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bomc

THEBRIDGESOFMADISONCOUNTY

screenplayadaptionby

RichardLaGravenese

MARCH24,1994,FIRSTDRAFT

Ourstorybeginsin1965,onahotafternooninAugust.

FADEIN

EXT.IOWALANDSCAPE-DAY

Rollinggreenhills,lushfarmland,vastopenspace.Nota

houseorsignoflifeinsight.Onalongdustyroad,aTRUCK

isdrivingacrossthescreen.Cloudsofdirtfollowinits

tracks--itsmotor,theonlysoundwehear.

INT.TRUCK-DAY

FRANCESCAJOHNSONissittinginthefrontseatofthepick-up

truck.Herexpressionisdistant.Hereyesaresad,asif

hidingaburdenshecanhardlybear.Herhusband,RICHARD

JOHNSON,isdriving.

RICHARD

YoufeelingbetterFranny?

FRANCESCA

Yes.I'mfine.It'sjustthisheatI

think.

Henods,satisfied.HeturnsontheradioastheVOICEOF

DINAHWASHINGTONsingsabluesy,hauntinglovesong,"I'LL

CLOSEMYEYES."

DINAHWASHINGTON

（SINGS）

"I'LLCLOSEMYEYES...TOEVERYONE

BUTYOU...ANDWHENIDO...I'LLSEE

YOUSTANDINGTHERE..."

（CONTINUES）

RICHARD

（surprised）

Whatstationisthis?

FRANCESCA

It'saChicagostation.Ifoundit

theotherday.

RICHARD

Kindapretty.Isthisuh...jazz

kindasinging?

FRANCESCA

（nicely）

Idon'tknow.Canweturnitoff?

I

havesuchaheadache.

RICHARD

Sure.

Richardshutsitoff.Francescaturnsherfaceawayfromhim

tolookoutatthevastexpanseoutofthecountryside.

EXT.JOHNSONHOUSE-DAY

ThetruckstopsinfrontofanisolatedFARMHOUSE.Awooden

gatestandstwentyyardsfromthefrontdoor.Abarnanda

hothousesitsoneitherside,surroundedbyacresandacres

ofbeautifulpasture.

CAROLYNJOHNSON,asixteen-year-oldgirl,stepsoutfromthe

vegetablegardenwithanarmfullofvegetable.Shewatches

herparentsexitthetruck.

Francescacarrieshergroceries,walkingbrisklythroughthe

frontgateandenteringthehouse.

Richardgrabsabagoffeedfromtheflatbedandstrollsmore

leisurely.Whenhewalksthroughthefrontgate,henotices

somethingonthegroundandpicksitup.ItisaBUTTONwith

REDNATURALsurroundingit.Asifithadbeentornfroma

pieceofclothing.Hisdaughterapproacheshim.

RICHARD

Yourmotherisn'tfeelwell.Iwant

youtohelpherouttonightwith

dinner.

（shenods）

TellMichaeltoputthisfeedaway.

Heputsthefeedbagdown.Sheexits.Heentersthehouse.

INT.FRONTHALL-DAY

Richardentersthefronthalloppositethestairstothe

secondfloor.Tohisleftisthelivingroom.Tohisright,

throughanarchwayisthekitchen.Hemovestowardsthestair

whenhesuddenlyhearsthekitchenradioturnedonand"I'LL

CLOSEMYEYES"continues.Itpuzzleshim.Helookstothe

kitchen.Francescaisobviouslytherebutwecan'tseeher.

Heisabouttocalltoherwhenhisson,Michael,yells:

MICHAEL（O.S.）

Dad!

Youboughtthewrongfeed!

RICHARD

（irritated）

What?

!

Heexitsthroughthehousetothebackdoor.

INT.KITCHEN-LATER

Thefamily--Francesca,Richard,Carolynandtheirseventeen-

year-oldsonMICHAEL--areeatingsupper.Noonespeaks.

FRANCESCA

Sowhatareyougoingtodowiththe

prizemoney?

CAROLYN

Idon'tknow.Imightsaveupforone

ofthosehi-fistereoplayerslike

Peggyhas.

Francescanods.Silenceagain.Sheasksherson:

FRANCESCA

AreyouseeingBettytonight?

MICHAEL

（eating）

Nah.

Silence.Sheisusedtoherson'sonesyllableanswers.

RICHARD

Oh!

Frannie,isthisyours?

Heplacesthebuttonwithredmaterialonthetable.Hiding

hersurprise,Francescatakesthebutton.

FRANCESCA

Youfoundit!

Igotmydresscaught

onthatdamngate.Youmusthaveeyes

likeahawk.

FRANCESCA（cont'd）

Youmustallbetired.Yougothome

soearly.Whattimedidyouleave

Illinosthismorning?

RICHARD

'Bout4:

30.

FRANCESCA

Wellyoushouldallgotobedearly.

I'lldothecleaningup.

Thislastremarksheaddressestoherdaughter.Everyone

returnstotheirsilenteating.

INT.JOHNSONHOUSE-NIGHT

Thehouseisasleepanddarkexceptforabrightlightcoming

fromthekitchen.Carolynquietlyexitsherbedroominher

nightclothes.Shewasawakenedbynoisescomingfromthe

kitchendownstairs.

INT.KITCHEN-

Sheenterstofindthelightsareon.Anemptycakepanand

ahalf-usedbowloffrostingsittingunwashedinthesink.

Shehearsthemotorofthetruckbeingturnedon.Shemoves

tothefronthallandlooksoutthroughthedoortosee:

Thetruckdrivingaway.Shecallsout:

CAROLYN

Mom!

