Beauty (1998) - full transcript
The "beauty" is talented painter Alix Miller. Her father, Alexander, is scheduled to go to the isolated Crompton mansion in New Hampshire to paint a family portrait of the mysterious, ...
[pleasant orchestral music]
[suspenseful music]
[class laughing]
STUDENT: For real, Ms. Miller,you want to get famous,
you should start painting bathtubs and junk like that.
[class laughing]
ALIX [LAUGHING]: Stop it!
Art is serious!
It's very, very serious.
STUDENT: I'm just saying,that book you gave us
about that guy, Marcel Duchamp?
I mean, he nailed a bedpan to the wall and called it art.
So, like, I'm just going to do a lot of crazy stuff
and scam the world into
paying me big bucks.
[class mumbling]
There are better
reasons to be an artist.
Look at your canvas.
Come on, guys.
Come check it out.
See the blue/black of
her Night's Guy, how she
captured his essence and soul?
Come on, Ms. Miller.
It's a sky.
How's it supposed
to have a soul?
Well, if you put your
heart into what you do,
everything you paint
should have a soul.
It's your job to find it.
All right, pizza!
[students cheering]
It's my treat, because
it's our last class.
[class muttering]
Keep painting, OK?
People ask me why I paint.
The only reason to paint is to find your joy, because what you
paint can show you who you are.
It can challenge you to see,really see what's important.
MAN: And remember, the
show is for new work.
Oh, wow.
I'm not sure I'll be ready.
You have till August.
You deserve this, ALIX.
You're a talented painter.
Y... you fired up those kids and gave them so much
passion and self-confidence.
Why can't you do
that for yourself?
I'm sorry.
I guess I'm just a
little preoccupied.
I'm sure I told Mark
about the party.
I just love what you've
let me accomplish here,
and I wanted him
to experience it.
[birds chirping]
I know, I know.
Don't be mad.
I... I meant to be
at your class thing,
but I...I got this incredible assignment this morning.
I'm on my way to the darkroom.
Hi, honey.
Hi.
Hi, baby.
What do you say we
grab your toothbrush
and you spend the weekend at my place, huh?
I promised Dad we'd
rent a movie tonight.
[loud sigh]
Ah, well.
Man doesn't stand a
chance with a woman
who's in love with her father.
Oh, that's deep, Mark.
Well, flowers.
Thank you.
Mm-hmm.
I know.
He's getting old.
And he may never admit it, but he's slowing down.
He needs me in the
house with him.
[pager beeping]
I...
I know.
I gotta, I gotta...
Listen, I...
Call me later.
I'll call you later.
[car engine starts]
ALIX: Ah!
You're painting Mom, again.
You recognize the hands.
All these years
she was my model.
Now I find I'm doing my
best work from memory.
Can't imagine painting the same person for 40 years.
Your mother was my...
my grand passion.
You'll know why I
can't stop painting her
when you fall in love.
Dad, it's the '90s.
People don't have
grand passions anymore.
Besides, Mark and I have a...
we have a good relationship.
I always thought of you as a blues and greens man.
Well, the subject
defines the painter.
When I first met your mother, the way her hands
rested in her lap, pure grace.
I felt, oh boy, the world felt happy just looking at her.
No sense painting how
she looked at the end.
Poor Sarah.
I hope I go fast
when my time comes.
Well, just don't croak before my museum show this summer, OK?
Oh!
I said you'd get in.
[chuckles]
This must be your
lucky day, ALIX Miller.
Uh... Where'd I put it?
Ah... Ah!
There.
Now... there.
Crompton.
Why do I know that name?
Wealthy family, and they like Millers to paint them.
Your Great Uncle Philo painted one of the Cromptons,
and Cousin Ellis had a
commission from them.
And you painted.
Leland Crompton,
Sr, long gone.
Now his son wants to continue the family tradition,
but I'm too old to go
way up to that estate.
So I called him and told him I’m sending ALIX Miller instead.
Dad?
Oh, I can't!
I... I don't do portraits.
[sighs] My daughter
can do anything.
ALIX: That's your
best picture ever.
I just used available light.
No, it's not just that.
It's their faces.
They must have really
trusted you to catch
those expressions, that warmth.
Thanks.
So come on.
What's your big news?
I got a commission to paint a portrait of Leland Crompton.
Since when do you
paint portraits?
Thanks a lot.
No... my dad painted his father, Leland Compton, Sr.
So I'm going to continue
the family tradition.
I'm driving up to
his estate tomorrow
to take a few pictures.
Why?
He can't come here?
Don't tell me your jealous.
Jealousy is a
Bourgeois concept,
which is beneath us as artists.
We're free to do
whatever we want.
But you miss my award
ceremony for the News
Photographer Association,and I'll have to kill you.
Don't worry, Mark.
I won't miss your big night.
But I can't paint
somebody without getting
to know them first.
Mm, yeah?
Yeah.
Is that why you
never painted me?
[chuckling] Mm.
Mm.
[chuckling]
It's cold up in
those mountains.
I understand there's
still snow up there.
Ugh.
What am I doing, Dad?
What you were born to do.
Yeah.
Thanks.
Listen, are you going to be OK?
Yeah.
And I won't be gone long.
[grunting]
Rushing back to Mark, the shark?
Here.
[birds chirping]
Good luck present.
Thank you.
Mm.
[chuckles] Bye.
Bye.
Hey.
Hm?
You feel a little warm.
Oh!
No, no, no.
You better get inside.
Go!
Paint something beautiful.
[birds chirping]
[MUSIC - BUCK JOHNSON, "WHILE THERE'S STILL TIME"]
'Cause your eyes
are asking questions
that I never thought I'd hear.
And they told me don't
you be afraid to fly.
And I've thought of all
the old times we spent
talking through the
night, and the laughter,
how it always got us by.
Years, they go tumbling.
Mighty they roll.
Years may be wiser but
still hungering to know.
Sometimes even now
I wonder how I found
the strength to turn and go.
And you find yourself
down roads where
you thought you'd never
be, drawn to strangers
and wondering just why.
Trying to catch the perfect moments or just maybe
set them free, set them free now while there's still time.
WILLIE: Welcome, miss.
I'll help you with your bags.
[mysterious music]
ALIX: Thank you.
[melancholy music]
MRS. GREAVES: We were expecting that painter fellow.
Nobody told me he was
bringing an assistant.
Oh, well, I...
I'm the painter.
I'm ALIX Miller.
You're ALIX Miller?
Your husband let you make such a long drive alone
in this weather?
I'm not married.
MRS. GREAVES: Mr. Crompton isn't feeling well tonight.
He apologizes for not
being able to join
you for a more formal dinner,but he'll see you at breakfast.
Mrs. Greaves?
Thank you for the dinner.
Hm.
Uh... What's Mr. Crompton like?
Oh, I'm no good
at descriptions.
[classical orchestral music]
Nice work, Dad.
[classical orchestral music]
Oh!
I'm sorry.
I'm just not used to having someone underfoot.
Coffee, Miss Miller?
Mr. Crompton says to tell you he won't be down today.
ALIX: Is something wrong?
I hope it's not serious.
He said to feel free
to explore the grounds.
Now, we, um... We have cold salmon, fruit, yogurt,
or I could fix you an egg.
You know, if Mr.
Crompton's changed
his mind about the portrait,maybe I should just leave.
That's not my
decision to make, miss.
I was just told to
offer you breakfast.
Don't go to any trouble.
Just tell Mr. Crompton that I’m exploring the grounds.
[mysterious music]
[pleasant music]
[dramatic music]
[crunching footsteps]
[pleasant music]
[twig snaps]
Oh!
[grunting]
LEE: You all right?
[mysterious music]
[shuddering breaths]
[grunts]
Yeah, nothing
hurt but my vanity.
[grunts]
[mysterious music]
LEE: The Riseborough Estate’s a quarter-mile from here.
Turn left at those cedars.
Follow the stream
to the main road.
Come on, boy.
ALIX: Thank you.
[mysterious music]
[dog whines]
[fire crackling]
[mysterious chiming music]
[melancholy music]
[grunts]
[ominous music]
I'm sorry about earlier today.
I... I didn't know.
It happens.
[mysterious music]
[birds chirping]
Well, you're right on time.
[sighs heavily]
Well, why don't we start with a few snapshots.
Then I can work from there.
LEE: I don't allow
cameras in my house.
Mr. Crompton?
That is an expensive
piece of equipment.
It's delicate.
I worked a long time
to buy that camera,
and I don't let
anybody touch it.
LEE: Well, you can take it with you when you leave.
You know?
We're not exactly
hitting it off here, so
why don't we just
forget the whole thing?
When your father told me he was sending ALIX Miller,
I assumed you were his son.
Your point being
what, exactly?
[chuckles]
I've forgotten my manners.
Forgive me.
I'm not very good
at meeting people.
I certainly can't
be an easy subject.
Why, if you don't
want your photo taken,
do you want your portrait done?
Every Crompton poses for a portrait, and I'm the last one.
A Crompton never
messes with tradition.
As you can see, I
have no bad side.
ALIX: Um, hm.
[gentle music]
[sighs heavily]
How about we start
in that chair?
OK.
[melancholy music]
Mr. Crompton, try
to relax, like I've
made your portrait every week.
[laughs heartily]
What a thought.
[chuckles] All
right, Ms. Miller.
Oh, call me ALIX.
Alex.
