Making Love (1982) Movie Script

He had this stack
of Gilbert and Sullivan records...
that just sat there next to a broken turntable
he never bothered to fix.
He said he didn't have to,
because he could close his eyes...
and hear the entire score
of Pinafore whenever he wanted to.
I told him I could too,
and I didn't have to close my eyes.
That made him smile,
and he put his arm around me...
and we sat there
and sang it together.
We slept together the day we met.
Or... maybe it was the day after.
Who remembers?
I remember actually.
I held back for a day,
because, well
because I wanted something
to look forward to, I guess.
When I first met him,
he was wearing...
a brown corduroy jacket
with elbow patches and wingtip shoes.
God, he really oversold tradition.
About a week later,
I found a package outside my door.
It was a...
first edition of poems
by Rupert Brooke.
None of this
Ode on a Grecian Urn...
My candle burns at both ends.
This was Rupert Brooke.
We wanted a baby someday, and I knew
I would have to name him Rupert.
I really had to push myself.
I really did want it
to work though1 think.
I mean
[Sighs]
You know, I've still got that stack
of goddamn Gilbert and Sullivan records.
He's gonna need someone.
I don't think he'll make it alone.
It's good to be alone again.
I can have the whole
bowl of popcorn to myself.
I feel helpless.
I would like to call him.
No more phone calls.
No more excuses.
I'm free.
Damn you, Zack!
Damn all your integrity.
I might call Zack sometime...
and give him back his records.
[ Chuckles ] What do I need with a stack
of Gilbert and Sullivan records?
[ Vehicle Approaching ]
[Horn Honks I
[Car Door Opens ]
[Car Door Closes I
- He found the key.
- Oh. Good. I hope he likes it.
- Well?
- It's not bad.
- Oh!
-I love it!
- I'll get the papers!
- Wait a minute, Lila. Not so fast.
- Let's go through it.
- Okay. Wow. It's so big.
- You scared me.
-[ Chuckles ] It's beautiful.
It has everything
we've been looking for.
And it is so underpriced for today's market.
Don't you think so, Doctor?
Well, talk to my wife, Lila.
She's the big executive. She makes all the money.
Itis a perfect location.
I mean, you have a view from every window.
Itis the ideal
young married couple's home.
It's so traditional,
but so contemporary.
You've got your
indoor-outdoor feeling...
your quiet, relaxed atmosphere.
I find this room captivating...
particularly the P&G floors.
- P&G floors?
- Peg and groove.
Aha! Oh, great chandelier.
- 1 know. I know.
- Oh, Claire, I love these beams.
Have you ever seen a house
with a layout like this before?
Really, have you ever seen a house
with a layout like this?
- Oh! Right here. Perfect! The piano.
- Yes.
- Perfect with the light.
- Uh-huh. Yes.
- Okay, where are we gonna
put the couch from New Haven?
- Uh, right there.
- Right in that corner.
- Great. And you know what?
- What?
- This wall will be perfect...
for the prints
that we got on our honeymoon.
Yeah! [ Chuckles]
Wait.
- What?
- What are we doing?
You know how much this place costs?
Lila, would you excuse us
for just a minute? Hmm?
- Come with me.
- What?
- This will do it.
- What?
-Ta-da!
- You finally found a fireplace
in the bedroom, huh?
- These are great tiles.
It's everything we've been talking about.
- 1 know.
Claire! The tile!
Show him the tile in the bathroom!
Okay, Zack.
What do you think, really, huh?
-Canwe doit?
- No.
- 1 just don't think we can afford it.
- Oh, look, come on.
You can think of something.
We could economize
in other areas.
Look. Who needs three meals a day, right?
And we could walk to work.
I mean, I know we'd have to get up
at 4:00 in the morning...
but just think how thin we'll be.
Mm.
All right. I know you're right.
We have to be sensible.
Yep.
[Sighs]
Damn.
Never find another house
with a fireplace in the bedroom.
Would you settle
for an extra blanket...
and an all-night hug?
Ohh. You two look
so perfect together in this house.
I just know you'll have
along, happy life here.
-Wecan'tdoit.
- You're a tough act to turn down...
but I'm afraid
you're gonna have to keep looking.
I gotta get back. I have one more patient.
I'll see you later.
Bye. I'm sorry.
[Sighs ] Why do we always think
it can never happen to us?
Arlene, will you do me a favor?
Will you?
Will you let me
make the diagnosis? Hmm?
-[Sobs]
- You haven't even been biopsied.
[ Sniffles ]
Maybe I can join a circus sideshow.
- Oh, now, now, now.
- [Sobbing ]
Let's get some fresh air.
Come on. I'll walk you to your car.
Okay?
You know,
if this happened to Claire...
I think it would
bring us closer than ever.
- Really?
- Yeah, really.
We would know that every time
we made love, I was making love to her...
that her body, no matter what...
was the only body
I wanted to hold.
Do you mean that?
Arlene, it may be benign.
But if we have to operate...
I think old Harry is gonna feel more needed
than he's felt in 20 years.
- You really think so?
- Yeah, I really do.
[ Exhales Deeply]
Now I know why women fall in love
with their doctors.
[ Mouthing Words ]
[ Revs Engine]
[ Chattering ]
[ Chattering Continues ]
- We're getting the house!
- Zack, really?
I can't live without P&G floors.
Oh, you!
[Squeals]
- You sure? Huh? You sure?
- I'm sure! Mm-hmm.
- Oh!
- Oh, my dears, I'm sorry.
- I'm sorry. I'll come back later.
- Oh! Winnie, it's okay.
-No.Comeonin.
-I only just brought back the Hemingway
for Claire.
- Ahh.
- Winnie, Zack said we're getting the house.
- What?
- Zack said we're getting the house!
Ohh. Oh, my dear, but that's splendid!
Oh, that's lovely.
- That's wonderful.
- Winnie.
Winnie, we will still
be over for dinner every Tuesday.
Yes, of course.
It was foolish of me...
to think that you'd
stay here forever.
-[ Chuckles]
- 1 suppose I got used to you living upstairs.
Hmm. Well, I hope you realize...
that you're going to miss some of my stories
about Lawrence Hayden-Ford...
the one Romantic poet
that Rupert Brooke held in high esteem.
Oh, Winnie, then you must sit down
and tell us one right now.
And spoil
that delicious anticipation?
No.
Well, I suppose it was time...
for a new coat of paint.
Remember.
There's great fortitude
in these old walls.
Right?
[Door Closes Softly]
Well, we we could ask her
to move in with us.
- Oh, sweetheart.
- Yeah. There's that extra
little room right on the side.
No, I love her too.
But that room is for Rupert.
- Since we're getting the house
- Uh-huh.
- What do you think
-Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm?
- Mm.
- Mmm. Did you just have a cookie?
-Mm-hmm.
- Mmm!
[ Whispers ]
You awake?
Yeah.
Can we buy a new house
every week?
[ Breathes Deeply]
Zack, what is it?
Nothing.
One of my patients.
[ Chattering ]
All right. Clear back. Switch.
- All right!
- [Hands Clapping ]
-Getin!
- Ah!
All right!
Take that, Zack! Drive em!
Hey! Over here!
- [Cheering]
- [Man] Good shot.
- Hey, Ben.
-Mm-hmm?
I was talking to Alan Baker the other day.
You'll never guess who he ran into.
-Who?
- Maxine DeMarco. [ Laughing ]
She used to drive up from Bridgeport
every weekend, take on the whole dorm.
Ah, but she made these
great oatmeal cookies.
Yeah, Charlie. What'd we call her?
Betty Crocker!
- What's the difference? A meal's a meal.
- [Laughing]
Geez. Nobody grows up anymore.
