Runaway Bride Page #13

BOB:

Mrs. Pressman, I think we're ready to

order.

MRS. PRESSMAN

We're out the special because

somebody...

(indicates COOK with head)

... didn't order enough sausage.

BOB:

Let me have the garden omelette. Egg

whites only.

Ike looks at Maggie. He'd bet a thousand bucks on what she'd say

next.

MAGGIE:

I'll have the same.

IKE:

(clears his throat)

Of course.

MAGGIE:

What was that? I can't order my eggs

without sarcasm?

BOB:

Neutral corners you two. You're on the

same team now. Any more fighting and

it's fifteen minutes in the penalty box.

(gently, to Ike)

Maggie's the nicest person you'll ever

meet. But she's always focusing out

there. She's got to start focusing

more in here.

(taps his chest)

That's why she's had some -- whatever

you want to call it -- problems in the

past.

(to Maggie)

That's what we're working on -- focus.

Right, Maggie? Focus on Maggie. Focus

on Bob.

As Bob has been talking, Ike has been watching Maggie's face.

The joy seems to have drained out of her.

MAGGIE:

(quietly)

Right.

BOB:

(to Ike)

I lead Maggie through a visualization

exercise. All the sports shrinks use

this head stuff. Visualize the end

zone, if you catch my drift.

Bob takes out a notepad and hands it to Maggie.

BOB (cont'd)

Here's today's mantra: "It's an open

field to Big Bob."

IKE:

Tell me. When you get to the altar,

will you spike the bouquet?

MAGGIE:

You know, there's no...

Before Maggie can finish, Ike intercepts her.

IKE:

Well, I'm off. A reporter's work is

never done.

(heading to the door)

Mrs. Pressman, thank you.

MRS. PRESSMAN

Tootaloo.

INT. ATLANTIC HOTEL - MOMENTS LATER

GRANDMA JULIA (V.O.)

I'd like to explain about the weddings.

There are reasons why they didn't come

off. Three weddings, no "I do's". You

can't believe how much cake we were

left with. I should weigh three

hundred pounds. I don't think her

father minded spending so much money on

booze that nobody drank.

We hear Grandma as through the hotel doors, we see Maggie exit

the diner. She gets a bag from inside the cab of her truck and

comes inside the hotel where she finds Ike talking to Grandma,

who is having tea with her friend, NETTA.

MAGGIE:

Ike... Hi, Grandma.

IKE:

Gram here was going to give me the

skinny on why you run from marital

bliss.

GRANDMA JULIA:

Right, cover your ears, Netta. It's

not that she's afraid of the wedding,

she's afraid of the wedding night.

Innocent girls are terrified of "the

one-eyed snake".

(getting into it)

Why, when I was a virgin bride, I took

a knitting needle with me into the bed...

Ike winces.

MAGGIE:

Actually, Grandma, I charmed the one-

eyed snake awhile ago.

GRANDMA JULIA:

Oh, yeah, I forgot. I'll tell you one

thing, your grandpa didn't forget that

wedding night.

(no Netta)

You can take your hands off your ears,

Netta. Your tea's getting cold.

MAGGIE:

Can you excuse us a minute?

(then to Ike)

May I have a word with you, please?

Maggie moves toward door.

IKE:

Bye, Netta... Bye, Grandam.

He steps over to Maggie in the doorway.

MAGGIE:

I found this and didn't know if it was

something interesting.

Maggie hands Ike a 30-year-old LP: Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue."

IKE:

(excited)

Oh, my God -- It's Miles Davis. This

is "King of Blue"! This is the

original recording. Hard to find in

good condition. Where did you find

this?

MAGGIE:

(casual)

It was in the attic. It was jus

sitting there gathering dust.

IKE:

It's valuable. Hang onto it.

MAGGIE:

No. You take it.

She steps outside, leaving Ike with the record.

IKE:

Hmmm... Figuring out what kind of music

I like and then finding me a rare album.

You're not trying to soften me up, are

you?

MAGGIE:

No -- I'm cleaning an attic. I

wouldn't attempt the impossible.

She turns and walks back to the diner where Mrs. Pressman is

outside watering plants. Ike looks after Maggie and then back

down at the record in his hand. Somehow it makes him sad.

CUT TO:

INT. IKE'S CAR - LATER THAT DAY

Ike drives through Hale gobbling french fries from the fast food

bag in his lap. Ike passes THE INN HALE BAR, same dump of a

tavern he talked to bartender at.

ANGLE ON:
MAGGIE'S CAR parked a few cars down. He pulls over

and parks. He gets out and speaks into his tape recorder.

INT./EXT. THE INN HALE BAR -- DAY

Ike approaches the window of the bar. There's a DRUNK MAN and a

DOG sitting outside. Inside, we see two figures from the back,

arms around each other. One is definitely Maggie. The other is

definitely not Bob.

MAGGIE:

(coaxing)

C'mon. Let's go.

As Maggie helps the man get up, we see that it's Walter, Maggie's

father -- dead drunk.

WALTER:

(belligerently)

I haven't had any fun since you got

your driver's license...

They stumble and lurch, exiting the bar toward Maggie's car.

MAGGIE:

I'm not exactly having fun, either...

Steady.

WALTER:

(to Dog)

Good boy, Port Hole.

MAGGIE:

His name is Skipper, Dad... Steady.

WALTER:

I changed it.

(then to Drunk)

See you later, Mr. Travis.

(then to Maggie)

That guy has a problem... Maggie, you

can run everyone's life but your own.

Maggie's having trouble keeping him steady as she opens the car

door. Ike is there in a flash to help her pull Walter into the

car.

WALTER (cont'd)

Good daughters let their fathers pass

out.

Walter passes out on the front seat.

MAGGIE:

(without difficulty)

Ike... Please don't write anything

about this --

IKE:

No. Forget about it. Don't even think

about it.

Maggie looks at him with real gratitude. She swings the car

door shut.

MAGGIE:

Watch your leg, Dad.

(then to Ike)

I'm so tired of this.

IKE:

Why don't you let him sleep it off in

the trunk. I'll take you for a ride.

Then we'll come back for him.

(to Drunk on bench)

Keep an eye on him.

DRUNK MAN:

I'm too loaded.

IKE:

I was talking to the dog.

(turning to Maggie)

All right?

Maggie thinks about this for a moment. She takes a deep breath.

MAGGIE:

Okay... I'll just grab my jacket.

CUT TO:

EXT. ROAD - LATE DUSK TO NIGHT

Establishing of Ike's car driving.

INT. IKE'S CAR - LATE DUSK TO NIGHT

Maggie and Ike ride along.

IKE:

My dad managed a business and two

mistresses. He wanted me to be a

novelist. More?

Maggie nods,

IKE (cont'd)

My mother wanted me to become a

musician. 0 for two. But at least

I'm a journalist and we all know

journalism is literature in a hurry.

EXT. IKE'S CAR - COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT

Ike and Maggie stare forward. Both seem in melancholy moods.

They're beginning to sense they're in trouble here. Suddenly,

the car falters and jerks. It shows to a stop on the shoulder of

the road. The car backfires and smokes.

EXT. IKE'S CAR - COUNTRY ROAD - NIGHT

Ike and Maggie sit in the steaming car for a moment.

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