Call me Lee.
[dog whines]
LEE: I never realized sitting still could be so exhausting.
[laughs]
[sighs heavily] I’ve really got to back to work.
OK.
Bad Dog!
Come boy!
Come.
Good boy, Bad Dog.
His name is Bad Dog?
Well, I like to
tell it like it is.
Well, what kind
of name is that?
What did you name him that for?
[chuckles]
Would you like to take a quick tour of the house?
Who'd want to tour an old dinosaur of a house like this?
Forgive me.
Writers love to procrastinate.
Oh, well, just like painters.
I guess that's the curse
of working at home.
So you're a writer?
Well, I try.
I'd love a tour.
LEE: Arthur Thompson
Crompton, Architect.
And my grandfather.
I loved him very much.
He was kind.
Well, cousin Ellis
did a good job.
Captured some of his spark.
Your father painted
this one, didn't he?
Mm, great composition.
My father always
loved this painting.
[pleasant music]
Oh, wow!
You're a Harris
Bellefleur fanatic?
You don't like mysteries?
ALIX: Ugh, Are you kidding?
Tyler Bent rules.
[laughs]
Is he your favorite?
Well, I've read
every one of them.
Actually, I wrote
every one of them.
You're Harris Bellefleur?
My nom de plume.
May I ask you a question?
Why did you kill the
Maggie Tripp character?
I loved her.
Tyler Bent's the
main character.
She was stealing
all his thunder.
That's so sexist.
[wheezing laugh]
Actually, you're right.
Truth is, if I'd let her live,Maggie and Tyler would have
been in bed by the next book,and as I told my editor,
Tyler is a man
doomed to be alone.
That's the whole point.
[scoffs] Now, why are you so hard on poor Tyler?
I mean, granted, he’s fiction, but he's a great guy.
Doesn't he deserve
a little happiness?
You can keep the
book if you like.
Lee, would... would you sign this for me before I leave?
You mean like a book signing?
I've never been to one of those.
Never?
Are you kidding?
Ah!
People would line around
the block to see you.
[laughs uneasily]
I... I, uh, should work.
Excuse me.
[gentle music]
[birds chirping]
ALIX [ON PHONE]: Yeah, I'm doing the portrait the classic way.
No photographs.
Mm-hmm.
Just old-fashioned sketches.
Of course I'll be back
for your awards banquet.
I wouldn't dream of missing it.
All right.
Me, too.
Bye.
Huh?
MRS. GREAVES: Boyfriend?
Well, yeah.
Oh, I'm not sure boyfriend’s the right word.
Thanks.
Mrs. Greaves?
The portrait?
It's... it's... it's a
challenge, you know?
I'm not sure what he expects.
[sighs] Been here 30 years,and he still surprises me.
I don't know what he's trying to prove, sitting for a portrait,
but he has a strong will.
What was he like as a kid?
Hm.
Spoiled jerk.
[laughs]
You know?
It just hit me, what's
missing in house.
There are no
photographs anywhere.
Or mirrors.
Back when he was
God's gift to women.
So he hasn't always
been the way he is now.
MRS. GREAVES: No.
ALIX: I wonder if
that makes it worse.
Oh, and... and I took that one.
I think it was probably
the last picture
he ever let anybody take,the day she moved to Paris.
ALIX: That's Lee's mother?
MRS. GREAVES: Yeah.
Oh, she was a good enough mother when he was little,
but I don't think she knew how to cope when it happened.
Perfect people don't
get acromegaly.
That's what it's called.
Isn't there a
cure, Mrs. Greaves?
Well, if he'd
gotten help sooner.
If she hadn't been in
denial, he could have
had radiation treatment, drugs.
But once the bones
grow like that,
well, it's not like
you can un-grow them.
You've been with
him a long time.
Just me and old Willie.
And there was a woman once.
Julia.
Beautiful thing.
Hell bent on rescuing him.
Oh, he loved her, but it couldn’t last, Miss Miller.
How could it?
I couldn't watch him
go through that again.
[laughs] He grew into
a nice man, didn't he?
Yes.
Mm-hmm.
He is a nice man.
[gentle music]
LEE: ALIX.
ALIX!
What?
I usually call it a day when I delete more than I type.
Maybe you need a break.
[MUSIC - VANESSA GRIAZIANO, "WHAT THE HEART SEES"]
ALIX: Perfect fit.
[MUSIC - VANESSA GRIAZIANO, "WHAT THE HEART SEES"]
I had a vision, a
picture perfect place.
Every color was in harmony with life in every face.
And in my mind, I saw your face the way it's meant to be.
And in your eyes, I saw
the longing to be free.
What the heart sees...
Very good!
Come on.
[laughing] Very nice, very nice.
[laughs]
[squeals]
[laughing]
[MUSIC - VANESSA GRIAZIANO, "WHAT THE HEART SEES"]
Will never be deceived.
It's always with us
until the end of time.
What the heart sees.
Inside your world,
a frozen river
strays, welling from a thousand tears a thousand cloudy days.
[laughing]
Do it again.
Ugh.
ALIX: [LAUGHING] Come on.
Uh, school will be out soon.
The kids love to skate up here.
I frighten children, you know?
Oh, Lee.
I went into the
library one afternoon.
A little girl looked up from her table just as I passed.
She was still screaming when her mother had to carry her out.
But I'm starving.
How about you?
Yeah, actually.
[MUSIC - VANESSA GRIAZIANO, "WHAT THE HEART SEES"]
What the heart sees, is
what we should believe.
Never trusting what we
were told is reality.
What the heart sees.
[background conversation]
[car engine roars]
LEE: There you go.
[laughs]
ALIX: When you took
off down that road,
I thought you were
never coming back.
You should be in the Indy 500.
[laughs] OK, boy.
Go lie down.
Go lie down.
Don't you ever
go into town, Lee?
Well, I don't know.
I... I... I just mean,
um, I'd hate to think
you were some sort of recluse.
Oh, yeah.
Just call me Howard Hughes.
[laughs]
Shuffling around the
house in my bathrobe,
wiping down the furniture.
I've learned to
accept my situation.
I've got to take off
early tomorrow, Lee.
Mark, he's my boyfriend, he's up for this photojournalism award.
And then there's this banquet.
Oh, you must,
uh, must be proud.
You don't seem too enthusiastic.
A painter and a photographer.
Sounds perfect.
Well, Mark's a little
obsessed with his work.
You know?
I don't know.
He has this ability
through the camera lens
to see the world with
this amazing clarity.
But I just don't think
he always sees me.
Maybe I should just
have that camera
lens surgically attached.
[laughs] I'm rambling.
I'm sorry.
I... I'm not much
of a wine drinker.
[laughs]
No, no, I'm sorry.
I guard my own
privacy like a marine,
and here I am invading yours.
Are you finished?
Mm.
LEE: You OK?
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Actually, I was just thinking I don't have a thing
to wear to that damn banquet.
Oh.
There's a problem I can solve.
ALIX: Hmm.
LEE: No.
Too old.
ALIX: Hmm?
Huh.
No, no.
Too teeny-bopper.
Hey, what do you
think of this one?
LEE: Not sexy enough.
ALIX: You don't think?
ALIX: Mm-mm.
Va-va-voom!
ALIX [LAUGHING]: No way.
It's way too sexy.
Well... Perfect.
Perfect.
What size are you?
8, an 8.
I've got a fax
machine upstairs.
I'm going to order
you a dress right now.
ALIX, thank you for
a wonderful evening.
Thank you
[gentle music]
Hey, this idea just came tome in the middle of the night.
Come tell me what you think.
Well, I can't look
at your painting, ALIX.
What do you mean you can’t look at the painting?
You're joking, right?
No, actually, I'm going
to put it in storage.
I didn't think we'd be...
I didn't think it would matter.
But it does
matter, doesn't it?
How could you ask me to paint your portrait, knowing you were
never even going to look at it?
How do you think
that makes me feel?
I thought we were friends, Lee.
Ah... friends.
Obviously, I was wrong.
You think that it's...
LEE: What do I think?
You know everything about me.
Is that it?
You've been here how many days?
And suddenly you
know everything.
I've forgotten what
it was like to have
a woman move into
my house and begin
to tell me exactly how I feel.
You're right.
What you do with your portrait’s your business.
My job's just to paint it.
I forgot my place.
I'm just a servant, like Mrs. Greaves or old Willie.
You don't owe me anything,least of all explanations.
[melancholy music]
[birds chirping]
[sighs] Hi, Dad!
[gentle music]
Damn you, Lee Crompton.
[gentle music]
ALEXANDER: [whistles]
Oh, you look stunning!
Thanks.
ALEXANDER: Oh!
[laughs] I won't be late.
[chuckles] Don't
you worry about me.
You and Mark have a
wonderful evening.
You mean that?
I'm an old... uh, I'm an elderly man full of opinions.
Just listen to that beautiful heart of yours, not to me.
All I want in this world
is for you to be happy.
Thanks.
Good night.
Night.
[MUSIC - JOHNNY FERREIRA
AND THE SWING MACHINE,
"LET'S ROCK TONIGHT"]
Let's rock tonight.
I'm staying right here, baby.
Let's rock tonight.
We're doing some dancing.
We're gonna rock till we drop.
We're gonna rock tonight.
I said oh no.
Let's rock tonight.
No way, man.
Let's rock tonight.
Give me some room, fellas.
Let's rock tonight.
You know I can't
make it tonight.
Let's rock tonight.
Hey, it's gonna be me
and my baby tonight.
Boys, I'm staying in.
Let's rock tonight.
OK, all right.
[applause]
EMCEE: They'll be back
with some more tunes.
In the meantime, boys and girls, please take your seats.
It is time for the final
award of the evening.
Don't worry.
You're a shoo-in.
EMCEE: And our award for best local news photo of the year
goes to Mark Kramer for his picture, Embracing the Future.
[applause]
Wow!
Uh, I'd like to thank George Tag, my editor at The Dispatch,
um, my family, and ALIX,for never holding me back.
[applause]
Thank you.
[applause]
LAURIE: When are you going to ask my son to marry you?
[laughs] Laurie,
I always thought
it was the guy who asked.
LAURIE: Come on, it's the '90s.
Besides, you know Mark.
PHOTOGRAPHER: This way, Mark.
Over here.
Well, I'm not really the white dress and bridesmaid type.
That's bull, honey.
[MUSIC - JOHNNY FERREIRA AND THE SWING MACHINE, "SLOW AND EASY"]
MARK: Yeah.
Here, try this.
You know.
[inaudible]
Yes!
[laughing]
Uh.
So what was my mom chewing your ear off about?
She wants us to get married.
[laughs] I'm sorry, baby.
[MUSIC - JOHNNY FERREIRA AND THE SWING MACHINE, "SLOW AND EASY"]
Do like you should.
Take it slow and easy.
ALEXANDER: Here.
Here.
ALIX: I see, OK,
and here, right?
ALEXANDER: Mm-hmm.
ALIX: I see, so it's how the brush stroke suggests
the light in their eyes.
The eyes are the window
of the soul, remember?
He does have beautiful eyes.
[laughs]
Well, it can't be an
easy subject to paint.
I had no idea.
Sorry I got you mixed
up in this, honey.
No, dad.
I can paint him just fine.
That's the joke of it.
He... [sighs] He
told me he doesn't
want to even see the painting.
So why bother?
It's only your painting
until the oil is dry.
Then it's his.
So what, I shouldn't care?
I should just take
the money and run?
Oh, no, no.
The painting won't be any good unless you care.
It's the hell of
being an artist.
To be a good one, you have to give away the very thing you've
exposed your soul to create.
ALIX: Tell me about it.
I think painting is
like falling in love.
You have to be vulnerable,take risks, but freely, ALIX.
No strings.
You can't control what happens to the art you created,
just like you can't control what happens when you love someone.
People buy masterpieces
and hang them in places
where no one sees them.
I know.
[sighs] It's just I've gotten caught up in Lee's life
somehow.
And no matter what
I tell myself, I...
I need him to like this painting so much it hurts.
MARK: Morning.
[deep sighs]
You're falling in love with that guy, aren't you?
What?
Come on, ALIX.
Look, I... I heard you talking to your father this morning.
The look on your face,
the way your voice
sounded when you said his name?
Your voice never sounds like that when you say my name.
You're an egomaniac.
[laughs] You're incredible.
All right, maybe I am.
but I'm not stupid.
Mark, you're
way off base here.
Leland Crompton is
a complicated man,
and I became friends with him, but that's all it is.
Well, that's funny, because I thought all it is is a job.
What do you want me
to say here, Mark, huh?
You know, the truth
would be nice, ALIX.
Who were you pretending to dance with last night?
Who were you kissing?
This.
This is the man you're
so damn jealous of.
We're all wrong for
each other, aren't we?
- Fine.
- No.
Mark.
Mark, try to understand.
OK?
It's like we don't
speak the same language.
What we had, I need more.
And you're always
off, taking pictures
in China or somewhere else,and I thought that was OK.
It's... It's not.
Hey.
I have always been
straight with you.
I told you from the
beginning that taking
pictures was the most important thing in my life.
I know.
MARK: So you know what?
Don't... Don't stand here and try and rewrite history, OK?
Because you chose to be with me.
And if I don't want a
serious relationship,
well, maybe that's
exactly what appealed
to you, because you know what?
Life is not as
perfect as your art.
It... It's messy and it's...
You know what?
I hope you do.
I hope you meet a man who...who puts you to the test, who
actually makes some
demands on you,
because you talk
a good game, ALIX,
but the truth is you're just as scared of commitment as I am.
At least I'm honest
enough to admit it.
[pager beeping]
Don't worry.
I won't hold you back.
Don't worry.
I won't call you.
[melancholy music]
ALEXANDER: ALIX?
Dad?
Dad?
Dad?
Dad, are you OK?
- Just need to get up.
- Here.
Put your head down.
It's OK.
It's OK.
I'll call.
[phone beeping]
Yes, I need an ambulance.
[siren wailing]
[hospital intercom]
[grunts] Hi.
Hi.
[laughs]
Oh, you brought my paintings.
Yes.
I haven't done
too badly, have I?
Proud of what I've done.
Proud of you.
I want to see them.
No, no, no.
Dad, I think you should rest.
You should rest for your
chemo tomorrow, Dad.
No, no, no.
No chemo.
No chemo, ALIX.
Ah, all that pain just
to linger for a few
more months like some
human pin cushion.
Already went down that
road with your mother.
I want to go home.
I want to spend the
rest of my life there.
Are you sure?
Mm-hmm.
The chemo might not
be that bad, Dad.
Hm.
You... You know what
the doctors will think.
Oh, ALIX.
ALIX, stop.
We're both of us to old to give a damn what other people think.
[laughs]
[melancholy music]
[birds chirping]
That'll ease his pain.
If you want to help him sleep,you can increase the dosage
to eight drips per minute.
Just try not to go
over his daily limit.
[inaudible]
Toulouse-Lautrec had his absinthe, de Kooning his
whiskey, Basquiat his heroin.
Girls, I'm ready
for my morphine.
Your father's unusual.
All the best men are.
[keyboard clicking]
No.
[keyboard clicking]
[phone rings]
Hello?
ALIX [ON PHONE]: Lee.
ALIX!
Are you, uh...
You all right?
Well, I... I've
had an emergency.
Um, I should have called.
No, that's all right.
What's going on?
Well, um, my dad's dying.
Pancreatic cancer.
Um, they found the
tumor too late.
Oh, sweet girl.
You must be going
through so much.
I'm sorry.
It's... [sighs] It's just,um, he's in so much pain,
and it... it's all too much.
Would you like me
to come be with you?
Well, I... I couldn't
ask you to do that.
Ask me.
Come.
[gentle music]
He's here, Daddy!
He's here.
I don't... I don't want anyone to see me like this.
Oh, that won't be a
problem with Lee, Daddy.
[gentle music]
This isn't half bad, ALIX.
Oh, you hear that, Daddy?
Eat up.
Can't eat this crap.
Uh, I'm sorry, Daddy.
I mean, I... I know this
food's getting tired,
but I didn't have a chance to get to the market today.
But look, I did make
a pie for dessert.
I... I'll have pie.
Daddy, you need to eat some meat and vegetables, OK?
You haven't eaten, and...
I'm not a damn child, ALIX!
Just give me the pie!
Here.
Why is she mad?
She feels things.
Deeply, I think.
Oh.
That's just... just
like her mother.
[crickets chirping]
You OK?
Uh, yeah, fine.
I'm fried, Lee.
Painkillers dull his appetite.
He eats nothing.
Then he wakes up in the
middle of night suddenly
lucid, which is great, but he’s starving, and it's 3:00 AM,
and he wants my
company, and I feel
awful, because I get
mad at him, and I
want our time to be special.
ALIX.
I'm sorry.
I'm ranting.
Sorry.
Your exhausted.
Go to sleep.
I'll sit up with
your father tonight.
Oh, no.
No, I can't ask you to do that.
You came to visit.
I didn't come to visit, ALIX.
I came here to help.
[hearty chuckling]
That looks painful!
Oh, my gosh!
Too painful!
Oh!
[chuckling]
Don't do it again!
Oh!
They did it again!
[chuckling]
LEE: [inaudible].
ALEXANDER: No, [inaudible].
Reminded me of my oncologist!
[chuckling]
Good morning, artists!
LEE: He had a good night.
Bye.
Bye.
[birds chirping]
NURSE: Your dad's napping.
Oh.
Morning.
So, who was the mystery man?
Oh, I think he's
my best friend.
Funny thing to say
about a guy, especially
considering that sports car.
What a luxury, to be
able to sleep till 9:00
and wash my hair.
I could find a guy I could actually call my best friend,
I'd snap him up, girl.
I wouldn't care if he was fat,snored, bald, or all three.
[inaudible]
So he's not perfect.
I mean, What's the matter with him, Ms. Picky?
You didn't notice?
Well, he's got acromegaly.
So he's ugly.
No.
No.
Well, most of the
time I don't notice.
Isn't that weird?
No.
It's like your dad.
I don't see the illness as much as I see his personality.
You, too.
Wow.
Acromegaly.
From the look on
your face, I thought
you were going to say something like he was married
or there was another woman.
[chuckles]
[birds chirping]
Hey, dad?
Lee sent us some
sort of care package.
Ah, you're going to keep me up all night watching these.
[ragged breathing]
Dad?
Dad?
Dad?
Robin?
Dad?
[melancholy music]
[SOFTLY SOBBING]
I love you, Dad.
Thank you for being my father.
Everything's going to be OK now.
