Infinitely Polar Bear Page #14

RECEPTIONIST:

Maggie Stuart?

Maggie stands. The young men look at her like she’s a

curiosity.

INT. PLUSH OFFICE. DAY

Maggie sits across from three fifty-year-old versions of the

young men in the waiting room.

MAGGIE:

...I’m graduating at the top of my

class and I’ve actually been

offered a futures job at E.F.

Hutton in New York, but Howard and

Company is where I want to be.

BUSINESSMAN 1

E.F. Hutton, that’s terrific. Why

come back to Boston?

MAGGIE:

My children are here -

Beat. Their eyes glaze over. Maggie instantly regrets

mentioning her children.

BUSINESSMAN 1

(politely)

And how old are your children?

MAGGIE:

Twelve and ten. Very independent.

Which allows me to come in early

and work late -

86.

BUSINESSMAN 1

(smiling)

Thank you so much. We’ll let you

know.

The men stand up, signalling the end of the meeting.

INT. FINANCIAL FIRM. DAY

As Maggie walks past three young men in their nice suits and

ties, she understands her prospects.

EXT. STREET. DAY

Maggie waits on a corner in downtown Boston. She looks cold

and unhappy. She looks up the street and sees the red Toyota

wildly backing down the one-way street. Irate drivers honk

at Cam. He stops in front of her. She gets into the car.

INT. TOYOTA. CONTINUOUS

CAM:

How’d the interview go?

Maggie puts on an upbeat front.

MAGGIE:

Really well I think! I know a lot

of people are vying for this

position, but I think I’m very

qualified. And I’ve got some more

interviews.

CAM:

Any one of these places would be

lucky to have you.

She smiles at him gratefully.

INT. CAM’S BEDROOM. DAY

Cam stands in the middle of his messy bedroom, pulling excess

books off the shelf and putting them in a box. He comes

across The Collected Poems of Robert Frost. He opens the

book. He sits down on the edge of the bed, reading.

Amelia calls from the kitchen:

87.

AMELIA (O.S.)

Daddy, do I add more butter for

each omelette?

As Cam turns the page:

CAM:

(yelling)

Half a tablespoon and make sure you

let it get nut-brown.

Faith steps into the doorway. She is festooned with gold and

pink ribbons wrapped around her arms and upper torso.

FAITH:

Did you start my costume?

CAM:

...What costume?

FAITH:

You know. My Flamenco dancer

costume for the talent show.

You’re making me a skirt.

Beat.

CAM:

Right.

FAITH:

(concerned)

Daddy, it’s tomorrow.

CAM:

(lamely)

Right. I know.

FAITH:

I knew it! You’re not making it.

CAM:

I am making it. I said I would

make it and I will.

FAITH:

Can you even sew?

CAM:

Hey, I was in the army.

FAITH:

I want it to be all sparkly and

ruffly.

88.

CAM:

You got it, buggins.

Faith claps her hands and excitedly breaks into her stomping

Flamenco dance. The neighbor below bangs on the ceiling.

INT. APARTMENT. NIGHT

Cam opens a closet door and hauls Maggie’s sewing machine off

the top shelf.

CUT TO:

Dining room table. Cam sits in front of the sewing machine,

a cigarette dangling from his lips. He studies Faith’s

Flamenco doll.

CAM:

I just have to make this skirt, two

hundred times bigger.

CUT TO:

He draws a pattern on the pink satin fabric. He cuts out the

pattern, smoking all the while. A huge amount of ash drops

on the fabric. He doesn’t notice.

CUT TO:

He pushes the fabric through the sewing machine. This way.

That way. The table is covered with dirty coffee cups. His

ashtray overflows with cigarette butts. He screws up a seam.

CAM:

Goddamnit! I can’t do it! I can’t

f***ing do it!

He yanks the fabric out of the sewing machine, throws it on

the floor, jumps on it, picks it up, throws it at the wall,

it flutters to the floor. This only fuels his rage. He

spastically grabs it, crosses to the open window and hurls

out the unfinished skirt. He pushes his hair back, looks

around wild-eyed and crazy.

EXT. APARTMENT BUILDING. NIGHT

He wades through a bush to retrieve the skirt.

89.

INT. APARTMENT. NIGHT

Cam has returned to working on the skirt. He sews a ruffle

on. He turns to the flamenco doll.

CAM:

Your skirt is a joke compared to

what this skirt is going to look

like.

Cam downs the last of a cup of coffee, cracks open a beer and

takes a swig.

INT. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT

Cam stands at the open window, drinking a beer. He picks up

the phone and dials.

MAGGIE (O.S.)

(sleepily)

...hello?

CAM:

(into phone)

Guess what I did?

INTERCUT WITH MAGGIE

She turns on her bedside lamp and sits up, trying to orient

herself.

MAGGIE:

Cam... it’s almost four in the

morning.

Cam examines the skirt with pride.

CAM:

I just made your daughter an

incredible skirt. Sparkles,

ruffles... It’s probably my

greatest achievement since I

rebuilt the engine to my Dad’s

Studebaker in college.

MAGGIE:

That’s terrific, Cam. You should

probably get some sleep.

CAM:

I don’t want to sleep.

90.

MAGGIE:

But you must be tired -

CAM:

But I’m not tired.

Maggie sits up.

MAGGIE:

Cam, you know how important sleep

is to -

CAM:

Come on, Maggie! Name me one other

father in America who is up right

now sewing their daughter a

flamenco skirt!

MAGGIE:

Cam... You are taking your

lithium... aren’t you?

Beat.

CAM:

Actually, I haven’t taken my

lithium since you left.

Maggie hangs her head.

CAM:

I find that if I take small, steady

sips of beer throughout the day, it

keeps me on an even keel...

He takes a long, loud, defiant sip of his beer.

CAM:

Ahhh...

Maggie looks stricken.

INT. APARTMENT. MORNING

Cam sits on the floor surrounded by bits of fabric.

Faith manages to squeeze into the very beautiful and way too

tight skirt. It is so tight all the way down, she can barely

move her legs. She finally gets it on and stares down at it.

She wiggles to make the ruffle move. Then:

FAITH:

I look like a flamenco mermaid!

91.

She hops over to Cam, throws her arms around his neck and

says dramatically:

FAITH:

It’s the most glorious skirt I’ve

ever known!

EXT. STATION. SAME DAY

Maggie walks out of the train station. Cam is double-parked.

He wears his battered corduroy jacket and an Oxford shirt.

Maggie gets in the car, closes the door.

INT. TOYOTA STATION WAGON. CONTINUOUS

They sit in silence.

CAM:

I’m not manic.

MAGGIE:

But you could be.

CAM:

I was excited. People are allowed

to get excited when they can’t sew

worth a damn and they manage to

pull off a flamenco skirt that gets

their daughter the second-most

applause at the talent show.

INT. RESTAURANT. DAY

A tony Boston restaurant. The lunch crowd is well-dressed.

Cam and Maggie cross to sit down at the bar. Cam is angry.

MAGGIE:

You promised to take your lithium.

CAM:

And you promised to love me for

better or for worse.

The MAITRE D’ hurries over to them.

MAITRE D’

Excuse me, sir. But our dress code

requires you to wear a tie...

Without missing a beat, Cam pulls an untied bowtie out of his

jacket pocket. As he ties it without looking:

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