Great Scene: “Magnolia” (Linda’s meltdown)
I’ve already featured one Great Scene from Magnolia here — the famous frog scene. But the movie is full of memorable moments worthy of attention, including this one:
INT. PHARMACY - THAT MOMENT
The YOUNG PHARMACY KID is stacking some stuff away while waiting
for the PHARMACIST to finish filling the prescription.
YOUNG PHARMACY KID
Cats and Dogs out there, huh?
LINDA
mmmhmm.
YOUNG PHARMACY KID
Must have alot goin' on for all that
stuff you got back there, eh? You could
have quite a party all that stuff....
Linda looks down. HOLD. BEAT. THEN:
YOUNG PHARMACY KID
You been on Prozac long? Dexadrine?
LINDA
...I don't....
YOUNG PHARAMCY KID
Interesting drugs. Dexadrine's basically
speed in a pill. Y'know? But I guess
a lot of doctors are balancing out
the prozac with the dexadrine, eh?
That Liquid Morphine'll knock you down,
out, around, up and down someone's
not careful.....can't mix those up, y'know...
...Must have a lot goin' on in your life for
all that stuff there.
The Older Pharamacist DINGS his bell and the Young Pharmacy Kid
gets the bag and starts to ring it up. SLOW ZOOM IN ON LINDA as
he babbles away;
YOUNG PHARAMCY KID (OC)
Strong, strong stuff here, boy...wow....
What exactly you have wrong, you need this stuff?
LINDA snaps. She starts to tremble and cry and build --
LINDA
You motherfucker...you motherfucker....
YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE, WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?
WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
YOUNG PHARMACY KID
-- what-what-what, ma'am -- I --
LINDA
I COME IN HERE - YOU DON'T KNOW,
YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THE FUCK I AM
OR WHAT MY LIFE IS AND YOU HAVE THE
FUCKING BALLS, THE INDECENCY TO ASK
ME A QUESTION ABOUT MY LIFE --
Linda PUSHES a large DISPLAY over on it's side, SMASHES things on the
counter, throws things around, basically goes nuts. The Older
Pharamacist comes rushing to the front to try and calm things --
OLDER PHARMACIST
Please, lady, why don't you just calm down --
LINDA
And FUCK YOU TOO. Don't you call me "lady."
I come in with these things, I give it
over to you, you doubt, you make your
phone calls, check on me, look suspicious,
ask questions, "I'm sick." I HAVE SICKNESS
ALL AROUND ME AND YOU FUCKING ASK ME MY LIFE?
WHAT'S WRONG? HAVE YOU SEEN DEATH IN YOUR BED
IN YOUR HOUSE? And where is your fucking
decency? That I'm asked questions "WHAT'S WRONG?"
You suck my dick, that's what's wrong and you,
you fucking call me "lady." You SHAME ON YOU.
SHAME ON YOU. SHAME ON BOTH OF YOU.
She THROWS a crumpled STACK OF MONEY at them both, grabs the
PRESCRIPTION and heads for the door --
The scene builds to Linda’s final line: “SHAME ON YOU,” repeated several times. And yet isn’t part of the subtext here that the shame she’s feeling is about herself, her drug addiction, and her messed-up life? Here’s the scene in the movie:
The scene starts small, then grows bigger and bigger, finally ending with a huge explosion. Remarkable stuff, terrific performance by actress Julianne Moore, and definitely a great scene.
Any PTA fans out there? What’s your favorite Anderson film?
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