Basquiat Page #12

BASQUIAT:

Should there be?

INTERVIEWER:

Tell me about it. What are you angry

about?

Jean drifts off.

BASQUIAT:

Mmmm. I don't know. I don't remember.

INT. FANCY GOURMET DELI – DAY

Jean and Andy browse through the aisles. Jean piles things into

his cart.

Jean approaches the specialty counter. Andy continues with the

cart.

BASQUIAT:

(to COUNTERMAN)

Can I have some caviar, please?

The Counterman selects a miniscule plastic spoon of caviar and

begins to put it into a tiny glass jar.

BASQUIAT (CONT'D)

I'd like to taste it, first.

Reluctantly the Counterman gives him a taste with a look like

"what's a person who looks like you doing buying caviar?"

Jean tastes the caviar and hands him back the spoon.

BASQUIAT (CONT'D)

Is that the best quality you have?

COUNTERMAN:

Yeah, it's the best one.

BASQUIAT:

I'll take the whole tin.

COUNTERMAN:

It's three thousand dollars!

BASQUIAT:

I'll take it.

(wipes nose with sleeve.)

Andy, gimme three thousand dollars.

(beat)

Just the caviar – I'll get the rest.

He hands two one hundred dollar bills for the other items to the

counterman, who checks them carefully.

BASQUIAT (CONT'D)

You check everyone's bills or just mine?

CUT TO:

EXT. WINDOW – DAY

A cheap pharmacy gift shop window. Jean and Andy look in on two

yellow furry stuffed ducks which are part of a larger display.

ANDY WARHOL:

When I was little, my brother and I used

to have two ducks as pets. We called them

the Rodriguez Brothers.

They walk into a beauty salon.

INT. BEAUTY SALON – DAY

Jean and Andy recline on the beautician's armchairs. THREE

BEAUTICIANS busy themselves with the two of them, simultaneously

giving them pedicures and manicures. Jean sets down a magazine.

BASQUIAT:

I wish they'd quit writing this sh*t about

me.

ANDY WARHOL:

That's good. At least they're interested.

BASQUIAT:

Everybody's paying top dollar for scraps

of paper, refrigerator doors – anything

with a SAMO tag on it.

(beat)

The other day, I just wanted a pack of

cigarettes, so I did a drawing and sold it

for two bucks. A week later this gallery

calls me up:
"Somebody's offering us the

drawing. Should we buy it for five

thousand?"

ANDY WARHOL:

Wow... Stop giving them away.

(beat)

I got an invitation to model for Comme de

Garcons... You wanna do it with me?

BASQUIAT:

Yeah – I'd do that... You could teach me.

ANDY WARHOL:

Gee. I don't need to. You're a natural.

You should sign up with my modeling agent.

Jean points to Andy's ankles – they have plastic flea collars on

them.

BASQUIAT:

Cool.

ANDY WARHOL:

My dog, Archie... I woke up with flea

bites... Creepy. I ran out and bought flea

collars. They work really well.

Beat.

BASQUIAT:

Let's leave this town and go someplace.

Some island.

ANDY WARHOL:

Let's go to the Carnegie Museum. They have

the world's most famous sculptures all in

these giant plaster replicas. It's really

great. It's in Pittsburg.

EXT. STREET – – DAY

They walk out of the beauty salon..

Jean sees the back of a girl. She looks a lot like Gina.

BASQUIAT:

Ouch..

ANDY WARHOL:

What's wrong?

BASQUIAT:

That girl looks just like my old

girlfriend Gina.

ANDY WARHOL:

Do you still love her?

BASQUIAT:

Yeah. I really blew it. I still think

about her.

ANDY WARHOL:

Well, have you asked her to come back?

Jean shakes his head `no,' sorry that he didn't.

INT. BARBETTA'S (RESTAURANT) – DAY

A medium-sized dining room with dark wood paneling and tastefully

appointed furnishings.

Jean and Gina enter. Gina looks considerably more conservative

than previously – more like a student. Jean's dressed well, but

looks even more careworn than usual. His hair is tied back with a

necktie. He has a couple sores on his face. His skin looks a

little puffy.

The MAITRE'D smiles at Jean and bows –

MAITRE'D

Mr. Basquiat – what a pleasure to see you

again.

BASQUIAT:

Hey George, what's up?

A huge table with NINE WHITE EXECUTIVES. WAITERS clear their lunch

settings. As they spot Jean and Gina entering, they gawk and

snicker.

George leads them to their table. As they take their seats, Jean

notices the suppressed giggles coming from the executives' table.

They try to ignore it. George disappears.

Jean seems self-conscious about the sores on his face.

GINA:

So are you really friends with Andy? He

seems like such a weirdo.

BASQUIAT:

He's not. He's out of town and he calls me

every day. What's weird about him?

GINA:

Don't you think he's using you?

BASQUIAT:

Why does everybody say that? He's the only

person I know who doesn't need to use me.

George reappears.

GEORGE:

Would you like to see the wine list?

BASQUIAT:

Chateau Latour '64, please.

George disappears again.

GINA:

So. Are you ready? I start Columbia next

fall. Of course, there's like, a year of

pre-med stuff, but – whatever. I'm really

excited.

(beat)

And:
Rene gave me a job as his secretary.

His poems are getting published.

BASQUIAT:

How is he?

GINA:

Pretty much the same.

Jean's eyebrows go up.

BASQUIAT:

Wow. Congratulations. I hate that a**hole.

(beat)

Thanks for coming. I guess I just wanted

to find out how you're –

GINA:

(referring to an extra loud

snicker from execs)

What's that about?

BASQUIAT:

Forget it.

George arrives and pours a sip for Jean to taste. He nods. George

moves off. Two or three of the executives break out laughing.

Jean puts the glass down and looks at them. The other table is

clearly making fun of him.

GINA:

That is amazing. What year is it?

BASQUIAT:

George?

George hurries over.

GEORGE:

I'm sorry, Mr. Basquiat.

BASQUIAT:

See that table over there? I'd like to pay

their bill.

Long silence.

GEORGE:

I'm sorry?

Gina looks at Jean, confused.

BASQUIAT:

Yeah, just put their bill on my tab.

GEORGE:

Really?

BASQUIAT:

Yeah.

GEORGE:

Very well.

He moves off towards the executives. George whispers to the HEAD

EXECUTIVE, and nods towards Jean. The executives spread the words

amongst themselves. They're horrified.

BASQUIAT:

(continuing)

Baby, I think about you a lot. I'm really

sorry about everything. You have to

believe me. I'm serious. I wish, y'know,

that we were –

GINA:

I don't believe it, Jean – they're picking

straws.

A YOUNG EXECUTIVE, obviously the loser, takes a deep breath and

heads towards them.

YOUNG EXECUTIVE:

Excuse me... On behalf of my friends I'd

like to apologize. We're really sorry.

BASQUIAT:

I wish you niggahs could get it togeth-

ahhhhhh.

The Executive reaches to shake Jean's hand. Jean puts a hundred

dollar bill in his hand.

YOUNG EXECUTIVE:

What's this for?

BASQUIAT:

The tip.

Jean turns back to Gina. The Executive leaves them. George smiles.

GINA:

You don't have to be sorry. There's no one

to blame. Jean, you're a real artist. I

thought I was one. You made me realize I

wasn't.

BASQUIAT:

What's his name?

Gina balks. Rather than face a disappointment –

BASQUIAT (CONT'D)

I have to go to the bathroom.

INT. BARBETTA'S (BATHROOM) – DAY

CLOSE ON JEAN – looking in the mirror.

He looks at himself.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes