Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her (2000) - full transcript

Five loosely intertwined stories of the emotional issues facing individual middle-aged Angelenas are presented. In "This Is Dr. Keener", physician Elaine Keener is spending the day taking care of her invalid mother at home on the nurse's day off. Elaine, a scientist, seeks confirmation on what may be a turning point issue in her life by an unconventional means, namely a tarot card reading. Although the news Elaine receives through the reading is a largely accurate assessment of her current life, it is the news about that crossroads issue that takes her somewhat aback. In "Fantasies About Rebecca", thirty-nine year old Rebecca Waynon is outwardly in control of her life, from her job as a bank manager to her personal long term relationship with older Robert. A homeless woman named Nancy who hangs around outside the bank seems to have a clearer picture of what is truly happening with Rebecca than Rebecca herself, as is witnessed by Rebecca's ultimate reaction to an action in dealing with a personal issue. In "Someone for Rose", divorced mother Rose's life is focused on making sure her fifteen year old son Jay is turning into a respectable young man. Between that and her new work as a writer of children's books, Rose doesn't seem to have time to look for love, which changes when Albert, a dwarf, moves in across the street. In "Goodnight Lilly, Goodnight Christine", lesbian couple Christine and Lilly discuss their relationship - past, present and future - as they deal with Lilly's terminal illness. And in "Love Waits For Kathy", police detective Kathy Faber lives with her blind sister Carol Faber. Although Carol has an active life - social and professional, the former which includes dates - and is more than capable of managing on her own as she is highly perceptive, Kathy, under the surface, treats Carol with kid gloves to make sure she's all right in dealing with life considering her physical disability. As such, Kathy has let her personal life largely slip by her. But is it too late for Kathy?

The manager let her into the apartment early this morning.

She'd been out all night

and lost her keys.

He said she moved in

a couple weeks ago.

[RINGING]

[RINGING CONTINUES]

[PHONE RINGING]

Hello?

Yes, this is

Dr. Keener.

Who's this?

Hi.

Yes.

Yes. Could you

come by today?

Anytime's fine.

I'll see you

at 2:00.

[PHONE BEEPS]

[DIALING]

Hi. Is Dr. Rosen in?

This is Dr. Keener.

Okay. No,

I'll call him back.

I'm not

in my office today.

Thank you. Uh, actually,

would you give him the message?

Dr. Keener.

He has my number.

Thank you.

Would you happen to know what time he'll be back?

No. Okay. Yeah.

No, of course.

Of course.

Thank you. Bye-bye.

[PHONE BEEPS]

[INSTRUMENT PLAYING]

[TV CONTINUES]

[TURNS OFF TV]

[FARTING]

[GIGGLING]

Hello. Dr. Rosen, please.

This is Dr. Keener.

Thank you.

Hello.

Oh, no. It's okay.

I'll call him back later.

Thank you. Yes.

Bye-bye.

[PHONE BEEPS]

[SOBBING]

[DOORBELL RINGING]

Hi. I'm Christine Taylor.

I'm...

We spoke earlier.

I'm Debbie's friend.

Yes. Come in.

Have you ever consulted

the cards before? No.

Oh, somebody once

read my palm.

Which one?

Uh, the left.

Mmm.

Both hands are really necessary to do a proper reading.

Oh. [CHUCKLING]

We were just fooling around.

Didn't really...

I think you're

gonna like the cards.

Was there anything in particular that you wanna talk about?

No.

Okay, well, I'll just do

a general outlook,

and then if you have any specific questions,

you can ask me at the end.

All right.

You're a Scorpio.

Yes.Okay.

Are you ready?

Okay, um, go ahead

and pick ten cards.

You're not happy.

You're good at pretending that everything in your life is good,

and you give off a great sense of security and self-confidence, but...

You're not satisfied.

You don't

know yourself well.

You're restless

and unsettled.

You're a great pretender.

You've been married,

but you're presently

divorced or separated.

You like to give the impression that you're happy to be by yourself,

but in reality,

you're mortified that your marriage failed.

You believe it's your fault

that it failed, and...

It may be so.

Regret in that area has caused you a great deal of pain.

You don't have

any lifelong friends.

The friends you have you made

while you were married,

and you weren't

close to them.

They were mostly

your husband's friends.

Some of them wanted

to be close to you,

but they felt

that you were inaccessible...

Or that you were aloof.

And you're very secretive.

And you don't trust easily.

And when you do let someone in,

you later regret it,

or resent them.

I think that you feel that sooner or later everyone is a disappointment.

You can be assertive and hands-on,

especially in a crisis.

But I think you live in constant fear of tragedy.

You're very,

very afraid of change.

You've met a man?

At work?

Or related to work that

you're very taken with?

Maybe you're even

obsessed with him.

But I don't think

he's affectionate.

And he's not someone who is easy to get to know intimately.

And you should be careful

about misunderstandings

because you have a tendency to become quickly infatuated,

and then...

You get embarrassedor depressed

because things didn't turn out the way you expected them to.

You're a daydreamer.

To set yourself up

for falls.

You should let me know if we're moving in the right direction.

It's possible we could

take a wrong turn

and get lost, especially

since it's our first time.

You're...

Let's go on.

[PHONE RINGING]

Excuse me.

Hello?

Hi. I'm fine. How are you?

Can I call you back?

All right.

Bye-bye.

Yes. Yes, of course.

Good-bye.

[SIGHS]

Lately I've had the feeling that my, uh,

life is going to change.

It's a very strong feeling.

Can you see that?

I've been having dreams.

What kind of dreams?

If there's bad news,

I don't want you to tell me.

[FOOTSTEPS]

[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]

I'm sorry. There's usually a nurse,

but she had to take the day off.

[SIGHING] Just tell me

about this year.

Well, um...

Hmm.

You seem to be very concerned with finding a man.

Someone who you can

depend on.

Somebody who you can

share your life with.

And there is a man who

will be interested in you.

The man

you mentioned before?

The one at work?

No, this is somebody

you've never met.

A younger man.

Well, the man at work

is younger than I am.

A couple of years.

He's...

Tall.

Fair skin.

Has brown eyes.

No.

You sure it's not somebody

I already know?

This is a new man.

You know, Dr.

Keener, none of this is written in stone.

I mean, these are

your cards today, but...

Nothing happens

without you.

[PHONE RINGING]

[RINGING CONTINUES]

Good night, princess.

What time is it?

It's a quarter to 2:00.

I'm gonna leave before I turn into a pumpkin.

Susan, good morning.Good morning.

Hey.

Hi, this is Rebecca Weyman.

Can Debbie see me today?

Uh-huh.

Yeah, okay.

I'll be there. Thanks.

NANCY: Do you have

a cigarette for us? No.

Are you waiting

for someone? No.

So what are you doing standing here smoking like a whore?

You're not a whore,

are you? No.

So what are you?

I work here.

Are you a teller?

Do you handle the money?

I'm the bank manager.

If you're the manager,

why can't you smoke inside?

There's no smoking inside.

What good is it then

to be the boss?

I don't know. [LAUGHING]

[COUGHING]

[CONTINUES COUGHING]

I robbed a bank once.

A long time ago when my husband and I came out here,

we tried to rob a bank

in Glendale.

It was a joke.

He almost

got himself killed.

But we got away.

No money, though.

We couldn't get our hands

on any money.

What does

your husband do?

Or doesn't he work?

Is he a kept man?

[CHUCKLING]

I don't have a husband.

Of course you do.I'm not married.

Show me your ring finger.

Are you a lesbian? [LAUGHING] No.

Are you? Do I look like a lesbian?

Did you study

to become a bank manger?

Or does Daddy own the bank?

Is that it?

Daddy owns it?

No, I trained

with the bank.

Ooh!

I bet that training included things you'd be too ashamed to talk about.

Like what? You tell me.

I'm sure you had to do all sorts of things to get to the top.

That's the second time

you've called me a whore.

I wanna walk away with

the rest of your cigarettes.

You can send one of your assistants to buy you more.

You have men

working under you?

They'll hate you for it.

But they'll jack off Just thinkin' about you, anyway.

Thank you for your time.

Have a nice day.

You haven't

told me your name.

Nancy.

Rebecca.

I need you to sign these.

I'm taking a long lunch.

Cover for me? Sure.

Do you think the men in the bank resent that a woman is in charge?

I'm okay with it.

And the others?

I haven't heard anything.

It's mostly women in here, anyway.

If they weren't okay with it,

would it matter?

Do you think they have

sexual fantasies about me?

[LAUGHS]

Uh, I'm sure they do.

See you later.

[INDISTINCT YELLING]

Come on,

you son of a bitch!

Come on,

you son of a bitch!

Come on,

you son of a bitch!

Hey, stranger.

How're you doin'?

Never better.

When was the last time

you were here?

I don't know.

In the fall, I think.

March of last year.

That's too long. Any problems?

I took

a home pregnancy test,

and it lit up

like a Christmas tree.

Do you remember the date

of your last period?

Um... I haven't had one

since April.

Well, I'll have a look.

Have you been

trying to get pregnant? No.

I use a diaphragm,

but I had a couple of encounters without it.

[LAUGHS]

That'll do it.

I was in a hurry.

I always say to my husband,

"Go slow 'cause I'm in a hurry."

Come on.

Scoot down.

Six weeks pregnant.

Does six weeks

sound about right to you? Yes.

Well, that means that you are due around January 7.

I don't wanna be pregnant.

You don't? No.

You wanna

have an abortion?

Yes.

Have you ever

been pregnant before? Uh-uh.

And you are how old?

Thirty-nine.

Well, I gotta tell ya,

this might be your last call.

I mean,

do you wanna take a few days and think about it?

No.

Maybe there's someone

you wanna talk it over with?

Nope.

I have a hunch his wife is not gonna like it.

Is this an ongoing thing? Yes.

How long? Three years.

And you have never

mentioned it.

Oh, I told you about him.

I just never told you the details.

[LAUGHS] Well,

that is a big detail.

So what's in store

for the future?

Only a fool would say.

The doctor can see you tomorrow at 3:00 or Friday at 11:00.

Tomorrow at 3:00.

There you go.

See you then.Oh, thanks.

[DOOR OPENING]

I'll see you tomorrow.

