Five Easy Pieces Page #14

SPICER:

Give up! Give up! Give up! Give up!

Give up! Give up!

He feels Bobby's body slacken. He releases him and

Bobby drops to the floor as...

... Carl, Catherine and Tita run into the kitchen,

looking to:

Bobby, gasping for air, tries to get up from the

floor, and unable to, slumps back against the

kitchen wall.

TITA:

Oh God, Bobby, look what you've

done...

He looks past her, to Catherine.

BOBBY:

I just wanted to talk to you for a

minute.

EXT. BAYFRONT - DAY

Catherine and Bobby sit on a low stone wall

bordering the Dupea property. Each is staring out

at the ocean, and after a moment:

CATHERINE:

No. It's useless, Robert. It

wouldn't work, not ever...

BOBBY:

Just give me a chance, will you?

CATHERINE:

I'm trying to be delicate with you,

but you're not understanding me.

It's not just because of Carl, or

my music, but because of you...

(she looks at him)

I mean, what would it come to? If a

person has no love for himself, no

respect, no love for his work, his

family, his friends, something...

How can he ask for love in return?

I mean, why should he ask for it?

Profoundly wounded, he looks away from her.

BOBBY:

And living out here, in this rest

home asylum, that's what you want?

CATHERINE:

Yes.

BOBBY:

(looking back to her)

That'll make you happy.

CATHERINE:

I hope it will, yes.

(she pauses, then:)

I'm sorry.

Needing to distance herself from witnessing his

pain, she gets up and moves OUT OF FRAME.

His eyes move from her to look out over the bay

and, after a brief silence, he softly utters:

BOBBY:

Okay.

EXT. COUNTRY - DAY

Bobby pushes Nicholas's wheelchair along a path

between fields of tall grasses and wildflowers. He

stops and moves around to the front of the chair.

BOBBY:

Are you cold?

He leans over to adjust the blanket covering

Nicholas's legs and, hunkering down in front of

him, glances around at the fields, searching for

articulation:

BOBBY (CONT'D)

I don't know if you'd be

particularly interested in hearing

anything about me. My life, I

mean... Most of it doesn't add up

to much... that I could relate as a

way of life that you'd approve

of...

He pauses briefly, then:

BOBBY (CONT'D)

I'd like to be able to tell you

why, but I don't really... I mean,

I move around a lot because things

tend to get bad when I stay. And

I'm looking... for auspicious

beginnings, I guess...

He breaks off again, resuming with evident

difficulty.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

I'm trying to, you know, imagine

your half of this conversation...

My feeling is, that if you could

talk, we probably wouldn't be

talking. That's pretty much how it

got to be before. I left...

(another pause)

Are you all right?

He searches his father's face, entreating him for

some kind of answer, some sign of response, and

seeing none...

BOBBY (CONT'D)

I don't know what to say...

... he breaks down, barely able to utter the

following:

BOBBY (CONT'D)

Tita suggested that we try to... I

don't know. I think that she...

seems to feel we've got... some

understanding to reach... She

totally denies the fact that we

were never that comfortable with

each other to begin with...

(pauses, trying to gain

control)

The best I can do, is apologize.

He looks silently at his father for a moment...

BOBBY (CONT'D)

We both know I was never really

that good at it, anyway...

... then, bowing bis head:

BOBBY (CONT'D)

I'm sorry it didn't work out.

EXT. DUPEA HOUSE - DAY

Bobby comes out the front door. He carries his

suitcase and, as he descends the steps and moves

across the drive...

... Tita, wearing gloves and holding a pair of

gardening clippers, comes around the side of the

house and calls out to him:

TITA:

Bobby!

He sets the suitcase down as she comes toward him.

TITA (CONT'D)

You're leaving?

BOBBY:

Yeah. I said a week, and I've

overstayed myself...

TITA:

You were going without saying

goodbye?

BOBBY:

I didn't want to say goodbye to

anyone.

TITA:

But what about me?

BOBBY:

(smiling at her)

I'll say goodbye to you, Tita.

She puts her arms around him and as she embraces

him:

TITA:

Just once in a while, call and tell

me where you are, please...

RAYETTE'S VOICE

Watch the birdie!

They turn to see:

Rayette, standing near the open trunk of Bobby's

car, taking a Polaroid shot of them.

Bobby returns his attention to Tita, kissing her.

BOBBY:

Bye, now.

TITA:

(tearing up)

Bye, Robert.

He picks up his suitcase and moves to the trunk,

where Rayette is fussing with her camera. He puts

the suitcase inside, closes the trunk and takes

hold of her arm.

BOBBY:

Come on.

RAYETTE:

(resisting him)

Wait a sec. I want Tita to take a

picture of you an' me in front of

the place...

BOBBY:

No, let's go...

She pulls free of him and, as she moves back toward

Tita, Bobby can be seen getting into the driver's

seat.

RAYETTE:

I never got the chance to thank you

all for your hospitality. You tell

Carl for me, if any of you folks

wanta come on down to our place

anytime, you'd be more'n welcome...

TITA:

Thank you, that's very nice.

RAYETTE:

Bye bye, now.

She moves back to the car and gets in.

ON TITA:

watching as Bobby's car pulls out of the drive and

disappears onto the private road.

EXT. HIGHWAY - DAY

As Bobby's car moves over a highway through the

northern forests, RAYETTE'S VOICE is heard SINGING:

RAYETTE:

"Your kiss is like a drink when I'm

thirsty/An' I'm thirsty for you

with all my heart..."

INT. BOBBY'S CAR - HIGHWAY - DAY

Rayette is seated close to Bobby, looking at him as

she sings.

RAYETTE:

"But don't love me/Then act as

though we've never kissed/Oh, don't

touch me..."

She leans closer and kisses him, then bringing her

lips close to his ear:

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

"Don't touch me..."

She kisses him again.

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

"Don't touch me..."

And again.

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

"Don't touch me..."

Her kisses become more fervent and insistent.

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

"Oh, don't touch..."

He suddenly pushes her away.

BOBBY:

Cut it out!

Grievously hurt by his gesture and expressive of an

anger she's heretofore been afraid to reveal:

RAYETTE:

Son of a b*tch, Bobby! You quit

pushin' me away like that! I've had

enough a that to last me a

lifetime!

She makes a fist of her hand as though she were

about to hit him, then changes her mind.

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

Whyn't you just try an' be good to

me for a change!?

There is no response. She turns away from him,

looking out through the windshield for a moment,

then:

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

There id'n anyone gonna look after

you an' love you better'n I do, you

know that.

She looks over at him.

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

Baby? Did you hear me?

There is no response.

EXT. GAS STATION - DAY

ON BOBBY'S CAR

as it turns off the highway and pulls up into a gas

station next to roadside cafe.

INT. BOBBY'S CAR - DAY

ON RAYETTE:

searching through her purse.

RAYETTE:

I'm gonna go in that cafe an' get

some coffee. You want anything?

BOBBY:

No.

RAYETTE:

You got any change?

He searches into his jacket, takes out his wallet

and hands it to her.

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