The pain is over.
[sniffling] Mom's waiting.
She misses you.
She misses you.
Everything's going to be OK?
Let it happen, Dad.
It's OK.
[gentle music]
[brook flowing, birds chirping]
[dramatic orchestral music]
[melancholy music]
ALIX.
Lee.
[sighs heavily] I don't know...
I don't know what
I'm doing here.
Shh, it's OK.
It's just...
I should be sorting
through Dad's things.
I should be trying
to figure out what
I'm going to do with the house.
And instead, I'm
just running away.
ALIX, you know,
anything I can do.
I...
Hold me?
Hold me.
[dramatic orchestral music]
Oh, shh.
[dramatic orchestral music]
You must be tired.
Let's go inside.
OK.
You remembered.
Uh, you... you don't
have to pose anymore,
but you can keep me
company while I paint.
Go slow.
OK?
I will.
Ah, it's beautiful here, Lee.
This is where Bad
Dog and I walk when I
need to get away from writing.
Storm clouds.
Weather's turning.
We should head back.
CHILD: Hi, boy.
LEE: Bad Dog, come here, boy.
Dogs always love kids.
He'll follow them anywhere.
[teakettle steaming]
Ooh!
Bad Dog!
Bad Dog, inside boy!
Where the hell is that dog?
[sighs] Well, there he is.
ALIX: Yeah, yeah.
LEE: When did you do this?
I love this.
It's yours.
I heard you calling.
I haven't seen
that hound all day.
Oh, I pity that search party out on Whitman Peak.
It'll be dark soon.
What search party?
Well, it was on the
news, Mr. Crompton.
The Harris boy.
He's gone missing.
Well, apparently
he went sledding,
and he... he never returned home.
That kid who passed
us, what was he wearing?
I caught a flash of red.
It seems like it was some sort of athletic jacket.
Tommy Harris made
the fifth grade
basketball team this year.
Their color is scarlet.
Was he wearing gloves?
I think so.
Good.
Mrs. Greaves, call
the Sheriff's office.
Tell them to relocate the search to our mountain.
OK, I'm going with you.
Are you sure?
Mm-hmm, I'm sure.
[intense music]
I should've looked right in that boy's eyes.
Might have frightened
him into going home.
People die on this mountain.
[wind howling]
Bad Dog!
[whistles]
Bad Dog!
Maybe he's with Tommy.
All that fur can
keep the kid warm.
[wind howling]
Bad Dog!
[whistles]
ALIX: Lee!
Over here!
Let's go!
[dog barking]
[suspenseful music]
Bad Dog, where are you?
[dog barking]
[whistles]
Bad Dog!
[dog barking]
Hello, sweetheart!
Hello.
Where's Tommy?
I'm giving you this blanket.
Take us to Tommy.
[dog barking]
Come on, take us to Tommy!
That's it!
[dramatic music]
[dog panting, whining]
Tommy?
You're OK, son.
ALIX: Here you go.
LEE: We'll try and get you warm.
Try and stay awake, son.
It's going to be all right.
It's going to be all right, son.
[dramatic music]
[dog barking]
[dramatic music]
Let's get him out of there.
NURSE: [inaudible]
ER DOCTOR: I don't know.
ALIX: Hurry!
Hurry!
We found him in the snow.
He's been out there for hours.
He could have frostbite.
MOM: Tommy?
NURSE: Careful.
MOM: Mommy and Daddy are here.
You're going to be OK, sweetie.
NURSE: Out of the way!
ER DOCTOR: Lactated ringers,[inaudible],, and get me a CBC.
MOM: Stop!
Thank you.
He's all I have in the world.Thank you.
ALIX: Oh, you should
thank Lee Crompton.
Lee?
[pleasant music]
[birds chirping]
[pleasant music]
PASTOR: Thank you, all
of you, for being here.
We're gathered here today to celebrate God's mercy.
A boy was lost in the darkness.
He was alone and very afraid, and God responded.
God responded by finding human hearts and human hands
to work the miracle
of his salvation
and to remind us,
every single one of us,
that we are not alone.
And once again, we all give our thanks to Mr. Leland Crompton
for his ongoing
support of the church
and the surrounding community.
ALIX: Ah, everyone is so nice.
I'm a little overwhelmed.
PASTOR: Well, if you hadn’t found Tommy in time,
this town would be
holding a funeral today.
You can see why people
want to thank you.
You know, I'm only
sorry that Mr.
Crompton couldn't be here, too.
He wanted to, reverend.
It's just he had a business trip he couldn't get out of.
[dog whines]
What's this?
ALIX: It was quite an event.
[sighs] "To our
beloved friend, Leland
Crompton, whose courage saved the life of Thomas Harris.
Your grateful neighbors."
Lee, I watched how you pushed yourself that night.
Tommy would be dead
if it weren't for you.
Why can't you let
them thank you?
[chuckles] You think that I would be what, some
romantic folk hero to them?
Their very own gentle giant?
Wake up ALIX.
Better they should thank pretty woman and a cute dog
than a monster.
Lee.
I don't want your pity!
I do pity you.
And not because of how you look, but because of what
you've let it do to you.
Those people were
gracious enough
to arrange a ceremony
in your honor,
and you should have been
there instead of sending
me out to lie for you.
I know all you think
about is how you look,
and you've built your
whole life around hiding
yourself from people.
But you know what, Lee?
Maybe the rest of the world doesn’t care half as much
about your face as
you think they do!
[melancholy music]
[kiss]
Let it happen.
[sweeping orchestral music]
Excuse me.
The mail is here, Mr. Crompton.
[gentle music]
MRS. GREAVES: Everyone
hurts him eventually.
Why can't you
let him be happy?
Is that what he'd be after you’d spent all his money
and broke his heart?
How could you think that?
Because the last
time this happened,
I actually encouraged him to fall in love with her.
[gentle music]
[car engine chugging]
[melancholy music]
[dramatic orchestral music]
LEE: ALIX?
I've been driving for hours.
I don't... I can't...
I... If you and I go on like this and I ask you some day to share
your life with me, I'd
just be turning you
into another prisoner
of this place.
Why should either
one of us be prisoners?
You're living a fantasy, ALIX.
Believe me, there are no fairytale endings in real life.
You don't have a magic wand that’s going to fix everything.
No, but I know
that I love you.
Maybe you think you do.
Lee, you don't
believe I can love you.
You don't believe
anybody can love you.
And you never will until you see how wonderful you are,
until you look at yourself.
You're so worried
about your face.
It's all in your head.
See what I see.
Come see what I love.
No!
No.
You don't want me.
You don't want my work.
You don't want to be happy.
Well, I care about the painting.
It's mine.
I'll mail you back your check.
At least then Mrs. Greaves won’t think I'm some gold digger.
Don't make me
your project, ALIX.
You're not up to the test.
You think you are,
but nobody is.
What did she do to you?
Julia?
How did she hurt you so badly that you can't trust me?
She stole my little red bike.
What do you think she did?
You could give me a
little more credit, Lee.
I know you have acromegaly.
I know it's not contagious.
I know it's genetic.
I know there's no cure.
I can't believe I
finally get to the place
where I can accept you and your damn disease and the fact
that I love you anyway.
But you won't let
me into your life.
You will leave me.
You say you won't, but you will.
So you'll leave me first.
Aren't you braver
than that, Lee?
[melancholy music]
[fountain splashing]
[background setup chatter]
JOEL: Powerful.
ALIX: Oh, thanks.
What do you think?
Do you think it should
be a little higher?
JOEL: Yeah, maybe.
Uh, about three inches?
- Three inches?
[laughs]
JOEL: I'm Joel Reichert.
I sculpt.
ALIX, uh, obviously.
Well, hi, ALIX Obviously.
Uh, listen, you want
to make a deli run?
I know I could use a break.
Um, OK, sure.
I guess I should come
back to this fresh.
I'll just get my bag.
[museum chatter]
[gentle music]
Is it any good?
I see everyone reading
it at the beach.
Oh, it, uh...
It's not mine.
See you out front.
OK.
[gentle music]
[orchestral string music]
I'm glad you like it.
Thanks.
Expecting someone?
Oh.
No.
You know, in case you’re wondering, I, uh, I'm not gay.
I'm also not married,
not involved, not crazy,
and I'm HIV-negative.
Does that pretty much
cover everything?
Yeah.
Joel, I'm sorry.
I can't.
I'm trying to get over someone,and I just can't, you know?
Yeah.
Maybe he didn't deserve you.
Oh, just one minute, OK?
[door unlatches]
[echoing footsteps]
[gentle music]
Show me what
you painted, ALIX.
[dramatic music]
Mmm.
[dramatic music]
[gentle music]
[laughs] I can see
your love for him.
It's there in every
brushstroke, isn't it?
Come see your portrait.
[heavy sigh]
[dramatic music]
I'm such a fool.
If I had looked at
this that night...
I trusted you.
I just couldn't trust myself.
I worry that people
are frightened of me,
but I'm the one who’s scared to look at myself.
Thank you, ALIX.
All I did was
paint what I see.
You painted the moment,
the exact moment,
when I fell in love with you.
[MUSIC - VANESSA GRIAZIANO, "WHAT THE HEART SEES"]
I had a vision, a
picture perfect place.
Every color was in harmony,with life in every face.
And in my mind, I saw your face the way it's meant to be.
And in your eyes I saw
the longing to be free.
