The Middle Distance (2015) Movie Script
1
Pleasure to see
you sir, may I take your coat?
Please.
Cheers.
All is forgiven
All is forgiven
All is forgiven
Sometimes I think about
things before they happen
Floatin' around in my head for a while
All of a sudden it's
grown too big to handle
Changed its clothes and
grown a mind of its own
Too loud to listen, too
proud to put paper to the pen
Buy me a drink?
No, I saved you a seat.
When are we up?
Same, next week.
Next week.
As far as I know,
it's down to McKinsey, Bain, and us.
That bake-off is next week,
why can't we get a date?
I need consultants
to help them hide their consultants.
Sounds to me like
you're doin' PowerPoint.
You still good?
Kid was still
workin' on it when I left.
Said he'd turn it over
as soon as he was done.
We did a logarithmic progression,
placing different weights in
different customer groups,
in order to remove any biases
that existed in previous analysis...
Yeah, Appendix.
Well if you just look at the r-square...
Appendix.
Point eight-three.
Yeah.
That's Appendix.
That's good.
I actually ran 10 different...
Appendix.
You're pullin' the fuckin' ocean, kid.
B answer first, okay?
Objective slide, then solution.
The client doesn't really
care how you get the answer
as long as you have the
answer that you know.
Yeah, but what if I don't?
Say something to yourself
enough times it becomes true.
You know, Nadia keeps asking,
when are you gonna make partner?
When are you gonna make partner?
I think she thinks some switch will flip
and all of a sudden I'll be
home by 5:45 every night.
God, take-out food,
DVDs, be in bed by 10:30.
Some people don't know
what they're missing.
Thanks for the study break.
Hey.
So like, um, how much
do directors make, anyway?
I mean, if you make director.
When you make director.
Stop thinkin' about money.
Eyes on the prize.
I thought that was the prize.
No, the prize is winning.
Money's just a way of keeping score.
I think we're
lookin' really good.
Team is good, deck is
solid, we just need a date
and a little bit of luck.
You got me, Sean.
We don't need luck.
Neil, it's James.
Will you please call me back?
Look, man, I don't, I don't know
how to get a hold of you.
I've been trying to call you at work.
I don't know how to say this.
Dad, uh.
Dad died.
You gotta come home.
Neil.
You have a brother?
We're not that close.
Well look, man,
I don't mean to be
insensitive or anything,
but the timing here isn't exactly great.
Relax, Sean.
Apparently he's already found a buyer.
We just need to pack up our
shit and sign a few papers,
make sure the real estate agent
isn't some sort of nut job.
Well, that sounds
like a lot of fun.
Um, sorry to miss it.
So, when was the last time
you went back there, anyway?
A while.
Hi, this is James Mercer,
please leave me a message after the beep.
Hey man, I'm here.
You're not.
Call me.
James.
Hey.
Neil, how you doin'?
Good, man.
Good to see ya.
Neil, I want you to meet
my fiancee, Rebecca.
Rebecca, this is my brother Neil.
Fiancee.
Hi.
Hi.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Um, I'm sorry about your dad.
Thank you.
Who's hungry?
Pamela made it sound like
these buyers are pretty motivated.
Yeah, of course she did,
she's a real estate agent.
Yeah, I, I mean, I
think she's pretty involved.
Is she the same one
who actually told him
to move out of the house before
she had a potential buyer?
Yeah, well, I mean, I
think that was his call,
but...
How about the color in the front room,
was that his choice?
Oh, the puce?
Ugh, God.
You didn't like that?
I kinda like white better.
Drinks?
Yeah, uh, I'm gonna have whiskey.
You want a whiskey?
Um.
Oh, nice, they have that local wine
I was telling you about.
Can we get two of the
St. Julian Rieslings?
Whiskey and wine, coming right up.
Thanks.
Thanks.
What are you, on the wagon?
No, it's supposed to be pretty good.
Isn't this the place you were telling me
has the good milkshakes?
No, that's Oink's, remember?
This is the place with
the really good burgers.
Ah, Oink's, that's right.
Oink's.
Yeah.
It's a great name.
Yeah.
It was, oh God, we used
to drive our bikes there
like three times a day.
Neil would convince 'em to, like,
shoot the Reddi-wip
directly down our mouths.
Remember?
Anyway, um, so what
are you gonna be doin'
while we're out dealing with the house?
Rebecca is a photographer.
I take pictures.
Well, you make photographs,
you're a photographer.
You mean like, uh,
industrials, or fashion, like?
Um, landscape.
Ah, there's a good buck in that.
Well, she's actually here on commission.
I don't know if I would say that.
I would, it's true.
You should never sell yourself short.
That's like one of your
consultancy slogans, right?
I could tell ya, but
I'd have to bill ya.
Ah.
What do you think?
That's a good one.
Mm.
Fruity?
Is it, more savory?
What did you say this was?
This is St. Julian Riesling.
Okay.
It's from, you know,
just down the road.
What do you think?
You guys want another round?
Another?
Thanks.
No, it's all right,
that's for you.
Thank you, sir.
Your girl seems all right.
Yeah, we're doin' okay.
Yeah, she keeps me in line.
So how was he in the end?
Hard-ass, you know, same as always.
Yeah, some things
never change, right?
Yeah.
Well, he asked about you, how you were.
Yeah, what'd you say?
Eh, you were workin'.
Is there gonna be, like,
a memorial or somethin'?
In the spring.
Figured more people would
be able to come that way.
Guess I should make an appearance.
How about you, how you doin'?
How's the jazz goin'?
Yeah, slowly but surely.
Good.
What about you, man?
What's it like bein'
a big-time consultant?
Ah, same old shit.
She all right?
Yeah, she's just, usin' the bathroom.
How did you do that?
We were standing right there.
Magic.
Are you smokin'?
Honey, I don't want you smokin'.
I know, you'd be lost without me.
Ah, Jesus, man.
I know, you'd be lost without me.
Hey, is that place Oink's still open?
No, I don't think so.
You wanna go check it out?
I gotta make some calls.
No, man, let's go check out Oink's.
Hey, what time's our meeting tomorrow?
9 a.m., bright and early.
All right, I'm gonna get goin',
it's too cold out here for me.
You'll get used to it.
It's two days, James.
I won't have to.
Well, we brought Monopoly.
First one back gets the battleship.
Mashed potatoes,
so I'll give you a few minutes
to look that over and
I'll get your drinks.
Okay, thanks.
What's a guy gotta do to
get some service around here?
Oh my God, Neil Mercer,
what are you doing here?
I don't believe it.
It's good to see you.
Good to see you.
Um, let me just put this in and uh,
I'll, I'll be right back.
It's weird having you here.
Yeah, you're one to
talk, how'd they manage
to keep you here this whole time?
Well, when you marry one of 'em.
Yeah, it's five years this September.
Doesn't seem so long when
you say it out loud, but.
Little Beth Wilson, all grown up.
It was then or never.
I'm surprised it took that long.
Well, you know me,
breakin' hearts from the day I was born.
You were always breakin' hearts,
you just never realized it.
Thanks for tellin' me now.
Better late than never.
What about you?
You're not gettin' any younger.
Hmm.
One of those
California blondes snatch you up?
They're not as dumb as you think.
Man, we were all
so in love with you in high school.
We would spend all year with
those thuggy jock assholes
and then you'd come around in the summers
wearin' your polos and your khakis,
talkin' about Shakespeare and Mozart.
Now, that kid was a charmer.
No, that kid was an idiot.
Aw, come on, you were
a catch and you know it.
We were all so jealous of Charlotte.
How is that old girl, anyway?
Why?
You wanna look her up and see
if the flame's still burning?
No, I just wanna make
sure she's gotten over me.
Well, it was a long time ago.
I bet she's moved on.
Maybe I should come
back here more often,
try to, uh, you know, recapture
some of my former glory.
Yeah, definitely.
Could use somebody around here
who remembers how to drink.
I'm not as fun as I used to be.
I find that hard to believe.
Sorry, I can't.
You don't sound so convinced.
Neil.
I'm married.
What does that matter?
You're different
from how I remember you.
Yeah, well, I grew up.
I gotta get back.
Hello!
Welcome to the New Buffalo Motel.
Uh, do you have a reservation with us?
Do I need one?
Uh, busy place.
