Causeway (2022) - full transcript

- Hey, Jim.
- Good morning.

- Thanks.
- Thank you.

That all you're traveling with, honey?

I'm Sharon.

You wear a medium?

Okay, uh…

Cell phone is prepaid. Somewhere on here,
it tells you the number.

I was trying to think
what else to get you.

It's always different with each person.

Eye drops, hair spray, whatever…

Last guy, he liked to use
conditioner instead of shaving cream.



You just let me know what you need.

Do you need me to go slower?

Let me help you.

There you go. Good.

Well, I'm sure
you're more of an adventurer.

I can't stand planes.
Don't like being up in the air

and all the people
breathing down your neck.

Good job, honey.

All right.

Now, let's stand up slowly.

Bathrooms can be dangerous.

Oh. Here, let me help you.

Frank liked naproxen better than Advil.

He had bursitis in his shoulder.



He worked in the plant,
packing TV dinners.

I wouldn't eat 'em. All that ammonium,
probably what got him sick.

H-How long ago was that?

Nine years.

I got so good at taking care of him, I
thought, why can't I do that for a living?

So I went back to school and got licensed.

What a miserable life.

I'm so sorry.

It's okay.
People say things they don't mean.

Sometimes they can't remember words.
It'll get easier.

Do you remember this man's name?

John Jones.

Mary Black?

I have no idea.

Okay. And now with the other hand?

You got it.

Good job. It's all right. Going back.

Sharon!

Sharon!

You're okay. You're okay, honey.

Aw, it's okay. It's okay. Just breathe.

Listen to me.

Aw. Shh, it's okay. You're okay.

That's it. Just breathe. Just breathe.

In… …and out.

In and out.

One more. One more.

You're doing great.

Good. This is a big one.
They won't be like this later.

Are you with me?

Thank you.

You wanna go for a drive
before it gets dark?

Let's take this right into town.

Look at you.

You're ready to go.

Pull over. You need to pull over
just to the side of the road. Right here.

I'm sorry.

It's okay.

I know this is hard.

This isn't hard.
Driving a car shouldn't be a victory.

I mean leaving.
Transition can be hard.

If you're not feeling ready,
we can look into extending your stay.

I can't pay for that.

I should be getting back anyway.

Back home.

No, back to work. Redeploy.

You've made a lot of progress, but you're
not ready to go back to work. Not nearly.

Then what the hell was the point
in all of this?

Don't forget what we talked about, okay?

Organize yourself. Prep for memory gaps.

Make lists. Keep your lists.
Put like with like.

Find two of something,
put them together like we worked on.

I'm not gonna forget.

People do.
They can get a little ahead of themselves.

Well, what's your plan for getting home
from the bus? We can write it down.

My mom is gonna pick me up
from the bus station.

Anyone else gonna be around?

Your brother?

Um, I haven't really been home in a while,
and it's not like I'm staying for long.

- So…
- It can help to be with people.

I'm good on my own.

Ativan, Depakote, Cymbalta, Vicodin.

The rehab's not over.

You're gonna have to work hard every day
to do all the things you used to do.

Yep.

I'm gonna be fine.

You think you're so funny, don't you?

I think it's in here. Hold on.

Okay. I'll be right there. Hold on.

Lynsey?

Lynsey, I thought you said
you were coming on Friday.

Mom?

You okay?

I'm fine.

I asked Debbie to get off work
early Friday.

I was gonna get groceries,
clean out the truck for you,

get a cake, pick you up.
It was gonna be a homecoming on Friday.

It's okay.

Hey, you wanna meet Ted?

No. I... I need to sleep.

We'll keep it down.

I gotta go to work early,
but you sleep in.

Hey, Lyns.

I was worried about you.

You look like you.

Can I help you?

I was wondering if you're still hiring.

- To clean pools?
- Yeah.

You home for the summer? You in college?

- I just got back from Afghanistan.
- Oh.

Thank you for your service.
My father was in the Navy. Korean.

But why do you wanna clean pools?

I like the water.
I used to clean the pools over at Newman.

I guess there's not
a lot of swimming pools in Afghanistan.

Not where I was. No.

- Can you drive?
- Yeah.

Great. Start tomorrow?

Sure.

Hey! Get the fuck off the road!

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

Fuck.

Ooh, yeah.

What's this, '85 Scottsdale?

Old, old body style right here.
Got you a nice truck.

Yeah. Not anymore.

How long it been doing this?

Uh, just now. I... I don't know.
It's not mine.

When the last time
you changed the oil in it?

I don't know.

All right. It's all right.

Hey, Santiago.

Uh, you can wait inside.

We got air in there.

Yeah.

Yesterday, I said
it was the exhaust valve, and I was right.

So, uh...
Well, probably just the carburetor.

And if it is,
I can just get that part on eBay.

It ain't that hard to find. It may
take a while to get here. You in a hurry?

I don't know how long I'll be here.

- How much is it gonna cost?
- Maybe about, uh, 350, 400, plus labor.

Maybe more if we get in there
and find it needs some more work.

I don't know if I wanna fix it.
It's not... It's not even mine. It's...

Oh, no, now that…
…I mean, that's... that's a nice truck.

So…

Okay, how about you just, um,
leave it here with us?

And when I get the part,
I'll call you for an estimate. Yeah?

I don't know my number.

I mean, it's just business.

No. I... I really don't know my number.

Um, how about you, uh... How about this?
How about, uh, you call me,

and your number will show up. Okay?

Can I... Can I see your phone?

So what I'ma do is I'ma call me, right?

And that way, my number will show up,
all right? Simple as that.

It's Aucoin.

- Thank you.
- Mm-hmm.

Hey, '85 Scottsdale, you okay?

I'm fine.

I mean, it's real hot out.
You want a ride?

Where you headed?

Just down near Tchoup and Bordeaux.

- Gonna get a sno-ball?
- No.

Shit, maybe.

Hey, you wanna play some music?

You can pick whatever CD you like.

My grandma
used to play this record. She...

Ooh, man, she loved her some Ernie.

He's making a joke
out of the blues though.

- You grew up here?
- Yeah, born and raised. You?

Same.

- Where you go to high school?
- Newman.

- Ooh.
- I had a scholarship.

I went to De La Salle.

Aucoin, right?

You know, most people,
they just call me James.

I knew a Jess Aucoin
that went to De La Salle.

That would be my sister.

I played against her in basketball.
She was tough.

The weirdest thing about this song

is that he actually got buried
with his mother-in-law.

Down on Claiborne.

That's ironic.

Oh.

Shoot.

I guess that's why
people don't buy CDs anymore.

- Know what?
- Uh… …I'm old-school, so…

Yeah.

You know this one, right?

- "Here Come the Girls"?
- That's it. That's it.

Okay, Newman.

All right.

First you scrub,
then you use your skimmer.

Get all your flowers and leaves
off the surface.

Then you get your leaf rake.
That's the heavy net.

You get all your rocks, twigs, acorns.

Stuff that'll clog your main drain
and damage your pump.

Hey, you... you okay?
Can you handle all of that?

Yeah. Uh, main drain…

All right, good.
So then you're gonna empty the drains.

And the drains are serious.

You don't know what's in those drains.

You can tell a lot about a person
'cause of what's in their pool drains.

You really gotta give it some more muscle.

There you go.

People treat their pools like shit.

Out of chlorine.
Grabbing some from the truck.

You think you can handle this on your own?

Yes, sir.

Great. Then you can start
with Octavia Street tomorrow.

Just come over after then. Yes, baby.

Okay. I'll see you later.

- Oh, you're in here.
- I didn't see the truck.

It's at the shop.

What's wrong with it?
What's it gonna cost?

Don't worry about it.
I'll... I'll pay for it.

That's not what I meant.

Um, how you feeling?

Good. Okay. I'm good.

Come sit with me awhile?
I could use a drink.

You tired?

Yeah.

Right.

Hello? Anybody home?

I'm back here, James.

Damn, this place is nice.

- I ain't gonna get shot, am I?
- Not today.

- Owners are out of town.
- Ah.

- Thanks.
- Mmm, you're welcome.

- Do you wanna sit down?
- Yeah.

Do you swim?

Not exactly, no.

- I saw it in your walk.
- Mm-hmm, I get around okay.

Did you serve?

No. I take it you did?

Something like that. I just got back.

How's it going?

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

And look straight up.

And now the left.

Very good.

So, Ativan, Cymbalta, Depakote, Vicodin
and a brain injury.

From which you appear to be recovering
extremely well.

With brain injuries,
there are never any guarantees.

I'm feeling pretty good.
In fact, I'd like to know

what would happen
if I stopped taking the medication?

You'd be a high risk of seizure, anxiety,
withdrawal and depression.

I feel fine.

Is it possible you feel fine
because of the Cymbalta?

Could you explain to me
what caused the brain injury?

Doesn't it say in there?

Uh, it says, "Cerebral hemorrhage
acquired in Afghanistan

from an explosion
while traveling in a vehicle."

That's what caused it.

But I want to hear
your account of what happened.

I'm just asking to come off these meds.
I've never been medicated before,

and I don't intend to be
for the rest of my life.