American Hustle Page #7

It's all from me. I want to change

things. I want to go after white

collar crime. Irving, you're very

skilled. And I want you to teach me

and we can do this. I want four

people that do what you do.

Fraudulent investments. Fake

certificates of deposit. Stolen

art, fake art. You get me four

people and you're off the hook.

IRVING ROSENFELD

Four busts and you'll leave us

alone? We don't have to testify?

RICHIE DIMASO:

You're good, you're done. Anything

you want. But if you run, then your

life is over. You'll be hunted, and

it's gonna be very difficult for

Rosalyn and your kid to live in

this country.

68 INT. SYDNEY’S APARTMENT BEDROOM - NIGHT 68

A NICE UPPER EAST SIDE apartment. Sydney has finally changed

her clothing from when she wore the same dress at the holding

cell. It is quiet in the apartment - faint street noise from

3rd Avenue below.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

We need to leave. We need to run

and we need to do it now. We can go

to Estonia or Romania, I don't

care, we'll take the cash from the

bed and get out of here, alright?

We talked about it a hundred times.

36.

Irv stares at her and struggles.

IRVING ROSENFELD

What about Danny?

SYDNEY PROSSER:

What about Danny?

IRVING ROSENFELD

I adopted him! I gave him my name!

I'm not leaving him with Rosalyn,

she's unstable!

SYDNEY PROSSER:

That’s a manipulation! Rosalyn’s

will never let you go. She'll use

Danny against you because she's too

messed up to let you leave.

IRVING ROSENFELD

I can’t leave him. I love him.

Alright? He’s my son.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

Richie said you would say that.

IRVING ROSENFELD

Richie? What, the cop? Your on a

first name basis with him?

SYDNEY PROSSER:

Yes I am. I’m not even on your list

am I?

IRVING ROSENFELD

What list?

SYDNEY PROSSER:

Your list. Your short list. Your

long list. I'm not even on anyone

of your f***ing lists. I thought

you loved me. I thought we had

something.

IRVING ROSENFELD

We do have something. I love you,

it’s perfect! What are you saying?

We're gonna go to Romania? We're

gonna take Danny?

SYDNEY PROSSER:

Yes. Yes, that’s what I’m saying.

You, me, Danny.

37.

IRVING ROSENFELD

Well you never said that before.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

I’m saying it now. We're us, and we

can make it an adventure like we

did. We can make it an adventure

like we make everything, alright?

But we have to go now. We have to

leave right now.

IRVING ROSENFELD

I can’t leave Danny. I’ll lose

custody.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

You have to take me away! We have

to leave!

(sobbing)

What are you saying?! Oh my god.

IRVING ROSENFELD

What are you doing?! Please!

Sydney goes storming out of the room and down the hall of her

apartment. Irving follows.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

I can’t believe this is happening.

IRVING ROSENFELD

Don’t say I don’t love you because

that’s bullshit!

SYDNEY PROSSER:

(sobbing)

This is bullshit. You are bullshit.

We are bullshit.

She starts sobbing, shaking.

IRVING ROSENFELD

Please don’t do this.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

I just never thought you were

conning me.

IRVING ROSENFELD

I could never con you. I love you.

Please don’t say this.

38.

Irv walks to her and bends down to join her on the floor as

she sobs.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

No, I’m done.

IRVING ROSENFELD

Don’t say that.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

(cries)

I'm gonna do these four busts,

these four cons, to get us out of

this. Not just me, but us. And

I'm gonna get really close with

Richie, the cop, in case we need to

use him, if we need another move.

IRVING ROSENFELD

We don’t need another move. We need

four busts, and we’re done.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

We are going to need another move,

trust me. And you’re going to be

thanking me. (shifts to British

accent) The key to people is what

they believe and what they want to

believe and I want to believe that

we were real, and I want to believe

that a man could want me. And I'm

gonna take all of that heartbreak,

and all of that sorrow, and I am

going to use it. And I'm going to

make Richie think that I want him,

and that I like him, and I’m going

to be very convincing -- And I’m

pissed at you.

Sydney reaches over and carefully grabs Irving’s face

lovingly which quickly turns into a slap as she continues on.

SYDNEY PROSSER (CONT’D)

Because I’m pissed at you!

Irving stares at Sydney with confusion. He’s never seen her

like this before.

SYDNEY PROSSER (CONT’D)

Maybe I do like him -- Maybe I like

him a lot. From the feet up right --

baby?

Sydney gets up from the couch and storms back to her room.

39.

SYDNEY PROSSER (CONT’D)

Quite your belly aching and come upwith something to get us out ofthis. And you're right -- I'm in nostate to deal with this so what's

it gonna be, Mister Mastermind?

SOUND PRELAP:

69

RICHIE DIMASO (O.S.)

An Arab sheik? Why do we need anArab Sheik?

69

70 INT. ART MUSEUM - DAY 70

Richie, in sharp lapeled suit, chain on his neck, walks withIrv and Edith and joined by a man who looks like an ARABSHEIK who they trail.

IRVING ROSENFELD

How do you think this works,

stupid?

SYDNEY PROSSER:

If you could not call him ‘stupid’which he’s isn’t, he’s smarter than

you. Last I checked he’s in controlhere and we work for him now so be

nice.

Richie stares at Edith elated that she just stuck up for him.

He’s really enjoying this position of power she’s putting himin.

IRVING ROSENFELD

(stares at her, upset)

OK, to set this up and bust a conartist we have to make the honeypot to attract the bees. In orderto attract the bees, we need to

offer them a wealthy individual whocan be taken advantage of, someonespecial, someone new, someoneamazing. Then those guys will wantto sell fake bank CDS to THAT guy,

take the sheik’s money, see?

Richie looks at Irving uncertain.

SYDNEY PROSSER:

Only they can’t get into his money

unless you they know someone, andthat someone is us.

40.

RICHIE DIMASO:

Oh that’s good.

RICHIE DIMASO (CONT’D)

So if you want to get somebody like

your con artist friend -- Carl

Elway -- you get him to want to buy-

IRVING ROSENFELD

Keep your voice down.

RICHIE DIMASO:

-- or sell fake art or stolen art

or fake certificates of deposit, he

needs -- who does he need? -- he

needs a rich sheik guy, and there

you go -- we can pinch him!

IRVING ROSENFELD

Right, but I don’t tell Elway sh*t.

I wait for him to call me. The art

world is a small world -- and one

of Elway's acquaintances is

clocking us right now.

Richie starts to look around.

RICHIE DIMASO:

Where?

IRVING ROSENFELD

Don’t look.

Richie looks anyway and sees ELWAY’S ACQUAINTANCE, a man

balding, 45 clocking them from the balcony.

IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT’D)

You have a good look?

RICHIE DIMASO:

How do you know the Sheik?

IRVING ROSENFELD

This is my friend Al from Queens.

AL FROM QUEENS/SHEIK

I do aluminum siding and roofing.

Richie stares, impressed.

41.

INT. ART MUSEUM - NEXT ROOM - CONTINUOUS

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