Back, back, back.
How fucking far back do you go?
My mom and dad were
divorced before I was 2.
And from then on, my father
was almost uninvolved in my life...
...and my mother, much too involved.
She wanted to make up
for all her mistakes through me.
One night, there was something
in my pants, like, blood.
My mom said, "Oh, hell, your period.
This is where all the trouble starts. "
She was right.
Now Mom and Dad
really had something to fight over.
Me.
Then one day, my dad disappeared.
No number, no letters, just gone.
I wrote to Seventeen magazine.
A long letter about us.
They wanted to publish it
as an article but kept asking:
"Your dad going away?
Does he come back?
Does it have a happy ending?"
In reality, it didn't,
but I thought, "What the hell?
I'll give them what they want. "
This is it.
Time to go.
Mom, please...
No way are we gonna be late.
We have hours.
Honey, honey, you've got
registration at 4.
Come on, now.
Oh, Lizzie, you wanna take your rug.
- Mom!
- What? Come on.
This is the most important day
of your life.
I thought that's
when you got married.
No, honey, that's
the worst day of your life.
Yeah, she is so excited.
Oh, Mom, she looks beautiful.
Pity, I was aiming for psychotic.
Well, yeah.
Grandma's so excited she's crying.
It's a journalism scholarship, Mom.
Journalism, yeah.
She wants to be a writer.
The first few days,
that's when everyone makes friends.
I know.
- It gets harder later.
- Mom, I think I'm old enough.
Don't get upset.
I'm not getting upset.
Why are you saying that I'm upset?
I'm just trying to help. You know that.
You know how proud
I am of you, Lizzie.
You have so much potential.
Are you listening to me?
Lizzie?
Lizzie. Lizzie, what are you doing?
Come on, let's get this stuff
down to the car.
I don't have to go to Harvard
to become a writer.
Lizzie, what are you talking about?
At Harvard, you'll meet people.
You'll get contacts.
You'll get people to help you.
I know what I'm talking about, Lizzie.
I had my whole life ahead of me.
You don't want to go to Harvard?
Well, you just...
...wait until you have no choices left...
...where you've got nothing.
No one. No one
who cares about you.
- Then you see how you feel.
- Mom, I didn't say I wasn't going.
Dr. Isaacs warned me.
Mom, I said, I'm going.
He told me you'd isolate...
...stay in your room all day.
- I'm not isolating.
Okay, I'm not gonna isolate.
I want things to be different.
Fine.
That's all you need, then.
That's what I've been talking about.
You'll see, Lizzie.
It'll be a whole other world up there.
Young, God, I was so young.
You be careful. When I think of it,
just a year older than you...
...and I was already a housewife.
God, I was so bored
I bought a monkey...
...just to have someone to talk to.
But then you came along.
Oh, my God.
Lizzie, Lizzie, it's so...
Harvard.
But you're on the fifth floor.
I know.
Well, how are we
gonna manage, huh?
I can do it, okay, Mom?
Don't worry about it.
- No, no, no.
- Hi.
May I be of assistance?
Could you? Oh, that's too kind.
My pleasure.
Ever since she
was in second grade...
...she was always writing.
The man has "good catch"
written all over his forehead.
Any minute now she'
gonna ask me to confirm it.
Lizzie.
I've always helped my
mother pick up boyfriends.
The only one I never got a say in
was the one that mattered.
My dad.
Now, that's quality. That's a father.
Could you imagine your father?
We'd still be in Manhattan.
I told him you've already
had things published.
Don't you think you should be getting
the car back? It's getting kind of late.
Yeah.
Don't forget to eat.
- Bye, sweetheart.
- Bye, Mom.
Ever since I was a little kid, my mom
and I always hung out together.
I didn't fit in with most kids in school.
They thought I was strange,
so they made me feel like a stranger.
And my mother took advantage of it
from an early age.
Throwing me into plays,
spelling bees, studying...
...writing, museums, concerts
and even more writing.
She convinced me this would
lead to the Holy Grail.
Harvard. A place where I would
finally be surrounded by people...
...I had something in common with.
I'm not gonna ask for much.
They don't have
to be a Springsteen fan.
Nice meeting you guys.
- Hi.
- Hi.
You're Elizabeth, right?
Yeah, I thought that I recognized you
from the face book.
I read that article that you wrote
about your parents' divorce.
- That was brilliant.
- Thank you.
- I'm Ruby.
- Hi.
- We're gonna be roommates.
- Oh, cool.
Seriously, you don't have any idea
what that article meant to me.
You telling the grisly truth about
your parents, exposing all their lies.
And then meeting with your father,
reconciling with him.
So inspiring.
Do you smoke?
You know, I've never smoked
in the daytime before.
Well, we're at Harvard now.
We can do whatever we want to.
Cool.
We'll be like these
beautiful, literary freaks.
And brilliant and dark, sexy.
Trouble is, I'm deadly serious.
Boys never used to notice me before.
I wasn't even on their list
of alternatives.
Ruby gets it. She gets me.
If she were a guy,
everything would be perfect.
When Lou Reed was 17 years old,
he was diagnosed...
