Laughing and Choking Looked the Same

The following is from "Marvin's Room", a film by Jerry Zaks, screen play by Scott McPherson.
Lee (Meryl Streep); Bessie(Diane Keaton);


Lee:Are you seeing anybody now?

Bessie:Usually.

-I hope you have someone real in your life.

-I don't have any trouble with that.

-I'm not talking about that.You should. There's no reason you haven't had love.

-I had a true love.

-You did?

-Yes.

-Did he know?

-Yeah.

-Why didn't I know?

-He wasn't someone you'd know.

-Come on, I won't tell anyone.

-Clarence James.

-Who?

-He was only here during summers.

-My God! You went with a carny worker!

-A very nice person!

-I didn't say anything.

-That's why I kept it secret.

-Which one was he?

-He mostly ran the ferris wheel.

-Yeah, I remember him.He was cute.

-He had the funniest laugh.He'd open his mouth wide and; no sound would come out.No sound would come out!

-What happened?

-You know, they'd have that last picnic?

-Down by the river?

-Clarence goes swimming, everyone's watching him and everybody's there.His family, his friends, and me.
He's laughing.He's making that monkey face.
It gets us laughing.Then he dunks under the water.
He pops up again,and he's laughing even harder and dives again
and he doesn't come up;
and he doesn't come up;
and he doesn't come up.

-What?

-Laughing and choking looked the same on Clarence.He drowned.
Oh, God, we were just standingthere watching.
Oh, my God!

-And you never told me.

-If I couldn't say I had a carny boyfriend,
I couIdn't say my carny boyfriend drowned.

-You should have told me.

-We weren't that close.

-We weren't?


P.S:
* "Marvin's Room" at IMDB and Wikipedia.
** The text is from a subtitle downloaded form here, I changed it a little.
*** The photos are from here.