Brooklyn (2015) - full transcript

Miss Kelly, might l talk to you later?

Not if what you're going to say

will cause trouble for me
in some way or another.

9:00 mass is over, girls.

-Now.
-Thank you.

-One moment, please.
-Excuse me.

And some rashers and some cheese.

Mrs. Brady,
what would you like this morning?

-Half a dozen rashers, please.
-Of course.

-Eilis will get that for you now.
-l was next.

And you still are.



-Yes?
-l need some shoe polish.

Shoe polish? That's not really
a Sunday item, now, is it?

These people need things
for their dinner or their tea.

Why couldn't you
have remembered yesterday?

Because it looks like
you needed it yesterday.

l'm sorry.

Miss Kelly...

l hadn't forgotten.
Spit it out, whatever it is.

l'm away to America.

Whose idea was that?

Father Flood in New York arranged it.

Rose used to play golf with him.
He sponsored me.

And he found me a job and got me a visa.

Well, we won't be needing you back here.



l could work every Sunday till l go.

No, thank you.

Your poor sister.

My sister?

Well, mothers are always
being left behind in this country.

But Rose,
that's the end for her now, isn't it?

She'll be looking after your mother
for the rest of her life.

l wish l'd written to Father Flood
about you, Rose.

Me? l have a job.

You had a couple of hours on a Sunday
working for Nettles Kelly.

-You shouldn't call her that.
-l think it's quite a kind name.

Considering she's actually
a terrible old witch.

Well, l don't want to
talk about her anymore.

Good.

They say it's hotter there in the summer
and colder in the winter.

What in heaven's name
will she do about clothes?

She'll buy them, Mother.

She doesn't want to be
wasting her money on clothes.

She won't have much choice.
She'll be there for...

-You look beautiful, Nancy.
-Thank you.

You look so beautiful.
lt makes me despair of this place.

Why?

Well, you're the prettiest girl
in County Wexford.

You should be able to choose
any man you want

and we're hoping that George Sheridan
from the rugby club looks your way.

Do you think he might?

Of course he will.

l know you like him, Nancy,
but he's not Gary Cooper, is he?

And those boys with their hair oil
and their blazers.

He has beautiful eyes.

And he's going to come into
a beautiful shop in the market square.

Why didn't you wear your blue dress?

Are you asking
why l didn't make more of an effort?

l suppose 'cause l'm going away.

Mind, now.

Come on.

He's looked over here twice already.

He hasn't!

-He's walking over here now.
-He's not!

Why would l keep lying to you
about what George Sheridan's doing?

Would you like to dance?

ls that really everything you own?

Oh, Eilis.
l should have looked after you better.

You've bought
most of the clothes in this case.

That's one of the reasons l'm going,
'cause l can't buy my own.

lf it was just that,
l'd spend every penny l had on you.

Gladly.

But l can't buy you a future.

l can't buy you the kind of life you need.

l know.

But you'll come see me there one day?

Yes.

And you'll look after yourself?

You don't have to worry about me.

And l'll come home to visit, won't l?

'Cause l couldn't bear it if...

You haven't packed your shoes yet.

They'll take up a bit of room.

There.

l'm sorry.

Off.

Number one, bottom bunk, that's mine.
You're on the top.

This is hell.

-Never again.
-Never again to America?

The mistake was coming home
from America in the first place.

l'd do anything
to get out of this horrible cabin.

Let's go for a smoke.

l don't.

Suit yourself. l'll see you later.

Unless l find a nice man in First
to smoke with.

lt's good to see that
not everybody's put off their dinner

by the weather forecast.

lt's supposed to be a rough one tonight,

so none of the other passengers are eating.

A few spoonfuls of soup maybe,

but not the mutton stew.

Please unlock it.

Go away!

l'm sorry about the smell.

And the bucket.

Don't worry. The whole boat stinks.

Even First Class. l've just been
thrown out of there, by the way.

The bathroom door was locked all night.

Those bastards.

There. Won't be very comfortable,
but at least it's ours.

-Open the door.
-Fuck off.

-Open the door right now.
-Do you hear me? Fuck off.

lf you'd been nice last night,
we would have played fair.

-Now you've got no toilet.
-Get out of the bathroom.

You bastards.

Go on, you can use it.

l'm going to get us some water.
That's all you're allowed.

Are you going to live in America?

Yes.

You have papers and everything?

Yes. And a job.

How'd you manage to arrange all that?

l didn't. Someone did it for me.
A priest my sister knows.

And how do you feel about it?

How long do letters from lreland
take to arrive?

My sister Rose
said she'd write straightaway.

They take a long time at first.

And then no time at all.

You have family in America? Friends?

No.

You'll meet people easily enough.
Where are you gonna live? Brooklyn?

-How'd you know that?
-Lucky guess.

Try to remember that sometimes
it's nice to talk to people

who don't know your auntie.

That's what it's like?

That's what it's like.

l haven't been sick for hours.

Nice, isn't it?

l'm very hungry.

That's why you haven't been sick for hours.

We'll eat tomorrow.

Or the day after.

Oh, dear. We're gonna have to
do something with you.

They'll put you in quarantine or something

if you try and enter the country
looking like that.

Nothing fancy. You mustn't look like a tart.

Well, looking like a tart
isn't going to be a problem.

This doesn't look too bad.

My sister gave me that.

Wear it with this

and...

...this.

Have your bags ready for inspection.

Don't look too innocent, though.

I'll put some rouge and mascara on you.

Perhaps a little eye liner.

Step out of the line, please.
Thank you. Next, please. Thank you.

Step over this way, please.
Get out of the line.

Next. Passport, please.

Stand up straight.

Polish your shoes.

And don't cough, whatever you do.

Over this way.

Don't be rude or pushy,
but don't Iook too nervous.

Step this way.

Think Iike an American.

You have to know where you're going.

Welcome to the United States, ma'am.

Through the blue door, please.

Next, please.

Bless us, oh Lord,

and these thy gifts which we are
about to receive from thy bounty

-through Christ our Lord, amen.
-Amen.

l saw you had a letter today, Diana.
Any news?

Mr. de Valera's had another operation
on his eyes, she says.

He's been in Holland.

l don't want news
l can read in a newspaper.

Anyway, we would describe
Mr. de Valera as politics,

would we not, Mrs. Kehoe?

And we do not like politics
at the dinner table.

We don't.

lt's not politics
to talk about eye operations.

lt is if the eyes belong to a politician.

And l don't like to talk about
hospitals very much either.

Patty, did you have any luck
with that cold cream?

No, Mrs. Kehoe.
l asked Miss Tyler in Cosmetics.

And l showed her the advertisement.

l don't want to have to travel
all the way into Manhattan

just for a jar of cold cream.

Maybe you could have a look
in Bartocci's for me, Eilis?

Yes, Mrs. Kehoe.

Bartocci's is bound to have it.

She doesn't know that for sure,
Mrs. Kehoe.

She's only saying that Bartocci's
is a better store than Webster's

-to get at Patty.
-They're both very good

and you girls are very lucky
to be working there.

Eilis, from the look of you,
you have greasy skin.

ls that right? What do you do about that?

Just... Well, l wash it,
Mrs. Kehoe, with soap.

There's nothing wrong with soap.

Soap was good enough for Our Lord,
l expect.

And which brand did he use,
Miss McAdam?

Does the Bible tell you that?

Our Lord was a man, anyway.
He didn't care about greasy skin.

Ladies, no more talk about
Our Lord's complexion at dinner, please.

The girls will help you find something
suitable, Eilis. Won't you, girls?

Hi.

-Good morning.
-Did you go out last night?

-Out, the opposite of in.
-No.

Well, l saw a movie with my boyfriend.

"What did you see, Dorothy?"

"l saw The Quiet Man, Eilis.
They filmed it in lreland."

"l'm from lreland."

"l know you are. That's why l thought
you might be interested."

Thank you.

Shouldn't be a moment.

ls it still hot out there?
l haven't been outside since this morning.

But l can tell that it might be very.

lt just looks it.

lt's warm, yes.

Thanks very much.

Remember, if people like it here,
they'll come back,

so you treat every customer
as if she's a new friend.

-l'll try.
-lt's not a matter of trying.

lt's what you have to do.
Do you try to wear panties every day?

No. l mean, l don't... l don't try.
l just put them on.

You see what l'm saying?

Yes.

Good.

Can we get another side of toast, please?

Slice up some hot dogs.
They want 'em sliced down the middle.

Sorry. Could l have the bill, please?

l hope that when l go
through the Pearly Gates,

the first sound l hear
is you asking me for the check

in that lovely lrish brogue.

Diana?

Have they told you a date
for the nylon sale yet, Eilis?

Never had a Bartocci's girl living here.

-Might get some inside information.
-l haven't been told anything.

-l bet you wouldn't let on if you had.
-She's that sort.

More loyal
to her bosses than to her friends.

-Like a Red spy.
-Oh, dear God.

l'll thank you to keep His name
out of a conversation about nylons.

He might be everywhere,
but he's certainly not in Bartocci's on sale day.

Sorry, Mrs. Kehoe.

l was glad to see you finally got
some letters from home today, Eilis.

Did l? l forgot to check.

They'll still be there after dinner.

Sorry.

Dear EiIis.

It's hard for me to beIieve
that you're reading this in America,

thousands of miIes across the sea.

The big news here is that since you left,

Mammy has stopped shopping
at Nettles Kelly's.

As you know,
her bread wasn't always fresh

and she overcharged for everything...
And she's awfuI.

I haven't toId her to her face.
There's no need.

She knows that she overcharges
and her bread's not fresh.

We talk about you every evening, of course.

We want to know everything.

I'm sure you're busy,

but even if your letters were 200 pages,

they wouldn't be long enough
for your mother.

Take care of yourself. Love.

ls it your time of the month?

So what is it?

Take some time off now.
Go and sit in the staff room.

l'm so sorry, Eilis. This is all my fault.

l was led to believe
that you didn't need looking after.

Franco Bartocci
says you're doing great here.

Ma Kehoe says
you're the nicest lodger she's ever had.

-What?
-"Ma Kehoe"?

Don't ever call her that to her face.

l'd forgotten just how bad it feels
to be away from home.

l've enrolled you in a night class,
for book-keeping. Brooklyn College.

lt'll be three nights a week

and l've paid your tuition
for the first semester.

-Why?
-Why? Not thank you?

Sorry. Thank you. But why?

Well, l was amazed
that someone as clever as you

couldn't find proper work at home.

l've been here too long.

l forget what it's like in lreland.

So when your sister
wrote to me about you,

l said the Church would try to help.

Anyway, we need lrish girls in Brooklyn.

l wish that l could stop feeling

that l want to be an lrish girl in lreland.

All l can say is that it will pass.

Homesickness is like most sicknesses.

lt'll make you feel wretched
and then it'll move on to somebody else.

Now, TayIor v. Standard Gas Company

is one of the most important
corporate cases

decided in the Supreme Court
in the last 20 years.

This was the case responsible
for the Deep Rock Doctrine,

so it's maybe the biggest milestone
in parent-subsidiary law.

ln public utility
integration proceedings alone,

literally thousands of investors
may be affected by its application.

Did you understand any of that?
l mean, a single word?

He's not even reading from a book.
He just knows all this.

Well, let's hope the next hour's easier, huh?

One of the things that ruins
Christmas in America is the turkey.

lt all tastes of sawdust.

