Under the Influence (1986) - full transcript

A hard-drinking family man has been successful in his business despite his alcoholism. His daughter, a professional, struggles to meet her father's high expectations while she becomes addicted to prescription drugs; his son, who works for him and who serves as both his whipping boy and his drinking buddy, is becoming an alcoholic like his dad. Then the father's drinking finally takes its toll on his health, and he demands that his son bring him liquor in the hospital as his son's life, and his daughter's, fall apart at home.

I like living in L.A., it's a great town.

It's a town where men are men
and the women are women.

Except on weekends when it's
pretty much anybody's guess.

(audience laughing)

I've met some very strange people.

You have to admit, they're out here, okay?

I went out with a girl the other night

who said she lived in L.A. her entire life

and still wasn't sure how to spell it, so.

(audience laughing)

It's strange maybe because
I'm from a little town in Ohio,



a little town called Chagrin Hills.

No, that's really the name,
I, make that up,

that's the name of the place,
Chagrin Hills,

which is interesting because
if you look chagrin up

in Webster's dictionary,

it says it means humiliation
and embarrassment.

(audience laughing)

So apparently, I think Webster

has spent some time in Chagrin Hills.

(audience chuckling)

Lot of weird people where
I'm from, believe me.

My dad was one of the weirdest.

I didn't know it at the time though.

You know, when I was growing up,
I thought he was normal.



I thought all the dads on TV
were the weird ones.

(audience laughing)

Well, like Robert Young, you know,
on Father Knows Best

before he went to medical school,

got all hung up on caffeine.

You know the show.
(audience laughing)

On Father Knows Best,
he'd come home all smiling,

go over and kiss Mrs. Knows Best.

(audience laughing)

Say hello to Bud and Princess and Kitten

and he's sit around the dinner table,

actually talk to his family.

I didn't trust that guy for a second.

(audience laughing)

Nobody's that nice unless
they're trying to hide something.

Come on, he probably had a smuggling ring

operating out of the basement or something.

Not like my dad.

My dad would come staggering home,

kick open the door, pass out
on the living room rug.

The most you can get out
of him around dinner table

was a belch, that was about it.

(audience laughing)

My old man, boy, he was something else.

Always good for a laugh.

(dog barking)

(water plinking)

(phone ringing)

- Hello?

Noah, where are you?

An accident?

Are you all right?

Yeah, yeah I will right away,

but are you all?

Eddie!

Eddie, your father's been in an accident.

Eddie, Eddie, he wants you to
pick him up right away!

Eddie, wake up!

- What?

- [Helen] An accident.

- [Eddie] Oh, where is he?

- [Helen] He's at the police station,
you gotta pick him up.

- Police station, huh?

- Eddie, will you just hurry.

It sounds like he could really be hurt.

- [Eddie] Yeah.

(Helen sighs)

- Eddie, get going.

- [Fred] Eddie picked him up

not more than 10 minutes ago.

- But mom called me and she
asked me to come down.

- [John] Great, Helen told everyone.

- Is he okay?

Mom said something about
some sort of an accident.

- [Fred] Couple of bruises, that's all.

Of course, he plowed throw a
hedge and into a parked car.

Breathalyzer at .20,
spontaneous combustion.

- Should just keep him, Fred.

I mean, let him wake up in the drunk tank.

- Listen, I would have a long time ago,

but Noah and the Chief,
they're like this, you know?

- Yeah, thank you, Fred.

- Good night, John. - Ann?

Ann!

Annie, wait a minute, wait a minute.

- How dare you insinuate my father

should be locked up like he's
some kind of common criminal.

- Well, drunk driving is a crime, Ann.

- Well, everyone knows those breath tests

are wrong half the time.

He probably just had a couple
of beers down at the Elks.

- Look, okay, I'm sorry.

Let's go, it's cold, come on, let's go.

- [Noah] Took you long enough to get there.

- You're welcome, Dad.

- So you bailed me out, big deal.

This truck smells like cheap perfume,
you and your floozies.

Where you been?

- Not in the drunk tank.

- You watch your mouth!

I'm never been in the drunk tank, not ever.

The car I ran into was illegally parked.

I oughta sue 'em.

- For what?

(gun rattling)

- Fix it or get rid of it.

(Noah groans)

Sweeney's just closed.

(Noah sighs)

- Under your seat.

(Noah sighs)

(Noah sighs)

- Move it, playboy.

Move it!

- All right, now you're thinking, okay,

so his dad had a drinking problem, right?

Well, that's not entirely true.

The man had absolutely no problem
drinking whatsoever.

(audience laughing)

He had a stopping problem
is what the thing was.

The drinking part he pretty much mastered.

You would too if you practiced

eight or nine hours every day.

(audience laughing)

♪ We gonna march to the table ♪

(singing drowned out by engine rumbling)

♪ Ain't nothin' in the pan ♪

Aw, yeah!

Yeah.

♪ Let the midnight special
shine your light on me ♪

♪ Let the midnight special ♪

♪ Shine your ever lovin' light on me ♪

- Noah.
- ♪ Yonder come ♪

- Noah!
- ♪ Miss Rosa ♪

- Noah, are you all right?

♪ How in the world do I know ♪

- [Helen] Are you all right?
- I'm all right, I'm all right.

- I'm all right.
- Noah, I was so worried about you.

That car I hit

was illegally parked!

- Uh-huh.
- I coulda killed myself.

[Helen] Oh no.

[Noah] Right in front of me.

- [Helen] Oh no.
- Yeah, but I'm all right.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

Where you going?

Come back here!

Playboy, come back here!

Hey, hey, hey, where you going?

Hey, wait!

Hey, hey playboy!

(engine revving)
Wait, where are you going?

Where are you going?

- Get him in the house.
- I don't know.

[Noah] Now I'm driving along.
I'm minding my own business.

(sullen music)
(dogs barking)

[John] You know what I've been thinking?

What?

I just found a couple of brochures

from Ski Valley in my pocket.

Fireplace in each room.

It would've been nice.

[John] It would've been great.

You sure you can't come?

(sighs) Honey, I'm just as
disappointed as you are.

But the out of town brass
are coming in for the Christmas party

What can I do?

(Ann sighs)

You know, Ann, you work
eight days a week.

Don't you think you can get
this raise without politicking?

- [Ann] It's not politicking.
- Then what is it?

- It's my job!

If you wanted a housewife,
you should've married a housewife.

I want what you said you wanted, Ann.

I want a family.

We'll have a family.

I'm just not ready yet.

Well, babies won't wait forever, honey.

I suppose we're gonna be spending Christmas
with your folks, huh?

And what's wrong with that?

(sighs) Nothing, nothing at all.

(John sighs)

Are you guys married?

All right, then you know
what I'm talking about.

You know how to cool off
an amorous girlfriend?

- [Woman] How?
- You marry her.

(audience laughing)

Oh yeah, right, okay.

Oh sure the women hiss,
but the guys know it's true.

You know,
you know when a woman says I do,

it's an incomplete sentence, right?

I mean, you know the full sentence

is actually I do, but not very often, see?

But I don't understand, everybody
keeps getting married,

bachelors, liberated women,

people who have absolutely
no right to get married.

And I can't, are these
people that desperate

for blenders and toasters,
is that the problem here?

(audience laughing)

Don't they see, isn't there
some kind of telephon

we could have to get them
appliances, something?

I don't.

See for me, the statistics
are just so frightening.

They really are, if you stop
and about marriage.

One out of every two marriages
ends in divorce, right?

But that's not the frightening thing,

the frightening thing's that
one out of every two

doesn't end in divorce.

See, that's the scary part.

That means that 50% of you
have no way out whatsoever.

You're stuck, that's it.

50% of you are gonna
spend the rest of your lives

with an absolute stranger because one night

when you were 24, you didn't
wanna go to a movie alone.

(kettle whistling)

That should take some
of the soreness out.

[Noah] Mm-hmm.

Now, a nice clean pajama top.

- Night, Daddy.
- Good night, pumpkin.

- Night, Mama.
- Night.

- You know what this reminds me of?
- [Noah] Hmm?

When the kids were little
and you were still playing softball.

Yeah.

You would come home with
every muscle just aching.

Yeah.

Boy.

You know the Oaks haven't won
a championship since I quit?

Mm-hmm.

What a team we used to be,
scrappers, all of us.

And I'd rub you all over with liniment.

Yeah.

And I'd make the kids be quiet
while you took a nap.

- Yeah.
- Whoa.

(both chuckling)

The chances you used to take.

Sliding into base face first.

(Noah imitating engine rumbling)

- I couldn't look.
- Yeah.

You know what?

You worry about me too much.

Oh, and when haven't you liked it?

Yeah.

What say, angel face, huh?
(chuckles)

[Eddie] But you don't need
a new furnace, Miss Clark.

Just a little weather stripping
around your windows

and maybe a little insulation.

I read about insulation.

It has that stuff that
gets into your lungs.

Oh, not ours.

We use fiber glass.

You'll love it, it's pink.
(chuckles)

Well I don't know.

Is your daddy here?

He practically grew up in my house
and he knows every floorboard.

Why, when he and my son,
Henry the banker were boys...

Dad's not here right now, Miss Clark, but I'm
sure when he gets in, I'll get him to call you.

Eddie.

Oh morning, Miss Clark.
Uh, you're looking perky.

I'm going pretty good for an old lady.
How you doing?

Oh never better.

Could, could you excuse us just a minute?

Eddie.

Listen, your father never showed up
at Tim Foley's apartment house.

He's got 16 tenants screaming for heat.

He says if he doesn't get the parts
for his furnace within 10 minutes,

he's gonna take it out of Noah's hide.

Eddie, do you have any of those darling
little bear stickers for my grandchildren?

Yeah, over there, Miss Clark.

Now, you know where he is,
go get him, Eddie.

Let him fall on his face.

- You mention the video idea to him yet?
- No, not yet.

(sighs) Come on, Mark, do it, we could
make a fortune renting out video cassettes.

The longer we wait, you know?

Yeah, but I'm an accountant, Eddie. I mean,
my specialty is numbers, not brainstorms.

If I tell him that idea,
he'll know it came from you.

Yeah and he'll hate it.

You know, he hasn't had a good idea
in 10 years and he knows it.

(phone ringing)

Years ago when we started,
Noah had all the ideas

and more energy than a sky
full of lightning.

Geez, how he could make
the customers laugh.

Now, he just insults 'em
or makes crazy promises

and then who gets all the complaints?
Me, the accountant.

I mean, I, I do books, Eddie, not people.

You know, you oughta go easy on that.

Beer is no breakfast.

(Eddie laughs)

Don't tell my dad that.

[Customer] Where's Noah?

And where's the knotty pine he was
suppose to deliver this morning?

Knotty pine?

Mark, Mr. Foley's on the line.

Says he still hasn't got those parts.
What do you want me to tell him?

Eddie, do you have any those
stickers with pandas on them?

Look, I got a carpenter waiting
at my house, 32.50 an hour.

Mark, he's screaming, come talk to him.

I know you're mad at him, Eddie,
but it's his keister.

[Customer] What about my lumber?

Do you think he's save mine?

Look, this is the second time
this has happened.

I want some satisfaction here.

I'm telling you, Bob Feller
pitched a no-hitter in 1952.

- [Mr. Hanna] He did not pitch a no hitter in 1952.
- No, no, no, he did.

- [Mr. Hanna] It was 1951.
- [Noah] Well I meant 1951, so what else?

[Mr. Hanna] And Cleveland has
never won a World Series.

Are you listening, are you listening?

Cleveland won the series in 1948
against the Braves.

Four games straight.

- The usual, Eddie?
- When I was a kid,..

You guys know my son.

Foley called. Twice.

He needs his furnace parts.

Where's your manners? Say hello to my
friends, Mr. Elliott and Mr. Hanna.

- [Mr. Elliott] Hello, Eddie.
- Hi, Eddie.

[Eddie] Mr. Elliot, Mr. Hanna.

Come on, we gotta get over to Foleys.

Take your hat off
when you say hello to my friends.

I'll do it myself.

Thanks.

His mother spoils him rotten.

(sullen music)

So as you can see, our flour is of
the consistent high quality you want

in order to maintain your reputation
as the city's premier bakery.

And our ability to deliver on time

and in the quantities required is
absolutely guaranteed.

If at any time you wish to increase your
order, either temporarily or permanently,

or require a rush order,

we are here to make sure
you get what you need.

Thank you, Ann.

Well gentlemen and ladies,

if there are no further questions,
I think we can conclude the meeting.

Thank you all for coming.

Fred, I will see you out to your car.

(attendees chattering)
Sir.

(Ann sighs)

(solemn music)

(solemn music)

Ann!

Ann, those guys from
Caldwell Bakery are out

there in the parking lot
looking for their socks.

That's because you knocked them off
with your presentation.

I didn't get my price, Gary.

Price, price, I didn't expect
to get the contract, Ann.

15 truckloads of wheat,
40,000 pounds of flour.

Now listen to me,
I didn't the contract, you did.

You're the one that persuaded them that
their donuts would taste like hockey pucks

without First American Flour.

I said I'd get 10,45 and I couldn't
get them any higher than 10,30.

Ann, Ann, you're too hard on yourself.

But you're a very shrewd negotiator

and it won't be long before the
companies come after you,

so as an incentive for you
stay right here with us,

I'm offering you a 6% raise
as of right now.

I can't believe this.

You better believe it, you're
going right to the top, Ann.

But you don't have to do it
by next Tuesday, you know?

[Miss Morgan] Okay, we're almost out of time,
I'll see you all tonight, seven o'clock,

I am very proud of all of you.

(school bell ringing)

Now remember, those of you who are going
to help me set up, Terri, Ron, Michael,

be here quarter to seven sharp, thanks.

(students chattering)

Best yet.

It's still not as good the one
I seen inside of my head.

Ah, spoken like a true artist.

You know, I wish you would learn to work
during class time, Terri.

The other kids would love
to see you in action.

I'm looking forward to seeing
your parents tonight.

