Catwoman Page #3

Season #1 Episode #2

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INT. AVENAL HQ -ACCOUNTING BULLPEN -DAY

OVERHEAD ANGLE on a rat's maze of office cubicles, peopledwith ACCOUNTING STAFF. FIND PATIENCE tapping at herterminal, sipping COFFEE. It's a grim little space,

enlivened by a GARFIELD toy, some New Yorker cartoons.

PATIENCE seems bored by the drone work --then she c*cks her

head at something on the screen, leans closer. She double-

checks DATA in the print-outs. Something doesn't tally.

ON SCREEN --among a long list of figures, we see "YP-3"

highlighted, followed by a series of numbers.

PATIENCE gets up quickly with the printouts, she spills a fewdrops of COFFEE on her white blouse. She dabs at these

distractedly as she moves through the bullpen toward aglassed-in office. She knocks on the open door, where we seethe name "D. BERGER -ACCOUNTING."

(CONTINUED)

11.

CONTINUED:

PATIENCE:

Dave, I was just going over the first quarter

expenses. Our lab fees for this one additive -YP-

3 --have gone through the roof.

BERGER, a balding, bespectacled accountant, looks up asPatience moves around his desk to show him some figures.

PATIENCE:

Look at this, an overage of eight hundred percenton "extruded pellets" alone --I'm not even sure

what that is -

BERGER:

Rat chow.

Berger's concerned. As they huddle over the figures, we heara CHOPPER approach. CAMERA MOVES PAST THEM, OUT the WINDOW -

EXT. AVENAL HQ -DAY

--CAMERA SWINGS UP the 40-story skyscraper in the businessdistrict of a city mixing architecture old and new. CAMERA

PASSES a WINDOW WASHER on a cable-driven rig. NEARING the

ROOF, we see a glowing sign which reads "AVENAL BEAUTY" -and

a PASSENGER CHOPPER coming in for a landing.

EXT. AVENAL HQ -HELIPAD -DAY

THE CHOPPER touches down on a HELIPAD atop an elevatedPENTHOUSE. GEORGES AVENAL emerges, ducking in the bladewash. The company's CEO, Georges is charismatic, handsome,

immaculately tailored --an exacting a**hole to the core.

Getting out of the helicopter behind him, his menacing,

silent bodyguard ANGEL carries a leather suitcase or two.

LAUREL AVENAL trots toward her husband with open arms.

Laurel is 30-something, a still-gorgeous super-model but, in

person, a tad past her prime. She comes across as sweet and

well-meaning, but a bit dim and victimized.

LAUREL:

Oh honey, welcome back!

She throws her arms around Georges to give him a kiss, but he

pushes her away, turns aside to SNEEZE.

(CONTINUED)

12.

CONTINUED:

LAUREL:

Are you all right?

GEORGES:

My allergies. I thought you were getting rid ofthat vile dog of yours.

GEORGES plucks a long DOG HAIR from her clothes, holds it upfor her to see, then moves on briskly, down an externalflight of stairs from the helipad to a PENTHOUSE below.

Laurel follows after him, Angel in the rear.

LAUREL:

Georges, when you're gone, Tippy is all I've gotand --I get so lonely.

GEORGES:

So get a bird or a fish, something that doesn'tshed.

(a glance at her)

Have you gained weight?

They head through glass doors into the PENTHOUSE.

INT. AVENAL HQ -PENTHOUSE -DAY

LAUREL protests, examining her body.

LAUREL:

No no, it's muscle --I've been working out, doingmy Tae KwanDo -

She flexes a MUSCLE to demonstrate. GEORGES isn't

interested, looking at the penthouse decor with distaste.

Meanwhile ANGEL moves to an elevator, presses a down buttonand awaits his masters.

The penthouse is a large, dramatic space, decorated in afrilly, Louis XIV style --classical STATUARY of nude

females, ornate DRAPERIES across one wall --there are

LADDERS, cans of paint, a work in progress. A large PORTRAITof LAUREL dominates the room. In one alcove is a MOVIE-STAR

MAKE-UP MIRROR, surrounded by lights.

GEORGES:

What the hell happened here?

(CONTINUED)

13.

CONTINUED:

LAUREL:

I'm doing some redecorating, I've had so much timeon my hands --do you like it?

GEORGES:

No. What's with the curtains?

LAUREL:

Draperies. They soften the space...

GEORGES:

I like hard spaces.

(off her hurt look)

Whatever, Laurel, if it makes you happy. I plan to

be spending more time at the factory, anyway.

He enters the ELEVATOR, Laurel behind, Angel hits the button.

INT. AVENAL HQ -ELEVATOR BANK -DAY

A LARGE GRAPHIC depicts LAUREL and GEORGE together. PATIENCE

curls her lip at this as she presses the DOWN button.

DOORS OPEN to reveal the real LAUREL and GEORGES, startlingPatience a bit, the impassive ANGEL behind them. Patience

takes a half-step forward and hesitates, reluctant to getaboard, frozen in place. The DOORS start to close, then openagain --she's in the way.

GEORGES:

In or out?

PATIENCE meekly steps into the elevator, presses a button forthe lobby, nervously keeping her eyes fixed to the front.

INT. AVENAL HQ -ELEVATOR -DAY

GEORGES leans past her to hit "DOOR CLOSE." Many CAT HAIRSare sprinkled on her clothes, he SNIFFS and stifles a sneeze.

He looks Patience over, and doesn't like what he sees.

GEORGES:

Excuse me, miss. Do you know who I am?

(CONTINUED)

14.

CONTINUED:

PATIENCE:

Um... of course. You're Georges Avenal --you ownthe company -

GEORGES:

Then you actually work for me. Are you familiarwith our products?

PATIENCE:

Yes sir, I just can't really afford them -

GEORGES:

You can afford some peroxide, can't you? Do

something about this mousy hair.

GEORGES runs a hand distastefully through her frizzy hair,

then takes a moment to study her.

GEORGES:

Stain on your blouse, run in your pantyhose --and

that color's awful on you.

(fingering her outfit)

Do you own an iron? Show me your hands.

Shaking, Patience extends her hands. Georges inspects hertrembling fingers. He seems saddened, clucks his tongue.

GEORGES:

A nail-biter... my my, you really are the "before"

picture, aren't you?

LAUREL:

I could give her the number for my manicurist -

GEORGES:

(waving Laurel off)

What's your name?

PATIENCE:

Patience...

GEORGES:

I haven't got all day -

(CONTINUED)

15.

CONTINUED:

PATIENCE:

No, my name's Patience, Patience Price. I'm in

accounting.

GEORGES:

I'm afraid that's no excuse. Regardless of yourposition, you do represent Avenal Beauty. I simplycan't allow that to continue.

PATIENCE:

Wait. You're not --firing me?

GEORGES:

I have no choice. All we have to sell is an image

--and you are not it. You've got to go.

DING! The DOOR OPENS. Patience stares at the man in

disbelief, then bolts out into the SHOWROOM.

STAY WITH GEORGES, LAUREL and ANGEL as the doors close.

LAUREL:

Poor girl.

GEORGES studies Laurel's face a moment, leans closer, amazed.

GEORGES:

Is that a pimple?

INT. JOEY'S DINER -DAY

A retro place, PATIENCE and SALLY sit in a booth over SALADS

and SODAS. Sally leans across the table, fixing Patience's

make-up --her mascara's run from crying, her nose is red.

An open MAKE-UP POUCH rests between them.

PATIENCE:

I try, Sally, I really do. I read Vogue, I wearuncomfortable shoes... I've been a female all mylife, you'd think I'd be better at it by now.

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