Beat. Awkward silence. Suddenly there is tension between them.
ROBERTMy mistake. I apologize.
FRANCESCAWhat made you ask such a question
ROBERTI thought that's what we weredoing -- asking questions.
FRANCESCA(defensive)I thought we were just having aconversation. You seem to be readingall this meaning into it. Meanings Imust be too simple to, uh...
interpret or something.
ROBERTI already apologized.
Silence. Robert remains seated. Francesca remains at the sink.
ROBERT (cont'd)It's getting late.
rises)Thank you for dinner.
Pause. Francesca feels badly.
FRANCESCAListen, I'm sorry I --ROBERTNo, no. Forgive me. I made a mistake.
It was an inappropriate thing to ask.
FRANCESCA(shrugs it off, then:)... I feel like something's beenspoiled now.
Robert smiles and crosses to her. He takes her hand into bothhis hands.
ROBERTIt's been a perfect evening. Just theway it is. Thank you.
Francesca smiles. The possibility of a kiss hangs in the airbetween them until Robert turns to get his film out of thefridge. As he exits through the screen door, he stops.
ROBERT (cont'd)One thing though -- don't kid yourself,Francesca. You're anything but asimple woman.
He smiles and exits, catching the screen door before itslams.
Francesca doesn't move for a moment, then crosses to the dooras if to run after him when she is stopped by the PHONERINGING. She picks up.
FRANCESCAHello
RICHARD (on phone)Franny
FRANCESCARichard, hi.
RICHARD (on phone)How are you
FRANCESCAFine. Everyone settled in okay
RICHARD (on phone)Just fine. We're all in one room.
Michael's on the couch andCarolyn's...
continues...)She hears Robert's truck door open and close. She hears themotor being turned on. She half-listens to Richard.
FRANCESCAUh-uh... good... Hmmm...
She hears the truck driving away as Richard continues
RICHARD (on phone)We got our position in the Fair. Notbad although I would have liked to bethird which is not too early and nottoo late. But I told Carolyn not toworry...
continues, if needed)CUT TO
INT. FRANCESCA BEDROOM - NIGHTFrancesca exits her bathroom, in her bathrobe, shutting thelight. She is brushing her hair and thinking of Robert. Shesits on the edge of the bed. She sees her reflection in amirror on the closet door.
She stands and takes her robe off. She steps forward to lookat her body -- running her hands gently around her curves, herneck, down the side of her thighs, her face, her breasts.
She shuts off the lights and gets into bed under the covers.
She closes her eyes and tentatively begins to explore herbody. It is awkward for her but we can see her trying to letherself go. Until she opens her eyes in frustration. It's nogood. She can't do it. She feels ashamed. The shame turnsinto anger.
INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHTFrancesca sits at a writing table with two large books openedbefore her containing literary quotations. She searches forthe line Robert mentioned in the pasture.
A note sits before her as well. On it reads: "Robert. Again,I'm sorry for last night. Would you like supper again tonightafter you're finished. I'd like it very much if I were one ofthose good friends you have in the world. Anytime is fine --Francesca... P.S. By the way, "Of what I call God and Foolscall Nature" was..." She writes the name BROWNING.
CUT TO
EXT. ROSEMAN BRIDGE - NIGHTFrancesca is tacking a note for Robert to the bridge. Sheconsiders taking it down a moment later, but decides not to.
She gets back into her truck and drives away.
WIDE ANGLE OF BRIDGES - DAWNDISSOLVE TO
The view of the bridge goes in and out of focus until werealize we are seeing it through Robert's camera lens.
Once the focus it sets, Robert notices something is tackedonto the bridge. He crosses to it hurriedly -- time for theperfect shot is running out -- pulls it down, thumbtack andall, and shoves it into his pocket, unread. He returns tohis camera to take his shots.
CUT TO
INT. JOHNSON BEDROOM - MORNINGFrancesca is making her bed when she hears a truck drivingdown the road. She looks out the window to see
Robert's truck. However, it passes right by her house.
Francesca's spirit sinks. She feels silly, ashamed andrejected. She sits on the bed.
FANTASY
Inside the truck, Robert drives by the house and chuckles tohimself at the foolishness of some boring, frustratedhousewife. Francesca's note has been crumbled and stuffedinto a dirty ashtray.
END OF FANTASY
Francesca enters her bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
INT. KITCHEN - LATER THAT MORNINGFrancesca sits at the kitchen table in her bathrobe with acup of coffee -- a comic portrait of shame and self-pity. Herhair is a mess, she hasn't showered or dressed and she staresinto space while listening to the bluesy Chicago radiostation.
The sink is full of dirty dishes she refuses to clean. Besideit is an ashtray of butts from the night before. She carriesit over to the table and begins fingering for a butt tosmoke in desperation. She lights up and stares into space.
FANTASY
Robert is in Africa talking to TWO ZULU TRIBE MEMBERS. THEDIALOGUE IS SUBTITLED IN SWAHILI
ROBERT(laughs)... and then she tacks this note onthe bridge asking me to have dinnerwith her again
One Zulu turns to the tower and remarks.
ZULUHow pathetic.
END OF FANTASY
Francesca put out her cigarette and suddenly gets an idea.
She goes to the phone, reads a number off of a slip of paperand dials.
FRANCESCA (on phone)Hello? Is Richard Johnson stayingthere?... No, I don't want to leavea message. Maybe you can help me --I'm his wife and I live in WintersetIowa -- I wanted to surprise them bydriving up tonight. What would be thefastest route, the Interstate?... Huh-huh... Hold it, let me get a pen.
CUT TO