Daily Dialogue — October 26, 2013
EXT. EAST RIVER — NIGHT
Jack walks up to the river, drunk. A Pinocchio doll is taped to one leg. He drops his whiskey bottle and it smashes, a drop in the ocean of garbage surrounding him.
He stares into the water, serene. He leans forward, ready to jump…
The headlights of a car illuminate him. It stops and two upper-class deliquents get out. One has a baseball bat and wears a leather jacket. The other has two gallons of gasoline and wears a windbreaker.
LEATHER: What’s going on?
They approach Jack as he tries to stumble away from them.
LEATHER: I said what’s going on? What are you doing here, man?
They have him surrounded now. Leather pounds Jack in the stomach with the bat.
LEATHER: Why you hanging around this neighborhood?
JACK: I was just leaving.
Windbreaker shoves Jack to the ground and Leather holds him there with one foot in a nice expensive casual shoe.
LEATHER: People spend a lot of hard-earned money for this neighborhood. It’s not fair, looking out their windows for your ass asleep on the street!
JACK: Yes, I agree.
LEATHER: Good! Very good. (to Windbreaker) Do you believe this drunk?
Windbreaker just giggles.
LEATHER: Me either, man. Let’s do it!
Windbreaker tosses Leather one of the gas cans and they begin soaking Jack with the gasoline. He writhes in horror, shrieking.
PARRY (O.S.): HOLD, VARLETS!
They look.
Standing on top of the car is a silhouette of a man, PARRY. He seems noble and fierce. He bears a shield and a weapon and regards the three men with infinite calm.
PARRY: Or feel the sting of my shaft!
Parry aims, and an arrow with a suction cup tip flies out and hits Windbreaker in the groin. Windbreaker doubles over, trying to pull the arrow loose.
PARRY: In the name of Lance De Fleur, unhand that errant knight!
He leaps from the car and advances on them. Windbreaker finally works the suction cup loose.
PARRY: You speak English? Let the bum go, dipshit!
Jack vomits, but keeps watching the scene before him. Leather starts after the approaching Parry, Windbreaker flanking him.
PARRY: Mendacity! Why are two attractive city squires like you abusing a knight like this?
Parry can now be seen — his shield is a garbage can lid, his bulk just layers of dirty bum clothing, his bearded face filled with half intelligence, half mania. His knit cap is decorated with spangles and a long feather like a white plume.
LEATHER: You a faggot too?
PARRY: Faggot? No, but I do believe in fairies.
Leather swings the bat, and Parry parries it with the lid.
PARRY: Oh, not without dinner!
He smooches Leather and hops back.
LEATHER: You fucking nuts?!
PARRY: VIOLA! Let’s show him what’s he won!
He addresses this to an imaginary audience, and Windbreaker rushes forward, grabs his arms, and spins him around to Leather.
PARRY: I have to advise you to let us go.
LEATHER: Oh, you advise us, huh?
He pushes Parry back, Windbreaker holding him tightly.
PARRY: Yes, ’cause you’re outnumbered, son.
He cackles and swings around Windbreaker.
PARRY: See?
From the piles of garbage emerge figures. One hobbles, another younger bum bears a tire iron mocked up like a cross. All have flashlights. Three bums in all amble up with holy purpose.
LEATHER: Looks like Night of the Living Dead.
He pulls out a switchblade.
LEATHER: Come on, go for it. You can’t do nothing!
PARRY (mocking him): Can’t do nothin’! Can’t do nothin’! Nothing? Gentlemen!
Parry raises his arm like a conductor. Windbreaker grabs Jack who’s trying to escape. Parry drops his arm.
BUMS (singing): I LIKE NEW YORK IN JUNE…
Parry points at Leather.
PARRY (singing): HOW ABOUT YOU?
A dog sidles up to the bums and begins howling along. It’s an improvement to the performance.
BUMS (singing): I LIKE A GERSHWIN TUNE, HOW ABOUT YOU?
On “YOU”, the bums point the flashlights at Leather, Windbreaker, and Jack. They are blinded by the lights.
PARRY: Oh, look, it’s showtime!
Parry begins swinging two tube socks with something heavy in the ends, like a softball. He steps toward the three men in the spotlights.
PARRY: You know, boys, there’s three things in this world that you need. Respect for all kinds of life, a nice bowel movement on a regular basis, and a navy blazer. OH! And one more thing.
Leather can still barely see. Jack is just as afraid of Parry as the other two.
PARRY: Never take your eye off the BALL!
He releases one of the socks, hitting Leather in the face. Leather falls and Windbreaker scampers away in fear.
Now Parry grabs Leather from behind as he moans in pain.
PARRY: Of course, the ability to be a shithead can be a fabulous advantage.
He begins duct-taping Leather’s hands together. Jack is astounded.
Windbreaker reaches the car and speeds away.
Jack scrambles back from Parry as Parry finishes with Leather. Parry approaches to calm him.
PARRY: Hey, hey, HEY!
Jack’s face comes into the light and Parry stops. A recognition?
JACK: Don’t hurt me!
Parry’s face softens with compassion.
PARRY: Why? So you can be healthy when you jump? No…
LEATHER: You can’t leave me out here tied up alone, you fucking faggot!
PARRY: You’re not going to be alone!
He grabs his garbage can lid and a metal hanger, banging the lid.
PARRY: COME AND GET IT!
JACK: I need a drink.
Parry turns back to him.
PARRY: Hey, I know a fabulous place with great ambiance.
Jack has no response.
— The Fisher King (1991), written by Richard LaGravenese
The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is meet cute, suggested by bolo boffin who also suggested The Fisher King.
Trivia: The first film directed by Terry Gilliam to not feature any other members of Monty Python.
Dialogue On Dialogue: Commentary by bolo boffin: “Buddy movies are just a love story without the sex, and the legend of the Fisher King is the ultimate buddy movie. Gilliam’s movie plays on many different tropes of this legend and the dialogue here benefits greatly from the improvisational skills of Robin Williams as Parry. The script itself suggest the basic words, though, and all of Williams’ improv cuts right back to the central mystery of the show. But left intact is that last line about a fabulous place with great ambiance. It will be a hook to the gathering place of the various bum cliques of the next scene, but it also alludes to the kind of place where Jack’s despondent fan returned with a shotgun. Only later will we learn Parry’s connection to that bar and why his recognition here is not just of an infamous shock jock but that the man he has saved is the one who wounded him beyond all measure. That’s dramatic irony for you.”
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