Bates Motel Page #4

NORMAN:

I don’t really play any sports. My

mom never really liked them -

She looks at him another beat, then...

MISS WATSON:

How about track? All you need to

know how to do is run. You look

like a runner. Ever do any

running?

NORMAN:

Not as a sport, no.

MISS WATSON:

Track team try outs are today. Why

don’t you talk to Coach Carpenter

after school? I’ll tell him you’re

coming down -

Norman isn’t at all sure how he feels about this. He nods,

dubious.

NORMAN:

Um, okay...

Miss Watson leans toward him, innocently intimate.

MISS WATSON:

Norman, I see that you lost your

Dad recently. I know how hard that

must be. Please know that you can

come to me if you have any issues

or questions about anything. I’m

here for you.

ON NORMAN, suddenly paralyzed by how close she is. Almost

sweating.

NORMAN:

(abruptly)

I have to go now.

SMASH TO:

INT. BATES HOUSE/KITCHEN - LATER

CLOSE ON THE RAW PORK AS A BUTCHER KNIFE CUTS INTO IT --

18.

FIND NORMA on the other end of the knife. Preparing dinner.

Focused. Intent. Her CELL PHONE RINGS. She glances over...

NORMA’S POV - THE CALLER ID READS “DYLAN”

RESUME NORMA not wanting to pick it up. Then, giving in,

reluctantly answers.

NORMA LOUISE:

(coolly)

Hello, Dylan -

INTERCUT WITH:

EXT. MIDDLE CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY

DYLAN BATES (21), handsome and moody, sort of a James Dean

thing going on, sits on the back of his motorcycle in front

of a house that has a FOR SALE sign on the lawn, phone to his

ear.

DYLAN:

(pissed)

Thanks for telling me you moved,

Mom.

NORMA LOUISE:

I’m pretty sure the last time we

spoke you told me to “drop dead,

b*tch.” Sorry, I took it

personally.

DYLAN:

So you think it’s okay to not tell

your own kid that you (f***ing)

moved? What if I got hurt? What

if I was in the hospital? What if

I needed you?

NORMA LOUISE:

(flat; annoyed)

Are you hurt? Are you in the

hospital?

Dylan’s face hardens. B*tch. Then...

DYLAN:

I need some (f***ing) money. My

job fell apart -

NORMA LOUISE:

(not impressed)

What happened this time?

19.

DYLAN:

My boss was an a**hole and I told

him that.

NORMA LOUISE:

Always someone else’s fault, isn’t

it, Dylan?

DYLAN:

(implying his whole life

is her fault)

Yeah, Norma. Maybe it is. Can you

just cut the crap and wire me some

money -

She is silent for a long moment. Then, HANGS UP ON HIM.

STAY ON DYLAN:

Furious. Puts his phone away.

DYLAN (CONT’D)

(under his breath)

Whore.

He starts his motorcycle and takes off OUT OF FRAME.

EXT. BATES HOUSE - LATER

It’s dusk. Norman heads up the steps, finally home from

school.

INT. BATES HOUSE/KITCHEN - SAME TIME

Norman enters the kitchen. The table is set for two.

Flowers and candles. Dinner is ready. It’s lovely, but

almost -- romantic. Norma, at the counter making a salad,

turns to see him. She’s a little “chilly”. Norman seems a

little nervous. Watching his mother’s face closely...

NORMAN:

Wow. Dinner smells great. Mom.

NORMA LOUISE:

Where were you?

A beat, then...

NORMAN:

I stayed after school to try out

for the track team.

20.

He pulls out a track uniform and a permission slip from his

back pack with some trepidation. She just looks at him,

trying to not reveal how annoyed she is. He feels the ice in

the air. Knew this was coming --

NORMA LOUISE:

The track team?

NORMAN:

It was Miss Watson’s idea -

NORMA LOUISE:

(who the f*** is Miss

Watson)

Miss Watson?

NORMAN:

My Language Arts teacher. She

thought it would be a good idea for

me to get involved at school. That

it would be good for me.

Norma retracts a little. She knows this is probably true.

She is quiet for a moment. Norman hands her the permission

slip.

NORMAN (CONT’D)

I need you to sign this parent

permission slip, though -

Norma, unnerved by all this, takes the paper and looks at it.

Then...

NORMA LOUISE:

This is, like, every day after

school. And track meets on

Saturday’s -

Then she just starts to lose it...

NORMA LOUISE (CONT’D)

Norman, we just bought a MOTEL.

How do you think I’m going to get

it up and running without your

help? I mean, really. You’re

putting me in a tough spot -

NORMAN:

Mom, it’s okay. I don’t have to do

it -

21.

NORMA LOUISE:

No! I’m not going to be the mother

who says her kid can’t be on the

track team. I’ll just do

everything by myself! Like I

always do!

She starts getting her coat and purse.

NORMAN:

Mom, c’mon. I don’t have to do it!

C’mon. Eat dinner -Heading

out.

NORMA LOUISE:

I’m not hungry. I have to go get

some groceries. You can serve

yourself dinner.

And she’s gone. Door slamming behind her. STAY ON NORMAN A

LONG BEAT. Anxiety. Frustration. Fear. Anger. He finally

bursts and takes the permission slip and violently tears it

up. Then, calling after her, the anguish of a five year old

whose mother left them somewhere alone...

NORMAN:

Mother!

INT. MARKET - LATER

Norma, still pissed and hurt, is throwing random items in her

cart. All her movements are angry and upset. She turns the

corner sharply and almost TAKES DOWN a YOUNG GUY (28) holding

one of those plastic, market baskets.

YOUNG GUY:

Whoa! You got insurance for that

thing?

She stops, embarrassed.

NORMA LOUISE:

I’m sorry. I was -- I wasn’t

thinking -

He smiles at her. He’s actually pretty cute. And from the

way he smiles at her we can see he finds her attractive.

YOUNG GUY:

No worries.

22.

He just holds her eye contact. She smiles at him.

Chemistry. Then, starting to move on...

NORMA LOUISE:

Well, I’m glad you’re okay.

She starts off.

YOUNG GUY:

Hey, do you know where they hide

the shampoo in this place? I don’t

live around here -

And they make eye contact again and in this moment, Norma

decides something...

SMASH TO:

INT. YOUNG GUY’S CAR - LATER

The windows are completely steamed up. The guy sits on the

passenger side, pants around his ankles. Norma, skirt up

around her hips, straddles him, banging the f*** out of him.

SAME - LATER

Post sex. He’s exhausted. He’s in the driver seat now,

zipping up his pants. She is on the passenger side, finding

and pulling on her panties with the alacrity and matter-offactness

of someone who has done this more than once. He

looks at her and we can tell from how he looks at her that he

really likes her. He leans over, touching her hair and

speaking softly.

YOUNG GUY:

Hey, when can I see you again?

Norma is in a different movie. She’s all business.

NORMA LOUISE:

You can’t.

(then)

I’ve got to go. I’ve got ice cream

in the trunk.

She exits the car, STAY ON HER as she walks to her car, no

sense of remorse or self questioning. She gets in her car,

slamming the door shut and we...

CUT TO BLACK:

END ACT ONE:

23.

ACT TWO:

INT. GARDEN SHED - DAY

The SHED DOORS OPEN TO REVEAL a bunch of GNARLY LOOKING

GARDEN TOOLS hanging on an old peg board in a dilapidated

shed:
RUSTY SAWS, GARDEN SHEERS, PRUNING BLADE, etc. Creepy

as sh*t...

Rate this script:3.3 / 3 votes