Joshua (2007) Movie Script
(drumroll)
(rousing orchestral
fanfare playing)
(fanfare ends)
(children laughing and playing)
(people cheering)
You're playing like
a bunch of little girls!
You're playing like a little girl!
Good, good hustle.
Good hustle!
Hustle!
What? Okay, I'm coming!
Sorry! Sorry! I'm sorry.
Excuse me!
We got to go.
Sorry.
We've got to go!
It's an emergency!
Come on, come on, buddy.
Hey!
Joshua, let's go!
Let's go, buddy.
Josh!
Oh...
Ah...
(horn blaring)
(baby crying)
(babies fussing and crying)
(woman speaking indistinctly
over P.A.)
Oh, my little worm.
Oh, God, I love her so much.
Hello, sweetie.
She looks like...
She...
(laughing)
(laughter continues)
Look at this little...
(laughing)
Hey.
Did it hurt, Mommy?
Oh, yeah, it did, but not anymore.
(piano playing gentle melody)
(piano continues playing)
Oh,you did?
- (speaking gibberish)
- (barks)
Oh, not you, Buster.
Oh, Buster!
Baby, I thought we were
keeping him locked up.
Okay, okay.
You been listening to Bartok?
(playing gentle melody)
I'll see your Bartok
and raise you one
Rodgers and Hammerstein.
You hammer any
of these nails yourself?
Uh, no, Dad, we had a contractor.
I can't imagine what that cost you.
Shame, nothing like putting
your own sweat into a home.
Oh, there's sweat in here,
believe me.
HAZEL: By the way it's not rare
to have a grandmother
stay and help with the newborn.
- Oh, no...
- It would be my pleasure.
- No, Hazel.
- (baby fussing)
We're fine.
Are you sure, Abby?
Yes, Mom, we'll be fine.
- Because, you should have help.
- (fussing)
No.
HAZEL: At least have a nanny.
I mean, isn't that what
rich people do in New York?
- Mom, we're fine, really.
- We're also not crazy
about this idea of
a stranger living here.
Well, you would hardly notice me.
(playing stops)
These ten little Indians
are all out of arrows.
Well, I hope you won't
make me sing, Ned.
A glorious light
should shine, Hazel.
(Hazel laughing)
You flatterer.
NED:
You know, I don't know
if you were interested
in seeing a show.
I can get you tickets.
HAZEL: I only want to see
one of your shows, Ned.
Well, you're three years
too late on that one.
Aw, but what a success.
(begins playing classical piece)
Mmm, I suppose.
Oh, this is the piece that he's
playing for the school recital.
Uh-huh. Can he play, like,
"Jesus is my Savior" or...
BRAD:
I don't think so, Mom.
Oh, that's a shame.
(continues playing)
Abby, do you think
you could part with that
bundle of joy for just a second?
I need some cuddle time.
Oh!
Oh, precious little lady.
Look at you!
Oh, well, she sure has that
solid-as-a-rock Cairn chin,
doesn't she?
JOE:
You can tell she's salt of the earth.
You can just tell.
So, sis... how is everything?
Fine, how are you?
I'm fine, how are you feeling?
I'm feeling fine.
I'm good... I am.
Neddy, I'm good, I'm great even.
No blues? No blahs?
Nope.
'Cause I have some exquisite
medication I can get you.
(laughs):
No, it's nothing like last time.
Nothing.
Good.
(playing grows louder)
ABBY:
Joshua.
Do you think we could have
a little intermission?
Hmm?
I wonder how many rats
live in this building?
Joshua.
I'm guessing at least a hundred.
Joshua!
Do you think we can keep
it quiet for the baby?
(muffled hammering)
HAZEL:
What's that?
Lunch break is probably over.
That's, uh...
that's gut renovation
on the penthouse.
JOE:
How charming.
You baptizing this one?
Oh, well, you know, since we
didn't baptize Joshua, we're...
ABBY:
Yeah, I think it's time for Lily's nap.
So that's a no to baptism?
BRAD:
Uh, I think, you know, we're going to let
our kids make up their
own minds about religion.
Hey, why don't we all
sing Lily a sleep tight song?
ABBY:
Good idea.
NED:
Come on, everybody.
- Come on.
- All right.
BRAD:
It's going to be okay.
It's okay, Ma.
- (single note plays on piano)
- (baby fussing)
- (playing piano)
- # Twinkle, twinkle, little star #
# How I wonder what you are #
# Up above the world so high #
# Like a diamond in the sky #
# Twinkle, twinkle...#
- Oh, my God.
- Oh, my Lord.
Sorry. I'm sorry.
(Joshua retching)
BRAD:
You feeling better?
What's going on over here?
Did you feed Nero today?
Yeah?
Dad?
Yeah.
I don't like soccer.
I-I thought I did,
and I wanted to...
but I don't.
Oh...
Well, you know, that's...
that's okay, you know?
I don't like baseball either.
Well, that's all right.
You ch... you do something else.
You can do whatever you want.
You know?
Do you ever feel weird, Dad?
Weird?
Yeah, yeah, sometimes.
Like if I don't exercise
for a while
or wake up in the middle
of a dream...
or have too much
coffee or something.
Do you ever feel weird about me?
(laughs softly)
Your weird son?
No.
No, no, no, no, not at all.
Not at all.
You know that magic trick
where the magician puts
the person in the box
and spins the box
and makes the person disappear?
Yeah?
I know how that trick is done.
If you look carefully, you can tell.
Well, you know, hey,
maybe magic is your thing.
We could take you to a magic store.
Get you some tricks.
You know, you don't have to love me.
That's not like a rule or something.
But I do love you.
You're my son. You're my boy.
I'll always love you,
no matter what.
Okay?
(static clicking softly)
(low breathy sound over monitor)
Brad.
BRAD:
Mm?
Brad.
Hmm?
Do you hear that?
Hmm? What?
I think there's someone
in the baby's room.
(static clicking softly)
No, that's static, sweetie.
No, there's someone in Lily's room.
Abby, wait a second.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Sweetie?
Abby.
Damn it.
She's breathing, right?
She's fine, sweetie.
She's fine.
I thought she was choking
or something.
It's amazing how tiny they are.
ABBY:
It's almost heartbreaking.
(piano music begins playing
classical piece)
(piano continues playing)
(baby cooing)
Hey, did you walk the dog?
Okay, let's roll, little man.
(mumbles)
(baby fussing)
Oh.
Oh, don't cry.
(piano continues playing)
Um, yeah, put it on the...
put it on the desk.
All right, thanks a lot.
Listen, hey, I'm running late.
I got to... Okay.
Hey, buddy.
How you doing?
High five. Down low.
Two. Hey, hey, come on.
You all right?
Okay.
I'll see you later.
Hey!
(continues playing
classical piece)
Did you solve them all already?
(piano continues playing)
And ten million's the minimum
for this particular fund.
Of course... of course
we would love your support,
but ten is the number.
It's not six.
(mumbles)
(whispers)
Yeah.
(piano continues playing)
(slide projector clicks)
WOMAN:
Okay, now let's
take a moment talking
about how and why
these ancient people
embalmed their dead.
BOY:
Mummies?
Yes, mummies.
(laughs)
Oh, you're like a bird
trapped in a garage.
Yeah. That's...
Come on.
Serve.
(whistle blows)
(piano continues playing)
(piano continues playing)
(door opening)
(piano playing stops)
(resumes playing,
finishes piece)
(keys clattering)
(Brad humming)
Hey.
Hey, I didn't see you there.
ABBY:
Brad...
- BRAD: Sweetie, I'm...
- It ricochets.
I'm cultured, I swear.
- (laughing)
- See?
(baby coos)
God.
You know,
someone died in this apartment.
BRAD:
Oh, yeah?
Really?
I-I-I... I'm pretty sure
that's not true.
If you think
about it,
someone has died
on pretty much every inch
of this planet.
You know, dig down anywhere,
and you'll find bones.
(Abby laughs)
ABBY:
I don't know. I thinkyou...
We'd probably know if
someone was killed here.
I didn't say killed.
Why do you think killed?
Do you have that sense, too?
(Brad chewing loudly)
Nobody died here, man.
Are you sure?
ABBY (laughing):
I'm pretty sure.
Kind of sure.
(baby cooing)
What? Tell him about it.
(talking gibberish)
Tell him about your shots.
She had her shots today.
BRAD:
Oh,yeah?
Yeah. She was so good.
- I was a mess, however.
- Ah...
Oh, you poor thing.
What was I like as a baby?
BRAD:
You were great.
You were... you were very, uh...
You had a lot of... spirit.
- (clears throat)
- (laughs)
You certainly knew
what you wanted,
that's for sure.
What did I want?
Ah...
We could never tell.
But I was all right?
You...
Yeah.
ABBY (laughing):
You were fine.
BRAD:
You were great.
You really were.
You were a good kid.
(baby crying)
BRAD: Oh, yes, here we are
with Joshua, eight days old.
BRAD:
Mommy... and son.
ABBY:
Brad, what are you doing?
BRAD (upper crust accent): I'm just trying
to get a slice of life here, you see.
Well, not now.
Please just get out of here.
(shushing baby)
BRAD: Mommy's very tired,
very tired, and she's trying to...
ABBY:
Brad, fuck off.
BRAD:
Just give a little... Okay. Okay.
Just leave me alone right now.
BRAD:
Okay, okay, okay. Okay, okay.
(baby crying)
BRAD (whispers):
I'll stop, I'll stop, I'll stop.
BRAD:
And here we are behind the scenes
- with Brad and Abby Cairn.
- (baby crying and screaming)
- Hello, Mommy!
- Brad...
BRAD:
Okay, okay, okay...
- (baby screams)
- BRAD: Ow!
ABBY:
Get out!
(baby crying)
(Abby sniffles)
(baby crying)
(Abby inhales deeply)
ABBY:
I'm fine, I'm fine.
(crying):
I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine.
I'm fine.
(exhales loudly)
(whispers): I'm fine. I'm fine,
I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm fine.
(Abby sniffles, baby cries)
(baby crying)
I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine.
(baby crying)
(loud static)
(volume increases)
(crowd murmuring)
(laughing):
What's going on with you?
MAN:
Hey, it's the new parents.
- BRAD: Hey, how you been?
- Brad!
BRAD:
Fred, Ruth, how you guys doing? Hey...
- Hello, Abernathys.
- WOMAN: Hello.
Where you guys been?
- South Africa.
- BRAD: Oh, nice.
My mother finally died.
Oh, sorry.
The weather was unbelievable.
I caught the biggest
shark you've ever seen.
- Mm. Really...?
- WOMAN: So, how's the new girl?
It's Lily, right?
ABBY:
Yeah. She's good.
You look fabulous.
- Yeah.
- BRAD: No kidding.
- Thank you.
- BRAD: What do you use for...?
- Well, you finally had another. That's great.
- Yeah.
MAN: It took me three hours
to bring in that shark.
Hey, how's Tommy?
Well, we'll see. Uh...
The trumpet was a real mistake.
There is a reason
- that nobody plays the trumpet.
- (laughter)
So, are we all prepared for
an hour of unspeakable music?
Speak for your own child.
I tell you, two kids really
changes everything, huh?
- (Abby clears throat)
- MAN: Try three.
(laughs)
All right, we'll see you out there.
- Okay.
- Break a leg.
- Okay.
- BRAD: Okay.
(sighs)
I hate these people.
(whispers)
Shh, shh, shh, shh. Hey, keep it down.
(sighs):
Are we these people?
It's just a school, baby.
Hey, bullshit.
It is not just a school.
- It's a way of life.
- Shh, shh.
And we're smack dab
in the middle of it.
- Hi.
- Hey.
(sighs)
(whispers):
There he is.
Sorry, I'm late, sis.
Yeah, whatever.
You're right on time.
(applause)
(playing slowly and off-key)
# Ave Maria #
# Gratia plena... #
(playing off-key and badly)
(playing high notes)
(applause, crowd murmuring)
(playing "Twinkle, Twinkle
Little Star" fluidly)
(whispers):
What's he doing?
(plays a wrong note)
Uh, I don't know.
(plays a wrong note)
(plays fluidly)
(plays discordant note)
(plays discordant note)
(plays fluidly)
(plays discordant note)
(plays two discordant notes)
(plays fluidly)
(plays occasional
discordant notes)
(plays more discordant notes)
(plays many atonal notes)
BRAD:
This is... This is...
This is all...
This is all wrong.
No. Actually, I think he's...
he's hitting every note.
(playing atonal music)
(crowd murmuring)
(plays atonal music assuredly)
(plays atonal music
loudly and confidently)
(music crescendos)
ABBY:
Joshua? Oh,Joshua...
(loud, muffled,
panicked voices)
MAN:
Excuse me!
(muffled voices)
BRAD:
You all right?
Hey, hey.
- ABBY: You okay?
- You're okay.
He's okay.
You okay, buddy?
Say something.
- You okay?
- Come on, buddy, let's go.
Bring him...Just let me bring him.
MAN:
First I thought he was kidding around with...
(sighs heavily)
What were you doing up there?
You were probably just nervous, huh?
NED:
Hey,
I threw up the first time
I ever went on stage.
(horn honks)
- (gasps): Oh!
- Hey, hey, hey.
Goddamn it.
Will you not drive like
a fucking idiot, please?!.
(sighs)
(sighs)
(baby monitor clicks)
(static)
(baby crying)
(gasps)
(panting)
(crying continues)
(crying)
Please. Oh, oh, oh, baby.
Honey, honey, honey.
Honey, honey, honey, honey.
- What's wrong?
- Shh, shh, shh, shh.
Nothing. She just started crying.
- What did you do?
- Shh, shh.
I didn't do anything. I...
Well, she's fine.
- I fed her not too long ago.
- Shh, shh, shh.
- Here... No, no, no.
- No, I can do it.
- I can do it, sweetie.
- No, no. Here, let me.
- I can do it.
- Let me have her.
- She's fine.
- What's going on with her?
Is it night terrors or something?
What's happening?
No. She's fine,
she's fine, she's fine.
She doesn't like it...
She likes it when you
support her h...
She's fine, she's fine.
I'm fine, okay?!.
I can handle this.
Just go to bed!
(baby crying)
Okay. Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
Come on, baby...
(baby crying)
- Dad?
-Jesus.
Oh God, you scared the...
tar out of me.
Everything all right?
Yeah, yeah, everything's fine.
How're you feeling?
You feel, you feel better?
She's crying.
Yes, she is.
(chuckles)
Come on, buddy,
back to bed, let's go.
(baby crying)
So how long has she been crying now?
- Uh, five days.
- Hmm.
Yeah, she has a slight diaper rash.
You think that, that's it?
- Could that be it?
- Well...
you know, um...
some babies just like to cry.
- (crying continues)
- Yeah.
Here you go.
(crying continues)
Not this, not again.
Not, not this one.
You know, she was,
she was perfect
until five days ago.
Maybe she just has a lot to say.
- (crying continues)
- Okay.
Could you take her for a second?
Yeah, sure.
(crying continues)
(kids laughing)
(quacking)
(quacking)
(rock on headphones)
Where have you been?
Hey, what's...
(baby crying)
What is that, is that the,
is that the baby
- or the dog?
- Or me?
- What?
- Take a deep breath, Brad.
That's our life you're smelling.
Give me the binky.
Wait.
Good God, ma...
Mommy's upset, huh?
- (crying continues)
- Oh, no, little baby.
Look we have the binky.
The binky's here.
There's the binky.
Yeah.
- (crying continues)
- (humming)
Shh, shh, shh, shh,
shh, shh, shh, shh.
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
(softly cries)
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
(door creaking)
Hey, pal.
Hi.
What's going on here?
What areyou...
what are you doing
with all your stuff?
I'm giving it away,
- to the poor.
- (chuckles)
You're giving it away to the poor?
Every one of your toys?
Josh...
You know, these,
these toys aren't cheap.
I'm starting over.
Starting over?
From what?
Mom said I could.
Mom said you could.
Uh-huh.
Yeah, of course she did, well...
at least you're keeping Pandy.
Dad, is Mommy all right?
Yeah, yeah,
she's just tired, pal.
Why do you ask?
Nothing.
Lily asleep?
Yeah, I got her to fall asleep.
Pretty good, huh?
You're better at it than Mommy.
(laughs)
I'm not sure about that.
You are. Really.
What's going on with your hair here?
Huh, what is it, made of plastic?
Hey, I know things have
been kind of stressful
around here lately.
It can't be easy for you.
You okay?
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
What areyou...
what are you doing?
In Egypt,
when they embalmed
people, like pharaohs,
they broke the nose
and removed the brain
through the opening.
Ahh.
(chuckling):
Josh, that's...
They drained the body
of all its fluid
on a special stone slab.
Josh...
Josh,Josh,
Josh, wh-wh-why are you doing that?
Why... don't...
This guarantees him
a glorious afterlife.
(humming)
They chanted
something, too,
but I'm making that part up.
(grunting)
Filthy animal.
You filthy, filthy animal.
Oh...
That's right.
You're a disgusting dog.
(panting)
No, no, Brad!
- Huh?
- Buster.
No!
What's wrong?
- (barking)
- All right, come on, come on.
Come on, Buster.
Let's go, come on.
I mean can't your parents take him?
No.
They can't take him.
(sobbing)
What's wrong, sweetie?
Nice that everything is quiet.
Ugh, are you kidding me?
I still hear her echo.
Sweetie, what's, what's going on?
You okay?
I love you bunches.
I love ya.
(sighs)
Sweetie.
Look at this, this is beautiful.
All right, come on, that's my side.
Let's go.
I'm gonna take a look at this.
Let me get, let me get
a little slice of this.
(sighing):
Please.
Don't worry
about Lily,
I'm gonna feed her tonight, okay.
Okay, but you have
to warm the breast milk.
No problem.
You look so good.
Look at this, voluptuous.
This is so nice.
That's Latin for fat pig.
No, baby, this is
just good clean fun.
This is beautiful.
It's love.
Come on, sweetie.
Not in the mood, huh?
Oh, we can't have sex anyway.
Well, we can do other things.
You know, like...
- (skittering upstairs)
- stuff.
You know...
Do you hear that?
What?
I think someone's upstairs.
Yeah, well, maybe
it's the owners
checking up on the progress.
At 10:30?
You know I love the
smell of your pits.
- Brad...
- Maybe it's rats, I don't know.
Maybe, there's got
to be a hundred
in this building.
- Don't worry about it.
- No, not now, okay.
May- Maybe soon but not now.
Okay.
- (sighs)
- (exhales)
(distant phone rings)
(exhales)
Hey!
Not good, huh?
No, no, it was...
It was an aggressive position,
but it'll work out.
- I hope.
- Hey, I got to take off
- early.
- Yeah?
Yeah.
Reason?
Teacher-parent meeting.
Send the nanny,
that's what I do.
(laughing):
That's funny.
Not a joke.
It'll be up a point
by the time the market closes.
Now that is a joke.
It's... I'll see you tomorrow.
(chuckles)
Thanks, pal.
(baby crying)
(Abby sighs)
(mumbling):
I don't know.
- I don't know what it is.
- Mmm.
You pick her up
and she cries,
you put her down and she cries.
I don't know.
I don't know why you just
don't hire a nanny.
Get Mary Poppins for Christ's sake.
Did Brad put you up to this?
No.
I'm just saying you need a break.
Go... shopping, go out to dinner.
Go get a hotel room and take a nap.
Just get out of here
for a little while.
It'll do everybody some good.
I could never leave her
with anybody else.
Have you spoken to your shrink?
So sick of shrinks.
I've given them 17 years,
what have they given me?
A migraine.
I'm just saying
you got to stay
on top of these things.
Speaking from personal experience.
I mean, I'm a little worried here.
(distant baby crying)
Look at this.
Look at this, maybe I'm...
maybe I'm not providing for her.
Well, that's quite a device.
It looks like you're giving
oxygen to your tit.
Shut up.
Oh, I was kidding.
No, you shut up!
Oh, please.
- (crying)
- I was kidding.
Look, it's not all that bad.
And it's... shh.
It's gonna get better.
This is the slog.
This is the slog, right?
Soon enough our little
Lily's gonna be adorable
and all of this is
gonna be forgotten.
(crying stops)
See.
ABBY:
Oh, God, please.
Hi, honey.
Joshua, my boy.
Can I go out for a bit, Mom?
- Sure.
- Off to bury the evidence, huh?
ABBY:
Where are you going?
I have some more toys for Goodwill.
Okay, but just come home
right afterwards, yeah?
You let him walk the
streets by himself,
at nine years old?
Oh, come on.
I mean, does he seem like
your typical nine-year-old?
Yeah, I suppose not.
BRAD:
Mrs., uh...
DANFORTH:
Ms. Danforth.
Ms. Danforth, hi..
- Yes, hi..
- Hi..
Yeah, I'm sorry I'm late.
Oh, no that's fine.
I, uh...
got tied up.
Hey, which one's his desk?
Oh, it's right here.
Front and center.
Oh, well, that's good,
eager beaver, huh?
(giggles)
Um... yeah.
Oh, um,
can I ask a question, Ms. Danforth?
Yes, Mr. Cairn.
- (giggles)
- (chuckles)
Joshua, he's, uh...
How smart is he?
Well, this might be getting
ahead of ourselves,
but we think Joshua
might benefit
by skipping a grade,
maybe two.
Hmm.
Yeah, we're so different.
Me and my son.
My son and I...
I-I-I, uh...
You know, I'd probably
be the kid in the class
who picked on him
'cause he was different.
Hey, where are the
animals in the...?
Oh, a couple of weeks
ago, they all died.
It was a horrible day.
Oh, that is horrible.
What happened?
We think maybe there was
a fungus in the food pellets.
We've contacted the manufacturer.
In fact, we're using it as
an exercise in consumer rights.
(baby crying)
(crying continues)
(crying)
(glass breaking)
Clumsy, Abby.
Yeah, she's so clumsy
when she's tired.
Mm-hmm.
You were right.
There are ghosts here.
Everywhere there are ghosts.
Um...
Joshua, um,
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Come here.
(glass crunching, gasps)
Oh.
Oh... oh, God.
Poor, clumsy Abby.
(glass drops)
Oh.
Oh, I feel it.
You know, and it
feels kind of prickly.
Hmm.
Oh... oh, yeah.
You know, I used to have
a pair of red boots.
My God, they were so sexy.
- (door closes)
- Hey.
Hey. How are you, sis?
I'm so glad you could come.
She's a trooper.
I can, I can stay.
No, no, no, go home.
Go home, we'll be fine.
We're good, get some sleep.
I'll see you later.
(piano plays)
(door opens)
BRAD:
Hello?
(door closes)
(keys rattle)
Hey, hey, buddy.
What you doing?
Huh?
Scoot over.
Is Mommy going to get better?
Yes, she will.
Look what I got.
I got you a book.
Valley of the Kings.
Pretty cool, huh?
You like that?
Thank you so much.
You're welcome so much.
You know, people
say the Met,
but the Brooklyn Museum's
the place to go for Egyptian art.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
Your father's a wealth
of information.
You didn't know that, did you?
Maybe we'll go sometime.
Hey, there she is.
Hi, sweetie.
- How are ya?
- How're you doing?
I'm good.
You look tired.
- Oh.
- (mumbles gibberish)
(laughs)
How are they doing?
Good and it's fine here.
Everything is quiet.
Lily settled down, Abby's in bed.
You should take a nap, too.
- Yeah.
- It's the weekend, for heaven sakes.
Go on and get some sleep.
I appreciate you
coming all this way.
Please, will you go have a rest?
Thanks, but I'm not tired.
- Look, I'm here so you can relax.
- Okay.
