Big Fish Page #14

In Chinese, subtitled...

PING:

How could you miss your cue? You make

me look like a fool, out there alone.

JING:

You weren’t alone.

Ping HUFFS, turning her back on her sister.

Jing reaches deeper into the closet to find a new dress,

exposing Edward’s hiding place. She GASPS. Ping turns tolook.

PING:

Who the hell are you?

EDWARD:

(in Chinese)

I’m not going to hurt you.

PING:

Damn right you’re not.

(yelling)

GUARD!

Jing grabs her, a hand over her mouth, but it’s too late. A

rifle-toting GUARD looks in.

Pretending to be her bitchy sister --

JING:

Tell your men not to bother us! And

lock that door!

The guard obeys. Ping shakes her sister off. Desperatelyflipping through his Asian phrasebook, he finds...

EDWARD:

Please, I need your help.

PING:

What makes you think we’ll help you?

75.

Edward pulls a photo out of his flak jacket. It’s Sandra.

CROSSFADE TO:

VARIOUS SHOTS:

EDWARD (V.O.)

Over the next hour, I described my lovefor Sandra Kay Templeton, and theordeal that brought me before them. As

it had always been, this love was mysalvation. It was destined to be.

Hearing the story, Jing wipes away a tear. Even Ping is alittle affected.

EDWARD (V.O.)(cont’d)

We put together an elaborate plan forescape, involving a whaling ship toRussia, a barge to Cuba and a small,

dirty canoe to Miami. We all knew it

would be dangerous.

Still subtitled:

PING:

And what are we supposed to do when weget to America?

EDWARD:

I can get you bookings. I know the

biggest man in show business.

JING:

Bob Hope?

EDWARD:

Bigger.

TRANSITION TO:

EXT. TEMPLETON FAMILY HOUSE - DAY

Sandra checks the mail, hoping for a letter from Edward.

EDWARD (V.O.)

And so the twins and I began ourarduous journey halfway around theworld. Unfortunately, there was no wayto send a message back to America.

A black car pulls up. Two ARMY OFFICERS get out.

76.

EDWARD (V.O.)(cont’d)

And so it was no surprise that the Armybelieved I was dead.

Hearing the news, Sandra CRIES OUT. The pain of her shoutmakes church bells RING.

EXT. BEHIND THE TEMPLETON HOUSE - DAY

Sandra hangs sheets to dry on the clotheslines, forming atunnel of fabric.

EDWARD (V.O.)

After four months, Sandra had gottenover the worst of the nightmares. When

the phone rang, she didn’t think it wassomehow me calling her. When a car

drove past, she didn’t get up to checkout the window.

Pulling a dress out of the basket, Sandra looks up to see

A MAN’S SILHOUETTE

on the sheet in front of her. She freezes, watching theshadow ripple across the white fabric, blowing so softly inthe breeze. She knows it can’t be him. He’s dead.

She turns away. With all the strength she can gather, shehangs up that dress and digs another one out of the basket.

Looking up, she sees not a shadow but Edward himself standingbefore her. She GASPS, disbelieving, but his hand is real.

It is destiny.

Without another moment’s hesitation, she kisses him.

CROSSFADE TO:

BRIGHT SUNLIGHT:

filters through soft sheets. We’re under the covers, where aman’s hand traces the curves of a woman’s bare back. A

beat, then she turns over in bed, revealing her to be

JOSEPHINE.

She blinks slowly, just waking up. Will is watching her.

He’s been up for a while. We are actually...

77.

INT. WILL AND JOSEPHINE’S ROOM - DAY

...where the couple stays cocooned under the sheets, a kindof limbo. A kiss good morning. Legs entangling. Neither

wants to get up.

JOSEPHINE:

I talked with your father last night.

WILL:

Did you?

A look to say, should I be worried?

JOSEPHINE:

You never told me how your parents met.

WILL:

They met at Auburn.

JOSEPHINE:

What about the details? How they fellin love. The Circus. The War. You

never told me any of that.

WILL:

That’s because most of it never

happened.

JOSEPHINE:

But it’s romantic.

A beat.

WILL:

(non-committal)

Mmm.

JOSEPHINE:

Mmm, what?

WILL:

Mmm, what. I know better than to argueromance with a French woman.

He moves his head out from under the sheet. She follows him

to the “outside.”

JOSEPHINE:

Do you love your father?

WILL:

Everyone loves my father. He’s a verylikeable guy.

78.

JOSEPHINE:

(repeating)

Do you love him?

Will doesn’t want to answer yes or no.

WILL:

You have to understand. When I was

growing up, he was gone more than hewas here. And I started thinking --

maybe he has a second life somewhereelse. With another house, anotherfamily. He leaves us, he goes to them.

Or maybe there is no family. Maybe henever wanted a family. But whatever it

is, maybe he likes that second lifebetter. And the reason he tells all

those stories is because he can’t stand

this boring place.

JOSEPHINE:

But it’s not true.

WILL:

What is “true?” I’ve never heard myfather say a single true thing.

Off her silence...

WILL:

Look, I know why you like him. I know

why everyone likes him. But I need youto tell me I’m not crazy.

JOSEPHINE:

You’re not.

WILL:

I need you on my side.

JOSEPHINE:

I am always on your side. And I think

you should talk to him.

INT. GUEST ROOM - DAY

The family finishes eating breakfast off TV trays set uparound the bed. For his part, Edward is looking better.

Certainly not recovered, but there’s an optimism to hisexpression. And for the first time, he’s actually hungry.

He watches as Sandra puts the cap back on the syrup.

79.

EDWARD:

Did I ever tell you about how...

WILL:

(interrupting)

Yes.

Edward is startled.

WILL (cont’d)

The maple tree and the Buick. We heard

it.

EDWARD:

(re:
Josephine)

I think someone hasn’t.

JOSEPHINE:

The tree fell on the car, spilling thesyrup, which attracted the flies, whichgot stuck to it and flew off with thewhole car.

A beat.

EDWARD:

(undeterred)

But the real story is how I got the

car. You see...

WILL:

(interrupting)

Dad?

EDWARD:

Son?

WILL:

Can we talk?

Sandra SNAPS the cap back on the syrup.

SANDRA:

I’m going to get started on dishes.

JOSEPHINE:

I’ll help you.

Both women quickly gather plates.

Will and Edward both smile. The women clearly want this tohappen. It settles for a beat after they leave.

80.

WILL:

Do you know much about icebergs, Dad?

EDWARD:

Do I? I saw an iceberg once. Theywere hauling it down to Texas fordrinking water, only they didn’t counton an elephant being frozen inside.

The woolly kind. A mammoth.

WILL:

(interrupting)

Dad!

EDWARD:

What?

WILL:

I’m trying to make a metaphor here.

EDWARD:

Then you shouldn’t have started with aquestion. Because people want toanswer questions. You should have

started with, “The thing about icebergsis...”

WILL:

(frustrated)

The thing about icebergs is you onlysee 10 percent of them. The other 90

percent is below the water where youcan’t see it. And that’s what it is

with you Dad. I’m only seeing thislittle bit that sticks above the water.

EDWARD:

(joking)

What, you’re seeing down to my nose?

My chin?

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