The Glass Castle Page #4

Oh...

Put in your spiral staircase.

Wow.

We're finally gonna build it.

Really? (CHUCKLES)

This is why we're here. It's

our chance to start over.

First thing tomorrow,

I'm gonna search this whole town

for the perfect place

to lay our foundation.

(CLEARS THROAT)

(SOFTLY) We're gettin'

the hell outta here.

Now, it's not exactly palatial,

so there's gonna be a lot

of togetherness. (SIGHS)

And it's a little

on the rustic side.

How rustic?

Welcome to 93 Little

Hobart Street.

50 bucks a week,

and in two years,

we'll own her outright.

Hard to believe one day

this'll all be ours.

Hey, she may not look like much,

but wait till you see

what I have in mind.

Come on.

We're gonna tear all this down

and replace it with

your game room,

ping pong, pool, foosball...

BRIAN:
Trampoline?

Oh, yeah, trampoline

goes right over there,

and then all these

walls are gone,

replaced with three-inch glass,

glass, glass, glass.

This can stay.

ROSE MARY:
Doesn't

that look lovely?

Yellow stands for

happiness and creativity.

This place doesn't have any

running water or electricity.

Ignore her. She was

born without vision.

Since we're on the north

face of the mountain,

enclosed by these two hills,

we ain't gettin' much sun,

so I'll have to do some serious

reconfigurin' to increase the

size of our solar cells.

But before any of

that can happen,

we need a good foundation.

Pick! Yes, sir.

Good man. Here.

(GRUNTS)

Make some noise, kids.

Make some noise.

(ALL GRUNTING)

(LAUGHING)

(LAUGHING)

(CHUCKLES)

(LAUGHING)

REX:
Once it's deep enough,

I can pour the slab,

and we can start framin'

this damn thing.

We're gonna have the nicest

house in the county.

You ain't just whistlin'

Dixie there, little lady.

You know, we got the

highest property

on the mountain, which means

that the heat can't

burn us in the summer,

and the floods can't

touch us in the winter.

We're just glidin' right in

between all those extremes.

(JEANNETTE LAUGHING)

Things're gonna be different

this time around.

(GRUNTS)

I'm hungry.

Try that.

It's good?

What are you eating?

Butter and sugar.

Tastes kinda like frosting.

We haven't eaten in three days.

Maureen's so hungry,

she's eating butter.

You ate the butter?

I was saving that for the bread.

LORI:
We have no bread!

Well, I was thinking

of baking some.

The gas is turned off.

What if it gets turned back on?

Miracles happen, you know.

We're hungry!

Hey, watch that tone, girl!

You said things were

going to be different.

Can't we just get some eggs?

Or beans, or something?

Nothing fancy.

I don't see why not.

What you got?

What about the other one?

Okay, I'll be back in

an hour with a feast

you can tell your children about

your children's children,

your children's

children's children,

and your children's

children's children's

children's children's

children's...

He probably just got stuck

talking to someone.

For ten hours?

(DOOR OPENS)

(FOOTSTEPS)

(CLATTERING) (GLASS CLANKING)

(REX GROANING)

JEANNETTE:
Dad?

Hey, kiddo. What

are you doin' up?

What happened?

Oh. I got into a fight

with the mountain.

Mountain won.

Dad, that looks really bad.

Yeah. That don't look good.

What can I do? (EXHALES)

Don't worry about me.

I'm so thoroughly pickled...

I won't feel a thing.

Here.

Okay, go ahead.

(SHUDDERING)

Go on. I can't do it.

Sorry.

It's okay. It's all right.

We'll do it together. Okay?

(CHUCKLING) It's all right.

Come here.

Squeeze it together. That's it.

Now, push it through.

Yeah.

Good. Just push

it right through.

Good.

Oh, that's good. Brave.

You are amazing.

Ah...

Push it right through, go on.

That's it. Yeah. (SNIFFLING)

Oh, my God, that's beautiful!

Oh, jeez!

You don't have to tug

quite so hard on it.

It's not like tug-'o-war.

(CHUCKLES)

Okay.

REX:
One more. That's good.

Wow.

That's some mighty

fine handiwork.

(SCISSORS SNIP) (SIGHS)

I swear...

There are times I think that

you're the only one around

who still has any faith in me.

You know I'd do anything

for you, right?

Anything.

All you got to do is ask.

Do you think...

(SHUDDERING)

You could maybe stop drinking?

It's just...

When you drink, you

can't take care of us.

(SIGHS)

Must be awfully ashamed

of your ol' man.

No!

I just think we'd

have money for food.

Maybe even some extra

for the Glass Castle.

You can do it if you want.

You're stronger than anyone.

(INHALES DEEPLY)

(EXHALES)

If you don't mind, honey...

I think I'd like to just...

Sit here by myself a while.

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

Dad?

For the next few days,

I'm gonna be keepin'

to myself upstairs.

And I, uh...

I need you kids to

steer clear of me.

Take your brother and

sisters outside,

do somethin' fun, okay?

And no matter what happens,

if I ask for a drink,

you can't let

anyone give me one.

Not a drop. Okay?

Can you do that for me?

Yeah.

You promise?

That's a good girl.

(GRUNTING)

BRIAN:
You think we could start

building the house soon?

JEANNETTE:
Probably.

(REX SCREAMING)

REX:
Oh, please!

(MOANING)

(CONTINUES SCREAMING)

Ah! Ah, God! Make it stop!

(ROSE MARY SHUSHING)

Please make it stop!

Just breathe, honey.

Rose Mary!

God, help me! Shh. It's okay.

It's okay.

(REX SCREAMING FAINTLY)

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

REX:
Help me, please!

REX:
Oh, no!

(BREATHING SHAKILY)

JEANNETTE:
Dad?

(CRYING) Oh, my God.

Please get me a drink.

I'll get you some water.

No, no, no. There's some

whiskey under the sink.

Go fetch it for me.

Jeannette...

I'm dyin'.

If you don't get me a

drink, I'm gonna die.

That is a scientific fact.

Understand?

You don't want me to die? Do

you want your daddy to die?

I can't, Dad. I promised you.

I don't care about

your stupid promise!

Go get me a drink right now!

You better go get me a drink!

Jeannette! (SOBBING)

(GRUNTING)

REX:
Foundation

looks pretty good.

We're almost ready

to start buildin'.

(CHUCKLES)

JEANNETTE:
I missed you.

I missed you, too.

(ALL CHUCKLING)

How 'bout that?

Look. That's wonderful.

(LAUGHING)

Dad's leaving for work!

Stop! I'll help you

put your hat on.

(GRUNTS)

All right, make sure

it ain't faulty.

Oh! Ow! Ow! Ow!

Okay, okay, that's fine.

Oh, thanks, Bill,

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Rex.

REX:
Merry Christmas, ladies!

You, too.

REX:
The foreman forgot

his toolbox, and so I had

to use this macaroni noodle

to insulate these crosswires,

and now I got every

damn person at work

tellin' me that I really

know how to use my noodle!

(ALL LAUGHING)

I couldn't find a

good one for you,

so you'll just have

to write your own.

Careful. You might change

the world with that thing.

(REX AND ROSE MARY GIGGLING)

Hmm?

(REX AND ROSE MARY

TALKING INDISTINCTLY)

(LAUGHING)

It's so pretty.

Mmm, beautiful.

Rich city folk live

in fancy apartments,

but their air is so polluted,

they can't even see the stars.

We'd have to be out of our minds

to trade places with any of 'em.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote