Uncut Gems Page #6

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HOWARD:

See? It’s from his Instagram, it’sblowing up.

STEVE:

Ok, it’s his ring, I understand.

You’re selling it for him?

HOWARD:

No, it’s mine. We did a trade.

STEVE:

So what do you want for it?

HOWARD:

Hmmm. I figure the thing is worth 80grand minimum.

RODNEY looks up from his loupe incredulously.

RODNEY:

Look, we both know what we’re dealingwith here. We both know the value is

only because it’s memorabilia

35.

HOWARD:

But it is a memorabilia piece. That’swhy you’d be able to sell it.... Ok,

give me 50 g’s. Just float it for me-

RODNEY:

I’ll give you twenty five thousanddollars, but I want an 8% vig on thering.

HOWARD:

8%?! I’m coming back Friday!

STEVE:

Last time you left something here forsix months so-

HOWARD:

Last time wasn’t my fault, we fuckingwent over that.

RODNEY:

Ok, let’s make it quick. Twenty onethousand dollars, 7% vig. And I want

you to know, if you’re not back byFriday it’s my ring.

HOWARD:

If I don’t bring it back by Friday I’ma dead man.

While they’re finalizing the deal, camera zooms across thearcade to reveal PHIL and NICO peering in through a storefrontwindow.

INT. PHIL’S CAR - FIRST AVENUE - CONTINUOUS

PHIL and NICO, eye swollen from the punch earlier, drive at awalker’s pace, trailing HOWARD from 100 yards distance. HOWARDwalks at a steady clip up 1st Ave. The voice of ARNO isaudible via speakerphone.

ARNO (O.S.)

70th and 1st? What’s he doing there?

PHIL:

Walking.... Now he’s stopping he’sslowing down.

PHIL and NICO watch HOWARD stop dead in his tracks on thesidewalk.

36.

PHUL:

Ok, yeah he’s stopping. He’s playingwith his phone maybe?

NICO:

He’s hunched over. You can’t see.

They watch HOWARD put his phone back in his pocket and thencontinue down the street.

PHIL:

Ok, he’s going again.

ARNO (O.S.)

Wait. I just got a text from him.

PHIL:

What’s it say?

ARNO (O.S.)

He sent me a picture. It’s a pictureof money.

PHIL:

The little prick has money.

ARNO:

He says ‘Arno, look! I have your moneyright here!”

HOWARD trots into a restaurant, a spring in his step.

PHIL:

He’s turning into somewhere.

NICO:

A restaurant, Nino’s.

INT. NINO’S RESTAURANT - UPPER EAST SIDE - AFTER

HOWARD enters NINO’s. Customers now dine at tables. HOWARD

looks around for GARY but doesn’t spy him.

HOWARD:

(to a WAITER)

Hey handsome, is Gary in?

WAITER:

He’s in the kitchen.

HOWARD walks to the back of the restaurant and into the

kitchen.

37.

INT. NINO’S RESTAURANT - KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS

HOWARD finds GARY in the middle of viciously reprimanding aMexican line-cook for putting carrots in a caesar salad.

HOWARD:

Gary!

GARY:

What!?!

HOWARD:

Sorry. I want to make a quick changeto my bet.

GARY:

I’m busy.

HOWARD takes out a Damien Jewelry envelope.

HOWARD:

I got twenty one thousand dollarshere, you add that onto the othernineteen-

GARY:

What’s the change?

HOWARD:

Scrap the whole bet. I want to do aparlay instead. 6 ways all in onegame. What’s the spread for tonight’sCeltics Sixers?

GARY:

Still plus one.

HOWARD:

Great.

(reading off his envelope)

I wanna celtics’ moneyline, I want theover on Garnett’s points and rebounds,

the over on Garnett’s blocked shots,

the over on Rondo’s assists, I want

the Celtics opening tip, you takelightening bets?

GARY:

Yeah, but you don’t want any part oflightning bets.

HOWARD:

That’s fine. I want a thousand dollars

a point...

