Happiness Page #6

45.INT. MAPLEWOOD HOME - TV ROOM - LATER.45.

BILLY joins BILL on the sofa. KOOKI is humping a chair

across from them.

BILLY:

Dad?

BILL:

Yes, Billy?

BILLY:

I was kind of wondering.

BILL:

Yeah?

Pause.

BILLY:

Nothing.

Pause.

BILL:

Did you have a good time with Johnny?

BILLY:

It was okay. He's a little girlish though.

BILL:

Oh. Yeah.

Pause.

BILLY:

Dad. Do you know how many

inches your penis is?

Pause.

BILL:

I never measured.

BILLY:

Ronald Farber said his penis is

twelve inches long. Do you

think that's possible?

BILL:

What Ronald Farber doesn't know

is that it's not length, but

width that matters.

Pause.

BILLY:

Why?

BILL:

Things get a little more�tense.

Pause.

BILLY:

What do you mean�tense?

Pause.

BILL:

Have you been�practicing?

BILLY:

�Yeah. But it's no use. Nothing comes.

BILL:

You have to be patient. Your friend

Ronald Farber, I can assure you,

is full of crap.

BILLY:

Yeah. I bet yours is

a lot wider and longer.

Pause.

BILL:

Do you want me to measure?

BILLY:

Nah, that's okay.

BILLY smiles, leans affectionately against his father.

46.INT. ESL OFFICE - DAY.46.

Through the glass door a group of newly-arrived immigrants

can be seen walking by.

SUPERVISOR looks JOY over.

SUPERVISOR:

You've come at a god time.

The place is in turmoil now.

Everyone's preparing to strike.

JOY:

W-why are they going to strike?

SUPERVISOR:

I can't tell you the half of it:

the deceit, the corruption. The union

wants to close down the school.

They don't care about these poor

immigrants. It's heartbreaking.

Now I believe in unions, I'm sensitive

to their needs, I cried at "The Grapes

of Wrath", I sing to Woody Guthrie.

But that was another time, another

place. Today unions are just a new

kind of corporation. It's tragic, but

believe me, those teachers making

sacrifices for the union, well, the

union's not going to make any

sacrifices for them. Those union

leaders, they go home with pay-checks,

the teachers end up with nothing.

Now we need people who can be dedicated,

who aren't in it just for the money.

Because this job takes courage.

Do you know what some of these

refugees have endured? Concentration

camps. And now their dream of coming

to America is realized, and this

union doesn't care. It's all about

greed. Selfishness. Now Joy, can I

count on you?

JOY:

O-of course�I want to do the right,

um, thing�I mean, I believe in, um,

you know�being counted on�

SUPERVISOR:

Do you know what these strikers are?

Spoiled brats. Trust-funded artistes.

They don't know the meaning of work,

of giving� But just remember, if you

hear the word "benefits," don't listen.

47.EXT. ESL SCHOOL - DAY.47.

PICKETERS march along the sidewalk. JOY approaches and

hesitates.

PICKETERS:

(chanting)

Don't cross the line!

Don't cross the line!

JOY:

You know, there are some people

in real need in there.

PICKETER #1

F***ing management is in there.

JOY:

But what about the refugees?

PICKETER #2

What about my benefits?

JOY:

I'm sorry. I think you're

making a terrible mistake.

As she crosses the picket line they shout epithets at her.

Someone throws an egg at her. It cracks against her head.

She runs inside.

48.INT. ELEVATOR - DAY.48.

Strangers look askance at JOY. When the elevator arrives at

her floor she gets out, relieved.

49.INT. ESL SCHOOL TEACHERS LOUNGE - DAY.49.

Administrators welcome JOY, handing out general information.

The air is festive.

JOY finds the other TEACHERS cleaning tomatoes and egg off

their clothes. RHONDA, a teacher, pulls her aside towards

the window from which the strikers can be seen.

RHONDA:

It's so sad. I mean, it really is

pathetic. Such losers. Really,

I feel sorry for them.

