Daily Dialogue — December 19, 2012

BRAD: [reading Lester’s job description] “My job consists of basically masking my contempt for the assholes in charge, and, at least once a day, retiring to the men’s room so I can jerk off while I fantasize about a life that doesn’t so closely resemble Hell.” Well, you have absolutely no interest in saving yourself.
LESTER: Brad, for 14 years I’ve been a whore for the advertising industry. The only way I could save myself now is if I start firebombing. 
BRAD: Whatever. Management wants you gone by the end of the day.
LESTER: Well, just what sort of severance package is “management” prepared to offer me? Considering the information I have about our editorial director buying pussy with company money.

A beat.

LESTER: Which I’m sure would interest the I.R.S., since it technically constitutes fraud. And I’m sure that some of our advertisers and rival publications might like to know about it as well. Not to mention, Craig’s wife.

Brad sighs.
BRAD: What do you want?
LESTER:One year’s salary, with benefits.
BRAD: That’s not going to happen.
LESTER: Well, what do you say I throw in a little sexual harassment charge to boot?

Brad LAUGHS.

BRAD: Against who?
LESTER: Against you.

Brad stops laughing.

LESTER: Can you prove you didn’t offer to save my job if I’d let you blow me?

Brad leans back in his chair, studying Lester.

BRAD: Man. You are one twisted fuck.
LESTER: (standing) Nope. I’m just an ordinary guy with nothing to lose.

— American Beauty (1999), written by Alan Ball

http://static.movieclips.com/embedplayer.swf?shortid=P5rq

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is negotiations, suggested by JasperLamarCrab. Today’s suggestion by @Trigonis.

Trivia: Alan Ball originally intended to write a script about Amy Fisher, the “Long Island Lolita” who shot lover Joey Buttafuoco’s wife Mary Jo Buttafuoco in 1992; but each successive draft of the script drifted farther away from that story, until it essentially disappeared.

Dialogue On Dialogue: This exchange happens exactly at the midpoint of the script, marking the Transition Plotline Point. Lester has gone through a Deconstruction phase complete with pot-smoking, committing to exercise, fighting back against being the domesticated husband, all fueled by his libidinal fantasies about Angela. With this assertive action on his part, he moves into Reconstruction and eventual Unity… but as it turns out too late.

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