Northern Exposure (1990–1995): Season 6, Episode 1 - Dinner at Seven Thirty - full transcript
In an alternate reality, Fleishman is married to Shelly, Maggie is his nanny, Ruth Ann is a prominent physician whom he seeks partnership with, Chris tries to jump off a building and Maurice walks into their dinner party gun in hand.
CHRIS ON RADIO:
Toro, toro! It's a buII year
for MinnifieId Communications
with earnings up a gnarIy 18% .
To ceIebrate,
CEO Maurice MinnifieId's
popping for happy hour
at The Brick today,
so drop on by, everybody.
Don't miss out on
SheIIy Vincoeur's
righteous guacamoIe dip.
Chris in the Morning,
570 on the AM diaI,
the voice of the borough of...
You should really try to
keep your heads clean,
Dr. Fleischman.
Yeah, well,
think you can at least
get the tape out?
l'll do everything l can.
l can't promise anything.
My throat's dry.
You got something to drink?
Check the fridge.
(CLEARS THROAT)
This gonna take long?
l can't say yet.
Ed, how long
has this been here?
Oh, you didn't drink
any of that, did you,
Dr. Fleischman?
Yeah, l drank it. Why not?
lt's orange juice, right?
Yeah, well, sort of.
lt kind of has
some other things in it.
What do you mean?
What other things?
Well, healer type
medicinal things.
What are you talking...
There's medicine in here, Ed?
What kind of medicine?
Well,
Leonard gave me the recipe.
lt's for body aches, you know,
when you're just
in so much pain,
you wish you could just
get out of your body.
Well,
this helps you with that.
All right, just tell me
exactly what you put
in here, please.
Well, there's some elder root,
parsnip,
a little crushed beetle,
some fox musk...
All right, l gotta
rinse my mouth out.
You got any Listerine in here?
Whoa!
MAN: Taxi!
(MAN SPEAKlNG
FORElGN LANGUAGE)
Dr. Fleischman.
Are you okay?
Maurice?
Well, yeah, you can call me
that if you want to.
The last person to call me
that was my mother.
Maury, get me a cab, will you?
Right away, Mrs. Partridge.
You better get upstairs,
Dr. Fleischman.
The missus
is looking for you.
(BLOWS WHlSTLE)
Good afternoon,
Dr. Fleischman.
How about those Mets?
There you are.
l thought you'd been abducted.
Did you get the Pepto-Bismol?
Huh?
My stomach's on fire.
Come on.
Oh. Yeah, here.
Bobo, are you all right?
(STAMMERlNG)
Yeah, l just, l don't know.
l kind of feel...
l feel disoriented.
Joel, you're making yourself
crazy over this.
lf she doesn't have
the courtesy to give you
an answer tonight,
l'd ask her point-blank
on Monday.
Ask who what?
Dr. Miller!
God, l hate it when you
zone out like that.
She was supposed to
tell you two months ago.
You know, hers isn't
the only internal medicine
group in Manhattan.
lf she doesn't
make you a partner after
all the endocrine patients
you've brought
to the practice, l'd quit.
Yeah.
(SlGHS)
lt never fails.
Twenty-five people coming
to dinner, new caterer,
Ed's screaming
for the offering circular,
which l haven't
finished, of course,
and my gastritis
kicks into overdrive.
Mrs. Fleischman...
Oh, hi, Dr. Fleischman.
SHELLY: What is it, Maggie?
Well, l'm afraid
Mr. Brown got out again.
Mr. Brown?
Jodie's ferret.
There you go again.
Where are you?
This is all we need.
l told you we should never
let her get that thing.
lt wasn't my fault.
Evan left the cage open.
Mr. Brown wanted more air.
That's stupid.
You're a stupid idiot.
SHELLY: Jodie,
l've asked you not to call
your brother stupid.
He started it, Dad.
We're going to have to
find that animal.
Maggie, the kids
have been inside all day.
Why don't you
take them to the Park
for a little while?
Yes, ma'am.
SHELLY: See you later, kids.
Come on, y'all.
Can l get gelato?
You had gelato yesterday.
Dad says
it's too much cholesterol.
EVAN: Shut up.
l like Maggie,
but maybe we ought to get
a male au pair.
A what?
lt would be good
for the kids to experience
a nurturing male figure.
Besides, Evan would have
someone to toss
the football with.
You better get ready.
They'll be here at 5:00.
CHRlS: Tamara, your left arm,
just a little higher.
Yeah. No, no. Like...
Like this. Okay?
Yeah, perfect.
Perfect!
Don't move.
Oh, yeah, hold still.
Chris?
Hey, Bernie.
Can l speak with you
for a second?
Yeah. Sure.
Take five, everybody.
Why do they have bags
on their heads?
Okay, right.
l know that wasn't
part of your...
Your original, you know...
Accessories?
No, no, no, your
overall concept.
But l thought since we,
you know, we live in
such a faceless society,
that l...
You know, l would just...
What? Come on, get it out.
l thought it gave the models
a kind of...
Facelessness?
No, no, no, no.
Anonymity.
Chris, what is it,
Greek, Sanskrit?
l'm lost, okay?
Would you remember
we're here to sell my clothes,
not your artistic pretensions?
Now take the bags off.
l...
Guys,
change of plans.
l know $20 seems like
a lot of money,
but this has a patented
flying buttress design
that will keep it
from turning inside out
in a stiff wind.
All right.
There you go, Mr. Warburg.
l'm sure you'll enjoy it.
lf you don't, you know
exactly where to find me.
Maury, what are you doing?
Super said if he caught you
selling any more stuff,
he'd have you fired.
Big deal, Eugene.
l'm not gonna be
a doorman forever.
This country was founded
on entrepreneurship.
The spirit of capitalism
is the lifeblood...
Hey, l hope the spirit of
capitalism keeps you warm
when you're sleeping
on a subway grate.
Hello, Maggie.
Hi.
Wow, l really
admire you, Maury.
How's that?
Well, you just don't give
a hoot if you're fired or not.
(CHUCKLES)
Let me tell you something,
Maggie.
lt's not gonna be long
before l'm able to
own this building.
Did you ever hear of
Mr. Edward Chigliak?
Mr. Moneybags.
Yeah.
Yeah,
Mrs. Fleischman's his lawyer.
He kind of
gives me the willies.
Well, he is a barracuda,
but he's also
a financial wunderkind.
And he gave
this little investor
some insider's poop.
You know, there's
a big merger coming up
between Cimarron Cable
and GBD Communications.
l got in on the ground floor.
JOEL: Mr. Brown.
(JOEL WHlSTLlNG)
Hey, Mr. Brown,
l got a nice Carr's
water cracker for you.
(SHELLY COUGHlNG)
He's not in the living room.
Yeah, well,
he's not here, either.
Perfect.
Don't tell the guests
about this.
My asthma's acting up.
Hey, Shel, do you ever
get the feeling like,
like you were just
kind of dropped here?
What?
Well, l don't know.
lt's just all day l've had
the oddest sensation.
Just...
l don't know, just a kind of
detachment or...
Bobo, you do realize,
don't you, that even if
Dr. Miller makes you
a partner, you'll never earn
the kind of money l do.
And extra 50 K a year isn't
going to change the equation.
And l don't care.
What?
lsn't that what this is
really all about?
Your obsession
with the partnership?
lsn't it about feeling
adequate in our marriage?
l feel adequate.
Joel, l didn't mean that
as an attack.
l just want you to feel
good about yourself.
l do. l feel good
about myself, really.
l feel fine about myself.
l've just been feeling
a little light-headed,
that's all.
