAROLD
-- Your mother, God bless her,
stood by me for forty-two years --
we never once contemplated divorce
- I assume you're talking here
about divorce? The very thought --
BEN
But dad, you guys truly hated each
other, I mean really hated each --
HAROLD
-- Waiter! Where's my cobb salad?
(back to Ben)
You want advice Ben? If your big
brother were still alive I'd have
him go out into the back yard and
beat some sense into your head.
Look kid, you married that woman
against my advice --
BEN
-- What advice? You never --
HAROLD
That's besides the point. The point
is if I'd had any sense in me I'd
have divorced your mother 40 years
ago, and that's the truth, and here
it is, 1972 --
BEN
-- 73
HAROLD
-- 73, and divorce is as easy as
paying off a traffic ticket, and
for crying out loud, Ben, be a man
and just get it over with. I would
have if I'd had the chance.
Ben ponders, as the food arrives.
BEN
(weakly)
But...
HAROLD
But what?
BEN
But I -- well maybe I love her.
Elena.
His father rolls his eyes and stabs his salad with a fork.
HAROLD
Christ Ben! Make up your mind and
eat your lunch.
INT. BOOK STORE. DAY
Elena browses the self-help section. A longish-haired,
slightly gone-to-seed, but still handsome clergyman pauses
next to her. He's wearing an ecclesiastical collar and bell
bottoms.
He pulls out a copy of Me, Myself and I, glancing again at
Elena.
PHILIP
Elena. Elena Hood, am I right?
ELENA
Yes.
PHILIP
Reverend Edwards. Philip Edwards.
You came by and checked out the
congregation a couple of times last
year.
ELENA
Yes, it was -- I ended up --
PHILIP
(smiling)
No need to make excuses --
EXT. NEW CANAAN HIGH SCHOOL FIELD. DAY
A cool gray afternoon. A group of boys are playing flag
football on the field, while two groups of girls are gathered
underneath the bleachers at either end, warily smoking
c1garettes.
Wendy, Beth, and a couple of other girls are gathered in one
group.
BETH
(referring to one of the
girls gathered in the
other group)
She said you licked Dave Brewster's
weenie in the third floor bathroom.
WENDY
She's a liar. I wouldn't touch Dave
Brewster's dick if you paid me.
It's probably crawling with v.d.
after he put it in her, which he
did.
The conversation peters out at this point, as the two groups
of girls give each other the hairy eyeball from afar.
Wendy looks through from beneath the bleacher seats onto the
field where the boys are playing.
A group of boys break from a huddle, Mikey among them.
The quarterback takes the hike and Mikey runs out for a pass.
As he runs, his breathing increases in volume, filling his
ears, and transforming into the humming sound he'd heard
before.
The quarterback spots him and throws a long one.
He runs in an oblivion of beautiful white sound.
The ball drops next to him as he continues, in a world of his
own, to run.
Suddenly, the humming ends and he stops and turns around, to
see all the other kids just standing there looking at him.
One of them makes a pot-smoking gesture, as if that's the
explanation.
MIKEY
(as he returns to the
group, ball in hand)
Did anybody hear that?
The other kids snicker. Wendy looks on, and catches Mikey's
eye for a fleeting moment.
WENDY
I gotta go.
She takes hold of her bicycle and pushes off.
INT. COFFEE SHOP. DAY
Elena and Philip are seated at a booth.
PHILIP
It's been a tremendously
transformative year -- maybe a
little controversial of course, but
we're breaking down the old
Unitarian barriers --
ELENA
I suppose my reluctance was the
group aspect of it -- I've never
been much of a joiner, although I
still consider myself a somewhat
religious person --
PHILIP
Well I of course flatter myself
that our church is not exactly what
most people would call organized
religion -- at times it's the
disorganization that's liberating --
and of course I've begun to
minister much more in what one
might call therapeutic
environments, in small groups, and
one on one, couples --
Elena looks outside the window, and sees Wendy speed past on
her bicycle.
ELENA
(cutting him off)
My daughter. I haven't been on a
bike for years.
(still not really looking
at him)
When was the last time you rode a
bike?
PHILIP
(a bit taken aback by the
abrupt topic change)
They say you never forget.
ELENA
(jarred back to his
presence)
Forget what?
PHILIP
Forget how to ride a bike.
Silence.
ELENA
No, of course you don't, you're
right.
EXT. FIVE AND DIME STORE. DAY
Wendy pulls her bike up to the back, locks it, and walks in.
INT. FIVE AND DIME STORE. DAY
Wendy moves with a certain amount of stealth through the
aisles, arriving at the candy selection.
She looks around.
She takes a package of twinkies and slips them into the
oversized pockets of her painter's pants.
She turns around, and her breath goes out of her -- an OLD
WOMAN has been watching her shoplift. The woman looks sadly
at her, but says nothing. Wendy slowly walks past her and out
the back door of the store. The woman looks on.
EXT. FIVE AND DIME STORE. DAY
As she walks her bike onto the sidewalk, Wendy comes across
Sandy.
SANDY
Hey Wendy.
WENDY
Hey Sandy.
SANDY
Mikey was looking for you.
WENDY
Yeah? See ya.
She pushes off on her bike.
Sandy gazes after her. He takes his G.I. Joe out of his coat
pocket, and points it at her.
SANDY
Bam.
EXT. SUBURBAN STREETS. DAY
Wendy flies along on her bike. It's a desolately beautiful
fall day.
EXT. SILVER MEADOWS PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE. DAY
Wendy rides by the front gates of the posh grounds of the
private psychiatric clinic. A security guard leans against a
booth.
Once a bit past the gate, she gets off her bike and walks it
into a grove of trees near the front drive.
EXT. SILVER MEADOWS. DAY
Mikey is waiting amid the trees next to his bike as Wendy
arrives.
MIKEY
Want some gum?
WENDY
Sure.
(pulling them out of her
pocket)
Twinkie?
MIKEY
(opens his mouth,
displaying the gum on his
tongue)
I'm chewing.
She puts the Twinkies back, and pops the gum in her mouth.
They stand together chewing.
WENDY
(after a pause)
Did you tell Sandy?
MIKEY
Tell Sandy? What?
Wendy doesn't say anything.
MIKEY (CONT'D)
You didn't tell him either, did
you?
EXT. SILVER MEADOWS SWIMMING POOL. DAY
The wind is picking up and the light is fading. Mikey and
Wendy climb the fence around the pool, which is empty and
half-covered in dead leaves and twigs.
They climb down into the concrete recess and walk into the
deep end, leaning against the far wall of the pool.
They each matter-of-factly take their gum out and put it
behind their ears.
They begin not so much to kiss as to place their tongues in
each others' mouths.
We see them from high above the pool, as the dead leaves
swirl lightly around them, Mikey groping under Wendy's
poncho.
EXT. WILLIAMS HOUSE. DAY
To establish.
INT. WILLIAMS GUEST ROOM. DAY
A couple are in the final throes of lovemaking. We see Janey
Williams's face, more or less enjoying the proceedings. The
man gives a final heave and groan, and rolls off to reveal
himself to be -- Ben Hood.
JUMP CUT TO:
Janey smokes a cigarette. Ben is babbling.
BEN
We were golfing, and you know,
golfing to me is something I'm
supposed to enjoy, and I was on the
goddam golf team in college, so
it's something one would assume I
do well -- I used to do well -- but
basically these days golfing for me
is like hoeing, or plowing.
Janey smiles briefly at this.
BEN (CONT'D)
It's like farming. I am basically
chewing up large tracts of
expensively landscaped scenery with
overpriced sticks, and George Clair
has obviously, in the mere two
years since he joined the firm, he
has obviously been taking secret
lessons with a golf pro, and I
assume the entirety of his
disposable income has been devoted
to humiliating me on the golf
course. And the guy talks -
incessantly -- throughout the
entirety of the miserable 18 holes
- on topics that are the supposed
domain of my department --
JANEY
Ben--
BEN
Yeah?
JANEY
(gently)
You're boring me. I have a husband.
I don't particularly feel the need
for another.
BEN
You have a point there. That's a
very good point. We're having an
affair. Right. An explicitly sexual
relationship. Your needs. My needs.
You're absolutely right.
JANEY
You should probably get dressed.
The boys will be home soon.
BEN
Gotcha.
She wraps a blanket around herself and gets up.
EXT. BACK OF WILLIAMS HOUSE. EVENING
Ben cautiously walks out he back door and heads for the side
gate.
INT. HOOD KITCHEN. EVENING
Wendy enters the house as Elena is finishing supper
preparations.
WENDY
Hi mom.
ELENA
Hi Wendy.
Without waiting for instructions, Wendy starts pulling out
plates and silverware and setting the table.
ELENA (CONT'D)
I saw you on your bike today.
WENDY
With Mikey?
ELENA
Who?
WENDY
Nobody.
ELENA
Mikey Williams?
WENDY
We were just riding around.
Elena takes this in.
ELENA
Well, you looked very -- free --
when I saw you.
Wendy continues setting the table.
ELENA (CONT'D)
Weightless almost -- as if I were
seeing my own memories of being a
girl. There was something internal
about it.
WENDY
Mom. Are you ok?
ELENA
Wendy, of course. I'm sorry. You
must think I'm ripe to be checked
into Silver Meadows.
WENDY
You're not a psycho!
ELENA
The people at Silver Meadows aren't
psychos.
WENDY
I know. They're rich drug addicts
and celebrities. When I saw James
Taylor there, and --
ELENA
We've been through this Wendy
James Taylor was actually at that
clinic up near Boston.
WENDY
Well, I saw what I saw, and if you
don't want to believe me --
ELENA
Oh Wendy.
Wendy frowns.
WENDY
They need the money for my band
uniform at school.
ELENA
I thought you quit the band - I
never hear you practice anymore.
WENDY
I don't really need to practice. I
just play a few notes, you know, so
I thought maybe I'd stay in.
ELENA
Well, I'm sure your father and I
would love to hear what you're
playing these days. Maybe after
dinner.
INT. HOOD LIVING ROOM. NIGHT
Ben and Elena take their seats on the sofa. Wendy stands
before them holding an enormous trombone, with a music stand
and sheet music in front of her.
She puffs a series of seemingly disconnected notes in waltz
time.
When she's done, she looks up from the sheet music to her
parents.
They applaud.
BEN
Can't wait to see how it fits in
with all the other instruments.
Elena gives him a look.
INT. HOOD KITCHEN. NIGHT
Elena is sorting through bills and writing checks at the
kitchen table. Ben comes in and fills a glass with ice.
ELENA
The Halfords have invited us again
this year.
BEN
You want to go?
ELENA
What do you think?
BEN
Well, it is a neighborhood
tradition.
He comes up behind her, looks down at the checkbook.
BEN (CONT'D)
I'm, uh, going to bed.
ELENA
So early?
BEN
Rough day. Good night.
He leans over and kisses her on the cheek. She sniffs.
ELENA
Is that a new aftershave?
He recoils a bit.
BEN
Oh yeah. Musk, or something. You
like it?
ELENA
Hmm. Good night.
He walks uncertainly from the room. Does she suspect?
INT. MIKE'S ROOM. NIGHT
Mikey is painfully at work writing an English essay. Sandy
comes to the door with a geometry textbook.
SANDY
Mikey?
MIKEY
Yeah?
SANDY
Geometry?
MIKEY
Sure, anything but this English.
Sandy puts the open textbook in front of him.
SANDY
Why are you so good at math but not
in English?
MIKEY
I'm not good at math. Just
geometry.
He looks at the book.
MIKEY (CONT'D)
(drawing out his examples
on a piece of paper)
It's like, you know when they say
"two squared"? And you think it
means 2 times 2, equals 4? But
really they really mean a square. A
square with a side of two. And the
area of the square is four. Like
every time you use the word, like
squared, or cubed, it's really
space, it's not numbers, it's
space.
And it's perfect space, but only in
your head, because you can't draw a
perfect square, like in the
material world, but in your mind,
you can have perfect space.
(pause)
You know?
As Mikey goes on, we see his geometric doodles, and hear
faintly the HUMMING SOUND under his voice.
SANDY
Yeah. But I just need some help
with my homework.
A knock at the door. Jim stands in the doorway with a
suitcase in his hand.
JIM
Hey guys, I'm back.
MIKEY
(honestly confused)
You were gone?
Sandy looks at Mikey as if pondering a lost cause.
JIM
(a look of
disappointment)
Yeah Mikey. Yep, I was in Houston,
working on some great new ideas
about silicon, which comes from
sand, very conductive. How you guys
doing? How's school?
Mikey's still flustered.
MIKEY
Uh, I dunno. OK I guess.
JIM
Hmm. Alright!
He walks off.
SANDY
You really didn't notice? Man, he's
been gone for three days.
INT. WILLIAMS BEDROOM. NIGHT
Janey is reading, still dressed, on the bed. She nods to Jim
as he enters with his suitcase.
JANEY
Good trip?
He nods and puts his suitcase down, then sits heavily on the
side of the bed.
JIM
(as he sits)
You bet.
It turns out it's a water bed, and his weight creates a wave
that nearly pushes Janey off her edge of the bed.
JANEY
Jesus, Jim!
JIM
(jumping up, which only
creates another wave)
Sorry honey. Hell, we've got to
trade this thing in for a normal
bed.
JANEY
Just be careful.
JIM
(as he begins to unpack)
You notice anything with Mikey
lately? The kid seemed a little out
of it tonight, eh?
JANEY
Tonight? Jim, he's been out of it
since he was born.
JIM
Hell, I guess he takes after me,
huh?
He laughs to himself.
She gives him a look.
INT. COFFEE SHOP. DAY
Elena and Philip Edwards are having coffee again.
PHILIP
In many ways, the church-bound
tradition of the father, son, and
holy ghost is simply a version of
the parent-child-adult triad within
us all. It's a primitive set of
symbols for our inner psychology.
ELENA
You're saying that Christ is the
child, and --
PHILIP
-- And God the angry parent, and
the Spirit the hope of an
integrated adult self.
ELENA
All well and good -- But tell me
again what is it exactly that you
believe in?
PHILIP
You ask what the point is?
ELENA
That's right.
PHILIP
Self-realization. Ministering to
help people reach their fullest
potential. Would you believe me if
I told you I want you to see
yourself reach your fullest
potential and self-realization?
ELENA
I would say it sounds like you're
trying to get me into bed.
PHILIP
If that's a potential you see
yourself fulfilling... I mean...
(flustered)
My, I sound a bit --
ELENA
I'm sorry. That was stupid of me. I
didn't mean to be so rude.
PHILIP
You weren't. You actually, for some
reason, you have the effect on me
of making me feel just a tiny bit
ashamed of myself.
ELENA
But not too ashamed.
PHILIP
(smiling)
Now you are being rude.
ELENA
And you're still trying to get me
into bed.
PHILIP
Ouch.
Just then, Dorothy Franklin passes by their table, a smirk
firmly implanted on her face.
DOROTHY
Hello you two. Am I barging in on
some kind of religious study group?
Elena, you look marvelous. Will I
see you and Ben at the Halford's?
ELENA
I suppose we'll make an appearance.
DOROTHY
And Reverend Edwards? Did you make
the list?
PHILIP
(laughing)
I believe so Mrs. Franklin.
DOROTHY
With the two of you there it will
be positively a revival! I'm off!
She scurries out of the coffee shop.
PHILIP
I'm afraid she's something of a
gossip, isn't she?
ELENA
(gathering her things to
go)
I'm afraid people around here
provide her with quite a bit to
gossip about.
(getting up)
Take care.
PHILIP
That I will indeed.
INT. CLASSROOM. DAY
Mikey is reading his English paper before the class.
MIKEY
Because of molecules we are
connected to the outside world from
our bodies. Like when you smell
things, because when you smell a
smell it's not really a smell, it's
a part of the object that has come
off of it -- molecules. So when you
smell something bad, it's like in a
way you're eating it. This is why
you should not really smell things,
in the same way that you don't eat
everything in the world around you
- because as a smell, it gets
inside of you. So the next time you
go into the bathroom after someone
else has been there, remember what
kinds of molecules you are in fact
eating.
An embarrassed silence.
INT. SCHOOL MUSIC ROOM. DAY
Band practice. The New Canaan High School band is doing a
wind version of a popular rock tune.
In front, there's Wendy, in halter top and hip-hugging bell
bottoms, incongruously blowing away on her trombone -- this
being her one stab at extracurricular activities.
In the flute section directly behind her is Sandy, piping
away on a tiny piccolo. He sits on a riser slightly elevated
above her.
He directs downward at Wendy a protracted regard, a look of
intense concentration on his face.
SANDY'S POV:
Wendy's backside, her pants pushed outward in the back,
affording Sandy a libido-charged view of the top of her bum
crack.
Push in on a close-up of this cherished abstract landscape,
then back to Sandy's furrowed face.
