Lucy's Dilemma: A Christmas Story of Love and Family, Lecture notes of Voice

Download Lucy's Dilemma: A Christmas Story of Love and Family and more Lecture notes Voice in PDF only on Docsity! ' June 29, 1994 WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING ••• by Dan Sullivan and Fred Lebow •' • - 1 EXT. QD££'RS - LATE FALL - 1974 A subway= rattles bene~th a cobalt sky. It's a cold November evening. 'Tlided amid a t:.Jw of storefronts is Moderatz and Hinch Insurance co. The door opens, a bell jingles and a little girl and a mam wearing a heavy gray overcoat step out. The man locks the store, milds the little girl's hand and they walk down the street toget:ller. A woman's voice comes up in VOICE OVER. V .O. My father was a liar. (beat) I guess that's kind of strong. He was in sales. His motto was never leave the prospects' house until they call the cops. EXT. WOODS:IDE RAILYARD CUT TO: Trains pull in and out of the yard. trudge up and down the tracks. The off to the side. The father points trains. The little girl looks up at Heavily bundled workmen v.o. man and the little girl stand to the wheezing passenger him, fascinated. He would tell me stories. some­ times they were about all the places we were going to vi.sit. Exotic places like Fiji,..Awala Lumpur, even Paraguay. The Poconos weren't good enough for us. ,I The little girl and the man walk along the railroad tracks. V .o.' But mostly the stories he told me were about my mother. He said they met at the World's Fair in 1964. He broke the bell with one of those mallets you swing and they gave him his choice of stuffed bears. He saw my Mom in the crowd but he didn't give her the bear. He gave it to a little girl. He told my Mom he'd get her a real bear if one was ignorant enough to cross his path. They spent a magical day together. When the sun set she gave him her phone number and told him if he didn't call her the next morning she would know he didn't truly love her. He put the number in his wallet and on the train ride home... · LUCY Hold on! The ttll!le !IIWings -- CRASH! A window shatters. A voice bellows frol!I he)filll! LUCY! nn. ~ - 'LATER VOICE (o.s.) Lucy n~ly stands in her landlord, MR. MOLLO'S apartment. So does iMel, who stands safely behind her. Plastic covers the broken w.J.5ll!bw. Mr. Mollo sits at a table with a claim form. MR. MOLLO (reads) Nature of claim ••• Christmas tree through window. (looks at Lucy) How'm I gonna write that on my insurance? Lucy casts her eyes down. MR. MOLLO They're still pissed off about that arson claim I made in Staten Island. LUCY --I'll pay for it, Mr. Mollo. MR. MOLLO Why didn't you bring it up the stairs? LUCY I couldn't carry it myself and you don't like pine needles in the hallway ••• I'm sorry, Mr. Mollo. MR. MOLLO That's O.K., Lucy. (stands) My brother Funzie's in the glass business. Lucy heads for the door. LUCY I almost forgot. Lucy slips a tiny present out of her pocket. 4 LUCY Merry Christmas. MR. MOLLO (surprised) Lucy, you didn't have to do that. LUCY l wantea to. MR. MOLLO (embarrassed) I haven't gotten to my shopping yet. (beat) What size shoe you wear? JOE MOLLO JR. walks in. Joe Jr. is 22 and provocatively unbuttoned to his pot belly. Playboy bunny decal hangs around the folds JOE JR. has his shirt A gold chain with a in his neck. Hey, Pop, can I give that bottle of Blue Nun you got from cousin ornella to my probation officer? MR. MOLLO Joe Jr., can't you see I'm talking here? ___ . Lucy opens the door. MR. MOL);.,O You' re a nice gir'l, Lucy. (whispers) You know Joe Jr. is still single. Lucy looks at Joe Jr. He bends over and looks in the refrigerator. LUCY (uncomfortable) Yes, well, that's a shocker. Joe Jr. perks up. He strikes a pose. MR, MOLLO Just thinking out loud. Night, Lucy. 5 Lucy smiles and the door closes. The hall is empty. Lucy picks up her cat and walks down the dingy hallway. LUCY (scolds) Next time you get me set up with Joe Jr. I'm getting a dog. INT. Lucy•s APARTMENT - NIGHT 6 CUT TO: Lucy loo"k:511hrough her mail. One Christmas card. She opens it. It's stam,P£il, "Happy Holidays from l{OUR LETTER CARRIER." Lucy --places it am:-efully on her bookcase next to Christmas caras from the SANIT.A'.l!JON MAN, the PHONE COMPANY and KEY FOOD. She finds a Christmas imcord and puts it on the stereo. She opens a box of Christmas tree ornaments and starts decorating her battered tree. EXT. LUCY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT LONG SHOT. ~~cy is in the window draping tinsel on her Christmas tree -- aJme_ CUT TO: INT. CHOC-:FJILL-OF-NUTS - DAY A waitress aeaves through the busy restaurant and sweeps past Lucy. Lucy sits at a small table. She opens her pocketbook and pulls out a stack of travel brochures. The colorful pamphlets advertise everything from castles in Europe to sandy beaches in the Carib.bean. She spreads them carefully on the table. WAITRESS Ready to order? LUCY (smiles) I'll have the usual. ,. WAITRESS What's that? LUCY (embarrassed) Tuna sandwich on whole wheat. The waitress scribbles on a pad and moves off. There's a rap on the window. Lucy looks up. Her supervisor, JERRY WALLACE, a black man also wearing an MTA jacket, waves. Lucy quickly scoops up her travel brochures and tucks them in her pocketbook. Jerry walks in, blows some warmth into his hands and joins her. JERRY I was hoping I'd find you here. LUCY I was hoping you'd find me in Bermuda. 9 LUCY Arrrgk. Cashmere l500ops his token, and in an instant -- he's gone. Lucy is frozen. A crooked smile is stamped on her face. She sits in silence. The radio seems to fade out. There's an eerie quiet. LUCY (calmly) 'Four inonths • Four ,nonths 'I waited for this moment. (her voice rises) Never took a sick day. She stands and looks through her bubble. He's disappeared. LUCY I could have said ••• (smiles) "Merry Christmas to you." (angrily) But I said .•• (shouts) "Arrgk!" (bangs her head against the glass) Idiot! Stupid, stupid, idiot! Suddenly she hears a yell! She looks through the glass. LUCY'S P.o.v. -- Far down the platform°cashmere is being mugged. Two men grapple with him. Lucy grabs the phone. , ,, Cashmere lurches backward and falls headfirst off the platform. LUCY Oh, my God! Lucy bursts out of her booth. She vaults the turnstile and races along the platform. Cashmere lies face down on the tracks. A train's lights appear in the tunnel! LUCY (runs faster) A train's coming! Get off the tracks! He doesn't move. Lucy skids to a stop--gets on her hands and knees. The train HORN blasts! LUCY (enunciates) Can--you--hear me?! A--train-­ is coming! The man JLoolk:s up groggily, sees Lucy and passes out. LUCY .Help! The train streaks toward him! Lucy dangl.es over the edge of the tracks and extends her hand. LUCY Grab my hand! He doesn't JDOve. Lucy ••• stretches! The train's HORN blares! Lucy looks at the on-rushing train figure -- shuts her eyes and jumps. looks at the helpless She tumbles next to the unconscious man, scrambles to her feet and tries to lift him. His coat is caught. The train bears down ••• Lucy pulls -- the coat tears .