剧本〈月色撩人〉MOONSTRUCK

"MOONSTRUCK" by John Patrick Shanley Final Draft FADE IN: INT. ZITO'S BREAD
STORY - DAY Several dozen loaves of golden Italian bread are standing on end in
a shaft of morning sunlight. They are standing on end in bins. In the window,
ZITO'S can be read in reverse. We leave the loaves and DRIFT DOWN TO a Progresso
Products calendar, which hangs from the wall by a nail. The month is November.
Various phone numbers and delivery dates have been penned in in a rough scrawl.
Now WE GO TO a white formica counter, scuffed and pocked from long use. On the
counter, in a rinsed out olive jar filled with water, are three fat red roses.
The TITLE APPEARS IN BLACK SCRIPT AGAINST THE WHITE BACKGROUND. MOONSTRUCK Now
WE FAINTLY HEAR THE VOICE of Zito himself, and a low TAPPING SOUND. SOME CREDITS
ROLL. ZITO'S VOICE (barely discernable) Three times they cancel the order with
me, and three times they come back. Who they kidding? They cheap, cheap, cheap.
The other bread they get is no good. They save pennies. Everybody complain and
they come back. "Zito, your bread is the best." They're like children stupid in
school who cannot learn. The water. It's the water. You buy bread in Hoboken,
you get Hoboken water. Hoboken water is dry. Ask anybody who knows. Ask your
father. He knows. During Zito's plaintive words, WE LEAVE the roses and MOVE
DOWN the counter TO a calculator being tapped very efficiently with the eraser
end of pencil. When the results appear, the pencil notes the figure in a
threadbare old ledger. NOW WE SEE ZITO He's a middle-aged Italian man with a
kind face. But it's early in the day, and he's already been working for hours,
so he's a little tired and disgruntled. ZITO You want me to make you some
coffee? NOW WE SEE LORETTA FOR THE FIRST TIME She's entering a few final figures
in the ledger. LORETTA is Italian, 37. Her hair black, done in a dated style, is
flecked with grey. She's dressed in sensible but unfashionable clothes of a dark
color. LORETTA What d'you know about coffee? Gimme a loaf of bread. EXT. ZITO'S
BREAD STORE - DAY Loretta emerges with her little weathered leather bookkeeping
satchel and a loaf of Zito bread in a white paper bag. She moves off briskly.
EXT. A.J. CONTI FUNERAL CHAPEL - DAY This is a little Italian funeral parlor.
INT. THE "WAKE" ROOM" A generic little room filled with many flowers and
wreathes, many folding chairs, a few OLD PEOPLE sitting and, up front, the star
of the show, the CORPSE on display in his gold and formica casket. Before the
casket is a little kneeler. We discover an OLD LADY there, who crosses herself
and rises. She goes and sits by RUBY, another old women. She leans over and
says. OLD WOMAN He looks great. RUBY That Al Conti is a genius. INT. OFFICE OF
THE FUNERAL PARLOR First WE SEE a name plate on a desk. The plate reads ALFONSO
CONTI. We HEAR his VOICE. CONTI'S VOICE I am a genius. The SHOT WIDENS TO
INCLUDE the loaf of bread which is half cut up and being buttered. Next to the
bread are two steaming mugs of coffee. We HEAR the subdued TAPPING of Loretta's
tabulations. LORETTA'S VOICE If you're such an artistic genius, why can't you
keep track of your receipts? How am I going to do your income tax? CONTI'S VOICE
I am an artistic genius. The SHOT WIDENS and now we can see Al Conti and Loretta
sitting at the desk having Zito's buttered bread and mugs of coffee. Loretta's
got her calculator going and is entering figures in Al's black, gold-lettered
ledger. LORETTA If you're an artistic genius, how come you got butter on your
tie? He looks down and sees the stain. He's at a loss. LORETTA Give it here.
I'll give you this, Al, you make good coffee. She downs her coffee, accepts the
stained tie which Al has taken off, and slams the ledger shut. INT. ROBERT'S DRY
CLEANERS - DAY - MORE CREDITS ROLL We are looking at a wall of dry-cleaned
clothes bags. They are hanging from an automated grid. As we watch, the wall
starts to move off to the left. A gap appears where no clothes are hung. The gap
creates visual frame. In the frame is ROBERT. He is operating the grid with a
little stick shift. He stops it and takes down a garment. He leaves the frame,
heading off to the counter. When he moves away, WE SEE that Loretta is behind
him, working her calculator, entering in a ledger. She slams the ledger shut,
waves goodbye, and goes. After beat she reappears, produces Conti's tie, says
something to Robert, who is out of view, leaves the tie, and INT. BUTCHER SHOP -
DAY WE SEE a cleaver whacking an oxtail into section. Now WE SEE Loretta, a few
feet away, tabulating on a chopping block that is partially obscured by a row of
hanging rabbits, unskinned. INT. A FLORIST SHOP - DAY A long white box is being
filled with red roses. We HEAR the FLORIST'S VOICE. FLORIST'S VOICE Red roses.
Very romantic. The man who sends these knows what he's doing. Now WE SEE Loretta
tabulating and the Florist working on the box of roses. LORETTA The man who
sends those spends a lot of money on something that ends up in the garbage can.
The Florist gives her a look and then smiles. FLORIST I'm glad everybody ain't
like you, Loretta. I'd be outta business. LORETTA Without me, you'd be out of
business. I like flowers. She gives him a sudden, brief, blinding smile. It's
the first time we've seen her smile. She has gold work around one of her two
front teeth. The Florist grunts and hands her a red rose. Camera moves close to
Loretta and the rose. END OF CREDITS DISSOLVE TO: EXT. THE GRAND TICINO - AN
ITALIAN RESTAURANT - NIGHT A red neon sign hangs in the window. It's a quaint
downstairs restaurant in Greenwich Village. A YOUNG COUPLE stop, look at the
menu, become more interested in each other, kiss, and decide to go in. INT. THE
GRAND TICINO - NIGHT White tablecloths and dark green walls, a tiny bar up by
the door. The WAITERS all look a little alike. That's because they're all
related. The place is about half full, and bustles along pleasantly. MUSIC A
VIOLIN PLAYS a melancholy Neapolitan air. MR. JOHNNY and Loretta sit at a table
for two talking quietly. They have their menus and glasses of red wine. Mr.
Johnny is Italian, around 42. His wavy salt-and pepper hair is impeccably combed
back; but there is so much that it threatens to fall forward someday and engulf
his face. He is wearing a pinky ring, a dark suit, a gold watch, and, on his
face, a mustache and a look of incredible seriousness. Loretta is Italian, 37.
Her black hair, done in a dated style, is flecked with grey. She is wearing a
dark blouse, black skirt, and high heels. One of her teeth is framed with gold
work. Mr. Johnny is really timid of life, an overgrown boy, who hides these
qualities behind a veil of dignity. Loretta is tough and efficient, loyal and
watchful; she watches out for Mr. Johnny, and defends him against life. BOBO, an
Old World Italian waiter, comes over to take their order. BOBO Are you ready?
MR. JOHNNY Hello, Bobo. How are you tonight? BOBO Very good, Mr. Johnny. MR.
JOHNNY We will both have the Salad Ticino. BOBO Uh-huh MR. JOHNNY And I'll have
the special fish. LORETTA You don't want the fish. MR. JOHNNY No? LORETTA It's
the oily fish tonight. Not before the plane ride. MR. JOHNNY Maybe you're right.
LORETTA Give him the manicotta, Bobo. Me, too. BOBO Yes, Miss Loretta. LORETTA
(to Mr. Johnny) That will give you a base. For your stomach. You eat that oily
fish, you go up in the air, halfway to Sicily you'll be green and your hands
will be sweating. MR. JOHNNY (smiles) You look after me. They HEAR a
distinguished MAN'S VOICE rise out of the babble. They turn and look. The man's
name is PERRY. PERRY AND PATRICIA FROM LORETTA'S POV Perry is a university
professor. PATRICIA is his girlfriend/student. He's in his 50's. She's about 25
years younger. She's getting her coat on in a huff. PERRY Patricia, please don't
go! PATRICIA What do you think I am, a talking dog? PERRY I was just making a
point about the way you said... the way you stated your aspirations. PATRICIA
You can kiss my aspirations! Professor! She storms out, leaving Perry muttering
to himself. PERRY Kiss my aspirations. Oh, very clever. The height of
cleverness. Waiter! An abnormally SHY WAITER stops. SHY WAITER Yes? PERRY Could
you do away with her dinner, and any evidence of her, and bring me an big glass
of vodka? SHY WAITER But absolutely! THE SHY WAITER begins to efficiently clear.
