Patrick Melrose (2018) s01e04 Episode Script
Mother's Milk
1 [INSECTS CHIRPING.]
[ELEANOR MOANS SOFTLY.]
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh And I'm feeling good [NINA SIMONE "FEELING GOOD".]
Fish in the sea You know how I feel River running free You know how I feel Blossom on the tree You know how I feel It's a new dawn, it's a new day It's a new life For me And I'm feeling good Dragonfly out in the sun You know what I mean, don't you know? Butterflies all having fun - You know what I mean - [MOANING.]
You alright? [MARY.]
Robert, darling.
Let's say hello later.
We need to go to the airport, pick up Granny Kettle.
- Daddy! Daddy! - Fucking hell! - Patrick! - I wanna go horse-riding, I wanna go horse-riding! Sorry.
Sorry, sorry, sorry, Thomas.
[THOMAS.]
Oh, okay.
Oh, I was only just dropping off.
I've been awake half the night.
- And now it's time to get up.
- [GROANS.]
I thought we were on holiday? So did I.
But we've been up since five, haven't we, Thomas? Right.
We're off to the airport to fetch my mother.
- Mm.
Don't rush back.
- [CHUCKLES DRILY.]
Well, there's lots to do.
Open all the windows, air the place.
And you ought to finish the unpacking.
That'd be helpful.
- [GRUNTS.]
- Thomas.
Robert, airport! [THOMAS.]
Robert, airport! [SIGHS.]
[SHOUTING IN DISTANCE.]
[GUITAR STRUMMING FAINTLY.]
- [GUITAR STRUMS.]
- [MAN.]
Yeah! [MUSIC PLAYS.]
[SINGER GRUNTS LYRICS.]
[CLATTERING.]
[GUITAR STRUMMING.]
- Seamus.
- Patrick! I thought I heard your car last night.
Welcome back.
Eleanor cannot wait to see you.
Oh, sorry, this is Kevin.
- Annette.
- Hey, Patrick.
We were just discussing how wonderful your mother is, to let the Foundation make use of your beautiful home.
Amazing woman.
She's helped so many people to connect.
- With what? - With other realities.
Yes.
Well, meanwhile, back in this one, I opened my wardrobe this morning to find so many copies of Way Of The Soul, they were getting in the way of the shoes.
"Way of the shoes.
" Genius.
It's actually a better title: reminding us to keep our feet on the ground.
Do you think these signs of institutional life could be removed when we're here on holiday? In August, this is our family home.
Of course.
I apologize.
These leaflets on reiki workshops and healing circles are entirely lost on us.
And this board, while an attractive cork, is yours, not ours.
I'll take it to my cottage.
- You mean my mother's cottage? - Where she lets me stay.
For how long? I thought you were going back to Ireland.
No, I'm here for the whole summer.
You won't even know I'm here.
[BIRDSONG.]
[SWALLOWS.]
[SIZZLING.]
[GLASS CLINKS.]
[CLAUDINE.]
Monsieur Melrose? Bonjour, Claudine.
Comment Va ma mère? Si vous voulez la voir, Elle vous attend.
[DOOR OPENS.]
[DOOR CLOSES.]
[SHE MUMBLES.]
I want you to know that I'm very unhappy at not being able to communic Yes.
- That must be horrible.
- [SLURRED.]
Yes.
Horrible.
Yes.
But I am brave.
[SHE MUTTERS.]
Er the others are at the airport picking up Mary's mother.
They're all very keen to see you.
Only when you feel up to it, of course.
And Thomas has grown, as you'd expect.
Are they Er - Thomas - What's this? is like me.
I'm sorry, I'm just trying to Good flight, Kettle? Hello, Patrick.
No, hideous.
There was an awful woman next to me who was terrifically proud of her breasts and kept sticking them in her child's face.
[MARY.]
It's called breastfeeding.
Thank you, darling.
I know it's all the rage but when I was having children the clever woman was the one who went to the party looking as if she'd never been pregnant, not the one with her breasts sticking out.
- Daddy, I'm coming! - At least not for breastfeeding.
Robert, will you show Granny to her room? Patrick? [GLASS CLINKS, HE EXHALES.]
Goodness, you're drinking.
Temporary measure.
It's been a while.
She's really outdone herself this time.
From the solicitor's, care of my mother, if "care" is the right word.
I've been disinherited.
What? She's signing the house over to this joke charity.
Nothing to us, nothing to our children.
Patrick, that's awful Oh, and she wants me to check for loopholes, make sure the whole thing runs smoothly.
It's not enough to be disinherited, she wants me to chip in with the paperwork! - Did she say why? - Took her half the morning, but apparently she wants "to do good".
She wants to help people.
Anyone, really, just as long as they're not fucking related to her! - Not so loud.
- She seeks "closure" and "my validation".
That bastard Seamus might as well be whispering in her fucking ear! - Darling, you're ranting.
- I have to rant! She was always a lousy mother.
But I hoped she might take a holiday from that towards the end of her life, feel that she'd achieved enough by way of betrayal and neglect and that now it was time for her to take a break and play with her grandchildren.
You know what frightens me the most is how much I loathe her! When I read the letter, I tried to loosen my collar so I could breathe and I realized it wasn't my collar, it was actually a noose tightening around my neck.
A noose of loathing! [MARY.]
She's not going to change now.
She's a frightened woman [PATRICK.]
I know! I know.
What do I loathe, then? I loathe the poison dripping down from generation to generation.
And I'd rather die than inflict the same thing on our children.
That won't happen.
Not if we don't let it.
- [PATRICK SIGHS.]
- But please don't drink.
For us.
[HE SNIFFS.]
[INSECTS CHIRPING.]
[SNIFFS.]
[GLASS CLATTERS.]
She's giving it all away? To the charity, yes.
Strange kind of charity.
[VEHICLE APPROACHING.]
[MUSIC PLAYS ON CAR STEREO.]
[MARY.]
Robert.
Go and say hello.
[MUSIC OFF.]
I'm only telling you in case - [WOMAN.]
Patrick! - Patrick seems a little off.
So he should be! It's so lovely here.
- [PATRICK.]
You found it.
- Yes.
Oh, it's good to be here.
Who's this now? I told you, it's Patrick's friend Julia.
Lucy's her daughter.
He certainly seems pleased to see her.
Hello, Mary! He's just being nice.
She's been having a hard time.
But can't you fight it? You're a barrister, for Christ's sake! She may be an unmaternal idiot but it's her money.
If she wants to burn the last of it on a New Age hotel, there's nothing I can do to stop her.
Well, can't you pretend to be a shaman and keep the place? Sadly, I'm one of the few people on earth that has absolutely no healing powers.
[JULIA CHUCKLES.]
Why aren't you two playing with each other? Play.
Play! Besides, I find it difficult enough looking after my family, let alone saving the world.
I think looking after your children can be another way of giving up.
Well, they become the whole ones, the well ones, the ones who don't drink too much, get divorced, become mentally ill.
You spend so much time guarding them against decay and depression that you end up decayed and depressed.
Sorry.
I'm a bit down.
Since the divorce, I get these terrible moments of vertigo, like I don't exist.
[ROBERT.]
I get that.
At your age? I think that's very pretentious.
It's true.
But it doesn't stop you being a happy child, does it? Sometimes.
When it's happening.
You're doing a wonderful job.
[SEAMUS.]
Hello, there.
Oh, Christ, it's the landlord.
You don't like Julia very much.
Robert! I do like her.
But whereas clever people are just thinking out loud, Julia's thinking about what she sounds like.
- [JULIA LAUGHS IN DISTANCE.]
