Did your Uncle get arrested?
It's a good thing no one's Irish here.
Chuck, let's go.
What's up guys?
Why don't you beat off at your house?
Oh my God, I got the most fucked up thing I been meanin' to tell you.
Save it for your mother, funny guy. We heard it before.
What'd you say about me?
Hey, asshole. Happy Birthday.
Me and Bill scraped together the parts, worked on it. Morgan was out panhandlin' every day.
Fuck you, I did the body work. Whose fuckin' router you think sanded out all that bondo?
I'm not sure--
Will, our offer starts you at eighty- four thousand a year, plus benefits.
Retainer...
You want us to give you cash right now?
I don't think I...Larry?
I have about seventy-three...
Will you take a check?
What class did you say that was?
History.
How'd you like that course?
Good, it was all right.
Hey, come on pal we're in classes all day. That's one thing about Harvard never seizes to amaze me, everybody's talkin' about school all the time.
To tell you the truth, I wasn't there much. The class was rather elementary.
All right, are we gonna have a problem?
So why do you think I should work for the National Security Agency?
Well, you'd be working on the cutting edge. You'd be exposed to the kind of technology you couldn't see anywhere else because we've classified it. Super string theory, Chaos Math, Advanced algorithms--
Codebreaking.
That's one aspect of what we do.
Come on, that's what you do. You handle more than eighty percent of the intelligence workload. You're seven times the size of the C.I.A.
That's exactly right, Will. So the question as I see it isn't "why should you work for N.S.A." it's "why shouldn't you?"
Okay, you're in your bed, Will. Now how old are you?
Seven.
And what do you see?
Somethin's in my room.
What is it?
You're in a safe place, Will.
Where is it touching you?
Down there. And I'm nervous.
Alexander, I know your theory. The boy is updating, he's strategy stealing...
With a Ramses graph on the binary tree--
--But what he's doing, he's attaching an edge to the adjacent vertex. He can always failsafe to either side--
No, there's a limit.
--Maker builds "K" to the "N." N is three to the K times--
Excuse me. Is this the buildings and grounds office?
Yeah, can I help you?
I'm trying to find the name of a student who works here.
No students work for me.
Could you just check, because the young man who works in my building--
Which one's your building?
Well, if something was stolen, I should know about it.
No, no. Nothing like that. I just need his name. TERRY I can't give you his name unless you have a complaint.
Please, I'm a professor here and it's very important.
Oh, I'm sorry.
What're you doing?
What's your name? Don't you walk away from me. This is people's work, you can't graffiti here.
Hey fuck you.
Hello. Gerald Lambeau, M.I.T.
Fuck do you want?
I've spoken with the judge and he's agreed to release you under my supervision.
Really?
Yes. Under two conditions.
What're those?
If I agree to this, I walk right now?
That's right.
I'll do the work. I'm not going to meet with a therapist.
This rectangle is subdivided into rectangles. One edge of an inner rectangle is an integer. Can you prove that one edge of the larger rectangle is an integer?
Of course.
Okay. How?
That would be a monumental waste of time, wouldn't it, Will?
I think so.
What's that?
Half-red, half-black--
--that?--
--Half-red, half-black--
--That edge!
Shall we start the, uh...
Oh, for God's sake, Will.
Oh, come on! You're not pinnin' this one on me. He left, I wanted to talk to him for another twenty minutes. I was havin' fun.
I told you to cooperate with these people.
Get out, Will.
Okay...don't forget to get another therapist for next week.
No.
This is correct. I see you used Mclullen here--
I don't know what it's called.
--This can't be right. This is going to be very embarrassing. Have you ever considered--
Can I ask you a favor, can we do this at Sean's from now on? 'Cause I leave work to come here and the fuckin' commute is killin' me--
That's fine, but did you ever think--
It's right. Take it home with you.
Will, what happened at the Tri-tech meeting?
I couldn't go 'cause I had a date. So I sent my cheif negotiator.
Will, on your own time, you can do what you like. When I set up a meeting, with my associates, and you don't show up it reflects poorly on me.
Then don't set up any more meetings.
I'll cancel every meeting right now. I'll give you a job myself. I just wanted you to see what was out there.
--Maybe I don't want to spend my life sittin' around and explaining shit to people.
The least you can do is show me a little appreciation.
--You know how fuckin' easy this is to me? This is a joke! And I'm sorry you can't do this. I really am. 'Cause if you could I wouldn't be forced to watch you fumble around and fuck it up.
Well, I'm sorry.
What are you smiling at?
I can come back.
Will.
Hey, how you doin'?
You know, you're no longer required to come here.
I was just sayin' goodbye to Sean.
Thank you.
I just want you to know...It's been a pleasure.
This job... Do it if it's what you really want.
Yes.
Listen, I'll be nearby so, if you need some help, or you get stuck again, don't be afraid to give me a call.
Excuse me, Professor Lambeau?
Yes.
I'm in your applied theories class. We're all down at the Math and Science building.
It's Saturday.
I know. We just couldn't wait 'till Monday to find out.
Find out what?
Good to meet you.
Excuse me, Timmy. Could you help us? We're trying to settle a bet.
Uh-oh.
Have you heard of Jonas Salk?
Yeah, cured polio.
How about Gerald Lambeau? Ever heard of him?
No. LAMBEAU Okay thank you, Timmy.
So who won the bet?
Sean.
Hello.
Good to see you.
Good to see you.
I didn't see you at the reunion.
I've been busy.
You were missed. How long has it been since we've seen each other?
Since Nancy died.
I'm sorry, that damn conference--
I've been busy, Gerry. I got a full schedule.
This kid's special, Sean. I've never seen anything like him.
Yeah.
And he mailed it to Hardy--
--That's right, Sean. He mailed it to a professor at Cambridge who immediately recognized the brilliance in his work and brought Ramanujan to England.
Where he contracted pneumonia and died at a young age--
They worked together for the remainder of their lives, producing some of the most exciting math theory ever done. Ramanujan's genius was unparalleled, Sean. This boy is like that. But he's very defensive and I need someone who can get through to him.
Why me?
I need someone with your kind of background.
My kind of background?
You're from the same neighborhood. South Boston.
He's from Southie? How many people did you try before you came to me?
Not Rick? You didn't send him to Rick?
Just meet with the boy once a week.
Can we do it at my office?
I got it.
Any vulnerability he senses, he'll exploit.
I'll be okay.
Would you excuse us?
Tom.
What do you mean "he didn't talk?" You sat there for an hour?
No, he just sat there and counted the seconds until the session was over. It was pretty impressive, actually.
Why would he do that?
To show me he doesn't have to talk to me if he doesn't want to.
Oh, what is this? Some kind of staring contest between two kids from the "old neighborhood?"
Gerry! Any trouble finding the place?
Not at all.
You're here quite a bit, then.
I live right around the corner.
You moved?
Seems like it's going well.
I think so.
Well, have you talked to him at all about his future?
We haven't really gotten into it. LAMBEAU Maybe you should. My phone's been ringing off the hook with job offers.
Jobs doing what?
Cutting edge mathematics. Think tanks. The kind of place where a mind like Will's is given free reign.
That's great, Gerry, that there's interest-- But I'm not sure he's ready for that.
Sean, I really don't think you understand--
He married his cousin.
Who?
You see, Sean? That's exactly not the point. No one remembers that. They--
I do.
Just...take it easy, Gerry.
Look, I don't know what else I can say. I'm not sitting at home every night, twisting my mustache and hatching a plan to ruin the boy's life. But it's important to start early. I was doing advanced mathematics at eighteen and it still took me twenty-three years to do something worthy of a Field's medal.
Sean, this is important. And it's above personal rivalry--
Now wait a minute, Gerry--
--No, no you hear me out, Sean. This young man is a true prodigy--
--Personal rivalry? I'm not getting back at you.
Look, you took one road and I took another. That's fine.
Is it Gerry? 'Cause I don't think it's fine with you. Give him time to figure out what he wants.
This is a disaster! I brought you in here to help me with this boy, not to run him out--
Now wait a minute--
--And confuse him--
--Gerry--
--And here I am for the second week in a row with my professional reputation at stake--
Hold on!
--Ready to falsify documents because you've given him license to walk away from this.
I know what I'm doing and I know why I'm here!
Look Sean, I don't care if you have a rapport with the boy-- I don't care if you have a few laughs-- even at my expense! But don't you dare undermine what I'm trying to do here.
"Undermine?"
He has a gift and with that gift comes responsibility. And you don't understand that he's at a fragile point--
He is at a fragile point. He's got problems--
What problems does he have, Sean, that he is better off as a janitor or in jail or hanging around with--
Why do you think he does that, Gerry?
He can handle the work, he can handle the pressure and he's obviously handled you.
Why is he hiding? Why is he a janitor? Why doesn't he trust anybody? Because the first thing that happened to him was that he was abandoned by the people who were supposed to love him the most!
Oh, come on, Sean--
--And why does he hang out with his friends? Because any one of those kids would come in here and take a bat to your head if he asked them to. It's called loyalty!
Oh, that's nice--
--And who do you think he's handling? He pushes people away before they have a chance to leave him. And for 20 years he's been alone because of that. And if you try to push him into this, it's going to be the same thing all over again. And I'm not going to let that happen to him!
Now don't do that. Don't you do that! Don't infect him with the idea that it's okay to quit. That it's okay to be a failure, because it's not okay! If you're angry at me for being successful, for being what you could have been--
--I'm not angry at you--
--Yes you are, Sean. You resent me. And I'm not going to apologize for any success that I've had.
--I don't have any anger at you--
Yes you do. You're angry at me for doing what you could have done. Ask yourself if you want Will to feel that way for the rest of his life, to feel like a failure.
That's it. That's why I don't come to the goddamn reunions! Becaue I can't stand the look in your eye when you see me! You think I'm a failure! I know who I am. I'm proud of who I am. And all of you, you think I'm some kind of pity case! You with your sycophant students following you around. And you Goddamn Medal!
--Is that what this is about, Sean? The Field's Medal? Do you want me to go home and get it for you? Then will you let the boy--
--I don't want your trophy and I don't give a shit about it! 'Cause I knew you when!! You and Jack and Tom Sanders. I knew you when you were homesick and pimply-faced and didn't know what side of the bed to piss on!
That's right! You were smarter than us then and you're smarter than us now! So don't blame me for how your life turned out. It's not my fault.
I don't blame you! It's not about that! It's about the boy! 'Cause he's a good kid! And I won't see this happen to him-- I won't see you make him feel like a failure too!
He won't be a failure!
If you push him into something, if you ride him--
You're wrong, Sean. I'm where I am today because I was pushed. And because I learned to push myself!
Hello, Sean.
Come in.
Sean...
So I hear you're taking some time.
Yeah. Summer vacation. Thought I'd travel some. Maybe write a little bit.
Where're you going?
I don't know. India maybe.
Why there?
Do you know when you'll be back?
I got this mailer the other day. Class of Sixty-five is having this event in six months.
I got one of those too.
How about one now?
Sean, do you have any idea what the odds are against winning the lottery?
I don't know... Gotta be at least four to one.
About thirty million to one.
You're pretty quick with those numbers. How about the odds of me buying the first round?
I called Mel Weintraub this morning, to check for availability.
What's the point?
What do you want to do?
There is somebody...
Who is he?
What should I do?
It's walkin' pretty slow at this point.
I could go for a Whopper.
Well, she out did herself today...
What happened? You got fired, huh?
Yeah, Morgan. I got fired.
There goes that fuckin' Barney right now, with his fuckin' "skiin' trip." We should'a kicked that dude's ass.
Will, I can't believe you brought Skylar here when we're all wrecked. What's she gonna think about us?
So, you finally got a job Morgan?
Had one, now I'm fucked again.
That's why I love stock-car racin'. That Dale Ernhart's real good.
Now you know Will, and I know, what you need to be doing. You have a gift.
I could work the pit maybe, but I could never drive like Dale Ernhart--
--you have a quality-- something you were born with, that you have no control over- and you are, in a sense, hiding that by becoming a janitor. And I'm not saying that's wrong. I'm friends with the janitor that works in my building. He's been to my house for dinner. As a matter of fact I did some free consultation for "Mike" -- that's
Yeah, I read your book. "Mike" had the same problems as "Chad" the stockbroker.
Yes. The pressures you feel, and again, I am neither labeling nor judging them, are keeping you from fulfilling your potential -- you're in a rut. So stop the Tom Foolery -- the Shenanigan's, Will.
You're right. I know.
Will, your not getting off that easy.
No, but, I mean you know...I do other things. That no one knows about.
Like what, Will?
I go places, I interact.
What places?
I might understand that.
Do you find it hard to hide the fact that you're gay?
What?
C'mon, I read your book. I talked to you. It's just something I know to be true.
That's very presumptuous.
Buddy, two seconds ago you were ready to give me a jump.
Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm married and I have two children.
I'm sure you do. You probably got a real nice house, nice car -- your book's a best seller.
You're getting defensive, Will.
Look, man. I don't care if you're putting from the rough. There are solid arguments that some of the greatest people in history were gay; Alexander the Great, Caeser, Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Napoleon, Gertrude Stein, not to mention Danny Terrio, not many straight men can dance like that.
Who is "Danny Terrio?"
Well, I can see this is pointless...
Did you buy all these books retail, or do you send away for like a "shrink kit" that comes with all these volumes included?
Have you read all these books, Will?
Probably not.
Yeah, I read those.
What did you think?
I'm not here for a fuckin' book report. They're your books, why don't you read 'em?
I did.
That must have taken you a long time.
"A History of the United States, Volume I." If you want to read a real history book, read Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States." That book will knock you on your ass.
How about Noam Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent?"
You people baffle me. You spend all this money on beautiful, fancy books-- and they're the wrong fuckin' books.
You think so?
Guy your age shouldn't smoke so much. Stunt your growth.
Yes, I do.
Nautilus?
Free weights. WILL Oh yeah? Me too. What do you bench?
285.
Yeah. Do you paint?
No.
Crayons?
This is a real piece of shit.
Tell me what you really think.
Poor color composition, lousy use of space. But that shit doesn't really concern me.
What does?
The color here, see how dark it is? It's interesting.
What is?
I think you're one step away from cutting your ear off.
Oh, "Starry Night" time, huh?
You ever heard the saying, "any port in a storm?"
Sure, how 'bout "still waters run deep"--
--Well, maybe that means you.
Maybe you should be a patient and sit down.
Maybe you married the wrong woman.
Watch your mouth.
If you ever disrespect my wife again...I will end you.
So what's with this place? You have a swan fetish? Is this something you'd like to talk about?
I was thinking about what you said to me the other day, about my painting. I stayed up half the night thinking about it and then something occured to me and I fell into a deep peaceful sleep and haven't thought about you since. You know what occurred to me?
No.
You're just a boy. You don't have the faintest idea what you're talking about.
Why thank you.
You've never been out of Boston.
No.
You know, I was on this plane once. And I'm sittin' there and the captain comes on and is like "we'll be cruising at 35,000 feet," and does his thing, then he puts the mike down but forgets to turn it off. Then he says "man, all I want right now is a blow-job and a cup of coffee." So the stewardess goes runnin'
You've never been on a plane.
Yeah? You got a lady now?
Yeah, I went on a date last week.
How'd it go?
Fine.
Well, are you going out again?
I don't know.
Why not?
Haven't called her.
Jesus Christ, you are an amateur.
I know what I'm doing. She's different from the other girls I met. We have a really good time. She's smart, beautiful, fun...
So Christ, call her up.
Why? So I can realize she's not so smart. That she's boring. You don't get it. Right now she's perfect, I don't want to ruin that.
I teach this shit, I didn't say I knew how to do it.
You ever think about gettin' remarried?
My wife's dead.
Hence, the word remarried.
My wife's dead.
Really? How'd the date go? WILL Do you still counsel veterans? I read your book last night.
No, I don't.
Why not?
I gave that up when my wife got sick.
Is that why you didn't write anything else?
I didn't write anything else 'cause nobody, including most of my colleagues bothered to read the first one.
Well, I've read you colleagues. Your book was good, Sean. All those guys were in your platoon?
Yeah.
What happened to that guy from Kentucky?
Lon? He got married. He has a kid. I kind of lost touch with him after Nancy got sick.
Do you ever wonder what your life would be like if you never met your wife?
You don't regret meetin' your wife?
Why? Because of the pain I feel now? I have regrets Will, but I don't regret a singel day I spent with her.
When did you know she was the one?
October 21, 1975. Game six of the World Series. Biggest game in Red Sox history, Me and my friends slept out on the sidewalk all night to get tickets. We were sitting in a bar waiting for the game to start and in walks this girl. What a game that was. Tie game in the bottom of the tenth inning, in steps Carlton Fisk,
Where were you?
I was havin' a drink with my future wife.
You missed Pudge Fisk's homerun to have a drink with a woman you had never met?
That's right.
So wait a minute. The Red Sox haven't won a World Series since nineteen eighteen, you slept out for tickets, games gonna start in twenty minutes, in walks a girl you never seen before, and you give your ticket away?
You should have seen this girl. She lit up the room.
I just slid my ticket across the table and said "sorry fellas, I gotta go see about a girl."
"I gotta go see about a girl"? What did they say?
They could see that I meant it.
You're kiddin' me.
Would have been nice to catch that game though.
So you might be working for Uncle Sam.
I don't know.
Gerry says the meeting went well.
I guess.
What did you think?
Do you think you're alone?
What?
Do you have a soul-mate?
Define that.
Someone who challenges you in every way. Who takes you places, opens things up for you. A soul-mate.
They're all dead.
Not to me, they're not.
But you can't give back to them, Will.
Not without a heater and some serious smelling salts, no...
That's what I'm saying, Will. You'll never have that kind of relationship in a world where you're afraid to take the first step because all you're seeing are the negative things that might happen ten miles down the road.
Oh, what? You're going to take the professor's side on this?
Don't give me you line of shit.
I didn't want the job.
It's not about that job. I'm not saying you should work for the government. But, you could do anything you want. And there are people who work their whole lives layin' brick so their kids have a chance at the kind of opportunity you have. What do you want to do?
I didn't ask for this.
Nobody gets what they ask for, Will. That's a cop-out.
Why is it a cop-out? I don't see anythin' wrong with layin' brick, that's somebody's home I'm buildin'. Or fixin' somebody's car, somebody's gonna get to work the next day 'cause of me. There's honor in that.
What?
If you won't answer my questions, you're wasting my time.
I been there. I played my hand.
That's right. And you fuckin' lost! And some people would have the sack to lose a big hand like that and still come back and ante up again!
Well, I'm here. So, is that my problem? I'm afraid of being abandoned? That was easy.
Look, a lot of that stuff goes back a long way. And it's between me and him and it has nothing to do with you.
Oh, this is your file. I have to send it back to the Judge with my evaluation.
You want to read it?
No. Have you had any experience with that?
Twenty years of counselling you see a lot of--
--No, have you had any experience with that?
Yes.
Gotta go with the belt there...
I used to go with the wrench.
The wrench, why?
Oh, I know.
It's not your fault.
I know.
It's not your fault.
I know.
It's not your fault.
I know.
It's not your fault.
Don't fuck with me.
It's not your fault.
I know.
It's not...
Which one did you take, Will?
Over at Tri-tech. One of the jobs Professor Lambeau set me up with. I haven't told him yet, but I talked to my new boss over there and he seemed like a nice guy.
That's what you want?
Yeah, I think so.
Good for you. Congratulations.
Thanks you. So, that's it? We're done?
I just want you to know, Sean...
You're Welcome, Will.
I'll keep in touch.
No. Thank you.
Does this violate the patient/doctor relationship?
See ya.
You suck.
What?
I've been sitting over there for forty- five minutes waiting for you to come talk to me. But I'm just tired now and I have to go home and I wasn't going to keep sitting there waiting for you.
I'm Will.
Skylar. And by the way. That guy over there is a real dick and I just wanted you to know he didn't come with us.
I kind of got that impression.
Well, look, I have to go. Gotta' get up early and waste some more money on my overpriced education.
I didn't mean you. Listen, maybe...
Great, or maybe we could go somewhere and just eat a bunch of caramels.
What?
When you think about it, it's just as arbitrary as drinking coffee.
Five minutes.
What?
I was trying to be smooth. But at twelve-fifteen I was gonna come over there and talk to you.
See, it's my life story. Five more minutes and I would have got to hear your best pick-up line.
Yeah?
It's Will, the really funny good looking guy you met at the bar?
I'm sorry, I don't recall meeting anyone who fits that description.
Okay, you got me. It's the ugly, obnoxious, toothless loser who got drunk and wouldn't leave you alone all night.
Oh Will! I was wondering when you'd call.
Yeah, I figured maybe sometime this week we could go to a cafe and have some caramels.
Sounds good, where are you now?
I don't know, it was just kind of the boring suburban thing. Private school, Harvard, and now Med. School. I actually figured out that at the end of it, my brain will be worth a quarter of a million dollars. I shouldn't have told you that...
I bet your parents were happy to pay.
I was happy to pay. I inherited the money.
Is Harvard gettin' all that money?
Stanford. I'm leaving in June after I graduate.
So you just want to use me and go?
Well, I'm gonna experiment on you for my anatomy class, then go.
In that case, fine. Want to see my magic trick?
Now, I'm gonna make all these caramels disappear.
Have you ever seen Annie Hall?
No.
I really don't 'date' that much.
You know what I mean. I know you've at least thought about it.
No I haven't...
Yes you have. You were thinking you were gonna get a good night kiss.
No I wasn't...
Yes you were.
Oh, you will?
No...I was hoping to get a kiss.
Free?
You grew up around here?
Not far from here, South Boston.
How was that?
I bet you have a great family.
You know, nothing special.
You have a lot of brothers and sisters?
Do I have a lot of brothers and sisters?
Yeah.
Well, Irish Catholic. What do you think?
How many?
You wouldn't believe me if I told you.
I have twelve big brothers.
Not a chance.
Yup, you're lookin' at lucky thirteen.
Bullshit.
I swear to God.
Your house must have been a zoo.
It was great. There was always someone to play with, give you advice.
Do you know all their names?
'Course I do, they're my brothers.
Well...
Marky, Ricky, Danny, Terry, Mikey, Davey, Timmy, Tommy, Joey, Robby, Johnny, and Brian.
Do you keep in touch with them?
I want to meet them.
Where have you been?
I'm sorry, I been real busy.
You were busy? You know, I really was waiting for you to call me.
Sorry. I'm sorry. Give me another crack at it. Let me take you out.
Promise?
I couldn't wait till tomorrow.
How the hell did you do that?
Didn't your mother ever tell you not to look a gift horse n the mouth?
I'm supposed to understand this.
You're not going into surgery tomorrow are you?
No.
Why do we always stay here?
'Cause it's nicer than my place.
I've never seen your place.
Exactly.
What about your friends? Or your brothers? When do I get to meet them?
They don't come over here that much.
I think I can make it to South Boston.
Aah, it's kind of a hike.
Is it me you're hiding from them or the other way around?
All right, all right. We'll go.
When?
Sometime. I don't know. Next week.
What if I said I wouldn't sleep with you again until you let me meet your friends?
You men are shameful. If you're not thinking of your weiner then you're acting on its behalf.
I thought you said you'd show me your place.
How's it goin'?
Fine.
Want me to take a look?
No.
C'mon, give me a peek and we'll go to the battin' cages.
It's important that I learn this.
Why is it important to you? If I inherited all that money, the only thing important to me would be workin' on my swing.
Clearly.
You're rich. What do you have to worry about?
Rich? I have an inheritance. It's two handred and fifty thousand dollars. That's exactly what it'll cost me, minus about five hundred bucks, to go all the way through med school. This is what I'm doing with that money. I could have done anything I wanted. I could have expanded my wardrobe, substantially.
All right, Mr. Nosey Parker. Let me ask you a question? Do you have a photographic memory?
I guess. I don't know. How do you remember your phone number?
Have you ever studied Organic Chemistry?
Some, a little.
Just for fun?
I guess so.
Nobody does organic chemistry for "fun." It's unnecessary. Especially for someone like you.
Like me?
Do you play the piano?
Come one Will. I just want to know.
I'm trying to explain it to you. So you play the piano. When you look at the keys, you see music, you see Mozart.
I see "Hot Cross Buns," but okay.
Well all right, Beethoven. He looked at a piano and saw music. The fuckin' guy was deaf when he composed the Ode to Joy. They had to turn him around to take a bow because he couldn't hear the crowd going crazy behind him. Stone deaf. He saw all of that music in his head.
So, do you play the piano?
Not a lick. I look at a piano and I see black and white keys, three pedals and a box of wood. Beethoven, Mozart, they looked at it and it just made sense to them. They saw a piano and they could play. I couldn't paint you a picture, I probably can't hit the ball out of Fenway Park and I can't play the
--But you can do my O-chem lab in under an hour, you can--
Will? Are you awake?
No.
Come with me to California.
What?
I want you to come with me.
How do you know that?
I know. I just do.
Yeah, but how do you know?
I don't know. I just feel it.
And you're sure about that?
Yeah, I'm sure.
'Cause that's a serious thing you're sayin'. I mean, we might be in California next week and you could find out somethin' about me that you don't like. And you might feel like "hey this is a big mistake." But you can't take it back, 'cause you know it's real serious and you can't take somethin' like that back. Now I'm in California, 'cause
"Take-back?" What is that? I don't want a take-back. I want you to come to California with me.
I can't go out to California.
Why not?
One, because I have a job here and two because I live here--
Look, Will if you're not in love with me, you can say that.
I'm not sayin' I'm not in love with you.
Then what are you afraid of?
What do you mean "What am I afraid of?"
Why won't you come with me? What are you so scared of?
What am I scared of?
Well, what aren't you scared of? You live in your safe little world where nobody challenges you and you're scared shitless to do anything else--
--Don't tell me about my world. You're the one that's afraid. You just want to have your little fling with the guy from the other side of town and marry--
Is that what you think--
--some prick from Stanford that your parents will approve of. Then you'll sit around with the rest of the upper crust kids and talk about how you went slummin' too.
I inherited that money when I was thirteen, when my father died.
At least you have a mother.
Fuck you! You think I want this? That money's a burden to me. Every day I wake up and I wish I could give that back. I'd give everything I have back to spend one more day with my father. But that's life. And I deal with it. So don't put that shit on me. You're the one that's afraid.
What the fuck am I afraid of?!
You're afraid of me. You're afraid that I won't love you back. And guess what? I'm afraid too. But at least I have the balls to it give it a shot. At least I'm honest with you.
I'm not honest?
What about your twelve brothers?
Oh, is that what this is about? You want to hear that I don't really have any brothers? That I'm a fuckin' orphan? Is that what you want to hear?
Yes, Will. I didn't even know that?
No, you don't want to hear that.
Yes, I do, Will.
Yes I do. Did you ever think that maybe I could help you? That maybe that's the point, that we're a team?
What, you want to come in here and save me? Is that what you want to do? Do I have a sign that says "save me" on my back?
Don't bullshit me! Don't fuckin' bullshit me!
I just wanted to call before you left. I'm takin' all these job interviews. So I won't just be a construction worker.
Yeah.
Take care.
You doin' the hirin'?
All right, mister. I'll go. You just show your license to contrack, an' then you make out a order--where an' when an' how much you gonna pay--an' you sign it an' we'll go.
You trying to tell me how to run my own business?
'F we're workin' for you, it's our business too. An' how do we know-- --you ain't one a the guys that sent these things out?
Twicet now I've fell for that line. Maybe he needs a thousan' men. So he get's five thousan' there, an' he'll pay fifteen cents a hour. An' you guys'll have to take it 'cause you'll be hungry. 'F he wants to hire men, let him write it out an' say what he's gonna pay. Ast to see his license. He ain't allowed by law
She'll prob'ly ride like a bull calf-- but she'll ride!
Will ya look at her!
Leave him alone, Ma--Al's just billy- goatin' around--
Ready, Pa?
Twenty days work, oh boy!
Go on. Get in your tent. You don't know nothin'.
How 'bout you?
*Some*body got to take the blame. They just *got* to hang it on somebody, you know. An' I ain't doin' nothin' but set around.
But ain't no reason--
Lissen. I don't care nothin' about you, but if you mess in this, your whole fambly li'ble to get in trouble, an' Tom get sent back to the penitentiary.
Okay. I think you're a darn fool, though.
Ain't you gonna look back, Ma?--give the ol' place a last look?
We're goin' to California, ain't we? Awright then, let's *go* to California.
That don't sound like you, Ma. You never was like that before.
I'd come back--
But it ain't runnin' away, Ma. All I wanta do is go away with another fella an' look aroun' for work by ourself--
Ready, Ma?
Maybe. Maybe twenny days work, maybe *no* days work. We ain't got it till we get it.
Whatsa matter, Ma? Gettin' scared?
No. Ain't ever gonna be scared no more. I was, though. For a while I thought we was beat--*good* an' beat. Looked like we didn't have nothin' in the worl' but enemies--wasn't *no*body frien'ly anymore. It made me feel bad an' scared too--like we was lost... an' nobody cared.
Woman can change better'n a man. Man lives in jerks--baby born, or somebody dies, that's a jerk--gets a farm, or loses one, an' that's a jerk. With a woman it's all one flow, like a stream, little eddies, little waterfalls, but the river it goes right on. Woman looks at it like that.
Well, you said anybody can waltz... How'm *I* doin'?
Don't hold me so tight.
Why, I ain't hardly touchin' you!
You're *ticklin' me!*
That comes from not holdin' you tight *enough.*
You bust outa jail, Tom?
Naw. They paroled me.
What a place! How'd you like to walk acrost her?
People done it. If they could, we could.
Lots must a died, too.
Tom? You can come on. They gone.
Maybe the road's out.
Think I'll look aroun' an' see if I can't meet me a girl.
She's hotter'n a heifer.
Any gas?
Gallon or two?
Looks like about a mile. Reckon she'll make it?
You mean that hitch-hiker? Little short fella with a pale face?
I guess that's what he looked like.
We just picked him up on the way in. He went away this mornin' when the rate dropped.
What'd he look like again?
Short fella. Pale face.
Was he bruised up this mornin'? About the face?
I didn't see nothin'.
Kinda pie y'got?
Banana cream, pineapple cream, chocolate cream--and apple.
Them wasn't two-for-a-cent candy.
What's it to you?
So long.
Want to work?
Sure, but what is this?
That's not your affair. Name.
Joad.
How many men?
Four.
Women?
Two.
Kids?
Two.
Can all of you work?
Why, I guess so.
House 25. Number's on the door.
Okay, mister. Whatcha payin'?
Two and a half cents.
Two an' a half! Say, mister, a man can't make his dinner on that.
Take it or leave it. There's 200 men coming from the South that'll be glad to get it.
But--but how we gonna eat?
Look, I didn't set the price. I'm just working here. If you want it, take it. If you don't, turn right around and beat it.
Open up! We hear you got a riot.
Riot? I don't see no riot. Who're you?
Deputy sheriffs.
Got a warrant?
We don't need a warrant if it's a riot.
I don't mean to be nosy, y'understand. I just got to have certain information. What's your name?
Joad. Tom Joad.
Camp site costs a dollar a week, but you can work it out, carrying garbage, keeping the camp clean--stuff like that.
We'll work it out. What's this committee you talkin' about?
We got five sanitary units. Each one elects a central committee man. They make the laws, an' what they say goes.
Are you aimin' to tell me that the fellas that run this camp is jus' fellas--campin' here?
That's the way it is.
An' you say no cops?
No cop can come in here without a warrant.
I can't hardly believe it. Camp I was in once, they burned it out--the deputies an' some of them poolroom fellas.
They don't get in here. Sometimes the boys patrol the fences, especially dance nights.
You got dances too?
We got the best dances in the county every Saturday night.
Say, who runs this place?
Government.
Why ain't they more like it?
*You* find out, I can't.
Anything like work aroun' here?
Can't promise you that, but there'll be a licensed agent here tomorrow mornin', if you want to talk to him.
Ma's shore gonna like it here. She ain't been treated decent for a long time.
That cut you got?
Crate fell on me.
Better take care of it. Store manager'll give you some stuff for it in the morning. Goodnight.
Say, ain't you young Tom Joad--ol' Tom's boy?
Yeah. On my way home now.
Well, I do declare! I baptized you, son.
Why, you're the preacher!
*Used* to be. Not no more. I lost the call. But boy, I sure *used* to have it! I'd get an irrigation ditch so squirmin' full of repented sinners I pretty near *drowned* half of 'em! But not no more. I lost the sperit.
Pa always said you was never cut out to be a preacher.
I got nothin' to preach about no more--that's all. I ain't so sure o' things.
Maybe you should a got yourself a wife.
At my meetin's I used to get the girls glory-shoutin' till they about passed out. Then, I'd go to comfort 'em--and always end up by lovin' 'em. I'd feel bad, an' pray, an' pray, but it didn't do no good. Next time, do it again. I figgered there just wasn't no hope for me.
I never let one go by me when I could catch her.
But you wasn't a preacher. A girl was just a girl to you. But to me they was holy vessels. I was savin' their souls. I ast myself--what *is* this call, the Holy Sperit? Maybe *that's* love. Why, I love everybody so much I'm fit to bust sometimes! So maybe there ain't no sin an' there ain't no virtue. There's just what people do.
Have a little snort?
Course I'll say grace if somebody sets out the food-- --but my heart ain't in it. Nice drinkin' liquor.
Ought to be. That's fact'ry liquor. Cost me a buck.
Been out travelin' around?
Didn't you hear? It was in the papers.
No, I never. What?
I been in the penitentiary for four years.
Excuse me for asking.
I don't mind any more. I'd do what I done again. I killed a guy at a dance. We was drunk. He got a knife in me and I laid him out with a shovel. Knocked his head plumb to squash.
And you ain't ashamed?
He had a knife in me. That's why they only gave me seven years. Got out in four--parole.
Ain't you seen your folks since then?
No, but I aim to before sundown. Gettin' kind of excited about it, too. Which way you going?
Maybe Ma'll have pork for supper. I ain't had pork but four times in four years--every Christmas.
I'll be glad to see you pa. Last time I seen him was at a baptizin', an' he had one a the bigges' doses of the Holy Sperit I ever seen. He go to jumpin' over bushes, howlin' like a dog-wolf in moon-time. Fin'ly he picks hisself out a bush big as a piana an' he let out a squawk an' took a run
Lissen. This wind's fixin't to *do* somepin'!
Is it fur?
Your granma was a great one, too. The third time she got religion she go it so powerful she knocked down a full-growed deacon with her fist.
They're all gone--or dead.
They never wrote you nothing?
This used to be mine. I give it to Grampa when I went away. You reckon they could be dead?
This is Muley Graves. You remember the preacher, don't you?
I ain't no preacher anymore.
She's settlin'.
What you figger to do?
Think she'll hold?
I ain't no more a preacher, you know.
We know. But ain't none of our folks ever been buried without a few words.
How about us? Is that the truth for us?
Gimme that gun. Now git outa here. Go down in them willows an' wait.
I ain't gonna run.
He seen you, Tom! You wanta be fingerprinted? You wanta get sent back for breakin' parole?
You're right!
What's the matter?
Casy! What you doin' here?
Well, if it ain't Tom Joad. How ya, boy?
Thought you was in jail.
Lookie, Tom. We come to work here. They tell us it's gonna be fi' cents. But they was a whole lot of us, so the man says two an' a half cents. Well, a fella can't even eat on that, an' if he got kids... So we says we won't take it. So they druv us off. Now they're payin' you five--but when they
I dunno. Payin' five now.
I don't expeck we can las' much longer-- some a the folks ain't et for two days. You goin' back tonight?
I aim to.
I'll tell 'em. But I don't know how. Never seen so many guys with guns. Wouldn't even let us talk today.
Try an' tell 'em, Tom. They'll get two an' a half, jus' the minute we're gone. An' you know what that is? That's one ton a peaches picked an' carried for a dollar. That way you can't even buy food enough to keep you alive! Tell 'em to come out with us, Tom! Them peaches is *ripe*. Two days out an' they'll pay *all*
They won't. They're a-gettin' five an' they don't care about nothin' else.
I guess that's right. Have to take a beatin' before he'll know.
We was outa food. Tonight we had meat. Not much, but we had it. Think Pa's gonna give up his meat on account a other fellas? An' Rosasharn needs milk. Think Ma's gonna starve that baby jus' cause a bunch a fellas is yellin' outside a gate?
Can't tell if you hear it or not. You hear it, Tom?
Seems like we wasn't never gonna do nothin' but move. I'm so tar'd.
Women is always tar'd.
You ain't--you ain't sorry, are you, honey?
No, but--but you seen that advertisement in the Spicy Western Story magazine. Don't pay nothin'. Jus' send 'em the coupon an' you're a radio expert--nice clean work.
But we can still do it, honey.
They shore don't waste no time! Take her out.
Save your strength, lady. Get goin', buddy. No campin' here.
We ain't campin'. We jus' stoppin' a minute--
Fella named Spencer sent us--said they was work pickin' peaches.
Want to work, do you?
Sure do.
Pull up behind that car. Okay for this one. Take 'em through.
What's the matter? What's happened?
I don't like nobody drawin' a bead on me.
Then what are you doin' this kind a thing for--against your own people?
For three dollars a day, that's what I'm doin' it for. I got two little kids. I got a wife and my wife's mother. Them people got to eat. Fust and on'y thing I got to think about is my own folks. What happens to other folks is their lookout.
But this is *my land*, son. Don't you understand?
Have it your own way, son, but just as sure as you touch my house with that cat I'm gonna blow you plumb to kingdom come.
How about a lift, mister?
Goin' far?
Just a few miles. I'd a walked her if my dogs wasn't pooped out.
Lookin' for a job?
No, my old man got a place, forty acres. He's a sharecropper, but we been there a long time.
Been doin' a job?
Yeah.
I seen your hands. You been swinging a pick or a sledge--that shines up your hands. I notice little things like that all the time. Got a trade?
Why don't you get to it, buddy?
Get to what?
You know what I mean. You been givin' me a goin' over ever since I got in. Whyn't you go on and ask me where I been?
I don't stick my nose in nobody's business.
Naw--not much!
I stay in my own yard.
Listen. That big nose of yours been goin' over me like a sheep in a vegetable patch. But I ain't keepin' it a secret. I been in the penitentiary. Been there four years. Like to know anything else?
You ain't got to get sore.
Go ahead. Ask me anything you want.
I didn't mean nothing.
Me neither. I'm just tryin' to get along without shovin' anybody around, that's all. See that road up ahead?
Yeah.
I never asked you!
You people got a lotta nerve.
What you mean?
Crossin' the desert in a jalopy like this.
You been acrost?
Sure, plenty, but not in no wreck like this.
If we broke down maybe somebody'd give us a han'.
Well, maybe. But I'd hate to be doin' it. Takes more nerve than I got.
Workin'. Pickin' peaches. But I seen a bunch a fellas yellin' when we come in, so I come out to see what's goin' on. What's it all about?
This here's a strike.
Well, fi' cents a box ain't much, but a fella can eat.
Fi' cents! They pain' you fi' cents?
An' the nex' thing you know you'll be out, because they got it all figgered down to a T--until the harvest is in you're a *migrant* worker--afterwards, just a bum.
What's he fixin' to do, ma?
I could break up some bresh if you want me, ma'am.
You want to get ast to eat, hunh?
Yes, ma'am.
Didn' you have no breakfast?
No, ma'am. They ain't no work hereabouts. Pa's in tryin' to sell some stuff to get gas so's we can get along.
What you mean you ain't goin'? We *got* to go. We got no place to stay.
I ain't talkin' about you, I'm talkin' about me. And I'm a-stayin'. I give her a good goin' over all night long-- and I'm a-stayin'.
But you can't *do* that, Grampa. This here land is goin' under the tractor. We *all* got to git out.
Now listen, Grampa. Listen to me, just a minute.
Easy, *easy!* You wanta bust his head wide open? Pull his arms, John.
Ain't a-goin', thas all...
You know what I al'ays said: "Tom'll come bustin' outa that jail like a bull through a corral fence." Can't keep no Joad in jail!
What's the matter, Grampa?
How 'bout Granma?
Ma. Pa. Grampa, his eyes hurt and hunted and frightened and bewildered, scratches in the dirt.
*Ain't* a-goin'... ain't a-goin'...
Where you going?
California.
How long you plan to be in Arizona?
No longer'n we can get acrost her.
Got any plants?
No plants.
Okay. Go ahead, but you better keep movin'.
Where you think you're going?
Thought I'd take a walk. Any law against it?
Well, you just turn around and walk the other way.
You mean I can't even get outa here?
Not tonight you can't. Want to walk back?--or you want me to whistle up some help and take you back?
You take this. I ain't hungry.
Whatta ya mean? You ain't et today.
I know, but I got a stomickache. I ain't hungry.
You take that plate inside the tent an' you eat it.
Wouldn't be no use. I'd still see 'em inside the tent.
I got to get a lot curiouser than I am--with all them cops out there.
Ma... all this, will it hurt the baby?
Now don't you go gettin' nimsy-mimsy.
Sometimes I'm all jumpy inside.
Well, can't nobody get through nine *months* without sorrow.
But will it--hurt the baby?
They use' to be a sayin': A chile born outa sorrow'll be a happy chile. An' another: Born outa too much joy'll be a doleful boy. That's the way I always heard it.
You don't ever get scairt, do you, Ma?
Sometimes. A little. Only it ain't scairt so much. It's just waitin' an' wonderin'. But when sump'n happens that I got to do sump'n-- --I'll do it.
Don't it ever scare you it won't be nice in California like we think?
Maybe Connie went to get some books to study up with. He's gonna be a radio expert, ya know. Maybe he figgered to suprise us.
We gonna live here?
Why, sure. It won't be so bad once we get her washed out.
I like the tent better.
Anybody ask anything?
No'm.
Ma... you know, if Connie was here I wouldn't min' any a this.
Ma... Ma, I--I can't go to the dance. I jus' can't Ma. I can't hardly stan' it, with Connie not here--an' me this way.
Why, honey, it makes folks happy to see a girl that way--makes folks sort of giggly an' happy.
You an' me's goin' together--jus' you an' me. We're a-goin' to that dance an' we're a-goin' to jus' set an' watch. If anybody says to come dance--why I'll say you're poorly. But you an' me, we're gonna hear the music an' see the fun.
An' you won't let nobody touch me?
How 'bout it?
You don't know *no* girls around here. You're lyin', *You're runnin' away*!
Cut it out, Ma, or I'll--
You'll *what*?... Come on, Pa. Come on an' whup me. Jus' try it.
Now don't get sassy, Ma.
Al ain't a-goin' away, an' you gonna *tell* him he ain't a-goin' away. An' if you think diff'unt, you gotta whup me first. So some on.
Jus' sassy, that's all.
Connie's gone. Lit out this e'enin'--said he didn't know it was gonna be like this.
Glad to get shet of him. Never was no good an' never will be--
Pa! Shh!
Sump'n got to happen soon. We got one day's more grease, two day's flour, an' ten potatoes. After that... An' Rosasharn, we got to remember she's gonna be due soon.
That!
Know where we're a-goin'?
Make her easy, John. Watch her.
Maybe, but we shore takin' a beatin'.
Thank God. Oh thank God. Tommy, you didn't *bust* out, didya? You ain't got to hide, have you?
I was so scared we was goin' away without you--and we'd never see each other again.
Muley tol' me what happened, Ma. Are we goin' to California true?
We *got* to, Tommy. But that's gonna be awright. I seen the han'bills, about how much work they is, an' high wages, too. But I gotta fin' out somepin' else first, Tommy. Did they hurt you, son? Did they hurt you an' make you mean-mad?
Mad, Ma?
Sometimes they do.
No, Ma I was at first--but not no more.
Sometimes they do somethin' to you, Tommy. They hurt you--and you get mad--and then you get mean--and they hurt you again--and you get meaner, and meaner--till you ain't no boy or no man any more, but just a walkin' chunk a mean-mad. Did they hurt you like that, Tommy?
No, Ma. You don't have to worry about that.
How about it, Ma?
Wait. There's a half a bottle a soothin' sirup here. It put the chillun to sleep.
Don't taste bad.
And they's some coffee here. I could fix him a cup...
Yes'm, that was it.
Your pa tol' me you didn't ought to cross it if you're paroled. Says they'll send you up again.
Forget it, Ma. I got her figgered out. Long as I keep outa trouble, ain't nobody gonna say a thing. All I gotta do is keep my nose clean.
Maybe they got crimes in California we don't know about. Crimes we don't even know *is* crimes.
Ma, you sick?
Ya say we're acrost?
Look, Ma!
Thank God! An' we're still together-- most of us.
Didn' you get no sleep?
No.
Was Granma bad?
Granma's dead.
When?
Since before they stopped us las' night.
An' that's why you didn't want 'em to look?
She shore don't look prosperous. Want to go somewheres else?
Ma, they comes a time when a man gets mad.
Tom--you tol' me--you promised you wasn't like that. You promised me.
I know, Ma. I'm a tryin'. If it was the law they was workin' with, we could take it. But it *ain't* the law. They're workin' away at our spirits. They're tryin' to make us cringe an' crawl. They're workin' on our decency.
You promised, Tommy.
I'm a-tryin', Ma. Honest I am.
You gotta keep clear, Tom. The fambly's breakin' up. You *got* to keep clear.
Fust thing I'll get is coffee, cause ever'body been wantin' that, an' then some flour an' bakin' powder an' meat. Better not get no side- meat right off. Save that for later. Maybe Sat'dy. Got to get some soap too. An' milk. Rosasharn's got to have some milk.
Get some sugar too, for the coffee.
Got any more, Ma?
I ain't full.
You be careful, Tommy. Don't you be stickin' your nose in anything.
How's it feel, Tommy?
Busted my cheek but I can still see. What'd you hear?
Looks like you done it.
I kinda thought so. Felt like it.
Folks ain't talkin' about much else. They say they got posses out. Talkin' about a lynchin'--when they catch the fella.
They killed Casy first.
That ain't the way they're tellin' it. They're sayin' you done it fust.
They know what--this fella looks like?
They know he got hit in the face.
I'm sorry, Ma. But--I didn't know what I was doin', no more'n when you take a breath. I didn't even know I was gonna do it.
It's awright, Tommy. I wisht you didn't do it, but you done what you had to do. I can't read no fault in you.
I'm gonna go away tonight. I can't go puttin' this on you folks.
Tom! They's a whole lot I don't understan', but goin' away ain't gonna ease us. They was the time when we was on the lan'. They was a bound'ry to us then. Ol' folks died off, an' little fellas come, an' we was always one thing-- we was the fambly--kinda whole an' clear. But now we ain't clear no more. They ain't nothin' keeps
That Casy. He might a been a preacher, but--he seen a lot a things clear. He was like a lantern--he helped mw see things too.
It's jus' till we get some distance. Then you can come out.
What is it?
She's gettin' prettier, Ma.
They was some cops here, Ma. They was takin' down the license numbers. It looks like somebody knows sump'n.
It had to come, I reckon, soon or later.
I'd like to stay. I'd like to be with ya-- --an' see your face when you an' Pa get settled in a nice little place. I sure wish I could see you then. But-- --I guess I won't never be able to do that. Not now.
I could hide you, Tommy.
I know you would, Ma. But I ain't gonna let you. You hide somebody that's kilt a man an'... an' you'd be in trouble too.
Awright, Tommy. What you figger you gonna do?
You know what I been thinkin' about, Ma? About Casy. About what he said, what he done, an' about how he died. An' I remember all of it.
He was a good man.
I been thinkin' about us, too--about our people livin' like pigs, an' good rich lan' layin' fallow, or maybe one fella with a million acres, while a hundred thousan' farmers is starvin'. An' I been wonderin' if all our folks got together an' yelled--
Tommy, they'll drive you, an' cut you down like they done to Casy.
They gonna drive me anyways. Soon or later they'll get me, for one thing if not another. Until then...
You don't aim to kill nobody, Tom!
No, Ma. Not that. That ain't it. But long as I'm a outlaw, anyways, maybe I can do sump'n. Maybe I can jus' fin' out sump'n. Jus' scrounge aroun' an' try to fin' out what it is that's wrong, an then see if they ain't sump'n could be done about it. But I ain't thought it out clear, Ma. I can't. I don't know
How'm I gonna know 'bout you? They might kill you an' I wouldn't know. They might hurt you. How'm I gonna know?
Well, maybe it's like Casy says, a fella ain't got a soul of his own, but on'y a piece of a big soul--the one big soul that belongs to ever'body-- an' then...
Then what, Tom?
Then it don't matter. Then I'll be all aroun' in the dark. I'll be ever'where--wherever you look. Wherever there's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there. I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad--an' I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry an' they know supper's
I don't understan' it, Tom.
Me neither. It's jus' stuff I been thinkin' about. Gimme you han', Ma. Good-by.
Good-by, Tom. Later--when it's blowed over--you'll come back? You'll try to fin' us?
Sure. Good-by.
Yeah?
Could you see your way clear to sell us a loaf of bread, ma'am.
This ain't a groc'ry store. We got bread to make san'widges with.
I know, ma'am... on'y it's for a ole lady, no teeth, gotta sof'n it with water so she can chew it, an' she's hongry.
Whyn't you buy a san'wich? We got nice san'widges.
I shore would like to do that, ma'am, but the fack is, we ain't got but a dime for it. It's all figgered out, I mean--for the trip.
This here's a fifteen-cent loaf.
You can have this for ten cents.
I don't wanta rob you, ma'am.
Which ones?
Oh, them? Well, no--them's *two* for a penny.
Tommy?
Muley! Where's my folks, Muley?
They gone.
Gone-- --over to your Uncle John's. The whole crowd of 'em, two weeks ago. But they can't stay there either, because John's got *his* notice to get off.
But what's happened? How come they got to get off? We been here fifty years--same place.
Ever'body got to get off. Ever'body leavin', goin' to California. My folks, your folks, ever'body's folks. Ever'body but me. I ain't gettin' off.
But who done it?
Listen! That's some of what done it--the dusters. Started it, anyway. Blowin' like this, year after year--blowin' the land away, blowin' the crops away, blowin' us away now.
Are you crazy?
Some say I am. You want to hear what happened?
Well?
What was the use. He was right. There wasn't a thing in the world I could do about it.
But it don't seem possible--kicked off like that!
Listen! That's them! Them lights! Come on, we got to hide out!
Hide out for what? We ain't doin' nothin'.
All you got to do is lay down an' watch.
Won't they come out here?
Fact of the matter, Muley, after what them dusters done to the land, the tenant system don't work no more. It don't even break even, much less show a profit. One man on a tractor can handle twelve or fourteen of these places. You just pay him a wage and take *all* the crop.
But we couldn't *do* on any less'n what our share is now. The chillun ain't gettin' enough to eat as it is, and they're so ragged we'd be shamed if ever'body else's chillun wasn't the same way.
You mean get off my own land?
Who's the Shawnee Land and Cattle Comp'ny?
Then who *do* we shoot?
Brother, I don't know. If I did I'd tell you. But I just don't know *who's* to blame!
That's Connie Rivers with her. They're married now. She's due about three-four months.
How you get all this money?
Sol' things, chopped cotton--even Grampa. Got us about two hunnerd dollars all tol'. Shucked out seventy- five for this truck, but we still got nearly a hunnerd and fifty to set out on. I figger we oughta be able to make it on that.
Either we got to tie him up and *throw* him on the truck, or somepin. He can't stay here.
Can't tie him. Either we'll hurt him or he'll git so mad he'll hurt his self. Reckon we could git him *drunk*?
Here we go!
I figger best we leave something like this on him, lest somebody dig him up and make out he been kilt. Lotta times looks like the gov'ment got more interest in a dead man than a live one.
Not be so lonesome, either, knowin' his name is there with 'im, not just' a old fella lonesome underground.
Got that desert yet. Gotta take her tonight. Take her in the daytime fella says she'll cut your gizzard out.
She's jus' wore out, that's all.
Ya know, you're the second fella talked like that. I'd like to hear some more about that.
Just in case. Sit up back an' if anybody tries to climb up--let 'im have it.
I ain't got nothin' in *my* han'.
You wouldn't think jus' reachin' up an' pickin'd get you in the back.
Think I'll walk out an' try to fin' out what all that fuss outside the gate was. Anybody wanta come with me?
Take 'er on down, Al. I'll sign.
We gonna stay, ain't we?
Good wages, eh! Pickin' oranges an' peaches?
Whatta you think you're talkin' about? I got a han'bill here says good wages, an' I seen it in the papers they need pickers!
Awright, go on! Ain't nobody stoppin' ya!
But what about this?
But what does *that* prove?
Heh'o Tom. This is Connie, my husband.
If this don't beat all! Well, I see you been busy already!
Maybe it's nice on the other side. Them pitchers--them little pos'cards-- they was real pretty.
Cut it out, Pa. He'p Al with the truck. Don't fret, honey. You goin' to be awright.
Tom, I jus' don't feel like nothin' a tall. Without him I jus' don't wanta live.
This here's the desert an' we're right in it!
I wisht it was day.
Tom says if it's day it'll cut you gizzard smack out a you. I seen a pitcher once. They was bones ever'place.
Man bones?
Git up. I got sump'n to show you.
Whatsa matter?
Come on. Ain't nobody gonna say anything.
Lemme go! I didn't go to do it!
Keep qui'te, will ya! Shet your mouth!
I never knowed it! All I done was pull that string!
Lissen. You done busted it. You hear? But lissen here. I won't tell nobody, y'understan'?
Please don't.
What's these?
Jes' like in the catalogues, ain't they!
I seen 'em b'fore you did.
What's this?
Now you done it! You busted it!
Morning.
Morning.
You people looking for work?
Mister, we're lookin' even under boards for work.
Can you pick peaches?
We can pick anything.
Lotta these little farmers mighty nice fellas. Trouble is they're little, they ain't got much say-so.
You sure you got ever'thing ready?
Ain't gonna be no trouble.
Yes, sir.
Awright. An' if she gets outa han', I'll be in the right han' corner, this side the dance floor.
But wait. I still don't understand what you do.
You do not.
Yes I do.
You don't...
In the corporate offices.
Oh... really?
Yeah...
What do you do?
I sell biscuits to the Southland.
You do not.
It's what I do.
You're so funny...
I sell biscuits and gravy all over the Southland--
--Stop it--
You know those horsey biscuit gravy packets? I move all of those--
--No.
Welcome back! I'm Arlene Oslott- Joseph.
Marty, you haven't changed a bit!
We had pictures put on, that way everybody knows who everybody was!
Wonderful.
So, what are you doing now?
Bob. Bob Destephano.
What?
I'm Dan. Dan Koretzky.
Computer guy.
Yeah... Hey, I saw you at your dad's dealership the other day.
I sell BMW's. What do you do?
Remember high school?
Bob...
What?
It's me. Martin Blank.
Really...? So what?
So. You and Debi. Gonna hit that shit again?
Fine, Bob. How are you?
Never better.
Ahhh... it's all fucked up. Nothing adds up to nothing... you work your whole life, day in and day out-- try to make sense of it all. One day you're twenty-seven and what do you get to show for it...
What am I gonna do?
What do you want to do?
I want to be an actor.
I'd come to the realization that everything I'd based my life on was false. And that my life had no meaning.
He gets this way when he hits over eighty-five.
That's a tragedy. Can I finish my story please? I began my search for meaning. I was a Catholic, Jew, Scientologist, Sufi, Buddhist. I went to a Psychologist, psychiatrist, herbalist, nutritionist, a shaman, and a psychic. And they all pretty much say the same stuff.
A Jew, a shaman, and a herbalist are telling you the same thing? You're insane.
Basically the same thing. In a very evolved, esoteric way.
Insane.
Jesus...
Oh I see. You got your individual slices of hope, dignity, confidence, self-love, justice, and harmony.
You open 'em up and there's the sayings, stories, little bites of insight. It's the P.P.P. Six Day Week.
So you eat-- read it everyday?
Yes.
And these pan pizzas have opened up the doors to heaven?
I just play my own collection.
How long has it been?
Since you stood me up on prom night and vanished without saying a word?
Well, let me see... they tore down the George Orwell monument and put up a bust of George Michael. Main Street's a four-laner, no left turns four to seven. I was married and divorced. And Grosse Pointe is now officially the new sister city to Lower Hutt, New Zealand. We have fiber-optic town meetings every two months.
Tell me about yourself.
I'm in California most of the time. Traveling a lot on business. That's about it, really.
That's it?
Not much else.
What's your business?
I'm a professional killer.
Well, I gotta go. But I'll come back.
All right mystery man. I want some answers. Let's recap. Spring of '84. Two young lovers with frightening natural chemistry. The girl sits in a seven-hundred dollar prom dress at her father's house waiting for the most romantic night of her young life. The boy never shows up, until now. So, what's the question?
Where have I been?
More like what happened? What happened, Mr. Blank?
I don't know exactly. I could venture a guess but it would sound like a rationalization... I thought you know... maybe seeing you, some friends, my house... of course now a 7-11--
--Torn down in the name of convenience--
--and I guess, sure, seeing you would be part of that whole equation... I suppose the most important thing, really. I don't know. Anyway, this whole thing's my therapist's idea. It's my shrink, really.
Ohhh. You're in therapy too, Marty?
You see someone?
Are you going to the reunion?
No. I'm not going. Is that why you're here?
That's part of it.
Well, you'll have a ball. You seem to have everything everybody wants when they go back. The car, the suit, the watch. The look. That just leaves the little things, like happiness, character, point of view...
It's always the little things.
Okay. Let's catch up. You go first.
Well, there's not much to tell.
I'm sure you've done worthwhile things in the last ten years. You've had experiences.
Bad experiences.
You met people.
Bad people.
Watched television?
Bad television.
Jesus. Marty. You're pathetic. It sounds like you need a Shockabuku.
What's that?
It's a swift spiritual kick to the head that alters your reality forever.
I figured I could pick you up tomorrow around seven o'clock.
Let me get this straight, are you asking me out?
Yes.
Unbelievable.
Seven it is.
Are you there?
Yes.
Hello...?
This night, this reunion will be an important step in our relationship.
You're fucking psycho.
Flowers. That's funny.
As long as I get the laugh.
You look beautiful.
...Let me get my coat.
Do you want to get a drink first?
I think they'll probably have booze there.
Shoulda brought my gun.
--Yes. Actually we just bought that little Frank Lloyd Wright on Pine Avenue... Debi's a social worker and I mow down insurance claims at Aetna--
Which would you rather...?
Okay... Would you rather... commit yourself sexually to a four-by-nine cell with former President George Herbert Walker Bush dressed as a super-model for a month, or make love to a otter on crank for a week?
Soft. I'll take the junkie otter, clearly! I'd let the little beast scratch and claw all he wants... Okay. Would you rather make love to the candied corpse of Phyllis Diller--
--She's not dead---
It's just a game...! Alright. Candied Diller, or... wear a hot pork vest across the desert with a fully digested crab apple in your mouth?
Wow. I have to give this some thought.
No time.
Even though I left, you never left me. Not just memory but a substance in my blood.
Like heroin?
Too junky-kitschy. Deeper, deeper.
Like love?
He was trying to kill you, right!
Yes.
Not the other way around...?
No.
Is it something you've done?
...About five years now.
Get the fuck outta here.
Seriously, when I left, I joined the Army and took the service exam. They found my psych results fit a certain profile. A certain "Moral flexibility" would be the best way to describe it... I was loaned out to a CIA- sponsored program. It's called "mechanical operations." We sort of found each other...
I was, but no... yes... I was before, but now I'm not. It's irrelevant, really. The idea of governments, nations, it's mostly a public relations theory at this point, anyway. But I'll tell you something, until about five months ago, I really enjoyed my work.
Jesus Christ!
Then I started losing my taste for it. Which usually means your time is up. But then I realized it was something entirely different... I started getting the sneaking, dark suspicion that maybe there was... meaning to life.
Okay. Great, Martin, that's just great. Meaning to life... Mmm....
Like, that there's a point? An organic connection between all living things.
Let me help you along, Martin. You're a sociopath!
A sociopath kills for no reason. I kill for money.
You never could have kept this from me.
I was leaving.
That's probably a good idea.
Will you come with me?
I'm staying here.
What if I come back?
You don't get to have me. You are a monster, I'm a human being. We're not going to mate.
You don't understand...
You kill people.
I have no illusions about the future. What is, is. We make choices. And we become the sum total of our choices. I can live with that.
Why don't you want to go to your high school reunion?
You went to school with these people.
Come on.
We've spent a lot of time discussing those years. Remember we said that fear is a transfer of the bodily hurt associated by experience with the thing feared, to the thought of the thing. Thus we fear a dog without distinctly imagining its bite.
Shouldn't you be taking notes?
How do you know?
I just know.
Say more.
You needn't be so frank with me about your work.
Why not. I trust you. You couldn't turn me in because of Doctor-Patient privilege... and I don't want to be "withholding"... and I know where you live.
You know where I live?
We're both professionals, Oatman.
I think what you fear Martin is domesticity. It's the greatest fear that men have who belong to Western Culture. It's centuries old. Like King Phillip, in the 11th or 12th century who decided one day that he was so bored with his dreary life at home with his wife he thought, "Well, wouldn't it be great if we hit the road and fought...
So you're saying that Ulysses-- everything he said to his queen when he came back--everything was a lie? He just wanted to fuck around?
Yes.
And how have you been feeling about your... work lately?
Anyway, that never use to happen. I was always the prodigy. Now I'm just one of the guys.
Maybe some of the discomfort you're feeling is... guilt. Remorse. Over the innocent people you've killed.
If I show up at your door, chances are you did something to bring me there. I don't care about that stuff, anyway.
What stuff?
