"I'II give you the Cowboys and three." " Three and a half." " Take three, be happy." "Three and a half." "I'm ecstatic." "Is this visit a one time shot or will you surprise me all the time?" "If I said, it wouldn't be a surprise." "I'II buy you a beer." "Jake, sit down and play a game." "If I come up with a scoop on her, I get dallas and three and a half." "If you come up with anything on her, I'II give you six." "Number 17 4, 63, 1503." "Pete, I don't want her zip code." "It's her social security number, asshole." "She works for you ." "One cheese, medium." "Fries." "Two plain, rare, tomato and onions." "One pastrami on kaiser." "Mayo, no mustard." " What's a pimple on a polack's ass?" " I need that B.L.T on rye, Richie." "A brain tumour." "What's this?" "Come on, Richie." "A lesbian with a hard-on." "I'm terrific, right?" "You can tell me." "I can take it." "Mayo, no mustard." "Can't you see me opening up in L.A?" "Direct from Pittsburgh, it's Richie BIazik, ladies and gentlemen." "L.A?" "What's all this talk about L.A?" "You 've been on the stage two times." "I give you two lousy shots and you 're talking about going to L.A.!" "Come on." "What are you , crazy?" "Besides, you 're too short anyway." "They don't let short people into hollywood." "And you 're making the hamburgers too big again." "Make 'em smaller." "I'II give you small." "This place is so small you have to go outside to change your mind." "My turn." "Ring, damn you ." "I can't believe he didn't call." " He'II call." " Do you think so?" " Of course." "Why wouldn't he?" " Yeah, why wouldn't he!" "Maybe he'II call, I don't know." "When I talked to him, he seemed funny." "Like, "I'II call you later, babe."" "I don't think he'II call." " Don't worry, he'II call." " You really think so?" " Why wouldn't he?" " You 're right." "He'II call." "If he doesn't call, should I call him?" "He'II call." "I Iove how you always try to straighten out other people's lives." "Any time you want me to straighten out yours, Iet me know." "personally, I never call." "Because I don't have to." " But if you want my advice..." " Not really." " Hi, girls!" " Hi, Richie." " Can I help?" "A foot massage?" " Get out of here!" " It's been long since he's had some." " I bet." "Hi." "Hi." "Do you read lips?" "What?" "I saw you dance last night." " I just wanted to say hi." " Hi." "You 're alex." "I know." " I'm Nick hurley." " really?" "I've seen your name on my pay cheques." "What's a dancer doing working as a welder?" "A girl's got to make a living." " You speak French?" " No." "I just like the pictures." "Me too." " Nick." "They need you on ten." " I'II be right there." " You read Vogue?" " I used to." "My wife does." "I mean, my ex-wife." "I'm divorced." "We're divorced." "Sorry." "Listen, I got to get to work." "You never know when the boss is going to be around." "You forgot your thermos." "Hi, Grunt." "So, did you get laid today?" "And now, news headlines with Kevin Evans." "Good evening." "In the news, a fire caused extensive damage to the High View Lumber Company, a dairy store and an American Motors dealership in mcdonald," "Washington County, this morning..." "Putting you down to deal with dallas." "Do we have a deal?" "I got to go." "I have a call coming up." "Disconnecting..." "Shit!" "Excuse me." "Do you know where the admissions office is?" "The door on the Ieft." " Come on, where is the focus?" " Where is it?" "Where is the centre?" "Look up." "When you fill out..." "When you fill out this application, be sure and list all your years of dance education." "Starting with the most recent place you 've studied, and the number of years at each institution." "also, if you have any professional or other repertory experience, please, list those." "When you fill out this application, be sure to list all your years of dance education." "And the number of years you 've spent at each institution." " I got to go, you guys." " See you , alex." "Don't get dirty." " hello, dancer." " Hi." " Want a hand?" " No, thanks." "You know, I have this close, personal relationship with the lady who drives the lunch truck." "I can get her to make us anything we want." " As long as it's on the menu ." " I'm not having lunch." " How about dinner?" " I can't." "I don't have dinner with the boss." "Thanks anyway." "No lunch, no dinner." "How about a snack?" "milk and cookies?" "I Iove this dress." "It's exactly like the picture I showed you ." "Thanks so much for making it." "Now, more important, did you go to the repertory?" "I meant to." "I was going to go yesterday, but I didn't have time." " You must make the time, child." " I know." "Remember the first time you took me to see them dance?" "I have dreams about it." "Dreaming is wonderful, but it won't get you closer to what you want." "But I've saved money, so if they take me, I can support