Oh my dad may have to work late.

I bet they were excited when you
told them about your scholarship.

I haven't told them yet.

I can hardly believe it myself.

You haven't told them?

I have to go, my mom's waiting.

Um, I'll see you tonight, Miss Morgan.

Well, that's just embarrassing. You know,
I was gonna be so embarrassed

with the whole neighborhood
to what was going on,

so I used to collect the empty bottles
at the end of each week.

(audience laughing)

I did, I went and I would take them down
to the Goodwill, where they

would like wire them
and make lamps or something.

(audience laughing)

Then one day,
I had the week's empties down,

Down, I was down at the Goodwill there,

backing in the trucks.

(audience laughing)
And, uh,

and I got to thinking
that there are so many kids

who are studying
with light, thanks to my dad.

(audience laughing)

And they'll never know.

They'll never know, they'll be studying,

they'll become doctors and lawyers someday

and they'll never know
what my dad had done for them.

(audience laughing)

And all I kept thinking was I hope

that someday one of those doctors

and one of those lawyers remembers

because my dad's gonna need 'em.

(audience laughing)

[Helen] Terri!

Yes, Mama?

[Helen] Did you pick up my prescription?

Oh, it's in my coat pocket.

Thanks.

Mama, you should eat something.

Oh, maybe later.

When your father comes home,
tell him I'm sleeping.

(Terri sighs)

(Terri sighs)

(door clicks)

Daddy, is that you?

[Noah] Eddie, you home?

Is your brother home?

[Terri] No.

[Noah] A good thing for him.

- Hi, Daddy.
- Hi, pumpkin.

Well, Eddie's done it again.

He's late getting to Foley's, so naturally Foley
chews me up one side and down the other.

Well, there's only so much a man can take.

When Eddie comes home tonight,
I'm gonna fire him.

Yeah, we'll see then
who will give him a job.

(Terri yelps)
What's for supper?

Um, pork chops.

[Noah] (sighs) Mm, your mother at her best

never could fix pork chops as good as you.

Where is she?

She's sleeping.

Figures.

Parents' Night still start at seven?

(dog barking)

Thought I forgot, didn't you?

(Noah chuckles)

Nobody's going this year, Daddy.

Not even half the teachers. Parents'
Night is really no big deal any more.

It is to me.

I went for your brothers and I went for
your sister and I'm going for you.

Besides, it'll probably be the last one
for both of us.

I don't expect the university has Parents' Night.

College girl.

Well, I promised Miss Morgan

I'd go in early and help set up.

Want me to come along and give you a hand?

About time I saw what you been doing down there.

You wanna help me?

Sure, we'll go right now.

No, no, I mean at Parents' Night,
parents are guests.

[Noah] Oh.

You wanna, no, I'll..,
I'll do it now.

It'll only take a few minutes.

Well great, I'll meet you there.
Give me time to shave and spiff up.

- Okay, I'll go get ready now.
- [Noah] Okay.

(Noah laughs)

- Seven sharp.
- [Terri] Seven sharp.

(dog barking)

[Student] I did the lamp actually, Dad.

The lamp is mine.

This student here made this one.

Excuse me.

Everyone here is raving about your work.

Come on, you should hear
some of this first hand.

This one's a prize.
(chuckles)

- It's mine.
- This yours?

- Yeah.
- Yeah?

- Hi, I'm Rick's dad.
- Terri Talbot, hi.

I know where it is.
Oh, get outta here!

(Noah laughing)

Kid in the hall tried to direct me
to the auditorium.

Can you beat that?

(Noah laughing)

I went to school here.

- Hi, pumpkin.
- Hi daddy.

Told you I'd get here.

Pleasure to see you, Mr. Talbot.

Mutual.

- Is that Terri's dad?

- Yeah, I guess so.
- The last of the brood.

You won't have the Talbots
to kick around any more.

(laughs) Seriously,
she's special, isn't she?

Terri is a truly gifted artist, which is why
she's been offered the scholarship to Mass Art.

Wait, don't.

I know how excited you
and Mrs. Talbot must be.

Wait a minute,
wait a minute, back up here.

What are you talking about?

Well, it just happened.

Terri's been offered a full scholarship to study
art at the Massachusetts Institute of Art.

She's extraordinarily talented,

but then you already know that.

Well, if you're talking about drawing,

she's always done that,

used to scribble all over my ledgers.

Well, Mass Art think the world of her scribbles.

And her sculpture.

Well, a scholarship is great, but art?

How would she make a living?

Well, a number of people here tonight
have asked if Terri sells her work.

Then a degree in art
would give her many options.

She could even teach.

Teach?

Terri's too bright to drag
along on a teacher's salary.

Daddy!

Terri's already enrolled at State U.

She'll study accounting, she'll go
in business with me as my partner.

- I would have done...
- That's fine, Mr. Talbot.

- ...same thing for her brothers...
- But don't you think we..

- ...But one's a dummy, one took off.

She's made up her mind,

so don't go stuffing any dumb ideas

in her head.
- Mr. Talbot! Don't you think...

Come on, Terri.

Terri, don't go with him,
he's in no condition to drive.

He drives slower when I'm with him.

Daddy!

Daddy, wait.

(sullen music)

[Helen] Terri!

Terri?

(sighs) Do you need something, Mama?

[Helen] Did Eddie come home last night?

[Terri] No.

You were out late.

I was at school.

[Helen] Oh no, I forgot.

You knew I wanted to go,
why didn't you remind me?

You were sick, Mama.

Your father didn't go, did he?

Was he okay?

(Terri sighs)

[Terri] When is he ever okay anymore?

[Helen] Hey, I asked you a question, was he okay?

(Helen sighs)

The thing about TV families is that
in a strange way, they're really real.

They tend to ignore all the important
things. Have you noticed that?

(audience laughs)

It's true.

The father will come home, he'll say hi,
honey, and the wife will go, oh sweetheart,

the boss is coming home from dinner and
I burned the roast and Junior was arrested

after school today for climbing a water tower with a
high-powered rifle and picking off school children.

(audience laughing)

And he goes, gosh honey, that's terrible.

Where are we gonna get a roast on such short notice?

(sullen music)

(door clicks)

(shoes tapping)

(sullen music)

(Noah sighs)

(sullen music)

(Noah sighs)

(dog barking)

(foreboding music)

(dog barking)

(sullen music)

(tense music)

- [Noah] Eddie?

Yeah.

See you for a minute.

Nice of you to drop by.

[Eddie] There's no place like home.

Have fun tonight with your bum friends?

If they like me, they gotta be bums, right?

You buy their booze, you buy their fun.

What would you call 'em?

[Eddie] Don't know, what do you call the
guys you hang out with down at Sweeney's?

That food okay or should I get
your mother up to fix something else?

[Eddie] Hm, food's great, cold though.

Maybe I should warm it up for you.

- No, thanks.

But you should get me another beer.

Want another beer?

[Eddie] Yeah.

Okay.

Here's another beer!

[Eddie] What's this, Dad?

What's the matter with you?
Come on. Are you crazy?

Cut it out!

[Noah] Take that, son!

What's going on?

[Eddie] Stop it!

(Eddie and Noah screaming)

[Terri] Daddy, please, stop it!

[Eddie] Hey, you leave my mother alone!

(everyone yelling)
Stop it!

(Helen panting)

What's the use?

- Noah!
- Do you know what trouble you is?

What's the use?

The trouble with you is you had it too easy!

Noah.

Nobody ever gave me anything.
I gave you a roof, I gave you a job!

- You look at me like I'm dirt!
- 'Cause you're a ditz, you know?

- Yeah!
- Oh Mama, will you stop 'em!

(everyone yelling)

- Stop it!
- Get out of my house!

[Eddie] I'm getting out of your house!

(door slams)

Whew, I am really glad to be here.

I went to the store this morning

to buy a container of milk, it had my picture on it.

(audience laughing)

So I called my mother up, I said Mom,

I'm not missing, Mom, I moved away from home, Mom.

I went away to make a life of my own,

to make something of myself and she went,

she went, hmm, well, do you
think you'll be done by dinner time?

(audience laughing)

She has a little trouble accepting reality, Mom.

Dad was the one who was the pain for me though.

I mean, if I hear one more, when I was your age.

Oh please, dad.

When I was your age,
why, we hardly had any food on the table.

Why, the cockroaches use to send out.
Right, yeah, thanks.

(audience laughing)

When I was your age.

When I was your age,
we walked five miles to school every day.

He used to make us do the same thing.

We lived across the street from the school,
but for some reason he drove us five miles away

every morning and I don't know why he did.

Said it would make men out of us.

And he was right, in all honesty,
it did make men out of us.

To this day that's still a very big problem
for my two sisters.

(audience laughing)

John, we're gonna be late for church.

Come on, sweetheart.

Honey, what do you say we take a
nice long romantic drive in the country?

Have dinner at some little cozy inn,

pretend we're not married.

Mom would be so disappointed.

You know that church and family brunch
are the high points of her week.

Yeah.
(sighs)

Mom.

What you really mean, Ann,
is that unless your father

is surrounded by every single

solitary member of his devoted family,

he can't play pillar of the community

or big daddy at brunch
while he sips Bloody Marys.

I'm not listening to this.

(John sighs)

You know what it comes down to, Annie?

Is that you cannot spend one
lousy Sunday with your husband.

And why does this always happen?
What ever happened to us having fun?

I mean, why can't we just be happy
like everybody else?

Happy?

Happy on your terms, in your way.

Well, I've told you what makes me happy.

My job makes me happy.

Well, and I congratulated you
on your raise, didn't I?

What'd your father do,
jump 10 feet in the air?

You have told him, haven't you?

Hello, haven't you?

Oh, I don't believe it. Oh, now I
understand the mad dash to church.

You haven't told your father, have you?

And you can't wait.

Daddy's gonna be proud of me
and that's all that matters.

Am I right?

Yes, daddy is proud of my accomplishments.

Unlike you!

Wait, what?

Always complaining about my hours,

clutching at me.

Clutching at you?

You're afraid of my independence.

- Listen, let me tell you something, Annie!
Let me tell you something!

If you wanted to marry your daddy,
you should have

because you're mother
would have stepped aside like that!

Oh, you're sick.

Say hello to God for me, Ann.

Tell him he can have my Bloody Mary.

(door slams)

(inspirational organ music)

♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪

♪ Lord God Almighty ♪

♪ Early in the morning ♪

[Ann] Good morning.

♪ Our song shall rise to thee ♪

♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪

- Pardon me, hi, Terri.
- Hi.

- John's sick, it's just a cold.

Where's Dad?

Back with the ushers.

Oh, I'll be back in a second.
I've got something to tell him.

♪ Persons blessed Trinity ♪

- Have you seen my father?
- Yeah.

♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪

- Well, he was here just a minute ago.
- Thank you.

♪ All the saints of glory ♪

♪ Casting out with golden crowns ♪

Hi kid.

Here's what you do,
you salt the basket before you pass it.

Folks look in, they see a 20,

they feel cheap if they put in change.

My old man taught me that.

♪ Who was the Lord's man ♪

♪ Nevermore shall we ♪

♪ Amen ♪

On that day, the nations will no longer so furiously rage.

And now, let us remember the words

of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,

who said it is more blessed to give than to receive.

(inspirational organ music)

♪ Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine ♪

♪ Oh what a foretaste of glory divine ♪

♪ Heir of salvation, purchased of God ♪

♪ Born of his spirit, washed in his blood ♪

♪ This is my story, this is my song ♪

♪ Praising my Savior all the day long ♪

♪ This is my story, this is my song ♪

♪ Praising my Savior all the day long ♪

(Noah groans)

- Noah!
- Daddy!

(tense music)

[Congregant] Get a doctor.

(solemn music)

♪ Rapture now burst on my sight ♪

(sirens wailing)

♪ Bring from above ♪

♪ Echoes of mercy, whispers of love ♪

♪ This is my story, this is my song ♪

♪ Praising my Savior all the day long ♪

(Terri yelling)

[Terri] Where's Annie?

♪ This is my story, this is my song ♪

♪ Praising my Savior all the day long ♪

♪ This is my story, this is my song ♪

[Terri] Ann.

- What happened?
- He just fell.

- Oh my god.
- He just fell.

- He's bleeding.
- Mark. Find Eddie for me.

- [Terri] I'll take your car, no.
- [EMT] Out of the way, ma'am.

♪ This is my story, this is my song ♪

♪ Praising my Savior all the day long ♪

Get ambulance service to ER, stat.

♪ Amen ♪

Now, they want me to go home
for a family reunion, right?

This is the greatest thing.
Who invented the family reunion?

An orphan, that's who invented the family reunion.

What is the concept behind this thing?

I'm suppose to drive,

I'm suppose to drive 2,000 miles

to be with people who imposed a curfew,

made me eat things I didn't wanna eat,

lock me in my room for the slightest infraction.

Come on, how many ex-cons go
back to Sing Sing just for the hell of it?

(audience laughing)

It is for Noah that we ask this miracle

that is within your power to grant

and most heavenly Father, for this loving family,

we ask the courage to comfort

their beloved husband and father

and for the strength to support one another
in this, their hour of crises.

And let them be aware of the certainty

of your everlasting love, amen.

[All] Amen.

He's in good hands, Helen.

Down here and up there.

Now, you just make sure
that you take care of yourself.

I'll see that she gets plenty of rest.

I, I don't need any rest, I fell fine.

Eddie is at the store taking over for his dad.

He wants to be sure that Noah
has nothing to worry about.

Well, that's very considerate of him.

And Stephen, Stephen is flying in
all the way from Los Angeles.

Well obviously, I'm leaving you
in very loving hands.

Now please, call me if you need me.

- Oh I will, I will. We will.
- Thank you.

- Bless you all.
- Thank you.

(sullen music)

(Helen sighs)

[Ann] Stephen.

[Stephen] Hi, Mom.

Oh Stephen, Stephen.

[Stephen] How is he?

I don't know.

Whenever we ask, the doctors says
they still have to run tests.

