"[soft piano music]" "♪ ♪" " Okay, all right, hold up." "[clinking glass]" "Someone has to say something nice about my friend Herb tonight, so I'm gonna give it a shot." "I have followed Herb Lee my whole writing career." "I followed him through three publishing houses." "I followed him when he started his own." "It's embarrassing to need your editor so badly." "That's how much I followed this guy." "So I'm gratified to announce that he has now followed me to central Connecticut." "Thank you very much." " I didn't follow you." "I had three heart attacks." "This was a preemptive strike against decrepitude." "[laughter]" " Well, whatever brought you here to the beautiful Marigold Retirement Community," "I just want to say I'm glad that you're here, right down the road from my place." "And as long as Pippa keeps making that butterflied lamb, I'll do anything, Herb." "I'll even caddy for you, if that's what it takes." " That's fine, as long as I don't have to play golf." " Okay, wait a minute." "Just wait." "One more thing." "I just want to say something else." "I have known Pippa Lee for 25 years, and I think that I will never really know her." "She is a mystery, an enigma, giving, caring, beautiful, intelligent, the very icon of an artist's wife." " What are you talking about?" " No, you are." " And who precisely is this artist that Pippa's married to?" " [chuckles] Exactly." " Exactly." "Yes, that's my point." "That's what it's come down to." "The one true artist's wife left in the modern world, and she ended up with a publisher." "To Herb and Pippa and their weird new condo." " Yeah, I just have got three new poems." " Wonderful." "Well, if you'd ever like to show them to somebody who's nonjudgmental, I'd be happy to take a look at them." " Really?" "I would like that." "That would mean so much to me." " I really wish Sam wouldn't keep saying" "Daddy moved to be near him." " Mom, he's a satirist." "Anyway, nothing's gonna put a dent in Herb's ego." "It's you I'm worried about." " It's time for dessert." " But, Herb, what is the real reason you moved here?" " Scaling down, making life more simple." "I've liquidated everything so that when I go," "Pippa and the kids can get everything and not give it to the government." " I thought you loved paying taxes." " I have to admit, I actually like this house." "It's so easy." " Well, I'm glad you feel that way, sweetie." " Though I can't help wondering how many people have died here." " Your problem is, you're too adaptable." "You're the adaptable enigma." " To be perfectly honest," "I've had enough of being an enigma." "I want to be known." "[sprightly piano music]" "♪ ♪" "Like many people, I have lived more than one life, so we're going to have to start at the beginning." " Breathe." "Breathe." " [groaning] Shut up." " I see the head." "Come on, one good push." " Ahh!" "Fuck you!" "[baby cries]" " Good girl." "Good girl." " My birth was marked by several unusual occurrences." "First of all, I was covered in fine blonde fur." " Why is she furry?" " Oh, no, there's nothing to worry about." "When a baby's this late, it sometimes has time to grow a little vestigial hair... [chuckles] From the time that we were monkeys." " I had a monkey!" "I had a monkey!" " You can expect to have a beautiful baby girl." "The hair is just vestigial, as I tried to tell your wife." "You know, I'm sorry if it offends you, Father, but we believe that millions of years ago, humans were covered with fur." " I know that." " So is it a baby or a pet?" " Suky knew my condition had nothing to do with evolution." "It was all her fault, because my mother had a secret, her own little stash of sin." " [whistles]" "How's my pal?" " I'm okay." " Are you having a hard time living here in Wrinklebury?" " It's strange having so much time on my hands." "This place is so easy to maintain." "But there's gonna be charity work I can find." " You want to move back to the city?" " We just sold our apartment." " Well, we can get another one." " Are you serious?" " No." "I'm just having a hard time thinking of this as the end of the line." " I think it's sort of romantic- starting all over, just the two of us, so little stuff." " Must you always look at the bright side?" " Can I get you anything?" "Some carrot juice?" " No, I'm fine." "What was that cheese we had for lunch yesterday?" " It was vacherin." "I was so excited to find that at the market." " I love that cheese." " Once I lost my furry coat, my mother was so relieved that she became sort of obsessed with my appearance." "She even took a drawing course at the town hall, the sole purpose of which was making pictures of me." " Aw, sweetheart, you have the most beautiful eyes." "I think God took all of our best features and put them on your face." "Don't you move." "Almost done." "[telephone receiver slams]" "Why, you little..." "turkey, turkey, turkey, turkey." "Ouch!" "slap!" " ♪ Teen baby, it's true ♪ - ♪ Do-do, do-do-do ♪" " She dressed me up as angels, cowgirls, movie stars." "I was her prize possession." " ♪ You're real, real cool ♪" "♪ For you, I'm a fool ♪" "♪ Teen baby, be mine ♪ - ♪ Honey, I will ♪" " ♪ Teen baby, be mine ♪ - ♪ Honey, you know I will ♪" " ♪ Baby, be mine ♪" "♪ All of the time ♪" " ♪ Oh, don't you know ♪" "♪ I love you so ♪" "♪ Glad you're my date ♪ - ♪ Do-do, do-do-do ♪" " ♪ With me, you're great, teen baby, be mine ♪" " [gasps]" "[siren wailing]" " Who else has a key?" " The cleaning lady." "But I really" "I can't see Miss Fanning breaking in with a few friends to have chocolate cake in the middle of the night." "And the maintenance people?" " You think it was me?" "Do you think I'm losing my marbles?" " I wasn't saying that." "I wasn't..." " Hi." " There she is." "Hey, cutie." " Hi, Daddy." " You look great." " Oh, thanks." "Hey, Mom." " Hi." " Hi." "Whoa." "I'm starving." "Can I get the lamb chops?" " You can get anything you want." "Do you want a drink first?" " Yeah." "Oh, Ben says he can't make it until later, so we should just order without him." " Okay." " Okay, these are just work prints, but..." " Oh, my God." " You get the idea." " That's incredible." "It's an amazing image." "Were you in a doorway?" "Where were you when you took this?" " Yeah, I just waited there." "I mean, I knew they were coming back, but..." " That's incredibly powerful." "Look at this." " Oh!" "These are so...powerful." " These are wonderful." " Grace, this..." "hmm." "Were you alone when you took these?" " No, we had a guide." " You had a guide?" " And I hitched a ride with Giles Oppenheim." " With Giles Oppenheim?" " Mm-hmm." " How'd you manage that?" " He kind of adopted me." " Did you hear about that photographer that got shot in Baghdad last week?" " Uh-huh." " [exhales deeply]" "You heard about the bomb?" " Ben, shut up." " What bomb?" " No, it's nothing." " Yeah, she was with that Oppenheim fellow..." " Ben!" " And they heard the whistle." "[whistles]" "And he wanted to go left, but she saw an alley towards the right, and she pulled him towards it, and that's when the bomb hit." "And they turn around, and what do you know?" "If they'd gone left, they would've been smashed to smithereens." "She thinks she's immortal now." " No, that's a complete distortion." "Why can't you just ever not say something?" " I do not know." " Sweetheart, everybody knows you're a killer, but you got to be careful." "I mean, you have to use your common sense out there." " I do." "Dad, look..." "[sighs]" "There's no way that I'm not gonna go back." "If you had seen what I saw, you would feel the same." "You would want to give these people some sort of dignity." " Just be careful." " Anyway, I'm going to Baghdad Saturday." "What's new with you?" " [sighs] I found a book, a real cash cow." " [laughs]" "Since when do you say "cash cow"?" " Well, I never said it because I never found one before." " What's it about?" " Oh, it's about war and romance and bad weather." " Is it good?" " A certain kind of good." "Highbrow for lowbrows or lowbrow for highbrows." "Perfect summer reading for people with multimillion-dollar beach homes." " Used to be us." " Yeah, but we still wouldn't have read this book." " So how are you, Ben?" "How is your paper coming?" " It's fine." " What's it about?" " The right to die." " "The right to die"?" " Or the right to kill." " ♪ Fee-fi-fo-fumma ♪" "♪ Fo-fumma, fo-fumma ♪" "♪ Fo-fumma, fee-fi-fo-fumma ♪" "♪ Doo-doo-doo-wop ♪" "♪ Fo-fumma, doo-doo, doo-wop ♪" "♪ Fo-fumma, doo-doo-doo-wop ♪" "♪ Fo-fumma, doo-doo, doo-wop ♪" " ♪ A sweet little kiss when we embrace ♪" "♪ A pretty little smile... ♪" " Suky's energy was unflagging, day and night..." "In spite of an apparently weak thyroid, for which she took pills at 7:00 each morning," "12:00 noon, and 4:00 each afternoon." "I was the only one who knew she was secretly pretending to be in a commercial half the time or a movie and she was the star." "I thought she was absolutely perfect." " Mom, can I have some more milk?" " Mom?" "Then there were days when Suky shorted out, like a run-down robot." " Eat up, kids." " I always felt my real mother had disappeared in those moments." "It scared me and made me angry." "I thought it must be my fault that she was sad, and it was up to me to make her happy again." " I thought maybe you forgot to say good night." " Her moods ruled my life." " My girl, my baby." "[sniffles]" "[doorbell rings]" " Oh, hello, Dot." "Would you like some coffee?" " Oh, no, I've already had some." " This is my son, Ben." " Oh, the lawyer?" " Not yet." "Nice to meet you." " And Herb." "You've met Herb." " Oh, hi, Herb." " Hey." " Oh, my Lord." "That's Mr. Swaggart." "He needed to go." " Have a seat." " You know, there are other young wives here." "You see them jogging around." " Is everything okay?" " Well, yes, we're- we're fine." "But my son, Chris..." " In Utah?" " Yes." " Right." " He might be coming...east." " Oh, well, that should be nice, if they would move near you." " Oh, well, the thing is, he's had some kind of crisis with his wife, and he's left her, and he's- he's living in his car." "I just don't know what to do." "Oh, he was always sort of half-baked." "You know what I mean?" " You know, it's painful, I know, but sometimes you just have to maybe accept they are who they are." "I mean, I feel that with my daughter." " You're right." "I knew that I should come to you." "You- I just had a feeling." "[Velcro tearing]" " He's living in his car?" " Yeah, she said he was half-baked." " I wonder what that means." " It's code." "It means half-wit." "[telephone rings]" "Hello?" "Hello, Marianne." "What?" "What?" "No, tell him 45 is the absolute top offer." "Well, if he goes somewhere else, he goes somewhere else." "Stop worrying." "Everything's fine." "You're doing a fantastic job." "Have a nice morning, Marianne." "Oh, God, that woman's gonna drive me crazy." " Your blood pressure went from 120 over 90 to 148 over 100 in that one conversation." " Since when did you become a registered nurse?" " A little appreciation for your ministering angel..." " Would you like to go in and out of the doctor's office every 15 minutes?" " We got to change our number." "I need an office." "Can we get an office here?" " What is the point of having an office?" " The point is, I spent 40 years building up this company, and they're crapping it up." "They're children there, absolute babies." "That way, if I had an office," "I can be there from 10:00 to 1:00." "I could talk to Marianne." "I could read my manuscripts." "And when I come home, boom, I'm retired." "That way, when you and I are together, we're really together." " You had three serious heart attacks." "Is that not enough for you?" " Yeah." " I got to go." " Bye, sweetheart." " Love you." " See you." " Back home to Brooklyn." " Okay, sweetheart." "Thanks." "[tapping]" " What's happening here?" "Okay, if I'm losing my marbles, so be it, but I need proof." " How long before he loses his mind completely?" "The half-baked son is moving in." " Wonderful." "[traditional piano music]" " ♪ After the ball is over ♪" "♪ After the break of morn ♪" "♪ After the dancers' leaving ♪" " Pippa!" "Glad you could come by." "A little eye candy." " Thank you for having me." "That's for you and Dot." " I wish you would keep an eye on Dot." "She's having a hard time." "I know she talks to you." " Well, sure." "Where is she?" " [whispers] He won't come out!" "Can you believe it?" "A 35-year-old man hiding in his room when his parents are throwing a party for him?" "I told her this was a bad idea." "It's right down the hall..." " Okay." " Spare bedroom." "Get her to drink a Pepsi-Cola or something." " Okay." " [faintly] I'm not going out there." " You can go out there for five minutes." "You've got to eat something." " Why are you crying?" "Stop crying." "[knocking]" "Yeah?" "Who is it?" " It's Pippa Lee." "I'm looking for Dot." " Oh, dear." " Hi, Dot." "Johnnie asked me to find you." " Well, look at me." "I can't go out there." " I'm Pippa Lee." " Chris." " Oh, why are you putting that on?" "I-I ironed you that shirt I got you." " Excuse me, but there's something I need to do." " Where are you going?" "Where are you..." "He was the sweetest little boy." " [groans]" " I mean, you just can't imagine." "When you adopt, you just don't know what you're gonna get." "[car engine turns over]" " Look out!" "[melodramatic music]" "Thank God she didn't fall in." " Amazingly, it took me 16 years to figure out what was behind Suky's personality." " She's taking Dexedrine." " Who is?" " Mom." " What's Dexedrine?" " Speed." "That's why she never sleeps, why she acts so weird." " Mom doesn't act weird." "Mom, why do you take this stuff?" " Hmm?" " These pills." "What do you take 'em for?" " It's my medicine." "Can you put it back, please?" " Chester told me it was speed." " Chester doesn't know what he's talking about." " So what would happen if you didn't take them?" " I'd get fat, like Grandma Sally." "Is that what you want?" "You all want me to walk around like some sick walrus?" " No." " Why don't you just let me do my work?" "Better yet, why don't you help me?" "Why doesn't anybody around here help me?" " The cross is made up of a vertical beam and a horizontal beam." "The vertical beam points to the sky, to the Spirit." "The horizontal beam is the line of the Earth, of life on Earth." "That's what's so neat about Jesus." "He wasn't just the Son of God." " I'd like to know what you're really like." " What do you mean?" " Without that stuff." " [scoffs] Stop being so overdramatic." "You're blowing this way out of proportion." " So stop." "I don't care if you get fat." " It's my medicine." "Okay, fine." "Let's just hope I don't blow up." " Father, thank You for this food, for the gift of being together as a family." " For these beautiful children around me." " Suky's cold turkey lasted exactly one week." " [continues praying indistinctly] [mid-tempo doo-wop music]" " Who is the president?" "Does anyone know who the president is?" " Boys, I think we all know it's lawn-mowing day tomorrow." " Imagine a dinner like this that went on for an entire year." " I know you two have your hunting tags." "I know you're very anxious to get out in the woods, but we're not gonna do any of that until we've had gun safety..." " She was taking more and more of the stuff." "I never knew who she was gonna be from one minute to the next." " And I also would like someone to take care of the gutters." "♪ ♪" " ♪ Can't you hear me calling, calling ♪" "♪ Calling for your love ♪" " Excuse me." "Pippa!" "[music stops]" "[loud rock music playing]" "♪ ♪ [music softens]" " What is going on here, miss?" " Mom, come dance with me, Mom." "Mommy, dance with me, okay?" "I just need you to dance with me." "Put your feet on, okay?" " What is going on?" " Put your feet on." "Come on, remember?" "[vocalizes softly]" "Mommy, I know your little secret now, okay?" "Oh, I totally did it." "[giggles]" " What?" "What are you talking about, huh?" " I'm high too." "Now we can both be high together, okay?" "You and me, Mom." " No, you took my medicine." "How much did you take?" " I don't know." "It's okay, though, Mommy." "I love you." "I love you." "Mom, I love you so much." "[crying]" " We just can't tell your dad about this, okay?" " Are you okay with this?" " Yeah." " I am so...sick of you!" " You!" "I knew you were bad from the day you were born!" "You!" " No!" "Ahh!" "[moans] [sobs]" "She was never going to back down." "She was never going to change, even if it meant dragging me down with her." "Oh, Herb." "[clicks tongue]" "[machine clicking and whirring]" "Herb." "Herb." "Herb!" "Herb, wake up." "It's me." " What?" " It's me on the video." " Hold on, kid." "What are we talking about here?" " The-the chocolate cake and the yogurt." "I just saw it on the video." "It's horrible." " It was you?" " She" "I was sitting on the floor, eating like an animal." "Herb, I think I'm going insane." "Maybe I'm going insane." " Come here." "Take it easy." "Look at it this way:" "your being a sleepwalker is a hell of a lot better than me being senile, isn't it?" "Hmm?" " Of course it is." "Of course." " Anyway, sleepwalkers are a dime a dozen." "You'll never get off a murder rap that way." " [chuckles]" "[gasps] Oh, my God." " Pippa Lee, right?" " Oh, hello." "You got a job already." " I'm working my way to the top." " It's a beautiful day." " I'm trying not to notice." " Oh, and a pack of Marlboro Lights." " Costly habit." " I don't" "Really, I don't smoke." "I just, um..." "You don't work here at night, do you?" " I haven't yet." "Why do you ask?" " Oh, I just- I just always thought what a horrible job it would be just waiting for someone to buy-I don't know- cigarettes or something." " Matches?" " Please." " I'm sorry about ducking out on you." "I'm not a big party person." " Oh, no, no, no, I shouldn't have interrupted." "Actually, I don't need a bag." "That's okay." "And give your mother my best." " These strawberries are so sweet." " Hmm?" " These strawberries." "So sweet." " Mm." "Maple Bank Farm." " How's the book coming?" " I'm a hundred pages in." "Who knows?" " You know." " How do you know I know?" " 'Cause you always do that." "You pretend it's not gonna work when you know it is." " I have an idea." "Why don't you finish all my conversations for me, since you know what I'm thinking?" "It'll save us all a lot of time." " Well, there's a good idea." " Do bats really get in your hair?" " [sighs]" "Can you please just come up with one thing that isn't a weird little cliché?" " I think I left the lights on in the car." "Aunt Trish was the kindest person" "I had ever known." " We can talk about it later." "Go get some rest." "[typewriter clacking]" " Who are you?" " I'm Kat." "This is my room." " Oh, I'm sorry." " No problemo." "[typewriter clacking]" " Hey, did you sleep okay?" " Who's Kat?" " Uh, she's my roommate." "Listen, your parents are gonna be here in a few hours." " What?" " Honey, you have to deal with them sooner or later." "As far as I'm concerned, you can stay with me, so long as you end up with a high school diploma." "I know there's a problem at your house." " You do?" " Mm-hmm." "No