Don't let

the bedbugs bite.

NANCY: Hey.

I'm out of cigarettes.

I'll run

and get us some.

Keep the change.

I'm going to.

Are you

on your way home? Yes.

Home is where

the love is.

See you later.

Are you in a hurry,

sister?

Yes, I am.

Children are waiting? No.

I didn't think so.

[DOOR OPENING] Hi.

[DOOR CLOSING] ROBERT: Yes, it is I.

The king. The king.

Are you hungry?

I can't stay long.

Where are you going?

I gotta get to bed early.

I'm on a 7:00 a.m. flight

to San Francisco.

Seems that, uh,

Samuelson and his guys don't wanna play with us.

What happened?

I don't know.

I don't know.

They got cold feet

or something.

Interest on the financing

of the second stage.

Blah, blah, blah,

blah, blah.

Let's not

talk about it.

It's boring.

What about you?

You look tired.

I am a little bit.

I'm late with my period.

You're always late.

I saw the doctor at lunchtime.

I'm six weeks pregnant.

What happened?

I didn't have the diaphragm with me that time in Palm Springs.

Why not?

I counted days and figured

we'd be okay without it.

She set up an appointment for me tomorrow afternoon to take care of it.

I won't be able

to get back in time.

That's okay.

Whatever happened

to Vera?

Did she ever call back about those Mexican

tapestries she wanted to show us?

No. I'll... I'll

try her tonight.

Yeah. See if she can

come by Saturday evening.

Okay.

I'd like to get one

like Rosen has.

Yeah.Huh?

For right over there.

Ooh, ooh, ooh. [CHUCKLING]

I'll come by

in the evening.

We'll eat out.

Get some sleep.

You don't think I should

have this baby, do you?

You should be

home sleeping.

I plan to work you

into the ground tomorrow.

Oh. Do you

live near here? Mmm. Sherman Oaks.

Oh.You in Studio City?

Yeah, yeah.

I'm, uh...

My daughter's spending

the week with her mother,

so I'm out looking

for trouble.

Are you finding any? No.

[CHUCKLES]

It's still early.

Would you like a drink?

Uh, a glass of red wine.

Are you out here

every night?

Yes.

I was really looking forward to my daughter

spending the week with her mother,

and now that she's gone,

I don't know what to do with myself.

How old is

your daughter? She's nine.

You should bring her to work sometime.

We'll show her the ropes.

I'll get her started

on the art of giving orders.

Believe me,

she's a natural.

I mean it.

I wanna meet her.

I can't promise

I'll bring her to the bank,

but we'll invite you

for dinner.

That'll be better.

June is blind.

I didn't know that.

Was she born blind?

Yes.

That's a tough draw,

but you have to learn to play the hard hand.

Mmm, all my money's on her.

She's the queen.

And you're her king.

June. [SIGHING]

That's a good name.

Yeah.

It's her mother's name.

So, you plan on

working me hard tomorrow?

Mmm, I've gotta take

the afternoon off.

I need you to cover for me

one more time.

I'm your man.

Would you

like a drink?

Hey.

Good morning.

Thanks for the candy.

I always carry it with me

just in case.

[LAUGHING]

I was a little hurt

you didn't say goodbye.

Were you hurt?

I'm sorry.

You don't sound sorry.

I'm not big on regret.

I got your change.

And I bought us...

Winstons.

Who's this? Walter.

NANCY:

Is he your husband?

REBECCA:

He works at the bank.

He works for you?

Under you? What is that like?

What is what like? Working for her.

What is your name?

Danielle.

Is that your real name?

That's a whore's name.

Is that her real name?

Be careful with her.

Why?

She's a snake.

A snake

as well as a whore.

That's not very nice.

Does your husband know

that you're here?

Does he know that you're sitting here with this man?

I told you I'm not married.

We went over this yesterday. Remember?

You showed me

your wedding ring.

Let me tell you

about love.

You don't ask,

you give.

A sneak like you

doesn't know this.

You wouldn't know a good man if he bit you on the tit.

And a good man, if he saw you,

would cry to see a...

Listen,

I think that's enough.

No. Keep going.

NANCY:

You're disgusting.

One look at you

was enough for me.

A sad bitch.

A lonely bitch.

You're as lonely

as a dog.

It's not that

I don't like you.

I like you, princess.

I feel sorry for you.

I'm going to keep

smoking your cigarettes.

[CAR DOOR OPENS]

[CAR DOOR CLOSES]

Ma'am,

what are you doing?

NANCY: I have to talk

to the boss.

The manager.

No, no!

I have to fight with...

Where's the boss?

Ah! Danielle!

Danielle!

I have to talk to her!

Go get her! Damn you!

Son of a bitch!

You son of a bitch!

I won't be back

until tomorrow.

Thanks for

minding the store.

Rebecca?

This is feeling

a little strange.

You've been

avoiding me all day.

Perhaps you're more accustomed to doing the avoiding.

Perhaps.

Or did you think this could be a regular romance?

I'll see you tomorrow.

[CAR ALARM CHIRPS]

Hey. All set?

How long

will this take?

It's just gonna take a few minutes.

It's a real quickie.

