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STAY Page #5
INT. POLAR BEAR TANK -- AFTERNOON
We see a blurred Henry through the window of a polar bear
tank. The BEAR is swimming laps, never pausing.
27.
It's an oddly graceful animal, bulky but elegant, flipping at
each end of the pool to kick off the wall (one wall being the
window that Henry stands behind).
EXT. POLAR BEAR TANK -- AFTERNOON
Henry seems mesmerized by the bear's endless swim. A well-
dressed ENGLISHMAN and ENGLISHWOMAN approach and watch the
bear perform its laps.
ENGLISHMAN:
(to Henry)
You suppose he's bored?
HENRY:
I think he's trying to forget where
he is.
The Englishman nods and they all watch the bear in silence
for a moment.
The polar bear glides soundlessly through the water, ignoring
the blurred faces beyond the glass.
.
Somewhere nearby a BABY is howling. Henry looks around but
there is no baby in sight.
ENGLISHMAN:
And is it working?
Henry looks at the Englishman.
HENRY:
It's hard to forget where you are,
isn't it?
ENGLISHMAN:
You tell me.
Both the man and his wife smile at Henry and walk away. Henry
watches them go.
The unseen baby continues to howl.
28.
EXT. COLUMBIA PHILOSOPHY BUILDING -- AFTERNOON
Lila sits cross-legged in the grass lawn that fronts the
Philosophy building, highlighting lines in a textbook. A few
feet away, Rodin's bronze Le Penseur sits in permanent
contemplation.
SAM (O.S.)
So what's he thinking?
Lila looks up from her book and sees Sam staring at the
statue. She smiles and studies the Thinker for a moment.
SAM (CONT'D)
LILA:
It's not thinking anything. It's a
statue.
SAM:
You're kind of literal minded, you
know that?
She grins and tosses aside her book.
LILA:
You grade two hundred papers in a
week, see how literal minded you
get.
(beat)
You met with that student today?
The suicidal one?
Sam squats down beside Lila and picks at the grass. He rests
his BRIEFCASE on the ground beside him.
SAM:
He came in, yeah.
LILA:
And? Why does he want to die?
Sam stares at Lila for a while and she looks away, flustered.
LILA (CONT' D)
I'm sorry, is that a stupid
question?
Sam shakes his head. He takes Lila's hand.
29.
SAM:
No. It's the question. I just don't
have an answer yet.
LILA:
And you... did you...
She's obviously uncomfortable, not sure how to proceed.
SAM:
I need to find something he wants
to live for.
.
LILA:
How are you going to do that?
SAM:
He'll tell me. That's why he keeps
coming to see me.
(checking his watch)
I've got a meeting to get to. See
you at home.
He kisses her on the lips, stands, and begins walking away.
Lila sees that he's left his briefcase lying on the ground.
LILA:
Henry!
Sam turns and stares at her. Lila points at the briefcase.
LILA (CONT'D)
Forgetting something?
Sam walks back to her, staring at her the whole time.
LILA (CONT'D)
What's the matter?
SAM:
What did you just call me?
LILA:
(confused)
What?
SAM:
You just called me Henry.
LILA:
Baby, I think I know your name by
now.
30.
SAM:
But you called me Henry.
Lila holds up her hands.
LILA:
Hey, don't shoot.
SAM:
No, it's just-
LI LA:
I know who you are, Sam. I promise.
SAM:
Okay. Okay.
He grabs his briefcase, kisses her again, and walks away. She
watches him go.
EXT. HUNGARIAN CAFE -- MORNING
Friday
Henry sits on the sidewalk outside the cafe, playing cat's
cradle with a string. He's good, creating intricate patterns
and undoing them.
Sam walks up to him.
SAM:
Hey. You're early.
HENRY:
I skipped glee club today.
SAM:
Oh.
(beat)
That's a joke, right?
HENRY:
Yes, sir.
INT. HUNGARIAN CAFE -- CONTINUOUS
A small, dark cafe where STUDENTS and PROFESSORS drink coffee
and eat homemade pastries. Bad art lines the walls.
31.
Henry and Sam find seats in a corner of the room, far away
from everyone else.
The song playing on the radio ends; the new song is "I Shall
be Released."
Henry sits up straight when he hears the song. He stares at
the nearest stereo speaker as if trying to figure something
out.
.
HENRY:
I can't escape this song.
(looking at Sam)
Why did you want to meet here?
SAM:
The Hungarian Cafe? Sentimental
favorite. When I was an undergrad I
worked here.
(pointing)
I lost my virginity under that
table.
HENRY:
(shocked)
You what?
SAM:
I used to lock up every night. So
one time I brought my girlfriend
here and we had a bottle of wine,
and, you know, one thing led to
another. It wasn't very
comfortable.
Henry laughs and shakes his head.
HENRY:
something like that.
SAM:
(looking up at the
artworks)
They still have the same bad art on
the walls.
HENRY:
(looking at the art)
Tristan R.veur used to say that bad
art is more tragically beautiful
than good art, because bad art
documents human failure.
32.
SAM:
I don't know about this Tristan
R.veur guy. I think you ought to
choose your role models a little
more carefully.
(beat; very sober now)
You do understand that I'm required
physically threatens himself or
others?
Henry laughs.
SAM (CONT'D)
What's funny?
HENRY:
You take all this so seriously.
SAM:
Should I not take it seriously? Is
that what you're telling me? Is
this a joke?
HENRY:
I'm not talking about Saturday. I
am going to die on Saturday. I just
mean your role. The psychiatrist.
You play it well.
Sam considers this for a moment.
SAM:
Why do you think I'm playing a
role?
Henry smiles but does not answer.
SAM (CONT'D)
Are you playing a role? The
Suicidal Romantic? Why'd you choose
that role? Why do you want to die?
The smile disappears from Henry's face. He rubs his palm over
the burns on his forearm.
.
HENRY:
I don't want to keep hurting
people.
SAM:
Who did you hurt?
33.
HENRY:
I don't know.
Henry is becoming more and more distraught. He stares at the
floor, picks at his fingernails. But Sam won't let it rest --
he knows he's on to something important.
SAM:
Have you done something, Henry?
You've hurt someone?
HENRY:
I don't know. Maybe.
SAM:
You do know. What have you done?
Henry, still staring at the floor, begins to shake his head
violently.
SAM (CONT’D)
Is that why you're thinking about
suicide? Is that it? You need to
punish yourself? What happened?
HENRY:
I don't remember.
SAM:
You don't want to remember. But you
have to. You can't escape from the
truth. Whatever it is you've done,
you have to face it.
Suddenly Henry stops shaking his head and looks straight at
Sam, a strange smile on his face.
HENRY:
If I can't escape from the truth,
we're all in serious trouble, Dr.
Foster.
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"STAY" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Aug. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/stay_1012>.
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