Big Eyes Page #15

(BEAT)

I'm supposed to have her once a month,

but I don't make her mom enforce it.

TIGHT - MARGARET

Her head is spinning.

MARGARET:

How can you keep something so big a

secret???

TIGHT - WALTER

He starts to answer... then gives her a look: You are kidding?

Walter squirms defensively.

WALTER:

She's a sweet girl.

MARGARET:

(HISSING)

I'm sure she is.

WALTER:

I put up with your daughter. I never

said a peep.

Margaret's jaw drops.

MARGARET:

I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that.

WALTER:

I'm sorry. Sorry! Please... let's

just try to get through this.

CUT TO:

INT. JANE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Jane's room, cute with stuffed animals and troll dolls.

Lily is in the corner, awkwardly unpacking her bag. Trying

not to impose on Jane's space. The girls peer at each other.

LILY:

Dad told me you had a bunk bed.

55.

Jane shakes her head. She feels bad.

JANE:

Take the bed. I can sleep on the

FLOOR --

LILY:

No, that's not fair! The floor's fine

for me.

Jane smiles nervously. She stares at this new girl.

JANE:

Do you live far away?

LILY:

I guess... about a twenty minute drive.

JANE:

(STARTLED)

"Twenty minutes"?! That's close!

Jane blinks, confused.

JANE:

But you never see Walter?

LILY:

No, I see him all the time! He comes

up and visits every week.

Jane is taken aback. Lily sees this.

LILY:

Doesn't he talk about me?

JANE:

(LYING)

Huh? Uh... sure. I guess a little.

Jane thinks, fretting.

JANE:

Does he talk about me?

LILY:

(LYING)

Uh... yeah. Sometimes.

JANE:

(PLEASED)

So what's your mom like?

LILY:

She's pretty. She drives a Buick.

She cries a lot.

56.

JANE:

Yeah, mine's the same.

(BEAT)

Except she drives a Packard.

Lily nods. Jane lowers her voice naughtily.

JANE:

I have some peanut butter hidden in my

sock drawer. Do you wanna eat it?

Lily smiles:
Sure. Jane opens a drawer and removes a jar of

Skippy. The two girls sit on the floor, happily eating the

peanut butter with their fingers.

CUT TO:

EXT. KEANE GALLERY - NIGHT

Klieg lights streak the sky! A crazed CROWD is packed INSIDE.

A big sign announces: "NOW APPEARING: AMERICA'S FIRST FAMILY

OF ART - 'We paint truth and emotion.'"

INT. KEANE GALLERY - NIGHT

The place is filled with Big Eyes. Waifs waifs waifs! Cash

registers RING. Money changes hands. "Sold" stickers go up.

Walter works the room.

WALTER:

Yeah, Walter Keane and Gauguin have a

lot in common. They both walked away

from successful careers to travel the

globe, live on a boat...

We move... finding Margaret alone in a small ANNEX. It

displays a few of her sad blondes, alongside Jane and Lily's

paintings of flowers and Mr. Potato-Head. Margaret sits,

seeming like an adult at the children's table.

An urbane RICH MAN glides by... and is taken with one of

Margaret's nubile blondes. He gazes at the lounging figure.

Margaret sits up. Alert, pleased with his interest.

She tingles. Then, happily excited, unable to hold it in:

MARGARET:

I painted it!

RICH MAN:

Really?

(IMPRESSED)

It's very evocative. ...Sensual...

He smiles flirtatiously. She smiles shyly and shrugs.

57.

He steps forward -- then peers closer at the painting. The

SIGNATURE is a feminine scroll: "MDH Keane"

RICH MAN:

"MDH"? You're so... mysterioso.

MARGARET:

Yes, we don't use my name, since

people don't take women's art

seriously.

(BEAT)

"MDH" are my initials. And more! I'm

interested in numerology... and as you

know, seven is a very good number.

RICH MAN:

(PUZZLED)

Er... seven?

MARGARET:

Luckily, my maiden name is Margaret

Doris Hawkins! "M" is the 13th letter

of the alphabet, "D" is 4, "H" 8! If

you add up 1 and 3 in 13, that gives

you 4, making 4 plus 4 plus 8 equals

16, then 1 plus 6 equals seven!

The man's head is spinning. He's lost all interest.

Across the room, Walter sees this debacle. He marches over.

WALTER:

Psst! Maggie! Can I have a second?

(he PULLS HER ASIDE)

Good grief! What the hell are you

babbling about?! Long division??

Could you please help the world and

shut your mouth? You want just one

number in his head: The sales price!

Her face drops, hurt. Acquiescing.

WATCHING THIS:

Two SNOBBY ARTISTS smirk and GROAN at this scene.

SNOBBY ARTIST #1

Two nuts that fell from the same tree!

It's insufferable. Why are we

starving, while they print money?

SNOBBY ARTIST #2

Because that nut's a genius! He sells

paintings! Then he sells pictures of

the paintings! Then he sells postcards

of pictures of the paintings.

58.

They stare bitterly. Then, a terrible, shameful idea forms:

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