HELEN AND INEZ SIT HUDDLED TOGETHER ON HELEN'S TINY FRONT PORCH SMOKING CIGARETTES AND LOOKING OUT INTO POURING RAIN
INEZ
Does Emmy have a huge scar?
HELEN
Nah. It's not too big. My scar is much longer. I was fifteen when my appendix burst. I remember coming to and seeing that they'd shaved my pubes. I felt violated and mortified.
INEZ
I've been going for bikini wax.
HELEN
Ick. My old Jew bush is so white now that it barely shows but I guess if I had a new boyfriend I'd consider it.
INEZ
Not a big deal. Hurts a little the first time but you get used to it.
HELEN
I just can't imagine lying there spread eagle waiting for a stranger to pour hot wax over my mons pubis.
INEZ
You get pap smears don't you?
HELEN
Yeah. But that's medical. And believe me, if my doctor didn't hound me about it I'd pass on that too.
INEZ
Did you do any better with Emmy's beau? You know, Nate really likes him.
HELEN
Oh God. Was that fucking weird. It turns out that Brandon's mom was bi-polar and had committed suicide right before he met Em.
INEZ
Youch.
HELEN
Yeah. At first I was weirded out and also pissed that they'd kept it from me.
INEZ
Helen, you know, you yourself have sort of created a scenario where stuff is kept from you.
HELEN
Fuck you. I think my judgey-ness is highly exaggerated.
INEZ RAISES HER EYEBROW
HELEN
Okay. Slightly exaggerated. And as much as I hate to admit it, they were probably right to withhold the inside dope. Being there for a week I got to see how they operate. He doesn't have this sick mommy thing going at all. He gets what she's going through. He sees, that unlike his poor mom, Emmy is on top of things and accepts that she'll probably always have to be on meds and that she'll likely have to keep tweaking them. As much as I love George, Brandon gets her on a much deeper level. He's also, as Nate observed, incredibly bright.
INEZ
Yeah, Nate said that you'd probably get to like him eventually.
HELEN
Did Nate know about the mom's suicide?
INEZ
Don't think so. At least he didn't mention it to me.
HELEN
Brandon knows all about her meds, what she takes and when. And he keeps up on the literature. He read about a brand new drug. Em asked her psychiatrist about trying it and she's doing really well. Not as logy as with the Depakote. You know what else Emmy hadn't mentioned?
INEZ
What?
HELEN
Brandon's from old money.
HELEN AND INEZ HIGH FIVE
INEZ
How did Ian do when you were gone? I left a message and he didn't call me back.
HELEN
He didn't call you back?
INEZ
Well, I was merciful and said that he didn't HAVE to call me back unless he needed something. I guess he survived.
HELEN
The only casualty is that he tried to run the dishwasher. Couldn't find the detergent so squirted in a bunch of dish soap.
INEZ
Oh God. That must have been a big sudsy mess.
HELEN
The kitchen floor was very clean. And he and Fido were very happy to see me. Although he's in a big tizzy now. It's intern season. He's got three people coming into the archive and inevitably they screw things up and ask him questions, forcing him to talk to them. I'm sure he'll come home fuming about some rare print getting ruined or some idiot who won't stop blathering.
INEZ
Well, he has a steady job and he's certainly loyal.
HELEN
That he is. Emmy got on my case about smoking. She says she's worried that Ian will outlive me and that she and Hannah will be stuck with him. Get him a Russian mail order bride right away if anything happens to me.
INEZ
We do need to stop smoking.
HELEN
Yeah, as soon as Trump is impeached...
INEZ
And we need to be more active. With all this friggin' rain it's been nearly a month since we walked or gone to exercise.
HELEN
You know, they say it's over three miles if you go from one end of the new Ikea to the other.
INEZ
Let's do it tomorrow. I love those meatballs.
CUT TO IAN AT THE FILM ARCHIVE SURVEYING THREE YOUNG INTERNS
IAN (Approaching an intern)
What are you doing?
INTERN
This reel doesn't have any leader.
IAN
You're putting sound leader on a silent print. See, the silent film has perforations on both sides of the frame.
IAN LOOKS AROUND AND SNIFFS. HE FLIPS A SWITCH THAT SAYS "DE-HUMIDIFIER. DO NOT TOUCH."
Ian
Who turned off the de-humidifier? It should never be turned off, especially in this weather.
INTERN 2
Oops. Sorry. I thought it was a light switch.
THE THIRD INTERN, ROSE, IS WORKING ON A PRINT INTENTLY. SHE WEARS A VERY SHORT SKIRT AND BOOTS AND IS FRESH FACED AND STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL.
ROSE
Professor MacIntyre, Can you help me with this.
IAN
Sure, but call me Ian.
ROSE
Alright, Ian. I'm confused about this print. It's Ride the Whirlwind. The first reel is on Kodak stock. The edge code chart dates it 1963 but the second reel is on Dupont stock and it has this weird stuff on it. Look...
IAN APPROACHES THE REWINDS
IAN
Oh, those are commercial slugs from a TV print. It must be a cannibalized print that some collector put together. He probably had a couple of prints and assembled one with the best of all of them. You need to check the running time in the catalog and put it on the inspection machine to see if it's complete. Good catch Rose. But let's do it tomorrow. It's time to clean up and head out.
IAN AND THE INTERNS PUT AWAY FILMS AND SUPPLIES. ROSE LEANS OVER A TRIM BIN AND IAN ADMIRES HER LITHE BODY. A HANDSOME YOUNG MAN ENTERS THE ROOM AND APPROACHES ROSE. THEY KISS.
ROSE
Ian, this is my boyfriend Mark.
MARK
Ahem...
ROSE
Oops. Fiance. We got engaged on Valentine's Day.
IAN
Congratulations.
ROSE
Mark is a filmmaker. Is it OK if I show him around a little?
IAN
Of course.
MARK
Professor McIntyre, I just read your piece about Rossellini in Film Comment. And of course your book on D.W. Griffith is seminal. I was so happy when Rose was accepted to the internship program.
IAN
Well, Rose seems to have a genuine aptitude. We're happy to have her. What kinds of films do you make?
MARK
Documentaries.
ROSE
C'mon Mark. Don't be so modest. He made BEAM OF LIGHT. It was just on PBS.
IAN
Oh. I saw that. It was excellent. That footage from the Imperial War Museum is stunning. Beautiful film. Okay Rose, give him the nickel tour while I start locking up.
IAN WATCHES RATHER WISTFULLY AS HAND IN HAND THEY STROLL DOWN AN AISLE OF FILM RACKS.
CUT TO
HELEN IS STANDING AT THE STOVE WEARING A STAINED APRON OVER A HOUSE DRESS AND WINNIE THE POOH SLIPPERS. HER HAIR IS MESSILY PILED ON TOP OF HER HEAD. IAN ENTERS.
HELEN
How are the interns? Do you want rice or potatoes?
IAN
Not bad. What's the main course?
HELEN
Trout.
IAN
Potatoes.
HE APPROACHES HER, HUGS HER AND KISSES HER NECK
IAN
You smell like an ashtray.
HELEN
You smell like film cleaner.
IAN
I'll go take a shower.
HELEN
Good.
IAN
Remember when we used to take showers together?
HELEN
Yeah.
IAN
You wanna?
HELEN
Nope.
IAN
Good.
HELEN
Do you want spinach or broccoli?
IAN
Neither.
HELEN
I'll do the broccoli with the sun dried tomatoes and anchovy paste.
IAN
Okay. That's not so bad. I'm glad you're back.
HELEN
Me too.
FADE OUT
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