Oh Stephen, make them tell us something, please.

Well, what can Stephen do
that I haven't already done?

The doctors are still running tests.

I'm surprised you're not
running them yourself.

How you doing?

- Hey peanut, how are you?
- Hi.

("Hungry Heart" by Bruce Springsteen)

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Come on ♪

♪ Got a wife and kids in Baltimore, Jack ♪

♪ I went out for a ride and I never went back ♪

♪ Like a river that don't know where it's flowing ♪

[Eddie] Mike, can I have another one?

- One beer.
- Thanks.

♪ Wrong turn and I just kept going ♪

♪ Everybody's got a hungry heart ♪

♪ Everybody's got a hungry heart ♪

♪ Lay down your money and you play your part ♪

[Mark] Eddie.

♪ Everybody's got a... ♪

- Eddie!
- ♪ ...Hungry heart ♪

(Eddie and woman laughing)

Eddie.

Eddie, would you get me another beer?

Yeah sure.

Mike, Mike, Mike, another round, okay?

[Mike] Okay.

I've been looking for you.

Go back and tell him
you couldn't find me.

- This time I'm not going home.
- Eddie, Eddie.

- You know what's bugging my father?

- Please Eddie.
- For him the good times

are over and it's killing him

to see me have a good time.
- Eddie, your dad's

in the hospital.

♪ Got a hungry heart ♪

It's a heart attack maybe.

- He's not dead?
- No, no, he's hanging on.

You know him, he's tough.

♪ Lay down your money and you play your part ♪

♪ Everybody's got a hungry heart ♪

Come on, come on.

Mike, coffee here.

[Mike] You got it.

First coffee, and then you
get a shower at my place.

Come on son, pull yourself together,

your dad needs you and your mom.

Hell, I need you.

I knew something was gonna happen,
the way Noah's been drinking.

[Eddie] Get out of my way.

- [Mark] Eddie, where you going?
- [Eddie] I'm going to the hospital.

- [Mark] Come on, Eddie!
- [Eddie] I'm going!

[Mark] Eddie, come back, you gotta sober up!

Eddie!

♪ Don't make no difference ♪

First, alcohol has destroyed most of his liver.

Second, his stomach has a mass of varicose,

uh, it's a mass of varicose veins

caused by the backup of blood from his liver,

that's why he hemorrhaged.
- You okay?

- Yeah, I'm fine.
- Third,...

he has cardiomyopathy.

Simply put, it's an
inflammation of the heart muscle.

But his primary disease is alcoholism.

That's impossible.

If your dad ever drinks again,
he'll go into hepatic coma and die.

Mom!

Where's Dad?
I gotta see him!

Shh!
Eddie, just come over here and be quiet.

- Where is he at?
- Will you just sit down here quietly?

- Eddie, Eddie!
- No, no!

[Stephen] How you doing?

- Steve.
- Good to see ya.

Thanks for the birthday card.

Oh, it was nothin'.

[Stephen] Nothin', what are you
talkin' about? It was the only one I got.

Yeah, oh.

- Um, I got see Dad, Steve, let me see Dad!
- All right.

- Do you know if he's okay what's going on?
- Hey look, look. Lower your voice.

- [Eddie] This is just...
- Nobody's seen him yet.

You smell.

You don't.

You don't smell,
you don't sweat,

and you probably don't...

- Hey, hey, hey!
- Stop!

- Hey, what are you doing?

What are you doing?

[Ann] Pig.

Come on, come on.

Almost got her that time.

[Helen] Doctor, when can Noah have visitors?

[Dr. Duran] Right now if you'd like.

- I do like.
- I'm going with you.

- [Helen] I wanna see him alone.
- Mom, come on, I wanna go, no!

- Eddie, come on, let's go get a cup
of coffee while we're waiting, all right?

- Don't, don't, don't push me!

Go to hell, all of ya!

None of you even bothered to look for me.
You sent an outsider.

I'm not, I'm not even part of this family.

Family, huh.

He's upset about his father being so sick.

Doctor, Doctor,
would you please talk to Noah

and tell him that he has to stop working
so hard, now that he's had a heart attack?

[Dr. Duran] Mrs. Talbot, maybe we could.

Welcome home, Steve.

(sullen music)

[Dr. Duran] He's stabilized.

I think we can move him to
a private room tomorrow.

[Helen] Oh.

(door clicks)

I have to lie down.

[Ann] Where's the phone book?

I'll go make some coffee.

And make it strong, Terri.

How quiet Oz is when the Wizard's away.

Now, this is very festive.

Hey, where's my favorite ornament?

Remember, from the Christmas

Dad came home feeling very charitable?

Here we go, said we were all spoiled brats,

brought all our presents down
to the children's home.

What are you doing?

I'm looking for a doctor for a second opinion.

Why?

I mean Duran seemed like
a very competent fellow to me.

You said yourself, he was sharp, didn't you?

He's too young.
Dad needs someone with more experience.

(John sighs)

Look Annie, I can understand

that you don't like his diagnosis,

but you really think

you're gonna find somebody
in the phone book

who's gonna tell you something
you like better?

Now, all Duran said was that you...

I don't wanna hear
what our paper boy said!

And if you're on his side,
I don't wanna hear you either.

Damn it!

(John panting)

Damn you, since when does
the truth have a side?

Would you listen to me?

Would you look at me, please?

Look at me!

- You're father's an alcoholic.
- Stop!

- I want you to say it. I want you to say it, Ann.
- No!

[John] Say it out loud.
The world is not gonna fall apart.

- Leave me alone!
- And you're not gonna collapse.

- Leave me alone!

Ow!
(Ann gasps)

(solemn music)

John?

Where are you going?

Take a picture, Steve.

I'm finally making Ann happy.

I knew it.

I always knew you'd run out on me.

Annie, I'm not running out on you.

You're driving me away.

(door slams)

Ann?

Ann.

Go after him.

And then what?

Be what he wants me to be?

Have a baby, a house full of babies?

Isn't that what wives do?

Have to say please and thank you

and wait on him and worry about him

no matter how lousy he treats me?

And pray to God, he'll never leave me

because I have kids to feed
and nowhere to go.

That's what a husband and kids got you.

And that's what it would get me too,

if I was ever fool enough to depend
on anyone but myself.

You know, this family's
never really been very good at Christmas.

Wonder if we call Rabbi Burkwich,
if he'd let us convert?

Do you have to make fun
of everything, Steve?

Not everything's funny.

Mama.

You're father's gonna feel so much better when
he's wearing his own pajamas and bathrobe.

Would you bring me his bathrobe, honey?

Mama, I have to talk
to you about something.

What your father needs is a hobby. Hobbies
reduce stress, I read that somewhere.

- Mama.
- You know I bet

his working tools are still down in the basement.

I wouldn't bother you about this now,
but I have to decide something.

I've been offered a scholarship to Mass Art.

I know, Miss Morgan called.

You didn't tell me.

First, I was sick,
then your father is sick.

You know, you're father made the kitchen cabinets for me,

first nail to final varnish,

the winter before you were born.

All pine, the kitchen smells so nice.

I, I wanna go to art school, Mama.

That's certainly something you can think
about later when you're father is all better.

- Mother.
- Where are his slippers?

There won't be a scholarship later.

I have to give them my decision now.

[Helen] I know they were here.

- Oh, here they are.
- All I ever wanted in life is to study art,

Mama, I never dreamed I'd be good enough.

(gasps)
I'd study hard and I would have friends.

I don't have any friends here.

That's my fault?

No, no I didn't say that, it's my fault.

I just thought maybe in college,
things would be different.

Mama, I want this!

I, I, I, is that all you can think about?

What about your father
who right this minute

is lying in the hospital
fighting for his life?

And what about me?

Who's gonna help me take care of him?

Mama, what if I turn down this scholarship

and then Daddy doesn't make it?

- Don't you say that!

Don't you even think that.

He's gotta make it.

He's my life.

What about mine?

(sullen music)

Dad?

Dad.

Dad, it's Eddie.

Hi.

What happened?

You run out of money
and decide to come home?

I got here as soon as I could.

I hope you're satisfied.

You're too good to work,

too good to make deliveries.

You're too good to anything
but give me a bad time.

I've done my work and yours too.

That's what put me here, sonny.

I hope you like what you're seeing.

(machines beeping)

Dad?

Now, you happy to see me?

Hey!

What are you doing?

[Stephen] What, was Eddie trying to kill him?

[Dr. Duran] No, Eddie was trying to win his approval.

Yeah, but to bring him liquor, that's sick.

Well, sure it is.

Do you believe your father's an alcoholic?

I've always known it,
I don't know that I believe it.

I think you do.

Look Steve, there's a
technique called intervention,

a way of getting the ball rolling
for everyone.

It goes like this.

Your family would gather in Noah's room

and each of you in turn would confront Noah

with his drinking and how it hurts you.

The confrontation would be done with love,
not anger and it can be...

You're crazy, we'd have to sit on Dad.

Mom would collapse.

Ann would pull out her paperwork,

Terri would decide it was all her fault.

Eddie would just run out and get loaded.

Eddie's an alcoholic.

Eddie's a kid!

He's also an alcoholic.

Now, you think I'm making
judgments and I'm not.

I'm a doctor
and what I see here is a very sick family.

But you can help yourselves, all of you.

I can put you in touch with Al-Anon,

that's a self-help support group

for the families of alcoholics

and ACA, a group created specifically

for the adults children of alcoholics.

These groups work, Steve.

Look, I came here
because my father got sick.

That doesn't mean
that I'm gonna get involved.

You were involved the minute you were born.

What do you want from me, Duran?

When I was a kid,
I used to find his bottles

and pour out the booze, it didn't help!

I can't make him stop drinking!

(pager beeping)

I'm sorry, I gotta go.

Talk later?

Yeah.

Um.

I told Noah that he could never drink again.

And?

He told me that are more old drunks
than old doctors.

(phone ringing)

So, the doctor says to the patient,

I have some bad news and some worse news.

The bad news is you have 24 hours to live.

The worse news is
I should've told you yesterday.

(audience laughing)

The doctor says to the patient,

don't you know that booze
is slow poison?

And he says that's okay, Doc,
I'm in no hurry.

(audience laughing)

So, a drunk smashes his car
into a telephone pole

and a cop comes over and goes, hey,

have a little accident, pal?

The drunk goes, no thanks, just had one.

(audience laughing)

[Woman] Dr. Liken, please call cardiology.

Dr. Liken, call cardiology.

Have lunch with us, Mom.

No, I'd rather stay here.

I'll bring you a cup of coffee
and a sandwich, Mom.

Hello Ann,
Terri.

[Terri] Hi, Miss Duncan.

- Steve, how are you?
- Hi, Miss Duncan.

- How is he?
- Calling Dr. Ryan Lee,

to Peds ICU please, Dr. Ryan Lee.

The doctor said that
Noah's drinking caused this.

But I can't believe that.

Noah drinks, sometimes too much,

but it's the only way that he has to relax.

(Helen chuckles nervously)

Oh, I never told him this,

but do you know
who he used to remind me of?

John Wayne. (laughs)

You know, those heroes that
he used to play in movies?

The rough and tumble men
who had to do things their own way.

Do you remember The Quiet Man,
John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara.

- Uh-huh.
- Oh!

I love that movie.

You remember he goes and he picks her up

and he carries her in the front door

and he throws her down on the bed,
oh, so romantic.

To each his own, I suppose.

(Helen sighs)

Noah's not gonna die, nah, he's too strong.

Noah's tough.

Helen, would you...

And good, Eve, he is.

He is good.

No one knows him the way I know him.

Or remembers the way he was.

Do you know that he never once

looked at another woman, never?

Oh no, he stuck by me,
he stuck by the kids,

that's more than I can say
about my own father.

Eve.

(Helen sighs)

It's so strange.

I'm sitting here and
I'm talking to my own children,

I'm talking to them, I'm listening

and remembering when they were babies,

when did they grow up?

When did they turn into people?

I don't even know who they are.

Where's Eddie?

Mom told me he was busy at the store.

Yeah, I'll bet.

It's just as well he stays away.

He only aggravates Dad.

You never aggravate Dad, do you?

I try not to.

Mom says no matter what mood
he comes home in,

you always give him a great big kiss.

Hmm, cute.

Ann.

Some of us have to bust our tails
to get any attention.

Some of us just have to be cute.

The only reason I kiss him ever

is to smell his breath.

Go ahead, Steve, say something funny.

So from now on,
you're gonna have to listen to me.

- Right.
- No more work,

no more worry.
- Okay.

- No more pork chops.

Oh, now pumpkin, you're breaking
your father's heart.

You know what the doctor said?

I've got to quit smoking.

- No more smoking.
- Definitely.

Okay, I'll quit smoking,
I'll eat bushes and weeds.

Now, would you both get off my back?

Well, we just want you home and happy.

- Hey Annie, finally.
- Hi.

Hi Daddy.

[Noah] Hey where's that husband of yours?

Oh, in a meeting.

It's very important,
but he'll be here later.

Oh Daddy, you look wonderful.

I'm so happy to see you.

And I've got great news for you.

Uh-oh, what have you done now, young lady?

Well, I got myself a raise.

- Congratulations.
- A raise?

I'm impressed, little girl, how much?

6% and my boss says...

Six?

You mean he gave you
a basic cost of living increase?

No, no, Daddy, it's a raise,

and he says I'm a really shrewd negotiator.

Come on, honey.

A real raise is at least 10%, a piddling six
is just gonna put you in a higher tax bracket.

It will wind up costing you money.

Helen.

Well, did a promotion come with it?

No Daddy, but I've only
been there for eight months

- ...and they love my work.
- Helen, would you quit hovering over me?

You're like some kind of fly.

(Helen sighs)

Daddy, I, I thought you'd be pleased.

Oh, I'm pleased, I'm pleased.

Where's the playboy?

Who's minding the store?

If I don't watch Eddie every minute,
he'll drive me right into bankruptcy.