What was that name, sir?
Uh, it's Neil Mercer.
Neil Mercer, what
brings you to New Buffalo, sir?
Uh, a little vacation.
Good time of year for it.
Snow's always beautiful, isn't it?
It's cold.
You guys have a bar here?
Having fun out there, Boss?
A blast.
How we lookin'?
Still waiting.
Shouldn't be long now.
The kid seem ready?
I don't think he's
been home since you left.
He'll be ready.
Good man.
Listen, I know you know this.
But this pitch is important, Neil.
We need you here.
Mm.
There he is.
We were startin' to get worried about you.
How was Oink's?
Eh, they were closed for the winter.
But you did miss a really
good game of Monopoly.
Yeah, I ran into an old friend.
Oh yeah?
She everything you remember?
Better.
Hm.
Um-hm.
Sorry I missed the meeting.
How was it?
It was good.
Pamela has a couple ideas about the house.
Nothin' big, list is in the other room
if you wanna take a look.
So what did James have
to do to convince you
to come up here in the middle of February?
Mm, promise me eternal
happiness and undying love?
Sounds like you got the
short end of the stick.
Mm, this is pretty good,
when'd you learn how to cook?
You didn't teach him?
Must've learned on his own.
Mm-hm, he's very good at cooking.
Yeah, and a couple other things.
Oh, yeah?
Mm-hmm.
Like what else?
A couple more things.
Like what?
Stop, stop.
Like what?
Come on.
What?
Gimme some space.
Excuse me.
You don't think
I'm good at things?
What, of course I
think you're good at things.
Christ, you guys read this list?
Hm?
The list, all the shit on here.
"Debris removal, including all leaves
"and other tree-related items.
"Busted pipe in bathroom.
"Gutter cleaning.
"Fence repair, laundry
washer/dryer hookup repair.
"Garage door opener repair."
I thought you said the
buyers were motivated.
They are.
Pamela just thinks it'll help.
Probably shouldn't take more than a week.
A week?
Thought we could
all do it together, be fun.
You said two days, James,
a week is seven days.
Uh, well we might
be able to finish earlier,
between the three of us.
I got an idea, why
don't we just call Mom.
Maybe Dad'll rally, you know?
We could have a family reunion.
Don't encourage him.
It's not funny.
Sorry.
It's called a sense of humor, James.
You got two days, okay?
You wanna eat, Neil?
Guess not.
Get you another?
Yeah, sure, please.
You grow up around here?
Born and raised, New Buffalo High.
Class of 95, go Cougars.
You wouldn't happen to know
a girl named Charlotte
Spier, she used to work here?
Tall, brunette, kind of
willowy, kinda pretty?
Um, it doesn't ring a bell.
Sorry.
Hey.
Creeper.
No, I get it.
It's just, you know, I wish...
It'll only be a few days,
I promise we'll...
Okay.
Hey, Dad coulda left the bed in my room.
That air mattress is killin' my back.
Sorry, I wasn't consulted.
Look man, I got some bad news.
I got a gig.
A gig?
And it starts tonight.
Tonight?
The band they had scheduled canceled,
and we were next on the list,
and it's something I have to take.
We got work to do.
I gotta take it, man, I'm sorry.
My flight leaves tomorrow, James.
I know, I'm sorry, it's shitty.
But I have no option, okay?
This is something I gotta take,
these guys depend on me,
it's a great opportunity.
Well, how long is it for?
Five days.
Five days?
I don't know what to say, like,
what am I supposed to say, I can't do it
'cause my brother would
be disappointed in me?
It's just something I gotta do, I'm sorry.
All you gotta say,
that you got a responsibility,
that's what you do when you're an adult.
Look, man, you don't
actually have to do anything,
just call Pamela, arrange to
get a good handyman over here,
and they'll take it from there.
Okay, so, I'm just gonna, you know,
clean up everything myself?
Just do me a favor, all right?
I'll owe you one?
You already owe me one,
I came here to be with you
and to take care of the
house and now you're leaving?
Man, like I've never
done anything for you.
I gotta make a call.
What have you done for me?
Well, I am the one who's
been around for the past 15 years.
That was your choice, man,
don't pin that shit on me.
If you need to leave, leave.
All right?
Wouldn't be anything new.
You know, it's your mess, James,
then you clean it up, okay?
This is Pamela Ross,
sorry I missed your call.
Leave me a message and I'll call you back
just as soon as I can.
Have a wonderful day.
Pam, hi, this is Neil Mercer.
I'm James' brother.
Listen, I'm here to help
him out for a few days,
and uh, get a handyman.
Um, call me back, please.
Got a Yellow Pages?
This is Joe.
Hey Joe, uh, listen,
um, I got this situation.
Uh, I got this house, it
needs a little bit of fixin'...
Buddy, it's February,
I'm in Fort Lauderdale.
I just have calls forwarded down here
in case of emergencies...
Well look, uh, I would say
that this is an emergency.
Call me in March,
you'll be first on the list.
All right, well,
you know anybody
that might be open, that, you know, look,
I'll make it worth your while.
Fuck.
Sorry, I was all out.
What are you doin' here?
Smoking all your cigarettes.
Uh huh.
I have shit to do.
You have shit to do?
I have work to do.
That requires that I be here.
So, I'm here working, like a real adult.
I understand that you
disapprove of James' priorities,
but you know what, he's
no longer here, so.
His what?
What are you talking about?
He left, didn't he?
Asshole.
You havin' fun out there?
You know, I hear there's some
really nice hotels in the area.
Oh yeah?
I'll call you a cab.
Coffee's on the house.
Aah!
Nice job.
Your phone buzzed.
Call me and we'll
get this ball rolling ASAP.
"Call me and we'll get
this ball rolling ASAP."
How we gonna do anything ASAP
if she doesn't pick up her goddamn phone?
I mean, we are paying her, right?
The least she could do is
pretend to give a shit.
Do you find that's usually how it works?
Actually, that's always how it works.
Is it hard?
Finding out the world
cares as little as you do?
All right.
In the mornin' light
She trades it for the claim
Is, uh, Beth, uh, Beth working tonight?
Can I help you with somethin'?
Yeah, you could start by telling me
where all the women are in
this fucking town.
No, I'm kidding.
Uh, you got whiskey, right?
Just a double.
I think we should
start a little slower...
Oh, really, I think you should
start by doing your fucking job.
One for me, one for my pops
for old times' sake.
Think you oughta just
keep movin', friend.
Do I look like a guy
who has friends around here?
Look at this fucking place.
Why don't you just keep
drinking your beer?
Oh, hello, I was just asking
Tom Cruise here about you.
What's goin' on?
I'm tryin' to get you a drink,
but he won't pour the fucking drinks,
just pour the fucking drink.
Okay, buddy, time to go.
I am not talking to you.
We're not talkin', I'm
talkin' to my friend, not you.
So stay out of it, you asshole.
Just stay the fuck out of it.
Gimme my drink, please.
I think we're done here.
Really?
Neil, you gotta go.
There's nothin' here for you.
You know what, Beth, take a look around.
There's nothin' here for anybody.
Enjoy your life.
Oh, shit.
Fuck.
Fuck it.
Where is that number.
Charlotte.
Come on.
The number you have reached
is not in service at this time,
and there is no new number.
I think they heard you.
How long was the horn going off?
Five minutes.
I thought you were leaving.
Yeah well, I thought James
was gonna be here to help, so.
I have a proposition for you.
Pass.
I know you're never gonna
finish this stuff on your own.
I'm leaving, remember?
I don't need to finish.
If you were gonna leave,
you would have already left.
I'll help you with your little list
if you help me with my commission.
I don't really speak artist.
I just need to know what around here
is worth taking pictures of.
And how are you gonna help me?
You should've brought something warmer.
I don't have anything warmer.
You don't ski in Lake Tahoe,
or whatever you fancy LA people do?
I work, no time for skiing.
Sounds familiar.
Hold this.
You say that you never wanted
To hit me in the face
More than right now
Great, let's go.
But can't you see that I'm only alone
Casting lines out to catches
who can swallow my buzzes
And pretend that they
Hey.
James says there is a playground
that you guys used to go
to when you were kids.
I think he meant during the summer.
I'd like to see it
so I can take some pictures.
All right, how about we see it tomorrow?
I need to find a way to call my office.
