You've Got Mail Part 2

You've Got Mail Part 2 by Ayumi Fujimoto, Kimiko Fujitani, Satsuki Kaneko, Kana Ogawa, and Saki Watanabe

EXT. 19TH STREET BOAT BASIN - ANOTHER DAY

Joe is on his sailboat. He is polishing his brass and
whistling.

ANNABEL
Joe --

Joe jumps off the boat onto the dock to greet his
grandfather's daughter ANNABEL, 8, who is coming toward the
dock with GILLIAN, his father's overdecorated 32-year-old
fiance, her son, MATTHEW, 4, and the Nanny, MAUREEN.

JOE
I know you! I know you.
Hello, Annabel, little girl.
(picks up Annabel)
How are you?

(picks up Matt)
And you. Matthew how are you?

MATTHEW
Good.

JOE
Ready to say hello to New Jersey?

JOE, ANNABEL and MATTHEW
Hello, New Jersey.

GILLIAN
Don't I get a “hello”?

JOE
Hello, Gillian.

GILLIAN
Kiss me. I'm going to be your wicked
stepmother.

Joe gives her a peck on the cheek.

JOE
There you go. Hello. And who is this?

GILLIAN
Nanny Maureen. I brought her in case
you couldn't handle the kids.

ANNABEL
Maureen's getting a divorce.

JOE
I'm sorry to hear that.

MAUREEN
It's my own fault. Never marry a man
who lies.

JOE
That is so wise. Yes. Annabel, remember
that.

ANNABEL
She taught Matt how to spell his name.

JOE
Really? Let’s hear it.

MATT
F-O-X.

JOE
Excellent?
(to Maureen)
Excellent. I’ve got this covered. You can
have the day off.
(to Gillian)
And you must be late for something.
Volunteering,rolling bandages...
For Bosnian refugees.

GILLIAN
I am. I'm having my eggs harvested.

JOE
And, getting those eggs harvested.
Don’t worry about a thing.
See you later.

MATTHEW
Bye, mom.
All right, you guys, are you ready to go out
on the boat?

ANNABEL and MATTHEW
No!

JOE
What happened to you? What happened?

EXT. STREET FAIR - DAY

There's a block street fair with little booths, sausage
sandwich concessions, etc.

JOE
Come on. You stink.
One more time.
Here, you can do that one.
What do we win?

Annabel and Matt have been to the makeup booth.
Annabel is a cat and Matt is a pirate.
Annabel is carrying a goldfish in a baggie as they walk toward
Broadway.

EXT. KATHLEEN'S STORE - DAY
As Joe, Annabel and Matt walk past. There’s some sort of toy
miniature princess in a pointed hat sitting outside the store
and a sign lit with twinkle lights: Storybook Lady today 3:30.

MATTHEW
How are the fish?

JOE
They’re very well. Very happy.

ANNABEL
Are they?

JOE
You guys want to go to a movie?

ANNABEL
There’s nothing good playing.
Look, the storybook lady.

JOE
Are we at the right time?
Yeah, let’s go.

INT. KATHLEEN'S STORE - DAY

Kathleen is sitting on a stool reading to a group of CHILDREN,
including Annabel and Matt, who are crammed into her store.
Joe is watching, along with some PARENTS as Kathleen reads
from a Roald Dahl book.

KATHLEEN
That it was I and I alone who had the idea for the
great and daring mouse plot.
We all have our moments of brilliance and glory
and this was mine.
“Why don’t we,” I said, “slip it into one of
Mrs. Pratchett’s jars of sweets? And then, when
she puts her dirty hand in to grab a handful,
she will grab a stinky, dead mouse instead.”
The other four stared at me in wonder. Then,
as the sheer genius of the plot began to sink
in they all started grinning. They slapped me
on the back. They cheered me. They danced around
the classroom. “We will do it today!” they cried.
“We'll do it on the way home. You had the idea,” they
said to me. “So you can be the one who puts the mouse in
the jar.”

INT. KATHLEEN'S STORE - LATER

GEORGE
Who belongs to this fish?

JOE
That’s mine.
Could you give me a hand with these used books?

Matt is sitting on the floor reading a book. Kathleen is
showing Annabel a copy of a book called Betsy-Tacy.

KATHLEEN
And this is her best friend Tacy, whose real
name is Anastasia. And then in the next
book, Betsy and Tacy become friends with
Tib, whose real name, I am sorry to tell
you, is Thelma.

In another section of the store:

George is showing Joe a first edition of Swiss Family
Robinson from the glass case.

GEORGE
The illustrations are hand-tipped.

JOE
And that’s why it costs so much?

GEORGE
No, that's why it's worth so much.

Joe smiles and turns to see Kathleen and Annabel at a whole
shelf of Betsy-Tacy books.

ANNABEL
I want all of them.

JOE
I’ll think about it.

KATHLEEN
That’s a lot for your dad to buy at one time.

ANNABEL
My dad gets me all the books I want.

KATHLEEN
(looking over at Joe)
Well, that's very nice of him.

ANNABEL
That's not my dad. That's my nephew --

KATHLEEN
You know, I don't really think that he could be
your nephew --

As Joe approaches.

JOE
It's true. Annabel is my aunt. Isn't
that right. Aunt Annabel?

Annabel nods solemnly.

ANNABEL
And Matt is his --

KATHLEEN
Wait, wait, let me guess.
(to Matt)
Are you his uncle?

MATT
No.

KATHLEEN
His grandfather?

Annabel and Matt start giggling.

KATHLEEN (cont'd)
His great-grandfather?

MATT
(shouting with glee)
I'm his brother.

JOE
Matt is my father’s son. Annabel is my
grandfather's daughter. We are an American
family.

He smiles at Kathleen, who finds herself smiling back.

Annabel suddenly sneezes.

Kathleen takes a handkerchief from her sleeve. It's an old
fashioned hankie that's embroidered. She offers it to
Annabel, who instead wipes her nose with her hand and then
looks at the handkerchief, a little puzzled.

KATHLEEN
Here you go, young lady.

ANNABEL
What’s that?

KATHLEEN
That’s a handkerchief. Oh my, do children not
even know what handkerchiefs are? A handkerchief
is a Kleenex you don't throw away. You see? My
mother embroidered this for me. --
My initials and a daisy,
because daisies are my favorite flower.

JOE
May I ask who you are?

KATHLEEN
Kathleen Kelly. I own this store.
Are you are?

JOE
Joe. Just call me Joe.
(quickly)
We'll take these books.

KATHLEEN
These are wonderful books. As Annabel
gets older the characters in the books do,
too.
(to Annabel)
You can grow up with Betsy.

He gets the one Matt is reading. And the two other Kathleen
Has gotten for Annabel.

GEORGE
You're going to come back again, aren't
you?

JOE
Of course.

GEORGE
See? This is why won't go under.
Our customers are loyal.

KATHLEEN
(by way of explanation)
They're opening a Foxbooks around the
corner.

ANNABEL
Foxbooks! My daddy --

JOE
(gently putting his hand over her mouth)
-- likes to buy discount. Don't tell
anybody, honey. It's nothing to be
proud of.

MATT
(spelling)
F-O-X.

KATHLEEN
That's amazing. You can spell fox. Can
you spell dog?

MATT
F-O-X.

JOE
Look at this dinosaur book.
It’s a pop-up dinosaur book?
Wouldn’t you like to have a dinosaur book
Like that? Wouldn’t you like to read that?
(moves them to a corner, to
them quickly)
Annabel, sit here and read. Thank you.
Matt read the book until I take care of things.
Whatever you do, just don't listen to
anything I say.

Returns to counter and gives Kathleen some cash.

JOE
I’ll take that pop-up book as well. The
dinosaur one.

KATHLEEN
The world is not driven by discounts,
believe me. I have been in business
forever. I started helping my mother
after school when I was six years old,
and I used to watch her, and it wasn't
that she was just selling books. It was
that she was helping people become whoever
they were going to turn out to be. When
you read a book as a child it becomes
part of your identity in a way that no
other reading in your life does.
(stops herself)
And I have gotten carried away.

JOE
Yeah, you have. You've made me feel...

He can't finish the sentence. He looks at her and sees,
behind her on the shelf, a picture of a woman who is
unmistakably Kathleen's mother, with a young Kathleen.

JOE (cont'd)
Enchanting. Your mother was enchanting.

KATHLEEN
Yes, she was.

GEORGE
How will you pay for this?

JOE
Cash.

KATHLEEN
How did you know that?

JOE
Lucky guess. From the photograph.

JOE
That you in the photograph?
What are you doing?

KATHLEEN
Twirling.
My mother and I used to twirl.
Anyway. She left the store to me, and
I’ll leave it to my daughter.

GEORGE
$73, please.

JOE
How much?

GEORGE
$73.

JOE
How old is your daughter now?

KATHLEEN
I don’t have a daughter.
Oh, I'm not married. But eventually.

She smiles at Joe...

KATHLEEN
So the big bad Foxbooks can just go to hell.

KATHLEEN
(handing him his books)
Here you go.

JOE
Thank you.
We’re ready?
This is nice.

Annabel and Matt join him at the counter. Kathleen gives them
each a lollipop.

ANNABEL
Bye, Kathleen.

KATHLEEN
Goodbye, Annabel. Goodbye, Matt. Matt, you know what?
I have to ask you another thing. Can you spell cat?

MATT
F-O-X.

JOE
F-O-X. Cat. Thanks.
Good thing it wasn’t the fish. Take care!

EXT. 75TH STREET & COLUMBUS – DAY

As the iron gates on all the stores start to open, just the way
We saw them open in the opening sequence of the movie. The pharmacy.
The optician. The cosmetics supply store. The video store.

And now, finally, we see the new grate on the new Foxbooks Superstore
Start to open upwards. This is the finest grate on Broadway, no question
Of it. It’s electric and almost soundless. We see a sign saying, OPENING
DAY. 35% OFF ON ALL BEST-SELLERS.

People on the street notice the store. One walks in...

CAMERA follows him...

INT. FOXBOOKS SUPERSTORE – DAY

The inside is beautiful. Gleaning staircase, a café, comfortable chairs to
Sit, a bank of cashiers,everyone decked out in gray alligator shirts with a
Fox where the alligator should be, a rope for the checkout line, and seven
Cash registers with seven cashiers. Of course, books, books, books, as far
as the eye can see.

MATCH DISSOLVE TO:


INT. SAME SCENE – LATER THAT DAY

The store is jam-packed. Joe with his father Nelson, his grandfather
Schuyler, and Kevin, the store manager.

JOE
No protests. No demonstrations.

KEVIN
The neighborhood loves us.

NELSON
They’re wondering where we’ve been all these years. Wondering
How they ever did without us.

SCHUYLER
It’s a hit.

They admire their own store, walk through the downstairs and start up
The staircase to the second floor.

NELSON
How’s the children’s book department?

JOE
It’s early yet. School isn’t out. And there’s that children’s
store nearby Shop Around The Corner.

SCHUYLER
Cecilia’s store...Cecilia Kelly.
I think we might have had a date once.

JOE
Her daughter’s owns it now.

NELSON
We’ll crush it...

SCHUYLER
She was enchanting.
And as they walk on upstairs, several mothers with children come up the
stairs behind them.

INT. SHOP AROUND THE CORNER – DUSK

We see Kathleen and George at the end of the day, counting the receipts.
Birdie is using a calculator to total them.
Christina is shelving books. There are Thanksgiving decorations –-
Cardboard turkeys and pilgrims, books on colonists like Myles Standish.

BIRDIE
They’ve been open 6 days.
And we did about $1200 less than the same
week last year.

KATHLEEN
That could be a fluke, right?

They look at each other.

BIRDIE
Or not.

KATHLEEN
Their store is new. It’s a novelty. It’ll all
Shake out. Meanwhile. I’m putting up more twikle
lights. But it will all shake out. Do you think
I should put up more twinkle lights?

BIRDIE
That’s a fine idea.

CHRISTINA
What if we have to fold? I’ll never find another
Part time job. I won’t be able to pay the rent
And I’ll have to move to Brooklyn.

GEORGE
The joy of rent control. Six rooms for $450 a
month.

CHRISTINA
We know. You’ve told us a million times.
I can’t believe you’re bringing this up
at a time like this. It’s like those
people who brag because they’re tall.

KATHLEEN
Guys, we are not going to fold.


GEORGE
This place is a tomb.I’m going to the nut
shop. Where’s it’s fun.
George leaves the store.

KATHLEEN
George. George?
Kathleen walks to the door to look for George. She sees a woman
looking into the shop window. The woman comes in through the door.

MIRANDA
Kathleen, are you surviving?

KATHLEEN
Miranda! We're excited about your new
book. When should we schedule a signing?

MIRANDA
Oh, it's being published in January.
Will you be in business in
January? I'm so worried.

KATHLEEN
We're doing great, aren't we?

BIRDIE
No difference what so ever!

CHRISTINA
Great.

MIRANDA Thank God. Well, you know you can count on me for anything, Support, Rallies.
Picket lines. We can get the Times to
write something. Or that nut from
the Observer --

KATHLEEN
What nut in the Observer?

MIRANDA
Frank something-or-other. The one who’s so in
love with his typewriter. This is just the sort of
thing that would outrage him.

She is angry!

EXT. STREET – NIGHT

As they walk along after dinner.

FRANK
A nut? She called me a nut?


KATHLEEN
That’s not the point. She thinks my store is in trouble.
Why would she say that? There is enough business for us all.

FRANK
Yes, There is. No question.
There's enough business for us all.

INT. ELEVATOR - NIGHT

They are in front of a door.

KATHLEEN
We're fine.

FRANK
You're more than fine, you're absolutely
fine.

KATHLEEN
We're fine.

FRANK
Fine.

The elevator opens onto:

INT. VINCE MANCINI'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

A publication party for an author named VINCE MANCINI. A mix
of book people, journalists and various other media folk.

VINCE
How are you? Come in Vince will be so happy to see you.

FRANK
Congratulations. Guess who I saw on the subway today?
William Spungeon. I don’t know him.

They start chatting.

Across the room, Joe is with Patricia, who is telling two
other people the story of meeting the rabbi in the taxicab.
Joe looks over and sees Kathleen. He suddenly looks
stricken.

PATRICIA
This is amazing. He said “You should go to a
retreat. You really should go to a retreat.”

Joe sees Kathleen.
Shifts his position so Kathleen can't see his face, but
sneaks a look.

PATRICIA
Honey, will you get me another drink?
I'm all out.
(continues chattering)
So then the rabbi says, "It's a really great
place to calm down." Isn't that
hilarious?

They all laugh. Joe moves over to the bar.

A MAN
Champagne, please.

JOE
Stoli on the rocks. But a fresh glass, please.

As he is waiting, Kathleen comes up next to him.

KATHLEEN
A white wine, please.

A MAN
Here you go.
(very friendly)

KATHLEEN
Oh, hello.

JOE
Hi.

KATHLEEN
Do you remember me, from the bookstore?

JOE
Of course I remember you.

KATHLEEN
How's your aunt?

JOE
She's great.
(gets his drink)
Thanks. I’d better go deliver this. I have a very
thirsty date. She's part camel.

Kathleen laughs.

KATHLEEN
Joe, right? Isn't it?

JOE
And you're Kathleen.

Joe vanishes into the party.

KATHLEEN
KATHLEEN KELLY.

A MAN(2)
Two white wine, please.

INT. VINCE MANCINI'S APARTMENT - NIGHT - A MINUTE LATER

VINCE
I can't believe that you were talking to Joe
Fox.

KATHLEEN
Joe Fox?

VINCE
Fox.

KATHLEEN
As in --

VINCE
As in, he’s going to take over everything.

She can't even finish the sentence.

INT. VINCE MANCINI'S APARTMENT - A COUPLE OF MINUTES LATER

Joe is standing at a table of food, his back to the room.

KATHLEEN
Fox? Your last name is Fox?

Joe spins around, looks at her.

JOE
F-O-X.

KATHLEEN
God, I didn't realize. I didn't know who
you --
(she trails off)

JOE
Who you-- were with.
(quoting)
"I didn't know who you were with."

KATHLEEN
Excuse me?

JOE
It's from the Godfather. Sorry, it’s from the
Godfather. It’s when the movie
producer realizes that Tom Hagen is an
emissary of Vito Corleone --
(continued)

Kathleen is staring at him.

JOE (cont'd)
-- just before the horse's head ends up
in the bed with all the bloody sheets.
Wakes up and it’s .., never mind --

KATHLEEN
You were spying on me, weren't you? You
probably rented those children.

JOE
Why would I spy on you?

KATHLEEN
Because I am your competition. Which you know
perfectly well or you wouldn’t have put
up the sign "Just around the
Corner."

JOE
The entrance to our store is around the
corner. There is no other way to say it.
It's not the name of our store, it's
where it is. And you do not own the phrase
"around the corner."

KATHLEEN
What is that? What are you doing?
What is that? What are you doing?
You’re taking all the caviar? That caviar
is a garnish.


JOE
Look, the reason I came into your store
is because I was spending the day with
Annabel and Matt. I was buying them presents.
I’m the type of guy who buys his way.
into the hearts of children who are
relatives. There was only one place to
find a children's books in the neighborhood
-- that will not always be the
case, and it was yours, and it is a
charming little bookstore. You probably
sell what $350,000 worth of books in a year --

KATHLEEN
How did you know that?

JOE
I'm in the book business.

KATHLEEN
I am in the book business --

JOE
I see, and we are the Price Club.
Only instead of a ten-gallon vat of olive
oil for $3.99 that won't even fit under
your kitchen cabinet, we sell cheap
books. Me a spy.
(beat)
Absolutely. I have in my possession .., the
super-duper, secret printout of the sales figures
of a bookstore so inconsequential, yet
full of its own virtue that I was
compelled to rush over for fear that will put me
out of business --

Kathleen stares at him. She's speechless and holding a knife.

JOE (cont'd)
What?
(off her look)
What?

