(BIRDS CHIRPING)
(THOMAS MUMBLING)
I don't know why you asked me.
(VOICE QUAVERING): I am not pure of heart.
But I'll do your bidding, oh, Lord, oh, God.
I want to do my best for the people,
for the children of this nation.
I want them to know what they do is wrong.
DOMINICK: On the afternoon of October 1st, 1990,
my twin brother, Thomas, entered the Three Rivers Connecticut Public Library
and prayed to God the sacrifice
he was about to commit would be deemed acceptable.
- THOMAS: "forgive us our trespasses..." - LIBRARIAN: Sir, sir!
I'm gonna have to ask you to be quiet. This is a public library.
- "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil." - I want you to be quiet now,
or you will have to leave the library.
"And if your right eye offend thee, cut it out...
- "...and cast it from thee." - I will have to ask you to leave!
"And if thy right hand offend thee,
"cut it out and cast it from thee.
For it is profitable to thee that one of thy members should perish."
(CHILDREN SCREAMING)
DOMINICK: Thomas and I had spent several hours together the day before.
Most Sundays, I pick him up from his job
at the state institution Settle Building,
treat him to lunch, and return him
to the group home where he lived by suppertime.
A line had been drawn in the sand...
What do you want to eat?
What do you want, buddy?
Oil companies... America.
We're living on borrowed time, Dominick.
We're just wallowing in our... in our greed and... and spiritual filth.
And now it's time to pay. We're gonna pay the price.
Hey, I don't mean to change the subject, but how, how's your coffee cart?
- How's the business? - How do we kill people for the sake of cheap oil?
- How do we justify that? - How's your business, Tom?
How are we gonna prevent the vengeance of God?
If we have no respect for human life?
I don't know, buddy. What do you want to eat?
WAITRESS: Have you had time to look at the menu?
You can't worship both God and money, Kristin.
THOMAS: America's gonna vomit up its own blood.
Uh, can I get a... I'll get a cheeseburger.
No fries, salad on the side. What do you want?
- I want hot dogs. Hot dogs. - Hot dog.
You got it.
- DOMINICK: Thanks. - WAITRESS: Sure.
Thank you.
Thank you for being a good brother to me.
(CLEARS THROAT)
- (SCREAMING CONTINUES) - "It is profitable to thee
"that one of thy members should perish
and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell!"
(SCREAMING CONTINUES)
- (THOMAS MOANING) - (KNIFE SLICING)
(PANICKED SHOUTING)
(WHIMPERING)
- OFFICER: Are you Dominick? - DOMINICK: Uh, yeah, I am.
DOCTOR: He emphatically refuses any attempt to re-attach the hand.
Quite frankly, I'm amazed at his determination.
The severity of the pain should have aborted his mission halfway.
God.
God. What'd you do?
It was a sacrifice.
DOCTOR: Sign this, please.
- DOMINICK: Wait, what's this? - DOCTOR: It's a consent form.
THOMAS: No.
DOCTOR: We're gonna try to re-attach the hand with your permission.
No, Dominick, no, no.
Then I'll just tear it off again. It's a sacrifice,
and I know what I'm doing
and I'm doing it on my own choice.
You're gonna lose your hand.
DOCTOR: We can restrain him for several days
but we need to give the nerves a chance to regenerate.
THOMAS: You're not a savior. You don't know what a savior is.
You don't know what sacrifice is.
Dominick, it is a religious act.
It is an act of my own accord.
- DOCTOR: Would you sign the form, please? - And I need you
to stand up for me for once.
- I need you to. - DOCTOR: Sign the form, please, sir.
- Okay, I need a minute. - THOMAS: Dominick, I need you to defend me.
I had to do it! No, let me go.
- No! Stand up for me. - (INDISTINCT SHOUTING)
Dominick! Please, defend me.
I'm lucid! No, no, it's my life.
Stop! I know what I'm doing! Dominick, defend me!
Help! Help!
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Dominick, Dominick. Dominick!
(CONTINUES SHOUTING): Oh, no! Dominick...
- Wait. No, no, no. - NURSE: Your brother...
- DOCTOR: No? No?! - No.
- DOMINICK: No, are you listenin' to him? - Thank you.
- DOCTOR: I hear him, you... - It's his hand, it's his decision.
- DOMINICK: No. - Thank you.
- DOMINICK: God damn it, no. - DOCTOR: Fine.
THOMAS: Thank you, Dom.
If Mom was here, she'd thank you.
(MACHINE BEEPING)
(DOOR CLOSES)
(QUIET CHATTER)
(MELANCHOLY MUSIC PLAYING)
DOMINICK: We made the front page of the paper
on the day we were born.
Born on December 31st, 1949,
and January 1st, 1950, respectively.
Six minutes apart and in two different years.
Our births would have been discreetly ignored by the newspaper
had we not been the New Year's babies.
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
At our house at 68 Hollyhock Avenue,
you tiptoed and whispered during the day
and became free each evening at 7:30
when our stepfather, Ray, would leave for work.
- RAY: Thomas, elbows off the table. - Ow. Ow!
- Ray... - Mind your business, Susie Q.
Don't pamper this boy, huh?
He's fine.
MA: Just eat your supper, sweetie.
Ray: I don't wanna see any tears.
Suck it up.
RAY: Eat your dinner.
YOUNG DOMINICK: I hate him, Ma.
MA: No, you don't hate him, Dominick.
Kids don't hate their fathers.
He's not my father.
Well, Dominick, he... he is.
He is your father.
And he cares about you and your brother.
He puts food on our table.
Is my real father alive? Did he croak or something?
- Shh, shh, shh, shh. - Just tell me.
(SHUSHING)
- Who is he, Mom? - You get some sleep, huh?
Don't be a monkey.
- Fine! - What are you doing?
Come on, lie down.
What? You gotta go to the bathroom?
- No. - What are you doing?
- I'm going outside. - Dominick!
(EXHALES)
♪ ♪
DOMINICK: All my life, I had imagined a scenario
in which my father would, at last,
reveal himself to me.
MA: You get 10 more minutes.
Then I want you to come in, okay?
DOMINICK: I cooked up cowboy dads, pilot fathers
who made emergency landings on Hollyhock Avenue.
Hopped from their planes and rescued us from Ray...
(PLANE ENGINE BUZZING)
the intruder who married my mother
and installed himself in our home.
But whoever he was, my mom just kept it a secret.
Just lived with it.
Buried it.
Buried it inside her for her whole life.
And so we all did.
And then, in August of 1986,
three years before Thomas walked into that library,
Ma fingered a lump in her left breast.
Her breast was removed.
A week later, she was told that the cancer had metastasized.
(SHUDDERING)
DOMINICK: With luck and aggressive treatment,
the oncologist told her,
she could probably live another six to nine months.
What the hell do you mean, six to nine more months?
DOMINICK: My stepfather, my brother and I
struggled independently with our feelings
about Ma's illness and pain.
Her death sentence.
Each of us fumbled in our own way to make things up to her.
Thomas spent hours assembling and gluing
and shellacking something he called
a "hodgepodge collage."
My stepfather decided he would fix her broken scrapbook.
My own project for my mother was the most ambitious.
I would remodel her 1950's-era kitchen.
I conceived the idea to show her that I loved her best of all...
Hey, Ma.
Or that I alone understood the family curse.
Doing the kitchen for ya.
That had given her, first, a volatile husband,
and then a schizophrenic son,
and then handed her the big C.
DOMINICK: Whoa!
Ma, there's writing on the wall. It looks like it's Grandpa's.
MA: Yeah, it's Papa's.
DOMINICK: Ma? What's the matter?
Nothing, nothing. Just do whatever you're doin'.
What? You don't want a new kitchen?
Just, everything goin' on right now,
it's a little much, you know?
Alright.
Dominick, you wanna give me somethin',
just give me somethin' small.
(MUTTERING)
MA: Don't be bitter, baby.
Come here.
I wanna show you somethin'.
Just waitin' for the right time to give it to ya.
(MUTTERS)
- What do you got? - It's for you.
- Ma. - Go on.
Whoa.
(CHUCKLES)
Ma, you got the key taped to the box.
So you don't lose it.
Aw! So sweet.
This is...
(BOX LID CREAKS)
DOMINICK: Ma, what is it?
Christ, it's Italian.
It's my father's story. His life story.
Whoa.
Have you, have you read this?
I've forgotten as much Italian as I ever knew.
I mean, I see his name right there.
What-what does the rest of it say?
MA: Oh, it says, "The History"
"of Domenico Onofrio Tempesta,
a Great Man From Humble Beginnings."
Well, he certainly had a good idea about himself, didn't he?
- Yeah, well... - Wow, Ma.
- I wish I could have met him. - Hm.
Did he ever meet our father?
I don't feel so good. I... I think I should...
Ma, why can't we talk about this?
- Will you help me upstairs? - After all this...
- after everything... - Help me upstairs, sweetheart. Please.
(EXHALES)
There you go, Ma.
There you are, Ma. Get some rest.
(QUIETLY): I love you, Ma.
(ITALIAN ACCORDION PLAYING)
(WOMAN SINGING IN ITALIAN)
(SINGING CONTINUES)
(KNOCKING)
(KEYS CLICKING)
WOMAN: Yeah, come in.
Hi, Nedra Frank?
- Yeah, I'm, I'm Nedra. - Yeah.
Uh, yeah, I called you. Dominick Birdsey.
I called about my, uh, my grandfather's manuscript.
I need a translation.
It was... my grandfather's.
Oh, wow, I haven't seen this paper in so long.
Yeah, oh, okay, looks like standard Italian
and, oh, mixed in with some peasant Sicilian.
I mean, are you wanting an estimate?
I, I would say, eight dollars a page.