It's a lost art, Charlie.
- Your game was a little off tonight.
- Yeah, I know.
- Everything okay?
-Mm-hmm.
I'm just wiped out, that's all.
We just moved
into the new house this week.
- Man, the girls are waiting for us.
- All right! 'm coming!
- Jd [ Country, Fast Tempo]
- [Men Whooping ]
[Singing]
Hey. I like these guys.
- Hi.
- Are you next?
I'm gonna get up on that stage
and I'm gonna sing my heart out.
- And they're gonna like me, I just know they are.
- All right.
- 1 hope they do.
- That's the spirit, kid. Get right up there.
- JJ [Ends]
- [Cheering]
[ Microphone Feedback ]
And now our final contestant
from Chatsworth.
- All right!
- Let's have a big hand for Lucie Lee Prescott!
- [Cheering]
- [Claire ] Okay. Good luck!
Jd [ Country, Slow Tempo I
[Singing Poorly ]
It's easier to sing a sad song
- [Murmuring]
- Thanitis to just walk away
-[ Murmuring Continues ]
- [Man] Take a walk!
[Singing Continues, indistinct
- Get off!
- [Woman ] Get off, honey!
[Booing]
- She's hopeless.
- She's trying.
[ Booing Continues ]
Jo [ Continues, Indistinct ]
- [Man] Go home!
- [Booing Continues]
Aw. Well, well, well.
[ Booing Continues ]
It ain't hard to guess
who's gonna be taking home...
that booby prize tonight,
is it, folks?
- [Laughter]
- But you keep practicing, honey,
and come back real soon.
- We can do worse than that.
- Let's award the first prize
- Oh! Wait a minute!
- Oh, no! No, no, no!
- No, no.
- Warm up your hands. Get ready for these folks.
Now, where's
Oh, now, what's going on here, folks?
- We want to enter the contest.
- Well, what can I call you?
- Uh, Captain.
- And Buttercup.
All right, folks. Looks like we got
one more final contestant here...
so let's really hear it now
for the Captain and I'l Buttercup.
- [Cheering]
- [ Amplified Blowing ]
- What do you wanna do?
-[ Clears Throat] Pinafore.
[ Piano: Country, Slow Tempo
Ahhh.
- Very good. Very good. [ Chuckles ]
-[ Chuckles]
Jd [ Both Singing Terribly ]
[Man] Oh, no!
- Get 'em off!
-Come on!
-[ Laughing ] Shit.
- [Singing Continues
[Booing]
[ Howling ]
They don't like us any better.
Well, it looks like Lucie Lee ain't gonna be
taking home that booby prize after all.
- [Singing Continues
- [Booing]
[Charlie ]
More left hand, Zack! More lefi
[Singing Pinafore ]
[Singing Ends]
- Hi, Mag. 271.
- Where is the bathroom?
- That way. The room with the toilet in it.
I keep forgetting. Of course!
- Uh-huh.
- Yeah.
Okay. Thank you.
You got four calls
from Arlene Powers.
- Huh?
- Who's Arlene Powers?
Oh.
She's the woman
that had the mastectomy.
[ Dialing Phone Number]
- Four?
- [ Continues Dialing ]
Arlene? Dr. Elliot.
Arlene. Arlene, settle down.
Stay right there.
I'll be over in 10 minutes.
[Sighs]
Damnit!
[Sighs]
Her husband left her.
That night in bed, he stayed so close
to the edge, I thought he was gonna fall off.
I must've lost my knack, huh?
Huh, Doc?
What do you think?
You think I lost my knack?
You think that's what did it?
What do you think? Oh, shut up!
I don't need your false comfort!
Why didn't you level with me in the first place?
Why did you get my hopes up?
[ Exhales Deeply]
Damn!
[ Chattering ]
- Howdy. Where you headed?
- I'm on my way home.
Wanna stop by for a drink?
Hopin.
- Names Ken.
- Frank.
How you doin'?
I live two blocks from here.
Hey. Wait, wait,
wait, wait, wait. Uh
I'm sorry.
[Sighs]
- 1 made a mistake. I'm sorry.
- Okay.
Okay. Some other time, huh?
Catch you around.
Jd [Tapping Out Tune]
[ Strikes Dissonant Notes I
[Tapping Out Tune]
Mm.
- Hi.
- [ Exhales Deeply] Hi.
[ Movie Soundtrack: Melodramatic I
[Claire]
Don't look at me like that, darling.
Darling, don't look at me like that.
- Close.
-Mm-hmm.
Why didn't you tell me?
- Why didn't you tell me?
- [Claire ] If it had to be one of us
- Ifit had to happen to one of Lis
- Why'd it have to be you?
- Why did it have to be you?
- Did it have to be you.
- Ohhh.
- [Claire Mumbles I
[Zack]
It was nobody's fault but my own.
It was nobody's fault but my own.
-[ Woman Sobs ]
-l was looking up.
[Woman]
I was looking up.
- It was the nearest
- It was the closest nearest thing to heaven.
[Woman]
It was the nearest thing to heaven.
- You were there.
- You were there.
- Oh, darling.
- [Claire ] Don't Don't worry, darling.
Don't Don't worry, darling.
- If you can paint
- If you can paint...
- 1 canwalk.
-I can walk.
- Anything
-Anything's possible, don't you think so?
-[ Man] Yes, darling.
- Yes, darling.
- [Claire ] Yes, yes.
- Yes, yes.
[Claire]
I love that movie.
- JW [Chorus I
- Mm.
-[Yawns]
- SW [Ends]
[Man] The great love of my life
was Melanie Franklin.
She was the only other person I know who
could sit through six movies in one day.
We would start about 2:00 in the afternoon
and go through the night.
I wanted to marry her.
She wanted to go to grad school.
I could never understand
why she picked school over me.
well, I mean,
now [ can, I suppose, buit
Anyway, it took me a while
to get over it.
1 still haven't found anyone like her,
even with all the movie freaks around.
[ Exhales Deeply]
You know, I sometimes wonder
what my life would be like today...
ifshe had said yes.
Oh, what the hell.
Why wonder? I'm happy.
There's a lot to be said
for being single.
[Disco]
Hey, Danny. Hey, Danny!
- Did you get that part?
- Oh, they tell me Tuesday.
- Good luck.
- Thanks.
Hey.
- Hey! I thought you were gonna call.
- It's been a rough week.
- Next week, huh?
- Yeah, sure.
- Hey, Michael. How you doing?
- Hi.
Can I have a light beer, Pete?
Tsk. I'm doing lousy.
What's the matter?
See that number in the corner
over there in the red?
I've been cruising him for about an hour,
and he won't even look at me.
Hey, what are you wasting
your time on that guy for?
Hey, Michael, you look great.
You gotta move around though.
So, get going.
[Disco Continues I
Bart, you're still coming
to the party on the 15th, right?
- Right.
- Okay.
- What's going on?
- Not much.
- My name's Bart.
-I'm Timmy.
- How come you won't spend the night?
- Maybe next time.
What kind of stuff do you write?
I don't know.
All different kinds of stuff.
- Anything I've heard of?
- Probably not.
You know what I could
go for right now?
A big fat hamburger with chili sauce.
-You wanna go get one?
- [Chuckles ] You're crazy.
You know what time it is?
Can we get together again?
Why not?
Let me give you my number.
Will you call?
Sure.
[Bart Narrating ] There was this guy
at Columbia the college, not the studio.
And he was something
of a legend with women.
And he used to score
five nights out of the week...
with the most beautiful coeds on campus.
A different one every night.
Mm.
[Bart Narrating ] The only thing was,
he wasn't particularly good-looking.
And, ub, I know he wasn't rich.
