My Father's House (1975) - full transcript
While recuperating from a heart attack--brought about in part by his job as a hard-charging but highly paid executive--a man begins to reflect on his life and the simpler time when he was growing up.
[HORNS HONKING]
[GROANING]
-Are you feeling any pain?
-Were you taking medication?
-Can you hear us?
-Ever had Demerol?
We're going to help you.
NURSE: Mr. Lindholm,
you're going to be all right.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
DOCTOR: Easy with him.
[INDISTINCT TALKING]
[COUGHS]
Demerol, 25 milligrams.
INTERN: I.V.?
DOCTOR: Go ahead.
Five percent solution.
-May have to do a cut down.
-INTERN: Are you sure?
DOCTOR: No, we're okay.
[MONITOR BEEPING]
[MOANS]
JUDITH: Tom?
Tom?
-NURSE: Mrs. Lindholm?
-Yes.
I'm sorry,
but you'll have to go now.
I know, but you're
only allowed five minutes.
I doubt if he
knows you're here.
He's heavily sedated.
[GROANS]
Is he in pain?
Oh, no. He's on cloud nine.
He's only 41 years old.
Did you know that?
He's only 41 years old.
TOM JR.: In the end,
there was a pain in his chest.
And I knew, as my mother did,
he would never
see his house again.
As she watched him descend,
she wanted to cry out,
"Look, look around you."
But she just stayed silent,
for she knew he'd see it all.
He passed quietly, my father.
As softly as he walked.
And with him went a way
of life I cherished.
A world where death
came only to pollywogs.
Where old age was the number
of rings on a tree.
Where life was
a great wood house,
and beautiful green hills.
[ALARM RINGING]
[ALARM RINGING]
Tom Junior? Brad? Susan?
Time to get up. Children.
Children.
Wait your turn.
Wait your turn.
Why she always get it first?
Because she's the fastest.
Fire,
fire, the house is on fire!
Hey, look at this!
A hole in the door.
I can see everything.
P-yew, I can too.
-Boys.
-BOTH: Morning, Dad.
Boys,
a little respect, please.
Let's be gentlemen.
She's always the first.
-She's entitled to be.
-But why can't we ever?
Young ladies have
certain prerogatives
in this world.
Among them is ready access
to the powder room.
[DOOR OPENING]
BOTH:
♪ Here comes the bride
-Uh, uh,
that'll be enough, Brad. Tom.
-Thank you, Daddy.
-You're welcome, Peaches.
-Goodbye, toads.
TOM JR.: Of the children,
Susan was the oldest.
Then came me, and then Brad.
The baby of
the household was Jane.
Famous for once having fallen
from the second story window
and landing unharmed
in the Bay berry bushes.
She's cute.
It's a shame she
can't stay that way.
We could try shellacking her.
We could try shellacking you.
Our nurse was Anna.
Not really, a nurse at all,
but a poor widow woman
who father felt sorry for
and brought home over my
mother's objections.
Honestly,
Thomas, I sent you out
for a strong young girl.
A good strong Swedish girl,
and you come back with...
Well, I looked.
I looked at all the big
and strong young ones,
-and I didn't
like any of them.
-Thomas.
None of them
would fit this family.
And I was about to leave
when I spied Anna way,
way down at
the end of the bench.
And there was something
about her face made me know
she'd like to work here.
So here she is.
Isn't she wonderful?
[BARKS]
Our dog was named "Hundy."
It stood for a hundred.
Which Father
claimed was the exact
number of spots on him.
The fact that he really only
had 86 spots didn't matter,
because 86 wasn't nearly
as good a name.
Eat up, boy.
You got the best garbage
in the neighborhood.
And our cook was named Noble.
Our partner in trying to get
Father's goat on every
possible occasion.
♪ Don't know why there's no
sun up in the skies
♪ Stormy weather...
Between Father and Noble
there was always a kind of
running battle.
Waged mostly out of habit and
for
the amusement of us children.
♪ Keeps rainin' all the time
[ALL CLAMORING]
What the...
[ALL LAUGHING]
Well, if I had have done
a thing like that I'd expect
to be fired, wouldn't I?
-Yes. I expect you would.
-Well, then?
Well, I did fire her once,
but she wouldn't go.
Well, just stop paying her.
She'll leave soon enough.
Yes. That's a fine idea, Anna.
Yes, by God,
that's just what I will do.
Well, for the Lord's sake,
you can't do
a thing like that.
What kind of
a man are you, anyway?
How would we get along here
without Noble?
Well, if you insist, Anna.
I guess we'll just
have to let her stay.
-Thank you.
-Thank you. Thank you, Anna.
-Best April Fool ever.
Thank you, Anna.
-Okay.
♪ There's a hole
in the bottom of the sea
♪ There's a hole
in the bottom of die sea
♪ There's a hole,
there's a hole
♪ There's a hole
in the bottom of die sea ♪
TOM JR.: Father always said
that he and the Lord had
something in common.
They both worked six days
and on the seventh day,
they both rested.
Sunday was a day
for what he called,
"big ideas."
Events as monumental
and secret as he could
possibly make them.
