FADE IN:
INT. CAR TRAVELING. DAY
Tony Aramano (47 ) and Lorna White ( Tony's
ex wife, 45)
Tony drives.
LORNA
You should have called her.
TONY
I tried.
LORNA
Once.
TONY
She probably saw my number on her
phone.
LORNA
After 15 years she rememebers your
number? Come on Tony. It's just
not fair not to warn Joan that you
are coming.
TONY
Was she fair when she didn't give
me Mom's flower plate?
LORNA
You are going to settle it with
her in a few minutes.
TONY
I? What about you?
Lorna looks out of the window.
TONY (CONT'D)
Did you hear me Lorna?
LORNA
I'm not her brother. It's between
you two.
TONY
And that lets you out ? The fact
that your loving daughter Orin
insists that she wants that plate
for her wedding does not concern
you?
(beat)
If we're lucky - which we never
are - the plate's already broken
but Joan was not the breaking kind.
Maybe her girlfriend is.
LORNA
Now don't go into this Tony.
(MORE)
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2.
LORNA (CONT'D)
She knows that we know that she is
you know what.
TONY
A lesbian.
LORNA
Shhh.
TONY
What " shh " ? Nobody's here but
us two.
Lorna looks out.
LORNA
It's the next turn to the right.
TONY
I know.
LORNA
You thought about what you're going
to say when she opens the door?
TONY
Sure. I'll shout " Surprise Joan
".
Lorna looks at him.
TONY (CONT'D)
I know. It's her heart. So I won't
shout. Just say " Hi Joan. How are
you ? May we come in? "
LORNA
Ok. Now you're in.
TONY
Just like that?
LORNA
Sure. She opens the door and says
" Come in Tony ".
TONY
And Lorna.
LORNA
She won't remember my name.
TONY
She will so she says " Come in
Tony and Lorna ".
LORNA
OK. We're in.
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3.
TONY
Where does she puts us? In the
kitchen?
LORNA
Kitchen is for people who are
close.
And we aren't.
(beat)
She'll put us in the living room.
TONY
I won't sit on the sofa. I am
certain she didn't fix the
springs.
(beat)
I'll take the chair.
LORNA
I'll take the sofa.
TONY
No you won't. You'll sit next to
me. We got to show unity.
LORNA
You and me unity? We're fucking
divorced.
TONY
But Joan doesn't know that and
we're not going to say anything
because we're there just to get
the plate and walk out.
LORNA
You'll have coffee or tea ?
TONY
Don't know. Does it matter ?
LORNA
Sure. Coffee is intimacy and tea
is distant especially if you add
milk.
TONY
OK. Tea. No milk. No sugar.And
you?
LORNA
I'll have something light. Like a
coke or pepsi. It's a sign that I
am not staying long.
TONY
Maybe I too will have a coke.
LORNA
You can't. You're an older
brother.
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4.
TONY
But it still didn't get me the
plate with the flowers.
(beat)
Her girlfriend might be there too.
What's her name ?
LORNA
Deborah I think.
TONY
You have any problems with her
being there ?
LORNA
No.
TONY
You wouldn't mind if she sits with
us?
LORNA
I guess I could pretend she was
not there.
TONY
You are good at it.
Loran does not react.
TONY (CONT'D)
So we sit there sipping tea or
coke.
LORNA
You sip coke never tea or coffee.
TONY
If you say so.
LORNA
Get me the box of chocolate.
TONY
Now?
LORNA
Now Tony. I don't want her to see
me open the trunk.
EXT. CAR STOPS BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
DAY.
Tony gets out of the car. He goes to the back
and opens
the trunk. He looks inside. Searches. Lorna
gets out from
the other side and comes to him.
LORNA
Well?
TONY
It was here.
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5.
LORNA
Was?
TONY
Past tense of " Is ".
LORNA
Told you to put it in here Tony.
TONY
I did.
