"THE HALF BROTHER" "Lift the back!" "Some say that only two stories exist:" "the Odyssey, the journey, and God an Jesus, the rebellion." "That these stories are simple retold over and over." "That just annoys me." "Because where in the New Testament can you read," ""The smoke of two cigarettes form white letters..."" ""Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall."" "I applied to a course in film history, a good idea for a screenwriter." "But I soon quit." "All they talked about there was truth." "To be true to yourself and your characters." "Never lie, tell it like it is." "It was nothing for me." "Because the truth is," "I know why Fred left, and sometimes I think it's good that he's gone." " What is it?" " Nothing." " Want to go to the movies today?" " Why?" " To see a film." " What, and talk about it?" "ADDRESS UNKNOWN" ""A boy came down a staircase, into a doorway."" ""across a street." "He's taller than the houses."" " Have you screwed her yet?" " Huh?" " What's with you?" "All distracted?" " I was just thinking." "About what?" "Vivian?" "Birds?" " I've started writing." " Yeah?" "Yeah." " Where have you been?" " Is Mom upset?" "Maybe I was with Willy." "Why didn't you say Vivian was born in a car too?" " Have you been talking to her?" " Yeah." "What, is that forbidden?" " Why didn't you tell me?" " Didn't think of it." "If you're going to keep writing, you have to learn to think." " Where've you been?" " Just out." "For five days?" " What are you doing, Barnum?" " Writing." " About what?" " "The Small Town"." "Nice title." " "A boy comes down the stars..."" " Stairs." ""Across a street."" ""He's taller than the houses,"" ""he's taller than the..."" ""street lights." "He's taller than the street lights."" " "He strops..."" " Stops." ""He stops at a corner."" " "He is alone."" " He is alone." ""Exterior." "Fagerborg, night."" "Exterior means that it takes place outdoors and interior means it takes place indoors." "This is the opening of "The Small Town"." ""Exterior." "Fagerborg, night."" ""A drunk man crosses Kirkeveien." "He's so small that he hardly exists."" " That was good." " Nice." " Is there a bathroom here?" " End of the hall on the left." "I think Vivian is in love with you." "Vivian is in love with you." " How do you know?" " She's looked at you 86 times." "It's probably just because you're an author." " She looks like Lauren Bacall" " I've noticed." " And how do you like your brandy, sir?" " In a glass." "Read some more." ""Exterior." "Fagerborg, night."" """A drunk man crosses Kirkeveien."" " What's this?" " I invited the film industry" " to an official opening." " Of what?" " Barnum and Miils." "The year's event." " Will anyone come?" "It's the hype that matters." "For me." "For you, seven pages a day." "Peder, what do you think of this?" " "One eye doesn't see the other."" " Totally cool." ""The Viking" is a great title." "Companies are lining up to invest." "Black Ridge wants the script by Christmas." "You talked about my ideas?" "But then it won't happen!" "I can't sell a script about nothing!" ""The Viking" will be a film, I know it." " Have you told Vivian your secret?" " No." " Can't you just tell it like it is?" " She'll leave me." "That's not a good enough reason." "I think I know where Fred is." "In Copenhagen." " You're kidding." " Driving a taxi." "Do you want him to come home again?" ""Congratulations." "We stand around you in a ring"" ""and sing with genuine jubilation."" ""Bow, nod, curtsey, swing us around." "We dance for you all night long."" ""Wish you all the best all life long." "We say with elation,"" ""Congratulations!"" " You like it?" " I love it." " It goes with your new white shirt." " Thanks, Mom." "Happy birthday!" " This is from me." " Thank you, Boletta." " Hamsun." " A brand-new edition." "We burned the old one." "Hamsun was a disgrace during the war." "Hapy bertday Love Fer" " Now you just need paper to write on." " He just needs something to write." "Next time I'll give you the best thing I have." " And what's that?" " I don't really know yet." "Don't promise more than you can deliver." ""The Small Town"" "Hi." " Guess what." " What?" "Just guess." " You've grown eight centimeters." " Do I look like I have?" "I'm an author." "I finished "The Small Town"." "Great!" " Want to come inside?" " And to say hi to your mother?" "OK." "Barnum, you got a letter." "Read it out loud." ""Dear Barnum Nilsen." "We are pleased to inform you"" ""that you have won the Oslo School Writing Competition for your grade."" ""The awards ceremony will be at the City Hall on January 20th at 1:00 pm."" ""We look forward to seeing you there." You sent in "The Small Town"?" "Congratulations, Barnum!" "Well done, Barnum." " It's all thanks to the typewriter." " Don't belittle yourself." "Too bad Nilsen is a common name, or everyone would know I'm your brother." "Do you want to go and celebrate?" "I have money." "Do you remember when you told me to skip dance school and do the opposite of what people expected?" "Yes." "What if you're doing the opposite of what you want?" "Then you'll go to hell, Barnum." "I thought I'd go over to Vivian's for a while." "Good." "You and Vivian, that's good." "We're so proud of you." "Congratulations, Barnum!" " Congratulations." " Thank you!" " What is the moral of your story?" " That everyone is big enough inside." " Do you have any literary idols?" " I guess Hamsun." "Let's see that diploma." "Hold it up." "Cheers!" "Cheers to Barnum, our little author." " She smelled good." " Musk." "It makes you aroused." " I can't stay long." " I'll walk with you." " See