Breakable You Page #2

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Ah, Robert.

Hi, you look terrific.

Nice to see you.

ADAM:

Sandrine, bon ami.

- Robert Gordon.

- Nice to meet you.

- Nice to meet you.

- ADAM:
Mike, one more time.

Thank you so much

for taking the time, Adam.

Well, it's the least

I can do for the man

who closed my last

two plays in previews.

Oh, wait a second now. I've been

hard on your latest work,

but I've given him

plenty of raves as well.

Yeah, I'm just giving you a hard

time. Here, pull up a glass,

and give unto the king

your knowledge of the broil.

Well, I am writing a book.

Ah! I had no idea.

Tell me more.

Well, it took some persuasion,

but I finally convinced

the people at Encore Publishing

to get behind

- a critical biography...

- Oh?

Of the late, great

Vincent Frank.

Oh.

Splendid.

- It's about time too, right?

- Yes.

- Who is Vincent Frank?

- Mm.

Uh, Vincent Frank

is a national treasure.

He wrote five

of the most brilliant

unclassifiable plays of the

20th-century American theater.

And, uh, he grew up

in the Bronx with Adam,

and always referred to Adam

as his closest friend

and his literary conscience.

And don't forget,

his fiercest competitor.

Which is exactly why your input

would be so crucial to the book.

So, what did you

have in mind?

A series of interviews.

Your memories, your insight

into his creative process.

- It would be invaluable.

- Uh-huh.

Yeah, I am extremely busy

with my new play, but I'll...

I'll do whatever

I can to help.

Oh, that's wonderful.

That is so generous.

No. The privilege

is all mine.

This is a lovely Chteauneuf.

Isn't it, babe?

Mm, it's a little corky.

- Is it?

- Oh, look at the time.

I hate to be a...

- Party pooper?

- Thank you.

But my cousins

from Montpellier are in town.

Yeah, we can't desert

the French now, can we?

The balls on that putz.

"A series of interviews."

Call Charlie Rose, Bob.

Call 60 f***ing Minutes.

SANDRINE:

What a strange man.

He was so uncomfortable

in his own skin.

He once called

a play of mine

"a meaningless work

by a gifted writer."

That's his style.

Compliments you while sticking

a shiv in your back.

You don't have to help him.

You don't owe him anything.

No, but I owe Vincent.

If it wasn't for him,

I'd still be teaching

high school English in Yonkers.

I got all the glory.

But I envied him.

He was deeper,

and more original,

and uncompromising.

The rotten bastard.

Even now, from the grave,

he's one-upping me.

Well,

tonight,

you've got the edge on him.

Ruthie.

You look wonderful.

Hello, Adam.

I'm glad you could come.

I made some coffee.

You go sit.

You must be wondering

why I've been

so persistent.

I have some exciting news

about Vincent.

Oh.

You remember

his sister Lillian?

She died

this past summer.

No. I didn't know.

Her kids were cleaning out

her house and came across

a chest filled with

Vinnie's papers.

It wasn't just letters

and notebooks.

He said he destroyed it.

And it's brilliant.

It is the breakout play

his agent was always asking for.

And have you

contacted Judith?

Oh, she doesn't

return my calls.

Well, don't take it

personally.

Takes her a week

to get back to me.

Anyway, I want you

to read it first.

If it's as brilliant

as I think it is,

maybe you could

follow up with Judith.

Of course, Ruth.

If you could read it soon, that

would be a special favor for me.

Yeah, I'll read it. I'll...

I'll do what I can.

- I read it every night.

- Oh.

I keep the original

next to my bed.

It makes me feel

like he's here with me again.

[LAUGHS]

MAUD:

Hi, Mom.

Oh, my goodness,

you look so good!

Do you have a date?

Oh, please.

I've had this dress for years.

I'm just having an early dinner

with your Uncle Paul.

Oh, Uncle Paul's

in town?

For a few days

on union business.

Gotta love Uncle Paul.

Still out there, slugging away

for the working man.

Do you have that cute dress

that you got in Spain

with the red flowers?

Yeah.

Oh, nice.

ELEANOR:
It sounds like you're

the one with the hot date.

Not with the professor,

I hope.

No, I got out

of that mess.

Yeah. I've, uh, moved on

to greener pastures.

- Great.

- Yeah.

Who's the lucky guy?

I don't know.

He never speaks,

and he doesn't smile.

And he might

not show up tonight.

But you can't

have everything.

[LAUGHS]

[]

Look out, mama

Better get yourself

Over that hill

Come on, lace 'em up...

Thank you.

Thank you.

You got no insurance...

Oh. Manhattan clam chowder.

It's my favorite.

[SIGHS]

I'm sorry, Maud.

I don't mean

to be so unfriendly.

But I shouldn't be here.

I don't think I'd be

a suitable partner

for anyone right now.

Who said anything

about partners?

I think it would be nice if

we could just get through soup.

[SCOFFS]

That's a fine ambition.

- Let's try to get through soup.

- Great.

How was the rest

of your day, Samuel?

Well, it's... It isn't "Samuel,"

actually. It's Samir.

Samir. That's...

Wow, that's beautiful.

Yeah, my parents

are from Lebanon.

I was born

and raised in Seattle.

So why is it

that a fetching,

young Lebaneser like yourself

doesn't wanna partner up?

You a lonesome cowboy type?

Or did some psycho

ex-girlfriend

burn your house down?

What's the...?

I was married

for eight years.

No sh*t. Wow.

Ooh, the plot thickens.

Why didn't it work out?

Things don't always

work out in life.

Was it a horrible secret?

It's not a secret.

But it is horrible.

I'm sorry. I should not

have been so glib.

I'm very sorry. I'm sorry.

It's all right.

There's still

a lot of soup left. Ha.

I had no idea.

No idea.

[EASY-LISTENING

MUSIC PLAYING]

I'm stunned.

No, we-we acted as

if everything was fine

until Maggie

went to college.

And after I settled her

into her dorm,

the last thing

she said to me:

"Dad, thanks for

bringing me to school.

Now you and Mom can stop

pretending you're married."

[BOTH CHUCKLING]

They don't miss a thing.

They don't.

But, honestly, the marriage

had been dying for years.

The passion just...

Just drifted away.

That's so sad.

You know, the truth...

The truth, it set us both free.

You guys seemed

so indestructible.

- Like the teamsters.

- [BOTH CHUCKLING]

Well, that's exactly what

I thought about you and Adam.

Now I'm moving on to my exciting

future as a single old woman.

Oh, don't say that.

Don't say that.

You are an extraordinary

woman, Eleanor.

The world is gonna

open up for you

in ways that

you can't even imagine.

I don't know that I agree

with your appraisal, but it's...

It's sweet of you.

Adam's a remarkable man.

He's talented. I love him.

He's my brother.

But when he told me

you were splitting up,

I lost whatever respect

I may have had for him.

Oh, Paul, you don't

have to defend me.

[CHUCKLES]

Will you excuse me?

Oh, of course.

[SOBBING]

Are you out of your...

f***ing mind?

That was totally

inappropriate.

What could you

possibly be thinking?

I'm sorry, Eleanor.

I've been waiting 35 years

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