Hollywood Ending Page #3

Want a weinie?

You got it. You're directing "The City

That Never Sleeps". Ijust heard.

I can't believe it.

I can't speak!

I got you ahalf-million, plus1/10th

point after quadruple break-even.

They're going backto L.A. tonight.

Could you meet Ellie for a drink?

Why?

Because you owe her thanks.

She went out on alimb for you.

She wantsto be sure you're both

onthe same page.

Hal Yeager is quickto hire,

quickto fire. You need Ellie

to run interference.

All right, all right.

I'll meet her at...

...Bemelmans Bar at 9:00.

I can spare 10 minutes.

I can't tell you...

My head's swimming.

A tenth of apoint

after quadruple break-even!

You are really a shark, Al.

Congratulations.

Can I get a Beck's?

Since we'll be workingtogether,

I thought we shouldtalk.

It's fine with me.

As you know, Hal was

alittle skeptical at first...

...but inthe end, he's abusinessman

and very professional.

Let me set your mind at ease.

Don't worry.

Things will go very smoothly.

This is...

...abig shot for me.

I realize that...

...many people think

I'm difficult, but...

...I can be very professional, and

obviously Hal's very professional...

...and you're professional, clearly...

...so as long as business

is business...

I cannot understand how you could

leave me for that cheesy windbag!

It's mind-numbing.

Ijust don't understand.

And you carried on with him behind

my back for 2 months.

It was not 2 months.

Yes, it was.

You carried on behind my back.

And under my nose.

That'stwice a day.

Both places.

You're exaggerating.

I am not.

You were always onthe phone

with him. Exchanging glances.

Then you were exchanging fluids.

I can't believe I didn't see it.

You were too self-absorbed, trying

to be the great American film artist.

Don't tell me that. You were fine

till I startedto lose my audience.

Then you dump me and move

to Beverly Hills.

You hated California.

We both did.

You hatedtraveling everyplace

by car allthe time and...

...I hatedtraveling

by mudslide.

What could I do? Our marriage

wasn't going anyplace.

Where did you want it to go?

Where do marriages go?

After a while they alljust lay there.

That'sthe thing about marriage.

It was introuble. You don't see

what you don't want to see.

How was it introuble?

We didn't communicate.

We had sex.

Yes, we had sex,

but we never talked.

Sex is better thantalk.

Ask anyone.

Talk is what you suffer through

to get to sex.

You isolate everything. You can't

just compartmentalize like that.

A good marriage consists

of many parts well-integrated.

- Is one of those parts adultery?

- Never!

Absolutely! At the Plaza Hotel.

I got the bill!

You had escargot that afternoon.

It's disgusting.

Sex and snails withthat roast beef

from Beverly Hills.

You were so busy playingthe American

artist. That's what you were doing...

...playing. You felt it was important

to be uncompromising...

...andtemperamental and difficult...

God, difficult!

And starve and suffer.

You had allthe symptoms,

but not the disease.

You usedto think I was creative

and original.

I still do... as a filmmaker.

When you became creative

as ahypochondriac, that was it.

Those attacks were real!

- Oh, yeah?

- Yes!

The Black Plague, Val?

An allergy to oxygen?

Elm blight? Only trees get

elm blight... elmtrees.

Can I sum it up? You cheated on me,

liedto me, dumped me and...

We're here to discuss business.

I want to keep this professional.

Absolutely. I think we should rework

the script alittle.

It doesn't have

to be middle-aged people.

The character of Kelly Swain could be

coming out of college instead.

Out of law school.

Yeah. I think Galaxie would

like that.

We could maybe cast somebody

like Terry Tyler, or...

...find some talented new kid.

You are such a shallow jerk!

That you would leave me for a guy

who'sthe opposite of what I am!

With his ski lodge in Aspen

and his collection of vintage cars.

If I drove around in a 1939 Mercedes,

people wouldthink I was Himmler!

Hal is very smart

and abrilliant deal maker.

He's been audited by the best.

He's made some pretty financially

successful American films.

That says it all. He'sthe white line

downthe middle of the road.

You had your little flirtations, too.

There wasthat Italian model.

No. You were the only one

I was serious with.

My God, until you suddenly became

noncommunicative and unresponsive...

...and you dumped me andthen...

This movie will be a fun movie

to do, I think.

I have alot of ideasto discuss.

Good. And nowthat the studio's

agreedto you...

...you'll have their full support.

Thank you very much. I think I want

a foreign cameraman.

That's fine.

They get atexture inthe work American

cameramen never get.

A certain mobility.

I remember coming home

and picking up the extension

and you're talkingto this guy!

I hear my wife, lovey-dovey with her

lover saying she misses her lover!

He wasn't my lover yet.

Bull! He was your lover!

I recognize the voice...

Hal Yeager from Galaxie Pictures!

I think, "Why is my wife talkingto him?

They're making me a surprise party. "

- I thought they were planning my party.

- Were they?

No! They were having an affair!

Followthe story!

- I can't believe this.

- I'm going.

What? Wait.

We're discussingthe movie.

No, I'm sorry.

I won't bother you. I'll make sure no

one will interfere creatively.

How about Denise Daniels

asthe blackmailer?

Possibly.

I think she would be great. Or

Sarah Bedloe would be interesting.

I pick up the phone to order

a corned beef sandwich,

she'stalkingto her

lover.

- I'll be back from L.A. in 2 weeks...

- This will be a fun picture.

...for pre-production.

I look forwardto it.

And about Hal Yeager...

...the word on him is

cross-dresser. Check it out.

I pick up the phone and she...

Hal, we're off

to areally good start.

Great. Tell me.

Val wantsto use

a foreign cameraman...

...which I think we should give him,

because he has areal visual concept.

He's chosen Kow Chan...

...a Chinese cameraman who's done

some really stunning work...

...mostly withthe Red Army.

He says he doesn't like his hotel.

He much prefer the Sherry.

Val wantsto go with Elio Sebastian

as art director.

Val saysthat Elio really knows

the streets of New York.

Every location is out there

waitingto be found.

Great. It saves us a fortune.

Withtwo exceptions:

Times Square and Harlem.

I have to buildthem.

We can't build Times Square

and Harlem.

He wantsto build

the Empire State Building? No!

Just the first 20 stories.

No, sweetheart.

It's not gonnahappen.

- Okay, I'll handle it.

- Good. Great. Listen, I miss you.

How'sthe weather?

Great. Really New York moody.

Grey and cloudy.

- That's how it is.

- Today's our first sunny day.

It's fabulous here.

Sunny and clear every day.

I have to run. I'm having

another skin cancer removed.

This is perfect. This view

is absolutely perfect.

No, I hate it. We're just going

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