Look, please,
just do me a favor.
l can't stand it when you
fawn all over Dr. Miller.
Wait a minute.
l don't fawn all over her.
All right, will you do me
a favor, then, okay?
Why don't you try and keep
God out of the conversation
for just one night, okay?
What's that supposed to mean?
Lately, we can't go to a party
without you subjecting
everyone to your own
little personal quest
for the Almighty.
That's not true.
Oh, what was last week
in the Hamptons with Bill
and Marsha on the deck, huh?
Marsha happened to be
very interested
in what l was saying.
Oh, come on,
l agreed to raise the kids
Catholic. ls that not enough?
(DOORBELL RlNGlNG)
Don't lie...
All right,
now they're here, okay?
Dr. Miller, NlH wants you
in Atlanta on the 15th
to chair a symposium
on multidrug-resistant
microbacterial TB.
Okay, but only if they get me
back on the plane by 4:00.
And the New EngIand JournaI
of Medicine has accepted
your hypercalcemia monograph,
but they've made
a few editorial changes.
Tell them to print it as is
or l'll take it to The Lancet.
Taxi!
And Dr. Glasser was wondering
if you decided yet about
making Dr. Fleischman
a partner.
Dr. Glasser
can keep wondering.
Dr. Miller.
What, Doris?
Your coat.
Good afternoon, gentlemen.
Thanks.
Hi.
Hi.
Let me open
that door for you.
There we go.
Thank you.
Thanks, buddy.
You gentlemen
have a nice evening.
(CAR HONKlNG)
Oh.
Mr. Chigliak,
how are you this evening, sir?
Maury.
Well, did we hit
the mother lode today?
Did that merger go through?
l was in meetings
all afternoon,
didn't hear a thing.
Oh. Well, isn't there someone
you can call?
l'm on my way to a party.
Oh, right.
Sorry, Mr. Chigliak.
(HOLLlNG SlNGlNG)
You're the baby grand
of a Iady and a gent
You're an oId Dutch master,
you're Mrs. Astor
You're Pepsodent
You're the NiIe
You're the tower of Pisa
You're the smiIe
on the Mona Lisa
I'm a worthIess check,
a totaI wreck, a fIop
But if, baby, I'm the bottom
You're the top
Holling, play
Someone To Watch Over Me.
This is for
my sentimental friend,
Mrs. Shelly Fleischman.
There's a somebody
I'm Ionging to see
I hope that she...
l think the thing about
Cartier-Bresson is he's got
such a strong...
You know...
But, at the same time,
such a sense of...
What's that word?
What word?
There's a word.
You know...
Good things, people,
nice feelings, the warm...
Excuse me.
Humanity.
Dr. Miller's not here yet.
Hmm?
Dr. Miller.
lt's not a good sign
being late, you know.
Never mind. Enjoy yourself.
Joel?
Yeah, what's wrong?
l saw something with a tail
run under the couch.
A tail?
Do you have rats?
(DOORBELL RlNGlNG)
No, no, no, Bernie,
we don't have rats.
Excuse me. There's the door.
l'm sure it's just
the neighbor's cat.
Dr. Miller.
Am l late?
You said 6.00, didn't you?
No, l thought l said 5:00.
Although l could have said...
l'm sure it's my fault,
l'm sure.
l probably told you 6:00.
l'm sorry, come on in,
let me get you a drink.
l've got that nice
red Lillet you like.
l'll have cranberry juice.
Okay.
Hello, Walt.
Ruth-Anne.
l'm going to have to
send the caterer out
for cranberry juice.
Which is not a problem,
though.
Don't be silly.
You should have been
at The Met last night.
Great Don Giovanni.
Enjoy.
And that faiIure
proved enough to send both
the stock and bond markets
into one of the most dramatic
swoons seen since the decIine
of knighthood.
The bond traders,
who's perspective
IateIy has been
so devastatingIy short-term
that they might as weII
have been working for
a poIIster or a poIitician,
promptIy decided that nobody
wouId ever again want to hoId
a debit issue denominated
in anything as awfuI
as US doIIars...
(BANGlNG ON DOOR)
Maury! Maury!
Hello, Mr. Warburg.
Well, it looks like
the Fed's gonna lay off
the discount rate.
Maury, l pay a lot of money
to have that door opened
for me when l come home.
Sorry, Mr. Warburg.
EVAN: Hey, Dad.
JODlE: Hey, Dad.
Hi.
l'm sorry, Dr. Fleischman,
l was just gonna play
Chutes and Ladders
with the kids, you know.
No, it's just we're having
a buffet at 8:00,
so feel free to get
yourself something to eat,
if you like.
No, thanks. l'll just grab
something from the kitchen.
Okay.
Joel.
Ah, Dr. Miller.
Last week,
a 50-year-old Caucasian male
comes in the office
complaining of diffuse
aches and pains.
During the workup,
l find he's running
a low-grade fever.
l also notice
a rash on his face.
He says
it's shaving irritation.
What do you think?
Okay, did you do
any serology testing?
Positive ANA.
Serum compliment level?
Depressed.
All right,
well, it sounds to me
like lupus erythematosus.
ln a 50-year-old man?
Well...
Maybe.
And Audrey,
if Dan calls weeping for me
to bail him out,
tell him l can go 15 cents
on the dollar.
And that is carved in stone.
Thank you.
Excuse me.
Ed, l haven't had
a minute to say hello.
Really, Counselor?
And l thought you were
just avoiding me.
Avoiding you?
Because maybe
you hadn't finished
the offering circular.
Oh, no.
First thing Monday,
we'll be ready to launch
the proxy fight.
Good.
Just make sure
those SOBs don't pull
a poison pill defense.
We've got five votes
on the board.
The institutional shareholders
are on our side.
You better hope so.
WALT: That's always been
one of my favorite songs.
l remember
the first time l heard you.
The Rainbow Room.
lt must have been 1966.
You sang,
Baby, It's CoId Outside
with Annette Archer.
We thought
you might marry her.
lt was a close call.
That lovely lady almost
waltzed me to the altar.
Don't you believe it.
lt'll be a cold day
in hell before this
playboy gets married.
Gorgeous sunset.
Let's go take a look.
You two go.
l think l'll stay here.
Oh, come on with us, Holling.
Ruth-Anne.
Well, we all could
use some air.
l'm a bit chilly.
Chilly? lt's hot in here.
Ruth-Anne,
if the man wants to stay,
leave him alone.
All right.
Why did you snap at me?
l only wanted him
to see the sunset.
Don't you know about Holling?
What?
The man has
crippling agoraphobia.
Holling?
He gets out in an open space,
he's overcome with anxiety.
Crouches down,
covers his head,
whimpers like a child.
Oh, the poor man.
RUTH-ANNE:
Oh, my, it is beautiful.
Funny thing, my office,
60 floors up, all glass,
looks out on Battery Park,
the Statue of Liberty,
yet l never seem to take
time to admire the view.
My mother loved
to watch the sun set.
She'd take me by the hand,
pull me out on the porch,
as if it were some
extraordinary theatrical event
that we just couldn't miss.
Where did all those years go?
MAN ON TV: The urge to merge
is running into financiaI
heartaches tonight.
On the heeIs of
government demands
for Iower cabIe rates,
it Iooks as if
teIecommunications titan,
GBD, may be getting
coId feet over it's proposed
merger with media upstart
Cimarron CabIe.
TaIks continue
behind cIosed doors.
The fIies on the waII
must be fascinated.
Mr. Chigliak,
Maury's on the intercom.
He says he needs to
speak with you.
Maury?
Mmm-hmm.
Maury, the doorman.
Oh, for God's sake.
What?
Hello, Mr. Chigliak.
l'm sorry to bother you, sir.
What is it, Maury?
There's a rumor
that the merger may be
on thin ice, sir.
So?
You assured me that
it was a sound investment,
a sure thing.
Mr. Chigliak, are you there?
Get to the point, Maury.
Well, see l bought
the Cimarron stock on margin.
lf it takes a tumble,
l could be wiped out.
l could lose everything.
What do you want me to do?
Well, isn't there
someone you could call?
Maury, this is neither
the time nor the place
for this conversation.
Mr. Chigliak...
Mr. Chigliak?
Dr. Miller, the people of
the 16th and 1 7th century
had the church as their rock.
lt was their guidance.
God was everything.
l mean, it would be
so much easier
if we were Joan of Arc.
She was called.
Saint Michael stood
right in front of her
and told her to drive
the English out of France.
Hey, can l join you?
After an experience like that,
how can you have any doubts?
You know who you are
and what you're
supposed to do.
Dr. Miller, l've been
thinking about that
50-year-old guy with the...
Joel.
l envy all those saints.
Really.
Even if they were
burned at the stake
or flayed alive,
at least they were sure.
Excuse me, l think
it was hanta fever.
Would you please stop that?
Stop what, honey?
What is so terrible
with my talking about God?
Okay, ready for seconds?
Tell me, will you?
There's nothing terrible.
l just think it might be
a tad personal, that's all.
Personal?
Yeah.
Great.
Why is it that
in this society
you can talk about
the most intimate things?
You can talk about
your dysfunctional sex life.
You can talk about
your abduction by aliens,
your tummy tuck,
your breast implants.
You can talk about anything.
Anything except
your longing for God!
Shelly...
You know, l never
thought about it that way.
My eye is going.
Your eye?
l'm getting a migraine,
excuse me.
Look, Shelly...
l'll be fine, Joel.
Dr. Miller, l'm...
(KNOCKlNG ON DOOR)
l'll be fine, Joel.
Stay with the guests.
Shel?
Holling?
l brought you
a glass of water.
Thank you, come in.
My agent has migraines,
so l know how debilitating
they can be.
l think l took
the Cafergot in time.
Please.
Wow!
That is a big deer.
lt's not a deer,
it's a moose.
Oh.
l saw it in this antique store
in Peekskill.
l had to have it.
lt has a kind of
primal elegance.
Joel hates it.
l guess l kind of
made a scene out there.
l wouldn't say that.
l feel so ungrateful.
Here l have
this wonderful home,
wonderful children,
career, and still...
lt feels empty.
l ask myself
the same question.
A Grammy award, two Tonys,
that duet with Ella
on the last CD.
Everything l ever thought
l wanted,
and l feel
just the way you do.
You?
lt's like l'm walking around
with a blindfold on.
lt's like, if someone
would just rip it off,
l could see.
l could make
some sense of my life.
That's it.
That's the feeling,
like a blindfold.
Let's get out of here,
Holling.
Out?
l can't breathe in here.
Let's go to the Park.
What?
What about the party?
Joel will be relieved.
l won't embarrass him.
Come on.
What's the matter?
Nothing.
All right, let's go.
A lot of people seem to be
really liking the ratatouille.
l think you ought to
put a little more out.
l can't, sir.
lt's all gone.
Gone?
You said make only one dish.
You said a lot of people
don't like eggplant.
This is a total disaster.
So, did she tell you yet?
Who?
Your boss.
ls she gonna make you
a partner?
Look, just, please, do me
a favor and take care
of the food. Thank me.
Hey, where are the kids?
l already put them to bed.
Bed?
l had no idea
it was that late.
Oh, well.
Let me give you a hand here.
No, Dr. Fleischman,
l've got this.
Oh, come on. lt's all right.
Oh, great, nunchucks.
l don't think he should
be playing with these.
Dr. Fleischman, really,
l mean, l can get these.
You've got your party and all.
l think l can
tear myself away
for a few minutes.
You know, l always wanted
to try this thing.
Really?
Yeah.
You know
what l wanted to be
when l was a kid?
No.
A doctor.
At the age of six
l already wanted to be
an endocrinologist.
l could name all six glands.
l knew the parathyroid
metabolized calcium.
Fun kid, huh?
Well, actually,
Dr. Fleischman,
l think you were lucky.
Lucky?
Yeah.
l mean, l've never known
what l wanted to be.
And in college
l changed my major six times.
Six times.
l ended up with an MA
in Art History.
l know more about van Ruisdael
than anybody should.
Art history, huh?
That's interesting.
lnteresting?
Yeah. l mean,
it was interesting.
And nice.
l mean, all my life,
l've always done
everything nice.
Sometimes, l don't know,
Dr. Fleischman.
Sometimes l think that
l just want to go out
and get my hands dirty.
You know what l mean?
Yeah.
Oh, listen to me. l'm sorry.
Really,
l'm very happy here. l am.
Oh, come on, it's okay.
lt's just...
lt never occurred to me
that you might not be
terribly fulfilled here.
l like my job.
No, no, no, l like my job,
Dr. Fleischman,
and l love the kids.
lt's okay.
As a matter of fact, l think
l'd better just go make sure
they turn those lights off.
MAURlCE:
Good evening, Mrs. Fleischman.
Hello, Maury.
Mrs. Fleischman,
did Mr. Chigliak, by chance,
have a message for me?
Message? No.
SHELLY: Maury?
Oh, yeah.
Have a nice evening.
Warm night.
Holling?
l can't.
l can't go out there.
What do you mean?
l'm afraid.
lt's my agoraphobia.
l wanted to.
l wanted to go with you.
lt's too much for me.
l'm sorry. l didn't know.
lt's not the sort of thing
one advertises.
How do you work?
How do you get
to your club dates?
The driver picks me up,
l dash from my building
into his car,
l huddle there
with my eyes clamped shut,
my heart pounding,
till he gets me to the gig.
Oh, Holling.
l'm a prisoner, Shelly.
Prisoner of nightclubs
and penthouses.
l haven't touched a tree
in 20 years.
lt's time you did.
l'll be with you.
lt'll be okay.
Please, come with me.
WALT: Ruth-Anne,
what are you doing?
This was in the wastebasket
in Shelly's study.
She was just going to
throw all this paper out.
Ruth-Anne.
My brother had a real feeling
for aerodynamics.
He even found a way
to fold in ailerons.
Dear, are you all right?
Don't worry, Walt.
l'm not non compos mentis.
l'm thinking of retiring.
Retiring?
Just the thought of it
gives me a profound
sense of freedom.
Not having to meet
anybody's expectations.
lt's like entering
a state of grace.
Oh. Nose-heavy.
You seem like the last person
in the world to retire.
Well, to tell you
the truth, Walt,
l really don't fancy
dropping dead while making
rounds at Mount Sinai.
(WOMAN SCREAMlNG)
(ALL MUTTERlNG)
WOMAN: Look out!
Careful!
What's going on?
There's an animal in here.
An animal?
Maybe we could call...
Throw a blanket over it.
Yeah.
l wouldn't go near it.
lt might be rabid.
Maybe l can
shoo it out the door.
ED: No.
WALT: Ed?
Stand back, everyone.
Ed, l wouldn't.
Come here, little guy.
Come here.
No one's gonna hurt you.
