Carol (2015)

Carol Aird : [while driving back to Chicago] What are you thinking? You know how many times a day I ask you that?

Therese Belivet : Sorry. What am I thinking? I'm thinking that I'm utterly selfish.

Carol Aird : Don't do this. You had no idea. How could you have known?

Therese Belivet : And I should have said "No" to you but I never say "No". And it's selfish because... because I just take everything and I don't know anything. And I don't know what I want. How could I when all I ever do is say "Yes" to everything?

[turns head and cries]

Carol Aird : [pulls car to side of road and stops, moves close to Therese and caresses her face] I took what you gave willingly. It's not your fault, Therese.

Carol Aird : Dearest. There are no accidents and he would have found us one way or another. Everything comes full circle. Be grateful it was sooner rather than later. You'll think it harsh of me to say so, but no explanation I offer will satisfy you. Please don't be angry when I tell you that you seek resolutions and explanations because you're young. But you will understand this one day. And when it happens, I want you to imagine me there to greet you, our lives stretched out ahead of us, a perpetual sunrise. But until then, there must be no contact between us. I have much to do, and you, my darling, even more. Please believe that I would do anything to see you happy. So, I do the only thing I can... I release you.

[Letter from Carol to Therese, heard in Carol's voice]

Carol Aird : My angel. Flung out of space.

[Carol whispers to Therese when they pause to look at each other as they have sex for the first time]

Abby Gerhard : Tell me you know what you're doing.

Carol Aird : I don't.

[she looks at Abby and smiles slyly]

Carol Aird : I never did.

Carol Aird : Just when you think it can't get any worse, you run out of cigarettes.

Carol Aird : Happy New Year.

Therese Belivet : Happy New Year.

Carol Aird : Harge and I never spend New Year's Eve together. Always a business function. Always clients to entertain.

Therese Belivet : I always spend New Year's alone. In crowds.

[beat]

Therese Belivet : I'm not alone this year.

Carol Aird : [to Therese] I love you.

Carol Aird : I never looked like that.

[to Therese admiring her body]

Carol Aird : [leans down and kisses Therese] You're trembling.

[Carol reaches to turn off the bedside lamp]

Therese Belivet : No, don't. I want to see you.

Carol Aird : I should have said "Therese, wait"...

Therese Belivet : [on telephone] I wanna know. I think. I mean, I wanna ask you things. But I'm not sure that you want that.

Carol Aird : [crying] Ask me. Things. Please.

Carol Aird : Now what happened with Therese... I wanted. And I will not deny it.

Carol Aird : And do you live alone, Therese Belivet?

Therese Belivet : I do. Well, there's Richard, he'd like to live with me. Oh no, it's nothing like that, I mean he'd like to marry me.

Carol Aird : I see. And would you like to marry him?

Therese Belivet : Well, I barely even know what to order for lunch.

Carol Aird : What you do on Sundays?

Therese Belivet : Nothing in particular. What do you do?

Carol Aird : Nothing lately. Maybe you'd like to come visit me some time. You're welcome to. At least there's some pretty country around where I live. Would you like to come visit me this Sunday?

Therese Belivet : [responds without hesitation] Yes.

Carol Aird : What a strange girl you are.

Therese Belivet : Why?

Carol Aird : Flung out of space.

Therese Belivet : What town is this again?

[the morning after they first made love]

Carol Aird : This? Waterloo.

[laughs]

Carol Aird : Isn't that awful?

Carol Aird : [addressing Harge] So that's the deal. I won't, I cannot negotiate anymore. You take it or leave it. But if you leave it, we go to court. And if we go to court... it'll get ugly.

[holding back tears]

Carol Aird : And we're not ugly people, Harge.

Carol Aird : Is that what you want to be? A photographer?

Therese Belivet : I think so. If I have any talent for it.

Carol Aird : Isn't that something other people let you know you have? All you can do is keep working. Use what feels right. Throw away the rest.

Carol Aird : Were those pictures of me you were taking at the tree lot?

Therese Belivet : I'm sorry. I should have asked.

Carol Aird : Don't apologize.

Therese Belivet : I've just been trying to... well, I have a friend who told me I should be more interested in humans.

Carol Aird : And how's that going?

Therese Belivet : [smiling as she replies] It's going well, actually.

Carol Aird : I'm glad.

McKinley Motel Manager : Our standard rooms come equipped with stereophonic console radios, or we do have the Presidential Suite available for a very attractive rate.

Carol Aird : Two standard rooms should be fine.

Therese Belivet : Why not take the Presidential Suite?

[Carol turns to look at Therese]

Therese Belivet : I mean, if the rate's attractive.

Carol Aird : [interrupts attorneys arguing over depositions] May I speak? I won't deny the truth of what's contained in those tapes.

Fred Haymes : [to stenographer] This is off the record, honey.

Carol Aird : Might as well be on the record.

Carol Aird : I'm going away for awhile.

Therese Belivet : When? Where?

Carol Aird : Wherever my car will take me. West. Soon. - And, I thought, perhaps, you might want to come with me. - Would you?

Therese Belivet : Yes. Yes, I would.

Carol Aird : Well, that's that.

Carol Aird : I'm no martyr. I have no clue what is best for me. But I do know, and I feel it in my bones, what is best for my daughter.

[beat]

Carol Aird : Now, I want visits with her, Harge. I don't care if they're supervised. I just want them to be regular.

[Carol stands up, puts on coat, preparing to leave]

Carol Aird : There was a time when I would have done almost anything. I would have locked myself away to keep Rindy with me. What use am I to her, to us, if I'm living against my own grain?

Carol Aird : You miss Richard?

Therese Belivet : No. I haven't thought about him all day. Or of home, really.

Carol Aird : [looking exasperated] Forgive me, shopping makes me nervous.

Therese Belivet : That's all right, working here makes me nervous.

Fred Haymes : Why don't you seat?

Carol Aird : Why is it people think you take bad news better if you're sitting down?

Carol Aird : My conduct! Jesus Christ. I'm her mother, for God's sake.

[pause]

Carol Aird : Morality clause. I see.

Fred Haymes : Do you?

Carol Aird : No. There's nothing moral about keeping Rindy from me.

Abby Gerhard : I got my eye on this redhead who owns a steak house outside of Paramus. I'm talking serious 'Rita Hayworth' redhead.

Carol Aird : Really? You think you got what it takes to handle a redhead?

Harge Aird : You smell good.

Carol Aird : You're drunk.

Harge Aird : Dammit! I put nothing past women like you, Carol.

Carol Aird : You married a woman like me.

Carol Aird : My suitcase! WHERE'S MY FUCKING SUITCASE?

Carol Aird : Harge, I want you to be happy. I didn't give you that. I failed you. We both could have given more, but... we gave each other Rindy. And that is the most breathtaking, the most generous, of gifts.

Harge Aird : How do you know my wife?

Carol Aird : Harge, please.

Therese Belivet : I work at Frankenberg's, the department store.

Carol Aird : I ordered a gift from her desk. I forgot my gloves. So, she returned them and I thanked her.

Harge Aird : Well, that's bold.

Therese Belivet : Oh, your perfume.

Carol Aird : Yes?

Therese Belivet : It's nice.

Carol Aird : Thank you. Harge bought me a bottle years ago, before we were married, and I've been wearing it ever since.

Carol Aird : Don't be daft.

Carol Aird : Ready?

Therese Belivet : Ready!