by Annie Proulx
EXT: RIVERTON, WYOMING: PARK: FOURTH OF JULY: NIGHT: 1966:
WE SEE the little Del Mar family ease through the 4th of July crowd, trying to find a place to sit.
ENNIS, ALMA, ALMA JR. and JENNY. ALMA spreads a blanket on the ground, preparing to settle her family in to watch the fireworks.
WE SEE other Riverton citizens setting up, a few assorted rowdies drinking beer, families, couples relaxing near the DEL MAR FAMILY. Other children with their parents play nearby.
ENNIS
We should move closer.
ALMA
Let’s don’t, Jenny’11 get scared.
A MARCHING BAND strikes up a tinny, slightly off-key rendition of “THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC.”
ENNIS holds ALMA JR.
ENNIS
(settling her down)
Here we go, darlin’.
TWO BIKERS approach an area just behind the DEL MAR family. Around the same age as ENNIS. BIKER #1 has a few teeth missing. BIKER #2 limps, dragging a clubfoot. Each carries a half-empty bottle of liquor. Loud, profane, already drunk. Sit themselves down on the grass behind ENNIS and his family.
BIKER #1
Woooeee…look at this crowd! There’s bound to be lots of pussy on the hoof in a crowd like this.
BIKER #2
All swelled up with patriotic feeling and ready to be humped like a frog.
BIKER #1
Where do you think the most pussy’s at Las Vegas or California?
BIKER #2
Hell, how would I know.…but if you make it between Wyoming and Montana, I’d pick Wyoming in a minute.
ALMA shoots ENNIS a nervous look.
ENNIS takes a deep breath…turns, looks over his shoulder at the TWO DRUNKS.
ENNIS
(not confrontational)
Hey, you boys wanna keep it down, I got two little girls here.
BIKER #1 Fuck you!
(mumbles to his friend)
Asshole probably stopped puttin’ it to the wife after the kids come, you know how that is.
Indignant, they glare at ENNIS, as the first of the fireworks shoots into the sky, exploding in air in sync with the verse “…bombs bursting in air…” beginning the show.
ALMA
(grabs ENNIS’S arm)
Let’s move, Ennis, let’s just move.…
ENNIS, trying to control his mounting anger, gently sets ALMA JR. on to the blanket and stands up, facing the DRUNKS.
ENNIS
I don’t want no trouble. You need to shut your slop-bucket mouths, you hear me?
BIKER #2
(stands, too, faces ENNIS)
You oughta listen to your ol’ lady, then.
ENNIS
Oh, is that right?
BIKER #1
Move somewheres else.
ALMA stands now, JENNY on her hip, ALMA JR. clutching her mother’s skirt. Quickly gathers up the blanket.
ENNIS looks back at ALMA, then kicks BIKER #1 right in the face, bloodying his nose and knocking him out cold.
ALMA and the girls move away from ENNIS and this scene in horror, the fireworks and music in the background.
ALMA JR. begins to cry, hides behind her mother.
Several of the surrounding families are quickly packing up to get away from the brawl.
ENNIS
(to the clubfoot biker)
What about it? Wanna swallow ’bout half your teeth?
BIKER #2 has his palms raised in front of him in a conciliatory pose.
BIKER #2
(polite)
Not tonight, bud…I’d sure rather not.
Backs away, dragging his unconscious friend along with him.
ALMA and THE GIRLS stare at ENNIS, stunned and wide-eyed: they have witnessed a kind of fury in him that they have never seen before.
EXT: CHILDRESS, TEXAS: RODEO ARENA: NIGHT: 1966:
In the arena WE SEE a YOUNG WOMAN dressed in the flashiest, most costly rodeo finery, the most stylish barrel-racing clothes, on a fine, expensive quarter horse, running the barrels.
Tips one…but it doesn’t quite fall…she rounds the last barrel, whipping the horse as if she’s in the homestretch at the Kentucky Derby, races out of the arena as the ANNOUNCER says:
ANNOUNCER Here she comes, ladies and gentlemen, look at her fly…Miss Lureen Newsome from right here in Childress, Texas…Oh boy…and her time is… (beat) …sixteen and nine-tenths seconds. Let’s give her a big hand!
The words are drowned out as the crowd gives LUREEN a big hand.
