"I don't care what you do, just don't make it a long way to walk." "Oh, but a long driveway is so much more dramatic." "Honey, you're going to get plenty of drama." "She's late." "There's no such thing as late." "Destiny picks its own time." "What do I do when it happens, Tess?" "Destiny doesn't happen, it arrives." "And when it does, you either batten down the hatches and wait till it blows over, or you swing open the gates and invite it in to supper." "I wish it had a way of showing itself so she'd know what she's dealing with." "Then it wouldn't be destiny." "And I wouldn't have a job?" "Go, girl!" "Now you're catching on." "(car approaching)" "Hark." "Hark?" "I miss the old days." "(tires squealing)" "WOMAN:" "I need to talk to you." "We need to talk." "You..." "I-I need to know where we stand." "I need to know where I stand." "WOMAN:" "Hi, listen." "The Gallagher motion to dismiss has to be filed by 5:00." "Okay." "Oh, and listen-- call Hardwick and spell it out for him." "No, he cannot jump bail and spend Thanksgiving in New Jersey." "Show him a map and explain the concept of state lines to him." "(static)" "Hello?" "Hello!" "Damn." "Are you listening to me, mister?" "'Cause I'm only going to say this once." "(touch tones beeping)" "(gasps)" "(tires screeching)" "Uh... (touch tones beeping)" "Hello." "Operator?" "Hello?" "Hello!" "Are you hurt?" "That depends." "Are you calling an ambulance or a lawyer?" "Iama lawyer." "Figures-- drive to kill, right?" "What?" "Are you implying that this was my fault?" "Well, why don't you try driving on the right side of the road?" "This isn't England, you know." "I had to swerve to get out of the way." "You were on the wrong side of the road." "Don't make me laugh." "(both women arguing)" "Which one is Megan?" "Nature girl." "TESS:" "That's the trouble with destiny:" "You can never dress for it." "MONICA:" "Maybe we could invite it to dinner." "It's nice, baby." "It's really nice." "♪ When you walk down the road ♪" "♪ Heavy burden, heavy load ♪" "♪ I will rise and I will walk with you ♪" "♪ I'll walk with you ♪" "♪ Till the sun don't even shine ♪" "♪ Walk with you every time ♪" "♪ I tell you, I'll walk with you ♪" "♪Walk with you♪" "♪ Believe me, I'll walk with you. ♪" "I was coming around the curve and I deliberately..." "I don't believe this." "MONICA:" "Hello!" "Have a wee bit of a scrape, did you?" "(sighs)" "Do you have a phone?" "Oh, there's not a phone around here for miles." "Mine can't hold a signal." "Mmm, that's a pity." "Are you okay?" "Anybody hurt?" "MEGAN:" "I'm fine." "How about you?" "Oh, I'm fine." "Well, maybe a little..." "No, I'm fine." "Where's the nearest gas station?" "Right next to the nearest phone." "Oh, great!" "This is just great!" "It is, isn't it?" "You know, we were hoping to have some company over the holidays." "Do you live here?" "Oh, yes." "We have a house just through those gates." "And since it'll be dark soon..." "Do you have a car?" "I have got to get out of here." "If she has a car," "I have as much right to it as you do." "I had the right of way." "(arguing continues)" "Ladies, please!" "The car isn't here, and the phone hasn't been put in yet and hardly a soul ever comes down round this road." "But we have good food, we have warm beds, and we have a great fire in the hearth." "You're very welcome to spend the night with us." "Tomorrow is Thanksgiving." "Let's just be thankful that you lived to see it." "Is anyone expecting you for Thanksgiving?" "No, I thought I was spending it with my boyfriend, but... plans changed." "I was on my way back to the city." "I don't know how I ended up on that road." "No service, no service, no... (phone beeps)" "I'm roaming..." "I'm roaming." "I'm roaming!" "I'm roaming... (screams)" "That's a llama." "Who are you," "Dr. Dolittle?" "MEGAN:" "Wow, I used to dream about a place like this." "What is that-- cedar?" "Mm-hmm-- cedar in the hearth, fire in the soul." "Oh, I love the smell of cedar." "Yes." "What is that, a turkey?" "Yeah, but don't get attached." "Your room is on the top floor, and yours is at the top of the stairs." "Excuse me, but before we all split up," "I think that I must insist that we exchange driver's license and I.D." "Do you really think that's necessary?" "Relax, Counselor." "We'll get it." "We were involved in an accident, and whether or not we can report it," "I think we should still follow certain protocol." "TESS:" "Excuse me." "We are all ladies of good character here, and I must insist that the business matters be left outside at the door." "Now, those cars are not going anyplace tonight and neither are you, so let's just play nice." "My name is Tess, and this is my friend Monica." "And you are?" "Susana." "Susana..." "Susana will do just fine." "So you must be..." "Megan." "Megan!" "Nice to meet you." "Welcome." "Make yourselves at home." "Whatever you find, you may use." "Dinner is at 8:00, and bring a new word to share with the others." "Pardon me?" "A word?" "What is this-- a game?" "Uh-huh." "You did great." "Look at all this stuff." "(laughs)" "(birds chirping)" "Adam?" "MONICA:" "This is a very delicate business." "You could throw off the whole balance." "Aw, come on, Monica, it's Thanksgiving." "I've got the time off, and I can't think of anyone" "I'd rather spend it with than the two of you." "Adam, we are working." "I'll help." "I can't have the Angel of Death running through somebody's destiny." "Well, who knows?" "Maybe I'm supposed to be a part of it." "This is Adam, a friend of the family, passing through." "So I persuaded him to join us for the weekend." "SUSANA:" "I'm sure that Thanksgiving will be very lovely, but I plan to be gone first thing in the morning one way or another." "That would be a shame." "I'm meeting my husband, actually." "He must be worried sick." "I mean, we've never been apart for a holiday." "Could you give me a lift in the morning?" "A lift?" "Well, tomorrow's a very long way off." "Right." "Susana, we usually end our meal with a new word, and I'm ready to hear yours." "MEGAN:" "I've got a word for her." ""Quittance."" ""Quittance"?" "Mmm, I know that word." "I use it all the time." "Oh, what does it mean?" "I don't know-- I just say it and people nod as if they understand." "(others laugh)" "You're full of it." "Yeah." "SUSANA:" ""Quittance"-- repayment, reparations, satisfaction of payment." "That's not a new word for you." "That's legalese." "That's cheating." "I don't cheat." "I've got a word." ""Rodomontade."" "Excuse me?" "Roto..." ""Rodomontade"-- hot air, pretension, bull." "(utensil drops on plate)" "You know what, Counselor?" "You've been working too hard." "You may be right." "I'm going to go to bed." "Good night." "Dinner was very nice." "MEGAN:" "Well..." "I think, uh..." "I'll go for a walk." "Where did you learn how to play?" "Funerals." "(Monica laughs)" ""Describe your first love."" "How do I make a difference here, Tess?" "You know I've never been in love before." "I don't know anything about romance." "Don't start." "This is not a destiny of romance, Monica." "This is a moment of truth, and love is only a part of the truth." "This is a house where deception cannot live." "And we're nurturing a friendship that may not last long, but it will be based on truth." "And the truth shall set them free." "MONICA:" "Good morning." "Good morning." "Did you sleep well?" "Great." "Actually, really great." "I found this outfit." "I hope you don't mind." "Of course not." "That's what it was there for." "It's beautiful-- thanks." "Come on, baby, sit over here by me." "You loaned her an outfit?" "Mm-hmm." "I left one for you, too." "You did?" "I guess you weren't looking." "You know, it's too bad you have to leave." "There's nothing like a stroll through these grounds wrapped up in a nice warm cardigan." "I had a favorite old cardigan." "It was really an ugly, beige, shapeless thing with one of those awful roll collars, but I thought it was just beautiful." "It had belonged to my father." "It always smelled of his aftershave." "I wore it all through college till it fell apart." "Good morning, ladies." "And a happy Thanksgiving." "Adam, I've got a job for you." "See that turkey over there." "ADAM:" "Alexander?" "What did I tell you?" "Don't go getting sentimental on me." "That's Thanksgiving dinner walking away right there." "Oh, no." "Send him to his reward and do it quickly." "Come on, Tess-- not me." "Who else?" "If anyone should know when his time is up, it's you." "SUSANA:" "Excuse me." "I was hoping that Adam could give me a lift to the nearest service station." "Oh, Adam hasn't got a car." "Well, then how did you...?" "A friend dropped me off." "But, uh, I'll tell you what." "I have had experience with things that cease to function, so I could take a look at your cars for you." "But that might take a long time, won't it, Adam?" "Yeah... yeah." "It might take all day." "Or longer." "It's going to take Adam all day to get that car in