So that's one cheese sandwich
for Miss McAdam

and extra turkey for everyone else.

Ladies, please.

Eilis, Father Flood told me
about your Christmas plans.

You're not serving lunch to the old
fellas who've nowhere to go, are you?

He asks us every year. We always say no.

-Eilis, you're a saint. They smell awful.
-Sheila knows how they smell

because that's where she goes
husband hunting.

lt's a marvelous thing you're doing, Eilis.

A Christian thing.
l wish there were more like you.

ln you come.

How many are we expecting?

We had a hundred last year.
There may be more this.

-Are they all lrish?
-All lrish.

Why don't they go home?

lf there's nothing there for
clever young girls such as yourself,

there's gonna be even less
for men like these.

Some of them have been here 50 years.

-They've lost touch with everyone.
-Lovely. Thank you.

-Merry Christmas.
-Thank you.

These are the men who built the tunnels,

the bridges, the highways.

God alone knows what they live on now.

Anyway...

l don't want to interrupt proceedings,

but l'm sure you'd all like
to show your appreciation

to all the ladies here
for their hard day's work.

And by way of a thank you,

we have a great singer
in the room with us today.

Frankie.

Mind yourself, there.

Would you like to come into the front room
for a glass of something?

You've earned it.

You survived.

lt wasn't so bad.

-Happy Christmas.
-Cheers.

Now, Miss McAdam is leaving us.

She's going to live with her sister
in Manhattan.

She has the best room in the house,
the basement,

and it has its own entrance.

Now, l can only let
a certain kind of girl stay there.

And l'm not talking about looks here.

Although l will admit, God did give
Miss McAdam an advantage

when l had to think about
who l could trust to live down there.

No, no, you're a pretty girl, Eilis,

but you're sensible.

So, you're having the room and that's that.

-Will the other girls not mind?
-l expect so.

What don't they mind?

Girls, you'll take Dolores to the dance
with you on Saturday night, won't you?

-There's a dance?
-At the parish hall.

There'll be no alcohol,
but you can have fun without it.

Patty and l aren't going this week.

We're going to see a movie instead.

Well, l'm sure Dolores
would enjoy a movie just as well.

l would, very much.

There are so many more movies
here in New York than in Cavan.

Yes, surprising, isn't it?
You'd think it'd be the other way round.

Of course, you would be welcome
to join us, Dolores.

So long as you don't mind
being a gooseberry.

So you both miraculously found boyfriends

over the last couple of days, did you?

Well, l hope you have more luck
with these than you did with the last few.

-Will you be going, Eilis?
-Yes, Mrs. Kehoe.

-Well, you can take Dolores, then.
-Of course.

God. There's nobody here.

How are we supposed to get a fella
if there's nobody here?

l expect most people will come after 9:00.

People or fellas?

Some of the people will be fellas.

l'd love to meet a fella.

They came. The liars.

What a pair of bitches.

That's what the old woman called them.

She said they were all bitches.

Apart from you.

Well, hello.

-Hello. lt's good to see you.
-l can see why.

Come with us.

There. That's better.

Now you don't look like
you came in from milking the cows.

-ls that what l looked like?
-Just a bit.

Nice, clean cows.

One, two, three.

Two, two, three.

Not bad.

Two...

-Maybe we can have a dance later.
-l'm sorry?

-A dance, later.
-Sure.

Would you like to dance?

Are you here with that guy,
the one who was teaching you to dance?

-No.
-So would you dance with me?

-l'm not sure he taught me anything.
-Doesn't matter.

Secret is to look as though
you know what you're doing.

l wish someone had told me that years ago.

Come on.

Where do you live?

-Clinton Street.
-Yeah?

That's on my way home.

Can l walk you?

l'm going to say yes
and then l'm going to tell you why.

So l don't get the wrong idea?

l suppose so.

ls there a girl in a white shirt
sitting on her own over there?

-You don't know her?
-l do.

She lives in my boarding house
and she's awful.

lf l leave with you,
l'm sure she'd understand.

-You'd be rescuing me.
-l get it.

l'm not lrish.

You don't sound lrish.

l need to make this clear.
No part of me is lrish.

l don't have lrish parents
or grandparents or anything.

l'm ltalian. Well, my parents are, anyway.

So what were you doing at an lrish dance?

Don't the ltalians have dances?

Yeah, and l wouldn't
wanna take you to one.

They behave like ltalians all night.

-What does that mean?
-You know.

No.

Hands.

Too many of them?

l guess it could seem that way
if you was a girl. Listen...

l want everything out in the open.

l came to the lrish dance...

because l really like lrish girls.

And l was the only one
who would dance with you?

Oh, no, it wasn't...

So you danced with loads of others?

This is me.

Can l take you next week,
maybe get something to eat first?

That'd be nice.

Good night.

So...

What do you do when you're not working?

Well, there's school.

Just, you know, Brooklyn College.

l'm studying book-keeping.

You wanna be a book-keeper?

Well, l want to be an accountant one day,
but, yes, book-keeping first.

Wow.

ls that difficult?

l'm talking too much.
Tell me about plumbing.

You know enough about plumbing already.

l don't know anything.

You know that taps drip
and that toilets get blocked

and that's all you need to know.

l mean, l don't know anything
about book-keeping.

Well, there's a lot to it.

There's all the maths, of course,
but that's not so complicated.

The double-entry system,
that takes a while to get used to.

And we study company law too
and that terrifies me.

So we had to read about
an insurance company

that went bankrupt in the 1 930s

and all the legal issues
that went along with that.

She plays golf and she's really good at it

and if she'd been at the dance
last Saturday,

then l don't think
you'd have looked at me twice

because Rose is beautiful.

l'm worried. You haven't eaten anything.

Too busy talking.

What is the matter with you girls now?

Nothing is the matter with us, Mrs. Kehoe.

ls this all because Eilis
has found herself a young man?

