TATTINGER’S
"Broken Windows"
Episode Seven
Written by
Noel Behn
&
Tom Fontana
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Bruce Paltrow Final Draft
Mark Tinker Prod. #8913
Tom Fontana 20 October, 1988
PRODUCERSRobert DeLaurentis
John Tinker
Channing Gibson
COORDINATING PRODUCER
Jim Finnerty
Director
Gwen Arner
CAST
CAST
Nick Tattinger...........................................................................Stephen Collins
Hillary Tattinger.........................................................................Blythe Danner
Sid Wilbur...........................................................................................Jerry Stiller
Louis Chatham.........................................................................Roderick Cook
Sonny Franks................................................................................Zach Grenier
Sheila Bradey.........................................................................Mary Beth Hurt
Alphonse...........................................................................................Yusef Bulos
Billie Low..................................................................................Sue Francis Pai
Marco Bellini................................................................................Rob Morrow
Cervantes............................................................................................James Puig
Honey Epstein..................................................................................Uta Hagen
Rachel Lund....................................................................................Maria Tucci
Frederick Lund........................................................................John McMartin
Father Thomas Smaraldo.................................................Robert Clohessy
Father Ian MacMaurice.........................................................Donald Moffat
Officer Lexie Woollcott................................................................Jack Marks
Officer Frank Adams...........................................................Kevin Eshelman
Charlene Tweed................................................................................Faye Grant
Randy McNally...............................................................................Al Shannon
Edward Everett Tunson.............................................................Keene Curtis
and
Susan Saint James
Jane Curtin
SETS
EXTERIORS
110th Street
Amsterdam Avenue
Eighteenth Precinct
Gymnasium
Hillary’s Apartment Building
Hutchinson River Parkway
Larchmont House
Loading Docks
Manhattan
Street
Tattinger’s
Third Avenue Brownstone
Triborough Bridge
West 79th StreetINTERIORS
Tattinger's
Kitchen
Locker Room
Main Room
Nick’s Office
Stairs/Second Floor Landing
Walk-In Refrigerator
Nick’s Apartment
Nick’s Balcony
Nick’s Bathroom
Nick’s Bedroom
Nick’s Foyer
Hillary’s Apartment
Hillary’s Living Room
Rachel’s Bedroom
Gymnasium
Holding Cell
Honey’s Living Room
Sonny Franks’ Car
St. Theresa’s CenterTenement
Tenement Apartment
Tenement Hallway
Unemployment Office
ACT ONE
FADE IN
INT. NICK'S FOYER - PRE-DAWN
DARK. RATTLE OF KEYS in lock. Door opens to REVEAL NICK
TATTINGER, tired -- no, brain-dead. His sports jacket,
crooked to one finger, hangs over his shoulder. But as soon
as he crosses the threshold, he lets it drop, continues to
dragging his weary body towards Bedroom. As he crosses into
Bedroom, he slips off his tie and lets it fall.
INT. NICK'S BEDR0OM - PRE-DAWN
NICK, still moving slowly to bed, starts undoing shirt, but
doesn't get it completely unbuttoned before he hits the edge
of the bed and, with the little energy left, dives into the
soft mattress. A delighted moan escapes his throat. He
slowly, gently closes his eyes. Beat. CLOCK READS 614,
CLICKS to 615. CLOCK RADIO blasts ON with an unctuous Jim
Nabors-like crooner, singing
SINGER (V.O.)
"Oh, what a beautiful mornin'..."
As NICK'S eyes open and he rolls out of bed,
CUT TO
EXT. LARCHMONT HOUSE - PRE-DAWN
Establishing. Light in upper window.
SINGER (V.O., CONT.)
"Oh, what a beautiful day..."
INT. RACHEL'S BEDROOM - PRE-DAWN
FREDERICK LUND, forties, lies in bed, asleep.
SINGER (V.O., CONT.)
"I got a beautiful feelin'..."
PAN UP to Bathroom doorway where RACHEL LUND, forties,
emerges, clickling OFF LIGHT, blotting lipstick. She wears a
wrap dress, pearls.
SINGER (V.O., CONT.)
"Everything's goin' my way.
She glances down at her sleeping HUSBAND for a beat, then
crosses to bureau, grabs purse.
SINGER (V.O., CONT.)
"Oh what a beautiful day."
RACHEL stops, decides not to take purse and puts it back
down. She opens purse, removes keys.
SINGER (V.O., CONT.)
"There's a bright golden haze on
the meadow..."
As she checks make-up in bureau mirror and exits,
CUT TO
EXT. THIRD AVENUE BROWNSTONE - DAWN
Establishing.
INT. HONEY'S LIVING ROOM - DAWN
HONEY EPSTEIN sits on rowing machine, pushes herself hard.
SINGER (V.O., CONT.)
"There's a bright golden haze on
the meadow..."
As HONEY rows fiercely,
CUT TO
EXT. LARCHMONT HOUSE - DAWN
RACHEL emerges from the front door, slipping on mink coat and
carrying Luis Vuitton tote bag.
SINGER (V.O., CONT.)
"The corn is as high as an
elephant's eye..."
She crosses front walk.
SINGER (V.O., CONT.)
"An' it looks like it's climbin'
clear up to the sky..."
As she gets into one of the two BMW's in driveway,
CUT TO
INT. NICK'S BATHROOM - DAWN
NICK stands in shower, but his eyes are closed.
SINGER (V.O., CONT.)
"Oh, what a beautiful mornin'..."
On NICK, trying to revive,
CUT TO
EXT. HUTCHINSON RIVER PARKWAY - DAWN
Long shot of BMW travelling into city.
SINGER (V.O., CONT.)
"Oh, what a beautiful day..."
EXT. TRIBOROUGH BRIDGE - DAWN
BMW crosses bridge, turns OFF HEADLIGHTS.
SINGER (V.O., CONT.)
"I've got a beautiful feelin'..."
Following car, CAMERA RISES as dawn breaks over the New York
City skyline.
CUT TO
INT. MAIN ROOM - DAWN
SID WILBUR enters, unlocking restaurant for the day. He is
followed in by ALPHONSE.
SINGER (V.O., CONT.)
"Everything's goin' my way..."
As they take off their coats,
CUT TO
EXT. AMSTERDAM AVENUE - DAWN
BMW pulls around corner of 79th Street, parks.
SINGER (V.O., CONT.)
"All the way..."
RACHEL gets out of car, with Vuitton tote bag.
SINGER (V.O., CONT.)
"Oh, what a beautiful day."
As SONG ends, RACHEL takes off mink coat, tosses it on car
seat, throws keys on top.
She locks door, slams it, checks to make sure it's locked.
As RACHEL, in wrap dress, carrying tote bag, rounds corner,
CUT TO
EXT. WEST 79TH STREET - DAWN
As RACHEL waits to cross to the Tattinger's side of the
street, she passes a blue and white police car, in which two
policemen, Officer LEXIE WOOLLCOTT, forties, and Officer
FRANK ADAMS, twenty-six, sit drinking coffee and paying no
attention to anything. The light changes, RACHEL crosses to
the front of Tattinger's. She stops, reaches into tote bag,
takes out neatly-sawed half of red brick. She hurls brick at
window of restaurant. It falls short. She reaches into bag,
pulls out another half-brick. She steadies herself, readies
her aim, throws brick, which connects, SMASHING window.
INT. MAIN ROOM - DAWN
As brick CRASHES through window, SID and ALPHONSE react.
EXT. WEST 79TH STREET - DAWN
In patrol car, WOOLLCOTT and ADAMS react.
WOOLLCOTT
What the --
RACHEL hurls a red brick. WOOLLCOTT and ADAMS get out of
patrol car, cross street.
INT. MAIN ROOM - DAWN
SID and ALPHONSE rush to door.
EXT. WEST 79TH STREET - DAWN
As WOOLLCOTT and ADAMS approach, RACHEL fiercely turns on
them with another brick. SID and ALPHONSE exit restaurant.
SID
Omigod.
ALPHONSE
What do you think? Food critic?
SID
That's Rachel Lund, a friend of
Nick's.
WOOLLCOTT
All right, hold on.
Like an animal, RACHEL fires brick, hitting WOOLLCOTT in
head, momentairly stunning him.
ADAMS
Stop, lady, right now.
RACHEL throws brick at him. ADAMS rushes RACHEL, who deftly
flips ADAMS over her shoulder. WOOLLCOTT pulls nightstick.
RACHEL makes guttural sounds, raging, and the COPS aren't
sure what to do.
SID
I better get a hold of Nick.
On SID, exiting into Tattinger's, as RACHEL throws another
brick.
CUT TO
EXT. HILLARY'S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY
Establishing.
INT. HILLARY'S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY
NICK looks at his watch as HILLARY enters from Dining Room.
HILLARY
First, the dishwasher goes. Then
the stove. Now the refrigerator's
frizzing out.
NICK
I can't hang around all day
waiting. Where are my girls?
HILLARY
I put all the warranties together,
somewhere...
(searches desk)
NICK
Maybe the flight was delayed. Or
there was traffic on the 59th
Street Bridge.
