Amour Page #5

GEORGES:

(embarrassed grin)

Can I take you for a drink?

25.

She laughs.

SCENE 18 - INT. HALLWAY - DAY

He does physiotherapy exercises with her. Counts the

repetitive movements of the exercises.

SCENE 19 - INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

She’s lying on the sofa. He’s seated in the armchair. They’re

both reading the newspaper. After a while:

ANNE:

Listen to this! My horoscope.

Motto:
You have lots of verve, but

need to be more serious!

Love:
High-class conversation is

what you need.

Work:
You’re motivated again. But

proceed with care.

Health:
Loosen up by doing

exercises. It’ll give you renewed

pizzazz.

PAUSE. Then

GEORGES:

(good-humored)

You've only yourself to blame if

you read stuff like that.

Brief PAUSE. Then:

GEORGES (CONT’D)

Tomorrow afternoon is Pierre's

funeral.

ANNE:

You have to go.

GEORGES:

I fear I must. I don't want to go

at all.

ANNE:

Who does like going to funerals?

GEORGES:

Oh, I know a few people who do.

Annette can never wait to get all

dolled up again. And Fran.ois

has...

26.

ANNE:

You’re mean. What would you say if

no one came to your funeral?

GEORGES:

(dryly) Nothing, presumably.

She shoots him a glance, smiles at his irony. Then she says:

ANNE:

Have you talked to Jeanne since I

was in the hospital? I mean, does

she know I can’t come?

GEORGES:

Of course.

ANNE:

What did she say?

GEORGES:

She was shocked.

ANNE:

How?

GEORGES:

(a bit irritated)

My God, what are people like when

they're shocked? She couldn’t

believe it, she was speechless. I

don't remember any more. In any

case, not exactly. I’ve spoken to a

lot of people since.

PAUSE.

ANNE:

Sorry.

GEORGES:

No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be

unkind, but I just don’t see the

point of talking about it all the

time.

Short PAUSE.

ANNE:

Do I talk about it all the time?

27.

GEORGES:

No. Sorry.

ANNE:

Don't worry.

SCENE 20 - INT. HALLWAY - LIVING ROOM - DAY

The front door is unlocked from the outside, and Georges

enters. He’s back from the funeral, dressed for the occasion.

He turns on the light. He’s wet. Clearly, it’s been raining.

As he closes the door again, his eyes fall on Anne. With her

back to him, she is sitting on the floor in front of the

opened window of the light well, half propped against her

wheelchair.

GEORGES:

What ... ?!

Shaken, he heads toward her, picks her up and seats her in

the wheelchair. Outside, in the light well, it is raining.

PAUSE.

ANNE:

(once she’s seated in the

wheelchair)

Why are you back already? What time

is it?

PAUSE.

Georges has understood immediately. He closes the window

noiselessly.

Then just stands there, at a loss.

SILENCE. Then

ANNE (CONT’D)

(softly)

Forgive me, I was too slow.

GEORGES:

Anne...

ANNE:

Can you wheel me into the living

room?

PAUSE.

GEORGES:

Yes.

28.

He turns toward her, pushes the wheelchair into the living

room between the two armchairs. Turns on the light. Stops

beside the switch. They both look exhausted.

GEORGES (CONT’D)

You're always good at surprises.

ANNE:

Yes. Why are you home earlier?

GEORGES:

I didn't come home earlier. I took

a taxi. In August, there isn’t a

lot of traffic.

ANNE:

That’s true. How was the funeral?

GEORGES:

Anne...!

ANNE:

How was it, go on, tell me!

He thinks an instant, then goes and sits down facing her in

an armchair. Looks at her. She raises her head and returns

his look. He understands that he can't insist right now. Long

PAUSE. Then he begins:

GEORGES:

It was rather bizarre. The priest

was an idiot. Then one of Pierre’s

co-workers made a speech that was

embarrassingly emotional. His old

secretary came with a radio-

cassette player and after the

speech she put on “Yesterday” by

the Beatles. You can’t imagine.

Everybody turned round to look at

her. Apparently, it wasn’t planned.

His grandchildren were there. Of

course they giggled as soon as the

music began. Then the urn was put

on a huge stretcher that was

obviously designed for a coffin,

and out we went into the rain. They

placed the urn on a small electric

cart that crawled along for what

seemed like an eternity to the tiny

hole they had dug. A lot of people

had to stifle their laughter. It

must have been terrible for Jeanne.

I have...

29.

ANNE:

(interrupting him)

There’s just no point in going on

living. I know it can only get

worse. Why should I inflict it on

us? On you and me.

GEORGES:

You’re not inflicting anything on

me.

ANNE:

You don’t have to lie, Georges.

PAUSE.

GEORGES:

Imagine you were me. Didn't you

ever think something like this

could happen to one of us?

ANNE:

Of course I did. But imagination

and reality have little in common.

GEORGES:

But things are getting better every

day. We’ll...

ANNE:

(interrupting him)

Georges, I don't want to carry on.

You’re making such efforts to make

everything easier for me. But I

don't want to go on. For my own

sake. Not yours.

GEORGES:

I don't believe you. I know you.

You think you’re a burden on me.

But what if things were the other

way around? What would you do then?

ANNE:

I don't know. I can't be bothered

to think about being you. I’m

tired. You tire me. Everything

tires me. I can’t talk. I want to

go to bed.

He looks at her. Finally he gets up and pushes her wheelchair

out of frame.

SCENE 21 - INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

30.

She is lying in bed. The bedside lamp is on.

We hear the RADIO coming from the living room: a program

about the fauna and flora of the South Seas, or something

similar.

SCENE 22 - INT. HALLWAY - LIVING ROOM - DAY

Georges comes out of the kitchen and opens the front door. On

the doorstep stands the soloist (male or female) from Scenes

3 and 4.

GEORGES:

(somewhat perplexed, but pleased)

Oh hello! Nice to see you.

SOLOIST:

Forgive me for dropping in on you

like this, Professor. I tried to

reach you by phone a couple of

times, but no luck.

GEORGES:

I’m sorry. I only pick up the phone

when I’ve stored the caller's

number and I can see who's calling.

Why didn't you leave a message?

Anyway, do come in...

He closes the door behind his guest.

SOLOIST:

I just couldn’t manage to come by

after the concert. I was so sorry,

because I was so pleased you came

along.

GEORGES:

Come with me.

While they pass into the living room, they continue to speak:

SOLOIST:

... And now, an unexpected

opportunity has arisen because

Fran.ois Mitry called me - you know

him, he’s my agent - to say he'd

arranged for me to meet the boss of

the Th..tre des Champs-Elys.es

tonight to talk about their new

concert series.

(MORE)

31.

SOLOIST (CONT'D)

So I flew to Paris this morning,

and while I was in my hotel, I

thought, I'll just give it a try

and drop in. After all, it's

virtually just around the corner.

Sorry, these are for your wife.

He takes the bouquet of flowers from its wrapping paper and

hands it to Georges.

SOLOIST (CONT’D)

Isn't she at home?

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