Requiem for a Dream

on Harry looking hollow.

HARRY
Why do you have to see him for
krist's sake? Cut the son of a
bitch loose.

Marion is dressing herself up in front of the mirror. She
looks like a million bucks in a chic black dress. She
carefully applies her lipstick.

MARION
I don't want him mentioning to my
parents that I have stopped therapy.
They're already pissed at me and
they're thinking of cutting me off.

Marion turns and touches Harry's face tenderly.

MARION
Sweetheart, I am not going to sleep
with him. He's got some issue with
womanly blood so I told him I'm on
the rag. He's planning on going
home after the concert.

Harry tries not to sulk, but his chin dips. Then Marion
chuckles but Harry doesn't respond. Suddenly, she hugs him
and squeals with absolute glee.

MARION
Oh Harry, you're jealous!

Harry half-heartedly tries to push her away but Marion
doesn't let him.

34.

MARION
Come on, sweetheart, put your arms
around me, come on, please!?
Please!?

She lifts his hands and puts them on her shoulders as she
snuggles deeper into him. Then she starts kissing him on
the ears, eyelids and neck and soon he starts to giggle.

HARRY
Come on, stop, stop you crazy girl
or I'll bite you on the throat.

They laugh as they tickle each other and cover each other in
kisses.

CUT TO:

INT. RAOUL'S CAFE - NIGHT

A fancy French pretension -- two plates of frogs' legs, two
glasses of Cinzano with twists, and a stunning Marion with a
dumpy Arnold the Shrink.

ARNOLD THE SHRINK
I'm disappointed that you are
indisposed.

MARION
Is Anita out of town or something?

ARNOLD THE SHRINK
Why do you ask?

MARION
I'm just curious if she's
'indisposed'.

ARNOLD THE SHRINK
(taken aback)
Marion. No she's fine.

MARION
Can I ask you something personal,
Arnold?

ARNOLD THE SHRINK
What is it?

Arnold leans in. Then she fucks with him. She tells him
he's got something on his face when he doesn't. She tortures
him until all she can do is laugh.

CUT TO:

35.

EXT. PROJECTS - NIGHT

Sodium streetlight pops as Tyrone cold lamps by a beat-up
bodega.

A black hand slaps Tyrone money. The money slides into his
pocket. Tyrone's eyes swish left then right. He slips
something out from behind the tire of a parked car. And
slaps a bag of white powder back.

Pop, slap, slide, swish, slip, slap! Again. And again.
And again.

CUT TO:

EXT. OTHER SIDE OF THE PROJECTS - NIGHT

Neon crackle as Harry chills outside an OTB.

A white hand slaps Harry money. The money slips into his
pocket. Harry's eyes swish right then left. He clinks
something out of a trash can. And he slaps a bag of white
powder back.

Crackle, slap, slip, swish, clink, slap! Again. And again.
And again.

CUT TO:

INT. MARION'S APARTMENT - LATER

Harry spins Marion around.

HARRY
We're on our way, baby, we're
really on our way.

MARION
Harry.

HARRY
It was great out there. Everyone's
thirsty.

MARION
I'm so glad. And baby, I'm drawing
again. I'm drawing. I can't stop.

Marion takes out her sketchbook. She shows him her sketches.

Harry and Marion lean into each other, suddenly hugging each
other, kissing, dreaming and believing.

CUT TO:

36.

INT. DOCTOR PILL'S EXAMINING ROOM

A Skinny Nurse weight and measures Sara

SKINNY NURSE
How are you?

SARA
Fine, that's why I'm here.

They both laugh. The Nurse takes Sara's blood pressure.

SKINNY NURSE
How's your hearing and vision?

SARA
I have both.

The Nurse laughs again.

SKINNY NURSE
Now, wait just a minute.

The nurse smiles and leaves.

A moment later, Doctor Pill enters. He looks at the chart
the Nurse filled out and then he smiles at Sara.

DOCTOR PILL
I see you're a little overweight.

SARA
A little? I have fifty pounds I'm
willing to donate.

DOCTOR PILL
We can take care of that, no problem.

