Sleepless in Seattle Page #14

ANNIE (V.O.)

I watched him play with his son

at the beach.

INT. ANNIE'S MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Annie's on the phone with Becky. We cut back and forth

between them.

BECKY (V.O.)

Did you talk to him?

ANNIE:

I couldn't do it. How did I

get here?

INT. BECKY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Becky on the phone in bed. And cut back and forth.

BECKY:

You told a lie and got on a

plane.

ANNIE:

That's not what I mean.

(beat)

I'm going back over there

tomorrow and talk to him. I

am.

BECKY:

Okay. Good. Goodbye.

ANNIE:

Becky?

BECKY:

What?

ANNIE:

Is this crazy?

BECKY:

No. That's the weirdest part

about it.

ANNIE:

Thank you. I love you.

BECKY:

I love you, too.

ANNIE:

Good night.

Annie hangs up the phone. She turns off the light.

Moonlight coming through the window. Hold on her.

EXT. STREET NEAR MARINA - DAY

Annie parks across from the marina, starts to get out.

Sam's van pulls into a parking space. Jonah in the

front with Sam. They're diagonally across a four-lane

street.

ON SAM AND JONAH

As they start to get groceries out of the car.

Annie watching. This is it. No chickening out this time.

She's come three thousand miles, told lies, the whole

thing. It's now or never.

Sam and Jonah start toward the gate to the dock.

Annie starts to cross the street, gathering courage and

rightness with every step.

But she STOPS DEAD WHEN SHE SEES:

SUZY:

who we remember from eighteen months ago, appearing at

the gate to the marina -- waving, smiling a mile wide --

beckoning Sam and Jonah home like a military wife whose

boys have just come back from the front. Sam and Jonah

are overjoyed to see her. Jonah breaks into a run,

nearly leaping into Suzy's waiting arms -- as Sam brings

up the rear, picking up Jonah's sodas which he dropped

when he started running.

ON ANNIE:

She comes to a standstill, in the middle of the street.

In shock. The scene in front of her is too horrible to

bear.

ANNIE'S POV - GATE TO MARINA

Sam catches up. Suzy -- no less beautiful and vivacious

than she was before -- tousles Jonah's hair, kisses Sam

and hugs them both.

ON SAM, JONAH AND SUZY.

SAM:

God, it's wonderful to see you.

Where's Greg?

SUZY:

He's over at the boat show.

He'll be by later.

(she looks around)

It's so beautiful here.

ANNIE:

There is such apparent warmth, and joy, and love about

this homecoming that she forget where she is -- in the

middle of the street. A car HORN blares at her... all

she can do is stare at the nightmare that has unfolded.

She starts to back away -- and that's when she sees --

A TAXICAB:

coming right at her, horn BLARING, tires SQUEALING.

Annie starts to jump to the other lane but there's a van

bearing down from the opposite direction. She steps

back to the middle line.

The cab goes into a skid. Annie freezes.

Sam heard the noise and turns to see what's going on.

The cab comes SCREECHING right at the CAMERA.

Annie screams.

The cab stops inches from her body. The van in the

other oncoming lane fishtails to a stop as well.

ON SAM:

responding. He runs from the gate toward the near-

accident.

ON THE CAB DRIVER

getting out of the cab, as other people gawk from the

sidewalk.

DRIVER:

Lady, what the hell are you

doing?

Annie, still in shock from her brush with disaster,

hears the Cabbie but doesn't respond. Stunned, she

turns to see Sam on the other side of the street. Their

eyes meet. Sam stops, realizing it's the woman he saw

in the airport.

SAM:

Hello.

ANNIE:

Hello.

Annie, totally mortified and humiliated by everything

that's happened, bolts for her car.

Sam wants to run after her -- but there's traffic is

coming past and he can't cross the street. Annie gets

into her car, starts and pulls away. Sam stands there,

deflated.

EXT. AIRPLANE - IN FLIGHT ACROSS THE U.S. - DAY

ANNIE (V.O.)

How could I have been such an

idiot?

EXT. BALTIMORE STREET - DUSK

Becky's car driving toward Annie's house.

BECKY:

You were standing in the middle

of the street?

INT. BECKY'S CAR - DUSK

ANNIE:

You know that dream where

you're walking down the street

naked and everyone is looking

at you?

BECKY:

I love that dream.

ANNIE:

That was nothing compared to

this humiliation, nothing.

BECKY:

But he saw you, right?

ANNIE:

He said hello.

EXT. TOWNHOUSE - ON ANNIE & BECKY - DUSK

As Annie leads the way to her door, from Becky's car.

BECKY:

And what did you say?

Annie takes the mail from the mailbox on her way to the

door.

ANNIE:

All I could think of to say was

hello.

CUT TO:

"AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER" ON THE TELEVISION SET. DEBORAH

KERR IS SAYING:
"ALL I COULD THINK OF TO SAY WAS HELLO."

And pull back to reveal:

INT. ANNIE'S TOWNHOUSE LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Becky and Annie looking at the television.

BECKY:

It's a sign --

ANNIE:

It's a sign I've watched this

movie too many times.

(beat)

I'm so stupid. From the minute

I listen to that stupid program

on the radio, I've been a

complete jerk.

She starts absently going through the mail, throwing

almost all of it away without even opening it.

BECKY:

You don't know who she was,

Annie --

ANNIE:

I saw her. She looked just

like this --

She shows Becky the photo of Victoria and Sam having

dinner.

BECKY:

This is a photo of hair.

ANNIE:

Well, it's the same woman. And

he was crazy about her.

(looking at one letter)

What is this?

(beat)

This is from Seattle.

She opens the letter.

Reads it.

Looks up at Becky.

ANNIE:

Becky?

BECKY:

So I mailed your letter.

ANNIE:

(reading the letter)

"Dear Annie: Thanks for your

letter. It was great. We're

very excited about meeting you

in New York on Valentine's Day

and seeing if we are M.F.E.O.

Sleepless in Seattle."

BECKY:

M.F.E.O.?

ANNIE:

Made for each other.

A long beat.

BECKY:

It's cute. It's like a little

clue.

Annie looks at her balefully.

BECKY:

(continuing)

So he can't write. Big deal.

I mean, verbal ability is a

highly overrated thing in a

guy, and our pathetic need for

it is what gets us into so much

trouble.

ANNIE:

(with resolve)

I'm going to run back to

Walter's arms, if he's still

have me.

BECKY:

What about the letter?

ANNIE:

It doesn't mean anything. It

was written before I went out

there. Before the ho.

She puts the letter on an ashtray, takes a match and

lights it. They both watch it burn.

CLOSEUP ON THE FIRE

And pull back to reveal:

INT. SAM'S HOUSEBOAT - NIGHT

A fire is blazing in the wood-burning stove. Suzy is

sitting with her husband Greg and Sam. Jonah is in

evidence, curled up on the couch under some blankets,

asleep. On the table near the couch is red construction

paper for valentines, doilies, magic markers, etc.

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