Barney's Version Page #5

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. BARNEY/CLARA'S APARTMENT - DAY

PANNING OVER soiled laundry, empty wine bottles, ashtrays,

the abstract painting of Leo's... to a hung over Barney,

snoozing on the sofa, wakening to a POUNDING on the door.

Rising unsteadily, Barney climbs over packed cartons labelled:

"Clara's poetry, Clara's Sketches, Clara's Paintings". He

opens the door.

CHARNOFSKY (50), stands there. An Orthodox Jew, black hat,

black wool coat and a Van Dyke beard. His tie has been neatlyrent (cut) with scissors.

BARNEY:

Are you here about the apartment?

CHARNOFKSY:

I'm Chaim Charnofsky.

BARNEY:

The Russian?

CHARNOFKSY:

Brighton Beach. I'm Clara's father.

Your machuten. Are you going toinvite me in?

Still in a haze, Barney steps to the side. Hands claspedbehind his back, Charnofsky wanders in, studying theapartment. He is immediately drawn to a specific INK SKETCH:

The completed sketch Clara started in the hospital: Barney,

drawn to look like Satan, along with a group of demonsravishing a pregnant young woman who looks much like Clara.

CHARNOFKSY (CONT'D)

Who would buy such a disgusting thing?

BARNEY:

Actually, Clara made it.

(beat)

She said her parents were dead.

WHITE 10-23-09 26.

CHARNOFKSY:

She's been saying that since she wasten.

(looking Barney over)

So you're the one she married?

(off Barney's nod)

I understand there was a child.

BARNEY:

We lost him.

CHARNOFKSY:

So you lost a son and I lost adaughter. May there be no moremourning in your house or mine.

(beat)

You have a bisel Schnapps?

CUT TO:

INT. KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER

Barney pours them each a Scotch.

CHARNOFKSY:

I'm the Cantor of the B'Nai Jacob

synagogue. It's not a princelyliving, but they provide us with anapartment.

(looking at boxes)

Clara's things?

BARNEY:

Her notebooks. Poems, diaries, inkdrawings. People think highly ofher work. You should have a publisherlook at them.

CHARNOFKSY:

Diaries, you said? Filth about me

and her mother, I'm sure. Ship themto my nephew. He's a professor ofliterature at NYU. He used to

encourage her.

Charnofsky finishes his drink. Pours himself another.

CHARNOFKSY (CONT'D)

I can imagine the guilt you'recarrying right now, but you shouldknow this wasn't the first time myClara tried to kill herself. It all

started when she was twelve.

(MORE)

WHITE 10-23-09 27.

CHARNOFKSY (CONT'D)

Tearing her hair out in clumps, "I'm

not Jewish", "you're not my parents"

she'd scream. She would refuse to

eat, we'd have to force feed her

chicken soup through a funnel, then

she would vomit all over me on

purpose. She'd run away for days

and sneak black boys into the house

so the whole neighborhood could see.

My wife wanted to die. That's when

I started locking her in the attic.

She was a danger to everyone. My

wife would bring her food, leave it

outside the door.

Once she goes to collect the dishes

and lets out a shriek - you know

why? Clara left a number two on the

plate.

BARNEY:

She was obviously sick.

CHARNOFSKY:

You're telling me? We went to Dr.

Kupner. The Head Rabbi's son-in

law, went to Harvard, the best in

town. You think Clara was grateful?

"He felt up my tits" she would scream

in front of everyone at the hospital.

It was a horror.

BARNEY:

I think you should leave.

CHARNOFSKY:

What? I've upset you?

BARNEY:

Get out of here.

CHARNOFSKY:

You dare speak to me that way? After

all my wife and I endured for that

child. We did everything we could,

but only God determines the outcome.

BARNEY:

God didn't lock a sick child in the

attic. God didn't place his daughter

in the hands of a molester then

apologize for any embarrassment she

may have caused him.

WHITE 10-23-09 28.

CHARNOFSKY:

You act all high and mighty withme?!

Barney takes hold of his arm and frog-marches him to thedoor and out into the hallway.

INT. STAIRWELL OUTSIDE BARNEY/CLARA'S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS

CHARNOFSKY:

You couldn't have made her so happyeither or she wouldn't have done

that to herself.

BARNEY:

Get out.

CHARNOFSKY:

The man at the embassy told me shewas dead two days before you foundher. Two days! Where were you herloving husband?!

An irate Barney takes a menacing step toward him.

BARNEY:

Get out NOW.

Charnofsky scrambles down the stairs, yelling back at Barney-

CHARNOFSKY:

Murderer, oysvorf, mamzer. I wish

makkes on you and your unbornchildren!

INT. BARNEY AND MIRIAM'S APARTMENT - KITCHEN - DAY -PRESENT

DAY:

BACK TO PRESENT DAY.

Barney stirring a pot of boiling pasta. It's ready. Turns

the burner off. Pulls out a STRAINER from a cupboard.

He pauses for a moment, looking at the strainer quizzically.

He grabs the phone and dials.

BARNEY:

Michael.

INT. MICHAEL'S LOFT - BROOKLYN - SAME TIME

MICHAEL (26), Barney's son, in his Brooklyn loft. Sparselydecorated and immaculate except for his cluttered work areafilled with papers and stacks upon stacks of books.

WHITE 10-23-09 29.

MICHAEL:

Hi dad.

INTERCUT:

BARNEY:

What do you call that thing you usefor pasta...?

MICHAEL:

What?

BARNEY:

I'm holding it in my goddamn hand the

thing to strain pasta...

MICHAEL:

A strainer?

BARNEY:

The other word.

MICHAEL:

Colander.

BARNEY:

COLANDER. See, this is what youhave to look forward to.

Barney prepares his pasta as he talks.

MICHAEL:

This is why you called?

BARNEY:

And to say hello.

MICHAEL:

Hello.

Beat.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

I read online that O'Hearne's book

finally came out.

BARNEY:

Yeah, I heard about that.

MICHAEL:

How is it?

BARNEY:

How would I know? I wouldn't read

that garbage.

WHITE 10-23-09 30.

Barney shuts O'Hearne's book, which we now see was open anddog-eared on the counter.

Just then, Michael's fiancee CAROLINE (28) comes home. A

young lawyer in a power suit. She flips off her heels, giveshim a kiss.

CAROLINE:

(whisper)

Who's that?

MICHAEL:

My dad.

Caroline sneers.

MICHAEL (CONT'D)

Dad, I have to go, Caroline just gothome. She says hi.

BARNEY:

No she doesn't. How's the thesis

coming along?

MICHAEL:

It's not, but I did find a title:

"The colonialist racial ideologies ofWestern modernism in Bellow's work".

BARNEY:

Catchy.

MICHAEL:

Thanks. I gotta go.

BARNEY:

Sure.

Michael hangs up.

MOVE WITH BARNEY as he carries his bowl of pasta out to theBAR where he fixes himself a Scotch.

After pouring his drink he pauses for a moment to stare atone of the many personal photos hanging behind the bar.

When he walks away WE REMAIN ON THE PHOTO he was looking at:

In Black & White - Barney and his uncle IRV NUSSBAUM posingat a Fundraiser for Israel.

FLASHBACK TO:

INT. OFFICE OF IRV NUSSBAUM - DAY - PAST

TITLE:
MONTREAL 1975

WHITE 10-23-09 31.

Barney is in the office of his uncle, IRV NUSSBAUM (60).

While Irv is on the phone, Barney peruses a wall of PLAQUESdedicated to Irv for his efforts in supporting Israel.

IRV:

(into phone)

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