INT. CLUB RESTAURANT. DAY
Ben and Harold are at their table again. Lunch is being
cleared.
HAROLD
It's not the taxes I object to.
It's all the fines and penalties.
BEN
Alright dad. But you sold the
house, you didn't tell anyone,
including the IRS, and I'd of
certainly liked to have seen if
there was any old stuff --
HAROLD
It was all junk!
Another pause. Ben decides not to pursue an overworked topic.
BEN
Oh. Elena wanted to know when we
could expect you on Thanksgiving.
It's just going to be you this
year.
HAROLD
Ben, I'm going to Florida. I hate
Thanksgiving and I hate the cold. I
have a new nurse. She's a negro,
she weighs three hundred pounds,
and I've decided to leave my entire
estate to her.
Ben spits his drink out.
BEN
What?
HAROLD
Jesus, Benjamin, you're still as
gullible as ever.
BEN
That was a joke? You don't tell
jokes.
HAROLD
I thought I'd start trying. If you
don't mind. But I am going to
Florida and I do have a new nurse.
INT. TRAIN. EVENING
Ben sits in the moving train, commuting home. He puts down
his paper to look at this fellow passengers. [NOTE: He is in
the same seat as was Paul at the beginning of the film.]
INT. HOOD DEN. DAY
Elena sits in a yoga pose.
INT. HOOD GARAGE. DAY
Elena enters the garage from the kitchen and turns the light
on.
She finds an old bicycle and pulls it out.
EXT. SUBURBAN STREETS. DAY
Elena rides her bike into town, infused with the girlish
sense of freedom she imagined for her daughter.
Suddenly, there's a pop -- a tire is blown out. She slows
down and gets off the bike. As she bends to look at the
wheel, a station wagon slows near her. The driver's side
window rolls open. It's Janey Williams.
JANEY
Need a lift?
INT. JANEY'S CAR. DAY
Elena sits in the passenger seat. The two women are obviously
uncomfortable with each other.
Silence.
ELENA
Thanks again. For the dinner.
JANEY
Thanks for eating it. I don't know
why I even pretend I can cook.
ELENA
I used to know how to cook.
JANEY
It's not like we're too busy.
They smile, barely.
ELENA
I'm thinking of going back to
school.
JANEY
Social work?
ELENA
How'd you know?
JANEY
Educated guess.
ELENA
I'm that predictable? No, you don't
have to answer that. It's just that
with the kids almost grown --
JANEY
You don't have to apologize. I'm
too much of a cynic. You actually
seem to be trying to figure things
out -- don't mind me.
She pulls the car over.
EXT. FIVE AND DIME STORE. DAY
Janey's car pulls to the curb.
INT. CAR. CONT'D
JANEY
Here you are.
ELENA
(opening her door)
Thanks for the lift. If the bike's
any bother--
JANEY
None at all. I'll leave it in front
of your garage. Happy Thanksgiving.
EXT. FIVE AND DIME. CONT'D
Elena watches the car pull away. She turns and walks into the
store.
INT. FIVE AND DIME. DAY
Elena moves through the aisles, putting various sundries into
a basket.
She pauses in front of the lipsticks.
She picks up a lipstick, looks at it, then quietly places it
in her pocket.
We see her reflection in the security mirror above the aisle,
as she quickly exits the store.
The middle-aged lady behind the counter watches her leave.
EXT. FIVE AND DIME. DAY
In a wide shot, from across the street, we see Elena leave
the store, followed by the shopkeeper who runs behind her and
taps her on the shoulder. They converse for a minute, and
Elena is accompanied back into the store.
Through the store windows we see her take the lipstick out of
her purse. She's obviously distraught -- offering to pay,
talking quickly, etc. The shopkeeper is holding a telephone,
not yet decided on whether to call her in.
PAUL (V.O.)
To find yourself in the Negative
Zone, as the Fantastic Four often
do, means that all everyday
assumptions are inverted -- even
the invisible girl herself becomes
visible, and so she loses the last
semblance of her power.
INT. TRAIN. DAY
Close on images from The Fantastic Four.
"HERE IN THE NEGATIVE ZONE, HIS
POWERS ARE HALVED. WE CAN DO
NOTHING BUT WAIT... AND PRAY" "BUT
WHAT ABOUT FRANKLIN? HE'LL BE
KILLED!"
Paul sits reading on his way home.
