Touched by an Angel (1994–2003): Season 2, Episode 21 - The Quality of Mercy - full transcript
Tess and Monica attend college to help a former television star who has become a drama teacher at the college. Ever since he stopped being a television star, his family has become fractured.
"To be, or not to be."
I would definitely
say not to be.
Oh, Tess, I just
love Shakespeare.
He was a strange little man.
He kept writing down
everything and saying "alas."
He really talked like that.
Drove the local folks crazy.
Okay, give me a T.O.
and grab some bench.
Come on, don't make
me give you a lecture.
That means shut up and sit down.
I'll have you doing push-ups.
Hey, hey, hey. Come
on, fellas. Knock it off.
All right, while we're waiting,
I'm Bebe Manero,
women's basketball coach.
I don't think any of
you are on the team.
Anyway, as you know,
Woodbridge College
is what is officially called
financially challenged.
What that means is
this school is busted
flatter than a supermodel.
So, this year I'm
gonna do basketball,
and I'm gonna be in charge
of the theatre department.
I'm really looking forward
to this assignment, too,
because I figure I'll
expand my horizons,
and I can really use the
extra 60 bucks a month.
Now, as my first official act
as head of the department,
I have hired one of
the greatest actors
of daytime television
to teach our class.
He's a little late,
but hang tough.
Who are they waiting
for? Our assignment.
He's late.
Oh, no, he's an actor.
They never think of
it as showing up late.
They call it "making
an entrance."
Hello!
All right, here he is.
Hey, you know him
as Malcolm Elliot
from the daytime drama
"The Young and the Yearning,"
he's Joel Redding.
I think my mum had a crush
on him a million years ago.
You know, I never missed a day;
I wouldn't even schedule
basketball practice at 2:00
so I could watch the show.
Well, I'm flattered.
You're flattered? I'm flattered.
You're the greatest.
Now that Malcolm's toast
because he was poisoned
by his aromatherapist,
Joel has decided
to join our faculty
as a visiting professor.
Or until they need
his twin brother.
Thank you, Coach.
Um...
well, I, uh, I know
why you all are here,
but, um, you may not
know why I'm here...
why I left New York,
and, uh, said good-bye
to Malcolm Elliot,
who earned me 11 years of work
and four Emmy nominations.
I, um, I left that soap opera
and walked into this theatre
because the theatre is not only
where an actor
truly bears his soul,
it's where he learns
that he has one.
And I'm ready to
share that with you.
Now, I know that most
of you are undergrads,
although we do have a
couple of grad students here,
and that, um, I'll be working
very closely with all of you...
Don't waste your time, man.
It's just an old TV guy
from the wax museum.
Everybody will get a chance.
I hope that you'll all
decide to participate
in the community fund
raiser that I'll be developing.
Um, I've decided to make it
an evening of Shakespeare,
and, um, I hope to see
you all at the auditions.
Uh, should be a lot of fun.
So, um, thank you.
Okay, practice
tomorrow night, 7:00.
And remember, no
street shoes on the stage.
Okay, class dismissed.
So why are we here?
All the world is a stage, baby,
and everybody has
their part to play.
Unfortunately for his son,
that's all Joel has.
His son?
Marshall.
Marshall adores his father.
But just about all
he knows about him
is what he sees on TV.
And the man is not going
to be on TV anymore.
♫ When you walk down the road ♫
♫ Heavy burden, heavy load ♫
♫ I will rise and I
will walk with you ♫
♫ I'll walk with you ♫
♫ Till the sun
don't even shine ♫
♫ Walk with you ♫
♫ Every time, I tell
you I'll walk with you ♫
♫ Walk with you ♫
♫ Believe me, I'll
walk with you. ♫
Hi, Mom.
Hi, honey. How was
your first day of school?
It was okay.
What did you do afterwards?
Did you hang with
your new friends?
They're all morons. There's
nothing to do in this town.
Hey, keep your mitts off that.
I want us to all eat together.
It's our first dinner
in our first house.
Man, even the pizza bites here.
No, it's just different
from what you're used to.
Yeah, well, what I'm used
to is good New York pizza.
I can make that New York pizza.
Eat that and get outta here!
Very weird.
I'm home!
Hey. Oh, hey, Dad.
Hey, buddy, how was your day?
Honey. It was all right.
Let's see.
Well, at school, they're
only a year behind
everything I did last
year. I hate the school,
I hate the town, and I want
to go back to New York,
but outside of that,
it was a great day.
Well, I had a great day.
They had a banner onstage...
"Woodbridge College
Welcomes Joel Redding."
They all knew me. You
should have been there.
Now you see, I told you
you didn't have anything
to be worried about.
Listen, uh, I noticed when
I came in that the table
was behind the couch.
Doesn't really fit, does it?
The table was behind
the couch in our apartment.
You were just
never there to notice.
Sorry, just trying to help.
You know, you could help
by hanging the family portrait.
Look, I'll get it.
Who on earth? We don't
even know anybody yet.
Uh... actually, I
meant to tell you...
Dad, it's for you.
They're here for some meeting.
Hello, I'm Monica. I
spoke to you on the phone.
I'm your new stage manager.
And I'm Tess.
The dialogue coach. Yes.
For a play?
It's going to be wonderful.
I love Shakespeare.
Yeah, Dad's the best at that.
You know, he's
not just a TV guy.
I thought you were only
gonna teach this year.
Well, it's just a
little fund raiser.
They needed a director...
And you couldn't say no.
It's an evening of great
moments from Shakespeare.
And a month's worth
of evening rehearsals.
Yes, I'll, I'll put
on the coffee.
Well, um... why
don't we get started?
Oh, wonder.
How many goodly
creatures are there here?
How beauteous mankind is.
Oh, brave new world
that has such people in it.
That was very good.
I have a scene from
Romeo and Juliet
that should be
just perfect for you.
Great.
I look forward to
working with you.
Sure. Me, too.
Hmm.
The old charmer's getting old.
That's a sign.
Must be a difficult
time for a man.
They call it midlife crisis.
