Daily Dialogue — September 17, 2014
EXT. WINTERSET — MAIN STREET — DAY
Richard and Francesca drive up to the general store to buy groceries. Francesca heads for the store as Richard crosses the street.
FRANCESCA: Want anything special for dinner?
RICHARD: Hmm. How about that brown sugar meat loaf you make?
FRANCESCA: (smiles) Okay.
She enters the store.
INT. GENERAL STORE — DAY
Francesca makes small talk with the grocery lady as she buys
what she needs.
EXT. MAIN STREET — DAY
Francesca places a bag of groceries on the front seat of the truck, then gets in herself to wait for Richard. She takes a deep breath and removes a handkerchief from her bag to wipe the sweat from her face. She freezes –
Through the windshield, she sees ROBERT standing beside his truck across the street, staring at her. Her heart stops.
For a moment, she isn’t even sure he’s real.
The town moves about its business around them. But neither notice or care. Whatever safety or forgetfulness she felt is gone. Her feelings burst through. She sits there helpless before him — willing to go or stay depending on what he did.
He begins walking towards her. She prepares herself. Her life will change — it has to. There’s not turning back.
But the closer Robert gets, the clearer he can see that she is crying. And he stops.
Without any words, he realizes what taking her with him would mean. With just a glance, he sacrifices her. With their eyes locked in the middle of Main Street — in front of the whole town — they smile and say goodbye.
Robert returns to his truck. He drives off down Main Street, taking the first left.
Moments later, Richard throws the feed bag into the back of his truck and gets in. Francesca is wiping her eyes.
He doesn’t notice. He drives off in the same direction as Robert.
FRANCESCA (V.O.): For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. And for a split second, the thought crossed my mind that he really didn’t want me — that it was easy to walk away.
As they pass the corner where Robert made his left turn, Francesca turns to look and sees:
ROBERT’S TRUCK IS PARKED just off the corner. As if he had to drive away to get out of sight, but couldn’t bring himself to drive any further.
The sight of him hiding there breaks Francesca’s heart, she turns away from her husband to hide the tears.
— The Bridges of Madison County (1995), screenplay by Richard LaGravenese, novel by Robert James Waller
The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Adultery. Today’s suggestion by Lois Bernard.
Trivia: Catherine Deneuve, a former lover of Eastwood’s in real life, auditioned for the role of Francesca.
Dialogue On Dialogue: Everyone knows what’s going on here except the husband, which is what adds a whole other layer of dramatic tension to the moment.
If you have a suggestion for this week’s theme, please post in comments.
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