Pleasantville Page #11

MARGE:

Well--like red, only ... "redder."

MARY:

Hunh. I know what you mean. That's like

the front of Bill Johnson's shop. I was

going by it the other day and it looked

green only "greener."

SHOT. BETTY.

She looks up quickly--then grabs some bridge mix.

MARGE:

(lowering her voice)

Have you seen him lately? The man

doesn't look like himself. I was

getting my sewing machine fixed across

the street and he was sitting in the

window of his shop just staring.

Wasn't looking at anything in

particular--just staring off into space.

MARY:

That is strange.

Betty reaches out and grabs her cards. She fans them out in

front of her, when her eyes go wide.

HER POV. BRIDGE HAND.

They are ALL HEARTS and all BRIGHT RED. It looks like a

fistfful of valentines.

CLOSE UP. BETTY.

She puts the cards down quickly and takes a sudden breath.

Betty keeps them like that for a moment or two, before

lifting them up and taking another look.

MARGE:

Betty, it's your bid.

She swallows trying to keep her composure.

BETTY:

Uh ... Seven hearts.

They murmur at the strength of the hand.

CUT TO:

EXT. PARKER HOUSE. NIGHT.

The SOUND of the television plays OS while a warm light burns

in the window.

INT. KITCHEN.

Jennifer and Betty stand at the sink finishing the dishes.

Betty washes while Jennifer dries and it's clear who's more

used to this. Jennifer examines a chipped nail as she places

a dish in the drying rack.

BETTY:

Mary Sue?

JENNIFER:

Yeah?

Betty hesitates. Rinses out a pot.

BETTY:

Can I ask you a question?

JENNIFER:

Sure.

She pauses for a long moment.

BETTY:

What goes on up at Lover's Lane?

JENNIFER:

(turning toward her)

What do you mean?

BETTY:

Well, you hear all these things lately.

You know--kids spending so much time up

there ...

(she looks over)

Is it holding hands? That kind of thing?

JENNIFER:

Yeah ...

(beat)

That--and ...

She stops herself.

BETTY:

What?

JENNIFER:

It doesn't matter.

BETTY:

No. I want to know.

JENNIFER:

(glances toward the living room/

lowers her voice)

... Sex.

BETTY:

Ah.

Betty nods from the import of the tone but not the meaning. A

beat goes by ...

BETTY (CONT)

What's sex?

Jennifer looks over at her stunned, but Betty just looks at

her with a blank, curious expression. Jennifer hesitates.

JENNIFER:

You sure you want to know this?

BETTY:

Yes.

JENNIFER:

Okay.

She crosses to the kitchen door and closes it. The sounds of

the TV in the living room disappear. Jennifer crosses back to

the kitchen counter and turns to her.

JENNIFER (CONT)

You see Mom ...

(softer and with understanding)

When two people like each other very

much ...

Betty looks at her and nods ...

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. PARKER HOUSE. NIGHT.

The TV keeps flickering in the window.

INT. KITCHEN. LATER ...

The CAMERA PANS across the kitchen table where there is a

full quart of milk and some uneaten co6kies. It finally comes

to rest on Jennifer who is staring across the kitchen table

with a concerned look on her face.

JENNIFER:

You okay?

REVERSE ANGLE. BETTY.

She nods--shaken but "fine." Betty stares long and hard at

the plate of chocolate chip cookies. She's far away.

BETTY:

Yes ...

(softly)

It's just that ...

JENNIFER:

(gently)

What?

BETTY:

Well ...

(looking up)

... Your father would never do anything

like that.

SHOT. JENNIFER.

She bites her lip weighing her next sentence ...

JENNIFER:

(leaning forward)

Oh. Hmm ...

(whisper/

woman to woman)

Well, Mom ... there's ways to "enjoy"

yourself without Dad.

ANGLE. BETTY.

She looks across the table, perplexed.