Oh no, no, no, no, no.

Ed Ambrose comes in the other day.

Eddie quotes him a price on lumber

that's practically nothing,
he's giving the business away.

Now, now, now you're upsetting yourself.
You're upsetting yourself.

[Noah] Yeah, you're right, you're right.

You know what I need?

What?

[Noah] Terri, you know

those special corn muffins you make?

You know where you whip up
the butter and the honey?

- To late tonight?

- We'll have 'em for you tomorrow.
- Ah, that's my girl.

You keep feeding me,
I'll live to be a hundred.

Next thing you know,
I'll be back down there

doing what I do, that's all that matters.

A job I can do, a job,
a job that makes you proud of me.

You gotta, you gotta, you gotta be firm.

You gotta be strong,
you gotta hang in there.

You know that store has been mine.

[Helen] You need to get some rest.

[Noah] When I was young, I used to stay.

(somber music)

[Helen] We should go home now.
Your father has to rest.

Now, all you have to worry about now
is getting better.

Yeah.

Go on home, you look like the dog's dinner.

Oh see, he's getting better,
he's getting cranky.

(Helen laughs)

Come on.

Get some sleep or take a pill or something
before you come back.

(Helen laughs)

- Bye, Daddy.
- Bye.

Steve.

Come here a minute.

See any movie stars out there?

[Stephen] Every once in a while.

What's the latest from Dr. Duran?

Garbage, the man talks garbage.

He's a kid.
(chuckles)

He's a kid who talks garbage.

I'll be home by the Rose Bowl.

Duran said that?

What the hell does he know?

By the Super Bowl anyway.

Well, you'll be here for Christmas.

Oh, not much of a holiday anyway.

Your mother likes it.

Maybe you'll stay for your mother.

Sorry, I'm working,
it's a big day at the club.

That's some business your in, Steve.

Being a comic's no life.

You've been out there three years,
you're no David Letterman.

No, but I'm gettin' there.

Yeah?

Tell me a joke.

What's the matter, Steve?

I got a sense of humor,
if it's funny, I'll laugh.

(Noah laughing)
(sullen music)

My old man used to tell stories,

but mostly on himself, what a character.

Ah, when he came back from the Navy,

he came home one night with a snoot full

and he had a nightmare.

He dreamed his ship was sinking.

You know what he did?

He got up and jumped out the window.

(Noah laughs)

He broke his damn leg.

I yelled down, I said, hey Dad,
have you ever had the DTs?

He yelled back, he said, hell,

I had 'em when they first come out.

(both laughing)

Ah, nothing could keep my old man down.

He never missed a day of work in his life.

(Noah groans)

Character.

(Noah sighs)

We washed her out, she's gonna be okay.

What's happening to my family?

Mrs. Talbot,
Noah may be the drinker in the family,

but the disease has affected you all.

And it is a disease.

It's not a question of morals or character.

If you'd please keep an open mind,

I'd like to talk to you about family treatment.

- Can I see my daughter now?
- Of course.

But at some point, we gotta deal with this.

I want to see her now.

Of course.

(phone ringing)

Maybe we can talk later.

She's in room 226.

You young doctors think
you know everything.

[Stephen] Forget it, Duran.

You're trying to shove a 10-pound idea into
a five-pound mind, she's not gonna hear you.

I heard you and I believe what you said.

[Dr. Duran] Terri,
if you ever feel like talking to me,

that's what I'm here for.

Talking can help sort things out.

Yeah, sometime maybe.

My mom's waiting now.

So honey, the best thing
you can do for yourself now

is to rest and forget about this.

We're not gonna tell John
and don't worry about anything.

You don't have to worry,
nobody is gonna find out

about this accident and then...

Mother.

Then when you get better,
you'll come to our house

and I've already dusted your room for you

- ...and then you'll rest.
- Mother.

And when you get better,
you and Terri and I will all

- ...look after Daddy together.
- Mother, please be quiet.

It wasn't an accident.

Mama, I need help.

(solemn music)

(dog barking)

[Terri] Hi Steve.

Ah, the curse of the Talbots,
we never sleep.

Except the Talbots that drink or take pills.

I couldn't sleep.

I just don't get why Ann did what she did.

She's always been so strong,
she's had such a backbone.

Too much.

She doesn't bend so she broke.

I used to kill myself just to get her to laugh.

Jokes, faces, prat falls, not a smile.

I should thank her actually, she makes
all the other audiences seem easy.

Is Eddie home?

[Stephen] Probably upstairs sleeping it off.

He's one of the Talbots who drink.

You're not.

Wrecks my timing.

That's not true.

I've always been afraid I'd turn out like Dad.

Are you gonna take the scholarship?

I don't know.
I tried talking to Mom.

Stephen, she won't listen.
I always pick the wrong time

or the wrong words or something.

It's not your words, Terri.

It's Mom.

She can't hear.

You're probably too young to remember,

but there was a time when Mom
really made magic around here.

She used to sing, she was always singing.

Cute little romantic songs, you know?

♪ Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do ♪

♪ I'm half crazy over the love of you ♪

In this cute little voice, real bubbly, you know?

You should get her
to sing that for you some time.

Yeah, well.

[Terri] It's almost like we had different mothers.

Not any more.

What have you decided about art school, Terri?

(Terri sighs)

Well, I've decided that the decision is up to me.

Not Dad, not Mom, but me.

[Stephen] That's good.

What about you?

[Stephen] I don't think I wanna go to art school.

(Terri chuckles)

No Stephen, what about you?
What about your girlfriend?

What's her name, Donna?

Do you love her?

Yeah.

But it's a very closely guarded secret.

You should tell her.

You should.

(Terri sighs)

Well, guess I'll go to bed now.

(Terri sighs)

Steve?

[Stephen] Yeah?

Do you love me?

Of course I love you, peanut.

[Terri] I love you, too.

(Terri sighs)

Steve.

Yeah?

[Terri] I hate it when you call me peanut.

(Terri laughs)

Good night.

[Stephen] Good night.

(Steve sighs)

♪ For auld lang syne ♪

[Mary] What's that?

That's a Christmas present
from a very dear friend of mine.

(bell ringing)

Look Daddy, teacher says,
every time a bell rings,

an angel gets his wings.

[George] That's right, that's right.

Attaboy, Clarence.

[Eddie] Hey, how ya doin'?

[Noah] Bed's lumpy.

Nurses come to work on broomsticks.

Food's worse than the Army's,
and the Army's is swill.

(Eddie laughs)

Well, this, cheer you right up.

- Yeah.

Look, the new video department.

- Video department?
- Yeah, Talbot's is moving with the future.

See, I got it divided up into sections.

See, there's comedy, classics, action, sci-fi...

That's nice, that's real nice.

And check this out.

Our brand new blue neon video sign.

That's great.

Calls for a celebration.

Well?

Um, I don't have a bottle on me.

First time for everything.

[Eddie] I got a great price on the sign from Phil.

You know the guy who has...

Then go get one.

I ain't goin' anywhere.

Hey, come on, Dad,
you gotta take it easy for a little while.

Get the pipes workin' again. When you
get outta here, we'll go out, tie one on.

