Magnolia Page #19

THURSTON:

"Why don't you shut the f*** up," is me to you,

Chapter Right Here, Verse Right Now.

CUT TO:

INT. GAME SHOW SET - THAT MOMENT

CAMERA on the set with Jimmy walking over to the "Kids" panel;

JIMMY GATOR:

KIDS! Are you guys glued to those

seats or what? Are you ever leaving?

You're getting close to the record,

do you get more nervous as we go along?

RICHARD:

A little --

JULIA:

-- yeah....

JIMMY GATOR:

-- kids at school must be real

excited for you, eh?

JULIA:

Oh, yeah...yeah...

RICHARD:

Sure.

JIMMY GATOR:

Stanley the Man! How are you?

STANLEY:

I'm fine. Yes.

JIMMY GATOR:

You're fast becoming a celebrity.

How are you handling it all?

STANLEY:

Ohh, it's all fine. It's all.

Nice. I'd just like to keep

going....keep getting on....

JIMMY GATOR:

Sure, sure...that's fine, then...there...with.....

Jimmy starts to loose his grip on the proceedings a bit, slows

his pace down....Stanley notices....

JIMMY GATOR:

Well you've got..many..things, many

things happening and on the way....

ANGLE, BURT.

CAMERA PUSHES IN on Burt as he sees Jimmy start to zone out a bit.

CUT TO:

INT. JIMMY GATOR'S HOUSE - THAT MOMENT

CAMERA pushes in on Rose, sitting in the kitchen, watching the

television. She holds her breath and tears a bit, noticing

Jimmy start to fade.

CUT TO:

INT. GAME SHOW STAGE - THAT MOMENT

Back to Stanley and Jimmy. Jimmy repeats himself;

JIMMY:

What were you saying, Stanley?

STANLEY:

I was saying...thinking maybe I'd get

my own quiz show someday, Jimmy.

Just like you!

The AUDIENCE laughs. Jimmy clicks back with a chuckle and

a "isn't that cute," smile to the crowd and he walks over to

his podium; CAMERA stays for a moment with Stanley, notices him

continue to grab his crotch and make a face....

JIMMY:

OK, OK, here we go: Steeper questions,

bigger payoff, individual challenges with

musical and audio pockets, no-steal-lock-out's,

let's get it on in Round Two, Categories are:

CUT TO:

INT. HOLIDAY INN SUITE - THAT MOMENT

Frank and Gwenovier doing the telvision interview. CAMERA DOLLIES

IN SLOW ON EACH:

FRANK:

-- that's right, that's right, and what I'M

saying, that none of my competitors can say is

this:
That there is no need for insight or

understanding. Things of the past! Gone, Over, Done.

Do you realize how f***ing miraculous this is?

How f***ing razor sharp and cutting edge and

ahead of it's time this concept is? I'm

talking about eliminating insight and understanding

as human values. GOD DAMN I'M GOOD. There is

no need for INSIGHT. There is no need for

UNDERSTANDING. I have found a way to take

any subjective human experience -- in other

words -- all the terrible sh*t or all the

great sh*t that you've had happen to you in

your life -- and quickly and easily transform

it in the unconscious mind through the subtle

and cunning use of language. The "listener-patient"

(in other words:
The Chick) settles into a very

light, very delicate, conversationally induced

state:
NOT A TRANCE, mind you, but a STATE.

A state that is brand new. The System's state.

What did I do? I REALIZED that concept and put

it into practical "get my dick hard and f*** it" use.

I'm gonna build a state for the seducer and the

seducee to live, vote, breath, pay takes and party

'till dawn. I'm gonna teach methods of language that

will help anyone get a piece of ass, tit and tail --

GWENOVIER:

Let's talk about --

FRANK:

I just realized this is for television,

isn't it? I can't swear up and down

like I just did.

GWENOVIER:

It's fine. I can bleep it out.

FRANK:

I warned you -- I get on a roll...

GWENOVIER:

-- let's talk more about your background --

FRANK:

Muffy -- coffee?

Muffy moves to pour a cup, Gwen looks down at her clipboard, then:

GWENOVIER:

I'm confused about your past is the thing.

FRANK:

Is that still lingering?

GWENOVIER:

-- just to clarify --

FRANK:

So boring, so useless --

GWENOVIER:

I would just want to clear some things up:

FRANK:

(Muffy delivers coffee)

Thank you, Muffy. Funny thing is:

This is an important element of,

"Seduce and Destory:"

"Facing the past is an important way

in not making progress," that's something

I tell my men over and over --

GWENOVIER:

This isn't meant --

FRANK:

-- and I try and teach the students to

ask:
What is it in aid of?

GWENOVIER:

Are you asking me that?

FRANK:

Yes.

GWENOVIER:

Well, just trying to figure out who you are,

and how you might have become --

FRANK:

In aid of what?

GWENOVIER:

I'm saying, Frank, in trying to

figure out who you are --

FRANK:

-- there's a lot more important things

I'd like to put myself into --

GWENOVIER:

It's all important --

FRANK:

Not really.

GWENOVIER:

It's not like I'm trying to attack you --

FRANK:

This is how you wanna spend the time,

then go, go, go -- you're gonna

be surprised at what a waste it is --

"The most useless thing in the world

is that which is behind me," Chapter Three --

GWENOVIER:

We talked earlier about your mother.

And we talked about your father and his death.

And I don't want to be challenging or

defeatist here, but I have to ask and

I would want to clarify something --

something that I understand --

FRANK:

I'm not sure I hear a question in there?

GWENOVIER:

Do you remember a Miss Simms?

FRANK:

I know alotta women and I'm sure she remembers me.

GWENOVIER:

She does. From when you were a boy.

FRANK:

Mm. Hm.

GWENOVIER:

She lived in Tarzana.

FRANK:

An old stomping ground --is this

the "attack" portion of the interview,

I figured this was coming sooner

or later -- Is "the girl" coming in for the kill?

GWENOVIER:

No, this is about getting something

right and claryfying one of your answers

to an earlier question --

FRANK:

Go ahead and waste your time.

GWENOVIER:

I was told that your mother died.

That your mother died when you were young --

FRANK:

And that's what you've heard?

GWENOVIER:

I talked to Miss Simms. Miss Simms

was your caretaker and neighbor

after your mother died in 1980.

BEAT. Frank goes silent.

GWENOVIER:

In my research I have you listed as

the only son of Earl and Lily Partridge.

(beat)

And what I learned from Mrs. Simms is that

your mother passed away in 1980.

(beat)

See:
It's my understanding that the information

supplied by you and your company and answers

to question's I've asked are incorrect, Frank.

And if I'd like to get to the bottom of who you

are and why you are then I think your family

history -- you're accurate family history...well:

this seems important...Frank...?

VIDEO CAMERA POV - THAT MOMENT

Frank lights his cigarette. CAMERA zooms into CU.

FRANK:

Are you asking me a question?

GWEN:

Well I guess the question is this:

Do you remember Miss Simms?

BEAT. HOLD, THEN:

CUT TO:

INT. GAME SHOW SET - THAT MOMENT

Jimmy asks questions. Stanley is visibly uncomfortable;

JIMMY:

Kids, Adults, I'd like you to put

yourself at a picnic. Place yourself

there with your family and friends

if you'd like -- you'll hear three

musical notes and you are to tell me

what it might represent that you'd

find at a picnic -- The First Three Notes:

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