And word had it
that he was even a little, uh...
shall we say, short-changed?
[Woman In Movie, indistinct I
[Man In Movie]
When will you be back?
[Woman]
I don't know.
Maybe never.
Tell me about the Raintree.
- Where did you hear about that?
- You think you'll ever find it?
[Man]
You don't think it's a joke?
[Bart Narrating]
Well, then finally one day...
someone went up to him and asked him
how he got away with it.
I mean, what he had that
no one else seemed to have.
And he looked him
right in the eye...
and he said, very proudly...
Imagination.
Ah. Mr. McGuire. I'm Dr. Elliot.
What can I do for you?
- Where's Dr. Bloom?
- He's on vacation. I'm covering for him.
That's funny.
They didn't tell me that when I called.
Well, we like surprises, Mr. McGuire.
What's with this Mr. McGuire?
- How old are you anyway?
-I'm 30.
- A 30-year-old doctor?
-Mm-hmm.
Ah. Dr. Jekyll or Dr. Dolittle.
Now, those guys were doctors.
So, what can we
do for you today?
Oh. I'm just here
for a little checkup.
Ah. Well, come on around the table.
Just sit here on the end.
You can leave your jacket
right here.
Well, it says here on your chart...
you just had a complete physical
four months ago.
I like to be on the safe side.
Ah. Well, has anything changed
since you were here last?
Any new symptoms
that I should know about?
No. Matter of fact,
I feel pretty good.
Okay. Well, we'll just take a look.
Careful, McGuire. That is not a toy.
Hey, Doc. I can't hear anything.
Maybe they're right.
Maybe I don't have a heart.
- Doctors they bring out the best in me.
- Yeah, I can see that.
Would you turn to the right, please?
Okay. Very good.
And to the left.
That's fine.
Now, look straight ahead.
Just, uh, pick a spot on the wall...
and don't look directly
at the light, okay?
Straight ahead now.
I read your first book.
- Straight ahead. Final Reunion.
That was your first book, wasn't it?
- That's right.
- Good tough writing.
- Thanks, Doc.
I've been meaning to read the others.
Open up now.
And give me an Ahhh.
- Ahhh.
- Thank you.
Okay. Roll up this sleeve.
- What for?
- I'm just gonna take your blood pressure.
Really, I feel pretty good, Doc.
- 1 swim about a mile every day.
- Oh, yeah?
Take lots of vitamins,
don't eat any fried foods.
Look at that stomach.
Hard as a rock.
- That's great. You do any drugs?
- Why, you got any to sell?
Very funny.
Actually, I'm very conscious
about not fucking up my system.
- [Air Pumping]
- I'll smoke a little dope once in a while.
Maybe a line or two of coke.
Maybe a line or two of coke.
A Quaalude or two now and then.
Maybe a Percodan once in a while.
A little acid.
But if you mean am I into drugs,
no way.
Okay. You can roll
the sleeve down now.
- Hey, Doc.
-Mm-hmm?
As long as I'm here, could you
take a look at something over here?
- Sure.
- This is something I saw the other night.
Uh, it's sorta swollen up,
and it hasn't gone away.
- See that right there?
-Yep.
-It's a tumor, isn't it?
- No. It's not a tumor.
- Lymph node?
- An ingrown hair.
Are you sure it's not a tumor, Doc?
Well, if you'd like, I could call in
Dr. Dolittle for a second opinion.
You mean it can just
swell up like that?
Yeah. Don't worry about it.
Happens all the time.
- Go home and write.
- [ Exhales Deeply]
Great. No more anxiety.
How am I supposed
to get through the rest of the day?
- Just have a long lunch.
- [ Huffs ] Who eats lunch?
Well, I do,
and I'd like to get out of here.
As a matter of fact,
I am feeling kinda hungry.
[ Chattering ]
- [Zack ] You from New York?
- [Bart ] Queens.
That's where people from the Bronx go
when they wanna move to the country.
[Zack]
How long you been out here?
I came out
after I graduated Columbia.
I figured as long as I had to suffer,
I might as well get a tan.
The bun's not gonna kill you,
you know.
- White flour poison.
- Mm.
It's not white flour.
Seven-grain stone-ground wheat.
[ Chuckles]
Gimme a break, Doc.
If I say this is poison,
this is poison.
You see a shrink?
- What is that, a question or a suggestion?
- Mm.
So, tell me about you and your wife.
How long you been married?
- Eight years.
- Got any kids?
- No, not yet.
- That's along time to wait.
Well, we we wanted
to get our careers going first.
What about you?
You, uh You see anyone?
Sure. I see a lot of people.
- Eight years, huh?
-Mm-hmm.
Hmm.
The money for these cookies
will help send needy children to camp.
Please help us out.
Please, friends.
Hey! What's the matter
with you people?
- Can't you see this poor girl
is asking for your help?
-[ Mumbling ]
Are you gonna let her down?
Is that the American way?
Come on. Dig into those pockets!
Send these kids to camp!
Send this girl here home with a smile!
Come on! Fork it over!
Thanks a lot, big shot.
You just lost me two customers.
Why don't you stick around?
Maybe you'll scare off the rest of the city.
Hey. Come on in here.
I wanna show you something.
-I can't. I gotta be downtown
at the clinic by 2:00.
- Aw, come on.
This will only take a second.
Come on.
- You know, I really didn't mean
for you to buy that.
- Sure, you did.
Tell me,
how much of this do you get?
I just spent it
on the burger back there.
Hey, you want me
to write something init?
Someday. I enjoyed the lunch.
Sure thing, Doc.
[Claire Narrating]
When I was in the fifth grade...
1 had this gorgeous teacher,
Mr. Canizarro.
1 had an enormous crush on him.
And every morning, uh,
I would stand in the same spot...
and he would walk by me and say,
Ready for a happy day, princess?
[Claire Narrating]
I used to dream that when I grew up...
we'd get married
and live happily ever after.
Valentine's Day, I made this giant heart
out of crepe paper.
And I was about to
give it to him...
when he announced
to the class that...
[Sighs]
he was getting married.
Iwas crushed.
[Chuckles I
I wasn't what you'd call...
an understanding kid...
where, uh,
romance was concerned.
[ Sniffs I
Crepe paper is a bitch to tear.
Mm. I'm worried about it, Claire.
What are you worried about?
Ifit doesn't work, we just dump it.
- But lets at least give it a shot.
- Out of the question.
You're dreaming, honey.
No one's going to watch...
a weekly anthology of great American plays,
not on network prime-time.
They'd rather watch junk.
We can change that.
Look, it's our fault.
They want junk because
we've taught them to want junk.
If we give them quality,
if we give them a choice...
and if we present it
in the right way...
we can teach them
to want something better.
I'm not talking Shakespeare.
I'm just talking quality.
Did they watch Olivier and Joanne Woodward
in Come Back, Little Sheba?
It was the lowest-rated program of the week.
I don't think it did a 15 share.
Well, it was on New Year's Eve,
wasn't it, Marty?
Now, what about Playhouse 90?
Mm.
Don't you have any respect
for the public mentality?
- Honey, what mentality?
- A flexible one, Donald.
We have the power and resources to raise it
to whatever we want and we're not even trying!
Donald, stop calling me honey.
I think she belongs back at P.B.S.
No. I don't wanna go back to P.B.S.
They don't need me at P.B.S., damn it.
- How'd it go?
- Down the drain.
- Harrington called. Says it's important.
- Oh.
Yeah. He probably wants another pilot
on sex and corruption among the rich.
Get Zack for me, will you?
[Sighs]
Wait. Don't tell me.
He's, uh...
not back from lunch yet, not at home...
and not at the clinic.
Third time this week.
