Runaway Bride Page #14

MAGGIE:

Your filter's clogged. This takes

unleaded.

IKE:

Can you fix it?

MAGGIE:

First I have to find some tools. I

need a half and a nine-six-tenth.

IKE:

(removing his glasses)

Of what?

MAGGIE:

(in amazement)

Wrenches. My dad's gonna love that one.

Maggie slams the food closed.

IKE:

Kind of isolated.

MAGGIE:

Yeah. It's kind of nice.

An uncomfortable silent pause. Ike breaks the moment.

IKE:

There's one thing we New Yorkers know

how to do is hail a cab. If there's no

cab, we walk.

Ike stares off down the road. Maggie indicates a building in

the distance, then turns off the car lights.

MAGGIE:

I can get some tools over there.... and

save the battery... There's one thing

we country girls know how to do is cut

across a field. It's quicker.

Maggie points diagonally across the field to where a gas station

sign glows and the lights from the outer house twinkle.

He smiles and follows her into the field.

MAGGIE (cont'd)

Be careful of snakes.

IKE:

Snakes? Are you serious? I don't like

snakes. I've never even seen a snake.

He steps carefully into the field, then hops gingerly toward Maggie.

MOMENTS LATER:

Maggie leads Ike through a cornfield.

MAGGIE:

Do you think there's only one right

person for everybody?

Ike chooses his words carefully.

IKE:

No. But I think attraction is too

often mistaken for rightness.

Attraction is very misleading. And if

it's mutual, it's well, terribly

distracting.

MAGGIE:

Yes it is. And it doesn't mean

anything.

Ike nods as they come to a wooden fence. She puts her hand on

his shoulder. Ike puts his hands around her waits to give her a

boost over the top. We see the flicker of misunderstanding cross

Maggie's face at the initial contact. Neither of them moves --

forward or back, but the electricity is obvious.

ANGLE ON:
Ike. His conflicted feelings are apparent. With

difficulty, Maggie straightens up and they both quickly remove

their hands.

MAGGIE (cont'd)

(lightly)

I suddenly forgot how to climb a fence.

They look at each other for a moment, then:

MAGGIE AND IKE:

(breaking the

moment jokingly)

"Tools".

She climbs over the fence on her own and Ike follows. They see

an old guy, LIONEL, whittling on a porch.

MAGGIE (cont'd)

Lionel, can I borrow some tools?

IKE:

Yeah, we need a half and nine-

sixteenths.

LIONEL:

Gonna bust out of another wedding?

IKE:

You're sure well known around here.

EXT. FISHER AND ELLIE'S BUILDING - THE NEXT DAY

Establishing shot.

INT. FISHER AND ELLIE'S KITCHEN (NYC) - DAY

INT. IKE'S HOTEL ROOM - DAY

INTERCUT BETWEEN TWO LOCATIONS:

Ike sits on his bed, on the phone, working and eating his

breakfast. He's watching Maggie's wedding tape again. Fisher

is cooking an elaborate breakfast. Ellie rushes around getting

ready for work. He is on the phone to Ike.

FISHER:

(into phone)

Yes, well, my theory was that she may

be running because she gets attention...

Negative attention is attention.

Like when women whack you on the street

because of your column, that's negative

attention.

IKE (V.O.)

This is about her negative attention,

not mine. Did you get the

reimbursement for the dress yet?

FISHER:

(into phone)

No, I'm paying for the dress. Do you

think she's still gonna run?

IKE (V.O.)

I don't know.

Ellie enters the kitchen, hears the question and shakes her head

to herself. If only these boys would give it up.

INT. IKE'S HOTEL ROOM - CONTINUOUS

He is finding it very hard to gloat. Fisher is annoying him.

IKE:

(into phone)

Look -- I'll be in there later today.

I'll come by and tell you all about it.

FISHER (V.O.)

You're coming here?

IKE:

(into phone)

Yeah.

FISHER (V.O.)

Then come for dinner.

IKE:

(into phone)

Okay, we'll order out.

FISHER (V.O.)

Order out like a Philistine, when you

got the Galloping Gourmet here?...

Ike hangs up and watches more of the George Swilling wedding

video.

INT. NEW YORK BAR - DAY

The bar from the opening scene. GEORGE SWILLING, the same man

Ike talked to before, is sitting on a stool, nursing his drink.

He looks better. Ike enters. George looks up and recognizes

Ike, who takes the bar stool next to him.

IKE:

Get this man a Kamikaze.

GEORGE:

Splendid dissection of Maggie Carpenter,

very professional job.

Ike sits and leans over to George.

IKE:

(whispers)

You could have told me you were fiance

number three.

GEORGE:

And end up in the papers? I've been

humiliated enough already to last a

lifetime, thank you. I'm sorry she got

you canned.

IKE:

Thanks.

GEORGE:

She's a cacophony of contradictions.

IKE:

Well, I'm writing another article on

the cacophony.

GEORGE:

Ah, can't stay away from her, can you?

Like a moth to a flame.

IKE:

Guess you'd know about that. You're an

entomologist, right? How's business?

GEORGE:

(taking a sip

of his drink)

Not bad. I was traveling around

studying the reproductive and migratory

patterns of locusts when Maggie met me.

IKE:

(sarcastic)

Neuter a locust, feed the world.

GORGE:

Not the world. Just Africa and China.

Ike wipes the smirk off his face. Like Maggie's other men, this

guy has a worthy accomplishment under his belt.

GEORGE (cont'd)

You know Maggie was the only girl I

ever met who would hold my tarantula.

On the first date.

IKE (cont'd)

So, tell me, George, why do you think

she ran?

GEORGE:

Same as you said. What did you call

her? A "man-eater", "a devouring death

goddess."

IKE:

I don't think that's why she ran.

GEORGE:

Why do YOU think she ran?

Ike sips his drink before answering.

IKE:

I don't know. I'm working on it. I

was on the wrong track.

GEORGE:

And you defending her?

IKE:

No. I call it like I see it. I'm a

journalist. I'm a truth teller.

GEORGE:

Unbelievable, she got to you.

IKE:

Oh, please!

GORGE:

Join the club.

(passing him

his drink)

Here, you need this more than me.

George heads out.

IKE:

(protecting, taking

his tape recorder

out of his pocket)

I'm writing an article, I'm getting

paid to do this, it's going to be a

cover story, it's going to be published

... The facts will be read someday.

As George pauses in the doorway, Ike holds up his tape recorder.

IKE (cont'd)

What kind of eggs did she like?

GEORGE:

Poached, just like me.

George exits.

CUT TO:

EXT. NEW YORK STREET/FISHER AND ELLIE'S BUILDING - DAY

Ike walks down a street toward Ellie and Fisher.

CUT TO:

INT. FISHER AND ELLIE'S APARTMENT (NYC) - NIGHT

Ellie is on the phone as Fisher enters with beer. Ike sits at

the piano.

FISHER:

(sarcastically)

Overpriced nice apartment and Chinese

takeout. That's New York living.

ELLIE:

(into phone)

... Just call me when you have it.

(hangs up, then to Fisher)

Ike, how is the story coming? Is she a

man-eater?

FISHER:

Or a vegetarian?

ELLIE:

Or does she pick "NGB'S" -- "Nice Guys,

But..." Nice guys, but I'm cheap.

Nice guys, but he lives with his mom...

Nice guys, but he just out of prison.

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