Last Summer in the Hamptons (1995) - full transcript

(music chimes)

- "I'm in mourning for my,"

I mean, what does that mean,

"I'm in mourning for my life?"

The curtain goes up,

"I'm in mourning for my life."

I can't, I cannot do it.

I can't even remember the things.

- Why can't you just do it
just the way you are now?

"I'm in mourning for my life!

"I can't do it!"



Why can't you do it just like that,

the way you are, right now?

That's great.

- Because I can't even remember them.

- You can't remember your lines?

Of course you can

because if you know what's
happening in this scene,

where are you in the
beginning of the scene,

where are you in the
end, what happens to you.

That was the best question
Lee ever asked me.

He said, "What happens
to you in this scene?

Where are you in the beginning?

What are you finding out?

What are you learning?



♪ You've got to accentuate the positive ♪

♪ Eliminate the negative ♪

♪ Latch on to the affirmative ♪

♪ Don't mess with Mr. In-Between ♪

♪ You've gotta spread
joy up to the maximum ♪

♪ Bring gloom down to the minimum ♪

♪ Have faith ♪

♪ Or pandemonium's liable
to walk upon the scene ♪

♪ To illustrate my last remark ♪

♪ Jonah in the whale ♪

♪ Noah in the Ark ♪

♪ What did they do ♪

♪ Just when everything looked so dark ♪

♪ Man, they said we'd better
accentuate the positive ♪

♪ Eliminate the negative ♪

♪ Latch on to the affirmative ♪

♪ Don't mess with Mr. In-Between ♪

♪ No, don't mess with Mr. In-Between ♪

(big band jazz music)

- [Oona] You think this was a good idea?

- [Suzanne] Yep, it's gonna be great.

- [Oona] Is the whole
family gonna be there?

- [Suzanne] Yeah.

- Why did you rent this limo?

You know, I told you

I didn't want to look like
a movie star this weekend.

I wanted to look natural.

I wanted to make a good
impression on these people.

What did she say when you
told her I was coming?

Did she know who I was?

- Why is this Oona coming?

- Oona who?

- Oona who?
- I don't know.

- She's Mary Marvel.
- She's a friend of Suzanne's.

I mean, what...

- Mary Marvel, what's Mary Marvel?

- She's a superhero.

- In what, in comic books?

- No, in the movies.

- You've seen her movie?

(talking over each other)

- This is the last
weekend we have together.

Do you have to, oh, God, this
family is really impossible.

- Why is she coming?
(chuckling)

- She's coming, she's just coming.

Why are we making a big thing out of it?

- [Oona] I'm just
nervous, I'm gonna use it.

I'm gonna use it.
- Yeah, just use it.

- Right.
- Just use it.

You're gonna love 'em.

And they're gonna love you.

- I don't know. (nervously laughs)

- They are, they're gonna love you.

- Oh, God, I hope they
haven't seen my movie.

- What do you know about her, Chloe?

- She's in the fucking Mary Marvel movie!

She's huge!

Everybody and their
mother knows who she is.

She makes a million
dollars being Mary Marvel.

I bet she makes a million dollars.

- Wipe your chin.
- No.

- I can't look at you.

- Just feel what you're feeling.

The most important thing
is to allow yourself

to feel what you're feeling.

(Oona sighs)

Find out exactly where the energy is.

(both inhale deeply)
That's right, breathe.

And be full, that's all you have to do.

- You know that we'll never

have a house like this ever again?

- Okay.
- She may just stop you.

- We're never gonna have,

most of us will never, ever live

- Empty, empty, empty.
- in a house like this again

for the rest of our lives.
- Great, terrific.

- Oh, stop it, you'll grow out of that.

And you'll remember this house.

- All this house has
been is people fighting

and yelling at each other,

and performing from
fucking dawn till dusk,

each one of you
- And you know what?

- louder than the next.
(clapping)

- And we're gonna miss this like crazy.

- I wouldn't miss it for a second.

- Next summer, I'm in Greece.

- I'll talk to you ten years from now.

- You know something?

If you hadn't grown up in
this house with this family,

you wouldn't be able to
write what you're doing!

- That's right!
(clapping)

- Bravo!
- Yea!

- [Suzanne] Here we are.

- This is it, this is it, Mora.

What is this, it's for sale?

- [Suzanne] Yeah.

- [Oona] What do you mean, it's for sale?

- Well, she has to sell the house.

- What do you mean, she
has to sell the house?

- They can't keep the house

because they can't afford it anymore.

They never got it paid off.

They're artists, darling.

- Helena Mora has to
sell her house, my God.

- [Suzanne] They're artists.

- [Oona] They're gonna
think some Hollywood number

when they see this ridiculous boat.

♪ Man, they said we'd better
accentuate the positive ♪

♪ Eliminate the negative ♪

♪ Latch on to the affirmative ♪

♪ Don't mess with Mr. In-Between ♪

♪ No, don't mess with Mr. In-Between ♪

- (chuckling) Hi.
- Hi.

- Oh!
- Hello.

How are you?

(chattering)
(laughing)

- [Helena] Suzanne! Oh, God!

- Please call me Eli.

This is Helena.

- Hi, Ms. Mora.

- Good to see you.

Hey, George!

What are you doing?

Come on! (chuckles)

I want you to meet my star pupil.

He's gonna be a star, maybe, maybe,

if he behaves for 'em.
- Hi. Oona Hart.

- Hi, I know. (chuckling)

Pleasure to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.

- Okay, enough, enough.

Could you just get the bags?

- Sure, in the car?
- Yeah.

- [Oona] You have no idea what
this means to me, Ms. Mora.

- Oh!

- Thank you so much for
letting me come into your home.

- Go on.
- The words?

- Yes, yes, with music.

- Okay, but from the beginning?

- Yeah.

- But happy now!
- Yeah, yeah.

All right, so...

♪ Man and lion ♪
- That's it, that's it.

♪ Eagle and quail ♪

- That's it.

Good, go with that.

- Um...
(laughing)

♪ Deer ♪

♪ Cows ♪
♪ Cows ♪

♪ Buffalo ♪
♪ Buffalo ♪

♪ Chipmunks ♪

♪ Chipmunks ♪
- That's it.

- Hi.
- Hi.

- Here they are.

This is Oona.
- I'm Chloe.

- Hi, Chloe.

- Oona, what's your second name again?

- Oona Hart.

- Oona Hart, this is Oona Hart.

- Nice to meet you.

- Hi.
- Hi.

- This is grandchildren, daughter of mine.

- Hi, how are you?
- And those are my students.

Say hi to Oona.

- Hi, Oona.
- Nice to meet you.

- Oh, I think they know who you are.

- Up, up, stretch the spine,

and then a circle, whoa, whoa, whoa.

(laughing)
And then kick.

Not me. (chuckles)

That's right, kick.

- I can kick any leg.
- And then up again, up again.

And then like this, whoa.

(laughing)

Whoa.
- Whoa.

- There, and then down.

That's it.

Here we are, this is your room.

I wish we had two separate
rooms, but this is it.

And there's a bathroom over there.

- It's really nice.
- This is great.

- I've always been upstairs.
- Yes.

Oh, this is your first time on this floor?

- Yeah.
- Oh, great, this is great.

Oh, I'd love to show you around,

show you where the stage is.

And everybody is so excited
about you being here.

- (chuckles) Really?

- Oh, yeah.

The kids are really just
chattering away about you, really.

- Oh, that's so nice.

It's terrific, yeah, it is terrific.

- Well, I have a confession, you know?

- What's that?
- I am your biggest fan.

- No.
- Am I not?

- No, come on.
- I am your biggest fan.

- Really?
- All my friends in L.A.,

that's all we talk about is Eli Garfield.

- Really?
- Yeah.

We saw you in Jake's play.

- Oh, you were at the Mark Taper?

You saw it there?
- Yeah.

- Oh, great.
- Oh, you were just wonderful.

- Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you.

I'm flattered, I'm blushing, whoa.

- I mean, God, you were so exciting.

- Woo, thank you.
- I was crying,

wasn't I, Suzanne?

- No?
- I was, I was devastated.

- Well, I'm very touched.

- I have to tell you, I'm looking at you,

and all I'm thinking is
this is Eli Garfield.

(giggling)
- I'm blushing.

I don't know what to say.

- [Oona] You're terrific.

- Have you never been onstage?

- [Oona] I have, I've done small plays,

nothing like what you did.

- Well, I'm sure you will.

- I'd like to someday.
- Good, good.

- [Oona] Maybe we'll
do something together.

- Well, with Suzanne here,
I bet you're working on it.

Anyway, I'm a little embarrassed,

so why don't I leave you two alone.

- Okay.
- And it's great to see you.

Suzanne, it's great.

(smooches)

Okay, take care.

And if there's anything
you need, please call me.

And I'll show you around the place, okay?

- Okay, great.
- Okay. Bravo.

- Would you get out of here? (chuckles)

(sighs)

(laughing)

(sighing)
- Oh, my God.

(both laughing)

- [Helena] What did I do?

I bought this house.

I brought up this family.

This family is so flip.

No wonder we have screwed up.

(laughing)

- I get a little uncomfortable

talking around everybody else.

- It's an appropriate response.

(chuckles)

You have to watch what you say here.

- Yeah, yeah, I guess so.

I don't know, you know,

I just feel like I have
such a connection to you,

and something about being out here.

- To me?

- Yeah.

- Oh, come on.

I need an animal for Ivan.

He's too important to me.

- [Suzanne] Darling, you're a movie star.

- Ugh, a movie star.
- He's nervous to meet you.

Just be yourself.

- I'm sure he doesn't take me seriously.

Come on, I need an animal for him.

- All right, you want
him to help you, right?

- [Oona] Yes, I need him.

- Then do your baby seal.

- Are you sure?
- Yes.

- My baby seal?

- God, I just want to find one man.

I'm so hot.

I just want to find one man.

I just,

I just want to find one
man who can do everything.

I don't know.

I want somebody who can
recite Yeats in the dark.

(imitates seal)

- I mean, when you know,

when you look at somebody and you know

that you connect on a certain level,

- That's--
- But you don't know

anything about them.

Like, you don't know where they're from,

or what they're all about.

- Yes, I know that
quality rather well, yes.

Uh-huh, you feel that, huh?

Wow, oh, boy.

- (sighs) Well, it's just
sometimes I look over at you,

and I think you understand
what I'm feeling.

- (sighs) Well, maybe I, that's
hard to tell if I do or not.

- (imitating seal) Who are those students

that Eli was talking about?

- Oh, um, Helena's students.

They're on scholarship.

They work in the city with her,

and then they come out during the summer,

and they work here at the house.

They clean, cook, drive,

they do everything around here.

And then they get to be
in the summer production.

- [Oona] What summer production?

- Oh, that's right, you don't know.

It's famous around here.

You can't even go.

I mean, you can't even pay.

You have to get invited.

Every Labor Day weekend,
people come from the city,

they come from around
here, from everywhere.

That's right, watch the flippers.

(imitates seal)

Watch your flippers.

- That's a really nice sweater,

a very good color.

Orange, I like orange.

- You don't like it?

Yeah, I do, yeah.