But they're gonna ask you

to stay for a while,

and you're not gonna

be able to drive.

Did someone come in

with you?

Robert's gonna

pick me up at 4:00.

Why are you here, Deb?

I just wanna stop by,

say hello.

I don't want you

to stay.

Are you sure

about this?

I don't want you here.

[KNOCK AT DOOR]

Hello.

I'm Dr. Keener.

Hi.

We're ready? Yes.

Very well.

Will you lie down?

Now, this won't knock you out.

It's just to relax you.

I'm all right.

KEENER: Squish down a little bit more for me, please.

Would you move

this over, please?

I'm gonna see your chart.

All right.

Okay, this might be

a little cold. [INSTRUMENT CLATTERING]

Did anyone call when I was in with Judy Good?

I don't think so, Doctor.

You want me to check?

No.

Okay, you're gonna

feel a little stick.

All right.

Oh, it's hot in this room.

Do something about the air, please.

Do you need

all three of these?

KEENER: Yeah.

Okay. Try to hold still.

NURSE:

How're you doin'?

[YELPS]

We're almost done.

We're almost done.

[SOBBING]

Mom, what do I have

back here? Where?

No, go left.

More left.

"Further" left.

That's it.Ah. That's a freckle.

You sure? Yes.

'Cause if it's something else,

I want you to pop it.

I've seen

freckles before, Jay.

You can't even

see it.

How'd you find it?

I felt it rubbing against

my shirt, and it itches.

Let me see.

Don't think you have

anything to worry about.

Come on.

What's the big deal?

I'm not gonna

let you do it.

Hey, better me than someone else saying you need to brush more often.

Hmm?

You never know when you're gonna get close.

I'm not asking for your hand in marriage.

Fine.

I'll let you this once if you promise it'll be the last time.

Promise.

I promise.

Mmm. It's good.

Of course. [CHUCKLING]

Ma, can I start

the car? Yeah, I'll be right there.

[DOOR OPENS]

[DOOR CLOSES]

Okay, let's go.

Did you see that?

He's a dwarf.Yes, Jay, he is.

I never met

a dwarf before.

We're gonna have to stop by later and introduce ourselves.

You would do that, Jay?

You would actually go across the street and introduce yourself?

You don't feel weird about meeting a dwarf,

do you?

I certainly don't feel weird about introducing myself to a new neighbor,

but please don't

call him a dwarf.

He is a dwarf.

We'll stop by this evening and say hello.

I wonder what time

dwarfs go to bed.

Jay, that's enough.

Shut up, Mom.

I'm not gonna embarrass you.

Do you wanna go there by yourself?

Better be careful.

Those little guys, I tell you,

they know how to work a lady.

Jay! You are totally

out of control. [ENGINE STARTING]

[CAR HORN HONKS]

Let's go.

[HORN HONKING]

JAY: Gary and I have to work on the Getty Project,

so he'll drive me home.

Who was that girl?

What girl?

Yes.I never saw her before.

You don't know her.What's her name?

Angelica.

Angelica.

What a beautiful name.

She seemed

very friendly.

Oh, yeah.

See ya later,

peach face.

Gary.

How are you? What's up?

Hey, what's up?

How are you? Hey, how are you?

Good, thanks.

Hi.

[SCANNER BEEPS]

[BEEPING CONTINUES]

Excuse me, sir.

We haven't met,

but I believe you're moving into the house across the street from mine.

Uh, I'm on my way home.

I could give you a ride if you need one.

How do you know I'm moving into the

house across the street from yours?

I saw you with the movers this morning.

On Cynthia Street.

And you're sure

it was me you saw.

Yes, I... I'm sure.

Of course it was me.

I'm just surprised you're willing to pick up strange men.

Surprised, but thankful.

[CAR DOOR OPENS]

[ENGINE STARTING]

[DOOR CLOSES]

[CAR HORN BLARING] Oh!

Thanks for this.You're welcome.

I just bought a car,

but it won't come in until next week.

Oh, are you moving here

from out of town?

From Covina.

I didn't even know that house was for sale.

It's been empty for so long.

I didn't buy it.Oh.

It's my mother's house.Oh. Really?

Yes. I was

born in that house.

Is your mother

moving in there with you?

[CHUCKLING] No.Oh.

She died last year.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Don't worry about it.

We hadn't said a word to each other in over 20 years.

I left home when I was 16,

and she never forgave me.

Why did you leave home?

I joined the circus.

[CHUCKLING]

You joined the circus

when you were 16?

I fell in love with a girl who worked in a circus,

and I ran away with her.

[LAUGHS] Wow.

That's quite a story.

It's not all that exciting.

I became a bookkeeper

with that circus.

Perhaps you thought

I was a lion tamer?

No, I... I didn't.

I'm allergic to cats.

What kind of business

are you in? Um...

I... I write books

for children.

Storybooks? Yes. I've just started,

really.

I'm a schoolteacher.

Do you have

children yourself?

I have a son.

Jay. He's 15.

I wanted to be a writer once.

A writer of short stories.

I don't write anymore.Why not?

I wasn't any good.

I didn't work at it

hard enough, and it's...

It's a lonely job.

Are you still

with the circus? No.

I left that years ago.

I work for a hospital now.

I guess that would

make my mother happy.

She and I didn't make up

before she passed.

I regret that

very much.

What happened

to the girl? Which one?

The one with the circus.

She's with another man.

[SIGHS]

Thank God we're here.

You're making me think of things I haven't thought about for a long time.

Let me help you

carry them in the house.

Don't worry about it.

I'll get it.

Thanks for the lift.

I didn't even

introduce myself.

Albert.Rose.

Rose.

Which is your house?

That one. There.

Well...

[DOORBELL RINGING]

[EXHALES]

[SOFTLY] Oh.

[GASPS]

[CONTINUES GASPING]

[PANTING]

[SIGHS]

[SCREAMS]

Oh, stinker.

[DOOR CLOSES] Jay?

Rose?

Come in here.

Hungry? Always.

Give me two minutes.

Make you pizza.

What are

you workin' on?

Two Frogs.

Can we invite the dwarf?

His name's Albert.

How do you know that?

I ran into him in the supermarket,

and I gave him a ride home.

You gave a dwarf

a ride home?

Jay, stop calling him a dwarf.

His name's Albert.

[CHUCKLES] I almost...

I almost got us into an accident.

He made you nervous.

No. He was very friendly.

I bet he was.What's that supposed

to mean?

Thank you, Jay.

I thought

you might like that.

What else? What else, what?

Well, tell me more

about the dwarf, Albert.

No.

[SCOFFS]

[PHONE RINGING] JAY: Got it.

Who was that

on the phone?

Dad.

He said to say "hello."

Thanks.

You guys getting together

this Saturday?

No. They're going away

to Mexico for the weekend.

Guess who I saw today.Who?

Edmund.Edmund?

Where? Coming out

of a bank.

He didn't see me.

I haven't seen him

in a long time.

He's a character,

isn't he? Why do you say that?

A 400-pound man

who courted you

by taking you to Pink's Hot Dogs for spicy Polish sausages?

He had a hard time burping his way into your heart,

didn't he?

Jay, he wasn't after me.

Oh, no. Of course not.

Did he ever kiss you? Jay, please. Stop.

I hope he did.

Well, what if he had?

Did he?

Really? And what

is my type?

I don't know.

Someone lighter.

Someone with wings.

[CHUCKLES]

You'll find someone.

What makes you think

I'm looking?

Everyone's looking.

[CHUCKLES] Really? Yeah.

How did you come

to that conclusion?

Because love rules, baby.

[CHUCKLES] And what about you?

Are you looking?

Always.

Are you finding it?

Sometimes.Hmm.

Well, if you have

a girlfriend,

how come I don't know

about it?

I don't have one.

What about that girl

we saw today, Angelica?

Is she your girlfriend? Nah.

We're friendly.

You're friendly? Yes.

I slept with her once,

if that's what you're asking.

Did you use a condom? Of course.

She was after me.

How could I refuse?

[WATER RUNNING] [CHIMING]

Ma?

Yeah?

My clock's out of batteries.

Can you wake me up?

Sure. What time?

Hasta la vista.

See you tomorrow.

Close the door, Rose.

When?

About me and that girl.

You didn't scare me,

you just caught me by surprise, that's all.

Why?

[WIND WHISTLING]

[INHALES]

[INAUDIBLE]

All set.

[MUTTERS]

[SIGHS]

I dreamt that

I was feeling better,

and I asked you to drive me to Claire's Bakery.

And on the way there,

we got in a huge argument about your hair.

You say to me

that you want to cut it.

I say to you,

"It's fine the way it is," blah, blah, blah.

You get upset, and, uh,

you wait in the car.

And it did feel so great

to be out of the house.

But I'm scared

because I've heard that when people are very ill

and they suddenly

feel better,

it sometimes means

that the end is near.

It's like the body

makes one last effort

before losing the battle

altogether, you know?

And I wanna buy you a loaf

of olive bread.

But I have no money.

I only have sand

in my pocket.

When I come out,

you've gone and left me there.

It's just an ugly dream.

Don't think about it.

I'm scared, Chris.

I'm really,

really scared now.

Look, baby. New birds.

Oh, yeah.

Canaries.

[GRUNTS] How can you tell?

I can see 'em.

Two males, probably.

How do you know that?

Only the males sing.

I had canaries the whole time I was growing up.

Really?

You never told me that.

Well, not the whole time,

but I had a couple once.

A boy gave 'em to me.

What boy?

This boy who was

in love with me.

Oh, get out.

Yeah. Salvador.

He stole money

from his father's wallet,

and he bought me

a pair of canaries.

[CHUCKLES]

And I...

I was once late

for this soccer game,

and I knew that my mother wouldn't

drive me if I didn't clean up my room.

And that included cleaning out the bottom of the birdcage.

And I opened up the door

of the cage, real careful,

and I stuck the hose

in there

and turned on

the machine.

One of 'em got sucked up

right off the bat.

[CHUCKLES] No.

Head first.

And it was a rubber hose,

and I still remember that feeling

of that bird squeezing through inside my hand.

[CHUCKLES] Oh, my...

Come on, Christine.

Oh, geez.

Is that a true story?

