"MOONSTRUCK"
by
John Patrick Shanley
Final Draft
FADE IN:
INT. ZITO'S BREAD STORY - DAY
Several dozen loaves of golden Italian bread are standing on
end in a shaft of morning sunlight. They are standing on end
in bins. In the window, ZITO'S can be read in reverse.
We leave the loaves and DRIFT DOWN TO a Progresso Products
calendar, which hangs from the wall by a nail. The month is
November. Various phone numbers and delivery dates have been
penned in in a rough scrawl. Now WE GO TO a white formica
counter, scuffed and pocked from long use. On the counter,
in a rinsed out olive jar filled with water, are three fat
red roses. The TITLE APPEARS IN BLACK SCRIPT AGAINST THE
WHITE BACKGROUND.
MOONSTRUCK
Now WE FAINTLY HEAR THE VOICE of Zito himself, and a low
TAPPING SOUND. SOME CREDITS ROLL.
ZITO'S VOICE
(barely discernable)
Three times they cancel the order
with me, and three times they come
back. Who they kidding? They cheap,
cheap, cheap. The other bread they
get is no good. They save pennies.
Everybody complain and they come
back. "Zito, your bread is the best."
They're like children stupid in school
who cannot learn. The water. It's
the water. You buy bread in Hoboken,
you get Hoboken water. Hoboken water
is dry. Ask anybody who knows. Ask
your father. He knows.
During Zito's plaintive words, WE LEAVE the roses and MOVE
DOWN the counter TO a calculator being tapped very efficiently
with the eraser end of pencil. When the results appear, the
pencil notes the figure in a threadbare old ledger.
NOW WE SEE ZITO
He's a middle-aged Italian man with a kind face. But it's
early in the day, and he's already been working for hours,
so he's a little tired and disgruntled.
ZITO
You want me to make you some coffee?
NOW WE SEE LORETTA FOR THE FIRST TIME
She's entering a few final figures in the ledger. LORETTA is
Italian, 37. Her hair black, done in a dated style, is flecked
with grey. She's dressed in sensible but unfashionable clothes
of a dark color.
LORETTA
What d'you know about coffee? Gimme
a loaf of bread.
EXT. ZITO'S BREAD STORE - DAY
Loretta emerges with her little weathered leather bookkeeping
satchel and a loaf of Zito bread in a white paper bag. She
moves off briskly.
EXT. A.J. CONTI FUNERAL CHAPEL - DAY
This is a little Italian funeral parlor.
INT. THE "WAKE" ROOM"
A generic little room filled with many flowers and wreathes,
many folding chairs, a few OLD PEOPLE sitting and, up front,
the star of the show, the CORPSE on display in his gold and
formica casket. Before the casket is a little kneeler. We
discover an OLD LADY there, who crosses herself and rises.
She goes and sits by RUBY, another old women. She leans over
and says.
OLD WOMAN
He looks great.
RUBY
That Al Conti is a genius.
INT. OFFICE OF THE FUNERAL PARLOR
First WE SEE a name plate on a desk. The plate reads ALFONSO
CONTI. We HEAR his VOICE.
CONTI'S VOICE
I am a genius.
The SHOT WIDENS TO INCLUDE the loaf of bread which is half
cut up and being buttered. Next to the bread are two steaming
mugs of coffee. We HEAR the subdued TAPPING of Loretta's
tabulations.
LORETTA'S VOICE
If you're such an artistic genius,
why can't you keep track of your
receipts? How am I going to do your
income tax?
CONTI'S VOICE
I am an artistic genius.
The SHOT WIDENS and now we can see Al Conti and Loretta
sitting at the desk having Zito's buttered bread and mugs of
coffee. Loretta's got her calculator going and is entering
figures in Al's black, gold-lettered ledger.
LORETTA
If you're an artistic genius, how
come you got butter on your tie?
He looks down and sees the stain. He's at a loss.
LORETTA
Give it here. I'll give you this,
Al, you make good coffee.
She downs her coffee, accepts the stained tie which Al has
taken off, and slams the ledger shut.
INT. ROBERT'S DRY CLEANERS - DAY - MORE CREDITS ROLL
We are looking at a wall of dry-cleaned clothes bags. They
are hanging from an automated grid. As we watch, the wall
starts to move off to the left. A gap appears where no clothes
are hung. The gap creates visual frame. In the frame is
ROBERT. He is operating the grid with a little stick shift.
He stops it and takes down a garment. He leaves the frame,
heading off to the counter. When he moves away, WE SEE that
Loretta is behind him, working her calculator, entering in a
ledger. She slams the ledger shut, waves goodbye, and goes.
After beat she reappears, produces Conti's tie, says something
to Robert, who is out of view, leaves the tie, and
INT. BUTCHER SHOP - DAY
WE SEE a cleaver whacking an oxtail into section.
Now WE SEE Loretta, a few feet away, tabulating on a chopping
block that is partially obscured by a row of hanging rabbits,
unskinned.
INT. A FLORIST SHOP - DAY
A long white box is being filled with red roses. We HEAR the
FLORIST'S VOICE.
FLORIST'S VOICE
Red roses. Very romantic. The man
who sends these knows what he's doing.
Now WE SEE Loretta tabulating and the Florist working on the
box of roses.
LORETTA
The man who sends those spends a lot
of money on something that ends up
in the garbage can.
The Florist gives her a look and then smiles.
FLORIST
I'm glad everybody ain't like you,
Loretta. I'd be outta business.
LORETTA
Without me, you'd be out of business.
I like flowers.
She gives him a sudden, brief, blinding smile. It's the first
time we've seen her smile. She has gold work around one of
her two front teeth. The Florist grunts and hands her a red
rose. Camera moves close to Loretta and the rose.
END OF CREDITS
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. THE GRAND TICINO - AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT
A red neon sign hangs in the window.
It's a quaint downstairs restaurant in Greenwich Village. A
YOUNG COUPLE stop, look at the menu, become more interested
in each other, kiss, and decide to go in.
INT. THE GRAND TICINO - NIGHT
White tablecloths and dark green walls, a tiny bar up by the
door. The WAITERS all look a little alike. That's because
they're all related. The place is about half full, and bustles
along pleasantly.
MUSIC
A VIOLIN PLAYS a melancholy Neapolitan air.
MR. JOHNNY and Loretta sit at a table for two talking quietly.
They have their menus and glasses of red wine. Mr. Johnny is
Italian, around 42. His wavy salt-and pepper hair is
impeccably combed back; but there is so much that it threatens
to fall forward someday and engulf his face. He is wearing a
pinky ring, a dark suit, a gold watch, and, on his face, a
mustache and a look of incredible seriousness. Loretta is
Italian, 37. Her black hair, done in a dated style, is flecked
with grey. She is wearing a dark blouse, black skirt, and
high heels. One of her teeth is framed with gold work.
Mr. Johnny is really timid of life, an overgrown boy, who
hides these qualities behind a veil of dignity.
Loretta is tough and efficient, loyal and watchful; she
watches out for Mr. Johnny, and defends him against life.
BOBO, an Old World Italian waiter, comes over to take their
order.
BOBO
Are you ready?
MR. JOHNNY
Hello, Bobo. How are you tonight?
BOBO
Very good, Mr. Johnny.
MR. JOHNNY
We will both have the Salad Ticino.
BOBO
Uh-huh
MR. JOHNNY
And I'll have the special fish.
LORETTA
You don't want the fish.
MR. JOHNNY
No?
LORETTA
It's the oily fish tonight. Not before
the plane ride.
MR. JOHNNY
Maybe you're right.
LORETTA
Give him the manicotta, Bobo. Me,
too.
BOBO
Yes, Miss Loretta.
LORETTA
(to Mr. Johnny)
That will give you a base. For your
stomach. You eat that oily fish, you
go up in the air, halfway to Sicily
you'll be green and your hands will
be sweating.
MR. JOHNNY
(smiles)
You look after me.
They HEAR a distinguished MAN'S VOICE rise out of the babble.
They turn and look. The man's name is PERRY.
PERRY AND PATRICIA FROM LORETTA'S POV
Perry is a university professor. PATRICIA is his
girlfriend/student. He's in his 50's. She's about 25 years
younger. She's getting her coat on in a huff.
PERRY
Patricia, please don't go!
PATRICIA
What do you think I am, a talking
dog?
PERRY
I was just making a point about the
way you said... the way you stated
your aspirations.
PATRICIA
You can kiss my aspirations!
Professor!
She storms out, leaving Perry muttering to himself.
PERRY
Kiss my aspirations. Oh, very clever.
The height of cleverness. Waiter!
An abnormally SHY WAITER stops.
SHY WAITER
Yes?
PERRY
Could you do away with her dinner,
and any evidence of her, and bring
me an big glass of vodka?
SHY WAITER
But absolutely!
THE SHY WAITER begins to efficiently clear.
MR. JOHNNY AND LORETTA EXCHANGE A GLANCE
Mr. Johnny is amused. Bobo serves them their salad.
MR. JOHNNY
A man who can't control his woman is
funny.
LORETTA
She was too young for him.
Mr. Johnny considers this a point well taken.
BOBO AND HIS NEPHEW EDDIE STAND NEAR THE KITCHEN
Which can be seen through a serving window. They can look
out over the restaurant tables. Bobo is melancholy and
philosophical. EDDIE is a young waiter.
EDDIE
What'samatter, Uncle Bobo?
BOBO
Tonight Mr. Johnny's gonna propose
marriage.
EDDIE
How you know that?
BOBO
He arranged it with me. When he asks
her, then he'll wave to me and I'll
bring champagne. Good bachelor
customer for twenty years. But who
knows? Maybe he'll lose courage.
EDDIE
Heavy duty stuff.
PERRY, FEELING NO PAIN, COLLARS THE SHY WAITER
He holds out his empty glass.
PERRY
Can I get another one of these?
SHY WAITER
Definitely!
Perry takes his arm.
PERRY
May I presume to ask you a question?
SHY WAITER
Sure!
PERRY
Do you have a girlfriend?
SHY WAITER
I am alone in the world.
Perry lets go of his arm. He and the Shy Waiter commiserate
a moment. Then, wordlessly, the Shy Waiter goes.
PERRY
That's very sad.
BOBO IS CLEARING THE REMAINS OF MR. JOHNNY'S DINNER. He's
already cleared Loretta's.
BOBO
How's things?
LORETTA
Fine, Bobo. We'll take the check.
MR. JOHNNY
No, I want to see the dessert cart.
BOBO
Very good.
Bobo goes. Loretta is surprised.
LORETTA
You never have dessert.
MR. JOHNNY
Never is a long time.
Mr. Johnny is uneasy. He massages his head.
LORETTA
What's the matter?
MR. JOHNNY
My scalp is not getting enough blood
sometimes.
Loretta looks at him strangely. Bobo rolls up the dessert
cart. WE SEE Loretta and Mr. Johnny through the frame of the
dessert cart. They turn and look at the desserts.
MR. JOHNNY
Have Something.
LORETTA
I shouldn't.
MR. JOHNNY
Will you marry me?
LORETTA
What?
MR. JOHNNY
Will you marry me?
LORETTA
Bobo, take the cart away.
He does.
LORETTA
(continuing)
Are you proposing marriage to me?
MR. JOHNNY
Yes?
LORETTA
You know I was married and that my
husband died. But what you don't
know is I think he and I had Bad
Luck.
MR. JOHNNY
What do you mean?
LORETTA
We got married at the City Hall and
I think it gave bad luck the whole
marriage.
MR. JOHNNY
I don't understand.
LORETTA
Right from the start we didn't do it
right. Could you kneel down?
MR. JOHNNY
On the floor?
LORETTA
Yes, on the floor.
MR. JOHNNY
This is a good suit.
LORETTA
I helped you buy it. It came with
two pairs of pants. It's for luck,
Johnny. When you propose marriage to
a woman, you should kneel down.
MR. JOHNNY
Alright.
Mr. Johnny slowly gets out of his chair. There's not enough
room for him to kneel down. He has to ask two off-duty PRO
WRESTLERS who are eating dinner to move their chairs. They
do so with bemused expressions. Their names are BOB and MOOK.
SHY WAITER BRINGS PERRY A FRESH GLASS OF VODKA ASKS THE SHY
WAITER
PERRY
Is that man praying?
MR. JOHNNY ON HIS KNEES ADDRESSES LORETTA
JOHNNY
So. Will you ma...
LORETTA
(interrupting)
Where's the ring?
MR. JOHNNY
(at a loss)
The ring?
BOB AND MOOK ARE WATCHING MR. JOHNNY'S PERFORMANCE
They are deadpan mugs.
BOB
(to Mr. Johnny)
A ring. That's right.
MOOK
I woulda sprung for a ring if it was
me.
BOBO AND EDDIE STAND NEAR THE KITCHEN WATCHING
BOBO
She's got him on his knees. He's
ruining his suit.
LORETTA AND MR. JOHNNY
LORETTA
You could use your pinky ring.
MR. JOHNNY
I like this ring.
LORETTA
You propose to a woman you should
offer her a ring of engagement.
Mr. Johnny takes off the ring and holds it out to her.
MR. JOHNNY
Loretta. Loretta Castorini Clark. On
my knees. In front of all these
people. Will you marry me?
She meekly accepts the ring from him and takes his hands.
LORETTA
Yes, Johnny. Yes, John Anthony
Cammareri. I will marry you. I will
be your wife.
Mr. Johnny slowly stands up, brushes off his knees. The
restaurant has fallen utterly silent. Loretta smiles. They
embrace. Loretta kisses him quickly.
A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN, SUSAN, IS MAUDLIN FROM THE PROPOSAL
Bobo stands very near her table. She is about to applaud the
proposal. She brings her hands together. Bobo's hand flashes
out and neatly captures her hands before they can part again.
The single sound dies abruptly in the silent room.
LORETTA AND MR. JOHNNY
Mr. Johnny is in control now. He looks around once, regally.
MR. JOHNNY
Bobo! The check!
PERRY AND THE SHY WAITER LOOK AT MR. JOHNNY AND LORETTA
PERRY
I feel like I have just witnessed a
car accident.
The Shy Waiter sits down at Perry's table.
SHY WAITER
When I was twenty-seven years old,
in Jersey City, I asked a woman to
marry me. She had red hair. She
smelled a jasmine. She wore black
shoes with pointy white tips.
PERRY
What happened?
SHY WAITER
She didn't hear me. She asked me to
repeat, so she could understand what
I said. But I wouldn't repeat it.
Outta shyness. So I'm a bachelor.
MR. JOHNNY AND LORETTA
He's helping her on with her coat.
LORETTA
What time is it?
MR. JOHNNY
Seven-thirty.
LORETTA
So we'll pick up the car, we'll make
the plane in plenty of time.
Mr. Johnny puts on his coat.
MR. JOHNNY
My mother will be happy I'm getting
married.
