The Postman Always Rings Twice

Synopsis: This remake of the 1946 movie of the same name accounts an affair between a seedy drifter and a seductive wife of a roadside café owner. This begins a chain of events that culminates in murder.
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Director(s): Bob Rafelson
Production: Warner Home Video
  1 win & 1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
6.6
Rotten Tomatoes:
77%
R
Year:
1981
122 min
484 Views


-You wanna get somethin' to eat?

-Nah.

I had somethin' last night,

ruined my appetite.

Besides, I gotta get down the road.

Okay. Thanks for the ride.

Come on, I'll buy you

a cup of tea and a bromo.

-Come on.

-Okay, but I can only stay a minute.

Good.

Okay, we open. Come in.

-Where's the john at?

-In the back.

Gimme a bromo for my friend here.

I'll take a small steak,

two eggs on top...

...some fries, juice,

and a side order of toast....

Yes, sure. Right away.

Look out for that stomach, huh?

Here we fix you up one second.

You'll feel much better.

Okay. See you, huh?

We'll have your steak

ready in a minute.

Where's my buddy?

Oh, he left.

He left?

-What are you talkin' about?

-Hey, what's a matter? You okay?

The guy drove off on me.

How are you gonna figure that?

Oh, I think your steak's ready.

Thank you.

Oh, no!

-What?

-He took my wallet.

I left the raincoat in the car and....

I can't even pay you for this.

Tell me, where you goin' anyway?

-Down to L.A.

-Why?

I was goin' down for a job.

The whole thing's in the wallet.

-What kind of job?

-Phone number...huh?

Machinist.

Eat.

-Hey, thanks a lot.

-Eat, you'll feel better.

I'll be right back.

You watch.

-Watch what?

-You watch.

I find a new guy for the cars.

How's food? Good?

Very good. Great. Really.

-Nick Papadakis.

-Frank Chambers.

Frank, huh?

You know cars, Frank?

Yeah. Some.

I need mechanic.

-Here?

-Oh, sure. Station.

I'll tell you, though, Nick...

...l got friends down in L.A.

I gotta go down in L.A. Thanks.

And the meal, really, it was delicious.

She cook the food.

The food...

...delicious.

Tell me somethin', Nick,

just a question....

What would you pay a guy?

-Cora, how much we pay last guy?

-Eight dollars.

-And you promised him....

-Eight dollars.

Room, board and you say

you like my wife's cooking.

-Your wife?

-Oh, sure.

Tell you what, Nick.

I got to track my guy down in L.A.

If it don't pan out,

I take you up on it.

Well, okay. If we still got it.

And I'll send you some money

in any case for the breakfast.

-Oh, yeah. Do that.

-Okay. Thanks a lot, Nick.

Goodbye, now.

Missus.

Be right with you there.

Here's a change, 20 cents.

Thank you very much.

What you need, Mr. Papadakis,

is more coverage.

I hadda lass year.

Last year you had fire,

theft, no liability.

So what I need it now for?

Well, you should've had it then.

Suppose a customer comes in here and

there's a spot of grease on the floor?

No, I'm sorry.

There's no grease onna floor.

-No, I'm just sayin' suppose.

-No. You suppose-a something else.

-What are you doing here?

-I come lookin' for some hand soap.

I don't have any hand soap here.

You got anything in the kitchen

I could use?

Go use the station john.

I'd just get it dirty.

I'll tell him to get you some

the next time he goes in.

Sorry to bother you.

You want a cup of coffee?

Yeah, thanks.

A nice place you got here,

Mrs. Papadukis.

Papadakis.

Oh, yeah. Sorry.

Papadakis.

What are you, Greek or somethin'?

What...do I look Greek to you?

No.

Thanks.

So...

...what do I call ya?

I guess you can call me Cora.

A man, every man,

needs to have a home.

-You travel, huh?

-Sure.

It's okay.

But you know, the time come....

The time come!

Close the door, it is windy.

Cora, give the man some wine.

-It's in the cupboard if he wants it.

-Nice coffee, Missus.

When the times comes....

I used to travel a lot, too.

I was a young idiot.

