Frances Ha

Synopsis: Frances lives in New York, but she doesn't really have an apartment. Frances is an apprentice for a dance company, but she's not really a dancer. Frances has a best friend named Sophie, but they aren't really speaking anymore. Frances throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as their possible reality dwindles. Frances wants so much more than she has but lives her life with unaccountable joy and lightness.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Director(s): Noah Baumbach
Production: IFC Films
  Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 47 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.4
Metacritic:
82
Rotten Tomatoes:
92%
R
Year:
2012
86 min
£3,900,000
Website
5,326 Views


- [Both Laughing]

- No feet!

No! No!

- No! Not the hair!

- Yes.

- Not the - Frances!

- Ow!

[Chattering, indistinct]

I tried to make a frittata,

but it's really more of a scramble.

This is interesting.

"To praise a work of literature

by calling it sincere...

is now at best a way of saying that,

although it may be given...

no aesthetic or intellectual

admiration -"

[Woman Speaking On Computer,

indistinct]

I wouldn't eat

a domesticated dog.

You say that

just because they're cute.

[Indistinct]

[Movie Playing On Computer,

Indistinct]

[Movie Stops]

Don't be stupid.

I should sleep in my own bed.

Why?

Because I bought it.

Stay.

But take off your socks.

- [Frances] it's hairless?

- No, it has fine, curly hair.

There's this house

in Westchester -

the basement

is all Cornish Rexes.

It smells awful.

The top floor is Siamese cats.

- I'm allergic to cats.

- They're hypoallergenic.

- This is a special Frances kitty.

- Oh. Who knew?

This one's the runt, which is cheaper,

but I think it's the best one anyway.

I figure one runt

and one regular.

I put a hundred-dollar

down payment on each cat.

Well, 80 for the runt

and a hundred for the other one.

- Why not just get one cat? - A cat needs

a buddy. If you get one, you need two.

I'll give you $200

to get no cats.

So who will take care of them

if you go away?

I thought we could

get 'em together.

And move them back and forth

between our apartments?

No. I thought maybe...

you could move in with me.

Oh. Wow.

- Do you want to move in with me?

- Yeah.

Yes. I mean,

I do have this other thing.

- What other thing?

- Well, I don't know.

I promised Sophie

I'd stay through the lease...

and she'll probably

want to renew it.

Is that bad?

I'm sorry. I feel bad.

- Can't she find someone else?

- Yeah, but it's my friend.

- Uh-huh.

- I want to move in with you. - Okay.

- I feel bad.

- Don't feel bad. Forget it.

- No. What?

- Nothing.

- You're mad.

- I'm not mad. I'm disappointed.

- I feel bad.

- Stop feeling bad.

Frances, I asked you

to move in. You said no.

- But I can't.

- You can. You don't want to.

[Cell Phone Ringing]

- Who is it?

- I don't have to get it.

- Who is it? - Sophie. I'll call her later.

- Just pick up the phone.

- Are you sure?

- Answer it.

Yo, girl! What's up?

Hey, where are you?

I can't come.

Are you drunk?

I love you!

Ahh! Dumpling House!

I can't really talk right now.

Okay. I love you.

Okay.

I love you.

[Chuckling]

She's with these guys...

Benji and Lev,

at a party in Chinatown.

They're drunk.

I don't know.

Maybe this isn't working.

- I'm sorry.

- Me too..

Maybe -

No, never mind.

- What?

- I want to pay you for the cats.

I'm not gonna take

money from you...

but I am going

to get the cats anyway.

But then you're gonna be

a single guy with two cats.

Why would I be single?

- With two cats.

- No, I know.

I mean,

why would I be single?

I don't know.

I thought you said that

this isn't working.

I mean, if we don't move in together.

If we can't move in together.

We can move in together.

I don't know that I believe

anything I'm saying.

Uh-huh.

This hasn't been great

for a while.

"This hasn't been great

for a while. "

This has not been -

[Exhales]

- Where are you going?

