Five Easy Pieces Page #8

Palm resumes her monologue:

PALM:

People... Oofh...

(shaking her head in utter

disgust)

Animals are not like that...

They're always cleaning themselves.

Did you ever see... What are they

called? Pigeons!

She looks over at Terry, slumped in her seat,

asleep.

PALM (CONT'D)

He's always picking on himself and

his friends. They're always picking

bugs out of their hair...

ON RAYETTE:

asleep.

PALM (O.S.)

Monkeys, too.

ON PALM:

PALM:

Except monkeys do things out in the

open that I don't go for.

ON BOBBY:

benumbed, his eyes glazed over as he stares out

through the windshield.

ON PALM:

PALM:

I was in this place once, this

store, with snakes, monkeys,

everything you could imagine. I

walked in, I had to run out. It

stunk! They didn't even have an

incense going...

Though no one listens, she goes on, working herself

up:

PALM:

And you know, I read where they

invented this car that runs on...

that runs on... when you boil

water...

TERRY:

(half-dead)

Steam.

PALM:

Right, steam. A car you could ride

around in and not cause a stink.

But do you know, they will not even

let us have it. Can you believe it?

Why?! Man! He likes to create a

stink. I wrote them a note once,

and told them to clean it... I

mean, don't you see that? It's just

filthy! I mean, I've seen filth you

wouldn't believe! Oofh, what a

stink! I don't even want to talk

about it...

EXT. BOBBY'S CAR - TWO-LANE HIGHWAY - LATE DAY

(WYNETTE'S "WHEN THERE'S A FIRE" OVER:)

ON PALM AND TERRY

deposited at the side of the highway, with their

luggage, duffle bags and television set lying on

the road edge. Terry lifts a bored hand to wave

at...

... Bobby, behind the wheel. He waves back, pulls

out onto the highway and drives off.

EXT. BOBBY'S CAR - MOTEL - NIGHT

(MUSIC FADES, AS:)

The car pulls into a motel parking slot and stops.

INT. MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Bobby and Rayette in bed. She lies on her side,

watching him watch TV. After a moment:

RAYETTE:

Are you depressed about your daddy,

honey?

BOBBY:

No.

RAYETTE:

I 'magine it's me then, id'n it?

BOBBY:

Is what you?

RAYETTE:

You're depressed that I come along.

BOBBY:

Who said I was depressed?

RAYETTE:

Well, is that a happy face I see?

No response.

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

'Cause if it was me, I could just

catch a Greyhound back.

BOBBY:

Oh, you're not going to kill

yourself this time. I wish I'd

known...

He turns off the light on the night stand and rolls

onto his side, faced away from her.

They lie silently in the dark for a moment. Then:

RAYETTE:

I don't know if I'm gonna be able

to sleep or not.

No response.

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

(looking over at him)

Hint, hint.

No response.

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

(sighing; then:
)

I guess I'll just have to count the

sheep.

(closing her eyes)

One-two-three-four...

She opens her eyes and looks over at him.

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

Seven... eight...

(caressing his shoulder)

Look at this old cold shoulder,

what am I gonna do with it?

He looks around at her and with gentle good humor:

BOBBY:

If you just wouldn't open your

mouth, everything would be fine.

She turns an imaginary key at her lips.

RAYETTE:

Tick a lock.

He rolls over to face her and, yielding to her

request, begins to make love to ber.

EXT. MOTEL ROOM - DAY

Rayette following after Bobby. As he moves to his

car, he removes some cash from his wallet.

RAYETTE:

Why can't I go out to your folks'

house? Give me one good reason.

BOBBY:

I have to see how things are first.

My father's sick, you understand?

They wouldn't be prepared for me

bringing anyone.

He holds out a roll of bills and as she takes them:

RAYETTE:

So how long am I supposed to sit

an' twiddle my thumbs in this

place?

BOBBY:

If you can't do what I ask, Ray,

use that money to go back home,

then.

RAYETTE:

Bobby, don't talk like that...

She moves over to him and gives him a quick kiss.

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

It'll be all right, I'll get a hold

a some magazines an' things like

that. An' maybe find a beauty salon

an' get my hair fixed, okay?

ON BOBBY:

getting into the car.

BOBBY:

Okay, Ray...

RAYETTE:

Or maybe sit out by the pool an'

get myself nice an' tan for you.

Would you like that?

BOBBY:

(starting the engine)

Sure...

RAYETTE:

It brings out my eyes...

BOBBY:

Bye, honey, I'll call you in a

couple of days.

RAYETTE:

Okay...

She watches unhappily as he backs out of the slot

and the car pulls away.

RAYETTE (CONT'D)

Bye, baby...

EXT. FERRY (CROSSING) - DAY

Bobby gets out of his car and wanders the deck of

the ferry. He stops to look out over the Sound to

one of the islands off the Washington coast, then

glances back to the mainland, receding in the

distance.

EXT. BOBBY'S CAR - FERRY LANDING - DAY

Bobby drives off the ferry onto the island.

EXT. BOBBY'S CAR - COUNTRY ROAD - DAY

The car moves over a tree-lined country lane and

presently turns off onto a private road, leading to

a large Victorian-style house. It pulls to a stop

behind two other cars.

Bobby gets out of the car and moves up the porch

steps to the front door.

CLOSER ON him as he hesitates, listening briefly to

the FAINT SOUND of two pianos coming from within.

Then he opens the door and goes inside.

INT. DUPEA HOME - DAY

(TWO PIANOS OVER:)

Bobby tentatively wanders the first floor of the

house, taking in the ghosts of the past.

In the living room, he pauses at a table to look at

several framed photographs. He picks up one of his

mother and father, looks closely at it, then gently

returns it to its place and resumes wandering.

He stops at the music room and looks in through the

half-opened door:

POV INTO MUSIC ROOM:

On the far side of the room, near windows which

give view to a verdant exterior, are two concert

grands. His brother CARL is seated at one of the

pianos, and a young woman (CATHERINE VAN OOST) is

seated at the other.

ON BOBBY:

looking from Carl, to Catherine. He watches her

briefly, then steps out of the doorway...

... and moves down a hallway to a closed door. He

reaches down and opens it, looking inside to:

TITA:

grooming the hair of an elderly man (NICHOLAS

DUPEA) seated in a wheelchair with his back to

Bobby.

She looks up and, seeing Bobby, smiles happily,

then reaches down and turns the wheelchair around.

ON NICHOLAS:

His eyes are half-closed and are cast down to the

floor.

Bobby moves over to him, bending down and looking

into his face. Nicholas opens his eyes slightly and

gazes through Bobby into an absolute elsewhere.

Bobby raises his eyes to Tita.

BOBBY:

He doesn't even know who the hell I

am.

INT. DUPEA DINING ROOM - NIGHT

Nicholas Dupea sits at the head of the table, being

fed his dinner by a male nurse (SPICER).

Bobby, at the opposite end of the table, is seated

next to Tita. Unable to bear looking at his father,

he glances over at Catherine, seated next to Carl

on his right.

She raises her eyes from her plate to ask him

something, just as Tita is moved to reminisce:

TITA:

Remember, Bobby, what mother used

to say when...

CATHERINE:

(to Bobby)

How long have you been...

(To Tita)

Oh, excuse me...

TITA:

No, it's all right, you go ahead...

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