screenplay

April 4, 2006

Fat

By Raymond Carver

Adapted for the screen by Kerry Jones

FADE IN:� �� RITA?S KITCHEN

Medium shot of two women in profile: ARLENE and RITA.� ARLENE is wearing a bright, orange low-cut sweater and jeans.� Both women are in their early 30s.� RITA is wearing her bathrobe.�� Smoke is drifting from two cigarettes glowing in the ashtray.� Sunlight is streaming into the windows.� They are sitting in a small apartment, at a brown, round table that is pushed up against the window.� They are sitting on yellow vinyl chairs.�

ARLENE (voiceover):�

I am sitting over coffee and cigarettes at my friend Rita?s and I am telling her about it.� Here is what I tell her.

ESTABLISHING SHOT OF GREEN LANTERN DINER.� Writing is in black script.� Camera pans quickly past larger than life-sized lawn jockey holding a green lantern, past golden, stain-glass windows to inside the brown paneled diner.� Music is playing within the diner softly:� Wayne Newton?s Danke Shein.

ARLENE (voiceover):�

It is slow Wednesday when Herb seats the fat man at my station.

HERB is a pudgy, middle-aged man in beige uniform pants and short-sleeved tan cotton shirt.� His pants are hoisted high onto his waist.� His eyes widen in surprise when he sees his newest customer, then smiles professionally and takes a menu from the podium where

he is standing.� We cannot see the customer?s face, but we see HERB turn to his guest, walk past a table with an elderly couple, a party of three men and one woman.� All are wearing trucker gear:� caps and flannel.� As he approaches the corner of the restaurant, he walks past a table of four businessmen in golden polyester jackets.� He gestures towards a booth in the corner of restaurant.� We see the MAN now; he is obese.� He weighs about 400 pounds.�� He has brown hair, and is also in his early 30s.� He is dressed all in blue.� HERB watches him struggle to fit into the booth, then gestures towards a table set for four instead.� The MAN smiles gratefully and HERB pulls out his chair.� The MAN sits down.� HERB places the menu in front of MAN and walks away.� HERB looks towards ARLENE, her hair is pinned back and she is wearing a brown, short sleeved polyester dress.

�� HERB

�� He?s all yours, honey.

MEDIUM SHOT OF RITA?S KITCHEN�

ARLENE pulls a cigarette out of a leather case and lights it with the lighter sitting in the case in front.

ARLENE (voiceover):�

This fat man is the fattest person I have ever seen, thought he is neat appearing and well dressed enough.�

Medium shot of MAN, in profile, looking at menu.�

ARLENE (voiceover):

Everything about him is big.�

Close-up shots pan man?s body:� MAN is breathing with difficulty.�� The camera closes in on the sweat on his face as he intently studies the menu.� Close up on arms, then legs.�

ARLENE (voice over):

But it is the fingers I remember best.�

The noise of the dining room is in the foreground.� Voices laughing, ordering, snapping, speaking are all we can hear.� 1970s easy listening music is in the background.� ARLENE, standing at the coffee station, stares at MAN with wonder; close up on ARLENE?s face.� She is not disgusted by MAN, but shocked and is finding it difficult to look away.� Cut to MAN:� He has closed his menu and folded his hands.� Cut to:� medium shot of ARLENE stopping at the elderly couples? table and smiling.� Her mouth is moving, saying, ?Is everything all right??� The old man nods, but the old woman does not lift up her head.� ARLENE smiles at the couple and looks up at MAN.� Cut to: medium shot of MAN, in profile, looking straight ahead with his hands resting on top of the menu.

ARLENE (voice over):�

When I stop at the table near his to see to the old couple, I first notice the fingers.� They look three times the size of a normal person?s fingers?long, thick, creamy fingers.

Close up on hands.

The noise of the restaurant is again in the foreground.� �Long shot of ARLENE:� she is

walking with determination from table to table.� She returns to each table and bring them something: to the old couple, she carries the pot of coffee and two empty cups and saucers; to the businessmen she brings another soda.� Then she takes the order of the

party of four.� LEANDER, a tall, thin, handsome young man with dark hair and wearing a white shirt and brown pants, walks past ARLENE and looks at her, smiling knowingly.� He is carrying a water pitcher, one glass, a place mat and silverware and walks to MAN?s table and pours him water and sets the table.�

MAN (almost inaudibly):�

We thank you.

