Bret Easton Ellis - American Psycho: Business Card Scene lyrics

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 gla**es. 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.