S03E02

The Truth

Full screenplay script transcript for Seinfeld S03E02: The Truth

5 Scenes288 Lines
Scene 1

Opening Scene

70 lines
Jerry
Welcome everyone to the room...Ah, the extra button....yeah ... what kind of a sicko would save these ...have them in a huge file, drawers that wide (small fingers opening imaginary drawers) Where the hell is that ... I mean is it THAT hard to get round black buttons that they have to make it into such a great thing like this? ... is it such a great jacket ... the buttons are so unique, so one of a kind, you'll never find them - they save you the trouble of knocking your brain off - and we know they're going to fall off too that's the other thing ...
[Monks]
Patrice
Everyone in my family's creative. And even though I'm working as an accountant now I'd really like to eventually live exclusively on my pappe-ay mache-ay hats
George
I don't understand. Paper Machay hats?
Patrice
uh uh
George
What if it rains?
Patrice
They're art. You hang them on the wall.
George
Oh, art!
Patrice
It's my creative outlet. One of my passions.
George
Any money in it?
Patrice
Who so belongs only to his age, references only popenjays and mumbo jumbos
George
Of course, right.
Patrice
Thomas Carlisle, 1864.
George
Tommy C.
[Jerry's Apartment]
Jerry
These are the receipts from 85 and I'm going to do 86.
Kramer
I'm sorry. I thought it was a legitimate charity. I didn't know you'd get audited
Jerry
I don't blame you. I blame myself.
Kramer
No, blame me.
Jerry
OK, I blame you.
Kramer
Don't blame me.
Jerry
What was I supposed to do? You knew I was on my first date with Elaine. You come barging in here asking me to contribute money for a volcano relief fund for krakatoa.
Kramer
It was supposed to erupt.
Jerry
I find the whole thing very embarrassing.
Kramer
You know what my feelings are about this. I don't even pay taxes.
Jerry
Yeah, tha's easy when you have no income.
(Elaine enters)
Elaine
Hi,
Jerry
Hi
Elaine
Kramer, do me a favour will ya'. If you insist o making pasta in my apartment please don't put the tomato sauce on the pasta while it's in the strainer. All the little squares have hardened red sauce in them.
(Jerry smiles)
Elaine
What's so funny
Jerry
Kramer dating your room mate. It's funny.
Elaine
Uh, it's a riot Alice.
Kramer
When do you pit the sauce on?
Elaine
Any other time.
Kramer
I like to strain the sauce.
Elaine
And ... I could really live without the tribal music ... and the make out sessions in the living room
Kramer
Yeah, Tina likes the couch.
Elaine
What are you doing? What is all this?
Jerry
Oh he's uh, helping me sort my receipts. I'm being audited.
Elaine
O, your being auditted? What for?
Jerry
Oh, I contributed money to a charity that turned out to be fraudulent. It's very boring.
Elaine
When was this?
Jerry
Uh, Along long time ago, in a galaxy far far away.
Elaine
I remember you donated to some volcano thing on our first date.
Jerry
Volcano? Really?
Elaine
Oh, wait a minute. Don't tell me that that was ...
Jerry
Something to drink?
Elaine
What did you think, that would impress me?
Jerry
You got it ALL wrong. I was thinking only of the poor Krakatoans
Elaine
Like you this donation for 50 bucks and I'd start tearing my clothes off?
Jerry
Those brave Krakatoans East of Java. who sacrifice so much for so long.
Elaine
Now you're being audited because of it. You see That's Karma.
Jerry
No, that's Krama.
Elaine
So, waddya' going to do?
Jerry
It's all taken care of.
Elaine
How is that?
Kramer
(chuckles)
Jerry
An old friend of mine, whom you may have met, George Costanza, has recently become intimate with a female accountant who was formally a highly placed official with an outfit known as the IRS. And as we speak, at this very moment he is handing over to her all of my pertinent tax information. And she has assured us that the matter is well within her field of expertise.
Elaine
Why is she doing this?
Jerry
I don't know. It must be love.
[Monks]
George
I don't think we should see each other anymore. You're great but I'm I'm riddled with personal problems.
Patrice
What did I do?
George
Nothing It's not you. It's me. I have a fear of commitment. I don't know how to love.
Patrice
You hate my earrings don't you?
George
No, no,
Patrice
And you didn't comment on the chop sticks.
George
I love the chop sticks. I, I personally prefer a fork but they look very nice.
Scene 2

Scene 2

70 lines
Patrice
You're not telling me the truth. I must have done something.
George
I have a fear of intimacy
Patrice
Don't give me cliches. I have a right to know. What did I do wrong?
George
Nothing. It's not YOU..
Patrice
I want the truth.
George
The truth. you want the truth? It is your earrings It is the chopsticks but it's so much more. You're pretentious. You call everyone by their full name You call my doorman, Sammy, "Samuel" but you didn't even say "Samuel" You went "Sam - U- EL" Papie-eh Mach-eh What is Papie-ay Mach-ay?
Patrice
Keep goin'.
George
I, I think I made my point. I'm sorry if I was a little harsh.
Patrice
No, I asked for the truth. Thank you for being so honest.
George
Can I uh, can I walk you back to work?
Patrice
I prefer to go alone. How much do I owe?
George
Oh, please ... ... four dollars is f...
[Jerry's Apartment]
Jerry
... if this audit had happened to me and I didn't have this woman to help me I would have killed this man. I would have strangled the life out of him with my bare hands
Elaine
I don't blame ya'
Jerry
Have you ever been through an audit?
Elaine
No.
Jerry
It's hell. It's the financial equivalent of a complete rectal examination. I would have killed this man. Torn him limb from limb, ripped the flesh right off his bones ...
(buzzer)
Jerry
Yeah
George
George
Jerry
Come up - Ah, there he is, the man himself, George Louis Costanza. Here I am about to go to the electric chair and my oldest friend is dating the governor
George
My whole life has been a complete waste of time, (chuckle)
Jerry
And there's so much more to go.
George
Now I know what I am supposed to do. It's so simple. Tell the truth That's all. Just tell the truth
Jerry
So what happened? You gave her my tax papers? ... My papers?
George
Oh, oh, your papers
Jerry
What happened you didn't give her the papers?
George
No. I did.
Jerry
SO?
George
...I broke up with her.
(Kramer leaves)
Jerry
You what?
George
I broke up with her.
Jerry
I'm being audited! And you broke up with her?
George
It's OK. It's fine. She'll do it. I'm sure she'll still do it.
Jerry
Why will she still do it? She hates you now. People don't do you favors after you dump them.
George
Oh, no. We left on good terms.
Jerry
How is that possible?
George
Because I uh, I told her the truth.
Jerry
Oh, my God.
George
It's OK.
Jerry
It's unheard of ...
George
She asked me to.
Jerry
So you lie! What did you tell her?
George
I told her that she was pretentious.
Jerry
Pretentious!? The woman has my tax papers. You told her she was pretentious? The IRS. They're like the MAFIA. They can take anything they want
Elaine
How would you like it if someone told YOU the truth?
George
Like what? What could they say?
Elaine
There are plenty of things to say.
George
Like what? I'm bald? What is it specifically? Is, is there an odor I'm not aware of?
Elaine
George, please.
George
Give me one.
Elaine
You sure?
George
Yes.
Elaine
What?
Elaine
Forget it. You are very careful with money.
George
I'm cheap? You think I'm CHEAP? How could you say that to me? I can't believe this. How could you say that to me?
Elaine
You asked me to.
George
You should have lied.
Elaine
HUH, so should you.
Jerry
OK, wait a second, wait a second, what happened to my papers?
George
(ignoring Jerry) I mean I'm not really working right now.
Elaine
I know.
George
When I was working I spent baby.
Jerry
Yeah, I know champagne, limos, cigars. WHAT happened to the papers?
George
She put them in her pocketbook. I guess she took them with her.
Elaine
Pocketbook or a handbag?
Jerry
Is that relevant? She TOOK them. Call her office.
George
Give me the phone. (dials) Yea, Hi I would like to speak to Patrice. ... what? ... oh really? ... oh, ok, thank you, ... (hangs up)
Scene 3