ABBY:
Hazel, I don't need another goddamn thing.
Hey, hey, hey, ooh.
Slow down. It's me.
How's your foot?
It's fine.
Are you pumping?
Yeah, I'm pumping.
You know,
if your saint of a mother's
going to be feeding
Lily at night,
she's going to need some milk.
Abby...
Don't take Lily away from me.
Of course not, of course
I'm not going to take her...
She needs me, not some
dried up old sponge.
Abby, Abby, Abby.
Sweetie.
Y-you...
Let's all try to get along,
you know what I mean?
Come on.
I know, I know.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
She's here to help.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
I got your prescriptions.
This is for your foot,
and this is going to makeyou...
feel better.
It'll help your, uh...
You know what I mean?
Can I breast-feed?
No.
No, sweetie,
but this is,
this is just a hurdle.
Abby, you know, once you get
over this hurdle,
you can ease off the medication.
You can start breast-feeding again.
It's just a few weeks,
maybe a month.
That's all.
I'm going to take care
of everything, you know?
I'm going to take
care of the laundry.
I'm going to take care of Lily.
Don't you worry.
Okay?
Mommy, Daddy?
Hey, sport.
I'm going to go and walk the dog.
Okay, sport.
Just around the block.
-JOSHUA: Mommy, Daddy?
- Yeah?
I love you.
When did you start
calling him "sport"?
(keyboard clacking)
(clears throat):
Hey.
- Tough week, huh?
- Yeah.
(blows raspberry)
I think it's getting better.
I mean, Lily's slowly
figuring life out.
And I think Abby's
starting to see
the light at the end of the tunnel.
I don't know.
Excuse me?
I mean, all in all, I'm positive.
Oh, well, I am so relieved.
See I thought
we were losing money
hand over fist.
I thought we were
on the verge
of losing a year's gains
in the matter of a month.
I thought we were fucked.
But as long
as everybody's happy
at home, then I just-
I feel so much better.
Okay, uh, I know it looks bad.
It is bad!
Our long is looking short!
Okay, okay.
But we've got to sit tight.
It's just a little sell-off
and then it'll be a big buyback.
It's gonna work out, Chester.
It's gonna get better.
Hazel, you don't have to do that.
Oh, I enjoy it.
I'm having a grand old time.
And where is Lily?
- Napping.
- Oh.
(muttering)
(distant pounding, whirring)
(racquetball bouncing)
(cell phone ringing)
- Fuck!
- Sorry.
Sorry.
(phone continues ringing)
Yeah?
(door unlocks)
Where, where is he?
He's in the kitchen, sweetie.
(bag drops)
(sobbing):
Oh, Buster.
Hey, pal.
(sniffling)
Oh, no.
(sobbing)
(imitating Brad):
Oh, Buster.
(sniffling):
Hey, pal.
No!
(sobbing)
Well, what should we do for food?
I-I don't know.
I'm not going into that kitchen.
They'll be here soon.
Did he eat anything in the park?
Joshua? Hey.
Did-did he eat anything in the park?
Anything peculiar at all?
No.
And then you took him right home?
(snapping fingers):
Josh?
- Did you take him right home?
- Yeah.
(Lily begins crying)
Did you give him anything at all?
Did you give him anything?
Brad, he was an old dog.
Every dog has its day, and
Buster had a shitty fucking day.
(doorbell buzzing)
Join the club.
(Lily crying)
(doorbell buzzing)
Wait, wait, wait.
(unzipping)
We should keep this.
(Lily crying)
(Lily crying over monitor)
(thumping and pounding overhead)
Brad?
Yeah, sweetie?
You have to come home right now.
They're coming through the ceiling.
(drilling and hammering)
Hmm?
They're coming through the ceiling.
Hi!
Hi, sweetie.
We have to hurry.
Okay.
W-where is it?
Is it in the bathroom?
I don't understand. Is it...
Uh... I'm sorry? Where?
Shit.
Uh-huh.
There's nothing?
No, I mean, uh...
There's a crack up there,
but I mean,
that crack has been there forever.
Is everything okay?
Because I've got to...
I've got to be at Midtown...
for the...
- (sobbing)
- What's going on?
Look at me.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
It's okay, but now I've got to go.
(sighing)
Sweetie.
I'm so sorry.
I'm sorry.
I love our kids.
I love our kids, too.
Reach to Him, the hand
that is always there!
The hand of Jesus.
He is always there!
Reach to Him
and He will embrace you!
He will prepare you.
He will arm you
with the sword of righteousness
so you will not have
to fight this battle alone!
(sawing and hammering)
(sawing and hammering
grows louder)
We have big news.
Good news.
What is it?
Joshua.
I want to get born again.
(laughing)
You what?
I took Joshua to
a prayer meeting today
and he was touched by the spirit.
Weren't you, son?
And he wants to get
right with Christ.
Well, too bad his mom
is a big, fat Jew.
Mom.
Well, his father is
a proud, strong Christian.
And Joshua made this
decision for himself.
Mom...
- I'm-I'm sorry, but that's not happening.
- No.
Well, you said it was his decision.
And he's old enough now
to make that decision.
Mom, I think we have some say.
Well, you said
that it was his decision.
- ABBY: You fucking bitch.
- Mom.
- Abby, Abby, Abby.
- No, no, no, no.
No! No!
No child of mine
is going to grow up to be
a goddamn Evangelical nutcase.
Okay, okay.
Okay, Abby.
No! You've been whispering
poison into his ears.
You fucking narrow-minded
medieval scold.
Abby! Abby!
You know, Abby,
I feel sorry for you.
That motherhood is such a chore.
You know what?
Get out of my house!
Okay, okay, let's-let's turn down
the volume a little bit here, okay?
You know, maybe
you should try Christ
instead of all those pills.
You know what? Get out!
Ow!
Calm down, calm down.
(sobbing)
It's always a battle,Joshua.
Just hold tight to your sword.
BRAD:
Mom, I'm just saying he's young.
He doesn't know, he doesn't know
what he wants yet, okay?
And he's reading the...
the Bible!
And my-my-my wife,
just as things are
starting to get good...
now I've got to medicate her...
because... because
you crossed the line.
Now is not the time, Mom.
I-I need you here.
Wait a second.
Wait a sec.
Wait one second, little man.
Now I want you to listen.
I have been quiet and nice
the last few weeks.
But now I have something to say.
This is no place for a family.
This is not a home.
This is my home.
No, this is a house.
It's an apartment.
(sniffling):
It's not a home.
Okay.
All this shouting
and this rage and anger,
you know, that infects
a soul, Bradley.
You know that.
Regardless of God.
Okay, okay, okay.
So stop acting
like a boy,
and start acting like a man.
And take care of your family!
You leave New York.
You come home.
You've been playing
city long enough.
It's time to grow up, Bradley.
Once and for all.
(footsteps approaching)
(sighs)
So, you love Jesus, huh?
Go to bed.
(indistinct crowd chatter,
birds chirping)
(distant chatter
of children)
(children screaming
and chattering)
MAN:
Can you help me out, little man?
Just something.
Anything.
I'm no chooser here.
(children shouting)
I'll give you five dollars
if I can throw a rock at you.
(door opening)
NED:
Knock, knock.
(gasps)
Hello, hello, hello!
(laughs)
Hazel, are
you ready
for your big night out on the town?
(laughs)
Dinner at Joe Allen's
followed
by the magic of...
The Lion King.
(laughing):
Oh, Ned.
I can't wait. Uh...
Let me just, uh,
quickly fix my face.
(horn honks)
BRAD:
Honey, I can't...
I can't get home right now, okay?
I'm expecting a thing of beauty.
Sleep tight.
Hi. You know I...
You know I told you
I need to nail this tomorrow, right?
You know, I told you this
a million times, right?
Joshua's fine, everyone's fine.
Okay, listen to me,
listen to me, listen, listen.
Shh, shh, shh, listen, listen.
Just be the wonderful mother
that you are, okay?
And everything's going
to be just fine.
- I got to go, okay?
- (baby crying through phone)
Just... I got to go,
I got to go. I love you.
Hey.
(inhales and exhales deeply)
(sniffles)
- (gasps)
- Mommy?
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
(door squeaking)
(heavy sigh)
Ah, she finally fell asleep.
(laughs)
(shallow breathing)
Are you okay, Mommy?
Yeah,yeah.
I just...
(sniffles)
Mommy's just being silly.
(laughs)
You know, hormones.
What moans?
(laughs)
N-Never mind.
(inhales shallow breath)
So...
Are we safe, Mommy?
Well, what do you mean?
Does Daddy love me?
Of course he loves you.
Yes, he loves you very, very much.
Yeah.
But not like a mommy.
(sighs heavily)
Can we play together?
(sniffles
loudly)
Yeah. Yeah, let's play a game, huh?
What do you want to
play, backgammon?
Hide-and-seek.
Hide-and-seek?
Oh. Well, I...
Okay, fine.
Good. I'll hide, you seek.
Yeah, I figured as much.
You close your eyes and count to 50.
Okay.
And Mommy?
Yeah?
No peeking.
Okay.
(sniffles loudly)
(sighs)
One, two, three,
four, five,
six, seven,
eight, nine, ten,
Ready or not, here I come.
I'm going to get you.
Are you here?
Where are you?
(creaking)
(singsongy):
Where are you?!.
Huh?
Where are you?
(sighs)
Joshua!
(sighs)
(door creaking)
You know how to get a-a
Polish guy out of a tree?
(laughs)
A one-armed Polish
guy out of a tree.
I-I already messed it up.
(phone ringing)
(laughs):
You wave to him.
That's a...
little ditty I...
(laughs)
- (phone beeps on)
- Hello. What's up?
What?
Joshua!
Where are you?!.
(crying)
Oh.
(sighs)
(door squeaks, Abby panting)
(groaning and gasping in pain)
(door closes)
(panting)
(panting)
(door creaking)
(panting)
(creaking)
Honey?
(boards creaking)
(sighs)
Lily?
(boards creaking)
Lily?!.
(heavy door slamming)
(door creaking)
Oh, Christ.
(door opening)
(panting)
(door creaking)
Abby, you in here?
(Brad panting)
Sweetie?
(panting)
Abby?
Sweetie?
(panting)
Oh, baby.
(boards creaking)
Oh, sweetie.
It's okay.
It's okay.
Everything's fine.
You're going to be okay, sweetie.
You're going to be okay.
Everything's going to be okay.
You're okay.
You're my angel.
You're my little angel.
Hey, kiddo, you okay?
- (moans)
- Shh!
It's okay, sweetie.
It's okay.
It's okay.
Did you get hurt?
Are you hurt?
Lily's fine.
See, look.
She's asleep in her crib.
She's fine. See?
- Okay?
- You!
Sweetie, sweetie.
You!
Did you even look for me, Mommy?
(Abby screams)
- You!
- Abby! Abby! Abby!
- (Abby screams)
- Abby!
- (crying and screaming)
- Abby, come here.
BRAD:
Ah! You scratched me!
(plays notes)
NED:
Sorry I- (clears throat)
I didn't go inside.
It's the smell.
- BRAD: Yeah.
- You know, it brings up...
unpleasant memories.
- You got a light?
- Yeah.
(lighter clicks)
How is she?
She's pretty heavily medicated.
- Good.
- (chuckles)
The doctor said she hasn't
been taking her medication,
but I... I-I-I made sure every day.
- I mean, I thought I was on top of that.
- Yeah.
- You know?
- We Davidoffs are crafty.
She's probably cheeking the dose.
Why, why? Why would she do that?
It's the eternal question.
I've been playing
spot the loony,
but it's hard to tell.
She was really...
Yeah, I'm sorry, man.
Oh, what are you sorry about?
I feel like I let her down, dude.
Oh, come on, man.
This runs in the family.
She'll get better, she will.
It's-you've got to be optimistic.
They've made great
strides in psychotropics.
(groans)
You sure you want to do this?
Oh, Chester, I don't
think I have a choice.