- JW [Disco]
- [ Noisy Chattering ]
[ Speaking, Indistinct ]
[Disco Continues I
[ Chattering Continues ]
How ya doin'?
- I'm okay.
- You work around here?
No, no.
- What are you drinking?
- Scotch.
Excuse me.
I think I left my, uh my keys in my car.
Excuse me.
[Operetta]
Are you okay?
Sure. Come on.
[ Kisses]
- Let's get dressed.
- We've got time.
We're supposed to be there at 8:00.
You know my father if we're not on time.
- We'll be on time.
- That's what you always say.
It takes you an hour to get ready,
we're late, and he blames me.
Zack, you wanna tell me what's wrong?
There's nothing wrong. I'm just trying
to avoid an unnecessary reprimand.
Oh, come on. Look.
I know your father. He's harmless.
What do you know about my father?
You don't even know your own father.
- You talk to him twice a year!
-Stopit.
I'm sorry.
[Sighs]
I'm sorry.
Just in a lousy mood,
I guess. I'm sorry.
Are you sure you don't
wanna talk about it?
There's nothing to talk about.
II Rough day, that's all.
- Okay.
- Come on. Up and at em.
Come on.
We gotta go to dinner.
- We gotta get some meat on these bones.
- Don't tickle me!
- Don't tickle me!
- Come on! Meat on these bones!
- You're too skinny!
We gotta fatten you up!
- It makes me mad!
Well, I'm concentrating
on the Romantic poets...
primarily Shelley.
I'm sure you're rereading Virgil,
if only as a foundation.
Actually, I'm using Milton
as a foundation.
I think you'll find Milton
used Virgil as a foundation.
Ah. 1 can see how seriously
you're taking this Ph.D. business.
I'll have two sons the doctors.
The internist and the externist.
[ Chuckles]
So, how is the
the new guy working out?
- Alan Milgrom?
- Yeah.
- Oh, he's coming along fine.
- Good.
It'll take time, of course.
I, um, had to take him off a case.
- That's too bad. How come?
- He made five errors on the first set of contracts.
Dad, the guy's fresh out of law school.
Why don't you just
give him a break?
What if you had a patient
with, uh, leukemia?
He showed symptoms
and you did a
- What, white-cell count?
- That's right.
But your new lab technician
misread it.
So that you diagnosed anemia...
and your patient died
without receiving treatment.
Would you put the error
down to inexperience...
and permit the technician to continue,
possibly misread again?
It's not the same thing.
Now you're talking about a human life,
not a contract.
Performance is performance. You have to
instill that in the people who work for you.
Ifyou can't, you have no business
assuming responsibility.
Would anyone care
for any more meat?
- Pam?
- No. Thanks, Christine. I'm fine.
I've already put Alan on another job
newspaper monopoly.
Matter of fact, we're flying to Milwaukee
on Saturday for a week.
- This coming Saturday?
- Mm.
What about dinner?
- Dinner?
- You're supposed to come see
what we've done to the house.
Oh. I'm sorry, Zack. Well, we'll have to
do that the following week.
- Okay.
-Sure.
[ Dialing Phone Number]
[ Exhales Deeply]
Bart? Zack Elliot.
How you doing?
I was just calling to, uh
to find out
if your famous tumor went away.
You see?
What did I tell you?
Look, I was, uh, wondering if maybe
you wanted to grab some dinner tonight.
Great. How about, uh, 8:00
at, uh, La Masia?
I'll see you then.
[Hangs Up Phone Softly]
- [ Picks Up Phone ]
- [ Dialing Phone Number]
Susan? It's Zack. Hi.
Um, is Claire busy? Thanks.
Hello.
Great.
Oh?
Sure.
Yeah. See you later.
[Hangs Up Phone ]
Oh, she married some guy
she met in grad school.
Well, I really haven't been involved
with anybody since then.
Come on. [ Chuckles]
Come on.
I'm a famous writer, my boy.
I have a reputation to live up to.
That takes time.
That takes concentration.
No time for frivolous liaisons
or forced encounters.
Sure.
What, you can't accept the idea
that someone might wanna be alone?
Well, not when you try that hard
to make a case for it, no.
Aha. And you have
the consummate marriage.
No. I didn't say that.
We've been together eight years.
- So have me and these boots.
- Oh, yeah?
- Uh-huh.
- Well, I hope you're very happy together.
So, where do you go
to meet people?
I don't know. Around.
You always wanted to write?
Before I could speak.
I used to write these
amazing short stories
really salacious
all about adultery and incest.
Can you imagine a 10-year-old kid
writing about incest?
I used to have the brother and sister
doing it under the lemonade stand.
You ever want a family?
Not really.
I used to.
I had the whole picture.
A big ol' house in the country.
Couple of Irish setters.
You know.
It's still possible.
It's not like you're 80 or anything.
Somehow,
I just don't think it's in the cards.
[ Blows]
I don't know.
I, uh I've been through
alot of changes.
- Oh, yeah? What kind of changes?
- You know. Changes.
I don't know.
Why don't you tell me?
- What are you trying to get at?
- Jd [Jazz]
What are you trying to get at?
- Me?
- Yeah.
- I'm not trying to get at anything.
- Oh, no?
- You brought it up.
- Well, I just meant that I'm happy, that's all.
- Ah.
- What about you, pal?
- You happy?
- Ahh.
For the most part, yeah.
Oh, yeah?
What about the other part?
What are you grinning at?
[ Chuckles]
I don't know.
I just find a certain charm
in your confusion.
Okay. I've got, uh
I've got a few mysteries.
Big deal. Doesn't everybody?
Oh, I love a mystery.
So, are you solving them?
Do you solve yours?
-I never said I had any.
-No?
Okay. I admit it.
I have done some experimenting.
- Like what?
- Alittle bit of everything.
-You name it.
-You name it.
Okay. The truth is, I have gotten into
alot of different scenes.
I'm a writer. I have to open myself up
to new things...
expand my horizons.
- Bart.
- Zack?
Why don't you just say it?
I'm gay.
Thank you.
[ Chuckles]
You're welcome.
So, tell me about your mysteries,
my friend.
- How much longer are you gonna wait?
- Wait?
Oh, life's too short to play games.
What are you talking about?
I'm talking about the eyes...
the probing,
the impulse to have dinner.
After a while,
you develop an instinct, Doc.
You wanna talk about it?
It's easier when you talk about it.
I know.
[Sighs]
[ Exhales Deeply]
So, you read any good books lately?
Hey. I'm married, Bart.
Ifit feels good, do it.
You don't get any points
for playing by the rules.
Look. It's not
It's not as if I'm gay.
I mean, I'm
I'm just curious, you know?
I'm in love with Claire. I don't know
what kind of a life I could have without her.
I mean, I love her.
I don't wanna be without her.
I'll get some more scotch.
Physician, heal thyself.
Hey.
Are you sure you wanna
spoil the mystery?
I'll do that.
- How you doin'?
-II'm great.
- How you doing?
-I'm great too.
I didn't realize how late it was.
It's not even midnight.
I gotta get up early.
Yeah. Me too.
So, how do you like
being a doctor?
[ Huffs ]
How do I like being a doctor?
Well, after four years of college...
four of med school, a year of internship,
and two of residency...
I'd say I've developed a certain degree
of fondness for the profession.
Okay. I was just trying
to make conversation.
Yeah? Well, don't exert the energy.
You gotta be up early.
So what's with all the sarcasm?
- Forget it.
- No.
Let's talk about it.
Okay. I was just expecting
alittle more, that's all.
That's always been
a problem with me.
Zack, in years to come...
when you talk about this,
and you will...
be kind.
I was just trying
to make a little joke.
- How do I get out of here?
- Where you going, Westwood?
No. That must have been
last night's trick.
- Hey. Ease up, will ya?
- [Door Slams I
[Bart Narrating ] What did he want from me?
What did he want me to be?
Teacher? Tour guide?
Father confessor?
[Bart Chuckles I
Hey. I don't wanna be anyone's teacher.
1 guess I shouldn't have
encouraged him.
I mean, one night,
the guy's all ready to move in.
Hey. I mean, who needs it?
You know, / can score five nights
out of the week, no problem.
So it's a different person every night.
So what? I like diversity.
1 like the challenge, the adventure.
[Zack Sighs ]
I just don't feel like dealing
in anyone else's identity crisis, that's all.
[ Vehicle Passes By]
[Knocking]
I got a question to ask.
I'm only gonna ask you once.
- You ready?
- Shoot.
- Do you walk in your sleep?
- What?
Walk in your sleep.
Do you sleepwalk?
Does anybody know? Does anybody
get the chance to find out?
Hey, wait a minute.
What do you want from me anyway?
There are 40 million guys out there,
and they're all just waiting for you.
Oh, that's it, huh? One night per person.
Those are the rules, huh?
That's right.
Those are the rules.
Well, to quote the words
of a well-traveled visionary...
You don't get points
for playing by the rules.
Oh, boy.
Talk about visionaries.
You wanna see something badly enough,
you see it whether it's there or not.
You were probably shattered to find out
that the tooth fairy was really your mother.
Yes, as a matter of fact, I was.
Sowas I.
Let me get back to work, okay?
I'm right in the middle of something.
we'll get together
later in the week, all right?
Hey, Zack.
How "bout Friday?
- [Winnie ] Oh, he was very tall.
- JW Classical I
And his hair was so dark,
it glistened in the sunlight.
And I was playing Viola
in Twelfth Night.
And one evening, he presented himself
at the dressing room door.
Captain, the Honorable
Lawrence Hayden-Ford.
A soldier of the sword...
but a slave of the heart.
And he said
[Sighs]
Nothing he said that evening...
moved me more than the verse
he recited of one of his poems.
Farewell, my Dover maiden...
alabaster and [apis lazuli.
Adieu, channel cliffs of Albion.
And my belle dame, avec merci.
And you know the rest of the story.
Tell it, Winnie.
Chateau-Thierry.
Hmm? And he never came back.
But... he never died.
Ah, this is it. Here we are.
Farewell, my Dover maiden,
alabaster and lapis lazuli.
- Can you believe that line?
- Oh, come on. Give her a break.
- Oh, I mean, it's a great line for her.
- 1 know that's what you meant.
- Did you think I was mocking it?
- No, I didn't think you were mocking it.
That's what it sounded like.
If she wants to live in a fantasy world...
- then that's up to her.
- Come on, Zack, relax.
-I told you I didn't think you were mocking it.
- Yes, you did.
I didn't.
What is the matter with you?
What's with you? Hey, I'm under
alot of pressure at the office.
Bloom is still on vacation.
- Forget it. Lets just go to bed.
-I don't wanna go to bed.
- What do you mean?
-I mean I don't wanna go to bed.
Fine, don't go to bed. But don't tell me
how tired you are in the morning.
What's this? Why do you keep buying
toothpaste with stripes?
You know I don't like stripes.
How many times do I have to tell you?
I forgot.
What is wrong with a simple,
old-fashioned, plain toothpaste? White!
I'll even go blue, as long as it
doesn't have goddamn stripes!
Look. Why don't you just do us a favor
and buy your own fucking toothpaste?
I will!
- How you doing, Claire?
- Morning.
- You look lovely.
-I need some time off, Alex.
Personal privilege.
You and Zack?
Yeah.
Timing's bad.
- You've got terrific potential here.
- Oh. Well, look.
If I've got it now,
won't I have it in a year?
Year? You know the momentum
of this business.
A year from now you could walk in and have
trouble getting your parking ticket validated.
[Chuckles I
Sweetie, be rational.
- You're the sharpest mind I got right now.
- Oh, Alex, come on.
What are you talking about?
Every time I come up with an idea...
that's fresh or unconventional,
I just get shot down.
At least you come up with it.
Look. I didn't come here
to express any discontent with my job.
- You want money, more control?
- That's not what I'm talking about.
I'm telling you that you can be
a head of the network someday.
God knows you could be sitting
at this chair by August.
Alex, I'm almost 30. I'm beginning
to wonder where I'm gonna be when I'm 40.
Clock's not gonna stop.
I love my work.
But I'm afraid I'm gonna end up going home
to an empty bed in an empty house...
with my pilot scripts and my Betamax
and all my potential.
Zack and I have a dream.
I need a year.
- I'm gonna make life difficult.
- No. Don't say what I think you're gonna say.
- I'm making you head of Program Development.
- You bastard.
I put Marty in charge there just temporarily
until I could get a replacement for Brinkman.
- You're the best man for the job.
- Alex, don't do this to me.
Don't make it sound like
I'm sentencing you to Devils Island.
- I'm giving you a shot.
- No, you're taking it away, and you know it.
Will you think about it? Please?
Hmm?
[ Chuckles]
Why don't you go to New York
this weekend?
Meet the guys.
Talk to Zack.
I'm sure he'll support it.
Of course he'll support it.
Claire?
- We gotta talk, Zack.
- What is it? What's wrong?
- We need to talk.
- Okay, okay. Let's go for a walk.
No, I don't wanna go for a walk.
I'm not one of your patients.
- 1 wanna stay right here.
- All right.
What?
Harrington made me
head of Program Development.
- That's fantastic.
-Mm-hmm.
Congratulations.
-[ Moans]
- [Sighs]
- What?
- [Sighs]
I don't know.
Why don't you tell me?
What about Rupert?
- Rupert will just have to wait.
- I'm almost 30.
Well, you can't turn this down. You've worked
years for this. You'd hold it against the kid.
Would it make it easier for you?
sorry.
I just want you to tell me
how you can't wait...
to teach Rupert
how to shoot a basket...
or ride a horse...
or just walk around on his
his little legs.
They want me to go to New York
this weekend.
- [Fire Crackling ]
- [Clattering ]
[Bart]
Right from the snack bar.
- Eat it while it's hot.
- Yeah.
You know, you're a hell of a writer.
- You read the book?
- Yeah. It's amazing.
You're like two different people.
You got a lot buried in there.
What are you talking about?
It's a work of fiction.
- And none of those people are you, huh?
-Well
Where'd you get your imagination?
[ Chuckles]
You develop it.
- Oh, yeah?
-[ Chuckles]
[Laughs]
You didn't play any sports as a kid?
The most active thing I ever did
was jump to conclusions.
Well, I just figured the way you work out,
you know? Swimming.
-I guess I give that impression.
- Yeah, you got the weights and everything.
No, actually, I never did.
- There was Little League.
- Oh, yeah?
Oh, yeah.
There was Little League, all right.
My father was determined
to make a man out of me.
God, I fought it all the way.
But on this, he would not budge.
[Dog Barking In Distance ]
I'll never forget the time he asked the guys
to come down from the office to watch me play.
He gave me batting practice for a week.
He said, Kid, you better not strike out.
The only thing was,
he forgot that I couldn't catch.
So there we were,
2-and-2 pitch, bases loaded.
Me out in right field,
praying for a strikeout.
When sure enough,
fly ball coming right toward me.
1 held out
my brand-new Spalding mitt.
I got that that feeling in the pit
of my stomach. You know when
- Yeah.
- 1 just closed my eyes.
It came down
about three feet from me.
The old man said he couldnt
go to the office for a week...
because he was so ashamed.
