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Is Blue Valentine improvised?

Yes, but part of the reason for that was because Cianfrance not only allowed them to improvise scenes, but even went as far as having them live in a house with their on-screen daughter and filming Williams actually waking up in the morning to make it look more real.

What is the point of the movie Blue Valentine?

Blue Valentine is simply a film about an abortion that should have gone ahead. Yet how much more interesting and complex it would have been had it been prepared to show us something a bit more ambiguous – an honest account of how even the best intentioned and most loving marriages can come unstuck.

Does Blue Valentine have a good ending?

She rushes outside the clinic and Dean follows her. He finds out that Cindy did not go through with the abortion. Despite of knowing that the baby is not his, Dean decides to support Cindy and proposes to her. She is ecstatic and accepts to marry Dean.

Was Blue Valentine shot on film?

The movie Blue Valentine, released in 2010 and directed by Derek Cianfrance, was shot on film & digital using ARRIFLEX 416 Camera, Red One Camera and Angenieux Lenses, Zeiss Lenses with Andrij Parekh as cinematographer and editing by Jim Helton, Ron Patane.

How did Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling prepare for the scenes of their marriage falling apart in Blue Valentine 2010 )?

Gosling and Michelle Williams play a married couple struggling to repair their relationship in Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine. Cianfrance asked Williams and Gosling to take their characters’ wedding photos, put them in a wheelbarrow and douse them in kerosene — and then set them on fire.

Who is Frankie’s dad in Blue Valentine?

The girl is Frankie (Faith Wladyka), aged about five, the only child of Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams).

Is Blue Valentine worth watching?

“Blue Valentine” tries, but doesn’t succeed at being devastating in a therapeutic way. Instead it’s just depressing. But the Golden Globe nominated performances by Ryan Gosling and Williams make it worth watching. (The Globes will have aired by the time this review is published.)

Where did they film Blue Valentine?

The film was to be shot in California but production was moved to Brooklyn, New York and Honesdale, Pennsylvania.

Did Ryan Gosling and Michelle date?

Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling have denied rumours of a romance. The actors, who play a married couple in Blue Valentine, sparked rumours they were dating after being spotted being touchy-feely at the Sundance Film Festival, where the film premiered, and then in Cannes, where they held hands on the red carpet.

Who is the protagonist in Blue Valentine?

Dean (Ryan Gosling) is content centering his life around his family; he must reconcile his desires with his wife’s ambitious career plans in Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine. Davi Russo/The Weinstein Co.

Where does Blue Valentine take place?

Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling are the stars of the intense love/hate story “Blue Valentine,” but the third character in the drama is northeastern Pennsylvania, the setting for some of the movie’s most lovely and devastatingly sad moments.

Is Ryan Gosling married?

Ryan Thomas Gosling (born November 12, 1980) is a Canadian actor.
…

Ryan Gosling
Occupation	Actor musician
Years active	1993–present
Partner	Eva Mendes (2011–present)
Children	2

Is Ryan Reynolds a movie?

Ryan Reynolds/Movies

Blue Valentine – What’s the Point of a Doomed Romance? | Video Essay

blue valentine screenplay

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Summary of article content: Articles about blue valentine screenplay BLUE VALENTINE Written by Derek Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne & Joey Curtis 5/14/09 EXT. RURAL SUBURBAN STREET – DAWN – PRESENT DAY A 5-year old girl wearing … …
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Summary of article content: Articles about Real Dying Love: Here’s What ‘Blue Valentine’ Can Teach Us About Making Authentic Films Updating …
Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Real Dying Love: Here’s What ‘Blue Valentine’ Can Teach Us About Making Authentic Films Updating One thing to keep in mind as a filmmaker is that everything tells a story — it’s not just the actual script either, but very prop, every location, the colors of your character’s shirts, the blocking, and editing. This concept is demonstrated masterfully in Derek Cianfrance’s 2010 romantic drama Blue Valentine, which utilizes, both narratively and cinematically, the theme of “duality” to tell a tale of a dying relationship. In yet another excellent video essay from Darren Foley of Must See Films, we not only get to analyze the dual world’s inside the film, but Cianfrance’s compelling approach
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Summary of article content: Articles about Jonathan and Julie Myerson on Blue Valentine: almost too painful to watch | Film | The Guardian Updating …
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Novelist Julie Myerson and her husband, screenwriter Jonathan Myerson, offer widely differing views on what has been labelled the most depressing relationship film ever
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HER VIEW ‘After the sex prepare for real life … or be torn apart’

HIS VIEW ‘Whatever he does his best will never be good enough’

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Jonathan and Julie Myerson on Blue Valentine: almost too painful to watch | Film | The Guardian

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Blue Valentine (2010) – Plot Summary

Blue Valentine (2010) – Ending Explained

Final Thoughts

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Blue Valentine (2010) Ending: Who Was Wrong? - The Odd Apple — Blue Valentine (2010) Ending: Who Was Wrong? – The Odd Apple

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Summary of article content: Articles about Blue Valentine (2010) Technical Specifications » ShotOnWhat? Updating …
Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Blue Valentine (2010) Technical Specifications » ShotOnWhat? Updating Blue Valentine (2010) tech specs : shot on ARRIFLEX 416 Camera, Red One Camera and Angenieux Lenses, Zeiss Lenses – Directed by Derek Cianfrance with Cinematography by Andrij Parekh – The Motion Picture & Television Technical DatabaseARRIFLEX 416 Camera, Red One Camera,
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Blue Valentine (2010) Technical Specifications » ShotOnWhat?

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Summary of article content: Articles about Blue Valentine: Screenplay – Terrence Ryan – Google Sách Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) live a quiet life in a modest neighborhood. To the casual observer, everything appears normal, … …
Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Blue Valentine: Screenplay – Terrence Ryan – Google Sách Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) live a quiet life in a modest neighborhood. To the casual observer, everything appears normal, … Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) live a quiet life in a modest neighborhood. To the casual observer, everything appears normal, if a bit subdued. But a closer examination reveals a couple caught in a downward spiral. They appear to have the world at their feet at the outset of the relationship. However, his lack of ambition and her retreat into self-absorption cause potentially irreversible cracks in their marriage.
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Blue Valentine: Screenplay - Terrence Ryan - Google Sách — Blue Valentine: Screenplay – Terrence Ryan – Google Sách

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Summary of article content: Articles about Blue Valentine Screenplay | ✏️ Scripts on Screen … Valentine screenplay. Blue Valentine … Written by:Cami Delavigne (Screenplay), Derek Cianfrance (Screenplay), Joey Curtis (Screenplay). …
Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Blue Valentine Screenplay | ✏️ Scripts on Screen … Valentine screenplay. Blue Valentine … Written by:Cami Delavigne (Screenplay), Derek Cianfrance (Screenplay), Joey Curtis (Screenplay).
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Blue Valentine

Blue Valentine Screenplay | ✏️ Scripts on Screen

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Summary of article content: Articles about Blue Valentine Screenplay | ✏️ Scripts on Screen Page One: “Blue Valentine” (2010). Screenplay by Derek Cianfrance & Joey Curtis and Cami Delavigne. A trailer for the movie:. …
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Blue Valentine Screenplay | ✏️ Scripts on Screen

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Summary of article content: Articles about Blue Valentine: A Screenplay by Derek Cianfrance | Goodreads Blue Valentine book. Read reviews from world’s largest community for readers. The relationship of a contemporary married couple, charting their evolution… …
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BLUE VALENTINE Written by Derek Cianfrance, Cami Delavigne & Joey Curtis 5/14/09 EXT. RURAL SUBURBAN STREET – DAWN – PRESENT DAY A 5-year old girl wearing pajamas wanders alone down the street. FRANKIE (BARELY AUDIBLE) Me-gan! INT. PERIERA HOME – PRESENT DAY 2 2 FRANKIE crawls through a dog door. She walks into the living room where the TV is on loud. DEAN PERIERA, 30 years old, hefty, sleeps in a lazyboy. FRANKIE (HUSHED) Daddydaddydaddy. Frankie uses the footrest to crawl up onto her dad’s belly. FRANKIE (CONT’D) Wake up Daddy. DEAN (WAKING) What time is it baby? She sniffles. He notices. EXT. PERIERA HOME – BACK/FRONT YARDS – PRESENT DAY The back door opens and Dean carries Frankie to the yard. The first yellow rays of sunlight hit their faces. He looks over the lawn, an empty bowl, water tin and a doghouse posting the name MEGAN. He peeks inside the doghouse. There’s no one home. Dean moves to the fence. The gate is open. Dean carries Frankie to the front yard. They look around. FRANKIE When’s she going to get back? DEAN She probably just went out for a run. She’ll be back soon because she’s going to get thirsty. FRANKIE She’s going to be thirsty? (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 2. 3 CONTINUED: 3 DEAN You know what we should do? We should leave her bowl full of water and her dish full of food. Because she’s gotta get hungry and thirsty sometime. You know? Dean’s optimism is infectious. Frankie nods slowly. DEAN (CONT’D) Like me. I’m hungry. I’m so hungry I could eat your toes. Dean pretends to gnaw at Frankie’s toes. Breaks her sadness. INT. PERIERA HOME – BEDROOM – 6:12AM – PRESENT DAY 4 4 CINDY PERIERA, 28, sleeps in bed. Sunlight spills through translucent yellow curtains into a small master bedroom. Dean sets Frankie down on the bed, motions to her to be silent. He sniffs the air. She follows. They eye each other and pounce. Cindy wakes up with a gasp. CINDY I’m sleeping! DEAN We’re hungry! We’re going to eat you. They pin her arms above her head and ‘furber’ her armpit. DEAN (CONT’D) Don’t laugh. Come on, don’t laugh! Cindy doesn’t laugh, she screams. INT. PERIERA HOME – VARIOUS – MORNING – LATER – PRESENT DAY 5 5 Cindy, nursing a weight-loss drink, scans through digital photos on the computer. We see – family on vacation, Frankie’s first day of school, Frankie and a black and white Border Collie mutt – Megan. Cindy exports the picture when… A tea kettle whistle blows. Dean and Frankie sit at the table. He plays a song for Frankie on a ukulele. Cindy gets up, turns off the kettle. DEAN What happened to the flute? Cindy pours the hot water into a bowl with instant oatmeal & raisins. She blows on the food and places it at the table. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 3. 5 CONTINUED: 5 CINDY C’mon, eat, you can’t be late today. Frankie takes a tiny bite and makes a sour face. FRANKIE I don’t like it… Cindy turns on the faucet over a pile of dishes, returns to the computer to e-mail herself the missing dog flyer. DEAN Here… we can make it taste better. Dean spoons the raisins out of her bowl onto the table. DEAN (CONT’D) This is how a leopard eats. He laps up his coffee like a cat. She mimics. Dean laughs. CINDY Come on Frankie, use a spoon. You know how to use a spoon. FRANKIE Lepers don’t use spoons. DEAN (WHISPERS) Are you gonna listen to your mother? I think you better. Frankie reluctantly takes a tiny bite. Her face sours and she lets the food fall out of her mouth and back in the bowl. Cindy returns to the dishes. DEAN (CONT’D) How old are you? FRANKIE Five. DEAN Okay, eat five bites. Dean gets up, goes to Cindy at the sink. DEAN (CONT’D) We gotta get a dishwasher… Tries to take the dish sponge away from her. She resists. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 4. 5 CONTINUED: (2) 5 DEAN (CONT’D) I’ll do it. Come on let me do it. She drops the sponge, dries her hands. CINDY Frankie! We’re leaving in 15. Eat! Frankie ignores her. CINDY (CONT’D) Alright… She pulls Frankie out of her seat and carries her under one arm to the back room. Frankie protests. Dean watches, shakes his head. He sees the computer on, Cindy’s e-mail is still open. He shuts off the running water. He scans through messages from a bunch of names of people Dean doesn’t know. He sweats, clicks open a return message from a real estate company – apartment now available. INT. PERIERA HOME – BATHROOM – MORNING 6 6 CINDY Look up for mommy… come on Frankie! We’re gonna be late… look up. Frankie is propped up on the sink. Cindy draws cat whiskers on her cheeks. Frankie tips her head back. CINDY (softens) (cont’d) Don’t blink… leopards don’t blink… EXT. PERIERA HOME – MORNING – PRESENT DAY 7 7 Cindy backs their minivan out of the garage. Frankie is strapped in her carseat. Dean comes up to the window, knocks. Cindy brakes. Dean hands Frankie her backpack. DEAN (to Frankie) You be good today for Miss Alex, okay? Frankie, dressed like a little leopard, nods. DEAN (to Frankie) (cont’d) Love you. FRANKIE I love you. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 5. 7 CONTINUED: 7 DEAN (to Cindy) Love you. He kisses her on the corner of her mouth. A hesitation. CINDY …Love you. Dean pulls his head out of the window. DEAN Put your seat belt on. She starts to back up. DEAN (CONT’D) C’mon. What’s the big deal? Cindy does as she’s told, looks over her shoulder, scrapes the curb. DEAN (CONT’D) Watch… Cindy cranks the wheel straight, puts on the gas and burns down the road. Dean stands there in his driveway, muttering to himself. He watches the car disappear down the street. Another car, headed the opposite direction, barrels down the road, past the Periera home. DEAN (CONT’D) Slow that piece of shit down! INT. CLINIC – DAY – PRESENT DAY 8 8 Cindy clicks the “print” button on a computer, moves to the printer. It spits out a “Missing Dog” flyer. DR. SAM FEINBERG – handsome, well-groomed, unshakable confidence – appears at the door, with coffee. FEINBERG There you are. Cindy places the flyers in her folder in a rush. CINDY Sorry…I’m almost done. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 5A. 8 CONTINUED: 8 FEINBERG You got a second? Did you get a chance to talk it over with your family yet? CINDY Yeah… I’m going to. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 6. 8 CONTINUED: (2) 8 FEINBERG I don’t have to tell you, it’s a huge opportunity… CINDY I know I know. I should know for sure by Monday. FEINBERG All right, Monday’s our day. I want the A team up there with me. Talk it over. Feinberg walks away down the hallway. CINDY I will. INT. VAN – DAY – PRESENT DAY 9 9 Dean drives with a beer in a koozie and a cigarette. He has a coughing fit, rolls down his window and spits. CHARLEY – late 30s, hefty, African American – sits in the passenger seat. He pops the top to a Styrofoam coffee cup. They talk about sex, women and broken fantasies. But Dean’s attention is on the side of the road, scanning the neighborhood for Megan. He whistles sharp and loud. CHARLEY Cheer up man. God wants you to be happy. DEAN God’s a woman and she’s pissed off at me. INT. CLINIC – DAY – PRESENT DAY 10 10 An ultrasound monitor, the abstracted image of a 20-week fetus. Cindy watches Feinberg perform an ultrasound. DR. FEINBERG (to Cindy) Do you want to take over from here? Cindy places her hand on the sensor. Feinberg places his hand over hers. They gently glide it over the abdomen. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 7. 10 CONTINUED: 10 DR. FEINBERG (cont’d) Easy. Feinberg releases Cindy’s hand and removes his latex gloves. DR. FEINBERG (cont’d) Very good, Cindy. You’re in good hands. Cindy is one of our favorites. Cindy blushes. She is transfixed on the monitor. CINDY Do you want to know the sex? INT. SUBURBAN HOME – UNFINISHED HOUSING TRACK – PRESENT DAY 11 11 Dean smokes, works in the soon to be living room. He paints a picture on the wall before covering it up with the roller. INT. CINDY’S CAR – LATE AFTERNOON A11 A11 She drives through a drive through and orders fast food. INT/EXT. CINDY’S CAR- AFTERNOON A12 A12 Cindy drives, fast food wrapper in hand, sees something out the window. She slows down, waits for opposing traffic to pass, then pulls a wide u-turn. She rises up out of her seat to look at something. CINDY Oh no… She pulls the car to a stop, puts on the hazzards, takes a moment to compose herself, unbuckles her seatbelt. Gets out. ELLIPSE: A blanket covers a dead Border Collie mutt in the gutter. Cindy puts Megan’s body into the back of her van. INT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GYMNASIUM/DAY CAMP PROGRAM – AFTERNOON12 12 – PRESENT DAY FOURTH OF JULY music recital. The Pre-K classes are lined up on small bleachers. Led by their teacher, the kids sing “I’m A Yankee Doodle Boy.” Frankie, steps out of her line of pre-kindergarteners to see if her parents are in the bleachers. She spots her father, jumps a little, and wonders if he can see her. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 7A. 12 CONTINUED: 12 Dean sits alone, picks paint off his hands. He does not fully watch the children – he watches the door for Cindy to enter. He wonders where she is – every possible scenario passes through his mind. looks at the clock – 3:35. Cindy arrives with haste, purse open, holding a big set of keys in her right hand and a water bottle in her left. She props her sunglasses on her head, looks around for Frankie. She waves to her, but Frankie doesn’t see her. Dean spots Cindy by the base of the bleachers – relaxes. He picks up his jacket, puts it on his lap, making room for her. She looks around for Dean, spots him near the top of the bleachers. Little waves. She climbs the crowded bleachers, stopping to talk with parents along the way. She comes up next to Dean, takes her purse off. They say “hi” but neither one makes eye contact. Dean takes the water bottle from her. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 8. 12 CONTINUED: (2) 12 DEAN Didn’t think you were gonna make it. CINDY Did I miss her? DEAN Almost. Her class is coming up. Dean kisses her cheek. Cindy settles, arranges her things. DEAN (CONT’D) You have a good day? CINDY It was alright… Busy. DEAN Anything good happen? Cindy shakes her head “no.” She drops her keys into her purse, but they miss the target and she fumbles after them. DEAN (CONT’D) Is something wrong? Cindy shakes her head. Takes the water from Dean. He stares at her. She concentrates on closing the clasp on her purse. DEAN (CONT’D) Why don’t you tell me? She doesn’t want to start crying. Dean gets visibly frustrated. He’s sick of prying everything out of her. DEAN (CONT’D) Why do you gotta make me beg? I know there’s something wrong. It’s gonna come out eventually. Just tell me. The song ends. A patter of applause. The teacher introduces the next song “THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC”. CINDY I found Megan. DEAN That’s great, where? Cindy doesn’t answer. She can’t. She tries to keep from crying. He quickly realizes what she’s trying to tell him. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 8A. 12 CONTINUED: (3) 12 DEAN (CONT’D) Where? CINDY Over on Urbandale… near Spur. DEAN I told you you gotta close that fucking gate. Cindy wipes tears. She has to look up and blink to keep them from rolling down her cheek. Dean puts his arm around her, holds her close. She tries to pull away. He won’t let her. DEAN (CONT’D) I’m sorry. It’s not your fault. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 9. 12 CONTINUED: (4) 12 Frankie sees her Mother and Father huddled together. She sings louder. EXT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL/DAY CAMP PROGRAM. AFTERNOON. A13 A13 Cindy sits in her car, checking her eyes in the rear view mirror. They are puffy. Frankie runs full speed into Dean’s arms. He picks her up and walks her to Cindy’s car. DEAN You were great. FRANKIE Did you find Megan? DEAN No. But… I was thinking… Maybe she got a job or something… You know? So she could make some money and buy some food. Or maybe she moved out to Hollywood to become a movie dog! Frankie nods. Dean gets her to the car. Straps her in. DEAN (CONT’D) I was thinking…you should have some fun tonight1 Don’t you think? FRANKIE Yeah! Cindy listens in the front seat. She doesn’t approve. EXT. HELLER HOME – AFTERNOON – PRESENT DAY 13 13 The door opens to a grandpa in shorts and a bathrobe wearing navy scuba gear, JERRY HELLER – early 70’s. He has a tube under his nose attached to an oxygen tank. His porch and front yard are overloaded with Fourth of July decorations. FRANKIE Pa! Jerry growls at Frankie. She screams, scared but delighted. A yapping dog named SAMMY jumps on her. Jerry nods at Dean who keeps his distance by the van. CINDY Aren’t you coming up? Dean gives a sour look and lights a cigarette. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 9A. 13 CONTINUED: 13 CINDY (CONT’D) He’s an old man. DEAN What? I can’t smoke around his oxygen. Cindy gives Dean a slow look of contempt, grabs the backpack and walks toward the house. Jerry stands over the hose spigot with Frankie at his side. JERRY …Want me to show you a magic trick? Here’s how you turn the grass green. You can teach it to your dad. The sprinkler jets on. Cindy comes up and kisses her dad on the cheek. She straightens Frankie’s ears. CINDY Go say goodbye to Daddy. You’re not going to see him until tomorrow. Jerry holds Frankie back. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 10. 13 CONTINUED: (2) 13 JERRY Wait…! OK…one, two, three GO! Frankie runs to Dean, dodging the water stream. She hugs his leg. He picks her up. DEAN Hey leopard. You be good now. You remember what to do when Pa snores? FRANKIE Cover his mouth and hold his nose. DEAN That’s my girl. Gimme a squeezer. Dean hugs her and she squeezes back as hard as her arms allow. Dean plays as if his neck was being pinched off. He sets her on the ground running back to the porch. She gets caught in the diameter of the sprinkler spray. She screams as the water chases her. JERRY It got you! Go right! OTHER RIGHT! Dean and Cindy both laugh. Their eyes meet for the first time in days, maybe weeks. They exchange a brief smile, filled with mutual love, pride and respect – connected by their little girl. Frankie stands in front of Cindy, water drips from her bangs. CINDY Come on silly. Let’s go in and get dry. FRANKIE I don’t wanna take off my costume! CINDY You don’t have to. Let’s just go in. Cindy leads Frankie with one hand and pulls Jerry’s oxygen tank with the other. Jerry takes Frankie’s free hand. Dean smokes and watches… Cindy hold the screen open with her foot and maneuver father, tank and child inside. The screen door closes. Sammy barks at Dean through the screen door. He tugs his smoke, memories flood. He drifts… EXT. CITY STREETS. DOG WALKING. DAY. 6 YEARS EARLIER. 14 14 The sound of barking. A YOUNGER DEAN, 24, walks 10 dogs. Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 11. INT. DEAN’S FRIEND’S APARTMENT – LATE DAY. 6 YEARS EARLIER. 15 15 Dean comes inside from the cold. He tries to walk in quietly – not disturbing Jake who’s watching TV in the back bedroom. He goes to say “hi” but decides he’d rather not disturb him. Dean sits on the couch which he uses as a bed. He pulls his travelling bag from underneath the coffee table, digs around for a long sock where he keeps his money. He stuffs his day’s pay ($45), in the sock with the rest of his $ (about $100). In the kitchen, he opens the fridge. There is a pie tin with one last slice of pumpkin pie. Walks to Jake’s room. Stands in the doorway. Jake doesn’t acknowledge him. DEAN Hey man… Can I have a slice of that pie? EXT. CITY STREET – DOG WALKING – MORNING. 6 YEARS EARLIER. 16 16 A dog poops on the sidewalk. Dean gets his little bag ready. Sees – a light post with flyers taped to it. Dean reads – MEN WANTED-$22/hr. He tears it down. EXT. BUS STOP. MORNING. 17 17 Dean waits for the bus to come. INT. STORAGE FACILITY/MOVING COMPANY – DAY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 18 18 Dean enters, hair combed, still wet, with fresh teeth marks. JO – 36, receptionist sits beyond a scratched window. Dean pulls out the folded flyer and asks if they have any work. JO You’re gonna have to speak with Mr. Saned, honey. Wait just a minute, okay. Dean sits on a chair, smooths his hair, smells his clothes. INT. GARAGE – LATER – 6 YEARS EARLIER 19 19 Saned – huge hands, the boss – leads Dean through a large, open garage, lined with many sizes of moving trucks. SANED Normally we are busiest at the beginning of the month. You break your back for two weeks, you get 2 weeks to rest. That’s normal. Days start early. (MORE) (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 12. 19 CONTINUED: 19 You’ll work on a crew of 4. The rate for 4 men is $122/hour.$40 goes to the truck. You split the rest. Plus tips. Policy on tardiness; you work for the day you don’t get paid. You’re late two times; don’t bother coming back. Any questions, talk to Curtis. He’s your supervisor. WORKERS eye Dean. He introduces himself. Shake hands. INT. TRUCK – EARLY MORNING – 6 YEARS EARLIER 20 20 Dean rides in the back of a 20 foot truck. The wind is cold. He warms his hands with his breath. INT. HOME #1 – MORNING – 6 YEARS EARLIER 21 21 Dean lifts two large boxes and moves toward the stairs. CURTIS Whoa whoa. You gonna break your neck homey. Look down. Dean does. All he sees is brown box. CURTIS (CONT’D) Can’t see your feet. If you can’t see your feet, how you gonna know where the step is? You goin’ bust your ass. Curtis takes the boxes from Dean and demonstrates. CURTIS (CONT’D) Turn around. Curtis hefts the boxes on Dean’s back. He pulls his arms around the back to hold onto them in an awkward position. CURTIS (CONT’D) You gotta be a mule. Always carry on your back. Give `er a try. Dean is unsure. He proceeds, imbalanced down the stairs. He makes it to the truck where Saned waits to help him get the boxes in. Dean can’t quite manage a 30-pound, behind the back hand-off. He ends up spilling up the boxes and their contents all over the sidewalk. Saned gets pissed. Dean gets down on his hands and knees and packs up the boxes – quickly. MOVING MONTAGE: HOME #2 22 22 Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 13. – DEAN POURS HIMSELF A GLASS OF MILK FROM A CLIENT’S REFRIGERATOR. HE CHUGS IT. – DEAN STACKS BOXES LIKE BLOCKS AND TAP DANCES TO KEEP WARM. 23 23 HE SINGS A SONG TO HIMSELF. – DEAN HOISTS A 6′ TALL DRESSER WITH DRAWERS ON HIS BACK. 24 24 CURTIS TIES A BLUE BLANKET AROUND HIM TO SECURE HIS LOAD. DEAN WALKS OUT OF THE TRUCK AND INTO A NEW APARTMENT. – CURTIS HANDS OUT THE DAY’S MONEY, PLUS TIP. DEAN COUNTS HIS25 25 CUT – $327. NOT BAD. BUT HIS BACK FEELS BROKEN. INT. DEAN’S FRIEND’S APARTMENT. DAY. 6 YEARS EARLIER 26 26 – Dean puts $300 in an envelope, seals it, and writes “THANKS PAL.” He slides the envelope under Jake’s door. – He lays on the couch, wrapped up in a white sheet, smoking a cigarette. Tries to stretch his back. INT/EXT. HOME #1. TRUCK. 6 YEARS EARLIER. 27 27 LUNCH-TIME. Dean, Curtis sit in the bed of the truck, legs dangling. They eat hamburgers and talk about girls. INT. DEAN’S FRIEND’S APARTMENT – BATHROOM. MORNING. 28 28 Dean showers, tries to stretch his aching back. EXT/INT. BROWNSTONE. (HOME #3) MORNING. 6 YEARS EARLIER. 29 29 A fifty something MAN helps an ELDERLY MAN navigate his walker down the stairs of his neglected Brownstone. Dean holds a ream of unfolded cardboard boxes and can’t help but stare. Curtis slaps him on the back. CURTIS Gonna happen to you someday too. INT. BROWNSTONE. MORNING. 