Wonder Boys Page #11

JAMES LEER:

She seemed to take it pretty well.

GRADY:

Yeah, well, actually. . .

James looks over.

GRADY (cont'd)

The moment didn't really present itself.

James nods, unsurprised, then turns back to the window,

staring at the landscape, still sitting oddly still. GRADY

glances at him. At the orange juice jug.

GRADY (cont'd)

You' re not planning on puking in my car, are

you, James?

Nothing.

GRADY:

Don't be proud, James. We're in Sewickley

Heights. We could find you a nice golf course

to barf on.

JAMES LEER:

(sharply)

No.

GRADY looks over, surprised by the James' tone. James

blinks, looks embarrassed.

JAMES LEER (cont'd)

I mean. I'm fine. I'm sorry. I just...

James peers out the window at passing landscape.

JAMES LEER (cont'd)

I've got a thing about, ..places like this. I

know what those houses are like. I know what

the people are like.

GRADY:

Your aunt ?

James turns, eyes flashing with surprise.

GRADY (cont'd)

Hannah mentioned something about an aunt.

James nods vaguely, then reaches into the ashtray, takes

a JOINT between his fingers, sniffs it.

JAMES LEER:

Humboldt County?

GRADY:

(surprised)

Maybe...

JAMES LEER:

It's my father. He gets it from his doctor.

GRADY:

Glaucoma?

JAMES LEER:

Colon cancer.

GRADY:

Jesus, James. Wow.

James puts the joint back in the ashtray.

JAMES' LEER

It's a bit of a scandal. My parents live in a

small town.

GRADY:

Where's that?

JAMES LEER:

Carvel.

GRADY:

Carvel? Where's Carvel?

JAMES LEER:

Outside Scranton.

GRADY:

I never heard of it.

JAMES LEER:

It's a hellhole. Three motels and a mannequin

factory. My dad worked there for thirty-five

years.

GRADY:

Your father worked in a mannequin factory?

JAMES LEER:

Seitz Plastics. That's where he met my morn.

She was a fry cook in the cafeteria. Before

that, she'd been a dancer.

GRADY:

What kind of dancer? .

JAMES LEER:

Whatever kind they wanted her to be.

GRADY:

(in disbelief)

James Leer, are you telling me your mother was

a stripper?

JAMES LEER:

I'm telling you what I was told by my uncle.

And he should know. He ran half a dozen men's

clubs in Baltimore before he skipped town on a

bad debt.

GRADY:

Didn't you say your Mom went to Catholic

school?

JAMES LEER:

When we fall, we fall hard.

GRADY:

Amazing.

GRADY takes the joint from the ashtray, lights it, then

notices-with surprise--James has his hand out.

GRADY (cont'd)

I thought you were the guy who didn't like to

lose control of his emotions.

JAMES LEER:

Maybe I just needed the moment to present

itself.

55EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD (KINSHIP) - DAY .(ONE HOUR LATER)

GRADY glides down the graceful, tree-lined streets of a

modest, but well-kept neighborhood. James still has the

JOINT-now only a tiny nub-pinched between his fingers.

JAMES LEER:

This is so nice. It's like where Andy Hardy

would live. What's it called again?

GRADY:

Kinship.

JAMES LEER:

Kinship. And what's here?

GRADY:

Unless I miss my bet...my wife.

James' heavy eyelids flutter with surprise.

JAMES LEER:

The one that left you?

GRADY:

That's right. That one.

56EXT. FRONT PORCH - WINTERS FAMILY HOUSE

GRADY RAPS on the front door, then cups his hands against

the glass of the living room window, squints inside.

Nothing. As he turns away, GRADY sees James sitting on the

hood of the Galaxie with the box of powdered donuts. He's

sitting in the indentation.

JAMES LEER:

Someone jumped on your car with their butt ..-

GRADY:

How can you tell?

JAMES LEER:

You can see the outline of a butt.

As GRADY nods, James holds out the donut box.

