American Psycho Page #6

PRICE:

How about Friday?

OWEN:

No can do. Got a res at eight-thirty at Dorsia. Great sea

urchin ceviche. There is a stunned silence as he walks away

and sits in a corner of the room, ostentatiously studying papers.

CLOSE-UP on Bateman's face, cold with hatred.

PRICE:

(Whispering)

Jesus. Dorsia? On a Friday night? How'd he swing that?

McDERMOTT (Whispering)

I think he's lying.

Bateman takes out his wallet and pulls out a card.

PRICE:

(Suddenly enthused)

What's that, a gram?

BATEMAN:

New card. What do you think?

McDermott lifts it up and examines the lettering carefully.

McDERMOTT

Whoa. Very nice. Take a look.

He hands it to Van Patten.

BATEMAN:

Picked them up from the printers yesterday

VAN PATTEN:

Good coloring.

BATEMAN:

That's bone. And the lettering is something called

Silian Rail.

McDERMOTT

(Envious)

Silian Rail?

VAN PATTEN:

It is very cool, Bateman. But that's nothing.

He pulls a card out of his wallet and slaps it on the

table.

VAN PATTEN:

Look at this.

They all lean forward to inspect it.

PRICE:

That's really nice.

Bateman clenches his fists beneath the table, trying to

control his anxiety.

VAN PATTEN:

Eggshell with Romalian type.

(Turning to Bateman)

What do you think?

BATEMAN:

(Barely able to breath, his voice a croak)

Nice.

PRICE:

(Holding the card up to the light)

Jesus. This is really super. How'd a nitwit like you get so

tasteful?

Bateman stares at his own card and then enviously at

McDermott's.

BATEMAN (V.O.)

I can't believe that Price prefers McDermott's card to mine.

PRICE:

But wait. You ain't seen nothin' yet.

He holds up his own card.

PRICE:

Raised lettering, pale nimbus white...

BATEMAN:

(Choking with anxiety)

Impressive. Very nice. Let's see Paul Owen's card.

Price pulls a card from an inside coat pocket and holds it

up for their inspection: "PAUL OWEN, PIERCE & PIERCE,

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS." Bateman swallows, speechless.

The sound in the room dies down and all we hear is a faint

heartbeat as Bateman stares at the magnificent card.

BATEMAN (V.O.)

Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness

of it. Oh my God, it even has a watermark...

His hand shaking, Bateman lifts up the card and stares at it

until it fills the screen.

He lets it fall. The SOUND RETURNS TO NORMAL.

CARRUTHERS Is something wrong? Patrick...you're sweating.

EXT. STREET- EVENING

The financial district. The streets are eerily deserted.

Bateman stands at an ATM, enjoying the reassuring sound of

$500 in fresh bills thudding from the machine. As he turns

to leave, he notices someone across the street.

A HOMELESS MAN is lying in a doorway on top of an open

grate, surrounded by bags of garbage and a shopping cart. A

cardboard sign is attached to the front of the cart: I AM

HOMELESS AND HUNGRY PLEASE HELP ME. A small, thin dog lies

next to him.

He is black, dressed in a stained, torn, lime-green

polyester pants suit with jeans worn over the pants.

BATEMAN:

(Offering his hand) Hello. Pat Bateman.

The Homeless Man stares at Bateman, struggling to sit up.

BATEMAN:

You want some money?. Some...food?

The Homeless Man nods and starts to cry. Bateman reaches

into his pocket and pulls out a $I 0 bill, then changes his

mind and holds out a $5 instead.

BATEMAN:

Is this what you need?

The Homeless Man nods, looks away, wipes his nose.

HOMELESS MAN:

I'm so hungry.

BATEMAN:

It's cold out, too, isn't it?

HOMELESS MAN:

I'm so hungry.

BATEMAN:

(Holding the bill just out of the man's reach)

Why don't you get a job? If you're so hungry, why don't you

get a job?

HOMELESS MAN:

(Shivering and sobbing)

I lost my job...

BATEMAN:

Why? Were you drinking? Is that why you lost it?

Insider trading? Just joking. No, really-were you drinking on

the job?

HOMELESS MAN I was fired. I was laid off.

BATEMAN:

Gee, uh, that's too bad.

HOMELESS MAN:

I'm so hungry.

The dog starts to whimper.

BATEMAN:

Why don't you get another one? Why don't , you get another job?

HOMELESS MAN:

I'm not...

BATEMAN:

You're not what? Qualified for anything else?

HOMELESS MAN:

I'm hungry

BATEMAN:

I know that, I know that. Jeez, you're like a broken record.

I'm trying to help you.

HOMELESS MAN:

I'm hungry.

BATEMAN:

Listen, do you think it's fair to take money from people who

do have jobs? From people who do work?

HOMELESS MAN:

What am I gonna do?

BATEMAN:

Listen, what's your name?

HOMELESS MAN:

Al.

BATEMAN:

Speak up. Come on.

HOMELESS MAN:

Al.

BATEMAN:

Get a goddamn job, Al. You've got a negative attitude.

That's what's stopping you. You've got to get your act together.

I'll help you.

HOMELESS MAN:

You re so kind, mister. You're kind. You're a kind

man. I can tell.

BATEMAN:

(Petting the dog)

Shhhh...it's okay.

HOMELESS MAN:

(Grabbing Bateman's wrist)

Please...I don know what to do. I'm so cold.

BATEMAN:

(Stroking his face, whispering)

Do ,you know how bad you smell? The stench, my God.

HOMELESS MAN:

I can't...I can't find a shelter

BATEMAN:

You reek. You reek of...sh*t. Do you know that?

(Shouting)

Goddammit, Al-look at me and stop crying like some kind of

f*ggot. Al...I'm sorry.

Bateman carefully puts the money back in his wallet.

BATEMAN:

It's just that...I don't know I don't have anything in common

with you.

He opens his briefcase and pulls out a long thin knife with

a serrated edge. He pushes up the sleeve of his jacket to

protect it.

BATEMAN:

Do you know what a f***ing loser ,you are?

HOMELESS MAN'S POV as Bateman lunges at him with the knife.

EXTREME WIDE SHOT of the street. Bateman's shadowed figure

is hunched over the Homeless Man, stabbing him in the stomach.

The dog barks wildly and Bateman stomps on it until it is

silent.

LOW ANGLE shot of Bateman as he throws a quarter on the ground.

BATEMAN:

There's a quarter. Go buy some gum.

Bateman walks calmly into the empty caverns of Wall Street.

Cars drift past, their headlights momentarily illuminating the

body left twitching on the ground.

INT. BEAUTY SALON - DAY

CLOSE-UP on Bateman's face and torso. His eyes are closed as a

woman's hands rub cream into his face.

FACIALIST:

What beautiful skin you have, Mr Bateman. So

fine, so smooth...

His eyes open to look up at the facialist and then he

closes them again.

BATEMAN (V.O.)

I have all the characteristics of a human being- flesh, blood,

skin, hair-but not a single clear, identifiable emotion except

for greed ,und disgust. Something horrible is happening inside

me and I don't know why.

CUT TO:

Bateman sitting in a chair, looking down at the

MANICURIST who is giving him a pedicure. She is cutting his

nails with tiny sharp scissors. He stares at them longingly.

BATEMAN (V.O.)

My nightly bloodlust has overflowed into my days. I feel lethal,

on the verge of frenzy.

CUT TO:

Bateman lying irradiated by ultraviolet light on a tanning

bed, wearing goggles.

BATEMAN (V.O.)

I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.

INT. TEXARKANA RESTAURANT - NIGHT

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