Infinitely Polar Bear Page #15

92.

CAM:

Let me say one thing about lithium

-no one even knows if it works.

Same goes for haldol, valproic

acid, and all their other so-called

treatments. I’m just a guinea pig.

And you never would’ve known I’d

stopped taking it if I hadn’t told

you. I’m an idiot. A f***ing self-

destructive fuckhead.

His bowtie is perfectly tied. The Maitre D’ nods and quickly

retreats from this conversation.

MAGGIE:

Cam, you said you would take

responsibility for your condition -

CAM:

The way you’ve taken responsibility

for your children?

MAGGIE:

That’s not fair. You know how hard

this was for me.

CAM:

I know, I know, it was hard to come

every weekend...

MAGGIE:

No! It wasn’t hard to come, it

wasn’t hard to come...

Tears suddenly roll down Maggie’s face. Cam is startled.

MAGGIE:

...it was hard to leave. Every

weekend. And have people think I

was the worst mother in the world

because I wanted my children to

have a better life and I didn’t see

any other way to get it. You’re

from an old blue-blood family.

When you live in squalor, it’s

“eccentric.” When black people

live in squalor, believe me, no one

is charmed.

Cam is quiet for a moment as that sinks in.

CAM:

If it’s any consolation, no one

seems charmed by my squalor either.

(MORE)

93.

CAM (cont'd)

(beat)

I haven’t made any headway on my

bedroom.

Maggie looks at him and nods, resigned. Then:

MAGGIE:

I’m going to take the E.F. Hutton

job. In New York. It’s my only

offer.

CAM:

New York? Maggie, I can’t keep

doing this all by myself -

She puts her hand on his arm.

MAGGIE:

I’m not asking you to. You’ve done

an amazing job. It’s time for me

to take the girls.

Cam reacts.

CAM:

You’re taking the girls to New

York? But what about me and you?

What about us?

Maggie looks away. She is anguished. Cam seethes.

CAM:

I knew it. I knew it.

MAGGIE:

There’s so much I love about you,

Cam. And I don’t want to give up

on you. But I just... I can’t.

CAM:

So were you even trying to get a

job here? Or was this your plan

all along?

MAGGIE:

No! My plan was to come home and

maybe I’d be with you and maybe I

wouldn’t, but we’d still be a

family. But none of that matters.

These Boston firms don’t want me.

CAM:

Why don’t they want you?

94.

She looks at him for a beat.

MAGGIE:

Because, Cam, this is Boston. They

want people like you.

This hits Cam like a ton of bricks. His face hardens.

CAM:

You want a job in Boston? I’ll get

you a job in Boston!

Cam stands and storms out of the restaurant.

INT. DICK’S OFFICE. DAY

DICK, 40, sits behind a large oak desk with a view onto the

financial district. He wears a suit and tie. He is tall,

handsome and athletic. The walls are hung with pictures of

sailboats. Cam sits across from him. Cam is agitated.

DICK:

You look well, Cam. Everything

good down your way?

CAM:

Not really, Dickie. No.

DICK:

Sorry to hear that -

CAM:

As you know, Maggie’s just gotten

her MBA.

DICK:

I heard. Good for her.

CAM:

I was wondering why there isn’t a

place for her here. It is a family

firm, after all.

Dick sighs and looks sorry.

DICK:

Well, Cam, I wish there were. But

we just don’t have the position at

the moment.

CAM:

So you’re telling me that when

Dickie Jr and...the other one...

(MORE)

95.

CAM (cont'd)

graduate from college, they won’t

land here?

DICK:

Sumner. That’s my other son -

CAM:

God damn it, Dickie! I know how it

works! You create the position!

DICK:

I have to say, Cam, this is why we

never invite you to the Christmas

party.

CAM:

I don’t give a sh*t about your

Christmas party. I want you to

hire my wife. She works fifty

thousand times harder than any of

you!

Dick gets up from the desk.

DICK:

I’m afraid I have to ask you to

leave.

CAM:

Do you have any idea how hard it

is? Do you have any idea what

sacrifices she’s made? She needs a

job here! In Boston!

Cam picks up a model sailboat and hurls it at the wall.

DICK:

Cam! Stop it! Snap out of it!

Cam picks up a chair and throws it at the bookcase, which

comes down. Dick tackles him to the floor.

CUT TO:

Two SECURITY OFFICERS escort Cam out. Dick puts his hand on

Cam’s shoulder.

DICK:

Just so you know, I won’t tell Gaga

about this.

Cam looks at him, resigned.

96.

INT. APARTMENT. NIGHT

Maggie sits on the sofa, folding laundry. The front door

opens. She hears Cam walk down the hall to the bathroom.

MAGGIE:

Cam? Cam?

INT. APARTMENT BATHROOM. NIGHT

Cam stands at the sink, filling a glass of water. He is

soaking wet from head to toe. Maggie comes to the doorway of

the bathroom. She is startled by his appearance.

MAGGIE:

Why are you wet?

Cam doesn’t look at her. He takes out his bottle of lithium.

CAM:

Girls asleep?

She nods. He empties three large pills into his hand.

CAM:

Faith show you her skirt?

MAGGIE:

Yes. It’s beautiful.

Cam swallows the pills with the full glass of water. He

closes the medicine cabinet and sighs.

CAM:

I couldn’t get you a job in Boston.

As he walks past her into his bedroom:

CAM:

I jumped in the Charles River.

INT. APARTMENT CAM’S BEDROOM. CONTINUOUS

His bedroom is a pit. Cam sits down on his bed, among the

piles of clothes.

CAM:

I’m just going to miss them is all.

Maggie nods, with great sympathy.

97.

MAGGIE:

I know.

She exits, gently closing the door. Cam looks around at his

room, the manifestation of failure.

INT. ICE CREAM PARLOR. DAY

Amelia and Faith sit at a round table, ice cream sundaes in

front of them. Maggie and Cam sit across.

AMELIA:

Isn’t New York really expensive?

Where are we going to live?

MAGGIE:

I’ll find an apartment in a very

safe neighborhood.

FAITH:

Where will we go to school?

MAGGIE:

I’ll figure that out.

AMELIA:

We can’t ride bikes in New York.

MAGGIE:

You can ride your bikes when you

come here.

AMELIA:

What about Daddy? Who’s going to

take care of him?

MAGGIE:

Daddy will take care of himself.

CAM:

I’ll go to dinner parties, movies,

I’ll have escapades.

Faith and Amelia look disapproving.

AMELIA:

I think escapades are a bad idea.

He could end up in jail.

FAITH:

If we’re not here, he’ll drink too

much and stop taking care of

himself.

98.

CAM:

That’s not true.

AMELIA:

He’ll be lonely without us.

CAM:

Well, that’s true.

MAGGIE:

Taking care of you alone has been a

lot of pressure for your father.

AMELIA:

How? We get to school...

FAITH:

...he drives us anywhere we want to

go...

AMELIA:

...we’ve seen more r-rated movies

than any of our friends...

FAITH:

...plus he makes us french toast

for dinner.

MAGGIE:

He needs a break.

AMELIA:

When I had the flu, he cut up

strawberries and kiwis for me. And

he arranged them on the plate like

little flowers.

Maggie looks at Cam. He shrugs modestly.

CAM:

I did do that. I did that.

MAGGIE:

Daddy will visit and you’ll visit

him. New York is an incredible

city. You’ll like it. I promise.

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