Roxanne's Game Script Query

Missing the next shot may cost you a year's earnings -- making it may cost you your life.
The pool hustling world has never seen anyone like Roxanne. She blossoms from a naive, oversexed Jewish-American-Princess-Valley-Brat to become slicker than a roomful of high-stakes gamblers. For 20 years, she craftily navigates her supremely talented pool player/ lover through dangerous murky waters filled with eat-'em-alive pool sharks and merciless parasites.

ROXANNE'S GAME dramatizes the true story of two decades of her survival in an exotic, often hilarious, sub-culture inhabited by a carnival of shrewd, rowdy, and deceitful players who feed, but often dupe, their high-rolling backers. All of them loving the only lifestyle they'd ever want. It's also the story of a maturing teenage girl who learns that affection and love sometimes grow in places where there is no sunlight.

As father and daughter writing partners, we drew upon Fred's action-filled years as one of the most colorful pool hustlers who ever played, and our mutual years of education and experience in dramatic writing.

Sincerely,
Catherine Adami & Fred Bentivegna

Roxanne's Game, the beginning

Original script by Fred Bentivegna and his daughter, Catherine Bentivegna Adami:

FADE IN:

Overhead view of a pool table -- a missed shot.

INT. POOL ROOM

SUPER: GRAND POOLROOM, ST. LOUIS MISSOURI

A bad situation is developing. Some tough-looking SWEATORS
are forming up near the pool table. They begin arguing.

SWEATOR #1
I gave Sonny six hundred on that
cue-stick. That cue is mine!

SWEATOR #2
Yeah, well I loaned Sonny four-fifty
on it. What about me?

SWEATOR #3
That stick is only worth about nine
hundred, and he got seven hundred
from me. If anybody winds up with
it, it's gonna be me!

SWEATOR #4
I don’t care about any of you
motherfuckers, I'm leaving here
with that cue -- Sonny’s ass -- or
somebody’s ass!

ST. LOUIE SONNY is at the table shooting. His eyes blink
rapidly as he listens to the commotion behind him.

CUSTOMER #1
What’s going on, Houseman?

HOUSEMAN
St. Louie Sonny hocked his cue to
four different killers and they’ve
all showed up at the same time.

Sonny is sweating. Keeps stroking and stroking. Then his
face lights up.

He shoots, misses the ball badly, curses profusely, and
smashes the stick to smithereens over the table.

The Sweators all look at each other, stunned, and then they
suddenly start laughing.

SWEATOR #1
That Sonny’s really crazy, ain’t
He?

SWEATOR #2
Ain’t no crazier than we are for
loaning that goofy sumbitch any
Money!

Everybody roars with laughter.

THE BACK OF THE POOL ROOM

A stream of long blonde hair flails back and forth on
ROXANNE; thirty-eight, expensively dressed, bejeweled and
beautiful, even when she is fighting mad.

And she is fighting mad right now.

ROXANNE
(screaming)
That’s just fucking great, Mick!
All your experience -- you still
get the "High Speed Wobbles!"
... Somebody gimme a cigarette!

A large group of spectators surround the pool table. One of
them lifts a pack of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket.

MICK -- bespectacled, sportily dressed, forties, with a
strong resemblance to Clark Kent -- wrings his hands and sips
coffee on a high wooden player’s chair. His legs are crossed
as he lifts and drops his pool cue softly onto the floor.

Roxanne paces back and forth.

ROXANNE
You got a cigarette? Anybody got a
cigarette?
(muttering loudly)
Why do I do this? Why? Why?

Roxanne speed walks up to Mick.

He looks defeated, slumping in the chair. He scratches his
head and looks down and away, staring at the floor.

Roxanne wags her fingers at Mick.

ROXANNE
You’ve lost it, Mick, you’ve
fucking lost it!

A man offers her a cigarette and lights it for her.

ROXANNE
I could have married a doctor...

With that, Mick smirks.

ROXANNE
(to the crowd)
He can’t play anymore. I don’t
know why we bother. He should just
go back home to Pasadena and get a
fuckin’ day job.

Roxanne tries to make eye contact with the various Sweators
in the crowd while she rants.

ROXANNE
Wasted my whole life on this one.
He plays like dog shit.

Mick chalks his cue, laboriously gets out of the chair and
walks over to the pool table to take his shot. Takes a look
at the crowd and leans over the table.

Roxanne shakes her head and tosses her hair. She rolls her
pretty blue eyes like only she can.

ROXANNE (V.O.)
... Wasted my life.

to be continued.....

Scene ll

INSERT

The poolroom clock shows six a.m. There is a sound of BALLS BREAKING.

EXT. UPPER MIDDLE-CLASS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HOME - DAY

SUPER: “THE VALLEY, TWENTY YEARS EARLIER”

A sports car parked outside the house.

INT. KITCHEN - SAME

Birds chirping outside. Inside the house coffee is poured
into a cup.

EXT. SPORTS CAR (PARKED) - DAY

The car is rocking, long blonde swishes back and forth.

Roxanne, age seventeen, is atop and kissing HIPPIE BOY.

INSERT - THE DASHBOARD CLOCK

Turns to 6:00 a.m.

A half-smoked joint in the ashtray.

DISK JOCKEY (V.O. CAR RADIO)
G-OO-D Morning to ya, Valley Folk.
In Saigon it's nearly dinner
time...

Rock song of 1970 plays.

INT. SCHWARTZ HOUSE - SAME

HERMAN SCHWARTZ, late fifties, short, blank, expressionless
man in a cheap suit and briefcase, approaches the front door
to leave for work where...

MAURA SCHWARTZ, early fifties, in a fluffy pink robe, hair in
curlers, holds coffee and a cigarette.

Maura, hearing the loud music, looks outside and spots
Roxanne in the car.

MAURA SCHWARTZ
(Brooklyn accent)
Roxanne... is that you out there?
My God... is that you!

Herman Schwartz, like a computerized robot, kisses his wife
on the cheek, walks to driveway, gets in car, and pulls out
into the street.

Maura Schwartz, furious, starts to scream and runs across the
lawn to the Hippie Boy’s car.

Roxanne hears her mother and suddenly climbs on top of the
hippie boy, who is startled, turned on, and stoned.

Roxanne starts humping him and moaning, looking straight into
her mother’s face and then to the driveway toward her father,
who looks as if he were a horse with blinders.

Herman drives away.

MAURA SCHWARTZ
Herman! Help me!

Maura, in her slippers and still holding the coffee, walks to
the driver door of the car.

Roxanne is feigning ecstasy.

Maura stops for a moment and stares at the couple, then opens
the car door and throws the hot coffee into the boy’s face,
causing Roxanne to fall out onto the street.

Laura drags a screaming Roxanne by her long blonde hair,
across the lawn and toward the house.

ROXANNE
Ma, Ma! Leave me alone!

Sound of a car door slamming shut. The Hippie Boy burns
rubber and drives off.

Other suburban couples are out on their lawns.

MAURA SCHWARTZ
(to neighbor)
What’re you all looking at? You’ve
never had a teenager? Look at me,
I’m nearly sixty! You think I
planned this one?

The neighbors look away.

Maura pushes Roxanne into the house and slams the door.

INT. SCHWARTZ HOUSE

Roxanne runs upstairs into her messy room, full of Star
magazines, posters and flower-child stuff, and locks the
door.

MAURA (O.S.)
So, I guess you’re going to miss
school again, smart ass! Go right
ahead!

A current rock tune begins to play loudly. Roxanne pulls her
dress over her head and flops down on the messy bed in her
white bra and underwear.

She opens a Hollywood magazine, smiles and giggles to
herself, and slowly falls asleep.

continued soon....

Scene lll

EXT./INT. SUBURBAN ETHNIC RESTAURANT - NIGHT

Maura and Roxanne in dresses and jewelry walk up the ramp.

INSIDE

Maura keeps fidgeting with Roxanne’s clothes, long hair and
jewelry.

MAURA
Oy! I wish you would keep your
hair up.

Maura tries to keep her daughter’s hair up with a barrette.

MANNY LOWE, sixtyish, also with a Brooklyn accent, greets
them at the door. He has a shoe salesman air about him.

MANNY LOWE
Hello, hello! You two gorgeous
ladies.

Maura looks delighted to see Manny. Manny hugs and kisses
both Maura and Roxanne. Roxanne gives Manny a big hug.

MANNY
It’s not every day my only niece
turns eighteen! Where’s Herman?

MAURA
Working.

ROXANNE
Big surprise. What else does that
man do?

Roxanne and Maura follow Manny, who leads them to a booth in
the busy restaurant.