Butshegetsnoresponse.Shestandstherewonderingwhere

hermothercouldpossiblybeinggoingthistimeofnight,as

we-

DISSOLVETO:

THIRTYYEARSLATER-SAMELOCATION

Carolyn,thirtyyearsolder,standsinthesamedoorwayof

thesamehousethinkingbacktothateveninghermotheracted

sostrangely.

ALAWYERisunpackingabriefcaseinthelivingroomoffthe

frontentrance.

CarolynseesacarwithFloridaplatesdrivinguptothe

house.Shesmiles.

EXT.JOHNSONHOUSE-DAY

Carolynstepsoutofthedoorwayandheadsforthecar,out

ofwhichexitherbrotherMichaelandhiscountrygirlwife

BETTY,astoutbuxomchatterbox.BothboastFloridatansand

fashionstyles.

MICHAEL

（toCarolyn）

Explaintomeagainwhywedidn'tdo

thisinDesMoinesinanair

conditionedoffice?

CAROLYN

Mom'sorders.

MICHAEL

Lawyerhere?

CAROLYN

（nods）

Ihavesomesandwichfixingsif

you'rehungry.

BETTY

（proudly）

No,wejusthadlunchatthehotel

withmybrotherandhisnewwife.She

toldmeallthedirt.Iforgothow

interestingthingscangetaround

here.Itwassogoodtoseethem.The

lasttimewevisitedtheywerein

Europe.Heisdoingsowell.He

orderedchampagne.Forlunch!

I

nearlydied.

MICHAEL

Inearlydiedwhenwesplitthebill.

BETTY

Michaeldoesn'tunderstand.People

whomakethekindofmoneymybrother

makesdon'tcarrymoneyonthem.They

keepitallinvariousaccounts.

MICHAEL

Thenweshouldhavehadlunchatthe

bank.

Carolyntriesnottolaugh.Bettyshootshimadirtylook,

thenstopstotakeinthehouseanditssurroundings.

BETTY

Boy.Itsurehasbeenalongtime.

MICHAEL

（correctingher）

WewereheretwoChristmasesago.

BETTY

Well,that'salongtime.

MICHAEL

It'snotthatlong.

BETTY

（suddenlyupset）

Well,whydon'tIjustsayblackso

youcansaywhite!

（toCarolyn）

Don'tbesurprisedtofindyour

brotherhasn'tchangedaniota.He

hardlyevertalksandwhenhedoes

it'sinthattone!

Youshouldhave

heardhimatlunch--nottwowords

untilthebillcameandthenhesays,

"Wortheverypenny."

MICHAEL

（defensive）

SO!

BETTY

（angry）

Yousaiditinthattone!

Likeyou

wereangryatme,mybrother,at

theworldforforcingyoutoeata

nicelunch!

MICHAEL

OhJesus.

BETTY

（staringtocry）

Isimplycannotstandthattone!

CAROLYN

（sympathetically）

Comeinside.You'rejusttiredfrom

thetrip.

ShecomfortsBettywhoindulgesintheattention.

BETTY

Iamsosickandtiredofapologizing

andnotknowingwhatI'vedone!

CAROLYN

I'msureyouhaven'tdoneanything.

Havesomeicedtea.Howarethekids?

MICHAEL

HedroppedthemoffatBetty'smom.

Where'sSteve?

CAROLYN

（uncomfortably）

He'snotcoming.

Bettysuddenlystopscryingandabrasivelyfocuseson

Carolyn'sproblems.

BETTY

Aw,ishestillcheatingonyou,

hon?

Carolynsuddenlyhosessympathyforher.

INT.LIVINGROOM-DAY

ThelawyerhandsMichaeladocument.

LAWYER

Justsignhereashavingreceivedthe

contentsfromthesafedepositbox.

（Michaeldoes）

Andthisone,whichclearsthebank

ofallfurtherresponsibilityfo0rthe

contents.

BettywhisperstoCarolyn.

BETTY

Thisiskindofexciting.Youthink

we'llfindoutyourmotherhad

secretmillionslyingaround?

Carolynsmilesweakly.Michaelhandsbackthepapers.

LAWYER

Allright.Whydon'twebegin.

HetakesoutFrancesca'sLastWillandTestament.

LAWYER（cont'd）

Yourmotherhasbeeninterredat

LakesideFuneralHomeuntil

arrangementscanbemade.

MICHAEL

（toCarolyn）

IthoughteverythingWASarranged.

CAROLYN

Well,there'saproblem.

MICHAEL

Whatproblem?

LAWYER

Yourmotherleftexplicit

instructionsthatshewishedtobe

cremated.

MICHAEL

Cremated?

!

BETTY

Eeeww!

CAROLYN

Iknow.Idon'tunderstanditeither.

MICHAEL

Whendidshedecidethis?

LAWYER

（readingwill）

Apparentlyjustbeforeherdeath.

MICHAEL

Well,that'scrazy.Idon'tknow

anybodywhogetscremated.

BETTY

MyJewishfriend'sgrandmotherdid.

MICHAEL

Well,nooneinmyfamilydid!

Dad

boughtcemeteryplotsatOakRidge.

Oneforhim,oneformom.

LAWYER

Itclearlystatesinthewill--

MICHAEL

Idon'tcarewhatitsays!

MaybeMama

wasdelirious,youknow.Shedidn't

knowwhatshewassaying.Ifshe

wantedtobecremated,whythehell

didsheletdadbuytwoplots,huh?

LAWYER

Well,shewasveryspecific.She

wantedherashestobethrownover

RosemanBridge.

MICHAEL

WHAT!

BETTY

Howbizarre!

CAROLYN

Mr.Peterson,areyousuremamawrote

allthis?

LAWYER

Well,itwasnotarized,andwitnessed

byaMrs.LucyDelaney.Maybeyoucan

askher.

MICHAEL

WhothehellisLucyDelaney?

CAROL