Midnight in Paris Page #3

As what?

Scott Fitzgerald and...

Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. The Fitzgeralds.

Isn't she beautiful?

Yes. Yes! Yeah, that's...

that's a coincidence...like....uh...

You have a glazed look in your eye.

Stunned. Stupefied. Anesthetized. Lobotomized.

I...I...keep looking at the man playing piano, and I

believe it or not, recognize his

face from some old sheet music.

I know I can be one of the great writers

of musical lyrics - not that I can write melodies, and I try,

and then I hear the songs he writes,

and then I realize: I'll never write a great lyric,

- and my talent really lies in drinking.

- Sure does.

Yeah, but, he didn't write the music, did he?

That's not possible...

So...um...

- What kind of books do you write?

- I...I...I'm working on a...um...

Where am I?

Oh, I'm sorry. Don't you know the host?

Some friends have gotten together

a little party for Jean Cocteau.

Hey, lady. What...

Are you kiddding me?

I know what you're thinking.

This is boring. I agree!

I'm ready to move on. Let's do Bricktop's!

- Bricktop's?

- I'm bored! He's bored! We're all bored.

We. Are. All. Bored.

Let's do Bricktop's.

Why don't you tell Cole and Linda

to come with, and...um...

uh...Gil? You coming?

[Cole Porter's "You've Got That Thing"]

You got that thing - You got that thing

The thing that makes birds forget to sing

Yes, you've got that thing, that certain thing

You've got that charm, that subtle charm

that makes young farmers desert the farm

[Josphine Baker's "La Conga Blicoti"]

This is one of the finest establishments

in Paris. They do a diamond whiskey sour.

Bon soir, tous le monde!

(Good evening, everyone!)

Un peu tir de bourbon, s'il vous plat.

(A small shot of bourbon, please.)

Greetings and salutations.

You'll forgive me.

I've been mixing grain and grape.

Now, this a writer. uh...Gil. Yes?

- Gil...Gil Pender.

- Gil Pender.

Hemingway.

Hemingway?

You liked my book?

Liked? I loved!

All your work.

Yes, it was a good book,

because it was an honest book,

and that's what war does to men.

And there's nothing fine and noble

about dying in the mud,

unless you die gracefully,

and then it's not only noble, but brave.

Did you read my story?

What'd you think?

There was some fine writing in it,

but it was unfulfilled.

- I might've known you'd hate it.

- But darling, you're too sensitive.

You liked my story, but he hates me!

Please, old sport,

you make matters extremely difficult.

I'm jumpy. Suddenly I don't like

the atmosphere here any more.

Ah! Where're you going?

Para reunirse con mis amigos en Saint-Germain.

(To meet some friends on Saint-Germain.)

- He's going to Saint-Germain. I'm going with him.

- Zelda, sweetheart...

If you're going to stay here and drink

with him, I'm going with the toreador.

Would you bring her back

at a reasonable time?

- She'll drive you crazy, this woman.

- She's exciting,

and she has talent.

This month it's writing.

Last month it was something else.

You're a writer. You need time to write.

Not all this fooling around.

She's wasting you because she's

really a competitor. Don't you agree?

Me?

Speak up, for Christ's sake! I'm asking if

you think my friend is making a tragic mistake.

Actually, I don't know the Fitzgeralds that well.

You're a writer. You make observations.

You were with them all night!

Could we not discuss my personal life in public?

She's jealous of his gift,

and it's a fine gift. It's rare.

- You like his work? You can speak for it.

- Stop it! Stop it.

You like Mark Twain?

I'm going to find Zelda.

I don't like the thought

of her with that Spaniard.

May I?

Yeah, I'm actually a huge Mark Twain fan.

I think you can even make the case

that all modern American literature

comes from Huckleberry Finn.

- You box?

- No. Not really. No.

What're you writing?

- A novel.

- 'Bout what?

It's about a man who works

in a nostalgia shop.

What the hell is a nostalgia shop?

A place where they sell old things. Memorabilia.

and... Does that sound terrible?

No subject is terrible if the story is true.

If the prose is clean and honest,

and if it affirms grace and courage under pressure.

No good.

Can I ask you the biggest favor in the world?

- What is it?

- Would you read it?

- Your novel?

- Yeah, it's like

looking for, you know, an opinion.

My opinion is I hate it.

I mean, you haven't even read it.

If it's bad, I'll hate it

because I hate bad writing,

and if it's good, I'll be envious and hate it all the more.

You don't want the opinion of another writer.

Yeah. You know, it's just...

You know what it is?

I'm having a hard time,

you know, trusting somebody to evaluate it.

Writers are competitive.

I'm not gonna be competitive with you.

You're too self-effacing.

It's not manly.

If you're a writer,

declare yourself the best writer!

But you're not, as long as I'm around.

Unless you want to put the gloves on and settle it?

No, I don't.

Hey, I'm not gonna read your novel,

but I'll tell you what I'll do.

Yes?

I'll bring it to Gertrude Stein's.

She's the only one I trust with my writing.

You'll show my novel to Gertrude Stein?

- Give it to me.

- I'll bring it to you.

- And she gets back from Spain tomorrow.

- Great.

I'm gonna go get it.

I'm gonna...

I can't tell you how excited I am!

This is gonna be such a lift!

My heart is just racing right now!

I'm gonna get it, and I'll be back.

Whoa, whoa, Gil!

Take it easy!

You had a big night.

Fitzgerald. Hemingway!

Papa!

You gotta...

OK, we never said where

we were gonna meet.

Good thing you didn't go last night.

You would've hated the music, and the crowd,

but I had fun.

What're you thinking about?

You seem like you're in a daze.

If I was to tell you that I spent

last night with Ernest Hemingway

and Scott Fitzgerald,

- what would you say?

- Is that what you were dreaming about?

Your literary idols?

Yeah, but if I wasn't dreaming...

What does that mean?

If I was with Hemingway,

and Fitzgerald,

and Cole Porter.

I'd be thinking brain tumor.

And when I tell you,

Zelda Fitzgerald is exactly

as we've come to know her through

everything we've read in books and articles.

You know, charming, but all over the map.

You know, she does not like

Hemingway one bit.

and Scott knows Hemingway is right about her,

but you can see how conflicted he is because he loves her!

Come on! Get up! We should

quit the idle chatter,

because we're gonna be late.

You know, I'm not gonna...

I think I'm gonna stay here

and do some work on my novel,

'cause there's a little polishing I wanna do.

No. You can do that later.

Mom said we can use her decorator's discount. Get up!

Come look at these, Inez.

Wouldn't these be charming in a Malibu beach house?

- Combien, monsieur? (How much, sir?)

- Dix-huit mille. (18,000)

- Merci. (Thanks.)

- What is that?

There a steal at $18,000.

$18,000 for this?

Oh wait. It's Euros, so it's more.

- So that's like 20. $20,000.

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