What Just Happened? (24 page)

B
EN
: I thought the preview policy was ‘no agents.'

D
ICK
B
ELL
: I snuck in. I'm gonna sneak out.

Pause
.

B
EN
: So?

D
ICK
B
ELL
: So?

B
EN
: What'd you think?

Dick takes an awkward moment
.

D
ICK
B
ELL
: There's a lot of interesting stuff to … I loved the music. I loved it. It's still in my head.

B
EN
: Thank you.

He exits
.

INT. THEATER LOBBY

As Ben exits he sees Lou waiting for him across the lobby patiently eating her popcorn. As he walks, he's followed by his ‘D' girl, Dawn
.

D
AWN
: It's almost there. If Jeremy would just cooperate with the cut and we get lucky with the reviews, we have a chance.

B
EN
: We'll deal with all of this tomorrow. I've got to talk to Lou. It's time.

He walks over to Lou. Her eyes are moist with commiseration, but her crisp demeanor easily maintains the balance of power
.

L
OU
: Ben, it's a
good
movie.

B
EN
: Yes, it is a
good
movie, Lou, isn't it?

L
OU
: A
good
movie, and in the end, that's all that's important.

B
EN
: That's what they say.

L
OU
: Where's your director?

B
EN
: Missed his plane at Heathrow. He's sick about it. He gets in tomorrow morning.

L
OU
: It's so hard to produce a
good
movie.

B
EN
:
Very
.

L
OU
: I respect it.

B
EN
: Lou, you're making me cry …

As a youngish man in a wrinkled dark shirt wearing a baseball hat and
dark glasses interrupts them, they quickly change their apprehensive expressions and start to gush
.

L
OU
: Sean, brilliant work. Brilliant.

B
EN
: You're never not great. Just great.

They all trade hugs. Sean and Lou casually kiss on the lips
.

S
EAN
: Think we gotta shot here?

L
OU
: Yes, absolutely.

S
EAN
: That's very generous.

L
OU
: See you in Cannes.

S
EAN
: Brian called you about the plane?

L
OU
: Yes. No problem.

Sean offers a broad grin, flashes a thumbs-up and vanishes into the night. Lou, back to business
.

L
OU
: We're going to lose money.

B
EN
: How do you know?

L
OU
: A lot of money.

B
EN
: You know this before it's done?

L
OU
: That's right.

B
EN
: Even before the DVD comes out?

L
OU
: Pretty much.

B
EN
: I have to think about this.

L
OU
: Do.

The preview cards are boxed up and handed off to Carl
.

Cut to:

EXT. 405 FREEWAY HEADING SOUTH—NIGHT

SUPER
: 11:30
PM

Ben is driving back from the screening. On the passenger seat is the box of preview cards. Ben glances at the box, steels himself, and continues driving. After a beat, he can't resist any longer. He veers to the shoulder of the freeway, stops, turns on his overhead light, and grabs the box of cards. He randomly selects a few:

C.U. on cards
—‘I just want to go home and hug my children …'
Another card:
‘It would've been funnier if you ate the dog.'
Another card:
‘Slow and painful …'

Ben picks up the top sheet. E.C.U. of his finger moving to the ‘definite recommend box.' The box says 1 percent. As his finger moves to the ‘definitely won't recommend box,' it stops
.

Ben remains expressionless as the traffic from the 405 whips by
.

Fade to:

INT. BEN'S BEDROOM—MORNING

TUESDAY

AN ALARM CLOCK blasts the silence. A hand reaches in and shuts it off
.

SUPER
: 7
AM

INT. BEN'S KITCHEN

Ben is seated at his kitchen table in what appears to be a modest, empty, neat apartment, seemingly a makeshift residence for a guy between stops. The only accoutrement of luxury is an espresso machine. The box of preview cards are scattered next to a cup of espresso and a Red Bull
.

Ben is on the phone while perusing
Daily Variety.
As the camera pushes in on the front cover we see a big picture of a young handsome thirty something guy below the headline:
‘JACK MCDONAGH COMMITS SUICIDE. TEN PERCENTER PUTS HIMSELF IN TURN AROUND.'

Ben casually looks at the news
.

B
EN
: I did call Jeremy after the screening last night. What do you mean? I was not reluctant. He's the director for God's sake! If I did say to him ‘fuck me, why should this one be easy,' that doesn't mean I'm not enthusiastic …

Ben's call-waiting signal beeps:

B
EN
: Hold on … Hello? Hello??? (
pause
) No it's not the machine. Talk to me, Cal. (
pause
) What are you saying? (
pause
) He arrived thirty pounds overweight and he's sporting a Grizzly Adams beard? … that's no big deal.

Ben pauses to think. He pushes the box away
.

B
EN
: He's fooling with you. We don't start shooting for five days. I'll join you today and we'll talk to him. Don't worry. He'll shave. Okay I gotta go.

Ben presses the call-waiting button. He glances at one last miserable preview card. He can't resist
.

C.U. of card. There are two primitive drawings of a pair of hands. One with a thumb pointing down and the other with the middle finger pointing straight up
.

B
EN
: Hello. As I said, I am enthusiastic. It's just too soon to get excited. But between you and me all signs say through
the roof
. Tell him not to worry.

He takes one more look at the head shot of Jack, the dead 10 percenter, on the cover of
Variety.

