The Way We Were Page #4

J.J.'s old man.

Scads of swell material here

for a good novel.

If you wanna write about this.

People who tell jokes

instead of feeling something.

Let's meet every five years

or every time a president conks.

Whichever's sooner!

What are you doing?

What are we doing here?

J.J.'s gonna buy your book and

we're all gonna go to Hollywood?

Take it easy.

Lots of writers went there.

Fitzgerald...

He's dead!

I know that.

It's none of your business

anyway. He died of booze

and people like you!

Damn it, stop it!

He's sorry for the joke.

Why did you bring me here?

Couldn't we have gone for a walk

or sit on a bench?

I didn't want to feel sadder.

What's wrong with feeling sadder?

It won't help! The president died!

And everything in the world that

happens doesn't just happen to you.

Behave yourself.

I don't care about behaving myself!

Then don't. Do what you want.

I wanna get out of here.

All right.

I meant us.

And then what?

See you later, Katie.

Hm?

Oh, yeah, see you.

Good night, my beauty.

You can finish in the morning.

Cheer up.

I'm about to have a big night and

I wanna think of you as smiling.

Good night, Billy.

Hi.

Gee, I thought you

got sent overseas.

Could I talk to you?

Sure.

Listen, I was a bad girl.

I know that. But I'm better now.

It was like a tantrum.

I get them from time to time.

It's like an eclipse.

I'm sorry.

Don't apologise.

I wanted to have an apology dinner.

I thought I'd fill my icebox...

Hey.

Oh. I'm a pain in the ass,

aren't I?

I go to swearing school now.

Soundproof school. I'm up to the F's.

I'm taking a laughing course

and studying Protestant cookery.

Don't.

Are you finished?

Look, Katie...

Please don't start with "Look."

It's always bad news.

I don't think we're gonna

make it, Katie.

Why?

I just don't think it's

gonna work, that's all.

I was too easy for you.

Easy?

I don't mean sexually.

I mean easy like

everything is for you.

You really think

you're easy?

Compared to what?

The Hundred Years' War?

You're so ready to fight,

you have no time to understand.

Counterattack, politics,

revolution, cause!

That's all fine for you.

So stay with it. I admire it.

Up to a point.

That's right!

Okay, okay! Don't belabour it.

I get it. I get it.

I don't fit on Beekman Place,

that's what's really wrong.

You think that's what I'm talking...

Yes!

No demands, just fun, laughs.

Go ahead! Go! Go have

a good time on Beekman Place.

You wanna end it like a

gentleman, you have. So get out!

Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear.

I'm calm now, Hubbell.

You can go.

It's me.

Hubbell...

Um, wait a minute, hold on.

Don't go away.

Listen, Hubbell,

um, this is kind of peculiar. Um...

I know that I don't have to apologise

for what I said because

I know that you know.

And, um...

I also know that you

know that I don't feel exactly

bright-eyed and bushy-tailed,

as J.J. Would say. Uh...

Anyway, the peculiar thing is

it's really a request,

you know, a favour. Uh...

You see, I can't sleep, Hubbell...

and it would help me so much

if you could, uh...

Well, if I had someone to talk to.

You know, if I had

a best friend or something

to talk about it with.

Only you're my best friend.

Isn't that dumb?

So dumb.

You're the best friend I ever had.

And...

It would help me so much if you'd

come over and see me through tonight.

Listen...

Hubbell, I promise

I won't touch you

or beg you...

or embarrass you.

But I have to talk to my best friend

about someone we both know.

So could...? Hubbell, could you please

come over right away, please?

There's some sleeping pills

in the cabinet.

Here.

Isn't one enough?

No.

I'm scared.

Go on. Take them.

Will you stay till I fall asleep?

I'm really sorry.

But that's what

best friends are for.

Aren't they?

There's something

I wanna ask you.

Hope this doesn't make me

drunk instead of sleepy.

Don't drink it like water.

Okay.

Is it because I'm not

attractive enough?

I'm not fishing, really.

I'm not.

I know I'm attractive.

Sort of.

But...

I'm not attractive in the...

I'm not attractive in the right way.

Am I?

I mean...

I don't have the right style...

for you.

Do I?

Be my friend.

No.

You don't have the right style.

I'll change.

Don't. You're your own girl.

You have your own style.

But then I won't have you.

Why can't I have you? Why?

Because you push too hard.

Every damn minute.

I mean, we don't...

There's no time to relax

and enjoy living.

Everything's too serious.

I push too hard because

I want things to be better.

I want us to be better,

you to be better.

Sure I make waves, you have to.

I'll keep making them

till you're everything

you should be.

You'll never find anyone to believe

in you this much or love you as much.

I know that.

Well, then, why?

You think if I come back

it'll be okay by magic?

What'll be different?

We'll be wrong. We'll both lose.

Couldn't we both win?

God, I...

Oh, God, I...

I like Hollywood.

I like Alice Faye.

Don't. Don't. No, please.

Ooh...

Somebody's getting up.

Aren't you sleepy?

Uh-uh.

You are.

I'm exhausted.

Katie, you expect so much.

Oh, but look what I've got.

Jesus! Your director

lives here?

Actually, he lives off the

garage. The servants live here.

How can he work here?

Bissinger doesn't work,

he's the director.

As long as you're writing in

France by next fall, I don't care.

And now back to

KRS, music for a summer afternoon.

Everybody's here.

Everybody who's anybody.

No ice skating rink?

It's in the cellar.

Hubbell!

Hi, George.

George Bissinger.

Glad you came.

My wife, Vicki.

How are you?

It's Kate, isn't it?

It's Katie.

Can I get you a drink?

No, thanks.

Rhea!

Ah, I want you to meet my agent.

Reportedly the greatest

in town.

If I were a great agent,

would I be an agent?

Nice to meet you.

You think those are croquet balls,

but it's her collection

of shrunken heads.

Have you seen

the Bissinger collection?

You think these Hollywood

intellectuals plan to overthrow the government?

They couldn't overthrow

Louella Parsons.

In '37, in Munich,

Hitler was a joke too.

Paula Reisner,

our resident pessimist.

Sorry. I'm sorry.

They're coming to investigate

all us communist subversives.

They're out to get election yardage

from the silver screen.

They're getting people

to testify secretly.

Horses' asses.

Maybe. But we can't even write our

congressman. He's on the committee.

Your shot, George.

Alice in Wonderland. Come on.

Thank you.

You're not home

making the script brilliant?

Listen to the producer.

You don't even understand it.

I'm glad you came.

I was gonna call you.

I'm giving J.J. A birthday party.

Forty-five, huh?

You gotta come as a Marx Brother.

Katie, you could come as Karl.

Still stuttering?

No, I'm not.

I'm not coming as Groucho.

Come as Harpo, that way you

won't be able to talk.

Ha-ha-ha.

I think your director's an idiot.

Too high? Too low?

Trying to tell me something?

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