And then more where explanatory footnotes are necessary.
And they will be necessary.
How much is that gonna be?
I don't know, five dollars. It could be eight dollars.
It depends on how much text I have to generate,
'cause, well, I'm... I'm a scholar.
So what you're essentially asking me to do,
it's like going to a serious artist
and saying, hey, can you paint me something to match my drapes?
- DOMINICK: Oh. - (CHUCKLES) You know.
So how, how long you think it's gonna take?
A month.
I mean, or two months, I mean,
depending on my oppressive schedule.
I would need $400 up front.
NEDRA: Oh!
Do you have a pen?
Um... Oh.
Oh, thank you so much, Morgan.
(SIGHS)
I thought you were gonna hustle me
with your good looks and just
try to take me...
for a loop or... (CHUCKLES)
(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)
Ma (VOICE BREAKING): Is Thomas here?
Is he coming here?
No, Ma, he's not doing so well today.
MA: I want to go home.
Ma, it's, it's better here.
They can take care of you here, Ma.
NURSE: Okay.
DOMINICK: Hey, Nedra, it's Dominick Birdsey.
Uh, yeah, I don't mean to bug you
but it's, uh, it's been a few weeks already.
- Yeah, yeah. - (NEDRA ON PHONE, INDISTINCT)
NEDRA: I'm doing 500 things at once. What's up with you?
Right. Well, listen, I, I know you're busy and all,
but my mom's pretty sick and I really wanted her to have that, um,
manuscript before...
I'm working on it right now as a matter of fact.
I'm kind of having some fun with it.
I decided to leave in some of the Italian words
and phrases just to give you a sense of the music.
- DOMINICK: Music? - Mm-hmm, oh, God, yes.
Italian is such a musical language.
Well, whatever. It's really just the, the English
that I'm, I'm, uh, most interested in right now.
You know?
NEDRA: (CHUCKLES) all part of it.
Heh. Right.
Hey, so, uh...
what's he like?
NEDRA: "What's he like?"
Yeah, I mean, you know, you've been,
you've been working on it for a while now.
You probably got to know him a little bit.
What's, do you... do you get a sense of the guy? What's he like?
Well, a translator's position is always to remain objective,
but, uh, you know, an emotional reaction
would clearly inhibit the, uh... ability to really...
Okay, well, can you just, just this one time
you know, allow yourself an emotional reaction for my sake, please?
I can't stand him.
He's a, he's a, a, a... a fucking chauvinist pig, okay?
And he's a narcissist.
Uh, I don't even know why he would wanna
write this for anybody to read!
Uh, the relationship to his daughter,
is, I, it's...
(STAMMERING) I don't know.
Is what?
If I had kids, I would not let this man near my children.
Okay? (CHUCKLES)
Hello?
- Okay, Nedra. Thanks, thanks. - NEDRA: Okay.
- You can call me though anytime. - Yeah.
(HANGS UP PHONE)
DOMINICK: Let's go, let's go, we're gonna say hi to Mom
and then... fuck...
Oh, here she is. Come on.
What? What's the matter?
We're gonna go see Ma now. You don't want to see Ma?
She wants to see you.
Thomas, just come on.
You said we're... We could go to McDonald's.
DOMINICK: All right, I'm, I'm gonna leave you here.
(SCOFFS)
MA: Oh, hey.
DOMINICK: What's wrong with you?
Seriously, that-that was, that was like the most
selfish display I've ever seen outta you, man.
All she wanted was for you to come and sit by her.
Are we still going to McDonald's?
No! Don't you get it, you asshole?
Do you even fucking come up for air long enough
to realize your own mother's dying?
- (GRUNTING) - Goddammit! Fucking...
(THOMAS WAILING)
Get up here now. Get up here now!
You're not gonna pull that in the fuckin' car!
(GRUNTING)
(TIRES SCREECHING)
Come here.
Hey, what are you... What are you doing?
(TIRES SCREECHING)
- Thomas, hey. - (HORNS HONKING)
No!
(HORNS BLARING)
Thomas!
Thomas, Thomas.
Thomas!
Thomas.
Tom...
Man, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about that.
Come on, you scared the shit out of me, come on, man.
THOMAS: I'm sorry.
- Take me... take me to McDonald's. - Come on.
Just give me your hand.
♪ ♪
Thomas: I'm sorry, I-I lost my temper.
I'm really... I'm sorry.
♪ ♪
(TELEVISION, INDISTINCT)
All right, Leo. I'm here, I'm watching.
How do you know this is on? Is this on "TV Guide," man?
I think this might be it. This might be it, this might be it.
ANNOUNCER ON TV: Crab legs.
Has it been a while since you've had some?
Let Landlubbers show you how.
- (LAUGHING) - Yep, that's the spot.
- LEO: Why are you laughing? - Get right in there.
DOMINICK: It's strange to see you on TV, man.
Well, that's, they aged me up to look like a dad.
- DOMINICK: Yeah. - Like, like a suburban... it's acting.
