Daily Dialogue — May 9, 2013

EXT. THE BEACHFRONT WALKWAY — NIGHT

The Woman, MATTY, has walked to the rail. She stands there now lighting a cigarette. She presents her face to the ocean, hoping for a breeze. We move in on her, with Racine.

Racine lights a new cigarette and smiles at her. She looks at him and, for an instant, her eyes race over her body, then she looks back at the ocean.

RACINE: You can stand here with me if you want, but you’ll have to agree not to talk about the heat.

She looks at him, and there is something startling about the directness of her gaze. When she speaks, she is cool without being hostile.

MATTY: I’m a married woman.
RACINE: Meaning what?
MATTY: Meaning I’m not looking for company.

She turns back toward the ocean.

RACINE: Then you should have said — ‘I’m a happily married woman.’
MATTY: That’s my business.
RACINE: What?
MATTY: How happy I am.
RACINE: And how, happy is that?

She looks at him curiously. She begins walking slowly along the rail. He walks too.

MATTY: You’re not too smart, are you?

Racine shakes his head “no.”

MATTY: I like that in a man.
RACINE: What else you like — Ugly? Lazy? Horny? I got ’em all.
MATTY: You don’t look lazy.

Racine smiles.

MATTY: Tell me, does chat like that work with most women?
RACINE: Some. If they haven’t been around much.
MATTY: I wondered. Thought maybe I was out of touch.

She stops again at the rail as a small breeze blows in from the ocean. She turns her back to it and, with her cigarette dangling from her lips, she uses both hands to lift her hair up off her nape. She closes her eyes as the air hits her. Racine watches very closely.

RACINE: How ’bout I buy you a drink?
MATTY: I told you. I’ve got a husband.
RACINE: I’ll buy him one too.
MATTY: He’s out of town.
RACINE: My favorite kind. We’ll drink to him.
MATTY: He only comes up on the weekends.

Matty lets her hair fall and again begins moving down walkway. She drops her cigarette and steps on it.

RACINE: I’m liking him better all the time. You better take me up on this quick. In another forty-five minutes I’m going to give up and walk away.
MATTY: You want to buy me something? I’ll take one of these.

They have come upon a Vendor selling snow cones.

RACINE: What kind?
MATTY: Cherry.
RACINE: (to Vendor) Make it two.

The Vendor scoops and pours as Racine lays some change on the cart.

RACINE: (to Matty) You’re not staying in Miranda Beach. (she shakes her head “no”) I would have noticed you.
MATTY: Is this town that small?

— Body Heat (1981), written by Lawrence Kasdan

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is Profanity free insults, suggested by Mark Walker. Today’s suggestion by plinytheelder_t.

Trivia: Directorial debut of Lawrence Kasdan. Prior to this he had written Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark for George Lucas, and was in the process of writing Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi. Lucas returned the favor by serving as an uncredited executive producer on this film.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Matty evokes the spirit of Phyllis Dietrichson from Double Indemnity both of whom have a sharp mind… and a sharper tongue.