Cross-talk is when two characters in the scene THINK they are talking about the same thing but are actually having two different conversations. It only works if the audience is in on the joke.
The protagonist/comic hero is in the one who is not in on the joke. In this scene from THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, Ted (Ben Stiller) has been arrested for picking up a hitch-hiker. That is what why he thinks is being interrogated. The police in the scene have found a body in Ted' car -- a dead body left there by the insane hitchhiker Ted picked up and who got away. The police think Ted is a serial killer. (Ah, the stuff of comedy.)
Here is the scene as written by the Peter & Bobby Farelly Brothers and Ed Decter & John J. Strauss.
INT. SOUTH CAROLINA PRISON - DAY
Ted is sitting alone at a table in a small interrogation room. PULLBACK to reveal that he is being observed through a two-way mirror by two detectives, FRANEK and CAVALLO.
DETECTIVE FRANE
Man, they never look like you'd expect.
DETECTIVE CAVALLO
That's probably how he got the victim to
drop his guard.
DETECTIVE FRANEK
Where'd they find the body?
DETECTIVE CAVALLO
In a big red bag on the front passenger seat.
All hacked up--fucking gruesome--a real psycho,
this one.
The Detectives ENTER the room.
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY
Ted stands as the Detectives take a seat across from him.
TED
(agitated)
I'm telling you, I did not solicit sex! I
was just stopping to go the bathroom, next
thing I know I tripped over something--well
someone--and, POOF, there's cops and lights and--
DETECTIVE FRANEK
(beat)
Okay, calm down, Ted, we believe you.
(beat)
The problem is we found your friend in
the car.
As Ted sits back down the Detectives just stare at him. Finally Ted thinks he gets it.
TED
Oh. The hitchhiker.
(CHUCKLES)
That's what this is all about.
Ted puts his head in his hands and smiles.
TED (cont'd)
Isn't that just my luck--I get caught for
everything.
DETECTIVE CAVALLO
So you admit it?
TED
Guilty as charged. I'm not gonna play games
with you. I could give you a song and dance
but what's the point? I did it and we all
know it.
(laughs)
The hitcher himself told me it's illegal
The irony.
The Detectives are surprised by his forthrightness.
DETECTIVE CAVALLO
Well, uh, can you tell us his name?
TED
Jeez, I didn't catch it.
The Detectives flinch at his glib demeanor.
DETECTIVE FRANEK
So he was a stranger? It was totally
random?
TED
(confused)
He was the first hitcher I saw, what can I
tell you? Now cut to the chase, how much
trouble am I in?
The Detectives look at one another.
DETECTIVE FRANEK
First tell us why you did it.
TED
Why I did it?
(scoffs)
I don't know. Boredom? I thought I was
doing the guy a favor.
The Detectives look at each other.
DETECTIVE CAVALLO
This wasn't your first time, was it, Ted?
How many we talking?
TED
Hitchhikers? I don't know--fifty...a
hundred maybe--Who keeps track?
Finally Detective Cavallo EXPLODES across the table and starts WAILING on a shocked Ted.
DETECTIVE CAVALLO
You sonofabitch! You're gonna fry!!!!
It's very sparse. Very funny. Comedies tend to be lean. There is no scene description that runs longer than two lines. Here is the scene to watch:
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