SCENE 10: TAVERNERS CLOSE (INTERNAL)
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©1976 Jan Royal
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SCRIPT
The door of the other house is open.
From inside we see THOMAS coming in.
He closes the door behind him and tosses his jacket onto a chair.
BILL’s house is a modern, open plan building built round a patio, with nearly all the interior walls made of plate glass.
THOMAS sinks into the chair in the hall-cum-living room, his hand clasped behind his neck.
From where he is sitting, he can see BILL at the door of his studio across the tiny patio.
But instead of painting, BILL is absorbed in contemplation of a painting propped on his easel.
When BILL notices his friend is there, he nods towards him.
The painting on the easel differs from those hanging on the walls and from an unfinished painting which lies on the floor.
These are all abstracts made up of coloured dots.
And yet they have a certain dramatic tension to them.
The one on the easel is more figurative.
That is to say, there is a more figurative element in the painting.
And it is on this that the painter has riveted his attention.
BILL is seen in close-up as he describes his painting, which can be seen over his shoulder in the studio.
BILL
That must be five or six years old.
As BILL moves forward, camera follows to show THOMAS, who gets up and crosses the patio.
He stands beside BILL, leaning on the doorpost.
They both look at the painting.
BILL
They don’t mean anything when I do them – just a mess. Afterwards I find something to hang onto – like that – like – like…
A closer view of the painting.
BILL points at it.
BILL
…that leg.
BILL glances across at THOMAS.
BILL
And then it sorts itself out. It adds up. It’s like finding a clue in a detective story.
He moves.
His eyes fall on the picture lying on the floor.
They both look at it.
BILL
Ha… Don’t ask me about this one. I don’t know yet.
THOMAS
Can I buy it?
BILL
No.
Another shot of BILL and THOMAS among the paintings.
THOMAS leans his arm against the doorpost.
THOMAS
Will you give it to me?
BILL shakes his head.
THOMAS squats down to study the painting on the floor.
He gets up and goes back to the chair he was sitting in before.
PATRICIA, BILL’s young wife, comes down from the stairs that lead into the studio and sees THOMAS.
Camera moves back as she goes over to the refrigerator in the kitchen.
She is seen through the plate glass window that gives onto the patio.
She takes a bottle of beer out of the fridge, collects a glass, and camera tracks with her as she goes up to THOMAS and hands him the beer.
PATRICIA
Here you are.
THOMAS
Hm. Thank you.
PATRICIA moves behind him and starts ruffling his hair.
THOMAS
Tight-faced bastard.
He raises his voice and looks in BILL’s direction, grinning.
THOMAS
He won’t sell me one of his crappy paintings. Hm. I’ll creep down one night and knock it off.
THOMAS leans back.
PATRICIA smiles.
But then she looks serious and stops ruffling his hair.
Resume on THOMAS.
THOMAS
Don’t stop. It’s lovely.
Resume on PATRICIA.
PATRICIA
You look tired…
THOMAS off
Mmmm.
Resume on THOMAS, who drinks his beer.
PATRICIA stands behind him.
THOMAS
I’ve been all night in the doss house.
He gets up.
As he passes PATRICIA, he flips his hand through his hair – as if to ruffle it on purpose – then leaves the house.
PATRICIA shuts the door after him, then turns and looks at her husband with a sigh.
END OF REEL ONE