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

Chas tries to evict Royal from Richie’s makeshift hospital room; Royal’s staged collapse prompts the family to help him.

Scene 68 of 143 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

Chas
Royal
Richie
Etheline

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Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:00 into a 1:59 film

The story so farBefore scene 68

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.
Scene 63
Eli tells Richie that Margot is troubled by his love and reminds him that she is his sister, making the relationship an active family conflict.
Just before
Scene 65
The hotel manager explains Royal’s removal and moves his luggage out of the lobby.
Scene 66
Royal calls Richie from the hotel telephone booth.
Scene 67
At dinner, Richie proposes letting Royal stay in his room; Chas objects, but the family learns Royal is already upstairs.
Scene 68
This scene

68INT. RICHIE’S BEDROOM. NIGHT.

Richie’s room has been converted into a makeshift hospital room. Royal lies on an electric hospital bed. He has an IV in his arm and a tube in his nose. There are several monitors and machines breathing and humming. There are numerous bottles of pills and medicines on the night stand. Pagoda has on a surgical mask and scrubs.

Chas stands in the doorway. Richie is behind him.

CHAS

Get out.

ROYAL

All right. Let me just collect my

things.

Royal sits up on the edge of the bed. He is dressed in pink surgical scrubs.

ROYAL (CONT’D)

Would you mind handing me my cane,

Richie?

Richie hands Royal his cane. Royal struggles to his feet. He rolls the IV stand beside him.

ROYAL (CONT’D)

Let’s see, now. Where’s my suitcase?

Royal’s knee gives out. He staggers a step. He grips the back of a chair and looks to Richie with a surprised expression. He collapses on to the floor. He produces a wooden spoon, which he takes between his teeth.

RICHIE

Dad?

Richie and Pagoda rush over and kneel on the floor beside Royal. Chas frowns. Richie yells out the door:

RICHIE (CONT’D)

Mom!

ROYAL

Grab me a Nembutal, son.

Richie runs to the night stand and pops open a bottle of pills. Chas looks down at Royal.

CHAS

Are you OK?

Royal takes the spoon out of his mouth.

ROYAL

Fuck do you care?

Richie gives Royal a pill with a glass of water. Etheline comes to the door.

ETHELINE