30 30 INSIDE. Dank, dark home. 0 upkeep. The smell makes Dean hold back a gag. Curtis climbs the stairs to the 2nd floor. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 14. 30 CONTINUED: 30 CURTIS I don’t think that old man’s been up here in 10 years. Saned elbows in with rolls of tape and contractor bags. SANED (TO DEAN) Box up everything on the first floor. Toss everything else. – Dean finds jars of yellow liquid everywhere. “What’s this?” He opens a jars and is overwhelmed by the stench of urine. DEAN It’s fucking pee! – He runs to the toilet and pukes in to a shit stained porcelain bowl. Saned berates him for wasting time. DEAN (CONT’D) How could you live like this? – He ties a bandana around his nose. Gets back to packing. – boxes full of the old man’s life (religious items, framed pictures, old cameras and reams of polaroids). – Boxes are packed, taped and stacked. EXT. BROWNSTONE. MORNING. 31 31 Bags of garbage dump into a 20′ rented dumpster out in the street. – Dean and Curtis heft an old couch into the dumpster. – Barren home reveals a sagging floor. Ghostly impressions on walls where pictures used to hang. – The truck takes off, leaving a full dumpster behind. EXT/INT. TRUCK/ROAD. AFTERNOON. 6 YEARS EARLIER. 32 32 – Dean and crew cut out of the city. It’s the first time Dean has seen nature in the longest. Breathes deep. INT. RETIREMENT HOME. LATE AFTERNOON. 6 YEARS EARLIER. 33 33 – The crew carries boxes down a hallway to a single room. A sign on the door reads, “Welcome home Walter!!!” CURTIS How we s’posed to fit all this in here? – Dean and Curtis move a dresser against the wall. – He hammers a nail in the wall. Places a framed picture up. – Unpacks the old man’s clothes, folds them, puts them in drawers. – Replaces the light bulb on a burned out lamp. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 15. 33 CONTINUED: 33 – Wipes clean old pictures and knickknacks using toilet paper,. – Saned carries in a box of food – cans of soup, etc. SANED Last one. Lets get a move on. Gotta make it home for the game. Dean holds up the man’s wedding picture. DEAN Look how handsome he was. SANED What are you fucking queer? Saned hands Dean a wad of bills. SANED (CONT’D) Finish up, we gotta 2 hour drive back. Saned walks down the hall, calling out to hurry up. Dean sets the bills down on the dresser. Continues to arrange the things. He stares at a picture of old man and his wife. ELLIPSE – A nurse wheels Walter down the hallway and introduces him to his new room. DEAN Wait up. We gotta do this right… He takes the wheelchair from the nurse, wheels Walter out of the room, picks him out out of his wheelchair, and carries him back into the room across the threshold of his new home. DEAN (CONT’D) You are gonna be the new stud in this place. Dean sets him down in a recliner, then gives him a tour of his room – tells him which drawer his socks are in, where put the aftershave, etc. Curtis pokes his head around the corner. CURTIS Boss says we gotta go. We gotta go. Dean cuts the tour short, wishes the old man luck and tells him he’ll come visit him someday. He backs out of the doorway, grabs his money off the dresser, and says goodbye. Dean turns and is frozen in his tracks. Something or someone makes his expression change to that of wonder, eyes fill with love… he puts the money in his pocket. Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 15A. INT. MINI VAN. DRIVING. AFTERNOON. PRESENT DAY 34 34 Cindy pulls into the driveway behind Dean’s van. He walks around her mini van and directs her to open the back hatch. She presses the button from inside. Hatch opens. She gathers the stack of missing dog flyers in the seat next to her. EXT. PERIERA HOME- BACKYARD- PRESENT DAY A35 A35 Dean buries Megan by the fence. He places a stone on the mound as a marker. He stands over it, smoking a cigarette. Cindy looks on from the porch, arms hugging her body. Dean walks to her and wraps his arms around her. Her arms fall and move up to touch his side. CINDY What are we going to tell her? DEAN We’ll tell her Monday. After the weekend. Let’s not ruin her Holiday. Dean turns Cindy around, closes his eyes, and hugs her. CINDY She would have wanted to say goodbye. Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 16. INT/EXT. PERIERA HOME – CONTINUOUS 35 35 – Cindy washes dishes, straightens up the house. OUTSIDE – Dean sits in Frankie’s little rocking chair, smoking a cigarette. He looks out over his lawn. – Picks up frozen dog poop with a little shovel, rinses out Megan’s bowls with the hose. – He watches Cindy inside, cleaning. He looks at his house. Remembers something. INT/EXT. PERIERA HOME – CONTINUOUS 36 36 He comes in through the sliding glass door and steps over Cindy who is on the floor picking up Frankie’s Hotwheels. He yanks open a junk drawer and pulls out items. DEAN You remember where we put… Cindy stops and watches him. He holds up a gift certificate in an old anniversary card. DEAN (CONT’D) Here! Let’s get the fuck out of here. Dean grabs the phone and dials. DEAN (on phone) (cont’d) Hello, I want to see if I can reserve a room for the night… tonight. I have a gift certificate but I don’t know if it’s still good. Can I give you a number? 7G263?… CINDY What are you doing? DEAN Taking us away. We gotta get outta this house. (Back to phone) It’s still good? Good… Well, what rooms do you got?…Hold on a minute… Dean lowers the receiver to his neck. DEAN (CONT’D) What room do you want? The North Pole, the Moon Room or Cupid’s cave. Which one? Cindy shakes her head. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 17. 36 CONTINUED: 36 DEAN (CONT’D) I don’t want to hear any excuses. We’re going. We deserve it. One night. Because we belong to each other. Pick a room. CINDY You’re crazy. DEAN You’re not going to decide? I’ll decide. That’s how decisions get made. Dean gets a shit-eating grin. DEAN (CONT’D) Come on let’s go get drunk. He returns to the phone. DEAN (CONT’D) Give us the moon room. Periera. P-E-R-I- E-R-A… 2… Great… Dean hangs up. DEAN (CONT’D) Pack our bags. We’re going to the moon! EXT. LIQUOR MART PARKING LOT. AFTERNOON. PRESENT DAY. 37 37 They argue about who’s gonna go in. INT. LIQUOR MART – AFTERNOON – PRESENT DAY 38 38 – Cindy jerks out a grocery cart, pushes it, scans the aisles of the massive liquor store. – Tucks two large bottles of champagne under her arm. – she tries on different pairs of sunglasses at the display. She assumes the character that each pair suggests. She is a tough guy cop when… BOBBY (O.S.) Is that Cindy Heller? Cindy turns and sees BOBBY ONTARIO, her college sweetheart. She lifts the glasses on her head, blood rushes to her face. CINDY Bobby Ontario? EXT. GAS STATION – AFTERNOON – PRESENT DAY 39 39 Dean fills his tank. Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 18. INT. LIQUOR MART – AFTERNOON – PRESENT DAY 40 40 Cindy pushes her cart down the aisle along side Bobby, 30 years old, fit. TAYLOR, a small toddler sits in his cart wearing overalls and a backward baseball cap like his daddy. BOBBY …So, you been faithful to him? CINDY That’s a strange question to ask someone you haven’t seen in forever. BOBBY I’m a strange person. Cindy laughs. BOBBY (CONT’D) No seriously. CINDY Yes. BOBBY Yes you have or yes you haven’t? CINDY Yes…I haven’t. I mean I have…I have been…Why are you looking at me like that? BOBBY I’m not looking at you like anything. CINDY Oh OK. BOBBY It’s hard to be faithful. I don’t know if monogamy is possible, especially if you’re a man… CINDY Who’s this? BOBBY This is Taylor. He’s two. Got a little girl at home. Irene. CINDY Wow… (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 19. 40 CONTINUED: 40 BOBBY Kids are great. They pick up on things so fast. Like watch… Hey Spence, give me five… Give me five, buddy. Drooling, and with a toothless smile, Taylor gives his daddy five. Bobby beams. BOBBY (CONT’D) Give Cindy five. Taylor holds up his hand limply so that Cindy has to give him an awkward five. Bobby laughs. They reach the register. BOBBY (CONT’D) To see yourself in your kid’s face… I never experienced anything like that. CINDY I know… There is an uncomfortable silence between them. Cindy starts to unload her purchases. CINDY (CONT’D) I’m really happy for you. BOBBY How’s your kid? CINDY She’s good. Pause. They speak at the same time. BOBBY WHAT’S HER- CINDY SHE’S GOT- They stop. Cindy concedes. CINDY (CONT’D) You go… BOBBY No, you go… CINDY Oh… I was going to say, you ask her what kind of hair she’s got and she says, a bob. It’s pretty funny. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 20. 40 CONTINUED: (2) 40 Cindy smiles at the ground. Bobby eyes her purchases – a bottle of vodka, cheap champagne, mixers, snacks. BOBBY What’s her name? CINDY Frankie. Fumbling, she starts bagging her groceries. CHECKER That’s $58.42. Cindy hands the CHECKER a fifty. The Checker holds it out. CHECKER (CONT’D) $58.42. CINDY Oh…I’m sorry. Cindy searches her wallet, goes into her change purse. CINDY (CONT’D) How much was the vodka? The Checker looks at the receipt. CHECKER $11.99. CINDY Can I put that back? I’m sorry… Bobby holds out a twenty dollar bill. BOBBY I got it. CINDY Nothankyou. (TO CHECKER) Just take it off please. Bobby drops the bill on the scanner. BOBBY You can get me back. EXT. LIQUOR MART – PARKING LOT – AFTERNOON – PRESENT DAY 41 41 Cindy pushes the cart hurriedly, stolen shades on her head. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 21. 41 CONTINUED: 41 Dean blows on a hot cup of coffee. Cindy moves fast, loads in the bags next to their luggage, slams the hatch closed and snatches the keys from Dean’s hands. CINDY Let’s go. DEAN You’re drivin’? Cindy hops in the driver’s seat. Dean rides on the end of the buggy and crashes it into the buggy corral. She fires up the engine and honks. He throws his hands up. INT. MINI VAN – LATE AFTERNOON – PRESENT DAY 42 42 Cindy drives the car along a windy, mountain road. Dean keeps a lidless cup of coffee from spilling. DEAN Alright, lead foot. It’s not a race. Cindy is zoned into the road. She turns off the radio. CINDY Isn’t it funny how you can be driving for 20 minutes and it feels like you’ve only been driving for 20 seconds. The time just gets swallowed up somewhere… Dean places his hand on Cindy’s hand that rests on the car seat. A small squeeze. She squeezes back. Dean looks at her with tenderness. Her eyes are on the road. She lifts her hand to the wheel. Dean reaches for the radio. DEAN Do you mind if I turn this back on? CINDY I was kind of enjoying the silence. DEAN Let’s just see if there’s something on… He scans through the low stations. DEAN (CONT’D) Anything? Fuck it. He turns it off. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 22. 42 CONTINUED: 42 DEAN (CONT’D) That’s better. You’re right. It never gets to be just quiet. You know? Cindy nods. Dean rolls down his window, spits his gum as far as he can. He rolls it back up. DEAN (CONT’D) What are you thinking about? Dean looks at Cindy, waiting for her to respond. DEAN (CONT’D) Did you get everything? CINDY Think so. DEAN Where d’you get these? Dean reaches for the glasses on top of Cindy’s head. She feels the dangling tag – “woops.” She tears off the tag and tosses the glasses on the dashboard. DEAN (CONT’D) Try em’ on. Cindy shakes her head “no.” Dean puts them on his face. He poses for Cindy. She grabs the glasses and puts them on. She looks at Dean. He holds in a chuckle. DEAN (CONT’D) You look like your mom. Cindy takes them off. Back on the dash. DEAN (CONT’D) You get any snacks? CINDY There should be some fig newtons back there. Dean unbuckles his seatbelt, crawls to the back of the van digs through the bags. Cindy can’t see out of the rear-view. DEAN Which bag? CINDY You have to look. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 23. 42 CONTINUED: (2) 42 Cindy enjoys a moment alone, straightens her back, crosses the dotted yellow lines and passes a car, then relaxes. Dean crawls back up to the front seat. They both eat a cookie. DEAN Mmm. These are good. He offers her another one. She shakes her head. CINDY I have to pee. The car stops on the shoulder of the two lane highway. Cindy gets out of the car. DEAN You can’t wait? We’re almost there. EXT. ROADSIDE – DUSK – PRESENT DAY 43 43 CINDY I gotta go. Cindy jogs across the road. Dean sees traffic coming. DEAN Goddamnit Cindy!! Pay attention!!! On the side of the road, she stares into the woods. Cars pass behind her, headlights flood the night. She descends into the thicket until the sound of the highway is faint. Wind through the leaves. She drops her pants and pees. Something rustles and she looks into the woods. CINDY …Hello? She stands up and zips up her pants. Eyes search the shadows. …Cindy is ALONE. A leaf falls to earth. She stares at it and her mind drifts back to… EXT. SUBURBAN STREET/COLLEGE – DAY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 44 44 A YOUNGER CINDY – 22, smart – wheels herself down suburban sidewalks. Faces of passing people look at her with pity – what a shame that such a pretty girl be in a wheelchair. Cindy wheels herself across the campus quad. Students hurry by clutching schoolbooks. Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 24. INT. GYMNASIUM – DAY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 45 45 Wrestling practice. Bobby – 22, svelte – gets into the defensive position. TROY LEANER, his buddy, gets on top of him in the offensive position. Bobby looks up, sees Cindy by the door attempting to pop wheelies in her wheelchair. Whistle blows! Bobby escapes the position and wraps Troy up in a double grapevine. Quickly pins him, stands up, takes off his ear guards, bumps fists. He walks over to Cindy. BOBBY What are you doing? CINDY Research. BOBBY You’re supposed to be a quadriplegic? CINDY Quads can’t use their arms. I’m a paraplegic. BOBBY Don’t I give you enough attention? He presses himself into her and mauls her with a wet kiss. BOBBY (CONT’D) Wonder what people would think if they saw me making out with a paraplegic? He lifts her expensive necklace out from under her dress – looks at it admiringly. Then, Cindy. BOBBY (close (cont’d) Can you come over? CINDY I can’t. I have to go get gramma. Cindy rolls the wheelchair back. BOBBY Gimme a sec. Bobby tries to hide the erection trapped in his wrestling singlet. Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 25. INT. HELLER HOME – FOYER – EVENING – 6 YEARS EARLIER 46 46 The front door opens and Cindy pushes GRAMMA FRANCIS – 80’s, Alzheimer’s – into the middle class home. NAPOLEON – an ill- trained dog – greets them with jumps and licks CINDY Get down Napoleon! Get down! GLENDA HELLER – 50’s, desperate – peeks her head out of the kitchen. She holds a coffee mug filled with gin on the rocks. GLENDA Ope – I thought you were your Dad. CINDY Just us. Cindy kisses her mom on the cheek, can smell the alcohol. GLENDA How was the beauty shop? INT. HELLER HOME – FOYER – LATER – 6 YEARS EARLIER 47 47 The front door opens and COLONEL JERRY – 65, wound tighter than a navy knot – enters. Glenda, rushes to greet him. JERRY Get that fucking dog out of the kitchen! INT. HELLER HOME – DINING ROOM – EVENING – 6 YEARS EARLIER 48 48 GLENDA, JERRY AND GRAMMA Come lord Jesus, be our guest, and let Thy gifts to us be blessed. Amen. Glenda, Jerry, Gramma Francis and Cindy sit around a dining room table. Glenda slices a knife through a greenish meatloaf. She serves a watery slice to Gramma. GRAMMA Thank you. Glenda averts her eyes. She cuts another slice. Cindy offers Glenda her plate. The meat breaks apart and half of it lands on the table cloth. A brownish-green oil. CINDY It’s OK mom. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 26. 48 CONTINUED: 48 Cindy picks up the fallen particles with her fork. Jerry’s eyes burn into Glenda. She won’t look at him. GLENDA Can I have your plate Dad? He pushes it across the table an inch. Glenda lowers a slice onto Jerry’s plate with a SPLAT. Jerry looks at his dinner. Glenda serves herself. Cindy cuts Gramma’s meat with her fork and looks over at her dad. His face is turning beat-red… Suddenly, Jerry pounds his fist into the mound of meatloaf, obliterating it. Particles of ground meat fly everywhere. Glenda won’t look up, her shoulders tremble. Jerry raises his steaming fist. Bits of ground beef stick to his knuckles. JERRY What’d you do to meatloaf? Huh?! GLENDA They had it ready-made in the deli. I… thought it looked good. JERRY Are you kidding me? How long does it take to make a meatloaf? Five minutes? You mean to tell me that you didn’t have five minutes to make a meatloaf? I been up since six this morning busting my fucking ass and you don’t have five minutes to make a meatloaf? GLENDA I thought it would be nice. JERRY Nice? GLENDA …for a change… JERRY Well, what gave you the idea that any of us needed a change? Did you ask for a change? Cindy? She doesn’t ask for anything… She doesn’t talk. You didn’t ask for a change, did you mom?…She can’t hear! And I don’t remember asking for a change. So, it was you, wasn’t it? You wanted a change. I work all day so you can sit on your fat ass, thinkin’ about yourself. How you’d like a change. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 27. 48 CONTINUED: (2) 48 GLENDA Sorry. JERRY Sorry? What good is sorry now? GLENDA Do you want me to make you some eggs? JERRY I want you to enjoy your fucking dinner. He storms out of the dining room. Glenda, Cindy and Gramma sit in silence. Cindy takes a bite. CINDY It’s not bad. GLENDA Oh bullshit. Glenda retreats into the kitchen. Gramma and Cindy eat. PROFESSOR (O.S.) …When I was a young physician, I used to leave the hospital everyday in tears. INT. HELLER HOME – BATHROOM – NIGHT – 6 YEARS EARLIER 49 49 Gramma sits in a chair in the bathtub. Cindy squeezes a sudsy washcloth over her body. Uses a plastic cup to rinse. PROFESSOR (O.S.) Just broken down from seeing the suffering of my patients. GRAMMA FRANCIS Don’t get my hair. INT. HELLER HOME – MASTER BEDROOM – NIGHT – 6 YEARS EARLIER 50 50 Fully clothed, Glenda is passed out on the bed. Framed family portraits sit on the mantle. PROFESSOR (O.S.) …As a result, I began to suffer. Not just in my work but emotionally and physically…spiritually… Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 28. INT. HELLER HOME – LIVING ROOM – NIGHT – 6 YEARS EARLIER 51 51 Shirt off, hand stuffed into his underwear – Jerry holds a remote and flicks through channels. Nothing holds. PROFESSOR (O.S.) …There’s a choice we all have to make in the medical profession – whether to be sympathetic or empathetic with our patients… INT. HELLER HOME – CINDY’S ROOM – DAWN – 6 YEARS EARLIER 52 52 SOUND of TYPING. An open medical schoolbook on the PSYCHOLOGY OF PATIENTS sits on a well-organized desk. Cindy stares at the screen, hits “enter.” PROFESSOR (O.S.) …Imagine your patients as being in a hole. To be sympathetic means you throw them a rope to help pull them out… Pages print on an old printer. Outside the window, the sun has begun to rise. PROFESSOR (O.S.) (cont’d) …To be empathetic means you jump in the hole with them… EXT. CITY BUS – MORNING – 6 YEARS EARLIER 53 53 Cindy sits near the back of the bus. She hugs her backpack. PROFESSOR (O.S.) …Now you’re both stuck. INT. AUDITORIUM CLASSROOM – AFTERNOON – 6 YEARS EARLIER 54 54 The PROFESSOR stands in front of the class. There are grids and diagrams illustrating DOCTOR-patient relationships. It is a big class – students, sitting in steep rows. PROFESSOR (CONCLUDING) I want you to think about that when we go into the next section. Please pass in your reports. Cindy passes her paper down. Bobby, the TA, collects the reports. Cindy can feel him staring at her as she packs her backpack. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 29. 