(beat)
Must have been that boy at the gas
station. He took the oil container
from the trunk.
LORNA
Only because you were too lazy to
get out of the car and watch him.
Didn't I warn you? I knew it.
TONY
So why didn't you get out of the
car?
LORNA
You were driving.
TONY
I'll report him to the police.
LORNA
It won't do you any good because
the chocolate was for Joan. Special
order from Giradelli that cost you
50 bucks and was brought to your
place by a messenger with gold
band around his cap plus a 10 bucks
tip.
(beat)
What do you do now?
TONY
Tell her we lost it.
LORNA
You said she would kill for that
kind of cream & hazelnuts filled
chocolate. There is no way Joan'll
give up the plate without the
chocolate.
(beat)
We passed a gas station a few
minutes ago. You can get something
in there. It'll have to do.
TONY
How about going back home ?
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6.
LORNA
Orin'll never forgive you if you
don't get her the plate from Joan.
Your grandchildren'll hate you.
TONY
There are no grandchildren.
LORNA
There'll be.
TONY
Orin wouldn't tell...
LORNA
If she won't I will.
TONY
Bitch.
Tony closes the trunk and gets in the car.
Lorna too.
EXT. GAS STATION. DAY.
Tony's car stops there. Tony gets out. A man
( 55 ) comes
to him.
GEORGE
Fill her up Mister?
TONY
No.You got choclate boxes in here
?
GEORGE
In the drugstore over there.
George points to a store. Tony walks over.
INT. STORE. DAY
Tony walks in. George Chandler ( 63 ) sits on
a stall and
arranges products on shelves. There is a
cardbox next to
him. He reaches for something in the box
when he sees
Tony's shoes. He lifts his head.
TONY
You got boxes of chocolate?
GEORGE
Sure.
( he points)
Over there.
Tony goes. George continues to arrange the
products. Tony
comes back. He stands next to George.
TONY
The prices on them boxes?
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7.
GEORGE
What about them?
TONY
It says " 16.99 " on the red one.
GEORGE
Then this is the price.
TONY
I'll take it. Do you gift wrap?
GEORGE
If you want to.
George gets up. He looks at Tony.
GEORGE (CONT'D)
Anthony Aramano? Year of 1970?
TONY
1971
(beat)
Mr. George Chandler?
GEORGE
Yeah. Your old English teacher.
Tony shakes his hand.
TONY
It sure is a pleasure meeting you
again Mr. Chandler.Nice place you
got here.
GEORGE
My son Michael owns the gas station
and he puts me in charge of the
drugstore.
TONY
You quit teaching Mr. Chandler?
GEORGE
Yeah. Last year.
TONY
But you're still... I mean you
can't be over 60.
GEORGE
63 in two months time.
TONY
I remember the cookies that your
wife used to bake on Fridays once
a month and you shared them with
us. In the yard. She still makes
them?
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8.
GEORGE
No. She left us five years ago.
Accident.
TONY
I'm sorry.
(beat)
Talking of wives. My ex is in the
car. I'll take the red box.
GEORGE
Sure.
George goes to the cash box and Tony goes and
picks up the
chocolate box. He brings it to George.
GEORGE (CONT'D)
This a present?
TONY
Yeah. We're going to visit my
sister.
GEORGE
Joan?
TONY
You know her
GEORGE
How's she?
TONY
Haven't seen her in years.We had a
fight
(laughs)
One of the stupid kind .
GEORGE
I see.
(beat)
So you're probably not aware that
she has a friend living with her.
A female friend.
TONY
We know that.
GEORGE
Joan and I had a thing going for
some time.Two years ago.
TONY
You and Joan?
GEORGE
Yes. We were very close. Until
this Deborah showed up.
TONY
Sorry.
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9.
GEORGE
Don't be.
(laughs)
Better to find out about it before
the wedding.
TONY
Yeah.
(he looks outside)
Got to go.