Go to your reunion, Martin. See those people and discover what they mean to you. Try not to kill anybody for a few days, see how you feel.
What else? Say more.
Okay. Repeat this after me.
...I am at home with the me. I am rooted in me, who is on this adventure.
Take a deep breath and realize, that this is me breathing.
How was your day, today, sir?
Effective. But to tell you the truth, I've lost my passion for work.
Do you like the people you work with?
I work alone.
That's it then. That's it. I've always been alone. That's why I'm a good driver. I can handle it. See, I can think on my feet. I survive, I'm a thinker. And I can sit there in front of your house for two hours and it don't bother me. Some people can't do it! Some people are ranting and raving, "Tell them fuckin' people
You understand the psychology of the job.
You look like you're far away. Far away and thinking about other things. I'm right about that, aren't I?
No.
Well, let's just say that sometimes I'm right. Sometimes you are.
Sometimes I am. Sometimes. It's only natural.
I been looking at you, and I've decided that I want to share something with you.
Okay.
I am part of a network of minds, a group of five people who are all connected, over hundreds, even thousands of miles, through the mind. We can think with each other, think for each other. I can be driving somewhere, sleeping with a woman-- whatever it is-- and at the same time be thinking a thought in someone else's mind, far away. Running
Up on the right.
What do you want?
I'm setting up a concern that would enable those of us in our rarefied profession to consolidate our efforts.
Like a union?
Like a club. Work less, make more.
Thank you, no.
We could be working together, making big money, killing important people... I'm willing to let you in on the ground floor.
It's a free-market evolution. You'll wake up to it... c'mon Kid. We used to run together when you were a rookie. I don't want to run against you. This thing's real. Everybody's in.
Not me. So don't paw at me with your dirty little guild.
I want two eggs poached, hash brown well-done. English muffin for the bread. And a coffee.
Come on, live a little. I'm sorry about the incident yesterday.
No harm no foul.
I told them to kill you and they didn't.
Hard to get good help these days.
But since we're both here, I think it's time to take a fresh look at our relationship.
No deal.
Fine. But we're not going to let you do your job. Because we're gonna do it. And then, after we do your job, we're gonna do another little job...
Is that right?
Yeah-- after I shoot you through the fucking forehead I'm gonna fuck you in the bullethole.
It's okay. It's Martin The door begins to open revealing Debi and Newberry.
I know what I do isn't moral, per se, but if you could just look past that, you'd see a man worth loving.
...How about I sell you two rounds for a hundred grand a piece?
There you go. I left it blank.
Hey, Ken. How have you been?
Hello Martin. How have you been?
Hello, Bob.
I'm an attorney. I'm with Moss, Brice & Fromeyer.
Sometimes. I'm in divorce, mainly. Some property. Some personal injury.
Well... I have to take this over to Debi.
Have you seen Debi Newberry?
The more things change, the more they Goddamned well stay the same.
You always say that. You always say that. I'm telling you, you never met the man.
Seventeen months ago I was posting a walk in Lisbon, and he was there. He never saw me. But I saw him, though.
Lisbon?
Here's the news: He hasn't been in Portugal since '90. I know that from the file. Why don't you read the file, man?
Well?
I don't think so.
Well, remember when Frysal's men paid off the Deejay in Cairo to announce a bogus press conference in the --
--Nooo--
That's strictly Bàader-Meinhof stuff.
It was the PLO.
I wish he'd do his job already so we could do our job.
We can't do our job unless he does his job.
Why don't we just do his job then, so we can do our job, and get the fuck out of here.
Do his job? I'm not a cold-blooded killer.
Wait a minute--
-Look. You want to kill a Good Guy, but not be a Bad Guy, you wait until a Bad Guy kills the Good Guy, and then you come in and kill the Bad Guy, and then you're the Good Guy.
So if we do his job, we're the bad guys. If we do our job, we're the good guys.
He's falling for her. Look at him.
He using her.
You're wrong. Look at his face.
One cannot love and kill.
Looks like someone keeps trying to do our job for us.
If he does our job, he's our job.
Did you see Blank in there?
No...
...Tell them that's not my problem. I was paid for one job-- the cyclist-- not two. See you tomorrow, Marcella.
Wait. I have Mr. Grocer for you.
Throw that away.
This?
Don't tease me. You know what I do for a living.
It's from one of those P.O. Boxes. How was the trip?
Tedious. I now authorize you to throw away all personal mail.
All of it?
And not show it to me. Ever again.
That's going to cost.
They're not happy, sir.
I'm not happy.
They say their friend was suppose to have a heart attack and die in his sleep.
He didn't.
They blame you for the compromise.
And they want me to make up for it.
In Detroit. This weekend.
Tell them that's impossible. I need my normal lead time.
They were very upset.
Would you describe their position as inflexible?
And sir, I also get that broken- mirror, black-cat, Friday-the- thirteenth kind of feeling about this one....
There's nothing to be done about it.
I liquidated the last account in Zurich, and split it into two new ones in Estonia.
Good. What else? Anything interesting?
Enough?
Never enough.
I have scruples. Next.
Don't forget your identity.
This is not good.
What's it look like?
It's fine.
You haven't looked at the dossier.
You have.
Yes. It's the same as usual. Nothing remarkable about it at all.
I have to call the client and give them a reason why you're late.
I'll call them and tell them you're taking your time. Being a professional.
Okay, call them. Fine. Oh-- And if you could find out why they double- booked the job, and who is trying to kill me, and call me back-- that's be great.
I bought a new rug.
That's wonderful, Mom.
What's a revival tent?
It's a place where religious people--
Marlin Perkins and Jim!
Jim?
It's good to see you. I'm sure you're curious about what I've been doing.
I spoke to your father the other day.
I imagine that'd be rather difficult.
They told me you're taking lithium, mom.
Yes, they give me headaches. I have a headache.
You have a headache?
I have a headache. You have a headache?
No, I don't have one.
We had a good laugh, didn't we?
Why don't you return this car and borrow mine? Have Debi follow you to the rent-a-car so you can get a ride back.
I think I'll go see Debi today.
Of course you will.
I can't think of anything to say to her that seems appropriate given I left and never said goodbye to her.
Take care of her. She's a keeper.
Yeah...
And a leader. Didn't she meet Castro on foreign exchange?
Marty! It's me. Paul.
Paul?
So what happened to you?
Same thing that happened to you-- I stopped poutin' there on the sidelines. Got in. Got on the team. I joined the working week, you slick fucking asshole, so why don't you valet park your high horse and take it easy on your old buddy, Paul.
God it's great to see you.
Debi's house.
Kind of crept up on you, didn't it?
No. You drove us here.
Yeah, but it's still kind of eerie, isn't it?
Ten years. What happened!?
I freaked out, joined the Army, worked for the government, and went into business for myself... I'm a professional killer.
He sells BMW's?
He sold me this bad boy.
How could you put your hard-earned dollars into the hands of the class bully?
He gave me a great deal.
What the hell happened to you?
I was catching up with Bob Destephano.
It didn't work out.
That's too bad.
I have to get my head back into my work.
When you see Debi, tell her I'm sorry.
So when are you authorized to use deadly force?
So it's not a meaningful symbol, or anything. That badge is just the badge of your company. If I look suspicious on your customers' property-- well, under those heightened circumstances you have the authority to, ah... To shoot me.
To shoot you. Correct.
How did you get this job?
Well, they were hiring, and it was only a two week course...
Good evening, Mr. Newberry.
Good evening, Mr. Blank.
How are you? How's business?
Martin, I don't know where you've been since you abandoned my daughter ten years ago, and I don't care. It was good that you left, and I'm glad you did. So what do you want to talk about? You've grown up a bit. Maybe I had you figured wrong.
How's that?
I visualized you, in a haze, as one of the slackster, flannel-wearing, coffeehouse-misanthropes I've been seeing in Newsweek.
I took the other road. I'm more of a self-reflective young lion who does business with lead-pipe cruelty and goes home to drink light beer in milky-eyes isolation. I love sports and sex and have no real relationships with anyone. And you?
Why not?
So what are you doing with your life now, son?
I'm a professional killer.
This is Annie MacLean.
I went on the Internet and found this article about you... It says you're a Horse Whisperer, that you... you help people with horse problems. And you have quite a success rate when it comes to traumatized --
Well, see, truth is, ma'am, I help horses with people's problems.
Well, you know, however you want to put it -- I got your information from the publisher of the article. I called Montana and your sister-in-law, I think, gave me this number. I'm been hot on your trail you could say because I was hoping you'd consider coming to New York and taking a look at my daughter's horse and possibly --
Ma'am, I'm very sorry about your problems and I appreciate what your daughter must be going through, but I'm afraid you've misunderstood whatever it is you read. I don't do that sort of thing.
Well, if you could just come for the day. New York's only a few hours by plane, I'd have you home by dinner...
Look, even if it was nearer, that's just not what I do. I give clinics. And I'm not even doing them for a while. I'm heading back to Montana right now. I got a ranch to take care of...
I'll pay you for your fare. I'll send you to Montana first class.
I, I don't mean to sound insensitive. I understand your situation. But there's nothing I can do. You just called the wrong person, that's all. I hear there are a bunch of therapists in New York. Maybe you should call one of them.
Mr. Booker, if I could just ex --
It's, uh... beautiful country. I had a little bit of a hard time finding the place. There are no signs.
Plenty of signs -- just none of them printed. Who do I get the idea you're not just passing through!
Well... OK... here it is... Uh... I'd like you to take a look at my horse. Now -- it won't take long and if, after that, you still don't feel...
Were you thinking of personally driving me back East?
Oh no. She's here. I brought him along. And my daughter, too. We're staying at Peterson's...
You mean you hauled him all the way out here? Just like that?
Well... yes... I had a trailer. It's not like I made him run along side of the car.
I uh... ha, ha... I don't think I ever met a lady quite like yourself and I appreciate all the pains you've gone through to --
Uh, no. I was gonna take a look now.
You want us to come with you? I just have to run to the main house and give Mr. Peterson a check.
Doesn't matter.
When I work with a horse, it's no good just me doing it. It doesn't work that way. The owner needs to be involved too.
Well, that'll be a little complicated --
Look, I'll talk to Grace and call you later--
I don't have a problem with that. It's up to Annie.
Well, it's worth it, really? I mean, how much longer do you think you need to work with Pilgrim?
You know, we're branding here tomorrow. If you two want to come by to watch or give a hand, you're welcome.
You okay?
So how was your first and last day of branding?
What?
You ever just stand still for a minute?
That's your cue to say you're not laughing at me.
Oh, I see, you write both sides of the conversation?
It's a man's world, Mr. Booker. Most women have to.
Well, maybe I am laughing a bit... I just thought, as long as you're here, it would be nice for you to relax into the place a little.
Well... It's beautiful country, I'll give you that. And I could see having some kind of vacation place. Retreat. But I don't know how you do it full time. Don't you miss the rest of the world?
What's that to miss?
Ha... if you've never lived in a city with museums, theater, music, restaurants, uh... god, a million things, then it's something I can't explain.
Does Chicago count?
You lived in Chicago?
When I was first married.
I once heard Itzhak Perlman guest star with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He played Rachmaninov's Vocalize Opus 34. No. 14. It was one of the most beautiful pieces of music I ever heard. I actually forgot where I was for a time. You seem surprised?
Well, I, uh... you didn't...
I've decided it's impossible to properly say hello in this place without a hat.
A jogger, huh?
I don't jog, Mr. Booker. I run.
Lucky for you. The grizzlies around here only go for joggers.
If I can survive rush hour, I figure I can handle grizzlies...
You sleeping all right in that house?
I found this old cello case filled with bills and receipts.
Sorry about that. I thought everything got cleared out. R.B. is my wife... ex-wife... Rachel. We used to live in that house together.
I thought you lived in Chicago?
I have a way with animals.
It's all right. He's young. Just hold out your hand a little lower so he can get the smell of you.
He's beautiful.
Why don't you ride anymore? Grace told me you used to ride when she was younger.
Are you shy, Mr. Booker?
Enjoy the day.
Shit.
Need a lift?
The answer's no.
You haven't heard the question yet. Truth is, you'd be doing me a favor. I got all these eager young colts need riding and poor old Rimrock here is feeling kind of left out...
Poor thing.
He'd be grateful, he'd take real good care with you.
Is this how you're going to make me pay my phone bill?
Relax our center... It's just sitting in a bucket.
Yeah, it's been a while, but I... I remember the basic ideas...
Actually, I never rode Western. I'm sorry. Go ahead.
Well, he don't know that. Just sit the horse. Good... You have a nice seat.
Thanks.
Feel good?
Yeah.
You look all right. You want to pick it up a little?
How long did you live here with your wife?
Five years. My son was born here.
Son?
Yeah. I haven't seen him in a while. He used to come to the ranch over summers, but then he started having friends and was going off to college, so... Good boy. Hal. Lives in New York near his mom.
How did you meet her?
Why didn't it work out?
Grace told me you have a country house in Connecticut. Sounds like a beautiful place.
It is. It's lovely.
Ever think of moving there full time?
I hear that! See, I knew she was never going to be a ranchest, but I wanted to try -- I thought maybe she'd give music lessons to the kids in town or at the school, maybe even recitals. My son would grow up here. Maybe have one or two more. I'd teach 'em what I could. They'd play with my brother's kids. All
That's very important to you, isn't it? Home.
Yeah, I think it is. And I don't mean everybody's got to be married, have kids -- It's more like, knowing where you're from, where you belong, what feeds you, where you can go no matter what happens... Knowing what you're supposed to be doing while you're here.
Everything under control?
Not really. I'd forgotten how long it's been since I've done this. And I couldn't get any Parmesan cheese.
Just make yourself comfortable.
I am comfortable.
You missed a button.
This is Mr. Booker, Robert.
Now, listen. I want you to stand on him.
I won't apologize for this. And I won't hide it. Not for anybody.
Oh, God, what are we going to do? I'm supposed to --
Show me again.
Annie!
Summers are short here, Annie. There isn't much of a fall. Before you know it, the roads are closed... the nights get long.
I don't care! We'd be together.
Two people can't just be alone together in the world. At least not us...
I figured, whenever you decided to go, you'd be all set.
I don't know any other way, Annie.
Then what have we been doing? I mean what was the point?
The point was to love each other.
Liz is taking care of him. The doctor said the sooner you start therapy the better the chances are you can --
Why don't you go lie down?
Dad'll pick you up today, all right?
Oh, honey... What happened?
Doesn't matter. I... I don't want to come back, that's all.
Oh. Well, what are you going to do? You have to go to school, honey. I mean, what --
I'm not coming back! That's it! I want to go home!
Grace, listen to me. Your body is just healing. You have to give the rest of you time as well...
Is that your version of a pep talk?
You are not staying home all day feeling sorry for yourself. You're going to get up and you're going to figure this out.
Fine!
I can't find that charm Daddy gave me from India.
I brought it to you in the hospital.
No, you didn't.
Grace, I put it on the table near your --
Have you decided about Pilgrim?
What about him?
Well... how you feel all right about telling Liz to put him down...
I think we should. It's not fair to let him suffer. He's not much use anymore. He'd hate living like that.
I think that's... very compassionate and... mature way of looking at it.
Mom?
Yeah?
Maybe they should put me down too.
What?
You want to take your bath? We have to get up early tomorrow. You may not have enough time to --
No, I don't mean you have to. It's just that we may not have enough --
-- enough time tomorrow. I know.
Look, if you want to take it in the morning, that's fine.
IT'S ALMOST LUNCHTIME. ARE YOU HUNGRY!?
Whatever you want.
Fine!
You should call your dad before it gets too late.
I already did. This morning. When you went running.
Oh. You didn't tell me.
I didn't know I had to.
Would you like to see that?
I don't care.
This'll be nice. We haven't seen any of the sights yet. It's history. When I was thirteen I used to love seeing things like this.
How long is this going to go on?
What?
Do you want us to turn around and go back home? Do you?
Who do you think I'm doing this for? I'm doing this for you!
Bullshit! It's about you! About you deciding! About you always being right! You always getting everything your way, controlling everybody -- like we work for you or something!
I don't believe this!
You just want to get away from Daddy and you're using me to do it!
That's not true! Whatever problems your father and I are having, have nothing to do with this.
You're amazing! You act like I don't live in that house! Don't you think I hear the two of you!? Don't you think I can tell what's going on? I'm not five years old, Mom! You want to divorce Daddy and Daddy doesn't want to.
Did he tell you that?
He doesn't have to! It's, like, so obvious you can't stand him.
That's not true!
Then why do you want to leave?
It's... it's not that simple to explain. I know you think it is, but it's not. The truth is, I don't really know what I want to do. I don't have all the answers.
You buckled up? You cold?
Gee, this looks like a fun place.
Don't they believe in signs here?
What would they say? "Ten miles to big rock." "Twenty miles to bigger rock."
There was supposed to be a turn off. Did I miss it?
He's still sitting in that damn field.
We'll have more room because we're moving onto the ranch. They have this empty house near this creek. It's actually pretty... OK... I love you. Dad wants to talk to you.
Did you ask him to come visit?
You already did.
Did he mention it?
You got everything you need?
Honey, come on. Would you like to stay in town for dinner? Maybe see what movie's playing tonight?
Why? There's no food in the house?
I'll come.
I thought there were too many forks on the table.
Well, one was for salad...
Mom, they don't mind eating with one fork.
Does anybody out there want something to drink?
I'll take care of it.
Nothing.
Grace? Is everything all right? Can we talk?
About what?
Well... So you tried riding again?
Yeah. Does that mean I'm cured?!
Honey, nobody's trying to cure you --
... You worried everything all right now and we'll have to go home?
What are you talking about?
You... not wanting to go home because you hate daddy so much.
Grace, I don't hate your father.
I can't remember the last time you made him dinner.
I was just trying to say thank you to Diane and Frank and --
Look, I just wanted to say, I think it's great you're riding again. And... and I think I know why you, you needed to do it alone... without anyone knowing...
Yeah, you know everything!!
STOP IT! Why can't I talk to you!!
NO, YOU STOP IT! Stop pretending like you care! Like this really isn't about you and Tom.
WHAT?! How can you -- I'm sorry if my friendship with Tom bothers you so much, but I happen to value having someone to talk to, especially when my own daughter ignores me night and day because no matter what I say, it's wrong and no matter what I do, it's wrong... I'm sorry I'm such a disappointment to you.
I don't deserve that. I have never looked at you as a disappointment. If I'm on your back to do better, if I push you to try harder it's because I want you to be the best you can be.
Listen, if... if there's a part of you as parent that... that takes pride in your child -- that, you can look at them and see something you've accomplished as well... if that's wrong, then I'm sorry. But it wasn't my intention. I don't push for me. I do it for you... So you don't waste half your life feeling like you don't know
Well, then I do apologize... But what I'm most sorry for is turning you into a spoiled brat who can only think about what she's feeling... who can't admit when she's wrong and who can't forgive when she's not.
What did you say?
Started what?
My period.
When? Tonight?
Who's going to want me now?
What?... Oh baby...
Who's ever going to want me? Nobody will.
That's not true.
Why should they?
I'm sorry... about what I said. It's just that -- all those times you and Daddy were trying for another kid, I... I used to pray at night that it would work. And not because of you guys or that I wanted a brother or sister... but... just so I wouldn't have to be...
What?
Who is it?
Uh, nothing. I'm going to pick it up in the other room -- would you hang this up for me?
Let's bring your bags inside.
What's the matter, honey? Gonna miss Pilgrim?
Smokey told me he left last night to look at some horses in Sheriden. He won't be back for three days. I can't believe he didn't want to say goodbye.
Oh, I miss you. You look beautiful.
So do you.
How's everything?
Good.
Great!
David?
Who's there?
Everyone. Working overtime. Just for you.
Did you speak to Farlow?
Yes. We're suing.
Is that absolutely necessary? It'll just make it a bigger story.
Well, I suppose we could use another good public feud...
Oh, come on! This is such bullshit! The work is getting done, David. Lucky keeps me on top of everything.
What the hell does that mean? How much more do I have to do to prove how important this magazine is to me?
Uh, yes... Sure, David.
It's me.
Hi.
So, what, uh, what train are you taking?
I should be in by two.
Okay. You want me to pick you up?
Sure... What's Grace up to?
I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have brought it up over the phone.
That's okay. We have to talk about it and we're not always in the same place ... so... I just have to get used to it. What do you want to do about dinner?
Okay. We'll see you later then.
What about Grace?
That bag's almost empty.
No, it's got a little left. They'll be in to change it.
I'm sorry.
What did he say?
I should go get some of her things.
No, let me go.
I saw Judith's parents while you were at the apartment... I wanted to say something... But I... I was so relieved that Grace was still... that it wasn't our daughter.
We're very lucky.
Oh, uh, I meant to tell you... Alex brought that fabric over...
Okay.
... And uh... Mario called about moving the wisteria?
"... FRESH, WIND IN HER HAIR... LIFE WITHOUT CARE... SHE'S BROKE... BUT IT'S 'OK'...
Sing it to me, Frankie!
You can hardly get your arms around me. How depressing. You're so early.
I had to excuse myself from a meeting. It's ridiculous. I kept thinking about the baby... you... and, I swear, I was going to start bawling right into my briefs.
Aw... that's so sweet.
I love you.
You've got to stop doing that?
Doing what?
How was the dinner?
All our "favorite" people were there saying all their "favorite" things about their "favorite" subjects. I thought to myself, we've been friends with these people almost twenty years and nobody knows anybody. We're so afraid we won't like each other and have nobody go to dinners with.
Why did you go?
Did you get a hold of that horse guy?
Yeah.
What did he say?
What was I saying?
I don't understand. You just said he said no.
He did, but... I think I can change his mind.
That's the craziest thing I ever heard. Absolutely not.
Robert, Grace isn't adjusting to school. And she can't sit in this apartment all day... I think it would be good for her.
NO! What are you -- you're serious about this?
I've called Liz. They can set me up with a trailer for Pilgrim. I thought we'd stay at motels along the way...
You've already made arrangements!?
No. I was just researching. Calm down.
I come home and you tell me we're going to drive a psychotic horse to Montana! I can't just pick up and leave...
I'm not asking you to. I'll do it.
You want to do this by yourself? How? You can't take care of Pilgrim all the --
He'll be sedated. I know horses, Robert. I'm the one who taught Grace how to ride.
What... Bo-... What about the magazine?
No. It's, uh... No, I really don't think it's a good idea
Why?!
Her psychiatrist... said... she needs security now... stability...
I can't say he's been all that effective with her.
Are you a psychiatrist? He said it takes time.
I don't care what he says! We have to do something, Robert! I can't sit here and trust everything's going to work out just by pretending it will.
I really wish I could understand why you think this is so necessary.
What if she doesn't want to go?
She will if you think she should.
And you think it's best if I don't come.
Yeah. She seems to be getting more comfortable on the ranch, which is why I said yes to this move. But, whenever it's just the two of us, I don't know... Anyway... what's happening with the Delco lawsuit?
Taking forever. I just got an additional list of sixty-two employees to interview before Monday. I don't know how I'm going to do it.
So, how are you doing in Marlboro country? Is the magazine complaining at all?
Yeah, but nothing I can't handle. Lucy tells me she thinks Gottchalks's plotting, but what else is new.
When are you coming home?
You know, I just asked that myself tonight. He doesn't know.
Well then... maybe I will take some time... come visit.
I miss you, Annie.
I know. We miss you too.
Good night.
I thought you guys were going to call me.
Oh, Robert, I'm sorry. We were so tired from the branding. Grace barely made it to her bed and I didn't have the energy to take my clothes off.
Oh well... branding will do that to you.
Everything all right.
Huh-huh. You?
Fine. Actually, today was a good day. You should have seen her.
Well, uh the real reason I called, actually, was to tell you I saw Lucy at Jo-Jo's tonight and she seems very worried.
About what?
Apparently, Gottschalk's been seen around town lunching with some very prominent magazine editors. Lucy said she tried to call you, but no one answered so she faxed you the list of names. She said one of them have contracts up fairly soon.
Oh. I didn't look at my faxes today. We left before sunrise.
Small bed. Maybe I should sleep in the barn.
You're allergic to hay.
I apologize for the surprise, but the days only opened yesterday and I figured...
You don't have to explain. You have every right to come.
You were right about coming here. I'm sorry for not thinking...
No, it's okay. Believe me, there were plenty of times I didn't know what the hell was right.
How are you feeling about work?
Are you going to stay in the city or go up to Connecticut?
Connecticut. I told the office I'd work out of there next week. When are you planning to start back?
Probably first thing in the morning. It's too late to start now. I'm going to try not to do too much driving in the dark.
May I have a suggestion?
Yeah, what?
Take your time.
I'll tell you something, Annie -- I stood there looking at what was happening to that horse... And, I swear, it felt like the same thing was happening to me.
I don't understa-
Yes?
Hi. Um, there doesn't seem to be any hotel room available and someone told me to come here and ask for "Tubab" who might to have a place for me to stay. Are you "Tubab"?
No. I am a "tubab."
What do you mean?
Was the trip okay?
I have so much to tell you.
You want to take a walk with me?
Where to?
You know, that's interesting. I always wondered when I went into a restaurant what was the difference between a regular steak or a Black Angus steak. I couldn't taste any difference although I could swear one was more tender. I didn't know there was that big a difference between cows... I've never been on a cow farm before. I must say, the bulls seem
Nobody's using it. Silly for her to be driving back and forth when she don't know her way around that well...
Oh, I don't know...
Well, did you ever think about hiring a business manager?
I'll have another round of that spaghetti if may?
It's so cruel.
No. He had the choice.
What choice!!?
There's coffee inside... I was just bringing this to Tom.
Sure. Does your daughter want to come inside?
Uh, no, we're going to dinner... Is this the way to the pasture?
Mrs. MacLean -- why don't you and daughter stay for dinner?
Oh uh, thank you. No, we don't want to impose.
How's Peterson's holding up for you?
Where does this go, Diane?
Mm-mm. I never knew him. He died before Frank and I met. This here's... Frank and Tom's mother and father... there's little Frank and Tom...
She calls him Tommy...
Ha, she loves telling this story about how when he was two years old, he ran off. They found him in the barn, sleeping between two giant hooves of a Percheron stallion. She said that horse was protecting him and nobody could convince her otherwise.
Thank you. You're all doing too much.
I'll help you with the coffee.
Well... I know I should reject that offer, but I'm not going to.
I was looking in one of your magazines and saw that picture of the couple getting married at the Pyramids. Were you ever in Egypt?
I was there for that shot, actually.
What was it like?
But, uh, Egypt is, well, it's like nothing else. It's like going back in time. I remember as a kid trying to imagine what a kid my age, centuries ago, walking over that same ground, was wondering about or, if they had the same problems as me... and I felt, connected to... to time itself, almost. Ha, I never realized how hard it was
I'd love to go there one time...
You and Frank ever take a vacation?
Must be nice for you to take a few days off from your work, huh?
Well, I have more than a few days, ha, ha... I uh... I'm sort of... not an editor anymore... right now... First time I've said it out loud.
They fired you?
No, it's more like a leave of- Ha, ha, ha. Yeah, they fired me.
You don't seem to upset?
Delayed shock. Or maybe not. I know I could talk my way back if I wanted or... go to another magazine, someplace... Just not sure if I want to.
Did you always know this was the life you wanted?
I fell in love. After that, I never thought about being anything but a rancher's wife. I never saw it like I was losing some other life, just felt like I was gaining one. I know that's not a popular opinion nowadays and I ain't saying it's the right one. We all have to find the life meant for us.
Frank's a good man.
They don't come better. But I don't deny there are times I wonder about things I won't have. Maybe one day I'll get to see Egypt. Maybe not. But I know if you try too many different lives, you can wind up with no life at all...
Sounds like something Tom would say.
What?
Annie, I'm not good at this kind of talk -- goes round and round a thing but never comes to it -- so let's just say what it is. When you first came here, I didn't like you and I was worried. Tom means a lot to me and this family. Don't go looking here for whatever you looking for. Don't make that man
I don't think anybody can make Tom do anything he didn't want.
Is there anything you need? I'm going food-shopping.
Well, I am going to go after lunch.
I think I'm going to have my hands full with the son of mine when you leave. Just might be his first broken heart.
Now, are you sure you want to drive that horse back yourself? There are plenty of people 'round here who do that sort of thing.
It's just one night. If I get uncomfortable, I'll go over to Hanks.
Promise?
Good luck to you, Annie.
Annie, it's Liz. How's Grace?
Her leg was shattered so they had to, uh... remove it. She had some bleeding but it's under control.
Wait, uh, I, I don't understand. Start again -- He's alive...
Yes, but he's in a tremendous pain...
Liz, listen, the Doctor's here and I just can't, uh... talk now... so --
I understand, but Annie, please...
- See, what you can do for him --...
Annie, no matter what I do, this horse will never be the same.
... I just don't know right now! Do whatever you can and when Grace is --
It isn't right to make him suffer...
Maybe we should give him another sedative.
Problem is, there aren't many volunteers. He's already had enough to sink a battleship. You have a pin, just in case?
Of course not.
... well, I just think she's got a lot of nerve showing up here. Draggin' that child and that poor animal all the way... You eat with those fingers again and you know what'll happen! Frank, don't you think she's got a nerve?
Oh hell, I don't know... According to Tom, she's a pretty determined woman. Must've thought it was worth it.
Mixed salad.
What?
They're already all settled in, Frank. Anyway, I'm sure Annie wants her privacy.
Play that sweet one you know. The one makes my wife here so friendly.
Oh Frank, don't forget the wedding present -- it's behind the door in the laundry room. I got her a pasta maker from the catalogue... Not that they'll know what to do with it in Branton, Missouri... Probably use it as a planter.
Diane!
I don't believe they'll expect that.
I believe so. Saw it on a television show, once.
Ha...
Diane takes care of the books. I don't know how, but at the end of every month, everything adds up to the penny.
I have some brownies left over. Want one?
Can we take a look at Bronty's foal when we're done here, Dad?
Sure. As long as she don't mind.
He says if you do it soon as they're born, it makes them real easy to handle later on.
That's what some folks say.
When you figure on branding?
Teacher asked me why we raise Black Angus-Herefords 'stead of Pure Herefords.
Now son, you tell 'em when it came from.
I don't believe it.
Tom?
Bank out us a couple more men to run the cattle.
They don't get burned by the sun bouncing off the snow. And they're good mother.
Well, I'd like to welcome Annie and Grace to their first branding...
It'd be a whole lot easier to pay the feed end of the month...
We thought we lost him in the snow storm... Told the kids. Had a funeral for the damn thing. Finally, snow stops. Staring to warm up. I go out and start cleaning the truck... Goddamn if that dog doesn't jump out from the back seat covered in snow... I nearly stained myself.
Don't you go to school?
Why do you always wear that hat?
Would you let me ride your horse?
Have you talked to Tom about it?
Of course I have.
You wouldn't want to dance with me, would you?
I don't thinks you'd want me tripping all over you in front of everybody.
I wouldn't let happen.
Yeah?
She gonna be long?
Probably. She's on the phone twenty- three hours a day.
What does she do?
She's an editor.
Mmm. An editor.
Isn't it like, obvious?
That's not a question, is it?
Can you drive?
Drive? I'm not old enough yet.
I can't...
Put the key in and turn it. The right pedal is gas, the other one's the brake.
I don't know if I can with my leg.
Just follow this. Nothing to it. I'm going to shut my eyes here for a little while. Just keep going till you run out of road.
I don't know if I can.
Where did you get Pilgrim from?
We bought him in Kentucky. My mother and I took a trip down there to see him.
Are you afraid of anything?
I won't tell you it'll stop feeling this bad... But I can tell you, you didn't do anything wrong... The same thing would have happened to me... or Frank... or Joe... And there's no sense in looking for a reason why things happen... I used to try and... always came up short. I don't think the why so's important as... what we do with
I know where he goes.
I can't... not yet...
Sure?
There's still something going on inside of him I can't reach. So me and Smokey here, we're going to try laying him down. Okay?
What does that mean?
It's more or less how it sounds. Sometimes it's not pretty to watch. Some horses fight it real hard. Your fella's already shown us he likes a good fight. So if you don't want to watch, I'll call you when it's done.
Grace, I need you to come with me.
No, you're only going to hurt him some more.
He's not hurt. He's okay. Look at him.
No!
It's warmer than I thought.
You want to go to a movie tonight?
I thought your mom's coming up?
My parents are having friends from college over. They're really nice... They have this gorgeous son who wants to be a forest ranger.
...Oh, come on! You think the same thing!
Do you want to go around by the old road?
You want to go down or stay along the river?
"... and I said that"...
Jude, you okay?
Have you heard from Judith's parents?
No, not yet.
Dad! I can do it, OK?!
Do you want something else, honey? We order something else?
You want to watch some television?
Honey, you all right? Did something fall?
What, sweetheart?
Did you notice -- no cane?
I know. Amazing.
Shouldn't we have invited Tom over?
IT WAS MY TURN!
YA JUST HAD A TURN. IT WAS NOT.
Don't be such a baby!
You just showing off for her!
You shut up, stupid!
Hi. It's a pleasure. I'm very grateful for the way you took in my girls here. I bet you were surprised when they just showed up out of nowhere.
I can't believe it's the same horse.
We still have a way to go.
Well, like I told your wife, it's really up to Pilgrim.
Is the poverty worse, now, you think?
Hey, darlin'.
Hey, Rona. Sorry I'm late.
You're looking fit.
Fit? You want to check my teeth. Good crowd today. I think you'll have some fun. You going to stay for dinner?
If it's not too much trouble, I thought I might.
Kind of trouble I'm in the mood for.
Oh I clear forget. You had a call from some woman in New York. She sounded pretty wound up.
I don't any woman in New York. But from what I hear, most of them are wound up.
What are you looking at, young man?
How long were you married?
Long enough.
You ever miss it?
Does a horse miss a saddle?
You know, Rona, we weren't all that good together even when we were good together.
Well, that'll happen.
Where did you learn all this stuff?
What stuff is that?
About horses? I'd love to learn more about it myself. Do you offer any private lessons for riders?
Well... Dale... you know, a lot of this stuff... it just... nuts and bolts.
What do you mean?
Listen to this bullshit. "This is our world now. The world of the electron and the switch, the beauty of the baud. We exist without nationality, skin color, or religious bias. You wage wars, murder, cheat, lie to us and try to make us believe it's for our own good, yet we're the criminals. Yes, I am a criminal. My crime is that of
Now that's cool.
Cool?
Yeah, cool.
You think it's cool?
It's cool!
Secret Service!
How's it going, Ray?
It looks good, sir. We've got an uncorrupted hard drive.
In English, please. I didn't spend ten years protecting the president so I could finish my career feeling like an idiot.
I'm sorry, sir. We caught him by surprise, so we don't think he had time to erase his computer files.
Good. Good man. Alright, let's finish up here, and take him in for interrogation.
Welcome to our show!
As you can see, this is just a simple microcassette recorder. Hook it up to the phone and drop in five bucks in quarters.
Record the tones that the coins make. And hang up and get your money back!
And never again have to pay for a service that would be dirt cheap...
...IF it weren't run by a bunch of profiteering gluttons!
Let's keep her.
She's rabid, but cute.
That's it! An electronic army! If I were us, I'd get on the internet, send out a major distress signal.
Hackers of the World, Unite!
What's that?
What's that?
Oh yeah? What's that?
Maybe. But, if I were gonna hack some heavy metal, I'd, uh, work my way back through some low security, and try the back door.
So what do you think, can I crash at your place tonight?
Shit!
Shh!
Right.
I can't. Everybody who touches that thing gets busted, I can't afford to get arrested, I'm sorry.
What?
Uh... Nikon, can I... can I crash at your place tonight?
Active matrix, man. A million psychedelic colors. Man, baby, sweet, ooo!
Very impressive.
Hold on a second!
Look at this, it's so lean and clean.
Oh man. That's universally stupid, man!
Biggest crash in history, front page, New York Times, August 10th, 1988. I thought you was black, man! Yo, man, this is Zero Cool! Oh, shit!
That's far out!
Ta-da!
Snoop onto them...
Well, I got a lot, alright? I don't know how many but... my head hurts.
Damn!
...and your name goes through like seventeen computers a day. 1984, yeah right man, that's a typo. Orwell's here and now, he's living large. We have no names, man, no names. We are nameless. Can I score a fry? Thanks.
What are you, stoned or stupid? You don't hack a bank across state lines from your house, you'll get nailed by the FBI. Where are your brains, in your ass? Don't you know anything?
Yeah but don't forget God. System operators love to use God. It's that whole male ego thing.
Look, you wanna be elite? You gotta do a righteous hack. None of this accidental shit.
Oh yeah, you want a seriously righteous hack, you score one of those Gibsons man. You know, supercomputers they use to like, do physics, and look for oil and stuff?
Cereal, man, you owe me a pack.
It was him, man!
You're psyched. You need to lay off of that shit.
His parents missed Woodstock and he's been making up for it since. Hey, you hear about Joey's bust?
Yeah. Probably had something to do with that bank in Idaho.
I want it to have my children!
Yeah, I bet it looks crispy in the dark.
One-handed!
Nonononono. Truce, you guys. Listen, we got a higher purpose here, alright? A wake up call for the Nintendo Generation. We demand free access to data, well, it comes with some responsibility. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man I put away childish things. What...
Oh wow, we are fried.
Never send a boy to do a woman's job. With me, we can do it in seven.
Well this hasn't happened yet.
Ai! Boom boom aiaiaiaiaee! Alright, that was a little tension breaker, that had to be done, alright?
Cereal.
Yeah?
Go fix the phones.
Who's that?
Curtis.
And what's he do?
You heard of a hacker called Acid Burn? You know who he is?
Did you talk to him?
Yo. Check this out guys, this is insanely great, it's got a 28.8 BPS modem!
Dead.
Dead?
Due to Mr. Gill's untimely demise and everything, I guess you two will have to improvise the next round.
Dade?
Yeah, mom?
What are you doing?
I'm taking over a TV network.
Good morning. You unpack your stuff yet?
Mm-hmm.
Up all night again, huh?
Can I cut the electricity to his room so he'll sleep normal hours? He's been playing with his computer all night for a solid week. Well yes, he could be playing with himself. Mmm hmm. Yes I'll ask. Dade, you like girls, don't you?
Well, yeah, I just haven't found one as charming as you yet.
You haven't been doing anything stupid, right, Dade? Right, Dade?!
How was school?
Hmmm.
What did we learn in school today?
Revenge.
Aaaah. Did we meet someone special?
No. No one special.
Right. Anything else, you want me to mow the lawn? Oops, forgot. New York. No grass.
Loser. I can't believe you were only eleven when you wrote this. It's quite an impressive virus. Dade, I know how you might feel about narking on your friends, but, we're hackers. For us, there's no such thing as family and friends. We're each our own country, with temporary allies and enemies. I'd like to make a treaty with you.
I'm sorry. Who are you?
I'm the one who understands you. Now, can we be allies?
Shit! Come on!
I'm fine. Oh, and Dade, try to stay out of trouble, okay?
Blow me.
The girl. The girl has the disc I need.
I told you, I don't play well with others.
Lauren Murphy is now a wanted felon in the state of Washington. Forgery, Embezzlement, two drug convictions, plus she jumped parole. When she's arrested, she will not have a trial, she will not pass go, she will go directly to jail. Then I change this file back to the original, and your mom disappears.
That's bullshit.
What can I tell you. Computers never lie, kid. Your mom will be arrested at work, she'll be handcuffed, and later, strip searched.
You lay a finger on her and I'll kill you.
Talk to me.
I got it. But listen, Kate didn't know what's on it. I mean, she came to me to figure it out. She's not the one who planted the virus. You leave her alone.
Game's over. Last chance to get out of this without a prison sentence. You're not good enough to beat me, you little shit.
Yeah, maybe I'm not. But we are, you asshole.
I found it! I found it!
Crash Override.
Never heard of you. Done anything?
Yo, showtime, showtime!
That's Razor and Blade.
Look out, man. Lisa Blair, 26 East 7th St., apartment 16, 555-4817, BOOM!
How did you know that?
Seven. Wow! Burn's wetware matches her software!
This isn't a virus. It's a worm!
What's this one eat?
Two days.
They'll trace you like that man, cops are gonna find you, they're gonna find you with a smoking gun.
Fucked if I care, man.
Jesus, I gotta save all your asses. I help, we can do it in five minutes, man.
Oh, shit! He got me.
Yes!
Here's your class.
My... class. You mean I'm not in your class?
Yeah, there's an Olympic size swimming pool up on the roof. Take the stairs over there.
That's a nice score for a girl.
Think you can do better?
What the hell is going on?
He's not in this class.
I said give me time.
Burn. You're Acid Burn. You booted me out of OTV!
What?
I'm Crash Override.
What the hell are you doing?
It's cool, I'm just looking.
It's too much machine for you.
It has a killer refresh rate.
P6 chip. Triple the speed of the Pentium.
Yeah. It's not just the chip, it has a PCI bus. But you knew that.
Indeed. RISC architecture is gonna change everything.
You sure this sweet machine's not going to waste?
Crash Override. What was it. "Mess with the Best, Die Like the Rest?"
Yeah.
Are you challenging me?
Name your stakes.
If I win, you become my slave.
Your slave?
You wish. You'll do shit work, scan, crack copyrights, whatever I want.
And if I win?
Make it my first born.
Make it our first date.
You're not gonna win.
And you have to smile.
We need your help.
What is it with you? I know we've been playing games, but, we're supposed to be on the same side and we really need your help. I really need your help.
I'm sorry, I can't.
Thank you.
Okay. I'll copy it.
Kate, listen.
Uh, hold on...
This is every financial transaction Ellingson conducts, yeah? From million dollar deals to the ten bucks some guy pays for gas.
The worm eats a few cents from each transaction.
And no one's caught it because the money isn't really gone. It's just data being shifted around.
Right. And when the worm's ready, it zips out with the money and erases its tracks.
Joey got cut off before he got to that part. Check it out. By this point, it's already running at, what, twice the speed as when it started.
Whoever wrote this needs somebody to take the fall. And that's Phreak, and that's Joey, and that's us. We've got to get the rest of the file, so we can find out where the money is going before the worm disappears, so we can find out WHO created it.
I know, I know who wrote it.
What?
This Ellingson security creep. I gave him a copy of the disc you gave me.
You what?
Why did he come to you?
Well that's great. There goes MIT.
I'll make it up to you!
How?
Shit!!
Alright, so what have we got?
There they are!
Razor and Blade! They're flakes!
A virus called Da Vinci will cause oil spills at 10:30 AM Eastern Time tomorrow.
It's somehow connected with the worm that's stealing the money.
Ready?
Yeah.
It's the Gibson, it's finding us too fast.
Are you crazy? What are you doing?
Dade.
What?
Oh, wow, she's great.
You look good in a dress.
You would have looked better.
I can't believe they decided you won.
They didn't. The guys felt it was the only way I'd get a date. Anyway, you're pretty good. You're elite.
You know, I've been having these really weird..
Security, uh Norm, Norm speaking.
Norman? This is Mr. Eddie Vedder, from Accounting. I just had a power surge here at home that wiped out a file I was working on. Listen, I'm in big trouble, do you know anything about computers?
Uhhmmm... uh gee, uh...
Right, well my BLT drive on my computer just went AWOL, and I've got this big project due tomorrow for Mr. Kawasaki, and if I don't get it in, he's gonna ask me to commit Hari Kari...
Uhhh.. ahahaha...
Yeah, well, you know these Japanese management techniques. Could you, uh, read me the number on the modem?
Uhhhmm...
It's a little boxy thing, Norm, with switches on it... lets my computer talk to the one there...
Excuse me.
Yo, chill man, I'm talking to Venezuela.
Yeah, I'm sorry, I was just looking for the principal's office.
So, um, what's your interest in Kate Libby, eh? Academic? Purely sexual?
Homicidal?
Did you find the program for the virus on any of the discs we confiscated?
No. He's either very smart or very stupid.
Gill.
It got you seven years probation. No computer, couldn't even use a touch tone phone.
Must have been hell, huh? Zero Cool? A virus has been planted in the Ellingson Mineral computer system. You were our prime suspect, till we trashed your stuff and found no trace of it.
However, we have come to believe that one Joey Pardella is involved in this Ellingson virus. He or perhaps his accomplice has a disk that Mr. Belford needs to disable that virus. We want you to help us find it.
Hello?
We caught 'em.
Good.
You're welcome.
There's a new virus in the database.
What's happening?
A rabbit replicates till it overloads a file, then it spreads like cancer.
Colonel who?
The System Command Processor, it's the brain.
Mr. Belford?
My name is the Plague.
Uh, Mr. The Plague, uh, something weird's happening on the net.
As in what, you hapless techno-weenie?
Never fear. I is here.
I've narrowed the activity to terminal 23.
We have a Zero Bug attacking all the login and overlay files.
Die, dickweeds!
Phreakphreakphreakphreakphreak, dudedudedudedudedudedude... I gotta...
Joey, Joey...
What? whatwhatwhat?
I need a handle, man. I don't have an identity until I have a handle.
Alright. How about the Master of Disaster, huh?
Anyways, guys, guys, listen, listen to me. I'm in this computer right? So I'm looking around...
You guys always think I should know everything, and you never tell me anything. Am I right?
Alright, what are the three most commonly used passwords?
Yo, what's up?
Dude dude dude, I gotta talk to you a minute, listen listen listen. I copied a garbage file from...
Big deal. A garbage file's got shit in it, Joey, come on.
Nono, it's like hot or something. I don't know.
Joey, a garbage file holds miscellaneous data. Junk. Bits of stuff that's been erased, man.
Hey! What are you guys doing in here?
What is he doing in here?
Any questions?
Hello?
Hey, it's me.
Phreak?
I'm freaking! Joey wasn't making it up! He really hacked into Ellingson! He gave me the disc with a file he copied and now I'm in jail! They're charging me with some serious shit! And there's stuff I didn't even do, like inserting some virus called Da Vinci, and they keep asking about you guys.
You think they're going to bust us?
Good morning, Gentlemen. Please be seated. I see we're still dressing in the dark, Eugene.
Once again, don't call me Eugene. A recent unknown intruder penetrated, using a superuser acount, giving him access to our whole system.
Precisely what you're paid to prevent.
A hacker planted the virus.
Virus?
Yesterday, the ballast program for a supertanker training model mistakenly thought the vessel was empty, and flooded its tanks.
Excuse me?
The little boat flipped over. A virus planted in the Gibson computer system claimed responsibility.
So what are we supposed to do?
What the hell was that all about?
I had to move fast. The hacker copied my garbage file.
What?
I created Mister da Vinci so we could call in the Secret Service. So they'd arrest the hacker, sieze his equipment, things that we can't do on our own.
I don't want to go to jail for this.
Relax. Think about the 25 million dollars.
But you've created a virus that's going to cause a worldwide ecological disaster, just to arrest some hacker kid?
Basically, uhmm, yeah. Mmm hmmm.
Jesus. You know, you're sick, Eugene. You...
Murphy kid turn you down?
I disguised myself as an Alabama State Trooper and penetrated the FBI NCIC.
The FBI computer holds files on twenty million Americans. I just hacked into it.
Congratulations.
From here I got access to every piece of data ever stored on Dade Murphy's parents. His parents separated five years ago, reconciled two years later, filed for divorce last year, custody battle, boy chose to go with his mother. Hmm.
So?
They had a large chunk of the garbage file? How much do they know?
Not everything. But enough to implicate us.
You said the worm was untreaceable!
Yeah. To civilians. But they're hackers. But don't worry. All we have to do is launch the Da Vinci virus, and then they'll all be put away.
Launch the Da Vinci virus? You can't do that!
What is it? What's wrong?
Nothing, it's just a minor glitch.
Send a Flu-shot.
Thank you.
Hello, operator services.
Hello, operator? I'm having trouble dialing a number.
What number please?
555-4202.
Just one moment.
Purpose of visit?
A patient pickup and transfer to Smith's Grove.
You're late.
Yeah. Should be on the road.
Yeah, ha, hell of a night huh?
Real charmer.
I'll take you down there.
Rachel! What are you doing here? I thought I was supposed to pick you up?
Jamie needs a Halloween costume.
We need to talk.
Okay sure. What about?
What?
My parents baby-sitter canceled.
So?
So I have to watch Jamie tonight.
When did you find this out?
This morning.
Well you found out this morning? Why didn't you tell me before? I mean it's 5 o'clock now Rachel...shit
Don't get angry.
Can I come over after Jamie's asleep?
My parents are going to come home early tonight.
So?
I don't know Brady.
Rachel, I've got an expl-- I've got an explanation.
Just leave me alone and lets forget it.
I mean, you blew off our date at last minute.
So you hop on to the next best thing? I thought you were different from other guys.
I am different, it's just that I just got pissed off...that's all.
Are you two okay?
We've been better.
What's going on?
Michael Myers.
Who's that?
No, no, we have to get out of here right now.
Not without Jamie.
You think she stands a chance?
Is there another key?
Its metal, god dammit its metal.
What does that mean?
Brady!
Get back!
Brady!
Shit!
Brady! Come with us.
Go!
Brady!
Brady!
Get up there Rachel!
Brady! Come with us! Brady!
When did this happen?
Sometime in the night. They probably lost the road in the storm. Come down the embankment. It happens.
An accident?
It's hard to tell, there all chewed up.
I've seen bodies thrown 50-60 feet from a crash site.
Hang on Mrs. Pierce. Not that tie, on the other side. That's not the only thing your eating Rachel.
Mom, please
You'll have to watch Jamie tonight.
Not tonight. I've got that date with Brady. You know how important that is.
Well tonight is very important for your father and me.
Can't you find somebody else?
Its too late.
What am I supposed to tell Brady? Sorry, but I've got to baby-sit my foster sister, go and have fun by yourself.
How do we look?
You guys always look great.
We'll be at the Fallbrooks. The number's next to the phone.
Oh dear God. Its all right...a bad dream, just a nasty old dream.
Clean one in the laundry room next to your blue slacks. Hello?
Found it.
Sorry. Do you suppose Susan could just bring her crutches? Oh, stupid question. Tell her I hope she feels better. Susan's mother, she can't baby-sit tonight.
Why not?
Honey, I don't think their home.
How do you know their not?
Because the lights are all out.
I told them to be here by nine. Its not 9:30 yet.
We should call the fire department.
Why wasn't I notified?
About what?
You know damn well about what. You let them take it out of here.
For Christ sakes. Spare me the speech. I've listened to it for a decade. The fact is that Michael Myers was a federal patient, and a federal prisoner therefore he is subject to federal law.
We're not talking about any ordinary prisoner Hoffman! We are talking about evil on two legs.
I don't want to have anyone live through that night again.
Why shouldn't I?
How many people in the bus?
Four plus Myers.
Now where are you going?
Yes.
I'm Dr. Hoffman, Medical Administrator.
Has he been prepped?
Ready to go. Who signs for him?
I do.
Outside.
I'd assumed Dr. Loomis would be here. Michael Myers was his patient.
Watch it.
I can safely say that Michael Myers is now in your hands.
Night Doc.
Not like 'ol Ben Meeker do something like that.
Sure ain't. Martians could land on Ben's doorstep, all he'd do is spit once and get himself a shot gun.
Who you calling?
We're going to Ben's. The phone never just rings at a police station.
What the hell did this?
Like the last time? How many people killed back then? How many kids?
Shit, Earl. It's Ted Holster.
Okay everybody, listen up. I've got Rachel Corruthers and her sister in the truck, and I'm taking them outta town route 410. State police are on the way. Got that?
Got it Earl.
Kido. It's four in the morning.
I can't sleep.
What is this? Four nights in a row? You going for a record here? The seven year olds insomniacs hall of fame?
Do you love me Rachel?
Oh, serious questions tonight. Of course I love you.
Like a sister?
Jamie, sometimes it's...
Like a real sister?
Sure it does.
I know you miss your parents, its hasn't been that long.
It's been eleven months.
Your mother used to baby-sit me when I was your age. I bet you didn't know that.
Your lucky. I wish she could do the same for me.
Sure it is. I think tonight Brady was ready to make a commitment. But now my future relationship, my engagement, my marriage, my children, your grandchildren, have all been wiped out because I have to baby sit tonight.
Jamie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I can go out with Brady tomorrow night. Its no big deal.
But you wanted to go out tonight. It's my fault that you can't.
Well tonight we're going to do something better. We're going to go trick-or-treating.
I don't want to.
How about this afternoon I pick you up from school and we go get ice cream?
Double scoops?
Hi.
You ready for some Ice Cream?
I wanna go trick-or-treating like the other kids.
The Discount Mart. Can we get Ice Cream after?
Come on Rachel.
Jamie, what happened?
It was the nightmare man
What?
Rachel, can I go get my costume on?
Come on Rachel!
Coming.
I thought you said you were ready.
Jamie, wait for me.
Had enough?
No way! Halloween's great. Can we stay out all night?
Can we go home soon Rachel?
Jamie!
Rachel come on.
No.
I'm gonna lower you to the chimney, okay Jamie?
I can't.
Rachel!
I've got you come on, go down.
What are you doing out here alone?
Everybody's dead. I just wanna go home.
We'll hear sirens soon.
Then we'll be safe?
You don't believe that do you?
Rachel, take your sister upstairs. First door on the right.
Dad, what's going on?
Kelly, I want you to close and lock all the downstairs windows.
Why?
That's all the windows, Dad.
Why don't you go make some coffee.
Hi Rachel.
I didn't know you and Brady had anything okay?
You knew. You just didn't care.
He's not married. Besides, I've got a right to do what's best for me.
Don't you mean what you do best?
You remember Lindsay don't you?
You know Rach, Discount Mart is having a sale on Halloween costumes.
No. Brady's working there till 6:00 today.
I know! Don't you want to talk to him?
I don't want to look pushy.
You won't look pushy.
Well I don't want to come on too strong. A guy hates a girl to come on strong. Fragile egos and all of that.
You won't come on too strong.
Well I don't want to seem desperate or anything.
Fact it Rach, you are desperate. Your just going to go in and buy a costume for Jamie. Perfectly legit.
I don't know.
Well do I drop you off at the Discount Mart or the Dairy Queen?
Call me.
Hell of a night.
Its not over yet.
Where are you going?
The Corruther's house. That's where Jamie lives, that's where he'll go.
Leave Myers for the state boys.
The state police won't know how to stop him.
Do you?
Logan, I want you to stay here in case the family gets back.
Right here, Ben.
You look sharp. You understand?
132 to 133 this is 134.
This is 132, over.
Go to my house. We'll call the state force from there.
You got your riot gun?
Yeah in the trunk of my squad.
Get the outside shutters.
What are we doing?
Making sure that no one can get in here.
Isn't this all a little paranoid?
Now I pad locked the back door, this is the only way in and out of this house. You got that?
I'll be out on gateway and I doubt I'll be back before the troopers get here.
Maybe you ought to wait here till they do.
I am. Ben Meeker.
Oh, Sheriff Meeker, my name is Dr. ...
Loomis. Folks around here aren't likely to forget your face. At least not cops. So what brings you back here after 10 years?
Michael Myers has escaped from Ridgemont. He's here in Haddonfield.
That's impossible. Michael Myers is an invalid.
He's here, Sheriff.
Why?
10 years ago he tried to kill Laurie Strode, and now he wants her daughter.
Are you talking about Jamie Lloyd?
Where ever she is, that little girl is in mortal danger.
Six bodies, Sheriff! That's what I have seen between here and Ridgemont. A filling station in flames. I'm telling you Michael Myers is here in this town. He's here to kill that little girl and anybody that gets in his way.
Hank, call the troopers and check his story out. And assuming what you say is true..
Its true, Sheriff.
All right, all right. Its true, what the hell can we do to avoid a repeat of what happened 10 years ago?
When he makes that call.
Something?
He's been here.
This is starting to spook me.
Is that him? Is that him?
Oh Christ. Doc...
Oh Christ. They wouldn't have given up without a fight.
How can a man do this Loomis? Tell me.
It isn't a man.
What is he? Tell me! What the hell are we dealing with?
It was Michael Myers. He's come home to kill.
You son of a bitch, you just created a lynch mob.
Where's that Deputy?
Where's the radio?
How's it powered?
It's over.
These kids aren't likely to forget.
Thank you.
How far are you going, Mr. Sayer?
Gods Country, Promise Land. Where are you heading Mr..ah
Loomis. Haddonfield.
Car trouble?
Sort of.
Your hunting it, ain't ya? Yeah, your hunting it all right, just like me.
What are you hunting, Mr. Sayer?
I know that Mr. Sayer.
Rachel, Jamie. Thank God!
Sheriff, what is going on out there?
All right Rachel, you stay by this radio. The state boys will send word once their in route. When that word comes you go tell deputy Logan.
Okay.
Now you understand?
Sheriff Meeker, we killed him.
Jamie! Get away!
Hi, Annie, Laurie...
Hi, Dad. What happened?
What?
What happened?
Someone broke into the hardware store. Probably kids.
You blame everything on kids.
You're going to be late at the Doyles, Annie.
You're going to be late!
Why didn't you wait for me?
We did. Fifteen minutes. You totally never showed up.
It's been totally charted.
We just talked.
Sure.
Well, are we still on for tonight?
I wouldn't want to get you in deep trouble, Lynda.
Come on, Annie. Bob and I have been planning on it all week.
What time?
I don't know yet. I have to get out of taking my stupid brother trick-or- treating.
Saving the treats for Bob?
What's wrong, Annie? You're not smiling.
I'm never smiling again. Paul dragged me into the boys' locker room to tell me...
Shit!
I have a place for that.
I'M baby sitting for the Doyles. It's only three houses away. We can keep each other company.
Look.
Look where?
I don't see anything.
That man who drove by so fast, the one you yelled at.
He was standing right here.
Poor Laurie. You scared another one away.
It's tragic. You never go out. You must have a small fortune stashed from babysitting so much.
Well, home sweet home. I'll see you later.
Hello?
Why did you hang up on me?
Annie, was that you?
Of course.
Why didn't you say anything? You scared me to death.
I had my mouth full. Couldn't you hear me?
I thought it was an obscene phone call.
Now you hear obscene chewing. You're losing it, Laurie.
I've already lost it.
I doubt that. Listen, my mother is letting me use her car. I'll pick you up. 6:30.
Sure, see you later.
You still spooked?
I wasn't spooked.
Lies.
I saw someone standing in Mr. Riddle's back yard.
Probably Mister Riddle.
He was watching me.
Mister Riddle was watching you? Laurie, Mister Riddle is eighty-seven.
He can still watch.
What's the pumpkin for?
I brought it for Tommy. I figured making a Jack-O-Lantern would keep him occupied.
I always said you'd make a fabulous girl scout.
Thanks.
I hate that dog. I'm the only person in the world he doesn't like.
What's this big, big news?
What would you say if I told you that you were going to the Homecoming Dance tomorrow night?
I'd say you must have the wrong number.
Well, I just talked with Ben Tramer and he got real excited when I told him how attracted you were to him.
Annie, you didn't. Tell me you didn't.
You'll have to. He's calling you tomorrow to find out what time to pick you up.
Fancy.
This has not been my night. My clothes are in the wash, I spilled butter down the front of me, I got stuck in a window...
I'm glad you're here because I have something I want you to do. I want you to call up Ben Tramer and tell him you were just fooling around.
I can't.
Yes, you can.
Wait a minute here...
If you watch her, I'll CONSIDER talking to Ben Tramer in the morning.
Deal. Hey, I thought Paul was grounded.
Get him out of here!
Lindsey, Lester's barking again and getting on my nerves again.
Annie, Paul's on the phone!
You locked yourself in.
I'm scared.
Then why are you sitting here with half the lights off?
I don't know.
Well, come on, get your coat. We're going to pick up Paul.
I don't want to.
Look, Lindsey, I thought we understood each other...
Yes.
Now... First we'll talk a little, then Annie will distract Lindsey and we sneak quietly up the stairs to the first bedroom on the left. Got it?
You idiot!
...Then you rip my clothes off. Then we rip LYNDSEY'S clothes off. I think I've got it.
I wonder where they went.
I can't help it. It just keeps ringing.
That's great. Now you'll be too drunk to...
Just answer the damn phone.
Fantastic. Totally.
Yeah.
Want a beer?
Yeah.
Is that all you say?
Yeah.
Go get me a beer.
I thought you were gonna get one for me.
My parents won't be back till ten.
We're all alone, aren't we?
I gotta go.
Will you call me tomorrow?
Yeah, sure.
Promise?
Sheriff? I'm Doctor Sam Loomis.
I'd like to talk to you, if I could.
May be a few minutes. I gotta stick around here...
Ten minutes.
Anybody live here?
Not since 1963, since it happened. Every kid in Haddonfield thinks this place is haunted.
Come on... A skunk could have killed it...
A man wouldn't do that...
I suppose I do seem a bit sinister for a doctor.
Looks like to me you're just plain scared.
What do we do?
He was here, earlier tonight, and he may be coming back. I'm going to wait for him.
I keep thinking I should call the radio and TV stations...
If you do they'll be seeing him everywhere, on every street corner, in every house. Just tell your men to shut their mouths and open their eyes.
Jesus!
You all right?
Sure...
Nothing's going on. Just kids playing pranks, trick or treating, partying, getting high... I have the feeling you're way off on this...
You have the wrong feeling.
You're not coming up with much to prove me wrong.
Exactly what do you need?
Well, it's going to take more than fancy talk to keep me up all night creeping around these bushes.
I watched him for fifteen years, sitting in a room staring at a wall, not seeing the wall, seeing past it, seeing THIS NIGHT. He's waited for it, inhumanly patient. Hour after hour, day after day, waiting for some silent, invisible alarm to trigger him. Death has arrived in your little town, sheriff. You can ignore it, or you can help me stop it.
More fancy talk... You want to know what Haddonfield is? Families. Children, all lined up in rows, up and down these streets. You're telling me they're lined up for a slaughterhouse.
They could be.
Where were you? I went back to the Myers house...
I found the car! He's here!
Where?
It's totally insane! We have three new cheers to learn in the morning, the game in the afternoon, I get my hair done at five, and the dance is at eight. I'll be totally wiped out!
I think you have too much to do tomorrow.
TOTALLY!
As usual, I don't have anything to do.
I thought you were babysitting tonight.
Isn't that David Graham? He's cute.
Annie, some day you're going to get us all in deep trouble.
Hi, Laurie, what's up?
Nothing. I was just sitting down for the first time tonight.
Is Annie around?
No. I thought she'd be home by now. She went to pick up Paul.
Well, she's totally not here.
They probably stopped off somewhere. Have her call me when she gets back. I've got Lyndsey here and I want to know what time to put her to bed.
Okay. Later.
Hey, Laurie...
Are you coming over tonight?
Same time, same place.
Can we make Jack-O-Lanterns?
Sure.
Can we watch the monster movies?
Sure.
Will you read to me? Can we make popcorn?
Yes, I am.
Uh-uh. That's a spook house.
Lonnie Elam said never to go up there. Lonnie Elam said that's a haunted house. He said real awful stuff happened there once.
I gotta go. I'll see you tonight.
..."how now, cried Arthur. 'Then no one may pass this way without a fight?' 'That is so,' answered the night in a bold and haughty manner..."
I don't like that story.
Not any more.
Why are they under there?
'Neutron Man'... 'Laser Man'... I can see why. 'Tarantula Man'...
Laurie...
What about the Jack-O-Lantern?
After the movie.
What about the rest of my comic books?
After the Jack-O-Lantern.
What about the bogyman?
There is no such thing.
Richie said he was coming after me tonight.
Do you believe everything that Richie tells you?
No...
I saw the bogyman. I saw him outside.
There was no one outside.
There WAS.
What did he look like?
The bogyman!
We're no getting anywhere. All right, look, Tommy. The bogyman can only come out on Halloween night, right?
Right.
And I'm here tonight and I won't let him get to you.
Promise?
I promise.
Tommy, stop it! You're scaring Lindsey.
I saw him...
Who is it?
Tommy, I want you to go back upstairs...
What is it, Laurie?
Be quiet! Get Lindsey and get into the bedroom and lock the door!
I'm scared...
DO WHAT I SAY! NOW!
It's the bogyman, isn't it?
Now I want you to change your clothes, Tommy. We're going to take a walk outside.
Are you sure?
Yes.
How?
I killed him...
Laurie, you come with us...
Everybody has a good time tonight. Okay, kids, what do you want to do now?
Let's make more popcorn.
I'm scared!
Now, I want you to walk to the door, down the stairs and right out the front door.
You're coming with us...
Hello.
Hi, Lindsey, this is Paul. Is Annie there?
Yes, she is.
Will you get her for me?
She's washing her clothes.
Well, go tell her it's me, okay?
I'm not responsible, Sam.
Of course not.
I've given them his profile.
He was your patient, Doctor. If the precautions weren't sufficient, you should have notified...
I notified everybody! Nobody listened.
There's nothing else I can do.
You can get back on the telephone and tell them exactly what walked out of here last night. And tell them where he's going.
PROBABLY going.
Sam, Haddonfield is a hundred and fifty miles from here. How could he get there? He can't drive.
...then he gets another physical by the state, and he makes his appearance before the judge. That should take four hours if we're lucky, then we're on our way.
What did you use before?
Thorazin.
He'll barely be able to sit up.
The driveway's a few hundred yards up on your right.
Are there any special instructions?
Just try to understand what we're dealing with here. Don't underestimate it.
I think we should refer to 'it' as 'him.'
If you say so.
Ever done anything like this before?
Only minimum security.
I see.
What does that mean?
It means... I see.
You don't have to make this harder than it already is.
I couldn't if I tried.
The only thin that ever bothers me is their jibberish. When they start raving on and on...
Pull up to the entrance!
Shouldn't we pick him up?
What did he say?
He asked me if I could help him find his purple lawnmower.
I don't think this is any time to be funny...
...any sister talk?
Oh, good...
Come in, come in.
...because there are no interesting single men at this party!
Hm-mm. Oh, yeah. I met Phil.
Mmm?
I love that. That's my type.
We need more bread and some baked lasa-- uh, lasagne. Hi.
I know. You're an actress with a great flair for shrimp puffs.
And the quail is responsible for the quail eggs.
Hi.
Wha-- What kind of things do you build?
Are you really interested?
You know, April, people pass by vital structures in this city all the time, and they never take the time to appreciate them. I get the feeling you tune in to your environment.
What are your favorite buildings, David?
You want to see some?
Oh, yeah.
Well, let's do it.
That's just --
Yeah.
Uh, who gets dropped first?
Yeah.
And then, uh, April...huh?
I know. It's terrible!
No, really, I really like him a lot.
Hannah will invite some men over who don't look like Ichabod Crane.
We're a big hit.
Wow, it's the red one?
Oh!
Oh, is that what it is?
Uh-- APRIL I-i-it has an o-organic quality, you know.
Right.
It's French, though. It really is.
Yeah.
That's disgusting!
...a monstrosity! Who would do that?
Well...we have seen a lot of stuff today, though.
Oh, geez, yeah.
Well, I live downtown.
Uh...
It depends on what way you want to go.
Well, wait. You know what? I know.
Uh...
Well, sometimes, some, uh...
I'm telling you, you sounded great. You, uh, you may be surprised.
Oh, I'm just glad we have a catering job this week. I'm real low on money.
Yeah, we have Mr. Morris Levine's eightieth birthday party on Riverside Drive...or Riverside Memorial Chapel, depending on his health.
Oh, uh, listen, David called me up.
What?
Uh, David called me last night, and he wants to take me to the opera. I didn't know what to say.
You're joking.
No, he called late last night.
I, uh, I'm very surprised.
He wants to take me to see Rigoletto.
And you, you-you're going?
Well, I-I-I didn't know what to say. First I said no, but then, he pressed it. He said, uh, he'd taken you once and he really wanted to invite me.
But I'm seeing him.
I know. I said that, but... he said it was something he really felt like doing.
Gee, um... I...I don't know what to say.
Oh, that was a wonderful show. I think that's the best show you two ever wrote.
Mm-hm.
We got that idea on that trip to Paris.
Right.
Hmm?
I gave blood before and, uh... clothing to the poor.
Okay, Norman, listen, I really want to talk about this at home. I think it's a matter for your analyst...and mine.
Excuse me, are there any more claims?
Only a few. A few. Do you like 'em?
I can't resist.
Really? How flattering! Did you try the shrimp puffs?
Listen, you guys are too attractive to be caterers. Something's wrong.
We're actresses.
Is this your first job?
Really? Is the food that bad?
Here, I stole you a couple of extra clams.
You're Holly.
Yeah, we're the Stanislavski Catering Company.
Now I'm going to tell you the truth. I really came in here because I was bored stiff by the party.
We saw, um, Pavarotti, eh, uh, in Ernani at the Met, and I cried...
Oh, what, what do you do?
Yeah.
Yeah.
The design's deliberately noncontextural. But I wanted to... keep the atmosphere of the street, you know, and the proportions.
Uh-huh.
Oh, it's just so romantic. I just want to put on a long gown...
Yes.
And it's got a handsome partner sitting right beside it.
Yeah.
It's really sad.
And it ruins everything else.
Yeah.
Maybe we should start thinking about going home, huh?
Oh, gee, I don't know. Um...
We could...we could do that.
Y-you live in Chelsea, don't you?
Yes.
Well, I-I guess if you live in Chelsea, that's probably first.
So what's the, uh, problem this time?
So, so, but it was when I was younger, so--
You know, I saw your father this week about his sinus...
Mm-hm.
...and, uh, he complained of chest pains.
Well, this guy's the real hypochondriac of the family. I mean, he's, you know, he's--
You mentioned on the phone that you'd had some dizziness.
Now I ca-can't remember.
Well, I'm sorry to say you have had a significant drop in the high- decibel range of your right ear.
Have you been exposed to a loud noise recently, or did you have a virus?
I always, I-I always imagine that I have things.
When did you first notice this?
You've had some dizzy spells. What about ringing and buzzing? Have you, uh, noticed any of that?
Yes, now-now that you mention it, uh, I-I-I have, uh, buzzing and also ringing. Ringing and buzzing. Um, am I going deaf, or something?
And it's just in one ear?
What I'd like to do, is to make an appointment for you at the hospital. I'd like to have them run some tests.
Now, don't get alarmed. These are just more sophisticated audiometry tests than I can run here. I mean, it's, it's nothing.
Well, if it's nothing, then why do I have to go into the hospital at all? I mean, uh, I hear perfectly fine, so I'm, so I'm a little weak on the, on the high decibels. So I, you know, I won't go to the opera.
You know, there's no reason for panic. I just want to rule out some things.
Like what?
Dusty's just bought a huge house in Southampton and he's in the process of decorating it.
How ya doin', man?
I told him about your work, and he's very excited.
What a weirdo that guy is! Paranoid. What's the matter with you?
Look I-I-I'll be okay. I'll be okay.
It's not that big a deal. We just didn't hit it off.
Now, look, you-you-you go on ahead.
Hi, Dusty.
Are you excited about becoming a collector? DUSTY Yeah.
Yeah?
I got a lot more to learn, though. I really wasn't into art when I was a kid.
Frederick's done this whole new series that I'm sure you would really love.
Well, are...are they big?
Yeah. Some of them...yeah, some of them are very big.
You-- Standards and Practices?
Ed Smythe, yes.
Child molestation is a touchy subject...
Could you--
...with the affiliates.
Read the papers! Half the country's doing it!
Yes, but you name names.
We--
Oh, you know, I, I love that book you lent me. The Easter Parade? You were right. It had very special meaning for me.
Oh, well, you know Frederick. One of his moods. Although it wasn't a bad week. He uh, sold a picture.
Really? So, so, what else? Wh- what are you up to?
Like, uh...?
Yeah.
Oh, my goodness!
Oh, Elliot!
Hi.
What are you doing here?
Well, I'm-I'm looking for a bookstore.
Oh, what, in this section of town?
Yes. Yeah, I-I'm kill--
You're out looking here?
Well, yes, I'm killing time. I have a client near here and I...I'm quite early.
Ohhhh!
How about you?
Oh. Well, I live--
Oh, yes! You live near here, don't you?
Yes, I do.
Where are you headed?
Well, listen, you didn't know me before Frederick. I'd...I'd start with a beer at about ten in the morning, and...go on.
Oh. You must have been, uh, very unhappy.
I'll never understand it. You're so bright and charming and beautiful.
Oh, God.
I think to myself what problems could she possibly have?
Don't let me get started on my childhood. Oh, you know what? There is a bookstore.
Yes? LEE A couple of blocks from here. If you don't know about it, you should. You'd really love it.
Yes?
Yeah, you would.
Well, i-if-if you have some free time...
Isn't this great? They have everything here.
Yes, it's-it's wonderful.
Oh, book? Oh, no, I... I'm killing time. I...I-I just, uh, w-want to browse, uh...
Unless, of course, if-if you had some time, I mean, we could get some coffee.
No, no. I-I-I understand completely. No problem. Y-you're busy. I-I-I...
You seem tense. Is everything all right? You feel okay?
No! No...
No?
Uh, yes!
Yes.
Yeah. How are you?
I'm...all right.
Fine. Oh, we went to the Caravaggio exhibition at the Met. It's such a treat to go through a museum with Frederick. I mean...you learn so much. Do you like Caravaggio?
e.e. cummings. I'd like to get you this.
Oh, no, I can't let you get me that. That's too much.
Oh, oh, yes. I-I-I-'d like to, uh, uh, very much.
No, I don't think so.
I-I read a poem of you and thought of his last week. A poem of his and thought of you last-- You'll be fine, though. Lee walks over to Elliot in the center aisle. She looks at the book.
Uh, uh, this is great. I mean, I love e.e. cummings, but I can't let you get this.
Yes, I'd...I-I-I'd love, I'd love to get you this.
Well, sure.
Well, thanks a lot.
Thanks for showing me the bookstore. Perhaps you could, uh, take me to an AA meeting sometime. Uh...uh, I'd love to see what goes on.
Well, yeah, yeah. You'd love it. It's really entertaining. You'd have a good time. I know you would.
Page a hundred and twelve.
Bye.
How's everything?
Oh, you know...I talked to Hannah this morning on the phone, and she said that you two might be going to the country for the weekend.
Yeah, she loves to go out in the woods.
Oh, yeah.
I have to get my teeth cleaned this week.
I figured I'd get, uh, Frederick and Dusty together.
Oh, yeah, that's really nice of you.
Yes. This kid, he's earned a trillion dollars.
Oh.
He's got like six gold records.
Oh, you-you have that one?
Yeah.
Oh, and Holly met a wonderful man who loves opera. An architect.
Isn't that beautiful?
Uh...did you ever get around to e.e. cummings?
They have a very large gay clientele, you know, where I get my teeth cleaned, and...all the hygienists now wear gloves because they're afraid of AIDS.
Did you ever get around to the poem on page a hundred and twelve?
And be ready to make light of the offer if she's unresponsive. This has to be done very skillfully, very diplomatically.
Elliot! Don't!
Oh!
What are you doing?!
Elliot!
I was looking for you.
I, I must apologize. I-I'm, I-I'm sorry. I'm so mixed up.
Wh--, uh, I know, I know but, I am in love with you.
Oh, don't say those words!
I-I, I'm sorry. I know it's terrible.
I know! I-I-I-I, I realize.
What do you expect me to say?
Hannah and I are in the last stages.
Wh-- She's never said anything, and we're very close. She'd tell me such a thing.
Wh--, it-it-it-it, it's so sad. She's crazy about me, but somewhere on the, along the line, I've fallen out of love with her.
Not because of me, I hope.
Oh, no, no. Well, yes! I love you.
Oh, I can't be the cause of anything between you and Hannah. I jus--
Oh, no, no, no. It, uh, it-it-it- it was i-inevitable that Hannah and I part, anyway.
Why?
Tch, w-well, for a million reasons.
But not over me?
Tch, no! We were, we were both going in different directions.
Poor Hannah.
But-but, but how about you? Do you, do you share any of my feelings? Or is this just an unpleasant embarrassment to you?
I can't say anything!
W-well, please be candid. I, I-I don't want you to feel bad.
O-o-o-okay, Lee. Okay, okay. You, you, y-you've said enough. It's my responsibility now. I will work things out.
Look, don't do anything on my behalf. I live with Frederick, and Hannah and I are close.
Yes, but you, you do care about me.
Your guilt is because you feel the same.
I thought you weren't coming.
I almost didn't.
Lee... uh...
I didn't sleep all night.
I-I couldn't think where to invite you without taking risks.
This is not an easy situation.
That was just perfect. You've ruined me for anyone else.
I don't want anyone else ever to have you.
I was so worried I wouldn't compare with Hannah.
You really do have those thoughts, don't you?
I know she must be a really passionate person.
Yes, she's, she's very warm, but, but it-it's me that wants to be giving to you. I-I-I want to do things for you. Hannah doesn't need me as much. I'm being presumptuous. Not that you need me.
You've been very cold to me tonight.
No.
Is something wrong?
It's over, Elliot. I don't know how to make it any clearer. It's over. I can't see you anymore.
Uh... I-I-I know. I deserve this.
Look, I'm just as much at fault.
If-if-if you can believe I have such feelings for you!
But it hasn't been forever.
It's been nearly a year since our first time and you're still married to my sister, which...I now realize is fine because you're probably much more in love with her than you know.
Yeah, but we-we made so many plans.
And you're in love overnight?
I care a great deal about him, yes.
Lee...
Mm-hm?
They're fantastic.
Aren't they great?
Your sister is an unbelievable cook.
She has all the cooking talent.
No, she doesn't, either. You've got tons as well.
Great idea.
I know.
God, Mickey's such a hypochondriac. I wonder how he'd handle it if there was ever anything really wrong with him?
Let's go have dinner, shall we?
You bet.
Where're you going?
I've, uh...gotta find, gotta get a phone number in my desk. I forgot to phone Mel Kaufman.
It's so late.
Are you in a bad mood?
Yes. I know. The last few weeks, you haven't been yourself. And tonight at, tonight at dinner, you, you were kind of curt with me.
Was I?
Yes, you were. A-and when I, when I brought up the idea of having a baby, you just, you jumped down my throat.
Well, I-I don't think it's a very good idea.
Why not?
Because it's the last thing in the world we need right now.
Why do you say that? Is there something wrong?
I don't know.
Well, tell me. Should I be worried?
But, you got four children!
I want one with you.
Well...I-I think we should wait till things settle.
But what do, what do you-- what's that mean? W-w-we've been, we've been married for four years. How settled can things get?
You know, y-you have some very set plans on how your life should be structured. A-a house, uh, kids, certain schools, a h--, a home in Connecticut. I-it's all very...preconceived.
Yeah, but I...uh--I thought you needed that. When-when-when we met, you said your life was chaos.
Oh, let's not--I, I don't know what the hell I'm talking about.
Are you angry with me?
No!
Do you feel, um...are you disenchanted with our marriage?
I didn't say that.
Are you in love with someone else?
Well, what? What, wh-what are you not telling me?
What kind of interrogation... Su- supposing I said yes? I-I-I am disenchanted. I am in love with someone else.
Are you?
No! But you keep asking these, these awful questions. My God, it's-it's like you want me to say yes!
Have you been talking to Holly or Lee about us? About our-our personal life?
I'm not accusing. I'm asking. Do you...do you find me too...too giving? Too-too-too competent? Too-too, I don't know, disgustingly perfect or something?
Well, what is it then? What? Eh, what's come between us? How have I alienated you?
Do you talk to Holly or Lee behind my back? Do you? You must. They- they seem to know so much about us.
Well, what do you do? Do-do-do you talk to Holly, or Lee, or what? Do you, do you, do you phone them?
You matter to me. Completely.
It's so pitch-black tonight. I feel lost.
...this is a toast! This is a toast.
Get his wine away.
I am... I did slave all day.
I don't know about that. Oh, no, I just, see, I-I've been very, very lucky. W-when I had the kids, I decided to stop working and just, you know, devote myself to having the family, and I've been very, very happy but...I've always secretly hoped that maybe some little gem would come along and tempt me back on the stage...
Yeah.
Hi. How's she doing?
Don't make it worse, Dad.
Hi, Mom. How you doing? Here, let me get you some coffee. That's enough of that. What triggered it?
I want ice! Who's got some-- Oh, there it is.
Oh, Mom!
I don't understand. I thought that you would be happy.
Well, because I never thought of God in my life. Now I'm giving it serious thought.
But Catholicism? Why not your own people?
Because I got off to a wrong foot with my own thing, you know. B-b- b-but I need a dramatic change in my life. FATHER You're gonna believe in Jesus Christ?
I know it sounds funny, but I'm gonna try.
But why? We raised you as a Jew.
Why should I be afraid?
Oh! 'Cause you won't exist!
So?
Who thinks about such nonsense? Now I'm alive. When I'm dead, I'll be dead.
I don't understand. Aren't you frightened?
Of what? I'll be unconscious.
Yeah, I know. But never to exist again!
How do you know?
I'll either be unconscious or I won't. If not, I'll deal with it then. I'm not gonna worry now about what's gonna be when I'm unconscious.
Want some coffee or tea?
How about something to eat?
Are you sure?
Absolutely.
God! And why didn't you come tonight? We all had a terrific time. I really think you would have enjoyed yourself.
I'm going through a period of my life where I just can't be around people. I didn't want to wind up abusing anyone.
You're not going to abuse them. They're all so sweet.
Isn't it enough that I can love you?
Mmm...
Hmm?
Well, there was a time when you were very happy to be only with me. You wanted to learn everything about poetry, about music.
Mm-hm.
Mmm you never know. They might. He's just trying to do the nice thing.
Because he likes you.
Me?
Elliot lusts after you.
...or films you must see or...
Big. Frederick, show him the oils.
I don't sell my work by the yard!
What's the problem?
Lucy and I kept talking, and I didn't realize how late it had gotten.
You know, you've been very nervous lately.
I can't take this anymore.
I'm just trying to complete an education I started on you five years ago.
I'm not your pupil. I was, but I'm not.
Like what?
Oh, you know what. I'm suffocating!
Oh! Are we going to have this conversation again?
Yes, we're going to have this conversation again. I...I have to leave. I have to move out.
Why?
Because I have to!
What are you going to use for money?!
I don't know. I thought, maybe I'd move in with my parents for a while.
Tch, oh. I always told you you would leave me. But...does it have to be now?
Well, maybe it'll only be temporary, but I ha--I have to try.
Oh...Lee, you are my whole world. Good God! Have you been kissed tonight?!
No.
Oh, yes, you have!
No.
You've been with someone!
Oh, Christ! What's wrong with you?!
I'm sorry.
Oh, couldn't you say something? You have to slither around behind my back!
I'm saying it now!
So you met somebody else?
But you, God, you knew that was going to happen sooner or later. I can't live like this!
Who is it?
What's the difference?! It's just somebody I met!
But who? Where did you meet him?
It doesn't make a difference! I have to move out!
Oh, God, that's too much responsibility for me. It's not fair! I want a less complicated life, Frederick. I want a husband, maybe even a child before it's too late.
Jesus...Jesus!
Oh, God, I don't even know what I want.
Oh...
Mickey, Mickey, listen, listen.
In-in-in-instead of the child molestation sketch, why don't we repeat the Cardinal Spellman Ronald Reagan homosexual dance number?
Look at this guy.
Oh, Jesus!
N-n-no, not that.
Hello?
You don't have a brain tumor. He didn't say you had a brain tumor. MICKEY No, naturally they're not gonna tell you, because, well, you know, th--, sometimes the weaker ones will panic if you tell 'em.
But not you.
Mickey, come on, we got a show to do!
I can't keep my mind on the show.
But there's nothing wrong with you.
If there's nothing wrong with me then why does he want me to come back for tests?!
Well, he has to rule out certain things.
Like what?! What?
I don't know. Cancer, I--
Don't say that! I don't want to hear that word! Don't mention that while I'm in the building.
But you don't have any symptoms!
Two months ago, you thought you had a malignant melanoma.
Naturally, I, I--Do you know I--The sudden appearance of a black spot on my back!
It was on your shirt!
Eh, you were miserable this morning! We got bad reviews, terrible ratings, the sponsors are furious...
Do you realize what a thread we're all hanging by?
Mickey, you're off the hook. You should be celebrating.
Can you understand how meaningless everything is? Everything! I'm talking about nnnn--our lives, the show...the whole world, it's meaningless.
Yeah...but you're not dying!
You're just realizing this now?
Yeah. What?
Can I tell you something? Can I tell you a secret?
Yes, please.
A week ago, I bought a rifle.
No.
I went into a store, I bought a rifle. I was gonna... You know, if they told me that I had a tumor, I was going to kill myself. The only thing that mighta stopped me, might've, is my parents would be devastated. I would, I woulda had to shoot them, also, first. And then, I have an aunt and uncle, I would have...
Tch, well, you know, eventually it, it is going to happen to all of us.
...you know it, it just takes the pleasure out of everything. I mean, you're gonna die, I'm gonna die, the audience is gonna die, the network's gonna-- The sponsor. Everything!
I know, I know, and your hamster.
Yes!
Maybe you need a few weeks in Bermuda, or something. Or go to a whorehouse! No?
Aah... Hey, have you tried Holly and her friend's shrimp puffs?
I think they're fantastic.
Oh, I don-- Ask Elliot for that. Uh, he's got them somewhere.
Oh, great.
You look so beautiful.
Come on.
Doesn't she look pretty?
Oh, yeah?
Hi. Where's Holly?
Hi. She's auditioning for a television commercial. She said she's gonna be a little late.
I hope you tell her it was your idea...
Why?
...'cause every time I try to be helpful, you know, sh-she gets so defensive.
So how are you?
Oh, me, I'm okay.
Do you miss Frederick?
No.
I can't believe Elliot and I can't think of someone nice for you to go out with, you know--
How are you?
I'm okay.
You know, how's everything? You doing okay? How's Frederick? I mean, Elliot.
Oh, he's fine. He's-he's, I guess he's fine. I don't know. He's been kinda moody lately, the last few months.
Really?
Yeah. I-I don't know what's wrong with him. He's just...kind of distant and difficult.
Oh...
I've been trying to talk to him about it. He says everything's fine, but I don't know. Automatically, you know, I leap to the worst conclusions.
I mean, I don't know, he's seeing someone else or something, but...
What do--? You're being ridiculous.
Oh, will you stop attacking Hannah?!
Oh, now--
What's the matter? What's the matter with you? You look pale. You okay?
I'm-I'm okay. Yeah, I-I-I, you know, I...I'm just, um, I got dizzy all of a sudden. I'm-I'm...I have a headache.
Yeah?
Hey, Hannah, did you read that last thing Holly wrote? It was great. She's really developed.
I know, she...she really writes good dialogue.
Hi! Hi!
I know...I know.
Glad you could put in an appearance.
I got two minutes.
I gotta see new comedians later, I've gotta--
Yeah, aren't you like, you know...
Huh?
How is everything?
Everything's good. Everything's fine.
Yeah? Yeah? Okay, kids, you can open the presents now.
Let me get a little reaction here. How's Elliot?
He's fine.
Yeah?
Oh, you know what? I'm trying to convince him to produce a play.
Oh!
I think he'll find that satisfying.
Really? That'll be terrific for him, I think.
I think so.
I like him. I think he's a sweet guy.
Yeah.
Ohh!
H-he's so awkward and he's clumsy like me...
I know, I know.
...so I, so I like that. I always like an underconfident person...
That's really nice!
...you know? I, uh...
You've always had good taste in husbands, so...
Thanks, thanks.
Mh-hm.
That's a beauty!
Isn't that great?
Oh!
Go right over there.
Come on! Hurry up! Let's go!
Wow!
Gee.
This is the second opinion.
I'm so humiliated. I don't know what to say. I mean--
Could you have ruined yourself somehow?
How could I ruin myself? What do you mean, ruin myself?
I don't know. Excessive masturbation?
Maybe, maybe we can adopt a child. He said you could adopt one--
Well, what about artificial insemination?
What are you talking about?
You know, where I-I-I would get implanted from a-a donor.
Yeah, they have these banks, you know, where they keep them frozen.
Fro--? You want a-a defrosted kid? Is that your idea?
I want to experience childbirth.
With a, with a stranger? With a--
Hannah and I...can't have any children. Now I-I-I don't want to get into whose fault it-- It's my fault that we can't and- and-and the details are too embarrassing to--
Um, I-I didn't really want to, you know, go to a sperm bank or something, have some anonymous donor. I-I just, you know, I-I-I wouldn't want that.
Hey!
Here, Mom. Drink this. You know, you're awful. You probably were flirting.
No! I like to joke around and have fun, and he gets angry because I get the attention. He's gotten sourer as he's gotten older, and I've tried to stay young...at heart.
You promised to stay on the wagon.
The sacrifices I've made because of that man. He's ruined me with his ego, his philandering, his-- his-his-his-his mediocrity!
Okay, stop being so dramatic.
He's the one that's made every ingenue in stock!
Okay, okay.
Th-th-they, they wanted me for a screen test.
I just had a lot of luck...from my first show, you know? I've always thought Lee was the one destined for great things.
Yes, she's lovely, but she doesn't have your spark. She knows it. She worships you. She wouldn't dare get up there on the stage.
No, Holly's game for anything. Holly takes after me.
True.
What? You're kidding!
Perfect!
Get outta here. Could I speak to you privately?
Hannah, I have to borrow some more money. Don't get upset.
Mmm, I never get upset over that. Mmm?
Holly, please. Don't insult me.
Someday, I'll pay it all back.
I know. H-how much do you need?
Uh-huh.
You admit that we're great cooks, right?
Yeah.
Well, in order to get started, there's just a few things I have to buy... and some old debts I have outstanding.
Will you just tell me one thing?
Okay.
Are we talking about cocaine again?
Ohh?
Doesn't she look great in that new dress?
Don't you think she does?
Maybe when she's eighty, she'll stop straightening her garter belt when there's a guy around.
Frederick didn't come with her.
When does Frederick ever come with her?
Watch out, you guys. Beep-beep!
Oh, Hannah!
It's, uh, you never know--
He's such a loser!
He's not a loser at all!
Oh, he's such a loser!
He's the headmaster of Daisy's school.
Not this Thanksgiving, you know.
Here. Be careful with those.
Ouch!
You know, I just want to look so good, but I don't want to seem, you know, like I'm overdressed. You know what I'm saying? HANNAH Oh, no, not at all.
Well, how about this?
Well, I, I really like that. I think that's a pretty color on you.
He's married...
Sometimes she's terrific...
Oooo.
...and then she just breaks down. And he has this sweet daughter...and when she goes to college next year, he's going to split permanently. I mean...
Oh?
You found all this, all this out on one date?
I've got a singing audition for a Broadway musical. Of course, I'll never get it.
Singing?
Yeah, can you believe it?
Really?
Well, I mean, why not? You know, wh-what have I got to lose? Uh...
Well, you think everybody in m- musicals sings so well?
Ohh!
You know.
I know, no-- I know.
I mean, y-you know, don't say it that way, you know, because my confidence is not my strong point, I--
Uh, you know, I think I can fake my way through a song.
Uh-huh.
W-why? You don't think it's realistic?
No, I didn't, I, that's no. No, I- I-I, no, I-I just... hate to see you put yourself in a position where, where you get hurt, you know. You know, you know how you take...
...every, eh, single rejection as- as-as a...a confirmation that you have no talent, or something?
Yeah. Well, maybe I'll get it.
Boy, you really know how to cut me down.
What? You don't, don't be so sensitive. Can't I say anything?
Nobody but you can do that to me. I don't know why.
Hey, hi!
Awwww...
Boy--
They said I was too offbeat looking, whatever the hell that means.
Oh, gosh.
Oh, God...
Well, that...th-that's fine.
Well, that-that's good. It just, uh...it just seems to me that-that six months or a year, if-if you spent it more productively...
Well, I don't know. We'd uh, uh, um... Didn't Mom mention there was something...something at the Museum of Broadcasting?
Yeah, that's clerical.
Boy, I knew you'd be discouraging.
I'm not! I'm not! I'm trying to be helpful. A person doesn't just say one day, "Okay, now-now I'm finished as an actress. Now I'm a writer." I mean--
You treat me like a loser.
How?
Not so! No. I think I've been very supportive. I've...I try to give you honest, constructive advice.
Hmm!
I'm-I'm always happy to help you financially. I think I've gone out of my way to-to introduce you to interesting single men. There's nothing I would--
Uh, losers! All losers!
You're too demanding.
You're crazy! That's not true.
What's the matter with you, Lee? Why are you so sensitive all of a sudden?
Look. Listen. Listen. You want to write? Write.
What's the matter?
Write! Let's just not talk about it anymore.
Good.
Hey, what's the matter?
My script?
It's obviously based on Elliot and me.
Oh, so loosely.
No, not "Oh, so loosely"! Real specifically! Is that how you see us?
Well--
Wow, I guess I hit a nerve.
You make it sound like, you know, I have no needs or something. You think I'm too self-sufficient?
Now, Hannah, that's not what I meant, you know. Uh, yeah, everybody relies on you for so much. "You're so giving. It's not a criticism. We love you. We're grateful."
You're grateful, but you resent me.
Y-you mentioned to me yourself that you and Elliot were having some problems.
Well, why don't you share them with us?
I don't...I don't want to bother everyone.
That's the point. I'd like to be bothered.
I don't see how you could know about these things unless Elliot's been talking to you.
Oh, why are you making those faces?
I can't hear you. I can't hear anything. I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm gonna lose hearing in my ear! I'm--
Listen, you are witnessing genius!
I, I, my ears are experiencing a meltdown! I can't hear anything.
Don't, no, please. Will you-- No, don't...
Come on, Mickey. Come on.
Can we, can we go?
No!
I love songs about extraterrestrial life, don't you?
Not when they're sung by extraterrestrials.
Oh, well, I cannot communicate with you! I, you know, I never realized you were such a tightass. MICKEY I can't understand you. Your sisters, both sisters have such good taste in music. I don't know where you went, went wrong.
Do you mind? I'm-I'm my own person.
Can I take you someplace to hear something nice?
Eh, Mickey, it's getting late.
Thanks for a swell time.
Well, if you didn't like it, you didn't like it, but you didn't have to talk while the guy was singing.
I was so bored!
Yeah, that's tough! You don't deserve Cole Porter. You should stay with those groups that look like they're gonna stab their mother!
At least I'm open to new concepts!
And you don't have to snort cocaine at the table all the time! What do you, what do you do? Carry a kilo around in your purse?
This crowd wouldn't know the difference! They're embalmed!
Oh, look, I'm sorry it didn't work out.
Yeah. Me, too.
You know, it's probably my fault. I've been a little depressed lately.
Right. Yeah. I had a...
God!
Mmm, I don't know if you remember me, but we had the worst night of my life together.
I remember you.
Yes, you do recall, right?
I recall you.
I was walking past and I saw you in here...
Yeah.
...and I thought I'd come in and...and we could replay, uh, the whole, uh...
We didn't hit it off.
Oh, that's putting it mildly. We did everything but exchange gunshots.
How are you?
Good. How are you?
I'm fine.
You look wonderful.
Oh, no.
Yeah, really. You do. You do.
Yeah?
It was a terrible evening.
Yeah, it was.
I'd never do that.
...in a really horrible way.
Oh, well, that was a long time ago.
You look wonderful. You do. What happened to you?
People change...you know.
Well, I hope you've changed.
Yeah, I hope you have, too. MICKEY I hope so for your sake, because, uh, your personality left something to be desired...
Yeah, and for yours. I'm sure you've changed.
So how are you?
I'm okay.
You didn't answer my question. What are you doing?
Oh, nothing much. You know...
Well...
...just some stuff. A little of this, a little of that, that's all.
Yeah? Is that an embarrassing question? Should I have not asked it?
Probably not.
Are you, are you out of work or something?
No, well...I've been trying to write.
Have you?
Yeah.
Well, that's interesting. Wh-what kind of stuff?
Oh...well, you-you're not interested in this.
No, you can tell me.
Come on.
No, I am. I am.
Oh, no, millions of people come up to you and say, "Hey, I have something I just wrote," right?
Nobody ever said it.
Really?
This is it. Yeah. This is really-- HOLLY Well, wo-would you be willing to-to read it? Something...that I wrote?
Well, yes, I would if, uh, if it would mean anything to you. I don't know why it would.
No, the reason I ask is--
You've always hated my taste in the past.
No, I haven't.
You have.
I haven't. No, the reason why I ask is I think it might make a great, uh, television script, and, you know, you're so active in television, so--
I'm not anymore. I haven't, I haven't been in television for a year.
You're kidding me.
I may, I may have to get back into it, 'cause my accountant says that I'm running out of dollars. But...but, um, no, I haven't, I just sort of dropped out for a year...
Oh. Oh.
You're okay, though, huh?
I'm-- Yes. Yes, I'm fine. I'm fine. How are you?
Oh, I'm fine.
What...what about your script? So what's it about?
Well, I'd love it if you'd read it, actually, 'cause I really would value your opinion.
But you have to remember while you're reading and you're cursing my name, you know, that this is my first script. Well, it's not my first script.
Hmm.
Actually, my first script was about Hannah and her husband, but, uh...
Yeah.
Oh, well, God, I can imagine what you wrote.
Really?
Well, you know, I-I-I...you know, if you want me to, I'll read it.
Oh, gosh, I don't know. Well, could I come over tomorrow and read it to you?
You must be joking. I've been doing all my own reading since I was forty...you know.
Hmm. I think it's lucky I ran into you. Maybe.
Well, what about me?
Oh, well.
No, you can tell me straight. It's okay. Just, you know, tell me what you think.
It's great. I swea-- I'm-- I'm, tch, I'm speechless. I was...I was not in the mood to listen to this thing now. I don't know what to say. I'm moved and I laughed and I-- Uh, I, you know, I was on the edge of my seat. I just think it's wonderful! I'm, I'm totally...stunned. This is not an insult. I'm amazed that you
Really?
Yes! I was abso-- And...w- what...made you think of that climax scene where the, where the... architect is walking home with his actress girlfriend and-and the ex- wife who's schizophrenic jumps out of the bushes and stabs him to death?
Oh, it just came to me one day.
Well, it was just fabulous! I'm, I, you know...
Oh, gosh, you really think I can write?
I thought it was wonder-- There's maybe one or two things in there that I would do differently myself, but...
Right.
...but who cares? It was just-- It was fabulous.
Oh!
Oh, God!
I am. You-you made my day.
Oh, wow!
It was just great. Uh, I was all set...I was set to be bored stiff.
Uh, gee. Would you like to have lunch? Uh, uh...
I-I would love to talk to you about, uh, that script. I-I, you know, I think maybe that we could do something with it.
Okay, and listen, I would like to hear what made you suddenly decide to drop out of life.
Oh, who cares?
Gosh, you really went through a crisis, you know that? H-how did you get over it? I mean, when I ran into you, you seemed, you seemed just perfectly fine. Well, you seem fine now.
Um...look, there's something I've, uh, that's been bothering me for a long time, and I just thought I'd just tell you what it was and just sort of clear the deck here, and that's this.
Oh, yeah? What?
That I've always regretted the way I behaved that evening we went out, and, uh...I've, I just thought I'd tell you that because I really made a fool out of myself.
Oh, don't be silly! No! Don't be ridiculous.
It's all right.
So, so you want to go out to dinner again? I mean, is that, is that... Have, you have any interest in that, or...
Sure. Sure, uh, yes.
Do you? I mean, are you, are you, are you, are you free this evening?
Now don't get nervous. It's just your husband.
Hi.
Hi. How you doin'?
Okay.
When'd you get here?
Just a few minutes ago.
Thanks.
You know, I was talking with your father before...and I was telling him that it's ironic. I-I used to always have Thanksgiving with Hannah...and I never thought that I could love anybody else. And here it is, years later and I'm married to you and completely in love with you. The heart is a very, very resilient little muscle. It really is. I... It'd
Tch.
Mickey?
Mmm, what?
Oh, my God. Thank you.
Yeah, Mom's Camille when she gets up in the morning.
At least she isn't drinking. Did you notice?
Yeah, she knows it, too, 'cause she's flirting with all the men here.
Yeah.
Get a garter belt... Get a garter belt and flirt.
Dad...
Oh...
Hi.
Thanks. But guess who was there auditioning?
Yeah, well, she and an architect are now a very definite item, which I still cannot believe.
Oh, please! We all came to have lunch, didn't we?
Boy...Holly...Holly.
Why are you so upset?
What makes you interested in becoming a Hare Krishna?
Well, I'm not saying that I want to join or anything, but...but I know you guys believe in reincarnation, you know, so it interests me.
Yeah, well, what's your religion?
Well, I was born Jewish, you know, but, uh, but last winter I tried to become a Catholic and...it didn't work for me. I-I studied and I tried and I gave it everything, but, you know, Catholicism for me was die now, pay later, you know. And I just couldn't get with it. And I, and I wanted to, you know. I--
You're afraid of dying? MICKEY Well...yeah, naturally. Aren't you? I-- L-let me ask you, reincarnation, does that mean my soul would pass to another human being, or would I come back as a moose or an aardvark or something?
Take our literature...
Uh-huh.
...read it over, and think about it.
Well, okay. Thank you very much.
Aren't you glad to see me?
I can't think.
...you don't have to think.
We have to talk about <u>money</u>...
I'm on the track of a reward, which...
A reward...
I'm going to tell you later....
A reward for what?
Some museum director disappeared.
And?
They're offering...
...you haven't <u>found</u> him yet.
<u>What</u> is this, a whorehouse, or are you my <u>wife</u>?
You've gone off to America, on your <u>Vacation</u>...
...I was <u>working</u>...
...<u>please</u>...
I <u>swear</u> to you...
...and I want to talk to you about your <u>promotion</u>..
Yes? My <u>promotion</u>...?
You know why that is? Because there are so few things I need to forget. Would you agree, for the record, that I have not been read my rights?
I have not read you your rights.
Would you mind saying that into your bag...?
I hereby acknowledge that...
And now I have "dociled" you, have I not? By forcing your obedience.
Then why did you chose to <u>inform</u> me of it...?
To <u>show</u>... in my ability to <u>squander</u>. What one might deem an <u>advantage</u>... that my <u>strength</u> is greater than <u>yours</u>...
Oh yeah? Wanna arm wrestle...?
Well. Word gets around.
...what <u>hindered</u> you...?
It wasn't my day.
Perhaps you did not have the <u>support</u> you required.
It's a poor workman who blames his tools.
Or, perhaps...
...how are things at the Hospital?
It's a growth business.
What have they got you doing?
Orderly.
I would have figured you an R.N. by now, or, maybe Med School.
I prefer to stay in the Less Frivolous professions.
You lasted eight years, as Orderly, in Dr. Lechter's prison ward.
Yes, I presumed it was about him.
...you...
I'm struck by your phraseology. I did not <u>last</u> with him. I was privileged to enjoy his company during that time.
I'm looking for...
He said, and these were his words, he <u>valued</u> our time together, because I was civil.
Did you ever think, did you think, after he escaped, he would come after you?
I asked you how you like your coffee...? We have black and bitter. As the Soul of Man. Or light and sweet, as the world- view of the self-delusive.
We got a bunch of <u>materials</u>, coming up at auction. Materials which disappeared from Dr. Lechter's cell, drawings he made, his <u>books</u>.
Yes?
And I'd like your help, determining who's bidding for their purchase.
Why me?
Waal, because your <u>selling</u>'em... Two years ago, his annotated Dictionary of Cuisine, by Alexander Dumas, went for sixteen thousand dollars. Seller's affidavit of ownership, signed Cary Panz. P.A.N.Z. Sounds to me like an Orderly. Whadja clear on the book? Ten, twelve grand?
...very good.
Here's what they want you to do: we want the rest of the stuff you stole from his cell.
...why?
Let's just say they got a passion for collectibles...
You said "here's what <u>they</u> want you to do..." Why?
Now, whyn't you help us?
That would adversely impact my income.
Not as much as being jailed for theft of Government Property, or for failure to pay income tax, on undisclosed income.
We could skip the Gavotte.
Say it in English.
Lechter's not buying up his Memorabilia. He keeps it all in his "mind," do you see...?
Then who's buying it?
There's one or two freaks, and, for a "<u>Pass</u>," I'll rat them out to you...
<u>That's</u> the spirit...
...aren't you afraid of me...?
You want me to be?
You said "here's what <u>they</u> want you to do." Aren't you part of them anymore...? Aren't you part of the FBI? 'No Girl's Allowed,' or <u>what</u>? Have you transgressed...?
Let's keep it to business, shall we?
...why have they stuck you on this silly little roust?
...they did it for a lark.
<u>Who</u> are these guys...?
Rich, comic book freaks.
And why is it a vacant exercise?
Because we both know who's buying the Lechteriana.
Who would that be.
Mason Verger. For he cannot be free. Dr. Lechter refashioned his body so it mirrors his soul, what an impossible injustice. Can <u>you</u> be free....?
No, you're wrong about Verger.
Oh, yes. He's found Peace.
Well, if he hasn't, I'm vastly mistaken.
Bad beat today.
Evelda Drumgo.
C'mon, pal.
You want to get married...?
You tol me you wuunt ask me again til I'm ready....
You're ready now.
I'm not.
Then you tell me, then.
You want me to solve all your problems tonight...?
I feel... I feel they're Out to <u>Get</u> Me...
And who is "they?"
...they're sending me. Out to get Shot. Hounding me.... they're...
...the whole world's out to get you...
How crazy is that.
Well, you wanna shoot <u>back</u>, it give you a big <u>target</u>...
Hard up as you are, at your age? Whadda <u>you</u> care? Surrender.
How you doin?
M'I gonna see you tonight?
That's right.
Then I'm doing fine.
What's new onna street?
Brigham. Go. Affirmative. Okay, Happiness is a Green Light. We've got Evelda in the kitchen, cooking. The dope's D.E.A. <u>We</u> want her on Interstate Transportation of some firecrackers. Starling: you've got Drumgo, you know her from before.
I know her by the Back.
What, What, I can't hear you...
Are you <u>alright</u>...?
I almost shot the <u>baby</u>...
Who, can you think, who would want to harm Dr. Fanelli, did he have any <u>enemies</u>, that...
...I have never met a man who was so well beloved.
...he was <u>wealthy</u>...
He had nothing. He lived in a garret. His work was his life, he...
..who would benefit from his disappearance? <u>No</u> one. No one has but lost by it...
How was America?
Bad coffee, and women with excessive ankles.
...nightmare.
What's up...?
Doctore Carlo Fanelli, curator of the Pallazo Capponi, 2 months missing.
Yeah, so where is he?
Somewhere where his family are offering a thirty grand reward for Information, so on.
They got that kind of money?
What else did I miss...?
Atrocious Torture. Hit of the Season, you want, I know a guy can get you a ticket.
...are they hard to get?
Impossible.
Hold up a minute...
You spend the afternoon in Bed?
First things first.
You take this much time over everything?
The identity of the person offering the bounty was never established.
Can we identify it as Dr. Lechter?
Not with any certainty we...
Why did he come back?
Our operatives in Brazil have been empowered to offer a reward of....
...WHY DID HE COME BACK? WHY DID THE BOY TURN BACK...?
...are you alright, sir...?
HE TURNED BACK INTO THE ROOM. Where have we Seen it Before.
Seen what, sir..?
<u>Do</u> it...
Where was the call from.
Somewhere in Italy.
Make plans for Lechter's abduction.
...then we won't need to tether Miss Starling as our lure.
...sir...?
If you would see him monument, look around you.
He escaped...
What do you want me to do?
...thank you... And how are you this evening, Doctor? No, we know that you're awake...
..It won't be long now, sir...
He don't like popcorn.
No. And...
I like Popcorn...
...yes, if you'll, just step <u>away</u>...
You give me whatever I want...?
Yes. You know I will. That's right.
Agent Starling, would you come with me...?
The children...?
...they're from Baltimore....
I've never heard that he...
It's not something he wants to publicize, Ma'am. It's just something he does.
I won't take much of his time.
What would <u>that</u> be?
He... would consider it a favor if he could make a <u>donation</u>. To a charitable institution of your choice.
Now, why in the world would he do that?
I... think... he was.... he was <u>touched</u>, by your reaction. To his appearance.
What reaction?
Exactly.
Please, I do not... I don't want to <u>trouble</u> him. But if you or he have any notlon, who would be buying Dr. Lechter's...
Do you know the <u>seller</u>?
We've subpoenaed the Auction House's records.
Try Barney Clark.
He is...?
He was the orderly, during Dr. Lechter's stay in Prison.
And how would you know that?
Before "The Change," Mr. Verger was... he made quite a study.
You should get the kids a <u>dog</u>...
....I hardly <u>think</u> so... after "The Incident"...
No, no, of course not.
...Mr. Verger would be pleased to make a contribution, to the charitable...
No, I think he proffers to spend his happy hours with his playmates.
...young boys, still...?
...here's to child abuse!
Mmm...
...and then, he'll be coming down.
You said the <u>bad</u> news...
Yes, I did.
I believe that your tone implied that there was some <u>good</u> news.... and, do you know... there might be good news for <u>you</u>...
Oh, yes, what? You'd <u>bribe</u> me, to, to, to, "release" you...?
I can make you rich.
And I expect you to. Let's talk like two medical men
Come on, stay with us. Look here: I could get behind you, and give you a <u>spinal</u>, tomorrow, you wuunt feel <u>anything</u> down there, a l'il <u>pulling</u> is all. N'I'll tell you <u>what</u>, after he's got his jollies, ten, f'teen minutes, I'll come down here, give you a shotta <u>this</u> stop your heart, an that's <u>you</u> done, an there's an <u>end</u> to it. What
..suitcase...locker...
Come on, Doctor, <u>then</u> you can sleep...
...unmarked hundreds....
...fraid, that's about it, Doctor.
Let the girl go.
Why?
For a consideration.
Sir:
Shut up, Starling...
I could have acted on my own. I was told...
Starling, I've ordered you to shut...
I don't mind being the token <u>woman</u>, what I'm suggesting, send me out there with a token <u>man</u>... who are these Warriors, ¥our cobbled together Strike Force? I'm in the room with a fugitive felon...
Starling...?
Why would you say that? Because he sent me in there to be killed...? What <u>is</u> this...?
...what's he got against you?
Look at this:
You seen John Brigham...?
This just came in, over the transom. Fella, works for a Plastic Surgeon, Argentina. Look here:
...what'm I looking at...?
A fellow with five fingers.
...standard issue...
Not for our Doctor Lechter. This... Purports to be an x-ray of the hand of a ...white male...mmmm....mmmm...., after the removal of a vestigial sixth digit. Left Hand. It purports to be the x-ray of Dr. L...
Am I on that case, sir...?
No.
Yes sir, I saw it.
We have a memo here, from your friend Mr. Krendler at the Justice Department.
I am all attention.
I know you did what you could.
I'm going to work for your reinstatement...
Just a moment. Starling didn't...
Well, well, well, well, well, she went <u>in</u> there, to apprehend a Dangerous Felon. Went in there with her gun, Came out, <u>without</u> the Felon, with<u>out</u> the gun...
I had... one moment, I had an <u>agent</u> in there, waiting for <u>backup</u> from...
I think that's... {HE STARTS TO RISE, AND THE MEETING BEGINS TO BREAK UP) Starling, I'm sure these gentlemen...
She threw a punch at a man on the team.
Well, you know, that happens, on the street.
What is that supposed to mean...?
I think its meaning is clear.
What, you're saying she was overwrought.
That could be.
Because that's understandable, because. She blew the raid.
She was there, alone, sir, she was in a burning building, waiting for your folks to come through the wall. And...
Your girl's a menace. Here, givver <u>this</u>... Getter off the street and teach her some <u>humility</u>.
I don't <u>think</u> so...
S'hotter inside than it is <u>outside</u>...even with the air conditioning.
You nervous...?
Evone tells me: I shoulda been in, fi, six, months ago.... thizz my first checkup.
....I didn't realize I said it out loud.
Said what?
I'm an orphan.
Waal...
It gets, um... it gets so lonely sometime.
What'd you say, hon...?
I said sometime it gets so...
Waited too long, hon...?
I said how's your baby...?
You want to <u>hold</u> him...?
Waal...
Give it up, Evelda.
Well, you know <u>my</u> name, honey, but <i>I</i> don't know <u>yours</u>...
Give it up.
Sadly, no. And I find that birth is one of the few things in life which study and a pleasant attitude can not amend. What do you think?
My husband brought it to me from America.
A wonderful country...
You know it?
I have had many excellent meals there.
And yet, they are not know for their cuisine.
...should love to correct your error.
My mother told me to ignore the blandishments of charming men.
How wonderful of you, to hold that information in your <u>busy</u> mind...
...how so?
...you told me you were studying for your examination by the <u>Studiolo</u>...
And how good of <u>you</u> to remember it. Then, this trip, then, is not a return to <u>America</u>...
No, this is <u>pleasure</u>...
And what was the trip <u>before</u>...?
Of course, Commendatore...
Could you tell me: did you ever meet your predecessor, Dottore Fanelli...?
I never met him. I knew him only from his writings.
I know that the officers who first investigated his disappearance searched for a <u>note</u>, a farewell note, a suicide note...
...yes.
You have taken over his offices, is that not so?
It is only temporary, until my confirmation by...
Of course, <u>in</u> his offices, if you come across anything, any personal papers of his, anything, however trivial, would you contact me, please... Are his personal effects still at the Palazzo?
Yes. Packed and with an inventory.
If your duty requires it.
You have a recent scar on the back of your hand.
And you have a new wedding ring on yours? <u>La Vita Nuova</u>?--
You looked oddly at me, back on the landing.
Yes, it must be hard to be a policeman. Is it hard? Must one, then, be constantly suspicious?
Why did you look at me that way?
I saw a man, somewhat <u>fatigued</u>. Quickly dressed, a bit dishevelled. In the middle of the day. An old story. And then I saw the clothing was <u>fresh</u>--therefore: a man who dressed at <u>home</u>. And then I remarked the new <u>wedding</u> ring. And so: the <u>story</u> gave me pause. A lovely story. A new, and a beloved <u>wife</u>. I wish you joy.
You assemble this, on the instant, from these few observations?
I'm a historian. It is our task to assemble the seemingly unconnected into the obvious.
...your <u>scar</u>..?
My scar is a war-wound.
How so?
Yes. How did you know?
You resemble a figure from the Della Robia Rondels, in your family's chapel at Santa Croce.
It was Adresa de Pazzi, depicted as John the Baptist. You have seen the chapel?
And? Then?
I wonder no longer. You were out of the country.
How could you know?
I <u>sense</u>... The faintest <u>whiff</u> of a perfume, whose <u>base</u>, whose <u>base</u>, whose <u>base</u> is "Hamamelis" ... it is <u>witch-hazel</u>--such a clean scent. No, not a European scent. I would say it is a scent of the New World. I would say, you have been in America. Have I struck home?
You know America?
Darling, Dr. Fell. My wife Madame Pazzi.
Dr. Fell is studying for his examination by the Studiolo.
Darling...
Well, if you will excuse me. Madame. What a pleasure.
Who does not?
If such there breathe, I'm sure you could <u>unearth</u> him... Your reputation does you honor.
I've left my <u>program</u>...
...long overdue.
I'm not a scholar, Dottore. But it seemed as if they, as if they...
Yes, I think I amused them. To what do I owe...?
I require...
I'd like to walk home with you, and...
...Franklin.
Where do you live?
In and out. Yes. And Mama... and Mama, is not your real Mama, is she Franklin?
She my foster.
She's not the first foster that you've had. <u>Is</u> she?
No.
Do you like it at your home, Franklin?
We got KittyKat...
Yes.... yes...
...and Shirly, let me sleep with her sometime.
Yes. Franklin, you can't live there anymore. With Mama and Shirly and Kittykat. You have to go away.
...who say...?
Make them eat the figurine.
They <u>will</u>, sir. We <u>train</u> them, to the figurine, <u>eventually</u>, they consume a man, say, 80 kilos, say, in...
...they eat the dummy, sir, they eat the <u>man</u>... I keep them hungry. When... when do we think this man arrives.
Is it necessary to know?
Well, I don't want to starve them too long. They die.
And you let her get away.
You find something objectionable to working in partnership with....
Sir, I'm in Law Enforcement, I was out there, dealing with an armed and dangerous...
You were given backup....
THEN WHERE WAS IT? I'm sent out there... I'm told that the <u>arrest</u> must be a joint...
I'm saying: ... and what's wrong with that.
And I'm telling you: You wanna throw a Birthday Party: Every kid gets a Chance to Play, that's <u>fine</u>, but...
No, I don't get you...
Due respect, you <u>don't</u>, sir, your precious Joint Operation. FBI, ATF, DC SWAT, it's alphabet <u>soup</u>, we don't have the same Radio Freqs, we don't...
Oh, is this your political position, you're opposed to Joint...
And, fine, alright, and fine... what are <u>you</u>doing, this whole time?
...spend some time on the streets. Ask me then...
I came to pay my...
...get outta my way, you sonofa<u>bitch</u>...
I realize, you're under a lot of....
...may be the heat....
Can you walk? Are your legs working...?
<u>Perhaps</u>... shall we <u>see</u>...?
I'm going to cut you loose. With all due respect, Doctor, if you fuck with me, I'll shoot you dead, do you understand...? Do right and you'll live through this.
You look lovely.
Thank you. No, I know you'd prefer "I'm glad you <u>find</u> me so..."
I'd prefer you to say what you feel.
What is that that smells so wonderful.
I hope you'll <u>find</u> it so. Yes. It's <u>good</u> to see you regaining your strength...
...I'm sorry....?
...we were speaking of my <u>father</u>...
Indeed we were.
...and my need for The Institution...
Freud, do you know...? Freud psychoanalyzed patients in One Afternoon.
And how did he do that?
He saw the truth, and <u>spoke</u> it...
I'm afraid, this wine is making me woozy...
Thank you, Cordell.
...but will that satisfy you?
Why should <u>you</u> care?
It is not that I care for <u>you</u>--but that I posses an enquiring mind. What will you <u>do</u> when I am gone? When you have nothing to occupy your thoughts, save the memory of your own folly, and, more to the point, stupidity.
ARE YOU <u>DONE</u>?
<u>Yes</u>.
You don't wish to <u>beg</u>...?
Would that add to your <u>mirth</u>?
The girl could use some help.
You're <u>free</u>...
...which of us is free...?
Yes, to cease to Hope is the Greatest Crime. The Greatest crime. Perhaps the <u>only</u> crime. <u>I</u> never ceased to hope!
The girl needs help.
And what would be of Greater Help, than to release her, from the bonds of this sordid earthly existence. DON'T YOU THINK? IN WHICH THE INNOCENT ARE TORTURED IN WAYS WHICH WOULD MAKE THE ANGUISH OF THE DAMNED SEEM TAME AND UNIMAGINATIVE, DON'T YOU <u>THINK</u>? BLIND HIM AGAIN, AND PREPARE <u>HIM AND HER</u> FOR THE PIGS!
...might I make a suggestion...?
...when I...
You want another drink, honey...?
What's that, Baby?
Alcohol. Where both its life-enhancing And its life destroying qualities... ...not unlike some Hindu <u>God</u>...
I guess the only thing is Suck it Up...
Our Mister <u>Frendler</u> to, to, to humiliate me, though....
What else's he goin to do with his day, he can't work, and he won't steal...
Look what they put her on...
You should get Married.
That's what I should do. Tell me why?
Because, baby, you're looking to find love in an institution, that's your only chance....
Yeah, well, they solved that: turns out, he'uz a <u>cannibal</u>...
Show'm the FBI <u>Hand</u>shake...
Yeah, well, it's a raw wound, innit, you're gonna bump it, every time you turn around... but you know what the <u>trick</u> is...?
Because you're going to help me plan a party.
You're going to <u>do</u> that?
I'm going to do it, and you're going to catch the bouquet.
The Multi-Jurisdiction Task Force: read alphabet soup, for the continued pursuit, and in preparation for the apprehension of the fugitive, Evelda Drumgo. The man's hazing you.
My daddy would say: accept with glee the things you cannot change.
I'll tell you what: I should go in there, volunteer to fill up his Female Quota.
Mr. Crawford asked my opinion. Here we've got a purported x-ray, Dr. Lechter's surgery. Do we keep it secret, or broadcast it?
Saying what, "Look out for a guy with ten fingers...?"
Yeah, that's too Hip for the Room.
You stay offa this Alphabet Soup Detail, all this half-baked, cowboy stuff, till after you get your <u>mind</u> cleared.... you don't wanna go out there a half-step <u>slow</u>...
I don't wanna go out there at <u>all</u>...
What do you want to do? You want to jam up that sonofabitch Krendler.
No. I want to buy a dog.
What broke <u>you</u> free, Girl?
What was it. What was it, honey?
...something about my <u>father</u>...?
...what?
...what...?
No.
Every suicide kills two.
Yeah. Well. They're a talkative buncha commentators.
You got a lot of people love you, Starling.
Trouble is, they all seem to <u>die</u>.
Y'want to gimme Brigham's pistol?
What would you guess, Ardelia?
You goin to shoot yourself?
Don't shoot yourself.
Why?
Give me your gun...
...the purpose of the exercise... is it because they are <u>expensive</u>...
They aren't expensive, you got them through your connections.... speaking of which:
Fine, thank you, but
Speaking of which, I want you also to get us tickets for the Opera...
...whatever is within my <u>power</u>...
...and that is what you need to expand.
I don't understand.
We are here on sufferance. I am here...
...why are we here in the <u>first</u> place...?
...my love...
...they asked us to dinner. How can we accept if we cannot <u>return</u> the...
I am on the track of...
Yes, yes, yes, your thirty thousand dollars reward, which you would have to split with your team, which, <u>if</u> you get it, will not buy me a new <u>watch</u>...
No. Invite us? No, he simply...
Then we cannot go.
Because...?
"Because we don't have any money."
....because we don't have any mmm...
The Case that I am <u>working</u> on...
Ask me when we get home.
...and then, we're going to <u>Greece</u>...
Yes, but the <u>important</u> thing, as I've said...
Hello....?
...what did you want?
I know where he is.
I'm sure I don't know who you mean.
I know where he is.
And why should we believe you?
I know something no one knows. He has had his finger removed. On his left hand. It left a scar.
What shape is the scar?
I want the money.
What shape is the scar?
An Honor. Carlo Pazzi....
No, y'know, I never <u>doubted</u> it...
You were kind enough, today, to take my photograph.
...<u>sadly</u>...
Hey, lost again.
But perhaps, there is some, some less radical solution.
I'm sure there is, but my young Friend here, would <u>kill</u> you.
His feelings do him honor. And I have come, simply, to pay my <u>respects</u> to the great Clarice Starling...
The great and <u>beautiful</u>...
Is it necessary to say of the sea that it is salt, that the stars are far, that...
No,I get it, this is my <u>Cavalier</u>. This gents my Italian Knight. Take <u>this</u>... For this shall be my gage, and you can take it into battle.
Thank you.
Or clear your windshield with it.
...what a lovely perfume.
...this one is my favorite. It has not title. They should call it "fetch," whaddaya think...?
I know it well.
<u>Do</u> you. What does that mean?
Yeah, I'm sure it's famed for lotsa things, and you're one'a'them...
...but: this particular statue...
Waal, you hold fast to that thought, as I'm sure, that's a "clue"...
....this is perhaps an inappropriate <u>time</u>... but, I would like to say, it is an honor to meet the Woman who <u>solved</u> the celebrated Hannibal Lechter...
I din't solve it, I didn't '<u>solve it</u>'. I just sat a <u>dance</u> out with him. Facts, facts, facts. <u>Facts</u>, close the case, cavalier.
What're they on about?
They're grilling the applicant for the Vacant Post.
Speaking of the Vacant Post.
...a Dr. Fell. A Brazilian, I think. Applying for Fanelli's post.
Brazilian.
...a <u>liaison</u> position...
And what does <u>that</u> mean?
...I feel that...
She must be something special After Dark.
I can't remember. I've got to make some money.
Thirty thousand dollars reward. In the whereabouts of Il Dottore Fanelli, or the apprehension of his...
Tell me why...?
I'm sorry, I don't mean to be impolite. Because, you know, you can't understand.
Then tell me.
Well, you know, you know, you know, the <u>point</u> is: I <u>can't</u> tell you. Cause you haven't <u>been</u> there. You haven't <u>done it</u>. And that's all there <u>is</u>.
...and to have <u>done</u> it, means, can mean to accept, not only <u>danger</u>, but <u>betrayal</u>...?
....that's right.
..and <u>humiliation</u>? What is this new job they've...?
No. That's right. That's all part of it.
Then, that being so, why is today special? Why have you come back to see me? Is it that new file they gave you?
I don't <u>think</u> so.
Then what brings you back?
I don't know. Do <u>you</u> know...?
Yes. I think I <u>do</u>. I think it is a phrase you used with that woman. You told her you were an <u>orphan</u>. You <u>used</u>, to your mind, your most private fears.
...no...
...you called up memories of your <u>father</u> to...
...no...
...<u>barter</u> with her. To appeal to her, and you feel that...
No, I don't <u>think</u> so...
It is <u>you</u> who have betrayed...
...no.
Your father. It is not <u>they</u>, who...
Yes.
What does <u>that</u> mean?
I saw a man today, a man so hideously deformed who'll spend his life in a hospital bbb...
Yes, so you said. But what does that mean: to go beyond The Institution.
If <u>he</u> could overcome... his need for... for self-<u>ratification</u>...
...would you use a small word?
For approval.
What's wrong with approval? You admired that man.
Yes.
How do you think that made him feel? What does that <u>mean</u>, "to go beyond the institution...?"
I told that woman I'm an orphan.
...you <u>are</u> an orphan.
But... but....but.... you're <u>right</u>. I used it. To <u>bargain</u>. For her <u>sympathy</u>... I <u>used</u> it--to "whore myself out"--
Yes, but no one is in control of their emotions. that's all we have time for today...
I don't understand.
You said: that you have "decided." That your... your feelings of persecution, as you put it are a "self- indulgence," and you are going to put them aside. And get on with your job.
That's right.
And you have decided to accept... to accept this "emotion," as you put it, to the ... the "sweepings. of the Lechter case.
Yes.
And you've decided to get <u>married</u>. You've decided a <u>lot</u> of things. But, in spite of your decisions--you are still "nagged" by feelings of: <u>despair</u>, of <u>failure</u> of... you still have the <u>nightmare</u>, you...
What is your point?
That if <u>decision</u> were a useful tool, you wouldn't <u>be</u> here. Why are you here...?
I..
...yes...?
I want to do something <u>positive</u>...
You want some <u>advice</u>.
Yes.
Your life has been defined by institutions. The Orphanage where you were raised, the FBI Academy, the Bureau. If the Institution is your life, <u>accept</u> it. Ask to be reinstated on the "Drumgo" task force. Play their game.
...why?
He was <u>shot</u>...he was shot. On his rounds. And... and...
And all he <u>left</u> us: the Country brought back his <u>hat</u>, and his <u>badge</u>... both with a bullethole in them. An' that's what he left us. That's what I said.
And you have been <u>dreaming</u>... dreaming about this Hat, and...
And. I always said, he was a <u>P'lice</u> officer.
...yes...?
But. He was a night <u>watchman</u>. That's what he was. N'They brought back, his hat, his <u>badge</u>, an his <u>timeclock</u>. N'then they took me off. I <u>saw</u>... I saw. Clear as day, do you, do they call it a <u>delusion</u>? His hat an his badge. Clear as day, bulletholes and all.
When?
For the <u>worst</u> hurt, of course, that which will not heal, is the conviction no one cares.
Ah, yes, ah yes. Our Doctor Lechter... And have they sent you, once again to <u>capture</u> him? How terrible for you...
No, sir, it's not my job to capt... why do you say how terrible?
Sir, various drawings, done by Dr. Lechter, while in prison, stolen from the prison after his escape, have surfaced and are being sold at auction. Several large reserve bids have been placed on them. I have to ask if you've placed those bids.
Because?
Because if it was not you, then, perhaps it was Dr. Lechter, trying to reclaim his own property.
And why would you suspect me, of this ghoulishness?
Because, sir, you are the only one of his victims who lived. And because you have large resources.
My encounter.
...sir...?
Yes, then, you're saying that you <u>haven't</u> bid upon these drawings.
Believe me, I wish I knew less. Oh, if you weren't such a pig...
Sadist! I can't believe I thought you could change--This is your idea of discipline? You're a monster. That kid is going to be traumatized for...
No really, keep talking, I ree-ally want to hear what you have to say, you're just so eloquent...
Why are you...don't stop...why?
It's funny, when I first met you I thought you were such a weirdo...I still think you're a nut, but you're my nut.
Yeah...Are we going to do it or what? I still haven't packed.
Why are you being so grouchy--This is an important night for us...
Adam. Dollface. We had a physical relationship that served a purpose and now...
But, but that was before we started sharing stuff. Before I told you how I cried when Peepers died. I never told anyone that before.
And this Peepers was your...dog? If it makes you feel better, I probably wasn't paying attention.
That doesn't make me feel better! Why are you being like this?
Don't raise your voice at--I gave you the ultimate male fantasy--sex, nothing on the side. Don't pretend we shared anything other than fluids.
You think you're so...but you're just...
I'm gay. Like you didn't know.
Andrew. You're not gay; you're ten. You shouldn't even be having thoughts like...
You mean you didn't have any gay thoughts when you were my age...
Well, uh...Promise me you won't do anything until you're 18.
I'll bet you're glad I waited until the last day to have this conversation.
Okay, okay, just don't everyone talk at once...First of all, little Jason has a learning disability...
Now what? What did I do this time?
Summer would have been a lot less without you. You're a true friend, Donald.
Was there a night that I got really drunk and declared that I never loved anyone as much as I loved you?
No.
Pamela Anderson, Kate Moss, Halle Berry, and Fiona Apple, all naked in one room. You can do anything you want to them, except one of them has full-blown Aids, and you don't know who. And you're not allowed to use a condom.
Call me conservative, but I'd rub my penis on the faces of all the ladies before bestowing the final honors to the divine Ms. Berry's lovely visage.
Yowza--Only a virgin could answer that fast.
Do you realize if the women of America would have just heard what you said...
Make it seem you have this comfortable, mysterious life and you don't give a shit whether she's a part of it. Oh, and bring up India, Talia has this obsession... Whoa, Donald, play hard to get, not hard to want...Let Talia know that your goofy act is just something you do for the kids....
Howdy Pouty.
I was pretty confident that I was going to blow it with Talia, but I must say, I outdid myself.
She's still pissed at me and took it out on you. We should have taken it slower. It's hard to operate in the woods. Much easier in, like a club. Tell the girl you've got to go do something, leave her view, take way too long until she is worried that you're not coming back. Just as she starts feeling awful, you come up
I'm in the picture on Wendy's wall. Niagara Falls. Family trip. Little Wendy foreground. Me background. What are the odds on that one?
Uh, yeah, that's...wow.
I couldn't tell her...it's, it's too major...Jesus, I'm starting to believe in God and what's worse I think I like the guy. The lightning bolt was just a test, right? Wendy and I--we're meant to be. I'm right, right? I have to see her...
Eavesdropping, eh? Hear anything good?
That really sucked, Eric, what you did, asking him that...
Oh thanks, it was nothing...
You know, I think I left something by the lake. Could you check it out-- You'll know it when you see it...
There you are! Man, I don't know how to thank...
Eric...You can't be like me. You have to be better. I'm not the guy you think I am...
Man, she's losing it...
Talia, don't go!
Wha-at? What is it?
Whew, that wasn't a period. That was an exclamation mark. You know, Hayley, behind every great woman is a great first menstruation anecdote.
I hope so...
Freeze! You're busted!
What are you gonna do about it?
Thanks, Talia...Why are you so nice to me?
Mine!
Go stand by the flagpole.
Sorry about all that...I'm your CIT-- Jasper.
You are to be executed at Dawn anyway. Might as well commit the crime. Go to her, Wichita...
No, they're not from Wendy.
Your Secret admirer?
I guess it was too much to ask that it would somebody older...and maler. Like you.
Hey, I thought I wasn't your type.
Wichita--you're everybody's type. But seriously, don't worry about it. I get my occasional crushes.
Hey, it's not a crush anymore if ] you actually say it to the person ] you supposedly have the... ] ] JASPER ] Thought I'd get points for a post- ] modern approach to coming on to you. ]
Goodnight, Jasper.
You're a little harsh on Todd. You're a little harsh on everybody. I know ] you like to think of yourself as ] the Anti-Oberon, but man, you're ] getting just as spooky. What was ] that speech in there? Does Camp really ] have to be a revolutionary act? Can't ] the children, at their own pace, ] discover... ] ] WICHITA ]
Stop, stop...I'm willing to put my mouth where my mouth is...I throw one overhand pass and Todd catches it-- dramatic pause--You let me go down on you...
Hello?! What's in it for me?
Are we allowed to start hating "Wendy" yet..."Gee Wichita, I guess mosquitoes have always liked me."
You and Wichita go to school together, right? Have you two ever...
That would be a No.
I don't know what I'm doing. I know he only likes me as a friend. He's just so...everything--I know he only likes me as a--but it came up that he used to be a camp counselor and I used to be a camp counselor...
Am-ber! Uh...don't do that.
"or you're going to get it?" Wow, first week of camp. Promise me you won't try moving so fast with Wichita.
Don't forget, when you get home, O.B.'s. They're created by a female gynecologist.
Yeah, an insane female gynecologist! Hayley, don't listen to her.
Wendy, don't be afraid to get a little stupid and contagious. The kids don't understand that this is our summer, too. We shouldn't have to put our lives on hold to be their butlers.
What are you doing?
You know you just do this for shock value. It's not shocking.
When did pretending to be bored become a sign of superiority? Are you mad at me for giving the cabin new haircuts or are you just still miserably pining for Wichita's lightning rod?
Geez, what time is it? I have to go feed Big Chief Oberon...You're right, I miss him. Wichita, that is. I really want to be with him, but I can't bring myself to--Are you a lesbian or are you...
I didn't realize I had to declare a major.
You remind me of me when I was...I guess I was never like you. So cute. So questioning.
I'm not a nai-ive little...
You'll be hiding behind a tree.
The oak where Jocelyn sprained her ankle.
I'm sorry. It just...It seems silly. Like kissing a girl.
...sorry...
One day they'll find a cure for AIDS. They'll never find one for sex. It's kind of funny, most movies and stories with a bunch of camp counselors has some serial psycho in the woods with a chainsaw who systematically butchers everybody one by one.
Yeah. And?
You look a like you could use a friend. You know, I'll never forget my first day at camp. Boy, I was so nervous that I...
Well, the first week of camp has swhooshed on by and I thought this a perfect time to finally pow-wow. I think we should discuss--
Who wants to go tell the Anti-christ to take a "time-out?"
Talia, just because you happen to be Jewish, doesn't mean you can make fun of someone desecrating the Lord's body...
Man asswipe, you made my enormous cock fall off...
College was entertaining, Wichita, but after 40 days and 40 nights of this, I really think we're going to get to know each...
...and it hurts too much to keep these feelings inside me any longer...
Talia, you know how important our friendship is to me and I would never do anything to...
"...how important our friendship..." Not that old--Oh God, what have I done?
Talia, you're a wonderful person...
Stop, stop, what was I thinking...out in the wilderness. Under the stars. I've ruined every--
I just never thought of you in that...
I have to get up. Still more to do. That boy hates Asian people. That girl thinks she gave her Mom cancer by dropping a plate on her hand. Her daddy touches her. His daddy never touches him. It would have been cooler if I'd died.
Isn't this the time where one of us says something deeply offensive to the other one...We're just so different.
So what? ]
Yes! God yes! I would tell her that I love her! To not let anyone take away her dreams..!
You should grab her and shake her ] and tell her it's a goddamn war out ] there. Idiots and assholes and ] sadists that must be defeated. Tell ] them her the truth! ] ] WENDY ] The truth is a lie! Yes, television ] is rotting our brains! Yes, people ] kill people easier than ever! Does ] that mean we give
Nobody really changes at summer camp. They merely find out who they are and become it more than ever. You can't be helped, Wichita. I'm not sure you can be punished, either. But let's find out...
What in the hell did you do that for?
I-unno...Don't worry, I had everything on the hand memorized.
Hey.
Oh you know, Bosnia, the importance of the right to vote...
Yeah, we talked about sex, too. Oberon must be sweating in his sleep.
We had fun. I even got along with Talia-- for about three minutes. I don't know why she hates me so much...
Yes you do.
Yeah. I guess I do.
Ann Taylor would have paid a lot more, but I wouldn't trade this experience for the world. Sometimes the first time you understand anything is when you have to explain it to someone younger-- You think I'm a big dork don't you?
I think your passion is terrific.
We have more in common than you think, Wendy dear. I loved summer camp when I was young and I love it now. It's important. Between school, family, friends, pot, playstations, basic cable, and the goddamn Internet, it's possible to go your whole life without listening to your soul. Out here, in nature, away from the shit, surrounded by reminders of who I once
Gosh, this is really a great conversation--I can't believe I said that out loud.
Do you really not believe in God?
What else don't you believe in?
So this is it, anybody you don't agree about everything with can't be your friend...
Iunno.
"Iunno." I'm really beginning to hate that word of yours. I'm sorry for sounding hostile, but I'm not sorry for...
When were you in Niagara Falls?
Todd was out there blocking the ] entrance. You would have been proud ] of me...My suit of armor is starting to come off. Not all of it, but enough to walk around...
And you'll be happy to know I'm going to drop my Snow White and the Seventy Dwarves act...Not all of it, but...
I was thinking...if we could mesh my way of thinking with your way ] of thinking, we could really do some ] great counseling. It's all about ] the evolution of the species, we ] can improve... ]
I love you. Don't say I love you, too. I hate that--"love you, too."
I know what you mean. But it doesn't put me in too great a position...
Fuck off.
I should leave. You probably need your rest.
Are you allowed to do it more than once a night?
Excuse me, Counselor Wendy, I need assistance in finding that important...thingie in the storage room.
Do you really think we're fooling anyone?
She got a little poison oak and started screaming for assisted suicide.
Excuse me, Wichita, I can't seem to reach the top shelf in the storage room. Could you...
Not now, Wendy.
Ah, our last night at camp...I always knew it would be something special.
What do you want me to say?
Something more interesting than that...How could you? How could--!
Stop! Stop it, this afternoon was not what you thought...I overheard you and Pixel, at the side of the mess hall, your idea about the "test"...Do you believe me?
Iunno. Of course I believe you. It's so you...I didn't think it was possible ] for you to make me feel worse, ] but...you're saying you <u>deliberately</u> ] destroyed us! I don't even get I'm- ] sorry-it-was-the-heat-of-the- ] moment... ] ] WICHITA ] I know, I'm...I'm evil. ] ] WENDY ] Oh that's right, baby, you're so ] "evil." You're, you're so "dark"... ]
Next to "boring," "Sucks" is the most painfully overused word in the current English language. I thought if I could reverse the meaning of "sucks" so it means something positive, I don't know...It would be vaguely revolutionary. It's kind of my social experiment for the summer. "Suck" is historically a nice word-- sno-cones, your mother's...
God, you're beautiful.
I'm still on anti-biotics, I really ] shouldn't be caffeining...Gosh, I've had a lot of daydreams about losing my virginity. Never one like this. For one, I wasn't a mutant. Secondly, I...What are you thinking?
Have you ever thought of instead ] of making children more equipped ] for reality, we should make reality ] more equipped for children? ]
Two billion years of evolution and ] you're what we've come up with-- ] "Wichita"--the hot, cool, tell-it- ] like-it-is counselor with a dark ] side. ]
What are you doing, Wendy? What's in that cup?
Sorry Veronica.
I'm really sorry I couldn't make it to your birthday party last month.
Don't say that.
I don't believe it. I'm winning.
I missed you. I know I'm not as, as exciting as your other friends.
Ronnie, I'm still a virgin.
Betty, your daydreams are a lot better than my realities, believe me. I'm afraid though it's time to get your butt kicked.
Hey, you're not settling for the two shots are you? Knock me out girl. It's the only way.
It's not my style, okay?
So, are you a cheerleader?
No, not at all. BRAD You're pretty enough to be one.
Gee, thanks.
Ever since Phil Collins did that MTV anti-drug commercial I refuse everything.
Phil Collins? Are you sure he isn't drinking and driving?
Jeez, right, then why don't I do drugs?
How's my little cheerleader? Now I know everyone at your high school isn't so uptight, come <u>on</u>.
Hey really, I don't feel so great.
I have a little prepared speech I give when my suitor wants more than I'd like to give him.... Gee Blank, I had a nice....
Save the speeches for Malcom X. I just wanna get laid.
If I got that money, I'd give it all to the poor. Every cent.
Oh, I have to hear this.
In my heart, Heather's still alive.
I don't know. This thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I'm sorry? I don't get it.
Take a break Veronica, sit down.
So what was the first week of Spring Vacation withdrawl like?
Goddamn. Will somebody please tell me why I read this spy crap.
Because you're an idiot.
All right.
So what was the first day after Heather's suicide like?
Goddamn. Will somebody please tell me why I smoke these damn things?
Because you're an idiot.
Hey Veronica, how'd that Teenage Prevention T.V. Suicide thing go?
Let me get it clear, Veronica. You want yourself a sweet homeboy for this T.V. show so you can show everybody what a loose, Martin Luther Cosby-lovng place Westerburg is.
Something like that. Will you do it?
Damn, you're a shrewd one. Shrewd.
I just want to show different kinds of people can get together and it doesn't have to be Vietnam. You don't get treated badly here do you?
Things are going to change, Earl.
Veronica. Finally. Got a paper of Kurt Kelly's. I need you to forge a hot and horny but realistically low-key note in Kurt's handwriting and we'll slip it into Martha Dumptruck's lunch tray.
Shit, Heather. I don't have anything against Martha Dunnstock.
You don't have anything <u>for</u> her either. Come on, it'll be Very. The note'll give her shower nozzle masturbation material for weeks.
I'll think about it.
Sawyer. Guess what today is?
Hey, this question wouldn't be that bizarro thing you were babbling about over the phone last......
I was talking with someone!
If you're going to openly be a bitch....
I'm sorry, it's just why can't we talk to different kinds of people?
Doesn't it bother you that everyone in the school thinks you're a pirahna?
Like I give a shit. They all want me, as a friend or a fuck. I'm worshipped at Westerburg and I'm only a Junior.
Pretend you're a missionary saving a colony of cootie victims.
Just imagine somebody like your quasi-fat, goody-good friend Betty Finn doing a Crest commercial. No one would buy Crest.
Don't tell me. Crest would be stained with loserness.
You wanted to become a member of the most powerful clique in the school. If I wasn't already the head of it, I'd want the same thing.
I'm sorry? What are you oozing about?
That episode with the note back there was for all of us to enjoy, but you're determined to ruin my day.
We made a girl want to consider suicide. What a scream. What a jest.
Come on Heather. We want another look at today's lunch.
J.D.? You seem pretty amused. I thought you were giving up on high school guys.
Crap. So who's this Brad guy I've been set up with? Witty and urbane pre-lawyer or albino accountant?
What's your damage? Brad says you're being a real cooze.
Heather, I feel awful, like I'm going to throw up. Can we jam, please?
You stupid cunt!
You were nothing before you met me! You were playing Barbies with Betty Finn! You were a Brownie, you were a Bluebird, you were a Girl Scout Cookie! I got you into a Remington Party! What's my thanks? It's on the hallway carpet. I get paid in puke!
Lick it up, baby. Lick. It. Up.
Veronica. And Jesse James. Quelle surprise. Hear about Veronica's affection for regurgitation?
We both said a lot of things we didn't mean, last night.
Is this turnout weak or what? I had <u>at least</u> seventy more people at my funeral.
Heather? Wha...
Oh God Veronica, my afterlife is s-o-o boring. If I have to sing "Kumbaya" one more time...
What are you doing here?!
Ku-urt, let's pa-arty.
Grow up, Heather. Bulimia's so '86.
God, they won't expell him. They'll just suspend him for a week or something.
Anyway, I can say never to high school. I've got David.
King David.
So tonight's the night. Are you two excited?
Where did you get these?
Oh, I just had the <u>nicest</u> chat with Ms. Dumptruck. Got along famously! It's scary how everyone's got a story to tell....Would you care to see the canoeing shots?
What do you want from me?
Strength. Westerburg doesn't need mushy togetherness, it needs a leader. Heather Chandler was that leader but...
I think you can. In Catcher in the Rye Holden says his ideal job'd be making sure some kids don't fall off a cliff. He doesn't realize if you pay too much attention to the kids, you'll back off the cliff yourself.
Very very. The photographs?
TEENAGE SUICIDE; DON'T DO IT!
Yeah, she really wants to talk to you.
Maybe you should see a doctor.
Yeah, you know Holden Caulfield in the Catcher in the Rye wouldn't put up with their bogus nonsense.
Don't worry. We'll work something out.
Guess who?
Hi everyone, door was open. Veronica, you missed it! Pauline and Whitney James were up there doing there suicide rap when the cops come in and announce that Martha Dumptruck tried to buy the farm. She gave the ticket girl at the Colfax theatre a suicide note then bellyflopped in front of a car.
Is she dead?
I said I was sorry.
You are out of control. Heather and Kurt were a shock, but Martha Dumptruck, get crucial! She dialed suicide hotlines in her diapers.
What. A. Martyr. Understand; Martha couldn't take the heat so she got out of the kitchen. Just think what a better place the world would be if every nimrod followed her cue.
Just shut up and turn on the radio. Hot Probs is on.
Veronica! Color me stoked, girl. I've gotten <u>everyone</u> to sign this petition even the one who think BigFun are tuneless Eurofags. People love me! My God, you haven't signed!
People love you but I know you. Jennifer Forbes told me the petition she signed was to put a jacuzzi in the cafeteria. And Doug Hylton...
So some people need different kinds of "convincing" than others.... Hey, just sign the petition!
Don't talk to me like that.
It was J.D.'s idea! He made out the signature sheet and everything. Now will you sign it?
No.
Heather, why can't you just be a friend? Why are you such a MegaBitch?
Veronica, you look like hell.
What are you doing?
What's your damage, Heather? You ruined my...
God, aren't they fed yet? Do they even have Thanksgiving in Africa?
God Veronica, drool much? His name's Jason Dean. He's in my American History.
No way, no day!
Watch it, Heather. You could actually be digesting food.
That was seriously warped, Veronica.
Veronica. What are you doing tonight?
Mourning. Maybe watch some T.V. Why?
Ram asked me out, but he wants to double with Kurt and Kurt doesn't have a date.
Hea<u>ther</u>, I've got something going with J.D.
Shit.
What were <u>you</u> trying to do? Sleep?
You're giving your life away to become a goddamn statistic in U.S. Fucking A Today. That's got to be the least private thing I can think of.
But what about Heather and Ram and Kurt?
Probably....
Hey now, if you were happy every day of your life, you wouldn't be a human being, you'd be a game show host.
Let's knock off early. Go to the mall. Something lame like that.
There are no stupid questions.
If you inherit five million dollars the same day aliens tell the earth they're blowing us up in two days, what would you do?
Probably just row on out to the middle of a lake. Bring along my sax, some tequila, and some Bach.
You going to pull a Big Gulp with that?
No, but if you're nice I'll let you buy me a Slurpee. You know your 7-11speak pretty well.
I've been moved around all my life; Dallas, Baton Rouge, Vegas, Sherwood Ohio, there's always a 7-11. Any town, any time, I can pop a Ham and Cheese in the microwave and feast on a Big Wheel. Keeps me sane.
Really? That thing in the caf today was pretty severe.
The extreme always makes an impression, but you're right, it was severe. Did you say a Cherry or Coke Slurpee?
Just a humble perk from my Dad's Construction company or should I say Deconstruction company?
I don't know. Should you?
My father seems to enjoy tearing things down more than putting things up. Seen the commerical? "Bringing every State to a Higher State."
Time out....Jason Dean. Your Pop's Fred Dean Construction. Must be rough. Moving place to place.
Everybody's life's got static. Is your life perfect?
It's not perfect. I don't really like my friends.
I don't really like your friends either.
It's like they're just people I work with and our job is being popular and shit.
Dreadful etiquette. I apologize.
S'okay....
That was my first game of Strip Croquet, you know. I thank you.
Now blah-blah-blah is all I do. I use my grand I.Q. to figure out what gloss to wear and how to hit three keggers before curfew. Some genius.
Heather Chandler is one bitch that deserves to die.
Killing her won't solve anything.
A well-timed lightning bolt through her window and Monday morning, all the other heathers, shit, everybody would be cast fucking adrift.
Well then, I'll pray for rain.
See the condoms in the grass over there. We killed tonight, Veronica. We murdered our baby.
Hey, it was good for me too, Sparky.
Just saying it's not hard to end a life.
I guess I don't know what the hell I'm talking about.
I know exactly what the hell you're talking about and you're right, you don't know what the hell you're talking about. Let's just grow up, be adults, and die.
Good plan.
Trust me. She skips the Saturday morning trip to Grandma's even when she's not hungover.
I'm a Pine-Sol man, myself.
O-kay. We'll cook up some soup and put it in a Coke. Sick, eh? Now should it be Chicken-Noodle or Bean-with-Bacon?
What are you <u>doing</u>? You just can't go.....Besides, she'd never drink anything that looks like that.
Milk and orange juice. Hmmmm. Maybe we could cough a phlegm globber in it or something.
No luck? Well, milk and orange juice'll do quite nicely. Quite nicely.
Chick-en.
Something tells me you picked up the wrong cup.
No shit, sherlock. I can't believe it. I just killed my best friend.
And your worst enemy.
What are we going to tell the cops? "Fuck it if she can't take a joke, Sarge."
Stop kidding around. I'm going to have to send my S.A.T. scores to San Quentin instead of Stanford.
I'm just a little freaked, all right? You got what you wanted, you know.
We did a murder. In Ohio, that's a crime. But if this was like a suicide thing.....
Like a suicide thing?
Adolescence is a period of life fraught with anxiety and confusion.
"You might think what I've done is shocking..."
"To me though, suicide is the natural answer to the myriad of problems life has given me."
That's good, but Heather would never use the word "myriad."
This is the last thing she'll ever write. She'll want to cash in on as many fifty-cent words as poss.
She missed "myriad" on a vocab test two weeks ago, all right?
That only proves my point more. The word is a badge for her failures at school.
You're probably right..."People think just because you're beautiful and popular, life is easy and fun. Nobody understood I had feelings too."
"I die knowing no one knew the real me."
Mute!
Heather Chandler is more popular than ever now.
Jason, why don't you ask your little friend to stay for dinner.
My Mom's making my favorite meal tonight. Spaghetti. Lots of oregano.
What is this shit?
So what? Don't smile like that, Jesus!
I don't get the point of me writing a suicide note when we'll just be shooting them with blanks.
Get crucial. We won't be using blanks this time.
Do you take German?
These are Ich Luge bullets. My grandfather snared a shitload of them in W.W. Two. They're like tranquilizers only they break the surface of the skin, enough to cause blood, but not any real harm.
First tell me this similarity is not incredible.
Ram and I died the day we realized we could never reveal our forbidden love to an uncaring and ununderstanding world. The joy we shared in each other's arms was greater than any touchdown. Yet we were forced to live the lie of Sexist- Beer Guzzling-Jock-Asshole.
Exquisite, but I don't think ununderstanding is a word.
We don't want to make them out to be too secretly eloquent. Why would the Germans invent a bullet that doesn't kill people? I mean it <u>was</u> World War Two, not a school play.
They used them on themselves to make it look like they were dead. Really quite a brilliant device, but too flamboyant to seriously produce.
It doesn't work on small animals!
Oh.
We've got a Playgirl, a candy dish, a Joan Crawford post card, and lipstick.
You must have had fun.
Perrier water!
Oh come <u>on</u>. Lots of people drink Perrier. It's come a long way.
This is Ohio. If you don't have a brewsky in your hand after dark you might as well be wearing a dress.
Did you miss him completely?
Yeah, but don't worry, it was worth it just to see the look on....
Kurt doesn't look too good.
We killed them, didn't we?
You believed it because you wanted to believe it. Your true feelings were too gross and icky for you to face.
I did not want them <u>dead</u>.
Did to.
Did not.
Did to.
Football season's over, Veronica. Kurt and Ram had nothing to offer the school but date-rapes and A.I.D.S. jokes.
Your son's dead and you love him.
Can't you see this is a special moment?
You shoulda stuck around, jerk. Ms. Fleming wants to redefine the high school experience.
She wants to ignore the high school experience. Our way's better. We scare people into not being assholes.
You can be so immature!
Let's just...settle down. Ms. Fleming has given us a chance to atone for...
Our sins? What sins? If you put a Nazi in a concentration camp, does that make you a Nazi?
We're breaking up. I am out!
You're getting too cool for me, J.D. I don't know how to talk to you.
I'm going to make this Ms. Pauline thing work. Lines of communication between the cliques. You were a phase....
Catch a movie? Miniature Golf?
I was thinking more along the lines of slitting Heather Duke's wrists open and making it look like a suicide.
It's over, J.D. Over!
Get off my bed, you sick psycho! You think you're a rebel! You're not a rebel! You're a sick psycho! Do you think you're a rebel? Do you think you're a rebel? I wanna know!
Look at that. Eskimo. One word. I love it. I usually go for whole sentences myself, but hey this is perfecto. Eskimo. So mysterious...
You're still not listening! I'm not..
Nag, nag, nag, nag. nag.
This knife is filthy.
What in the hell do you think I'm doing? Taking out her tonsils?
Tomorrow someone else will move into her place. That person could be me. Ha, there's only one of us who knows Heather's handwriting and if you think I'm doing another suicide note.
If you'll excuse me......
I knew that loose was too noose! I mean, noose too loose! Goddamn you!
Okay, okay. I knew that. I knew that. Put your hands on your head.
It's all over, J.D. Help me to stop it.
How do you turn the fucker off?
You're not listening. People are going to look at the ashes of Westerburg and say there's a school that self-destructed not because society didn't care, but because that school <u>was</u> society. Is that deep or what? I'll let you put it in your diary, babe. Free of charge.
The bomb, asshole!
Just push the red button twice. That's what stops it. If that's what you want, babe?
You know what I want, babe?
You really fucked me up, Veronica.
I thought I...you..
Who does that new kid think he is with that coat? Bo Diddley?
Veronica is into his act. No doubt.
Let's kick his ass.
You going to eat this?
What did your <u>boyfriend</u> say when you told him you were moving to Sherwood, Ohio?
Answer him dick!
We on tonight man?
I still got to talk to Heather, dude. Weird funeral, huh?
That pudwapper just stepped on my foot.
Let's kick his ass.
Cool off, we're seniors.
Is it sleeping, dude?
I think so, man.
Then get over on my side. Oh shit, cowtipping is the fucking greatest.
Sex and Drugs and HBO is all I ever need! Whoa! Can you hear me! Hello Tokyo! I said Sex and Drugs and...
Shut the fuck up, all right.
Hey kid, isn't the prom coming up?
I guess.
Any contestants worth mentioning?
You two....
Terrible thing. So will we get to meet this dark horse prom contender?
You two....
How was the funeral?
Turn that back on!
Everybody cares for youth but nobody cares about Joey Blow. When that news reporter gets home he'll scream at his son for not mowing the lawn in the right pattern.
I'm lost. You don't get enough attention, you get too much attention. Which is it? Where are your shoes?
Dear Veronica, Heather was your soulmate.....Share.
Everyone take their places on the stage! Isn't this thrilling?!
But Ms. Fleming, it's just not right.
Veronica! J.D. told me you committed suicide last night!
Where is he? Where's J.D.?
We have to talk. Whether to kill yourself is one of the most important decisions a teenager has to make.
Heather Chandler, Kurt Kelly, and Rupert "Ram" Sweeney all had good looks and popularity, but there's one thing they didn't have: Values, Ambition, and Hope.
That's three things.
I got a confession to make. My name used to be Heather, too.
But my name's not...
I'm so sorry. I was led to believe there were going to be different kinds of social and psychological types at this gathering.
The world wants winners, I guess. Not people stained with loserness.
Stained with loserness. Oh, I like it. Can I use that. It'd be dynamite on interoffice memoranda.
It's all yours, Heather. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go throw up.
Mummy has a special technique called "Deep Therapy."
What's that?
I adore anything to do with the arts.
I've never cottoned on to Plasticine like you girls, but I enjoy making things out of wood.
Are you a carpenter, Mr. Rieper? HERBERT shakes his head.
This story of yours-maybe the school newspaper will print it when it's finished.
Actually, Mr. Rieper . . . it's a novel, and we'll be sending it to New York. That's where all the big publishing houses are based.
Let's have 'em now, while they're fresh, eh, Nora?
playfully shoves his hand away.
I'll think you'll find our Mr. Bayliss is not keen on seafood. I've got lamb chops in the 'frigerator.
Come on! Sausage rolls.
Come on through.
and Pauline hurriedly work together, setting out plates and cutlery.
Look who I've found!
I've booked you in for a chest X-ray . . . just to be on the safe side.
pops a couple more potatoes on Pauline's plate. HERBERT glances at Pauline.
Yvonne hasn't been herself, either. Locking herself away in her room . . . endlessly writing.
No arguments there, Dr. Hulme! All that time inside working on those novels of theirs. They don't get fresh air or exercise!
waves a pair of new socks around. The family laughing and talking. Pauline is not participating. She is leaning back, looking morose. HONORA looks at her with concern.
is chopping firewood in the back garden. HONORA approaches him.
I've just had Hilda Hulme on the phone.
What now?
accompanies Hilda into the hallway.
I'd better be getting back. Bye, love.
pulls his coat on. HONORA gives him a peck cheek.
Bye.
wanders out. HONORA turns to Pauline and Juliet.
Hello!
Got an A, Mum!
He's the manager!
I spent a wretched night. It would be wonderful if I could get tuberculosis, too.
comes in with a breakfast tray: bacon and eggs, tea and toast.
Come on, sit up.
I'm not hungry.
You've got to eat, Yvonne. You hardly touched our dinner. I'm not having you falling ill.
I just want to be on my own for a while.
starts to cut up a slice of bacon and offers it to Pauline.
You may have forgotten that you were once a very sick little girl, but I haven't!
holds up a loaded fork. Pauline reluctantly takes it.
Do you think Juliet could stay here while her parents are away?
Juliet's infectious . . . she'll be going to hospital.
But she'll have no one to look after her!
I had a nasty foreboding feeling at first, but now I realise my crime was too frightful for an ordinary lecture.
If you think for one minute that your father and I will tolerate this sort of behaviour, you've got another thing coming! You're only 14!!! You're a child! What on earth's the matter with you, Yvonne? You know what can happen with boys . . . Don't you have any self-respect?
sighs.
Can I go now?
My God, what a disgrace you are! You shame me, you shame the family. You're nothing but a cheap little tart!
Well, I guess I take after you then!
whirls around and slaps Pauline on the cheek.
You ran off with Dad when you were only 17! Nana Parker told me!
My name is Gina!
It's a letter from the school . . . from Miss Stewart.
What does old Stew want?
She says the standard of your work is slipping. At this rate she doesn't think you'll get School Certificate.
Who cares!
I care . . . your father cares . . . we want you to have a good education.
I'm educating myself!
You're failing English . . . you used to be top of the class- PAULINE I'm doing my own writing!
snatches up an exercise book from a large pile.
These stories are not going to get you School Certificate! You don't seriously think anyone's going to publish them?
What do you know? You wouldn't know the first thing about writing. You're the most ignorant person I've ever met!
is very angry.
You're rude . . . rude and insolent! I don't see why I should keep a horrid child like you at school a minute longer.
I don't wanna be in bloody school!
I'm bloody dressing as fast as I can, for God's sake!
The Hulmes will look after me. They want me to live with them!
Don't be so ridiculous. You're our daughter, you belong here with us.
I belong with Deborah! We're going to South Africa!
You're not going anywhere. You're 15 years old!!
You have to let me go!
I felt thoroughly depressed and even quite seriously considered committing suicide. Life seems so much not worth the living, death such an easy way out.
I bet he pitches a tent in the middle of their bedroom, and they have to pretend to be on some mountain!
You have it.
Look, Mother!
And so, in a blazing fury, Charles runs Lancelot Trelawney through with his sword . . . leaving Deborah free to accept Charles's proposal of marriage!
and HERBERT exchange a glance. HONORA smiles at Juliet.
I've heard your mother on 3YA. The Woman's Session has lots of lively debate.
I wouldn't want my private business being discussed with a complete stranger!
I'm so happy to see you!
hurries over.
It's best not to get too close. Juliet's still not a hundred percent. Hello, Juliet! We've bought you some fruit.
That's coming along well!
I'm saving them for a rainy day.
gives her a sympathetic look.
I know it's hard for you being in here, but it is for the good of your health.
They sent me off to the Bahamas "for the good of my health." They sent me to the Bay of bloody Islands "for the good of my health."
looks startled at the outburst.
I'm sorry, Mrs. Rieper. I'm feeling quite fatigued.
We don't want to tire you out, dear.
stands and picks up her handbag. Pauline stands and Juliet grabs her hand.
Hello!
Hello, Juliet. Juliet take off her jacket.
Oh-what a nice outfit!
is bending down, pulling a tray of sausage rolls into the oven. Both girls look at HONORA silently.
turns around and Juliet presents her with a brown paper bag.
Fruit.
But you're not fat, Mrs. Rieper!
Mummy!
She's terribly hurt . . .
0h, God . . . I'm so sorry!
It doesn't matter.
I think I'm dying . . .
I wish James would do a religious picture . . . he'd be perfect as Jesus!
But, we're all going to Heaven!
James will be there . . . and Mario! Only they'll be saints.
To be known as He!
Him.
This.
That.
He flings open the door and launches himself at the bed, ravishing her!
What?
It's so beautiful!
I shall call him Diello.
You're such an incredible woman.
You'll never guess what's happened!!
What??
John has fallen in love with me!
How do you know? Did he tell you?
I think I'm going crazy.
No, you're not, Gina-it's everybody else who is bonkers!
Let's go overseas . . .
Stay still or they'll be blurry . . .
Hurry up! I'm freezing!
Just a couple more . . .
I'm sure they'll notice things missing.
This lot's got to be worth 50 quid!
I can try my father's safe. I'm sure I can get the keys to his office.
I thought he was supposed to be terribly ill.
Poor Mother was completely taken in.
Do you think Bloody Bill's trying to get into her draws?
Poor Father . . .
But that's not true! I've got one.
I'm coming with you.
Yes . . .
Mummy!
Let's go upstairs, Deborah. I wrote the last 10 pages of my opera last night.
It's a three-act story with a tragic end.
Your mother is a rather miserable woman . . . isn't she?
I thought for hours about whether Carmelita should accept Bernard's marriage proposal . . .
Bye, Dad.
Isn't it beautiful!
Are you a dream too?
Still hallucinating as well. Hmm...
What just happened to me anyway? It looked like a dream but it felt like reality.
Where's Kirsty? Where's my wife?
What's happening to me? What are you doing?
Well? What do you say Trevor? Que pasa?
Let me see. Oh yeah. My head feels like it's going through a meat grinder. I'm not sure if I'm dreaming or...
That `poor me' attitude doesn't suit you Trevor. Listen, I don't mean to sound like Pollyanna but things could be worse. There's one good thing about coming so near to the end of ones life. Everything is new and exciting, like your seeing it for the first time. You might see things a litlle differently from now on.
Your insight is enlightening.
Allison? Why can't remember what happened to my wife? Is it something I'm on that's... that's making me forget?
Easy there Trevor. You need to relax.
No I need to remember. Look whatever it is take me off it. I can handle pain. I can't handle not knowing...
These hallucinations I'm having. I think they're more like memories coming back to me in a strange way.
Well that's not necessarily a bad thing is it?
If they're blocked memories... I'm starting to realize the reason why I blocked them out. Allison I think I really... screwed everything up.
Shh. Don't blame yourself Trevor. Please.
Well Trevor? What have you got to say for yourself? Que pasa?
Allison we have GOT to talk about this medication you've got me on.
You're one tough cookie, Trevor Gooding. You keep coming back to your corner for a quick fix up then go right back out into the ring for another round.
Of course, yes.
The way you just looked at me...
So, I'm done. Thats it for today?
Hint. It's not a geographical location.
I'm stumped.
It's inside a moving car.
I've got numbers to back me up. Over the course of one year more Americans die in car accidents than did during the entire span of World War II.
Millions of people around the world get on busses every day. When was the last time you heard of anybody anywhere dying on a public transit bus?
Okay Mr. Statistics I've got one for you. What's the most common cause of death for adults over the age of eighteen?
Please. Heart attack. That was easy street.
Second most common?
Skin cancer.
Eighty third most common.
Pitbull attacks.
We startred off to be. She was, I guess I was. I just sort of....butchered up the relationship somehow. Bad choice of words.
I understand, I think. Other women?
Yeah. It's like I was a different guy then I am today. I can't remember that guy. I see these women, they think I'm someone else, and I'm not that guy anymore. I'm not sure who Kristy knew.
You were unfaithful, it sounds like your confessing.
Lucky for us these chairs happened to be here.
Don't tell me. Kirsty used to smoke?
Sure plenty of times.
Well?
Trevor if someone is talking from a sleep state they are obviously dreaming. So practically everything say is going to sound strange.
Did I ever talk about the accident?
No.
Did I ever talk about Kirsty?
No. But at one point you did repeat something though. A phrase. You must have been having this recurring dream, you just kept saying this one thing over and over
Sorry.
If it makes you feel better that took every ounce of self control I had. Trevor, I never date patients.
I understand... I won't-
No you don't understand. That's why I've been fighting to get you better. So you wouldn't be a patient anymore.
Why didn't you tell me sooner? I would have switched doctors!
Allison I think I did some very, very bad things. I mean very bad.
Trevor things like this happen to people who experience temporary memory loss. Everybody does things they regret. You just couldn't remember doing these things and now you are so it's a shock to the system. I'm telling you. You will never get better if you keep blaming yourself for your wife's death.
Trevor what is the metric probability of you getting any work done at all today?
Hey Bret. Christ, my head feels like a split coconut.
Give me a break. I checked back into the hospital- amongst other things.
Hospital? You haven't been to the hospital since uh...
Since what?
Must be nice.
What?
The boss won't notice me doing a bad job because I'm not. Even if the boss thought I was slacking I'd know right away.
Yeah, how's that?
I have my connections
Really? Do tell.
GWEN?
I crap you not. She was all over me yesterday in the break room. And she was a total machine last night too.
You were supposed to have a date with Gwen last night? GWEN DEARDON? The supervisor?
Hey if you're not doing anything I'd like to buy you a beer after work. Be just like old times.
What's the occasion?
I've got a better offer. More time off. A sort of career shift, more in the engineering line of work.
How much time off?
So you're just packing it up just like that?
Almost that fast. I got a few loose ends to tie up first. Came into a shitload of money recently. I've always wanted to go to take a trip. We're just gonna walk into the airport and decide right then and there.
Yeah? You and who else?
Bret... what the fuck...?
Tonight was supposed to be the night, Trevor. Remember? I couldn't believe you went through five dart games and didn't even joke about it.
Bret. What the hell is going on?
We were gonna be millionaires you said. Nobody'd suspect a thing. I had never even met her. No connection. Then you went and had that fucking car accident.
Bret you are making no sense whatsoever.
Hello I'm Dr...
Ambrose. I know.
Have we met?
I've been in here before.
Why don't you relax for the next couple of hours? Barring any relapses you should be able to go home after that.
Who's Allison?
What did you just say?
I said she's been missing for-
No. No you said HER BODY's been missing.
Last time anybody saw this woman she was alive. You seem to certain she's dead.
You could say that.
Zero's a number right?
As in one minus one equals zero yes. Where are you going with this?
Now I want you to tell me what you remember happening- in your own words- exactly the way you told Detective Lange. But this time I want you to make one small adjustment.
Come on speak up, Gooding, I'm trying to run a business here. I can't have people flipping out in the break room when they should be slaving away at their desks.
Get back here, junior bean counter. This is your supervisor speaking.
Please, Gwen. You're- you're all over me.
What's wrong, Trev?
Nothing, look. Gwen I really like you-
YOU'RE giving ME a speeding ticket? Mr. Mario Andretti himself?
Gwen, my wife's dead.
That was cold...
Good boy. Where's is it?
What?
Our little toy. You usually have it up and running by now.
Twenty one. Why do we have to do this now Kirsty?
Shut up and play darling. Your turn.
Five hundred ninety two thousand seven hundred and four.
Uh... eighty two?
You win! Okay pull over.
But... I thought...
What isn't wrong? Why are you doing this anyway?
Just concentrate on the task at hand please. Listen to me. You should be giving ME this lecture.
You've been cheating on me haven't you?
Yes I had a quickie with the neighbor during your last contraction.
Oh my God. It's coming out.
What?
OH MY GOD TREVOR! It hurts!! oh my God, Oh my God. Trevor, It's coming out.
How does feel to be Mr. Kirsty Hughes for a whole year.
In a word? Lucrative.
The best business decision if you ever made I'll bet.
Enjoyable too. The merger never even felt work for one second.
You know what the family lawyer told me one our wedding day?
What?
Never to put you in my will.
But you had more wisdom than to listen to a false prophet
And besides, I thought, to hell with it... it's okay if you only married me for my money.
Really, why's that?
Happy Anniversary, Mrs. Gooding.
Kirsty... Kirsty?
You're alive...
Trevor I've decided we have got to agree on a name before we reach my mother's. This poor kid's going to be starting preschool as student x if we don't make up our minds. So, I've been thinking, what about Daisy?
Thanks for coming down Mr. Gooding. Has your head healed okay by now?
Where's my wife?
What evidence?
For one thing there were no skid marks on that bridge, the tires were all intact, from what we could tell, nothing wrong internally with the vehicle either. Like the car had been driven off the bridge intentionally.
It should all in the report. I told you guys everything. She was giving birth in the fucking car. She grabbed the wheel and I lost control.
Sorry I'm in your seat aren't I?
I thought you loved games.
I'll just stay out of this conversation until you come out and tell me why you've disrupted me at work.
You and your wife were playing a game shortly before you got into that car accident weren't you?
Sorry to take up your time like that Trevor. Don't work too hard. Oh, before I forget. I talked your neighbor out of pressing charges.
What?
The whackjob in the black lipstick who lives down the hall? She wanted you arrested for harassment. I told her to chill out and smoke a joint. I'd look the other way as long as she did you know?
Thanks.
Morgue...?
Look Larry I know you never thought too much of me. And I know this all sounds a little fucked up.
A little? Try unbelievably.
Trevor barring the more outrageous aspects of your claim you are not the only widower the police have questioned when foul play is suspected.
Hey ninety five point three percent of all murders are committed by either a spouse, a direct relative or a close friend that's common knowledge. But this wasn't murder it was an accident-
And as far as hiding a body goes? I find it hard to believe even the dirtiest of cops would keep a victim's remains hidden simply to get someone to confess. It's absolutely preposterous. Now I'm not saying I don't believe you, I'm....ambiguous. There's quite alot of money behind all this.
What happens if I'm convicted of Kirsty's murder?
Please Larry. Pretend you like me and humor me.
Seeing you were her sole benefactor, and I'm the executive of the will, Kirsty's entire estate would have to be donated to the city.
Hello? City? Cops? It's a fucking conspiracy!
Pardon my glibness Trevor but you sound like a raving lunatic. The next time you seek counsel it should be of the psychiatric type. You're obviously on the verge of some nervous collapse.
Least let me finish will ya? Got one puff left.
I don't work here.
Hey buddy!
... but I'm starting to think I was... I was going to...
What do you want?!
Do you know where you are?
Ambulance.
Okay how many fingers am I holding up?
Two.
You mean... when the car went off the bridge?
Poor Trevor.
This game is over do you hear me?
How is our little student doing? Has he learned his lesson yet?
I don't know who you are or what you want. I just want to know what's under that sheet...
What's under that sheet...?
I don't know what I'm doing here. I'm not even Catholic. I just had to tell somebody. It's like, ever since my wife died I don't know what I've actually done or what I've imagined. But I do know if one tenth of what's happening to me is reality... I've done some really awful things in my life. Things that I've... I guess I've
What things do you think you've done?
But I saw these women. I saw their mutilated bodies. I saw their ghosts. I just know it happened I can feel it...
All you've got is the here and the now Trevor. That's all anyone really has. Maybe this will make things easier to understand. A man goes to sleep every night and has recurring dream that he's a butterfly. In time he begins to wonder if he might actually be a butterfly who dreams he's a man. And at the end of the day does
But that's what I need. To be sure... to be absolutely sure...
Dreams?
I was going to say dimensions. But I guess technically they are dreams.
Trevor your body has been completely healed. All the nerve endings have repaired themselves. If there is any pain in your head it's... in your head.
My teacher told me once there's a puncture point on your body that can lock your soul within it, even after you're dead. So that when you die you're trapped inside your body, watching it corrode for all eternity.
It was an analogy. Your soul is locked up inside you. You need to free it Trevor. You've blocked it from the healing process. That's what we need to do now. Heal your soul. And to do that I you have to give in utterly and without any hesitation or doubt. Do you know what I mean by giving in? It's about trust. Do
I don't even know what's real and what isn't how can I trust anyone?
Are you ready?
Wait... what the hell is this...
... knock on my door, I'm a total insomniac.
-Tawny.
Whew. You bounce right back don't you?
Last week...
It's not that kind of date.
Hey. Can I borrow something?
Uh... sure, Tawny... what?
Tawny? What's- what are you doing?
You okay?
I'm, uh, not sure... Feeling kind of weird actually.
I'm kinda feeling nuts myself!
I've never said this to a woman before but can't we talk a little bit before grabbing at each other?
Wow. That's good. Lots of capers, huh?
If you ever smelled this coming from our dorm room, you knew one of us was in there getting laid.
You must have been very proud of yourselves...
Tawny I think I'm going to be sick.
Whoa, I have serious space issues, dude. What do you want?
I... think we need to talk, there's something really strange going on...
Hey you're the guy from down the hall.
Come on, quit fucking around. Listen it's about... what we did together last night.
And you pulled people out? You're... a hero.
Nah, I fucked it up. I was tryin' to impress this kid, don't ask me why. I was gonna rescue his old man, but I couldn't find the poor bastard. He musta blew up. I got the hell outta there. I didn't have the nerve to face the kid.
A lotta people wouldn't have tried. It was pretty brave even trying...
You got a drinking problem or what?
I sell them at the recycling center. Gives me a little for gas and food.
Looks like you live in here, for Chrissake!
You should give it to someone with only one leg.
One leg! Like the Red Cross or something?
Sell it to him. You get a couple bucks, it pays for the ride. I got a job, nice apartment. I do okay.
They interview you or anything? At the plane crash?
Hey, Bubber, c'mere! I gotta talk to you, buddy.
LaPlante!
I just wanna talk with you for a minute. Then you can jump. You can jump twice for all I care.
Talk from there. You can talk from there.
That's for Ga... Ms. Gayley.
What am I, a goddamn postman? I'm way the fuck up here, I'm scared a heights, and you want me to deliver a letter? Put a stamp on it for Chrissake!
That's close enough. It's a confession. The truth. Jesus, I'm sorry, LaPlante. I had the shoe, you said you didn't want, publicity because of your legal problems.
I don't recall saying I didn't want a million bucks...
I never really thought they'd go for it. And then... you didn't come forward, they investigated my war record... I kept expecting you to show up and expose me...
I was in the can, for Chrissake.
The bathroom! For two days?
Jail! Listen, Bubber... This is crazy. We could fall off of here.
You should go in. You're risking your life again...
What have I done? I was dirt poor and useless... but I was honest.
You stole her purse! While you were saving her?
What's the big deal? You decided to pretend you were me. A little moment of weakness, right? So I sorta swiped her purse. I got feet of clay too, bUddy.
And she thinks you're blackmailing me?
Which don't sound like such a bad goddamn idea, John.
Huh? Whadda you mean?
Well, we gotta work this thing out, John. It's a goddamn mess an' I'm halfway to doing serious time in the joint an' the TV lady's so stuck on you she don't want it to come out you stole her purse because it might break the heart of millions. Looka those maniacs, willya? They love you, for Chrissake!
I don't need to be a hero, LaPlante, but I can't face people... the looks in their eyes... after the trust they gave me!
Great! You make this big goddamn mess, then ya jump. Beautiful! Listen, John, I was there at the hospital today, I seen you with those little bastards .
It was you! I thought I heard...
I'm not saying I hate sick people or anything but I hate being <u>around</u> them if you know what I mean. There <u>you</u> go, you <u>inspire</u> this kid to <u>live</u>. I probably woulda vomited on him.
You got those people out of the plane, LaPlante, not me.
You <u>woulda</u> gone in there, you wouldn'ta thought twice... Trust me on that, that's the kinda guy you are. For a guy like me, it's a momentary loss of sanity. I wasn't thinking clearly. Listen, I'm no hero, John. I just want some dough and maybe a little favor. How much didja spend already on all that do-gooder bullshit? You didn't spend it <u>all</u>
Well, I donated a lot to different causes, uh... La...
Bernie. Call me Bernie.
You got it? Four year scholarship to a top college, plus Medical School or Law School or whatever Joey wants; pay off the $2,500 to my attorney, plus pay her fee in full, plus my annual consulting fee...
And give a deposition to the jUdge.
Listen, John, you better double my attorney's fee. She's very inexperienced, but she done a great job for me. And give her your autograph. She thinks you're some kinda holy man.
On the deposition for the jUdge, Bernie... I mean there's no way I can promise anything. I can't tell him what we're up to...
You'll tell him I talked you out of jumping, right? Just keep me outta prison.
I... I'll do the best I can, Bernie.
I dunno. It was... an impulse. Me, wearing my good shoes.
Same with me, pretending I was you. An impulse. Why not? I had this shoe.
There was this kid there saying, "Go in there and save my father, mister." And I'm thinking about my boy Joey and this goddamn fireman my wife's seeing. It was like I was supposed to save myself.
Yeah, and with me it was like I was supposed to pretend the shoe was mine.
Looking... good, partner. Hang in there.
What's going on? "Guilty"! What is this?
I got your bail continued.
"Anticipation of incarceration"?
He means prison, Mr. LaPlante.
I know what he means. I'm not a prison kinda guy, Miss O'Day. I'm a goddamn working man for Chrissake! Maybe I "augment" my income a little with some "business deals," maybe summa the guys I sell to are crooks, how would I know, I'm not an investigator. You can't make it on a wage no more, not in this country.
I think our best course right now would be to focus on the Probation Officer's report...
He gives a good report and I walk?
We can hope. You still have your job, right?
Yeah, I been calling in sick. They think I got the flu.
And a son by your ex-wife? Joseph.
A son, yeah. What about him? Joey.
Are you pretty involved in his upbringing?
Involved! Christ! She attached my goddamn paycheck! Child support. Why do you think I can't afford a lawyer? You know what I mean. Why I got a court appointed lawyer instead of a, uh, more experienced...
I understand. How often do you see your son?
Often, uh.
How recently?
Uh, his birthday, uh, May. I think.
It's November.
She don't like me to see him. Says I'm a bad influence.
Uh, I know you're having financial difficulties, Mister LaPlante, but I wonder if... I mean, the money I loaned you...
"The Angel of Flight 104!" You're telling me you're the A...?
"Angel!" I didn't say "angel," that's a little strong. Listen, here's the thing, I gotta get over there to the TV station to collect my million bucks.
Mister LaPlante, I really want to help you, but crazy stories are only going to make it worse. The D.A. is asking your bail be set at twenty-five thousand dollars because you were arrested again while you were out on bail...
Whaddaya mean they didn't reduce the bail? If they didn't reduce it, how'dja spring me?
I took a loan on my car and my computer.
You whaaaaaat? You paid it? You gave a bondsman ten percent?
I was inspired by the hero, how he stuck his neck out for others, how he took a chance...
That fake <u>inspired</u> you to loan a guy who's been fired off his job <u>twenty-five hundred</u> goddamn dollars? A guy you say is probably gonna <u>do</u> <u>time</u>! You're s'posed to be an <u>attorney</u> for Chrissake! You're s'posed to have <u>good judgment</u>!
Listen, now that I owe you twenty-five hundred bucks plus, how about loaning me twenty for cab fare?
So you can call me "naive," Mister LaPlante.
Hey, you could call me "Bernie," forget the "Mister LaPlante" stuff. You are naive.
I read the probation report. It's not good. I think you're going... going to prison, Mister... Bernie. I know that scares you but..
I seen on the TV where that do-gooder asshole's gonna go visit sick kids at three-thirty. Children's Hospital, on the double.
Hey! Do I have a record? Have I ever done time? I mean I been arrested a few times, who hasn't? Parking tickets for Chrissake! Suspicion of stuff! Have I ever been convicted of anything?
Mister LaPlante...
Take a look at my employment record, you got my employment record there, right? You see any unemployment there, any welfare? I'm a taxpayer. They eat me alive, the tax people, they got taxes on everything, taxes, taxes, taxes, and forms! Taxes and forms so I can pay your goddamn salary, so you can sit there and write stuff, guys like me pay your
Mister LaPlante...
Do I hit anybody? You see me shoot anybody? Hey, drugs! Do I sell drugs? Jesus, I don't belong in prison. I'm a family man.
Mister LaPlante...
Some guys been looking for me, Chick? Spanish kinda guys.
Spanish kinda guys!
What is it, five days now I don't see you!
Nope. Legal problems, you gotta have a good attorney.
My attorney, she's just outta law school, about a couple of years older than my kid, for Chrissake.
You gotta kid? How old's your kid?
Nine. I think. Maybe ten. Yeah, ten. Nice kid.
You got a ten year old attorney, Bernie?
I didn't even know you had a kid.
The thing about kids is, they're so... young! They don't know nothin' yet. When you're a kid, you think you're gonna grow up an' be a "wonderful person" instead of an asshole, like everybody else.
We're all assholes, Bernie?
Bernie, how'sa kid?
You don't wanna know, Chick, you don't wanna know. Those guys been in here?
You in business with those guys or what? I wouldn't want a problem for the establishment, Bern.
Hey, I don't blame you for bein' sore. I know I screwed up gettin' busted in here. You got a right to throw me out.
What wouldja say if I toldja I ran into a burning plane an' saved a buncha people, Chick, an' risked my goddamnlife?
You mean like Bubber? The hero?
Yeah, like that. Same thing.
Well... I mean... what am I supposed to say here, Bern? Is this a riddle or what?
I mean, if I said it, wouldja believe me? Ya wouldn't, would ya?
It's a character thing, Bernie. I mean, you wouldn't do it. No offense. Me neither. I mean, a guy like Bubber, he's a certain kinda guy. Heroic. You and me, we're not... heroic. It's not our nature. It don't mean we're bad or nothing. We're just not so inclined. What about it?
Nothin'.
I wouldn't be depressed about it, Bern. A guy don't have to be heroic to be a human being.
The thing is, Chick. I'm goin' down.
Bill, I...
DON'T SAY "BILL," BERNIE! DON'T SAY ONE WORD! DIDN'T I SAY "ONE WORD AND YOU'RE FIRED?"
I...
YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE IT'LL BE AN <u>EXCUSE</u>! IT'LL BE "BERNIE LAPLANTE EXCUSE NUMBER FOUR THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND SIX." NO, FOUR THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND TWELVE. THAT'S HOW MANY EXCUSES YOU HAVE GIVEN ME, I KEEP TRACK OF THEM ELECTRONICALLY. I HEARD THEM ALL, BERNIE.
Bill, I got some legal problems and I...
THAT'S IT! YOU TALKED! YOU'RE FIRED! OUTTA HERE! GET OUTTA HERE!
Bill, listen...
OUT! I TOLDJA. JESUS CHRIST, I GOT CUSTOMERS WAITING! AN' YOU WERE GONNA GO OUT LIKE THAT? AN' MEET THE PUBLIC IN STOCKING-FUCKING-FEET?
Bill, I got financial problems and...
He waited for you three hours!
You are not gonna believe this, Evelyn! Absolutely fantastic! I'm on my way --
I am so tired of your bullshit, Bernie.
Ev, it's not my fault! I'm trying to tell you this incredible --
It's never your fault, Bernie! Never ever! You screwed up my life, now you're gonna screw up Joey's life, but you're never gonna accept responsibility for anyth--
Is he here, your friend. The fireman?
He had an emergency call... a <u>real</u> emergency.
Willya lemme talk for Chrissake? I'm trying to tell you what happened. What happened is...
That's what I'm trying to... to... okay, nevermind. Just lemme talk to Joey to... to apologize.
He's in bed! You're not gonna wake him and make him crazy, do you understand? He comes home from the zoo, he wants to know if Elliot's a "war hero" like you... he wants to know how many people you killed...
"Elliot"? The heroic goddamn fireman?
I had to explain your tendancy to "exaggerate", How you were actually "in country" all of two weeks and how you killed about as many people as the other clerk-typists in your outfit, no more, no less...
Three weeks, Ev. I didn't tell him I killed anybody...
Maybe not,... but you let him believe it! And then I gotta explain about the homeless...
The homeless!
Listen, it's important, Ev, I gotta see him, I got my reasons, very goddamn important...
Use the phone, Bernie, call him tomorrow, he'd like to hear from you. Where's your other shoe? Never mind! I don't want to know. Some fantastic adventure, right? Something really crazy.
I was giving him some advice is all. Preparing him for life. You don't want him to grow up soft, Ev , it's tough out there, it's a goddamn jungle.
You!
Camera, Chucky. Are you Bernard LaPlante, sir? What is your relationship with John Bubber?
Turn that thing off.
How did you acquire this, Mister LaPlante?
How do ya think I got it, for Chrissake? Hey, put that thing down. This is my goddamn apartment, you can't just...
For God's sake, tell him I'm on my way. Let's go, Chucky. A police escort is gonna pick us up en route. You too, LaPlante.
Me!
If you're not in the car in ten seconds, I'll have the cops pick you up.
The cops! What kinda bullshit is this? Is this America or -- ?
My fault! My fault! This nut case goes out on a ledge and it's my fault?
If anything happens to John BUbber, Mister LaPlante I'm going to see you prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
What, is everybody in love with this, bozo? I don't get this. What about...?
Yes, everybody <u>is</u> in love with John Bubber. The whole country, in fact. And they're not going to be happy if he jumps to his death because he was harassed by a lousy little money-grubbing low-life fence...
"Harassed." Cause I yelled at him when he's riding in his limo? The guy's a thief, he took my...
He had one <u>tiny</u>, uncharacteristic moment of weakness. That's not the same thing as a lifetime of petty crime...
Hey, lady, I got faults, I know I'm not perfect but I don't get this at all, your attitude. I saved your...
A lifetime of petty crime climaxed by your sleaziest accomplishment yet... blackmailing a national hero...
-- saved your... whaaaaaaat? What? Blackmailing...?
You think I haven't figured it out? Just because the cops aren't on to you yet doesn't mean you're home free. I'm a veteran reporter. I've seen your kind before, the underbelly of crime.
Underbelly!
All this is off the record, Chucky, because if John Bubber lives, Mister LaPlante is going to give him his assurance that there will be no more "misbehavior" on his part. What's more he's going to apologize.
I'm going to apologize to Bubber?
I could deny I had those credit cards on the plane with me, LaPlante...
Lie, you mean...
Well, maybe I wouldn't lie...but I could tell the story the way I did just now, so that people could understand that John is even more of a hero, and that you... you're the lowest thing that ever crawled. Your name will be synonymous with cynical opportunism and blackmail. You won't get a cent.
I got a kid, you know. I'm a person, for Chrissake.
I snuck in.
You media people, you think you can just go anywhere you want, spy on people.
Listen, Mister LaPlante... uh, Bernie... Who... are... you?
Who am I? You're asking me? You're the big expert for Chrissake! I'm what? The "Scumbag," right? The sleazebag something or other, the blackmailer, the...
Was it you? In the plane? Who saved my life?
Me? Listen, I don't give no interviews. That was John Bubber. You wanna ask me questions, you could talk to my attorney, Miss O'Day.
This guy, this "friend" your mother's seeing, he's a fireman, huh? He ever... spend the night, whatsisname?
Sometimes. His name's Elliot. He saved a guy's life one time. In a fire.
Oh yeah? A hero, huh? Was he in the 'Nam, this guy Elliot?
"The Nomm"? What's that?
It was this war. Viet Nam. Doesn't matter.
Were you in it? In the war?
You never saw that picture, huh?
What picture?
Are you gonna take me somewhere next weekend?
Here. Get off here.
Listen, buddy, I'm really enjoying this relationship we got going here. I been missing out on not knowing you better. Thing is, I got all this business stuff...
Here we are. Yeah, that's a possibility. A movie. Now you gwan in, tell your mother I got you back on time. Point that out to her. She was always on my case for stuff like that. She's still like that, right?
Yeah, my dad's great. He took me to the zoo.
You remember where I said how I was gonna explain about life, buddy? Well, the thing about life is... it gets weird. See people are always gonna be talking to you about "truth." Everybody always knows what the truth is, like it was toilet paper or something and they got a supply in the closet. But what you learn as you get older is,
Uh, no.
Uh, er... I...
You were saying you don't want a million dollars.
Well, I'm not entitled to a million dollars. I... I... didn't expect... I didn't expect...
All the adulation? It makes you feel like a fake, doesn't it?
Instant celebrity is overwhelming to anybody. <u>You've</u> known John Bubber all your life, you're used to him, you know you're the same human being you were before all the excitement. So you feel like a fraud...
Yes.
Is she... serious? A half a million dollars? In my behalf?
Uh, no. But I, uh, wonder if you could up support... support a program to help the needy and...
Uh, if you could, just, uh, support, uh, a small airfield...
Years? There are going to be lots of... opportunities.
I... I know that, John...
You... you think I saved your... life. I can't take advantage....
I... no... I don't have the right... I...
No, I don't have the right. You're a <u>news</u> <u>story</u>!
I know the truth, John. I'm flying in some guys from your unit in Vietnam tomorrow. Interviewing them live on network hookup!
Vietnam!
You were... very... inspiring.
A script! I thought we just walked through everything...
Now you help me up. Boy, you seem... taller. It must be psychological... now that I know you saved my life...
Gale! I can't go through with this! It's... it's all wrong!'
You're doing fine. You didn't actually lift me though. It was more like you supported me.
That's not what I mean...
There, like that. Kind of, uh, sexy. You can support me anytime, John.
Gale...
I just remembered. You were talking about bodybuilding and swearing.
It's not right, Gale...
Gale! This is for you. I want you to know I never meant to hurt you. This will explain everything.
John, I know all about it.
"A little mistake"!
Did you get it? Jesus, did I say that?
What're we talking about? Reach out for what?
We're gonna wait here? The guy could be hours.
Maybe, maybe not. I have a feeling this guy is important somehow.
Hey, listen, great that you're a career-fiend, I got a wife and family, I...
What's the matter?
What is it?
The...Silver...Mike...Award!
This guy LaPlante won an award?
"For Excellence in the Pursuit of Truth."
Swiped your purse! While he was saving you? You gotta be kidding!
He's gotta be a nut! He saves all those people and swipes a <u>purse</u>?
It would make me feel like a human being instead of a cynical, hardbitten newswoman. Besides it wouldn't be a bad story, would it, "Newswoman Saves Suicide?"
Unprofessional.
You just can't bear the idea of good news.
She broke up with her boyfriend. Listen, babe, we needja back. You gotta follow up on the jumper, find the human interest in the grim, unending tale of woe that pours from the wounded heart of the heartless metropolis.
The story behind the story, the ugly scandal behind the falling millionaire, the dirt, you mean.
That too.
There's a lot of confusion around what went on last night, it's not clear...
You said all the passengers were accounted for...
We're piecing together different accounts and...
There could be problems with something like that Mister Wallace. What if...?
How'd it go?
He's right. It's unprofessional.
Saving people is not our job. It's as wrong to step in and save someone as it would be to push someone off.
Ticket! What's going on?
She's flying to New York. She's been nominated for a Silver Mike...
Not bad. But if you gotta wear a cast, you oughtta feature it more it's parta the story. Network's taking everything we give 'em. They wanta feed off our six o'clock whether we find the mystery guy or not. We're very big nationally.
It's a wonderful piece. Emotional. I love it.
We're gonna feature Gale's cast more. The trick is gonna be keeping the upper hand on this piece. As long as we have Gale and there's no mystery guy, we're the center of the story. But if he shows up and somebody else gets him first or exclusive...
I thought they'd all go "It's him! It's him!" and hug the guy or something.
Relax, Wally. He had the shoe and the shoe checks out.
Does this mean I can stop worrying? Where'd we put him?
Upset! What's he upset about?
Said he's not an actor.
He's not <u>supposed</u> to be an actor, that's the whole point. He's a <u>real</u> <u>life</u> <u>hero</u>, all he has to do is <u>act</u> like a real life hero. That's the <u>beauty</u> of the <u>concept</u>, the whole <u>freshness</u> of it. Did she call him back?
She's talking to him now.
Whaddaya mean what do I wanna know? I wanna know everything. Who's this screwball LaPlante for Pete's sake, what the hell's he doing out there, auditioning for the priesthood? You're supposed to be on top of this, Gale, don't... "Quit!" You can't quit! It's unprofessional!
Quit? She wants to quit?
She wants to quit?
Gale shoulda aired that bit first, she's the one who found this clown LaPlante! She let Channel Eight get a beat on us.
Listen, Deak, what if Bubber <u>has</u> got something to hide? What if he's the wrong guy, not really the hero...?
Helluva story!
It's not unthinkable.
What?
The Presidency. The public loves him.
He lost a shoe!
Who lost a shoe? Wash your hands.
My father didn't have his shoes on when he... when he came here.
You were in bed. Weren't you?
My God! It... it <u>is</u> him!
If I gave you the impression I hated him I didn't mean to. I... I hate the way he <u>behaves</u>... he's selfish and self-centered and cynical...
What's "cynical"?
Oh my God! Bernie!
Hi, Chief. You like the suicide?
Never reach out!
I didn't say I thought we should have saved him..
You didn't?
I haven't won it yet. I notice you've got me scheduled on a flight back an hour after the ceremony.
LaPlante! That asshole! I don't... Hey, is that you, from the tee vee? In person?
We're from Channel Four, yes. We'd like to find --
"This is Gale Gayley for Channel Four News!" Incredible. Unbelievable! For Bernie LaPlante! He's a celebrity now? 'Cause he stole <u>paint</u>?
Shouldn't we have buzzed him to let him know --
No dead body. Too bad. Not too often you guys get pictures of a body even before the cops get there. Exclusive!
There's no face really, nothing to work with. Big dots, that's all you'll get.
Is he like that in real life? So gorgeous?
He's pretty... remarkable.
You didn't... get it on with him?
Don't be ridiculous. I'm a reporter.
Reporters don't have hormones?
Hey, Miss Gayley, there's a cop looking for you. From Robbery Detail, Inspector Dayton. He wants you to call him.
What about?
I didn't ask him.
Excuse me, Ms. Gayley. That guy Inspector Dayton... he's recovered a bunch of your credit cards and he wants...
Who?
Inspector Dayton, the cop from Robbery Detail who was looking for you. They caught the guy who stole your credit cards trying to sell them and he wants...
You test each one thoroughly?
You better believe it, buddy. Your average Rolls Royce doesn't have to pass as many tests. You want consistency? You want dependability? You want safety?
Safety?
Look at that. You can't buy better protection than that. That there is your Man's Best Friend.
How are they with kids?
They're great with kids. They love 'em. They eat 'em up. I'm kidding.
So this really does the trick, eh?
So, <u>Neil</u>. How's it goin'?
Okay.
Hey, c'mon.
Give it here, Bernard.
Was that your dad?
So where are all your toys?
Let's watch some TV.
Where are these toys of yours?
A lot of my stuff hasn't been unpacked yet. Here's the TV.
Are you being helped, sir?
I'm looking for some perfume.
Any particular brand?
Well, it's for a woman.
Wife, girlfriend or mother?
How's the new place?
It's great. It's clean and airy and quiet -- there are trees and flowers. There's still some fixing up I have to do, but it's coming along.
And the rent is okay?
Oh, it's nothing. No problem. I was really lucky to find this place.
All right then. That's important, isn't it? -- For you to be in an "up" environment. I'm saying you should literally take that as your <u>base</u>, do you know what I mean? It's something positive that you've accomplished -- even if you were forced by circumstance -- something for you to build upon.
Right.
And what about work? Have you had any more thoughts about what you'd like to be doing now?
Well, I've been doing a little independent contracting, some carpentry here and there, y'know, do-it-yourself-type stuff. I still find it very soothing.
I'm happy that you're working again. As long as it comes naturally, that's terrific. You've always liked working with your hands, haven't you?
Yeah, since I was a kid. I had a woodwork class once when I was... in school that time. Then I learned a lot more when I was in the --
-- hospital.
-- institution.
Right. So, you have a new place, you've started working a bit -- I'm sure you'll be meeting some new people.
Actually, I have met someone. There's a woman I think I like.
Yeah, things are moving along, but she's still involved with this other guy and it's a little tricky.
Listen, no one ever said expressing yourself to the opposite sex is easy, but when the time comes, you have to do it and you <u>hope</u> the outcome will be good for both of you. You come out of solitary and you rejoin the human race, as difficult as that sometimes can be.
I guess so. I mean, I know I'm responsible for my own actions. It was never because I was angry with anyone. I didn't mean to hurt anyone ever.
And how are things with your lady friend, if I may call her that?
Oh, fine. She's gone away for a little while and when she comes back I've sort of resolved to really tell her how much I care for her.
That's terrific. Don't be afraid to be demonstrative. You're sounding a lot more confident than when we last spoke.
I am. I'm really feeling pretty good. I have a much stronger sense of how far I've come.
As long as you keep remembering why.
Well, we talked about the whole disapproval thing.
The whole disapproval thing. If you allow yourself to get into a situation where someone else's potential disapproval becomes the focal point of your life -- then you're back to a life of fear, aren't you? -- You're a prisoner to that again, and that isn't much of a life.
I understand that.
And please, don't for God's sake misinterpret that as being the voice of discouragement in any way --
No, no, no, no.
On the contrary -- this is tremendous. I mean, we're all frightened to death of disapproval and we're constantly hiding behind these layers we manufacture for ourselves -- and I'm not saying we should, you know, <u>declare</u> ourselves unhesitatingly to our fellow human beings in the interests of total openness and honesty --
That would be stupid.
That would be monumentally stupid. All I'm saying is --
-- a sense of proportion.
Things are beginning to come to a head. I can feel it. And I want everything to be perfect.
Who doesn't?
I've cultivated her interests so that now we have even more in common than ever.
Well, now, don't go creating some artificial environment for yourself.
Oh no -- I mean, she's genuinely made me more fulfilled in many ways -- and I hope eventually to be able to teach her a few things, too. What I mean is, I guess I'm still waiting for just that right -- synthesis between us -- where everything will be understood between us without even the need for words.
It's not going to happen unless you make it happen, my friend. You're going to have to assert yourself a little bit more. <u>Show</u> your affection.
Yeah, maybe you're right. Everything else is just an excuse. I'm treating the situation with kid gloves because I'm afraid of losing her.
<u>Ask</u> her how she feels.
I should.
You have to put yourself out there a bit more.
Right.
Well, these are good signs -- she's broken up with him and the two of you seem to be developing quite a rapport.
I <u>know</u>. I just feel that the relationship has reached that delicate stage where the slightest little thing could wreck the careful groundwork I've laid up till now.
I can't help you if you don't help yourself. It's really up to you. Brooding endlessly isn't going to help matters any.
There's so much I want to say to her, it's all jumbled up in my mind, and I don't want her to misunderstand --
Oh, well, do you fix refrigerators?
Sure.
Well, can I make an appointment?
Oh, great.
Yeah, that was easy.
Do you do washing machines, too?
Everything breaks at once.
Isn't that always the way?
So, you're just kind of a roving --
-- General handyman, yeah. I do carpentry, too, painting, almost any odd job around the house. I do housesitting while the owners are away. In fact, that's why I've been in the area. I've been living very close by. Here's the part that's giving you trouble, but I won't be able to get a replacement till the stores open tomorrow morning.
I apologize for that scene with my husband. You must have overheard.
An occupational hazard, I'm afraid.
I bet. Going into people's homes.
Do you have a family?
Uh, no -- I've never really found the time to settle down.
You must value your independence.
Yeah, I've always been able to make my way in the world. I don't like having to rely on other people.
It's nice that you can make that choice.
I was alone a lot as a child. No one to compete with. My parents ensured that I found happiness in the smallest things. When you're all alone it's your own world, you don't have to take orders from anybody. You don't necessarily believe the stories people tell you.
Not me, I fell for it right down the line. Be a good girl and believe all the fairy tales. He married me because I was pretty.
I was driving by -- I saw all the cars. Are you all right?
Yeah, I'm okay -- it's been a long night.
What happened?
I was thinking about our conversation the other day -- what you said about choices.
Uh huh.
Yeah, you know, that in life you really have to choose what you want to do.
Listen, I'm sorry, but it's really late -- you don't have to come tomorrow to work on the floor.
Yeah, right -- I really have to go to bed.
About what?
About us.
I found a cent!
'"... or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house down!" And inside their new house, the three little pigs just laughed -- '
Hey. Have a nice time -- it's a good school.
Baby, what is it?
I'm thirsty.
It's the middle of the night, sweetie.
A man scared me.
A man? Was it a dream?
Your daddy and I are kind of mad at each other right now, so we have to spend some time apart.
Why are you mad at each other?
You know how sometimes Neil bugs you and you just get up and walk away from him?
Uh huh.
Well, that's what happens with grownups, too.
Did Daddy tease you?
Daddy's gone where Rudolf went and isn't coming back!
"Hi. I'm Mr. Edgar!" Look, Mommy, it doesn't even hurt him.
Mommy!
You've done a really great job with the house. It's great!
Yeah. There's still a lot I want to do. It's not quite... the kids aren't really settled in yet. Even the dog has been terribly high-strung and whines a lot since we've been here. Look, he hasn't even come in for his food today.
So you don't have anything concrete?
No, I told you. A whiff of perfume on his shirt.
Have you just plain asked him?
I've asked him what's wrong.
And?
The same thing -- his business pressures, the whole move and everything. He's frantic about nailing this new job, worried about screwing over his present boss.
I'm sure that's all it is, honey. Maybe you both just need a vacation.
I've tried to get him to agree to one. I just -- I don't know... I'm getting such weird vibes lately.
Rita, he's only twelve years old,
C'mon, kids, let's go.
Why can't you just drive me to my old school every morning?
Because you'd have to get up at five a.m., would you like that?
I could take a cab on the way home.
Here, take this out to the table.
Has anyone seen Rudolf? I don't think he came in last night.
No, honey, I haven't seen him. Didn't you feed him this morning?
He doesn't have a temperature.
Thank God.
I think we got it just in time before the ink dried.
Whew.
The pocket's a cinch -- I'll sew it up for you after dinner, okay?
Neil, you could have burned the house down!
Where'd he go?
Neil -- what --
Mom, <u>there's somebody in the</u> <u>house</u>!
Honey --
Honey, do you want some hot chocolate?
No, thanks, Mom -- I'll go up to bed now.
Do you want me to come up and tuck you in?
Neil, calm down.
Neil, don't leave the back doors open -- I don't want Holly near the pool.
I hear what you're saying, but I know what you're thinking.
What?
You're thinking exactly what I thought when I first saw this house,
What's that?
This -- is -- the -- one -- for -- us.
Stop knowing me so well.
I know it's at the high end of our range --
High end? Honey, it's a whole new budget.
But it's what we want.
You wanted furniture too, didn't you?
They don't expect to get what they're asking. Let's make an offer.
You want me to bargain at the high end of our range? -- I'll have a stroke. I've got to save all my sweat for my meeting in three weeks.
You could have a pool to cool off in.
It's a nice pool, isn't it?
And it's a shorter commute.
What if someone else buys it in the meantime?
We're going to think about it.
How were we -- were we cool?
Paul Newman in "The Hustler."
<u>Now</u>, Neil. Stop teasing your sister.
Did you hear that?
What?
Did you hear what he said?
What?
He made, you know, a remark.
Honey, are you okay?
-- And keep my kids away from his property -- who the hell does he think he is? Some nice neighborhood.
Honey, the meeting today is going to be fine. Don't get in an uproar.
I know. It's just having to pass muster with these juniors before the senior partner even agrees to see me.
How was lunch?
Huh?
How was your lunch with Charlie?
Oh -- great.
Well, did he hear anything about your prospects for the new job?
Do you remember who gave us this?
No.
I hear things in this house,
All new houses have noises.
How long does it have to be a new house?
One day before we know it it'll be an old house and we'll be old in it -- and I'll still be paying for it.
Neil's still having a bad time at school. I feel terrible seeing him so upset all the time.
I mean, he's a smart kid, he'll get by -- he takes after me. You're too sensitive.
Yeah, I guess it would be good for us to get away for a while. Maybe Rudolf got the same idea. Dogs need a change of scene, too, from time to time.
No, I'm not kidding you, <u>Philip</u>.
I <u>remember</u> what day you wore that jacket. It was <u>Monday</u>. The day you were all day in <u>meetings</u> again? And had to send out for <u>sandwiches</u>?
Honey, you know what I've been like lately... I've been a total zombie. I have no idea what that was doing in my pocket.
Sweetheart, this is a very risky time for me right now. Maybe you don't appreciate that.
I don't care, Philip. You want to go chasing Barbara Zelman, go ahead. Just watch out for those buck teeth.
Barbara <u>Zelman</u>? I don't believe this!
Do you usually pay for Charlie? At "Trattoria <u>Valentino</u>"?
Honey, I can't track of all the meals Charlie and I have been having. This is a delicate time. If it leaks out that I'm jumping ship before I'm set up someplace else I could be out on my ear before I'm ready with nothing. With <u>nothing</u>.
Who told you that -- someone on the radio?
I thought we'd be happy here.
The cab's waiting!
Where should I hide the car keys?
I don't know -- put 'em in the drawer with all the Chinese take- away menus.
Did the cleaning woman come?
The floor has a nice shine to it. Oh God -- we have twenty-two messages on the machine.
He wants to see me!
Philip! The senior partner?
His secretary just confirmed.
What -- what are you doing?
I think you should feel like dancing at a time like this.
Honey? How did it go? You didn't call me.
He wasn't there.
I get to the restaurant and he's not there. I waited for forty- five minutes. When I called his office, his secretary said they thought I had cancelled. I had cancelled! Then I get back to my office and <u>Aranson</u> is waiting for me and he knows <u>everything</u>.
Oh, honey.
Honey -- I can't find those large- size Hefty trash bags!
Honey, it's not the end of the world. You'll call Lowenthal tomorrow and find out it was just a mix-up. And if he's not interested anymore, then you'll find another company to go to maybe even your own. You are free now, you are independent.
I'm <u>fired</u>. I'm unemployed. Is that your idea of negotiating from a position of strength? Clearly any potential employers have been warned to back off!
That's not the case.
Boy, you really buckle under a little pressure, don't you?
This is for the best, you know it is. Why do my socks keep disappearing!
You're even sadder and more burnt- out than I thought.
Who was that?
I'm having the floor fixed,
And what was that neighbor guy doing here?
Philip, what are <u>you</u> doing here?
I was having a bad day -- I lost that job, I was dependent on other people, I was let down --
There's always an excuse, isn't there?
I think it's time I came home now.
What?
No, Philip, I don't want you coming back here. And if you want to talk to me -- <u>call</u>.
Oh God.
Should I come home when I'm finished there?
It's been on the market a while, hasn't it?
Not very long. There have been a couple of bids already.
Because it caught my eye when it was in a higher price bracket in the listings.
Oh, yes, well, you know, when developers remodel a house they often overestimate their costs at first. It's not like it's been marked down or anything.
Just reduced.
Sometimes they prefer a quicker return on their investment.
This is a terrific entrance hall, What a welcoming feeling.
You'll see that there's really much more space than the average three bedroom.
Oh, space! -- You said the right thing.
How large is your brood?
Two -- three if you count the husband.
God, your sister's really hot.
Let's follow 'em.
What for, dickweed?
It's fun.
Shit!
Are we gonna buy this house?
Dad, we can't decide unless Rudolf gets to look too!
Okay! We have TV! We can all get stupid again!
What about cable?
We'll get cable when the cable company is good and ready -- you think you can survive till then?
All right, who ate the last piece of cheesecake?
Neil, do you mind?
All right then, if I have to go to school then I'd better go.
Why? I just read your report card. What's the point? Stay home, watch some television, we'll get "Mad" magazine delivered. What kind of report card do you call this?!
I've been going through a lot of personal crap, all right?
If you want that baseball jacket for your birthday, Neil, learn to cough a little more realistically.
I have a cold.
What did the thermometer say?
Y'know what? I'm ready to cancel our trip. I really am. I've had it.
And I can't help having a cold.
Hiya, sport. Where'd you come from, huh?
A <u>man</u> started the fire.
You knew a second ago. <u>Who</u> started it?
Do you see a man?
No.
I thought I was supposed to stay in my room.
And this -- is the master bedroom.
Oh yeah? Where's the bed?
Is it a king or a queen?
It's a double.
Even better.
Even cosier.
That's right -- you got the bill this morning. I put it on your desk.
Promise?
I'd like that.
Would you?
Really?
What the hell. What is this? A joke?
No joke, Lieutenant.
Where's the guy we saw in the beginning -- what's his name...?
Parker. We found him knocked out in the can.
Hey, I don't have answers for this. I just brought you down here because of the sword.
Am I supposed to believe that this guy got shot in the chest six times at point blank range and just got up and walked out?
Lieutenant Bedsoe?
Lieutenant?
What? Who are you? What do you want?
My name is Jennifer Hillman. I'm an archaeologist. I read in the paper about the murder yesterday and I thought I should come talk to you.
What do you think?
They appear to be authentic.
Why are people walking around New York with swords, dressed in mid evil clothing?
You didn't see this. Understand?
Did you find a sword? An old sword?
Hey Lieutenant, the boys in robbery have something I think you should look at.
What is it?
A tape from the surveillance camera at the First National Bank. It was robbed this morning.
Really? I want to make sure that I understand what you're telling me, Greley. A crime was committed in New York City? That is news.
That's not all, Lieutenant. Wait until you see the tape. It's unbelievable.
Good -- also, give it to the papers and TV.
Y'know, the guys in robbery are gonna get kind of upset. We're stepping on their toes of this one.
Tough.
It's not a homicide, Lieutenant.
This ties in with Nash.
We don't have any proof of that.
Anything from the bank?
We sent the prints we lifted from the counter at the bank to the State computers, the FBI and interpol. Nothing.
He had to come from somewhere.
I think it was England.
I asked the State Department to check with our Embassies and Interpol to see if there were any similar occurrences like the bank. Two weeks ago in London Charles Redder from the Bronx was mugged in Hyde Park.
I'm in the middle of an interrogation, Captain.
Interrogation's over, Bedsoe.
What?
Cut him loose. The D.A. says you ain't got shit on this guy.
You don't understand. About seven years ago we found the body of a guy named Vasilnic in Jersey. A week later in the parking lot of Madison Square Garden we found Iman Fasil. Three days after that Luman Castageer was found in an alley. The fourth body we've never been able to identify. All four men died from decapitation. Nash was our primary suspect
For Chrissake! Gimme a break. The guy disappears for seven years and as soon as he comes back it starts again.
Detective Bedsoe.
Lieutenant.
When did you get back?
A few days ago.
Where were you last night around nine?
I already told you. I took a walk.
Tell me again. Where'd you go?
Central Park.
Doesn't it scare you walk through the park at night?
No. I don't scare easy.
Where have you been for the last seven years?
Around.
She was a good woman.
You didn't bring me here to talk about her.
I brought you here to talk about him. Do you know him?
No.
You sure?
I'm gonna nail you, Nash. That's a promise.
No. I'm telling you right now, the next person's head that comes off is gonna be yours.
Lieutenant, you're really frightening me.
Good evening, Lieutenant.
No -- it isn't. A cop died today and the other is barely holding on. I want some answers, Nash.
I'm sorry about that -- but I had nothing to do with it.
That doesn't mean you don't know what's going on. You're connected to this guy somehow. He's after you -- just like the others were.
Seven years ago I interviewed a guy. He said he saw two men fighting in an alley with swords. One cut off the others head. He shot the surviving guy twenty times and he got right back up and stabbed him.
Most people would show some sign of fear with a gun in their face.
Yes -- I think it is.
You'll have no need for that, Highlander.
Since we hardly know each other, I'm sure you'll understand if I hold one to it for awhile.
I know that weapon. It belonged to Juan Romeriz. He's dead?
You?
No. He was my brother. He died at anothers hand.
We too are brothers, Macleod. In fact, you have more family than you think.
Who are you?
Thomas Cavenaugh. I am a teacher of sorts. Like Romeriz I help those newly acquainted with our life.
I learned my fill from Romeriz.
The prize? So much blood so that in the end the one that remains will be mortal again. So much pain so that the winner can grow old and have children. The prize hardly seems worth the cost of it.
There will be more to the prize than that. Power will come with it -- and it must be used for good.
The days of magic are ending. The world is changing.
You cannot run from your destiny, Conner.
Must you do that?
What?
Sing.
It is a beautiful day. I am merely enjoying it.
Can't you enjoy it quietly?
Are you always this pleasant? You know what you're problem is?
Life. You've stopped living it. You look, but you do not see. You listen but, you do not hear.
I hear you.
The river.
That's all?
Do you not hear the wind in the trees? The songs of the birds. The horses breath? There is a whole world around you. Alive. Living. Feel it -- become part of it. Live your life, Highlander. It's going to be a long one.
That is what bothers me.
I'm leaving.
Leaving what?
England. There is nothing for me here anymore.
And what do you think you will find in another land?
Maybe myself.
Thank you, Thomas.
For being a friend when I needed one. I hope our paths cross again.
I'm sure they will.
As friends -- always as friends.
We cannot write our destiny, Macleod. In the end it could be you and me.
That is a thought that doesn't please me.
If it came down to it what would you do?
You're looking a wee bit green, Thomas.
The sea and I don't agree with each other. Where we off to?
France.
How long is the voyage?
Not long. We should arrive in the morning. Are you going to be alright?
What are we doing here?
Living. Remember?
To ask her to dance.
She's the King's cousin.
Yes.
What worries you?
You've been seeing her for over a month now. Have you learned nothing from the past?
I've learned that a man can only go so along living alone.
That was two hundred and fifty years ago -- and the pain still scars your heart. Would you live that pain again?
No. What am I to do?
Well?
I'll go first.
No -- I will.
I stood up first.
That doesn't matter.
You can go first.
It will be a good harvest this year.
Can you really tell from doing that?
What do you think?
I think my Sarah fancies you, Conner.
She's a treasure she is.
Your words are kind and they flatter me -- but I think of her as a sister. Besides, you hardly know me.
This cannot be.
It is. Do not ask me how. I do not know. I must leave, for if I stayed others would surely hear of this and worse than they will come.
Agreed.
I would like to say goodbye.
How comes it your are not afraid?
I've come to strike a bargain with you. I wish to learn the power of changing.
And what would'st I gain from this bargain?
Your life.
We had a bargain. You promised.
Aye?
Where do you go when your mind drifts?
Different places.
The past?
Sometimes.
Why is it you never talk to me about Scotland -- your life there.
I cannot stay.
Why not?
Leaving? For how long?
Why?
I cannot explain.
Do you love me, Conner?
Aye.
Then take me with you.
Where I'm going you cannot follow.
Why are you doing this?
Electro magnetic soundings indicate we've only got a few inches of rock left before we reach the main chamber.
Any idea how big the cavern is on the other side?
Huge.
You guys are from the British museum, right?
No -- we're from Strange facts and mysteries. It's a syndicated show out of..
My name is Jennifer Hillman. I was at the police station earlier today--
I remember you.
I was wondering if I could talk to you?
Are you a cop?
No. I'm an archaeologist.
What do you want?
To talk to you.
Corpses?
Yes. We found another man outside a site we were working at in Scotland.
Yes. How did you know?
A lucky guess.
I don't think so -- but then, maybe you've can guess how a guy with a sword could rob the First national Bank this afternoon -- and get shot six times in the chest by the guard and still get up and walk out?
He was wearing a bullet proof vest.
Bullet proof vests don't bleed.
You got me.
Why do I feel that you know what's going on?
Are you the type of person who takes advice, Miss Hillman?
If it's good advice.
This is. Go home. Stay out of this.
Where did you get it?
You're hurt.
I'll be fine.
What's going on? Why did he call you Macleod?
Because it's my name.
Then who's Russell Nash?
You are a very persistent woman, Miss Hillman.
Why do you stare at me like that?
I don't have any answers for you.
Who was that man last night?
I don't know.
Do you always walk around with a sword?
New York is dangerous place.
You talk to me -- but you don't answer my questions. I guess I'll have to talk to Lieutenant Bedsoe.
About what?
It probably wouldn't interest you. It's something I read in a mythology book.
I'm interested in mythology.
No.
Yes.
Meet me Tratino's at nine.
Why?
Good evening.
You're twenty minutes late.
You didn't answer my question.
You have an interesting accent. Where are you from?
I'm just trying to place you.
You're not an easy person to get to know.
Why? Because I don't give up all my secrets?
How come you wanted to meet tonight?
That makes you uncomfortable?
A little -- yes. My interest in coming here is profession.
Is it?
Yes -- it is.
Alright. In the shop you mentioned something about--
--the Calan. Do you know who they are?
Have you told Lieutenant Bedsoe your theory?
No.
Why not?
Because I don't feel like sitting in a rubber room for forty-eight hours.
Let me ask you something else. At the excavation site in Scotland, the tunnel leading into the cavern had collapsed. The day we found the body someone had moved the rocks, making a hole in the collapsed section. What bothers me is that we found the rocks from the hole on our side of the tunnel wall.
So?
Why would someone pull on the rocks to get in the cavern? They were wedged in tight. They couldn't get a grip on them. They would have had much more strength pushing on them.
If they pushed the rocks you would have found them on the other side of the cavern wall.
That would mean they'd been trapped in there--
--for three hundred years.
How could that be? People don't live for three hundred years.
Would you like to see it?
I've seen it.
On the back it has--
--the crest of a lion and a dragon and a single word: Courage.
It came from your great, great, great grandmother, Isabelle Tourez, who lived in Paris and died on the guillotine in 1789 -- alone -- and unmarried. The ring was given to her by someone who loved her -- but knew that it could never be.
You wanted the truth -- now you have it.
And the other one -- he is like you?
Where will you go now?
It will end tonight.
Must you fight him?
He's in there!
Be careful, Conner.
What now?
Now I can start to live. To feel. To grow old and live each day without the promise of another.
Just a little. Who knows what we're going to find in there. It could be a huge excavation. A little friendly PR never hurt.
Where is the film crew from the British Museum?
They've had a little car trouble. I'm afraid they won't be here until after dark.
We're holding the workers down below.
Why?
Someone broke into the cavern last night.
He's fine. He swears he never left his post for a moment. He heard a noise and when he went back to look they were already inside.
How could they get by him?
We found him this morning.
What's that next to him?
Incredible. The cloth -- the buttons -- it looks to be mid sixteen hundreds. It's a remarkable duplication.
I don't think it is a duplication.
It has to be.
You stayed here again last night?
I was working on the cataloging.
Jennifer, there is more to life than work.
Do you? Then why don't you go out? Meet someone. Make a life for yourself instead of hiding away in the past?
I like my work.
I'm having some people over tonight for dinner -- I'd like you come.
It flatters me you remember, old one. It's been what... two hundred years?
Impressive -- is it not? The problem is I can only keep the illusion for a few minutes. I need more power to hold the form longer. I need the Highlander. Where is he?
I do not know -- and even if I did...
Oh -- I almost forgot. Your head.
It does not come off as easily as the young ones.
Highlander -- I had hoped it would be you.
I am stronger than you, Highlander.
That's what the Kurgan said.
Fine -- I've waited over three centuries. I can wait a little longer.
Why did you wait?
It was not by choice. A small matter of a mountain falling down on us. We were trapped inside. When the time of the Gathering came the urge to go was so strong we tried to claw through rock with our bare hands. What you thought was the end -- was not. This is the end. We are the last of our kind, Macleod.
It will not end tonight.
You know it's not safe here for you.
I know.
The police still have a lot of questions for Russell Nash.
It isn't over, is it, Conner?
No.
How can that be?
Is there anything else you need?
I'm glad you've come home, Conner.
Would you care for some water, Conner?
Don't leave us, Conner.
Don't cry, wee one. It's a better place I go to.
I love you, Conner.
Aye -- I know, Las -- and I have never loved anyone more.
I'll no forget you.
You kept it?
What are you doing?
I shouldn't have come back here. It was a mistake.
Is it a mistake for someone to go to the ones who love them when they're in trouble?
Yes -- when their troubles can harm them.
I heard voices downstairs. Is everything alright?
Fine.
What will you do?
I could have ended it tonight, but I didn't.
Why?
I don't know. He is the stronger one. He has a power--
Do not underestimate the power of your heart. Your dreams live there.
My dreams died long ago.
Did they? You are only a man, different than most -- but still a man. You feel the same -- want the same. You want to live.
I haven't lived life -- I've hidden from it. I've existed in the shadows.
Dear, sweet, Rachel. Men's lifes are measured by the good they do.
Good afternoon, Mr. Parker.
Good afternoon... ... Shirley.
Would you like to deposit this in your account?
No. The money, please.
This check is for sixteen thousand dollars. That's a lot of cash to be carrying around.
I can take care of myself.
Mike! Mike, can you hear me?
I think he's dead!
The house belongs to Walter and Pamela Smith. They've got two kids, a girl about fifteen and a boy younger, Jennifer and Thomas.
That would be the girl who opened the door. Are the others inside?
Call the Palmdale City Attorney for a telephonic search warrant. When you get the warrant, have Mikkelson and Dreyer search his house.
Wow. Sure, right away, Chief.
Don't tell anyone what you're doing, not Louise, not the other guys, not the Sheriffs. You understand me, Larry?
I guess so.
Fuck guessing. You keep your mouth shut.
I will, Chief. Absolutely.
Talley.
What'd you find out?
The cell phone is registered to a jewelry store in Beverly Hills. The phone company shows no unusual --
Dead end--it's a clone. What about the Mustang?
You get anything on Smith?
Chief...it's like none of this exists. I'm sorry.
The house is in flames, Benza's accountant is with the cops, and they're stacking the bodies like cordwood.
Jesus Christ, it's a clusterfuck.
And by doing so, he would've known we have spies in his organization.
Yes, sir. But what about the disks? If the cops end up with the disks, we're gonna see a whole lot of heat.
I hate that Mickey Mouse bastard. I hated his father, and I hate Sonny, too. Always with the tan.
What do you want to do?
Our people out there, they good people? People in the right place?
The best.
Sonny's a fuckup. If he pulls this off, fine--life goes on. But if the cops end up with those disks, we cut our losses.
I understand.
I want a message sent: No fuckups allowed.
Worst case, it's a bloodbath. The detectives come out with Smith's computer, and we go directly to jail, do not pass Go.
Maybe Glen already picked up the disks.
You should warn them, Sonny.
Put our people on the scene. Smith might talk just to cut a break for his kids.
He knows better than that.
Find out how we can hurt him. By the end of the day, I want to own him.
Maybe we're getting too dramatic. It's three kids. They'll give up, the cops will arrest them, and that's that. Why would they search the house?
You think we should take that chance?
I guess not.
What, he's cute? That's his idea of humor?
If the Feds get those disks, the East Coast is gonna take a hit, too. You should let them know.
Jen? Are you all right?
Who sent you?
The car. All you want is the car?
Stay down! Stay <u>down</u>, goddamnit!
I'm going to my desk.
<u>Get on the floor</u>!
Mars, watch the cops! Kevin! Watch the back of the house!
You won't die if you let me help.
Bullshit!
But if you stay in this house, I can promise you this --
<u>Shut up! Shut up and get on the floor</u>!
C'mon, Dennis, this is stupid. I thought we were gonna go to the movies.
Try to act cool, okay? He's gonna think you're a dick.
Robbing this place is gonna put you back in prison.
Not if they don't catch us, Kevin.
We got jobs, man; we're working. Why even take the chance?
There's fuckin' blood all over you!
That woman's gonna call the cops.
Shut up, goddamnit! Just calm down!
That's why we gotta keep going. I'm not gonna go in for murder.
We're on foot. We can't get away.
We could've gone out the back! You didn't have to shoot!
Stop it! They found the truck, Kev! They're already behind us!
I have to tell you something --
We gotta find a way outta here is what we gotta do!
That cop didn't pull his gun. Mars lied. He just started shooting!
Bullshit. Why would Mars do that?
I was <u>there</u>, Dennis! I <u>saw</u>! It's like he <u>wanted</u> to shoot that cop.
Jesus. What is this?
Everyone knows what we look like, Dennis. We won't be able to hide.
Someone should stay with Mr. Smith. What if he wakes up?
These bushes follow the wall into the neighbor's yard. All we need is some kind of diversion and we're home free.
That's crazy, Dennis. The cops will see us.
Not if they're looking at something else.
We can't carry all this. It's too heavy.
We're fucked.
We're fucked until we think of a way out; then we're rich.
There is no way out.
For chrissake, <u>please</u>! Help me celebrate! I figured it out!
If we don't escape, we gotta get the word out about the cash. That's how we'll stay alive.
What are you talking about?
The only way he can keep the cash is if nobody knows about it. He's gotta cap all three of us before they even read our rights. He's probably planning it right now.
That's crazy. He's not going to kill us.
It's over. We have to give up.
Fuck it's over. That money's mine.
Then we might as well die rich.
You with the cops?
Yeah. I'm Rooney.
We're cool.
Let me speak to Mr. Smith. I want to hear it from him.
Fuck you. I'm running this shit. You talk to me.
How about your two friends? You don't have a man dying in there, do you?
All three subjects are confirmed inside. Call off the house-to-house. Okay, Dennis, I want to explain your situation --
You don't have to explain shit! That Chinaman pulled a gun. We wrestled for it. That Chinaman shot himself.
Mr. Kim didn't make it, Dennis. He died.
How about the cop?
Dennis? I want you to release those people.
Fuck that. They're the only thing stopping you from blowing us away.
We're not coming in there by force, okay? No one wants to hurt you.
It's over now, Dennis! Don't hurt anyone.
Talley?
I'm here.
I want a helicopter to take us to Mexico.
That's not going to happen, Dennis. They won't give you a helicopter.
I'll give you these people.
Hey, Dennis? Can I let you in on a personal secret?
What?
You're a funny guy, Talley.
That you, Talley?
The one and only. We got a little problem out here, Dennis.
You oughta try on the problem I got in here.
We been through that. Forget it.
Now I understand. That helps. I can make them understand that.
Okay.
Let me come get him.
Fuck that! You bastards will jump me!
If you won't let me come in, then put him outside.
You'll cap my ass as soon as I step out the door!
You got a sniper out there, gonna shoot me?
You've been in there a long time. What're you waiting for?
Would you be in a hurry to go to prison for the rest of your life?
I'd be trying to get the best deal that I could.
You picked a bad house to hole up in, son.
Two hundred thousand cash, right in your pocket, no one needs to know.
Give up.
It ain't been a good day, Chief.
Who else is here?
He needs a doctor.
My father needs a doctor. <u>Please</u>.
Hey, I've got a situation here, in case you haven't noticed.
All you're doing is watching yourself on TV. <u>Look</u> at him.
Use more ice.
What about my father?
Aw, Jesus, not more of this.
<u>Look</u> at him! I think he's dying!
It's a safety room. If anyone breaks into your house, you can hide.
Who gives a shit, Mars? Check out the cash! We're rich.
We can take it with us.
That's right. That's a good idea, Mars.
Find something: Extension cords, rope, wire--we'll have to tie them tight.
The cops are comin'!
I got the gasoline --
What the fuck is that?
Cops want to be rich like everyone else. All we have to do is share. And if he wants someone to swing for the Chinaman, we'll give'm Mars.
You got something to say?
I like it here, Dennis. I'm never going to leave.
You mean he <u>left</u>, as in went out the front door?
I overheard him with the girl.
<u>Shit</u>! That <u>fuck</u>! Even when I want to turn myself in he screws it up! Did he take the kids with him?
I don't know.
Can you identify this man?
That would be Mars Krupchek. Jesus, he works for me, too.
Is Krupchek an aggressive guy? Hot- tempered? Anything like that?
Keeps to himself, more like.
You have his address?
Talley lives here. I don't know if the place has security or not.
It won't be a problem.
He has a wife and kid. That's how we'll get to him.
Okey-doke.
Donuts here any good?
Are you out of your mind?
L.A. County Sheriffs are inbound from a bank robbery in Pico Rivera.
Give me an ETA.
What if it goes south?
What do you mean?
If things get wet, we're going to need someone who can handle that end.
I heard he's fucked up. They're taking him to the hospital.
Goddamnit, tell me what you <u>know</u>. Did the cops go in? Did Smith have the disks?
<u>I don't know</u>. Talley talked those punks into letting Smith out. He's fucking us over, Glen. That guy is fucking us over.
What hospital?
How did you get this number?
Mr. Jones is dead. So are two of his men. The other three are in jail. I have the disks. I have Walter Smith. And you know what, you motherfucker? I have you.
I have your fucking family. Don't forget that.
What do you want?
My wife and my daughter and the money. I'll bring the disks to the mall by the freeway, you bring my family. We'll trade.
Fuck that! You think I'm crazy?!
Fuck the mall. You know that motel on the road west of town?
Yeah.
Take it easy. Just take it easy. We're here to do business.
They're close. Let me make a call. You can see they're okay.
You get the other one when I have my girls. Not <u>talk</u> to them; <u>have</u> them.
Where is it?
All right. Now the second one.
I'll kill you! You won't get the other disk!
I gave the other one to the Sheriffs and they're giving it to the <u>real</u> FBI. This one's a fake.
I need to work out some stuff.
You're hiding, Jeffrey. You're hiding from the job and you're hiding from me.
Can we talk some more when you get here?
I should've called. This thing broke right after we spoke, then everything happened so fast --
Don't worry about it. How are you doing?
The Sheriffs will take over when they get here.
Why don't you guys grab some dinner at the Thai place? I'll meet you there as soon as I can.
You sure?
I don't know how long I'll be stuck here.
I'm scared shitless.
Ow! Shit!
No one's coming.
That big asshole nailed my windows.
Mine, too.
We can use the crawlspace to get downstairs. Then we can run for it.
We can't carry him.
You go, Thomas. You get out, and I'll stay with Daddy.
I'm not gonna leave you!
You leave that gun alone!
Shh, they'll hear you!
He can't reach us in here. We're safe.
Want one?
I don't drink beer.
Mommy won't know. You can do anything you want right now. Mommy won't know.
What do you want?
What?
Make the pizza. I want scrambled eggs and hot dogs on mine.
Kevin left without you.
You'd better get out of here! Kevin's coming back!
Now we can do whatever we want.
Please get away from me.
You gotta pee?
I don't see why you can't just lock me in. It's not like I can go anywhere.
Thanks for the shirt.
Whatever.
Kevin, my father needs a doctor.
He's just knocked out. I've been knocked out.
What do you want?
What happened?
Do you want to go or not? I'm offering you a way out of here.
I can't go without Thomas.
All three of us will go, but we have to move fast. Mars and Dennis don't know I'm doing this.
How can we get out?
Dennis and Mars are in the den. I'll get your brother, then come back for you. We'll go down the stairs and out the front door, you understand?
Are civilians inside?
He said something about a girl --
We have to cordon off the streets, then evacuate these houses.
What are we going to do about Mike?
What's going on?
I'm the chief of police here. I have to talk to him.
Smith! Wake up!
I'm not going to wake him. I don't even know that I can.
Just one question. Please.
I'm Jeff Talley, the Bristo chief of police. So far as we know, your children are okay.
Chief Talley is the one who got you out.
That's enough.
What are you talking about, shot? What happened?
Three white males shot Junior. Mike followed them to York Estates --
Where are they?
That's not enough.
What's that, Chief? Say again.
Is something wrong with Jane?
We have a boy on the line. He says he's Thomas Smith and he's calling from the house.
It's a crank, Louise. C'mon, don't waste my time with that!
One at a time! Clear the air! Louise? Talk to me. What do we have?
Chief? Mike said a young girl answered the door.
Did he say if she was shooting at him?
He didn't say.
I pulled Mickey and Dreyer off the minimart.
Jesus Christ, Louise, we can't leave a crime scene like that. Put a unit out there.
Louise?
Go, Chief.
Louise?
Go, Chief.
Call Jane for me. She's at the little Thai place.
I know the one.
Chief, base.
Go.
I couldn't find Jane. She wasn't at the restaurant.
You have her cell number?
She didn't answer.
Did you find Jane and Mandy?
Could you call me back on your phone? Right away.
What's wrong with the radio?
Other people can hear us. Just call. <u>Please</u>.
I'm Talley. Who's in charge?
Do it.
Sounds like you know the job.
I've done it once or twice. I blocked their phones to incoming calls, so you'll have to cut in a hard line to talk to him.
Then get your men off the wall! You breach that house, we're gonna have a bloodbath! I <u>know</u> this guy, Captain -- I can talk to him.
He says he has gasoline set to burn the place.
Jesus. He must've siphoned it from the cars.
If you go in, you can't use tear gas or flashbangs. The whole place would go up.
Looks like you're bailing out at the right time.
He says that his father's hurt.
If we have a man dying in there, we'll have to go in.
They have security cameras. Rooney would see you coming.
Did the boy say that any of them are in immediate danger?
No. He said that his father's unconscious; he didn't say he was dying.
You want me to stick around, I could --
Excuse me? <u>You</u> requested our help. You turned over command --
I want to know what in hell you're doing.
I'm looking for you. I need your tactical unit.
I'm not stupid! You can't get out of here fast enough, then you take back command; you agree to wait on Smith, then you risk everything in a stupid stunt to get him out --
Don't question me, Captain! This is <u>my</u> crime scene!
Let it go, Captain.
We're out two minutes, me and Dreyer.
Mike found a red pickup abandoned on Flanders. You see it?
It's right in front of us.
Chief, Mikkelson.
Go, Mickey.
The truck is registered to Dennis James Rooney, white male, twenty-two. He has an Agua Dulce address.
It's mine. Talley.
Chief, it's Mikkelson.
Mickey? Call the state Homicide Bureau. Don't touch anything, just sit back and wait.
Okay, here's mine. My name is Special Agent Jones.
Are all of you named Jones?
In a few minutes the white phone is going to ring. So let's get our shit straight before that happens.
You used to be a cop. All of you used to be cops. I can tell by the way you move.
Don't worry about what we used to be.
How do you people expect this to work? The Sheriffs have a Crisis Response Team here.
What's my name?
What?
I asked you my name. You just saw my commission slip. What's my fucking name?
Special Agent Jones.
What are you people going to do?
You and I are gonna straighten this out with the Sheriffs, and then we'll wait for the man to call. When he gives the word, we move.
We've got to get those kids out of there!
Not until the man calls.
Those kids are in there with a fucking psychopath! He <u>kills</u> people!
The kids are in here!
Where's the office?
This is Chief Talley. Tell me your name, son.
Slow down, Thomas. Take it easy and talk to me. Was your father shot?
Dennis hit him. His head's all big and he won't wake up. I'm really scared.
How about you and your sister?
We're okay.
Where are you right now?
That's on the second floor. Could you climb out your window if we were downstairs to catch you?
I've got the boy on the phone. He's using a cell phone. What was that, son? I didn't hear you.
Is my daddy okay?
The doctors are taking care of him right now. Thomas . . . are you safe? Can you talk?
I think so.
I need your help with something. But if you think those guys could catch you, then I don't want you to do it, okay?
Okay.
I'm serious, Thomas; I don't want you to get hurt.
What do you want me to do?
Your dad has two computer disks. They have funny names: Marlon and Al.
He has lots of disks.
I think he was working on them today, so they're probably in his office. Could you find them and see who they belong to?
But I might be able to sneak into the office if they're not around. Then I could open the disks here in my room.
I thought they locked you in your room.
I can get into the crawlspace from my closet and climb all over the house.
Can you get into the office?
If I get Rooney into the back of the house, can you find the disks without being caught?
Can you open them?
I opened Marlon. I think it's somebody's taxes.
I don't see any people names. It's all businesses.
Yeah! Here's a name. This is somebody's personal tax --
Who is it?
Are the disks still in your room?
Where are my children?
I don't know what you're talking about.
Did you find the disks?
Yes.
Then you have everything. You can put them away.
A man has my family. Gold watch here. Dark tan.
That would be Glen Howell. He was on his way for the disks.
Where's your gun?
Who are you?
Don't just fuckin' sit there, dumbass. Do you understand?
What do you want?
Can we let go? You past your shock and all that, we can turn you loose and you won't do something stupid?
Marlon and Al....
We want them. You will not let anyone go into that house--or anything come out-- until my people recover these disks.
I can't control what happens. The Sheriffs are running the scene.
When this phone rings, you answer. It will be me. I'll tell you what to do. When I have what I want, you get your family.
You want . . . Marlon and Al.
I have people in York Estates right under your nose. If you do <u>anything</u> except what I'm telling you, you'll get Jane and Amanda back in the mail. We clear on that?
These disks . . . where are they?
You dumb fuckwad cop, you fucked up <u>bad</u>!
Do you think I'm going to let you <u>murder</u> someone?!
<u>You want a blowtorch on your daughter's</u> <u>pretty face</u>?!
I guess we each have something the other wants.
I guess we do.
My people are good to go. You know who I mean?
Your phony FBI assholes.
We're almost home, you and me. Keep your shit together. This isn't L.A.
What do you mean by that?
Paul, Paul, a moment please.
Yes, Benedict, what can I do?
Can you get me into the Ambassador's reception?
What happened?
Paul, we would like to speak to you in your office.
We, who is we?
Paul!
Gregoire, there are no cockroaches in this hotel, do you understand?
No, Bik, it's a code word for Tutsis.
That's what I came to talk to you about.
Excuse me?
The Hutu-Tutsi thing. The BBC faxed to say they would be here on the sixth for the peace accords. And the U.N. wants the banquet room for that day, a reception to broadcast the signing ceremony. Can you organize monitors and check the satellite dish?
Also, could you remember to use the service entrance at all times?
Paul... ...I have to talk to you.
Who are you?
I am Paul Rusesabagina, a good friend of General Bizimungu.
What is this about?
You heard the Tutsi cockroaches murdered our president.
Yes, it is a calamity for us all.
You work at the Hotel Diplomat?
I used to work at the Diplomat.
Do you know how to open the safe there? Our government needs to use the hotel and the room keys are in the safe. You must open it.
Captain, I must take my family. It is not safe here.
They are all Tutsi cockroaches.
Please, I don't use guns.
You want to pay me?
Why not? These are not rebels, look at them. Soon they will be worthless to you. Why not take some money, for your work?
How much?
Name a price.
Ten thousand francs for each one.
Here, here, a thousand US dollars - fifty thousand francs for my family. To let us drive off to the Mille Collines.
How many in your family?
Ten.
And four children?
Give me it.
I don't have it here. At the Mille Collines. I can get it for you.
You will run into the hotel and hide behind the U.N.
Don't be foolish. There's more money to be made here.
Do we know who fired the missile that killed the president?
No. But I fear it's intention may have been to kill the peace accords and spark a civil war between the Hutu Militia and the Tutsi rebels.
We've heard reports of reprisal killings. Will the UN intervene to stop the bloodshed.?
Unfortunately we're here as peace-keepers not peace makers, we can't take an aggressive role.
If the UN changes your mandate could you stop the bloodshed?
Yes. With some re-inforcements I'm confident we could impose order.
Have you requested re-enforcements?
Yes we have.
What was the response?
Paul, you know who this is?
Yes, Colonel Monsieur Xavier, the Minister of Finance.
Paul, I've sent my soldiers to rescue the Lady Prime Minister, she'll need a room.
Yes sir, but these people they cannot stay here. I've heard you have a refugee center at the airport Stadium?
Hold the line here. Do not shoot! The Colonel stabilizes the situation, his men watch the militia drive by. Paul approaches Oliver
What's happening?
They murdered my soldiers. Ten Belgians who I sent to get the lady minister.
Anything. Strong.
Congratulations, Colonel. You have saved us all.
Congratulations. You should spit in my face.
Excuse me, Colonel.
We think you are dirt, less than dirt, worthless.
I don't understand.
You're fucking black! You're not even a nigger, you're African! They're not staying to stop this thing. They're gonna fly right out of here with their people.
Their people?
They fired a rocket at us.
Yes. Where are the Rwandan police?
I ran out of bribes. Bizimungu took them away.
That explains it. I'm sorry to tell you this but we've heard rumors the Militia are getting ready to storm the hotel.
Will you protect us.
What is it?
Paul, I need you to buy me a day or two. I don't have the fuel for this convoy. I will have to scrounge it.
I can't. I have nothing left to bribe with. Can your men at the gate hold out for another day?
No, Paul, they're afraid. They've demanded to be moved back to headquarters now.
Give me their uniforms. I will put people at the gate, in disguise.
Paul, this scotch is exceptional.
It's a single malt, Glenmorangie. I thought you'd like it. Anything you need, gentlemen, let me know.
I'm sorry it is not Glenmorangie.
As long as it is scotch. Your white friends have abandoned you, Paul.
The United Nations are still here.
The United Nations. Madmen are on the streets, Paul. But I will take care of you. Your cellar is well-stocked, right?
Yes, General. I am glad you came by. I overheard something that I think you should know about.
What did you overhear?
A discussion between an American Embassy official and a UN Colonel.
What did they say?
The American assured the colonel that they would watch everything.
Satellites.
Satellites?
Yes, they can photograph the epaulets on your shoulder.
And what will they do with these satellites?
The American said intervention is too costly, better to get photographic evidence and snatch up the high command.
The high command? Our high command?
The Americans! Who are they to put us on trial. Let us imagine Paul when their president Kennedy was shot, they said it was a black man. Then their politicians, their radio stations gave orders ‘we must wipe out these black people before they wipe out us.’ What do you think would have happened? No different.
I am worried about thieves and criminals coming into the hotel. Perhaps you could arrange for some police to guard us.
The police are very busy.
He did.
“Well rewarded” Those were his words.
If I were to spare a few policemen, where would I station them?
I will see what I can do.
I admire you, General. How do you keep command of your men amidst such madness?
I am strong, Paul, like a lion.
Please, General, I will give you money, whiskey.
You said you had no whiskey.
Where are my supplies?
I'm sorry, General. The cellar is empty.
You have cockroaches dancing on tables and you tell me the cellar is empty? Did they drink my whiskey?
General, sir. I am glad to find you. I have found you some supplies.
Whiskey?
The finest, and cognac, champagne. Come and I will get them for you.
I'll be over.
We must go to the Diplomat.
Get in.
Your police are at the gate?
Where are they going?
They can go where they want. They are in charge now.
What do you mean, General?
We have decided to move the government to Gitarama.
When?
You know what the Scottish call it?
No.
Ishca Baha - the water of life. I went on a tour once of the finest single malt distillery in the world. Have you ever been to Scotland?
No, sir.
Wonderful country, wonderful golf. I wonder - will I ever go back? What do you think?
Pack those carefully, put them in my jeep, and guard them.
I am going to do you a great favor. I am going to take you with us to Gitarama.
I do not want to go to Gitarama, General.
We are better here.
You are a marked man.
How so.
The Americans, and the UN they have you as a war criminal. You are on a list.
I am on a list! What list?
You lie.
If you do not help me, you will stay on that list.
I committed no war crimes.
Who will tell them? You need me to tell how you helped the hotel. The others who have gone, they blame you for all their misfortune. They say you led the massacres.
I led no massacres.
You think they will believe you?
You will tell them the truth.
I will try my best George but these days I have no time for rallies or politics.
Time is money, George. We need extra beer today.
Business is good at the hotel?
Very good.
A bargain buy, from China. Ten cents each, I'll get a dollar.
Everything is double the price now, you do understand that?
I need rice, beans, beer, and your best whiskey.
Beer yes, but no whiskey.
You have no whiskey?
What do you mean George?
Their money is no good to them. Soon all the Ineysi will be dead.
) You cannot kill them all.
Let's go.
For fuck's sake, Gloria There's a big news story out there! We need to get out and cover it.
We’re not going outside the hotel grounds unless we have an armored car. That's the ground rules.
Ground rules! Where the fuck do you think you are, Wimbledon?
Satellite feed.
Holy shit! Holy shit.
You fucking see that!
Here, have a sandwich.
Let’s go, Jock.
Go! What the fuck sort of journalists are we, running from a war? I'm ashamed. Are you? Well, are ya'?
Great, I really need a shower.
The fifth room is your broadcast room.
Good. I'd like to book a massage.
The news room has heard that the French and the Belgians are putting together an intervention force.
When will they be here?
Very soon.
There are no more rooms.
Mr. Manager.
Get out of this room and get back to work.
I don't have to listen to you anymore.
I am in charge now. Get back to work or I'll fire you.
Gregoire it is good to see you back to work.
Please, except my humblest apologies...
Where are we going, sir?
For supplies, you drive.
The fog is too heavy, sir.
Are you sure this is the river road?
Paul, how the hell are ya'?
I am delighted to see you, Mr. Daglish.
They moved you from the Diplomat?
Promoted. House Manager.
Did you bring any of those wee girls who used to sit at the bar in the Diplomat with you? You know?
I'm sorry, Mr. Daglish, this is the Mille Collines. No working girls here.
Can we phone them in, Paul?
Perfect timing.
Give her what she wants, room, food, anything. Charge it all. Don't you put her out, Paul.
I would never do that.
This is a Rolex, I can't take it.
You are the manager?
Yes, sir. What is wrong?
Everyone must leave the hotel now.
Why sir?
It's an order. Get everyone out now.
Anderson, Arthurs, Boulier. What is this?
