Magnolia Page #13

STANLEY:

I don't have regular classes anymore.

RICHARD:

What do you do?

STANLEY:

They just let me have my own study-time,

my own reading time in the library.

RICHARD:

That's pretty cool.

JULIA:

Do you have an agent, Stanley?

STANLEY:

No.

JULIA:

You should get one, I'm serious,

you could get a lot of stuff out of this --

STANLEY:

Like what?

RICHARD:

What do you mean, "like what?"

-- you could get endorsments and sh*t --

CYNTHIA:

-- Richard.

RICHARD:

Bite it, Cynthia. You could get free

things from people that want you to

endorse their products.

JULIA:

Commercials, a sitcom, an MOW or something.

STANLEY:

What's MOW?

JULIA:

Movie Of The Week. I went up for

one this morning with Alan Thicke

and Corey Haim --

RICHARD:

Was it a call back?

JULIA:

No. But I probably will get a call back.

RICHARD:

If we beat the record, you might get

a call back --

JULIA:

I'll get it because I'm a good actress, Richard.

RICHARD:

Saucy-saucy.

CYNTHIA:

C'mon guys, settle down --

STANLEY:

Cynthia?

CYNTHIA:

What?

STANLEY:

How much time do we have?

CYNTHIA:

Not enough, what do you want?

STANLEY:

I should maybe go to the bathroom.

CYNTHIA:

Can you hold it?

STANLEY:

I don't know.

CYNTHIA:

Just hold it, you'll be fine.

They arrive and enter onto the stage -- CAMERA swings around, branches

away from them and BOOMS UP to reveal the set;

There is a LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE that's being settled into their seats.

It's a three-camera set up with a FLOOR DIRECTOR roaming around,

shouting orders, etc.

There's a spot for the announcer, an old-pro named DICK JENNINGS (60s)

Dick is in the middle of doing bad-comedy warm up for the studio

audience. He's had a few drinks, etc.

The STAGE itself is a cross between JEAPORDY/NEWLEYWED GAME/PRICE IS

RIGHT. There's a podium for Jimmy Gator. One panel holds "The Kids,"

and one panel holds, "The Adults." There are chaser-lights all around

and some of the design feels left over from the early days of the show.

CAMERA hangs out with the KIDS as they are ushered into their panel,

which at this moment faces away from the audience and is behind a

curtain. Julia turns her head, sees something:

JULIA:

Here they come --

The ADULT CHALLENGERS are brought out by an assistant type and loaded

into their panel. The Adult Challengers are:

Black woman named MIM MacNEAL(40s)

White guy with glasses TODD GERONIMO (20s)

Puerto Rican guy named LUIS GUZMAN (40s)

The Adults give a couple small glares over to the Kids.

RICHARD (sotto)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep lookin'

tough-old folks.

STANLEY:

They look pretty smart, I think.

JULIA:

No they don't --

RICHARD:

What are they gonna do -- beat us?

STANLEY:

Maybe.

JULIA:

We're not going out two days before

we set the record, it's not gonna happen.

RICHARD:

When they want us done, they'll call

in the Harvard S.W.A.T team or some sh*t.

CAMERA lands in CU on Stanley. HOLD. BEAT. THEN:

CUT TO:

INT. JIMMY'S OFFICE - THAT MOMENT

Jimmy and a woman named PAULA (3Os) sit in his office. SLOW DOLLY IN

ON EACH thru scene;

JIMMY:

You look great.

BEAT.

PAULA:

What the f*** is this, Jimmy?

JIMMY:

...you know...

PAULA:

Did your wife find out?

JIMMY:

No.

PAULA:

Then what?

JIMMY:

It's just...too late for me to be

f***in' around. I gotta stop.

I gotta clean my brain of all the

sh*t I've done that I shouldn't have done --

PAULA:

-- that you shouldn't have done?

That you regret, what? This? What's

this? F***, man, c'mon. Treat me

like an a**hole, but treat me like

an a**hole.

JIMMY:

I don't wanna have to lie to anyone.

I don't want to hurt anyone else, anymore.