MANNY
(sheepishly)
There’s someone here I’d like you
two to meet... Barry Stone’s kid,
Adam -- from the neighborhood in
Brooklyn... Kid’s got an internship
at Paramount this summer... Missed
the draft due to his jaw disease
and all...

ROXANNE
Jaw disease?

The three approach the booth. There is a young man sitting
there.

ADAM STONE, an extremely geeky boy around twenty-one, turns
and smiles, to reveal a mouth full of braces.

Maura, acting like she is in on it, pushes a stunned Roxanne
forward.

Adam stands to shake their hands.

Roxanne gives her mother a sinister look.

MAURA
... So you work at Paramount?
Roxanne just loves movies. Who is
that you like now, dear? Oh,
what’s her name? I think she’s
Jewish...

ROXANNE
Goldie Hawn?

MAURA
Oh, yeah, Goldie Hawn. So skinny,
that Goldie Hawn! Don’t you think
she’s too skinny, Adam? Why can’t
she be nice and healthy... like our
Roxanne here?

ROXANNE
(to Adam)
She means fat.

LATER

Dinner’s ending.

Adam has food stuck in his braces.

Roxanne looks horrified, then laughs.

Roxanne leans her head back and notices a DARK OLDER MAN. He
is standing and drinking a cocktail at the bar, winking at
her.

She takes her long hair out of her barrette and waves it
around. Seductively makes eye contact. Licks her lips.

Dark older man is kind of cool and laughs.

Adam the Geek watches, jaw dropped, and is entranced.

Maura notices what Roxanne is doing from the corner of her
eye and smacks the back of Roxanne’s head.

MAURA
-- and God has chosen to punish me
with this one.

Roxanne laughs.

Adam the Geek snaps out of the trance.

EXT. RESTAURANT - MOMENTS LATER

Roxanne, Maura, Manny, and Adam wait for the valet to bring
their cars.

MAURA
(to Manny)
Thank you for dinner and
introducing Roxanne to your nice
friend Adam. Adam, you must tell
your father Maura Schwartz says hi.

ROXANNE
Yeah, thanks for remembering, Uncle
Manny.

MANNY
Gimmee a hug!

Manny and Roxanne embrace. He pretends to do the Tango with
her.

MANNY
You know what would make me so
happy? If you would have lunch
with Adam at the studio tomorrow.
Come on, do it for your mother...

Manny leans over to Roxanne.

MANNY
(whispers in Roxanne’s ear)
My nagging sister, your mother,
she's so worried about you, thinks
a nice boy is the answer... you get
married... buy a house...

ROXANNE
Look at him.

Both Roxanne and Uncle Manny take a look at Adam.

Manny nods.

MANNY
Okay, he’s no Dean Martin, but he’s
got money and a future.

Uncle Manny’s eyes light up to close the sale.

ROXANNE
I don’t want to live off of his
money.

I want to make my own money. And I
will one day, doing something
myself!

MANNY
(a little pissed)
I can’t say your grades are good
enough to get you there.

Roxanne looks upset.

Uncle Manny pulls out a mezuzah (Jewish religious necklace)
and puts it around Roxanne’s neck, then reaches into his coat
pocket and hands her a twenty dollar bill.

ROXANNE
Oh, thank you, Uncle!

MANNY
(seriously)
Forget school. Strength and beauty
will take you far. That’s your
talent. Use it. Happy Birthday.

Manny then goes in for the kill.

MANNY
Will you go to lunch with Adam
tomorrow? You can take the day off
from school...

ROXANNE
Okay, sure.

to be continued...

Scene lV

EXT. MOVIE STUDIO - DAY

Roxanne drives through the studio gates on a bright sunny
day. She meets Adam in the parking lot.

Adam is dressed in white shorts with knee socks. Roxanne has
on a sexy hippie dress and sunglasses.

ADAM
(debonair)
... So, if you're lucky I could
introduce you to somebody famous.

Adam smiles his geeky smile.

ADAM
I figure if I work my way up here,
I’ll be running the studio someday.
I just love movies! Do you love movies?
I love all kinds: action, adventure, comedy,
romance...

Adam winks at her and gets shy.

ADAM
God, Roxanne... you are so-o-o
beautiful.

Adam leans in closer to Roxanne, his mouth open, literally
drooling a bit.

Roxanne backs away.