54 CONTINUED: 54 She tries not to give him the satisfaction, but she can’t help it – his cockiness is magnetic. She looks, notices something new – his belt buckle has his name on it. INT. BOBBY’S BEDROOM – AFTERNOON – 6 YEARS EARLIER 55 55 A gold necklace dangles from Cindy’s neck. Her arms secure her weight on the bed. Bobby stands behind her. His hands caress her back as he looks down at himself inside of her. He closes his eyes tight, trying to control himself. But the ecstasy is too much – he comes inside of her, moaning, and lets his body weight smother her onto the bed. BOBBY (BREATHLESS) Shit. She stops moving, feels him shrinking inside of her. CINDY (REALIZING) Shit! BOBBY I couldn’t help it. She gets out from underneath him. BOBBY (CONT’D) I couldn’t help it… You felt too good. Cindy is white, tries to contain her terror. She disappears into the BATHROOM. Bobby sits up. BOBBY (calls out) (cont’d) Don’t trip. It’ll be OK…OK? Bobby lies back, frustrated, and buttons his pants. IN THE BATHROOM – BOBBY’S 56 56 Cindy sits on the toilet, pees; hoping gravity will pull Bobby out of her. She runs her hand under the faucet and scrubs her crotch, hoping that this will wash him out of her. Cindy comes out, shirt stretched over her waist. Bobby sits up, asks her what’s wrong? She can’t look. BOBBY It’s your fault. You felt too good. She sees her underwear lying by the base of the bed. She goes to grab them, but Bobby snatches them away. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 30. 56 CONTINUED: 56 CINDY Give em! Cindy presses her lips together. She leaps at Bobby and squeezes his crotch and gets her underwear back. Bobby’s face turns vicious. He snatches them back aggressively. BOBBY Say you’re sorry! Cindy picks her pants up off the floor – pulls them on. CINDY Take a deep whiff, you fucking douchebag! She tears off his necklace, throws it at him, slams the door. BOBBY I was just joking! God! EXT. SUBURBAN STREET. DAY. 6 YEARS EARLIER. 57 57 Cindy walks briskly, hoodie pulled low, pushing her Gramma in a wheelchair. Gramma protects her hair from the breeze. OMITTED 58 58 EXT/INT. RETIREMENT HOME – LATE AFTERNOON. 6 YEARS EARLIER. 59 59 Cindy pushes her Gramma in. Piles of moving boxes line the hallway. INT. RETIREMENT HOME. LATE AFTERNOON. 6 YEARS EARLIER. A60 A60 ELLIPSE – Cindy sits down for dinner with Gramma and the other elderly residents. Cindy notices a group of men moving boxes into the home. INT. GRAMMA’S BEDROOM. LATE AFTERNOON. 6 YEARS EARLIER. B61 B61 – Cindy helps gramma with bedtime rituals. – Cindy reads to Gramma… but she keeps getting distracted by the commotion across the hall – movers carry boxes and furniture down the hallway. One in particular, tall, handsome, catches her eye. It is Dean. She cranes her head to see – him decorating the inside of the old man’s room. GRAMMA What is it? (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 30A. B61 CONTINUED: B61 CINDY It looks like you have a new neighbor. Cindy returns to the book, but there is something about the mover that has captured her attention. She can’t stop watching him every time he passes her door. GRAMMA Glenda… I mean Cindy… can I have a cigarette? CINDY No, Gramma, you’re in bed now. It’s bedtime. Do you want me to keep reading? Gramma nods. Cindy turns the page, looks up, sees Dean lift the old man over the threshold and into the room. GRAMMA Cindy. Have you got a cigarette! CINDY Okay, shhh. But you gotta be quiet. Cindy gets up and opens the window. She turns on the fan, digs in Gramma’s purse, gets a cigarette and a lighter. Cindy walks to her gramma’s door, sees Curtis walking away from the old man’s room. CURTIS (O.S.) Boss says we gotta go. We gotta go. She starts closing the door, then sees Dean backing out of the old man’s room. He puts a roll of money in his pocket, turns to leave and sees Cindy watching him. DEAN (LOOKS DOWN AT HIS MONEY) I didn’t just steal that. Cindy doesn’t know what this guy is talking about. DEAN (CONT’D) (cont’d) You think I just stole that money? CINDY No. DEAN You do. No, you do. I know that you do. And the reason that I know that you do is – I have stolen money before… a lot of it. And I know what it feels like to have someone look at you like that… (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 30B. B61 CONTINUED: (2) B61 CINDY Like what? DEAN The way your lookin’. Just so you know, I have a job where I make money. Money that I can take girls out on dates with. CINDY Are you trying to pick up on me? DEAN Maybe… SANED (O.S.) Pack it up Periera. Bus is leaving. Dean looks toward the door, then back at Cindy. He sees that he has kind of went to far with his rant. DEAN Can I give you my number or something. He feels inside his shirt pocket, pulls out a business card. Finds a pen. Dean writes his name across the card. Hands it to Cindy. DEAN (CONT’D) (cont’d) I’m Dean. Just call and you can ask for me. I’ll get it. Cindy looks down at the card, at his name. Then back up to him. Dean run out, chasing after his ride. He looking behind before he leaves. Cindy watches him go out the door. Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 31. INT. ROMANTASUITES – MOON ROOM – NIGHT – PRESENT DAY 60 60 Door opens revealing Dean and Cindy holding groceries and suitcases. Dean flicks on the light, illuminating the Moon Room – a hotel room decorated like the lunar surface. DEAN Wow. Where are we? He sets down the suitcases, transfixed by the room, a kid in a candy shop. Cindy moves to the small kitchen that looks like a control room. She makes herself a drink. INT. ROMANTASUITES – BATHROOM – NIGHT – PRESENT DAY 61 61 Dean walks into the bright BATHROOM, turns on the shower, a sparse tinkle of water. DEAN (yells out) I could piss harder than this! The dual mirrors multiply his reflection. He looks at himself and removes his coffee-stained shirt. A neglected body. But something else distresses Dean. A fallen hair on the T-shirt he holds. He runs his hands through his hair, looks in horror at twelve fallen hairs in his palm. He washes them down the drain and leans to the mirror, inspecting his hairline. DEAN (CONT’D) Cynthia! INT. ROMANTASUITES – MOON ROOM – NIGHT – PRESENT DAY 62 62 Cindy dials the telephone, drink in hand. Shirtless, Dean walks out of the BATHROOM with his empty palms open. DEAN Now watch. He runs his hands through his hair then shows her his palms – three fallen hairs. His magic trick. DEAN (CONT’D) See. I tol’ ya. It’s falling out! Cindy ignores Dean who is mesmerized. DEAN (CONT’D) Oooooooooh shiiiiiiit! Cindy waves him away. Jerry picks up the line. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 32. 62 CONTINUED: 62 CINDY (into phone) Hi Dad. We’re here… It’s kind of crazy. I don’t know, should I feel bad? Dean trots back into the BATHROOM. He is screaming like a hyena. CINDY (CONT’D) …it’s just Dean… he’s losing his hair. What are you guys doing? INT. ROMANTASUITES – BEDROOM – NIGHT – PRESENT DAY 63 63 Dean tosses his suitcase onto the circular spaceship bed, watches the graceful way it rebounds. He shoves the suitcase aside, falls backwards onto the bed. He sighs with pleasure. There is a box with a button next to the bed. He presses it. The bed rotates. He looks up at his spinning reflection in the mirror above the bed. CINDY (O.S.) Lemme talk to the little one. DEAN (SHOUTS) Is that Francis? Hey!? Don’t hang up until I talk to her! INT. ROMANTASUITES – MOON ROOM – NIGHT – PRESENT DAY 64 64 CINDY Did Pa make you something to eat yet? …Frankie? …What’d you and Pa eat? …Was it cooked all the way through? No pink in there? … Dean walks up from behind, putting on a clean, white T-shirt. He snaps his fingers at Cindy. Cindy swipes his hand away with more force than necessary. CINDY (CONT’D) Okay sweetheart, your daddy wants to talk to you. I love you… love you… Don’t forget to brush your teeth tonight okay. Okay? Here’s your dad. Cindy sets down the receiver and walks away. Dean snacks on tortilla chips and picks up the phone. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 33. 64 CONTINUED: 64 DEAN (disguised voice) Who’s this? …How do you know I’m your father? A faint scream of joy is heard through the phone. INT. ROMANTASUITES – BATHROOM – NIGHT – PRESENT DAY 65 65 Steam accumulates on mirrors. Cindy takes her clothes off, tests the temperature of the water and steps in the shower. INT. ROMANTASUITES – MOON ROOM – NIGHT – PRESENT DAY 66 66 Dean paces, improvising a bedtime story. It comes from the well of creativity in him. Frankie loves to hear him talk. And he loves to make her happy. He finishes. She is happy. DEAN Are you ready to go to sleep now? I’ll call you first thing in the morning, OK? He walks into the living room, stretching the phone cord, grabs the remote and turns on the television – animal doc. Dean turns the channel. Tennis. DEAN (CONT’D) How much? CLICK. The news. DEAN (CONT’D) …Well, I love you more. Sleep tight. Dean hangs up and returns to the living room. He changes the station. A porno. He turns the volume down and watches. He hears water running in the BATHROOM. CLICK. A show on space. INT. ROMANTASUITES – BATHROOM – NIGHT – PRESENT DAY 67 67 Dean cracks open the door to the steam-filled room. Cindy lathers her hair with her eyes closed. DEAN What are you doing? CINDY What does it look like I’m doing? DEAN Do you like the place? (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 34. 67 CONTINUED: 67 CINDY It’s fine. DEAN I’m gonna go order dinner now. CINDY Fine! DEAN Any special requests? CINDY Close the door! Dean closes the door, remains in the BATHROOM, watches his naked wife, removes his clothes. Cindy does a double take. CINDY (CONT’D) What are you doing? Dean pulls back the shower curtain and steps in. DEAN What does it look like I’m doing? CINDY Dean. The small shower presses them close. Dean’s smile infects her. He leans over, they kiss. Brushing lips at first. Dean presses closer. Cindy pulls back and pivots him around until the stream of water catches his body. He leans his head back, the water pours over his hair and face. He places his hands on Cindy’s hips and pulls her close to him. Cindy hands him a bar of soap. He builds a gentle lather. Cindy inches back, turns around. Dean lathers her back, slow and languid. DEAN I remember the first time I saw your back. CINDY What do you remember? DEAN Everything. He lowers his hands from her back to her behind. Cindy turns. DEAN (CONT’D) I wasn’t done. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 35. 67 CONTINUED: (2) 67 He washes her shoulders and neck. His hands sculpt her body and move to her breasts. No longer washing her, but molding her. Cindy looks up. His hands move to her belly. He kneels down. Cindy reaches down and lifts him up by the arms. But Dean remains where he is. He begins, on his knees, to wash the entire surface of her left thigh, knee, calf, foot. Then he moves to her right foot and up her calf, knee and thigh. Cindy releases her breath. Then, Dean’s hands move up between her legs. CINDY Okay. Cindy grabs under his armpits. He refuses, but she wins. She pivots them around again. Standing in the stream of water, Cindy washes the soap off her body, eyes closed, head back. Dean reaches for her and follows with his fingertips the flow of water down the front of her body. CINDY (CONT’D) Give me the soap. She forms a quick lather in her hands. She rubs it into his chest, her strong hands making circles of suds. Dean is a tranquil participant. She lifts up his left arm, scrubs his armpit, then his right. Her hands build a lather and wash his penis. Dean catches his breath. CINDY (CONT’D) Turn around. Dean obeys. She continues wash his back, buttocks and legs and stops. Dean turns around to Cindy who holds a squirt of shampoo in her hands. She reaches up and scours his head. DEAN Getting thinner, isn’t it? CINDY Your hair is not falling out. Cindy pivots him around into the water and rinses him. CINDY (CONT’D) You’re crazy you know… DEAN I know. I love you. She pecks him on the lips. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 36. 67 CONTINUED: (3) 67 CINDY Okay, get out. I have to finish washing myself. DEAN I’ll do it. CINDY No. Go order dinner. I’m hungry. DEAN Wait, I didn’t wash your hair… INT. ROMANTASUITES HALLWAY – NIGHT – PRESENT DAY 68 68 Ice dumps into an ice bucket. Music and laughter emanate from other rooms. Dean wears a hotel robe and carries a full bucket of ice. He swipes his key. A TEENAGE boy in a tuxedo shirt and swim trunks chases a girl in a bikini down the hallway behind him. INT. ROMANTASUITES – MOON ROOM – NIGHT – PRESENT DAY 69 69 DEAN We have neighbors. Cindy stands in a towel at the bar, waiting for the ice. CINDY Grump. Grump. She makes 2 drinks – vodka on the rocks. She hands Dean his drink. CINDY (CONT’D) Why don’t you put some music on Dean? She pecks him on the cheek, walks to the bedroom to change. DEAN Thanks. He takes a big drink, sifts through cassettes in his bag. In the bedroom, Cindy buttons up one of Dean’s big flannel shirts. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 37. 69 CONTINUED: 69 She hears the music begin from the other room, knows the song – (Penny & the Quarters or Dynamite Four) It sounds really good right now. Drink in hand, she begins to sway to the rhythm. Dean peeks his head around the corner with a shit- eating grin. He starts to awkwardly dance to the music and make his way down the hallway to the bedroom. It’s been years since they danced in front of each other, and it makes them a little embarrassed to be doing it now. The closer they get to each other, the less they can be seen, the less they are exposed. Soon, they are slow dancing, still holding drinks. They don’t feel as vulnerable now. The cotton on Dean’s robe feels good to Cindy’s fingertips, she traces invisible pictures on his back. Dean burrows his nose into Cindy’s neck, inhales deeply. There is a knock at the door. They both wish it would go away. It doesn’t. DEAN (YELLS) (cont’d) Coming! Something about this makes Cindy laugh, Dean too. He backs away from her, slowly, as if pulled by some unseen force. The song continues as Dean opens the door and pays the ROOM SERVICE MAN. Cindy sets the table. INT/EXT. TRUCK – CITY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 70 70 A torn and tattered teddy bear, tied to the grill of the truck, cuts through the early spring morning. CURTIS (V.O.) Yeah. I can tell what’s happening already. You see this person… you think it’s love at first sight, and the course of your life will be forever changed. EXT. HOME #2. STREET – DAY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 71 71 Dean straps a weight-lifting belt around his waist. He lifts a TV on his back. DEAN (V.O.) Maybe… INT. HELLER HOME – BATHROOM – NIGHT – 6 YEARS EARLIER 72 72 Cindy gives Gramma a bath, runs her hair under the faucet. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 38. 72 CONTINUED: 72 CURTIS (V.O.) It’s like when two streams are flowin’ down opposite sides of the mountain, mindin’ their business. INT. HELLER HOME – GUEST BEDROOM – NIGHT – 6 YEARS EARLIER 73 73 A hand tucks sheets under Gramma’s chin, kisses her forehead. CURTIS (V.O.) They’re doin’ fine until they hit the bottom and run into one another… EXT. COLLEGE CAMPUS – GYMNASIUM – 6 YEARS EARLIER 74 74 Bobby trains, 200 sit ups, his abdomen taught. CURTIS (V.O.) At that point they got no choice but to become one river. EXT. STREET – LATE AFTERNOON – 6 YEARS EARLIER 75 75 Dean counts his pay, opens his wallet – packs it with bills. CURTIS (V.O.) Sure, it’s a great feeling at first, all this new water flowing together. But then you travel down a little ways and the land levels out. The current starts moving a little slower. INT. AUDITORIUM CLASSROOM – DAY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 76 76 Papers are passed back. Cindy’s reads “98% Great Insight!” She doesn’t look happy though. She looks a little green. CURTIS (V.O. CONT’D) People start drinking the water. Pissin’ in it. Putting up dams to stop the flow. In the corner of the room, Bobby stares at Cindy from behind. EXT. HELLER HOME – LATE AFTERNOON – 6 YEARS EARLIER 77 77 Cindy pushes Gramma Francis up the driveway. Bobby stands on the porch holding a bunch of red roses. Cindy ignores it. CURTIS (V.O. CONT) In other words, life interferes, you know. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 38A. 77 CONTINUED: 77 Cindy struggles to get Gramma up the ramp of the porch. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 39. 77 CONTINUED: (2) 77 BOBBY Hasn’t anyone ever been nice to you? She takes the flowers, pushes Gramma into the house. The screen door closes between them. BOBBY (CONT’D) Don’t make me give up on you… CURTIS(V.O.) And there’s not too many of these rivers that’ll make it all the way to the ocean without splitting off eventually. INT/EXT. TRUCK – AFTERNOON – 6 YEARS EARLIER 78 78 CURTIS (V.O.) It’s just nature, that’s all. Curtis – with harmonica – and Dean – with ukulele – eat hamburgers on their lunchbreak. CURTIS (CONT’D) And instead of thinking about it you gotta just do something about it. Action, not thought. INT. STORAGE FACILITY – MORNING. 6 YEARS EARLIER. A79 A79 DEAN Anyone call for me? Dean peeks into Jo’s office. She shakes her head “no.” INT. DEAN’S FRIEND’S APARTMENT. NIGHT. 6 YEARS EARLIER 79 79 Dean leans near the window, smoking, looking out at the moon. DEAN (V.O.) I just keep replaying it in my head. Thinking about other things I coulda done. Other things I coulda said. INT. HELLER HOME – CINDY’S BEDROOM – NIGHT – 6 YEARS EARLIER 80 80 Cindy pours over textbooks but she is distracted. She opens her window and breathes in the night air. DEAN (V.O.) You wait your whole life for something to happen… Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 39A. INT. COLLEGE – BATHROOM – DAY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 81 81 Cindy pukes in the toilet. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 40. 81 CONTINUED: 81 DEAN (V.O.) …And you have all these ideas in your head about how you’ll act and what you’ll say and what you’ll do, who you’ll be… She washes the taste out of her mouth and looks at herself in the mirror. She flicks water at her reflection. INT. MOVING TRUCK – DAY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 82 82 Dean sweeps the bed of the truck. The broom catches something in the corner. Dean reaches – a locket. DEAN (V.O.) cont’d …And then the opportunity comes, it presents itself to you, living and breathing in the flesh, and you puss out. INT. MOVING TRUCK – DAY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 83 83 Dean holds up the locket and stares at it, twirling. He opens the latch – sees a picture of the old man and his wife – 60 years ago. Dean puts it in his pocket, finishes sweeping up. INT/EXT. TRAIN/TRAIN STATION. AFTERNOON. 6 YEARS EARLIER 84 84 Still wearing his work clothes, Dean rides the train out of the city, pulls out the locket. Reads the inscription on the back – “you are my sunshine.” Dean gets off the train. Asks some people for directions. INT. BUS – DAY. 6 YEARS EARLIER. 85 85 A feeling of anticipation. Dean pulls the lever – his stop. INT. RETIREMENT HOME. LATE AFTERNOON. 6 YEARS EARLIER. 86 86 Dean walks to the old man’s room. The door is open, lights are off, room is empty. All the furniture, pictures, gone – just an empty bed. Dean is at a loss for what to do. He hears the TV coming from across the hall. He knocks, waits, then opens Cindy’s Gramma’s door. She is lying in bed. Tries to recognize Dean. He pulls up a chair next to her. DEAN Hi. I was looking for your neighbor… the man who moved in last month. Across the hall. Do you know what happened to him? (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 41. 86 CONTINUED: 86 GRAMMA He went out for groceries. DEAN What about the girl that was with you? GRAMMA Who? The conversation moves in circles. Not much information is gained. Dean ends up just holding her hand. INT/EXT. BUS – LATE AFTERNOON 87 87 The bus drives away. Inside, Dean stands. He is a little down. He feels around in his pocket. Finds the locket. He puts it on. The bus comes to a stop. A few passengers get on. One of them is Cindy. Dean watches her pay her fare and move to the back of the bus without noticing him. She finds a seat, pulls her hoodie low, anonymous. She underlines passages from a textbook using a highlighter. Dean is frozen. He gathers the courage to walk toward her. The moving bus throws his balance. He stands over her for a moment. Cindy senses somebody in her space. She looks up. Recognizes him, but can’t place it. DEAN Hi. CINDY Hi. DEAN I just had a long talk with your gramma… is that, is that your gramma? Cindy remembers him now – he’s just dressed nicer – he doesn’t look like a mover DEAN (CONT’D) I was looking for that old guy who moved across the hall, you know? Do you know what happened to him? (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 42. 87 CONTINUED: 87 CINDY I think he passed away. Dean feels for the locket around his neck. He shakes his head. DEAN That’s exactly what happened to my dog. My parents moved out of our house and three days later she was a goner. He pulls the locket out from behind his shirt. He unclasps it. Shows her the pictures. DEAN (CONT’D) He was so handsome, wasn’t he? I was trying to give it back to him. Cindy looks at it. CINDY She was pretty too.. Dean thinks about the old man. The bus drives. DEAN She must have been crazy. CINDY Why do you say that? DEAN Cause there’s one thing I know… the prettier a girl is the more nuts she is. I mean, look at you… you must be insane. CINDY Excuse me? DEAN It’s okay, I mean, I get it. It’s not your fault. Cindy pulls the chain to stop the bus. DEAN (CONT’D) Where you going? CINDY Home. The bus slows. She gets up to leave. Doors open. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 42A. 87 CONTINUED: (2) 87 DEAN Can I walk with you? Cindy thinks about it. DEAN (CONT’D) Just for a little bit… And when you don’t want to walk with me no more, then just speed up. Doors to the bus open. Cindy thinks about it. EXT. TOWN STREETS – DUSK TO DAWN 88 88 Dean and Cindy wander side by side down the sidewalks and streets of the town. They walk and talk about – small towns and big cities, school and work, dreams and nightmares, being old and being young, etc. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 43. 88 CONTINUED: 88 DEAN Where’s you house? CINDY We passed it. DEAN Where? CINDY Back there… Dean looks back. He sees a bunch of houses that all look the same. They keep walking. ELLIPSE: Cindy smokes one of Dean’s cigarettes, calls her dad A89 A89 on a pay phone and tells him she won’t be home for dinner because she is studying. ELLIPSE. DEAN tells Cindy about his childhood, the B89 B89 sexualizing of his mother, and his fascination with women’s purses. It makes Cindy a little uncomfortable. DEAN Do you think it would be okay if I looked in your purse? CINDY No. DEAN Why? Cindy thinks about it for a moment. Against her better judgement, she hands over her bag. It weighs a lot. DEAN (CONT’D) Jeez… What you got in here? CINDY Books. Mostly. DEAN Lot of books. You doing good? CINDY We’ll see. DEAN What are you gonna be when you grow up? CINDY I’m trying to get into med school. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 44. 88 CONTINUED: (2) 88 DEAN You going to be a doctor? CINDY Someday. DEAN Oh yeah? What should I do about this? He pretends to bump into a pole. Cindy laughs. CINDY Don’t do it. DEAN (rubbing his head) You’re gonna be a good doctor. I can tell. He digs through text books, pens, a wallet, asthma inhaler. Then he comes to a bottle of lotion. Opens the cap, sniffs. DEAN (CONT’D) Mmm. This is what you smell like? Cindy nods, “I guess so.” DEAN (CONT’D) I wanna smell like you. Can I? CINDY You wanna put on my lotion? Dean nods, applies a little lotion to his fingertips, rubs it in circles on his hands, applies it to his forearms, neck, face. He enjoys the feeling of it, offers her some. She say’s no. He digs through her purse and finds lip balm, smells it. DEAN This is what your lips smell like? They must smell good. He puts some on his lips. DEAN (CONT’D) Mmm. Your lips must taste good. CINDY Are you fucking with me? DEAN No. Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 45. DEAN FINDS A LITTLE BAG INSIDE THE PURSE. SHE SNATCHES IT. 89 89 DEAN What’s in there? She takes her purse back. CINDY Okay enough… DEAN Why? CINDY Because. Throughout the rest of the night Dean tries to continually steal Cindy’s purse from her. It is a game. Innocent. ELLIPSE. DEAN TRIES TO GIVE CINDY THE LOCKET. SHE REFUSES. 90 90 CINDY Aren’t you gonna miss your train? DEAN Probably. I think I… I think I already did. It’s okay. There’s an early one. CINDY You are just gonna stay up all night? DEAN Until you get tired… ELLIPSE: MORE WALK AND TALK. 91 91 DEAN Where’d you grow up? CINDY Here. DEAN Here? Cindy gives him a grimace. CINDY Same streets. Same people. Everything here is the same. You walk down the street, you can’t get lost… you know. . (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 46. 91 CONTINUED: 91 DEAN Where do you want to go? I mean, if you could go anywhere.. They walk to an old playground. Cindy gets an idea. CINDY There! Cindy runs to an old, creaky merry-go round, jumps on. CINDY (CONT’D) I used to love these things. DEAN Oh God… I hate these things. CINDY Push me. Dean is tentative, but goes along with her. He starts slow, but she eggs him to go faster. He runs in circles picking up speed until he is in a breathless, circular sprint. He can’t keep up with the centrifugal force. CINDY (CONT’D) Get on! Dean does as he’s told. They both hold on for dear life. The world spins in a frenzy. The dread on Dean’s face builds to insane laughter. It is super fun. Cindy screams. Her hair snaps in her face. Then, a look of sickness steals her smile away. She wants it to stop, which, slowly, it does. She gets off first, tries to walk, but is too dizzy. She just keeps falling to the ground. Dean crawls off the merry-go round on all fours, laughing. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 47. 91 CONTINUED: (2) 91 DEAN What happened, tough guy? CINDY Make it stop. DEAN You gotta puke… it’s the only way. She refuses. DEAN (CONT’D) It’s the only way. It will make you feel better. Don’t be embarrassed. I’ll do it. He sticks his finger down his throat and forces himself to vomit. The sound of it is too much for her. She gags. Side by side, they puke into the gravel. They finish their business and end up on their backs and out of breath, side by side, looking up at the stars. They are both covered in sweat. We see their breath. CINDY I’m still spinning. DEAN Me too. CINDY Maybe it’s just the Earth that’s spinning. DEAN Yeah. We’re flying. They laugh. Birds begin to awaken and fly. DEAN (CONT’D) You should come visit me in the city sometime. The morning air chills their bodies. Dean takes off his jacket and uses it as a blanket. They get close together to get warm and watch the stars spin above them. INT. ROMANTASUITES – MOON ROOM – NIGHT – PRESENT DAY 92 92 The dining room table is set for two. A single champagne glass is raised. DEAN To honesty… (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 48. 92 CONTINUED: 92 They sit across from each other. Cindy drinks premature. DEAN (CONT’D) Hey! Wait up. CINDY We’re toasting tonight? Dean makes his toast. CLINK. Dean quaffs his glass. CINDY (CONT’D) Sometimes you don’t make any sense. You might as well be speaking Chinese. Dean imitates a Chinese man – it goes on too long. CINDY (CONT’D) Happy belated anniversary. Cindy starts to eat a spread of Indian food and booze. DEAN How is it? CINDY Good. How did Frankie sound? DEAN Great. She’s the best. CINDY She didn’t sound sad? DEAN Naw. She’s the champ. She’s the best parts of you and the best parts of me put together. Everyday she gets more and more amazing. Dean chews a bite of meat and washes it down with a shot of vodka. He refills both their glasses. CINDY Daddy’s little girl. DEAN She’s not mine. I’m hers. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 49. 92 CONTINUED: (2) 92 Cindy slows down. DEAN (CONT’D) I’m her father. She isn’t there for me… I’m there for her. That’s the way I look at it. CINDY That’s beautiful. DEAN It’s the choice I made when she was born. Silence. They chew. Cindy stares through Dean. CINDY Why don’t you do something… DEAN Like what? CINDY I don’t know… isn’t there anything you want to do? Dean thinks about it. Shakes his head. DEAN What am I supposed to want to do? CINDY I don’t know… You have so many things you could do. You’re good at everything. You could do anything you wanted. DEAN I just wanna be with you. Silence. Cindy tries not to look disappointed. DEAN (CONT’D) You look like an animal right now. Your eyes look like an animal. Like a bear’s eyes. CINDY Like right before the bear eats the man? DEAN Yeah… You do. It’s true. That’s what you look like. Dean is amused but fearful. Cindy’s confidence surges. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 50. 92 CONTINUED: (3) 92 DEAN (CONT’D) Whatchu thinking about? CINDY How different we are. You and me. DEAN Different? CINDY It’s a good thing. DEAN You think that’s good that we’re different? CINDY Absolutely. We don’t have to get in each other’s way. DEAN And that’s the way you like it, don’t you? You don’t like me to bother you. CINDY I didn’t say that. What I meant is that it’s important for us to have our space. That’s all. We’re grown people. DEAN Well there’s not much space here. So I guess you won’t be able to get away from me will ya? CINDY You know, we rarely sit down and have a conversation. An adult conversation. Because every time we do, you turn something that I say around and make it mean something that I didn’t mean to say. You just blab. Blab. DEAN If you’re not interested in hearing what I think I just won’t say anything. CINDY Good luck. I just want you to think about what you say sometimes instead of saying what you think all the time. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 51. 92 CONTINUED: (4) 92 DEAN OK. I’m going to say something. And what I’m about to say I’ve thought long and hard about. I’m the luckiest person alive because I’m living my dream – you, her, this, us, all of it. Cindy lifts up her empty wine glass to the light. CINDY I think my glass has a hole in it. Cindy cuts around her food and pushes a piece aside. DEAN What’s wrong with that? CINDY It’s fat. DEAN That’s the flavor. Eat it. CINDY I don’t want to. You eat it. Dean stabs a piece of fat and pops it into his mouth. CINDY (CONT’D) That’s going straight to your tits. DEAN My tits? I got tits? Dean opens his shirt and peers down at his chest. DEAN (CONT’D) I could still kick yer ass. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 52. 92 CONTINUED: (5) 92 CINDY Shiiit. I bet you a nickel you can’t even beat me at arm wrestling. DEAN A dime and you’re on. Cindy gulps more champagne. They scoot dishes out of the way and clasp hands in the middle of the table. CINDY Ready? DEAN I’m always ready, baby. CINDY On the count of three… One… Two… Cindy flexes and starts. CINDY (CONT’D) THREE! Dean, acting as if he isn’t trying at all, holds Cindy’s hand at a stand still. DEAN Come on. Go! Start. Cindy ignores his taunts and pushes as hard as she can. Slowly, she begins to push Dean’s hand down. Dean groans, letting her win a little. Cindy presses down with all her weight. His hand is centimeters from hitting the table. Then, he turns the tide. Cindy battles back with all the strength she can muster. Dean laughs, realizing her passion for victory. Dean pounds her hand into the table. He stands kisses his flexed bicep. Cindy lifts her hand. A fork is stuck in the back of it. She looks at it with curiosity. DEAN (CONT’D) Oh fuck. CINDY I’m alright. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 53. 92 CONTINUED: (6) 92 DEAN Hold still. He plucks the fork from her hand, leaving four vampire bites. CINDY Ow ow ow. Dean leads her to the kitchen, holds her hand under the faucet. DEAN You think we should rush you to the hospital before you bleed to death? Cindy shoots him a look. Dean wraps her hand with a dishrag. DEAN (CONT’D) Does it hurt? CINDY It stings a little. Dean tries to pick up Cindy. She struggles against it. Finally he cradles her like a squirming baby. CINDY (CONT’D) No, no… Put me down. It’s okay… Dean huffs a little. Cindy adjusts her weight, self- conscious. He hefts her down the hallway to the bedroom. INT. ROMANTASUITES – MOON ROOM – NIGHT – PRESENT DAY 93 93 Dean awkwardly sets Cindy down on the circular spaceship bed. DEAN Wait wait wait. He flicks the switch and the bed starts spinning. He runs out of the room. Cindy watches the room around her spin. Dean returns with the vodka bottle and two shot glasses. He kneels above her and pours them two shots. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 54. 93 CONTINUED: 93 DEAN (CONT’D) To numb the pain. Doctors orders. I’m an anesthesiologist. CINDY I’m spinning. She sits up. They toast. Dean gulps his. Cindy takes a sip. DEAN Drink up. We haven’t gotten loaded together in years. He tops off her glass, refills his own, and quaffs it. DEAN (CONT’D) I gotta take a piss. Don’t fall asleep. He kisses her on the forehead, stumbles. Cindy hears Dean urinating. She is sickened by it. She tries to set her full glass on the floor that spins beneath her. The toilet flushes. The drink tips over. A loud crash comes from the BATHROOM. Cindy sits up. CINDY What are you doing in there? …Dean?! An agonizing moan comes from down the hall. Cindy staggers off the spinning bed and stumbles to the bathroom door. CINDY (CONT’D) Are you all right? Dean… She pushes the door but it is blocked. Dean moans louder. Cindy pushes again and inches it open. She sticks her head in, sees him laying on his back looking up at the ceiling. DEAN (SLURS) I fell over. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 55. 93 CONTINUED: (2) 93 CINDY Ew. Come on, get up. DEAN Nope, I want you to come here first. I want you to laugh. Cindy opens the door and Dean scoots, making room for her. He lets out an “ow” before extending his hand. DEAN (CONT’D) Come close. I want to hear you… I want to tell you… Shh, come here… Cindy reluctantly joins him on the bathroom floor. Their faces are close, eyes locked. DEAN (CONT’D) You want to hear a joke? OK. What’s better than winning a gold medal at the Special Olympics? CINDY What? DEAN Not being retarded. Cindy looks down. DEAN (CONT’D) Hey…that’s not funny? How come you don’t think I’m funny any more? I tell you something funny. You laugh. I see you laugh. But you don’t really laugh so much. You don’t laugh anymore Cindy. CINDY Dean… Come on, it’s time for bed. DEAN No I want to make you laugh. Tears well up in her eyes. Dean rolls on top of her. He cups her face in his hands and stares long into her watery eyes. DEAN (CONT’D) Hello… CINDY You’re drunk. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 56. 93 CONTINUED: (3) 93 DEAN No, I’m just still in love with you. After a moment, their lips meet in an awkward rejuvenation. She moves her head away and pats Dean on the shoulder in a gesture of friendship. Dean kisses her neck. DEAN (CONT’D) Do you… you want to have another baby? … I want another child. Cindy bites her lip. He slides his hand between her legs. CINDY No… Dean… Wait a second. She removes his hand and places it on her hip. Dean continues to kiss her neck. He slides his hand up to her breasts. Cindy turns her head in the other direction. She pushes his hand away. He brings it back aggressive. Again. Cindy squirms underneath him. He grabs her wrists and holds her arms over her head. His tongue licks Cindy from her breasts to her face. She worms her arms away and grabs onto his hair. She arches her back, looks at him through slit eyes. His pelvis pulses and he moans. He looks up at her over his brow into her desperate eyes. He springs up. Sweat beads on his forehead. DEAN What!? I can’t have sex with my wife!? Cindy covers her face with her hand. DEAN (CONT’D) Do I repulse you that much? I’m good to you. I’m good to Frankie. I deserve a little affection. Do you want me to stop loving you? Do you want me to fuck other women? Do you want me to beat you? CINDY Stop… stop… stop… DEAN Is that what you think you deserve? Would that make it easier on you so you can treat me like this? Cindy raises her hips and slips off her panties. She lifts the shirt up over her head, positions her feet on the door jam. Her arm falls over her eyes. Breathless, Dean awkwardly moves one hand up and down her bodice. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 57. 93 CONTINUED: (4) 93 He unbuckles his belt, pushes his pants and underwear down to his knees, holds himself in his hand. He lowers onto her. Cindy adjusts her legs higher. He rotates his hips, looks away in concentration. Cindy’s arms move around him, grabbing the small of his arching back. His pelvis humps in a feeble performance. A small moan. Cindy’s eyes press closed harder. The erratic motion slows… stops. Dean’s raspy breathing. His weight covers Cindy. She opens her eyes to the ceiling. DEAN (CONT’D) I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I’m sorry… She looks at him. His head faces away. She rolls out from underneath and stands. She wraps her dress around her and slips into the bedroom. INT. ROMANTASUITES – NIGHT – CONTINUOUS 94 94 Back against the closed door, Cindy turns the lock. Her eyes shift from despair to relief. Her gaze grows more wild. The doorknob jiggles. A secret, crazy laugh builds in Cindy that she suppresses. Dean presses his face into the bedroom door. He talks to her. On the other side of the door, Cindy listens. Dean’s voice cracks. A wave of confusion backs Cindy away from the door. She searches the room for an escape. There are no windows, the only way out is through the locked door. Trembling, she wraps her arms around herself. She tries to make herself as small as possible. The spaceship bed is the only place where she can disappear. She crawls underneath the covers, curls into a tight ball. Sadness lets loose. Cindy’s body pulses with faint, painful tears. The black walls of the room twinkle with stars suspended in space. The cries get lost. EXT. CITY. NIGHT. 6 YEARS EARLIER. 95 95 Drunk, Dean and Cindy make out on the street corner. It is cold enough to see their breath. Their hands caress each other, feel what is underneath the layers of clothes. Cindy makes a move. She unbuttons Dean’s Pea-Coat, feels the shape of his chest, his abdomen, his back. CINDY Are my hands cold? DEAN Yes. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 58. 95 CONTINUED: 95 Dean follows suit, reaching up under her jacket to touch the skin on her lower back. She recoils from the icy touch. CINDY You wanna go somewhere. DEAN Sure. CINDY Where can we go? INT. TAXI. NIGHT. 96 96 They make out in the back of a cab. But the cab driver won’t allow it. But they can’t keep their hands off each other. They try not to get caught. INT. DEAN’S FRIEND’S APARTMENT. 5AM. EARLY LIGHT 97 97 The door to Jake’s room is cracked open and the TV is on. Dean and Cindy tiptoe in the apartment as quietly as they can. They can’t keep their hands off each other. Dean makes a bed for them on the couch where he sleeps – straightening out a couple white sheets. They crawl under with clothes on. CINDY (WHISPERS) Is your roommate awake? DEAN (WHISPERS) I don’t know. Let me go check. Dean tiptoes over to Jake’s room. Peeks in his door. Returns to the couch where Cindy is taking off her jacket. He crawls back under the sheet. DEAN (WHISPERS) (cont’d) He’s just watching TV. They start to make out while listening for Jake. CINDY (WHISPERS) Do you think he’s gonna come out? DEAN (WHISPERS) I don’t know… Should I go see if he brushed his teeth? She nods. He throws off the sheet and goes into the bathroom, touches the bristles of Jake’s tooth brush. Cindy takes off her socks and waits for Dean to return. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 59. 97 CONTINUED: 97 DEAN (WHISPERS)(cont’d) It’s still dry. He gets back on the couch. They kiss. Slowly. Silently. Their hands search each other under the blanket. Clothing is removed and there is alot of movement, but the details of what occurs under that single sheet remain largely a mystery. Jake’s bedroom door opens and Jake walks out into the living room and into the kitchen. Dean and Cindy pantomime sleeping. They listen and hear Jake opening the refrigerator, pouring himself a bowl of cereal, crunching. They feel like he’s watching them. Cindy tries her hardest not to laugh. Jake stares at the trembling sheet with contempt before returning to his room. Cindy releases her laugh. Dean tries to shush her, but he can’t help laughing himself. DEAN (CONT’D) Be quiet! Seriously. He’s gonna kill me. He already hates me. CINDY You think he’s gonna go to sleep now? They hear Jake changing channels in the other room. As quietly as possible, they have sex under the sheet. INT. COLLEGE CAMPUS – BATHROOM – DAY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 98 98 A red plus sign bleeds onto the result area of a home pregnancy test. Cindy sits on a toilet in a stall holding the positive test stick. A knock on the BATHROOM door. CINDY Just a second… She wraps the test in toilet paper and buries it in the trash receptacle. A moment while the door swings closed. Silence. Cindy opens the stall and confronts herself in the mirror. INT. AUDITORIUM CLASSROOM – DAY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 99 99 Cindy writes a note to Dean, his business card sits next to an envelope. The note reads: I don’t know if I can trust you. Can I trust you? I’m in trouble. Bobby places a test paper in front of Cindy. Her grade, “D.” She covers up her note. He leans in and swipes the business card. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 59A. 99 CONTINUED: 99 CINDY Give it back! Bobby crushes the card in his fist. She tries to pry it open. She can’t. She’s not gonna get it back. EXT. STORAGE FACILITY – PARKING LOT – DAY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 100 100 Dean and his buddies, file out of the garage, he notices Cindy across the street, he looks both ways, crosses the street toward her. The closer he gets to her, the more nervous she gets. DEAN Are you okay? Cindy nods. CURTIS (O.S.) See you later, Elvis! Dean turns around and sees his work buddies busting him for being a Romeo. He waves goodbye to them, turns back to Cindy, embarrassed but happy. She smiles, concealing something. Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 60. EXT. BRIDGE – DAY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 101 101 Dean and Cindy stand a distance away. Cars beneath them roar. DEAN Is it mine? Cindy looks Dean in the eyes. CINDY I… I don’t know… It might be… DEAN You let that asshole knock you up? CINDY …I’m sorry…I’m sorry… DEAN When’d this happen? CINDY Before us. DEAN What do you want to do? CINDY I don’t know. DEAN (after a pause) We’ll keep it. We’ll take care of it. Cindy nods. Silence. CINDY It’s not the right time. Dean looks down, pauses and looks back to Cindy. DEAN Do you want to take care of it? INT. ABORTION CLINIC – DAY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 102 102 A female DOCTOR sits on a wheeled chair in the corner of the room and looks through Cindy’s file. DOCTOR You can put your clothes on the chair. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 61. 102 CONTINUED: 102 Cindy does. DOCTOR (CONT’D) How are you doing? CINDY Okay… The DOCTOR wheels over to the table in the center of the room. She pulls out a clean sheet of examination table paper. DOCTOR I’m going to have you lie up here, and put your feet in the stirrups. Cindy gets on the table, looks over at a tray of instruments. The Doctor pulls a mask up over her face – the vacuum aspirator on a wheeled base. Cindy focuses her gaze at the corrugated ceiling, dim light. DOCTOR (CONT’D) Are you okay? CINDY Yeah. The Doctor touches Cindy’s knee to spread her legs, picks up an instrument off the table. DOCTOR I want you to try and relax. This is going to be a little cold. The Doctor inserts a speculum into Cindy’s vagina. DOCTOR (CONT’D) There, take a deep breath… What do you do? CINDY I’m a student… DOCTOR What are you studying? The Doctor dips a long swab into a solution, inserts it into her vagina. CINDY I’m studying to be a DOCTOR… DOCTOR That’s what I studied. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 62. 102 CONTINUED: (2) 102 She laughs. Cindy doesn’t know what to do with her eyes. The Doctor picks up a syringe. CINDY What’s that? DOCTOR This is a mild anesthetic for your cervix. You’re going to feel a pinch and then it’s going to feel like electricity. Cindy looks back up at the ceiling. She steady’s her breath. DOCTOR (CONT’D) Can you cough for me. Cindy coughs. DOCTOR (CONT’D) Good… Why do you want to be a Doctor? Wheels move across the linoleum floor. The Doctor positions the vacuum aspirator. CINDY Because… I always thought… it would be wonderful to take a sick child and… Cindy cuts herself off. The Doctor holds a hose. DOCTOR And what? CINDY …heal them… DOCTOR Cindy, I’m going to begin the procedure. It won’t take long. You may feel a little cramping. The Doctor turns on the vacuum. Panic flushes Cindy’s face. Her eyes widen. CINDY Wait… wait. INT. ABORTION CLINIC – WAITING ROOM – DAY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 103 103 A plastic model of a womb and fetus on the magazine-laden coffee table. Ashtrays overflow. Dean, wearing his work clothes, sits among several would-be fathers. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 63. 103 CONTINUED: 103 He snuffs his cigarette and studies the fetus in the plastic uterus. TROY, Bobby’s wrestler friend, sits nearby. The waiting room door opens, Cindy comes out. Dean puts the model back and stands up. They stare at each other. Dean nods slightly. Cindy shakes her head “no.” A flush of realization across Dean’s face, then a smile. He goes to her and wraps his arms around her. TROY (O.S.) Cindy? Cindy looks over Dean’s shoulder to Troy, who gazes at her over a magazine. Dean looks back and forth between them. Cindy looks ahead and walks out with Dean. INT. BUS – NIGHT – 6 YEARS EARLIER 104 104 Darkness passes. Cindy lies against Dean in the back of the bright bus. Her head rests on his chest, arms holding his encircling arms. She is wearing the locket around her neck. Dean caresses Cindy’s earlobe. Her eyes are closed. DEAN You’re not in this alone. This baby is ours. It’s us. Let’s start a family. CINDY Your eyes ever wide open, and you’re dreaming? Cindy breathes deep & settles into him. Dean hums a lullaby. CINDY (CONT’D) You smell like you. INT. ROMANTASUITES – BEDROOM – EARLY MORNING – PRESENT DAY 105 105 Darkness disturbed by beeping. Cindy awakens, dishevelled from the night before. She lifts her cell phone off the bedside table and squints to make out the text. CINDY Shit. She drops it and rolls over. The digital clock reads 4:52… Moments later… she is on the phone. CINDY (on phone) (cont’d) Hi it’s Cindy… I have this weekend off. Cindy unwraps the bandage on her hand. She presses the four vampire bites to her lips. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 64. 105 CONTINUED: 105 CINDY (cont’d on phone) (CONT’D) …Who didn’t show?…Meredith again? How long can she keep doing this?… Did you try Janet?…She’s your first call….I’m out of town too…Yes I know, I know all of it. Yes…It’s going to take me a few hours. She hangs up, eases the door open. Dean is passed out in the middle of the hallway. She tries to wake him, but he’s hibernating. She steps over his fallen body. INT. ROMANTASUITES – VARIOUS – PRESENT DAY 106 106 – Cindy washes her face in the shower. She looks at the vampire holes on the back of her hand. – her hair in a towel, Cindy flicks on the coffee maker. She eats a banana. – she throws on jeans and a sweater. – inhales from an inhaler for her asthma. – holds her eye open and drops eye-drops. – vigorously brushes her teeth. – drinks coffee and writes a note on Fantasuite stationery. – washes the mug in the kitchen sink. – tapes the note to the television screen. – She stands over DEAN. CINDY Goodbye. No response. She closes the door behind her. INT. ROMANTASUITES – LATER – PRESENT DAY 107 107 The phone rings. Dean’s eyes struggle open, drunk. He listens annoyed to the ring. After the eighth ring, he hollers. DEAN Cynthia! No response. He struggles up and stumbles to the phone. DEAN (CONT’D) Hello? A prerecorded message. MESSAGE Good morning. This is your…11:30 a.m…wake up call. DEAN OK. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 65. 107 CONTINUED: 107 He hangs up the phone and looks around the room. DEAN (confused) (cont’d) Cynthia? He wanders to the bedroom, the door is open. Cindy’s bags sit next to a made bed. He calls out for her again. – He walks into the bathroom and urinates, finds only a damp towel hanging over the shower door. He touches the bristles of Cindy’s toothbrush, flicking up a spray of water. – He walks to the kitchen and lights a cigarette. He coughs a little as he pours himself a cup of coffee. Zaps it in the microwave. EXT. ROMANTASUITES – PARKING LOT – CONTINUOUS – PRESENT DAY 108 108 A plane cuts through the sky. Dean stands in front of an empty parking space. He stares at where her car should be. A Chrysler Aspen is parked with its back opened. KARINA and BILLY, two high school kids, toss in luggage. INT. ROMANTASUITES LOBBY – CONTINUOUS – PRESENT DAY 109 109 Dean leans on the concierge desk. DEAN Was she with a guy? CONCIERGE Like I said, I couldn’t say. I just got here, so maybe she left before I came in. He types on the computer. CONCIERGE (CONT’D) And, she didn’t check out. You’re still booked until…Monday morning. 11 am. Is there anything else I can help you with sir? INT. ROMANTASUITES -HALLWAY/MOON ROOM- CONTINUOUS – PRESENT 110 110 Dean puts his key in the door to his room. Across the hallway, Billy calls into a room. BILLY (O.S.) Hurry up Randy! Dean walks in to his room, sits down, heavy. His stare is out of focus. He turns on the TV. Volume comes up loud. The TV illuminates the note left by Cindy. Dean stares at it for a moment. He plucks the note from the screen and reads it. “Dean – I got called in. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 66. 110 CONTINUED: 110 I was going to wake you but I knew you wouldn’t understand. I’ll be back this afternoon to get you. We have to talk. I’m sorry…-C” Dean eyes search for something. He sees the vodka bottle and takes a drink. Pacing, he lets out a few angry weeps and reaches in his front shirt pocket for a cigarette. He’s out. In the ashtray, he grabs a snuffed out butt. He searches for a lighter. He lights his cigarette on the stove. He hears the kids in the hallway. He opens the door and Randy, a hungover high school kid, and AMANDA, large-chested, short, walk down the hallway, arm and arm. They slow when see a frighteningly dishevelled Dean, vodka in hand, cigarette in mouth, framed in the door jam. INT. BILLY’S CAR – DAY – PRESENT DAY 111 111 Dean rides in the back seat of a Jeep Cherokee wedged in between Amanda and Randy. Billy and Karina sit in the front seat. Amanda offers Dean a glass pipe. AMANDA You want some of this? Dean accepts the pipe and takes a monster toke, holding it in until his face turns purple. EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD – EARLY MORNING – 6 YEARS EARLIER 112 112 Spring sky.. Trees blossom. Cindy walks alone down the street from the train station. INT. HELLER HOME – EARLY MORNING – 6 YEARS EARLIER 113 113 The front door squeaks open, Cindy slips in. Glenda is passed out on the couch. She tiptoes up the creaking staircase. A shower runs. She heads down the hallway to her room. INT. – CINDY’S ROOM – EARLY MORNING – 6 YEARS EARLIER 114 114 Cindy opens the door to her bedroom, falls on her bed and is about to close her eyes but is distracted by the blinking lights of the answering machine. Cindy presses play. ANSWERING MACHINE VOICE You have twenty five new messages. BEEP Cindy sits up. Bobby voice is heard – drunk. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 67. 114 CONTINUED: 114 BOBBY (on answering machine) I just want to say to you thanks for making all bets off and freeing me of my human decency. All your shit’s going in the trash, your books are gonna be ripped up. We’ll go to war see who’ll win. I know who the fucker is and I’m gonna destroy him. BEEP You probably don’t know what you did. I want it all to come out. It’ll be beautiful, It’ll be sweet, it’ll be awesome. BEEP Glenda’s bloodshot eyeball appears in the doorway. Bobby (V.O.) (cont’d) BEEP Well, what I was really trying to say before your machine cut me off is you created me, I’m your child… You created the person that I am now, and now you have to deal with this person. A SOUND – Cindy turns around sees her mom in the doorway. INT. TROY’S CAR – DAY – 6 YEARS EARLIER 115 115 The car drives down a highway toward the city. TONY powers down beers in the back. Underwear hangs from the rearview. BOBBY (V.O.) …And I got nothing better to do than destroy you both. BEEP If you think I’m being evil, you have no idea, no idea at all… I’m growing very impatient and I really don’t give a fuck anymore… Bobby shotguns a beer in the passenger’s seat. Speed metal music and adrenaline. The car blasts down the street to the storage facility. The three bound out of the car, fists clenched, geared up for ultraviolence. INT. STORAGE FACILITY – CONTINUOUS – 6 YEARS EARLIER 116 116 They storm the reception. The office is empty – Jo is on her lunch break. Troy tries the door leading to the garage, it is locked. So he squeezes through the receptionist window, feels underneath the desk for the door release button. Tony yanks on the door. The door buzzes open and the gang, Bobby in the lead, rush into the cacophonous garage. INT. HELLER HOME – MORNING. 6 YEARS EARLIER 117 117 Cindy presses the telephone to her ear – waiting… Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 68. INT. GARAGE – CONTINUOUS 118 118 Dean is all alone in the garage, loading up a truck with reams of cardboard boxes for a big job tomorrow. Bobby and gang search through a maze of yellow trucks. BOBBY Hey faggot! Dean continues his work. BOBBY (CONT’D) Is your name Dean? DEAN Who’s askin’? Bobby rushes him, throws a shoulder into his stomach. They both flail to the floor. The two lock. Everything is quick. Bobby sends a flurry of punches to Dean’s ribs and guts. Dean pummels the back of Bobby’s head with blind overhead rights. It becomes clear that Bobby has the upper hand. He holds Dean’s bloodied head in some kind of jiujitsu headlock. BOBBY Think I’m dumb? Think I’m that dumb? Dean struggles to breathe but manages to say… DEAN I think you’re a fucking idiot. Bobby hits him again, harder. Harder. BOBBY Fucking faggot! – Troy and Tony watch the door and egg Bobby on. – THE PHONE RINGS OFF THE HOOK in the EMPTY OFFICE. INT. HELLER HOME – MORNING. 6 YEARS EARLIER 119 119 Cindy’s mind is taking her to bad places. She hangs up. Tells herself that everything is all right. Paces her room… Picks up the phone and dials again. INT. GARAGE – CONTINUOUS – 6 YEARS EARLIER 120 120 Troy whistles sharp, warning Bobby that Jo has just arrived. Bobby kicks Dean while he’s down. Dean is beat and Bobby is running out of breath and strength. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 69. 120 CONTINUED: 120 BOBBY Stay away from her! DEAN Never. Bobby looks at his bloodied hands. He lacks the strength to lift he arms. Gives one last weak kick into Dean’s bloodied face. Troy and Tony pull Bobby out. The gang leaves, victorious yet somehow defeated. The office phone, which has been ringing incessantly, stops. Dean is on the floor in the fetal position. It takes him a while, but he manages to sit up. He feels the inside of his split lip with his tongue. He doesn’t feel pain as much as he feels tingling and ringing – all over. Jo comes in. She freezes when she sees him. JO Dean… Telephone. It takes Dean a while to get up, but he does. And it takes him a while to get to the office where his phone call awaits. Once there, he holds the receiver in his hand for a beat… DEAN Hello? INT. CLINIC – WAITING ROOM – DAY – PRESENT DAY 121 121 Cindy wearing scrubs, picks up the ringing phone. CINDY Mediplex… You are going to need to come in… We’re going to need to see him… I can’t diagnose over the phone… About 20- 30 minutes… Okay? …okay, bye… Cindy hangs up. She holds a clipboard. CINDY (reading) (cont’d) Maria? A Hispanic women, MARIA GUEVARA – robust, 50’s – clutches her purse and rises off a waiting area chair. Cindy smiles. CINDY (CONT’D) Right this way. INT. CLINIC – EXAMINATION ROOM – CONTINUOUS – PRESENT DAY 122 122 Cindy opens the door and gestures to the examination table. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 70. 122 CONTINUED: 122 CINDY Have a seat on the table, Mrs. Guevara. Maria has a blank look. CINDY (CONT’D) Do you speak English? Hablas Ingles? Maria holds her fingers up, indicating an inch. MARIA Small. CINDY Poquito? MARIA Si. CINDY Yo tabien. De donde eres tu? MARIA El Salvador. CINDY So…Tu famalia esta aqui? Here? MARIA No no. CINDY They’re in El Salvador? MARIA Si….Yo…sola. How you say en Ingles? Sola? CINDY Uh…Sola…Alone. MARIA Si. Alone. CINDY But hopefully not lonely. Maria hides her face with her hand and lets out a self- pitying giggle. Cindy looks at her clipboard. CINDY (CONT’D) So you’re feeling some pain in your left breast. Uh…Tu dueles en tu chiche? (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 71. 122 CONTINUED: (2) 122 MARIA Si Si. CINDY Well let’s take a look. Cindy hands her a paper robe. CINDY (CONT’D) Can you take off tu ropas and pongas… put this on? Okay? Comprende? Maria nods and takes the robe. Cindy turns to leave. CINDY (CONT’D) Lo siento mi Espanol es muy mal. INT. CLINIC – HALLWAY – CONTINUOUS – PRESENT DAY 123 123 Cindy leaves the room and gets a drink of water from the fountain. Dr. Feinberg approaches her from behind. DR. FEINBERG Busy. Haven’t sat down yet. Walk with me. Cindy’s holds her clipboard to her chest. He tilts it down with his finger. DR. FEINBERG (cont’d) What do you have? CINDY A woman in 215. Hispanic. 53. Lives alone. Complaining of pain in her left breast. DR. FEINBERG Uh huh. I’ll be in in a minute. By the way, I was thinking about you. CINDY Oh yeah? DR. FEINBERG Yeah, well I can understand how you might not be able to relocate your whole family up to Riverdale, with your daughter being in school and everything. But, I was thinking, maybe, you could get an apartment. Work during the week, drive down on weekends. They arrive at a door, Room 220. (CONTINUED) Blue Valentine Official Green Script as of 6/9/09 72. 123 CONTINUED: 123 DR. FEINBERG (cont’d) You wouldn’t have to worry about being alone… We could hang out together. Grab some dinners sometime. Cindy blushes and then her brow furrows. CINDY I’m married. DR. FEINBERG It’s not a proposition, I’m just trying to help. CINDY I don’t remember asking you for help. He holds up his hands and leaves Cindy alone in the hallway. She looks at the ground, turns around and walks to Room 215. INT. CLINIC – EXAMINATION ROOM – CONTINUOUS – PRESENT DAY 124 124 Maria sits, still clothed, on the table clutching the robe. Cindy walks into the room and looks at her. CINDY What’s the problem, Maria? Tu sabes? Cindy pantomimes undoing her shirt. CINDY (CONT’D) No comprende? Necessita take off tu comisitas. Your shirt. Understand? Maria nods and undoes her blouse. Cindy turns her back. Maria sits slumped w