38.

A pause. GARY does the numbers in his head. HOWARD takes out aRolex watch, still in it’s casing, from his inside pocket.

HOWARD (CONT’D)

And take this, just for tolerating mefor all these years. It’s aSubmariner. 10 thousand brand new.

GARY looks at the watch and immediately hands it back.

GARY:

I already got a Rolex. It probablyfell of a truck anyway. But listen,

what do you know? Garnett this,

Garnett that, what do you know?

HOWARD:

I don’t know, I just know.

GARY:

Well, I’ll tell you what I know.

That’s the dumbest f***in’ bet I ever

heard.

HOWARD:

(smiling widely)

I disagree.... I disagree, Gary.

EXT. HOWARD’S HOUSE - OLD BROOKEVILLE, L.I. NY - NIGHT

The windows of a 90s modern garish home glow with light as thesounds of the Celtics/Sixers game is heard.

INT. HOWARD’S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - FOREST HILLS, NY - NIGHT

On large flatscreen tv in a gaudy, nouveau riche living room,

HOWARD watches game 3 of the Celtics vs Sixers game with greatintensity.

HOWARD:

Get it to KG.. Dump it to KG!

COMMENTATOR:

-Rondo to Garnett down low...

HOWARD:

That’s it... That’s it...

GARNETT spins into the paint and sinks a contested shot.

HOWARD pumps his fist.

39.

HOWARD (CONT’D)

BOOM! F*** YOU!

KG strides back on defense as the camera focuses on him in a

close up.

HOWARD (CONT’D)

That’s my man....

DINAH appears in the door frame.

DINAH:

Howard! What are you doing!? Beni iswaiting for you1

HOWARD:

Ok, ok, one sec, coming up.

DINAH:

It’s twenty five minutes past hisbedtime. Go.

HOWARD:

Did he brush his teeth yet?

DINAH:

Brush his teeth!?! I sent you seventexts in the dark.

HOWARD:

That guy was in my shop earlier today.

DINAH looks at the screen. She doesn’t care. HOWARD remains

focused on the game.

DINAH:

Howard, go say goodnight to your son.

HOWARD:

Of course, lemme just wait for a timeout. One second.

A long pause. HOWARD watches the screen. DINAH watches him.

DINAH:

(losing it)

NOW!

INT. HOWARD’S HOUSE - BENI’S BEDROOM - SOON AFTER

HOWARD lays on the floor of a lavishly designed children’sbedroom, listening to the game at low volume on headphones.

The lights are off.

40.

BENI is tucked under the covers in the his race-car bed, eyesclosed.. It’s the 2nd Quarter, the Celtics are up by 4. HOWARDwatches the small screen intensely.

COMMENTATOR:

Rondo with 7 on the shot clock, will

pass it to Garnett at the top of thekey. Now with 4, Garnett from deep.

KG hits a midrange jumper at the top of the key. HOWARD pumpshis fist excitingly. The celtics are up by 49 to 43.

HOWARD:

(whisper-yell)

YES!!!!

COMMENTATOR (O.S.)

Garnett! Vintage game for sure, 15points on 7 for 8 from the field.

KG looks fired up on screen. A call is made. HOWARD protests.

HOWARD:

Oh gimme a f***in’ break.

BENI wakes up and cranes his neck over the side of his bed. Hesees HOWARD in a contorted position giving the finger to the

screen.

HOWARD (CONT’D)

(in hushed tones, at thegame)

F*** you Callahan! You cocksucker.

BENI just stares.

INT. HOWARD’S HOUSE - HALLWAY - SOON AFTER

HOWARD shuts the door to BENI’s room and quietly walks down acarpeted hallway. He raps on another door and opens it.

HOWARD:

Can you believe this!

EDDIE slam dunks a nerf basketball into a full size basketball

hoop installed on his bedroom wall.

INT. EDDIE’S ROOM - CONTINUOUS

EDDIE watches the game on a big wall mounted flatscreensurrounded by toys and collectibles.

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