St. Vincent Page #13

INT. VIN’S KITCHEN - ANOTHER DAY

Charisse is feeding Felix the Cat a can of Spam.

CHARISSE:

Don’t eat too fast. I ain’t comin’

back till tomorrow.

81.

Charisse looks at the stacks of dishes, mold, dirt,

grime, sh*t everywhere. F*** it. She rolls up her

sleeves, turns the sink on. Starts to clean.

INT. VIN’S HOSPITAL ROOM - ANOTHER DAY

Vin’s perched in a recliner. Oliver is sitting on his

bed shuffling a stack of flash cards.

OLIVER:

Try this one.

He holds up a card. It reads: “I want fresh crab.” Vin

studies the card. Then:

VINCENT:

I waannnnnt fresssshh crap.

Oliver looks at the card. Damn Vin.

INT. ST. FRANCIS DE SALES - ANOTHER DAY

Crespi’s class. Ozinski is presenting in front of the

class. His voice is nasally, due to the “new” nose

alignment.

OZINSKI:

And for my real-life saint, I

picked...

He clicks the Smart Board. A picture of Oliver pops up.

OZINSKI (CONT’D)

Oliver Bronstein. He’s like one a

them martyrs. Cause he was

persecuted too, when he first got

here. By me. Mostly. And a few

others, who I’m not gonna rat out.

You know who you are.

Ozinski stares directly at a few FELLAS in class.

Brooklyn sinks in his chair.

OZINSKI (CONT’D)

Anyways. He’s my saint. Cause he

forgave me for being such a

dingleberry, when I was acting like

an a-hole.

The CLASS laughs. Oliver is all smiles. He’s a hundred

feet tall.

IMAGES OVER MUSIC:

-- Charisse is vacuuming Vin’s living room. It sounds

like she’s sucking up marbles. It’s so damn dirty.

82.

-- Vin and Oliver are racing down a hallway in

wheelchairs. It’s neck and neck. Vin’s lit cigarette

drops in his lap. Oliver wins.

-- At a grocery store, Maggie and Oliver are buying cat

food. Lots.

-- Oliver wheels a piece of carryon luggage into Vin’s

room. He lays the luggage carefully on the bed and

unzips. Felix the Cat climbs out unaffected.

-- Vin’s sitting in a wheelchair outside the hospital (in

street clothes.) A NURSE stands behind him. Charisse

pulls up in Vin’s car. Honks. Vin stands up, walks to

the car using a cane.

-- Driving. Charisse can barely steer the car over her

about-to-pop belly. Vin lights a cigarette. Charisse

snatches it out of his hand.

CHARISSE:

What’s wrong wit you?

She tosses it out the window.

INT. VIN’S HOUSE - LATER

Living room. Charisse leads Vin inside. The place is

spotless.

VINCENT:

Wherrre’s mmmmmy dirt?

LIVING ROOM - LATER

Vin’s sitting on his couch, looking around. The place is

foreign to him.

Charisse waddles in with a plate of food. A turkey

sandwich with a side of carrots. Healthy. Vin inspects.

VINCENT:

Whhhhattt’re these?

CHARISSE:

Vegetables, what. You never seen

one.

VINCENT:

Donnnnn’t eeeeat them.

CHARISSE:

You do now, b*tch.

Vin picks up the sandwich. Takes a damn bite. What

choice does he have?

83.

CHARISSE (CONT’D)

You paying me hourly now, pappi.

CHARISSE (CONT’D)

Whaaaattt for?

CHARISSE (CONT’D)

Whatcha mean, what for? I’m taking

care of your ass. And we obviously

ain’t bumping uglies no more. So

don’t be askin’. I’m too fat and

you’re too old.

Vin thinks. Shakes his head in agreement. The sandwich

is pretty good.

CHARISSE (CONT’D)

Fifteen an hour, plus room and

board.

Charisse walks out. Vin damn near chokes.

EXT. LA COUNTY FAMILY COURT - ANOTHER DAY

A gray stone court house. A gray day.

INT. COURTROOM - CONTINUOUS

Maggie, Oliver and their attorney, RICHARD WALTERS are on

one side. On the other side: Oliver’s father, DAVID

BRONSTEIN, tall, dark and disconnected, sits next to his

attorney BARRY BRILLSTERN.

JUDGE REYNOLDS presides, he’s examining a file full of

photos.

JUDGE REYNOLDS:

(directed to Richard)

Who is Vincent Canatella?

Richard is stumped. He turns to Maggie.

RICHARD WALTERS, ESQ.

You know him?

MAGGIE:

He’s our next door neighbor. He

watches Oliver sometimes.

RICHARD WALTERS, ESQ.

Your honor, he’s my client’s

neighbor. He occasionally watches

Oliver. Sometimes.

JUDGE REYNOLDS:

He’s a baby sitter?

Again, Richard turns to Maggie.

84.

MAGGIE:

Yes. Of sorts. I pay him. And

Oliver goes there after school for

a few hours while I’m at work.

RICHARD WALTERS, ESQ.

(to Judge)

He’s a baby sitter, your honor. Of

sorts. A paid position. May I ask

why this is relevant?

Judge Reynolds flips through more pictures.

JUDGE REYNOLDS:

Is your client aware that Mr.

Canatella takes her son to a race

track and they gamble? He also

takes him to a local bar, The Buck?

And a strip club, The Pink

Cadillac?

Maggie is lost. She looks to Oliver.

OLIVER:

We went to see the horses a few

times.

Maggie could die. She turns back to Richard.

MAGGIE:

I...this...is news to me.

RICHARD WALTERS, ESQ.

My client is unaware of these

events...as am I. Which is a big

surprise, I must say, right now.

JUDGE REYNOLDS:

I’ll bet there are quite a few

surprises in this folder then.

Judge Reynolds holds up a pound of pictures. Maggie

gasps.

MAGGIE:

Oh, God.

JUDGE REYNOLDS:

Charisse Langers? Are you aware of

her...occupation?

Richard turns to Maggie. Maggie turns to Oliver. Oliver

whispers in Maggie’s ear. She turns pale white. Maggie

whispers in Richard’s ear. He goes blank.

RICHARD WALTERS, ESQ.

Your honor, I need a few minutes to

confer with my client.

85.

INT. MAGGIE’S VOLVO - LATER

Driving. Maggie’s so mad, she’s past mad. Oliver’s

avoiding eye contact.

MAGGIE:

I guess gambling at the horse track

is like a math lesson. Have to

figure out how to bet and all that.

OLIVER:

The odds.

MAGGIE:

Thank you. And the bar...well I

imagine that could fall under

current events.

OLIVER:

More like social studies.

MAGGIE:

Nice. It’s the strip club and the

hooker that are the ones I can’t

wrap my head around.

OLIVER:

Biology. Commerce?

MAGGIE:

Don’t talk anymore.

VIN’S BACKYARD - CONTINUOUS

Vin’s wearing only underwear, watering the dirt pit he

calls a lawn. It hasn’t seen water in a month. Maggie

yells out from behind him.

MAGGIE:

Vin!

She yells louder.

MAGGIE (CONT’D)

Vin!

He turns.

VINCENT:

Whyyy do you people think mmmmy

people cannn’t hear?

MAGGIE:

What kind of man takes a child

gambling, drinking, smoking?

VINCENT:

Oh. Gooodie.

86.

MAGGIE:

Hanging out with prostitutes.

VINCENT:

What kind of mother leaves her son

with a mannnnn like that?

Ouch.

MAGGIE:

F*** you, Vin.

VINCENT:

Now we’re talkinnnng.

MAGGIE:

Fifty-fifty custody with his

a**hole father now. I have you to

thank for that.

VINCENT:

You have yourrrrrrself to thank for

that. He needs someone besides his

deadbeat mother.

That’s rough.

MAGGIE:

Good one. Maybe I deserve it. I

left him with you. What the hell

was I thinking?

VINCENT:

Mmmmy sentiments exactly.

MAGGIE:

He can’t come over here anymore.

That’s a given. I’ll get that

fence money to you real soon.

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