The Ice Storm Page #10

MIKEY (O.S.)

There's a TV in the basement.

Hood hears their steps down into the basement.

INT. BASEMENT. DAY

Wendy and Mikey stand in the middle of the semi-lit basement.

MIKEY:

Maybe we can mess around. You know,

only if you want to...

WENDY:

I don't know.

MIKEY:

Why did you -- with Sandy?

WENDY:

I don't know.

MIKEY:

You like him? He worships you.

But Wendy doesn't seem to hear -- she's drawn to an object

lying next to a bean bag chair off to one side.

WENDY:

Hey, what's this?

With a look of utter fascination, she picks up a Nixon mask,

looking at it as though it were an archeological find.

WENDY (CONT'D)

Wow!

MIKEY:

Wendy!

She puts the mask on.

WENDY:

(from behind the mask)

I won't take my pants off. But I'll

touch it. That's as far as it goes.

Mikey looks totally confused.

Remaining fully clothed, Wendy loosens Mike's belt, showing

no excitement from behind her mask, and lets him climb on top

of her for a dry hump.

Just then, a shaft of light hits them from the top of the

stairs -- Ben towers above them, looking down.

Mikey flips over immediately and pulls his clothes together,

grabbing a TV Guide as Wendy stands up, the mask still on.

As Ben descends Mikey, still stuffing his shirt-tail into his

pants, pretends to flip through the TV Guide.

MIKEY:

(muttering)

When worlds collide.

WENDY:

Huh?

MIKEY:

4:
30 movie. When Worlds Collide.

Ben arrives, folds his arms.

BEN:

What the hell are you kids doing

down here?

WENDY:

What do you think we're doing, dad?

BEN:

What do I think? I think you're

probably touching each other. I

think you're touching that reckless

jerk-off, for god's sake, and I

think he's trying to get into your

slacks. I think, at fourteen years

of age, that you're getting ready

to give up your girlhood --

MIKEY:

Hey, hang on there, Mr. Hood --

BEN:

Don't you direct a single word at

me, Mikey. I don't want to hear it.

I'll be speaking with your parents

about this situation very soon. Bet

your ass on that, son. Young lady?

WENDY:

Talking to me, dad?

BEN:

Who else would I be talking to? And

take that thing off!

WENDY:

(pulling off the mask)

Well, then forget all this stern

dad stuff.

BEN:

I'm not interested in your smart

ass remarks now, lady. Let's go.

Right now. You and I can discuss it

on the walk home.

She stands next to Mikey for a moment, both on the verge of

tears.

EXT. STREET. EVENING

Hood and Wendy walk through a cold drizzling rain.

He looks at her from time to time, then takes her arm.

BEN:

Look, kiddo, don't worry about it.

I really don't care that much. I'm

just not sure he's good enough,

that's all.

WENDY:

Huh?

BEN:

I mean, he's not serious, he'll end

up living off Janey and Jim, you

watch.

It's just that you develop a sense

when you get older, if things are

going to work out or if they won't,

and sometimes it's not worth the

mess...

She looks at him. They keep walking. She walks through a

puddle.

BEN (CONT'D)

Your toes cold?

WENDY:

Yeah.

He stops and lifts her in his arms.

BEN:

I'll carry you up the drive.

She puts her arms around his neck and he lifts her up.

On her face, as he carries her -- a look of blank but real

intimacy.

INT. HOOD FRONT HALL. EVENING

Hood and Wendy enter, wet and cold, muttering hellos.

ELENA (O.S.)

(from the kitchen)

Dinner in ten minutes.

BEN:

You go dry off now.

Wendy heads for the stairs, Hood following.

INT. HOOD BEDROOM. EVENING

Hood finishes taking off his wet clothes as Elena enters and

turns on a light. She stands watching him.

BEN:

Never guess where I found her.

Not much response From Elena.

BEN (CONT'D)

In the basement over at Janey and

Jim's. With that weirdo Mikey. Not

even a TV on.