Of course.

And what happened

to the other canary?

I don't remember

what happened to her.

[SIGHS]

Maybe we should

get canaries too?

[WHIMPERING]

[MACHINE BEEPS]

[ON MACHINE] Hey, it's Vicky,

callin' to see how everyone's doin' over there.

[MACHINE BEEPS]

LILLY: Christine? Yeah?

Baby, I heard you

talking before.

Oh, um, I was

playing back old messages.

Did my mama call back? Um, no.

No, that

was her old message.Oh. Who else?

[GROANS]

Vicky.

How you feel? It hurts a little.

What did Vicky say?

She just wanted to know

how we were doin'.

Uh-huh.

That's what she said?

"How are you guys doing?"

I'm not sure exactly,

but I can play it back for you.

No, no, no. Just tell me

how you remember it.

"How's everybody

doin' over there?"

That sounds like her.

Wasn't she supposed

to come and visit?

She's coming tomorrow.Oh.

Stay.

[SIGHS]

Vicky has always

had a crush on you.

That isn't true.

Yes, it is.

When we met you,

she said that you looked like a very affectionate person,

and that it would be great

to know you intimately.

Those were her words.

You know how she has

that way of talking.

That doesn't mean

she's in love with me.

[GROWLS]

Besides, I didn't say

she was in love with you.

I said a little crush,

just a little crush.

If you were going to have a baby,

what would you like,

boy or a girl?

Come on. Play with me.

I don't wanna

have a baby.

Every woman

wants a baby.I don't.

Chris.

I don't want one,

boy or girl.

A boy would be great.

Sebastian. Sebastiano.

Do you like that name?

Do you have favorite names

for boys? No.

[GROWLS] Don't be such a party pooper.

Come on. I won't

hold you to anything.

[INAUDIBLE]

[CHIRPING]

Chris,

go to sleep, please.

I'm all right.

Baby...

Tell me about the time

when we first met.

What do you mean?

You know,

at that party...

When we first spoke.

What about it?

I just want to know

how it was.

You were there.Remind me.

[SNIFFLES]

I didn't wanna go.

Claire talked me into it,

and I went as a butterfly.

And you were there

with Vicky.

And you were Thumbelina.

And you were wearing your clogs and your fish earrings,

and you smelled

of patchouli.

Vicky was Rumpelstiltskin.

And you said that you'd seen me before at Frieda's or...

And while we talked,

Vicky said nothing.

And she just kept

looking at me,

and she made me

uncomfortable.

So I said that I wanted to go to the bar to get a drink.

And... And you followed me.

[CHUCKLES]

I remember that blind girl

was playin' on the piano.

And at the bar,

you introduced me to that woman, Grace,

film director.

That was the first time

I heard you say my name.

[ITALIAN ACCENT]

"Christine."

[SNIFFLES] And, uh,

she was Mother Goose.

And she had that huge tattoo

on her chest.

It was...

It was like an exterminating angel or something,

and she asked us

if we were a couple.

And I blushed.

Remember?

And you... you laughed.

You said, "Oh, no, no. We've just met,

but I have my designs on her."

That's what you said,

that you had designs on me.

And that woman...

Remember?

She... She had three daughters with different men,

and she had just had

her tubes untied

and was looking for a man

to inseminate her.

Remember?

And then Vicky walked over

and started interrogating me,

but I didn't care

at this point

'cause I was

already drunk a little bit.

And...

I just wanted her to leave

so I could be alone with you.

And then?

I drove you home.

You know what.

What?

We kissed.

[CHUCKLES]

Good night.

Good night.

CAROL: Hey, sis? Yeah?

God talks to Adam and says, "Adam,

I have the perfect mate for you,

"but it's gonna cost you

an arm and a leg."

Adam thinks about it and replies,

"What can you give me for a rib?"

[CHUCKLES] That's good.

Where'd you hear it?

It's in the Bible.

[DOOR OPENS]

Hey, sis.

Hi. [DOOR CLOSES]

What are you reading?

Men Are From Mars,

Women Are From Venus.

When did that

come out in Braille?

Last week.

It's wonderful.

It is changing

my whole outlook.

I'll never make

the same mistakes, ever.

Really? What mistakes

are those?

Being a woman

who loves too much.

Choosing the wrong man,

then trying to change him.

Not accepting myself

for who I am.

Doing all the things women do

to ruin their lives.

Nice try.

It's 100 years

of solitude.

So how was your day

in the asphalt jungle?

[SIGHS]

A woman I knew

killed herself.

Shit. Who?

You don't know her.

Carmen Alba?

We were in

high school together.

I haven't seen her

for 18 years.

I didn't know her very well

back then either.

How'd she do it?

She turned on the gas

and went to sleep.

I bet you could tell just by looking at her there's a man involved.

There's no one yet.

I bet he ran for cover.

How was your day?

Sylvia came down

with a cold,

so they called me in

to teach one of her pupils.

It's a little girl,

quick as a whip.

Terrific reader.

Father separated.

Hit on me right away.

Going out on a date tomorrow night.

Where is he taking you?

To a concert.

Maybe he'll take me

to see Ray Charles.

[CHUCKLES]

I'm sorry to keep you

waiting, Detective.

