Free A Serious Man by Joel Coen Page B

what’s going on!
    He rises .
BEDROOM
    Larry enters to look down at Danny’s back. Beyond him F Troop flickers on the TV .
    LARRY
    Danny! We’re sitting shiva !
DON MILGRAM’S OFFICE
    Larry has his head down on his arms on Don’s desktop .

    DON
    She’s retained Barney Silver at Tuchman, Marsh. This is a, uh – this is an aggressive firm, Larry.
    LARRY
    ( muffled )
    Uh-huh.
    DON
    These are not pleasant people. Judith is free of course to retain whoever she … I take it you don’t talk to her?
    Larry raises his head, squinting .
    LARRY
    It’s hard. I think she emptied our bank account. I tried to ask her about it, very civilly.
    DON
    Mm.
    LARRY
    She, uh …
    DON
    Yeah, yeah, you better open an account in your name only, put your paychecks in there from here on out. Till we know where we stand.
    LARRY
    Can I?
    DON
    Oh, absolutely!
    LARRY
    That’s not, um, dishonest?
    DON
    Oh, absolutely! You, uh –
    LARRY
    I hate to say this, but I think she’s also been sneaking cash out of my wallet.
    DON
    Oh boy. Well, yes, this is definitely, um, adversarial. The first thing we – are you all right?
    Larry is shaking. His eyes are squeezed shut. His mouth is twisting into strange shapes.
    … Larry!
    Now weeping sounds come out, despite Larry’s efforts to choke them off.
    … Larry! It’s okay! There’s no need for that!
    Larry nods, trying to stopper his sobs, waving a hand in the air, signalling that he is all right and will speak when able.
    … Larry, we can get through this thing!
THE OFFICE
    Minutes later .
    Larry sits panting but composed, a glass of water in front of him .
    After a long beat:
    DON
    Have you seen the rabbi?
    Through his deep breaths:
    LARRY
    I talked to Nachtner.
    DON
    Was he helpful at all?
    Larry gives a helpless shrug .
    Don rolls his eyes .
    DON
    What – did he tell you about the goy’s teeth? You should talk to Marshak.
    LARRY
    They told me … Marshak … doesn’t do … pastoral work any more. He just – congratulates the bar mitzvah boy every week.
    DON
    That’s too bad. A very wise man, Marshak.
    Larry sadly shakes his head .
    LARRY
    Getting old.
    DON
    Very old.
    LARRY
    No, me.
    DON
    Larry, you’re fine. It’s a bump in the road.
BLEGEN HALL
    Larry walks into the outer office clutching his briefcase. The secretary is at her typewriter but holding the phone, one hand covering its mouthpiece .
    SECRETARY
    Dick Dutton. Columbia Record Club.
    LARRY
    Not now.
LARRY’S OFFICE
    Larry has the phone to his ear. He listens for a beat .
    LARRY
    Does he ever come to the phone? If I came in – How about at Rabbi Marshak’s convenience? Uh-huh … Uh-huh … Well, could I give you my number at the Jolly Roger?

CLASSROOM
    We are close over Larry’s shoulder as he scribbles symbols onto the chalkboard .
    LARRY
    … and that means … so that … from which we derive …
    His glances back toward the class show him to be wearier, baggier- eyed, more haggard than ever. And there is something odd about his posture .
    He makes his writing smaller and smaller so as to finish before hitting the right edge of the chalkboard.
    … and also … which lets us … and …
    Wider as he finishes and straightens up, revealing that he has been stooping to write across the very bottom of the board .
    The equation covers every inch of the classroom-wide three-panelled chalkboard. Larry is an off-balance figure at the right edge of frame .
    Reverse on the class: staring .
    … Okay?
    Larry claps chalk dust from his hands .
    … The Uncertainty Principle. It proves we can’t ever really know … what’s going on.
    A bell sounds. The students shake off their stupor and rise. Larry projects over the wallah:
    … But even if you can’t figure anything out, you’ll still be responsible for it on the mid-term.
    The students disperse to reveal one person still seated:
    Sy Ableman .
    He wears a prayer shawl and yarmulka .
    Larry does not seem surprised to see him .
    … Did you follow that?
    SY
    Of coss. Except that I