But if he isn't careful,
it's gonna be a crisis
for everybody real soon.
That's your cue.
Hey.
Hello, Marshall. What
are you doing here?
Well, after school's out,
there's nothing to do
in this crummy town.
I figured I'd see if dad
could use some help.
He could.
We need a Hamlet.
Oh, no. Listen,
I'm not an actor.
I mean, look, Dad's the actor.
You know, I've seen him do it,
but there's, I mean,
no way that I could...
What? You'd make a great Hamlet.
Why?
You have so much in common.
Like what?
Well, for one thing,
you're both students, right?
You both love your fathers.
You're both making adjustments
to major changes in your life.
And maybe some of the
things that are confusing to you
were confusing to him.
Go on.
Take a look at it.
"To be, or not to be"?
Yeah. You see, here
Hamlet is confused,
but in this case it's about
whether to live or to die.
Yeah, I know what it's about.
But I'm not
confused about living.
No, of course not.
I mean,
I wish I was living
somewhere else, but...
Oh, well, you see, think of that
when you're reading it.
And put that feeling
into your audition.
Go on. Give it a try.
Go on.
Friends, Romans, countrymen,
lend me your ears!
If Shakespeare was
alive, he'd drop dead.
"I come not to praise Caesar,"
"but to bury him."
The good in men oft
lies inter... Uh, okay.
Thanks, Mr. Oberman.
I'm sure we can find something.
Uh, check the board tomorrow.
Thank you. Thank you.
All right, I guess
that's our last audition.
Um, I want to thank
everybody for coming tonight.
Wait!
Please. There's one more.
To be, or not to be...
That is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler
in the mind to suffer.
The slings and arrows
of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms
against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?
To die, to sleep, no more,
and by sleep we say
to end the heartache
and thousands of natural
shocks that flesh is heir to.
To die...
to sleep.
To sleep... Perchance to dream:
Ay, there is the rub!
For in that sleep of death
what dreams may come.
When we have shuffled
off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause.
I don't know about
Marshall being an actor.
Well, he's pretty good.
Well, of course, he's good.
He's my son.
Right.
Tell me something,
are these pants too tight?
No. No, wait. Don't
change the subject.
You know, Joel, you
never finished college.
I don't want Marshall
distracted like you were.
Honey, I was distracted by you.
Don't try your charm on me.
Listen, he's got to
keep up with his grades.
I'm serious.
I really don't want
him to end up...
What, like me?
I didn't say that.
En garde.
Ah!
Another hit. What say you?
A touch, a touch,
I do confess it.
Oh, not with my sourdough.
Well, here, give me this.
You missed a spot.
I beg your pardon.
Do I know you?
The Angel of Death
at your service.
Andrew, put that away
before you hurt somebody.
Hey. You're supposed to
tell me how dashing I look.
Monica, this is Andrew.
He's teaching me
how to sword-fight.
I've seen enough of 'em.
Ready? Yeah.
En garde.
Good. Good. Keep your hands up.
Tess, is Andrew
here on business?
Well, he's certainly
gonna do a death scene.
We just don't know
if it's onstage or off.
You, um... you missed a spot.
Come in.
How you doin', Mr. Shakespeare?
Malcolm's croakin' today.
Don't you wanna see your
own character hit the buzzer?
Uh, I really have a hard time
watching myself on camera.
Yeah, well, believe
me, you're smokin'.
Whatever you remember
about me, Katrina,
remember that...
I never stopped lov-loving...
Malcolm, I... I never
got to tell you...
I'm not just your
lover, I'm your...
Oh, God, he's dead.
Good-bye, Malcolm.
I'm gonna miss you.
Out, out brief candle.
Life's but a walking shadow,
a poor player who struts and
frets his hour upon a stage.
Karen. Mr. Redding.
Oh, uh, please, call me Joel.
Um, I really need your help.
Sure. What's the problem?
Well, it's this line here.
"Sweet, good night."
"This bud of love, by
summer's ripening breath."
I just don't feel it.
By summer's ripening breath,
may prove a beauteous
flower when next we meet.
Good night. Good night.
As sweet repose and rest
come to thy heart as
that within my breast.
Here.
Why don't we
take it line by line?
So where's Dad?
He called. He's going
straight to the theatre.
Why didn't you tell me?
Honey, how was school today?
It was okay.
Listen, I got rehearsal.
Wait a minute. Not so fast.
What?
Well, somebody from
the high school called.
Do you have anything to tell me?
Okay. So I skipped a class.
Three. Honey, what's going on?
Listen, this is no
big deal, okay?
You know, I know all that stuff.
Where were you?
I was working on my lines.
Instead of going to school?
Listen, I don't like school.
I like acting, you know,
and I want to help out Dad.
I'm sorry. School comes first.
Well, not to me it doesn't.
Listen, I am still your parent.
Well, so is Dad.
Don't even start with that.
You know, just because
your dad is around more now
doesn't mean that my opinion
doesn't count anymore.
You know, why don't
you get off my back?
You know, I had a life
until we moved to this place.
Marshall, I'm on your side.
Oh, no, you're not.
You made dad give up
everything and move here
to this pathetic town.
You don't understand.
No, I do understand.
Listen, I'm miserable,
and Dad is miserable.
And don't tell me you
had nothing to do with it.
See, this is why it's
good for us to work alone.
Art takes concentration.
Now, do you notice
anything about these lines
when Romeo and
Juliet first meet?
No, okay. It's a
sonnet, 14 lines.
Romeo's first touch
should be electric.
Here.
Let me show you.
Look at him. I can't
believe he's doing this.
Well, honey, he thinks
his best days are over.
And he's trying desperately
to hold on to somebody
or something
that still makes
him feel like a man
or a star.
Well, which one of
us is gonna stop him?
Neither one of us.
God made us angels, not police.
Now we can hope and pray
that he makes the right decision,
but the choice is his.
Sin from my lips?
Oh, trespass sweetly urge.
Give me my sin again.
Marshall.
Marshall.
Marshall!
Hi, rehearsal over?