- I got it in the city.

Want to try it on?

- They generally don't
have sweaters out here

that are like that.

- No, this is, it's one
of my favorite sweaters.

Try it on.

- Thank you, very nice.

- It actually looks good
on you with the blue shirt.

- Yeah, well...
- It's a good color for you.

- Well, thank you.

- Yeah, orange, dark red--

- Why don't you keep it for a while?

- Really?
- Yeah.

- Are you sure you don't need it?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

No, no.
- Oh.

Well, thank you.

Very nice of you.

- Would you put your flippers down?

- Okay, all right, all right.

- Is that Ivan?

(Woman shouting)

- Okay, now, say that again?

- Is that Ivan?

Is that too much voice?

- Yeah, a little bit too much.

It's too much voice?
- Yeah.

- Oh, my God, who is that on the stage?

- Just trust, darling,
that's all you have to do.

- Trust. (nervously laughs)

- The work is about trust.
- Okay, okay.

- It gives you an independence.

You don't have to worry about that.

- Okay.
- Just be yourself.

- Is it too much baby seal?

- A little, yeah.
- Yeah? Okay.

- I got you.

Let's go get this.
(sighs)

Relax, just relax.

- [Actress] In vain! In vain!

Let's pour moonlight from it.

All is cold, cold, cold!

- [Ivan] That's it.

- And empty!
- That's it.

- Are we interrupting?

- [Ivan] Oh, hi, nice to see you.

How are you?

- Ivan, I want you to meet Oona Hart.

- Hi.
- Hello. Welcome.

Nice to have you.

- Such a pleasure.

- It's lovely to meet you.

- Hi.
- Hello.

- Lois, hi.

- Hi.
- Hi.

- I only saw a few seconds,
but it sounded great.

- Oh, well, you're in movies,

I want you to watch a close-up.

Just from the end.

- Right now?
- Yeah.

- I really don't want to do it right now.

- Oh, come on.

- No, 'cause we didn't get to do it.

- [Ivan] Well, just let out
what you're feeling right now,

right at her.
- With what lines?

- [Ivan] Uh, "Cold, cold,
cold, empty, empty, empty."

- At her?
- Yes.

- Somebody interrupted you,
so just go with your feeling,

what you're feeling about her.

Watch.

- I'm not just gonna do that.

- Oh, please.

- Come on.
- Please.

- Come on.

- All is cold, cold, cold, and empty.

- Now, a little bit more.

A little bit more, come on,

you've got it in you.
(laughing)

Let it out, come on.

Come on, let it out.

- All is cold, cold, cold

and empty.

- [Ivan] And empty.

- And empty.

- [Ivan] That's it.

That's it.

You see?

- Have you read "The Cherry Orchard?"

- I love "The Cherry Orchard," yeah.

- Helena's got me working on Yephikodov.

- [Jake] Is that a real gun?

- Yeah, I got it when I was in L.A..

It's really easy to get guns in L.A..

I carry it with me

'cause the character
Yephikodov carried it with him

at all times so that at a moment's notice,

he could decide whether
or not to kill himself.

- Oh, the clerk, yeah.

The Chekhovian clerk,

well-intentioned, nothing ever works out.

Yeah.

- I think if you really
want to be in touch

with a character, you
gotta think like one.

- I don't know what Helena
is teaching you guys,

I think that's taking
The Method a little far.

I mean, that's a real gun.

- No, I think it's being in touch

with that fine line
between reality and acting.

And this just kind of helps me a little.

- It's a very distinct line, I think,

between reality and acting.

I don't feel great about guns, frankly.

- You want to take a look?

It's kind of like holding
death in your hand, isn't it?

- Well, here, you take it. (chuckling)

Take it back.

Um, I guess it is, yeah.

I guess it's like holding
death in your hand.

Who would want to hold
death in their hand?

Not me.

- Like this.
- No, but this was the one.

- All right, go with that.

- But then this one is the one

that I would like to use for that,

from the getting out of the chair.

- [Ivan] It's like a little freeze-frame.

And now, go into another.

- Eh, George,
(chuckling)

don't you have something to do?

- I always have something
to do around here.

- Oh, good.

- Can I get both of you drinks?

- No, I'm fine.
- No, thank you.

- You sure?
- Bye.

- [Jake] Bye-bye.

- Eh.
- Hello, how are you?

- I'm okay.

I just read your play.

- (chuckling) Oh.

Oh, boy.

- I'm so moved, I can't talk. (laughs)

Okay, here we go.

I love it,

and I've been wanting to say
this to you for some time.

I really respect and admire

the fact that you are
endlessly turning agony

into a terrific play.

I mean, that is just so beautiful.

- [Jake] Thank you.

It was a great play, and I
know you want me to play Anna.

It's a wonderful part.

- [Jake] Yeah.

- Maybe, it may be not for
me right now, it's too small.

- Too small?
- Yeah, let me explain.

I want to direct it.

I want to direct your play.

- You want to direct?
- I want to direct your play.

- [Jake] Well, I, uh...

- [Helena] Okay?

- Directing, is that something,

because you've never really,

we've never talked about this before.

- Well, I've been
wanting it for some time.

And I did direct a small film.

I can show it to you.

It feels peculiar.

- You want to have to
audition for your grandson?

- Yes, exactly.

I don't know why not.
- Oh, shit.

- Put that away, please.

- Well, I can't smoke in the house.

- It upsets me when you smoke.

- Well, I'm addicted, I have to.

- Okay, you're addicted.

What is that supposed to mean?

- What's it sound like?

I'm addicted.
- I don't understand why

you have to wear shirts with holes in it.

Is that some kind of costume?
- What?

I'm on vacation, Dad.

- Okay, all right, I'm
sorry, you're right.

You should be able to
wear whatever you want.

- Jeez.
- Why don't you talk to Lois?

How come you don't talk to her anymore?

- She doesn't talk to me.

- No, she--
- I talk to her constantly.

- Chloe, I don't know what to do with you.

It's like you're doing
everything you can in your life

just to upset me, to upset
Marian, to upset Lois.

I mean, don't you have any--

- The world doesn't revolve around you.

I do things for a reason.

I have my own reasons for doing things.

- Could you take your
hat off for a second?

- Why?
- I want to see your face.

You're beautiful.

- You can see my face.

- You're beautiful.

Do you mind if I take it off?

Look at that.

Look at this, look at this hair.

- My hair is dirty.

- Why do you do this?

What is this string?

What is this hanging here?

- You're overdressed.

If you ask me,
(chuckling)

you're overdressed for the country.

Give me my hat.
- Okay.

Come here.

- What?
- Give me a hug.

(smooches) I love you.

I don't understand you.

Can't you just understand--
- I didn't miss you at all.

- What is that supposed to mean?

- I didn't miss you.

- What is that supposed to mean?

- I mean, I didn't miss you.

I had fun without you.

- [Eli] I don't know what
I'm gonna do about you,

I really don't.

- [Chloe] You don't have
to do anything about me.

- [Eli] You hurt us, you really hurt us.

You hurt our feelings.

You make us feel that you
don't want to be with us.

- That's because you
can't accept who I am.

You don't want to,

you don't want to see who I am.

- I'm trying.

I really am trying.

- But you want me to change my clothes.

How do you want me to dress?

In your fantasy world, how would I dress?

- I want you to look beautiful.

- In what, frills and pink bows?

- No, no, no, in whatever
way you want to look.

- You want me to show
my ass off to the world?

- Stop it, Chloe.

That's not necessary.

It's not necessary.

- Pause!

That's it, that's it, now go with that.

That's it, that's it,
that's it, your whole body.

There you go, that's it.

Now you get the rhythm.

- [Lois] Oh, but I didn't freeze.

- [Ivan] It doesn't matter.

Let the whole body down.

That's it, the whole body, that's it.

Good! Good!

That's it, that's it.

- Hi.
- Hi.

Jake Axelrod, how are you?

- Oh, hi, Oona Hart.

- Yeah, yeah, you are Oona Hart.

(chuckles)
Good to meet you.

I'm sorry, I was expecting
somebody a lot older. (chuckles)

- Geriatric plays, I know.

- No, no, no, I love your plays.

- Thank you.
- I really, I love your work.

I just, um, you're so young. (chuckles)

- Not my fault, sorry.

(laughing)

- That's it, that's it.

- Yes, yes, yes.

(laughing)

- So how do you know so much?

I would love to know how you know so much.

- Oh, just hanging around these people.

- Really?
- That'll do it, yeah.

- Is that your new play?

- Such as it is, yeah.

- I'd love to read it.

Would you let me read it?

- (sighs) Well...

- I mean, no strings attached,

I just want to read your play.

I'd be really honored.

- Yes, sure, I guess that's fine.

- Thanks.
- I'm sorry, that's fine.

(chuckling)

And of course there are
no strings attached.

- No, I mean, I'm just, um,
such a fan of your work.

It'd be great to read something

before it's actually in production,

and see the process of how you change it,

and, you know, the different
things that happen to it

by the time it gets on the stage.

I'd love to be involved in
that process in some way.

- In a play?

- Yeah, yeah.

- [Jake] This is just a first draft.

See those kids there?

They're putting up boards.

You know, it's gonna be a stage.

- Yeah.
- That's holy.

A stage is holy.

You know, it's, uh, it's religious.

And that's what I think
you have to realize,

that acting is not an amusement.

You know, it's something
that starts inside of you

and fills you up,

and makes you get up in the morning,

and allows you to sleep at night.

What's important is

that it's the stuff of your life.

If you can't live without
it, then you do it.

If you can live without it,
for God's sake, don't do it.

(birds chirping)

(typing)

- He's here, too.

Oh, well, it doesn't matter.

He doesn't believe in the theater.

He was always laughing at my dreams,

till after a while, I stopped
believing in them myself.

- Hi, you're quite the avid student, huh?

Are you enjoying it?
- Yeah.

She's really wonderful, isn't she?

- Yes, she is.
- She's so real and open.

- What was I talking about?

What was I talking about?

What was I talking about?

- You know, you mustn't
let our elitism fool you.

I'm sure we're all very dazzled by you.

- You think so?
- Yes.

Oh, I can't imagine why.
- You're so beautiful.

- Oh, thank you, you're so sweet.

- Beauty has its privileges.

Beauty has its privileges.

My husband is a staunch believer in that.

- [Oona] Your husband, Ivan?

- He's very fascinated by you.

When he works on something,

it's sometimes two and three years.

Only a tremendous personal fascination

can fill working on a play for that long.

He's fallen in love with
most of his leading women.

Do you understand?

I embrace that.

I embrace it.

- [Oona] You do?

- She looks out at the world.

What does the world
look like this morning?

- How you doing?

- Okay, how's the wunderkind?

- I'm trying to get a
little peace, but, uh--

- What do you mean?

- You know, everyone's all over the place.

- I think Mary Marvel is the most, I mean,

I haven't seen the movie,
(laughing)

but I've seen drawings of her.

And it's so, it would be so exciting

to play an emblematic Amazonian heroine

instead of a more delicate, modern...

I think it would be wonderful
to wear that little crown.

It's so sweet.

- Oh, no, I didn't wear a crown.

That's, um, Wonder Woman.

You're thinking of Wonder Woman.

She was more into bondage and...

- You don't wear a crown?

- No, that's,

I wear yellow boots and a cape.

It's not what you think.

It's not a great thing
to play Mary Marvel.

- You don't wear anything on your head?

- No, I...

- Well, still though, but I mean,

you're a pure, live Amazonian creature,

(laughing)

instead of a woman with a fan, you know?

- What did she say?

- She said that it's the most
important play to come along,

and she would love to be a
part of it the next time.

I mean, I couldn't believe
what she was saying.

- [Jake] They say these things, though.

They have a way of talking

where everything is just, you know...

- You think?

- It's a big Hollywood thing.

- It's like in--
- I believed her.

I really believed her.

She said that everybody in Hollywood

is talking about it and how great,

she quoted, she quoted the review.

I couldn't believe it.

It made me feel like I was a kid.

I mean, now my heart started to pound.

I started to sweat.

- Did you see that picture?

- Her picture?

- The one with the cats and the beetles,

the people in capes leaping.

- (chuckling) Did you?

- It was on an airplane.
- Oh.

- She's actually not bad, the thing is--

- [Eli] Did you chat with her at all?

I haven't really chat, I'm avoiding,

I can't do that movie star thing.

- Great to see you.

- And you're still fit.

You're swimming every day again, I heard.

- I certainly am.

How is madam?

- She's in great shape.

She's out on the terrace.

- Oh, great.

Here, you want to hold that for me?

- We'll go straight out there.

- Thank you.

Is she all right, really?

- Yeah, she's out back.

Oh, she's fine.
- Really?

How's she taking all of this?

- Not one bit sentimentally.

You know her.
- Huh?

- You know her.
- Yeah, I do.

- She has it all.

She's wonderful now.

- You're the closest partner
I've ever had, you know?

I mean, even more than Marian
in a strange kind of way.

I don't think of you as a nephew anyway.

I mean, I've always thought

you were more of a friend than a nephew.

- Definitely.

- Don't you?
- Definitely.

- I'm worried about Chloe.

I'm really worried about her.

I feel, like, guilty I
haven't been a great father,

I've been interested in my work,

I'm waiting for my agent to call,

and I'm anxious about your plan.

She walks around, she
looks like a little boy.

She has holes in her shirt.

- And what is the matter with that?

A little gender confusion
is a great thing.

- [Ivan] Where'd you get that dress?

- [Oona] In L.A., do you like it?

- [Ivan] Oh, it's lovely.

You look like Carmen Miranda.

- I do?
(imitates maracas)

- You know that I do a
beautiful, beautiful samba?

- You do?
- Yeah.

- Oh, I bet you do.

- And I do a pretty good
rumba, all the old ones.

- Really?
- Yeah.

- Oh, you're so talented.

You do everything.

- Well, not everything.

There's one thing I don't do.

(laughing)

- What's that?

- I'm not gonna tell you.

- Tell me, tell me, tell me.

- No, I'm embarrassed.
- What is it?

- What is the one thing I don't do?

- Mm-hm, that's what I want to know.

- Well, I have to admit that, um,

I'm a little bit like one
of those desert monks.

The one thing that I don't do...

(giggling)

Well, I've been pretty, um,
pretty, what do you call it?

- Sex, you mean?
- Yeah, sex.

- I have not had any sex in
so long, it's unbelievable.

That's the one thing I don't do.

I pretty much do everything else.

Let's see if there's
anything else I don't do.

I don't make money.

(laughing)

But that's about it.
- But you make art.

- I do make art.
- You make great art.

- You think so?
- Oh, yeah.

- Really?
- You're so talented.

You make beautiful art.

- Have you seen any of my work?

- No, but I've heard everything about it.

You're like a legend.

- Where?

- Where are you a legend?
(laughing)

In my heart.
- In your heart, why?

- Because you don't give
in to commercialism.

You're pure.

You're like some god.

- Oh, no, I don't.
- No, you are.

I don't know how you do it,

but you just, you deliver art.

- [Ivan] You know, it's not me.

- So who is it?
- It's not me.

I used to think it was me.

I used to think that I was
this very brilliant director,

you know?

But, recently, I've
realized that, (chuckles)

I'm more like an antenna.

- Uh-huh.
- You know?

That the antenna is
something that, you know,

that there are messages going
on all the time up there,

and that I'm just the antenna for it.

No, I'm not kidding.

Basically what I do is I
tinker with the antenna.

I clean it, I polish it.
(sighing)

In other words, I, oh, I'm sorry.

- It's okay.

- In other words, you are the instrument.

Do you know what I mean?

- I wish you would tinker with me.

- Hey, you.

- Hey. (chuckles)

- I had a great time last night.

So, (sighs) how are the lines going?

- I mean a great time. (giggling)

- Got all your lines memorized?

- Working on it.

- Yeah?

- How's your hose coming?

- My hose is just fine,
thank you very much.

(laughing)

(kissing)

(both moaning)

- [Trish] Would you like to go for a swim?

- Um, no, no, no.
- No?

Would you like to do a
little something else?

- Why don't we go inside?

- Ooh, step inside the pool house with me.

(laughing)

- How did you have the
guts to leave Hollywood

the way you did?

I mean, you just left,

really at the beginning of your fame,

at the height of everything for you.

You just left.

I don't know how you did that.

It scares the hell out of me.

(chuckles)

I want to do something
important with my life.

I want to be like you.

I want to have a great career.

I don't want to be some
cartoon figure, you know?

I want to, I want to do what you did.

I want to be able to just say,

"Look, this is what I
want to do with my life,"

and, yet, I'm scared.

I'm afraid to just say
no to something that,

what everyone else thinks
is important, I guess.

- I was very frustrated. (chuckles)

Particularly about it, I
wasn't learning my craft.

I didn't know what I was doing.

And I did one film after another,

and I looked at them, and I said,

"I don't know what I'm doing."

I would go home and I would be miserable.

I don't think you can learn it in film.

I think an actor has to go onstage.

I think you have to learn
where your muscle is,

and you have to express it,
and learn how to use it.

What is that wonderful quote
by Marilyn Monroe when she says

"I want to find the inside center of me."

You know, I think you have to find

everything inside of yourself.

There's nothing that we don't have.

We are thieves, we steal, we cheat,

we are good, we are bad.

We have everything in us.

It's just learning how
to free it and let it go.

I feel so much power
when I'm on the stage.

And I very often wonder,

"Why can't I have the same
sense of power in my life?

"Why can't I stick up for
things like I do onstage?"

But I'm determined, (laughs)

at this point in my life,

I don't have much to lose anyhow,

I'm determined to do in
life what I do onstage.

I just want the same high quality.

- But nothing seems to stop you.

You haven't let anything stop you.

You just keep going.

- That's because I know,

(crying) it's because I know
that's what I'm born to do.

And if it doesn't happen here...

I was working on "The Good
Woman of Saskatchewan,"

just fooling around
with it, and I thought,

"Wow, I really know it now.

"I really do know it.

"And shit, man, I can't
play it, the way I look."

And then I thought, "Oh, maybe
that's what it's all about.

"I'm gonna come back to earth age 18,

"or I'm gonna do it up there,

"and up there, you can
be any age you want."

(laughing)

- Why are people so
obsessed with age, though?

I mean, look at you,

you're absolutely gorgeous.
- Hmm.

- You're absolutely one of
the most beautiful women

I've ever seen.
- Well, I think men

are really afraid to see
themselves in their women.

I mean, it's hard for a man to say,

"That's my age, too, and I
ought to feel like that."

- I don't often meet
young and charming girls.

I've forgotten how it is to be 18 or 19.

I can't picture it at all.

That's why these young girls
in my stories and novels

are so unconvincing.

I'd like to be in your
shoes just for an hour

to see through your eyes,

and find out what you're thinking,

and the kind of person you are.

- And I'd like to be in your shoes.

- Why?

- To know what it feels
like to be a famous writer.

What's it like to be famous?

What does it feel like?

- Don't you have to hang lights?

Or clean the stage?

Or--
- No, I got, um,

I got somebody to take care of that.

- You got somebody?

You have an apprentice stand-in?

Is that what they're doing now?

- Not exactly, I just
arranged a trade-off.

(birds chirping)

- It took a while for me

to really face the fact that I am too old.

But the problem is you
don't feel too old. (laughs)

You feel 21, like Colette is saying,

you know, "Look at my poor hand."

And I realize I'm not 21.

The image of Duse and Sarah Bernhardt,

you know who they are,

those great actresses?
- Of course, of course.

- Well, I grew up, you know,
wanting to be like them.

But the thing is, Oona, you see,

the thing that made you and
me successful, the camera,

has really turned out to be

a dreadful enemy for women, right?

Because the camera is so
close, it shows every wrinkle.

So I can't do what Sarah
Bernhardt and Duse did.

So I figured, I have so
much knowledge at this point

that I can't stand not using it.

So if I can't use it
like Sarah Bernhardt did,

I have to find some other way.

So I really want to direct,

and I really know how to
do it, you understand?

(crickets chirping)

(chattering)

- [Oona] This is incredible.

Do you do this all the time like this?

This big dinner?
- This is what we do.

(laughing)

- Did they pad the bra you had

in those Mary Marvel movies?

- Yeah.
- She had a bullet-proof bra.

- Chloe.
- What?

It looks like they pad it.

It's just a technical question.

What is the meaning of, um, Proskurov?

How do you say it?

Proskurov?
(Chloe laughing)

- [Eli] Actually, that's a
very interesting question.

- You'll never find an answer.
- That's a very interesting,

we've been trying to find out for--

- My mom will never, ever...

- What is the meaning of Proskurov?

How do you say it?

- [Eli] Proskurov.

- [Oona] Proskurov, what does it mean?

- Well, this is not the day.

This is not the day to tell that.

It will never be the day.

- Only Mother knows.
(laughing)

Oona, you should have
a foe like Le Petomane.

You know that guy, the guy that he farted?

A long time ago, he was, like,
famous for farting onstage?

(laughing)

Royal famous people came
to see him farting--

- Why are you talking about this?

- Because he could be a good foe for her.

- I'm trying to get away from that, Chloe.

I don't want to do that.

- He could have G, for like, for Gas Man.

(laughing)

Really, no, I'm serious.

- And he lights with a lighter,

and it goes boom.
(laughing)

- [Chloe] You guys, you think
I'm kidding, but I'm serious.

- I'm liking the idea!

Oh, I think it's great.

- Yeah, I--
- You do not think it's great.

- It is.
- Would he fart?

- Fuck you! I'm serious!

- What are you getting so upset about?

- I'm serious.

This is a real idea.

I'm trying to explain it.

Fuck you!

- Oh, Chloe, come on.

- Chloe! Chloe!
(clamoring)

See what you do?

You treat people like they're all

just some big goddamn
joke for you to laugh at!

- Well, don't be ridiculous--
- Don't be ridiculous?

Now you're telling me I'm ridiculous!

First you tell her she's ridiculous,

now you tell me I'm ridiculous.

- [Helena] Oona, Oona.

- Well, what she--

- Oona, it's all my fault.