PRODUCER, early thirties, muscular, tanned, in a golf cart,
stops to yell at Adam.

PRODUCER
Hey kid! We need that mud on the
set for the pig sty scene. Now!

Roxanne giggles, eyes Producer...

ADAM
Yes, sir!

Adam turns to Roxanne smiling.

ADAM
A Western.

Producer, while driving the golf cart, turns around and
smiles at Roxanne, who smiles back.

ADAM
Could you wait here for me? I’ll
be back in a jiffy and we’ll go to
the commissary to eat. Lots of
stars there. I think they have
meatloaf today...

Adam pauses.

ADAM
Yeah, it's meatloaf Thursday.

ROXANNE
Sure, just leave me some money for
a soda.

ADAM
Well, I don’t have any change.

Adam takes out his wallet and Roxanne, spotting a twenty
dollar bill, takes it from his hand.

ROXANNE
Don’t worry. I’ll bring you back
the change.

Roxanne smiles at Adam, who is running away, changing his
frown into a big, closed-eye smile.

ADAM
I’ll be back ASAP. Don’t leave!

Adam, still smiling at Roxanne, accidentally runs into
someone, falls and gets up. Roxanne starts to walk backward
while Adam runs around the corner and disappears.

Roxanne smiles till he leaves, then shakes her head and
starts to walk around the studio, checking everybody out.

She lights a cigarette awkwardly -- a novice smoker.

Notices a woman in sunglasses and long blonde hair -- a lookalike
for Goldie Hawn -- and begins to follow her.

She continues to follow her onto the street outside the
studio.

INT. STUDIO SET - DAY

Adam is supervising the moving of loads of mud into the sty
with a bunch of pigs around.

He is trying to finish as quickly as possible.

BACK TO STREET

Roxanne follows Goldie Hawn look-alike to the doorway.

Goldie Hawn look-alike walks through the door.

Roxanne takes a deep breath and follows her in.

INT. STUDIO BAR

A jukebox plays loudly.

The place is very dark, with various colored lights. Has a
Rat Pack feel to it. Old movie star types intermingle with
young, good-looking movie star types. There is an old-fashioned
bartender. Sounds of glasses clinking... the sound
of pool balls clicking on a table in the back.

We hear the shouting of FREDDY -- twenty-eight years old,
bearded, glasses, long-haired, tall, thin, and dressed in
Hippie threads -- a very loud Italian-American with an
ethnic, South Side of Chicago accent.

He keeps moaning and groaning, as he appears to be losing at
Eight-Ball, and biting his fist.

Freddy is playing OLDER ACTOR, late forties, tan, nice hair,
wearing a white leisure suit.

Roxanne becomes focused on Freddy’s table as the Goldie Hawn
look-alike sits down to watch as well.

Freddy kind of bows to the Goldie Hawn look-alike,
acknowledging her, but not going “ga ga,” and she nods back
to him, shaking her hand at Freddy in a “just stop it”
fashion.

Freddy notices Roxanne who almost gets knocked over by
people walking in the aisle.

The game ends. Roxanne, sitting at the bar, sees everyone
being paid a few dollars or so.

FREDDY
(to Older Actor)
You robbed me again!

OLD ACTOR
Don’t sweat it, kid.

FREDDY
That’s three in a row. You beach
boys sure can stroke a cue. Nice
and steady ... not me ... too
nervous! My mother made me a
neurotic mess, I tell you!

OLD ACTOR
Okay, Freddy, how about a few more
games? I'm sure there’s some hope
for you.

FREDDY
(answering quickly)
Really?

With that Freddy starts to rack the balls again.

OLD ACTOR
Sure! Beast, get it going for a
coupla more games...

ANSEL, or the “FILTHY BEAST,” a tall “Outside Man” (someone
who handles the action other than the player) in his late
thirties, in an out-of-style three-piece suit.

He walks around the room collecting bets on a little scratch
pad. Roxanne can see that everyone is betting on Old Actor.

The Beast passes Roxanne, but she grabs him by the arm as he
tries to go to the next person...

ROXANNE
Hey.

ANSEL
Hey yourself, Angel. You in?

ROXANNE
Yeah, give me Freddy for twenty.

ANSEL
Listen, child, I wouldn’t go in on
this game. I wouldn’t want to see
you lose all that money...
especially if you're a struggling
actress or something.