•• 10 The train sweeps past the CAMERA. The ..a.st car disappears into the tunnel. SILENCE. Lucy's head pops up. She has pressed herself and the man into the notch workmen use to let tra1ns pass. She looks down. He's unconscious but even more breathtaking. Lucy stares at him. She's in love. CUT TO: INT. EMERGENCY ROOM BOOM! Paramedics sweep through the emergency room pushing a gurney with the subway victim strapped to it. Lucy scampers behind them. It's Christmas day in New York. Chaos. Gun shot wounds, car accident victims and attempted suicides crowd the halls. A nurse, WANDA COLES, holds a clipboard and meets them. WANDA .ffead injury, this way. The paramedics bang through a swinging door. A self-important, young INTERN stops Lucy. INTERN You can't come in here. ' LUCY But I have to. I have to see i.f he's O.K. INTERN You family? LUCY No. INTERN Staff and family members only. The gurney is shoved i.nto an elevator. LUCY {frustrated) You don't understand, I jumped in front of a train. The intern stands fast. The elevator closes. LUCY Get out of my way! Lucy shoves past the startled intern. Wanda intervenes. WANDA {sympathetically) come with me. As Lucy follows Wanda we CUT TO: INT. KITCHEN ,. ll A phone is ringing. MIDGE c~~LON, 50, prepares a Christmas ham. She picks up the phone. MIDGE Hello ••• EXT. CONLON'S LUMBER YARD CUT TO: MICHAEL ALOYSIUS "OX" CONLON, 56, unloads sheets of plywood from the back of a truck. His wiry next door neighbor and employee, SAUL TUTTLE, 73, rushes outside with a cordless phone. SAUL {ashen-faced) ox, it's Peter ••• INT. BINGO HALL CUT TO: ox's 200 pound mother-in-law, ELSIE, holds a pay phone and speaks over a man announcing Bingo numbers. 14 WANDA (quickly) That's his .•• fiance, doctor. Lucy looks at Wanda. DOCTOR (sympathetically) .I'm sorry .but we don't al.low visitors at this hour. LUCY Will he be O.K.? DOCTOR (somberly) He's stabilized. Nurse. The doctor motions with his eyes for the door. Wanda leads Lucy toward the door. ox ( 0. S,) DON'T TELL ME ABOUT PASSES! WHERE THE HELL IS HE! Wanda, Lucy and the doctor look at each other. Lucy reaches for the door. Suddenly a hurricane seems to blow into the room. The door flies open and the Conlons tumble in. Ox spots his unconscious son, PETER, th~subway victim, lying in the hospital bed. Midge rushes past ox as they crowd around the bed. Elsie clutches rosary beads. Midge grabs Peter's hand. ox stands helplessly behind his wife. DOCTOR (angry) . What is this?! ox J' This is my son! How is he? DOCTOR You can't come bursting into this unit. MIDGE (scared) He's going to be all right? The doctor doesn't answer. ox What happened here? What's going on? The doctor looks uncomfortable. The family looks at him. The doctor answers reluctantly. DOCTOR He's in a coma. MIDGE (stricken} Dear GOLl.. OD Ch.r.i.st.ma.s .day. Elsie fights back a sob. Saul grabs a chair for support. ox looks like he's just been punched in the stomach. His huge shoulders sag. ox Jesus, Peter ••• DOCTOR I'm sorry but we're doing everything we can. ox stares helplessly at his unconscious son. The rest of the family are in disbelief. The room is deathly silent. SAUL Are you a specialist?! MIDGE How could this happen? - , A VOICE pipes up from the corner of the room. LUCY (gently} , He was pushed off a subway platform. The family turns. Lucy, stands against the wall by the door. ox Who are you? DOCTOR That's his fiance. Now please ••• The Conlons look stunned. Everyone looks at each other. HIDGE His fiance? Lucy looks confused. ELSIE (shocked} Peter's engaged? < .15 DOCTOR (surprised) Yes ••• I thought ••. The Conlons are reeling. ox looks at Midge. MIDGE He would have told us. ELSIE (diplomatically) Maybe he's been busy. ox looks angrily at Peter. ox (bellows) Too busy to tell his own mother he's getting married! MARY Don't yell at him! ox I'm not yelling at him! The intern who barred Lucy in the emergency room barges in. INTERN What are you doing in hez:.el · Wanda steps in front of the intern. WANDA , • (belligerently) She saved his _ l_ife ..• MIDGE (to Lucy) You saved his life? LUCY Yes, but ••• The Conlons are astonished. ox I thought he got pushed off a subway platform. LUCY He did ••• WANDA She jumped on the tracks. J.6 Lucy das'lnes after her. Wanda's caught. LUCY What am 1 ~ 1 gonna do? WANDA (defensive) I didn't know they were going to show up • .I was trying to help. LUCY She hugged me so tight ••• I couldn't tell her. WANDA I know, I know .•• LUCY I've got to tell.. Lucy takes a deep breath, turns and bumps into Saul Tuttle. SAUL (to Wanda) You can tell me. Is he gonna die? (claps his hands over his ears) I don't want to know. Is there a pharmacy in the hospital? WANDA What do you need? SAUL • • Elsie needs her nitroglycerin pills. ' WANDA Nitroglycerin? She has a heart problem? Lucy looks alarmed. $AUL Problem! She's had three heart attacks already. You know what .her .blood pressure is ••• Lucy shakes her head. SAUL High. To the roof. It would be through the roof if it wasn't for you. I'm tellin' you ••• J.9 Saul exhales. SAUL I think you saved her life. I think you saved the whole family. CLOSEUP ON LUCY. HOLD. PULL BACK. LUCY sits on the couch again. ox .still .paces. .Mary sleeps in her mother's lap. Elsie has her hands folded over her ample belly and looks at Lucy. ELSIE (smiles) So tell us how you met Peter. MIDGE Ma ••• she doesn't want to talk about that now. ELSIE Why not? We could all use a nice story. Everyone turns and looks at Lucy. Lucy squirms. Ox pipes up. SAUL So how do you know it's nice? ELSIE Of course it's nice. it be nice? SAUL .; Why wouldn't What about that last girl. •• what's her name? He .met her in a bar. , ox (disdainfully) Ashley Bartlett Bacon. MIDGE Ox ••• ox What? MIDGE Is that nice talk? ox All I know is she was pretty high and mighty for someone named after a breakfast meat. 20 MIDGE Well he has a nice girl now. Lucy ~mi:J.es painfully. The room goes silent again. They all stare at :Lary. Lucy nocm. ELSIE (smiles) I'll bet it was love at first sight. (coaxes) Right •.• ELSIE I have a sense about these things. SAUL Will you let her tell it. ELSIE She is telling it. (to Lucy) I'll bet he picked you up in that fancy car he drives. LUCY (shakes her head) We were waiting for a tr~in, SAUL (impressed) A train ••• Claudette Colbert met Joel McCrea on a train in Palm Beach Story. ELSIE I told you it was a nice story. MIDGE What was it about him ••• you know ••• that struck you. LUCY His smile. Definitely his smile. (beat) ••• It was magical. SAUL They're caps. $600 a tooth. Elsie shushes him. ox stops pacing and joins the group around Lucy. They all look at her expectantly. 