Big Fish Page #4

Coming down the driveway, we get to see the house for thefirst time: an older suburban home, three bedrooms, big forthe neighborhood, and nicely grown into the lot. KIDS are

playing on the street.

18.

WILL:

Is that Dr. Bennett’s car?

SANDRA:

He’s up with your father.

Heading back to the house...

WILL:

How is he?

SANDRA:

He’s impossible. He won’t eat. And

because he won’t eat, he gets weaker.

And because he’s weaker, he doesn’t

want to eat.

WILL:

How much time does he have left?

SANDRA:

You don’t talk about those things. Not

yet.

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Sandra is pouring iced tea for Will and Josephine.

DR. JULIUS BENNETT (85) enters from the foyer, still windedfrom coming down the stairs. He was the town’s first Black

physician. He’s still the town’s best physician.

DR. BENNETT

Will.

WILL:

Dr. Bennett. It’s good to see you.

(they shake)

My wife, Josephine.

DR. BENNETT

A pleasure.

He judges her belly.

DR. BENNETT (cont’d)

You’re seven months.

JOSEPHINE:

(impressed)

To the day.

He leans close to her, whispering in her ear...

19.

DR. BENNETT

It’s a boy.

She smiles, surprised but not doubting. Will looks over --

what did he say? Josephine shakes her head.

Back to the main subject...

SANDRA:

You don’t think he looks any worse.

DR. BENNETT

No. I would say he’s the same.

And in the silence that follows, a lot is said. It wasn’t

the upbeat reply Sandra was hoping for.

WILL:

Can I see him?

DR. BENNETT

Absolutely. Be good for you to talk tohim.

A moment of awkwardness -- everyone here knows they haven’tspoken in years.

Sandra hands Will a squat can of Ensure from the case on thecounter.

SANDRA:

Get him to drink one of these. He

won’t, but tell him he has to.

INT. FOYER - DAY

Coming out from the kitchen, Will slowly climbs the stairs.

They CREAK with every step.

The wall is filled with family photos, happier times. Most

of the pictures are of Will, starting when he was an infantand ending at his wedding. As he climbs the stairs, we cansee him growing up with every step.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - DAY

A crack of sunlight spills around the half-open door at theend of the hallway. Will walks towards it, running a handalong the wallpaper.

Almost at the door, he stops for a beat. Gets his breath.

Then goes inside.

20.

INT. GUEST ROOM - DAY

Edward Bloom, 61, lies asleep on the bed. Although he’s notthe vibrant man we’ve seen before, it’s not as bad we feared.

The illness has been quick, and left him largely intact.

There are no I.V.’s, no monitors, nothing.

Coming up to the bed -

WILL:

Dad?

Edward cracks open an eye, a beat before he focuses. He

tries to say something, but no words come out.

He looks over at a pitcher on the nightstand. Will pours hima glass of water, helping him hold it to his parched lips.

Finished, Edward sets down the glass by himself. A verylong, tense beat. Will almost speaks again to fill thesilence.

Finally...

EDWARD:

You -(

he points)

-- are in for a surprise.

WILL:

Am I?

EDWARD:

Having a kid changes everything. I

mean, there’s the diapers and theburping and the midnight feedings...

WILL:

Did you do any of that?

EDWARD:

No, but I hear it’s terrible. Then youspend years trying to corrupt andmislead this child, fill its head withnonsense and still it turns out

perfectly fine.

WILL:

You think I’m up for it?

EDWARD:

You learned from the best.

21.

Will doesn’t rise to the challenge. A beat, then heremembers the can of Ensure. Holds it up. Edward recoils.

WILL:

Just drink half the can. I’ll tell her

you drank the whole thing. Everyonewins.

A beat, then Edward rolls his eyes. Fine. Will cracks openthe can, finding a straw on the nightstand.

EDWARD:

People needn’t worry so much. It’s not

my time yet. This isn’t how I go.

WILL:

Really.

EDWARD:

Truly. I saw it in The Eye.

WILL:

The Old Lady by the swamp.

EDWARD:

She was a witch.

WILL:

No, she was old and probably senile.

Maybe schizophrenic.

EDWARD:

I saw my death in that eye. And this

is not how it happens.

WILL:

So how does it happen?

EDWARD:

Surprise ending. Wouldn’t want to ruin

it for you.

Edward slurps down as much of the Ensure as he can stand,

then pushes the can away. He swallows with difficulty.

EDWARD (cont’d)

There was this panhandler who used tostop me every morning when I came outof this coffee shop near the office.

WILL:

Okay.

22.

EDWARD:

And every day I gave him a quarter.

Every day. Then I got sick and was outfor a couple of weeks. And when I went

back there, you know what he said?

WILL:

What did he say?

EDWARD:

You owe me three-fifty.

WILL:

Really.

EDWARD:

True story.

A beat.

WILL:

When did you ever work in an office?

EDWARD:

There’s a lot you don’t know about me.

WILL:

You’re right.

Edward gives a wry smile. He walked into that.

EDWARD:

Your mother was worried we wouldn’t

talk again. And look at us. We’re

talking fine. We’re storytellers, bothof us. I speak mine out, you writeyours down. Same thing.

Will won’t commit to Edward’s assessment.

WILL:

Dad, I’m hoping we can talk about somethings while I’m here.

EDWARD:

You mean, while I’m here.

WILL:

I’d just like to know the true versionsof things. Events. Stories. You.

Edward LAUGHS a little, which becomes a COUGH. The HACKING

escalates until another drink of water gets it under control.

23.

It’s not clear whether any of this was an act to keep fromtalking.

EDWARD:

Your mother hasn’t been keeping up thepool. If you wanted to you could...

WILL:

I will.

EDWARD:

You know where the chemicals are?

WILL:

I used to do it when you were gone,

remember? I used to do it a lot.

He didn’t mean for that to sound so pointed. Taking the half-

empty Ensure, Will gets up to go. He’s at the door when...

EDWARD:

I was never much for being at home,

Will. It’s too confining. And this,

here. Being stuck in bed. Dying isthe worst thing that ever happened to

me.

He smiles at his joke.

WILL:

I thought you weren’t dying.

EDWARD:

I said this isn’t how I go. The last

part is much more unusual. Trust me on

that.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - DAY

Shutting the door behind himself, Will drinks the rest of theEnsure himself. Edward was right. It tastes horrible.

Heading for the stairs, Will walks past an open door. As he

leaves frame, we STAY BEHIND to look inside...

INT. WILL’S BEDROOM - DAY [FLASHBACK]

...where an eight-year old Will is propped up in bed, hisface covered with chicken pox and pink calamine lotion. He’s

showing Edward how many bumps there are on his arm.

YOUNG WILL:

Dr. Bennett says I’m going to have tobe home for a week.

24.

EDWARD:

That’s nothing. I once had to stay inbed for three years.

YOUNG WILL:

Did you have chicken pox?

EDWARD:

I wish.

CUT TO:

INT. TINY CHURCH - DAY

Wearing a white shirt and tie, YOUNG EDWARD -- still about 10-- sings “Down to the River My Lord” along with theCONGREGATION. His voice is high and thin, but he gives ithis all.

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