(laughing)

I am to blame for this. (chuckles)

- She means it's in the genes.

- I am always to blame.

Everything is my fault, yes, absolutely.

I'm the only one, right?

I'm the only one.

- To Maman!
- To Maman!

(all cheering)

- You were always were (whispering).

(laughing)
- Je t'adore, Maman.

- [Helena] Ah, oui.

(chattering)
(laughing)

- [Marian] Where is she going?

- Lois!
- Lois!

- Where are you going?
- Are you okay, dear?

- [Marian] Where are you going?

- [Lois] I'm going to see if Chloe's okay.

- All right.
- Chloe's okay.

- Let her go, let her go,
let her go, let her go.

- Chloe is really okay.

- Does this happen all the time?

- Everybody should really do
what they want for a change.

- This is the craziest family
I've ever seen in my life.

- [Ivan] This is the
quietest I've ever seen it.

- It's definitely the most passionate,

so you have to love them.

Hey, Jake!

What's the matter with you?

You're reading all the time.

Don't you see what's going on?

I mean, this is great stuff.

You should use it.

You should write about it, right?

- It's always a show with
you, isn't it, Grandma?

It's always part of the show.

(chuckling)

- What this family is

is just a barrel full of theatrical eels

poisoning and electrocuting one another

over and over and over again.

(soft violin music)

- [Oona] I felt very uncomfortable

when they started arguing.

I wanted to leave.

- Oh, nothing to feel uncomfortable about.

Every single one of them, they're actors.

They're actors.

You know, I knew an actress who said,

"I always know what I'm doing.

"I can't get away from what I'm doing."

She said, "I go to the
toilet and I'm thinking,

'What am I feeling as
I sit on the toilet?'"

(laughing)
So the whole time,

they're just acting.

I mean, look, any play, take any play,

"The Three Sisters," "Oedipus,"

"Tartuffe," "Agamemnon," "The Oresteia,"

what are they all about?

Family, it's all about family.

It's, you know, all about this.

- It's hard for me to relate to

because I really didn't
have a family, so I--

- How come you didn't have a family?

- Um, because my father left
when I was really young,

and my mother and I kind of
moved around and I didn't--

- Would you like a father?

- Why, are you auditioning?
(laughing)

- I'd be a lovely father.

I would.

I'd listen to your troubles.
- Really?

- I'd be very available.

- I'd like that.
- Very cozy.

- You are very cozy.

- I could teach you what
having a father is like.

- I'd like that.

- Would you?
- Yeah.

Sometimes I think maybe my
father would read about my press

and wonder about me, you know?

- Where is your father?

- I don't know.

I have no idea.

I don't know.

Sometimes I wonder what
his voice sounds like.

Maybe it would sound like yours.

- Somebody once told me I
should date a longshoreman.

Do you know what that is?

- Plumbers are better.

- They are?

- Yeah, they're experts at laying pipe.

Ha ha.

You want to hear a good joke I heard?

- I don't know.

- Why did the feminist cross the road?

- No feminist jokes.

- Why did the feminist cross the road?

- I don't know.

- To suck my cock.

(laughing)

- You get a lot of dates
with that line, huh?

- I'm worried about Chloe.
- So am I.

- She's getting worse.

- Well, did you talk to her?

- (scoffs) Doesn't do any good.

Well, I don't know, did
you use my brush again?

Marian, there's red hair in my brush.

- Did you talk to her?

- I always talk to her,
but she walks away on me.

She gets fresh and nasty.

She threatens me.

I don't know what to do.

You think maybe she should go to a shrink?

Huh?

You're her father.

Why don't you talk to her?

(sighing)

- You know, you tell me to talk to her

and I'm saying to you I've talked to her

and I've talked to her,

and she practically strips in front of me.

What am I supposed to do?

I think we should send her to a shrink.

Do you think it's possible
that she just needs to,

you know, sort of...

You know what?

This is a terrible thing
for a father to say.

You think she's ready to just have,

you know, be sexually active?

I mean, is that possible?

- Are you serious?

- [Eli] What do you mean?

No, I mean, how old is she?

- This is what you're
suggesting as a solution?

- [Eli] Well, maybe all
that energy is just about

repressed sexual energy.
- Oh, my God.

You disgust me.

What the hell are you doing to yourself?

You look like a turkey.

- Hello.
- Oh, thank God it's you.

(smooches)

My favorite cousin.

- Hello.

How are you?
(sniffling)

- Shitty, terrible, horrible.
- Why?

You're always shitty,
terrible, and horrible.

- (groans) Because of that
goddamn brother of mine.

(sighs)

- What'd he do this time?

- He's done what he's done every time.

Every time, since I've been little,

I like some guy, I show interest in him,

he starts liking me, we start
having a good thing going,

and along comes wonderful,
smart, handsome Jake,

and takes him away from me.

Chases after the guy,

and of course, the guy goes after Jake.

I mean, who wouldn't?

- Well, maybe it's your fault

for always being attracted to gay men.

- George is not a gay man, believe me.

- George is an asshole.
- George is just a big freak.

- [Lois] You deserve a
lot better than that.

I'm sorry--
- I don't give a shit

what you think I deserve, all right?

We were having a good time together, okay?

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, I shouldn't be yelling at you.

- It's okay, it's okay.

You want some popcorn?

- Sure, I'll have some.

(laughing)

You monkey.

Ow, it's stuck in my ear.

- Oh, I'm sorry.

Do we have to call a proctologist?

Oh, no, that's for your asshole.

(laughing)

- Freddy's been talking to me

about these offers that are
coming in from Hollywood.

These aren't just, like, little bites.

These are serious offers.

And all this money that
I've been spending,

this is an investment, you know, honey?

This is, like, a serious investment.

- An investment for what?

- For our lives, for our future.

How do you feel about going
to Hollywood, by the way,

moving out there?

(scoffs)

What does that make you feel like?

- Like vomiting.

- Come on.

No, seriously.

The weather will be like
this all year round.

It's quite wonderful.

You know this play that
little Jake is writing?

- Yeah.

- I'm really excited about that.

Let me tell you, this character Angelo,

it's like I was born to play it.

I suspect that once this play opens,

and people in New York and
California see me as Angelo,

that's it.

I mean, that's really it.

You know, these hairs grow so fast.

I pluck them, and the next night

there are more of them there.

(Marian sighs)

(crickets chirping)
(growling)

(snarls)

- Watch the back.

- (growls) What?

- Watch the back.

(growling)

I have to tell you, this
is a misuse of the work.

Oona, the reason for this work

is to improve your power of concentration

so that you will have
a keen eye for detail,

so that you remember everything.

It's not so that you can get
something that you want, Oona.

(growls)

- The house is going to go.

All the things you have
must go to the university.

Where are the pictures
from the Shaw cycle?

The Ibsen, the milk train?"

- Did I do that?
- I haven't heard it.

- Did you, yeah, "Chalk Garden?"

- This is the only time that I realize

that I've done something in my life

is because of you guys
bringing all this stuff in.

I think, "Oh, my God,
I did all this stuff?"

- You certainly did, and the
best anybody ever did it.

- I can't deny my age any longer, can I?

Apparently that's not possible.

- [Freddy] Well, it said
very clearly in "Don Juan,"

remember in "Don Juan?"
- Oh, I love this one.

- [Freddy] Remember that
section in "Man and Superman?"

- This is, this is--
- It is spoken very clearly

that all beautiful women are 27 years old.

So that's what you are.
(laughing)

Is this from Aunt Rose's Arena?

- That's Mother Courage.

- But that's in Vermont, was it?

Or--
- That was in Vermont,

but I actually did it in Washington.

- It was so wonderful.
- You remember, right?

Yeah, it's great, it's great.

- I remember I thought this
wagon would break her back

when you were towing it across the stage.

Yeah, that's great.

- What else are you talking about?

- [Thomas] Will you donate
those to the library?

- Did he say donate?

- [Thomas] Yes.

- Don't, all-right--

- But we would like to get paid.

- Yeah, but that's something
else we have to discuss

in relation to a whole
formidable force of material--

Talk to Freddy, I don't talk money.

I only beg for money,

but I don't talk about money.

- Look, I know there's a
desperate need for money,

and right now.

But this doesn't have to do with that,

in the sense that we've waited so long,

it's been so many years that
whatever is in this house,

first of all, it has to be collected.

Inventories have to be made,

then the appraisers have to be brought in.

And at the present day value--

(old movie soundtrack music)

(thud)
(suspenseful music)

- Is something wrong?

Can I be of any help?

- No, thanks.

Are you looking for someone?

- Why, yes. I got this
address from an agent.

I'm looking for a place to rent.

- Yes, it was for rent.

- You've changed your mind?

- [Mrs. Gracy] I don't know.

- [John] My name is Galen, John Galen.

- [Mrs. Gracy] I'm Mrs. Gracy.

This was my husband's house,

before he died.

I can't show it to you now.

- [John] Well, that's quite all right.

Some other time, tomorrow, perhaps.

- Good morning.
- Good morning.

- Hi.
- How are you?

- Hi, baby.
- Fresh, you look so fresh.

- We're getting rid of this house.

You can take anything you want.

- But can you guide me to
where these things are?

- Yeah.

I mean, it's hanging on the walls,

or probably all kinds of
boxes up in the attic.

- I want to talk to you about your play.

I read it last night.

- Oh, great, terrific.

- Yeah, it was terrific.

In fact, I read it three times.

So I wanted to--

- Three?
- (chuckles) Yeah.

- That's three more than me.

(laughs)

- I'd like to talk to you
privately about it later, okay?

- Sure.
- Okay.

I'm gonna go take a shower.

I'll see you later.
- Sure.

(chattering)

Excuse me, Helena, I just want to tell you

this is such an incredible place to be,

and I'm so happy you invited me.

- Good, I'm glad you came.
- It's so wonderful here.

- Right. (laughs)
- I just love it, it's great.

- Oh, good. (chuckles)

- See you later.

I'm gonna go take a shower.
- See you.

- She's an interesting girl.

- You think there's
nothing worse than poverty,

but I think that it's much
easier to wear rags than...

Oh, but, you wouldn't understand.

(sighs)

How in the hell did you get out
of being in this production?

- [Chloe] Because I always
fuck it up on purpose. (laughs)

- Jesus, I wish I could
fuck it up on purpose.

- Go ahead, why don't you?

You don't want to do it?

You don't think it's fun?

- Fun?

I can't remember the last time I had fun.

(scoffs)

I can remember when we were little

and we used to go down
in the ocean together.

(giggling)

Come dragging back up
at six o'clock at night.

"Where the hell have you been?"

That was great.

- Do you know, the other day,

I was watching the rehearsals,

and I sort of made some notes, you know?

Candida has that moment when
she's, "Do I really want this?

"Do I really want a man
who doesn't want me?"

- [Davis] Mother.

- [Helena] Davis--

- I'm listening.

I want to know what
you have to say, truly.

- Davis, don't you think it's
time that we sort of gave up

this, uh, you know, blame is the game?

I don't know what it is,

but could we not just sort of

be open and--
- I haven't said,

I haven't said a word about it, Mother.

