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The
Heart Attack
Written by: Larry Charles
Directed by: Tom Cherones
Broadcasted: April 25, 1991 for
the first time.
Stars: Jerry Seinfeld, Michael
Richards,
Jason Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus,
John Posey (as Doctor), and Stephen
Tobolowsky (as Tor Akman).
[Setting: Night club]
JERRY: You know, I tell ya, I
gotta say that I'm enjoying adulthood. For a lot of reasons. And,
I'll tell you reason number one: as an adult, if I want a cookie,
I have
a cookie, okay? I have three
cookies or four cookies, or eleven cookies if I want. Many times
I will intentionally ruin my entire appetite. Just ruin it. And
then, I call
my mother up right after to tell
her that I did it. "Hello, Mom? yeah, I just ruined my entire
appetite.. cookies." So what if you ruin.. See, because as
an adult, we
understand even if you ruin an
appetite, there's another appetite coming right behind it. There's
no danger in running out of appetites. I've got millions of them,
I'll ruin
them whenever I want!
(Scene ends)
[Setting: Jerry's apartment]
(Jerry's sitting on his couch
in the dark, watching TV)
TV VOICE: (Germanic) Look, Sigmund.
Look in the sky. The planets are on fire. It is just as you prophesied.
The planets of our solar system, incinerating. Like
flaming globes, Sigmund. Like
flaming globes.. Ah, ha, ha, ha..
(Jerry's now asleep)
(Scene ends)
[Setting: Jerry's bedroom]
(Jerry's laying in his bed. He
wakes suddenly, picks up a pen and scribbles something down on a
pad. He laughs, shakes his head, then goes back to sleep, laughing
to himself)
(Scene ends)
[Setting: Coffee shop]
(Jerry looks tired. He's staring
at a crumpled piece of note paper. George takes out a cucumber from
a bag in his pocket)
ELAINE: What do you got, a cucumber?
GEORGE: Yeah, so what?
ELAINE: You're bringing in an
ouside cucumber?
GEORGE: They refuse to put cucumber
in the salad. I need cucumber.
JERRY: (Trying to read the note)
What have I done? I can't read this! Ful-hel-mo-nen-ter-val? I got
up last night, I wrote this down, I thought I had this great bit.
(Tries to focus on the paper)
Wait a second, wait a second.. "Fax me some halibut."
Is that funny? Is that a joke?
ELAINE: No. Let me see that.
(Takes the paper from Jerry) Don't-mess-with-Johnny."
JERRY: Johnny? Johnny who? Johnny
Carson? Did I insult Johnny on The Tonight Show?
ELAINE: (Joking) Did you mess
with Johnny, Jerry?
GEORGE: Let me see that. (Studies
the note)
ELAINE: Hey, where's Kramer?
JERRY: I don't know. That's like
asking "Where's Waldo?"
GEORGE: (Still holding the note)
I think I'm having a heart attack.
JERRY: I don't think that's it.
GEORGE: I'm not kidding.
JERRY: What does that mean?
ELAINE: I think what he's trying
to say is that he's having a heart attack.
JERRY: Oh, he's having a heart
attack.
GEORGE: Tightness..
JERRY: C'mon.
GEORGE: Shortness of breath..
JERRY: Oh, this is ridiculous.
GEORGE: Radiating waves of pain..
JERRY: I know what this is. You
saw that show on PBS last night, Coronary Country. (To Elaine) I
saw it in the TV Guide. I called him and told him to make sure
and not watch it.
GEORGE: There was nothing else
on. Oh, the left arm.. the left arm.
JERRY: (To Elaine) He saw that
show on anorexia last year, and ate like an animal for two weeks.
GEORGE: Why can't I have a heart
attack? I'm allowed.
JERRY: So what do you want? You
want me take you to the hospital?
GEORGE: Manhattan Memorial, less
of a line.
JERRY: I'll call an ambulance.
(Exits)
(A waitress approaches. George
is dying, but the waitress doesn't seem to notice)
WAITRESS: Is everything alright?
GEORGE: We'll just take a check.
(She leaves the check. George, in all his cheapness, can't help
but to review the check. He finds an error) You made a mistake
on the..
ELAINE: George!
(Scene ends)
[Setting: Hospital room]
(George lies in the bed. He has
EKG cups on his chest, a tube up his nose, and an IV in his arm.
The man in the neighboring bed seems to be in pain)
MAN: Ooohhh... Argghhh..
GEORGE: Are.. are you okay?
MAN: Ooooooohhh..
GEORGE: I'm George.. George Costanza..
I've never been in the hospital a day in my life.. except when I
had my tonsils out. You know, they never gave me any
ice cream. I always felt that-
MAN: Shut up!
(Scene goes to Jerry. He's standing
at the doorway, showing the note to a nurse)
JERRY: Well? What do you think?
NURSE 1: "Salami, salami,
bologna." Definitely.
JERRY: "Salami salami bologna"?
DOCTOR: (In a hurry) Oh, your
friend's fine. He didn't have a heart attack. I'll be in - in a
few minutes.
JERRY: (Sarcastic) What a surprise.
(Enters George's room overly sympathetic - leading George to think
that the Doctor told Jerry something significant) Hey, how
ya doin' buddy? You need anything?
Do you want me to go out and get you a Superman comic?
GEORGE: No, no thanks.
JERRY: (Still going along with
the practical joke) You know, I was wondering.. You know that Black
Hawks jacket you have?
GEORGE: Oh, sure, my Black Hawks
jacket. I love my Black Hawks jacket.
JERRY: Well, you know, I was
thinking - if things don't exactly work out..
GEORGE: Well, it wouldn't fit
you. The sleeves are too short.
JERRY: No, I tried it on. It
fits good.
GEORGE: Well, I didn't really
think about what I was gonna do with all..
JERRY: Well, you know..
GEORGE: (Reluctantly) Well, okay.
JERRY: Oh, and.. do you think
it would be alright if I called Susan Davis?
GEORGE: Susan Davis? (Getting
possessive) Hey, wait a second..
JERRY: Well, it's not like we'd
be bumping into you.
GEORGE: I don't know.. you and
Susan Davis?
JERRY: You know, if your future
was a little more certain..
GEORGE: Okay, go ahead. Call
her, get married, have babies, have a great life.. What do I care?
I'm finished. (Really depressed) It's all over for me. In fact,
let's
end it right now. Jerry, kill
me, kill me now. I'm begging you. Let's just get it over with. Be
a pal.. Just take the pillow and put it over my face.
JERRY: Well, ah.. (Takes his
pillow) What? Kind of like this? (Violently smothers George with
the pillow. George freaks out. He didn't think Jerry would actually
do it)
GEORGE: What are ya doing?! Whadya,
crazy?!
(Elaine enters - she gets a clear
shot of Jerry's jokingly trying to kill George)
ELAINE: Jerry!
JERRY: (Acts like he was cought
red-handed) Elaine, what are you doing here? (Takes the pillow off
George, and puts it back on his bed)
GEORGE: (To Jerry) Jerk off.
(Jerry goes over to Elaine)
JERRY: (Whispering) There's nothing
wrong with him. I saw the doctor. He's fine.
(They both go to George's bed.
Elaine decides to go along with Jerry's joke)
ELAINE: Hi, George. How ya feeling?
Is anybody getting your apartment?
(Jerry and Elaine both sit down,
and have their own conversation. They completely ignore George)
GEORGE: I'll tell ya, if I ever
get out of here, I'm gonna change my life. I'm gonna do a whole
Zen thing. Take up yoga, meditate.. I'll eat right. Calm down, lose
my
anger.. (Sees Jerry and Elaine
aren't listening. He snaps) Hey, is anybody listening?!
(The doctor enters. Elaine and
the doctor exchange an awkward, romantic glance)
DOCTOR: (To Elaine) Uh, hello.
(To George) Uh, Mr. Costanza?
GEORGE: (Panicky) Uh, yeah. You
know, Doctor, I gotta tell you, I feel a lot better.
DOCTOR: Well, we looked at your
EKG's, ran some tests, did a complete work-up.
GEORGE: (Getting in a more panicked
state) Oh God, Mommy!
DOCTOR: And you simply haven't
had a heart attack.
GEORGE: (Relieved) I haven't?
I'm okay? I'm okay? Oh, thank you, thank you, Doctor! I don't know
how to thank you.
JERRY: (Sarcastic) Hey, that
was really fun, George. Can we go home now?
DOCTOR: No, actually, we'd like
to keep him here overnight for observation, just to be safe.
GEORGE: Oh, sure. Sure, anything.
Can you believe it? There's nothing wrong with me.
DOCTOR: Well, I wouldn't go that
far.
GEORGE: (Starting to panic again)
What? Oh my God. What? Is it meningitis? Scoliosis? Lupis?! Is it
Lupis?!
DOCTOR: Have you ever had your
tonsils taken out?
GEORGE: My tonsils? Yeah, when
I was a kid.
DOCTOR: Well, they've grown back.
Your adenoids are swollen too.
GEORGE: Really?
ELAINE: (Jokingly hits the doctor)
Whose tonsils grow back? (Laughs)
DOCTOR: It happens.
JERRY: Yeah, if you've been exposed
to gamma rays.
ELAINE: I still have my tonsils.
Everyone in my family has their tonsils. In fact, we were forbidden
to socialize with anyone who didn't have their tonsils.
DOCTOR: That's interesting. Because,
no one in my family has their tonsils, and we were forbidden to
socialize with tonsil people.
JERRY: (Sarcastically) Well,
it's like the Capulets and the Montagues.
GEORGE: (Drawing attention back
to him) Excuse me!
DOCTOR: Anyway, I strongly recommend
they come out.
GEORGE: What? You mean with a
knife?
DOCTOR: Yes. With a knife. You
know, snip, snip. Anyway, you'd be completely under, you wouldn't
feel a thing. And when you wake up, you can have some ice
cream.
GEORGE: (Angry) Yeah, that's
what they told me the last time.
DOCTOR: Think about it. (Turns
to leave, but runs into Elaine) Excuse me.
ELAINE: (Flustered) Oh, I'm sorry.
(Doctor exits) I just.. have to ask that doctor one more question.
(Leaves)
JERRY: Women go after doctors
like men go after models. They want someone with knowledge of the
body.. we just want the body.
(Kramer enters, eating off a
tray of hospital food)
KRAMER: Hey.
JERRY: Hey.
KRAMER: Boy, they got a great
cafeteria downstairs. Hot food, sandwiches, a salad bar.. It's like
a Sizzler's opened up a hospital! (Sits and starts eating) So, how
did you have a heart attack?
You're a young man. What were you doing? Are they gonna do a zipper
job? Oh, they love to do zipper jobs.
JERRY: (Trying to shut him up)
Kramer.
KRAMER: The really bad thing
about the heart is the sex thing. See, you gotta be careful about
sex now. You get that heart pumping and suddenly, boom! Next
thing you know, you got a hose
coming out of your chest attached to a piece of luggage.
JERRY: Kramer, George didn't
have a heart attack.
KRAMER: No? That's good.
GEORGE: I have to have my tonsils
taken out.
KRAMER: Oh man.. No.. George,
we gotta get you outta here. Get out! Right now! They'll kill ya
in here.
JERRY: (Trying to calm George
down) It's routine surgery.
KRAMER: Oh yeah? My friend, Bob
Saccomanno, he came in here for a hernia operation.. Oh yeah, routine
surgery.. now he's sittin' around in a chair by a
window going, "My name is
Bob" .. George, whatever you do, don't let 'em cut you. Don't
let 'em cut you..
GEORGE: Well, what should I do,
Kramer?
JERRY: Well, for one think, don't
listen to him.
KRAMER: I'll tell you what to
do, I'll tell you what to do. You go to Tor Eckman. Tor, Tor, he'll
fix you right up. He's a herbalist, a healer, George. He's not just
gonna fix the tonsils and the
adenoids, he is gonna change the whole way you function - body and
mind.
JERRY: Eckman? I thought he was
doing time?
KRAMER: No, no, he's out. He
got out. See, the medical establishment, see, they tried to frame
him. It's all politics. But he's a rebel.
JERRY: A rebel? No. Johnny Yuma
was a rebel. Eckman is a nut. George, you want to take care of your
tonsils, you do it in a hospital. With a doctor.
KRAMER: He's holistic, George.
He's holistic.
GEORGE: Holistic.. that sounds
right.
JERRY: George, you need a medical
doctor.
GEORGE: (To Jerry) Let me ask
you something.. How much do you think it would cost to have tonsils
and adenoids removed in the hospital?
JERRY: Well, an overnight stay
in a hospital? Minor surgery? I dunno, four grand.
GEORGE: Uh-huh. And how much
does the healer charge?
KRAMER: First visit? Thirty-eight
bucks.
GEORGE: Oh, yeah? Holistic..
that's what I need. That's the answer.
(Scene ends)
[Setting: Healer's apartment]
(Jerry and George are sitting
on huge pillows on the apartment floor. Kramers fiddling with an
acupuncture model)
GEORGE: So, how do you like the
way I talked you into comin' down here?
JERRY: Don't flatter yourself,
my friend. I'm here strictly for material, and I have a feeling
this is a potential gold mine.. I still think you're nuts, though.
GEORGE: All I know is I've been
going to doctors all my life. What has it gotten me? I'm thirty-three
years old. I haven't outgrown the problems of puberty, I'm
already facing the problems of
old age. I completely skipped healthy adulthood. I went from having
orgasms immediately to taking forever. You could do your taxes
in the time it takes me to have
an orgasm. I've never had a normal, medium orgasm.
JERRY: (Jokingly making fun of
George) I've never had a really good pickle.
GEORGE: Besides, what's it gonna
cost me? Thirty-eight bucks?
(Tor enters. He hugs Kramer for
a long time, then walks over to Jerry and George)
TOR: (To Jerry) Would you not
put your foot on that please?
JERRY: Sorry.
(Tor sits down, and turns tward
George)
TOR: What month were you born?
GEORGE: April.
TOR: You should have been born
in August. Your parents would have been well-advised to wait.
GEORGE: Really?
TOR: Do you use hot water in
the shower?
GEORGE: Yes.
TOR: Stop using it.
GEORGE: ..Okay.
KRAMER: I'm off hot water.
TOR: Kramer tells me that you
are interested in an alternative to surgery.
GEORGE: Yes, yes I am.
TOR: (Blows into George's face)
I think we can help you. See, unfortunately, the medical establishment
is a business like any other business. And business needs
customers. And, they want to
sell you their most expensive item which is unnecessary surgery.
GEORGE: (Still on the showers)
Can I use hot water on my face?
TOR: No. You know, I am not a
business man. I'm a holistic healer. It's a calling, it's a gift.
You see, it's in the best interest of the medical profession that
you remain
sick. You see, that insures good
business. You're not a patient. You're a customer.
JERRY: (He thinks this, the audience
can hear his thoughts) And you're not a doctor, but you play one
in real life.
GEORGE: (Still on the hot water)
What about shaving?
TOR: (To Jerry) You're eating
too much dairy. (To George) May I? (Reaches over, and touches George's
face)
GEORGE: I guess so.
