American Beauty Page #14

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His POV:
His arms are pumped. He smiles.

He reaches under the bench and grabs a CIGAR BOX. Opening

it, he digs through MARIJUANA PARAPHERNALIA, only to pull

out an empty ZIP-LOC BAG.

LESTER:

Sh*t.

INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER

Ricky and the Colonel sit at the table, eating in silence.

Barbara rinses off a pan at the sink, then stares at it as

if she can't quite remember what she meant to do with it. We

suddenly HEAR a BEEPING noise. Ricky pulls his BEEPER off

his belt and checks it.

RICKY:

(getting up)

I have to run next door. Jane left

her geometry book in my bag and she

needs it to do her homework.

He heads into the hall. The Colonel watches him go, uneasy.

INT. ANGELA'S BMW - CONTINUOUS

Angela drives, squinting through the windshield as the wipers

move back and forth.

ANGELA:

So you and psycho boy are f***ing on

like, a regular basis now, right?

JANE:

(irritable)

No.

ANGELA:

Oh, come on. You can tell me. Does

he have a big dick?

JANE:

Look, I'm not gonna talk about his

dick with you, okay? It's not like

that.

ANGELA:

Not like what? Doesn't he have one?

(then)

Why don't you want to talk about it?

I mean, I tell you every single detail

about every guy that I f***.

JANE:

Yeah, and maybe you shouldn't, all

right? Maybe I don't really want to

hear all that.

ANGELA:

Oh, so now that you have a boyfriend,

you're like, above it?

(rolls her eyes)

We gotta get you a real man.

INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

The Colonel rinses off his plate at the sink. Something

outside catches his eye, and he cranes his neck to get a

better look at...

His POV:
Through the window over the sink, we can see into

the Burnham's GARAGE WINDOW.

Our view is blurred by the RAIN, but we see Lester, his upper

body pumped and glistening in sweat as he counts out a wad

of BILLS... and then Ricky walks into view.

The Colonel's face tightens.

His POV:
Lester drapes his arm around Ricky as he gives him

the money. We can only see Lester from the waist up, so he

looks naked.

INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - CONTINUOUS

Ricky, his hair wet from the rain, puts the cash in his

pocket. Lester's arm remains draped around his shoulder.

RICKY:

(grins)

You got any papers?

LESTER:

Yeah, in the cigar box, right over

there.

(laughs)

You know, put up a fight, dude! You

are such a pushover. "No I can't.

Really. Okay."

And he slaps Ricky playfully on the chest. Ricky grins, then

squats down and reaches under the weight bench.

RICKY:

You should learn to roll a joint.

Lester sits in the bowl chair and leans back, his hands behind

his head, watching Ricky roll the joint.

INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

The Colonel's POV: Lester leans back in his chair. We see

only Ricky's back and shoulders as he rolls the joint.

After a beat, Lester's jaw drops, then he throws his head

back. From our perspective, it looks very much like Ricky is

giving Lester a blow job.

The Colonel watches, incredulous. Then we HEAR a CAR

APPROACHING, and the Colonel glances over at:

His POV:
Angela's BMW pulls into the driveway, stopping behind

Lester's Firebird.

As Angela and Jane get out and run toward the house, our

focus MOVES back to the GARAGE WINDOW. Ricky stands, looking

a little panicked.

Lester pulls on his T-shirt, and both he and Ricky cross out

of view.

INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER

Lester leans nonchalantly against the counter. Jane and Angela

enter. Jane frowns when she sees him.

LESTER:

Oh. Hi.

JANE:

Where's Mom?

LESTER:

Don't know.

ANGELA:

Hi, Mr. Burnham.

LESTER:

Hi.

He's trying to remain cool, and doing a pretty good job.

ANGELA:

Wow. Look at you. Have you been

working out?

LESTER:

Some.

Jane rolls her eyes and exits. Angela walks over to Lester.

ANGELA:

You can really tell. Look at those

arms.

She places her hand on his arm flirtatiously, looks up at

him and smiles, fully expecting to intimidate him by doing

so.

But something has changed, and he isn't intimidated at all.

He looks directly back at her, leans in and smiles slowly.

LESTER:

You like muscles?

His voice is low and intense. She moves away, suddenly

insecure.

ANGELA:

I--I should probably go see what

Jane's up to.

And she heads out quickly. Lester watches her go, baffled.

INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Ricky enters, wet from the pouring rain, and crosses to his

bureau, pulling the wad of CASH out of his pocket as he goes.

COLONEL (O.S.)

Where'd you get that?

Ricky turns, startled.

His POV:
The Colonel steps out of the shadows.

Ricky takes a step back.

RICKY:

From my job.

COLONEL:

Don't lie to me.

(beat)

I saw you with him.

RICKY:

(incredulous)

You were watching me?

COLONEL:

What did he make you do?

RICKY:

(laughs)

Dad, you don't really think... me

and Mr. Burnham?

COLONEL:

(furious)

Don't you laugh at me!

(then)

I will not sit back and watch my

only son become a cocksucker!

RICKY:

Jesus, what is with you--

The Colonel BACKHANDS Ricky so hard it sends the boy

sprawling.

COLONEL:

I swear to God, I will throw you out

of this house and never look at you

again.

RICKY:

(taken aback)

You mean that?

COLONEL:

Damn straight I do. I'd rather you

were dead than be a f***ing f*ggot.

A beat. Ricky suddenly smiles. He gets up.

RICKY:

You're right. I suck dick for money.

COLONEL:

Boy--

RICKY:

Two thousand dollars. I'm that good.

COLONEL:

Get out.

RICKY:

And you should see me f***. I'm the

best piece of ass in three states.

COLONEL:

(explodes)

Get out!! I don't ever want to see

you again!!

Ricky eyes the Colonel. He's finally discovered a way to

break free from his father, and he can't believe it was this

simple.

RICKY:

What a sad old man you are.

COLONEL:

(a whisper)

Get out.

Ricky grabs his backpack, turns and walks out the door,

leaving the Colonel standing there, glassy-eyed and breathing

heavily.

INT. FITTS HOUSE - KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER

Ricky enters to discover Barbara standing in the middle of

the room, clutching a dish, frightened. She's obviously heard

his argument with his father, and she looks into his eyes,

searching, aware that something eventful is taking place.

RICKY:

Mom, I'm leaving.

A beat.

BARBARA:

Okay, wear a raincoat.

RICKY:

(hugs her)

I wish things would have been better

for you. Take care of Dad.

He kisses her cheek softly, then exits out the back door,

leaving her standing alone, still clutching her dish.

INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

The Colonel's POV: Below us, Ricky dashes through the rain

to the Burnham's front door and knocks. Lester opens it and

lets him in.

EXT. FITTS HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

The Colonel looks coldly down at us from Ricky's bedroom

window, and then he pulls the drapes shut.

EXT. FREEWAY - CONTINUOUS

The MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 is parked in the breakdown lane, its

HAZARD LIGHTS BLINKING. Cars ZOOM past in the rain.

INT. MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 - CONTINUOUS

Carolyn sits behind the wheel, listening to a MOTIVATIONAL

TAPE on the STEREO.

TAPE VOICE:

--disinvesting problems of their

power, and removing their ability to

make us afraid. This is the secret

to "me-centered" living. Only by

taking full responsibility for your

problems--and their solutions--will

you ever be able to break free from

the constant cycle of victimhood.

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