B
EN
: Did you see this headline? ‘Ten percenter puts himself in turnaround?' What a headline. Cold. I'll talk to you later.

Ben hangs up, calmly neatens the preview cards and puts them back in the box
.

Cut to:

EXT. BEN'S APARTMENT COMPLEX—SAME MORNING

ANGLE ON BEN as he exits a not unpleasant, ordinary apartment court in Brentwood. A little understated for a movie producer. His cell phone is in one hand, assorted papers in another. We see that he's casually dressed. His only affectation is that he wears no socks. The rims of his eyes are red. He gets into a brand new Porsche Cayenne and drives west down Sunset Boulevard
.

INT./EXT. BEN'S BMW—KELLY'S HOUSE

SUPER
: 7:45
AM

ANGLE ON THE CAR AS IT ENTERS a classier neighborhood of expensive homes in the Pacific Palisades. He pulls into the driveway and stops. Max and Sophie, ages five and seven, run out of the house laughing, as Ben gets out of the car
.

M
AX
/S
OPHIE
: Hi Daddy, hi daddy.

B
EN
: Morning gorgeouses … Who dresses you guys?

M
AX
/S
OPHIE
: WE DO!

M
AX
: Is there something wrong with it?

B
EN
: No, no. C'mon …

He turns to go
.

M
AX
: Mom wants to ask you something.

B
EN
: Now?

S
OPHIE
: She said it's okay for you to go in the house instead of using your cell phone.

M
AX
: No cell phones.

Ben takes a beat to stare at the front door
.

B
EN
: Okay, get in the car and buckle yourselves up. I'll be right back.

INT. KELLY'S HOUSE FOYER

Ben is standing in the foyer as his ex-wife, Kelly looks down on him from atop the staircase. In her midthirties, she is quite attractive. They both reveal that awkwardness of a separation, still fresh. Vestiges of love are in the air but a touch of hatred is circling. She looks him over. He looks back
.

B
EN
: You always looked best in the morning.

K
ELLY
: Thank you … you promised.

B
EN
: Kelly, I said I'll do it.

K
ELLY
: You always say you'll do it but you don't.

B
EN
: I know, I'm under siege … I realize I always say that but this time it's true.

K
ELLY
: For all of us, Ben.

B
EN
: I'll do it. I will take them this weekend. I
want
to take the kids … I know, a grand total of ninety minutes per day of TV and video.

K
ELLY
: Or the kids can't stay over.

B
EN
: I know.

Ben walks into the living room
.

K
ELLY
: Wait, wait, wait … What are you doing?

B
EN
: Where is the big sofa chair?

K
ELLY
: I'm having it recovered.

B
EN
: Oh. I miss it.

K
ELLY
: You miss the chair?

B
EN
: I loved that chair. I sat in it all the time. I remember how much I paid for it.

K
ELLY
: Okay, let's play by the rules, Ben.

B
EN
: I thought our last therapy session went really well, didn't you?

K
ELLY
: Yes, but this therapy is called ‘how to learn to live apart.' So we can move on gracefully.

B
EN
: I still have feelings.

K
ELLY
: So do I.

A beat
.

B
EN
: (
pointing to where the chair used to be
) The dark green velvet was such a good look for that chair. Why?

K
ELLY
: I felt like a change.

B
EN
: Can I call you?

K
ELLY
: (
can't help but smile
) Yes, of course.

Cut to:

EXT. BRENTWOOD GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Ben waves good-bye to his kids. As they run into the school, he sees Scott Solomon, another father who has dropped his kid off and also the guy on his answering machine
.

S
COTT
: What's the ‘number'?

B
EN
: It's just a ‘number.'

S
COTT
: Sure it is. Did you read my pages?

B
EN
: Yes. The studio just wants one more little rewrite …

S
COTT
: I'm done. It has to stop.

B
EN
: You can do this. We're at that stage where a couple of tiny fixes …

S
COTT
: The madness has to stop.

B
EN
: C'mon, it's a process. You know that.

S
COTT
: A process? I've been working on this script for two and a half fucking years. Where's the light at the … oh fuck. Ben, listen, you promised me, if you weren't going to make this picture, you'd give it back to me.

You gave me your word.

B
EN
: I did?

S
COTT
: Yes. You did.

B
EN
: Things change. You know that.

S
COTT
: I can't do it.

B
EN
: Scott don't make me say …

S
COTT
: What?

B
EN
: Don't make me say … ‘
you're bought and paid for
.'

S
COTT
: Fine. But remember there is the next script, and believe me, I have a next one …

B
EN
: … what is it?

No answer
.

B
EN
: You're not going to tell me?

S
COTT
: No, I'm not going to tell you.

B
EN
: I'm gonna find out anyway, why don't you just tell me now?

S
COTT
: I'm going to write about a florist.

B
EN
: Uh huh …

S
COTT
: It's a rich, undiscovered world. Florists are at the center of deceit and power.

B
EN
: It's about flowers?

S
COTT
: It's
Shampoo
with thorns. Florists are dangerous. Ask your ex-wives.

A beat. They stop walking
.

B
EN
: It's not a movie.

S
COTT
: It's not a movie? What is it?

B
EN
: Rosebuds on the big screen, I don't think so. It won't work. Why don't you try Leonard—it might be his thing.

S
COTT
: I already did.

A beat. Scott starts to walk away, Ben follows
.

B
EN
: You
went
to Leonard
before
you went to me?