American Hustle Page #19

RICHIE DIMASO:

-- I think we should f***, and then

we’ll feel it and we won’t be

confused anymore.

HE EMBRACES HER -

SYDNEY PROSSER:

No -- I want to talk. I don’t want

to f***.

RICHIE DIMASO:

(embracing her)

Yes! Come on.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

NO! I’m not f***ing you. I’m not

f***ing f***ing you!

RED FACED LIKE HE MAY HIT HER, a vein stands out in his neck.

SHE FLINCHES. HE SCREAMS like an animal in confusion and

frustration.

RICHIE DIMASO:

AHHH!

SUDDENLY SYDNEY GRABS A GLASS PICTURE FRAME FROM A TABLE,

SMASHES IT ACROSS RICHIE’S FOREHEAD AND FACE WITH A

SHATTERING OF GLASS.

107.

Richie in pain holds his cut forehead and eyebrow.

RICHIE DIMASO (CONT’D)

(in pain and dismay)

SH*T!

They hear a door open off screen, someone approaches. Irving

appears from around the corner of the wall pointing his

handgun at Richie.

IRVING ROSENFELD

Will you please step away from

Edith. I’m asking you nicely please

step away from Edith right now.

RICHIE DIMASO:

What the f*** --

IRVING ROSENFELD

Step away from her. Please.

RICHIE DIMASO:

You mean Sydney?

Irving looks over to Sydney very confused.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

I told him. I’m sorry. I just don’t

give a f*** anymore, I don’t give a

f***. I don’t f***ing care.

RICHIE DIMASO:

Irving has a gun.

IRVING ROSENFELD

What Richie’s gotten us into is

worse then jail. I told you last

night, don’t sit down with those

goons. And what? Now what? No one’s

getting ten million for Tellegio.

It’s over.

RICHIE DIMASO:

I don’t think so.

Irving and Sydney stare.

RICHIE DIMASO (CONT’D)

(slowly)

Because when Tellegio finds out

what happened, do you think he's

gonna go after me? I don’t think

so. Someone from the Bureau?

(MORE)

108.

RICHIE DIMASO (CONT’D)

Think he's gonna go after a

politician? He's gonna kill you.

Then he’s going to go after your

son. And Sydney.

Richie PICKS UP PHONE AS THEY WATCH -- HE DIALS. INTERCUT:

STODDARD THORSEN

(on phone)

Stoddard Thorsen.

RICHIE DIMASO:

(slowly, intensely)

You’re going to give me the Sherman

Suite. The whole floor.

HIS NOSE AND FOREHEAD ARE CUT FROM THE GLASS.

STODDARD THORSEN

That’s a NO. I said no wacko.

RICHIE DIMASO:

And you’re going to tell me the

point of that F***ING fishing

story.

STODDARD THORSEN

Not the way you’re behaving.

RICHIE DIMASO:

(FUMING)

What’s the matter with you? Where

are you right now?

STODDARD THORSEN

What does that make a difference?

RICHIE DIMASO:

Just tell me where the f*** you

are.

STODDARD THORSEN

The field office on 61st street.

RICHIE DIMASO:

I’m coming to 61st Street. Right

now.

STODDARD THORSEN

You’re going to do what?

RICHIE DIMASO:

To beat -- your ass.

109.

STODDARD THORSEN

You’re going to what?

Richie SLAMS the phone down, storms out the apartment.

140 INT. SYDNEY’S APARTMENT - DAY 140

IRVING ROSENFELD

You were right. We should have gone

away.

Irving sits in the corner of the room a disheveled mess.

Sydney sits on the bed drinking a Fresca.

IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT’D)

I should have gone away with you.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

We were supposed to do it from the

feet up like you always said.

That’s how we were meant to do it

but you didn’t do it like that. You

didn’t do it like that. You played

it safe so there was always a

danger you were going to end up

with Rosalyn in the dead space,

floating on some dead spaceship

with the furniture and the

curtains. And I was your life line

out and you were mine and that was

ok.

IRVING ROSENFELD

(Irving stares at her,

emotional)

I wish I could get you back.

He walks across the room and sits down on the bed next to

Sydney.

IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT’D)

You know I can't do it without you.

You know that. Come on. Me, you

and Danny. Like we said.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

Like I said. You never said that. I

said that. We gotta get over on all

these guys. That’s what we need to

be thinking about right now.

Irving takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes.

110.

IRVING ROSENFELD

That's big. That's crazy. Whatever

it is, it’s got to be the best

we’ve ever done.

Sydney nods her head yes, stares intensely at Irving as the

camera tilts down to reveal: their hands clasped together.

141 EXT. OLD FEDERAL BUILDING - DOWNTOWN - DAY 141

High ceiling, old office. Close on a tape recorder.

AS CAMERA PULLS BACK - SEE STODDARD, BANDAGES ON HIS BRUISED

FACE AND A WHITE EYE PATCH ON HIS INJURED EYE, SITTING

OPPOSITE PROSECUTOR, AMADO - - the tape recorder and

microphone sit on the desk in front of Stoddard as he records

a statement for a report.

STODDARD THORSEN

(SLOW MIDWEST MONOTONE)

Agent Dimaso called me late at

night on the 21st. I believe that

he was intoxicated. He threatened

me and I told him this was

inappropriate. I told him

procedures exist for reasons we

must respect. This is the third

such call I received from Agent

Dimaso. He called me again the

night of the 5th and he threatened

to kill me. Subsequently he

demanded that I allow him to use

the Sherman Suite at the Plaza

hotel for purposes of bribing

members of congress.

Camera pull-back reveals: THE CHASTENED Richie SITS

LISTENING, IN A SUIT AND TIE. He’s in trouble with their

boss, the prosecutor.

RICHIE DIMASO:

I am so sorry.

STODDARD THORSEN

I’m not finished. There’s a lot

more.

Richie gets up and pulls up a chair next to Stoddard.

Stoddard flinches and moves away like he’s going to get hit

again.

111.

RICHIE DIMASO:

I have nothing but the utmost

respect for you as my mentor. (he

reaches down and turns the tape

recorder off) and as my -

STODDARD THORSEN

(re:
the recorder)

What are you doing?

RICHIE DIMASO:

I just want to talk from my heart.

I don’t want it on record. I want

to get vulnerable.

STODDARD THORSEN

Can I finish? Can I finish my

statement?

RICHIE DIMASO:

Of course. I respect you.

STODDARD THORSEN

I think you do other things besides

respect me.

SMASH TO:

139 INT. STODDARD’S FIELD OFFICE - FLASHBACK 139

Stoddard paces while on the phone, holds up a finger to

Richie to wait, Richie picks up Stoddard’s phone -- rips the

cord out and smashes Stoddard across the face with the base.

Doesn’t stop til Stoddard falls to the ground, knocks over

desk chair and bookcase behind.

BACK TO:

INT. OLD FEDERAL BUILDING - DOWN TOWN

They stare at each other.

RICHIE DIMASO:

It’s just hard for me to control my

passion. I’m a very passionate

person. (looks to Amado) You’re

from New York. You understand this.

He goes ice fishing in the midwest.

STODDARD THORSEN

That was told to you in confidence.

112.

RICHIE DIMASO:

He’s an ice fishing guy. Look at

him.

SMASH BACK TO:

INT. FBI FIELD OFFICE - DAY - FLASHBACK

Where we left off. Stoddard reaches with bloodied hands

across -- what is he reaching for? Oh, on a small table, a

gun and a clip.

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