Are you trying to make a fool of me? There are no Europeans left in that hotel. Get me the names of all the cockroaches in there.
That will take time.
Who did you call?
Call, sir?
Don't lie to me. What's your name?
Rusesabagina. Paul Rusesabagina.
What do you want?
We are to meet Mr. Rutagunda.
The commander is not here.
He will be here.
Excuse me.
What?
Our cards, please.
What cards?
You have our cards.
No. But I make cards. Would you like me to make you two cards?
How much?
Show us the manager. He wears a suit.
Terrible times, Paul. There are bodies everywhere. I cannot stay here.
I need you to go to this address and bring my brother-in-law and his family.
No, no. This is a very dangerous part of town. I cannot do this.
This would be an enormous favor to me. I am a man of means, Mr. Garandi. When this nonsense is over I will be most grateful.
Was there blood?
It is dangerous to be here. The radio says this is a nest of cockroaches.
I need one last favor. Go back and get the twins.
No, it is impossible. That side of town has been destroyed in the fighting. The children are dead.
How do you know?
Everyone is dead there. The dogs eat the bodies in the street. I have to go.
I will need a suite.
I'm afraid you will have to move room.
Move? Where to?
I'm going to put you on the third floor.
The third floor are low class rooms.
Yes they are. However if the army return they will expect important people such as yourself to be in these grand rooms.
Pack the bags, we have to move.
This time the Militia will kill us.
They should go one truck at a time. When the first truck gets through to the airport, then the others will follow.
Good evening, Odette, who is sick this time?
I asked Odette to take a look at little Anais. She has a rash.
Your brother's here?
Thomas wants advice?
He wants your wisdom.
Let's have dinner first.
Simon, next door, the Charingas' boy.
Do something.
What?
Call your friends in the army. Call someone. Victor is harmless. This is a mistake.
No.
Why didn't you call your contacts in the army?
I couldn't help.
You could have asked for a favor.
Victor was not a stranger, he was our neighbor.
He was not family. Family is all that matters. Do you think if you or I were being dragged from here, any one of them would lift a finger to help us?
They do not have your connections.
Paul! Paul's eyes adjust, he recognizes many of his neighbors, all crowded into this small room. Then he sees their friends Odette and her husband Jean Baptiste.
The president has been murdered.
Where are Thomas and Fedens?
I sent them home. Go and call them.
Is every Tutsi in the neighborhood here?
They came through the bushes, over the wall. What could I do?
Send them home. We are not the police. What do we have to protect them?
Please. Let them stay 'til morning. The militia will not come here, they know you are a Hutu with influence.
Please, Paul, 'til first light.
Oh, my God!
What is it, Paul.
Paul, don't let them die.
Them. They almost got us all killed. I have done enough for them! We cannot look after them anymore.
What are you going to do? You cannot drive them out onto the road. They can stay with me.
What!
I will not have them on my conscience. They will stay in my room.
This won't do.
Any luck?
No answer. Please send someone to get them, please.
Has Roger spoken yet?
No, Odette says he's in shock.
How can we help him.
He needs to be in a safe place. Have you heard from Mr. Garindi?
This is not bad news, Tatsi. Perhaps they fled or could not make it home. There is hope.
My sister is dead, Paul. They would not leave the children.
They are being evacuated.
What about us?
Listen to me woman. I said all the whites are leaving. The French, the Italians, even the Belgian UN soldiers.
But who is left?
You could leave, Paul.
What are you saying, Tatsi?
Your card says Hutu. Take our children, go and get the twins, pay money at the roadblocks. Get them out. Please.
Go to the roof now.
What for Paul.
Lynch Bages, 84. Perfect with lamb, or fine rare beef.
So where is the lamb?
What's the matter?
I have to go out to get food.
Go out! Where?
To Rutagunda's place. It is close by.
No, no.
I have to, Tatiana, we are only as valuable as the service we provide.
You cannot go alone.
Please, Paul, why do we have to go to the roof?
I hear we must pay for everything. How much for this?
I have a confession. When we met...
In Ruhengeri?
Yes, when you worked as the nurse.
Yes.
I had you transferred to Kigali.
What?
I bribed the Minister of Health to have you transferred to Kigali.
Why?
To be closer. So that I could marry you.
What was the bribe? What am I worth to you?
It was substantial.
Tell me what it was.
A car.
What sort of car?
What does it matter.
I want to know.
A Volkswagen.
I will not leave without the twins.
We have to get out of here Tatiana.
Please, please try one more time.
A little longer, Paul?
Ask them to wait a little longer. For the twins.
Get on the truck, Tatiana.
I have to stay.
No! Sit down now.
Let me go. Children get off.
I love you. Keep the children safe.
We are almost out of water.
We have to have a plan.
What sort of plan?
Our children cannot see us die first. If the Militia comes, you must hurry up to the roof. I will meet you there.
Please do not talk like this.
The Diplomat! Tatiana wakens, startled.
What's wrong?
Oh, my babies.
Can I have your name again?
Paul Rusesabagina, Mr. Godefroid. The house manager. I met you on your last visit.
Very well. But if this thing gets worse, we must close. If there's anything you need, call anytime.
I managed to get the President of France on the phone.
Thank you, sir, you saved our lives.
Paul, I pleaded with the president to go in and get you all. He told me it will not happen.
Why?
Rutaganda's place?
What's wrong?
Beg your pardon sir, you are Hutu. You are safe there.
What is it like to fly on a plane, sir?
It depends where you sit Zozo. In coach it is like the bus to Giterama.
That is why they call it coach?
Maybe. But in business class there are fine wines, linens, Belgian chocolates.
You have taken business class?
Sit up, smile, Zozo, don't attract attention to yourself.
Twelve are dead.
Where are the receptionists? Where's Gregoire?
He has taken the presidential suite.
Where's housekeeping? They won't pick up.
What do we do with all these people?
What are you doing?
Where has all our beer gone?
Sir, Gregoire has been taking beers.
How much beer?
You are my family now, Zozo, my brother. I will get you out of here.
Thank you, sir.
I saw Gregoire make a call, sir?
When?
What is this about no water?
Paul. Are you alright?
Out? Where are you going?
All. What do you mean all?
The staff, the guests.
The staff and guests! How many?
Paul, are you there?
Yes, thank you Mr. President.
The French. They supply the Rwandan army.
For food and clothes, and all that grows, etc, etc. Dear Lord, thank you.
Why the hurry, Roger?
Simon has a new pet. Can I go see it?
No, I don't want you going on the street.
Please, papa, I have a secret path.
There are soldiers.
Where?
Moses, Moses Seradungu.
Can I help you?
I'm looking for Moses Seradungu's room.
What is his room number?
I don't know.
Take a bow, Steven, you've outdone yourself tonight -- scared holy hell out of even me.
We'd've been splitsville years ago, with me the richest single woman in recorded history -- but Steven doesn't "believe" in divorce.
Not too big on it myself -- but then again, not on marriage either.
Oh, he's got no problem with that: I'm his fourth.
I'm confused.
Easy. You've got to keep still for a bit, the last thing we need is a coronary.
You're the Doctor, sweetheart. 'Guess the atropine worked, then.
Convinced all those that needed convincing: you're an official dead lady.
And what's Steven's status?
Still alive, but it's just a matter of time. And then will come your miraculous resurrection --
-- "oh, no, Officer, I'm very much alive -- just a joke to beat my husband at his own clever game -- What? What do you mean he's dead? It's all my fault, I may as well have killed him myself!"
"But you didn't, Ma'am. We have all these witnesses that saw..." well, whoever it ends up being that finally shoots him --
-- the James Dean wannabe with the hair trigger --
-- or might turn out to be -- very big surprise -- that Jenzen girl. The little bitch has the right stuff. She nearly put a bullet in Price right after your "demise."
So what stopped her?
It's complicated. But don't worry --
-- there's already been way too many complications for a very simple plan. You ever find out what happened to Melissa Marr?
Not yet.
So we don't even know if she's alive or dead --
-- Price killed her, there's no other explanation --
-- there's plenty: for all we know, Steven's got her spying on us right now --
-- bullshit --
It's not, baby. Just a matter of minutes now, before somebody pulls the trigger --
-- but nobody has yet, Donald. They just haven't been brought to that breaking point. They have to believe proof-positive that their lives are in danger.
How much more do they need than your death at his hands?
But they didn't see it happen, they still have doubts. What we need is another body, and Steven's bloody hands right next to it!
And how the hell are we going to do that?
If you don't mind me asking... Who are you?
More of Price's spook-house bullshit.
Part of the original structure. When it was still an asylum. Guy who ran the place -- Dr. Vannacutt -- found it "inspirational." From some German cathedral a million years ago: "Driving the Demons From the Mind."
Mr. Price? Mrs. Price? Somebody? Hello??
Pritchett, take it down a couple hundred decibels, what is your problem?
Why in God's name wasn't this thing removed years ago??
Jesus H. Christ!
Oh dear.
Looks like we're it.
Oh, for chrissake --
Something just must've...frightened her, that's all.
More the merrier.
Now what do we do? We've got to hold him somewhere 'til the police --
Don't think it'll be a problem.
What are you playing here, Price?
Just for the record: what are the rest of your names?
You're not my list.
I got an engraved -- literally -- invitation -- with my name --
There must be some other way out.
Melissa!
What?
Even if I were inclined, I've had better -- and a lot safer -- opportunities to kill off a wife.
Three times, to be exact.
Excuse me?
Accidents. Fatal. Each of your prior wives, so we've been informed.
Where is it??
I'm sorry --
Upstairs, too. Come with me, I'll show you another body, a friend of mine named Schecter --
-- what was he doing here?
Oh, really: who?
If there really is someone else in this house, I think the four of us can handle the situation.
Nice touch, Pritchett: subtle.
This thing's going nowhere.
Put it this way: if it's your face on that tape, Mr. Moses, we're one gunshot away from solving all our problems --
Yeah, what the hell, I'll go.
-- I did: down here.
Shouldn't somebody like, stand guard or something -- just in case?
I'll stay, if it'll ease your mind.
I wanna know first: to what do I owe this honor? I mean, I never even heard of this guy.
'Less the place really is haunted.
You're totally full of shit, aren't you?
You said that was an accident.
So, what? You're saying we're stuck here the rest of our lives?
A cleaning crew's supposed to arrive at 9:30 tomorrow morning -- I think the power of the house fades at dawn.
-- well, let's hear it for small miracles --
What's in there?
What is it? What's in there?
So you're saying as long as that door stays locked, we're okay?
New wrinkle on an old theory for treating schizophrenia. 19th Century, I think: what would drive a sane man mad should make a madman sane. The Vannacutt version was: bombard the patient with aural and visual stimuli far more frightening than any hallucination they could ever produce, it'd traumatize 'em back to "normalcy."
Hey! Where'd you guys go?
-- of this place, goddamnit, Pritchett!
What's down there?
Shit, Pritchett!!!
Price didn't make the guest list... The house did. It wants vengeance.
How's a goddamn building gonna send out invitations?
Oh. Jesus.
Uhhhh...
What?
Hail Mary, full of grace -- the house is growing!
If you know where it is, get there!
Pritchett, is that you?
Pritchett!
Right here, Mr. Pritchett. As well as five other bona fide, bank drafts for one million dollars each. Made out to cash.
And we get this money when?
This is nuts.
I'll meet you down there.
Evelyn, could you just zip it for a moment? It looks like we're stuck here 'til morning -- let's make the best of it.
Married. Once. Same woman. All these years. She just slithered up the stairs.
Prove it.
Oh, Jesus....
-- the stained glass --
-- closed.
Is she...alright?
And you're not really as large and useless as you seem.
I'm better than that.
Three steps forward -- I want to get up there.
Why?
Thanks.
Most fun I've had all day.
What? Deep down inside?
Start with the name you were born with, and we'll work forward from there.
I told you already: Jennifer Jenzen, Executive V.P. of --
I don't think so...
Why not?
Most of my business is making deliveries to high rollers. And I have yet to meet one Executive who could tie their own shoes -- let alone rewire an entire house. You don't fit the bill -- not even close.
There's always exceptions.
Well, she went somewhere! She didn't just up and disappear into thin air!
How you gonna manage that with a new blow-hole in your dome?
What the hell good is fixing that gonna get us?
An answer, I hope: exactly what -- or who -- Melissa was taping.
You hear somebody?
We can do it...
Sure, with three days and a blowtorch.
It's a thousand years old -- we just need a crowbar or something to get leverage -- the sucker'll pop!
No prob: I'll just hop down the hardware store --
-- no. The basement -- the room with all the controls to this thing: big long iron levers just lying there --
-- not a chance -- there's too much weirdness down there I don't think even bullets are gonna stop.
I was upstairs with Eddie --
-- that's the fact, bud --
-- you lose either way, Price --
I think we should have taken a right back there.
Good point.
What are you looking for?
Cheery looking bunch.
Holy shit! Now we know how the guest list was made up. Look, these names... Head Nurse, Ruth-Ann Stockard... Bjorn Jensen, Electro Therapy... Jasper Marr, Thomas Steven Price... They're all here!
Wait a minute... What are you saying?
Or an on-line computer.
That's crazy!
This is the best we're gonna do.
Price!!
It's okay, everything's okay now.
Don't think it's even an issue.
What --
The opening's still too small, we'll never get through!
No. It's just trying to frighten us.
It's succeeding!
Where did it go?
Run.
You okay?
Yeah. And under other abnormal circumstances, I think this would be the time to seriously jump your bones.
Better put it on hold 'til we find Pritchett.
What?
...Jesus H. Christ.
I knew this whole place'd be pure gold! Pritchett, point me in the direction of the goddamn ghosts! If I can get something bizarre enough on tape, I think I can parlay it into getting me some kind'a Robert Stack "Unsolved Most- Wacked-Out Home Videos" gig. No more five afternoons a week of sex-change- Nazis-and-the-lesbos-that-love-'em.
You've got your own TV show?
...birds. Just seagulls or something walking on the glass, goddammit.
So, what? The thing with the glass? Price did that?
Melissa Margaret Marr, Celebrity.
Then what the hell are we doing here?
-- forget it. Last birthday the Manson Family Ranch, the year before that: Jonestown.
Don't touch me!
I'm impressed: I don't think Evelyn's ever said those words to anything with genitalia.
I'm not laughing, Steven.
You shouldn't be -- you were nearly just killed, sweetheart. And now that our birthday girl is finally here, let the games begin!
Could we have a word?
I gave you a goddamn guest list two pages long -- where the hell are they?
Shredded. Sorry. Decided to whip up one of my own: a group so hungry for money that they'd be willing to do anything. I thought you'd be more comfortable with your peers.
I guess it was stupid of me not to expect something this twisted from you. Well, congratu-fucking-lations, Steven: Round One, you win.
Well, not quite. See, those people down there: they aren't the ones I invited.
Then who are they?
You tell me. I don't know how you managed to hack into my Mac, but: bravo.
What are you talking about? You think I invited them?
Sure know it wasn't me. And if you say it wasn't you -- then who the hell did, Evelyn?
It you really loved me, Steven, you'd find a way to drop dead in the next three seconds.
Finding ways for me to die at these things is really your deal, isn't it? The "O.J." knife with the not-quite- retractable blade? Your "Jim Jones Kool- Aid" that was exactly that?
You know how happy I'd be if that was really true, Evelyn? And how positively goddamn delirious if you weren't fucking every living thing in our area code at the same goddamn time!
Which part of that fantasy turns you on most: me with other men -- or just the other men?
-- just not always in the sexual sense.
You're hurting me.
Now, there's the simple country gal I married. Let's go back down and greet your guests -- show them the real you: corny as Kansas on the Fourth of July.
-- asking the wrong guy -- wasn't me who closed it.
Sure it wasn't. Hey, anybody else here make their living with thrills'n'chills for the kiddies? Don't raise your hands all at once.
Huh. And here I had a completely different theory.
Really? Well, let it rip.
Oh, no-no-no -- much more bang for everyone's buck to nail the bitch --
-- the sadistic prick --
What are you talking about?
So how's a girl to know if these things are loaded, baby?
And where are we off to, Mr. Price? Check the wiring on the animatronic Mummies?
Fine with me. Just somebody then better go and round up Melissa Marr.
Where is she?
Game, set and match, Steven. You've outdone yourself. And I know it's not good manners to ask the magician how he did it, but inquiring minds are desperate to know: just what did really happen to Ms. Marr?
Asking the wrong person again.
I mean, did she stage it all for you and then go hide -- or did you just flat out kill the little bitch --
-- I pose you the same question --
-- and who's next on your list?
If I had one, Evelyn, I think you know who'd be first and last --
-- oh, for chrissake, that's a given; we all know that knocking me off is the bottom line here --
-- that wasn't my original plan, but it is starting to look more attractive --
Jesus!
Question answered.
They weren't loaded when I put them in there!
Steven --
-- anything, sweetheart, you need only speak --
-- what...are...you...going...to --
-- just what you wanted everyone here to believe in the first place: I'm going to murder you, Evelyn, with the greatest of pleasure --
-- wit...nesses --
No...
Evelyn... Get up... NOW!
I don't know, Ms. Jenzen.
Well, who's the damn thing <u>from</u>?
Messenger just dropped it off. No return address.
You didn't think to ask?
I was in the middle of --
You think this is fucking funny??
No, no, it's just --
-- well, here's a better one: you're fired.
What?
...wow....WOW! Hey, Ms. Jenzen -- ?
Business or pleasure, Mr. Price?
My wife. Where were we?
Your roller coaster that is, quote: "unlike any that has ever come before it."
Ever seen one that starts at the top? 20 stories worth of top?
And then what happens?
Sources have told this reporter that the real reason your Park's opening has been delayed was a near-fatal accident on one of the rides here. Comment?
First time for everything.
Do something!
Please! Something! Oh-God!
She's been marked for it. The House does that. Happened to Pritchett's father. Likely happen to you all. Isn't that what you told me, Mr. Pritchett?
I'm ready now.
-- it's getting older by the second. Mr. Price, if I could just please have --
I think you're gonna miss the bash of a lifetime --
-- my loss --
-- even if I give you a million as well?
Must be those plates -- interfering with the signal somehow.
I think...I may have the answer.
What?
House 2, Guests 0.
-- then I guess then it had to be you. Sorry.
Vannacutt!!
He was right! Pritchett was right!
Yeah. Why's there five checks? There's only four of us.
You're forgetting my lovely wife; she's part of the same winner-take-all as the rest of you.
What're you talking about?
Jennifer-Jenzen-Executive-V.P.- Paragon-Pictures.
This is all maybe getting a little too strange --
Sorry.
Good way to get your head blown off.
What is it??
I...don't think...anybody should be touching the body.
-- the window and door grates --
I was upstairs!
If you've got a gun on you, Price, I'd hand it over now.
Not just yet. Would any of you be interested in knowing exactly why I ended up here in the basement?
Fascinated.
Well, I don't.
Then just wait -- maybe this whoever's got you next on the Asylum's equipment- test list. Maybe a literal mind-blow inside the "Saturation Chamber."
I'll take my chances.
Don't test me, I'm real prepared to use this to stay alive --
-- confirming everything we already know --
-- listen to me, goddamnit --
Then tell me, please -- help me...!
Don't think so. Stay the fuck back.
Please! I need your help.
Houston, I think we may have a problem.
Problem where? Looked good to me.
"Dummy 6" keeps losing his arm.
-- hey! Next time give me a couple seconds notice before you wing a gag like that!
The lockdown thing.
I mean, not that it didn't give Evelyn the kind of coronary I had in mind, just...
-- it wasn't me.
Rewind that.
I was just sitting here -- it happened. I had nothing to do with it.
Then who did??
No idea. I didn't even know the damn thing still worked!
It works.
Maybe it was just its time to finally fall apart.
No. Somehow -- I don't know how -- she did it.
Pretty amazing feat: all that shit down the basement and your wife's up in the bedroom the whole time.
But the million bucks each, that's for real?
Wish I could take the credit, but --
-- guess we know where Mr. Price is now.
Of course he did, for God's sake. Didn't he, Mr. Pritchett?
Oh, no.
Don't know that it does.
Well, then, how 'bout maybe we call someone?
Won't do any good.
Uh, excuse me? Don't think I'm not having the time of my life watching this train wreck that's your marriage -- but this isn't what I had in mind... I want to know that we can get out of here if we need to.
Believe me, we need to.
Pritchett, this "lockdown" thing -- it's gotta have like a master control -- you know machinery, gears, whatever -- somewhere in this place?
The basement -- but, believe me, you don't want to go down there.
No, you don't want to go down there. I am going down there. And I'm going to find <u><b>reverse</b></u> on this thing and floor it.
You'll never find it, it's a maze down there.
You should really open this place to the public, Pritchett -- a spa for people without enough stress in their lives.
Ghosts killed your father?
Not ghosts... at least not what you're thinking... Vannacutt used to dump the bodies of his failed experiments somewhere in the house...
And you think it's in there?
There is something very not normal going on here!
This? This is nothing. You've only been dealing with the House itself. You have no idea what you're tinkering with. Sooner or later, the darkness that is at the core will get out... One of you will release it... Not meaning to, of course... then... ...Bye, bye, Miss American Pie...
Pritchett, what is this "core of darkness"?
You coming, or are you waiting for Blackburn?
Blackburn's dead.
Excuse me?
Price!
Pritchett: what is going on?
He must've unsealed the room!
-- hey! --
-- Eddie!!
Please.....anyone....help me?
Melissa...?
For the love of God....please...?
Melissa, it's Sara -- is that you?
Sara...?
Keep talking, I'll find you!
Something....happened --
-- I'm coming --
I feel something. It's faint, but...it's there...
Damn it.
What's the matter?
Did you find something?
It doesn't say. But that's not what interests me. There's no death certificate for the daughter. Anywhere.
What was her name?
So many unanswered questions. Why was she buried there. And who killed her?
It might have been her mother.
We don't have proof of that.
They don't build them like this anymore.
Town records are coming up now.
What will they tell you?
I have to admit you really have a beautiful home.
Thank you. If you told me two years ago we'd be living here, I would never have believed it. Do you live around here?
How did you meet Dr. Shea?
There were a series of lectures about parapsychology at my university. I went and heard him speak, and became fascinated with the idea of hunting ghosts.
I have to admit I was skeptical. Until now.
So was I. The usual investigation turns up nothing more times than not.
Well, I guess this whole thing was as strange for you as it was for us.
It looks delicious...
Did you find her?!
Are you all right?
A few years older, perhaps.
It will heal.
I'm sorry.
Good-bye.
May you find the peace you've sought in vain for so long.
Where does this amulet come from?
The dagger is used to free those possessed if stabbed directly into the heart, according to ancient beliefs -
By killing them?
By freeing them.
I don't understand.
What do these ingredients mean?
Can we leave out a bowl of milk, mommy?
Mommy, the leprechauns drank the milk last night.
Can I do it again tonight?
Don't play games with me, little girl.
I didn't do anything, mommy.
Well then who did?!
Maybe it was Colleen...
It's going to hurt us!
Honey, isn't your friend's name Colleen?
Can you talk to her?
She's down...
Aubrey, come on down and have some dinner!
My angel!
Are we leaving mommy?
Where are we going to go, mommy?
We're going to go someplace new.
What about all my other stuff?
H-how long will it take?
Your father doesn't love us anymore!
Oh my God, what happened to you? My baby -
She says she's lonely...
Where is she?
She's here.
Where is she now?
She's down. Help her...
Help me! Please!!!
Can I have this room daddy?
Sure. Did you see the others?
I want this one, daddy.
What's he doing daddy?
He's blessing the house.
Why?
Did you grow up in Ireland mister?
That's father, Aubrey. SEAMUS Well yes I did. Lived here my whole life.
Look daddy! It's empty!
We're here Aubrey! Look, don't be afraid. We want you to come back to us...
I can't move!
Mommy please help me!
Don't be afraid!
Oh my God! She's in there!
Are we going back to California daddy?
Good night Angel...
Mommy!
I could use a little help. We have to return the van soon.
Now remember we have to call someone about that replacing that water heater.
Yeah I'll look into that tonight.
I hope we have more success than we did with the cleaning service.
The place is pretty dusty.
Well the realtor said that was going to be taken care of and it wasn't. I'll have to call her.
Who knows... we have to get used to living around here. Maybe good help is hard to find.
What's the matter?
Will, maybe we should have separate bedrooms for a while.
Oh come on...
I just, I don't know...
What will Aubrey think?
Well maybe we don't need to remind her of it. She has a lot more to adjust to...new friends, new schools...it would be good if she had a stable family environment.
You didn't think much about that before.
It's just going to take a while.
To our family.
I wish I knew more about her.
Did anyone in your family keep in touch with her?
Not really. She was just one of those names you hear growing up. You know, so-and-so who lives in Ireland. I really don't think anyone knew about this place.
God rest her soul.
Are you playing tricks on me?
What?
What the hell is that?
No. Maybe it was Aubrey.
She's asleep. I think that's what I need, too. I'm starting to see things.
...set up some more things.
The heater's here.
Were you fooling with the power?
No.
What is it?
It was in the cellar. Weird.
Weird sounds, things moving, lights going off. The videotape...
So what are you saying?
But do you agree with me?
Yeah, I'd say some weird things have happened.
Well, I try to keep an open mind, but...
Maybe Eliza wasn't so crazy after all.
There's got to be an explanation. It could be a magnetic flux or something, maybe the power lines are giving off something. Who knows? I don't know, I think it's kind of interesting.
Well what power lines, Will? Where? Maybe we should call someone about it.
Who?
I don't know. Someone who...knows about this kind of stuff.
Oh come on!
Just because I have an open mind doesn't mean I'm going to pay some snake oil peddler to come in and shake a voodoo stick around the house.
Voodoo stick? It's nothing like that Will. You're just being cynical.
It just disappeared. Literally.
Whoa there...
What are you talking about?
She has a...friend. Colleen.
A friend?
How are we doing?
I think everything's ready.
Oh my God where is she!
She's gone!
Aubrey!
It doesn't matter to me. What do you mean by that?
I'm fine.
You know, I was thinking... All that stuff father Seamus said...about discord, distrust... we're doing all right, aren't we? You don't have any doubts about me, do you?
Should I...
You don't think I know?
Do you think I'm a fool?
What?
Nothing's changed, has it. You still want to deceive me?
Maura, what is this!
We're not going.
We'll destroy you...destroy all of you!
Maura!
Are you all right?
You're bleeding.
Not at all. I'm just trying to put together all the evidence, to determine what it could possibly be.
We don't know.
I think we should do it.
We're usually successful in detecting the source of most problems. Unfortunately.
What do you mean, unfortunately?
We usually find nothing. We've debunked many a reported haunting. About ninety five percent of the cases had some technical explanation.
Where is your daughter? She might be able to give us some information.
Ok, so we have a...presence. What do we do about it?
I'm not sure, but I can check. Did the events start before or after you discovered this?
You've done your homework, Mrs. South.
Maura.
Maura.
I'm hungry enough to eat a horse.
Is white meat all right for you, Mr. Shea?
You must be a Londrigan.
...at her request. She was a very religious woman.
Oh, that's nice...
Thank you. I believe she would have wanted it.
She attended the church for years. A dear woman, it was sad to see her decline so rapidly.
It was a shame.
Well it's nice that you were there for her.
Your daughter's been taken.
I'm going to need some blood. It must be from a woman.
Why?
Now you must listen to me. This force is like a parasite, or a virus. It feeds on doubt, suspicion, discord... you must clear your mind as we reach out for her.
Go ahead. I believe right now she may hear you.
Concentrate! She can hear you!
She's coming back. Keep talking!
You must be the new tenants.
My name is Father Seamus. I'm from Holy Rood church.
What was she afraid of?
Did you have dinner, father? We have plenty.
I hope everything works out for you, and you find happiness in your new home.
Thank you.
Well there's no time like the present. Good night.
We'll never know for sure.
This isn't happening...
What...amulet?
I said nothing before, for fear you wouldn't believe me. I've been here before to cast evil from this house. The amulet is a guard against evil, blessed in countless rituals. It is an ancient ceremony of the early Catholic church, a ceremony whose secrets are all but lost.
So what does that have to do with Aubrey! Where is she!
We must return it, if you want your daughter back.
What are you getting at!
How long will it take!
Keep talking!
The rain is letting up.
Yes it is. Will and Seamus look at each other -
I don't know what happened... and I don't know what you did...
I didn't do anything...God saved her...
What's going to happen?
Take care of the girl. Take care of your family. They are important.
Well, you know where to reach me. The church is a stone's throw away if you want to come to mass.
No. But I'm a clairvoyant. I can sometimes talk to unhappy spirits inhabiting a certain place.
Well it all depends on how much money you want to spend. A standard visit would run you about fifty pounds. That would include myself and an assistant.
And what would you do?
Looks like we have some animal hairs in here. Maybe some kind of a rodent.
So is that what all this is? Someone have a problem with us living here?
Do you have any other physical evidence, that we can look at?
Where did you find this?
It was nailed to the cellar wall.
I see some faint lettering. It appears to be the...Runic alphabet?
Do you mind if I borrow it?
There's something in there.
What?
There's something through that wall!
Well what is it!
What do you mean?
What, you think I'm kidding? I guarantee it. An inch more flank. Boys upstairs get hot. Bingo, you're an anchor-woman.
C'mon, Joey. I'm just trying to help you hit a home run here.
Yeah? Well, you just struck out. It may be a surprise to you, Brad, but I want to do it the right way. Not tight skirts. Tight stories.
Right. Like last night's doozie.
I know what I saw.
Not on station time.
I know. I know. But it's just so ... neat, isn't it? The first gig that isn't cute kids or diet gurus and it's taken away from me.
Better hurry, Doc. A real story. With a real reporter.
Joey .... Look, you wanna ride? I can go by your place.
You'd lose the money-shots. No. I'll catch a bus. Or a cab. Don't worry about it. Go.
OK. Be careful. And lighten up. Story of your life could be right round the corner.
Hello?
You wanted a story. You got it. Turn on the TV now. And then get your ass down here ... ...
Wait ... wait. You ... you have to help me. I don't understand. Am I dreaming this?
You have to help me. You will understand. And no, you're not dreaming. Do you know where we are?
It's ... I don't know. First World War, right?
Well done. Brave girl. You've probably never shaken hands with a ghost before, am I right?
Captain Spenser. Elliott. I ... What the Hell is going on?
The war pulled poetry out of some of us. Others it affected differently. This is me a few years later. We're in India, by the way, and it's 1921. I was like many survivors. Lost souls with nothing left to believe in but gratification. We'd seen God fail, you see. So many dead. For us God, too, fell at Flanders. We adjusted to the
And what is ... this frozen moment?
The cusp of my life. What I was, what I am, what I will be ... past, present, future, all bound here at this timeless moment of decision. I was an explorer of forbidden vices and pleasures. Opening the Box was my final act of exploration, of discovery.
Something bad.
Kirsty Cotton. Yes. But ... if your soul was freed, why are you back?
Because - monster as I was - I was bound by Laws. The protocol of Hell. The Box had to be opened to let me out. The truly innocent were safe. That's no longer true. The shell of the beast has been fleshed. What I was is out there, Joey. In your world. Unbound. Unstoppable.
What will he do? What does he want?
He'll do what he does best. But he'll do it unfettered. He wants to walk the Earth forever, indulging his taste for all the myriad subtleties of human suffering.
I like you, Joey. You ask all the right questions. There is something we can do but it will require great courage.
Joey, you walked through your window from one reality to another. You're stronger than you think.
Then tell me what to do.
This is his first night on Earth. He wants to close the door behind him. Like all Lieutenants, he covets command. There's a gateway to Hell through which he can be taken back. He has to destroy it.
So where is it?
Wha .... ?
It was off the statue. In the club.
Hold on. Hold on, please. I need talk to you.
Look, lady! I told you! It's not my problem! I was just there!
Under The Underground. Can I like GO now?!
Uh-huh?
Uh ... Hi! Is this ... er ... Joanne Summerskill?
You like ... left me a card? At the club?
Right ... So ... Well, what do you want?
I want to talk to you. We met ... now, listen, don't hang up, OK? ... We met at the hospital last night.
Yeah. Sure. You mean ... tonight?
Of course tonight. Is that a problem? Like, if you've got a guy there or something ...
I put some decaf on. Er ... make yourself comfortable.
What?
Your dream. You said you were having a bad dream.
... well, I've been having it for years. It's not a nightmare or anything. It's ... well, I know what it is.
What is it?
Why are you so interested?
Sorry.
No. No, it's OK. I ... It's my father.
Oh, right. Did he used to ... ?
God, no! Nothing like that. No, he died before I was born. He died in Vietnam. I never knew him. Never met him. We don't even know the details. I dream of battlefields. Of searching. Of trying to find out.
That's great.
What?
No ... I mean, it's not like great about your dad or anything. It's just I don't dream. Never have. ... Maybe it'd help if I slept sometime ... Just kidding ... No, so it's always neat for me to hear about dreams. I'm jealous. It's like everybody has another world except me. You know what I mean?
Great. Thanks. You gonna have one?
I'm trying to quit.
Sorry. It was my father's. It's temperamental.
Oh. You wanna talk about that stuff.
Yes I do. Terri, something awful happened to that boy. I have to find out what it was.
But I don't know anything! Really. I just came out of the club and the kid was already in the street. He ...
Did you know him?
No. I'd seen him in there a few times before. He was just a punk. I'd never like danced with him or anything. Anyway, he was a thief. He must've taken it from the statue.
Taken what?
The thing! He was lying there in the street, moaning. But he pointed at it ... 22
Wait a minute. He was already ... wounded ... when you found him?
Yeah! That's what I'm saying! And it was lying next to him. And he pointed at it before he passed out and ...
Wait. Wait. The chains. Where did the chains come from?
I figured I'd make breakfast.
Right ... That's ... er ... that's nice of you, Terri. Can I ask? Is it always this ... exploratory?
I'll boil some water.
I'll do it!
This is great. And it's yours? You like own it?
The bank owns it. But I'm working on it.
How have you ... ?
Wow. Lotta books. You read all these?
No. I buy them to impress people. Of course I've read them.
Cool. I read a book once. It was like all these people discovering who they used to be. You know, like reincarnation? It was really good. You ever read that?
... but it is good. You know, over to the left, you can ...
I don't know his name ... I saw the whole story. A wounded bird was on his roof. I could hear its cries from here. He went straight to it. I couldn't've. I'd be frozen between pity and fear. But he wasn't. Its pain spoke directly to him. He picked it up. Nursed it. Fed it. And it got better. Everyday he'd watch the
And he still sits there?
Every day.
Maybe he thinks it'll come back.
But I don't know what's going on.
Maybe not. But you know more than I do. You know something about this box. Something about a statue?
Yeah. I found it. I knew held like it and I figured ...
Woah. Wait a minute. Who? The kid?
No. JP. My last boyfriend? He like owns the club. You know? You were there? He bought the statue.
I was downtown looking for a ... a friend. A guy I know. Anyway, there was this store. Like real old? Lotsa weird shit in there. I saw this statue. Pillar. Thing. I knew he'd love it. You've seen the club.
Would you know this store again?
Sure. Why?
Jesus. Are you sure this is the street?
Yeah. Happening, isn't it?
Terri?
Buying some drugs, alright?
For somebody else, alright? Not for me. I don't do that shit anymore.
Then you shouldn't even be around it. You know, it's ...
What am I looking for?
Joey ... ?
No. Sorry. Not interested. Not for my customers. Have you tried ...
No. No, you don't understand. We're not selling it. It came from here. We want ...
Everything sold as is. No guarantees. No returns.
No. We want ...
Never mind. I'm glad it's gone. Made the store feel strange. Who'd make such a thing?
Fine. Fine. But can you tell us anything about it?
It was part of a job-lot. Some loony- bin they shut down. Unclaimed stuff.
What else came with it? Anything still here?
Sure. Just papers, photos. Stuff nobody'd ever want.
Can we see?
You gonna buy?
I don't know. Maybe.
Welcome. 38
You're JP Monroe, right?
Uh-huh.
And this is your club. Great club. I really love it here. Great club.
Thank you.
Thank you for the drink. And the rose. Wow. That's ... really nice.
It's yours. You won it. It's a prize.
A prize? For what?
You see, everyday I have my friend John here bring ...
The barman? I thought he was called Rick?
He's a barman. Whatever. Do you mind if I continue?
I'm sorry.
Everyday I have my friend Rick here bring a newly-cut red rose in with him and keep it behind the bar. And I award it to a woman of exceptional beauty.
Oh come on. There're lots of girls here who look better than ...
... Let it define you. Whatever it is. Most of the roses die behind the bar. This is the first I've given out for nearly a month.
Yes really.
Wow. Thank you.
Do you mind me talking about your stuff?
It doesn't bother me. I'm just not interested.
But you gave me a rose ...
And tomorrow I'll give one to somebody else. Get dressed. Get out.
You shit. Who do you think you are?
I'm JP Monroe, you stupid little bitch. Now get the fuck out of my life.
You ... I can't fucking believe you, you bastard! You get me in here ...
What ... What ... ?
That had nothing to do with the world. Not this one, anyway.
On the contrary. It has everything to do with the world. And our dreams of how it will succumb to us. You enjoyed the girl?
Yes.
Good. So did I. And that's all ...
I understand. Their fortune was so tempting, their affection so conditional. What else could you do?
Don't flee from yourself. If you have a quality, let it define you. Cultivate it. It is you. By helping me, you will help yourse...
What!? What are you talking about? Why should I help you?
A dark star rising. I was bound to another's system by a soul I once possessed. A friend relieved me of that inconvenience. Now I'm free. Born again of Blood and Desire.
You see, we're not so dissimilar.
But how in God's name ...
How do we start?
Joey?
Not quite.
JP?
Live and in the flesh. How're you doing, babe?
Yeah right. How'd you get this number?
Will you relax? Your little girlfriend left a card, remember?
Oh. Yeah. Yeah. Well ... I'm fine. Things are great here. Joey's going to get me a job at the TV station. I'm meeting lotsa new people. It's really great.
Really?
Yeah really. I'm ...
No. I mean, really? Because I'm concerned for you, sweetheart. I care about you. I guess I miss you. I'm sorry we split up. I'm sorry I ...
You're apologizing?
Hey, it has been known. C'mon Terri, I'm not that bad a guy. I have regrets. I'd like to put things right. Don't tell me you haven't thought about me. Huh?
Well ... of course I have. I've thought. I've ... Oh, JP, you were so horrible. You really hurt me ...
I know. I know. It's bad. I'm a bad person. But I try not to be, Terri. I really do. And I really miss you.
I miss you too.
That's so good to hear, sweetheart. It really is. You know, I .. are you alone?
Yes. 53
Good ... Good ... Look, why don't you come over? You know, nothing heavy, little drink maybe, little talk. Just see how we both feel?
Oh, I don't ...
Not quite. This wasn't here.
No. But, as you can see, I'm having some work done on it. You found a real treasure for me, Terri. I hope I can show you how grateful I am.
Yeah ... yeah, it looks different.
Yeah, a girl I know helped smarten it up. Put her heart and soul into it.
A girl? Anyone I should know?
Yeah right. Look ...
I don't think so. Not yet. I'm not ready yet.
That's terrible. What a bitch. She was obviously just using you, Terri. Ready to dump you the second she had what she needed, interfering little whore.
No. It isn't ... she wouldn't ... It's like I must have done something wrong, you know? Freaked her out. Just fucked up something good again.
Really?
Oh thank God, you're dead...
You're saying you want us to beat them to the crystal and save the world from financial disarray.
Something like that.
Well, forget about it. Hawk and I are going to Rio. We're hurt, we're tired, and a hero ain't nothing but a sandwich. Right, buddy?...
That was beautiful.
The security's actually not that severe.
Delivery Entrance. Low Security.
Eighth room down, babe...
That's the first thing I did. Smooch the ground and taste the freedom. Sorry I was late. Miss anything?
Your timing, and your shoes, are impeccable... Good to see you, Alex, been having a lousy day.
Looks like you've been expanding your...
Don't say it, Hawkins. I'm incredibly sensitive about my fucking figure.
That's your definition of "Hard?"
Show off. Hey, boss tune. "Come Fly with Me."
Three minutes, 51 seconds.
Still do the puzzles, still know the running times of songs, and I'll bet you're still the best damn cat burg--
Not anymore. Now I'm the laziest damn cat burg--I'm going to take it so straight that I won't tape a Mets game without the expressed written consent of the National Baseball League.
Now that you're born again,what do you wanna do? Statue of Liberty? Entertain some ladies? Miss Saigon tix? Seduce some women? Play Nintendo? Bone some chicks?
Come on, Alex, let's just get to Alex's. Your bar's the only place that's going to cheer me. God, I'd kill for a damn cappuccino. What the hell's a Nintendo?
So Mr. Coffee, what went down outside the prison?
Those dago-guinea-I can say this shit I'm Italian-wop motherfu--
I didn't know how to tell you. A couple brokers stopped in for Stoley Spritzers one night. Next thing I know Fast Track Digest votes us "Watering Hole of the Month." Now, I'm shopping for Aqua Salmon wallpaper.
I read about these people in Newsweek. Where's all the regulars, Crazy Jeff Cava, the Todd sisters, Indian Joe? Where's Ed Kranepool's autograph? Captain Bob's steering wheel?
Alex, did you know this ape was going to be here...
Hmmmm.....
It's Captain Bob's steering wheel! Remember when the Captain.....
The safe's a Simpson 71. Last time I played the game, Simpson only had a 40.
Just means it'll take you an extra 31 seconds to seduce. You re still the best, I know it.
But you got three guards who... Shit, what am I doing? Where's the want ads? Gonna sell some spatulas.
This isn't funny. I'm not into this. I...
There goes five seconds...My record's eighteen.
I'm sorr--Goddamn Mario Brothers. Goddamn Gates. Goddamn Rutherford Auction House. By the way, how many seconds?
Alex!
Whoa, you better cut a bigger hole than that.
Cameras?
They record everything their video surveillance takes in...
You got about five minutes and change.
5:32. "Swinging on a Star."
"A mule is an animal with long funny ears."
"He can't write his name or read a book. To fool people is his only thought."
"And all the monkeys aren't in the zoo."
The song's over! Come on! "You could be swinging on a star."
What am I doing here? There are so many things I wanna do that aren't this. Paint a lighthouse. Kiss a woman in Italy.
"You could be swinging on a star."
Did I miss anything?
Oh, not much. Gates just had his tonsils taken out. The hard way.
The Butler did it. Guy was a cross between Alistair Cook and a Cuisinart. Dude took Mr. Ed and humptied dumptied it over Gates's head. He said it was made by, get this, Leonardo..
Okay, you got me, Mr. PBS.
Morning edition. Seems two thieves "attempted" to steal it last night, but thanks to three "courageous" guards, it will be ready for tonight.
Boing. Uh, this I don t understand...
Why try?
Because I'm tired of not understanding things. Cops, Mafia, and butlers forcing me to bust my ass to steal something, which it turns out I really didn't steal--it's fucked up.
You re not thinking of going to...
You bastard. You fucked my freedom for a lousy job.
But I said I was sorry....
No sweat, Alex, you only made the biggest mistake of <u>my</u> life. What was your per-diem?
Rio, Alex? After all they've done to...Hey, these tickets are for Moscow!
We're going in from the ground floor.
Shwoof, that makes me feel better. I can't believe this is the Iron Curtain. All the guy at Airport customs wanted to know was "Who Shot J.R.?"
You sound disappointed.
Count of three?
Why not just go now?
"Oh, we ain't got a barrel of money.
Now that's a lock.
"Oh this lock is a pain in the bu-utt"
That was close....
Anna, I think you better stay....
"We all had our quarrels and parted..."
I'm a ghost. Boo.
Alex, are you....
I can't believe you didn't notice. My weight. I lost ten pounds in Rome
Get 'em. They went down the hallway.
Let's just forget it, I mean...
Ta ta, Hudson Hawk.
Welcome to Rome, sir.
My life is not some deal. I...
Welcome back to Vinci.
How.
You're unemployed, Alfie. Boss is dead. Her plan is over.
My plan is just beginning. I'll forgive you for denying me the pleasure of slaughtering my boorish employers, but I'm afraid the birth of the new British Empire can have no witnesses!
Don't you just hate kids...
George, you promised. No Old CIA/ New CIA jokes...
Grapple, Biker's bottle, hairspray, black turtleneck, Pocket Fisherman, acid, collapsible yardstick, softball, and 72 stamps. Gee Stud, this is going to be some date. No Harvey's Bristol Cream?
With all due respect to that great blouse, why didn't I cut out her heart?
Lucky for us, the Da Vinci is located in a wing of the Kremlin that they used to throw the Miss Ukraine pageant and stuff. It'll have the least number of guards....
Come on, Pierre, Steak-bur-ger, Fren-n-ch Fries. This is France, you gotta have French.....
Italy, France, Moscow. They all just wanna be Nebraska. Old Man Kaplan thinks since Communism is dead, we got nothing to do. Man, Democracy isn't free elections. We gotta teach the world that Democracy is Big Tits, College Football on Saturdays, Eddie Murphy saying the word "Fuck" and Kids putting their hands down garbage disposals on "America's Funniest Home Videos."
Damn baby, when's the last time you had a vacation...Jesus, I gotta get out of this job. If my Mom knew her daughter assassinated the leader of the anti-Apartheid movement....
This is the room above the Art Treasures room. The lock is a Natalya Z-Z, first created...
What the hell....
Did he mention the Mayflowers?
No, your Eminence. I think he's going to steal the Codex, as early as next week.
Attempt, you mean. The vanity of this man, Hudson Hawk. The Vatican has foiled the advances of Pirates and Terrorists. We will not lie down for some schmuck from New Jersey. Must you flirt with him so realistically?
That's the best kind. A wise woman once said "Polite conversation is rarely either."
Let me be the one to quote Scripture. ....As an agent of our organization, you are put in awkward situations. Just remember, Hudson Hawk is an evil, evil man.
Hit me with your best shot.
I betrayed a man. A good man. An innocent man. A thief.
Anna, what are you trying to say...
"Messed around" messed around? I know-- I don't want to know. First base? Second Base? Stop me when I'm getting warm...
A little petting is not the issue!
You got it. Operation Deflower Mayflower is a bad joke and I'm the punchline. I thought we were using the CIA to help us to get Mayflower, but really the CIA was using me to keep us away from Mayflower.
Oh, why couldn't I be the Cardinal in charge of catering.... If the Mayflowers get the three sections of Da Vinci's crystal and his instructions for the gold machine-- Aie-yi--Do we got anything? What of Alex, Hawk's friend, where is his loyalty?
I'm going to find out.
I'm sorry for losing it back there, but you must remember, sister, you have vows to God as well as a mission to the world.
I know, I know, your Eminence, just say "God go with me."
Oh, the shit is going to hit the fa--
My God, that was bold of you, you didn't have to do that...
Forget about it--it was nothing-- anybody would have done the same thing--It's an impulse...
No, I meant you didn't have to tackle me and rip my dress. A polite push, perhaps? A clear shout of "watch out, Anna" would have done nicely...
Thanks tough guy, thanks a lot. Why was the guard chasing you?
Tough guy. What are you--How's your head.
As you know, the Da Vinci Codex, has lived in the Vatican for centuries and will continue to live here for centuries more.
That's what you theenk.
Come on, this stuff will knock you out. Have you ever had the feeling you were being followed, Mr. Bond.
Whoa. Name's Hawkins, Eddie Hawkins. My nickname's Hudson Hawk, but don't call me Hudson, not even as a joke. The Nuns at St. Agnes called me that and they're the ones who helped make me what I am today. Not a compliment...
Sure Hudson. Are you going to tell me why you did that back there or are you going to blame it on Dumbo?
Whoa, part 2. Does it go to Times Square?
Delivers up to ten at night. The Pope has an obsession with his Easter Seals. It's actually not that an unusual set-up. The secret passageway on the other hand....
The Vatican is made of constant mysteries meant to be enjoyed, not explained.
Nice. But right out of our brochure.
Oh, you read that.
Actually I wrote it. It's a good sentence. It can apply to people.
You're not an unmysterious thang yourself.
I don't steal stuffed elephants from little girls. And I buy my own clothes. My life's a little boring...
God, I wish I could say the same thing. What about having a nice, dull dinner with me tonight. Scrabble, Knock-knock jokes, Anecdotes about famous dead Italians....
And I'll bring my entourage...
Secret passageways don't mean as much as they used to. There's a place two blocks east of here. Enzo's. Say 10:30.
Oh Hudson, I was worried you weren't going to drop by....
This is bueno. They had the worst ketchup in prison.....uh...
Prison?
I was the Warden?
How long were you in?
Let's just say, I never saw E.T.
Wow, you were "in the joint." "Doing hard time." It's funny, but that excites me. I seem to have a thing for sinners.
What have you been doing?
tickles, ticKleS, TICKLES.
I'm sorry. I can't. I....
Hey now, outside of a very friendly dog this morning, it's been a slow decade. I don't make love every ten years, I get a little cranky.
Catholic girls are scary...
Somebody robbed the Vatican.
It's not what you think. Okay, maybe it is....
You really went and did it. With one day, not even a day, of planning, you did it. Nobody does it better, Hudson. You started the week stealing the Sforza and you ended it swiping the Codex.
Wha--
For two years, I've been tracking the Mayflowers' peculiar interest in three Da Vinci pieces. Their Sforza replica was as fake as the "gas leak" that supposedly destroyed it.
Does everyone in the world know more than me? Jesus, I'm just some guy who happens to be good at swiping stuff.....Lifted a piece of licorice when I was one and a half. Who knew it would lead... They even got the CIA involved!
The C.I. what? God, no...
This doesn't taste like cappuccino.
Hudson, don't you understand...
And you, Dr. Cappucino, you're lucky I don't hit women, assuming you are a woman. I'm not taking anything for granted anymore.
I-work-for-a-covert-Vatican-humanitarian- organization. The-CIA-made-a-fool-of-me. I-care-for-you...
Where did you get this?
You know, the place where you gave the bad guys the Codex.... the Mayflower Museum.
You better believe I can. I'm sick of people telling me what I have to do.
It's that kind of selfish attitude that...
Selfish attitude? I'm just some guy who wants a little nap and a cappuccino for when he wakes up, not too much foam...
Hey, don't take your disguise so seriously.
Uh, yeah. Guess I'm a wee bit nervous. I'm sorry I could only score clergy passports.
Oh Hudson...
I told you not to call me Hudson. The only people who called me that were the nuns at...
Oh Hudson, I'm a sister of the Catholic church as well as an agent.
I hope you know what....
Trust Leonardo....
Da Vinci made the real directions in a secret script that I decoded. The way the machine is running now, the gold will produce too quickly, clog, and the machine will shut itself down. Isn't it wonderful?
Yeah, but what would happen if that little mirror came out of the crystal.
I wanna know...
Have I ever told you the world is beautiful... I'd really like to play Nintendo with you, or something...
Hudson, I'm afraid I'm sticking with God. But you're a close second, tough guy. What is that smile?
Way to go, Anna.
When the Mayflowers find out we have the Codex, they're going to want to make a deal...
It's the site of their new museum and we're taking it over. Operation Deflower Mayflower is going full speed ahead.
Oh Lord.... the only reason I ask is that Hudson, uh, Mr. Hawk, Hawkins, had some "neat" things to say about Darwin, Minerva, and you. Basically that you're part of the same car pool.
Cat got his tongue?
How many times do I have to say it? I didn't put the hit on Little Eddie... Never had anything against that kooky chimp. I actually found him, "endearing."
You're hitting Rutherford's Auction House. Easy as my brother's wife. Directions are in the bag. Just open the seventh floor safe and take out the thingie...
Hawk, you're a great thief. Got set up, did some time, nothing to be ashamed of. Don't give me a sonata about you always just really wanted to settle down, open a hardware Store and sell spatulas...
What's your favorite sport, Hawk?
Good job, not pretty, but good.
Outbid by my own wench, quelle bummere.
Hawkmeister, we got you clothes, great hotel, and a 250,000 lira per diem.
We want Da Vinci's sketchbook, what do they call it, the Codex.
Listen Hawk, this might be hard to believe, but I'm a regular joe. I just want to be happy and happiness comes from the achieving of goals. It's just when you make your first billion by the age of 19, it's hard to keep coming up with new ones. But now finally I got my new goal. World domination. With your help...Bunny....quit that!
Haven't you ever seen, like David Niven? You know tiptoe in, tiptoe out.
No, let me!
So, Captain Hawk, in one of your paws you got a gold bar worth about 8 thou. In the autre, you got lead that won't get you gelato.
Alchemy! Is the business term of the 90's, my man! Minerva read about it in an airline magazine about four years ago. I dumped some lira into research... Shazam, we come across a diary by one of Da Vinci's apprentices detailing La Machine de Oro, the gold machine for those at home, and the rest is about to become history. Money isn't everything, gold
Market crashes. Bomb drops. Greenhouse effect affects. We'll still be the richest, most powerful people in the world. In 1992, Europe is coming together to become one business superpower. It's one party we'd love to poop.
I look at you Soviet people and I feel... pity... superiority. Most of your life, your government has told you that Capitalism turns people into robots who'd rather eat microwave sushi, naked in the back of a Cadillac than hear the laughter of children.
We're here to say, your government was right.
I knew it! I told you it was a fake.
That New-York-Italian-Father- made-twenty-bucks-a-week-son- of-a-bitch. What was our bet? A million?
For those kind of wages, I could have built the factory in America! They're Vietnamese, can't we just give them more Bart Simpson shirts? I hear depressing news like this and I want to commit genocide! Alfred, hold my calls. So, Hawk! The Hawkster! What do you think of the vehicle?
You could host American Bandstand in here. Why did you duck at the auction, asshole?
So Hawkasaurus, I won't mince words...
Whatever. You own Boardwalk, you own Park Place, you own the four railroads. You think you're God. For all I know, you're probably right. I just wanted to have a damn cappuccino, maybe play some Nintendo after I find out what it is. Man, why didn't you just <u>buy</u> the horse? What am I saying, you did buy it...
Oh... Let's see. There are organizations that think we wanted the "Sforza" for reasons other than putting it in the Da Vinci museum we're building in Vinci. Hopefully, these organizations think our plan has been ruined with the explosion of our replica. If I seem vague, grand. We want a low profile on this, that's why I got Kaplan and the Candy bars involved.
If you're pausing for a "thank you," give it up. So boss, you going to tell me what the crystal piece inside the pony means?
Way to go, Alfie! How many people did you break that thing in front of. Good help's hard to find.
Come to think of it there is a part of your body that you won't need for your next job...
I'll torture you so slowly you'll think it's a career! I'll kill your family, your friends, and the bitch you took to the Prom!
What a pleasant surprise. You're probably wondering...
Have a seat. Good to see you, buddy ol' pal...
Why do you show your parole officer such disrespect? Especially after I got you such a nice job.
The auction house, asshole. One night's work and you're free like no ex-con's ever been. No checking in with a shrink, no community service teaching retards how to play air hockey. It's a great deal, I can't lie.
You wouldn't be out if it wasn't for me! I did dog and pony for you! You think they would have let you out after what you did, you told the board members they looked like the Three Stooges...
Remember that guy in the cell next to you who hung himself?
Yes.
Remember that shoe you lost...
What else do you got under there ... I don't want to be rude, but this is all pretty lame.
Hudson Hawkins gets the chair of honor. How about a Gates-arita? I used real hot dogs.
All this trouble for a horsey. I may not know art, but I know what I like.
You certainly do.
Guess I know who wears the penis in this family.
Anybody have a cigarette? But seriously, do me a favor and Concorde me back to prison. I don't care anymore. I hope you have the receipts for the threads.
You go back, you won't be alone. You'll have a diabetic barkeep cellmate. You're still young enough to have fun shanking child molesters for a pack of smokes, but "Alex" will go in knowing that the next time he gets out it'll be to attend his own funeral. Depressing.
Get away from there, convict!
Big girls don't cry-I-eye.
Cool, isn't it? Weight, feel, mal1eability, they're all but identical. On the periodic chart of elements, they're but one proton apart. Great minds worked for centuries to turn worthless into priceless.
Sure. The Kremlin. Makes sense. The Kremlin. Why not? Listen, this is all too Indiana Jones and the Lost City of King Tut for me, man. Throw me in jail and go ahead, just try and throw Alex...
Bunny, not you too?
I hate a man with a sense of humor. While you corn dogs were comparing the lengths of your masculinity, we obtained the helicopter the new fashioned way: a thoroughly corrupt business deal.
You killed a friend. Why should I help you go for the gold?
It'll take a couple of years of steady production, but I'll flood the market with so much gold that gold itself, the foundation of all finance, will lose its meaning. Brokers, economists, and fellow entrepreneurs will drown in the saliva of their own nervous breakdowns. Markets will crash- crash. Financial Empires will crumble-crumble.
Except yours-yours. The goal of world domination. Well, if you put it that way, Minnie. How can I resist?
If you pull this off, I can't promise I won't kill you. I mean, who we trying to kid? But I will spare the Flying Nun here....
And to think I thought you were Evil Incarnate in pumps.
This is the worst night...
You know Kaplan, if you weren't the slimiest pinata of shit that ever lived, I'd feel sorry for you.
Good news, bud, the Mayflowers have moved up the time-table. You're hitting the Vatican to-night.
Don't be stupid...they...
Bastard! If you were a true American.
Damnit, I hate this! I'm a cat burglar! Nobody said anything about this fight-to-the-death shit.
Don't I know you...
You just might. I'm the guy who tricked you into robbing a government installation and then had you sent to prison for it. At the time, I was bald with a beard, no moustache, and I had a different nose, so if you don't recognize me, I won't be offended.
But I'm not the type of guy to hold a grudge.
I used you as a diversion. while you were getting captured upstairs, I was shredding documents in the basement. Deep down, I guess I was just jealous. You were one incredible thief...
I Want to make things up to you. That's why I got you this gig, doll. Hawk, my name's George Kaplan and to quote the late, great Karen Carpenter, "We've only just begun."
Three minutes, twenty-three seconds. If you think I'm doing another...
Hush. My employer wants a meeting.
Employer? The president?
No, somebody powerful. Oh. Look. what's that up there?
I'm supposed to fall for that?
Hawk, Hawk, Hawk. Enjoying Italy? I always had a soft spot for Rome. Did my first barehanded strangulation here. Communist politician.
Why George, you big softie...
Thanks for sharing.
We blow up space shuttles for breakfast. You and your friend Alex would be a late afternoon Triscuit.
If you do anything to my friend...
Can't you see the Mayflowers double-crossed you...
They may be scum, but if I get the Da Vinci model back, then we'll be roasting weenies on the beach.
I can't believe this. I'm in fucking Russia, or do I have to say, the fucking Soviet Union and I'm shooting a non-Bolshevick. I never thought I'd say "I'm just in this job for the money." Sad. Any last immature quips?
Why does this have to be so hard...
We'll call it the Flying Donut!
The Dancing Dingus!
Something short.
Sharp.
Snappy.
With a little jazz.
The Shazzammeter!
The Daddy-Oh!
The Hoopsucker!
The Hudswinger!
The Hoop-dee-doo!
My God, why?! Why did he do it?! Things were going so well!
What am I a headshrinker? Maybe the man was unhappy.
Nobody told me! Nobody told me! You sold all of our stock?
We dumped the whole load. Now quit showboating, Addison --
I had twenty thousand shares! I'd be a millionaire now!
Sure, sure, we'd all be millionaires. There's no point in looking back. At the time, Stilson thought dumping our position would panic the market, further depress the stock -- then we'd buy it all back, and more of course, once it got cheap --
Who are you? How did you know who I am?
Ah guess ole Moses knows jes about ever'thing, leastways if it concerns Hudsuckuh.
But -- who are you -- what d'you do here?
Ah keeps the ol' circle turning -- this ol' clock needs plenty o' care. Time is money, Miss Archuh, and money -- it drives that ol' global economy and keeps big Daddy Earth a-spinnin' on 'roun'. Ya see, without that capital fo'mation --
Yeah, yeah. Say, you won't tell anyone about me, will you?
I don't tell no one nothin' lessen they ask. Thatches ain't ole Moses' way.
So if you know everything about Hudsucker, tell me why the Board decided to make Norville Barnes president.
Well, that even surprised ole Moses at fust. I didn't think the Board was that smart.
That smart?!
But then I figured it out: they did it 'cause they figured young Norville for an imbecile. Like some othuh people ah know.
Why on earth would they want a nitwit to be president?
...But I guess you don't really know him any better than that board does, do ya, Miss Archuh?
Well, maybe I --
An' only some kind a knucklehead thinks she knows things 'bout things she, uh -- when she don't, uh -- How'd that go?
It's hardly the same --
Why you don't even know y'own self -- you ain't exactly the genuine article are you, Miss Archuh?
Well, in connection with my job, sometimes I have to go undercover as it were --
I don't mean that! Why you pretendin' to be such a hard ol' sourpuss! Ain't never gonna make you happy! Never made Warin' happy.
I'm happy enough.
Okay, Miss Archuh. ...I got gears to see to.
...Hello?
And is this guy from chumpsville?! I pulled the old mother routine --
Adenoids?
I'm telling you, Smitty, the board of Hudsucker is up to something --
About seven minutes.
I'm tellin' ya, this guy's just the patsy and I'm gonna find out what for. There's a real story, Smitty, some kind of plot, a setup, a cabal, a -- oh, and say, did I tell ya?!
He didn't offer you money.
A sawbuck!
Ten dollars? Let's grab a highball!
Ol' satchel-butt...
-- and she's dynamite!
Yeah, and I'll bet his initials are Sidney J. Mussburger!
