Mumford Page #25

SKIP:

(flustered)

Yeah... me you, too... I was at your

house...

LILY:

Oh?

SKIP:

Upstairs, with Doc... Yeah, it's

very nice... I heard your shower.

Skip can't believe what he just said. Neither can the other

two, actually. Mumford can't stop himself from laughing, but

he cuts it off fast. Lily blushes, but Skip's agitation has

charmed her. Something's happening here.

LILY:

I've seen you going by on your board,

but I didn't realize -- you're so

young... to be so...

SKIP:

What?

MUMFORD:

...so rich?

LILY:

(gives him a look)

...so accomplished.

SKIP:

I may be young, but Doc can tell

you, I'm very immature.

He's making a joke and it represents quite a recovery. They're

all relieved. Then there's an awkward silence. Skip watches

the last of the tour enter the restaurant.

SKIP:

So, is this like a Japanese

restaurant?

LILY:

I'd better get in there.

SKIP:

That's a lot of people all at once.

LILY:

It's okay. They pre-order. There's a

choice of three entrees.

SKIP:

What are they?

Lily gives him a careful look: Is he really interested?

There's something about him...

LILY:

Meat loaf, turkey quesadillas, or

salad nicoise.

SKIP:

Salad nicoise? I love salad nicoise.

LILY:

(giggling)

You do?

SKIP:

Yeah.

LILY:

Well, come on in.

She motions him in and starts to follow. Mumford makes a

"what about me?" sound. Lily, grinning, just points to the

sign and leaves Mumford standing on the sidewalk.

DELBANCO (O.S.)

Dr. Mumford.

Mumford turns to find Dr. Delbanco and Phyllis Sheeler, the

shrinks Lionel had conferred with, standing nearby. It takes

a moment for Mumford to remember Delbanco. Finally, shaking

hands --

MUMFORD:

Dr. Delbanco. It's nice to see you

again.

DELBANCO:

I don't think you know Dr. Sheeler.

She's the other therapist here in

town.

MUMFORD:

(shaking her hand)

Of course... I've heard great things

about you.

SHEELER:

Thank you.

DELBANCO:

You never got back to me.

(Mumford doesn't

understand)

...I called to say we'd like to take

you out for a meal?... Kind of a

professional welcome.

Mumford makes a show of remembering.

MUMFORD:

Forgive me, please. What a gracious

thought. We must do that.

SHEELER:

When?

MUMFORD:

Why don't I call you when I've got

my calendar in front of me?

DELBANCO:

What are you doing for lunch?

MUMFORD:

Right now?

The other two nod in unison. Mumford considers, trapped.

INT. THE LANTERN AND THE LAMB RESTAURANT - DAY

The town's upscale dining spot. Mumford, Delbanco and Sheeler

are in a red leather booth. Sheeler listens with rapt,

admiring attention as Delbanco speaks --

DELBANCO:

...annihilation anxieties engendered

by bad experiences with a depriving

mother... but no one can escape the

fear of death. It is, as Henry James

put it, "the worm at the core." Try

as we may to forget or ignore our

mortality, James said --

(theatrically)

-- "the skull will grin in at the

banquet."

Mumford nods appreciatively. (He really is an extraordinary

listener.) Delbanco catches his own vanity in Sheeler's

adoring gaze and becomes self-conscious --

DELBANCO:

I've run on. Forgive me. We're here

to talk about you.

MUMFORD:

Are we?

SHEELER:

(covering)

What Ernest means, I think, is we're

very interested in other

methodology... different kinds of

training. We're great believers in

learning from each other. I've learned

so much from Ern -- Dr. Delbanco...

DELBANCO:

...And I from Phyllis.

SHEELER:

(back to a previous

thread)

So... the University of Kentucky.

Who runs the program down there?

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