Inventing the Abbotts Page #14

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HELEN:

Why spend all night and half theday tomorrow waiting in Chicagofor the Philadelphia bus? Why notjust wait and take the morning busto Chicago?

JACEY:

Because... the sooner I get out ofthis f***ing town the better.

HELEN:

(slight beat; stung)

Suit yourself.

124 OMITTED

124

125

EXT./INT. ROAD/BUS (OUTSIDE HALEY) - EVENING (MAGIC 125

HOURSHORT TIME LATER)

Jacey doesn't look out the window as the bus (on its wayout of town) drives past the illuminated billboard thatreads: "MIDWEST STEEL DESK, INC. -- Welcomes You to

Haley, Illinois."

126 INT. HOLT HOME - DINING ROOM - LATER THAT NIGHT

126

Doug and Helen sit across from each other, neither onehas much of an appetite. They eat in silence for a fewmoments, then:

DOUG:

Dammit... why can't he just leavethem alone?

HELEN:

Who?

DOUG:

The Abbotts. I don't know why...

why couldn't he just forget 'em?

Just pretend they didn't evenexist?

HELEN:

If the Abbotts didn't exist, Jaceywould've had to invent them, one

way or another. There are no ends

of Abbotts in the world, if that's

what you need.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

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HELEN (CONT'D)

And he just needs that somehow.

Well, actually, I know how.

She rises and picks up her plate.

127 INT. HOLT HOME - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS ACTION - NIGHT 127

Helen carries her plate to the sink.

in.

Doug follows her

DOUG:

What do you mean, how do you know?

She sits at the kitchen table and sighs as if comingaround to some central, hard truth.

HELEN:

I was just a wreck when Charliedied.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

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HELEN (CONT'D)

Jacey was almost two and I waseight months pregnant with youand... well, some mornings I'd becrying before I even woke up.

Then you were born. And Jaceyjust got lost in there. I didn't

have anything for him. Mother

took him over. He'd cry or callfor me, and then I'd hear Mother

answer him, and I'd go back tosleep.

(sighs bitterly)

I should've taken us away fromhere, gone somewhere else.

DOUG:

Why?

HELEN:

After Charlie died Lloyd Abbottstarted dropping by on his wayhome from work. He felt so bad

about that bet Charlie made with

him at the lake. That foolish,

idiotic bet. Poor Lloyd -- I feltsorry for him. He'd have a cup ofcoffee with Mother and me. If a

doorknob had come off he'd fix it.

He'd carry the garbage cans to thecurb. Someone dies, people try tobe helpful. But he was by here sooften that people started to talk.

It was fairly obvious that hewanted something more from me thanjust a cup of coffee. I suggestedthat he didn't need to stop byhere so often, but... then one

afternoon I was at Woolworth's,

having lunch at the counter. All

of sudden Joan Abbott was standingthere -- screaming and yelling atme to stop sleeping with herhusband, with Lloyd. I was

speechless. She was gone before Icould find my tongue.

DOUG:

(stunned; almostill)

Christ...

(CONTINUED)

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HELEN:

I went to see Joan, I tried to

talk to her, to put her mind atease, but...

DOUG:

Dammit, why didn't Lloyd tell herthat nothing had happened?

HELEN:

I'm sure he did, but men alwayssay that, darling. Besides, Lloydwas always having affairs. He's

that type of man.

DOUG:

Ahhh, Jesus... but why? Why dideveryone in town believe JoanAbbott?

HELEN:

Because she's Joan Abbott. If youcross Joan you don't get invitedto her parties -- and the Abbottshave the best parties in town.

The only parties.

DOUG:

I hate this town. I hate the

Abbotts.

He slaps the back of a chair and knocks it over.

HELEN:

I'm sorry, Doug, I shouldn't havetold you.

DOUG:

I already knew.

HELEN:

People still talk about it?

DOUG:

No, I've never heard anyone talkabout it. Not to me.

HELEN:

Then how did...?

DOUG:

Jacey.

(CONTINUED)

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HELEN:

Oh, Lord... he knows too?

DOUG:

Yeah. But he thinks it really

happened.

Helen is overcome with tears. Doug stares at herhelplessly. He's never seen his mother weep before.

128 OMITTED 128

&&

129 129

130 EXT. COUNTRYSIDE ROAD - DAY 130

The bus cruises along the two-lane blacktop. Doug staresout the window.

A131 EXT. PHILADELPHIA STREET - NIGHT (EARLY FALL 1959) A131

Partygoers enter building.

131 INT. JACEY'S APARTMENT 131

A vintage, third-floor, railroad flat -- sparselyfurnished and neat as a pin. Jacey is hosting a party.

A TONY BENNETT record ("When Somebody Breaks Your Heart")

plays on the hi-fi. The apartment is elbow-to-elbow withPenn men and attractive coeds from Radcliffe, Mt.

Hollyoke, and Byrn Mawr. Doug sits in the middle of thesofa wedged between two coeds having separate, butequally animated conversations with two of Jacey'sclassmates (who are perched on the arms of the sofa).

Doug wears a jacket and tie but his knack at looking outof place is intact.

Jacey is apart from the others wooing a gorgeous CO-ED ina tight cashmere sweater.

JACEY:

Airplanes, bridges, skyscrapers,

bras, all utilize the same

fundamentals of structural

design...

With his finger he traces the back strap of her brabeneath her sweater...

(CONTINUED)

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JACEY:

A stable foundation that resists

compression...

His finger trails the shoulder strap of her bra...

JACEY:

Carefully calculated suspension...

He draws his fingertip around the outside of her breastto the lower front of her bra...

JACEY:

And cantilevered elements to

provide support.

The Co-ed is bothered but none-the-less bewitched.

CO-ED

Ahh... you know, I'm engaged.

JACEY:

So am I.

CO-ED

(shocked)

You are?

JACEY:

I'm engaged in conversation with

you.

Jacey smiles and then kisses her. Doug is spying on themfrom the safety of the crowd. Jacey winks at Doug. Dougshakes his head in wonder.

132

EXT. CAMPUS - SIDEWALK (UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, 132

PHILADELPHIA) - DAY (MONTHS LATERLATE FALL, 1959)

Doug walks along the sidewalk towards the entrance of thetheater carrying some rolled-up plans under his arm. He

reacts as he sees:

DOUG:

Hey! Hey! Pam!

Pamela Abbott walks across the quad. Pam is 19 years oldnow, her beauty in full bloom. Doug jogs over to her.

DOUG:

Hi.

(CONTINUED)

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PAMELA:

Hi.

DOUG:

What are you up to?

PAMELA:

I come down to use the librarysometimes or go shopping.

DOUG:

How's Bryn Mawr?

PAMELA:

Very... Bryn. I got to catch thebus back.

DOUG:

Just have to drop off these setdesigns -- you want to go getsomething to eat?

PAMELA:

I can't. Sorry.

DOUG:

Why not? It's been a long time.

PAMELA:

You seem taller.

DOUG:

(re:
her figure)

And you seem... not so plain.

(slight beat)

So, dinner, okay?

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