Notting Hill Page #9

EXT. MAX AND BELLA'S HOUSE - DAY

William emerges from the house, a little ruffled from a night

away from home, a heads off.

EXT. NEWSAGENT - DAY

William walks past the newsagent, heading for home. We see,

though he doesn't, a rack of tabloid papers, all of which seem

to have very grainy, grabbed pictures of Anna on their front

page. Headlines --'Anna Stunna'-- 'It's Definitely Her!'

and 'Scott of Pantartica.'

INT. WILLIAM'S BATHROOM - DAY

William is shaving. The bell goes. He heads out to answer it.

EXT./INT. WILLIAM'S HOUSE -DAY

William arrives at the door and opens it. There stands a dark-

glassed Anna.

ANNA:

Hi. Can I come in?

WILLIAM:

Come in.

She moves inside. Her hair is a mess -- her eyes are tired.

Nothing idealized.

INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY

The two of them.

ANNA:

They were taken years ago -- I know

it was... well, I was poor and it

happens a lot -- that's not an excuse

-- but to make things worse, it now

appears someone was filming me as

well. So what was a stupid photo-

shoot now looks like a porno film.

And well... the pictures have been

solid and they're everywhere.

William shakes his head.

ANNA:

I don't know where to go. The hotel

is surrounded.

WILLIAM:

This is the place.

ANNA:

Thank you. I'm just in London for two

days -- but, with your papers, it's the

worse place to be.

She's very shaken.

ANNA:

These are such horrible pictures.

They're so grainy... they make me

look like...

WILLIAM:

Don't think about it. We'll sort it

out. Now what would you like -- tea

... bath...?

ANNA:

A bath would be great.

INT. WILLIAM'S CORRIDOR - DAY

Spike enters through the front door. William doesn't hear him.

Spike is reading newspapers with the Anna pictures in it.

SPIKE:

Christ alive... brilliant... fantastic

.... magnificent...

He heads up the stairs. Opens the bathroom door, walks in.

INT. WILLIAM'S BATHROOM - DAY

Spike heads for the toilet -- undoes his zip...

ANNA:

You must be Spike.

She's in the bath. Spike turns in shock -- and sidles out of the

bathroom.

INT. WILLIAM'S CORRIDOR - DAY

Spike calms himself down. He then opens the bathroom door

again -- and looks in.

INT. WILLIAM'S BATHROOM - DAY

Anna is still lying low in the bath.

ANNA:

Hi.

SPIKE:

Just checking.

INT. CORRIDOR - DAY

Spike comes back out into the corridor. Looks to heaven.

SPIKE:

Thank you, God.

INT. WILLIAM'S KITCHEN - DAY

William and Anna at the kitchen table, eating toast, dringking

tea.

ANNA:

I'm really sorry about last time. He

just flew in -- I had no idea -- in fact,

I had no idea if he'd ever fly in again.

WILLIAM:

No, that's fine. It's not often one

has the opportunity to adios the plates

of a major Hollywood star. It was a

thrill for me.

(she smiles. Pause)

How is he?

ANNA:

I don't know. It got to the point where

I couldn't remember any of the reasons

I loved him. And you... and love?

WILLIAM:

Well, there's a question -- without

an interesting answer.

ANNA:

I have thought about you.

WILLIAM:

Oh no no -- no.

He doesn't think she has to talk about this.

ANNA:

Just anytime I've tried to keep

things normal with anyone normal --

it's been a disaster.

WILLIAM:

I appreciate that absolutely.

(changing subject

tactfully)

Is that the film you're doing?

ANNA:

Yes -- start in L.A. on Tuesday.

WILLIAM:

Would you like me to take you through

your lines?

ANNA:

Would you? It's all talk, talk, talk.

WILLIAM:

Hand it over. Basic plot?

ANNA:

I'm a difficult but brilliant junior

officer who in about twenty minutes

will save the world from nuclear

disaster.

WILLIAM:

Well done you.

EXT. TERRACE - DAY

A little later. They're in the thick of the script.

WILLIAM:

'Message from command. Would you like

them to send in the HKs?'

ANNA:

'No, turn over 4 TRS's and tell them we

need radar feedback before the KFT's

return at 19 hundred -- then inform the

Pentagon that we'll be needing black

star cover from ten hundred through

12.15' -- and don't you dare say one

word about how many mistakes I made in

that speech or I'll pelt you with

olives.

WILLIAM:

'Very well, captain -- I'll pass that

on straightaway.'

ANNA:

'Thank you.' How many mistake did I

make?

WILLIAM:

Eleven.

ANNA:

Damn. 'And Wainwright...'

WILLIAM:

Cartwright.

ANNA:

'Cartwright, Wainwright, whatever

your name is, I promised little Jimmy

I'd be home for his birthday -- could

you get a message through that I may

be a little late.'

WILLIAM:

'Certainly. And little Johnny?'

ANNA:

My son's name is Johnny?

WILLIAM:

Yup.

ANNA:

Well, get a message through to him

too.

WILLIAM:

Brilliant.

(the scene's over)

Word perfect I'd say.

ANNA:

What do you think?

WILLIAM:

Gripping. It's not Jane Austen, it's

not Henry James, but it's gripping.

ANNA:

You think I should do Henry James

instead?

WILLIAM:

I'm sure you'd be great in Henry James.

But, you know -- this writer's pretty

damn good too.

ANNA:

Yes -- I mean -- you never get anyone

in 'Wings of a Dove' having the nerve

to say 'inform the Pentagon that we

need black star cover.'

WILLIAM:

And I think the book is the poorer for

it.

Anna smiles her biggest smile of the day. He is helping.

INT. WILLIAM'S DINING ROOM

Anna and William. Sat down at table. There's a picture

hanging on the wall behind.

ANNA:

I can't believe you have that picture

on your wall.

It is a poster of a Chagall painting of a floating wedding couple,

with a goat as company.

WILLIAM:

You like Chagall?

ANNA:

I do. It feels like how being in love

should be. Floating through a dark

blue sky.

WILLIAM:

With a goat playing a violin.

ANNA:

Yes -- happiness wouldn't be happiness

without a violin-playing goat.

Spike enters with three pizzas.

SPIKE:

Voila. Carnival Calypso, for the

Queen of Notting Hill -- pepperoni,

pineapple and a little more

pepperoni.

ANNA:

Fantastic.

WILLIAM:

I don't mention that Anna's a

vegetarian, did I?

SPIKE:

(pause)

I have some parsnip stew from last week.

If I just peel the skin off, it'll be

perfect.

INT. WILLIAM'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Later in the evening. William and Anna on their own. They're

sipping coffee. A few seconds of just co-existing. Anna looks

up.

ANNA:

You've got big feet.

WILLIAM:

Yes. Always have had.

ANNA:

You know what they say about men with

big feet?

WILLIAM:

No. What's that?

ANNA:

Big feet -- large shoes.

He laughs.

INT. WILLIAM'S LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

A few hours later -- eating ice-cream out of the tub.

ANNA:

The thing that's so irritating is that

now I'm so totally fierce when it comes

to nudity clauses.

WILLIAM:

You actually have clauses in your

contact about nudity?

ANNA:

Definitely. 'You may show the dent at

the top of the artist's buttocks -- but

neither cheek. In the event of a stunt

person being used, the artist must have

full consultation.'

WILLIAM:

You have a stunt bottom?

ANNA:

I could have a stunt bottom, yes.

WILLIAM:

Would you be tempted to go for a

slightly better bottom than your own?

Rate this script:4.4 / 5 votes