Scene 3

70 lines
Jerry
What? What?
George
She never came back from lunch.
Jerry
This is no good. This is no good. Call her house.
George
(dials) Hi, are you OK? no, no,.. huh, (hangs up) She hung up.
Jerry
Not good.
George
All right. There's nothing to be worried about. She's just a little annoyed right now. Tomorrow I'll personally go over there. I'll apologize. I'll get the papers. Don't worry. Don't worry. (exits)
Jerry
Not good
[Jerry's Apartment]
Kramer
Yeah, it's a windshield.
Jerry
I can see that. What's it for?
Kramer
I found it on the road.
Jerry
Yeah (to buzzer)
Elaine
(from intercom) I just finished working out are you busy?
Jerry
Come on up.
Kramer
Can you believe somebody threw this out? You know I'm going to make a coffee table out of this and surprise Tina.
Jerry
wouldn't it be invisible? I mean, what, are you going to just sense it's in front of the couch?
Kramer
wow
(Elaine enters - she and Kramer avoid each other's stares)
Elaine
hell-oo
Kramer
hell-oo
Jerry
What's with you two?
Elaine
You haven't told him?
Jerry
Tell me what?
Elaine
Huh, go ahead, tell him.
Kramer
I, I saw her naked.
Elaine
He saw me naked. Kramer, ... saw me naked.
Kramer
Well, you know, ... it was an accident.
Elaine
Who walks into a woman's bedroom without knocking. I want to know!
Kramer
I thought it was a closet.
Jerry
Completely naked?
Kramer
Completely naked.
Elaine
Jerrryyy, How can I go on?
Kramer
All right. I'll tell you what. If it's going to make you feel any better you can see me naked.
(Kramer begins disrobing)
Elaine
No thanks!
Kramer
No, I want you to see me naked.
Elaine
No, no no.
Kramer
No, I want to show you.
Elaine
No! Jerry! Jerry!
Jerry
OK, just a second lets not lose our heads here. Kramer you know you are always welcome in my home but as far as Mr. Johnson is concerned, that's another story.
(Kramer sits down picks up windshield)
Elaine
What is this?
Kramer
Well, it's a windshield. It's going to be your new coffee table.
Elaine
Ah, I'm going to kill myself on that thiing. You can't even see it.
Jerry
You'll sense it.
(George enters slowly)
Jerry
Well, what happened? Was she there?
George
No, no she wasn't.
Jerry
You didn't get my papers?
George
No, I didn't.
Jerry
Well, where is she?
George
A mental institution.
[Middle Monologue]
Jerry
Why is it so difficult, uncomfortable, to be naked. It's because when you have clothes on you can always kinda make those little adjustments which people like to do ... you feel like you're getting it together, yeah, yeah pretty good (pulling at lapels, pockets etc.) feeling good looking good But when you're naked it's like it's so final you're, Well that's it. (no movements) There's nothing else I can do. That's why I like to wear a belt when I'm naked. Cause I feel it gives me something, I know I'm naked, but you know, (tugging and lifting belt) I like to get pockets to hang off of the belt that would be, wouldn't that be the ultimate? To be naked and still be able to do this (hand in pocket) I think that would really help a lot.
[Jerry's Apartment]
Jerry
A mental institution?
Kramer
You know what they do in there? Did you see CooCoo's Nest? They put those electrodes in your head.
George
It's not really a mental institution. It's more like a depression clinic. She went out to Woodhaven and checked herself in. I'm, I'm sick over this.
Elaine
Who told you this:
George
Her roommate. I've driven women to lesbianism before but never to a mental institution.
Kramer
My friend Bob Sacamano had shock treatments. But his synapses were so large, it had no effect.
Jerry
You know I hate to raise a crass financial concern but was there any information as to the where abouts of my PAPERS!
George
She put them in her pocket book. She probably took them out there with her.
Jerry
So what now?
George
I don't know.
Jerry
Can we go out there?
George
Where?
Jerry
Woodhaven.
George
We could.
[Woodhaven]
Scene 4