...as suffering from mood swings.
He was subjected to electric-shock
treatment three times a week.
Each treatment hit him
as a blinding white light...
...and therein lies his genius.
To embrace
his own psychic carnage...
...and create some of the greatest
rock 'n' roll the world has ever heard.
I feel his cold embrace...
...his sly caress.
Lying in my room for days on end.
Everything cold, dark, silvery.
I'm scared he'll take me back to
the depths of my own twisted desire...
...to a place I'm too afraid to go to
because maybe I'll never escape.
I'll bet you got thousands at home.
Cigarette packs,
with tiny, little writing on them.
Your life story?
Diary? No?
Come on, this is killing me.
It's an assignment.
You're the most conscientious
student at Harvard.
It's a music review.
I'm trying to start a music
column for The Crimson.
That's great.
You wanna do some X?
You've never done X.
Acid goes to your head, right?
X goes to your heart.
Hey.
You okay?
What are you doing in here?
Oh, no.
Do you wanna go back inside?
There's a guy out there.
I think he's looking for you.
His voice comes to me
under the covers.
"Come here, baby. " He' inside
of me, where no one else has been...
...in my dark and secret place.
I let him take me there...
...but then my fear returns.
I want him to stop.
How do you think it feels?
And when do you think it stops?
I don't want him in control.
I want him to be gone.
I want him not to exist.
I mean, let' face it.
"Lou Reed should be dead. "
It's great.
You gonna sleep with me tonight?
Don't say I didn't warn you.
- What's that supposed to mean?
- It means don't say I didn't warn you.
Great.
I've been wanting so badly
for sex to happen the right way...
...with the right person,
at the right time, in the right place.
- It wasn't any big deal.
- When is it, though?
- It should've been.
- Well, at least he's good-looking.
It was my first time.
Yeah, sure.
No, I'm serious.
Are you kidding me?
It's true.
No way, I don't believe you.
I figured I should start having sex
like a normal 19-year-old.
I happen to think
this calls for celebration.
- We could have a party.
- A party?
It was meant to be subtle...
...but of course...
Elizabeth, this is great.
Such a wild idea.
Everyone got it.
Only not everyone was so pleased.
I wish I'd have thought
of something like this.
Thanks.
I love your dress.
Hey.
How can you take something private
and turn it into something public?
It wasn't private to begin with.
- It was good. It was interesting.
- Interesting?
I just mean it wasn't about me.
You know, it wasn't special.
It was just sex.
Okay, that's cool.
You don't look cool with it.
I'd been saving my virginity
for someone who truly loves me...
...who really knows the inside of me.
Noah wasn't it.
He told me afterwards that,
in terms of absolute value...
...sex and drugs were
equally meaningless to him.
Just two different ways to have fun.
Which is all well and good...
...until a girl tries to have
the same approach.
Lizzie?
- Hey, have you guys seen Lizzie?
- No.
Lizzie?
Lizzie?
Lizzie, you got a phone call.
- Who is it?
- Rolling Stone.
Rolling Stone?
The college journalism
award for 1985...
...goes to Elizabeth Wurtzel...
...for her Harvard Crimson piece
on Lou Reed.
I want to forget everything
that has happened to me before.
I wanna freeze this moment.
Forever.
Thank you.
- It's great.
- No, you're great.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
I'm thinking about the bands coming
to Cambridge who you can cover.
It's rare we get somebody
who's going to all the gigs...
...writing with such clarity.
So I'm thinking
he's coming on to me...
...and he's, like, an editor
at Rolling Stone.
And how old is he?
- Oh, my God.
- What?
- It's my dad.
- Oh, cool.
Look at that.
- What?
- I can't believe he left us for that.
What? What's the matter?
I haven't seen him in four years.
Wait. I thought you said...
I know what I said.
Dad, when are you coming back
to live with us?
Well, I'm not, honey. You know that.
But Mom said that if you want to,
she wants you to.
I'm sure your mom
didn't say that, did she?
She did.
Honey, you know...
...it's just not gonna happen.
Which doesn't mean
that I love you any the less.
Who does he think he is?
He disappears for four fucking years.
Then he thinks he can come here...
...and take pictures of his perfect
Ivy League daughter?
This place has nothing to do with him.
The least he can do is have
the decency to understand that.
You should say something to him.
Like what?
I don't know.
How's your new life?
How's your new fucking girlfriend?
Lizzie, he's your father.
He loves you.
No, you don't know what it was like.
When I was 8, we went
to see The Last Waltz.
He passed out on tranquilizers.
I had to sit through the movie three
fucking times before he woke up.
What kind of a person does that?
I didn't realize.
That article...
...it was just wish fulfillment.
I was writing about how
I wanted things to be.
The way people talked about it...
...the way you talked about it,
it made it seem real.
Well, maybe it can be.
No. It's just a dream I held
on to for way too long.
I'm happy here.
I don't need him anymore.
We should go. Are you coming?
No. I promised my editor
that article by next week.
Jesus, it's 4:00 in the morning.
Do you mind?
I know. I'm sorry.
Music helps me concentrate.