CUT TO:

HIP-HOP MINI-MONTAGE

TIGHTS of dope being cut, plastic bags being filled, Tyrone
and Harry dealing, Marion sketching and sewing, Harry and
Marion kissing, Harry spinning tunes, flick, sizzle, snap,
suck, slap, rush, sigh and crinkle, sprinkle, flick, drift,
suck, sigh...

CUT TO:

37.

INT. TYRONE'S CLOSET

Harry and Tyrone neatly stuff a shoe box full of money.
They put a rubber band around the box and hide it in the
back of the closet.

Harry gives Tyrone five, Tyrone gives Harry five.

CUT TO:

INT. EMPTY STORE - DAY

In photographs, a straight Real Estate Agent shows Harry and
Marion around the empty store.

OUTSIDE

The Agent snaps a photo of the lovers in front of the store.

CUT TO:

INT. SARA'S KITCHEN

On the table in front of her are four bottles of pills and
the instructions.

SARA
Purple in the morning. Red in the
afternoon. Orange in the evening.
(to the refrigerator)
That's my three meals, Mr Smarty
Pants.
(then to herself)
Green at night. Just like that.
One, two, three, four...

She pops a purple: a pill cap pops off, pill hits hand,
mouth gulps, pill cap snaps on.

Then she heads to the fridge and makes herself a smoked fish
and cream cheese sandwich on an onion Kaiser roll.

She shows off to the fridge as she devours it.

Then she makes a cup of coffee: an empty pot tinkles into
place, the coffee perks, the coffee drips, and then Sara
slurps, slurps, slurps.

She picks up the remote and flips on the set but she can't
seem to sit down, so she heads outside with her chair.

CUT TO:

38.

INT. SARA'S MAILBOX - DAY

She peeks in for anything -- nothing.

CUT TO:

INT. CONEY ISLAND ARCADE

Marion and Harry play skeeball. Marion hits a fifty and
smiles. Harry stops playing.

HARRY
Yeah, that's what I'll do.

MARION
Huh?

HARRY
For my mom. I've been thinking of
getting something for her, you
know, some kind of present, but I
didn't know what to get.

MARION
Well?

HARRY
I finally asked myself, what's her
fix? Television, right? If ever
there's a TV junkie it's the old
lady. I figure maybe I owe her a
new one anyway with all the wear
and tear her set got from being
schlepped back and forth to old
Abe's.

MARION
You really love her, don't you?

HARRY
I don't know. I guess so. One
time I feel one way and the other
time I feel something else. Most
of the time I just want her to be
happy.

MARION
Let's go get it now.

HARRY
Well...

MARION
C'mon.

39.

HARRY
I don't wanna deal with salesman...

MARION
Oh, come on.

HARRY
(gets an idea)
Well, let's push off first.

MARION
It's still early. We shouldn't get
going till tonight.

HARRY
Yeah, I know, but this is different.
After all, I was always usin' the
old lady's set to cop money so now
we'll use a little stuff to get her
a set.

Marion doesn't fight him.

Then there's the: flick, sizzle, snap, suck, slap, rush,
sigh...

And: crinkle, sprinkle, flick, drift, suck, sigh...

CUT TO:

INT. SARA'S APARTMENT

Coffee: tinkle, perk, drip, slurp, slurp, slurp...

and

Pill: pop, hit, gulp, snap...

Sara starts to clean the apartment.

Time races by as she intricately cleans every single square
inch of the kitchen. She cleans the inside of the fridge
and dumps all the food.

Next, she moves into the living room and continues to clean.

Then everything slows down.

Sara collapses into her viewing chair in front of the TV.
She tries to watch but she's squirming in her seat.

Then she notices something wrong. She's not sure what so
she heads into --

40.

THE BATHROOM

In the mirror, she stares at her clenched teeth grinding.
She wonders what this means. She shrugs and takes the green
pill: pop, hit, gulp, snap...

BACK IN THE LIVING ROOM

-- Sara sits in front of the TV and watches Tappy Tibbons
preach. Slowly she dozes off.

