The Family Man Page #13

62INT. MACY’S, MEN’S DEPT. - DAY

Kate, pushing Josh in the stroller and holding Annie’s

hand, passing through the Men’s Dept., Jack lagging

behind, a bevy of shopping bags in hand and a

beleaguered look on his face.

KATE:

(back to Jack)

We’re almost done here...

ANNIE:

Mary Janes, Mom. You

promised.

KATE:

That’s right. Okay,

let’s make a quick stop

at the kids’ shoe

department, pick up my

watch from the battery

place, then I’ll run into

the linen store...

An unhappy look on Jack’s face.

JACK:

Why don’t we just go to

all the stores?!

Kate looks back at Jack.

JACK (CONT’D)

Every single store in

this godforsaken shopping

mall. We can go to them

all.

Kate gives him a look. Then...

KATE:

You know what, Jack?!

I’ll go with the kids.

Why don’t you just hang

out here in the men’s

department... okay?

Jack glances at the Men’s Dept., sighs and gives Kate a

nod. She takes off with the kids...and then he sees

it...

...the Zegna section. He’s drawn to the neat rows of

beautiful suits like a moth to the light...

He approaches the rack, pulls out a dark green suit,

gently touching the soft wool.

SALESMAN (O.S.)

It’s perfect for your

frame...

Jack turns and sees a SALESMAN standing behind him.

SALESMAN:

Would you like to try it

on?

CUT TO:

63INT. MACY’S MEN’S DEPT. - A LITTLE LATER

Jack, at a mirror wearing the Zegna suit. It is

perfect for his frame. The color is spectacular, the

line is dazzling.

Jack looks in the mirror, shutting everything else

out... it’s like he’s seeing his old self...

KATE (O.S.)

You look amazing in that

suit...

Jack snaps out of his trance. He sees Kate standing

behind him, Annie and Josh happily playing a few feet

away.

KATE:

I mean...wow...off the

charts great.

JACK:

It’s an unbelievable

thing. Wearing this suit

actually makes me feel

like a better person.

(taking one final

look)

I’m gonna buy it...

Kate raises an eyebrow, then looks at the price tag.

KATE:

$2,400?! Are you out of

your mind?

JACK:

(pointing to Annie’s

new Mary Janes)

She got those shoes...

KATE:

Those shoes were twenty

five dollars. C’mon,

take it off. We’ll go to

the food court and get

one of those funnel cakes

you like.

Jack looks at her...it’s a moment of decision.

JACK:

No.

Kate looks at Jack, a little surprised.

KATE:

No?

JACK:

Do you have any idea what

my life is like?

KATE:

Excuse me?

JACK:

I wake up in the morning

covered in dog saliva...I

drop the kids off, spend

eight hours selling tires

retail...retail, Kate.

Kate just stands here, aghast...

JACK (CONT’D)

I pick up the kids, walk

the dog, which by the

way, carries the added

bonus of carting away her

monstrous crap...I play

with the kids, take out

the garbage, get six

hours of sleep if I’m

lucky, and then it starts

all over again...and why

is it that I always have

to drive everyone

everywhere? I spend

practically my entire day

in that slow as hell

mini-van listening to

Raffi tapes and trying to

figure out how the cup

holders work...I’m sick

of it.

KATE:

Really.

JACK:

What’s in it for me?

Where are my Mary Janes?

Kate stares at him, shaking her head...

KATE:

It’s sad to hear your

life is such a

disappointment to you,

Jack.

JACK:

I can’t believe it’s not

a disappointment to you!

(letting it all out)

Jesus, Kate, I could’ve

been a thousand times the

man I became. How could

you do this to me? How

could you let me give up

on my dreams like this?!

Kate stares at him in disbelief. Then...

KATE:

Who are you?

Kate’s words pierce Jack...he has to avert his eyes.

JACK:

(lowering his voice)

Look, I’m sorry. I’m

sorry I was such a saint

before and I’m such a

prick now. Maybe I’m

just not the same guy I

was when we got

married...

KATE:

Maybe you’re not. The

Jack Campbell I married

wouldn’t need a $2400

suit to make himself feel

better about his life,

but if that’s what it’s

gonna take, then buy it.

Just buy the goddamn

suit ...we can take the

money out of the kids’

college fund.

They stare at each other for a moment...a stand-off...

JACK:

Forget it...

(taking off the

jacket)

We’ll get a funnel cake.

It’ll be the highlight of

my week...

64EXT. NEW JERSEY ROAD - NIGHT

The blue mini-van makes its way down this road...

65INT. MINI-VAN - NIGHT

There’s an icy silence in the car...Jack is behind the

wheel, Kate next to him looking out the window, anger

on her face...

CHAPTER NINE - REMINISCING

Jack checks the rear-view mirror, sees Annie and Josh

in the back, both asleep...

JACK:

(to Kate)

Listen, I’m sorry about

that back in the store.

I really don’t want to

fight with you...

Kate just keeps looking out the window.

JACK (CONT’D)

But you must sometimes

wonder how we ended up

here. I mean back in

college, did you see

us...

(looking around)

...here...?

She turns to him.

KATE:

I’ll give you this, life

has thrown us a few

surprises...

A glimmer in Jack’s eye...

JACK:

It really has, hasn’t

it? So if you had

to...what would you say

was the biggest surprise?

She glances at the kids sleeping in the back.

KATE:

Well...Annie for one.

JACK:

Surprise. We’re

pregnant...

(a laugh)

Yeah...that must’ve

been...I mean that was

very unexpected. But

what are you gonna do,

right?

KATE:

I think it worked out

okay, don’t you?

JACK:

Sure. I really like

Annie.

KATE:

Good, Jack. Maybe we’ll

keep her.

JACK:

No, I love Annie. We had

a lot of good times,

didn’t we?

KATE:

We were young...

(a nostalgic smile)

Remember that little

place on Charles Street

we used to go to?

JACK:

Charles Street? In the

Village? When we were

living in Greenwich

Village...?

(off her nod)

Great times. Why’d we

ever leave?

KATE:

You can’t really raise a

kid in an apartment in

the Village...

Jack nods, starting to piece it together.

KATE (CONT’D)

The trek out to the

hospital every day didn’t

help either...

(looking at him)

You were great.

Surviving the heart

attack was one thing...

JACK:

You had a heart attack?

KATE:

(a laugh)

Jack, stop that. I'm

still mad at you...

(a sigh)

...who knows what

would’ve happened if you

hadn’t stepped in at the

store.

JACK:

That’s why I work for Big

Ed?

A look from Kate.

JACK (CONT’D)

(recovering)

I mean, that’s why I work

for Big Ed...

Jack looks out at the road a moment, piecing it all

together in his mind.

JACK (CONT’D)

(almost to himself)

So we had a baby, Big Ed

had a heart attack, we b

ought that house, and

I’ve been working for him

ever since...Sayonara,

Wall Street.

Kate looks at him a little strangely.

JACK (CONT’D)

(turning to her)

Our life in a nutshell...

KATE:

If you want to look at it

that way...

JACK:

How would you look at it?

She glances again at the kids in the back seat, then at

Jack.

KATE:

A great success story...

A smile from Jack. He admires her outlook even if he

can’t bring himself to share it.

DISSOLVE TO:

66INT. BOWLING ALLEY - EVENING

A crowded suburban New Jersey bowling alley...

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