A/N: I know, word spam is such a disgrace as an author, and I am, but this is my first time writing, so I just wanted to see if people would like this concept or not. I hope that's understandable. I plan on removing it within a week, hopefully. To be fair i will eventually hit 15k words just not right now.
According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway because bees don't care what humans think is impossible. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Ooh, black and yellow! Let's shake it up a little. Barry! Breakfast is ready! Coming! Hang on a second. Hello? - Barry? - Adam? - Can you believe this is happening? - I can't. I'll pick you up. Looking sharp. Use the stairs. Your father paid good money for those. Sorry. I'm excited. Here's the graduate. We're very proud of you, son. A perfect report card, all B's. Very proud. Ma! I got a thing going here. - You got lint on your fuzz. - Ow! That's me! - Wave to us! We'll be in row 118,000. - Bye! Barry, I told you, stop flying in the house! - Hey, Adam. - Hey, Barry. - Is that fuzz gel? - A little. Special day, graduation. Never thought I'd make it. Three days grade school, three days high school. Those were awkward. Three days college. I'm glad I took a day and hitchhiked around the hive. You did come back different. - Hi, Barry. - Artie, growing a mustache? Looks good. - Hear about Frankie? - Yeah. - You going to the funeral? - No, I'm not going. Everybody knows, sting someone, you die. Don't waste it on a squirrel. Such a hothead. I guess he could have just gotten out of the way. I love this incorporating an amusement park into our day. That's why we don't need vacations. Boy, quite a bit of pomp... under the circumstances. - Well, Adam, today we are men. - We are! - Bee-men. - Amen! Hallelujah! Students, faculty, distinguished bees, please welcome Dean Buzzwell. Welcome, New Hive City graduating class of... ...9:15. That concludes our ceremonies. And begins your career at Honex Industries! Will we pick our job today? I heard it's just orientation. Heads up! Here we go. Keep your hands and antennas inside the tram at all times. - Wonder what it'll be like? - A little scary. Welcome to Honex, a division of Honesco and a part of the Hexagon Group. This is it! Wow. Wow. We know that you, as a bee, have worked your whole life to get to the point where you can work for your whole life. Honey begins when our valiant Pollen Jocks bring the nectar to the hive. Our top-secret formula is automatically color-corrected, scent-adjusted and bubble-contoured into this soothing sweet syrup with its distinctive golden glow you know as... Honey! - That girl was hot. - She's my cousin! - She is? - Yes, we're all cousins. - Right. You're right. - At Honex, we constantly strive to improve every aspect of bee existence. These bees are stress-testing a new helmet technology. - What do you think he makes? - Not enough. Here we have our latest advancement, the Krelman. - What does that do? - Catches that little strand of honey that hangs after you pour it. Saves us millions. Can anyone work on the Krelman? Of course. Most bee jobs are small ones. But bees know that every small job, if it's done well, means a lot. But choose carefully because you'll stay in the job you pick for the rest of your life. The same job the rest of your life? I didn't know that. What's the difference? You'll be happy to know that bees, as a species, haven't had one day off in 27 million years. So you'll just work us to death? We'll sure try. Wow! That blew my mind! "What's the difference?" How can you say that? One job forever? That's an insane choice to have to make. I'm relieved. Now we only have to make one decision in life. But, Adam, how could they never have told us that? Why would you question anything? We're bees. We're the most perfectly functioning society on Earth. You ever think maybe things work a little too well here? Like what? Give me one example. I don't know. But you know what I'm talking about. Please clear the gate. Royal Nectar Force on approach. Wait a second. Check it out. - Hey, those are Pollen Jocks! - Wow. I've never seen them this close. They know what it's like outside the hive. Yeah, but some don't come back. - Hey, Jocks! - Hi, Jocks! You guys did great! You're monsters! You're sky freaks! I love it! I love it! - I wonder where they were. - I don't know. Their day's not planned. Outside the hive, flying who knows where, doing who knows what. You can't just decide to be a Pollen Jock. You have to be bred for that. Right. Look. That's more pollen than you and I will see in a lifetime. It's just a status symbol. Bees make too much of it. Perhaps. Unless you're wearing it and the ladies see you wearing it.
Those ladies? Aren't they our cousins too? Distant. Distant. Look at these two. - Couple of Hive Harrys. - Let's have fun with them. It must be dangerous being a Pollen Jock. Yeah. Once a bear pinned me against a mushroom! He had a paw on my throat, and with the other, he was slapping me! - Oh, my! - I never thought I'd knock him out. What were you doing during this? Trying to alert the authorities. I can autograph that. A little gusty out there today, wasn't it, comrades? Yeah. Gusty. We're hitting a sunflower patch six miles from here tomorrow. - Six miles, huh? - Barry! A puddle jump for us, but maybe you're not up for it. - Maybe I am. - You are not! We're going 0900 at J-Gate. What do you think, buzzy-boy? Are you bee enough? I might be. It all depends on what 0900 means. Hey, Honex! Dad, you surprised me. You decide what you're interested in? - Well, there's a lot of choices. - But you only get one. Do you ever get bored doing the same job every day? Son, let me tell you about stirring. You grab that stick, and you just move it around, and you stir it around. You get yourself into a rhythm. It's a beautiful thing. You know, Dad, the more I think about it, maybe the honey field just isn't right for me. You were thinking of what, making balloon animals? That's a bad job for a guy with a stinger. Janet, your son's not sure he wants to go into honey! - Barry, you are so funny sometimes. - I'm not trying to be funny. You're not funny! You're going into honey. Our son, the stirrer! - You're gonna be a stirrer? - No one's listening to me! Wait till you see the sticks I have. I could say anything right now. I'm gonna get an ant tattoo! Let's open some honey and celebrate! Maybe I'll pierce my thorax. Shave my antennae. Shack up with a grasshopper. Get a gold tooth and call everybody "dawg"! I'm so proud. - We're starting work today! - Today's the day. Come on! All the good jobs will be gone. Yeah, right. Pollen counting, stunt bee, pouring, stirrer, front desk, hair removal... - Is it still available? - Hang on. Two left! One of them's yours! Congratulations! Step to the side. - What'd you get? - Picking crud out. Stellar! Wow! Oouple of newbies? Yes, sir! Our first day! We are ready! Make your choice. - You want to go first? - No, you go. Oh, my. What's available? Restroom attendant's open, not for the reason you think. - Any chance of getting the Krelman? - Sure, you're on. I'm sorry, the Krelman just closed out. Wax monkey's always open. The Krelman opened up again. What happened? A bee died. Makes an opening. See? He's dead. Another dead one. Deady. Deadified. Two more dead. Dead from the neck up. Dead from the neck down. That's life! Oh, this is so hard! Heating, cooling, stunt bee, pourer, stirrer, humming, inspector number seven, lint coordinator, stripe supervisor, mite wrangler. Barry, what do you think I should... Barry? Barry! All right, we've got the sunflower patch in quadrant nine... What happened to you? Where are you? - I'm going out. - Out? Out where? - Out there. - Oh, no! I have to, before I go to work for the rest of my life. You're gonna die! You're crazy! Hello? Another call coming in. If anyone's feeling brave, there's a Korean deli on 83rd that gets their roses today. Hey, guys. - Look at that. - Isn't that the kid we saw yesterday? Hold it, son, flight deck's restricted. It's OK, Lou. We're gonna take him up. Really? Feeling lucky, are you? Sign here, here. Just initial that. - Thank you. - OK. You got a rain advisory today, and as you all know, bees cannot fly in rain. So be careful. As always, watch your brooms, hockey sticks, dogs, birds, bears and bats. Also, I got a couple of reports of root beer being poured on us. Murphy's in a home because of it, babbling like a cicada! - That's awful. - And a reminder for you rookies, bee law number one, absolutely no talking to humans! All right, launch positions! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz! Black and yellow! Hello! You ready for this, hot shot? Yeah. Yeah, bring it on. Wind, check. - Antennae, check. - Nectar pack, check. - Wings, check. - Stinger, check. Scared out of my shorts, check. OK, ladies, let's move it out! Pound those petunias, you striped stem-suckers! All of you, drain those flowers! Wow! I'm out! I can't believe I'm out! So blue. I feel so fast and free! Box kite! Wow! Flowers! This is Blue Leader. We have roses visual. Bring it around 30 degrees and hold. Roses! 30 degrees, roger. Bringing it around. Stand to the side, kid. It's got a bit of a kick. That is one nectar collector! - Ever see pollination up close? - No, sir. I pick up some pollen here, sprinkle it over here. Maybe a dash over there, a pinch on that one. See that? It's a little bit of magic. That's amazing. Why do we do that? That's pollen power. More pollen, more flowers, more nectar, more honey for us. Cool. I'm picking up a lot of bright yellow. Could be daisies. Don't we need those? Copy that visual. Wait. One of these flowers seems to be on the move. Say again? You're reporting a moving flower? Affirmative. That was on the line! This is the coolest. What is it? I don't know, but I'm loving this color. It smells good. Not like a flower, but I like it. Yeah, fuzzy. Chemical-y. Careful, guys. It's a little grabby. My sweet lord of bees! Candy-brain, get off there! Problem! - Guys! - This could be bad. Affirmative. Very close. Gonna hurt. Mama's little boy. You are way out of position, rookie! Coming in at you like a missile! Help me! I don't think these are flowers. - Should we tell him? - I think he knows. What is this?! Match point! You can start packing up, honey, because you're about to eat it! Yowser! Gross. There's a bee in the car! - Do something! - I'm driving! - Hi, bee. - He's back here! He's going to sting me! Nobody move. If you don't move, he won't sting you. Freeze! He blinked! Spray him, Granny!
What are you doing?! Wow... the tension level out here is unbelievable. I gotta get home. Can't fly in rain. Can't fly in rain. Can't fly in rain. Mayday! Mayday! Bee going down! Ken, could you close the window please? Ken, could you close the window please? Check out my new resume. I made it into a fold-out brochure. You see? Folds out. Oh, no. More humans. I don't need this. What was that? Maybe this time. This time. This time. This time! This time! This... Drapes! That is diabolical. It's fantastic. It's got all my special skills, even my top-ten favorite movies. What's number one? Star Wars? Nah, I don't go for that... ...kind of stuff. No wonder we shouldn't talk to them. They're out of their minds. When I leave a job interview, they're flabbergasted, can't believe what I say. There's the sun. Maybe that's a way out. I don't remember the sun having a big 75 on it. I predicted global warming. I could feel it getting hotter. At first I thought it was just me. Wait! Stop! Bee! Stand back. These are winter boots. Wait! Don't kill him! You know I'm allergic to them! This thing could kill me! Why does his life have less value than yours? Why does his life have any less value than mine? Is that your statement? I'm just saying all life has value. You don't know what he's capable of feeling. My brochure! There you go, little guy. I'm not scared of him. It's an allergic thing. Put that on your resume brochure. My whole face could puff up. Make it one of your special skills. Knocking someone out is also a special skill. Right. Bye, Vanessa. Thanks. - Vanessa, next week? Yogurt night? - Sure, Ken. You know, whatever. - You could put carob chips on there. - Bye. - Supposed to be less calories. - Bye. I gotta say something. She saved my life. I gotta say something. All right, here it goes. Nah. What would I say? I could really get in trouble. It's a bee law. You're not supposed to talk to a human. I can't believe I'm doing this. I've got to. Oh, I can't do it. Come on! No. Yes. No. Do it. I can't. How should I start it? "You like jazz?" No, that's no good. Here she comes! Speak, you fool! Hi! I'm sorry. - You're talking. - Yes, I know. You're talking! I'm so sorry. No, it's OK. It's fine. I know I'm dreaming. But I don't recall going to bed. Well, I'm sure this is very disconcerting. This is a bit of a surprise to me. I mean, you're a bee! I am. And I'm not supposed to be doing this, but they were all trying to kill me. And if it wasn't for you... I had to thank you. It's just how I was raised. That was a little weird. - I'm talking with a bee. - Yeah. I'm talking to a bee. And the bee is talking to me! I just want to say I'm grateful. I'll leave now. - Wait! How did you learn to do that? - What? The talking thing. Same way you did, I guess. "Mama, Dada, honey." You pick it up. - That's very funny. - Yeah. Bees are funny. If we didn't laugh, we'd cry with what we have to deal with. Anyway... Can I... ...get you something? - Like what? I don't know. I mean... I don't know. Coffee? I don't want to put you out. It's no trouble. It takes two minutes. - It's just coffee. - I hate to impose. - Don't be ridiculous! - Actually, I would love a cup. Hey, you want rum cake? - I shouldn't. - Have some. - No, I can't. - Come on! I'm trying to lose a couple micrograms. - Where? - These stripes don't help. You look great! I don't know if you know anything about fashion. Are you all right? No. He's making the tie in the cab as they're flying up Madison. He finally gets there. He runs up the steps into the church. The wedding is on. And he says, "Watermelon? I thought you said Guatemalan. Why would I marry a watermelon?" Is that a bee joke? That's the kind of stuff we do. Yeah, different. So, what are you gonna do, Barry? About work? I don't know. I want to do my part for the hive, but I can't do it the way they want. I know how you feel. - You do? - Sure. My parents wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor, but I wanted to be a florist. - Really? - My only interest is flowers. Our new queen was just elected with that same campaign slogan. Anyway, if you look... There's my hive right there. See it? You're in Sheep Meadow! Yes! I'm right off the Turtle Pond! No way! I know that area. I lost a toe ring there once. - Why do girls put rings on their toes? - Why not? - It's like putting a hat on your knee. - Maybe I'll try that. - You all right, ma'am? - Oh, yeah. Fine. Just having two cups of coffee! Anyway, this has been great. Thanks for the coffee. Yeah, it's no trouble. Sorry I couldn't finish it. If I did, I'd be up the rest of my life. Are you...? Can I take a piece of this with me? Sure! Here, have a crumb. - Thanks! - Yeah. All right. Well, then... I guess I'll see you around. Or not. OK, Barry. And thank you so much again... for before. Oh, that? That was nothing. Well, not nothing, but... Anyway... This can't possibly work. He's all set to go. We may as well try it. OK, Dave, pull the chute. - Sounds amazing. - It was amazing! It was the scariest, happiest moment of my life. Humans! I can't believe you were with humans! Giant, scary humans! What were they like? Huge and crazy. They talk crazy. They eat crazy giant things. They drive crazy. - Do they try and kill you, like on TV? - Some of them. But some of them don't. - How'd you get back? - Poodle. You did it, and I'm glad. You saw whatever you wanted to see. You had your "experience." Now you can pick out your job and be normal. - Well... - Well? Well, I met someone. You did? Was she Bee-ish? - A wasp?! Your parents will kill you! - No, no, no, not a wasp. - Spider? - I'm not attracted to spiders. I know it's the hottest thing, with the eight legs and all. I can't get by that face. So who is she? She's... human. No, no. That's a bee law. You wouldn't break a bee law. - Her name's Vanessa. - Oh, boy. She's so nice. And she's a florist! Oh, no! You're dating a human florist! We're not dating.
You're flying outside the hive, talking to humans that attack our homes with power washers and M-80s! One-eighth a stick of dynamite! She saved my life! And she understands me. This is over! Eat this. This is not over! What was that? - They call it a crumb. - It was so stingin' stripey! And that's not what they eat. That's what falls off what they eat! - You know what a Cinnabon is? - No. It's bread and cinnamon and frosting. They heat it up... Sit down! ...really hot! - Listen to me! We are not them! We're us. There's us and there's them! Yes, but who can deny the heart that is yearning? There's no yearning. Stop yearning. Listen to me! You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. Thinking bee! - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! There he is. He's in the pool. You know what your problem is, Barry? I gotta start thinking bee? How much longer will this go on? It's been three days! Why aren't you working? I've got a lot of big life decisions to think about. What life? You have no life! You have no job. You're barely a bee! Would it kill you to make a little honey? Barry, come out. Your father's talking to you. Martin, would you talk to him? Barry, I'm talking to you! You coming? Got everything? All set! Go ahead. I'll catch up. Don't be too long. Watch this! Vanessa! - We're still here. - I told you not to yell at him. He doesn't respond to yelling! - Then why yell at me? - Because you don't listen! I'm not listening to this. Sorry, I've gotta go. - Where are you going? - I'm meeting a friend. A girl? Is this why you can't decide? Bye. I just hope she's Bee-ish. They have a huge parade of flowers every year in Pasadena? To be in the Tournament of Roses, that's every florist's dream! Up on a float, surrounded by flowers, crowds cheering. A tournament. Do the roses compete in athletic events? No. All right, I've got one. How come you don't fly everywhere? It's exhausting. Why don't you run everywhere? It's faster. Yeah, OK, I see, I see. All right, your turn. TiVo. You can just freeze live TV? That's insane! You don't have that? We have Hivo, but it's a disease. It's a horrible, horrible disease. Oh, my. Dumb bees! You must want to sting all those jerks. We try not to sting. It's usually fatal for us. So you have to watch your temper. Very carefully. You kick a wall, take a walk, write an angry letter and throw it out. Work through it like any emotion: Anger, jealousy, lust. Oh, my goodness! Are you OK? Yeah. - What is wrong with you?! - It's a bug. He's not bothering anybody. Get out of here, you creep! What was that? A Pic 'N' Save circular? Yeah, it was. How did you know? It felt like about 10 pages. Seventy-five is pretty much our limit. You've really got that down to a science. - I lost a cousin to Italian Vogue. - I'll bet. What in the name of Mighty Hercules is this? How did this get here? Cute Bee, Golden Blossom, Ray Liotta Private Select? - Is he that actor? - I never heard of him. - Why is this here? - For people. We eat it. You don't have enough food of your own? - Well, yes. - How do you get it? - Bees make it. - I know who makes it! And it's hard to make it! There's heating, cooling, stirring. You need a whole Krelman thing! - It's organic. - It's our-ganic! It's just honey, Barry. Just what?! Bees don't know about this! This is stealing! A lot of stealing! You've taken our homes, schools, hospitals! This is all we have! And it's on sale?! I'm getting to the bottom of this. I'm getting to the bottom of all of this! Hey, Hector. - You almost done? - Almost. He is here. I sense it. Well, I guess I'll go home now and just leave this nice honey out, with no one around. You're busted, box boy! I knew I heard something. So you can talk! I can talk. And now you'll start talking! Where you getting the sweet stuff? Who's your supplier? I don't understand. I thought we were friends. The last thing we want to do is upset bees! You're too late! It's ours now! You, sir, have crossed the wrong sword! You, sir, will be lunch for my iguana, Ignacio! Where is the honey coming from? Tell me where! Honey Farms! It comes from Honey Farms! Crazy person! What horrible thing has happened here? These faces, they never knew what hit them. And now they're on the road to nowhere! Just keep still. What? You're not dead? Do I look dead? They will wipe anything that moves. Where you headed? To Honey Farms. I am onto something huge here. I'm going to Alaska. Moose blood, crazy stuff. Blows your head off! I'm going to Tacoma. - And you? - He really is dead. All right. Uh-oh! - What is that?! - Oh, no! - A wiper! Triple blade! - Triple blade? Jump on! It's your only chance, bee! Why does everything have to be so doggone clean?! How much do you people need to see?! Open your eyes! Stick your head out the window! From NPR News in Washington, I'm Carl Kasell. But don't kill no more bugs! - Bee! - Moose blood guy!! - You hear something? - Like what? Like tiny screaming. Turn off the radio. Whassup, bee boy? Hey, Blood. Just a row of honey jars, as far as the eye could see. Wow! I assume wherever this truck goes is where they're getting it. I mean, that honey's ours. - Bees hang tight. - We're all jammed in. It's a close community. Not us, man. We on our own. Every mosquito on his own. - What if you get in trouble? - You a mosquito, you in trouble. Nobody likes us. They just smack. See a mosquito, smack, smack! At least you're out in the world. You must meet girls. Mosquito girls try to trade up, get with a moth, dragonfly. Mosquito girl don't want no mosquito. You got to be kidding me! Mooseblood's about to leave the building! So long, bee! - Hey, guys! - Mooseblood! I knew I'd catch y'all down here. Did you bring your crazy straw? We throw it in jars, slap a label on it, and it's pretty much pure profit. What is this place? A bee's got a brain the size of a pinhead. They are pinheads!
