Carol Page #19

---

INT. THERESE’S APARTMENT BUILDING. HALLWAY PHONE. NIGHT.

Extremely CLOSE on THERESE hearing CAROL disconnect, butholding on in the void.

THERESE:

(prayerful)

I miss you. I miss you.

INT. HARGE’S PARENTS HOUSE. NEW JERSEY. DAY.

HARGE, CAROL, JENNIFER and JOHN are seated together for aweekday lunch, with everything distinctly in its place.

Eisenhower’s inauguration proceedings can be heard andglimpsed on the living room television set.

JENNIFER:

More mashed potatoes, Carol?

CAROL:

Yes - Thanks. They’re delicious.

(Rectangle comment ccaruso

10/30/2015 11:
46:22 PM

blank)

CAROL reaches over to take the bowl of mashed potatoes, butHARGE gets to it first, spoons some out for CAROL. Theatmosphere is polite, but far from relaxed.

CAROL (CONT’D) (CONT’D)

Thank you. (beat) I thought...

perhaps... Chester and Marge wouldbe here by now. With Rindy...

JENNIFER:

Marge said to go ahead, not towait.

HARGE:

(to CAROL)

I’m sure they’ll be here soon.

CAROL appreciates HARGE’S small kindness.

JOHN:

Harge tells us you’ve been gettingalong quite well with your doctor,

Carol.

JENNIFER:

And why shouldn’t she be getting onwell. He’s a very expensive doctor.

CAROL:

He’s actually not a doctor but apsychotherapist.

JENNIFER:

Well he comes very well regarded.

JOHN:

(to HARGE)

A Yale man, like your uncle.

CAROL:

(ever so slightly edgy)

But that doesn’t make him a doctor.

HARGE throws her a little look.

(Rectangle comment ccaruso

10/30/2015 11:
47:13 PM

blank)

CAROL (CONT’D) (CONT’D)

I do like him. Very much. He’s beena great help.

JENNIFER and JOHN continue eating in silence.

INT. HARGE’S PARENTS HOUSE. LATER.

CAROL sits alone near the living room window, caught in astare. She’s jolted out of it by the sound of JENNIFER,

approaching with a cup of tea. CAROL turns.

CAROL:

Thank you Jennifer, but I’m fine,

really-

JENNIFER:

It’ll calm your nerves.

JENNIFER sets it down on a small end table, and places a handon CAROL’s shoulder. Just then we hear the sound of a car

coming up the drive.

CAROL:

They’re here.

CAROL rises, gives her hair a quick pat and starts off toward

the door.

JENNIFER:

Just a moment, dear.

CAROL stops, turns. JENNIFER walks over to where CAROL stands

her and adjusts her collar.

CAROL manages to maintain composure, then turn from JENNIFER

and continues on to the door.

EXT. HARGE’S PARENTS HOUSE. LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING.

CONTINUOUS.

CAROL runs to greet RINDY, who walks hand-in-hand with aMIDDLE AGED COUPLE, RINDY’S AUNT AND UNCLE. When she sees herMother, RINDY lets go of their hands and runs towards CAROL.

They meet. CAROL kneels down and sweeps RINDY into her arms.

She hugs her tightly, holding on for dear life.

CAROL:

Oh baby... my baby girl...

INT. THERESE’S APARTMENT. AFTERNOON.

DANNIE is over, helping THERESE repaint her apartment.

THERESE is on a ladder, painting some molding near theceiling and DANNIE is below. As the RADIO plays (”Lullaby ofBirdland” by Georges Shearing), DANNIE spots THERESE wipingsweat from her brow. They’ve clearly been at it a while.

DANNIE:

I think it’s break time. Let me

fetch some brews.

THERESE:

Sounds good.

DANNIE goes to the kitchen to grab some beers and an opener.

THERESE has been developing more photos - almost all of thempictures of CAROL from their trip. DANNIE can’t help but take

a look.

