Ordinary People Page #17

is lying on a chaise lounge. She comes out.

BETH:

It's cold out here. You should put

that on, or do you want a sweater?

CONRAD:

Do I need one?

Beth is taken off guard by Conrad's reaction, doesn't know

what to do.

BETH:

What are you doing?

CONRAD:

Nothing. Thinking.

(CONTINUED)

49.

53 CONTINUED:
53

BETH:

About what?

CONRAD:

Not about anything.

BETH:

Your hair is starting to grow out.

It's looking... looking better.

Pause

CONRAD:

I was thinking about the pigeon...

You know the one that used to hang

around the garage. How it used to

get on top of your car, and he take

off when you pulled out of the

driveway.

BETH:

Oh. Yeah, I remember. I remember

how scared I used to get... That

whosssshhhhh! Flap, flap, flap,

flap!... Every time I started the

car.

CONRAD:

Yeah. That was the closest we ever

came to having a pet. You remember

Buck asked you, he tried to talk

you into... getting a dog. Do you

remember that?

He said. "How about it, if it's

the size of a little football?"

BETH:

You know. Uh... That animal next

door, that Pepper or Pippin,

whatever its name is...

CONRAD:

Pippin. Pippin. Pippin!

BETH:

He's not a very friendly dog... I...

I don't care what Mr. McGreary

says.

CONRAD BETH

- What he really wanted was a - Everytime time that dog

retriever. It was down the comes into this backyard, I

street for sale. That's what try to get him out...

he wanted. A retriever.

(CONTINUED)

50.

53 CONTINUED:
53

CONRAD:

(he barks)

Arf! Arf! Arf!

Beth stops in her tracks, startled, but doesn't show it.

BETH:

Put that on if you're gonna stay

out here, okay?

Conrad stays alone a while and stares. Then goes inside.

54 INT. JARRETT'S HOUSE. DINING ROOM ­ DAY 54

Conrad enters hesitantly, back from garden. Beth is busy

dressing up the table.

CONRAD:

Can I help?

BETH:

Help what? Oh, you mean with this?

No.

CONRAD:

I will.

BETH:

(casually)

No, I tell you what you can do

though. You can go upstairs to that

room of yours and clean out the

closet.

CONRAD:

Mom...

BETH:

Okay? Because it really is a mess.

They stand there, facing each other, uptight. The telephone

rings. Beth goes over to it, picks it up, seems suddenly

delighted.

BETH (cont'd)

Hello. /.../

Oh, hi! /.../

Yeah, , no, I didn't get there. I

was swamped with work. How did it

go? /.../

No, no, I'm not doing anything,

just getting ready for dinner.

Uh-huh.

Beth laughs to a gossip. Conrad is devastated.

(CONTINUED)

51.

54 CONTINUED:
54

BETH (cont'd)

Did she really?

Beth laughs again.

[echo effect to get into Flashback]

55 EXT. JARRETT'S HOUSE, GARDEN ­ DAY 55

Beth is laughing at Buck story. She is lying leisurely on a

mattress on the lawn. Buck is standing, telling his story.

BUCK:

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