Springsteen' like
this garage-mechanic poet.
You can feel the sweat in his voice,
the grime in his guitar.
When he sings, I see steamy streets...
...lovers groping hands...
...busted fenders.
The dirt is under his nails
and the clairvoyance in his eyes.
Jesus, Lizzie,
you haven't slept in days.
I had it perfect before.
I know I can get it back.
His words twist and grind and
hammer out a story for the brain...
...but his guitar and voice go
straight for your heart.
Music bellows from his insides, and
out comes the struggles of the world.
Springsteen'
like this garage-mechanic poet.
Music bellows from his insides.
Out comes the struggles of the world,
of knowledge that comes with perfec...
It' like he feels with knowledge
that goes back through ages...
...to a single chord in our brains.
That beacon that can be touched...
He has the power of pure emotion.
Emotions so intense the body
literally must do something...
- Out comes the struggles...
- Fuck.
She still hasn't slept.
Lizzie.
Lizzie!
I don't know how to say this
to you, all right...
...but you are starting to smell.
This is important.
Lizzie, it's not as important as
your health. You gotta get some sleep.
Will you just fuck off?
I just have to finish this.
I can get you some downers, okay?
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
Noah? Noah, come on,
give it to me. Noah!
Lizzie, this is just scribbling.
What? What the fuck? Asshole!
Stop it. Noah, put her down.
Put her...
Jesus, she turned
into the Harvard bag lady.
- What are you doing?
- She needs something.
- What?
- I don't know, some medical help.
Ruby!
It's okay. I got them, I got them.
It's all right.
Emotions so intense...
Bodies fly into air...
Lizzie. Lizzie, look.
You gotta calm down, okay?
That's not what you said when
I had your dick in my mouth.
You had any drugs
in the last 24 hours?
No.
Well, I guess I snorted some coke
and smoked some pot...
...but that was just to make
the Ecstasy last longer.
Sure you're not forgetting anything?
Maybe a few beers.
Did you ever think you might have
a substance-abuse problem?
The only substance problem I have
is I need you to give me some tranqs...
...so I can come down
off this fucking coke.
And then what happens?
So you don't like coming here,
and you don't want to talk.
You don't have to.
You don't have to say anything...
...you don't want to say,
but if you don't say anything...
...if you don't talk to me...
...I can't help you.
You know, if you're
gonna suggest therapy, don't.
I'm living proof it doesn't work.
- So, what are you doing here?
- My friends brought me here.
Had nothing to do with you?
Are you gonna give
me something, doctor?
No.
Not today.
I'm falling.
I can't even finish my article.
Maybe Noah' right.
It' all a scribble.
I don't really have
anything original to say.
Writing can't save me.
Even Harvard can't save me.
How can I escape from
the demons in my head?
- I didn't.
- So, what, did she blow you?
- Did you go...? What?
- Yeah, she fucking blew me, all right?
- But I was drunk.
- You fucking shithead.
How fucking could you?
How fucking...?
Lizzie?
Lizzie, stop.
Lizzie!
Lizzie, I'm gonna fucking kill you.
I'm gonna fucking kill you, you bitch.
Sam told me. He told me everything.
You losing your virginity,
was that another fucking lie?
You don't understand. Okay?
You don't understand.
It was an accident.
An accident?
You call that a fucking accident?
It was...
It was sort of, you know...
- Come on, what?
- An accidental blowjob.
Oh, fuck you.
I could fucking kill you, Lizzie.
I swear to God, I could fucking kill you.
How could you do that?
Hemingway has this classic moment
in The Sun Also Rises.
When someone asks Mike Campbell
how he went bankrupt...
...all he can say is,
"Gradually, then suddenly. "
That' how depression hits.
You wake up one morning
afraid that you're going to live.
I can't believe we're back to this.
You think I wanna be like this?
I don't know. I don't know, Lizzie.
I thought everything
was gonna be okay.
I was so proud of you at Harvard.
- Is it because I haven't visited you?
- No, Mom.
I thought this was behind us.
Then I get a phone call...
Mom, this has nothing to do with you.
I mean, it's nothing you've done.
Why did they move you here?
I asked for a single room.
Why?
Reasons of mental instability.
I told them I just...
I can't live with other people.
You told...
You said that?
Oh, Lizzie. Your education.
This opportunity.
I'm sorry, Mom.
You know, I just can't cope with this.
It's just all too much.
It's all so crazy.
I am not going to do this anymore!
No, you listen to me.
I raise her! I raise her all by myself
with no help from you!
No help from me? I'm the one that
does everything, I never get credit!
You make all the decisions,
and they blow up in your face!
- Do they not?
- What are you talking about?
You do nothing for her!
You do nothing for her!
You never even see her!
You don't take her on vacations.
You don't take her on the weekends.
What the hell do you ever
do for her, Donald?
I am her father. I put her in the clinic,
and you're looking in Manhattan.
You son of a bitch!
Goddamn, I hate you! I hate you!
I hate you, you son of a bitch!
What is wrong with you?
Nothing.
Oh, God. You're not...?
Pregnant? No, Mom, I'm not pregnant.
Anyway, it's the '80s.
That wouldn't be a problem.
Please, Lizzie, don't speak like that.
What, then?
I don't understand you, Lizzie.
This place is filthy.
I'll help you clean it up.
Mom, no.
I don't have a simple solution, okay?
I don't know what to do, Lizzie.
- I've taken a couple days off work.
- No, you can't.
I wanna help.
- God knows I can't afford it, but...
- I'm much better by myself. Okay?
If I'd known you'd react like this...
Look, I have to study.
You know, I've been working
really hard...
...and I've been having a difficult time.
I just needed a few days.
I'm so worried about you, Lizzie.
I promise I'll take care of myself.
Okay?
And I'll come and see you.
I've seen enough already.
We'll spend time together
in New York.
Please? I promise.
I just have all this work
I have to finish here.
Maybe for your birthday.
Yeah. Yeah.
I promise I will be home
for my birthday.
We can celebrate.
- We'll have a party.
- Okay.
I'll make those pear tarts that you like.
That would be great.
Hey.
Lizzie, I love you dearly.
Really, I do.
But you can only hang out in my room
if you don't drink or do drugs.
Come on, you can't be serious.
Totally.
Just say no.
But, Noah, there's no reason
to be in your room sober.
I wanna explain to Noah
how exhausted I am.
Even in my dreams.
How I wake up tired.
How I'm being drowned
by some kind of black wave.
But I can't write.
And he really doesn't wanna
know about it anyway.
- Here you go.
- Thank you.
Hi.
Hi.
Ruby, this is crazy.
We have to talk.
You know, I'd really rather not.
I'm sorry. You know that.
And I have no excuse.
So then, why? Why did you do it?
I'm just really fucked up.
I'm like a defective model...
...and you don't know that until
you've been around me a while.
You know, some days I wake up,
and I just feel so flat-out, just fucked...
...that I'll do anything to feel different.
Lizzie, when we're together,
you're fine.
- You're fun. You're...
- I'm faking it.
- Well, everybody does that.
- Not like me.
Look, we all have bad days.
This is what people say in situations
when they don't know what to say.
Fuck.
I don't know what to suggest either.
People care about you, Lizzie.
What I want is for someone
to understand...
...but they don't, really.
That makes the platitudes
harder to bear.
They do, people wanna help.
All right? I wanna help you,
but I don't know what to do.
I don't need the company line
right now, okay?
Okay.
Jesus. Listen to me.
All I see is the dark side of everything.
Poor Ruby.
I kill her joy.
Look at her sad, discouraged face.
I don't know what to say.
How about,
"Shit, call in the professionals"?
So I guess this is the Freud part,
where I don't say anything...
...and you don't say anything.
All of a sudden, it's:
"Obviously, you wish to sleep
with your father. "
So I'm to take it you don't wish to
sleep with your father?
No.
And I don't wanna talk
about my childhood either.
I don't know why I'm here.
Why might you be here?
I can't write.
And what do you write about?
I write stories, poems, articles.
I'm here on a journalism scholarship.
I've been writing forever. I have to.
How long has it been
since you stopped writing?
About a month.
Do you remember
the first thing you wrote?
A poem.
A poem. About what?
My dad.
Can you remember anything it said?
I told you, I don't wanna
talk about my childhood.
I just... I feel so stupid,
sitting in therapy.
People have much harder
childhoods than mine.
We're not talking about others.
We're talking about you.
I'll give her that much.
I'm the problem.
I worry about being in therapy.
I worry about not being in therapy.
I even worry I'm not entertaining
enough for Dr. Sterling.
I just keep thinking that
if I could just be normal...
...if I could just get out of bed in the
morning, everything would be okay.
Well, what do you think normal is?
Most people, they cut themselves,
they put a Band-Aid on, keep going.
And what do you do?
I just keep bleeding.
So you think being normal is having
a wound, putting a patch on it...
...then go on with your life?
Isn't that what functioning is?
Isn't that what living is?
You know, you keep going,
no matter what happens to you.
Is that the way you wanna live?
Mom.
Oh, come on, now, honey.
Why don't you tie up your hair
anymore? Your face is so pretty.
Here they are.
Come on, now, Lizzie.
Hi, honey!
Is she home yet?
I need someone to shut off my brain
and turn on my heart.
Well, I have long brown hair,
dark eyes.
You probably meet tons of
girls in the men's bathroom.
Oh, yeah, the Ecstasy goddess.
Yes, I can't believe
you remember that.
Lizzie.
Can you hang on a sec?
Grandma and Grandpa are here.
Yes, I heard.
You know, the only reason I threw a
birthday party was to make you happy.
I don't understand how you can
treat me like this.
Can I have some privacy, please?
That was my mother.
It's my birthday.
She's throwing this big party for me.
Cool.
Well, no, actually, it's not.
It's just me and my mother
and my grandparents.
I haven't even been out there yet.
Aren't they missing you?
Well, now you sound like
a nice Jewish boy.
Well, I might, if I was Jewish.
I just wanted to call and say hi.
Let's meet up when
you get back to school.
Okay, that'd be great.