Today's better for
me, because you owe me,
and I wanna go now.
How 'bout I drop you off in town?
How are you planning on doing that?
What do you mean?
Your car.
What about it?
You fucked it.
What do you mean, I fucked it?
I think you know.
Hurry hurry you say
As I'm tying my shoes
Any other bright ideas?
Tying your shoes
And you slipped up
and have to start anew
But I would never say hurry up to you
Seriously?
It's better out here
when there's no snow.
Nice.
Tell me about this commission of yours.
Why, so you can make fun of me?
No, I wanna know.
Really?
Yeah.
Your Dad hired me.
My Dad?
Yeah, yeah, he hired me to
take pictures of what he said
was the most beautiful
place on God's green earth.
If this is the most beautiful place
on God's green earth,
then why'd he wanna sell?
Makes sense to me.
James is always traveling,
and you're in LA,
he probably just thought there
wasn't anyone there to use it.
Huh, guess he was right about that.
So, your dad died,
and the office hired me
to take the pictures anyway,
and use it as kind of a memorial.
Pretty impressive, huh?
He's dead and he still has
people working for him.
What's your deal, anyway?
It sounds like you haven't
been home in forever.
You know, your dad dies
and you get on a plane, right?
Yeah, you just don't seem
all that excited to be here.
I got a lot of stuff on my plate.
Like big-shot consultancy stuff?
Somethin' like that.
James said you moved out
here after college for a while?
You need to get a hobby.
Come on, tell me
the story, I love stories.
Story, there is no story.
I'm sure James left some things out.
I'll make you a deal, the next time
we're up here I'll tell you everything.
Great, I'll put it in my calendar.
I think I used to play
tennis with that guy's daughter.
I think you mean that little girl's mom.
Guess I'm older than I thought.
Life happens, man, you
gotta get with the program.
Yeah, live alone, die
alone, what's the difference?
Lifetime of happiness in between?
Pretty thought.
Sounded better in my head.
I'm starving.
Wanna get outta here?
So how long you
been taking pictures?
I don't know, a while.
Yeah, you like it?
Keeps me busy.
So what's the draw?
Everything ends, and a picture remains?
That's not bad for a consultant.
I have my moments.
I guess for me,
it's like a thing doesn't
exist until you photograph it.
It's just floating around in the ether,
but the photograph
makes it mean something.
One picture makes it real.
So this is what you and James
normally do on Friday night?
Mm-mm.
We usually just fuck.
Mm.
Sorry to be so boring.
Hm.
At least the pizza's good.
I'm gonna get a whiskey, you want one?
Mm, sure.
Hey, is everything okay?
Oh yeah, fine, I'm just taking pictures.
Better offer?
Raincheck.
How are things with you?
I wonder where he could be,
I'm getting worried.
Are you, darling, what about?
Charles, you've changed.
Don't you think you'd better?
After all, aren't we supposed
to be going on a honeymoon?
Through a phone line buzz
A little voice that cuts
'Cause they want to know your name
'Cause they want to know your name
'Cause they want to know your name
And our lady girl
Who loved the world
Bit a jackrabbit in half
And on her dying day
I heard her say
If only they
Were not so fast
So just remember that
So just remember that
So how's the work goin'?
Uh, you know, coming along.
I thought you didn't cook.
Eh, scrambled eggs, really.
But only under
extraordinary circumstances.
Claw hammer?
This is a claw hammer.
Man up, LA, it's not that cold.
You're my brother's hands
And I'm your mother's face
But you're only yours to claim
You're only yours to claim
Guess who called?
Heath Ledger.
He wants his coat back.
My real estate agent.
Apparently she's workin' for us after all.
This is Pamela Ross,
sorry I missed your call.
Leave me a message and I'll call you back
just as soon as I can.
Have a wonderful day.
Pamela, Neil Mercer
trying to reach you again.
Can you please call me back?
Thank you.
You want a refill or something?
I'm just gonna throw it out otherwise.
At this point, I don't
think coffee's gonna cut it.
Tell me about it.
Doesn't seem like a
very good business model,
throwing away coffee at a coffee shop.
Last chance.
Nah, I'm good, thanks.
You live around here?
Not for long.
My boyfriend and I
moved here after school.
He figured working
construction for the summer
would be a quick way of
paying off some loans.
That was six years ago.
Hm, you know there's a train
station right down the road.
There's a actually a road right
next to the train station.
You could just.
Maybe it just seemed easier, you know?
Why not try and make the most of it?
Gets exhausting always hoping
to find something better.
Yeah, but there always
is something better.
Sean.
I have some good news, Neil.
We have a date.
This Friday, 11 a.m.
About time, huh?
Honestly, this deck is as
crisp as I've ever seen.
Amir's turning into our
own little rockstar.
You will be here, right?
We need you in that room.
I'll be there.
I'll send a car.
Gotta be kidding me.
Hello Neil, tag, you're it.
Little joke there.
Listen, if you have a second,
I've got one small job for you.
Find us some plants, evergreens.
I know it's not exactly the season,
but I think it will really
spruce up that garage.
Okay, great.
And let me know if you
have any more trouble
finding a handyman.
I look forward to seeing you very soon.
I think you were actually out.
You don't say.
Thanks for the sandwich.
It's on the house.
Chop-chop, LA.
Time to get to work.
See, it's better out
here in the summer, but.
Yep, you do keep saying that.
I learned to play
golf right over there.
We used to plow through dinner
to get in as many holes as we could.
I didn't know James played golf.
He didn't really
play all that much.
I think it was a little too slow for him.
Mostly only Dad and I.
Well, golf is the
most boring sport of all time.
How do you know, you ever play?
No.
Well don't knock it 'til you try it.
James and I did have a
good time out here, though.
I used to come home from
college and buy him beers.
Wasn't he, like, 13 years old?
Yeah.
You must have been
pretty popular.
It didn't hurt.
And then what?
You moved out west?
Yeah, I moved to LA and
James moved to Chicago.
You know, as you said, life just happens.
I meant, you grow up and get old,
not lose touch with your brother.
Just couldn't take care of him anymore.
I always had to take care of him.
My dad was always working or drinking.
At some point, it was
just easier not to talk.
Not to come back.
James doesn't want
you to take care of him.
He just wants you to be his brother.
It's not too late, you know.
So you still play?
Jesus.
Okay, try again.
Okay.
All right.
All right, now you're
gonna hinge right there,
more hinge right there, follow through.
All right, come on
LA, now's your chance.
Let me see what you got.
No, I can't, I play leftie.
So, where are your clubs?
I couldn't find 'em.
So play rightie.
I can't play rightie,
it's a whole different,
I don't wanna break anything.
You mean like, your vagina?
Like my vagina, just go ahead.
On three, ready?
One, two,
Three.
Not bad.
You ready to go?
Yeah.
Well, if the handyman
stuff doesn't work out,
you could always go into landscaping.
Come on, I'm starving.
You sure you never played pool before?
This isn't exactly my forte.
Yeah, your forte, should we go home
and get your camera back?
That's not my forte, either.
Oh yeah?
It's what I do now.
But...
What was it?
I danced.
I know, I let myself go or whatever.
No, I, I didn't mean that, I just,
what kind of dance?
Ballet.
How long?
16 years.
That's a long time.
Yeah, it is.
Another round?
Uh, yes, actually no, I'm
gonna switch to whiskey.
Want a whiskey?
Yeah, I will.
Two, thanks.
All right, so
then what happened?
Uh, I made it as far as Paris,
and I danced there for about eight months,
and then my mom got sick, so I went home
to take care of her, and then I met a boy.
And then I met another boy.
Well, love conquers all.
Yeah.
I think I just
pick guys I know will get bored with me.
Yeah, I don't think James is that type.
So, did you ever think
about going back to dance?
Yep, but at that level,
a year away is a long time,
and I don't know, once you,
once you can't even do the
thing you were built to do,
it's sort of like...
Yeah, what good are you?
Well, past is past, right?
You can't go back.
Thank you.
You know, I left Rome for a girl.
I knew it, I knew you had a story.
Eh, it's not much of a story.
What were you doing in Rome?
I was studying to be an opera singer.
You fuckin' with me?
No.
You wanna hear my high G?
Are you serious?
The upper end of the baritone register.
My top was always better than my bottom.
That was a long time ago.
Yes, it was.
My shot? Your shot?
Um, I think it's me.
I lost myself in the
jackknife daylight
Well I got a woman
We're a heaven-made match you see
Oh Neil,
I am so glad you're back.
I am just meeting these
guys, they're from here, too.
You also grew up around
here, can you believe it?
I can't believe it.
Did you know them?
No, I do not know them.
Before today?
I think we should go, let's go.
Be cool, man.
I got shots comin'.
You like shots?
We're gonna have a good time.
He loves them.
I'm...
Yeah.
Ooh, yummy.
Okay, here we go.
Anything for you?
No, I'm good.
Okay.
Cheers.
Thank you.
Ehh.
All right, let's go.
Want another?
Want another one?
I do want another one.
Nah, I think we should get going.
What about our game?
Yeah, because I was thinking that
you and me can play together
on a team of our own,
against these guys for pool.
For like pool versus.
The valet is waiting
outside with our car
so we should, come on.
What?
Let's go.
Come on.
Let's go.
Watch the tree!
Here we go.
You gonna make it?
I just need one
more and I will be good.
Of what?
Wouldn't you like to know?
All right, here we go.
All right, you good?
Mm, socks.
You gotta be kidding.
Please.
I'm not
Please, please.
All right.
Socks.
All right.
Here we go, your left sock, right sock.
Over here.
Good?
Good night?
Oh, pants!
Pants.
Come on.
You're not serious.
Just pull my pants off, asshole, I can't.
Ah, jeez...
Come on.
You know, this is not me Please.
Being an asshole, trust me.
Just it's too tight.
Yep.
You good?
Extremely.
All right.
Hey, I got an idea.
How about,
you buy James out,
and we move in here,
and start a home repair business together.
Open year-round.
I don't know
how useful I would be.
I'm sure you're
good for something.
Good night, Rebecca.
Hey Sean, it's me.
Listen man, uh, I've hit a
little bit of a snag here.
I need you to, uh, buy
me a few more days, okay?
Do whatever it takes.
You boys out there somewhere?
Right here, boss.
Amir, are you there?
Hey, yeah, Neil,
sorry, I'm here.
All right, are you ready
to bring this deal home?
Ready as we'll ever be.
All right, grab a pen.
Hey.
Hey.
Any more where that came from?
So what happens when this runs out?
I'll find out.
When you were 15, where did you go
to solve your 15 year-old problems?
James' gig is ending.
What time's he coming back?
I don't know, soon.
It's not that long a drive.
That girl, the one you told me about,
that you left Rome for?
Whatever happened with her?
She and I lived here
together for a while.
Then I got a job in LA, and
she wanted to come with,
and I talked her out of it.
I told her I thought it
was probably for the best.
Love conquers all, huh?
Hm.
I know how this ends, you know.
James, he just sees the good in me,
but what if I'm not what he signed on for?
What if I'm defective, and
he hasn't realized it yet?
It's not that he leaves.
It's that he always comes back.
I think there's a little
bit of whiskey left.
I think I'm
just gonna go to bed.
Will there be anything else?
No, I think we're good, thanks.
It's nice to see
two pretty young faces.
Gets so dreary here in the winter.
We're not as young as you think.
Oh, I'll bet you probably are.
You make a nice couple.
There's no rush.
You hear that?
That's the best compliment
you're gonna get all day,
you better enjoy it.
Let's just think about how much better
my eggs are than these.
Maybe you could make
them for me sometime.
When we have our own home repair business.
Open year-round.
You think that story ends any differently?
Gotta believe in something.
I will add this to your tab.
Ready?
Well hello, hello, we finally meet.
Pamela Ross.
Hi, Neil Mercer.
Ah, car trouble?
Sorry for the delay.
It's been the craziest
winter, you wouldn't believe.
This is Steve and Judy Bradley.
Hi, nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Neil Mercer, the owner
of this lovely house.
This is Rebecca Brandt.
Lovely to see you again.
I didn't want any more
time to slip by, so,
here we all are.
Shall we have a look around?
Yeah, uh...
I, I think
I'm just gonna take a walk.
You sure?
We're only gonna be a few minutes.
Yeah, yeah, this is, uh,
what you came to do, so.
Okay.
Shall we?
It's so lovely when the weather is nice.
I can't imagine a more magical place
for two boys to spend their summers.
See the birch trees?
Well, this couldn't be going any better.
You did a nice job here.
Let's hope they like it.
I was sorry to hear about your father.
Oh, thank you.
So you're just in
from Los Angeles, then?
Yeah, just came in for this.
You're a very hard
person to get a hold of.
Well, you know how it is, busy busy.
So, you need me much longer?
Tell 'em how thrilled you are.
Flash a few more smiles, after that?
At this point, you don't need
to stay any longer than you want.
Guys, look over there,
past those hills,
sledding hills, look down.
The other car will be here in few hours.
Hey, sorry, I was gone for a while.
Hey, man.
James, hey.
Just got off the phone with Pamela.
Sounds like we have a winner.
Yeah, apparently they love
what we've done with this place,
so let's hope the offer sticks.
Hope the gig went well.
Yeah, oh yeah, it went great.
Listen, we grabbed some food,
let me cook you some dinner, man.
Aw, thanks, I'm actually
heading into town,
and I got work to do.
Welcome back.
Sayin' these things
to no one that matters
Another?
Yeah, sure.
That girl you were asking
about the other night,
uh, Charlotte whatever?
Guess my sister used to
play volleyball with her.
Said she left town years ago.
Oh, your food will be up soon.
Thanks.
You don't know what you're doin'
All that you will ruin
Hey, don't you owe me a drink?
I dunno, do I?
Thanks for the study break.
You don't know
What you're doin'
All that you will ruin
Neil, hey.
Do you have everything figured out?
Thought you might've left already.
Yeah, I ran into an old friend.
Yeah, saved you some food,
there's a plate in the fridge.
I gotta get goin' through
some of those boxes.
Honestly, man, I can
take it over from here now,
you've done more than your share.
It's not a problem.
Thanks for the food.
Hey, man.
Hey.
Listen, I just wanna apologize.
I didn't, I didn't mean to
leave you hangin' like that.
We got it all taken care of.
You don't need to apologize.
I owe you one.
Let's call it even.
So, I stopped at Dad's
house in the city on the way.
I think this is one of the few bottles
left in the the cellar.
Wow.
Bet he wished he got into this.
Yeah, bet he wished he
got to a lot of things.
You know, they say a
good bottle of whiskey
will outlive you just as
long as you don't open it.
That makes it kinda tough.
Should we do it?
Yeah.
Cheers.
Mm, yep.
Yeah.
That's good.
Do you think we fucked up?
Selling the house?
You know I guess I just assumed
it'd always just be here.
Yeah, I kinda did, too.
So the memorial's in Spring, huh?
April.
Think it'll be warmer by then?
Hey.
When are you leaving?
Tomorrow morning.
Well, they probably
need you back at work
since you've been gone so long.
It's all right.
It's been worth it.
Um, James talked to
the guys who own Oink's,
and they're gonna open special for us,
so I figured I'd stick
around, see what happens.
You should.
It'll be good.
I'm gonna miss you.
I'm gonna miss you, too.
Hey.
Hey.
I'd offer you some coffee,
but we don't have any more.
James went to go get some.
You hungry?
Fire and brimstone fell upon my ears
As their throats of
open graves recited fear
See what we got here,
classic eggs, take those.
Like the bullets of a
gun they drove my tears
And my feet to run
the hell out of here
See I was born a
restless wayward child
I could hear the whole
world callin' me outside
Of the masses I routinely sat behind
Oh Lord I had to see with my own eyes
Take me home
I want to go
Down the road that will take me
To the living oak
And Lord I know
That I'm weathered stone
That I owe it to my brothers
To carry them home
Ah
Take me home
I want to go
Down the road that will take me
To the living oak
And Lord, I know
That I'm weathered stone
But I owe it to my brothers
To carry them home
Take me home
I want to go
Down the road that will take me
To the living oak
And Lord, I know
It's a heavy load
But we'll carry our brothers
Oh we'll carry them home
And oh, there is no
power on Earth or below
That could ever break our
hearts or shake our souls
And when you lay me down,
you'll only bury bones
'Cause all my heart
and soul are goin' home
Pleasure to see
you sir, may I take your coat?
Please.
Cheers.
All is forgiven
All is forgiven
All is forgiven
Sometimes I think about
things before they happen
Floatin' around in my head for a while
All of a sudden it's
grown too big to handle
Changed its clothes and
grown a mind of its own
Too loud to listen, too
proud to put paper to the pen
Buy me a drink?
No, I saved you a seat.
When are we up?
Same, next week.
Next week.
As far as I know,
it's down to McKinsey, Bain, and us.
That bake-off is next week,
why can't we get a date?
I need consultants
to help them hide their consultants.
Sounds to me like
you're doin' PowerPoint.
You still good?
Kid was still
workin' on it when I left.
Said he'd turn it over
as soon as he was done.
We did a logarithmic progression,
placing different weights in
different customer groups,
in order to remove any biases
that existed in previous analysis...
Yeah, Appendix.
Well if you just look at the r-square...
Appendix.
Point eight-three.
Yeah.
That's Appendix.
That's good.
I actually ran 10 different...
Appendix.
You're pullin' the fuckin' ocean, kid.
B answer first, okay?
Objective slide, then solution.
The client doesn't really
care how you get the answer
as long as you have the
answer that you know.
Yeah, but what if I don't?
Say something to yourself
enough times it becomes true.
You know, Nadia keeps asking,
when are you gonna make partner?
When are you gonna make partner?
I think she thinks some switch will flip
and all of a sudden I'll be
home by 5:45 every night.
God, take-out food,
DVDs, be in bed by 10:30.
Some people don't know
what they're missing.
Thanks for the study break.
Hey.
So like, um, how much
do directors make, anyway?
I mean, if you make director.
When you make director.
Stop thinkin' about money.
Eyes on the prize.
I thought that was the prize.
No, the prize is winning.
Money's just a way of keeping score.
I think we're
lookin' really good.
Team is good, deck is
solid, we just need a date
and a little bit of luck.
You got me, Sean.
We don't need luck.
Neil, it's James.
Will you please call me back?
Look, man, I don't, I don't know
how to get a hold of you.
I've been trying to call you at work.
I don't know how to say this.
Dad, uh.
Dad died.
You gotta come home.
Neil.
You have a brother?
We're not that close.
Well look, man,
I don't mean to be
insensitive or anything,
but the timing here isn't exactly great.
Relax, Sean.
Apparently he's already found a buyer.
We just need to pack up our
shit and sign a few papers,
make sure the real estate agent
isn't some sort of nut job.
Well, that sounds
like a lot of fun.
Um, sorry to miss it.
So, when was the last time
you went back there, anyway?
A while.
Hi, this is James Mercer,
please leave me a message after the beep.
Hey man, I'm here.
You're not.
Call me.
James.
Hey.
Neil, how you doin'?
Good, man.
Good to see ya.
Neil, I want you to meet
my fiancee, Rebecca.
Rebecca, this is my brother Neil.
Fiancee.
Hi.
Hi.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Um, I'm sorry about your dad.
Thank you.
Who's hungry?
Pamela made it sound like
these buyers are pretty motivated.
Yeah, of course she did,
she's a real estate agent.
Yeah, I, I mean, I
think she's pretty involved.
Is she the same one
who actually told him
to move out of the house before
she had a potential buyer?
Yeah, well, I mean, I
think that was his call,
but...
How about the color in the front room,
was that his choice?
Oh, the puce?
Ugh, God.
You didn't like that?
I kinda like white better.
Drinks?
Yeah, uh, I'm gonna have whiskey.
You want a whiskey?
Um.
Oh, nice, they have that local wine
I was telling you about.
Can we get two of the
St. Julian Rieslings?
Whiskey and wine, coming right up.
Thanks.
Thanks.
What are you, on the wagon?
No, it's supposed to be pretty good.
Isn't this the place you were telling me
has the good milkshakes?
No, that's Oink's, remember?
This is the place with
the really good burgers.
Ah, Oink's, that's right.
Oink's.
Yeah.
It's a great name.
Yeah.
It was, oh God, we used
to drive our bikes there
like three times a day.
Neil would convince 'em to, like,
shoot the Reddi-wip
directly down our mouths.
Remember?
Anyway, um, so what
are you gonna be doin'
while we're out dealing with the house?
Rebecca is a photographer.
I take pictures.
Well, you make photographs,
you're a photographer.
You mean like, uh,
industrials, or fashion, like?
Um, landscape.
Ah, there's a good buck in that.
Well, she's actually here on commission.
I don't know if I would say that.
I would, it's true.
You should never sell yourself short.
That's like one of your
consultancy slogans, right?
I could tell ya, but
I'd have to bill ya.
Ah.
What do you think?
That's a good one.
Mm.
Fruity?
Is it, more savory?
What did you say this was?
This is St. Julian Riesling.
Okay.
It's from, you know,
just down the road.
What do you think?
You guys want another round?
Another?
Thanks.
No, it's all right,
that's for you.
Thank you, sir.
Your girl seems all right.
Yeah, we're doin' okay.
Yeah, she keeps me in line.
So how was he in the end?
Hard-ass, you know, same as always.
Yeah, some things
never change, right?
Yeah.
Well, he asked about you, how you were.
Yeah, what'd you say?
Eh, you were workin'.
Is there gonna be, like,
a memorial or somethin'?
In the spring.
Figured more people would
be able to come that way.
Guess I should make an appearance.
How about you, how you doin'?
How's the jazz goin'?
Yeah, slowly but surely.
Good.
What about you, man?
What's it like bein'
a big-time consultant?
Ah, same old shit.
She all right?
Yeah, she's just, usin' the bathroom.
How did you do that?
We were standing right there.
Magic.
Are you smokin'?
Honey, I don't want you smokin'.
I know, you'd be lost without me.
Ah, Jesus, man.
I know, you'd be lost without me.
Hey, is that place Oink's still open?
No, I don't think so.
You wanna go check it out?
I gotta make some calls.
No, man, let's go check out Oink's.
Hey, what time's our meeting tomorrow?
9 a.m., bright and early.
All right, I'm gonna get goin',
it's too cold out here for me.
You'll get used to it.
It's two days, James.
I won't have to.
Well, we brought Monopoly.
First one back gets the battleship.
Mashed potatoes,
so I'll give you a few minutes
to look that over and
I'll get your drinks.
Okay, thanks.
What's a guy gotta do to
get some service around here?
Oh my God, Neil Mercer,
what are you doing here?
I don't believe it.
It's good to see you.
Good to see you.
Um, let me just put this in and uh,
I'll, I'll be right back.
It's weird having you here.
Yeah, you're one to
talk, how'd they manage
to keep you here this whole time?
Well, when you marry one of 'em.
Yeah, it's five years this September.
Doesn't seem so long when
you say it out loud, but.
Little Beth Wilson, all grown up.
It was then or never.
I'm surprised it took that long.
Well, you know me,
breakin' hearts from the day I was born.
You were always breakin' hearts,
you just never realized it.
Thanks for tellin' me now.
Better late than never.
What about you?
You're not gettin' any younger.
Hmm.
One of those
California blondes snatch you up?
They're not as dumb as you think.
Man, we were all
so in love with you in high school.
We would spend all year with
those thuggy jock assholes
and then you'd come around in the summers
wearin' your polos and your khakis,
talkin' about Shakespeare and Mozart.
Now, that kid was a charmer.
No, that kid was an idiot.
Aw, come on, you were
a catch and you know it.
We were all so jealous of Charlotte.
How is that old girl, anyway?
Why?
You wanna look her up and see
if the flame's still burning?
No, I just wanna make
sure she's gotten over me.
Well, it was a long time ago.
I bet she's moved on.
Maybe I should come
back here more often,
try to, uh, you know, recapture
some of my former glory.
Yeah, definitely.
Could use somebody around here
who remembers how to drink.
I'm not as fun as I used to be.
I find that hard to believe.
Sorry, I can't.
You don't sound so convinced.
Neil.
I'm married.
What does that matter?
You're different
from how I remember you.
Yeah, well, I grew up.
I gotta get back.
Hello!
Welcome to the New Buffalo Motel.
Uh, do you have a reservation with us?
Do I need one?
Uh, busy place.
What was that name, sir?
Uh, it's Neil Mercer.
Neil Mercer, what
brings you to New Buffalo, sir?
Uh, a little vacation.
Good time of year for it.
Snow's always beautiful, isn't it?
It's cold.
You guys have a bar here?
Having fun out there, Boss?
A blast.
How we lookin'?
Still waiting.
Shouldn't be long now.
The kid seem ready?
I don't think he's
been home since you left.
He'll be ready.
Good man.
Listen, I know you know this.
But this pitch is important, Neil.
We need you here.
Mm.
There he is.
We were startin' to get worried about you.
How was Oink's?
Eh, they were closed for the winter.
But you did miss a really
good game of Monopoly.
Yeah, I ran into an old friend.
Oh yeah?
She everything you remember?
Better.
Hm.
Um-hm.
Sorry I missed the meeting.
How was it?
It was good.
Pamela has a couple ideas about the house.
Nothin' big, list is in the other room
if you wanna take a look.
So what did James have
to do to convince you
to come up here in the middle of February?
Mm, promise me eternal
happiness and undying love?
Sounds like you got the
short end of the stick.
Mm, this is pretty good,
when'd you learn how to cook?
You didn't teach him?
Must've learned on his own.
Mm-hm, he's very good at cooking.
Yeah, and a couple other things.
Oh, yeah?
Mm-hmm.
Like what else?
A couple more things.
Like what?
Stop, stop.
Like what?
Come on.
What?
Gimme some space.
Excuse me.
You don't think
I'm good at things?
What, of course I
think you're good at things.
Christ, you guys read this list?
Hm?
The list, all the shit on here.
"Debris removal, including all leaves
"and other tree-related items.
"Busted pipe in bathroom.
"Gutter cleaning.
"Fence repair, laundry
washer/dryer hookup repair.
"Garage door opener repair."
I thought you said the
buyers were motivated.
They are.
Pamela just thinks it'll help.
Probably shouldn't take more than a week.
A week?
Thought we could
all do it together, be fun.
You said two days, James,
a week is seven days.
Uh, well we might
be able to finish earlier,
between the three of us.
I got an idea, why
don't we just call Mom.
Maybe Dad'll rally, you know?
We could have a family reunion.
Don't encourage him.
It's not funny.
Sorry.
It's called a sense of humor, James.
You got two days, okay?
You wanna eat, Neil?
Guess not.
Get you another?
Yeah, sure, please.
You grow up around here?
Born and raised, New Buffalo High.
Class of 95, go Cougars.
You wouldn't happen to know
a girl named Charlotte
Spier, she used to work here?
Tall, brunette, kind of
willowy, kinda pretty?
Um, it doesn't ring a bell.
Sorry.
Hey.
Creeper.
No, I get it.
It's just, you know, I wish...
It'll only be a few days,
I promise we'll...
Okay.
Hey, Dad coulda left the bed in my room.
That air mattress is killin' my back.
Sorry, I wasn't consulted.
Look man, I got some bad news.
I got a gig.
A gig?
And it starts tonight.
Tonight?
The band they had scheduled canceled,
and we were next on the list,
and it's something I have to take.
We got work to do.
I gotta take it, man, I'm sorry.
My flight leaves tomorrow, James.
I know, I'm sorry, it's shitty.
But I have no option, okay?
This is something I gotta take,
these guys depend on me,
it's a great opportunity.
Well, how long is it for?
Five days.
Five days?
I don't know what to say, like,
what am I supposed to say, I can't do it
'cause my brother would
be disappointed in me?
It's just something I gotta do, I'm sorry.
All you gotta say,
that you got a responsibility,
that's what you do when you're an adult.
Look, man, you don't
actually have to do anything,
just call Pamela, arrange to
get a good handyman over here,
and they'll take it from there.
Okay, so, I'm just gonna, you know,
clean up everything myself?
Just do me a favor, all right?
I'll owe you one?
You already owe me one,
I came here to be with you
and to take care of the
house and now you're leaving?
Man, like I've never
done anything for you.
I gotta make a call.
What have you done for me?
Well, I am the one who's
been around for the past 15 years.
That was your choice, man,
don't pin that shit on me.
If you need to leave, leave.
All right?
Wouldn't be anything new.
You know, it's your mess, James,
then you clean it up, okay?
This is Pamela Ross,
sorry I missed your call.
Leave me a message and I'll call you back
just as soon as I can.
Have a wonderful day.
Pam, hi, this is Neil Mercer.
I'm James' brother.
Listen, I'm here to help
him out for a few days,
and uh, get a handyman.
Um, call me back, please.
Got a Yellow Pages?
This is Joe.
Hey Joe, uh, listen,
um, I got this situation.
Uh, I got this house, it
needs a little bit of fixin'...
Buddy, it's February,
I'm in Fort Lauderdale.
I just have calls forwarded down here
in case of emergencies...
Well look, uh, I would say
that this is an emergency.
Call me in March,
you'll be first on the list.
All right, well,
you know anybody
that might be open, that, you know, look,
I'll make it worth your while.
Fuck.
Sorry, I was all out.
What are you doin' here?
Smoking all your cigarettes.
Uh huh.
I have shit to do.
You have shit to do?
I have work to do.
That requires that I be here.
So, I'm here working, like a real adult.
I understand that you
disapprove of James' priorities,
but you know what, he's
no longer here, so.
His what?
What are you talking about?
He left, didn't he?
Asshole.
You havin' fun out there?
You know, I hear there's some
really nice hotels in the area.
Oh yeah?
I'll call you a cab.
Coffee's on the house.
Aah!
Nice job.
Your phone buzzed.
Call me and we'll
get this ball rolling ASAP.
"Call me and we'll get
this ball rolling ASAP."
How we gonna do anything ASAP
if she doesn't pick up her goddamn phone?
I mean, we are paying her, right?
The least she could do is
pretend to give a shit.
Do you find that's usually how it works?
Actually, that's always how it works.
Is it hard?
Finding out the world
cares as little as you do?
All right.
In the mornin' light
She trades it for the claim
Is, uh, Beth, uh, Beth working tonight?
Can I help you with somethin'?
Yeah, you could start by telling me
where all the women are in
this fucking town.
No, I'm kidding.
Uh, you got whiskey, right?
Just a double.
I think we should
start a little slower...
Oh, really, I think you should
start by doing your fucking job.
One for me, one for my pops
for old times' sake.
Think you oughta just
keep movin', friend.
Do I look like a guy
who has friends around here?
Look at this fucking place.
Why don't you just keep
drinking your beer?
Oh, hello, I was just asking
Tom Cruise here about you.
What's goin' on?
I'm tryin' to get you a drink,
but he won't pour the fucking drinks,
just pour the fucking drink.
Okay, buddy, time to go.
I am not talking to you.
We're not talkin', I'm
talkin' to my friend, not you.
So stay out of it, you asshole.
Just stay the fuck out of it.
Gimme my drink, please.
I think we're done here.
Really?
Neil, you gotta go.
There's nothin' here for you.
You know what, Beth, take a look around.
There's nothin' here for anybody.
Enjoy your life.
Oh, shit.
Fuck.
Fuck it.
Where is that number.
Charlotte.
Come on.
The number you have reached
is not in service at this time,
and there is no new number.
I think they heard you.
How long was the horn going off?
Five minutes.
I thought you were leaving.
Yeah well, I thought James
was gonna be here to help, so.
I have a proposition for you.
Pass.
I know you're never gonna
finish this stuff on your own.
I'm leaving, remember?
I don't need to finish.
If you were gonna leave,
you would have already left.
I'll help you with your little list
if you help me with my commission.
I don't really speak artist.
I just need to know what around here
is worth taking pictures of.
And how are you gonna help me?
You should've brought something warmer.
I don't have anything warmer.
You don't ski in Lake Tahoe,
or whatever you fancy LA people do?
I work, no time for skiing.
Sounds familiar.
Hold this.
You say that you never wanted
To hit me in the face
More than right now
Great, let's go.
But can't you see that I'm only alone
Casting lines out to catches
who can swallow my buzzes
And pretend that they
Hey.
James says there is a playground
that you guys used to go
to when you were kids.
I think he meant during the summer.
I'd like to see it
so I can take some pictures.
All right, how about we see it tomorrow?
I need to find a way to call my office.
Today's better for
me, because you owe me,
and I wanna go now.
How 'bout I drop you off in town?
How are you planning on doing that?
What do you mean?
Your car.
What about it?
You fucked it.
What do you mean, I fucked it?
I think you know.
Hurry hurry you say
As I'm tying my shoes
Any other bright ideas?
Tying your shoes
And you slipped up
and have to start anew
But I would never say hurry up to you
Seriously?
It's better out here
when there's no snow.
Nice.
Tell me about this commission of yours.
Why, so you can make fun of me?
No, I wanna know.
Really?
Yeah.
Your Dad hired me.
My Dad?
Yeah, yeah, he hired me to
take pictures of what he said
was the most beautiful
place on God's green earth.
If this is the most beautiful place
on God's green earth,
then why'd he wanna sell?
Makes sense to me.
James is always traveling,
and you're in LA,
he probably just thought there
wasn't anyone there to use it.
Huh, guess he was right about that.
So, your dad died,
and the office hired me
to take the pictures anyway,
and use it as kind of a memorial.
Pretty impressive, huh?
He's dead and he still has
people working for him.
What's your deal, anyway?
It sounds like you haven't
been home in forever.
You know, your dad dies
and you get on a plane, right?
Yeah, you just don't seem
all that excited to be here.
I got a lot of stuff on my plate.
Like big-shot consultancy stuff?
Somethin' like that.
James said you moved out
here after college for a while?
You need to get a hobby.
Come on, tell me
the story, I love stories.
Story, there is no story.
I'm sure James left some things out.
I'll make you a deal, the next time
we're up here I'll tell you everything.
Great, I'll put it in my calendar.
I think I used to play
tennis with that guy's daughter.
I think you mean that little girl's mom.
Guess I'm older than I thought.
Life happens, man, you
gotta get with the program.
Yeah, live alone, die
alone, what's the difference?
Lifetime of happiness in between?
Pretty thought.
Sounded better in my head.
I'm starving.
Wanna get outta here?
So how long you
been taking pictures?
I don't know, a while.
Yeah, you like it?
Keeps me busy.
So what's the draw?
Everything ends, and a picture remains?
That's not bad for a consultant.
I have my moments.
I guess for me,
it's like a thing doesn't
exist until you photograph it.
It's just floating around in the ether,
but the photograph
makes it mean something.
One picture makes it real.
So this is what you and James
normally do on Friday night?
Mm-mm.
We usually just fuck.
Mm.
Sorry to be so boring.
Hm.
At least the pizza's good.
I'm gonna get a whiskey, you want one?
Mm, sure.
Hey, is everything okay?
Oh yeah, fine, I'm just taking pictures.
Better offer?
Raincheck.
How are things with you?
I wonder where he could be,
I'm getting worried.
Are you, darling, what about?
Charles, you've changed.
Don't you think you'd better?
After all, aren't we supposed
to be going on a honeymoon?
Through a phone line buzz
A little voice that cuts
'Cause they want to know your name
'Cause they want to know your name
'Cause they want to know your name
And our lady girl
Who loved the world
Bit a jackrabbit in half
And on her dying day
I heard her say
If only they
Were not so fast
So just remember that
So just remember that
So how's the work goin'?
Uh, you know, coming along.
I thought you didn't cook.
Eh, scrambled eggs, really.
But only under
extraordinary circumstances.
Claw hammer?
This is a claw hammer.
Man up, LA, it's not that cold.
You're my brother's hands
And I'm your mother's face
But you're only yours to claim
You're only yours to claim
Guess who called?
Heath Ledger.
He wants his coat back.
My real estate agent.
Apparently she's workin' for us after all.
This is Pamela Ross,
sorry I missed your call.
Leave me a message and I'll call you back
just as soon as I can.
Have a wonderful day.
Pamela, Neil Mercer
trying to reach you again.
Can you please call me back?
Thank you.
You want a refill or something?
I'm just gonna throw it out otherwise.
At this point, I don't
think coffee's gonna cut it.
Tell me about it.
Doesn't seem like a
very good business model,
throwing away coffee at a coffee shop.
Last chance.
Nah, I'm good, thanks.
You live around here?
Not for long.
My boyfriend and I
moved here after school.
He figured working
construction for the summer
would be a quick way of
paying off some loans.
That was six years ago.
Hm, you know there's a train
station right down the road.
There's a actually a road right
next to the train station.
You could just.
Maybe it just seemed easier, you know?
Why not try and make the most of it?
Gets exhausting always hoping
to find something better.
Yeah, but there always
is something better.
Sean.
I have some good news, Neil.
We have a date.
This Friday, 11 a.m.
About time, huh?
Honestly, this deck is as
crisp as I've ever seen.
Amir's turning into our
own little rockstar.
You will be here, right?
We need you in that room.
I'll be there.
I'll send a car.
Gotta be kidding me.
Hello Neil, tag, you're it.
Little joke there.
Listen, if you have a second,
I've got one small job for you.
Find us some plants, evergreens.
I know it's not exactly the season,
but I think it will really
spruce up that garage.
Okay, great.
And let me know if you
have any more trouble
finding a handyman.
I look forward to seeing you very soon.
I think you were actually out.
You don't say.
Thanks for the sandwich.
It's on the house.
Chop-chop, LA.
Time to get to work.
See, it's better out
here in the summer, but.
Yep, you do keep saying that.
I learned to play
golf right over there.
We used to plow through dinner
to get in as many holes as we could.
I didn't know James played golf.
He didn't really
play all that much.
I think it was a little too slow for him.
Mostly only Dad and I.
Well, golf is the
most boring sport of all time.
How do you know, you ever play?
No.
Well don't knock it 'til you try it.
James and I did have a
good time out here, though.
I used to come home from
college and buy him beers.
Wasn't he, like, 13 years old?
Yeah.
You must have been
pretty popular.
It didn't hurt.
And then what?
You moved out west?
Yeah, I moved to LA and
James moved to Chicago.
You know, as you said, life just happens.
I meant, you grow up and get old,
not lose touch with your brother.
Just couldn't take care of him anymore.
I always had to take care of him.
My dad was always working or drinking.
At some point, it was
just easier not to talk.
Not to come back.
James doesn't want
you to take care of him.
He just wants you to be his brother.
It's not too late, you know.
So you still play?
Jesus.
Okay, try again.
Okay.
All right.
All right, now you're
gonna hinge right there,
more hinge right there, follow through.
All right, come on
LA, now's your chance.
Let me see what you got.
No, I can't, I play leftie.
So, where are your clubs?
I couldn't find 'em.
So play rightie.
I can't play rightie,
it's a whole different,
I don't wanna break anything.
You mean like, your vagina?
Like my vagina, just go ahead.
On three, ready?
One, two,
Three.
Not bad.
You ready to go?
Yeah.
Well, if the handyman
stuff doesn't work out,
you could always go into landscaping.
Come on, I'm starving.
You sure you never played pool before?
This isn't exactly my forte.
Yeah, your forte, should we go home
and get your camera back?
That's not my forte, either.
Oh yeah?
It's what I do now.
But...
What was it?
I danced.
I know, I let myself go or whatever.
No, I, I didn't mean that, I just,
what kind of dance?
Ballet.
How long?
16 years.
That's a long time.
Yeah, it is.
Another round?
Uh, yes, actually no, I'm
gonna switch to whiskey.
Want a whiskey?
Yeah, I will.
Two, thanks.
All right, so
then what happened?
Uh, I made it as far as Paris,
and I danced there for about eight months,
and then my mom got sick, so I went home
to take care of her, and then I met a boy.
And then I met another boy.
Well, love conquers all.
Yeah.
I think I just
pick guys I know will get bored with me.
Yeah, I don't think James is that type.
So, did you ever think
about going back to dance?
Yep, but at that level,
a year away is a long time,
and I don't know, once you,
once you can't even do the
thing you were built to do,
it's sort of like...
Yeah, what good are you?
Well, past is past, right?
You can't go back.
Thank you.
You know, I left Rome for a girl.
I knew it, I knew you had a story.
Eh, it's not much of a story.
What were you doing in Rome?
I was studying to be an opera singer.
You fuckin' with me?
No.
You wanna hear my high G?
Are you serious?
The upper end of the baritone register.
My top was always better than my bottom.
That was a long time ago.