What the heart sees
will never be deceived.
It's always with us
till the end of time.
What the heart sees.
[gentle music]
[alliance Atlantis music]
[suspenseful music]
[class laughing]
STUDENT: For real, Ms. Miller,you want to get famous,
you should start painting bathtubs and junk like that.
[class laughing]
ALIX [LAUGHING]: Stop it!
Art is serious!
It's very, very serious.
STUDENT: I'm just saying,that book you gave us
about that guy, Marcel Duchamp?
I mean, he nailed a bedpan to the wall and called it art.
So, like, I'm just going to do a lot of crazy stuff
and scam the world into
paying me big bucks.
[class mumbling]
There are better
reasons to be an artist.
Look at your canvas.
Come on, guys.
Come check it out.
See the blue/black of
her Night's Guy, how she
captured his essence and soul?
Come on, Ms. Miller.
It's a sky.
How's it supposed
to have a soul?
Well, if you put your
heart into what you do,
everything you paint
should have a soul.
It's your job to find it.
All right, pizza!
[students cheering]
It's my treat, because
it's our last class.
[class muttering]
Keep painting, OK?
People ask me why I paint.
The only reason to paint is to find your joy, because what you
paint can show you who you are.
It can challenge you to see,really see what's important.
MAN: And remember, the
show is for new work.
Oh, wow.
I'm not sure I'll be ready.
You have till August.
You deserve this, ALIX.
You're a talented painter.
Y... you fired up those kids and gave them so much
passion and self-confidence.
Why can't you do
that for yourself?
I'm sorry.
I guess I'm just a
little preoccupied.
I'm sure I told Mark
about the party.
I just love what you've
let me accomplish here,
and I wanted him
to experience it.
[birds chirping]
I know, I know.
Don't be mad.
I... I meant to be
at your class thing,
but I...I got this incredible assignment this morning.
I'm on my way to the darkroom.
Hi, honey.
Hi.
Hi, baby.
What do you say we
grab your toothbrush
and you spend the weekend at my place, huh?
I promised Dad we'd
rent a movie tonight.
[loud sigh]
Ah, well.
Man doesn't stand a
chance with a woman
who's in love with her father.
Oh, that's deep, Mark.
Well, flowers.
Thank you.
Mm-hmm.
I know.
He's getting old.
And he may never admit it, but he's slowing down.
He needs me in the
house with him.
[pager beeping]
I...
I know.
I gotta, I gotta...
Listen, I...
Call me later.
I'll call you later.
[car engine starts]
ALIX: Ah!
You're painting Mom, again.
You recognize the hands.
All these years
she was my model.
Now I find I'm doing my
best work from memory.
Can't imagine painting the same person for 40 years.
Your mother was my...
my grand passion.
You'll know why I
can't stop painting her
when you fall in love.
Dad, it's the '90s.
People don't have
grand passions anymore.
Besides, Mark and I have a...
we have a good relationship.
I always thought of you as a blues and greens man.
Well, the subject
defines the painter.
When I first met your mother, the way her hands
rested in her lap, pure grace.
I felt, oh boy, the world felt happy just looking at her.
No sense painting how
she looked at the end.
Poor Sarah.
I hope I go fast
when my time comes.
Well, just don't croak before my museum show this summer, OK?
Oh!
I said you'd get in.
[chuckles]
This must be your
lucky day, ALIX Miller.
Uh... Where'd I put it?
Ah... Ah!
There.
Now... there.
Crompton.
Why do I know that name?
Wealthy family, and they like Millers to paint them.
Your Great Uncle Philo painted one of the Cromptons,
and Cousin Ellis had a
commission from them.
And you painted.
Leland Crompton,
Sr, long gone.
Now his son wants to continue the family tradition,
but I'm too old to go
way up to that estate.
So I called him and told him I’m sending ALIX Miller instead.
Dad?
Oh, I can't!
I... I don't do portraits.
[sighs] My daughter
can do anything.
ALIX: That's your
best picture ever.
I just used available light.
No, it's not just that.
It's their faces.
They must have really
trusted you to catch
those expressions, that warmth.
Thanks.
So come on.
What's your big news?
I got a commission to paint a portrait of Leland Crompton.
Since when do you
paint portraits?
Thanks a lot.
No... my dad painted his father, Leland Compton, Sr.
So I'm going to continue
the family tradition.
I'm driving up to
his estate tomorrow
to take a few pictures.
Why?
He can't come here?
Don't tell me your jealous.
Jealousy is a
Bourgeois concept,
which is beneath us as artists.
We're free to do
whatever we want.
But you miss my award
ceremony for the News
Photographer Association,and I'll have to kill you.
Don't worry, Mark.
I won't miss your big night.
But I can't paint
somebody without getting
to know them first.
Mm, yeah?
Yeah.
Is that why you
never painted me?
[chuckling] Mm.
Mm.
[chuckling]
It's cold up in
those mountains.
I understand there's
still snow up there.
Ugh.
What am I doing, Dad?
What you were born to do.
Yeah.
Thanks.
Listen, are you going to be OK?
Yeah.
And I won't be gone long.
[grunting]
Rushing back to Mark, the shark?
Here.
[birds chirping]
Good luck present.
Thank you.
Mm.
[chuckles] Bye.
Bye.
Hey.
Hm?
You feel a little warm.
Oh!
No, no, no.
You better get inside.
Go!
Paint something beautiful.
[birds chirping]
[MUSIC - BUCK JOHNSON, "WHILE THERE'S STILL TIME"]
'Cause your eyes
are asking questions
that I never thought I'd hear.
And they told me don't
you be afraid to fly.
And I've thought of all
the old times we spent
talking through the
night, and the laughter,
how it always got us by.
Years, they go tumbling.
Mighty they roll.
Years may be wiser but
still hungering to know.
Sometimes even now
I wonder how I found
the strength to turn and go.
And you find yourself
down roads where
you thought you'd never
be, drawn to strangers
and wondering just why.
Trying to catch the perfect moments or just maybe
set them free, set them free now while there's still time.
WILLIE: Welcome, miss.
I'll help you with your bags.
[mysterious music]
ALIX: Thank you.
[melancholy music]
MRS. GREAVES: We were expecting that painter fellow.
Nobody told me he was
bringing an assistant.
Oh, well, I...
I'm the painter.
I'm ALIX Miller.
You're ALIX Miller?
Your husband let you make such a long drive alone
in this weather?
I'm not married.
MRS. GREAVES: Mr. Crompton isn't feeling well tonight.
He apologizes for not
being able to join
you for a more formal dinner,but he'll see you at breakfast.
Mrs. Greaves?
Thank you for the dinner.
Hm.
Uh... What's Mr. Crompton like?
Oh, I'm no good
at descriptions.
[classical orchestral music]
Nice work, Dad.
[classical orchestral music]
Oh!
I'm sorry.
I'm just not used to having someone underfoot.
Coffee, Miss Miller?
Mr. Crompton says to tell you he won't be down today.
ALIX: Is something wrong?
I hope it's not serious.
He said to feel free
to explore the grounds.
Now, we, um... We have cold salmon, fruit, yogurt,
or I could fix you an egg.
You know, if Mr.
Crompton's changed
his mind about the portrait,maybe I should just leave.
That's not my
decision to make, miss.
I was just told to
offer you breakfast.
Don't go to any trouble.
Just tell Mr. Crompton that I’m exploring the grounds.
[mysterious music]
[pleasant music]
[dramatic music]
[crunching footsteps]
[pleasant music]
[twig snaps]
Oh!
[grunting]
LEE: You all right?
[mysterious music]
[shuddering breaths]
[grunts]
Yeah, nothing
hurt but my vanity.
[grunts]
[mysterious music]
LEE: The Riseborough Estate’s a quarter-mile from here.
Turn left at those cedars.
Follow the stream
to the main road.
Come on, boy.
ALIX: Thank you.
[mysterious music]
[dog whines]
[fire crackling]
[mysterious chiming music]
[melancholy music]
[grunts]
[ominous music]
I'm sorry about earlier today.
I... I didn't know.
It happens.
[mysterious music]
[birds chirping]
Well, you're right on time.
[sighs heavily]
Well, why don't we start with a few snapshots.
Then I can work from there.
LEE: I don't allow
cameras in my house.
Mr. Crompton?
That is an expensive
piece of equipment.
It's delicate.
I worked a long time
to buy that camera,
and I don't let
anybody touch it.
LEE: Well, you can take it with you when you leave.
You know?
We're not exactly
hitting it off here, so
why don't we just
forget the whole thing?
When your father told me he was sending ALIX Miller,
I assumed you were his son.
Your point being
what, exactly?
[chuckles]
I've forgotten my manners.
Forgive me.
I'm not very good
at meeting people.
I certainly can't
be an easy subject.
Why, if you don't
want your photo taken,
do you want your portrait done?
Every Crompton poses for a portrait, and I'm the last one.
A Crompton never
messes with tradition.
As you can see, I
have no bad side.
ALIX: Um, hm.
[gentle music]
[sighs heavily]
How about we start
in that chair?
OK.
[melancholy music]
Mr. Crompton, try
to relax, like I've
made your portrait every week.
[laughs heartily]
What a thought.
[chuckles] All
right, Ms. Miller.
Oh, call me ALIX.
Alex.
Call me Lee.
[dog whines]
LEE: I never realized sitting still could be so exhausting.