- I shouldn't have said that.
Don't repeat it.
[JULIA.]
Are you a healer yourself? Yes, Seamus, who have you healed? Well, I actually worked in a nursing home for many years, washing patients covered in their own feces, spoon-feeding old people who couldn't feed themselves, that sort of thing.
And, do you know what? I'm grateful for it, Julia.
It's kept me grounded.
What a shame you didn't stick to that.
You might have actually done some tangible good.
Patrick likes to keep me grounded too.
But I think we do tangible good here, with the courses we run.
We bring inner-city kids here and they love it.
The meditation, the drumming.
They They say to me "Seamus, this is incredible! It's like tripping without the drugs.
" Do we need a charity for tripping? With all the ills in the world, it seems a rather wild hole to plug.
Can't you just give them acid? You can tell he's a barrister.
I'm all for people having hobbies.
Can't they do it in the comfort of their own homes? Sadly, Patrick, some homes are not that comfortable.
No.
I know the feeling.
Well, Julia Fascinating.
Mon pleasure.
Seamus? Patrick? This gift of Eleanor's about the house.
- Yeah, she mentioned that.
- I'm looking into it.
Don't go picking out the wallpaper just yet.
[INSECTS CHIRPING.]
[JULIA CHUCKLES.]
[SIGHS.]
[ELECTRIC MOTOR WHIRRS.]
[CHILDREN PLAYING OUTSIDE.]
[ELEANOR GROANS SOFTLY.]
I hesitate to mention this.
Please keep on hesitating.
But this idea of yours to sign the house over to the Foundation [CLEARS THROAT.]
I've looked over the paperwork and I have to point out - it leaves you very exposed.
- I really Of course you must do as you wish but your store of capital - No, please No.
- won't pay for much more - I - care.
We could go broke very quickly.
Patrick is only trying to help.
- You can do what you want.
- Yes.
If you could just loan the house for the time being - I really do object! - and decide [HISSES.]
It's okay.
Well, we'll leave you.
You must be tired.
Sorry if I upset you.
[RECEDING FOOTSTEPS.]
- [DOOR SLAMS.]
- [MARY MAKES SOOTHING SOUNDS.]
Please don't leave me.
[YOUNG PATRICK.]
I want to go away.
What do you mean? Leave here.
Yes.
[PATRICK GRUNTS.]
What can drive a man mad is being forced to have the emotion he's being forbidden to have at the same time.
The treachery makes me feel furious and now I'm being forced to feel pity.
Well, I'm a simple sort of man and I remain fucking angry! [MARY.]
Robert, everyone's by the pool.
Go and join them.
[PATRICK EXHALES.]
I don't think it's kind to turn Robert against his grandmother.
In a beauty contest between her only child and a complete stranger, my mother chose the stranger.
And you're right to feel betrayed - but Robert has his own - No, we've all been lied to.
Whatever happened in the past, at least we had somewhere we all felt at home.
And now all those little concessions to family feeling are being tossed away to be replaced by the trademark family malice and spite.
- Well, that's not inevitable! - Isn't it? Not necessarily! Please.
Spend time with the children.
That's why we're here.
[PATRICK BREATHES HEAVILY.]
Right, who wants to play in the pool? - Robert? - I'm reading.
Oh, come on, let's play! That's why we're here.
Julia? No? Lucy? No? - No, thanks.
- Didn't ask you.
- Come on.
- Dad! Stop being silly! - Oh, come on, Robert.
- Stop! - Don't be a bore.
- Stop! I'm serious, stop! [PANTING.]
- I knew this would happen.
- Oh, for God's sake, Kettle.
[JULIA.]
Oh, I'm sure he's fine.
Of course he's fine.
You're fine, aren't you, Robert? - Yes, I'm fine.
- There, you see, he's fine.
It's just a game, a bit of fun.
[BREATHES HEAVILY.]
[PILLS RATTLING.]
That looks like fun.
No, not fun.
Necessity, I'm afraid.
Want one? - I've got my own.
- Of course you do.
But if you're offering.
How long? Four years.
I thought you were only meant to take it for 30 days.
Oh, I definitely have a problem.
Namely that they're not strong enough.
I get all the side effects: memory loss, dehydration, nightmarish withdrawals.
Everything except the sleep.
Strange to think we used to do this for fun.
Remember taking acid in Greece? I remember where you stashed it.
Yes, sorry about that.
I didn't mind.
But let's not get nostalgic.
Another pleasure denied.
Whenever I get nostalgic, I force myself to remember what youth was actually like.
It was awful.
The trouble is, all I remember is the sex.
A great abundance of sex and a sense of potential instead of an absence of sex and a sense of waste.
[HE EXHALES.]
Christ, I'm gonna need 40 milligrams tonight.
Perhaps Perhaps we shouldn't be having this conversation.
Perhaps not.
[GRUNTS SOFTLY.]
[ELEANOR.]
Oh, my darling.
So sorry to wake you.
[WHISPERS.]
What time is it? [WHISPERS.]
It's very early.
Are we going now? Shall I pack my bag? Oh, my darling.
I have to go without you.
You can't.
- Darling, please understand.
- I want to come.
You have to stay here with your father just for a short while.
- I want to come.
- And then when I've spoken to the lawyers - No, please - Patrick.
Listen to me.
This is very important.
But I've got to do this properly, yes? In exactly the right way.
And then I can come back and get you.
Then we can be together.
Patrick.
Do you understand? [DOOR CLOSES.]
[GRUNTS.]
- [ROBERT.]
Daddy.
- Hello.
Hello.
What are you doing? Oh, Thomas has pushed me out of bed again.
So I thought I'd go and sleep in his room.
But that's Julia's room.
Yes.
Erm I was just checking to see if she was [THOMAS CRIES.]
Oh, poor Thomas.
Well, I better You must Night.
[THOMAS CONTINUES CRYING.]
[MARY.]
Robert? Lunch! - [CHILDREN LAUGHING.]
- There.
I must say, having you both here at the same time is like a dream.
[ELEANOR.]
Like a - dream.
- My dear.
So nice to see you out.
How are you? Very Well, I'll leave you two to chat.
Uh Thomas, don't play with the wine.
That's for grown-ups.
It certainly is.
Oh, is that the answer? - We'll find out, won't we? - I'm sure we will.
I was going to buy Thomas some child reins for his birthday but apparently they're out of fashion.
I'm not putting my child in a harness.
Really? Nanny used to swear by them.
- And I used to swear at them.
- You didn't, actually, because swearing was not allowed.
Unlike some households.
Which of our mothers is worst, do you think? I realize the disinheritance thing gives Eleanor the edge but yours is really putting in the work.
At least eat something first.
Anyone who thinks a week is a long time in politics should have her to stay.
A week's a fucking eternity.
I don't know how you cope without a nanny, Mary.
I don't know how I'd cope with one.
I've always wanted to look after the children myself.
Yes, motherhood takes some people that way.
It didn't in my case but then I was quite young when I had Lucy.
I think you can be too nice to children.
If you want them to grow up to be corporate lawyers or chief executives, no use filling their head with ideas of trust and truth-telling and reliability.
They won't be able to compete in the real world.
- Hear, hear! - [SEAMUS.]
Hello, there.
[JULIA.]
Oh, Christ.
I was gonna call by and see Eleanor.
But here she is now.
- Hello.
- Seamus, please sit here.
Join us for lunch.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
I wouldn't want to intrude on a family affair.
Well, maybe just for a moment or two.
- Patrick says you're a writer.
- Did I? I've sometimes thought myself about writing a book.
I've got so many ideas but it's putting them down on paper.
It can do your head in.
I've done a beginning, several beginnings.
But maybe it's all just beginnings.
- Do you know what I mean? - I do.
She's doing this on purpose now just to annoy us.
We won't give her the satisfaction.
It all sounds absolutely fascinating.
Join us.
I'll sign you up for a session.
D'you know? Perhaps I will.
Patrick? I'm going to do a workshop.
Yes, you should.
It's the only way you'll get to see the house in the cherry season.
Oh, the cherries! Now, they are something.
Me and Eleanor always have this little ritual we do around the cherries, don't we, Eleanor? - Yes.
- The fruits of life, you know.
[PATRICK.]
It sounds very profound.
Do they taste any better than if they were simply the fruits of the cherry tree? Ch Ch Cherries.
- I'll bring you some.
- What a handsome rent! - [ELEANOR.]
No - A simple bowl of cherries for all of this.
- No - Talk about luck of the Irish.
- No - [ROBERT.]
Enough! - rent! - Rob No.
I'll go.
It's my fault.
[BIRDSONG.]
I'm not giving you much of a holiday, am I? Must try harder.
[SIGHS.]
Is Granny really giving it all away? That's what she wants to do.
We love it here.
I know, but it's hers not ours.
She's always been pathologically generous.
And if she was giving it to the blind or the homeless or medical research or victims of torture, we'd be not delighted but we'd understand.
But she's giving it to Seamus? To the Foundation.
So, yes, to Seamus.
Do you loathe her? Of course not.
And you mustn't either.
Well, this is a touching scene.
Mary wants you back before Seamus seduces Kettle.
He's trying to get Mary disinherited as well? We'll have to kill him after all.
If we kill Seamus, do we keep the house? Sadly not.
More efficient to kill Kettle before she changes her will.
You're right! I let emotion cloud my judgment.
I'm going to read my book.
[PATRICK SIGHS.]
I suppose I should be more careful.
About what? I've tried so hard not to pass on the malice and resentment, give them a different sort of childhood.
But they're just fresh mistakes.
And Robert notices everything.
He caught me outside your room last night.
What were you doing outside my room? I thought I'd come and see you.
Would you have been pleased? Maybe next time.
There's going to be a next time? Well, you're bored and lonely.
I'm bored and lonely.
That's a terrifying amount of boredom and loneliness in one room.
Maybe they'll cancel each other out, like electrical charges.
Well, we should conduct an experiment.
In controlled conditions.
See if we eliminate boredom or achieve an overload of loneliness.
We should go back.
Or people will think we're having an affair.
[CLATTERING.]
[MARY.]
I'm almost too scared to ask.
I'm cheering myself up.
This is by Boudin.
Sell this, and we might just be able to afford a second bedroom in Queen's Park.
A normal child-sized bedroom rather than a converted broom cupboard.
You can't steal from her.
Not from her, from him.
If he's getting the house then I can certainly keep the fucking Boudin.
Pass me that other screwdriver, will you? You can't keep this up.
At some point, you have to let it all go.
- Bit late for that.
- I don't mean the house.
Do you want to come up to bed with me? Let's not introduce exciting words like "want".
We both know that Thomas will claim my place.
I'll sleep down here.
Pass the screwdriver, will you? Screwdriver? [INSECTS CHIRPING.]
Mind if I come in? [BIRDSONG.]
When's your flight? I have to leave by nine.
- Our timing - Has never been good.
[PATRICK EXHALES HEAVILY.]
I should go before Thomas wakes up.
[WHISPERS.]
Patrick Summer fling.
Yes? Summer fling.
[PATRICK GRUNTS.]
Well, thank you for having us.
We'll speak on the phone.
- When you get a chance.
- It won't be the same.
No, it won't.
Bye.
Bye.
Oh, dear.
I wanted to say goodbye to Seamus.
Send him my love, won't you? It'll be strange to be here without you, Patrick.
Oh, is this your car? - Very small.
- Yes.
Right, come on, let's go.
Buckle up, Lucy.
[CAR ENGINE STARTS.]
Just us, thank God.
And now we can have fun.
[MOTOR WHIRRING.]
It's the right thing to do.
I'm sure it is.
Also, it's a fake.
I spoke to a man at Sotheby's.
You can tell by the waves, apparently.
So Seamus isn't the first man to bamboozle her.
Some art dealer in Paris achieved that facile trick 40 years ago.
- Well, let's not tell Seamus.
- Certainly not.
Just picture his face when he finds out.
[IRISH ACCENT.]
Oh, there go the flotation tanks! [BOTH SNIGGER.]
[PATRICK.]
I need to let all this go.
When you've talked about the things that have happened here, won't it help to move on? Perhaps.
If I didn't have my mother's protection at least I had the protection of this place.
Now that's being taken away too, I fear I might go mad.
At the same time, part of me can't wait to get rid of the fucking place.
Let's go back to London.
Or somewhere else.
After this holiday, we need a holiday.
[PATRICK SIGHS.]
Where would we go? [FOOTSTEPS DESCENDING STAIRS.]
- Bonjour, monsieur.
- Bonjour.
[PEN SCRATCHING ON PAPER.]
C'est fini.
I'm sure there's a good reason.
[MAN LAUGHS IN NEXT ROOM.]
[LOW CONVERSATION IN NEXT ROOM.]
[LAUGHTER.]
- [WOMAN.]
It was such a big fight.
- [MAN.]
Ah, hello there.
We're back.
It's Patrick, isn't it? - Kevin.
Annette.
- We're making tea.
I don't understand.
[ANNETTE.]
Oh, did Seamus not talk to you? He said there might be a spare room.
[BIRDSONG.]
[PATRICK.]
Seamus! I don't mean to disturb your hard work.
Not at all.
Please, here.
Be my guest.
Is that what I am now, your guest? Or are you rather our guest until we leave, because we're not prepared to have you billet your sidekicks with us.
I merely thought, given that you've so much space, you could accommodate my guests.
The terms of my mother's gift are absolutely clear.
"Terms" is a very legalistic way of putting it.
There's nothing in writing about the Foundation providing you or your family with a free holiday.
Look, Robert, go back to the house! I have genuine sympathy for the trouble you're having We're not talking about the trouble I'm having.
We're talking about the trouble that you're having.
They're inseparable.
Everything seems inseparable to a moron! Oh, let's all calm down, shall we? My wife's your great defender, Seamus.
My theory is that you're a bad man pretending to be an idiot, whereas she thinks you're merely an idiot.
[MARY.]
If we could stay on the subject Perhaps the community should hold a meeting - and Kevin and Annette - We're not part of your fucking community! If you don't want to be part of it, then maybe you should go.
[ROBERT.]
Why don't you go away, you stupid man? This is my granny's house and we have more right to be here than you do! Well I'm gonna have to go and process some of these negative feelings.
You do that.
Process away.
Be my guest.
Do a little ritual.
Oh, one more thing.
My mother gave me this.
It's a little shaky.
She's not well.
It says, "Why Seamus no come?" Now she's given you the house, you've dropped her.
I don't need lectures from you about the importance of my relationship to Eleanor.
Just go and visit her.
I know she's not great company.
But that's just one of the treasure trove of things you have in common.
[MELANCHOLY MUSIC.]
[SNIFFS.]
[MARY.]
We're taking the children to the U.
S.
To see your sister Nancy in Connecticut.
They've never been.
Just Just ten days.
Claudine will look after you while we're gone.
Then we'll find you somewhere in London.
Somewhere comfortable.
And bring you home.
- Time to go.
- Okay.
Say bye to Granny.
