Five Easy Pieces Page #6

BOBBY:

No...

He glances at her, catching her profound

disappointment.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

I'd rather drive up myself and...

maybe go into Canada after... And I

can't stay long, Tita, probably a

week, at the most.

TITA:

I know.

He looks toward the booth.

BOBBY:

Well...

(then, to Tita)

I better let you...

TITA:

Wait...

She gets up from the bench and goes to him, taking

hold of his arm.

TITA (CONT'D)

I'll walk out with you...

As they move to the hall door, she addresses the

booth:

TITA (CONT'D)

I'll be back in two minutes!

SECOND ENGINEER'S VOICE

Cut that in half, will you?

She smiles at Bobby as they go out into hall.

TITA:

They hate me, I feel.

FOLLOWING WITH THEM

down the hallway.

BOBBY:

Maybe you better stay, then.

TITA:

No, I need to talk to you, about so

many things...

BOBBY:

Well, I'll be seeing you in a

couple of days, won't I?

They stop at the stairway.

TITA:

Oh God, I'm so glad, Robert, that

you're coming...

BOBBY:

Yeah, me, too...

TITA:

It'll be so good for you, and for

Daddy, because you know, you've

never really...

BOBBY:

(cutting her off)

Tita, I've got to go...

TITA:

All right...

He kisses her.

TITA (CONT'D)

Okay.

Feeling herself about to break down again, she

attempts a valiant smile and stands watching as...

... Bobby turns and goes down the stairs.

EXT. RAYETTE'S HOUSE - DAY

(TAMMY WYNETTE'S "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" OVER:)

ON BOBBY:

moving from his car, up the walkway and entering

Rayette's house.

INT. RAYETTE'S LIVING ROOM - DAY

ON THE STEREO:

playing the above song.

ON BOBBY:

looking from...

... a rumpled blanket on the couch, to...

... a can of beer and a lighted cigarette burning

in an ashtray on the coffee table.

BOBBY:

(calling out)

Hello?!

He crosses to a hall and moves down toward the

bedroom.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

You have the day off?!

He steps into the doorway, to see:

Rayette, lying in bed, her back against the

pillows, staring at the wall.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

Are you sick?

No response.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

You heard about Elton, I guess.

She turns her gaze to the window. He looks at her

briefly, then:

BOBBY (CONT'D)

Okay, I get your point.

As he moves to the closet:

BOBBY (CONT'D)

Hope you didn't strain yourself,

getting in here and into your pose

before I hit the door.

He picks up a suitcase from the closet floor, grabs

some of his clothes from the rack, and, moving to a

chair, sets the suitcase on it and begins packing.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

I have to go home. My father's

sick.

Rayette turns on her side, making a snorting sound

of disbelief.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

Yeah, it's very funny.

He moves to a dresser, extracts his underwear and

returns to the suitcase.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

I'll be gone two or three weeks.

RAYETTE:

(not looking at him)

You'll be gone, period.

He closes the suitecase, secures it...

BOBBY:

I'll try and call you from up

there.

... and picking it up, moves around the bed toward

the door. He stops, setting the suitcase on the bed

and looking down at her.

She is still faced away from him, her shoulders

trembling as she weeps soundlessly.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

(very emotional)

Come on, DiPesto. I never told you

it would work out to anything. Did

I?

He looks away from her, to the window.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

I'll send you some money, that's

all I can do.

Returning his gaze to her:

BOBBY (CONT'D)

And... I'll call you, like I

said...

(he pauses, then)

Bye, Ray.

An audible sob finally comes from her. Bobby

quickly picks up the suitcase and moves out of the

bedroom and down the hall.

EXT. RAYETTE'S HOUSE - DAY

ON BOBBY'S CAR

as he moves into view. He throws the suitcase in

through the rear window, moves around to the

driver's side and gets in.

INT. BOBBY'S CAR - DAY

He starts the motor, angrily throws it into gear

and places his hands on the wheel.

INT. RAYETTE'S LIVING ROOM - DAY

BOBBY'S HAND slashes at the arm of the record

player, pulling it across the grooves and stifling

Tammy Wynette.

BOBBY:

Do you want to go with me, Ray?

EXT. BOBBY'S CAR - HIGHWAY - DAY

(WYNETTE'S "WHEN THERE'S A FIRE IN YOUR HEART"

OVER:
)

His car moves north along the Pacific Coast

Highway.

INT. BOBBY'S CAR - HIGHWAY - DAY

(WYNETTE OVER:
)

ON BOBBY:

looking over at Rayette and smiling.

ON RAYETTE:

She returns his look with absolute devotion, then

reaches over and caresses the back of his neck.

EXT. BOBBY'S CAR - INLAND HIGHWAY - DAY

(WYNETTE OVER:
)

OUT PAST Bobby's profile, to a Southern California

pastoral landscape passing by.

INT. BOBBY'S CAR - BIG SUR COUNTRY - DAY

ON RAYETTE:

singing the above song.

RAYETTE:

"There's been hot spells/An' cold

spells ever since we met/I've seen

your small fires/Your big fires/But

I won't give up yet/Oh someday

you'll yearn/'Cause your heart's

gonna burn/For that old familiar

glow/You'll be burned..."

Bobby laughs and she looks over at him.

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

You like it?

BOBBY:

I love it.

RAYETTE:

(resumes singing)

"You'll be burned out/Or smoked

out/An' come back to me, I know..."

Bobby's attention is taken by something on the road

ahead.

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

"Every trail that you blaze/Makes

me..."

BOBBY:

What the hell is that?

POV THROUGH WINDSHIELD

of a car lying upside down on the left side of the

highway.

TWO FIGURES are standing beside it, engaged in a

heated argument.

RAYETTE:

Is it an accident?

EXT. BOBBY'S CAR - HIGHWAY - DAY

Bobby pulls off onto the right-hand shoulder, stops

the car and gets out. He moves out to the center

line, looking across the road, to:

A long-haired young woman (PALM) in Levi's and

parka, presently pushing her close-cropped, boyish

looking friend (TERRY) against the side of the car

and making some indecipherable accusation.

BOBBY:

Hey! What's going on, what's the

trouble?!

The young woman turns and gives him the finger.

PALM:

Rotate, mack!

ON RAYETTE:

sticking her head out the driver's window.

RAYETTE:

What'd she say?

ON PALM:

gesturing angrily back at the wreck as she crosses

toward Bobby.

PALM:

Look at my car! Piece of sh*t! I

just bought it brand new from a

used-car lot, and the steering goes

to the pot on me!

BOBBY:

You're lucky no one was hurt.

PALM:

Seven hundred dollars, down the

toilet! I'd like to go back and

punch the son of a b*tch out! Can

you give us a lift?

Without waiting for a response, she moves back to

Terry, who is retrieving some of their belongings

from the highway.

PALM (CONT'D)

Come on, Terry, we got a ride!

RAYETTE:

Jesus, what a rude person...

INT. BOBBY'S CAR - ON THE ROAD - DAY

Palm and Terry, still under the spell of their

roadside tiff, sit in sulky silence in the back

seat.

Bobby glances at Palm in the rear view.

BOBBY:

What's your name?

PALM:

Palm Apodaca.

Rayette turns around and, thinking Terry is a boy,

asks rather flirtatiously:

RAYETTE:

An' what's your name?

TERRY:

Terry Grouse.

Shocked at the female voice coming from "him," she

turns back around and pokes Bobby on the leg.

BOBBY:

(loudly)

What?

RAYETTE:

(low tones)

I'll tell you...

(spelling out)

... l-a-t-e-r.

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