MR. JOHNNY AND LORETTA EXCHANGE A GLANCE Mr. Johnny is amused. Bobo serves them
their salad. MR. JOHNNY A man who can't control his woman is funny. LORETTA She
was too young for him. Mr. Johnny considers this a point well taken. BOBO AND
HIS NEPHEW EDDIE STAND NEAR THE KITCHEN Which can be seen through a serving
window. They can look out over the restaurant tables. Bobo is melancholy and
philosophical. EDDIE is a young waiter. EDDIE What'samatter, Uncle Bobo? BOBO
Tonight Mr. Johnny's gonna propose marriage. EDDIE How you know that? BOBO He
arranged it with me. When he asks her, then he'll wave to me and I'll bring
champagne. Good bachelor customer for twenty years. But who knows? Maybe he'll
lose courage. EDDIE Heavy duty stuff. PERRY, FEELING NO PAIN, COLLARS THE SHY
WAITER He holds out his empty glass. PERRY Can I get another one of these? SHY
WAITER Definitely! Perry takes his arm. PERRY May I presume to ask you a
question? SHY WAITER Sure! PERRY Do you have a girlfriend? SHY WAITER I am alone
in the world. Perry lets go of his arm. He and the Shy Waiter commiserate a
moment. Then, wordlessly, the Shy Waiter goes. PERRY That's very sad. BOBO IS
CLEARING THE REMAINS OF MR. JOHNNY'S DINNER. He's already cleared Loretta's.
BOBO How's things? LORETTA Fine, Bobo. We'll take the check. MR. JOHNNY No, I
want to see the dessert cart. BOBO Very good. Bobo goes. Loretta is surprised.
LORETTA You never have dessert. MR. JOHNNY Never is a long time. Mr. Johnny is
uneasy. He massages his head. LORETTA What's the matter? MR. JOHNNY My scalp is
not getting enough blood sometimes. Loretta looks at him strangely. Bobo rolls
up the dessert cart. WE SEE Loretta and Mr. Johnny through the frame of the
dessert cart. They turn and look at the desserts. MR. JOHNNY Have Something.
LORETTA I shouldn't. MR. JOHNNY Will you marry me? LORETTA What? MR. JOHNNY Will
you marry me? LORETTA Bobo, take the cart away. He does. LORETTA (continuing)
Are you proposing marriage to me? MR. JOHNNY Yes? LORETTA You know I was married
and that my husband died. But what you don't know is I think he and I had Bad
Luck. MR. JOHNNY What do you mean? LORETTA We got married at the City Hall and I
think it gave bad luck the whole marriage. MR. JOHNNY I don't understand.
LORETTA Right from the start we didn't do it right. Could you kneel down? MR.
JOHNNY On the floor? LORETTA Yes, on the floor. MR. JOHNNY This is a good suit.
LORETTA I helped you buy it. It came with two pairs of pants. It's for luck,
Johnny. When you propose marriage to a woman, you should kneel down. MR. JOHNNY
Alright. Mr. Johnny slowly gets out of his chair. There's not enough room for
him to kneel down. He has to ask two off-duty PRO WRESTLERS who are eating
dinner to move their chairs. They do so with bemused expressions. Their names
are BOB and MOOK. SHY WAITER BRINGS PERRY A FRESH GLASS OF VODKA ASKS THE SHY
WAITER PERRY Is that man praying? MR. JOHNNY ON HIS KNEES ADDRESSES LORETTA
JOHNNY So. Will you ma... LORETTA (interrupting) Where's the ring? MR. JOHNNY
(at a loss) The ring? BOB AND MOOK ARE WATCHING MR. JOHNNY'S PERFORMANCE They
are deadpan mugs. BOB (to Mr. Johnny) A ring. That's right. MOOK I woulda sprung
for a ring if it was me. BOBO AND EDDIE STAND NEAR THE KITCHEN WATCHING BOBO
She's got him on his knees. He's ruining his suit. LORETTA AND MR. JOHNNY
LORETTA You could use your pinky ring. MR. JOHNNY I like this ring. LORETTA You
propose to a woman you should offer her a ring of engagement. Mr. Johnny takes
off the ring and holds it out to her. MR. JOHNNY Loretta. Loretta Castorini
Clark. On my knees. In front of all these people. Will you marry me? She meekly
accepts the ring from him and takes his hands. LORETTA Yes, Johnny. Yes, John
Anthony Cammareri. I will marry you. I will be your wife. Mr. Johnny slowly
stands up, brushes off his knees. The restaurant has fallen utterly silent.
Loretta smiles. They embrace. Loretta kisses him quickly. A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN,
SUSAN, IS MAUDLIN FROM THE PROPOSAL Bobo stands very near her table. She is
about to applaud the proposal. She brings her hands together. Bobo's hand
flashes out and neatly captures her hands before they can part again. The single
sound dies abruptly in the silent room. LORETTA AND MR. JOHNNY Mr. Johnny is in
control now. He looks around once, regally. MR. JOHNNY Bobo! The check! PERRY
AND THE SHY WAITER LOOK AT MR. JOHNNY AND LORETTA PERRY I feel like I have just
witnessed a car accident. The Shy Waiter sits down at Perry's table. SHY WAITER
When I was twenty-seven years old, in Jersey City, I asked a woman to marry me.
She had red hair. She smelled a jasmine. She wore black shoes with pointy white
tips. PERRY What happened? SHY WAITER She didn't hear me. She asked me to
repeat, so she could understand what I said. But I wouldn't repeat it. Outta
shyness. So I'm a bachelor. MR. JOHNNY AND LORETTA He's helping her on with her
coat. LORETTA What time is it? MR. JOHNNY Seven-thirty. LORETTA So we'll pick up
the car, we'll make the plane in plenty of time. Mr. Johnny puts on his coat.
MR. JOHNNY My mother will be happy I'm getting married. Bobo approaches with the
bucket of champagne. He's flustered. BOBO I forgot to bring the champagne, Mr.
Johnny. MR. JOHNNY I forgot to wave. We'll have it at the wedding. EXT. MIDTOWN
TUNNEL - A CREAM COLORED LTD SPEEDING - NIGHT INT. THE CREAM LTD - NIGHT Loretta
driving and Mr. Johnny sitting beside her. In the back seat are two suitcases.
LORETTA What about the wedding? MR. JOHNNY My mother is dying. When she is dead,
I'll come back and we'll be married. LORETTA How near is she to death? MR.
JOHNNY A week. Two weeks. No more. LORETTA Then let's set the date. LORETTA How
about a month from today? MR. JOHNNY Must it be so definite? Can't we just say
that we will be married when I get back? LORETTA Where? At the City Hall? No! I
want the whole wedding or we will have Bad Luck. For a whole wedding to be
planned, a date must be set. MR. JOHNNY Alright. A month. In a month. LORETTA A
month from today? MR. JOHNNY Yeah. LORETTA I'll take care of it, Johnny. I'll
take care of the whole thing. All you have to do is show up. INT. A TERMINAL AT
KENNEDY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - NIGHT CLOSE UP ON TV MONITOR - VIDEO INSERT
Dialogue on clip: (Close-up on Ava Gardner & Gregory Peck kissing. Length of
clip is 1:25) AVA Oh, you're not going. You're staying. GREGORY No, I'm going.
AVA The Shawfish? GREGORY Just across the bay, at the fuel depot. The men wanted
to try to get home. I can't explain. AVA Then, I suppose the time has come say
it's been nice Dwight Lionel. It's been everything. Oh, Dwight, I'm frightened.
GREGORY I know, I am so sorry for so many things. I love you, Moira. I love you.
