Long Weekend (1978) - full transcript

(radio) ... motorway and the ....

(Don't go nyuh if you're heading out of town for the holiday.)

(Take it easy, drivers, and make sure you get back alive.)

(TV) With no option but to return to Adelaide last Sunday

(without any clue to their children's whereabouts.)

(Our next report is from Sydney,)

(where householders in the Wisdern suburbs)

(report flocks of white cockatoos)

(attacking their houses.)

(We contacted the Dept. of Agriculture but)

(they could offer no explanation for the phenomenon)



(except that the birds could have been)

(attempting to correct an imbalance in their diet)

(by eating the wooden surrounds)

(and balcony rails of the houses.)

(Little comfort to the residents who)

(can only watch the birds flocking and hope)

(that they don't attack again.)

(This is the damage they caused at the home of... )

Hello?

Hi, Mark.

Did you just ring a minute ago?

No, no. No reason.

Oh, will you hold on a sec?

Hello again.



No, no, we won't be able to.

Peter's being a real shit.

You know he is when he digs his heels in.

Actually, we're, uh, not talking at the moment.

You're still going to Eldon, aren't you?

I mean, just 'cause I can't.

(phone) Marsh? Marsh, you there?

Hey, what's going on, Mar?

Sorry, I dropped something.

I didn't catch what you said.

(phone) Where's Peter gonna drag you off to?

I don't know.

Some beach up north. Should be really great

with the weather we're having.

Shit.

If I had a pint, for sure.

You're the one that wants to get away early.

Oh well, is everything ready, is it?

-Nearly.
-Huh.

I thought you were gonna ask Mrs. What's-er-name to feed Cricket.

I didn't feel right about asking someone we

don't even know to babysit YOUR dog.

-Well, I'll ask her.
-She's not home.

I don't think Cricket's gonna starve to death

with three whole cans of dog food there.

If ya think she's fat, she can go without.

She's too fat anyway.

You can't just prop a pile a of dog food

down on the porch and expect her to...

Look, why don't we take her?

We'll take her.

Look at the poor ol' bugger, y'know?

She's knows we're going away.

Then why don't you and Cricket go away

and I'll stay at home and bark at the birds!

(radio) Speculations concerning the flying saucer

(UFO as they believe to call it)

(It happened.. that I was so)

(... during the crisis)

(.. that I learned of the real nature of the Indians.)

I was listening to that.

(radio) The public... sleeps..

(.. unknown to the researcher's...)

(It's calling me...)

(Which things are defined)

(to decide which...?)

What's that?

Get in touch with Mark or Frieda?

Yes.

Told him we couldn't come?

Yes!

Can they struggle along without us this weekend?

-They still going to Eldon?
-Yes!

Aren't we talking?

Luv, look, uh...

I'm not trying to start anything, I'm not.

I just think that, uh...

All things considered, you know, we...

We.. we should back off for a while, all four of us.

You can lie in the sun. Recuperate.

Recuperate?!

Anyone would think I'd been sick!

-Oh no, it's me too, luv, I need a change.
-Oh, my...

Alright.

Alright, you're not wild about camping

but you're not exactly roughing it either.

2000 dollars worth of camping gear

I should hope not! For that we could have

had a VIP suite at the Southern Cross.

Oh, you'll be an authority on hotel rooms.

Fucked!

I see.

Jesus.

Bit quiet for a long weekend, isn't it?

Too far from the highway to make that much difference.

All we get round here is the lost

and the locals.

Ya in from the Smythe?

-Yeah.
-Oh yeah?

-Where ya headin'?
-Moonda. Moonda Beach.

Where's that?

It's just about five miles up the road, isn't it?

You heard of any.. Moonda Beach, Kim?

-No.
-Just before the abbatoir?

Ah, there's all bloody tracks

and scrub up that way these days.

Ain't seen much traffic. Not since the sand mining moved out.

Oh... '63.

'64, whaddya know?

Never heard a name Moonda Beach there.

-Where are we?
-Oh, we're nearly there.

It's just down the road.

Come on!

Shit!

Hey, Cricket!

G'day, girl.

You knew, didn't you?

That was close.

I ran over a kangaroo tonight.

Well, that looks promising.

Ah, gettin' close now. I can smell the ocean.

That's the same tree.

