Daily Dialogue — May 27, 2012
TONY: Frankie! How are you doing?
FRANK JR.: How are you, kid?
TONY: It’s good to see you.
FRANK JR.: You too.
TONY: You look good.
FRANK JR.: No, I don’t. You do. You look wonderful.
TONY: Checking out my trophy?
FRANK JR.: Oh, yeah. That’s you, huh?
TONY: First prize.
FRANK JR.: Looks just like you.
TONY: Hey, what did you say to them? They look like zombies, like somebody died or something!
FRANK JR.: I think they’re in shock, Tony.
TONY: In shock? Why would they be in shock?
FRANK JR.: I’m leaving the Church, Tony.
TONY: Yeah, sure. Leaving the Church. Tell me another one.
FRANK JR.: I’m leaving the priesthood.
TONY: Oh, come on, Frank, don’t fool around like that. You think I’m losing my hair? It looks awful thin right here and here. Are you serious?
FRANK JR.: Can I borrow your clothes until I buy some? I don’t want to wear the uniform.
TONY: I’m sorry, Frank. I really am. I’m sorry.
FRANK JR.: What are you sorry about?
TONY: You got fired, huh?
FRANK JR.: I didn’t get fired, I quit.
TONY: You quit?
FRANK JR.: Yeah, you can do those things, you know?
TONY: Well, what did Mom say? What did she say about it?
FRANK JR.: She said: “Dear Lord, what am I going to tell Theresa and Marie?”
TONY: And Dad? What did he say about it?
FRANK JR.: They’re ashamed. Both of them. They’re ashamed, right? Are you ashamed of me, Tony? Yeah…
TONY: Didn’t ask why or nothing?
FRANK JR.: No. I think they’re afraid to. Like I might say, “Celibacy”. But…
TONY: Are you going to sleep here tonight? In my room?
FRANK JR.: Yeah, I thought I would.
TONY:n All right, I’ll get blankets for you. Frank, how come you left, really?
FRANK JR.: It’s not easy to explain, Anthony. A lot of things. One day you look at a crucifix, and all you see is a man dying on a cross. But that’s only a backdrop to something else. Mama and Papa, their dreams of pious glory. They turn you into what they wish at the time. You can’t defend yourself against their fantasies. All I ever really had any belief in was their image of me as a priest, so…
TONY: I guess we’ll have to take your picture down from the mantle. You know what’s weird? I always felt I was the shit and you were perfect.
FRANK JR.: Now that I’m the disgrace to the family, I’m not so perfect any more. So maybe you’re not shit any more.
TONY: Yeah, maybe if you’re not so good, then I’m not so bad.
FRANK JR.: Yeah.
— Tony (John Travolta), Frank Jr. (Martin Shakar), Saturday Night Fever (1977), screenplay by Norman Wexler, based on a magazine article by Nik Cohn
http://static.movieclips.com/embedplayer.swf?shortid=NKDnw
The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is siblings suggested by mommyfollows. Today’s suggestion by Teddy Pasternak.
Trivia: Norman Wexler’s screenplay was adapted from the “non-fiction” magazine article written by Nik Cohn. Years later, Cohn admitted that the story, supposedly a fact-based account detailing the lives of Brooklyn teenagers in the early days of the disco craze, was a complete fabrication.
Dialogue On Dialogue: A twist on confession here with the priest ‘confessing’ to his brother.
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