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

At the cemetery, Royal divides flowers between his mother’s and Rachael’s graves while the family reflects on the past.

Scene 58 of 143 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

Royal
Chas
Richie
Uzi
Margot
Ari

Find another scene in The Royal Tenenbaums

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 49 min into a 1:59 film

The story so farBefore scene 58

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 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
Royal secretly approaches Ari and Uzi at the Y, introduces himself and asks them to request a meeting from Chas.
Scene 57
Ari says their mother would have wanted them to meet Royal before he died; Chas turns his chair toward them and sighs.
Scene 58
This scene

58EXT. CEMETERY. DAY.

A small cemetery next to an electrical power plant. The trees are bare, and the city is across the river. Chas, Ari and Uzi stand together dressed in black Adidas warm-ups. Royal and Richie stand beside them.

Royal’s mother’s gravestone reads “Helen O’Reilly Tenenbaum (1909-1962).” Epitaph: “The Salt of the Earth.” Royal places a bouquet of white flowers at the foot of the grave. There are tears in his eyes. He says to Chas:

ROYAL

She was a tough old broad, wasn’t she?

CHAS

I wouldn’t know. Excuse me.

ROYAL

Oh, that’s right. We got another body

buried out here. Hang on. Take some of

these.

Royal takes half of the white flowers off his mother’s grave and hands them to Chas. Chas walks away. Silence.

ROYAL (CONT’D)

What do you think of this big old black

buck moving in up there?

RICHIE

(pause)

Who?

ROYAL

Henry Sherman. You know him?

RICHIE

Yeah.

ROYAL

Is he worth a damn?

RICHIE

I believe so.

Royal nods.

CUT TO:

Ari, Uzi and Margot standing in front of Rachael’s gravestone, which reads “Rachael Evans Tenenbaum (1965- 2000).” Uzi stares at Margot’s missing finger.

UZI

What happened to your finger?

Ari looks quickly to Uzi.

MARGOT

It got chopped off by an axe.

UZI

How’d it get chopped off by --

ARI

Uzi. Shh.

MARGOT

It’s OK. I’ll tell you. I’m adopted.