Real Dying Love: Here’s What ‘Blue Valentine’ Can Teach Us About Making Authentic Films

One thing to keep in mind as a filmmaker is that everything tells a story — it’s not just the actual script either, but very prop, every location, the colors of your character’s shirts, the blocking, and editing. This concept is demonstrated masterfully in Derek Cianfrance’s 2010 romantic drama Blue Valentine, which utilizes, both narratively and cinematically, the theme of “duality” to tell a tale of a dying relationship. In yet another excellent video essay from Darren Foley of Must See Films, we not only get to analyze the dual world’s inside the film, but Cianfrance’s compelling approach to capturing authentic emotionally charged moments on film.
[Warning: Spoilers ahead!]
“Duality” is a very common theme in all art forms — paintings, music, literature, etc. — but given the fact that films are a mixture of different media, the potential to really explore it is incredibly high. And we do in Blue Valentine; we see this theme used in the score, the cinematography, the editing, and many other places as well.

Cianfrance examines two worlds: one in which the two lovers, Dean and Cindy, meet and fall deeply in love (which takes place in the past within the story), and one in which they grow apart and, eventually, fall out of love. (which takes place in the present). So, already there is a duality established within the narrative: man vs. woman, past vs. present, marriage vs. divorce, etc., but the way Cianfrance decided to shoot the film adds yet another dimension. The scenes that take place in the past were shot very differently than the ones shot in the present. The “past” scenes that show Dean and Cindy falling in love were shot on film mainly on a 50mm lens to give it an immediate, nostalgic feel, while the “present” scenes that show the end of their relationship were shot from afar on a zoom lens on digital to give it a detached, artificial feel. Foley explains many other aspects of the film’s expression of duality in the video essay below, like the contrasting lighting, blocking, shot size, editing, and music.