Hey, happy birthday.
Thank you.
Rafe didn't seem to realize...
...he'd just been appointed
to save my life.
Rolling Stone magazine.
It's the music magazine.
That's wonderful, honey.
They want her to work for them. Yeah.
Paid work for Rolling Stone.
They'll pay her?
I think she was up writing
late last night.
Were you up writing late last night?
I haven't written anything in months.
She's always working on something.
She just doesn't like to talk about it.
Like you've ever read any of it.
Lizzie, this isn't very nice.
You want one?
What's wrong with her?
Nothing. Ma, nothing's wrong with her.
- She's drunk.
- Of course I'm drunk.
- She's just tired.
- She's as skinny as a ghost.
She's overtired.
They work so hard up there.
- Lizzie.
- Is she on drugs?
- I wish I was on drugs.
- Lizzie.
- Did she say that she...?
- No, Ma.
It's okay. Everything is okay.
Mom, believe me,
if I was on drugs, I'd tell you.
People don't behave this way
if they're not on drugs.
I fucking do.
I'm so sorry, Mama.
I dream about all the things
I wish I'd said.
The opposite of what
came out of my mouth.
I wish I'd said,
"Mom, please forgive me.
Please help me.
I know I have no right
to behave this way. "
- Hello.
- Hey.
- Hi.
- How' my birthday girl?
You're late. You're a day late.
What can I say, you know how it is.
Anyway, I thought I'd have to be
dealing with your secretary by now.
You're such a bigshot journalist,
writing for Rolling Stone.
- Did you read it?
- You know...
...remember this,
they're lucky to have you.
These guys, they're smart.
They're really smart.
They know what they're doing.
They can see talent.
I'm probably gonna get assignments
all over the country...
...so I could maybe come visit you.
Who are you talking to, Lizzie?
- It's no one.
- Who is it?
- It's no one.
- Don't listen to her.
Please, Mom.
Look at you, the two of you.
- Go on, you're so in love with him.
- Mom.
Can you hear that?
Hear why I don't call?
Where was he your childhood?
- Where...?
- Stop it! Just stop it!
I just wanted to talk to him!
You know, Lizzie,
I'm at the end of my rope.
I've been working extra hours.
I never go out.
I never buy clothes.
I spend all our money on your therapy.
All our money? Daddy pays, Mom.
You think he pays?
You think he's paying?
He doesn't pay one cent.
Not one single red cent!
That's not true.
Oh, you want me to show you?
Huh? You wanna see?
You want to see how much I'm paying,
still paying...
...on your last term bill? Huh?
Here. Here, look at these.
Look at these.
- There, look at that, Lizzie.
- I'm sorry, Mom.
You wanna see how much
I'm paying this Dr. Sterling?
I'm sorry.
No, you're not gonna
talk your way out of this.
Ask her who pays her!
You know, it's my fault,
for spoiling you the way I did.
I kill myself to get you to Harvard, and
you come back looking like a zombie.
I know. I'm sorry.
I'm so...
Why won't he?
- Why won't he?
- I know. I know, honey. I know.
I hate myself,
and I hate the things I do.
Lizzie, it's all right. It's all right.
It's awful. It's so awful.
And I hurt the people who love me.
But when he calls...
My God, a party?
And your stupid pear tart!
Why do you do this, Lizzie?
Because I'm not
your goddamn monkey!
I'm sorry, Mom, I didn't mean it.
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean it.
I'm sorry.
She threw the party for herself?
No, I guess for Grandma.
Why would she want to do that?
To show her what
a good little girl she was.
That must really hurt.
Look at her.
This isn't a breakthrough, darling.
My mom pays $ 100 an hour for this.
This is the same bullshit. Insight time.
It's like that stuff with that guy Rafe.
I don't have to be Freud to know
I have a fear of rejection.
And I know where it comes from.
I know it's from my dad.
But it doesn't change anything.
- I still can't go out with him.
- Why not?
I just told you.
You didn't tell me
anything about Rafe.
Has he ever given you reason
to believe he'd reject you?
Do not show him how crazy you are.
- A monkey?
- Called Percy.
I know, it beats me.
- She needed someone to talk to.
- Well, she had you.
No, no, this was before.
- Are you listening?
- God, yes.
I'm not boring you?
Please, Lizzie.
I met you in a men's room.
- You're anything but boring.
- What am I?
Scary.
So are we gonna go to this gig?
I'm not sure.
I don't really know where it is.
You came to see a gig,
and you don't know where it is?
I said I came to see the gig...
You know.
- What?
- Okay, now you're just being cruel.
No, no, you said...
I said I came to see the gig...
...but I came to see you.
Waiting, waiting, waiting.
Waiting for him to make the move.
Doesn't he know?
He' gotta be my salvation.
It' lovely that he' caring...
...compassionate
and politically correct.
But I need him to kiss me.
Right now.
Ruby!
Ruby.
Hey.
Hey.
I didn't know you'd moved rooms.
I thought you were still in here.
Ruby was telling me about
those articles you're planning to write.
That stuff's always
been easy for me.
Dr. Sterling must have called him.