21 INT. LUCY'S APARTMENT Lucy walks ill. Her phone's ringing. She picks it up. LUCY Hello? OX (o. s.) Hi, Lucy aren't you coming down. We'Te -all here. INT. HOSPl'.TAL - WAITING ROOM - LATE NIGHT CUT TO: Lucy sits vith the family. Elsie smiles and pats Lucy's knee tenderly. CUT TO: INT. HOSPITAL LOBBY - LATER The Conlons, Saul and Lucy walk through the lobby. Saul helps Midge on with her coat. Midge hugs him. SAUL Go home already. If there's any change I'll call you. MIDGE Are you sure, Saul? SAUL You rest. I can sleep during the day. • • ox I'll pull the -car up. OK trudges out to the parking lot. Midge holds Lucy's arm. MIDGE Now you're coming over tomorrow for a belated Christmas dinner. LUCY (squirms) I don't know, I don't want to be any trouble. ELSIE You're no trouble. SAUL I'll bring the dessert, you like eclairs? 24 ELSIE Who doesn't like eclairs? Midge pulls her coat oti-,1 MIDGE (to Lucy) Jack called, he's stuck up in Haine. .But he's COJlling. Lucy looks concerned. MARY That's my other brother. ELSIE He delivers furniture. SMASH CUT TO: EXT. HIGHWAY A furniture truck roars down the road. As it streaks past the CAMERA we CUT BACK TO: INT. HOSPITAL Ox wheels a huge Chrysler up to the doors and BLASTS the horn. SAUL ox, for God's sake we're at a hospital! The family heads for the car. .. ' LUCY I'll be a second. Lucy runs to the water fountain and splashes cold water on her face. The doctor calls to her. DOCTOR (o.s.) Miss .•• Lucy turns. The doctor hands her a yellow envelope. LUCY fihat's this? DOCTOR Your husband's personal belongings. LUCY (frazzled) He isn't my husband. 25 DOCTOR I'm sorry, your fiance. Lucy looks overwhelmed. DOCTOR Are you O.K.? The horn blows ~gain. Lucy tucks the envelope in her jacket and pushes out the door. INT. LUCY'S APARTMENT - LATE NIGHT Lucy tosses and turns. Finally she sits upright. EXT. STREET It's late. Lucy exits walks down the deserted street. INT. SUBWAY CUT TO: The train pulls in. Lucy steps on. The train barrels through the tunnel. INT. HOSPITAL - LATE NIGHT Lucy sneaks down the hallway. She peeks around a corner. The coast is clear. She skirts the waiting--ro6in. INT. WAITING ROOM Saul is asleep on the couch. INT. PETER'S ROOM , ., Lucy enters the dark, quiet room and approaches Peter's bed. He's unconscious. Lucy looks at him. Hi. LUCY (whispers) The machines beep. Lucy sits in a chair by Peter's bedside. LUCY I guess you•re wondering what I'm doing here in the middle of the night. Lucy sits in the darkness. The hospital's silent except for the whirrs of life-support. Lucy sits quietly for a moment. Lucy Jam.a; toward him, smiles gently, and kisses him. She waits Eaglmtantly. Peter doesn't move. Lucy picks up her book and t\.tt:!llli6 'lthe page. BEEP. I.NT. PETEl<"S APARTMENT - SAME TIME Peter's mswering machine clicks on. BEEP. PE'rER (on machine) This is Peter Conlon, leave a message and I'll call you back. Ciao. WOMAN'S VOICE (on machine) Peter, this is Ashley. l.'m cutting short my trip. Lisbon's beautiful. (beat) I've been doing a lot of thinking and ••• YES, I'll marry you. INT. APARJl!:ENT - LATE DAY CUT TO: CUT TO: 29 Lucy staggers into her apartment and flops on the couch. She shuts her eyes. A horn BLARES. Lucy looks haggard. She struggles to her feet and peers out her_wipdow. The Chrysler is parked in front. Saul waves. Lucy waves back, takes a deep breath and heads out the door. I.NT. HALLWAY , Lucy starts down the stairs. Joe Jr. stands outside his door running a comb through his hair. He tries to see his reflection in the doorknob. ANGLE ON Joe Jr's distorted reflection. He spots Lucy. JOE JR. (cocky) Tomorrow night, s:oo. LUCY What? Joe Jr. fans two tickets. JOE JR. I got Dice tickets. Lucy nods absently and races down the stairs. CUT TO: 30 INT. CAR/EXT. EXPRESSWAY The Chrysler sails along the expressway like a yacht. Saul can barely see over the steering wheel. His soft hat is pulled down over his eyes. Saul's right blinker is on. He turns into the · left lane. Horns blast. LUCY (.smiJ.es nervously) I thought Mr. Conlon was pi.eking me up. SAUL He wanted to but I thought this would be a good chance for us to talk. Lucy smiles uneasily. Saul sticks tlis hand out the window and abruptly changes lanes. SAUL Did you know I'm Peter's God­ father, Lucy? LUCY (surprised) I thought you had to be catholic? SAUL ox fudged it over with ~ther Shea. He donated the oak for the new church pews. (pause) Being a Godfathe:r is very important to Catholics. It means you're practically P';'rt of the family. LUCY You're lucky. It's nice to have someone to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" with this time of year. SAUL (probes) Who do you watch it with? LUCY ~ell, there was only my Dad and he passed away a few years ago. SAUL I'm sorry. LUCY He was sick a long time. ' Saul looks at her sympathetically. Lucy nods. Lucy laughs. Sf UL Was it just,\:.he two of you? SAUL How did you manage? 'LUCY We managed O.K. We talked a lot. (smiles) We talked about everything. When I was a little girl, my Dad always had plans, places to go and see but he never got to do any of them. He spent his life taking care of me. When he got sick I quit school and got a job with the MTA. {proudly) I just got nominated for an award. Employee of the month, SAUL You're a good daughter. LUCY He was a great father. SAUL - My wife of 51 years died two years ago February 9th. That was a very tough,t~me for me. (looks at Lucy) Ox saw me through. LUCY You're good friends. SAUL Best. (smiles softly) We sing in a barbershop quartet. We entered a competition two weeks ago. There were twelve groups. We finished twelfth. SAUL If there were fifty-five we'd have finished that. We're no Schmitt Brothers. Lucy grins. Saul gets serious again. 31 > MARY He was playing in the woods and he found three little squirrels that fell out of their nest. He fed them with an eye dropper. Lucy looks 1:muched. ox proudly points to a fruit basket on the dining rocm 11:able. ox He sent us a beautiful fruit basket for Christmas. Had strawberries in it that melt in your mouth. I don't have to tell you what those cost this time a year. Ox shakes ms head proudly. ox He's some kid. INT. FURNITllllRE TRUCK/EXT. STREET CUT TO: 34 JACK CONLON sits behind the wheel. He's a younger, scruffier version of Peter. Jack has his sleeves rolled up and looks out at the road wearily. He snakes the truck around a corner at the end of the Conlon's street. suddenly a tiny field mouse darts in front of the truck. Jack yanks the wheel. The furniture truck skids! Jack fights the wheel. r The truck slides through a wl}ite picket fence, smashes into a lawn jockey and lurches to a·stop. Jack slams the wheel and gets out. The door opens and a man, BERT, wearing his bathrobe and slippers, looks at the carnage on his front lawn. BERT Jesus Christ! JACK (apologetically) This field mouse ran ri.ght out in front of me ••• BERT Mouse! What do you do if a chipmunk runs in front of you? Take out Massapegua! A midda! 1il§£d woman, PAULINE, pokes her head out. PAULINE What's goin' on, Bert!? BERT I'm sittin' up watchin' Angie Dicki.nson and this maniac almost drives right through the ~rent door. Jack helps JBert locate body parts of his lawn jockey. PAULINE (squints) Isn't that that Conlon boy? He used to mow our lawn. JACK You f i.red me. BERT You wouldn't get under the trees! JACK Your crab apples broke my mower! BERT Your dog took a dump in our living room! JACK You should have shut! BERT You should have leash! Jack heads back for the truck. BERT (angrily) Where you goin'? JACK kept your door ,, ' kept him on a My brother's been in an accident. 1'11 fix your fence tomorrow and I'll pay for this thing. Jack points at the crumpled lawn jockey. BERT What about the sprinkler? 35 36 PAULINE That was already broke. Bert gfla:!IPI- at Pauline. She pushes her fingers to her lips. Jack clii.-mt:s back in the truck. The arn of the lawn jockey sticks out of tt:he grille. Jack shifts the truck in reverse, backs off the lawn., ctrives to the Conlon house and parks. He grabs his jacket, ca:mcbes through the .frozen snow a..nd J.ets .b.i.msel.f .inside. INT. L~ ROOM It's dal:!L Jack shuts the door. Lucy sleeps on the table besi1'e her. doesn't~. couch. Peter's photo album is on the coffee A blanket is tucked around her. She stirs but Jack hangs his jacket over the bannister and tiptoes through the living=•· He passes the couch and enters the kitchen. INT. KI'Il!:llll'N Jack ope:ms the refrigerator. Light splashes out. VOICE(o.s.) When you slide you should turn into the skid. Jack turns. Mary sneaks in the kitchen-doorway. JACK You saw that? • MARY ' (shakes her head) I heard it. t saw the time when you backed into the telephone po.le and knocked everyone's power out for three hours. JACK Thanks. MARY (eagerly) I'll tell Ma you're home. JACK No, don't. I don't want to wake •em. I'll see everybody in the morning. MARY Peter's in the hospital. 39 INT. LIVING ROOM - EARLY MORNING The radio is on in the kitchen. Lucy wakes. She sits up groggily and tries to get her bearings. She sees the jacket hanging from the bannister. JACK is stitched above the pocket. She remembers what she heard last night and sits up with a start. A bedroom door opens upstairs. L'1lcy ducks behind the couch. Jack stumbles out in a pair of gym shorts. He crouches and looks down the stairs. He can't see her. He walks down the hall to the bathroom. The bathroom door closes. Lucy throws off the blanket and jumps up. INT. KITCHEN Midge brews coffee. ox reads the newspaper. Lucy scurries in. LUCY God, I must have overslept! ox Overslept, it's seven A.M. MIDGE Do you have time for some coffee? LUCY I can't .•. I'm late. , MIDGE' Jack came in last night ••• LUCY (smiles nervously) Really ••• ox She's got to go, Midge. Put it in a thermos for her. MIDGE She can't go without her jacket. LUCY My jacket ••• Lucy opens the door and looks upstairs. She spots her jacket on the couch. She scampers across the living room and grabs it. The bathroom door opens. 40 Lucy swan dives back onto the couch. Jack walks out. All he can see of Lucy is her feet. Jack ducks into his bedroom and closes the door. Lucy jumps up and sprints back into the kitchen • .INT. KITCHEN LUCY (breathless) Got it. Midge pours coffee into a thermos and screws on the lid. Lucy waits impatiently. Midge hands Lucy the thermos. Lucy grabs it. She heads for the door. The kitchen door swings open. Saul walks in cheerfully with a box of doughnuts. Lucy cringes. SAUL We got doughnuts. ox No time, Saul, Lucy's late. SAUL I.ate, it's Saturday. They look at Lucy. LUCY I've got to feed the cat. MIDGE I Peter's allergic to cats. ' ox and Midge look at Lucy quizzically. LUCY (stammers) My neighbor's cat. She's on vacation. SAUL Her neighbor's cat's on vacation? My nephew's had seven years of college and he can't get a job. ox (laughs) Let's go, Lucy. SAUL Where? ' ox I'm driving her home. SAUL (shakes his head) It snowed last night. 41 Lucy and Ox look out. Drifts are piled against the garage door. Lucy looks trapped. SAUL I called a plow. They'll be here soon. Lucy looks sick. LUCY Can I use your bathroom? ox Top of the stairs. Lucy hustles out of the kitchen. INT. LIVING ROOM She dashes through the living room and scoots quickly up the stairs. Sbe sees Jack's door. Lucy fishes in her pocket. She finds a subway token. Lucy looks around. She wedges the token between the latch and the door frame and_zips to the bathroom. INT. BATHROOM Lucy shuts the door. She runs the tap and throws some water on her face. outside she hears a lQUd SCRAPE. She pushes the curtains back and looks out. EXT. STREET i,ucy's P.o.y. - A plow rumbles up the street. INT. BATHJWOM Lucy looks hopeful. She dries her face and sneaks back into the hall. As she passes Jack's door tjle knob turns. The door's jammed. IJDcy bolts down the stairs. INT. KITOl!lEN Lucy barrels in. LUCY Plow's here! Lucy wallies to the door. She grabs the knob. T~ sound of banging a:&l be heard from upstairs. SAUL I served with Patton. Saul pretends he can't move. Midge takes charge. MIDGE ox, they must be done plowing, take Lucy home. Ma, put Saul on the couch and get him a heat­ ing pad. Mary get me the yellow pages and I'll look up a locksmith. JACK (o.s.) What do I do? MIDGE Make your bed. INT. LUCY'S APARTMENT Lucy walks in. She looks harried. Mel greets her. 44 CUT TO: Lucy's worried. She fills Mel's bowl with milk and sets it on the floor. As Lucy straightens she notices the yellow envelope the doctor gave her buried under a pile of bills and newspapers. Lucy opens the envelope and shakes it. Peter's wallet and keys spill out. She stares at.the wallet for a minute then slowly reaches over and flips it open. She s:iJ;!!--for a moment. Finally she looks inside. Lucy pulls out his plastic covered photos. There's a photo of Peter in cap and gown, Peter driving a jeep, Peter skiing, all the photos are of Peter. ' f , " She fans his pile of cards ••• American Express Gold card, health club memberships, a deck of credit and bank cards ••• under the bank cards she finds a deposit slip with his address on it. LUCY (reads) 425 East 51St. EXT. CONLON HOUSE - SAME TIME CUT TO: ox stomps out of the garage carrying a ladder. He wears a hat, boots and his pajamas. He props the ladder against Jack's window. Jack climbs unsteadily onto the window sill, JACK So who's this Lucy? ox Your future sister-in-law. Ox braces the ladder. . .. I ran day. So? JACK into Joey DeMauro the other He saw Peter at a Knick game. ox JACK So Joey said Peter was talking about proposing. ox He did. JACK He was dating Ashley Bartlett Bacon. ox (firmly) He proposed to Lucy. Jack starts unsteadily down the ladder. JACK How do you know? 45 Ox is getting agitated. Mary comes out of the house with her New York Jets helmet on. ox Because she said so. Mary buttons the chin strap, takes a few steps rams her head into the side of the house. The Jack loses his grip. He flops off the ladder. backwards and plops i.n a snowdrift beside him. ox runs over and helps them up. Jack looks up. ox Are you o.K.? JACK Next year get her a Barbie. back, house Mary EXT. HOSPITAL - NEXT MORNING - ESTABLISHING SHOT INT. HOSPITAL - ELEVATOR runs and shakes. staggers CUT TO: Lucy stands in the elevator with a bouquet of flowers. The elevator stops on six. Lucy steps off. Jack steps on. Neither knows the other. The doors close. · ' 46 Lucy enters Peter's room. The other elevator opens. The lawyer, Dalton Charles, steps off, !NT. PETER'S ROOM Lucy carries a vase into the bathroom and fills it with water. As she walks out ••• ••• Dalton Charles pokes his head in. Lucy looks startled. Lucy frowns. LUCY Hi. (thinks) Charley Dalton, right? DALTON (insulted) Dalton Charles .•• LUCY Oh, yeah. DALTON (looks at Peter) Great guy. (admiringly) King of the Loopholes. DALTON (shakes his head) He's had a tough year • • • • Lucy looks at him quizzically. DAL'1'0N -- I mean with the accident last month. LUCY What accident? Dalton looks surprised. DALTON we were playing basketball, •• EXT. HOSPITAL - DUSK CUT !l'O: Lucy walks out the front entrance and sits at the bus stop. She fishes in her pocketbook. She finds Peter's address. The bus pulls to the curb. Lucy gets on. CUT TO: ' 49 ox (snaps) He wasn't /ialking to us. ox looks SOr.t:J' he said anything. Jack looks stung. JACK And it's my fault, right? Ox doesn't auwer. Midge tries to change the subject. MIDGE I liked the mass better when it was in Latin. It was nicer when we didn't know what they were saying. The communion hymn begins. Parishioners file toward the altar. JACK He wasn't talking to the family because of me. The people in the pew behind them kneel so they can listen. JACK It's because of the fish. Everyone looks uncomfortable. Jack steps out of the conlons' pew and walks against the traffic. ox Where are you goi'l'lg? Jack doesn't answer. He wal~s past the organist out the door. Elsie looks at the altar. ELSIE How did Joe Kelly get to be a lector? He takes marijuana. EXT. LUCY'S APARTMENT - LATER CUT TO: Jack pulls up his furniture truck and parks. Enters the building. INT. LUCY'S APARTMENT BUILDING HALLWAY Jack walks to Lucy's door and bangs on it. No answer. Joe Jr. steps out of his apartment. Jack approaches him. JACK You know the woman in 204? 50 ,TOE JR. I should. I'm dating her. INT. PETER'S APARTMENT The moon has taken the place of the sunset out of Peter's picture window. The apartment is dark. CLICK. Someone fumbles with the lock. The door swings open and the light splashes on. Jack walks in. He bears the radio. JACK (cautiously) Hello? No answer. Jack looks around and walks warily into the bedroom. INT. BEDROOM Jack gropes for the light. He bangs into wakes with a start. A dark figure stands SCREAMS! She reaches in her pocketbook. JACK AAAHHH! the night over her. SSSHHHHH! table. Lucy Lucy Lucy blasts Final Net hairspray in Jack's eyes. Jack stumbles backwards into the bookcase. The bookcase crashes over him. Jack is sprawled on the floor covered with Scott Turow and John Grisham novels. INT. PARKING GARAGE Lucy and Jack enter the structure. Jack holds a compress over his eyes. Lucy is nervous. { LUC}:' Why don't you·1et me call an ambulance? JACK I don't need an ambulance. Just lead me to Peter's car. Lucy scans the rows of cars. All the cars are BMWs or Mercedes. Lucy stops. She has no idea which car is Peter's. JACK (impatiently) Well. •• Lucy hits the alarm on the key chain. The lights on Peter's BMW flash. Lucy looks relieved. She opens the door and gets in the car. It's beautiful. Lucy feels the plush upholstery. Jack flops in. JACK Let's go. Lucy turns the key. LUCY It won't start. JACK What are you talking about it's running. LUCY (impressed) Wow, I couldn't even hear it. Lucy backs carefully out of the space. EXT. STREET - INT./EXT. BMW CUT TO: Lucy grips the wheel with both hands and putts cautiously down the Avenue. Cars whiz past her. Jack lifts one of the compresses. His eye is bright red. JACK If you go any faster we'll get a parking ticket. LUCY It's not my car. JACK , Then don't worryrabout it. Jack flips the compresses back over his eyes. JACK What were you doing there anyway? LUCY I have a key. JACK How long have you known Peter? LUCY Briefly, everything happened kind of fast. JACK Let me feel your hand. LUCY Why? 51 JACK Wait a minute .•• LUCY I'm sorry I beat you up. JACK (embarrassed) You didn't beat "Jlle -up. As Lucy walks to the elevator we CUT TO: INT. AI.RLINE TERMINAL - LISBON 54 An elegant woman in a designer suit stands impatiently in front of a Departure monitor. The Monitor flashes LISBON TO NEW YORK - ON TIME: CUT TO: INT. HOSPITAL - PETER'S ROOM Lucy sits by Peter's bed. The conlons troop through the door. They greet Lucy cheerfully and crowd around the bed. Everyone stares at the coma guy. ELSIE His color looks good. Everyone agrees. Silence. Ox notices a TV hanging on the wall. ..;,:- . ox What the hell does he have a T.V. for? He's in a coma, for Chrissakes. :' MIDGE (whispers) ox, he might be able to hear you. ox (whispers back) Then get him a radio. MIDGE Maybe he'd like us to sing to him. ox (rolls his eyes) Midge, this is a hospital not a karaoke bar. VOICE (o.s.) Maybe Lucy knows his favorite song. 55 Everyone turns. Jack strides in. He stands on one side of Peter. Lucy is on the other. The room goes quiet. Jack waits. His eyes are blazing red.J LUCY (uneasy) I'm not sure • .Jack smirks. The family J..ooks uncomfortable. MIDGE What happened to your eyes?! Jack doesn't answer. He watches Lucy. JACK Which one of the Three Stooges is Peter's favorite? Lucy glares at him. LUCY (guesses) Curly. JACK (triumphant) Curly! Hahl Tpe rest of the family stares at Jack._ JACK (realizes, frowns) He's everyone's favorite. SAUL I like Shemp.: ox What the hell's going on! JACK I'm asking Lucy some questions. ox Why don't you read her a list? .JACK Good idea. Jack pulls a list out of his pocket. MIDGE (admonishes) Jack ••• ' JACK (reads) Favorite ice cream? MIDGE Lucy doesn't have to answer any questions. ox You're jealous. JACK Of what? ox Of Lucy and Peter. MARY Maybe that's why you killed his fish. JACK I didn't kill his fish. SAUL They didn't commit suicide. JACK What are you attacking me_ior? ( looks at Lucy) - · I just talked to her boyfriend. (points at her) She's a fraud! •, LUCY (incredulous) I have a boyfr°iend? JACK Joe Jr. LUCY Joe Jr! JACK He says he's your lover. LUCY He says he's John Gotti's nephew too. He's delusional. ox Peter's the only man in Lucy's life. 56 Lucy Opel!lS t.he door. belly himgs over his inches, .brillging him Joe Jr. stands on the other skintight jeans. His cowboy almost chin level to Lucy. JOE JR. You stood me up. LUCY For what? JOE JR. our date! 59 side. His boots add two Lucy cringes. She looks up and down the hall to make sure no one heard. She grabs Joe Jr. by the arm and pulls him into her apartment. She slams the door. LUCY (hushed) What date? JOE JR. To the Dice Clay concert. I had to eat your ticket. LUCY I never said I'd go on a date with you. There's a knock on the door. -:::: LUCY Who is it! It's Saul. i SAUL (o.s.) LUCY Oh my God! JOE JR. What, you're two timin' Joe Jr.! LUCY (hushed) I'm not two timing. I never one timed. Get in the closet. JOE JR. (insulted) Hey, I'll fight the guy. Lucy grabs Joe Jr. by the neck and drags him into the bedroom. 