I love you. INT. A TERMINAL AT KENNEDY AIRPORT - NIGHT Many PEOPLE, most of them
Italian, are lined up to board the plane. A VOICE can be heard over the P.A.
system. VOICE (over P.A. System) International Flight Number Six-ohfour boarding
for Rome and Palermo at Gate Twenty-six. MR. JOHNNY AND LORETTA ARE SAYING
GOODBYE LORETTA Call me when you get in. MR. JOHNNY I'll call you when I get to
Mama's house. LORETTA You've made me very happy, Johnny. He takes a piece of
paper from his wallet. MR. JOHNNY There's one thing about this wedding I want
you to do. Call this number. It's a business number. Ask for Ronny. Invite him
to the wedding. LORETTA Who is he? MR. JOHNNY He's my younger brother. LORETTA
You have a brother? MR. JOHNNY We haven't spoken in five years. There was some
bad blood. I want you to call him and invite him to the wedding. Will you do it?
LORETTA Sure. VOICE This is the last call for International Flight Number Six-ohfour
boarding at Gate Twenty-six for Rome and Palermo. MR. JOHNNY I've got to go. He
clumsily kisses her. Then he quickly turns and leaves. She waves, but he doesn't
look back. EXT AIRPORT RUNWAY - NIGHT Close shot on plane's wheels and under
belly as it slowly begins to move. Red lights are flashing. AN OLD ITALIAN CRONE
IS LOOKING OUT THE TERMINAL WINDOW In the background we see the accordion like
ramp that was loading to the departing aircraft, slowly fold up. Loretta walks
up beside her, and looks out the window, too. The crone is dressed in black and
has a black scarf on her head. The Crone notices Loretta. CRONE Do you have
someone on that plane? LORETTA Yeah. (smiles) My fianc? CRONE I have put a curse
on that plane. My sister is on that plane. I have put a curse on that plane that
it should explode. Burn on fire and fall into the sea. Fifty years ago she stole
a man from me. Today she told me that she didn't even love him. She took him to
feel strong with me. Now she goes back to Sicily. I have cursed her that the
green Atlantic water should swallow her up. LORETTA I don't believe in curses.
CRONE (smiles) Neither do I. The plane takes off. Loretta looks after it
anxiously. All her hopes are on that plane. INT. A PARKING GARAGE IN LITTLE
ITALY - NIGHT The LTD pulls into the entrance and Loretta gets out. An ATTENDANT
appears. ATTENDANT Mr. Johnny's, right? LORETTA Right. The key's in it.
ATTENDANT Good night. LORETTA Night. Loretta walks of into the night. EXT. THE
SWEETHEART LIQUOR STORE - NIGHT Camera frames the window with a sweetheart in
neon. EXT. THE SWEETHEART LIQUOR STORE - NIGHT Loretta walks up the street and
enters the store. INT. THE SWEETHEART LIQUOR STORE - NIGHT Loretta walks in. IRV
and LOTTE, the middle-aged couple who own and run the place, are having an
argument. LOTTE I've seen how you look at her and it isn't right. IRV How do I
look at her? (to Loretta) Can I help you? LORETTA A split of Moet. LOTTE (to IRV)
Like a wolf. IRV (getting the split) Like a wolf, huh? You never seen a wolf in
your life. IRV (to Loretta) That's seven-fifty-seven. Loretta pays and waits for
her change. LOTTE I seen a wolf in everybody I ever met and I see a wolf in you.
IRV (giving the change) That makes ten. Thanks. Have a nice night. LORETTA You,
too. Loretta walks out. IRV You know what I see in you, Lotte? LOTTE What? IRV
The girl I married. Lotte, caught off-guard, blushes. EXT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE -
NIGHT It's a big, old eccentric, three-story corner house. To one side, it's got
a qated arch that leads to an inner courtyard where three cars could park. It's
got two cast-iron balconies. About a third of the windows in the house are lit.
From within can be HEARD the faint strains of VICKI CARR SINGING and one DOG
BARKING. Loretta appears, carrying champagne, approaches the front door, unlocks
it, and goes in. INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - THE FRONT HALL - NIGHT MUSIC VICKI
CARR is SINGING "IT MUST BE HIM." The front hall is typical of big old
brownstones. There's a big old oak coat rack with a built-in mirror and an
umbrella stand. There are several coats hanging from it. The floor is littered
with boots. There's also a side table. On the table is a large cut-glass bowl
filled with a couple of pounds of hard candy. Loretta comes in and takes off her
coat. A single MAD HOWL is HEARD, followed by a PANDEMONIUM OF BARKING. FIVE
DOGS charge into the hall to greet Loretta. They are totally cockeyed, crackpot
mutts. Their names are JUDAS, LUCY, LEO FATBOY, AND JONES. LORETTA Hello, boys
and girls. Guess what happened to me? The VOICE of the OLD MAN is heard calling
out from upstairs. OLD MAN'S VOICE How long must I wait? Quanto tempo devo
aspettare? The Five Dogs turn away from Loretta and charge up the stairs toward
the voice. Loretta walks toward the living room. INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE -
LIVING ROOM - NIGHT This is the source of the Vicki Carr song, which is just
ending. COSMO CASTORINI, Loretta's father is just turning off the old stereo. He
is a powerful man, about 65, with a huge shock of white hair and gold wire
glasses. He's wearing a big old red silk robe over blue pajamas, and royal blue
slippers. The room it filled with lumpy upholstered furniture, once grand, now
threadbare; shawls and doilies cover holes in failing fabric. There's a
fireplace containing a dying fire. Cosmo's wing chair, with his newspaper on it,
is beside a lit fringed lamp. Cosmo sees Loretta as she comes in. COSMO Hi. He
sits in his chair and puts his feet up on an old needlepoint ottoman. He starts
to read the paper. LORETTA Where's Ma? COSMO Bed. LORETTA You're not sleepy?
COSMO I can't sleep anymore. It's too much like death. LORETTA Pop, I got news.
Cosmo puts down the paper and takes his feet off the ottoman. COSMO Alright.
Let's go in the kitchen. Cosmo gets up and heads for the kitchen. He hums and
continues as Loretta opens champagne. INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - KITCHEN - NIGHT
Loretta and Cosmo sit at the kitchen table. It's a big tin table with a
black-and-white design. Loretta has put two old- fashioned champagne glasses on
the table, the split of champagne, a bag of sugar cubes, and a bottle of
bitters. She pours the champagne, drops a little lump of sugar into each glass,
and adds a dash of bitters. She hands one of the drinks to Cosmo. LORETTA Here.
(She Toasts) Ti amo. (Translated: I love you.) COSMO Ti amo. LORETTA You look
tired. COSMO What's your news? LORETTA I'm getting married. COSMO Again? LORETTA
Yeah. COSMO You did this once it didn't work out. LORETTA The guy died. COSMO
What killed him? LORETTA He got hit by a bus. COSMO No! Bad luck! Your Ma and I
been married fifty-two years an nobody died. You were married, what, two years,
and somebody is dead. Don't get married again, Loretta. It don't work out for
you. Who's the man? LORETTA Johnny Cammareri. COSMO Him? He's a big baby. Why
isn't he here with you telling me? LORETTA He's flying to Sicily. His mother's
dying. COSMO More Bad Luck! I don't like his face, Loretta. I don't like his
lips. When he smiles I can't see his teeth. When will you do it? LORETTA In a
month. COSMO I won't come. LORETTA You've got to come. You've got to give me
away. COSMO I didn't give you away the first time. LORETTA And maybe that's why
I had the Bad Luck. Maybe if you gave me away, and I got married in a church, in
a wedding dress, instead of at the City Hall with strangers standing outside the
door, maybe then I wouldn't had the Bad Luck I had. COSMO Maybe. LORETTA I
didn't have no wedding cake, no reception or nothing. Johnny got down on his
knees and proposed to me at The Grand Ticino. COSMO He did? LORETTA Yeah. COSMO
That don't sound like Johnny. Where's the ring? Loretta shows it. Cosmo examines
it. LORETTA Here. COSMO It looks stupid. It's a pinky ring. It's a man's ring.
LORETTA It's temporary. COSMO Everything is temporary. That don't excuse
nothing. LORETTA So you'll come to the wedding, right? COSMO Let's go tell your
Mother. She smiles. He doesn't. They rise from the table. THE CASTORINI HOUSE -
DARKENED MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT The door to the hall opens, and the light from
without dimly illuminates a massive four-poster bed. Cosmo enters, followed by
Loretta. He speaks into the dark a calm and measured summons. COSMO Rose. Rose.