Jesus.
The night he died, I
I went into a gay bar
for the first time.
I didn't doit to
to celebrate or anything.
I did it "cause I was pissed.
Pissed that I never got
the chance to tell him...
that his all-American right fielder
liked to get it on with other right fielders.
I really wanted to see
the look in his eyes.
God, I wanted that scene.
Hey.
Thanks.
Mm. I want you to read
that new outline of mine.
Great. I'll
I'll come by tomorrow.
You're not on call tonight,
are you?
- No.
- Your wife's in New York.
-Mm-hmm.
- So, uh, why don't you stay the night?
Hell, why don't you stay
the whole weekend?
Great.
Time-out. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it.
You pay for dinner.
- [Zack ] Coming at you. Look out.
- / got you now.
[Zack]
Come on. Look out. Here it comes.
- Oh, no!
- Yee-hee-hee!
- [ Game Sounds Buzzing ]
-Thisis it! This is it!
Look out now.
All right.
Look out! Look out!
Ooh! All right!
- So?
- Hang on.
I think you can do better.
It just doesn't have the same honesty
your other work has.
- Honesty?
- Yeah, I don't think you believe in it.
It It reads like you wrote
to get a big movie deal or something.
Oh, Jesus. I don't know why
I let you read it in the first place.
What do you know?
A fucking doctor!
If all you wanted was approval,
I'm sorry.
I thought
you wanted an honest opinion.
Honest? Oh, you're a great one
to talk about being honest.
- What do you mean?
- Forget it.
No, I wanna know
what you mean by that.
All right.
What are you doing here?
What am I do
You invited me.
I'm here because I wanna be here.
Right, but you're not gay or anything,
are you? You're just curious, right?
Yeah, I'm curious.
So what?
Well, I'm getting sick of all this curiosity.
It's so fucking convenient.
What are you talking about?
What, because I didn't like your outline?
[Grimaces ] I'm just getting sick
of all the games you're playing.
I mean, first you're here,
then you're back to your wife.
Why don't you just admit it instead of
running away like a fucking coward?
Me, the coward?
Me, running away?
I'm not out there every night
cruising bus terminals for a little validation...
and then taking off
before anybody gets too close.
Atleast I know who I am.
I'm not afraid to admit it.
And for your information,
wiseass...
I've never cruised
a bus terminal in my life.
Hey, sport, have you thought about
what it's gonna be like in 10 years...
when you can't walk into any bar
and grab the first guy you see?
Well, by then,
I'd have a great tape collection...
and you'll still be
solving your mystery.
Okay. Lets just drop it.
Oh, that's great.
That's perfect.
Let's just drop it.
Let's just block it out!
[Door Closes I
[ Footsteps Approaching ]
I've been there, Zack.
It doesn't work.
You can talk yourselfinto it.
You can say, Okay, I'm curious.
Or It's just a phase
or I'll get over it.
But every time
you make love to her...
you're gonna be thinking about the number
you cruised that afternoon.
Bart, I want it.
I want it, but I-I don't want
the one-night stands...
the phony names,
going home alone.
Things may be shaky
between Claire and me in bed...
but at least we're
there for each other in the morning.
Well, what makes you think
you can't have that with another guy?
Zack. Are you awake?
Yeah.
I'm not gonna
submit the outline.
You were right.
The idea stinks.
- Hey, Bart?
-Hmm.
I love you.
You don't have to say anything.
- Morning.
- Morning. Sleep okay?
- Yeah, great.
- Grab some juice in the refrigerator.
Oh.
Anything in the news?
Oh, you know.
What do you wanna
do today? Huh?
I've got this great new idea for a book.
I think I'm gonna write it up.
- How long will that take?
- Probably most of the day.
Wanna get together for dinner?
I'd love to, but I can't.
I made other plans.
I really don't think
I can break them.
Why don't we get together
later in the week?
Claire's coming back tomorrow.
I'm gonna have that talk with her.
Well...
that's a step
in the right direction anyway.
Here. You want this?
I guess, uh, I'll just take off.
Oh, don't forget your records.
You keep em.
I brought "em for you.
Thanks, but, uh, I'm really not
into Gilbert and Sullivan.
Zack?
I really think you're gonna like
that new outline.
We spent the day Saturday
going over the fall schedule.
Of course, my real impact wouldn't
be felt until next year.
But I think I could probably
get a few good things going.
I mean, for instance, they were nervous
about the interracial marriage pilot.
And they were thinking
about dumping it, so, uh...
I suggested that they make the couple
import-export dealers...
and that way they could get in
some good international intrigue.
They bought it.
You just have to know
how to handle them.
- [Plate Breaks ]
- All right, look.
Uh, we're gonna cut this out,
and we're gonna talk.
You cannot do this to me.
It's not fair.
Now, I don't know what to do. I don't know
what to say. I don't know how to hold you.
I don't know whether I should
even try to hold you.
God, Zack, we've always
gotten each other through...
because we've never
been afraid to share.
You've closed yourself off,
and I feel helpless.
I don't know what to do.
You gotta tell me.
Are you Are you sick? Are you in trouble?
Look. Whatever it is,
I can handle it.
I can handle it
no matter what it is.
But I cannot handle the silence.
[Door Opens, Closes ]
Hi, Daddy. Did I wake you?
It's Claire.
No, everything's all right.
I just want to say hello.
He's fine.
Um, look. I'm really sorry
I called so late.
I just forgot
all about the time difference.
Well, um
I was just, uh,
thinking about you and, uh
Well, I was thinking about that time
that we went skiing.
Remember we went
for two weeks?
And I couldn't
I couldn't stand up.
Remember I couldn't stay up on my skis,
and you finally had to hold me up.
Yeah.
Uh
[Sighs]
Daddy, could I just
tell you one more thing?
Um, did you see
Roman Holiday?
Yeah, it was a wonderful old movie.
Remember it was, uh, Gregory Peck
and Audrey Hepburn.
And, uh, he was a reporter,
and she was a princess.
We were thinking about
making a series out of it.
Um, he was a reporter,
and she was a princess.
And she had run away,
and he didn't know.
Only in the series,
he'd have to know.
Um, and every week,
they'd have a new adventure.
And he'd have to help her keep her
her disguise...
so nobody would find out.
Um
Sorry I woke you up.
Thank you for listening to me, Daddy.
I thought about being alone
alot as a kid. Yeah.
When you're the last one
standing there at choose-up...
and both teams are arguing
about which one has to take you...
you're usually on your own a lot.
And you have a lot of time
to think about it.
[Soft]
[Bart Continues ] Since I didn't have
anyone to share it with...
- all this pain and confusion...
- [Man In Movie ] L ock the door.
shared it with Natalie Wood
or, uh, Elizabeth Taylor.
Or Marilyn Monroe.
Since I couldnt talk about it,
I wrote it all down.
Hey, I had a lot to write down.
He came on so strong.
Expected so much.
If 1 could have just said to him, Hey, man,
this is as new to me as it is to you.
1t did feel good
to be with him, though...
to have someone around
who cared.
I dom't think I ever felt
that way about anyone before.
I mean, what the hell.
He's confused,
He's just coming out.
Who needs it?
[ Snickers ]
Goddamn him!
I mean, it was going so well.
Why did he have
to tell me that he loved me?
well, welcome home.
Oh, Zack, where have you been?
I've been worried about you.
I called your brother.
I even tried to call your father.
- 1 spent the night in my office.
- Couldn't you have called?
Claire, we're gonna have that talk.
- All right.
- We better sit down.
Gonna be a sit-downer, huh?
Look, Zack. Whatever it is,
I'm your wife and I love you.
So tell me. What is it?
[Laughs]
I don't believe it.