He is breathing with difficulty.

ARLENE (voice over):

I see to my other tables, a party of four businessmen, very demanding, another party of four, three men and a woman, and this old couple.� Leander has poured the fat man?s water, and I give the fat man plenty of time to make up his mind before going over.

Medium shot of ARLENE (back to the camera) standing at the end ? lengthwise?of MAN?s table and looking at him.� Cut to:� Close up on ARLENE?S face.�

�� ARLENE (voiceover)

Good evening.� May I serve you?

Close upshot of MAN?S mouth.� Cut to: fingers?they are wiggling, fingering the menu. Cut to: medium shot of MAN?S face and table, his fingers still moving, wiggling.� ARLENE is standing at the end of the table, with her pad in her hand.

ARLENE (voiceover) is saying the words MAN mouths:�

Good evening.� Hello.� Yes.� I think we?re ready to order.

RITA?S APARTMENT�

Silhouette of RITA and ARLENE, both pulling on cigarettes at the same time.

ARLENE:�

He had this way of speaking?strange, don?t you know.� And he makes a little puffing sound every so often.� And Rita, those fingers.� You had to see those fingers.

Medium shot of MAN.� He is panting and sweating but looks excited.� His fingers are wiggling.�

MAN:�

I think we will begin with a Caesar salad.� And then a bowl of soup with some extra bread and butter, if you please.� Then lamb chops, we think.� And baked potato with sour cream.� We?ll see about dessert later.� We thank you.�

He hands ARLENE the menu, slowly fingering its edges before he lets go.� ARLENE tries not to stare at his fingers.

ARLENE quickly walks to the kitchen; her skirt sways back and forth.� Her thick-soled beige shoes make soft squeaking noises as she moves.� She will not look at him until she is inside the kitchen.� Once inside, she lifts up her duplicate pad and writes the man?s

order while looking through the round window of the door that separates the kitchen from

the dining room.� She looks through the shelves to look for the cook on other side.� She raises her hand to ring the chrome bell that sits on the shelves; instead, she pulls the order off the pad and slides the order underneath the bell.� She turns around and goes to the

refrigerator for the ingredients for Caesar salad.� Another waitress, MARGO, walks into the kitchen, writes an order and puts it over the ARLENE?S order.� ARLENE does not look at MARGO while she makes MAN?s salad.

MARGO:�

Who?s your fat friend?� He?s really a fatty.

Arlene places the ingredients for the salad, a large wooden salad bowl and a basket of bread and butter on a cart and pushes it out the door to the dining room.�

RITA?S APARTMENT

Close up of ARLENE stamping out her cigarette into the ashtray.

ARLENE (looking at the table):�

Now that?s part of it.� That?s really part of it.

Long shot of ARLENE standing next to MAN?S table.� She is dramatically trying to toss the Caesar salad and losing some of it onto the floor.� MAN is buttering several pieces of bread and placing them in a circle around the edge of his bread plate.� He is watching her.� She places the large bowl in front of the MAN and using exaggerated gestures, presents him with a pepper mill.�

�� MAN

�� Oh.� Yes.� Please.

She turns the pepper mill three times.� As she is straightening up, her pepper mill knocks

over his glass of water.

ARLENE (surprised, jumpy):�

I?m so sorry.� She pulls a rag that was hanging over her apron and begins to wipe up the mess.� It always happens when you get into a hurry.� I?m very sorry.� Are you all right?� She turns and looks for LEANDER but she cannot find him.� I?ll get the boy to clean up right away.

MAN (puffing, sweating):

�It?s nothing.� It?s all right.� Don?t worry about it, we don?t mind.

He smiles.

Medium shot of ARLENE smiling and walking away.� She is carefully folding the rag so the water does not drip onto the floor.� The noises of the dining room come into the foreground.� We see her check on her other tables onto her way into the kitchen. She asks the old couple if they want their check but we can barely hear her, the noises of the dining room?talking, laughing?make it difficult to hear what she says.� They nod yes, and she stands over them while she adds up the check and leaves it at their table.� She walks into the kitchen.� Immediately after the door closes, she turns and looks out the round window.� Cut to: the MAN?s table.� He has finished the Caesar salad and is buttering more bread.� ARLENE gets a new basket from the kitchen and fills it with bread and brings it out to MAN.� She pushes the door to the dining room and leaves it at his table.� She takes the empty breadbasket away.