TOR: (Feeling George's face)
You see, you are in disharmony. The throat is the gateway to the
lung. Tonsillitis, adenoiditis, is, in Chinese medical terms, and
invasion
of heat and wind.
JERRY: (Again, we hear his thoughts)
There's some hot air blowing in here..
TOR: You know, I lived with the
Eskimos many years ago, and they used to plunge their faces into
the snow.
GEORGE: (Once again, still on
the shower) Could it be lukewarm?
JERRY: Too much dairy? You really
think I'm eating too much dairy?
(Scene ends)
[Setting: Doctor's car]
(The Doctor and Elaine are almost
done with their date. the doctor is speaking seductively to Elaine
while holding out her tongue)
DOCTOR: ..The tongue.. yes, the
tongue.. or, in medical terms, the glossa. It's a muscular organ..
Consists of two parts.. the body, and the root.. You see, it's
covered by this mucous membrane..
These little raised projections are the papillae, which give it
that furry appearance. Very tactile..
(The Doctor is still holding
her tongue)
ELAINE: Uh-huh.
(Scene ends)
[Setting: Healer's apartment]
TOR: (Pouring tea) Your tea is
ready now. This will solve your so-called tonsil problem. It's a
special concoction. It contains crampbark.
JERRY: I love crampbark.
TOR: Cleavers.
JERRY: Cleaver, I once had cleaver
as a kid. I was able to lift a car.
TOR: And some couchgrass.
JERRY: Couchgrass and crampbark?
You know, I think that's what killed Curly.
(Tor hands George the tea. George
isn't willing to drink it right away. Jerry looks skeptical, Kramer,
on the other hand, is enthusiastic)
KRAMER: Go ahead, drink it, George.
JERRY: Excuse me, Tor. May I
ask you a question? You have intuitive abilities. You're in touch
with a lot of this cosmic kind of things.. I have this note I can't
read.
I was wondering if-
TOR: (Takes the note, then laughs
when he reads it) Oh, yes.. yes.. "Cleveland 117, San Antonio
109.. (Hands note back to Jerry)
KRAMER: Go ahead, drink it, George.
GEORGE: (Takes a sip) Hey, it's
not too bad..
(Scene ends)
[Setting: Ambulance]
(George's strapped down on a
gurney. His face is purple, and he's screaming. Jerry and Kramer
are trying to calm him down. The driver and the assistant in the
back are having a huge fight)
GEORGE: (In a state of hysteria)
I'm an eggplant! I'm an eggplant! I'm a minstrel man!
DRIVER: (To Assistant) I didn't
take your Chuckle, man!
ASSISTANT: I had five Chuckles.
I ate a green one, and the yellow one, and the red one is missing!
DRIVER: I don't even like Chuckles!
JERRY: (To Assistant) Maybe he
doesn't like them. That's possible.
GEORGE: My face! My face! Get
me to the hospital!
ASSISTANT: I want that Chuckle!
You hear me?!
JERRY: (To Assistant) I'll get
you a Chuckle. You want me to get you a Chuckle?
ASSISTANT: (Angry, to Driver)
Pull over!
DRIVER: Pull over? Did you say
pull over?! You want a piece of me?!
ASSISTANT: Yeah!
JERRY: You're gonna fight?
GEORGE: Now?! I'm a mutant!
KRAMER: (To Driver) Hey, let
me drive.
ASSISTANT: Come on, man. Pull
over!
DRIVER: Alright! I'm gonna mess
you up, man!
(Ambulance comes to a screeching
halt. Driver gets out, and the assistant heads for the back door)
JERRY: (Pleading) Really, gentlemen,
please.
GEORGE: My heart! My heart! (To
Assistant) Where you going? Are you crazy?!
ASSISTANT: I'm gonna kick his
ass.
KRAMER: (To Assistant) Hey, you
have keys?
GEORGE: You can't leave! This
is an ambulance! This is an emergency!
(The Assistant leaves. Jerry,
Kramer, and George watch the two fight)
JERRY: All this for a Chuckle.
KRAMER: What's a Chuckle?
JERRY: It's a jelly candy. it
comes in five flavors.
(Scene ends)
[Setting: Doctor's car]
(He's still holding Elaine's
tongue)
DOCTOR: You see, taste buds run
on grooves along the surfaces.
ELAINE: Can you let go of my
tongue now?
DOCTOR: What?
ELAINE: Let go of my tongue!
DOCTOR: (Lets go) Oh, sorry.
ELAINE: Well, I should get going..
(The Doctor leans in for a kiss. Elaine stops him) What are you
doing?
DOCTOR: I was going to kiss you
good night.
ELAINE: A kiss? With the tongue?
The glossa with the bumps and the papillae? ..Yech, I don't think
so. (Leaves)
(Scene ends)
[Setting: Ambulance]
(It's now moving. The driver's
behind the wheel, but the assistant is nowhere in sight)
JERRY: You just can't leave him
out there.
DRIVER: I told him I was gonna
mess him up.
KRAMER: Well, can you call him
an ambulance?
DRIVER: I told him I didn't take
his Chuckle. I don't eat that gooey crap!
KRAMER: hey, watch the road!
Watch the road, man!
DRIVER: (Turns back, facing Kramer)
Hey, man, you want some of what he got?!
JERRY AND KRAMER: Watch out!
(The Ambulance crashes into something)
(Scene ends)
[Setting: Hospital room]
(George is in the bed, watching
TV, wearing a neck brace. Jerry enters limping and wearing a neck
brace, also. He talks to George, but George can't respond
verbally)
JERRY: How ya doing? (George
nods) Can't talk? (George shakes his head. Jerry gestures to his
brace) Hey, how'd you get the plastic one? (George raises his
eyebrows) I like that. (George
sticks his tongue out) So how's life without tonsils? (George quickly
indicates with his arm that he wants ice cream) What? What's
that? ..So, how much is this
thing gonna cost you now? Like, five, six thousand?.. (George signals
that it's more) Well, live and learn.. at least we lived. Kramer
went
to Eckman.. He feels better alreadyy..
(George motions for ice cream again) What are you doing?
(Elaine enters)
ELAINE: Oh, poor George. Oh,
I'm sorry, but I can't stay long. I don't want to run into Doctor
Tongue.. Here, I brought you something. (Takes out a pint of ice
cream. George gets excited) Oh,
please, come on.. it was nothing.
(Nurse enters)
JERRY: Hey, check the TV.
(The TV is showing the same exact
movie Jerry was watching at the start of the show)
TV VOICE: (Germanic) It's just
as you prophesied. The planets of our solar system, incinerating.
Like flaming globes, Sigmond. Like flaming globes. Ah, ha, ha, ha..
JERRY: (Pulls the note out of
his pocket) That's it! That's it! Flaming globes of Sigmond! Flaming
Globes of Sigmond! That's my note! tha'ts what I thought was so
funny?! ..That's not funny..
There's nothing funny about that.
MAN IN NEIGHBORING BED: Shut
up!
(George throws the whole carton
of ice cream over the separating curtan)
MAN: Aaahhhgggg!
(Scene ends)
[Setting: Night club]
JERRY: I have a friend who's
a hypochondriac, always thinks he's sick - never is. And they, you
have another type of person, always thinks they're well, not matter
how bad they really are. You
know this type of person? Very annoying. "Feel great.. like
being on the respirator.. intravenous heart/lung machine. I never
felt better
in my life." Medical science
is making advances every day in control health problems. In fact,
it's probably only a matter of time before a heart attack, you know,
becomes like, a head ache. We'll
just see people on TV going, "I had a heart attack this big
(Holds out hands, gesturing bigness) ..but, I gave myself one of
these.
Clear! (Puts imaginary electrode
panels to his chest) Brrhht.. and it's gone!"
END OF SHOW.
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