Eilis has a young man?

We didn't know.

She won't say anything about it.

And why should she
to you awful gossipmongers?

Anyway, l met him on Saturday night
when he called for Eilis,

and he's a gentleman.

Will you tell us what you know
about him, Mrs. Kehoe?

We know he's quite nice-looking.

Didn't like his shoes much.

What on Earth is wrong with his shoes?

They were a funny color.

l'll tell you this much.

l'm going to ask Father Flood

to preach a sermon
on the dangers of giddiness.

l see now that giddiness
is the eighth deadly sin.

A giddy girl is every bit as evil
as a slothful man,

and the noise she makes is a lot worse.

Now, enough.

All l wanna do is travel home with you.

No food, no drink, no nothing.

l know you gotta study and get some sleep.

l'll take you to your house
and say good night.

Otherwise, it's too long to wait.

l wanna ask you something
and you're gonna say,

"lt's too soon.
l don't really know him well enough.

"We only been out a couple of times."

lt's nothing so bad. lt's just
something that most guys, they...

Please just ask.
You're beginning to terrify me.

Sure. Will you come for dinner
and meet my family sometime?

That's it?

l'd love to.

You like ltalian food?

Don't know. l've never eaten it.

lt's the best food in the world.

Well, why would l not like it?

You're in a good mood, huh?

Yes. Why?

lt's just... l like how you're being.

l don't know the word,
when you go along with everything.

-Amenable.
-Yeah? Amenable?

Okay, so while you're being amenable,

can we go see a movie this week
when you're not in night class?

l'll sign up for two movies.

-Really?
-Yes.

Even if the first date is a disaster,
l'll give it another chance.

Parkway's next stop. Parkway's next.

lt certainly feels like it,
but this is my first year,

so l don't know how to judge.

Well, congratulations.
You've survived your first New York winter.

-Wasn't so bad.
-Really? lt's colder in lreland?

Oh, no, it's colder here.

Over here that's how we judge the winter,
on how cold it is.

But you have heating, heating everywhere.

You're only cold outside.

l guess that's true.

-Thank you for your help.
-Have a good day.

Eilis.

You're like a different person.
How did you do it?

Maybe l can pass some advice on

to the next poor girl who feels that way.

l met somebody. An ltalian fella.

Oh, no. l'm not passing that on.

l'd rather have them homesick
than heartbroken.

Does he talk about baseball all the time?

-Or his mother?
-No.

Then keep him. There isn't another
ltalian man like him in New York.

Hold it.

Now, remember you're getting off easy
because we haven't got sauce.

Yeah, you have to remember
that the sauce flies everywhere,

so take it slowly.

l'm gonna say "splash"
any time l see problems.

-Good idea.
-Can l start now?

-Yeah.
-Go.

Splash!

You just splashed his mother,
his father, and the walls.

Let's go again.

Dear Rose.

I suppose the most important news
is that I have a boyfriend.

He isn't as important as Bartocci's
and my night classes, I know that,

but I want to tell you
everything that's going on.

Please don't mention it to Mammy,
though. You know what she's like.

He's decent and kind,
and he has a job and he works hard.

We go to the cinema on Wednesdays

and he takes me to Father FIood's dance
on Saturdays.

I think of you and Mother every single day,

but Tony has helped me to feel
that I have a Iife here

I didn't have before I met him.

My body was here,

but my life was back in Ireland with you.

Now it's halfway across the sea.
So that's something, isn't it?

And l'd better warn you about Frankie.

-He's the little one?
-Yeah, he's eight going on 1 8.

l mean, he's nice and he's smart,
but he's been talking

and he's talking about all the things
he's gonna say to you.

-What sort of things?
-We don't know.

lt could be anything.

l mean, l tried to pay him money to
go out and play ball with his friends

and my dad, he threatened him,

but l think he's looking forward
to causing trouble,

so much so he'll happily take a beating.

This is us here.

You ready?

Hey, how did you learn
to eat spaghetti like that?

-l've been taking lessons.
-Lessons? Like in a class?

You can do that? Maybe l could teach it.

No, no, Diana, who lives
in the boarding house with me

cooked me some spaghetti and made me
try and eat it without making a mess.

So what do you eat in lreland?
Just lrish stew?

Not just. We eat...

So, first of all, l should say
that we don't like lrish people.

-Hey, hey, watch it.
-Frankie.

What? We don't. That is a well-known fact.

Why, Frankie?

'Cause a big gang of lrish beat Maurizio up

and he had to get stitches,

and because all the cops
around here are lrish

nobody did anything about it.

There's probably two sides to it.

l might have said something l shouldn't.

You know, l can't remember now.

No, because they beat you up.

Anyway, they probably weren't all lrish.

No, they just had red hair and big legs.

All right, up.

Excuse us.

All l can say in his defense is

he's the only one of us
who'll get a college education.

lf he can keep his mouth shut.

So, Tony tells me you go to college.

Just night classes.
l want to be a book-keeper.

l like working in the shop well enough,

but l don't want to be there forever.

l'm sorry, Eilis. l'm an idiot.

l'm a rude idiot.

So has Tony offered to take you to
Ebbets Field when the season starts?

You like baseball?

He never mentioned the Dodgers?

-Not even once?
-Tony, what's the matter with you?

You wanna know why? Too much of this.

Anyway, you'll have to go to Ebbets Field

if you wanna see him in the summer.

They're that important to you?

Put it this way, if our kids end up
supporting the Yankees or the Giants,

-it'd break my heart.
-Mine too.

She's not laughing, Tony.
Think it's too late.

She's a Yanks fan.

What are you talking about?
What's wrong with you?

She's a Yanks fan.

l love you.

l...

Thank you for the evening. lt was lovely.

Sorry.

l'd finished.

Sheila, can l ask you something?