I want to know your thoughts.
- You know something, Davis?

I want you to know something--

- I'm gonna play it the
way I'm gonna play it,

but I'm interested in
anything you would say to me.

- I'm so totally aware of

that I wasn't a very good mother for you

when you were little.

When are you going to stop
holding that against me?

- I'm not, Mother, I'm not.

I'm playing the part.

I'm concerned about the part.

- I'm talking about something
totally different, Davis.

- But I--
- I'm talking about us,

you and me.

When are you going to give up the blame?

I know I wasn't so great,

but, I mean, I have changed.

That's one thing about children,

they can't see that you've changed.

I have changed.

I'm a better, more understanding person.

- But I feel the same way
about my children, too, Mother.

I don't hold anything against you anymore.

- Do you know something?

That I, I didn't really like my mother

until after she died.

That's when I really were able

to see all the qualities

that, of course, I knew before,
but just wasn't able to see.

And I keep thinking,

"Is this what's going on
between me and Davis?"

- I don't know.

- I'm very excited.

- About what?
- The play.

- What do you mean you're
excited about the play?

- I'm excited about the play.

I mean, I'm sort of wondering
what it's gonna be like,

what my character's gonna be like,

and, uh, you know, you know, I'm excited.

You know that feeling of
anticipation and uh...

- Because of what?

Because that's the next play

that we're gonna do together,

and I'm really excited about it.

You know, people keep
asking me "What is it like?

"What is the character like?

"Is is gonna be anything
like the other plays?

"Is it a continuation?

"Is it a..."

So I'm, uh, you know.

- Well, I mean, it's not,
I'm not at that stage yet.

I can't have that kind
of discussion with you.

(birds chirping)

- (laughing) Nicky!

- Oh, God!
- Hey. (chuckling)

- Hey, there are you!

You know what?

I get the first--
- Hello, baby!

(Helena squeals)

Hello, my baby!

Look at you.

- Oh, you (kisses) look wonderful.

- Thank you.

- Good morning.

(growling)

What are you doing?

(snarls)

- I'm doing my leopard.

- Really?
(snarls)

Is the leopard a man or a woman?

- A woman. (snarls)
- A woman?

Is she in heat?

(growling)

Um, can I ask you, (laughing)

can I ask you why you're doing this?

Here, a little food for the leopard.

(growling)

A little food for the leopard.

Come here, come here.

A little food for the leopard.

(snarls)

Come, come, come.

Come on.

Come, come on.

(Ivan growls)

(Oona hisses)

(both hissing)
(both growling)

(grunting)

Shh.
(breathing heavily)

Nice little leopard in heat.

Nice, nice little leopard in heat.

Yes. Yeah.

You've never had anybody who
would tame you, have you?

Have you?
(growling)

You've never had anybody who
could tame this leopard, right?

Right?

Time to tame the leopard?

Is it?

(hissing)

Sweet little leopard.

Sweet little leopard.
(snarls)

Sweet little leopard.
(growls)

Sweet, sweet, sweet,

sweet leopard.

(softly growls)

(laughs)

There you go.

There you go, (slaps rear) ha!

(growling)
Ah, ah, ah, careful.

So what did you find?

(panting)

What happened to you?

What did you feel?
- Well, I didn't take it up,

so I have to get out
of it by taking it up.

- What do you mean?

(snarls)

- The leopard has to become human.

- Do you have any lines?

Do you have any text?

I thought you would never,

never, never make love to me again.

- Right.

I'm gonna go down to the kitchen

and pick out the sharpest

- What?
- knife I can find,

and stick it straight into my heart.

(laughing)

Well, what else are you doing today?

♪ Come, little feraleen ♪

♪ Won't you ♪

When you were a little girl,

you used to sneak into my bedroom

because you weren't allowed
at all to come to me then.

(laughing)

I used to put you to bed and sing.

♪ Come, my feraleen ♪

♪ Shoo, bye bye ♪

(speaking softly)

And you'd fall asleep,

and I would carry you out, little sneak,

and I'd put you back into your bed.

Grandmothers, they have
no rights, no rights.

But, um...
- Aww!

- You just have to be you, you know?

You have to be you.

It's enough just to be you.

(birds chirping)
(waltzing piano music)

- Hi.
- Hello.

- I just have to tell
you that, (chokes up)

I absolutely love this play.

- Really?
- I love this play.

- Why are you crying?

- Oh, (kisses) because,
- Hey!

- because Angelo for me is like, (cries)

it's who I--
(chuckles)

No, really, listen to me.

It's who I am.

I feel like Angelo represents

my whole lifelong struggle for acceptance.

I just, I don't know.

It's like you looked into my mind

and read my mind, and
my soul, and my heart.

And I just, oh, I just (kissing)

mm, I love it.
- Hey.

- Thank you.

That's very nice of you.
- It's incredible.

I mean, I know this character, you know?

I know, I know how this character feels.

I know how this character...

(sighs)
- It's all right.

It's just a play.

I just wrote it.
- No, it's not just a play.

It's more than that, it's life.

- No.
- It's life, and I just,

- Well, wait a second.
- I love you

for writing this play, I do.

(laughing)
- You're reading,

well, wait a second--
- I love you for

writing this play.

- Listen, we hardly know each other.

What's going on?
- Oh, I feel like you know me.

I feel like you just,
- No.

- (sighs) I fell like you know me.

- Well, that's really nice.

Let me see.
(laughing)

What's this?

- Um, I made some notes
about the play because...

(sighs)

- You made some notes? (chuckling)

Okay.

- No, I made some notes about Angelo

because Angelo is this
incredibly rich character,

and I feel like, you know,

I feel so empathetic
towards this character,

and usually that takes me a while

when I'm rehearsing a
character to get to that point.

And once I get to the point
of empathy with the character,

(chuckles) I know I can play it.

You know, I know--

- You think you can play this character?

- Well, as Angela.

- This character happens to be a man.

- I know, I know.
- Angelo.

(giggling)
It's a man, I wrote a man,

- I know, I know, but I, it's me.

- with man problems, with boy problems.

- No, but these problems
are women's problems.

- Do you think they
have the same problems?

- Yes.
- Men?

- You know, she is frustrated.

She feels like she wants

to live like a man,
- He's a gay man.

- because men are in
control of this world,

and she knows--
- But he's gay.

- I know she's--
- And here he's wearing,

it said Angela suddenly.

You, you think that's--
- Do you like the idea?

- I don't know.

I mean, would you play it?

- Well, I don't know.

I mean, I have a lot of commitments, but--

- Oh, well, you make the notes,

and this is that Hollywood thing,

that Hollywood thing, yes.
- No, no, no.

This is out of respect
for your work, Jake.

- Please do the thing,
and then make the note,

and then you go have lunch,

- Jake, listen to me.
- and some iced tea,

and then they leave you on the curb.

- No, no, I would never
leave you on the curb.

I would never leave you on the curb.

I like you.

- Why are you, you know,
I wrote a gay character

because I happen to understand
something about that.

I'm gay, so I don't...

(chuckles)

So,
(laughing)

just so you know.

Just so you know.

Just so you know
(giggles)

because I'm what they call a big fag.

(laughing)

(birds chirping)

- Loving and waiting, loving
and waiting, year after year,

what's the point of that?

When I'm married,

I'll have no time for love.

When I'm married,

I'll have no time for love.

New worries will make me forget.

Anyway, it'll be a change, won't it?

Shall we have another?

- Hi.
- Hi. (giggles)

- Are you studying your lines?

- Um, yeah.
- I'll come back.

- No, no, no.

Don't go! It's okay.

- You sure?
- Sure.

Come, have some wine?

- No, no.

I don't want any wine.
- No?

- I'd like some bottled water, though.

Do you have any?
- Yes. Water.

Ah, here we go.
- Under this chair?

Right here?
- Glass, good.

- What are you, um, in the play?

I forgot.

- Marcia.
- Oh, right. Marcia.

Gosh, depressing.

- Ugh.

So, (chuckles)

Nina, I would be a good Nina.

- You would be.
- Oh, yeah.

- You're so Nina-ish.

(laughing)
- Thanks.

- Here's to Marcia.

(glasses clink)

- Thanks. (chuckles)

Welcome.
- Thank you.

This is incredible.

This is like a dream come true being here.

Yeah, it's um...
- Unbelievable, your family,

your house, your, you know,

you're like the luckiest
girl in the world.

Do you know that?

- What?
- You are.

I mean, my God, to have spent every summer

in a place like this,

and know this was always
going to be here for you.

God, I would have given anything

to have had a life like this growing up,

to have had a family like this,

a family of artists who support you

and talk to you.
- A family of nuts. (laughs)

You want an example?

You want to know what's going
on in this wonderful family?

For years, I've had an
affair with my brother, okay?

He was my first sexual experience, okay?

That's what wonderful
family you've walked into.

Welcome. (cynically laughing)

Not an affair, exactly,

I mean, not like we fuck each
other or anything like that.

But when I was little and
I would have nightmares,

and, well, Jake was the one who was there

and he would crawl into bed with me,

and we'd hold each other,

and touch each other,

kiss.

Ever since then, when I like a guy,

Jake goes after the guy.

Usually gets him. (scoffs)

I don't know, maybe because he's so cute,

talented, important.

It's not a lot of fun.

(phone rings)

Hello.

Uh, yeah.

Hang on just a second.

It's for you.

I will give you privacy!

Are you okay?
- I'm fine.

- You sure?

- [Trish] Been in my family all my life.

- Hello.

How'd you find me?

Uh, no, don't come here.

I don't want to see you here.

Um, where are you?

(sighs) The whole thing about last night

and me kind of pushing you back--

- [George] Are you pissed off at me?

- No, I just want to
explain something to you.

You know, I'm in a relationship,

which has been, you know,

working, with good days and bad days,

for the last four years--
- Whoa, whoa, wait.

What do you mean you're in a relationship?

- That's why I pushed you away.

I find you very, very attractive,

but it's a real point,
it's really important to me

that I maintain a kind of
monogamous relationship.

- [George] Sounds to me like

you've been thinking too much lately.

- There's no such thing
as thinking too much.

You know that?

There really, there isn't, George.

People say that,

but you can't think enough
- I don't know.

- Anyway, I really like you.
(sighs)

I mean, I really, obviously do.

You're incredibly gorgeous.

But it's just, it's the one
thing that Jim and I have

that is, we don't share with other people.

And it's really hard, you know?

- But then why would you stop yourself?

- I would have to lie to
him, and I won't do that.

What am I gonna do, go in and say,

"Hi, I slept with this really,

"really gorgeous apprentice George?

"He's really cute."

- It's your life.

You do what you want to do.
- No, but it's not your life

if you're sharing it with someone else.

Don't you understand that?

- If you're attracted to me, what's--

- It's not that simple.

There's this whole, you know, thing,

this whole gay thing of, you know,

being boys and being teenagers
that's so narcissistic,

and it always just left
me so cold, you know?

- I think this is a mistake.

I think we should go home.

- Oona, what's the problem?
- (sighs) I don't--

- What happened?

- I don't want to discuss it now, okay?

I just want to go into town.

Can you go get the car?

