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

Richie sleeps in a tent in the ballroom, where Chas challenges his efforts to reconnect with Royal.

Scene 72 of 143 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

Chas
Richie

Find another scene in The Royal Tenenbaums

Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:03 into a 1:59 film

The story so farBefore scene 72

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 69
Dusty tells the family Royal is stable and recommends continued medication, then leaves for another call.
Scene 70
Royal asks Etheline to proofread his funeral instructions, then eats a cheeseburger and later drinks a milkshake while reading.
Scene 71
The dark ballroom has a yellow tent with a lamp glowing inside.
Scene 72
This scene

72INT. TENT. NIGHT.

There is a Boy Scout sleeping bag on an air mattress on a cot inside the tent. There is a photograph of the Tenenbaum family taped to the nylon wall. There is a small table with a stack of books and some of Richie’s Matchbox cars and tennis trophies on it. Richie lies on the cot reading Three Plays by Margot Tenenbaum.

Chas comes into the tent. Richie looks up, startled.

CHAS

Looks like you and Dad are back together

again, huh?

RICHIE

(pause)

He’s your dad, too, Chas.

CHAS

No, he’s not.

(pause)

You really hate me, don’t you?

RICHIE

(puzzled)

No, I don’t. I love you.

Chas looks disturbed by this.

CHAS

Well, I don’t know what you think you’re

going to get out of this. But believe

me, whatever it is, it’s not worth it.

RICHIE

I don’t want to hurt you, Chas. I know

what you and the boys have been through.

You’re my brother, and I love you.

CHAS

(gritting his teeth)

Stop saying that.