Inventing the Abbotts Page #17

155 EXT. SHOP (DOWNTOWN HALEY) - DAY 155

Alice comes out on the street laden with packages andshopping bags. She's startled by Doug when he falls inbeside her and follows her down the sidewalk.

DOUG:

Where's Pam?

ALICE:

I don't know.

DOUG:

Is she with Eleanor?

(CONTINUED)

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ALICE:

I don't know.

DOUG:

In Chicago?

ALICE:

I don't know.

DOUG:

I couldn't find Eleanor's name in

the Chicago phone book.

ALICE:

Maybe it's unlisted.

DOUG:

Well, do you know Eleanor's

address?

ALICE:

No. I don't know her address, I

don't know her phone number.

You'd have to ask my father for

it. All right?

Alice turns and steps into another shop -- leaving Dougbehind on the sidewalk.

156 INT. HOLT HOME - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT (CHRISTMAS, 1959) 156

PERRY COMO SINGS "The Little Drummer Boy" ON the

TELEVISION. Doug rises from the sofa.

157 INT. HOLT HOME - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS ACTION - NIGHT 157

Helen is peeling apples to make a pie. Doug enters andstudies her for a beat.

DOUG:

Are you okay?

HELEN:

I'm fine.

DOUG:

You look... tired.

HELEN:

Just a cold.

DOUG:

You sure?

(CONTINUED)

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HELEN:

I do wish Jacey had come home forChristmas. Maybe that's what'swrong with me.

DOUG:

I guess that free-lance draftingjob was too good for him to turndown.

HELEN:

I don't think that's why he didn'tcome home. I wrote him a letter,

you know. About Lloyd and me.

Has he mentioned it to you?

DOUG:

No.

Doug wants to avoid the topic of Jacey. He opens therefrigerator.

DOUG:

When did you start drinking beer?

HELEN:

Oh... I bought those for you. I

had them in the basement; I keptforgetting to bring them up.

He does a bemused take on her.

HELEN:

Good heavens, I know you drinkbeer.

Doug takes out two bottles of beer and opens them.

DOUG:

Here. Have one with me.

HELEN:

I bought those for you, honey.

DOUG:

It's not good to drink alone, Mom.

HELEN:

Don't be silly.

DOUG:

Come on. Sit down. Have a beer.

(CONTINUED)

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He pulls out a chair for her. She reluctantly comes overand sits down. Doug sits and proposes a toast.

DOUG:

Merry Christmas.

HELEN:

Merry Christmas.

(takes a sip)

It's beer.

DOUG:

Let's drink 'em all.

Helen laughs girlishly.

HELEN:

Charlie was always trying to getme to drink beer.

DOUG:

Why do you always call himCharlie?

HELEN:

That was his name.

DOUG:

Why don't you ever say 'yourfather'?

HELEN:

Sometimes I do, don't I? I don't

know. When I think of him, I

think of 'Charlie.'

DOUG:

Did you ever... meet anybody else?

HELEN:

You mean another man?

DOUG:

Yeah.

HELEN:

Well, everyone always thinksthings are more possible than they

are. I mean, single men don'tstay in Haley if they have anystarch. The only eligible manaround was Drew Carter, but he

smells like his dog.

(CONTINUED)

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Her remark cracks Doug up -- Helen laughs, too.

HELEN:

I wish I'd remembered the beers

sooner. It's nice to see yousmiling.

DOUG:

Sorry.

HELEN:

Don't be. Everyone has sad times.

Doug dissolves into tears. He lowers his head and

shields his eyes with his hand. Helen leans over and

strokes his hair. After a few moments, he rises and

wipes away his tears with a dish towel.

HELEN:

I'll tell you a secret. I did

have a friend. A man in Chicago.

I used to see him when I went upto Chicago to visit Bea duringsummer vacations.

DOUG:

'Used to see him' -- you don't seehim anymore?

HELEN:

No.

DOUG:

Did you like him?

HELEN:

He was a wonderful man. A little

boring, but really, verywonderful.

DOUG:

How long did this go on?

HELEN:

About eight years or so, it waswhen you boys were still at home.

DOUG:

That's a long time. Did you everthink about marrying him?

HELEN:

He proposed. But, well, obviously,

I said no.

(CONTINUED)

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DOUG:

Why?

HELEN:

Because I'm in love with... your

father. With my memory of him.

He was the one for me. Oh, I

don't know... there's different

kinds of love, darling. Some

people you love no matter what.

Other people you love if the

situation is right. To me the

best kind of love is the 'no

matter what' kind.

(slight beat)

Well, I am a cheap drunk, aren't

I?

158 EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - ROAD - DAYS LATER 158

The bus cruises along the narrow ribbon of pavement.

159 INSIDE BUS - ANGLE ON DOUG 159

-- sitting by himself; there's not many passengers today.

We hear the VOICES of rambunctious CHILDREN...

160 INT. HALEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - CLASSROOM - DAY 160

(LATE SPRING, 1960)

The second-grade students are in the midst of an artproject where they make a design by gluing various sortsof dried beans to colored paper -- but the beans arebeing thrown about the room and other beans have beenspilled on the floor. Helen wearily attempts to rein inthe unruly children:

HELEN:

Too much noise, please. Let's

finish up. Keep the glue on the

paper. Sam, Lillian, Jack -- in

your seats, please...

Helen suddenly loses her energy and interest in policingthe children. Their hijinks continue as she steps out ofthe classroom.

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106.

161 INT. HALEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CORRIDOR - CONTINUOUS 161

ACTION:

Helen steps over to a window and stares out -- lost inher own thoughts and oblivious to the NOISE from herclassroom.

162

INT. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - THEATER - DAY (LATE 162

SPRING, 1960)

Doug is on a cat-walk in the fly loft high over the stagefloor. He strains as he drops 20 pound slabs of pig-irononto a counterweight carriage, then he releases the lineand flies a canvas backdrop up into the loft. He locks

off the line, wipes his brow, turns, and finds Jaceystanding behind him.

DOUG:

What-the-hell do you want?

JACEY:

Mom...

163 INT. AIRPORT TERMINAL (PHILADELPHIA) - THAT NIGHT 163

Doug sits in an almost empty terminal waiting to catch ared-eye flight to Chicago. A group of just arrivedstewardesses pass by chatting with a captain and otherflight officers. Eleanor Abbott does a take on Doug,

steps away from her co-workers, and doubles back to him.

ELEANOR:

Hi, Doug!

Doug almost doesn't recognize her. She is twenty yearsold now and very grown-up, very stylish in her stewardessuniform. She smiles at him.

ELEANOR:

How's your chin?

(as he doesn't respond)

Remember... the pencil?

DOUG:

Yeah. I have a little scar.

ELEANOR:

You going home? Back to Hole-in- the-Ground,

Illinois.

DOUG:

My mother died.

(CONTINUED)

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ELEANOR:

(taken aback)

Oh God. Oh no. Oh, Doug, I'm

sorry.

DOUG:

She had cancer. I just saw herChristmas. She was tired, but I

thought she just had the flu orsomething. She didn't tell us.

The hospital told Jacey when theycalled him.

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