Big Eyes Page #7

ANGLE - WALTER

He grimaces... beaten. Walter drops his head on the table.

Not noticing a DRUNK COUPLE stagger in. They pass a Waif,

then halt -- taken. They lean in. Enthralled... concerned...

TIPSY LADY:

Look at that child. She's so sad.

TIPSY MAN:

Is she poor..?

TIPSY LADY:

She's forgotten! It just makes me

want to cry.

(she peers at the

signature, then turns)

Are you "Keane"?

Walter lifts his head from the table.

WALTER:

Yeah.

TIPSY LADY:

Well you're a hell of a painter.

Walter squints, confused, then beams. Joy! Happiness

bursting like a little child.

WALTER:

Why, thank you...! Thank you so much!

24.

TIPSY LADY:

Your work is very powerful. There's

so much emotion in those eyes.

OUCH! Walter's smile collapses.

TIPSY LADY:

Is something wrong?

WALTER:

(REELING)

Huh? Uh... no. No. I just didn't

realize you meant... the waif.

TIPSY MAN:

(beat; he CHUCKLES)

Oh, I get it...! The artist doesn't

wanna part with his favorite piece...

The man winks, then pulls out a WAD OF BILLS.

Walter stares morosely.

INT. HUNGRY I - LATER

Walter sits at the bar, toasted, drinking. In a dark place.

His misery is interrupted by happy Banducci, groping two GALS.

BANDUCCI:

Hello, Picasso! Nice crowd, eh?

WALTER:

(SOUR)

You wouldn't know it from that broom

closet you parked me in.

BANDUCCI:

Hey, it's prime thoroughfare! People

drink, they gotta relieve themselves.

WALTER:

(MUTTERING)

"Location, location, location..."

Walter wallows in self-loathing. Suddenly, he explodes.

WALTER:

It's INSULTING! When people see art,

they shouldn't think of SH*T!

BANDUCCI:

(SHOCKED)

Whoah! Watch it with the purple

language. We got ladies present --!

Banducci PUSHES Walter away.

25.

In reaction, Walter sloppily SMACKS him.

Riled, Banducci suddenly takes a SWING! Walter stumbles, and

Banducci's punch accidently HITS the GIRL.

Ow! She topples. Walter gasps.

He SWATS Banducci -- then RUNS! Cameras FLASH. Wild whoops.

Walter barrels down the hall, Banducci chasing. The brawl's

gone nuts. Walter grabs a Waif and SMASHES it over Banducci's

head. CRASH! Banducci drops.

CUT TO:

INSERT - SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER

The front page! A small headline says "BISTRO BRAWL: BANDUCCI

AND ARTIST SLUGFEST." Below are two PHOTOS: Walter mid-punch,

and Banducci unconscious, sticking out of the Big Eye.

EXT. POLICE STATION - DAWN

A neighborhood precinct, quiet at 6 a.m. Doors open, and

Margaret leads Walter out. She's seething. He's bruised,

with a mortified drunk-tank, slept-in-my-clothes swagger.

MARGARET:

I've never posted bail before.

Silence. He has no idea what to say. His aplomb crumbles.

WALTER:

I'm -- I'm sorry. Banducci... laughed

at our work. ...So I socked him.

MARGARET:

Since when are you thin-skinned?

Artists have to handle criticism.

WALTER:

You're right! I know. But... I was

already in a bad place. I'd had a

couple... and earlier...

(PAUSE)

I let some guy think I painted your

Big Eye.

Beat. Margaret is stupefied.

MARGARET:

I don't understand. Why would you do

such a thing?!

WALTER:

It was a misunderstanding. And then,

I didn't want to jinx the sale.

26.

He shrugs feebly. She frowns.

MARGARET:

Don't ever do it again.

INT. HUNGRY I - NIGHT

The club is a ZOO. PARTYERS swarm the door, trying to enter.

Suddenly, Walter pushes his way down the outside stairs. The

DOORMAN starts to protest, but Walter somberly waves him off.

WALTER:

Don't give me a hard time. I'm just

grabbing my stuff...

Across the packed room, he spots Banducci with a black eye.

Walter halts, uncertain. A bristling tension...

Until -- Banducci suddenly rushes and GRABS him! Walter

flails, freaked. Banducci DRAGS him into a back kitchen --

INT. CLUB KITCHEN

Banducci shuts the door, looks around... then suddenly LAUGHS!

He grins manically and pulls Walter into a hearty HUG.

BANDUCCI:

Can you believe this? We're sold out,

and I don't even have a headliner!!

(GLEEFUL)

Hell, it's a Monday!

Walter blinks, lost. Banducci explains.

BANDUCCI:

Dope, we made the front page!! People

are here, cause they wanna see the

sappy paintings that made grown men

fight!!

A moment of discombobulation... until -- Walter slowly grins.

INT. CLUB - SECONDS LATER

The two men suddenly tumble into view, SCREAMING.

WALTER:

I'll see you in COURT, you son of a

b*tch! I'm suing you for assault!

Slander! False arrest!!

Banducci storms away.

Walter shudders, "upset." CUSTOMERS peer at him... then at

the paintings. Curious, they migrate that way...

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