I know you...sit down.

I know you travelin' men.

I was, too.

Oh, sure. I've been everyplace.

I speak six language.

-No kiddin'.

-Oh, yes, sure.

Go get the wine, huh?

Ah, language. Watch this.

You know what that is?

What?

You know what it means, that?

No.

I know, you never make fun

of a man talk funny.

I talk English

better than she talk Greek.

You know, Frank, this-a country...

...there's no...

...there's no...ideas here.

Opportunity, oh yes.

There is no happiness.

Frank, Frank come here!

Hurry up! Quick!

Hurry up! Look!

Look at his!

Goddamn son of a b*tch thief.

Here, pick 'em up. Here.

-Hold on. You got 'em?

-Where are we goin'?

We go here. Put 'em up on post.

You got it?

Push. Push.

Know what I'd do, Nick?

-I'd get a new one.

-Oh, I get new one, sure.

And that son of a b*tch

hang it first time, he pay for it.

Neon. Somethin' flashy.

You know what I mean?

Bring some business in.

Neon? What's a neon?

Neon. You know...

-...them little colored tubes.

-Tubes.

Oh, it's a neon.

Yeah, neon....

Maybe.

Goddamn, they all try cheat foreigner.

Frank, clean up the place.

He say how long he's gonna be gone?

He didn't tell me.

He said he was goin' into town

to get some parts.

Smells good in here today.

Is that door locked?

I must've locked it.

That's money down the drain,

isn't it?

You could look at it that way,

if you wanted to, yeah.

It's not your money, either, is it?

No.

Open it.

Did you hear me?

Wait a minute!

Wait! Get off!

All right, come on!

Come on!

I have surprise for you.

Here.

What do you think, huh? It's new.

Let's see it.

-You like it?

-Nick, it's beautiful. Real silk?

-Yeah, silk.

-For you, huh?

-Where you go?

-I'll be right back.

How'd you get that way?

How're you feelin' tonight, Cora?

Lousy.

Yeah.

Yeah, you missed me.

Cora!

Oh, stupid, I almost forgot.

Like the sign, huh?

I see they make it the way I say.

See you tomorrow, eh?

Yeah, see you later, Nick.

Yeah?

Feel like doin' somethin'?

I'm doin' it.

Do you want some company?

Huh? Want some company?

You want to be with me, right?

Right?

Yeah.

Good.

Go pack a bag, we're goin' to Chicago.

Go pack a bag.

We're goin' to Chicago. Now.

-I used to work near here.

-Get your L.A. Times.

-You got a cigarette?

-No.

How much money you got?

$110.

Don't flash it around here. Come on.

Wait a minute. You left your suitcase.

Bus leaving for Los Angeles,

San Diego, Phoenix....

-Want something to eat?

-Sure.

-Yeah.

-I'll be right back.

The next departure will be...

...Los Angeles to Chicago.

Help you, sir?

Change, sir. Sir! Change.

-Thanks.

-You're welcome.

-I've got 'em all, what do you want?

-You want one?

Okay, new shooter comin' into the game.

All right, guys, four.

I got it. Who wants a hard-ways four?

-Two to one.

-Two to one on the hard ways?

Right. You got it.

What about you? Dollar here.

Okay, roll 'em. Come on.

Don't touch this money.

-Where does he think he's goin'?

-I don't know.

-Hey, buddy, we ain't got all night.

-Honey, gimme some money.

Come on, we're gettin' lucky.

These guys don't know craps

from wheat or somethin'.

Come on!

No, I'm not giving it to you.

What? No, you don't understand.

I got to cover a bet.

-I can't talk to you about it just now.

-Frank, I can't go out there broke.

What?

What're you doin' out there, anyway?

Will you, for Chrissakes,

just give me some money?

I saved that money.

Two for San Francisco.

-What are you doing?

-I'm tradin' these in.

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote

David Mamet

David Alan Mamet is an American playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and film director. As a playwright, Mamet has won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for Glengarry Glen Ross and Speed-the-Plow. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "The Postman Always Rings Twice" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 5 Nov. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/the_postman_always_rings_twice_16125>.

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