[laughs]
[sighs heavily] I’ve really got to back to work.
OK.
Bad Dog!
Come boy!
Come.
Good boy, Bad Dog.
His name is Bad Dog?
Well, I like to
tell it like it is.
Well, what kind
of name is that?
What did you name him that for?
[chuckles]
Would you like to take a quick tour of the house?
Who'd want to tour an old dinosaur of a house like this?
Forgive me.
Writers love to procrastinate.
Oh, well, just like painters.
I guess that's the curse
of working at home.
So you're a writer?
Well, I try.
I'd love a tour.
LEE: Arthur Thompson
Crompton, Architect.
And my grandfather.
I loved him very much.
He was kind.
Well, cousin Ellis
did a good job.
Captured some of his spark.
Your father painted
this one, didn't he?
Mm, great composition.
My father always
loved this painting.
[pleasant music]
Oh, wow!
You're a Harris
Bellefleur fanatic?
You don't like mysteries?
ALIX: Ugh, Are you kidding?
Tyler Bent rules.
[laughs]
Is he your favorite?
Well, I've read
every one of them.
Actually, I wrote
every one of them.
You're Harris Bellefleur?
My nom de plume.
May I ask you a question?
Why did you kill the
Maggie Tripp character?
I loved her.
Tyler Bent's the
main character.
She was stealing
all his thunder.
That's so sexist.
[wheezing laugh]
Actually, you're right.
Truth is, if I'd let her live,Maggie and Tyler would have
been in bed by the next book,and as I told my editor,
Tyler is a man
doomed to be alone.
That's the whole point.
[scoffs] Now, why are you so hard on poor Tyler?
I mean, granted, he’s fiction, but he's a great guy.
Doesn't he deserve
a little happiness?
You can keep the
book if you like.
Lee, would... would you sign this for me before I leave?
You mean like a book signing?
I've never been to one of those.
Never?
Are you kidding?
Ah!
People would line around
the block to see you.
[laughs uneasily]
I... I, uh, should work.
Excuse me.
[gentle music]
[birds chirping]
ALIX [ON PHONE]: Yeah, I'm doing the portrait the classic way.
No photographs.
Mm-hmm.
Just old-fashioned sketches.
Of course I'll be back
for your awards banquet.
I wouldn't dream of missing it.
All right.
Me, too.
Bye.
Huh?
MRS. GREAVES: Boyfriend?
Well, yeah.
Oh, I'm not sure boyfriend’s the right word.
Thanks.
Mrs. Greaves?
The portrait?
It's... it's... it's a
challenge, you know?
I'm not sure what he expects.
[sighs] Been here 30 years,and he still surprises me.
I don't know what he's trying to prove, sitting for a portrait,
but he has a strong will.
What was he like as a kid?
Hm.
Spoiled jerk.
[laughs]
You know?
It just hit me, what's
missing in house.
There are no
photographs anywhere.
Or mirrors.
Back when he was
God's gift to women.
So he hasn't always
been the way he is now.
MRS. GREAVES: No.
ALIX: I wonder if
that makes it worse.
Oh, and... and I took that one.
I think it was probably
the last picture
he ever let anybody take,the day she moved to Paris.
ALIX: That's Lee's mother?
MRS. GREAVES: Yeah.
Oh, she was a good enough mother when he was little,
but I don't think she knew how to cope when it happened.
Perfect people don't
get acromegaly.
That's what it's called.
Isn't there a
cure, Mrs. Greaves?
Well, if he'd
gotten help sooner.
If she hadn't been in
denial, he could have
had radiation treatment, drugs.
But once the bones
grow like that,
well, it's not like
you can un-grow them.
You've been with
him a long time.
Just me and old Willie.
And there was a woman once.
Julia.
Beautiful thing.
Hell bent on rescuing him.
Oh, he loved her, but it couldn’t last, Miss Miller.
How could it?
I couldn't watch him
go through that again.
[laughs] He grew into
a nice man, didn't he?
Yes.
Mm-hmm.
He is a nice man.
[gentle music]
LEE: ALIX.
ALIX!
What?
I usually call it a day when I delete more than I type.
Maybe you need a break.
[MUSIC - VANESSA GRIAZIANO, "WHAT THE HEART SEES"]
ALIX: Perfect fit.
[MUSIC - VANESSA GRIAZIANO, "WHAT THE HEART SEES"]
I had a vision, a
picture perfect place.
Every color was in harmony with life in every face.
And in my mind, I saw your face the way it's meant to be.
And in your eyes, I saw
the longing to be free.
What the heart sees...
Very good!
Come on.
[laughing] Very nice, very nice.
[laughs]
[squeals]
[laughing]
[MUSIC - VANESSA GRIAZIANO, "WHAT THE HEART SEES"]
Will never be deceived.
It's always with us
until the end of time.
What the heart sees.
Inside your world,
a frozen river
strays, welling from a thousand tears a thousand cloudy days.
[laughing]
Do it again.
Ugh.
ALIX: [LAUGHING] Come on.
Uh, school will be out soon.
The kids love to skate up here.
I frighten children, you know?
Oh, Lee.
I went into the
library one afternoon.
A little girl looked up from her table just as I passed.
She was still screaming when her mother had to carry her out.
But I'm starving.
How about you?
Yeah, actually.
[MUSIC - VANESSA GRIAZIANO, "WHAT THE HEART SEES"]
What the heart sees, is
what we should believe.
Never trusting what we
were told is reality.
What the heart sees.
[background conversation]
[car engine roars]
LEE: There you go.
[laughs]
ALIX: When you took
off down that road,
I thought you were
never coming back.
You should be in the Indy 500.
[laughs] OK, boy.
Go lie down.
Go lie down.
Don't you ever
go into town, Lee?
Well, I don't know.
I... I... I just mean,
um, I'd hate to think
you were some sort of recluse.
Oh, yeah.
Just call me Howard Hughes.
[laughs]
Shuffling around the
house in my bathrobe,
wiping down the furniture.
I've learned to
accept my situation.
I've got to take off
early tomorrow, Lee.
Mark, he's my boyfriend, he's up for this photojournalism award.
And then there's this banquet.
Oh, you must,
uh, must be proud.
You don't seem too enthusiastic.
A painter and a photographer.
Sounds perfect.
Well, Mark's a little
obsessed with his work.
You know?
I don't know.
He has this ability
through the camera lens
to see the world with
this amazing clarity.
But I just don't think
he always sees me.
Maybe I should just
have that camera
lens surgically attached.
[laughs] I'm rambling.
I'm sorry.
I... I'm not much
of a wine drinker.
[laughs]
No, no, I'm sorry.
I guard my own
privacy like a marine,
and here I am invading yours.
Are you finished?
Mm.
LEE: You OK?
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Actually, I was just thinking I don't have a thing
to wear to that damn banquet.
Oh.
There's a problem I can solve.
ALIX: Hmm.
LEE: No.
Too old.
ALIX: Hmm?
Huh.
No, no.
Too teeny-bopper.
Hey, what do you
think of this one?
LEE: Not sexy enough.
ALIX: You don't think?
ALIX: Mm-mm.
Va-va-voom!
ALIX [LAUGHING]: No way.
It's way too sexy.
Well... Perfect.
Perfect.
What size are you?
8, an 8.
I've got a fax
machine upstairs.
I'm going to order
you a dress right now.
ALIX, thank you for
a wonderful evening.
Thank you
[gentle music]
Hey, this idea just came tome in the middle of the night.
Come tell me what you think.
Well, I can't look
at your painting, ALIX.
What do you mean you can’t look at the painting?
You're joking, right?
No, actually, I'm going
to put it in storage.
I didn't think we'd be...
I didn't think it would matter.
But it does
matter, doesn't it?
How could you ask me to paint your portrait, knowing you were
never even going to look at it?
How do you think
that makes me feel?
I thought we were friends, Lee.
Ah... friends.
Obviously, I was wrong.
You think that it's...
LEE: What do I think?
You know everything about me.
Is that it?
You've been here how many days?
And suddenly you
know everything.
I've forgotten what
it was like to have
a woman move into
my house and begin
to tell me exactly how I feel.
You're right.
What you do with your portrait’s your business.
My job's just to paint it.
I forgot my place.
I'm just a servant, like Mrs. Greaves or old Willie.
You don't owe me anything,least of all explanations.
[melancholy music]
[birds chirping]
[sighs] Hi, Dad!
[gentle music]
Damn you, Lee Crompton.
[gentle music]
ALEXANDER: [whistles]
Oh, you look stunning!
Thanks.
ALEXANDER: Oh!
[laughs] I won't be late.
[chuckles] Don't
you worry about me.
You and Mark have a
wonderful evening.
You mean that?
I'm an old... uh, I'm an elderly man full of opinions.
Just listen to that beautiful heart of yours, not to me.
All I want in this world
is for you to be happy.
Thanks.
Good night.
Night.
[MUSIC - JOHNNY FERREIRA
AND THE SWING MACHINE,
"LET'S ROCK TONIGHT"]
Let's rock tonight.
I'm staying right here, baby.
Let's rock tonight.
We're doing some dancing.
We're gonna rock till we drop.
We're gonna rock tonight.
I said oh no.
Let's rock tonight.
No way, man.
Let's rock tonight.
Give me some room, fellas.
Let's rock tonight.
You know I can't
make it tonight.
Let's rock tonight.
Hey, it's gonna be me
and my baby tonight.
Boys, I'm staying in.
Let's rock tonight.
OK, all right.
[applause]
EMCEE: They'll be back
with some more tunes.
In the meantime, boys and girls, please take your seats.
It is time for the final
award of the evening.
Don't worry.
You're a shoo-in.
EMCEE: And our award for best local news photo of the year
goes to Mark Kramer for his picture, Embracing the Future.
[applause]
Wow!
Uh, I'd like to thank George Tag, my editor at The Dispatch,
um, my family, and ALIX,for never holding me back.
[applause]
Thank you.
[applause]
LAURIE: When are you going to ask my son to marry you?
[laughs] Laurie,
I always thought
it was the guy who asked.
LAURIE: Come on, it's the '90s.
Besides, you know Mark.
PHOTOGRAPHER: This way, Mark.
Over here.
Well, I'm not really the white dress and bridesmaid type.
That's bull, honey.
[MUSIC - JOHNNY FERREIRA AND THE SWING MACHINE, "SLOW AND EASY"]
MARK: Yeah.
Here, try this.
You know.
[inaudible]
Yes!
[laughing]
Uh.
So what was my mom chewing your ear off about?
She wants us to get married.
[laughs] I'm sorry, baby.
[MUSIC - JOHNNY FERREIRA AND THE SWING MACHINE, "SLOW AND EASY"]
Do like you should.
Take it slow and easy.
ALEXANDER: Here.
Here.
ALIX: I see, OK,
and here, right?
ALEXANDER: Mm-hmm.
ALIX: I see, so it's how the brush stroke suggests
the light in their eyes.
The eyes are the window
of the soul, remember?
He does have beautiful eyes.
[laughs]
Well, it can't be an
easy subject to paint.
I had no idea.
Sorry I got you mixed
up in this, honey.
No, dad.
I can paint him just fine.
That's the joke of it.
He... [sighs] He
told me he doesn't
want to even see the painting.
So why bother?
It's only your painting
until the oil is dry.
Then it's his.
So what, I shouldn't care?
I should just take
the money and run?
Oh, no, no.
The painting won't be any good unless you care.
It's the hell of
being an artist.
To be a good one, you have to give away the very thing you've
exposed your soul to create.
ALIX: Tell me about it.
I think painting is
like falling in love.
You have to be vulnerable,take risks, but freely, ALIX.
No strings.
You can't control what happens to the art you created,
just like you can't control what happens when you love someone.
People buy masterpieces
and hang them in places
where no one sees them.
I know.
[sighs] It's just I've gotten caught up in Lee's life
somehow.
And no matter what
I tell myself, I...
I need him to like this painting so much it hurts.
MARK: Morning.
[deep sighs]
You're falling in love with that guy, aren't you?
What?
Come on, ALIX.
Look, I... I heard you talking to your father this morning.
The look on your face,
the way your voice
sounded when you said his name?
Your voice never sounds like that when you say my name.
You're an egomaniac.
[laughs] You're incredible.
All right, maybe I am.
but I'm not stupid.
Mark, you're
way off base here.
Leland Crompton is
a complicated man,
and I became friends with him, but that's all it is.
Well, that's funny, because I thought all it is is a job.
What do you want me
to say here, Mark, huh?
You know, the truth
would be nice, ALIX.
Who were you pretending to dance with last night?
Who were you kissing?
This.
This is the man you're
so damn jealous of.
We're all wrong for
each other, aren't we?
- Fine.
- No.
Mark.
Mark, try to understand.
OK?
It's like we don't
speak the same language.
What we had, I need more.
And you're always
off, taking pictures
in China or somewhere else,and I thought that was OK.
It's... It's not.
Hey.
I have always been
straight with you.
I told you from the
beginning that taking
pictures was the most important thing in my life.
I know.
MARK: So you know what?
Don't... Don't stand here and try and rewrite history, OK?
Because you chose to be with me.
And if I don't want a
serious relationship,
well, maybe that's
exactly what appealed
to you, because you know what?
Life is not as
perfect as your art.
It... It's messy and it's...
You know what?
I hope you do.
I hope you meet a man who...who puts you to the test, who
actually makes some
demands on you,
because you talk
a good game, ALIX,
but the truth is you're just as scared of commitment as I am.
At least I'm honest
enough to admit it.
[pager beeping]
Don't worry.
I won't hold you back.
Don't worry.
I won't call you.
[melancholy music]
ALEXANDER: ALIX?
Dad?
Dad?
Dad?
Dad, are you OK?
- Just need to get up.
- Here.
Put your head down.
It's OK.
It's OK.
I'll call.
[phone beeping]
Yes, I need an ambulance.
[siren wailing]
[hospital intercom]
[grunts] Hi.
Hi.
[laughs]
Oh, you brought my paintings.
Yes.
I haven't done
too badly, have I?
Proud of what I've done.
Proud of you.
I want to see them.
No, no, no.
Dad, I think you should rest.
You should rest for your
chemo tomorrow, Dad.
No, no, no.
No chemo.
No chemo, ALIX.
Ah, all that pain just
to linger for a few
more months like some
human pin cushion.
Already went down that
road with your mother.
I want to go home.
I want to spend the
rest of my life there.
Are you sure?
Mm-hmm.
The chemo might not
be that bad, Dad.
Hm.
You... You know what
the doctors will think.
Oh, ALIX.
ALIX, stop.
We're both of us to old to give a damn what other people think.
[laughs]
[melancholy music]
[birds chirping]
That'll ease his pain.
If you want to help him sleep,you can increase the dosage
to eight drips per minute.
Just try not to go
over his daily limit.
[inaudible]
Toulouse-Lautrec had his absinthe, de Kooning his
whiskey, Basquiat his heroin.
Girls, I'm ready
for my morphine.
Your father's unusual.
All the best men are.
[keyboard clicking]
No.
[keyboard clicking]
[phone rings]
Hello?
ALIX [ON PHONE]: Lee.
ALIX!
Are you, uh...
You all right?
Well, I... I've
had an emergency.
Um, I should have called.
No, that's all right.
What's going on?
Well, um, my dad's dying.
Pancreatic cancer.
Um, they found the
tumor too late.
Oh, sweet girl.
You must be going
through so much.
I'm sorry.
It's... [sighs] It's just,um, he's in so much pain,
and it... it's all too much.
Would you like me
to come be with you?
Well, I... I couldn't
ask you to do that.
Ask me.
Come.
[gentle music]
He's here, Daddy!
He's here.
I don't... I don't want anyone to see me like this.
Oh, that won't be a
problem with Lee, Daddy.
[gentle music]
This isn't half bad, ALIX.
Oh, you hear that, Daddy?
Eat up.
Can't eat this crap.
Uh, I'm sorry, Daddy.
I mean, I... I know this
food's getting tired,
but I didn't have a chance to get to the market today.
But look, I did make
a pie for dessert.
I... I'll have pie.
Daddy, you need to eat some meat and vegetables, OK?
You haven't eaten, and...
I'm not a damn child, ALIX!
Just give me the pie!
Here.
Why is she mad?
She feels things.
Deeply, I think.
Oh.
That's just... just
like her mother.
[crickets chirping]
You OK?
Uh, yeah, fine.
I'm fried, Lee.
Painkillers dull his appetite.
He eats nothing.
Then he wakes up in the
middle of night suddenly
lucid, which is great, but he’s starving, and it's 3:00 AM,
and he wants my
company, and I feel
awful, because I get
mad at him, and I
want our time to be special.
ALIX.
I'm sorry.
I'm ranting.
Sorry.
Your exhausted.
Go to sleep.
I'll sit up with
your father tonight.
Oh, no.
No, I can't ask you to do that.
You came to visit.
I didn't come to visit, ALIX.
I came here to help.
[hearty chuckling]
That looks painful!
Oh, my gosh!
Too painful!
Oh!
[chuckling]
Don't do it again!
Oh!
They did it again!
[chuckling]
LEE: [inaudible].
ALEXANDER: No, [inaudible].
Reminded me of my oncologist!
[chuckling]
Good morning, artists!
LEE: He had a good night.
Bye.
Bye.
[birds chirping]
NURSE: Your dad's napping.
Oh.
Morning.
So, who was the mystery man?
Oh, I think he's
my best friend.
Funny thing to say
about a guy, especially
considering that sports car.
What a luxury, to be
able to sleep till 9:00
and wash my hair.
I could find a guy I could actually call my best friend,
I'd snap him up, girl.
I wouldn't care if he was fat,snored, bald, or all three.
[inaudible]
So he's not perfect.
I mean, What's the matter with him, Ms. Picky?
You didn't notice?
Well, he's got acromegaly.
So he's ugly.
No.
No.
Well, most of the
time I don't notice.
Isn't that weird?
No.
It's like your dad.
I don't see the illness as much as I see his personality.
You, too.
Wow.
Acromegaly.
From the look on
your face, I thought
you were going to say something like he was married
or there was another woman.
[chuckles]
[birds chirping]
Hey, dad?
Lee sent us some
sort of care package.
Ah, you're going to keep me up all night watching these.
[ragged breathing]
Dad?
Dad?
Dad?
Robin?
Dad?
[melancholy music]
[SOFTLY SOBBING]
I love you, Dad.
Thank you for being my father.
Everything's going to be OK now.
The pain is over.
[sniffling] Mom's waiting.
She misses you.
She misses you.
Everything's going to be OK?
