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

Henry calls Colby General to verify Royal’s doctor and patient information.

Scene 88 of 143 · ≈ 1 min on screen · Act two

Henry

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Act oneAct twoAct three

Begins 1:15 into a 1:59 film

The story so farBefore scene 88

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 85
Pagoda tells Royal that Etheline will not join Henry that night; Royal says they have him on the ropes.
Scene 86
Royal taunts Henry until Etheline interrupts; he denies that anything happened and makes himself a peanut-butter sandwich.
Scene 87
Henry takes Royal’s medicine bottle and begins investigating whether the diagnosis is real.
Scene 88
This scene

88INT. TELEPHONE ROOM. DAY.

Henry reads the label on the bottle while he places a call.

HENRY

Hello. I’m calling in regards to a Dr.

McClure. Yes. At Colby General. The

name of the patient is Royal Tenenbaum.

Henry takes out a pill and examines it.

INSERT:

The pill. It has pink and blue sparkles all over it and the word “Tic-Tac” printed on the side.