Happiness Page #12

LENNY:

I guess you've never lost your imagination.

DIANE:

Lenny, I've got to get out of here�

I can't breath� The women are all�

pathetic gossips�and the men�

LENNY:

�Just pathetic?

DIANE:

I don't want to die here.

LENNY:

You just don't want to die.

DIANE:

Not alone.

They make love. Afterwards, LENNY turns away.

DIANE:

Don't. Don't feel guilty.

LENNY turns back, looks at her.

LENNY:

I don't. I don't feel anything.

119.INT. MAPLEWOOD HOME - EVENING.119.

The family is at the table, eating dinner.

BILL:

So how was school today?

BILLY:

Okay. Ronald Farber was absent.

BILL:

Oh?

BILLY:

He was afraid of the math test.

TRISH:

So he stayed home?

BILLY:

Yeah. He cut.

TRISH:

Oh, that's terrible. His parents�

BILLY:

They don't know yet.

They're still on vacation.

TRISH:

Oh, are they gonna be upset.

BILLY:

Yeah, well, Ronald's gonna be upset

when he finds out the test was cancelled.

BILL:

What happened?

BILLY:

Mrs. Paley was absent also.

TRISH:

(chuckles.)

Oh, gee!

BILL:

Did you call Ronald and tell him?

BILLY:

Yeah, but there was no answer.

TRISH:

So was Mrs. Paley sick, then?

BILLY:

Well, everyone says she was

just too strung out.

TRISH:

Now why do people say things like that?

BILLY:

'Cause she's a drug addict.

TRISH:

And how do you know?

BILLY:

Mom. Everyone knows.

TRISH:

Well, I didn't know. Did you know, Bill?

BILL:

No.

BILLY:

Well, it's what everyone says: she's

a junkie. And she's probably gonna be

fired. It's really sad.

TRISH:

Well, if Mrs. Paley turns out, in fact,

to be a junkie, then�she should be

fired. Don't you think, Bill?

BILL:

I don't know. Don't you think that's

a little harsh? I mean, if it's not

affecting her work�

TRISH:

Well, apparently it is. And no, in fact,

I don't think it's a little harsh at all.

I'm sorry, but when it comes to drug

abuse�and children, my children� Uch,

they should all be locked up and

throw away the key. I'm serious.

And Billy, I want you to know, if you

ever even think of doing drugs, and

end up dying in a hospital�I'd disown you.

That's how strongly I feel. Now I know,

Bill, I may sound harsh, but we're

talking about our kids. Not to be too

grandiose, but this is the future,

the future of our country we're

talking about, after all.

A pause. The telephone rings.

TRISH:

I'll get it.

(answers the phone.)

Hello, who is this, pleas?�

Oh, hi� Sure, hold on�

(to BILL)

It's Joe Grasso.

BILL:

Oh, great! Thanks!

(rises, picks up the phone)

Hey, Joe! Whay's up? How's Johnny doing?

120.INT. JOE'S PLACE - EVENING.120.

JOE grips the telephone tightly.

JOE:

You're a dead man.

He hangs up.

BACK TO THE MAPLEWOOD HOME where we see BILL's reaction to

the telephone CLICK.

BILL:

(fakes continuing

the conversation)

Oh, good, good� No problem!� Right�

Okay. Well, take care� Bye!

TRISH:

How's Johnny doing?

BILL:

Oh, fine, fine! Much better!

The doorbell rings.

TRISH:

Now who could that be?

BILL:

I'll get it.

BILL goes to the front door.

BILL:

Who is it?

VOICE:

Police officer.

BILL opens the door. There is a DETECTIVE and TWO POLICE

OFFICERS.

BILL:

Can I help you?

DETECTIVE:

Are you William Maplewood?

BILL:

Y-yes.

DETECTIVE:

Sorry to disturb you, but we have some

questions for you and your wife. It has

to do with your son's friend, Johnny Grasso.

BILL:

Did something�?

(a meaningful silence)

Come this way. We're just finishing

dinner, but I�I'll be right with you.

BILL escorts them into the living room.

TRISH (O.S.)

Bill, who is it?

BILL goes to the dining room, mouths, "The Police!" to

TRISH, so the children won't know.

BILL:

You take care of the kids.

BILL returns to his guests. They all sit down. BILL is

noticeably jittery.

BILL:

Sorry. Now�um�you said something

about Ronald Farber?

The DETECTIVE is nonplussed.

BILL:

I'm sorry�er�I mean�I mean, Johnny Grasso?

121.INT. BILL AND TRISH'S BEDROOM - NIGHT.121.

TRISH is asleep, but BILL is wide awake. He is terrified as

he lies in bed, listening to the night sounds.

He thinks he hears footsteps.

He looks up and sees JOHNNY

JOHNNY:

You're so cool.

JOHNNY moves to embrace BILL, but then BILL suddenly jumps

up in fright, awake again.

TRISH:

(waking up)

Bill? Are you alright?

BILL holds onto TRISH, embracing her, shivering.

BILL:

�Don't leave me�Please don't leave me�

TRISH comforts him.

122.EXT. MAPLEWOOD HOME - DAY.122.

Holding TIMMY's hand, TRISH comes out the front door in her

robe and slippers.

A schoolbus is waiting at the corner.

TRISH:

(calling to the bus)

One second!

(calling inside)

Hurry up, Billy! The bus is here!

BILLY rushes out after them, but is too late: the bus has

already taken off. Defeated, TRISH, BILLY, and TIMMY turn

back to the house, then suddenly stop and look: the words

"Rapist" and "Pervert" have been spray-painted onto their

housefront.

123.EXT. PARK - DAY.123.

It is sunny and warm, the same park seen in Bill's dream

earlier in the movie. Couples straight and gay walk hand in

hand, families picnic, beautiful people sunbathe.

BILL observes the pleasant tranquility from atop a hill.

But this time he gently approaches everyone and startrs

hugging them. Many smiles and tears.

MUSIC SWELL.

PSYCHIATRIST (O.S.)

Beautiful.

124.INT. PSYCHIATRIST'S OFFICE - DAY.124.

BILL sits opposite his PSYCHIATRIST.

PSYCHIATRIST:

That's a beautiful dream.

BILL:

Thank you. I take it as a sign.

PSYCHIATRIST:

Of�

BILL:

Trish and I are thinking of moving.

Out into the country. The real country.

PSYCHIATRIST:

How are things between you and Trish?

BILL:

(a beat.)

Never better.

PSYCHIATRIST:

Oh?

BILL:

I don't know what happened, but

all of a sudden, one night last week

we were watching TV and�she

turned me on. The kids went to bed

and�we f***ed. And on the weekend�

in the morning, too�we f***ed.

My life is just one big f***!

BILL laughs, the PSYCHIATRIST chuckles.

PSYCHIATRIST:

I'm happy to hear that.

BILL:

Thanks. But you know it's strange�

I mean how like�now�just like that�

everything's normalized.

A long pause. Then BILL rises.

BILL:

Well.

PSYCHIATRIST:

There's still ten minutes.

Nothing more you want to discuss?

BILL:

No, I guess not. Everything's fine.

BILL walks towards the door, but stops before a photograph

of a young boy hanging on the wall.

BILL:

Was that you?

PSYCHIATRIST:

Yeah.

BILL:

Hmmmph. You've changed.

125.INT. MAPLEWOOD HOME - EVENING.125.

The family eats at the dinner table. No one talks. The

mood is tense.

126.INT. LIVING-ROOM - EVENING.126.

While TRISH puts TIMMY and CHLOE to bed, BILL and BILLY sit

on the couch in front of the TV.

BILLY:

Dad?

BILL:

Yes, Billy?

BILLY:

Everyone at school is saying

things about you.

BILL:

Who is everyone?

BILLY:

Kids. You know. Everyone.

BILL:

What are they saying?

Pause.

BILLY:

That you're a serial rapist.

BILL:

Oh.

BILLY:

And a pervert.

BILL:

You mean, like what they

painted on the house?

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