myself." "But, child, they won't take you unless you apply and audition." " I know, but sometimes..." " alexandra, you are 18 years old." "Do it now!" "Do it!" "OK." "You are a good girl." "May the Lord be in your heart and mind that you confess your sins in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit." "bless me father, for I have sinned." "It's been two weeks since my last confession." "I'm doing OK." "Sort of." "I've been thinking about sex a Iot." "But you can't help thinking about sex." "You probably can..." "help it, I mean." "also, I told a lie." "I had to..." "well, I didn't have to, but..." "AII I wanted to do is to make her happy." "Hanna wanted me to get the application." "I couldn't tell her that I didn't have the courage to go through with it." "If you had seen all those dancers..." "There is no way I belong there." "I want to make something out of my Iife." "I want to do so much, and sometimes..." "Sometimes I think that it's just not going to happen." "Six beautiful girls!" "AII nude!" "Hi, baby, how are you doing?" "Five dollars, right this way!" "Five dollars!" "AII nude all the time!" "AII nude, all the time!" "cecil, look at you ." "Buy some threads, I'm running a class act here." "You look like a one-man-sIum." "AII nude, all the time!" "Right here, live!" "Six beautiful girls!" "Right here!" "Live!" "Five dollars!" "Right this way!" "Five dollars!" "Live!" "Nude!" "AII girls, all the time!" "Live!" "Nude!" "Right this way!" "Right through the door!" "Straighten yourself up." "Attract some customers." "well, well, well, what are these?" "They are very cute." "Very, very cute." "alex!" "Come on, give them back." "They are Richie's." "My dad's breathing down my neck." "He says Richie is no good." "If he ain't asked me to marry him by now, he ain't gonna." "No kidding!" "Did it take you long to Iearn how to dance that way?" "About 25 years." " will you teach me how?" " Yeah." " If you teach me how to skate." " Yeah." "Good evening, ladies." "Look at that. $21 321, all leather, push-buttons." "You wanna go for a ride?" "Jeanie, are you still fuckin' that cook?" "Listen." "Come see my club." "I just put this new PA system in." "The floor's lit up where you 're going to dance." "I want you to see what you 're going to call home." "Did you know that the smallest penis ever measured was 1.1 inches?" "You are some pair of cunts!" "I can't believe I'm working out with this hangover." "Wait." "I've lost my keys." "I can't believe this." " Hank!" "You moron!" " Come on, Iet's go work out." "He didn't call." "He'II call." "I don't think so, alex." "He'II call, Tina." " I don't know." " Look." "Just call the man." "Say, "Hey, baby, what's happening?"" "Your life's going to be over before you make up your mind." "Just get up and call the dude." "Yeah?" "You really think so?" "God, I'm glad I ain't no honky." "You girls eat like pigs." "What happened to the diet?" "I didn't eat anything yesterday." "We'II go over to the rink and work it off." "Richie going to be there?" "There's a real winner." "No, we're gonna work." " She thinks she'II be on the ice show." " What's wrong with that?" " I'd make a Iot of money." " You 're costing me a Iot of money." "I'd just like to try it again, Daddy." "She's really good." "You ought to see her." " She'II fall on her ass." " She's got a tough ass." "Yeah, I've got a tough ass." "It's not her ass I'm worried about." "Where are you ?" "Come here." "Here we go." "No, don't." "You look great." "Don't stop." "Do it again!" "Shit, I can't do this." "No, go do your turn." "Do you know the triple one?" "Hi." "I'm Richie BIazik." "Hi." "I'm Richie BIazik." "Did you hear about the PoIack bank robber?" "He tied up the safe, blew the guard." "Tied up the safe, blew the guard." "Tied up the safe and blew the guard." "Kid!" "Come here." "Come here!" " What's the matter?" " I'm nervous, Jake." "Now you ain't nervous any more." "Now you 're pissed off." "Good luck, baby." "Hi." "How are you doing?" "I'm Richie BIazik." "Did you hear about the PoIack bank robber?" "He tied up the safe and blew the guard." "So, the lady says to the waiter," ""Excuse me, sir, do you have frogs legs?"" "The waiter says, "No, that's just the way I walk."" "You want to talk about boogers?" "I know a Iot about them." "How about boogers?" "Sports for fifty?" "What's a pimple on a polack's ass?" "A brain tumour." "Take a walk!" "Bring on the bimbos." "Come on, guys." "could you give me a break?" "I'm just a cook." "I'm just a cook, all right?" "This is my big chance, so if you screw it up for me," "I'II put cockroaches in your hamburgers, you got it?" "miracles do happen, I guess." "It took the steelers 40 years to win a championship, didn't it?" "steelers!" "I feel like Franco Harris when he made the immaculate Reception." "It was amazing!" "Hear about the PoIack, who locked his keys in the car?" "He used a coat hanger to get his family out." "Did you hear about the PoIack who died drinking milk?" "The cow fell on him." "A polish terrorist tried to blow up a car and he burned his lips on the exhaust pipe." "You guys have been real nice." "I've gotta go cook the hamburgers." "No roaches, I promise." "Let me bring out our next act." "Direct from Mawby's." "It's Tina Tech, ladies and gentlemen." "One, two, three, four!" "alex, sit down here a minute." "cecil, this is a nice ass." "Soft..." "Round." "Snug." "She likes it." "Bimbo!" "Whore." "Fuck off!" "Night, kids." " Night." " Night, Jake." "Richie, no more jokes about cockroaches." "One of these days I want to be like..." "Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin." " until that day comes..." " You 'II just steal all their material." " alex." " Let me go." " What are you doing?" " Nothing to fight about." " We're gonna go to cecil's place." " Let me go!" "Drink a little wine." "Do a little weed." "You and me." "How about CeciI?" "You like CeciI?" " Get off of me!" " AII three of us, real friendly." "Why don't you leave her alone!" "The comedian is going to be a hero." "cecil, what the fuck is wrong with you ?" "Let her go, Johnny." "What are you doing here, Nick?" "SIumming?" "This ain't your neighbourhood no more." "I didn't mean nothing." "I just got pissed off." " Send me a bill, kid." " Let me see." " Is it bleeding?" "Jesus." " Yeah." "Come on." "Here's your hat." " Are you OK?" " Yeah." " Are you sure?" " I'm OK." "It'II look good on stage." " It's going to be fine." " Are you sure?" " Sure you 're going to be OK?" " Yeah, fine." "Listen, what can I say?" "Thanks a Iot." "I'II give you a lift home." "It's OK." "I've got a ride." "Thanks anyway." " What's his name?" " Grunt." " Grunt?" " Yeah." "I can see that I don't have to worry about you ." "What was he before he became a dog?" "He gets upset when people he doesn't know follow me home." "This is the man that feeds you , Grunt." "tell you what..." "I'II bring him a doggy bag if you 'II have dinner with me." "I told you I don't think it's a good idea to go out with the boss." "OK." "Have it your way." "You 're fired." "I'II pick you up tomorrow at eight." "How long does this thing last?" "It's cold." " How's the nose?" " It's broken." "Broke mine three times." "It was big in the '50s, wasn't it?" "Busting noses?" "'60s." "Think she can beat her?" "Miss Szabo." "You 're going to do great." "Go Jeanie!" "Come on!" "Look at that one." "There you were 20 years ago, sweetheart." "There we go." "Come on." "Come on, Jeanie!" "Get up, Jeanie." "It's going to be OK." "AII that time and practice." "What a waste." " Goddamn waste of time." " It was not." "It wasn't." "You went out there, didn't you ?" "At least you had the guts to try." "How are you doing, sport?" "I'm sorry, Daddy." "I Iove you more than I've ever loved anything in my whole life." "What the hell." "You bounced pretty good." "She practised for two years." " She'II do better next time." " There won't be any next time." "Thank you ." "What do you feel like, fish, chicken, steak?" " I know this terrific little..." " Pizza." "...Pizza place." " You really live here?" " Yeah." "It used to be a warehouse before I moved in." "It's different." "Very different." "A whole lot different than where I'm from." "Where is that?" "AItoona, pennsylvania." "AItoona." "I was thinking more along the lines of Jupiter." "actually, they're very close." "It's just the next lifeless planet over." "really, it was boring." "Except for maybe music." " They have music in altoona?" " well, my father, he loves music." "This one time, he took us all to the symphony, my whole family." "It was supposed to be this really big deal." "At first I didn't like it very much." "There is nothing to do with your feet and there's nothing to look at." "It's boring." "I was ready to nod out, or something." "He said, "If you close your eyes, you can see the music."" "You can, too." "Did you ever try?" "See the music?" "Come on, try." "close your eyes." "well?" "well..." "I had a great time." "It was a terrific evening." "Don't you want some pizza?" "Hey!" "A little late, aren't you ?" "What was that for?" "I wanted to see how fast you could run." " How did I do?" " Fair." "Do that again." " What?" " That dance step you just did." "I can't, I was just fooling around." "I'm not a dancer like that." " What do you mean?" " I've never studied before." "I mean, I read books and stuff and I watch." "But I've never taken dance classes." "There's all those dancers in one room watching each other and watching you ." "But you dance in front of an audience at the club every night." "It's different." "I never see them." "You go out there, the music starts and you begin to feel it." "And your body just starts to move." "I know it sounds really silly." "But something inside of you just clicks." "You just take off and you 're gone." "It's like you 're somebody else for a second." "Some nights, I..." "Some nights I just can't wait to get out there..." "Just so I can disappear." "How come you don't go up there and dance?" "You look like you could dance real good." "I'm practising." "Yeah?" "You know how to do the horizontal mambo?" "Jeanie, I just kid around." "I don't mean nothing." "Keep that." "That's $100." "I can't take this." "Keep it." "It's my way of saying I'm sorry." "Thanks." "Hanna!" "Hanna!" "darling, here you are." "Bravo!" "Bravo!" "At the end of every performance, does the lead dancer always get flowers?" " always." " Did you get flowers like that?" " Not always." " But once, right?" "At least once?" " How does that make you feel?" " You will let me know." " Now, sleep well." " You too." "You son of a bitch!" "Was that you or the radiator, Grunt?" "Oh, shit." "Shut up, Grunt." " Hey, it's Richie!" " Hi." "The stupid radiator broke." " I just wanted to say goodbye." " Where are you going?" "L.A." " L.A?" " Got my car all packed." "I'm just going to get on the turnpike." "That's it." "I'm gone." "What about Jeanie?" "Look, I Iove Jeanie." "But I don't have it to give to her right now." "She's going to be all right." "She'II be fine." "Don't go yet." "I'II make some coffee, we can talk." "What am I going to do here?" "Cook hamburgers and pretend I'm a comedian?" "I'II miss you ." "Can't forget my hat." "Good luck." "Give me a turkey sandwich and a diet 7-Up." " I've got that." " Save your money." " I was buying you lunch." " I don't want you buying me anything." " I don't want you buying me, period." " What's the matter?" " I've got eyes." " What are you talking about?" "I didn't know you were a ballet fan, I thought you liked it private." "What?" "How quickly they forget." "At the dance benefit." "The blonde in the white dress." "Who's the goddamn blonde?" "blonde?" "blonde?" "Wait a minute." "will you wait a minute?" "Wait a minute!" "What's going on?" "Is everybody crazy?" "Last night, some idiot throws a rock through my window..." " I broke your fucking window!" " You what?" "You heard me." "I smashed your stupid window." "Are you crazy?" "Are you out of your mind?" "Maybe." "It cost me a $170." "I had to special order it." "You 've got the money!" "Go fuck the blonde!" "She's my ex-wife." "We have friends on the Arts council." "I see her once a year to take her to the stupid benefit!" "Why am I explaining myself?" "You didn't have to break my window." "I did it because...you pissed me off." "When I was a kid all I wanted was to afford to eat in restaurants like this." "Were you poor?" "I was so poor I had hand-me-down Iunches." "It was rough in the old days." "I used to steal hubcaps with Johnny C." "You did?" "How's the lobster?" "It sucks." "Want some of mine?" "I'm not hungry, thanks." "Whatever turns you on." "What turns you on?" "You like phone booths?" "Phone booths?" "You probably just like doing it in bed, right?" " You two look cosy." " alex, this is Katie." "hello." "Nick has told me all about you ." "Hi." " You 're not really a welder, are you ?" " Yes, I really am." "And you really take your clothes off at night?" " I don't really take them off." " I was under the impression that you did." "You look great." "You didn't look this good when we were married." " It was the company I was keeping." " That was good." "That's funny." "Has he taken you to the steel mill?" "He likes to go there on his first date." " That was your first date, wasn't it?" " Yeah, it was." "As a matter of fact..." "I fucked his brains out." "obviously, you did." "Charmed, dear." "You loved her once, didn't you ?" "I thought I did in the beginning." "She was different from anyone I had gone out with before, she was..." "well educated." "Came from a real good family." "I figured that I had really made it." "And one day, I realised that..." "I'd just taken the safe route." "When I realised that, it made it easier for me to do what I had to do." "What was that?" "Let go." "Start over again." "Figure out what it was I wanted to do and go after it." "You got it, didn't you ?" "How did you do it?" "I took a deep breath and jumped." "hello." "I'd Iike to apply for admission to the Repertory Company." "When you fill out this application, write down all your years of previous dance training." "Starting with the Iast school you attended." "I know that part." "Auditions are by invitation only and are performed before the committee and select members of the Repertory Company." "Thank you ." "You 're welcome." "Good morning." "Good morning." "May I help you ?" "Yes." "There was a young woman here a short time ago, wearing an army jacket." "She was here." "I was