American Hustle

TITLE CARD:
SOME OF THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED

OVER BLACK:
APRIL 26, 1978, PLAZA HOTEL, NEW YORK

1 FADE IN:
1

2 INT. PLAZA HOTEL WINDOW NYC - DAY 2

IRVING ROSENFELD, not a small man, gets dressed andmeticulously constructs his combover. Camera WRAPS AROUND,

see his hands with rings adjust his dark velvet suit, up tohis face, serious, concentrated, intense, he is composinghimself before a performance.

Irving is now dressed, ready, and walks down the hall toanother room.

3 SECOND PLAZA HOTEL ROOM -- Irving composes himself -- looksinto cramped surveillance closet, there are FBI Agents -- weonly see their hands and arms -- he looks at monitors -- seesa BLACK AND WHITE IMAGE OF ANOTHER ROOM ON MONITOR: MAYOR

CARMINE POLITO, swath of salt and pepper hair, cream suit,

pinky ring, Rotary Club pin -- ALONG WITH CARL ELWAY, preppieshady businessman.

He exhales pressure, turns as CAMERA PANS TO: SYDNEY PROSSER(who will also be known for some time as EDITH GREENSLY),

stylish crafty smart. They stare at each other intensely --

they have a deep and emotional relationship. A DOOR BANGS

OPEN, and in walks RICHIE DIMASO, Bronx-born. He stands

there.

3

RICHIE DIMASO:

What are you doing, going behind myback? Telling people I'm screwingup this operation? I got you asuite at the f***in' Plaza Hotel!

IRVING ROSENFELD

The shittiest suite at the Plaza

Hotel.

RICHIE DIMASO:

What?!

IRV ROSENFELD:

The shittiest f***in' suite.

RICHIE DIMASO:

Based on what--?

2.

IRVING ROSENFELD

And the food is wrong, and--What is

this? You, like, went in my closet

or something?

EDITH GREENSLY:

No

IRVING ROSENFELD

Are you dressing him like you’re

dressing me now?

EDITH GREENSLY:

(shakes her head)

No, what are you thinking? This

isn't all about you, you know that.

RICHIE DIMASO:

What, did you try to dress me so I

would look like him?

EDITH GREENSLY:

No, you're not dressed like him,

all right?

RICHIE DIMASO:

But I do, I look like him.

EDITH GREENSLY:

No, he's in like, velvet. Come on.

IRVING ROSENFELD

You asked me to show you how this

was done, you wanna f*** it up be

my guest.

EDITH GREENSLY:

What is your problem?

RICHIE DIMASO:

Hey, look, I never laid a hand on

her, all right? Is that what this

is about?

EDITH GREENSLY:

(British accent)

Well technically, that’s not true.

RICHIE DIMASO:

Look, we never had sex ok? I just -

3.

RICHIE DIMASO (CONT’D)

What'd I do? I put my hand like

this -

Richie reaches out and puts his hand on Irving’s face very

carefully, not forcefully.

Irving swipes it away violently the second it touches his

face.

IRVING ROSENFELD

Don’t you f***ing touch me. That

bothers me -

RICHIE DIMASO:

Oh it does?

IRVING ROSENFELD

Oh yeah.

RICHIE DIMASO:

That bothers you?

IRVING ROSENFELD

Yes.

RICHIE DIMASO:

You know, a lot of sh*t bothers me

too, but I was trying to help you.

If I wanted to bother you, if I

really wanted to f***ing bother

you, this is what I’d do.

Richie takes his hand and destroys the combover Irving spent

so much time creating. Irving just stands there, hair ruined,

staring at Richie.

IRVING ROSENFELD

You shouldn’t have done that.

Irving just stands there staring at Richie, hair all wild and

messed up looking very angry.

RICHIE DIMASO:

How’s that? You bothered now? (no

answer) Alright, don’t make a thing

of it.

EDITH GREENSLY:

You shouldn’t touch him. He doesn’t

like that.

4.

RICHIE DIMASO:

Oh my god, fix his hair. Don’t makea thing of it.

EDITH GREENSLY:

It takes some time, ok.

Edith walks over to Irving who is still standing there insilence with his hair all over the place. She carefullystarts helping him put it back together.