Our only chance is if I do what I'd do, you copy me with the wings of the plane! Don't have to yell. I'm not yelling! We're in a lot of trouble. It's very hard to concentrate with that panicky tone in your voice! It's not a tone. I'm panicking! I can't do this! Vanessa, pull yourself together. You have to snap out of it! You snap out of it. You snap out of it. - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - Hold it! - Why? Come on, it's my turn. How is the plane flying? I don't know. Hello? Benson, got any flowers for a happy occasion in there? The Pollen Jocks! They do get behind a fellow. - Black and yellow. - Hello. All right, let's drop this tin can on the blacktop. Where? I can't see anything. Can you? No, nothing. It's all cloudy. Come on. You got to think bee, Barry. - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Wait a minute. I think I'm feeling something. - What? - I don't know. It's strong, pulling me. Like a 27-million-year-old instinct. Bring the nose down. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! - What in the world is on the tarmac? - Get some lights on that! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! - Vanessa, aim for the flower. - OK. Out the engines. We're going in on bee power. Ready, boys? Affirmative! Good. Good. Easy, now. That's it. Land on that flower! Ready? Full reverse! Spin it around! - Not that flower! The other one! - Which one? - That flower. - I'm aiming at the flower! That's a fat guy in a flowered shirt. I mean the giant pulsating flower made of millions of bees! Pull forward. Nose down. Tail up. Rotate around it. - This is insane, Barry! - This's the only way I know how to fly. Am I koo-koo-kachoo, or is this plane flying in an insect-like pattern? Get your nose in there. Don't be afraid. Smell it. Full reverse! Just drop it. Be a part of it. Aim for the center! Now drop it in! Drop it in, woman! Come on, already. Barry, we did it! You taught me how to fly! - Yes. No high-five! - Right. Barry, it worked! Did you see the giant flower? What giant flower? Where? Of course I saw the flower! That was genius! - Thank you. - But we're not done yet. Listen, everyone! This runway is covered with the last pollen from the last flowers available anywhere on Earth. That means this is our last chance. We're the only ones who make honey, pollinate flowers and dress like this. If we're gonna survive as a species, this is our moment! What do you say? Are we going to be bees, or just Museum of Natural History keychains? We're bees! Keychain! Then follow me! Except Keychain. Hold on, Barry. Here. You've earned this. Yeah! I'm a Pollen Jock! And it's a perfect fit. All I gotta do are the sleeves. Oh, yeah. That's our Barry. Mom! The bees are back! If anybody needs to make a call, now's the time. I got a feeling we'll be working late tonight! Here's your change. Have a great afternoon! Can I help who's next? Would you like some honey with that? It is bee-approved. Don't forget these. Milk, cream, cheese, it's all me. And I don't see a nickel! Sometimes I just feel like a piece of meat! I had no idea. Barry, I'm sorry. Have you got a moment? Would you excuse me? My mosquito associate will help you. Sorry I'm late. He's a lawyer too? I was already a blood-sucking parasite. All I needed was a briefcase. Have a great afternoon! Barry, I just got this huge tulip order, and I can't get them anywhere. No problem, Vannie. Just leave it to me. You're a lifesaver, Barry. Can I help who's next? All right, scramble, jocks! It's time to fly. Thank you, Barry! That bee is living my life! Let it go, Kenny. - When will this nightmare end?! - Let it all go. - Beautiful day to fly. - Sure is. Between you and me, I was dying to get out of that office. You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. - Thinking bee! - Me? Hold it. Let's just stop for a second. Hold it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, everyone. Can we stop here? I'm not making a major life decision during a production number! All right. Take ten, everybody. Wrap it up, guys. I had virtually no rehearsal for that.
Our only chance is if I do what I'd do, you copy me with the wings of the plane! Don't have to yell. I'm not yelling! We're in a lot of trouble. It's very hard to concentrate with that panicky tone in your voice! It's not a tone. I'm panicking! I can't do this! Vanessa, pull yourself together. You have to snap out of it! You snap out of it. You snap out of it. - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - You snap out of it! - Hold it! - Why? Come on, it's my turn. How is the plane flying? I don't know. Hello? Benson, got any flowers for a happy occasion in there? The Pollen Jocks! They do get behind a fellow. - Black and yellow. - Hello. All right, let's drop this tin can on the blacktop. Where? I can't see anything. Can you? No, nothing. It's all cloudy. Come on. You got to think bee, Barry. - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Wait a minute. I think I'm feeling something. - What? - I don't know. It's strong, pulling me. Like a 27-million-year-old instinct. Bring the nose down. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! - What in the world is on the tarmac? - Get some lights on that! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! - Vanessa, aim for the flower. - OK. Out the engines. We're going in on bee power. Ready, boys? Affirmative! Good. Good. Easy, now. That's it. Land on that flower! Ready? Full reverse! Spin it around! - Not that flower! The other one! - Which one? - That flower. - I'm aiming at the flower! That's a fat guy in a flowered shirt. I mean the giant pulsating flower made of millions of bees! Pull forward. Nose down. Tail up. Rotate around it. - This is insane, Barry! - This's the only way I know how to fly. Am I koo-koo-kachoo, or is this plane flying in an insect-like pattern? Get your nose in there. Don't be afraid. Smell it. Full reverse! Just drop it. Be a part of it. Aim for the center! Now drop it in! Drop it in, woman! Come on, already. Barry, we did it! You taught me how to fly! - Yes. No high-five! - Right. Barry, it worked! Did you see the giant flower? What giant flower? Where? Of course I saw the flower! That was genius! - Thank you. - But we're not done yet. Listen, everyone! This runway is covered with the last pollen from the last flowers available anywhere on Earth. That means this is our last chance. We're the only ones who make honey, pollinate flowers and dress like this. If we're gonna survive as a species, this is our moment! What do you say? Are we going to be bees, or just Museum of Natural History keychains? We're bees! Keychain! Then follow me! Except Keychain. Hold on, Barry. Here. You've earned this. Yeah! I'm a Pollen Jock! And it's a perfect fit. All I gotta do are the sleeves. Oh, yeah. That's our Barry. Mom! The bees are back! If anybody needs to make a call, now's the time. I got a feeling we'll be working late tonight! Here's your change. Have a great afternoon! Can I help who's next? Would you like some honey with that? It is bee-approved. Don't forget these. Milk, cream, cheese, it's all me. And I don't see a nickel! Sometimes I just feel like a piece of meat! I had no idea. Barry, I'm sorry. Have you got a moment? Would you excuse me? My mosquito associate will help you. Sorry I'm late. He's a lawyer too? I was already a blood-sucking parasite. All I needed was a briefcase. Have a great afternoon! Barry, I just got this huge tulip order, and I can't get them anywhere. No problem, Vannie. Just leave it to me. You're a lifesaver, Barry. Can I help who's next? All right, scramble, jocks! It's time to fly. Thank you, Barry! That bee is living my life! Let it go, Kenny. - When will this nightmare end?! - Let it all go. - Beautiful day to fly. - Sure is. Between you and me, I was dying to get out of that office. You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. - Thinking bee! - Me? Hold it. Let's just stop for a second. Hold it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, everyone. Can we stop here? I'm not making a major life decision during a production number! All right. Take ten, everybody. Wrap it up, guys. I had virtually no rehearsal for that.
A black and white montage of architectural elements; a flurry of shapes, curves, angles, and shadows. INSERT TITLE: OVERTURE CUE: The sonic boom of a ship's hull impacting against the waves; each redundant crash gives way to a romantic orchestral swell... INT. INTERVIEW ROOM IN VAS COUNTY - MORNING LIGHT 1 1 NOTE: Ocean waves fight the diegetic audio for duration of scene. CLOSE ON - A haunted and brutalized young woman, ZSOFIA, is isolated in the frame. A vast European landscape can be viewed through the casement windows behind her. BORDER OFFICER (O.S.) (Hungarian) Your escort is right outside. She tells us that you are her niece. Are you her niece? Is she your aunt? Where is your mother? Is she alive? Do you know? Do you understand me when I speak? Do you prefer English or Czech? No response. BORDER OFFICER (CONT'D) If you are from Budapest as the lady says, may you please state the name and street number of your former place of residence for the record? There's a pen and piece of paper in front of you... If you prefer not to speak to us, we suggest you write it down along with your family name, and we will take it upon ourselves to try and confirm this. Do you remember that address? No response. BORDER OFFICER (CONT'D) Is it possible the woman outside is not related to you at all, but simply an ally you made along the way who is trying to help you? You bear little resemblance to one another. We will not punish her for trying to help an innocent young woman. We want to help you get home. Your true home. What is your true home? Help us to help you get home. CUE: DIEGETIC AUDIO FADES OUT... 2. ERZSEBET (V.O.) (Hungarian) Laszlo, I am alive. Attila tells me that you, too, are alive and en route to him from Bremerhaven. Rejoice! CUE: Violins shriek. CROSS DISSOLVE: INT. SHIP - LOWER DECK - DUSK 2 2 It's dark but slowly our eyes adjust like a developing photograph hung to dry from a chemical bath. A SERIES OF ANGLES - Guided by the ocean's current beneath them; slumbering men, women, and children rock back and forth in their bunk beds. ERZSEBET (V.O.) (Hungarian) I cried out in ecstasy to have news of you. Zsofia is with me though she is frail, strange and quite ill. We anxiously await our being repatriated, but recently she has not been herself which has, in turn, roused unnecessary suspicions with local officials. CLOSE, ULTRA-BOWED LENS ON - LASZLO TOTH, malnourished with a badly broken nose. He has the face of an emigrant. A door opens off-screen and light pours in. Several bodies wipe the frame. A fellow HUNGARIAN REFUGEE shakes LASZLO by his shoulder. LASZLO slaps his hand in response, shooting upwards violently. HUNGARIAN REFUGEE (Hungarian) Documents... LASZLO regains composure, wipes sleep from his eye. The light blooming from off-screen is transcendent. ERZSEBET (V.O.) (Hungarian) Fortunately, a few Soviet boys have taken a liking to us. They pity your poor niece especially who has grown fuller, even lovelier, since you last set eyes on her. These lonesome young servicemen are ostensibly entranced by such a radiant creature's commitment to absolute silence. 