Carnage Page #5

NANCY:

Fruitless.

MICHAEL:

Guys. Right, she's right. This kind

of talk is fruitless.

ALAN:

Why do you feel you need to slip in

the word deliberately? What kind of

lesson are you trying to teach me?

NANCY:

(suddenly rising:)

All right, this is getting silly. My

husband is all stressed out over work

stuff. I'll come back here tonight

with Zachary and we'll let them work

it out naturally.

ALAN:

I am not stressed out in the least.

NANCY:

Well I am.

MICHAEL:

There's no reason to be stressed out.

NANCY:

Yes there is.

ALAN’s cell vibrates.

He rises and takes a step away, trying to keep his

conversation separate.

ALAN:

Yeah?

While he speaks on the phone, the others try to continue

their own dialog.

WALTER (O.S. - TEL)

OK, it has been picked up. We’ve

got three radio stations after us

for comment.

29.

ALAN:

No comment.

WALTER (O.S. - TEL)

Well maybe we could just say

we’re...

ALAN:

No. Comment.

WALTER (O.S. - TEL)

What if I say that we’re awaiting

confirmation and that we would

recall it...

ALAN:

No, you can't recall it! If you

recall it, you're admitting

liability!

WALTER (O.S. - TEL)

This whole thing is weighing on

me. There are real patients behind

this, who...

ALAN:

Recalling Antril would be admitting

your liability!

PENELOPE:

In the school play last Christmas,

wasn't it Zachary who played...

NANCY:

Ebenezer Scrooge.

ALAN:

There's no contingency budgeted in

the annual report. I mean if you want

to get accused of accounting

irregularities, if you want them to

haul you out of the meeting in

handcuffs two weeks from now, go

right ahead and recall it!

PENELOPE:

Ebenezer Scrooge, right.

In order to counter the nuisance of the other conversation,

ALAN speaks louder and louder into his phone.

WALTER (O.S. - TEL)

My personal responsibility is a

factor here. I’m thinking about

the victims, the families...

30.

ALAN:

Let’s think about the victims after

the stockholders' meeting, Walter.

WALTER (O.S. - TEL)

Children take Antril!

ALAN:

We'll see where the stock is after

the meeting.

WALTER (O.S. - TEL)

Well, you’re the attorney.

PENELOPE raises her voice as well, to compensate.

PENELOPE:

He was wonderful.

NANCY sits down with some difficulty. She doesn’t look well.

NANCY:

Yes.

ALAN:

We can't recall a drug because

three guys can't walk a straight

line!

WALTER (O.S. - TEL)

Right.

ALAN:

For the time being, don’t make a

move.

WALTER (O.S. - TEL)

All right, all right. I won’t do

anything without your OK.

ALAN:

Good, call you right back.

ALAN hangs up and immediately calls his assistant.

PENELOPE:

We remember him as Scrooge. Right

Michael? You remember.

MICHAEL:

Sure, sure.

ALAN:

(to his assistant:)

They’re in panic mode. They have the

media breathing down their necks.

31.

PENELOPE:

With that night bonnet. He was very

funny.

NANCY:

Yes.

ALAN:

(raising his voice:)

I want a release that doesn't

sound defensive at all. Just the

opposite. Go for the jugular. TW

Pharma is a target. Attempt at

manipulation of the stock two

weeks before the stockholders'

meeting. Where did this study come

from anyway? How does this

suddenly drop out of a clear blue

sky, etcetera. Not one word about

the health issue. Only one

question:
Who is behind the study?

Who?

DENNIS (O.S. - TEL)

Got it.

ALAN:

Fine.

He hangs up. A short silence.

MICHAEL:

Pharmaceutical companies are the

worst, right? Profit, profit, profit.

ALAN is hardly listening and answers reflexively, all the

while trying to dial another number.

ALAN:

Nobody said you should listen to my

conversation.

MICHAEL:

Nobody said you should have it under

my nose.

ALAN:

(still elsewhere:)

Wrong. I am totally forced to have it

here. Against my will, believe me.

MICHAEL:

They just peddle the sh*t, right?

Nobody’s responsible.

ALAN has his cell to his ear. He is speaking to MICHAEL, but

obviously waiting for an answer on the phone, which doesn’t

come.

32.

ALAN:

In any therapeutic advance there are

benefits and there are risks.

MICHAEL:

Yeah, sure I know. Still. I mean you

got some funny line of work.

ALAN gives up on his call and comes over to stand in front

of MICHAEL.

ALAN:

What does that mean?

PENELOPE:

Michael, it's none of our business.

MICHAEL:

Funny line of work.

ALAN:

What about you, what do you do?

MICHAEL:

I got a normal job.

ALAN:

What's a normal job?

MICHAEL:

I told you, I sell pots and pans.

ALAN:

And door handles.

MICHAEL:

And flush mechanisms. And lot of

other stuff.

ALAN:

Oh, flush mechanisms. I like that.

That's interesting.

NANCY:

Alan.

ALAN:

I find that interesting. Flush

toilets are interesting.

MICHAEL:

Why not?

ALAN:

How many different kinds do you have?

33.

MICHAEL:

There are two basic kinds. You got

your push button and your handle

operated.

ALAN:

Right, yeah.

MICHAEL:

Depends where your water line is.

ALAN:

I see.

MICHAEL:

It either comes from the side near

the top, or it comes from the bottom.

ALAN:

Right.

MICHAEL:

One of my store managers is anexpert. I could introduce you if you

want, but you'll have to hump it out

to Jamaica, Queens.

ALAN:

You seem like you know your business

pretty well.

PENELOPE:

Do you plan to sanction Zachary in

some way? You can continue your

plumbing discussion in a more

suitable setting.

NANCY:

I don't feel well.

NANCY rises, takes off her coat, tries to breathe easy as

she walks around the room.

PENELOPE:

What's the matter?

ALAN:

Oh, you do look pale honey.

MICHAEL:

You're all white, yeah.

NANCY:

I'm nauseous.

PENELOPE is on the case, quickly concerned.

34.

PENELOPE:

Nauseous? I have some Reglan.

NANCY:

No. I'll be fine.

PENELOPE:

What could we..? Coke. What you need

is a Coke.

The words are hardly out and she dashes off to the kitchen.

9 INT. KITCHEN - DAY 9

In the kitchen, Peneleope swings the refrigerator door open -

no Coke. She opens a pantry closet and finds a six-pack of

Coke, tears one out of the plastic.

She opens it as she rushes out.

10 INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY 10

PENELOPE comes running back into the living room and hands

the can to NANCY.

PENELOPE:

(terribly sorry:
)

It’s not cold.

(to MICHAEL:
)

It’s not cold!

NANCY:

You think?

PENELOPE:

Oh yes. Little sips.

NANCY:

Thanks.

PENELOPE:

(to MICHAEL:
)

The Coke was not in the refrigerator!

Meantime, ALAN has discreetly called his office back and is

listening to someone on the phone.

FEMALE ASSOCIATE (O.S. - TEL)

He’s on another call.

ALAN:

Oh.

FEMALE ASSOCIATE (O.S. - TEL)

He’ll call you right back.

35.

ALAN:

Good. Have him call me back. Tell him

right away.

(hangs up)

Is Coke good for that? It's more for

diarrhea, isn't it?

PENELOPE:

Not only.

(to NANCY:
)

Better?

NANCY:

I'm fine. Mrs. Longstreet, if we

decide to reprimand our child, we'll

do it in our own way and on our own

terms.

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