The Americanization of Emily Page #8

and I'm not going to leave mine

on some beach in France...

just to satisfy your grotesque sense

of service loyalty.

You don't think I'm going to spend

two years in a brig for this.

I can't believe you're serious, Bus.

If it's the Navy's public image

that concerns you...

just think what this will look like

in the newspapers.

"The first dead man on Omaha Beach. "

"The tomb of the Unknown Sailor!"

What a hurricane Drew Pearson

could make out of that.

You must remember that

small offshore squall he kicked up...

the time General Patton

slapped that soldier.

Madison, you're despicable.

This is insane!

How did we ever get into this?

You're not fit to wear

the insignia of a naval officer.

That was pretty baroque.

- Wouldn't you say, Marv?

- You're a coward and a scoundrel.

And if you want to make...

If you want to make anything out of that...

I'll be in my room.

I'll send my seconds

with a choice of weapons!

Marv, it's your turn.

Would you like to break my saber

over your knee...

or snip off my buttons?

You're not going to expose anything

to Drew Pearson, Charlie.

You're much too fond of the Admiral.

And you're much too decent to expose

that old man to public ridicule.

You're gonna have to find a better angle

out of this than that.

I'm supposed to be on a plane at 9:00

this evening.

We're meeting with a Port Commander

at Portland at 11:00 this evening.

That's not much time to think up angles.

You'll think of something.

The Admiral would like to see you

in his room, Commander.

- Is he all right?

- He's fine.

It seems I cracked up, Charlie.

That's the price a sane man pays

in this world, sir.

They say a few days in the hospital...

I wouldn't mind except that

I'll miss the big show.

Adm. Kirk asked me to observe

from his flagship.

Yes, I know, sir.

It's tonight, you know.

The balloon goes up tonight.

I expect you've already heard.

We all knew it was imminent, sir.

We didn't know it was tonight.

Yep.

The first boats push off at 2130 hours.

The first boats push off at 2130 hours, sir?

Right.

I've never licked military time, sir.

That's 9:
30 in the evening, right?

Right.

Now that's what I call an angle.

- Did you say something, Charlie?

- No, sir.

Now, watch yourself, Charlie.

You'll be cracking up yourself soon.

Close that door.

Don't turn on those lights.

- What do you want?

- I don't know how to tell you this.

I'd like to apologize for

my contemptible behavior before.

I'd like another chance.

I've packed my gear.

We've got a job to do.

I'm ready to do it.

Underneath it all, you're a gutsy guy,

aren't you, Charlie?

I don't know what came over me, Bus.

I showed the white feather, I suppose.

Forget about it.

I know we don't have too much time...

but could I have leave

to say goodbye to my girl?

Of course, Charlie. You're making

a big dramatic deal out of this.

You do have a tendency

to be overly sincere, you know.

Yes, I guess I do.

We have seven hours yet.

Take Emily out to lunch.

Pick me up around 8:00.

I'll have her assigned to drive us

to the airport. Would you like that?

- Thanks, Bus.

- Was it raining out?

Yeah, just started.

You have a couple of minutes

to say goodbye.

Thanks, Bus.

Charlie...

Write to me.

Write to you?

With any luck, I'll be back in London

for lunch tomorrow.

Look, honey, let me make it clear again.

I couldn't make this invasion

if I wanted to.

The demolition engineers

will have shipped out...

a good two hours before

Bus and I report in.

The Port Commander's going to look at us

as if we're nuts.

I'll see you tomorrow.

It's like you were taking

an overnight business trip.

That's what it amounts to.

If I can't book a flight,

I'll catch an afternoon train.

It's a hell of a D-day, that's all I can say.

To be honest with you,

there's something very unpleasant...

about this little deceit

you're pulling on the Navy.

You've been cackling away all afternoon

as if the invasion...

in which the fate of nations

and the lives of millions are at stake...

is nothing more to you than a private joke.

I just keep thinking of all those men

trooping onto ships tonight...

wondering if they'll end up

bodies on a beach.

Honey, I'm not cackling because there are

bodies on a beach tomorrow.

I'm cackling because

I'm not going to be one of them.

Honey, we're both getting drenched.

Charlie!

I can't marry you.

I've been waiting for that.

We'll talk about it when I get back.

I don't want to talk about it.

I don't want to see you again.

Emily, I will not be brushed off

with my plane about to take off.

For pity's sake, Charlie,

we both know it's finished.

Let's end it in one snap

before we say things we'll regret.

No, let's say them.

There should be something we regret.

All right. I despise cowardice...

I detest selfish people,

and I loathe ruthlessness.

Since you are cowardly,

selfish, and ruthless...

I cannot help but despise,

detest, and loathe you.

That's not the way a woman should feel

about the man she'll marry.

- Don't be facile, Emily.

- I am not being.

I've been up all night staring

at your bloody marriage applications!

I signed them. They're in my purse.

I was going to give you them

this afternoon...

but you came prancing in

with this very funny joke...

you're playing on Bus, the Navy,

your country and the whole bloody world.

Look, I suppose I'm just a stupid romantic,

but I sort of feel the joke's on me, too.

I believe in honor, service,

courage, and fair play...

and cricket, and all the symbols

of the British character...

which have only civilized half the world.

You British plundered half the world

for your own profit.

- It's not the Age of Enlightenment.

- That's an American way of looking at it.

Don't get into

a "the trouble with you Yanks" thing.

- It has nothing to do with it.

- It has everything to do with it.

I'm British,

and you're a bloody fool American.

I don't want to see you again.

General Kitchener aside, Emily,

the only thing that's going on here...

is a woman trying to shake off her lover.

If you don't love me, say so.

Nobody gets moral unless they're trying

to get something or get out of something.

You're trying to get out of marrying me.

If you don't love me, just say so.

Otherwise, I'll figure

you're just frightened.

- Frightened of what?

- Frightened of getting married.

Don't be an ass.

The weekend passion is over.

Now it's down to signing applications,

babies, setting up house...

you have to commit yourself to life now.

I don't want to know

what's good or bad or true.

I let God worry about the truth.

I just want to know

the momentary fact of things.

Life isn't good or bad or true.

It's merely factual. It's sensual. It's alive.

My idea of living sensual facts

are you, a home, a country...

a world, a universe. In that order.

I want to know what I am,

not what I should be.

The fact is, I'm a coward.

I never met anyone who wasn't.

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