talking to her... about admission to the Repertory Company." "Mr bradley, please." "Nick hurley." "Larry!" "Hey." "Great." "Great." "Listen, are you still on the Arts council?" "I need a favour for a special friend." "He called." "Trick or treat?" "Hey, throw that bum out!" "I told you they didn't like short people down there." "Richie!" "Richie!" " Did you check out the clubs there?" " Yeah." " Come on, what happened?" " One of them offered me a job." "That's great." "As a waiter." "I said, "Me, a waiter?" "You got to be crazy." ""I can't take a job as a waiter." "I'm a cook."" "Hi, Richie." "Hi, Jeanie." " I missed you ." " AII those girls out there?" "There were no girls out there." "That's why you called me every night?" "Hey, it's the cook!" "Or is it the comedian?" "Nice suit, Richie." " Let's go, Jeanie." " See you later, Richie." "See you around." "The audition!" "I got it!" "I got it!" "Nick, wait up!" " Look!" "Wait!" " What's going on?" " Read it." " What?" "I got the audition, look." "I applied for the Repertory Company." "You have to be invited before you can audition and they invited me." "That's wonderful." "We have to do something about it." "When?" " How about tonight?" " Yes." "Hanna?" "Hanna?" "well..." "I did it." "I knew you would." "congratulations." "I'm so excited I can't stop shaking." "But what if I don't make it?" "You will." "I know you will." "What would I do without you ?" "I Ioved the dinner." "And I Ioved the way they sat us right away." "I Ioved that there were 50 people waiting and we just whizzed in." "I called the restaurant last night... and told them it was a very special occasion." "What do you mean you called them last night?" " Stop the car." " Why?" "Stop the goddamn car!" "You called them last night but I didn't tell you I got the audition until this morning." "So how the hell did you know?" " Listen." " Friends on the committee?" "asshole!" "Stop the car!" " alex!" " Let me go." "You have no right to help me!" "I don't want you to help me!" "You 're going to get yourself killed!" "AII I did was to make a phone call." "I got you the audition, the rest is up to you ." "The whole thing has to be up to me!" "I'm not going to the audition!" "Good evening, Mawby's." " Is Jeanie there?" " alex, where have you been all week?" "Come on, Jake, I don't want to hear it." "Is she there?" "She doesn't work for me any more." "She's over at the Zanzibar." " What?" " You heard me." "Come on, Jeanie." "We're getting out of here." "No!" "alex!" "alex!" "Jesus Christ!" "alex!" "What the fuck!" "What are you doing?" "You want to make a living rolling around on your back?" "I make good money." "I thought you wanted to be a dancer." "You call that dancing?" " What's this shit?" " Stop it, that's mine." "Why did you come here?" "Because you 're my friend." "Jerk!" " I'm cold." " So am I." " You don't say hello?" " No." "You didn't show up at work, I was worried about you ." " You look like shit." " Thanks a Iot." "You 're welcome." "Listen, I didn't come here to fight, I came to see if you were OK." "Forget it, it doesn't matter." " What doesn't matter?" " The audition." "I don't care." " You do care." " I don't care." "If you can't be honest with yourself, you can't with me." "I don't need you telling me what to do." "I don't need to hear your shit." "I'm not a baby!" "Get out of here!" "Go play with your fucking Porsche." "What you need is a kick in the ass." "You 're not grown-up enough to smoke." "The truth is, you 're scared shitless of going to that place, aren't you ?" " I am not." " Yes, you are." "You 're using me as an excuse not to go." "Get out." "You 're just going to piss it all away, alex." "Don't you understand?" "When you give up your dream, you die." "See you ." "Hanna?" "Hanna?" "Hanna?" "Hanna?" "Hanna?" "She died." "Yesterday." " Where have you been?" " No place." " What are you doing?" " Getting my stuff." "What are you getting your stuff for?" "If it's that bad, why don't you slit your wrists and get it over with?" "I thought nothing ever got you down." "You know, when I started out, I was 17." "I used to work in these old movie theatres." "Every cent I had, I spent on costumes." "I had more fancy costumes and dresses than you do." "When I went on that stage I was looking so good." "One day I just stopped buying them." "I don't even know what happened." "I thought about it a Iot." "I just can't seem to pin it down." "The dresses got old and I just stopped wearing them." "I got some in a trunk." "I'II show you sometime." "OK." "What the hell." "It's show time." "May the Lord be in your heart and mind that you confess your sins in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit." "bless me father for I have sinned." "It's been a Iong time since my last confession." "I want..." "I want so much." "Can I start again?"