running order." "Now, you can fidget around on one foot and get your bloomers in a knot or you can put that on and make a day of it." "Either way, it's going to take the same amount of time." "Dinner's at 8:00." "(turkey gobbling)" "(shutter clicks)" "(phone beeping)" "(phone beeping)" "(phone beeping)" "(dial tone)" "(phone ringing)" "Oh!" "(giggling)" "What are you looking at?" "Haven't you ever made angels in the mud?" "Ah!" "(Susana sighs with relief)" "Hold really still." "You look great." "Can I have copies of this forTrial Lawyers Monthly?" "I think I've finally lost it." "Sanity's overrated." "That is the last place on earth that I expected to be on Thanksgiving-- posing in a pond in a wet T-shirt contest with a llama." "Well, what happened yesterday?" "Did you get lost?" "I didn't think I was lost, but I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere." "Story of my life." "You ever wonder how that works?" "You go right instead of left, you cross the street here instead of there, and... and in a second you've changed your life and you don't even know it." "I met my husband on a street corner in a newsstand." "Wonder where I'd be today if I hadn't stopped to buy a newspaper." "He must be really worried about you." "He never worries about me." "Well, he ought to see you now." "I'm really a mess, aren't I?" "No, you look... very... elemental." "Very beautiful, actually." "Really, trust me, I do this for a living." "You've got a fabulous profile and this great quality." "You should let it out more." "My husband always says that." ""You have this great quality."" "He told me once that I was beautiful, but he doesn't remember because he was talking in his sleep." "And what about you?" "Do you have a husband, boyfriend, significant other?" "Significant nightmare." "Ah." "Is that why you're alone on Thanksgiving?" "I always used to laugh at married people who would talk about their other half." "Now I..." "I think I know what that means." "If you find one, hold on to it, or it'll just slip away and you don't know how to get it back." "I'm trying to, but he's..." "Well, it's... complicated." "Well, it's always complicated." "I had an accident, sort of." "It looks like you had yourself some fun." "It's all right." "Just admit it." "We've got more mud, more fun and... more clothes." "So, can I assume you'll join us for dinner?" "Well, Adam hasn't fixed my car yet... has he?" "I don't believe so." "Mmm, you have a fabulous profile." "Hope it's what you need." "It's great." "Are you, um..." "are you good at it-- picture taking?" "Some people think so." "Why do you suppose people take pictures?" "Well, I think deep down it's our way of declaring war on death." "You take a picture of something and if it goes away, you still have a piece of it." "It seems to me that it's better to have all of it for a while than a piece of it forever." "(tires squeal)" "MAN:" "Excuse me." "Where's the woman who was driving that car?" "She's fine." "She's down at the house." "What house?" "Just right through those gates." "Just follow the road." "Thanks." "(turkey gobbles)" "Wait till you see this." "I..." "I think I got some great shots." "She's so pretty." "She doesn't even know it." "Excuse me." "I'm looking for my wife." "There." "Wait till she sees this." "She was supposed to meet me last night out near the lake, but she never showed up." "I figured she got caught up in some business thing..." "SUSANA:" "Jack." "Sunny." "JACK:" "Are you all right?" "SUSANA:" "I had an accident-- oh, a little one." "I'm fine, but there was no phone." "I thought I lost you." "Oh, Monica, Megan-- come here." "I want you to meet my husband." "Megan, this is my husband, Jack." "Hello." "I just met your wife yesterday." "It was an accident." "Ah." "Well, it wasn't really an accident." "I mean, nobody was hurt." "But the cars aren't going anywhere right now." "By the way, I'm Monica." "Hi." "They let us spend the night." "How did you find me?" "Well, when you didn't show up and you didn't answer at home," "I called everybody I could think of and then I just got in the car and I started looking." "You were really worried about me?" "Well, here you are, you're fine." "Why don't we get your stuff and we'll just come back for the car later?" "SUSANA:" "Oh, I promised that I'd stay for Thanksgiving dinner." "This is such a wonderful place, and I'm just beginning to relax." "Can we stay?" "Look, maybe..." "Oh, of course, the more the merrier." "Uh, we