EXT: CHILDRESS: TEXAS: BEHIND RODEO ARENA: NIGHT: CONTINUOUS: 1966:
JACK sits on the tailgate of his old pickup, taping his right hand for his upcoming bull ride. Hears applause.
Looks around, sees the quarter horse and the YOUNG WOMAN come flying out of the arena, everybody standing way back, giving her room.
Just as she passes JACK, her hat flies off, lands at his feet.
JACK reaches down, picks up the hat.
LUREEN trots back, patting the sweaty horse on the shoulder to calm him.
JACK hands her hat back to her. Sees a classically pretty face, lots of eye makeup.
JACK
Ma’am.
JACK looks up at her—for a moment, she allows herself to look down at him—notices his thick, dark hair, his appealing face, his sturdy body—she takes her hat, then passes on.
JACK watches her ride back to the arena.
Walks back to his truck.
INT: CHILDRESS, TEXAS: RODEO ARENA: NIGHT (LATER): 1966:
ANNOUNCER
What a heck of a way to make a living! Next up is an up and comer, Jack Twist from all the way up in Wyoming. He’s on board Sleepy today! Let’s hope he’s not!
JACK, flattered by the attention of the rodeo queen and trying to show off, hangs on to a tough, spinning bull, actually makes a fine ride.
Good dismount. Doesn’t need the clown this time.
ANNOUNCER (CONT’D)
Oh boy…let’s see what the judges say…that sure looked like the winning ride to me…
INT: CHILDRESS, TEXAS: BAR: NIGHT (YET LATER STILL): 1966:
LUREEN sits at a table, JACK at the bar. Every now and then he glances at her. Each time she is looking right at him.
JACK
(to bartender)
You know that girl?
BARTENDER
I sure do. Lureen Newsome. Her dad sells farm equipment. I mean big farm equipment. Hundred-thousand-dollar tractors, shit like that.
JACK looks again. LUREEN is still looking at him.
This time, impatient, she gets up and comes straight to him.
LUREEN
What are you waiting for, cowboy… a matin’ call?
JACK flushes.
She leads him on to the dance floor.
INT: CHILDRESS, TEXAS: BAR: NIGHT: DANCE FLOOR: 1966:
Singer sings onstage, a waltz.
LUREEN and JACK slow dance.
EXT: CHILDRESS, TEXAS: COUNTRY ROAD: NIGHT: 1966:
WE SEE LUREEN’S large, shiny 1966 or 1967 convertible. LUREEN pulls up and parks.
WE HEAR bullfrogs croaking. Radio playing
LUREEN and JACK are making out in the backseat, LUREEN on top of JACK.
She pulls back, looks him over.
LUREEN
You don’t think I’m too fast, do you? Maybe we should put the brakes on.
Jack smiles at her.
JACK
It’s your call. Fast or slow, I just like the direction you’re going in.
She thinks about this for a second. Then she sits up suddenly, unbuttons her blouse. Takes it off. Reaches back to unfasten her bra.
JACK (CONT’D)
I guess you are in a hurry!
LUREEN
My daddy ’ s the hurry. Expects me home with the car by midnight.
She leans down. Kisses him.
EXT: RIVERTON, WYOMING: A & P GROCERY STORE: DAY: 1967:
WE SEE ENNIS drive up, both ALMA JR. and JENNY
in the truck with him. Stops. Gets out. Takes the girls out, leads them into the grocery, clearly in a hurry.
INT: RIVERTON, WYOMING: A & P GROCERY STORE: DAY: 1967:
ENNIS, cowboy hat on, obviously in a hurry, comes in carrying JENNY and leading ALMA JR.
ENNIS
Hey Monroe.
MONROE
Hey Ennis.
ENNIS
Is Alma here?
MONROE
Yeah, she’s in the condiments aisle.
ENNIS
The what?
MONROE
Uh, ketchup.
ENNIS
Thanks.
Peeks in this aisle and that, looking for ALMA.
Finally spots ALMA in her A&P smock, shelving jars of salad dressing.
ALMA
(surprised, but glad to see them)
Hi honey. What’re you all doing here?
ENNIS
In a big hurry. My boss called, got to run up to the ranch…all the heifers must of decided to calve at the same time. Thought I could drop the girls with you.
ALMA
Ennis, I got a million things to do here before I can leave. I don’t get off for another three hours.
ALMA JR.