It's not the same tree. How could it be?

We're going round in circles, Peter.

We've been on the same track for nearly an hour.

-How could it be..
-Then where are we, Peter?

May I offer a suggestion?

Let's go back and spend the night at the hotel.

We'll sleep in the car.

-Here?
-Yeah.

We must be close now.

We'll catch some sleep

and we'll find the beach in the morning.

-I'm sorry for the...
-Shh!

Stop, Cricket!

Good morning!

Where are we?

We're here.

Sun is shining.

-Birds are singing.
-Your bacon's burning.

Shit!

Fuck!

What'd you do with my clothes?

What do you want clothes for?

I mean, who's gonna see you except me, and a seagull?

You know, we, uh..

We just missed the marker last night.

We'd gone another hundred yards we would've made it.

Well..

Don't congratulate me for doing such an

extraordinary, splendid job of cutting up the camp.

Clever boy.

What have you been doing to the tree?

-Chopping it down.
-Why?

Why not?

Hey, come with me. I want to show you something.

Ta-daaa!

What do you reckon, ay? What do you reckon?

What do we do for toilets?

Toilets? She wants toilets.

I'm not the outdoors type, Peter.

I love you.

Cross you heart and hope to die?

-What's that?
-What?
-There, in your hair!

Bastard!

What did you call me?

-Nothing!
-Ay?

Nothing!

Say uncle!

Uncle.

Uncle with sugar on top.

If you don't get off, I'll piss myself.

Oh no!

Bully.

Go find a rat!

Go get a rat! Get a rat!

Go fetch a rat!

Peter!

The tree with the arrow carved in, is it just down the track?

Yeah, I'll told ya last night.

If we'd gone another hundred yards, we woulda been...

No, a track in theory. How could we have gone around in circles?

Obviously, we didn't.

I was right the first time.

Peter!

Peter!

Peter!

Peter!

What's the matter? Cricket, shut up!

There's a thing in the water!!

There was a dark shape out there in the water!!

It coulda been a shark or something.

What've you'd done if I'd died?

What kind of question is that, for Chrissake?

What would you've done? Suppose.

Christ! I don't know.

Would you've remarried?

You didn't die so let's forget about it.

Alright?

What'd you want for to eat tonight, steak or chicken?

What's wrong with a bit of fresh fish?

Nothing. Except we haven't got any.

Well, catch some.

I'll think I'll defrost something anyway.

Peter, where's the insecticide?

In the tent.

What do you think that noise was last night?

Sounded like a baby crying.

You're not going to tell me it's a tomcat. Not out here.

I don't know, luv.

Not sure I heard anything at all.

Where are you going?

Oh, I thought I might go for a bit of a wander.

What are you gonna do?

Think I might...

Christ!

You all right?

Jesus Christ!

Funny thing shouldn't of gone off. It was on safety.

I put the safety on it.

Get the stick! Go on, fetch the stick!

Fetch the stick! Fetch the stick!

Drop it.

Come on! Come on!

All right!

All right, you guys!

This is Clayton, see?

Shit.

Very funny.

I'm very cranky.

Sorry.

S' alright.

-I just can't get it..
-Don't worry about it. Y'know, it's alright.

Dr. Larkin said it could take a couple of weeks.

Well, it's, uh, been a couple of months.

Well, I'm very sorry, Peter. I can't help it.

Is it.. painful?

Or is it more of a mental block?

What exactly is the problem?

-I'm only a man who's gonna have..
-It's only temporary!

Saw another car down the end of the beach.

Don't get the place to ourselves.

Look, what's shitting you anyway?

-I told you, I've got a...
-No, I mean what's REALLY shitting you?

I'm bored!

For Chrissakes, bloody false act,

get off your ass and do something!

Instead of smoking cigarettes and reading dirty books?

Amuse yourself!

I wanted to go to Eldon, remember?

Well, alright then, take the car and piss off. Go on, piss off!

Peter, I'm not the type for crapping in the sunshine

and yawning around campfires.

The water's too cold, the sun's too hot.

Alright, then, so what am I supposed to DO?

Oh, why don't you go fuck yourself, Marsha?

Peter!

Peter!

Peter!

Peter, it was heading straight for...

I know, I know.

-It's all right.
- (babble)

I saw the thing.