Rose. Rose. A lamp is switched on by the bed. By ROSE. Rose is in her 60'S, and
is very, very beautiful. Her abundant white tresses frame a face of porcelain
delicacy. She's wearing an old and richly beautiful white nightgown. ROSE Who's
dead? COSMO Nobody. Loretta is getting married. ROSE Again? Johnny Cammareri.
Cosmo goes and sits on the bed. COSMO I don't like him. ROSE You're not gonna
marry him, Cosmo. Do you love him, Loretta? LORETTA No. ROSE Good. When you love
them they drive you crazy cause they know they can. But you like him? LORETTA Oh
yeah. He's a sweet man. I wanna have a big church wedding, Ma. And a reception.
ROSE And who's gonna pay for that? LORETTA Pop. COSMO WHAT? Rose starts
laughing. LORETTA Father of the bride pays. Cosmo walks out. COSMO I have no
money! ROSE You're rich as Roosevelt. You're just cheap, Cosmo. Cosmo shouts
from the stairs. COSMO I won't pay for nothing. ROSE He didn't used to be cheap.
He thinks if he holds on to his money, he will never die. LORETTA It's his duty
as a father to pay for my wedding, Ma ... MUSIC VICKI CARR, SINGING "IT MUST BE
HIM", starts playing. Rose looks weary. ROSE Now he's gonna play that damn Vicki
Carr record. And then when he comes to bed, he won't touch me. EXT. THE
CASTORINI HOUSE - MORNING The first golden rays of sunlight touch the great old
house. The front door opens. Close shot of dogs coming into camera as door
opens. The OLD MAN comes out. The Old Man, who is Cosmo's father, is 83 years
old. He is taking the Five Dogs out for their morning walk. He has their five
leashes bundled in one hand. In the other hand, even though it is a cloudless
November morning, he open black umbrella. He walks off down the block with the
dogs. EXT. A SMALL CITY PARK SURROUNDED BY HURRICANE FENCE - DAY The Old Man and
the Five Dogs appear and enter the park. He approaches a park bench where FELIX
and LUCY are already sitting. Felix and Lucy are about the same age as the Old
Man. They each have a well-behaved DOG. When the Old Man sits down, he lets the
Five Dogs go. The Dogs run off, BARKING like mad. FELIX It's wrong to just let
them go. OLD MAN (ignoring Felix) Good morning, Lucy. LUCY Good morning. FELIX
They run around, they mess up the whole park. OLD MAN What do you want me to do?
Pick up after five dogs? I'm eighty-three years old. God in his heaven
understands that I cannot pick up after five dogs. FELIX You have too many dogs.
The dogs can be HEARD in the distance. It sounds like they're killing each
other. OLD MAN (goes back to ignoring Felix) Lucy. There are big things going on
in my house. My granddaughter Loretta, the only daughter of my son Cosmo, has
engaged herself to be married a second time. LUCY I have heard that Johnny
Cammareri got down on his knees in The Grand Ticino and proposed to her. OLD MAN
My son does not like this Johnny Cammareri. He says he is a big baby. FELIX You
should have one dog. Like Lucy. Like me. I wish I hadda gun. If I hadda gun, I
would shoot four of your dogs. The Old Man makes a low, threatening noise. LUCY
Don't fight. OLD MAN My granddaughter wants my son to pay for the wedding. But
he does not want to pay. LUCY He should pay. OLD MAN I don't know. LUCY He owes
her a wedding from the first time when there was none. OLD MAN Maybe. I don't
know. He has not asked my advice. If he asks my advice, I don't know what I will
say. The SOUND of the DOGS becomes intense again. FELIX I won't have to shoot
those dogs. They will kill each other. OLD MAN You think so, huh, Stupid? Those
dogs love each other. EXT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - DAY The gates in the big
archway are opened from the inside. It's Cosmo. He's wearing a good but
old-fashioned suit, an overcoat, and a homburg. He's pulled his car, a 1965
black Buick, up to the gate. Now that he has the gates open, he gets in the car
and drives out to the curb. He gets out and goes back to lock the gates. As he
does this, the Old Man approaches the house with the Five dogs and the open
umbrella. The Old Man and the Dogs go to the front door of the house. Cosmo goes
to the door of his car. The two men, father and son, see each other at the
moment they grab their respective door handles. They each raise a hand in
greeting; it is the same gesture for both men, an eccentric chopping motion.
Then they open their respective doors. The Old Man disappears within the house.
Cosmo drives slowly away in his car. INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY A
RED-HOT, WELL-SEASONED CAST IRON FRYING PAN Receives a big lump of butter with a
hissing gasp of satisfaction. A wooden spoon pushes the sinking lump around
until the pan is coated. Two square slices of yellow bread with round holes
punched in their middles land in the pan. Two circles of green pepper land next
to the bread. A spatula flips over the bread which has become glistening gold on
the cooked side. Two eggs are broken and dropped sunnyside into the holes in the
bread. The circles of green pepper are pushed around by the spatula, scooped up
deftly, and each is made to frame one of the eggs. A WOMAN'S HAND garnishes each
bright yellow yolk with a slash of red pimento. The spatula reappears and lifts
the results from the pan, and slides them onto two small dark blue plates. Now
WE SEE that Loretta is just finishing setting the tin table for two. In the b.g.,
Rose is turning away from the big, old-fashioned six range gas stove where an
old speckled coffee pot is steaming up a sun-drenched window. Rose comes toward
the table with the laden blue plates. She's wearing a nice old apron over a blue
housedress. She's thoughtful. As Rose comes to the table, Loretta in a blue
denim work shirt and pants, goes to the stove and gets the coffee. As Rose puts
breakfast on the table, she speaks to Loretta, who's at the stove. ROSE Will you
live here? LORETTA No. ROSE Why not? LORETTA Pop don't like Johnny. Loretta
returns with the coffeepot to the table, and pours. Then she takes the pot back
to the stove. ROSE So we'll sell the house. LORETTA I got married before, you
didn't sell. Loretta comes to the table. They sit down to breakfast. ROSE
Grandma was still alive. Chiro was still home going to school. Now he's married
and gone to Florida. If you and Johnny moved in, had a baby... LORETTA I'm
thirty-seven years old. ROSE What's thirty-seven? I had Chiro after I was
thirty-seven. It ain't over till it's over. LORETTA Johnny has a big apartment.
We'll live there. ROSE And we'll sell the house. LORETTA I'd like to stay, Ma. I
love the house. But Pop don't like Johnny. ROSE No. He don't. The WALL PHONE in
the kitchen RINGS. Loretta goes and answers it. LORETTA Hello? Yea, this is
Loretta Castorini - yeah. Is that you Johnny? INT. A DARKENED BEDROOM IN PALERMO
- DAY Mr. Johnny is calling on an old European-style phone. In the b.g. is the
sickbed. In the sickbed lies VESTA, Mr. Johnny's mother, her grey hair spread
out on a golden pillow. By the bed are THREE MOURNERS, old crones dressed in
black. One clutches a missal, the other two clutch rosaries. All three are
grieving in a steady low wordless whine. Mr. Johnny speaks into the phone in a
confidential manner. There is some long-distance CRACKLE. MR. JOHNNY Ssh, it's
me. I'm calling from the deathbed of my mother. LORETTA ON THE PHONE LORETTA How
was your plane ride? MR. JOHNNY ON THE PHONE MR. JOHNNY The waitresses were very
nice. (glances over at his mother) My mother is slipping away. LORETTA ON THE
PHONE VESTA (calling to the Heavens) Quanto tempo devo aspettare? (now she aims
more at Johnny) How long must I wait?! MR. JOHNNY I can't talk long. LORETTA
Have you told her we're getting married? MR. JOHNNY ON THE PHONE MR. JOHNNY Not
yet. I'm waiting till a moment when she's peaceful. We HEAR Loretta's VOICE over
his receiver. LORETTA'S VOICE Just don't wait until she's dead. MR. JOHNNY Have
you called my brother? LORETTA'S VOICE Not yet. MR. JOHNNY Will you do it today?