dress for dinner." "What size are you?" "44 long?" "Yeah." "Well, great." "We should get started." "Megan, could you help me with dinner?" "Come on, I'll show you around." "MONICA:" "I was thinking of making pumpkin pie." "Unless you'd like to." "I've never actually made pumpkin pie before." "But it was either that or Tess is going to make mincemeat." "So... it's me, Tess, Adam, you, Jack, Susana." "Do you think that four squash would be enough?" "Jack won't eat the squash." "Oh, damn." "Did you really think you could have something like this with no tears?" "Does it show?" "Do you think she knows?" "No." "I saw the picture of Jack in your room." "We never planned it." "You didn't stop it." "I guess that after all the screwed-up relationships" "I had with single men," "I thought this would be safe, you know-- no expectations." "no surprises." "Except..." "Except?" "There was this weekend a few months ago." "Jack was able to get away on business." "And we were driving through the lake country to some bed and breakfast that we'd heard about." "We took a shortcut through the woods and... and then all of a sudden his car phone rang." "And he didn't answer it and I didn't say anything and he didn't say anything." "And it rang and it rang, and we both knew it was her." "And it kept ringing." "And we started talking casually over the ringing trying to pretend that nothing was happening." "But there we were in the middle of nowhere and she was there with us, begging to be heard, and we just ignored her, like somebody trapped in the trunk of the car screaming to be let out." "And then when the ringing finally stopped, we never talked about it." "And that's what I thought she was-- just some distant bell you hear and ignore." "She wasn't real until now." "What am I going to do?" "I can't leave and I can't stay." "This is what you call an unexpected snow." "One moment the sky is clear and the next moment it's falling down." "Now, you can run inside and hide or you can become part of it and let it change you." "You said you wanted to help out around here." "Yes, but... it's a little bit like inviting an accountant to dinner and then asking him to balance your checkbook." "You're unbelievable, do you know that?" "Just do it." "Oh, come on, Tess." "Look at his face." "Behold-- the noble turkey." "You do realize that Benjamin Franklin actually proposed the turkey as the national bird." "Ben was a nosy motormouth who didn't have sense enough to come in out of the rain." "I want that turkey on the table at 8:00." "Oh, this looks wonderful." "We thank you, Lord, for this Thanksgiving meal, and we thank you for all the gifts we take for granted every day-- for pumpkins and llamas, for stars and for snow." "What is in this stuffing?" "Well, that's an old recipe I got a little while back." "Mmm, that squash is so good." "I think I'm going to have Jack's portion." "Jack doesn't like squash." "And you don't like mashed potatoes." "Who doesn't like mashed potatoes?" "Everybody likes mashed potatoes." "Would you pass the cranberry sauce, please?" "Mmm." "Where's the gravy?" "Oh, I forgot the gravy." "Oh, I'll get it." "Could I have a roll... please?" "Adam, I still don't know what you do for a living." "Oh, um... well, I'm in, uh... transportation." "Mmm." "Mmm." "You know what I could use?" "Another napkin." "I can see I'm going to need another one." "Everybody's napkins okay?" "I'm already up." "(door opens)" "So, how did this happen?" "I swear I didn't know who she was till you walked through the door." "Why didn't you tell me Sunny's name was Susana?" "What were you doing on this road anyway?" "I told you to take the interstate." "I don't know." "Look, I'm sorry." "Are you okay?" "You told me she was an ice queen." "She's sweet, she's wonderful." "You don't give her enough credit." "Look, this is crazy." "I'm not going to talk about this." "I always thought you were miserable with her." "I thought I was the one that was supposed to make you happy." "Look, you do." "You are." "Let's just get through this and..." "And what?" "And I'll work something out." "You've been saying that for a year." "Well, I know." "It's just taken longer than I thought it would." "Maybe there's a reason for that." "And what's that supposed to mean?" "I always knew you had a wife." "I just never realized you were married." "(piano playing softly in background)" ""If you had to spend" ""the rest of your life on a desert island, who would you spend it with?"" "A boat builder." "(others chuckle)" "Who would you want to spend it with?" "It's okay, it doesn't have to be me." "Probably someone who plays poker." "Oh, you play poker?" "Yeah, sometimes." "I can't believe it." "I'm playing dumb games and I haven't thought about work all day." "I think Megan has had a good influence on me." ""Describe your happiest day and why you remember it."" "That's a nice Thanksgiving question." "TESS:" "Adam." "Do you take requests?" "Absolutely." "Stop playing." "(stops abruptly)" "Tess, would you sing something for me?" "I'm tired." "Oh, please-- my soul misses it so." "Well, okay." ""What Is This Thing Called Love?"" "in E flat." "And it's not a funeral, so put some feeling in it." "(Adam begins playing)" "♪ What is thing ♪" "♪ Called love ♪" "♪ ♪ ♪" "♪ This funny thing called love?" "♪" "♪ And just who can solve this great mystery?" "♪" "♪ What I want to know ♪" "♪ Is why it always makes a fool of me. ♪" "♪ He saw you there ♪" "♪ That wonderful day ♪" "♪ And he took your heart and just threw it away ♪" "♪ And now you ask the Lord ♪" "♪ In heaven above ♪" "♪ What is this thing called love?" "♪" "♪ What is this thing ♪" "♪ Called love?" "♪" "♪ What is this thing ♪" "♪ Called love?" "♪" "(song ends)" "(crying softly)" "(another stone splashes)" "Do you know what the name Megan means?" "A pearl of real value-- something very precious, deserves to be cherished and not wasted." "All this time I told myself we have something special." "But tonight when he looked at me and walked up the stairs with her," "I realized-- my God, I'm just the other woman." "I'm his secret." "He's been keeping me in a room I didn't even know I was in." "But you walked into that room all by yourself." "I did the one thing I swore I'd never do." "It's just that... after a while you spend enough nights alone, you go to too many other people's weddings and baby showers, you spend too many holidays at other people's houses and you want just a little piece of their happiness for yourself," "just for a while, you know?" "Just so that I could say someday that somebody wanted me, that somebody thought I was special." "Megan... wanting to love someone and wanting to be loved in return-- these things are good and right." "But wanting them from someone else's husband is wrong." "He's not supposed to be married." "He's supposed to be with me-- God's made a mistake!" "No, when things get this ugly and this painful," "God has nothing to do with them." "Well, then I wish he'd tell me what to do now." "(wind picks up suddenly)" "(laughs quickly)" "I think he's just about to." "Megan, when you cry, God cries with you." "But he can't wipe away your tears unless you let him." "The road I took yesterday-- it wasn't an accident." "And this place?" "This house was created for you, for this night, this moment." "Megan, I'm an angel, and this is your unexpected snow." "Well, I can't." "I can't give him up, and I won't." "You go tell that to God." "Why can't he just let me have this?" "Because there's better love for you." "Where?" "I don't know where, and I don't know when." "The only thing I do know is that the kind of love worth waiting for you won't have to lie for or steal or keep it hidden in a box to visit on weekends." "Well, it may not be a great love, but it's my love." "No, it isn't." "It belongs to Susana." "(whistles)" "It's a beauty." "Carburetor, right?" "I thought you worked on cars." "Well, hey, I managed to fix Susana's and Megan's cars." "I kind of work on feel, though, you know." "TESS:" "Adam." "Right over here, Tess." "Good morning, Jack." "Can I have a word with you?" "What is that?" "(turkey gobbles)" "This, uh... this is Alexander." "The late Alexander?" "Well, not exactly, Tess." "Well, what did we eat yesterday?" "Sure looked like the real thing, didn't it?" "Well, I..." "I guess you could call it a turkey-like substance." "Oh, get out of my way, I don't want to hear this." "You're going soft on me, boy." "Tess." "Uh, have you seen Megan?" "I haven't seen her around and I'd like to say good-bye." "Oh, really?" "Well, suppose you and I just take a little walk and talk about some things." "TESS:" "It's just a little further." "I want you to see this." "Look familiar?" "JACK:" "I spent my honeymoon here." "I mean, it couldn't have been here." "That was in Vermont." "But it's the same place." "Except..." "Except what?" "There was a swing on the porch." "(wind whistles briefly)" "(swing creaking gently)" "Hey, what's