Why else would he be here?
Probably to see how dire
the situation is.
See if his little girl can
get through the day still.
Or...
...maybe he really did finally miss me.
My girl.
Dad, you know those medical bills?
The ones for the psychiatric
treatment?
They keep sending them to Mom.
So I guess you haven't paid.
- I can't believe you're asking me this.
- Oh, you have paid?
You're all cold and distant.
And... And...
And now you're asking me what?
What are you talking about?
- If you don't know...
- No. No, I don't know.
- You made a promise.
- You haven't written me.
You never call me.
It's like I don't even exist.
- Who do you think you're talking to?
- I even come and visit you.
- Fuck you!
- You watch that language!
- Is that a way to talk to your father?
- Listen.
You're the one who left. You're the one
who walked away for four years.
You think I don't know that?
Is that what you think?
You think I don't feel it?
Do you that think it's easy for me,
away from you?
I hate it.
The effect it had on you.
Your mother and myself.
I hated watching you get trapped
right in the middle.
- In between the two of us.
- Dad, please.
Please!
- You're my father.
- Right.
And you won't even pay
my medical bills.
Even though it won't cost you
anything.
All you have to do is sign the papers.
It's 10 percent.
- It's, like, nothing.
- No.
I lost my apartment, everything,
when we got divorced.
- It won't cost you anything.
- Sorry, Lizzie.
That's your mother's responsibility.
What do you want me to do?
You want me to slit my wrists...
...so that I'll qualify as a trauma case
for...?
This is killing me too.
This is killing me.
I mean, I feel so powerless.
I look back at all the mistakes
that I made.
I made a lot of mistakes,
and there's nothing I can do.
What am I gonna do?
Hey, you.
Hi.
Guess who?
What are you doing?
Nothing. Just walking.
Walking with somebody.
Oh, don't be ridiculous.
I could be walking with a girl.
Okay, fine, you're right. It's a boy.
He's tall.
Very tall.
Of course he's taller than me.
How tall are you?
Tall enough.
I'd say 6 feet.
Long lashes, brown eyes.
He's kind of got that sexy,
intellectual, preppy thing going on.
What?
Oh, cool. Yeah, I will.
I'll ask him as soon as I hang up.
All right. Okay.
Bye. Bye.
Well, who now thinks of me
as a sexy intellectual?
My mom.
She wants us to visit
over the holidays.
She just moved.
I'm going anyway.
Every time I'm with him, I see myself
doing these horrible things.
And I hate myself for it,
but I just can't stop.
Okay, let's say that you could.
What would you do differently?
So when I saw you with her, I just...
I don't know.
I know it's crazy, but...
I can't help it.
I just have these feelings.
I'm sorry. I didn't...
I didn't realize.
Hey, it's gonna happen.
Beautiful women just
throw themselves at me.
- It's Earl Grey!
- Shit, sorry.
- I'll get you another.
- Forget it.
- It's no problem.
- I don't want it.
Could we get another Earl Grey here?
- I said, I don't want it.
- Would you relax, Lizzie?!
- It's just a goddamn cup of tea.
- Don't yell at me.
Just don't be ridiculous, okay?
You fucked her, didn't you?
- What? Are you crazy?
- Don't yell at me!
I really don't know
what the problem is.
Why don't you just keep fucking her
if that's what you want.
- Just go away.
- Lizzie.
Hey. Lizzie, Lizzie.
Lizzie. Come on.
I'm sorry, okay?
I'm so... I'm sorry.
I didn't understand...
...how upset you are.
It's not your fault, all right?
It's my... It's my fault.
You're gonna leave me, aren't you?
No, I could never...
I love you.
Why?
There's nothing you feel...
...that you don't feel right down
to the bottom of yourself.
You're incredible.
I understand now how people
sometimes want to kill their lovers.
Eat their lovers.
Inhale the ashes of their dead lovers.
It' the only way to posses
another person.
My mom's gonna love you.
- You want juice?
- Sure.
Lizzie, listen.
I'm not gonna be able to make it
back with you for the holidays.
There's something that came up
with my mom...
...and I need to...
I need to go home.
But it's the holidays.
- I need you to be with me.
- And I wish I could be.
I just... I can't be in two places
at once.
Okay. I'll come with you.
I'll help you with your mom.
It's the right thing to do.
My mom will understand.
Your mom just moved apartments,
Lizzie.
But I wanna be with you.
But right now your mom needs you.
It's just... It's a really
complicated situation.
Lizzie, my mom...
...she isn't real easy with strangers.
Okay?
I am right in the middle of some shit
that is not making me happy, Lizzie.
I know, I know.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I just... I love you, and I wanna help.
You are. Lizzie, you are helping me.
Just...
Just knowing that I'm gonna see you.
We'll have all next term together,
okay?
- Okay?
- Okay.
So he asked me to help him.
You know, to be strong for him.
And I said, "Okay. "
But I really did.
I did the whole thing.
I kissed him goodbye.
I made it so easy for him.
And it actually made it
easier for me.
- And we're both really happy.
- Well, that's great.
Wow.
Did you get everything
moved in okay?