But it's OK, I'm alright.

I'm OK now, darling.

It's OK.

Bit precoccupied, my luv?

Let's go home.

We just got here.

Make it worth your while, gorgeous.

How you like where I leave my dirty socks?

-Should of married your mother.
-You've got better tits.

I'm serious, Peter.

About marrying my mother?

About going home.

Why?

Beat the traffic.

You're kidding, aren't ya?

Yes!

What'd you do with the chuck?

I put it back in the fridge.

Luv?

Marsh?

-Yeah-ha?
-This chuck's gone off.

-Couldn't have.
-Well it has.

Fuck, it's bloody rotten. You musta left it out too long.

-Impossible.
-Well, have a look at it.

It couldn't go off that quick.

It's got mold on it.

Luv?

I wasn't kidding. Let's get out of here.

-Oh, come on.
-I don't like it.

A little bit of mold...

I'm not talking about a fucking chuck!

There's that thing in the surf.

It's dead. Anyway, most sharks are harmless.

Peter, it wasn't a shark.

Of course it was a shark.

Hey, what's this?

I think it's an eagle egg.

Hey, I wonder if you can eat eagle eggs.
We can make an omelet.

Gonna crack a beer. D'ya want one?

No thanks.

An eagle attacked me!

Jeez!

Eagles don't attack people.

Spear guns don't go off with the safety on.

It's was the chuck.

He was probably after the chuck.
You can smell that thing a mile away.

It was a she. She wanted her egg.

But, you didn't even see it!

Why in the name of God did you do that?

Just an egg.

It's a living thing.

What's the matter with you?

You KNOW what's the matter with me!

You didn't have to smash it!

I didn't have to have an abortion, Peter!!

-What are you doing?
-Leaving!

-Oh, for Chrissakes, Marcia.
-No, no that's it!

I've had it. You stay and play with the wildlife.
I'll be at the hotel.

Are you coming or not?

Not!

Hello again.

What's wrong with it?

I've switched it on the alternate battery
to run the fridge.

Well, switch it back!

No.

Try the horn.

Marsh?

Hey!

Hey Marsh?

Hey Sweetheart? Sweetheart.

Get out of there.

No possum.

What's ya doing there, ay?

Want a nice grape?

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on. Take the grape.

Come on.

Marcia! Marcia, open up for Chrissakes!

Open up!

What's the matter?

What's wrong?

We'll leave in the morning.

Oh man!

How's your head?

Fine.

Bloody possum.

-I'll do that.
-I don't mind.

I thought we'd get an early start.

Let go the guitar!

Don't scratch it.

Sorry.

Thought we might have time to drive back by the Indian route.

You mean via Hilda?

No sense in wasting the rest of the weekend.

Well?

-Can I help you with the tent?
-I'll do the tent.

Right, I'll finish packing here.

Spilt the sugar.

I'm sorry, I'm only trying to help!

Well, if you want to help, why don't you go out for a walk

or something and let me do the packing.

I don't want to go for a walk.

I told you it wasn't a shark.

No, it certainly isn't a shark.

Then what is it?

A "bunya."

A what?

It's a dugong.

A sea cow.

Apparently there used to be thousands of 'em.

All along the coast until the lot were
killed off for oil.

Ugly!

It's not very pretty out of the water, is she?

Crabs have been at her, by the look of it.

Stinks.

Well..

There's the source of the noises you've been hearing.

She's probably got a pup in the area.

I reckon the young sound just like a human baby when they cry.

You poor old lady.

...it'll take ten minutes to get that thing in there...

Peter, it's...

I don't want to go anywhere.

-I just think it's a pity to rush off, that's all.
-You promised.

I'm not saying I want to spend another night here, y'know.

-You promised.
-Look, look.

What's the difference if we leave this afternoon or...

You promised!

All right, I'll drive to the other end of the beach

and see the people camped there, that's all!

Couple of hours!

We'll be back here and out of here by 1 or 2 at the latest.

They won't be there. They've gone.

What ya think I'm scared of the dark, Marcia?

(sings) If you go down in the woods today..

you might get a big surprise

If you go down in the woods today...

you won't believe your eyes.

Back to being cannibals, are we?

You wanted to drive up the beach, we're driving up the beach.

What else do you want?

