[cartoon noises playing over tablet]
[pans clanging]
[Maddy humming]
Here you are, madam.
Ta-da!
Syrup.
Uh...
-I have something even better than syrup. -What?
Pretend syrup.
[Maddy giggles]
[Alex making whooshing noises]
-[Maddy] Here you go. -Does Schmariel want some pretend syrup?
Here you go, Schmariel. [whooshing]
She's had enough? I'll have to cut you off. That's a lot of syrup.
Which jammies you wanna bring to Daddy's? Rainbows?
-Or the unicorns? -Rainbows.
Done. Easy. Such a good choice.
Excited about spending Thanksgiving at Daddy's?
-What's that? -Well, it's a very complicated day,
and I'll tell you all about it when you get older.
But right now, just know you're going to your daddy's,
and you're gonna eat a whole lot of food
and think about all the things that you're thankful for.
And I'm not gonna be there, and I'll miss you a lot.
But you'll have a really good time.
Mommy's got a lot of houses to clean.
A lot of people want their houses cleaned before Thanksgiving.
[humming]
-How are we doing on those pancakes? -Oh!
-Look at that one I ate. -Hey.
Excuse me. Boop, boop, boop. You need to eat some pancakes.
Time to eat some pancakes, young lady.
If you get down those last two bites of pancake,
you and me are gonna have a very special surprise.
[in British accent] You promise? All right, let's see it happen.
[in normal voice] Let's do it.
Score!
Whoo!
One second. We gotta get our mail, okay?
-Guess what I got. -What?
Food. Today's gonna be a very good day. I can feel it.
[Nate] There she is.
It's a clunker, but it's safe.
My grandpa drove this thing for 30-some years.
If anybody hits this thing, they're gonna be in trouble.
Are you sure this isn't putting you out?
No, I mean, it just sits in my garage. You're kind of doing me a favor.
It needs to get driven or the battery dies.
Okay. Thank you.
Hey, what do you think of our big surprise?
-Blue. -You think it's blue?
We've been taking the bus, and this will be a game-changer.
I'm so excited. I'm gonna kiss your car.
-Yeah. You can. I just washed it. -[Alex] Thanks again for the car seat.
Oh, yeah. Brady grew out of that one. I figured it would fit Maddy.
What?
-Uh, it's just until I can save up. -Keep it as long as you need.
Hey, Maddy, you got any big turkey-day plans?
-Daddy's. -Oh, Daddy's. That's great.
Are you both going to her dad's place, or...?
No, just Maddy.
Oh. Okay, well, hey, if you need somewhere to go for Thanksgiving...
Thanks.
My parents do just an incredible spread, and you're welcome if...
Thank you, I'm working, but that's sweet.
-You're working Thanksgiving? -Yeah.
I work whenever I can, when I don't have her.
Cool.
Hey, uh, maybe some time you could clunk that thing on down to my place.
Um, the car, because I called it a clunker before.
Um...
I guess I was trying to ask you out.
Um...
-Uh... -But, um...
No, I... Gosh, I don't wanna, you know, take the car if there's strings attached.
No, yeah, that's not what I meant.
My life's not set up for dating right now.
Your life's not set up for dating, I get that.
-I really appreciate this so much. -Yes, of course. You need the keys.
So...
-Thank you, Nate. -Yes, no problem.
I mean it, yeah.
-[Nate] Anytime. -Okay.
[engine starting]
How are those blueberries?
-Good. -Yeah?
Hi there.
Paper or plastic?
Paper, please.
[scanner beeping]
And I'm gonna be using one of these today.
[sighs]
[microphone feeding back] Cleanup on aisle poor. Cleanup on aisle poor.
Uh, I'm actually gonna hold off on these guys.
[man scoffs]
67.45, please.
Swipe it, like a card. Use the pin from the form.
[register dings]
Thanks.
-Paper or plastic? -Just plastic.
What do you say we do something super, duper, duper fun, in our brand-new car?
["Something Like Summer" playing]
♪ We were young ♪
♪ Just a little little ♪
♪ We were young ♪
♪ Just a little bit useless ♪
[laughing]
♪ You know we thought we knew it all ♪
Go!
I think you cheated!
♪ Snakes and ladders ♪
♪ Climbing up for days ♪
♪ "We're invincible," we said ♪
♪ Taking it in, in the alleyways ♪
♪ You know we thought we knew it all ♪
♪ Ooh, tell me again ♪
♪ 'Cause if they haven't caught you yet ♪
♪ Let's make a run for it ♪
Okay, so you're gonna go to your daddy's for two days,
you're gonna be super, duper, duper good, and then Mommy's gonna come pick you up.
Does that sound all right? You're gonna have your Thanksgiving there?
Uh-huh?
-Uh-huh? -[Sean] Hey.
There she is, there's my girl. Hi, baby.
Aye!
[whooshing]
Whoa!
Thank you for coming over here.
Yeah, did you pack a snack this time?
We're supposed to split costs, Sean. You can buy snacks too.
Right. Okay. You ready to have some fun, Maddy?
-And she hasn't had her nap yet. -Okay. Great.
Mommy gave you to me crabby.
-She can just nap in your car. -Yeah, it's not a real nap.
What's up with you?
I'm tired. I worked late.
Had to get up early to get a ferry to accommodate your schedule.
You're hungover.
No, I'm not. Hey, I told you, I'm not drinking.
-Still? -Yes. Still.
I'm actually about to get my white chip. It feels good.
I'm kind of digging sobriety. You know? Not feeling like shit all the time.
-I can see it on your face. You look good. -Yeah, I know I do.
So Maddy will be at your place tomorrow?
Yep. What are you doing? Something with your mom?
She's AWOL. You know how she is with the holidays.
But I'm okay. Stop feeling sorry for me.
-I'm not. -Okay.
I love you.
You have a good time, all right?
Hey, you can come tomorrow. If you want. It'll be chill.
Uh, no, thank you, I'm good. You guys have fun.
Can't say we didn't try, right, Mad?
All right. Say bye to Mommy.
I love you so much. Bye, cutie!
[Sean] Sack of potatoes.
Bye! Bye, Mom!
Bye, Mom!
["Up From a Dream" playing]
♪ We were on the beach... ♪
[woman] So I decided not to get the car washed.
One good thing about living out here with all the rain, free car washes.
You know what else is free? Pain and heartache. Pain and suffering.
That's what my mother used to say.
Never mind these boxes, just clean around them.
We'll take them to the homeless shelter.
They do a food drive every Thanksgiving,
so I go through my pantry, find what's almost expired.
Well, I'm off to Whole Foods! Happy Thanksgiving!
♪ Innocently ♪
♪ Change the channel ♪
♪ On the TV ♪
♪ Something you see Wakes you up from the dream ♪
♪ Wanna go back to sleep But now you're up from the dream ♪
♪ Walk into the kitchen Pull the dishes from the sink ♪
♪ And you have changed In the blink of an eye ♪
♪ Something you see Wakes you up from the dream ♪
♪ Wanna go back to sleep But now you're up from the dream ♪
♪ Walk into the kitchen Pull the dishes from the sink ♪
♪ And you have changed In the blink of an eye ♪
♪ Something you see Wakes you up from the dream ♪
♪ And you have changed In the blink of an eye ♪
[emotional music playing]
♪ Something you see Wakes you up from the dream ♪
♪ Wanna go back to sleep But now you're up from the dream
♪ Walk into the kitchen Pull the dishes from the sink ♪
♪ And you have changed In the blink of an eye ♪
♪ Something you see Wakes you up from the dream ♪
♪ Wanna go back to sleep But now you're up from the dream ♪
♪ Walk into the kitchen Pull the dishes from the sink ♪
♪ And you have changed In the blink of an eye ♪
[Regina] Those are a pointless vegetable.
Just make sure to have a vegan option for Daniel.
Sarah, Sarah, I have to let you go. Okay? Drive safe.
Your sister is driving me crazy.
[James] What time should I pick up Bennett from SeaTac?
Honey, all I know is that I am meeting you at your mom's.
Hi.
Oh, honey, this is Alex. The maid.
-Is that what I'm supposed to call you? -Oh, yeah, maid's fine.
-Hi, I'm James, nice to meet you. -Nice to meet you.
-[James] How's business? -Busy.
Yeah? Regina, you know we've got seven pies, right?
Do we really need to bring seven pies? You don't even eat pie.
They're not for eating. They are for looking at.
We can put them out after the announcement.
It'll be like a celebratory thing.
Can you put them in the car for me, please? Thank you.
Sorry, they told me to come at 3. I didn't realize you would still be here.
No, yeah, we are running late.
I really appreciate you having me back.
After the Mr. Darcy thing.
I don't like the way the other girls clean, so...
Okay. We're off.
Um...
Can I get your Wi-Fi password?
I don't have any service here, and I have to be reachable in case my daughter...
Your daughter. Right.
So you got her back, then?
Partial custody, yeah. She's with her dad right now.
Thanks.
-Is this a five or an S? -It is an S.
I'm sorry to leave such a mess, but I've been baking since dawn.
But the house is still on the market, so do a thorough job. Okay?
Of course.
Actually, I noticed last time that the upstairs guest bathroom,
the grout could use a deep clean. But the bleach smell can be a lot.
I was thinking I could come in tomorrow and take care of it.
On Thanksgiving day?
Yeah, I don't have a lot going on, and I could use the work.
Well, does that cost extra? I imagine you have a holiday rate?
No, I won't charge you extra.
That's fine, then.
Now, Mr. Darcy, yes, yes, yes.
Taking him with me.
[door opens, then closes]
[pensive music playing]
[car door closes]
Happy Thanksgiving to you too, Mr. Darcy.
[kettle whistling]
[man on video] Once you pour the white vinegar on the grout line
and let that soak in for a little bit,
the baking soda will add some grit to the whole thing,
give it a little bit of texture.
See, the grit's coming right out.
[upbeat music playing]
Like my beard?
It's my niece. You wanna fuck?
This is my snake.
Made dinner for two. Ate both.
Sober, single dad.
[music slows, then stops]
[line ringing]
[voicemail] Please leave a message after the tone.
Hey, Mom. Uh... Just giving you a call because it's Thanksgiving.
So, yeah, I'll talk to you later. All right, love you, bye.
What? That's so cool! What was your favorite part of the parade?
Santa.
You saw Santa?
Oh, my goodness, sweetie pie!
Hey, let me talk to Mommy.
-Hey, we gotta go. -No, I just got on the phone.
Yeah, I know, but say, "Happy Thanksgiving, Mommy."
Happy Thanksgiving, Mommy.
I love you, Maddy. I love you so--
[upbeat music playing]
Happy Thanksgiving. You're gonna get stuffed.
I'm thankful for that ass.
Wanna suck on my beard?
["Way It Goes" playing]
♪ Collaborating with the day glow vibes ♪
♪ An altruistic breed of travel guide ♪
♪ It's chill But Lord knows you're trying ♪
♪ That's the way it goes ♪
♪ One step away from crying ♪
["Too Young" playing]
♪ Baby, when I saw you turning At the end of the street ♪
♪ I knew a time was gone And it took me like ages ♪
♪ Just to understand That I was afraid to be a simple guy ♪
♪ I tried my best to smile But deep inside my heart ♪
♪ I felt it was shouting Like a crowd dancin' ♪
♪ I guess I couldn't live Without the things ♪
♪ That made my life what it is ♪
♪ Can't you hear it calling? ♪
♪ Oh, yeah ♪
♪ Everybody's dancin' ♪
♪ Oh, yeah ♪
♪ Tonight everything is over ♪
♪ I feel too young ♪
♪ I can't lie on my bed Without thinking I was wrong ♪
♪ But when that feeling calls This world becomes another ♪
♪ Nighttime won't hold me In your arms again ♪
♪ I got a very good friend who says ♪
♪ He can't believe the love I give ♪
♪ Is not enough to end your fears ♪
♪ I guess I couldn't live Without the things ♪
♪ That made my life what it is ♪
♪ Can't you hear it--? ♪
[cell phone beeps]
[Wayne] What's happenin', turkey?
[pensive music playing]
Let's just, yeah, forget I ever said that.
How's your Indigenous People's Day going?
[Alex] Kinda just feels like any other day.
You?
[Wayne] Ah, well, my family is driving me insane.
I'm only home for 48 hours,
and I'm already considering changing my flight to "now."
How about you?
[Alex] Same.
Your profile says that you go to NYU
and that you're half French.
[speaking in French]
[chuckles]
[in English] And I go to NYU. In grad school. For, uh, film.
[Alex] I'm a junior at Montana College of Fine Arts.
And I'm studying creative writing.
A writer.
Uh-oh.
[Alex] Do you want to play a game?
I'll literally play any game with you.
Or on you.
Or next to you, or, really, whatever you want.
[Alex] Wanna play "meet in person"?
Where should we meet?
[Alex] We can meet here...
At my house.