- Home, I guess.

I'm really... tired.

I'm always so tired.

Let's move in together.

[Rock]

Hi!

You're crazy.

You know Lev?

Yes.

- And Benji?

- Hi.

I can't get interested

in art or books...

or movies about animals.

The animals have to talk

or be at war for me to be interested.

Don't hit the third rail.

Sh*t!

The F's not running.

- [Sophie] I want a sip.

- Do you want your own?

I want a sip.

The coffee people are right.

We are like a lesbian couple

that doesn't have sex anymore.

- Wait. Come back.

- Don't pick at your face.

I don't like smoking alone.

Me and Dan

don't have sex anymore.

Didn't have sex anymore.

Yeah, that's why you broke up.

And if it happened,

he would just -

He only had one way

he could finish.

Oh, I hate that.

It was always with me facing flat

on the bed from behind...

which just -

everything that matters

is covered up.

- It's like with me and Patch.

- Yo, Patchy!

'Sup, brah?

[Chuckles]

The way he always likes

to come in my face.

Yeah. Classy.

He's the kind of guy who says,

"I've gotta take a leak. "

And wears predistressed

baseball hats.

He's a nice guy -

you know, for today.

I should feel bad

I went to that party.

You deserved it.

You just got out of relationship jail.

- I think Dan was an alcoholic.

- He was.

He wasn't a real alcoholic...

but sometimes he would have,

like, 12 beers.

- Hey.

- What?

Lev is asking

for your number.

Give it to him.

You did just break up

with Dan. Today.

Just do it.

I love you, Sophie,

even if you love...

your phone that has e-mail

more than you love me.

My phone that has e-mail

doesn't leave a casserole dish...

in the sink for three days.

What about that time

you made a cake?

I love you too.

[Tone Sounds On Phone]

"Ahoy, sexy.

Are you around this week?"

"Ahoy, sexy"?

That is actually very gay.

Am I nautically sensual?

You're funny.

Lev didn't laugh

at any of my jokes.

You are so funny.

Should I text him back...

"Starboard anal sex"?

No.

Tell me the story of us.

Again?

All right, Frances.

We are gonna

take over the world.

You'll be this awesomely

bitchy publishing mogul.

And you'll be this famous

modern dancer...

and I'll publish

a really expensive book about you.

That d-bags we make fun of

will put on their coffee tables.

- And we'll co-own a vacation apartment

in Paris. - And we'll have lovers.

- [Sophie] And no children.

- And we'll speak at college graduations.

- And honorary degrees.

- So many honorary degrees.

- [Woman] Colleen?

- Yeah.

What time's rehearsal?

It's 4:
00. Don't forget

to bring your shoes.

- Hey.

- Jesus!

Sorry. I'm here.

I don't have time to talk.

I'm doing the job of three people.

But I can see you

after rehearsal.

I read that article in the Times.

You must be so happy.

Yeah, thanks. I forget

I make my own work sometimes.

Bu! thanks.

- I usually hate that woman's writing.

- Right. Thank you, Frances.

Actually, I had a couple of questions.

I'm trying to be proactive about my life.

Ah. Well, I might have some

studio space available...

if you want to play

with some choreography.

Uh, no, I was wondering

if there were...

any more classes

at the school I could teach.

I'm a little -

I'm kind of broke.

I'll check,

but I'm all full up, I think.

I thought so. I'm just proud

of myself for asking.

I'll probably be able

to use you and some of...

...the other apprentices

for the Christmas show.

- I mean, that's something.

- That's great.

I just wanted to say

I really look up to you...

and I just -

I think you're great.

[Chuckles]

A beat-up old dancer doing paperwork?

[Exhales]

I really need to do

all this paperwork now.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote

Noah Baumbach

Noah Baumbach is an American independent filmmaker. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Squid and the Whale and is known for making dramatic comedies. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "Frances Ha" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 24 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/frances_ha_8512>.

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