Yes, it was.
My shot? Your shot?
Um, I think it's me.
I lost myself in the
jackknife daylight
Well I got a woman
We're a heaven-made match you see
Oh Neil,
I am so glad you're back.
I am just meeting these
guys, they're from here, too.
You also grew up around
here, can you believe it?
I can't believe it.
Did you know them?
No, I do not know them.
Before today?
I think we should go, let's go.
Be cool, man.
I got shots comin'.
You like shots?
We're gonna have a good time.
He loves them.
I'm...
Yeah.
Ooh, yummy.
Okay, here we go.
Anything for you?
No, I'm good.
Okay.
Cheers.
Thank you.
Ehh.
All right, let's go.
Want another?
Want another one?
I do want another one.
Nah, I think we should get going.
What about our game?
Yeah, because I was thinking that
you and me can play together
on a team of our own,
against these guys for pool.
For like pool versus.
The valet is waiting
outside with our car
so we should, come on.
What?
Let's go.
Come on.
Let's go.
Watch the tree!
Here we go.
You gonna make it?
I just need one
more and I will be good.
Of what?
Wouldn't you like to know?
All right, here we go.
All right, you good?
Mm, socks.
You gotta be kidding.
Please.
I'm not
Please, please.
All right.
Socks.
All right.
Here we go, your left sock, right sock.
Over here.
Good?
Good night?
Oh, pants!
Pants.
Come on.
You're not serious.
Just pull my pants off, asshole, I can't.
Ah, jeez...
Come on.
You know, this is not me Please.
Being an asshole, trust me.
Just it's too tight.
Yep.
You good?
Extremely.
All right.
Hey, I got an idea.
How about,
you buy James out,
and we move in here,
and start a home repair business together.
Open year-round.
I don't know
how useful I would be.
I'm sure you're
good for something.
Good night, Rebecca.
Hey Sean, it's me.
Listen man, uh, I've hit a
little bit of a snag here.
I need you to, uh, buy
me a few more days, okay?
Do whatever it takes.
You boys out there somewhere?
Right here, boss.
Amir, are you there?
Hey, yeah, Neil,
sorry, I'm here.
All right, are you ready
to bring this deal home?
Ready as we'll ever be.
All right, grab a pen.
Hey.
Hey.
Any more where that came from?
So what happens when this runs out?
I'll find out.
When you were 15, where did you go
to solve your 15 year-old problems?
James' gig is ending.
What time's he coming back?
I don't know, soon.
It's not that long a drive.
That girl, the one you told me about,
that you left Rome for?
Whatever happened with her?
She and I lived here
together for a while.
Then I got a job in LA, and
she wanted to come with,
and I talked her out of it.
I told her I thought it
was probably for the best.
Love conquers all, huh?
Hm.
I know how this ends, you know.
James, he just sees the good in me,
but what if I'm not what he signed on for?
What if I'm defective, and
he hasn't realized it yet?
It's not that he leaves.
It's that he always comes back.
I think there's a little
bit of whiskey left.
I think I'm
just gonna go to bed.
Will there be anything else?
No, I think we're good, thanks.
It's nice to see
two pretty young faces.
Gets so dreary here in the winter.
We're not as young as you think.
Oh, I'll bet you probably are.
You make a nice couple.
There's no rush.
You hear that?
That's the best compliment
you're gonna get all day,
you better enjoy it.
Let's just think about how much better
my eggs are than these.
Maybe you could make
them for me sometime.
When we have our own home repair business.
Open year-round.
You think that story ends any differently?
Gotta believe in something.
I will add this to your tab.
Ready?
Well hello, hello, we finally meet.
Pamela Ross.
Hi, Neil Mercer.
Ah, car trouble?
Sorry for the delay.
It's been the craziest
winter, you wouldn't believe.
This is Steve and Judy Bradley.
Hi, nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Neil Mercer, the owner
of this lovely house.
This is Rebecca Brandt.
Lovely to see you again.
I didn't want any more
time to slip by, so,
here we all are.
Shall we have a look around?
Yeah, uh...
I, I think
I'm just gonna take a walk.
You sure?
We're only gonna be a few minutes.
Yeah, yeah, this is, uh,
what you came to do, so.
Okay.
Shall we?
It's so lovely when the weather is nice.
I can't imagine a more magical place
for two boys to spend their summers.
See the birch trees?
Well, this couldn't be going any better.
You did a nice job here.
Let's hope they like it.
I was sorry to hear about your father.
Oh, thank you.
So you're just in
from Los Angeles, then?
Yeah, just came in for this.
You're a very hard
person to get a hold of.
Well, you know how it is, busy busy.
So, you need me much longer?
Tell 'em how thrilled you are.
Flash a few more smiles, after that?
At this point, you don't need
to stay any longer than you want.
Guys, look over there,
past those hills,
sledding hills, look down.
The other car will be here in few hours.
Hey, sorry, I was gone for a while.
Hey, man.
James, hey.
Just got off the phone with Pamela.
Sounds like we have a winner.
Yeah, apparently they love
what we've done with this place,
so let's hope the offer sticks.
Hope the gig went well.
Yeah, oh yeah, it went great.
Listen, we grabbed some food,
let me cook you some dinner, man.
Aw, thanks, I'm actually
heading into town,
and I got work to do.
Welcome back.
Sayin' these things
to no one that matters
Another?
Yeah, sure.
That girl you were asking
about the other night,
uh, Charlotte whatever?
Guess my sister used to
play volleyball with her.
Said she left town years ago.
Oh, your food will be up soon.
Thanks.
You don't know what you're doin'
All that you will ruin
Hey, don't you owe me a drink?
I dunno, do I?
Thanks for the study break.
You don't know
What you're doin'
All that you will ruin
Neil, hey.
Do you have everything figured out?
Thought you might've left already.
Yeah, I ran into an old friend.
Yeah, saved you some food,
there's a plate in the fridge.
I gotta get goin' through
some of those boxes.
Honestly, man, I can
take it over from here now,
you've done more than your share.
It's not a problem.
Thanks for the food.
Hey, man.
Hey.
Listen, I just wanna apologize.
I didn't, I didn't mean to
leave you hangin' like that.
We got it all taken care of.
You don't need to apologize.
I owe you one.
Let's call it even.
So, I stopped at Dad's
house in the city on the way.
I think this is one of the few bottles
left in the the cellar.
Wow.
Bet he wished he got into this.
Yeah, bet he wished he
got to a lot of things.
You know, they say a
good bottle of whiskey
will outlive you just as
long as you don't open it.
That makes it kinda tough.
Should we do it?
Yeah.
Cheers.
Mm, yep.
Yeah.
That's good.
Do you think we fucked up?
Selling the house?
You know I guess I just assumed
it'd always just be here.
Yeah, I kinda did, too.
So the memorial's in Spring, huh?
April.
Think it'll be warmer by then?
Hey.
When are you leaving?
Tomorrow morning.
Well, they probably
need you back at work
since you've been gone so long.
It's all right.
It's been worth it.
Um, James talked to
the guys who own Oink's,
and they're gonna open special for us,
so I figured I'd stick
around, see what happens.
You should.
It'll be good.
I'm gonna miss you.
I'm gonna miss you, too.
Hey.
Hey.
I'd offer you some coffee,
but we don't have any more.
James went to go get some.
You hungry?
Fire and brimstone fell upon my ears
As their throats of
open graves recited fear
See what we got here,
classic eggs, take those.
Like the bullets of a
gun they drove my tears
And my feet to run
the hell out of here
See I was born a
restless wayward child
I could hear the whole
world callin' me outside
Of the masses I routinely sat behind
Oh Lord I had to see with my own eyes
Take me home
I want to go
Down the road that will take me
To the living oak
And Lord I know
That I'm weathered stone
That I owe it to my brothers
To carry them home
Ah
Take me home
I want to go
Down the road that will take me
To the living oak
And Lord, I know
That I'm weathered stone
But I owe it to my brothers
To carry them home
Take me home
I want to go
Down the road that will take me
To the living oak
And Lord, I know
It's a heavy load
But we'll carry our brothers
Oh we'll carry them home
And oh, there is no
power on Earth or below
That could ever break our
hearts or shake our souls
And when you lay me down,
you'll only bury bones
'Cause all my heart
and soul are goin' home