Elle Page #4

---

18.

Bob fakes being impressed. Michelle makes a sound as if shewere going to speak but then clams up. All look at her.

MICHELLE:

I was trying to... I was going totry to find a way to segue intothis organically but there reallyis no graceful way so I’m justgoing to dump it on the table... Iwas assaulted a couple of days ago.

In my home. I guess I was raped.

ANNA:

Oh my god.

RICHARD:

Raped?

ANNA:

Oh my God.

ROBERT:

Seriously?

RICHARD:

A couple of days ago?

MICHELLE:

Thursday. Night.

RICHARD:

You don’t say anything?

ANNA:

Oh my God.

MICHELLE:

I really haven’t known what tosay... What is there to say? I feelstupid now for bringing it up.

RICHARD:

Are you insane?

The Waiter finally comes over.

WAITER:

Have we had time to look at the

menu?

Robert looks at his menu, as if they were actually going to

do that now, but then he reads the table. To the waiter

19.

ROBERT:

Give us a minute, huh?

The Waiter reads the table too and quickly withdraws.

ROBERT (CONT’D)

We’re talking about a real rapehere?

ANNA:

A real rape?

ROBERT:

She knows what I meant.

ANNA:

I don’t think you do.

ROBERT:

Don’t get political now. Yourclosest friend was just raped!

Apparently... You were? For real?

MICHELLE:

It was real. He wore a mask and

everything.

RICHARD:

Jesus Christ. You’re telling usthis now?

MICHELLE:

I’m telling you now.

No one knows what to say. A moment of silence.

ANNA:

Are you alright? You have to get amedical exam...

MICHELLE:

I took care of all that. I got afull blood panel.

RICHARD:

What have the cops told you?

(off her look)

You haven’t reported this?

ANNA:

Michelle, you have to report thisto the police. Immediately.

20.

MICHELLE:

Why?

ANNA:

Why?!

MICHELLE:

It’s over. It doesn’t need to be

talked about anymore. It doesn’tneed to be commemorated in anyway... Let’s order something.

Anything.

29 EXT. RESTAURANT -- NIGHT 29

A grim Richard walks out with Michelle. They exchange solemnwaves with Anna and Robert going off the other way.

RICHARD:

Where’s your car?

She nods the way. They walk in silence a moment.

RICHARD (CONT’D)

If you’re reluctant to go to thepolice because...

MICHELLE:

Of course I’m reluctant to go tothe police because. I’m neverdealing with police, ever again.

That was my vow.

This seems to make sense to him for some reason.

RICHARD:

I’m going to get you a gun.

MICHELLE:

I don’t believe in guns.

(cutting him off)

Richard, I should tell you I sharedyour proposal with our financiers.

They weren’t interested.

RICHARD:

I don’t want to talk about that

now.

MICHELLE:

Alright.

She opens her car door with her key.

21.

RICHARD:

But I guess now I might as well askwhat you thought of it.

MICHELLE:

Don’t take it hard. It doesn’t have

anything to do with the quality ofyour work. It’s a business that’svery tied into a particulardemographic.

RICHARD:

A demographic that doesn’t care ifsomething’s good?

MICHELLE:

Pretty much.

RICHARD:

You don’t have to shield me.

Really, what did you think of it?

MICHELLE:

I think you should finish yournovel. You’re a real writer.

RICHARD:

A penniless, real writer.

He stops, noticing her color paint on his front bumper.

MICHELLE:

Looks like somebody dented yourfender.

RICHARD:

(smiling)

If I get my hands on the punk...

Michelle gives him a smile and kiss, gets in her car.

30 EXT. MCDONALD’S -- DAY 30

Michelle pulls up. Vincent emerges from the interior in hisMcDonald's uniform, carrying a McFlurry - which he hands tohis mother as he climbs in.

VINCENT:

On the house. I made it myself.

He seems proud of that. Michelle smiles thanks.

22.

31 INT. EMPTY APARTMENT -- DAY 31

A man in an impeccable suit opens the door for Mich.le andVincent

MAN:

Mrs. Leblanc, yes? I am theapartment manager. Please come in.

They follow him to the main room where an extremely pregnantwoman, Josie, is measuring a corner with a tape measure.

JOSIE:

Hello Mich.le! Vin, could you holdthis for a moment?

Vincent takes the end of the tape measure, Josie stretches it

out.

JOSIE (CONT’D)

The bookcase is 150 centimeters...

so... there... like that. Can youstand there, so I can see?

She positions Vincent so that he’s a stand-in for the bookcase. He’s contientously very still as she extends his arm.

VINCENT:

Right here?

JOSIE:

Don’t just act like the bookcase.

Be the bookcase.

She measures down from his extended arm to the floor.

MICHELLE:

(smiling)

Vincent is quite the actor. When hewas 12 he was a model for “Kronos”,

our first game.

JOSIE:

Ah...! And I’m sure you were great!

She kisses him furtively and then again intensively. Vincent -

in the presence of his mother - feels akward. He makes agrand gesture towards the room.

VINCENT:

Nice, huh?

MICHELLE:

A little too nice, don't you think?

23.

Vincent demeanor goes gloomy instantly. Josie continues withher measuring tape.

JOSIE (TO VINCENT)

There's room for a 50 inch here....

Did you ask her?

Michelle looks to Vincent. Ask me what?

VINCENT:

You know how you were going to buyus a microwave? We were hopingmaybe you could save your money onthat and give us a tv as thehousewarming present instead.

MICHELLE:

Don't you need an oven more than anew TV?

JOSIE:

(pausing to precisely

write down measurements)

The unit comes with a microwave, a

refrigerator, everything.

MICHELLE:

It does? Is this the same apartmentyou told me about?

Vincent looks ashamed. The manager speaks up-

APARTMENT MANAGER

No, it's not. This is one of our

elite units. This is 250 euros a

month more.

JOSIE:

(going back to measuring)

The other one there was ridiculous.

There was nowhere to put a crib,

even. It was preposterous

MICHELLE:

A little uncomfortable, maybe.

JOSIE:

Yeah. Uncomfortable.

MICHELLE:

You do realize having a child isall about suffering?

(MORE)

24.

MICHELLE (CONT'D)

When Vincent was born, it was three

hours of torture before they gaveup and cut him out of me. At thatpoint, I would've gutted myselfwith the jagged end of a brokenbeer bottle to end the pain.

Josie meets Michelle's gaze flatly.

JOSIE:

If you don't want to help us, don'thelp us. Nobody's holding a gun toyour head.

MICHELLE:

If I don't help you, how are yougoing to live?

JOSIE:

That's our problem.

MICHELLE:

No- no, you see, you don't get todo that. You don't get to actfiercely independent while taking

my money.

JOSIE:

None of this sh*t was my idea.

(to Vincent)

I know you want to show off andmake all these big, nice thingshappen but, Jesus, at some pointyou have to deliver, right? Alittle? Something? Once? It’salways total bullshit. Whatever waythings are going to be is never theway they are!

She chokes up, throws down the tape measure and stalks away.

Fuming impotently, Vincent hits the wall.

APARTMENT MANAGER

Hey, hey, hey!

Vincent instantly turns from raging bear to shamed child.

MICHELLE:

This is impossible. You realizethat? She's a lunatic and you're...

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes