[krastian]

VOICE
Hello?

BASQUIAT
(deadpan)
I-Is this the s-s-suicide h-h-hotline?

VOICE
Yes. My name is Chris. What's yours?

BASQUIAT
Jean Michel.

CHRIS
That's a beautiful name. French?

BASQUIAT
Haitian. I'm going to kill myself. I'm
taking pills. Reds, blues, greens.

Jean opens his notepad and looks down a long list of seemingly
random words. He comes to the words (in order) "liquid, hijack,"
and "Marlboros."

CHRIS
What? Wait a minute... talk to me.

BASQUIAT
(about to sob)
Life doesn't... make... sense. This city's
k-killing me. I want my liquid hijack
Marlboros!

CHRIS
What? Life's beautiful. Depression isn't
permanent. Don't you believe that?
(pause)
What is it – did your girlfriend leave
you?

BASQUIAT
No! I have a boyfriend. He loves me.

Jean spies an electric pencil sharpener and plugs it in.

CHRIS
You see? You have someone to live for.

BASQUIAT
No, I don't. I'm alone. We all are.
Especially here. The world's unjust. The
respect fools get. The disrespect I get.

CHRIS
What is it you want? Respect? I have
respect for you, just for making this
call. One philosopher said "Sadness is a
sin against the richness of the world."
Think about it. Feel it.

BASQUIAT
You don't even know me. I want real
respect.

He jams a pencil into the electric sharpener and holds the
receiver right next to it, giving the guy an earful:
RRRRKKKKKKK!!!