Call him, make him come to the wedding. Five years is too long for bad blood
between brothers. Nothing can replace your family. I see that now. LORETTA ON
THE PHONE LORETTA Alright. I'll call him. Today. Listen, Johnny. Call me after
you tell your mother. Alright? Alright. And don't stand directly under the sun.
You've got your hat, use your hat. Alright. Bye-bye. Loretta hangs up the phone.
She thinks. Rose speaks from the table, where she's still sitting. ROSE How's
the mother? LORETTA She's dying. But I could still hear her big mouth. ROSE Did
he tell her? LORETTA Not yet. That old lady makes him sweat. (to herself)
Where's that card? Rose gets up and takes the dishes to the sink, Loretta fishes
in her pocket and comes out with the business card Mr. Johnny gave her. She
dials the number. ROSE Who Are you calling? INT. CAMMARERI PASTRY SHOP - DAY (INTERCUT
W/LORETTA IN KITCHEN) CHRISSY, a woman with a Queens accent, answers. CHRISSY
Cammareri's Bake Shop. LORETTA Is Ronny there? CHRISSY Hold on. (yells into
intercom) Ronny, the phone! INT. CAMMARERI PASTRY SHOP - OVEN ROOM - DAY (INTERCUT
W/LORETTA IN KITCHEN) RONNY Yeah, this is Ronny. LORETTA I'm calling for your
brother Johnny. He's getting married and he wants you to come. There's a long
pause. Ronny's voice returns, hoarse with emotion. RONNY Why didn't he call
himself? LORETTA He's in Palermo. RONNY What's wrong can never be made right.
(hangs up phone) LORETTA Let me come and talk to you. Loretta hangs up the
phone. She looks at the card again, makes a decision and pockets the card. THE
TOWNHOUSE/INT. THE BUICK - DAY As Cosmo drives away. He's in a very good mood.
He's WHISTLING. He laughs to himself. CAMMARERI'S PASTRY SHOP - DAY And the
street in front of it. Loretta arrives. She's wearing a long, navy-blue cloth
coat and a knit hat. She looks up at the sign and at the business card in her
hand, and enters the shop. INT. CAMMARERI'S PASTRY SHOP - DAY It's a nice
Italian bake shop. Three Italian women, CHRISSY, BARBARA, and MA wait on THREE
WOMEN SHOPPERS at the counter. CHRISSY and BARBARA are in their late 20's or
early 30's; MA is old, old. Loretta comes in and speaks to CHRISSY. LORETTA Is
Ronny Cammareri here? CHRISSY He down at the ovens. What do you want? LORETTA I
would like to speak to him. EXT. CAMMARERI'S PASTRY SHOP - DAY Chrissy comes out
and Loretta follows. They walk around to an outdoor staircase that descends into
the sidewalk. Chrissy shouts down. CHRISSY Hey, RONNY. EXT. AN OLD DOOR AT THE
FOOT OF THE STAIRCASE - DAY The door slides open, revealing ROCCO, a baker
missing a few teeth. He is surrounded by bread. ROCCO What! CHRISSY'S VOICE
Somebody to see Ronny. Rocco slides back the door all the way. Chrissy and
Loretta make their way past him. He slides the door three quarters shut behind
them. INT. THE BASEMENT OVEN ROOM - DAY There are two coal-fired ovens, one at
either end of the room. There is a large wooden table roughly center. And
various pieces of baking equipment, dough-mixers, etc., scattered willy-nilly.
And everywhere there is bread. PIETRO, a baker, is working at one of the ovens
with a long wooden spatula. RONNY is working at the other oven. Actually, he is
just staring in the open door at the baking bread and burning coals. He's
dressed in black jeans streaked with flour, a white restaurant shirt, white
cotton gloves, and around his neck, a red handkerchief. He is black-haired,
handsome and intense. ROCCO Ronny! RONNY What! ROCCO Somebody here to see you.
Ronny turns and takes in Loretta. RONNY Have you come from my brother? LORETTA
Yes. RONNY Why? LORETTA I'm going to marry him. RONNY You are going to marry my
brother? LORETTA Yes. Do you want... RONNY I have no life. LORETTA Excuse me.
RONNY I have no life. My brother Johnny took my life from me. LORETTA I don't
understand. Everything in the oven room has stopped and everyone is watching.
RONNY And now he's getting married. He has his, he's getting his. And he wants
me to come? What is life? He picks up the wooden spatula and slides it into the
oven. LORETTA I didn't come here to upset you. Ronny slides a bunch of loaves
out of the oven on the spatula, turns them around, and slides them back in.
RONNY They say bread is life. So I bake bread, bread, bread. (He's picking up
loaves of bread from one of the boxes on the floor, and casually tossing them
across the room.) And the years go by! By! By! And I sweat and shovel this
stinking dough in and outta this hot hole in the wall and I should be so happy,
huh, sweetheart? You want me to come to the wedding of my brother Johnny?!!
Where is my wedding? Chrissy! Over by the wall! Gimme the big knife! CHRISSY No,
Ronny! Barbara appears in the doorway and comes down the stairs into the room.
RONNY Gimme the big knife! I'm gonna cut my throat! LORETTA Maybe I should come
back another time. RONNY No, I want you to see this! I want you to watch me kill
myself so you can tell my brother on his wedding day! Chrissy, gimme the big
knife! CHRISSY I tell you I won't do it! RONNY (to Loretta) Do you know about
me? BARBARA Oh, Mr. Cammareri! RONNY Nothing is anybody's fault, but things
happen. (holds up his left hand to Loretta) Look. He pulls off the glove. The
hand is made of wood. RONNY It's wood. It's fake. Five years ago I was engaged
to be married. Johnny came in here, he ordered bread from me. I put it in the
slicer and I talked with him and my hand got caught cause I wasn't paying
attention. The slicer chewed off my hand. It's funny 'cause - when my fianc?saw
that I was maimed, she left me for another man. LORETTA That's the bad blood
between you and Johnny? RONNY That's it. LORETTA But that wasn't Johnny's fault.
RONNY I don't care! I ain't no freakin monument to justice! I lost my hand, I
lost my bride! Johnny has his hand, Johnny has his bride! You come in here and
you want me to put away my heartbreak and forget? He goes to the big table,
which is floured and covered with bread. He sweeps everything off the tabletop
during the next. RONNY Is it just a matter of time till a man opens his eyes and
gives up his one dream of happiness? Maybe. Maybe. All I have... Have you come
here, Stranger, Bride of my Brother, to take these last few loaves from my
table? Alright. Alright. The table is bare. He stares at it blankly. He wanders
away, to the back room where the flour sacks are kept. We hear a single sob
escape him from that room, and then silence. Everyone in the oven room looks
after him. Then Chrissy approaches Loretta. She holds the big knife at her side.
CHRISSY This is the most tormented man I have ever known. I am in love with this
man. He doesn't know that. I never told him cause he can never love anybody
since he lost his hand and his girl. She holds out the knife. CHRISSY Here. Why
don't you just kill him? It would be so much more kind than coming here and
inviting him to a wedding like he'll never have. Loretta considers Chrissy,
decides what she's going to do, and goes to the flour room. INT. OF THE FLOUR
ROOM - DAY Many 50 lb. bags of flour are stacked under a bare electric bulb. A
rough stone staircase opposite is lit by daylight from above. Ronny, quietly
distraught, stands leaning by his forehead against a stack of flour. Loretta
approaches him. She feels for him. LORETTA Where you live? He points to the
stone staircase. RONNY Upstairs. She touches his shoulder. LORETTA Come on. He
follows her up the stairs. EXT. THE STAIRCASE ENTRANCE ON THE STREET Loretta and
Ronny emerge. He gestures. They enter the apartment building behind the bakery.
INT. THE PEACOCK CAFE ?DAY It's a dark Italian coffee and dessert house.
