Woman in Gold Page #2

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RANDY:

With a firm as impressive as this,

I would be strongly motivated to

deliver my very best.

SHERMAN has an open folder before him which contains Randy’s

CV :
the name SCHOENBERG in bold letters at the top.

SHERMAN:

Any relation to the famous

composer?

Randy is a little put out by the question. One senses he gets

this all the time. But he does his best to cover the

instinctive response.

RANDY:

Arnold was my grandfather, sir.

SHERMAN:

His music demands a certain quality

of application but the rewards

validate the effort.

BROWN:

A radical.

RANDY:

One of the things I would most look

forward to is dealing with..

But he’s interrupted.

SHERMAN:

And Judge Schoenberg is your

father.

RANDY:

Retired now, but yes sir, he is.

SHERMAN:

Outstanding lineage Mr. Schoenberg.

RANDY:

Yes, sir.

He gives up, smiles, just a little defeated. It’s not as if

he’s not used to living in these shadows.

SHERMAN:

So what happened in Pasadena?

Randy is flummoxed by the question. For a second he

flounders, then opts for honesty.

RANDY:

I took a risk and it didn’t pay

off. Working for yourself isn’t

everything it’s hyped up to be.

SHERMAN:

So now you’re ready to work with

others.

And all Randy can muster is a smile. But Sherman decides to

give him a chance. He closes the file.

SHERMAN (CONT’D)

Let’s give it a go, Mr. Schoenberg.

EXT. THE SCHOENBERGS’ GARDEN. DAY.

In the slightly scruffy back garden of the house Randy shares

with his wife PAM and baby daughter DORA in the San Fernando

Valley, Pam and Randy are drinking champagne. Pam is holding

the glasses in one hand, balancing Dora in the other. Randy

puts on a mock patrician voice, sending the whole thing up a

little.

RANDY:

Here’s to Bergen, Brown, Sherman,

and being able to tell them apart.

PAM:

I’m so proud of you. And I was

thinking..

RANDY:

Uh-oh.

She gives him a playful kick in the shins. He feigns pain.

PAM:

We could get out of here, put a

down payment on one of those houses

we saw in Brentwood. I mean, not

now, but soon.

RANDY:

Oh my God, I’ve just come from the

interview and she’s already calling

the moving company.

PAM:

It’s the first time we can start

making plans.

RANDY:

What is it you don’t like about

this place? The leaking taps, the

rogue mice, or the psychotic

neighbour?

PAM:

All of the above. And we could get

somewhere with a little room I

could turn into a studio.

RANDY:

Sounds pretty good.

She kisses him, turns to go into the house.

PAM:

I’m putting her to bed and then

we’ll have dinner. Couscous.

She turns and behind her back he makes a face - he’s

obviously not a fan of couscous.

RANDY:

That’s great. I’m going to run out

but I’ll be back by eight, eight

thirty at the latest.

PAM:

Where are you going?

RANDY:

My Mom’s been driving me crazy.

Some family friend woman. I need to

get it out of the way.

She kisses him.

PAM:

Okay. Hurry home.

EXT. HOLLYWOOD HILLS STREET. DAY.

Randy is driving towards Maria’s house, looking a little

stressed as he mutters to himself.

RANDY:

Thanks, Mom.

EXT. MARIA’S FRONT YARD. DUSK.

In the early evening, Randy pulls up in front of Maria’s

little bungalow. He gets out of the car to find her watering

her plants.

MARIA:

I was expecting you at six. It’s

ten past.

RANDY:

My apologies, Mrs. Altmann, it was

gridlock on Wilshire.

And it’s lovely to see you too.

As he shakes her hand the sarcasm can’t help but seep through

his smile. Maria starts to make her way towards the front

door; he follows.

MARIA:

You look tired and stressed but

you’re not bad looking.

RANDY:

Thank you.

MARIA:

Do you know anything about art

restitution?

RANDY:

Not a thing.

MARIA:

Well, it’s never too late to learn.

Come in and have some strudel. I

made it especially for you.

And as they enter the house, Randy throws a quick glance at

his watch. He really doesn’t have the time for this.

INT. MARIA’S LIVING ROOM. DUSK.

Randy is walking around Maria’s living room, taking it all

in. It’s as if a small part of pre-war Vienna has been

transported to the suburbs of L.A. He’s looking at an old

family picture on the wall from the 1920s when Maria

approaches with a slice of strudel for him.

MARIA:

My sister is the pretty one on the

right.

INT. LIVING ROOM, ELIZABETHSTRASSE. DUSK.

The photo comes to life: it is the 1920’s and the Bloch-

Bauers are posing for the photographer: CHILD MARIA and her

sister CHILD LUISE, GUSTAV and THERESE, their parents,

FERDINAND and ADELE, their uncle and aunt. As each one is

mentioned, we see them in close-up as they prepare to have

their photograph taken.

MARIA (V.O.)

I’m the moody one in the middle. My

parents, my uncle Ferdinand, and

my aunt Adele.

ADELE ADELE (CONT’D)

Come and sit next to me, Komm, setz dich neben mich,

Maria, darling. Maria, Liebling.

MARIA (V.O.)

Adele did not have children, we

were like one big family ; I had

two sets of parents.

GUSTAV GUSTAV (CONT’D)

Try to smile Maria, it’s Versuche wenigstens einmal im

good to exercise your facial Jahr zu lächeln Maria, es ist

muscles at least once a year! eine gute Übung für deine

Gesichtsmuskeln!

They all laugh and there’s a flash as the photo is taken.

MARIA (V.O.)

The Bloch-Bauers.

RANDY (V.O.)

The famous Bloch-Bauers.

INT. MARIA’S LIVING ROOM. DUSK.

And now they’re sitting and he’s finished the cake, puts the

plate down. Maria hands him a big bundle of letters, tied

with a string. He is polite but it’s not easy, he doesn’t

want to be here.

MARIA:

I found these amongst my sister’s

belongings. I’ve translated them

for you on the back.

He starts to scan them, notices the date.

RANDY:

1948.

MARIA:

From our family lawyer in Vienna,

Johann Rinesch. All about our

paintings which were stolen by the

Nazis.

RANDY:

Okay.

MARIA:

A month ago I read in the New York

Times that things are changing in

Austria.

RANDY:

How are they changing?

MARIA:

They’re redrafting the art

restitution laws. Reviewing old

cases.

INT. MARIA’S DINING ROOM. DUSK.

The dining room basks in late afternoon light as Maria opens

the sliding doors to it, and it’s madness - all of her

sister’s belongings take up the whole room, books and boxes

piled high on the floor and on the table. Randy follows her

into the room.

MARIA:

My sister finally moves in with me.

Only problem is she decides to do

it when she’s dead.

RANDY:

Well, at least you won’t be having

any arguments that way.

She gives him a look. He flounders, keeps digging.

RANDY (CONT’D)

What I mean is..you know how house-

mates argue, like about leaving

dishes in the sink and stuff like

that.

She gives him nothing. Randy digs some more.

RANDY (CONT’D)

So you won’t be arguing. About

dishes. Is what I mean. Coz she’s

dead.

It’s agony. He’s reached the end. No more space to dig.

RANDY (CONT’D)

I’m sorry. That was..it was a joke.

Well, it was supposed to be a joke.

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