3. LASZLO searches for his things in a panic. He looks to the man off-screen. LASZLO (Hungarian) WHERE ARE MY THINGS? HUNGARIAN REFUGEE (O.S.) (Hungarian) WHAT? LASZLO (Hungarian) IT IS NOT AMUSING TO ME! WHERE IS MY LUGGAGE?! LASZLO pushes the man off-screen who breaks into a fit of laughter. HUNGARIAN REFUGEE (Hungarian) Oh, stop it! Don't look at me that way, old man! It's tucked there under the mattress! LASZLO ducks down to find a large canvas bag and pulls it out. ERZSEBET (V.O.) (Hungarian) The Soviets have helped us relocate to a nearby shelter for displaced persons near Vas. They encourage us to "enjoy our freedoms," but I am reminded of Goethe; "None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe themselves free!" I make no mistake, we are not yet free. HUNGARIAN REFUGEE (Hungarian) Hurry Laszlo, or we'll be last in the queue. LASZLO and the refugee fight their way through the crowded space towards the increasingly overwhelming sunlight, throwing off our camera's white balance. ERZSEBET (V.O.) (Hungarian) You, like myself, must be envisioning so many terribly awful, awful things but it is better that your thoughts not get the best of you. INT. SHIP - STAIRWELL - CONTINUOUS 3 3 They squeeze through a narrow doorway and up three flights of stairs. 4. ERZSEBET (V.O.) It is neither better, nor worse than you might imagine. I have kept myself mostly to myself. More importantly, I have defended Zsofia from unwanted advances. The ferocious energy builds to a crescendo. EXT. SHIP DECK - CONTINUOUS 4 4 The two men reach the top of the stairwell to the upper deck where dozens of immigrants take their place. ERZSEBET (V.O.) Below is the address I am told for mail in Vas. Please write to me at once when you have received this. The camera whip-pans over and up to the Statue of Liberty at a peculiar LOW-ANGLE. ERZSEBET (V.O.) (Hungarian) I am certain now that there is nothing left for us here. Go to America and I will follow you. LASZLO and the man beside him squeeze each other by the arm. ERZSEBET (V.O. Faithfully, Erzsebet. CUE: Strings and tympany reach a climax. INSERT TITLE: PART ONE THE ENIGMA OF ARRIVAL 1947-1952 INT. HIAS CENTER BASEMENT - NIGHT 5 5 TWO HIAS REPRESENTATIVES (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) wearing unassuming dark coats and hats address a room crowded with Jewish emigre wearing numbered cards around their necks. One representative speaks in English, the other translates simultaneously over the speech in Yiddish. 5. HIAS REPRESENTATIVE HIAS REPRESENTATIVE 2 (English) (Yiddish) -for those of you who do not -for those of you who do not speak English, please engage speak English, please engage myself or any of my myself or any of my colleagues located at the colleagues located at the back so we may inform you back so we may inform you about our orientation and about our orientation and language programs which are language programs which are provided in this very room - provided in this room - 425 425 Lafayette - remember that Lafayette - remember that address. Additionally, address. Additionally, classes and daily meetings classes and daily meetings are held where many of you are held where many of you will be staying tonight over will be staying tonight over at the Hotel Marseilles at the Hotel Marseilles located on 103rd and located on 103rd and Broadway. Broadway. It's difficult to discern LASZLO amongst the other faces in the crowd. HIAS REPRESENTATIVE (CONT'D) HIAS REPRESENTATIVE 2 (CONT'D) (English) (Yiddish) And for those of you of which And for those of you of which none of the aforementioned none of that applies and who details apply and who are are immediately departing for immediately departing for other destinations in the other destinations in the morning, please see us about morning, please see me about a $25 travel-aid. your $25 travel-aid. One HIAS REPRESENTATIVE holds up and demonstrates a travel voucher. HIAS REPRESENTATIVE (CONT'D) These vouchers are redeemable for both trains and participating bus services. CUE: Mournful solo piano plays over all of the following until otherwise noted. EXT. NYC EAST RIVER DOCKS - NIGHT 6 6 LONG LENS ON - A foghorn blows over a slow pan across a few girls talking amongst themselves while vying for some local business. INT. BROTHEL - LATER 7 7 A woman performs intense oral sex on the HUNGARIAN REFUGEE who leans against an armoir in the background. In the foreground, a PROSTITUTE knelt on the floor tries to arouse LASZLO, though his penis remains flaccid in her grip. 6. PROSTITUTE Don't you think I'm beautiful? LASZLO appears stoic, uncomfortable, or perhaps somewhat conflicted. LASZLO I do- PROSTITUTE Which parts of me do you find most beautiful? Is there a part of me you would especially like to touch or look at? LASZLO -all parts. PROSTITUTE (affects seduction) Stop it. I don't find all the parts of you beautiful. There are some parts of you which I like very much. HUNGARIAN REFUGEE (O.S.) Fuck her! LASZLO's girl is annoyed at his friend's outburst. PROSTITUTE Can you tell your friend to be polite? LASZLO shouts back in Hungarian. LASZLO (Hungarian) Keep your mouth shut. PROSTITUTE Which parts do you find ugly? She's moved to LASZLO's neck to try kissing him romantically. Still, no response. PROSTITUTE (CONT'D) My breasts? LASZLO No, they are beautiful. PROSTITUTE My legs? Are they too thin? LASZLO struggles to find the correct adjective in English. LASZLO You are- well-proportioned. He squeezes her thighs below frame. 7. PROSTITUTE Well-proportioned? Well, I think that just made my day. She presses harder now against him. PROSTITUTE (CONT'D) My arse; is that what you like? You think it's beautiful? LASZLO Very... It's the space above your brow for me which is the problem- She stops, taken aback. PROSTITUTE What? LASZLO That's something I do not like. PROSTITUTE (without affect) Your face is ugly. LASZLO (despondent) I know it is. INT. BROTHEL HALLWAY - LATER 8 8 The MADAME waits for LASZLO as he exits the room. MADAME We have boys if you prefer. Brothers with dark skin but handsome. We can call for them. LASZLO No, thank you. MADAME Stay awhile. We have a movie on tonight. LASZLO Excuse me? MADAME We have a special movie on the projector downstairs. Comes free of charge with a glass of champagne. INT. BROTHEL BASEMENT - MOMENTS LATER 9 9 A gramophone blasts classical music which fights the still persistent non-diegetic solo piano. 8. LASZLO enters a makeshift home cinema holding a glass of champagne where some silent pornography (circa 1930) is being projected. EXT. CHINATOWN - DAWN 10 10 LONG LENS ON - LASZLO and the HUNGARIAN REFUGEE run for their lives to catch a departing bus. The two drunks bang on its door and the bus stops. They embrace each other like brothers and LASZLO steps on-board leaving his friend behind him. EXT. BUS - DAY 11 11 CUE: Stravinsky continues. ULTRA-WIDE LOW ANGLE ON - Asphalt rushes at us. The midday gloom hangs heavy. A SERIES OF ANGLES ON - - A sign reads, "WELCOME TO PHILADELPHIA - Enjoy Our Past, Experience Our Future!" - driving view of Philadelphia City Hall (constructed 1901) - driving view of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (constructed 1928) - driving view of the first International style skyscraper, the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society building (constructed 1932) - driving view of Pennsylvania Station, 30th Street (constructed 1933) INT. BUS - LATER 12 12 LASZLO rests his head against the frosted window. LASZLO'S VIEW FROM BUS WINDOW - A heavy snow comes down on LASZLO's cousin, ATTILA, who stands amongst a group of on-lookers awaiting visitors expectedly. EXT. BUS / DOWNTOWN PHILADELPHIA - MOMENTS LATER 13 13 ATTILA holds his blood relative in an intense embrace. ATTILA Cousin. 9. LASZLO Cousin. ATTILA Erzsebet is alive. LASZLO's knees buckle, deeply moved. LASZLO What did you say? ATTILA switches to Hungarian. ATTILA (Hungarian) I have a letter from her - your Erzsebet is alive and she is with little Zsofia. LASZLO lets out a deep emotional wail and holds his blood relative tight in his arms. INT. FURNITURE SHOWROOM - LATER 14 14 TRACK WITH - ATTILA and his young American wife, AUDREY, show LASZLO around the shop. ATTILA rambles nervously. ATTILA It's a combination of things. Most popular is the cabinetry which we do ourselves, custom-to-order. The lamps too. Some pieces we've found and restored. Audrey does the displays. LASZLO nods, still visibly moved by the news of his wife. Not betraying much enthusiasm, he turns to AUDREY. LASZLO He speaks like an American from the television now- AUDREY (demure, posh, defiant) Well, we don't have a television but he's been here since before I was born and still doesn't sound like any American I've ever met. ATTILA Eight years ago, we tried opening something similar in Manhattan but we lasted just two months. AUDREY We couldn't compete with the name brands. 10. ATTILA Newlyweds come in with an issue of Better Homes and Gardens and say, "We'd like that table next to the perfume ad." He exhales demonstratively. ATTILA (CONT'D) We'd say to them, "well, we can make you something like that." And they say, "no sir, we want exactly that!" Turns out that we don't like New York at all. No charm, right Audrey? She nods. ATTILA (CONT'D) Every little urchin you come across - seller, buyer, delivery boy - is running a hustle. ATTILA arrives at a door at the back, and sorts through a ring of keys without looking at LASZLO. AUDREY I'm from Connecticut myself. Do you know it? Before LASZLO can respond... ATTILA Audrey, of course he doesn't know it. He just got here. ATTILA opens the door and flips on a light. The bedroom set- up is makeshift and austere. ATTILA (CONT'D) I cleared out some space for you in the back. Audrey made you a bed. There's just the cot and the lamp for now but feel free to take anything you want from the showroom. LASZLO That's all I need. Anxious and embarrassed, ATTILA continues on yammering. ATTILA For the employee restroom, you just exit the front door, and walk around back where I parked the car. There's a staircase there, it takes you up to our apartment. If you need anything just knock. The three of them don't bother stepping inside so ATTILA shuts the door and leads them around the shop's interior perimeter. 