You beautiful boy.
Come on.
[SHE GARBLES WORDS.]
I want you to kill me.
I'd love to help but it's against the law.
No.
No longer.
Alright.
[HE SIGHS.]
Ready.
Come on.
Let's go.
[THOMAS.]
Robert, wait for me! [DOOR CLOSES.]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC.]
[HORN BLARES.]
[SIREN WAILS.]
[SIREN WAILS.]
[HUBBUB OF TRAFFIC.]
[PRESIDENT BUSH ON T.
V.
.]
enter into a bilateral agreement with Kim Jong-il because of the fact that he didn't tell the truth Why don't you go sit with your father, hm? Watch T.
V.
You'd like that.
We'll go to Aunt Nancy's in the morning.
[PRESIDENT BUSH ON T.
V.
.]
so there is more than one voice speaking to Kim Jong-il.
[WOMAN.]
That's it for the news.
Now the latest on the weather.
Over to you, John I'm cutting down, look.
Come and say good night.
Good night, then.
[DOOR CLOSES.]
Oh, God, she's invited Henry.
- Who's Henry? - Oh, Nancy's cousin.
He inherited all the money and, well, that makes Nancy furious.
Whatever you do, don't mention politics.
He's a nice guy but pretty much a fascist.
- Oh, good! - Hello.
Christ, I hate the rich! - Especially now you're not going to become one.
- Especially now.
Oh, there's a games room, a cinema, and a pool, of course.
This is very kind of you, Nancy.
Well, after what my sister's done to you, it's the least I could do.
Oh, Patrick tells me you're working now.
[MARY.]
Oh, I've always worked.
I'm in publishing.
They won't run indoors, will they Of course not.
shouting, that sort of thing? Nonsense! They must do whatever they want.
Well, they should stay out of the woods.
It's a Lyme disease hotspot and the tics are dreadful this year.
Poison ivy, too.
It looks pretty, but really, it's like a Cambodian swamp.
Best to assume you're always in danger.
A rule to live by.
Robert, Thomas, shall we go for a swim? I'll go and get the swimming costumes.
[THOMAS.]
Yes, swimming time! [NANCY.]
Patrick, could you come here? Oh, so many things, so many lovely things, all stolen.
A world-class fortune gone! These.
These were ours.
$1.
5 million.
That's what my little stepbrother got for Mommy's garden tubs.
I think you're doing just fine here, Nancy.
This place? Ho, believe me! This is nothing to what we should have had.
Shall we talk about my mother? There's no improvement or hope of any improvement.
She's aware of this and has asked me to kill her.
Oh, Patrick, that's not fair.
That's really not fair.
I have no doubt that helping her to die would be the most loving thing I could do.
Oh, well, maybe Maybe you should rent an ambulance and drive her to Holland.
Arriving in Holland isn't in itself fatal.
Oh, please let's not talk about this anymore.
It's very upsetting.
I I haven't told Mary yet, so Why haven't you told her? In case it's a good idea.
[DOOR OPENS.]
Those swimming costumes? Nancy, we're very grateful.
No, treat it like home.
But no wet feet on the carpets.
Oh, of course.
And no playing with figurines, they're Meissen.
I don't suppose you'd like a drink before dinner? Oh, I don't drink.
Didn't you know? I watched it destroy Daddy's life.
But you help yourself.
Later, perhaps.
[HANDLE RATTLES.]
[PATRICK SIGHS.]
Bit poky.
There you are.
[EXHALES HEAVILY.]
Oh, that's better.
Hm.
- Meissen army.
- [THOMAS.]
Brilliant! [CHILDREN SQUEAL AND PLAY.]
[EXHALES.]
Oh, damn.
[SEAT BELT ALARM BEEPING.]
- [ALARM CONTINUES BEEPING.]
- Ding, ding, ding! Ding, dong, ding, dong! [MUSIC ON STEREO.]
He said that any love is good love [VOLUME INCREASES.]
So I took what I could get Yes, I took what I could get And then she looked at me with them big brown eyes And said You ain't seen nothin' yet B-b-baby, you just ain't seen nothin' yet Here's somethin' Here's somethin' you're never gonna forget, baby You know, you know, you just ain't seen nothin' yet [CLANGING.]
[MUSIC OFF.]
[STORE BELL TINGS.]
[BOTTLES CLINKING.]
[COINS RATTLING.]
[KEYPAD BEEPS.]
[RINGING TONE.]
Julia's phone.
Leave a message.
[ANSWERPHONE BEEPS.]
Julia, it's Patrick.
Are you hiding behind your machine? Oh, well.
Are you? I feel a little in freefall here.
Just wanted to hear a friendly voice.
Oh, well.
Love you.
[SNIFFS.]
[PAPER BAG RUSTLES.]
Oh, there you are! We were about to call the police.
Well, there's a slo-bering thought.
Sorry, I had a sudden yen to go to the countryside.
Sobering, sobering! Did I say slo-bering? [CHUCKLES.]
I meant I meant sobering.
[MARY.]
I was just talking about how tired the children are from playing outside.
[NANCY.]
Well, of course, it's nothing compared to what we used to have.
Our grandfather had a 150-acre garden on Long Island.
I'm not talking about woods and fields Please, shall we change the subject? [THOMAS PLAYS NOISILY.]
Henry was telling us all about the Middle East.
Or we could change it back.
[HENRY.]
Yes, I was recalling Pearl Harbor.
When Admiral Yamamoto had finished his attack, he said, "Gentlemen, we have roused a sleeping giant.
" And it is this thought that should be uppermost in the minds of the world's terrorists.
- [THOMAS.]
Mummy! - And their state sponsors.
Mummy, it's broken! Are you aware of the phrase: "Children should be seen but not heard"? Of course.
I think it's nonsense.
Well, for my part, I've always found it to be entirely too liberal.
[LAUGHS.]
You'd rather not see him either? Jesus Christ.
Nancy, you sound like my father.
But, Patrick, we're just trying to extend some hospitality.
[AMERICAN ACCENT.]
And we're just "poor white trash" throwing ourselves on the charity of our American kin.
You don't have to accept it if you don't want to.
- You're right.
We don't.
- But we'd like to.
Mm.
Speak for yourself.
I am.
I'm also trying to speak for our children.
You're not even speaking for yourself! "Entirely too liberal"? Come on.
Fuck off! [MARY EXHALES HEAVILY.]
[DOOR OPENS.]
Less than 24 hours.
A new personal best.
Hardly worth unpacking.
You're safely installed with your lover, I see.
I'll move him to the other side.
No, don't.
God forbid you should actually spare one drop, - one actual drop of love from the children - Lower Lower your voice! No, you're right, I have no love or affection for you when you're like this.
And the rest of the time? [SCOFFS.]
The rest of the time? I think you should know I've started imagining life without you.
Any compassion or patience I might have had, it it's all dried up.
It's not just the drinking or this demeaning thing with Julia.
Demeaning to you as much as me or this mindless destruction.
It's the way the children are involved.
That thing Nancy said tonight about watching her father destroy his life.
That's what Robert saw this evening.
And yet you don't stop.
If you can't change you have to go.
[DOOR CREAKS AND SHUTS.]
[STIFLES A SOB.]
[CAR DOOR CLOSES.]
[SOMBER MUSIC.]
[BIRDSONG.]
Supper, madame.
[ELEANOR MUMBLES.]
Thanks.
Et voilà .
Love Lovely spot.
[GUNTER KALLMANN CHOIR "DAYDREAM".]
Daydream I fell asleep amid the flowers For a couple of hours On a beautiful day Daydream I dream of you amid the flowers For a couple of hours Singing all of the day La-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
[ELEANOR MOANS SOFTLY.]
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh And I'm feeling good [NINA SIMONE "FEELING GOOD".]
Fish in the sea You know how I feel River running free You know how I feel Blossom on the tree You know how I feel It's a new dawn, it's a new day It's a new life For me And I'm feeling good Dragonfly out in the sun You know what I mean, don't you know? Butterflies all having fun - You know what I mean - [MOANING.]
You alright? [MARY.]
Robert, darling.
Let's say hello later.
We need to go to the airport, pick up Granny Kettle.
- Daddy! Daddy! - Fucking hell! - Patrick! - I wanna go horse-riding, I wanna go horse-riding! Sorry.
Sorry, sorry, sorry, Thomas.
[THOMAS.]
Oh, okay.
Oh, I was only just dropping off.
I've been awake half the night.
- And now it's time to get up.
- [GROANS.]
I thought we were on holiday? So did I.
But we've been up since five, haven't we, Thomas? Right.
We're off to the airport to fetch my mother.
- Mm.
Don't rush back.
- [CHUCKLES DRILY.]
Well, there's lots to do.
Open all the windows, air the place.
And you ought to finish the unpacking.
That'd be helpful.
- [GRUNTS.]
- Thomas.
Robert, airport! [THOMAS.]
Robert, airport! [SIGHS.]
[SHOUTING IN DISTANCE.]
[GUITAR STRUMMING FAINTLY.]
- [GUITAR STRUMS.]
- [MAN.]
Yeah! [MUSIC PLAYS.]
[SINGER GRUNTS LYRICS.]
[CLATTERING.]
[GUITAR STRUMMING.]
- Seamus.
- Patrick! I thought I heard your car last night.
Welcome back.
Eleanor cannot wait to see you.
Oh, sorry, this is Kevin.
- Annette.
- Hey, Patrick.
We were just discussing how wonderful your mother is, to let the Foundation make use of your beautiful home.
Amazing woman.
She's helped so many people to connect.
- With what? - With other realities.
Yes.
Well, meanwhile, back in this one, I opened my wardrobe this morning to find so many copies of Way Of The Soul, they were getting in the way of the shoes.
"Way of the shoes.
" Genius.
It's actually a better title: reminding us to keep our feet on the ground.
Do you think these signs of institutional life could be removed when we're here on holiday? In August, this is our family home.
Of course.
I apologize.
These leaflets on reiki workshops and healing circles are entirely lost on us.
And this board, while an attractive cork, is yours, not ours.
I'll take it to my cottage.
- You mean my mother's cottage? - Where she lets me stay.
For how long? I thought you were going back to Ireland.
No, I'm here for the whole summer.
You won't even know I'm here.
[BIRDSONG.]
[SWALLOWS.]
[SIZZLING.]
[GLASS CLINKS.]
[CLAUDINE.]
Monsieur Melrose? Bonjour, Claudine.
Comment Va ma mère? Si vous voulez la voir, Elle vous attend.
[DOOR OPENS.]
[DOOR CLOSES.]
[SHE MUMBLES.]
I want you to know that I'm very unhappy at not being able to communic Yes.
- That must be horrible.
- [SLURRED.]
Yes.
Horrible.
Yes.
But I am brave.
[SHE MUTTERS.]
Er the others are at the airport picking up Mary's mother.
They're all very keen to see you.
Only when you feel up to it, of course.
And Thomas has grown, as you'd expect.
Are they Er - Thomas - What's this? is like me.
I'm sorry, I'm just trying to Good flight, Kettle? Hello, Patrick.
No, hideous.
There was an awful woman next to me who was terrifically proud of her breasts and kept sticking them in her child's face.
[MARY.]
It's called breastfeeding.
Thank you, darling.
I know it's all the rage but when I was having children the clever woman was the one who went to the party looking as if she'd never been pregnant, not the one with her breasts sticking out.
- Daddy, I'm coming! - At least not for breastfeeding.
Robert, will you show Granny to her room? Patrick? [GLASS CLINKS, HE EXHALES.]
Goodness, you're drinking.
Temporary measure.
It's been a while.
She's really outdone herself this time.
From the solicitor's, care of my mother, if "care" is the right word.
I've been disinherited.
What? She's signing the house over to this joke charity.
Nothing to us, nothing to our children.
Patrick, that's awful Oh, and she wants me to check for loopholes, make sure the whole thing runs smoothly.
It's not enough to be disinherited, she wants me to chip in with the paperwork! - Did she say why? - Took her half the morning, but apparently she wants "to do good".
She wants to help people.
Anyone, really, just as long as they're not fucking related to her! - Not so loud.
- She seeks "closure" and "my validation".
That bastard Seamus might as well be whispering in her fucking ear! - Darling, you're ranting.
- I have to rant! She was always a lousy mother.
But I hoped she might take a holiday from that towards the end of her life, feel that she'd achieved enough by way of betrayal and neglect and that now it was time for her to take a break and play with her grandchildren.
You know what frightens me the most is how much I loathe her! When I read the letter, I tried to loosen my collar so I could breathe and I realized it wasn't my collar, it was actually a noose tightening around my neck.
A noose of loathing! [MARY.]
She's not going to change now.
She's a frightened woman [PATRICK.]
I know! I know.
What do I loathe, then? I loathe the poison dripping down from generation to generation.
And I'd rather die than inflict the same thing on our children.
That won't happen.
Not if we don't let it.
- [PATRICK SIGHS.]
- But please don't drink.
For us.
[HE SNIFFS.]
[INSECTS CHIRPING.]
[SNIFFS.]
[GLASS CLATTERS.]
She's giving it all away? To the charity, yes.
Strange kind of charity.
[VEHICLE APPROACHING.]
[MUSIC PLAYS ON CAR STEREO.]
[MARY.]
Robert.
Go and say hello.
[MUSIC OFF.]
I'm only telling you in case - [WOMAN.]
Patrick! - Patrick seems a little off.
So he should be! It's so lovely here.
- [PATRICK.]
You found it.
- Yes.
Oh, it's good to be here.
Who's this now? I told you, it's Patrick's friend Julia.
Lucy's her daughter.
He certainly seems pleased to see her.
Hello, Mary! He's just being nice.
She's been having a hard time.
But can't you fight it? You're a barrister, for Christ's sake! She may be an unmaternal idiot but it's her money.
If she wants to burn the last of it on a New Age hotel, there's nothing I can do to stop her.
Well, can't you pretend to be a shaman and keep the place? Sadly, I'm one of the few people on earth that has absolutely no healing powers.
[JULIA CHUCKLES.]
Why aren't you two playing with each other? Play.
Play! Besides, I find it difficult enough looking after my family, let alone saving the world.
I think looking after your children can be another way of giving up.
Well, they become the whole ones, the well ones, the ones who don't drink too much, get divorced, become mentally ill.
You spend so much time guarding them against decay and depression that you end up decayed and depressed.
Sorry.
I'm a bit down.
Since the divorce, I get these terrible moments of vertigo, like I don't exist.
[ROBERT.]
I get that.
At your age? I think that's very pretentious.
It's true.
But it doesn't stop you being a happy child, does it? Sometimes.
When it's happening.
You're doing a wonderful job.
[SEAMUS.]
Hello, there.
Oh, Christ, it's the landlord.
You don't like Julia very much.
Robert! I do like her.
But whereas clever people are just thinking out loud, Julia's thinking about what she sounds like.
- [JULIA LAUGHS IN DISTANCE.]
- I shouldn't have said that.
Don't repeat it.
[JULIA.]
Are you a healer yourself? Yes, Seamus, who have you healed? Well, I actually worked in a nursing home for many years, washing patients covered in their own feces, spoon-feeding old people who couldn't feed themselves, that sort of thing.
And, do you know what? I'm grateful for it, Julia.
It's kept me grounded.
What a shame you didn't stick to that.
You might have actually done some tangible good.
Patrick likes to keep me grounded too.
But I think we do tangible good here, with the courses we run.
We bring inner-city kids here and they love it.
The meditation, the drumming.
They They say to me "Seamus, this is incredible! It's like tripping without the drugs.
" Do we need a charity for tripping? With all the ills in the world, it seems a rather wild hole to plug.
Can't you just give them acid? You can tell he's a barrister.
I'm all for people having hobbies.
Can't they do it in the comfort of their own homes? Sadly, Patrick, some homes are not that comfortable.
No.
I know the feeling.
Well, Julia Fascinating.
Mon pleasure.
Seamus? Patrick? This gift of Eleanor's about the house.
- Yeah, she mentioned that.
- I'm looking into it.
Don't go picking out the wallpaper just yet.
[INSECTS CHIRPING.]
[JULIA CHUCKLES.]
[SIGHS.]
[ELECTRIC MOTOR WHIRRS.]
[CHILDREN PLAYING OUTSIDE.]
[ELEANOR GROANS SOFTLY.]
I hesitate to mention this.
Please keep on hesitating.
But this idea of yours to sign the house over to the Foundation [CLEARS THROAT.]
I've looked over the paperwork and I have to point out - it leaves you very exposed.
- I really Of course you must do as you wish but your store of capital - No, please No.
- won't pay for much more - I - care.
We could go broke very quickly.
Patrick is only trying to help.
- You can do what you want.
- Yes.
If you could just loan the house for the time being - I really do object! - and decide [HISSES.]
It's okay.
Well, we'll leave you.
You must be tired.
Sorry if I upset you.
[RECEDING FOOTSTEPS.]
- [DOOR SLAMS.]
- [MARY MAKES SOOTHING SOUNDS.]
Please don't leave me.
[YOUNG PATRICK.]
I want to go away.
What do you mean? Leave here.
Yes.
[PATRICK GRUNTS.]
What can drive a man mad is being forced to have the emotion he's being forbidden to have at the same time.
The treachery makes me feel furious and now I'm being forced to feel pity.
Well, I'm a simple sort of man and I remain fucking angry! [MARY.]
Robert, everyone's by the pool.
Go and join them.
[PATRICK EXHALES.]
I don't think it's kind to turn Robert against his grandmother.
In a beauty contest between her only child and a complete stranger, my mother chose the stranger.
And you're right to feel betrayed - but Robert has his own - No, we've all been lied to.
Whatever happened in the past, at least we had somewhere we all felt at home.
And now all those little concessions to family feeling are being tossed away to be replaced by the trademark family malice and spite.
- Well, that's not inevitable! - Isn't it? Not necessarily! Please.
Spend time with the children.
That's why we're here.
[PATRICK BREATHES HEAVILY.]
Right, who wants to play in the pool? - Robert? - I'm reading.
Oh, come on, let's play! That's why we're here.
Julia? No? Lucy? No? - No, thanks.
- Didn't ask you.
- Come on.
- Dad! Stop being silly! - Oh, come on, Robert.
- Stop! - Don't be a bore.
- Stop! I'm serious, stop! [PANTING.]
- I knew this would happen.
- Oh, for God's sake, Kettle.
[JULIA.]
Oh, I'm sure he's fine.
Of course he's fine.
You're fine, aren't you, Robert? - Yes, I'm fine.
- There, you see, he's fine.
It's just a game, a bit of fun.
[BREATHES HEAVILY.]
[PILLS RATTLING.]
That looks like fun.
No, not fun.
Necessity, I'm afraid.
Want one? - I've got my own.
- Of course you do.
But if you're offering.
How long? Four years.
I thought you were only meant to take it for 30 days.
Oh, I definitely have a problem.
Namely that they're not strong enough.
I get all the side effects: memory loss, dehydration, nightmarish withdrawals.
Everything except the sleep.
Strange to think we used to do this for fun.
Remember taking acid in Greece? I remember where you stashed it.
Yes, sorry about that.
I didn't mind.
But let's not get nostalgic.
Another pleasure denied.
Whenever I get nostalgic, I force myself to remember what youth was actually like.
It was awful.
The trouble is, all I remember is the sex.
A great abundance of sex and a sense of potential instead of an absence of sex and a sense of waste.
[HE EXHALES.]
Christ, I'm gonna need 40 milligrams tonight.
Perhaps Perhaps we shouldn't be having this conversation.
Perhaps not.
[GRUNTS SOFTLY.]
[ELEANOR.]
Oh, my darling.
So sorry to wake you.
[WHISPERS.]
What time is it? [WHISPERS.]
It's very early.
Are we going now? Shall I pack my bag? Oh, my darling.
I have to go without you.
You can't.
- Darling, please understand.
- I want to come.
You have to stay here with your father just for a short while.
- I want to come.
- And then when I've spoken to the lawyers - No, please - Patrick.
Listen to me.
This is very important.
But I've got to do this properly, yes? In exactly the right way.
And then I can come back and get you.
Then we can be together.
Patrick.
Do you understand? [DOOR CLOSES.]
[GRUNTS.]
- [ROBERT.]
Daddy.
- Hello.
Hello.
What are you doing? Oh, Thomas has pushed me out of bed again.
So I thought I'd go and sleep in his room.
But that's Julia's room.
Yes.
Erm I was just checking to see if she was [THOMAS CRIES.]
Oh, poor Thomas.
Well, I better You must Night.
[THOMAS CONTINUES CRYING.]
[MARY.]
Robert? Lunch! - [CHILDREN LAUGHING.]
- There.
I must say, having you both here at the same time is like a dream.
[ELEANOR.]
Like a - dream.
- My dear.
So nice to see you out.
How are you? Very Well, I'll leave you two to chat.
Uh Thomas, don't play with the wine.
That's for grown-ups.
It certainly is.
Oh, is that the answer? - We'll find out, won't we? - I'm sure we will.
I was going to buy Thomas some child reins for his birthday but apparently they're out of fashion.
I'm not putting my child in a harness.
Really? Nanny used to swear by them.
- And I used to swear at them.
- You didn't, actually, because swearing was not allowed.
Unlike some households.
Which of our mothers is worst, do you think? I realize the disinheritance thing gives Eleanor the edge but yours is really putting in the work.
At least eat something first.
Anyone who thinks a week is a long time in politics should have her to stay.
A week's a fucking eternity.
I don't know how you cope without a nanny, Mary.
I don't know how I'd cope with one.
I've always wanted to look after the children myself.
Yes, motherhood takes some people that way.
It didn't in my case but then I was quite young when I had Lucy.
I think you can be too nice to children.
If you want them to grow up to be corporate lawyers or chief executives, no use filling their head with ideas of trust and truth-telling and reliability.
They won't be able to compete in the real world.
- Hear, hear! - [SEAMUS.]
Hello, there.
[JULIA.]
Oh, Christ.
I was gonna call by and see Eleanor.
But here she is now.
- Hello.
- Seamus, please sit here.
Join us for lunch.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
I wouldn't want to intrude on a family affair.
Well, maybe just for a moment or two.
- Patrick says you're a writer.
- Did I? I've sometimes thought myself about writing a book.
I've got so many ideas but it's putting them down on paper.
It can do your head in.
I've done a beginning, several beginnings.
But maybe it's all just beginnings.
- Do you know what I mean? - I do.
She's doing this on purpose now just to annoy us.
We won't give her the satisfaction.
It all sounds absolutely fascinating.
Join us.
I'll sign you up for a session.
D'you know? Perhaps I will.
Patrick? I'm going to do a workshop.
Yes, you should.
It's the only way you'll get to see the house in the cherry season.
Oh, the cherries! Now, they are something.
Me and Eleanor always have this little ritual we do around the cherries, don't we, Eleanor? - Yes.
- The fruits of life, you know.
[PATRICK.]
It sounds very profound.
Do they taste any better than if they were simply the fruits of the cherry tree? Ch Ch Cherries.
- I'll bring you some.
- What a handsome rent! - [ELEANOR.]
No - A simple bowl of cherries for all of this.
- No - Talk about luck of the Irish.
- No - [ROBERT.]
Enough! - rent! - Rob No.
I'll go.
It's my fault.
[BIRDSONG.]
I'm not giving you much of a holiday, am I? Must try harder.
[SIGHS.]
Is Granny really giving it all away? That's what she wants to do.
We love it here.
I know, but it's hers not ours.
She's always been pathologically generous.
And if she was giving it to the blind or the homeless or medical research or victims of torture, we'd be not delighted but we'd understand.
But she's giving it to Seamus? To the Foundation.
So, yes, to Seamus.
Do you loathe her? Of course not.
And you mustn't either.
Well, this is a touching scene.
Mary wants you back before Seamus seduces Kettle.
He's trying to get Mary disinherited as well? We'll have to kill him after all.
If we kill Seamus, do we keep the house? Sadly not.
More efficient to kill Kettle before she changes her will.
You're right! I let emotion cloud my judgment.
I'm going to read my book.
[PATRICK SIGHS.]
I suppose I should be more careful.
About what? I've tried so hard not to pass on the malice and resentment, give them a different sort of childhood.
But they're just fresh mistakes.
And Robert notices everything.
He caught me outside your room last night.
What were you doing outside my room? I thought I'd come and see you.
Would you have been pleased? Maybe next time.
There's going to be a next time? Well, you're bored and lonely.
I'm bored and lonely.
That's a terrifying amount of boredom and loneliness in one room.
Maybe they'll cancel each other out, like electrical charges.
Well, we should conduct an experiment.
In controlled conditions.
See if we eliminate boredom or achieve an overload of loneliness.
We should go back.
Or people will think we're having an affair.
[CLATTERING.]
[MARY.]
I'm almost too scared to ask.
I'm cheering myself up.
This is by Boudin.
Sell this, and we might just be able to afford a second bedroom in Queen's Park.
A normal child-sized bedroom rather than a converted broom cupboard.
You can't steal from her.
Not from her, from him.
If he's getting the house then I can certainly keep the fucking Boudin.
Pass me that other screwdriver, will you? You can't keep this up.
At some point, you have to let it all go.
- Bit late for that.
- I don't mean the house.
Do you want to come up to bed with me? Let's not introduce exciting words like "want".
We both know that Thomas will claim my place.
I'll sleep down here.
Pass the screwdriver, will you? Screwdriver? [INSECTS CHIRPING.]
Mind if I come in? [BIRDSONG.]
When's your flight? I have to leave by nine.
- Our timing - Has never been good.
[PATRICK EXHALES HEAVILY.]
I should go before Thomas wakes up.
[WHISPERS.]
Patrick Summer fling.
Yes? Summer fling.
[PATRICK GRUNTS.]
Well, thank you for having us.
We'll speak on the phone.
- When you get a chance.
- It won't be the same.
No, it won't.
Bye.
Bye.
Oh, dear.
I wanted to say goodbye to Seamus.
Send him my love, won't you? It'll be strange to be here without you, Patrick.
Oh, is this your car? - Very small.
- Yes.
Right, come on, let's go.
Buckle up, Lucy.
[CAR ENGINE STARTS.]
Just us, thank God.
And now we can have fun.
[MOTOR WHIRRING.]
It's the right thing to do.
I'm sure it is.
Also, it's a fake.
I spoke to a man at Sotheby's.
You can tell by the waves, apparently.
So Seamus isn't the first man to bamboozle her.
Some art dealer in Paris achieved that facile trick 40 years ago.
- Well, let's not tell Seamus.
- Certainly not.
Just picture his face when he finds out.
[IRISH ACCENT.]
Oh, there go the flotation tanks! [BOTH SNIGGER.]
[PATRICK.]
I need to let all this go.
When you've talked about the things that have happened here, won't it help to move on? Perhaps.
If I didn't have my mother's protection at least I had the protection of this place.
Now that's being taken away too, I fear I might go mad.
At the same time, part of me can't wait to get rid of the fucking place.
Let's go back to London.
Or somewhere else.
After this holiday, we need a holiday.
[PATRICK SIGHS.]
Where would we go? [FOOTSTEPS DESCENDING STAIRS.]
- Bonjour, monsieur.
- Bonjour.
[PEN SCRATCHING ON PAPER.]
C'est fini.
I'm sure there's a good reason.
[MAN LAUGHS IN NEXT ROOM.]
[LOW CONVERSATION IN NEXT ROOM.]
[LAUGHTER.]
- [WOMAN.]
It was such a big fight.
- [MAN.]
Ah, hello there.
We're back.
It's Patrick, isn't it? - Kevin.
Annette.
- We're making tea.
I don't understand.
[ANNETTE.]
Oh, did Seamus not talk to you? He said there might be a spare room.
[BIRDSONG.]
[PATRICK.]
Seamus! I don't mean to disturb your hard work.
Not at all.
Please, here.
Be my guest.
Is that what I am now, your guest? Or are you rather our guest until we leave, because we're not prepared to have you billet your sidekicks with us.
I merely thought, given that you've so much space, you could accommodate my guests.
The terms of my mother's gift are absolutely clear.
"Terms" is a very legalistic way of putting it.
There's nothing in writing about the Foundation providing you or your family with a free holiday.
Look, Robert, go back to the house! I have genuine sympathy for the trouble you're having We're not talking about the trouble I'm having.
We're talking about the trouble that you're having.
They're inseparable.
Everything seems inseparable to a moron! Oh, let's all calm down, shall we? My wife's your great defender, Seamus.
My theory is that you're a bad man pretending to be an idiot, whereas she thinks you're merely an idiot.
[MARY.]
If we could stay on the subject Perhaps the community should hold a meeting - and Kevin and Annette - We're not part of your fucking community! If you don't want to be part of it, then maybe you should go.
[ROBERT.]
Why don't you go away, you stupid man? This is my granny's house and we have more right to be here than you do! Well I'm gonna have to go and process some of these negative feelings.
You do that.
Process away.
Be my guest.
Do a little ritual.
Oh, one more thing.
My mother gave me this.
It's a little shaky.
She's not well.
It says, "Why Seamus no come?" Now she's given you the house, you've dropped her.
I don't need lectures from you about the importance of my relationship to Eleanor.
Just go and visit her.
I know she's not great company.
But that's just one of the treasure trove of things you have in common.
[MELANCHOLY MUSIC.]
[SNIFFS.]
[MARY.]
We're taking the children to the U.
S.
To see your sister Nancy in Connecticut.
They've never been.
Just Just ten days.
Claudine will look after you while we're gone.
Then we'll find you somewhere in London.
Somewhere comfortable.
And bring you home.
- Time to go.
- Okay.
Say bye to Granny.
You beautiful boy.
Come on.
[SHE GARBLES WORDS.]