You know, a lot of people
find comfort in work
when things are tough at home.
You give up on work,
you might find yourself
with nothing, chief.
I'm just taking a vacation.
Is that what you're calling it?
Yeah, two weeks vacation.
I've got personal days, too.
This is not the time for a vacation.
- I'll be checking in.
- Buddy.
Wait, are you my friend?
Are we really buddies?
Because if we are,
then you'll understand.
If we're not, that's fine.
But you're gonna have to fire me.
- Whoa, there.
- Hey, hey.
I can't- Do you love your kids?
Yeah, of course.
I-I have to be home right now.
Okay? Cover for me or don't.
Hello?
Mom? Joshua?
Anybody here?
What're you looking at?
Seth.
He's the god of chaos.
Seth?
That's the name of the god of chaos?
Pity those heathens.
Seth cut Osirus into 14 pieces.
Bad Seth.
But Seth is also good.
Without Seth, there is no order
because Seth is the only one
who can battle
the evil serpent, Apep.
- Huh.
- Apep is all bad.
Pure darkness.
He eats his own screams.
That's his only nourishment.
Enough of this myth.
If Apep swallowed you,
you become nothing.
A non-being.
Till the end of existence,
you'd remain in Apep's guts,
slowly digested for all of eternity.
And nobody would care
'cause nobody would
realize you were missing.
And then came Moses
to stop all this nonsense.
(piano playing)
HAZEL:
Practice carrying...
You'll grow into it, honey,
we all do.
(chuckles)
(footsteps)
(crying)
BRAD:
Nothing. She just started crying.
ABBY:
What did you do?
BRAD:
I didn't do anything.
Hi.
How you doing?
Going to the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
Let's go, let's go.
You know what, sweetie,
I really need to use
this little girls' room
right here for a sec, all right?
You stay right herewith the, uh...
Uh...
(man yelling)
What the fuck...
(two men yelling)
HAZEL:
Joshua!
Joshua!
Joshua!
(Lily crying)
What were you doing?!.
-Where were you?
-Where were you?!.
(Lily crying)
(crying)
Brad.
(mumbles)
(crying continues)
(crying):
So sorry. My God, Bradley.
Jesus Christ, Mom.
(crying):
I'm so sorry.
Bradley.
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
(sniffles)
(mumbles)
(cries)
You gave me such a fright.
(crying)
Shh, shh, shh.
HAZEL:
Don't! No! No! Oh! You...
(thudding, woman gasps)
Nana!
No!
WOMAN:
Does somebody have a cell phone?
I don't know...
(Joshua whimpering)
(crowd chatter)
I'm just so sorry about your mother.
I... those stairs.
They were just
an accident waiting to happen.
Yeah. I don't know
what happened, you know?
She was up there
with Josh...
Yeah.
You know, they say she slipped.
No doubt about it.
You have had one fucked-up month.
I think he pushed her.
Who?
Joshua.
Come on. That's...
Come on. You're...
You're talking
about a nine-year-old boy.
I think all of this
has been his doing.
Do you hear me?
I thinkAbby...
I think the screaming-
Lily's screaming...
There must be something we can do.
You don't understand.
I'm trying...
Maybe you should think
about talking to someone.
What are you talking about?
You mean like a shrink or something?
- Yeah.
- Yeah?
I know ifyou...
This isn't about me.
I'm talking about...
Ah! Joshua, my boy.
(whispering)
Lily's sleeping with me from now on.
Daddy?
Yes?
I'm scared.
Yeah? Well...
Daddy?
Yeah?
I don't understand.
Go to bed.
(footsteps)
(footsteps)
Daddy?
Do you like my house?
I made it last night.
I know what you're doing,Josh.
I don't know why you're
doing it, but I'm on to you.
They're just blocks, Daddy.
You're not going
to hurt anybody else.
Are you mad at me?
Do you still love me, Daddy?
I think you're sick,Josh.
I don't feel sick.
Not at all.
Why are you doing this?
Huh?
You know what
the best part is, Daddy?
(Lily crying)
(crying continues)
(crying continues)
(crying continues)
(crying continues)
(crying continues)
(ice in glass rattling)
(ice rattling)
(ice rattling)
(doorbell rings)
Hi. How are you?
Good to see you.
Really good to see you.
(conversation continues
indistinctly)
Hey, buddy, this is Dr. Polsheck.
She's here to talk to you.
Oh, no. Betsy, please.
Hello,Joshua.
Betsy's a child psychologist.
She's going to talk to you.
Yeah. Maybe you could
show me your room. I hear
you have a guinea pig.
I love guinea pigs.
My guinea pig?
Okay.
Great.
Have fun, buddy.
Do you like to draw?
Oh, I love drawing.
Keep drawing.
That's good.
That's really something.
Joshua, come here for a second.
Why don't you do me a favor,
and go in your bedroom? All right?
Just for a second?
Listen, I should be alone
with the boy, okay?
Yeah. Sure.
Do you see...? This...
this is off.
Something is wrong here.
This has got to be the sign
of some kind of...
- You got that right.
- Sociopath?
No, no, no, Mr. Cairn.
That's...
that's not it.
What is this?
This picture is
a textbook example of abuse.
Okay? That boy is being abused...
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
to such a degree that I can't...
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Let me tell you what
you're dealing with here.
- I don't care...
- He probably...
He probably researched it.
He probably looked it up
on the computer.
He probably knew exactly
what to draw.
This is abuse
I'm talking about right here.
Do you understand what I'm saying?
What areyou...?
Nobody's beating him.
I'm not... He probably...
Why are you being so defensive?
- I'm not being...
- I'm just pointing out the fact
- that your son has been abused.
- Listen, you have to...
Back off!. Okay?
Talked to your headmaster.
- You did?
- Yeah.
We agreed you're not
being challenged enough,
so we're going to send you
somewhere else far away.
You're going to learn how to ski.
It's going to be great.
But how could...?
End of discussion, little man.
No buts, okay?
You're going away.
You understand?
Hey.
Josh...Joshua!
What?
What are you looking at?
Josh?
Josh, I want you to come here
right now, you hear me?
Josh.
Hey, boy.
It's me. I want to talk to you.
We're going to talk about this.
Josh?
Joshua?
Josh!
Everything's okay, buddy.
Come on out.
I know you're here.
Listen, nothing's
set in stone, okay?
(to himself):
All right, suit yourself.
Josh?
Josh!
(distant whining)
(whining grows louder)
(whining continues)
(Lily coos)
(whimpering)
(crying)
(crying continues)
(crying grows louder)
(whispers):
Joshua.
Joshua.
What are you doing?
Come out from under there.
I don't want to go.
Joshua, come on.
Come out from under there.
(sniffles)
- I want to stay here
- Shh, shh, shh, shh.
- with you and Lily...
- Shh, shh, shh.
- and Mom when she gets better.
- Shh, shh.
- Come here.
- I want to stay.
- Come on.
- Ow!
Ow!
- Come here.
- (groans)
What's going on?
Ah, oh.
My God,Joshua,
what happened to you?
- What happened?
- I slipped.
You what?
I slipped.
- I-I...
-Joshua, please tell me what happened.
- I slipped, really.
- Who did this to you?
- I slipped, really.
- Who did this to you?!.
- I slipped.
- You tell me who did it to you.
Look, it's just there, okay?
That's all.
It doesn't hurt much.
Okay, okay, okay, I'm sorry.
(cries)
I'm sorry, I'm sorry,
I'm sorry, okay?
- Stay, stay with me.
- Shh, shh, shh.
- Stay.
-Josh.
- I got to go check...
- Stay.
I got to check on Lily.
- Stay with me.
- I got to go.
Stay like you used to.
You're gonna...
Stay with me like you used to.
Okay, okay, okay, shh,
shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
Just go to sleep.
Just go to sleep.
Just go to sleep, buddy.
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
(gasps)
Josh? Josh.
Shh. She's almost done.
You were hungry this
morning, weren't you?
It's a beautiful day.
After this, how about
we go outside and play?
(children shouting playfully
in distance)
Joshua...
Beware of the Jabberwock.
What?
(cries)
Shh...
shh, shh, shh, shh.
(crying continues)
Did he just...
just take your fuckin' binky?!.
(crying continues)
Joshua.
Joshua.
Joshua!
Where's Lily's binky?
- (Lily crying)
-Joshua!
(crying continues)
Joshua, come down.
Josh.
Josh.
(Lily crying)
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
It's okay, it's okay.
(crying continues)
Come on.
Let's go.
Come on, let's go.
I'm talking to you.
You better come down here right now.
- You better come down here right now.
-Joshua.
(Lily crying)
-Joshua.
-Joshua.
-Joshua...
-Joshua.
I'm not fucking around
with you right now,
you understand me?
Come down right now.
Come down right now.
Goddamn it!
- WOMAN: Bobby, get down from...
- Where is it?
- Where is it?
- Where is it?
- Where is it?
- Where is it?
Where's Lily's binky?
Where's Lily's binky?
- Where is it?
- Where is it?
You answer me.
- You answer your father.
- You answer your father.
Answer your father!
No, no, no, Daddy!
(woman gasps in distance)
(onlookers murmuring)
Josh.
I'm sorry.
Nobody will ever love you.
(stifled moans)
(ominous music plays)
(door opens)
Oh, Chester, thank God.
- Hey, buddy.
- Sit down, sit down.
What's going on here?
When am I getting bail?
Not till Monday.
Don't you know?
Never beat up your kid
in public on the weekend.
Chester, um, I-I appreciate
you coming.
- All right.
- I've had a long...
Whatever!
Whatever! I'm here!
You see the judge tomorrow.
I've been doing
a little snooping via a friend.
This is bad.
This is really bad.
Yeah, I know it's bad, okay?
It isn't the whole story, Chester.
We'll, let's see.
- It's not...
- Let's see.
Uh, over 30 eyewitnesses,
your boy tells the cops
he's been being abused
since his sister was born,
bruises all over his body,
a sheaf of Joshua's
drawings
that have the
authorities drooling...
Chester, goddamn it,
it isn't the whole story, okay?
- Look...
- I'm trying to tell...
I have to get out of here now.
They say you were tampering
with Abby's medication.
What? That's-that's insane.
(piano playing gentle melody)
No, look,
I don't care
if she's from
the Philippines
or Philadelphia,
I just need
someone who knows how
to take care of a baby.
Listen, if it looks like
it's for a kid,
pick it up and pack it,
okay? Thanks.
(playing "Twinkle, Twinkle,
Little Star")
Oh, for the love of God,
please, today.
Yes, yes.
Imelda sounds great.
Yes.
Great, send her over.
Thank you. Thank you, very much.
Bye.
(sighs)
Hey...
Imelda...
sounds like she is one
fabulous cook,
which makes you one
very, very lucky girl.
Want to suck on your hand instead?
Oh! Your sister's just about the
cutest thing in the whole world.
I love her more than anything.
You know, siblings
are very important
in strange times.
Speaking from experience.
Like you and Mom?
Yeah.
(plays pretty melody)
- Ned?
- Mm-hmm?
I'm glad you're here.
I mean...
you, me, th...
this feels right, doesn't it?
The way it always should have been.
(notes trailing off)
We should compose
something together.
(clears throat)
(smacks lips)
(plays plaintive chords)
# Nobody ever
called me "Daddy" #
(a capella):
# Actually, that's not true. #
Ugh!
(playing soft arpeggios)
(plays sparse melody)
# You know they
didn't ever #
# Have to love me #
# No, no, no #
# And no one will ever
love them now #
# But they always
wanted somehow #
- # To save me #
- (footsteps approaching)
# Why, oh, why? #
# For pity's sake #
# They should have
saved themselves #
# But you, you always said
I never missed a note #
# And nobody ever knew me
like you do #
# You always said
it was gonna be okay #
# I only ever really
wanted to be with you. #
(stops playing)
(acoustic guitar strums
folk-rock rhythm)
(man singing)
(music fades)
LeapinLar
(rousing orchestral
fanfare playing)
(fanfare ends)
(children laughing and playing)
(people cheering)
You're playing like
a bunch of little girls!