Bobo approaches with the bucket of champagne. He's flustered.
BOBO
I forgot to bring the champagne, Mr.
Johnny.
MR. JOHNNY
I forgot to wave. We'll have it at
the wedding.
EXT. MIDTOWN TUNNEL - A CREAM COLORED LTD SPEEDING - NIGHT
INT. THE CREAM LTD - NIGHT
Loretta driving and Mr. Johnny sitting beside her. In the
back seat are two suitcases.
LORETTA
What about the wedding?
MR. JOHNNY
My mother is dying. When she is dead,
I'll come back and we'll be married.
LORETTA
How near is she to death?
MR. JOHNNY
A week. Two weeks. No more.
LORETTA
Then let's set the date.
LORETTA
How about a month from today?
MR. JOHNNY
Must it be so definite? Can't we
just say that we will be married
when I get back?
LORETTA
Where? At the City Hall? No! I want
the whole wedding or we will have
Bad Luck. For a whole wedding to be
planned, a date must be set.
MR. JOHNNY
Alright. A month. In a month.
LORETTA
A month from today?
MR. JOHNNY
Yeah.
LORETTA
I'll take care of it, Johnny. I'll
take care of the whole thing. All
you have to do is show up.
INT. A TERMINAL AT KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - NIGHT
CLOSE UP ON TV MONITOR - VIDEO INSERT
Dialogue on clip: (Close-up on Ava Gardner & Gregory Peck
kissing. Length of clip is 1:25)
AVA
Oh, you're not going. You're staying.
GREGORY
No, I'm going.
AVA
The Shawfish?
GREGORY
Just across the bay, at the fuel
depot. The men wanted to try to get
home. I can't explain.
AVA
Then, I suppose the time has come
say it's been nice Dwight Lionel.
It's been everything. Oh, Dwight,
I'm frightened.
GREGORY
I know, I am so sorry for so many
things. I love you, Moira. I love
you. I love you.
INT. A TERMINAL AT KENNEDY AIRPORT - NIGHT
Many PEOPLE, most of them Italian, are lined up to board the
plane. A VOICE can be heard over the P.A. system.
VOICE
(over P.A. System)
International Flight Number Six-ohfour
boarding for Rome and Palermo at
Gate Twenty-six.
MR. JOHNNY AND LORETTA ARE SAYING GOODBYE
LORETTA
Call me when you get in.
MR. JOHNNY
I'll call you when I get to Mama's
house.
LORETTA
You've made me very happy, Johnny.
He takes a piece of paper from his wallet.
MR. JOHNNY
There's one thing about this wedding
I want you to do. Call this number.
It's a business number. Ask for Ronny.
Invite him to the wedding.
LORETTA
Who is he?
MR. JOHNNY
He's my younger brother.
LORETTA
You have a brother?
MR. JOHNNY
We haven't spoken in five years.
There was some bad blood. I want you
to call him and invite him to the
wedding. Will you do it?
LORETTA
Sure.
VOICE
This is the last call for
International Flight Number Six-ohfour
boarding at Gate Twenty-six for Rome
and Palermo.
MR. JOHNNY
I've got to go.
He clumsily kisses her. Then he quickly turns and leaves.
She waves, but he doesn't look back.
EXT AIRPORT RUNWAY - NIGHT
Close shot on plane's wheels and under belly as it slowly
begins to move. Red lights are flashing.
AN OLD ITALIAN CRONE IS LOOKING OUT THE TERMINAL WINDOW
In the background we see the accordion like ramp that was
loading to the departing aircraft, slowly fold up. Loretta
walks up beside her, and looks out the window, too. The crone
is dressed in black and has a black scarf on her head.
The Crone notices Loretta.
CRONE
Do you have someone on that plane?
LORETTA
Yeah.
(smiles)
My fiancé.
CRONE
I have put a curse on that plane. My
sister is on that plane. I have put
a curse on that plane that it should
explode. Burn on fire and fall into
the sea. Fifty years ago she stole a
man from me. Today she told me that
she didn't even love him. She took
him to feel strong with me. Now she
goes back to Sicily. I have cursed
her that the green Atlantic water
should swallow her up.
LORETTA
I don't believe in curses.
CRONE
(smiles)
Neither do I.
The plane takes off. Loretta looks after it anxiously. All
her hopes are on that plane.
INT. A PARKING GARAGE IN LITTLE ITALY - NIGHT
The LTD pulls into the entrance and Loretta gets out. An
ATTENDANT appears.
ATTENDANT
Mr. Johnny's, right?
LORETTA
Right. The key's in it.
ATTENDANT
Good night.
LORETTA
Night.
Loretta walks of into the night.
EXT. THE SWEETHEART LIQUOR STORE - NIGHT
Camera frames the window with a sweetheart in neon.
EXT. THE SWEETHEART LIQUOR STORE - NIGHT
Loretta walks up the street and enters the store.
INT. THE SWEETHEART LIQUOR STORE - NIGHT
Loretta walks in. IRV and LOTTE, the middle-aged couple who
own and run the place, are having an argument.
LOTTE
I've seen how you look at her and it
isn't right.
IRV
How do I look at her?
(to Loretta)
Can I help you?
LORETTA
A split of Moet.
LOTTE
(to IRV)
Like a wolf.
IRV
(getting the split)
Like a wolf, huh? You never seen a
wolf in your life.
IRV
(to Loretta)
That's seven-fifty-seven.
Loretta pays and waits for her change.
LOTTE
I seen a wolf in everybody I ever
met and I see a wolf in you.
IRV
(giving the change)
That makes ten. Thanks. Have a nice
night.
LORETTA
You, too.
Loretta walks out.
IRV
You know what I see in you, Lotte?
LOTTE
What?
IRV
The girl I married.
Lotte, caught off-guard, blushes.
EXT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - NIGHT
It's a big, old eccentric, three-story corner house. To one
side, it's got a qated arch that leads to an inner courtyard
where three cars could park. It's got two cast-iron balconies.
About a third of the windows in the house are lit.
From within can be HEARD the faint strains of VICKI CARR
SINGING and one DOG BARKING. Loretta appears, carrying
champagne, approaches the front door, unlocks it, and goes
in.
INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - THE FRONT HALL - NIGHT
MUSIC
VICKI CARR is SINGING "IT MUST BE HIM."
The front hall is typical of big old brownstones. There's a
big old oak coat rack with a built-in mirror and an umbrella
stand. There are several coats hanging from it. The floor is
littered with boots. There's also a side table.
On the table is a large cut-glass bowl filled with a couple
of pounds of hard candy.
Loretta comes in and takes off her coat. A single MAD HOWL
is HEARD, followed by a PANDEMONIUM OF BARKING. FIVE DOGS
charge into the hall to greet Loretta. They are totally
cockeyed, crackpot mutts. Their names are JUDAS, LUCY, LEO
FATBOY, AND JONES.
LORETTA
Hello, boys and girls. Guess what
happened to me?
The VOICE of the OLD MAN is heard calling out from upstairs.
OLD MAN'S VOICE
How long must I wait? Quanto tempo
devo aspettare?
The Five Dogs turn away from Loretta and charge up the stairs
toward the voice. Loretta walks toward the living room.
INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
This is the source of the Vicki Carr song, which is just
ending. COSMO CASTORINI, Loretta's father is just turning
off the old stereo. He is a powerful man, about 65, with a
huge shock of white hair and gold wire glasses. He's wearing
a big old red silk robe over blue pajamas, and royal blue
slippers. The room it filled with lumpy upholstered furniture,
once grand, now threadbare; shawls and doilies cover holes
in failing fabric. There's a fireplace containing a dying
fire. Cosmo's wing chair, with his newspaper on it, is beside
a lit fringed lamp. Cosmo sees Loretta as she comes in.
COSMO
Hi.
He sits in his chair and puts his feet up on an old
needlepoint ottoman. He starts to read the paper.
LORETTA
Where's Ma?
COSMO
Bed.
LORETTA
You're not sleepy?
COSMO
I can't sleep anymore. It's too much
like death.
LORETTA
Pop, I got news.
Cosmo puts down the paper and takes his feet off the ottoman.
COSMO
Alright. Let's go in the kitchen.
Cosmo gets up and heads for the kitchen. He hums and continues
as Loretta opens champagne.
INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
Loretta and Cosmo sit at the kitchen table. It's a big tin
table with a black-and-white design. Loretta has put two old-
fashioned champagne glasses on the table, the split of
champagne, a bag of sugar cubes, and a bottle of bitters.
She pours the champagne, drops a little lump of sugar into
each glass, and adds a dash of bitters. She hands one of the
drinks to Cosmo.
LORETTA
Here.
(She Toasts)
Ti amo.
(Translated: I love
you.)
COSMO
Ti amo.
LORETTA
You look tired.
COSMO
What's your news?
LORETTA
I'm getting married.
COSMO
Again?
LORETTA
Yeah.
COSMO
You did this once it didn't work
out.
LORETTA
The guy died.
COSMO
What killed him?
LORETTA
He got hit by a bus.
COSMO
No! Bad luck! Your Ma and I been
married fifty-two years an nobody
died. You were married, what, two
years, and somebody is dead. Don't
get married again, Loretta. It don't
work out for you. Who's the man?
LORETTA
Johnny Cammareri.
COSMO
Him? He's a big baby. Why isn't he
here with you telling me?
LORETTA
He's flying to Sicily. His mother's
dying.
COSMO
More Bad Luck! I don't like his face,
Loretta. I don't like his lips. When
he smiles I can't see his teeth.
When will you do it?
LORETTA
In a month.
COSMO
I won't come.
LORETTA
You've got to come. You've got to
give me away.
COSMO
I didn't give you away the first
time.
LORETTA
And maybe that's why I had the Bad
Luck. Maybe if you gave me away, and
I got married in a church, in a
wedding dress, instead of at the
City Hall with strangers standing
outside the door, maybe then I
wouldn't had the Bad Luck I had.
COSMO
Maybe.
LORETTA
I didn't have no wedding cake, no
reception or nothing. Johnny got
down on his knees and proposed to me
at The Grand Ticino.
COSMO
He did?
LORETTA
Yeah.
COSMO
That don't sound like Johnny. Where's
the ring?
Loretta shows it.
Cosmo examines it.
LORETTA
Here.
COSMO
It looks stupid. It's a pinky ring.
It's a man's ring.
LORETTA
It's temporary.
COSMO
Everything is temporary. That don't
excuse nothing.
LORETTA
So you'll come to the wedding, right?
COSMO
Let's go tell your Mother.
She smiles. He doesn't. They rise from the table.
THE CASTORINI HOUSE - DARKENED MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT
The door to the hall opens, and the light from without dimly
illuminates a massive four-poster bed. Cosmo enters, followed
by Loretta. He speaks into the dark a calm and measured
summons.
COSMO
Rose. Rose. Rose. Rose.
A lamp is switched on by the bed. By ROSE. Rose is in her
60'S, and is very, very beautiful. Her abundant white tresses
frame a face of porcelain delicacy.
She's wearing an old and richly beautiful white nightgown.
ROSE
Who's dead?
COSMO
Nobody. Loretta is getting married.
ROSE
Again? Johnny Cammareri.
Cosmo goes and sits on the bed.
COSMO
I don't like him.
ROSE
You're not gonna marry him, Cosmo.
Do you love him, Loretta?
LORETTA
No.
ROSE
Good. When you love them they drive
you crazy cause they know they can.
But you like him?
LORETTA
Oh yeah. He's a sweet man. I wanna
have a big church wedding, Ma. And a
reception.
ROSE
And who's gonna pay for that?
LORETTA
Pop.
COSMO
WHAT?
Rose starts laughing.
LORETTA
Father of the bride pays.
Cosmo walks out.
COSMO
I have no money!
ROSE
You're rich as Roosevelt. You're
just cheap, Cosmo.
Cosmo shouts from the stairs.
COSMO
I won't pay for nothing.
ROSE
He didn't used to be cheap. He thinks
if he holds on to his money, he will
never die.
LORETTA
It's his duty as a father to pay for
my wedding, Ma ...
MUSIC
VICKI CARR, SINGING "IT MUST BE HIM", starts playing. Rose
looks weary.
ROSE
Now he's gonna play that damn Vicki
Carr record. And then when he comes
to bed, he won't touch me.
EXT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - MORNING
The first golden rays of sunlight touch the great old house.
The front door opens. Close shot of dogs coming into camera
as door opens. The OLD MAN comes out. The Old Man, who is
Cosmo's father, is 83 years old. He is taking the Five Dogs
out for their morning walk. He has their five leashes bundled
in one hand. In the other hand, even though it is a cloudless
November morning, he open black umbrella. He walks off down
the block with the dogs.
EXT. A SMALL CITY PARK SURROUNDED BY HURRICANE FENCE - DAY
The Old Man and the Five Dogs appear and enter the park. He
approaches a park bench where FELIX and LUCY are already
sitting. Felix and Lucy are about the same age as the Old
Man. They each have a well-behaved DOG. When the Old Man
sits down, he lets the Five Dogs go. The Dogs run off, BARKING
like mad.
FELIX
It's wrong to just let them go.
OLD MAN
(ignoring Felix)
Good morning, Lucy.
LUCY
Good morning.
FELIX
They run around, they mess up the
whole park.
OLD MAN
What do you want me to do? Pick up
after five dogs? I'm eighty-three
years old. God in his heaven
understands that I cannot pick up
after five dogs.
FELIX
You have too many dogs.
The dogs can be HEARD in the distance. It sounds like they're
killing each other.
OLD MAN
(goes back to ignoring
Felix)
Lucy. There are big things going on
in my house. My granddaughter Loretta,
the only daughter of my son Cosmo,
has engaged herself to be married a
second time.
LUCY
I have heard that Johnny Cammareri
got down on his knees in The Grand
Ticino and proposed to her.
OLD MAN
My son does not like this Johnny
Cammareri. He says he is a big baby.
FELIX
You should have one dog. Like Lucy.
Like me. I wish I hadda gun. If I
hadda gun, I would shoot four of
your dogs.
The Old Man makes a low, threatening noise.
LUCY
Don't fight.
OLD MAN
My granddaughter wants my son to pay
for the wedding. But he does not
want to pay.
LUCY
He should pay.
OLD MAN
I don't know.
LUCY
He owes her a wedding from the first
time when there was none.
OLD MAN
Maybe. I don't know. He has not asked
my advice. If he asks my advice, I
don't know what I will say.
The SOUND of the DOGS becomes intense again.
FELIX
I won't have to shoot those dogs.
They will kill each other.
OLD MAN
You think so, huh, Stupid? Those
dogs love each other.
EXT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - DAY
The gates in the big archway are opened from the inside.
It's Cosmo. He's wearing a good but old-fashioned suit, an
overcoat, and a homburg. He's pulled his car, a 1965 black
Buick, up to the gate. Now that he has the gates open, he
gets in the car and drives out to the curb. He gets out and
goes back to lock the gates. As he does this, the Old Man
approaches the house with the Five dogs and the open umbrella.
