Girl Meets Boy

[JOE]
Girl meets boy
That's a safe beginning

[BETTY]
It's nearly closing
I thought you weren't going to show

[JOE]
So did I
Felt it might be kinder

[BETTY]
What are you saying?

[JOE]
Come on, Miss Schaefer, you know

[BETTY, spoken]
What?

[JOE]
Every time I see some young kid
Dreaming they'll produce some masterpiece
I just want to throw them on the next train home

[BETTY]
Never thought you'd be so condescending

[JOE]
Sorry, Miss Schaefer
I didn't come here to fight

[BETTY]
Fighting's fine
I'm not giving up yet
It's just the terror
All those blank pages
So frighteningly white

[JOE]
Up all night
Searching for solutions
Buckets of coffee will see you over the line
Boy meets girl
Lots of complications
You've got sixty pages to make sure everything's fine

[BETTY]
It doesn't have to be so mindless
You should write from your experience
Give us something really moving
Something true

[JOE]
Who wants true?
Who the hell wants moving?
'Moving' means starving
And 'true' means holes in your shoes

[BETTY]
No, you're wrong
They still make good pictures
Stick to your story
It's a good story

[JOE]
Okay, Miss Schaefer
I give it to you

[BETTY, spoken]
What do you mean?

[JOE, spoken]
What I said. I've given up writing myself, so you write it

[BETTY, spoken]
Oh, no, no, no—I'm not good enough to do it on my own. I thought we'd write it together

[JOE, spoken]
I can't. I'm all—tied up

[BETTY, spoken]
Okay, well, couldn't we work evenings? I mean, six o'clock in the morning, I'll come to your place—

[JOE, spoken]
Look, Betty, it can't be done, it's out. (beat) Listen. We can keep in touch through Artie. Just keep telling yourself: it's only a movie

[BETTY]
That won't work
I'm not disillusioned
Not the way you are
I'm starting out my career
Unlike you
I still have ambitions
I'm still determined
I hope I make myself clear
Never sell your soul for money
Never compromise integrity
Never give up something you were born to do

[JOE]
Very good
Nothing I can teach you
It could've been fun
Fighting the studio

[BETTY]
Yes, Mr. Gillis
That's why I need y—

[ARTIE]
What a nightmare!
Good to see you
Come to my New Year's party

[JOE]
Last year it got out of hand

[ARTIE]
Guaranteed bad behavior

[JOE]
See you then

[BETTY]
Don't give up
You're too good

[JOE, spoken]
Thanks