I need a drink.

- Get me a drink, damn it.
- No.

I can't.

- Then what good are ya, Eddie?
- Dad.

- [Noah] What good are ya?
- Dad, come on.

- I need a drink, damn it!
- No!

(Noah panting)

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Wait, wait, hey.

Eddie.

Eddie.

I need a drink.

Please.

(phone rings)

Hello?

Yeah.

No.

No, he's at the hos...

He what?

Yes, yes, right away!

Stephen, Eddie!

(tense music)

- [Stephen] I'll try Sweeney's, you try the store.
- [Eddie] Okay.

(engines revving)

Well, it's 11 o'clock,

time for a public service announcement.

Do you know where your parents are.

- [Audience Member] Yeah.

(sullen music)

(tense music)

Dad!

Dad!

(sullen music)

Dad, it's Eddie.

Dad.

Come on, I know you're in here.

You're supposed to be in the hospital,

and I'm supposed to be in bed.
Come on.

(Eddie sighs)

Come on, wake up.

Dad, wake up.

Come on, Dad, wake up.

(tense music)

No.

Oh no, no.

No.

(Eddie panting)

Um.

Oh no.

You just had to do it.

You just had to do it!

You bastard!

(Eddie sobbing)

(sullen music)

[Helen] Eve, I can't believe he's gone.

I keep expecting him to walk
in the door any minute.

[Eve] He had so many friends.

[Helen] But don't worry, I'll be all right.

Mark.

(sullen music)

[Ann] You know, Stephen, when you left home,

I thought you had run out on us.

[Stephen] As fast as I could.

I hated you, and I envied your freedom.

[Stephen] I paid for it, Annie.

Did you ever carry 30 pieces of silver around.

I missed you.

That's what I'm trying to say.

Oh, I'm angry, Stephen.

Angry at him,
and I'm relieved that it's over.

And I'll miss him.

- Mama, I'm gonna go to Boston.

I know.

You don't mind?

I mind, but you go.

Mama, you could come and visit me.

In Boston?

Yeah, in Boston.

Yeah, I could, couldn't I?

I always wanted to see a ballgame in Fenway Park.

(Helen sighs)

(dog barking)

It's beginning to snow.

When I was, oh, about six or seven,

Dad bet me a sled that I couldn't
make an angel in the snow

on every lawn in Chagrin Hills.

Well, I nearly froze to death trying,

and I had to quit when it got dark,

but the next morning, there was Daddy

with a brand new Flexible Flyer.

I always thought
if I was the best little girl in the world,

Daddy wouldn't get angry,

and if he didn't get angry, he wouldn't...

Drink.

I thought that too.

(Terri sighs)

Hey, Eddie, I was just thinkin',

wouldn't Dad have loved Caliquire's eulogy.

He hit all the high spots.

Looks like the whole town came out today.

I don't think I ever saw Old Man Brody
without his beat-up old hunting cap before.

You remember the first time Dad
took us hunting. It was unbelievable.

I couldn't hit a cow at two feet.
You took one shot, you downed a pheasant.

I think we sure knew then who took after Dad.

Hey, Eddie,
I didn't mean it like that, Eddie.

(door creaks)

John left?

[Ann] Yes.

Tell me something,
this doctor that you're seeing,

what does he say about your marriage?

She, and we haven't discussed
John or my marriage yet.

Oh.

What do you talk about?

Do you talk about me?

[Ann] No, we talk about me.

Oh.

That must be nice, I suppose.

You talk and she listens.

[Ann] Well, sometimes,

and sometimes, I talk and then she talks,

and we sort of share.

Share?

You mean, she tells you her problems?

No, her feelings.

You see,
one of her parents was an alcoholic.

[Helen] Mm.

Mm.

(Helen sighs)

Hey, Eddie.

Aren't you cold out here, man?

What are you doin'?

It's my fault, I let him down.

Come on, Eddie, you did more
for him than any of us did.

Between the store...

Not when it counted.

He asked me to go get him a drink,
and I didn't.

If I'd have done it,
he wouldn't have left hospital,

and he wouldn't be dead.

That's crazy, Ed.

You can't feel guilty
for doing the right thing.

No, I knew what he needed,
I didn't give it to him.

You couldn't Eddie, he was sick.

Yeah, and now he's dead,
and he wouldn't be if I just..

- Eddie, come on.
- Get outta here.

Give me the gun.
Give me the gun!

(Eddie screams)

(tense music)

Hey, what's going on?

Steve, what's happening?

- What's going on?
- Eddie!

- Eddie, wait!
- Mom, what happened?

Ran out with a gun.

- What happened?
- I don't know, he's drunk.

Where are the keys?
(tires screeching)

Where are the car keys?

There, there,
they're right there in my bag.

- [Ann] What is going on with him?
- What's he gonna do?

- Steve, what's happening?
- [Terri] Steve, what's he gonna do?

[Stephen] Eddie!

(tense music)

(Eddie panting)

[Eddie] I don't understand.

I mean, I did everything.

Eddie, I want you to do this,
Eddie, I want you do that. Well, I did it!

(Eddie panting)

It's not my fault.

What did you want from me?

(gun clicks)

(gun fires)

(gun fires)

[Stephen] Eddie, stop it!

(gun fires)

Why'd he die?

- Eddie!

(gun firing)

Eddie, it's okay, come on, man.

(Eddie panting)

He hated me!

(Eddie sobbing)

(sullen music)

You're right.

I'm just like him.

I'm what he was, Steve.

What?

A drunk.

(Eddie sighs)

I don't want my kids to ever have to
bail me outta jail or pull me out of bar.

I mean, I know.

I'm scared, Stephen, and I don't
know what to do about it.

You just said it out loud, Eddie.

I think that's the first step.

Come on, Eddie, let's go home.

But despite it all,
Dad still had a real good sense of humor.

Little twisted though, I remember when I was a kid,

I was afraid to go into my room alone.

He said, don't worry, you won't be alone.

The boogieman's in there.

He laughed.

I haven't slept since.

But Mom tried to ease my fears.

She said, listen,
if there's a boogieman in there,

he's more afraid of you
than you are of him.

Nice theory, Mom.

That's what people say about bears
when you're going camping.

They're more afraid of you
than you of them.

I always think, if that's true,
how come at the zoo,

the bears aren't roaming around

selling cotton candy and balloons.

They're behind bars and electric fences,

and it's not to make the bears feel any safer.

It's because while we're looking at the
bears, the bears are thinkin', ooh, a buffet.

Boogiemen don't go away either.

There's no mandatory retirement age for boogiemen.

They don't reach 65 and go down to Florida there

and sit around in condos reminiscing.

Hey, remember when we scared the pants

off that little kid in Ohio?

Yeah, that was great, wasn't it?

Hey, what part of the bedroom
did you live, the closet?

I lived under the bed, we were neighbors.

No, the boogieman doesn't go away.

I don't mean to offend any boogiemen,

if there are any here in the audience tonight.

I'm sure you're probably very nice people.

Just misunderstood.

Well, thanks,
you've been a terrific audience.

(sullen music)