The Anniversary Party Page #7

SALLY:

(deferring first turn to Joe)

It's alright. Be our guests.

She offers the hat.

JOE:

(offers the hat)

You darling.

Panes reaches into the hat.

PANES:

(reads clue; to Joe)

What is it?

Joe whispers to him.

PANES (CONT'D)

What's a sign for that?

JOE:

Come on, Panes...

JERRY:

Go!

Panes mimes a belly laugh.

JEFFREY:

What the hell is that?

SALLY:

What is it Panes?

Panes sighs.

SOPHIA:

Two words.

He belly laughs.

JUDY:

Funny.

A finger to his nose - elongate the word.

SANFORD:

Funnies?

Panes does an "ON THE NOSE." Gets on all fours. Licks his

paws.

RYAN:

The Katzenjammer Kids.

The team applauds delight. Panes preens. Joe's team looks

over at Monica.

JERRY:

(already pissed)

It's only just started. Great. The

husband's on the other f***ing team.

Jerry reaches into the hat. Looks at the clue.

MAC:

Go.

JERRY:

Hey! Would you?

MAC:

It was fifteen seconds.

JERRY:

I don't think so.

MAC:

Are you always this much fun?

SALLY:

(a grin)

Take your time, Jer.

JERRY:

I'm ready.

He gives the clue "a song."

CAL:

Song.

He gives "cycle."

GINA:

Cycle.

CAL:

Two words. Second word.

Jerry goes to work on "sounds like" for the word Jewish.

Strokes beard, thinks, tries "sounds like" again.

TEAM:

Think. Pain.

CAL:

(among others)

Ponder.

JERRY:

Come on, folks.

CAL:

First word.

Jerry does the sign for the "short word."

TEAM:

To, the, but, or...

Jerry shakes his head. Goes to the third word.

TEAM (CONT'D)

Third word. One syllable.

Jerry pulls his ear, "sounds like". Slides his finger

through the O created by his thumb and forefinger.

TEAM (CONT'D)

F***...sounds like... Fork. Flock...

he does the finger sign again.

TEAM (CONT'D)

F***. Folk.

Jerry gives them "on the nose."

TEAM (CONT'D)

Second word.

MAC:

Thirty seconds.

Jerry turns, gives them a dirty look.

JOE:

Jer. Over here. Over here.

TEAM:

Second word.

He strokes his beard again.

SKYE:

(blurts out)

From Jewish Folk Poetry.

Jerry looks at her, amazed. She stands, throws hands up in

triumph, does a little victory circle.

The CAMERA CUTS through the rest of the game, aggressive,

competitive, verging on hostile. Sally is often aching from

laughter, tears streaming down her face.

JERRY:

Time. Hey! Time. Judy! Time you guys.

Hey!!

JUDY:

(she's up; turns to him, zeig

heil's him)

Ya Vhol. What are you, a f***ing Nazi?

JERRY:

Well it's f***ing time.

TIME CUT TO:

CLOSE SHOT:

JERRY (CONT'D)

(shouting guesses)

Walk. Cripple. Limp. Ankle. Second

syllable. Second syllable. Move on to

the f***ing second syllable.

Gina giving clues starts to laugh.

JERRY (CONT'D)

(sings out)

The clock is ticking!

Gina loses it, cracks up.

MAC:

Time.

TIME CUT TO:

Jeffrey's on his feet, giving the clue.

SALLY'S TEAM

(unison)

Quote. Play.

SOPHIA:

Oh sh*t. It's one of Cal's. Obscure

Shakespeare, folks.

Cal gives her a little wave from the other side.

SOPHIA (CONT'D)

(calls over to him)

Maybe something original for a change.

Cal blows her a kiss.

SALLY'S TEAM

(in unison)

Ten...twenty...thirty...seven, eight.

Thirty-eighth word...thirty-seventh word.

Gina's been taking shots through the course of the game, and

the FRAME will freeze black and white on one of another

delicious moment. There's a spectacular shot of Sally,

unaware, laughing, sad soft eyes on Joe.

MEDIUM CLOSE - AMERICA

She watches the game from the archway, waits for a break.

Sky's up. Joe's team yells frantic guesses. Jerry's

suicidal.