11. AUDREY You know, we know somebody, who can take a look at your nose. LASZLO I thought- maybe no one would notice. LASZLO smiles a little, having tried to make a joke with almost no inflection. AUDREY What happened, if you don't mind my asking? ATTILA shoots her a look. LASZLO struggles a bit with the language speaking slowly, methodically. LASZLO (anecdotal) I jumped from a rail car. A few moments later there was a loud cracking sound so I thought I had been shot in the head- but I had merely run into the branch of a tree. No one was running after me. AUDREY and ATTILA aren't sure how to respond. LASZLO (CONT'D) I take something for the pain but I would like to have it looked at. Thank you. AUDREY I'll give Kenneth a call. ATTILA puts his arm around LASZLO and guides him away from AUDREY to an office area in the showroom's back corner. ATTILA Come and take a seat at my desk. ATTILA takes the boss' chair. LASZLO sits across from him like it's a job interview. ATTILA (CONT'D) Is it smaller than you expected? LASZLO What? ATTILA The shop. LASZLO No, not at all. I had no expectation. LASZLO analyzes ATTILA's business cards which read: MILLER & SONS. 12. LASZLO (CONT'D) Who is Miller? ATTILA I am Miller. LASZLO You are Molnar. ATTILA Not anymore. LASZLO No Miller, No Sons. ATTILA (shrugs) Folks here like a family business- ATTILA offers LASZLO a cigarette. ATTILA (CONT'D) So, what do you think? LASZLO Of the furniture? ATTILA Well, I meant of everything so far - Philadelphia - but sure the pieces on the floor also... LASZLO (blunt) They are not so beautiful. ATTILA looks a little hurt but saves face. ATTILA That's what you're here for, Maestro. ATTILA lights his cigarette. ATTILA (CONT'D) Next month, I can put you on the payroll. You're welcome to eat with us upstairs on Sundays. LASZLO You and your wife have done quite enough. ATTILA Don't mention it. LASZLO No, I do mention- thank you, Attila. 13. LASZLO motions to AUDREY. LASZLO (CONT'D) (Yiddish) Gentile? (Goy?) ATTILA nods. ATTILA She's Catholic. Corrects himself. ATTILA (CONT'D) We are Catholic. INT. FURNITURE SHOWROOM - BACKROOM - NIGHT 15 15 CLOSE ON - Under the glow of lamp light, ERZSEBET's letter in Hungarian reads... Laszlo, I am alive. Attila tells me that you, too, are alive and en route to him from Bremerhaven. Rejoice! I cried out in ecstasy to have news of you... The note trembles in LASZLO's withering hands. Off-screen, he can be heard again weeping. He strokes the text lovingly and murmurs its text to himself. He sets the note down and begins sketching the first lines of an architectural drawing. LASZLO (murmurs) Erzsebet... CUE: Solo piano concludes. FADE TO BLACK. EXT. OLD CITY CHURCH SOUP KITCHEN - MORNING 16 16 A new season has arrived. Pigeons are everywhere and rain drizzles down on a long queue of impoverished families waiting on line for food. We pan across to LASZLO who stands solo amongst the families in line. His nose has healed somewhat. A man in uniform stands ahead of LASZLO playing "I Spy" with his little boy. He will come to be known later as GORDON. GORDON It's your turn now, William. The boy, WILLIAM, has his eyes locked on LASZLO. WILLIAM I spy- with my eye- something- blue. 14. GORDON turns around and regards LASZLO. GORDON Is it this gentleman's coat? LASZLO He is clever- there is some blue in it. LASZLO grins in acknowledgement. A volunteer shouts out... VOLUNTEER (O.S.) Kitchen's closed, folks! Get back early tomorrow. The crowd hollers with disappointment. GORDON Wait, hold on! I got a kid here! The disgruntled VOLUNTEER shouts back. VOLUNTEER We're fresh out! Come see me early tomorrow and I'll make sure he gets a plate. LASZLO joins in. LASZLO (shouts) You must have a slice of bread- he's only a little boy! VOLUNTEER How many more times do you all want me to say it?! There's nothing left here! GORDON regards LASZLO. GORDON Thank you- LASZLO Will he be all right-? GORDON There's somewhere else we can try tonight. LASZLO Let him sleep tomorrow. I can be here early to- hold a place. INT. ABOVE GROUND TROLLEY - LATER 17 17 LASZLO holds a leather strap for balance in a packed tram car. He regards a woman's purse in front of him. After a moment, she exits. 15. LASZLO shifts around as a new group of pedestrians come aboard. Two well-dressed businessmen enter and stand to his left. The train begins to move. With each sharp turn, the passengers lean with the train. LASZLO's left hand enters the business man's coat pocket but quickly recedes with nothing in its grasp. His expression is grave, debased. He makes a decision and slowly re-positions himself to the other side of the two men. LASZLO Excuse me. He waits for the tram to make another sharp turn, and as it does.... LASZLO's right hand enters the businessman's coat pocket. He quickly pulls it back with something in his grip. LASZLO hesitates to look down and see the fruit of his labor. CLOSE ON - He opens his hand to reveal a soiled tissue. INT. THE CONGREGATION MIKVEH ISRAEL - LATER 18 18 LASZLO sits for a service, a kippah atop his crown. CHAZZAN (O.S.) (Hebrew) We will hallow and adore You as the sweet words of the assembly of the holy Seraphim who thrice repeat "holy" unto You, as it is written by Your prophet: And they call one to another and Say... LASZLO (Hebrew) Holy, holy, holy is the L-rd of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory. INT. THE CONGREGATION MIKVEH ISRAEL - LATER 19 19 LONG LENS ON - LASZLO approaches RABBI ZUNZ in a greeting processional. LASZLO Boker tov. Rabbi Zunz-? RABBI ZUNZ Yes? 16. LASZLO (discreet) My niece and wife- I have learned the two are stuck at the Austrian boundary- RABBI ZUNZ understands. RABBI ZUNZ Wait not many minutes for me and we can speak after. Mikveh Israel can try and help but from here it is very difficult, as you know- LASZLO nods graciously and extends a hand in thanks. INT./ EXT. WORKSHOP/ FOUNDRY - DAY 20 20 A SERIES OF ANGLES ON - LASZLO's meticulous process as he constructs a chaise lounge and 2 tubular metal Bauhaus style chairs. - Sparks illuminate LASZLO's face as he presides over two men welding a few pieces of metal together in a garage. ATTILA assists them. - LASZLO feverishly pencils a drawing. - Pan up an elegant S-shaped plank of soft wood. - Inside, with the precision of a tailor, LASZLO measures a strip of leather for the chair back. - ATTILA pulls the leather down, and the two stand back to observe the object which appears somehow incomplete. - Pan across other masterful drawings which are carelessly strewn about. The flow of work and ideas for a wide variety of different objects appears infinite. EXT. FURNITURE SHOWROOM - LATER 21 21 AUDREY observes LASZLO's two finished chairs and a functional utilitarian shelving unit in the shop front display. She paces back and forth on the sidewalk. AUDREY Well, I'm not sure what to do with them is all. She bites her lip. AUDREY (CONT'D) What do you think I should pair them with? 17. LASZLO Leave it- AUDREY How? LASZLO Leave it like that. AUDREY reaches a conclusion. AUDREY They look like tricycles. LASZLO looks a little puzzled. LASZLO What's that? AUDREY A bike for kids. EXT. EMPLOYEE RESTROOM - MORNING 22 22 LASZLO shaves himself with a straight blade. As he does, he charmingly practices an embellished American accent in the mirror. LASZLO (emphasizing his R's) Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers? If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked? EXT. FURNITURE SHOWROOM - MOMENTS LATER 23 23 LASZLO exits the bathroom with a towel around his neck and WE TRACK with him down the sidewalk. When he reaches the front of the building, as he rounds the corner, he bumps into ATTILA who grabs him by the arm. ATTILA Get over here. We follow behind them urgently... ATTILA (CONT'D) We have an important customer inside; furnished him a two-story office space downtown on the cheap last year. He's interested in us doing some built-in work at a residence. 18. INT. FURNITURE SHOWROOM - MOMENTS LATER 24 24 HARRY LEE VAN BUREN, 30s, handsome, smokes in an office chair towards the back of the shop. ATTILA hurries back to his desk. LASZLO, still holding a razor blade, follows behind him. ATTILA Mr. Van Buren, this is my cousin, Laszlo. LASZLO nods. HARRY LEE Please - that's what people call my father. Call me Harry. ATTILA (to LASZLO) Harry would like some shelving units installed over at his family's property in Doylestown. HARRY addresses the blade in LASZLO's hand. HARRY LEE Sorry to interrupt. HARRY LEE (CONT'D) I hoped someone might follow me out there to take a look at my father's study. My sister and I'd like to surprise him by turning it into a proper library. LASZLO How do you mean? HARRY LEE -place is in complete disarray; a whole mess of books and paperwork so I guess we'd just like some tall shelves and cabinetry installed? Maybe make him a ladder with little wheels on it, you know, like you'd see in a real library? He's a voracious reader. ATTILA We can make you something like that. Let me have Audrey come down to keep an eye on the place. I'll pull the van around. HARRY LEE Fantastic. EXT. COUNTY ROADS - LATER 25 25 ULTRA-WIDE LOW ANGLE ON - Asphalt rushes at us. The road bends and curves. 19. EXT. ATTILA'S BEDFORD VAN - CONTINUOUS 26 26 In the front windshield's reflection we view HARRY LEE's sports car as it speeds with thrilling abandon down the local county roads. ATTILA They've got something like nine hundred acres out here, I'm not kidding. A few buildings downtown too- one of them's a department store. LASZLO They pay you well? ATTILA On the last job, they paid okay. They took on a lot of pieces though. Kept adding to the order. Even at a discount, it adds up... ATTILA references HARRY LEE's sports car. ATTILA (CONT'D) His old man got flush adapting production techniques to expedite the manufacturing of cargo ships during the war. ATTILA struggles to keep up in his van. ATTILA (CONT'D) (shouting at the window) Christ, is this guy trying to shake us? Does he think he's in a drag race? Come on, already! EXT. VAN BUREN GATES - LATER 27 27 HARRY LEE opens a gate and waves them past. HARRY LEE (shouts) Stay left until you see the main house. You can park wherever you'd like. ATTILA turns his clumsy green Bedford through the front gates. EXT. VAN BUREN ESTATE - MOMENTS LATER 28 28 ANGLE ON - The view of the striking estate framed by a tree-lined driveway. CUE: The score is ominous and it hums. 20. INT. VAN BUREN ESTATE - FOYER - MOMENTS LATER 29 29 We are tight on LASZLO as he moves through the house. He's led by his cousin and HARRY LEE. LASZLO takes note of various modernist sculptures on pedestals around the entryway. HARRY LEE I do appreciate you coming out here on such short notice, gentlemen. Father's away only until next Friday so I was anxious to pin this down. ATTILA It's no inconvenience for us, chief. They turn a corner and ATTILA shoots a glance at LASZLO. ATTILA (CONT'D) It's your lucky day too cause my cousin here is a licensed architect, and a specialist in renovations... He's even designed a library before, back at home. I mean, a whole city library. HARRY LEE What city is that? LASZLO speaks... LASZLO Budapest. HARRY LEE (cheerful) I see. Never been. INT. VAN BUREN'S STUDY - MOMENTS LATER 30 30 HARRY LEE pushes a door open to reveal a dark, octagonal- shaped study framed by heavy curtains drawn to cover the floor-to-ceiling windows. Only a small shaft of light is allowed in through the corbel glass dome above. Hardbound books are stacked on and scattered across Van Buren's desk, floor space, and the existing two meter high bookshelves. HARRY LEE pulls a curtain aside flooding the room with light. Particulate floats all around him. HARRY LEE Don't mind the mess. LASZLO and ATTILA observe the space. 