EXT. WILLIAMS HOUSE. DAY
Janey pulls up in the driveway. As she gets out of the car,
she hears a small explosion from the back of the house.
EXT. HOOD BACKYARD. DAY
Janey comes around the back to discover Sandy stuffing a
model airplane with m-80 firecrackers. He lights them and
runs back a safe distance. The plane explodes, its wreckage
joining the debris from a few other dolls, models, and toys.
JANEY
Sandy!
Sandy looks up -- busted.
Janey marches over to him.
JANEY (CONT'D)
You little idiotic prick, you could
blow yourself fucking sky high with
all this demented crap.
Sandy looks on the verge of tears. She softens and bends down
to him.
JANEY (CONT'D)
(sighing)
Hey.
(picking up the
firecrackers)
I'll take this stuff.
SANDY
You going to tell dad?
JANEY
Would it matter?
(sees something else lying
on the ground)
And what's that?
SANDY
(sniffling)
You know, it's the whip -- the one
uncle Frank got me from Mexico.
JANEY
It's not packed with explosives, is
it?
SANDY
No!
JANEY
(going into the house)
Play with the whip.
INT. WILLIAMS LIVING ROOM. DAY
Mikey and Wendy are in front of the TV, watching a rerun of
Divorce Court.
JANEY
Oh. Hi Wendy.
WENDY
Hi Mrs. Williams.
JANEY
Mikey, have you heard the
explosions coming from the
backyard?
(he stares blankly at her)
Do you know what Sandy's been up
to?
MIKEY
(honestly oblivious, as
usual)
I dunno.
She pauses, then walks into the kitchen.
EXT. WILLIAMS BACKYARD. DAY
Sandy flicks his enormous whip in the direction of a small
bush.
One by one, he snaps off its leaves.
INT. WILLIAM KITCHEN. DAY
Janey hauls a turkey out of a bag and into the fridge.
INT. WILLIAMS LIVING ROOM. DAY
Mikey and Wendy are still in front of the TV.
Janey comes in again and looks at them.
JANEY
Don't you kids have homework?
MIKEY AND WENDY
(without looking up, in
unison)
Thanksgiving break.
She walks out of the room again.
Sandy comes in, whip in hand, looks over at Mikey and Wendy,
then walks over to them, and, without a word, slumps down
beside them and watches the TV.
EXT. TOWN STREET. DAY
Elena walks unsteadily, pausing to rest against a brick wall.
She takes a deep breath, then walks to a corner where a local
taxi station wagon sits idling. She gestures to the driver,
who beckons her in.
INT. WILLIAMS LIVING ROOM. DAY
Later, still mentally devolving in front of the TV, but with
various junk food detritus surrounding them and a different
show, a rerun of the original Highway Patrol.
Sandy wanders off.
CUT TO:
Later.
Wendy gets up, goes upstairs, and wanders down the hall to
the bathroom.
She gets to the door just as Sandy gets there from the
opposite direction.
WENDY
After you.
Sandy hesitantly opens the door, as Wendy still hovers by it.
SANDY
Well, you can...
WENDY
Hey Sandy, what were you blowing up
out there? Your mom was pretty
p.o.'d.
SANDY
All my model planes.
WENDY
The ones you built?
SANDY
They were old. And they couldn't
fly anyhow. I'm going to get a
radio-controlled airplane at
Christmas, and then I'll stuff it
full of m-80s and then fly it into
Mrs. Burgess's English class and
blow it up.
WENDY
I have to go to the bathroom.
SANDY
Yeah.
But he stays put, unaware it seems that he's blocking the
doorway.
Wendy looks around -- no one in sight.
WENDY
I'll show you mine if you show me
yours.
Sandy goes wide eyed, and almost against his will backs into
the bathroom like a feather.
INT. WILLIAMS LIVING ROOM. DAY
Mikey looks up from the TV, wondering where Wendy is. He eats
another Pringle.
INT. WILLIAMS BATHROOM. DAY
Wendy flips up her dress for Sandy.
He slowly unzips, his hand unsteady. We can tell from the
look on Wendy's face that she's feeling a bit sorry for the
little guy.
Suddenly Sandy turns beet red, and bursts into tears.
SANDY
What do you want?! What do you
want? Get out! Get out of here!
The door flips open -- and Janey Williams appears.
JANEY
(sizing up the situation)
Shit.