George takes the box of chocolate. Takes off
the price and
starts to wrap it.Tony takes out a note and
puts it on the
counter. Lorna comes in. She goes to Tony
LORNA
Well?
TONY
Lorna please meet Mr. George
Chandler. He was my English teacher
in high school. Mr. Chandler, Lorna
White my ex wife.
GEORGE
Please to meet you Ms. White.
LORNA
Same here.
(to Tony)
What did you get her?
TONY
A 16.99 box. White chocolate coated
cherries.
LORNA
No chocolate coated hazelnut cream?
It won't make Joan give you the
plate.
TONY
Fuck her and the plate.
LORNA
Tony.
GEORGE
Excuse me.
LORNA
What?
GEORGE
You talking about Joan Aramano?
LORNA
You know her?
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10.
TONY
Mr. Chandler dated her until she
met this Deborah.
(beat)
The...
LORNA
I know who Deborah is Tony.
GEORGE
You mentioned a plate?
TONY
(laughs)
Yeah. Like a soup plate with
drawing
of sunflowers on the rim. My Mom
used to give our little daughter
cornflakes in it and tell her
stories about the sunflowers
LORNA
When Tony's mom died we were sure
she was going to leave the plate
to our daughter Orin. Only she
didn't leave a will and Joan said
it was hers. Now Orin's getting
married and she wants it. Real
bad.
TONY
So we're on our way to get it from
Joan.
(beat)
Lorna here said that if we brought
her her favorite chocolate she
might soften up and give it to us.
Only I think she won't. Not even
for Cream & hazelnut filled
chocolate by Giradelli.
GEORGE
You're right Anthony. She won't.
TONY
(to Lorna)
See. He knows her.
GEORGE
She won't because I have it.
LORNA
You?
TONY
I don't get it.
(beat)
Are we talking about the same plate
Mr. Chandler?
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11.
GEORGE
Same plate. I received it two weeks
before Joan broke up with me.
LORNA
She gave it to you ? The bitch.
GEORGE
She didn't actually give it to me.
There was an exhibition of ceramics
in town and Joan had the plate
displayed. Under her name of
course.
She met Deborah in there...
LORNA
Her girlfriend ?
GEORGE
Yes.
(beat)
I guess the meeting drove the plate
out of her mind.
LORNA
You said you dated her?
GEORGE
Sure. Almost 6 months.
LORNA
And you had no idea ?
TONY
Lorna please.
LORNA
I suppose you took her to bed
unless
you were gay
(laughs)
It would have been just perfect.
TONY
Stop that.
LORNA
A man takes a woman to bed and he
doesn't know that she is a godman
lesbian?
TONY
Leave Mr. Chandler alone Lorna
(beat)
This meeting with Deborah drove
the plate out of Joan's mind ? She
must be something.Got to meet her.
LORNA]
Don't get up your hopes or anything
else.
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12.
GEORGE
I can't think of any other reason.
(beat)
Several days later I happened to
meet the Mayor and he mentioned
that the exhibition was closed and
no one picked up the plate.
LORNA
So you took it.
GEORGE
And forgot to give it to her.
It's still in my car.
(beat)
She knew I had it but didn't
mention
it again.
TONY
Maybe now that she has this Deborah
she does not care much for an old
plate.
GEORGE
Could very well be Mr. Aramano.
(beat)
You are going there now so I would
appreciate it if you could take
the plate and give it to Joan.
LORNA
Sure. No problem Mr. Chandler.
George hands the box of chocolate to Tony and
gives him
change.
GEORGE
I'll give you the plate.
( beat)
You don't mind taking it to her do
you ?
LORNA
Nothing would please me more Mr.
Chandler.
EXT. GAS STATION. DAY
INT. CAR. DAY
Tony and Lorna in the car. Lorna holds a
package. Tony
starts the car. He drives. The car gets to
the exit out of
the gas station. Tony looks to the left and
to the right.
He then looks at Lorna
LORNA
Home Tony.
END.
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