Come here.
Hey, no one's gonna hurt you.
l never figured Chigliak
for an animal lover.
This animal
doesn't belong here.
He doesn't belong here.
He belongs in the wild.
SHELLY: lt's incredible
when you think about
how big Central Park is.
840 acres.
Did you know that?
No!
l'm sorry.
lf you want, we can go back.
No.
l want to do this.
Most people
don't realize this,
but there are
a lot of things
that grow wild
in Central Park
that are actually edible.
Really.
Chickweed, dandelions,
wild carrots, lady's thumb.
ls that so?
You can pick
a great salad just behind
Hayden Planetarium.
My mother used to make
a wonderful salad
out of beet greens
and pecans
with a honey Dijon dressing.
Want to know
my secret fantasy, Holling?
To quit my practice
and open a restaurant.
A restaurant?
l know.
My, that sounds
terrific to me.
What a beautiful evening!
Hey.
Maybe that's your message
from the Almighty.
lt's a page
from my offering circular.
You know,
l keep asking myself if...
You know, big if.
lf l'm an artist,
where's, you know, my voice?
(ELEVATOR BEEPS)
Sorry. Call on floor six.
Oh.
Okay.
(TV CHATTERING)
Hey, man.
Tomorrow's paper
ought to be out by now.
Sorry?
Yeah, yeah.
l could use a little air.
You know, it's funny,
all the people
at that party,
you'd think l'd find
someone l could talk to.
Hey, Shorty.
Wait, don't tell me.
lt's Maury, the doorman.
ls this the early edition?
Who's blind here, you or me?
You ever read Roberta Smith,
art critic?
Blue chips. Blue chip.
Kind of into the,
you know, the abstract.
lt's good.
l mean, it's not good or bad,
it's just kind of...
l don't have time
to listen to you,
do you mind?
Yeah.
Oh, Lord.
Maury?
You know that
big Cimarron merger?
GBD has bailed on it.
What's that mean?
lt means l'm ruined, Shorty.
lt means l've lost everything.
(BOTH SlNGlNG)
I can't give you
anything but Iove, baby
That's the onIy thing
I've pIenty of, baby
Dream a whiIe, scheme a whiIe
You're sure to find happiness
And I guess...
UntiI that Iucky day
You'II know darned weII,
my baby
I can't give you
anything but Iove
Nice party, Dr. Fleischman.
Thank you.
I can't give you anything
but Iove
All right.
(ALL APPLAUDlNG)
Sorry l skipped out.
What?
You're a mess.
What have you been doing?
Joel, there you are.
l guess now is as
good a time as any.
l've decided
to make you a partner.
Oh, Dr. Miller, that...
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Just one second. l'm sorry.
Shel, Shel.
Did you not hear
what she said?
Congratulations, Joel.
l want a divorce.
What?
You can have
the Chippendale highboy.
l know you love the highboy.
Shel.
Bobo, this can't
come as a surprise to you.
Yeah, it does.
lt comes as a surprise.
lt comes as
a very big surprise.
Our marriage isn't working.
You know that, Joel.
Maybe this sounds trite,
but we just weren't
meant to be together.
Dr. Fleischman,
Mrs. Fleischman,
l'm sorry to bother you,
but there's a guest
out on the ledge.
On the terrace,
he's very despondent.
l mean...
RUTH-ANNE: Chris,
if you're having problems,
we'd all be
happy to discuss it inside.
So, just come down
off that ledge.
Chris, we're shooting
Kate Moss in Sedona next week.
Do you really wanna miss that?
Chris,
what about all your dreams?
Didn't you once tell me
you were going to walk
the entire length
of South America?
All the way from Caracas
to Tierra del Fuego.
No.
You're sure?
lt was
at Tavern on the Green.
lt must have been
somebody else.
That's the problem,
right there.
Nobody listens to you,
right, Chris?
You didn't climb out on
that ledge to kill yourself.
You just want to be heard.
l just...
Hey, we all
want to be heard, Chris.
lsn't that right?
That's right, l just...
Look, Chris,
l'm sure you're full of
aesthetic insights
and political commentary,
cultural observations.
l just get stuck in my mouth.
l don't...
l don't blame you all
for turning your back on me.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
MAGGlE: Hang on!
Help me down.
Come on.
Easy, easy, easy, easy.
l could have died.
Yeah.
No, l mean,
l could have...
l could have really died.
Total silence
forever and ever.
Wow.
MAURlCE:
All right, where's Chigliak?
Where is that son of a bitch?
MAN: Hey,
hey, the guy's got a gun!
There you are, you snake.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, Maury.
You told me that
Cimarron investment
was a sure thing.
A no-brainer.
You guaranteed me a 40% return
on my investment, minimum.
The SEC couldn't get you,
but l damn sure can.
Put down that ferret.
l didn't come up here
to kill an innocent animal.
Put it down.
No.
No?
No.
Cripes.
Hey, Dr. Fleischman.
Yeah, Maury.
Can l have a drink?
Yeah, help yourself.
Anything you want.
Homo caecigenus est.
Man is born blind.
We're little moles,
tunneling under the winter rye
unaware of the sky above us.
We're ignorant, folks.
lt don't matter
how many PhDs we've got
Perma-Plaqued on the wall.
We're blind
and we're ignorant.
Chris?
And there's
one piece of information
that we don't have.
The only piece
that will pry open
those baby blues,
knowledge of self.
The answer
to all our questions
is right here.
Library of Congress.
Kabir, Sufi poet, he knew.
''Near your breastbone
there's an open flower,''
he said.
''Drink the honey that is
all around that flower."
All around that flower.
l lost everything tonight.
My life savings, my job.
My self-esteem.
That's rough.
Yeah,
but l feel somehow ennobled.
Like l've been through fire.
Been forged, tempered.
Maury, l'd like to
compensate you for your loss.
Compensate me?
Why?
l'm not sure
if l can tell you why.
This evening l reached down
and l picked up
this poor terrified animal
and felt his heart beating,
just racing in its chest.
Hold him for a second.
You lost $30,000,
wasn't it?
Yeah, 30,000.
(GROANS)
Make it out to
Maurice Minnifield,
would you please?
Sure, Maurice.
Hey, do you think
l should do something?
l mean, the guy's got a gun.
Should l call the police?
l mean, it's illegal to have
a gun in Manhattan, isn't it?
Sir, the guests keep asking
for more kiwi tarts.
Kiwi tarts?
They're all gone.
You ordered mostly lemon.
Mostly lemon?
God. A man almost killed
himself here tonight.
Do you understand
there was almost a murder?
That's all people care about
are our kiwi tarts?
Dr. Fleischman.
What?
l'm sorry, what a night.
l want to give notice.
Notice?
l'm quitting.
What?
l'm sorry, Dr. Fleischman.
l mean, you've really been
great to me. lt's just that,
you know, l've gotta go do
something else with my life.
Joel, Dr. Miller is leaving.
You can have Dr. Harris'
old consultation room.
The decorators
will be in Wednesday
in case you want to
change any furniture.
Uh-uh.
What?
No.
No, what?
l don't want the partnership.
Joel.
You're turning me down?
Yes. l don't want it.
l don't want this life.
This life?
l'd rather practice medicine
in some hick rural outback
than stay here another minute.
That's the closet,
Dr. Fleischman.
The bathroom's down the hall.
A lot of people
make that mistake.
Something wrong,
Dr. Fleischman?
No, l don't think so.
l just...
l think l got a little
disoriented in there.
