Daily Dialogue — November 22, 2013

INT. “THE SPANISH ROSE” RESTAURANT — NIGHT

Joe and Dede are sitting at a table, steaming plates of food before them. They are drinking red wine. Joe is caught up in a big idea. Dede is mesmerized.

JOE: I mean, who am I? That’s the real question, isn’t it? Who am I? Who are you? What other questions are there? What other questions are there, really? If you want to understand the universe, embrace the universe, the door to the universe is you!
DEDE: Me?
JOE: You. Me.
DEDE: You are really intense.
JOE: Am I? I guess I am. I was.
DEDE: What do you mean?
JOE: I mean, a long time ago. In the beginning. I was full of piss and vinegar. Nothing got me down. I wanted to know!
DEDE: You wanted to know what?
JOE: Everything! But then, I had some experiences… I was talking to this guy today, he says I got scared.
DEDE: Scared of what?
JOE: Have you ever been scared?
DEDE: I guess so. Sure.
JOE: What scared you?
DEDE: A lot of things. At the moment, you scare me a little bit.
JOE: Me?
DEDE: Yeah.

Across the room, at another table, three guys with guitars, in traditional Spanish costumes, sing a happy Castillian song. Dede and Joe turn and take in the singers.

JOE: Why would I scare you?
DEDE: I don’t know. There’s something going on with you. This morning you were like a lump and now you’re… How do
you feel?
JOE: I feel great.
DEDE: See? You never feel great.
JOE: No, I never do.

He laughs.

DEDE: What’s funny?
JOE: I do feel great. And that is very funny!
DEDE: Where are you?
JOE: I’m right here.
DEDE: I wish I was where you are, Joe.
JOE: (nodding) No, you don’t. Did I ever tell you that the first time I saw you, I felt I’d seen you before?

She shakes her head.

JOE: Wait a minute.

Joe gets up, goes over to the three guys with guitars, slips them a fin, confers briefly, and returns to the table.

DEDE: What’d you do?
JOE: I bribed them to sing a song that would drive us insane and make our hearts swell and burst.

— Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), written by John Patrick Shanley

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is First Date, suggested by igetsbuckets. Today’s suggestion is by brettonzinger.

Trivia: Writer-director John Patrick Shanley had such a difficult time seeing his vision through that he didn’t direct another film until “Doubt” in 2008.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Who am I? That is the real question for each of us. Which is why movies are almost always on one level about self-identity.

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