28th
Genevieve's Garden, a Romantic Comedy (Scene)
EXT. GENEVIEVE’S GARDEN: NOON
On a rooftop patio in Paris, GENEVIEVE, 26, sits at a glass table overlooking the St. Martin Canal. PHILIP, 31, sits across from her, smoking cigarettes.
The scene is decorated by a lush array of potted plants so thick and dense that the leaves and flowers spill over, almost entirely concealing the pots themselves. The table is set with two plates and a few dishes of food; the meal begins in media res.
JUNIPER, an orange/blonde cockapoo, sits attentive by PHILIP, watching him spear pieces of meat with his fork.
GENEVIEVE, taking a bite of her own food, raises her head and looks at PHILIP. All dialogue subtitled from French.
GENEVIEVE
Philip, do I look the same today as
yesterday?
PHILIP stares at her for a moment.
PHILIP
Your eyes are gleaming. You’re
smiling with your cheeks. Your hair
is lighter. Did you get younger
while I slept last night?
PHILIP throws a piece of meat to JUNIPER, who tries and fails to catch it. JUNIPER eats it off the ground.
GENEVIEVE
No, I don’t think so. What else do
you see?
PHILIP takes a sip of wine and watches GENEVIEVE pensively from behind his cigarette.
PHILIP
I see salt-scrubbed skin, pearled
teeth. You visited a spa this
morning?
PHILIP throws another piece of meat at JUNIPER. It lands in front of the dog, where it is gobbled up. GENEVIEVE shakes her head, smiling and beginning to peel an orange.
PHILIP
Let’s see… I slept until eleven,
what could have changed while I
slept? I know, you went to Church!
You found God, I can see it in your
fingers, the way you peel that
orange.
PHILIP tosses another piece of meat at JUNIPER; this piece flies over the dog’s head, hits the ground and rolls off the patio into the street below. JUNIPER runs over and looks down, watching it fall.
GENEVIEVE
(still peeling)
I did go to Church today, but only
to bring flowers to the minster.
He’s such a dreary fellow, but he
loves the violets I grow. I saw him
on the way to bakery. And I saw the
legless beggar boy, I gave him some
coins and a piece of my bread. Then
I smelled oranges, and a woman sold
me a bag for half price because I
complimented her hat. It was a
magnificent hat.
PHILIP sits, staring at her. He takes another drag of his cigarette. JUNIPER stares at him expectantly. After a silent moment, PHILIP ashes his cigarette and leans forward.
PHILIP
Yes? And then what?
GENEVIEVE
And then what what?
PHILIP
What happened? What’s different
about you?
GENEVIEVE finishes peeling her orange, peels a section and puts it in her mouth. She chews slowly, looking at the sky. She looks back at PHILIP.
GENEVIEVE
I want you to keep guessing.
PHILIP
Can I have a piece of orange?
GENEVIEVE shakes her head.
GENEVIEVE
When you guess.
PHILIP frowns and continues to stare at her.
PHILIP
Your voice is light, like a yellow
balloon. There’s juice on your
chin. Your earrings are polished.
Your breasts are fuller, rounder.
You’ve done your nails, or had them
done… surely that manicure was
done professionally.
GENEVIEVE
I painted my nails last night,
while you were reading that book
about alchemy.
For the first time, held in anticipation, JUNIPER barks at PHILIP. PHILIP throws a piece of meat at the dog and hits him in the face. GENEVIEVE chews on another piece of orange.
PHILIP
I’m going to turn lead into gold. I
know you don’t believe me, but I’m
going to quit the office and we’re
going to live in a mansion, with a
yacht, and horses. We’ll have
horses.
GENEVIEVE
I like my place in Paris just fine.
And horses are too big, you can’t
hold them. If you get rich, we
should adopt as many children as we
can, take them in from all over the
world and give them a good home. We
don’t need expensive things.
PHILIP
That sounds awful. Children spoil
money for everyone who has both.
GENEVIEVE laughs, and takes a sip of her wine.
GENEVIEVE
Okay, you can have a mansion, I’ll
have a child. Juniper can have his
own horse. Juniper, do you want a
horse to ride?
JUNIPER barks. When GENEVIEVE turns back to PHILIP, he’s staring at her again. He points at her.
PHILIP
(becoming accusatory)
You are different. You have always
been beautiful, but today you are
beautiful and different.
GENEVIEVE smiles and eats another section of orange. JUNIPER dances around PHILIP’s chair, panting and watching his hands for meat.
PHILIP
There is a radiance about you. It
is uniquely Genevieve, but it is
not unusual. In fact, you are
exactly as I remember you
yesterday. And the day before that,
and in fact every afternoon where
we sit and eat in your garden, and
I fall in love with you a little
bit more.
PHILIP takes one last drag of his cigarette and leans towards GENEVIEVE. He flicks the cigarette over the railing and down into the street below.
PHILIP
…but something is different
today.
GENEVIEVE also leans in, taking another sip of wine. She puts the glass down and puts a section of orange in PHILIP’s mouth.
GENEVIEVE
No, nothing is different today. I
just like listening to you talk
about me.
PHILIP stares at her, chewing. GENEVIEVE smiles.
GENEVIEVE (CONT’D)
Aren’t these oranges delicious?
PHILIP wipes his mouth with a cloth napkin.
PHILLIP
Genevieve, I can’t make up my mind,
should I kiss you or slap you?
GENEVIEVE
Either way, we’ll end up fucking.
PHILIP nods and slaps GENEVIEVE slightly. She slaps him back. He stands up and pulls her to her feet, bringing her in for a kiss. He pushes her up against the wall of the patio; she wraps her legs around his waist, and he undoes his belt and drops his pants to the ground.
As PHILIP and GENEVIEVE get down in the background, JUNIPER looks at them, then jumps onto a chair, and onto the glass table. He begins eating from PHILIP’s plate.