The Birds Page #7

LYDIA:

(puzzled)

I thought I saw your car. What are

you doing in town?

MITCH:

(rising to greet her)

I had to acknowledge a delivery.

(grins)

Mother, I'd like you to meet...

LYDIA:

A what?

MITCH:

(continuing)

Melanie Daniels. Melanie, my mother.

CLOSE SHOT - LYDIA

Her eyebrows raising ever so slightly, not in displeasure,

but simply in enormous curiosity as she acknowledge the

introduction.

LYDIA:

How do you do, Miss Daniels?

(to Mitch)

Acknowledge a what?

BACK TO SCENE:

MITCH:

A delivery, Mother. Miss Daniels

brought some birds from San Francisco.

Lydia thinks she understands. This is one of Mitch's San

Francisco chippies.

LYDIA:

Oh. I see.

MITCH:

For Cathy. For her birthday. By the

way, where is she?

LYDIA:

Across at Brinkmeyer's.

MITCH:

Miss Daniels is staying for the

weekend. In fact, I've already invited

her to dinner tonight.

CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE

turning to him in surprise, beginning to shake her head.

CLOSE SHOT - MITCH

MITCH:

After all, you did go to the trouble

of bringing up those birds.

MELANIE (O.S.)

I'm sorry. I couldn't possibly...

BACK TO SCENE:

LYDIA:

You did say birds?

MITCH:

Yes, lovebirds. We couldn't let you...

LYDIA:

(understanding

completely now)

Lovebirds, I see.

MITCH:

...get away without thanking you in

some small way. After all, you haven't

even met Cathy and you are staying

for the weekend...

MELANIE:

Yes, but...

MITCH:

You are, aren't you?

MELANIE:

Certainly, but...

MITCH:

Then it's settled. What time is

dinner, Mother?

LYDIA:

Seven o'clock, same as usual.

MITCH:

I'll pick you up, Miss Daniels.

Where are you staying?

MELANIE:

With... with Annie, of course.

MITCH:

Of course, how stupid of me. A quarter

to seven, will that be all right?

MELANIE:

Annie... Annie may have made other

plans. I'll have to see. Besides, I

can find my own way.

MITCH:

You're sure now? You won't hire a

boat or anything?

MELANIE:

I'm sure.

MITCH:

Seven o'clock then.

MELANIE:

Maybe.

CLOSE SHOT - MITCH

grinning.

MITCH:

We'll be waiting. How's your head

now?

MED. SHOT - THE GROUP

Lydia looks at Mitch inquiringly.

MELANIE:

(with an overwarm

smile)

It's nothing, Mrs. Brenner. A gull

hit me, that's all.

Lydia stares at her doubtfully.

DISSOLVE:

EXT. ANNIE HAYWORTH'S HOUSE - FULL SHOT

Melanie is standing on the front steps, a paper bag in her

hands. She rings the doorbell. The ROOM TO LET sign is still

in the window. The door suddenly opens.

ANNIE:

(surprised)

Oh, hi!

(pause)

Did you find her all right?

TWO SHOT - MELANIE AND ANNIE

MELANIE:

Yes, I did.

There is a long awkward pause. Annie smiles expectantly at

Melanie. Melanie seems hesitant.

MELANIE:

I was wondering...

ANNIE:

Yes?

MELANIE:

That sign.

(pause)

Do you think I could have the room

for a single night?

ANNIE:

Well, I'd really hope to rent it

for...

MELANIE:

I would appreciate it. I've tried

everywhere in town, and they're all

full.

ANNIE:

(after a pause)

Sure. You can have it.

(smiles)

Where's your bag? In the car?

Melanie holds up the paper bag. Annie looks at it and then

smiles.

ANNIE:

It's utilitarian, I'll say that for

it.

MELANIE:

(smiling)

I just picked up some things for the

night at the general store. You see,

I hadn't planned on spending much

time here.

ANNIE:

Yes, I know. Did something unexpected

crop up?

There is a moment where both women look at each other...

When Melanie answers, it is abrupt and a trifle cold -- she

is again telling Annie to mind her own business.

MELANIE:

Yes.

(pause)

May I use your phone? I'd like to

call home.

There is another moment where Annie appraises Melanie's

attitude, and then accepts it. She suddenly smiles warmly.

ANNIE:

Why don't you come in then? I was

just about to mix a martini.