DOMINICK: (LAUGHING) Leo.
ANNOUNCER: Then we've got the place for you.
Landlubbers... Serving 'em every night.
DOMINICK: (LAUGHING) Awesome.
LEO: No, what are you laughing about?
DOMINICK: It's stunning, man!
It was amazing!
Do you really think... do you really think it was good?
Yeah, it's, I mean, yeah, it's real acting.
It's like Brando meets De Niro meets, like, Barney Fife.
It's not like it's supposed to be fuckin' Shakespeare, man.
It's a commercial.
Well, that's the understatement of the year, brother.
- (DOORBELL RINGS) - No, seriously, man.
Hold on a second. Seriously.
No, no, no, no, Bruce Willis was discovered bartending.
Hold on a second.
LEO: That doesn't happen to real people.
- Hey, hello. - Hi.
Uh, what's...
Leo, I got somebody here. I gotta go.
- LEO: I gotta tell you... - (CHUCKLES)
- I'm happy for you. - Uh, wait, one sec...
Wait, I got one more question.
What's her body like?
Good-bye.
Hey, is it, is it done?
What? Oh, no, this is my doctoral thesis.
My apartment, my living space, got broken into.
So now I've got to lug this around wherever I go.
But your, uh, manuscript, I'm working on every day.
How did you know where I live?
What, is it some big, dark secret?
No, it's just...
- Can I come in? - Oh, uh, yeah, sure.
Okay, I thought you'd never ask.
It was on your check. It's written right there on the front.
- Sit down. - I saw your street
and I was like, oh, my God, it's Hillyndale.
I guess I remembered it. I was like, what, are they
trying to be quaint with that name,
or faux British?
Um, and I was wanting to talk to you
since our last conversation.
What you had said, you were saying that, um,
you, you, you made a good point.
That I was being not emotional or really taking in
what I was reading, and that stuck with me.
So I'm like, I should...
I was concerned that you're giving it to your mother as a gift.
And has she ever seen anything that's inside of it?
Uh, no.
So I think
that you should not give it to your mother
until you've read it yourself, you know?
- Yeah, I got that. - Yeah.
So is it, is it almost done?
Well, yes, it's almost done. I'm just...
- Almost done? - Yes.
- Can you do me a favor? - Yeah.
Can you just not pressure me?
- Yeah. - I just, I don't,
I don't do well with pressure and I'm, I'm doing it.
Do you have anything I could drink, actually?
Uh, yeah. I have beer and, uh, water.
I would love a beer. Please get me a beer!
(LAUGHS)
So this is the place.
Wow. It's...
So what do you do, Dominick?
I paint houses.
Oh! (LAUGHS) A house painter.
Oh! That's perfect.
(CHUCKLES)
You have to be strong for that, I'm sure.
Yeah.
(EXHALES)
Solzhenitsyn?
(CHUCKLES) - You thought a dumb fuck like me would be reading what?
Mickey Spillane? Hustler?
Oh, I just... that's impressive.
(CHUCKLES) I guess there's more to you than
meets the eye.
(EXHALES) I've had such a week.
I needed this.
Are you gonna feed me too or are you just gonna
ply me with alcohol and then kick me out?
I have, I mean, unless you like.
Raisin Bran or chicken broth, I really,
I really don't have much here.
Or we could order pizza.
Society's gone so D-grade.
I feel like people can't compute.
So they bring us fucking pepperoni when I said cheese.
Who's that?
Mm, that's my wife.
Wait, oh, you have a wife?
Mm, my ex-wife, I meant. That's-that's Dessa.
Oh, Dessa. What does, what does Dessa do?
Huh? She works at a pottery studio
with her... her new boyfriend.
That is fascinating.
Well, my ex-husband,
his name is Todd.
It was kind of like being married to the Marquis de Sade,
except he was all pain, no pleasure.
Ah, the Marquis de Todd.
(CHUCKLES) Did you just think of this?
(LAUGHS) That's so funny.
Or!
Todd de Sade.
Hey, so, uh...
I could give you a ride back in this, in this storm, uh, you know?
I have a four-wheel drive.
- Oh. - And you've had a few, few to drink tonight.
Do you hear what you're saying?
I mean, it's like a storybook line.
"I'll run you home in my truck."
Is it tall? Is it big? Is it wide?
It's... it's a 150.
Do you, ooh, look out. Oh, no.
(LAUGHS) I have a better idea.
How about we listen to some music?
No, don't help me, I know how to work the electronics.
(EXHALES)
(GROOVY MUSIC PLAYS ON RADIO)
(MUSIC STOPS)
("EVERYTHING SHE WANTS" BY WHAM! PLAYS ON RADIO)
Oh, I love this song!
♪ Oh, yeah ♪
DOMINICK: Wow.
I would have pegged you for a classical music type.
♪ Somebody told me ♪
(NEDRA GRUNTS) ♪ Everything she wants ♪
♪ Is everything she sees ♪
Come on!
