Passion Fish Page #7

And I've got my yellow

underliner marker in my hand...

only it's drying out.

Finally I tind only one page

with the corner tolded over.

I'm in this therapy group

of these people...

who have had

these alien physicals.

And I've got only one line.

"I didn't ask tor the anal pRobe."

Not much to build

a character on.

But I'm a protessionaL, right?

I prepared.

I had back story on this woman.

I knew that she had been

to the hairdresser...

betore she came

to the therapy group.

I knew that she dldn't trust that guy

who sat next to the fuchsla.

I knew that she

turned the TV set on...

the minute she got to her apartment,

just for the sound of it.

I even had my boytriend...

my boyfriend at the time...

with a thermometer, you know,

for the sense memory, right?

I was loaded for tucking bear.

So finally it comes time

to shoot the scene.

They do one take of the wide shot,

and they stop betore my line.

I was territied...

that they were gonna cut it.

They move in tor reaction shots,

close-ups.

Mostly things that mean that I

have to go and sit outside...

because the camera is set up

where my chair is.

By the time they get to me,

the crew is grumpy...

because it's Late and they're non-union

and don't get paid extra for overtime.

The lead actor is gone.

He's got his shrink appointment.

And I'm... I'm alone.

I'm staring

at this piece ot tape...

stuck to a stand

next to the cameRa.

The director says...

"Okay, let's try it a few times

without cutting...

and show me a few

difterent colors."

I didn't ask tor the anal probe.

ThAt was it.

You come back up,

you let me know right away.

- You promise?

- I promise.

Take care.

Bye, Chantelle.

I need a drink.

That's too bad.

When do you think I'll be strong enough

to have just a little?

Never.

You miss it much?

- Drinking?

- Acting.

It was the only thing

I was ever good at.

Yeah?

I think I need help dressing.

Do my legs look weird?

- A bit pale.

- More than the rest of me?

No, not really.

shorts.

It's what I'm wearing.

Ot course.

Do you have any I could borrow?

Yeah.

Look at this. Think you

can do anything with this?

I'm not a hairdresser.

You have friends. Women friends

help each other with their hair.

My friends don't have

your kind of hair.

- Right.

- We don't have time tor cornrows.

Why am I doing this?

Why do I give a sh*t?

Because he likes you.

You think he does?

He asked you out on his boat.

- He asked you out too.

- He's not atter me.

He's not after me elther.

He's just asklng us out

to be nice.

He asked you out.

He asked me to come along.

- Now, if you don't want me to...

- No! You have to come.

Oh, I teel like

I'm f***ing 13 years old.

- L am pathetic.

- You're not pathetic.

Or maybe he just wants us

to see his boat.

Men like that,

to show women their machines.

Or maybe he really is atter you.

You are pathetic.

- Are we lost?

- No.

- How can you tell?

- I've been coming here all my life.

Look.

Oh, yeah.

I saw one ot those take off

with a two-toot mud snake in its mouth.

My daddy almost

swallowed his tobacco.

It meant something to him?

Yeah, everything

meant something to him.

He hAd all ot them

coon-ass superstitions.

Catch something in his traps,

whAtever it was... turtle, gator, possum.

He'd cut open the stomachs,

see what was inside, tell the tuture.

- Are there a lot of snakes in here?

- This is cottonmouth heaven in here.

- I'll tind some tor you.

- Don't go out of your way.

I never went out on any boat.

It's not my tather's style,

the nature stutt.

Ot course, maybe

it he had had sons.

You had sisters?

He wanted boys.

All he got was me.

Tough on your mother.

I lost her when I was 14.

Diabetes.

Are you still close

to your f ather?

I got married

right out ot high school...

and he didn't want me to.

So when we split up, it was like,

you know, "I told you so."

And who needs thAt, right?

And later on...

when I hooked up with Luther...

well...

- We don't talk anymore.

- Lunch.

- That's nasty looking.

- she's from Chlcago.

Well, let's check out what

the future's got in stoRe for us, huh?

What's that mean?

Is it good?

Passion tish.

Hold out your hands.

It's real bad luck not to.

Squeeze that little tish tight now.

Think about somebody

you want some Lovin' from.

- You're makin' this sh*t up, right?

- Oh, no.

Ever since there been Cajuns,

they been squeezing the passion tish.

Some says you gotta

swallow them raw.

I don't need it that bad.

What is this island, Rennie?

- Does it have a name?

- Oh, yeah.

Mise're.

- Misery.

- Nice.

The story is some slave woman

went crazy out here.

Lost her only child to pneumonia,

run oft fRom her peopLe...

holed up out here.

TrappeRs come by

in their pirogues.

They hear heR moaning and crylng

about her lost baby.

- Isle ot Misery. You okay?

- Mm-hmm.

- What'd she live on?

- Oh, bird's eggs.

Fish.

Everything out here that tlies,

walks, hops or crawls has got a use.

It's all good eatin'.

Something broke?

Yeah.

Can you fix it?

It's gonna take a little time.

I'm real sorry about this.

No hurry.

Sure, we'll teed the bugs

while you Fix it.

Well, I got just the thing

for that.

You better do this.

It keeps the mosquitos otf your legs.

- Looks like tun.

- Help yourselt.

Now are we lost?

No matter where you're at,

there you is.

Your kids must love

being out here with you.

Arlene won't let 'em come.

Says the devil lives out here. That's

why the trees won't grow stralght.

- You getting cold up there?

- We're tine up here.

just fine.

I'm really sorry about all this.

I loved it.

It was wondertul.

A thrill a minute.

You want to make a call

trom the house?

Your wite.

She knows where I am.

She's not worried.

Right. Well, good night.

Good night.

Good night.

His wife's not worried.

Should she be?

Why worry about some cripple who's got

a treezer compartment tor a p*ssy?

Don't be like that.

Look at me. I'm pititul.

My paLms are all sweaty.

They smell like fish.

Passion tish.

May-Alice!

May-Alice, I tound her!

It's okay!

You okay?

I was dreaming.

You were in it.

You were on that island.

And you had

this little girl with you.

Don't dream that anymore,

okay?

It's a dream.

It's time to go.

We're gonna have to get you a car

with hand controls.

I haven't driven in 20 years.

Hey, I lived in New York.

I took taxis.

Besides, L'd look

like tucking Robocop.

esus, there's Rennie.

You want me to pick you up anything

while you'Re in session?

I don't know.

Some more Film.

I wish she'd open up a little more.

she's carrying

a lot ot weight around.

- You've gotten a little more flexible.

- WhAt?

Especially in your neck and shoulders.

Try to cross your chest.

she's been all over me

about my drinking.

Give me some resistance.

I used to have a Few glasses

of wine with dinner...

another while I learned my lines

tor the next day, then tell asleep.

- The rest of the time I was woRking.

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