Faster.
Our means of transportation
was a wonderful
old touring car
named "Celeste."
She had a gas tank
that always registered zero.
Making it impossible to know
when she was going to run out.
-Daddy?
-Huh?
Daddy if gold is
where you find this,
where do you find silver?
Why, I don't know, Son.
Where do you find silver?
Under the Lone Ranger.
♪ The Lone
Ranger caught the fish
beneath a frog and a rock
♪ in the bottom of the sea
♪ The Lone
Ranger caught the fish
beneath a frog and a rock
♪ in the bottom of the sea
♪ The Lone Ranger,
the Lone Ranger
♪ The Lone
Ranger caught the fish
beneath a frog and a rock
♪ in the bottom of the sea
Well, Thomas, don't you think
it's time to tell us?
-Yes, Daddy, tell, what is it?
-Yes, tell us.
-Tell you what?
-The "Big Idea."
Just what is die
"Big Idea" today?
Well, I told you
I wanted it to be a secret.
Well, we've been driving
for an hour and a half.
YOUNG TOM JR.: Come on, Daddy.
-Can anyone guess?
-We're going to
climb a mountain!
No, we did that last week.
We're going to
walk across country
to the ocean.
-No, we've done that, too.
-Give up?
Yes, Daddy, tell what is it?
We're...
going
on vacation.
-Vacation?
-Vacation?
What do you mean,
we're going on vacation?
Just that. We've begun it.
We're on our way to Maine.
-Maine! Vacation!
-My friends?
I wanted to bring my bike.
But we've packed nothing,
we have no clothes.
Isn't it nice this way?
No fuss, no bother.
Look at all
the trouble we saved.
Look at all the room
we have in the car.
Thomas, this is outrageous.
Wait a minute, I have
a baseball game tonight.
Hey, I was gonna play, too.
Katherine Roberts
is coming over for tea.
Thomas, turn this car around.
Now,
you turn it around right now.
Look,
maybe it'll be good, really.
When one of Father's
"Big Ideas" took hold,
it could not be shaken loose.
And what came to be known
as the "Big Idea" vacation,
was the best we ever had.
All right.
TOM SR.: Tom! Tom!
-[GUNSHOT]
-I hate you!
Jenny, seems to be some
acceleration on three.
Mr. Lindholm?
Mr. Lindholm?
Tom? Tom?
-Darling? Are you all right?
-Yeah?
Yeah. Oh. My arm.
-Probably slept on it.
-Oh, oh, gosh. Numb.
-Oh.
-How about some aspirin?
Okay.
-Time is it, anyway?
-5:30.
5:30, time for the big splash.
JUDITH: Hmm?
Big splash. Father taking
a dive into the pond.
Every summer.
5:30 sharp there
was this tremendous,
cannonball splash.
Claimed a belly flop was good
for the circulation.
-Are you sure
you're all right?
-Yeah, thanks, dear.
Oh, boy.
I keep thinking so much
about him lately.
Keeps popping into my head.
Maybe he's trying
to tell you something.
Like, slow down.
Take a few days off.
God, if I only could.
Why don't you, Tom?
Sleep late tomorrow.
Steven's been
home for three days,
and he's hardly seen you.
No,
I got a press day tomorrow.
-Maybe he can come down there.
-No.
He's been wanting
to talk to you.
Yeah, what about?
It'll wait another day.
[RADIO PLAYING]
-Seems dishonest.
-Another day or
two won't matter.
-I'm not going
to change my mind.
-I know that.
Well,
then, why not just tell it?
-He's got a lot on his mind.
-He's always got
a lot on his mind.
Drink your milk, Zozo.
Ellen, you're gonna be late.
-So am I. Good morning, Steve.
-Morning.
Take it easy,
the trains run
every 20 minutes.
Just coffee, dear, thanks.
Good morning, Zozo.
That nose is too small,
I can't breathe.
Take it back.
No.
He didn't sleep
well last night,
and the magazine
goes to press today.
And I want him to
leave this house
with a clear head.
Oh, gosh, what time is it?
Slow down.
-Morning, Peaches.
-Morning. I'm late.
Eat.
Sorry,
I haven't seen much of you,
Steve. What've you been doing?
-Nothing much.
-How long are you
going to be home?
Forever.
-What's going on?
-Nothing.
What is it? What's going on?
-Nothing.
-What, something's going on.
Now what is it?
I goofed, didn't I?
Somebody please tell me
what the hell is going on.
I'm not going back to school.
What are you talking about?
I don't know what
I'm doing there.
I didn't want to go there in
the first place.
I told you that.
And I told you, and you agreed
we'd talk about it
after the first term.
Could we continue this later?
What are you gonna do?
Nothing special.
I'd just like to take one day
at a time.
Just drop out
and turn off, huh?
Sort of.
[HORN HONKING]
I gotta go.
-Why don't we table this...
-What's wrong, Steve?
What the hell's
wrong with you?
It's not what's wrong with me,
it's what's right with me.
You've had everything
on a silver spoon.
-What? What have I had?
-Please.
Well, what do you want?
Your trip is
what I've got here.
It sounds so awful right now.
Why don't we just sleep on it.
No,
I don't want to sleep on it
I have to sleep on it.
I can't talk about it today.
-All right, what day?
-I don't know what day.
-Just tell me what day.
-I don't what day,
but I can't do it today.
I'm sorry, Steve.
TOM JR.: I remember in summer
one year it was pepper dry.
He'd come home exhausted.
Molten gravel crunching like
soft crackers
beneath the tires of his car.
So greatly had he
sweated that his
good suit would have to be
hung out to dry while we
begged him to take us swimming
in the pond atop our hill.
Can't we go, please?
-Oh, come on.
-Come on.
There was never
any consideration
of what his day had been like.
We all just assumed he'd come
home for our pleasure.
SUSAN: Are there really
black snakes there?
-BRAD: Big as pie thumbs.
-As big as knitting needles.
SUSAN: Stop it.
BRAD: Big enough to eat
a whole people.
And spit out
the eyes like seeds.
Daddy.
[SCREAMS]
-It got him!
-It got him! It got him!
All right,
that's better, isn't it?
We'd stay in the water till
our bodies ached with cold,
then crawl up the bank
and sit there talking.
Speaking in whispers
in deference to the night.
-That's pretty, Daddy.
-Mmm.
It's a song your mother and
I used to sing when we
were going together.
♪ Tell me why
the stars do shine
♪ Tell me why the ivy twines
♪ Tell me why
the sky's so blue
♪ And I will tell you just
why I love you ♪
Very effective.
Very effective.
-You want to
learn it, Peaches?
-I'd love to.
How about you,
Tom, it's a great song
when you're out with a girl.
-Girls are dumb.
-Tom.
-They are, too.
-Oh, oh, oh.
Well you'll find out.
So I'll tell you what.
Let's learn it to surprise
your mother, huh?
Now look, I'll sing this.
[PLAYING]
You sing this.
♪ Tell me why
the stars do shine
♪ Tell me why the ivy twines
From the beginning.
♪ Tell me why
the stars do shine
♪ Tell me why the ivy twines
♪ Tell me why
the sky's so blue
♪ And I will tell you
just why I love you ♪
The second verse.
"Because God made
the stars to shine."
♪ Because God made
die stars to shine ♪
"Because God
made the ivy twine."
♪ Because God
made die ivy twine ♪
Keep going.
♪ Because God
made the sky so blue
♪ Because God made you,
that's why I love you
♪ I really think,
dear, that God above
♪ Created you
dear for me to love
♪ He picked you
out from all the rest
♪ Because He knew dear
that I'd love you best ♪
You, too, and you.
-Dad?
-Hmm?
Do you suppose we
go up there when we die?
I really don't know.
-Dad?
-Yes, Tom?
Do you think
you'll mind being dead?
I don't know.
I will.
Can you tell me why?
I don't know.
It just seems it
won't be nearly
as nice
being up there looking down
as it will be,
being down here looking up.
It's not funny, Daddy.
Dying isn't funny at all.
I'm afraid of it.
I dream of it.
It scares me awful.
What scares you
about it, Peaches?
Just being gone.
Well, think about
it this way, Peaches.
If you think about being gone,
well, suddenly, it makes
being here just so very
much more important.
Well, maybe that's what
dying is for.
To make sure that we treasure
every moment of life.
Look at that moth. He's flying
straight to the moon.
The times I remember best,
were the times we were alone.
Those moments
when he made me feel
I was the most important
person in the world.
We're going for a run.
Just the two of us.
Here you go.
We're gonna run ring road.
We're gonna run it
without stopping.
We're gonna run
it without talking.
Are you up to it? Come on.
[GUNSHOT]
-Go get my gun.
-What is it?
Go get my gun.
Tom, Davis is waiting.
He's called twice.
-Tom.
-Morning, Paula.
I'm supposed to tell you
as soon as you
get off the elevator
to get down to fourteen.
There's a problem with the...
Tom, I got NASA on the phone,
and it's just
like I warned you.
Now they're having second
thoughts about releasing
those photographs.
-It's in your ball park.
-You're at bat, baby.
Transfer my calls
to fourteen, Paula.
-I want Bob Senders
down there with me.
-Got it.
Meanwhile, Davis not to panic.
Have him go over
those cost sheets,
and I want
coffee and cigarettes
in fourteen, please.
-How's that grab you?
-No.
Yeah.
George,
do you know what day this is?
That's right. Now, if we don't
get those photos you might be
back doing passport pictures
with me.
I don't care
what you do, George.
You got carte blanche,
you charter a plane, anything.
Just get the photos, will ya?
Now, Jimmy, look.
Two hundred thousand people
died in the cyclone.
Now what have we got
to make us believe that?
I say something here.
What was it?
Pakistani woman or something.
Where is that?
Yeah, that's it.
Yeah, yeah. What do you think?
Huh?
Okay, where were we?
Uh, what's the picture about?
Khrushchev loses power.
Commissar broods
in the sun, right?
Relegated to children,
grandchildren, park...
Hello.
Simple, direct.
"Ly Tran, aged twelve,
caught in the war.
