American Beauty Page #7

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INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Lester, still listening, looks like he's about to implode.

ANGELA (O.S.)

(laughs)

I would! I would suck your dad's big

fat dick, and then I would f*** him

'til his eyes rolled back in his

head!

(then)

What was that noise? Jane.

Jane's SINGING stops.

ANGELA:

I swear I heard something.

Panicked, Lester scurries down the hall.

INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

JANE:

Yeah, it was the sound of you being

a huge disgusting pig.

ANGELA:

I'm serious.

We HEAR the sharp TAP of a penny being thrown against glass.

ANGELA:

See?

Angela crosses to the window and looks out.

ANGELA:

(spots something)

Oh my God. Jane.

EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

We see Angela standing at the window in her underwear, looking

down at us.

Jane joins her and is immediately unnerved by:

Their POV:
In the Burnham's DRIVEWAY, the word "JANE" is

spelled out in FIRE.

INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - JANE'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

ANGELA:

It's that psycho next door. Jane,

what if he worships you? What if

he's got a shrine with pictures of

you surrounded by dead people's heads

and stuff?

JANE:

Sh*t. I bet he's filming us right

now.

ANGELA:

(intrigued)

Really?

EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - CONTINUOUS

On VIDEO:
We're across from Jane's window, looking in. Jane

tries to shut the drapes, but Angela won't let her. Irritated,

Jane retreats into the room.

We ZOOM toward her, even as Angela poses in the window; we're

clearly not interested in Angela. The ZOOM continues,

searching for Jane, who has disappeared.

Finally, we settle on the small make-up MIRROR where we see

a REFLECTION of Jane, back at her computer. She's smiling.

Then suddenly the DRAPES CLOSE and she's gone.

INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

Ricky sits in darkness with his DIGICAM, videotaping. He

lowers the camera and smiles... then something below catches

his attention. He leans out the window to get a better look

at:

EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - CONTINUOUS

Ricky's POV:
Through a WINDOW on the side of the Burnham's

GARAGE DOOR, we see Lester, still in his suit, digging through

shelves against the back wall.

INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - CONTINUOUS

Lester digs through stuff stored on the shelves, searching

for something as if his very life depended on it.

LESTER:

Sh*t. Sh*t!

He yanks aside COLLEGE YEARBOOKS, a racquetball RACQUET,

boxes of old HOT ROD MAGAZINES, an unopened remote-controlled

MODEL JEEP KIT, stacks of old vinyl LPs... finally his face

lights up when he finds:

A pair of DUMBBELLS obviously unused for many years.

Lester rips off his jacket and tie and unbuttons his shirt.

He glances around, finding his REFLECTION in the WINDOW as

he pulls off his shirt, then the T-shirt underneath. He eyes

himself critically: Angela was right, he's not in bad shape.

Just a few extra pounds around his middle that wouldn't be

hard to shed. He kicks off his shoes and begins to step out

of his pants.

INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

Ricky holds his Digicam up and starts to videotape.

EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - GARAGE - CONTINUOUS

Ricky's POV, on VIDEO: Through a WINDOW on the side of the

Burnham's garage, we see Lester step out of his pants and

briefs. Then, naked except for his black socks, he grabs the

dumbbells and starts lifting them, watching his reflection

in the window as he does.

INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

Ricky stands at the window, videotaping.

RICKY:

Welcome to America's Weirdest Home

Videos.

Suddenly we HEAR someone trying to open a locked door.

COLONEL (O.S.)

Ricky!

Moving swiftly, Ricky pulls the drapes shut and switches on

a light. His room is a haven of high-tech. A state-of-the-

art multimedia COMPUTER crowds his desk, and high-end STEREO

and VIDEO EQUIPMENT line the shelves, as well as HUNDREDS OF

CDs. There is easily twenty thousand dollars worth of

equipment in this room.

RICKY:

Coming, Dad.

COLONEL (O.S.)

You know I don't like locked doors

in my house, boy.

Ricky opens the door. The Colonel stands outside, eyeing

him.

RICKY:

I'm sorry, I must have locked it by

accident. So what's up?

The Colonel holds out a small PLASTIC CUP WITH A CAP.

COLONEL:

I need a urine sample.

RICKY:

Wow. It's been six months already.

Can I give it to you in the morning?

I just took a whiz.

COLONEL:

Yeah, I suppose.

(an awkward beat)

Well. Good night, son.

He disappears down the hall. Ricky smiles, shuts and locks

his door. He puts the plastic cup on the shelf, then crosses

to a MINI REFRIGERATOR in the corner of his room and takes

out a cup-sized TUPPERWARE CONTAINER from the freezer, already

filled with urine, albeit frozen, and places it on a saucer

to thaw overnight.

INT BURNHAM HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - LATER THAT NIGHT

Carolyn lies sleeping. Lester is awake, staring at the

ceiling. After a moment, he gets up, taking care not to

disturb Carolyn, and walks toward the bathroom.

INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - MASTER BATH - CONTINUOUS

Lester enters and switches on the LIGHT. The room is filled

with STEAM.

Lester looks around, confused, then focuses on:

His POV:
Across from us, in a PEDESTAL BATHTUB, is Angela.

She smiles and beckons us, and we MOVE CLOSER. ROSE PETALS

float on the surface of the water, obscuring her naked body.

ANGELA:

I've been waiting for you.

Lester kneels by the bathtub like a man in church.

ANGELA:

You've been working out, haven't

you? I can tell.

She arches her back and looks up at him provocatively.

ANGELA:

I was hoping you'd give me a bath...

I'm very, very dirty.

Lester gives her a hard look, then slowly slips his hand

into the water between her legs. Her eyes widen and she throws

her head back... and we

SMASH CUT TO:

INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

CLOSE on Carolyn, her eyes wide, listening to the rhythmic

BRUSH of Lester's hand as he masturbates under the covers.

She flips over and faces him.

CAROLYN:

What are you doing?

A beat.

LESTER:

Nothing.

Carolyn switches on the bedside LIGHT.

CAROLYN:

You were masturbating.

LESTER:

I was not.

CAROLYN:

Yes, you were.

He turns to her, trying to look innocent, then gives up.

LESTER:

All right, so shoot me. I was whacking

off.

Carolyn gets out of bed, repelled. Lester LAUGHS.

LESTER:

That's right. I was choking the

bishop. Shaving the carrot. Saying

hi to my monster.

CAROLYN:

That's disgusting.

LESTER:

Well, excuse me, but I still have

blood pumping through my veins!

CAROLYN:

So do I!

LESTER:

Really? I'm the only one who seems

to be doing anything about it.

CAROLYN:

Lester. I refuse to live like this.

This is not a marriage.

LESTER:

This hasn't been a marriage for years.

But you were happy as long as I kept

my mouth shut. Well, guess what?

I've changed. And the new me whacks

off when he feels horny, because

you're obviously not going to help

me out in that department.

CAROLYN:

Oh. I see. You think you're the only

one who's sexually frustrated?

LESTER:

I'm not? Well then, come on, baby!

I'm ready.

CAROLYN:

(furious)

Do not mess with me, mister, or I

will divorce you so fast it'll make

your head spin!

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