CUT TO:

INT. TYRONE'S DIVE PAD

Tyrone's old pad has been spruced up. It's filled with tons
of cool toys. It looks like Christmas morning.

Beautiful and very young Alice lies naked in the giant bed
staring at Tyrone.

He sits naked at his desk playing with flip books. First
there's a wacky duck dancing, then there's a crying GI
soldier.

ALICE
Why dontcha come back to bed, honey?

TYRONE
Sheeit, plenty time for that,
woman, I got me a cool-ass toy ahm
groovin' behind.

Tyrone picks up another flip book and lets things rip. The
animation suddenly turns into live action and we are
following the back of a little boy.

The boy runs across a black room into the arms of a beautiful
woman.

The boy is Young Tyrone and the woman is Tyrone's Mother.

YOUNG TYRONE
I told ya, Ma. One day I'd make it.

TYRONE'S MOTHER
You don't have to make anything.
You just gotta love your momma.

The image of boy and mother dies when the flip book ends.
Tyrone looks at it sadly.

ALICE
What are you doing, honey?

41.

TYRONE
Thinking about you, baby, and what
I'm gonna do to ya.

Tyrone leaps onto the bed and Alice squeals playfully.

ALICE
Don't do that, Tyrone. You'll
scare me to death.

TYRONE
Oh little momma, I wouldn't want to
scare you...I doan' want to scare
nobody. All I want from life is no
hassles and some peace and
harmony...an' I want it from the
finest fox that ever lived.

CUT TO:

INT. SARA'S MAILBOX - DAY

Still empty...

CUT TO:

INT. SARA'S BUILDING - DAY

Pop, hit, gulp, snap and tinkle, perk, drip, slurp, slurp,
slurp...

The Yentas all rise when Sara comes out and they move their
chairs so that she can have her proper seat in the sun.

YENTA #1
Sara, you know yet when?

YENTA #2
Are you hearing anything?

SARA
Nothing yet.

ADA
You can bring friends?

SARA
How should I know?

ADA
They should let you bring at least
a schlepper. Who's going to carry
home all those prizes?

42.

SARA
Believe me, I'll get them home.
Especially Robert Redford. For him
I don't need a schlepper.

But Sara is having a hard time sitting still. She looks up
and down the street for the Mailman and paces around her
friends.

They watch her with a bit of concern. Then Mrs Scarlini
comes out of the building for sunning. Sara grabs her and
hugs her.

SARA
I love you forever. I can't
believe it but I'm not even thinking
of food. If you put down a big
bowl of chicken noodle soup I
wouldn't eat it. Thank you so
much, Rosie. Thank you!

CUT TO:

INT. TYRONE'S NEW PAD

Alice and Tyrone make some crazy love. Arms flail, teeth
bite, mouths scream. Some crazy love.

CUT TO:

INT. SARA'S APARTMENT

Sara stands in front of the mirror trying on the red dress.
The dress won't close.

Pop, hit, glup, snap...

The red dress gets a little closer.

Pop, hit, glup, snap...

The dress gets even closer.

CUT TO:

INT. TAXI CAB - MOVING

Harry squirms in the back seat wearing a sharp new pair of
slacks, a sports shirt and a pair of new shoes.

He nervously pats down his hair and adjusts his collar.

CUT TO:

43.

EXT. SARA'S BUILDING

The Yentas all admire Sara's slim figure until the Mailman
approaches. Everyone turns to him--hoping...

He grins and shakes his head.

MAILMAN
When I see it I'll be waving it all
over the place.

The Mailman enters the building.

A cab pulls up. Harry steps out. He stares at the
intimidating line of Yentas.

Sara stares for a brief second not computing this apparition.

Then she jumps up and wraps her arms around him, almost
knocking him off balance.

SARA
Harry!

She kisses him and he kisses her. She's so excited she
kisses him again.

HARRY
Hey, take it easy, Ma, you'll crush
me.

He gives her a quick smile as he adjusts his clothes.

SARA
Come, come inside, Harry. I'll
make you a pot of coffee and we'll
have a visit.

