The Private Lives of Pippa Lee Page #2

If you had seen what I saw,

you would feel the same.

You would want to give these people

some dignity.

- (Herb) Just be careful.

- Anyway, I'm going to Baghdad Saturday.

- What's new with you?

- Oh, I found a book. A real cash cow.

(laughs)

Since when do you say "cash cow"?

I never said it

because I never found one before.

- What's it about?

- Oh, it's about war and romance,

- and, er, bad weather.

- Is it good?

A certain kind of good. Highbrow

for lowbrows or lowbrow for highbrows.

Summer reading for people

with multimillion-dollar beach homes.

- Used to be us.

- We still wouldn't have read this book.

(chuckles) So, how are you, Ben?

How is your paper coming?

- (Ben) Fine.

- (Grace) What's it about?

- (Ben) The right to die.

- (Grace) The right to die?

- (Ben) Or the right to kill.

- (voices fade)

("That's All I Want" by Bobby Day)

# A sweet little kiss with a wee embrace

A pretty little smile

(Pippa) Suky's energy was unflagging,

day and night.

In spite of

an apparently weak thyroid,

for which she took pills

at seven each morning,

12 noon, and four each afternoon,

I was the only one who knew

that she was secretly pretending

to be in a commercial half the time,

or a movie, and she was the star.

- I thought she was absolutely perfect.

- Mom, can I have some more milk? Mom?

Then there were days when Suky

shorted out,

- like a run-down robot.

- (father) Eat up, kids.

I always felt my real mother

had disappeared in those moments.

It scared me and made me angry.

I thought it must be my fault

that she was sad,

and it was up to me

to make her happy again.

I thought maybe

you forgot to say goodnight. (sniffs)

Her moods ruled my life.

(sighs) My baby. (sniffs)

- (doorbell rings)

- (Pippa) Oh, hello, Dot.

- Would you like some coffee?

- Oh, no, I-I've already had some.

- This is my son, Ben.

- Oh, the lawyer?

(Ben) Not yet. Nice to meet you.

- And Herb. You met Herb.

- Oh, hi, Herb.

(Pippa) Oh, my Lord.

(Dot) That's Mr Swaggart.

He needed to go.

Erm, h-have a seat.

(Dot) You know, there are

other young wives here.

You see them jogging around.

- Is everything OK?

- Well, yes, we're... We're fine.

But my son, erm, Chris...

- In Utah?

- Yes.

He might be coming... east.

Oh, that should be nice,

if they would move near you.

The thing is, he's had some kind

of crisis with his wife, and...

He's left her, and he's...

He's living in his car.

I just don't know what to do.

He was always sort of half baked.

You know what I mean?

You know, it's painful, I know...

...but sometimes you just have to maybe

accept they are who they are.

I mean, I-I feel that with my daughter.

(Dot) You're right.

I knew that I should come to you.

You... I just had a feeling.

- (Ben) He's living in his car?

- Yes, she said he was half baked.

- I wonder what that means.

- It's code. It means halfwit.

- (phone rings)

- Hello?

Hello, Marianne.

What? What?

No, tell him 45

is the absolute top offer.

If he goes somewhere else,

he goes somewhere else.

Stop worrying. Everything's fine.

You're doing a fantastic job.

Have a nice morning, Marianne.

God, that woman's gonna drive me crazy.

Your blood pressure went

from 120 over 90 to 148 over 100.

Since when did you become a nurse?

A little appreciation...

Would you like to go to the doctor's

every 15 minutes?

We gotta change our number.

- I need an office.

- What is the point of having an office?

The point is I spent 40 years

building up this company

and they're crapping it up.

They're children there. Babies.

If I had an office,

I can be there from ten to one,

talk to Marianne, read my manuscripts,

and when I come home, boom, I'm retired.

Then we can be really together.

(Ben) You had three heart attacks.

Is that not enough for you?

- Yeah.

- (chair scrapes)

- I gotta go.

- (Pippa) Bye, sweetheart.

- Love you.

- See you.

- (Ben) Back home.

- (Pippa) OK, sweetheart.

(hammering)

What's happening here?

OK. If I'm losing my marbles,

so be it, but I need proof.

(Pippa) How long

before he loses his mind completely?

- The half-baked son is moving in!

- Wonderful.

(piano music)

# After the ball is over

# After the break of morn

- # After the dancers' leaving

- (man) Pippa!

Glad you could come by.

A little eye candy.

Thank you for having me.

That's for you and Dot.

I... wish you would keep an eye on Dot.

She's having a hard time.

I know she talks to you.

- Well, sure. Erm, where is she?

- He won't come out!

Can you believe it?

A 35-year-old man hiding in his room

when his parents

are throwing a party for him?

I told her this was a bad idea.

He's right down the hall.

- OK.

- Spare bedroom.

Get her to drink a Pepsi Cola

or something.

- OK.

- (man) I'm not going out there!

(Dot) You can go out there for five

minutes. You've got to eat something.

(man) Why are you crying? Stop crying.

- (man) Yeah? Who is it?

- It's Pippa Lee. I'm looking for Dot.

(Dot) Oh, dear.

Erm, hi, Dot.

Johnny asked me to find you.

(Dot) Well, look at me.

- I can't go out there.

- (applause)

I'm Pippa Lee.

Chris.

Oh, why are you putting that on? I...

I ironed you that shirt I got you.

(Chris) Excuse me,

but there's something I need to do.

(Dot) Where are you going?

Where are you?

He was the sweetest little boy.

I mean, you just can't imagine.

When you adopt, you just

don't know what you're gonna get.

(engine starts)

(TV) Look out!

Thank God she didn't fall in.

(Pippa) Amazingly, it took me 16 years

to figure out what was

behind Suky's personality.

- She's taking Dexedrine.

- Who is?

Mom.

- What's Dexedrine?

- Speed.

It's why she never sleeps,

why she acts so weird.

Mom doesn't act weird.

- Mom, why do you take this stuff?

- Hmm?

- These pills. What do you take 'em for?

- It's my medicine.

Can you put it back, please?

Chester told me it was speed.

Chester doesn't know

what he's talking about.

- What happens if you don't take them?

- I'd get fat, like Grandma Sally.

Is that what you want? You all want me

to walk around like some sick walrus?

- No.

- Why don't you just let me do my work?

Better yet, why don't you help me?

Why doesn't anybody around here

help me?

(man) The cross is made of

a vertical and a horizontal beam.

The vertical beam

points to the sky, to the spirit.

The horizontal beam is the line

of the earth, of life on earth.

That's what's neat about Jesus.

He wasn't just the son of God.

I'd like to know

what you're really like.

- What do you mean?

- Without that stuff.

(sighs) Stop being so overdramatic.

You're blowing this out of proportion.

So stop. I don't care if you get fat.

It's my medicine.

OK, fine.

(sighs) Let's just hope I don't blow up.

(father)

Father, thank you for this food,

for the gift of being together

as a family.

For these beautiful children around me.

(Pippa) Suky's cold turkey

lasted exactly one week.

("Little Turtle Dove" by Bobby Day)

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