Infinitely Polar Bear Page #7

FAITH:

We want you to come home.

MAGGIE (O.S.)

I’ll be home in twelve days...

AMELIA:

We want you to come home right now.

MAGGIE (O.S.)

This is a big adjustment -

AMELIA:

Why aren’t you coming home this

Friday? You said you’d come home

every single weekend. That’s what

you said.

INT. MAGGIE’S NEW YORK ROOM. SAME TIME

Maggie stands in a grim little room with a bed and a desk and

a bright overhead light. Her suitcases surround her. You

can hear loud traffic noise.

MAGGIE:

I have registration and orientation

-- next weekend is really not that

far away...

INT. LIVING ROOM. MORNING

Cam is snoring on the couch still wearing the bright green

shirt and jade swimming trunks. The TV is on. Faith stands

over him, near tears, in her nightgown.

FAITH:

Daddy, wake up. Daddy. We slept

too long and we’re going to be late

for school.

40.

Cam opens his eyes and blinks at her, disoriented.

INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE ELEVATOR. DAY

A disheveled Cam races down the hall and puts his hand on the

door of the elevator to keep it from closing. In his other

hand he has a box of cereal.

CAM:

Girls! Let’s move it!

On the elevator is an attractive woman professionally

dressed. This is BECCA. She wears a turtleneck sweater and

big brown glasses. She smiles at Cam. He smiles back.

CAM:

You’re Maggie’s friend. I’m Cam.

BECCA:

Becca. Kyle’s mother.

Faith runs onto the elevator.

FAITH:

I hate being late for school.

CAM:

Don’t worry, bunchkin. You won’t

be late.

Cam holds out the box of cereal. Faith reaches in, grabs a

handful, stuffs it in her mouth.

CAM:

(calling)

Amelia! Let’s go!

BECCA:

I just have to say: my ex-husband

would never do what you’re doing.

I think it is so evolved.

Cam puffs up.

CAM:

You do?

Tousled Amelia runs onto the elevator. Cam steps on.

BECCA:

Absolutely. Most men would be

extremely emasculated having their

wife go off to be the breadwinner.

41.

CAM:

(deflates)

Oh. Thanks.

The elevator doors close.

EXT. STREET. DAY

Cam runs a red light at the intersection of Huron Ave and

Garden Street. The girls scream.

EXT. SCHOOL. DAY

He pulls up with a screech in front of the school. The girls

tumble out. As they sprint off:

CAM:

You want me to pick you up after

school?

AMELIA/FAITH

No!

He watches the girls run up the deserted steps of the school.

CAM:

I love you!

EXT. PARKING LOT. DAY

Cam has the hood of his car open. The girls walk up, wearing

their backpacks, not talking to each other.

CAM:

You girls want to learn how to

change an oil filter? It’s pretty

straightforward -

AMELIA/FAITH

No./Not really.

CAM:

Just don’t be helpless.

He shuts the hood. A woman in her mid-50s is taking many

grocery bags out of her car. This is RUTH-ANN MCKAY.

CAM:

Who’s that?

42.

AMELIA:

Ruth-Ann.

FAITH:

Please don’t introduce yourself.

CAM:

Why not?

FAITH:

Because you talk too much and

nobody wants to talk to you.

CAM:

I’m just being friendly. Don’t you

want to know your neighbors? We

live in a world with other people.

He approaches Ruth-Ann. The girls follow.

RUTH-ANN

Hello girls.

AMELIA/FAITH

Hi.

CAM:

Hi, Cam Stuart -

Ruth-Ann shakes hands warmly.

RUTH-ANN

Yes, Maggie told me. Welcome to

205. Ruth-Ann McKay.

CAM:

Can we help you with your bags?

RUTH-ANN

(grateful)

Are you kidding?

As they pick up the bags:

CAM:

See, girls? People appreciate a

little kindness. That’s all I’m

talking about.

43.

INT. APARTMENT HALLWAY. NIGHT

Cam carries three bags and the girls each struggle to carry

one down the hall to Ruth-Ann’s apartment. She unlocks her

door and starts taking the bags from them.

CAM:

Do you need us to help you put them

away?

RUTH-ANN

No, this is fine. Just put the

bags down.

CAM:

Are you sure? We’re happy to do

it.

RUTH-ANN

No, this has been so helpful.

Thank you.

CAM:

You need anything moved? A desk or

something like that?

RUTH-ANN

No I’m happy with where my desk

is...

She starts to close the door.

CAM:

Sometimes mixing up an arrangement

freshens a space -

RUTH-ANN

No, thank you. I have to start

dinner. So if you’ll excuse me.

CAM:

You need anything chopped? An

onion?

RUTH-ANN

No. I’m not using onions tonight.

She closes the door in his face.

FAITH:

What is wrong with you?

44.

AMELIA:

You made her slam the door in your

face.

CAM:

(oblivious)

She had to go cook dinner.

FAITH:

She had to get rid of you!

CAM:

Get off my case! I’m just being a

good neighbor!

AMELIA:

You’re an annoying neighbor.

People are going to see you and run

in the other direction!

CAM:

No, they’re going to run toward me!

Because I’m going to make sure they

know that I’m the kind of guy who’s

willing to move heavy furniture!

Or clean out a storage locker!

(yelling)

Because I’m a good neighbor!

He storms off down the hallway. Ten strides later.

CAM:

This is bullshit!

He goes into the stairwell and slams the door.

INT. DINING AREA. NIGHT

They sit at the dining table, eating in angry silence. Then:

CAM:

I learned to cook this on a

Norwegian steamship headed down the

Amazon.

Beat.

AMELIA:

When did you do that?

CAM:

Summer after I got kicked out of

Harvard.

45.

AMELIA:

I thought you got kicked out of

Exeter.

CAM:

I got kicked out of both. For very

different reasons...

The girls’ interest is piqued.

INT. GIRLS’ BEDROOM. NIGHT

Cam sits in the reading chair. The girls are in their beds,

listening intently to their father’s story. Faith has

curlers in her hair and a net over them.

CAM:

I was on my way to my Ec 10 exam

and I hear this bag-pipe music so I

follow the sound into The Square

and a street musician is playing

Scottish ballads and he’s got his

hat out. People are walking by and

putting money in it and I think

that’s a good idea. So I put my

hat out and sit next to him and I

start singing along in my best

Scottish brogue and he tells me to

scram.

AMELIA:

Because he didn’t ask you to sing

and he wants to make all the money.

CAM:

Exactly. Well, we exchanged a few

words and then...the bastard jumped

me! This scrawny little guy and he

jumped me! We got into a major

brawl on top of the bag pipes and I

got so excited I sh*t my pants.

AMELIA/FAITH

Ew!

Cam laughs.

CAM:

Needless to say, I didn’t make the

exam.

46.

AMELIA:

And they kicked you out for missing

one exam?

CAM:

Well... then the next semester I

registered for seventy-five

courses.

He chuckles.

CAM:

That’s when they determined I might

not be Harvard material.

CUT TO:

Both girls are asleep, breathing steadily. The clock ticks.

Cam gets up from his chair and turns out the light.

INT. LIVING ROOM. NIGHT

Cam walks into the living room of the apartment, which is now

full of all his boxes. He stares at them.

Cam opens a box. It is filled with magazines, pieces of

paper, phone books, tools, cords. It is completely

disorganized. He blinks at it. It fills him with despair.

Rate this script:4.0 / 2 votes