Let it happen, Dad.
It's OK.
[gentle music]
[brook flowing, birds chirping]
[dramatic orchestral music]
[melancholy music]
ALIX.
Lee.
[sighs heavily] I don't know...
I don't know what
I'm doing here.
Shh, it's OK.
It's just...
I should be sorting
through Dad's things.
I should be trying
to figure out what
I'm going to do with the house.
And instead, I'm
just running away.
ALIX, you know,
anything I can do.
I...
Hold me?
Hold me.
[dramatic orchestral music]
Oh, shh.
[dramatic orchestral music]
You must be tired.
Let's go inside.
OK.
You remembered.
Uh, you... you don't
have to pose anymore,
but you can keep me
company while I paint.
Go slow.
OK?
I will.
Ah, it's beautiful here, Lee.
This is where Bad
Dog and I walk when I
need to get away from writing.
Storm clouds.
Weather's turning.
We should head back.
CHILD: Hi, boy.
LEE: Bad Dog, come here, boy.
Dogs always love kids.
He'll follow them anywhere.
[teakettle steaming]
Ooh!
Bad Dog!
Bad Dog, inside boy!
Where the hell is that dog?
[sighs] Well, there he is.
ALIX: Yeah, yeah.
LEE: When did you do this?
I love this.
It's yours.
I heard you calling.
I haven't seen
that hound all day.
Oh, I pity that search party out on Whitman Peak.
It'll be dark soon.
What search party?
Well, it was on the
news, Mr. Crompton.
The Harris boy.
He's gone missing.
Well, apparently
he went sledding,
and he... he never returned home.
That kid who passed
us, what was he wearing?
I caught a flash of red.
It seems like it was some sort of athletic jacket.
Tommy Harris made
the fifth grade
basketball team this year.
Their color is scarlet.
Was he wearing gloves?
I think so.
Good.
Mrs. Greaves, call
the Sheriff's office.
Tell them to relocate the search to our mountain.
OK, I'm going with you.
Are you sure?
Mm-hmm, I'm sure.
[intense music]
I should've looked right in that boy's eyes.
Might have frightened
him into going home.
People die on this mountain.
[wind howling]
Bad Dog!
[whistles]
Bad Dog!
Maybe he's with Tommy.
All that fur can
keep the kid warm.
[wind howling]
Bad Dog!
[whistles]
ALIX: Lee!
Over here!
Let's go!
[dog barking]
[suspenseful music]
Bad Dog, where are you?
[dog barking]
[whistles]
Bad Dog!
[dog barking]
Hello, sweetheart!
Hello.
Where's Tommy?
I'm giving you this blanket.
Take us to Tommy.
[dog barking]
Come on, take us to Tommy!
That's it!
[dramatic music]
[dog panting, whining]
Tommy?
You're OK, son.
ALIX: Here you go.
LEE: We'll try and get you warm.
Try and stay awake, son.
It's going to be all right.
It's going to be all right, son.
[dramatic music]
[dog barking]
[dramatic music]
Let's get him out of there.
NURSE: [inaudible]
ER DOCTOR: I don't know.
ALIX: Hurry!
Hurry!
We found him in the snow.
He's been out there for hours.
He could have frostbite.
MOM: Tommy?
NURSE: Careful.
MOM: Mommy and Daddy are here.
You're going to be OK, sweetie.
NURSE: Out of the way!
ER DOCTOR: Lactated ringers,[inaudible],, and get me a CBC.
MOM: Stop!
Thank you.
He's all I have in the world.Thank you.
ALIX: Oh, you should
thank Lee Crompton.
Lee?
[pleasant music]
[birds chirping]
[pleasant music]
PASTOR: Thank you, all
of you, for being here.
We're gathered here today to celebrate God's mercy.
A boy was lost in the darkness.
He was alone and very afraid, and God responded.
God responded by finding human hearts and human hands
to work the miracle
of his salvation
and to remind us,
every single one of us,
that we are not alone.
And once again, we all give our thanks to Mr. Leland Crompton
for his ongoing
support of the church
and the surrounding community.
ALIX: Ah, everyone is so nice.
I'm a little overwhelmed.
PASTOR: Well, if you hadn’t found Tommy in time,
this town would be
holding a funeral today.
You can see why people
want to thank you.
You know, I'm only
sorry that Mr.
Crompton couldn't be here, too.
He wanted to, reverend.
It's just he had a business trip he couldn't get out of.
[dog whines]
What's this?
ALIX: It was quite an event.
[sighs] "To our
beloved friend, Leland
Crompton, whose courage saved the life of Thomas Harris.
Your grateful neighbors."
Lee, I watched how you pushed yourself that night.
Tommy would be dead
if it weren't for you.
Why can't you let
them thank you?
[chuckles] You think that I would be what, some
romantic folk hero to them?
Their very own gentle giant?
Wake up ALIX.
Better they should thank pretty woman and a cute dog
than a monster.
Lee.
I don't want your pity!
I do pity you.
And not because of how you look, but because of what
you've let it do to you.
Those people were
gracious enough
to arrange a ceremony
in your honor,
and you should have been
there instead of sending
me out to lie for you.
I know all you think
about is how you look,
and you've built your
whole life around hiding
yourself from people.
But you know what, Lee?
Maybe the rest of the world doesn’t care half as much
about your face as
you think they do!
[melancholy music]
[kiss]
Let it happen.
[sweeping orchestral music]
Excuse me.
The mail is here, Mr. Crompton.
[gentle music]
MRS. GREAVES: Everyone
hurts him eventually.
Why can't you
let him be happy?
Is that what he'd be after you’d spent all his money
and broke his heart?
How could you think that?
Because the last
time this happened,
I actually encouraged him to fall in love with her.
[gentle music]
[car engine chugging]
[melancholy music]
[dramatic orchestral music]
LEE: ALIX?
I've been driving for hours.
I don't... I can't...
I... If you and I go on like this and I ask you some day to share
your life with me, I'd
just be turning you
into another prisoner
of this place.
Why should either
one of us be prisoners?
You're living a fantasy, ALIX.
Believe me, there are no fairytale endings in real life.
You don't have a magic wand that’s going to fix everything.
No, but I know
that I love you.
Maybe you think you do.
Lee, you don't
believe I can love you.
You don't believe
anybody can love you.
And you never will until you see how wonderful you are,
until you look at yourself.
You're so worried
about your face.
It's all in your head.
See what I see.
Come see what I love.
No!
No.
You don't want me.
You don't want my work.
You don't want to be happy.
Well, I care about the painting.
It's mine.
I'll mail you back your check.
At least then Mrs. Greaves won’t think I'm some gold digger.
Don't make me
your project, ALIX.
You're not up to the test.
You think you are,
but nobody is.
What did she do to you?
Julia?
How did she hurt you so badly that you can't trust me?
She stole my little red bike.
What do you think she did?
You could give me a
little more credit, Lee.
I know you have acromegaly.
I know it's not contagious.
I know it's genetic.
I know there's no cure.
I can't believe I
finally get to the place
where I can accept you and your damn disease and the fact
that I love you anyway.
But you won't let
me into your life.
You will leave me.
You say you won't, but you will.
So you'll leave me first.
Aren't you braver
than that, Lee?
[melancholy music]
[fountain splashing]
[background setup chatter]
JOEL: Powerful.
ALIX: Oh, thanks.
What do you think?
Do you think it should
be a little higher?
JOEL: Yeah, maybe.
Uh, about three inches?
- Three inches?
[laughs]
JOEL: I'm Joel Reichert.
I sculpt.
ALIX, uh, obviously.
Well, hi, ALIX Obviously.
Uh, listen, you want
to make a deli run?
I know I could use a break.
Um, OK, sure.
I guess I should come
back to this fresh.
I'll just get my bag.
[museum chatter]
[gentle music]
Is it any good?
I see everyone reading
it at the beach.
Oh, it, uh...
It's not mine.
See you out front.
OK.
[gentle music]
[orchestral string music]
I'm glad you like it.
Thanks.
Expecting someone?
Oh.
No.
You know, in case you’re wondering, I, uh, I'm not gay.
I'm also not married,
not involved, not crazy,
and I'm HIV-negative.
Does that pretty much
cover everything?
Yeah.
Joel, I'm sorry.
I can't.
I'm trying to get over someone,and I just can't, you know?
Yeah.
Maybe he didn't deserve you.
Oh, just one minute, OK?
[door unlatches]
[echoing footsteps]
[gentle music]
Show me what
you painted, ALIX.
[dramatic music]
Mmm.
[dramatic music]
[gentle music]
[laughs] I can see
your love for him.
It's there in every
brushstroke, isn't it?
Come see your portrait.
[heavy sigh]
[dramatic music]
I'm such a fool.
If I had looked at
this that night...
I trusted you.
I just couldn't trust myself.
I worry that people
are frightened of me,
but I'm the one who’s scared to look at myself.
Thank you, ALIX.
All I did was
paint what I see.
You painted the moment,
the exact moment,
when I fell in love with you.
[MUSIC - VANESSA GRIAZIANO, "WHAT THE HEART SEES"]
I had a vision, a
picture perfect place.
Every color was in harmony,with life in every face.
And in my mind, I saw your face the way it's meant to be.
And in your eyes I saw
the longing to be free.
What the heart sees
will never be deceived.
It's always with us
till the end of time.
What the heart sees.
[gentle music]
[alliance Atlantis music]