I Am Sam Page #10

TURNER:

No further questions.

Rita starts to scribble notes furiously. So does Sam.

Turner smugly sits down. Rita confidently strides toward the

witness.

RITA:

You're a mother, aren't you Ms. Geller?

THERAPIST:

Yes.

RITA:

Would it be fair to say that as a

parent, you've felt confused from time

to time, possibly overwhelmed on

occasion, even though you're a wonderful

mother?

TURNER:

Objection. It's Mr. Dawson's parenting.

Not Ms. Geller's that's at question

here.

RITA:

But if Ms. Geller has never had a moment

where she felt confused as a mother it

would bias her opinion. And it is her

expert opinion we're all after, isn't

it, Mr. Turner?

JUDGE MCNEILY:

Overruled. I'll allow it.

RITA:

Thank you, your Honor. Ms. Geller, I

know there have been many moments as a

parent where I've felt I've made huge

mistakes - mistakes that are huge. And

I've had to admit them to myself. My

husband. But most importantly, to my

therapist. Which is the guise Mr.

Dawson thought he was seeing you under,

isn't that right, Ms. Geller?

TURNER:

Objection.

JUDGE MCNEILY:

Get to the point, Ms. Harrison.

RITA:

The point is you've never had those

moments, have you Ms. Geller? Moments

that every parent I've ever spoken to

has - moments when you've felt the task

is so unbelievably challenging that you

feel retarded, disabled in some way.

Moments when you feel everyone has the

key but you. But you've never had those

moments, have you Ms. Geller?

THERAPIST:

I -

RITA:

Yes or no?

THERAPIST:

I -

RITA:

Let me rephrase the question. When your

son od'ed -

TURNER:

Objection!

RITA:

But if Ms. Geller didn't feel she had

made mistakes - mistakes that were huge

it might bias her opinion toward Mr.

Dawson.

JUDGE MCNEILY:

I will -

RITA:

Thank you. So Ms. Geller - yes or no -

when your son od'ed, did you feel you

might have made mistakes, mistakes that

were huge?

THERAPIST:

(tearfully)

Yes.

INT. COURTROOM CAFETERIA - DAY

Sam and Rita go down the cafeteria line.

SAM:

You made her cry.

RITA:

You got lucky.

SAM:

That's not nice. Not very nice.

RITA:

Only in there.

SAM:

Your secretary too. Yellow and green in

one bowl.

(Sam stares at a bowl of Lima

beans and corn)

You separate the Lima beans from the

corn please?

The CAFETERIA WORKER stares at him. Yeah. Sure he will.

RITA:

Sam, don't be impossible.

(then to Worker)

Can I have the spinach omelet - only egg

whites no fat no oil no butter and extra

mushrooms.

CAFETERIA WORKER

Absolutely.

Sam is anxiously separating his Lima beans and corn into

separate piles. They arrive at the cashier. Rita pulls out

her billfold. Sam reaches for his wallet.

SAM:

My treat. My treat.

RITA:

Don't be ridiculous. I'll get it.

SAM:

I said it's my treat. That means I'll

get it.

RITA:

Sam, do you really want to get it or are

you just trying to --

SAM:

Trying to what?

RITA:

You know, trying to act like a -

SAM:

Like a what?

RITA:

Like a...a...

SAM:

A real man?

RITA:

I didn't say that.

SAM:

You're my lawyer and you think what they

think. I don't have a chance. No

chance at all. Even with an expert

witness.

Rita looks at him. He's right. She chooses her words

carefully.

RITA:

I think...you deserve...a fair trial.

SAM:

Answer the question.

RITA:

Okay okay okay. What was the question

again?

SAM:

Do you think what they think? Sam can't

order food. Sam can't pay a check. Sam

can't take care of Lucy?

RITA:

It doesn't matter what I think - it

matters that we win.

SAM:

You're my lawyer it matters what you

think.

RITA:

Hey, it doesn't matter to them what I

think.

SAM:

Me. It matters to me.

He reaches for the receipt, and faces the CASHIER defiantly.

SAM (CONT'D)

Fourteen thirty three. That's 5 ones, 2

quarters and 16 cents less than twenty.

He slowly counts his money, takes his tray and walks away.

Rita watches him, with a trace of remorse and a hint of

admiration.

INT. COURTROOM - DAY

DR. DONOVAN, an attractive soft-spoken woman is on the stand.

Rita is working the room. Sam, having a hard time

concentrating, is following a crack up the wall and onto the

ceiling.

RITA:

Dr. Donovan, the American Medical

Journal named you one of the country's

leading oncologists. Isn't that

correct?

DR. DONOVAN

Yes.

RITA:

What kept you going the twelve years you

were in medical school?

DR. DONOVAN

Caffeine. Sugar. And my mother's

confidence in me.

RITA:

I wish I had a mother like that. She

must have been smart.

DR. DONOVAN

She had great instincts.

RITA:

Do you have any idea what her IQ was?

DR. DONOVAN

In the lower ranges. About eighty.

RITA:

So your mother, this woman with the IQ

of a nine-year old had the wisdom to

recognize that you would be a great

doctor. I guess her disability didn't

seem to hold you back in life.

DR. DONOVAN

No. My mother's condition taught me

what they can't teach you; compassion

and patience.

RITA:

Traits most doctors have in spades.

Thank you, no further questions.

Sam runs to hug Dr. Donovan, bumping into Rita who sits him

down.

TURNER:

How'd you get through medical school?

Where'd you live?

DR. DONOVAN

We lived with my mother's parents.

TURNER:

Oh, Grandma and Grandpa. Would it be

fair to say your grandparents were of

normal intelligence?

DR. DONOVAN

Yes.

TURNER:

And didn't these people - your

grandparents - with normal intelligence -

have the real responsibilities?

RITA:

(relishing this)

Objection! I hear Mr. Turner's mother

in-law lives with him! She must help

out. Does that mean he doesn't have the

real -

TURNER:

Motion to strike that from the record.

Irrelevant, immaterial and immature -

RITA:

Irrelevant?! Any parent has a right to

a support system.

TURNER:

I'm not talking about the rights of the

parent, I'm talking about the rights of

a child.

(the gavel bangs)

I'm talking about entrusting an eight

year old's welfare in the hands of

someone whose records show he was

diagnosed with infantile autism, mental

retardation...

RITA:

Objection! Motion to strike that from

the record. It's clear that one's

intellectual capacity has no bearing on

their ability to love. You Honor, would

you please instruct council to proceed

with a modicum of sensitivity?

TURNER:

Oh, I'm sensitive. I'm real sensitive

when I see people like you --

(the gavel BANGS!)

come here and try to give meaning to

your life by screwing up somebody

else's!

JUDGE MCNEILY:

That's enough. Both lawyers approach

the bench!

RITA:

(both approach)

And I suppose tearing apart a family is

truly noble work, Mr. Turner.

JUDGE MCNEILY:

That's it. I fine you both for

contempt. Two-hundred fifty dollars.

TURNER:

What's that to her? She gets that for

picking up the phone.

RITA:

Oh, that's what this is about.

TURNER:

I'll tell you what this is about. See

this is an award for you at some

luncheon. But I'm here everyday.

(gavel POUNDS AGAIN)

You win, you're out the door.

But guess who I see come back? The kid.

Most of the time, in less than a year.

Only now it's too late. So you're

right. I'm real sensitive. You can't

even touch that area.

Rate this script:3.0 / 1 vote