one else is gonna say it, so I will." "You did good getting away." " Ta-da." " Okay, bye." " Bye." " Bye." " See you tonight, Pippa." " Bye." "Wow, Aunt Trish..." " We're a couple of black sheep, you and me." "[both chuckle]" " I'm not running away." "I'm just done, that's all." " But what does that mean, you're done?" " It means I don't want to live with you." " [clicks tongue] Oh, so this is all my fault?" " What's all your fault?" " What you did to me." " I didn't do anything to you." " [scoffs]" " I'm done." "Don't you get it?" " You're not even gonna come home for Christmas anymore?" " No, I didn't say that." "I... [sighs] Of course I will, Mom." "I just..." " [cries]" " I think it's better if I don't live there anymore." " [sobs] What- what did I do to you?" "[shouting] What did I do to you to make you so secretive and unhappy?" " Nothing." " [softly] What did I do to you?" " Please, Mom." "Please." "Don't be sad." " No, no, you don't be sad, honey, honey." "[crying] My baby." "It's okay." "I love you so much." "It's okay." "It's gonna be okay, okay?" " I can't." "[sniffles] I can't." " Pippa?" " I'm done." " Pippa!" "[crying] I promise." "I promise!" "[poignant piano music]" "♪ ♪" " I would never go home for Christmas or anything else." "I was free." " Thank God." " Chocolate?" " I thought you'd left me." " I can't take it anymore." "He's such a prick." " Aw." "Sam can have a mean sense of humor." "Look, maybe if you laughed along?" " I have been laughing for four years, and now I'm crying." " I think Sandra's having an affair." " What makes you think so?" " Well, she's talking about splitting with Sam, and she's terrified of being on her own, you know, and it just adds up." " Well, maybe she just wants you to think she's having an affair so you tell me and I tell Sam and he starts treating her better." " You really think Sandra's that conniving?" " It's what women are like, a lot of them." " Conniving?" " No, it's not conniving." "It's human nature." "It's survival of the fittest." "Need I refresh your memory?" " Never mind." " I don't like this book." "I'm going to sleep." " I still think she's having an affair." "Oh, by the way, I think I found you an office." " This is perfect." " Oh, I'm so happy." "It only took two days to get the furniture, and I just thought it would be great to have a place away from Marigold Village." " What's this for?" "In case I get paper cuts, drop a phone on my foot?" " Old people bleed just like young ones, sweetheart." " Well, why don't we get an EKG for the corner, we can get an oxygen tent over there?" " Okay, I'll leave you to it." " Thank you for this." "What a sweet woman you are." "[tires screeching] [loud crash]" " He jumped right out at me." "I'm-I'm sorry." "[speaking softly]" "Sweet Jesus..." " Is he yours?" " No." "[dog whines]" "[Chris speaking softly]" " Hi." "I'm so sorry I'm late." " Oh, hi." "That's a beautiful purse." " Oh, thank you." "Oh, God, you look so beautiful." "What are you doing different?" " It's the indolence." " I wish I could be peaceful and good like you." " "Good"?" "What is it?" " I just..." "It's over between Sam and me." "[sniffling]" " Oh..." " And it's just all so completely, completely messed up, and I don't know what to do." "I..." "I'm never gonna have a normal life." " You can be married to anybody, if that's what you're worried about." " Anybody?" " Marriage is an act of will." "I mean, I adore Herb, but our marriage functions because we will it to." "If you leave love to hold everything together, you can forget it." "Love comes and goes with the breeze, minute by minute." " [sighs] But you make it sound all so unromantic." " Pick any man over 50 in this room." "Either one of us could be married to him." " Okay." "What about that one?" " He just needs his routines, that's all." "I bet if you anticipate his needs before he knows he has them, he'll be docile as a lamb." " [laughs]" "What-that one?" " He needs a lot of praise, but so long as you stick your finger up his ass while he's coming, he won't give you any trouble at all." "I'm kidding." "I was kidding." " [laughs]" " I wonder if maybe I'm having a very quiet nervous breakdown." "Did you get the boots?" " Yes." "I mean, they're on hold." "But I got 'em." "I did it." " Good." "Good for you." "You deserve them." "[peaceful music]" "♪ ♪" " Mrs. Lee?" " I want some cigarettes." " What kind?" " The white ones." " Marlboro Lights?" "Pippa." " [breathes raggedly] [muffled] Oh, my God." "[whimpers]" " You're okay." "It's okay." "Would you like me to drive you home?" " Maybe you shouldn't tell anyone about this." " I'll try not to." " You'll try not to?" " It might slip out one day." " [laughing] What?" " [chuckles shortly]" " I think I just figured out what's so odd about you." "You can't lie, can you?" "Okay." "Well, thank you." "[sniffles]" " What's up?" "Pippa, for Christ's sakes, I'm not dead yet." " [softly] I'm sorry." "Aunt Trish's apartment was a haven after the hysteria of my mother's household." "I fit in easily with the two of them but was secretly fascinated by Kat, maybe because she seemed a little bit dangerous." " Bye." " Bye, baby." "So, chicklet..." "boom, boom!" "What's your favorite subject?" " I don't really have one." " Well, what do you like?" " Nothing in particular." " Must be good at something." " No." " For the record, I think you're special." " Special how?" " Special like I can't believe you landed in my lap." "[knock at door]" "Almost makes me believe in destiny." "Hey, come in." " Hey." " This is my friend Shelly." " Wow." " Shelly, this is Pippa." " You were right." "She's perfect." " Mm-hmm." " Let's get this show on the road." "Whoo-hoo!" " So what do I do?" " When I was in the film business, we never asked questions." "We just showed up and let shit happen." " Just look at the camera like it's someone you know and don't like." "That's the secret." "Yeah, like that." "That's Kitty." " Who's Kitty?" " The girl in the novel she's writing." "That's what the pictures are for." " Kitty is every woman's wild side." "She's fearless." "Don't you wish you were fearless?" " I guess so." " Yeah, if you were, you wouldn't cry every time you hung up the phone after talking to your mommy." " [laughs]" " You'd forget the past." " Is that what you do?" " I'm the girl from Pluto." "I'm a scary thing." " Can we get doughnuts?" " Later!" "Okay, this