You're playing like a little girl!
Good, good hustle.
Good hustle!
Hustle!
What? Okay, I'm coming!
Sorry! Sorry! I'm sorry.
Excuse me!
We got to go.
Sorry.
We've got to go!
It's an emergency!
Come on, come on, buddy.
Hey!
Joshua, let's go!
Let's go, buddy.
Josh!
Oh...
Ah...
(horn blaring)
(baby crying)
(babies fussing and crying)
(woman speaking indistinctly
over P.A.)
Oh, my little worm.
Oh, God, I love her so much.
Hello, sweetie.
She looks like...
She...
(laughing)
(laughter continues)
Look at this little...
(laughing)
Hey.
Did it hurt, Mommy?
Oh, yeah, it did, but not anymore.
(piano playing gentle melody)
(piano continues playing)
Oh,you did?
- (speaking gibberish)
- (barks)
Oh, not you, Buster.
Oh, Buster!
Baby, I thought we were
keeping him locked up.
Okay, okay.
You been listening to Bartok?
(playing gentle melody)
I'll see your Bartok
and raise you one
Rodgers and Hammerstein.
You hammer any
of these nails yourself?
Uh, no, Dad, we had a contractor.
I can't imagine what that cost you.
Shame, nothing like putting
your own sweat into a home.
Oh, there's sweat in here,
believe me.
HAZEL: By the way it's not rare
to have a grandmother
stay and help with the newborn.
- Oh, no...
- It would be my pleasure.
- No, Hazel.
- (baby fussing)
We're fine.
Are you sure, Abby?
Yes, Mom, we'll be fine.
- Because, you should have help.
- (fussing)
No.
HAZEL: At least have a nanny.
I mean, isn't that what
rich people do in New York?
- Mom, we're fine, really.
- We're also not crazy
about this idea of
a stranger living here.
Well, you would hardly notice me.
(playing stops)
These ten little Indians
are all out of arrows.
Well, I hope you won't
make me sing, Ned.
A glorious light
should shine, Hazel.
(Hazel laughing)
You flatterer.
NED:
You know, I don't know
if you were interested
in seeing a show.
I can get you tickets.
HAZEL: I only want to see
one of your shows, Ned.
Well, you're three years
too late on that one.
Aw, but what a success.
(begins playing classical piece)
Mmm, I suppose.
Oh, this is the piece that he's
playing for the school recital.
Uh-huh. Can he play, like,
"Jesus is my Savior" or...
BRAD:
I don't think so, Mom.
Oh, that's a shame.
(continues playing)
Abby, do you think
you could part with that
bundle of joy for just a second?
I need some cuddle time.
Oh!
Oh, precious little lady.
Look at you!
Oh, well, she sure has that
solid-as-a-rock Cairn chin,
doesn't she?
JOE:
You can tell she's salt of the earth.
You can just tell.
So, sis... how is everything?
Fine, how are you?
I'm fine, how are you feeling?
I'm feeling fine.
I'm good... I am.
Neddy, I'm good, I'm great even.
No blues? No blahs?
Nope.
'Cause I have some exquisite
medication I can get you.
(laughs):
No, it's nothing like last time.
Nothing.
Good.
(playing grows louder)
ABBY:
Joshua.
Do you think we could have
a little intermission?
Hmm?
I wonder how many rats
live in this building?
Joshua.
I'm guessing at least a hundred.
Joshua!
Do you think we can keep
it quiet for the baby?
(muffled hammering)
HAZEL:
What's that?
Lunch break is probably over.
That's, uh...
that's gut renovation
on the penthouse.
JOE:
How charming.
You baptizing this one?
Oh, well, you know, since we
didn't baptize Joshua, we're...
ABBY:
Yeah, I think it's time for Lily's nap.
So that's a no to baptism?
BRAD:
Uh, I think, you know, we're going to let
our kids make up their
own minds about religion.
Hey, why don't we all
sing Lily a sleep tight song?
ABBY:
Good idea.
NED:
Come on, everybody.
- Come on.
- All right.
BRAD:
It's going to be okay.
It's okay, Ma.
- (single note plays on piano)
- (baby fussing)
- (playing piano)
- # Twinkle, twinkle, little star #
# How I wonder what you are #
# Up above the world so high #
# Like a diamond in the sky #
# Twinkle, twinkle...#
- Oh, my God.
- Oh, my Lord.
Sorry. I'm sorry.
(Joshua retching)
BRAD:
You feeling better?
What's going on over here?
Did you feed Nero today?
Yeah?
Dad?
Yeah.
I don't like soccer.
I-I thought I did,
and I wanted to...
but I don't.
Oh...
Well, you know, that's...
that's okay, you know?
I don't like baseball either.
Well, that's all right.
You ch... you do something else.
You can do whatever you want.
You know?
Do you ever feel weird, Dad?
Weird?
Yeah, yeah, sometimes.
Like if I don't exercise
for a while
or wake up in the middle
of a dream...
or have too much
coffee or something.
Do you ever feel weird about me?
(laughs softly)
Your weird son?
No.
No, no, no, no, not at all.
Not at all.
You know that magic trick
where the magician puts
the person in the box
and spins the box
and makes the person disappear?
Yeah?
I know how that trick is done.
If you look carefully, you can tell.
Well, you know, hey,
maybe magic is your thing.
We could take you to a magic store.
Get you some tricks.
You know, you don't have to love me.
That's not like a rule or something.
But I do love you.
You're my son. You're my boy.
I'll always love you,
no matter what.
Okay?
(static clicking softly)
(low breathy sound over monitor)
Brad.
BRAD:
Mm?
Brad.
Hmm?
Do you hear that?
Hmm? What?
I think there's someone
in the baby's room.
(static clicking softly)
No, that's static, sweetie.
No, there's someone in Lily's room.
Abby, wait a second.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Sweetie?
Abby.
Damn it.
She's breathing, right?
She's fine, sweetie.
She's fine.
I thought she was choking
or something.
It's amazing how tiny they are.
ABBY:
It's almost heartbreaking.
(piano music begins playing
classical piece)
(piano continues playing)
(baby cooing)
Hey, did you walk the dog?
Okay, let's roll, little man.
(mumbles)
(baby fussing)
Oh.
Oh, don't cry.
(piano continues playing)
Um, yeah, put it on the...
put it on the desk.
All right, thanks a lot.
Listen, hey, I'm running late.
I got to... Okay.
Hey, buddy.
How you doing?
High five. Down low.
Two. Hey, hey, come on.
You all right?
Okay.
I'll see you later.
Hey!
(continues playing
classical piece)
Did you solve them all already?
(piano continues playing)
And ten million's the minimum
for this particular fund.
Of course... of course
we would love your support,
but ten is the number.
It's not six.
(mumbles)
(whispers)
Yeah.
(piano continues playing)
(slide projector clicks)
WOMAN:
Okay, now let's
take a moment talking
about how and why
these ancient people
embalmed their dead.
BOY:
Mummies?
Yes, mummies.
(laughs)
Oh, you're like a bird
trapped in a garage.
Yeah. That's...
Come on.
Serve.
(whistle blows)
(piano continues playing)
(piano continues playing)
(door opening)
(piano playing stops)
(resumes playing,
finishes piece)
(keys clattering)
(Brad humming)
Hey.
Hey, I didn't see you there.
ABBY:
Brad...
- BRAD: Sweetie, I'm...
- It ricochets.
I'm cultured, I swear.
- (laughing)
- See?
(baby coos)
God.
You know,
someone died in this apartment.
BRAD:
Oh, yeah?
Really?
I-I-I... I'm pretty sure
that's not true.
If you think
about it,
someone has died
on pretty much every inch
of this planet.
You know, dig down anywhere,
and you'll find bones.
(Abby laughs)
ABBY:
I don't know. I thinkyou...
We'd probably know if
someone was killed here.
I didn't say killed.
Why do you think killed?
Do you have that sense, too?
(Brad chewing loudly)
Nobody died here, man.
Are you sure?
ABBY (laughing):
I'm pretty sure.
Kind of sure.
(baby cooing)
What? Tell him about it.
(talking gibberish)
Tell him about your shots.
She had her shots today.
BRAD:
Oh,yeah?
Yeah. She was so good.
- I was a mess, however.
- Ah...
Oh, you poor thing.
What was I like as a baby?
BRAD:
You were great.
You were... you were very, uh...
You had a lot of... spirit.
- (clears throat)
- (laughs)
You certainly knew
what you wanted,
that's for sure.
What did I want?
Ah...
We could never tell.
But I was all right?
You...
Yeah.
ABBY (laughing):
You were fine.
BRAD:
You were great.
You really were.
You were a good kid.
(baby crying)
BRAD: Oh, yes, here we are
with Joshua, eight days old.
BRAD:
Mommy... and son.
ABBY:
Brad, what are you doing?
BRAD (upper crust accent): I'm just trying
to get a slice of life here, you see.
Well, not now.
Please just get out of here.
(shushing baby)
BRAD: Mommy's very tired,
very tired, and she's trying to...
ABBY:
Brad, fuck off.
BRAD:
Just give a little... Okay. Okay.
Just leave me alone right now.
BRAD:
Okay, okay, okay. Okay, okay.
(baby crying)
BRAD (whispers):
I'll stop, I'll stop, I'll stop.
BRAD:
And here we are behind the scenes
- with Brad and Abby Cairn.
- (baby crying and screaming)
- Hello, Mommy!
- Brad...
BRAD:
Okay, okay, okay...
- (baby screams)
- BRAD: Ow!
ABBY:
Get out!
(baby crying)
(Abby sniffles)
(baby crying)
(Abby inhales deeply)
ABBY:
I'm fine, I'm fine.
(crying):
I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine.
I'm fine.
(exhales loudly)
(whispers): I'm fine. I'm fine,
I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm fine.
(Abby sniffles, baby cries)
(baby crying)
I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine.
(baby crying)
(loud static)
(volume increases)
(crowd murmuring)
(laughing):
What's going on with you?
MAN:
Hey, it's the new parents.
- BRAD: Hey, how you been?
- Brad!
BRAD:
Fred, Ruth, how you guys doing? Hey...
- Hello, Abernathys.
- WOMAN: Hello.
Where you guys been?
- South Africa.
- BRAD: Oh, nice.
My mother finally died.
Oh, sorry.
The weather was unbelievable.
I caught the biggest
shark you've ever seen.
- Mm. Really...?
- WOMAN: So, how's the new girl?
It's Lily, right?
ABBY:
Yeah. She's good.
You look fabulous.
- Yeah.
- BRAD: No kidding.
- Thank you.
- BRAD: What do you use for...?
- Well, you finally had another. That's great.
- Yeah.
MAN: It took me three hours
to bring in that shark.
Hey, how's Tommy?
Well, we'll see. Uh...
The trumpet was a real mistake.
There is a reason
- that nobody plays the trumpet.
- (laughter)
So, are we all prepared for
an hour of unspeakable music?
Speak for your own child.
I tell you, two kids really
changes everything, huh?
- (Abby clears throat)
- MAN: Try three.
(laughs)
All right, we'll see you out there.
- Okay.
- Break a leg.
- Okay.
- BRAD: Okay.
(sighs)
I hate these people.
(whispers)
Shh, shh, shh, shh. Hey, keep it down.
(sighs):
Are we these people?
It's just a school, baby.
Hey, bullshit.
It is not just a school.
- It's a way of life.
- Shh, shh.
And we're smack dab
in the middle of it.
- Hi.
- Hey.
(sighs)
(whispers):
There he is.
Sorry, I'm late, sis.
Yeah, whatever.
You're right on time.
(applause)
(playing slowly and off-key)
# Ave Maria #
# Gratia plena... #
(playing off-key and badly)
(playing high notes)
(applause, crowd murmuring)
(playing "Twinkle, Twinkle
Little Star" fluidly)
(whispers):
What's he doing?
(plays a wrong note)
Uh, I don't know.
(plays a wrong note)
(plays fluidly)
(plays discordant note)
(plays discordant note)
(plays fluidly)
(plays discordant note)
(plays two discordant notes)
(plays fluidly)
(plays occasional
discordant notes)
(plays more discordant notes)
(plays many atonal notes)
BRAD:
This is... This is...
This is all...
This is all wrong.
No. Actually, I think he's...
he's hitting every note.
(playing atonal music)
(crowd murmuring)
(plays atonal music assuredly)
(plays atonal music
loudly and confidently)
(music crescendos)
ABBY:
Joshua? Oh,Joshua...
(loud, muffled,
panicked voices)
MAN:
Excuse me!
(muffled voices)
BRAD:
You all right?
Hey, hey.
- ABBY: You okay?
- You're okay.
He's okay.
You okay, buddy?
Say something.
- You okay?
- Come on, buddy, let's go.
Bring him...Just let me bring him.
MAN:
First I thought he was kidding around with...
(sighs heavily)
What were you doing up there?
You were probably just nervous, huh?
NED:
Hey,
I threw up the first time
I ever went on stage.
(horn honks)
- (gasps): Oh!
- Hey, hey, hey.
Goddamn it.
Will you not drive like
a fucking idiot, please?!.
(sighs)
(sighs)
(baby monitor clicks)
(static)
(baby crying)
(gasps)
(panting)
(crying continues)
(crying)
Please. Oh, oh, oh, baby.
Honey, honey, honey.
Honey, honey, honey, honey.
- What's wrong?
- Shh, shh, shh, shh.
Nothing. She just started crying.
- What did you do?
- Shh, shh.
I didn't do anything. I...
Well, she's fine.
- I fed her not too long ago.
- Shh, shh, shh.
- Here... No, no, no.
- No, I can do it.
- I can do it, sweetie.
- No, no. Here, let me.
- I can do it.
- Let me have her.
- She's fine.
- What's going on with her?
Is it night terrors or something?
What's happening?
No. She's fine,
she's fine, she's fine.
She doesn't like it...
She likes it when you
support her h...
She's fine, she's fine.
I'm fine, okay?!.
I can handle this.
Just go to bed!
(baby crying)
Okay. Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
Come on, baby...
(baby crying)
- Dad?
-Jesus.
Oh God, you scared the...
tar out of me.
Everything all right?
Yeah, yeah, everything's fine.
How're you feeling?
You feel, you feel better?
She's crying.
Yes, she is.
(chuckles)
Come on, buddy,
back to bed, let's go.
(baby crying)
So how long has she been crying now?
- Uh, five days.
- Hmm.
Yeah, she has a slight diaper rash.
You think that, that's it?
- Could that be it?
- Well...
you know, um...
some babies just like to cry.
- (crying continues)
- Yeah.
Here you go.
(crying continues)
Not this, not again.
Not, not this one.
You know, she was,
she was perfect
until five days ago.
Maybe she just has a lot to say.
- (crying continues)
- Okay.
Could you take her for a second?
Yeah, sure.
(crying continues)
(kids laughing)
(quacking)
(quacking)
(rock on headphones)
Where have you been?
Hey, what's...
(baby crying)
What is that, is that the,
is that the baby
- or the dog?
- Or me?
- What?
- Take a deep breath, Brad.
That's our life you're smelling.
Give me the binky.
Wait.
Good God, ma...
Mommy's upset, huh?
- (crying continues)
- Oh, no, little baby.
Look we have the binky.
The binky's here.
There's the binky.
Yeah.
- (crying continues)
- (humming)
Shh, shh, shh, shh,
shh, shh, shh, shh.
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
(softly cries)
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
(door creaking)
Hey, pal.
Hi.
What's going on here?
What areyou...
what are you doing
with all your stuff?
I'm giving it away,
- to the poor.
- (chuckles)
You're giving it away to the poor?
Every one of your toys?
Josh...
You know, these,
these toys aren't cheap.
I'm starting over.
Starting over?
From what?
Mom said I could.
Mom said you could.
Uh-huh.
Yeah, of course she did, well...
at least you're keeping Pandy.
Dad, is Mommy all right?
Yeah, yeah,
she's just tired, pal.
Why do you ask?
Nothing.
Lily asleep?
Yeah, I got her to fall asleep.
Pretty good, huh?
You're better at it than Mommy.
(laughs)
I'm not sure about that.
You are. Really.
What's going on with your hair here?
Huh, what is it, made of plastic?
Hey, I know things have
been kind of stressful
around here lately.
It can't be easy for you.
You okay?
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
What areyou...
what are you doing?
In Egypt,
when they embalmed
people, like pharaohs,
they broke the nose
and removed the brain
through the opening.
Ahh.
(chuckling):
Josh, that's...
They drained the body
of all its fluid
on a special stone slab.
Josh...
Josh,Josh,
Josh, wh-wh-why are you doing that?
Why... don't...
This guarantees him
a glorious afterlife.
(humming)
They chanted
something, too,
but I'm making that part up.
(grunting)
Filthy animal.
You filthy, filthy animal.
Oh...
That's right.
You're a disgusting dog.
(panting)
No, no, Brad!
- Huh?
- Buster.
No!
What's wrong?
- (barking)
- All right, come on, come on.
Come on, Buster.
Let's go, come on.
I mean can't your parents take him?
No.
They can't take him.
(sobbing)
What's wrong, sweetie?
Nice that everything is quiet.
Ugh, are you kidding me?
I still hear her echo.
Sweetie, what's, what's going on?
You okay?
I love you bunches.
I love ya.
(sighs)
Sweetie.
Look at this, this is beautiful.
All right, come on, that's my side.
Let's go.
I'm gonna take a look at this.
Let me get, let me get
a little slice of this.
(sighing):
Please.
Don't worry
about Lily,
I'm gonna feed her tonight, okay.
Okay, but you have
to warm the breast milk.
No problem.
You look so good.
Look at this, voluptuous.
This is so nice.
That's Latin for fat pig.
No, baby, this is
just good clean fun.
This is beautiful.
It's love.
Come on, sweetie.
Not in the mood, huh?
Oh, we can't have sex anyway.
Well, we can do other things.
You know, like...
- (skittering upstairs)
- stuff.
You know...
Do you hear that?
What?
I think someone's upstairs.
Yeah, well, maybe
it's the owners
checking up on the progress.
At 10:30?
You know I love the
smell of your pits.
- Brad...
- Maybe it's rats, I don't know.
Maybe, there's got
to be a hundred
in this building.
- Don't worry about it.
- No, not now, okay.
May- Maybe soon but not now.
Okay.
- (sighs)
- (exhales)
(distant phone rings)
(exhales)
Hey!
Not good, huh?
No, no, it was...
It was an aggressive position,
but it'll work out.
- I hope.
- Hey, I got to take off
- early.
- Yeah?
Yeah.
Reason?
Teacher-parent meeting.
Send the nanny,
that's what I do.
(laughing):
That's funny.
Not a joke.
It'll be up a point
by the time the market closes.
Now that is a joke.
It's... I'll see you tomorrow.
(chuckles)
Thanks, pal.
(baby crying)
(Abby sighs)
(mumbling):
I don't know.
- I don't know what it is.
- Mmm.
You pick her up
and she cries,
you put her down and she cries.
I don't know.
I don't know why you just
don't hire a nanny.
Get Mary Poppins for Christ's sake.
Did Brad put you up to this?
No.
I'm just saying you need a break.
Go... shopping, go out to dinner.
Go get a hotel room and take a nap.
Just get out of here
for a little while.
It'll do everybody some good.
I could never leave her
with anybody else.
Have you spoken to your shrink?
So sick of shrinks.
I've given them 17 years,
what have they given me?
A migraine.
I'm just saying
you got to stay
on top of these things.
Speaking from personal experience.
I mean, I'm a little worried here.
(distant baby crying)
Look at this.
Look at this, maybe I'm...
maybe I'm not providing for her.
Well, that's quite a device.
It looks like you're giving
oxygen to your tit.
Shut up.
Oh, I was kidding.
No, you shut up!
Oh, please.
- (crying)
- I was kidding.
Look, it's not all that bad.
And it's... shh.
It's gonna get better.
This is the slog.
This is the slog, right?
Soon enough our little
Lily's gonna be adorable
and all of this is
gonna be forgotten.
(crying stops)
See.
ABBY:
Oh, God, please.
Hi, honey.
Joshua, my boy.
Can I go out for a bit, Mom?
- Sure.
- Off to bury the evidence, huh?
ABBY:
Where are you going?
I have some more toys for Goodwill.
Okay, but just come home
right afterwards, yeah?
You let him walk the
streets by himself,
at nine years old?
Oh, come on.
I mean, does he seem like
your typical nine-year-old?
Yeah, I suppose not.
BRAD:
Mrs., uh...
DANFORTH:
Ms. Danforth.
Ms. Danforth, hi..
- Yes, hi..
- Hi..
Yeah, I'm sorry I'm late.
Oh, no that's fine.
I, uh...
got tied up.
Hey, which one's his desk?
Oh, it's right here.
Front and center.
Oh, well, that's good,
eager beaver, huh?
(giggles)
Um... yeah.
Oh, um,
can I ask a question, Ms. Danforth?
Yes, Mr. Cairn.
- (giggles)
- (chuckles)
Joshua, he's, uh...
How smart is he?
Well, this might be getting
ahead of ourselves,
but we think Joshua
might benefit
by skipping a grade,
maybe two.
Hmm.
Yeah, we're so different.
Me and my son.
My son and I...
I-I-I, uh...
You know, I'd probably
be the kid in the class
who picked on him
'cause he was different.
Hey, where are the
animals in the...?
Oh, a couple of weeks
ago, they all died.
It was a horrible day.
Oh, that is horrible.
What happened?
We think maybe there was
a fungus in the food pellets.
We've contacted the manufacturer.
In fact, we're using it as
an exercise in consumer rights.
(baby crying)
(crying continues)
(crying)
(glass breaking)
Clumsy, Abby.
Yeah, she's so clumsy
when she's tired.
Mm-hmm.
You were right.
There are ghosts here.
Everywhere there are ghosts.
Um...
Joshua, um,
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Come here.
(glass crunching, gasps)
Oh.
Oh... oh, God.
Poor, clumsy Abby.
(glass drops)
Oh.
Oh, I feel it.
You know, and it
feels kind of prickly.
Hmm.
Oh... oh, yeah.
You know, I used to have
a pair of red boots.
My God, they were so sexy.
- (door closes)
- Hey.
Hey. How are you, sis?
I'm so glad you could come.
She's a trooper.
I can, I can stay.
No, no, no, go home.
Go home, we'll be fine.
We're good, get some sleep.
I'll see you later.
(piano plays)
(door opens)
BRAD:
Hello?
(door closes)
(keys rattle)
Hey, hey, buddy.
What you doing?
Huh?
Scoot over.
Is Mommy going to get better?
Yes, she will.
Look what I got.
I got you a book.
Valley of the Kings.
Pretty cool, huh?
You like that?
Thank you so much.
You're welcome so much.
You know, people
say the Met,
but the Brooklyn Museum's
the place to go for Egyptian art.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
Your father's a wealth
of information.
You didn't know that, did you?
Maybe we'll go sometime.
Hey, there she is.
Hi, sweetie.
- How are ya?
- How're you doing?
I'm good.
You look tired.
- Oh.
- (mumbles gibberish)
(laughs)
How are they doing?
Good and it's fine here.
Everything is quiet.
Lily settled down, Abby's in bed.
You should take a nap, too.
- Yeah.
- It's the weekend, for heaven sakes.
Go on and get some sleep.
I appreciate you
coming all this way.
Please, will you go have a rest?
Thanks, but I'm not tired.
- Look, I'm here so you can relax.
- Okay.
ABBY:
Hazel, I don't need another goddamn thing.
