The Deep End of the Ocean Page #3

Joey

Could be more presents.

Grandma

Merry Christmas!

Grandpa

Joey, it's cold. Shut the door.

Joey

Merry Christmas, Beth.

Vincent

Mom, look, Uncle Joey gave me my stocking

present early because it's too big to fit

in the stocking. See?

Beth

Yeah, that's great. Merry Christmas,

Theresa.

Theresa

How you feeling, honey? I almost didn't

make it. I started having Braxton-Hicks.

Vincent

You should breathe in a bag.

Grandma

I'll try that. Maybe a Christmas baby.

Theresa

I hope not.

Theresa

She's carrying like it's a boy. That's

what everybody says.

Patty

The gang's all here! My God, sis, look

how big you are!

Theresa

Don't rub it in.

INT. THE LIVINGROOM

Vincent

Look, mom, they're for Ben from Grandma

and Grandpa.

Beth

Rosie, What are these?

Grandma

Present for Ben.

Beth

Rosie, Why did you bring present for Ben?

Grandma

I believe that Ben will be found. When he

is found I want him to know his family

didn't forget him.

Beth

Do you have forgotten Ben?

Grandma

Of course not. We didn't get Ben any

gifts.

Beth

I understand that. To tell the truth, I

didn't even want to go through this

whole, big holiday act. You know what I

wanted to do? I anted to sleep through

it. When you do this, and you act like

he's just out of town on some business

trip and he'll be back anytime.

Theresa

Beth, take it easy.

Beth

Take it easy? How can I take it easy when

nobody except me seems to want to accept

the fact that it's over? It's over. We're

all going to go on eating and sleeping

Theresa

You must snap out of this. No one can

talk to you. I can't. Pat can't.

Patty

Butt out, will you?

Theresa

If you don't have any hope that Ben will

come back.

Beth

Come back? He's even fore yet. What's he

going to do? Get an Amtrak schedule?

Grandpa

We didn't mean anything by it.

Theresa

Don't you think we're all grieving?

Patty

I mean it! Theresa ! Shut up!

Theresa

No, Pat! You're all scared to say this,

but I'm not. We try and call. She doesn't

want to talk. We write, she doesn't

answer.

Vincent

Mom. Ben will be back tomorrow.

Beth

What?

Vincent

But it's Christmas. For my present, I

asked Santa to bring Ben home I think

he'll do.

INT. THE HALL

Laurie

Where is she?

Patty

She's upstairs.

Laurie

She still won't speak to me, will she?

Patty

I think she will. Everybody's been

calling. After you talk with People we

reprinted the poster 5 times.

Laurie

I think she hates my guts.

INT. UPSTAIRS THE BEDROOM

Laurie

What are you doing?

Beth

Ending would hunger. I just got off the

phone with the U.N.

Laurie

Well, That's good. Look, will you just

forgive me and get this over with? I'd

never give them anything unless it was

the right thing to do. I would never do a

thing to hurt you. How long have we been

friends?

Beth

1000 years. I know.

Laurie

Then good, okay? I have something I want

to do for me.

Beth

I don't believe you.

Laurie

I want you to take a picture.

Beth

I don't do that anymore. I took early

retirement.

Laurie

You could use the money. This is good

money.

Patty

Good for what?

Laurie

I want her to take a portrait of a

Chinese family.

Patty

We are kind of tapped out, just keeping

Vincent in sneakers. You could do this.

You wouldn't even have to go out.

Beth

I threw away all my paper and stuff.

Patty

I'll go get you more paper and stuff.

Laurie

Please. Just this once. Let me get rid of

my guilt by doing you this one good turn.

Beth

This is not a good turn. This is a set-

up.

INT.THE KITCHEN

Patty

These are really beautiful.

Beth

I have to print. I have 4 phone calls to

make. I have to get Vincent ready for

Little League.

Patty

Through any more about Chicago?

Beth

What about it?

Patty

Could be great. Kids'll love it there.

I'll have my own restaurant.

Beth

I have to get Kerry up.

Patty

There's plenty of time for that.

Beth

Okay, fine. You go upstairs, get my

diaphragm, fill it up with gunk and we'll

have 8 minutes before I have to feed

Vincent.

Patty

We can have a lot of fun in 8 minutes.

Beth

Okay, fine. You want to do it right here?

I can make toast at the same time.

Patty

It's not like I'm on top of you all the

time. We make love about as often as we

pay the water bill. I don't see why you

need a diaphragm every damn time.

Beth

I don't want to get pregnant every damn

time. We had 3 kids and we always wanted

more. I miss that. I misses this house

being full of noise. I used to want to

run up the walk to lunch.

Beth

It's not going to change anything.

Another kid. It'd be like a replacement

part like you get a new gravy boat so you

don't spoil the set.

Patty

That's a lousy f***ing thing to say.

Beth

I agree. So, I'll stop saying f***ing

lousy things. I'm not having a baby, and

I'm not moving to Chicago. So you can

start a new restaurant with your dad. You

want a new baby and restaurant? You need

a new wife.

Patty

I don't want a new wife. All I want is

for us to be a family again. A normal

life. Nothing's wrong with that. That's

healthy.

Beth

You want to know what it's like? It's

like I'm standing under this giant

snowbank. If I move one inch in any

direction it's going to come crashing

down and bury me. Do you know I don't

dare to think of him for a full minute?

One inch and the whole thing's going to

comedown. You will have to raise these

kids by yourself.

Patty

I'm doing that now.

Beth

That's right. Pat's always been the

rock. Isn't that what it said in People

magazine? There was Pat holding together

that poor, crazy woman and those sweet

little kids. You're such a hero.

Patty

All right, stop it.

Beth

You would never have let Ben get lost.

Patty

I mean it. Stop it.

Beth

You would never have been such a bad,

shitty parent.

Patty

That's right, I wouldn't.

Beth

You self-righteous son of a b*tch!

Pat

I'm not self-righteous, I'm RIGHT! Kids

don't just vanish up in smoke, kids don't

just get lost, PEOPLE LOSE THEM!

INT. THE RESTAURANT 9YEARS LATER IN

CHICAGO:

Patty

So This is the bar and the waiting area.

That's the wine rack. Dad's personal

design. People sit here while they're

waiting for tables. That's that kitchen

back there and this is it.

Beth

The murals are done.

Patty

Tables will be through here and they'll

carry back over to there. And this is

the dance floor. there'll be a live band

over here. Thursday through Sunday.

Kerry

Hey, Theresa, is that Italian Italy?

Patty

You like it, honey? It's La Boheme.

You're Mini and I'm Rodolfo. Except she

lives in the end.

Beth

Well, good. Oh, honey, it's gorgeous, it

really is.

Patty

Can you believe this place?

Beth

I can't wait.

Bliss

(looks at Vincent)

So, what's Mr. Tough Guy up to?

Vincent

(on the phone)

Apart from needing a haircut.

Beth

I don't know. He's making friends, I

guess. He's been on the phone a lot

lately.

Patty

(To Vincent)

Hey, Vincent, If you're using that phone

for your bookie operation, it'll be a

part of your anatomy.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes