balance

Yeah -- when you have something you need to "sweep under the rug" and it's a wall-to-wall carpet ... that's what you call one of your Murphy's Law Days....

(I love that.)

     The scene where the Liptons (Carol, eagerly and Larry, reluctantly) search through Paul House's apartment is followed by a scene at the 21 Club, a famous New York City restaurant.

     Larry and Carol are there with their college-age son Nick, played by Zach Braff.  (When I watched a couple of scenes from this film on You Tube, some of the Comments typed in by younger Commenters were all excited -- "That's Zach Braff!  That's Zach Braff when he was younger!"  Apparently he is an actor who has impact and, dare we say it, "cred" with the Young People Of Today....)

     In the 21 Club scene, the three Liptons are on their way out after enjoying a lunch together.  Larry spots his author, Marcia Fox, in a group nearby, and waves to her; she comes over and Larry introduces her to his wife and son.

LARRY
It's his birthday, so we took him to Twenty-One.

                           Marcia shakes hands with Nick.

NICK
Nick.  How are you doing?

LARRY
It's a tradition we have in the family.

MARCIA
That's great.  Oh, your friend called me.  He's taking me to dinner in New Jersey next week.  Some Mafia joint.

LARRY
Oh, I fixed her up with Ted.  He's going to take her...

CAROL
Oh, you did.

LARRY
Yeah.  That place that we ate at.

CAROL
Well, very nice.  That's lovely.

LARRY
He's a lot of fun.  You'll have a very good time.

MARCIA
Great.  Great.

LARRY
That's great.  So.

MARCIA
Well, good to see you.  Good to see you.

CAROL
Okay, you too.

MARCIA
Take care.

CAROL
Goodbye.

                         Marcia walks away.

LARRY
Oh, it's great.  She'll have a great time.

CAROL
So, that's Marcia Fox, huh?

LARRY
S-So, what are you making a face for?  She's great.

CAROL
Well, do you think she's Ted's type?  Is that...

LARRY
Ted's type?

CAROL
Yeah.

                         Larry hands his ticket in to the cloakroom attendant.

LARRY
She's anybody's type.  She's brilliant, she's talented.  Yeah.  I gave you...

CAROL
Thank you.

LARRY
Here, your bag...

CAROL
You know, your pupils are dilating.

LARRY
(with a humorous edge -- drawing out the word "dangerously")
No, she's dangerously sexual.

                                  They start walking toward the entrance.

CAROL
I just wanted to tell you that.

LARRY
Let me tell you... Listen, when you go to the wine-tasting, honey...

CAROL
I see.

LARRY
Getting back to real life, spit it out.  Okay?  When you drink...

NICK
Yeah.  Don't drink too much, Mom.

LARRY
Yeah, spit...  and spit it out.

CAROL
What do you mean?  Nick.

LARRY
They spit it out at a wine-tasting, you know what I mean?  Because, yeah.  I don't want you to be lying on the bathroom floor with your head by the bowl tonight, you know?

                            They walk out of the club.

INT.  A lounge - Day

In this elegant spot, the wine-tasting is taking place.  Bunch of people around the room.  

Carol's learning about wine for when she has her restaurant.

We hear Ted and Carol's conversation without seeing them yet.  (The Voice-Over thing...)

TED
That Mouton 45.  That was...

CAROL
Didn't you love it?

TED
Oh, that was-was like, sublime, you know?

CAROL
Yeah.

TED
And the inexpensive Spanish one.  Wasn't that... wasn't that a nice surprise?

CAROL
It was very, very...

TED
Wasn't that great?

CAROL
Yeah.

TED
Look at these paintings.  Look at this.

CAROL
So, uh...

                              The CAMERA has reached Ted and Carol, and follows them walking through the room.

TED
I love the blue in that.

CAROL
So, Larry fixed you up with Marcia Fox, huh?  His, uh...

TED
Yeah, yeah, well, you know.  He's...

CAROL
His favorite writer.

TED
He says she's wonderful, and I'm...

CAROL
Oh.

TED
I'm trying to do everything I can to get out and meet people, you know.

CAROL
Sure.

TED
I'm -- I'm not looking forward to this.

CAROL
So, you're taking her to Vincent's out in Jersey?

TED
Yeah.

CAROL
Is that what you're...

TED
I-I guess.  She's not my first choice.

CAROL
No?  God, look at this!  Oh, that park is so beautiful.

                                   They have reached a large window, where they can get a view of the park on the other side of the street.

TED
Yeah, it's great.  Of course, I can't have my first choice.

CAROL
No?

TED
I'm getting drunk.  I don't know what I'm saying.

                         He sits down.  She sits down on the sofa beside him.  Behind them, we see the park through the windows.

CAROL
You're getting...  So am I.  I don't know about this.

                          Ted looks at his watch.

TED
I'm gonna be late for my shrink.  I've got a...

CAROL
You've got to go, huh?

TED
Yeah.

CAROL
Okay.

TED
Well, you know, you would be my first choice.

-30-