Why aren't you married?

Because my husband met somebody else
and left me.

l'm sorry.

And, well, would you get married again?

-Has somebody asked you?
-No.

Not really.

l won't ask what that means.

Would l get married again?

No, l wanna be waiting

outside the bathroom
of my boarding house forever.

Of course l do. That's why l go
to that wretched dance every week.

l want to be waiting
outside my own bathroom

while some bad-tempered fella
with hair growing out of his ears

reads the newspaper on the toilet.

Then l'll wish l was back here
talking to you.

Eilis!

-l'm sorry.
-l didn't think you were coming.

Yeah, l know.
l thought you were gonna think that.

That's why l wanted to be here
no matter what.

-l need to say something to you.
-Can you...

Can we just talk about something else
until we get to Mrs. Kehoe's?

-lt's not...
-Please.

So...

Ten minutes before
l'm supposed to meet you

and l'm standing ankle-deep in sewage

that's pouring
through this old lady's ceiling.

Yeah. Even if you're thinking
of inviting me in for a coffee,

l'd have to say no for your sake.

So how did you fix it in 1 0 minutes?

l didn't. l spent the whole 1 0 minutes
explaining to the lady

l had to be somewhere and l'd be back,

and she don't wanna let me go.

So the sewage is still pouring
through the ceiling?

Well, what's the difference between
six inches of sewage and a foot?

Will you let me say what l want to say?

l don't think you'll mind.

Okay.

You remember that after
l had dinner at your house,

you told me you loved me?

Well, l didn't really know what to say.

But l know what to say now.

l have thought about you, and l like you.

And l like being with you.

And...

maybe l feel the same way.

So the next time you tell me you love me,

if there is a next time...

l'll say l love you too.

Are you serious?

Yes.

Holy shit.

Excuse my language, but l thought
we were having a different kind of talk.

-Can l go home now?
-You love me?

Yes, but don't ask me anything else,

and don't talk about our kids
being Dodgers fans.

What, you want kids who like the Yankees?

-Tony, please, don't push me.
-All right. l'm sorry.

Dear Eilis. Thank you so much

for the nylons.

The Bartocci wrapping paper
makes them look so glamorous.

It seems everything is so exciting
and new compared to here.

I can't wait for you
to show it all to me one day.

Oh, EiIis, you know I'm by your side,
even when I'm not.

Well...

You're marvelous, that's all l have to say.

lt looks to me as if
you didn't just pass those exams.

No. You flew through them.

l can't remember the last time
anyone came in here with good news.

l've saved some money.

l'll be able to pay for next year's tuition

and pay you back for last year.

One of my parishioners paid.

He needed to do something for mankind
and l won't tell you why.

He's not out of the woods yet either,
so he can cough up for next year, too.

l'd love to know what sort of woods he's in.

Yes, l'm sure you would,
but you won't hear it from me.

Qualifications and a boyfriend, Eilis.

You're not the miserable young girl
who wanted to go home last winter.

lt seems like years ago.

Now, l think this is the first time
any girl of mine

has ever passed an exam while living here.

-Have you told Tony yet, Eilis?
-Of course.

And is he taking you out to celebrate?

We're going to Coney lsland
at the weekend.

Oh, boy.

-What does that mean?
-Do you have a bathing costume?

-No, l was going to...
-Do you have sunglasses?

-No.
-You need sunglasses.

l read that if you don't have them
on the beach this year,

people'll talk about you.

And what exactly will they say, Sheila?

That's the thing, Mrs. Kehoe.

You'd never know
'cause they'd never say it to your face.

Oh, dear God. Diana's right, though, Eilis.

You need to think carefully
about your costume.

lt's the most
Tony will ever have seen of you

and you don't want to put him off.

You'll have to shave down there.

l'll give you a razor that'll do the trick.

You're all right there for the moment.

And most ltalian men
appreciate a fuller figure.

But watch yourself over the summer.

Black's too dark for your pale skin.
Let's see you in the green.

Why didn't you tell me to put
my costume on underneath my clothes?

l thought you'd know.

Right, l'm ready.

-Tony.
-What?

Come on.

Dear Rose. Thank you for your letter.

I was happy to hear
about your golf tournament.

You must have been really pleased.

I still miss you and Mother
and think about you every day,

but I think I can say that
for the first time since I've been in America

I'm really happy.

This has a lot to do with Tony.

At the weekend he took me
to see the Brooklyn Dodgers,

the basebaII team he Ioves.

They lost, so he was annoyed.

But I've aIso started
to Iook for office work too.

I had an interview this week
at a textiIe firm

here in Brooklyn.

Rose.

Who'd have thought there would be
two book-keepers in the family?

Rose.

I'II soon be abIe to afford
to come home and see you and Mammy.

Rose?

Rose.

Oh, my God.

Rose! Oh, Rose!

One moment.

lt was sudden.

l think perhaps she was ill,
and she knew she was ill,

and she didn't tell anybody.

What'll happen?

What can happen?

When will they bury her?

Tomorrow.

-Without me?
-Without you.

You're too far away, Eilis.

Why did l ever come here?

Rose wanted a better life for you.

She loved how well you were doing.

But l'll never see her again.

That's right, isn't it, Father?
l'll never see her again.

You know that l think you will.

And that she'll be watching over you
every day for the rest of your life.

Hello. Mammy?

l can't really hear you.

Well, the rain held off anyway.

And the whole of her golf club came,
every single one of them.

We had a real houseful afterwards.

Are you still there?

Yes.

People really loved her, Eilis.

Her friends from work,
the neighbors, everybody.

Nobody knew what to say to me.

When your daddy died, l said to myself

that l shouldn't grieve too much
because l had the two of you.

And then when you went to America,

I told myself the same thing
because she was here with me.

