Joker Page #23

PUSH IN ON JOKER'S FACE, as it sinks in.

JOKER:

(into phone)

Murray wants me to come on the

show?

SHOW BOOKER (OVER PHONE)

Yes. Isn't that great? He'd love to

talk to you, maybe do some of your

act. Does that sound good to you?

85.

As the PUSH IN ON JOKER finishes.

Hold.

84 INT. CITY HOSPITAL, HOSPITAL ROOM (SHARED) - MORNING 84

JOKER WALKS INTO HIS MOTHER'S SHARED HOSPITAL ROOM, passing

an elderly wheezing woman in the bed closest to the door.

Sees his mom in her bed by the window.

He pulls the blue curtain separating the beds, giving him and

his mother some privacy. Sits down on the edge of her bed.

She smiles when she sees him. Still fairly incapacitated.

He leans down close to her. Speaks softly, but filled with

rage--

JOKER:

Ma, remember how you used to tell

me that God gave me this laugh for

a reason. That I had a purpose. To

bring laughter and joy into this

f***ed up world,--

She looks at him confused.

JOKER:

HA! It wasn't God, it was you or,

or one of your boyfriends,-- how

could you let that happen? What

kind of woman are you? What kind of

mother are you?

She looks away.

JOKER:

What's my real name?

Her whole body is shaking, overwhelmed with emotion.

JOKER:

C'mon, Ma, I know I was adopted.

What's my name? Who am I really?

She looks back him, struggles to speak--

MOM:

H-h-happ--

JOKER:

(interrupting, snaps at

her)

(MORE)

86.

JOKER (CONT'D)

Happy?! I'm not happy. I haven't

been happy for one minute of my

entire f***ing life.

He reaches behind her, grabs one of her pillows--

JOKER:

But you know what's funny? You know

what really makes me laugh?

Leans down closer, face-to-face with her--

JOKER:

I used to think my life was nothing

but a tragedy, but now, now I

realize it's all just a f***ing

comedy.

85 INT. BLUE CURTAIN, HOSPITAL ROOM (SHARED) - CONTINUOUS 85

Other side of the blue divider curtain. We see Joker's feet

shifting a little.

SLOWLY WE PULL OUT, backing out of the room. Leaving behind

whatever Joker's doing to his mother on the other side of the

curtain. And we HEAR applause...

86 INT. MOM'S APARTMENT, LIVING ROOM - NIGHT 86

JOKER'S STUDYING VHS TAPES OF "MURRAY FRANKLIN LIVE!", studio

audience applauding Murray... He jots down notes in his worn

notebook... Watches the guests come out... how they cross the

stage... how they greet Murray... how they sit down... if

they cross their legs or not... studying how he should act,

how to be a person like other people.

His cat sits on top of the TV watching him the whole time,

never taking her eyes off him.

JUMP CUT:

Practicing. Joker walks across the living room like he's on

the show, smiling, waving to the "audience"... He mimes

shaking Murray's hand... Mimes unbuttoning his jacket and

sits down. He smiles and pulls out his worn notebook from his

pocket--

JOKER:

You wanna hear a joke, Murray?

He "waits" for Murray to answer. Then Joker nods okay and

opens his notebook--

87.

JOKER:

(reading)

Knock-knock.

His cat still watching him, now at his feet. Joker crosses

and uncrosses his legs... Looks uncomfortable.

He glances down at his cat. It's as if he can hear the cat

talking to him.

JOKER:

(nods; frustrated)

Yeah, I don't know if I should

cross or uncross 'em. Both feel

completely unnatural.

Joker gets up off the couch and walks back across the living

room. Waves to the "audience"... Mimes shaking Murray's

hand... Mimes unbuttoning his coat and sits down... Crosses

his legs.

JOKER:

Thanks for having me on, Murray. I

can't tell you how much this means

to me, it's been a life long dream.

I have a joke for you--

Joker stands back up.

Looks down at the cat again.

JOKER:

You're right. You're right,

uncrossed is better.

Joker sits back down... Doesn't cross his legs this time.

CUT TO:

87 EXT. POTTER'S FIELD CEMETERY - DUSK 87

WIDE SHOT, a lone figure in a vast sea of mass graves, grey

headstones. This is where they bury the poor and the

unclaimed dead.

Joker stands by his mother's grave. His head bowed, face in

his hands, his body convulsing. He's dressed in an ill-

fitting faded rust colored suit, almost shiny from all the

wear. Behind him in the distance, the TWO DETECTIVES stand by

their parked car on the cemetery roadway. Sun dying in the

sky.

88.

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