It's not a question of what I want, Marcia.

I mean I realize that I can't always everything I want.

I accept that.

What you don't seem able to accept is the fact that the reality of our..

situation demands...

You being philosophical?

There's no point in talking rationally
to you when you're being philosophical.

I think I see things more clearly than you do, Marcia.

I can stand back and deal with situations in perspective.

I really do see you so much more clearly now.

Self-indulgent maggot.

You drag me to this awful, ugly place...

You poke your head out of your 2000 dollar shellac

...and call it reality. Take it from me.

You're not Tarzan and I'm certainly not Jane by a long shot.

What are you trying to prove?

Reality, my pet, is ( ) at 5 pm

and dinner parties for the right people
and making a whole lot of bread.

Those are your own words, you bastard.

Is reality screwing the neighbors and murdering the unborn?

You prick!

You were so damned hot for Freda
you pushed mark and me together.

And then you bellow like a wounded tomcat
when the whole groddy plan backfires in your face.

If it wasn't murder..

Why didn't you tell me right away?

None of your business.

Do you think I'd of agreed to having it destroyed?

Nothing was destroyed!

You said it cried. Those were your words.

Oh stop it! You pig!!

I'd rather sleep with mad dogs than sleep with you again!

Oh that's it, yeah, that's it. Blame me instead of yourself.

-You didn't want a kid.
-Me?!

Me, I love kids.

Shit, I despise you.

It was all a grotesque mistake, wasn't it?

You knew it wasn't mine.

So you panicked and you attacked.

Just like you attacked that eagle's egg.

Oh, spare me the grotty symbolism.

Hmph! This week it'll be a divorce,
next week it'll be guitar lessons.

You won't leave me though, sugar.

Because weak as you think I am..

I'm all you've got.

We'll see.

How we relish the tast of human flesh, ay, luv?

Neo-cannibals.

Estranged cannibals... filing for divorce on Monday.

Long weekend, sugar.

You'll have to miss tennis and do it Tuesday.

-Well, where are they?
-They were here yesterday.

Well, they're not now.

What are you doing?

-I'm gonna have a look around.
-Peter..
-I'll be five minutes, alright?

Five minutes, I swear to God, I'll take the car and I'll leave you here!

(radio) ...today, conducted its first nuclear test this year..

(The new China news agency reported the test,)

(the 22nd since China's first atomic explosion in 1964,)

(but did not reveal the size of the explosion)

(or say whether it was carried out underground
or on the surface.)

(A spokesman said the...)

(...at a yield of less than 20 kilotons.)

(...with Great Britan and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

(over British cuts in defense expenditure.)

(The row became public yesterday with the publication of)

(an extraordinarily frank letter from the NATO Secretary General, Dr. Joseph Munz)

Say, fella.

Don't look at me like that.

See if we can get out of here, ay?

Marcia!

No!

Let me go!!

Can't we go any faster?

The last thing we need now is a broken axle.

Well, what took you so long?

Look, we're gonna have to notify the authorities.

You notify the authorities 'cause I'm going straight home!

Where's Cricket?

Cricket?

Cricket!

Was she with us when we went down the beach?

Don't know. Haven't seen her since this morning.

Cricket!!

Look down the beach, will ya? I'll look around here.

It's getting late. We're not gonna make it!

Well, we'd better hurry then, hadn't we!

Cricket!

Cricket!

Cricket!

Cricket!!

Peter!

It's still alive, Peter.

Can't be.

It is!!

Come and look at it.

Ah, Jesus! We can't just leave without her!

Look, it's not gonna take very long to go down to the other end of the beach!

-I think I'm gonna hit you!
-Look, Marcia!

I'm not leaving without Cricket.

Cricket's dead.

You're lying.

I buried her.

Where?

In the bushes.

You're lying!

I'm not going without Cricket.

Be dark soon.

Well, well, well.

Cricket!

Cricket!

Marcia! Come back!

Wanna come in here?

Come here with me?

You wouldn't leave me, wouldja, girl?

Ay?

You wouldn't leave me.... wouldja?

Cricket.

Shut up, Cricket!

Cricket!! Shut up!!

Jesus.

Aw, Jesus, Cricket!

Get out of the car, Cricket!

Get out of it!

Get out of the car, Cricket!!