going on here?" "Brace yourself, Jack, because I don't have a lot of time to pussyfoot around with you." "I'm an angel sent by God." "Now, you can accept that or not, but what you will accept when I'm finished is the concept of fidelity-- lock, stock and barrel." "Do I make myself clear?" "I'll take that as a yes." "JACK:" "Pretty soon we stopped finding things to talk about, and after a while we just drifted apart." "When two people are on a journey, there will be miles when they fall silent." "But that doesn't mean they shouldn't be traveling together." "The last time I sat on this swing," "I was scared to death." "Susana was inside asleep, and I spent half the night just terrified that I'd just given my life over to another person-- one person-- forever, someone I loved so much that I just couldn't imagine her not being in my life." "Maybe that's what scared me the most." "I think that's why I finally had an affair." "The more you invest in one person, the more you have to lose if you lose her." "So... you just decided to spread your wonderful self all around, huh?" "Gave you an easy way out the back door, doesn't it?" "I actually read about this at the dentist's office." "It's called the "male fear of death" syndrome." "Oh, that's what you got?" "Well, that's what it feels like." "Well, get over it." "Look, I'm not proud of all this." "But that journey that you're talking about..." "I just can't seem to find my way back to the road." "You stand up, honey, and you walk." "And if you ever feel like straying again, remember this moment." "You can always come back to this moment." "(knock at door)" "Just a minute." "Can I come in?" "Sure." "MEGAN:" "She's beautiful." "She's got a great quality about her." "She's beautifulandshe's got a great quality about her." "Can I ask you a question?" "If you had to spend the rest of your life on a desert island, who would you spend it with?" "I thought so." "Well, guess what." "You're on a desert island." "Who will you spend it with?" "My wife." "Good answer." "You know, in a crazy way, I'm glad this weekend happened." "Maybe it put us all back on track." "But I want you to know how much you've meant to me." "Well, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times." "TESS:" "In case you run into some weather." "Thank you." "Tess, I had a wonderful Thanksgiving." "Oh, I'm so glad you did." "Megan, I know there are going to be lonely nights ahead, but when they come, I want you to remember that no matter how lonely you are, you're never alone." "It's beautiful." "Am I ever going to see you again?" "But I promise you this:" "I'll dance at your wedding, my girl." "Thank you." "Oh, ladies-- your cars are down by the gate all fixed up and gassed and ready to go." "I'll drop you guys off." "Why don't you go ahead?" "I want to say good-bye to Megan." "Okay." "Well, I'm really glad I met you." "So am I." "All right, I'll see you at home." "I'll be right behind you." "You need a ride into town?" "Uh... sure." "TESS:" "Get him to tell you his theory on the male syndrome death thing." "Might be an education for you." "Bye, babies." "SUSANA:" "You driving back to the city?" "Yeah." "I had a wonderful time here." "I'm glad we ran into each other." "So am I, Susana, I really am." "Remember I told you my husband talks in his sleep." "Well, you know what he says?" "He says "Megan."" "I've had a name for a long time." "I just didn't have a face." "I'm sorry it had to be yours." "When we had the accident, it seemed impossible that you could be that Megan, but when I saw you and Jack together, I knew." "I never meant to hurt anybody." "I'm sorry." "I'm so sorry." "It's over-- it really is over." "Can you forgive me?" "When I was going to meet Jack for the weekend," "I thought there was a very strong possibility that this would be our last Thanksgiving." "And then... somehow I ended up here and I met you." "And I recognized something in you that was a part of myself that I'd been missing for a long time." "I guess Jack had been missing it, too." "You helped me find it." "I'll forgive you." "And I'll forgive Jack." "Not today, probably, but I will." "These holidays are a killer." "MONICA:" "Tess, I was wondering-- do you think I can keep the llama?" "Don't you start with me." "Happy Thanksgiving." "I'm really thankful for you, you know, Tess." "Well, thankful is as thankful does, Miss Wings." "I simply adore you, I adore you." "TESS:" "♪What is this thing♪" "♪Called love?" "♪" "(dove coos)"