The Tale Page #9

Synopsis: An investigation into one woman's memory as she is forced to re-examine her first sexual relationship and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.
 
IMDB:
7.3
Metacritic:
90
TV-MA
Year:
2018
114 min
1,210 Views


in a few minutes.

- ( birds tweeting )

- ( clock ticking )

Young Jennifer:

Just a few hours later,

my stomachache

was completely gone.

My body had told me what

my mind refused to accept.

I'm tired.

So tired.

Tired in ways

that I'm afraid.

The fear is a fear

of a broken dream.

I have made a decision.

Mother:

Go get your father.

It's time for dinner.

- Girl:
Okay, Mom.

- Grandmother:
Harold?

Mother:

Wait, Harold...

( indistinct chattering )

( line out ringing )

Bill:

Hello?

Hello? Bill?

Jenny!

I'm so happy you called.

I was worried sick.

Jenny? Are you--

are you there?

Yes, I'm here.

Did you go on...

with Jane and Iris

without me?

No, no.

None of us wanted to.

We all agreed,

we want to wait for you.

So, don't worry.

We will pick another weekend.

I don't want

to see you anymore.

Wait. It--

Is it your parents?

Because if it is,

I can talk to them.

They don't-- They don't

understand you the way that--

that I do.

And if you don't want

to do a weekend,

we don't have to.

I don't want

to see you anymore.

But Jenny...

( scoffs )

Jenny...

please.

I love you.

( sniffles )

I need you.

We can work everything out.

Please just...

please don't leave me.

I'm gonna hang up now.

Don't hang up, wait, wait--

Mother:
Jenny?

Jenny, dinner!

( dialing )

( phone ringing )

Gramercy residence.

Jane speaking.

Hello.

It's Jenny.

I'm coming to pick up

my horse this weekend.

Fine.

( family chattering )

Stupid girl.

Stupid, stupid girl.

Mother:

Where's your father?

Young Jenny:

"We had a dream.

"A beautiful dream.

"We were going to fill the

emptiness in each of our souls

with love from the other."

Adult Jennifer:

What happened

with you and Bill?

Why'd you leave him?

Me leave him?

You don't know?

You were just

the beginning, Jenny.

There were so many others.

I tried to keep up,

but I'm old.

I'm old.

Young Jennifer:

"But as so many dreams,

reality does not hold true."

Adult Jennifer:

I couldn't ask for help.

I was waiting for you

to save me.

Somehow in my mind,

it couldn't be anybody else.

It had to be you.

Why didn't you?

No one saved me.

Young Jennifer:

"The pretty colors and ribbons

"I had decorated

Bill and Mrs. G with

"disintegrated,

"and they were left naked.

"The overwhelming

pain of weakness.

"The sickening fact of someone

"who once seemed

so strong.

Only to find that the strength

is only in their words."

Teacher:

Thank you, Jenny.

That's quite a powerful story.

Do you mind telling us

where you got it from?

Oh...

I made it up.

That's what I thought.

You see, class,

fiction allows us

to live things far outside

our own experiences...

( accordion playing )

Oh.

Mom, don't stop.

Oh, that's one of

my favorite memories.

In the summers,

after the ice cream truck,

all the kids

gathered around.

Listened to you play.

I don't have it

in my fingers anymore.

I failed.

I didn't want it

to be true.

I told myself

it couldn't be true.

I failed at the one thing

a mother is supposed to do.

Protect her child.

I am so sorry.

Adult Jennifer:

You lied to me.

You told me it was a good thing

all these years.

And it was.

I got an A.

An A? You think that matters?

That doesn't make it good.

You want me to be

some pathetic victim.

Well, you know what?

I'm not.

I've got something

no one else does.

I'm the teacher now.

Not just some invisible kid.

You'll never get married.

I don't want

to get married.

Have you not been

listening to me?

You'll never have children.

I hate children.

I don't want to have children.

I'm sure of that.

But I know one thing.

He loved me.

He cried.

He cried,

didn't you see?

And for years...

he's gonna send me cards.

Bill:

Dear Jenny, how was

your graduation?

Please give my best

to your folks.

Dear Jenny, with all

the trouble in Israel...

...I read about you

in the newspaper today...

...I hope you return

to your running.

Dear Jenny, I am so proud

of your growing career.

Dear Jenny, you were always

such a natural.

You see?

I'm not the victim

of this story.

I'm the hero.

He fell apart, not me.

Adult Jennifer:

You couldn't even think

that their lives

might continue without you.

That there would

be others.

You froze them in time,

didn't you?

But you know,

he's still alive,

and I'm gonna go

see him now.

No.

( school bell rings )

Emcee:

For his lifetime dedication

to the youth of Alexandria,

we would like to award

William P. Allens

this plaque of civic

excellence.

( applause )

Bill:
Thank you all.

Thank you very much.

- I'm actually deeply touched.

- I'm here for you.

And this could not

have been done, obviously,

without you,

without your support,

the youth of this region,

they've learned

to persevere.

They've learned to strive

to excellence

as a measure of your focus,

your concern, your support.

- ( applause )

- Thank you.

Thank you.

( violin music plays )

( indistinct chatter )

- Hello.

- Hi.

I don't believe we've met.

I'm Jennifer.

Hmm.

How do you know William?

Uh, he was my

running coach.

Of course.

My husband is just

completely flattered

that so many of his

former students

- have come out to honor him.

- Husband?

Yeah. Would... would you

like to meet him?

Uh, say hello, yeah.

It's been a long time, so...

Okay.

Bill:

How are you feeling?

- Really well.

- Ah, good, that's good.

You're the best.

You're the best one we have.

- I'm not kidding.

- Hi, Bill.

Hey. Boy, your hair.

Such curls.

Looks beautiful.

Has anybody ever seen

such beautiful hair, huh?

Miss...?

Do you-- It's Jenny.

- Jen...

- Jenny Fox.

Um...

Jenny.

Well, I never expected

to see you here

in a million years.

Yeah, it's been difficult

getting a hold of you.

Jenny.

Well, I have the pit bull

Marge here.

- Jennifer:
Yeah, we met.

- You got one of those?

No, no, I never got married.

You told me that was

selling out, remember?

You got me.

You got me with that one.

Yes, I remember that.

So how long has it been

exactly, what...

Time just flies away,

doesn't it?

Yeah, in a blink.

Blink.

And one wrong blink and you're

headed down the wrong path.

Excuse me, but how do you guys

know each other?

Bill was my coach.

Remember?

Bill:

Sure.

We had a good time--

When I was 13, right?

Yeah.

Natural athlete.

I used to love to watch you tuck

your shoulder into a turn and--

Pretty good in bed too, right?

Pardon me?

You know what I said.

You know what happened,

and so do I.

Bill:

I don't know what you--

what do you mean?

I wanted you to know I hated

every minute of it.

I don't have any idea

what you're talking about.

No? You don't remember me puking

every time we had sex?

And you would tell me maybe

it was because I was pregnant.

But that would be hard, because

I hadn't even got my period yet.

Remember that? Huh?

A 13-year-old kid?

- None of this is true.

- What happened to you

that you would do that to me?

- None of this is true.

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "The Tale" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 23 Jan. 2025. <https://www.scripts.com/script/the_tale_21442>.

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