21. HARRY LEE (CONT'D) I'm thinking... Shelves up to the ceiling, and some good reading lamps. Perhaps some wall fixtures that extend? Father always keeps the curtains drawn. LASZLO -to protect the books from the sunlight. We are south-facing here. HARRY LEE Sure. ATTILA What's your budget? HARRY LEE What's your estimate? LASZLO Depends on the materials. HARRY LEE Well, make it of reasonable quality. Maybe a nice place for him to sit and read, as well? A good chair or bench for him against the window? LASZLO regards the stained-glass dome above. There is an ugly diagonal crack across it. LASZLO Would you like us to replace that? HARRY LEE If there's time, why not? A branch fell on it during that nasty storm last summer; a tropical depression they called it. HARRY LEE stops to think, arrives at a number... HARRY LEE (CONT'D) Keep it below six or seven hundred dollars, can you? My sister and I are splitting it. I don't want any unexpected add-ons. ATTILA masks his enthusiasm. ATTILA Don't worry, we'll come in on- budget. You want this all done by next Friday, you said? HARRY LEE Thursday night, preferably. I can't be here during the week but the staff can let you in, and if anything comes up, have them ring me at the office. 22. LASZLO (firm) To be finished on Thursday, we need extra hands. Including materials and glass, eight hundred dollars. INT. ATTILA'S APARTMENT - NIGHT 31 31 CUE: Dinah Shore's "Buttons and Bows" plays on the gramophone. LASZLO sits at a small kitchen table backed up against the wall. The overhead lamp makes a dark shadow across his face. He watches ATTILA who is wildly drunk, dancing with his tipsy wife, AUDREY. He convincingly mouths the lyrics to "Buttons and Bows" which makes AUDREY laugh. ATTILA Dance with us! Come on! Cut a rug. LASZLO No, thank you. ATTILA pulls open his sweaty collar, grabs an apron, wrapping it around his waist like a dress and continues mouthing Dinah's lyrics. ATTILA Don't be a spoiled-sport! LASZLO (smiles) I'm not sure what that is but no thank you. CUE: The track comes to an end. ATTILA (to Audrey) Flip it for the other side- ATTILA catches his breath. ATTILA (CONT'D) You should have seen him talking up the price today! I was ready to settle at 450. LASZLO I wasn't doing that. I was just telling him how much it will cost. To AUDREY... ATTILA I thought he was about to blow it for us! To LASZLO... 23. ATTILA (CONT'D) I did! I honestly did! I thought you were going to completely blow it but you held your ground. That's what makes you a professional. LASZLO appears embarrassed. LASZLO Hopefully, it's not only that- ATTILA turns to AUDREY, playfully turning the screws on her. ATTILA You know, Laszlo's bride was a goy, too, when they met, but she converted for him- AUDREY rolls her eyes. AUDREY I should put a muzzle on you. A new track comes on. AUDREY (CONT'D) Oh! This is my favorite. ATTILA Dance with her, Laszlo! AUDREY looks a little embarrassed. AUDREY He doesn't want to. ATTILA (drunk and antagonizing) Don't keep her waiting, cousin. It's her favorite song. ATTILA's tone has darkened the atmosphere. LASZLO finally stands and approaches AUDREY. HANDHELD ON - LASZLO takes AUDREY by the waist and they sway back and forth. There's a palpable erotic tension. AUDREY You're awfully skinny, aren't you? LASZLO nods, still swaying rhythmically. ATTILA See! It's like riding a bike. ATTILA wraps his arms around them both and the three sway and sway. 24. AUDREY longs for LASZLO. INT. ATTILA'S APARTMENT - LATER 32 32 ATTILA's passed out on the bed. The bathroom door is open. LASZLO is hunched over the bathtub pissing into it. He sweats profusely. A NEW ANGLE reveals AUDREY smoking a cigarette watching him. AUDREY (deadpan) You missed the toilet. LASZLO finishes and stumbles out. LASZLO What- AUDREY (murmurs) Better than the carpet, I suppose. BEAT. AUDREY (CONT'D) When do you expect your wife might join you, Mr. Toth-? There isn't room for two in that storage space, I'll tell you. LASZLO I wish I knew, Audrey. Thank you for the dinner. An awkward beat passes between them. AUDREY Attila's shown me some magazine pictures of the projects you did at your firm. You're not what I expected from what I read about you. He leans against the door frame, practically trying to crawl out. LASZLO I'm not what I expected- AUDREY I'm sure you could get a job, a better job, at a firm here. LASZLO I then- 25. He breathes. LASZLO (CONT'D) -would be working- for someone. AUDREY Better than sleeping in a storage closet. LONG BEAT. LASZLO understands. LASZLO I'll look for somewhere else to stay. Thank you again for the dinner. LASZLO opens the door and exits. INT. VAN BUREN'S STUDY - DAY 33 33 ATTILA and LASZLO remove the existing Art Deco shelving units from their place. EXT. VAN BUREN ESTATE - DUSK 34 34 Next to a two meter tall pile of debris, ATTILA and LASZLO craft new units for installation. INT. VAN BUREN'S STUDY - EVENING 35 35 A SERIES OF ANGLES - The room is empty. The walls are stripped. The curtains are gone. Alone, LASZLO sweeps the floor clean with a broom. He stops at the center and regards the space. INT. VAN BUREN'S STUDY - NEW DAY 36 36 BIRDS-EYE VIEW ON- LASZLO stands at the center of the room. He is surrounded by a few HIRED MEN (one is recognizable from the Old City Church Soup Kitchen, GORDON). Each of them are supporting a large plywood plate. LASZLO One - two - three! The men simultaneously lift the plates, standing them up to completely enclose the room in an octagonal shape. At the central point of action, it mimics a flower blooming. The windows now sealed in darkness, save for the sole shaft of light let through the stained-glass dome above. CLOSE ON - 26. The rouge tinted light illuminates LASZLO's expression as he gazes up at it. INT. VAN BUREN'S STUDY - NEW DAY 37 37 LASZLO speaks to GORDON and ATTILA. LASZLO Set each panel to 45�. GORDON mimics LASZLO's instruction. GORDON Like this? LASZLO Yes, that's right. That looks right, doesn't it? The books shall fan outwards, you see? LASZLO demonstrates with his hands passionately. LASZLO (CONT'D) Like so. ATTILA All in the same direction? LASZLO The long panels, yes. The shelves themselves, however, can vary in height to accommodate the larger volumes our client had been stacking on the floor. EXT. VAN BUREN ESTATE ROOF - DAY 38 38 HANDHELD ON - LASZLO, ATTILA, GORDON, and the other hired hands work on the Victorian gabled roof above Van Buren's study. Amongst a cobweb of ropes and a makeshift pulley system, the men pull the rope taut, painstakingly lifting the detached glass dome from the roof of the study with a short crane arm. LASZLO directs GORDON who, in turn, directs the rest of the group. LASZLO Slowly, Gordon. One steady movement. GORDON (shouts) Slowly, boys! The men operate the pulley system successfully lifting the dome head from its place. 27. LASZLO (mutters) Left, Gordon. Left. And steady. GORDON (shouts) All right, good! Now left. (Beat) To the left! One man manually pushes the base of the crane arm employing excessive strength, and it suddenly swings out too fast, hovering over the driveway. GROUP Hey, christ, watch out! The group overcorrect the crane's movement causing the dome frame to swing back, gaining velocity, in their direction. The dome hits the corner gutter hard, knocking out one large panel from its frame. ANGLE ON - It shatters in the driveway below. BACK TO - LASZLO No! LASZLO scrambles across the shingled roof towards the dome which is stuck at an awkward tilt on the southeast corner of the mansion. GORDON (shouts) I said to be careful, goddammit! LASZLO (shouts re: crane arm) Get a hold of that thing! The group is frozen, spooked. ATTILA calls out... ATTILA Everyone all right down there? HIRED MAN (defensive) -the glass was already broken. ANGLE ON - LASZLO crawls on all fours to the very edge of the roof where the dome frame is stuck. ATTILA (shouts) CAREFUL, LASZLO! LASZLO tries to dislodge the heavy dome frame which grinds against the guttering. 28. LASZLO begins to kick at it over and over again. Its an increasingly reckless gesture. Finally, after three kicks, he successfully dislodges the dome from the gutter which causes it to CRASH to the ground. He breathes heavy- LASZLO We have a piece of gutter to replace now, as well! INT. VAN BUREN'S STUDY - DAY 39 39 STRAIGHT UP ON - The men outside replace the stained-glass with a flat, clear circular disk. The image recalls a solar eclipse. BIRDS-EYE VIEW - An intense spherical shaft of light illuminates the center of the room. The bookshelves are now complete, remarkable for their geometry. There is no furniture in the room apart from a visually-arresting chaise lounge which LASZLO pushes into the very midpoint of sunlight. INT. VAN BUREN'S STUDY - DUSK 40 40 LASZLO and ATTILA pull protective linens from the painted wall of shelves. Half the room is now filled with Van Buren's collection of precious tomes. Several modern lamps on scissored extenders poke out in various directions. EXT. VAN BUREN ESTATE - SAME TIME 41 41 GORDON picks up fragments of stained-glass from the driveway. The massive dome frame is plunked down beside him. After some time, the headlights of an automobile blind GORDON from off-screen as he looks up... INT. VAN BUREN'S STUDY - MOMENTS LATER 42 42 The esteemed and handsome, HARRISON LEE VAN BUREN SR., enters the room in a miserly fury. ATTILA and LASZLO stand frozen, initially dumbfounded by the intrusion. VAN BUREN What's this? What is all this? Who has authorized you to come into my home and tear everything apart? ATTILA blinks. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) Who the hell are you? ATTILA Uh... Excuse us, sir. This was all supposed to be a surprise. (MORE) 29. ATTILA (CONT'D) Your son, Harry, told us not to expect you until tomorrow- VAN BUREN (shouting) It is a Goddamned surprise! My mother, an ailing woman, is sitting outside on the driveway too frightened to come inside! ATTILA We are sorry to have frightened her. VAN BUREN -we brought her here for some peace and respite only to discover a strange Negro man roaming around our property. ATTILA Sir, your son asked us here to redo your study into a library. VAN BUREN A library? VAN BUREN looks around. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) The room- it's gutted. ATTILA We were just putting everything back in its place. VAN BUREN You've turned it all inside out. How the hell do you know its proper place? LASZLO finally interjects... LASZLO We have taken excellent care of your things, Mr. Van Buren. VAN BUREN turns to LASZLO with a daring expression, provoked by his calm. VAN BUREN And who the hell are you? LASZLO Laszlo Toth- ATTILA Laszlo is a licensed architect. He supervised the renovation. And I- I've done business with your son before. I have a furniture shop, Miller and Son's, down in Kensington. 