MAN:�

You?re very kind.� This bread is marvelous.

ARLENE:

Thank you.

�� MAN (as he reaches for another piece):

Well, it is very good and we mean that.� We don?t often enjoy bread like this.

ARLENE:�

Where are you from?� I don?t believe I?ve seen you before.

RITA?S FACE?RITA?S APARTMENT

Close up of RITA?s face, snorting sarcastically at her kitchen table.�

RITA:�

He?s not the kind of person you?d forget.

GREEN LANTERN DINER

Close up ofMAN?S face smiling, innocent, puffing and sweating.� He is buttering more bread.

MAN:�

Denver.

ARLENE begins to speak but doesn?t.� She backs up.�

ARLENE:�

Your soup will be along in a few minutes, sir.

ARLENE backs further away, then turns.� External noises emerge; the music gets louder.

ARLENE approaches the four businessmen.

ARLENE (softly)

�� May I bring you some coffee?

The music?70s easy listening?is playing in the foreground.

Cut to:� Medium shot of ARLENE walking head-on towards the camera, carrying a bowl of soup.� Steam is drifting out the bowl.� She stops at the MAN?s table and puts the soup in front of him.� She looks at the breadbasket and notices it is empty.� MAN looks at ARLENE?s face, then at the breadbasket.

MAN:�

Believe me, we don?t eat like this all the time.� You?ll have to excuse us.

ARLENE:�

Don?t think a thing about it.� I like to see a man eat and enjoy himself.

MAN:

I don?t know.� I guess that?s what you?d call it.�

MAN picks up his spoon and bends over the bowl.� He begins to eat.� ARLENE picks up the breadbasket and walks away.� As she approaches the kitchen, she passes LEANDER.�

LEANDER (whispering in her ear):�

God, he?s fat!

ARLENE:�

He can?t help it, so shut up.

Long shot of ARLENE going into the kitchen.� Camera is focused on the door with the

round window.� ARLENE comes out with another basket of bread.� She leaves it at MAN?s table.� MAN looks up when she arrives.

MAN:�

Thank you.� Good.� Very good.� He wipes his lips and demurely dabs his chin.� Do you think it?s warm in here or is it just me?

ARLENE:

No, it?s warm in here.

MAN:�

Maybe we?ll take off our coat.

ARLENE:�

Go right ahead.� A person has to be comfortable.

MAN:�

That?s true.� That is very, very true.

ARLENE smiles and walks away.� The camera backs up so the viewer can see more of the restaurant.� It has become much less crowded, the old couple is gone, the party of four truckers have also left.�

KITCHEN

ARLENE is in the kitchen, and RUDY, the cook, has just put the MAN?s order onto the shelf.� ARLENE is careful not to look at RUDY.� She leaves the plate on the shelf, walks to the refrigerator and pulls out the sour cream.

She spoons large spoonfuls of sour cream onto the MAN?s baked potato and fills a small dish with pats of butter.� She puts a steak knife under his chops, takes the plate and butter and pushes the round window out of the kitchen.� When she enters the dining room, the MAN is the only person seated.� She notices he is still wearing his coat.

ARLENE:

Is everything all right?

MAN:�

Fine.� Excellent, thank you.

ARLENE:�

Enjoy your dinner.� Arlene leans over the man and lifts the sugar bowl.� The man watches her.

RITA?S APARTMENT

�ARLENE is still sitting at the table, spooning sugar into her coffee.

ARLENE:�

I know I was after something.� But I don?t know what.

KITCHEN

The three waitresses, HARRIET, MARGO and ARLENE are standing in the kitchen.� ARLENE is looking out the round window that leads to the dining room.� ARLENE has her back to the other two women.� ARLENE turns around when HARRIET begins to speak to her.�

HARRIET:�

How is old tub-of-guts doing?� He?s going to run your legs off.

ARLENE walks out the kitchen door.

DINING ROOM

ARLENE is standing at the end of the MAN?s table with her pad ready.� LEANDER is walking away with the empty plates and breadbasket.

ARLENE:�

For dessert there is the Green Lantern Special, which is a pudding cake with sauce, or there is cheesecake or vanilla ice cream, or pineapple sherbet.