Sure. I mean, it's not too much.
You know, it's a south-facing
apartment. I get light all day long.
And it's so much easier to clean.
I think you'll like your room.
Oh, yeah.
So I'll just, you know,
put my things away.
- Haven't made you any dinner, honey.
- Well, that's okay.
I'll pay her back one day.
I swear I will.
- You said that your friend was...
- He had a family emergency.
- But he was going to come.
- Yes.
He just... He had to go back
to Texas because...
I don't know.
His name's Rafe.
That's a nice name.
You'd really like him.
He's good-looking and kind.
And he's Jewish.
And, you know, he works
really, really hard.
- Well, maybe next time.
- Yeah.
He wanted to meet you.
He has a very close relationship
with his mother.
That's nice.
I gotta make a call.
Lizzie, don't.
It's, like, the 10th time today.
So?
So you'll drive him crazy,
piss him off.
You don't know
what you're talking about.
Fuck you for saying that.
Hello, Mrs. Stevenson?
Hi, this is Lizzie.
Lizzie. I'm a friend of Rafe's.
Is he there? Oh, he's busy.
Well, could you tell him it's urgent?
Okay. Bye.
Why won't he pick up the phone?
I would never do this to him.
So how is he?
I don't know. He was out.
I wonder if he lays awake at night
missing me...
...the way I miss him.
You ever love anybody, Ruby?
I mean, really love somebody.
You kidding? Sure.
You think you have.
You have no idea.
I suppose that you do.
Real love is total.
It's like life or death.
You know you'll die
when you're apart...
...because the need is so pure.
So complete.
All you know is sex.
Christ, you gave me a hard time
about Sam.
You never loved Sam.
How could you?
Oh, was I mean?
You can't take it,
the happening chick that you are?
Lizzie, I'm not crying
because you're mean.
I just can't imagine how incredibly
painful it must be to be you.
Listen, I'm at the airport.
No. No, I mean, I'm here...
...at the Austin Airport.
Oh, my God.
I've become the ultimate
nightmare girlfriend.
Maybe you should call your mom.
Let her know you're okay.
I can't.
Lizzie.
Look, you remember I told you...
...you coming here wasn't
such a good idea?
If you loved me enough.
All right, look.
There's something that
I haven't told you about.
- Oh, Christ, don't look at me like that.
- Just tell me.
- It's not what you think.
- Bastard.
- Cheap bastard.
- It's my sister.
It's my sister, all right!
So you're from New York originally?
Manhattan. I grew up
on the Upper West Side.
Rafe showed me
copies of your articles.
That's quite an achievement
for a first year.
Ellen. Ellen.
Hey, stop. Come on, please.
Hey, let's eat, okay. Come on.
You promised me you'd go to bed,
okay?
Good, come on. That's it.
Come on. Hey, come on.
Come on. Stop.
Ellen, you go to bed, and we'll go
to the park tomorrow, okay?
Come on. Come on, please?
Just, please.
Hey, you wanna go
to the park tomorrow?
Might have to take her to the doctor.
This carries on much longer,
I don't know what we're gonna do.
What is it?
You get off on this.
What?
This does it for you.
- What are you talking about?
- You hid her from me.
Don't you think there's a reason?
Don't you think
that tells me something?
Oh, Christ.
You're some kind of creepy voyeur.
- You like other people's misery.
- You're sick.
You're really... You're really sick.
Tell me it's not true.
Rafe, please.
I'll get the car.
Mom? How have you been?
How do you think I've been?
Christ, Lizzie, don't you ever think?
I'm sorry. I just...
I had to get to the airport right away.
I would have told you.
We've been having some problems.
It' just been really hard,
but we're patching things up.
Yeah, he loves me. I know he does.
It just...
He's just got
all this weird family stuff.
He' trying to help them and me.
And he' gotta help himself first.
And when he does,
everything' gonna be okay.
- I'm sure.
- I mean, I know we'll be fine.
I know that. I mean, do you think?
I'm no real help to you there, Lizzie.
I know. I know.
Mama, I'm sorry you had to move.
I know, sweetheart.
- I'm gonna go now, okay?
- Mom?
You call me...
Mom?
...when you've...
...seen Dr. Sterling.
Mom?
- Bye, honey.
- Mom!
I should've listened to him.
He told me not to come here.
I'm more trouble than I'm worth.
Well, what about your reading?
No, no.
Honey, you gotta get some work done.
Lizzie, this isn't working.
I know, I know, I know.
As soon as I get back,
I'll write your exam schedule.
There's no need, okay?
There's no need...
Well, then, I'll call you.
No, no calls! No calls, okay?
Look, this is not working, all right?
This is not my life.
I don't want this anymore.
What do you want?
Oh, you just woke up...
...and decided you wanted
to fuck freshmen girls...
...and do lots of drugs?
Is that what you want?
Yeah.
Yeah, that's exactly what I want.
I want to party.
I wanna have some fun.
You're the one who told me
to trust somebody.
Look what happened!
- You trusting Rafe has nothing...
- No!
All I want is for Rafe to come back...
...and you're talking about pills?
Because things are more difficult
for you now...
