American Psycho Page #18

BATEMAN:

I'm just a happy camper. Rockin' and a-rollin'.

VAN PATTEN:

(To Price) Rehab's done wonders for you, pal.

Working for UNICEF now?

McDERMOTT

Do you want another Perrier Timothy? Some seltzer water?

PRICE:

Oh brother look-he presents himself as a harmless

Old codger. But inside...

Pause.

PRICE:

But inside...

The SOUNDS OF THE BAR FADE AWAY and we hear Bateman's thoughts:

BATEMAN (V.O.)

But inside doesn't matter...

THE SOUNDS OF THE BAR RETURN.

McDERMOTT

(Bored)

Inside? Yes, inside? Believe it or not, Price we're actually

listening to you.

PRICE:

Bateman? Come on, what do you think?

Bateman looks up and smiles at Price. Then shrugs.

BATEMAN:

Whatever.

The conversation breaks up as Van Patten takes out his phone.

VAN PATTEN:

Whose moronic idea was it to drink dry beers? I need a Scotch.

The sounds of the bar fade down. The following voiceover runs

over images of Bateman and his friends ordering drinks, talking

on portable phones, talking, laughing - combined with images of

other very similar young men at other tables drinking, talking

on portable phones, talking, laughing,

BATEMAN (V.O.)

There are no more barriers to cross. All I have in common with

the uncontrollable and the insane, the vicious and the evil,

all the mayhem I have caused and my utter indifference toward

it, I have now surpassed...

INT. BATEMAN'S OFFICE - DAY

Jean is alone in Bateman's office, looking through his diary.

We see the pages that she is looking at. They are filled with

doodles of mutilated women and their names...Jean looks lost

and frightened, and begins to cry.

BATEMAN (V.O.)

My pain is constant and sharp and I do not hope for a better

world for anyone. I fact I want my pain to be inflicted on

others. I want no escape.

INT. HARRY'S BAR - EARLY EVENING

As the film ends the camera moves CLOSE on Bateman. He is

leaning back in his leather armchair, drinking a double Scotch,

his eyes blank.

BATEMAN (V.O.)

But even after admitting this, there is no catharsis. I gain no

deeper knowledge about myself, no new knowledge can be extracted

from my telling. There has been no reason for me to tell you any

of this. This confession has meant nothing...

The camera moves up to a sign on the wall behind him:

"THIS IS NOT AN EXIT."

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