Punch-Drunk Love Page #2

---

INT. WAREHOUSE/MAIN AREA - DAY

CAMERA pushes in slow as Barry and Lance talk to TWO

CUSTOMERS about the plungers which are on display in front

of them. They speak all over each other doing shop talk, etc;

CUSTOMER:

You do guaranteed sale? etc.

BARRY:

We back our plungers 100% and we do

ask for a 30 to 60 day display on

the floor.....

In the b.g., RICO over the laud speaker says:

RICO:

Barry, your sister's on line one.

Barry doesn't move....

BARRY:

Yes.....we do ask for....30 to 60

days....

CUSTOMER:

I think you have a call?

Rico turns around, without loudspeaker;

RICO:

Barry, your sister is on line one.

They look at him a moment....

BARRY:

I'm just gonna grab this call real

quick?

ANGLE, REVERSE. Barry turns and heads for the phone nearby

at Rico's station;

BARRY:

(into phone)

.....This is Barry.

RHONDA:

Hey it's me, it's Rhonda. Are you

coming to the party tonight?

BARRY:

Hi, Rhonda, yes I am.

RHONDA:

Bye.

She hangs up.

BARRY:

Ok. Yes I'll see you tonight.

Barry takes a few steps back to the Customers:

BARRY:

Sorry about that: One thing I

wanted to point out, Dave, is that

we've just received a large order

from the Rio Hotel and Casino in

Las Vegas where we're going to be

supplying their hotel rooms with

the dice and money plunger, so

these babies are really moving well

right now...

RICO:

(over loudspeaker)

Barry, your sister's on line two.

Barry, your sister's on line two.

Barry tries again to ignore it....

BARRY:

With the Aqua Blast Whales and

Speed Boats we're gonna ask for a

display at eye level for the little

kids.....

RICO:

Barry --

BARRY:

-- excuse me.

Barry walks back to the phone;

BARRY:

This is Barry.

KAREN:

Hey it's me, what are you doing?

BARRY:

Hello, Karen. I'm just working.

KAREN:

Yeah but what are you doing?

BARRY:

I'm just working....I have some

customers here.....

KAREN:

So you can't talk to me?

BARRY:

I have a few people here, I can't

really chat right now.

KAREN:

"chat?" Did you just say "chat?"

BARRY:

Well, I can't talk though --

KAREN:

You just f***ing said "chat," that

is so -- what are you now? "chat."

I'm just calling to make sure you

show up at this party tonight.

BARRY:

Yes, I'll be there.

KAREN:

Fine. You get back to chatting with

your precious customers.

BARRY:

Ok, bye-bye.

Barry snaps out of this, turns, claps his hands in confidence

and walks back to the customers and says:

BARRY:

Sorry about that.

CUSTOMER:

I didn't know you had a sister?

BARRY:

.....Well yes I do....

(beat)

But one more thing I wanted to tell

you guys about the new plungers is

that we're making the handles now

in a non-breakable material

called.....

He takes one of the plungers and to demonstrate smacks it on

the table....it SMASHES and rice falls out everywhere....

BARRY:

Ok...this is one of the old ones, I

think. Lance do we have any new

plungers around?

Lance moves to get a new plunger....

BARRY:

That was a little embarrassing and

that was one of the old handles so

let me get a new one to show you --

RICO:

(loudspeaker)

Barry, your sister is on line one.

Barry holds, then;

CUSTOMER:

How many sisters do you have?

BARRY:

....I have seven.

CUSTOMER #2

Holy sh*t. You have seven sisters?

BARRY:

They're calling because we're

having a party tonight for my

sister and the they're just

calling....can you hang on for just

two more minutes....?

Barry walks this time into his office......CAMERA tracks

with Barry to his office, seeing him try and shake this

off.....He EXITS FRAME.

CUT TO:

INT. WAREHOUSE - OFFICE - THAT MOMENT

Barry enters, takes a quick moment to size up the

harmonium.....He picks up the phone and through the

conversation gently moves the harmonium to a different spot

on the desk;

BARRY:

This is Barry.

KATHLEEN:

What are you doing?