He hears something behind him and turns. It’s THERESE.

DANNIE:

These are seriously good. I mean,

they really capture - whoever thisis.

THERESE:

They’re just practice.

THERESE crosses the room and begins picking up the pictures,

tidying the area.

DANNIE:

You really should put together aportfolio. Say the word, I’llintroduce you to my pal at theTimes. There’s always a clerk jobgoing.

THERESE shakes her head, takes the pictures into the otherroom and s pulls open a drawer to stash them in.

DANNIE (CONT’D)

You went away with her, right?

THERESE:

Yes.

DANNIE:

So what happened?

THERESE:

Ohh. Nothing. It’s - hard to...

DANNIE:

(after a beat)

Is it because I tried to kiss youthat day? Because if it is, don’teven think about that, I mean,

don’t be afraid of-

THERESE:

I’m not afraid.

THERESE is stopped a moment by her own words, reminding herof another time and place. She looks back at him.

THERESE (CONT’D)

Let’s finish while we still have

light, okay?

DANNIE shrugs and they get back to work.

DANNIE:

I still think you should put

together that portfolio.

INT. THERESE’S APARTMENT. LATE NIGHT.

THERESE sits on her kitchen floor sorting photographs, acigarette burning in an ashtray beside her. She’s busyplacing them into neat piles. We see her older work -

LANDSCAPES, STILL LIFE’S, ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS - and all hernewer work - PHOTOS OF KIDS PLAYING IN THE STREET, OLD WOMENDRAGGING SHOPPING CARTS, CITY FACES - virtually all of themdepicting people. At the bottom of one pile she discovers thepicture of CAROL BUYING THE XMAS TREE. She considers it amoment before pulling it out of the stack.

EXT. CENTRAL PARK. A FEW DAYS LATER. AFTERNOON.

(Rectangle comment ccaruso

10/30/2015 10:
47:58 PM

blank)

It’s a gray, rainy day at the park. Walkers with umbrellas.

RICHARD has brought THERESE a box of her belongings.

RICHARD:

Everything’s there. (beat) Mymother washed and ironed yourblouses.

THERESE:

Thank her for me?

RICHARD:

You can thank her yourself.

THERESE:

Richard...

RICHARD:

What do you expect me to say? Imean... You never even wrote-

THERESE looks away.

THERESE:

I tried, I just... I couldn’t findthe words.

She tries to touch his shoulder, he moves away from her.

RICHARD:

Please don’t touch me.(he shakes

his head). After what we had -

after what you did... Throwing itall away.

THERESE:

What did we have?

RICHARD:

Thanks, that’s...

THERESE:

No - tell me!

RICHARD:

You tell me, Terry. Did you - didyou love me even a little?

They hold a look, but THERESE can’t hurt him like this. Sheturns away.

THERESE:

Please, please don’t hate me. I’mstill... me. Still the same personI always was.

RICHARD:

No. You’re not, alright? You’resomeone else now. And I can’t. I

can’t forgive you. (beat) So long,

Terry.

A beat, before RICHARD leaves. THERESE doesn’t move.

INT. CAROL’S HOUSE. DUSK.

CAROL sits in the lantern seat off her stairway, looking out

at the night. From down below she hears the RADIO REPORT

blaring on, announcing the death of Stalin.

The radio is lowered and CAROL looks down. She sees Abby

starting up the stairs with two cups of coffee. CAROL starts

down to meet her.

ABBY:

Stay. Stay.

CAROL:

Don’t be silly.

She takes her cup from ABBY and starts back up to her seat.

CAROL returns to where she was sitting and ABBY sits on the

stairs below her. ABBY can read CAROL’s despondency from a

mile away.

CAROL (CONT’D)

I don’t know if I can do it, Abby.

What more can I do? How many more -

tomato aspic lunches... just to

come home every night without her.

To this!

Rate this script:4.3 / 19 votes