American Beauty Page #8

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LESTER:

On what grounds? I'm not a drunk, I

don't f*** other women, I don't

mistreat you, I've never hit you, or

even tried to touch you since you

made it so abundantly clear just how

unnecessary you consider me to be.

But I did support you while you got

your license. And some people might

think that entitles me to half of

what's yours.

She sinks into a chair, stunned. It's clear he knows where

she's most vulnerable. He sees this, and likes it; it feels

good to win for a change.

He curls up under the covers contentedly.

LESTER:

Turn out the light when you come to

bed, okay?

CLOSE on Lester, smiling.

EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - EARLY MORNING

We're FLYING high above the neighborhood. Below us we see

the two Jims, jogging. We APPROACH them steadily.

LESTER (V.O.)

It's a great thing when you realize

you still have the ability to surprise

yourself. Makes you wonder what else

you can do that you've forgotten

about.

EXT. ROBIN HOOD TRAIL - CONTINUOUS

We're now at street level, FOLLOWING the two Jims.

LESTER:

Hey! You guys!

Still running, the Jims turn back in perfect unison, as Lester

runs INTO FRAME, wearing a baggy sweatshirt and a pair of

faded old sweatpants. The Jims slow down until he catches

up, then the three men run together in the early morning

light.

JIM #2

Lester, I didn't know you ran.

LESTER:

(panting)

Well, I just started.

JIM #1

Good for you.

LESTER:

I figured you guys might be able to

give me some pointers. I need to

shape up. Fast.

JIM #1

Well, are you just looking to lose

weight, or do you want have increased

strength and flexibility as well?

LESTER:

I want to look good naked.

EXT. FITTS HOUSE - A SHORT TIME LATER

The Colonel is washing his Ford Explorer, squatting to scrub

the bumper, when something Catches his eye:

His POV:
Lester and the Jims jog down the street.

The Colonel stands, scowling, as Ricky comes out of the house,

holding the URINE SAMPLE in front of him.

COLONEL:

What is this, the f***ing gay pride

parade?

Lester breaks off from the two Jims and jogs up to Ricky and

the Colonel, out of breath. He grabs hold of his knees and

bends over, panting.

LESTER:

Hey! Yo! Ricky!

(re:
the Jims)

My entire life is passing before my

eyes, and those two have barely broken

a sweat.

He LAUGHS, and extends his hand to the Colonel.

LESTER:

Sorry, hi. Lester Burnham, I live

next door. We haven't met.

COLONEL:

(shakes)

Colonel Frank Fitts, U.S. Marine

Corps.

LESTER:

Whoa. Welcome to the neighborhood,

sir.

He salutes the Colonel good-naturedly, grinning. The Colonel

doesn't think it's funny. An awkward beat.

LESTER:

So, Ricky, uh, I was thinking about

the, uh... I was gonna... the movie

we talked about...

RICKY:

(quickly)

Re-Animator.

LESTER:

Yeah!

RICKY:

You want to borrow it?

(before Lester can

answer)

Okay, it's up in my room. Come on.

He heads into the house. Lester waves at the Colonel, then

follows him.

The Colonel watches them go, his eyes dark.

INT. FITTS HOUSE - RICKY'S BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Ricky enters, followed by Lester.

RICKY:

Can you hold this for a sec?

LESTER:

Sure.

He gives the URINE SPECIMEN to Lester, then locks the door.

RICKY:

I don't think my dad would try to

come in when somebody else is here,

but you never know.

Ricky crosses to a bureau and opens a DRAWER. He takes

clothing out and piles it on his bed.

LESTER:

(re:
urine sample)

What is this?

RICKY:

Urine. I have to take a drug test

every six months to make sure I'm

clean.

LESTER:

Are you kidding? You just smoked

with me last night.

RICKY:

It's not mine. One of my clients is

a nurse in a pediatrician's office.

I cut her a deal, she keeps me in

clean piss.

Lester picks up a CD case from a shelf and examines it.

LESTER:

You like Pink Floyd?

RICKY:

I like a lot of music.

LESTER:

Man, I haven't listened to this album

in years.

He shakes his head, then puts the CD case down. Ricky, having

emptied the drawer, now removes a FALSE BOTTOM, revealing

rows of MARIJUANA, tightly packed in ZIP-LOC BAGS.

RICKY:

How much do you want?

LESTER:

I don't know, it's been a while. How

much is an ounce?

RICKY:

(indicates bag)

Well, this is totally decent, and

it's three hundred.

LESTER:

Wow.

RICKY:

(indicates another

bag)

But this sh*t is top of the line.

It's called G-13. Genetically

engineered by the U.S. Government.

Extremely potent. But a completely

mellow high, no paranoia.

LESTER:

Is that what we smoked last night?

RICKY:

This is all I ever smoke.

LESTER:

How much?

RICKY:

Two grand.

LESTER:

Jesus. Things have changed since

1973.

RICKY:

You don't have to pay now. I know

you're good for it.

A beat.

LESTER:

Thanks.

RICKY:

(hands him a bag)

There's a card in there with my beeper

number, call me anytime day or night.

And I only accept cash.

LESTER:

(looks around room)

Well, now I know how you can afford

all this equipment. When I was your

age, I flipped burgers all summer

just to be able to buy an eight track.

RICKY:

That sucks.

LESTER:

No actually, it was great. All I did

was party and get laid.

(smiles)

I had my whole life ahead of me...

RICKY:

My dad thinks I pay for all this

with catering jobs.

(off Lester's look)

Never underestimate the power of

denial.

Lester smiles. This kid's cool.

EXT. BURNHAM HOUSE - LATER

Carolyn, carrying a basket of fresh cut ROSES, passes by the

GARAGE WINDOW. From inside the garage, we HEAR ROCK MUSIC.

Carolyn stops and SNIFFS the air, frowning. She peers through

the window.

Her POV:
Lester, in a T-shirt and gym shorts, lies on a new

WEIGHT BENCH, doing bench presses with shiny new BARBELLS.

INT. GARAGE - CONTINUOUS

ROCK MUSIC blasts from a new BOOMBOX on the floor.

The garage is in the process of becoming Lester's sanctuary.

An ugly but comfortable 70's BOWL CHAIR has been pulled out

and cleaned off, his old hot rod magazines strewn across it,

and the remote-controlled MODEL JEEP KIT is spread across a

card table. The SHELVES that Lester tore through earlier

have been dismantled, leaving a blank wall on which now hangs

a DART BOARD.

Lester finishes his last rep, straining, then puts the weights

in their rack and sits up. As he takes a drag off a joint,

the GARAGE DOOR suddenly starts to open. Lester looks up,

squinting at:

His POV:
The door raises to reveal Carolyn, silhouetted

against the bright sunlight outside, pointing a REMOTE at

us.

LESTER:

Uh-oh, mom's mad.

CAROLYN:

What the hell do you think you're

doing?

LESTER:

Bench presses. I'm going to wail on

my pecs, and then I'm going to do my

back.

CAROLYN:

I see you're smoking pot now. I'm so

glad. I think using illegal

psychotropic substances is a very

positive example to set for our

daughter.

LESTER:

You're one to talk, you bloodless,

money-grubbing freak.

CAROLYN:

(hostile)

Lester. You have such hostility in

you!

LESTER:

Do you mind? I'm trying to work out

here.

(then, suggestively)

Unless you want to spot me.

CAROLYN:

You will not get away with this. You

can be sure of that!

And she's gone. Lester leans back on the bench and grabs the

weights.

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