Hey, hey, hey, ooh.
Slow down. It's me.
How's your foot?
It's fine.
Are you pumping?
Yeah, I'm pumping.
You know,
if your saint of a mother's
going to be feeding
Lily at night,
she's going to need some milk.
Abby...
Don't take Lily away from me.
Of course not, of course
I'm not going to take her...
She needs me, not some
dried up old sponge.
Abby, Abby, Abby.
Sweetie.
Y-you...
Let's all try to get along,
you know what I mean?
Come on.
I know, I know.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
She's here to help.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
I got your prescriptions.
This is for your foot,
and this is going to makeyou...
feel better.
It'll help your, uh...
You know what I mean?
Can I breast-feed?
No.
No, sweetie,
but this is,
this is just a hurdle.
Abby, you know, once you get
over this hurdle,
you can ease off the medication.
You can start breast-feeding again.
It's just a few weeks,
maybe a month.
That's all.
I'm going to take care
of everything, you know?
I'm going to take
care of the laundry.
I'm going to take care of Lily.
Don't you worry.
Okay?
Mommy, Daddy?
Hey, sport.
I'm going to go and walk the dog.
Okay, sport.
Just around the block.
-JOSHUA: Mommy, Daddy?
- Yeah?
I love you.
When did you start
calling him "sport"?
(keyboard clacking)
(clears throat):
Hey.
- Tough week, huh?
- Yeah.
(blows raspberry)
I think it's getting better.
I mean, Lily's slowly
figuring life out.
And I think Abby's
starting to see
the light at the end of the tunnel.
I don't know.
Excuse me?
I mean, all in all, I'm positive.
Oh, well, I am so relieved.
See I thought
we were losing money
hand over fist.
I thought we were
on the verge
of losing a year's gains
in the matter of a month.
I thought we were fucked.
But as long
as everybody's happy
at home, then I just-
I feel so much better.
Okay, uh, I know it looks bad.
It is bad!
Our long is looking short!
Okay, okay.
But we've got to sit tight.
It's just a little sell-off
and then it'll be a big buyback.
It's gonna work out, Chester.
It's gonna get better.
Hazel, you don't have to do that.
Oh, I enjoy it.
I'm having a grand old time.
And where is Lily?
- Napping.
- Oh.
(muttering)
(distant pounding, whirring)
(racquetball bouncing)
(cell phone ringing)
- Fuck!
- Sorry.
Sorry.
(phone continues ringing)
Yeah?
(door unlocks)
Where, where is he?
He's in the kitchen, sweetie.
(bag drops)
(sobbing):
Oh, Buster.
Hey, pal.
(sniffling)
Oh, no.
(sobbing)
(imitating Brad):
Oh, Buster.
(sniffling):
Hey, pal.
No!
(sobbing)
Well, what should we do for food?
I-I don't know.
I'm not going into that kitchen.
They'll be here soon.
Did he eat anything in the park?
Joshua? Hey.
Did-did he eat anything in the park?
Anything peculiar at all?
No.
And then you took him right home?
(snapping fingers):
Josh?
- Did you take him right home?
- Yeah.
(Lily begins crying)
Did you give him anything at all?
Did you give him anything?
Brad, he was an old dog.
Every dog has its day, and
Buster had a shitty fucking day.
(doorbell buzzing)
Join the club.
(Lily crying)
(doorbell buzzing)
Wait, wait, wait.
(unzipping)
We should keep this.
(Lily crying)
(Lily crying over monitor)
(thumping and pounding overhead)
Brad?
Yeah, sweetie?
You have to come home right now.
They're coming through the ceiling.
(drilling and hammering)
Hmm?
They're coming through the ceiling.
Hi!
Hi, sweetie.
We have to hurry.
Okay.
W-where is it?
Is it in the bathroom?
I don't understand. Is it...
Uh... I'm sorry? Where?
Shit.
Uh-huh.
There's nothing?
No, I mean, uh...
There's a crack up there,
but I mean,
that crack has been there forever.
Is everything okay?
Because I've got to...
I've got to be at Midtown...
for the...
- (sobbing)
- What's going on?
Look at me.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
It's okay, but now I've got to go.
(sighing)
Sweetie.
I'm so sorry.
I'm sorry.
I love our kids.
I love our kids, too.
Reach to Him, the hand
that is always there!
The hand of Jesus.
He is always there!
Reach to Him
and He will embrace you!
He will prepare you.
He will arm you
with the sword of righteousness
so you will not have
to fight this battle alone!
(sawing and hammering)
(sawing and hammering
grows louder)
We have big news.
Good news.
What is it?
Joshua.
I want to get born again.
(laughing)
You what?
I took Joshua to
a prayer meeting today
and he was touched by the spirit.
Weren't you, son?
And he wants to get
right with Christ.
Well, too bad his mom
is a big, fat Jew.
Mom.
Well, his father is
a proud, strong Christian.
And Joshua made this
decision for himself.
Mom...
- I'm-I'm sorry, but that's not happening.
- No.
Well, you said it was his decision.
And he's old enough now
to make that decision.
Mom, I think we have some say.
Well, you said
that it was his decision.
- ABBY: You fucking bitch.
- Mom.
- Abby, Abby, Abby.
- No, no, no, no.
No! No!
No child of mine
is going to grow up to be
a goddamn Evangelical nutcase.
Okay, okay.
Okay, Abby.
No! You've been whispering
poison into his ears.
You fucking narrow-minded
medieval scold.
Abby! Abby!
You know, Abby,
I feel sorry for you.
That motherhood is such a chore.
You know what?
Get out of my house!
Okay, okay, let's-let's turn down
the volume a little bit here, okay?
You know, maybe
you should try Christ
instead of all those pills.
You know what? Get out!
Ow!
Calm down, calm down.
(sobbing)
It's always a battle,Joshua.
Just hold tight to your sword.
BRAD:
Mom, I'm just saying he's young.
He doesn't know, he doesn't know
what he wants yet, okay?
And he's reading the...
the Bible!
And my-my-my wife,
just as things are
starting to get good...
now I've got to medicate her...
because... because
you crossed the line.
Now is not the time, Mom.
I-I need you here.
Wait a second.
Wait a sec.
Wait one second, little man.
Now I want you to listen.
I have been quiet and nice
the last few weeks.
But now I have something to say.
This is no place for a family.
This is not a home.
This is my home.
No, this is a house.
It's an apartment.
(sniffling):
It's not a home.
Okay.
All this shouting
and this rage and anger,
you know, that infects
a soul, Bradley.
You know that.
Regardless of God.
Okay, okay, okay.
So stop acting
like a boy,
and start acting like a man.
And take care of your family!
You leave New York.
You come home.
You've been playing
city long enough.
It's time to grow up, Bradley.
Once and for all.
(footsteps approaching)
(sighs)
So, you love Jesus, huh?
Go to bed.
(indistinct crowd chatter,
birds chirping)
(distant chatter
of children)
(children screaming
and chattering)
MAN:
Can you help me out, little man?
Just something.
Anything.
I'm no chooser here.
(children shouting)
I'll give you five dollars
if I can throw a rock at you.
(door opening)
NED:
Knock, knock.
(gasps)
Hello, hello, hello!
(laughs)
Hazel, are
you ready
for your big night out on the town?
(laughs)
Dinner at Joe Allen's
followed
by the magic of...
The Lion King.
(laughing):
Oh, Ned.
I can't wait. Uh...
Let me just, uh,
quickly fix my face.
(horn honks)
BRAD:
Honey, I can't...
I can't get home right now, okay?
I'm expecting a thing of beauty.
Sleep tight.
Hi. You know I...
You know I told you
I need to nail this tomorrow, right?
You know, I told you this
a million times, right?
Joshua's fine, everyone's fine.
Okay, listen to me,
listen to me, listen, listen.
Shh, shh, shh, listen, listen.
Just be the wonderful mother
that you are, okay?
And everything's going
to be just fine.
- I got to go, okay?
- (baby crying through phone)
Just... I got to go,
I got to go. I love you.
Hey.
(inhales and exhales deeply)
(sniffles)
- (gasps)
- Mommy?
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
(door squeaking)
(heavy sigh)
Ah, she finally fell asleep.
(laughs)
(shallow breathing)
Are you okay, Mommy?
Yeah,yeah.
I just...
(sniffles)
Mommy's just being silly.
(laughs)
You know, hormones.
What moans?
(laughs)
N-Never mind.
(inhales shallow breath)
So...
Are we safe, Mommy?
Well, what do you mean?
Does Daddy love me?
Of course he loves you.
Yes, he loves you very, very much.
Yeah.
But not like a mommy.
(sighs heavily)
Can we play together?
(sniffles
loudly)
Yeah. Yeah, let's play a game, huh?
What do you want to
play, backgammon?
Hide-and-seek.
Hide-and-seek?
Oh. Well, I...
Okay, fine.
Good. I'll hide, you seek.
Yeah, I figured as much.
You close your eyes and count to 50.
Okay.
And Mommy?
Yeah?
No peeking.
Okay.
(sniffles loudly)
(sighs)
One, two, three,
four, five,
six, seven,
eight, nine, ten,
Ready or not, here I come.
I'm going to get you.
Are you here?
Where are you?
(creaking)
(singsongy):
Where are you?!.
Huh?
Where are you?
(sighs)
Joshua!
(sighs)
(door creaking)
You know how to get a-a
Polish guy out of a tree?
(laughs)
A one-armed Polish
guy out of a tree.
I-I already messed it up.
(phone ringing)
(laughs):
You wave to him.
That's a...
little ditty I...
(laughs)
- (phone beeps on)
- Hello. What's up?
What?
Joshua!
Where are you?!.
(crying)
Oh.
(sighs)
(door squeaks, Abby panting)
(groaning and gasping in pain)
(door closes)
(panting)
(panting)
(door creaking)
(panting)
(creaking)
Honey?
(boards creaking)
(sighs)
Lily?
(boards creaking)
Lily?!.
(heavy door slamming)
(door creaking)
Oh, Christ.
(door opening)
(panting)
(door creaking)
Abby, you in here?
(Brad panting)
Sweetie?
(panting)
Abby?
Sweetie?
(panting)
Oh, baby.
(boards creaking)
Oh, sweetie.
It's okay.
It's okay.
Everything's fine.
You're going to be okay, sweetie.
You're going to be okay.
Everything's going to be okay.
You're okay.
You're my angel.
You're my little angel.
Hey, kiddo, you okay?
- (moans)
- Shh!
It's okay, sweetie.
It's okay.
It's okay.
Did you get hurt?
Are you hurt?
Lily's fine.
See, look.
She's asleep in her crib.
She's fine. See?
- Okay?
- You!
Sweetie, sweetie.
You!
Did you even look for me, Mommy?
(Abby screams)
- You!
- Abby! Abby! Abby!
- (Abby screams)
- Abby!
- (crying and screaming)
- Abby, come here.
BRAD:
Ah! You scratched me!
(plays notes)
NED:
Sorry I- (clears throat)
I didn't go inside.
It's the smell.
- BRAD: Yeah.
- You know, it brings up...
unpleasant memories.
- You got a light?
- Yeah.
(lighter clicks)
How is she?
She's pretty heavily medicated.
- Good.
- (chuckles)
The doctor said she hasn't
been taking her medication,
but I... I-I-I made sure every day.
- I mean, I thought I was on top of that.
- Yeah.
- You know?
- We Davidoffs are crafty.
She's probably cheeking the dose.
Why, why? Why would she do that?
It's the eternal question.
I've been playing
spot the loony,
but it's hard to tell.
She was really...
Yeah, I'm sorry, man.
Oh, what are you sorry about?
I feel like I let her down, dude.
Oh, come on, man.
This runs in the family.
She'll get better, she will.
It's-you've got to be optimistic.
They've made great
strides in psychotropics.
(groans)
You sure you want to do this?
Oh, Chester, I don't
think I have a choice.
You know, a lot of people
find comfort in work
when things are tough at home.