60 INT. BEDROOM She shoves Joe Jr. in the closet. LUCY (warns) Not a word. JOE JR. ftice underpants. Lucy grabs her panties out of the closet and shuts the door. INT. KITCHEN Lucy opens the door. Saul walks in. He looks at the panties in Lucy's hand. Lucy shoves them in her pocket. Saul takes his hat off politely. SAUL Lucy, I think you should know something. LUCY What? SAUL I was outside the door the night you vi.sited Peter. I know the truth. ..;;;- Lucy is stunned. She looks defeated. LUCY • You don't have to worry, Saul. I'm telling tl:\em everything. ' She picks up her jacket and reaches for the door. Saul blocks the door. Lucy stops. Lucy nods. SAUL Don't tell them anything. SAUL Remember that day you said you'd never do anything to hurt the family ••• SAUL Ever since they met you they feel like they have Peter back. If you tell them the truth now, you'll be taking him away again. A beat. SAUL They need you, Lucy. Same as you neel' 1 them. Lucy doesn't answer. SAUL You're a good girl, Lucy. I think you'll do the right thing. Saul puts his soft hat back on and opens the door. SAUL I'd be remiss if I didn't say you make a very nice couple. Saul shuts the door. Lucy exhales. A beat. CRASH! Lucy runs back in the bedroom. She throws open the closet. Joe Jr. is in a heap. JOE JR. I slipped. LUCY You're trying on my shoes! Lucy grabs him by the back of the neck and drags him out. INT. KITCHEN Lucy hauls ,Joe Jr. to the door. There's a knock on the door. Lucy freezes. • LUCY Who is it? JACK (o.s.) It's me. Jack Conlon. Lucy yanks Joe Jr. back into the bedroom. INT. BEDROOM 61 She stuffs Joe Jr. back in the closet--races back to the kitchen. INT. KITCHEN Lucy regains her composure and opens the door. Jack stands on the other side. LUCY What do you want? 64 CRASH! .!rii!tCk and Lucy fall to the ice in a heap. They're tangled together. Jack tries to stand. JACK I can't get up. He slips aoo does the splits. His pants tear. JACK Was that my pants or my muscles? LUCY If we can crawl to the snow we can get traction. JACK (looks at the back of his pants) You first. Lucy crawls on her hands and knees. LUCY My knees are freezing. JACK Quit complaining. Lucy looks back. Jack hides his torn pants.by sliding along on his butt. Lucy scurries to the snow at..::the edge of the path. JACK I think I've got frostbutt . • Lucy bends, grabs Jack's hands and lifts him to his feet. JACK Do you have an extra pair of pants? LUCY If you fit in my pants I'll kill myself. Jack and Lucy trudge through the snow. Jack follows her. LUCY You don't have to follow me. JACK You block the wind. INT. LUCY'S APARTMENT - LATER Lucy enters her apartment and closes the door. 65 Lucy immediately goes to her closet and peeks inside. Joe Jr's gone, but an empty package of cookies and a quart of milk litter the floor. She picks up the debris and throws it in the trash can. She looks out the window. LUCY'S fOV. - Jack walks down the street. His the breeze. Lucy and Mel watch him. Lucy smiles. INT. HOSPITAL - PETER'S ROOM Peter lies in bed. His fingers move slightly. INT. 747 torn pants flap CUT TO: CUT TO: A stewardess shoves a food cart along the aisle in first class. She stops beside the stunning woman from the airline terminal. STEWARDESS Would you like cereal or eggs, Ms. Bacon? EXT. FIRE ESCAPE - LATE DAY CUT TO: in Lucy stands in the chilly cold air looking out across Brooklyn to the East River and the silhouette of the World Trade Centers. Mel slinks out beside her. Lucy bends s[!d,scoops him up. Her phone rings. Lucy ducks through her window and picks it up. CROSSCUT - LUCY Hello? I JACK AND LUCY JACK Lucy? LUCY (smiles) Yes. JACK You hungry? LUCY No. JACK So you don't want dinner? LUCY No. JACK Good. Let's go to my restaurant it's not open yet. EXT. LONG ISLAND - LONG BEACH - EVENING CUT TO: We hear the rhythmic, soothing sound of the surf as Jack parks his truck. He and Lucy climb out and walk along the .boardwalk. '!'hey cross a vacant lot and stop in front of a tiny boarded up hot dog stand. JACK (proudly) This is it. Lucy stares at the decrepit building. ,JACK I know it doesn't look like much now but that's the trick. Jack stands in front of the building. JACK Everyone wants something if it looks good but I see the potential in things. (points) It's like Mt. Rushmore. Most people look at that they see a :i::ock. A sculptor sees Washington-;- Lincoln and ... those other two guys. LUCY , So this is Mt. Rushmore? Jack points to the two windows in front. JACK This is going to be the food window and this will be the ice cream window. I've got a friend who's gonna paint the signs. He usually only paints pictures of bowls of fruit but he owes me a favor. We're going to have multiple flavors of soft serve. Nobody does that around here. Arid we're going to hand the customers napkins. I don't want people coming up and grabbing 'em by the fistful. I'm going to bolt big menus on the walls here and the sign goes right up there. 66 Lucy thinks. Lucy smiles. LUCY You should advertise too and make sure you sell a child size cone. Knock off a dime and give 'em half the ice cream. You'll make a killing. ;:TACK (impressed) Want a job? EXT. CONLON'S MT. VIEW - LATER 69 Jack and Lucy are bundled up and sit on a bench on the deserted boardwalk. A street light bathes them in light. The Atlantic Ocean stretches before them. In the distance the lights of ships blend with stars. Lucy nods. JACK So, how do your parents feel about Peter? LUCY They never met him. JACK Why? LUCY My Mom died when I was real little. I don't 'remember her. My Dad died three years ago. JACK I'm sorry. LUCY (smiles) I think about my Dad a lot. Jack doesn't say anything. LUCY He liked maps. If he heard of a place on T.V. he would get out the atlas and find it, then we would figure out how to get there. Jack grins. JACK Did you ever get to travel? LUCY (smiles) We drove to Cooperstown once. We packed a lunch and mapped our route and when we got there he was real·proud. He said he got to the Hall of Fame before Pete Rose. JACK You miss him. LUCY (nods) I miss how he swam in the ocean ..• The surf foams up and ebbs away. Her eyes mist. LUCY (softly) And how he peeled an apple ••• LUCY And I miss how he loved me. A cold wind blows. The lights from the boats bob in the distance. The streetlight shin\!)s brightly. 