American Psycho: Business Card Scene

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM, PIERCE & PIERCE - DAY

Bateman and Luis Carruthers are seated at a long table in the conference room at Pierce & Pierce, which looks out onto a spectacular view of Manhattan.

CARRUTHERS: Patrick, thanks so much for looking after Courtney. Dorsia, how impressive! How on earth did you get a reservation there?

BATEMAN: Lucky, I guess.

CARRUTHERS: That's a wonderful jacket. Let me guess, Valentino Couture?

BATEMAN: Uh huh.

CARRUTHERS (Reaching out to touch it): It looks so soft.

BATEMAN (Catching Luis hand): Your compliment was sufficient Luis.

Carruthers is distracted by a question from the colleague
on his left.

Paul Owen enters, carrying the Wall St. Journal under his arm. He is handsome, supremely confident and self-satisfied; he sees himself as a leader among men.

ALLEN (to Bateman): Hello, Halberstam. Nice tie. How the hell are you?

BATEMAN: I've been great. And you?Their conversation fades down as we hear Bateman's thoughts.

BATEMAN (V.O.): Allen has mistaken me for this dickhead Marcus Halberstam. It seems logical because Marcus also works at P&P and in fact does the same exact thing I do and he also has a penchant for Valentino suits and Oliver Peoples glasses. Marcus and I even go to the same barber, although I have a slightly better haircut.

During this voiceover the CAMERA WANDERS over to MARCUS HALBERSTAM, who is conferring with a colleague in the opposite corner of the room. He bears a superficial resemblance to Bateman.

ALLEN: How's the Ransom account going, Marcus?

BATEMAN (nervous): It's...it's...all right.

ALLEN: Really? That's interesting.

He stares at Bateman, smiling

ALLEN: Not great?

BATEMAN: Oh well, you know.

OWEN: And how's Cecilia? She's a great girl.

BATEMAN: Oh yes. I'm very lucky.

McDermott and Price enter.

McDERMOTT: Hey. Allen! Congratulations on the Fisher account.

ALLEN: Thank you, Baxter.

BRYCE: Listen, Paul. Squash?

ALLEN: Call me.

Hands him a business card

PRICE: How about Friday?

OWEN: No can do. Got a res at eight-thirty at Dorsia. Great sea urchin ceviche.

There is a stunned silence as he walks away and sits in a corner of the room, ostentatiously studying papers.

CLOSE-UP on Bateman's face, cold with hatred.

PRICE (whispering): Jesus. Dorsia? On a Friday night? How'd he swing that?

McDERMOTT (whispering): I think he's lying.

Bateman takes out his wallet and pulls out a card.

PRICE (suddenly enthused): What's that, a gram?

BATEMAN: New card. What do you think?

McDermott lifts it up and examines the lettering carefully.

McDERMOTT: Whoa. Very nice. Take a look.

He hands it to Van Patten.

BATEMAN: Picked them up from the printers yesterday.

VAN PATTEN: Good coloring.

BATEMAN: That's bone. And the lettering is something called Silian Rail.

McDERMOTT (envious): Silian Rail?

VAN PATTEN: It is very cool, Bateman. But that's nothing.

He pulls a card out of his wallet and slaps it on the
table.]

VAN PATTEN: Look at this.

They all lean forward to inspect it.

PRICE: That's really nice.

Bateman clenches his fists beneath the table, trying to control his anxiety.

VAN PATTEN: Eggshell with Romalian type.

(Turning to Bateman)

What do you think?

BATEMAN (barely able to breathe, his voice a croak): Nice.

PRICE (holding the card up to the light): Jesus. This is really super. How'd a nitwit like you get so tasteful?

Bateman stares at his own card and then enviously at McDermott's.

BATEMAN (V.O.): I can't believe that Price prefers McDermott's card to mine.

PRICE: But wait. You ain't seen nothin' yet.

He holds up his own card.

PRICE: Raised lettering, pale nimbus white...

BATEMAN (choking with anxiety): Impressive. Very nice. Let's see Paul Owen's card.

Price pulls a card from an inside coat pocket and holds it up for their inspection: "PAUL OWEN, PIERCE & PIERCE, MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS." Bateman swallows, speechless. The sound in the room dies down and all we hear is a faint heartbeat as Bateman stares at the magnificent card.

BATEMAN (V.O.): Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh my God, it even has a watermark...

His hand shaking, Bateman lifts up the card and stares at it
until it fills the screen. He lets it fall. The sound returns to normal.

CARRUTHERS: Is something wrong? Patrick...you're sweating.