The Family Man Page #20

Lassiter’s impressed.

JACK (CONT’D)

And you’re a man who

prides himself on finding

talent in unusual

places...

LASSITER:

Oh? And how would you

know that?

Jack smiles.

JACK:

Because I’m here.

On Lassiter...nodding his head. Mintz, a plastered-on

smile.

JACK (CONT’D)

I’m prepared to do

anything it takes to get

this job. Start anywhere

you need me to start.

I’ll park cars if I

to...

(into Lassiter’s

eyes)

The biggest part of

judging character is

knowing yourself. And I

know this, I can do this

job. Give me a chance,

Peter, I won’t let you

down.

Lassiter returns Jack’s gaze with equal intensity. In a

moment, he turns to Mintz.

LASSITER:

(to Mintz)

Alan, why don’t you show

Jack around a bit...

ALAN:

I’d love to.

CUT TO:

100INT. LASSITER BUILDING CORRIDOR - MINUTES LATER

Jack and Alan walking side by side down the hallway...

EMPLOYEES passing them by, greeting Mintz, Mintz waving

back...

ALAN:

(pointing)

...that’s our war room.

We did seven major deals

last year, three of them

hostile.

JACK:

(not particularly

impressed)

Seven. Really.

They turn a corner, coming into a deserted section of

the corridor.

Mintz stops, turning to Jack. Jack returns Mintz’s

gaze with a quizzical look.

ALAN:

Let’s cut the sh*t, huh

Campbell? What, did you go

through his wallet or

something?

Jack’s a little taken aback.

ALAN (CONT’D)

No matter. That circus

act back there may have

dazzled Lassiter

momentarily but it

doesn’t do sh*t forme.

Even if you get this job,

which I highly doubt, let

me warn you, Lassiter

loses interest in his pet

projects very quickly.

I’m in the big office

because I’ve proved

myself to him year after

year and nobody is going

to come in here and start

turning the old man’s

head. Especially not some

tire salesman from New

Jersey. So you watch

yourself and stay away

from Lassiter, and maybe,

just maybe, I’ll keep you

on after he gets tired of

you. Do we understand

each other?

Jack stands there, staring at Mintz, silent,

expressionless.

ALAN (CONT’D)

Do we?!

Then, a broad smile from Jack.

JACK:

God, you really are

different, aren’t you...

(nodding)

I mean...wow...I am

impressed.

Now it’s Mintz’s turn to look quizzical.

JACK (CONT’D)

Good for you. Why shouldn’t

you protect what’s yours.

ALAN:

I don’t think you’re hearing

me.

JACK:

Oh, I’m hearing you, Alan.

That’s not the problem.

The problem is that what

you think is yours, is

really mine. And I don’t

care how low on the totem

pole I start, I will get

it back...

(poking him in

the chest)

So do yourself a favor and

don’t get too attached to

that view because sometime

soon, maybe very soon, you

and your French country

antiques, your chintz sofa,

and your little play pen

are gonna be moving out of

that office.

Jack smiles at Alan one more time, then turns...

JACK (CONT’D)

Oh, and by the way, you

try selling tires for a

living. I promise you,

you’d starve.

Jack heads down the corridor, whistling a happy tune,

leaving Mintz standing there, bewildered.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN - A PERFECT LIFE?

CUT TO:

101INT. CORPORATE APARTMENT - DAY

A double door opens and Jack leads Kate into this huge

duplex. Kate looks around, taking the place in.

JACK:

Welcome to Xanadu...

The place is incredible...marble floors, architectural

lines, high tech fixtures, elegant modern furniture...

it’s striking but not at all homey like the Jersey

house.

JACK (CONT’D)

Pretty incredible, isn’t

it?

KATE:

It’s like a museum.

Jack nods.

KATE (CONT’D)

(turning to Jack)

So what’s the big

surprise? You didn’t

rent this place for

the weekend, did you?

JACK:

Think bigger.

KATE:

For the week?

Jack chuckles.

JACK:

This place is a perk,

Kate.

KATE:

A perk for what?

JACK:

A company called P.K.

Lassiter and Associates

Investment House uses it

to attract new

executives...

Kate’s confused.

JACK (CONT’D)

You’re talking to their

new Vice President of

Mergers and Acquisitions.

KATE:

What are you talking

about, Jack?

JACK:

I’m going into arbitrage,

honey. Turns out I have

a knack for it. I’ll be

making two hundred grand

a year plus a hefty bonus

and that’s just to

start. And, we can live

in this apartment

practically rent free for

as long as we want.

Jack measures her reaction. It’s not good...

JACK (CONT’D)

We can finally afford to

move back into the city.

In style.

Kate just looks at him, in shock. Then...

KATE:

Are you out of your mind?

JACK:

I don’t think so. This

is going to be a better

life for all of us,

honey. We’ll put Annie

and Josh in private

schools...

KATE:

Annie goes to a great

school.

JACK:

I’m talking about the

best schools in the

country here, Kate...

KATE:

Jack, what could you

possibly be thinking?

What about my job?

JACK:

This is New York City,

it’s like the needy

people capital of the

world. Those Jersey

clients of yours aren’t a

tenth as pathetic as the

ones you could get

here...

KATE:

(cutting him off)

I can’t believe you want

to move back into the

city. I thought the

reason we left was

because we didn’t want to

raise the kids here?

JACK:

No, this is the center of

the universe. If I were

living in Roman times, I

would live in Rome, where

else? Today, America is

the Roman Empire and New

York is Rome itself.

John Lennon.

KATE:

(cutting him off)

Jack.

Jack’s starting to struggle...

JACK:

Look, I’m detecting a

kind of funky tension

here...We don’t have to

live in this apartment.

I don’t need this...I’ll

commute...I’ll drive to

work...

Jack’s back on his heels...seeing his dream picked

apart...

KATE:

In traffic? It’s over an

hour each way? That’s

almost three hours a

day. When are you going

to see the kids?

He’s frustrated...he pauses a moment to gather

himself. Then...

JACK:

Kate. You’re not

understanding me. I’m

talking about a great

life. A perfect life.

Everything we pictured

when we were young. The

whole package. You said

it yourself, life has

thrown us surprises, and

so we made sacrifices.

But now I can finally get

us back on track...

A sad chuckle from Kate.

JACK (CONT’D)

I can do that. I want to

do that. For all of us.

I need to do that as a

man...

(imploring her)

Think about it. No more

lousy restaurants, no

more clipping coupons, no

more shoveling snow...

KATE:

Then get a goddamn snow

blower!

Jack’s taken aback by the intensity of her tone.

KATE (CONT’D)

Don’t get a new career

without even telling me.

Don’t take Annie out of a

school she loves. Don’t

move us out of a house

we’ve become a family

in...

Kate stands there, wounded...

KATE (CONT’D)

(quietly)

Don’t do that...

JACK:

Look, you’re making this

into something it’s not.

This isn’t a referendum

on our lives, Kate. It’s

a step forward...

(appealing to her)

Don’t you see? I’m

talking about us finally

having a life other

people envy.

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