INT. MASTER BEDROOM. DAY
Janey is giving Wendy a lecture
JANEY
A person's body is his temple,
Wendy. This body is your first and
last possession. Now as your own
parents have probably told you, in
adolescence our bodies tend to
betray us. That's why, in Samoa and
in other developing nations,
adolescents are sent out into the
woods, unarmed, and they don't come
back until they've learned a thing
or two.
INT. WILLIAMS HOUSE DOORWAY. DAY
Wendy is led to the door by Mrs. Williams.
Wendy trades a glance with a sullen Mikey, who sits in the
living room pretending to ignore her.
EXT. STREET. DAY
Wendy walks her bike with the wind in her face.
From behind her, Mikey rides up on his bike and rides
alongside her.
She doesn't look at him.
Trying to stay on his bike, but moving slowly, he wobbles,
nearly falling off.
MIKEY
I don't ever want to see you.
WENDY
Then why'd you come after me?
EXT. HOOD HOUSE. DAY
The taxi pulls up. Elena gets out and pays the driver.
INT. HOOD KITCHEN. DAY
Ben is in front of the open freezer, trying to get something
out. He hears Elena come in the front door.
BEN
Elena. I need some help here if
this thing's gonna defrost by
tomorrow.
She comes up and together they tug and pull until they
succeced in extracting a large, frozen turkey. As they pull
it out, it slips from their hands and, after a dull thump,
slides along the floor.
They smile.
Elena bends over to pick it up. Ben observes her. She notices
his look.
BEN (CONT'D)
Here.
He goes over and picks up the turkey, placing it in the sink.
He looks back at her and notices her vaguely distraught look.
BEN (CONT'D)
You all right there?
ELENA
Oh. Sure, I -- Did you remember to
pick up the cranberry sauce?
BEN
Um, yes.
They stand together, his concern and her vulnerability
forming an awkward attraction between them.
ELENA
Because you like it on your turkey
sandwiches.
BEN
I do. I'm -- are you...?
ELENA
I... I think I am...
BEN
(pause)
You know Elena, I've been thinking--
ELENA
Ben, maybe no talking right now? If
you start talking, you're going to--
She kisses him as if she needed him.
INT. HOOD HALLWAY. DAY
Ben and Elena enter their bedroom. Elena closes the door
quietly behind her.
INT. HOOD BEDROOM. DAY
Ben and Elena undress shyly.
They make love. Elena's face is almost fearful.
CUT TO:
Elena and Ben lie in bed side by side in the pale afternoon
light. Neither speaks. Ben turns on his side, and notices a
small tear forming in Elena's eyes.
BEN
You crying?
ELENA
I'm just sad Ben -- I mean it
was... you were, but, you know. I
just don't know...
BEN
(gently making light)
Whatever that means Elena -- And
you complain about me not
communicating... I thought it was --
ELENA
No, I didn't mean to sound
negative. It was -- But Ben.
(beat)
What is going to happen with us?
Have you --
BEN
You have to bring this up now?
What? Did I do something here? Is
that it? Is it something I did?
ELENA
I wasn't accusing you, Ben. It's
just that we've got to be honest.
Not just with ourselves, but with
the children.
BEN
(pause, sitting up)
Hell, I know. I -- I guess if you
want to accuse me, you've got --
(looks at watch)
Oh hell! I've got to pick up Paul.
I almost forgot.
He gets up and starts to get dressed.
ELENA
You were saying?
He smells the armpits of the shirt he's putting on.
BEN
Yikes -- I was hoping to wear this
thing to the Halford's Friday.
ELENA
That shirt?
BEN
What?
ELENA
Leave it -- I'll wash it for you.
He looks at her ruefully.
EXT. HOOD STREET. DAY
Wendy walks and Mikey rides along.
WENDY
You have to follow me?
MIKEY
I dunno. I --
They're now in front of the Hood's house.
EXT. HOOD HOUSE. DAY
Ben exits the house in a rush, and sees Wendy and Mikey on
the street in front.
BEN
Hey there Mikey, how's business?
CONTINUED: 85
MIKEY
(tripping off of his bike)
Business? Uh, I dunno.
Ben grimaces, fiddles for his car keys.
As Mikey remounts and rides off, Wendy passes her father on
the driveway.
BEN
I'm picking up Paul at the station
- want to come?
WENDY
Nah.
BEN
What you been up to?
