Sweet November Page #13

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SARA:

God, that is one of the most

astute observations about female

behavior I've ever heard. Are youa psychologist?

VINCE:

(confused, laughs)

Funny. She's funny. Right?

That's good...

(points to his car)

Meet the lovely Lexy -- my manNelson, his woman Sara.

SARA:

Hey, Lexy.

LEXY:

Hi.

VINCE:

See, they get along. Why don'tthe four of us go out togethersometime, you know, do somethingdepraved?

Just then a WAITRESS comes out and Vince stops her.

VINCE:

Quick order. Cappuccino.

WAITRESS:

(harassed)

Quick answer. No quick orders.

And she walks back inside the coffee shop.

VINCE:

I love this place. I'm gonna comehere every day. So I guess themovie wins.

(winks to Sara)

Keep you women happy, that's ourjob.

(heading back to car)

Don't forget, my man. The 20th.

You, me, and God.

(reaches his door)

Sara -- a pleasure, and an honor.

He gets in the car, REVS the ENGINE and off they go.

Nelson is embarrassed, starts doing a tap dance.

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NELSON:

He's actually a good guy. Deepdown. Somewhere.

SARA:

He seemed okay.

NELSON:

I just mean... the glibness...

kind of wears you out after awhile.

SARA:

Do you always talk about yourfriends that way?

NELSON:

No. Fortunately, I don't haveany friends besides Vince)

(raises his hands)

Okay, I should be ashamed ofmyself, I'm a lousy human being.

SARA:

(pauses, doesn't

indulge him)

So what is it? Some kind of boy'sclub, work friendship?

NELSON:

I guess so. I don't examine

certain details of my life tooclosely.

SARA:

Do you trust him? Isn't that what

friends are for?

Nelson shrugs, then nods, then shakes his head, then nodsand shrugs again. She cracks up. He's unaware he's

doing it.

SARA:

Would you trust him to be therefor you...

NELSON:

When?

SARA:

In a scary situation, let's say.

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NELSON:

You may have noticed -- I don'tput myself in those situations.

SARA:

(the sweetest smile)

Do you trust me?

Aware of what he's doing now, Nelson shrugs, shakes hishead, nods. She hits him with a look.

SARA:

Show me the house where you grew

up.

84 EXT. HOUSE (OLD NEIGHBORHOOD) - DUSK 84

A decaying working-class neighborhood; "for sale" signsdot the front yards. Nelson's neglected old house has a"for sale" sign in front. He balks, feigningindifference.

85 INT. HOUSE - DUSK 85

She opens the front door, extends her hand to Nelsonwho's like a spooked horse out on the porch.

SARA:

It's just a house, Nelson.

He takes a deep breath, still balking, then gives in.

Holding Sara's hand, he enters and slowly wanders throughthe empty living room... memories, images, and soundswashing over him. He is silent for a long time, then:

NELSON:

You remember blue and it turns out

to be green. Maybe it turns outwe were... happy once in a while.

There is a set of double doors half open, leading to aroom beyond. Together they open the double doors andstep inside.

86 INT. OLD TV ROOM - DUSK 86

Humming a Frank Sinatra, she guides him to the centerof the room and begins to slow dance with him; after awhile, he whispers in her ear.

(CONTINUED)

86

SWEET NOVEMBER - Rev. 4/28/00 PM

CONTINUED:

81.

86

NELSON:

Sara, I may not know a lot ofthings...

(gently)

... but I do know how to slow

dance. And you are terrible.

Now, watch me, I'll teach you.

As he teaches her how to slow dance, see the look of puregratitude on his face -- this is a big moment for him.

He is crossing an irreversible line.

SERIES OF SHOTS:

to show the passage of time.

87 INT. LOFT BATHROOM - DAY 87

Nelson lying in the bathtub, shakes his head. Sara is

painting his toenails. He doesn't like the color.

