Kramer Versus Kramer
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KRAMER VERSUS KRAMER Screenplay by Robert Benton 13 INT. FOYER - NIGHT Joanna carries in the suitcase, sets it by the front door, then she crosses to the living room and sits down at the dining table. She takes out a list made on the back of an old envelope. As she begins to review it, check- ing off some items: Sound: A key turning in the lock. As the door swings open to reveal Ted Kramer, an enormous grin on his face, a bottle of champagne in his hand. He is so full of himself that he doesn't notice there is anything wrong. TED I thought you might just like to know that at five-fifteen this afternoon we were officially handed the Fire and Ice account by Revlon. JOANNA (she takes a deep breath, then:) Ted, I'm leaving you. TED That represents a gross billing in excess of two million-- (hearing her) What?! Joanna opens her purse, takes out her keys and wallet. JOANNA Here are my keys. I won't be needing them any more. Note: Ted does not for a moment believe that his wife will really leave him. All he can think of right now is that he will have to spend the rest of the evening coping with one of her moods. TED (sardonic) I'm sorry I'm late, all right? I'm sorry I didn't call--I was busy making a living. Joanna doesn't even bother to look up at him. She opens her purse, takes out her wallet and begins removing credit cards. JOANNA My American Express...My Bloomingdale's Credit Card... My check book-- TED (the martyr) Okay, okay...What is it this time? What did I do now?... JOANNA (ignoring this) I took two thousand out of the savings account. That was what I had in the bank when we got married. TED Joanna, whatever it is, believe me, I'm sorry. JOANNA Here are the slips for the laundry and the cleaning. They'll be ready on Saturday. TED Now listen, before you do something you'll really regret you'd better stop and think-- JOANNA (not bothering to look up) I've paid the rent, the Con-Ed and the phone bill, so you don't have to worry about them. She checks off the last item on her list as her husband watches, dumbfounded. JOANNA There, that's everything. Joanna gets to her feet and starts toward the front door. In an instant Ted is after her. TED (panic starting) For God's sake, Joanna, would you at least tell me what I did that's so terrible! Would you do me that little favor? ON JOANNA--at the door. JOANNA Look, it's not your fault, okay? It's me. It's my fault--you just married the wrong person. TED (placating her) So we've got problems. Everybody's got problems--that's normal-- Joanna opens the door and they step out into the hallway. 14 INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE KRAMER APT. - EVENING JOANNA Ted, you're not listening to me. It's over, finished. TED I'm listening, Joanna--believe me, I'm listening. My wife is walking out on me after eight years of-- JOANNA (bitter) You just don't get it, do you? (as though to a child) I - am - really - and - truly - leaving - you. TED I heard you, Joanna. I promise I heard you. JOANNA No you didn't. (quietly) You didn't even ask about Billy. TED (stiffening) What about Billy? JOANNA I'm not taking him with me. TED What? JOANNA (tears start) Ted, I can't...I tried...I really tried but...I just can't hack it anymore... TED C'mon, Joanna, you don't mean that. You're a terrific mother-- JOANNA I am not! I'm a terrible mother! I'm an awful mother. I yell at him all the time. I have no patience. No...No. He's better off without me. (unable to look at Ted) Ted, I've got to go...I've got to go. TED (desperate) Okay, I understand and I promise I won't try and stop you, but you can't just go...Look, come inside and talk...Just for a few minutes. JOANNA (pleading) No!...Please...Please don't make me stay...I swear...If you do, sooner or later...maybe tomorrow, maybe next week...maybe a year from now... (looking directly at him) I'll go right out the window. TED (quiet) Where are you going? JOANNA I don't know... The elevator door opens, Joanna steps inside. TED Do you want me to help you get a cab? Joanna shakes her head. The elevator door closes behind her and it starts to descend. ON TED KRAMER--He stands for a moment, stunned, unable to move. Then he turns and races back into the apartment. 16 Looking down to the street from the eighth floor. We SEE Joanna step off the curb and hail a passing taxi. TED (calling out) Joanna!?.. .Joanna?! Either she doesn't hear him or else she pays no attention. She gets into the cab, closes the door behind her and it drives away. 19 EXT. APT. BLDG. - LATE AT NIGHT WIDE SHOT--The building is dark except for the Kramer apartment which is ablaze with lights. HOLD as we HEAR: Sound: The phone ringing. Then: WOMAN'S VOICE (obviously asleep) Huh.. .Hello? TED (righteous) All right, Thelma...That's it. I've had it. You can call your good friend Joanna Kramer and tell her enough is enough, okay? I mean, I don't know what I did, but you can tell her she's made her point. WOMAN'S VOICE Ted, what are you talking about?! TED Don't play innocent with me, Thelma. You know perfectly well what's going on. WOMAN'S VOICE (exasperated) Ted, I don't understand a word you're saying. Where's Joanna? TED Ha! You tell me. Sound-effect, as Ted slams down the receiver. 