She doesn't respond. BEAT. THEN:

JIMMY:

Thirty f***in' years I've been with

Rose, don't -- y'know -- with

this, and I know what you think --

PAULA:

All your other fluzzies?

JIMMY:

Yeah. Yes.

PAULA:

You're making me feel so dirty and shitty.

I feel like a big piece of sh*t right now.

BEAT.

PAULA:

Are you gonna tell her what you've done?

JIMMY:

Yes.

PAULA:

Will you say my name?

JIMMY:

If she asks me any question I want

to tell her. I want to tell her

everything I've done.

PAULA:

Well can you do me one favor and

don't do that.

Jimmy doesn't answer.

PAULA:

Come and tell me it's over and I'll

walk away, Jimmy. I've f***ed you

behind your wife's back for three

years, and you've f***ed teenage girls

behind mine for the same amount of

time -- I'll walk away, you need something

for your life, for your conscience,

but don't put me in the middle --

JIMMY:

I won't.

PAULA:

What happend to you?

JIMMY:

I got in trouble at school.

She stands and walks over to him, moves to give him a hug.

PAULA:

Are you ok?

JIMMY:

F*** no.

There's a KNOCK at the door and then it's opened by BURT RAMSEY (60s)

He's the producer of the show; (WHIP TO HIM)

BURT:

Ready to run. Paula.

PAULA:

Burt.

Jimmy takes a quick shot, moves to Paula, gives her a tap on the

cheek and says;

JIMMY (to Paula)

You're a good one arentcha?

CUT TO:

INT. TELEVISION STUDIO/HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER

Burt and Jimmy walking and talking (STEADICAM);

BURT:

You smell like trouble --

JIMMY:

I'm f***in' hammered, Burt.

BURT:

You ok?

JIMMY:

ooohhhhhh no.

BURT (re:
cards)

Good. You look these over?

JIMMY:

It's been the same f***in' thing for

thirty years, Burt --

BURT:

These adults are tough enough, I think

you'll be surprised -- the Mexican's

a bit of a question mark --

Jimmy FALLS STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR.

BURT:

F*** - f*** - f*** - Jimmy -

CUT TO:

INT. CLAUDIA'S APARTMENT - THAT MOMENT. **

Claudia finishes throwing her drugs into a dirty t-shirt and throwing

that dirty t-shirt into her laundry basket. Jim Kurring bangs away at

the door.

JIM KURRING (OC)

OPEN THE DOOR.

CLAUDIA:

I'm coming!

She runs towards the door, takes a small fall on the way, recovers,

opens up;

CLAUIDA:

Yeah. Hi. Hello.

REVERSE, CLOSE UP - JIM KURRING - 40fps.

CAMERA pushes in on him a little bit at his first sight of Claudia.

JIM KURRING:

...yeah...

CLAUDIA:

I'm sorry, I had to get dressed.

Wider Angle reveals Jim Kurring, in a bit of a daze, standing with

his BILLY CLUB removed and at the ready. He stands back...they have

SHOUT above the music;

JIM KURRING:

-- you the resident here?

CLAUIDA:

Yes.

JIM KURRING:

You alone in there?

CLAUDIA:

Yes.

JIM KURRING:

No one else in there with you?

CLAUIDA:

No, what's wrong?

JIM KURRING:

You mind if I come in, check things?

CLAUDIA:

For what?

JIM KURRING:

Ok. For one thing, we're gonna

need to turn that music down so

we can talk, ok?

CLAUDIA:

I'm sorry.

She turns and Jim Kurring moves to replace his billy club, but misses

the holster and it FALLS straight to the floor, slides down the steps.

Claudia turns the music down, turns back and sees that he is gone.

Jim Kurring grabs his billy club from the bottom of the steps and

bounces back up and into the apartment as if nothing happend;

JIM KURRING:

You live alone?

CLAUIDA:

Yes.

JIM KURRING:

What's your name?

CLAUIDA:

Claudia.

JIM KURRING:

Claudia What?

CLAUDIA:

Wilson.

JIM KURRING:

Ok. Claudia Wilson: You tryin' to go deaf?

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