Hollywood Ending Page #5

You be careful. She's akiller.

She's akiller?

I didn't want her around,

but the press department...

...told Hal we'd get the cover

of Esquire, so she's here.

How is she akiller? She loves me.

Well, that's fine if she likes you.

Otherwise, she can be biting.

I hear she's all sugar and sweetness

to get in your good graces...

...then wham! She told Sean Madigan

how she loved all his films...

...and she was abig fan and he was

a unique American artist...

...andthen inthe profile she did,

she disemboweled him.

Well, if you happento fall

for that kind of flattery...

- I can handle it.

- You couldn't handle Shirley Temple.

Hey, give me abreak, will you?

I can't figure it out. It's okay

to have an affair with Hal Yeager.

Everyone's entitledto one psychotic

episode, but to marry the guy is crazy.

- I wouldn't talk, if I were you.

- What doesthat mean?

How long have you been living

withthat wind-up doll I met?

You know I don't like to sleep alone.

I'm not goingto marry her.

Andthat wind-up doll happens

to have a Ph. D.

In what? History of gym?

Will you give me abreak

withthe cutting remarks?

I have apicture to do Tuesday.

I'mthinking about my work.

Okay. Now get some rest

this weekend.

Don't lie around worrying

about what could go wrong.

Don't worry. I won't lie around.

I got my hand onthe wheel, honey.

This picture's inthe bank.

Amanda, who is it?

I don't know. Uncle Al,

it's for you.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

You have to get over here right away.

Why? I'm at my sister's for a seder.

You have to get over here.

It's amatter of life and death!

It's open! Come in!

What is it? What's going on?

Why am I here?

Al, I'm goingto try to explain

thisto you.

I came home and started

to make notes onthe script.

We shoot Tuesday and I wantedto,

you know.

Andthen I startedto get nervous,

so I sat down onthe sofa...

...and I was doing my deep breathing

exercises, to stay calm.

And it was working,

and I startedto relax...

...and I dozed off. And I slept

for a while...

...andthen I woke up, Al, and...

...I can't see anything!

I'm blind! I'm blind, Al!

I'm blind, I'm blind! I can't see!

What do you mean?

What do you mean, what do I mean?

Like the guys inthe street

with dark glasses and accordions.

Well, are youtrying?

Al, you can't try to see.

You look around and you see

or you don't see. I don't see.

- How can you be blind?

- Howthe hell do I know?

Al, I'm scared!

What did you eat?

What'sthe difference what I ate?

You can't lose your vision

from aplate of tofu!

I never heard of this.

I did. Remember the actor Harvey Gates?

He lost his vision suddenly.

- From what?

- Grapefruit.

He had atumor the size

of a grapefruit on his brain.

And he went blind?

Yes, he went blind. And a few months

later, he went dead...

...which is worse than blind,

'cause your options decrease.

Relax. You don't have abraintumor.

Al, with all due respect...

...let me hear that from someone

who went to abetter medical school...

...than William Morris.

We'll get youto Dr. Mason.

You still use him, right?

No, Mason dropped dead

onthe treadmill. I use Koch.

I use Koch, too. Did you bump

into anything? Fall? Bonk your head?

I didn't bump my head. I have abrain

tumor, that'sthe story here!

The end is in sight! I see the wall!

I thought you couldn't see.

It's an expression! I don't actually

mean I see a wall.

It's in my mind's eye!

I remember when Ellie

and I took youto the hospital...

...because you were convinced you had

hoof and mouth disease.

Oh, God, Ellie. If I die, Al...

...tell Ellie I'm sorry I saidthose

thingsto her. I saidterrible things.

I called her all kinds of names.

Probably because

I never stopped loving her.

You're not dying.

If I don't die,

tell her she's atramp!

She's living with a guy,

the best you can say about him...

...is sometimes

he returns phone calls!

Dr. Koch? It's Al Hack.

Sorry to call on aholiday,

but I'm here with Val Waxman...

You can sit back now.

So what'sthe story?

Your optic nerve is normal. Your eyes

are normal. I don't see anything.

I don't see anything, either.

That'sthe problem!

Any tumor large enoughto affect his

vision so dramatically would show up.

I wish I was in as good health as he is.

This is atextbook scenario.

Physically, you're 100%

But just like someone who...

...has ahysterical paralysis,

apatient who...

...is fine, but can't walk, or apatient

who loses his or her voice...

...from ahorrible shock, or extreme,

stress-relatedtrauma...

...being a film director,

your inner conflicts have...

...expressedthemselves in atelling

fashion. You're psychosomatically blind.

- How can I get rid of it?

- By treatment.

By understandingthe roots

of your conflict...

...it's likely this blindness

will go away.

How quickly?

Real growth... is always very slow.

There goes my comeback.

You cannot breathe a word

of thisto anybody.

You have to tellthem, Al.

Ijust dreadtelling Ellie.

Are you nuts? They'll fire you.

Fire me? I obviously can't direct

the picture.

What? How can you blowthis shot?

What are youtalking about? I'm blind!

Nobody knows.

What doesthat mean?

What are you saying?

If you pull out of this project

because psychological stress...

...has made you go blind,

you'll never work again.

Maybe they can postpone it.

Because you're blind?

You direct this picture

and bring in ahit...

...or I leave you withtwo words:

homeless man.

I can't... How can I...

You muddle your way through

until your sight returns.

Al, I can't direct the picture.

I'm blind!

Have you seen some

of the pictures out there?

They'll catch me in 5 minutes.

Maybe, maybe not. If they do, you're

no worse off than if you confess...

...because you're finished

inthe business anyway.

I take one step onthe set,

I'll break my neck!

No, I'll come with you.

They won't let you. Actors get nervous

when agents hang around.

Listen, once you're onthe set, you'll

relax, you won't even need me.

I can't do this. I have to take someone

into my confidence.

Absolutely not! No! Never! Not ahint.

This can't get out.

You will direct ahit picture.

Sometimes God works in strange ways.

LikeJob.

Notes on making

"The City That Never Sleeps".

First morning atmosphere is upbeat.

Lots of eager anticipation.

People moving lights.

Actors and actresses already

in costume and makeup.

Val Waxman is not the first one

onthe set.

Actually, a few minutes late.

This won't work.

No, it's working perfect.

I'll guide you.

- Am I goingto bump into anything?

- No, I'll guide you.

But I must look funny.

You look perfect, I'mtelling you.

Look at this.

Good morning. Would you like anything?

You want some coffee?

Yeah, su... No. No, thank you.

I'm okay. I'm okay.

The actors are here if you want

to blockthe scene.

Blockthe scene?

Val, are you okay withthe changes

inthe set?

Oh, the set. Yeah. It's beautiful!

How about the background color?

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