I've gone over this
and I've rehearsed it...
and now I don't know
how to say it.
Just say it.
I've made a few discoveries
about myself.
I've had, I guess what
you would call, desires...
that I've been repressing,
and they're starting to surface.
I find that I'm attracted to men.
I suppose that...
I have been most of my life,
but I never knew what it was.
Or maybe
Maybe I just never admitted it...
or allowed it
to come through before.
Claire, I don't know
where these feelings come from...
but the fact is that I have them.
And I've gotta stop denying it.
-[ Clears Throat]
- [ Dialing Phone Number]
I've gotta call Barbara. She wants to know
if we can have dinner with them on Saturday.
- Claire, did you hear what I just told you?
- What should I tell them?
Claire, listen to me.
I have stopped denying it.
I've been with someone.
What do you want for dinner?
Do you want veal or fish?
- Last night, you said you could handle anything.
- Stop it!
- Shut up!
- You said you could handle anything last night!
What are you telling me?
That our whole marriage has been a lie?
No! What are you saying?
We have always Claire, look at me.
- We have always been there for each other.
Always!
- Like friends?
Yes, like friends.
It's the best thing we can have.
- No! What about passion?
- What about support?
What about betrayal?
God!
[Inhales Deeply]
I thought I knew you.
Who are you?
- I'm the man who's loved you for eight years.
- Loved me or used me?
- You are not listening to me.
You don't understand!
- I'm listening!
I do understand. You used me.
You hid behind me for eight years.
Oh, God, you wanna hear something?
I thought it was another woman.
- Claire, no, you're wrong. It's not true.
- 1 don't wanna hear anymore.
Why don't you leave, Zack?
Just leave!
It's something you don't
have any control over.
I mean, whether you're born with it
or acquire it, who knows?
But there's something in me
that needs to be with a man.
- My God!
- Maybe it's his his strength.
H-His attitude.
Maybe he's everything I'm not.
I don't know. Maybe it's brotherhood,
bonding, release.
Maybe it's just the need
for another man's approval.
- But it's that feeling
- Stop it!
God.
You know how / feel
right now, Zack?
Radio City when I was eight years old.
- My father, he hated Radio City.
- Claire, don't.
But I kept begging him to take me.
I begged him until he finally said yes.
- It's not the same, Claire.
- And then the day that we were supposed to go...
I went up to their room, and his closets
were empty and all his clothes were gone.
And my mother told me that my father
had to go on a long trip.
So, see, he never did
make it to Radio City.
Hell of a way to say good-bye.
[ Footsteps Running Up Stairs ]
[Door Slams ]
That's a hell of an exit line.
Yeah.
Yeah, she thinks
that our whole marriage is a deception...
that I'm a complete fraud.
Give her time.
She'll get over it.
I'm gonna need a place
to stay for a while.
What do you say I put a movie on, huh?
Take your mind off things.
Hey, Bart, is it okay if I stay?
Bart?
Well, you picked
a really bad time.
I mean, any other time,
hey, no problem.
But, uh, I'm working on this new idea.
I think we oughta talk about it.
- 1 really think you're gonna like it.
- Are you ever gonna stop?
- Stop what?
- Fighting us. Pushing us out.
- Us?
- Yeah, you know, us, us.
Like people, as in people who need people.
Your favorite lyric.
Would you stop giving me this guilt number
just because I don't want to get involved?
- What is your problem, huh?
- Problem?
- Yeah.
- Why does everybody think there's
a problem when you wanna be alone?
Maybe that's just the way
I choose to live my life.
[ Snickers ]
Right.
Zack.
I don't want a relationship.
I'm happy just the way I am.
[Door Opens, Closes ]
[Bart Narrating ] Damn it, there was
something there, and I don't mean the sex...
or the challenge.
Because after all those years
of one-night stands and easy pickups...
1 think 1 finally met someone
that 1 really believed...
was making love to me.
Maybe that's why
I had to destroy it.
I dom't know.
Maybe next time it'll be easier.
Maybe I needed
to go through this.
1t's funny. I mean,
I'm not pissed at anyone.
But if ever do decide
to have a relationship with someone...
1 know I'd better be willing
to open myselfup a little...
and, uh, not be afraid
that he's gonna run away.
Zack didn't run away.
- I pushed him out.
- [ Breathing Heavily]
He did leave me
with something though.
Look. I'm not sure having a relationship
Is the most important thing in the world.
1 have my work, my friends.
I'm pretty happy.
But if ever do decide
to explore that other area...
Zack gave me some hope
that I can care about somebody else...
at least as much
as he cares about me...
that I don't have to live
with my imagination alone.
Hey, what the hell,
- Who knows?
- Hey, Bart, where you been?
- Been around.
- Well, where are you goin'?
- I'm going to get a drink.
- Hey, Bart.
- Paul, how are you?
- Will I see you later?
Maybe.
[ Traffic Noises I
[Man Whistles]
[Operetta]
[Continues I
[Stops]
[ Sniffs I
[Claire Narrating]
Zack was my strength.
He was my protector.
Nothing could hurt me
if Zack was there.
-[ TV, Indistinct ]
- I remember the first Christmas
that we spent together.
Zack wanted to go
to a dinner party...
but 1 had to wait in my room in the dorm
for my father to call.
I told Zack to go on without me,
but he wouldn't go.
He came and waited with me.
Course, my father never called,
but Zack stayed.
We ended up eating potato chips,
and he stayed with me the whole night.
I spent the next day
reading Rupert Brooke.
And I decided
that no matter what.
if ever had a son,
1 would name him Rupert.
[ Engine Stops I
[Dogs Barking In Distance ]
[ Doorbell Buzzes ]
Jo [Jazzy]
- What can I do you for, honey?
- Are you Ted?
- Inthe flesh.
- Um, could I talk to you for a minute?
Depends on what you're selling.
- I'm Zack's wife.
-Who?
- Zack Elliot.
- Okay. I give up. Who's that?
- Did you write that?
- Uh, yeah. So?
Please, I have to talk to you.
Come onin. Comein.
You have to excuse this place.
Can / get you something to drink?
- Glass of white wine maybe?
- No, thank you.
Do you live here alone?
Yeah, I sure do.
What's your name?
- Claire.
- Claire.
Why don't you just
have a seat, honey?
I tell you. I hate to spoil
this little party of yours...
- but I don't know anybody named, uh, Zack?
- Jw [Stops]
Look. I have a picture of him.
Maybe you could just, um,
take a look at it, and...
-see if, um
- [Dog Barking In Distance ]
Oh, yeah. I know this guy.
Only his name isn't Zack.
At least it wasn't
when he was with me that night.
It was Frank.
That's it Frank.
- Where did you meet him?
- Uh, I met him at the bar.
You sure you don't want a drink
or a hit off this joint or something?
So, what happened?
Y-You met him and y-you talked...
and then you
ask him back here?
It's that simple.
Just the way boys and girls do it.
- What did you talk about?
- If it was worth remembering...
I don't think his name
would have been Frank, would it?
What happened
when you got back here?
Look. Can I be honest with you?
I really don't remember.
I got more tricks coming in and out
of this apartment in one day...
it looks like a bargain day
at Woolworth's.
I'll tell you one thing. He must have been
a pretty hot little number...
or I never would have given him
my home phone number.
Could I ask you to try to remember
just one other thing?
Did he tell you
that he was married?
Nope. Now, that much
I would have remembered.
Could I ask you a stupid question?
Are you happy?
Well, let me put it
to you this way.
I lose my temper in traffic.
Uh, I bleed
when I cut myself shaving.
I don't enjoy giving up half my salary
to pay for a hamburger.
Otherwise, I would say,
yeah, I am pretty happy.