Yeah.
What's the matter?
Marshall.
I'm going down to bed.
What's going on?
Joel?
Uh, just a long rehearsal.
Um, I think I'll make
myself a sandwich
and then, uh, maybe
get to that picture.
Morning, Mom.
Where's Dad?
He's already gone.
Uh, Marshall, have
you seen the ladder?
Uh, yeah, it's at the theatre.
Oh, graveyard of
every tool in this garage.
Blueberry pancakes?
Yeah, sure.
Listen, Mom. Hmm?
Everything's gonna be okay.
What's gonna be okay?
Um, well, you know, school's
getting better and everything.
And you know, the
show's gonna be over soon,
so we can be a family,
you know, like you wanted.
Who are you,
and what have you
done with my son?
I am weary.
Give me leave a while.
Fie, how my bones ache.
What a jaunt have I had.
I would thou hadst my
bones and I thy news.
Wait a minute. Stop.
I've had this long, fat jaunt.
I got to sit down.
Good idea.
Hey, got a minute?
Yeah. Take five.
Great.
What's up with this invoice?
14 Elizabethan costumes?
Yeah. What do you mean?
Elizabethan. I thought we
were doing Shakespeare.
And whatever it is we're doing,
we only got 65
bucks to do it with.
That's our entire budget? I
couldn't buy a ruff for $65.
Who wants to buy a ruff?
What is a ruff?
Uh... a ruff is what
an actor wears
that forces him to
stand in a certain way,
Shakespearean way.
He has to adopt a formality
which is matched by
the formal language
that Shakespeare
gave his courtiers.
You know, my dog
wore one of these once
so he wouldn't
bite his stitches out.
Let's talk.
I got a little money from
the wiener concession.
So, maybe if I could come
up with, uh, some dough
for your Shakesabethan finery,
maybe you could find something
a little Thespic for me, maybe.
Hmm?
Um, yeah. Sure.
Marshall, what you saw was...
I didn't see anything!
Marshall, come on.
You're not concentrating.
Excuse me.
Here, Marshall, let me
show you something.
May I? Sure.
Thanks.
Okay, let's go.
En garde.
You're holding back.
Don't hold back.
All right, from the sixth parry.
En garde.
Come on, man, if you
want 'em to believe it,
you gotta commit to it.
Let's go, from the top.
You should talk
about commitment.
En garde.
Marshall, stop it.
Marshall, please.
Marshall.
Marshall.
Marshall, that's enough
rehearsal for today.
Hey.
Hey.
I guess you got more
of those fencing lessons
than either of us thought.
Whatever the
problem was out there,
dueling is not the way
that people work
things out these days.
Why don't you
try to talk to him?
Because I've got
nothing to say to him.
Oh, I don't know.
You can start with the truth.
It's always a good technique.
Now, it might not be pretty,
but you got a pressure
cooker that's building up in you,
and the truth...
The truth is kind of like
a safety valve, you know?
You just let it out
even and... and slow,
and just maybe you
won't blow up all at once.
And one other thing...
I'd pack away the swords first.
I'll see you out there.
Okay, everybody, that's
it. Go home. Take a rest.
And remember, I want all
lines memorized by tomorrow.
Good work. Good
night, get outta here.
Hey, you wanna
grab something to eat?
See you later.
Do you need a ride home?
No, I'm fine. Thanks.
Uh, Marshall, you
want a ride home?
I'd rather walk.
I'll see you at home.
Mom, I'm home.
Dad will be a little late.
Mom. Mom.
Mom. Mom!
Mom!
Mom.
I need some help.
I need some help.
Somebody help me!
Mom.
Dad.
Where are you?
Dr. Archibald to the solarium.
Dr. Archibald to
the solarium, please.
Marshall, what happened?
I don't know.
I mean, I got home and
she was just lying there,
bleeding.
Have you seen my dad?
I'm sorry.
How is your mother doing, baby?
I don't know.
I mean, they keep
coming and going,
but they don't tell me anything.
Well, we will just
see about that.
Are you okay?
Where's my dad?
Don't worry. I can guess.
Mr. Nurse, there's a
young man down there
waiting outside of
his mother's room
where she's been in
there for several hours.
And nobody has had enough
compassion to let him know...
Ma'am, I don't have anything...
Hush. Hush. Now,
you get me a doctor,
get me some facts, or I
will go into that room myself
and nobody, and I mean nobody,
is gonna stand in my way.
Do you understand me?
Where would you
like me to get a doc...
Just hush up!
Just do it, and do it now.
Marshall.
Marshall, this is Dr. Schulman.
Hi.
Your mother has suffered
a blow to the head,
which has caused
a severe hematoma.
Tell him what that means.
It's a bruise inside that's
caused her brain to swell.
Now, that leaves us with
some very difficult decisions.
Surgery, right?
Marshall, the type
and the location
of your mother's hematoma makes
this a very dangerous operation.
I'd be lying to you if I told you
there wasn't some risk here.
What risk?
If we operate, she may
live but lose her sight.
And if she doesn't
have the operation?
It is possible that the swelling
could go down by itself,
or it may get worse.
And when that happens,
it will be too late to
operate and she will die.
Look, I need your father
to sign a consent
form for the surgery.
I left a message at home.
If he went back,
he'd be here by now.
Well, in the absence
of an adult relative,
I have the power
to use my discretion.
Look, Marshall, you're her
son. What would she want?
Mom's a fighter.
Go ahead.
Do the surgery.
Doctor.
If somebody had
found her sooner,
would it had made a difference?
Look, don't beat
yourself up over this.
This is not your fault.
She made me blueberry
pancakes this morning.
Ah, nurse. May I help you?
Yes. My name is Joel Redding.
My wife was brought
in here earlier today.
Can you tell me...
Thanks for dropping by.
What happened?
Since when do you care?
Marshall, calm down and
tell me what's going on here.
I don't want to talk to you.
Marshall, what
happened to your mother?
Tell me, please.
Look, cut the act, Dad.
Because you don't care about
her and you don't care about me.
All you care about
is your bimbo.