The Old Man and the Dogs go to the front door of the house.
Cosmo goes to the door of his car. The two men, father and
son, see each other at the moment they grab their respective
door handles. They each raise a hand in greeting; it is the
same gesture for both men, an eccentric chopping motion.
Then they open their respective doors. The Old Man disappears
within the house. Cosmo drives slowly away in his car.
INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY
A RED-HOT, WELL-SEASONED CAST IRON FRYING PAN
Receives a big lump of butter with a hissing gasp of
satisfaction. A wooden spoon pushes the sinking lump around
until the pan is coated. Two square slices of yellow bread
with round holes punched in their middles land in the pan.
Two circles of green pepper land next to the bread. A spatula
flips over the bread which has become glistening gold on the
cooked side.
Two eggs are broken and dropped sunnyside into the holes in
the bread.
The circles of green pepper are pushed around by the spatula,
scooped up deftly, and each is made to frame one of the eggs.
A WOMAN'S HAND garnishes each bright yellow yolk with a slash
of red pimento. The spatula reappears and lifts the results
from the pan, and slides them onto two small dark blue plates.
Now WE SEE that Loretta is just finishing setting the tin
table for two. In the b.g., Rose is turning away from the
big, old-fashioned six range gas stove where an old speckled
coffee pot is steaming up a sun-drenched window. Rose comes
toward the table with the laden blue plates. She's wearing a
nice old apron over a blue housedress. She's thoughtful.
As Rose comes to the table, Loretta in a blue denim work
shirt and pants, goes to the stove and gets the coffee. As
Rose puts breakfast on the table, she speaks to Loretta,
who's at the stove.
ROSE
Will you live here?
LORETTA
No.
ROSE
Why not?
LORETTA
Pop don't like Johnny.
Loretta returns with the coffeepot to the table, and pours.
Then she takes the pot back to the stove.
ROSE
So we'll sell the house.
LORETTA
I got married before, you didn't
sell.
Loretta comes to the table. They sit down to breakfast.
ROSE
Grandma was still alive. Chiro was
still home going to school. Now he's
married and gone to Florida. If you
and Johnny moved in, had a baby...
LORETTA
I'm thirty-seven years old.
ROSE
What's thirty-seven? I had Chiro
after I was thirty-seven. It ain't
over till it's over.
LORETTA
Johnny has a big apartment. We'll
live there.
ROSE
And we'll sell the house.
LORETTA
I'd like to stay, Ma. I love the
house. But Pop don't like Johnny.
ROSE
No. He don't.
The WALL PHONE in the kitchen RINGS. Loretta goes and answers
it.
LORETTA
Hello? Yea, this is Loretta Castorini -
yeah. Is that you Johnny?
INT. A DARKENED BEDROOM IN PALERMO - DAY
Mr. Johnny is calling on an old European-style phone. In the
b.g. is the sickbed. In the sickbed lies VESTA, Mr. Johnny's
mother, her grey hair spread out on a golden pillow.
By the bed are THREE MOURNERS, old crones dressed in black.
One clutches a missal, the other two clutch rosaries. All
three are grieving in a steady low wordless whine. Mr. Johnny
speaks into the phone in a confidential manner. There is
some long-distance CRACKLE.
MR. JOHNNY
Ssh, it's me. I'm calling from the
deathbed of my mother.
LORETTA ON THE PHONE
LORETTA
How was your plane ride?
MR. JOHNNY ON THE PHONE
MR. JOHNNY
The waitresses were very nice.
(glances over at his
mother)
My mother is slipping away.
LORETTA ON THE PHONE
VESTA
(calling to the Heavens)
Quanto tempo devo aspettare?
(now she aims more at
Johnny)
How long must I wait?!
MR. JOHNNY
I can't talk long.
LORETTA
Have you told her we're getting
married?
MR. JOHNNY ON THE PHONE
MR. JOHNNY
Not yet. I'm waiting till a moment
when she's peaceful.
We HEAR Loretta's VOICE over his receiver.
LORETTA'S VOICE
Just don't wait until she's dead.
MR. JOHNNY
Have you called my brother?
LORETTA'S VOICE
Not yet.
MR. JOHNNY
Will you do it today? Call him, make
him come to the wedding. Five years
is too long for bad blood between
brothers. Nothing can replace your
family. I see that now.
LORETTA ON THE PHONE
LORETTA
Alright. I'll call him. Today. Listen,
Johnny. Call me after you tell your
mother. Alright? Alright. And don't
stand directly under the sun. You've
got your hat, use your hat. Alright.
Bye-bye.
Loretta hangs up the phone. She thinks. Rose speaks from the
table, where she's still sitting.
ROSE
How's the mother?
LORETTA
She's dying. But I could still hear
her big mouth.
ROSE
Did he tell her?
LORETTA
Not yet. That old lady makes him
sweat.
(to herself)
Where's that card?
Rose gets up and takes the dishes to the sink, Loretta fishes
in her pocket and comes out with the business card Mr. Johnny
gave her. She dials the number.
ROSE
Who Are you calling?
INT. CAMMARERI PASTRY SHOP - DAY
(INTERCUT W/LORETTA IN KITCHEN)
CHRISSY, a woman with a Queens accent, answers.
CHRISSY
Cammareri's Bake Shop.
LORETTA
Is Ronny there?
CHRISSY
Hold on.
(yells into intercom)
Ronny, the phone!
INT. CAMMARERI PASTRY SHOP - OVEN ROOM - DAY
(INTERCUT W/LORETTA IN KITCHEN)
RONNY
Yeah, this is Ronny.
LORETTA
I'm calling for your brother Johnny.
He's getting married and he wants
you to come.
There's a long pause. Ronny's voice returns, hoarse with
emotion.
RONNY
Why didn't he call himself?
LORETTA
He's in Palermo.
RONNY
What's wrong can never be made right.
(hangs up phone)
LORETTA
Let me come and talk to you.
Loretta hangs up the phone. She looks at the card again,
makes a decision and pockets the card.
THE TOWNHOUSE/INT. THE BUICK - DAY
As Cosmo drives away. He's in a very good mood. He's
WHISTLING. He laughs to himself.
CAMMARERI'S PASTRY SHOP - DAY
And the street in front of it. Loretta arrives. She's wearing
a long, navy-blue cloth coat and a knit hat. She looks up at
the sign and at the business card in her hand, and enters
the shop.
INT. CAMMARERI'S PASTRY SHOP - DAY
It's a nice Italian bake shop. Three Italian women, CHRISSY,
BARBARA, and MA wait on THREE WOMEN SHOPPERS at the counter.
CHRISSY and BARBARA are in their late 20's or early 30's; MA
is old, old. Loretta comes in and speaks to CHRISSY.
LORETTA
Is Ronny Cammareri here?
CHRISSY
He down at the ovens. What do you
want?
LORETTA
I would like to speak to him.
EXT. CAMMARERI'S PASTRY SHOP - DAY
Chrissy comes out and Loretta follows. They walk around to
an outdoor staircase that descends into the sidewalk. Chrissy
shouts down.
CHRISSY
Hey, RONNY.
EXT. AN OLD DOOR AT THE FOOT OF THE STAIRCASE - DAY
The door slides open, revealing ROCCO, a baker missing a few
teeth. He is surrounded by bread.
ROCCO
What!
CHRISSY'S VOICE
Somebody to see Ronny.
Rocco slides back the door all the way. Chrissy and Loretta
make their way past him. He slides the door three quarters
shut behind them.
INT. THE BASEMENT OVEN ROOM - DAY
There are two coal-fired ovens, one at either end of the
room. There is a large wooden table roughly center. And
various pieces of baking equipment, dough-mixers, etc.,
scattered willy-nilly. And everywhere there is bread.
PIETRO, a baker, is working at one of the ovens with a long
wooden spatula. RONNY is working at the other oven.
Actually, he is just staring in the open door at the baking
bread and burning coals. He's dressed in black jeans streaked
with flour, a white restaurant shirt, white cotton gloves,
and around his neck, a red handkerchief. He is black-haired,
handsome and intense.
ROCCO
Ronny!
RONNY
What!
ROCCO
Somebody here to see you.
Ronny turns and takes in Loretta.
RONNY
Have you come from my brother?
LORETTA
Yes.
RONNY
Why?
LORETTA
I'm going to marry him.
RONNY
You are going to marry my brother?
LORETTA
Yes. Do you want...
RONNY
I have no life.
LORETTA
Excuse me.
RONNY
I have no life. My brother Johnny
took my life from me.
LORETTA
I don't understand.
Everything in the oven room has stopped and everyone is
watching.
RONNY
And now he's getting married. He has
his, he's getting his. And he wants
me to come? What is life?
He picks up the wooden spatula and slides it into the oven.
LORETTA
I didn't come here to upset you.
Ronny slides a bunch of loaves out of the oven on the spatula,
turns them around, and slides them back in.
RONNY
They say bread is life. So I bake
bread, bread, bread.
(He's picking up loaves
of bread from one of
the boxes on the
floor, and casually
tossing them across
the room.)
And the years go by! By! By! And I
sweat and shovel this stinking dough
in and outta this hot hole in the
wall and I should be so happy, huh,
sweetheart? You want me to come to
the wedding of my brother Johnny?!!
Where is my wedding? Chrissy! Over
by the wall! Gimme the big knife!
CHRISSY
No, Ronny!
Barbara appears in the doorway and comes down the stairs
into the room.
RONNY
Gimme the big knife! I'm gonna cut
my throat!
LORETTA
Maybe I should come back another
time.
RONNY
No, I want you to see this! I want
you to watch me kill myself so you
can tell my brother on his wedding
day! Chrissy, gimme the big knife!
CHRISSY
I tell you I won't do it!
RONNY
(to Loretta)
Do you know about me?
BARBARA
Oh, Mr. Cammareri!
RONNY
Nothing is anybody's fault, but things
happen.
(holds up his left
hand to Loretta)
Look.
He pulls off the glove. The hand is made of wood.
RONNY
It's wood. It's fake. Five years ago
I was engaged to be married. Johnny
came in here, he ordered bread from
me. I put it in the slicer and I
talked with him and my hand got caught
cause I wasn't paying attention. The
slicer chewed off my hand. It's funny
'cause - when my fiancé saw that I
was maimed, she left me for another
man.
LORETTA
That's the bad blood between you and
Johnny?
RONNY
That's it.
LORETTA
But that wasn't Johnny's fault.
RONNY
I don't care! I ain't no freakin
monument to justice! I lost my hand,
I lost my bride! Johnny has his hand,
Johnny has his bride! You come in
here and you want me to put away my
heartbreak and forget?
He goes to the big table, which is floured and covered with
bread. He sweeps everything off the tabletop during the next.
RONNY
Is it just a matter of time till a
man opens his eyes and gives up his
one dream of happiness? Maybe. Maybe.
All I have... Have you come here,
Stranger, Bride of my Brother, to
take these last few loaves from my
table? Alright. Alright.
The table is bare. He stares at it blankly. He wanders away,
to the back room where the flour sacks are kept. We hear a
single sob escape him from that room, and then silence.
Everyone in the oven room looks after him. Then Chrissy
approaches Loretta. She holds the big knife at her side.
CHRISSY
This is the most tormented man I
have ever known. I am in love with
this man. He doesn't know that. I
never told him cause he can never
love anybody since he lost his hand
and his girl.
She holds out the knife.
CHRISSY
Here. Why don't you just kill him?
It would be so much more kind than
coming here and inviting him to a
wedding like he'll never have.
Loretta considers Chrissy, decides what she's going to do,
and goes to the flour room.
INT. OF THE FLOUR ROOM - DAY
Many 50 lb. bags of flour are stacked under a bare electric
bulb. A rough stone staircase opposite is lit by daylight
from above. Ronny, quietly distraught, stands leaning by his
forehead against a stack of flour. Loretta approaches him.
She feels for him.
LORETTA
Where you live?
He points to the stone staircase.
RONNY
Upstairs.
She touches his shoulder.
LORETTA
Come on.
He follows her up the stairs.
EXT. THE STAIRCASE ENTRANCE ON THE STREET
Loretta and Ronny emerge. He gestures. They enter the
apartment building behind the bakery.
INT. THE PEACOCK CAFE — DAY
It's a dark Italian coffee and dessert house. Reproductions
of Roman statuary adorn grottos and alcoves. In the back is
a glass case displaying various desserts, and behind the
case, a big burnished gold cappuccino machine. The place is
almost empty.
MUSIC
An album of "NEAPOLITAN FOLK SONGS" is PLAYING on the cafe's
SOUND SYSTEM.
The CAMERA TRAVELS along the face of an exposed brick wall,
DISCOVERING busts of Romans occasionally, and then IT COMES
TO the figure of COSMO. He's sitting at a table which is
inset into a nook, so we cannot see who he's with.
DARK NOOK IN THE CAFE
At a little table away from prying eyes, Cosmo sits with
MONA, his girlfriend. Mona is a pretty but overripe Italian
woman in her late forties. She's all done up, and she looks
at Cosmo with adoration.
COSMO
And then there is copper, which is
the only pipe I use. It costs money.
But it costs money because it saves
money.
MONA
And what did they say?
COSMO
The man understood me. The woman
wanted to be cheap, but the man saw
that I was right.
MONA
You have such a head for knowing.
You know everything.
COSMO
I brought you something.
He takes out a small velvet box and hands it to her.
COSMO
It's a present.
She opens the box. It's a gold bracelet with a pattern of
stars and birds.
MONA
Oh, Cosmo!
COSMO
They are little stars and birds.
Birds fly to the stars, I guess.
EXT. RONNY'S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY
A three-story walk-up above Cammareri's Bakery.
INT. RONNY'S APARTMENT - DAY
It's a two-bedroom apartment. The decor reflects Ronny's
love of the opera. The furniture is overstuffed, fringed in
the colors of Italian passion. But it is all a bit faded,
the remains of an old flamboyance. The walls are decorated
with opera posters; and over the fireplace there is a painting
depicting a scene from "La Boheme": Mimi is standing in the
snow. Ronny stares at the picture of Mimi in the La Boheme
poster. Loretta comes in from the kitchen and sets down a
cup of coffee.
LORETTA
You ready for the coffee?
Loretta moves back into the kitchen. Ronny turns and watches
as she walks down the hall.
RONNY
Loretta. What's that smell?
LORETTA
I'm making you a steak.
RONNY
You don't have to help me.
LORETTA
I know that. I do what I want.
RONNY
I like it well done.
LORETTA
You'll eat this bloody to feed your
blood.
INT. RONNY'S APARTMENT -DINING ROOM - DAY
CU of Ronny's artificial hand, holding a fork stuck in a
steak. With his right he is cutting his steak. He switches
hands and eats hungrily. Loretta watches.
RONNY
This is good. Uhh...
LORETTA
Loretta.
RONNY
Where'd Johnny find you?
LORETTA
He knew my husband who died.
RONNY
How'd he die?
LORETTA
Bus hit him.
RONNY
Fast.
LORETTA
Instantaneous.
RONNY
When you get engaged?
LORETTA
Yesterday.
Ronny drops his knife and fork and turns away. Loretta is
not surprised and does not move.
RONNY
Why?
LORETTA
Why what?
RONNY
I don't know.
LORETTA
(smiles)
So. Five years ago your hand got cut
off and your woman left you for
another man. No woman since then?
RONNY
No.
LORETTA
Stupid.
RONNY
When your husband get hit by the
bus?
LORETTA
Seven years ago.
RONNY
How many men since then?
LORETTA
Just Johnny.
RONNY
Stupid yourself.
LORETTA
No. Unlucky. I have not been lucky.
RONNY
I don't care about Luck, you
understand me? It ain't that.
LORETTA
What? Do you think you're the only
one ever shed a tear?
RONNY
Why you talking to me?
LORETTA
You got any whiskey? How 'bout giving
me a glass of whiskey?
EXT. STREET NEAR BAKERY - DAY
SHOT OF COSMO & MONA IN THE BUICK
The car has just come to a stop. We see Cosmo & Mona kiss.
She exits car. Cosmo glances around with a slightly guilty
look and pulls away.
LORETTA AND RONNY AT THE TABLE WITH A BOTTLE OF WHISKEY
Camera is close on Scotch being poured into two glasses.
Loretta picks up her glass and swallows a healthy dose.
RONNY
She was right to leave me.
LORETTA
You think so?
RONNY
Yes.
LORETTA
You really are stupid, you know that.
Loretta pours herself another shot.
RONNY
You don't know nothing about it.
LORETTA
I was raised that a girl gets married
young. I didn't get married until I
was twenty-eight. I met a man. I
loved him. I married him. He wanted
to have a baby right away. I said
no. Then he got hit by a bus. No
man. No baby. No nothing! I did not
know that man was a gift I could not
keep. I didn't know... You tell me a
story and you think you know what it
means, but I see what the true story
is, and you can't.
(she pours them both
another drink)
She didn't leave you! You can't see
what you are. I can see everything.
You are a wolf!
RONNY
I'm a wolf?
LORETTA
The big part of you has no words and
it's-a wolf. This woman was a trap
for you. She caught you and you could
not get away.
(She grabs his wooden
hand)
So you chewed off your foot! That
was the price you had to pay to be
free.
(throws his hand down)
Johnny had nothing to do with it.
You did what you had to do, between
you and you, and I know I'm right, I
don't care what you say. And now
you're afraid because you found out
the big part of you is a wolf that
has the courage to bite off its own
hand to save itself from the trap of
the wrong love. That's why there has
been no woman since that wrong woman.
You are scared to death what the
wolf will do if you make that mistake
again!
RONNY
What are you doing!
LORETTA
I'm telling you your life!
RONNY
Stop it!
LORETTA
No!
RONNY
Why are you marrying Johnny? He's a
fool!
LORETTA
Because I have no Luck!
RONNY
(pounding on the table)
He made me look the wrong way and I
cut off my hand. He could make you
look the wrong way and you could cut
off your whole head!
LORETTA
I am looking where I should to become
a bride!
RONNY
A bride without a head!
LORETTA
A wolf without a foot!
Ronny stiff-arms everything off the dining table and grabs
Loretta. They kiss passionately. He pulls her up on the table
and over the table to him. They are in each other's arms.
They are on fire. Loretta pushes him away, gasping for air.
LORETTA
Wait a minute! Wait a minute!
She changes her mind and lunges into another kiss. They stop
again after a long moment. They really haven't breathed.
They both suck in air and look at each other in wonder and
fear and passion.
RONNY
It's like I'm falling! It's like I'm
in the ocean!
They kiss again. When they pull apart again, Loretta is
crying.
LORETTA
I have no Luck!
He picks her up in his arms.
RONNY
Son of a bitch!
LORETTA
Where are you taking me?
RONNY
To the bed.
LORETTA
Oh. Oh God. I don't care about
anything. I don't care about anything!
Take me to the bed.
He carries her away, into the bedroom.
MUSIC: "O SOAVE FANCIULLA", from "La Boheme." The MUSIC
CONTINUES THROUGH THE NEXT SCENE.
INT. RONNY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM
Ronny is laying her down in the bed. He is over her. They
look into each other's eyes.
RONNY
I can't believe what is happening.
LORETTA
Me neither.
RONNY
I was dead.
LORETTA
I was dead, too.
They kiss. When they part there is a drop of blood on
Loretta's lips.
RONNY
Your blood.
LORETTA
All my life I have never reached a
man. I knew that I would reach my
husband, but I took my time and he
was dead. Ronny.
RONNY
Loretta.
LORETTA
I want to cut you open and crawl
inside of you. I want you to swallow
me.
RONNY
I've got you.
LORETTA
Get all of me. Take everything.
RONNY
What about Johnny?
LORETTA
You're mad at him, take it out on
me, take your revenge on me! Take
everything, leave nothing for him to
marry! Hollow me out so there's
nothing left but the skin over my
bones. Suck me dry!
RONNY
Alright. Alright. There will be
nothing left.
Their eyes are boiling with fierce animal tears. They have
opened their souls to each other and they are coming together.
The MUSIC SWELLS to a terrible triumph.
EXT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - NIGHT
Dog whines over exterior.
INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - AN UPSTAIRS BEDROOM - NIGHT
With five beds for dogs. Four of the beds are empty and on
the fifth Judas is whining. He looks around at the other
beds. Where is everybody? He goes out the bedroom door.
THE CASTORINI STAIRCASE - NIGHT
Judas is running down the stairs and into the hall. We FOLLOW
HIM down the hall. The hall is only dimly lit. He finds the
four other dogs. They are crowded at a narrow doorway.
From the doorway comes a golden light.
INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT
THE PLEASED FACE OF COSMO THROUGH A VEIL OF STEAM
The CAMERA PULLS BACK.
We are in the Castorini dining room. Cosmo sits at the head
of the table, a napkin tucked into his shirt.
Rose has just laid down a massive platter of steaming baked
fish. Already on the table is a platter of pasta, loaves of
bread, a big bowl of salad, two bottles of wine, and an
appetizer plate of salami and pimento. Seated at the table
is COSMO, the Old Man, and RAYMOND and RITA CAPPOMAGGI.
Raymond is rotund, moon-faced, bald, somewhere in his fifties.
He has a pencil-thin mustache over his small mouth. His wife,
Rita, looks very like him, except she has hair on her head
and none on her lip. Raymond is Rose's brother. There are
two empty places at table, for Rose and Loretta.
COSMO
Where's Loretta? We're gonna start
without her.
ONE OF THE ENTRANCE WAYS TO THE DINING ROOM
There is an accordion gate across it. Behind the gate, the
Five Dogs stare at the people having dinner.
ROSE'S VOICE
She must be eating out.
RAYMOND'S VOICE
She don't know what she's missing.
ROSE'S VOICE
It's not like her not to call.
RITA'S VOICE
Well, she's got a lot on her mind.
THE DINING TABLE - RITA IS LOADING UP HER PLATE
RITA
I mean, can we talk about it, Rose?
Everybody's heard. She's getting
married again.
COSMO
I don't wanna talk about it.
RAYMOND
Johnny Cammareri. I think it's great
and about time. What's she gonna do
with the rest of her life she don't
get married?
COSMO
I don't wanna talk about it.
The Old Man has piled his plate high with food. Now he stands
up, walks over to the Dogs, and puts the plate down in their
midst. The Dogs attack the food and each other. The Old Man
walks back to the table and sits down. He looks down at the
empty place in front of him, a little sad.
COSMO
My father needs a plate.
Rose gets another plate from a sideboard and puts it in front
of the Old Man. He immediately, methodically begins to fill
his new plate. Rose goes to her place and sits down.
RAYMOND
Cosmo. Many years ago, when they
told me you were marrying my sister,
I was happy. When I told Rose I was
marrying Rita, she was happy.
RITA
Marriage is happy news.
The Old Man laughs uproariously, subsides, goes back to
filling his plate.
COSMO
Rose, pass the wine.
RAYMOND
I never seen anybody so in love like
Cosmo back then! He'd stand outside
the house all day and look in the
windows. I never told you this cause
it's not really a story. But one
time I woke up in the middle of the
night cause this bright light was in
my face. Like a flashlight. I couldn't
think a what it was. I looked out
the window, and it was the moon! Big
as a house! I never seen the moon so
big before or since. I was almost
scared, like it was gonna crush the
house. And I looked down, and standing
there in the street was Cosmo, looking
up at the windows. This is the funny
part. I got mad at you, Cosmo! I
thought you brought this big moon
over to my house cause you were so
in love and woke me up with it. I
was half asleep I guess and didn't
know no better.
COSMO
You were altogether asleep. You were
dreaming.
RAYMOND
No. You were there.
Raymond stares at Cosmo, nodding, remembering. There's a
lull at the table, the SOUND of SILVERWARE.
COSMO
I don't wanna talk about it.
ROSE
(suddenly angry)
Well, what do you wanna talk about!
COSMO
Rita. Pass the wine.
ROSE
Why you drinking so much?
The Old Man gets up with his newly filled plate and heads
for the Dogs.
ROSE
Old Man, if you give another piece
of my food to those dogs, I'm gonna
kick you till you're dead!
The Old Man reverses direction and heads back to his chair.
He sits down and starts to eat.
EXT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - NIGHT
Over the house is a great big full moon.
INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT
The lights in the bedroom are still on. Cosmo is in bed, in
his pajamas, asleep. Rose comes in her nightgown. She looks
at Cosmo. He's snoring lightly.
ROSE
Cosmo?
He doesn't stir. She goes to him and runs her hand through
his hair.
ROSE
You drank too much and now you sleep
too hard, and later you'll be up
when you should be down.
She kisses his cheek. Then she turns out the lights. When
the electric lights go out, moonlight floods the room. She
goes to the window and looks out through the curtains at the
moon. Rose puts her face in her hands and quietly cries.
EXT. ROSE'S POV SHOT OF MOON FROM CASTORINI HOUSE - NIGHT
RESUME INT. CASTORINI HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT (Rose
crying.
INT. RONNY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT
The bedroom is flooded by moonlight. Loretta wakes up, a
little alarmed.
LORETTA
What's that?
Ronny wakes up, a little alarmed.
RONNY
What?
LORETTA
That light.
RONNY
I don't know. I think it's the moon.
Loretta goes to the window wrapped in a white sheet from the
bed. The window is glowing with moonlight. The moonlight
strikes her, and she is caught in its spell.
LORETTA
Oh.
Ronny appears behind her, pulling on a robe. They speak in
low voices, as if they were in church.
RONNY
It's so bright.
LORETTA
I've never seen a moon like that.
RONNY
It makes you look like an angel.
She turns and looks at him. They kiss. They break apart.
Ronny looks up at the moon.
RONNY
Yeah. Looks like a big snowball.
EXT. THE CAPPOMAGGI HOUSE NIGHT
Shot of the house with the moon overhead.
INT. RAYMOND AND RITA CAPPOMAGGI'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
There is a big window right by the bed, and in the window is
the moon. Raymond and Rita are in their bed, asleep. Raymond
wakes up, and sees the moon in the window. He's stunned and
excited, but he too speaks in this low voice of respect.
RAYMOND
Rita. Rita.
RITA
(waking up)
What? What?
RAYMOND
Look.
RITA
Oh.
RAYMOND
It's Cosmo's moon.
RITA
What are you talking about, Raymond?
Cosmo can't own the moon.
RAYMOND
I mean it's that moon I was talking
about at dinner.
(looks through the
window, down into
the street)
Is he down there? No.
RITA
Is who down there?
RAYMOND
Cosmo.
RITA
What would he be doing down there?
RAYMOND
I don't know.
RITA
You know, in this light, and with
that expression on your face, you
look about twenty-five years old.
Raymond smiles at her meekly.
EXT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - NIGHT
Over the house is still the great big full moon. The front
door opens and out comes the Old Man with the five Dogs.
The Old Man is in a greatcoat and a felt hat, and he's smoking
a cigar. He stops on the top step and lets go a huge plume
of cigar smoke. Then he starts off with the Dogs down the
street.
EXT.. EAST RIVER - NIGHT
The moon and nothing else. Then a cigar is thrown into it
and sends it shimmering. It was the moon reflected in water.
Now the CAMERA PULLS BACK and WE SEE the Old Man and the
Five Dogs are standing on a ruined pier. The moon gleams up
from the Hudson River. The Old Man speaks to the Dogs.
OLD MAN
Alright now. Howl. Howl.
The Dogs do not howl. So the Old Man, by way of demonstration,
howls at the moon. He looks to the Dogs to follow suit. They
do nothing. He howls at the moon again.
The Dogs do nothing. The CAMERA CONTINUES TO PULL BACK until
WE CAN SEE the whole pier, with the Old Man and the Dogs on
it, and the moon above them. The Old Man, frustrated now,
cries out.
OLD MAN
How long must I wait? Quanto tempo
devo aspettare!
The Dogs start to HOWL. The Old Man, pleased as the Mad Hatter
he is, laughs and laughs.
EXT. EAST RIVER - DAY
Transition from moon reflecting in the water to dawn.
INT. RONNIE'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - DAY
Morning sun floods the room. Close on Loretta, she wakes up.
LORETTA
Oh my God.
RONNY
What?
Loretta jumps from bed, grabs her clothes to cover herself,
and backs into closet.
LORETTA
What? What have we done?
RONNY
(perturbed)
Take it easy.
LORETTA
(from closet as she
hurriedly gets dressed)
This time I was trying to do
everything right.
RONNY
(he grabs a bathrobe,
pulls it on, puts it
on and moves towards
the closet.)
Don't just become excited.
LORETTA
I thought if I stayed away from the
City Hall, I won't have that Bad
Luck I had again.
RONNY
You're trying to make me feel guilty.
LORETTA
I'm marrying your brother!
RONNY
All right, I'm guilty. I confess!
LORETTA
You're invited to the wedding! It's
in a few weeks. Why didn't you do
like him and be with your dying mother
in Palermo?
RONNY
She didn't like me.
LORETTA
You don't get along with anybody!
RONNY
What did you do?
LORETTA
What did I do?
RONNY
You ruined my life.
LORETTA
That's impossible! It was ruint when
I got here! You ruint my life!
RONNY
Oh no I didn't!
Loretta emerges from the closet, tucking in her blouse.
LORETTA
Oh yes, oh yes you did! You've got
those bad eyes like a gypsy! Why
didn't I see it yesterday! Bad Luck!
Is that all I'm ever gonna have? Why
didn't I just pick up a stone and
kill myself years and years ago? I'm
gonna marry him!
RONNY
What?
LORETTA
Last night never happened, you hear
me? I'm gonna marry him anyway and
last night never happened, and you
and I are gonna take this to our
coffins!
RONNY
I can't do that!
LORETTA
Why not?
RONNY
I'm in love with you!
Loretta stares at him in alarm, slaps his face, then studies
his face to see the effect of the slap. She is dissatisfied
and slaps him again.
LORETTA
Snap out of it!
RONNY
I can't!
LORETTA
Alright. Then I must never see you
again. The bad blood will have to
stay there between you and Johnny
for all time. You won't come to the
wedding.
RONNY
I'll come to the wedding.
LORETTA
I'm telling you you can't.
RONNY
But he wants me to come!
LORETTA
But that's cause he don't know!
RONNY
Alright. I will not come. Provided
one thing.
LORETTA
What?
RONNY
That you come with me tonight. Once.
To the Opera.
LORETTA
What are you talking about?
RONNY
I love two things. I love you, and I
love the Opera. If I can have the
two things that I love together for
one night, I will be satisfied to
give up the rest of my life.
LORETTA
Alright.
RONNY
Alright. Meet me at the Met.
LORETTA
Alright. Where's the Met?
CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LITTLE ITALY - DAY
Camera moves from stained glass windows to confessional.
Loretta is next in line of THREE SINNERS waiting to go into
the confessional. A FORGIVEN WOMAN emerges from the curtained
booth and walks off to pay her penance. Loretta goes into
the booth.
INT. CHURCH - CONFESSIONAL - DAY
Loretta kneels. The slide opens and an OLD PRIEST'S FACE can
be seen in outline through the screen.
LORETTA
Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.
It's been two months since my last
confession.
PRIEST
What sins have you to confess?
LORETTA
Twice I took the name of God in vain,
once I slept with the brother of my
fiancé, and once I bounced a check
at the liquor store -- but that was
really an accident.
PRIEST
Then it was not a sin. But what was
that second thing you said, Loretta?
LORETTA
I... a... slept with my fiancé's
brother.
PRIEST
That's a pretty big sin.
LORETTA
I know.
PRIEST
You should think about this.
LORETTA
I know.
PRIEST
Alright. This is your penance. Say
two rosaries and... be careful,
Loretta. Reflect on your life.
LORETTA
Alright.
PRIEST
I absolve you in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit, Amen.
INT. CHURCH - DAY
Loretta comes out of the confessional and enters a pew. She
crosses herself. Then she recognizes the back of a woman's
head a few pews down. She gets up, walks down the aisle, and
kneels down next to her mother, Rose.
LORETTA
Hi.
ROSE
(looking up from her
prayers)
Where you been?
LORETTA
I don't wanna talk about it.
ROSE
Just like your father. I lied to
him. He thinks you came home last
night.
LORETTA
Thanks. What's the matter with you?
ROSE
Cosmo's cheating on me.
LORETTA
What! How do you know?
ROSE
A wife knows.
LORETTA
Then you don't know. You're just
imagining it. He's too old.
Rose starts to reply, but then decides it's not worth the
argument.
LORETTA
I won't be home for dinner.
Loretta crosses herself quickly, gets up, and leaves. Rose
looks after, and then goes back to her prayer.
INT. CAMMARERI'S BAKERY - DAY
Feminine hands apply the final decorative touches of blue
icing to a wedding cake. Then the hands set the plastic bride
and groom on the pinnacle. The CAMERA PULLS BACK.
Barbara is viewing her handiwork, a wedding cake on a
stainless steel wheeled cart. She's in the back part of the
bakery. Barbara is pleased with her creation. We TRAVEL WITH
HER as she rolls the cart out to the front of the store where
Chrissy is waiting on a huge man named HARVEY. She hands him
a tiny box, which he takes meekly.
HARVEY
See you tomorrow, Chrissy.
CHRISSY
Okay, Harvey.
Harvey lumbers off as Barbara enters the front of the store
with the cake on its cart. Barbara calls Chrissy's attention
to the cake.
BARBARA
So what do you think?
CHRISSY
About what?
BARBARA
The cake!
CHRISSY
(without enthusiasm)
Where's Ronny? How come he ain't
come down?
BARBARA
How should I know?
The PHONE RINGS. Chrissy answers it.
CHRISSY
Hello, Cammareri's? Hi. Uh-huh. Okay.
She hangs up.
CHRISSY
That was Ronny. He don't feel good.
He ain't gonna be down today.
Chrissy comes out from behind the counter. She's staring at
the cake.
BARBARA
What, is he still upset?
Without warning, Chrissy whacks the little bride and groom
off the cake and on to the floor.
CHRISSY
It's that bitch!
Barbara looks at her, shocked.
EXT. CAPPOMAGGI'S ITALIAN PROVISIONS - DAY
An Italian specialty store in Little Italy.
INT. CAPPOMAGGI'S STORE - DAY
Provolones and salamis hang from above. To the one side is a
deli counter, to the other a series of tables displaying
cheeses by the pound, packaged cakes, etc. In the back are a
few tables and a kitchen with counter. Up front, behind the
deli counter, stands Rita Cappomaggi in a blue apron.
Out by the tables, Raymond unpacks some jars of olives. In
the back, a TRUCK DRIVER can dimly be seen eating his lunch.
RAYMOND
(to Rita)
I feel great I got no sleep but I
feel like Orlando Furioso!
RITA
(looks around
cautiously, then
speaks)
You were a tiger last night.
RAYMOND
And you were a lamb. As soft as milk.
RITA
Shut up. They'll hear you in the
back.
RAYMOND
So what? The pleasure of marriage is
you sleep with the woman and then
you don't worry about nothing. Hey,
how about a date tonight, Rita. Let's
eat pasta and roll around.
RITA
(scandalized)
Raymond, Raymond, lower your voice!
What's got into you?
RAYMOND
I don't know! That moon! That crazy
moon Cosmo sent over!
Loretta walks in.
LORETTA
Hi.
RAYMOND
Hey there
(sings)
...YOU WITH THE STARS IN YOUR EYES...
LORETTA
(to Rita)
What's the matter with him?
RITA
You got me.
RAYMOND
You see that moon last night?
LORETTA
(suspicious and guilty)
What about the moon?
RAYMOND
Did you see it?
LORETTA
(she lies, nervous)
No.
RAYMOND
Oh.
LORETTA
Listen, I gotta go. I'll take the
deposit to the bank but I'll do the
books tomorrow. I gotta go.
RAYMOND
You gotta date?
RITA
What are you talking about, you fool?
Her fiancé's in Palermo.
RAYMOND
Oh. Right.
LORETTA
I got things to do.
RITA
Sure you do. You got all that wedding
stuff.
LORETTA
Right.
RAYMOND
Well, that's romantic, too.
(SINGS)
...ISN'T IT ROMANTIC...
He is walking towards the back now. He shouts to somebody in
the kitchen.
RAYMOND
HEY. Make me a bowl of minestrone.
The women are left alone.
RITA
What's the matter? You look crazy.
LORETTA
I got a lot on my mind, Aunt Rita.
INT. A CHURCH BASEMENT
It's been set up for a church bazaar. There are several wheels
of fortune, many stuffed animals, coffee urns, cakes, a game
of ring toss, etc. AS THE CAMERA inventories the contents of
the various stands -- a LITTLE NUN sleeps in one of them --
we HEAR the Old Man's VOICE.
OLD MAN'S VOICE
I've got a lot on my mind. Things
are getting bad in my house. My
daughter-in-law is mad at my son
because he will not pay for the
wedding.
A TUB OF APPLES FLOATING IN WATER
An old, gnarled hand reaches in and pulls one out, dries it
with a towel. The CAMERA PULLS BACK REVEALING that the hand
belongs to Lucy, who is standing behind a table with the Old
Man and Felix. She hands the apple to the Old Man, who drives
a small wooden stake into it with a little wooden hammer.
Then the Old Man hands this staked apple to Felix, who dips
it into a deep metal pot. It emerges shining with red candy
goo. Then Felix sets the candled apple onto a papered tray
where a dozen already sit. They repeat this process. But the
Old Man, because his thoughts are elsewhere, takes forever
to drive the stake into the apple. This frustrates Felix.
OLD MAN
At dinner, my daughter-in-law
threatened to kill me. Things are
very bad in my house.
FELIX
Hurry up.
LUCY
Don't fight.
OLD MAN
If I hit the stick too hard, the
apple will split. If I am too timid,
the apple will fall off the stick.
FELIX
We're supposed to do fifty apples.
We only got twelve done.
OLD MAN
I don't know what to advise my son.
I think he should pay for the wedding,
but it is important that he don't
look ridiculous.
LUCY
Don't make yourself sick.
OLD MAN
Cosmo drank five glasses of wine at
dinner.
LUCY
Talk to him.
OLD MAN
I will. But I must find the right
moment.
LUCY
Did you see the moon last night?
The Old Man's eyes light up. He looks at Lucy.
OLD MAN
Yes!
FELIX
(in despair)
Hurry up, hurry up. We open in five
minutes.
INT. CAPPOMAGGI'S STORE - DAY
EIGHT NEAT STACKS OF MONEY BEING RUBBERBANDED
By a woman's hands. The last stack is topped with a filled
out deposit slip. The banded stacks are then stuffed into a
night-deposit bag. The CAMERA PULLS BACK a bit to INCLUDE a
ledger. A last entry is made, and the ledger is shut. The
CAMERA PULLS BACK more, and now WE SEE Loretta reaching for
her coat. She puts it on, picks up the deposit bag, and sees
Rita.
LORETTA
Bye, Aunt Rita.
RITA
Bye, bye, honey. See you tomorrow?
LORETTA
Yeah, I'll be in.
Loretta goes out the door, with Rita looking after,
thoughtful.
EXT. THE CINDERELLA BEAUTY SHOP - DAY
Loretta walks-down the street and comes to the CINDERELLA
BEAUTY SHOP, fidgets a moment, looks around to see if
anybody's looking, and goes in.
WE SEE her through the window talking to MILDRED, who handles
appointments. Mildred nods, points, and Loretta goes back
into the store.
INT. CINDERELLA BEAUTY SHOP - DAY
WE DISCOVER an uneasy Loretta sitting in a beauty chair with
BONNIE, her hairdresser about to start. Bonnie is a little
bored.
BONNIE
So? You want the usual?
LORETTA
I want you to get rid of the grey.
TRANSFORMATIONAL MUSIC STARTS HERE AND CONTINUES THROUGH THE
FOLLOWING SCENES. This music should convey that Loretta is
turning from a frumpy pumpkin into a sleek and beautiful
coach. Bonnie wakes up upon hearing this startling news and
gets very excited.
BONNIE
I've been wanting to do this for
three years! Let me show you some
magazines! You've got to get a
manicure! And your eyebrows! Sheila!
I'm gonna need help!
SHEILA, another beautician, joins Bonnie, and they both get
very excited and start showing Loretta and each other
magazines. They argue merrily about what they should do,
leaving Loretta far behind. A MANICURIST joins them, with
her stuff and starts soaking Loretta's nails.
A MONTAGE FOLLOWS
They're plucking her eyebrows.
They're cutting and dying her hair.
They're painting her nails.
EXT. CINDERELLA BEAUTY SHOP-DAY
Loretta comes out. Her hair is jet black and done in a much
more stylish way. She looks great. She looks around as if
she has committed a crime, and walks off quickly
EXT. A DOWDY DRESS SHOP - DAY
Loretta looks in the windows, is dissatisfied, and walks on.
EXT. A BOLD DRESS SHOP - DAY
A stylish dress shop called INSINUATION. Loretta looks in
the window, is intimidated, and walks on. A moment passes.
She reappears. Tentatively, she enters.
INT. INSINUATION - DAY
Loretta approaches a young woman, MER, who works there. Mer
is about thirty, trendily dressed, and French. Mer and Loretta
greet and talk. Loretta makes vague gestures trying to convey
what she wants, but the truth is she doesn't know what she
wants. Mer takes the situation in hand.
There follows a MONTAGE of Mer showing Loretta various
dresses, some outlandish, some beautiful, some
incomprehensible. Loretta tries on several of the dresses in
a big triple mirror. Some horrify her, some frighten her
because they're so sexy, one bores her. We don't see the
dress that she ultimately does buy.
EXT. INSINUATION - DUSK
Loretta walks out with a big shopping bag. She walks away
down the street.
WE FOLLOW Loretta away down the street. She comes to a BRIDAL
SHOP with a big bride dummy shown off in the window She stops
and looks at the bride. She walks close to the window and
stares in hard. Then she slowly backs up from the bride.
Two NUNS are walking by. Loretta, backing up from the dummy,
bumps into the Nuns. She's flustered, makes a brief apology,
and hurries away, casting a furtive last glance at the shop
window.
END OF MUSIC
THE TRANSFORMATIONAL MUSIC COMES TO A CLOSE.
EXT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - DUSK
Night is falling. Loretta appears and enters the house.
INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - THE FRONT HALL - NIGHT
As Loretta enters she drops her bag and, as she takes off
her coat, calls.
LORETTA
Ma! Grandpa! No? Okay.
A SINGLE BARK is HEARD from the top of the stairs. She looks
up.
A WOODEN ACCORDION GATE SEALS OFF THE TOP OF THE STAIRS
Visible behind the gate are a couple of dogs.
INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
Loretta goes through a door and into the kitchen. She opens
the refrigerator and a cabinet, and makes herself a scotch
on the rocks. She sips it and starts to HUM in an understated
way. She takes her drink and wanders out of the kitchen.
LORETTA WALKS INTO THE LIVING ROOM
She walks to each lamp in the room and turns it on. There
are many table and standing lamps throughout the room.
LORETTA IS LIGHTING THE FIRE
Which was already built in the fireplace. It catches on
nicely. She puts her drink down and gets a big standing
antique mirror on rollers from its place against the wall.
She wheels it to a central place in the room. Satisfied, she
picks up her drink again, leaves the room for a moment, and
then returns with her shopping bag. She throws it on a chair.
Then she goes to the stereo and looks through the albums.
She selects one and puts it on.
MUSIC
Loretta waltzes around in front of the mirror, flirting with
herself in a very serious way. She starts to unbutton her
blouse.
EXT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - NIGHT
The moon is overhead as music continues to PLAY. The CAMERA
SOARS UP CLOSE to the moon, until it completely FILLS THE
FRAME with its magic. The moon dissolves into:
INT. THE CASTORINI LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
CLOSE-UP of LORETTA'S FACE as she puts the final touches on
her make-up. Music continues to PLAY. The CAMERA PULLS BACK.
WE SEE her full figure. She has changed into her evening
dress and put on her heels. She's swaying to the music. The
evening dress is sensational. She leans forward and kisses
the mirror.
