Kramer vs. Kramer Page #10

TED:

(cutting her off)

I don't want to hear another

word against him. Not another

word. He's a wonderful man

...a wonderful man...

CUT TO:

62 INT. TED KRAMER'S OFFICE - DAY

INSERT:
The finished proof of the ad that Murray had

done, that Ted had seen in O'Connor's office.

ON TED, TRACKING WITH HIM as he steams out of his door

and marches along the corridor to O'Connor's office.

SECRETARY:

(as Ted brushes past her)

I'm sorry, Mr. O'Connor is in

conference.

But it is too late. Ted barrels into O'Connor's office

without bothering to knock.

CUT TO:

63 INT. O'CONNOR'S OFFICE - DAY

O'Connor is alone in the office. He looks up startled

as Ted comes barging in.

TED:

(furious)

All right, Jim. You said I was

running this show, right? You

said no decisions without my

approval, right?

(brandishing the ad)

Well what the hell is this?

What's going on, Jim?

O'CONNOR

(embarrassed)

Well, ah...I thought it over and

I decided we're doing it Murray's

way.

TED:

Jim, this is garbage. This isn't

anything like what we talked

to Revlon about. None of it.

You can't--

O'CONNOR

(tough)

That's my decision, Ted and that's

final.

CUT TO:

64 INT. DINING AREA, KRAMER APT. - NIGHT

ON BILLY--who sits looking down at the plate of food in

front of him as though it was a coiled rattlesnake about

to strike.

BILLY:

What is it?

ON TED--preoccupied, jumpy. He is eating, but he

doesn't taste a thing.

TED:

Salisbury steak.

BILLY:

I hate it.

TED:

You don't hate it. We had

Salisbury steak last week

and you liked it fine.

BILLY:

(stubborn)

No I didn't. I hate the brown

stuff. It's gross.

TED:

(strained patience)

All it is is onions and gravy.

BILLY:

I'm allergic to onions.

TED:

You are not allergic of onions.

You've had them lots of times.

BILLY:

(sullen)

I want a pizza.

TED:

(trying not to lose

patience)

No. This is fine. Just take

a bite, you'll like it fine.

Reluctantly, Billy takes a tiny bite. He barely puts

it in his mouth before he spits it out with a great

show of being physically ill.

BILLY:

I think I'm going to throw up.

TED:

(getting pissed off)

Oh, for God's sake...Here.

He reaches across and scrapes most of the sauce off of

the meat.

TED:

There, okay? Now that's just

plain old hamburger.

BILLY:

Some of the brown stuff is still

there.

TED:

(through clenched

teeth)

Then eat around it.

BILLY:

No.

TED:

(anger building)

Now listen to me, young man.

Do you know what I had to go

through to put this goddamn

food on the goddamn table?

BILLY:

(obstinate)

I don't care. I hate it. I

want pizza.

TED:

(blowing up)

Not on your life. That's it.

I've had it with crap around

this house. From now on, no more

pizza! Get it? Starting right

now you can eat real food like

a normal human being!

BILLY:

No!

By now both of them are out of control.

TED:

You want to know something?!

You are a spoiled selfish little

brat! Now eat--

Billy takes his plate and looking his father straight

in the eye deliberately overturns it, spilling food

everywhere.

ON TED--He is out of his chair like a shot, crosses to

Billy and jerks him to his feet.

TED:

(yelling)

Goddamnit! Go to your room!

He half-carries, half-drags the child kicking and

screaming into his room. THE CAMERA TRACKS ALONGSIDE

THEM.

BILLY:

(at the top of his

voice)

Owwww ...You're hurting me...

You're hurting me...I hate you

...I hate you...

TED:

(seething)

You're no bargain either, pal.

BILLY:

I want my mommy...I want my

mommy..

65 By now they have reached Billy's room. Ted dumps

him on the bed unceremoniously and starts out of

the room.

BILLY:

(sobbing)

I want my...mm...ommy...I want

mmmy...mommy...

TED:

(at the door)

Tough sh*t. You're stuck with

me.

And he slams the door behind him.

CUT TO:

66 WIDE SHOT--the dining area. Ted sits down

and tries to resume his meal alone.

BILLY (O.S.)

(sobbing, fighting

to catch his breath)

I want my...mmmo...mmmy. I want

mmmy mmo...mmy...

CLOSER IN ON TED--as he lifts his glass to take a

drink and we can SEE that he is shaking like a leaf.

CUT TO:

67 INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

ON TED--as he finishes doing the last of the dishes,

dries his hands and looks around to make sure that

everything has been put away. He flips off the light

and, as THE CAMERA TRACKS WITH HIM, he walks from room

to room, turning off the lights, until he reaches the

door to Billy's room which is still closed. Ted

hesitates for a moment, then eases open the door and

steps inside.

CUT TO:

68 INT. BILLY'S ROOM - NIGHT

TED'S P.O.V.:
Billy lies sprawled across the bed, all

tangled up in the covers.

ON TED--as he crosses to the sleeping child and starts

to straighten the covers.

BILLY:

(tentatively)

Daddy?

TED:

(all anger gone)

Yeah?

BILLY:

I'm sorry...

TED:

(kisses him)

That's okay, pal. Go back to

sleep. It's very late.

He starts to get up, when:

BILLY:

Daddy?

TED:

Uh huh?

BILLY:

(very quiet)

Are you...gonna go...away?

ON TED--stunned at the question.

TED:

Of course I'm not going away.

I love you very much. I'll

be right here.

There is a beat of silence, then:

BILLY:

(it comes pouring

out)

That's why mommy left...isn't

it? 'Cause I was bad...

The boy begins to weep.

TED:

(he puts his arm

around Billy and

holds him close)

Oh, Christ...Oh, Christ...

(he thinks for

a moment, then:
)

No, pal. Your mom loves you

very much. The reason she left

didn't have anything to do with

you.

(pause, this is

very painful)

Look, I don't know if this will

make any sense to you, okay?

But I'll try and explain. You

see the reason your mom left

was because...Well, I guess it

was because I kept trying to

make her into a certain kind of

person...Make her be the way I

thought a wife was supposed to

be. Only she wasn't like that.

She was...

(smiles to himself)

Well, she wasn't like that. And

now, when I think about it, I

can see she tried very hard to

be like I wanted--very hard.

And when she couldn't, then

she tried to tell me about it.

Only I wouldn't listen. I guess

I thought that if I was happy,

that meant she was happy too.

Only she wasn't. The truth is,

the only reason she didn't leave

a lot sooner was because she loves

you so much. Joanna stayed until

she couldn't stand me any longer

and then she left...But it wasn't

you, pal. It wasn't you.

There is a long beat of silence as Billy thinks about

this. Clearly an enormous burden has been lifted from

his shoulders. Finally:

BILLY:

Is mom ever coming back?

TED:

You mean for good?

Billy nods.

TED:

I don't think so.

BILLY:

(thoughtfully)

Oh...

Ted gets to his feet, starts for the door.

TED:

Now go to sleep. It's very late.

BILLY:

Good night.

TED:

Sleep tight.

BILLY:

Don't let the bedbugs bite.

TED:

See you in the morning light.

BILLY:

Dad?

Ted pauses in the doorway, smiles.

TED:

Yes?

BILLY:

I love you...

CUT TO:

69 EXT. CENTRAL PARK - DAY

A SERIES OF TRACKING SHOTS--as Ted runs along beside

Billy, who is learning to ride a bike. Then, in the

last shot, Ted lets go of the bike and runs along just

behind. Slowly as Billy gains confidence he speeds up,

leaving Ted farther and farther behind. Finally, as

Billy glances over his shoulders.

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