HILLARY
When did we buy the fridge? 1975
or 76?
NICK
Hillary -- Winnifred and Nina have
been with my mother for over a
week. God knows what lies she's
told him.
HILLARY
My, you're testy this morning.
Didn't you get enough sleep?
NICK
I was out very late last night.
HILLARY
(continues search)
Doing a favor or a floozie?
NICK
(tapping watch)
Gotta head over to Tattinger's.
I'm expecting Edward Everett
Tunson.
HILLARY
Everett Edward Tunson?
NICK
Edward Everett Tunson.
HILLARY
(finds warranties)
Ah.
NICK
He's a trillionaire from Toledo,
and he's only gonna be in town for
the next three days.
HILLARY
Twelve-year guarantee. Wouldn't
you know.
NICK
Tunson's considering an investment
in Tattinger's.
HILLARY
Oh, good. Then we won't have to
lay anyone off. The staff and
their families are relying on you.
NICK
Tunson has to check things out for
himself. Said he'd get over when
he could, but he wasn't sure if
it'd be for lunch, for dinner,
today, tomorrow. Maybe he'll give
me enough money to buy you out.
HILLARY
Buy me out? Why?
NICK
Unlike you, Tunson would be a
silent partner.
HILLARY
You always encouraged me to take an
active interest in the restaurant.
NICK
That was before we were divorced.
HILLARY
Don't nit-pick, Nick. I should
meet with Tunson, tell him it's not
easy being in business with you.
NICK
Is that so?
HILLARY
You've never been very good with
long-term commitments. You're
great at getting involved in
someone's life for an afternoon,
but whenever a person comes to need
you, you're the invisible man.
NICK
How can you say that to me?
HILLARY
Oh, what? Now we're hurt?
Phone RINGS. HILLARY picks up reciever.
HILLARY (CONT.)
Hello... Yes, Sid, he's here...
Slow down, Sid. Take a couple deep
breaths.
(puts hand over reciever;
extends phone to NICK)
Something about a pane. Either one
broke or he's in some.
As NICK exhales and takes phone, gearing himself for bad
news,
CUT TO
INT. KITCHEN - DAY
KITCHEN STAFF prepares for the day's meals. SHEILA BRADEY,
on an inspection tour, enters with LOUIS.
SHEILA
A rock through the window? What
are we, an embassy in Beirut?
LOUIS
Might as well be. From what I
hear, Tattinger's is teetering on
the brink.
SHEILA
I can't worry about that. I've got
goat cheese rellenos to prepare.
She goes to ALPHONSE.
SHEILA (CONT.)
Were you or were you not supposed
to be at Hunt's Point this morning
to select the produce?
ALPHONSE
Well, you see, I --
SHEILA
Were you or weren't you?
ALPHONSE
Five A.M. is so early.
(gives pathetic yawn)
SHEILA
When I tell you to do something,
french fry, do it or die.
She continues, passing CERVANTES, the pasta chef, exquisitely
mixing pasta dough by hand.
SHEILA (CONT.)
Cervantes, what are you up to?
CERVANTES
Mixing the pasta.
SHEILA
Use the machine.
CERVANTES
But Alphonse says...
SHEILA
Use the machine.
CERVANTES tilts head in acquiescence, uses bench scraper to
put dough in bowl. In b.g. ALPHONSE spies, waiting for
Sheila to depart, which she does.
ALPHONSE
I told you to mix the dough by
hand.
CERVANTES
But Sheila says...
ALPHONSE
Here's to Sheila --
ALPHONSE takes bowl, dumps dough back onto table.
ALPHONSE (CONT.)
Get to work.
ALPHONSE crosses off. On CERVANTES, miserable,
CUT TO
INT. UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE - DAY
MARCO BELLINI stands at the end of a long line "A",
depressed. Beat. The line moves up. As a MAN gets in line
behind MARCO, he bumps into MARCO, who doesn't look up.
MARCO
Watch it.
MAN (O.C.)
Sorry... We unemployed have to
stick together.
MARCO shakes his head, noncommittally.
MAN (O.C., CONT.)
Tough, losing a job in this day and
age...
Especially if you make one little
error in judgement and the boss
fires you.
MARCO looks at MAN for first time SONNY FRANKS, dressed in
"mod" clothes from the sixties.
SONNY
Hiya.
MARCO
Do I know you?
SONNY
We share a commion passion We both
loathe Nicky Tattinger.
MARCO
Who are you?
SONNY
A friend, maybe.
MARCO
Damn Nick. He humiliated me in the
eyes of everyone at the restaurant,
my family... He knew how much the
job meant to me. That someday I
want to have a place of my own.
SONNY
Now, you'll be lucky if they let
you change the mustard jars at
Nathan's.
MARCO
Who the hell are you?
SONNY
What if I said I could help you get
back to the bar?
MARCO
Get away from me...
MARCO turns back into line. SONNY crosses around, stands in
front of MARCO.
MARCO (CONT.)
Hey, look, buddy --
SONNY hands him card. MARCO reads, looks up.
MARCO (CONT.)
Sonny Franks.
SONNY
It's a very simple plan. I plug
Nick. Then, after a respectful
period of mourning, I marry
Hillary. I own the restaurant.
You help me, you're king of swizzle
sticks again.
MARCO
You're all talk, Franks.
SONNY
What?
MARCO
You're never gonna kill Nick.
SONNY
Oh, yeah?
MARCO
Yeah.
SONNY
I'll show you. I'll show
everybody.
MARCO
You're a joke.
SONNY
I'm gonna blow that sucker away.
Tonight. No, I gotta date.
Thursday. Yeah.
MARCO
Wait a minute --
SONNY
Tell your pal Nicky not to order
any slabs of beef 'cause by
Thursday he's dead meat.
As SONNY walks away, and MARCO shakes his head,
CUT TO
EXT. EIGHTEENTH PRECINCT - DAY
Rows of patrol cars parked perpendicularly into curb.
Stifling a yawn, NICK stands with WOOLLCOTT, bandage on
forehead, and ADAMS.
NICK
Lexie, you've been patrolling
around this neighborhood since I
opened the joint. Listen to me,
let her outta jail --
WOOLLCOTT
Let her outta jail?
NICK
Rachel Lund is a housewife. She's
harmless.
WOOLLCOTT
You weren't there. You didn't see.
ADAMS
She was chucking bricks like Doc
Gooden.
NICK
So she broke a window. My window.
I'm not pressing charges.
WOOLLCOTT
But we are. There's been one too
many cop deaths lately. Tired of
people using us as a firing range.
WOOLCOTT exits into building. NICK looks at his watch.
NICK
Frank, I got no time to square
dance. What do I have to do to
shake her loose?
ADAMS
Forget about it. She's in the
system for at least thirty-six
hours.
NICK
Rachel's an old friend. I can't
leave her in there. Must be
something --
ADAMS
Not even if the woman cooperated,
which she sure as hell hasn't. If
Sid hadn't been around, we wouldn't
even know her name. All she'll say
is that she's Jewish. Makes a
special point of letting us know
that.
NICK
Can I see her?
ADAMS
Nope.
NICK
Five minutes --
ADAMS
No.
NICK
Look, Frank, her father, Shlomo
Epstein, owned the newsstand down
the corner from the restaurant. He
was beaten to death.
ADAMS
I remember. You were pretty torn
up about his murder.
NICK
On our block, Shlomo was a
combination neighborhood watch,
town crier, matchmaker and shrink.
I loved the guy. Tried to help
him, failed. And I can't ever make
that right... C'mon, Frank, do me
this one favor.
ADAMS
Okay, I'll talk to the booking
Sarge, try to get you five minutes.
But you owe me.
NICK
Of course...
As NICK and ADAMS enter building,
CUT TO
INT. HOLDING CELL - DAY
RACHEL paces, like a caged lion. As NICK approaches, she
smiles brightly.
RACHEL
Good morning, Nick.
NICK
(leery)
Uh... Morning...
RACHEL
What're you doing here?
NICK
(beat)
I was in the neighborhood...
RACHEL
(glances around cell)
Rather cozy little nest, don't you
think? Not exactly the Waldorf,
but more comfortable than I
anticipated.
NICK
You sound disappointed.
RACHEL
Do I?
(comes forward, stands
behind wooden chair, her
hands on its back)
You look sour this morning.
NICK
Haven't slept. And I don't like
seeing friends behind bars...
Muffie, why'd you smash my stained
glass?
RACHEL
I'm forty-two years old. Call me
Rachel.
NICK
Did I do something to offend you?
To make you mad?
RACHEL
Thanks for stopping by.
NICK
Why the brick, Rachel?
RACHEL
Give my love to your girls.
NICK
(exhales; frustrated)
Assaulting two police officers is a
serious offense. If you don't
talk, don't cooperate, you could be
in big trouble. You could end up
in jail -- real jail --
She walks to wall, turns, facing away from NICK, silent.
NICK (CONT.)
Do you hear what I'm saying? They
could send you away for a long
time.
She reaches to her side, jerks sash of dress and pulls it
off.
RACHEL
So be it.
As RACHEL stands, without underwear, naked,
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT ONE