MAN� (looking around, puffing):�

We?re not making you late, are we?

ARLENE:�

Not at all.� Of course not.� Take your time.� I?ll bring you coffee while you make up your mind.� Arlene turns to head toward the coffee station, but stops when he begins to speak.

MAN (closing menu,sweating):�

We?ll be honest with you.� We would like the Special, but we may have a dish of vanilla ice cream as well.� With just a drop of chocolate syrup, if you please.� We told you we were hungry.

ARLENE smiles and the camera follows her into the kitchen.� She takes a pre-sliced piece of cake and a bottle of chocolate syrup out of the refrigerator.� She carefully drizzles the sauce onto the cake, then takes a small ice cream dish off a shelf above the freezers and leans over the freezer.� She is having difficulty scooping the ice cream into

the dish.� RUDY walks up to her while she is doing this.� RUDY?s apron is folded over his waist.� His hat is in his back pocket.� RUDY stands close behind her while she leans into the freezer.� He whispers in her ear.

RUDY:�

Harriet says you got a fat man from the circus out there.� He leans closer.� That true?

ARLENE (turning):

�Rudy, he is fat, but that?s not the whole story.

RUDY laughs and takes his hat out of his back pocket.� He uses it to wipe his brow and walks away.

RUDY (looking around):�

Sounds to me like she?s sweet on fat-stuff.

HARRIET is leaning against the shelf, eating a cup of soup.

HARRIET:�

Better watch out, Rudy.�

RUDY (to Harriet):

�I?m getting jealous.

ARLENE walks out of the kitchen with the ice cream and the cake.� She places it on the MAN?s table.

MAN:�

Thank you.

ARLENE:

You are very welcome.� Arlene?s demeanor changes.� She becomes emotional, her eyes well up with tears.� She tries to compose herself.

MAN:�

Believe it or not, we have not always eaten like this.

ARLENE:�

Me, I eat and eat and I can?t gain.� I?d like to gain.

MAN looks at ARLENE and shakes his head.

MAN:�

No.� If we had our choice.� No.� But there is no choice.� He picks up his spoon and eats.

RITA?S APARTMENT

Medium shot ofRITA (head down to the top of the table).� Again, she pulls a cigarette out of ARLENE?s leather case and opens the front pocket, searching for a lighter.� The ashtray is overflowing with cigarettes.� RITA finds the lighter and lights her cigarette.

RITA (surprised, waiting):�

So what else?� This story?s getting interesting now.

ARLENE (pushing back from the table):�

That?s it.� Nothing else.� He eats his dessert and then he leaves and then we go home, Rudy and me.

ARLENE is describing what we see next in voice over:

ARLENE (voiceover):�

At home, Rudy is stretching like he does when he?s tired.�

�LONG SHOT OF RUDY AND ARLENE?S LIVING ROOM.�

RUDY is sitting in a beige recliner, fully reclined.� His hands are behind his head.� He has taken his white uniform shirt off and is wearing a white tank undershirt.� He is still

wearing his uniform pants, which are stained with grease and food.� There is a floor lamp next to his chair.� He is watching television.� A cat walks in and jumps on ARLENE?S chair.� RUDY shoos it away.� RUDY is transfixed by the television, changing channels with the remote then settling on something he wants to watch.

ARLENE?S voice?RUDY mouths the words:

Some fatty.�

Rudy reclines in his chair, smiling.

ARLENE (voiceover):�

Then he just laughs and goes back to watching the TV.

ARLENE is staring at him from the kitchen.� She is wearing her bathrobe.� She is holding an empty kettle, then turns to fill it from the tap.� She puts the kettle onto the gas stove and turns the knob.� The viewer can hear the pilot click several times before the flame comes on.�

ARLENE (voiceover):

I put the water on to boil for tea and take a shower.� I put my hand on my middle and wonder what would happen if I had children and one of them turned out to look like that, so fat.�

The kettle boils and ARLENE takes it off the flame.� She takes two teacups, saucers, milk

and sugar and places them on a tray.� She brings the tray into the living room and sets it down on a TV tray between the recliner and the couch.� RUDY straightens up and ARLENE hands him his cup.

ARLENE (voiceover):�

As if he?s been thinking about it, Rudy tells me a story.