RICHIE DIMASO:

Big f***ing deal. We got to get inthe other room, come on. The

mayor’s in there.

EDITH GREENSLY:

Yes I know that.

RICHIE DIMASO:

Should we go to the beauty parlor?

Is that what we should do?

Richie walks over and opens up a briefcase that’s sitting onthe dresser. Inside are stacks of cash.

Edith is still helping Irving put his hair back together.

IRVING ROSENFELD

How’s it look.

EDITH GREENSLY:

You look fine.

Richie slams the briefcase shut looking very nervous andintense.

Let’s go.

RICHIE DIMASO:

CUT TO:

4 STEELY DAN’S “DIRTY WORK” STARTS ON THE SOUNDTRACK AS THEY

WALK DOWN THE HALLWAY THREE ACROSS: IRVING, EDITH, RICHIE.

RICHIE WITH BRIEFCASE IN HAND.

4

5 INT. PLAZA HOTEL SUITE FOYER - DAY 5

SLOW MOTION -- DOUBLE DOORS PUSH OPEN AND Edith ENTERS THE

SUITE -- THEY WALK INTO --

5.

6 INT. PLAZA HOTEL LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 6

DRAMATIC PUSH IN ON: THE DESTINY OF THE STORY MAYOR CARMINE

POLITO PINKY RING, ROTARY CLUB PIN STANDS FINISHING STORY TO

BUSINESSMAN CARL ELWAY AS IRVING, EDITH, RICHIE WAIT FOR HIM

TO FINISH -- THEY ALL SHAKE HANDS AND SIT ON THE COUCH ACROSS

FROM EACH OTHER. RICHIE CAREFULLY SETS THE BRIEFCASE DOWN ON

THE GROUND NEXT TO HIS FEET. CUT TO THE SCENE AS VIEWED

THROUGH A SURVEILLANCE MONITOR. THE DATE AND TIME STAMP

VISIBLE.

CARMINE POLITO:

I thought he was going to be here.

I do business face to face, person

to person. That’s just who I am.

Richie reaches down and awkwardly slides the briefcase over

to Carmine unprompted. LEAVE MONITOR’S POV AND RETURN BACK TO

THE SCENE.

IRV’S EYES WIDEN AS IN ‘NO! DON’T DO THAT!’ WHILE HE AND

RICHIE STARE AT EACH OTHER, EDITH TENSE, CARMINE LOOKS

DISTURBED AT THE CASE COMING HIS WAY. HE STANDS ABRUPTLY.

CARL ELWAY:

Whoa, excuse me, excuse me. I'll

handle that for the Mayor.

RICHIE DIMASO:

No, it’s for the Mayor. It would be

a sign of disrespect to the sheik

if the mayor didn’t take it

himself. It’s for you Mayor.

Carmine looks angry and confused. He looks over to Carl.

CARMINE POLITO:

What are you doing? What-- (to

Carl) Carl, what the f***? What is

this?

CARL ELWAY:

No, I'll handle it. I'm gonna take

care of--Everything's good. I

got everything under control. (TO

RICHIE) That's for me. I handle all

that for mayor.

CARMINE POLITO:

What is this?

Irving looks over and says nothing. Not surprised at all how

badly this is all going.

6.

Edith whispers to Richie.

EDITH GREENSLY:

(whispers to Richie)

Just stop it, ok

RICHIE DIMASO:

(whispers to Edith)

He's gotta take it himself, okay?

CARMINE POLITO:

I don’t know what the f*** that is

but it’s weird you understand?

CARL ELWAY:

Misunderstanding. Misunderstanding.

CARMINE POLITO:

I came here to meet a sheik, that’s

all I know. I’m very interested in

that but he’s not here apparently.

Carl?!

Carmine turns and starts to walk out of the room.

CARMINE POLITO (CONT’D)

I’m very interested in meeting the

Sheik. You let me know when THAT

could happen! Thank you, have a

good day.

Carmine leaves the room.

Irving looks over and shrugs his shoulders. Not surprised at

all the way this is going and horrified that Richie has

ruined it.

CARL ELWAY:

(leaving)

Irving! You better come get him.

RICHIE DIMASO:

(stares at Irv)

Go out there and get him right now.

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