70 DISSOLVE: EXT. RESTAURANT - DAWN The streetlight blinks off. Far off, another train horn sounds. Lucy and Jack still sit on the bench. Talking. DISSOLVE: EXT. LUCY'S APARTMENT - EARLY MORNING Jack pulls the furniture truck to the curb. Lucy gets out and looks back in the cab. LUCY Thanks. JACK (smiles) See you at the hospital. Lucy smiles and waves. The truck starts up and pulls away. , Joe Jr. walks belligerently out of the apartment building. JOE JR. O.K., Lucy, it's either me or him. LUCY Him. She walks into the building. INT. SUBWAY STATION - NEXT DAY CUT TO: Lucy's in the booth. The trains SCREECH IN and OUT. Lucy doles out tokens. She looks tired. Dark circles have formed under he eyes. She sweeps money in and shoots tokens out. She barely looks up until she hears a knocking on the booth window. Mary, dressed in her Brownie uniform, stands in front of the window. LUCY Mary, what are you doing here? MARY My Brownie troop's at the Nutcracker. I snuck out. 71 The people in line look impatient. Lucy waves Mary around to the door. She unlocks it and lets her insi!¥l·: Lucy keeps dispensing tokens. Mary watches, fascinated. CELESTE, a heavy-set black woman, enters. I CELESTE There's gonna be another service delay. LUCY What happened? CELESTE (casually) Nothin'. Celeste peels her jacket off and looks at Mary. CELESTE And who are you? MARY Mary. LUCY Mary's my ••. ahh ••• 74 Jack flips over his cards and reaches for the tongue depressors. LUCY Wait a minute, you only have a pair of Jacks. JACK I'm including myself. Jack grins. Lucy grabs the pot. INT. CHOC FULL OF NUTS - DUSK CUT TO: Jack and Lucy sit at a small table by the window, laughing. The waitress shuffles up. She looks at Lucy. Lucy glows. WAITRESS The usual? INT. TRUCK/EXT. LUCY'S APARTMENT - LATER Jack pulls the truck to the curb. Snow falls gently. LUCY Thanks for the gift. JACK I found it in Little Ital;y. : I had to deliver a bedroom set. LUCY (smiles) 1 It's beautiful. CUT TO: Lucy takes her hat and glass~s off and shakes out the snow. Her hair cascades to her shoulders. Snowflakes dance around her. Jack is mesmerized. He stares ar her. Her at him. LUCY Well, goodnight. ,JACK (quickly) Goodnight. Lucy shoves open the door falls lazily around her. apartment door. and runs to her apartment. The snow She looks back at Jack and opens her CUT TO: INT. CONLON HOUSE -LATER Jack opens the door and walks in. 75 ox Lucy's pregnant! Mary stands next to Ox in her Brownie uniform. Jack is in shock. ox (hushed) C'mon. ox leads Jack and Mary outside. EXT. HOUSE C.U. on baby Jesus in his cradle. ox, Jack and Mary duck behind the nativity scene. MARY I hope it's a girl. JACK Are you sure? MARY She said it herself. Jack staggers against one of the three wise men. Ox looks around to make sure no one else is in earshot. ox (hushed) Don't say a word to your mother. MARY , (disappointed) Why not? ox I'm not ready to be married to a grandmother. (orders) Now go inside. I want to talk to Jack. MARY Why do I have to go inside? Peter's the one who knocked up Lucy. Now! ox (bellows) Mary stalks back in the house. Ox looks beside himself. He paces. Jack looks troubled. ox We've got to get them married. JACK Who? ox Peter and Lucy. JACK Peter's in a coma. ox (nods) No priest will marry an unconscious groom. (thinks) I'll petition the Pope. 76 Ox grabs a pencil and a bar napkin out of his pocket. He writes "Dear Pope." Jack looks worried. Jack jumps. JACK They can't get married. ox Why not? ,JACK (uneasy) Maybe Peter's feelings have changed. OX • What are you talking about? JACK Subliminally. OX Jesus! JACK What? OX Your mother's a twin! I'll bet Lucy's carrying two. EXT. BROOKLYN/QUEENS - EXPRESSWAY - LATER LONG SHOT. Jack drives his truck over the BQE. CUT TO: INT, FURNITURE TRUCK Jack sits behind the wheel, brooding. I , INT. HOSPITAL - LATER , 1 CUT TO: Lucy walks down the hall. gathered in Peter's room. The whole family, except Jack, is Lucy pokes her head in. LUCY Hi. The family greets her heartily. She looks at Peter. LUCY Sarne? MIDGE (nods) Do you have plans for New Year's Eve tonight? LUCY (smiles) I'm going out with friends. She looks around casually. LUCY Where's Jack? INT, CONLON DINING ROOM - EVENING I CUT TO: Jack, Ox, Midge, Elsie, Saul and Mary sit around the dinner table. Jack stabs at his food. JACK Where's Lucy? MIDGE She's going out with friends. MARY I wish she was here. Everyone nods. Jack snorts. MIDGE I thought Peter looked good today. ELSIE He had more color. 79 SAUL That kid could have been an actor. ELSIE (nods) He's tall. ox All the great ones were tall. JACK Alan Ladd wasn't tall. ox Marshall Dillon was 6'5 11 • JACK What's height got to do with acting? Midge tries to defuse the argument. MIDGE Aren't the mashed potatoes creamy? ELSIE I could never make a good pot roast. SAUL You has need good beef. Argentina great beef. Beef and Nazis. ox •, John Wayne was tall. MIDGE Mary mashed them. SAUL (pats Mary's hand) They're beautiful, honey. JACK (argues) Dustin Hoffman's 5'6". ox Who wants to see Dustin Hoffman save the Alamo! 80 Jack slams his fork down goes to the closet, grabs his jacket and storms out. The family looks surprised. CUT TO: Bl EXT. LUCY'S APARTMENT - EVENING Jack pulls his furniture truck into a parking spot just as L~1cy ._ walks out and gets in Peter's crumpled BMW. Jack spots her,·, shifts the truck into gear and follows. INT. BMW The car motors along Prospect Park and turns onto Flatbush Avenue. Lucy looks in the rearview. She sees Jack's truck following her. Jack hangs two cars back. EXT. FORT GREENE Lucy putts through the working class neighborhood. Jack follows. Lucy bangs into the curb and parks in front of a small house. The truck eases to a stop up the street. Jack spots the BMW. No Lucy. Jack slips out of the cab. He sneaks up to the house, tiptoes along the shrubs, spots a window, looks around and quietly tries to peek in. Too high. Jack hoists himself with his elbows. Suddenly Lucy yanks his ankles. Jack CRASHES into the shrubs. LUCY Peeping Tom! Jack struggles to untangle himself from=the bushes. LUCY What are you doing here! JACK Me! What are.you doing here! LUCY I was invited! Jack struggles to his feet. JACK I'll bet. Wait 'till Peter finds out about this. LUCY About what! Jack stalks to the door. LUCY (horrified) What are you doing! JERRY Peter doesn't know you exist. LUCY I know. JERRY Now Jack's Peter? LUCY Yes. JERRY Lucy? LUCY What? JERRY I need a drink. 84 Celeste and to the bar. scoops fruit Geraldine are flirting with Jack. Lucy and Jerry go Jerry makes a gin and tonic minus the tonic. Lucy punch. Jack breaks away from Celeste. JACK That's spiked. LUCY Thank God. JACK You shouldn't have any. LUCY Why not? The music stops. JACK (yells) It's not good for the baby. Everyone at the party hears. Jack looks embarrassed. LUCY What baby? Everyone stares. JACK (hisses) The twins. Jerry pours himself more gin. The women gasp! GERALDINE I thought her Levis were a little snug. 1 - 1 CELESTE (hugs Peter) Congratulations. JACK They're not Eine. CELESTE Than who's the father? JACK My brother. The party buzzes. Everyone looks Everyone stares GERALDINE (whispers) This is better than Montel. at Lucy. LUCY (shocked) I'm not having not pregnant. at her. LUCY I have to go. twins! I~ Lucy races to the closet and finds her coat. LUCY I'm sorry, Candace. CANDACE sorry, hell, you're the life of the party. Lucy opens the door. JACK wait a minute. Lucy bolts out i.nto the night. Hurries down the street. She looks at the BMW. The tire's flat. Headlights appear behind her. The car horn blows. 