Where'd you find that matchbook?
Coat pocket.
Would have been a lot simpler
if he just handed it to you, wouldn't it?
Thank you.
Is it my fault?
I should have been more of a wife.
And in what way? Hmm?
Give up your career?
- I thought we had the world's greatest marriage.
- Oh.
It's crazy, isn't it? How you can kid yourself
and only see what you wanna see.
Well, what I see
is magic in your marriage.
Well, then why didn't I see
that Zack was breaking inside?
Because, dearest, he obviously
didn't want you to see.
But I should have been able to.
I Instead of romanticizing
and idealizing...
and expecting so much...
I should have just let him be human.
Well, you didn't.
And he is.
Then why do I feel
that I've done something wrong?
Dearest, dearest,
you haven't done anything wrong.
Zack is still Zack, you're you...
and you both still have
something very special.
Zack's the only man
I've ever been with, Winnie.
He's the only man
I've ever wanted to be with.
Then damnit, girl.
What are you sitting here for?
Hmm?
[Car Door Opens, Closes I
The manager let mein.
I told him that I'm your wife.
- 1 think we can make it work, Zack.
- No, it can't work.
We can get help. There are plenty
of good psychiatrists around.
It's not an illness.
I am not gonna change.
All right. Then we'll accept it.
We'll accept it and live with it.
I know there are other marriages who do.
Claire, no.
It wouldn't be fair to you.
You're entitled to a good sex life,
an honest one.
What if I said
that it didn't matter?
That wouldn't be fair to me.
I don't want a double life.
One foot in one place, one foot in another.
I don't want that.
- Zack.
- No.
You gotta let go...
for both of us.
[Sighs]
I heard about an opening on the staff
at Sloan-Kettering in New York.
It would mean working
with cancer patients full time.
What do you think?
I think they'd be lucky
to have you.
It would mean we wouldn't get to see
each other very much though.
That's right. If it's too easy
to fall back on each other...
we'd keep ending up
where we started.
- No contact? Nothing?
- No. Not till we're ready.
Maybe a month. A year.
Even if we're never ready, we'll always
be together. You know that.
Hmm. It's such a pretty view.
I'm not afraid to be alone.
I love my work.
I think I can make it on my own.
I would like to have a baby.
But I-I don't want to do it
until it's really right.
I guess I'm looking
for somebody like Zack.
Somebody that my baby
could look up to.
Maybe I'll find him,
and maybe I won't.
And maybe he...
just doesn't exist.
[Sighs]
I think about Zack a lot.
Sometimes, when I lie in bed
at night, I think about him...
and I know that,
at that very moment...
he's thinking about me too.
It wasn't easy to do...
what he had to do.
But I know that he had to, and I
I really have
every reason to believe
[Sighs]
I miss him.
[ Sniffles ]
I miss the lousy piano playing.
And I miss the corny old movies.
And I miss his compassion.
And I know that's the way
it has to be.
[ Sniffles, Sighs ]
I just want him to be happy.
- [Phone Rings ]
-I'll get it.
[Ring]
Hello. Josh, how are you?
It's good to hear your voice.
Great. No, we're doing fine.
Yeah, of course you can. Hang on.
I'll, uh Pll call him for you. Zack!
- Yeah.
- It's your brother.
- I'll getitin here.
- Okay.
Hiya, kiddo. How's it going?
What's up?
Oh, God.
When's the funeral?
How is Claire?
Did she say anything
about my coming in?
Yeah, okay. Listen, Josh. Um
I'm gonna have to think about it,
and I'll let you know, okay?
- [ Exhales Deeply]
- What's wrong?
Winnie Bates died.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
- She was an old friend of Claire's and mine.
Yeah, you told me all about her.
Yeah.
[ Chuckles]
Claire just called Josh and said
that the funeral is tomorrow.
- Mm. So what do you think?
-I don't know.
She's married.
She's got a kid. She's
What do you think?
I think you should go.
Yeah.
The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down
in green pastures.
He leadeth me
beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths
of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death...
I will fear no evil
for thou art with me.
Thy rod and thy staff,
they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies.
Thou anointest my head with oil,
My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me all the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the house
of the Lord forever.
- Amen.
- [All] Amen.
- Zack.
- Hi, Claire.
Hi. Don't I get a hug?
[Laughs]
- [Sighs]
- 1 thought she was...
gonna live for another 80 years.
[Sighs]
I'm really gonna miss her.
I still went to her house
every Tuesday night for dinner.
- Oh, yeah?
-Mm-hmm.
Alabaster and lapis lazuli.
She never changed.
She never changed.
- Tell me. How have you been?
- I've been fine. Just fine.
- Good.
- You look fantastic.
- Thank you.
- Josh has been keeping me posted.
- Married and a baby, huh?
-Mm-hmm.
Larry's terrific.
I think you'd like him.
- What does he do?
- Architect.
- How long will you be here?
- My plane leaves at 5:00.
Why don't you stop by the house
on your way to the airport?
Id like that.
Come on.
You can follow me.
Come on.
Oh, look at you run.
Oh, how's my big boy, huh?
- How's my other big boy?
- This one's pooped. The other one's raring to go.
[Laughs]
Zack, this is Larry.
- Larry, this is Zack.
- Zack, good to meet you.
- Good to meet you, Larry.
- Claire's told me a lot about you.
- And this is our little guy.
- Hey, how you doing, slugger? Huh?
I'm1'm Rupert.
- What's his name?
- Rupert.
- Here. Wanna stay with your dad?
- Come here, Rup.
I'm gonna go in the house.
I'll be right back.
Claire had a thing about that name.
He must be the only kid in America with it.
- Right?
- Hey, Rupert. How you doing, huh?
You don't know me,
but I'm an old friend of your mom.
- This is Zack. Can you say hi to Zack?
- Hi, Zack.
Hey, you're a pretty tough-looking kid.
You know that?
- Pick me up there.
- Pick you up here? How high? That high?
- Yeah! Put me down.
- Okay.
- Down we go.
- Wanna play ball?
- Yeah.
- Okay. You're staying for dinner, aren't you?
- Oh, thanks, Larry, but I can't.
I gotta catch a 5:00 plane.
- Okay.
- Just stopped by to say hello. Maybe next trip.
- Okay, lets play football!
- Claire seems real happy.
- She's a super lady, Zack.
I know.
Take good care, huh?
You bet.
Well, can we get you something to drink?
You hungry or anything?
No, thank you.
I gotta get going.
- Why don't I walk you to your car?
- Okay.
- Take it easy, Zack.
-You too, Larry.
Be right in.
- Rupert, huh?
- Yeah.
- Larry seems like a good man.
- Oh, well...
he runs out of the room every time
I put the Gilbert and Sullivan on.
He never read Rupert Brooke.
He stopped at Carl Sandburg.
But it's good.
It's real good, Zack.
How about you?
Anybody in your life?
Yeah. We've been together
It's uh, almost two years now.
- It's really working out.
- That's good.
- You know what?
- What?
He can't stand
Gilbert and Sullivan either.
[ Both Laughing ]
- Josh tells me you're still at Sloan-Kettering.
-Mm-hmm. Yeah.
- How's it going?
- Fine. It's, uh Well, it's tough work.
- But I'm hanging in there.
- Good.
- Are you happy, Zack?
- Yeah.
Yeah, I really am.
I guess we both did okay,
didn't we?
Mm-hmm.
I'm happy too, Zack, for both of us.
- So long, Claire.
- Mm.
- [Car Door Opens, Closes ]
- [Car Engine Starts ]
So long, Zack.
[Woman Singing Ballad ]
[Continues I
[Continues I
[Continues I
[Singing Ends ]