Being There Page #6

CHANCE:

Yes. I am very hungry.

RAND:

... So am I, my boy - so am I.

Chance stares at Billings, reacts to him being black.

CHANCE:

Do you know Raphael?

BILLINGS:

No sir, I don't believe I do.

CHANCE:

Oh. I have a message for him.

BILLINGS:

Yes, sir.

CHANCE:

A black man gave me the message.

BILLINGS:

Well, I still don't believe I

know the man, Mr. Gardiner.

Now, please hold still.

45INT. RAND DINING ROOM - NIGHT

The dining room is immense, a 75-foot ceiling, huge fire-

places. Allenby, Eve, Rand and Chance (both in wheel-

chairs) sit around the table. THURMAND, a waiter, and

MARIANNE, a waitress, enter carrying trays of food. Eve

turns to Chance.

EVE:

I do hope your injury won't

prevent you from attending to

business, Mr. Gardiner?

CHANCE:

No. It won't do that.

EVE:

...Would you like us to notify

anyone for you?

CHANCE:

No. The Old Man died and

Louise left.

EVE:

Oh. I'm very sorry. Well, if

you have a need for any of our

facilities, please don't hesi-

tate to ask.

RAND:

Do you need a secretary?

CHANCE:

No, thank you. My house has

been closed.

RAND:

Oh, you mean to say that your

business was shut down.

CHANCE:

Yes. Shut down and locked by

the attorneys.

RAND:

What'd I tell you? ...I know

exactly what you mean. Today

the businessman is at the

mercy of kid-lawyers from the

SEC. All they want to do is

regulate our natural growth!

ALLENBY:

It's happening to everyone,

I'm afraid. The way things

are going they'll probably

legislate the Medical Profession,

as we know it, right out of

existence.

CHANCE:

Yes. Right out of existence.

RAND:

And it's a damn shame - it's all

happening too fast...

(sighs)

What are your plans now, Mr.

Gardiner? Or may I call you

Chauncey?

CHANCE:

Yes. Chauncey is fine.

RAND:

And I'm Ben.

ALLENBY:

(smiles to Chance)

Robert.

EVE:

(also smiles)

...Eve.

RAND:

So tell me, Chauncey, just

what are your plans?

CHANCE:

I would like to work in your

garden.

EVE:

(laughs)

Oh, I know exactly what you

mean. I sometimes enjoy

puttering around myself, such

a pleasant way to forget one's

troubles.

RAND:

I never had a feel for it my-

self... But, Eve - why don't

you show Chauncey our gardens

tomorrow...

(to Chance)

They're quite lovely.

EVE:

Well, it'll have to wait until

I get back from Boston...

Unfortunately, my morning will

be taken up by another one of

those charity events.

CHANCE:

I am a very good gardener.

RAND:

Isn't that what a businessman is?

A gardener? A person that makes

flinty soil productive with the

labor of his own hands, who waters

it with sweat from his own brow,

and who creates a place of value for

his family and community? Yes, in-

deed, Chauncey, a productive busi-

nessman is a laborer in his own

vineyard.

CHANCE:

I know exactly what you mean, Ben.

The garden that I left was such a

place. But I don't have that any

more...

(points to ceiling)

...All that's left for me now is

the room upstairs.

RAND:

Now, wait a minute, Chauncey - you

have your health... for

God's sake don't give up on your-

self! You have to fight!

You can't let those bastards

keep you down! I don't want

to hear any more from you about

the 'Room Upstairs.' That's

where I'm going soon.

There is a long pause. Chance looks up, then smiles at

Rand.

CHANCE:

It's a very pleasant room, Ben.

RAND:

(laughs)

Yes, I'm sure it is. That's

what they say, anyway.

Another period of silence. The servants bustle around

the room as Allenby studies Chance.

46INT. RAND'S POOL ROOM - NIGHT

Allenby is shooting pool. Rand is offering Chance a cigar

from a humidor.

RAND:

Have one of these, Chauncey -

they're Cuban.

CHANCE:

Thank you, Ben.

Chance examines the cigar, does not see Rand clip the end

off his own.

RAND:

It's one thing Robert

can't keep me from. I've

enjoyed a cigar as long

as I can remember.

Rand turns the cigar clipper to Chance. As Chance tries

to figure out the clipper, the flame from an ornate lighter

catches his eye and Chance watches intently as Rand lights

hiw own cigar.

RAND:

...You know, Chauncey, there are

thousands of American businessmen,

large and small, that share your

plight. I've been concerned with

the situation for some time now.

(hands lighter

to Chance)

...I'd like to offer the decent

'gardeners' of the community a

helping hand. They've been

harrassed long enough by inflation,

excessive taxation, unions, all

sorts of indecencies...

Allenby watches Chance as he first tries to light the

lighter, then tries to light the unclipped cigar.

RAND (cont'd)

After all, they are our strongest

defense against the pollutants

that threaten our basic freedoms

and the well-being of our middle

class. So I've been thinking

about beginning a financial

assistance fund... Tell me,

Chauncey, would you have any

thoughts on such a program?

CHANCE:

(puffing, trying

to light cigar)

No, Ben.

RAND:

(a smile)

Reluctant to speak, eh, Chauncey?

Well, I can understand that. When

a man loses everything, anger has

a tendacy to block out reason for

a time. Just give it some thought,

work with the idea, I'm sure you'll

have plenty to say in a few days.

Chance puts the unlit cigar in the ashtray, smiles at

a most curious Allenby.

47INT. MANSION - ELEVATOR - NIGHT

Wilson stands behind Chance in the wheelchair. Chance

glances slowly around the elevator. Suddenly, Wilson breaks

out into laughter.

WILSON:

...Sorry, sir... I thought

you were going to come out

with another one of your

jests about the elevator...

Excuse me, sir...

The elevator stops, the door opens.

48INT. MANSION - THIRD FLOOR HALLWAY - NIGHT

Wilson wheels Chance out of the elevator.

CHANCE:

...Hmmm... Elevator.

WILSON:

(laughs again)

...Yes sir - elevator!

Wilson stops laughing as he notices Eve coming toward them.

EVE:

Chauncey, I wanted to tell you

how dreadful I feel about your

leg, but how delighted I am

that you are staying with us.

CHANCE:

Thank you, Eve - I like this

house very much.

EVE:

...And Ben is just mad about

you - you've lifted his spirits

so - it's just... Well, it's

just a real pleasure, your

being here...

CHANCE:

Ben is very ill, Eve - I've seen

that before.

EVE:

Yes... I know Chauncey.

CHANCE:

I like Ben very much... He re-

minds me of the Old Man...

EVE:

He does...?

CHANCE:

Yes. Are you going to leave

and close the house when he

dies?

Eve is not prepared for such a question.

EVE:

...Why... No, I don't think

so...

CHANCE:

That's good.

Chance smiles at Eve and there is a moment of silence

before Eve moves away.

EVE:

...Good night, Chauncey.

CHANCE:

Good night, Eve.

Wilson wheels Chance toward the guest room.

49EXT. FRONT OF RAND MANSION - MORNING

Chance comes out of the front door, walking with a limp

for his first view of the Rand grounds. The attendant,

Lewis, hurries to Chance.

LEWIS:

Did you want a car, sir?

CHANCE:

Yes. I would like a car.

LEWIS:

Yes, sir.

Lewis goes to his post, picks up a phone. As Chance looks

at the surroundings, Allenby and Wilson, with Chance's

wheelchair, come out of the house.

ALLENBY:

Chauncey, there you are. What

are you doing on that leg?

Rate this script:2.0 / 1 vote