There is a slight commotion across the room. TEACHER #1 is

upset, crying a little. TEACHER #2 comforts her.

TEACHER #1

I'm sorry� It's nothing� Sorry�

TEACHER #2

It's okay.

TEACHER #1

It's just�well�

TEACHER #2

What is it? What happened?

TEACHER #1

�They called me a scab.

TEACHER #2

You're not a scab.

You're a strike-breaker.

The bell rings.

50.INT. CLASSROOM - DAY.50.

JOY enters. The STUDENTS do not have welcoming faces.

JOY:

Good morning. My name is Joy Jordan.

She writes her name on the blackboard.

JOY:

I am your new teacher. Now.

JOY is about to do roll-call when:

STUDENT #1

You are scab.

STUDENT #2

Where Marsha?

JOY:

Marsha? Well, Marsha�er�

STUDENT #3

We want Marsha.

The STUDENTS start changing, "We want Marsha!" One student,

however, does not join in. He shouts at his classmates:

BORIS:

(in Russian)

Quiet!

They listen to him.

BORIS:

(to JOY)

Please.

JOY:

�I'm not a scab.

I'm a strike-breaker.

51.INT. HELEN'S PLACE - DAY.51.

Intensity grips HELEN as she works on a poem at her desk.

She rises, as if in pain, and starts pacing. Strange sounds

emanate from her mouth. She pounds a fist against her head.

Finally she leaps into bed, thrashing about as if possessed.

HELEN:

I'm no good! I'm no good!

I am nothing! Nothing! Zero!�

The telephone rings.

HELEN:

Hello?

52.INT. ALLEN'S OFFICE - DAY.52.

ALLEN is on the other end of the line. His breathing is

heavy, low, constrained. He is sweating.

HELEN (V.O.)

�Hello?

ALLEN:

(voice disguised)

I know who you are and you are nothing.

You think you are f***ing something,

but you are f***ing nothing. You are

empty. You are zero. You are a black

hole, and I am going to f*** you so bad

you're gonna be coming out of your ears.

Pause.

HELEN (V.O.)

�Richard?

ALLEN hangs up.

53.INT. HELEN'S PLACE - DAY.53.

HELEN presses *69.

CUT BACK AND FORTH between HELEN and ALLEN.

ALLEN picks up.

ALLEN:

Data Resources.

HELEN:

Who are you?

ALLEN hangs up. He is shaking, sweating profusely.

A pretty young SECRETARY walks by outside his glass door and

smiles. He smiles back, weakly.

The phone rings again. ALLEN resists answering it until he

hears his answering service pick up.

ALLEN:

What do you want?

Pause.

HELEN:

I want you to f*** me.

Pause.

ALLEN:

I�um�I don't think I can do that�

I mean�I don't think I can do that.

(a beat; a CO-WORKER

is approaching)

I gotta go.

HELEN:

Call me tomorrow.

ALLEN:

�Okay.

ALLEN hangs up. The CO-WORKER appears.

CO-WORKER

Hey, you see the play-offs last night?

ALLEN:

(smiling/joking)

Yeah, pretty good! Pretty good!

54.EXT. LIQUOR STORE - EVENING.54.

ALLEN hurries inside.

55.INT. LIQUOR STORE - EVENING.55.

ALLEN buys some whiskey.

56.EXT. HELEN AND ALLEN'S APT. COMPLEX -56.

EVENING.

ALLEN bumps slightly over the curb as he pulls into the

parking lot.

57.INT. HELEN AND ALLEN'S APT. COMPLEX -57.

LOBBY - EVENING.

ALLEN goes to the elevator, sees HELEN waiting. As usual,

she pays him no attention. ALLEN smiles.

ALLEN:

How's it going?

HELEN:

Okay.

The elevator arrives and they step inside.

58.INT. ELEVATOR - EVENING.58.

HELEN and ALLEN stand and say nothing during the ride, like

before.

59.INT. HALLWAY - EVENING.59.

The elevator doors open and HELEN and ALLEN come out,

walking their separate ways.

ALLEN:

See ya.

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