She grabs his hand and heads to the entrance.

CUT TO:

INT. SARA'S APARTMENT

Sara makes a pot of coffee as she bustles around grabbing
cups, saucers, spoons, milk and napkins.

Harry stares wide-eyed at his hyperactive mother. He tries
to get a word in but can't.

SARA
And how are you, Harry, you're
looking so good. You want something
to eat?

44.

HARRY
No, Ma --

SARA
A little nosh, maybe, or cake, I'll
go get some if you want, but I
don't have anything in the house
but Ada will have something, a
cupcake, maybe.

HARRY
No --

Finally, the coffee is ready and she fills two cups.

SARA
You want something to eat?

HARRY
(almost screams)
No, Ma. Nothing. Sit. Sit, for
krist's sake. You're making me
dizzy.

SARA
You notice something? You notice
I'm slimmer?

HARRY
Yeah, yeah, I guess you are, Mom.

SARA
Twenty-five pounds. You believe it?
Twenty-five pounds and that's just
the beginning.

HARRY
That's great, Ma. That's really
great, I'm really happy for ya.
But sit down, eh?

Sara sits, Harry is bewildered.

HARRY
I'm sorry I haven't been around for
awhile, Ma, but I've been busy,
real busy.

Sara nods as she clenches her jaw.

SARA
You got yourself a good job?
You're doing well?

45.

HARRY
Yeah, Ma, real good.

SARA
What kind of business?

HARRY
Well, I'm sort of a distributor,
like. For a big importer. My own.

SARA
Oh, I'm so happy for you.

Sara gets up and smothers Harry with kisses.

HARRY
Hey, Ma, easy, eh? You're killing
me. Krist, whatta ya been doin',
liftin' weights?

SARA
Your own business. Oh Harry, I
knew when I saw you that you had
your own business. I always knew
that you could do that.

HARRY
(smiles)
Yeah, Ma, you were right. I made
it just like you said I would.

SARA
So now maybe you'll meet a nice
girl and have a baby?

HARRY
I already met one --

Sara squeals and squeaks and starts to jump out of her chair.
Harry holds his arms up in front of him.

HARRY
Jesus krist, Ma, don't go ape shit,
eh?

SARA
Is she a nice girl? Who's her
parents? What --

HARRY
You know'er, Ma. Marion. Marion
Silver. Remember, they --

46.

SARA
Oh, Silver. Of course. I know
Manhattan Beach. He's got a house
on the esplanade. Garment business.

HARRY
Yeah, yeah, he's big in women's
undies.

Harry chuckles. Sara is so happy, she can't stay sitting.
She refills their cups.

HARRY
Before you go bouncin' all over
again and make me forget, what I
want to tell ya is I got you a
present and --

SARA
Harry, I don't want a present, just
have a baby.

HARRY
Later for that, eh? Will you let
me tell you what I got, eh? Will ya?

Sara nods, grins, grinds and clenches.

HARRY
Krist, you're really something else
today. Look, I know... well...
(deep breath)
What I'm trying to say is
that...well...
(shrugs)
Well...I know I ain't been the best
son in the world --

SARA
Oh, Harry, you're a good --

HARRY
No, no! Please, Ma, let me finish.
I'll never get it out if you keep
interrupting me.
(deep breath)
I'm sorry for being such a bastard.
(stop -- breathe -- sigh)
I wanna make it up. I mean, I know
I can't change anything that's
happened, but I want ya to know
that I'm sorry and I love ya, and I
wanna make it right.

47.

SARA
Harry, it's --

HARRY
I don't know why I do those things.
I don't really want to do them. It
just sort've happens, I guess. I
don't know. It's all kinda goofy
somehow, but I really do love ya,
Ma, and I want you to be happy so I
got ya a brand new TV set. It's
gonna be delivered in a couple a
days. From Macy's.

Sara squeals, but Harry wards her off with his hands. She
sits down, grins and grinds her teeth.

SARA
Oh, Harry, you're such a good boy.
Your father would be so happy to
see what you're doing for your
poor, lonely mother.

