Five Easy Pieces Page #9

CATHERINE:

I was just going to ask Robert how

long he's been away from here.

BOBBY:

Four or five years.

CARL:

No, the last time was three years

ago.

TITA:

Oh no, it's been much more than

that.

CARL:

Away from the piano, Tita, you have

no sense of time at all.

TITA:

I don't think that's true.

CARL:

It is true.

TITA:

Besides being very rude.

CATHERINE:

What have you been doing since

then?

BOBBY:

What have I been doing? Different

things, different jobs, here and

there. Nothing that interesting.

CATHERINE:

And you no longer play at all?

Bobby starts to reply and is interrupted by:

CARL:

You know, just after I came back

off tour with the Betenthaller

Quartet, Dad, myself and Herbert

had a summit conference about

you...

TITA:

Oh, my, "a summit conference." I

wonder where I was, polishing

silver behind the coal bin.

CARL:

I don't know where you were, penis

envy.

TITA:

I hope I didn't hear that.

CARL:

At any rate, Dad wanted to hire a

private detective to ferret you

out, and I said, "What for?"

Whatever the hell he's doing, even

if it's a completely wasteful

escapade, it's entirely his

business. Simple as that...

BOBBY:

Well, I really appreciate it, Carl.

TITA:

I don't think you should infer

Daddy was wrong in front of him...

She looks at Spicer, pushing a spoon at Nicholas's

closed mouth.

TITA (CONT'D)

Don't force him like that, Spicer.

Spicer lays the spoon down and begins eating his

own dinner.

BOBBY:

(to Catherine)

How long have you been staying

here?

TITA:

A couple of months.

He starts to ask another question and is again

overridden by:

CARL:

Did you hear about my misfortune,

Robert?

BOBBY:

What?

CARL:

It's still nearly impossible for me

to turn my neck. If I wanted to

turn toward Catherine, for

instance, I'd first have to twist

the whole base of my body around...

(demonstrating)

... like this...

Tita gets up from the table and, taking her plate,

exits to the kitchen. And as Carl readjusts himself

in his chair and takes a sip from his wine glass,

Bobby looks at Catherine to find her looking at

him. She quickly alters her gaze to Carl.

CATHERINE:

I wouldn't mind doing a little

work, if you're finished, and not

too tired...

CARL:

No, I'm finished...

(placing a hand on his

stomach)

Satiety is my father and mother.

Finding he's amused himself and nobody else, he

gets up and addresses Bobby.

CARL (CONT'D)

She's tremendously gifted, this

girl.

BOBBY:

(looking at her)

Is she?

Catherine stands up and, wanting to change the

subject:

CATHERINE:

Excuse me, I don't want to hear

this...

She exits and Carl, on his way out, pauses at

Bobby's chair.

CARL:

I hope you feel at home, Robert.

(patting him on the

shoulder)

I'm really glad you're here.

BOBBY:

Thanks, Carl...

He looks down table to see Spicer stacking his

plate onto Nicholas's and his eyes follow him as

he, too, moves out of the dining room to the

kitchen.

CLOSE ON BOBBY:

in extreme discomfort at being left alone with his

father. He looks down at his plate, poking at the

remainder of his dinner, then braves a look down

the table.

ON NICHOLAS:

looking back at him, his eyes devoid of interest or

cognition.

EXT. DUPEA GROUNDS - DAY

Bobby and Tita walk away from the house down toward

the ocean. Accompanying them is a Borzoi hound

belonging to her.

TITA:

He has ways of communicating,

Robert. I can tell when he's

expressing approval or disapproval,

just from his eyes...

BOBBY:

Uhm hmm. Some range.

TITA:

It's not that bad.

BOBBY:

Yes, it is. I can't take seeing

him, sitting there like a stone.

TITA:

A week or two isn't going to ruin

your life, for Godsakes.

He doesn't respond.

TITA (CONT'D)

I mean, you think I'm that happy?

BOBBY:

No, I don't.

(a pause, then:
)

You should've left a long time ago.

TITA:

We can't all get up and leave, can

we? I mean, there are certain needs

you have to respond to...

She stops walking and moves to one of the garden

chairs, facing out toward the bay.

TITA (CONT'D)

And anyway, I want you to stay, so

I can spend some time with you, and

ask you some questions...

He leans his back against a tree.

BOBBY:

What questions?

TITA:

Well, do you -- I mean, have you

enjoyed all these... strange things

you've been doing?

BOBBY:

Sometimes.

She stares at him for a moment, and taking note of

it:

BOBBY (CONT'D)

Why? Am I some kind of freak to you

or something?

TITA:

No, no, I don't think that, I'm

just curious about it...

(a pause)

Do you think I'm a freak?

BOBBY:

Sort of.

She laughs.

TITA:

Oh no... Why? What is it? The way I

look?

BOBBY:

No, I don't really think you're a

freak.

TITA:

I probably am, but I don't care. I

mean, I wasn't that blessed to

begin with, and when would I have

had time to make any

improvements...

BOBBY:

What about Carl and Catherine? Is

he just coaching her, or what?

TITA:

Constantly. Night and day. And

unless I get up before the birds, I

can't get in any practice time for

myself...

BOBBY:

Uhm hmm.

TITA:

Actually, it's very admirable, the

way she works. She'll probably be

enormously successful, because

she's attractive as well, not that

that's so important in music,

but...

BOBBY:

You're attractive, Tita. If you

just did a little more with

yourself...

TITA:

Like what?

BOBBY:

Well, if you just maybe did

something with your hair, or...

TITA:

Oh, let's not talk about my hair,

it does what it wants to, and

anyway, who cares, I want to talk

about you...

BOBBY:

There's nothing to say, Tita...

He offers nothing further and looks out over the

bay. Then, after a brief silence:

TITA:

Well, you're not going to run out

on me right away, are you?

BOBBY:

I don't know.

INT. DUPEA HOME - DAY

Bobby strolls casually about the house - in truth,

looking for an opportunity to run into Catherine.

He moves to the music room and looks inside.

THROUGH THE DOORWAY

Catherine can be seen, seated at the piano. Carl

stands above her and they engage in some exchange

about the score resting on the piano's music stand.

ON BOBBY:

as he moves down the hallway and sees:

Spicer descending the staircase, with the brittle

Nicholas in his arms.

He ducks into the nearest room to avoid them.

INT. DEN - DUPEA HOME - DAY

Tita, startled in the act of appraising herself in

a mirror above the fireplace, turns around to

Bobby:

TITA:

Oh God, don't sneak up on me like

that!

We see she wears a little make-up and has done

something "different" with her hair.

BOBBY:

Sorry.

He turns and exits the den.

EXT. DUPEA HOUSE - DAY

Bobby stands on the front porch, looking toward...

... Catherine coming up from the ocean. She wears a

bathrobe over a wet bathing suit and carries a

towel, and as she approaches:

CATHERINE:

Hello...

BOBBY:

I guess you fell in the water.

CATHERINE:

(amused)

Yes, intentionally.

BOBBY:

That's dangerous, you know.

CATHERINE:

Swimming?

BOBBY:

Playing piano all day and then

jumping into cold water. You could

get a cramp.

She laughs and begins drying her hair with a corner

of the towel.

CATHERINE:

I love to swim, and I don't mind

the cold at all. It's invigorating.

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