Mulholland Dr.

SARAH JAMES
This is Nicki, my assistant.

Nicki, a very stylish, thin girl with black cat-eyed glasses
nods coolly to Betty.

WALLY
And this is Martha, Martha Johnson, who
you met out front.

Betty nervously smiles to the room.

BETTY
Hi.

WALLY
Well. Shall we get to it? Would you like
a water or a coffee before we begin?

Betty's hands are beginning to sweat.

BETTY
No, no, I'm fine.

WALLY
Well then, take a seat everyone. Betty
why don't you join Jimmy and we'll play
the scene. Is there anything you'd like
to say Bob... something to Betty before
they begin?

Betty stops on her way across to Jimmy and looks to Bob the
director.

BOB
No ... it's not a contest, see, the two of
them with themselves, so don't play it
for real until it gets real.

Betty doesn't know what to say. She catches Sarah's
assistant, Nicki, rolling her eyes.

BETTY
Okay.

Betty continues walking toward Jimmy who opens his arms to
her as she approaches. He's old enough to be her father.

JIMMY
Just tell me where it hurts, baby.

BETTY
What?

JIMMY
I want to play this one close, Bob. Like
it was with that girl, what's her name,
with the black hair. That felt good.
Whaddya think?

Betty looks from Jimmy to Bob.

BOB
That'd be good, Jimmy. Just don't rush
that line again. I told you... the line
where you say, "Before what?"

JIMMY
I was playin' off 'em. They say,
"They'll arrest you"... and stuff like
that.. "put you in jail"... they say it
like that. They all say it the same way,
so I react like that.

Jimmy turns to Betty.

JIMMY (cont'd)
Look ... what's your name?

BETTY
Betty.

JIMMY
Yeah ... Betty. You don't rush it. I
don't rush it. We play it close, just
like in the movies.

Jimmy reaches out and puts his arm around Betty and brings
her in against his pot belly.

JIMMY (cont'd)
Dad's best friend goes to work.

Jimmy smiles as he brings Betty a little closer. She is
trying to concentrate through the nervousness and Jimmy's
breath. There is a silence as Jimmy looks her in the eyes.
Everyone in the room is looking Betty in the eyes.

WALLY
Bob?

BOB
And ... ACTION!

Betty and Jimmy start the scene. It is very difficult for
Betty as Jimmy has her in an absurd clench now.

BETTY
You're still here?

JIMMY
I came back. I thought that's what you
wanted.

Jimmy plays this with a big lecherous smile. He gives the
last part of the line across her cheek up to her ear.

BETTY
Nobody wants you here.

Betty uses the anger of this line to push herself away from
Jimmy. Jimmy reaches out and grabs her wrist.

JIMMY
Really?

Betty pulls her hand away and stands her ground.

BETTY
My parents are right upstairs! They
think you've left.

Jimmy smiles broadly and moves again toward Betty.

JIMMY
So ... surprise!

Betty pushes him back.

BETTY
I can call them... I can call my dad.

JIMMY
But you won't.

He grabs Betty by the wrist again and pulls her in to him.
He puts his hand on her waist and it accidently slips and
keeps going down her hips. He jerks his hand back. Betty
looks down and sees Jimmy's hand hovering above her thigh.
Betty takes her hand and gently presses down on Jimmy's hand.
She slowly looks up with the most seductive smile. Jimmy
lets his hand rest more firmly on her thigh, and squeezes her
thigh as he sees her smile. With his other hand Jimmy gently
pulls her closer. Something has started coming over Betty
and she catches the drift of this scene in a different way.
She's surprising herself.

BETTY
(almost a hot whisper)
You're playing a dangerous game here. if
you're trying to blackmail me... it's not
going to work.

Jimmy now surprises himself. He becomes almost tender and
genuinely worked up from the heat coming off Betty.

JIMMY
You know what I want...it's not that
difficult.

Where the scene should turn to anger from Betty it can't now
and Betty plays it as she feels it. She stays in very close
to Jimmy - looking him right in the eyes.

BETTY
(whispering desperately -
slowly)
Get out... Get out before I call my dad.
He trusts you... you're his best friend.
(her arms go around him)
This will be the end of everything.

Jimmy gets lost. He doesn't know where he is anymore. He
can only see Betty's eyes.