30. VAN BUREN stares, fixated on LASZLO. The two have an immediate, adversarial connection. LASZLO May I show you around the space, sir? Our work lamps aren't doing the work we've done here any justice. VAN BUREN Your Negro is waiting for you outside the gates so I suggest you pack your things up and leave. I'll confirm all this with my son in the morning. My mother is sick! She needs to be let inside to sleep. LASZLO We are finished. That's quite all right. CUE: A low rumble overtakes the soundtrack. CROSS DISSOLVE: INT. FURNITURE SHOWROOM - BACKROOM - MORNING 43 43 LASZLO snores in a deep sleep, physically exhausted. After a few moments, ATTILA shakes LASZLO awake. ATTILA Wake up. LASZLO jolts up in fearful defense, but quickly re-gathers himself. ATTILA (CONT'D) That's a hell of a way to greet the day. ATTILA lights a cigarette on the edge of his cot. ATTILA (CONT'D) Harry Lee called. LASZLO sits up against the wall, trying to maintain some dignity though caught off-guard. ATTILA (CONT'D) He says he won't pay. LASZLO For the materials? ATTILA (calm) He says we damaged the property and I'm lucky if he doesn't take me to court. 31. LASZLO doesn't respond. ATTILA remains calm but his voice quivers with emotion. ATTILA (CONT'D) You've got nothing to say to that? What are you going to do about it? ATTILA speaks for a moment in Hungarian. ATTILA (CONT'D) (Hungarian) I take you into my home. Into my place of business, Laszlo, and this is how you thank me? LASZLO is again silent. ATTILA (CONT'D) You run my clients out the door? You make a pass at my wife? She told me! Of course, she told me. What did you expect? Silence. ATTILA (CONT'D) Hell, what did I expect? You couldn't keep your hands to yourself even when we were kids. Listen up, I won't tell Erzsi this time. I know you've been through a lot. That's what I told Audrey, too. I'm not going to hurt you, but I can't help you anymore either, got it? LASZLO breathes, defiant. FADE TO BLACK. EXT. OLD CITY CHURCH - MORNING 44 44 Winter has come again. The bell tolls. HOLD, HOLD... LASZLO (V.O.) (in HUNGARIAN) ERZSEBET, I CAN BE REACHED BY MAIL AT A NEW ADDRESS... I WAIT FOR YOU. I WAIT AND WAIT. DO YOU NEED MONEY? WHAT DO YOU NEED? YOURS, LASZLO. INT. OLD CITY CHURCH - SAME 45 45 HOMELESS MEN sweep the floor of the shelter. 32. INT. OLD CITY CHURCH BASEMENT - SAME 46 46 The muffled ring of the bell... Homeless families in bunks begin to rise from their beds. ANGLE ON - LASZLO wakes in a bunk clutching a duffle bag that contains his few possessions. His beard has grown out. ANGLE ON - GORDON and his son sleep through the ruckus in the bunk across from LASZLO. LASZLO Gordon- GORDON stirs awake. INT. OLD CITY CHURCH BASEMENT - MOMENTS LATER 47 47 GORDON is now dressed in functional garments for the day's work. He gently tries to wake his little boy who wants to sleep some more.
GORDON (whispers) We got to go. I let you sleep in. Time to get up. A NUN approaches GORDON. NUN Has Mr. Toth already gone? I'd like a word. INT. OLD CITY CHURCH BASEMENT LAVATORIES - MOMENTS LATER 48 48 STEADICAM ON - GORDON moves down the hallway and shoulders open the bathroom door. GORDON Laszlo! The door opens to reveal LASZLO fiddling to stuff a syringe and some barbiturate powder back in its pouch. LASZLO It's for my injury. GORDON blinks. GORDON Sister Elizabeth is asking for you. 33. LASZLO I will be right there. GORDON nods to the junk. GORDON Do me a favor and hold off on that until we punch out. EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - MORNING 49 49 On a second-story high beam, LASZLO spots GORDON, pulling his safety leash taut as GORDON leans to wrench several bolts below frame. GORDON laughs wildly... LASZLO She asked me for my- participation. GORDON Like what? They want you to help out- LASZLO I already help- out. She wants me to attend the service on Sundays; collect donations. GORDON looks back at him, takes a break. GORDON And what did you say to her? LASZLO I said that I would think about it. GORDON That seems fair, no? LASZLO shrugs. LASZLO I go to- somewhere else. GORDON leans down again. GORDON Why not ask for a place to stay wherever it is that you do go!? LASZLO I do not permit my people from home to see me as a beggar. Never. GORDON playfully sings, in retort. 34. GORDON (sings) A rose must remain with the sun and the rain Or its lovely promise won't come true To Each His Own, To Each His Own And my own is you- CUE: To Each His Own by Eddy Howard overtakes the soundtrack. LASZLO laughs. GORDON (CONT'D) Give me a few inches. LASZLO cautiously releases six inches of rope. As he does, he notices an conspicuous black Cadillac Towncar approaching the yard. EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - MOMENTS LATER 50 50 LASZLO shovels aggregate into a cement mixer. GORDON enters from off-screen. GORDON (casual) There's a son of a bitch here to see you. LASZLO furrows his brow and looks beyond GORDON to see HARRISON VAN BUREN SR. on approach from some distance. VAN BUREN Laszlo Toth! Is that you?! VAN BUREN appears overjoyed, ecstatic. LASZLO courteously stands to receive him, stoic. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) I've been looking for you! LASZLO shares a dubious glance with GORDON. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) No wonder you couldn't be found! You've grown a beard! LASZLO blinks. LASZLO What can I do for you, sir? VAN BUREN catches his breath in the cold. VAN BUREN I'd like to take you for lunch. LASZLO We don't break for another 2 hours. 35. VAN BUREN Point out your manager. Let me educate him. INT. DINER - AFTERNOON 51 51 A waitress pours coffee for the two of them and exits. VAN BUREN pulls out an edition of LOOK Magazine placing it in front of LASZLO. VAN BUREN Have you seen that? LASZLO squints, shakes his head. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) Well, I can assure you that everyone else has... Flip to page 19. LASZLO handles the magazine like a foreign object. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) Where did you study? LASZLO (mutters) Bauhaus in Dessau. VAN BUREN Bauhaus! How marvelous. ULTRA-CLOSE ON - A two-page spread on "HARRISON LEE VAN BUREN - THE FORWARD- THINKER." The large black and white photograph depicts VAN BUREN seated in LASZLO's chaise lounge illuminated by the spherical window above him. A second smaller image depicts VAN BUREN standing against the unusual, conceptual shelving units; books fan out around him. VAN BUREN (O.S.) (CONT'D) Read the caption below the photographs. The caption reads: "Here, Mr. Van Buren is pictured in his striking, modern at-home-library; entirely suitable for the forward-thinking man." CAMERA PANS TO NEXT BLOCK OF TEXT - "He established the Van Buren Shipyards, which built Liberty ships during World War II, after which he formed Van Buren Aluminum and Van Buren Steel. Van Buren is involved in various large-scale construction projects such as civic centers and dams, and is invested in real estate around the globe." 36. BACK TO - VAN BUREN who sips his coffee. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) So, what do you think? LASZLO Looks good. VAN BUREN Damn right, it does! Why didn't you defend yourself when I came after you all like a bat out of hell? I am ashamed of my behavior! I called that American cousin of yours- Corrects him. LASZLO Attila. VAN BUREN Yes, that's right. First, I apologized then lauded him with praise, however, he quite honorably redirected me to you! VAN BUREN wags a finger at LASZLO. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) I've since done my homework... VAN BUREN pulls out an open folder and places it in front of LASZLO. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) These are yours, yes? LASZLO leafs through the images in the folder and nods. LASZLO Yes. VAN BUREN All of them? LASZLO Yes. LASZLO begins to tear up, emotional. VAN BUREN I'm sorry, have I upset you? LASZLO No. May I keep these? VAN BUREN Of course you may. 37. LASZLO I didn't realize these images were still available, much less of any consequence... VAN BUREN They are very artistic. LASZLO Better in the real life. VAN BUREN You could have elaborated a bit more on your background! You didn't do yourself any favors back there. LASZLO It was difficult to interject amidst all the shouting- VAN BUREN smiles. VAN BUREN I am ashamed. Really, I am. I acted a fool. My mother was dying - and it's not an excuse - but she died that very weekend at the house. LASZLO I am sorry to hear- VAN BUREN Tell me - why is an accomplished foreign architect working construction in Philadelphia of all places? What is that you're working on anyway? A bowling alley?! LASZLO chooses his words carefully. LASZLO The Reich- rejected myself and my colleagues for our type of work for it was deemed not Germanic in- character. LASZLO exhales, gravely. LASZLO (CONT'D) I don't wish to be rude but I only have time for the coffee. You were unprepared for what you saw. That is understandable. I am glad you've come to appreciate it. VAN BUREN I don't just appreciate it Mr. Toth; I cherish it. VAN BUREN ignores LASZLO's wish to leave. 38. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) (waxes) I hate surprises. My fatheaded son should have known better, but listen, I haven't come here to boast or to grieve, I've come to pay you the monies you are owed. VAN BUREN hands him an envelope for dramatic effect. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) For what it's worth, it was not my suggestion that you and partners should not be paid. I only found out about all that after the fact. LASZLO We damaged some guttering which we planned to replace. There was a misunderstanding. VAN BUREN Enough of that. Take the money. LASZLO (nods) Thank you. VAN BUREN I'd stash that in your undergarments or inside of a shoe. LASZLO takes the envelope and starts to slide out of the booth but VAN BUREN takes his hand. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) I'd like you to come and see it... In the daylight. LASZLO I've seen it. VAN BUREN I'd like you to come and enjoy it, rather. LASZLO All right. VAN BUREN Wonderful. I can send a car for you on Sunday morning if you aren't too busy. Write me down your address? LASZLO writes it down. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) I've found our conversation persuasive and intellectually stimulating. LASZLO looks at him, incredulous. 