Wonder Boys Page #12

GRADY shakes his head, carries the phone toward the

bedroom WINDOW.

GRADY:

Look, Sara. ..I'm not here. ..I'm not here to

. . .

As GRADY watches, a late-model PONTIAC BONNEVIlLE turns

into the driveway below him.

GRADY (cont'd)

...reconcile with Emily.

SARA'S VOICE

Are you there to not reconcile with her?

The Bonneville's trunk pops open, revealing THREE BAGS OF

GROCERIES, and HANK and IRENE WINTERS, both in their 60's,

get out. An enormous NEWFOUNDLAND vaults from the backseat.

Sara, eating phone static this whole time, interprets

Grady's silence her own way.

SARA'S VOICE (cont'd)

Goodbye, Grady.

GRADY:

No. Sara, you don't understand...

SARA'S VOICE

Trust me, I understand. I just want to say

something to you, Grady.

GRADY:

(dreading it)

Yea?

SARA'S VOICE

How you choose to live your own life is your

business. But you be careful with that boy,

Grady. With James. He belongs to somebody else.

As the line goes dead, GRADY watches Hank and Irene

Winters disappear below him.

69INT. DEN 69

James--Irish whiskey in one hand, the pride of Humboldt

County in the other--watches with deep absorption as Judy

and Mickey have a heartfelt conversation. Then, sensing

something ...he turns.

Hank and Irene Winters, grocery bags in arm, stand

frozen.

JAMES LEER:

Hullo.

FOOTSTEPS are HEARD on the staircase and GRADY hobbies

into view. He tries a smile.

GRADY:

Mom. Dad.

70INT. DEN - WINTERS HOUSE - (A BIT LATER)

Hank Winters emerges from the bathroom with a roll of

tape, a bottle of alcohol, and some cotton wool.

HANK:

Well, it's infected, I can tell you that. I'm

just going to clean it up a bit. It's up to you

to-find someone who knows what they're doing.

Here. Put your foot up.

GRADY puts his foot up on Hank's lazy-Boy, then notices a

BOOK lying face down on the seat. The AUTHOR on the back

cover looks as if he's trying very hard to look

consequential. To his surprise, GRADY realizes the author

is himself.

HANK:

So he's one of your students, this boy?

GRADY glances into the living room, where James and Irene

sit on a long couch together, sipping something hot. James

is looking out the window, a curious expression on his

face. GRADY looks out his own window, sees the Newfoundland

sniffing curiously at-the Galaxie's trunk. When he glances

back into the living room, he and James make brief eye

contact, then blink, look away.

GRADY:

Yes. He's a good kid. Maybe a little messed

up.

HANK:

Well, I'm sure with the proper guidance he'll

be fine.

GRADY tries to read Hank's face---is he messing with

him?--but Hank gives nothing away. GRADY nods to the book.

GRADY:

What made you pull out that old thing?

HANK:

(shrugging)

I was thinking of you.

GRADY:

And?

HANK:

It's no Arsonist's Daughter, but I guess you

know that. It's a young man's book. It got me

remembering how it felt to be young.

GRADY:

Maybe I should read it.

HANK:

Oh, I don't think there's any danger of you

aging prematurely, Grady.

GRADY doesn't have to read Hank's face this time.

GRADY:

Where's Emily, Hank?

HANK:

I 'don't know if she'd want me to tell you

that, Grady.

GRADY:

I'm not going to stalk her. Hank. I just.

..want to know where I stand.

Hank looks up, incredulous.

HANK:

Where you stand?

GRADY:

(embarrassed)

l-just want to say I'm sorry.

HANK:

She's in Philadelphia seeing Linda Aahby. The

neurologist.

GRADY:

Neurologist? Why? What's wrong?

HANK:

(frowning)

Nothing's wrong. They went to Wellesley

together.

GRADY:

(sheepishly)

Oh. Right. Linda ...I haven't been doing a lot

of sleeping lately. My editor's in town and I

have the book to finish and--

HANK:

Ah, right. The book.

GRADY starts to continue, then stops, cowed by something

in Hank's tone, something dismissive. Instead, he looks

away, toward the living room, and catches sight of James

again, sitting alone now with his big cup of cocoa.

GRADY:

Listen, Hank, I'm sorry about ail this. I

didn't come here to upset you and Irene. I want

you to know that.

HANK:

Why did you come here, Grady?

GRADY gestures vaguely.

GRADY:

I -just wanted to see her, I guess-- Emily.

And to see you too-you and Irene. And to let

everyone know that, even though it may be

difficult to comprehend now, this-everything

that's happening-it's not forever. It doesn't

mean "Goodbye."

HANK:

Give me a break, Grady.

Hank snaps off the tape, slaps Grady's ankle.

HANK:

You're done.

71INT. GALAXIE - MOVING - DUSK 71

GRADY glowers darkly at the road, then puts his hand up

against the HEATING VENT which, apparently, is not putting

out any heat.

JAMES LEER:

I'm having a really good time, Professor

Tripp.

GRADY glances over, sees James burrowing into the Ziploc.

GRADY:

I'm really happy for you, James. But do me a

favor, will you? Lay off my dope. That stuff's

not for amateurs.

James looks at Ziploc as GRADY fiddles with the heat

LEVER.

JAMES LEER:

I just wanted a little sip.

GRADY:

(squinting at him)

I just wanted a little sip? Tell me, James,

exactly what point was it that you turned into

Serpent Boy?

JAMES LEER:

Probably about the time you gave me the

codeine pills last night.

GRADY stops with the heater, glances over at James, whose

face bears not the slightest trace of irony.

GRADY:

Jesus...

(thinking, then. . . )

Look, James, you appear to possess-like many

an aspiring writer before you, by the way-a

rather ardent affinity for the stuff of which

dreams are made. However, I 'think it's best

if, for the moment at least

(taking the Ziploc)

...we abstain.

JAMES LEER:

You're mad at me, aren't you?

GRADY:

What?

JAMES LEER:

You're mad because I shot your girlfriend's

dog.

GRADY:

It wasn't her dog. It's her husband's--

(stopping)

Who said anything about girlfriend?

James eyes shift slowly, as if to 'say: Who are you

kidding?

GRADY:

Okay, James, I wish you hadn't shot my

girlfriend's dog. Even though Poe and I weren't

exactly what you'd call simpatico, that's no

reason for him to take two in the chest. Still,

the fact remains that I'm the one who took you

up into the Chancellor's bedroom. I'm the one

who has to take the blame. I- don't know what

the hell I was thinking.

JAMES LEER:

Sure you do. You were thinking: 'That's no cap

gun in that kid's overcoat.' You were thinking

'I can't let that kid get on. the bus alone-he

might never get on the bus again.' You were

thinking:
'I've got to find a way to distract

this kid. ' So you did. It was--in its way--a

noble act.

GRADY:

Thanks for the halo, James, but I've . never

done that much thinking ahead in my" life-ever.

James looks -out the window, pondering this.

JAMES LEER:

So, why did you take me up there?

GRADY:

(feeling for the heat again)

I -don' t know, James . I don' t know why I do

half the things I do. Who does?

(looking over)

Why do you wear that coat?

James looks down, a little defensive.

JAMES LEER:

It's warm.

GRADY:

James, fall semester, first day of class, it

was 95 degrees and you were wearing the coat.

James just blinks, no ready answer-available.

Rate this script:3.0 / 4 votes