...I think you could use help.
- You said I was making progress.
Sometimes things
are more painful before...
You said this
would amount to something.
All this fucking pain!
And I am still saying that.
I can't believe you're pushing drugs
after all of this.
I'm recommending that you try
this medication...
...so you can gain some perspective
and not spin out of control.
Lizzie, isn't that what you want?
It takes two to six weeks
before your system swerves.
I know you don't.
But I can see it working okay.
Your mother' been calling.
She wants to come and see you.
Engine' beginning throttling
down now...
...at 94 percent.
Normal throttle for most of the flight,
Three engines are running normally.
Three good fuel cells.
Three good APUs.
Velocity, 2257 feet per second.
Hey, what the hell are you doing?
- Nothing.
- Trying to steal my purse.
- Challenger, go at throttle up.
- Roger, go at throttle up.
The space shuttle Challenger
exploded in a ball of fire...
...after it left the launching pad.
- the fragments from the...
Officials are saying there is
no evidence...
...to indicate that the astronauts
survived.
President Reagan...
- Challenger honored us with
the manner in which they lived.
Material from the scattered craft
is reported to be...
The worst accident in the history
of American space program...
- was a sign that something
had gone terribly wrong.
Ruby?
- Ruby?
- Jesus.
Hold on. Hold on, all right?
Ruby, come on, this is serious.
- What?
- My mother's been mugged.
I have to go to New York.
You've gotta come with me.
No.
Ruby, come on.
I'm asking for your help.
Lizzie, I'm done helping.
You're done? How can you...?
I can't.
I've had it.
All right?
I can't do it anymore.
This has gotta end.
Next week is just gonna be
some other crisis.
One for the road.
She refused the intravenous Demerol.
She refuses painkilling drugs?
Can we possibly be related?
Looks like she's gonna be here
for a few days, but she'll be just fine.
She'll need some help
when she gets back home.
But everything will be okay.
It' scary.
For the first time,
I'm being deprived of my tears.
I don't know what I'm doing.
I mean, let' face it.
Me being here to help
is like a cruel joke.
Not even heights
freak me out anymore.
You look a lot better.
That's what everybody says.
You know, Lizzie...
...I'm fine.
And there's no reason why you
can't go back up to Cambridge.
Mom, I've spoken with the nurses,
and they say that you need...
Honey, you've got exams
coming up.
You have to have somebody with you,
even if it's just a few days.
I can take care of myself.
I always have.
You're not going home alone.
It's the other cupboard.
I don't know.
Grandma.
I don't know what I would have
done without Lizzie here.
- None of this would've happened...
- Ma, don't say that.
...if it hadn't been for her.
They're gone.
Yeah.
I didn't really feel like
saying goodbye.
After all this time,
I never asked you about Rafe.
That's over.
He...
He never wants to see me again.
You know, when Donald left me...
...it seemed so incredible.
I just couldn't believe it.
I think I just forgot about you, Lizzie.
You know?
You were just a child.
So little.
But you needed me.
And that forced me
to pay attention again.
You know what I mean?
I had to take care of you.
And in a way,
you brought me back to life...
...and you became everything
for me.
I was so wrapped up in you.
But God, you were so full
of promise, Lizzie.
And I wanted so much
for you in your life.
And I couldn't see
that it wasn't good for you.
You just...
I know you wanted me...
...to be everything, and I can't be.
I can't be.
Look, Lizzie.
You don't have
to be anything for me.
You don't have to be well for me.
You understand?
You don't have to pretend.
I'll be okay, Mom.
I'll be okay.
I promise.
I'll be okay.
And there' a reason.
I call this the crack house,
where I come to score.
Dr. Sterling is my dealer.
It seems like everyone' doctor
is dealing this stuff now.
Sometimes it feels like we're
all living in a Prozac nation.
The United States of Depression.
I don't know who I am anymore.
I have this personality.
And it's fucked up, but it's me.
And I see myself becoming this
person who does the right thing...
...who says the right thing...
...but that's not me.
- You feel different, don't you?
- Of course I feel different.
I'm on medication.
That's the point, isn't it?
Yeah, that was the point.
You're just not comfortable
with who this new person is yet.
But I can't be this person
without taking pills.
The pills are giving you
breathing space.
This feels like everything's
just being covered up.
I recommend you stay on the
medication, but it's not my choice.
It's your choice.
Do you want to get off the pills?
Sweetheart, come here.
Come here, it's okay.
It's okay.
If only my life could be
more like the movies.
I want an angel to swoop down
like he does to Jimmy Stewart...
...in It's a Wonderful Life
and talk me out of suicide.
I've always waited for that one
moment of truth to set me free...
...and change my life forever.
But he won't come.
It doesn't happen that way.
All the drugs, all the therapy...
...the fights, anger, guilt,
Rafe, suicidal thoughts.
All of that was part
of some slow recovery process.
The same way I went down,
I came back up...
...gradually, and then suddenly.
The pills weren't a cure-all,
God knows...
...but they gave me
breathing space...
...which allowed me
to start writing again.
Only this time it wasn't
as if my life depended on it.