Harry leans over and gives her an honest, open and perfectly
beautiful kiss.

SARA
You see that, Seymour? You see how
good your son is? He knows how
lonely his mother is living all
alone, no one to make her a visit...

Harry feels pretty good as he listens to his mother until
something puzzles him. He stops hearing his mother and now
he suddenly hears some other, strange sound. What is it?

He looks around until he looks at his mother. Suddenly he
is filled with surprise, disbelief and confusion.

The noise he hears is his mother's teeth grinding.

TIGHT ON Sara's mouth. Harry leans across the table.

HARRY
Hey, Ma, you droppin' uppers?

SARA
What?

HARRY
You on uppers?
(getting angry)
You're on diet pills, ain't ya?

48.

Sara is suddenly stunned. She's completely bewildered.

SARA
On? On? What is on?

HARRY
How come ya lost so much weight?

SARA
I told you, I'm going to a
specialist.

HARRY
A specialist. What kinda specialist?

SARA
What kind? A specialist. For weight.

HARRY
Yeah, that's what I thought.
You're makin' a croaker for speed,
ain't ya?

SARA
Harry, you alright?
(shrugs)
I'm just going to a doctor. I
don't know from croaker, making --

HARRY
What does he give ya, Ma? Eh?
Does he give ya pills?

SARA
Of course he gives me pills. He's
a doctor. Doctors give pills.

HARRY
What kind of pills?

SARA
What kind. A purple one, red one,
orange and --

HARRY
No, no, I mean what kind?

SARA
They're round...and flat.

HARRY
(rolls eyes)
I mean, like what's in them?

49.

SARA
Harry, I'm Sara Goldfarb, not
Albert Einstein. How should I know
what's in them?

HARRY
Look, Ma, does that stuff make you
feel good sort of and give you lots
of pep?

SARA
(nods)
Well, I guess maybe a little.

HARRY
A little? Jesus, I can hear ya
grinding ya teeth from here.

SARA
But that goes away at night.

HARRY
At night?

SARA
When I take the green one. In
thirty minutes I'm asleep. Poof,
just like that.

Harry shakes his head and rolls his eyes.

HARRY
Hey, Ma, ya gotta cut that stuff
loose. It's no good.

SARA
Who said it's no good? Twenty-five
pounds I lost.

HARRY
Big deal. Do ya wanna be a dope
fiend fa krist's sake?

SARA
What's this dope fiend? Am I
foaming at the mouth? He's a nice
doctor.

HARRY
Ma, I'm telling ya this croaker's
no good.

50.

SARA
How come you know so much? How
come you know more about medicine
than a doctor?

HARRY
(deep sigh)
I know, Ma, believe me, I know.
You'll get strung out fa krist's
sake.

SARA
C'mon. I almost fit in my red
dress, the one I wore at your high
school graduation. The one your
father liked so much. I remember
how he looked at me in the red
dress. It's not long after that he
got sick and died and you're
without a father, my poor baby, but
thank God he saw you happy for a
little and --

HARRY
What's with the red dress? What
does that --

SARA
I'm going to wear the red dress
on...Oh, you don't know. I'm going
to be on television. I got a call
and an application and --

HARRY
C'mon, Ma, who's pullin' ya leg?

SARA
I'm telling you I'm being a
contestant on television. They
haven't told me when, but you'll
see, you'll be proud when you see
your mother in her red dress and
golden shoes on television.

HARRY
What's the big deal about being on
television? Those pills'll kill ya
before ya ever get on, fa krist's
sake.

51.

SARA
Big deal? You drove up in a cab.
You see who had the sun seat? You
notice your mother in the special
spot getting the sun? You know who
everybody talks to? You know who's
somebody now? Who's no longer just
a widow in a little apartment who
lives alone? I'm somebody now,
Harry. Everyone likes me. Soon
millions of people will see me and
like me. I'll tell them about you
and your father. I'll tell them
how your father liked the red dress
and how good he was to us. Remember?

Harry nods. Defeated, he stares at the floor.

SARA
And who knows what I might win? A
new refrigerator. A Rolls-Royce,
maybe. Robert Redford.