Oh. This is gonna
take me a while.
Yeah, l'd better get back
to the office.
Dr. Fleischman?
Yeah, l'll see you later, Ed.
MAN: Hey, Dr. Fleischman!
Toro, toro! It's a buII year
for MinnifieId Communications
with earnings up a gnarIy 18% .
To ceIebrate,
CEO Maurice MinnifieId's
popping for happy hour
at The Brick today,
so drop on by, everybody.
Don't miss out on
SheIIy Vincoeur's
righteous guacamoIe dip.
Chris in the Morning,
570 on the AM diaI,
the voice of the borough of...
You should really try to
keep your heads clean,
Dr. Fleischman.
Yeah, well,
think you can at least
get the tape out?
l'll do everything l can.
l can't promise anything.
My throat's dry.
You got something to drink?
Check the fridge.
(CLEARS THROAT)
This gonna take long?
l can't say yet.
Ed, how long
has this been here?
Oh, you didn't drink
any of that, did you,
Dr. Fleischman?
Yeah, l drank it. Why not?
lt's orange juice, right?
Yeah, well, sort of.
lt kind of has
some other things in it.
What do you mean?
What other things?
Well, healer type
medicinal things.
What are you talking...
There's medicine in here, Ed?
What kind of medicine?
Well,
Leonard gave me the recipe.
lt's for body aches, you know,
when you're just
in so much pain,
you wish you could just
get out of your body.
Well,
this helps you with that.
All right, just tell me
exactly what you put
in here, please.
Well, there's some elder root,
parsnip,
a little crushed beetle,
some fox musk...
All right, l gotta
rinse my mouth out.
You got any Listerine in here?
Whoa!
MAN: Taxi!
(MAN SPEAKlNG
FORElGN LANGUAGE)
Dr. Fleischman.
Are you okay?
Maurice?
Well, yeah, you can call me
that if you want to.
The last person to call me
that was my mother.
Maury, get me a cab, will you?
Right away, Mrs. Partridge.
You better get upstairs,
Dr. Fleischman.
The missus
is looking for you.
(BLOWS WHlSTLE)
Good afternoon,
Dr. Fleischman.
How about those Mets?
There you are.
l thought you'd been abducted.
Did you get the Pepto-Bismol?
Huh?
My stomach's on fire.
Come on.
Oh. Yeah, here.
Bobo, are you all right?
(STAMMERlNG)
Yeah, l just, l don't know.
l kind of feel...
l feel disoriented.
Joel, you're making yourself
crazy over this.
lf she doesn't have
the courtesy to give you
an answer tonight,
l'd ask her point-blank
on Monday.
Ask who what?
Dr. Miller!
God, l hate it when you
zone out like that.
She was supposed to
tell you two months ago.
You know, hers isn't
the only internal medicine
group in Manhattan.
lf she doesn't
make you a partner after
all the endocrine patients
you've brought
to the practice, l'd quit.
Yeah.
(SlGHS)
lt never fails.
Twenty-five people coming
to dinner, new caterer,
Ed's screaming
for the offering circular,
which l haven't
finished, of course,
and my gastritis
kicks into overdrive.
Mrs. Fleischman...
Oh, hi, Dr. Fleischman.
SHELLY: What is it, Maggie?
Well, l'm afraid
Mr. Brown got out again.
Mr. Brown?
Jodie's ferret.
There you go again.
Where are you?
This is all we need.
l told you we should never
let her get that thing.
lt wasn't my fault.
Evan left the cage open.
Mr. Brown wanted more air.
That's stupid.
You're a stupid idiot.
SHELLY: Jodie,
l've asked you not to call
your brother stupid.
He started it, Dad.
We're going to have to
find that animal.
Maggie, the kids
have been inside all day.
Why don't you
take them to the Park
for a little while?
Yes, ma'am.
SHELLY: See you later, kids.
Come on, y'all.
Can l get gelato?
You had gelato yesterday.
Dad says
it's too much cholesterol.
EVAN: Shut up.
l like Maggie,
but maybe we ought to get
a male au pair.
A what?
lt would be good
for the kids to experience
a nurturing male figure.
Besides, Evan would have
someone to toss
the football with.
You better get ready.
They'll be here at 5:00.
CHRlS: Tamara, your left arm,
just a little higher.
Yeah. No, no. Like...
Like this. Okay?
Yeah, perfect.
Perfect!
Don't move.
Oh, yeah, hold still.
Chris?
Hey, Bernie.
Can l speak with you
for a second?
Yeah. Sure.
Take five, everybody.
Why do they have bags
on their heads?
Okay, right.
l know that wasn't
part of your...
Your original, you know...
Accessories?
No, no, no, your
overall concept.
But l thought since we,
you know, we live in
such a faceless society,
that l...
You know, l would just...
What? Come on, get it out.
l thought it gave the models
a kind of...
Facelessness?
No, no, no, no.
Anonymity.
Chris, what is it,
Greek, Sanskrit?
l'm lost, okay?
Would you remember
we're here to sell my clothes,
not your artistic pretensions?
Now take the bags off.
l...
Guys,
change of plans.
l know $20 seems like
a lot of money,
but this has a patented
flying buttress design
that will keep it
from turning inside out
in a stiff wind.
All right.
There you go, Mr. Warburg.
l'm sure you'll enjoy it.
lf you don't, you know
exactly where to find me.
Maury, what are you doing?
Super said if he caught you
selling any more stuff,
he'd have you fired.
Big deal, Eugene.
l'm not gonna be
a doorman forever.
This country was founded
on entrepreneurship.
The spirit of capitalism
is the lifeblood...
Hey, l hope the spirit of
capitalism keeps you warm
when you're sleeping
on a subway grate.
Hello, Maggie.
Hi.
Wow, l really
admire you, Maury.
How's that?
Well, you just don't give
a hoot if you're fired or not.
(CHUCKLES)
Let me tell you something,
Maggie.
lt's not gonna be long
before l'm able to
own this building.
Did you ever hear of
Mr. Edward Chigliak?
Mr. Moneybags.
Yeah.
Yeah,
Mrs. Fleischman's his lawyer.
He kind of
gives me the willies.
Well, he is a barracuda,
but he's also
a financial wunderkind.
And he gave
this little investor
some insider's poop.
You know, there's
a big merger coming up
between Cimarron Cable
and GBD Communications.
l got in on the ground floor.
JOEL: Mr. Brown.
(JOEL WHlSTLlNG)
Hey, Mr. Brown,
l got a nice Carr's
water cracker for you.
(SHELLY COUGHlNG)
He's not in the living room.
Yeah, well,
he's not here, either.
Perfect.
Don't tell the guests
about this.
My asthma's acting up.
Hey, Shel, do you ever
get the feeling like,
like you were just
kind of dropped here?
What?
Well, l don't know.
lt's just all day l've had
the oddest sensation.
Just...
l don't know, just a kind of
detachment or...
Bobo, you do realize,
don't you, that even if
Dr. Miller makes you
a partner, you'll never earn
the kind of money l do.
And extra 50 K a year isn't
going to change the equation.
And l don't care.
What?
lsn't that what this is
really all about?
Your obsession
with the partnership?
lsn't it about feeling
adequate in our marriage?
l feel adequate.
Joel, l didn't mean that
as an attack.
l just want you to feel
good about yourself.
l do. l feel good
about myself, really.
l feel fine about myself.
l've just been feeling
a little light-headed,
that's all.
Look, please,
just do me a favor.
l can't stand it when you
fawn all over Dr. Miller.
