Five Easy Pieces Page #2

BOBBY:

You're playing the other side.

Very hurt, she sits up and looks away from him. He

finishes the beer and holds the can out to her.

BOBBY:

Cerveza.

RAYETTE:

(grabbing it from him)

Serveza yourself!

BOBBY:

Now, now.

RAYETTE:

(she stands up)

No, dammit, I would easy.

And, as she turns and goes toward the kitchen:

BOBBY:

But you heal fast.

Through the open door to the kitchen, Rayette can

be seen opening the refrigerator. She takes out a

can of beer and returns to Bobby.

RAYETTE:

(over the above)

You can play the piano, an' your

whole damn family can play on some

type a musical instrument. An' all

I'm askin' is for you to listen to

my singing for one single little

second...

She hands him the can and sits back down on the

couch.

RAYETTE:

But you think you would? No, you're

too damn selfish...

He gestures at the name tag on her dress, and, as

we'll find he often does, speaks in the Okie-Arky

accent he's learned from working the rigs:

BOBBY:

Why'nt you take 'at sign off your

tit, Ray, an' let's go on out.

RAYETTE:

Out where?

She sits down and begins removing the tag.

BOBBY:

I don't know, I'll holler up Elton

an' Stoney...

She thinks about it, then moves closer to him and

begins unbuttoning his workshirt, as:

RAYETTE:

I'll go out with you, or I'll stay

here, and do anything you'd like

for me to do... if you'll just do

one thing. If you'll tell me that

you love me.

BOBBY:

You can sing the song.

RAYETTE:

(annoyed)

You know what, you are never

satisfied.

BOBBY:

That's right, hand.

The response makes her deeply insecure and she

immediately lays her body against his...

RAYETTE:

Oh, now, baby...

... and initiates another round of kissing.

INT. BOWLING ALLEY - NIGHT

Bobby lifts his ball from the return rack, moves to

the lane and bowls a perfect strike. Making a self

congratulatory gesture of triumph, he turns back

to:

Elton, seated at the scoring table. His wife,

STONEY, is seated beside Rayette on the horseshoe

banquette. As he addresses Rayette, we note that

Elton's two front teeth are missing.

ELTON:

(Okie accent)

Your ball, Ray.

RAYETTE:

(reluctant)

Is this suppose to be fun?

BOBBY:

Go on, get up there...

She rises and moves to the rack.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

... and stay relaxed this time.

Picking up ball, she moves to the head of the lane

and slings it down the alley, watching hopefully

as...

... it rolls off to the right and takes only one

pin.

ON BOBBY:

as she moves to her second ball.

BOBBY:

Now don't loft it, just release it

like I told you.

ON RAYETTE:

as she bowls the ball down the right-hand rut and

comes back to the banquette, apologizing:

RAYETTE:

The ball's too heavy for me,

honey...

He looks past her to Stoney, about to bowl her

ball.

BOBBY:

It's not the damn ball.

And as Stoney bowls a strike, Rayette hugs his arm.

RAYETTE:

I'm tryin', baby, so don't start

gettin' mad now.

BOBBY:

No, I'm not mad at you, hand. It'll

be all right. Just spot and follow

through...

And as Elton bowls a strike...

BOBBY (CONT'D)

(mumbling)

Sh*t.

He gets up and passes Elton on his way to the rack.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

Nice ball, El.

Rayette, to Stoney as she watches Bobby prepare to

bowl:

RAYETTE:

Id'n he somethin' to see?

And as he makes another strike and returns to the

banquette, she gets up and throws her arms around

him. He returns her embrace, smiling over her

shoulder at:

Two heavily made-up young women (TWINKY and BETTY)

taking possession of the adjacent lane. (Note that

Betty is of diminutive proportions, while Twinky is

Amazonian.)

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

Is it my turn again?

BOBBY:

Right. Now show me a little

somethin' this time, okay? Give me

some form...

He remains standing, watching as she throws another

gutter ball and then comes back toward him, alibi

ing:

RAYETTE:

I can't help it, honey, the ball

just keeps goin' cocky wobbly on

me...

BOBBY:

Will you just do what the hell I

tell you...

RAYETTE:

I did, didn' I, El?

BOBBY:

You got another ball comin'.

She moves to the rack and, concentrating hard,

advances down the lane and releases the ball. It

rolls slowly down the center, hits at precisely the

right spot and clears the pins.

ELTON:

Atta boy, Ray!

Ecstatic, she comes back to the banquette, seating

herself beside Bobby and trying to solicit a

response from him.

RAYETTE:

That was damn good, wad'n it? I

finally did it...

BOBBY:

Yeah, great.

(begins removing his

bowling shoes)

Why don't you throw Z's for 19

frames, and then roll a strike on

the last ball in the last frame of

a losing game? Just wonderful.

Turning to address the two young women over the

back of the banquette.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

Wasn't it, ladies?

TWINKY:

(pointing at herself)

Are you talking to us?

Rayette pulls off her rental shoes and throws them

to the floor.

RAYETTE:

I'm gonna go wait in the car.

He stretches his arms out on the back of the

banquette as though he intends to reside there

awhile.

BOBBY:

Yeah, why don't you do that.

She grabs her sling-back and her purse and as she

gets up:

STONEY:

Wait an I'll I go with you,

honey...

As she picks up her belongings and follows Rayette:

ELTON:

(changing his shoes)

We gotta get on home an' relieve

the sitter. Why'nt you an' Ray come

on over.

BOBBY:

Okay. Go ahead. I'll settle up for

the beers...

(hands him the bowling

shoes)

An' walk Rayette over with you,

will you.

Elton moves off and Bobby, now full of remorse,

slumps into a depressed reverie. Beyond him, Betty

and Twinky, can be seen, engaged in some discussion

concerning him.

A WAITRESS with a tray approaches and leans down to

him.

WAITRESS:

Can I get you anything else?

BOBBY:

No. How much do I owe you?

WAITRESS:

Five'll do it.

He takes some loose bills from his pocket and lays

them on her tray. She thanks him and moves off. As

he reaches down and pulls on one of his boots,

Twinky approaches behind him and leans down over

the back of the banquette.

TWINKY:

We been wantin' to ask you

something. Are you the guy on YV?

BOBBY:

Am I on TV?

TWINKY:

(pointing lo Betty)

She says you're the one that sells

all the cars on TV.

BOBBY:

Well, I don't claim to have sold

'em all. They still have some left,

I believe.

Betty appears on the other side of the banquette.

BETTY:

See, I told you it was him...

(then to Bobby)

Your name's Donnie something,

right?

BOBBY:

I leave it to you.

BETTY:

My name is Shirley, but they call

me Betty, and her name's Twinky.

BOBBY:

(looking to Twinky)

Twinky?

BETTY:

(explaining)

Yeah, 'cause she's so "twinky"...

BOBBY:

(looking from one to the

other)

Well, Betty and Twinky, it sure is

nice talking to you girls. I just

wish I had more time...

BETTY:

That's a wig you wear, isn't it?

BOBBY:

(touching his hair)

A wig?

BETTY:

Yeah, I told her it was you, but

that you're wearing a wig, 'cause

on TV you're mostly bald in the

front.

BOBBY:

(to Twinky)

Your little friend's real sharp

there...

(to Betty)

Yeah, I don't like to wear the wig

on TV, because with two and a half

million people watching you, you've

gotta be sincere. I just like to

wear it when I'm out slippin'

around bowling alleys an' things

like that. I think it gives me a

little more class, don't you?

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