WENDY
Nothing.
INT. HOOD LIVING ROOM. DAY
Wendy enters the house and climbs the stairs.
She sees the crumpled bed sheets in her parents' room and
hears Elena in the shower.
EXT. NEW CANAAN STATION. DAY
Paul walks to the parking lot with his father, who carries
his duffel bag.
EXT. STREETS. DAY
Ben's car heading back to the house with Paul.
INT. HOOD CAR. DAY
BEN
So how's school treating you?
PAUL
All right.
BEN
Classes?
PAUL
Good.
BEN
Grades?
PAUL
Fine.
BEN
Anyone special? You know...
PAUL
Hnnn.
BEN
Well it's good to see you -- we
miss you around the house and all,
but this St. Peter's, it's top of
the line, eh?
PAUL
Yeah.
BEN
You know Paul, I've been thinking,
maybe this is as good a time as any
to have a little talk, you know,
about -- well --
He makes a sharp turn. Paul puts his arms up on the dashboard
to steady himself.
PAUL
(nervous)
About?
BEN
Well, the whole gamut. Facts of
life and all. Some fatherly advice,
because, I tell you, there's things
happening that you're probably old
enough... well...
(pause)
For example, on the self-abuse
front -- now this is important -
it's not advisable to do it in the
shower -- it wastes water and
electricity and because we all
expect you to be doing it there in
any case -- and, um, not onto the
linen, and not on your sister's
underwear or any clothing belonging
to your mother --
He pauses to gauge the effect of his monologue on his son,
then continues.
PAUL
Uh, Dad --
Just then Ben runs a stop sign and almost slams into another
car.
BEN
Holy! Well. If you're worried about
anything, just feel free to ask,
and, uh, we can look it up.
PAUL
Uh, dad, you know I'm 16.
BEN
All the more reason for this little
heart to heart... great.
EXT. HOOD HOUSE. DAY
The car pulls up. Paul gets out, looking shell-shocked. He
sees Wendy waving to him from a second floor window. He nods
back.
BEN
Um, Paul. On second thought, can
you do me a favor and pretend I
never said any of that.
PAUL
Sure dad.
BEN
Thanks.
In the doorway, Elena waits.
INT. HOOD HALLWAY. DAY
Paul knocks on Wendy's bedroom door. She opens it.
PAUL
Hello, Charles.
WENDY
Greetings, Charles.
INT. WENDY'S ROOM. DAY
Paul and Wendy sit on the floor.
PAUL
How are the parental units
functioning these days?
WENDY
Dad's like doing his Up With People
routine, mom hasn't been saying
much.
PAUL
I don't know. Dad seems a little
weird.
WENDY
Yeah well wait till mom opens her
mouth.
They both ponder silently. Then:
PAUL
May I operate your telephonic
apparatus?
WENDY
Why don't you use the phone
downstairs?
PAUL
Calling an individual, Charles, in
New York. Confirming a social
outing for Friday night.
WENDY
Can I come?
PAUL
It's a one-on-one kind of date
thing.
WENDY
With who?
PAUL
Her name's Libbets.
WENDY
Libbets? What kind of a name is
Libbets?
EXT. HOOD HOUSE. DAY
Morning. To establish.
INT. HOOD BEDROOM. DAY
Elena is coming out of the master bathroom in a robe, a towel
wrapped around her head.
ELENA
The turkey in?
BEN
Stuffed and baking.
INT. HOOD HALLWAY. DAY
Ben Hood pads down the hall in his bathrobe, tries the
bathroom door. It's locked.
BEN
Anyone home?
INT. HOOD BATHROOM. DAY
The shower is running, but Paul is standing by the open
window, puffing on a joint and trying to blow the smoke
outside.
PAUL
I'll be out in a second.
Ben walks back to the bedroom, smirking.
BEN
Sure you will.
INT. HOOD DINING ROOM. DAY
One by one, each member of the Hood carried in a final item
to place on the overstuffed Thanksgiving table. Then, one by
one, they each silently take their seats.
They look over the table. No one moves.
BEN
Well, it's great we can all be
together. And this Thanksgiving, no
hysteria, no yelling, especially
with grandpa not here, although we
miss him. So let's do it right and
actually, Wendy, why don't you say
grace. You used to love to say
grace, remember.
Wendy grimaces, as they all bow their heads slightly.