Mama, I need Crayolas.…
ALMA
Not right now, Alma. Ennis, you said you could keep ’em tonight.…
ENNIS
I can’t afford to not be there when them heifers calve. Be my job if I lose any of ’em.
ALMA, JR.
What about my job?
(gives up)
Oh, all right then…I’ll call my sister, maybe she can keep ’em till I get off.
ENNIS
I may be half the night. Bring home some round steak if you think of it.
Kisses the girls. Leaves.
MONROE the assistant manager comes around the corner just as JENNY pulls a big jar of peanuts off a display. The entire display comes down, breaks, glass and peanuts everywhere. ALMA scoops her up, takes ALMA JR. by the hand.
ALMA
Monroe, I am so sorry.
MONROE
It’s okay, Alma. It’s okay.
ALMA
(flustered)
I’ll clean it up soon as I call my sister to come get the girls.
MONROE
Really, Alma, it’s okay. I’ll get it.
ALMA leads the girls away from the mess.
INT: CHILDRESS, TEXAS: HOSPITAL MATERNITY WARD: DAY: 1967:
LUREEN, triumphant but tired, has just delivered little BOBBY. A nurse tidies the room as LUREEN holds the swaddled baby. JACK breathlessly enters the room.
JACK
Honey, got a surprise for you.
Lureen’s parents, FAYETTE and L. D. NEWSOME, enter.
FAYETTE NEWSOME
(to Lureen)
I got two whole boxes of formula for you, 120 cans.
(to L. D.)
L. D., where did you put ’em?
L. D. NEWSOME
Oh hell, backseat of the car where I left ’em. Rodeo can get ’em.
Tosses JACK his keys.
FAYETTE NEWSOME
(ecstatic, picking up the baby and holding him up to L. D.)
Oh, L.D.! I can already see who he looks like.
L. D. NEWSOME
(to his daughter)
Good job, little girl. He’s the spittin’ image of his grandpa…
(glances at Jack)
…Isn’t he the spittin’ image of his grandpa?
LUREEN gives JACK a what-can-we-do expression…JACK maintains a polite, glazed smile.
Feeling the outsider, he turns, goes to get the formula out of the car.
EXT: RIVERTON, WYOMING: DEL MAR APARTMENT: EVENING: 1967:
WE SEE ENNIS pull up in his pickup, just outside their little apartment above the laundromat. Gets out.
INT: RIVERTON, WYOMING: DEL MAR APARTMENT: EVENING: 1967:
ENNIS, ALMA and the girls have moved to the little apartment above the laundromat. The apartment is small, not fancy, but ALMA has managed to make it homey on what little money she has to work with. Clean but spare. WE SOMETIMES hear the sounds of the washing machines coming from below.…
ENNIS comes in to the apartment, dusty, dirty.
TWO LITTLE GIRLS, one running, one toddling: ALMA JR., and little JENNY, eager to see their daddy. ALMA is at the stove, has made greasy hamburger.
ALMA
(stirring)
Ennis, you know somebody name a Jack? From Texas?
ENNIS, about to pick up JENNY, stops.
ENNIS
I might. Why?
ALMA
(gestures towards the kitchen table)
You got a postcard. It come General Delivery.
ENNIS steps to the table, picks it up.
WE SEE a raw-boned hand holding a postcard. WE SEE the POSTMARK, 1967, and READ IT:
“Friend this letter is long over due. Hope you get it. Heard you was in Riverton. I’m coming thru on the 24th, thought I’d stop and buy you a beer. Drop me a line if you can, say if your there.”
The hand trembles ever so slightly. ALMA, busy with the cooking, doesn’t notice.
ALMA JR.
Is he somebody you cowboy’ed with?
ENNIS stares at the postcard.
ENNIS
Jack rodeos, mostly.
(pause)
We was fishing buddies.…
His voice trails off.
ALMA JR. clamors for him to look at her coloring book. ALMA stirs the gravy.
The effect of the postcard goes unnoticed.
EXT: RIVERTON, WYOMING: POST OFFICE: DAY: 1967:
WE SEE ENNIS pull up outside the Riverton post office in his pickup. Gets out. Goes inside.
EXT: RIVERTON, WYOMING: POST OFFICE: DAY: 1967:
ENNIS stands at a counter, has a blank postcard. WE SEE HIM WRITE:
“Jack Twist, RFD 2, Childress, Texas”—turns it over, writes “You bet,” signs it ENNIS DEL MAR, and then puts his own address on the card.