Reproductions of Roman statuary adorn grottos and alcoves. In the back is a
glass case displaying various desserts, and behind the case, a big burnished
gold cappuccino machine. The place is almost empty. MUSIC An album of
"NEAPOLITAN FOLK SONGS" is PLAYING on the cafe's SOUND SYSTEM. The CAMERA
TRAVELS along the face of an exposed brick wall, DISCOVERING busts of Romans
occasionally, and then IT COMES TO the figure of COSMO. He's sitting at a table
which is inset into a nook, so we cannot see who he's with. DARK NOOK IN THE
CAFE At a little table away from prying eyes, Cosmo sits with MONA, his
girlfriend. Mona is a pretty but overripe Italian woman in her late forties.
She's all done up, and she looks at Cosmo with adoration. COSMO And then there
is copper, which is the only pipe I use. It costs money. But it costs money
because it saves money. MONA And what did they say? COSMO The man understood me.
The woman wanted to be cheap, but the man saw that I was right. MONA You have
such a head for knowing. You know everything. COSMO I brought you something. He
takes out a small velvet box and hands it to her. COSMO It's a present. She
opens the box. It's a gold bracelet with a pattern of stars and birds. MONA Oh,
Cosmo! COSMO They are little stars and birds. Birds fly to the stars, I guess.
EXT. RONNY'S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY A three-story walk-up above Cammareri's
Bakery. INT. RONNY'S APARTMENT - DAY It's a two-bedroom apartment. The decor
reflects Ronny's love of the opera. The furniture is overstuffed, fringed in the
colors of Italian passion. But it is all a bit faded, the remains of an old
flamboyance. The walls are decorated with opera posters; and over the fireplace
there is a painting depicting a scene from "La Boheme": Mimi is standing in the
snow. Ronny stares at the picture of Mimi in the La Boheme poster. Loretta comes
in from the kitchen and sets down a cup of coffee. LORETTA You ready for the
coffee? Loretta moves back into the kitchen. Ronny turns and watches as she
walks down the hall. RONNY Loretta. What's that smell? LORETTA I'm making you a
steak. RONNY You don't have to help me. LORETTA I know that. I do what I want.
RONNY I like it well done. LORETTA You'll eat this bloody to feed your blood.
INT. RONNY'S APARTMENT -DINING ROOM - DAY CU of Ronny's artificial hand, holding
a fork stuck in a steak. With his right he is cutting his steak. He switches
hands and eats hungrily. Loretta watches. RONNY This is good. Uhh... LORETTA
Loretta. RONNY Where'd Johnny find you? LORETTA He knew my husband who died.
RONNY How'd he die? LORETTA Bus hit him. RONNY Fast. LORETTA Instantaneous.
RONNY When you get engaged? LORETTA Yesterday. Ronny drops his knife and fork
and turns away. Loretta is not surprised and does not move. RONNY Why? LORETTA
Why what? RONNY I don't know. LORETTA (smiles) So. Five years ago your hand got
cut off and your woman left you for another man. No woman since then? RONNY No.
LORETTA Stupid. RONNY When your husband get hit by the bus? LORETTA Seven years
ago. RONNY How many men since then? LORETTA Just Johnny. RONNY Stupid yourself.
LORETTA No. Unlucky. I have not been lucky. RONNY I don't care about Luck, you
understand me? It ain't that. LORETTA What? Do you think you're the only one
ever shed a tear? RONNY Why you talking to me? LORETTA You got any whiskey? How
'bout giving me a glass of whiskey? EXT. STREET NEAR BAKERY - DAY SHOT OF COSMO
& MONA IN THE BUICK The car has just come to a stop. We see Cosmo & Mona kiss.
She exits car. Cosmo glances around with a slightly guilty look and pulls away.
LORETTA AND RONNY AT THE TABLE WITH A BOTTLE OF WHISKEY Camera is close on
Scotch being poured into two glasses. Loretta picks up her glass and swallows a
healthy dose. RONNY She was right to leave me. LORETTA You think so? RONNY Yes.
LORETTA You really are stupid, you know that. Loretta pours herself another
shot. RONNY You don't know nothing about it. LORETTA I was raised that a girl
gets married young. I didn't get married until I was twenty-eight. I met a man.
I loved him. I married him. He wanted to have a baby right away. I said no. Then
he got hit by a bus. No man. No baby. No nothing! I did not know that man was a
gift I could not keep. I didn't know... You tell me a story and you think you
know what it means, but I see what the true story is, and you can't. (she pours
them both another drink) She didn't leave you! You can't see what you are. I can
see everything. You are a wolf! RONNY I'm a wolf? LORETTA The big part of you
has no words and it's-a wolf. This woman was a trap for you. She caught you and
you could not get away. (She grabs his wooden hand) So you chewed off your foot!
That was the price you had to pay to be free. (throws his hand down) Johnny had
nothing to do with it. You did what you had to do, between you and you, and I
know I'm right, I don't care what you say. And now you're afraid because you
found out the big part of you is a wolf that has the courage to bite off its own
hand to save itself from the trap of the wrong love. That's why there has been
no woman since that wrong woman. You are scared to death what the wolf will do
if you make that mistake again! RONNY What are you doing! LORETTA I'm telling
you your life! RONNY Stop it! LORETTA No! RONNY Why are you marrying Johnny?
He's a fool! LORETTA Because I have no Luck! RONNY (pounding on the table) He
made me look the wrong way and I cut off my hand. He could make you look the
wrong way and you could cut off your whole head! LORETTA I am looking where I
should to become a bride! RONNY A bride without a head! LORETTA A wolf without a
foot! Ronny stiff-arms everything off the dining table and grabs Loretta. They
kiss passionately. He pulls her up on the table and over the table to him. They
are in each other's arms. They are on fire. Loretta pushes him away, gasping for
air. LORETTA Wait a minute! Wait a minute! She changes her mind and lunges into
another kiss. They stop again after a long moment. They really haven't breathed.
They both suck in air and look at each other in wonder and fear and passion.
RONNY It's like I'm falling! It's like I'm in the ocean! They kiss again. When
they pull apart again, Loretta is crying. LORETTA I have no Luck! He picks her
up in his arms. RONNY Son of a bitch! LORETTA Where are you taking me? RONNY To
the bed. LORETTA Oh. Oh God. I don't care about anything. I don't care about
anything! Take me to the bed. He carries her away, into the bedroom. MUSIC: "O
SOAVE FANCIULLA", from "La Boheme." The MUSIC CONTINUES THROUGH THE NEXT SCENE.
INT. RONNY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM Ronny is laying her down in the bed. He is over
her. They look into each other's eyes. RONNY I can't believe what is happening.
LORETTA Me neither. RONNY I was dead. LORETTA I was dead, too. They kiss. When
they part there is a drop of blood on Loretta's lips. RONNY Your blood. LORETTA
All my life I have never reached a man. I knew that I would reach my husband,
but I took my time and he was dead. Ronny. RONNY Loretta. LORETTA I want to cut
you open and crawl inside of you. I want you to swallow me. RONNY I've got you.
LORETTA Get all of me. Take everything. RONNY What about Johnny? LORETTA You're
mad at him, take it out on me, take your revenge on me! Take everything, leave
nothing for him to marry! Hollow me out so there's nothing left but the skin
over my bones. Suck me dry! RONNY Alright. Alright. There will be nothing left.
Their eyes are boiling with fierce animal tears. They have opened their souls to
each other and they are coming together. The MUSIC SWELLS to a terrible triumph.
EXT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE - NIGHT Dog whines over exterior. INT. THE CASTORINI
HOUSE - AN UPSTAIRS BEDROOM - NIGHT With five beds for dogs. Four of the beds
are empty and on the fifth Judas is whining. He looks around at the other beds.
Where is everybody? He goes out the bedroom door. THE CASTORINI STAIRCASE -
NIGHT Judas is running down the stairs and into the hall. We FOLLOW HIM down the
hall. The hall is only dimly lit. He finds the four other dogs. They are crowded
at a narrow doorway. From the doorway comes a golden light. INT. THE CASTORINI
HOUSE - DINING ROOM - NIGHT THE PLEASED FACE OF COSMO THROUGH A VEIL OF STEAM
The CAMERA PULLS BACK. We are in the Castorini dining room. Cosmo sits at the
head of the table, a napkin tucked into his shirt. Rose has just laid down a
massive platter of steaming baked fish. Already on the table is a platter of
pasta, loaves of bread, a big bowl of salad, two bottles of wine, and an
appetizer plate of salami and pimento. Seated at the table is COSMO, the Old
Man, and RAYMOND and RITA CAPPOMAGGI. Raymond is rotund, moon-faced, bald,
somewhere in his fifties. He has a pencil-thin mustache over his small mouth.
