Meet Joe Black Page #2

DREW:

(to Susan)

Hello, Beautiful.

SUSAN:

Hi.

Drew kisses her, over her shoulder he glances at Parrish.

PARRISH:

Good morning, Drew. Thanks for

coming out.

DREW:

Well, it's a big day. Wanted to

line up a few ducks before kickoff.

Any thoughts? Last minute refine-

ments or variations?

PARRISH:

'Thoughts'? Not a one -- but I did

hear a voice last night.

DREW:

A voice?

PARRISH:

In my sleep.

DREW:

What'd it say?

PARRISH:

'Yes'.

DREW:

'Yes' to the deal?

PARRISH:

Maybe, who knows? You know how

voices are. Let's go.

Quince comes running up now.

QUINCE:

Hi, Bill --

PARRISH:

Good morning, Quince.

QUINCE:

How're you doing--?

PARRISH:

I'm doing great. You ready?

QUINCE:

I am, this is it. B Day.

PARRISH:

How's that, Quince?

QUINCE:

Bontecou Day. Going to close

with Big John -- Look at you, Bill,

all cool as a cat and over at

Bontecou's, I'll bet he's shitting

in his pants.

ALLISON:

(to Quince)

Honey, please.

QUINCE:

Okay. All aboard - New York, New

York!

ALLISON:

Remember everybody, tonight, dinner

in the city at Daddy's. You too,

Drew. We've still got some loose

ends --

PARRISH:

Not my birthday again?

SUSAN:

You're only six-five once.

PARRISH:

Thank God. Now could we go? Let's

get this day started.

Drew ushers everybody on, first Parrish, then Susan and

Quince, Drew the last to climb on, shuts the door behind him

As Allison hurries away from the whirling rotors.

INT. ASTAR HELICOPTER - DAY

The configuration of seats has Drew beside Parrish, in front

of them Quince and Susan opposite each other in single seats.

Just as Drew removes color-coded folders from his attache

case and spreads them out for Parrish on his tray table, the

pilot waves to Drew, indicating 'phone call'. Drew gets up

and heads for the cockpit, Parrish scans the folders, glances

over at Susan who is making some notes on a file of her own.

He motions to her to please come sit beside him, she checks

that Drew is still busy in the cockpit, tucks her papers into

her carryall, and crosses over to Parrish who folds away the

work that Drew set before him into his tray table, locks it.

SUSAN:

I thought you were in a meeting--?

PARRISH:

I am. With you.

He peers up ahead at Drew, on the telephone and gesticulat-

ing intensely, right at home in the cockpit despite the CHOP

of the blades and the pilot pressed up against him.

PARRISH (cont'd)

Do you love Drew?

SUSAN:

...There's a start for a meeting.

PARRISH:

I know it's none of my business --

Susan doesn't answer for a moment, then impulsively kisses her

father on the cheek.

SUSAN:

No, it's none of your business.

Another moment.

PARRISH:

Do you love Drew?

SUSAN:

You mean like you loved Mom?

PARRISH:

Forget about me and Mom -- are you

going to marry him?

SUSAN:

Probably.

A moment.

PARRISH:

(smiles)

Don't get carried away.

SUSAN:

Uh oh --

PARRISH:

Susan, you're a hell of a woman.

You've got a great career, you're

beautiful --

SUSAN:

And I'm your daughter and no man

will ever be good enough for me.

PARRISH:

Well, I wasn't going to say that --

SUSAN:

What were you going to say?

PARRISH:

Listen, I'm crazy about the guy --

He's smart, he's aggressive, he

could carry Parrish Communications

into the 21st century and me along

with it.

SUSAN:

So what's wrong with that?

PARRISH:

That's for me. I'm talking about

you. It's not so much what you say

about Drew, it's what you don't say.

SUSAN:

You're not listening --

PARRISH:

Oh yes, I am. Not an ounce of

excitement, not a whisper of a

thrill, this relationship has all

the passion of a pair of titmice.

SUSAN:

Don't get dirty, Dad --

PARRISH:

Well, it worries me. I want you

to get swept away. I want you to

levitate. I want you to sing with

rapture and dance like a dervish.

SUSAN:

That's all?

PARRISH:

Be deliriously happy. Or at least

leave yourself open to be.

SUSAN:

'Be deliriously happy'. I'm going

to do my upmost --

He smiles.

PARRISH:

I know it's a cornball thing but

love is passion, obsession, someone

you can't live without. If you

don't start with that, what are you

going to end up with? I say fall

head over heels. Find someone you

can love like crazy and who'll love

you the same way back. And how do

you find him? Forget your head and

listen to your heart. I'm not

hearing any heart.

(a moment)

Run the risk, if you get hurt, you'll

come back. Because, the truth is

there is no sense living your life

without this. To make the journey

and not fall deeply in love -- well,

you haven't lived a life at all.

You have to try. Because if you

haven't tried, you haven't lived.

SUSAN:

Bravo.

PARRISH:

Aw, you're tough.

SUSAN:

I'm sorry. But give it to me again.

The short version.

PARRISH:

Stay open. Who knows? Lightning

could strike.

Silence.

PARRISH (cont'd)

Forgive the lecture --

SUSAN:

I won't. And when I tell Drew about

it, he won't either.

PARRISH:

You won't tell him, and even if you

did, he'd clock it and punch it into

his laptop in order to pull out some

key phrases when he gives the

Commencement Speech at Wharton.

SUSAN:

You're terrible.

PARRISH:

I know. But I'm the only father

you've got.

She kisses him on the cheek.

SUSAN:

Thank God.

PARRISH:

He doesn't care. But thanks anyway.

EXT. 34TH STREET HELIPAD, NEW YORK CITY - DAY

The AStar lands, an attendant, waiting with a luggage cart,

rushes to open the door and unload the bags. The passengers,

Parrish paired with Quince, Drew with Susan, file off the

rooftop through a door which opens into an elevator.

INT. ELEVATOR, NEW YORK CITY - DAY

Parrish, Susan, Drew and Quince face forward as they ride

downwards.

QUINCE:

Hey, this is it, the hour approach-

es, I'm getting all excited. So

what do you think, is it --

(indicates Drew and

Parrish)

-- just the 'Executive Committee' or

could you guys use me?

DREW:

Quince, m'man, thanks for the offer,

but it's all set for just me and Bill.

More people might --

QUINCE:

I know. Gum up the works.

Parrish is about to make some reassuring comment to Quince

when the Voice suddenly intrudes:

VOICE (V.O.)

'...I know, it's none of my

business.'

PARRISH:

What?

DREW:

I was saying to Quince we won't

need --

PARRISH:

Did you just hear something?

DREW:

Why yes, Bill, I was saying to

Quince --

PARRISH:

No no, not you.

SUSAN:

Daddy, what's the matter?

PARRISH:

Nothing. I'm sorry.

A respectful silence, the elevator continues downwards,

suddenly the Voice intrudes again:

VOICE (V.O.)

'...I want you to levitate. I want

you to sing with rapture and dance

like a dervish.'

Parrish grunts bizarrely, Susan notices and reacts:

SUSAN:

What is it, Daddy --?

PARRISH:

Nothing.

Parrish's eyes dart about, confirming no one has heard a

thing but him.

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