Sally's team watches, self-satisfied, throw barbed asides.

SALLY:

(to Joe's look; innocence)

I didn't say a word.

MAC:

Time!

JERRY:

What was it? What the f*** was it?

SALLY:

(small grin)

Ryan's novel.

JERRY:

Ryan's novel?

JUDY:

Ryan's novel, Jerry.

AMERICA:

(sings out)

Dinner!

SALLY:

Still champions.

JOE:

Panes is not on your team anymore.

PANES:

What did I do?

SALLY:

Panes is not on my team anymore. I'll

have Panes if I like.

AMERICA:

Dinner.

SALLY:

Dinner.

JOE:

It's an unfair advantage.

SALLY:

You've got Cal. You've got Gina. You've

got Skye? We're the leftovers.

JOE:

Okay, knock it off.

SALLY:

Truce?

JOE:

Truce.

SALLY:

Dinner.

(on the move)

Don't be angry.

JOE:

(pissed)

I'm not f***ing angry, for God's sake.

EXT. POOL AREA - MAGIC HOUR

Evie and Jake run along the side of the house. Behind the

glass walls the CAMERA catches adults moving through the

living room and into the dining room.

INT. DINING ROOM - MAGIC HOUR

Most everyone's moved through to the dining room. The table

is filled with platters of beautifully prepared food.

Candles, flowers.

ASTRID, newly arrived, carrying a miniature furball, of

questionable breed, is first in line and halfway around the

table. She feeds "Anouk" bits from the table enroute.

ASTRID:

(barely looks up as Sally comes

into the room)

So who won?

SALLY:

(raises her hand)

A triumph. When did you get here?

ASTRID:

Ten, fifteen minutes ago.

SALLY:

Why didn't you come in?

ASTRID:

I hate the sight of blood. You guys

don't take prisoners.

SKYE:

(charmed by the bundle in

Astrid's arm)

Oh how sweet.

The furball bares teeth and growls.

ASTRID:

She's insanely jealous.

INT. LIVING ROOM - MEDIUM CLOSE ASTRID - NIGHT

She slips another morsel into Anouk's mouth, murmurs baby

talk, allows the dog to take a bit of chicken from between

her teeth.

CLAIR:

That's revolting, Astrid.

People sit in small groups, eating dinner, catching up.

Latecomers, bunch around Joe. Sam Feckman, an actor also in

Mac's film, holds forth.

Panes finds room next to Skye.

PANES:

Is there space here?

SKYE:

Yes.

PANES:

Do you need anything else?

SKYE:

No, no thanks.

He sits on the floor along side her. They eat in silence for

a moment.

PANES:

(finally)

I was impressed.

SKYE:

Oh?

PANES:

The charades.

SKYE:

Thank you.

PANES:

That was my clue.

SKYE:

Oh?

PANES:

The Shostakovich.

SKYE:

Really??

PANES:

(does Seller's Indian)

Oh yes, indeed. That was my clue, you

see.

Skye giggles appreciative response.

PANES (CONT'D)

(still Indian)

So you are well acquainted with this

Shostackovich, as am I.

Other arrivals pick their way through bodies and plates.

Walk over to Sally and kiss her cheek. Joe and Gina and

Jeffrey sit off to the side.

JOE:

I hate the idea of some one else living

in it.

Joe pulls Sally to him and wraps his arms around her.

JOE (CONT'D)

Sally's never even seen it. I thought

we'd raise our kids there.

Sally held in Joe's arms, smiles. The cat who ate the

canary.

JOE (CONT'D)

Have I ever told you how Lucy and I

nearly squashed each other getting into

the dumb waiter.

GINA/JEFFREY/SALLY

Yes./Often./I stopped counting.

JOE:

The dumb waiter was our...

GINA:

Escape hatch.

JOE:

(eyes her)

Escape hatch. And Dad was having a go

about the garden. Something was

misplanted...

SALLY:

Not properly watered.

JOE:

Whatever!

(to Gina)

You know how he gets. Well, he went

absolutely bonkers. Lucy and I were

frantically trying to scramble into the

dumb waiter and I didn't fit any more.

It was almost fatal. And that, my dear

friends, is the day...

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