"Be careful, gentlemen." "My husband gave me that for our first wedding anniversary." "Don't worry, ma'am." "We'll be extra careful." "Okay." "The phone's been disconnected and the gas is turned off, Mother." "Now let's see what else." "I guess that's it." "Time to close up the house." "I've lived here for 35 years, Peggy." "I know how hard it is for you to leave, Mom." "But you'll be starting a whole new life at Clearview." "Life begins at 40, dear, not 100." "Oh, stop it." "You're a healthy, active woman." "You're gonna have a ball." "I don't want to go, Peg." "It's a little late for that, Mother." "We have talked this out so many times before, Mother." "You've been a hermit since Dad died." "Most of your friends have moved away" "You mean passed away, don't you?" "Mother, I thought you decided to give Clearview a chance." "I know." "It's just that I feel it's my last stop, dear." "It's not a cemetery, it's a vital community." "They have ceramics, art classes, dancing, men." "Margaret," "I never looked at another man when your father was alive." "I'm not about to start now." "You have to start living your life without Daddy, Mom." "You can't stop living." "I know Daddy would have told you the same thing." "Mrs. Swann." "Everything's loaded up and ready to go." "Thank you." "Just give me a moment." "I'll be right out." "Goodbye." "Sorry about that, old timer." "Jonathan Smith." "Hey, Ted Simpson." "What are you doing here?" "I'm starting an assignment." "You're kidding." "Same here." "You look like a top-level executive, Ted." "Fancy car." "Angels are moving up in the world, huh?" "Well, the boss gave me a special assignment." "And an expense account." "I figure where I come from, the sky's the limit." "Maybe we can get together while we're here." "You bet, let's do it." "Have a nice day." "Ted Simpson." " Is he a...?" " Yeah." "Take a look at the licence plate." " Good afternoon." " It certainly is." " You're new?" " Yes, I arrived a few minutes ago." "You're gonna love it here." "Really?" "Oh, it's absolutely heaven." "Well, that's interesting." "But I've always had a different impression of heaven." "I'm Winifred Duffy." "Friends call me Winnie." "I'm Ted Simpson." "Pleased to meet you, Winnie." "I live a few doors down." "You and your wife will have to come visit." "I'm on my own now." "Oh, then you definitely must come visit." "Hey, get that mutt off my lawn!" "I'll have you know that this mutt happens to be a purebred cocker spaniel, Mr. Grant." "I don't care if it's Rin Tin Tin." "Put the little pest on a leash." "Here, Goldilocks." "Come here, sweetheart." "That's Roy Grant." "We call him the Grim Reaper." "Well, I can see why." "He's only happy when things are terrible." "He's founder, president and sole member of his own little pessimist club." "Can I offer you an ice tea, Mr. Simpson?" "Not now, but maybe later." "I live at 1623." "Come over any time." "Thank you for your hospitality." "Don't make yourself scarce." "Let's go home, Goldilocks." "Hey, those are nice-looking tomatoes." "Yeah?" "You better watch out for that other tomato." "Winifred?" "She's a vulture." "Excuse me?" "When a man's wife dies, she's at his house in a minute, offering condolences, brownies, flowers, whole nine yards." "Seems pretty considerate to me." "She's a gold digger looking for a husband with a big fat will." "Widows, you know, you gotta be careful of them." "Where's there's a will, there's a widow." "I'm Ted Simpson." "I moved in a few houses down." "Yeah, well, that's your problem." " Do you like it here?" " Stinks." "Well, what's not to like?" "There's golf and tennis." "The weather's great." "Temperatures in the 70s and 80s." "So are all the people." "He isn't going to be easy." "I'm glad you're here, Mr. Smith." "We've been looking for an interim recreation director for weeks." "Well, we're ready to go to work, Mr. Boyd." "Oh, great." "We have a very large and active community here at Clearview." "Don't be surprised if they keep you as busy as you keep them." "We'll try to keep a step ahead of them." " Oh, good." "If you need me, just ring." " I'll do it, and thank you." "Hey, this is pretty nice, you know." "I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you." "We got a lot of work ahead of us." "Oh, come on, Jonathan, this job's gonna be a snap." "What makes you say that?" "Jonathan, athletic director in a retirement community?" "That's gotta be about as demanding as being a