You've lost it, Aim. You've gone soft by the looks of it -- soft on the dummy from Dubuque --
I'm sorry we had to take the stairs. It was just that horrible little elevator boy...
Not at all. You're light as a feather.
Hungry, anyway.
What a horrible little person.
Oh, Buzz is pretty harmless, really --
A little naive perhaps but -- thank you -- armed with determination, a solid work ethic, and an indomitable belief in the future --
Cigarette?
-- these were the values that were instilled in me while I was growing up in a little town you've probably never heard of --
You're from Muncie?!
...A Muncie girl! Talk about the cat's pyjamas! Tell you what, Amy. I'm gonna cancel the rest of my appointments this afternoon and get you a job here at the Hud.
Oh, no, really, I --
Oh, of all the foolish... Listen, do you take shorthand? Are you familiar with the mimeograph machine?
-- A Muncie girl! Can you beat that!
Well, I just don't know how to thank you, Mr. Barnes --
...Did you happen to see the front page of today's Manhattan Argus?
Well, I... didn't bother to read the article. I didn't think the picture did you justice.
The picture was fine! It's what that knuckle-headed dame wrote underneath! Of all the irresponsible... Amy, take this down: Dear Miss Archer. I call you 'Miss' because you seem to have 'missed' the boat completely on this one! How on earth would you know whether I'm an imbecile when you don't even have the guts to come in here and interview me man to
-- or lack thereof?
Is that all, Mr. Barnes?
...Well, you know me, Amy, at least better than that that dame does. Do you think I'm an imbecile?
I'm sure I --
Go on, tell the truth; I trust you and I put a lot of stock in your opinion.
Well, I --
...You know! For kids!
...Why don't I just type this up...
Aww, naw, Amy, that won't be necessary. I shouldn't send it; she's just doing her job, I guess.
Well, I don't know; maybe she does deserve it. Maybe she should've come in to face you man to man.
Well, she probably had a deadline...
Sure, but -- she could still have gotten your side for the record!
Confused?
Yeah, you know, probably one of these fast-talking career gals, thinks she's one of the boys. Probably is one of the boys, if you know what I mean.
I'm quite sure I don't know what you mean.
Yeah, you know. Suffers from one of these complexes they have nowadays. Seems pretty obvious, doesn't it? She's probably very unattractive and bitter about it.
Oh, is that it!
Yeah, you know. Probably dresses in men's clothing, swaps drinks with the guys at the local watering hole, and hobnobs with some smooth talking heel in the newsroom named Biff or Smoocher or...
Smitty.
Exactly. And I bet she's ugly. Real ugly. Otherwise, why wouldn't they print her picture next to her byline?
Maybe she puts her work ahead of her personal appearance.
...What happened?
Oh. Nothing, really, just... the more timid investors are no longer running for cover.
Sid found me the icepack.
Let me hold it, or you'll have a real shiner.
Thanks. People seem to be pretty hot over this imbecile story.
...I'm sorry.
Norville... there's something I have to tell you. You see, I'm not really a secretary.
I know that, Amy.
...You do?
I understand that you're not very skilled yet in the secretarial arts. I'm not that skilled as president. Oh sure, I put up a big front -- -- not that everyone's buying it.
I believe in you, Norville -- At least I believe in your... intentions --
Oh, I don't blame them, really. I guess I have sort of made a mess of things. These folks have to protect their investment. Most of them are very nice people --
...Certain people are --
Didja ever go to the top of old man Larson's feed tower and look out over the town?
...Huh?
You know, on farm route 17.
Oh yes! In Muncie!
No! In Vidalia! Farm Route 17!
Uh -- Yes. Seventeen. Yes, I -- well no, I -- I never really... There's a place I go now, the cutest little place near my apartment in Greenwich Village. It's called Ann's 440. It's a beatnik bar.
You don't say.
Yes, you can get carrot juice or Italian coffee, and the people there -- well, none of them quite fit in. You'd love it -- why don't you come there with me -- they're having a marathon poetry reading on New Year's Eve. I go every year.
Every year?
...The people look like ants.
Well, the Hindus say -- and the beatniks also -- that in the next life some of us will come back as ants. Some will be butterflies. Others will be elephants or creatures of the sea.
What a beautiful thought.
What do you think you were in your previous life, Amy?
Oh, I don't know. Maybe I was just a fast-talking career gal who thought she was one of the boys --
Oh no, Amy, pardon me for saying so but I find that very farfetched.
Norville, there really is something I have to tell you --
That kind of person would come back as a wildebeest, or a warthog. No, I think it more likely that you were a gazelle, with long, graceful legs, gamboling through the underbrush. Perhaps we met once, a chance encounter in a forest glade. I must have been an antelope or an ibex. What times we must have had -- foraging together for sustenance, picking
I wish it were that simple, Norville. I wish I was still a gazelle, and you were an antelope or an ibex.
Yeah, I think I've heard of that. What goes around comes around.
Oh, Norville --
Kiss me once, Amy! Kiss me once for luck!
For Pete's sake, Norville!
Oh! Hello, Amy -- was it -- I thought she said, Mamie --
...You know what those nincompoops in the boardroom are doing?
Well, I wouldn't call them nincom --
They're going to discharge eight percent of the work force here at Hudsucker. Why, in New York alone that means eighteen hundred people out of work, people with wives and children and families --
Well yes, we're pruning away some of the dead wood, but if --
You mean you know about this?
Know about it? You think the Board would do anything like this without my authorization? No, this was my idea from the start.
Your i --
We have to be realistic, Amy. You know things have slowed down a little here at Hudsucker --
...I've been watching you, Norville Barnes, even though you've been trying to avoid me --
Now, Aim --
Shutup! -- and don't think I haven't noticed how you've changed. I used to think you were a swell guy -- well, to be honest I thought you were an imbecile --
Now, Aim --
Shutup! -- but then I figured out you were a swell guy, a little slow maybe, but a swell guy! Well, maybe you're not so slow, but you're not so swell either and it looks like you're an imbecile after --
Now, Aim --
Shutup! -- after all! You haven't talked to me for a week and now I'm going to say my piece. I've got a prediction for you, Norville Barnes: I predict that since you've decided to dedicate yourself to greed and sloth and everything bad, you're going to lose all the good things that your good ideas brought you. You're going to throw them all
Now, Amy --
...You son of a --
Norville!
...Oh, it's you! Lookin' for a nitwit to buy your lunch?!
Barman! Set'm up, fella!
Norville, I'm sorry, I... I tried to tell you... so many times... It's hard to admit when you've been wrong. If you could just... find it in your heart to -- to give me another chance --
Hey! Where's that martini?!
Just give me another chance, Norville -- I can help you fight this thing. I know this last story was a lie! We can prove it! We can --
Aww, what's the difference. I'm all washed up... When you're dead, ya stay dead... Hey, fella!
I tell ya the guy's a phony.
Phony, huh?
As a three-dollar bill.
Sez who?
...On payday! The only story here is how this guy made a monkey out of you, Al.
Yeah, well, monkey or not I'm still editor of this rag. Amy, I thought you were doing that piece on the F.B.I. -- J. Edgar Hoover: When Will He Marry?
I filed it yesterday.
I can't print this!
Why not, it's all true! The board is using this poor guy! They're depressing the stock so they can buy it cheap!
You don't know anything! Fact is they haven't bought it! The stock is cheap, Archer! What're they waiting for?
Muncie.
Whatever. That's what sells newspapers.
I've got an even hotter story -- The Sap from the City Desk.
Watch it, Archer --
You can't print that!
Archer, you're a broken record. Fact is Gunderson did design it -- apparently he's some kind of prodigy --
Whatever! It's no dig on you, Archer, but this story is hot and you're no longer on top of it. Why, it's the scoop of the century -- the other papers won't have the Gunderson dope 'til tomorrow -- The Allemeinischer Zeitung, Le Figaro, they'll be choking on our dust come mornin' --
You're fools, both of you! It's obvious they're out to crucify Norville! They're trying to destroy him!
Just got hired today!
Terrific.
Ya know, entry level!
Tell me about it.
I got big ideas, though!
I'm sure you do.
Terrific.
So ya see, I won't be in the mailroom long.
How long've you been down here?
I want a martini! It's New Year's Eve and I want a Martini!
Daddy, it's like I been tellin' ya --
Yeah, daddy, that's a roger, but we don't sell alcohol.
What kind of bar is it if ya can't get a martini?!
It's a juice and coffee bar, man, like I been tellin' ya --
I want a martini! On this bar, right now! I've had a martini in every bar on the way down here, and I'm not about to --
What the heck's she doin', Lou?
You know what they're doin' now, Lou.
This I know, Benny.
...Geez.
...It's the most beautiful t'ing I ever saw.
...What's your pleasure, buddy?
Forty-fourth floor, and it's very --
Forty-four, the top brass floor say, buddy! What takes fifty years to get up to the top floor and thirty seconds to get down?
I --
Say, buddy! Who's the most liquid businessman on the street?
Well, I --
My pleasure, sir.
Oh, uh... Buzz... Is it important?
...Why, this is worthless.
This is the most idiotic thing I've ever seen in my life!
Yeah, but, buddy --
...say, the hula hoop such a success.
But, buddy --
And what do you mean barging in here and taking up my valuable time! I've got a company to run here --
But, buddy, you were --
-- I can't have every deadbeat on the Hudsucker payroll pestering me with their idiotic brainwaves!
Geez, I'm sorry, buddy --
Wuddya mean, buddy?
Awwww, buddy --
Aw, please, sir -- this job, it's all I got!
Get up!
I understand if ya don't like the Buzz-Sucker! Just lemme keep my job, I'm prayin' to ya!
I'm sorry, buddy... I'm sorry...
-- Uh... Buzz, I'm sorry, I -- Buzz, you gotta forgive me! I shouldn't a fired you, I didn't know what I was doing! I was a little funny in the head, I --
...You don't?
Nah, that's all forgotten.
...It is?
Sure, Mr. Muss -- uh, Sid said I could have the job back.
Absolutely, Buzz, I'm glad he --
But he told me you stole that swell hoop idea from me. What gives!
But, Buzz --
Say, that was a swell idea!
But, Buzz, you know I never --
And Sid says you stole it!
...Jesus Christopher -- That smarts... Where was I? Oh yeah, the board. I guess Sidney's been puttin' the screws to ya, huh, Norman?
Norville.
Mm. Well, say what you like about the man's ethics, he's a balls-to- the-wall businessman. Beat ya any way he can. Straight for the jugular. Very effective.
Yes sir...
Anyway. Any particular reason you didn't give him my Blue Letter? I mean, Jesus, Norman, just a dying man's last words and wishes, no big deal.
Huh? Oh, geez, Mr. Hudsucker, I apologize, there was an awful lot of excitement and I guess I must've mislaid --
Oh, geez.
Failure to deliver a Blue Letter is grounds for dismissal.
Geez, I --
Ah, it's New Year's, I'm not gonna add to your woes. I'm just saying.
Yessir.
Well, why don't ya read it.
Sir?
Yeah, go ahead. Might learn somethin'.
'From the desk of Waring Hudsucker. To. Sidney J. Mussburger. Regarding. My demise. Dear Sid. By the time you read this, I will have joined the organization upstairs -- an exciting new beginning. I will retain fond memories of the many years you and I -- '
Yeah, yeah, it's the standard resignation boilerplate -- go down to the second paragraph.
'...And so, Sid, the future does not belong to such as I -- nor even you. We have made our compromises with time. The future belongs to the young, who may more energetically wage the battle against corruption. Accordingly, in the spirit of hope, and the ringing in of the new, I hereby bequeath my entire interest in the company, and my seat on
...Yeah, go ahead.
...This'll only take a moment.
Yeah?
Good afternoon to ya, this is Norville Barnes --
...Well, I'm not sure where I --
I need that voucher! I told you a week ago it was important!
But look, I'm president of the company now and I --
-- So we'd gone out to the Hamptons and the garden was in positive ruins!
That must have been quite a disappointment, Mrs. Mussburger.
I'm brushing up on my French with the most charming man, Pierre of Fifth Avenue. Do you know him?
I haven't had --
Well, frankly, I...
...Who let you in?
Tell him I'll be right there... Well, what is it?
You, maybe you're the company's biggest moron. We can't use Morris, he's been with us too long, he's a nice guy, too many friends. Matter of fact, why don't you fire him. No -- scratch that; I'll fire him. ...Make it fast, make it fast.
...You know, for kids! Which is perfect for Hudsucker -- not that I claim to be any great genius; like they say, inspiration is 99 percent perspiration, and in my case I'd say it's at least twice that, but I gotta tell ya, Mr. Mussburger, sir, this sweet baby --
...education, were you?
Well, I'm a college graduate --
All right, but you didn't excel in your studies...?
Well, I made the dean's list.
At the Muncie College of Business Administration.
...'Shnook'? 'Dope'? 'Dipstick'? 'Lamebrain'?
No, sir.
Not even behind your back?
Sir! They voted me most likely to succeed!
You're fired.
But, sir! --
But --
My God! The Bumstead contracts!!
You nitwit! I worked for three years on this deal!
Why you nitwit. You almost destroyed the most sensitive deal of my career!
Not that way! Through the door!
Up on your feet! We don't crawl at Hudsucker Industries!
My God! The Bumstead contracts!
That reminds me, Mr. Mu... uh, Sid. I never did give you that--
Relax, Norville. It's only natural in a period of transition for the more nervous element to run for cover.
...You don't happen to remember the plan I outlined to you the day I set fire to your off -- uh, the day I was promoted?
I do remember and I was impressed. Anyway, that's all forgotten now. Driver!
Thank you, Sid, but the reason I mention it is, it would require such a small capital investment -- again, you're the expert here --
Damnit, where's my car!
Finally.
...Congratulations, kid, you've really outdone yourself. Reinvented the wheel. I'm going to recommend to the Board that we proceed immediately with this, uh... with the, uh... that the dingus be mass-produced with all deliberate speed. Of course, as president of the company the ultimate decision is yours.
Sorry I'm late, Sid. That back nine at Riverdale is really murder.
Sure, sure, it's a tough course. Well thanks for coming, kid. I thought the board room would be a swell place to chat undisturbed -- it seems we're having some security problems here at the Hud.
Ya don't say.
Mm. Ordinarily I wouldn't bother you with it, but -- this is embarrassing, kid -- it seems to concern you directly.
How's that, Sid?
It's not important in itself -- some elevator boy you fired came to me claiming you'd stolen the idea for the, uh, the hoop dingus from him --
Huh?! He -- no, I -- he's just -- maybe I was a little rough on the boy, ya see I --
I got gas, Bennie.
Yeah, tell me about it.
No kiddin', Bennie. I got gas.
Ya get the special?
...Enter the dame.
There's one in every story.
Ten bucks says she's looking for a handout.
Twenty bucks says not here she don't find one.
She finds him.
...and awduhs a light lunch.
...No money.
...He's not noticing, Benny.
Maybe he's wise.
He don't look wise.
Yellowstone.
Old Faithful.
Hello, Niagara.
She's got other problems, of course...
...Her mother needs an operation...
...adenoids.
Maybe he's wise.
She isn't!
She's good, Bennie.
Good morning, miss.
Thank you for waking me.
But I'm Miss Jessica's nurse, Alma. You don't have to do that for me.
I know, miss. But I like to do it. I like to tend for Miss Jessica and I want to tend for you. You settle right back, now, and I'll mix you your coffee.
Miss Jessica used to say this is the only way for a lady to break her fast -- in bed, with a lacy cushion to bank her head up. If you'd only seen her, Miss Connell. She looked so pretty.
She must have been beautiful. What happened to her, Alma?
She was very sick and then she went mindless, Miss.
We'll see if we can't make her well, Alma, you and I.
What's this?
A puff-up, I call it. But Miss Jessica always says "brioche."
Things so bad, nobody can help -- not even Doctor Maxwell.
Doctors and nurses can only do so much, Alma. They can't cure everything.
Doctors that are people can't cure everything.
What do you mean -- "doctors that are people"?
There are other doctors...Yes, other doctors...Better doctors...
Where?
At the Houmfort.
That's nonsense, Alma.
They even cure nonsense, Miss Betsy. Mama Rose was mindless. I was at the Houmfort when the Houngan brought her mind back.
You mean Mama Rose was like Mrs. Holland?
No. She was mindless but not like Miss Jessica. But the Houngan cured her.
Are you trying to tell me that the Houngan -- the voodoo priest -- could cure Mrs. Holland?
Times gone, Fort Holland was a fort...now, no longer. The Holland's are a most old family, miss. They brought the colored people to the island-- the colored folks and Ti-Misery.
Ti-Misery? What's that?
A man, miss -- an old man who lives in the garden at Fort Holland - with arrows stuck in him and a sorrowful, weeping look on his black face.
Alive?
No, miss. He's just as he was in the beginning -- on the front part of an enormous boat.
You mean a figurehead.
If you say, miss. And the enormous boat brought the long-ago Fathers and the long-ago Mothers of us all - chained down to the deep side floor.
But they came to a beautiful place, didn't they?
I think you need some help.
I'm afraid so.
I really intended going out to the Fort and meeting you long before this, Miss Connell. I'm Mrs. Rand -- Wesley's mother.
Oh, Mrs. Rand --
Believe me, Mrs. Rand, he doesn't do this often. This is the first time I've seen him --
Thank you, Mrs. Rand. I think you're every bit as nice as Wes says you are.
I'd love to.
Use your influence with Paul. Ask him to take that whiskey decanter off the dinner table.
I've no influence with Mr. Holland.
Some of this native nonsense. The Houngan has his prescription and Dr. Maxwell and I have ours.
You've never said anything about voodoo before, Mrs. Rand.
Haven't I? I suppose I take it for granted. It's just part of everyday life here.
You don't believe in it?
A missionary's widow? It isn't very likely, is it?
I don't mean believe, like believing in a religion. I mean, do you believe it has power? Do you think it could heal a sick person?
Frankly, my dear, I didn't expect anything like this from a nice level-headed girl. What are you driving at?
I heard the servants talking about someone called Mama Rose. They said she had been "mindless"...
Mrs. Rand.
Wait. Don't draw any conclusions. Let me explain.
But, Mrs. Rand --
I knew you'd come. And I knew I'd have to come up here and talk to you. I couldn't let you go back without any word. I came to tell you again -- Jessica cannot be cured.
But how did you get here? What are you doing here?
-- and when my husband died I felt helpless. They disobeyed me -- things went from bad to worse. All my husband's dreams of good health, good sanitation, good morals for these sweet and gentle people seemed to die with him. Then, almost accidentally, I discovered the secret of how to deal with them. There was a girl with a baby -- again and
But you didn't have to come up here.
Why, Betsy -- we can't lose you. You mean too much to us here.
Mrs. Rand...
You must, Betsy. They'll have to believe you.
Does she suffer?
She can never be cured?
I've never heard of a cure.
Is this disease common in the tropics?
I prepared these for you last night, Miss Connell.
I've worked with it. I've seen cures. It is at least a hope.
Miss Connell's testimony will be very important.
You're single?
Yes.
Where were you trained?
They didn't teach it at Memorial Hospital. I had my suspicions, though, about the Directress of Training.
Very well. That means that you have met all Mr. Holland's requirements. Now, as to salary -- it's quite good -- two hundred dollars a month.
That is good. But I'd like to know more about the case.
I'm afraid I'm not able to tell you much. Only that the patient is a young woman -- the wife of a Mr. Paul Holland with whom we do considerable business.
That will mean another interview, won't it?
No, this is quite final. You see, Mr. Holland is a sugar planter. He lives in St. Sebastian Island in the West Indies.
The West Indies?
A year's contract -- a trip with all expenses paid -- that's not so bad, you know.
But it's so far away...
It seems we are having dinner by ourselves, Miss Connell. But I may as well introduce everyone to you, anyway. There -- in the master's chair, sits the master -- my half-brother Paul Holland. But you've already met him.
Yes -- on the boat.
And that chair -- is the particular property of Mrs. Rand -- mother to both of us and much too good for either of us. Too wise, in fact, to live under the same roof. She prefers the village dispensary.
Is she a doctor?
No -- she just runs the place. She's everything else -- amazing woman, mother. You'll like her.
I like her already.
And that -- is my chair. And this -- is Miss Connell -- who is beautiful.
Thank you. But who sits there?
-- But, you're an American?
I went to school in Buffalo. Paul went to school in England.
I wondered about your different accents. I'm still wondering about your names -- Rand and Holland.
As a matter of fact, it means the sugar syrup is ready to be poured off. You'll have to excuse me.
Don't worry. I wasn't missed. The only important man here is the owner.
Mr. Holland?
Yes, the redoubtable Paul. He has the plantation, and I, as you must have noticed, have all the charm.
I don't know. He spoke to me last night on the boat. I liked him very much.
Perhaps you ought to get on to the mill.
Where do you think you're going?
It's my day off.
But what in the world can you do with a day off in St. Sebastian?
I was just beginning to wonder. Aren't there shops, restaurants and things?
But don't you have to work?
Bring me another, Ti-Joseph. I have to keep the lady entertained.
It must be hard work entertaining me if it requires six ounces of rum.
What in the world are you talking about? Six ounces -- ?
Higher mathematics. Two ounces to a drink -- three drinks, six ounces.
How do you know there's two ounces in a drink?
Listen, did I tell you that story about the little mule at the plantation -- the little mule and Clement? Let me tell you. It's one of the funniest stories --
Don't let it bother you so, Wes.
I wish I hadn't heard --
Why? Everybody else knows it. Paul saw to that. Sometimes I think he planned the whole thing from the beginning -- just to watch me squirm.
That doesn't sound like him.
That's right -- he's playing the noble husband for you, isn't he? That won't last long.
I'd like to go now, Rand. Would you mind taking me home?
Betsy, can I talk to you a minute?
Does she suffer? Does she know what she is?
I don't know. I once asked Dr. Maxwell the same question. He said he thought she was like a sleepwalker who would never waken.
She hated sleep. She used to say it was a thief -- stealing away her life, an hour at a time...
She's dead. The dead ought to be buried.
But she's not dead, Wes.
You know what she is! That's death -- no mind, no senses -- no love, no hate, no feeling -- nothing!
No, Wes.
It is not beautiful.
You read my thoughts, Mr. Holland.
It's easy enough to read the thoughts of a newcomer. Everything seems beautiful because you don't understand. Those flying fish -- they are not leaping for joy. They're jumping in terror. Bigger fish want to eat them. That luminous water -- it takes its gleam from millions of tiny dead bodies. It's the glitter of putrescence. There's no beauty here -- it's death and
Have the servants made you comfortable?
Can't I take it for you?
I heard someone crying -- a woman --
Why was the maid crying?
I'm not sure I can make you understand. You know what this is?
A figure of St. Sebastian.
I made it clear in my letter to the company. This is not a position for a frightened girl.
I am not a frightened girl.
That's hard to believe, after what happened last night.
If I were as timid as you seem to think, Mr. Holland, I wouldn't have gone into the tower in the first place.
And what is so alarming about the tower, Miss Connell?
Nothing -- really. But you must admit it's an eerie sort of place -- so dark --
Surely nurses aren't afraid of the dark?
A mental case?
I'm sorry...
You didn't find your patient so frightening in the daylight, did you?
Mrs. Holland must have been beautiful ---
I suppose so. Yes.
And charming?
I've never given it much thought.
Good morning, Miss Connell.
I heard about your little misadventure yesterday, Miss Connell. On your first "day off," too.
Well, I had a good time up to a point.
Wesley can be very entertaining.
Yes, he can. But I've been wondering -- you know if you could leave the whisky decanter off the table --
It's always stood there, Miss Connell. I can remember it in my grandfather's time and my father's. I'm afraid it will have to remain.
But for Wes -- it must be a temptation to him.
I've no sympathy with people who can't resist temptation.
Still, I feel you should remove the decanter. Wes is not an alcoholic yet, Mr. Holland. But as a nurse I can tell you that it won't be long before he is.
You don't seem very disturbed by it. I've always thought Voodoo was something to be scared of: the drums sounded in the hills and everybody was frightened.
I heard you playing.
I often do.
I know what you went through tonight. I kept thinking of what you said: that all good things died here, violently.
Why did you come in here?
You have helped me. I want you to know I'm sorry I brought you here. When I thought of a nurse, I thought of someone hard and impersonal.
I love Fort Holland.
What you saw tonight -- two brothers at each other's throat and a woman driven mad by her own husband? Do you love that?
You didn't drive her mad.
Well?
Don't take it to heart, Betsy.
I've been waiting here for hours, trying to imagine Jessica well again -- wondering what I'd feel. I could see Jessica as she used to be, I could hear her say in that sweet mocking voice, "Paul, darling..." The whole thing beginning all over again...
And instead, I came -- bringing you nothing.
I wanted to help you.
Help me? How?
I took Mrs. Holland to the Houmfort. I thought they might cure her.
You have deliberately endangered Mrs. Holland's life. There's no telling what you may have started with this insanity. Why did you do it?
I told you.
Because you wanted to give my wife back to me? Why should that mean anything to you?
You know why. You saw it the other night at the piano. You turned away from me.
You think I love Jessica and want her back. It is like you to think that -- clean, decent thinking.
She was beautiful.
I still can't believe it Paul -- that you wouldn't say a word in your own defense.
I have no defense. So far as I know -- it is true.
You can't believe that. You don't know what viciousness it would take to drive a person mad. You're not vicious or cruel, Paul.
How do you know I'm not? I was cruel to Jessica. When I got to know her -- when I found out how empty and ungenerous she was, there was something about her -- something smooth and false -- that made we want to hurt her.
I can understand that. Everyone feels that way about someone.
You wanted to warn me...
The night you came to me in this room -- to comfort me, to help me -- I turned you away.
Don't, Paul -- don't doubt yourself -- don't make me doubt you.
I remember words I said to Jessica - words mixed like to poison -- to hurt her, to madden her.
That's past -- that's over and done with...
I want you to be safe, Betsy. I want to know you're away from this place -- home again, where nothing can harm you -- nothing and no one.
You want that?
Considering that the paper is three months old and this isn't Sunday -- no thank you.
I wouldn't worry too much, Commissioner. It'll pass. We've had this sort of thing before.
This is something else. They're curious. Curiosity and religious fervor make a strange and explosive mixture.
Wesley!
I think I do. I've often talked a little voodoo to get medicine down a patient's throat.
And what happened then, Mrs. Rand?
I hated myself. I kept saying to myself over and over again that these people had no power; they had no strange drugs; that there is no such thing as a Zombie.
Ah -- that's where reason took hold.
Yes, I said it, and I made myself believe it. But when I got here, Jessica was already raging with fever.
Two things had happened, Mrs. Rand. One was that your daughter-in-law had been taken ill with a fever. The other thing -- completely disconnected -- was that you had wished her ill, because she had hurt your sons.
But I had no thought of harming her. It wasn't I...
All that you say comes down to the same thing. You are asking me to pass a sentence of life or death on my own wife.
Insulin shock treatment is an extreme measure, Mr. Holland. But -- as Miss Connell pointed out when she suggested it -- this is an extreme case.
I don't know -- I don't know--
It is a hard decision to make -- but yours is only a technical responsibility...
But I assure you, Father Walters, Miss Connell had no idea of the consequences when she went there.
An accident at the mill?
No -- it's about Mrs. Holland. A result of our discussion the other day, I'm afraid.
What about her?
In view of all the circumstances, the commissioner has decided on a legal investigation.
Investigation of what?
Of the nature of Mrs. Holland's illness. And, of course, the events which led up to it.
In other words, I'm on trial.
I did everything I could to forestall this, Paul. I don't think there's any question of your innocence in the matter. But there's been too much talk. The thing's out of hand.
Dr. Maxwell is right, Mother.
Well, Jeffries, why come to us about it? Why don't you go up to the Houmfort and put a stop to the drumming and dancing -- that's what causes all the trouble.
If I were as sure as you, Mrs. Rand, we wouldn't be here. I'll tell you quite bluntly: for the peace of the island and possibly for her own safety, we've come to ask you to send Mrs. Holland away to St. Thomas.
To the asylum?
I believe there's a kinder name for it, Wesley. At St. Thomas, it's called the Institute for Mental Therapy.
I tell you he hasn't and he wouldn't dare use it if he had.
Why?
That could be a serious accusation, Rand, if it weren't a foolish one.
Dr. Maxwell -- it's nice to see you.
We're all in it. There won't be a shred of pride or decency left for any of use. Say something, Paul! You've always been good with words. Put some together, now, and tell us that you're not responsible -- that every damnable bit of it doesn't rest squarely on your shoulders!
You're wrong, Wesley. The guilt is mine -- all of it.
Are you going to lie for him, Mother?
That isn't true. You never understood her.
And speaking of which, you have those market share charts Mr. Shackley was asking about?
Gotcha George, not a problem. Tomorrow. Hey, you want to start covering the old filmed entertainment sector yourself?
Ben you know that's your territory - and I wouldn't dream to trespass - you're the expert. Hey, how do you think Paramount's gonna do with that Blatty novel, what's it called? The Exorcist?
Overpriced bomb, cost over $6 million -- no stars, and no one's into the horror genre these days anyway. I'm advising the company recommend reducing positions there. It's disaster films that are gonna stay at the top.
Brilliant. Hey, you heading out a little early today?
Got a meeting uptown.
Right o'.
Benjie!
Clair, George Clair! What the hell brings you to New Canaan?
Well, it's the funniest thing. I've been talking to some investors -- a little outside venture, you understand, between you and me -- about a scheme to manufacture a new Styrofoam packaging. Little peanut like pieces that can really keep an item free from trauma during shipping. Miraculous. Anyway, it turns out the genius behind the whole project is your neighbor, Jim Williams. How
Well, hey, isn't that a one-in-a million coincidence. A real dreamer, Jim Williams, eh?
Darned right. Look here, Benj, whaddya make of this sequel to The Godfather? You think it's gonna work?
Don't see how. I think the public's had its fill of this gangster stuff. No, trust me -- disaster pics. And air hockey.
Well, gonna make a break for the hors d'oeuvres guy.
Yeah, see you bright and early Monday am. Say, where's the wife?
OK, OK, the defense rests. Want another?
No thank you. We should be off.
Don't be so modest, Ben. It's a job that requires a certain prescience with regards to entertainment trends. You were the first to predict that Billy Jack would be a hit --
You're staring at me.
I wasn't star--
I've been thinking, Ben, about Wendy. I was going to ask if she'd come with me sometime to meet Dr. Woolens.
That shrink -- the one you always wanted me to see? I thought you dropped him.
I did, but -- somebody should probably see her, talk to her... You think she's ok?
Then again, why should she be? I mean with us, with our...
So maybe you'll come too?
Oh not again Elena! If we've got problems, why can't you just come out and talk about them.
It's you Ben who needs to talk. I've had my say, and I'm waiting to hear back from you.
Yeah but Elena, even you don't believe all that "I'm OK. You're OK" stuff you keep babbling about -- you say so yourself. I've been all ears for about ten years now on his subject, and --
-- And you haven't moved out yet. It's because you're too lazy, Ben. Too scared or lazy to either deal with us or simply make a decision --
Good night.
The Halfords have invited us again this year.
You want to go?
What do you think?
I'm, uh, going to bed.
So early?
Oh yeah. Musk, or something. You like it?
You all right there?
Oh. Sure, I -- Did you remember to pick up the cranberry sauce?
Because you like it on your turkey sandwiches.
I do. I'm -- are you...?
I... I think I am...
You know Elena, I've been thinking--
You crying?
I'm just sad Ben -- I mean it was... you were, but, you know. I just don't know...
Whatever that means Elena -- And you complain about me not communicating... I thought it was --
No, I didn't mean to sound negative. It was -- But Ben. What is going to happen with us? Have you --
You have to bring this up now? What? Did I do something here? Is that it? Is it something I did?
I wasn't accusing you, Ben. It's just that we've got to be honest. Not just with ourselves, but with the children.
Yikes -- I was hoping to wear this thing to the Halford's Friday.
That shirt?
What?
The turkey in?
Dinner in ten minutes.
In the basement over at Janey and Jim's. With that weirdo Mikey. Not even a TV on. And they're on the floor and he's got his trousers down though thank goodness she's still dressed. Well, I really let him have it! ... and Wendy came home peacefully... Hey, should I dress for the Halford's now, or - give me your -
Up to you. I'd like to go early and leave pretty soon after that.
I get you loud and clear... hey, you look nice.
So what were you doing in the Williams' basement anyway?
Oh, just dropping off a coffee cup. Jim left it, last time he was over. It was on the dash of the car. You were, you know, reading, thought I'd just catch some air. Let's eat.
Oh right. The mustache coffee cup. The one that was sitting on the dash.
Yeah, that one.
What's for dessert?
See for yourself.
Don't start.
You think I --
I have no idea.
What's on your mind? Don't --
It wouldn't make a pleasant evening, if that's what you're after. I don't want to talk about it. Stupid mustache cup.
What do you mean?
Don't be dim.
Elena, what are you're talking about?
I'm not surprised.
Listen, Elena, if you're gonna pull that passive aggressive stuff on me again --
Your unfaithfulness -- that's what I'm trying to talk about. Your unfaithfulness. Your betrayal. Your dalliance. And you won't do me the dignity of being up front about it.
Am I unfaithful? Is that what you're trying to say?
It's a starting place.
Well, what kind of faithfulness are you after?
If you're going to insult me --
Oh lord. You think I'm so dense. And now you want to be seen with your dense wife at the cocktail party. You want to wear that ridiculous shirt which doesn't go with those pants at all. You want to wear that, and you want me to shake hands with your friends and make conversation and dress up in an outfit that shows a
Sure I do. Do I know what loneliness feels like? Sure I do. I know a lot about it, if that's what you mean.
You've...
In the car.
This just isn't the best moment for this.
I know, I know. I had no idea --
That this was going to be a key party?
Yeah, well, if we'd understood we could have invented some kind of excuse. A key party -- did you see how stuffed that bowl was already?
Well?
I think we're here and we don't have to stay -- we ought simply to put in an appearance and then we can head home.
Damn it, Ben --
I'm not staying at this party so we can go home with someone else's wife. That's not why we're here, right? We're simply being neighbors here, and I think we should do just that --
You're not going to --
I'm not.
You have some marker, that's what I think, if you want to know the truth. You have some marker and you're going to put it on the house keys so that Janey can find them and then when I get back to the house I'll find the two of you in there and Wendy'll be able to hear you and Paul will be back
Elena, it's not what you think. It's not a big plot. Honestly. Honestly. I don't know if you want to go over this now, but it's just something that comes over me. I don't feel good about it. I know I've done what I didn't want to do. I don't know --
Well, I'm really pleased to hear a confession.
Elena, you're just getting wound up to get wound up.
Ready to go?
Elena.
Ben, I've got a ride home. Maybe you should sleep this one off on the couch here?
I'll drive you --
You'll get some sleep on the couch out there?
Sure. I'll try. And we'll talk in the morning?
Do you think? Maybe we should call someone --
The phone's out.
Yeah. Well, we can just --
Oh you know, for a minute I thought it was --
Hi dad.
Hey guy. Things ok up there? You all right?
I'm fine dad.
Well good. Just confirming. You'll be on the 3:50 Wednesday afternoon.
Well dad, actually I thought I'd take the morning train on Thanksgiving -- got a lot of studying, papers, you know, lab experiments --
So how's school treating you?
All right.
Classes?
Good.
Grades?
Fine.
Anyone special? You know...
Hnnn.
Well it's good to see you -- we miss you around the house and all, but this St. Peter's, it's top of the line, eh?
Yeah.
About?
Holy! Well. If you're worried about anything, just feel free to ask, and, uh, we can look it up.
Uh, dad, you know I'm 16.
Um, Paul. On second thought, can you do me a favor and pretend I never said any of that.
Sure dad.
See you.
Ah let the guy have his fun. What's the name of this girl with the Park Avenue address?
Libbets. Libbets Casey.
It's like farming. I am basically chewing up large tracts of expensively landscaped scenery with overpriced sticks, and George Clair has obviously, in the mere two years since he joined the firm, he has obviously been taking secret lessons with a golf pro, and I assume the entirety of his disposable income has been devoted to humiliating me on the golf course. And the
Ben--
Yeah?
You're boring me. I have a husband. I don't particularly feel the need for another.
You have a point there. That's a very good point. We're having an affair. Right. An explicitly sexual relationship. Your needs. My needs. You're absolutely right.
You should probably get dressed. The boys will be home soon.
Here.
After the Thanksgiving I had, I need it. You having one?
Maybe it's all for the better, you know? Yesterday, at dinner, well, she hasn't said anything... has she acted funny to you, I mean, have you noticed anything?
Have I noticed anything? I'm not married to her Benjamin, you are. I think you've probably a better vantage point from which to observe her.
Huh?
Birth control.
Oh jeez, Benjie. Well, here you are.
Damn right, but where the hell were you?
What are you talking about?
A prior engagement overcame me.
What?
Listen, Benjamin Hood. I have obligations that precede your... from before you showed up. One or two, you know, good-natured encounters, that doesn't mean I'm... I'm not just some toy for you. When I remembered some chores I wanted to get done before the party, I just did them, that's all, because I wanted to do them before I saw Jimmy.
Jimmy? Jimmy? I don't know how to take this. And what do you mean, Jimmy? I thought you said you and your husband --
How you take it isn't all that interesting to me, Benjamin. I'm sorry --
Dad stop it!
Fascist!
Good-night dad.
I'm picking up Paul at the station - want to come?
Nah.
What you been up to?
... while children in Africa and Asia are napalmed and --
What the hell are you kids doing down here?
What do you think we're doing, dad?
Talking to me, dad?
Who else would I be talking to? And take that thing off!
Well, then forget all this stern dad stuff.
Look, kiddo, don't worry about it. I really don't care that much. I'm just not sure he's good enough, that's all.
Huh?
Your toes cold?
He's probably been waiting all night at the station.
We don't have to always go to your club, dad.
And why are you still calling me dad? You're forty years old already, and --
-- Well what am I supposed to call you?
I was actually trying to see about getting a little advice, you know --
Advice? I'm supposed to be getting the stock tips from you, Ben. Unless - have you quit your job? They fired you?
Actually it's not about work, it's advice about --
Oh for crying out loud Ben, you don't mean to tell me that your marriage is going down the drain now --
Well, Elena and I have kind of been talking, not really talking, but --
-- Your mother, God bless her, stood by me for forty-two years -- we never once contemplated divorce - I assume you're talking here about divorce? The very thought --
But dad, you guys truly hated each other, I mean really hated each --
-- Waiter! Where's my cobb salad? You want advice Ben? If your big brother were still alive I'd have him go out into the back yard and beat some sense into your head. Look kid, you married that woman against my advice --
-- What advice? You never --
That's besides the point. The point is if I'd had any sense in me I'd have divorced your mother 40 years ago, and that's the truth, and here it is, 1972 --
-- 73
But...
But what?
It's not the taxes I object to. It's all the fines and penalties.
Alright dad. But you sold the house, you didn't tell anyone, including the IRS, and I'd of certainly liked to have seen if there was any old stuff --
Oh. Elena wanted to know when we could expect you on Thanksgiving. It's just going to be you this year.
What?
Jesus, Benjamin, you're still as gullible as ever.
That was a joke? You don't tell jokes.
Welcome to the Monkey House has been a seminal influence on me -- hey Benjamin -- give it a try? This stuff will make some sense out of those larger questions.
Good shit.
Sure is good shit. It's opiated. I had it in my chamber for a while. I was smoking this other --
It's what?
Don't fret, Benjie, it's --
And to think -- they met at a key party of all things.
A key party?
Thank you Janey.
Hello you two. Am I barging in on some kind of religious study group? Elena, you look marvelous. Will I see you and Ben at the Halford's?
I suppose we'll make an appearance.
Well, I have to say I don't have much faith that my car keys are still in that bowl. Doesn't seem entirely safe, leaving your car keys around?
Thanks, but -- oh, I don't think so. It's been kind of a discouraging evening.
You couldn't have hoped for much better when you came up the walk.
You want coffee or something?
Well, maybe they have one of those filter jobs in the kitchen --
Look, Elena, the fact that we're neighbors... you know, close friends, well it sort of makes this a little strange, don't you think?
Now don't make me feel as if I'm being too forward, OK? If you don't --
What the hey. Let's go for a drive.
Okay. Shall we clean up around here first? Do you think it's all right--
Things are really rotten at home. You wouldn't believe how rotten. Janey's sick. She's unstable, I guess... it's not the right time to tell you... but that's it -- it's like I can't make her happy, the boys can't make her happy, she just doesn't --
Jim, maybe we should just go. I've got to look in on the kids. Paul is supposed to be coming back in from the city.
Jesus, let me make it up to you -- I can do better than that, honestly --
Well, we can talk about it.
That's fine. I wouldn't expect you to see it any other way.
Maybe you just need -- look, can you wait here a sec, I need to tidy up -- just a minute, I'll be right back. You'll wait?
You okay?
Yeah. You?
You want to come in, get a cup of coffee -- warm up? I can either walk you home, or you could crash in the guest room.
Sure. Maybe coffee.
Hi mom.
I saw you on your bike today.
With Mikey?
Who?
Nobody.
Mikey Williams?
Weightless almost -- as if I were seeing my own memories of being a girl. There was something internal about it.
Mom. Are you ok?
Wendy, of course. I'm sorry. You must think I'm ripe to be checked into Silver Meadows.
You're not a psycho!
The people at Silver Meadows aren't psychos.
I know. They're rich drug addicts and celebrities. When I saw James Taylor there, and --
We've been through this Wendy James Taylor was actually at that clinic up near Boston.
Well, I saw what I saw, and if you don't want to believe me --
They need the money for my band uniform at school.
I thought you quit the band - I never hear you practice anymore.
I don't really need to practice. I just play a few notes, you know, so I thought maybe I'd stay in.
We're going to the Halford's. The number's on the calendar in the kitchen. We should be home around 11.
Is it a big party? A big neighborhood party?
I suppose. Why?
Just curious. If there's a problem, I guess I'll just call you there to interrupt.
Oh I thought I'd steal the station wagon, drive up to a commune. Or set the house on fire. You know.
I don't like coffee.
Please don't.
It's not a bother.
Oh.
It's really quite all right.
Thanks again. For the dinner.
Thanks for eating it. I don't know why I even pretend I can cook.
I used to know how to cook.
I'm thinking of going back to school.
Social work?
How'd you know?
Educated guess.
I'm that predictable? No, you don't have to answer that. It's just that with the kids almost grown --
Here you are.
Thanks for the lift. If the bike's any bother--
Elena. Elena Hood, am I right?
Yes.
Reverend Edwards. Philip Edwards. You came by and checked out the congregation a couple of times last year.
Yes, it was -- I ended up --
It's been a tremendously transformative year -- maybe a little controversial of course, but we're breaking down the old Unitarian barriers --
I suppose my reluctance was the group aspect of it -- I've never been much of a joiner, although I still consider myself a somewhat religious person --
My daughter. I haven't been on a bike for years. When was the last time you rode a bike?
They say you never forget.
Forget what?
In many ways, the church-bound tradition of the father, son, and holy ghost is simply a version of the parent-child-adult triad within us all. It's a primitive set of symbols for our inner psychology.
You're saying that Christ is the child, and --
-- And God the angry parent, and the Spirit the hope of an integrated adult self.
All well and good -- But tell me again what is it exactly that you believe in?
You ask what the point is?
That's right.
Self-realization. Ministering to help people reach their fullest potential. Would you believe me if I told you I want you to see yourself reach your fullest potential and self-realization?
I would say it sounds like you're trying to get me into bed.
If that's a potential you see yourself fulfilling... I mean... My, I sound a bit --
I'm sorry. That was stupid of me. I didn't mean to be so rude.
You weren't. You actually, for some reason, you have the effect on me of making me feel just a tiny bit ashamed of myself.
But not too ashamed.
Now you are being rude.
And you're still trying to get me into bed.
I'm afraid she's something of a gossip, isn't she?
I'm afraid people around here provide her with quite a bit to gossip about. Take care.
Reverend Edwards.
You're here... I'm a bit surprised.
Sometimes the shepherd needs the company of the sheep.
Arise and shine, young Hood.
I hope you changed the water in that bong from last night.
Waste not Master Hood -- that was $20 for the bag.
Man, Francis, you are one drug addled elitist freak, and when the revolution comes I do not want to be lined up with you and shot, 'cause you're fucking ripe for political reeducation, you know, like in the fields.
Paul, cancel your mental appointments, baby. What are you, like still stoned from last night?
No more man. I'm about to drop as it is.
See ya.
Where you going?
Paul, let me enlighten you about something. You and I exist on two opposite sides of a great existential divide, that being your pathetic virginity on the one hand and my astonishing number of sexual conquests on the other. I'm off to get laid. See you.
Flame on, asshole.
How can you do that man?
Do what?
Sleep all day. I mean, look, it's already getting dark outside, and you're just getting up.
Um, Libbets Casey.
What?
Aha! I could sense the vibe.
What do you mean?
Am I right or am I right?
Shit. You're not planning --
You oughtta read this Hood, Nixon, our leader, all ye need know about the travails of life. Check out the Checkers speech stuff.
Francis. You gonna leave the seeds in there? In the binding like that?
Huh?
And whence has yon virginal maiden absconded?
Check it out. Not for the faint of heart.
Pharmaceutical! You are a god.
Awesome sleet and rain.
Major.
Everything's gonna freeze, the big freeze.
No candy for me?
Come on Paulie, share the wealth. You copped 'em from her mom's stash anyway.
Jesus, Jim!
Sorry honey. Hell, we've got to trade this thing in for a normal bed.
Just be careful.
You notice anything with Mikey lately? The kid seemed a little out of it tonight, eh?
Tonight? Jim, he's been out of it since he was born.
Hey. I'll take this stuff.
You going to tell dad?
Would it matter? And what's that?
You know, it's the whip -- the one uncle Frank got me from Mexico.
It's not packed with explosives, is it?
No!
Um, Libbets. Hey, Dostoyevsky, I'm also really a fan, and what you were saying, you know, have you ever read The Idiot?
The Idiot?
If you liked Notes from Underground, you'll love The Idiot.
Great, thanks for the tip.
Frankie opens them with his teeth.
Well, uh, I don't, it's really --
Maybe you should have just a half.
Yeah.
You know Libbets, I really feel, you know, like a real connection to you --
Yeah but you don't even know me really.
Sure I do, you know, like your aura. That you give off.
My what?
It's like very positive, and I feel a real special feeling, because you really --
And I have a special feeling too, because I do. It's special.
You do? I'm glad. Because I feel for you --
I do.
Right. Cool. So, how about we take a bath together?
I'm in love with Libbets Casey.
Yeah, well, you've been in love with like every other girl here, I was wondering when you'd get around to Libbets.
It's beyond mere physical attraction.
That's good, because I don't think Libbets is capable of the sex act.
Truly? Do speak.
My diagnosis is messed in the head. A poor little rich girl -- I mean check out the jeans and fur look. And lend your ears to this brutality. Like her mom and step dad and her step-sisters are going to Switzerland to ski over Thanksgiving break -- and like they didn't invite her!
How do you know this shit?
They did it last year too. It's like traditional or something. They've got this humongoid Park Ave apartment and she just holes up there with a wad of cash. Aren't the hugely wealthy sad?
You think Francis is going to beat me to the punch here?
Since he sleeps with every girl you ever show an interest in, why don't you just keep your Libbets thing a secret from him?
Stupid! Is Wendy Hood your girlfriend?
Who said so?
No one.
Mikey?
Yeah?
Geometry?
Why are you so good at math but not in English?
Where you going?
Out.
It's freezing.
Want some gum?
Sure. Twinkie?
Did you tell Sandy?
I don't ever want to see you.
You have to follow me?
See, no one's here. Maybe you want to go to the basement?
Maybe we can just watch some TV.
Maybe we can mess around. You know, only if you want to...
I don't know.
Why did you -- with Sandy?
I don't know.
Wow!
When worlds collide.
Huh?
You're parents at that party?
Yeah. Yours?
You get in trouble?
Maybe. Can't really tell yet.
I'm sorry if I got you into trouble. Maybe we don't have to, you know... unless you really want to.
Charles.
Charles. Have you been keeping out of my shit? Have you refrained from entering the sacred precincts of my room?
I have not touched your sh-- Stuff. You watching this?
Watching what?
Hello, Charles.
How are the parental units functioning these days?
Dad's like doing his Up With People routine, mom hasn't been saying much.
I don't know. Dad seems a little weird.
May I operate your telephonic apparatus?
Why don't you use the phone downstairs?
Calling an individual, Charles, in New York. Confirming a social outing for Friday night.
Can I come?
It's a one-on-one kind of date thing.
With who?
Her name's Libbets.
Hood residence.
Charles, what time is it?
Is this Charles?
What time is it?
Um, ten-o-five. Why? Where are you?
I'm, uh, in the midst of a moral dilemma. And I was wondering, because I know you're a very moral person, and --
And?
Shit. I can't really talk about it. I guess I better get to the train.
Right.
What are you doing at home on a Friday night?
Hey Wendy.
Hey Sandy.
Mikey was looking for you.
Well, you can...
Hey Sandy, what were you blowing up out there? Your mom was pretty p.o.'d.
All my model planes.
The ones you built?
They were old. And they couldn't fly anyhow. I'm going to get a radio-controlled airplane at Christmas, and then I'll stuff it full of m-80s and then fly it into Mrs. Burgess's English class and blow it up.
I have to go to the bathroom.
Sandy, you scared the shit out of me.
What are you doing?
Just thought I'd stop by.
Mike's out -- I think he went to Silver Meadow to see if you were hanging around there.
Yeah.
Are you his girlfriend?
He's dead.
If it wasn't raining we could take him outside and blow him up.
Well. It looks like someone got to his private parts before us.
Communist Viet Cong.
We -- we have to go to the guest room. We can't stay in here. What if Mikey? My parents?
Want a drink?
Vodka?
It feels warm.
One more shot?
Have you ever had a nocturnal emission?
Huh?
I love you.
That's nice. Are you drunk?
I don't know. How do I know?
Yes, sir.
Didn't want to miss anything.
Detective Dormer's not leaving for a few hours.
Good.
Maybe you could drive him to Spencer's.
Just after Leland Street.
Nice kid.
So far.
What's the D.A. got them on?
That's I.A.'s pit bull.
And then I lost him. In the fog.
Will, you can't blame yourself.
I had him!
I have to get back.
My partner...
You did your homework, Officer.
Guess that's what they call Alaskan hospitality.
Don't give misdemeanors a bad rap.
But they're so boring. All small stuff.
Typical seventeen year-old. She went to a party Friday night?
I want you to check this out, Ellie.
We already did.
Do it again.
Who's that?
The bartender at Darrow's. He was there Friday night.
This murder was in the papers, right?
Yeah. All over.
I could say the same thing about you.
Oh. We always have play-offs in the middle of the night. It's the best time.
Who's playing?
She your only sibling?
Oh, I shouldn't have...
It's okay. Happened a long time ago. He was killed in a fire. In New Mexico.
I'm going back to the Lodge, Ellie. Still need to go through some of Kay Connell's school records.
But here's the thing. I retraced your exact steps according to your statement. You couldn't have seen Detective Eckhart from there. I mean, not in that fog.
Then change it.
How much closer would you say you were?
I don't remember.
Duggar called him?
Not really.
It's legitimate.
Walter Byrd killed Kay Connell. Her things are in the house.
I know.
No. But I covered it up. I lied.
What about your shoulder?
Sorry about...
Thanks.
I wish I'd had the chance to get to know him better. Take him fishing or something.
He would have liked that.
We just gotta catch the bastard, right?
That's why I'm here. I need to know exactly what you saw yesterday, Farrell.
What I saw?
Oh, you know. Don't feel that much. Bullet went right through.
Right. Got lost in the rocks.
No.
No fibers, skin flakes, hairs...
She left the party early. Friends said she had a fight with her boyfriend and stormed out.
What time was that?
Who was the last one to see her alive?
We're sure it's hers?
I'll stick it in the evidence locker...
What are you doing here?
Dormer. Still no sign of the bullet that went through Farrell.
I'll call him now.
Forget your pager?
What?
Good.
No.
That's right.
Mrs. Connell found this copy in the house. It's signed. Personally.
So?
Where you signed this?
That's right.
What happened at that signing?
She flattered me about my writing. Asked if she could visit me. To talk about my books.
Did she?
She wasn't happy. I was someone to talk to.
How do you mean?
Randy Stetz?
Are you sure about that?
Eight years.
They're all over everybody.
He knew exactly what we'd be looking for. Made sure to cover up all his tracks.
What do you want to talk about?
We'll talk when we get back to Seattle.
When's that, a week? Two weeks?... We have to figure out a plan of action now.
You know my plan of action.
To do nothing.
That's right.
Dammit, Will. Warfield had me locked up in his office again for five hours yesterday. <i>Five</i> hours. Asking all kinds of questions...
He's asking everybody questions.
But he's zeroing in on <i>me</i>. On <i>us</i>. Everyone's talking about it.
He's just rattling your cage.
Well, I gotta tell you. With a wife, three kids, and a pension plan in the balance, it's rattling hard.
Weston Dobbs killed an eight year-old boy and left him hanging in the basement like a piece of meat. You remember that?
You know I remember that.
One word to I.A. and he walks.
Maybe not. We could talk to Buck...
No way.
Cut some kind of a deal. I heard that's what Flynn's doing...
Well her mother didn't buy them for her.
Looks like the natives are restless.
I wish I could stick it out like you. I just, with Trish and the kids...
I'm thinking I could get off with probation. Keep half my pension. That's all I want.
Goddammit, Hap. Think about what you're doing...
You don't have to be involved, Will.
Your friend's all business.
I got it. Don't know why I bother. It's been broken for two years.
Fred Duggar?
No. He didn't say what his name was. Only that you were expecting him.
I'm not expecting anyone.
That's not what he thinks.
Will...I...
What is it?
One of your cases?
Will.
What if someone finds out?
Did you love her?
Huh?
"She was nice." Wow. That makes me all soft inside. Ever occur to you she didn't love you back?
Huh?
You heard me that time.
She loved me. She wanted to see me every night.
I don't know what you're fucking talking about.
Friday night, at the party - what'd you fight about?
Stuff.
What kind of stuff?
Just stuff. I don't fucking remember.
The other guy?
I told you I don't remember.
After that she left the party to go to him.
How should I know?...
Ran like hell to go to him...
I don't know.
You don't know.
Thought I smelled something.
I never met anyone from Seattle before.
You're not missing much.
I was her best friend.
Best friend?
Since grade school.
That's a long time.
We were like sisters. Knew everything about each other.
You want me to take you somewhere?
Hey...
You and Kay were like sisters?
That's what I said.
No...
I don't know.
You don't know.
She wouldn't tell me!
It was like some big fucking secret!
What was?
She kept saying she was gonna get out of here. Leave us all behind. That <i>he</i> was going to take her!
Who?
My arm!
Who?
She used some stupid code name.
What was it?
No game.
I'm sorry?
I said you're going to get a phone call.
Oh?
Kay Connell had a signed copy of one of your books.
Thought you might find that.
Down at the station?
She was only seventeen.
But she was an attractive girl.
I suppose.
No.
But you wanted to.
You gave her gifts.
Yes.
Expensive dresses. A heart necklace.
Yes.
Doesn't sound like a mentor to me.
What about him?
Randy Stetz is in jail.
Told you I could write an ending.
I thought maybe we could talk some more.
There's nothing more to talk about.
What the hell do you know?
I told you that was an accident!
Then so was mine...
Don't you pull that shit with me.
Couldn't get it up, Walter?
Yes. Like that.
This an accident, Walter?
Where's your back-up?
No back-up.
You're not following procedure.
Wild card.
Monstrous.
Yes, and very beautiful.
Your lips, they didn't move.
Disappointing, isn't it? To come so far and find so little. Jaded ingenues, amusing themselves with make- believe...
We had feared we were the only ones...
You don't want to answer... Two vampires from the new world, come to guide us into the new era as all we love slowly rots and fades away.
Are you the leader of tis group?
So you have the answers...
Ah! You have questions?
What are we?
Nothing if not vampires...
Who made us what we are?
Surely you know the one who made you...
That is a picture, nothing more.
You mean we are not children of Satan?
I understand. I saw you in the theatre, your suffering, your sympathy for that girl. I saw you with the boy. You die when you kill, you feel you deserve to die and you stint on nothing. But does that make you evil? Or, since you comprehend what you call goodness, does it not make you good?
Then there is nothing.
And perhaps this is the only real evil left...
Then God does not exist...
I have not spoken to him...
And no vampire here has discourse with God or the Devil?
My God... So it's as I always feared. Nothing, leading to nothing.
The one who made you should have told you this. The one who left the old world for the new...
He knew nothing. He just didn't care.
I was waiting for you...
Claudia is dear to me. My... daughter.
Your lover.
No, my beloved, my child.
If you say so. You are innocent.
I'm not innocent. But I'm afraid. She feels she's in danger from the others.
She is.
But why?
I could give you reasons. Her silence. Her youth. It's forbidden to make so young, so helpless, that cannot survive on its own.
Then blame the one who made her...
Did you kill this vampire who made you both? Is that why you won't say his name? Santiago thinks you did.
We want no quarrel with him.
It's already begun. If you want to save her, send her away.
So soon? Without any of those answers you so longed for?
You said there were none.
But you asked the wrong questions. Do you know how few vampires have the stamina for immortality? How quickly they perish of their own will.
We can do that?
You would never give up life. If the world were reduced to one empty cell, on fragile candle, you stay alive and study it. You see too clearly. You see too much.
That's what the one who made me said.
And the vampires of the Theatre?
Are these not the answers you came for?
Yes... My God...
A vampire with a human soul. An immortal with a mortal's passion. You are beautiful, my friend. Lestat must have wept when he made you --
Lestat! You knew Lestat!
Where is she? Where's Claudia?
Not without Claudia. Where is she?
I can't save her.
You can't believe I'd leave without her. Armand! You must save her! You have no choice.
I couldn't prevent it.
I don't believe you. I do not have to read your soul to know that you lie.
Louis, they cannot be brought back. There are some things that are impossible, even for me.
You held sway over them. They feared you. You wanted it to happen.
Louis, I swear I did not.
You didn't even warm them, did you?
No.
And yet you knew what I would o.
I knew. I rescued you, didn't I? From the terrible dawn.
You were their leader. They trusted you.
Your melancholy eyes...
What a pair we are. We deserve each other, don't we?
More.
I want some more.
I'm not your daughter.
Why always on this night?
What night? What do you mean?
You always give me the doll on the same night of the year.
I didn't realise.
Some of these are so old and tattered. You should throw them away.
I have. Or there would be twice as many.
But you're the fairest by far.
Which of you did it? Which of you made me the way I am?
What you are? You would be something other than you are?
And if I cut my hair again?
It will grow back again!
You made us what we are, didn't you?
Stop her Louis!
Why yours alone? Tell me how it was done!!!!
What is it now? You irritate me! Your very presence irritates me!
Does it?
Yes. And I'll tell you something else! I've met someone who will make a better vampire than both of you.
Is that supposed to frighten me?
You're spoilt because you're an only child. You need a brother. Or I do. I'm weary of you both.
I suppose we could people the world with vampires, the three of us.
Not you my dear.
You're a liar. But you upset my plans.
What plans?
Stop pestering me then!
Oh, Lestat. I must do more than that. I've brought a present for you.
Oh, Claudia, you've outdone yourself. Where did you find them?
Drunk on brandy wine. A thimblefull. I thought of you when I saw them.
Absinthe? You gave then absinthe?
Laudanum!
Don't Louis --
Louis, put me in my coffin...
I want more.
How did you learn to write, Claudia?
But you never let me see you kill, Louis.
Lestat taught you all you need to know about that.
Infant death, he calls me. Sweet daughter death. You know what he calls you? Merciful death.
He jests.
Why does he call you that?
Claudia! You did that?
You want me to be a doll forever?
Claudia - don't -
We're immortal. You've always known that.
You see the old woman? That will never happen to you. You'll never grow old. You will never die.
You... fed on me?
And he found me with you. I ran, sickened at what I'd done. Then he cut his wrist and fed you from him. I tried to stop him, but you were a vampire then. And have been every night hereafter.
You both did it?
But now's the time to end it, Louis. Now's the time to leave him.
Lestat. Oh, God forgive us.
He's dead, Claudia, dead.
Should we burn him? Bury him? What would he have liked, Louis?
Don't mock, Claudia...
In Europe, Louis. We shall meet our own kind. Find the one who made him. Learn what it means.
He belongs with those reptiles, Louis. He deserved to die.
Then maybe so do we. Every night of our lives. He was my brother. My maker. He gave me this life, whatever it is.
Louis, look at me.
You never talked to me like that - in all these years.
And you never cried -
Hush, Claudia, hush now my dear -
What was that?
It can't be -
The ship is sailing wihout us!
How do I look?
A beautiful child! Is that what you still think I am?
You want me to be your daughter forever, don't you?
Yes.
You don't remember? Or you never knew.
It was something hurries...and seldom savoured... something acute that was quickly lost. It was the pale shadow of killing.
Or her, or her - or any of them?
Claudia, you torture yourself.
They are ducklings, that will grow into swans. Whereas I must be the duckling forever.
Are they my kind Louis? Dolls never change either.
You know her?
Yes. Should I take her, Louis? Among her dolls? make a doll of her in turn?
But this can't be real. This is nonsense.
Mortals, mortals everywhere. And lots of drops to drink.
They use no paint. And the audience think it is paint.
She's no vampire.
This is no performance.
This is monstrous!
I've seen enough of this! I loathe it!