And they're on the floor and he's

got his trousers down though thank

goodness she's still dressed. Well,

I really let him have it!

(a nervous laugh)

... and Wendy came home

peacefully... Hey, should I dress

for the Halford's now, or - give me

your -

ELENA:

Up to you. I'd like to go early and

leave pretty soon after that.

BEN:

I get you loud and clear... hey,

you look nice.

ELENA:

So what were you doing in the

Williams' basement anyway?

BEN:

Oh, just dropping off a coffee cup.

Jim left it, last time he was over.

It was on the dash of the car. You

were, you know, reading, thought

I'd just catch some air. Let's eat.

ELENA:

Oh right. The mustache coffee cup.

The one that was sitting on the

dash.

BEN:

Yeah, that one.

ELENA:

That one.

She walks down to the kitchen, Benjamin following her.

INT. KITCHEN. EVENING

Wendy is already in the kitchen, fishing through the drawers

for silverware and napkins.

Paul enters.

PAUL:

See you.

BEN:

Stay out of trouble.

ELENA:

You'll be on the 10:30 train?

PAUL:

11:
30?

ELENA:

Paul --

BEN:

Ah let the guy have his fun. What's

the name of this girl with the Park

Avenue address?

PAUL:

Libbets. Libbets Casey.

BEN:

Libbets? What kind of name is

Libbets?

INT. KITCHEN. NIGHT

A silent dinner of turkey sandwiches with Elena, Benjamin,

and Wendy. The turkey carcass sits, embarrassed, in the

middle of the table.

Wendy, finished, gets up from the table. Opens the fridge,

but finds nothing. Then goes to the candy shelf and grabs

some Hot Tamales, leaving the room without a word and going

into the den.

INT. DEN. NIGHT

Wendy turns the TV on.

TV:

... and that ends today's highlight

coverage of the Watergate affair.

WENDY:

Shoot.

INT. KITCHEN. NIGHT

Hood and Elena rise from the table with their dishes.

BEN:

What's for dessert?

ELENA:

See for yourself.

BEN:

No advice from the experts, huh?

His plate slips out of his hands into the trash. He fishes it

out and sets it on the counter.

ELENA:

Don't start.

BEN:

You think I --

ELENA:

I have no idea.

BEN:

What's on your mind? Don't --

ELENA:

It wouldn't make a pleasant

evening, if that's what you're

after. I don't want to talk about

it. Stupid mustache cup.

BEN:

What do you mean?

ELENA:

Don't be dim.

BEN:

Elena, what are you're talking

about?

ELENA:

I'm not surprised.

BEN:

Listen, Elena, if you're gonna pull

that passive aggressive stuff on me

again --

ELENA:

Your unfaithfulness -- that's what

I'm trying to talk about. Your

unfaithfulness. Your betrayal. Your

dalliance. And you won't do me the

dignity of being up front about it.

BEN:

(quieter)

Am I unfaithful? Is that what

you're trying to say?

ELENA:

It's a starting place.

BEN:

Well, what kind of faithfulness are

you after?

ELENA:

If you're going to insult me --

BEN:

What else could I be? What else

could I be? We're not living in the

real world here. You're living out

some fantasy land from the past, or

some advice or something from those

psychoanalysts... there are some

hard facts here.

Silence.

BEN (CONT'D)

It's the law of the land... the

government, the world, those two

guys on the Yankees... And I'm not

having any fun at it, I can tell

you that. I'm not...

INT. DEN. NIGHT

Wendy puts the volume of the TV up, to drown out a

conversation she can almost overhear but doesn't want to.

INT. KITCHEN. NIGHT. CONT'D

ELENA:

Oh lord. You think I'm so dense.

And now you want to be seen with

your dense wife at the cocktail

party. You want to wear that

ridiculous shirt which doesn't go

with those pants at all. You want

to wear that, and you want me to

shake hands with your friends and

make conversation and dress up in

an outfit that shows a lot of

cleavage and you're not going to

accord me the respect of talking

honestly about this... You don't

really know what this feels like.

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