"(Cheering)" "Whit:" "Thank you." "Thank you." "give yourselves a hand because it was your hard work that gave yardsham inlet the best year in the history of this agency." "(Cheering) we just thought we should get together and reconnect with the fundamentals of what actually got us here." "I'm gonna turn it over to our resident poet philosopher of product." "The rebel command of brand." "He's the guru who terrifies Madison Avenue." "(Cheering) Howard inlet." "(Cheering)" "(Softly) Love you." " Yes!" " (Cheering continues)" "Oh." "What is your "why"?" "Why did you even get out of the bed this morning?" "Why did you eat what you ate?" "Why did you wear what you wore?" "Why did you come here?" "Other than the fact that I would fire you and hire someone else but..." " (Laughing)" " Not that." "The big "why." "We're certainly not here to just sell shit." "We are here to connect." "Life is about people." "Advertising is about illuminating how our products and services will improve people's lives. how do we do that?" "Love." "Time." "Death." "Now these three abstractions connect every single human being on earth. everything that we ultimately end up buying is because at the end of the day and we fear death." "Love." "Time." "Death." "Let's begin there." "How long did this one take?" "Five days." "That's pretty impressive." " Maybe he came back too soon." " Are you kidding me?" "It's been six months of this zombie routine." "We can't indulge this anymore." "Especially because we're getting fired by danworth financial." " (Coughs)" " Claire:" "What?" "You're kidding me." "what?" "But I just talked to them yesterday. but that entire account is built on Howard's relationship." "Half our billings are built on Howard's relationships." "This is a disaster." "This is a disaster." "No." "Not yet." "We have an offer from omnicom for $17 a share... come on!" " But they want an answer" " by new year's." " Shh." "(Bell rings) we're not worth $14 a share if my partner takes a sabbatical as the local domino champion of crazy town." "whit." "but it's true." "I am empowering you." "Go make the deal with omnicom." "but Howard controls the voting shares." "okay?" "Simon." "(Festive music playing)" "Claire:" "I still don't understand why Howard got 60% of the voting shares and you only got 40." "Because I needed cash to settle my divorce and Howard did me a huge favor and let me sell him some. we wouldn't be in this situation?" "Inaccurate and unfair to put it squarely on my shoulders." "I'm just pointing out the facts." " (Bells tinkling) my god." "Don't you just love that smell?" "Wait." "Stop." "Close your eyes." "Breathe it in." "Doesn't that remind you of your childhood?" "come here." "I got to tell you something." "What?" "I have been doing something about our situation that you need to know about." "What did you do?" "I hired someone." "You hired someone? she used a private investigator named Sally price. and it makes her very good at the whole stealth thing." "You hired the woman who caused your divorce?" "No." "I caused my divorce." "Sally price just documented it." "Wow." "That was actually enlightened." "I have hidden depth." "We've discussed this. why did you hire the mormon grandmother?" "Because we need to document what's going on with Howard." "We need to show that he's not mentally fit to vote his shares." "No." "We're not really in that place where we're..." "We're actually gonna be the people who would do that to a friend? it's that he won't even have a conversation about selling. and it's like I'm not even in the same physical space with him." "He's not there." "His kid died." "Claire." "What are we gonna..." "This is our lives at stake." "We're not kids anymore." "You look me in the face and tell me that you're willing to have everything you've worked for for the last 10 years just evaporate." "Is this pi good?" "She caught me cheating." "Oscar could have caught you cheating." "Who the hell's Oscar?" "My son." "Oh. (Stammering) That Oscar?" "This private investigator isn't gonna find anything that'll pass for moral turpitude. then we'll be in business." "I do really think that we are out of other options." "he terrorized the grief counselor for six months." "He totally blew off the ayahuasca shaman we flew in all the way from Peru." "And our..." "Our intervention was a disaster." "I just... this doesn't feel right." "I know. nothing is gonna feel right." "(Chuckles)" "(Child laughing)" "(Gasps)" "(Sighing)" "(Horn honking)" "Sally:" "He writes letters." "Claire:" "Letters?" "What kind of letters?" "Sally:" "This might be the strangest thing I have ever come across." "yeah." "Simon:" "Can we ask you how?" "Cost me $800 to get this cut. it's a federal offense to steal mail directly from a mailbox." " You could..." " Yeah." "three letters." " Who are they to?" "not who." " What do you mean?" "Howard doesn't write letters to people." "He writes to things." " Whit:" "What kind of things?" " Time." "Love." "Death." "The three abstractions. but they don't talk about how you destroy all that's good in the world." "How you turn beauty into ash." "you're nothing more than petrified wood to me." "You're a dead tissue that won't decompose." "You're nothing." "right? it doesn't mean they're crazy." "No." "This is therapeutic." "It's so sad." "Yeah." "Anything else? even though he doesn't own a dog." "Just sits there for hours." "Does he write letters to the dogs?" "Are you serious?" "right?" "that's what we need." " Does he?" " Not that I saw." "really." "Goes home to his apartment." "Rarely leaves before morning." "phone." "Nothing." "You're a dead tissue that won't decompose." "(Horns honking)" "(Siren wailing)" "Howard?" "it's Claire." "I swung by that place down the street and got you some dinner." "It's that shrimp thing you like." "in case you haven't eaten." "don't keep leaving the food there." "He doesn't eat it." "I'm..." "I'm sorry." "And he's late on his rent again." "and I don't have a working number for him." "he doesn't have a phone anymore." "how much does he owe?" "I'll write you a check." "Super:" "If that's what you want to do." "if you're not doing anything with that shrimp..." "Broccoli rabe last week was delicious." "(Horn honking)" "(Horn honking)" "(Festive music playing)" "Here he is." "where's your stuff?" "but mom said I had to call." "Text me about what?" "But then Barry said I had to tell you in person." "Are we taking life advice from Barry now?" "What are..." "What are you trying to tell me?" "I'm not coming to stay with you." "I'm going with Barry and mom to the Bahamas." "wait." "Hi." "How you doing?" "maybe a couple feet just to have this conversation with my daughter?" "Thanks." "I got..." "I got all kinds of stuff planned." "I got a Christmas tree for us." "Then sucks for you." "I got us tickets to Hamilton." "Then sucks for Hamilton." "Allison." "I've already seen it." "(Stammers) You did?" "You saw that with mom and Barry?" "And odell Beckham Jr." "And odell Beckham?" "Yeah." "He's one of Barry's friends." "Why?" "Why don't you want to spend the holiday with me?" "I miss you." "Because I hate you." "Because you're a philanthropist." "Because you broke mom's heart." " (Stammers) Philanderer." " Allison:" "What?" "not philanthropist." "They have a slightly different meaning." "you would know." "Mmm-hmm." "and now I have. have a good Christmas." "(Elevator bell dings)" "Hold it." "Hey." "(Elevator button clicks) rapid fire round while I got you?" "Cavs are in town." "Christmas showdown at the garden." "I never give your seat away." "but we could go." "Don't even have to talk." "Don't even have to look at each other." "We can do just what we're doing right now and just watch the game." "Be like old times." "number two." "We're gonna lose the danworth account because that's always been your relationship." "as you might imagine." "So that's gonna happen. and it's real." "17 bucks a share." "because... yeah. because you love these people." "Good talk." "(Indistinct chattering)" "The Beijing boys are here." "god." "No one wants Chinese coffee." "we're selling it." "The manchurian macchiato." "Mmm." "What are we casting?" "that's good copy." "find your life." "it's life is found when you shed your skin." "because I wrote it." "my way's better." " Really?" "How?" " Amy:" "Yeah." "what is your way?" "Both: "Life is found when you shed your skin." "kind of hits you here." "find your life." "Hits you here." "That does hit me here." "Right?" "You can have it for free." "wait." "Wait." "Wait." "frankel." " Yeah?" "find your life." "okay?" "Got it." "She made it better." "Whit:" "Hey!" "(Elevator bell dings) no." "hey!" "(Horn honking)" " (Tires screeching) - (Horn honking)" "Brigitte: "And you talk to me in such tones as if it wasn't the breath in my lungs that gave you life." " You're late." " Amy:" "Sorry." "As if it wasn't a spark in my mind that gave that life meaning. you echo sentiment." "But you do not breathe." "You speak of spark?" "That is richness." "For you deny the spark between us all." "A spark that is more a sun than the cold fire you claim." "And you have called me a temporary madness." "A vicious soul. then ask if you will see me just one more time." "Hello?" "Hi. and..." "Can I just say that was beautiful?" "What is... what is it?" "It's just something we're trying to put together." "I just..." "I love theater." "I see everything." "So when's opening night?" "I'll be there." "There is no opening night until we get this money together." " You rich?" " Divorced." "You followed me from the casting session." "I did." "Yes." " Yeah." "but the red hat helped." "I have something about to happen for me." "I'd be in a position to help." "now wouldn't that be lovely?" "Whit:" "It would." "Be great." "you fixed it." "we should get you back into casting if you want the gig." "I mean..." "I don't even..." "I don't know your name." " Amy." " Whit:" "Amy." "Amy." "I'll be back." "Mmm." "And I'll be..." "Hmm." "Sorry." "(Chuckling) I was on the stage!" "I'll be back." "You're good." "you." "(Dogs barking)" "(Indistinct police radio chatter on TV) but the guy down the hall says he didn't hear anything." "Ditto the manager." "they have a CSI:" "Cleveland now?" " Man:" "Neighborhood like this..." " It's a new show." "Minding their own business." "Woman:" "What's a respectable neurosurgeon doing in a crack house?" "Man:" "I don't know. they're meeting out front all hours of the night." "(Dogs barking)" "I heard them." "Yeah." "I think they're..." "I think they're voting on a new head of the syndicate." "But." "I got a raccoon friend." "He's on the task force." "He put a bug out there for me by the trash cans." "We're gonna tape everything they say and we'll bust them on a rico statute." "I don't know anything about that." "I'm your son." "(Chuckling) I know that!" "Good." "I'll be right back." "I have kind of a wild idea. but remember that we're desperate and hear me out." "right?" "And I'm always trying to remind her what's actually going on daffy things that she says." "and it really stresses me out." "And it was pretty much just awful for a while." "very wise to me." "maybe you should stop trying to force your reality on her and just... just go into her reality." "I thought you couldn't afford therapy anymore." " I can't." "It was my uber driver." " Oh." "And he was totally right." "Totally right!" "you know?" "Our life is like this improvisational game." "and I respond to it." "she's totally happy and I kind of have fun." " And that made me think of something else." " Mmm." "Okay. right? - but I kept the hispanic market." " (Speaking Spanish) watch this." "Okay. you talk all the time!" "You never listen!" "And then here comes the monster." "It doesn't have to be this way." "who are you?" "man." "And the teacher says... man." "You dominate my life." "my friend." "say goodbye to your anger." "Do you see where I'm going with this?" "look." "We can't get Howard to deal with this reality that we need him to deal with." "And he's writing letters to abstractions which makes no sense." "But... but he's doing it." "what if we just go into his reality and we get those abstractions to answer him?" "I..." "I don't follow." "time and death show up in person and answer the letters that Howard's been writing to them?" "love and death gonna show up?" "Actors." "death and time." "They find Howard and they confront him." "you want us to gaslight your boss?" " Huh?" "I'm sorry?" " Gas light." "then it was a movie." "my god." "Does nobody ever watch anything longer than eight seconds anymore?" "What she's saying is you want us to make him think he's crazy?" "no." "It's not about making Howard think he's crazy." "and we know that." "too. and for that you're gonna finance our play?" " That's it." " Exactly." "we'll finance whatever... but... actors." "What do we think?" "no." "listen!" "000 each." "000." " Amy:" "Are you completely out of your mind?" "we'll do it." "each." "Uh-uh!" "I just... you guys just said 15." "I heard you say 15." " Mmm..." "I like 20." " I like 20 as well." "it's a little steep." "I'm like..." "I was thinking two." "These guys probably live in Brooklyn." " They pay 600 bucks a month." " Stop talking." "Just stop." "You did a good job pulling them down." "This is horrible." "This is completely wrong." "Amy." "This is the work." "This is acting." "Did you not hear them say that this man's lost his child?" "Yes." "And that's why he's reaching out to the cosmos for answers." "we get to be that cosmos." "what?" "you cash out?" "You make a lot of money?" "no!" "That doesn't sound good when you put it that way." " It's a lot more complicated than that." " Is it?" "Claire:" "We love this man." "he's a friend." "charismatic guy who used to be fearless." "he hates it." "And you really think that this is gonna help him?" "Claire:" "He lost his child." "And now he doesn't care if he loses everything else." "We just can't let that happen." "We have to bring him back." "000's worth it." " (Stammering) I'll pay for it." " Claire!" "I'll pay for it." "I'll pay for it myself." "I don't care." "what are the rules?" "we'd have to sign a confidentiality agreement." "'cause..." "I don't mean the legal rules." "the rules of the theatrical device." "or only Howard?" "whit?" " Whit?" "I guess..." "I guess only Howard." "right?" " Guess?" " You guess?" "I mean... have you thought this through?" " Sure." "Sure." " No." "we haven't." "whit." "Shut up!" "Like..." "We haven't." "what if they go into a bar and they want to order a drink?" "How can they do that if..." "Do you see Howard walking into a lot of bars these days?" "Whatever." "Doesn't matter." "what if Howard goes clubbing?" " They're actors." " They need to know hypothetically." " Okay." "Okay." "Enough." "Enough." "whenever we want." "I like that." "yeah." "We should just leave it to them." "Let's move on." "What's next?" "death and time." "I guess the only question is who plays who?" "Casting." "Very important." "Love." "Death." "Time." "Great." "When do we get paid? inspire such fear." "But you're a paper tiger to me." "You're just pathetic and powerless middle management." "You don't even have the authority to make a simple trade." "it's not exactly a fan letter." "death doesn't have any fans." " (Coughing) because it's a liberation." "you okay?" "Mmm-mmm." "and the dog park." "And that's it." "here's how I'm gonna do it." "I'm gonna come to him angry." "we got a problem." "no." "Don't do that." "He's calling me wood and dead tissue." "He's calling me out." "How's he calling you out?" "Time." "and I'm time." "I don't want you antagonizing Howard." "Do you get that?" "goodbye." "Look." "goodbye." "What am I even supposed to say to him?" "it's... right? and you refuse to accept that?" "You say he can't get rid of you that easily." "Tell him that we don't get to choose who we love and who loves us back. whether he likes it or not. then maybe..." "I don't know." "Maybe he gets to find his life again." "(Dog yipping)" "They grieve." "Dogs." "and they fully understand death." "You called me a paper tiger." "In the letter you wrote me." "You said I was pathetic." "Mmm." "You don't remember? paper tiger." "it wasn't that long ago." "Where did you get that?" " Who are you?" " Who did you write the letter to?" "(Chuckles)" "I wrote the letter to death." "I'm sure." "No." "I know." "People write letters to the universe all the time." "Most don't get a personal response." "because I just wanted to tell you that you're wrong." "I'm not some powerless middle management" " just following orders." " Miss..." "I didn't want to make the trade." "It was my call." "I don't want this." "I don't want this." "I don't tell you how to do your job." "I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell me how to do mine." "Who's that man talking to?" "He looks kind of weird." "Don't worry about that." "Sometimes people are silly." "they don't see me till it's their time." "Howard." "It's not your time yet." "I just wanted to return this and clear things up between us." "Howard!" " (Dog yipping)" "He believed me." "I'm telling you he believed me." "that was spectacular." "you see." "That... that... that was grotowski." " That was pure Stella adler!" " Ah!" " Thank you." "Thank you for the opportunity." " Yes." "not a problem." "I'm telling you." " I wouldn't go that far." "But he needed it." "I could tell." "I could tell in his eyes." "Who was that woman and that little boy?" "That was incredible." "that was our private investigator and her grandson." "really?" "And did she say anything about me?" "She said you were good." "She said really good." "Good"?" "What do you mean?" "Good like... or what?" "no." "She... (Stammers) Great." ""she made the impossible possible." " (Chuckles) I should be paying you." " (Both laugh) that he said he was going home." "I was furious." "so I couldn't talk to him." "what nurse promises this dying five-year-old little boy he could go home?" "He barely had any white blood cells left." "He was so fragile." "And who could be so cruel?" "Who could do that?" "of course I'm frantic." "trying to get to the bottom of it." "Trevor finally wakes up and I go to him." "right. sweetie?" "Who said that you could come back to our house?" "You know what he says?" "mommy." "I'm not going back to our house." "I'm going home." "He died four hours later." "(Door opens)" "(Woman sobs)" "Hello." "Hi." "Are you looking for smallest wings support group?" "Um..." " Yes." " And you are?" "Howard." " Howard." "Come on in." "Have a seat." "Howard?" "Yeah." " Madeline:" "Boy or girl?" " Uh..." "A girl." "And what was her name?" "it's okay." "Howard." "You don't have to answer." "okay?" "You stick around?" "Please?" "Okay." "Thank you so much for sharing." "We really appreciate it." "Thank you." "Does anybody have anything else they'd like to say?" "why'd you decide to come in tonight?" " Hmm?" "I've..." "I've seen you outside. but I guess I didn't want to blow up your spot." " Blow up my spot?" " (Chuckles softly)" " Yeah." " You didn't want to mess up my jam?" "(Chuckles)" "Exactly." "What's your name?" "I'm Madeline." "Nice to meet you." "My daughter's name was Olivia. or gbm for short." "She was six years old." "Howard?" "Okay." "Fine." "Don't answer." "I'm not gonna torture you." "Thank you." " Was it the holidays?" " Mmm?" "Why you decided to come in tonight." "We get a lot of first-timers during the holidays." "that's not it." " Then why tonight?" "I guess... uh..." "I'm trying to fix my mind." "Howard." "It'll never be fixed." "I hope you come back." "Hey." "Signed contracts and confidentiality agreements." "did he say something?" "Howard?" "I'm telling you." "that's good." " Maybe you should send me in again." "Not raffi." "Raffi's too impetuous." "she's just so emotional." "what is there?" "he did write three letters." "But death is so much more vital than time." " Right." " Death gives time all of its value." "Maybe... maybe I should play all the parts." "You know the highest margin demographic is new parents now?" "Target actually invented an algorithm to predict when their female customers were gonna get pregnant." "You said before that you weren't okay." "Are you sick?" "I'm sick." "I'm very sick." "You're dying?" "Everyone's dying." "but you're doing it now." "Simon." "Simon." "tell me." "Tell me." "What is it?" "What's wrong?" "What's wrong?" "What's wrong is that I came out of remission two weeks before my son was born." "What's wrong is that I'm running a marathon every day pretending to be healthy." "That's what's wrong." "Have you told anyone?" "You haven't?" "just some pushy actress that I don't really know." "What is it?" "It's multiple myeloma." "and then again when I was 25." "It just never went away." "Instead it regrouped and got stronger." "the war's over?" "war's over." "Are your affairs in order?" "My affairs are not in order." "That's why I hired you." "It's bad enough that I'm leaving my family." "I'm not gonna leave them penniless." "He believed me." "Howard." "He believed me." "don't touch that." "I don't understand dominoes." "or basket to throw them into." "Right." "Um..." "I think you might be in the wrong place." "Howard." "Mmm." "Yeah. but they don't talk about how you destroy all that's good in the world." "How you turn beauty into ash." "Howard." "I'm just a terrain in between." "You don't understand time." "No one understands time." "Einstein came close when he said I was an illusion." "Claire:" "Howard?" "Hey." "Uh..." "I'm sure it's a "no but oneida apparel asked that you be in the media buy meeting." "I'm sorry to just barge in." "Ask her." "Go ahead." "Ask her if she can see me." "I'm not gonna be in the meeting." "Mmm-hmm." "they insisted I ask." "so..." "Okay." " Awesome." " Yes." "Okay." "See you later." "Howard." "Why did you write me anyway?" "You wrote me because you need me." "No." "Um... okay?" "You all like to bitch and complain." "There isn't enough time." "Life is short." "the gray hairs are coming in." "a day is long as hell." "I'm abundant." "I'm a gift. and you're wasting it." "On what?" "what is this?" "Huh?" "hey! I should be the one that's writing angry letters." "That was the worst thing I've ever done." "That was the best thing I've ever done." "What was that thing you said about Einstein in there?" "Einstein called time a stubbornly persistent illusion." "What's that even mean? or from noon to midnight." "we all just make it that way in our heads." "That's absurd." "Try telling that to a person who's an hour late to a wedding or was just sentenced to 20 years in jail." "(Scoffs)" "Or someone fighting a baby clock." "ever." "just... wanted to say great job today." "Claire." "You have all the time in the world." "You're nine!" "You're nine." "Hi." "I'm sorry." "I'm so sorry." "Um..." "You gotta be friggin' kidding me." "I'm eating." "and that... (Sighs) We don't get to choose who we love or who loves us back." "And that means you're powerless to me as long as you're alive because I'm the fabric of life." "I'm within you." "I'm within everything. then maybe... but maybe you get to live again." "I completely screwed it up." "I was weepy and apologetic." "I think love can be weepy and apologetic." "I think I was better at the end." "hey." "I'm sure you were great." "You're sweet." "Can I kiss you?" "You don't have to sexualize it." "I can kiss you without sexualizing it." "I've had sex without sexualizing it." "whit." "It's a promotion." "Irresistible" would be a promotion." "He believes it." "How could you tell?" "I could tell by his eyes." "but no one else has seen it and that's ultimately what we need to have happen." "We think if you would engage with him in public." " Great." "Mmm-hmm." "Whit:" "But this time try to..." "Simon:" "But you need to provoke a strong visible reaction." "Why?" "Because our private investigator's gonna capture it on video." "And we're gonna use it as evidence." "It'll be like being in a movie." "Except you'll be digitally removed." "No." "Sorry?" "This is too intense." "I'm sorry." "I can't be a part of this." "there is no "too intense" in acting." "Do you wanna be loved or do you wanna make an impact?" "this isn't noël coward." "This is... this is Chekhov." "This is horrible! whit?" "he was your mentor." "he gave you part ownership in a business when he absolutely didn't have to." " I may have told her a few things..." " Mmm-hmm." " When we were..." " Mmm-hmm." "this is horrible." "I can't be a part of this." "Thank you." "no." "Amy." "Amy." "No." "you know." "Amy!" "I'm so sorry." "She will be back." "I'll step in." "I do know all about love." "Amy!" "What'd I miss?" "People crying because their kids died." "Hmm." "Uh... there's a thing called bereavement hallucinations." "Yes." "Right." "Um." "Okay." "uh..." "I looked them up." "And here's the thing." "I don't sleep." "Okay." "not a lot." "I sleep." "Mmm." "But I get six or seven hours a week." "that's probably why..." "Why what?" "Um... (Sighs)" "I'm having conversations." "Mmm-hmm." "conversations." "Okay." "It's okay." "Never mind." "Um..." " Howard?" " Yeah." "You wanna have a conversation with me?" "yes." "I assume you're a part of the 79%?" "Mmm?" "Of couples who get divorced after losing a child." "Yeah." "Mmm." "me too." "Do you still love her?" "I don't even know what love is anymore." "Do you still love him?" "We never fell out of love." "I don't think so." "It's just..." "We can... (Sighs)" "he sent me this." "If only we could be strangers again." "Now we are." "The most romantic gesture he ever made." "I still love him." "What did you mean when you said you were having conversations?" "yeah." " Conversations with who?" " Um..." "It's not "who." "It's really... it's..." "You're gonna think I'm crazy." "Try me." "can I show you?" "Madeline: "Dead tissue that won't decompose." "He was sitting right here." "arrogant thug." "right?" "no." "Death came first." "She met me in the dog park." "so death is a "her"?" "yeah." "It turns out death is an elderly white woman." "What was the trade?" "You said death wouldn't make the trade." "What does that mean?" "When we realized our... uh... but to death." "I offered a trade. leave my daughter." "so... who won that round?" "You or the porcelain?" "(Chuckles) Porcelain." "Porcelain's undefeated." "I thought everyone left." "they did." "But I'm here to close up." "Simon:" "Good." "You need help getting home?" "No." "I'm fine." "I'm..." "I'm good." "I googled you." " You did?" " Yeah." "god." "You came from nothing. you're a loving father." "you lived well." "You lived right." "you're not dying right." "(Breathing heavily)" "Are you gonna tell me how to die?" "Have you told your family yet?" " Mmm-mmm." " You're not helping them." "You're just denying them what is rightfully theirs." "Yeah?" "And what's that?" "Pain?" "Atrophy?" "Disease?" "Yes." "Yes." "All of it." "And the chance to say goodbye." "Stick to acting." "Madeline:" "Okay." "I have something that I haven't told anyone. but it means something to me." "They were preparing Olivia to say goodbye." "And my husband was trying to calm my mother in the parking lot because she lost it." "So I was alone and I was sitting there in the waiting room at Maimonides hospital." "And there was this woman who sat next to me." "And she asked me who I was about to lose." "And I told her. just be sure to notice the collateral beauty." "she..." "She said it so casually. my six-year-old daughter was being taken off life support." "And this woman says "collateral beauty." "People don't know what to say in those moments." "she did." "I just didn't get it at the time." "it wasn't said out of sympathy or awkwardness." "It was from experience. you know. and I would just burst into tears." "But these weren't Olivia tears. from this kind of profound connection to everything." "And I realized it was the collateral beauty." "there's..." "There's no such thing as collateral beauty." "Howard." "There really is." "It'll never bring her back." "And it will never ever make it okay." "it's there." "Okay." "Howard." "um... but I'm not really feeling the "collateral beauty" thing." "I don't care!" "challenge them." "Just engage!" "(Sighs)" "I think this was a mistake." " Hi." " Whit:" "Hi." "What're you doing here?" "brigitte told me this is where I could find you." "Of course she did." "Could we just go and talk somewhere for 15 minutes by ourselves?" "I'm..." "I'm actually working." "I'm rehearsing right now." "too?" " Yeah." "How many projects are you doing at the same time?" "I'm currently doing three." "Three." "Wow." " Yeah." " That's really busy." "How are we gonna fit a dinner date in?" "Whit... listen." "Seriously..." "I have to ask you to reconsider what you said last night." "(Stammers) We need you one more time." "Just give us one more scene." "I am out." "what do you... what can I say?" "What do you... 100." "000." "You're right." "I live with my mother." "much more." "And I'll give you a million." " I don't want your money." " I really will." "I do not want your money." "I've actually never wanted your money." "What can I say to get you to do this?" "you have no idea." "Oh." "right?" "Yeah." "Did we talk about that?" "Tell me what it was like the day that she was born." "What?" "What it felt like for you." "it was scary." "It was very scary." "I was terrified." "But then they gave her to me and I had the most amazing sensation run through me." "It..." "I can't..." "What?" "Finish it." "It sounds... it's goofy." "it doesn't sound goofy." "this is the first time that I felt whatsoever." " Really?" " Yes." "I looked at her and I..." "I realized that I wasn't feeling love." "I had become love." "though." "and so she's angry at me." "And..." "I deserve it." "I'm gonna make you a deal. aggressive determination" "and extraordinary openness then I'll do it." "It's a deal." "you don't feel that?" "wow." "Give me my hand back." "right?" "You feel it?" "whit." "That's what that is." "Hey!" "What's up?" " What?" " You got something to say?" "You got something you wanna say?" "yeah." "I got a lot of things I'd like to say to you." "say it." "Say it!" "you just waste time." "I give you a gift and you just waste it!" "I don't care about time." "This is a prison sentence!" "I don't want your gift!" "Because you took hers." "come on." "Are you here to take me?" "Howard." "I'm here to ride the f train with you." "okay." "a boy and a girl." "You telling a joke?" "no." "It's a story." "these twins are happy." "they feel safe." "But they're outgrowing their space and they realize this can't go on forever. what comes next?" "What if it's cold or lonely?" "What if we're not together?" "What if there's nothing at all?" "then the girl looks at the cord. this cord that they can't possibly conceive could be attached to anything else. we have no proof." "All we have is this." "No." "that's deep." "it's like life after birth." "Hopeful." "what do you want?" "Why are you here?" "I've heard all of your platitudes." "I know." "She's in a better place." "this is all a part of a master plan." "too." "Here's my favorite. so beautiful that he picked it to have it in heaven all for himself. and we're all living and dying in infinite universes all at the same time. and the hindus and their 41 st sacrament." "And can't forget the poetry." "the poetry." "To die is different from what anyone supposed and luckier." "Whitman." "rage..." "Rage against the dying of the light." "Though wise men at their end know dark is right." "Thomas." "And then... row your boat gently down the stream merrily life is but a dream" "I got it." "I got it! we shouldn't fear you." "right?" "That's it?" "I get it." "Here's the thing." "It's all a bunch of intellectual bullshit because she's not here holding my fucking hand." "what a beautiful city what a beautiful city twelve gates to the city hallelujah amen who are all those children" "all dressed up in white" "Howard." "(Groans)" "You gonna cry again?" "You don't like it when I'm sad?" "aren't you always sad?" " No." "I can be other things." "I can be happy." " I can be unexpected and unpredictable..." " Huh." "And sexy and warm and mysterious and..." "And home." "you remember?" "Do you remember me?" "save that for somebody else." "It's not bullshit." "but you have to trust me." "Trust you?" " Trust you?" " Yes!" "I did trust you!" "And you betrayed me! and I felt you inside of me when she called me "daddy." "And you betrayed me!" "You broke my heart." "No." "I'm in all of it." "I'm the sunshine and the storm." "you're right. but I'm also here now in your pain." "I'm the reason for everything." "I am the only "why." "Howard." "Please don't." "The deal with omnicom's almost done." "What about Howard?" "they're aware of the situation but we still have to prove that Howard's ability to vote compromised." "I can't believe it's come down to this." "believe it." "We have a competency meeting with the board set for Thursday." "Chairman:" "We're here to give you a chance to explain this." "what are you doing in this video?" "I do not care about time." "This is a prison sentence!" "I don't want your gift!" "Howard?" "Howard:" "Because you took hers." "Howard?" "Howard:" "You gonna cry again?" "Aren't you always sad?" "What about here? save that for somebody else." "Trust you?" "Trust you?" "I did trust you!" "I committed everything to you and you betrayed me! and I heard you in her voice when she laughed." "And I felt you inside of me..." "Howard?" "When she called me "daddy." "Howard?" "You broke my heart." "I need you to answer me." "Who are you shouting at here?" "I know." "it's not "who." "this is all a part of a master plan." "what?" "I got it." "did you say something?" "I'm not talking to people." "that's obvious." "Who are you talking to?" "(Video continues) who are you talking to?" "That's enough." "It's enough." "Thank you. (Stutters)" "I think." "Just turn it off." "(Inhales)" "You hired people to follow me?" "Make video?" "that wasn't the initial intention." "(Stutters) We did." "we did." "Howard." "I'm so sorry." "(Sobbing) We felt like..." "We didn't know what else to do." " Claire." " Claire:" "No." "I can't do this anymore." "whit." "I really..." "I didn't even think that it was gonna work." "I..." " Claire." "Claire." "Claire." "I'm so sorry." "all right." " Claire:" "Howard... (Sighs)" "I'm obviously not in the right state of mind." "Maybe none of us are." "You think I haven't noticed? you dedicated your entire life to this agency." "You made us your family when you could have been starting your own. and I appreciate that." "(Sniffles)" "Thank you. (Sighs) but I know your history." "And I suspect I'm making an already impossible situation" " even worse for you." " (Sniffles) your family will be cared for." "Thank you." "(Sighs)" "Whit." "Best friend I've ever had." "man." "not for... not for this." "Not for this." "(Sighs)" "You don't need her permission to be her father. and tomorrow's not promised." "Do you hear me?" "You guys did the right thing." "I want our agency to survive." "Something should." "um..." "I'll sign the papers now." " (Sighs heavily)" " Your approval of the sale." "the other one?" "The one you called me six times to have me sign." "I assume you have it here with you." "Howard." "(Sighing)" "(Sniffles)" "(Sniffles)" "(Exhales slowly)" "This is the right thing." "this is the right thing." "(Sniffles) Excuse me." "What was that second piece of paper?" "Howard put some of his ownership into a trust in his daughter's name." "It's just a legal certificate saying she's no longer with us." "(Clicks tongue) I think I need a drink." "(Sniffles)" "(Simon coughing)" "(Knock on door)" "(Coughing)" "(Flushes)" "(Grunts)" "Are you okay?" "They say that the time in heaven is compared to the blink of an eye for us on this earth." "Sometimes I think of Adam running through a beautiful field of wild flowers." "(Closes laptop) completely caught up in what he's doing." "But then he looks back like he used to do when he ran ahead of me in airports or malls or wherever." "(Chuckles softly)" "And he smiles." "Jesus." "Because the blink of his eye was the rest of my life and I'm right there behind him." "(Sniffles) it's a first draft. (Chuckles)" "(Breathing shakily)" "It's beautiful." "Really beautiful." "Does anybody else wanna say anything?" "I guess that's all for tonight." "Thank you." " (Sirens wailing) - (Horns honking)" "(Horn honking) sorry." "Yo!" "I can't believe you made me come into this neighborhood 000 in cash." "What are you gonna do with it?" "You should put it aside for acting school." "You were really good." "Mmm." "I'm gonna use it to buy designer drugs." "too." "Yeah." "(Chuckles lightly) you gonna make a good mom one day." "Yeah?" "that's pretty much not in the cards." "I decided against the science and it seems time finally caught up with me." "There was this dust dealer up on 187th who gave me brave new world." "That book turned hours into seconds." "He was my father." "And there was this homeless woman who lived under the university heights bridge." "Her name was flora." "but she told me the greatest stories." "She was my mother. your children don't have to come from you." "They go through you." "I wouldn't consider the battle with time over just yet." "I thought time wasn't linear." "I thought it was an illusion." "Claire." "Maybe that was just acting. (Chuckles)" "let's go." "Oh." "Come on." "Allison!" "I'll meet you guys there." "I don't wanna talk to you." "You know that." "Leave me alone." "No." "I won't leave you alone." " No?" " No." "and that's okay." "I can take it." "But we gotta talk about it because that's what you do in a family." "So I'm gonna come here every day and embarrass you in front of your friends until you talk to me." "So you're gonna stalk me?" "basically." "what if I get a restraining order?" "I don't think you're gonna be able to do that." "I'll get mom to pay for it." "they're free." "then I'll get you to pay for it." "I really love you." "Mom says you butcher that word." "Not when I say it to you." "Look..." "I can't fly you to Maine for lunch or get you picked up in a Tesla and take you to your internship with Anna wintour or whatever the hell they do in this neighborhood." "(Inhales sharply)" "But I think that you and me can sit on a park bench and tell jokes and have a pretty good time." "(Sighs) I can't believe you're gonna stalk me." "um... tomorrow's a half-day." "I'll be here then." "Hey." "Here you are. and this was it." "with no applause." "(Chuckles)" "(Coughs)" "I told my wife." "how did it go?" "She knew." "She's getting ready for it. you really wanna live to be 100 years old?" "like a shriveled up raising." "And the answer to that now is yes. and his son would be 10." "you know." "Pops." "you know." "pops." "I wish I could be here to see the play." "no." "The play is dead after all this. nothing's ever really dead if you look at it right." "(Doorbell rings)" "Hey." "Hey." "it's Christmas Eve." "Mmm-hmm." "And you're alone." "By choice." "Can I ruin that?" "You've been crying." "I was watching a video I took of my daughter." "She's dancing with her father in it." "Howard?" "My daughter's name was Olivia." "She died of a rare form of brain cancer or gbm for short." "She was six years old." "Howard?" "If only we could be strangers again." "Howard?" "(Sighs heavily)" "I can't." "I..." "I can't." "(Olivia laughing on TV)" "Olivia:" "Swing me faster!" "daddy!" "Faster!" "(Laughs)" "(Laughs)" "(Yelling playfully)" "Madeline:" "Howard..." "Olivia: (Chuckling) I feel like a bird." "Madeline:" "Say her name." "What was her name?" "Olivia." "(Crying) Her name was Olivia." "Madeline:" "How did she die? or gbm for short." "She was only six years old." "Her name was Olivia. or gbm for short." "She was only six years old." "Our baby's name was Olivia." "(Gulps)" "She was only six years old." "(Inhales sharply)" "Madeline: (On video) What are you guys doing?" "You ready?" "You ready?" "go!" "(Yells playfully)" "(Laughing)" "Now we start all over again." "You ready?" "(Chuckling) We start all over again." "Woman:" "Are you losing somebody?" "I'm sorry?" "Who are you losing?" "my daughter." "Just make sure you notice the collateral beauty."