American Beauty - Scene - Dinner Discussion

INT. BURNHAM HOUSE - DINING ROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Lester sits at the table in sloppy clothes, eating his dinner
voraciously and drinking beer from a bottle. Across from him,
Carolyn picks at her food, watching him with contempt. EASY-
LISTENING MUSIC plays on the STEREO.

(CONTINUED)

61.
CONTINUED:


We HEAR the back door SLAM, then Jane enters and quickly
takes her seat at the table.

JANE
Sorry I'm late.

CAROLYN
(overly cheerful)
No, no, that's quite all right, dear.
Your father and I were just discussing
his day at work.
(to Lester)
Why don't you tell our daughter about it,
honey?

Jane stares at both her parents, apprehensive. Lester looks
at Carolyn darkly, then flashes a "you-asked-for-it" grin.

LESTER
Janie, today I quit my job. And then I
told my boss to fuck himself, and then I
blackmailed him for almost sixty thousand
dollars. Pass the asparagus.

CAROLYN
Your father seems to think this kind of
behavior is something to be proud of.

LESTER
And your mother seems to prefer I go
through life like a fucking prisoner
while she keeps my dick in a mason jar
under the sink.

CAROLYN
(ashen)
How dare you speak to me that way in
front of her? And I marvel that you can
be so contemptuous of me, on the same day
that you lose your job!

LESTER
Lose it? I didn't lose it. It's not like,
"Oops, where'd my job go?" I quit.
Someone pass me the asparagus.

CAROLYN
Oh! Oh! And I want to thank you for
putting me under the added pressure of
being the sole breadwinner now--

LESTER
I already have a job.

(CONTINUED)

62.
CONTINUED: (2)


CAROLYN
(not stopping)
No, no, don't give a second thought as to
who's going to pay the mortgage. We'll
just leave it all up to Carolyn. You
mean, you're going to take care of
everything now, Carolyn? Yes. I don't
mind. I really don't. You mean,
everything? You don't mind having the
sole responsibility, your husband feels
he can just quit his job--

LESTER
(overlapping)
Will someone pass me the fucking
asparagus?

JANE
(rises)
Okay, I'm not going to be a part of this--

LESTER
(means it)
Sit down.

Jane does so, surprised and intimidated by the power in his
voice. Lester gets up, crosses to the other side of the table
to get a PLATE OF ASPARAGUS, then sits again as he serves
himself.

LESTER (CONT'D)
I'm sick and tired of being treated like
I don't exist. You two do whatever you
want to do whenever you want to do it and
I don't complain. All I want is the same
courtesy--

CAROLYN
(overlapping)
Oh, you don't complain? Oh, excuse me.
Excuse me. I must be psychotic then, if
you don't complain. What is this?! Am I
locked away in a padded cell somewhere,
hallucinating? That's the only
explanation I can think of--

Lester hurls the plate of asparagus against the wall with
such force it SHATTERS, frightening Carolyn and Jane.

LESTER
(casual)
Don't interrupt me, honey.


(CONTINUED)

63.
CONTINUED: (3)


He goes back to eating his meal, as if nothing unusual has
happened. Carolyn sits in her chair, shivering with rage.
Jane just stares at the plate in front of her.

LESTER (CONT'D)
Oh, and another thing. From now on, we're
going to alternate our dinner music.
Because frankly, and I don't think I'm
alone here, I'm really tired of this
Lawrence Welk shit.