Happiness Page #4

Pause.

MONA:

Lenny?

LENNY:

Yeah?

MONA:

Why?

LENNY:

I dunno. I just want to be alone.

MONA:

But I can let you be alone more,

if that's what you want.

LENNY:

Look:
Things change� People change�

Whatever. I want out.

Pause.

MONA:

It's Diane.

LENNY:

Diane?

MONA:

You're in love with Diane Freed.

LENNY:

Get outta here.

MONA:

Well, you're in love with someone.

Someone younger, probably.

LENNY:

Wrong.

MONA:

Lenny, it's okay. I'm not dumb.

These things happen. I'll get over it.

I just wish you had done this twenty

years ago. Now I'll have to get

another f***ing face-lift.

Pause.

LENNY:

I'm in love with no one else.

MONA:

No one?

LENNY:

No one.

MONA:

Okay, then.

(a beat)

Schmuck.

28.INT. PHONE SALES OFFICE - DAY.28.

The CAMERA DOLLIES across a maze of carrels, finally landing

on JOY, at work as a telephone sales operator.

JOY:

(on phone)

Hi! Is this Mrs. Mammangakis?�

Hi! I'm calling from UniCard

of America because you've been

such a good customer that�.

JOY dials the number of the next name on the list, and the

next. Everyone hangs up on her. Until:

29.INT. ALLEN'S PLACE - DAY.29.

ALLEN is lying in bed. The phone rings. He picks it up.

ALLEN:

Hello?

JOY:

Hello, is this Mr. Mellencamp?

ALLEN:

Yes.

JOY:

Hi! I'm calling from UniCard of

America because you've been

such a good�.

ALLEN:

Do I know you?

JOY:

I'm sorry, I don't think so.

But perhaps you're familiar with out�.

ALLEN hangs up. But then, for a moment, he ponders the

familiarity of her voice.

Ditto JOY. She decides to dial him again. ALLEN answers,

but says nothing. They both hang on, listening to each

other's silence, then hang up.

30.EXT. JOY'S PLACE - EVENING.30.

JOY can be heard singing and playing her guitar.

31.INT. JOY'S PLACE - EVENING.31.

JOY, sitting on her bed, finishes her melancholy Joni

Mitchell-like song. A display of macrame objects d'art

adorns the wall.

The phone rings. She answers it.

JOY:

Hello?

BERMAN (V.O.)

Hello. This is Detective Berman from

the County Police Department. I'd

like to speak with a Ms. Joy Jordan?

JOY:

This is she.

32.INT. STUART'S PLACE - EVENING.32.

POLICEMEN, a CORONER, a SUPER, ETC. AL. Busy themselves

while STUART's body is being removed. BERMAN holds Stuart's

suicide note ("Dear Joy, I can't live without you. Love,

Stuart. P.S. The ashtray is yours.") in a baggie in his

hand.

BERMAN:

I'm sorry to disturb you,

Ms. Jordan, but I'm afraid

I have some bad news for you�

FADE TO BLACK.

33.EXT. OFFICE BUILDING COMPLEX - DAY.33.

A bright, cheerful day. The parking lot is full.

34.JOY'S OFFICE - DAY.34.

JOY looks over at a corner desk where a woman is working the

phones and starts crying. Her neighbor, NANCY, hearing the

sniffling, pauses in the midst of her work.

NANCY:

What's the matter, Joy?

JOY:

Stuart's dead!

NANCY:

Stuart�?

JOY:

Yes!

Pause.

NANCY:

Who's Stuart?

JOY:

You know, the guy who used to

sit over at the corner there?

NANCY:

You mean where Pam is sitting?

JOY:

Yes.

NANCY:

Was he kind of tall and

a little hunched?

JOY:

No, he was�well�shortish, squarish�

NANCY:

Oh, Joy. I'm not sure.

Did he work here long?

NANCY calls across to another neighbor, KAY.

NANCY:

Kay, do you remember a guy

named Stuart who used to work here

over where Pam is now?

KAY:

No. Why? What happened?

NANCY:

He died.

KAY:

Huh. Now which one was he?

NANCY:

I'm not sure. May be Tom knows. Tom?

Co-worker TOM, who has been listening in, swivels over from

the other side.

TOM:

Sorry, Nancy, I don't. I mean,

I do vaguely remember some guy

who worked over there � I think�

but I'm not really sure.

KAY:

How did he die anyway?

NANCY:

Yeah, how did he die, Joy?

JOY's phone rings. She picks up.

JOY:

Sales, can I help you?

VOICE:

Is this Joy Jordan?

JOY:

Yes.

VOICE:

This is Stuart's mother.

(a beat)

I hope you f***ing rot in hell.

The VOICE hangs up.

TOM:

Hey, Joy. Was he kind of Latino-

looking and a little acne-scarred?

NANCY:

Yeah, you know, like Edward James Olmos?

JOY:

(a beat)

Yeah. Sure. That's him.

TOM:

I knew it.

NANCY, KAY, and TOM continue discussing and disputing

STUART's identity.

35.INT. HAPPY'S RESTAURANT - DAY.35.

HELEN and TRISH sit together.

HELEN:

(picking at her food)

Uch. I don't know why I suggested

this place. Joy recommended it�

TRISH:

Well, at least we're together.

I never get to see you,

you're so busy.

HELEN:

No, you're so busy.

TRISH:

No, you are�

HELEN:

Well, I guess I am.

TRISH:

Me too.

HELEN:

In fact, if I have to do one more

interview�

TRISH:

I guess it's hard, all this success.

HELEN:

It's just I'm so tired of�of being

admired all the time. All these men�

I mean, they're all beautiful,

artistic minds, great sex, the whole

package�but hollow, you know what

I mean? I feel nobody's really honest

with me. Nobody wants me for me.

TRISH:

They're not family.

HELEN:

Oh, Trish. If only I had your

husband, kids, carpool.

TRISH:

Well, I may "have it all," but

sometimes I wonder what my life

would have been like if I'd

actually tried to write a novel.

HELEN:

Oh, I'm sure it would have been good.

TRISH:

Maybe I will write one.

HELEN:

Oh, you should� Just try�

Pause.

TRISH:

No, I don't need that kind of success.

HELEN:

Uch, listen to us. We who have

everything while Joy�

What does she have?

TRISH:

You're right. And she's just getting older.

HELEN:

Last night she called � I was

in bed with Vilmos � no, Huraki �

and she was in tears. She told me

she'd quit her job�

TRISH:

Oh, but�but that's her lifeline!

HELEN:

She said she wanted to "change"

her life. Do "good" work with

the poor, the needy�

TRISH:

I don't get it.

HELEN:

Don't even try. She understand

she already is good.

She doesn't need to do good.

TRISH:

And what about her music career?

HELEN:

I don't know, but don't hold your

breath. Anyway, listen. This is all

top secret. She doesn't want anyone

to know.

TRISH:

Oh.

(a beat)

But she told you.

HELEN:

She felt she could trust me.

TRISH:

'Cause I always thought I was

someone she could confide in.

A BUSBOY comes by, refills their water glasses, leaves.

TRISH:

Did you speak to Mom?

HELEN:

You mean about the split-up?

TRISH:

Oh. I-I thought it was top secret.

HELEN:

Just for Joy. Sensitive Joy.

Everyone else knows.

TRISH:

Oh.

A WAITER comes by.

WAITER:

Can I help you with anything else?

HELEN:

Oh, no thanks.

The WAITER leaves the check, clears the plates, goes off.

TRISH picks up the check, looks at it.

HELEN:

Thanks for lunch. I really

enjoyed this.

36.EXT. PARK - DAY.36.

A little league gave is in progress. 11-year-old JOHNNY is

at bat. There is a hush. Bases are loaded. BILLY

encourages him from the sidelines

BILLY:

You can do it, Johnny!

JOE, JOHNNY's father and the team's coach, mutters to

himself, tense.

JOE:

Don't f*** up, Johnny.

BILL observes JOHNNY's TEAMMATES muttering to themselves.

TEAMMATE #1

I can't believe he's up at bat now.

TEAMMATE #2

I swear I'm not playing Little League

next year if he's on the team.

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