39. INT. JAZZ BAR - NIGHT 52 52 ULTRA-BOWED LENS ON- GORDON and LASZLO cheer on a raucous set. Their features are wild and exaggerated like a George Grosz drawing. INT. JAZZ BAR BATHROOM - LATER 53 53 SFX: Someone pounds on the door outside. BIRD'S-EYE VIEW ON - LASZLO and GORDON prep a spoon and dropper. LASZLO (shouts) -going to be some minutes! LASZLO, already very intoxicated... LASZLO (CONT'D) Have we been in here long? GORDON They can wait... GORDON puts a leather pouch in his mouth and lets it unroll to his chest. GORDON (CONT'D) (through gritted teeth) Pull that out. LASZLO pulls out an antiquated looking syringe. LASZLO Jesus, Gordon. The coconspirators laugh, having a great time. GORDON spits the pouch from his mouth and LASZLO extends the spoon to GORDON. INT. JAZZ BAR - LATER 54 54 CUE: The live music plays in ultra slow-motion. LONG LENS ON - The two of them are now accompanied by some attractive looking strangers. A woman kisses at LASZLO's neck but he tries to focus on the music. WE PAN DOWN to see GORDON blatantly fingering his new girlfriend who sits on a bar stool. 40. BAR MANAGER (O.S.) (shouting) HEY! HEY! GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! LASZLO and GORDON are slow to respond. BAR MANAGER (CONT'D) (shouting) Get the hell out or I'll beat the shit out of you two. LASZLO comically vomits on himself where he stands. BAR MANAGER (CONT'D) OH, HOLY HELL. I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch! EXT. JAZZ BAR - MOMENTS LATER 55 55 The BAR MANAGER and a bouncer beat the hell out of LASZLO who laughs madly. STEAM RISES from the sewer grates. ANGLE ON - The crack of LASZLO's nose re-breaking. LASZLO My nose! Damn it. EXT. OLD CITY CHURCH - MORNING 56 56 LASZLO exits, his face battered and nose swollen. He lights a cigarette then after a beat, notices VAN BUREN's Town Car parked on the corner with the motor running. INT. AUTOMOBILE - LATER 57 57 CLOSE ON - LASZLO sits in the backseat of the Towncar taking in the fresh country air through an open window. He tries to pull himself together. DRIVER (O.S.) There's a pressed shirt and jacket hanging to your left, Mr. Toth. INT. VAN BUREN ESTATE DINING ROOM - LATER 58 58 A Christmas party is in full-swing. LASZLO is shown into a dining area where a group of thirty aristocrats have gathered for pre-luncheon cocktails by one end of the table. VAN BUREN Ah! There you are! The man of the hour! 41. LASZLO's smashed face peers out of an oversized penguin suit. VAN BUREN approaches him, concerned. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) (hushed) What's happened to your face? LASZLO Fell off a beam. VAN BUREN's son, HARRY LEE, comes up behind his father. HARRY LEE Everyone's famished. VAN BUREN Harry, you remember each other, don't you? HARRY LEE I do, yes. Good afternoon. LASZLO nods. HARRY LEE's sister, MAGGIE LEE, comes up behind her brother. MAGGIE LEE Daddy, the kitchen's asking if we could please go ahead and take our seats. VAN BUREN This is Harry's twin sister, Maggie. MAGGIE LEE Hello, Mr. Toth. We love the library. LASZLO Thank you. VAN BUREN (to the crowd) All right, everyone, let's eat. INT. VAN BUREN ESTATE DINING ROOM - LATER 59 59 LASZLO, who looks a mess, sits in a corner chair between a middle-aged couple, MICHAEL and MICHELLE HOFFMAN, and VAN BUREN who now sits at the head of the table. VAN BUREN brags... VAN BUREN He won't tout his own accomplishments but Mr. Toth's work is celebrated throughout much of Western and Central Europe. There have been many features about him in the architecture journals if you follow that sort of thing. 42. MICHAEL HOFFMAN What was your focus? LASZLO eats somewhat ravenously. LASZLO Theaters, synagogues- Restorations. Some, quite unusual. MICHELLE HOFFMAN Are you married, Mr. Toth? LASZLO stops eating. It pains him to speak of it. LASZLO Yes, but my wife, she- she is still in Europe. MICHELLE HOFFMAN Why is that? LASZLO We were separated. Forcibly. MICHAEL HOFFMAN Where is it you come from, if you don't mind my asking? I can't place the accent. LASZLO The city of Budapest. MICHAEL asides, explaining to his wife... MICHAEL HOFFMAN Ravaged during the war- just terrible. MICHELLE HOFFMAN Oh my, what was it like, the war? We hear some stories here that make one's toes curl. LASZLO I would not know where to begin, Mrs. Hoffman. MICHELLE HOFFMAN Do you plan on returning to Europe? LASZLO She tries to come now, here, to join me- but the situation is difficult. MICHAEL HOFFMAN With Roosevelt gone now that should make things easier. 43. LASZLO He is gone, but everyone is still frightened that people like me are a threat to your national defense- MICHELLE HOFFMAN When you say `people,' you mean Jews? We're Jewish. MICHAEL HOFFMAN (explains dryly) Michelle converted. LASZLO asides... LASZLO As did my Erzsebet. It required a great deal of commitment and study, and yet, few at home recognized her for it. LASZLO japes. LASZLO (CONT'D) A pity the National Socialists couldn't see it their way. LASZLO shrugs off the trauma, as he returns to the track of their dinner conversation. LASZLO (CONT'D) But not only Jewish. Foreign people. I was fortunate to depart from Bremerhaven when I did. Truman's order facilitated the transfer of my group. Others were not so lucky. VAN BUREN finally joins in the conversation. VAN BUREN That sounds very painful, Laszlo. We are terribly sorry for you. Michael is my friend and attorney- in that order. He turns to MICHAEL. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) Michael, is this a process your firm might help to expedite? MICHAEL turns to LASZLO. LASZLO I'm afraid that it's not so simple. My wife cannot leave my niece behind because she is young, motherless, and very sick. 44. MICHAEL HOFFMAN It's just the two of them? I'd be glad to make an inquiry on your behalf. You know, there's something called The Displaced Persons Act that's recently gone into effect. It will allow some 200,000 European persons admission for permanent residence. You can read about it in the paper now. VAN BUREN He won't boast but Michael's firm represents the office of the Vice President. LASZLO -president? VAN BUREN Of the United States! MICHAEL HOFFMAN Come see me in our Philadelphia office on Monday. MICHAEL reaches into his pocket and hands LASZLO a business card. MICHAEL HOFFMAN (CONT'D) Telephone this line, and my assistant can arrange. She'll tell you what we'll need you both to provide. MICHELLE places her hand on LASZLO's. MICHELLE HOFFMAN Michael can help you. MICHAEL nods, empathetic. MICHAEL HOFFMAN (Hebrew) Bevakasha. A SERVER pours wine in VAN BUREN's glass. VAN BUREN (to SERVER) We'll take coffee in the study. INT. FOYER / STUDY - EARLY EVENING 60 60 CUE: The score broods then gives way to an elegiac piano theme. ULTRA-WIDE ANGLE ON - The light is extraordinarily beautiful. It looks like a Saul Leiter picture. 45. The aristocrats all chat amongst themselves sipping coffees and cognac. NEW ANGLE ON - LASZLO and VAN BUREN are deep in-conversation sitting in two chairs the main foyer whiles guests observe the library nearby. VAN BUREN (longing, drunk lucidity) I was married once and she gave me two beautiful children. Nevertheless, my mother Margaret and the twins demanded my attention- every minute of my scarce personal time. Things became awkward between my ex-wife and Margaret so we separated amicably... VAN BUREN lights a cigar. He might be drunk. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) Margaret raised me on her own in Rochester. Just the two of us. Her parents had disowned her for "a child out of wedlock," so she was my only real family, other than the twins later on in life, of course... VAN BUREN speaks rhythmically, hypnotically. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) I'll tell you, shortly before they died, my mother's parents - I hesitate to call them my grandparents - they reached out to Margaret and me after reading an article on the reported success of my first company. VAN BUREN asides... VAN BUREN (CONT'D) In actual fact, we weren't doing all that well at the time and would soon shutter our doors, but this was not yet public knowledge. VAN BUREN takes a sip of his drink. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) -you might have concluded from our prior interactions, I am blunt, not hyperbolic or particularly sentimental, but my mother was defenseless to their chumminess. She argued that `they could very well be sick or dying," and perhaps "they really needed the money..." I didn't like seeing Margaret, an ordinarily pragmatic person, reduced to such bromidic assumptions but I agreed to meet them in-person; (MORE) 46. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) in part, to appease her, as well as to satisfy the curiosities of my lineage. A PARTY GUEST comes over and interjects... PARTY GUEST It's very clever, isn't it? The way the space seems to envelop you. VAN BUREN I think so, yes. PARTY GUEST It reminds me of a short story I read about a never-ending library, a labyrinth. Are you working on anything at present, Mr. Toth? LASZLO A bowling alley. The PARTY GUEST furrows his brow. VAN BUREN Pardon me, but I was just in the middle of telling our friend a story. PARTY GUEST Oh, not at all. Excuse me. The PARTY GUEST moves on. LASZLO You agreed to see them? VAN BUREN nods. VAN BUREN We exchanged pleasantries over the telephone and I offered to visit them at their modest apartment residence in a neighboring town. VAN BUREN asides... VAN BUREN (CONT'D) I laughed to realize they'd been so nearby all those years! Back to the body of the story... VAN BUREN (CONT'D) On the drive over, I had time to think and finally arrived at a figure I felt comfortable offering the two of them - seeing that they were, whether I liked it or not, our only living relatives... (MORE) 47. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) I was received hospitably so I swiftly moved to explain that I had made them out a cheque for the amount of $25,000. When I handed it over, they appeared relieved but perhaps a little disappointed at the figure. They were courteous and thanked me, all the same. VAN BUREN pauses for effect. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) I was quite uncomfortable but before hurrying off I asked them a question; "what will you do with all that money?" They rambled on about miracles or some such thing. For a moment, everything in their immediate line of view seemed solvable, achievable! They would finally be all right. What a thoughtful grandson I was! VAN BUREN smiles. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) Upon departure, before I had reached the edge of their front lawn, the two of them ran out after me shouting! - "You've forgotten your signature, Harrison!" VAN BUREN exhales demonstratively. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) I summoned the courage to be frank and speak to them as adults. I had not forgotten, I said, but was ultimately not compelled to sign due to the blunder of their response! If only they'd been sick or dying as my mother had previously suggested, how glad I would have been to ease their troubles - but they appeared perfectly healthy to me! VAN BUREN sighs. VAN BUREN (CONT'D) They took it as such a shock that for a moment I thought that that migh