As Good as It Gets Page #11

BEVERLY:

Spencer's doing fine. So what are

you saying, that you're frustr...

CAROL:

Leave me be! Why are you doing

this? Why are you picking at my

sores... What is it that you

want?... You want what? What's

with you? I hope getting me

thinking of everything that's

wrong when all I want is to not

do this has some purpose.

(puffy; red;

furious)

What is it, Mom? No kidding.

Slumped, fought out -- Carol gets out one last, naked

husky voiced question.

CAROL:

What is it you want? What?

BEVERLY:

I want us to go out.

A beat, then.

CAROL:

(simply)

Okay.

INT. CAROL'S APT, SPENCER'S ROOM, HALLWAY - NIGHT

As they enter, still wiping away the effects of their

cry.

CAROL:

(to Sean)

We're going out.

SEAN:

(looking at their

red eyes)

Looks like fun.

She kisses Spencer -- almost getting involved in what

he's doing -- then sees her mother waiting.

CAROL:

Okay -- we're out of here. I love

you.

Spencer nods -- involved with Sean. CAMERA FOLLOWS Carol

as she exits the apartment -- her mother leading.

Halfway down the stairs, she stops and reverses herself,

going back to the apartment which she re-enters -- then

to her son to ask:

CAROL:

Do you love me?

SPENCER:

Uh-huh.

Carol exits.

EXT. STREET - NEAR CAROL'S BLDG. (MOVING) - DAY

Beverly and Carol walking past the store windows. A

simple and unprecedented experience in their recent

lives.

BEVERLY:

Nice to get out, isn't it?

Carol nods tightly... then they wrap arms around each

other and continue walking, turning into a corner bar.

INT. CAROL'S RESTAURANT - CLOSE ON CAROL - DAY

As Carol stands nervously while Lisa finishes reading her

14-page letter. In the b.g. Melvin and Frank are seated

at the same table and in earnest conversation. Lisa

keeps flicking away tears -- a few drops on the pages.

CAROL:

Don't get it wet.

Lisa brushes the paper -- finishes and embraces Carol.

CAROL:

So it's okay?

LISA:

You almost have me liking him.

You sure come from the heart. I

never knew what you went through

with everything.

CAROL:

I wanted him to know how much he'd

done.

(looking over)

Can you believe he's eating with

someone.

ON MELVIN & FRANK

MELVIN:

It's not my dog and this Simon

seems to have enough on his mind

-- but he did throw up twice and

his spark is off.

FRANK:

Sure -- take him to the vet.

MELVIN:

I did. And his stomach is out of

whack. So they need him for a

couple of days.

FRANK:

Do it.

CAROL:

Melvin.

She self-consciously hands him with the thick envelope.

MELVIN:

What's this?

CAROL:

(sotto)

A thank-you note for what you did

for me.

He hands it back to her deliberately. She takes it and

walks back to the service area where, embarrassed,

confused, and messed with -- she tosses the note.

After Carol leaves...

FRANK:

She's nice.

MELVIN:

(to Frank)

Really nice. Shouldn't that be a

good thing... telling someone,

'no thanks required.'

FRANK:

It looks like it really went over.

You're sure making the rounds.

Simon says you brought him soup

last night. I hope he doesn't

write you a note.

Melvin looks up -- wary -- his brain sends a disturbing

message.

FRANK:

What?

MELVIN:

"What?" Look at you... You sense

a mark.

FRANK:

Hey -- you called me... I...

MELVIN:

About a dog.

FRANK:

Yeah, but it's all about Simon

now... you helped with the dog...

And now there are other things.

I'm just as concerned as you are

about Simon.

MELVIN:

Concerned. I'm just the hall

monitor here.

FRANK:

It's not only financial

assistance. What he's got to do

is go to Baltimore tomorrow and

ask his parents for money. It's

not going to happen on the phone.

MELVIN:

Yeah. If his parents are alive

they've got to help -- those are

the rules. Good.

FRANK:

Yes. And tomorrow? I have a high

maintenance selling painter coming

through... So I'm out. Can you

take him?

MELVIN:

Think white and get serious.

Carol enters scene.

FRANK:

Take my car -- a convertible. Do

you drive?

MELVIN:

(loudly)

Like the wind but I'm not doing

it.

CAROL:

Getting loud, getting loud.

MELVIN:

He wants me to take his car and

his client to Baltimore.

CAROL:

I want your life for a minute

where my big problem is someone

offers me a free convertible so I

can get out of this city.

She exits. Frank prepares to depart.

MELVIN:

Okay. I'll take him. Get him

packed -- ready -- tomorrow

morning.

Frank stumbles back... self-satisfied, he relaxes.

MELVIN:

(excited)

Okay... so I'll see you tomorrow.

Let's not drag this out. We don't

enjoy another that much.

FRANK:

If there's some mental health

foundation that raises money to

help people like you be sure to

let me know.

MELVIN:

Last word freak.

Frank adjusts and exits... Carol approaches calling a

"good-bye" to him.

CAROL:

So. Anything else?

MELVIN:

Yes. I'm going to give my queer

neighbor a lift to Baltimore.

CAROL:

Okay.

MELVIN:

Hey, what I did for you is working

out?

CAROL:

(a breath; then)

What you did changed my life.

She offers him the note.

MELVIN:

No... no thank you notes.

CAROL:

Well, part of what I said in this

entire history of my life which

you won't read is that somehow

you've done more for my mother, my

son and me, than anyone else ever

has... And that makes you the most

important, surprising, generous

person I've ever met and that you

be in our daily prayers forever.

MELVIN:

Lovely.

CAROL:

I also wrote one part... I wrote

I'm sorry... I was talking about I

was sorry when I got mad at you

when you came over and you told my

son that he ought to answer back

so I wrote that.

(reading from the

letter, Melvin

wildly uncomfortable)

I was sorry for busting you on

that... and I'm sorry for busting

in on you that night... when I

said I was never... I was sorry

and I'm sorry every time your food

was cold and that you had to wait

two seconds for a coffee filler...

Melvin wants to disappear but Carol is getting into it --

emotionally moved by her own words.

CAROL:

... and I'm sorry for never

spotting, right there at the table

in the restaurant, the human being

that had it in him to do this

thing for us... You know what, I'm

just going to start from the

beginning... I have not been able

to express my gratefulness to

you... even as I look at the word

"grateful" now it doesn't begin to

tell you what I feel for you...

And finally Carol notes Melvin's mood and pauses.

MELVIN:

Nice of you... thank you.

CAROL:

Thank you.

MELVIN:

Now I want you to do something for me.

She looks at him for a very strange, long beat.

CAROL:

Oh, I'm sorry... Didn't I say,

"what?" I thought I said,

"what?"... What?

MELVIN:

I want you to go on this trip.

CAROL:

No, sir...

MELVIN:

I can't do this alone. I'm afraid

he'll pull the stiff one eye on

me. I need you to chaperon.

Separate everything but cars. You

said you liked convertibles. Now

I'm on the hook.

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