I want you to kill me.
I'd love to help but it's against the law.
No.
No longer.
Alright.
[HE SIGHS.]
Ready.
Come on.
Let's go.
[THOMAS.]
Robert, wait for me! [DOOR CLOSES.]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC.]
[HORN BLARES.]
[SIREN WAILS.]
[SIREN WAILS.]
[HUBBUB OF TRAFFIC.]
[PRESIDENT BUSH ON T.
V.
.]
enter into a bilateral agreement with Kim Jong-il because of the fact that he didn't tell the truth Why don't you go sit with your father, hm? Watch T.
V.
You'd like that.
We'll go to Aunt Nancy's in the morning.
[PRESIDENT BUSH ON T.
V.
.]
so there is more than one voice speaking to Kim Jong-il.
[WOMAN.]
That's it for the news.
Now the latest on the weather.
Over to you, John I'm cutting down, look.
Come and say good night.
Good night, then.
[DOOR CLOSES.]
Oh, God, she's invited Henry.
- Who's Henry? - Oh, Nancy's cousin.
He inherited all the money and, well, that makes Nancy furious.
Whatever you do, don't mention politics.
He's a nice guy but pretty much a fascist.
- Oh, good! - Hello.
Christ, I hate the rich! - Especially now you're not going to become one.
- Especially now.
Oh, there's a games room, a cinema, and a pool, of course.
This is very kind of you, Nancy.
Well, after what my sister's done to you, it's the least I could do.
Oh, Patrick tells me you're working now.
[MARY.]
Oh, I've always worked.
I'm in publishing.
They won't run indoors, will they Of course not.
shouting, that sort of thing? Nonsense! They must do whatever they want.
Well, they should stay out of the woods.
It's a Lyme disease hotspot and the tics are dreadful this year.
Poison ivy, too.
It looks pretty, but really, it's like a Cambodian swamp.
Best to assume you're always in danger.
A rule to live by.
Robert, Thomas, shall we go for a swim? I'll go and get the swimming costumes.
[THOMAS.]
Yes, swimming time! [NANCY.]
Patrick, could you come here? Oh, so many things, so many lovely things, all stolen.
A world-class fortune gone! These.
These were ours.
$1.
5 million.
That's what my little stepbrother got for Mommy's garden tubs.
I think you're doing just fine here, Nancy.
This place? Ho, believe me! This is nothing to what we should have had.
Shall we talk about my mother? There's no improvement or hope of any improvement.
She's aware of this and has asked me to kill her.
Oh, Patrick, that's not fair.
That's really not fair.
I have no doubt that helping her to die would be the most loving thing I could do.
Oh, well, maybe Maybe you should rent an ambulance and drive her to Holland.
Arriving in Holland isn't in itself fatal.
Oh, please let's not talk about this anymore.
It's very upsetting.
I I haven't told Mary yet, so Why haven't you told her? In case it's a good idea.
[DOOR OPENS.]
Those swimming costumes? Nancy, we're very grateful.
No, treat it like home.
But no wet feet on the carpets.
Oh, of course.
And no playing with figurines, they're Meissen.
I don't suppose you'd like a drink before dinner? Oh, I don't drink.
Didn't you know? I watched it destroy Daddy's life.
But you help yourself.
Later, perhaps.
[HANDLE RATTLES.]
[PATRICK SIGHS.]
Bit poky.
There you are.
[EXHALES HEAVILY.]
Oh, that's better.
Hm.
- Meissen army.
- [THOMAS.]
Brilliant! [CHILDREN SQUEAL AND PLAY.]
[EXHALES.]
Oh, damn.
[SEAT BELT ALARM BEEPING.]
- [ALARM CONTINUES BEEPING.]
- Ding, ding, ding! Ding, dong, ding, dong! [MUSIC ON STEREO.]
He said that any love is good love [VOLUME INCREASES.]
So I took what I could get Yes, I took what I could get And then she looked at me with them big brown eyes And said You ain't seen nothin' yet B-b-baby, you just ain't seen nothin' yet Here's somethin' Here's somethin' you're never gonna forget, baby You know, you know, you just ain't seen nothin' yet [CLANGING.]
[MUSIC OFF.]
[STORE BELL TINGS.]
[BOTTLES CLINKING.]
[COINS RATTLING.]
[KEYPAD BEEPS.]
[RINGING TONE.]
Julia's phone.
Leave a message.
[ANSWERPHONE BEEPS.]
Julia, it's Patrick.
Are you hiding behind your machine? Oh, well.
Are you? I feel a little in freefall here.
Just wanted to hear a friendly voice.
Oh, well.
Love you.
[SNIFFS.]
[PAPER BAG RUSTLES.]
Oh, there you are! We were about to call the police.
Well, there's a slo-bering thought.
Sorry, I had a sudden yen to go to the countryside.
Sobering, sobering! Did I say slo-bering? [CHUCKLES.]
I meant I meant sobering.
[MARY.]
I was just talking about how tired the children are from playing outside.
[NANCY.]
Well, of course, it's nothing compared to what we used to have.
Our grandfather had a 150-acre garden on Long Island.
I'm not talking about woods and fields Please, shall we change the subject? [THOMAS PLAYS NOISILY.]
Henry was telling us all about the Middle East.
Or we could change it back.
[HENRY.]
Yes, I was recalling Pearl Harbor.
When Admiral Yamamoto had finished his attack, he said, "Gentlemen, we have roused a sleeping giant.
" And it is this thought that should be uppermost in the minds of the world's terrorists.
- [THOMAS.]
Mummy! - And their state sponsors.
Mummy, it's broken! Are you aware of the phrase: "Children should be seen but not heard"? Of course.
I think it's nonsense.
Well, for my part, I've always found it to be entirely too liberal.
[LAUGHS.]
You'd rather not see him either? Jesus Christ.
Nancy, you sound like my father.
But, Patrick, we're just trying to extend some hospitality.
[AMERICAN ACCENT.]
And we're just "poor white trash" throwing ourselves on the charity of our American kin.
You don't have to accept it if you don't want to.
- You're right.
We don't.
- But we'd like to.
Mm.
Speak for yourself.
I am.
I'm also trying to speak for our children.
You're not even speaking for yourself! "Entirely too liberal"? Come on.
Fuck off! [MARY EXHALES HEAVILY.]
[DOOR OPENS.]
Less than 24 hours.
A new personal best.
Hardly worth unpacking.
You're safely installed with your lover, I see.
I'll move him to the other side.
No, don't.
God forbid you should actually spare one drop, - one actual drop of love from the children - Lower Lower your voice! No, you're right, I have no love or affection for you when you're like this.
And the rest of the time? [SCOFFS.]
The rest of the time? I think you should know I've started imagining life without you.
Any compassion or patience I might have had, it it's all dried up.
It's not just the drinking or this demeaning thing with Julia.
Demeaning to you as much as me or this mindless destruction.
It's the way the children are involved.
That thing Nancy said tonight about watching her father destroy his life.
That's what Robert saw this evening.
And yet you don't stop.
If you can't change you have to go.
[DOOR CREAKS AND SHUTS.]
[STIFLES A SOB.]
[CAR DOOR CLOSES.]
[SOMBER MUSIC.]
[BIRDSONG.]
Supper, madame.
[ELEANOR MUMBLES.]
Thanks.
Et voilà .
Love Lovely spot.
[GUNTER KALLMANN CHOIR "DAYDREAM".]
Daydream I fell asleep amid the flowers For a couple of hours On a beautiful day Daydream I dream of you amid the flowers For a couple of hours Singing all of the day La-la, la-la-la, la-la-la