You give up on work,
you might find yourself
with nothing, chief.
I'm just taking a vacation.
Is that what you're calling it?
Yeah, two weeks vacation.
I've got personal days, too.
This is not the time for a vacation.
- I'll be checking in.
- Buddy.
Wait, are you my friend?
Are we really buddies?
Because if we are,
then you'll understand.
If we're not, that's fine.
But you're gonna have to fire me.
- Whoa, there.
- Hey, hey.
I can't- Do you love your kids?
Yeah, of course.
I-I have to be home right now.
Okay? Cover for me or don't.
Hello?
Mom? Joshua?
Anybody here?
What're you looking at?
Seth.
He's the god of chaos.
Seth?
That's the name of the god of chaos?
Pity those heathens.
Seth cut Osirus into 14 pieces.
Bad Seth.
But Seth is also good.
Without Seth, there is no order
because Seth is the only one
who can battle
the evil serpent, Apep.
- Huh.
- Apep is all bad.
Pure darkness.
He eats his own screams.
That's his only nourishment.
Enough of this myth.
If Apep swallowed you,
you become nothing.
A non-being.
Till the end of existence,
you'd remain in Apep's guts,
slowly digested for all of eternity.
And nobody would care
'cause nobody would
realize you were missing.
And then came Moses
to stop all this nonsense.
(piano playing)
HAZEL:
Practice carrying...
You'll grow into it, honey,
we all do.
(chuckles)
(footsteps)
(crying)
BRAD:
Nothing. She just started crying.
ABBY:
What did you do?
BRAD:
I didn't do anything.
Hi.
How you doing?
Going to the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
Let's go, let's go.
You know what, sweetie,
I really need to use
this little girls' room
right here for a sec, all right?
You stay right herewith the, uh...
Uh...
(man yelling)
What the fuck...
(two men yelling)
HAZEL:
Joshua!
Joshua!
Joshua!
(Lily crying)
What were you doing?!.
-Where were you?
-Where were you?!.
(Lily crying)
(crying)
Brad.
(mumbles)
(crying continues)
(crying):
So sorry. My God, Bradley.
Jesus Christ, Mom.
(crying):
I'm so sorry.
Bradley.
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
(sniffles)
(mumbles)
(cries)
You gave me such a fright.
(crying)
Shh, shh, shh.
HAZEL:
Don't! No! No! Oh! You...
(thudding, woman gasps)
Nana!
No!
WOMAN:
Does somebody have a cell phone?
I don't know...
(Joshua whimpering)
(crowd chatter)
I'm just so sorry about your mother.
I... those stairs.
They were just
an accident waiting to happen.
Yeah. I don't know
what happened, you know?
She was up there
with Josh...
Yeah.
You know, they say she slipped.
No doubt about it.
You have had one fucked-up month.
I think he pushed her.
Who?
Joshua.
Come on. That's...
Come on. You're...
You're talking
about a nine-year-old boy.
I think all of this
has been his doing.
Do you hear me?
I thinkAbby...
I think the screaming-
Lily's screaming...
There must be something we can do.
You don't understand.
I'm trying...
Maybe you should think
about talking to someone.
What are you talking about?
You mean like a shrink or something?
- Yeah.
- Yeah?
I know ifyou...
This isn't about me.
I'm talking about...
Ah! Joshua, my boy.
(whispering)
Lily's sleeping with me from now on.
Daddy?
Yes?
I'm scared.
Yeah? Well...
Daddy?
Yeah?
I don't understand.
Go to bed.
(footsteps)
(footsteps)
Daddy?
Do you like my house?
I made it last night.
I know what you're doing,Josh.
I don't know why you're
doing it, but I'm on to you.
They're just blocks, Daddy.
You're not going
to hurt anybody else.
Are you mad at me?
Do you still love me, Daddy?
I think you're sick,Josh.
I don't feel sick.
Not at all.
Why are you doing this?
Huh?
You know what
the best part is, Daddy?
(Lily crying)
(crying continues)
(crying continues)
(crying continues)
(crying continues)
(crying continues)
(ice in glass rattling)
(ice rattling)
(ice rattling)
(doorbell rings)
Hi. How are you?
Good to see you.
Really good to see you.
(conversation continues
indistinctly)
Hey, buddy, this is Dr. Polsheck.
She's here to talk to you.
Oh, no. Betsy, please.
Hello,Joshua.
Betsy's a child psychologist.
She's going to talk to you.
Yeah. Maybe you could
show me your room. I hear
you have a guinea pig.
I love guinea pigs.
My guinea pig?
Okay.
Great.
Have fun, buddy.
Do you like to draw?
Oh, I love drawing.
Keep drawing.
That's good.
That's really something.
Joshua, come here for a second.
Why don't you do me a favor,
and go in your bedroom? All right?
Just for a second?
Listen, I should be alone
with the boy, okay?
Yeah. Sure.
Do you see...? This...
this is off.
Something is wrong here.
This has got to be the sign
of some kind of...
- You got that right.
- Sociopath?
No, no, no, Mr. Cairn.
That's...
that's not it.
What is this?
This picture is
a textbook example of abuse.
Okay? That boy is being abused...
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
to such a degree that I can't...
No, no, no, no, no, no.
Let me tell you what
you're dealing with here.
- I don't care...
- He probably...
He probably researched it.
He probably looked it up
on the computer.
He probably knew exactly
what to draw.
This is abuse
I'm talking about right here.
Do you understand what I'm saying?
What areyou...?
Nobody's beating him.
I'm not... He probably...
Why are you being so defensive?
- I'm not being...
- I'm just pointing out the fact
- that your son has been abused.
- Listen, you have to...
Back off!. Okay?
Talked to your headmaster.
- You did?
- Yeah.
We agreed you're not
being challenged enough,
so we're going to send you
somewhere else far away.
You're going to learn how to ski.
It's going to be great.
But how could...?
End of discussion, little man.
No buts, okay?
You're going away.
You understand?
Hey.
Josh...Joshua!
What?
What are you looking at?
Josh?
Josh, I want you to come here
right now, you hear me?
Josh.
Hey, boy.
It's me. I want to talk to you.
We're going to talk about this.
Josh?
Joshua?
Josh!
Everything's okay, buddy.
Come on out.
I know you're here.
Listen, nothing's
set in stone, okay?
(to himself):
All right, suit yourself.
Josh?
Josh!
(distant whining)
(whining grows louder)
(whining continues)
(Lily coos)
(whimpering)
(crying)
(crying continues)
(crying grows louder)
(whispers):
Joshua.
Joshua.
What are you doing?
Come out from under there.
I don't want to go.
Joshua, come on.
Come out from under there.
(sniffles)
- I want to stay here
- Shh, shh, shh, shh.
- with you and Lily...
- Shh, shh, shh.
- and Mom when she gets better.
- Shh, shh.
- Come here.
- I want to stay.
- Come on.
- Ow!
Ow!
- Come here.
- (groans)
What's going on?
Ah, oh.
My God,Joshua,
what happened to you?
- What happened?
- I slipped.
You what?
I slipped.
- I-I...
-Joshua, please tell me what happened.
- I slipped, really.
- Who did this to you?
- I slipped, really.
- Who did this to you?!.
- I slipped.
- You tell me who did it to you.
Look, it's just there, okay?
That's all.
It doesn't hurt much.
Okay, okay, okay, I'm sorry.
(cries)
I'm sorry, I'm sorry,
I'm sorry, okay?
- Stay, stay with me.
- Shh, shh, shh.
- Stay.
-Josh.
- I got to go check...
- Stay.
I got to check on Lily.
- Stay with me.
- I got to go.
Stay like you used to.
You're gonna...
Stay with me like you used to.
Okay, okay, okay, shh,
shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
Just go to sleep.
Just go to sleep.
Just go to sleep, buddy.
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
(gasps)
Josh? Josh.
Shh. She's almost done.
You were hungry this
morning, weren't you?
It's a beautiful day.
After this, how about
we go outside and play?
(children shouting playfully
in distance)
Joshua...
Beware of the Jabberwock.
What?
(cries)
Shh...
shh, shh, shh, shh.
(crying continues)
Did he just...
just take your fuckin' binky?!.
(crying continues)
Joshua.
Joshua.
Joshua!
Where's Lily's binky?
- (Lily crying)
-Joshua!
(crying continues)
Joshua, come down.
Josh.
Josh.
(Lily crying)
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
Shh, shh, shh, shh.
It's okay, it's okay.
(crying continues)
Come on.
Let's go.
Come on, let's go.
I'm talking to you.
You better come down here right now.
- You better come down here right now.
-Joshua.
(Lily crying)
-Joshua.
-Joshua.
-Joshua...
-Joshua.
I'm not fucking around
with you right now,
you understand me?
Come down right now.
Come down right now.
Goddamn it!
- WOMAN: Bobby, get down from...
- Where is it?
- Where is it?
- Where is it?
- Where is it?
- Where is it?
Where's Lily's binky?
Where's Lily's binky?
- Where is it?
- Where is it?
You answer me.
- You answer your father.
- You answer your father.
Answer your father!
No, no, no, Daddy!
(woman gasps in distance)
(onlookers murmuring)
Josh.
I'm sorry.
Nobody will ever love you.
(stifled moans)
(ominous music plays)
(door opens)
Oh, Chester, thank God.
- Hey, buddy.
- Sit down, sit down.
What's going on here?
When am I getting bail?
Not till Monday.
Don't you know?
Never beat up your kid
in public on the weekend.
Chester, um, I-I appreciate
you coming.
- All right.
- I've had a long...
Whatever!
Whatever! I'm here!
You see the judge tomorrow.
I've been doing
a little snooping via a friend.
This is bad.
This is really bad.
Yeah, I know it's bad, okay?
It isn't the whole story, Chester.
We'll, let's see.
- It's not...
- Let's see.
Uh, over 30 eyewitnesses,
your boy tells the cops
he's been being abused
since his sister was born,
bruises all over his body,
a sheaf of Joshua's
drawings
that have the
authorities drooling...
Chester, goddamn it,
it isn't the whole story, okay?
- Look...
- I'm trying to tell...
I have to get out of here now.
They say you were tampering
with Abby's medication.
What? That's-that's insane.
(piano playing gentle melody)
No, look,
I don't care
if she's from
the Philippines
or Philadelphia,
I just need
someone who knows how
to take care of a baby.
Listen, if it looks like
it's for a kid,
pick it up and pack it,
okay? Thanks.
(playing "Twinkle, Twinkle,
Little Star")
Oh, for the love of God,
please, today.
Yes, yes.
Imelda sounds great.
Yes.
Great, send her over.
Thank you. Thank you, very much.
Bye.
(sighs)
Hey...
Imelda...
sounds like she is one
fabulous cook,
which makes you one
very, very lucky girl.
Want to suck on your hand instead?
Oh! Your sister's just about the
cutest thing in the whole world.
I love her more than anything.
You know, siblings
are very important
in strange times.
Speaking from experience.
Like you and Mom?
Yeah.
(plays pretty melody)
- Ned?
- Mm-hmm?
I'm glad you're here.
I mean...
you, me, th...
this feels right, doesn't it?
The way it always should have been.
(notes trailing off)
We should compose
something together.
(clears throat)
(smacks lips)
(plays plaintive chords)
# Nobody ever
called me "Daddy" #
(a capella):
# Actually, that's not true. #
Ugh!
(playing soft arpeggios)
(plays sparse melody)
# You know they
didn't ever #
# Have to love me #
# No, no, no #
# And no one will ever
love them now #
# But they always
wanted somehow #
- # To save me #
- (footsteps approaching)
# Why, oh, why? #
# For pity's sake #
# They should have
saved themselves #
# But you, you always said
I never missed a note #
# And nobody ever knew me
like you do #
# You always said
it was gonna be okay #
# I only ever really
wanted to be with you. #
(stops playing)
(acoustic guitar strums
folk-rock rhythm)
(man singing)
(music fades)
LeapinLar