Mistress America Page #8

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TONY:

Nicolette! You SCARED THE F***ING

SH*T OUT OF ME!

Nicolette sits back, pissed.

TONY:

(trying to make it up)

Sweety, it’s...nice, it’s just I’mdriving.

EXT. GAS STATION. DAY

Tony fills the tank while Nicolette gives him a back rub.

Tracy stretches her legs. Brooke comes out of the store

eating a Slim Jim.

BROOKE:

(passing Tracy)

You should be with him, not thatgoth housewife.

53.

TRACY:

No, he knew me, he chose her.

BROOKE:

Only because you let him. You have

to chase down the things you want.

TRACY:

(shrugs)

I was just going to let it go.

BROOKE:

(considering her)

Sometimes I don’t know if you are azen master or a sociopath.

TRACY:

I’m just normal!

(taking the bait)

I’ll give him a back rub he won’tsoon forget.

Brooke gives her a half hug/squeeze, jokingly.

BROOKE:

You don’t give sh*t, do you? I’m

so glad you’re on my team.

Brooke wanders from the car and stretches. Tracy watches.

Tracy watches Brooke, bent over, brushing out her hair fromthe bottom, fixing her makeup.

TRACY (V.O.)

But the very things that had workedso well for Meadow up until thenhad started turning and fading.

She had no other skills, no otherway of dealing with the world. In

one instant her behaviors turned

from charming to borderlinehysteric. People could feel herfailure coming. She smelled of

something rotten. Her youth haddied and she was dragging aroundthe decaying carcass.

CUT TO:
Entering Greenwich, Connecticut. The houses flyingby become bigger and bigger. More elegant. This is the

wealthy.

TRACY (V.O.)

I had somehow become the

pallbearer.

54.

TRACY:

I’m trying to find Mamie-Claire’saddress. Does she have a different

last name?

BROOKE:

I have a visual memory of it. It’s

kind of photographic.

TRACY:

Oh you’ve been here?

BROOKE:

Well, I kind of stalked them once.

I was so pissed.

EXT. GREENWICH, CT. DAY

They all get out of the car. Brooke squints.

BROOKE:

Yep, this is it.

She starts to walk up to the house. Everyone follows her.

BROOKE:

Oh we’re all going? Okay, we lookcrazy, but maybe that’s good.

The four of them walk up to the house and ring the doorbell.

Wait. A man answers, forties.

40’S MAN

Can I help you?

BROOKE:

Hi, yes, I was wondering - is Mamie-

Claire or Dylan in... I’m an oldfriend.

40’S MAN

Wrong house.

BROOKE:

Oh, which is their house? I never

come here! I live in New York.

40’S MAN

I’ll take you there.

The 40’s Man leading the way, the four of them troop over toanother house, across the big lawn and through some bushesand trees.

55.

He walks up to the door, rings the bell.

Brooke, Tracy, Tony and Nicolette stand just behind him, outof sight.

A woman opens the door. It’s Mamie-Claire.

MAMIE-CLAIRE

Harold.

40’S MAN

What do you think I was doing lastnight?

MAMIE-CLAIRE

I don’t know Harold, watching

kiddie porn?

40’S MAN

NO! Listening to you and yourhusband shouting and not sleeping.

MAMIE-CLAIRE

So sorry we interfered with yourkiddie-porn.

40’S MAN

I am a PEDIATRICIAN.

MAMIE-CLAIRE

Obviously!

40’S MAN

Next time I hear decibel levels

like I did I’m calling the cops.

That is a promise.

He stalks off.

40’S MAN

(annoyed, to Brooke)

This is the house.

Brooke jumps out.

BROOKE:

Hello!

MAMIE-CLAIRE

What - what are you doing here?

Who are these people?

56.

BROOKE:

(presenting everyone one

by one)

Tracy’s Mom is marrying my Dad.

Tony drove. Nicolette is jealous.

Then a lot of unnecessary hand shaking takes place.

TRACY:

Hi, I’m Tracy.

MAMIE-CLAIRE

I’m Mamie-Claire.