She is about to lead Melanie into the house when they both

hear a SOUND overhead. They turn to look skyward.

LONG SHOT - A FLOCK OF LARGE BIRDS

flying in beautiful precise formation against the sky.

TWO SHOT - ANNIE AND MELANIE

ANNIE:

(shaking her head)

Don't they ever stop migrating?

But Melanie is watching the sky and the birds with a curiously

serious expression.

DISSOLVE:

LONG SHOT - THE APPROACH ROAD to the Brenner house. Melanie's

car is driving along the shore. Behind her, the sky is stained

with sunset. There are gulls on the bay, cawing into the

silence.

FULL SHOT - THE CAR

as it pulls into the Brenner yard.

MED. SHOT - MELANIE

reaching up for the rear view mirror, tilting it to examine

her lipstick, touching the edge of her mouth with one hand.

She gets out of the car, CAMERA FOLLOWING her to the house.

She climbs the porch steps, KNOCKS on the door. There is no

answer. Puzzled, she begins walking back into the yard. In

the distance, she sees Mitch, Lydia and Cathy coming from

behind the chicken sheds. She raises her arm in greeting.

MELANIE:

(calling)

Hi!

FULL SHOT - MITCH, CATHY, LYDIA

in the distance. Mitch and Cathy raise their arms.

CATHY:

(excitedly)

Hi!

(she breaks into a

trot toward Melanie)

CLOSE SHOT - CATHY as she approaches. She is an eleven-year-

old child, clear-eyed, bright, uninhibited, wearing a shirt

and blouse, her hair cropped close to her head. She hesitates

for just a moment.

CATHY:

Miss Daniels?

MELANIE:

Yes?

And Cathy flings herself into Melanie's arms, almost knocking

her off her feet, hugging her fiercely.

CATHY:

They're beautiful! They're just what

I wanted! Is there a man and a woman?

I can't tell which is which.

MELANIE:

Well, I suppose...

FULL SHOT - ALL OF THEM

MITCH:

(coming up)

Hi. Annie had no plans, huh? I'm

glad you came. Are you hungry?

MELANIE:

Famished.

MITCH:

Dinner's just about ready.

(explaining)

We were out back looking at the

chickens. Something seems to be wrong

with them.

LYDIA:

(going toward house)

There's nothing wrong with those

chickens, Mitch. I'm going to call

Fred Brinkmeyer right now.

MITCH:

(as they follow into

house)

I don't know what good that'll do.

(aside to Melanie)

Chickens won't eat.

FULL SHOT - THE BRENNER HOUSE

as they ENTER, CAMERA FOLLOWING them throughout into dining

room where Lydia dials phone, talking to Mitch all along.

LYDIA:

He sold the feed to me, didn't he?

MITCH:

Caviat emptor, Mother. Let the buyer

beware.

LYDIA:

Whose side are you on?

MITCH:

I'm simply quoting the law.

LYDIA:

Never mind the law. Cathy, you can

start serving the soup.

She has finished dialing now, is waiting while the phone

RINGS.

LYDIA:

This won't take a minute, Miss Dan...

(into phone)

Hello, Fred? This is Lydia Brenner.

I didn't interrupt your dinner, did

I?

(pause)

Fred, that feed you sold me is no

good.

(pause)

The chicken feed. The three bags I

brought.

CLOSE SHOT - LYDIA

holding the telephone.

LYDIA:

Well, it's just no good. The chickens

won't eat it.

(pause)

They're always hungry, Fred. I opened

one of the sacks when I got home,

and I poured it out for them, and

they wouldn't touch it. Now you know

chickens as well as I do, and when

they won't eat, there's just something

wrong with what they're being fed,

that's all.

(pause)

No, they're not fussy chickens.

(pause)

Who? What's he got to do with it?

(pause)

Fred, I don't care how much feed you

sold him. My chickens...

(pause)

He did? Dan Fawcett?

(pause)

This afternoon?

(pause)

Well, that only proves what I'm

saying. The feed you sold us is...

(pause)

Oh. Oh, I see. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-

huh. Maybe I ought to go over to see

him. You don't think there's something

going around, do you?

(pause)

No, never.

(pause)

No, Fred, they don't seem sick at

all. They just won't eat.

(pause)

Mmmm. Mmmmm. Well, I'll try to get

over to Dan's farm. Maybe he'll...

mmmmm... mmmmm... all right, Fred,

thanks.

(she hangs up, puzzled)

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