His wife, Rita, looks very like him, except she has hair on her head and none on
her lip. Raymond is Rose's brother. There are two empty places at table, for
Rose and Loretta. COSMO Where's Loretta? We're gonna start without her. ONE OF
THE ENTRANCE WAYS TO THE DINING ROOM There is an accordion gate across it.
Behind the gate, the Five Dogs stare at the people having dinner. ROSE'S VOICE
She must be eating out. RAYMOND'S VOICE She don't know what she's missing.
ROSE'S VOICE It's not like her not to call. RITA'S VOICE Well, she's got a lot
on her mind. THE DINING TABLE - RITA IS LOADING UP HER PLATE RITA I mean, can we
talk about it, Rose? Everybody's heard. She's getting married again. COSMO I
don't wanna talk about it. RAYMOND Johnny Cammareri. I think it's great and
about time. What's she gonna do with the rest of her life she don't get married?
COSMO I don't wanna talk about it. The Old Man has piled his plate high with
food. Now he stands up, walks over to the Dogs, and puts the plate down in their
midst. The Dogs attack the food and each other. The Old Man walks back to the
table and sits down. He looks down at the empty place in front of him, a little
sad. COSMO My father needs a plate. Rose gets another plate from a sideboard and
puts it in front of the Old Man. He immediately, methodically begins to fill his
new plate. Rose goes to her place and sits down. RAYMOND Cosmo. Many years ago,
when they told me you were marrying my sister, I was happy. When I told Rose I
was marrying Rita, she was happy. RITA Marriage is happy news. The Old Man
laughs uproariously, subsides, goes back to filling his plate. COSMO Rose, pass
the wine. RAYMOND I never seen anybody so in love like Cosmo back then! He'd
stand outside the house all day and look in the windows. I never told you this
cause it's not really a story. But one time I woke up in the middle of the night
cause this bright light was in my face. Like a flashlight. I couldn't think a
what it was. I looked out the window, and it was the moon! Big as a house! I
never seen the moon so big before or since. I was almost scared, like it was
gonna crush the house. And I looked down, and standing there in the street was
Cosmo, looking up at the windows. This is the funny part. I got mad at you,
Cosmo! I thought you brought this big moon over to my house cause you were so in
love and woke me up with it. I was half asleep I guess and didn't know no
better. COSMO You were altogether asleep. You were dreaming. RAYMOND No. You
were there. Raymond stares at Cosmo, nodding, remembering. There's a lull at the
table, the SOUND of SILVERWARE. COSMO I don't wanna talk about it. ROSE
(suddenly angry) Well, what do you wanna talk about! COSMO Rita. Pass the wine.
ROSE Why you drinking so much? The Old Man gets up with his newly filled plate
and heads for the Dogs. ROSE Old Man, if you give another piece of my food to
those dogs, I'm gonna kick you till you're dead! The Old Man reverses direction
and heads back to his chair. He sits down and starts to eat. EXT. THE CASTORINI
HOUSE - NIGHT Over the house is a great big full moon. INT. THE CASTORINI HOUSE
- MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT The lights in the bedroom are still on. Cosmo is in
bed, in his pajamas, asleep. Rose comes in her nightgown. She looks at Cosmo.
He's snoring lightly. ROSE Cosmo? He doesn't stir. She goes to him and runs her
hand through his hair. ROSE You drank too much and now you sleep too hard, and
later you'll be up when you should be down. She kisses his cheek. Then she turns
out the lights. When the electric lights go out, moonlight floods the room. She
goes to the window and looks out through the curtains at the moon. Rose puts her
face in her hands and quietly cries. EXT. ROSE'S POV SHOT OF MOON FROM CASTORINI
HOUSE - NIGHT RESUME INT. CASTORINI HOUSE - MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT (Rose crying.
INT. RONNY'S APARTMENT - BEDROOM - NIGHT The bedroom is flooded by moonlight.
Loretta wakes up, a little alarmed. LORETTA What's that? Ronny wakes up, a
little alarmed. RONNY What? LORETTA That light. RONNY I don't know. I think it's
the moon. Loretta goes to the window wrapped in a white sheet from the bed. The
window is glowing with moonlight. The moonlight strikes her, and she is caught
in its spell. LORETTA Oh. Ronny appears behind her, pulling on a robe. They
speak in low voices, as if they were in church. RONNY It's so bright. LORETTA
I've never seen a moon like that. RONNY It makes you look like an angel. She
turns and looks at him. They kiss. They break apart. Ronny looks up at the moon.
RONNY Yeah. Looks like a big snowball. EXT. THE CAPPOMAGGI HOUSE NIGHT Shot of
the house with the moon overhead. INT. RAYMOND AND RITA CAPPOMAGGI'S BEDROOM -
NIGHT There is a big window right by the bed, and in the window is the moon.
Raymond and Rita are in their bed, asleep. Raymond wakes up, and sees the moon
in the window. He's stunned and excited, but he too speaks in this low voice of
respect. RAYMOND Rita. Rita. RITA (waking up) What? What? RAYMOND Look. RITA Oh.
RAYMOND It's Cosmo's moon. RITA What are you talking about, Raymond? Cosmo can't
own the moon. RAYMOND I mean it's that moon I was talking about at dinner.
(looks through the window, down into the street) Is he down there? No. RITA Is
who down there? RAYMOND Cosmo. RITA What would he be doing down there? RAYMOND I
don't know. RITA You know, in this light, and with that expression on your face,
you look about twenty-five years old. Raymond smiles at her meekly. EXT. THE
CASTORINI HOUSE - NIGHT Over the house is still the great big full moon. The
front door opens and out comes the Old Man with the five Dogs. The Old Man is in
a greatcoat and a felt hat, and he's smoking a cigar. He stops on the top step
and lets go a huge plume of cigar smoke. Then he starts off with the Dogs down
the street. EXT.. EAST RIVER - NIGHT The moon and nothing else. Then a cigar is
thrown into it and sends it shimmering. It was the moon reflected in water. Now
the CAMERA PULLS BACK and WE SEE the Old Man and the Five Dogs are standing on a
ruined pier. The moon gleams up from the Hudson River. The Old Man speaks to the
Dogs. OLD MAN Alright now. Howl. Howl. The Dogs do not howl. So the Old Man, by
way of demonstration, howls at the moon. He looks to the Dogs to follow suit.
They do nothing. He howls at the moon again. The Dogs do nothing. The CAMERA
CONTINUES TO PULL BACK until WE CAN SEE the whole pier, with the Old Man and the
Dogs on it, and the moon above them. The Old Man, frustrated now, cries out. OLD
MAN How long must I wait? Quanto tempo devo aspettare! The Dogs start to HOWL.
The Old Man, pleased as the Mad Hatter he is, laughs and laughs. EXT. EAST RIVER
- DAY Transition from moon reflecting in the water to dawn. INT. RONNIE'S
APARTMENT - BEDROOM - DAY Morning sun floods the room. Close on Loretta, she
wakes up. LORETTA Oh my God. RONNY What? Loretta jumps from bed, grabs her
clothes to cover herself, and backs into closet. LORETTA What? What have we
done? RONNY (perturbed) Take it easy. LORETTA (from closet as she hurriedly gets
dressed) This time I was trying to do everything right. RONNY (he grabs a
bathrobe, pulls it on, puts it on and moves towards the closet.) Don't just
become excited. LORETTA I thought if I stayed away from the City Hall, I won't
have that Bad Luck I had again. RONNY You're trying to make me feel guilty.
LORETTA I'm marrying your brother! RONNY All right, I'm guilty. I confess!
LORETTA You're invited to the wedding! It's in a few weeks. Why didn't you do
like him and be with your dying mother in Palermo? RONNY She didn't like me.
