Stepmom Page #2

JACKIE:

I noticed a whopping pile of laundry

sitting on the washer -- perhaps Rachel's

underpants are in there -- Now where are

your lunches?

As if by rote, they hold out their lunches. One is a plastic Vons

bag and the other a crumpled Macy's bag. She collects them and

hands Ben and Annabelle two brightly colored lunch bags.

BEN:

Annabelle sucked her thumb last night.

ANNABELLE:

I NEVER do that, you ALWAYS lie!

And SLUGS him.

JACKIE:

Never say 'never' -- it's not fair to

say 'always' -- and no name calling.

Use your words.

ANNABELLE:

I hate when you say that.

JACKIE:

Thank you. Those were all words. I

hate the planet Uranus. Terrible name

for a planet.

Annabelle and Ben look up at her curiously.

JACKIE:

I hate snails and blue cheese.

Especially together. Hate.

BEN:

I have lava.

JACKIE:

(reflects)

Lava's hateable. I never thought of

that.

ANNABELLE:

I hate overly ripe bananas -- they make

me want to throw up.

JACKIE:

Excellent point.

BEN:

I hate wax lips and red ants and

pretzels without salt...

ANNABELLE:

I hate the crayon Burnt Sienna and

people who spit when they walk.

Jackie nods sagely. Pulls up next to a school playground.

JACKIE:

I hate to say goodbye. Eskimo Kiss.

(they rub noses)

Russian Orthodox Wedding Kiss.

They bump foreheads and elbows. Ben runs toward the kindergarten

playground; Jackie watches concerned as Annabelle climbs the steps.

The only orangey red dot in a sea of purple.

EXT. PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO, TRIBECA - MORNING

Taxi pulls up to a converted warehouse. Rachel BOLTS out,

SPRINTING for the door.

INT. PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO - DAY

Black and white FILLS the frame. Like a checkerboard. We PULL

BACK and realize we are seeing a group of PENGUINS waddling against

a black and white backdrop. We see a WHITE WAITRE'D in a BLACK

TUXEDO holding glasses on a tray. A BLACK MODEL, IMAN, in a WHITE

DRESS glides through it all.

In the center the only dash of color is Rachel -- who has just

entered and starts expertly directing the action. She calls out to

her assistant, COOPER. Perpetually hip. Perpetually young.

RACHEL:

Cooper, back the fill off I don't have

enough shadow...

COOPER:

You've got a fruit loop in your hair.

RACHEL:

You say that like I don't know that.

COOPER:

I once threw an entire bowl of jello

on my stepmother's head --

RACHEL:

And when did that pass?

COOPER:

Actually, never. They'll always hate

you. There's a gene for it.

DUNCAN SAMUELS -- Rachel's boss, an elegant, edgy, Englishman

interrupts them.

DUNCAN:

Congratulations. Only forty minutes

late. You're handling this promotion

really well Rachel.

RACHEL:

Duncan. My work is everything to me.

This'll never happen again. Now stand

back -- this session's gonna make you

remember why you hired me even though

I wouldn't sleep with you -- Cooper

let's get these penguins dancing --

Duncan backs off, charmed by her ballsiness. The music BLARES just

then, and a penguin JUTS forward and NIPS the model. The FLASH of

the camera. We FREEZE for a second, seeing the photo Rachel just

took. An Avedonesque portrait of a model being GOOSED by a penguin

COLLIDING with a maitre'd who SPILLS his tray and the penguins seem

to be POINTING and LAUGHING uproariously. It's an inspired photo.

INT. SCHOOL COUNSELOR'S OFFICE - 2:30 THAT DAY

Jackie and LUKE HARRISON -- ruggedly handsome man, mid-forties,

charming, disarming, and smart as they come. They sit side by side

on a couch across from RUTH FRANKLIN, an Elementary School Counselor

MRS. FRANKLIN

Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, while change is

exhilarating for adults, it can be

quite challenging for a child.

Luke's beeper beeps. He ignores it; focuses on Mr. Franklin.

LUKE:

I won't get that...It's fine. Change.

we were talking about change.

MRS. FRANKLIN

The fact that you two are remarrying

obviously has Annabelle overjoyed...

(they look at her,

dumbfounded)

And she's very excited about your move to

Switzerland.

JACKIE:

She said we're getting remarried?

Suddenly -- a long bell rings -- Jackie STANDS UP, startled.

MRS. FRANKLIN

Only a fire drill. My concern is that

Annabelle seems apathetic towards her

work knowing she's leaving before the

end of the semester.

JACKIE:

Mrs. Franklin we're not --

LUKE:

Planning on getting --

JACKIE:

Remarried. There is no move.

MRS. FRANKLIN

(trying to appear unfazed)

Really? Well then my concern for --

Luke's beeper BEEPS again. They talk right over Mrs. Franklin...

JACKIE:

Are you here?

LUKE:

I'm here.

JACKIE:

Because you don't really seem here.

LUKE:

I'm here. I've got a case where they're

this close to sequestering the jury but

have I answered the goddamn thing?!

JACKIE:

Something's up wi...

LUKE:

You think I didn't get that?

She cuts a look at Mrs. Franklin.

JACKIE:

Excuse him. He never learned how

to turn the darn thing off.

And reaches. Does it for him.

MRS. FRANKLIN

I'm wondering if there's anything going

on at home that could be intensifying

Annabelle's need to create this fantasy?

Long pause. Then suddenly they both start speaking AT ONCE.

LUKE:

I've been with someone for quite some

time, and didn't feel it was appropriate

for her to move in too quickly. But

after a lot of thought and careful

discussion with her -- and the kids I

might add -- she moved in last month.

JACKIE:

Since our divorce Luke has seen a

number of different women in three

short years and without a lot of

warning for the kids, he's now living

with a woman half his age --

LUKE:

Rachel's not half my age.

JACKIE:

We're not discussing your age.

LUKE:

Well, we're not discussing Rachel's

age either.

JACKIE:

They want to be with you Luke, they go

to your house to be with their father.

LUKE:

Jackie, they come to be part of my

life. Rachel is part of that life.

MRS. FRANKLIN

Mr. Harrison, I hear you talking about

your life, your needs, but are you

really in touch with what Annabelle

needs?

JACKIE:

(suddenly fierce)

This man would walk thru fire for

Annabelle, gladly, any day of the week.

LUKE:

Napalm.

JACKIE:

Except for last Thursday when Rachel

forgot to pick them up --

LUKE:

Jackie, she was five minutes late --

MRS. FRANKLIN

I'm wondering if Annabelle is responding

to the underlying hostility that exists

between Rachel and Mrs. Harrison...

LUKE:

Of course she's responding to it. You

think it's easy for any of us? You think

it's easy for Jackie to watch her kids

being looked after by someone who has

half the experience she does? Of course

she's going to be hostile, irrational,

and defensive.

JACKIE:

Thank you Luke.

Mrs. Franklin doesn't quite know what to say. The bell RINGS.

LUKE:

Thank you Mrs. Franklin. Jackie?

(they get up)

This has been very valuable for us. And

I'll have a serious talk with Annabelle

tonight.

JACKIE:

It's Wednesday night. She's at my

house. I'll talk to her.

LUKE:

I'll call from work. We can have a

conference call.

JACKIE:

You tried that last week and we were

on hold forty-five minutes...

And they're out the door. You can hear the fight as it echoes down

the elementary school hallway.

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