Marshall, let me explain.
I was with Karen, but
we were rehearsing.
Rehearsing what, huh?
Don't lie to me! Don't!
Marshall, stop it.
Marshall, that's enough!
And Mom is gonna hate you, too.
If she lives.
Come on, Marshall,
pick up the phone.
Here's some ice.
Thanks. Marshall, you there?
Marshall, I'm just trying
to find out if you're okay.
Maybe he's still
in the hospital.
I'd better look for him.
Maybe I'd better go with you.
Marshall's been under
a lot of strain lately.
I think he's starting
to crack, Mm-hmm.
Between moving and rehearsals
and now this terrible
thing with his mother.
Mm, well, let's just step
right in here a moment
and see what we can find.
What is this?
A chapel. Some
people think of it
as a place for
reflection and meditation.
Well, doesn't look
like he's in here.
Well, I think you
ought to sit down.
What for?
To reflect and
meditate. Sit on down.
I beg your pardon.
Well, we'll get to
that pardon part later.
But right now I want
you to stop trying
to explain away
your son's behaviour.
I think he's handling this thing
pretty well, don't you?
Handling what thing?
Your affair.
How did you know?
Well, you don't
have to be an angel
to see what's going
on around here.
But that's what I am,
an angel sent by God.
Now, now, don't be afraid.
But I have to tell you,
God is not pleased with
what's going on around here.
All the world is
not a stage, Joel.
And the men and women
are not merely players.
Who you are and what
you do matters to God.
Now, how charming you are
and how many
autographs you've signed
and how many of
those little gold statues
you got sitting on
your cocktail table
will not impress the
creator of the universe.
Now, you can play all
the roles you wanna play
and it won't matter a bit,
because you're
not playing the role
that God created
especially for you.
Joel, just Joel.
And the real Joel
has no business fooling around.
I'm sorry.
Don't tell me.
Tell Him. Tell God,
and then tell your family.
They're the ones you're hurting.
I never meant to hurt anyone.
I wasn't looking
for... someone else.
I just needed to feel
better about myself.
Well, did it work?
I didn't think so.
And another thing,
what do you care about
being loved as a TV star,
when you're already
loved as a father,
a husband and a child of God?
Help me.
Don't ask me.
Ask Him.
God is your helper,
and He loves you,
and He is listening.
I've, uh, really messed up here,
but I guess you know that.
I don't deserve it, but...
I could use a little help here.
Please.
Help.
Oh, here they are now.
Mr. Redding, I think
we're out of the woods.
She's in post-op now.
Is Monica here?
Yes. Telephone.
Oh. Would you excuse me?
Anyway, it went very, very well.
Thank you. Hello.
Marshall?
I think we're looking
at a rapid recovery.
Oh, thank God. Yes, indeed.
Um, can I see her?
Well, she's not awake,
but I think you can look in.
It went quite
well, they tell me.
Sometimes I'm just an observer.
I, um, I just spoke to Marshall.
Marshall.
Mom's okay. She's
okay! She's gonna be fine.
Well, no thanks
to you and Karen.
What happened with
Karen was a mistake,
and it's over.
You gotta believe me, son.
Find yourself another son.
Because as far as I'm concerned,
you're not my father.
Marshall, I'm asking
for your forgiveness.
Forget about it.
You ever hear of the expression
to err is human,
to forgive divine?
Look, man, don't
quote me that crap,
you know, all your
speeches and your lines.
Well, listen, don't
even talk to me
until you want to
tell me the truth.
You know why we left New York?
Yeah, because mum finally
got you to leave the city.
No. I was fired.
What?
I didn't quit the soap.
They fired me
because I was too old.
Just like 11 years ago
they fired somebody else
and gave me his job.
We're here because it's
the only job I could get.
I didn't have the guts
to tell you the truth.
Why?
Because you were my biggest fan,
and I didn't want
to disappoint you.
Ironic, huh?
I'm sorry I hurt you.
I'm sorry I hurt your mother.
But I felt like such a
loser coming here, I...
I just needed to be
wanted by somebody.
I forgot I already was.
Your mother didn't
make us leave.
All she ever
wanted was a family.
As do I.
What I did was wrong,
and I'll never do it again.
Well, I still can't forgive you.
The quality of mercy
is not strained...
It droppeth as the
gentle rain from heaven
upon the place beneath.
It is twice blessed...
It blesseth him that gives
and him that takes.
You're like some
kind of an angel.
Before Shakespeare
wrote it, God was it.
Mercy is his gift.
And you shine
with His divine light
every time you are merciful
or show someone forgiveness.
I should know, Marshall,
because I am an
angel sent by God.
And He wants you to understand
that you cannot
judge your father.
But you can forgive him.
I hate him.
God doesn't hate him.
He knows that Joel is a man
and that men make mistakes.
But you've never seen your
father as a man, have you?
Only as a hero to be worshipped.
No one should be worshipped
on this earth, Marshall.
You may want to
hate your father,
but god wants you to love him.
And it is time now
for you to do that.
Bravo! Bravo!
That was a slam-dunk!
How did you do
that with the lights?
Thank you.
Thank you all for coming to
our little fund-raiser this evening.
You've given this old
theatre a new lease on life.
And it makes me happy
to know that you
are all so willing
to show this old
building a little mercy.
'Cause you know,
the quality of mercy
is not strained!
It droppeth as the gentle
rain from the heaven
upon the place beneath.
And gentlemen in England
will think themselves accursed
that they were not here.
And hold their manhoods
cheap whiles any speaks
that fought with us
upon St. Crispin's Day!
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Good job, honey.
Slam-dunk!
Nothing but net.
You know, it doesn't
seem the same
without a little towel
slappin', does it?
So, where do angels go?
We move on.
And so will your family.
Great show.
You guys were really terrific.
Excuse me.
Can I have an autograph?
Oh, um... I don't give
autographs anymore.
Really? Since when?
Well, since I only want one fan.
You.
You guys ready to go?
Yeah.
Look now, you see?
Like I've always said,
all's well that ends well.
