Inventing the Abbotts Page #18

ELEANOR:

(slight beat)

How is Jacey?

DOUG:

He had to stay to take his stateboard exams. He's coming back theday after tomorrow.

ELEANOR:

He's an architect?

DOUG:

If he passes his exams. He will.

ELEANOR:

I'm so sorry, Doug.

DOUG:

You know, I tried to find yourphone number a couple of months

ago.

ELEANOR:

It's in my roommate's name, I've gotto fix that.

DOUG:

I was wondering if you knew wherePam was?

ELEANOR:

(slight beat)

No. I don't.

DOUG:

She left school.

ELEANOR:

I know. My father called me.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

108.

163 CONTINUED:
(2)

ELEANOR (CONT'D)

He was looking for her. I don't

know where she is. I gotta run -I'll

miss my ride to the hotel.

DOUG:

Tell Pam I love her.

163

Eleanor looks at him.

DOUG:

Tell her... just tell her that.

Eleanor doesn't reply. She turns and walks away.

164 EXT. FUNERAL HOME (HALEY) - ALLEY - DAYS LATER

The distance between Jacey and Doug is telling, as is thedifference in their behavior. Doug leans against a wallwith his hands in his pockets, his eyes cast down on hisshoes. Jacey roams the alley unable to stand still forgrief. He lights a fresh cigarette off the butt ofanother.

164

JACEY:

Why? Why didn't she tell us?

The FUNERAL DIRECTOR appears in the back door:

FUNERAL DIRECTOR

Gentlemen...

165 INT. FUNERAL HOME (HALEY) - DAY (MINUTES LATER)

Helen's closed casket is surrounded by floral tributes.

Doug and Jacey enter from a door near the casket -- theypause in reaction to the crowded parlor, it overflowswith mourners. Jacey explodes under his breath, so thatonly Doug can hear:

JACEY:

F***ing hypocrites -- every one of'em.

165

Jacey turns and walks out through the door they came in.

Doug walks over to his seat in the front row -- hehesitates when he sees Lloyd Abbott standing in the backof the parlor.

109.

166 INT. HOLT HOME - DINING ROOM - NEXT DAY 166

Doug sits at the table wrapping dishes in newspaper.

Jacey comes in with a framed photograph of theirgrandmother.

JACEY:

Do you want this picture of

Grandma?

DOUG:

You can have it.

JACEY:

You sure?

DOUG:

Yeah.

Jacey steps out of the dining room.

167 INT. HOLT HOME - HELEN'S BEDROOM - DAY (SHORT 167

TIME LATER)

Jacey is packing Helen's things. Doug steps in thedoorway.

DOUG:

I'm starving. You want to go get

something to eat?

Jacey is caught a bit off-guard by Doug's invitation,

then:

JACEY:

Sure.

168 INT. IRON SKILLET - NIGHT 168

Jacey and Doug are seated in a window booth. They eat insilence, then:

DOUG:

You don't have to stick around. I

can handle things here.

JACEY:

What about school?

DOUG:

I hate Penn. Always have. You

were right.

(CONTINUED)

INVENTING THE ABBOTTS - Rev. 3/20/96 110.

168 CONTINUED:
168

JACEY:

About what?

DOUG:

I should live my own life. Stopbeing your shadow. I'm not like

you, Jacey -- I don't want to belike you.

JACEY:

You going to stay here? In Haley?

DOUG:

No. I was thinking New York. If

I'm going to really learn how todesign sets, that's the place todo it.

JACEY:

(long beat)

I'm sorry.

DOUG:

I know you are.

(slight beat)

Did you have to get stitches?

JACEY:

Hmmm?

DOUG:

Your eyebrow.

JACEY:

My eyebrow -- yeah, ten stitches.

DOUG:

Sorry.

Doug takes an envelope out of his coat pocket and puts iton the table.

DOUG:

Found this in one of the boxes in

the basement.

JACEY:

What is it?

DOUG:

A letter of agreement betweenLloyd Abbott and Dad. Dad sold

him the file drawer patent -- notMom.

(CONTINUED)

111.

168 CONTINUED:
(2) 168

Jacey opens the envelope and studies the yelloweddocument.

A car?

(re:

JACEY:

document)

Yup.

DOUG:

JACEY:

Jesus Christ... he sold the patentfor a used car?

DOUG:

Used cars were the only kind ofcars around. The war was on -everything

was mobilized. Theystopped making new cars, they weremaking tanks and bombers inDetroit. And even Midwest Steel

wasn't making desks, they weremaking ammo boxes and mortarshells.

JACEY:

How did you get to be such anexpert on World War Two?

DOUG:

U.S. History -- high school. I

should be an expert, I had to takethe damn class twice. I guess Dadneeded a car and he figured who-

the-hell needed a full-suspensionfile drawer?

JACEY:

(reading aloud)

'1937 Desoto coupe convertible asis.'

DOUG:

Wonder whatever happened to it?

JACEY:

He parked it at the bottom of thelake.

169 EXT. BUS DEPOT (DOWNTOWN HALEY) - NEXT DAY 169

Doug follows Jacey to the door of the bus. Neither one

of them knows how to say good-bye, after an awkward beat:

(CONTINUED)

112.

169 CONTINUED:
169

JACEY:

(fighting back tears)

Do me a favor. Don't stand here

and wave good-bye... it makes me

think of Mom.

DOUG:

Okay. See you.

Doug turns and walks away. Jacey climbs onto the bus.

170 EXT. ABBOTT HOME - STREET - DAY 170

Doug drives home from the bus depot in the old Plymouth.

He slows as he sees... the party tent in the Abbotts'front yard (with its canvas sides rolled up).

Susan's third birthday party is underway, dozens of well-

dressed children and their parents are in attendance.

Alice (who is very pregnant) and Peter Vanlaningham andLloyd and Joan Abbott watch Susan riding her new pony, agift from her grandparents. A new generation of Abbottparties has begun.

171 EXT. HOLT HOME - DRIVEWAY - DAY 171

A "For Sale" sign has been placed on the front yard.

Doug pulls up the driveway in the Plymouth. He turns OFF

the ENGINE but doesn't get out of the car. Then he

STARTS the CAR again and backs out of the driveway.

172 INT. ABBOTT HOME - TENT - DAY (SHORT TIME LATER) 172

Despite it being a birthday party for a three-year-old,

this is very much a grown-up affair. The band is

playing, the adults are dancing, Joan Abbott is flittingfrom guest-to-guest, Alice is dutifully silent whilePeter dominates the talk at their table, Lloyd is withhis cronies. Doug enters the tent -- one-by-one theguests take notice of him as he works his way across thetent -- and all are very aware of his uninvited presenceby the time he reaches Lloyd Abbott. Lloyd scrutinizesDoug, then:

LLOYD:

What do you want?

DOUG:

I want to talk to you.

113.

173 INT. ABBOTT HOUSE - DEN - DAY 173

Doug follows Lloyd into the dark-paneled room.

LLOYD:

Shut the door.

Doug closes the door. Lloyd lights a cigarette.

LLOYD:

Smoke?

DOUG:

No thanks.

LLOYD:

Sit down.

DOUG:

I don't want to.

LLOYD:

Then don't.

(slight beat)

I'm sorry about your mother.

DOUG:

Sorry about what?

LLOYD:

You didn't know your mother at all

if you think someone like me

would've ever stood a chance with

someone like her. That just goes

to show you how stupid this town

is -- that they'd believe she

slept with me. That'd make

Charlie laugh. Your old man was

my best friend. He used to call

me 'Egg-head' -- hell, everybody

did. And back then everybody knew

that Egg-head Abbott didn't stand

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