American Hustle Page #3

13.

15 CUT TO:
Edith WATCHES A COSMO COVER SHOOT --15

SYDNEY PROSSER (V.O.)

I was broke, fearless, with nothingto lose -EXT./

INT. POOL PARTY - LONG ISLAND HOUSE - DAY

Irv and Sydney dance slowly.

SYDNEY PROSSER (V.O.) (CONT’D)

-- and my dream, more thananything, was to become anyone elseother than who I was.

24 EXT. LONG ISLAND DRY CLEANERS-- DAY 24

Irv holds the door open for Edith as she enters.

IRVING ROSENFELD

-- I got two in the Bronx and threein Manhattan. (to an employee) Hey,

Byron.

SYDNEY PROSSER (V.O.)

He had a chain of dry cleaningstores. He asked me to come in and

upgrade my wardrobe-- he said a lotof nice things got left behind bypeople and forgotten over the years-

IRVING ROSENFELD

I mean you wouldn’t believe the

sh*t that people leave behind here.

Unbelievable.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

People leave stuff here?

IRVING ROSENFELD

Oh yeah. They go out for the night,

they drink, come here in themorning, put their clothes in andthen they forget. They got no ideawhere they left it.

Irving touches a hanging blue sequined dress.

IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT’D)

Look at that. Sequined thing. Idon’t know. Is that nice or not?

14.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

It’s beautiful.

Irving and Sydney continue to walk through towards the back

and enter a fur vault filled with elegant designer clothes.

IRVING ROSENFELD

I mean, some of it’s been here for

years. They’re not picking it up.

Nobody’s picking it up.

Sydney starts riffling through nice things hanging on the

racks.

IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT’D)

You like that?

SYDNEY PROSSER:

I love it.

IRVING ROSENFELD

It’s yours. You want it? It’s

yours.

Sydney looks back at Irving in shock.

CUT TO:
SHE STEPS OUT OF THE DRESSING ROOM IN THE VON

FURSTENBERG DRESS - LOOKS FANTASTIC.

IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT’D)

You look fantastic!

SYDNEY PROSSER:

Oh my god. I can only dream about

these dresses. They’re beautiful.

SYDNEY PULLS CLASSIC CLOTHES FROM THE ABANDONED RACK: ONE,

TWO, THREE. SHE PUTS A JACKET ON HIM THAT HE IS RELUCTANT TO

WEAR, PAISLEY SMOKING COAT.

LATER:
THEY GO INSIDE THE ELECTRIC ROTATING CAROUSEL RACK OF

CLEAR PLASTIC COVERED, DRY CLEANED CLOTHES -- STAND INSIDE,

ENCHANTED, SMILING AT EACH OTHER, AS THE RACK SWIRLS

MAGICALLY AROUND THEM. THEY STARE AT EACH IN LOVE.

IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.)

I felt like we had a secret. Just

the two of us. You know like that

thing where you want to just be

with the one person the whole time.

15.

IRVING ROSENFELD (V.O.)

You feel like the two of you

understand something that nobody

else gets. I could just tell her

everything about myself. And I

never had anybody like that in my

life before. I felt like finally, I

can truly be myself without being

ashamed, without being embarrassed.

39 INT. Irv’s dingy office - DAY 39

Irv leads Sydney into a small, dingy Manhattan office on an

upper floor.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

What is this place? Do you sell art

here?

IRVING ROSENFELD

Yeah, sometimes. This is my office.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

I know it’s your office, but, you

have these other places. What’s

this for? Why did you bring me

here?

IRVING ROSENFELD

This getting to be my main

business, my growing business. I

help get loans for guys that can’t

get loans. I’m their last resort.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

You’re their last resort? Because

interest rates are north of 12% and

heading to 18%.

IRVING ROSENFELD

That’s right, smarty pants.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

F***ing Jimmy Carter. F***ing Nixon

really. And the war and the

deficit and all of that sh*t.

IRVING ROSENFELD

I love you, you’re so smart. You

are.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

Thanks kid but how do you get them

the money?

16.

IRVING ROSENFELD

Well -

SYDNEY PROSSER:

You don’t do you? You don’t.

IRVING ROSENFELD

These guys are lousy risks, you

know? I can’t get them a loan but I

get my fee. Five thousand.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

Five thousand? You take five

thousand and you don’t give them

anything?

IRVING ROSENFELD

These are bad guys, you know? They

got bad divorces, gambling habits,

embezzling, all that sh*t, you know

what I mean?

SYDNEY PROSSER:

Everybody at the bottom crosses

paths eventually in a pool of

desperation and you’re waiting for

them.

IRVING ROSENFELD

How about ‘we’?

SYDNEY PROSSER:

We?

IRVING ROSENFELD

How bout it?

Sydney turns and begins walking out the door as Irving chases

her out.

IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT’D)

Sydney. Sydney I’m sorry that was

too much. I went too far. I didn’t

want to upset you.

She continues walking out without looking back and leaves.

IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT’D)

Sydney please, I’m sorry! I know it

ain’t for everybody.

The door slams in Irving’s face

17.

IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT’D)

(Irving shouts to the

closed door)

Ah GOD I love getting to know you!

INT. IRV’S DINGY OFFICE - DAY

IRVING PACES AROUND THE OFFICE UPSET AT HIMSELF. SLOWLY SITS

DOWN IN THE DESK CHAIR IN DEFEAT, TAKES OFF HIS GLASSES AND

SITS BACK.

IRVING ROSENFELD (TO HIMSELF)

What I do that for? I f***ed it up.

I should never tell a woman the

truth. She’s so smart. She’s

different.

OFF SCREEN THE DOOR OPENS. SHE WALKS RIGHT UP TO IRVING AS HE

SITS AT HIS DESK. SHE TOSSES HER COAT TO THE SIDE.

IRVING STARES UP HER TENSE -- WHAT WILL SHE DO?

SYDNEY PROSSER:

You said it was nice knowing me.

You said it was nice to meet me.

IRVING ROSENFELD

Yeah.

SYDNEY EXTENDS HER HAND TO HIM IN A ROYAL FASHION.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

(British accent)

Would you like to meet Lady Edith

Greensly?

Irving looks stunned as he slowly clasps her extended hand.

SYDNEY PROSSER (CONT’D)

(British accent)

I have royal banking connections in

London. I’d love to help you with

your loan but of course I have to

be very selective.

IRVING ROSENFELD

That was f***ing fantastic.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

Thank you. Did you like it?

18.

IRVING ROSENFELD

I liked it. I didn’t think you were

coming back. Thank god you came

back.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

I wasn’t going anywhere.

IRVING ROSENFELD

I f***ing love you.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

You have me.

CUT TO:

40 EXT. SUBURBAN STREET 40

ONE OF SYDNEY’S NANNY FRIENDS, REBECCA, walk out of a

BUSINESS MAN’s (34) house pushing a stroller as the business

man comes chasing after them.

SYDNEY PROSSER (V.O.)

And so Irving and I began our

partnership -- in love and

commerce.

BUSINESSMAN:

Rebecca, hold on. You’re Edith

right?

SYDNEY PROSSER(V.O.)

He told me to tell my friends I had

(in British accent) London banking

Rate this script:3.7 / 3 votes