My Best Friend's Wedding Page #15

WALTER:

I thought Michael was picking

me up.

JULIANNE:

I told him, get the important

stuff, Kim's ring. I'll collect

the inconsequentials.

Meaning, you. They smile at each other. Then...

WALTER:

Kim said, when he turned down

the job, there was no friction.

Julianne thinks back.

JULIANNE:

Friction. No.

He smiles at her line reading. But his mind is always probing.

WALTER:

I haven't caused... a problem,

have I?

JULIANNE:

Nobody has. So far.

Her bright grin. His eyes linger on it.

WALTER:

Well, you're a little early...

JULIANNE:

I need to make some calls.

Could I use... your office?

INT. WALTER'S OFFICE - DAY

Julianne enters the spacious corner office, high above the city.

Closes the door, quietly, behind her. So anxious, she is

practically hyperventilating. She goes, slowly to the vacant

cherrywood desk. Its computer and monitor standing silent. She

is stalking it, like a deadly animal. And then. She is there.

Talking to herself, her own desperate support network...

JULIANNE:

(softly)

You can do this.

Sacred, filled with doubt and conflict. Her hands clutch at each

other. Then, one flicks out. And the computer goes ON. The

screen GLOWS. Waits for her. Her mouth is sand, her stomach

water. She pulls the paper from her pocket...

... looks at it. Looks to the monitor. And begins. To type...

JULIANNE:

(mumbling to herself)

E-mail address. To Ben Isaacson,

Senior Editor, Sports Illustrated,

from... Walter Wallace.

And stops. Her heart is thumping.

JULIANNE:

See, you can do it. It's easy.

Doesn't look easy. Licks her lips.

JULIANNE:

You do it fast, it's over. Like

it never happened.

She sits. And recites as she types...

JULIANNE:

Ben. I need a favor.

Here we go. This is it. Types...

JULIANNE:

My daughter's every happiness.

And my wife's. And, least of

all, my own, are in your hands.

Nods, okay. Breathing hard. Types...

JULIANNE:

Knowing you value our friendship,

and the... cooperative

relationship between our companies...

I am hopeful of your help.

Touch, that. Thinks. It has to be. Types...

JULIANNE:

I have offered Mike O'Neal, my

new son-in-law, a great opportunity

in my company. This would also

enable my daughter to settle in

Chicago, near us, and pursue her

dreams and plans.

Almost there. Almost. Types...

JULIANNE:

To his own detriment, as well

as ours, Michael will not accept

our offer. While he works for you.

She stands up. Stares at the screen. Walks away. Walks back.

Still standing, types...

JULIANNE:

My daughter joins me in this

plea for your cooperation and

discretion.

Is there a SOUND? Outside the door. She HOVERS over the ESCAPE

key. Waits. Waits. Silence. Types...

JULIANNE:

With gratitude. For your

understanding. Walter.

She hits a KEY. The screen goes BLANK. The computer asks... DO

YOU WISH TO SEND? She tells the computer...

JULIANNE:

Are you crazy? Get him fired?

Types NO. The computer asks HOLD FOR LATER? And she types YES.

JULIANNE:

Just till tonight when I bring

him back. To look for...

She glances to her huge bag. Rummages through, pulling out a manila

folder. Lays it by the blank computer. Fans out a few pages in a

natural, disorderly way. Takes a step back...

And stares. Struck to her gut. But when she has done.

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY

Walter alone with Deidre now, signing a stack of documents, as she

efficiently places one after another before him. When he glances up,

he sees Julianne wandering the halls. Stands, tells his secretary...

WALTER:

(going through stack)

Off to rehearsal. Send out this,

and this, not this, this, and...

that's it.

Slips on his coat. Oh... and by the way...

WALTER:

I'm holding four or five E-mails

I wrote over lunch...

On his way through the door...

WALTER:

Send 'em out.

INT. CHAPEL, UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO - DAY

Julianne and Walter enter the rear of a striking Gothic CHAPEL,

pastel light slanting in through stained glass windows. We now

see the full effect of her outfit, a man's-style chalk stripe SUIT,

tailored to fit her body, set off by a bold silk tie. Solid

dynamite. She hangs back, while Walter proceeds down the vaulted

nave toward...

... Michael, Kimmy, Isabelle and Joe, who stand casually joking by

the altar. Scattered around are assorted groomsmen, ushers, an

obvious flowergirl. Coming toward us, up the aisle...

... the MINISTER, early 40s, lean and quite attractive. Mandy is

HANGING on his arm, pressing her body against him as they walk,

murmuring urgent murmurs close to his ear. He's a really good

sport, and really uncomfortable. Sammy is walking backwards,

right in front of them, DROPS her bag, and BENDS to retrieve it, as

if oblivious to major cleavage on immediate display.

Julianne is so lost in her own anxiety, she doesn't even notice,

until...

MANDY:

Reverend Dyer, this is

Kimberly's somewhat butch

maid of honor...

SAMMY:

... Mr. Julianne Potter,

prominent New York drag queen.

Today, the girls' voices are charmingly musically Southern, with

none of the extreme accents we heard at the shower. The minister

extends his hand...

MINISTER:

Billy Dyer, Julianne. And I

love the suit.

She shakes his hand, smiles graciously, but her eyes flick to

Michael, now approaching up the aisle. The girls lead the minister

away. Michael arrives. Looks her up and down.

MICHAEL:

(softly)

Takes me back.

JULIANNE:

Well.

She smiles. One that glows a little.

JULIANNE:

You sang the song. Least I

could do was wear the outfit.

He nods.

MICHAEL:

Except now you're better-

looking.

Oh, yeah? Yes, ma'am. As she loses herself in his eyes...

MICHAEL:

I got the ring.

He pulls the box from his pocket. Somewhere, an ORGAN sounds. And

as he is about to hand her the box...

MANDY/SAMMY

(sing)

Swi-i-ng low-ow-ow...

Wee-ee-eet Char-i-ot...

Such exquisite two-part harmony, Michael stops to watch.

MANDY/SAMMY

(sing)

Comin', to car-ryyy

Me ho-o-o-me...

It is amazing. Soulful vengeful sluts. He is enthralled. Julianne

simply impatient. She wants his attention.

JULIANNE:

No accents today.

MICHAEL:

Yeah, Kim told me they were

giving you their Dueling

Scarlet's act. Actually,

they're sophomores at Juilliard.

She takes the box from his hand. Opens it, as the singing CONTINUES

throughout. The ring is delicate hammered gold. One of a kind.

MICHAEL:

Will she like it?

JULIANNE:

(whisper)

Yes.

She's staring at the ring.

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