Better Days

This week's scene is from one of my favourite romantic films of all time.  Yeah, Better Days is pretty bittersweet to be called "romantic," but I've always been drawn to films with a healthy dose of the ambiguous and/or the subversion of expectation.

If you haven't seen the film and haven't been told the big reveal, take your warning here - spoiler alert! - this is the scene where Vida's big secret comes out. But its one of those moments that, like Dil's secret in The Crying Game is pretty much a staple of pop-culture by now. So even if you haven't seen the film, you probably are aware of the twist.

Jessica Wainbottom, who played Vida in the film won the 1984 MODA for Best Actress, and it was scenes like this one that got her there.

               INT.  CHUCK'S GARAGE - NIGHT

               The automatic door motor engages - winching up the door. 

               Two pairs of legs are slowly revealed.

                                   VIDA (O.S.)

                         What are you hiding in here?

                                   CHUCK (O.S.)

                         It's a surprise.

                                   VIDA (O.S.)

                         This is exciting. Why haven't you

                         brought me here before?

               The door is half-way open. Vida's head appears, ducking

               below the lower-edge. She peers into the darkness.

                                   CHUCK (O.S.)

                         Wait. Wait!

               Vida scoots under the door. Her age is tough to gauge -

               probably into her 40s, but if she said she was 29 there

               wouldn't be an argument. Her hair is playful in

               contradiction to her restrained clothing. She is pneumatic

               in ways that would make many 19 year old's jealous let

               alone someone 29... or 40. Her skin hides behind the

               clothes, but the form is unmistakable.

               Chuck peers under the door as she makes her way into the

               darkness. He hesitates, watching the door rise. Finally

               it's open far enough to satisfy him and he enters after

               Vida.

               Chuck is in his early 40s. An awkward man. He is dressed

               up, but he clearly isn't very good at picking out 'good

               clothes.' He probably judged the appropriateness of his

               suit against photos of what his father wore to his wedding

               to Chuck's mother.

                                   VIDA

                         What are you hiding in here?

                                   CHUCK

                         Careful, careful.

               Chuck takes a wide arc across the garage and flips on the

               light. Vida is about half a step away from getting a jagged

               metallic point in her eye. She stops short.

                                   VIDA

                         Oooh!

               She takes in the rest of the garage. The 'point' is but one

               of many - and each is part of one of many intricate welded

               sculptures. She is overwhelmed - she had no idea.

                                   VIDA

                         Chuck...

                                   CHUCK

                         Do - do you like 'em?

               She moves around the room from piece to piece. Her eyes

               hardly know where to begin, there is so much to take in.

                                   VIDA

                         Oh wow. You did this?

                                   CHUCK

                         Yeah.

                                   VIDA

                         This is amazing. These are

                         amazing. You are full of

                         surprises.

                                   CHUCK

                         Heh.

               Chuck averts his gaze, lovingly runs his fingers over the

               blistered welds of one of the pieces.

                                   VIDA

                         All that drafting and stuff you

                         do for Mr. Redd - 

                                   CHUCK

                         Abstractin'.

                                   VIDA

                         Abstracting. Who knew there was

                         an artist in you? This is great.

                         I hope I'm not the only one

                         you've shown this to.  

               She crosses to him. Tantalizingly close.

                                   VIDA

                         You have got a hidden gift.

               Leap of faith time... Chuck turns and faces Vida.

                                   CHUCK

                         Vida. I... you know what you said

                         'bout followin' your heart 'cause

                         life is too short?

                                   VIDA

                         If you aren't doing that, then

                         you aren't really living. It's so

                         amazing that you're doing this. I

                         wish I had some hidden talent -

                         you're so lucky.

                                   CHUCK

                         Well, yeah. See I ain't never

                         been a lucky guy. But lately,

                         'round you, I just been feelin'

                         lucky to have knew you.

               Vida sees that this can only end badly.

                                   VIDA

                         Oh...

                                   CHUCK

                         An' Mister Redd - you're right, I

                         do let him take advantage - but

                         you know what he says... "A man's

                         gotta make his own luck."

                                   VIDA

                         Chuck.

               He presses on refusing to listen.

                                   CHUCK

                         Well I ain't been. So I'm goin'.

                         I told Mr. Redd today. And

                         tomorrow I gotta van and all of

                         this...

               His art.

                                   CHUCK

                         We're goin' to New York.

               Not where Vida feared this was going.

                                   VIDA

                         Chuck, that's wonderful!

               She wraps her arms around him, presses against him. It

               hurts him to enjoy it, but he gives in.

                                   VIDA

                         I'm so proud of you. Making your

                         own luck...

               He kisses her.

               Okay, this WAS going where she feared. She pulls away.

               Chuck doesn't get it - he keeps going, emboldened by his

               own momentum.

                                   CHUCK

                         I ain't never made my own luck

                         'til now. An' I was just wantin' -

                         hoping - that you... That WE -

                         maybe we could open our own shop

                         an make some of our own luck

                         together.

               Vida is speechless. Chuck gets it, now that he has said too

               much.

                                   CHUCK

                         I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

                         You can't go to New York. You got

                         a kid and you really just started

                         at Redd's and you just moved

                         here. And I was... So stupid.

                                   VIDA

                         No. You're not stupid. Chuck...

                         You look at me and see something.

                         You see something I'm not. When

                         guys look at me they see

                         something. I hear them. That day

                         in the shop. I heard what Will

                         said.

                                   CHUCK

                         I didn't say anythin'...

                                   VIDA

                         And I appreciate that. But I'm

                         not that... I never have been.

                         Not even... Especially now. Look,

                         I'm really screwed up right now.

                                   CHUCK

                         I been screwed up my entire life

                         and sittin' on that hasn't got me

                         someone makes me as happy as you

                         do. It was eatin' me up inside.

                         So, I just followed my heart.

               Vida gently pushes him a step back against a workbench. She

               un-tucks her blouse from her skirt, and starts unbuttoning -

               there is no seduction in it, but Chuck doesn't see this. He

               reaches out to touch. She gently pushes his hands back and

               keeps unbuttoning. She opens her blouse and lets it fall.

               She unhooks her bra and pulls the straps down her arms. Her

               'breasts' come away with the bra, revealing two mastectomy

               scars.

               Chuck looks on. He reaches out to her scars. Vida flinches

               but does not stop him. Chuck runs his fingers over the pale

               tissue. He looks up at her face.

                                   VIDA

                         Not very good luck.

               Chuck moves to kiss her. Vida withdraws slightly, but he

               keeps coming. She can't believe he still wants to kiss her.

               She lets him. She kisses back.

When cataloging kisses, S. Morgenstern missed this one.