WE SEE THE LIPSTICK KISS ON THE MIRROR
In the mirror, all around the kiss, is reflected the fire.
EXT. EAST RIVER NIGHT
The moon is reflected in the water as WE SEE the dock of the
night before. We can SEE Jersey lit up across the river.
But then something starts to replace Jersey. It's a huge
white liner coming down the river now, all of her lights
burning, heading back out to sea. FLASHBULBS go off along
the deck. We watch the length of the great ship pass as the
MUSIC PLAYS
END OF MUSIC
EXT. LINCOLN CENTER PLAZA - NIGHT
LINCOLN CENTER - LORETTA'S POV
CROWDS OF PEOPLE in beautiful clothes fill the plaza created
by the three great buildings. A glorious fountain filled
with lights forms the centerpiece. Behind the fountain, grand
and splendidly lit, is the magical Metropolitan Opera House.
Two huge Chagalls, one to the right and one to the left,
inhabit the face of the building, filling it with marvelous
color.
LORETTA COMES TO THE FOUNTAIN
The fountain is quiet and dark now. Loretta is puzzled.
She remembers that it was going. While she looks, it lights
up. Then small jets of water begin to appear. Then larger
jets.
Then with a roar the central shaft of water rises high, higher
into the night sky. She follows the column of water with her
eyes up into the sky. Right above the crest of the water,
like a beanball on a seal's nose, is the moon.
FROM OVER LORETTA'S SHOULDER WE SEE THE RUSHING WATER
Forming an opaque wall before her. Then the fountain, for
its next piece of aquatic choreography, drops away to nothing
quite suddenly. And there, facing Loretta, on the opposite
side of the fountain, is Ronny.
He's looking incredibly handsome and dashing in a tuxedo and
topcoat and, of course, gloves. He smiles slightly and raises
a hand in greeting. Loretta, caught off guard, smiles
brilliantly at him. Then she remembers her situation and
starts to put on her usual serious expression. But the
fountain has rushed up into the sky again, obscuring her
attempt at composure from, Ronny.
Ronny COMES INTO VIEW again, walking toward Loretta around
the fountain's perimeter. He comes close to her.
RONNY
Hi.
LORETTA
Hi.
RONNY
You look beautiful. Your hair...
LORETTA
I thought I'd try it.
(qrudgingly)
You look good.
RONNY
Thank you.
He goes to kiss her. She takes a step back.
LORETTA
I said I'd go to the opera with you.
Nothing else.
Ronny immediately relents, gently takes her arm, and they
walk off in the direction of the opera house.
ONE OF THE CHAGALL'S FROM IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE MET
Ronny and Loretta looking up at it.
LORETTA
Who painted that?
RONNY
Marc Chagall. A Russian.
LORETTA
Kinda gaudy.
RONNY
He was having some fun. Yeah, well
he's dead.
(he smiles)
Come on, let's go in.
Ronny and Loretta join the crowd streaming into the building.
INT. THE OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT
Ronny and Loretta enter, giving tickets to usher.
INT. OPERA HOUSE - COATCHECK - NIGHT
Ronny and Loretta checking their coats. Ronny's coat is
already off, and he's helping Loretta off with hers. He hands
her coat to the CHECKER and pockets the check. Then he turns
and sees Loretta in her dress for the first time.
He's stunned by her beauty. He's at a loss. He mumbles.
RONNY
Thank you!
LORETTA
For what?
RONNY
I don't know. For your hair. For
your beautiful dress. For... you
know, I feel like a man again. You
know I love the Opera. You know it's
been a long time since I've been to
the Opera.
His eyes are bright with tears. Loretta is touched and starts
to put her hand out to him. But she stops herself.
LORETTA
So. Where are we sitting?
RONNY
Come on.
He takes her arm. They pass under the great chandelier and
go into the house.
THE OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT
THE CAMERA PICKS OUT A SERIES OF COUPLES
The first couple is PEGGY and CLIVE, a very distinguished
pair of silver-haired lovers dressed magnificently. They are
in their seats, delighted to be where they are, holding hands.
Next is the CELEBRITY COUPLE. Maybe Jackie O and her son,
John. They are seated and people are looking at them.
Next is Cosmo and Mona. Cosmo is helping Mona to sit down,
something she could probably handle herself. He's wearing
good but old-fashioned suit. She is in a dress that makes
her look like a big piece of hard candy.
Next is Ronny and Loretta. They are sitting in the first row
of the First Circle; in other words, very good seats.
They are holding their programs. Loretta opens her program.
THE OPEN PROGRAM - LORETTA'S POV
The opera is LA BOHEME. But then the page fades away into
the dark as the house lights go down.
WE SEE RONNY AND LORETTA FROM BEHIND
Ronny leans his head toward her and whispers.
RONNY
Here we go.
As the lights come up in the orchestra pit. The CONDUCTOR
takes his place. The AUDIENCE APPLAUDS. He bows and turns to
the orchestra. The OVERTURE begins and PLAYS UNDER NEXT.
EXT. THE GRAND TICINO - NIGHT
The OVERTURE PLAYS THROUGH this ESTABLISHING SHOT and then
FADES AWAY at the start of the NEXT SHOT. WE SEE Rose enter
the restaurant.
INT. THE GRAND TICINO - NIGHT
The dinner crowd is in and most of the tables are occupied.
The entranceway door opens and Rose enters.
She's got herself up very nice. The host, JIMMY, quickly
approaches her. She's very dignified.
JIMMY
Hello, Mrs. Castorini. Who's coming?
ROSE
It's just me. I want to eat.
JIMMY
Okay.
JIMMY
I got a table for you right now.
Jimmy leads her to a table for two against the wall.
JIMMY
This alright?
ROSE
Fine.
He seats her.
JIMMY
Enjoy your meal.
Jimmy breezes off. There's another table-for-two against the
wall to Rose's front. WE SEE a woman's back from Rose's POV,
and a pretty head of hair. This woman, whose name is SHEILA,
is having an argument with the man across from her.
But the man's face is blocked by Sheila's back and head, and
the argument is too low to be made out. Bobo approaches Rose's
table.
BOBO
Good evening Mrs. Castorini. You
eating alone tonight?
ROSE
Hello, Bobo. Yes. Let me have a
martini, no ice and two olives.
BOBO
Very good.
Bobo heads off for the bar. The couple at the next table
catches Rose's attention again, and their argument becomes a
little louder.
SHEILA'S VOICE
I'm trying to explain to you how I
feel. Every time I try to explain
how I feel, you explain how you feel.
I don't think that's really much of
a response.
UNSEEN MAN'S VOICE
Well, its the only response I've
got.
Bobo reappears with the martini and serves it.
BOBO
You wanna see a menu?
ROSE
Not yet. I'll wave.
Bobo is gone. Rose is mildly intrigued with the argument at
the next table now. She tries to see past Sheila, to see the
man, but she can't without making too big a move. The argument
goes on.
SHEILA'S VOICE
I really do hate it though, when you
take that tone with me. Like you're
above it all and isn't it amusing.
MAN'S VOICE
But it is, isn't it?
SHEILA'S VOICE
Not to me! This is my life, no matter
how damned comical it may seem to
you. I don't need some man standing
above the struggle while I roll around
in the mud!
MAN'S VOICE
I think you like the mud and I don't.
That's fair, isn't it? If I don't
care to...
Sheila stands up abruptly and flings a glass of water in the
man's face. She pulls her coat off the back of her chair and
stalks off. This whole operation took about two seconds.
When she stalks off, the face of the man becomes visible to
Rose for the first time. It's Perry, the professor in his
50's, who appeared and was treated in a similar way in the
earlier scene in this restaurant. His face is covered with
beads of water. He pats his face with his napkin and
apologizes to CUSTOMERS at neighboring tables.
PERRY
Sorry about that, folks. She's a
very pretty mental patient.
The Shy Waiter arrives to assist Perry in drying himself.
PERRY
Don't mind about me. But could you
do me a favor and clear her place
and take away all evidence of her,
and bring me a big glass of vodka?
SHY WAITER
Absolutely!
The Shy Waiter heads for the bar. For the first time, Perry
notices Rose.
They are facing each other with no obstacles in the way now.
PERRY
I'm sorry if we disturbed you.
ROSE
I'm not disturbed. By you.
PERRY
My lady friend has a personality
disorder.
ROSE
She was just too young for you.
The Shy Waiter serves Perry his drink.
PERRY
(to the Waiter)
Thanks, comrade.
SHY WAITER
It's nothing!
The Shy Waiter goes.
PERRY
(Rose's comment strikes
home)
Ouch. Too young! I just got that.
You know how to hurt guy. How old
are you?
ROSE
None of your business.
He drops his posturing.
PERRY
Sorry. That was rude.
ROSE
Will you join me for dinner?
PERRY
Are you sure?
She nods.
PERRY
Then I'd be delighted. I hate eating
alone, and it's amazing how often I
end up doing just that.
ROSE AND PERRY ARE HALFWAY THROUGH THEIR DINNER
ROSE
What do you do?
PERRY
I'm a professor. I teach
communications at N.Y.U.
ROSE
That woman was a student of yours?
PERRY
Sheila? Yes she was. Is. Was.
ROSE
There's old saying my mother told
me. Would you like to hear it?
PERRY
Yes.
ROSE
Don't shit where you eat.
PERRY
(taken aback, then
recovering)
I'll remember that. What do you do?
ROSE
I'm a housewife.
PERRY
Then why are you eating alone?
ROSE
I'm not eating alone. Can I ask you
a question?
PERRY
Go ahead.
ROSE
Why do men chase women?
PERRY
(considers)
Nerves.
ROSE
I think it's because they fear death.
PERRY
Maybe. Listen. You wanna know why I
chase women? I find women charming.
PERRY
I teach these classes I've taught
for a million years. The spontaneity
went out of it for me a long time
ago. I started off, I was excited
about something and I wanted to share
it. Now it's rote, it's the
multiplication table. Except
sometimes. Sometimes I'm droning
along and I look up, and there's
this fresh young beautiful face, and
it's all new to her and I'm this
great guy who's just brilliant and
thinks out loud. And when that
happens, when I look out among those
chairs and look at a young woman's
face, and see me there in her eyes,
me the way I always wanted to be and
maybe once was, then I ask her out
on a date. It doesn't last. It can
go for a few weeks or a couple of
precious months, but then she catches
on that I'm just a burnt out old
gasbag and that she's as fresh and
bright and full of promise as
moonlight in a martini. And at that
moment, she stands up and throws a
glass of water in my face, or some
action to that effect.
ROSE
What you don't know about women is a
lot.
INT. THE OPERA HOUSE-LOBBY-NIGHT
INTERMISSION. THRONGS OF PEOPLE talking, talking, talking.
Piled up at the bars to get drinks.
INT. OPERA HOUSE - LOBBY/WOMEN'S BATHROOM - NIGHT
Outside the women's bathroom, with its huge line waiting to
get in.
INT. OF THE WOMAN'S BATHROOM
Loretta and THREE OTHER WOMEN freshen their makeup before a
mirror. The woman next to Loretta leaves and is replaced by
Mona. Mona and Loretta stand side by side freshening their
makeup.
INT. OF THE OPERA HOUSE - LOBBY - NIGHT
MANY PEOPLE pressing to the bar to buy drinks. Cosmo and
Ronny achieve the bar's perimeter at the same moment, and
start to order.
INT. OPERA HOUSE - LOBBY - NIGHT
A CONCESSIONAIRE selling special glossy LA BOHEME programs.
ELSEWHERE IN THE LOBBY DURING INTERMISSION
Ronny and Loretta are standing by a column holding drinks.
Loretta is looking around.
LORETTA
They get some turnout for this stuff.
RONNY
It's the best thing there is.
LORETTA
I like parts of it, but I don't really
get it.
IN ANOTHER PART OF THE LOBBY DURING INTERMISSION Cosmo and
Mona are sitting on a bench.
MONA
You haven't once said you like my
dress.
COSMO
I like your dress.
(he thinks)
It's very bright.
He looks around.
MONA
Why you looking around so much?
COSMO
I don't know. I got a feeling.
MONA
I'm wearing your bracelet.
He nods, still looking around.
CHIMES SOUND THROUGHOUT LOBBY
Indicating the end of intermission. The Audience starts to
file back into the theatre.
EXT. THE GRAND TICINO - NIGHT
Rose and Perry emerge from the restaurant.
PERRY
May I walk with you a ways?
ROSE
Sure.
They set off to the left.
EXT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - NIGHT
The door opens, and the Old Man comes out, in his great coat
and hat, with the Five dogs. He strikes off to the right.
EXT. STREET I - NIGHT
Rose and Perry come around a corner and pass a store. They
pause and look at the Christmas decorations in the window.
They continue walking.
EXT. STREET II - NIGHT
The Old Man and the Dogs have stopped by a big tree. Which
the dogs adore.
EXT. STREET I - NIGHT
Rose and Perry walking. They exit camera left.
EXT. STREET II - NIGHT
The Old Man drags the Dogs away from the tree and sets off
camera right.
EXT. STREET I - NIGHT
Rose and Perry walking to the left.
EXT . STREET II - NIGHT
The Old Man and the Dogs walking to the right.
EXT. STREET I - INTERSECTION
OUTSIDE LAUNDROMAT - NIGHT
Rose and Perry are walking towards camera. Rose stops short,
stunned and alarmed by what she sees before them.
EXT. STREET II - INTERSECTION OUTSIDE OF LAUNDROMAT - NIGHT
The Old Man pulls up the Dogs. Aghast by what he sees before
him.
EXT. STREET III - INTERSECTION OUTSIDE LAUNDROMAT
Perry and Rose face the Old Man and the dogs.
In a silent standoff. Perry is puzzled, but has the sense to
say nothing. After a long moment, the Old Man silently steers
his dogs past them. He walks away down the dark street,
silently disappearing into the gloom. Perry and Rose never
move, but follow his slow progress until he disappears.
PERRY
You knew that man?
ROSE
Yes.
INT. OPERA HOUSE - NIGHT
THE STAGE - THE OPERA IS IN PROGRESS
It's the SCENE in which MIMI is standing in the falling snow.
She SINGS to RUDOLPH. It is a beautiful, poignant moment.
The snow is falling, falling. Mimi is SINGING her
heartbreaking aria of farewell. The lighted tavern window is
behind them, glowing with a golden light.
WE SEE RONNY'S FACE
He's staring intently at the stage with shining eyes. He
wants to share this moment with Loretta, but he is timid she
will not feel as he does.
WE SEE LORETTA'S FACE
A single tear trails down her cheek. Otherwise, she is almost
succeeding in hiding that the opera is moving her. She notices
Ronny's hand creeping towards hers, but makes no move towards
it.
THE STAGE - MIMI STILL SINGING SADLY IN THE SNOWFALL
She and Rudolph join hands.
RONNY AND LORETTA
grab each other's hand fiercely.
At last, they look at each other. She is admitting that she
is affected by the opera. He is grateful that she admits it.
INT. OPERA HOUSE - AUDIENCE — NIGHT
Audience exits.
INT. OPERA HOUSE-LOBBY - NIGHT
The lobby overflowing with the AUDIENCE coming out.
INT. OPERA HOUSE - COATCHECK - NIGHT
Ronny and Loretta at the coatcheck. Loretta dabs her eyes
and blows her nose.
LORETTA
That was just so... awful!
RONNY
Awful?
LORETTA
Beautiful. Sad. She died!
RONNY
(giving the check to
the checker)
Yeah.
LORETTA
I couldn't believe it! I didn't think
she was going to die. I knew she was
sick...
Ronny gets the coats and helps her on with hers.
RONNY
She had TB.
Ronny is putting on his coat.
LORETTA
I know. She was coughing her brains
out. And still, she had to sing all
the time...
Loretta has stopped suddenly, transfixed by the sight before
her.
Loretta and Ronny are standing face-to-face with Cosmo and
Mona. Mona's wearing a coat like a wrapper for hard candy.
Cosmo is wearing his coat and has his hat in his hand.
Stunned at seeing Loretta, he unconsciously puts his hat on.
Then he thinks about it and takes it off again. He looks at
Ronny. Then he looks at Mona.
LORETTA
Pop?
Ronny looks at Loretta. He waits to follow her lead.
COSMO
Wait for me by the doors, Mona.
Mona obeys after looking curiously at Loretta.
LORETTA
Pop? What are you doing here?
Cosmo approaches Ronny.
COSMO
Excuse me.
He takes Loretta's arm and steers her a distance away for a
confidential exchange.
LORETTA
Mona?
COSMO
What'd you do to your hair?
LORETTA
I got it done.
COSMO
What are you doing here?
LORETTA
What are you doing here?
COSMO
Who is this man? You're engaged!
LORETTA
You're married.
COSMO
You're my daughter. I won't have you
acting like a tramp!
LORETTA
You're my father.
COSMO
Alright. I didn't see you here.
LORETTA
I don't know whether I saw you or
not.
Cosmo puts on his hat again. He glares at Ronny. He looks at
Loretta, but he's at a total loss. At last, he stalks off.
Loretta looks after him, angry and disturbed.
COSMO AND MONA GOING OUT THE DOORS FROM LORETTA'S POV
LORETTA LOOKING AFTER THEM, STRICKEN
Ronny appears at her side, solicitous.
RONNY
Let's get outta here. I'll buy you a
drink.
Loretta, still looking after, slowly shakes her head.
LORETTA
That wasn't my mother.
EXT. CASTORINI HOUSE - NIGHT
Rose and Perry stand on a sidewalk under a street light dimly
shining. About half a block away stands the Castorini house.
They regard it. Over the house hangs the moon, cut through
now with a sharp grey cloud. Rose and Perry's VOICES can be
heard.
ROSE'S VOICE
That's my house.
PERRY'S VOICE
You mean the whole house?
ROSE'S VOICE
Yes.
PERRY'S VOICE
My God, it's a mansion!
ROSE'S VOICE
It's a house.
PERRY'S VOICE
I live in a one-bedroom apartment.
What exactly does your husband do?
ROSE'S VOICE
He's a plumber.
PERRY'S VOICE
Well. That explains it.
The SOUND of the WIND can be heard rising up.
NOW WE SEE ROSE AND PERRY CLOSE UP
The rising cold wind stirs their hair. They both shiver
slightly.
PERRY
Temperature's dropping.
ROSE
Yes.
PERRY
I guess you can't invite me in?
ROSE
No.
PERRY
People home.
ROSE
No. I think the house is empty. I
can't invite you in because I'm
married and because I know who I am.
You're shaking.
PERRY
I'm a little cold.
ROSE
You're a little boy and you like to
be bad.
PERRY
We could go to my apartment. You
could see how the other half lives.
ROSE
I'm too old for you.
PERRY
I'm too old for me. That's my
predicament.
ROSE
Good night.
She kisses him on the cheek.
PERRY
Good night. Can I kiss you on the
cheek, too?
ROSE
Sure.
He kisses her on the cheek.
PERRY
I'm freezing
ROSE
Good night.
She walks away, towards the house. Perry, shivering, looks
after.
INT. THE BOERUM CAFE - A BROOKLYN BAR - NIGHT
Ronny and Loretta sit at the bar. They are just finishing a
couple of Old-Fashions. The barman, AL, inspects their drinks.
AL
Another Old-Fashion?
RONNY
Loretta?
LORETTA
No thanks.
RONNY
(to Al)
I think that's it.
Al nods and walks off. Ronny leans forward to Loretta.
RONNY
What do you want to do now?
LORETTA
I wanna go home.
EXT. A COLD AND EMPTY MANHATTAN STREET - NIGHT
Ronny and Loretta are walking. Their breath is coming out in
long plumes.
LORETTA
It's really cold.
RONNY
Yeah. It smells like snow.
They walk in silence for a moment, then Loretta speaks.
LORETTA
My mother guessed that my father was
seeing somebody and I told her she
was crazy. She looked like a real
piece of cheap goods. But who am I
to talk?
Her eyes are full of tears.
RONNY
What's the matter?
LORETTA
How can you ask me that?
RONNY
You're making me feel guilty again.
LORETTA
You are guilty. I'm guilty.
RONNY
Of what? Only God can point the
finger, Loretta.
LORETTA
I know what I know.
RONNY
And what do you know? You tell me my
life? I'll tell you yours. I'm a
wolf? You run to the wolf in me,
that don't make you no lamb! You're
gonna marry my brother? Why you wanna
sell your life short? Playing it
safe is just about the most dangerous
thing a woman like you could do. You
waited for the right man the first
time, why didn't you wait for the
right man again?
LORETTA
He didn't come!
RONNY
I'm here!
LORETTA
You're late!
RONNY
We're here.
EXT. RONNY'S APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT
She looks. It's Ronny's building.
LORETTA
This is your place.
RONNY
That's right.
LORETTA
This is where we're going!
RONNY
Yeah.
LORETTA
The deal was if I came to the Opera
with you you'd leave me alone forever.
She looks for his response. He makes none.
LORETTA
I went with you.
(pause, nothing)
Now I'm gonna marry Johnny and you're
gonna leave me alone.
(pause, nothing)
Right?
(nothing)
A person can see where they've messed
up in their life, and they can change
how they do things, and they can
change their Luck. Maybe my nature
does draw me to you, but I don't
haveta go with that. I can take hold
of myself and say yes to some things
and no to something that's just gonna
ruin everything! I can do that.
Otherwise, what is this stupid life
that God gave us for what?
(pause, nothing)
Ronny? Are you listening to me?
RONNY
Yeah.
LORETTA
I'm really afraid.
RONNY
Why?
LORETTA
I'm afraid of who I am.
RONNY
I was.
LORETTA
And you're not now?
He shakes his head.
LORETTA
Why not?
RONNY
I don't know. Everything seems like
nothing now against that I want you
in my bed. I don't care if I burn in
hell. I don't care if you burn in
hell. The Past and Future is a joke
to me now. I see that they're nothing,
I see they ain't here. The only thing
that's here is you. And me. I want
you to come upstairs. Now. I tried
to take everything last night, like
you told me, but I couldn't. I
couldn't take everything in a hundred
years. It's the way we are. We
compound each other.
LORETTA
Let me go home.
RONNY
No.
LORETTA
Let me go home.
RONNY
No.
LORETTA
I'm freezing to death.
RONNY
Come upstairs. I don't care why you
come. No, that's not what I mean.
Loretta, I love you. Not like they
told you love is and I didn't know
this either. But love don't make
things nice, it ruins everything, it
breaks your heart, it makes things a
mess. We're not here to make things
perfect. Snowflakes are perfect. The
stars are perfect. Not us. We are
here to ruin ourselves and break our
hearts and love the wrong people and
die! The storybooks are bullshit.
Come upstairs with me, baby! Don't
try to live your life out to somebody
else's idea of sweet happiness. Don't
try to live on milk and cookies when
what you want is meat! Red meat just
like me! It's wolves run with wolves
and nothing else! You're a wolf just
like me! Come upstairs with me and
get in my bed! Come on! Come on!
Come on!
Loretta follows Ronny into his building.
NOW WE SEE THE STREET
Just as the door shuts. A moment passes. Lights go on in
Ronny's apartment. Out of a doorway on the opposite side of
the street steps the figure of a woman. She walks to the
middle of the deserted street and looks up at the lighted
windows.
NOW WE SEE THE WOMAN CLOSE UP -- IT'S CHRISSY FROM THE BAKERY
Her heart is about to break. She loves this man. She looks
up at the lighted windows, her feelings hanging by one
slender, slender thread.
MUSIC
It's "MIMI'S ARIA"- from the snow scene in LA BOHEME.
WE SEE THE STREET WITH THE FIGURE LOOKING
At the lighted window above. "MIMI'S ARIA" PLAYS. This tableau
reminds us of the scene in the opera where MIMI stands in
the snow. The MUSIC PLAYS and the WOMAN SINGS for a long
moment. Then, the lights in the apartment go out. Chrissy
shudders almost imperceptibly. Her heart has broken. She
hangs her head. Then she lifts her head and slowly walks
away down the street.
EXT. KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - RUNWAY - NIGHT
With a great and abrupt ROAR, a big jet is landing.
INT. KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - TERMINAL - NIGHT
PASSENGERS are pouring into the terminal from the plane.
Most of them are Italian or Italian-Americans. Suddenly, Mr.
Johnny appears out of the shifting crowd, up very CLOSE to
the CAMERA. He looks alert, determined, geared up for action.
MR. JOHNNY AT THE LUGGAGE CAROUSEL
He pulls his two suitcases off the carousel with one quick
powerful jerk.
EXT. KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - TERMINAL - NIGHT
Mr. Johnny sticks out his hand and a cab immediately rushes
to him.
INT. OF THE CAB
Mr. Johnny leans forward to the DRIVER and says in a very
definite, determined way.
MR. JOHNNY
19 Cranberry Street.
EXT. KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - NIGHT
The cab rushes off into the night.
EXT. CASTORINI HOUSE - NIGHT
The cab pulling up to the Castorini house. The living room
windows are all lit up. VICKI CARR can be made out SINGING
"IT MUST BE HIM". Mr. Johnny gets out of the cab, gets his
luggage, and heads for the front door. He RINGS THE BELL.
The door opens. It's Rose. MUSIC floods out around her.
MR. JOHNNY
Hello. I'm sorry to call so late...
Rose is a little tipsy.
ROSE
Moving in?
MR. JOHNNY
I came right from the airport.
ROSE
Come on in.
She holds the door open for him and he goes in past her
carrying his suitcases. She closes the door.
INT. CASTORINI HOUSE — THE FRONT HALL - NIGHT
MR. JOHNNY
Can you wake up Loretta? I need to
talk to her.
ROSE
She's not home yet. Take off your
coat and come in the living room.
I'll make you a drink. I wanna talk
to you.
INT. CASTORINI HOUSE - LIVING ROOM — NIGHT
Rose comes in with two scotches on the rocks. He takes one.
MR. JOHNNY
Thank you.
She turns off the stereo, and then sits down across from
him.
ROSE
So.
MR. JOHNNY
Where is she?
ROSE
Out. I don't know where. I was waiting
up for my husband.
MR. JOHNNY
It's late.
ROSE
Yes.
There's a pause. Mr. Johnny is uncomfortable with it.
MR. JOHNNY
Maybe I should go?
ROSE
What are you doing here? You're
supposed to be in Palermo.
MR. JOHNNY
That's what I came to tell Loretta.
There's been a miracle.
ROSE
A miracle. Well, that's news.
MR. JOHNNY
My mother's recovered.
ROSE
You're kidding?
MR. JOHNNY
The breath had almost totally left
her body. She was as white as snow.
And then she completely pulled back
from death and stood up and put on
her clothes and began to cook for
everyone in the house. The mourners.
And me. And herself! She ate a meal
that would choke a pig!
ROSE
That's incredible.
MR. JOHNNY
Yes.
The front door can be HEARD SLAMMING, out of view, and then
Dogs can be HEARD BARKING. Mr. Johnny and Rose look to the
entranceway. The Old Man appears there, holding the Five
Dogs.
ROSE
Hello Pop.
The Old Man looks at Rose. He is a specter. He stares, and
then he makes a long low accusing NOISE. Then he disappears.
MR. JOHNNY
Who was that?
ROSE
That was my father-in-law, who has a
wrong idea in his head. Listen,
Johnny, there's a question I want to
ask you. And I want you to tell me
the truth if you can. Why do men
chase women?
MR. JOHNNY
Well. There's the Bible story. God
took a rib from Adam and made Eve.
Maybe men chase women to get the rib
back. When God took the rib, he left
a hole there, place where there used
to be something. and the women have
that. Maybe a man isn't complete as
a man without a woman.
ROSE
But why would a man need more than
one woman?
MR. JOHNNY
I don't know. Maybe because he fears
death.
Rose leaps up, very excited.
ROSE
That's it! That's the reason!
MR. JOHNNY
I don't know.
ROSE
No, that's really it. Thank you for
answering my question.
The FRONT DOOR SLAMS again. Mr. Johnny and Rose look to the
entranceway. Cosmo appears there.
COSMO
Hi.
(taking in Mr. Johnny)
Hi.
MR. JOHNNY
Hello, Mr. Castorini.
ROSE
Where you been?
COSMO
I don't know, Rose. I don't know
where I've been, and I don't know
where I'm going.
(to Mr. Johnny)
You should have your eyes opened for
you, my friend.
MR. JOHNNY
I have my eyes open.
COSMO
You do, huh? Stick around. Don't go
on any long trips.
MR. JOHNNY
I don't know what you mean.
COSMO
I know you don't. That's the point.
I'll say no more.
MR. JOHNNY
You haven't said anything.
COSMO
And that's how much I'm saying.
ROSE
Cosmo?
COSMO
What?
ROSE
I just want you to know. No matter
what you do. You are going to die,
just like everybody else.
COSMO
Thank you, Rose.
ROSE
You're welcome.
COSMO
I'm going to bed now.
Mr. Johnny stands up. Cosmo walks off, out of view.
MR. JOHNNY
I'm going.
COSMO'S VOICE
(from top of stairs)
Good!
ROSE
(to Mr. Johnny)
He doesn't like you. Thank you for
answering my question.
MR. JOHNNY
You don't know where Loretta is?
ROSE
No idea.
MR. JOHNNY
Then tell her I'll come by in the
morning. We need to talk.
ROSE
Okay, I'll tell her.
EXT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - DAWN
We watch the effect of the sun coming up on the house. It
begins in darkness, and goes through the many graduations of
light very quickly until it's lit by the light of bright
morning.
THE FRONT DOOR OPENS AND THE OLD MAN AND THE DOGS COME OUT
He's got them on their leashes and, over his head, he carries
the black umbrella. He walks off toward the park and
disappears.
EXT. STREET - DAY - LORETTA IS WALKING
Along a sidewalk a couple of blocks away. She is a wreck.
She's still in her clothes of the night before. She hasn't
slept. Her hair's a bit funny. And she's tormented by the
complications in her life. And, at the same time, she looks
great. She looks like she's been loved up and down. She has
a hickey on her neck. Her eyes are dreamy and her walk is
slow, utterly careless, and sexual. She's carrying, crunched
in her hand, her program from La Boheme. She starts SINGING.
We follow her as she SINGS and walks.
WE WATCH LORETTA WALKING FROM THE BACK NOW
She's still muttering. She comes to a tin can. She kicks lt.
She comes to it again. She kicks it again.
EXT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - DAY
Loretta appears kicking her can. She abandons the can and
enters the house.
INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY
Rose is at the stove. The kitchen is filled with steam and
sunlight. Rose is stirring a pot filled with oatmeal.
Another range has the coffeepot heating. Loretta shuffles
into the kitchen, goes to the tin table, and sits down.
There are red roses on the table. Rose sees Loretta.
ROSE
What the hell happened to you?
LORETTA
Well. I don't really know where to
start.
ROSE
Your hair's different.
LORETTA
Everything's different.
ROSE
Are you drunk?
LORETTA
No. Are you drunk?
ROSE
No. But I have a hangover.
LORETTA
Where's pop?
ROSE
Upstairs. Johnny Cammareri showed up
last night.
Loretta is suddenly electrified.
LORETTA
What? He's in Sicily!
ROSE
No more he's not.
LORETTA
He's with his dying mother!
ROSE
She recovered.
LORETTA
WHAT!! She was dying!
ROSE
It was a miracle.
LORETTA
A miracle? This is modern times!
There ain't supposed to be miracles
any more!
ROSE
I guess it ain't modern times in
Sicily. He came right from the
airport. He wanted to talk to you.
You got a love bite on your neck.
He's coming back this morning.
With a long low MOAN, Loretta lowers her head to the table.
EXT. STREET - DAY
Ronny is walking along the same stretch of sidewalk as Loretta
just was. He looks like hell, too. His hair is wild and he
hasn't slept. He's thrown on an old leather jacket and brown
leather gloves. He has a love bite on his neck, too. He starts
to SING "O SOAVE FANCIULLA". He SINGS it any old way,
occasionally getting a good attack, occasionally just
muttering his way through. SINGS as much of it as he
remembers, which is a lot.
WE WATCH RONNY WALKING FROM THE BACK NOW
He's SINGING away, carelessly sauntering along. He passes an
ITALIAN COUPLE of middle age. They smile as they recognize
what he is singing. They start to SING along with him.
They SING till they get to the ceiling of the aria, and to a
resting place a little beyond. Then they nod to each other
appreciatively and go on their ways, Ronny turning his back
to the CAMERA, and they WALKING INTO IT.
EXT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - DAY
Ronny appears and approaches the door. HE KNOCKS, waits, and
then RINGS THE BELL. Rose answers the door and invites him
in.
INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - KITCHEN
Rose walks in with Ronny behind her. There's no one in the
kitchen. Rose calls out.
ROSE
It's not Johnny.
Loretta comes out of a closet, where she was hiding. She's
very surprised to see Ronny.
LORETTA
Ronny!
RONNY
Is Johnny here?
LORETTA
He's coming.
RONNY
Good! We can get this out on the
table.
(to Rose)
I'm Ronny, Johnny's brother.
(Shakes her hand)
ROSE
Nice to meet you. You've got a love
bite on your neck. Your mother's
recovered from death.
RONNY
Oh. Good. We're not close. I'm not
really moved.
LORETTA
You've gotta get outta here.
RONNY
No. I'm gonna wait.
LORETTA
(arguing with Ronny)
Ronny, please...
ROSE
Would anyone like some oatmeal?
LORETTA continues arguing.
RONNY
(ignores Loretta)
Yes, I would like some oatmeal.
Ronny and Loretta sit down and Rose serves them oatmeal.
COSMO WALKS IN dressed for business. He regards the trio,
puts on his hat in shock and then takes it off again.
ROSE
Cosmo, this is Ronny, Johnny's
brother.
COSMO
His brother.
Cosmo sits down. Rose puts a bowl of oatmeal in front of
him. He absently begins to eat it. A silence reigns. Then he
puls down his spoon.
COSMO
You're Johnny's brother?
RONNY
Yeah.
Cosmo picks up his spoon and they all eat silently once more.
The SOUND OF DOGS BARKING comes up and then fades away.
THE OLD MAN WALKS IN
He looks at the assemblage. The assemblage looks at him.
He points at Rose. Then his pointing drifts to Cosmo and his
hand opens in a gesture of supplication.
OLD MAN
I am old. The Old are not wanted.
And what they say has no weight.
But, my son, I must speak. You should
pay for the wedding of your only
daughter. You are breaking your house
through pride. There. I've said it.
COSMO
It's okay, Pop. If she gets married,
I'll pay for the whole thing.
The Old Man lets go a great noise of relief, sits down at
the table, and waits. Rose brings him a bowl of oatmeal.
He is content now, and eats his oatmeal with great relish.
The others eat with a more meaningful silence. Rose puts
down her spoon. She looks at the table, but she is speaking
to Cosmo.
ROSE
Have I been a good wife?
COSMO
Yes.
ROSE
I want you to stop seeing her.
Everyone stops eating. A tremendous silence falls. An old
clock goes tick, tick, tick. Suddenly Cosmo smashes his fists
to the table and stands. He doesn't look at Rose during this.
Then slowly, he sits down.
COSMO
Okay.
ROSE
And go to confession.
COSMO
(still not looking at
her)
A man... under stands one day...
that his life is built on nothing.
And that's a bad, crazy day.
ROSE
Your life is not built on nothing.
Ti amo.
She puts her hand across the table to him.
COSMO
Ti amo.
He slides his hand out and takes her hand. Slowly, he lifts
his eyes. Their eyes meet. It's the first time he's been
able to hold her gaze in this whole story. The DOORBELL RINGS.
LORETTA
It's Johnny. I'll get it.
Loretta's tone is fatal.
RONNY
I'll get it.
Rose gets up.
ROSE
I'll get it.
She goes to answer the door.
RONNY
(goes for the door)
No, I'll tell him.
LORETTA
No, I'll tell him.
(to her father)
What am I going to tell him?
COSMO
Tell him the truth, Loretta they
find out anyway.
Loretta looks at her father.
LORETTA
I love you Pop.
It's a private moment.
But who appears at the kitchen door is not Johnny. It's the
CAPPOMAGGIS.
They have their coats on and they look very serious and
concerned and timid.
RITA
Hi Loretta.
LORETTA
Hi.
RAYMOND
Hi, Loretta.
LORETTA
Hi. Why ain't you at the store?
RITA
Is there anything you want to tell
us, honey?
LORETTA
You? No.
RAYMOND
We just come from the bank.
LORETTA
The bank. OH MY GOD, I FORGOT TO
MAKE THE DEPOSIT!
RITA
(to Raymond)
She's got it.
RAYMOND
I knew she had it.
Loretta runs out of the kitchen and reappears with her
everyday bag. She takes out the night deposit bag and hands
it to Raymond.
RITA
We didn't know what to think. You
were so weird yesterday, and then
this morning, we go to the bank and
no bag.
RAYMOND
(a sudden outburst to
Loretta)
WE NEVER SUSPECTED YOU!
Raymond covers his face to hide his emotion. Rita, meanwhile
is clearing the oatmeal bowls.
ROSE
Listen. Who wants coffee?
There is a general acknowledgment. Everybody wants coffee.
Rose passes out white mugs and begins pouring steaming drafts
of coffee. Raymond and Rita are standing. The rest are
sitting.
RITA
So what are we doing?
ROSE
We're waiting for Johnny Cammareri.
Rita nods. A silence.
RONNY
I'm his brother.
TA
(taking and shaking
his hand)
Nice to meet you. I'm Rita Cappomaggi.
RAYMOND
(taking and taking
his hand)
I'm Raymond Cappomaggi. I'm Rose's
brother.
RONNY
Nice to meet you.
Silence. Then the Old Man erupts.
OLD MAN
Somebody tell a joke!
The DOORBELL RINGS. And RINGS AGAIN. Everyone is frozen for
a moment, then Rita mobilizes.
RITA
I'll get it.
She goes. Loretta puts down her coffee and deep breathes,
preparing herself.
LORETTA
I'm getting palpitations!
She pushes away her coffee.
RAYMOND
I thought he was in Palermo.
RITA APPEARS WITH MR. JOHNNY IN TOW
Rita continues into the room, leaving Mr. Johnny in the
doorway. He is in a dark, vested suit. He is a little
bewildered by the crowd of people, but succeeds in hiding
most of his discomfort.
RITA
It's Johnny Cammareri.
LORETTA
Johnny.
MR. JOHNNY
Loretta...
RONNY
Johnny...
MR. JOHNNY
Ronny! Our mother has recovered from
death!
RONNY
Good.
MR. JOHNNY
Have you come to make peace with me?
RONNY
Well. Yeah. You may not want to.
MR. JOHNNY
Of course I want to.
LORETTA
I don't know. But Johnny, how did
your mother recover? She was dying.
MR. JOHNNY
We should talk alone.
LORETTA
I can't. I need my family around me
now.
MR. JOHNNY
Well. I told my mother that we were
to be married. And she got well.
Right away.
RONNY
I'm sure she did.
MR. JOHNNY
It was a miracle!
LORETTA
Johnny, I have something to tell
you.
MR. JOHNNY
I have something to tell you. But I
must talk to you alone.
LORETTA
I have no secrets from my family.
MR. JOHNNY
Loretta, I can't marry you.
LORETTA
WHAT?
MR. JOHNNY
If I marry you my mother will die.
The Old Man laughs a loud sudden laugh, and then subsides.
LORETTA
What the hell are you talking about?
We're engaged.
RONNY
Loretta, what are you talking about?
LORETTA
I'm talking about a promise. You
proposed to me!
MR. JOHNNY
Because my mother was dying! But now
she's not.
RONNY
You're forty-two years old, Johnny,
and Mama is still running your life.
MR. JOHNNY
And you are a son who doesn't love
his mother!
LORETTA
And you're a big liar! I've got your
ring here!
MR. JOHNNY
I must ask for that back.
Loretta struggles and pulls off the ring.
LORETTA
Here! Take your stupid pinky ring.
(she throws it at
Johnny)
Who needs it? The engagement's off.
Mr. Johnny retrieves the ring.
MR. JOHNNY
In time, you will see that this is
the best thing.
LORETTA
In time, you will drop dead, and I
will come to your funeral in a red
dress.
RONNY
Loretta?
LORETTA
What!
RONNY
Will you marry me.
MR. JOHNNY
What?
LORETTA
Where's the ring?
Ronny looks to Mr. Johnny a little sheepishly.
RONNY
Could I a... borrow that ring.
Mr. Johnny, in shock, hands it over to Ronny.
RONNY
Thanks.
He kneels down before Loretta. He presents the ring to her.
RONNY
Will you marry me, Loretta Castorini
Clark?
LORETTA
Before all these people, yes, I will
marry you, Ronny Cammareri!
She takes the ring. Ronny and Loretta kiss.
ROSE
Do you love him, Loretta?
LORETTA
Yeah, Ma, I love him awful.
ROSE
Oh God, that's too bad.
Ronny and Loretta enter into a long kiss. The Old Man starts
to cry. Cosmo leans forward to the Old Man solicitously.
COSMO
What's the matter, Pop?
OLD MAN
(Lifts his head and
cries out)
I'M CONFUSED !
Loretta pushes Ronny away, breaking the kiss. They have both
neglected to breathe the whole time they were kissing.
They are both gasping for air, especially Loretta.
LORETTA
Wait a minute! Wait a minute!
But then she looks at Ronny, and lunges back to him, diving
into another kiss like a mermaid diving into the bluest ocean.
MUSIC
"O SOAVE FANCIULLA" from "La Boheme," COMES UP and engulfs
the lovers, the family, the world.
WE SEE the faces of the lovers swirl away into a golden and
diamond light, and
DISSOLVE INTO:
EIGHT FULL CHAMPAGNE GLASSES
Glistening in sunlight on the white tabletop. Into each is
dropped a lump of sugar. A bottle of recently employed bitters
sits nearby with its cap off (like a respectful peasant in
aristocratic company. And the roses in the center.
Now the CAMERA PULLS BACK. WE SEE the table is surrounded.
Cosmo is dropping the last of the sugar cubes in the last
glass of champagne. Rose is by him. Rita and Raymond are
side by side, as are Ronny and Loretta. The Old Man sits,
staring at his son, intent and approving. But where is Mr.
Johnny?
COSMO
Everybody take a glass.
Everybody takes a glass. The Old Man takes one and gets up
OLD MAN
(to Cosmo)
Wait.
The Old Man takes the glass and walks over to a corner of
the kitchen where Mr. Johnny, deeply disturbed and somewhat
catatonic, sits on a step-ladder.
OLD MAN
(continuing; to Mr.
Johnny, offering the
glass)
Here.
MR. JOHNNY
I don't want it.
But the Old Man, wise and merry and tough, presses the glass
on Mr. Johnny, who takes it.
COSMO, THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY NOW, LIFTS HIS GLASS
COSMO
To... the family. Right? Ti amo.
They all lift their glasses.
CLOSE-UP OF ROSE'S FACE
ROSE
Ti amo.
CLOSE-UP OF RAYMOND AND RITA
RAYMOND
That's right.
Rita nods.
A CLOSE-UP OF RONNY AND LORETTA DRINKING THEIR CHAMPAGNE
And looking into each other's eyes.
CLOSE-UP OF THE OLD MAN
Who knocks back his drink lustily, and then with a glittering
eye looks away from the table.
MR. JOHNNY FROM THE OLD MAN'S POV
Mr. Johnny sits without moving, holding his glass. A long
moment passes. Mr. Johnny is thinking. Then he nods to
himself. He lifts his glass and murmurs for no one to hear
MR. JOHNNY
To family.
CLOSE-UP OF THE OLD MAN LOOKING AWAY FROM MR. JOHNNY
And he laughs his laugh. This laugh could kill him. The CAMERA
PULLS BACK a little. He pounds the table and knocks over the
roses.
A CLOSE-UP OF THE RED ROSES ON THE WHITE TABLETOP CLOSING
BLACK CREDITS ROLL AGAINST THE WHITE BACKGROUND.
FADE OUT:
THE END
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