vice cop in a convent." "You know what happened to the last athletic director?" "He probably got out of shape from sitting around all day." "No, he died." "He had a heart attack." "The old folks were in better shape than he was." " Come on, let's go." " Where?" "Check on my assignment." "She should be here any minute." " Excuse me, Mrs. Swann?" " Yes." "My name's Jonathan Smith." "I'm the new recreation director here." "This is Mark Gordon, the athletic director." " Hi." " Very nice to meet you both." " This is my daughter, Margaret." " Hi." "A pleasure to meet you." "Mr. Gordon and I just wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you to Clearview." "That's very thoughtful of you." "Thank you." "I've brought along a schedule of the week's events." "I thought you might like to see what we offer here." "I appreciate that." "Yeah, we got golf, shuffleboard, croquet." "And aerobics, long-distance running, synchronised swimming." "I'm afraid I'm not athletically inclined, Mr. Smith." "You don't have to be an Olympian to join in." "It's all just for fun." "Helps you keep in shape." "I see." "Well, I'll think about it." "Of course." "And by the way, if you're interested, we're having a square dance in the rec centre tomorrow night." "Hey, square dancing sounds like fun, Mother." " I suppose." "I've never done it." " Well, so you can learn." "Margaret, I can't go to a dance all by myself." "I don't know anyone here." "That's the whole idea behind the dance." "You get everybody together and meet one another." "I see." "Well, I'll think about it." "All right." "Pleasure meeting you both." "We'll see you around." "Thank you." "I'll be right back, Mother." "Okay?" "Mr. Smith." "Mr. Smith, I just want you to know, when my mother says, "I'll think about it,"" "it means no." "It may take a little extra pushing to get her involved." "I understand." "And don't worry." "We don't discourage easily." "Thank you." "Hello there, Roy." "Winnie get you to put her in your will yet?" " Not so far." " Well, watch out." "Woman's been married three times since I've been here." "Every one of her husbands croaked and they didn't take their money with them." "Left it all to Winnie-the-Pooh there." "Thanks for the tip." "I'll be careful." "Hey, Roy, are you going to the dance tonight?" " Couldn't be bothered." " Well, why not?" "What, all those old fogies jumping around like teenagers?" "Ask me, they ought to grow up and act their age." "Dancing's fun." "Keeps you young." "Last time I danced was over four years ago with Barbara." "Barbara?" "My wife." "She...passed on." "Oh, I'm sorry." "Me and you both, my friend." "She was a great gal." "Loved to waltz." "I liked cha-cha, myself." "I wasn't very good at it, but Babs and me sure had a good time." "So you do like to dance, huh?" "Did." "Don't now." "Come on, Roy." "Let's you and me go to the dance tonight." "I wouldn't know what to do." "I'd just stand around like some old wallflower." "A great-looking guy like you, you'd have the ladies standing in line." "Well, believe it or not, there was a time." "I'll bet there was." "Come on, Roy." "Ted Simpson and Roy Grant, lady-killers at large." "What do you say we go to the dance and break some hearts, huh?" "Come on." "Heck, why not?" "Now you're talking, partner." "Did Laura show up yet?" "No, I haven't seen her." "Beginning to think what her daughter said is true." "What'd she say about her?" "When her mother says, "I'll think about it," she really means no." " I'll be back in a few minutes." " Where are you going?" "To escort Mrs. Swann to the dance." " Mrs. Swann." " Oh, Mr. Smith." "I knew you wanted to go to the dance." "I got to thinking, on such short notice, you probably didn't have a chance to get a Western outfit." "Yes." "Yes, I wanted to go." "Maybe another time." "That's what a recreation director is for." "What's this?" "It's a Western dress from the theatre guild." "We used it in a production of Oklahoma!" "You can bring it back to them any time you want." "Well, that's very kind of you, Mr. Smith." "You shouldn't go to all this trouble." "Oh, no problem." "I'll just wait right out here while you change." "Well, all right." " I'll be back in a few minutes." " Okay." "I sure feel stupid in these clothes you loaned me." "Yeah, it's a theme dance." "You look great." "Come on, have some punch, it'll loosen you up." "Well, look who's here." "Ted Simpson." "Oh, is that him?" "Oh, he is handsome, Winifred." "He