Infinitely Polar Bear Page #2

CAM:

Hey! Hey! Hold it, god damnit!

Hold it!

MAGGIE:

(to her daughters)

Get in, get in!

7.

CAM:

That is my car and those are my

children! Feeble, Maggie, pretty

f***ing feeble!

He pedals faster as Maggie pushes her daughters into the car.

She dives in after them, pulls the door shut and locks all

the doors.

INT. SAAB. SAME TIME

Cam races up and crashes his bike hard into the car. He and

the bike go sprawling. Maggie and the girls scream.

Maggie slides into the driver’s seat and fumbles for the

right key. She drops her key ring on the floor.

Cam circles the car, gesturing wildly. He sounds faraway

through the glass but he is roaring. The girls stare at him.

CAM:

Goddamnit, Maggie! I am a man! I

am a man! Men like to screw!

That’s what we do!

MAGGIE:

Amelia, Faith. Cover your ears.

They don’t. They watch in disbelief as Cam pounds his chest

and roars unto the skies:

CAM (CONT'D)

That’s why we have balls!

Then he rips open the hood and reaches into the engine.

Maggie finds the right key, puts it in the ignition and turns

it. Nothing. She turns it again. Nothing.

Cam slams the hood down and grins through the windshield. He

comes around to her driver’s side window. His eyes are

bright and wet and insane. He holds the distributor cap.

CAM (CONT'D)

I’m never going to let you go. I

love you all too much.

Both girls stare at him, completely still. Cam looks back at

them and sees their terrified faces looking out at him and

his face changes. A profoundly sad expression comes over

him. An expression of regret.

8.

CAM:

I’m sorry.

He staggers backwards, puts his hands in front of his face

and sinks to the driveway cross-legged. He doesn’t move.

INT. SAAB. LATER

Maggie sits in the backseat, between the girls. Faith is on

her knees, braiding her mother’s hair. Amelia looks out the

window. Cam hasn’t moved. His bare shoulders are beet red.

AMELIA:

He’s sitting on the gravel and all

he’s wearing is a bathing suit.

MAGGIE:

Sweetie, your father is very sick

right now. He’s not himself.

AMELIA:

He’s really sunburned.

MAGGIE:

Listen. Look at me.

She does.

MAGGIE (CONT'D)

I don’t want you to tell your

friends or teachers about any of

this. We know your father’s a good

person and he would never hurt us,

but it’s hard for people to

understand and it’s very sad.

Okay? Okay?

Amelia nods.

EXT. DRIVEWAY. DUSK

Two policeman lay a blanket over Cam’s shoulders and help him

into the back of their police car. Cam is docile and does

not resist. The girls watch from an upstairs bedroom.

INT. MCLEAN HOSPITAL VISITING ROOM. DAY

Maggie and the girls sit side-by-side on the couch of the

visiting room of McLean Hospital.

9.

Amelia is engrossed in “Watership Down.” Faith is making two

Barbie dolls kiss passionately and whispering. The room is

pale green, filled with tranquil watercolors.

A nurse holds the door open. Cam enters. He moves slowly

and he is hunched over, bloated and slow. He has a shaggy

beard. He wears an oversized stained t-shirt with an idiotic

logo and sweatpants. His hands tremble.

AMELIA/FAITH

Daddy!

They run to him and hug him around the waist. He pats their

heads with swollen hands. His speech is thick and slurred.

CAM:

Little. Big Little. I loved your

letters. I’m feeling much better.

They are disturbed by his appearance.

AMELIA:

You are?

FAITH:

Your stomach is really big.

CAM:

That’s the medication they put me

on. Doesn’t hurt. Go on, hit it.

He stands tall and sticks his lithium gut out. They shake

their heads.

CAM:

Come on. Pound on it.

He slaps it again to show how hard it is. Amelia punches him

half-heartedly in the stomach. He tenses his muscles.

CAM (CONT’D)

Harder. Let’s go.

Amelia complies with a flurry of little fists. Cam shuffles

away from her.

CAM:

Okay, okay. Remember. Never do

that when Harry Houdini’s not

ready. That’s how they killed him.

Cam sits down across from Maggie and indicates for the girls

to climb into his lap. They do. He lights a cigarette with

unsteady hands and smiles at Maggie through the smoke.

10.

CAM:

You’re a sight for sore eyes.

MAGGIE:

What happened to the clothes I

brought you?

CAM:

There were too many buttons on

shirts. And...

(searching)

...latches on pants.

MAGGIE:

How are you feeling?

CAM:

(ruefully)

I feel great.

Maggie looks concerned.

MAGGIE:

You seemed better last week. Are

they adjusting your medication?

CAM:

Yeah, they’re trying something new

on me...

(standing up)

I want to sit down.

Cam starts shuffling around the room again.

CAM:

I want to sit down. I want to be

home with my family.

AMELIA:

You will, Daddy!

Cam smiles at them. Then, abruptly, he starts to sing,

stiffly.

CAM:

“When Daddy comes marching home

again, hurrah hurrah...

We’ll give him a hearty welcome

then, hurrah hurrah...

The men will cheer and the boys

will shout, hurrah hurrah...

the ladies they will all turn out,

hurrah hurrah...

And we’ll all...

(MORE)

11.

CAM (cont'd)

(pauses, re-sets)

“When Daddy comes marching home

again, hurrah hurrah...

He holds his arms out. The girls go to him and sing along.

ALL FOUR:

“We’ll give him a hearty welcome

then, hurrah hurrah...

The men will cheer and the boys

will shout, hurrah hurrah,

the ladies they will all turn out,

hurrah hurrah...

Their singing continues over:

EXT. APARTMENT COMPLEX. DAY

Two large brick apartment buildings face each other across a

parking lot. It is an urban environment.

INT. APARTMENT. DAY

Maggie and the girls look around a vacant two-bedroom

apartment. It is clean and bright and sunny. Maggie nods at

the SUPERINTENDENT.

Amelia looks very worried. Maggie goes to the window and

points, trying to be upbeat.

MAGGIE:

Look, girls. There’s a swimming

pool. It’ll be open in the summer.

Amelia looks out. In between the two matching apartment

buildings is a pool enclosed by a chain link fence. Next to

the pool area is a concrete “park” area with metal picnic

tables. Across from the building they are in is the other

building, staring back at them.

AMELIA:

Daddy loves swimming.

Maggie doesn’t respond.

INT. WALDEN STREET APARTMENT - KITCHEN/DINING ROOM. DAY

Maggie and the girls have moved in. The apartment is clean

and spare. Marimekko prints cover simple Swedish furniture.

The sunniest corner is full of hanging plants. Maggie has

made it pleasant.

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