But everyone's gone, Eilis. l have nobody.

l can't bear it, Tony.

You wanna go home, l guess.

How would it be for you if l did go home?

l'd be afraid every single day.

Afraid that l wouldn't come back?

Yeah.

But home is home.

l'm not sure l have a home anymore.

You're not going to work tomorrow,
are you?

After the Mass, can l take you somewhere?

This is it.

We're gonna build
five houses here if we can

and Mom and Dad, they're gonna have one

'cause Ma always wanted a house
with a backyard.

We'll sell three.

And the other one, my brothers,
they asked me if l wanted it

and l said that l did.

So l guess what l'm saying is,
you wanna live out here on Long lsland?

l mean, l know it doesn't
look like much right now,

but all the land around here has been sold,

so we wouldn't be on our own,

and there'd be telephone cables
and electricity, everything.

We're gonna set up a company.

A building company, the three of us.

And l'm gonna do the plumbing
and Laurence'll do the carpentry and...

Don't go all quiet on me.

At least tell me you'll think about it.

l don't need to think about it.

lt's just for a month or so.

l know it'd make her feel a little better.

Will you marry me before you leave?

You don't trust me to come back?

Marry me.

We don't have to tell anybody.

We just do it quickly,
just keep it between us.

Why do you want to do it?

Because if we don't, l'm gonna go crazy.

Would a promise not be the same?

lf you can promise, you can easily do this.

So this is it. This is where you live.

Yes, and if you make one tiny noise,
she'll evict me.

There's no point in worrying now.

Stay with me.

You wanna play?

-Yeah, sure.
-All right, here we go.

One bat coming up, huh?

l'll take that. All right, you ready?
Hands up.

-Yeah.
-All right.

Boom. Right down the third base line.

ls he annoying you?

-'Cause he was annoying me.
-No, no, no, no.

l got a brother the exact same age.

-Hey, are you lrish?
-ls it so obvious?

l'm just about to marry an lrish girl,
so l guess l notice it more.

There are a lot of you in Brooklyn.

Sometimes it seems as though
there can't be anybody left at home.

-Where's your girl from?
-Enniscorthy in County Wexford.

-My wife has family there.
-Hey, Eilis. Come here a sec.

Anthony Fiorello and Eilis Lacey.

-Good luck.
-Thank you.

Come on, come over here. Come on.

Will we ever tell our children we did this?

Maybe we'll save it for some anniversary.

l wonder what they'll think of it.

-Nancy.
-You look so glamorous.

l told you so.

l'm so sorry about Rose.

Thank you.

How are you?

No.

l knew,
but l wanted to let Nancy tell you herself.

l'm so glad you can come to the wedding.

Can l?

Your mother accepted the invitation
on your behalf.

-When is it?
-The 27th ofAugust.

Will you come out with George and me
tomorrow night?

Annette wants to see you, too.

l don't mind. l'll have to find you a key.

l don't want you getting me out of bed.

We all want to hear
what life in New York is like.

l'll try and think of something to say.

l'm booked to go back to New York
on the 21 st.

Well, you can wait an extra week
to see your best friend married.

l can't believe l'm married
to someone you'll never know.

But you'd like him.

l know you would.

He's sweet.

And he's funny.

And he's got these wonderful eyes that...

l wish everything were different.

So, now, Mrs. O'Toole from Cush.

Do we really have to do this?

Getting a letter of condolence

isn't like getting a birthday present, is it?

What if Mrs. O'Toole from Cush writes
back to thank you for your thank you?

Then l'll thank her.

And you'd be happy to spend
the rest of your life like that?

lt's not as if l've anything else
to do or anybody else to talk to.

lt might as well be Mrs. O'Toole from Cush.

What do you want me to say?

-That'll be Nancy and Annette.
-Off you go.

Enjoy yourself.

Eilis, this is Jim Farrell.

lt's a great pleasure to meet you.

We could try the Connaught Hotel bar.

There may be a few of the fellas
from the rugby club there.

Okay.

Do you have to be with other fellas
from the rugby club all the time?

No.

But Nancy told us we wouldn't
be allowed to talk to you

'cause you have too much
to say to each other,

so we're just looking for company.

Oh, well.

Do you not like the fellas
from the rugby club, Eilis?

l don't particularly, George.

When l first went to America,

l missed every single thing
about Enniscorthy except one.

-We're not all the same.
-You all look the same.

lt's the blazer and the hair oil.

Nancy.

Where's Annette? And why has he come?

He's very nice, so don't be too hard on him.

ls this the same Jim Farrell
that was engaged to Cathleen Cassidy?

-What happened to her?
-He broke it off.

He didn't think she was serious about him.

He was very upset for a while,
but he's over her now.

Nancy, l'm... l'm going back.

But you can have a bit of fun
while you're here, can't you?

Come on, George.

How's your mother?

She's... Well, she's sad.

She's got much older very quickly.

lt was a terrible thing.

We all went to the funeral Mass,
Mother and Father and myself.

l didn't know that.

My mother played golf with her,
you know. She was very fond of her.

lt was...

lt was the saddest thing to happen
in the town that l can remember.

Thank you.

Come on, you two.

And what about the skyscrapers?

But that's Manhattan.

l live in Brooklyn and l work in Brooklyn,

and if l go out, l go out in Brooklyn.

All the skyscrapers are across the river.

You don't make it sound very glamorous.

lt's not, really.

Not even, what do you call it,
the department store where you work?

Bartocci's? Well, it sells lovely things.

But l can't afford many of them
and l don't like the work, so...

What would you like to do?

l want to do what Rose did.

l want to work in an office
and deal with numbers.

Well, you should call in at Davis's.

They haven't managed to replace Rose,
you know.

l'll be going back to New York
straight after the wedding.

But you might want to earn
a little money in the meantime.

l'm sure they'd be glad to have you.