CUT TO:

INT. PARKER BEDROOM. NIGHT.

George crosses from the dresser to the TWO TWIN BEDS in the

middle of the room. He wears long sleeve pajamas that are

buttoned up to the neck. George puts his glass of warm milk

on the nightstand and climbs in his own single bed. It is

barely wide enough for his body and takes some maneuvering.

GEORGE:

Sweetie? You coming to bed?

There is no answer.

GEORGE (CONT)

Betty?

INT. BATHROOM.

She stands in her bathrobe staring down at the tub. Her

dressing gown is buttoned to the neck as well.

BETTY:

(calling out)

Yeah ... I'm just going to take a bath

first.

CLOSER. BETTY.

She swallows once as she stares down at the tub--then reaches

for the spigot and turns on the water. Betty's heart beats a

little faster as she HEARS the WATER THUNDERING DOWN.

CLOSER STILL ...

Betty reaches up and unties the little silk ribbon at the top

of her robe. She slips it off, and lets it drop to the floor,

standing naked in the middle of the bathroom. Betty glances

toward the mirror and then quickly glances away. She takes a

deep breath and steps into the tub.

EVEN TIGHTER. ON HER FACE ...

Betty slides down into the warm water, breathing in the

steam, and closing her eyes for a moment. She lingers like

that for a second or two, before settling a little lower in

the tub. Betty opens her eyes, but they only half open. There

is the slight trace of a smile.

EXTREME CLOSE UP BETTY'S FACE.

Her eyes close again as she bites her lower lip gently. The

water continues to THUNDER DOWN as she arches her back.

Betty's breathing seems to quicken as she opens her eyes all

over again:

HER POV. BATHROOM ...

ALL AT ONCE, EVERYTHING AROUND STARTS TO TURN FROM BLACK AND

WHITE TO COLOR. A BIRD OUT THE WINDOW BECOMES A RED BREASTED

ROBIN. THE TILE ON THE TUB TURNS OUT TO BE PURPLE. GREEN

TOWEL ... PINK ROBE ... BRIGHT YELLOW DAISIES ON THE PLASTIC

SHOWER CURTAIN.

CLOSE UP. BETTY'S FACE.

She stares in amazment. Beads of sweat form on Betty's

forehead as the world goes to TECHNICOLOR. The THUNDERING

WATER POUNDS IN THE BACKGROUND, but beneath can be heard the

beginnings of a faint, low, MOAN. Her eyes dart around the

room. Her breathing quickens: Faster ... Harder ... More

intense ... THEN SUDDENLY ...

EXT. ELM STREET. NIGHT.

The HUGE ELM TREE across the street suddenly BURSTS INTO

FLAMES. Fire shoots straight up into the sky as billowing

clouds of black smoke fill the air. BRIGHT ORANGE FLAMES

LIGHT UP THE NIGHT.

INT. PARKER LIVING ROOM. NIGHT.

David is staring at the television set when he notices a

weird orange glow. He glances behind him, out the living room

window ...

DAVID:

Oh my God!

EXT. ELM STREET. NIGHT.

David comes racing out of the front door and down the walk. A

small CROWD has gathered in front of the fire. (They don't

seem frightened--just sort of amazed.) The street is still

BLACK AND WHITE but it is now bathed in a weird ORANGE LIGHT.

The flames leap higher and higher ...

DAVID:

Jesus Christ ...

FOLLOWING DAVID.

He takes off down the block, as fast as he can run. The crowd

continues to stare as David turns the corner at Main

Street ...

EXT. FIRE STATION.

He races in the front of the building SCREAMING at the top of

his lungs.

DAVID:

FIRE! FIRE!

INT. FIRE STATION.

There is no sign of life on the ground floor. David races up

the stairs toward the bunk room on the second story.

INT. BUNKROOM.

All the firemen are sitting around playing Gin Rummy when

David rushes in the front door. They can hear his voice from

down the hall.

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