Ansel looks around guiltily. He doesn’t seem to want her to
make the bet.

ROXANNE
I said, Freddy for twenty.

A big, beefy BARTENDER with a straw in his mouth and arms
crossed, intervenes, intimidating Ansel.

BARTENDER
You heard the lady, she wants
Freddy for twenty.

ROXANNE
Yeah, Freddy for twenty.

Ansel gives the bartender a dirty look, moves onto the next
Sweator and the game begins.

EXT. STUDIO LOT - SAME
Adam returns to the corner where he left Roxanne.

ADAM
All done!
Adam stands alone, disappointed.

ADAM
Shit!

Passerby, walking past the dirty Adam, turns his nose up at
him.

continued soon...

Scene V

INT. STUDIO HANGOUT BAR - SAME

MONTAGE OF POOL ACTION

-- Freddy starts winning, but the crowd still bets on OldActor.

-- Roxanne stares devotedly at the cash floating around the room, and the charismatic Freddy.

INT. STUDIO HANGOUT BAR - NIGHT

INSERT - THE BAR’S CLOCK TURNS TO EIGHT P.M.

BACK TO SCENE

Ansel gives Freddy a look, makes a closed fist and places it in the middle of his chest.

Freddy, surreptitiously responds with an open palm, fingers extended, and places his hand palm down in the middle of his chest.

Freddy then scratches on the eight ball, losing the game. Ansel secretly nods his head in approval.

Freddy unscrews his cue-stick, packs his cue case, and starts to walk out with Ansel. There is a look of elation from the Old Actor.

Roxanne has a look of shock on her face, leaves two dollars on the bar, follows Freddy and Ansel out, and tries to catch up.

Roxanne intercepts Freddy outside.

ROXANNE
Why’d you lose the last game?
I think you lost on purpose!
I bet everything I was winning on you!
Everybody was betting on you!

FREDDY
-- Everybody but the Beast! Sorry
darlin’, but I wasn’t gonna let you
get away with the lion’s share of
my hustle. You had to go down,
just like everybody else.

Freddy takes out a cigarette and offers Roxanne one.

She refuses. He lights the cigarette.

FREDDY
... Plus, I have to be able to play
in there again... Leave my opponent
with a good taste in his mouth...Got
a few more nights left here,you dig?

ROXANNE
(starting to cry)
But that was my birthday money!

Freddy starts to walk away to catch up with Ansel. He turns and says...

FREDDY
You stuck your nose where it didn’t
belong. You were out of your league
in there, kid.

Freddy walks away, with his pool cue over his back.

ROXANNE
(wailing)
My birthday money!

Freddy stops in his tracks.

FREDDY
Beast! Wait in Jesse’s car for me.

An uncomfortable Freddy attempts to mollify Roxanne.

FREDDY
Please, please -- stop crying. I can’t
stand it! Here’s a twenty to shut you up.
“Hippie” Jesse’s gonna beat me for this.
That’s his coupe were using, and I still owe
him from Vegas.

Roxanne is calming down and even smiling a little.

Freddy keeps looking over at Ansel honking the horn.

Roxanne and Freddy start walking to the coupe.

FREDDY
Listen. You hungry? I sure do get hungry playing pool.
If I were home, I could get my mother to fix me something to eat.

Freddy pats his skinny stomach.

FREDDY
You don’t cook, do you? We don’t have a stove
at the motel...

ROXANNE
No.

FREDDY
Then you don’t ever have to worry about me
falling for you. I need me a woman who can
cook. Can’t bring any other kind home to my
family.

ROXANNE
Jewish?

Freddy pulls out a crucifix under his “Indian Style” Hippie threads and shows it to her.

FREDDY
Not hardly.

ROXANNE
Then you have to worry about me falling for you.
I’m not looking to make my parents happy -- There’s
a stove at my house.

Roxanne and Freddy, standing beside the car, both laugh.

FREDDY
(charmingly)
I’m Freddy, but you can call me “The Beard.”

ROXANNE
No, I like Freddy better.

Freddy and Roxanne both smile. Freddy opens the door.

FREDDY
That there’s Ansel, but we all call him
The Filthy Beast, but I’m sure you don’t
like him too much right now... and your
name is...

ROXANNE
Roxanne.

Roxanne climbs in the back of the coupe.

INT. CAR (MOVING) - NIGHT

Ansel points out the window at a group of factory workers leaving a plant.