Wait a minute.
l don't fawn all over her.
All right, will you do me
a favor, then, okay?
Why don't you try and keep
God out of the conversation
for just one night, okay?
What's that supposed to mean?
Lately, we can't go to a party
without you subjecting
everyone to your own
little personal quest
for the Almighty.
That's not true.
Oh, what was last week
in the Hamptons with Bill
and Marsha on the deck, huh?
Marsha happened to be
very interested
in what l was saying.
Oh, come on,
l agreed to raise the kids
Catholic. ls that not enough?
(DOORBELL RlNGlNG)
Don't lie...
All right,
now they're here, okay?
Dr. Miller, NlH wants you
in Atlanta on the 15th
to chair a symposium
on multidrug-resistant
microbacterial TB.
Okay, but only if they get me
back on the plane by 4:00.
And the New EngIand JournaI
of Medicine has accepted
your hypercalcemia monograph,
but they've made
a few editorial changes.
Tell them to print it as is
or l'll take it to The Lancet.
Taxi!
And Dr. Glasser was wondering
if you decided yet about
making Dr. Fleischman
a partner.
Dr. Glasser
can keep wondering.
Dr. Miller.
What, Doris?
Your coat.
Good afternoon, gentlemen.
Thanks.
Hi.
Hi.
Let me open
that door for you.
There we go.
Thank you.
Thanks, buddy.
You gentlemen
have a nice evening.
(CAR HONKlNG)
Oh.
Mr. Chigliak,
how are you this evening, sir?
Maury.
Well, did we hit
the mother lode today?
Did that merger go through?
l was in meetings
all afternoon,
didn't hear a thing.
Oh. Well, isn't there someone
you can call?
l'm on my way to a party.
Oh, right.
Sorry, Mr. Chigliak.
(HOLLlNG SlNGlNG)
You're the baby grand
of a Iady and a gent
You're an oId Dutch master,
you're Mrs. Astor
You're Pepsodent
You're the NiIe
You're the tower of Pisa
You're the smiIe
on the Mona Lisa
I'm a worthIess check,
a totaI wreck, a fIop
But if, baby, I'm the bottom
You're the top
Holling, play
Someone To Watch Over Me.
This is for
my sentimental friend,
Mrs. Shelly Fleischman.
There's a somebody
I'm Ionging to see
I hope that she...
l think the thing about
Cartier-Bresson is he's got
such a strong...
You know...
But, at the same time,
such a sense of...
What's that word?
What word?
There's a word.
You know...
Good things, people,
nice feelings, the warm...
Excuse me.
Humanity.
Dr. Miller's not here yet.
Hmm?
Dr. Miller.
lt's not a good sign
being late, you know.
Never mind. Enjoy yourself.
Joel?
Yeah, what's wrong?
l saw something with a tail
run under the couch.
A tail?
Do you have rats?
(DOORBELL RlNGlNG)
No, no, no, Bernie,
we don't have rats.
Excuse me. There's the door.
l'm sure it's just
the neighbor's cat.
Dr. Miller.
Am l late?
You said 6.00, didn't you?
No, l thought l said 5:00.
Although l could have said...
l'm sure it's my fault,
l'm sure.
l probably told you 6:00.
l'm sorry, come on in,
let me get you a drink.
l've got that nice
red Lillet you like.
l'll have cranberry juice.
Okay.
Hello, Walt.
Ruth-Anne.
l'm going to have to
send the caterer out
for cranberry juice.
Which is not a problem,
though.
Don't be silly.
You should have been
at The Met last night.
Great Don Giovanni.
Enjoy.
And that faiIure
proved enough to send both
the stock and bond markets
into one of the most dramatic
swoons seen since the decIine
of knighthood.
The bond traders,
who's perspective
IateIy has been
so devastatingIy short-term
that they might as weII
have been working for
a poIIster or a poIitician,
promptIy decided that nobody
wouId ever again want to hoId
a debit issue denominated
in anything as awfuI
as US doIIars...
(BANGlNG ON DOOR)
Maury! Maury!
Hello, Mr. Warburg.
Well, it looks like
the Fed's gonna lay off
the discount rate.
Maury, l pay a lot of money
to have that door opened
for me when l come home.
Sorry, Mr. Warburg.
EVAN: Hey, Dad.
JODlE: Hey, Dad.
Hi.
l'm sorry, Dr. Fleischman,
l was just gonna play
Chutes and Ladders
with the kids, you know.
No, it's just we're having
a buffet at 8:00,
so feel free to get
yourself something to eat,
if you like.
No, thanks. l'll just grab
something from the kitchen.
Okay.
Joel.
Ah, Dr. Miller.
Last week,
a 50-year-old Caucasian male
comes in the office
complaining of diffuse
aches and pains.
During the workup,
l find he's running
a low-grade fever.
l also notice
a rash on his face.
He says
it's shaving irritation.
What do you think?
Okay, did you do
any serology testing?
Positive ANA.
Serum compliment level?
Depressed.
All right,
well, it sounds to me
like lupus erythematosus.
ln a 50-year-old man?
Well...
Maybe.
And Audrey,
if Dan calls weeping for me
to bail him out,
tell him l can go 15 cents
on the dollar.
And that is carved in stone.
Thank you.
Excuse me.
Ed, l haven't had
a minute to say hello.
Really, Counselor?
And l thought you were
just avoiding me.
Avoiding you?
Because maybe
you hadn't finished
the offering circular.
Oh, no.
First thing Monday,
we'll be ready to launch
the proxy fight.
Good.
Just make sure
those SOBs don't pull
a poison pill defense.
We've got five votes
on the board.
The institutional shareholders
are on our side.
You better hope so.
WALT: That's always been
one of my favorite songs.
l remember
the first time l heard you.
The Rainbow Room.
lt must have been 1966.
You sang,
Baby, It's CoId Outside
with Annette Archer.
We thought
you might marry her.
lt was a close call.
That lovely lady almost
waltzed me to the altar.
Don't you believe it.
lt'll be a cold day
in hell before this
playboy gets married.
Gorgeous sunset.
Let's go take a look.
You two go.
l think l'll stay here.
Oh, come on with us, Holling.
Ruth-Anne.
Well, we all could
use some air.
l'm a bit chilly.
Chilly? lt's hot in here.
Ruth-Anne,
if the man wants to stay,
leave him alone.
All right.
Why did you snap at me?
l only wanted him
to see the sunset.
Don't you know about Holling?
What?
The man has
crippling agoraphobia.
Holling?
He gets out in an open space,
he's overcome with anxiety.
Crouches down,
covers his head,
whimpers like a child.
Oh, the poor man.
RUTH-ANNE:
Oh, my, it is beautiful.
Funny thing, my office,
60 floors up, all glass,
looks out on Battery Park,
the Statue of Liberty,
yet l never seem to take
time to admire the view.
My mother loved
to watch the sun set.
She'd take me by the hand,
pull me out on the porch,
as if it were some
extraordinary theatrical event
that we just couldn't miss.
Where did all those years go?
MAN ON TV: The urge to merge
is running into financiaI
heartaches tonight.
On the heeIs of
government demands
for Iower cabIe rates,
it Iooks as if
teIecommunications titan,
GBD, may be getting
coId feet over it's proposed
merger with media upstart
Cimarron CabIe.
TaIks continue
behind cIosed doors.
The fIies on the waII
must be fascinated.
Mr. Chigliak,
Maury's on the intercom.
He says he needs to
speak with you.
Maury?
Mmm-hmm.
Maury, the doorman.
