The Glass Castle Page #7

(SCOFFS)

Jeannette?

Name's Robbie. I didn't know

ol' Rex had a daughter.

He has three.

(CHUCKLES)

Rex said you like to dance.

You like livin' in this town?

It's all right.

It ain't all right,

and you know it.

We're all mudbugs

in a boiling pot,

don't even know we're

being cooked alive.

(CHUCKLES)

I'm headin' off to Chicago

soon as I can afford

up savings for it.

What about you?

I'm savin' up to move

to New York City

to be with my sister.

All right. Big Apple. (CHUCKLES)

I like that city. I been

there a couple times.

You're gonna love it.

Yup.

REX:
Robbie! Do

somethin' worthwhile

with those damn hands of yours.

Get over here, play me a game.

Well, all right.

REX:
...side pocket.

ROBBIE:
You sure

about that, Rex?

Ooh! Damn!

(LAUGHING)

That's four games in a damn row.

That'll be 80 bucks unless you

wanna go double or nothin'.

No. Take it all. You deserve it.

Here you go. Wash

down that humble pie.

To your daughter

and her big move

to New York City.

New York City, huh?

(GLASS CLATTERS)

ROBBIE:
Can't believe I let

that old fart take me.

I don't know if I'm

ticked or impressed.

Now, you know my apartment's

right upstairs.

Got a bunch of records

ain't on that jukebox

if you wanna come up

and listen a bit.

Thanks, but I can't.

Rex, you mind if I bring your

daughter upstairs for a bit,

listen to some records?

She's a big city girl now.

She can handle herself.

Holler if ya need me.

You know, I can't stay long.

That's all right. Just wanna

play you a tune or two.

I think you're gonna

like this one.

(MUSIC STARTS PLAYING)

Hmm. (SNAPS FINGERS)

Where were we?

Think for dancing

it's sorta like this.

You tryin' to sniff my hair? No.

(GIGGLES) What are you doin'?

(KISSES) Oh.

That's what I was tryin' to do.

Oh. I'm not that kinda girl.

Well, we'll just dance, then.

All right?

(LAUGHING)

(GRUNTS)

ROBBIE:
Whoa! How'd that happen?

(LAUGHING)

Okay.

Robbie, what are you doing?

This.

Stop.

I just wanna see what you

got under this dress.

Robbie, stop!

Easy. Take it easy.

Robbie... It's all right.

Hey, hey! (SHUSHING)

Let me show you.

Mmm.

Okay. There you go.

(CHUCKLES)

Oh.

JEANNETTE:
Mmm-hmm.

When I was a little girl,

I lit myself on fire.

It gets worse down there.

(ZIPS UP DRESS)

I'm gonna go now.

(DOOR SHUTS)

I knew you could

handle yourself.

It's like that time I

taught you to swim

and you thought you

were gonna drown,

but I knew you'd do just fine.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

Okay, here.

Here's your cut.

Take it or not.

Might come in handy

for the big move.

I don't care what

Erma did to you.

It's no excuse.

I am movin' to New York,

and there's nothin' that

you can do about it.

(SOBBING)

You okay?

I need to get the

hell outta here.

Somebody sure gutted

your piggy, didn't they?

Any suspects?

That money was mine.

(PIGGY BANK CLATTERS)

(VOICE BREAKS) Why are you

doin' this to us, Dad?

(PHONE RINGING)

(PHONE RINGING)

New York Magazine. This

is Jeannette Walls.

MAUREEN:
Hey, big shot.

Maureen?

How's your fancy life?

(CHUCKLES) Just gettin' ready

for my fancy engagement party.

We're excited to see you.

I can't make it tonight.

Why not?

'Cause I'm movin' to California.

You're not serious?

Maureen, you can't

go to California.

That's the other

side of the country.

We have to stick together.

We always have.

That's not true.

I gotta go. I love you. (SIGHS)

Why would she go to California?

It's as far away from

them as she can get

without swimming to Hawaii.

It's our fault.

We should have never left

her alone with them.

(SIGHS)

She would have

hated this anyway.

David sure doesn't.

Thank you so much for coming.

Who needs more bubbly?

ROSE MARY:
We do!

(LAUGHING)

Hi, handsome!

Did you invite them?

Oops.

Look who's here. Oh! Hey.

Okay, okay. Whoa!

Thank you, thank you!

This'll be interesting.

REX:
Let's get this

party started!

Oh, congratulations, honey!

(LAUGHING)

What does an investment

banker use as birth control?

His personality.

(ALL LAUGHING)

REX:
All right, one more.

What's the difference

between a bag of manure on

your lawn and an

investment banker?

Can I speak with

you for a second?

I'm in the middle

of a punchline.

Okay, hold that thought, gents.

MAN:
Who is that guy?

Swanky. But I don't see one

of your mama's paintings.

What are you doing here?

(CHUCKLES)

Just networking with all

these fantastic people.

Every time someone leaves,

you act like a child.

You'd think you'd be

used to it by now.

What's that supposed to mean?

It's not a surprise, Dad.

Maureen left because your

bullshit drove her crazy.

You really wanna talk

about bullshit right now?

Look around! This ain't you!

You ain't like those

pawns, and you know it!

Don't turn this on me.

You're a Walls.

You were born to

change the world,

not just add to the noise.

You cannot marry that fool!

You're better than him!

And you're better than that

goddamn gossip column!

You're a real writer!

I like my life, Dad.

Then why is all your crap

still packed up in those boxes?

What's goin' on, guys?

(SIGHS) We don't

want to upset David.

Why do you care so much about

David all of a sudden?

Well, he's like part of the family now.

Right, honey?

This is not the time, okay?

Well, when's the right time?

Not right now! Okay?

Look, there were three

more offers today.

So you can wait till tomorrow...

I have to tell her!

Tell me what?

Trust me, now is not the time!

Tell me what, Mom?

Let me talk!

(SIGHS)

You know how I was telling

you about my brother

selling his half of

Mom's land in Texas?

Well, now that you're

gettin' married

and you have all

these nice things,

we were thinkin'

that maybe we could

borrow the money to buy it.

So the only reason why

you're being nice to David

is because you want his money?

No, it's not the only reason.

I'm also just a nice person.

You are a nice person.

Thank you.

We wouldn't ask if it

wasn't urgent, honey.

How much?

No, let's not get into...

About a million.

A million dollars?

A little under.

A little under...

If Uncle Jim's land

is worth that much,

then yours is, too.

Well, I don't know. I've

never had it appraised.

My father taught me

you never sell land.

REX:
Good advice.

ROSE MARY:
Right.

Grandma Smith died

when I was 11.

Have you been sitting

on a million dollars

since I was 11?

No, no! It appreciates over time.

It escalates.

You knew about this?

Do you realize what we could

have done with that money?

I don't want my kids raised

on a goddamn handout!

What the hell?

What the hell is wrong with you?

ROSE MARY:
Oh...

Nice, Rose.

Hey, Mountain Goat!

Don't ever call me that again!

(CHUCKLES) Uh, Jeannette...

JEANNETTE:
David, please...

REX:
Come on. I know you're upset.

But let's just go back

and talk about this. Come on.

Dad, why do you think all

of us ran away from you?

We were drowning.

I still don't understand

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