Jerry Maguire Page #20

TIDWELL:

I don't want to be friends anymore.

JERRY:

Fine.

TIDWELL:

Beautiful.

JERRY:

(angry)

We still having dinner in L.A.?

TIDWELL:

(anqry)

Only 'cause my wife likes your

wife!

Jerry exits. Tidwell is pissed. And hurt.

TIDWELL:

(continuing)

"No heart." "No heart?"

(yells after him)

I'm all heart, motherf***er!

He gets on the bus.

INT. CRAB RESTAURANT -- NIGHT

The Tidwells and the Maguires. Tyson and Ray run around the

table of this family-style restaurant. Marcee is very very

pregnant. They crack crabs for each other, seasoning for each

other, feeding each other like one many-armed and loving body.

MARCEE:

-- so I go to see a so-called

"black" film the other day --

(then)

-- honey, no more salt for you, I

don't want you dehydrated for

Monday Night Football. Most

important game of your career.

(more)

_

114.

MARCEE (cont'd)

(then)

-- TWENTY minutes of coming

attractions. All black films, all

violent, I'm talking about

brothers shooting brothers, Wesley

Snipes with guns the size of our

house, killing, blood flowing,

cars crashing... blood blood blood

blood. Is this all they think we

want to see? Come on! I enjoyed

Shindler's List. Give me a little

credit, I mean hooo --

TIDWELL:

I hate you going to movies alone

withoutme --

MARCEE:

Oh baby --

He cracks more crab, gives her the biggest piece.

SHOT OF JERRY AND DOROTHY

Sitting across the table, stunned, just watching this

intricate and perfect marriage.

SHOT OF MARCEE:

She takes a breath and gets a weird look.

TIDWELL:

What baby?

MARCEE:

Baby. Baby. Baby...

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM -- NIGHT

Marcee gives birth, Rod assisting. Jerry and Dorothy watch

from behind thick glass. She hangs her arm on his shoulder,

looks at him. Jerry stares straight ahead. Mortified, with

dry throat.

INT. DOROTHY AND JERRY'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT

Jerry and Dorothy exhausted, alone, getting ready for bed.

Dorothy sits down near him on the bed.

DOROTHY:

What were you thinking tonight?

Watching them go through the

complete human emotional

experience?

_

115.

JERRY:

I was thinking I hope he doesn't

get injured. I felt responsible.

DOROTHY:

Sometimes I can't tell at all,

what's going through that head of

yours.

He makes a noise. As in -- it's no big mystery.

DOROTHY:

(continuing)

And I really don't know your

noises yet.

JERRY:

Well, when you wonder, ask me.

DOROTHY:

(unsatisfied)

Okay... I will...

Beat. He feels inadequate.

JERRY:

Why do you love me?

DOROTHY:

Why do you love me?

It is, of course, the better question. And before he can

answer, there is a pounding at the door.

RAY:

Jerry, can I come in and watch

t.v.?

DOROTHY JERRY:

I'll come visit you in a Just for a few minutes,

second -- buddy --

The door flies open and Ray comes bounding in, onto the bed,

stations himself in the center and begins wrestling Jerry for

the remote control. Dorothy watches, disconnected. A

steeliness comes over her that we have not yet seen.

INT. PRESCHOOL -- NEXT DAY

Dorothy drops Ray at preschool, and stands in the doorway of

the playroom. She watches the boys and girls playing

together in a room full of bright colors and games. Music.

Anxiety building.

_

116.

EXT. RAY'S PLAYHOUSE -- NIGHT

Jerry sits finishing a phone call to an advertising account

exec. He has come here, to Ray's playhouse for privacy.

JERRY:

Tonight. Yeah, the red-eye, I'll

be in Arizona on Monday...

Jerry adlibs some salesmanship on Tidwell's behalf. Dorothy

approaches. She gives him a few phone messages, sits down.

Beat of silence. He sees a look on her face that is

unfamiliar.

DOROTHY:

It's my fault.

JERRY:

What --

DOROTHY:

It's not fair to you. This

whole --

JERRY:

(instant crisis mode)

Tell me -- let me help --

DOROTHY:

I took advantage of you and worst

of all, I'm not alone. I did this

with a kid. I was just on some

ride where I thought I was in 1ove

enough for both of us. I did

this. And at least I can do

something about it now.

JERRY:

(damage control)

Well -- I'm not the guy who's

going to run. I stick.

DOROTHY:

I don't need you to "stick."

JERRY:

You want...

DOROTHY:

I don't know --

JERRY:

(it slips out)

...my soul or something.

_

117.

DOROTHY:

Why f***ing not! I deserve it.

JERRY:

(direct)

Dorothy -- what if I'm just not

built that way?

DOROTHY:

I think we made a mistake here.

But now he can't stop.

JERRY:

What if it's true? "Great at

friendship bad at intimacy." I

mean, come on. It's the theme of

my bachelor film --

DOROTHY:

I know. I watched it. I sort of

know it by heart.

JERRY:

(absorbs it)

I don't like to give up.

DOROTHY:

Oh please. My need to make the

best of things, and your need to

be what, "responsible"... if one

of us doesn't say something now we

might lose ten years being polite

about it. Why don't we call this

next road trip what it is. A nice

long break.

JERRY:

What about Ray?

She notes the only real glimpse of ache, in that question.

DOROTHY:

There's no question you'll be

friends. Of course you'll be

friends.

JERRY:

So this break... is a break-up.

DOROTHY:

Come on, Jerry. You know this

isn't easy for me.

(more)

_

118.

DOROTHY (cont'd)

I mean, on the surface, you'd

almost think everything was fine.

See, I've got this great guy who

loves my kid --

(resolute, no tears)

-- and he sure does like me a lot.

Jerry Maguire, a man who speaks for a living, has nothing to

say.

DOROTHY:

(continuing)

I can't live that way. It's not

the way I'm "built."

He moves to embrace her. She pulls away first.

INT. RAY'S ROOM -- NIGHT

Jerry kisses sleepy Ray goodbye.

JERRY:

Don't wake up...

And then faces the exotic fish who now resides on Ray's

table. He once lived in a tank the size of a Cadillac. The

fish now hangs in a too-small bowl, looking at him.

JERRY:

(continuing;

defensive)

... it was just a Mission

Statement...

INT. AIRPORT -- DAY

Jerry Maguire stretches his arms out. A security wand passes

over him. Deadness in his eyes. The glaze of the road on

him. Music.

EXT. SUN DEVIL STADIUM -- ARIZONA

We are hovering in the sky, just above Sun Devil Stadium.

The classic Monday Night Football shot from the blimp.

INT. TIDWELL LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT

Tidwell's family in the living room. A buzz in the air. The

pregame show is on, sound-muted. Old-school on the stereo.

Everybody is happy. Marcee sits in the position of honor,

her new baby KAYDEE in her arms. She is a tired mother, and

the family celebrates her.

_

119.

TEE PEE:

He'd better not mess up on Monday

Night Football.

Marcee shoots Tee Pee a look.

TEE PEE:

(continuing)

What did I say? He gets nervous

for the t.v. games... it's not a

secret.

INT. TUNNEL AREA/PRE-GAME -- NIGHT

Nervous Tidwell chews a toothpick as he stands checking out

the field. Nearby, some cheerleaders and a man in a Pickle

suit.

PICKLE MAN:

Nothing like Monday Night, huh?

What is it, 2 billion viewers?

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote