"Little Sweetheart" script #2

(Richard is looking at some prints in his boat shed darkroom. Thelma knocks on the door.) [book excerpt]

RICHARD: Go away!

THELMA: Let me in! I'll tell if you don't let me in!

RICHARD: What have you got to tell about?

THELMA: About Miss Ma-rissa!

RICHARD: What about Miss Marissa?

(Thelma licks her dark popsicle but says nothing. Richard opens the door.)

RICHARD: What about Miss Marissa?

THELMA: Here's your popsicle. Mommy sent it.

THELMA (comes inside, stands): I saw you.

RICHARD: When?

THELMA: The other morning. Two days ago.

RICHARD: Where?

THELMA: I can't remember.

(Richard angrily throws his popsicle in the sink, grabs Thelma's shoulders to stare her in the face.)

THELMA: In your room.

RICHARD: So? She cleans the house for us. She's gotta be in there sometimes.

THELMA: She didn't have any clothes on.

RICHARD: Of course she did.

THELMA (shaking head): She didn't.

RICHARD: I was taking photographs. I'm gonna to be a photographic artist, there's nothing wrong with that. (Thelma is playing with his enlarger.) Stop that!

THELMA (playing with enlarger slides on the counter): I saw you this morning, but you didn't have any lights on. You can't take photographs in the dark without any lights on.

RICHARD: Put that down.

THELMA: I can take pictures. Can I see the prints?

RICHARD (turning around, emphatically): No.

THELMA: Has mommy seen the prints? She doesn't like Marissa!

RICHARD: You wouldn't tell her. You wouldn't dare.

(Thelma sits down and gives Robert an "Oh yeah?" look. Richard relents and brings the prints over to Thelma.)

RICHARD: Are your hands clean?

(Thelma nods, Richard hands the prints to Thelma.)

RICHARD: Something terrible's gonna happen to you someday because you can't shut up about anything.

THELMA (thumbing through the prints): I don't think she's pretty at all. She's too fat. She oughta be on a diet.

RICHARD (scowling in disbelief): No she shouldn't.

THELMA (looking at a print of Miss Marissa with one arm raised): She's hairy. At least mommy shaves hers off.

RICHARD: If you say anything... to anybody...

THELMA: I wouldn't if we were friends. And friends always loan friends money.

RICHARD (reluctantly handing Thelma a dollar bill): Go buy yourself a Coke.

THELMA (tapping the dollar bill assertively): Two Cokes.

RICHARD: Four Cokes, bitch. Hope your teeth rot!

(Thelma is at home watching news on the TV. The word "CRIME" is displayed on the screen, then "Saturday." Mrs. Davies is working in the kitchen nearby.)

(TV: Investigators still have no identity, cause of death or other clues about what may have happened. Sheriff's investigators say the missing parts, including the torso, head, hands and feet are crucial in identifying the. . .)

MRS DAVIES: Why are you watching that?

(TV: ...that were discovered early Saturday...)

MRS DAVIES: That's not for children.

THELMA: Then why do they put it on?

(TV: ...to remove the limbs...)

MRS DAVIES: They put it on because it's the news. Find something more suitable for children.

(TV: ...began draining the pond...)

(Thelma switches off the TV, and comes to sit at the counter.) [book excerpt]

THELMA: I don't want a party.

MRS DAVIES: No party? Why not? Uncle David's coming. He's got a great big present for you. Don't you want a present?

THELMA: Not from Uncle David.

MRS DAVIES (shaking head in disbelief): Darling, why not?

THELMA: Because he's not my daddy.

MRS DAVIES: Of course he's not daddy. The shrimps are so fresh. We're very lucky. You know, your daddy used to love to buy them right off the boats. Thelma, Uncle David has been very kind to mommy. And... she doesn't know what she would have done without him.

Thelma unentranced after mother's speech

MRS DAVIES: Honey, daddy is dead. And he's not gonna come back to us. You really have to get used to that. Please?

(Thelma pulls the green curtain aside from an upper floor window, sees Uncle David arriving and hugging her mother as he greets her.) [book excerpt] [book excerpt] [book excerpt]

(A station wagon is driving down a dirt road, pulls up to a rental house. It is a vacationing family moving in with a girl [Elizabeth] that is Thelma's age. Thelma, bored and wearing a blue dress, walks up and sits on two wooden posts, watching them unload their car, whose licence plate ends in ...08 FEV.) [book excerpt]

MR HARRISON: No you just get your basket honey, I'll get the big bag. Come on upstairs. . .

MRS HARRISON: Just let daddy get that bag. Come on, let's go.

MR HARRISON: It's hot.

(Elizabeth pulls a luggage bag from the front of the station wagon and walks to the back of the station wagon.)

MRS HARRISON: You OK?

ELIZABETH: Yup.

(Elizabeth pulls her hat out of the back of the station wagon, gives Thelma a curious glance but says nothing, walks back up to the house. Her father Mr. Harrison comes out next.)

MR HARRISON (to Thelma): Hi there!

THELMA: Hi.

MR HARRISON: What's your name?

THELMA: Thelma.

MR HARRISON: Where you from?

THELMA (pointing behind her): Over there.

MR HARRISON: Oh great! Neighbors! I like that. I'm Harry. Harry Harrison. (Stands with hands on hips, looking at her.) Honey, looks like we got ourselves a new pal. This is Elizabeth. That's Thelma. (Gestures at Thelma.) Why don't you take her upstairs and give her a Coke? That's if... somebody remembered to turn the ice box on. Come on, the sun is shining, you're gonna be buddies. [book excerpt]

(Elizabeth, with her arms folded, says nothing, picks up one sachel from the ground, pulls another from the rear of the station wagon. Thelma looks down, thumps her feet flat on the ground, then reluctantly follows.)

ELIZABETH (carrying luggage into her bedroom): What's it like here? [book excerpt]

THELMA: Pfff...

ELIZABETH: That bad, huh?

ELIZABETH (talking into an unconnected microphone): This is station WLIZ. With me, Liz Harrison speaking. All the way from one till three. Be happy now!

ELIZABETH (sitting on the bed): You can show me around?

THELMA: I'm nine tomorrow.

ELIZABETH: I'm nine now.

THELMA: I'm having a party.

ELIZABETH: Am I invited?

THELMA (after a pause): If you want.

(The girls are watching the Three Stooges movie "Dizzy Pilots" [complete script] that is showing on the TV in The Happy Pelican. Elizabeth is holding the remote control and wearing heart-shaped sunglasses [note].)

(TV: Don't saw the wings, you saw the garage. I see the garage, but I don't saw the garage. You are more you're into King's English.)

(TV: You saw one side and Larry will saw the other. Oh, I see, I saw! Woah! Not like that. Like this! Woah!)

(The barkeeper grabs the remote from Elizabeth's hand.)

ELIZABETH: I was watching!

BARKEEPER: You ain't payin'.

THELMA: She was waiting. She wants a Coke.

ELIZABETH: Could I charge it? I lost my money. [book excerpt]

BARKEEPER: Who's your friend?

ELIZABETH: Elizabeth.

BARKEEPER: You got any plastic? (Elizabeth shakes her head.)

BARKEEPER: Benji?

BARKEEPER: Hundred dollar bill? (Elizabeth shakes her head.)

BARKEEPER: Then why don't you take your butt on outa here? Fresh air's free.

(The neon sign at the bar reads Coors BEER and the hanging Tiffany lamp reads BUSCH. Robert Burger and Dorothea are sitting at a table by the window, waiting for their food.)

BARKEEPER (serving Robert and Dorothea): There you go. A dozen on the half. Best in the Gulf. Two hours ago them oysters were swimmin' at the bottom of the ocean.

ELIZABETH (still sitting at the bar): Oysters don't swim!

BARKEEPER: Mine do. Now if there's anything else y'all need, just give me a shout.

ROBERT: Oh yeah, hang on a second. "Sandcastle" [map]. Would you know where that is? [book excerpt]

BARKEEPER: Uh, that's a rental, right? Didn't the real estate agent give you no map?

ROBERT: He just gave us this.

BARKEEPER: That's on The Plantation, right? What you do, you go down here, about half a mile, past them boats. And you zig-zag, and-- you'll find it. Just... ask them girls.

(Dorothea looks over at the girls with faint disgust, then Robert looks at them. The girls are still sitting at the bar, staring at the couple. Both girls get up from the bar and move closer to Robert and Dorothea. Elizabeth sits at a table, Thelma stands behind a table.)

ROBERT: Hi!

THELMA: Hi. (Sits down.) [book excerpt]

ROBERT: Two hours ago, these little fellas were swimming along at the bottom of the sea.

ELIZABETH (grinning and shaking her head): Oysters don't swim!

ROBERT: One thing's for sure. They didn't swim fast enough or they wouldn't have been caught!

THELMA (leaning head on arm): They're loaded with cholesterol. Make you have a heart attack.

ROBERT: Mmm! Really? And where'd you get that information?

THELMA: My daddy.

ROBERT: Goes jogging every day, does he?

ELIZABETH: He's dead. She told me.

DOROTHEA: Oh, Jesus.

ROBERT: Sorry. Big mouth. Talk too much. I am sorry. How old are you? [book excerpt]

THELMA: Almost ten.

ELIZABETH (slapping her sunglasses): Liar! She said she'd be nine tomorrow!

THELMA: Nine tomorrow, then ten.

ELIZABETH: She's going to have a party.

THELMA: You can come.

ROBERT: Why, if we're around, that'd be terrific. (Dorothea is beginning to get impatient.) I'll bet you get lots of presents. Tell me, what would be your favorite if you had the whole world to choose from?

THELMA: A camera.

ROBERT (laughing): A camera!

THELMA: You're English.

ROBERT: Got it in one.

ELIZABETH: Do you know the queen?

ROBERT: Well, I haven't seen her for a long time. I've been working over here in your country--

DOROTHEA (bangs her glass of wine down impatiently): Robert! (Pauses.) Uh, don't you think we ought to find out where we're going?

ROBERT: Well, are you two going to show us where Sandcastle is?

(The girls pause for a moment, Thelma nods, quickly followed by Elizabeth nodding.)

ROBERT: Alright! We'll be friends then.

(Little Billy is wheeling a hand truck of ice out of a truck in the parking lot of the Happy Pelican [map]. Signs in the background say HAPPY PELICAN RESTAURANT, HAPPY PELICAN FAMILY RESTAURANT, ICE.)

LITTLE BILLY: Hey! How y'all doin'? What's happenin'?

(Billy performs a quick mime act of drinking and leaning against an invisible object.)

BARKEEPER: Hey, Little Billy! Can't wait all day!

ROBERT: This way. He's pretty good.

THELMA: It's easy. (Performs the same mime act as Little Billy.)

ROBERT: You're a hard lady to satisfy, kid.

THELMA (halts as she's about to enter car): I'm not a kid, I'm Thelma.

ROBERT: OK, Thelma.

(Robert is driving down the road with Dorothea and the girls.) [book excerpt]

ELIZABETH: We saw it on the Soul Train.

THELMA: So did I.

ROBERT: Do you kids watch TV all the time?

THELMA: I'm studying.

ROBERT: Ah yes, photography, right? (Scenes of boats in harbor.)

THELMA: Yup.

ELIZABETH: I'm studying, too. I'm gonna be a TV star.

DOROTHEA: Oh, really? Me, too.

THELMA: There are the oyster boats.

ELIZABETH: They catch oysters.

THELMA: The bigger boats are the shrimpers.

ELIZABETH: They catch shrimp. (Robert chuckles.)

THELMA: They're only supposed to go out for a day. But sometimes they stay out longer.

ROBERT: Yeah? Why's that?

THELMA: 'Cause they're liars. So they can jack up the price. My mom says they cheat.

DOROTHEA: I'm sure your mother wouldn't say that.

THELMA: She can say whatever she likes. (Dorothea glances at Thelma, isn't sure what to think, and looks at Robert.)

DOROTHEA: We turn left here.

THELMA: No we don't.

DOROTHEA (tensely): It's what's on the map.

THELMA: Well then the map's wrong.

DOROTHEA (irritated): Well thank you.

ROBERT: OK, kid, you're the pilot.

THELMA: You said you were gonna call me Thelma, not kid.

ROBERT (with a forced grin): Thelma.

(They drive along a bay, then up in front of a beach rental house. Robert gets out and briefly surveys it alone, followed by Dorothea, who pulls of her sunglasses as she stands.)

ROBERT: So, this is Sandcastle! You got the keys?

DOROTHEA: The agent gave 'em to you.

ROBERT: Uh uh.

(Dorothea looks in her purse and finds the keys, rolls her head and eyes upwards, feeling foolish. She stares at Thelma, who is staring at her while shading her eyes from the sun, and Dorothea puts her sunglasses on angrily. Robert begins to unload the trunk of his Buick as Elizabeth walks to the back of the car to talk with him.) [book excerpt]

ELIZABETH: Are you on vacation, too?

ROBERT: Well, kind of. Just ambling on down south to see my wife's mother. We thought we'd--sneek a few days to ourselves.

ELIZABETH: How far did you come?

ROBERT (slinging black case over his shoulder): Oh, far enough, kid.

ELIZABETH: My name is Elizabeth.

ROBERT: Yes, I know. Sorry. (Picks up bags from ground.)

ROBERT: Look, if you two want to wait 'til I've got the luggage upstairs, I'll give you a lift home.

ELIZABETH: No. Thank you.

ROBERT: OK. Well, thanks again. (Bending close to Thelma.) You have a good birthday.

(The girls leave. Dorothea is getting settled inside Sandcastle, opens the blinds on the glass door, walks slowly into the living room, inspecting it. While carrying luggage up the wooden stairway, Robert notices the girls aren't leaving very quickly, and pauses on the stair to watch them. The girls are paused, staring back at him, but then the girls continue on the walkway to the beach.)

(The girls pause on the wooden walkway leading to the beach in order to take their shoes off.)

ELIZABETH: Station LIZ. And this is me, Liz Harrison speaking. He's nice!

THELMA: He's a flake.

ELIZABETH: He bought you a Coke.

THELMA: And they're not married. [book excerpt]

ELIZABETH: How do you know?

THELMA: She hasn't got a wedding ring.

ELIZABETH: She has lots of rings.

THELMA: A wedding ring is gold and you wear it on a special finger. (Bangs her shoe on the stairway to remove the sand.) She's his mistress.

ELIZABETH: What's that?

THELMA: Someone you do it with when it's not right.

ELIZABETH: Stu-pid.