looks rich." "Energetic." "And young." "Who's that he's with?" "Oh, I don't believe it." "It's the Grim Reaper." "Now aren't you glad you came?" "I don't know yet." "How about if I get you some punch?" "Yes, please, Mr. Smith." " I'll be right back." " Thank you." " Hey, Ted." " Oh, Jonathan." "Hey, I want you to meet a friend of mine." "Roy Grant, Jonathan Smith." " Hey, pleasure to meet you, Roy." " Likewise." "Great punch." "Look, I gotta hit the john." " How's your assignment doing?" " Oh, it's going fine." "She's a woman who lost her husband a few years back." "She just hasn't been able to get over it." "She needs to meet somebody, somebody who'll bring her out a bit." "Well, this is going to be great." "Roy is just the guy." "He's my assignment." "Lost his wife four years ago and had his nose in a book ever since." "Well, I think the boss has made this one easy for us." " Yeah." " Let's go find your friend and introduce them." " There you go." " Thank you." "Look, there's someone I'd like you to meet." "Roy Grant, I'd like to introduce you to Laura Swann." "Hello, Mr. Grant." "Hello." "And this is my friend, Ted Simpson." "Pleasure." "Yes." "Jonathan, can I see you for a moment?" "What's wrong?" "I can't fix Roy up with that woman." "Why not?" "Jonathan, that woman is my wife." "She didn't even recognise me, Jonathan." "Well, she's not supposed to recognise you." "You know that." "That's why you're given a different body." " Why did it have to be this one?" " What?" "When I was in my own body, I was a lot taller with big shoulders." "I was a class act." "Oh, now, vanity doesn't fit very well in this job, you know." "Oh, I can't believe it." "I was sent here to fix up some old goat with my wife." "Well, the boss must have his reasons." "Well, I'd like to know what they are." "Boss, are you listening?" "Look, I know I was sent here to help Roy Grant live a richer and fuller life, but does it have to be with my wife?" "Do you hear anything?" "No." "What am I going to do?" "I don't know what you're getting so upset about." "Looked to me like Roy and Laura were having a good time." "Jonathan, that husband who died and who Laura can't get over is me." "I like it that way." "Oh, now, that really is a very selfish attitude, don't you think?" "Now, don't you start judging me." "That isn't your wife in there dancing with that zombie." "Besides, I was thinking of Laura." "That guy's no good for her." "He'd make her miserable." " And you're sure of that?" " You bet I am." "Boy, I'm nervous." "I haven't had a date since high school, and that was with my wife." "Well, Roy, maybe you better call the whole thing off." "Yeah, maybe." "No, darn it, I'm not gonna be a coward." "Well, now, Roy, I've had a lot of experience with women." "I can read them pretty well." "What do you say if I give you some pointers?" "Hey, appreciate that, Ted." "Well, now, this Laura Swann strikes me as the kind of woman who likes a lot of money." "Counts me out." "Well, if you wanna pay for quality in your life, you need money." "And Laura Swann is a quality woman." "You know, when she goes out to eat, she doesn't want dinner." "She wants cuisine." "Jewellery." "Lots of jewellery." "Look, I'm a retired postal worker on a fixed income." "I can't afford fancy restaurants and jewellery." "Don't tell her that." "Tell her you're a retired big shot with overseas investments." "Who owns one black, boring, $39 suit?" "Now, don't worry about that." "I'll let you borrow one of mine." "It's all silk and made in Hong Kong." "No, I couldn't do that." "Well, you can if you want this woman." "What do you mean by cuisine?" "Now, listen." "Listen, I know a very fine restaurant near here." "You call in ahead and order your dinner." "Laura will be very, very impressed." " What should I order?" " The best thing on the menu." "Oysters Rockefeller, veal scaloppine." "Will she like that?" "Roy boy, she'll love it." "You look very beautiful tonight, Laura." "Thank you, Roy." "I like your suit, Roy." "Oh, this?" "I had these made up for me by the dozen when I was in Hong Kong." "You were in Hong Kong?" "Regularly." "Oil business." "You know, before I retired." "Here we are." "Two oysters Rockefeller." "Enjoy." "I hope you don't mind I ordered ahead." "Oh, yes." "Well, to be very honest" "Is something wrong?" "I" "I'm not crazy about oysters." "Oh, I'm sorry." "Well, that's all right, don't be sorry." "You go ahead, I'll wait for the entrée." "Actually, I like everything except oysters." "And veal scaloppini." "Roy." "Roy, are you all right?" "Went down the wrong way." "I see." "Well, thanks for dinner." "Look, I really am sorry about tonight." "Of all the things I could have ordered..." "Oh, that's all right." "It's the thought that counts." " Forgive me then?" " Nothing to forgive you for." "I had a wonderful time." "I'm glad." "So, what about tomorrow?" "You still wanna go to the square dance class?" "Of course I do." "I'll be by to get you about quarter to 3." "See you then." "Bye-bye." "Thank you." "Good night." "There you go." "That's two pounds of pears." "Thank you very much, Mr. Smith." "You're an absolute angel." "I don't want that to get around." "I'll go get the eggs." "Well, hello there." "I'm Ted Simpson." "I met you a couple of nights ago at the square dance." "Oh, yes." "You went out with old Roy last night." "Well, yes." "Isn't he a grand old guy?" "Yeah, I let him borrow one of my suits to take you to dinner." "Oh, you did?" "Yeah." "Well, I guess you really don't need a suit when you work for the post office." "No." "No." "I guess not." "Oh, would you excuse me, please?" "Yeah, sure." "Are you ready, Laura?" "Our square dance class starts in about five minutes." "I've changed my mind." "Something wrong?" "I overheard a rumour that you were in the post office, not in the oil business." "Who told you that?" "It doesn't matter who told me." "What does matter is if it's the truth or not." "Is it?" "Yeah, I'm afraid it is." "Why did you lie to me, Roy?" "I wanted to impress you." "Lying has never impressed me very much." "All right, it was the wrong thing to do." "I apologise." "But it doesn't change the way I feel about you." "It changes the way I feel about you." "You mustn't respect yourself or me very much if you have to lie about who you are." "Now, if you'll excuse me, I" "I still have some unpacking to do." "Keep them knees up, keep them up." "Keep the running." "That's good." "Very good." "Very good, very good." "Come on, run with it there." "Come on, get them knees..." "Get those knees up." "Good." "Let's" " Hold" " Hold" " Hold-- Hold it." "Stop." "That'll be good for today." "We don't wanna wear you out." "Take a break." "You're terrific." "That was good." "Job's a real cinch, isn't it?" "Jonathan, these people are gonna kill me." "Relax." "I can tell you your time hasn't come." "I hate old people." "Please, tell me more about your husband." "Oh, you don't wanna know about John." "Oh, I do, I do." "He sounds like an incredible guy." "Yes, he was." "He was very generous, loving, and he was very good-looking." "Oh, and his daughter adored him." "He was a great father." "They did everything together." "How is Margaret?" "How--?" "How did you know her name?" "Oh, well, I..." "Jonathan Smith told me, I--I think." "Here, wait a second." "You look like the kind of woman who loves daisies." " How did you know?" " Intuition." "Laura, I have a confession to make." "You do?" "From the moment we met, I liked you." "I feel comfortable being around you." "I feel that way too, Ted." "You know, we've only been together, what, about ten minutes alone?" "And I feel I..." "That I've known you most of my life." "How about coming to dinner with me tomorrow night?" " Oh, I can't, Ted." " Why not?" "I wouldn't feel right." "You and Roy Grant are friends." "Don't worry about upsetting Roy." "He'll get over it." "That's what old friends are about." "What do you say?" "All right." "Three spades." " Pass." " Pass." "Pass." "You're in for three spades, dear." "You'll never guess what I saw today, ladies." "What?" "Well, that oh-so-sweet new girl, Laura Swann, seems to have all the men chasing her." "I saw her with Ted Simpson today." "But I thought you were seeing Ted Simpson." "So did I, until this afternoon." "First she was with Roy Grant and now Ted." "Really." "She's a little vixen, that one." "You're so quiet." "Just enjoying the evening." "Well, when I say "dining out," I mean just that." "There's nothing like eating outdoors under the stars." "It's beautiful, isn't it?" "Very." "And so peaceful." "Yes, it is." "Laura, are you all right?" "Yes." "I'm sorry." "I" " I" "It just reminds me of a time very long ago." "I know." "You see, I feel the same way." "No, you don't." "You don't understand." "My husband..." "There could never be another man in my life." "Not really." "I just could never feel that way again." "But you do." "And that's what's bothering you, isn't it?" "Now, don't feel guilty because you can love again." "I can't help it." "I love you, Laura." "I've always loved you." "What?" "What I-- I mean, from the moment we met," "I knew we were meant to be together." "I want you to marry me." "I want us to be together forever and ever." " Oh, Ted, I" " You don't have to answer now." "Just give it a little time, please." "All right." "But not too much time." " Oh, my Lord!" " Quick, come on." " Open the door!" " It's stuck!" "Oh, hurry, please." "What is this?" "Just a cloudburst." "I wonder what's wrong with this door." " That's funny." " What's funny is me." "I'm soaked." " I'm sorry." " Oh, it's not your fault." "I'll go home and change." "I'll be back in a few minutes." "I'll see if I can salvage some of the dinner." "And if it's ruined, we can always have egg sandwiches." "Oh, I love egg sandwiches." " I'll be right back." " Me too." "Hello, Ted." "Hey, what are you doing here, Smith?" "I think you know." "Oh, the rain." "That locked door." "That was you." "No, no." "No, that came from higher up." "What in the name of the boss do you think you're doing?" "That's my business." "Not when it affects my assignment, not to mention yours." "That was a dirty trick you pulled on Roy, setting him up so you could have Laura all for yourself." " Come on, now." "He'll get over it." " How do you know he'll get over it?" "You humiliated him." "All's fair in love and war." "And I love Laura." "She's mine." "Come on, Ted." "You're not acting out of love." "You're acting out of jealousy." "Now, you were sent here to restore Roy Grant's faith in himself." "You've done just the opposite." "You better start proving you can do this or the boss is gonna take you off probation." "Fine." "Let him." " Come on, you don't mean that." " Oh, yes, I do." "I'm not gonna stand by and let my wife marry another man." "We promised each other there would never be anyone else and that's the way it's gonna stay." "I've asked Laura to marry me." "You can't do that." "I can if he'd let me." "And she'd be happy." "We'd be together again." "That's impossible here on Earth and you know it." "Nothing's impossible for him." "And if he won't allow it, it's on his conscience, not mine." " It's time to go, Ted." " Go where?" "Wherever your choice has taken you." "I put on a robe." "I hope you don't mind." "Ted?" "Ted?" "Oh, Laura." "Margaret." "I'm so sorry, Margaret." "Margaret?" "She can't see you or hear you, Ted." "So soon." "She died so soon." " She died of a broken heart." " What?" "You disappeared." "She came back from changing her clothes and you were gone." "She loved you." "Well, then, he should have let me stay with her." "Oh, no." "No, you should have loved her enough to want her to be happy even without you." "Wait." "Wait." "Laura, it's going to be all right." "We'll be together again, just like I said." "Forever and ever." "I'm afraid you won't." "Of course we will." "She's in heaven." "Well, she is." "What are you saying?" "It's time to go, Ted." "Go where, Jonathan?" "Go where?" "You haven't touched your plate again, Roy." "Come on, just a little." "It's good." "Come on, open up." "If you don't eat, we'll have to force-feed you again." "Please, just a little." "Poor old Roy." "He's changed so." "In less than a year." "He was your assignment, Ted." "You did this." " Is that why I'm not a-?" " That's right." "You were an angel with the chance to help others beyond the imagination of mortals." "But you placed yourself ahead of all that." "And, in so doing, broke the hearts of others." "Isn't there anything I can do?" "Not for myself." "I deserve whatever happens to me." "But for them." "For Roy, for my Laura." "Isn't there anything I can do?" "It won't be easy." "Laura loves you now." "You did that." "You'll have to undo it." "Oh, dear God." "Please, let me try." "Please, let me try." "It's for you." "For me?" " Hello." " Ted, thank goodness you're there." " Laura." " Yes." "I came back and you were gone." "I didn't know what happened to you." "How did you know where to call me?" "I didn't." "I just kept calling your place." " My place?" " Ted?" "Ted, are you all right?" "Yes." "Yes, of course." "I just had an emergency." "Had to take care of some business." "My former boss called." " I'm sorry about all this." " That's all right." "I understand." " Will I see you tomorrow?" " Oh, yes, of course." "Good, I" " I have something I want to tell you, but not over the phone." "All right." "I'll see you tomorrow." "Good night." "Good night, Laura." "Oh, boy." "What's wrong with you?" "What isn't wrong would take less time to answer." "My neck, my back, my legs." "My pains have pains." "I guess I overestimated what kind of shape I'm in." "No, I think you underestimated the kind of shape your students are in." "You may be right." "Maybe I'll get in shape by the time I'm their age, huh?" "Jonathan, have you seen Roy?" "I was over to his place and then stopped at the golf course." " And" " He's gone." " What do you mean he's gone?" " Now, take it easy." "What I mean is he took a bus into town." "He's drowning his sorrows at the Empire Bar and Grill." "Listen, I'm heading over there to have a talk with him." "Could you figure out some excuse to get Laura there?" "It'll be easy." "I'll just tell her you're there." "Yeah." "Thanks." "The bar doesn't open for another five minutes, buddy." "I'll wait." "Nothing much to do now but wait." "Hey, look who's here." "Old Roy." "Got nothing to say to you." "Well, I've got a lot of news to tell you, Roy boy." "Not interested." "And don't call me Roy boy." "Hey, bartender, a bottle of your best champagne and two glasses over here when you get a chance, huh?" "Don't get me a glass." "I'm not drinking with this buzzard." "Aren't you going to drink to my success?" "I'm not drinking to your anything." "I'm drinking to get drunk." "What success, you ask?" "I don't wanna know." "Please, just leave me alone." " I'm going to marry Laura Swann." " What?" "No hard feelings." "The best man won." "Hey, that old woman's got bucks." "Didn't I tell you?" "The old biddy just sold her house in Woodmere." "Rich town up north." "I'll bet she's made a bundle." "Oh, yes, sirree, Roy boy." "I've always wanted to marry a rich dame." "I should've seen through you from the outset." "Telling me to take Laura out to dinner and act like a big shot, ordering oysters named after a vice president." "It never felt right, but I trusted you." "I trusted you." "Oh, calm down." "It was all in good sport." "I just came home with the trophy, that's all." "Is that what you think about Laura?" "That woman's one of the most sensitive, lovely women that God ever let walk on this earth, and you act like she's some trophy you won in a tournament." "All right, you duped me, but I'm not gonna let you dupe Laura." "I respect her too much to let a snake like you marry her for her money." "Come on, what are you gonna do, snitch on your old buddy?" "She wouldn't believe you." "She'd figure out you were lying because you're in love with her." "I got that old biddy wrapped around my fingers." "That does it." "I may be just a poor, retired postal worker, but I'm a better man than you are." "And Laura's too wonderful a woman for either one of us." "Well, I don't know about that." "But I do know he's not marrying me for my money, Roy." "First of all, I don't have that kind of money." "And secondly, Ted, this old biddy rejects your marriage proposal." "Would you take me home, Mr. Smith?" "Here you go, Roy." "See if this ice helps, huh?" "Thanks." "That's quite a right hand you threw there, partner." "Yeah, considering the last time I threw it was 1928." "You know, it didn't hurt this much then." "I'll get it." "Oh, Mr. Smith." "Is Roy here?" "Sure, come on in." "Hello, Roy." "Laura." "I just want to thank you for standing up for me in front of Ted Simpson." " He made me mad, Laura." " Me too." "Look, I'm sorry I lost my temper and popped him one." "I think you handled it very well the way you did." "You did?" "Yes, I did." "Well, thanks again." "Laura?" "Yes?" "Look, I" "I know I" "I mean..." "Do you suppose you could see your way clear to having dinner with me tonight?" " No oysters." " No oysters." "You'd do your own ordering." "And I promise I'll just be who I really am." "I couldn't ask for anything more." "See you at 7." "She likes me." "She likes me!" "No oysters Rockefeller?" "No, thank heavens." "Hello, Ted." "Jonathan, Mark." " What are you doing here?" " Oh, don't worry." "I just wanna see Laura once more." "She's happy." "I can see it in her eyes." "She's happy." "No matter what happens to me now, that makes everything all right." " It's for you." " Me?" "Yes?" "Oh, yes, of course I do." "Yes, I know that." "You bet I will." "Jonathan, I got an assignment." "I got an assignment." "So do we." "Come on, let's go."