Look, Tess!
Our names are in the program!
There's nothing worse
than a star-struck angel,
except two star-struck angels.
♫♫
I would definitely
say not to be.
Oh, Tess, I just
love Shakespeare.
He was a strange little man.
He kept writing down
everything and saying "alas."
He really talked like that.
Drove the local folks crazy.
Okay, give me a T.O.
and grab some bench.
Come on, don't make
me give you a lecture.
That means shut up and sit down.
I'll have you doing push-ups.
Hey, hey, hey. Come
on, fellas. Knock it off.
All right, while we're waiting,
I'm Bebe Manero,
women's basketball coach.
I don't think any of
you are on the team.
Anyway, as you know,
Woodbridge College
is what is officially called
financially challenged.
What that means is
this school is busted
flatter than a supermodel.
So, this year I'm
gonna do basketball,
and I'm gonna be in charge
of the theatre department.
I'm really looking forward
to this assignment, too,
because I figure I'll
expand my horizons,
and I can really use the
extra 60 bucks a month.
Now, as my first official act
as head of the department,
I have hired one of
the greatest actors
of daytime television
to teach our class.
He's a little late,
but hang tough.
Who are they waiting
for? Our assignment.
He's late.
Oh, no, he's an actor.
They never think of
it as showing up late.
They call it "making
an entrance."
Hello!
All right, here he is.
Hey, you know him
as Malcolm Elliot
from the daytime drama
"The Young and the Yearning,"
he's Joel Redding.
I think my mum had a crush
on him a million years ago.
You know, I never missed a day;
I wouldn't even schedule
basketball practice at 2:00
so I could watch the show.
Well, I'm flattered.
You're flattered? I'm flattered.
You're the greatest.
Now that Malcolm's toast
because he was poisoned
by his aromatherapist,
Joel has decided
to join our faculty
as a visiting professor.
Or until they need
his twin brother.
Thank you, Coach.
Um...
well, I, uh, I know
why you all are here,
but, um, you may not
know why I'm here...
why I left New York,
and, uh, said good-bye
to Malcolm Elliot,
who earned me 11 years of work
and four Emmy nominations.
I, um, I left that soap opera
and walked into this theatre
because the theatre is not only
where an actor
truly bears his soul,
it's where he learns
that he has one.
And I'm ready to
share that with you.
Now, I know that most
of you are undergrads,
although we do have a
couple of grad students here,
and that, um, I'll be working
very closely with all of you...
Don't waste your time, man.
It's just an old TV guy
from the wax museum.
Everybody will get a chance.
I hope that you'll all
decide to participate
in the community fund
raiser that I'll be developing.
Um, I've decided to make it
an evening of Shakespeare,
and, um, I hope to see
you all at the auditions.
Uh, should be a lot of fun.
So, um, thank you.
Okay, practice
tomorrow night, 7:00.
And remember, no
street shoes on the stage.
Okay, class dismissed.
So why are we here?
All the world is a stage, baby,
and everybody has
their part to play.
Unfortunately for his son,
that's all Joel has.
His son?
Marshall.
Marshall adores his father.
But just about all
he knows about him
is what he sees on TV.
And the man is not going
to be on TV anymore.
♫ When you walk down the road ♫
♫ Heavy burden, heavy load ♫
♫ I will rise and I
will walk with you ♫
♫ I'll walk with you ♫
♫ Till the sun
don't even shine ♫
♫ Walk with you ♫
♫ Every time, I tell
you I'll walk with you ♫
♫ Walk with you ♫
♫ Believe me, I'll
walk with you. ♫
Hi, Mom.
Hi, honey. How was
your first day of school?
It was okay.
What did you do afterwards?
Did you hang with
your new friends?
They're all morons. There's
nothing to do in this town.
Hey, keep your mitts off that.
I want us to all eat together.
It's our first dinner
in our first house.
Man, even the pizza bites here.
No, it's just different
from what you're used to.
Yeah, well, what I'm used
to is good New York pizza.
I can make that New York pizza.
Eat that and get outta here!
Very weird.
I'm home!
Hey. Oh, hey, Dad.
Hey, buddy, how was your day?
Honey. It was all right.
Let's see.
Well, at school, they're
only a year behind
everything I did last
year. I hate the school,
I hate the town, and I want
to go back to New York,
but outside of that,
it was a great day.
Well, I had a great day.
They had a banner onstage...
"Woodbridge College
Welcomes Joel Redding."
They all knew me. You
should have been there.
Now you see, I told you
you didn't have anything
to be worried about.
Listen, uh, I noticed when
I came in that the table
was behind the couch.
Doesn't really fit, does it?
The table was behind
the couch in our apartment.
You were just
never there to notice.
Sorry, just trying to help.
You know, you could help
by hanging the family portrait.
Look, I'll get it.
Who on earth? We don't
even know anybody yet.
Uh... actually, I
meant to tell you...
Dad, it's for you.
They're here for some meeting.
Hello, I'm Monica. I
spoke to you on the phone.
I'm your new stage manager.
And I'm Tess.
The dialogue coach. Yes.
For a play?
It's going to be wonderful.
I love Shakespeare.
Yeah, Dad's the best at that.
You know, he's
not just a TV guy.
I thought you were only
gonna teach this year.
Well, it's just a
little fund raiser.
They needed a director...
And you couldn't say no.
It's an evening of great
moments from Shakespeare.
And a month's worth
of evening rehearsals.
Yes, I'll, I'll put
on the coffee.
Well, um... why
don't we get started?
Oh, wonder.
How many goodly
creatures are there here?
How beauteous mankind is.
Oh, brave new world
that has such people in it.
That was very good.
I have a scene from
Romeo and Juliet
that should be
just perfect for you.
Great.
I look forward to
working with you.
Sure. Me, too.
Hmm.
The old charmer's getting old.
That's a sign.
Must be a difficult
time for a man.
They call it midlife crisis.
But if he isn't careful,
it's gonna be a crisis
for everybody real soon.
That's your cue.
Hey.
Hello, Marshall. What
are you doing here?
Well, after school's out,
there's nothing to do
in this crummy town.
I figured I'd see if dad
could use some help.
He could.
We need a Hamlet.
Oh, no. Listen,
I'm not an actor.
I mean, look, Dad's the actor.
You know, I've seen him do it,
but there's, I mean,
no way that I could...
What? You'd make a great Hamlet.
Why?
You have so much in common.
Like what?
Well, for one thing,
you're both students, right?
You both love your fathers.
You're both making adjustments
to major changes in your life.
And maybe some of the
things that are confusing to you
were confusing to him.
Go on.
Take a look at it.
"To be, or not to be"?
Yeah. You see, here
Hamlet is confused,
but in this case it's about
whether to live or to die.
Yeah, I know what it's about.
But I'm not
confused about living.
No, of course not.
I mean,
I wish I was living
somewhere else, but...
Oh, well, you see, think of that
when you're reading it.
And put that feeling
into your audition.
Go on. Give it a try.
Go on.
Friends, Romans, countrymen,
lend me your ears!
If Shakespeare was
alive, he'd drop dead.
"I come not to praise Caesar,"
"but to bury him."
The good in men oft
lies inter... Uh, okay.
Thanks, Mr. Oberman.
I'm sure we can find something.
Uh, check the board tomorrow.
Thank you. Thank you.
All right, I guess
that's our last audition.
Um, I want to thank
everybody for coming tonight.
Wait!
Please. There's one more.
To be, or not to be...
That is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler
in the mind to suffer.
The slings and arrows
of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms
against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?
To die, to sleep, no more,
and by sleep we say
to end the heartache
and thousands of natural
shocks that flesh is heir to.
To die...
to sleep.
To sleep... Perchance to dream:
Ay, there is the rub!
For in that sleep of death
what dreams may come.
When we have shuffled
off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause.
I don't know about
Marshall being an actor.
Well, he's pretty good.
Well, of course, he's good.
He's my son.
Right.
Tell me something,
are these pants too tight?
No. No, wait. Don't
change the subject.
You know, Joel, you
never finished college.
I don't want Marshall
distracted like you were.
Honey, I was distracted by you.
Don't try your charm on me.
Listen, he's got to
keep up with his grades.
I'm serious.
I really don't want
him to end up...
What, like me?
I didn't say that.
En garde.
Ah!
Another hit. What say you?
A touch, a touch,
I do confess it.
Oh, not with my sourdough.
Well, here, give me this.
You missed a spot.
I beg your pardon.
Do I know you?
The Angel of Death
at your service.
Andrew, put that away
before you hurt somebody.
Hey. You're supposed to
tell me how dashing I look.
Monica, this is Andrew.
He's teaching me
how to sword-fight.
I've seen enough of 'em.
Ready? Yeah.
En garde.
Good. Good. Keep your hands up.
Tess, is Andrew
here on business?
Well, he's certainly
gonna do a death scene.
We just don't know
if it's onstage or off.
You, um... you missed a spot.
Come in.
How you doin', Mr. Shakespeare?
Malcolm's croakin' today.
Don't you wanna see your
own character hit the buzzer?
Uh, I really have a hard time
watching myself on camera.
Yeah, well, believe
me, you're smokin'.
Whatever you remember
about me, Katrina,
remember that...
I never stopped lov-loving...
Malcolm, I... I never
got to tell you...
I'm not just your
lover, I'm your...
Oh, God, he's dead.
Good-bye, Malcolm.
I'm gonna miss you.
Out, out brief candle.
Life's but a walking shadow,
a poor player who struts and
frets his hour upon a stage.
Karen. Mr. Redding.
Oh, uh, please, call me Joel.
Um, I really need your help.
Sure. What's the problem?
Well, it's this line here.
"Sweet, good night."
"This bud of love, by
summer's ripening breath."
I just don't feel it.
By summer's ripening breath,
may prove a beauteous
flower when next we meet.
Good night. Good night.
As sweet repose and rest
come to thy heart as
that within my breast.
Here.
Why don't we
take it line by line?
So where's Dad?
He called. He's going
straight to the theatre.
Why didn't you tell me?
Honey, how was school today?
It was okay.
Listen, I got rehearsal.
Wait a minute. Not so fast.
What?
Well, somebody from
the high school called.
Do you have anything to tell me?
Okay. So I skipped a class.
Three. Honey, what's going on?
Listen, this is no
big deal, okay?
You know, I know all that stuff.
Where were you?
I was working on my lines.
Instead of going to school?
Listen, I don't like school.
I like acting, you know,
and I want to help out Dad.
I'm sorry. School comes first.
Well, not to me it doesn't.
Listen, I am still your parent.
Well, so is Dad.
Don't even start with that.
You know, just because
your dad is around more now
doesn't mean that my opinion
doesn't count anymore.
You know, why don't
you get off my back?
You know, I had a life
until we moved to this place.
Marshall, I'm on your side.
Oh, no, you're not.
You made dad give up
everything and move here
to this pathetic town.
You don't understand.
No, I do understand.
Listen, I'm miserable,
and Dad is miserable.
And don't tell me you
had nothing to do with it.
See, this is why it's
good for us to work alone.
Art takes concentration.
Now, do you notice
anything about these lines
when Romeo and
Juliet first meet?
No, okay. It's a
sonnet, 14 lines.
Romeo's first touch
should be electric.
Here.
Let me show you.
Look at him. I can't
believe he's doing this.
Well, honey, he thinks
his best days are over.
And he's trying desperately
to hold on to somebody
or something
that still makes
him feel like a man
or a star.
Well, which one of
us is gonna stop him?
Neither one of us.
God made us angels, not police.
Now we can hope and pray
that he makes the right decision,
but the choice is his.
Sin from my lips?
Oh, trespass sweetly urge.
Give me my sin again.
Marshall.
Marshall.
Marshall!
Hi, rehearsal over?
Yeah.
What's the matter?
Marshall.
I'm going down to bed.
What's going on?
Joel?
Uh, just a long rehearsal.
