Bad Timing

Synopsis: The setting is Vienna. A young American woman is brought to a hospital after overdosing on pills, apparently in a suicide attempt. A police detective suspects foul play on the part of her lover, an American psychology professor. As doctors try to save her life, the detective interrogates the professor, and through flashbacks we see the events leading up to the woman's overdose; her stormy and intensely sexual relationship with the professor, her heavy drinking and numerous affairs, and her estrangement from her Czech husband. A darkly erotic study of several rather unsympathetic characters.
 
IMDB:
7.1
Rotten Tomatoes:
50%
R
Year:
1980
123 min
537 Views


[Piano]

Well, she's up against the register

With an apron and a spatula

Yesterday's deliveries

A nd tickets for the bachelors

She's a moving violation

From her conk down to her shoes

Well, it's just an invitation

To the blues

A nd you feel just like Cagney

She looks like Rita Hayworth

A t the counter

of the Schwab's drugstore

You wonder if she might be single

She's a loner

Likes to mingle

Got to be patient

Try and pick up a clue

She said

"How you gonna like 'em?"

Over medium or scrambled

You say, "Any way's the only way"

- Be careful not to gamble

- [Siren Wailing]

[Gasping]

- [Dispatcher On Radio, Indistinct]

- [Tires Screeching]

[Sighs]

[Woman's Voice]

Oh, Stefan, I'm sorry.

[Speaking Czech]

[Czech]

You will call, hmm?

It's not really like going away.

For you.

[Chuckles]

[Paramedics Speaking German]

[German]

[Woman's Voice, Slurred]

Oh, Alex. I've done something stupid.

Alex?

- [Woman On Phone] Oh, God, I'm tired.

- [Alex On Phone] Tired or drunk?

[Woman]

I wanted to say good-bye.

[Alex] You said it exceptionally well

the other night.

[Woman Sighs]

That's right. Pissed.

- Milena, what do you... -

- How else could I get myself ready?

God, good-bye, you... -

Oh, Alex, please don't go.

[Slurred]

I wanted us to have a real good-bye.

- Alex?

- [Woman Speaks German]

- You the husband?

- No.

- A relation?

- No.

Any idea what she took?

- Was this full before?

- I wouldn't know, Doctor.

This'll kill you in the end.

- [Disco]

- [Man Speaking In German]

- [Continues]

- [Speaking In German Continues]

[German]

If we're gonna meet,

might as well be now.

Could be right.

Then again, why spoil the mystery?

Mystery?

If we don't meet, there's always

the possibility it could have been perfect.

Hey, Alex.

Alex, come on.

To tell you the truth,

I'm not sure what I meant.

- It's okay.

- Excuse me.

[Speaks German]

[Sighs]

[Chattering, Laughing]

Took you a little longer than I thought.

I'm afraid it's gonna take

a little longer than that. I'm leaving.

Road's wet.

It wasn't raining when I got here.

No?

Too bad.

If you'll let me by,

I'll drive carefully.

If that's the way you like it.

- Are you gonna let me by?

- Hmm?

Mmm.

Wrote my number on it.

Call me.

Please.

Bye.

Bye.

- Husband?

- No.

- Relation?

- No.

Uh, boyfriend?

[Nurse Speaking German]

[Man Speaking German]

Look...

what connection

do you have with her?

You could say I'm a friend.

Oh.

Were you there

when she swallowed the pills?

- No.

- Please, this way.

Ja. Good.

Please sit down.

And, uh, how did you happen

to be there afterwards?

- Did somebody call you?

- She did.

What, the girl?

Yes, she phoned.

- After she took the pills or before?

- How would I know?

She called and said, "I'll be dead

in a minute. I wanted to say good-bye."

- That's all?

- That's all.

And what did you say?

- Did you try to... -

- Nothing. I hung up.

Cigarettes?

Thanks.

I only smoke these.

[Milena On Phone]

Oh, Alex, it's true this time.

I've done something stupid.

Really stupid.

- Milena, what are you... -

- [Line Clicks, Dial Tone]

- [Tape Rewinding]

- What time did she phone you?

- I don't remember.

- Try to think.

Did you go to bed?

Were you asleep?

No. I was working.

[Typing]

- Was it very late?

- I told you, I don't remember.

I didn't look at the clock.

Use whatever time you want.

It is now 2:
00.

You called for the ambulance

at half past 1:
00?

[Typing]

How did her voice sound

on the phone?

Normal?

Upset?

Did she have any difficulty speaking?

I don't.

- But... -

- No, it's just that...

I wanted to see you.

This was the only chance I got.

I didn't want to wait.

You tell the truth about a lie

beautifully.

Take me to

your favorite place in Vienna.

[Alex]

Oh... -

[Milena Laughing]

[Gasping]

[Man #2]

Who is this Linden?

[Man #1]

The fellow who brought her here.

- Bit of a pain. Bad temper.

- Why?

You combine that with traces of various drugs,

none of them harmful enough in themselves...

but with the overdose she consumed tonight

you have a very advanced toxic condition.

This place is... -

I mean, really!

I want it! Alex!

- It's mine!

- Give it to me!

- How does it work?

- I'll show you.

[Milena Screams, Growls]

No, no! Come on.

Where are they?

- Cards are in the back.

- Here they are.

But you need a neutral field. This is not

really good. That's why we need to go home.

Here. Do it here. No, I don't wanna go.

We have to do it now, right... -

- Pick your favorite color,

the one you're most sympathetic to.

- Favorite. Here it is.

- And the second.

- Okay. Here. All right. Got it.

- Slow down.

- No, no, I already know which ones I want.

- I like... this one.

- Don't associate it with anything.

- This one.

- Slow down.

- Turn 'em over now.

- Okay.

There. There.

What does it mean?

- Hang on.

- Tell me! I wanna know right now, Alex.

- Just a second.

- [Laughing] Tell me!

- Tell me! What does it say?

- Hang on. Hang on.

[Mutters]

- What?

- Mmm!

[Laughing]

What? Tell me!

Is it bad?

- I don't think you should

spend too much time alone.

- Oh, Alex!

[Jazz:
Piano, Slow Tempo]

- [Continues]

- "What is it men in women do require?

"The lineaments of gratified desire.

"What is it women

do in men require?

- The lineaments of gratified desire."

- [Continues, Female Vocal]

Hmm. That's good.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote

Yale Udoff

Yale Udoff (c. 1935 – July 19, 2018) was an American screenwriter and playwright. more…

All Yale Udoff scripts | Yale Udoff Scripts

0 fans

Submitted on August 05, 2018

Discuss this script with the community:

0 Comments

    Translation

    Translate and read this script in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this screenplay to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Bad Timing" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/bad_timing_3471>.

    We need you!

    Help us build the largest writers community and scripts collection on the web!

    Browse Scripts.com

    The Studio:

    ScreenWriting Tool

    Write your screenplay and focus on the story with many helpful features.