"Watches while her wooden leg
is being made."
Right now.
You know what time it is?
For God's sake.
Well, you're late already.
Yeah.
Tom wants this right now.
I don't care how you get here,
anyway you want to get here,
but get here.
Hype the horses, Bob,
keep it as...
-All right, I'll wait.
-Make it a little more subtle.
Yeah. All right. Great, great.
Throw up the schedule.
Get a rewrite on
that right away.
Where's Paula?
Will you get
Paula in here please.
What about
the Khrushchev family
pictures, that Fidel Castro?
I want it, I want it.
Where's that picture?
Where's that supposed to be?
Just hold on for a minute.
Yeah.
Is that NASA on the phone?
Nothing yet. Zero. Hold it!
That's it? Tom, I knew it!
We hit the fan.
No NASA photos.
Oh, come on.
Well, listen,
I did everything I could.
You said we had clearance,
right?
Didn't you say
we had clearance?
Well, I assumed that...
This is press day,
do you know that?
This is press day!
-Tom?
-What?
Your son is here.
I know I'm interrupting you.
I'm sorry.
Steve, this is the wrong time.
-Well, what are we gonna use?
-Always the wrong time.
I know it. Now is the
wrong time, okay?
What's the right
time for me, okay?
Have we got
anything in the file?
All right, leave...
Okay.
What do you want to say?
I don't want to say anything.
I wanted to talk.
Steve, I'm in big trouble.
This is press day
and I'm in big trouble.
So am I.
Well, let's help each other
and wait, all right?
No.
[SIGHS]
I can't wait any more.
It's got to be done now.
What has to be done now?
You've got to see who I am.
You've got to see that
I am not you.
I know that.
And that's my falling, right?
No.
Come on, admit it, that's what
you expect me to be.
It's true.
No!
Now, I won't
stand on trial, Steve.
If I've
interrupted some speech
that you've rehearsed,
don't tell me you,
you want me to talk.
You just say what you've
come to say and leave,
all right?
Okay.
I...
I don't want to wake up
someday
and find myself like you.
Why?
Because
you've become obsessed
with all this.
I see.
And you've
forgotten about love.
Is that it?
Yeah.
Okay.
I'm going to
tell you something
from my loveless heart, okay?
I love you, Steven Lindholm.
Even if you
make me damn mad.
And maybe I
don't want to wake up
and see me like me either,
but I can't afford
that luxury.
That's the kind
of views you get
from lounging around in bed,
and I can't do it,
and I never have been able.
But you have done
it for yourself.
No. For you.
No, don't lay that on me.
I will lay it on you.
No, you won't.
Not anymore.
WOMAN: What about
the Paris fashion spread?
What the hell's
a fashion layout anyway?
These are troubled times.
We could use that space
to launch a whole series
on Black history.
I say a cooking layout
how people always
are talking and
thinking about food.
Food, food,
that's all you think about.
-Well, that's all
they're talking about...
-No social conscience.
MAN:
What do you say, Tom?
You okay?
Yeah.
What, uh...
What's in the food layout?
Only vegetables.
Very colorful.
Uh, zucchini,
Jerusalem artichokes,
Lebanese leeks,
crookneck squash,
and just a smidgen
of Bulgarian Beluga.
It will make a beautiful
two page spread.
Tom, I call it "A Balkan blend
of vegetables".
And then you can put
a little sprinkling of dill
right on top. Marvelous!
And then,
on top of that, if you...
[LAUGHING]
Tom?
[LAUGHING]
And on special occasions
like Mother's Day,
we'd go out to a restaurant,
and he'd order corn.
Take out his little gold knife
and cut each kernel.
Explain to the waiter
he didn't want the skins
sticking on his teeth
-in a fancy restaurant.
-[LAUGHS]
He sound like
quite a character.
Yeah.
How's the arm?
It's okay.
Well, I guess I better
get back to work.
Why don't you let
them do something
by themselves for a change?
God knows,
they get paid enough.
Tell them I'll be back in
about five minutes.
Take ten. I'll let you know
when the dummy's ready.
TOM JUNIOR: You can't do that.
It's Daddy's favorite brandy.
SUSAN: I've got to.
It's the only
bottle worthy of it.
He'll whip us for this.
He'll thrash us.
Don't be ridiculous,
he's never hit us in his life.
BRAD:
He's going to, this time.
You get the paste.
You bring Anna.
Try to understand, Anna.
It's beyond our help.
Then who, whose fault is it?
I want to know.
These are hard times, Anna.
We simply can't afford
you any longer.
Oh, listen, put me out
in the cold, but
don't ask me
to feel sorry for you.
Well, I don't know
what more I can do.
-[SOBS]
-I've arranged for a new job
with a nice family.
No, but this is
the family I like.
You, you can come
and visit us, Anna.
You, you can come and see
Jane every Sunday.
C'mon, now. Come on.
Dry your eyes, and you put on
a happy face for the children.
[SOB]
Yes, Tom, did you
want something?
Oh, uh, we'd like to see
Anna, please. Alone.
If it would be
all right, sir.
I don't see why not.
Yes, I think that
would be fine.
I wish there was a way.
I know. But you tried.
She'll be all right
I thought that when we made it
through the Depression,
we'd be safe.
Now...
TOM: Near the end
of the Depression,
father's company
began to flounder,
and during those days,
there was
tension in our house.
Worst of all,
was the departure
of people we'd come to know
and love as part
of our own family.
What's going on?
Dearest Anna... We've loved
you so very much,
we wish to keep
you with us always.
Oh my darlings.
Oh, my, my darlings.
[WEEPING]
I want you to
breathe deeply, Anna,
and hold a huge breath
in your lungs.
What?
Glue, please.
What's going on here?
You can't do that!
That's your
father's good bottle.
We want a keepsake of you,
Anna, to treasure always.
We didn't want to ask for.
Better start breathing deep,
Anna, it dries pretty fast.
-What in the name of God?
-We're going to
keep your breath, Anna.
We want you to breathe in this
bottle.
We'd cap it right away,
keep it with us forever.
My breath?
[SOBBING] Thank you,
My darlings.
[SOBBING]
WOMAN: You horrible boy!
You dreadful thing!
How big should we make it?
I don't know. We'll have to
get her measurements.
-Did you get
Mom's tape measure?
-Mmm-hmm.
And remember,
don't giggle or anything.
I won't.
You got something to write on?
Hi, Susan,
could you do us a favor?
What?
-Could we get
your measurements?
-My what?
Your measurement.
You know,
how tall you are and stuff.
I know what
measurements are, dummy.
What do you want them for?
-'Cause we're...
-We're making
a surprise for you.
That's it. A surprise.
What kind of surprise?
If we told you, it wouldn't
be a surprise any longer.
Hold this, please.
Five feet, one inch tall.
Seven inches thick.
Thank you, Susan.
Won't you please
tell me what if s for?
-It's a surprise.
-A surprise?
A surprise.
It's for your grave.
We're digging your grave.
[BOYS LAUGH]
Stop it this Instant!
I hate you! I hate you!
[BOYS LAUGH]
Hey, you boys,
what are you doing?
Noble, they're digging
a grave for me.
Make them stop.
We're gonna put her
in it and bury her.
Make them stop, Noble.
Make them stop.
We'll just tie her up, not
knock her out or anything.
So she can feel the dirt
falling on her eyes and nose,
and face and all over.
You horrible, vile boys!
Really, Thomas, this has
been going on long enough.
Now they terrorized their
poor sister, and something
has got to be done.
-Now look, all they did...
-They dug her grave.
They dug that
poor child's grave.
Please, now listen, just once,
for me, you spank them.
Lay down the law.
All right, all right [HEAVES]
I suppose I must.
Boys, are you in there?
Bradford?
Thomas Junior?
I know you're awake.
I'm sure you
know why I'm here.
So let's just get out
of bed and face it.
You've been
frightening your sister,
and that cannot be allowed.
Brad?
Tom?
Okay.
If that's
the way you want it...
Aw!
Well, that does it!
BRAD: Chicky, the cops!
-[TOM EXCLAIMS]
-Tom,
Tom come on out of there.
-Let go of my leg!
-I will not!
I'm innocent!
-Brad.
-Someone framed me.
-Oh!
-I'm telling you,
you're making me mad.
Come back here,
you little devil.
Call in the marines!
Oh,
you're gonna need more help
than the marines, young man.
-Come here!
-No, no,
you don' t believe in that!
-No!
-You'll kill him!
You'll kill him!
Ow! Ow!
That's enough, you got him.
If I don't have you...
TOM JUNIOR: Come on,
Brad, get out!
Wait...
Look, I'm telling you.
Your mother's gonna
spank us all, if...
No, no.
-How many pages?
-A hundred and ten.
All right, we'll
proof it a page at a time.
Paula, cigarettes
and coffee, please.
Hi, what you doing?
JUDITH: Steven, is that you?
No, it's me.
JUDITH: Hi,
I thought it was Steven.
-Isn't he home yet?
-No.
-He usually calls.
-Oh, he'll be alright.
He's a big boy.
How about an omelet?
He came into the office today.
And?
We talked.
Well, what did he say?
He said he didn't want to
wake up someday and find
himself like me.
He's hurt, Tom.
-The boy's hurt.
-He's hurt! I'm hurt!
-Don't shout.
-Damn it all,
I'm damned if I do and
I'm damned if I don't.
I make a living
the only way I know.
And if anybody else knows any
other way to do it, I wish
the hell they'd tell me.
-Why don't you go to bed?
-Oh, no.
You go ahead, babe.
-Do you want me to
wait up with you?
-No.
Go ahead.
Can you sleep late tomorrow?
I got to get up early
for that Kennedy article.
Tom?
Do we need it?
All this?
I don't know.
I thought we did.
TOM JR.: In the late 1930s,
father's company failed,
and life on our hill
changed in the extreme.
Noble had to leave
because we could no
longer afford her.
Even our car sat
idle for want of gas.
With the servants gone,
mother worked
from dawn till dusk,
and the sound of laughter
was absent from our house.
Tom?
I'll be there in moment, Mary.
Upstairs in a moment.
In a moment?
You mean after
you've had another drink.
Yes, I've just had a drink.
Out of a bottle?
Oh, out of anything I want.
Every night lately, Tom.
Now you stop it Mary,
will you?
Just just stop it!
-Don't think I
haven't noticed.
-Now, stop it I said.
-That's enough!
-Don't raise your voice to me.
I win raise my voice any time
I feel like raising my voice.
This my house.
-It's my house.
-Your house?
Your house? No part
mine or the children's.
Oh, can't I just have some
peace for God's sake.
Just some peace.
From what?
From what, Tom?
From myself.
From the bills.
From failure.
-You are no failure, Tom.
-Oh, God.
You have achieved so much,
if you'd only
stop and realize it.
You have given us
a wonderful life,
filled with love and courage.
You're passing on everything
that really counts
to your children.
Come on. Come on to bed.
I think I'll
just stay downstairs
for a little while.
Please,
please come to bed with me.
I don't want to
go to bed alone.
I love you.
More if it's possible
than the day I married you.
TOM JR.: While we
children took odd jobs
and father
continued to look for work
in the city,
mother took it into her head
that she would
write children's books.
And to research her stories,
had to experience
them first hand.
The baby's garbage.
Ah, let'see.
What do you think
of this, children?
It's called
The Little Garbage
That Nobody Wanted.
Huh?
Does anyone like that title?
Sure, Mom. It's keen.
I think it's yucky.
I do, too.
How about
Having Fun In
The Garbage Truck?
-That's good.
-Yeah, I like it better, too.
Good.
Now then, all I have left
is to write the story.
TOM JR.:
Fun In The Garbage Truck
was actually sold.
Followed byFun
In The Barber Shop,
formerly titled
How Many Hairs On
The Barbershop Floor.
But it did little
to cheer father.
Who spent most of his time
just wanting to be alone.
All right,
now, we're in trouble.
We're still a family.
Like Mom says,
"A family can always survive."
Do we have enough food to eat?
-Okay,
we could plant a garden.
-Okay
-but no turnips,
I hate turnips.
-Brad,
our first job's
to cheer up father.
I say we go to him
and propose a big idea.
It might remind him
of how happy you can be.
That's a good idea.
-C'mon let's go tell him.
-All right, c'mon.
TOM JR.: Before that time,
I'd never seen
a grown man cry.
I was old enough then so that
father and I no longer kissed,
but how I longed to hug him,
to help him,
to let him know I cared.
[GUNSHOT]
-I hate you!
-TOM SR.: Tom! Please!
-[GUNSHOT]
-I hate you!
No, I hate you!
Go away! I hate you!
[GUNSHOT]
[BLOWING WHISTLE]
-Sir, what's wrong?
What happened?
-You live around here?
-This is my property.
-Did you hear
anything during the night?
An explosion, anything?
No, it's been thundering.
My power's out.
We can't raise them
on a short wave, Captain.
-TOM SR.: What's happened?
-A light plane went down.
Is there
a freakin' figure right
in around here.
-OFFICER:
What's on that ridge?
-Just woods.
Two small pines
and a stony brook.
-Up there?
-Heavy growth.
What kind?
Maple and Ash.
-You seem to know
this place pretty good.
-Yes, sir.
Maybe you could
be some help to us.
Captain, we're ready.
We're gonna fan
out as far as we can.
-Can I Dad?
-Okay. Move out!
Please,
Dad, I know I can help.
Please, Dad, I know
every single
inch of this hill.
You stay right with them.
I'll go get our power on.
I'll be right back.
[WHISTLE BLOWING]
All right let's move on!
C'mon, move on!
-My Dad says I...
-Fan out!
Fan out!
Okay son, c'mon.
Fan out!
Two men together
is one man wasted.
Now the last radio contact
we had from the plane
said they were going
down into high trees.
I don't think they had time
to pinpoint their
location exactly.
High trees?
High trees?
High trees!
High trees!
Help!
All right, that's it. Move!
Take it easy. Give me a hand.
We found them.
Yeah, the boy found them.
They found the plane.
They said a boy found it.
ZOZO: Daddy.
Daddy!
Morning time.
Zozo, go get Mommy.
Tefl Mommy,
Daddy needs her, Zozo.
Zozo.
Oh, you're heavy.
-I want to sit in Daddy's lap.
-No, Zozo.
TOM JR.:
That's all right, love.
It's okay,babe,
I feel better now.
[TOM JR. COUGHING]
Zozo, get in the back seat.
Will you, Please? Okay.
I'm all right,
babe, just Zozo.
-I want to sit with you.
-Well, all right,
well, just sit along side.
Okay?
You're not
all right, are you?
I'm all right. Just
need some air, that's all.
Oh, my God.
Move!
Oh, no.
Oh.
Hey!
MAN: Hey, where're you going?
Hey, come back here!
No, no,
Zozo, come on darling, no.
-No!
-I want to see the window.
No, Zozo.
-Get in the back!
-No!
It's all right babe.