- (sigh) I'll get a taxi.

Let me go see if I can get a taxi, okay?

(sighs)

- Do you do this a lot?

- Do I do--
- You know.

- Do what?
- The boy thing.

You just, whatever you like,

you know, you sleep with
anyone or anything you like?

You seem so heterosexual, frankly,

I feel a little foolish,
and there you are--

- I've never been with a guy before.

- Well, I certainly don't
want to be the first one.

You know, you can do
a lot better, frankly.

You can find someone

with, like, a '90s body.
- I thought you liked me.

- I do like you,

but I don't frankly believe that,

first of all, it's moot because I'm,

because we're not gonna
have a relationship.

I'm not gonna cheat because
I would have to lie to Jim,

and I will not lie to Jim.

You can't--
- But,

you want to still give me
a copy of the play, right?

- Uh-huh, I see.

- Okay, the taxi will
be here in five minutes.

- Be aggressive, be confident.

Go after your goal, right?

Use your leopard.

I can't believe I'm using my leopard,

my female aggressive leopard, with Jake.

He's gay.

And he probably hates
women who act like that.

I tried to switch the sex of the leopard

in the middle of our talk,

but I can't just suddenly
become a male leopard

just like that, you know?

I don't know how to do that.

I didn't practice a male leopard.

I mean, I flicked my tail

when I got really upset about it, but...

(sighs)

(chattering)

- [Lois] No, no! I'm an ordinary woman!

You cannot push me that way.

Stop tormenting me, Laura.

You're frightening me.

Oh, I think you've gone
completely our of your mind.

- [Ivan] Okay, you got it?

- [Lois] Why is everybody
conspiring to torment me today?

(elegant classical music)

- Hey, Jakey. (giggles)

- Hello, how are you, Popsie?

(chuckles)
(smooches)

- What have you got there?

- The movie star,

the nice movie star made
some notes for my new play.

- Oh, wasn't that nice
of the nice movie star?

- They're not bad.

- Hmm.

Mm.

- What's going on at Camp Proskurov?

Tell me all the news.

- You smell so good.

- Tell me what's going on.
(chuckles)

- I don't want to talk, Jakey.

- Who's being mean to who?

- (laughs) Who isn't being
mean to who is more like it.

- Who's doing what where?

- Mm.

(kissing)

(moaning)

- Oh, God, Trish.

No, no, no, no, no.

- Oh. my God.
- Come on.

- Oh, my God. (crying)

(delicate classical music)

- Hi, baby.

- Hi, baby.

- How are you?

(smooches)

- What'd you do to your lip?

- Oh, yeah, it's the sun out here,

kind of a different
sun than in California.

I don't know why that is.

- How'd you find me?

- Oh, I have my ways.

You look good.

What happened to your hair?

- I cut it.
- Oh, my God.

You can't cut your hair.

(laughs)

We've got a sequel to do.

Well, we've got six months, but...

- I'm not doing the sequel, Max.

- Oh, yeah, sure.
- I'm not doing it.

Okay, listen, everything okay
with this theatrical thing?

You got this out of your system, or...

- No, I don't have it out of my system.

Why do you say things to me like that?

What do you mean, "Why do I
say things to you like that?"

- What do you want, okay?

What do you want here?

- What do you mean, "What do I want?"

I wanted to see you,

and I wanted you to come
back to L.A. with me,

where you belong, and we can, you know,

continue our wonderful career together.

I don't know what you
think you're doing here

in this artistic community
- We don't have

a wonderful career together, Max.

We don't have a wonderful career together.

- I mean, hanging out
with these theater people,

with these actors and these
writers who are doing art?

- Is this what you consider a
wonderful career, Mary Marvel?

- And theater?
- This thing you said

was gonna be a terrific
feminist statement?

- It is (mumbling).
- Oh, right.

I mean, you know,
doesn't it embarrass you?

- Do you know how young
girls all over this country

are going and buying Mary Marvel capes.

- Yeah, they're sleeping on my face.

They're buying me on lunch boxes.

Do you know how embarrassing that is

that nobody over 12 takes me seriously?

- They're taking more boxing lessons

than young women every did.

Is that not a feminist thing?

There's change suddenly,

where women are empowering themselves.

- We could have done
something important, Max.

We could have been fighting
child abuse or Republicans.

Instead, I'm fighting
some goddamned scientist

who's turning people into primates.

- Child abuse and
Republicans are easy targets.

I'm talking about an
entire cultural change,

where women realize they
can empower themselves.

They can get powerful.
- Oh, right.

- They can physically go out there

and beat the shit out of--
- That's why you made me wear

the short skirt, huh?

- Well, you look very
cute in a short skirt.

But, that's not, that's not bad, you know?

A little sex doesn't hurt selling.

- Look, this is pointless, okay?

- You know how much money you're making?

You know how much money

you're making while we're sitting here

and talking on merchandising?
- That's all you care about

is money.

That's how it's gonna be on
your obituary when you die,

how much popcorn you've sold,

- Those little lipsticks,
- how much money you made.

- the lipsticks with your--

Shh. Quiet.

Would you please be quiet?

- Sorry, sorry.

The lipstick with your picture on it,

(sighs)

that little lipstick--
- I don't care about it.

- That little item has sold

something between two and
a half to three million

little lipsticks to teenage
girls in this country.

- Max, you know, you have no soul.

You know, you have no soul.

- What are you talking about "soul"?

You're hanging out with people

who talk about things like soul.

We're making movies.

It's got nothing to do with soul.

I want you to understand something.

You're on the way now.

But don't misunderstand this.
- I'm on my way to what?

- You're on the way to total
fame, where you can command

your own terms, you can...
- Oh, give me a break.

- You're gonna be able to get
two and a half to $3 million

a picture after this.
(sighs)

You understand that?

The percentage that you're
gonna own from now on,

not in the next picture,
- Max.

- but after the next picture,
is gonna be astonishing.

You don't understand
what you've gotten here.

Sidney Lumet, Mike Nichols,

they didn't know who you were before this.

- You wear me down, you wear me down.

- They didn't know who
you were before this.

I saw Mike Nichols at the
laundry the other night.

- Yeah, and what if I had
done "Awake and Sing," huh?

I was gonna do "Awake and Sing."

- Nobody, in that little
theater somewhere--

- And because of you I didn't do it.

- What are you talking about?

Nobody would have heard about it.

It's Odets.
- I would have cared about it.

- Clifford Odets has
been dead for 30 years.

- Be quiet!

Oh, God, please leave.

- Okay, darling, okay. (kisses)

You just take it easy now.

You enjoy yourself here.

You have your good little fling.

I'm sure you're--
- I'm not having a fling.

- Well, we gotta assume
that something's going on.

You wouldn't be this
excitable, I know you.

Who is it, the writer, that playwright?

No, he's gay, right?

I heard he was gay.

Oh, the director?

That old letch.

What's his name?

Axelrod, right?

That's who it is, it's Axelrod.

- I am not having a fling with him!

- Well, why the smile?

You look awfully guilty

for somebody who's not having a fling.

Anyway, I don't mind if you have a fling.

It's good for you.

It helps you, you know?

It helps you kind of
get ready for the movie.

You always look good when
you're having a fling.

You know what I mean?

That's just a joke, that's just a joke.

- (laughing) You're, you're just--

- You love me, though.

You love me, baby.

You know you do.

Give me a kiss.
- No.

- Come on, give me a kiss.

- No.
- Come on, darling.

One kiss, just one kiss.

Come on, for old time's sake.

Come on, baby.

Come on, come on, come on.

- You have that thing on your lip.

- Okay, I'll cover it, here.

(mumbling)
- Oh, leave me alone!

- Hello.
- Oh, Helena, hi.

Hi, hi. Come here.

Hi, Helena.

Helena Mora, this is Max Berger.

- Hello.
- How do you do?

- Good to meet you.
- Pleasure to meet you.

- This is my son Nick.

- Whoop, sorry.
- Hi, how are you?

Pleasure to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.

- He's a wonderful young director.

- You're a wonderful, wonderful actress.

You're a great actress.

What a pleasure to meet you.

- Thank you.

- I've just been fascinated
by you for years.

- Really?
- Yes.

I've seen all your movies.

Why did you stop making those movies?

You were so great.
(chuckles)

- I didn't stop making them.

- Oh, I'm sorry, you didn't?

- I think by now I've
made a hundred movies,

so obviously I didn't stop, right?

Maybe I didn't make movies
that you were so aware of.

I've made some high-quality
films with young filmmakers,

independent, and things like that.

- 16 millimeter?

- No, 35, Max. (chuckling)

- Is this the first time
you've been in East Hampton?

- Yeah.

- It's wonderful.

I spent a lot of my childhood out here.

I really love this place.

- [Max] What's Proskurov?

- Proskurov is a wonderful old house

that, um, I bought with
some Hollywood money.

We've had this estate
for many, many years,

and we've done our own productions.

- What does Proskurov mean?

Is it Russian?

- This is one of the great
mysteries of our family.

She holds this one tightly to her breast.

If you can get her to reveal this,

I think we'll all give you
a hundred bucks apiece.

(laughing)
I promise.

So what are you working on now?

Oh, I'm working on changing my life.

- We're all trying to do that.

- My plan was to turn this
thing into a winter academy

which has students who pay,

you know, writers that come
and work on their projects.

- What do you do?

- Um, well, I'm a theater
director, you know.

This family functions on the
baker's principle, you know?

We didn't know that anybody
did anything but bake bread.

In this case, it was do
something in theaters.

So we really had no choice.

You know, we're all in the scam together.

I became a theater director.

- What kind of theater do you direct?

- [Nick] Well, I work in
small theater, in the Midwest.

- In the Midwest?
- Yeah.

Yeah, it's actually out there.

- [Oona] You have such nice eyes.

You do, you have nice eyes.

- Thank you.

(birds chirping)
(crow cawing)

- Trish?

Trish?

Trish, I knew I'd find you here.

- Oh! You came.

- What's going on with you?
- You came.

- Hey, hey, hey.

What's going on with you?

- (laughing) Nothing.

- What's the matter?
- I knew you'd find me.

What's this? What's this?

- What's what?

That's Bunrab.

Why can't you pet him?

Do, do, do. (laughing)
- What's the matter?

Trish?

Did you take these?

Trish!
- Did I take what?

- Did you take these pills?

(grunts)
(laughs)

Look at me, look at me!

- Oh...
- Tricia, this is not a play.

This is not a play.
- Hail, Romeo.

- This is not a play.
- Thou art my love!

- Did you take these?
(laughing)

Did you take these?

- Did I take these, or what--

- God damn it, did you take those pills?

- What?
- Look at me!

- What? What?
- Look at me, just look at me.

- What?

What?

- Did you take those pills?

- Mm, Jake, nothing.

What nothing pills?

(laughing)
- Fuck it.

Get you out of here.

- I'm gonna tickle you if you tickle me!

- Trish, look at me!

(sighs)

- We get people coming into the theater

who are farmers and ranchers.

- Real farmers?
- Yeah.

- Wow.

- And people who come

with none of this sophisticated bullshit

about what it's supposed to be,

and how Olivier did it this way,

and how Ivan did it this way,

you know, with his
two-year rehearsal period

and all that--
- No critics.

