Bates Motel Page #5

FIND NORMAN:

Studying all of these. Kind of fascinated. Then he sees

something UNDER AN OLD TARP in the corner. He approaches

slowly. Pulls it off, revealing AN OLD MANUAL LAWN MOWER.

EXT. MOTEL - MINUTES LATER

CLOSE ON THE BLADES cutting through the tall grass...

ON NORMAN -- It’s early morning as he pushes the old lawn

mower across the front lawn. It’s hard and physical. Norma

comes out, hands him some orange juice. (We sense they

haven’t spoken much since the previous night when she left

the house.)

NORMA LOUISE:

I brought this for you.

He wonders if she has stopped being angry at him. He takes

it.

NORMAN:

Thanks.

He takes a long drink. Norma looks at him, feeling bad about

last night with him.

NORMA LOUISE:

Norman, I’m sorry about the track

team. I’m sorry I was so upset.

You’re right, you should be getting

involved. And I want you to. It’s

just that, right now, I’ve got to

get this place in shape in a few

weeks so we can open and start

making money. I’m just -- feeling

the pressure, I guess -

Norman’s body visibly relaxes. Relieved to be in his mother’s

good graces.

24.

NORMAN:

It’s okay, Mom. I get it. I don’t

know what I was thinking -

NORMA LOUISE:

There will be time for all that. I

promise.

She takes the empty glass. Kisses him on the forehead.

Smiles and heads back inside. STAY ON NORMAN, back to

cutting the grass. Glad his Mom is in a good mood. All is

right with the world. At least for a moment. He PUSHES the

lawn mower -

ON AN OLD TRUCK pulling up in the driveway. Rusty and with a

crooked bumper. An old BROOM sticks straight up out of the

side panel.

FIND NORMAN watching a man get out of the truck. The man,

KEITH SUMMERS (51), approaches Norman, who stops mowing.

There is something unsettling about this man. He’s

disheveled and his clothes look dirty and worn. There’s

something about his face that seems disturbed. Agitated. He

walks right up to Norman without any introduction.

KEITH:

Norman Bates?

Norman looks at him. Kind of intimidated by this weird dude

in his face all of a sudden.

NORMAN:

Yes...

KEITH:

You just moved in the other night.

How you liking the place?

Norman isn’t sure if this is a neighbor or what. He tries to

act like it’s all normal. But he doesn’t like this guy.

NORMAN:

It’s fine so far.

KEITH:

You live here with your Mom?

NORMAN:

Yeah. Do you know her?

Keith just looks at him. Then...

25.

KEITH:

(I hate her guts)

I know about her.

Ok, this guy is starting to freak Norman out. Norman starts

backing toward the house...

NORMAN:

You want me to get her?

KEITH:

Your sixteen. From Arizona. Your

Dad died last winter -

NORMAN:

Let me get my mom -

KEITH:

And it’s just the two of you -

NORMAN:

Um, yeah -

KEITH:

What do you know about running a

motel? Anything? Because you look

like a little kid. I don’t see you

running anything -

Norma’s voice, strong and clear and not taking any sh*t, cuts

through the tension as she appears behind Norman...

NORMA LOUISE:

Can I help you with something?

Norman is relieved to see his Mom has exited the house and is

behind him. She can see that this guy is bugging Norman and

she is in mama bear mode.

KEITH:

I think you’re the one who’s going

to need some help.

Norma looks down at him. You’re not intimidating me,

a**hole.

NORMA LOUISE:

Really? And how might that be?

KEITH:

I’m Keith Summers. This is my

family property. The house and the

motel.

(MORE)

26.

KEITH (CONT'D)

My grandfather built the house in

1930 and my dad built the motel

thirty-five years later.

A long moment, then...

NORMA LOUISE:

I’m sure it was hard for you to

lose it to the bank. I’m sorry.

But it is our property now. So if

there’s not something I can help

you with -

KEITH:

You’re not getting it. You can’t

run this place. This is my place.

Now be a smart girl and let me take

over -

Norma bristles. This guy might be crazy. Might be drunk.

Might be dangerous. But nobody calls her “girl”.

NORMA LOUISE:

I don’t know what delusion you’re

suffering under. I don’t need

anyone to “take over” -

Keith gets closer to her. Utter contempt. Talks down to her

in a really hostile, ugly way -

KEITH:

Really. You think you can just

drive here from Arizona and take

over the Sea Fairer -

NORMA LOUISE:

It hardly seems very complicated -

KEITH:

(cuts her off)

You don’t know anything.

(then; revealing a dark,

emotional underbelly)

It’s complicated. There’s stuff

that goes on that you know nothing

about -

(leans in)

I know everything about this place.

Every nook and cranny. Every leaky

water pipe. Every dirty secret.

(then)

You’re in over your head. You

don’t know crap about this place.

About this town.

(MORE)

27.

KEITH (CONT'D)

About how things work here. What

makes you think you can do this by

yourself?

Something in what he says hits a raw nerve with her. A seed

of truth. Her own fear said out loud. It makes her feel

terribly, terribly vulnerable. As a result, she does what

she always does when she feels vulnerable. She goes into

survival mode. She gets back in his face, fierce. The

lady’s got a little Clint Eastwood in her...

NORMA LOUISE:

Because I can.

(then)

Now get the hell off my property

you (f***ing) pathetic, dirtbag

loser. And if I ever see you here

again, I’ll call the cops or shoot

you myself.

She grabs Norman and heads into the house. Slams the door

behind her. Keith looks at the house for a moment, pissed,

almost like he’s deciding what f*** he should do.

Keith just stares after her. Somewhere between furious and

broken. We’re not sure what side he’s going to land on.

KEITH:

(yelling after her)

I know the cops here! I grew up

here! I lived in that house!

That’s my house! You try and call

the cops on me, you (f***ing)

b*tch! You just (f***ing) try!

INT. BATES HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER

Norma and Norman, both still upset and unnerved, peek through

the front window. Both terrified and shaken inside. Both

trying to act like they’re not. Keith is getting in his

truck. Making a violent u turn and leaving.

NORMAN:

Do you think you should have said

all that stuff to him?

NORMA LOUISE:

(still watching out the

window; convincing

herself)

He’s just some pathetic, drunk

slob. He’s not going to bother us

again..

28.

A moment, then...

NORMAN:

(trying to agree)

Yeah.

(then; can’t help it;

really worried)

I don’t think he was drunk.

SMASH TO:

INT. BATES HOUSE/KITCHEN - NIGHT

Norman is doing the dinner dishes while Norma is on the

phone...

NORMA LOUISE:

...I think the last time the

roofing was redone on this place

was in the 50’s. I don’t want to

wait until the next century to get

this estimate. So if you

reschedule me again, I’ll take it

somewhere else. Ok?

She hangs up, annoyed. The doorbell rings.

INT. FOYER - MOMENTS LATER

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