All right come on, Zozo,
honey, that's it sweetheart,
get in the back.
It's all right, babe, just
make it as fast as you can,
will you please?
All right.
[HORN BLOWING]
-[GUNSHOT]
-No! I hate you!
-[GUNSHOT]
-No! I hate you!
Go away! I hate you!
YOUNG TOM JR.: No, no!
Tom, get away.
Help it, we have to help it!
This is the only
way we can help him.
He's in too much pain.
Tom, don't you understand,
they just shot him and
left him here to die.
-You're no
better than they are!
-Tom.
Tom, let him die
fast for God's sake!
Don't make him suffer.
-Don't kill it! Let it live!
-Nothing can live
in that much pain.
-I hate you!
-Tom.
I hate you! You are fake!
I hate you! I hate you!
Tom, Tom, try to understand.
-[GUNSHOT]
-Oh, I hate you!
No, I hate you!
Go away, I hate you!
[HORN BLOWING]
All right. Okay.
Oh, shit!
Are you feeling any pain?
Were you taking medication?
Can you hear us?
Ever had Demerol?
DOCTOR:
We're going to help you.
DOCTOR: Easy with him.
NURSE: Demerol, 25 milligrams.
DOCTOR: I.V.?
DOCTOR: Go ahead.
Five percent solution.
DOCTOR:
I may have to do a cut down.
Are you sure?
DOCTOR: No, we're okay.
NURSE: Mr. Lindholm.
DOCTOR: Now that's better.
Hi.
Hi.
How are you?
Okay.
Children?
There for a while, eh?
I wasn't going
to see you again.
NURSE ON LOUDSPEAKER:
Doctor Hill.
Hey, you taking company?
Dr. McDonald.
Come in here.
You rascal,
how did you get in here?
I snuck up the back stairs.
-You did?
-Why don't you
look out the window?
What's out the window?
Just look and you'll see.
Oh, I'm not
supposed to, besides...
Daddy, Zozo's down there,
she wants to wave.
Zozo.
House staff Blue.
House staff Blue.
-Where is she? Where is she?
-There.
This way. Cardiac arrest.
-What happened?
-I don't know.
He was sleeping.
-Sodium bicarbonate, 50 ccs.
-Sodium bicarbonate.
-I'm sorry,
but you have to leave.
-Who is his doctor?
Redfern.
No reaction, nothing.
Charge the defibrillator.
I don't understand it.
He'd been getting
better right along.
Stand back.
Charge it again.
Stand back.
Nothing.
Cardiac massage. Stat.
Never mind.
He's dead.
-Morning.
-Morning, Doc.
-How are you?
-All right.
What you doing in here still?
You're supposed to
be out exercising.
Oh, I didn't want
to do it by myself.
Oh, come on,
you can do that alone.
Well, you know,
I wouldn't want
something to happen.
Well,
better today than tomorrow.
Why?
Because today
you're in the hospital,
and tomorrow, you'll be home.
-Home? Tomorrow?
-Yeah.
I promised Judith,
you be back for Christmas.
That's great Doc. Am I ready?
Well, I don't see why not,
if you take it easy.
Your scan is good,
it's back to normal.
Good. Uh, can I go to work?
Oh, I didn't say that.
I said,
uh, that you could go home.
And do what?
Sit around for
awhile and watchyour diet.
Take your medicine.
Watch T. V.
and wait for another
heart attack, right?
Not necessarily.
I don't know, Doc.
I could never live
the life of an invalid.
Well,
then, stop thinking like one.
Now, you watch
that blood pressure.
Don't stay in there too long.
Tomorrow morning.
Here he is.
-Hi, Daddy.
-Hi.
-Oh,
I can walk all right, son.
-We can get that suitcase.
I can carry my own suitcase.
-Then take my arm.
-Wait a minute.
Miraculous as it may seem,
I'm about to walk
into my own house,
carrying my own suitcase.
Put some on the bottom, Zozo.
That's good, Zozo. Good girl.
Put some more up in the top.
That a girl.
SUSAN: Steve, your side
needs some more.
-This'll make you feel better.
-Oh, my, my, my.
Oh, thank you.
Oh, you, too?
Oh, thank you, baby.
Thank you.
I wanna put up the star!
It's too high for you, Zozo.
Pick me up! Pick me up!
It's very delicate
and you might break it.
I want to put the gold star!
Okay. Be very careful.
[GRUNTING] Up we go.
[SHATTERING]
I broke it!
-Aw, that's all right.
That's all right, baby.
-[WHIMPERING]
That's all right.
That's all right, Zozo. Yes.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Hey.
Let me tell you something.
If gold is where you find it,
where do you find silver?
Where?
Under the Lone Ranger.
[ALL LAUGHING]
-Ha ha ha ha.
-Oh, ha ha ha ha.
My brother
thought it was funny.
I don't.
[ALL LAUGHING]
[CHILDREN CHATTERING]
TOM JR.: It's gotta be.
For the star.
BRAD:
I'll find it before anyone.
TOM JR.: No, you won't.
BRAD:
I know exactly where it is.
FATHER: Don't forget now,
majority rules.