I'm afraid we're

running a little behind.

Shall we?

There's a little ink on this finger.

Did she leave a note?

Haven't found one.

She has a mild burn here.

Waxing, maybe?

Could be a combo of gas

and pills.

Any reason to think

it wasn't suicide?

No. Not really.

I just wanted to be sure.

Did you know her?

She once had a C-section.

I'll take a closer look at her,

but she's not gonna tell us all of her secrets.

Okey-dokey, Detective.

If I find anything unusual,

I'll let you know right away.

Yes. Thank you.

Hey, sis? Yeah?

Will you do the honors?

I'm at your mercy.

You can make me into a slut...

Or Mother Teresa of Calcutta,

the future saint.

I don't think Mother Teresa

wore makeup.

She should've.

Lips.What color?

Autumn.Uh-uh. Black lily.

I gotta get that lipstick that doesn't smear the glass when you drink.

Is he taking you out

to dinner as well?

He wants to,

but he's not ready for my table manners.

Well, his daughter is blind.

I'm sure he's understanding.

His daughter and a woman

are not the same thing.

First, I have to approve

his bedroom manners.

Endurance, perseverance,

spirit of sacrifice.

That's from Amy Vanderbilt's

Complete Book of Etiquette.

We're just gonna have a drink after the concert.

Eyes.Hmm.

Nope. No one

claimed the body.

Yeah. I smell a rat.

What makes you so sure

there's a man?

I'm not sure of anything,

but you know how I love the worst-case scenario.

Find any photographs?

No. No photographs at all

in the house.

How coy. Did you

check the garbage?

All the trash cans

are empty.Mmm.

Address book? There wasn't one.

Glass slipper?

You're done.

Do you think it's an option for a blind girl to get plastic surgery?

How are my nails?

They're good.

I would be lost

without you, sis.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

That's my boy.

Can you get it?

I gotta go pee.

Yeah.

What's his name, anyway?

Walter.

Can you believe that?

Hi.Hi.

I'm Walter. Hi.I'm Carol's sister.

I'm sorry. Carol didn't

tell me your name.

I'm Kathy.

Thanks.

Uh, Carol tells me you have a beautiful daughter.

And smart.

Yes, and funny,

but don't get me started. I'll bore you.

Hi.Hi.

You look great.

Thanks. So do y...

[BOTH LAUGH] You almost had me there.

How's he look, sis?

Looks good.Yeah?

Handsome? Mmm-hmm.

[SNIFFS] Mmm.

You smell good too.

Let me get my cane,

just in case Walter needs it to beat me.

[CHUCKLES NERVOUSLY]

And we are on our way.

See you later, sis.

Bye.Nice to meet you, Kathy.

Yes.

If you'd like to join us later after the concert,

that'd be great.

Nope. Kathy would rather

watch television.

See ya.WALTER: Bye.

Bye-bye.

Hello, Detective.

I was just gonna call you

with the result

of the lady's autopsy.

Oh. Thank you. Did you

find anything unusual?

Well, she did take sleeping pills,

just as we imagined.

She did?

Yes, I'm afraid she took enough pills to put a horse to sleep.

[LAUGHS]

I... I'm sorry.

I shouldn't be laughing.

No, it's my fault.

It's a ridiculous thing

to say. Please forgive me.

Oh, no, no. Please.

Don't worry about it.

Um, thank you

for telling me.

Thank you very much.

It's definitely one of ours,

but I can't release any information.

I'm sorry, Detective.

That's the law.

Can you at least tell me if Carmen Alba ever had a baby in this hospital?

What good would

that do you?

I'm a friend of Carmen's.

If she has a son or daughter,

I'd like to find them.

I don't envy you the task

of having to tell a child

that their mother

committed suicide.

Do you know

why she did it?

Ah.

Carmen Alba had a baby girl in this hospital in 1989.

The baby

died the following day.

CAROL:

So there is no child? No.

Hmm. So that's that? Yep.

You know, there

might still be someone.

There's no one.

I'm surprised

to hear you say that, sis.

Usually you're a sucker

for hope.

Well, even if I got lucky and found that someone,

it would take time.

The city has

to bury her tomorrow.

What will she wear?

That's not funny.

I'm not trying to be funny.

I'm serious.

What will they

bury the poor woman in?

I have no idea.

Every woman should be buried in a dress made especially for her

by the birds and the mice,

just like Cinderella's.

The whole thing just reeks

of a man, doesn't it?

You don't know

her motives.

Well, she was a fool.

You're not being

very kind.

She wasn't very kind

to herself.

She threw out all her things

before turning on the gas.

She was discreet.

I'll grant her that.

And the baby's bracelet?

It fell into her shoe while she was going through her things.

She never saw it.

You should consider

being a detective.

Well, there was an opening,

but they gave it to a deaf-mute black man.

Where's Walter

taking you tonight?

The lighthouse.What's that?

A watering hole.

You been there before? Yes. They all

take me there.

You never mentioned it.

No? I didn't think

it was your kind of place.

What do you think

is my kind of place?

Who knows, sis?

Who knows?

When you find out,

you let me know.

Every girl must find

her own little way.

I'll keep you posted.