Um, I think I'll make
myself a sandwich
and then, uh, maybe
get to that picture.
Morning, Mom.
Where's Dad?
He's already gone.
Uh, Marshall, have
you seen the ladder?
Uh, yeah, it's at the theatre.
Oh, graveyard of
every tool in this garage.
Blueberry pancakes?
Yeah, sure.
Listen, Mom. Hmm?
Everything's gonna be okay.
What's gonna be okay?
Um, well, you know, school's
getting better and everything.
And you know, the
show's gonna be over soon,
so we can be a family,
you know, like you wanted.
Who are you,
and what have you
done with my son?
I am weary.
Give me leave a while.
Fie, how my bones ache.
What a jaunt have I had.
I would thou hadst my
bones and I thy news.
Wait a minute. Stop.
I've had this long, fat jaunt.
I got to sit down.
Good idea.
Hey, got a minute?
Yeah. Take five.
Great.
What's up with this invoice?
14 Elizabethan costumes?
Yeah. What do you mean?
Elizabethan. I thought we
were doing Shakespeare.
And whatever it is we're doing,
we only got 65
bucks to do it with.
That's our entire budget? I
couldn't buy a ruff for $65.
Who wants to buy a ruff?
What is a ruff?
Uh... a ruff is what
an actor wears
that forces him to
stand in a certain way,
Shakespearean way.
He has to adopt a formality
which is matched by
the formal language
that Shakespeare
gave his courtiers.
You know, my dog
wore one of these once
so he wouldn't
bite his stitches out.
Let's talk.
I got a little money from
the wiener concession.
So, maybe if I could come
up with, uh, some dough
for your Shakesabethan finery,
maybe you could find something
a little Thespic for me, maybe.
Hmm?
Um, yeah. Sure.
Marshall, what you saw was...
I didn't see anything!
Marshall, come on.
You're not concentrating.
Excuse me.
Here, Marshall, let me
show you something.
May I? Sure.
Thanks.
Okay, let's go.
En garde.
You're holding back.
Don't hold back.
All right, from the sixth parry.
En garde.
Come on, man, if you
want 'em to believe it,
you gotta commit to it.
Let's go, from the top.
You should talk
about commitment.
En garde.
Marshall, stop it.
Marshall, please.
Marshall.
Marshall.
Marshall, that's enough
rehearsal for today.
Hey.
Hey.
I guess you got more
of those fencing lessons
than either of us thought.
Whatever the
problem was out there,
dueling is not the way
that people work
things out these days.
Why don't you
try to talk to him?
Because I've got
nothing to say to him.
Oh, I don't know.
You can start with the truth.
It's always a good technique.
Now, it might not be pretty,
but you got a pressure
cooker that's building up in you,
and the truth...
The truth is kind of like
a safety valve, you know?
You just let it out
even and... and slow,
and just maybe you
won't blow up all at once.
And one other thing...
I'd pack away the swords first.
I'll see you out there.
Okay, everybody, that's
it. Go home. Take a rest.
And remember, I want all
lines memorized by tomorrow.
Good work. Good
night, get outta here.
Hey, you wanna
grab something to eat?
See you later.
Do you need a ride home?
No, I'm fine. Thanks.
Uh, Marshall, you
want a ride home?
I'd rather walk.
I'll see you at home.
Mom, I'm home.
Dad will be a little late.
Mom. Mom.
Mom. Mom!
Mom!
Mom.
I need some help.
I need some help.
Somebody help me!
Mom.
Dad.
Where are you?
Dr. Archibald to the solarium.
Dr. Archibald to
the solarium, please.
Marshall, what happened?
I don't know.
I mean, I got home and
she was just lying there,
bleeding.
Have you seen my dad?
I'm sorry.
How is your mother doing, baby?
I don't know.
I mean, they keep
coming and going,
but they don't tell me anything.
Well, we will just
see about that.
Are you okay?
Where's my dad?
Don't worry. I can guess.
Mr. Nurse, there's a
young man down there
waiting outside of
his mother's room
where she's been in
there for several hours.
And nobody has had enough
compassion to let him know...
Ma'am, I don't have anything...
Hush. Hush. Now,
you get me a doctor,
get me some facts, or I
will go into that room myself
and nobody, and I mean nobody,
is gonna stand in my way.
Do you understand me?
Where would you
like me to get a doc...
Just hush up!
Just do it, and do it now.
Marshall.
Marshall, this is Dr. Schulman.
Hi.
Your mother has suffered
a blow to the head,
which has caused
a severe hematoma.
Tell him what that means.
It's a bruise inside that's
caused her brain to swell.
Now, that leaves us with
some very difficult decisions.
Surgery, right?
Marshall, the type
and the location
of your mother's hematoma makes
this a very dangerous operation.
I'd be lying to you if I told you
there wasn't some risk here.
What risk?
If we operate, she may
live but lose her sight.
And if she doesn't
have the operation?
It is possible that the swelling
could go down by itself,
or it may get worse.
And when that happens,
it will be too late to
operate and she will die.
Look, I need your father
to sign a consent
form for the surgery.
I left a message at home.
If he went back,
he'd be here by now.
Well, in the absence
of an adult relative,
I have the power
to use my discretion.
Look, Marshall, you're her
son. What would she want?
Mom's a fighter.
Go ahead.
Do the surgery.
Doctor.
If somebody had
found her sooner,
would it had made a difference?
Look, don't beat
yourself up over this.
This is not your fault.
She made me blueberry
pancakes this morning.
Ah, nurse. May I help you?
Yes. My name is Joel Redding.
My wife was brought
in here earlier today.
Can you tell me...
Thanks for dropping by.
What happened?
Since when do you care?
Marshall, calm down and
tell me what's going on here.
I don't want to talk to you.
Marshall, what
happened to your mother?
Tell me, please.
Look, cut the act, Dad.
Because you don't care about
her and you don't care about me.
All you care about
is your bimbo.
Marshall, let me explain.
I was with Karen, but
we were rehearsing.
Rehearsing what, huh?