Kathleen shakes her head.

Frank turns up.

FRANK
Hi. How you doing? Frank Navasky --

JOE
-- Joe Fox.

FRANK
Joe Fox?

JOE
F-O-X.

FRANK
The inventor of the Superstore, of course
the enemy of the mid-list novel, the destroyer of
City Books -- tell me something:
How do you sleep at night?

Patricia joins them.

PATRICIA
I use a wonderful over-the-counter drug,
Ulta-dorm. Don't take the whole thing,
just half, you’ll wake up without
even that tiniest hangover. You're Frank
Navasky, aren't you?

FRANK
Yes.

PATRICIA
Your last piece in the Observer, about Anthony
Powell, was brilliant. Brilliant. Yes.
I'm Patricia Eden, Eden Books. Joe, this
man is the greatest living expert on
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg --

JOE
You really liked this is Kathleen Kelly --

Kathleen glares at him.

FRANK
My piece? I’m sorry. I just... you know?
I'm flattered. You write these things, you
think somebody’ll mention them the phone
doesn't ring for a week, and you think
“I’m a fraud, I’m a failure or something --“

PATRICIA
You know what fascinated me
about Julius and Ethel Rosenberg? Is how
old they looked when they were really
just our age.

Everyone is stopped dead by this observation and looks at
Patricia, who smiles at them all.

PATRICIA
(to Frank)
You know? I'm so happy to have finally met you.
We’ll talk. Have you ever thought about
doing a book?

FRANK
It’s crossed my mind.
Something really relevant for today like
the Luddite movement in 19th century
England. We should talk. Call me.

At the same time:

JOE
Patricia -- Have you ever had a cavior garnigh?

KATHLEEN
Frank --

INT. KATHLEEN'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

As Kathleen and Frank get into bed.

FRANK
I really like Patricia Eden. She's a
very nice person.

Kathleen doesn't respond. Frank turns out the light.

FRANK
She needs educating, that's all.

A beat.

FRANK
She's hopelessly driven by money and
power, but there's a hope for anyone
who's that familiar with my work --

On Kathleen, as she turns away from Frank and lies there,
eyes open.

INT. JOE'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

As Joe and Patricia get into bed. Brinkley is already on the
bed.

PATRICIA
I had no idea that Frank Navasky was so
down-to-earth.

Joe doesn't respond.

PATRICIA
You know, you read his stuff, you think he's
going to be so obscure and abstruse.

A beat.

PATRICIA (cont'd)
He's always talking about Heidigger and
Foucault and I have no idea what any of
it's about, really.

Patricia turns out the light.

Joe gets up. Brinkley follows.

PATRICIA (cont'd)
Where are you going?

JOE
I'm not. I’m not.

INT. JOE'S DEN - NIGHT

Joe writes on his computer. Brinkley on the floor next to him.

And cut between Joe and his computer screen.

JOE (V.O.)
Do you ever feel you’re becoming the worst
version of yourself? That a Pandora's
Box of all the secret hateful parts --
your arrogance, your spite, your
condescension -- has sprung open.
Someone provokes you, and instead of
just smiling and moving on, you zing
them. Hello, it's Mr. Nasty. I'm sure
you have no idea what I'm talking about.

INT. KATHLEEN'S COMPUTER SCREEN - DAY

And cut between screen and

INT. KATHLEEN'S BEDROOM - DAY

As Kathleen reads the end of Joe's letter.

Kathleen hits the Reply key and starts to type:

KATHLEEN (V.O.)
No, I know what you mean and I'm completely
jealous. What happens to me when I'm
provoked is I get tongue-tied. My mind goes
blank. Then I toss and turn all night trying to
figure out what I should have said. What should
I have said, for example, to the ... bottom-dweller
... Who recently belittled my existence?

KATHLEEN
Nothing. Nothing. Even now.

KATHLEEN (V.O.)
Even now... days later ... I can’t figure
it out.

INT. JOE'S COMPUTER SCREEN AND JOE'S DEN - NIGHT

As he replies:

JOE (V.O.)
Wouldn't it be wonderful if I could pass
all my zingers to you? then I’d never
behave badly and you could behave badly all
the time. And we'd both be happy. On the
other hand, I must warn you that when you
finally say the thing you mean to
say the moment you mean to say it,
remorse inevitably follows. Do you think
we should meet?

INT. KATHLEEN'S COMPUTER SCREEN AND BEDROOM - DAY

Kathleen stares at Joe's letter in her computer.

She's frozen.

KATHLEEN
Meet? Oh, my God.

She sits staring at the letter. She has no idea what to do.