Tommy Battles the Silver Sea Dragon (2018) Movie Script
1
- We are bringing him in.
Carolyn, where have you been
If you could only see me now
I stand on trial
I'm on the witness stand
I've sworn upon
the Word of God
To tell the truth
about me and you
But you know, the
truth can be so false
- Objection!
- Overruled.
There isn't one,
one neutral tongue
Our words bear the
tales we've repressed
And strange enough,
I am the judge
I am the prosecution
and I am the defense
And we are gathered here for
the sake of mere formalities
For history is writ
In other words,
we'll uncover
The forest beneath a
single rotting leaf
We've come to witness
the sentencing
Of one Tommy Silver
The man in all of us
Oh, why have you forsaken me
I am your only son, Father
I loved her faithfully
According to your Word
When will you learn
There are not words
for everything
She dwelt
- Objection!
Beyond the reach of your
Silver-tongued decree, oh
- Oh, what a show!
Well, what do you know!
He was the fire
that set her aglow!
- The slow decline
was no fault of mine!
The ending was written ages ago!
- Order in the court!
How can a man be
tried for a crime
Comprised of the
everyday actions
Of every man's life
He's not bad like the
man who batters his wife
Ooh
It seems that you're missing
the point, my unlucky friend
His crime bids much more than
six feet for the dead, oh
We suspect the accused
Guilty as he's been charged
Three counts of murder,
killed his brother
And his lover and
a woman named Yes
Stabbed in the chest,
ripped out her tongue
And he strangled her neck
- I object!
- To what?
- To what?
- Do tell, to what?
- I object to the
terms of this trial!
I object to this case!
I object to the curve of
the smirk on your face!
To what, my god, to
what, the jury is sold
Their ears are shut
But we'll make an appeal
But this court is corrupt
We don't have a chance
This system is fucked
Drop the act
Desist with your
cries, little man
Little whore,
pregnant with lies
You know well the
weight of your crime
Your tales no
longer will suffice
But all right,
give us your alibi
But the blood on your
hands is also on mine
So don't you forget
Don't you dare try
To pull the wool
Don't you forget
To pull the wool
Over your eyes
Tommy
Tell me the tragedy
Of Abel and Cain, of
you and your brother
Tommy
Don't be scared of what
You might have to say,
what you might discover
I killed my brother
when I was 10 years old
Or so I'm told,
I don't remember
It seems the
memory's grown cold
And sometimes I
feel the weight
Of my father's gun,
heavy in my hand
That's all that I recall of
the accident, coincidentally
Sometimes I wonder
if there isn't
Some other explanation
Some kind of
evil machination
They tell me you used to cry
I wish Caleb would die
Sometimes you'd hide
him under the stair
You'd leave him crying there
You'd never tell
them where he was
I see him fast asleep
in my mother's arms
Head upon her breast
She's running her
fingers through his hair
You know, she
never cared for me
The way she cared for him
What was my mistake,
what was my sin
I never had that
feminine touch
He lost it altogether
Graceful with fair skin
and golden flax hair
He was a little angel
Would it be fair to say
he was a mother's boy
But I was my father's son
I bear the torch
I run through the ages
To carry on the name,
I am the only one
It was a dark December,
do you remember
His little body,
your mother's face
Why can't you bring him back
Why did you have
to spill his blood
What have you done, boy
What have you done, boy
I thought it was empty
I swore it was empty
Give me the gun
Where did you
get the gun, boy
I thought it was empty,
who could have known
Oh God, Ma, I swear
it wasn't my fault
Where did you get
your father's gun
We found it in the attic
in an old dusty box
It was only a game
He was the robber,
and I was the cops
Okay, okay, okay
It seems he is
the guilty one
Can he deny the truth
behind the curtain
For certain he knew too well
That he would ring
the bells of death
What kind of man is he, the
self-deceived, the wretch
The weed who strangles a
flower in its flowering
In what poverty is
his soul languishing
Who can forgive
such atrocities
How many suffocate
so he can breathe
The cost of
defining yourself
By what you are not
- Well said, well said.
Killed his brother,
it's all so brilliant,
you know, so well put together,
the lies one tells
to keep oneself
at a distance from
the unbearable truth.
But it dwells deep.
It's there, in the bones, like
marrow, so hard to extract.
- What
are you getting at?
- My old friend, you've
made a convincing case,
and I would be sold
on that account,
if it weren't for one
small piece of information.
Tommy never had a brother!
- Why would you lie to us?
Why, Tommy?
Order in the court!
- Not so fast.
I'd like to see further
evidence on this point.
As far as I'm concerned--
- As far as you're concerned,
you're here to deal out justice.
Don't you know your place.
You're no more real
than the tales he tells.
You're only part and
parcel of the project
of absolution, as am I.
- What is the meaning of
this absurd statement?
I demand an explanation!
- Oh, the meaning, if
only it were so simple.
You see, I've had my time,
justifying, rationalizing,
denying, defending
him, as it were.
That we are here now
confirms my failure.
We both know which
way this court leans.
- Order!
- Excuse me.
Your Honor, the
prosecution must review
the case in light
of the new evidence.
- In the labyrinth of one's
mind, who can claim to know
the significance of
one memory or another.
The question remains,
how does one break free?
Interrupt the cycle
of guilt and clear
an opening, a space
for redemption.
- How dare you utter
the forbidden word!
You speak in clever
riddles, old man.
I'm after the truth.
- A slippery thing.
- The court has heard enough.
We will move on at once
to the second hearing.
How can we find,
find the true seed
In the canopy of
limbs and leaves
In the act of remembering
The poor boy Tommy
can't remember clearly
Just where did she
go, why did she go
Oh, he doesn't know,
he doesn't know, no
- Order in the court!
You may proceed with
the prosecution.
Tell us then how did it end
Tell us from the
top as best you can
If your love was
sweet, then how did she
End up with a rope tied
tight around her neck
Or is that not how it goes
Were they your hands that
put the bruises on her throat
And how do you
explain the pain
She tried but could not name
In this here note she
left behind for you
Spelled the words
in her own blood
She writes, Tommy,
no matter how I try
I can't even seem to
bring myself to cry
I'm an empty shell
for you, oh Risen Lord
I am your empty tomb
- Stop!
Give me the note, please.
Give me the fucking note!
We're going to the top
of the world, you and me
Baby, we're gonna be
like a king and a queen
We're going to the
top, baby you and me
Better pack your
things, and we'll go
And we're going far away, oh
I'm not diggin' this
high school prom
Well, these shoes and me,
we just don't get along
And what's with these kids
and their awkward moms
They don't dance, they just
stand there singin' along
- Somebody
turned off the lights.
One, two, three, four
So you're tired of
high school, too
Well, it's not so bad,
but at least I'm through
Tryin' to walk on stilts
through a foam-filled room
It's a certain disaster
for those who do
Hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
We're too cool for this shit
Let's get out of this place
Meet me outside the door
Won't you be my lady,
you're drivin' me crazy
Can you take it to the top
Just show me what you've got
I'll be your baby,
don't you say maybe
I'll take you to the top,
we're never gonna stop
- Crazy!
- Pretty weird.
You smoke?
- No.
- Me neither.
So, you wanna go in my car?
- Should I be scared?
I'd prefer to not be
kidnapped tonight.
- No, no,
you know, I mean,
I just, I thought, I mean--
- You mean you wanna
go for a drive?
- Yeah, yeah,
let's get outta here.
- What for?
- Well, in
order to be together.
- Okay,
yeah, where to, Romeo?
- It's Tommy.
My name is Tommy Silver.
- That's
a ridiculous name.
That sounds like a name out
of a children's
book or something.
- It was
my dad's, Thomas.
One, two, three!