TOM:
I remember him at Christmas.
A giant made of leather
and canvas and lace boots,
with bare hands
that could roll
snowballs and never get cold.
I found it!
This is it, the perfect one.
No, it's over here.
Yours is too little.
This is the one. I think I got
a perfect point for a star.
It was his favorite season,
Christmas.
I think because it allowed him
to be a child.
SUSAN: Mine's best, Daddy.
BRAD: No, mine.
How about this one? I mean,
what's wrong with this one?
Well, looks like we have
a dilemma here, doesn't it?
Jane, what do you think?
[INDISTINCT]
That one?
[CHILDREN PROTESTING]
-It's awful, Daddy!
-It's horrible.
If Santa Claus sees that thing
in our house,
he'll die laughing.
I won't vote for it.
It looks sick.
-No, me neither.
-I won't vote for
it either, Daddy.
And you said it yourself,
the majority rules.
Children, which of all
the trees on this hill
do you suppose never,
ever thought
it would be lucky enough
to be chosen as
a Christmas tree?
What are you thinking?
I was just thinking about
what it's going to be like,
from now on.
Go to bed at 7:00,
waking up at
2:00 in the morning.
Everybody hovering over me.
It'll pass.
We'll all get used to you.
Just so happy you're home.
-How about Steve?
-Hmm?
Is he happy?
Of course.
Did he say anything?
About what?
Oh, about him and me
and what he's gonna do.
He wants to leave.
He and another boy are talking
about hitchhiking.
Maybe even India.
I didn't want to
talk about it tonight.
Soon?
How soon?
He wanted to wait
until you came home.
Hey. Hey.
Did the doctor say
anything about, uh...
About what?
-Oh, you know, about...
-Hmm?
Oh, yeah, he said it's okay.
He said that as long
as I don't make love
with anyone but my wife.
Doesn't want me
to get too excited.
It's a doctor's joke.
-He doesn't know my wife.
-He certainly doesn't.
TOM: It was Christmas Eve,
and my last visit
at my father's house.
I was taking a present
to put under his tree.
[FATHER COUGHING]
Don't give up.
You mustn't.
[BREATHING DEEPLY]
Now, get on with you.
Come on, you can do it.
[COUGHING]
MOTHER: Thomas?
I...
I thought I could do it.
It's all right, dearest.
I want to help.
TOM: It occurred to me then
that he was
actually going to die.
I lay there
the remainder of the night,
listening to him moan,
wondering if he was
really as powerful
as my memories had made him.
Was he really
the giant I remembered,
or was his love affair
with life too simple?
Oh, my sweet husband.
My love.
MOTHER: To my love.
My grower of roses.
BRAD:
"Better start breathing deep,
Anna. It dries pretty fast"
STEVEN: Somebody up here?
-Oh, Steve?
-Dad?
-I thought I heard a noise.
-Oh, I'm sorry, I, uh...
That's okay.
What time is it?
It's about 3:00.
Oh. Oh, yeah.
Well, I was just, uh,
poking around here,
looking around at
some old things.
I couldn't sleep.
I, uh...
-Could I say for a minute?
-Sure, come on in.
I was gonna look at
the pictures of Grandpa.
Could I see some?
Sure,
I've got some slides here.
Now that is your Aunt Jane.
-You're kidding.
-No.
-That's unbelievable.
-Yeah.
Grandpa always
said that his day
would be a lot better
if it started out with Jane
holding his socks.
So that's a picture of Jane
holding Grandpa's socks.
FATHER:
We're gonna run Ring Road.
We're gonna run it
without stopping.
We're gonna ran
it without talking.
[PROJECTOR CLICKS]
STEVEN: Grandpa looks like
one of the Keystone
Cops or something.
Yeah. That's his famous dive.
The turtle flop.
[LAUGHING]
-STEVEN: God,
that's you and Uncle Brad.
-Mmm-hmm.
Getting ready to
imitate the turtle flop.
Do you know who that is?
Noble and Anna, right?
Right.
They always pretended
they were
jealous of each other.
You know, I think they may
have been, a little bit.
-STEVEN: Grandpa?
-Yeah.
Doesn't look
like the same man.
Well,
it was taken not too long
before he died.
His heart just gave up.
I was there. Mom was there.
I was talking to
him very quietly
and he just looked over at me
as if he wanted
something right away.
That was it.
I always felt
that the last time
I gazed at his face,
it looked too stern,
and it should have been
wreathed in smiles, you know.
You know, crinkles
coming out of his eyes
and laughter out of his mouth.
Smoke rings kids used to
put their lingers through.
Getting that little-boy look
whenever he got that big idea.
I tried to give him
a rose from his own garden.
Straighten his tie for Mom,
but I just couldn't.
So, I said goodbye
and left our empty hill.
I once asked him...
I think it was me.
What was the meaning of death?
And you know what he said?
He said that
death was to remind you
how wonderful living is.
Steve, I...
I want to get to know you.
And I hope you'll let me.
I knew what it was like
to have a father.
And I want you to know, too.
Well, shall we go now?
Yeah.
Could I help you?
Yeah.
I wish you would.