You just want her to stay.

l'm only thinking of Eilis.

Do you hear that, Eilis?
He's only thinking of you.

That's it, that's it. Remember,
Mrs. Grogan didn't notice a thing.

-Good night.
-Good night.

See you.

How was your evening?

lt was very nice, thank you.

Was that Jim Farrell
l saw in the car with them?

lt was.

His parents are moving, you know.
They're retiring to the country.

-He'll be in that big house on his own.
-ls that right?

He's a catch for someone.

Good night, Mammy.

-Hello, Eilis.
-Hello, Mrs. Brennan.

Quite the star.

-Thank goodness you're back.
-What's the matter?

A lad from Davis's came round.

They have a problem
in their accounts department.

They need you up there straightaway.

ls that all? l'll just put the shopping away.

No, no, leave it.
Straightaway, the young fella said.

lt doesn't matter what he said, Mother.
l'm not an employee.

-l'd be doing them a favor.
-Please, let me do the shopping.

The problem is that it's our busy season,

so all the mill workers and drivers
did overtime last week.

Well, they filled out the overtime slips,

but there's been nobody here
to work it all out

and to add to the wage slips,

and some of the men have started
to complain, and l can't blame them.

As you can see, it's all a terrible mess.

Well, if you leave me for a couple of hours,
l can work out a system

so that whoever comes in after me
won't have any trouble.

Hello, Eilis.

Maria has been telling me you've done
the most marvelous job here.

Thank you.

We should have known you would,
of course.

You're Rose's sister, after all.

l'm told you have
a certificate in book-keeping.

ls it American book-keeping?

l got the certificate in America,
but the two systems are very similar.

Well, we'll certainly need someone
to deal with wages and so on

during the busy season.

So l'd like you to continue
on a part-time basis.

Let's see how that goes
and then we'll speak again.

l'll be going back to the United States soon.

As l say, let's you and l speak again

before we make any firm decisions
one way or the other.

Yes, Mr. Brown. Of course. Thank you.

Now, if you go and see Maria,
she'll have your money for today.

l'd forgotten.

What?

This.

You have beaches in Brooklyn.

Yes, but they're just very crowded.

There'll probably be
quite a few walkers along here later.

Yes.

lt's still not the same.

l'm sure it's not.

We don't really know anything
of the rest of the world.

We must seem very backward to you now.

Of course not.

You seem calm and civilized and charming.

Come on!

My mother wanted you to know
that the golf club

is inaugurating a prize in Rose's name.

A special trophy for the best score
by a lady newcomer at the club.

She was always very nice
to the newcomers, my mother says.

l hope you're pleased.

Yes.

Of course.

So every year someone will win
the Rose Lacey Trophy?

Yeah, every year,
as long as there's a golf club.

And l think she'd like you to come along

and present it to the first winner.

Yeah, and my mother would like
to meet you too, by the way.

l'm supposed to arrange a time
when you can come around for tea.

Thank you. l'd like that.

l wish it had been like this before l went.

Before Rose died.

Like what?

There was nothing here for me before
and now l have a job and...

Here?

-ls that an American trick?
-Yes. lt's a good one, isn't it?

lt's depressing, though,

that we don't think of things
like that, isn't it?

l mean, how long
have they known about it?

A hundred years, probably.

l don't think they had bathing suits
like that a hundred years ago.

We still don't have them now.

Well, come on.

You wanna go see the Dodgers
on Saturday?

-Sure.
-Okay. Will you do something for me?

What?

lf you laugh or you say anything
about this to anybody in the family,

you don't get to go see
the Dodgers on Saturday

or any other day of the season.

Also you get a beating.

Maybe it's just better if l don't get involved.

l really need your help, Frankie.

You know you're the best writer
and reader in the family?

-Yeah.
-l'm trying to write to Eilis.

And l want it to be... l don't know.

You've wrote before already
about five times.

Yeah, but they're no good, Frankie, and...

She's only written back once.

She's never read my writing before.
l'm worried l'm putting her off me.

Listen, l'm eight years old.
l don't know anything about kissing.

You don't need to know
anything about kissing.

You need to know about spelling and...
And...

-Grammar.
-Yeah.

Will you look?

Dear EiIis.

I hope that you are doing well in Ireland.

I hope that your mother's feeling less sad.

It will not be long
before your friend gets married

and you can come home.

This week, it's like
the whole world's basements are flooding.

I've fixed three.

I've been working hard.
I've been saving money.

Everybody asks me about you

aII the time.

You missed out an "E," I think.
It's "everybody."

Anyway, I think that is all my news.

Mom and Dad and all my brothers,
they all say hello.

I think about you
most minutes of most days.

Even when I go see the Dodgers,
I do not concentrate on the games.

With love, your Tony.

No hair oil. And that's not a blazer.
lt's a sports jacket.

Have you come out in disguise, Jim Farrell?
Are you trying to trick me?

No. l knew what you meant
when you said we were all the same.

lt made me think that my life
must seem very easy to you.

l run my father's bar.
l'm going to live in my parents' house.

l know what that must look like
from the outside, but...

lt doesn't feel like that.

What does it feel like?

And l've never been anywhere.
l've never even been to England

but l'd like to see London
and Paris and Rome. New York.

lt frightens me, the idea of dying
without ever leaving lreland.

And there are other things too.

l'm so sorry, l wanted to ask you
a thousand things

and all l've done is talked.

-l'm glad.
-Really?

Yes.

Will you finish that wretched pipe
and sit with us?

l can hear perfectly well from where l am.

We're not here
to provide you with entertainment.

Don't you worry.
l found that out many years ago.

Just ignore him, Eilis. lt's as well
Jim takes after me, not him.

Speak up.

Are you looking forward to your move?

We'll miss Enniscorthy,
but it's lovely and quiet in Glenbrien.