HARRY
Robert Redford?

SARA
So what's wrong with Robert Redford?

Harry blinks and shakes his head. Bewildered, he surrenders
to her flow.

Sara looks at her entire family and a softness overtakes her.

SARA
It's not the prizes, Harry. It
doesn't make any difference if I
win or lose. It's like a reason to
get up in the morning. It's a
reason to lose weight so I can be
healthy. It's a reason to fit in
the red dress. It's a reason to
smile, already. It makes tomorrow
alright.
(close to Harry now)
What have I got, Harry? Why should
I even make the bed or wash the
dishes? I do them, but why should
I? I'm alone. Seymour's gone,
you're gone, I have no one to take
care of. Anybody. Everybody.
What do I have? I'm lonely, Harry.
I'm old.

52.

Harry fidgets, his eyes blink, he tries:

HARRY
You got friends, Ma. What --

SARA
It's not the same. You need
someone to make for. No, Harry, I
like how I feel this way. I like
thinking about the red dress and
the television...and your father
and you. Now when I get the sun I
smile.

HARRY
I'll come visit, Ma. Now that I'm
straight, my business is going
good, I'll come. Me and Marion.
Honest, Ma. I swear. We'll come
for dinner. Soon.

Sara shakes her head and smiles at Harry, trying hard to
believe.

SARA
Good, you bring her and I'll make
your soup and a roast.

HARRY
That sounds great, Ma. I'll give
you a call ahead a time, OK?

SARA
(nods)
Good. I'm glad. I'm glad you got
a nice girl and a good business.
I'm glad.

Sara gets up and hugs Harry, tears welling in her eyes.

SARA
Your father and I were always
wanting only the very best for you.
I'm glad, Harry, that you have
someone to be with. You should be
healthy and happy. And have lots
of babies. Don't have only one.
It's no good. Have lots of babies.
They'll make you happy.

Harry does his best to hug his mother. He fights his
desperation to get away and holds onto her.

Eventually, Sara backs away and looks into his face, smiling.

53.

SARA
Look, I'm crying already. I'm so
happy I'm crying.

HARRY
(forces smiles)
I'm glad you're happy, Ma. I
really love ya. An' I'm sorry --

Sara waves his apology away -- tosh, tosh.

HARRY
I really am. But I'm goin' ta make
it up now. You should just be happy.

SARA
Don't worry about me. I'm used to
being alone.

A long silent beat as child and parent smile at each other.
Harry looks at his watch.

HARRY
I got to go, Ma. I have an
appointment in Manhattan in a
little bit. But I'll be back.

SARA
Good. I'll make for you. You
still have your key?

HARRY
(shows her)
Yeah, I got it, Ma. I'd better
hurry. I'm late now.

SARA
Goodbye, Son.

One more kiss and hug and Harry is gone. Sara stares at the
door for many long moments.

Then she takes her orange pill -- pop, hit, glup, snap --
and washes it down with a fresh cup of coffee.

CUT TO:

INT. MOVING CAB

Harry sits in the back seat filled with worry and concern.
Tears well up into his eyes until he can't hold it any
longer. He sobs hard, real hard.

54.

A moment later he collects himself and gets high: flick,
sizzle, snap, suck, slap, rush, sigh...

Harry wipes away his tears.

CUT TO:

INT. SARA'S BEDROOM

Sara zips up the red dress. It closes.

She swings around gloriously and her locked jaw smiles at
herself in the mirror. Eyes glow.

And she begins to waltz by herself. Humming...

HARD CUT TO:

BLACK

ON THE SCREEN IN WHITE LETTERS: 'FALL'

CUT TO:

INT. BRODY'S LIMO

Tyrone steps into a white limo with leopardskin upholstery.

He exchanges fives with, Brody (late twenties, bespectacled,
highly intelligent looking) and his two Henchmen.

Brody doesn't speak. He signs to Henchman #1

HENCHMAN
Brody say you coming up quick, kid.

TYRONE
Thanks, Brody.

The Henchman signs back. Then Brody responds.

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