BARRY:

Hi, Kathleen, I'm just working.

KATHLEEN:

Are you going to the party tonight?

BARRY:

Yes I am.

KATHLEEN:

What are you doing?

BARRY:

Nothing.

KATHLEEN:

Right now, you're doing nothing?

BARRY:

I'm just talking on the phone to

you and standing.

KATHLEEN:

What time are you gonna be there?

BARRY:

Seven o'clock.

KATHLEEN:

You can't be late.

BARRY:

I won't.

KATHLEEN:

I'm serious.

BARRY:

I know.

KATHLEEN:

Seriously.

BARRY:

Ok.

KATHLEEN:

You can't be late though.

BARRY:

I know.

KATHLEEN:

You can't just not show up like you

do, you have to go.

BARRY:

I know.

KATHLEEN:

Seriously.

BARRY:

I know.

KATHLEEN:

You can't just stay in your house.

BARRY:

I know.

KATHLEEN:

Yeah but I'm serious.

BARRY:

Ok.

KATHLEEN:

I'll see you there.

BARRY:

I'll see you there.

KATHLEEN:

Don't puss out.

BARRY:

I won't.

Barry plays the 5 note melody on the Harmonium (carries over

into next scene....)

CUT TO:

INT./EXT. WAREHOUSE - LATER (BRIDGE/BREAK MUSIC WISE)

Barry and his workers are having lunch. A LUNCH TRUCK is

parked by the driveway. Barry sees the CAR that Lena brought

by at the start of the movie....OC CALL from one of the

workers;

WORKER:

Telephone Barry on line one.

A mechanic passes by at this moment, keeps walking past;

BARRY:

What's wrong with her car?

MECHANIC:

Wha?

BARRY:

Is that car gonna be ok?

MECHANIC:

It's fine.

The mechanic keeps walking....Barry enters.

CUT TO:

INT. WAREHOUSE/NEAR LANCE'S DESK - LATE AFTERNOON

Barry and the boys are prepping some boxes for shipping.

Ernesto walks over, says;

ERNESTO:

Barry, your sister's here.

Barry stands up fast, stumbles back a bit over some boxes,

recovers, ELIZABETH enters:

ELIZABETH:

Hey, how are you?

BARRY:

I'm fine, hi, how are you?

ELIZABETH:

I'm just stopping by to say hello.

BARRY:

Hello.

ELIZABETH:

So you're coming tonight, right?

BARRY:

Yes, indeed, yes I am.

ELIZABETH:

There's this girl, this friend of

mine from work that I think is

really cute and really cool and I

want you to meet her so I was

thinking about bringing her to the

party tonight.

BARRY:

Oh yeah no I don't want to do that.

ELIZABETH:

Why?

BARRY:

Well I don't want to do something

like that.

ELIZABETH:

She's my friend and you should meet

her. You'd like her.

BARRY:

Yeah, but please don't do that.

ELIZABETH:

I'm not really asking you, I'm

telling you.

BARRY:

Yeah but please don't do that:

everyone would be looking at me.

ELIZABETH:

It's a free country, we can look at

you if we want to.

BARRY:

Yes but I get tense and I feel like

I can't be myself if that happens.

ELIZABETH:

That's your fault not mine.

BARRY:

I don't think I'm going to the party.

ELIZABETH:

So it's ok if I bring her.

BARRY:

Please don't.

ELIZABETH:

She's really cute and she's really

nice.

BARRY:

...please, I just don't want it....

ELIZABETH:

....wait a minute: why is this

about you now? Why is it always

about you?

BARRY:

Yeah, no, it's not, it's just --

ELIZABETH:

I'm trying to be your friend.

BARRY:

I know.

ELIZABETH:

I'm trying to get you a girlfriend.

BARRY:

Well, yeah, thank you, but --

ELIZABETH:

-- but since you're not going I

guess none of this matters and I'll

bring her anyway.

BEAT. HOLD. She stares him down.

ELIZABETH:

All I'm trying to do is be your

friend.

She leaves. HOLD ON BARRY. He air punches/twitch.

Rate this script:3.8 / 4 votes