you!" " Take care!" "You smell of musk." "Vivian!" "Musk." "You smell of musk." " What are you talking about, Barnum?" " Vivian." "She's my girl." "You only want her because she's mine." " Shut up, Barnum!" " I won't let you." " Let her decide." " Just because you were born in a car, and you're taller, doesn't mean you can take her from me." " Suppose I like her?" " You like her." "She's my everything." "I thought you said I could have the best thing you had." "Vivian likes me." "I'm a writer." "You can't even write." "You can't even box." "Barnum?" "Barnum?" "Barnum?" "Barnum!" "Barnum?" "What happened?" "Where is Fred?" "Barnum, where is Fred?" " Did you have a fight?" " You think I want to fight Fred?" "He probably just went out." "It doesn't look that way, Barnum." "Fred went to sea." "I talked to Willy." " He couldn't even teach Fred to box." " I called the shipper." "It's not the worst thing that could happen." "But he could've said goodbye." "What kind of ship did he set sail on?" "Where did he go?" "The Polar Bear." "Greenland." "Must you send another telegram?" "This is the tenth." "I'll keep sending telegrams until Fred answers." "Boletta?" " What are you doing here?" " I just dropped by to visit." " I never thanked you for that money." " I want to apologize." "I was wrong." "Time got away from me, or maybe I never had it at all." "Sometimes that's hard to know." "It was the hight point of my day, seeing you pour the coffee." "You're still absolutely stunning, Boletta." "We'd like to send this telegram to the Polar Bear." "It's a ship." "I haven't seen your half brother for a while." " Fred ran off to sea." "Greenland." " Damn." "How long will he be gone?" " No idea." "Fred is a knacker." "What's a knacker?" "It's a zombie, a living dead that eats virgins for dinner." "No, a knacker is someone who abandons everyone he care about." " Do you have a shoot today?" " No." "I'm going to the attic to see how the renovation is going." "I thought I'd pack a bit." "So it's less stressful when we move." " Then there's the party." " It starts at 6:00." "I'll be there." " It'll probably just be us three." " Then we won't run out of booze." "I think I know where Fred is." "It seems he's in Copenhagen, driving a taxi." "Then why aren't you in Copenhagen?" "Maybe he doesn't want to be found." "And it's better not knowing?" "Is it better going through your whole life not knowing?" "No." "See you." "Yeah." "Fred?" "How's Mom?" "Fine." "Why did you leave?" "Haven't you been happy with Barnum?" "I've been happy." " I've thought about you two." " What have you thought?" "That Barnum will be famous now." "That you'll have children." "That you'll have bought a house." "I thought you were the kind of person who'd want kids." "Barnum can't." "I'm just going to get Vera's dress." " Have you heard from Vivian?" " No." "But I'm sure she'll be here." "Relax a bit." "Have fun." "Mingle." "Drink." " You're a mess, aren't you?" " I'm not very tall either." " Full house." " Apparently hype is the trick." " Everyone's here." " Looks that way." " Where have you been?" " Out." "I'm glad you came." "Even if you are a little late." "In America everyone is late, at least 15 minutes." "So, how would you like your brandy, sir?" "In a glass." "Or not." "Come on." "THREE MONTHS LATER" "We're going to have a baby." "Aren't you going to say anything?" "You know I wanted one." "We can baptise him in Røst." "You know it's a boy?" "No." "But chocolate makes me feel sick." "They say that means it's a boy." "They do say that." "Have you told anyone else?" "The doctor." "The midwife." "No one else?" "Not the custodian or the Norwegian Film Institute or Aftenposten?" " Just the doctor and the midwife." " How nice." "I'm only number three." " Yes?" " Hi, Barnum." "It's over." " Fred." " Did he come home?" "You remember his old peachskin jacket?" "They found it, in Copenhagen." "In Nyhavn." "It was just hanging over a railing on one of the bridges there." "Isn't it great that I always sewed labels in your clothing?" "They've searched the canals, but found nothing." "The current probably carried him away." "I want you to give a eulogy, Barnum, at Fred's memorial service." "Fred is dead." "Vivian?" "Vivian?" "Have you seen my suit?" "At a check-up." "See you at the church." "You and Vivian, that's..." "That's good." " Where have you been?" " Out." "Why are you so late?" "I've always thought Fred would come back, just like Robert de Niro at New York's Central Station." "But when we ask him what he's been doing, he won't say, "Went to bed early."" "He'll say, "I've been watching you."" "One night Fred came home with a coffin." "Maybe he knew what was to come." "Maybe it was a flash-forward, as it's called in my business." "Because here today we don't have a coffin." "All we have is a memory." "And memory is nothing but a picture multiplied by time." "My first memory of Fred..." "My first memory of Fred is being in the living room, listening to our great-grandmother reading Great-granddad's letter." "I still know it by heart." ""While we were on the ice, we often hunted seal."" ""We were quite successful."" ""You have to shoot while they're sunning themselves on the ice,"" ""if they reach the water first the're hard to get."" "That's enough, Barnum." "Fred taught me never to say thank you." "But today I'm making an exception." "Today I say thank you, Fred, because Vivian is finally going to have a baby." "In my family we avoid conflict." "Some fall into a stupor." "Some become mute." "Some get drunk." "And some become knackers, abandoning everyone and just leaving."