ANSEL
Take a look at those working stiffs out there
in the “real world,” will ya. That’s where you’re
gonna windup, Beard, if you don’t start shootin
better.

Roxanne notices that the mere thought of a normal job has sent a cold chill through Freddy.

INT. SCHWARTZ HOUSE - KITCHEN

Freddy closes the kitchen cupboard.

He is wearing a “Kosher Only” apron with a joint in his mouth.

Freddy picks up a bag of dust-covered egg noodles.

He blows the dust off the bag and it covers his glasses with dust so he can’t see.

The two of them laugh.

Roxanne sits on a stool laughing, waiting for him to pass her the joint.

Roxanne lights candles and incense while Freddy cooks.

FREDDY
Your mother’s not much of a cook, either, I take it.

ROXANNE
Not if she can help it.

FREDDY
You sure your mother can’t hear us?

ROXANNE
I told you already. My mother takes a pill at nine
and doesn’t wake up till six. She’s been doing
it as far back as I can remember, and my dad
is out of town for work...(quietly) He’s always working.

FREDDY
You got money?

Roxanne stops lighting the candle for a moment. No one has ever asked her this before.

ROXANNE
Money?

FREDDY
It’s a simple question. You just look like you got
a nice thing going on here.

Freddy stirs the noodles in the boiling water.

ROXANNE
(pauses)
Looks can be deceiving. What little they do have
is locked up so tight, I’ll never see any of it
...how ‘bout you?

Freddy dumps the noodles into a colander.

FREDDY
I'm flattered that you ask. I can tell that you
haven’t seen too much outside these walls
have you? How do I know that? Living on the
road has given me a very sharp perspective.

Roxanne focuses in, and gets closer to the bowl of noodles to hear what he is saying.

FREDDY
Whereas you've this nice house --with a pool
-- which you might think is just so-so... My
parents live in a one-bedroom apartment above
my Uncle’s bar on the South Side of Chicago...

ROXANNE
Oh.

Freddy feeds her some noodles, and she smiles like a little child.

FREDDY
Well, lucky for you I'm a Sicilian man and
know how to cook for myself. Egg noodles,
butter and garlic! Mangia! Mangia!

Roxanne and Freddy dive into the bowl.

ROXANNE
So, why do you do it?

FREDDY
Do what?

ROXANNE
Play pool and travel around the country.

FREDDY
Easy to answer, child... See the world, meet
different types of people... A lunch pail and
a thermos ain’t my kinda thing. In my vocation,
us socially unfortunates can thrive. What about
your life?

ROXANNE
Quit school and make money like you.

FREDDY
Like me? You’re crazy! Your mother must
not beat you enough.

Scene Vl

MINUTES LATER

They leave the kitchen. Suddenly, Roxanne lunges in for a
kiss, expecting that’s what men want. Looking at those pretty
eyes, he strokes her cheek, bends toward her lips -- then
straightens abruptly.

FREDDY
You’re too young for me, honey.

Freddy pauses, and looks up. He points his pool stick up the
stairs, to her mother’s bedroom.

FREDDY
... And I got that thing about
mothers.

EXT./INT. SCHWARTZ GARAGE - MOMENTS LATER

The two walk in and start playing on a cheap pool table with
the garage door open, looking out onto the street.

EXT. SCHWARTZ HOUSE - STREET - SAME

Ansel’s coupe pulls up and Jesse, late thirties, looking
exactly like the Dark Older Man that Roxanne had flirted with
in the restaurant, slams the door and starts to yell, until
he walks up to the garage and sees Roxanne.

HIPPIE JESSE
Where the fuck you been, Beard? I
had to have The Beast take me here
to get you. We're leaving here!
There’s action in ‘Frisco... Big
game with a “Great Man,” if we
leave now we can get in on it
tomorrow.

FREDDY
‘Frisco, already? But I didn’t get
to go to Disneyland yet.

HIPPIE JESSE
Get in the car, kid.

Freddy gets the nod from Jesse and grabs his coat and cue.

HIPPIE JESSE
(to Roxanne lasciviously)
How you doing, Cher’?

ROXANNE
Pretty good.

Jesse pulls out a pack of cigarettes from his dark suit and
Roxanne spots a gun. Her eyes open wide.

Freddy returns with his coat and pool cue.

