第14章 PART 14

EXT. STREET/HALE/ATLANTIC HOTEL - THAT NIGHT Ike drives up and parks in front of the hotel as he talks on his cell phone. INTERCUT WITH: INT. FISHER AND ELLIES BEDROOM (NYC) - NIGHT Ellies on the phone. Fisher sits nearby. ELLIE Ikes going to get married. Fisher throws himself onto the carpet and rolls himself

helpless with laughter. ELLIE (contd) (without turning to him) Fisher, if you pee on that Persian, Ill kill you. CUT TO: INT. BEAUTY SALON - NIGHT DAY Maggie talks to Peggy, Cindy and Grandma Julia. Grandma Julia sits under a hair dryer. Sprout, the dog, sits in his basket. CINDY

I love his eyes. I just believe theyre listening to you. PEGGY His hair... any color. GRANDMA JULIA I like his tight butt. Peggy laughs. MAGGIE Grandma! PEGGY (to Cindy) See, this is a mature relationship. Shes really found it. CUT TO: LOVE MONTAGE SHOTS: EXT. OCEAN - DAY

Ike and Maggie fishing. INT. MAGGIES WORKSHOP/HOME - DAY They play ping-pong. They laugh, enjoying the moment. INT. MAGGIES HOUSE - DAY Ike and Maggie have fun playing cards. The game is slapjack. EXT. FIELD - DAY Maggie and Ike horseback riding. They sit on their horses amongst trees, "nuzzling". Ike reads as he pushes Maggie in a

tire swing. INT. MAGGIES ROOM - DAY Ike and Maggie open and close a Hoberman ball by holding its opposite ends in their teeth. Grandma looks in. INT. MAGGIES LIVING ROOM - NIGHT There is a fire in the fireplace. Maggie and Ike sit as Ike shows Maggie some passages from his favorite books. Hes

reading something from Yeats at the moment. They seem happy. EXT. CHURCH - THE DAY OF THE WEDDING It is a media circus including FOUR REPORTERS, Midday with Meredith and the T-shirt Vendor. Plus three other people the reporters are interviewing, a GERMAN LADY, BUTCH KENAN, a farmer and Grandma Julia. Reporter DINA NAPOLI walks down the

church steps. DINA NAPOLI (OF WBAL) Wedding bells are ringing for the fourth time today in Hale, Maryland. Maggie Carpenter, "Always a Bride -- Never a Bridesmaid", will be attempting to complete her fourth wedding ceremony. Well come back on the air when the results are in. Back to you, Jessica.

Meredith, the low-end public access TV reporter, films himself pointing a cheap video camera himself. MEREDITH The turnout for this mornings wedding is usually reserved for royalty or Hollywood stars, but Maggie Carpenter is Hale, Marylands special star and the citizens of Hale are out in full

force today. The NY T-shirt Vendor pitches his wares. T-SHIRT VENDOR I got "Bye-bye Birdie". "What part of I do dont you understand?"... Get your "Runaway Bride" T-shirts here... Reporter JULIE MURPHY stands near Grandma Julia and Mrs. Pressman. JULIE MURPHY (Channel 6)

The brides been here for almost an hour, but being around in the beginning was never her problem. Well be here, showing you the full wedding ceremony, we hope. Reporter JACKI and TIFFANY stand at the edge of the CROWD reporting. JACKI/REPORTER #3 (WBOC TV16) Will she or wont she? That is on the

minds of these several hundreds folks, who are standing here this morning. Not to mention on the mind of Groom Number #4, ex-USA Today columnist, Ike Graham, who is missing in action. EXT. WINDOW OF CHURCH/INT. SUNDAY SCHOOL ROOM - DAY INSERT window of church. Peggy peers out the window at the carnival scene. Cindy sits with Maggie as she leans forward, doubled over on a childs chair. Peggy moves from the window to sit with them. MAGGIE (moves to window) Hes not coming. Watch. Hes not coming. PEGGY No, no. I saw eight geese flying in a "V". MAGGIE You and your lucky geese. You always see geese. PEGGY Not eight... CINDY And in a "V". MAGGIE Eight is good... "V" could be Victory. They ad lib various words starting with the letter "V". Maggie is nervous. CINDY Rub your ears. PEGGY Yes, rubbing your ears is very soothing. Cory does that to me when I hyperventilate. Maggie rubs her ears. CINDY We do it to our dog. MAGGIE Its hurting. CINDY Well rub. After they rub Maggies ears a bit: PEGGY Hes here! Hes here! They all squeeze and peer out window. They scream in excitement. Cindy rushes to Maggies wedding dress. CINDY Ill get the dress. MAGGIE Hes here!... Hes here! PEGGY Nows the time for calm... If you dont calm down, you wont get your dress on... (reassuringly) Hes the one... Hes the one. Peggy moves to help Cindy with the dress. Maggie stands alone at the window a moment. She picks up a toy horse. MAGGIE This is not a good sign. Maggie goes over to Peggy and Cindy, and starts to get into her bridal gown. They continue to ad lib words standing with the letter "V". CINDY We have to hurry. The Sunday School kids will be here soon. CUT TO: INT. IKES CAR - DAY Ike pulls up slowly. GUESTS peer through the his car window and wave. Ike rubs his headache. JULIE MURPHY Well, the groom just pulled up. There was talk of a "now show", but he is here. DINA NAPOLI Ike Graham is here! IKESPOV: He moves as he takes it all in: a FAMILY eats a fast food picnic on a neighbors lawn, invited GUESTS flock by in their party best, and local NEWS TEAMS block the way. The STATE SENATOR is making a speech welcoming the press to Maryland. A large GROUP of reporters head up the churchs stairs, hauling their equipment. They enter the flood of PEOPLE streaming inside the church. Ike snaps. EXT. IKES CAR - CONTINUING Ike stops the car where it is and jumps out, slamming the door in anger. The REPORTERS swarm around him as he gets out of the car. They continue to pound him with questions as he walks to church steps. An OLDER LADY smacks him on the shoulder with a newspaper. He turns in astonishment and continues up the steps. He charges up the stairs and grabs Lee. IKE Shoot ours so she has one with an ending. Mrs. Pressman stands, shooting Ike with her video camera. IKE (contd) (pleading) Mrs. Pressman, please. MRS. PRESSMAN Its okay. Theres no microphone. Youre no fun. IKE No, Im not. Ike retreats into the church. Lee comes up to him again with his video camera: CHUFFA about Scorsese. INT. CHURCH - CONTINUING As Fisher and Ellie sign the guest book, a LOCAL LADY stares at Ellie. Ellie stares back at her until she leaves. Ike walks away from Lee and turns smack into Ellie and Fisher. Ike puts his arms around them and gives them a big hug. IKE Friends. Thank you. Thank you. Over Ellies shoulder, Ike sees Fishers grinning face. IKE (contd) We are friends, arent we, Fisher? FISHER (grinning) Of course we are. Of course. IKE Then youll be my best man. FISHER Well, Im good, I dont know if Im best. IKE Go talk to the pastor and hell tell you what to do. And someone will tell me what to do. ELLIE You always looked great in that suit... And Ike? (emotional) Im happy for you, honey. Ellie whispers in his ear. ELLIE (contd) Ill have a car around the back to whisk you out of here if she runs. Ellie kisses him on the cheek and walks away.