But how did Cianfrance manage to make an authentic, complex, dimensional film about something that has been mishandled over and over again in cinema: love? Did Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams just put on a great performance? Yes, but part of the reason for that was because Cianfrance not only allowed them to improvise scenes, but even went as far as having them live in a house with their on-screen daughter and filming Williams actually waking up in the morning to make it look more real. Encouraging his actors to improvise, as well as moving with the ebbs and flows of the story, allowed certain moments to be spontaneous and naturally emotional.

Find out what other things Cianfrance did to make Blue Valentine more authentic in the video essay below:

There is much to learn from this film when it comes to how form can tell a deeper story than content. Many times, I think, we get caught up in the writing process, trying to make sure every plot point is there, that our characters are arching along with the story. Though that’s obviously important, the story isn’t solely contained within the binding of a script. The cinematography, the editing, and so much more play an integral role in drawing your audience into the world you’ve made for them. In other words, writing expositional dialog where your character blatantly says, “Cindy, I feel so disconnected from you,” isn’t needed when you shoot your characters separately so they never appear on-screen together. “I feel as though the magic is gone from our marriage,” isn’t a line that needs to be written if the whimsical music that played when your character’s fell in love is absent during their marriage. One of the greatest tenets of filmmaking: Show it. Don’t say it.

If you want to know more about the production of Blue Valentine, which endured over 60 drafts of the script, check out this interview with Cianfrance below. (A big thanks to A-BitterSweet-Life for sharing these videos!)
[via Must See Films & A-BitterSweet-Life]

Jonathan and Julie Myerson on Blue Valentine: almost too painful to watch

HER VIEW: ‘After the sex, prepare for real life … or be torn apart’

How many terrible marriages begin this way? Dean and Cindy have only known each other a matter of weeks – and seem to have shared no more than a few laughs and a few orgasms – when she accidentally gets pregnant. Cindy has ambitions. She wants to study to be a doctor. With Dean’s support, she books an abortion, only to find she can’t go through with it.

Dean, meanwhile, who works for a removals firm and doesn’t seem to boast much by way of professional ambition, is understanding. He puts his arms around her, says maybe they should be “a family”. And so they marry, while knowing almost nothing about each other except that, for the moment anyway, they’re sexually compatible.

Five or six years later, although Dean does seem to be an involved and hands-on father to their little girl, he’s also a directionless loser, dozing over his beer at eight in the morning. Cindy, meanwhile, has missed her chance of becoming a doctor and has had to make do as a radiographer. She’s not only out of love with (both the idea and the reality of) Dean, she’s also bored, tired, frustrated, angry. Hardly surprising. This marriage never stood a chance.

Blue Valentine is simply a film about an abortion that should have gone ahead. Yet how much more interesting and complex it would have been had it been prepared to show us something a bit more ambiguous – an honest account of how even the best intentioned and most loving marriages can come unstuck.

Yes, the early days are heady, exciting, sexually delicious. But most couples marry after a substantial period of knowing and caring for one another. They know stuff about each other. They do both easy and difficult things together. There are in-depth conversations, opportunities to explore one another emotionally as well as simply physically. And one of the most universal sadnesses, surely, is that not even all of this can guarantee a long and happy relationship.

Because marriages are difficult. People change. Desires change. Bodies change. And life, with all of its problems and risks and uncertainties, is precarious and stressful. So, the years and the kids roll by and one day you’re 26 or 30 and laughing together about something happy and stupid. And then it feels like no time at all has passed and you look up to see a tired, preoccupied, middle-aged person in front of you. That moment, with all of its compromises and – ultimately, if you’re lucky, kindnesses – is what this film could have been about.

But to do that, the couple would have had to have got to know each other properly, had fewer accidents, more planned children (you think it’s hard with one child, Cindy – you wait till they outnumber you) and, of course, there would have had to be some decent and realistic dialogue.

Where I thought the film was almost strong, and certainly far more honest, was in the scene where Dean insists on taking Cindy for a “romantic” night away at what turns out to be a comically sleazy sex motel.

He – romantic in the purest, laziest and most useless way – thinks that all it will take to fix their marriage is a long night of drinking and sex. She – an ambitious working mother whose husband is content that his blue-collar drudgery allows him to stay drunk all day – is frankly just shattered. She needs a cup of tea, an early night, a man who’s prepared to talk to her, listen to her, put his arms around her. The exact opposite of a sex motel, in fact.

I loved the look on Michelle Williams’s face – simultaneously weary and crestfallen – as she stood and surveyed the enormous revolving bed. And the scene which followed: he just wanted the sex to be sweet and romantic, even mentioning the possibility of another baby; she was so angry and misunderstood that she couldn’t even bring herself to kiss him (and in fact just wanted the sex to be unkind).

This scene, at last, touched me. It was real, it was ugly and it was painful. And because it didn’t offer any answers, it took us to a far more honest – and less comfortable – place.

HIS VIEW: ‘Whatever he does, his best will never be good enough’

Beware the special occasion. Little is more likely to destroy a relationship – or at least bring its fault lines nastily to the surface – than New Year’s Eve, the anniversary special date or, as in the case of Blue Valentine’s Dean, a night in the Future Room of “a cheesy sex motel”. Because if there’s one thing we know when Dean chooses this room (instead of Cupid’s Cave), it’s that this relationship Has No Future.

Yet it seems so much like the right thing to do. Drop the kid at grandpa’s and spend some unhassled time together. The trouble is that he is placing their relationship – faltering, distant, not quite yet dysfunctional – foursquare into the harsh glare of What Next?

And this is surely what the marketers of these special, relationship re-rebuilding weekends/couples holidays/spas hope that you will forget until you’ve signed the cheque: once you’ve finished Staring Into Each Other’s Eyes, what do you do next?

This is where Blue Valentine hits it on the nail: once the staring is over, the two sexes now seem to have wholly differing and, more important, incompatible agendas.

In the movie, she sidesteps his sexual advances until they get the time to sit and talk about his career, his “potential”, and thus their future. He avoids the question – after all, he came here to “get drunk and make love”. She balks at his unwillingness ever to talk seriously; he unsuccessfully tries to hide his grumpiness. Once that point is reached, sex is the last thing on anyone’s mind.

This man’s agenda may sound horribly cliched, but he’s not quite as predictable as this makes out. Dean is in fact a New Man, he has changed to meet the times. Asked what he wants to do with his life, he says he wants to “be a husband and father” and dutifully does his wage-slave job in order to make that possible.

And he has every claim to be a good father: he’s putting both time and energy into bringing up their five-year-old. What’s more he’s the one determined to inject some fun, some lightness back into the marriage. But it’s cruel. As a representative of New Manhood, he scores serious points. Back at the start of things, when his new girlfriend can’t go through with the pregnancy termination, he’s the one who hugs her and suggests that they “be a family” instead. (And, what’s more, he knows the baby is probably not his.)

He does all this and, for some reason, it’s still not enough for Cindy. Yes, it’s strongly implied that he – high school dropout – has kiboshed her medical school ambitions.

But she’s the one who decided to keep the baby. And he was right outside, in the waiting room, ready and willing to support her.

Six years later, he’s the one who gets up and does the 5am to 8am stint with little Frankie. He digs the hole and buries the dog. He gets to the school concert first. And still, he doesn’t pass muster.

Which is not to say that good marriages can be built merely on career prospects, quality time or even basic reliability. There does surely have to be something else. But maybe this search for the Something Else is exactly what kills the future for Dean and Cindy.

They know they want something but have no clear idea of what it is. As men go, Dean represents anything but the feckless, workshy, parenting-averse man whom sociologists now blame for the preponderance of single mothers. Maybe it’s Cindy, the businesslike Mom and head-screwed-on radiographer, who is the one who needs to wake up to her own self-generated dissatisfaction.

Now that the man has come over to her side – let’s be a family, let’s enjoy time with each other, and don’t forget the packed lunch – she’s the one who cannot ease up, cannot find where she wants to belong.

Those who have seen the film will know that I have omitted the man’s one big failing: he has a drink problem. He starts with a beer during his morning parenting stint and stays that way for most of the day. Maybe he was always heading that way or maybe he has been driven to it by his wife’s gradual withdrawal, but one thing is certain: now things are tough, she makes her one truly big choice.

She can fix it or she can trash it. Six years previously she was offered what any pre-liberation bride would have jumped at. But now, faced with the hard work of marriage, she gives up and walks away.

So you have finished reading the blue valentine screenplay topic article, if you find this article useful, please share it. Thank you very much. See more: blue valentine screenplay pdf, romance scripts, short romance scripts, script slug, best romance screenplays, romantic comedy scripts pdf

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blue valentine screenplay

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Jonathan and Julie Myerson on Blue Valentine: almost too painful to watch

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