Scene 4

70 lines
George
I'm very nervous about this. I've never spoken to a mental patient before.
Jerry
My cousin Douglas was in a place like this one time . He came over to my house for dinner. There was no soda and he went bezerk. He was screamin' "where's the Pepsi, where's the Pepsi?"
George
I should be in a place like this. I envy this woman. Ya' get to wear slippers all day. Friends visit. They pity you. Pity is very underrated. I like it it's good. Plus they give you those word association tests. I love those.
Jerry
That'd be great. There's no wrong answer.
George
Potato
Jerry
Tuberculosis
George
Blanket
Jerry
Leroy
George
Grass
Jerry
Tuberculosis
George
Oh, boy. Here she comes.
[Elaine's Apartment]
(African music is playing as Elaine enters, dirty pots and dishes are piled high in the kitchen)
Elaine
Oh, my god.
(Kramer enters dancing with only a towel on.)
Elaine
KRAMER!
Kramer
Hey.
Elaine
WILL YOU PLEASE PUT SOMETHING ON.
Kramer
Listen uh, you want some leftovers? I made some African food. There's, yambalas and uh, sambusa.
Tina
Kramer, are you coming back to bed?
Kramer
Yeah, yeah, I'll be right there baby.
Tina
Oh, hi Elaine. (returns Elaine's ear rings) What did you think of the coffee table?
Elaine
It's invisible.
Kramer
So, is everything cool? or what?
Tina
Yeah, um, you seem little bit dysfunctional.
Elaine
Well,
Tina
Come on Elaine. just tell us the truth.
Elaine
The Truth!, You want The Truth?
[Woodhaven]
Patrice
Who are you?
George
Oh, this is my friend Jerry.
Patrice
Why are you talking like that? And what do YOU want?
Jerry
Want, want? What could I possibly want? Uh, I just came because I, I heard so many nice things about you from George.
Patrice
George thinks I'm pretentious.
George
Pretentious? Who, who isn't pretentious? Ha, ha, if everyone who was pretentious was in a mental institution, ... uh, obviously THIS isn't a mental institution.
Patrice
You're just trying to take it all back because you're feeling guilty I'm in here.
George
No, that's not it at all.
Patrice
Don't LIE George.
George
I'M NOT A LIER!
George
Uh, we're cool. Everything's cool (to security attendent)
Jerry
Just chatting. Friendly.
George
All righty, no reason for us to uh, raise our voices.
Patrice
I know what you said. You can't change that.
George
What I said? I say stupid things all the time I can't go two minutes without saying stupid things.
Jerry
It's one stupid thing after another. So let me ask you, when you come to one of these places, what do you bring your pocketbook?
George
You should be the one criticizing me. I, I'm lucky to even know someone like you.
Patrice
You mean that?
George
Of course I mean that. I am incapable of guile.
Jerry
He's never guiled. You know some women keep a lot of important papers in their, uh, pocket books. Like for example oh, someone else's personal financial papers.
Patrice
Papers? Oh, Jerry, You're the Jerome with the tax problem. You know after that day with George I got so cuckoo I threw out all your papers. So I'd love to help you but I'll need the copies.
Jerry
there are no copies.
Patrice
So are you saying you want to continue seeing me?
Jerry
Who makes copies?
[Elaine's Apartment]
Elaine
The truth is ... I think you make ... a very nice couple.
(Elaine exits)
Kramer
Oh,
Tina
Kramer,
(dancing in the dark to the music)
Tina
Here Kramer?
Kramer
No, lets go to the couch...
(sound of smashing glass)
[Jerry's Apartment]
Jerry
(on phone)Yes, I'm trying to get a copy of a receipt for a computer that I bought there.... it was 1987 ... I remember I talked to a guy - he had like a maroon sport jacket - and he might have had a toupee - oh, it was a weave - ok uh, then I'll come bye ok, bye.
Jerry
Anybody want to take a walk down to 48th street? I think I may have tracked down another receipt.
Elaine
I can't. I have to go visit Tina in the hospital.
Jerry
George?
George
I'm going to a poetry reading with PATRICE: First time poets, in a burnt out building, down by the docks, Supposed to be good.
(Kramer enter - all bandaged up.)
Kramer
Hey, Are you going to the hospital now?
Scene 5

Scene 5

8 lines
Elaine
Yeah, I suppose I am.
Kramer
All right, great, great uh, we'll share a cab.
Jerry
You're going by 48th St. You can give me a ride.
George
Hey, I'm getting in on that.
Elaine
You know you're chippin' in.
George
You're going that way anyway!
[Closing Monologue]
Jerry
I was audited last year. At first I thought well, IRS kinda sounds like Toys R Us maybe won't be so bad. Maybe they have a sense of fun about it, you know. But it's it's bad. It's an ordeal. And they don't do anything to keep your spirits up through the ordeal. I think they should take all your receipts and put them in one of those big Lucite sweepstake drums and just kinda crank it around there. You know give me a feeling like you might win something. You know what I mean? Then they can pull them out one by one and go "Oh, I'm sorry that's another illegal deduction. But we do have some lovely parting gifts for you. Jail!"