Oh, for God's sake.
What?
Hello, Mr. Chigliak.
l'm sorry to bother you, sir.
What is it, Maury?
There's a rumor
that the merger may be
on thin ice, sir.
So?
You assured me that
it was a sound investment,
a sure thing.
Mr. Chigliak, are you there?
Get to the point, Maury.
Well, see l bought
the Cimarron stock on margin.
lf it takes a tumble,
l could be wiped out.
l could lose everything.
What do you want me to do?
Well, isn't there
someone you could call?
Maury, this is neither
the time nor the place
for this conversation.
Mr. Chigliak...
Mr. Chigliak?
Dr. Miller, the people of
the 16th and 1 7th century
had the church as their rock.
lt was their guidance.
God was everything.
l mean, it would be
so much easier
if we were Joan of Arc.
She was called.
Saint Michael stood
right in front of her
and told her to drive
the English out of France.
Hey, can l join you?
After an experience like that,
how can you have any doubts?
You know who you are
and what you're
supposed to do.
Dr. Miller, l've been
thinking about that
50-year-old guy with the...
Joel.
l envy all those saints.
Really.
Even if they were
burned at the stake
or flayed alive,
at least they were sure.
Excuse me, l think
it was hanta fever.
Would you please stop that?
Stop what, honey?
What is so terrible
with my talking about God?
Okay, ready for seconds?
Tell me, will you?
There's nothing terrible.
l just think it might be
a tad personal, that's all.
Personal?
Yeah.
Great.
Why is it that
in this society
you can talk about
the most intimate things?
You can talk about
your dysfunctional sex life.
You can talk about
your abduction by aliens,
your tummy tuck,
your breast implants.
You can talk about anything.
Anything except
your longing for God!
Shelly...
You know, l never
thought about it that way.
My eye is going.
Your eye?
l'm getting a migraine,
excuse me.
Look, Shelly...
l'll be fine, Joel.
Dr. Miller, l'm...
(KNOCKlNG ON DOOR)
l'll be fine, Joel.
Stay with the guests.
Shel?
Holling?
l brought you
a glass of water.
Thank you, come in.
My agent has migraines,
so l know how debilitating
they can be.
l think l took
the Cafergot in time.
Please.
Wow!
That is a big deer.
lt's not a deer,
it's a moose.
Oh.
l saw it in this antique store
in Peekskill.
l had to have it.
lt has a kind of
primal elegance.
Joel hates it.
l guess l kind of
made a scene out there.
l wouldn't say that.
l feel so ungrateful.
Here l have
this wonderful home,
wonderful children,
career, and still...
lt feels empty.
l ask myself
the same question.
A Grammy award, two Tonys,
that duet with Ella
on the last CD.
Everything l ever thought
l wanted,
and l feel
just the way you do.
You?
lt's like l'm walking around
with a blindfold on.
lt's like, if someone
would just rip it off,
l could see.
l could make
some sense of my life.
That's it.
That's the feeling,
like a blindfold.
Let's get out of here,
Holling.
Out?
l can't breathe in here.
Let's go to the Park.
What?
What about the party?
Joel will be relieved.
l won't embarrass him.
Come on.
What's the matter?
Nothing.
All right, let's go.
A lot of people seem to be
really liking the ratatouille.
l think you ought to
put a little more out.
l can't, sir.
lt's all gone.
Gone?
You said make only one dish.
You said a lot of people
don't like eggplant.
This is a total disaster.
So, did she tell you yet?
Who?
Your boss.
ls she gonna make you
a partner?
Look, just, please, do me
a favor and take care
of the food. Thank me.
Hey, where are the kids?
l already put them to bed.
Bed?
l had no idea
it was that late.
Oh, well.
Let me give you a hand here.
No, Dr. Fleischman,
l've got this.
Oh, come on. lt's all right.
Oh, great, nunchucks.
l don't think he should
be playing with these.
Dr. Fleischman, really,
l mean, l can get these.
You've got your party and all.
l think l can
tear myself away
for a few minutes.
You know, l always wanted
to try this thing.
Really?
Yeah.
You know
what l wanted to be
when l was a kid?
No.
A doctor.
At the age of six
l already wanted to be
an endocrinologist.
l could name all six glands.
l knew the parathyroid
metabolized calcium.
Fun kid, huh?
Well, actually,
Dr. Fleischman,
l think you were lucky.
Lucky?
Yeah.
l mean, l've never known
what l wanted to be.
And in college
l changed my major six times.
Six times.
l ended up with an MA
in Art History.
l know more about van Ruisdael
than anybody should.
Art history, huh?
That's interesting.
lnteresting?
Yeah. l mean,
it was interesting.
And nice.
l mean, all my life,
l've always done
everything nice.
Sometimes, l don't know,
Dr. Fleischman.
Sometimes l think that
l just want to go out
and get my hands dirty.
You know what l mean?
Yeah.
Oh, listen to me. l'm sorry.
Really,
l'm very happy here. l am.
Oh, come on, it's okay.
lt's just...
lt never occurred to me
that you might not be
terribly fulfilled here.
l like my job.
No, no, no, l like my job,
Dr. Fleischman,
and l love the kids.
lt's okay.
As a matter of fact, l think
l'd better just go make sure
they turn those lights off.
MAURlCE:
Good evening, Mrs. Fleischman.
Hello, Maury.
Mrs. Fleischman,
did Mr. Chigliak, by chance,
have a message for me?
Message? No.
SHELLY: Maury?
Oh, yeah.
Have a nice evening.
Warm night.
Holling?
l can't.
l can't go out there.
What do you mean?
l'm afraid.
lt's my agoraphobia.
l wanted to.
l wanted to go with you.
lt's too much for me.
l'm sorry. l didn't know.
lt's not the sort of thing
one advertises.
How do you work?
How do you get
to your club dates?
The driver picks me up,
l dash from my building
into his car,
l huddle there
with my eyes clamped shut,
my heart pounding,
till he gets me to the gig.
Oh, Holling.
l'm a prisoner, Shelly.
Prisoner of nightclubs
and penthouses.
l haven't touched a tree
in 20 years.
lt's time you did.
l'll be with you.
lt'll be okay.
Please, come with me.
WALT: Ruth-Anne,
what are you doing?
This was in the wastebasket
in Shelly's study.
She was just going to
throw all this paper out.
Ruth-Anne.
My brother had a real feeling
for aerodynamics.
He even found a way
to fold in ailerons.
Dear, are you all right?
Don't worry, Walt.
l'm not non compos mentis.
l'm thinking of retiring.
Retiring?
Just the thought of it
gives me a profound
sense of freedom.
Not having to meet
anybody's expectations.
lt's like entering
a state of grace.
Oh. Nose-heavy.
You seem like the last person
in the world to retire.
Well, to tell you
the truth, Walt,
l really don't fancy
dropping dead while making
rounds at Mount Sinai.
(WOMAN SCREAMlNG)
(ALL MUTTERlNG)
WOMAN: Look out!
Careful!
What's going on?
There's an animal in here.
An animal?
Maybe we could call...
Throw a blanket over it.
Yeah.
l wouldn't go near it.
lt might be rabid.
Maybe l can
shoo it out the door.
ED: No.
WALT: Ed?
Stand back, everyone.
Ed, l wouldn't.
Come here, little guy.
Come here.
No one's gonna hurt you.
Come here.
Hey, no one's gonna hurt you.
l never figured Chigliak
for an animal lover.
This animal
doesn't belong here.
He doesn't belong here.
