The Ice Storm Page #6

BEN:

Gotcha.

She wraps a blanket around herself and gets up.

EXT. BACK OF WILLIAMS HOUSE. EVENING

Ben cautiously walks out he back door and heads for the side

gate.

INT. HOOD KITCHEN. EVENING

Wendy enters the house as Elena is finishing supper

preparations.

WENDY:

Hi mom.

ELENA:

Hi Wendy.

Without waiting for instructions, Wendy starts pulling out

plates and silverware and setting the table.

ELENA (CONT'D)

I saw you on your bike today.

WENDY:

With Mikey?

ELENA:

Who?

WENDY:

Nobody.

ELENA:

Mikey Williams?

WENDY:

We were just riding around.

Elena takes this in.

ELENA:

Well, you looked very -- free --

when I saw you.

Wendy continues setting the table.

ELENA (CONT'D)

Weightless almost -- as if I were

seeing my own memories of being a

girl. There was something internal

about it.

WENDY:

Mom. Are you ok?

ELENA:

Wendy, of course. I'm sorry. You

must think I'm ripe to be checked

into Silver Meadows.

WENDY:

You're not a psycho!

ELENA:

The people at Silver Meadows aren't

psychos.

WENDY:

I know. They're rich drug addicts

and celebrities. When I saw James

Taylor there, and --

ELENA:

We've been through this Wendy

James Taylor was actually at that

clinic up near Boston.

WENDY:

Well, I saw what I saw, and if you

don't want to believe me --

ELENA:

Oh Wendy.

Wendy frowns.

WENDY:

They need the money for my band

uniform at school.

ELENA:

I thought you quit the band - I

never hear you practice anymore.

WENDY:

I don't really need to practice. I

just play a few notes, you know, so

I thought maybe I'd stay in.

ELENA:

Well, I'm sure your father and I

would love to hear what you're

playing these days. Maybe after

dinner.

INT. HOOD LIVING ROOM. NIGHT

Ben and Elena take their seats on the sofa. Wendy stands

before them holding an enormous trombone, with a music stand

and sheet music in front of her.

She puffs a series of seemingly disconnected notes in waltz

time.

When she's done, she looks up from the sheet music to her

parents.

They applaud.

BEN:

Can't wait to see how it fits in

with all the other instruments.

Elena gives him a look.

INT. HOOD KITCHEN. NIGHT

Elena is sorting through bills and writing checks at the

kitchen table. Ben comes in and fills a glass with ice.

ELENA:

The Halfords have invited us again

this year.

BEN:

You want to go?

ELENA:

What do you think?

BEN:

Well, it is a neighborhood

tradition.

He comes up behind her, looks down at the checkbook.

BEN (CONT'D)

I'm, uh, going to bed.

ELENA:

So early?

BEN:

Rough day. Good night.

He leans over and kisses her on the cheek. She sniffs.

ELENA:

Is that a new aftershave?

He recoils a bit.

BEN:

Oh yeah. Musk, or something. You

like it?

ELENA:

Hmm. Good night.

He walks uncertainly from the room. Does she suspect?

INT. MIKE'S ROOM. NIGHT

Mikey is painfully at work writing an English essay. Sandy

comes to the door with a geometry textbook.

SANDY:

Mikey?

MIKEY:

Yeah?

SANDY:

Geometry?

MIKEY:

Sure, anything but this English.

Sandy puts the open textbook in front of him.

SANDY:

Why are you so good at math but not

in English?

MIKEY:

I'm not good at math. Just

geometry.

He looks at the book.

MIKEY (CONT'D)

(drawing out his examples

on a piece of paper)

It's like, you know when they say

"two squared"? And you think it

means 2 times 2, equals 4? But

really they really mean a square. A

square with a side of two. And the

area of the square is four. Like

every time you use the word, like

squared, or cubed, it's really

space, it's not numbers, it's

space.

And it's perfect space, but only in

your head, because you can't draw a

perfect square, like in the

material world, but in your mind,

you can have perfect space.

(pause)

You know?

As Mikey goes on, we see his geometric doodles, and hear

faintly the HUMMING SOUND under his voice.

SANDY:

Yeah. But I just need some help

with my homework.

A knock at the door. Jim stands in the doorway with a

suitcase in his hand.

JIM:

Hey guys, I'm back.

MIKEY:

(honestly confused)

You were gone?

Sandy looks at Mikey as if pondering a lost cause.

JIM:

(a look of

disappointment)

Yeah Mikey. Yep, I was in Houston,

working on some great new ideas

about silicon, which comes from

sand, very conductive. How you guys

doing? How's school?

Mikey's still flustered.

MIKEY:

Uh, I dunno. OK I guess.

JIM:

Hmm. Alright!

He walks off.

SANDY:

You really didn't notice? Man, he's

been gone for three days.

INT. WILLIAMS BEDROOM. NIGHT

Janey is reading, still dressed, on the bed. She nods to Jim

as he enters with his suitcase.

JANEY:

Good trip?

He nods and puts his suitcase down, then sits heavily on the

side of the bed.

JIM:

(as he sits)

You bet.

It turns out it's a water bed, and his weight creates a wave

that nearly pushes Janey off her edge of the bed.

JANEY:

Jesus, Jim!

JIM:

(jumping up, which only

creates another wave)

Sorry honey. Hell, we've got to

trade this thing in for a normal

bed.

JANEY:

Just be careful.

JIM:

(as he begins to unpack)

You notice anything with Mikey

lately? The kid seemed a little out

of it tonight, eh?

JANEY:

Tonight? Jim, he's been out of it

since he was born.

JIM:

Hell, I guess he takes after me,

huh?

He laughs to himself.

She gives him a look.

INT. COFFEE SHOP. DAY

Elena and Philip Edwards are having coffee again.

PHILIP:

In many ways, the church-bound

tradition of the father, son, and

holy ghost is simply a version of

the parent-child-adult triad within

us all. It's a primitive set of

symbols for our inner psychology.

ELENA:

You're saying that Christ is the

child, and --

PHILIP:

-- And God the angry parent, and

the Spirit the hope of an

integrated adult self.

ELENA:

All well and good -- But tell me

again what is it exactly that you

believe in?

PHILIP:

You ask what the point is?

ELENA:

That's right.

PHILIP:

Self-realization. Ministering to

help people reach their fullest

potential. Would you believe me if

I told you I want you to see

yourself reach your fullest

potential and self-realization?

ELENA:

I would say it sounds like you're

trying to get me into bed.

PHILIP:

If that's a potential you see

yourself fulfilling... I mean...

(flustered)

My, I sound a bit --

ELENA:

I'm sorry. That was stupid of me. I

didn't mean to be so rude.

PHILIP:

You weren't. You actually, for some

reason, you have the effect on me

of making me feel just a tiny bit

ashamed of myself.

ELENA:

But not too ashamed.

PHILIP:

(smiling)

Now you are being rude.

ELENA:

And you're still trying to get me

into bed.

PHILIP:

Ouch.

Just then, Dorothy Franklin passes by their table, a smirk

firmly implanted on her face.

DOROTHY:

Hello you two. Am I barging in on

some kind of religious study group?

Elena, you look marvelous. Will I

see you and Ben at the Halford's?

ELENA:

I suppose we'll make an appearance.

DOROTHY:

And Reverend Edwards? Did you make

the list?

PHILIP:

(laughing)

I believe so Mrs. Franklin.

DOROTHY:

With the two of you there it will

be positively a revival! I'm off!

She scurries out of the coffee shop.

PHILIP:

I'm afraid she's something of a

gossip, isn't she?

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