Nocturnal Animals Page #3

ALESSIA:

Do you still love him?

She looks up and Hutton catches her eyes and motions to her

with his head.

SUSAN:

I’m being summoned. Pardon me. He

has to catch a plane. I need to say

goodbye.

Susan crosses the room to Hutton and leads him to the door.

Alessia stares after her.

13

EXT. HOLT RESIDENCE, BEL AIR CALIFORNIA. NIGHT --13

CONTINUOUS.

We are on the front steps of the house. There is a black

Mercedes and driver waiting for Hutton.

SUSAN:

I hope that this deal works out for

you. I really do. I know that you

need it.

HUTTON:

We need this.

SUSAN:

No, you need this.

She leans in to kiss him on the cheek. She watches the car

pull out of the driveway and goes back into the house.

14

INT. HOLT RESIDENCE, BEL AIR CALIFORNIA. NIGHT -- LATER. 14

The flamboyant and eclectic guests are seated around the

dining table finishing dessert. Conversation at the table is

lively, and somewhat loud. Susan is seated next to Carlos.

13.

At that moment the other end of the table erupts with

laughter as CHLOE, 24, a beautiful young actress finishes a

story. She speaks with a strong southern accent and has a

certain vapid charm. The table is riveted.

CHLOE:

So I said, “well my mother always

told me if you massage your p*ssy

with Pam Cooking Spray for a month

before the baby comes you won’t

need vaginal rejuvenation!”

The table burst into hysterical laughter. Susan turns back to

Carlos.

SUSAN:

I’ve got to get some Pam. And she

is going to get a nomination this

year.

CARLOS:

A nomination? She is going to win!

They both look towards Chloe.

CARLOS (CONT’D)

Let’s talk about your opening. My

favorite subject.

SUSAN:

Not mine.

CARLOS:

The opening was spectacular last

night.

SUSAN:

Really? Is that what you thought?

CARLOS:

You didn’t?

SUSAN:

No.

CARLOS:

I loved it. I thought the work was

incredibly strong. So perfect with

all of this junk culture that we

live in.

14.

SUSAN:

It is junk. Total junk.

CARLOS:

Darling, you’re a big success. None

of us really like what we do.

SUSAN:

So why do we do it?

CARLOS:

Because we are driven. And maybe a

bit insecure. We get into things

when we’re young because we think

they mean something.

SUSAN:

And then we find out that they

don’t.

CARLOS:

Susan, enjoy the absurdity of our

world. It’s a lot less painful. And

believe me, our world is a lot less

painful than the real world.

15

INT. MORROW RESIDENCE - SUSAN’S BATHROOM. NIGHT -- LATER. 15

Susan is dressed for bed. She looks in the mirror for a

moment. She opens her medicine cabinet and takes two

different pills.

16

INT. MORROW RESIDENCE - SUSAN’S BEDROOM. NIGHT -- MINUTES 16

LATER.

One wall of the room is all glass. The view across the lawn

and down to the city is dramatic and eerie at the same time.

As Susan sits down on the bed, her eyes catch the cover of

“Nocturnal Animals” on her bedside table. She pauses, then

picks up the manuscript and opens it to the first page.

She is momentarily taken aback by the dedication. The clean

white page reads simply: “For Susan”.

She begins to read...

15.

17

EXT. HASTINGS RESIDENCE, HOUSTON TEXAS. PRESENT DAY --17

DUSK.

We are in the driveway of a modest but well designed ranch

styled house. A large oak tree looms over the lawn and the

sound of cicadas can be heard.

TONY HASTINGS, early 40s, dark brown hair with a full beard,

is loading bags into the back of a vintage 4 door brown

Mercedes. He is dressed in jeans and a red plaid shirt. INDIA

HASTINGS, 16, is helping him. She is tall and slim with long

red hair.

INDIA:

Dad, why are we driving this old

thing to Marfa?

TONY:

Because I just had it completely

rebuilt. It’s a classic.

INDIA:

It has a terrible sound system.

She throws a bag in the trunk.

TONY:

Well you’ll have to suffer through

that.

He lifts a pair of riding boots into the back of the car.

TONY (CONT’D)

You have two sets of boots India?

INDIA:

Do we really have to stop tonight?

I’d rather just get there.

TONY:

Ask your mother. She’s the boss.

LAURA HASTINGS, 40, shoulder length red hair, slim and pretty

like her daughter, comes out of the house with a small bag.

She gets into the car.

LAURA:

I set the alarm.

16.

The car pulls out of the driveway and into the twilight.

Driving out of the sprawl that is Houston and into the

country, until the highway stretches out straight ahead.

18 INT. HASTINGS CAR. NIGHT -- LATER. 18

India is texting in the back seat.

TONY:

India, you have been doing that for

hours. I thought you were the one

who wanted to drive all night.

INDIA:

I did. But what are we supposed to

do, sing campfire songs or

something?

The road is even more flat and straight now. The highway is

increasingly deserted and has narrowed to two lanes on each

side. Every few minutes a car passes them in the left lane or

the headlights of an oncoming car can be seen across the

median.

LAURA:

How much longer?

TONY:

About three and a half hours.

INDIA:

Well dad, you’re going to get your

wish. My cell service just went

out. Jesus, can you believe that

there is no service here? How is

that even be possible?

TONY:

Two of the things I love most about

west Texas; no phones and no

people.

19 INT. HASTINGS CAR. NIGHT -- LATER 19

Silence in the car. Tony is driving and Laura and India are

asleep. Tony is fumbling to find a radio station but none are

within range.

17.

Tony looks over at Laura and touches her cheek. She opens her

eyes for a moment, smiles at him and kisses his hand.

Straight ahead on the highway, Tony sees two sets of tail

lights blocking both lanes of the road. Tony has to slow his

speed and he gets behind the car on the left and waits. Both

cars are now slowing down even more.

TONY:

Come on.

Tony presses his horn lightly. Laura and India wake up. The

car in the left lane, an old dark green metallic Pontiac GTO

with a dented fender finally pulls ahead and Tony follows. He

zooms past the first car, an old dark red Cadillac

convertible, and gets back into the right lane as the green

GTO speeds off into the distance. The Cadillac falls behind.

The GTO in front now begins to slow down as well. As Tony

passes the car the driver leans back into his seat and

laughs. There are two other men in the car but we cannot see

their faces.

INDIA:

Total Jerks.

TONY:

Are we rid of them?

India gives them the finger from the rear window.

LAURA:

India, don’t do that!

TONY:

What? What did she do?

LAURA:

She just gave them the finger.

The driver of the green GTO now steps on the gas and begins

to gain on Tony.

LAURA (CONT’D)

Tony! Speed up.

INDIA:

Sh*t!

18.

LAURA:

No. I don’t like this.

TONY:

It’s alright.

LAURA:

Just speed up. Tony!

The dark green GTO is now honking and roars up beside the

family.

INDIA:

Sh*t.

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