LORETTA You don't get along with anybody! RONNY What did you do? LORETTA What
did I do? RONNY You ruined my life. LORETTA That's impossible! It was ruint when
I got here! You ruint my life! RONNY Oh no I didn't! Loretta emerges from the
closet, tucking in her blouse. LORETTA Oh yes, oh yes you did! You've got those
bad eyes like a gypsy! Why didn't I see it yesterday! Bad Luck! Is that all I'm
ever gonna have? Why didn't I just pick up a stone and kill myself years and
years ago? I'm gonna marry him! RONNY What? LORETTA Last night never happened,
you hear me? I'm gonna marry him anyway and last night never happened, and you
and I are gonna take this to our coffins! RONNY I can't do that! LORETTA Why
not? RONNY I'm in love with you! Loretta stares at him in alarm, slaps his face,
then studies his face to see the effect of the slap. She is dissatisfied and
slaps him again. LORETTA Snap out of it! RONNY I can't! LORETTA Alright. Then I
must never see you again. The bad blood will have to stay there between you and
Johnny for all time. You won't come to the wedding. RONNY I'll come to the
wedding. LORETTA I'm telling you you can't. RONNY But he wants me to come!
LORETTA But that's cause he don't know! RONNY Alright. I will not come. Provided
one thing. LORETTA What? RONNY That you come with me tonight. Once. To the
Opera. LORETTA What are you talking about? RONNY I love two things. I love you,
and I love the Opera. If I can have the two things that I love together for one
night, I will be satisfied to give up the rest of my life. LORETTA Alright.
RONNY Alright. Meet me at the Met. LORETTA Alright. Where's the Met? CATHOLIC
CHURCH IN LITTLE ITALY - DAY Camera moves from stained glass windows to
confessional. Loretta is next in line of THREE SINNERS waiting to go into the
confessional. A FORGIVEN WOMAN emerges from the curtained booth and walks off to
pay her penance. Loretta goes into the booth. INT. CHURCH - CONFESSIONAL - DAY
Loretta kneels. The slide opens and an OLD PRIEST'S FACE can be seen in outline
through the screen. LORETTA Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It's been two
months since my last confession. PRIEST What sins have you to confess? LORETTA
Twice I took the name of God in vain, once I slept with the brother of my fianc?
and once I bounced a check at the liquor store -- but that was really an
accident. PRIEST Then it was not a sin. But what was that second thing you said,
Loretta? LORETTA I... a... slept with my fianc?s brother. PRIEST That's a pretty
big sin. LORETTA I know. PRIEST You should think about this. LORETTA I know.
PRIEST Alright. This is your penance. Say two rosaries and... be careful,
Loretta. Reflect on your life. LORETTA Alright. PRIEST I absolve you in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. INT. CHURCH - DAY
Loretta comes out of the confessional and enters a pew. She crosses herself.
Then she recognizes the back of a woman's head a few pews down. She gets up,
walks down the aisle, and kneels down next to her mother, Rose. LORETTA Hi. ROSE
(looking up from her prayers) Where you been? LORETTA I don't wanna talk about
it. ROSE Just like your father. I lied to him. He thinks you came home last
night. LORETTA Thanks. What's the matter with you? ROSE Cosmo's cheating on me.
LORETTA What! How do you know? ROSE A wife knows. LORETTA Then you don't know.
You're just imagining it. He's too old. Rose starts to reply, but then decides
it's not worth the argument. LORETTA I won't be home for dinner. Loretta crosses
herself quickly, gets up, and leaves. Rose looks after, and then goes back to
her prayer. INT. CAMMARERI'S BAKERY - DAY Feminine hands apply the final
decorative touches of blue icing to a wedding cake. Then the hands set the
plastic bride and groom on the pinnacle. The CAMERA PULLS BACK. Barbara is
viewing her handiwork, a wedding cake on a stainless steel wheeled cart. She's
in the back part of the bakery. Barbara is pleased with her creation. We TRAVEL
WITH HER as she rolls the cart out to the front of the store where Chrissy is
waiting on a huge man named HARVEY. She hands him a tiny box, which he takes
meekly. HARVEY See you tomorrow, Chrissy. CHRISSY Okay, Harvey. Harvey lumbers
off as Barbara enters the front of the store with the cake on its cart. Barbara
calls Chrissy's attention to the cake. BARBARA So what do you think? CHRISSY
About what? BARBARA The cake! CHRISSY (without enthusiasm) Where's Ronny? How
come he ain't come down? BARBARA How should I know? The PHONE RINGS. Chrissy
answers it. CHRISSY Hello, Cammareri's? Hi. Uh-huh. Okay. She hangs up. CHRISSY
That was Ronny. He don't feel good. He ain't gonna be down today. Chrissy comes
out from behind the counter. She's staring at the cake. BARBARA What, is he
still upset? Without warning, Chrissy whacks the little bride and groom off the
cake and on to the floor. CHRISSY It's that bitch! Barbara looks at her,
shocked. EXT. CAPPOMAGGI'S ITALIAN PROVISIONS - DAY An Italian specialty store
in Little Italy. INT. CAPPOMAGGI'S STORE - DAY Provolones and salamis hang from
above. To the one side is a deli counter, to the other a series of tables
displaying cheeses by the pound, packaged cakes, etc. In the back are a few
tables and a kitchen with counter. Up front, behind the deli counter, stands
Rita Cappomaggi in a blue apron. Out by the tables, Raymond unpacks some jars of
olives. In the back, a TRUCK DRIVER can dimly be seen eating his lunch. RAYMOND
(to Rita) I feel great I got no sleep but I feel like Orlando Furioso! RITA
(looks around cautiously, then speaks) You were a tiger last night. RAYMOND And
you were a lamb. As soft as milk. RITA Shut up. They'll hear you in the back.
RAYMOND So what? The pleasure of marriage is you sleep with the woman and then
you don't worry about nothing. Hey, how about a date tonight, Rita. Let's eat
pasta and roll around. RITA (scandalized) Raymond, Raymond, lower your voice!
What's got into you? RAYMOND I don't know! That moon! That crazy moon Cosmo sent
over! Loretta walks in. LORETTA Hi. RAYMOND Hey there (sings) ...YOU WITH THE
STARS IN YOUR EYES... LORETTA (to Rita) What's the matter with him? RITA You got
me. RAYMOND You see that moon last night? LORETTA (suspicious and guilty) What
about the moon? RAYMOND Did you see it? LORETTA (she lies, nervous) No. RAYMOND
Oh. LORETTA Listen, I gotta go. I'll take the deposit to the bank but I'll do
the books tomorrow. I gotta go. RAYMOND You gotta date? RITA What are you
talking about, you fool? Her fianc?s in Palermo. RAYMOND Oh. Right. LORETTA I
got things to do. RITA Sure you do. You got all that wedding stuff. LORETTA
Right. RAYMOND Well, that's romantic, too. (SINGS) ...ISN'T IT ROMANTIC... He is
walking towards the back now. He shouts to somebody in the kitchen. RAYMOND HEY.
Make me a bowl of minestrone. The women are left alone. RITA What's the matter?
You look crazy. LORETTA I got a lot on my mind, Aunt Rita. INT. A CHURCH
BASEMENT It's been set up for a church bazaar. There are several wheels of
fortune, many stuffed animals, coffee urns, cakes, a game of ring toss, etc. AS
THE CAMERA inventories the contents of the various stands -- a LITTLE NUN sleeps
in one of them -- we HEAR the Old Man's VOICE. OLD MAN'S VOICE I've got a lot on
my mind. Things are getting bad in my house. My daughter-in-law is mad at my son
because he will not pay for the wedding. A TUB OF APPLES FLOATING IN WATER An
old, gnarled hand reaches in and pulls one out, dries it with a towel. The
CAMERA PULLS BACK REVEALING that the hand belongs to Lucy, who is standing
behind a table with the Old Man and Felix. She hands the apple to the Old Man,
who drives a small wooden stake into it with a little wooden hammer. Then the
Old Man hands this staked apple to Felix, who dips it into a deep metal pot. It
emerges shining with red candy goo. Then Felix sets the candled apple onto a
papered tray where a dozen already sit. They repeat this process. But the Old
Man, because his thoughts are elsewhere, takes forever to drive the stake into
the apple. This frustrates Felix. OLD MAN At dinner, my daughter-in-law
threatened to kill me. Things are very bad in my house. FELIX Hurry up. LUCY
Don't fight. OLD MAN If I hit the stick too har