Jennifer 8 Page #17

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How's your little sister?

MARGIE:

She's in Europe ..

BERLIN:

Working?

Clearly a sensitive subject and ROSS decides the truth is best.

ROSS:

She married some English prick.

MARGIE:

He's not that bad of a guy ..?

ROSS:

Got a handshake like a

partially excited penis.

The joke doesn't reach BERLIN. MARGIE's hand is on his shoulder.

MARGIE:

Her loss, darlin ..

And she heads for the lower deck. A sweet smile as she descends.

Anyway, you're doing O.

K. She's a sweet heart.

And also playing the guitar "In My Life." And she does it well.

ROSS:

Why's she blind, Bro?

BERLIN:

Car accident.

Slow banging of something swaying. And this exchange goes slow.

Whole family wiped out.

ROSS:

No sh*t.

A bleeper goes on one of the lines and ROSS twists in his seat.

Strap me in. Here comes another.

And he winds in yet another three quarters of a pound Mackerel.

Worst day's fishing I ever had ..

BERLIN:

It's been a great day.

ROSS dexterously extracts the hook with serious eyes on BERLIN.

ROSS:

You just go easy, Brother ...

(Looks at fish)

Alright, we're all goin home.

59:
EXT. CAR PARK AT BEACH. DUSK.

Darkness in about an hour. Wide over the car park. Sand dunes

surround it. Practically deserted of cars. Headlights snap on

focusing attention on a station wagon exchange of good-byes.

HELENA (V.O.)

I really liked Margie ..

Silhouettes with exaggerated shadows walk across the car park.

What does she do?

BERLIN (V.O.)

She runs a kind of hair dress-

ing and you know, beauty salon ..

HELENA (V.O.)

Have you known her long?

BERLIN (V.O.)

I was married to her sister ..

The angle changes and is closer now. HELENA has taken his arm.

You don't ask what I'm like?

HELENA:

I know what you're like ..

BERLIN:

How d'you know what I'm like?

HELENA:

Ross told me.

BERLIN:

Really? What did he say?

HELENA:

He said you're quite chubby.

And you have a nervous tick.

BERLIN:

He said that? What else did

he say?

HELENA:

Just your age.

BERLIN:

Which is what?

HELENA:

Fifty-seven .. I don't mind ..

BERLIN is more amused than annoyed. They arrive at the car and

his suggestion is met with an appropriate response from HELENA.

BERLIN:

You wanna drive? C'mon we're

in a car park, miles from any-

where .. There's nothing arou-

nd but nothing and sand dunes ..

"I can't drive a car." Doesn't like cars. But he's not hearing.

C'mon it'll be fun. You can

drive me around in circles ..

No lady ever had a driving lesson like this before. BERLIN all

but sits in her seat. Arm on the back of it. Hand on the wheel.

For a split second they're doing 60. Now they're doing about 4.

The Mercedes spirals in widening circles. Instructions and enc-

ouragement from BERLIN .. O.K. .. Straight now .. The Mercedes

straightens and heads through the dunes. "It's a big car park?"

We're going along a little track.

HELENA may like driving but she doesn't like the sound of that.

It's O.K. It's not a public road.

Headlights behind them approach quickly. Disappear and reappear

as they follow the geography of the dunes. BERLIN only now bec-

omes aware of them. one more dip and they slam in. Her anxiety

is misinterpreted. He takes the wheel. No problem. Let him pass.

The vehicle is right up behind them. As it overtakes HELENA is

scared. And still scared even though BERLIN has stopped the car.

It's alright, I'm sorry. It was

my fault, it wasn't a good idea.

HELENA:

That was the "Hollow Car," John.

Just time to see tail lights of a van disappearing in the gloom.

BERLIN:

A Volkswagen van? Are you sure?

60:
INT. LIVING ROOM. BERLIN'S HOUSE. NIGHT.

Rain lashes the windows. But a lot of improvements inside. New

paint and now carpet. Not a lot of furniture but it looks nice

enough. There's even a fire in the grate. BERLIN sits at a tab-

le on the phone. The Voice he's hearing will [talk in brackets]

BERLIN [Phone]

.. [is it a two door, slide door, a

what?] I don't know [Well, you gotta

get closer than just a V.W. van. You-

're talking maybe 10/15 thousand veh-

icles?] What happens if you just run

the name "John" against all of them?

Heads for a sofa. Paperback of "Hamlet." TV on without sound.

[Frankly, that isn't gonna do you any

good. You'll be knocking on doors all

over the state. You gotta request tho-

se "Jennifer" files - maybe something

in them, give us some kinda reference?]

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