Big Eyes Page #7

Synopsis: In the late 1950s and early '60s, artist Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz) achieves unbelievable fame and success with portraits of saucer-eyed waifs. However, no one realizes that his wife, Margaret (Amy Adams), is the real painter behind the brush. Although Margaret is horrified to learn that Walter is passing off her work as his own, she is too meek to protest too loudly. It isn't until the Keanes' marriage comes to an end and a lawsuit follows that the truth finally comes to light.
Production: The Weinstein Company
  Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 18 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.0
Metacritic:
62
Rotten Tomatoes:
72%
PG-13
Year:
2014
106 min
$8,021,168
Website
1,537 Views


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...

Rate this script:3.5 / 2 votes

Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski

Scott Alexander (born June 16, 1963, Los Angeles, California) and Larry Karaszewski (born November 20, 1961, South Bend, Indiana) are an American screenwriting team. They met at the University of Southern California where they were roommates; they graduated from the School of Cinematic Arts in 1985. more…

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    "Big Eyes" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 19 Jan. 2025. <https://www.scripts.com/script/big_eyes_1071>.

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