I lothe them! I can't stand the sight of them! Stupid bourgeois Parisians, all dressed in black like some private club! I've searched for them the world over and I despise them!
What danger?
Do you think I would let them harm you?
No, you would not, Louis. Danger hold you to me.
Love holds you to me. And we are in danger, not you.
You would leave me for Armand if he beckoned you.
Never.
He wants you as you want him. He's been waiting for you. He wants you for a companion. He bides his time that place. he finds them as dull and lifeless as we do.
That's not so.
Do you know what his soul said to me without saying a word? When he put me in that trance...
So you felt it too!
He can protect us, Claudia.
How do we seem to you? Do you think us beautiful, magical, our white skin, our fierce eyes? Drink, you ask me! Have you any idea of the thing you will become?
Your evil is that you cannot be evil! And I will suffer for it no longer!
Don't make me, Claudia! I cannot do it!
Oh God! I love you still, that's the torment of it. But you know I must leave you Louis...
Yes...
She is dying. It happened to you too, but your child's mind can't remember.
But if she dies...
Bear me no ill will, my love. We are now even.
What do you mean?
They would have killed you -
Then my luck would have changed.
You want death? Is it death you want?
Who the hell are you? What are you doing in my house?
You're not afraid of anything, are you?
What do you want from me?
Diane!!!!
They are gone, Louis. Death took them. Death which you can now destroy...
You have to ask me for this. You have to want it, do you hear me?
Give it to me!!!
Vampires. We thrive on blood.
You let your overseer run riot, work your slaves to the bone. We'll start with him.
How do you mean, start?
Let's call that a start.
I can't do it.
You've just done it -
Don't worry. He was white trash, they come at two a penny. I dumped him in the swamp and untied the slave, licked his wounds clean.
You're the devil, aren't you? That's who you are.
I wish I were. But if I were, what would I want with you?
I can't go through with it, I tell you.
Your perfect. Your bitter and you're strong.
But why do you want me?
You really want to be with them?
Yes. Kill me. Kill me like you promised -
Did I hear a yes?
You're sure?
You're body's dying. Pay no attention. It will take twenty minutes at most.
Come, you're going to feed now.
Take him.
The crucifix -
What have I done?
Dear God, what have I done?
Yes, that's you, my handsome friend. And you'll look that way till the stars fall from heaven.
It can't be...
You must get into it. It's the only safe place for you when the light comes.
And if I don't?
You'll get used to killing. Just forget about that mortal coil. You'll become accustomed to things all too quickly.
I know. It gets cold so fast.
There's nothing in the world now that doesn't hold some...
Fascination...
But we can live without taking human life. It's possible.
Have you ever been caught?
The trick is not to think about it. See that one? The widow St. Clair? she had that gorgeous young fop murder her husband. She's perfect for you. Go ahead.
But how do you know?
Read her thoughts.
I can't.
What have you done to me? You've condemned me to hell.
Consider yourself lucky. In Paris a vampire has to be clever for many reasons. Here all one needs is a pair of fangs.
Paris? You came from Paris?
As did the one who made me.
Tell me about him. You must have lernt something from him! It had to happen for you as it did for me!
I learnt absolutely nothing. I wasn't give a choice, remember?
They know about us. They see us dine on empty plates and drink from empty glasses.
Come the New Orleans then. There's an opera on tonight. A real french opera! We can dine in splendour!
I respect life, don't you see? For each and every human life I have respect.
You fool, what have you done?
Where are we?
We belong in hell.
What, no flowery speeches? About what a monster I am? What a vulgar fiend?
I'm not interested in you. You disgust me. I'm interested in my own nature and know I can't trust you to tell me the truth about me.
What do you imagine you are Louis?
I don't pretend to know.
Lestat, she's alive!!!!
The girl, Lestat -
Why do you do this Lestat?
Lestat - finish this -
Unless I make her one of us...
NO!!!
My God... to think you... are all I have to learn from...
Pain is terrible for you. You feel it like no other creature because you are a vampire. You don't want it to go on.
Do what it is in your nature to do. And you will feel as you felt with that child in your arms.
Oh God Lestat. I felt peace. I felt an end to the craving.
Evil is a point of view. God kills, indiscriminately, and so shall we. For no creatures under God are as we are, none so like him as ourselves.
Is God merciless? Greedy and cruel?
She's here, your wounded one.
What are you saying?
Lestat!
You remember how you wanted her, the taste of her -
I didn't want to kill her.
Claudia, Claudia, listen to me. You're ill, my precious and I'm going to give you what you need to get well.
You are the devil! You are the instrument of Satan!
Your mama's left you with us. She wants you to be happy.
You are the devil! You are the instrument of Satan!
Claudia, Claudia, will you never learn? Who will we get now to finish your dress? A little practicality, cherie...
Claudia! Don't do this thing!!!
No... You come back to me Louis...
You'll come home with me Louis? Fro a little while... until I am myself again.
I'm so glad you're here Louis... I've dreamed of your coming...
Don't try to speak... it's alright...
I didn't mean to let them do it... that Santiago, he tricked me...
That's all past, Lestat.
Still beautiful Louis. You always were the strong one.
Don't fear me, Lestat. I bring you no harm.
It's only a siren...
I can't bear it Louis! The machines out there, that fly and that roar! And such lights! They make the night brighter than the day!
And they frighten you?
You know I love the dark. But there's no dark anymore.
It's false light, Lestat. It can't harm you...
I have to go now Lestat...
You remember how I was, Louis.. the vampire Lestat...
I tried to tell you Louis... that night in Paris... when I first came to you... no-one can refuse the dark gift, Louis... not even you.
I tried...
And the more you tried, the more I wanted you... a vampire with your beautiful, suffering human heart. And how you suffered... I need your forgiveness, Louis.
So you want me to tell you the story of my life...
That's what I do. I interview people. I collect lives. F.M. radio. F.F.R.C. I just interviewed a genuine hero, a cop who -
You'd have to have a lot of tape for my story. I've had a very unusual life.
So much the better. I've got a pocket full of tapes.
You followed me here, didn't you?
Saw you in the street outside. You seemed interesting. Is this where you live?
It's just a room...
So shall we begin? What do yo do?
See? I knew you were interesting. You mean this literally, I take it?
Absolutely. I was watching you watching me. I was waiting for you in that alleyway. And then you began to speak.
Well, what a lucky break for me.
You were going to kill me? Drink my blood?
You believe this, don't you? That you're a vampire? You really think...
We can't begin this way. Let me turn on the light.
But I thought vampires didn't like the light.
How did you do that?
What can I do to put you at ease? Shall we begin like David Copperfield? I am born, I grow up. Or shall we begin when I was born to darkness, as I call it. That's really where we should start, don't you think?
You're not lying to me, are you?
Why should I lie? 1791 was the year it happened. I was twenty-four - younger than you are now.
Yes.
You said the slave had a crucifix...
Oh, that rumour about crosses?
You can't look at them...
Nonsense, my friend. I can look on anything I like. And I am particularly fond of looking on crucifixes.
The story about stakes through the heart?
The same. As you would say today... Bull shit.
What about coffins?
You loved Yvette...
Can a vampire feel love?
You loved your wife, surely.
Shall we go on?
He did it to make you stay with him!
But why did you tell her?
How could I not? She had to know.
And did you lose her? Did she go?
Did he die in the fire?
You found nothing?
Peasant rumours, superstitions about garlic, crosses, stakes in the hear, all that - how do you say again? Bull shit. But one of our kind? Not a whisper.
No vampires in Transylvania? No Count Dracula?
Lestat escaped the fire!
No... it can't end like that...
But it has. There is no more to tell.
But you talk about passion, about longing, about things I'll never know in my life! It's still inside you, in every syllable you speak! And then you tell me it ends like that? Just empty?
It's over, I'm telling you...
Is this what you want? You ask me for this after all I've told you?
Dear God. I've failed again, haven't I?
No...
You haven't the vaguest conception under God of what you ask!
You promise to care for her then?
Yes...
Yes.
What do you think she is, Madeleine? A doll?
And the child who did die?
Look at the gaslight. Don't tke your eyes off it. You will be drained to the point of death, but you must stay alive. Do you hear me?
What can I do for you?
You're in 201 and 202.
Is that bad?
Julie, we're talkin' suites! That'll be just fine with us.
And, while you're here, our marginally trained, off-season staff of five will attend to your every need.
Wait...Did you say off-season?
Duh. The next couple of days is gonna be rough, but we'll make it.
What about a radio?
Sorry. Emergencies only.
What the hell would you call this?
It sure is a beautiful old hotel.
Your what?
Honeymoon suites. I take it you kids haven't exchanged vows, yet?
Storm season?
Listen to me. He's here.
I want off this island.
Then I'll call the mainland for a charter.
You'll go away with you're college friends, but you won't go away with me?
Stupid. Stupid.
Jeez, Ray, fourth and forty, throw the bomb.
I should go up there. I should call her back, tell her I'm coming.
I don't know, man. Maybe we should keep going, find a phone --
No.
Get lost, you scared me.
Fish are all over the water...Come on, let us take a boat out.
Titus, you're so stoned, you'd end up in Spain.
There's a storm comin', Titus. No boats are going out.
I got work to do. Take the bake elsewhere.
I thought you were out of town!
I thought you were out of town!
What are you doing in my closet?
That was heart attack time, Karla.
I'm not going anywhere. I'm fat, ugly, and depressed.
Yeah, right -- whatever.
I think I just really hurt Ray's feelings.
There's nothing between Will and me.
Say yes.
No.
No means yes.
Karla! Did you tell him I'd be here?
That could break the machine.
The number's unlisted...
Would you relax? We've been dating three months. He ain't stalking your butt.
Okay, okay. You're right.
You gotta sell his butt on the Bahamas?
He's not coming. I thought he was just...
Julie, you left four messages... Four.
But, he said he'd try.
He said he'd try. Try is like maybe. Try is nothing!
He does work hard.
Work hard, huh? He's breaking your heart just because he can. And I don't want to have to say I told you so...
Oh!
I'm the King of the World.
Remind me to study real hard so someday this is normal and all that back there is somethin' I do for a weekend once every ten years.
Hello? Hello?
Their stuff in there... ...and ours in here.
Karla! You promised.
Am I bad? I mean, he's really great, and he's cute --
He's cute...And he's got a crush on you... But...
Karaoke -- perfect.
Don't even think about it.
No way.
Yes.
No.
Yes.
Think about this, Julie. What did you actually see?
You get any sleep at all?
It's okay...He doesn't believe me. That's his right. I'm starting to think I'm crazy, too.
Nice move.
Cancer in a box.
Karla!
I'm not crazy...I'm not crazy. He's here... We've got to get to the radio and call for help.
Oh, stop it! He's dead. You killed him. Now, get over it. We gotta think here.
Julie...
Let him go. I believe him.
What do you mean?
I know I don't want to stay in here.
Be careful, Julie.
Julie, the boats are gone, the phones are down. There's no way off this place.
I'm your best friend...You could have told me the truth about what happened. I would've understood.
Karla, I just wanted the whole thing to be over. I didn't want to involve anybody else.
There's no way to lock it.
I don't know...
Julie?
I'm holding your hand!
No, you're not.
Oh, god, it's you --
You're okay. Thank god.
I got in early. I was excited... Who was that guy?
Oh, that's Will. He's a friend. You'd like him.
Yeah.
Ray, we're just friend.
Every guy in history who tried to pick up a girl did the good-friend thing first.
Ray, I can't...
Can't what?
I understand something.
Hey. I'm really glad you called... I'm sorry.
No, you don't have to be sorry. I'm the one --
No, I shouldn't have left so fast... I was just...
Ray, Karla won a trip to the Bahamas! An island called Tower Bay. And she wants us to come with her.
We'd have a long weekend just to sit in the sun, drink fruity drinks, and swim, and... You know...
Julie, we're working a big run up here. It's been crazy. We probably have to go out again tonight. I don't think I can do it.
Okay, I'll try. But, listen... If I don't make it up, then you go ahead and have a great time.
Ray...what are you doing?
Oh...it's not working right. You're home early. Did I scare you?
Never do that again.
I love it here.
Checking the locks again?
You're the most beautiful woman in the bar tonight, Jules.
Tyrell, you are an unstoppable force of nature.
I am not crazy, Tyrell. He was right there.
We're all going to die. He's going to kill us one by one.
Who?
Voodoo.
You've got all these theories but where is he? Where? Where's your fisherman killer?
I don't know.
Don't kill me --
Julie! Wait! You okay?
I'm fine.
You sure?
I'm fine.
The shower again?
It was in a church...it was so real. I mean, I could feel his breath on me.
I'm sorry.
I thought I was over the dreams for good. I really did. I hadn't had one for months.
It just takes time, Julie. It's gonna get better.
It was one year ago...
It's...the anniversary. That's what's going on...Take it easy on yourself.
I'm trying. I really am...Sometimes I don't even know why I came up here in the first place.
To get out of Southport?
Nah. I'll probably just be here studying for finals. The joys of summer school... Are you okay?
I'm okay.
This was not my idea.
What?
Just take deep breaths and think of something happy from childhood.
What if I don't have anything happy from childhood...Sorry, I can't relax going five hundred miles an hour, or four thousand, four hundred feet a minute... Which is over seven hundred feet a second. Imagine hitting something at seven hundred feet a second.
Deep breaths --
Fumes build up in the fuel tanks. You can by surface-to-air missiles over the internet. Planes use O-rings...which freeze in tap water. Planes fall from the sky for practically no reason at all.
You've got a better chance of getting hit by lightning.
And it's been blue skies all day. It might be perfect all weekend.
You sure it's okay with you?
Sure. It's fine. As long as you don't snore.
Julie? What's wrong?
It's...him.
What do you mean, Julie?
Oh, Will! I'm sorry.
No, no, no. This was really sweet...
I scared you -- I crossed the line --
No -- it's not that. It's...I'm just a little on edge. I'm really sorry.
Hey, you don't have to appologize to me. I'm the one. I understand. I'm going to take a walk and dry off.
What? What are you talking about? Where?
There was a body! I swear it!
Julie, you said you were tired. Waybe you were dreaming.
Come on. We're gonna be okay.
Estes came after me with a gaffing hook.
He's in it with Willis?
Why are you doing this to me?
Me, me, me. It's always about you. I'm having bad dreams. I can't sleep. I'm not doing well in school. I'm having trouble with my boyfriend.
I trusted you.
...Why?
You know what I want to do to you ...right now, don't you? There's gotta be somewhere we can be alone.
I don't think so. It's pretty crowded.
If you can say all you gotta say in a minute then I don't wanna hear it.
Worse comes to worse, you can stand there and watch me.
Is there a problem here?
Something is gonna hit your butt if you don't quit complaining.
Ain't nothin' free in this world. Everybody says it, and it's true. I wanted you all to have a good trip.
Oooh, the mainland --
Guess the capital of Brazil --
Pretty cool bar.
Tha's it. I've decided. I'm changing my major to finance. And going to Wall Street.
Why?
You sure you didn't pick up my hair tie?
Hello?
Okay, I just didn't wanna get my hair wet.
I used to be a lifeguard...I'd hate to have to blow my whistle.
Oh, look. Another day in paradise with Julie-your-tour-director...Miss Psychotic Episode.
Hey --
Somebody...is a sick, fingerpainting psycho.
I'll come with you.
Maybe we should just wait here? Hide in a tree?
You think that's a good place to hide?
Julie, is everything cool? Karla said...
To a great weekend --
Come on, it'll be fun.
Ahh, that feels great.
How's Julie?
Why? He can't help us.
Mark in the Morning! Magic 96.7! Oh my God! I'm Karla. Karla Wilson. Jules, it's Mark in the Morning.
Well, Karla, what're you doin' at home over the long fourth weekend?
Well, I'm in school and --
How'd you like to win a Magic 96.7 Quicky Getaway?
Still here...thinking... You mean Brazil, the country?
Rio de Janeiro!
Oh, no...Did you say Rio?
Waaaaahhhhhhhhhh!
Jeez, that's a full carat --
How much?
Well, there's some flaws in her...
Don't really have the market for something like this... I can go two...two-fifty.
Hell, that's worth three, easy. And you got your waiting period.
You guys lost?
Tell me this ain't the bar scene.
What's the matter, boy trouble?
Not anymore.
He leave you?
What's going on?
Julie thinks there's a dead guy in the closet.
Cool.
I'm sorry, but you could've been the one doing all of this --
And so could you -- crazy fool.
You stumbled into my hiding place.
Must have missed the sign.
Can't talk right now.
We didn't get all dressed up for nothing.
The last day of the season. Yeah, we heard.
There's ten people on this whole island and they're all gonna end up in this Jacuzzi with us.
How's the water?
I'm just saying what all of you are thinking. It's bad enough gettin' rained out without having to hold her hand the whole time.
Where is everybody?
They're around...They just don't care about us 'cause we're the contest winners. Let's go find Stoner Boy...Make his lazy butt hook us up with fishing poles or Ping-Pong paddles or something.
You know, the greenhouse effect has caused the gulf stream to shift and almost every meteorological expert expects a dramatic increase in tropical depression --
Take this.
They were cut loose.
The porter...what's his name? Old Asbestos --
We'll only be a second, okay?
Where'd Estes go?
What is up with that weirdo?
You don't have to. It's inside of you -- all the glory that was Greece -— the dancing, the singing and the white marble --
How clover you are, Mr. Albrecht, to see all that in our simple Thea... She is quite pretty, isn't she?
This was the temple of Hades --the God of the Dead. It contained no images -- just empty space and walls of perfect symmetry.
How disappointing! I expected it was something more romantic. A temple to the Goddess of Love, perhaps.
Where is Miss Wollsten?
I took it for granted you gentlemen were refugees as are my other guests.
This is General Nikolas Pherides, Commander of the Third Army. I'm Oliver Davis. To be perfectly frank with you, we didn't expect to find anyone living here.
But the gods played a little trick on me. I was born in Switzerland.
He is exhausted.
I need your advice —— something has happened —— Mr. Jacks ——
Drunk again?
He complained of not feeling well. I thought he was drunk —— he staggered.
I wonder if my editor's psychic? Reports from the Greek front are going to be a little vague.
I'd like to, very much -- but it depends on what dispatches are waiting for me on the mainland.
It doesn't look much like the fish spears I knew back in Marblehead..
Our friend, Poseidon, didn't use it for fishing. He raked the sea with it and stirred up the big waves.
I'll go up and take a look at the General —- perhaps sit with him.
He won't even know you're there. He is delirious.
All the more reason to watch him. He's had some wild notions lately.
Don't bother. Go to bed and get some sleep. I'll be working late. I can hear any movement down here.
Well ——
Go ahead. I'll wake you up when I go to bed. Then you can watch him.
Goodbye.
If the wind shifts, if the sirocco blows -- the hot wind from the South -- all danger will be over in twenty-four hours.
The ancient Greeks had just as good an explanation -- that the gods sent the plague to punish mortals for harboring Vrykolaka --
She's right. This is hardly the time to bandy old tales.
You're just talking nonsense.
We will see who is the first to die.
I suppose you want to hear my prayer to Hermes.
) You feel the symptoms?
My friend -- what can one say --
I'm here. The General is here. You are not alone.
I have not been on the island in twenty years. It is changed - changed completely. Where are the graves -- the coffins?
The enemy is in retreat. There will be no more fighting here. I came here to visit the crypts. My wife was buried here. What happened to the bodies?
They were gore before I came here.
There was some trouble here ——the villagers on the mainland —-this island was the focal point of their anger. They came here ——broke open the tombs and despoiled the graves.
All the graves?
I'm afraid so. There were rumors ——people were aroused. Some feared restlessness among the dead you know, the old superstitions.
Perhaps I had better stay. I am tired.
I'm not sure that it is the plague.
We will know when the next one sickens. Until then you and I remain here. I will not bring the plague to my troops.
Did you hear what Thea said -- as if she knew what threatens us.
That's impossible. I told them Jacks died of a sudden heart attack, probably brought on by over drinking.
Another sad task. We'll bury her tomorrow. I think we'd better lock the door for tonight. It will make them less uncomfortable.
No. She shall not be left here.
You were singing, weren't you? A beautiful voice, Miss St. Aubyn.
I hope Mr. Jacks gets to bed in one piece.
I adore hearing Thea sing -- but my poor head's beginning to ache. I'm so sorry.
I'm glad you and the General didn't have to leave us. We would feel quite deserted..
How could we go back to the wars with such pleasant company here..
Good night, Oliver.
You're not leaving tomorrow..?
I know it must be hard. But you have relatives in London --you've got a whole world of living, ahead of you --
Where's Thea?
Oh, no -— it's too delicious! You're making it up!
Tell me about them, Thea. They have great wings end long teeth --
Sharp, shiny teeth -- and they creep up to your bed --
My father -- I'm alone, Oliver, completely alone!
Poor Cathy --
There's no reason to decide any of us are going to die.
If Mr. Albrecht is right, we'll all be free in a few days. I suppose you'll be going on to Athens?
Poor child. These must be horrible days for you.
Has that girl -- has Thea ever told you where she comes from?
Has she spoken to you of her father and her mother?
She has never mentioned her family.
What are you doing?
I have been troubled about you. I want you to know that my room is just downstairs -- You have only to cry out if you are ill —— or frightened.
Miss Wollsten shares the room with you?
It's getting dark. I can't leave now.
In the morning -- go. I'll not die until then —- I'll not die —— I'll watch -— they shall not hurt you.
Shh——— it's all right -— I'll be all right.
The young man, Mr. Davis, seems to be some kind of an unofficial observer —— a correspondent of some sort ——
You are fortunate in your father.
Cathy —- how does it feel to have a father?
What an odd question!
I mean, does one love a father because he is good and kind -—or just because he is one's father?
Thea -- you're hiding something. Why do you suddenly speak of your father? You told me once you had never seen him -- didn't know him --
I do not know him, but I have seen him.
What is it -- what are you talking about?
I have forgotten it, dear.
Thea, your choice is a very simple one. Either you want to claim him as your father, or you do not.
But one must love a father.
Come, Thea, if you're going to claim him as your father you've got to make up your mind. They'll be leaving any minute.
I felt he did not like me.
That should decide it or you --
You should sleep, Cathy. Lie down and close your eyes. Try to forget everything.
When I close my eyes, I see Miss Wollsten. I can't think of anything else.
Suppose, she isn't dead. Suppose it was a cataleptic attack?
It was, the plague
I wish I didn't have such bitter knowledge of you, Cathy.
Whet do you mean?
They were talking about the Vrykolakas this morning. Cathy, that's what you are —— a weak, pale, half-dead thing that drains all the life and joy from those who want to live.
Miss Wollsten!
Your father knew it too. But he was never sure how much was pretense.
How do you know what my father thought - -
Your father loved me. He wanted to marry me. But he was afraid of hurting the gentle, delicate Cathy. You spoiled his life ——you've ruined mine ——
You were father's secretary -— I never thought - -
What would I be thinking?
Mr. Davis seems a good prospect ——young handsome, sympathetic -- ready to listen to you and feel sorry for you - -
What if he is?
) But Thea -- She stands in your way. I know you. I know your little hints —— the way you can turn the truth into a lie --
Why, I'm fond of Thea.
You're planing something, Cathy.. But I won't let you —- I'll warn them against you.
You will not say one single word. I know your secret.
That your father and I ——
I've always known what an evil mind lay behind that pretty weak face of yours —— but this, Cathy -- even I would never have believed it is of you.
Would you care to explain what you're talking about?
You've been playing on the superstitions of that poor old man — — working at him — — turning him against Thea.
Really, this is idiotic!
When I tell him that you're unfit to live a normal life with normal people —- a cataleptic!
You wouldn't tell that ——
No. No. I won't believe it. He's not dead.
This is Dr. Drossos, chief medical officer of my division.
Woman, what are you doing here?
I wanted to be sure of something, General -- something that has always preyed on my mind. I have a horror of being buried alive and awakening to find myself shut in —- entombed —— imprisoned..
He sleeps quietly. He died with a wine glass in his hand -- he died laughing -- a brave man, Drossos, like his father before him.
Because he was a brave man - because I liked him -- I came here to be sure.
I'm a woman -- a lonely woman. I have few friends.
Yes?
I have not had a happy life --but that one thing - - that terror which brings me awake out of deep sleep —- I want to avoid it.
I don't understand you.
I don't want to be buried alive. If I die I want to be sure —- quite sure.
If you should fall sick we'll be careful. You need not worry.
No, I want more than that. I beg you General, make sure --drive a knife through my heart -- anything.
You ask that of me? You're afraid to live in your coffin. You know what that means?
That's superstition. That's something out of old tales -- about the dead who live —- I'm talking of something else --cataleptic attacks -- apparent death that is not real.
I don't really know where Thea comes from. The Vice—Consul at Adrianople brought her to me..
Her name is Thea?
Theodosia.
Her family name?
You do not know her last name -- you do not know from where she came?
Your daughter is ill.
She's not too well.
What is her illness?
Nothing, really. She's been under a great strain -- the journey -- the battle --
Was she ill before that girl came into your household?
This girl --
This girl -- Thea —- is not a servant in my household, sir. She is my daughter's companion. Now, sir, if you'll excuse me, I'll go have a look at Mr. Jacks.
Why not Take the doctor's advice? You're the hero of the battle of Corphon.
Hero?
You know that sound, Oliver?
I heard the same sound at Ladysmith, at Nukden, Port Arthur. What do you expect after a battle?
Do you mind if I go with you?
There's no one there -— nothing but the caves and the dead.
She is not there. The coffin is gone.
You are a happy man Oliver. You have but one world to live in —- the world of today. I have two worlds. I have that old dark world of peasant ignorance and superstition in which I was brought up and a new world which the army gave me —— a world of mathematics, gun ranges,logistics, tactics, strategy.
It doesn't seem to bother you much, General.
I will be glad to leave this island. It has too much of that old dark world about it. I will be glad to leave it and that girl ——
There is something evil about her.
Oh, now —— now look here ——
I know all you are going to say —-I have been saying it to myself, but the thought will not leave my mind. She resembles my wife -—there is something about her ——the way she moves —— the way she turns her head.
It makes me fear her.
I can't understand that.
Well, at any rate, I would like to say goodbye to the girl.
I've seen men die drunk —- and I've seen men die of the plague.
Plague? There's no possibility of that, is there?
Until we know, what choice is there? We have to stay.
But the war, the army —— they need you.
Better no general than one carrying the plague.
We still don't know that it's the plague ——
Thea is so like her —— in every feature ——
She was beautiful. There was blood between her family and my kin. But that did not stop me from taking her when I saw her beauty, nor did it stop her from loving me.
How did she die?
Is this what you wanted to speak to me about?
In a way -- this girl, Thea. You must stay away from her.
I had a notion you had become self—appointed chaperone lately — why?
You are my friend.
And I'm your friend —— but that doesn't explain why you are always trying to come between Thea and me?
If I told you —— you wouldn't believe me -- but this much I can tell you —— the girl is dangerous to you. Take a friend's advice -- an old man' s advice -- leave her alone -—
That's ridiculous -- Thea's lovely, gentle —-
Listen to what I say --
I have had command for the last time —-
Come —- you'll feel yourself again as soon as we get off this dismal island.
Theodosia --
Daughter -- my daughter --
You're crying. Why?
I don't know. Everything's so mixed up --
What's bothering you, Thea? Is it the General?
Sometimes when he looks at me in that strange way, I'm afraid of him.
Please.. You shouldn't laugh --
Thea, what's wrong?
The General threatened me.
Oh, that Vrykolaka business. You mustn't be too angry with him, Thea. He's an old man and now with all this trouble —— the disappointment in not being able to lead his own army to victory -- cooped up here waiting for death - naturally his mind goes back to the things he believed when he was an ignorant lad in some mountain village.
He keeps asking for the name of my father and mother.
Well, tell, him.
I can't.
Why in the world can't you?
He hates all my race.
I knew that feuds still went on, but I didn't think people like you and the General would be involved.
Thea, what is this? What are you trying to tell me? "He stole your mother" —-
I don't think so, Thea. He has spoken of your mother. I don't believe he knows you are his daughter.
Because she loved him. I know him, Thea. Believe me, he is not a cruel man.
Let me tell him. When he knows you are his child, he'll forget these insane notions -—
I'm not crying, Mr. Potter.
Well, you're begging, and that's a whole lot worse.
Times are bad, Mr. Potter. A lot of these people are out of work.
Then foreclose!
But they're somebody's children.
Are you running a business or a charity ward?
Mr. Potter, what makes you such a hard-skulled character? You have no family –– no children. You can't begin to spend all the money you've got.
Hey, this is the company's posters, and the company won't like this.
How would you like to get a ticket next week? Haven't you any romance in you?
Come on, we got to get this up. He's coming.
Who?
Get that ladder up here.
All right –– all right.
Hurry up . . . hurry up . . . hurry up.
George . . .
All right, put up your hands. No fast moves. Come on out here, both of you.
Stand back.
Bert, now listen to me. Ernie, will you take me over to my mother's house? Bert, listen! It's that fellow there –– he says he's an angel –– he's tried to hypnotize me.
What the Sam Hill you yelling for, George?
Know you? Are you kiddin'? I've been looking all over town trying to find you. I saw your car piled into that tree down there, and I thought maybe . . . Hey, your mouth's bleeding; are you sure you're all right?
Good morning, sir.
Carter –– bank examiner.
Mr. Carter, Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
We're all excited around here. My brother just got the Congressional Medal of Honor. The President just decorated him.
Well, I guess they do those things. Well, I trust you had a good year.
Good year? Well, between you and me, Mr. Carter, we're broke.
Yeah, very funny.
You what? To save me?
Well, I did, didn't I? You didn't go through with it, did you?
Go through with what?
Oh, I know all about you. I've watched you grow up from a little boy.
What are you, a mind reader or something?
Oh, no.
Well, who are you, then?
Clarence Odbody, A-S-2.
Odbody . . . A-S-2. What's that A-S-2?
That's what I was sent down for. I'm your guardian angel.
I wouldn't be a bit surprised.
I told you –– I'm your guardian angel. I know everything about you.
Well, you look about like the kind of an angel I'd get. Sort of a fallen angel, aren't you? What happened to your wings?
I haven't won my wings yet. That's why I'm an angel Second Class.
I don't know whether I like it very much being seen around with an angel without any wings.
By letting me help you.
Only one way you can help me. You don't happen to have eight thousand bucks on you?
Oh, no, no. We don't use money in Heaven.
Oh, that's right, I keep forgetting. Comes in pretty handy down here, bub.
Oh, tut, tut, tut.
I found it out a little late. I'm worth more dead than alive.
What'd you say?
I said I wish I'd never been born.
What did you say?
Well, that's the doggonedest thing . . . I haven't heard anything out of that ear since I was a kid. Must have been that jump in the cold water.
It's stopped snowing out, hasn't it? What's happened here? Come on, soon as these clothes of ours are dry . . .
I can't fly. I haven't got any wings.
You have no car.
Oh, I don't know. Either I'm off my nut, or he is . . . . . . or you are!
It isn't me!
What's the matter with him. I never saw Nick act like that before.
You'll see a lot of strange things from now on.
Oh, yeah. Hey, little fellow –– you worry me. You got someplace to sleep?
No.
No.
No wonder you jumped in the river.
Oh-oh. Somebody's just made it.
Made what?
Look, I think maybe you better not mention getting your wings around here.
You see, George, you were not there to stop Gower from putting that poison into the . . .
Yeah, yeah, I know. You told me that. What else are you? What . . . are you a hypnotist?
No, of course not.
Well then, why am I seeing all these strange things?
Don't you understand, George? It's because you were not born.
Then if I wasn't born, who am I?
What do you mean, no identity? My name's George Bailey.
What?
You know where he lives?
Are you sure this is Bailey Park?
Clarence . . .
Yes, George?
Where's Mary?
Oh, well, I can't . . .
I . . .
If you know where she is, tell me where my wife is.
She's . . .
Poor George . . . Sit down.
Sit down? What are . . .
If you're going to help a man, you want to know something about him, don't you?
Well, naturally. Of course.
Where? I don't see a thing.
Why, yes. This is amazing.
If you ever get your wings, you'll see all by yourself.
Hey, who's that?
That's your problem, George Bailey.
A boy?
What did you stop it for?
I want you to take a good look at that face.
Who is it?
George Bailey.
Oh, you mean the kid that had his ears slapped back by the druggist.
That's the kid.
It's a good face. I like it. I like George Bailey. Tell me, did he ever tell anyone about the pills?
Not a soul.
Did he ever marry the girl? Did he ever go exploring?
I know. I know. He didn't go.
That's right. Not only that, but he gave his school money to his brother Harry, and sent him to college. Harry became a football star –– made second team All American.
Now, you've probably already guessed that George never leaves Bedford Falls.
. . . two of them as they were about to crash into a transport full of soldiers.
You sent for me, sir?
Yes, Clarence. A man down on earth needs our help.
Splendid! Is he sick?
No, worse. He's discouraged. At exactly ten-forty-five PM tonight, Earth time, that man will be thinking seriously of throwing away God's greatest gift.
Oh, dear, dear! His life! Then I've only got an hour to dress. What are they wearing now?
You will spend that hour getting acquainted with George Bailey.
Sir . . . If I should accomplish this mission –– I mean –– might I perhaps win my wings? I've been waiting for over two hundred years now, sir –– and people are beginning to talk.
What's that book you've got there?
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Clarence, you do a good job with George Bailey, and you'll get your wings.
Hey . . . hey. Where did the Building and Loan move to?
The Building and what?
The Bailey Building and Loan. It was up there.
Hey, Violet! Hey, listen –– that's Violet Bick!
I know. I know.
I want the Board to know that George gave up his trip to Europe to help straighten things out here these past few months. Good luck to you at school, George.
Thanks.
Thank you very much.
What's that?
That's the best part of it. They've appointed George here as executive secretary to take his father's place.
Oh, no! But, Uncle Billy . . .
Hey, Ernie!
Hiya, George!
If either of you two see a stranger around here, it's me.
Bert, the cop, sent this over. He said to float away to Happy Land on the bubbles.
Aw, now, doggone it, Ernie, don't you start pulling that stuff. You know where I live. Three-twenty Sycamore. Now hurry up.
Okay. Three-twenty Sycamore? . . .
Yeah –– yeah –– hurry up. Zuzu's sick.
Look, bud, what's the idea? I live in a shack in Potter's Field and my wife ran away three years ago and took the kid . . . And I ain't never seen you before in my life.
Is this the place?
Of course it's the place.
Hello, Joseph, trouble?
Looks like we'll have to send someone down –– a lot of people are asking for help for a man named George Bailey.
George Bailey. Yes, tonight's his crucial night. You're right, we'll have to send someone down immediately. Whose turn is it?
That's why I came to see you, sir. It's that clock-maker's turn again.
Oh –– Clarence. Hasn't got his wings yet, has he? We've passed him up right along.
Because, you know, sir, he's got the I.Q. of a rabbit.
On V-J Day he wept and prayed again.
Joseph, now show him what happened today.
Well?
Mother . . .
Oh, Mother, Mother, please help me. Something terrible's happened to me. I don't know what it is. Something's happened to everybody. Please let me come in. Keep me here until I get over it.
Well, sure I do.
When'd you see him last?
Today, over at the house.
Hi, Daddy.
Well, what happened to you?
Wait now. Where do you think you're going?
Want to give my flower a drink.
Look, Daddy . . . paste it.
There it is, good as new.
What?
Will you try to get some sleep?
I'm not sleepy. I want to look at my flower.
I know –– I know, but you just go to sleep, and then you can dream about it, and it'll be a whole garden.
It will?
Daddy!
Zuzu –– Zuzu. My little gingersnap! How do you feel?
Oh, oh. Sam Wainwright! How are you? When did you get here?
Oh, this afternoon. I thought I'd give the kids a treat.
Old college graduate now, huh?
Yeah –– old Joe College Wainwright, they call me. Well, freshman, looks like you're going to make it after all.
Hee-haw!
We just stopped in town to take a look at the new factory, and then we're going to drive on down to Florida.
Oh, I'm afraid I couldn't get away, Sam.
Still got the nose to the old grindstone, eh? Jane, I offered to let George in on the ground floor in plastics, and he turned me down cold.
Oh, now, don't rub it in.
So long, George. See you in the funny papers.
Big –– see! I don't want one for one night. I want something for a thousand and one nights, with plenty of room for labels from Italy and Baghdad, Samarkand . . . a great big one.
Now you're talkin'. Gee whiz, I could use this as a raft in case the boat sunk. How much does this cost?
No charge.
What boat you sailing on?
I'm working across on a cattle boat.
What's that?
Goodbye, everybody!
He's gone. Don't worry. His name is Welch. He don't come in to my place no more.
Oh –– Welch. That's what I get for praying.
Oh, no, Please, don't go out this way, Mr. Bailey.
Oh, no –– you don't feel so good.
I'm all right.
She's swell.
Looks like she can keep Harry on his toes.
Keep him out of Bedford Falls, anyway.
Did you know that Mary Hatch is back from school?
Uh-huh.
Came back three days ago.
Hmmmm . . .
Nice girl, Mary.
Hmmmm . . .
Kind that will help you find the answers, George.
Hmmm . . .
Oh, stop that grunting.
Hmmm . . .
Can you give me one good reason why you shouldn't call on Mary?
Sure –– Sam Wainwright.
Hmmm?
Yes. Sam's crazy about Mary.
Well, she's not crazy about him.
Well, how do you know? Did she discuss it with you?
No.
Well then, how do you know?
Well, I've got eyes, haven't I? Why, she lights up like a firefly whenever you're around.
Oh . . .
And besides, Sam Wainwright's away in New York, and you're here in Bedford Falls.
Mother, you know, I can see right through you –– right back to your back collar button . . . trying to get rid of me, huh?
Well, here's your hat, what's your hurry? All right, Mother, old Building and Loan pal, I think I'll go out and find a girl and do a little passionate necking.
Oh, George!
George! George!
Yes, sir.
You're not paid to be a canary.
Mr. Gower, do you want something . . . Anything?
No.
Anything I can do back here?
Yes, sir. They have the diphtheria there, haven't they, sir?
Is it a charge, sir?
Yes –– charge.
Mr. Gower, I think . . .
Aw, get going!
No . . . No . . . No. . .
Mr. Gower, I won't ever tell anyone. I know what you're feeling. I won't ever tell a soul. Hope to die, I won't.
Mr. Gower . . . Mr. Gower . . . thanks ever so much for the bag. It's just exactly what I wanted.
Aw, forget it.
Oh, it's wonderful.
Mr. Gower! Mr. Gower! This is George Bailey! Don't you know me?
Yes, you bet.
You want a martini?
Okay –– all right. Double bourbon, quick, huh?
That does it! Out you two pixies go, through the door or out the window!
Well, Nick, that's your name, isn't it?
Hope you have a good trip, George. Uncle Billy and I are going to miss you.
I'm going to miss you, too, Pop. What's the matter? You look tired.
Oh, I had another tussle with Potter today.
Oh . . .
I thought when we put him on the Board of Directors, he'd ease up on us a little bit.
I wonder what's eating that old money-grubbing buzzard anyway?
Father, did I act like that when I graduated from high school?
Pretty much. You know, George, wish we could send Harry to college with you. Your mother and I talked it over half the night.
We have that all figured out. You see, Harry'll take my job at the Building and Loan, work there four years, then he'll go.
He's pretty young for that job.
Well, no younger than I was.
Maybe you were born older, George.
How's that?
I say, maybe you were born older. I suppose you've decided what you're going to do when you get out of college.
Oh, well, you know what I've always talked about –– build things . . . design new buildings –– plan modern cities –– all that stuff I was talking about.
Still after that first million before you're thirty.
I know it's soon to talk about it.
Yes . . . Yes . . . You're right, son.
You see what I mean, don't you, Pop?
This town is no place for any man unless he's willing to crawl to Potter. You've got talent, son. You get yourself an education. Then get out of here.
I'm going to miss old Annie. Pop, I think I'll get dressed and go over to Harry's party.
Got a match?
What do you mean, and be bored to death?
Couldn't want a better death. Lots of pretty girls, and we're going to use that new floor of yours tonight, too.
Mary . . . Mary, I'm sorry. I've got to go.
Come on, George, let's hurry.
Oh, am I glad to see you.
Say, where's Mother?
She's home cooking the fatted calf. Come on, let's go.
Hello, George, how are you?
George.
Hiya, Marty. Well, it's old home week.
Do me a favor, will you, George?
What's that?
Well, you remember my kid sister, Mary?
Oh . . . me? Oh, well, I feel funny enough already, with all these kids.
Two cents worth of shoelaces?
Good afternoon, Mr. Bailey.
Hey, George . . .
Hello, Violet.
Hello, Georgie-Porgie.
What gives?
Nothing.
Where are you going?
Let's go out in the fields and take off our shoes and walk through the grass.
Huh?
George, can I see you for a second?
No, George, don't . . .
Here, now, you're broke, aren't you?
I know, but . . .
Say hello to New York for me.
Yeah –– yeah . . . sure I will.
Violet Bick!
Avast, there, Captain Cook! Where you headin'?
Got to see Pop, Uncle Billy.
Some other time, George.
It's important.
Uh-huh. Breakfast is served; lunch is served; dinner . . .
No, no, no, no! Anchor chains, plane motors, and train whistles.
Hello.
Well, what do you know –– wife.
Oh, thank you, George, old boy, old boy. Now, look –– if you'll point me in the right direction . . . would you do that? George?
Old Building and Loan pal, huh . . .
Now you just turn this way and go right straight down.
What is this, Uncle Billy? A holiday?
Why didn't you call me?
I just did, but they said you left. This is a pickle, George, this is a pickle.
All right now, what happened? How did it start?
How does anything like this ever start? All I know is the bank called our loan.
When?
About an hour ago. I had to hand over all our cash.
All of it?
Every cent of it, and it still was less than we owe.
Holy mackerel!
And then I got scared, George, and closed the doors. I . . . I . . . I . . .
Yes, hello? George . . . it's Potter.
George, was it a nice wedding? Gosh, I wanted to be there.
Those Rockefellers!
Get a tray for these great big important simoleons.
Now look, did you buy anything?
Nothing. Not even a stick of gum.
All right. All right. Now we'll go over every step you took since you left the house.
And did you put the envelope in your pocket?
Pop!
Pop!
Yes, sir.
Just a minute –– just a minute. Now, hold on, Mr. Potter. You're right when you say my father was no business man. I know that. Why he ever started this cheap, penny-ante Building and Loan, I'll never know. But neither you nor anybody else can say anything against his character, because his whole life was . . . Why, in the twenty-five years
I'm not interested in your book. I'm talking about the Building and Loan.
Thank you, sir. Quite a cigar, Mr. Potter.
Yes. Well, most people say you stole all the rest.
You wouldn't mind living in the nicest house in town, buying your wife a lot of fine clothes, a couple of business trips to New York a year, maybe once in a while Europe. You wouldn't mind that, would you, George?
Would I? You're not talking to somebody else around here, are you? You know, this is me, you remember me? George Bailey.
Oh, yes, George Bailey. Whose ship has just come in –– providing he has brains enough to climb aboard.
Well, what about the Building and Loan?
Oh, confound it, man, are you afraid of success? I'm offering you a three year contract at twenty thousand dollars a year, starting today. Is it a deal or isn't it?
Well, Mr. Potter, I . . . I . . . I know I ought to jump at the chance, but I . . . I just . . . I wonder if it would be possible for you to give me twenty-four hours to think it over?
Sure, sure, sure. You go on home and talk about it to your wife.
I'd like to do that.
In the meantime, I'll draw up the papers.
Yes, sir.
Have you notified the police?
No, sir. No, sir. I haven't.
Not that it makes any difference to me, but why did you come to me? Why don't you go to Sam Wainwright and ask him for the money?
I can't get hold of him. He's in Europe.
Well, what about all your other friends?
They don't have that kind of money, Mr. Potter. You know that. You're the only one in town that can help me.
Yes . . . how much is your equity in it?
I have a big deal coming up that's going to make us all rich. George, you remember that night in Martini's bar when you told me you read someplace about making plastics out of soybeans?
Huh? Yeah-yeah-yeah . . . soybeans. Yeah.
Rochester? Well, why Rochester?
Well, why not? Can you think of anything better?
Oh, I don't know . . . why not right here? You remember that old tool and machinery works? You tell your father he can get that for a song. And all the labor he wants, too. Half the town was thrown out of work when they closed down.
That so? Well, I'll tell him. Hey, that sounds great! Oh, baby, I knew you'd come through. Now, here's the point. Mary, Mary, you're in on this too. Now listen. Have you got any money?
Money? Yeah . . . well, a little.
Made up your mind yet?
With coconuts?
I don't like coconuts.
A new magazine! I never saw it before.
Well, hello.
Hello. You look at me as if you didn't know me.
Well, I don't.
You've passed me on the street almost every day.
Me?
Uh-huh.
I'm not very good at this.
Neither am I.
Hot dog! Just like an organ.
Do I look as funny as you do?
I guess I'm not quite the football type. You . . . look wonderful. You know, if it wasn't me talking I'd say you were the prettiest girl in town.
Well, why don't you say it?
I don't know. Maybe I will say it. How old are you anyway?
Eighteen.
Eighteen? Why, it was only last year you were seventeen.
Too young or too old?
Your . . . your caboose, my lady.
You may kiss my hand.
Okay, then, I'll throw a rock at the old Granville house.
Oh, no, George, don't. It's full of romance, that old place. I'd like to live in it.
In that place?
Uh-huh.
What'd you wish, George?
Oh, no.
Come on, tell me.
If I told you it might not come true.
I'll take it. And then what?
Ouch!
They're way downtown. They'd be on my side, too.
Hello, Mary. I just happened to be passing by.
Yeah, so I noticed. Have you made up your mind?
How's that?
Have you made up your mind?
About what?
My mother just called you? Well, how did she know?
Didn't you tell her?
Well, are you coming in or aren't you?
When did you get back?
Tuesday.
Where'd you get that dress?
Do you like it?
It's all right. I thought you'd go back to New York like Sam and Ingie, and the rest of them.
All right, for a minute. I still can't understand it though. You know I didn't tell anybody I was coming here.
Would you rather leave?
No, I don't want to be rude.
Well, I see it still smells like pine needles in here.
Oh . . . yeah, yeah. That's all right.
Don't you like her?
Well, of course I like her. She's a peach.
Oh, it's just marriage in general you're not enthusiastic about, huh?
George . . . George . . . George . . .
Where are we going? Look at this. There's the kitty, Ernie. Here, come on, count it, Mary.
I feel like a bootlegger's wife. Look!
After that, who cares?
Just a minute, dear. Oh-oh . . .
Please, let's not stop, George.
Oh, Mary . . .
Remember the night we broke the windows in this old house? This is what I wished for.
Have fun.
Hi.
Hi.
Mary Hatch, why in the world did you ever marry a guy like me?
To keep from being an old maid.
You could have married Sam Wainwright or anybody else in town.
I didn't want to marry anybody else in town. I want my baby to look like you.
You didn't even have a honeymoon. I promised you . . . . . . Your what?
George Bailey lassos stork.
Is it snowing?
Yeah, just started.
Where's your coat and hat?
Zuzu! What's the matter with Zuzu?
Oh, she's got a cold. She's in bed. Caught it coming home from school. They gave her a flower for a prize and she didn't want to crush it so she didn't button up her coat.
What is it, a sore throat or what?
Just a cold. The doctor says it's nothing serious.
The doctor? Was the doctor here?
Yes, I called him right away. He says it's nothing to worry about.
Is she running a temperature? What is it?
Where're you going?
Mary! Mary!
Oh, George, George, George.
Mary! Let me touch you! Oh, you're real!
Oh, George, George!
You have no idea what's happened to me.
Oh, you two idiots! George, sit down and have dinner.
I've eaten.
Well, aren't you going to finish dressing for your graduation party? Look at you.
Pop, can I have the car? I'm going to take over a lot of plates and things.
What plates?
Oh, Mom –– I'm chairman of the eats committee and we only need a couple of dozen.
Put those things in the car and I'll get your tie and studs together.
I guess you forgot something.
Huh?
You forgot something.
What?
Well, aren't you going to make a deposit?
Sure, sure I am.
Well, then . . it's usually customary to bring the money with you.
How about that one there?
How fast does this go?
With the right wind, 15-20 knots.
You can?
Come on, you guys.
For me...?
Great! Find one for me.
Wheee! Faster!
How fast is enough?
My hair's getting wet!
When do we get to the lighthouse?
I can't wait to get there.
Sure you do -- you win either way.
Oh, shit.
Someone pop your balloon?
Low tide at Cable Junction is 7:46 p.m.
What'd you do? Memorize the tide tables?
It's okay, it's okay....
Bring her to port a little. That's it -- steady.
Don't!
Easy, easy -- you'll swamp us!
Get on the rocks!
Yeah, it's her job.
Is she responsible for the punch?
No.
Who's that? Quick -- I'm in love.
Maybe by now they are.
If you're beached, why are we doing this? For practice?
Yeah.
Why not?
I could give you a dozen good reasons.
Shut up.
Turkeys! Eat wind!
Your dad must be really pissed.
We better go back in.
Putz -- that won't be for hours.
They're okay, if they got little white canes and tin cups.
That's awful.
Same as always -- glub-glub, bubble-bubble, stroke-stroke. There sure is some weird shit on the bottom of the ocean.
Shells and lobsters and stuff?
Over here. I want you to meet somebody.
The lighthouse?
Why'd they decide to move?
What is it?
Where're we going?
Goddamn it, Sean, you listen to me or I will kick your ass, do you hear me?
Listen to Andy, Sean.
But we had it! We were headed right for it!
But the island!
We're carrying weight.
Coming up! Give way!
Loser sails home alone.
As soon as you get us on the island, you got to call in. My dad's the mayor....
Throw it.
I don't know.
Coming up!
I thought you said she was going with us?
Let's just go sailing, okay?
Want to talk about it?
You coming up on him?
How're we going to do that floating on this garbage...?
Hey!
Sean! Catch the rope!
We're hung up here. Snagged.
Chief Brody -- can we go? Please?
Tina!
N-o-o-o-o-o-o....
It's okay, it's okay. What's the matter? Tina? Honey? Hey ---
No! It's still there!
What is it? What's there?
It's still there!
Good morning!
Aren't you off-duty?
On your own time?
Happy to do it.
Chief....
I never heard of a 908.
I just made it up. It means, "Get me out of there." What the hell's that?
Diver's camera. Tom Andrews brought it up from under that abandoned cruiser.
Abandoned? It's a little early in the season for that.
Rich people. Home port is Newport, Rhode Island.
If I had a $100,000 boat, I sure as hell wouldn't leave it anchored alone in the channel.
We got a helluva tide this month.
Chief?
In here.
I missed you at the funeral home. Santos said you were here.
You didn't miss much. Christ, what a mess.
Positive I.D.?
The woman passenger on the boat that blew up.
What about that camera?
What camera?
Well, what the hell -- might be something worth seeing. Take it somewhere and see if there's film in it....
If there is, develop it!
I know just where to go.
Not the drugstore!
Of course not, They're closed. Phil Fogarty's place. He'll do it for me.
The drugstore's closed? What the hell time is it?
Nine-thirty, ten maybe.
Oh yeah -- I'm expecting a long distance call, very important. Give them my home phone.
How long ago?
I can't let you take her out.
Mike's out there.
Untie that rope.
You're too close. Back off.
I'm going out there.
About 10 degrees off your star- board bow, take a heading leeward of Sand Island, and lay her north by northeast....
See where Cable Junction is? Look to the left. The lighthouse. That's it.
Where to?
No place special. Just hanging out.
I don't know about him -- I'm going down to the dock, maybe go sailing.
Every day?
What else is there to do?
You could work out at the beach, make a few bucks for school.
Do I have to?
I'm going.
What about tennis? Riding? fixing up old cars? Bartending?
Bartending? I'm 17.
Okay, not bartending. Why on the water every day?
Because.
Look, humor the old man -- just be careful.
Don't go out if it's rough or any- thing, huh? We've had a lot of trouble.
You stay here a minute.
Oh, c'mon.
Pop....
Is Hooper coming to dinner?
Michael.
Yeah?
I got something for you to do tomorrow.
I kind of had plans....
Sailing? Forget it. You're beached. Grounded. No more boats.
Hey, come on....
Mike? Is that you?
Pop. I'm sorry.
I passed out, but I'm okay.
Jesus, don't freeze on me. What about the others?
Sean's still out there.
Dad, I'm sorry....
I don't know what you did, but that kid stopped. I haven't heard one peep, not one 'breaker breaker' for days. Believe me, it's a pleasure....
You said something about a camera.
Sure, sure -- Jeff Hendricks brought in this camera, see, from underwater, and I didn't know how to get it open, but my brother-in- law, in Montauk, he works at a hi- fi store, and they sell cameras, so he....
Did you get any pictures?
Not bad -- that's a real fast lens, probably 1.4. Look at the diffusion, though....
What else you got?
Let's see -- you got a minute?
Come on, Phil, don't jerk me around.
Fantastic lady. Don't know what I'd do without her.
Me neither.
Y'know, Brody -- for the first time in years it's worth putting money into this town.
May I have this dance?
Wait a minute....
Too late, it's written.
Is Jeff Hendricks qualified to fill in as an interim Chief of Police in your absence?
It came up during the meeting.
What are you all, blind? It's a shark. Look -- teeth, jaw, gills.
Is that what it is?
What have you seen before? This is nothing. Seaweed. Mud. Some- thing in the lens.
There is nothing to discuss.
Will you listen to this man? Will you just listen to him? You really caused a panic on a public beach, you shoot up the place, God knows who could've been injured -- what if somebody de- cides to sue us? That could ruin us.
Is that what it is? Dollars? Money? I'll pay for it. Take it out of my salary.
You don't make enough.
Maybe I don't make as much money as some bullshit rip-off artists around here, but I don't work the same way.
What's that supposed to mean?
As soon as I heard about it, I called you. This thing is big! His arms indicate big.
Look at that:
Length, 22 feet, 8 inches.
Come on, let's check the bite radius.
The what?
Bite radius. You know, the size of the mouth?
The whale's mouth?
The Shark's mouth.
The shark that did this. It was a shark, wasn't it?
We don't know that, do we?
But that's what we're here to find out, right?
Could be a shark. But maybe not.
Look, I know a little bit about sharks.
Do you?
Carcharadon Carcharias.
That's it.
Okay, so that's it.
Is there one in these waters?
What makes you think there might be?
Because this big fish has been bitten by some other big fish....
This is a mammal, not a fish.
Jesus, don't quibble with me. I want to know if a Great White Shark did this.
Probably.
That's it? Probably? Look, sharks are attracted by blood, and thrashing around....
And sound.
Sound?
Sound. Like sonar, or radar. They home in on irregular sounds, unusual sounds, any rhythmic low- frequency vibration.
So there's one around here.
It's either a Great White, or another killer whale.
Can't you tell?
Not when it's like this. This animal has been ashore for 10, 12 hours, and drifting for a day, at least. Every little nibbler in the sea's taken a bite.
Look -- can Great White Sharks communicate? Send out signals, or something? You know, take revenge, sense an enemy....
Where the hell were you?
Late.
Do I have to talk to those two?
Can you take a little time out from your busy schedule to dance with the old man?
Why?
Remember 1959, the Jersey shore?
And how. I thought you wouldn't respect me.
Listen -- what are you doing later?
Fooling around?
Let's get the kid home.
Mmmm.
Sean's awake.
Door's locked.
Mrs. Silvera?
Need a ride?
Hey! That's my boss!
You have to smoke so early in the morning?
It's good with coffee.
Eat Cheerios.
Where's my day book?
Why don't you take a half day and clean this junk up?
Because, I'm in the middle of a boating accident, I got only four regular cops and one secretary, and a Chief Deputy who is constantly fiddling with the police boat He's another one.
One what? Ah-ha!
Boat nut. What is it about this place that makes everyone a freak for boating?
Thank you. I'll tell him.
For me?
Sort of -- Mathew Hooper is aboard the research vessel Aurora, presently in the Antarctic Ocean, and won't be in radio range until half-past next spring.
Oh, hi -- How was dinner?
Oh, perfect -- a 75 per cent family affair. Where were you?
Oww!
Careful. What's wrong?
Nothing.
Nothing, huh?
That's what I said. Is there any of that hand cleaner stuff?
Use the little brush there. Why were you at Santos'?
Found one of the missing victims from that boat deal.
Oh. Want to talk about it?
No.
All summer?
I know what you're going to say.
Do you?
In the city, it happened all the time -- some Kid o.d.'s on a rooftop, top, a drunk gets cut in pieces under the Brooklyn local, old people die alone in shitty apartments and three weeks later someone calls the cops because of the smell and the flies. Call the cops. What are we, immune?
It was bad, wasn't it.
The goddamn smell is always the same.
Are you going to be able to sleep?
Hi. I closed a sale today, without Len. That's $1200 commission, if the papers go through.
That's great.
Sean's asleep.
What's wrong?
What?
What'd I say?
That you were fired.
Then that's what I meant. Fired. Canned. Out on my fanny. The Selectmen just made Hendricks the new Chief of Police. Just like that.
Because of today? The beach?
No sweat. A blessing in disguise. Back to the city, you can go to Bloomingdale's without waiting six hours for the ferryboat...we're surrounded by water here, you realize that? Me, surrounded by water...Ridiculous.
Stop that! We're not going any place. You love it here. Tell me what the hell happened!
Showed them the photo, showed them the goddamn Shark, big as life. They didn't see it. Not like me. Not like the poor son-of-a-bitch who snapped this li'l picture...He's out there, somewhere... I shot off my gun, shot off my big mouth, so they fired me....
Honey, this is nothing...I don't know what it is. What did they....
...Everybody wants the job. No one wants the authority. Except Hendricks. Fine. He can go out there in that precious boat, and when he looks whitey in his big mouth he can just call me. Call me in New York...tell him to kiss my ass....
They have no right to treat you like that. You've given them every- thing. For four years, you've protected this town, the people on this island....
Fired me! I'm not a hysterical man. I'm responsible. I know what I saw....
I know you did....
What're you going to do today?
Turn in the car. Clean my desk, explain things to our sons, then maybe get shit-faced and punch your boss.
I'll give notice.
Hey -- it's not your job any more. I'm going to be late for work.
What're you doing?
What is it? What's the matter?
Hello, hello. It went well, I thought.
Very impressive ceremony. Good speech.
I'm showing summer rentals. We got a helluva season going.
We have got to talk, and we have got to talk alone.
We're alone.
Are you serious?
Of course. Look -- I've got some missing persons, fatalities, evidence of a large predator....
No one has seen a shark -- no fin, no bites, nothing. Be realistic.
I got a feeling. I have to act on it -- you can understand that, can't you?
Of course I can, but can't it wait? These things cost money, and this town doesn't have much money.
We have to do something.
We have done something -- hell, we damn near went broke putting up a shark watch tower on the beach -- it's the only one in 2000 miles, y'know.
I know, I know....
And I stood by while you told the people from Ramada and Marriott that if they put up a hotel they'd need $800,000 worth of steel net around their beaches! In New England? We all lost on that one.
It's still a good idea.
Martin, when we build up our tax base a little, you can have every- thing you want; right now, the town's broke.
Please, Larry -- there's good reason. Those water skiers....
A tragedy. But that was a boating accident; no bites, no sharks, nothing but a boating accident.
Two of them are still missing!
There's always deaths in these waters that never turn up. Are they all shark victims?
Bullshit.
Bullshit? I'll give you bullshit -- there's a dead whale out there with bites all over it!
What am I, an ass? When you called me, I called Elkins, and her bosses. Nothing she saw is proof of anything.
Someone has to do something.
Thank God you guys were all together. I got something for you. Proof!
Martin, this is kind of an official meeting
Chief -- the Board of Selectmen has a question only you can answer.
Martin, it could be anything.
Martin, could you wait here for a few minutes while we make up our minds about something?
Affirmative. Can you get your chopper airborne?
10-4, in a few minutes. He's down checking a buoy in the Bay Channel.
Get him the hell over to Amity Point, the old lighthouse. Right now.
What for?
There's a bunch of Kids day-sailing that way. Turn them back to port.
That's it?
That's it. Just do it, all right?
10-4, soon as I can raise him.
If they're not at the light, look for them. I don't want them out there. Get them back to port!
Harbor Air, do you read? Over?
Where the hell is Air One?
That's what I'd like to know. Lost transmission at Cable Junction.
Did he raise the Kids?
Last transmission said ten juve- niles.
Yeah? Then what?
Then nothing. If you see him, tell him to switch to an operational frequency, or give me a status report yourself.
Did you say Cable Junction?
That's what he said.
When?
Mom, Michael won't talk to me.
Can I go swimming?
Some people.
Can I go with you today?
Hi Dad.
Hang on!
Dad! Dad!
They made me go with them.
Is that me?
That's you.
The lighthouse is a make-out spot.
Now I really want to see it.
I told you, remember?
What's wrong?
It killed her. It ate her.
We're going to die.
How old is your cousin?
Seventeen. She's a senior.
My cousin will be here tomorrow.
You're not going out right away, are you?
Waiting for Andy.
I want you to meet my cousin.
She just likes to tease. I think she really likes you.
Mike! Are you going out?
Did you ever see a dolphin?
Sure. They like to play. We may see some today.
Whoops, almost lost one. Can't play with the dolphins without skis....
Ready?
Terry! You okay?
Help! Help!
Get a dance yet?
Nope.
Me neither.
Who'd you ask?
Tina Wilcox.
You're crazy. She's Ed's girl friend.
Doesn't hurt to ask. Sometimes the most beautiful girls are the loneliest.
That's a crock of shit.
No class.
That's what I want -- a gaff rig.