Big Eyes Page #14

50.

WALTER:

Who'd you tell about the Big Eyes?

MARGARET:

Nobody!

WALTER:

(PARANOID)

Was Dee-Ann here?! Did Dee-Ann see

this painting?!

MARGARET:

No! NOBODY saw it!

WALTER:

You tell anybody, the empire

COLLAPSES! Do you wanna give back the

money? We've committed FRAUD!

MARGARET:

I KNOW! My God! I live with this

every minute of my life!

(IMPASSIONED)

Janie used to have a mother who

painted. Now what's she think?! I

lock myself in this room ten hours a

day... and then you walk out with

finished paintings!

He scowls, offended.

WALTER:

Janie thinks I'm in here, painting.

MARGARET:

C'mon! You haven't picked up a brush

in months!

(starting to sob)

We used to paint together! Easels

next to each other, side-by-side --

WALTER:

That was the honeymoon period!

Margaret breaks into tears. Walter tenses.

WALTER:

Jesus, you're so fragile.

MARGARET:

I've kept my end of the bargain! I've

never told!

(she SOBS harder)

Please! Just let me have this!

Walter recoils, unable to take this. He relents.

51.

INT. APARTMENT LIVING ROOM - ANOTHER DAY

Another PHOTO OP, but big: A CAMERA CREW rushes about. Lights

get set-up. Walter, Margaret, and Jane work at easels.

Walter dabs at a Big Eye. Margaret works on a sad, long-neck

blonde. Jane paints a goofy flower, like any child.

Dick Nolan takes notes.

DICK:

So you're now called "The Painting

Keanes"?

WALTER:

Yep! Walter and his girls! With

galleries in three cities!

DICK:

I had no idea Margaret painted.

WALTER:

Yeah, we don't talk about it. Sadly,

people don't buy lady art.

MARGARET:

(INTERJECTING)

What about Georgia O'Keefe?

Dick shakes his EMPTY GLASS, distracted. Walter points.

WALTER:

The bar's over there.

Dick goes to get a refill. Walter shoots Margaret a look.

WALTER:

Yeah, Margaret's a superb artist, in

her own way. I even steal a few tips

from her, now and then!

(HE CHUCKLES)

Behind every great man is a great

woman.

DICK:

True true. So Margaret, where do you

get your ideas?

MARGARET:

(a bit tentative)

Oh... from the world around me. And I

love Modigliani's use of line.

DICK:

ModiWHAT? The Italian joint?

52.

WALTER:

Oh, for Christ's sake, Margaret! Dick

writes a gossip column --

(BEAT)

Let's stick to the family angle. Get

a gander at little Janie over there!

Walter steers Dick to Jane, cute at her little child's easel.

WALTER:

What a talent! Look at these Keanes!

If you cut open our veins, we bleed

oil! Er -- turpentine.

(AWKWARD)

Uh, Dick, you know what I'm goin' for.

Make it sound good.

DING-DONG! It's the doorbell. Everyone turns.

JANE:

Who's that?

WALTER:

Ah! A little treat! The fourth

member of the Painting Keanes!

Margaret and Jane turn, confused. Walter whips open

THE FRONT DOOR:

Revealing LILY, 10, a quiet girl in bobbed hair. She holds a

little overnight bag.

A Buick HONKS, and Walter waves as it drives away. Walter

stares at the girl, then puts on big hammy airs.

WALTER:

Lily, honey, how are you?!

He gives her a giant hug. She responds stiffly -- a girl who

doesn't see her father too often.

LILY:

I'm fine, Dad. I lost a tooth.

WALTER:

Really? Did you get in a fight?

LILY:

(SHE LAUGHS)

No. It fell out!

ANGLE - MARGARET AND JANE

They gape in bewilderment. Who the hell is this girl??!

53.

BACK ON WALTER AND LILY

Walter admires Lily's mouth.

WALTER:

Well is the tooth fairy somethin' I

gotta deal with, or did your mother

already handle it?

LILY:

(DRY)

She handled it.

WALTER:

Good! Good good! Well, just go throw

your stuff in the kids' room, then you

can come join the fun!

Lily toddles out.

ON THE GROUP:

Margaret and Jane are speechless.

Walter acts like nothing bizarre has happened.

Dick eyeballs all this with major curiosity.

DICK:

Walter... you never told me you had

another daughter.

WALTER:

Didn't I? Sure. Lil's from my first

marriage.

Margaret struggles to hold her rage. Disoriented...

MARGARET:

Walter?

(URGENT)

Walter! We need to speak.

Margaret gestures: Get in the kitchen! He nods and follows.

INT. KITCHEN

Margaret shuts the door, then spins on him.

MARGARET:

What is going on here??!

WALTER:

That's Lily. I'm sure I mentioned her --

MARGARET:

No you didn't.

54.

Margaret peers at him. How much can she trust?

MARGARET:

Did she just move in??

WALTER:

No! Her mom's just going to Vegas for

the weekend.

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