Mother's worried
about leaving me here on me own.

She thinks l'll destroy the place.

Well, l'm hoping
you won't be on your own forever.

l'm sure he won't.

l mean...

God, aren't we blessed with this weather?

lt's lovely.

The summers in New York are hot, eh?

They can be, yes.

lt can get quite humid sometimes.

Dear Tony.

Thank you for your letters.

I want you to know that...

l don't know what l want you to know.

l don't want to be sitting right at the back.

l will make sure you get
the best seats in the house.

But it wouldn't feel right sitting
up there with Nancy and George.

We'll find the second best seats
in the house, then.

Would you like me to run ahead

and save you a couple of places,
Mrs. Lacey?

Would you mind, Jim? That'd be grand.

-Such a gentleman, isn't he?
-He is.

Came along at just the right time for us.

l invite you now, Nancy,
to declare before God and his Church

your consent to become George's wife.

l promise to be true to you
in good times and in bad,

in sickness and in health.

l will love you and honor you
all the days of my life.

The rings.

Lord, bless these rings.

Grant that those who wear them

may always be faithful to each other.

May they do your will and live
in peace with you in mutual love.

We ask this through Christ our Lord, amen.

Amen.

Your mother tells me

things are working out very well
for you in Enniscorthy, Eilis.

lt was a lovely service.

And Mr. and Mrs. Farrell are moving out
to Glenbrien, so Jim'll...

Yes, l know.

Jim and l promised my mother
we'd take her back to the car.

Do you hear that? "Jim and l. Jim and l."

lt won't be long now by the sound of it

and your mother will have
a wonderful day out.

Will you excuse me?

There they are.

-Hello, Mrs. Byrne. How are you?
-Jack.

Can we talk?

What about?

The future.

l can't let you just go back
to America without saying anything.

l'd regret it for the rest of my life.

So...

l don't want you to go.

l want you to stay here with me.

And l know that means
asking you another question

but l don't want to bombard you.

So l'll save that one for later.

Thank you.

l'm grateful.

And l'm flattered.

-That's all?
-No.

No, of course not.

l just...

l'd imagined a different life for myself.

l understand.

But your life here could be just as good.

Better even maybe.

Mary.

-l was just coming to fetch you.
-To fetch me?

l haven't worked for Miss Kelly
for a long time, Mary.

Please come, Eilis. She told me
not to come back without you.

You know what she's like.

You look after things for five minutes

while l'm upstairs with Eilis, please, Mary.

There are no customers in there
at the moment,

so l don't think you can make
too much of a mess of things.

So, how have you been getting on?

Very well, thanks, Miss Kelly.

l heard that you're working over in Davis's,
in the accounts department.

That's right.

And there's lots of talk
about you and young Jim Farrell.

Well, you know what people are like.
They love to talk.

Yes.

Do you remember Mrs. Brady?

She usually comes into the shop
on Sunday morning for her rashers.

No?

Well, you have a very busy life now,
what with one thing and another.

Anyway, Mrs. Brady has a niece
living in Brooklyn.

The world is a small place, isn't it?

She had a letter from her
a couple of weeks back.

And what did it say?

Only that she'd been to a wedding
at the city hall

and her husband bumped into a girl
from Enniscorthy

who was getting married there.

l'm not sure what you're telling me,
Miss Kelly. He didn't bump into me.

You can't fool me, Miss Lacey.

Although l'm not sure that
that's your name any longer, is it?

He couldn't remember.

Something ltalian, he thought.

l'd forgotten.

You'd forgotten? What a thing...

l'd forgotten what this town is like.

What were you planning to do, Miss Kelly?

Keep me away from Jim?

Stop me from going back to America?

Perhaps you didn't even know.

My name is Eilis Fiorello.

Putting you through now.

-Thank you.
-How can I help?

Hello. l'd like to make a reservation

for the next available sailing
from Cobh to New York.

l think people spend even more money
after a wedding.

Nancy's mother must have been
in every shop in the town.

She was buying firelighters in Broom's.

Firelighters in August.

But she'd seen Mrs. Stapleton in there
and she hadn't had a chance

to go through the whole day
in detail with her...

Eilis, what's the matter?

Has something happened with Jim?

Mammy, l'm sorry.

l'm so sorry.

l'm married.

l got married in Brooklyn
before l came home.

And l should have told you. l should
have told you as soon as l got back.

l want to be with him.

l want to be with my husband.

Of course.

ls he nice?

Yes.

He'd have to be nice if you married him.

So you're going back?

Yes. Tomorrow.

Are you on the early train?

l'm going to bed.

Mammy, it's not even 8:00.
You don't have to.

l'm very tired.

And l'd like to say goodbye now.

And only once.

Perhaps you'll write and tell me about him.

l will.

Good night, Eilis.

So are you away to live in America?

-No.
-Just visiting?

No, l live there already.

Really? What's it like?

lt's a big place.

l'm gonna live in Brooklyn, New York.

Do you know it?

Yes.

People say that there are so many
lrish people there, it's like home.

ls that right?

Yes.

lt's just like home.

You're not to eat.

But l might be there years.

No, you can eat when you get there.
Don't eat on the boat.

lt'll stop you getting so sick.
Do you promise me?

l promise.

And in a moment l want you to go
straight down to your cabin

and lock the bathroom door on your side.

When next door starts hammering,
you can negotiate.

When you get to immigration,
keep your eyes wide open.

Look as if you know where you're going.

You have to think Iike an American.

You'II feeI so homesick
that you'll want to die

and there's nothing you can do about it
apart from endure it.

But you will, and it won't kill you.

And one day the sun will come out.

You might not even notice straightaway,
it'II be that faint.

And then you'll catch yourself
thinking about something or someone

who has no connection with the past,

someone who's only yours,

and you'll realize...

...that this is where your life is.