He belongs in the wild.
SHELLY: lt's incredible
when you think about
how big Central Park is.
840 acres.
Did you know that?
No!
l'm sorry.
lf you want, we can go back.
No.
l want to do this.
Most people
don't realize this,
but there are
a lot of things
that grow wild
in Central Park
that are actually edible.
Really.
Chickweed, dandelions,
wild carrots, lady's thumb.
ls that so?
You can pick
a great salad just behind
Hayden Planetarium.
My mother used to make
a wonderful salad
out of beet greens
and pecans
with a honey Dijon dressing.
Want to know
my secret fantasy, Holling?
To quit my practice
and open a restaurant.
A restaurant?
l know.
My, that sounds
terrific to me.
What a beautiful evening!
Hey.
Maybe that's your message
from the Almighty.
lt's a page
from my offering circular.
You know,
l keep asking myself if...
You know, big if.
lf l'm an artist,
where's, you know, my voice?
(ELEVATOR BEEPS)
Sorry. Call on floor six.
Oh.
Okay.
(TV CHATTERING)
Hey, man.
Tomorrow's paper
ought to be out by now.
Sorry?
Yeah, yeah.
l could use a little air.
You know, it's funny,
all the people
at that party,
you'd think l'd find
someone l could talk to.
Hey, Shorty.
Wait, don't tell me.
lt's Maury, the doorman.
ls this the early edition?
Who's blind here, you or me?
You ever read Roberta Smith,
art critic?
Blue chips. Blue chip.
Kind of into the,
you know, the abstract.
lt's good.
l mean, it's not good or bad,
it's just kind of...
l don't have time
to listen to you,
do you mind?
Yeah.
Oh, Lord.
Maury?
You know that
big Cimarron merger?
GBD has bailed on it.
What's that mean?
lt means l'm ruined, Shorty.
lt means l've lost everything.
(BOTH SlNGlNG)
I can't give you
anything but Iove, baby
That's the onIy thing
I've pIenty of, baby
Dream a whiIe, scheme a whiIe
You're sure to find happiness
And I guess...
UntiI that Iucky day
You'II know darned weII,
my baby
I can't give you
anything but Iove
Nice party, Dr. Fleischman.
Thank you.
I can't give you anything
but Iove
All right.
(ALL APPLAUDlNG)
Sorry l skipped out.
What?
You're a mess.
What have you been doing?
Joel, there you are.
l guess now is as
good a time as any.
l've decided
to make you a partner.
Oh, Dr. Miller, that...
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Just one second. l'm sorry.
Shel, Shel.
Did you not hear
what she said?
Congratulations, Joel.
l want a divorce.
What?
You can have
the Chippendale highboy.
l know you love the highboy.
Shel.
Bobo, this can't
come as a surprise to you.
Yeah, it does.
lt comes as a surprise.
lt comes as
a very big surprise.
Our marriage isn't working.
You know that, Joel.
Maybe this sounds trite,
but we just weren't
meant to be together.
Dr. Fleischman,
Mrs. Fleischman,
l'm sorry to bother you,
but there's a guest
out on the ledge.
On the terrace,
he's very despondent.
l mean...
RUTH-ANNE: Chris,
if you're having problems,
we'd all be
happy to discuss it inside.
So, just come down
off that ledge.
Chris, we're shooting
Kate Moss in Sedona next week.
Do you really wanna miss that?
Chris,
what about all your dreams?
Didn't you once tell me
you were going to walk
the entire length
of South America?
All the way from Caracas
to Tierra del Fuego.
No.
You're sure?
lt was
at Tavern on the Green.
lt must have been
somebody else.
That's the problem,
right there.
Nobody listens to you,
right, Chris?
You didn't climb out on
that ledge to kill yourself.
You just want to be heard.
l just...
Hey, we all
want to be heard, Chris.
lsn't that right?
That's right, l just...
Look, Chris,
l'm sure you're full of
aesthetic insights
and political commentary,
cultural observations.
l just get stuck in my mouth.
l don't...
l don't blame you all
for turning your back on me.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
MAGGlE: Hang on!
Help me down.
Come on.
Easy, easy, easy, easy.
l could have died.
Yeah.
No, l mean,
l could have...
l could have really died.
Total silence
forever and ever.
Wow.
MAURlCE:
All right, where's Chigliak?
Where is that son of a bitch?
MAN: Hey,
hey, the guy's got a gun!
There you are, you snake.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, Maury.
You told me that
Cimarron investment
was a sure thing.
A no-brainer.
You guaranteed me a 40% return
on my investment, minimum.
The SEC couldn't get you,
but l damn sure can.
Put down that ferret.
l didn't come up here
to kill an innocent animal.
Put it down.
No.
No?
No.
Cripes.
Hey, Dr. Fleischman.
Yeah, Maury.
Can l have a drink?
Yeah, help yourself.
Anything you want.
Homo caecigenus est.
Man is born blind.
We're little moles,
tunneling under the winter rye
unaware of the sky above us.
We're ignorant, folks.
lt don't matter
how many PhDs we've got
Perma-Plaqued on the wall.
We're blind
and we're ignorant.
Chris?
And there's
one piece of information
that we don't have.
The only piece
that will pry open
those baby blues,
knowledge of self.
The answer
to all our questions
is right here.
Library of Congress.
Kabir, Sufi poet, he knew.
''Near your breastbone
there's an open flower,''
he said.
''Drink the honey that is
all around that flower."
All around that flower.
l lost everything tonight.
My life savings, my job.
My self-esteem.
That's rough.
Yeah,
but l feel somehow ennobled.
Like l've been through fire.
Been forged, tempered.
Maury, l'd like to
compensate you for your loss.
Compensate me?
Why?
l'm not sure
if l can tell you why.
This evening l reached down
and l picked up
this poor terrified animal
and felt his heart beating,
just racing in its chest.
Hold him for a second.
You lost $30,000,
wasn't it?
Yeah, 30,000.
(GROANS)
Make it out to
Maurice Minnifield,
would you please?
Sure, Maurice.
Hey, do you think
l should do something?
l mean, the guy's got a gun.
Should l call the police?
l mean, it's illegal to have
a gun in Manhattan, isn't it?
Sir, the guests keep asking
for more kiwi tarts.
Kiwi tarts?
They're all gone.
You ordered mostly lemon.
Mostly lemon?
God. A man almost killed
himself here tonight.
Do you understand
there was almost a murder?
That's all people care about
are our kiwi tarts?
Dr. Fleischman.
What?
l'm sorry, what a night.
l want to give notice.
Notice?
l'm quitting.
What?
l'm sorry, Dr. Fleischman.
l mean, you've really been
great to me. lt's just that,
you know, l've gotta go do
something else with my life.
Joel, Dr. Miller is leaving.
You can have Dr. Harris'
old consultation room.
The decorators
will be in Wednesday
in case you want to
change any furniture.
Uh-uh.
What?
No.
No, what?
l don't want the partnership.
Joel.
You're turning me down?
Yes. l don't want it.
l don't want this life.
This life?
l'd rather practice medicine
in some hick rural outback
than stay here another minute.
That's the closet,
Dr. Fleischman.
The bathroom's down the hall.
A lot of people
make that mistake.
Something wrong,
Dr. Fleischman?
No, l don't think so.
l just...
l think l got a little
disoriented in there.
Oh. This is gonna
take me a while.
Yeah, l'd better get back
to the office.
Dr. Fleischman?
Yeah, l'll see you later, Ed.
MAN: Hey, Dr. Fleischman!