Why? Did you meet someone?

No.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

See you later, sis.

Don't let

the bedbugs bite.

[WALTER LAUGHING]

[DOOR CLOSES]

[DOORKNOB RATTLING]

Carol? Carol?

CAROL: Walter?

Open the door.

CAROL: Is that you?

I'm done for the night.Oh, that's very funny.

My sister's

down the hall.Open the door.

[CAROL HUMS] Carol? Carol?

That's enough.

You'd be

doing her a favor.

Oh. Listen,

if you don't...

Drop me off

at the coffee place.

I'll walk back

and read in the park.

Okay.Only the blind and homeless

walk in this city.

How was your date? It was good.

Hope we didn't

make too much noise.

No. I slept right through.

He's a good boy. Little possessive,

but he's all right.

And his manners?

They were good, sis.

Real good.

Thanks for asking.

Is he taking you out

to dinner? Yeah.

I told him to pick me up

tomorrow night at 7:00.

[PHONE RINGS]

Hello, this

is Detective Faber. Yes?

Yes. Hello.

Um, fine, thank you.

What can I do for you?

Uh-huh.

[TAPPING KEYBOARD]

[MAN SPEAKS ON PHONE

INDISTINCTLY] Okay.

No, no. It's just that I was working,

and you took me by surprise.

Tomorrow's fine. No.

That's not necessary.

I can meet you anywhere.

All right. Thank you.

How about 7:00?

1124 Carmelina

in Valley Village.

Uh, no. Hold on.

Better make it 8:00. Is that all right?

Okay. Bye.

[BELL DINGS]

[SNIFFS]

[CHIRPING]

GIRL: [READING]

"Just as the door opened,

"a gust of wind picked up

the little paper dancer

"and blew her

into the stove.

"The maid was

cleaning out the oven

"and found him

in the shape of a heart.

That was very good, June.

Did you know that coal miners used to keep canaries underground?

That way they could tell

if there were gas leaks,

because the canaries

would die.

No. I didn't know that.

My dad told me that.

He likes you.

I could tell right away.

It's the way he talked to you.

He uses that tone when he meets a woman he likes.

He speaks slowly and agrees

with everything she says.

He does that with you.

Have you noticed?

No. I haven't noticed.

Do you think he'll ask you out on a date?

I don't know, June.

You might wanna ask him.

He asked you out already.

Is that it?

Would it bother you

if he had?

Only if you accepted,

but I don't think there's any real danger.

He's still in love with mom,

and nothing's going to change that.

Do you live alone?

No. I live

with my sister.

Where does she work?

She's a detective.

That's cool.

Is she single like you?

Yes.

She's not blind, of course.

Why isn't she married?

I guess she just hasn't

found the right man yet.

Maybe she didn't wanna leave you all alone.

Is that it?

That would be wrong,

of course.

I think a blind person is perfectly capable of living on her own.

Don't you?

I didn't wanna be nosy

about you and my dad,

but if he hasn't asked you out,

it's for the better.

He's usually all lovey-dovey with them at first,

then he drops 'em like a hot potato.

"Like a hot potato."

Isn't that a funny expression?

What happened, Carol?

I thought you said he was picking you up at 7:00.

No. 8:00.

What time is it?

It's five to 8:00.

I thought you said 7:00.

Are you going out?

Yeah.

Vera called.

We're gonna go out for a bite.

How is Vera?

She's... She's good,

I think.

I haven't really talked

to her for a while.

On the phone,

she seemed a little down.

Why?

What's the matter?

Um, I don't know.

Problems with her husband, I think.

I've been thinking some more

about your friend Carmen.

Maybe she found

the love of her life,

and they had a child.

But after the baby died,

they were incapable

of consoling one another.

[SIGHS]

The burden was too much

to carry alone...

And impossible to share.

It tore them apart.

So Carmen moved away to a kinder place away from here,

but she wasn't able

to rebuild her life.

So she reached out

to the father of her child.

They talked on the phone

for months,

but she was...

she was terrified of hope.

It took her a long time

to build up the courage

to meet with him

face to face.

Finally, she returned

to Los Angeles

She moved into that house,

prepared for the big night.

But the evening,

it went badly.

Or what's worse, it went well at first,

then it went badly.

At the end of the night,

it was clear to her

that nothing she could do

could revive that baby,

or their love,

[EXHALES] or kill the pain...

Or do anything

but make her feel alone.

Maybe she left early in the morning while he slept.

She made up her mind about her future on that long walk home.

When she arrived...

She went through

all of her things

and threw them out,

erasing herself quietly

behind closed doors

like most people

live their lives.

I was wrong about you being a detective.

You should be a writer.

I mean, maybe she was

just tired of dead ends.

Phone calls

that were never returned.

Promises that were never kept.

Tripping over the same stone.

I guess we'll never know

what she was thinking.

[SNIFFLES]

It's just as well.

These are the things

that can't be shared.

[KNOCKING]

[KNOCKS]

Becca?

Becca?

[CAR APPROACHES]

That's Vera.

What's the hurry?

Why don't you invite her in? We'll torture her.

[TWITTERING]

Don't keep her waiting.

[KNOCKING]

Shh.