♪ I guess I must have loved you ♪
Dance with me.
♪ Because I said you were the perfect girl for me ♪
♪ Baby, and now we're six months older ♪
Come on, Dominick, dance.
You gonna make me dance all alone?
♪ ...everything you see ♪
♪ Is out of reach ♪
♪ Not good enough ♪
NEDRA: (SINGS ALONG): ♪ I don't know what ♪
♪ The hell you want from me... ♪
♪ Uh huh huh ♪
♪ Do, do, do, la, la, la, la ♪
♪ Uh huh, uh huh ♪
♪ Do, do, do, la, la, la, la ♪
♪ Somebody tell me ♪
♪ Won't you tell me ♪
Does that feel good?
♪ Why I work so hard for you ♪
(DOMINICK CHUCKLES)
Oh, my. What's happening?
What? Oh, oh, what'd I do?
Are you okay? What?
(EXHALES)
(LAUGHING) What?
- What's...? - No.
I'm just really nervous, and, uh...
Oh, my God. Don't be nervous.
Are you laughing?
- I'm not, it's just... - What?
It's been a, you know I'm having a hard time getting over...
♪ ...that you've got some giving to do ♪
♪ And now you tell me that you're having my baby ♪
♪ I'll tell you that I'm happy if you want me to ♪ (DOOR CLOSES)
(NEDRA CRIES) ♪ One step further, my back will break ♪
Nedra? Are you all right?
Hey.
- (YELLING INCOHERENTLY) - Are you... are you stuck?
- You locked me in! - I didn't lock you in.
(NEDRA SHOUTING)
- Sometimes it... - Are you trying to humiliate me,
you fuckin' Neanderthal!
I was really nervous. I just broke up with my wife.
Oh, shut up. Why don't I call your wife?
So that we can commiserate about your sexual harassment.
- Hey! Now wait a minute. - And all your fucking...
That wasn't sexual harassment. You-you came onto me, all right?
You got me to fucking dance in your living room!
- I never meant to go like that. - I didn't make you dance.
All I was...
I asked to take you home, all right?
All I wanted to do was get an overpriced translation.
- And all of this was your idea, lady. - It wasn't overpriced.
You know I don't fucking show my real self to anyone.
I have to keep it together for the whole fucking system
of men like you, you piece of shit!
Hey, hey, come on. Nedra, hey, hey.
No wonder you're so fucked up!
Spending time with your grandfather
is like being trapped with Mussolini.
Let me call you a cab, then. You're wasted!
Let me just give you a ride.
Let me say it in Italian. Fangul, fangul!
You're out of your mind.
Wait there, I'll get a cab. I'll get you a cab.
- NEDRA: You fucking shut up. - I don't care.
- You shouldn't be... - and shut your asshole.
- (ENGINE STARTS) - (MUSIC CONTINUES ON RADIO)
Turn on your lights.
Turn on your lights!
(BELLS RINGING)
(KNOCKING)
MAN: Come in.
Hey. How you doing?
Hey.
Hey, uh...
What happened to Nedra Frank?
She's withdrawn from the degree program.
- Personal reasons. - Right.
Yeah.
NURSE: I'm so sorry to tell you, but she's not doing well.
If you'd like to go in and say any last words to her,
now could be a good time to do that.
MA: Thomas?
- DOMINICK: It's Dominick. - MA: Oh.
Thomas sends his love.
- Is he doing okay? - Yeah, he's doing great.
He's just having a little bit of a tough day today.
- MA: Has he got a cold? - You know how he gets sometimes.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Dominick.
For what? Don't be sorry for Thomas, Ma.
You're a great mom.
You've been great.
- MA: What's that, huh? - Nothing.
What's that?
- MA: Everything good? - Yeah.
It's great. Doing great.
You're my strength. You're my strength.
Yeah, Ma, you're the strong one.
- MA: No. - Yeah, you've always been so strong.
From the day you was born, you're my strength.
You take care of Thomas.
You take care of your brother, huh?
You take care of him.
You... (MOANS)
Promise me.
Promise me, Dominick.
I promise. I swear to God.
I promise, Ma.
Oh, sweet baby.
- MA: What's all that about? - I'll take care of him, Ma.
I'll take care of him.
(QUIETLY): Take care of him.
♪ ♪
DOMINICK: Hey, buddy.
How you doing?
I got some bad news, Thomas.
Mom passed away yesterday.
Can I get my collage back?
Of course you can. Of course.
I'm sorry, Thomas.
It's not your fault, Dominick.
It was God.
(ANGELIC CHOIR SINGING)
She took the manuscript. It's my property.
- I gave it to you. - No, no, no, no.
- I gave it to you to have it... Listen. - The agreement you made...
- Sir, what's between you and Miss Frank... - She works here!
- She works here. - Had nothing whatsoever to do with the university.
- Lady, she works here at the university. - Yes.
I gave it to her while she was working here.
Put me, put me in contact with her.
