Logline
We pick up on page 10... Colin Regan, the lead, runs a dive bar in current Atlantic City.
He was involved in a bar fight and severely injured a drunk customer. He's made his favorite dinner, chicken, and dumplings, as a kind of refuge from the violence for his girlfriend, Adele. He explains how and why it became his favorite dinner when he was just 17.
He's an orphan living with his grandmother, Nellie and his aunt, Ann
He looks backto the summer of 1964...
INT. BOARDING HOUSE KITCHEN - DAY
Working-class, NELLIE REGAN, 60s, pulls a hefty can from her cupboard, cranks it open, dumps a whole chicken into a pot.
ANN (O.S.)
(calling in a pure south Jersey accent)
Nellie, Norman the Jew died last night.
(beat)
Did you hear?
(beat)
'Ya hear me?
Nellie's always in a cotton dress with stockings rolled down her calves ...she's the queen bee, a drone, and a worker.
NELLIE
(calling)
Yeah, so what's it to me?
You want dumplings or rice?
INT. BOARDING HOUSE FRONT ROOM - NIGHT
ANN QUIGLEY, 60s, dribbles vodka in a martini glass. Ann, powdered makeup, bright red lipstick, electric, blue eyes is dressed as though she's going to a nightclub.
Ann is the source of all that is fun. Consequences? There ain't no consequences.
ANN
(calling)
Dumplings. Your's are so good.
INT. BOARDING HOUSE KITCHEN - NIGHT
NELLIE
(calling)
I couldn't stand the guy.
(muttering)
His brother will probably get
him a used casket. So fucking
cheap, those Jews.
INT. BOARDING HOUSE FRONT ROOM - NIGHT
Ann carries her martini glass to the front screen door which looks directly out to the boardwalk.
She finishes the martini in one, big gulp ...ending with a totally satisfied aaahhhhh!
ANN
(yelling)
Just asking for Christ's sake.
Didn't ask about...
NELLIE (O.S.)
(yelling)
Ask all you want, I know he's
dead. Good riddance.
INT. BOARDING HOUSE KITCHEN - NIGHT
NELLIE
(calling much louder)
Well, if you want dumplings I'll
need Bisquit -
(to herself)
Where's the god damned Bisquit?
INT. BOARDING HOUSE FRONT ROOM - NIGHT
ANN
(calling)
It's your god-damned kitchen,
how should I know?
(quietly)
I don't cook. Jesus, she
knows that.
EXT. ATLANTIC CITY BOARDWALK - NIGHT
Ann spots Colin standing across the boardwalk.
ANN (O.S.)
(calling)
Colin's coming.
NELLIE (O.S.)
(calling)
He's late.
INT. BOARDING HOUSE FRONT ROOM - NIGHT
ANN
Yeah, well hold your horses Nellie,
it might be a while. He's ogling
some babe.