88 EXT. VEGETABLE STAND - DAY 88

The two of them buying vegetables; the Chinese womanholds up pictures of her family to Nelson, enjoying hisreaction.

89 INT. LOFT - NIGHT 89

Blindfolded, a naked Nelson gropes his way around theloft, trying to find Sara who is stripping and tossingher clothes at him, laughing.

90 EXT. STREET - DAY 90

The two of them taking another walk; CAMERA MOVES OFF ofNelson to reveal... he is walking Ernie, the puppy, on aleash.

91 INT. SARA'S LOFT - DAY 91

As Sara cuts her hair with a FLOWBEE, Nelson dresses in

business attire. Three weeks of November are crossed off

the large wall calendar. It is November 20th.

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NELSON:

Every woman I know spends 200dollars on a haircut. You use a

vacuum cleaner.

SARA:

Quit trying to change the subject.

Visibly upset, Sara shuts OFF the SELF-GROOMING MACHINE.

SARA:

You made a commitment. Our time

isn't over.

NELSON:

It's one meeting.

SARA:

Why is going to some pow-wow withthat slicko Vince such a big deal?

NELSON:

Because it's probably the chanceof a lifetime, that's why.

SARA:

Well, if it's a whole lifetime,

just postpone it for one moreweek.

NELSON:

Sara, when Edgar Price says he'llmeet you, you don't say, 'Wait,

how about next month?' You say,

'Thank you. I'll be there.' He's

one of the greats. Where's myphone?

SARA:

I hate it. I threw it out.

OFF Nelson's look, Sara produces his cell phone and slamsit down on the table in front of him.

SARA:

What if the Great One hires you tostart tomorrow?

NELSON:

I should be so unlucky. My gizmo.

Sara digs his memo recorder out of a hiding place.

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SARA:

That would ruin everything -- wehaven't finished! You haven't

sung for me yet. You promised youwould.

Nelson pours a huge coffee.

NELSON:

That's a promise I know I didn'tmake, because that's a promise I'dnever keep.

Nelson chugs the coffee and sets out to leave, sodistracted he forgets to say goodbye to Sara. As Sara

watches the door shut behind him, she begins to lookfrightened.

SARA:

(to closed door)

Nelson, please don't go.

92 INT. POWER RESTAURANT - DAY 92

An innocent-looking WAITRESS delivers lunch to Nelson,

Vince and EDGAR PRICE (60). Nelson is essentially takingcommand of the meeting, showing the same coolprofessionalism he exhibited when he delivered his

presentation. As he talks, Edgar Price studies himcarefully.

NELSON:

We know a lot of guys who do thisfor the awards, Mr. Price, but

that's not us.

Vince thoughtfully nods his head, then flashes a wickedsmile.

VINCE:

That doesn't mean we don't get theawards.

NELSON:

But still... we're not about

acclaim, hand-holding, dinners,

sending prostitutes to theclient...

PRICE:

Prostitutes? That's new.

Sensing that Price is a hound dog, Vince cozies up.

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VINCE:

You've been retired for a longtime. We got stories for you.

Price's eyes light up, he laughs. Vince seems worried

that Nelson is coming off as a stick in the mud.

NELSON:

We're about the work. If the work

is great, it speaks for itself.

Vince nervously starts to fill the silence, when Pricespeaks.

PRICE:

That's all I need to know.

(smiles, they're in)

That, and -- married? Any kids?

VINCE:

We've avoided the family thing forsome time. All our lives.

PRICE:

Good. Because if you're worriedabout 'quality of life' orpaternity leave or any other newage crap, much as I like you, wecan stop right now. I need to be

your full-time commitment.

Nelson debates a moment, not sure he likes the tone, but

he plays along, playing politic.

NELSON:

I can do that.

VINCE:

If only it were so easy with

women.

93 EXT. CHINESE TEA SHOP - DAY 93

Chas and Sara walk toward the Chinese tea shop.

CHAS:

He'll come back, even if he getsthe job.

(CONTINUED)

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