Carnage Page #3

ALAN:

Oh. Oh, I see.

14.

WALTER (O.S. - TEL)

I’m going to find out who else knows

about this report.

ALAN:

OK.

ALAN hangs up and immediately dials another number, all the

while gobbling down his cobbler.

NANCY:

Alan, we're all waiting for you.

ALAN:

Yeah, right. One second.

(on cell:
)

Dennis?

DENNIS (O.S. - TEL)

Did you talk to him?

ALAN:

They've known about the risks for

two and a half years.

DENNIS (O.S. - TEL)

Jesus.

ALAN:

An internal report, but no

undesirable side-effects are

firmly established.

DENNIS (O.S. - TEL)

Appropriate action?

ALAN:

No. No precautionary measures and

they didn't schedule a reserve.

Nothing in the annual report.

DENNIS (O.S. - TEL)

I can’t believe it. And what are

the symptoms?

ALAN:

Lack of balance, jerky gait, the

works. Basically, you look like

you’re drunk.

DENNIS (O.S. - TEL)

(laughter)

ALAN and his assistant have a laugh. He stuffs himself

with cobbler, laughing and talking with his mouth full,

unabashed.

15.

ALAN:

Roughly half a billion in

revenues.

(long beat:
)

You there?

DENNIS (O.S. - TEL)

What did you advise him to do?

ALAN:

Deny.

DENNIS (O.S. - TEL)

Of course.

ALAN:

That dumbshit wanted us to write a

letter to the editor. No way we're

writing a letter. On the other

hand, if we see this is getting

picked up, we could do a press

release. Like somebody's spreading

false rumors two weeks out from

the A.S.M. kind of thing.

DENNIS (O.S. - TEL)

Want me to broach it with him?

ALAN:

He's calling me back.

DENNIS (O.S. - TEL)

All right. We hold tight for now.

We work on a press release.

ALAN:

OK.

(hangs up)

I've been so busy, I hardly had time

for lunch.

MICHAEL:

Help yourself, help yourself.

ALAN:

Thanks. I know I'm pushing it. Where

were we?

PENELOPE:

We were saying it would have been

better to meet some other way.

ALAN:

Oh, right. Yeah. So this cobbler,

your mother, huh?

16.

MICHAEL:

It's my mother's recipe but Pen made

it.

PENELOPE:

Your mother's doesn't make it with

pear and apple!

MICHAEL:

No.

PENELOPE:

She has to have an operation, poor

thing.

NANCY:

Yeah? What for?

PENELOPE:

The knee.

MICHAEL:

She's going to get a polyethylene and

metallic prosthesis. She's wondering

what's going to be left of it after

the cremation.

PENELOPE:

Michael, that’s mean.

MICHAEL:

She doesn't want to be buried with my

father. She wants to be cremated, and

put upstate next to her mother, who's

all alone. A couple of urns jabbering

away on the shores of Lake Sebago.

Ha, ha!

Everyone laughs politely. They all rise. Very discreetly,

ALAN edges toward the exit.

NANCY:

We're very touched by how generous

you're being. We realize how you're

trying to smooth things out here

instead of making them worse.

PENELOPE:

Please, it's the least we could do.

MICHAEL:

Yeah!

NANCY:

No, come on. So many parents just

take their kids' side, acting like

children themselves.

(MORE)

17.

NANCY (CONT'D)

If Ethan had broken two of Zachary's

teeth, I'm thinking Alan and I might

have had more of a knee-jerk

reaction. I'm not sure we would see

the big picture.

MICHAEL:

Sure you would!

ALAN:

She's right. I'm not so sure.

MICHAEL:

You would. Because we all know it

could have happened the other way

around.

Beat. PENELOPE’s disapproval of her husband’s remark is

silent, but clear.

PENELOPE:

So what does Zachary say? How is he

experiencing this?

NANCY:

He doesn't talk much. A little

overwhelmed I guess.

PENELOPE:

But he realizes that he disfigured

his schoolmate?

ALAN:

No. No, he doesn't realize that he

disfigured his schoolmate.

NANCY:

Why do you say that? Of course

Zachary realizes!

ALAN:

He realizes that this violent

behavior is unacceptable. Not that he

disfigured his schoolmate.

PENELOPE:

You don't like the word but

unfortunately the word is

appropriate.

ALAN:

My son did not disfigure your son.

PENELOPE:

Your son disfigured our son. Come

back after school hours, look at his

mouth and teeth.

18.

MICHAEL:

Momentarily disfigured.

ALAN:

His mouth will be fine when the

swelling goes down. As for the teeth,

if he needs it, we'd be willing to

chip in for the best dental care...

MICHAEL:

We got insurance for that. What we

want is for the boys to patch it up,

make sure nothing like this ever

happens again.

NANCY:

Let's set up a meeting.

MICHAEL:

Yeah. Exactly.

PENELOPE:

With us there?

ALAN:

They don't need coaching. Let them

work it out like men.

NANCY:

Like men. Alan, don't be ridiculous.

On the other hand, maybe we don't

need to be there. Maybe it's better

if we weren't there, right?

PENELOPE:

The issue is not whether we should be

there or not. The issue is, do they

want to talk, do they want to clear

this up?

MICHAEL:

Ethan does.

PENELOPE:

But Zachary?

NANCY:

We won’t give him a choice.

PENELOPE:

It has to come from him.

NANCY:

Zachary acts like a thug, we're not

going to wait around for him to see

the light.

19.

PENELOPE:

If Zachary sees Ethan in a punitive

context, because he's forced to, I

can't see anything positive coming

out of that.

ALAN:

Mrs. Longstreet, our son is a maniac.

If you hope he'll suddenly and

spontaneously get all apologetic,

you're dreaming. Look I'm sorry, but

I really do have to get back to the

office.

ALAN forces the moment. “Time to go.”

NANCY rises as well. Pretty soon, everyone is standing.

6 INT. FOYER - DAY 6

ALAN:

Nancy, you stay. You'll let me know

what was decided. I'm no use to

anyone anyway. Women think you need

the man, you need the father, like it

would do any good.

NANCY:

I'm really sorry, but I can't stay

either. My husband has never been

much of an I'll-push-the-stroller

type daddy.

Everyone drifts toward the door.

PENELOPE:

Too bad. It's wonderful walking with

a child. It goes by so fast. Michael,

you really liked taking care of the

kids, you had a ball pushing that

stroller.

MICHAEL:

Yeah, sure.

7 INT. ELEVATOR & LANDING - DAY 7

Everyone is in the foyer. PENELOPE hands NANCY her coat and

she puts it on. ALAN has opened the door and is already at

the doorstep when PENELOPE speaks:

PENELOPE:

So what should we decide?

20.

NANCY:

Could you come over to our place at

about seven-thirty, with Ethan?

PENELOPE:

Seven-thirty? What do you think,

Michael?

MICHAEL:

Well, if you want my opinion...

NANCY:

Yes, please.

MICHAEL:

I think Zachary should come over

here.

PENELOPE:

Yes, I agree.

MICHAEL:

The victim shouldn't be the one who

makes the trip.

PENELOPE:

That's right.

ALAN already has one foot out on the landing.

ALAN:

I can't be anywhere at seven-thirty.

NANCY:

Who needs you? You're useless, right?

PENELOPE:

Seriously, I think it's a good idea

for his father to be there.

ALAN’s cell vibrates again.

ALAN:

(answering PENELOPE:)

All right but not tonight.

(on phone:
)

Yeah?

(backing off theelevator:)

Can you hear me now? Hello?

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