A Serious Man Page #5

Larry stares at her. A long beat.

At length, trying to digest:

Larry

. . . Sy Ableman!

Judith

This is not about Sy.

Larry

You mentioned Sy!

Judith

Don’t twist my words. We—

Larry

A divorce—what have I done! I haven’t done anything—

What have I done!

Judith

Larry, don’t be a child. You haven’t “done” anything. I

haven’t “done” anything.

Larry

Yes! Yes! We haven’t done anything! And I—I’m

probably about to get tenure!

Judith

Nevertheless, there have been problems. As you know. Nevertheless, there have been problems. As you know.

Larry

Well—

Judith

And things have changed. And then—Sy Ableman. Sy has

come into my life. And now—

Larry

Come into your—what does that mean?! You, you, you,

you barely know him!

Judith

We’ve known the Ablemans for fifteen years.

Larry

Yes, but you—you said we hadn’t done anything!

Judith suddenly is stony:

Judith

I haven’t done anything. This is not some flashy fling.

This is not about woopsy-doopsy.

Larry stares at her.

Larry

. . . Sy Ableman!

From down the hall, a knock on a door. A muffled voice:

Arthur

Out in a minute!

Judith

Look, I didn’t know any other way of breaking it to you.

Except to tell you. And treat you like an adult. Is that so

wrong?

Larry does not seem to be listening. His eyes roam the room as he thinks.

Larry

Where do I sleep? Where do I sleep?

Judith narrows her eyes.

Judith

What?

Larry

Arthur’s on the couch!

Judith

Look. Sy feels that we should—

Larry

Esther is barely cold!

Judith

Esther died three years ago. And it was a loveless

marriage. Sy wants a Gett.

This derails the conversation. Larry stares, trying to pick up the thread.

Larry

. . . A what?

Judith

A ritual divorce. He says it’s very important. Without a

Gett I’m an Aguna.

Larry

A what? What are you talking about?

She turns to go, peeved:

Judith

You always act so surprised.

As she leaves:

. . . I have begged you to see the rabbi.

FADE IN:

Larry has fallen asleep at the kitchen table, face-down in a pile of blue books. Cold blue

light sweeps across him and he looks up.

A short, balding middle-aged man in flannel pyjamas and an old flannel dressing gown is

in front of the open refrigerator holding an open jar of orange juice. He tips the jar back

to drink, his free hand holding a balled-up towel to the back of his neck

Larry stares at him.

FADE OUT:

BLEGEN HALL:

Larry enters the departmental office. His eyes are red-rimmed and dark-bagged. He has

beard stubble.

The department’s secretary wheels her castored chair away from her typing.

Secretary

Messages, Professor Gopnik.

He takes the two phone messages.

HIS OFFICE:

Larry looks at the messages:

WHILE YOU WERE OUT Dick Dutton

OF Columbia Record Club

CALLED.

REGARDING:
“2nd attempt. Please call.”

WHILE YOU WERE OUT Sy Ableman

CALLED.

REGARDING “Let’s have a good talk.”

A knock brings his look up.

Larry

Yes—thanks for coming, Clive.

Clive Park enters the office.

. . . Have a seat.

Larry uses a key to open the top desk drawer. He takes out the envelope holding cash.

. . . We had, I think, a good talk, the other day, but you left

something that—

Clive

I didn’t leave it.

Larry

Well—you don’t even know what I was going to say.

Clive

I didn’t leave anything. I’m not missing anything. I know

where everything is.

Larry looks at him, trying to formulate a thought.

Larry

Well. . . then, Clive, where did this come from?

He waves the envelope.

. . . This is here, isn’t it?

Clive looks at it gravely.

Clive

Yes, sir. That is there.

Larry

This is not nothing, this is something.

Clive

Yes sir. That is something.

A beat.

—thanks for coming, Clive.

Clive Park enters the office.

. . . Have a seat.

Larry uses a key to open the top desk drawer. He takes out the envelope holding cash.

. . . We had, I think, a good talk, the other day, but you left

something that—

Clive

I didn’t leave it.

Larry

Well—you don’t even know what I was going to say.

Clive

I didn’t leave anything. I’m not missing anything. I know

where everything is.

Larry looks at him, trying to formulate a thought.

Larry

Well. . . then, Clive, where did this come from?

He waves the envelope.

. . . This is here, isn’t it?

Clive looks at it gravely.

Clive

Yes, sir. That is there.

Larry

This is not nothing, this is something.

Clive

Yes sir. That is something.

A beat.

. . . What is it.

Larry

You know what it is! You know what it is! I believe. And

you know I can’t keep it, Clive.

Clive

Of course, sir.

Larry

I’ll have to pass it on to Professor Finkle, along with my

suspicions about where it came from. Actions have

consequences.

Clive

Yes. Often.

Larry

Always! Actions always have consequences!

He pounds the desk for emphasis.

. . . In this office, actions have consequences!

Clive

Yes sir.

Larry

Not just physics. Morally.

Clive

Yes.

Larry

And we both know about your actions.

Clive

No sir. I know about my actions.

Larry

I can interpret, Clive. I know what you meant me to

understand.

Clive

Meer sir my sir.

Larry c*cks his head.

Larry

. . . Meer sir my sir?

Clive

Meer sir my sir.

Larry c*cks his head.

Larry

. . . Meer sir my sir?

Clive

(careful enunciation)

Mere. . . surmise. Sir.

He gravely shakes his head.

. . . Very uncertain.

CLOSE ON A TONE ARM

A hand lays it onto a slowly spinning vinyl record.

Through scratches and pops, an unaccompanied tenor starts a mournful Hebrew chant.

Close on the sleeve:

Rabbi Youssele Rosenblatt Chants Your Haftorah Portion

Volume 12

Rabbi Youssele wears a caftan and a felt hat and has sad eyes that peer out, like an owl in

foliage, from the dark beard that covers most of the rest of his face.

Wider, on Danny, in his bedroom, evening. He lifts the tone arm on the portable

turntable.

He chants the passage.

He drops the tone arm at the same place; Rabbi Youssele chants the passage again.

Danny listens, eyes narrowed. He lifts the tone arm and chants the passage again.

He replays the passage again but before he can lift the tone arm to echo it once more, his

door bursts open. Rabbi Youssele continues to chant.

Sarah

You little brat f***er! You snuck twenty bucks out of my

drawer!

You little brat f***er! You snuck twenty bucks out of my

drawer!

Danny

Studying Torah! A**hole!

Sarah

You little brat! I’m telling Dad!

Danny

Oh yeah? You gonna tell him you’ve been sneaking it out

of his wallet?

Sarah

All right, you know what I’m gonna do? You little brat? If

you don’t give it back?

We hear the thunk of the front door opening. Danny stands, calling:

Danny

Dad?

FOYER:

Larry is entering with his briefcase. As he stows it in the foyer closet Danny’s voice

continues, off:

Danny

Dad, you gotta fix the aerial.

Judith emerges from the kitchen.

Judith

Hello Larry, have you thought about a lawyer?

Larry

Honey, please!

Danny emerges from the hall.

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