[doorbell rings]
-Hey. -Hi.
What's up?
-Do you want-- -I brought you a gourd.
I don't know if it's edible, but it's festive, so...
Thanks.
Come in.
Is this your parents' place?
Yeah. Yeah. It's my dad and my stepmom's.
It's a little over the top, I know. They're in Bermuda right now.
Hopefully not the triangle.
No, yeah, I think, uh, the vacation part.
[chuckling]
Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm really nervous, like, my fingernails are sweating.
You're so pretty.
Um...
Hi. I'm Wayne.
-Alex. -The writer.
Yeah.
You smell good. I just smelled you.
Not on purpose.
Um...
-Do you want a drink? -Please, God.
Hmm.
Do you want to give me a tour?
Uh...
I think you get it. Uh...
This is the kitchen.
Yes. Clean.
We have a really good maid.
So how do you like Missoula?
It's good.
Teachers are really good.
I just wanna write, so...
You know who has a great fiction writing program?
The New School.
-You ever thought about New York? -It's expensive.
Your dad can't help you out?
I don't take money from him.
He, uh, divorced my mom when I was 6 and became a born-again Christian,
and started a whole new family that I'm not a part of.
What about mom? Are you close with her?
She's undiagnosed bipolar, so no.
Damn, I'm sorry.
I feel like a dick now.
My biggest complaint about my parents is, like, they send me too many e-mails, so...
-Your parents pay for your school? -No. Not my school, just my apartment.
They bought it for me as an investment.
Your parents bought you an apartment? In Manhattan?
Yeah.
But I don't like taking money from them.
Being around them makes me feel... It makes me feel lonely.
We get together twice a year, maybe, and we just sit around on our phones,
waiting for the day to end.
How about you? Where were you today?
Honestly, I've spent the past few Thanksgivings with my boyfriend.
He has this little niece that comes over and, uh...
It's usually just the three of us.
But we broke up, so...
This is my first holiday without them.
I'm sorry.
Don't be.
This is what I wanted.
So, what do you... What do you write about?
What do you make films about?
Nope, we're done talking about me. Tell me what you're working on.
It's new, so I don't really know how to talk about it yet.
It's a story about a woman.
I love female protagonists.
She lives in a big, beautiful house.
The kind of house that's on the cover of magazines.
She has a personal trainer and a financial adviser.
And an IRA.
[pensive music playing]
She's been to the Louvre more than once.
She spends entire Saturdays...
getting hot-stone massages.
And reading her first-edition books.
She has a cashmere sweater that makes her feel like...
she's being hugged by 1000 baby lambs.
She wakes up every morning to a view of the ocean.
Like it exists just for her.
Nice detail.
She has the luxury of time.
No long lines to stand in.
No time cards to punch.
She has time to bake seven pies from scratch, if she wants to.
What's the conflict?
There isn't one.
-People with money have everything. -That's not true.
I mean, I have a Peloton, and I'm miserable.
-You have a Peloton? -Do I look like I have a Peloton?
You look like you use it as a chair.
Ouch.
[car approaching]
Fuck.
-What? -Fuck. Fuck!
-You gotta go. You gotta go. -What?
Come on. Put your coat on.
My stepmom's here, she hates having strangers in the house.
-Come on. -Okay. Okay.
-Sheesh. -Around there. Side of the house.
-Can we hang again before I--? -No. Go! Faster, go!
[door closes]
I'm so sorry. I was just getting out of here.
Oh.
I was here because of the grout.
You want another glass?
I'm so sorry.
Don't be.
How about some pie?
Want some pie?
No, no, no.
So how was your Thanksgiving?
It was good. I cleaned.
We eat at this table... once a year?
Eight grand.
I paid for it. I paid for everything in this house.
I work so much
that I don't have time to sit at this table.
That was always important to me, that I kept working.
I was already a partner when I met James.
My girlfriends all said, "Quit! Enjoy your life."
He wanted me to quit too.
But I said, "Absolutely not."
I wanted to respect myself.
I wanted him to respect me.
It's the people you think you know. That's who you have to worry about.
Because you don't actually know them.
You know the story you tell yourself about who they are.
So you can get out of bed in the morning.
The last few years...
sometimes I look at my husband...
he's just sitting there.
And he's so beautiful.
And it's not fair.
And it's maybe what Alzheimer's feels like.
He's familiar, but he's a stranger.
And I know I love him.
But I don't recognize him.
And I just want this alien to get the fuck out of my house.
I want the real him to come back.
Do you wanna know what's funny?
He left his wife for me because I was young,
and he'd never had a good relationship with his kids, and he wanted a do-over.
But unbeknownst to me, I had the ovarian reserve of a 50-year-old woman.
You probably got pregnant without even trying, didn't you?
Do you want me to respond?
Sure. Respond.
I got pregnant easy.
But I've had to bust my ass for everything else.
I'm sure you have.
Let's see now, after...
five years and six rounds of IVF,
one of which actually made it to nine weeks...
and had a heartbeat, that was thrilling.
After all that,
then there were the meditation retreats,
and even a trip to Mexico for a Mayan uterus massage.
Three hundred thousand dollars later...
and now...
there is a woman named Joanna in Oregon...
who is five months pregnant with our son.
My son.
And I say that lightly because we used a donor egg.
All in all, it took three women to make this baby.
One with the egg, one with the womb, and one with the money.
Me.
But she does send me pictures.
I don't even know what I'm looking at.
What am I looking at?
Yeah, I think that's his foot.
So then why don't I feel anything?
Being a mother looks like all kinds of things.
I can understand how for some women they can accept...
that the baby is theirs, no matter what.
And I really thought I could be that woman, I...
But after all this time and all this money...
when I look at that...
I don't feel love.
I don't feel loved.
I just feel desperate.
I never thought I'd do this part alone.
Alone?
James wants a divorce.
I'm sorry.
He told me on the way to Thanksgiving dinner.
Which has got to be some sort of record for asshole-ness.
It was not like I didn't see it coming.
With every miscarriage we had, he just slipped further and further away.
Jesus, what am I doing?
-For the grout. -No, no. Mm-mm. No.
It's fucking sparkling in here, Alex.
Don't ever let anybody take advantage of you.
Make you feel "less than" for all of your hard work.
Work.
It's the one thing you can count on.
Everything else is fragile.
Okay?
Okay.
Take the pies too.
No.
Please.
Can I see a picture of your daughter?
Of course.
How old is she?
[Alex] She's almost 3.
And you're doing it alone?
Do you like being a mom?
I live for my daughter.
You can go.
Close the gate on your way out.
Okay.
[emotional music playing]
[upbeat pensive music playing]
[Alex] Confessions of a Maid.
People keep weird things in their drawers.
And I could list them all here.
But instead, here's what I'll confess.
Cleaning people's houses means
I spend hours dusting credenzas that could put me through college,
washing floors made of wood that could buy me a house.
It's hard not to want their things, their lives.
No, "want" is too soft a word. Covet.
It's hard not to covet these lives that you ache for,
because it all looks so easy, so pleasant.
The coconut waters, the shelves of books, the infinity pools, the ice-cold Sancerre.
But the truth is,
despite being wealthy and living in a dream house
with marbled bathrooms and floor-to-ceiling views of the sea,
their lives are still lacking.
Maybe all those long hallways and walk-in closets are just hiding places.
Maybe all that glass just shows you your own loneliness.
Maybe when you live in a house that big, you lose yourself in it.
When I think about the house that I want for my daughter and me,
it's not big and full of stuff.
There's a bed for each of us, a surface for me to write on.
Maybe a yard for a big, dumb dog someday.
But our space is a home because we love each other in it.
[cell phone beeps]
[Sean] Say, "Hi, Mommy."
What? Hi, hi, hi.
Oh...
How was your Turkey Day?
It was good, we had cranberry sauce. Not a fan.
Oh, my goodness, I missed you. I missed you. I missed you.
We missed you too.
I thought maybe you'd change your mind and come by.
I don't wanna confuse her about where Mommy lives.
-Did she eat yet? -Yep, scrambled eggs.
Thanks.
-So how was your lonely Thanksgiving? -It was okay. Kind of nice, actually.
I saw you on Tinder.
-So you'll pick her up Friday? -Yeah. Yeah, sounds good.
Okay. Thanks.
Why don't you give your daddy a big kiss goodbye?
See you Friday.
Bye, Maddy! Bye, Mad-dog!
-Thank you. -You guys have fun.
Guess what. Do you like pie? Are you sure?
Good news for you.
I have seven whole pies at home.
-[Maddy] Seven? -Seven whole pies.
All right, buddy, let's roll. What do you say?
[engine starts]
[upbeat music playing]