20 Instantly a light is turned on two floors below. CUT TO: 21 INT. FOYER, KRAMER APT. - NIGHT ON THE FRONT DOOR--as we HEAR: Sound-effect: the doorbell rings. A moment later Ted opens the door and THELMA PHILLIPS enters. She is a neighbor and Joanna Kramer's best friend. THELMA (looking around, suspiciously) All right. What's going on? TED All right, Thelma, you want to know what's going on? I'll tell you what's going on. I'll tell you exactly what's going on. THELMA Look, Ted, all I-- TED (starting to really roll) I came home tonight. We just got the Fire and Ice account at the agency. Do you know what that means?! Do you understand what that means? It means that it was maybe one of the five best days in my whole life. THELMA Ted, all I wanted to know was where-- TED (not letting her get a word in edgewise) I walk in the house and before I can say "How are you?", "Did you have a nice day?" before I can say anything. Pow she's out the door. THELMA Oh my God. Didn't she say anything? She must've said something. TED (sarcastic) Yeah, she said it wasn't any use talking anymore. THELMA Ted, don't be so hostile. Ted draws himself upright with the dignity of the Ambassador to the Court of St. James. However, during the following, he begins pounding the pillows on the couch into shape with real vehemence. TED Hostile? (pow) Me? (whack) Thelma, I'm not hostile. (thud) I am anything but hostile. (sock) But if you want to know what I am. I'll tell you what I am. What I am is, I am hurt. I am very hurt. And I just want to know one thing, okay? Just one thing ...Why? That's all I want to know...Why? THELMA Ted, Joanna and I used to talk a lot and...well, she told me a lot of...ah, things about the two of you. TED (instantly nervous) Things? What kind of things? THELMA (clearly she knows more than she's willing to say) I mean...things. Ted, Joanna's very unhappy and-- TED (flash of anger) Listen, Joanna Kramer's got a goddamn good life. She's got a husband that loves her. She's got a terrific kid. She's got a wonderful home-- THELMA (getting mad herself) What d'you know about how Joanna felt? You went off to an office every morning and you'd come dragging home at seven or eight every night and as long as dinner was on the table you thought everything was swell. TED Did it ever occur to you guys that Joanna Kramer's not the easiest person in the world to live with?! Did it?! For one thing she's always thirty minutes late. You can set your watch by it-- THELMA (exasperated) So she's late. What's the big deal. That's just a way of saying, "Pay attention to me." TED (not listening) Two. She is getting to be a real hermit or recluse or whatever it is you call it. Thelma, do you know where I could be in this business if I had a wife that entertained or went out socially-- THELMA Oh for shit's sake, Ted, you are the most selfish human being I have ever met. No wonder she said you came first, then Billy, then, if there was anything left over, she got the scraps. TED Joanna said that? Thelma nods. TED Then how come she never said anything like that to me? THELMA Maybe she didn't feel like she should have to. Maybe she felt like if you'd been paying any real attention to her to start with, maybe you would've noticed. TED Boy, you guys are really something, y'know? I'd like to know one thing, okay--just one little thing. Did you tell Joanna she should leave me? THELMA (stiffly) No. She turns and starts toward the front door, Ted at her heel. TED Y'know something Thelma--you are the typhoid Mary of divorce. I mean it. Joanna and I never had any trouble until you and Charley split up. THELMA Ted, divorce is a terrible thing. I know, I went through it. You've got to believe I did everything I could to get Joanna to stay. (pause) But I'll tell you something. You may not want to hear it, but it took a lot of courage for Joanna to do what she just did. TED I'd like to know what the hell kind of courage it takes to walk out on your husband and your child? CLOSE ON THELMA--That stops her dead in her tracks. She had always assumed that Joanna took Billy with her when she left. THELMA Joanna left Billy? She didn't take him with her? Ted shakes his head. There is a long beat of silence. THELMA (stunned, quiet) Oh Shit. reveal - ujawniać, wyjawiać, odkrywać grin - szeroki uśmiech hand (verb) - wręczać take a deep breath - wziąć głęboki oddech excess - nadwyżka purse - portmonetka cope with something - radzić sobie z czymś mood - nastrój make a living - zarabiać na życie martyr - męczennik savings account - rachunek oszczędnościowy slip - paragon laundry - pralnia dumbfounded - oniemiały get to one’s feet - wstać, zerwać się na nogi do a favor - oddać przysługę placate - udobruchać, zjednać stiffen - sztywnieć hack (something) - tu: radzic sobie z czymś terrific - wspaniały yell - wrzeszczeć, krzyczeć patience - cierpliwość plead - błagać elevator - winda cab - taksówka descend - schodzić stunned - oszołomiony, wstrząśnięty race - pędzić curb - tu: krawężnik hail - przywoływać ablaze - rozświetlony Enough is enough! - Wystarczy! Dość! make one’s point - udowodnić swoją rację innocent - niewinny exasperated - rozdrażniony, poirytowany slam down - trzaskać (drzwiami), rzucać (słuchawką) suspiciously - podejrzliwie edgewise - pomiędzy, w przerwie hostile - wrogi upright - wyprostowany dignity - godność pound - walić, tłuc, grzmocić vehemence - gwałtowność, zaciekłość goddamn - cholerny drag - wlec się swell - fajny, pierwszorzędny occur - tu: przychodzić na myśl hermit - pustelnik recluse - odludek, samotnik selfish - samolubny scrap - skrawek typhoid - tyfus assume - przypuszczać, zakładać you'd better stop and think- lepiej przestań i pomyśl TEST
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