Cut to: close up of Rudy?s face and torso as he is drinking his tea.� Cut to: Close up on RUDY?s face and chest.� We can see the hair coming out of his tank top.

RUDY (his voice):�

I knew a fat guy once, a couple of fat guys, really fat guys, when I was a kid.� They were tubbies, my God.� I don?t remember their names.� Fat, that?s the only name this one kid had.� We called him Fat, the kid who lived next door to me.� He was a neighbor.� The other kid came along later.� His name was Wobbly.� Everybody called him Wobbly, except the teachers.� Wobbly and Fat.� Wish I had their pictures.

ARLENE is listening as he speaks, but does not say anything.� She quietly sips her tea.� RUDY drains his cup and puts it on the tray.� He stands up and unbuttons his pants while walking into the bedroom.

ARLENE is describing this in voice over:

RUDY AND ARLENE?S BEDROOM

Arlene is laying at the farthest edge of the bed.� She is turned away from RUDY, who shuts off the light and slides into the bed next to her.� Close up of ARLENE?s face only.�

Camera closes in on ARLENE?S eyes.� Shadows of RUDY are moving behind ARLENE, but the close up is on her face.� RUDY turns her on her back and she looks at him, then closes her eyes. She turns her head when he tries to kiss her and moves it into his neck.� He does not stop, or even notice and begins to mount her.

ARLENE (voiceover):�

I get into bed and move clear over to the edge and lie there on my stomach.� But right away, as soon as he turns off the light and gets into bed, Rudy begins.� I turn on my back and relax some, though it is against my will.� But here is the thing:� when he gets on me I suddenly feel I am fat.� I feel I am terrifically fat, so fat that Rudy is a tiny thing and hardly there at all.

RITA?S APARTMENT

Close up of RITA.� She pokes at her hair and looks puzzled.

RITA:�

That?s a funny story.

Cut to: ARLENE.� She is searching RITA?s face.� She pushes her chair back, disappointed.� She checks her watch and smiles insincerely.

ARLENE:

�� I got to go, darlin?.� Thanks for the coffee.

She kisses RITA on the cheek and quickly leaves the apartment and rushes to her car.� RITA watches her, confused.�

Cut to: ESTABLISHING SHOT ? RITA?S APARTMENT EXTERIOR

RITA standing at the door of her apartment and pulling her robe closed as she watches ARLENE bound down the stairs and out the door.

RITA:�

Bye.� She waves.

EXTERIOR SHOT:� STREET AND DIRT ROAD

The camera follows ARLENE as she goes outside.� She opens the car door, slides in and puts her hands on the wheel.� She begins to cry. Cut to long shot of ARLENE?s car, a brown 1991, Pontiac Grand Am, driving down a dirt desert highway away from town.� ARLENE drives home through the hot desert sun.� The dust is flying as she drives down the road.�

ARLENE (voiceover):�

It is August.� My life is going to change.� I feel it.

Fat

You never know who is going to change your life.

Based on the short story, ?Fat?, by Raymond Carver

Screenplay by Kerry Jones

�� Arlene has been working at the Green Lantern Diner for ten years.� She has served a lot of people in that time, but one night she meets a man who makes her see her life differently.

�� In the opening scene we meet Arlene and her best friend Rita.� They are sitting at Rita?s kitchen table, smoking cigarettes and having coffee.� Arlene is telling Rita the story of her encounter with the fat man.

�� It is a quiet evening and the host seats an obese man at Arlene?s table.� The man comes in alone and just moving through the dining room, we see him sweating and puffing, but he is pleasant and waits patiently to be served.

�� Over the course of the man?s meal, Arlene serves the man with dedication.� She defends him when her co-workers make cruel comments about his weight.� This man reveals to her the loss of control over his eating; Arlene begins to see the loss of control in her life as well.

Arlene begins to see connections between her life and his.� He has no control over his eating; she has no control over her life.�

After the man leaves, Arlene goes home with her boyfriend, Rudy, a cook at the diner.� After several hours of waiting on others, Arlene waits on Rudy.

�� She begins to confide her feelings to Rita, but after seeing confusion on Rita?s face, she is sorry she did.� When she realizes she has revealed too much of herself to her, Arlene quickly leaves Rita?s apartment.� Driving away, she becomes convinced her life will change.� But are we?

�

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