The Horse Whisperer Page #13

TOM:

Well, see, truth is, ma'am, I help

horses with people's problems.

ANNIE:

Well, you know, however you want to

put it -- I got your information

from the publisher of the article. I

called Montana and your sister-in-

law, I think, gave me this number.

(trying to be charming)

I've been hot on your trail you could

say because I was hoping you'd

consider coming to New York and taking

a look at my daughter's horse and

possibly --

TOM:

Ma'am, I'm very sorry about your

problems and I appreciate what your

daughter must be going through, but

I'm afraid you've misunderstood

whatever it is you read. I don't do

that sort of thing.

ANNIE:

Well, if you could just come for the

day. New York's only a few hours by

plane, I'd have you home by dinner...

TOM:

Look, even if it was nearer, that's

just not what I do. I give clinics.

And I'm not even doing them for a

while. I'm heading back to Montana

right now. I got a ranch to take

care of...

ANNIE:

(interrupts, abruptly)

I'll pay you for your fare. I'll

send you to Montana first class.

TOM:

(getting impatient)

Ma'am, first class to Montana is a

waste of good money. Now, am I being

too polite here or when I say NO in

Utah, does that mean YES in New York

City?

Annie is taken aback. Tom feels badly.

TOM:

I, I don't mean to sound insensitive.

I understand your situation. But

there's nothing I can do. You just

called the wrong person, that's all.

I hear there are a bunch of therapists

in New York. Maybe you should call

one of them.

ANNIE:

Mr. Booker, if I could just ex --

TOM:

I am very sorry, ma'am. Goodbye now.

He hangs up before Annie can continue.

INT. GRACE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Annie reaches for Grace's bedroom door, then pauses. She

realizes she should knock. She does and whispers:

ANNIE:

Grace?

(knocks again)

Grace, it's mom.

Annie slowly opens the door. She finds Grace's bed empty.

She looks over to the window to find Grace sitting in a chair,

in the dark, looking out the window.

ANNIE:

Grace. What are you doing?

Not looking up, Grace speaks in a hollow voice.

GRACE:

I can't find that charm Daddy gave

me from India.

ANNIE:

I brought it to you in the hospital.

GRACE:

No, you didn't.

ANNIE:

Grace, I put it on the table near

your --

GRACE:

(apathetic)

Doesn't matter.

Beat.

ANNIE:

Have you decided about Pilgrim?

GRACE:

What about him?

ANNIE:

Well... how you feel all right about

telling Liz to put him down...

GRACE:

I think we should. It's not fair to

let him suffer. He's not much use

anymore. He'd hate living like that.

ANNIE:

I think that's... very compassionate

and... mature way of looking at it.

GRACE:

Mom?

ANNIE:

Yeah?

GRACE:

Maybe they should put me down too.

ANNIE:

What?

GRACE:

I mean, I'm not much use anymore.

Why can't they be compassionate to

me?

What frightens Annie most is the calm and apathy in Grace's

voice. She's surrendering... Annie, for the first time in a

long time, feels she's losing control.

INT. CENTRAL PARK WEST APARTMENT - NIGHT

Annie sits alone at the kitchen table, nursing a glass of

wine.

Robert enters and sits opposite her, wearing a tuxedo -- his

tie and collar undone.

ANNIE:

How was the dinner?

ROBERT:

(wry)

All our "favorite" people were there

saying all their "favorite" things

about their "favorite" subjects. I

thought to myself, we've been friends

with these people almost twenty years

and nobody knows anybody. We're so

afraid we won't like each other and

have nobody go to dinners with.

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