That's all I'm asking.
Under no circumstances can I give you her home address.
Then you know what? Can I... can I talk to your-your supervisor?
- Hello? - That would be me, sir.
- Oh, you're the supervisor.
Yeah, great.
- You need to leave. - Oh, I do?
(WOMAN SCREAMS)
♪
(SOBBING)
DOMINICK: In the three years since my mother's death,
Thomas retreated further and further into his illness.
And then came the day when he walked into the Three Rivers Library
and carried out his sacrifice.
I was left to deliver the news to my stepfather
when he returned from his fishing trip.
What?
RAY: You know what the trouble always was with that kid,
it was all that mamby-pamby stuff
she used to say to him all the time.
With you, it was different. You could handle yourself.
I remember the two of you out on that Little League ballfield.
Watching you two guys out there, it was like night and day.
If she would have just let me raise him
the way he should have been raised,
instead of running interference all the time,
maybe...
he wouldn't have ended up on the bottom.
The way he did.
Ray, he's a paranoid schizophrenic
because of his biochemistry, and his frontal lobes,
and all that other shit that Dr. Reynolds
went over with us that time. It's not Mom's fault.
I'm not saying it was her fault!
She did the best by both of you and don't you forget it.
(RADIO CHATTER, INDISTINCT)
- Aren't you comin'? - Huh?
He's up in 422. I'll be up there in a minute.
All right.
ANNOUNCER: (ON RADIO) At three minutes past the hour,
this is CBS News.
Hey, Sadie. Hey, buddy.
Remember me?
Hey. How you doing?
Oh, my God.
Yeah...
Oh, my God. What the fuck?
Are you okay? I mean, how...
I mean, you know, not so bad considering.
About as good as you'd expect
especially now that he's become freak of the week.
Yeah, it was on the news again all day yesterday.
They just won't let it rest, will they?
Yeah.
"The Enquirer" called last night.
Guy says he's gonna give us 300 bucks
if we can get him a recent picture of him.
A thousand if we get one without his hand.
He... Joy...
Joy tried to talk me into doing it.
Inquiring minds want to know.
Well, inquiring minds can go fuck themselves.
Wow.
- I know. - I can't believe this old mongrel is still going.
Look at that old lady.
- Man. So... - You wanna say hi?
Hey, wake up, grandma.
Do you remember this guy?
You remember this guy!
How's your sister?
Uh...
She's good. She's busy.
(LAUGHING) Hope Leo's not driving her too crazy.
Yeah, I wouldn't say that.
Leo.
It's funny.
People used to predict that you and I
would be the ones who stuck it out.
That's funny.
DOMINICK: Nice van.
Good Earth Potters, huh?
"Hand-crafted artisan pottery." It's cool.
- It's Dan's. - Yeah, I figured that.
Yeah.
Why are you crying?
(SCOFFS)
You know who I keep thinking about during all this is your mother.
All this just would have destroyed her.
Thanks for comin'.
You didn't have to, you know. You...
- I know. - You're not under obligation.
I wanted to come.
I love your brother so much.
I don't know why you'd think you would do that right now.
(EXHALES)
(SIGHS)
(SNIFFS)
(WHISPERS): I'm sorry.
Sorry.
(CLASSIC COUNTRY GUITAR PLAYING)
- Hey. - Yeah?
I'm sorry.
(ENGINE STARTS)
It's okay.
♪ Precious memories ♪
♪ How, how, how they linger ♪
♪ Yeah, how ♪
♪ Mmm, how they ever ♪
♪ Flood my soul ♪
♪ Oh yeah ♪
♪ Well, it's the end ♪
DOMINICK: Did you go up and see him?
(GUITAR CONTINUES)
Why not?
♪ Whoa, whoa ♪
I don't know, I just changed my mind, that's all.
Come on, let's get out of here.
Look, don't make a federal case out of it.
Did you see Dessa? She was here visiting.
♪ Oh yes ♪
♪ Scenes unfold ♪
- RAY: You want to come in? Grab a sandwich? - DOMINICK: Huh?
No, no thanks.
I got to get back over there before they transfer him tonight.
(CAR DOOR CLOSES)
RAY: Hey, hey, hey.
- Yeah? - Just answer me one thing.
Why didn't you have them at least try to
put his fuckin' hand back on?
Now he's got a physical disability on top of a mental one.
- (ENGINE, MUSIC STOPS) - RAY: Why would...
They were only giving the reattachment a 50/50 chance.
If it didn't work, it would have just sat there dead
sewn to his arm.
And for another thing, for another thing,
Ray, you didn't hear him.
It was the first time in 20 years
he's ever been in charge of somethin'.
So I couldn't.
I mean, okay.
I guess it doesn't make him a hero,
but it was his choice, Ray. It's his hand.
(ENGINE STARTS)
(MUSIC RESUMES)
(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)
Hey.
- What's going on? - OFFICER: Where you goin'?
Aide: Oh, that's his next of kin.
We're transferring him back to the facility.
DOMINICK: Yeah, I know, I've been waitin' all night for you guys.
That's my brother.
Hey, Thomas, Thomas,
they're gonna take you back to Settle, pal.
You all right, buddy?
Thomas, you okay?
(METALLIC CLICKING)
Can I... I just go in there and pack his stuff?
No, you cannot, no, you cannot. I need you to step out.
Hey, hey, what, what are you doin' with the handcuffs?
You can't, you can't let him leave this place with a little dignity?
Hey, it's just procedure. He'll be okay.
- I know. You don't have to do that. - Potentially violent.
He's not violent, all right? He's an anti-war protester.
- He's non-violent. - Hey, look, just relax.
I'm relaxed, I'm relaxed.
Reporter (ON RADIO): President Bush is just now leaving Finland...
AL: If you'd ask me, Bush ought to go show
that crazy Hussein who's boss,
same way Reagan did down in Grenada.
Flex some muscle.
Fuckin' Saddam insane.
Fuckin' lunatic.
THOMAS: Can we please change the subject?
Please?
You all right, buddy?
THOMAS: Could you read to me from my Bible, Dominick?
From the book of Psalms?
DOMINICK: Psalms? Where is that again?
THOMAS: It's in the middle.
It's between the Book of Job and the Book of Proverbs.
Read me the 27th Psalm.
DOMINICK: All right.
"The Lord is my refuge. Of whom should I be afraid?"
(RADIO TURNS OFF)
"When evil-doers come at me to devour my flesh,"
"my foes and my enemies themselves stumble and fall."
"Though war be waged upon me, even then, will I trust."
"Hear, oh, Lord, the sound of my calls.
"Have pity on me and answer me.
"Though my father and mother forsake me,
yet will the Lord receive me."
Dominick, how's Ray?
Ray, he's... Ray's just fine. He's, he's okay.
THOMAS: Is he mad at me?
No, he's, he's not mad at you.
Why doesn't he come visit?
Uh, he's been out of town. He just got back from fishing.
- THOMAS: Today? - Yesterday.
Mighta been the day before yesterday, I don't, you know what?
This week's been so screwed up,
I haven't been able to keep the days straight, buddy.
Screwed up because of me?
No, no, not screwed up because of you.
- THOMAS: You're mad at me. - I'm not mad at you.
He's mad at me.
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, hey, you just passed it.
You gotta turn back. You gotta turn back, man.
AL: No, no, no, he's not goin' to Settle.
- What? - What do you mean, not going to Settle?
He has a coffee cart there. He-he runs the news stand.
AL: I don't know anything about any coffee cart.
We have signed orders here to bring him
to the Hatch Forensics Institute.
Oh, no, not Hatch.
- Dominick, help! - Hatch?
THOMAS: I'm not going! They're gonna kill me.
Dominick, Dominick,
get your brother under control.
Calm down, man. Let me deal with this.
- Dominick! Help me. - This, no, this is... this is a huge mistake.
- AL: No mistake. - I'm telling you.
- Dominick, please. - Turn around and go back to Settle.
I know the night staff there. They'll call his doctor.
- You'll see this is a huge mistake. - AL: No way, no can do.
We have orders to follow. You're both startin' to get on my nerves.
- So just quiet down. - THOMAS: Okay, you make sure the coffee's made.
You make sure that the change box is full.
- Thomas, shut up for a second, will ya? - You make sure that nobody...
Let me deal with this.
(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
THOMAS: I have to pee.
- I have to pee! - AL: Okay, we're almost there.
- DOMINICK: Hey, man, you got brothers? - I got four brothers.
So, you understand, man, come on. Follow your gut.
Five minutes, that's all I'm askin'.
- Come on, man. - What the fuck are you doin'?
You keep your hands to yourself.
That's the last thing you want to fuckin' do
is grab an armed officer like that.
- You understand? - Yes.
THOMAS: I really have to go to the bathroom.
- Is there a bathroom in this building? - AL: Thomas, yes, of course.
Just keep your mouth shut. Let's go.
The games are over. I'm done with the babysitting. Let's go.
AL: Dominick, do yourself a favor.
Don't say anything. Just let 'em process him.
- How are ya? Good. - How you doin'?
I really, I really have to go to the bathroom.
I've had to go the whole time.
- Who's this guy? - I'm his brother.
Listen, this is somebody's, this is some secretary's
screw up or something, all right? He belongs over at Settle.
Mr. Birdsey was visiting the patient when we arrived for the escort.
The patient requested he accompany us.
AL: We just thought it would make him less combative
- so we let him come along. - No, he's not combative.
He's never hurt anybody in his life.
He's about as combative as Bambi, all right?
Listen, one call to his doctor
and this whole thing will get straightened out.
I work the coffee cart at Settle.
They're expecting me there first thing in the morning.
Okay, listen, you can accompany your brother
to the initial part of the admitting process
but you cannot go into the ward. You got that?
You can't go past the security station.
Any calls to the doctor gotta be made in the morning.
- Let's go, come on. - Why can't, why don't we just make the call now?
We don't even have to go in here.
THOMAS: I really have to go to the bathroom now.
Let's go! Open up!
(DOOR BUZZES)
AL: Just a piece of advice.
Do yourself a favor and keep your mouth shut.
Dominick: But he doesn't belong here.
They got him in the wrong place.
He doesn't belong in a maximum security prison.
(DOOR BUZZES)
Look, could I talk to this...
Excuse me, can... Can you do me a favor?
Can you call his doctor, Dr. Willis Ehlers,
over at Settle Building?
Ask him if Thomas Birdsey belongs at this place.
Dr. Ehlers doesn't treat patients at Hatch.
- He's not on staff. - Yeah, that's, that's what I'm trying to say.
Dr. Ehlers is at Settle where my brother belongs.
He doesn't belong here. That's what I'm... can you just call him?
You probably got a directory, right?
You can wake him up. He's not gonna... he's not gonna care.
According to this, he's been reassigned.
What do you mean he's been reassigned?
Who, who... Wait, by who? Who reassigned him?
- I'm not at liberty to give that information, sir. - Excuse me.
- THOMAS: Excuse me! - Either his new doctor
will notify you or you can make an appointment...
THOMAS: Excuse me, do you happen to know a Dr. Ahamed?
He's the superintendent of this entire hospital.
Hey, buddy, let me take care of this, will ya?
And you're gonna be in big trouble tomorrow...
- Thomas! - When he goes in his office
and he doesn't find his "Wall Street Journal"
- and his corn muffin. - Thomas, calm down.
THOMAS: All right, I'd hate to be you tomorrow
when he finds out that you've been keeping me here against my will!
- Calm down, calm down. - Yeah, we're good.
- Come on. - THOMAS: Oh, Jesus.
- Oh! - (URINATING)
- What happened? - I'm sorry, Dominick.
I couldn't hold it. I told you I had to pee.
Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal.
Okay, here, here's, here's the bottom line.
I'm not going anywhere until he gets out of here
and he's gettin' out of here tonight,
so somebody better call the goddamn doctor.
- Call Dr. Willis Ehlers. - Keep your voice down, sir.
Keep your voice down. Doctors are only called after hours...
- when there's an emergency. - I'm sick of this shit.
This is an emergency.
You guys won't even let him take a piss, for Christ's sake.
You think I'm leaving him here with you fuckin' Nazis?
- GUARD: Sir, sir. - What?
Patient's relatives do not determine what constitutes an emergency.
- The medical staff does. - Fine.
Let me talk to the medical staff.
The nurses at Hatch do not deal with patient's families.
- Let me talk to a social worker. - They called from the unit.
- You ready to rock-n-roll? - All right, we can finish this down at the ward.
I've about had it with the Doublemint Twin here.
- Okay, let's go. - Why isn't anybody listening to me?
(THOMAS SOBBING) - I am telling you that this is an administrative screw up,
all right, and he belongs down in Settle.
He may belong in Settle, but he sure as hell isn't going there tonight.
All right, maybe first thing in the morning.
Maybe first thing in the morning.
But tonight, he's staying here.
You can't do anything until tomorrow morning.
We'll take you back to Shanley. You park at the big lot?
I'm not going... I'm not going anywhere till I get this straightened out.
Okay, can I see the social worker, please?
Can I please see a social worker?
Not tonight. Come on.
(TOM WAILING)
Hey, Ralph?
Hey, Ralph. Ralph Drinkwater.
How you doin'? Hello.
Can you do me a favor? Talk, talk a little sense into these guys
- for me, will you? - (DOOR BUZZES)
- DOMINICK: Ralph. - This is your last chance.
I'm not going anywhere until I see a social worker.
Hey, don't touch him. Don't you even touch him, man.
Can I talk to a social worker?
- Not tonight. - Let me talk to a social worker, please.
Let me talk to the social worker.
(VOICES OVERLAPPING)
(CLAMORING)
DOMINICK: Hey!
(SHOUTING CONTINUES)
Get your, get your fuckin'...
Calm down. Calm him down.
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)
Get the fuck off me.
You love this shit, don't you?
Feeling these guys up
while you fuckin' frisk 'em, you fuckin' freak!
- (BLOW LANDS) - (GROANS)
Tommy...
OFFICER: Get him outta here.
(CELL DOOR CLANGS)
("SWEET MEMORIES" BY MICKEY NEWBURY PLAYING)
♪ My world is like a river ♪
♪ As dark as it is deep ♪
♪ Night after night the past slips in ♪
♪ And gathers all my sleep ♪
♪ My days are just an endless stream ♪
♪ Of emptiness to me ♪
♪ Filled only by the fleeting ♪
♪ Moments of her memory ♪
♪ Sweet ♪
♪ Memories ♪
♪ Sweet memories ♪