Jesse and Roxanne stand there sizing each other up. Freddy
sees what is going on and tries to hurry Jesse toward the
car.

FREDDY
Come on Jesse, I’m ready.

Jesse does not answer, just keeps staring at Roxanne in the
doorway.

HIPPIE JESSE
You ever been to ‘Frisco...

ROXANNE
-- Roxanne.

When Jesse pronounces her name he lets it roll slowly off his
tongue.

HIPPIE JESSE
You ever been to ‘Frisco --
Roxanne?

ROXANNE
No, I haven’t.

HIPPIE JESSE
That’s a real shame. Real shame,
Cher’.

ROXANNE
Yeah, real shame.

Freddy gives Jesse another look. Ansel honks the horn.

HIPPIE JESSE
Alright, I’ll see you later
... Roxanne.

Jesse saunters across the lawn toward the car, while Freddy
hurries ahead of him, throws his stuff in the trunk and gets
in. Roxanne just stares at Jesse from the front door stoop.
Jesse slowly opens the car door, puts out a cigarette, smiles
at Roxanne and eases his way in. Suddenly...

ROXANNE
Wait! Wait! I wanna go with you!
Can I go with you?

INT. CAR (PARKED) - SAME

Freddy frowns and bangs his head against the back seat.

FREDDY
(to Ansel)
We got Little Bo Peep on deck here.

Jesse, looking back to Ansel and Freddy in victory, hee-haws.

HIPPIE JESSE
Well, looky here... Alright Cher’,
you got about two minutes.

Jesse looks at his gold watch, very seriously.

FREDDY
(to himself)
No, No, No!

INT. SCHWARTZ HOUSE - SAME

Roxanne runs frantically up the stairs,ripping through the
clothes in her messy room. A driving rock song plays on the
radio.

MAURA’S BEDROOM

Maura rustles in her bed with an eye shade on.

ROXANNE’S BEDROOM

Roxanne grabs her backpack and throws a couple of things
inside: clothing, brush, makeup, a Star magazine, and a
birthday card from her father.

INT. CAR (PARKED) - SAME

ANSEL
You tell her to bring a rope?

HIPPIE JESSE
(yelling out the window)
Bring a long rope, Cher’!

Roxanne walks to window and yells out.

ROXANNE
A rope? Why a rope?

Lights from a few windows on the block of suburban houses
start to flicker on.

FREDDY
Oh, jeez.

HIPPIE JESSE
Don’t ask Cher’, just do... You got
about thirty seconds left!

Roxanne runs down the stairs, knocking stuff over, grabs a
rope from the closet, and starts to head out the door when...

MAURA SCHWARTZ (O.S.)
Roxanne, Roxanne? Is that you,
honey? Are you okay?

HIPPIE JESSE (V.O.)
... nineteen, eighteen...

Roxanne thinks for a second, grabs chalk from the kitchen
chalkboard and writes:
“Mom. Will call. Love R.”

Roxanne runs across the lawn, almost tripping in her bell
bottoms...

HIPPIE JESSE
... three, two...

Roxanne just makes it to the coupe. Jesse pulls his seat
forward and pushes Roxanne’s butt in, shoving her face
forward, into the back seat with Freddy.

HIPPIE JESSE
... one.

Jesse slams the door and Ansel screeches off.

INT. CAR (MOVING) - SAME

Roxanne laughs hysterically, breathing heavily from running,
her face in Freddy’s lap.

FREDDY
(whispers)
I’m getting you on a bus back to
the Valley first thing tomorrow
morning. This ain’t right.

Roxanne sits up and puts her fingers over his mouth to shut
him up, shakes her head no, and smiles.

HIPPIE JESSE
One more thing, Cher’, I don’t like
smart broads. Every night before
we go to bed I'm going to put a
Florida orange and the five-ball on
top of the dresser. If you ever
get to where you can tell the
difference, I'm going to boot you
in the ass and ship you back home
to mommy. Okay, now let’s go take
care of this Great Man.

ROXANNE
(to Freddy)
What’s a Great Man?

FREDDY
A Great Man has nothing to do with
accomplishment. A Great Man is how
we affectionately refer to somebody
who is a tremendous absorber of
punishment... someone who can take
brutal pool beatings and keep
paying off like a slot machine...
an exceptional sucker in other
words.

ROXANNE
(wide-eyed)
Wow!

...to be continued