Slow motion, slow motion
Slow motion, slow motion
Slow motion, slow motion
Slow motion, slow motion
I gotta tell you, I
think you should know
I really like you but
you're takin' it so slow
Slow motion, slow motion
Pick up the pace and
we'll give it a try
Midnight, starlight
Forgive my insistent plea
This time, I won't rest
Until you're
right by my side
'Cause I'm a dreamer,
so let me dream
My eyes are tired and
I'm fallin' asleep
I'm fallin' asleep
You think you want me,
but what do you know
Slow motion, slow motion
Slow motion, slow motion
You only met me just
one week ago, so
Slow motion, slow motion
It's not a race, kid,
just give me some time
Forgive my reluctant speed
This time, I need all your
Patience tonight
Forgive my insistent plea
This time, I won't rest
Until you're
right by my side
'Cause I'm a dreamer,
so let me dream
Just take it easy
and then we'll see
My eyes are tired and
I'm fallin' asleep
I'm fallin' asleep
Oh, I want you to know
You and me could be together
You just never know
You and me could be together
I want you to know
You and me could be together
You just never know
You and me could be together
I want you to know
You and me could be together
You just never know
You and me could be together
Oh, together, you
- I think a black
skirt is more...
Hm.
- Carolyn, be my
flower-footed doe bird,
in love and tyranny.
And on leap year, Flag
Day, Groundhog's Day,
Presidents' Day, monsoon season,
and in the Year of the Cow
according to the Chinese Zodiac.
- Okay, listen.
I'll be your
flower-footed doe bird,
but I cannot promise to
love you in monsoon season.
Who can agree to that?
And what the heck is a
doe bird with flower feet?
- Sh.
Don't ask questions.
Just believe.
- Sh.
Hey, this is a
pretty nice couch.
- When I look
at it, I feel nauseous.
- Yeah, in
a good way, right?
Where's Kitty, actually?
- It's in the box.
- Which box?
The door!
Kitty!
- Kitty?
- Kitty?
Kitty!
Kitty!
- Mm-hm.
Mm-hm, well.
We moved in today
Our kitty ran away
But at least we've got a
new couch with a pullout bed
Tommy, please don't
Hey, there's nothing to fear
You know, darling.
- Yes dear?
The kitty cat will
find his way home
Even through the rain
Give it a day
After the rain, the kitty
will find his way home
Just you wait
Let's make a toast.
- To Kitty.
- And to the new apartment.
- To Kitty.
- And to the apartment.
- And to the kitty.
- And to the kitty.
- I'm sad.
- I know.
I wish I could
erase your sadness.
I hate to see you cry.
- I wish I saw you
cry, once in a while.
Hey guys, smile!
We should've been
more than just friends
Who have long been together
Isn't, isn't, isn't
there more than just
- Hey!
- You're such a beautiful
cowboy.
I just wanna be
part of all of this.
- Thanks for coming!
- You are such a
beautiful cowboy.
I just wanna be a
part of all of this.
You were a hit, boy.
- Is everyone gone?
- Yeah.
- How's my kitty?
- Okay.
- You miss the real kitty?
- Yeah.
- So where were you all night?
- Around.
- I barely saw you.
- I didn't want to
interrupt your date
with the sexy zombie nurse.
- Mm, I appreciate that.
Were you jealous?
- I want that kiss.
- I know, my god.
She was a mess.
She came out of nowhere with
those weird zombie lips.
- But you liked it?
- No, what do you mean?
Of course not, she was
a gross, dead nurse.
- Sh, you're a cowboy.
I know you.
You don't have to
explain yourself.
I'm not the owner of you.
I won't be the one in the way.
- What?
Hey, what is that?
How could you say that?
I'm with you.
You know that.
Don't you want me, sweet baby?
- I don't wanna own you.
I wanna love you.
- Hm.
- Just don't lie to me.
That's all.
We're much better than all that.
- Then all what?
Are you saying you
want to see other men?
- Who said men?
Isn't there more than
just one sort of love
An arrangement more
happily suited to us
All it would take is
the building of trust
We could say what we mean,
what we feel, what we want
I don't understand what
you've proposed to me
Do you forget months ago
I proposed with a ring
Exactly the point,
unconventionally
We were wed months ago
At the Salvation Army
So isn't there more than
just one sort of love
An arrangement more
happily suited to us
Well, speak for yourself,
I never asked to be free
I'm right here, I'm with you
Kid, that's all that I need
Wait a minute.
Why are we singing?
- It's a musical.
- I hate musicals.
They're so phony.
- You're phony!
But sometimes, don't lie
I see your eyes
Wandering around the room
When I'm talking to you
And I can tell
His heart roams just as well
And whether or not he admits
For him, love and
freedom cannot coexist
I opened my eyes last night.
I watched you make love to me.
- What did you see?
Gross.
- Your eyes were
tightly closed, like,
like you were
having a bad dream,
as if you were trying to
fix your pain through me.
- What pain?
- I don't know.
What pain?
- Come to bed, huh?
You better wash that
stuff off your face.
That shit'll get all
over the pillows.
- You know why you're here?
You've been having
recurring nightmares.
Your wife says they've
become increasingly violent.
She hasn't slept for weeks.
- She goes out to look
for the fucking cat.
That's why she doesn't sleep.
The goddamn cat ran
away six years ago.
- I heard you kicked it.
And don't kid yourself.
You know she doesn't wander
the streets at night.
She works on her
paintings when you wake
her up, screaming in your sleep.
- I--
- I have the
following recording.
Every night, when we
turn out the lights
His body shivers, something
quivers there behind his eyes
A secret stirs
Oh, he dreams
somethin' awful
Sometimes he calls
through the silent night
He gives me a fright when
he screams in his sleep
Of an old dusty box,
but it's only a dream
- He was the robber,
and I was the cops!
I dreamt again I
killed my brother
The darling child
of my mother
But Tommy, you know
no such thing occurred
Your mother died in the
course of your birth
I know, I know, but
you don't understand
I wake from my sleep with
his blood on my hands
Just close your eyes,
I'm by your side
It's just a dream
Tomorrow, we'll be fine
- Tell me about your childhood.
She says you dream about
killing your brother,
yet you never had a
brother, is that right?
Strange thing.
The mind is complex,
as you know,
memory being one of its more
unpredictable functions.
According to the most
current research,
when the mind
remembers an event,
it's not the actual
event that is recalled
but merely the memory of the
last time you remembered it.
Eventually, we add elements,
change the order of things.
Sometimes we manage
to conjure up
characters who
never even existed.
- And what does that make you?
- So you wanna
get smart with me?
What is it, Tommy?
What grim tale are
you so afraid to tell?
Excuse me.
I seem to have lost myself.
Air's a bit stale in here.
Would you mind
opening the window?
Tell me about your mother.
- I don't have a mother.
- You
don't have a mother.
Incredible, that
must be a first.
Tell me, how can one be
born without a mother?
- I killed her.
You can kill your mother
just by being born.
- So, the
rumors are true.
What about the brother?
- My twin?
He was never born.
He died in the womb.
They had to cut her
open to take me out,
and she had a stroke.
They say her heart stopped
the moment I came out.
- My god, that explains
a lot, now doesn't it?
Twins, one dies, one lives,
and a maternal death,
what a way to begin,
what a weight.
How can one live up to that?
Two lives for the price of one?
Tell me about your relationship.
- Well, what's to tell?
- Are you happy?
- At times.
She complains.
- About what?
- About me.
My work.
- What type
of work do you do?
- Social work,
domestic violence.
- That's a noble cause.
- I think so.
- So
what's the problem.
- Well, she
questions my intentions.
- Well, what
are your intentions?
- I don't know.
I thought it was interesting.
I mean, it's a
noble cause, right?
- Right.
Today, just like a year ago
Today, 10,000 years ago
I was content
just making tea
But not me
Just look, he's
buried in books
But I was never
quite as smart as he
And some of the time
A lot of the time
We disagree on
the little things
But the truth is, I
would rather let him win
The outcome means
much more to him
- Well, I'm always right.
He's always right
- Yes dear, that's right
He's got a way with words
They fall right
off his tongue
Like baby birds
out of the nest
Catch the wind
in their wings
And go soaring
right over my head
Oh, but I prefer to keep
The ground under
my dancing feet
- Hey!
Do you have to clean
the entire house?
I'm trying to study,
if you didn't notice.
- Whaddya readin' anyway?
- Just now I was getting
into this book here.
It's for a class on
gender and sexuality.
- It's in French.
- Yeah, I thought I
could learn French
while studying for the class.
- Oh, yeah, good idea.
- Right, well, this
one is amazing.
I mean, it's actually
devastating to read.
It's kind of a memoir
of the author's
history of sexual abuse by men.
- I know what it
means to be a woman.
I don't need books to tell me.
There's more than
one kind of violence.
I've been around enough to know.
I mean, what's the plan, man?
Will you save women
once and for all
with the ink of
your pen?
What do you know about it?
There's no textbook, you know?
You can't read about that
and expect to understand it.
- Hey, I love you.
- Then love me.
Quit loving your books.
It doesn't make it more true
if you repeat it in French.
Does not sound pretty,
whatever you said.
- I said, "Tell me
you love me, too."
Or don't you?
- There aren't words
for everything.
Tommy, be gentle with me.
I promise to be nice.
- No promises, be gentle.
You can.
And it's always like that.
We kiss, kiss, kiss.
Then he disappears,
goes down to whisper
secrets in between my legs.
But I wonder sometimes
if it's not more
for him than it is for me,
as if he whispers to himself.
And the sound of my pleasure
returns his gift, like an echo,
as if I'm just an echo box.
Well, you have to be empty
to be a good echo box.
In the end, it's hard to
understand how to receive
a gift that was taken
from you to begin with.
And I'll tell you another thing.
To understand Tommy,
you have to know
that the softest skin on
his whole body is here,
the skin on the bottom side
of this thing when it's hard.
And that's the secret.
If you understand that, you can
understand how to love a man.
- Hey.
No, I wanna be inside of you.
- Typically, he refuses.
In fact, Tommy's
favorite word is no.
Loving is easy.
To be loved, that
takes courage.
- Oh shit.
- What's the rush?
- I forgot I have a class today.
I'm late.
- Why do you always rush
to rinse off so quickly?
- Well, 'cause I'm late.
Gotta go.
- Dinner?
- Uh, I'll be home late.
Don't wait for me.
Tommy, is that you
Step into the light
Come toward me
Tommy, stop speaking French.
You don't speak French.
You're drunk.
No, see, I'm not drunk
I'm as sharp as a knife
Just a couple of drinks,
baby, don't be so frightened
There's nothing amiss
Baby, don't be so tense
I was just out
with some friends
Come on, give
me a little kiss
- Jesus.
You're scaring me.
What's going on?
I'm not gonna carry you.
- Hey, where are you going?
Hey, just wait a second.
- Shoot!
- Just leave it alone.
Just leave it!
For chrissake.
Babe, hey.
Just open the door, huh?
Listen, I'm sorry, okay?
What are you doing?
What's...
What are you doing?
Babe, hey!
Damn.
Carolyn!
Hey, what's the plan?
Going to look for the cat?
Shit.
Carolyn!
You just never
You
I miss that house,
I miss that bedroom
The way the world
comes right through
Like you came to me
The window
In the spring
And you know we
could've been so right
But it's so wrong
Always wondering
Will we last
through the night
I hold you so dear
I held you so dear
You really made me believe
in all of your dreams
But the nightmares
run more deep
Please forgive, Carolyn
I'd do anything
to make you stay
Well, you've done
enough, you had my trust
But tell me there's
still hope for us
I don't wish you on anyone
When we are done
Don't leave me alone
Let me repair this
I hope you find your way
To everything you wanted
I hope you find
the questions
We know you've already
got all the answers
We used to laugh
We used to sleep
the day away
We didn't care about
The time or the place
It was you me, happily
I felt you so strong
You were the right
to all my wrongs
And in the morning light
It was you and me, trembling
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I was drifting in misery
Apart from he
I swear you won't
come to regret this
I hope we find our way
I am adrift without you
I will be gentle, Carolyn
No promises
I will return
the love I take
- I was told that you were
never actually married,
that you proposed to
her with a Ring Pop.
Why are you so scared
of being alone?
- Well, I--
- Do you ever wonder
if by refusing
to let your love
take its own shape,
by struggling to
maintain control
over something as
fluid as affection,
that you don't damage
it all the more?
That you don't
suffocate both yourself
and the one you
supposedly hold most dear?
- Well, I suppose--
- I suppose you believe yourself
to be the true
guardian of your love?
Can't you see you've
come to resent her,
like a child resents a mother
whose warmth he yet craves?
- I--
- Must love and freedom be
so relentlessly opposed?
You grasp after her like water
in your hands, that
is to say, in vain.
Here we are again
I wait for him
To come to me, but
it's all the same
Nothin' ever changes
Just look at him
go, it's all a race
He carries the weight
of a world full of pain
He thinks I left
over one little fight
One broken mirror
once upon a dark night
But it runs more deep
than such mistakes
Something deeper in
him is far out of place
No sweetness in his voice,
no warmth in his touch
No laughter at all, and as
for love, there's not much
The season has changed,
the rain never stops
When he looks at me, he
sees a war to be fought
A wrong to be righted,
a goal to achieve
A damsel to save for
his own damn reprieve
The months hurry past,
how long will it be
And what comes of me
if and when he succeeds
He doesn't want me, for
sure, but he needs me for now
He doesn't love me, for sure,
but without me, he'd drown
Here we are again
I wait for him
To come to me, but
it's all the same
Nothing ever changes
Everything's the same
Soon we will be strangers
Every day, every night
A man's eye, the
butcher's knife
At work, on the street
A woman's curve,
the butcher's meat
But I am indivisible
I am more than visible
You can't dissect my love
Whatever he might have
done to make you hurt
To make you run,
it's over now
Leave it all behind you
A new day has begun
Hey, you're home early.
Is everything okay?
- What?
I don't know.
- What?
- I left.
- What do you mean you left?
- I just left.
I...
I forgot something at home.
I had to come home
to get something.
- You ever heard the old adage,
if you love
something, let it go?
- I thought you were
supposed to help me
feel better about all of this?
- Oh no, I'm sorry for
the misunderstanding.
We're here precisely to
make you hate yourself more.
Think of me as the
personification of your guilt.
I'll see you next time.
We'll get to the
bottom of those dreams.
- And what about Carolyn?
- Yes, indeed, being
concerned for her wellbeing,
I'm compelled to issue an alert
to the Department of
Protective Services.
My colleagues will
keep vigil and organize
the inquest if
anything should happen.
If anything should happen,
you will be hearing from us.
Hello, hello,
pick up the phone
I'm scared of the dark
I'm scared to be alone
I've had a bad dream
Something's haunting me
It's a dark night, Tommy
When will you be home
Yesterday, I swore I'd never
Today, I'm just like them
When I can feel the
blood that pulls
I go and barter all
the books for chemicals
What's the
difference in the end
The butcher knife
or the silver pen
Whatever you will
separate, whether the body
Or the world,
it's all the same
Hello, hello, please
pick up the phone
Are you there, my love
We don't have to be alone
I know there is another
She is the one who loves
me, knowing my dark charade
But how can I abide the
one who knows my shame
Yesterday, I swore I'd never
Today, I take the key, and
even in the love I make
I find another little
riddle to explain
I am the butcher
I am the butchered one
I am the very
man that I loathe
When I do the thing
I hate the most
Where you begin I end
I have
Only yourself left to rend
I am
It may be too late for me
But don't repeat it
Please don't hurt her
Don't abuse her
Don't you know your blows
are only aimed at you
When we were younger
When we were pure
When we were still
unaware of the slow
And steady death our
young love would endure
Love was a song
And we said nothing
that could not be sung
The song upon our
dripping tongues was all
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be the one
Oh, you just never know
I wanted you to be the one
You and me could be
I wanted you to be the one
Together
You just never know
I wanted you to be the one
You and me could be
I wanted you to be the one
Together
You just never know
I wanted you to be
You
- Tommy,
no matter how I try,
I can't even seem to
bring myself to cry.
I'm an empty shell for
you, oh Risen Lord.
I am your empty tomb.
Good earth, good
womb, good wife too.
What am I but a
dwelling place for you?
How you drew me in.
I fell for Tommy the dreamer,
bright eyes, twin stars,
so full of charm,
so sweet and warm.
You held me fast
between your rigid arms.
And I should've seen it comin',
the push and pull that
kept me on my toes.
But I've danced
around your fears
for one too many
unbecoming years.
What harm lies here?
What sorry past--
Poor kid, who told you that
love and freedom were opposed?
They're one and the same.
But even so, you come and
go, and I, the solid ground,
the tether pole your orbit
turns around, well, I remain.
Didn't I keep watch for you?
Hold fast the thread
attached to you?
To watch as it unwound?
To count your steps and remind
you of the way back home?
Good earth, good
womb, good wife too.
What was I but a
ball of clay for you?
Your secret fears
like fingers crept
behind my eyes and
made them shine.
You carved a mouth tuned
to the tenor of your name.
My hair grew long,
became a nest for you,
and I felt my brow grow
heavy with your pain.
Even now, my sadness bores you.
You no longer want me,
but you cannot let me go.
Well, here is your
longed-for freedom.
I was only in your way, but now
it's my time for me to flee,
to rediscover my
own right of way.
I go tonight out from
these walls built by fear.
You wear me out.
Let me go to the place where
I have not yet arrived.
Goodbye my love,
my breath, my life.
I'm going to where I
haven't yet arrived.
- Tommy, we know
you're in there.
- We're bringing him in.
- Over here, Tommy!
- Tommy?
- Now where were we?
Hm.
Oh, right, come here,
you little vermin.
We've got a case to close, so
get off the ground!
And now we've come to
the final sentencing
Who is this lady
strangely called
By the name of Yes
Who is she
Oh, what a show
How it sets me aglow
to bare the truth
That everyone wants to know
But I design to
withhold my surprise
Until each and every
witness has a go
- You may call forth
the first witness.
Ha, ha, ha, yeah
- Stop!
Oh, you think
that I really give a fuck!
You can point your
little fingers
any way you want, but
I'm not the only one!
So who'll throw the first stone?
What's the matter?
I thought I was
the one you chose
to pay for the sins of a world
full of men too
scared to be alone!
- If only it were so simple.
But you can't pass
guilt around that way.
It's much too sticky, you see.
Much like glue, it sticks to you
just as soon as you've
passed it to me!
And you're still
forgetting one thing.
There's still one more
charge to this hearing.
Let's hear what the
Defense has to say.
He's been oh so quiet since
the scales have tipped my way!
- Does the Defense
wish to call a witness?
Does the Defense have
a final statement?
- There goes your
last chance, boy!
I guess it's up to you.
- Does the accused
have any last words?
Do you have any last words
Yes please, yes
sir, I do, sir
But I don't know just
how I can say this
My heart beats
much too quickly
And I feel that
I might explode
So rare that I fail to
find the right words
Typically they come right
from my golden tongue
Like a river flows,
but now, I don't know
Hey
Hey
- Woo!
Hm.
- Order!
The Prosecution may
make a final statement.
- There is nothing so arbitrary
as a fence around a plot of land
or a body with a line around it.
And what have we here
but an empty frame!
A rusted, barbed-wire fence,
there's nothing there,
no property, no ground on
which to build a foundation,
the basic building blocks of
what we commonly call love.
The story begins with
two nascent twins,
bound together in
the mother's warmth.
But what was for
one a nurturing womb
would become for the other
a dark and deathly tomb.
They did everything they could
to save the second child,
and their efforts
weren't in vain.
But with her hand held
fast by her desperate love,
the mother died from
the physical strain.
And there he was,
our unlucky boy,
a life wrought in
exchange for two.
And as the father refused
to hold him close,
he learnt from day one
the debt that was due,
so he searched for a way
to earn his very life!
He found a thousand different
ways to tell the story
of his loss and a means to
exonerate, but in every corner,
a finger pointed, a
swelling sea of shame.
Buried in books, he found his
mother on every single page.
Along comes Carolyn, poor girl.
What need I say?
We've all witnessed her tale,
just one of the more tragic
of his attempts
to find his place.
Oh, the irony of a
man who champions
the safety and care of
women but cannot love
the one who waits with
open arms beside him.
A true dialogue of compassion
between flesh and blood
is replaced by the idea,
the mere image of love.
And so poor Carolyn
was sacrificed
to his self-serving
crusade, a sad little man
with a sorry tale and
a whole wide world
to save, which
brings us here today.
And what do we make
of this lady, Yes,
such a strange and unheard name.
But it's all too clear
if the jury knows
that his favorite
word was always no.
And what is it that he refuses?
What are these secret
fears of yours?
Why do you tremble at the
thought of losing your grip?
What is this property that you
clench with white knuckles?
Are not your hands wrapped
around her very throat?
Is it not her skin that
you wear like a wreath
around your neck, or
a crown of thorns?
Are not her bones the very frame
that kept you sane and composed?
And without this frame, he
would scatter like dust!
The infinite uncertainty of Yes,
yes to the mystery of suffering
that cannot be explained,
yes to the life
you've been given
despite or because of
its inaugural pain.
yes to the one who would love
you in spite of yourself,
to the love she gave,
not meant to be earned,
nothing to pay back,
no price in return,
for love is not much
like a bartered exchange,
and yes to the past, for
the joy and the pain.
But no was your preferred
response, a disposition of denial.
But a pain repressed will
be otherwise expressed,
and hence our gathering today.
And so it is, the final
charge against you,
that you have slain
the lady, Yes,
woman who wades
through a sea of names
but who cannot be
allowed to speak,
who sings instead, whose
voice quivers softly,
high above your little
fortress of fear.
She is the tremor of silence,
the whisper of possibility,
the fluidity within your
very own soul that you have
made rigid, petrified to supply
the lie to your feeble mind
that behind your name,
something real resides.
To tell the truth, I pity you,
for who knew that a true
dialogue was one without speech?
Two pairs of unblinking eyes,
an exchange of beating hearts.
Two lips poised, half open,
ready to speak,
but never speaking
a single word,
except one word, yes.
Yes to the invisible
Yes for you, is
it impossible
Yes to a mystery unsolved
Yes, the hardest
word of them all
Oh, isn't that precisely
it, a mystery you can resist
You can't quite get
your finger on it
Just like a child
destroys a butterfly
You tear the wings
off to decipher
Where it is the secret lies
You destroy the ones
you love the most
When you can't stand
a thing unknown
Yes to a mystery unsolved
Yes, the hardest
word of them all
Oh, careful,
Mr. Tommy Silver
You didn't really kill her
Though she died, the
guilt is only in your mind
The judgment that you
carry is hardly arbitrary
It's only what you've
brought upon yourself
You pulled the carpet,
ooh, you pulled the carpet
From underneath
your own feet
And you will
end up all alone
If you can't stand
up on your own
- Take him away.
- What?
I am not Tommy Silver!
- I, I don't understand.
- We have heard enough from him.
- But then am I to be punished?
- But of course, my boy,
the punishment is to be you.
You have eliminated
your will to deny.
Now at last,
together, we silence
the drone of your guilty cry.
- But then who are you?
- I am the listener.
I am the weeper.
I am the will to move on.
It is not I who judge, but you.
I am the tried
I am the trying one
I have no other
lies to unlearn
There are no more
bridges left to burn
Where we recede, you start
I have
You have fulfilled the
most unpleasant part
I have
No one to hear
your last plea
You are the judge of me
It is over
There is no one to
untie your hands
No other can but you
It seems I am the
author of the pantomime
The one behind the curtain
The first light
of day, it gleams
It's time to wake
up from your sleep
So please be gracious now
That I have tried
to shine the light
On my own divided soul
Don't ask for whom the
bells of death toll
It's only because I know
Because he knows
it all too well
The cost and the
terror of tearing one
In two
- We are bringing him in.
Carolyn, where have you been
If you could only see me now
I stand on trial
I'm on the witness stand
I've sworn upon
the Word of God
To tell the truth
about me and you
But you know, the
truth can be so false
- Objection!
- Overruled.
There isn't one,
one neutral tongue
Our words bear the
tales we've repressed
And strange enough,
I am the judge
I am the prosecution
and I am the defense
And we are gathered here for
the sake of mere formalities
For history is writ
In other words,
we'll uncover
The forest beneath a
single rotting leaf
We've come to witness
the sentencing
Of one Tommy Silver
The man in all of us
Oh, why have you forsaken me
I am your only son, Father
I loved her faithfully
According to your Word
When will you learn
There are not words
for everything
She dwelt
- Objection!
Beyond the reach of your
Silver-tongued decree, oh
- Oh, what a show!
Well, what do you know!
He was the fire
that set her aglow!
- The slow decline
was no fault of mine!
The ending was written ages ago!
- Order in the court!
How can a man be
tried for a crime
Comprised of the
everyday actions
Of every man's life
He's not bad like the
man who batters his wife
Ooh
It seems that you're missing
the point, my unlucky friend
His crime bids much more than
six feet for the dead, oh
We suspect the accused
Guilty as he's been charged
Three counts of murder,
killed his brother
And his lover and
a woman named Yes
Stabbed in the chest,
ripped out her tongue
And he strangled her neck
- I object!
- To what?
- To what?
- Do tell, to what?
- I object to the
terms of this trial!
I object to this case!
I object to the curve of
the smirk on your face!
To what, my god, to
what, the jury is sold
Their ears are shut
But we'll make an appeal
But this court is corrupt
We don't have a chance
This system is fucked
Drop the act
Desist with your
cries, little man
Little whore,
pregnant with lies
You know well the
weight of your crime
Your tales no
longer will suffice
But all right,
give us your alibi
But the blood on your
hands is also on mine
So don't you forget
Don't you dare try
To pull the wool
Don't you forget
To pull the wool
Over your eyes
Tommy
Tell me the tragedy
Of Abel and Cain, of
you and your brother
Tommy
Don't be scared of what
You might have to say,
what you might discover
I killed my brother
when I was 10 years old
Or so I'm told,
I don't remember
It seems the
memory's grown cold
And sometimes I
feel the weight
Of my father's gun,
heavy in my hand
That's all that I recall of
the accident, coincidentally
Sometimes I wonder
if there isn't
Some other explanation
Some kind of
evil machination
They tell me you used to cry
I wish Caleb would die
Sometimes you'd hide
him under the stair
You'd leave him crying there
You'd never tell
them where he was
I see him fast asleep
in my mother's arms
Head upon her breast
She's running her
fingers through his hair
You know, she
never cared for me
The way she cared for him
What was my mistake,
what was my sin
I never had that
feminine touch
He lost it altogether
Graceful with fair skin
and golden flax hair
He was a little angel
Would it be fair to say
he was a mother's boy
But I was my father's son
I bear the torch
I run through the ages
To carry on the name,
I am the only one
It was a dark December,
do you remember
His little body,
your mother's face
Why can't you bring him back
Why did you have
to spill his blood
What have you done, boy
What have you done, boy
I thought it was empty
I swore it was empty
Give me the gun
Where did you
get the gun, boy
I thought it was empty,
who could have known
Oh God, Ma, I swear
it wasn't my fault
Where did you get
your father's gun
We found it in the attic
in an old dusty box
It was only a game
He was the robber,
and I was the cops
Okay, okay, okay
It seems he is
the guilty one
Can he deny the truth
behind the curtain
For certain he knew too well
That he would ring
the bells of death
What kind of man is he, the
self-deceived, the wretch
The weed who strangles a
flower in its flowering
In what poverty is
his soul languishing
Who can forgive
such atrocities
How many suffocate
so he can breathe
The cost of
defining yourself
By what you are not
- Well said, well said.
Killed his brother,
it's all so brilliant,
you know, so well put together,
the lies one tells
to keep oneself
at a distance from
the unbearable truth.
But it dwells deep.
It's there, in the bones, like
marrow, so hard to extract.
- What
are you getting at?
- My old friend, you've
made a convincing case,
and I would be sold
on that account,
if it weren't for one
small piece of information.
Tommy never had a brother!
- Why would you lie to us?
Why, Tommy?
Order in the court!
- Not so fast.
I'd like to see further
evidence on this point.
As far as I'm concerned--
- As far as you're concerned,
you're here to deal out justice.
Don't you know your place.
You're no more real
than the tales he tells.
You're only part and
parcel of the project
of absolution, as am I.
- What is the meaning of
this absurd statement?
I demand an explanation!
- Oh, the meaning, if
only it were so simple.
You see, I've had my time,
justifying, rationalizing,
denying, defending
him, as it were.
That we are here now
confirms my failure.
We both know which
way this court leans.
- Order!
- Excuse me.
Your Honor, the
prosecution must review
the case in light
of the new evidence.
- In the labyrinth of one's
mind, who can claim to know
the significance of
one memory or another.
The question remains,
how does one break free?
Interrupt the cycle
of guilt and clear
an opening, a space
for redemption.
- How dare you utter
the forbidden word!
You speak in clever
riddles, old man.
I'm after the truth.
- A slippery thing.
- The court has heard enough.
We will move on at once
to the second hearing.
How can we find,
find the true seed
In the canopy of
limbs and leaves
In the act of remembering
The poor boy Tommy
can't remember clearly
Just where did she
go, why did she go
Oh, he doesn't know,
he doesn't know, no
- Order in the court!
You may proceed with
the prosecution.
Tell us then how did it end
Tell us from the
top as best you can
If your love was
sweet, then how did she
End up with a rope tied
tight around her neck
Or is that not how it goes
Were they your hands that
put the bruises on her throat
And how do you
explain the pain
She tried but could not name
In this here note she
left behind for you
Spelled the words
in her own blood
She writes, Tommy,
no matter how I try
I can't even seem to
bring myself to cry
I'm an empty shell
for you, oh Risen Lord
I am your empty tomb
- Stop!
Give me the note, please.
Give me the fucking note!
We're going to the top
of the world, you and me
Baby, we're gonna be
like a king and a queen
We're going to the
top, baby you and me
Better pack your
things, and we'll go
And we're going far away, oh
I'm not diggin' this
high school prom
Well, these shoes and me,
we just don't get along
And what's with these kids
and their awkward moms
They don't dance, they just
stand there singin' along
- Somebody
turned off the lights.
One, two, three, four
So you're tired of
high school, too
Well, it's not so bad,
but at least I'm through
Tryin' to walk on stilts
through a foam-filled room
It's a certain disaster
for those who do
Hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
We're too cool for this shit
Let's get out of this place
Meet me outside the door
Won't you be my lady,
you're drivin' me crazy
Can you take it to the top
Just show me what you've got
I'll be your baby,
don't you say maybe
I'll take you to the top,
we're never gonna stop
- Crazy!
- Pretty weird.
You smoke?
- No.
- Me neither.
So, you wanna go in my car?
- Should I be scared?
I'd prefer to not be
kidnapped tonight.
- No, no,
you know, I mean,
I just, I thought, I mean--
- You mean you wanna
go for a drive?
- Yeah, yeah,
let's get outta here.
- What for?
- Well, in
order to be together.
- Okay,
yeah, where to, Romeo?
- It's Tommy.
My name is Tommy Silver.
- That's
a ridiculous name.
That sounds like a name out
of a children's
book or something.
- It was
my dad's, Thomas.
One, two, three!
Slow motion, slow motion
Slow motion, slow motion
Slow motion, slow motion
Slow motion, slow motion
I gotta tell you, I
think you should know
I really like you but
you're takin' it so slow
Slow motion, slow motion
Pick up the pace and
we'll give it a try
Midnight, starlight
Forgive my insistent plea
This time, I won't rest
Until you're
right by my side
'Cause I'm a dreamer,
so let me dream
My eyes are tired and
I'm fallin' asleep
I'm fallin' asleep
You think you want me,
but what do you know
Slow motion, slow motion
Slow motion, slow motion
You only met me just
one week ago, so
Slow motion, slow motion
It's not a race, kid,
just give me some time
Forgive my reluctant speed
This time, I need all your
Patience tonight
Forgive my insistent plea
This time, I won't rest
Until you're
right by my side
'Cause I'm a dreamer,
so let me dream
Just take it easy
and then we'll see
My eyes are tired and
I'm fallin' asleep
I'm fallin' asleep
Oh, I want you to know
You and me could be together
You just never know
You and me could be together
I want you to know
You and me could be together
You just never know
You and me could be together
I want you to know
You and me could be together
You just never know
You and me could be together
Oh, together, you
- I think a black
skirt is more...
Hm.
- Carolyn, be my
flower-footed doe bird,
in love and tyranny.
And on leap year, Flag
Day, Groundhog's Day,
Presidents' Day, monsoon season,
and in the Year of the Cow
according to the Chinese Zodiac.
- Okay, listen.
I'll be your
flower-footed doe bird,
but I cannot promise to
love you in monsoon season.
Who can agree to that?
And what the heck is a
doe bird with flower feet?
- Sh.
Don't ask questions.
Just believe.
- Sh.
Hey, this is a
pretty nice couch.
- When I look
at it, I feel nauseous.
- Yeah, in
a good way, right?
Where's Kitty, actually?
- It's in the box.
- Which box?
The door!
Kitty!
- Kitty?
- Kitty?
Kitty!
Kitty!
- Mm-hm.
Mm-hm, well.
We moved in today
Our kitty ran away
But at least we've got a
new couch with a pullout bed
Tommy, please don't
Hey, there's nothing to fear
You know, darling.
- Yes dear?
The kitty cat will
find his way home
Even through the rain
Give it a day
After the rain, the kitty
will find his way home
Just you wait
Let's make a toast.
- To Kitty.
- And to the new apartment.
- To Kitty.
- And to the apartment.
- And to the kitty.
- And to the kitty.
- I'm sad.
- I know.
I wish I could
erase your sadness.
I hate to see you cry.
- I wish I saw you
cry, once in a while.
Hey guys, smile!
We should've been
more than just friends
Who have long been together
Isn't, isn't, isn't
there more than just
- Hey!
- You're such a beautiful
cowboy.
I just wanna be
part of all of this.
- Thanks for coming!
- You are such a
beautiful cowboy.
I just wanna be a
part of all of this.
You were a hit, boy.
- Is everyone gone?
- Yeah.
- How's my kitty?
- Okay.
- You miss the real kitty?
- Yeah.
- So where were you all night?
- Around.
- I barely saw you.
- I didn't want to
interrupt your date
with the sexy zombie nurse.
- Mm, I appreciate that.
Were you jealous?
- I want that kiss.
- I know, my god.
She was a mess.
She came out of nowhere with
those weird zombie lips.
- But you liked it?
- No, what do you mean?
Of course not, she was
a gross, dead nurse.
- Sh, you're a cowboy.
I know you.
You don't have to
explain yourself.
I'm not the owner of you.
I won't be the one in the way.
- What?
Hey, what is that?
How could you say that?
I'm with you.
You know that.
Don't you want me, sweet baby?
- I don't wanna own you.
I wanna love you.
- Hm.
- Just don't lie to me.
That's all.
We're much better than all that.
- Then all what?
Are you saying you
want to see other men?
- Who said men?
Isn't there more than
just one sort of love
An arrangement more
happily suited to us
All it would take is
the building of trust
We could say what we mean,
what we feel, what we want
I don't understand what
you've proposed to me
Do you forget months ago
I proposed with a ring
Exactly the point,
unconventionally
We were wed months ago
At the Salvation Army
So isn't there more than
just one sort of love
An arrangement more
happily suited to us
Well, speak for yourself,
I never asked to be free
I'm right here, I'm with you
Kid, that's all that I need
Wait a minute.
Why are we singing?
- It's a musical.
- I hate musicals.
They're so phony.
- You're phony!
But sometimes, don't lie
I see your eyes
Wandering around the room
When I'm talking to you
And I can tell
His heart roams just as well
And whether or not he admits
For him, love and
freedom cannot coexist
I opened my eyes last night.
I watched you make love to me.
- What did you see?
Gross.
- Your eyes were
tightly closed, like,
like you were
having a bad dream,
as if you were trying to
fix your pain through me.
- What pain?
- I don't know.
What pain?
- Come to bed, huh?
You better wash that
stuff off your face.
That shit'll get all
over the pillows.
- You know why you're here?
You've been having
recurring nightmares.
Your wife says they've
become increasingly violent.
She hasn't slept for weeks.
- She goes out to look
for the fucking cat.
That's why she doesn't sleep.
The goddamn cat ran
away six years ago.
- I heard you kicked it.
And don't kid yourself.
You know she doesn't wander
the streets at night.
She works on her
paintings when you wake
her up, screaming in your sleep.
- I--
- I have the
following recording.
Every night, when we
turn out the lights
His body shivers, something
quivers there behind his eyes
A secret stirs
Oh, he dreams
somethin' awful
Sometimes he calls
through the silent night
He gives me a fright when
he screams in his sleep
Of an old dusty box,
but it's only a dream
- He was the robber,
and I was the cops!
I dreamt again I
killed my brother
The darling child
of my mother
But Tommy, you know
no such thing occurred
Your mother died in the
course of your birth
I know, I know, but
you don't understand
I wake from my sleep with
his blood on my hands
Just close your eyes,
I'm by your side
It's just a dream
Tomorrow, we'll be fine
- Tell me about your childhood.
She says you dream about
killing your brother,
yet you never had a
brother, is that right?
Strange thing.
The mind is complex,
as you know,
memory being one of its more
unpredictable functions.
According to the most
current research,
when the mind
remembers an event,
it's not the actual
event that is recalled
but merely the memory of the
last time you remembered it.
Eventually, we add elements,
change the order of things.
Sometimes we manage
to conjure up
characters who
never even existed.
- And what does that make you?
- So you wanna
get smart with me?
What is it, Tommy?
What grim tale are
you so afraid to tell?
Excuse me.
I seem to have lost myself.
Air's a bit stale in here.
Would you mind
opening the window?
Tell me about your mother.
- I don't have a mother.
- You
don't have a mother.
Incredible, that
must be a first.
Tell me, how can one be
born without a mother?
- I killed her.
You can kill your mother
just by being born.
- So, the
rumors are true.
What about the brother?
- My twin?
He was never born.
He died in the womb.
They had to cut her
open to take me out,
and she had a stroke.
They say her heart stopped
the moment I came out.
- My god, that explains
a lot, now doesn't it?
Twins, one dies, one lives,
and a maternal death,
what a way to begin,
what a weight.
How can one live up to that?
Two lives for the price of one?
Tell me about your relationship.
- Well, what's to tell?
- Are you happy?
- At times.
She complains.
- About what?
- About me.
My work.
- What type
of work do you do?
- Social work,
domestic violence.
- That's a noble cause.
- I think so.
- So
what's the problem.
- Well, she
questions my intentions.
- Well, what
are your intentions?
- I don't know.
I thought it was interesting.
I mean, it's a
noble cause, right?
- Right.
Today, just like a year ago
Today, 10,000 years ago
I was content
just making tea
But not me
Just look, he's
buried in books
But I was never
quite as smart as he
And some of the time
A lot of the time
We disagree on
the little things
But the truth is, I
would rather let him win
The outcome means
much more to him
- Well, I'm always right.
He's always right
- Yes dear, that's right
He's got a way with words
They fall right
off his tongue
Like baby birds
out of the nest
Catch the wind
in their wings
And go soaring
right over my head
Oh, but I prefer to keep
The ground under
my dancing feet
- Hey!
Do you have to clean
the entire house?
I'm trying to study,
if you didn't notice.
- Whaddya readin' anyway?
- Just now I was getting
into this book here.
It's for a class on
gender and sexuality.
- It's in French.
- Yeah, I thought I
could learn French
while studying for the class.
- Oh, yeah, good idea.
- Right, well, this
one is amazing.
I mean, it's actually
devastating to read.
It's kind of a memoir
of the author's
history of sexual abuse by men.
- I know what it
means to be a woman.
I don't need books to tell me.
There's more than
one kind of violence.
I've been around enough to know.
I mean, what's the plan, man?
Will you save women
once and for all
with the ink of
your pen?
What do you know about it?
There's no textbook, you know?
You can't read about that
and expect to understand it.
- Hey, I love you.
- Then love me.
Quit loving your books.
It doesn't make it more true
if you repeat it in French.
Does not sound pretty,
whatever you said.
- I said, "Tell me
you love me, too."
Or don't you?
- There aren't words
for everything.
Tommy, be gentle with me.
I promise to be nice.
- No promises, be gentle.
You can.
And it's always like that.
We kiss, kiss, kiss.
Then he disappears,
goes down to whisper
secrets in between my legs.
But I wonder sometimes
if it's not more
for him than it is for me,
as if he whispers to himself.
And the sound of my pleasure
returns his gift, like an echo,
as if I'm just an echo box.
Well, you have to be empty
to be a good echo box.
In the end, it's hard to
understand how to receive
a gift that was taken
from you to begin with.
And I'll tell you another thing.
To understand Tommy,
you have to know
that the softest skin on
his whole body is here,
the skin on the bottom side
of this thing when it's hard.
And that's the secret.
If you understand that, you can
understand how to love a man.
- Hey.
No, I wanna be inside of you.
- Typically, he refuses.
In fact, Tommy's
favorite word is no.
Loving is easy.
To be loved, that
takes courage.
- Oh shit.
- What's the rush?
- I forgot I have a class today.
I'm late.
- Why do you always rush
to rinse off so quickly?
- Well, 'cause I'm late.
Gotta go.
- Dinner?
- Uh, I'll be home late.
Don't wait for me.
Tommy, is that you
Step into the light
Come toward me
Tommy, stop speaking French.
You don't speak French.
You're drunk.
No, see, I'm not drunk
I'm as sharp as a knife
Just a couple of drinks,
baby, don't be so frightened
There's nothing amiss
Baby, don't be so tense
I was just out
with some friends
Come on, give
me a little kiss
- Jesus.
You're scaring me.
What's going on?
I'm not gonna carry you.
- Hey, where are you going?
Hey, just wait a second.
- Shoot!
- Just leave it alone.
Just leave it!
For chrissake.
Babe, hey.
Just open the door, huh?
Listen, I'm sorry, okay?
What are you doing?
What's...
What are you doing?
Babe, hey!
Damn.
Carolyn!
Hey, what's the plan?
Going to look for the cat?
Shit.
Carolyn!
You just never
You
I miss that house,
I miss that bedroom
The way the world
comes right through
Like you came to me
The window
In the spring
And you know we
could've been so right
But it's so wrong
Always wondering
Will we last
through the night
I hold you so dear
I held you so dear
You really made me believe
in all of your dreams
But the nightmares
run more deep
Please forgive, Carolyn
I'd do anything
to make you stay
Well, you've done
enough, you had my trust
But tell me there's
still hope for us
I don't wish you on anyone
When we are done
Don't leave me alone
Let me repair this
I hope you find your way
To everything you wanted
I hope you find
the questions
We know you've already
got all the answers
We used to laugh
We used to sleep
the day away
We didn't care about
The time or the place
It was you me, happily
I felt you so strong
You were the right
to all my wrongs
And in the morning light
It was you and me, trembling
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I wanted you to be
the one, be the one
I was drifting in misery
Apart from he
I swear you won't
come to regret this
I hope we find our way
I am adrift without you
I will be gentle, Carolyn
No promises
I will return
the love I take
- I was told that you were
never actually married,
that you proposed to
her with a Ring Pop.
Why are you so scared
of being alone?
- Well, I--
- Do you ever wonder
if by refusing
to let your love
take its own shape,
by struggling to
maintain control
over something as
fluid as affection,
that you don't damage
it all the more?
That you don't
suffocate both yourself
and the one you
supposedly hold most dear?
- Well, I suppose--
- I suppose you believe yourself
to be the true
guardian of your love?
Can't you see you've
come to resent her,
like a child resents a mother
whose warmth he yet craves?
- I--
- Must love and freedom be
so relentlessly opposed?
You grasp after her like water
in your hands, that
is to say, in vain.
Here we are again
I wait for him
To come to me, but
it's all the same
Nothin' ever changes
Just look at him
go, it's all a race
He carries the weight
of a world full of pain
He thinks I left
over one little fight
One broken mirror
once upon a dark night
But it runs more deep
than such mistakes
Something deeper in
him is far out of place
No sweetness in his voice,
no warmth in his touch
No laughter at all, and as
for love, there's not much
The season has changed,
the rain never stops
When he looks at me, he
sees a war to be fought
A wrong to be righted,
a goal to achieve
A damsel to save for
his own damn reprieve
The months hurry past,
how long will it be
And what comes of me
if and when he succeeds
He doesn't want me, for
sure, but he needs me for now
He doesn't love me, for sure,
but without me, he'd drown
Here we are again
I wait for him
To come to me, but
it's all the same
Nothing ever changes
Everything's the same
Soon we will be strangers
Every day, every night
A man's eye, the
butcher's knife
At work, on the street
A woman's curve,
the butcher's meat
But I am indivisible
I am more than visible
You can't dissect my love
Whatever he might have
done to make you hurt
To make you run,
it's over now
Leave it all behind you
A new day has begun
Hey, you're home early.
Is everything okay?
- What?
I don't know.
- What?
- I left.
- What do you mean you left?
- I just left.
I...
I forgot something at home.
I had to come home
to get something.
- You ever heard the old adage,
if you love
something, let it go?
- I thought you were
supposed to help me
feel better about all of this?
- Oh no, I'm sorry for
the misunderstanding.
We're here precisely to
make you hate yourself more.
Think of me as the
personification of your guilt.
I'll see you next time.
We'll get to the
bottom of those dreams.
- And what about Carolyn?
- Yes, indeed, being
concerned for her wellbeing,
I'm compelled to issue an alert
to the Department of
Protective Services.
My colleagues will
keep vigil and organize
the inquest if
anything should happen.
If anything should happen,
you will be hearing from us.
Hello, hello,
pick up the phone
I'm scared of the dark
I'm scared to be alone
I've had a bad dream
Something's haunting me
It's a dark night, Tommy
When will you be home
Yesterday, I swore I'd never
Today, I'm just like them
When I can feel the
blood that pulls
I go and barter all
the books for chemicals
What's the
difference in the end
The butcher knife
or the silver pen
Whatever you will
separate, whether the body
Or the world,
it's all the same
Hello, hello, please
pick up the phone
Are you there, my love
We don't have to be alone
I know there is another
She is the one who loves
me, knowing my dark charade
But how can I abide the
one who knows my shame
Yesterday, I swore I'd never
Today, I take the key, and
even in the love I make
I find another little
riddle to explain
I am the butcher
I am the butchered one
I am the very
man that I loathe
When I do the thing
I hate the most
Where you begin I end
I have
Only yourself left to rend
I am
It may be too late for me
But don't repeat it
Please don't hurt her
Don't abuse her
Don't you know your blows
are only aimed at you
When we were younger
When we were pure
When we were still
unaware of the slow
And steady death our
young love would endure
Love was a song
And we said nothing
that could not be sung
The song upon our
dripping tongues was all
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be the one
I wanted you to be the one
Oh, you just never know
I wanted you to be the one
You and me could be
I wanted you to be the one
Together
You just never know
I wanted you to be the one
You and me could be
I wanted you to be the one
Together
You just never know
I wanted you to be
You
- Tommy,
no matter how I try,
I can't even seem to
bring myself to cry.
I'm an empty shell for
you, oh Risen Lord.
I am your empty tomb.
Good earth, good
womb, good wife too.
What am I but a
dwelling place for you?
How you drew me in.
I fell for Tommy the dreamer,
bright eyes, twin stars,
so full of charm,
so sweet and warm.
You held me fast
between your rigid arms.
And I should've seen it comin',
the push and pull that
kept me on my toes.
But I've danced
around your fears
for one too many
unbecoming years.
What harm lies here?
What sorry past--
Poor kid, who told you that
love and freedom were opposed?
They're one and the same.
But even so, you come and
go, and I, the solid ground,
the tether pole your orbit
turns around, well, I remain.
Didn't I keep watch for you?
Hold fast the thread
attached to you?
To watch as it unwound?
To count your steps and remind
you of the way back home?
Good earth, good
womb, good wife too.
What was I but a
ball of clay for you?
Your secret fears
like fingers crept
behind my eyes and
made them shine.
You carved a mouth tuned
to the tenor of your name.
My hair grew long,
became a nest for you,
and I felt my brow grow
heavy with your pain.
Even now, my sadness bores you.
You no longer want me,
but you cannot let me go.
Well, here is your
longed-for freedom.
I was only in your way, but now
it's my time for me to flee,
to rediscover my
own right of way.
I go tonight out from
these walls built by fear.
You wear me out.
Let me go to the place where
I have not yet arrived.
Goodbye my love,
my breath, my life.
I'm going to where I
haven't yet arrived.
- Tommy, we know
you're in there.
- We're bringing him in.
- Over here, Tommy!
- Tommy?
- Now where were we?
Hm.
Oh, right, come here,
you little vermin.
We've got a case to close, so
get off the ground!
And now we've come to
the final sentencing
Who is this lady
strangely called
By the name of Yes
Who is she
Oh, what a show
How it sets me aglow
to bare the truth
That everyone wants to know
But I design to
withhold my surprise
Until each and every
witness has a go
- You may call forth
the first witness.
Ha, ha, ha, yeah
- Stop!
Oh, you think
that I really give a fuck!
You can point your
little fingers
any way you want, but
I'm not the only one!
So who'll throw the first stone?
What's the matter?
I thought I was
the one you chose
to pay for the sins of a world
full of men too
scared to be alone!
- If only it were so simple.
But you can't pass
guilt around that way.
It's much too sticky, you see.
Much like glue, it sticks to you
just as soon as you've
passed it to me!
And you're still
forgetting one thing.
There's still one more
charge to this hearing.
Let's hear what the
Defense has to say.
He's been oh so quiet since
the scales have tipped my way!
- Does the Defense
wish to call a witness?
Does the Defense have
a final statement?
- There goes your
last chance, boy!
I guess it's up to you.
- Does the accused
have any last words?
Do you have any last words
Yes please, yes
sir, I do, sir
But I don't know just
how I can say this
My heart beats
much too quickly
And I feel that
I might explode
So rare that I fail to
find the right words
Typically they come right
from my golden tongue
Like a river flows,
but now, I don't know
Hey
Hey
- Woo!
Hm.
- Order!
The Prosecution may
make a final statement.
- There is nothing so arbitrary
as a fence around a plot of land
or a body with a line around it.
And what have we here
but an empty frame!
A rusted, barbed-wire fence,
there's nothing there,
no property, no ground on
which to build a foundation,
the basic building blocks of
what we commonly call love.
The story begins with
two nascent twins,
bound together in
the mother's warmth.
But what was for
one a nurturing womb
would become for the other
a dark and deathly tomb.
They did everything they could
to save the second child,
and their efforts
weren't in vain.
But with her hand held
fast by her desperate love,
the mother died from
the physical strain.
And there he was,
our unlucky boy,
a life wrought in
exchange for two.
And as the father refused
to hold him close,
he learnt from day one
the debt that was due,
so he searched for a way
to earn his very life!
He found a thousand different
ways to tell the story
of his loss and a means to
exonerate, but in every corner,
a finger pointed, a
swelling sea of shame.
Buried in books, he found his
mother on every single page.
Along comes Carolyn, poor girl.
What need I say?
We've all witnessed her tale,
just one of the more tragic
of his attempts
to find his place.
Oh, the irony of a
man who champions
the safety and care of
women but cannot love
the one who waits with
open arms beside him.
A true dialogue of compassion
between flesh and blood
is replaced by the idea,
the mere image of love.
And so poor Carolyn
was sacrificed
to his self-serving
crusade, a sad little man
with a sorry tale and
a whole wide world
to save, which
brings us here today.
And what do we make
of this lady, Yes,
such a strange and unheard name.
But it's all too clear
if the jury knows
that his favorite
word was always no.
And what is it that he refuses?
What are these secret
fears of yours?
Why do you tremble at the
thought of losing your grip?
What is this property that you
clench with white knuckles?
Are not your hands wrapped
around her very throat?
Is it not her skin that
you wear like a wreath
around your neck, or
a crown of thorns?
Are not her bones the very frame
that kept you sane and composed?
And without this frame, he
would scatter like dust!
The infinite uncertainty of Yes,
yes to the mystery of suffering
that cannot be explained,
yes to the life
you've been given
despite or because of
its inaugural pain.
yes to the one who would love
you in spite of yourself,
to the love she gave,
not meant to be earned,
nothing to pay back,
no price in return,
for love is not much
like a bartered exchange,
and yes to the past, for
the joy and the pain.
But no was your preferred
response, a disposition of denial.
But a pain repressed will
be otherwise expressed,
and hence our gathering today.
And so it is, the final
charge against you,
that you have slain
the lady, Yes,
woman who wades
through a sea of names
but who cannot be
allowed to speak,
who sings instead, whose
voice quivers softly,
high above your little
fortress of fear.
She is the tremor of silence,
the whisper of possibility,
the fluidity within your
very own soul that you have
made rigid, petrified to supply
the lie to your feeble mind
that behind your name,
something real resides.
To tell the truth, I pity you,
for who knew that a true
dialogue was one without speech?
Two pairs of unblinking eyes,
an exchange of beating hearts.
Two lips poised, half open,
ready to speak,
but never speaking
a single word,
except one word, yes.
Yes to the invisible
Yes for you, is
it impossible
Yes to a mystery unsolved
Yes, the hardest
word of them all
Oh, isn't that precisely
it, a mystery you can resist
You can't quite get
your finger on it
Just like a child
destroys a butterfly
You tear the wings
off to decipher
Where it is the secret lies
You destroy the ones
you love the most
When you can't stand
a thing unknown
Yes to a mystery unsolved
Yes, the hardest
word of them all
Oh, careful,
Mr. Tommy Silver
You didn't really kill her
Though she died, the
guilt is only in your mind
The judgment that you
carry is hardly arbitrary
It's only what you've
brought upon yourself
You pulled the carpet,
ooh, you pulled the carpet
From underneath
your own feet
And you will
end up all alone
If you can't stand
up on your own
- Take him away.
- What?
I am not Tommy Silver!
- I, I don't understand.
- We have heard enough from him.
- But then am I to be punished?
- But of course, my boy,
the punishment is to be you.
You have eliminated
your will to deny.
Now at last,
together, we silence
the drone of your guilty cry.
- But then who are you?
- I am the listener.
I am the weeper.
I am the will to move on.
It is not I who judge, but you.
I am the tried
I am the trying one
I have no other
lies to unlearn
There are no more
bridges left to burn
Where we recede, you start
I have
You have fulfilled the
most unpleasant part
I have
No one to hear
your last plea
You are the judge of me
It is over
There is no one to
untie your hands
No other can but you
It seems I am the
author of the pantomime
The one behind the curtain
The first light
of day, it gleams
It's time to wake
up from your sleep
So please be gracious now
That I have tried
to shine the light
On my own divided soul
Don't ask for whom the
bells of death toll
It's only because I know
Because he knows
it all too well
The cost and the
terror of tearing one
In two