JAMES LEER (cont'd)

Want one. They're incredible. Incredible.

GRADY:

Smoke the rest of that joint, James, and you

can start on the box.

58EXT. BACK PORCH - BACK YARD (MOMENTS LATER)

As GRADY steps onto the back porch, James follows.

JAMES LEER:

Maybe she didn't come here.

GRADY:

She came here. We'll just wait. In the

meantime, I need you to shimmy through.

James stares at the "Doggy Door" cut into the back porch

door.

GRADY:

Relax. Emily hasn't carried a house key since

she was twelve years old. And your hips are as

slim as hers.

JAMES LEER:

It's not that. It just reminded me of-- you

know-of what's in the car. In the trunk.

GRADY:

(a pang of guilt himself)

Oh. Right. Well, let's try not to think about

that.

James takes another sad glance at the little door, then

drops onto ail fours.

59INT. LIVING ROOM - WINTERS HOUSE - MOMENTS LATER

GRADY leads James through the house. Everything about it

speaks of family. Even the furniture seems arranged so that

people will gather together, light a fire, talk.

JAMES LEER:

It feels really... good. ..here.

GRADY:

I know. It's the house you want to wake up in

on Christmas morning.

(moving off)

Make yourself at home. I'll be right back.

60INT. UPSTAIRS BEDROOM 60

Grady, laboring badly on his ankle", enters and finds a

DUFFEL BAG open on the floor, its contents a tangle of

quickly-packed clothes. Everything else in the room feels

of another time. PHOTOGRAPHS are everywhere, documenting a

PRETTY GIRL'S life, from first recital to cap and gown.

One photograph lies face down. GRADY turns it over and

finds the pretty girl grown into a beautiful young woman,

standing in a white gown next to a younger Grady--on their

wedding day.

61INT. DEN

James enters, FRENCH ROLL in hand, and sees a REMOTE

CONTROL atop the BAR. Taking it, he points it at the WIDE-

SCREEN TELEVISION imbedded in the opposite wall and,

seconds later, GEORGE SANDERS walks into his CLOSE-UP.

GEORGE SANDERS:

There's no such thing as a good influence, Mr.

Gray. All influence is immoral...

62INT. UPSTAIRS BEDROOM - SAME TIME

Grady, a PINK PRINCESS PHONE to his ear, lies on the bed

next to a huge TEDDY BEAR.

GRADY:

(into phone)

Yes, I' m looking for the Chancellor... I

don't know. She should be in the main hall

...Thank you.

63INT. DEN

James runs through the channels, pauses on MARTIN MILNER

and GEORGE MAHARIS, riding in their curvy Corvette.

64INT. UPSTAIRS BEDROOM - SAME TIME

A Nelson Riddle's THEME FROM ROUTE 66 BOOMS from below,

GRADY:

cups a hand over his ear.

GRADY:

Sara? Hi. It's Grady.

SARA'S VOICE

Where are you, Grady? An elevator?

GRADY:

I'm in Kinship. Listen, Sara, there's some

things we need to talk about...

SARA'S VOICE

(evenly)

You're in Kinship?

GRADY:

Yes. But that's not why I called...

SARA'S VOICE

With Emily?

GRADY:

What? No'. There's no one here. I'm just

...just....

SARA'S VOICE

Just what? Doing a little dusting?

As GRADY endeavors to respond, TWO YOUTHFUL VOICES,

CHEERFULLY SINGING, rise from below.

CHEERFUL VOICES:

Good Morning! Good Morning!

GRADY:

(yelling)

James! For Christ sake, will you turn that

thing down!

SARA'S VOICE

James? He's still with you?

65INT. DEN

James, in the midst of pouring himself a tumbler of

Bushmills, smiles as JUDY GARLAND and MICKEY ROONEY sing

their hearts out in Babes In Arms.

JUDY/MICKEY

We talked the whole night through!

66INT. UPSTAIRS BEDROOM

Rate this script:3.0 / 4 votes