On my last post regarding Facade, Steve asks, "There can certainly be the capacity for lying in the system. What’s important is what came before. Can you trace this?"
Well, I did go through the scripts and found these two containing conflicting statements from Grace about the painting:
GRACE
I’m going to give you the truth too, Trip.
TRIP
What?!
GRACE
I painted this.
TRIP
Bullshit.
GRACE
I am an artist, Trip, fuck you.
TRIP
You’ve been secretly painting? When —
GRACE
Everytime you go on a goddamn business trip, I paint.
AMY
it is very nice
TRIP
Jesus —
GRACE
So don’t EVER give me any more of your ‘you could never be an artist’ crap!!
And then this, from another script:
GRACE
But, Diana, you have to look at this room, and admit it looks terrible.
TRIP
Grace —
GRACE
I mean, look around, this room is… it’s hideous!
Grace, no, no, don’t say that!
it looks great
Ah, yeah, Diana, I knew you’d like it.
See Grace you don’t realize how good this all looks — and, and how good you look!
(annoyed sigh)
So, about my decorating…
You know at work I waste all day designing ads for stylish objects, like this armoire,
and then it makes me think, I want to design it into my apartment…
This is a really exclusive armoire, very few people own this armoire.
but… dammit, I don’t know what I was thinking, this is a monstrosity! — (interrupted)
Yeah I just had to have these damn sculptures…
but… dammit, now I can’t take the sight of them! They’re revolting!
Grace… come on!
change it
Well, you have to appreciate how after a full day’s work designing magazine ads, Grace can find the time to redecorate —
I want to throw it all out, get rid of everything, and throw paint all over the walls…
(annoyed sigh) — (interrupted)
throw it out
Uh, well, these sculptures are just awful, aren’t they?
yeah
(frustrated — (interrupted)
Ah, what a nice surprise, an honest answer!
Diana, Wait! Grace, I don’t know where you’re getting this —
You know, Trip, do you realize that if you hadn’t convinced me to go into advertising, I could have painted that painting on the wall instead of buying it!
(short petulant sigh)
Oh, yeah, we’ve seen how your artist friends live, as if you could survive that kind of lifestyle! Give me a break!
I thought you painted it
Uhh, let’s not talk about the damn decorating anymore… — (interrupted)
The Lost Children: A Charity Anthology
I have a comment. In this thread, it may be that Grace isn’t lying by claiming she bought the painting. In this run the truth may be that Grace bought the painting unless some indication later contradicts her. Each draws only a certain amount of the possible responses out per beat sequence. Othe writings by the authors claim that each run draws about 25% of the possibles out, hence each run should be taken as a “complete plot,” if plot we want to call it.
But consider Grace in the first example. She paints in secret, while Trip is away on business. This just doesn’t ring with any truth for me considering the situation. It may be true that G and T can open up before a stranger, an old friend, but given the state of affairs in this premised relationship, problematic behavior is pathetic and formulaic rather than humanly complex.
This is true, but I was looking at it as a writer in trying to decipher how to braid together simultaneous stories. These are, of course, separate stories, and can come with many varied background information.
But just as I am looking at it for one purpose, you are looking at it for “truth” in relation to reality, and I would agree that the story(ies) aren’t of a high literary nature. But aren’t the creators of Facade looking more at the vehicle as their primary goal?