They shake.

NICOLETTE:

Nicolette.

MAMIE-CLAIRE

Mamie-Claire.

They shake.

TONY:

Tony - and wait, no don’t tell me -

Mamie-Claire?

Mamie-Claire ignores the joke, turns back to Brooke.

MAMIE-CLAIRE

I thought we weren’t speaking.

BROOKE:

Right, I want to change that... AndI have something I really need totalk to you and Dylan about...

MAMIE-CLAIRE

Dylan isn’t here.

BROOKE:

Where is he?

MAMIE-CLAIRE

(hesitates)

He volunteers at a retirement

community. I’m in the middle of...

(hesitates again)

It’s a thing we do. It’s like a

party.

BROOKE:

That’s okay.

57.

MAMIE-CLAIRE

No... it’s not...

(getting flustered, then

clarifying firmly)

It’s not for you to say okay, it’sfor me to say okay.

BROOKE:

We’ll wait in the car.

MAMIE-CLAIRE

No, that’s weird.

BROOKE:

People wait in cars.

MAMIE-CLAIRE

(sighs)

You and your... “posse” can hangout in the kitchen.

INT. LIVING ROOM. DAY

Mamie-Claire leads them past pregnant and just-pregnant womenwho discuss Faulkner’s “The Hamlet.

PREGNANT WOMAN #1

I think the way Faulkner useslanguage is akin to the way themodernist painters were using paint

-exploring the reality of words orpaint itself -

PREGNANT WOMAN #2

Only Faulkner was interested in howthat happens while characters areACTUALLY trying to communicate, notjust drawing attention to theconstructedness of the novel.

TONY:

(to himself)

Holy sh*t those pregnant women aresuper-smart.

Everyone is impressed.

INT. MAMIE-CLAIRE’S KITCHEN. DAY

Mamie-Claire puts down snacks for the “posse.”

MAMIE-CLAIRE

I don’t know if you’re hungry, butthis is for if you’re hungry.

58.

TRACY:

This place is amazing.

MAMIE-CLAIRE

Thank you.

Brooke frowns, looking around.

BROOKE:

It’s really f***ing nice.

MAMIE-CLAIRE

Thank you.

TONY:

Would it be OK if we sat in on yourdiscussion?

MAMIE-CLAIRE

(confused)

Yeah, I guess. This week’s book is

Faulkner’s “The Hamlet.” Followed

by a kind of junky biography ofDerrida, but it’s fun.

TONY:

Tight.

He and Nicolette follow Mamie-Claire back into the living

room.

Tracy looks at a picture of Mamie-Claire on a boat, Brookeleans down and whispers to her:

BROOKE:

Apparently, she got recruited byTufts for crew and went but then

NEVER did it. I mean, that’s thekind of person she is, just sly andshitty.

TRACY:

I would do that if I could. I

wasn’t good at sports.

BROOKE:

Yeah, I would too, but it wouldn’tbe like my CHARACTER. It would

just be something I did.

TRACY:

When does that become the same

thing?

59.

BROOKE:

I don’t know!

CUT TO:
Brooke and Tracy wait in the kitchen. They’ve eatenall the snacks. They’re bored. Brooke looks at her phone.

BROOKE:

I didn’t know you could change thefont setting - I hate Helvetica.

Mamie-Claire enters and places plates in the sink. Brooke

stands immediately.

BROOKE:

You look amazing.

MAMIE-CLAIRE

Why are all these kids with you?

BROOKE:

They aren’t “kids.” If they’rekids, we are.

TRACY:

(piping up, to Mamie-

Claire)

I’m an associate and her almost-

sister.

BROOKE:

I really need to talk to you...

MAMIE-CLAIRE

Okay, how long do you think you’llneed with me, because -

BROOKE:

How long will Dylan be “givingback” at the old folks home? I’d

also like to talk to him.

MAMIE-CLAIRE

We’re both very busy, I have anappointment after this...

BROOKE:

Oh, come on, Mamie-Claire, that’sstupid, you aren’t REALLY busy.

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