is the scene where Mrs. Washington comes home and finds you in her playpen." " Who's Mrs. Washington?" " Mrs. Washington is the woman who owns the mansion where you're at." "And one day, you come home, and you decide to play with her kids' toys." "Okay, so listen, you have to be really upset, so I need you to think of something sad." " I'm just not really feeling anything." " No?" "slap!" "Okay." "Let's go." "Come on, let's go." "Come on, Shell." "Is she gonna hurt you?" "No, don't let her take the baby." "That's right." "That's your baby." "Good." "Yeah." "That is perfect." "Yeah, now the spanking, all right?" " What?" " It's just- it's pretend." " Is this good?" " Go." "[loud swat]" " Ow!" " Christ!" " Sorry." " No, I said pretend." " Sorry." " You all right?" "You want to do it again?" " Yeah." " Okay." "Let's do another one." "[loud swat]" " Whoops." " How do you feel, Kitty?" "[laughs]" "Yeah, that's right." "Okay." "Pull the leash." "Pull the leash, that's right." "Go on, little puppy dog." "That's great." " I let those two weeks of my life happen because, in a way, I felt I had no choice." "That's not quite true, though." "It wasn't coercion." "I liked the attention, and- oh, I don't know." "Anyway..." "Aunt Trish came home sick." "[camera shutter clicking] [perky traditional band music]" "♪ ♪" "That was the end of my stay with Aunt Trish." " You slept late." " I'm sorry." "It took me ages to fall asleep." " Okay, I'm off." " See you at lunch." "Oh, is there anything else you want from the market other than the apricot spread?" " No." " What?" " Ever since we moved to the old folks' home, you look younger and younger." " That's just 'cause I'm not setting my hair." " Okay." " [gasps]" "Oh..." "[spits]" "[knocking]" "Chris?" "I'm so- it's Pippa Lee." "I'm so sorry to disturb you." "I just-I forgot I'd left my car at the convenience store." " [exhales deeply]" " I'll just wait out here." "Okay." "Your mother told me you're going through a hard time." " You could say that." "Fired from my job at the men's shelter," "I come home to find my wife sitting on top of my best friend." " Wow." "That's bad." " Yeah, well, there's probably a good reason for it all." " What?" " I'm an asshole." " You are?" " I don't know why." "I just always have been." " That tattoo you have must have hurt terribly." " I tried to join a Jesuit seminary once when I was 17." " You were gonna be a priest?" " Yeah." "But they rejected my application." " Do you still have that vocation?" " Just the tattoo." " What made you lose your faith?" " I just stopped believing God was a mystery you could nail down with one book." "But by that time, my parents had written me off as a fuck-up." "I was married to a Jesus freak, and I was just as pissed off at the world as when I was a Christian, which brings us more or less up to date, give or take a decade." "What are you thinking?" " I was just thinking that you seem like..." " What?" " Just that you- you seem so bright." "It's a pity you never settled on any real work." "It would make your life so much easier." " Okay." "Well, thank you." " I didn't mean to offend you." " I suggest you go back to that little life you've puffed up for yourself." "I'm sure you're very happy underneath all that anxiety." " You're right." "You know, you are an asshole." " Told you." "[thunder booming] [rain pattering]" "['60s pop music]" " In the years after I left Aunt Trish, all I can remember is fixes I got myself into." " ♪ I will love you for a while ♪" "♪ Just how long I cannot say ♪" "♪ Long before... ♪" " It was a free fall." " ♪ I'll be on my way, yeah ♪" "♪ While there's fire in your eyes ♪" " Truth is, I took every pill I could get my hands on." "It's no wonder I can't remember any of it." "One day, I found out my mother had died." "I tried to remain as numb as possible." "That was my boyfriend, Jed." "Oh, no, it-it was Craig." "Craig was my boyfriend." " I can't believe you sold a painting to Gigi Lee." " Wait, who is she, anyway?" " She is an heiress, collector, party girl." "She knows everybody." "She knows Andy." " Hey!" "Hi, everybody." " Hi." " This is Sam Shapiro, the novelist." " That material belongs with the childhood." " I know, but I'm moving back and forth in time." "It's-it's- it's liquid." " That's fine, but let the sequences accumulate." "They're too staccato." " I'm exactly what looking for, that kind of staccato feeling." " Hello." "Hi." "Are you with our party?" " Yeah, I'm with Craig." "You bought a painting from him." " Oh, yeah." "This is Max." "I'm Herb." "And you are?" " Pippa Sarkissian." " What kind of a name is that?" " English and Armenian." " Ah." "Well, welcome." " Whoo!" "You don't have a bathing suit?" "Go naked." "Nobody's here." "Come on!" "Come on!" "[Brian Eno's Sky Saw] [ambient electronic music]" "♪ ♪" "Oh, I'm so happy to see you." "Listen, I want to organize a show in Paris for you." "Have you been in Paris before?" " Mm-mm." " That's fantastic." "[indistinct party chatter]" " What's going on?" " Pippa." "Pippa Sarkissian." "Come here." "Come." "Sit." "Talk to us." "So, Pippa, what does a free spirit like you have for breakfast usually?" " Does she look like she eats breakfast?" "Come on." " Do you?" " No." " That's your first mistake of the day." " So what do you do- first thing in the morning, you get up, you go to the studio?" " I don't have a studio." " You got to be an artist, dressed like that, come on." " Well, what do you do?" " I work in a clothing store." " You have no ambition?" "Do you realize no one has ever walked through that front door before without having some kind of ambition?" "The butler is writing a short story." "He told me so himself yesterday." " [chuckles]" " I'm gonna get a drink." "You want a drink, Pippa?" " Uh-uh." " Get me another one of these." " I will." "I'll be back." " This is the most amazing house I've ever seen." " It's not a house." "It's a mausoleum." "There isn't one comfortable piece of furniture in the whole place except this couch." "It's like living in an aquarium." " Then why do you live here?" " My wife." "I could never afford a place like this, although I'm not poor." "So, Pippa, when are you gonna start doing something about your life?" " What do you mean?" " Well, doesn't it get dispiriting being so aimless" "I mean, "The times, they are a-changing" notwithstanding?" " What?" " You have such a sweetness about you." " No, I'm not sweet." " Well, you can be experienced and have a sweetness about you." "It's an innate thing with you, it seems." "I haven't seen that quality in a person in a long time." " We're all going swimming!" "Andiamo." "Vamos, ya, ya, ya." " Oh, God." " I didn't realize it yet, but I had set my sights on Herb, and once that happened, watch out." " She's making me nostalgic for his first wife, and trust me, that's saying something." "You're interesting, Pippa." "I've been observing you." " You have?" "[chuckles]" " You're like an ingenue femme fatale." " [chuckles]" "Okay, and what are you like?" " Writers are vampires." "I'm waiting for the right girl to come along and make me a human being." "You realize that if I leaned in right now and kissed you," "I'd be the third guy tonight?" "Am I right?" " Yeah, you would." "[Brian Eno's Another Green World] [dreamy music]" "♪ ♪ [seagulls cawing]" " Come on!" " There you go." "Thanks." " See you next week." " Next?" " Fish tonight?" " Oh!" "[chuckles]" "Well, he comes all the way from Maine every Thursday." " You feel guilty about the fish man?" " A little." " I'm sorry about the other day." " Oh, that's all right." " How are you doing?" " Oh, fine." "I actually went to see someone about the sleepwalking, and he basically thinks I'm off my nut... [giggles] Basically." "See, it's- it's a psychiatrist." "That's because he thinks I'm gonna need medication and a locksmith." "See, he suggested that we bolt the bedroom door from the inside and Herb hide the key, and, um... oh, I'm supposed to take up a hobby." "I'm thinking bowling." "[sighs]" " Would you like to go for a drive..." " [giggles] Sure." " After you get your fish?" " I'll make pasta." " Where do you want to go?" " I don't know." "I could show you where I grew up." " Okay." "How do I get there?" " Oh, it's straight for a couple of miles." "And then we'll make a turn." "I'll tell you." "It's close." "It's..." "There it is." "It seems so small." " Is your family still here?" " No." "That's my daughter, Grace." "She hates me." "I wonder..." " What?" " If I got it all wrong with her." "I just didn't want to suffocate her the way my..." "I think it happens like that in families sometimes, though, where you just keep swinging back and forth from generation to generation, getting it wrong the opposite way." "It was so simple with Ben." "But, you know, she is a photographic journalist, travels all over the world, wherever it's exploding, takes photographs." " Wow." " Yeah, I know." "We must have done something right." " Sounds like your daughter's like you." " Why?" " You said you were always in a drama." " Well, I was reckless with my life." "That's true." "I never saw her again." " Who?" " My mother." "After I ran away, she died." "She had a heart attack." " Oh, I can't wait to see." " If I could have anything," "I would ask for one more afternoon with my mother." " Look at her eyes." " I would be kind." " Beautiful." " I've been going to Dot's pottery class." " Oh, good." " Why do you think it's good?" " The doctor said he thought you could use a hobby." " Tell me what you like about me." " Right now?" " Yeah." " Well, you put up with me, for one thing." " That's it?" " Of course not." " Herb, what happened to us?" "We used to laugh so much." "What happened?" " Can't laugh all the time." " Well, we have to laugh." " Or what?" " Or she died for nothing." " Not that again, okay?" " Why am I not allowed to mention her?" " I will not let this marriage turn into a guilt fest." "We have been through this a hundred times." "She was crazy." "You get involved with somebody like that, it's like putting your hand in a blender." "Sooner or later, your fingers get bloody." " I just can't take it." "I can't take it." "I keep seeing her, Herb." "I keep seeing her." "I keep... [sighs] I keep seeing the past." "The past just keeps caving in." "I can't take it anymore." "I can't take it." "I'm sorry." " [exhales deeply]" " [sniffles]" " Maybe you should be taking antidepressants." "[shouts] What?" "You all right?" "Do you want to talk?" " My mother used to do this." "She'd suddenly disappear, and I'd find her on the bed in front of the TV with a plate of toast on her belly." "That's how she died." " Yes, I know." " I have to take your blood pressure." " No, you don't." "[soft piano music]" "♪ ♪" " I slept for a week after the party at Herb's beach house." "Maybe I was trying to avoid my next boyfriend." "When I woke up," "I felt an overwhelming need to hear Herb's voice." "I missed him so much." "It was strange." "[siren wailing in distance]" " Hello?" " Mr. Lee?" "Hi, it's Pippa Sarkissian." " Pippa." " Hey." "I was wondering, do you want to go out to breakfast?" " It's 3:00 in the afternoon." " I meant tomorrow." "He treated me like a pal at first." "He was avuncular." "He teased me about being a waster." "I called him an old fart." "We would get together every couple of days and take a walk or eat something." "He gave me reading lists." "He wanted to educate me." "Hey, sorry I'm late." " You're always late." " Well, maybe you're always early." " I bought something for you." "Now, you only have to wear this once." "I'll be alone at the beach house this weekend, and I want you to come for lunch." " [gasps]" "You weren't supposed to buy this." " I needed to." " I loved being with Herb." "He made me feel protected." " I thought I was a writer." "I thought it was my calling, but it just wasn't." "I, uh..." "I couldn't flow." "I have a very critical nature, and it kept me from being able to flow." "Then I was slightly lost for a little while." "I had no idea what I was gonna do." "And I had a friend in the publishing business, and he offered me a job, and here I am." " Tell me what you like about me." " Well, you're not a show-off about it, but I think you're very intelligent." "And you're beautiful, but you're cool about it." "And there's a sadness about you, and I like that, in moderation." " I like your jacket." " And that's it?" " [laughs] No." "No, I..." "I like your face and your voice." "And, um.... this is gonna sound strange." " Say it." " It's like, um... like I can feel what you're feeling." "You know, if you feel nervous or happy or sad, I can feel it in my body, in my fingers." " What a remarkable thing." " Oh." " I'd like you not to feel as if you have to censor yourself around me." "Tell me something about yourself." "Tell me the most important thing about you." " I'm a fuck-up." "I felt like I was being rescued from a burning wreck." " If I'm good for anything in the world, it's for letting you know how wonderful you are." "You're my true wife, you know." " No, you don't want me." "I make people sad." " I don't believe that." " Anyway, you have a wife." " If I have to live with that lunatic for another week," "I'll-I'll hang myself." " For years, I've been hoping she'd have an affair so I can walk out on her, but she won't do it, the bitch." " [giggles]" " Mrs. Lee still seems unwilling to work her way up like the rest of us." " [softly] Oh, go stick it up your ass." " What did you say to me?" " I don't understand." "She agrees to divorce you if we have lunch with her?" " She just wants to make the switch in some kind of elegant way." " I can't believe you agreed to do this." " I owe her this much." "Come on, let's go." " Hello, Mr. Lee." "Nice to see you." "Hello, miss." " Hello, Alphonsa." " Welcome." " Hi, hi." "Hello, hello, hello." " Hi." " Sam, what a pleasant surprise." " I'll tell Yursa to bring in the champagne." " Perfect symmetry." " What?" " Come on." " She invited me for lunch." "[chuckles] Stop." "Cheers." " Oh." "You're such a baby." " Thanks." " Let's face it." "I wanted Gigi's life at that moment." "It wasn't the money, exactly." "It was just that the money made everything seem all right." "It was the opposite of chaos, the opposite of everything I had known up until then." "I wanted to be sheltered at last." " Madam." " Lunch is served." " Oh, my." " Pippa." "Herb." "This lunch is in honor of telling it like it is." "You know how we all eat chops and hamburgers and we don't think of the faces of who gets killed?" " Anybody here a vegetarian?" " Here's the truth as I see it:" "a pig for a cow, a fair exchange." " And who's who?" "Sorry." " Okay, let's have lunch." "Who wants pig?" " First, a toast." " Oh, jeez." " To transformation." " Put the gun down." "Put it down." "Put it down, Gigi." " Isn't it funny how men always marry women who are easier and easier to dominate until they end up with an imbecile?" " Put the gun down." "Put it down." "Give me the..." "No!" "[gunshot]" " [panting]" "Her image would haunt me for the rest of my life." "I knew without thinking that not only would I marry Herb." "I would give myself to him, like a penitent." "This was my last chance at goodness." "If I fucked this up, I would be fallen forever." "Every day, I tried to be good, to erase the past." "I stopped getting high." "But I didn't know how to be this new person." "Like a dancer learning a new routine," "I relied on repetition to teach my brain." "[telephone rings] Hello?" "Hello?" "Hello?" "It wasn't till I had the babies, though, that I really believed my own act." "That was when Pippa Sarkissian disappeared forever." "That was how I became Pippa Lee." "I got thrown out of pottery class." "I got thrown out of pottery class." "[knocking]" " Who is it?" " It's me." " I'll be right there." "Everything okay?" " I got thrown out of pottery class." " Why?" " Mm." "I told the teacher to screw off." " Let me get my keys." "We'll get some coffee." " She's a witch." "She's..." "Why is this towel here, sweetheart?" "Were you eating and you didn't want to mess up the couch?" " No." " What?" " [moans]" " When did this start?" " Sometime after we moved here." "I was hoping it was an affair, but... it just isn't." "I know this has got to be..." "dreadful for you." "I-I want you to have all the money." "You deserve everything." " [exhales deeply] Thanks." "Um, well, are you going to marry her?" " Well, at my age, it would be pretty ridiculous, wouldn't it?" "And..." "I just want to live." "The past few years," "I can feel you starting to bury me, Pippa." "I can feel the earth in my mouth, almost as if you're looking forward to it." " How can you say that?" " I can feel you starting to pity me, being afraid of me." "You're already mourning." "Don't deny it." " I mean, of course, I am" "I am afraid of you getting old and dying." "It's normal to be afraid." " Well, I don't want to be normal, and I don't want to be mourned." "I am not a ghost." "I want to live." "Nobody knows when the hell they're gonna die." "You could die tomorrow." "And fuck you for making me feel like an old man!" " But, Herb, you are an old man." "[thudding and clinking]" "Oh, my..." "Oh, Sandra!" "Killing yourself with a disposable razor." "I don't think anyone's ever done that before." " She was in despair, you know." "She loves you." " This first aid kit came in handy, didn't it?" "I had the strangest feeling walking down those stairs." "I suddenly felt so light, as if a great weight had been lifted off of me." "[mid-tempo carnivalesque music]" "♪ ♪" " Remember this moment, sports fans." "Remember where you were." "Pippa Lee rounding the bend, guilt baton in hand, coming up on Sandra Dulles, and the pass is complete." "Pippa Lee has passed the guilt baton to Sandra Dulles." "I never thought I'd live to see this moment." " Hi, there." " Hi." " [chuckles]" "What's going on?" " My husband has been having an affair with a good friend of mine." "So..." "It's official:" "nobody needs me anymore." "[knock at door]" " Hi, Ma." " Dot." " Wait." " Dot, no, no, no." "Please, I didn't mean to upset you." "I really didn't." " That man is 35 years old..." " I know, but we haven't done anything." " And you are whatever you are." "It's none- it's none of my beeswax." "It is just disappointing when someone turns out not to be the person you thought they were." "[Chris urinating]" " I lost control." "I-I care about you tremendously." " Why don't I feel anything?" "I mean, it can't be that I don't love you anymore." "I adored you only this morning." " Maybe you're in shock." " [sighs] It's all so tired." " What is?" " This whole situation." "Let's just fast-forward to the divorce." "Where..." "[stifled scream]" "Where are they?" "[gasps]" " Where were you going, Mom?" " Ben, I really don't see that that's important." " I just want to get everything straight." "[knock at door]" " [gasps]" " I had chest pains." "[crying] I feel like the gods are punishing me." " Oh, please stop being such an egomaniac and drink your tea." " You forgive me, Pippa?" " Forgive her for what?" " [weakly] Oh, I-I can't." " Ben, your father and Sandra were" "They-they're in love." "That's why I was leaving." " What?" " I'll jump out the window." "I'm so stupid." "I'm stupid." "I'm just so selfish." "I'll jump out the window if you don't forgive me." "I'm so..." " I forgive you." "Get up." "Get up, please." "Okay." " You do not forgive her." " You're right." "I don't." " How could Dad do that to you?" " Sweetheart, he..." "was afraid of dying." "He fell in love." "And I wasn't altogether there either, as of late." "So I don't know." " Do you even care?" " How can I compete with that?" " Hi." "Where is he?" " Oh, sweetheart." " Mrs. Lee?" "You have a phone call." " Okay, Ben, will you take her in?" " Yeah." " I'll be right back." "Hello?" " I just want to say, in all the world, you are the one person to whom none of this should be happening." " Thank you, Sam." " And I also want to say that I love you." " Me too." " I mean, really." " Oh." " Call you later." " [slowly] Okay." " Bye." " Sam?" " Yeah?" " I don't want to make butterflied lamb anymore." " Oh." " Do you see what I'm saying?" " Why did Ben get to stay?" " I don't know." "He seemed to want it the most." " Really?" "How do you measure that?" "Do you have some sort of love-ometer?" " Why don't we go home for a few hours and rest and then..." " Has someone been smoking in here?" " I don't know." " Yuck." "Was it Daddy?" " What?" " Well, if Daddy's been smoking, then maybe" " No." "No." " So his brain is just dead?" "It's just completely dead?" "He'll never say anything ever again?" "Not one thing?" " That's what the doctors are telling us, sweetheart." " You didn't even ask for a second opinion." "[engine turns over]" " Gracie, I know, sweetheart" " Good night." " Why did you bother to lie?" " Oh, my God, you are smoking." " I'm quitting soon." " But I have never seen you smoke in my whole life." " I know." "Aw." " [sobs]" " I'm so sorry this had to happen to you." " I'm not crying because of Daddy." "I'm crying because..." "I'm so mean to you all the time, and I hate it." "And I don't want to be." "I really, really, really don't." "[crying]" " Sweetheart, it's not your fault." "There's so many things you don't know about me." " No, not yet." "I want to be your friend, because... because we still have time." " I'd be honored to be your friend." " No, not honored." "Just happy." " Okay, happy." " Mom." "[vehicle approaching]" " I saw your light on." "I wanted to see if you needed anything." "My mom told me what happened." " Oh, my son is at the hospital, and I'm supposed to be resting, but I can't." " I could drive you around a little bit." "Do they have your cell?" " Don't you have work?" " I'm off till 5:00." " I could write Grace a note." "Okay." " I'm leaving soon." " And where will you go?" " Back out west, I guess." "What do you pray for when you pray?" " For my kids to be happy, I guess." "And to be good." "It sounds so childish, saying it out loud." " Do you want to pray for your husband?" " It's hopeless." "His brain is dead." " Not for his brain." "For his soul." " I don't know how to do that." " Me neither." "Let's try." " [moaning]" "[crying]" "[softly] Sorry." "Okay, Herb..." "I'm gonna let you go." "I'm sure you're pissed as it is that I've left you like this so long, but we wanted to wait for Grace." "[sniffles]" "I love you anyway, you know." "I'll always love you, you bastard." " Are you ready now?" " Okay, it's time to turn the corner." "I'm going to stay with Ben and his girlfriend in town." "I'm gonna find a place near them, and I'm gonna wait to become a grandmother." "[gasps] [tires screech]" "I'm awake." " I just don't know if we can get it all to work." " Hi, Mama." " I'm going on a trip." " A trip?" " Yes, and I was wondering if you could call these movers right here and take whatever you want and then tell them to give the rest to Goodwill." "That would be great." " What about the memorial service?" " Right, memorial service- just call everybody on here except for Sandra, and just call me on my cell and give me the date." "And you know what?" "What the hell?" "Invite Sandra." " Mom, are you actually leaving?" " I'll be back." " When?" " Sweetheart, your father was in love with a woman" "I cooked for two days a week over the past four years." "I'm not going to organize his memorial service." "[vehicle approaching]" " Who is that guy?" " He's my friend." " A friend?" "What's going on?" " Ben, I'm not driving off into the sunset." "I'm just seeing what happens next." " I can't believe this is happening." " She's given us half her life." "Don't you think she deserves a vacation?" " Mm." " [chuckles]" " I love you." "I love you." "I love you." "I don't know how the rest of my story will go." "I don't know who I'll be in it." "All I know is, I feel like this is just the beginning." "[Lucinda Williams' I Lost It] [bluesy country-rock music]" "♪ ♪" " ♪ I think I lost it ♪" "♪ Let me know if you come across it ♪" "♪ Let me know if I let it fall along a back road somewhere ♪" "♪ ♪" "♪ Money can't replace it ♪" "♪ No memory can erase it ♪" "♪ And I know I'm never gonna find ♪" "♪ Another one to compare ♪" "♪ ♪" "♪ Give me some love to fill me up ♪" "♪ Give me some time, give me some stuff ♪" "♪ Give me a sign ♪" "♪ Give me some kind of reason ♪" "♪ Are you heavy enough to make me stay?" "♪" "♪ I feel like I might blow away ♪" "♪ I thought I was in heaven ♪" "♪ But I was only dreamin' ♪" "♪ I think I lost it ♪" "♪ Let me know if you come across it ♪" "♪ Let me know if I let it fall along a back road somewhere ♪" "♪ ♪" "♪ Money can't replace it ♪" "♪ No memory can erase it ♪" "♪ And I know I'm never gonna find ♪" "♪ Another one to compare ♪" "♪ ♪" "♪ I just want to live the life I please ♪" "♪ I don't want no enemies ♪" "♪ I don't want nothing if I have to fake it ♪" "♪ Never take nothing don't belong to me ♪" "♪ Everything's paid for, nothing's free ♪" "♪ If I give my heart ♪" "♪ Will you promise not to break it?" "♪" "♪ I think I lost it ♪" "♪ Let me know if you come across it ♪" "♪ Let me know if I let it fall along a back road somewhere ♪" "♪ ♪" "♪ Money can't replace it ♪" "♪ No memory can erase it ♪" "♪ And I know I'm never gonna find ♪" "♪ Another one to compare ♪" "♪ ♪" "♪ Money can't replace it ♪" "♪ No memory can erase it ♪" "♪ And I know I'm never gonna find ♪" "♪ Another one to compare ♪" "♪ ♪" "[cheers and applause] [soft piano music]" "♪ ♪" "[insects chirping]"