- Nothing.

They come, they see the play.

because there is a place
where we can do what's work,

where the game isn't about

whether The New York Times likes you,

where the game isn't about

whether you satisfy some political agenda.

And let me tell you, the political agendas

don't just confine themselves to politics.

They're rampant through the arts.

Missouri's a place where you
just get up and go to work.

Now, what you don't get there, you know,

is Time magazine calling it

the most extraordinary
production of the 20th century.

But you get something else.

- You're so pure.
- Pure. (scoffs)

- You are.

You're like Van Gogh.
- Yeah? (laughs)

Van Gogh, he saw God in everything.

- Wait, do I have to cut off this ear

- No, please.
- in order to live up

to this dream of yours?

- No, you're just sort
of, you're just different.

- Well...
- Different, that's all.

It's nice.
- Well, thank you.

(chattering)

My intention with this

is to do this black box
production of "As You Like It."

- What does that mean?

- Black box?

It just refers to a small theater

that usually has, is
sort of non-geographic,

and that doesn't have a
proscenium or a thrust,

or anything like that.

It's much more, um,

you can move things around
a lot more interestingly--

- Is there a part for me?

- Well, (sighs) let's see.

There's--
- I mean, if--

- There's Rosalind, great part.

Hard part, wonderful part,

a really great part.

Uh, Celia, her friend, is a great part.

Phoebe, very funny.

Are you a comedienne?

Like, can you do comedy girls?

- I don't know. (chuckles)

- Is that something you're
really interested in doing?

(Velcro ripping)

- Is she going to be all right?

- She's going to be fine.

- Will she be able to
perform tomorrow night?

- Absolutely.

She'll be woozy for a couple of days,

but otherwise she's fine.

- Are we gonna be able to
find you okay if we need to?

- Always at the same number.

- Thank you for coming over so late.

- Good night, all.
- Good night, thank you.

- Daddy?

- I'm right here.

(sighs)
Hi, dear.

- Daddy, don't go.

- No, I'm right here, right here.

It's all right.
- I'm sorry.

- Oh, no, no.

(whispering)

No, no, no, no, no, no.

- I don't think I would have done it

if you'd cast me as Nina.

(laughing)

- Why you always wear black.
(laughing)

- Oh, Mom, I'm so sorry.
- Sweetie.

Oh, honey.

Honey, you're just...

- I'm sorry.
- I'm sorry too.

- [Trish] I love you, Jake.

(crickets chirping)

- Coast is clear.

I have you to myself
for a few moments more.

(laughs)

(moans)

God, what, did we walk through
every inch of East Hampton?

- Every inch.

- You go?
- It's my turn.

- Okay, let's go.

- No, I'm just beginning--

- Cover your letters up.

- Jesus.
- Shh.

- What am I supposed to
do with an X in this?

- Honey, honey,

just wait a second, okay?

All right--

- I don't understand why
you have to have five beers.

What is five beers for?

- What the hell difference does it make?

It's five beers, I'm thirsty.

- Look at you, you have
holes in your shirt.

- I have gas, it helps to release the gas.

- Okay, fine.
- Okay--

- Would you change your shirt
next time we're at dinner?

Look at, she has two
holes in her shoulder.

- What, I'm about to go to bed.

Jesus Christ.
- You know what?

This is our vacation.
- You are on my case

24 fucking hours a day.

- Everything all right?

- Everything's fine.
- Yeah?

Trish is okay?
- Trish is great.

- Yeah?
- Trish is great, tired.

- She say anything about me?

- All right, let's get on with it.

I gotta, I'm nauseous,
I can't keep playing.

- Whose turn is it?

- Could we address the five beers?

- I wanted to talk to you about Angelo.

- Uh-huh?

- I really relate to the character a lot.

I think, uh...

- Yes?

- I just, I feel he's very misunderstood.

- Uh-huh.
- You know?

And I think a lot of
people misunderstand me.

- What are you doing?
- What?

- People, how do people misunderstand you?

- I don't know, you know?

I mean--
- You're a lot more sensitive

than people think?
- Yeah.

- You're misunderstood?
- Yeah.

- For instance, if people think

that you're an opportunistic
little hustler,

they're misinterpreting you.
- Exactly.

(tooting)
- Okay, I got it.

- I have to go, I don't have any words.

All right, here, you guys--
- You don't have to go.

You guys take my words.
- Just sit, come on.

Come on, just stay.

It's gonna be your turn in a second.

- Take my letters.
- I don't want to see!

Cover your letters up!

- What's this number right here, huh?

What's this shirtless, tan,
standing in front of me number?

I mean, you're not gay.

Let's get that right out,

so don't take advantage of me, okay?

I've been there, and I despise it.

- [Helena] This was my second.

They wanted to team me up
with Errol Flynn. (chuckles)

- Was it successful?

- They thought that Ronald
Reagan wasn't commercial enough.

They said, "He's unknown."

They said, "We can't
release this film with,

"You have to be with a big star." (laughs)

And they didn't know he
was gonna be the president.

Errol was brilliant.

He never understood how great he was.

I mean,
- He was?

- he was a totally brilliant actor,

flexible, fast, you know.

Unfortunately, he drank a lot,

so you could never shoot with him

after three o'clock in the afternoon.

(laughing)

There's me, God.

I didn't fell in love with this director.

I did fall in love with directors.

- [Oona] I know what you mean.

- [Helena] Why do you think we do that?

- [Oona] Daddy, I think
we're looking for Daddy.

- Oh, no, no.
- Yeah.

- Once you go to bed with them,

you feel you have total power over them.

I felt I could do anything
once I'd been to bed with them.

(laughing)
That was it.

It was great,

total freedom.
- Oh, God.

You have to tell me your secret.

(chuckles)

I just feel more dependent then.

- Oh, really?
- Yeah.

- Maybe you're picking the wrong guy.

- Definitely picking the wrong guys.

- Honey, it's your turn again.

- It's my, I don't have any words.

- Just go, just go, just go!

Don't show me your letters!

I don't want to see your letters!

- Eli!
- Look what she did!

- Eli, we're on vacation!
- Look what she did!

- Don't whine, you're like a baby!

- Shh!
- You're like a baby!

No, get over here.

- I'm not! Good night!

- Don't you love being
in front of the camera?

- [Helena] Yes, I do.

- Don't you love that?
- I really do love that.

It's intimacy, that's what you want.

- Yes, yes, it's like sex or something,

but great sex because the
camera reaches inside of you,

and it takes everything.

It takes all your lies, and your humanness

and your beauty, and your ugliness.

I feel like it's the only
place I can really be me,

you know what I mean?

I feel like it's the only place

I can allow myself to feel my emotions

because I know the camera
isn't gonna walk away.

It's not gonna judge me.

It's not gonna, disappear.

It's just gonna be
there, and pay attention,

and, give me whatever I need.

(dramatic music)

- In the meantime,

there's a question of
suitable service for you.

- I'm yours to command, Your Majesty.

- Very well.

You will become fencing
instructor at the Royal Academy,

and confine your
instruction to this alone.

You will report to the Master at Arms,

Don Serafino Lopez.

That is our command.

- It will be obeyed, Your Majesty.

(epic music)

- I'm very grateful.

I'm very grateful to you, Max.

You know I am.

I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, okay?

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

(knocking)

Come in.

No, it's, um, just...

(whispering)

No.

Yeah.

Look, I'll call you back, okay?

We'll just talk about this some more.

- I really can come...

- Um, yeah.

Bye.

- I'm sorry if this is a bad time.

- No, it's a great time.

(door thuds)

(chuckles)

- I'm somewhat presumptuous
by showing up in your bedroom

at this ungodly hour.

I was...
(sighs)

- Somewhat presumptuous.

(kissing)

- So I'm sitting on my bed,

and I'm thinking, "How did this happen?

"I came home to have to
deal with my crazy mother

"and all these fucking
insane people in my family,

"and I've suddenly, uh, I've
suddenly found something

"that I value more than anything.

"And I don't want to go to bed."

(cork pops)

So, I thought I'd come drink,

I mean, this is not very good champagne,

but it's the best I
could find in the house.

(quietly laughing)

Anyway, hi.

(glasses clink)
- Hi.

(kissing)

- Listen, we don't have to
do anything, by the way.

I mean, that was not my presumption.

I could just, if it's okay with you,

I'll just sit here.

I'll just sit here and
have a drink with you.

- I have some Chekhov we could read.

(laughing)
(glasses clink)

- I don't want to read Chekhov tonight.

I have some Ibsen we could read.

- Christ, fuck all those
dead playwrights, please.

- I have some Strindberg
we can read. (laughing)

- No way.

I hate dead playwrights.

Thank God you walked into my life.

I hate that champagne.

- It's terrible champagne.

(gentle music)

- [Helena] He had read every
single Shakespeare piece.

- [Eli] He did not.

- Yes, he did.

- Oona!
- Nick. Nick.

- Oh, hello.

- Nick, you did not
read all of Shakespeare

by the time you were 10?

- All of Shakespeare by the time I was 10.

- [Helena] He started when he was eight.

- [Eli] Baloney.

- [Nick] I'd read
everything in Shakespeare.

- Those notes?

Your notes on the play are terrific.

I'm surprised, they're just wonderful.

I think your ideas were great,

and I started thinking
about this stuff last night,

and I think the idea of it being Angela

is tremendous, you know?

- Really?
- This is a great idea.

Transforming that character
could be very, very powerful.

I've been up all night,

and I made some of those changes.

Would you like to take a look at it?

- I would be tremendously flattered.

Are you kidding?

I would love to read it.

I can't tell you how honored I am, Jake.

- Well, they were good ideas.

They're great ideas.
- Thank you.

- Yeah.
- Wow.

This is exciting.

Everybody's staring at us.

- That's right.

They're staring because they're jealous.

They're jealous of Hollywood

or any kind of commercial success.

It's the one thing they don't
want you to know about them.

The dirty little secret
of the avant garde,

if this is what passes
for the avant garde,

is that you all adore money,

and are jealous and covetous
of anyone who has it

or any kind of commercial success,

or anyone who has any attention,

or even a picture in People magazine.

- Can't hear.

What did you say, Jake?

My hearing aid is, ugh, shit.

(laughing)

The battery is out, right?

Could you say that again?

(chattering)

(gentle piano music)

(quietly chattering)

- (laughing) I love it.

- You must be feeling better.

You okay?

You're out.

- Yeah, I'm okay.

- Well, what's going on?

- [Oona] I had that feeling
with Jake when I met him.

- He's nice.

I just, I felt this connection with him,

with your son.

And I was right, you know,

because I just read his play, and it's,

it's brilliant.
- I'm sure it's good.

- [Oona] It's great.

- What's so great about it?

- The character, the character of Angela

is, she's like Maggie in
"Cat On a Hot Tin Roof."

She's exciting. She's--

- Wait, wait, wait, wait.

You're not telling me that
Jake is a Tennessee Williams.

Now, let's separate.

There's Chekhov, Ibsen,
Williams, and Jake.

You know, I'm sure he's very good, but--

- But you know what?
- What?

