Big Stone Gap Page #4

THEODORE:
Peewee football

team right here,

junior baton twirlers here,

and Liz Taylor

lookalikes here.

Coca-Cola cake,

7-Up cake,

or Betty Cline's

blackberry cobbler?

Cobbler.

I think I have put

together a show

that's gonna top her entrance

into Rome in Cleopatra.

I'm gonna use the outside of

Fraley's Coach House... (SHOOING)

And turn it into

downtown Rome.

We're going to have

a choir and festoonery

and Cleopatra,

the majorette.

I think I forgot

to get coffee.

How could you be out? People always

dropping off their grief pies.

Oh, here's some. It may be

old, but we'll do what we can.

Oh, my lord.

Iva Lou,

these are in Italian.

I think these may be letters

from my father to my mother.

It's bad luck to read other

people's private correspondence.

Especially when that person

just passed away.

Oh, read 'em.

(SPEAKING ITALIAN)

(GASPS) What does

it all mean?

Not that it matters.

Everything sounds better

in Italian. Keep going.

(SPEAKING ITALIAN)

Bliss. Pure bliss.

Oh, If Lyle Makin

could speak Italian,

I'd never let him

out of my trailer.

Would you two please

pay attention?

I'm under a lot of

pressure here.

I've gotta be

the Bob Fosse

of Big Stone Gap

in a parking lot.

IVA LOU:
Ave's life

is important, too.

Elizabeth Taylor

will come and go,

but we're here

forever.

All right, girls.

I'm going.

I cannot work

in an environment

of frivolity,

when I have to dazzle the

world's biggest movie star.

Oh, but the cobbler's

not even thawed yet.

THEODORE:
I'm sure there's plenty

more where that came from.

Bye.

Bye.

NA LOU:
I don't know

what his problem is.

He's wound

tighter than a tick.

Well, he's an artist.

He pours himself

into his work.

He loves music

and the theater

and marching bands.

Sometimes I think he like them little

soldiers more than he likes you.

How is it going in

the romance department?

He wants more time.

Lordy mercy!

I never heard of a man

who wanted to wait.

Go out on that truck,

you pick a book.

Any book.

Read between the lines.

What does Chinese face

reading say about Theodore?

His forehead says

he's stubborn.

That book of yours have a follow-up,

'cause that I already know.

Tell me something new.

Honey-O.

People are talking.

You've been best friends

with a man for years

without getting married

in this town.

That makes you a lot

like Mount Vesuvius.

People are just

standing around

waiting for you to blow.

But there's more.

No, there's not.

I didn't want to pile on,

but my Lyle's clerk in the

court in Pennington Gap,

and he told me Alice Lambert filed

papers against you in Lee County.

But I want you know

I didn't just sleep with him

to get that information

on your behalf.

That is so big of you,

Iva Lou.

I like his mind. I'm sure you do.

Now, get.

Love you.

Oh!

Are you okay?

Yeah!

I don't care

what you say, Ave.

If there is

the slightest chance

that Elizabeth Taylor

is gonna be riding right

down here on Main Street,

she might have to stop

and get herself a diuretic.

She'll come in here

and see all the signage.

That's what I want.

Where's that Cleopatra wig

you called me about?

FLEETA:
It's in the box

right there.

Ah! Yes!

Fleeta!

Yes.

Where's the black hair dye?

In my pocket.

You getting thelastbox. Oh!

But, I just want

to warn you,

when you wake up

tomorrow morning,

you still gonna

look like you,

except with

really dark hair.

All my life I wanted to look

like Elizabeth Taylor.

And now I will.

Charge it.

You gonna be

in for a shocker

when you see

what you look like.

Okay. I'll have to deal

with this rat's nest later.

I am late for

rehearsal.

Rome has to be

built in a day.

Why would you feed

into this lunacy?

We should make

Liz Taylor makeup kits.

These women been

watching Liz Taylor

up on the silver screen

all their lives.

Now they believe

Liz Taylor's come here

'cause she wants

to watch them.

Hey, Fleeta?

Get ready, babe,

you're next.

For what? I don't see any Diahann

Carroll color up in here.

History tells us,

Cleopatra was a black woman.

(EXCLAIMS)

JACK:
Afternoon,

Miss Fleeta.

FLEETA:
It's Sweet

Sue Tinsley's boys!

Look, Jack, a clown!

Jared, that's not nice.

You apologize.

Sorry.

I need a tissue.

PEARL:
They're in

the back, Miss Ave.

JARED:
Can I have

some candy?

Now, you know candy's

very bad for your teeth.

But it is very good

for your stomach,

so you go on and take

as much as you want.

What do you say?

Thank you.

You're very welcome.

Come on, Jared.

That's compliments

of me and the clown.

Jack Mac likes Ave Maria.

Girl,

you know less about men

than you do about cosmetics.

If Ave would just

give him a chance,

she could have him.

(SNORTS)

Little girl,

Ave Maria don't stand a

chance next to Sweet Sue.

Sweet Sue is a

saber-toothed divorcee

in need of cash.

And Jack Mac's

got him a steadyjob.

He got no dependents.

And when his mama passes,

he gonna get that

house across the bridge.

And don't forget,

since he was 18,

he got that pension

from the miners.

Now, when you look at a

situation like this... Mmm-hmm.

...you realize that

money in the bank

means love in the heart.

NAN:
You sure been seeing a

lot of that Sweet Sue lately.

Seems things are

getting serious.

(SIGHS)

Son, have I been

a good mother?

Yes, ma'am.

Good answer.

Why do you ask?

Something wrong?

This is one of them moments when

I wish your daddy was alive.

Just say it, Ma.

(SIGHS)

I don't want you to marry

Sweet Sue Tinsley.

Ihaven%taughtyou the difference

between love and lust.

See, true love

energizes you.

Lust and all them other kinds

of love just exhausts you.

All right.

No, now listen to me.

I mean, clearly,

I failed you.

Of course, anything and everything

that goes wrong with children

is always

the mother's fault.

But let me

embrace my failure.

Why don't you marry

some nice girl

instead of that

hotsy-totsy flaunter?

I'll marry whomever

I please, Mama.

Well, then explain

this to me.

Explain what you're

doing with your life.

Mama, look at me.

Everything's passed me by.

That's not true.

You're a good man.

I want what you

and Daddy had.

When I was young,

I had a handle on things.

I knew who I was

and what I wanted.

But I work in the dark.

And I have for 22 years.

When I come

out of that mine,

I don't want

complications.

I just want simple.

Well, that is the word

I'd use to describe Sweet Sue.

(CHUCKLES)

I know you don't

like her, Mama.

But I love her boys,

and she's nice to me.

Well, you told me.

So, if that's your choice,

Sweet Sue will never

know my true feelings.

(SIGHS HEAVILY)

Can I fix you

some supper?

No, ma'am,

I already have plans.

Okay-

(HORN HONKS)

(KNOCKING)

I found the tissues.

You're too late.

I see that.

How about some

apple butter?

Mama just put this up,

wanted you to have some.

Oh, that's very kind.

Thank you.

Would you

like to come in?

Yes, ma'am.

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