Don't lie to me! Don't!
Marshall, stop it.
Marshall, that's enough!
And Mom is gonna hate you, too.
If she lives.
Come on, Marshall,
pick up the phone.
Here's some ice.
Thanks. Marshall, you there?
Marshall, I'm just trying
to find out if you're okay.
Maybe he's still
in the hospital.
I'd better look for him.
Maybe I'd better go with you.
Marshall's been under
a lot of strain lately.
I think he's starting
to crack, Mm-hmm.
Between moving and rehearsals
and now this terrible
thing with his mother.
Mm, well, let's just step
right in here a moment
and see what we can find.
What is this?
A chapel. Some
people think of it
as a place for
reflection and meditation.
Well, doesn't look
like he's in here.
Well, I think you
ought to sit down.
What for?
To reflect and
meditate. Sit on down.
I beg your pardon.
Well, we'll get to
that pardon part later.
But right now I want
you to stop trying
to explain away
your son's behaviour.
I think he's handling this thing
pretty well, don't you?
Handling what thing?
Your affair.
How did you know?
Well, you don't
have to be an angel
to see what's going
on around here.
But that's what I am,
an angel sent by God.
Now, now, don't be afraid.
But I have to tell you,
God is not pleased with
what's going on around here.
All the world is
not a stage, Joel.
And the men and women
are not merely players.
Who you are and what
you do matters to God.
Now, how charming you are
and how many
autographs you've signed
and how many of
those little gold statues
you got sitting on
your cocktail table
will not impress the
creator of the universe.
Now, you can play all
the roles you wanna play
and it won't matter a bit,
because you're
not playing the role
that God created
especially for you.
Joel, just Joel.
And the real Joel
has no business fooling around.
I'm sorry.
Don't tell me.
Tell Him. Tell God,
and then tell your family.
They're the ones you're hurting.
I never meant to hurt anyone.
I wasn't looking
for... someone else.
I just needed to feel
better about myself.
Well, did it work?
I didn't think so.
And another thing,
what do you care about
being loved as a TV star,
when you're already
loved as a father,
a husband and a child of God?
Help me.
Don't ask me.
Ask Him.
God is your helper,
and He loves you,
and He is listening.
I've, uh, really messed up here,
but I guess you know that.
I don't deserve it, but...
I could use a little help here.
Please.
Help.
Oh, here they are now.
Mr. Redding, I think
we're out of the woods.
She's in post-op now.
Is Monica here?
Yes. Telephone.
Oh. Would you excuse me?
Anyway, it went very, very well.
Thank you. Hello.
Marshall?
I think we're looking
at a rapid recovery.
Oh, thank God. Yes, indeed.
Um, can I see her?
Well, she's not awake,
but I think you can look in.
It went quite
well, they tell me.
Sometimes I'm just an observer.
I, um, I just spoke to Marshall.
Marshall.
Mom's okay. She's
okay! She's gonna be fine.
Well, no thanks
to you and Karen.
What happened with
Karen was a mistake,
and it's over.
You gotta believe me, son.
Find yourself another son.
Because as far as I'm concerned,
you're not my father.
Marshall, I'm asking
for your forgiveness.
Forget about it.
You ever hear of the expression
to err is human,
to forgive divine?
Look, man, don't
quote me that crap,
you know, all your
speeches and your lines.
Well, listen, don't
even talk to me
until you want to
tell me the truth.
You know why we left New York?
Yeah, because mum finally
got you to leave the city.
No. I was fired.
What?
I didn't quit the soap.
They fired me
because I was too old.
Just like 11 years ago
they fired somebody else
and gave me his job.
We're here because it's
the only job I could get.
I didn't have the guts
to tell you the truth.
Why?
Because you were my biggest fan,
and I didn't want
to disappoint you.
Ironic, huh?
I'm sorry I hurt you.
I'm sorry I hurt your mother.
But I felt like such a
loser coming here, I...
I just needed to be
wanted by somebody.
I forgot I already was.
Your mother didn't
make us leave.
All she ever
wanted was a family.
As do I.
What I did was wrong,
and I'll never do it again.
Well, I still can't forgive you.
The quality of mercy
is not strained...
It droppeth as the
gentle rain from heaven
upon the place beneath.
It is twice blessed...
It blesseth him that gives
and him that takes.
You're like some
kind of an angel.
Before Shakespeare
wrote it, God was it.
Mercy is his gift.
And you shine
with His divine light
every time you are merciful
or show someone forgiveness.
I should know, Marshall,
because I am an
angel sent by God.
And He wants you to understand
that you cannot
judge your father.
But you can forgive him.
I hate him.
God doesn't hate him.
He knows that Joel is a man
and that men make mistakes.
But you've never seen your
father as a man, have you?
Only as a hero to be worshipped.
No one should be worshipped
on this earth, Marshall.
You may want to
hate your father,
but god wants you to love him.
And it is time now
for you to do that.
Bravo! Bravo!
That was a slam-dunk!
How did you do
that with the lights?
Thank you.
Thank you all for coming to
our little fund-raiser this evening.
You've given this old
theatre a new lease on life.
And it makes me happy
to know that you
are all so willing
to show this old
building a little mercy.
'Cause you know,
the quality of mercy
is not strained!
It droppeth as the gentle
rain from the heaven
upon the place beneath.
And gentlemen in England
will think themselves accursed
that they were not here.
And hold their manhoods
cheap whiles any speaks
that fought with us
upon St. Crispin's Day!
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Good job, honey.
Slam-dunk!
Nothing but net.
You know, it doesn't
seem the same
without a little towel
slappin', does it?
So, where do angels go?
We move on.
And so will your family.
Great show.
You guys were really terrific.
Excuse me.
Can I have an autograph?
Oh, um... I don't give
autographs anymore.
Really? Since when?
Well, since I only want one fan.
You.
You guys ready to go?
Yeah.
Look now, you see?
Like I've always said,
all's well that ends well.
Look, Tess!
Our names are in the program!
There's nothing worse
than a star-struck angel,
except two star-struck angels.
♫♫