The Royal Tenenbaums · written by Wes Anderson & Owen Wilson · 2001

Royal secretly approaches Ari and Uzi at the Y, introduces himself and asks them to request a meeting from Chas.

Scene 56 of 143 · ≈ 2 min on screen · Act two

Royal
Ari
Uzi

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Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 46 min into a 1:59 film

The story so farBefore scene 56

After losing his hotel room, Royal claims he has only weeks to live so he can move back in with his estranged family; as the truth unravels, he must find a way to be useful and earn a place in their lives.

Scenes 1–39
Royal is absent from the children’s adult lives, and their family remains shaped by his betrayals and abandonment.
Scenes 40–47
Royal wants a path back to Etheline and the children, and claims impending death will give him one.
Scenes 48–50
He returns to the house and openly asks his children for a chance to make things right.
Just before
Scene 53
Margot and Eli walk through their deteriorated neighborhood; Eli tells her Richie wrote that he loves her.
Scene 54
At Etheline’s excavation, Henry apologizes for proposing and falls into a pit; Etheline admits she is nervous and has not slept with a man in eighteen years.
Scene 55
Etheline tells Margot she may be falling for Henry and reveals his proposal; Margot is delighted at the idea of a father.
Scene 56
This scene

56EXT. 375TH STREET Y ROOFTOP. DAY.

A rooftop park with a chain-link fence around it. There are several fighters lifting weights and jumping rope. Ari does chin-ups from a jungle gym. Uzi does sit-ups on a mat. Buckley lays on the cement beside them.

Someone whistles from behind the fence. Ari and Uzi look. It is Royal. He is inside a telephone booth with the door partly open, holding the receiver to his ear. He signals for Ari and Uzi to come over.

Ari frowns. He looks across the courtyard to Anwar, sitting on a bench, reading a BMW owner’s manual. Royal ducks back into the telephone booth and holds the receiver to his ear. Anwar does not look up.

Ari slides down a fire-station-type pole. He and Uzi cautiously go over to the fence with Buckley. Royal hangs up the receiver and comes out of the telephone booth.

ROYAL

That’s a hell of an old hound dog you

got there. What’s he go by?

ARI

Buckley.

ROYAL

(pointing at Buckley)

Buckley. Sit.

Buckley sits. Royal looks impressed. He turns to Ari.

ROYAL (CONT’D)

You know who I am?

Ari shakes his head.

ROYAL (CONT’D)

I’m Royal. You heard of me?

Ari nods. Royal looks pleased. His expression becomes serious again.

ROYAL (CONT’D)

I’m very sorry for your loss. Your

mother was a terribly attractive woman.

ARI

(pause)

Thank you.

ROYAL

Which one are you?

ARI

Ari.

ROYAL

(looks to Uzi)

Uzi, I’m your granddad.

UZI