85 JACK C'mon get in. Lucy keeps walking. JACK I'm sorry, I thought ••.. LUCY (interrupts) You thought I was having Peter's illegitimate child. JACK Well, yeah ••• LUCY And that's the only reason he would be interested in me. Lucy spots a subway entrance and trots up the stairs. EXT. ELEVATED SUBWAY PLATFORM 86 It's New Year's Eve. All fares are free. Lucy walks up the steps, through the open swinging door and waits on the platform. In a moment Jack runs up the stairs. JACK O.K., you're right. I tlfuught Peter was going to marry you because you were pregnant, but the truth is there's no way Peter could be in love:with you. Lucy is near tears. Jack gr~bs her arm. LUCY Let go. He doesn't. Lucy tries to pull away. JACK He can't love you because I do. Lucy stops struggling. JACK I love you, Lucy. You're sweet and smart and we have fun together. Lucy looks embarrassed. She looks down the tracks. Far in the distance the light of the train can be seen. LUCY He thinks I'm engaged to Peter. Jerry holds his temples. JERRY Lucy, I can't deal with this, I'm hungover, I'm tired, I got a schedule to make out. LUCY (desperate) What should I do? JERRY Tell the truth. LUCY I can't. They practically adopted me. JERRY You're too old to be an orphan. LUCY You're never too old to be an orphan. JERRY You 're born into familieli., Lucy you don't join them like a Christmas club. LUCY 1 If I tell Jack I lied to his family he'll never speak to me again. And what about Mary and Ox and Midge and Saul •.. ,iERRY Saul? LUCY The next door neighbor. (thinks) Actually he knows. Jerry throws up his hands. JERRY You want to get out of this, Lucy? LUCY Yes. 89 JERRY Pull the plug. LUCY (angrily) You're sick. Lucy stands and stomps out. ::TERRY I'm sick. You're cheating on a vegetable! INT. CONLON HOUSE - THAT NIGHT The Conlons, Lucy and Saul sit around the dinner table. ox Pass the turnips. Jack and Lucy sit across from each other. MIDGE Did you have a nice New Year's Eve, Lucy? LUCY (nods, shyly) Yes ..• it was ..• very nice. 90 CUT TO: Jack squirms. Lucy looks at him. Mary looks at Lucy. ox looks at Mary. Elsie agrees. ELSIE: New Year's Eve hasn't been the same since Guy Lombardo died. SAUL I love a clarinet. No one plays the clarinet anymore. ELSIE Guy Lombardo didn't play clarinet. SAUL Did I say Guy played clarinet? ox Now Benny Goodman he could play the licorice stick. MIDGE (smiles) Peter took trumpet lessons. OX He was a natural. ,TACK (f1'1tly) Peter st'.-Jnk. Everyone looks surprised. Lucy stops eating. J"ACK He knew one song, The Lonely Bull, and he couldn't even play that in tune. The table goes quiet. Jack is fed up. ELSIE Al Hirt could play a beautiful trumpet. SAUL He was no Harry James. ,TACK Doesn't anybody get what's going on! The table goes silent. JACK So he sends a lousy fruit basket! Jack rips the tag off. JACR He didn't even sign the card. His secretary ordered it! (stands) We haven't seen Peter because he wants it that way. Don't you understand? He's in a different world now and it doesn't include us. We're not even in his rolodex. He won't even cross the Goddamn river! So before you canonize him think about thatl (beat) You know why he didn't show up for your birthday, Ma? He didn't show up because he was getting his eyebrows waxed! Midge looks hurt. 91 EXT. ELEGANT APARTMENT BUILDING - CENTRAL PARK WEST ESTABLISHING SHOT INT. APARTMENT Ashley Bartlett Bacon sits in the middle of her plush apartment and punches numbers on her cordless phone. BACON Peter ... it's me. I'm back. Call me. Love ya. Bacon kisses into the phone and hangs up. INT. HOSPITAL CUT TO: Peter lies in his coma. echoes through the room. The steady beep of his heart monitor Peter's eyes flutter. CUT TO: INT. LUCY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT 94 Lucy sits alone in her apartment. She has her tiny table set. Her dinner is untouched. She looks at her snowbubble. She shakes it. Snow swirls. A tear runs down her cheek. Mel looks at her. Lucy cries. CUT TO: EXT. LONG BEACH - DAWN Jack sits alone on the same bench he and Lucy sat on. He stares out at the ocean. In the distance a train horn sounds. Jack listens. He sets his jaw, stands and runs toward his car. CUT TO: EXT. STREET Jack parks his car opens the door and heads toward Lucy's subway entrance. He walks, then runs faster ... INT. SUBWAY Jack races down the steps. He spots Lucy's booth. Lucy sits inside. JACK (yells) Lucy ... l Lucy looks up, surprised. meet. She wants him. He VOICES echo behind her. Jack runs for the booth. Their eyes wants her. Lucy opens the door. VOICE Jack! Lucy! 95 Lucy turns. ox, Midge, Elsie, Saul and Mary huff down the other stairs. ox HE'S AWAKE! IT'S PETER! HE'S OUT OF HIS COMA! CUT TO~ INT. CHRYSLER ox speeds to the hospital. Jack and Lucy sit in back. They look miserable. CUT TO: INT. HOSPITAL The family runs down the hall. Elsie brings up the rear breathing heavily. INT. PETER'S ROOM The family slips into the room and forms a semi-circle around the bed. Peter sleeps. The doctor leans over and whispers to Peter. DOCTOR (gently) Peter ... Peter. Your family's here. Peter's eyelids flutter. The family holds their collective breath. The doctor backs off. Lucy inches behind ox. Peter's eyes open. The whole family smiles at him. Tears run down Elsie's face. Peter smiles as he takes in his family. He looks from one happy face to the next. His gaze finally rests on Lucy. He looks puzzled. Lucy smiles crookedly. PETER Who's she? · Everyone turns and looks at Lucy. Sweat beads on her forehead. She looks like a deer trapped in a hunter's headlights. OX (shocked) My God ... Peter shuts his eyes and drifts off to sleep. ox •.• he has amnesia! INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE CUT TO: The doctor sits at his desk. The Conlons are jammed inside the small office. DOCTOR Lacunar amnesia is a condition in which the memory loss is localized and patchy, limited to isolated events. MIDGE Selective amnesia? DOCTOR Exactly. ox He fell in love with Lucy once he'll fall in love with her again. Lucy can't take anymore. LUCY Everyone, listen I have some­ thing important to tell you •.. The family looks at Lucy. LUCY (awkward) This isn't easy for me ..• (a deep breath) I was never ..• - PLOP. Elsie flops on the floor. , INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY CUT TO: Another gurney BANGS through the swinging doors. Elsie is strapped to it. The Conlans race behind it. CUT TO: INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM - LATER The Conlans sit in the waiting room. The doctor is with them. DOCTOR It was her engina. As long es she takes her medication and avoids physical exertion or shocks she should be fine. Lucy stares at the doctor. CUT TO: 96