- I want to do this play with you.

- Oh, no. (laughs)

- I want to do this play with you, I do.

I want to do this play with you.

This is the perfect play for me.

- Listen, I can't--
- I know this role.

I can do this.
- Wait, wait, wait.

Okay, wait.

I'm sure--
- I can do it with your help.

- No, no, I'm sure you can do it.

I've never directed a play
in less than two years.

That's the least I've ever...

Jake puts his plays on in six weeks.

That's not me.

- No, but we'll take more time.

You have to read it.

Look, just promise me--
- He's never asked me

to read one of his plays. (laughing)

- But I'm asking you to read it.

- I know, but I can't read
the play surreptitiously.

You slip it to me under
the table, you know?

He has to give me the play.

He'd never want me to direct his play.

He's never wanted me to
even look at his plays.

I'm sorry. I can't.

(kisses) Listen, I've got to go.

I've got to do work on a real play.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, really.

(sighs)
(soft piano music)

- You ought to kill me.

- Did you hear anything weird

coming out of my room last night?

- No.
- Okay.

- You ought to kill me.

You can't do that to me.

- What?
- Right there.

Are we gonna, are you
gonna help me or not?

- Yes, yes, I'm helping.

- All right.

- I was just curious,
'cause I didn't want,

someone was in there, and I
didn't want to get caught,

and I was just curious if you--

- Why did you say you
kissed the ground I walk on?

You ought to kill me.

- I've never known who I am,

or what I'm supposed to do in this world.

And it just seems like
- But don't you love acting?

- everybody's got this
clear path for themselves.

No, I don't love acting.
- So why do you do it?

There's nothing that I love.

I love being with you, that's what I love.

It's the only time I've
ever been happy in my life

is when I'm with you,

and I know who I am
and I feel comfortable.

- You didn't hear anything?

You swear you didn't hear anything?

- I didn't. No.

- Okay, 'cause we were pretty loud.

- I was thinking that
maybe it's just as well

that it's not gonna be here next year.

- It is, Trish.

It's really good that
it's not gonna be here.

Maybe they'll put up a supermarket.

(laughs)

- In the house last night?
- Yeah.

- You fucked him?

- What do you mean, "I fucked him?"

Sure, I fucked him.

Of course I fucked him.

I fuck him all the time.

(caws)

(blue jay screeches)

(caws)

(blue jay screeches)

(caws)

(blue jay screeches)

(caws)

(blue jay screeches)

(caws)

(blue jay screeching)

(chattering)

- [Freddy] I shall miss all this.

- We shall all miss all this.
- Coming here.

- [Helena] You're gonna get sentimental?

- [Freddy] Yes.

- I love that stage, you know?

- I do too.
- I just love that stage.

I gave him all the pleasures
that I could. (chuckles)

- Saying yes.

- Asking him to ask me to say yes.

And he did ask me.

Ah, my mountain flower.

Yes, and I put my arms around him.

- Yes.

- And I drew him down towards me.

- Yes, yes.
- So he could feel my breasts.

- Yes.

- They were all perfumed! (laughs)

- Yes.

- His heart was beating.

- Yes.

- Like mad.

- Yes.

- I said yes.

- Yes.

- I will.

(breathing deeply)

- Yes.
- Yes.

(sighing)

(light-hearted music)
(chattering)

- Paul, when are we gonna do, Paul?

- It's just, it's every year,

there's some kind of misadventure,

and it's always sort of, it's a ritual.

There's gonna be something
enormous that goes bad.

One year the entire stage fell forward

just sort of like the Titanic,
(laughing)

with people it.
- Oh, my god.

- It just tipped over.

And there was this moment

where everyone was sort
of hanging in the air.

- (laughs) And Ivan
probably used it, right?

- [Jake] I wish he had.

- [Oona] I love that.

I love when accidents happen onstage.

- [Jake] Yeah.

(light-hearted music)
(chattering)

- You know what I'll do?

I'll send you some tapes of
the films that I've made.

- Great.
- That way you can see them,

you can see the type of work that we do,

know that it's on a very high level.

(speaking French)

And we should have dinner, though.

And you know what we'll do?

You can look at the stuff.

- All right.
- I have a project

that we're doing now.

- What's it about?

- It's a film noir piece.

It's a very dark piece.

It's about a woman who goes on a journey.

- That is a sweet picture, isn't it?

- Would you look how
unbelievably beautiful Mother is?

- Yes, it is radiant.

When I first met her, you know,

35, maybe 40 years ago,

she was very pretty,

but now it's both ancient
and new, this beauty.

It's ravishing.

- I had some piece in Istanbul.

- Yeah?
- The kid says to the sailor,

he says, "Why do sailors cry so much?"

(sobs)

He says, "Because they
always have to go away."

(sobbing)

This is it.

You know, Marian?

It's really it.

(chattering)

- We'll leave at midnight.

I'm gonna go pack my stuff.

- I'll meet you out back
in about an hour, okay?

- Okay. (kisses)

- Did you read the revisions?

- Yeah.

- [Jake] What did you think of them?

- I thought it was great.

It's even more wonderful.

It's a wonderful play.
- It's much better.

(humming)

- The only thing is, you know,

I don't think I'm ready to do it.

I really don't feel like
I'm ready to do your play.

I don't feel like--
- Wait a second.

What, are you kidding me?

What are you telling me?

What are you saying?
- Shh, I don't think--

- I just did a sex change
operation on a play for you,

for God's sakes.
- I'm sorry,

but I just feel like I need
to go into regional theater.

I don't think I'm ready.
- Oh, yeah?

You're gonna do regional theater?

- No, I need a good director.

- Make up your mind what you want.

Are you gonna do Mary Marvel in a cape?

Or are you gonna do a play on Broadway?

- I'm gonna do a play, but--

- Or are you gonna do a play
in Minnesota with the snow,

for God's sakes?

(humming)

Don't do that Hollywood thing.

You're a wonderful actress,
and you're gonna squander it.

- I need a good director.

I was counting on your father
to direct me in your play.

- My father?

- Why do you always wear black?

- I'm in mourning for my life.

- I don't understand what's
between you and your father.

- I'm unhappy.

- What's the big deal?

- Let's just, let's not, let's go talk.

We can't do this here. (whispering)

- I'm sorry.

- I can't believe what you're telling me.

- When love touches me, I
can't return it, that's all.

(sniffs)

Have some.

- [Actor] No, thank you.

I don't really feel like it.

- The air is heavy.

We'll probably have a storm.

- Okay, why can't I work with my father?

Well, I'm gonna make it a
very, very simple story,

and very, very briefly.

My father is deeply uncomfortable

with the fact that his son is gay.

Ever since I was a little boy,

it's been a terrible, ever since he...

(sighs) Why am I telling you this?

- (chuckles) Because I want
to know what's the problem.

- When I was about 11 years old,

he caught me playing
with another little boy,

and it was the son of some
actor he was working with.

And he actually said to me,

"Don't do it again.

"If his father finds out, he'll
never work with me again."

And I just felt this
huge canyon between us,

filled with fear, his fear, my fear,

and we've never bridged that.

We never will.

- [Oona] I'm sorry.

- That's when my childhood was over.

- So who could we get to direct?

- Well, we start searching
for someone sane.

(laughs)

There's got to be a
sane director out there,

someone smart, sane, sensitive, brave.

I know there's got to be someone like that

in the world of the theater.

- How about your grandmother?

I'll do it if Helena directs it.

(sighs)

- You cold?
- Yeah, I'm freezing.

- Here, take this.
- It's chilly out here.

- [Jake] Good, good deal.

(kisses)

- She comes, I live!
(giggling)

(moaning)

Come on, let's go and
have a life in Missouri.

- I can't go with you.
- What are you talking about?

- I'm sorry, I just, oh,
I want to, but I can't.

- No, you can't be saying
this to me right now.

You've gotta come.
- Come to New York with me.

- [Nick] What are you talking about?

- I want you to come to New York with me,

and stay with me, stay with me.

I want to work on Jake's play.

- [Nick] Jake's play, Jake's play, what?

- No, no, no.

I want you to come with me.

You don't like that?

- Jake!

Jake!
(gunshots blasting)

(grunts)
(screams)

(murmuring)

- [Nick] Jesus Christ, I'm shot!

- Just blanks.
- What did you say?

- They're just blanks.
(sighs)

(murmuring)

- I'm all right.
- What did you do to him?

(shouting)

You shot blanks at me!

You shot, who is this nut?

- What was the noise?
- This idiot shot me!

- What is this?
- All right!

Hey, hey, hey, take it easy!

It's all right.

(screaming)

- I'm not in the play!
- You get up!

- What are you doing, you idiot?

- You don't act in life.

You act on the stage.

You making drama!

You always do this.

Get out!

- This is what you teach
these kids, to shoot people?

- I'm an actor!

- Come on, get up, actor!

You need to get out!

Get him out of here.

- Tell him we'll do the play here.

It's all right.

Everything go back.

It's all right, go back, go back.

Let's all go back.

(murmuring)

- If ever you should need
my life, come and take it.

(chuckles)

Why does that appeal from a pure heart

fill me with such sadness?

Let's stay another day.

Ah, let's stay.

- Darling, I know why you want to stay.

- If ever you should need
my life, come and take it.

- Just try to control yourself, hmm?

You're a little drunk.

Try to be sober.

- Come and take it.

- So I think it's safe to
assume that Missouri is kaput.

Yeah?

(sighs)

- You realize what you're giving up?

- Yeah, I do.

- I mean, you could go see
the birthplace of Mark Twain.

Think of all the research
you could do on Mark Twain.

(laughs) T.S. Eliot.

Tennessee Williams.
- Tennessee Williams?

- Sure, "The Glass Menagerie," St. Louis.

Want to reconsider?

- I can't go with you to Missouri.

I don't even know where
Missouri is. (chuckles)

- The horses will be here soon.

Are you packed?

- Yes, yes, yes, yes.

I'm packed.

My God, what does she want from me?

- (sighs) This is what
we must always remember.

(crickets chirping)

This is what we must always remember.

(deeply inhales)

- We are

the music makers.

We are the dreamers of dreams,

wandering by lone sea breakers,

sitting by desolate streams,

world losers,

and world forsakers,

on whom the pale moon gleams.

And yet, we are

the movers

and the shakers

of the world,

forever (chuckles) it seems.

Thank you for coming

last night to Proskurov.

(clapping)
(cheering)

♪ This will be ♪

♪ My shining hour ♪

(romantic jazz music)

♪ Calm and happy ♪

♪ And bright ♪

♪ In my dreams ♪

♪ Your face will flower ♪

♪ Through the darkness of the night ♪

♪ Like the lights ♪

♪ Of home ♪

♪ Before me ♪

♪ Or an angel ♪

♪ Watching o'er me ♪

♪ This will be ♪

♪ My shining hour ♪

♪ Till I'm with you again ♪

♪ Like the lights of home ♪

♪ Before me ♪

♪ Or an angel ♪

♪ Watching o'er me ♪

♪ This will be ♪

♪ My shining hour ♪

♪ Till I'm with you ♪

♪ Again ♪

(epic music)