Hands it through a postal slot.
INT: RIVERTON, WYOMING: DEL MAR APARTMENT: DAY: 1967:
Gloomy, windy day. ENNIS has taken the day off.
Paces, wearing his best shirt.
Sits down by the window.
Impatient. Looks out the window down at the street, pale with dust.
The girls chase each other through the living room.
ALMA leafs through a magazine.
ALMA
(hopeful of a social possibility)
Maybe we could get a baby-sitter, take your friend to the Knife # Fork.
ENNIS
Jack ain’t the restaurant type.
(pause)
We’ll more’n likely just go out and get drunk.
(pause)
If he shows.
INT: RIVERTON, WYOMING: DEL MAR APARTMENT: LATE AFTERNOON: 1967:
Several beer cans on the table. Ashtray full.
ENNIS no longer paces, sits on the couch as ALMA JR. and JENNY scratch away at a pair of coloring books.
WE HEAR the sounds of a pickup.
ENNIS jumps up, looks out the window: sees a pickup slowing on the street in front of the laundromat.
EXT: DEL MAR APARTMENT: RIVERTON: LATE AFTERNOON: CONTINUOUS: 1967:
The ever-present wind blowing, dust swirls.
JACK gets out of his pickup, stiff, his beat-up Resistol tilted back on his head, holds it steady to keep it from blowing off.
EXT: RIVERTON, WYOMING: OUTSIDE DEL MAR APARTMENT: LANDING: LATE AFTERNOON: CONTINUOUS: 1967:
ENNIS has stepped out of his apartment onto a small landing at the top of the back stairs outside, closes the door behind him, as he sees JACK.
ENNIS hurries down the stairs, taking them two at a time.
Seize each other by the shoulders, hug mightily, squeezing the breath out of each other, saying sonofabitch, sonofabitch.
Then ENNIS looks around. Pulls JACK over to a small gan
gway. Shoves him up against the wall.
Then, as easily as the right key turns the lock tumblers, their mouths come together.
INT: DEL MAR APARTMENT: RIVERTON: LATE AFTERNOON: CONTINUOUS: 1967:
ALMA comes to the door at the top of the second-story landing. ALMA starts to open it, then looks out: and ALMA sees ENNIS’S straining shoulders. She sees them, kissing, JACK’S tilted the other direction, their arms around one another.
ALMA quickly and quietly closes the door again.
She backs away from the front door a step or two, pale, struggling, trying to take in what she has just witnessed.
EXT: OUTSIDE DEL MAR APARTMENT: LANDING: RIVERTON: LATE AFTERNOON: CONTINUOUS: 1967:
ENNIS and JACK have pulled back from one another now and come up the back stairs and stand in the little foyer. ALMA stands in the kitchen.
ENNIS, his chest heaving, does not turn away from ALMA, but can still smell Jack—the intensely familiar odor of cigarettes, musky sweat, and a faint sweetness like grass, and with it the rushing cold of the mountain.
ALMA has seen what she has seen, having aged years in the space of a few moments: sees her husband’s turmoil…and notices JACK’S trembling hands.
Baby JENNY cries.
ALMA is stone-faced.
ENNIS is eager to leave.
Takes a dollar from her pocket, meaning to ask him to bring her cigarettes.
EXT: RIVERTON, WYOMING: MOTEL SIESTA: NIGHT: 1967:
WE SEE the exterior of a rundown, small-town rough country motel in Riverton.
INT: RIVERTON, WYOMING: MOTEL SIESTA: ROOM: NIGHT: 1967:
It’s dark. We can make out clothes strewn around the room. The room is blue with cigarette smoke.
The two men appear to be sleeping. We hold on them for a beat. Ennis awakens, rolls over, switches on the light, pulls out a cigarette, lights it. Jack awakens. Ennis lights a cigarette for him, hands it to him.
A beat.
ENNIS pulls on his shirt.
They smoke.
INT: RIVERTON, WYOMING: DEL MAR APARTMENT: MORNING: LATER: 1967:
ALMA sits at the kitchen table, dishevelled, hasn’t slept all night. Nervous, a cup of coffee in front of her.
ENNIS comes through the door.
ALMA stands…confused yet relieved ENNIS came back home, struggles with complex feelings. Keeps big emotion inside. Tries to catch his eye.