Nocturnal Animals Page #10

SUSAN:

Oh really? Didn’t you try to

convince me just last summer that I

should marry Bass?

ANNE:

That was different. Bass is your

equal.

SUSAN:

Oh my god, did you just say that?

You really just said that? That

came out of your mouth?

ANNE:

Why do you always think the worst

of me? That is not what I meant.

What I meant is that you are very,

very strong willed and as sweet as

he is, Edward is just too weak for

you.

SUSAN:

Weak isn’t the word I would use to

describe Edward. Sensitive is the

word I would use and that’s

certainly not a word that I could

ever use to describe anyone in this

family, except maybe Cooper.

59.

ANNE:

Don’t bring Cooper into this. Come

on Susan. You may not think that we

care about the same things but

you’re wrong. In a few years, all

these “bourgeois” things as you so

like to call them will become very

important to you. Edward won’t be

able to give them to you. He has no

money. He’s not driven. He’s not

ambitious. And if you marry Edward,

I can promise you that your father

is not going to give them to you

either.

SUSAN:

No, he’s not driven in the way that

you want him to be, but you’re

wrong. He’s strong. Stronger than I

am in a lot of ways. He just has a

different kind of strength.

ANNE:

A different kind of strength? And

what kind of strength is that?

SUSAN:

The strength to believe in himself.

To believe in me.

Anne collects herself and leans into the table.

ANNE:

Susan, keep seeing him if you have

to. Live with him. I don’t care,

but don’t marry him. I understand

what you see in Edward. I get it.

Susan starts to turn her head away

ANNE (CONT’D)

No wait. I do. He’s the opposite of

your father. He’s a romantic, but

he’s also very fragile. I saw that

when his father died.

SUSAN:

When did you become so

compassionate and understanding.

60.

Anne glares at her.

ANNE:

Don’t do this. You’ll regret it and

you’ll only hurt Edward in the end.

What you love about him now, you’ll

hate about him in a few years. You

may not realize it but you and I

are a lot more alike than you

think.

Anne spots a piece of lint on Susan’s sweater. She reaches

forward and pulls it off. Susan watches her mother do this

and recoils slightly.

SUSAN:

You’re wrong. You and I are nothing

alike.

ANNE:

Really? Just wait. We all

eventually turn into our mothers.

Anne turns away from Susan and takes a sip of her martini.

END FLASHBACK.

49 INT. MORROW RESIDENCE - SUSAN’S BEDROOM. NIGHT. 49

Susan is sitting on the small sofa in her room, staring out

into the LA night.

She flicks open her computer, looks at the note from Edward

and types in the e-mail address.

She rapidly types out a note to him but then deletes it and

starts again. After a bit of deliberation she writes:

Dear Edward,

I am reading your book. It’s devastating. I am deeply moved.

It is beautifully written. I would love to meet on Tuesday

evening. Let me know if you are still free. Much to say.

Love,

Susan

She presses “send” and then snaps the computer closed.

61.

50

INT. HASTINGS RESIDENCE - TONY’S STUDY, HOUSTON TEXAS. 50

EVENING.

Tony is on his computer. He is wearing a pair of boxer shorts

and an old tee shirt. There is a bottle of Jack Daniels and a

glass next to him. He looks rough. He checks his e-mails.

There is one from Bobby Andes.

Tony opens the attachment and takes a deep breath. He looks

at a photo of a clean shaven man. Tony looks carefully.

Covers the bottom half of the face with a piece of paper.

Covers the top half with a piece of paper.

Tony sits at his desk with his head in his hands.

His cell phone rings. He looks at the number. He doesn’t

recognize it. He answers.

TONY:

Yes?

51

EXT. ANDES CAMP, WEST TEXAS. EVENING -- CONTINUOUS. 51

ANDES:

Tony Hastings?

TONY:

Yes. Who is this?

ANDES:

Roberto Andes. I just sent you an e-

mail. Did you get it?

TONY:

Yes. I did.

ANDES:

Well, did you recognize the guy?

TONY:

No.

ANDES:

Sh*t. God damned it. You sure?

62.

52

INT. HASTINGS RESIDENCE - TONY’S STUDY, HOUSTON TEXAS. 52

EVENING -- CONTINUOUS

TONY:

It’s like the whole thing is a

blur.

ANDES:

This guy’s finger prints were on

your car. They were also found at

the trailer. His name is Steve

Adams. He has a record in

California, a stolen car with an

acquittal on a rape charge. We’ve

put out an A.P.B. for him. He is

our only lead right now. No one has

responded to our call for

witnesses. Are you sure you don’t

recognize him?

TONY:

No.

ANDES:

F***. What’s wrong with you man!

Don’t you want these guys put away?

TONY:

Of course I do! It’s all just a

blank.

CUT TO BLACK.

53

INT. HASTINGS RESIDENCE - TONY’S BEDROOM. LATER THAT NIGHT.53

Tony lies in bed asleep, dreaming. He is tossing about and is

clearly in distress.

WE SEE TONY’S IMAGINED VERSION OF THE RAPE. IT IS VIOLENT.

BRUTAL. HIS DAUGHTER’S SCREAMS ARE PIERCING. TURK LOOKS

STRAIGHT TOWARDS HIM AND SMILES.

Tony sits up in a sweat.

CUT TO BLACK.

63.

54 EXT. COUNTRYSIDE, HOUSTON TEXAS. WINTER. DAWN. 54

A bleak hillside. Brown grass and bare trees as Tony appears

over the hill in his running clothes. He has on a light

jacket and long tight running pants. He is clean shaven. He

looks thinner. It is remarkable how he now looks almost

exactly like Edward. Dark circles ring his eyes and a certain

dead quality is evident in his expression.

TONY V.O.

I know it was him!

ANDES V.O.

Well, that may be but nobody’s seen

him around here lately. Now listen,

I’ve got to be honest with you.

Right now it’s not looking good.

Sometimes these cases go for months

or even years without a break. You

need to prepare yourself for that.

Tony stops running and catches his breath.

CUT TO BLACK.

55 INT. HASTINGS RESIDENCE - TONY’S BATHROOM. EVENING. 55

Tony stands still in the shower. Just letting the hot water

run over him.

56 INT. MORROW RESIDENCE - SUSAN’S BATHROOM. EVENING. 56

Susan is in the shower leaning against the wall, just letting

the water run over her face and body. She is deep in thought.

CUT AWAY SHOTS OF TONY. LYING IN BED. DRINKING. HOLDING HIS

HEAD BETWEEN HIS HANDS. NO SOUND.

Susan holds herself tightly while the shower steams up and

the water washes over her.

SUSAN V.O.

Why are you so driven to write?

EDWARD V.O.

I guess it’s a way of keeping

things alive.

(MORE)

64.

EDWARD V.O. (CONT'D)

Saving things that will eventually

die. If I write it down, then it

will last forever.

Susan stands still and stares straight ahead, deep in

thought.

CUT TO BLACK.

57 EXT. COUNTRYSIDE, WEST TEXAS. DAY. 57

SHOTS OF THE SUNRISE IN THE DESERT. THE HOT LANDSCAPE NEARING

NOON, AND THE AFTERNOON LANDSCAPE AS THE WIND STARTS TO HOWL.

58 EXT. POLICE STATION, WEST TEXAS. DAY. 58

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