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Puzzle (2018)
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(VACUUM WHIRRING) (FESTIVE CHATTER) - (GRUNTS) - (PLATE SHATTERS) - Are you having fun? - Oh. Great time. - Thanks, babe. - I'm glad. We're gonna go outside and have a smoke. I'll call you for cake. (MUFFLED MUSIC PLAYING IN OTHER ROOM) (INDISTINCT CHATTER AND LAUGHTER) What's going on? There is a piece missing from the plate. I don't want anyone to step on it. Come on, Agnes. Come on, stand up. Not during the party. Come on. Not tonight. You're so cute. (MUFFLED MUSIC AND CHATTER CONTINUE IN OTHER ROOM) GUESTS: Happy birthday to you Happy birthday To you Happy birthday, dear Agnes Happy birthday to you. (APPLAUSE, WHISTLING AND WHOOPING) (BLOWING) (GUESTS CHEERING AND WHOOPING) (HUMMING "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU") (HUMMING QUIETLY) (SIGHS) AGNES (WHISPERING): Seven. Six. Five. Four. - Three. Two. - (SNORING) One. (SNORING CONTINUES) Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Now. (ALARM BEEPING) - (ALARM STOPS) - (SNORING CONTINUES) Lou. Honey. Louie. LOUIE: Huh? Time to get up. What? Time to get up. (WHISPERS): Five more minutes. LOUIE (GRUNTS): Five more minutes. - (WHISPERS): Please. - LOUIE: Please. (KNOCK AT DOOR) Five more minutes. Ten more minutes, Mom. I swear. (SIGHS) All right, Mom, everything's set up. What kind of apps do you think you want? - Apps? I don't want apps. - Hey, which, uh... which grit did you use on your final sanding? I don't want that phone. You take it. - Mine's perfectly fine. - You're seriously quizzing me - over breakfast? - It's not a quiz. What about The Weather Channel? I just saw you using 1,200 the other day, - and that's never gonna work. - I have a radio and a window. - I know when it's gonna rain. - Look, Dad, I don't want to talk about this at home. I need a break. Okay, well, you'll get a break once you get it all right. All right. Uh, well, I put my number and put Ziggy's and Dad's on speed dial. Whose else do you think you want? Do you need any help with breakfast, Mom? - No, sweetie. - You want Ezster and the church ladies or what? ZIGGY: Okay, fine, so what, I should've used the 400? AGNES: I don't know why I just wouldn't call them - on the home phone. - LOUIE: That or the six. Can someone please explain to my mother why she has to stop living in the 20th century? You even gonna use it, Mom? I guess I might use it like my old phone. - LOUIE: Thank you. - For emergencies. Mom, look. Just try it. You can Google something. You can Google recipes or Bible study or whatever. Literally everything in the world is on this one device. - Look. - No. No. Just type it into here. It's like carrying a little robot in your purse. - (LOUIE LAUGHING) - Or a little alien robot friend. I don't need it. Clearly, it doesn't need you, either. LOUIE: Hey. Let's say grace. Ziggy. Montreal. (TAKES OFF LID) (RUMMAGING IN BOX) (SIGHS) - Oh. - (TIRES SQUEALING) - (HORN HONKING) - Sorry. I'm sorry. I know. Sorry. MAN: There you go. (QUIET CHATTER) - Sorry. - It's okay. No, don't. Mom, it's like a thousand pieces. AGNES: Oh, it didn't take me very long. What's going on? Nothing. Mom just did a puzzle. Dinner is almost ready. Hey, aren't you gonna change? Mom asked me to set the table. In those filthy clothes? Come on. It's okay. I'll do it. (CRICKETS CHIRPING) LOUIE: Mmm. - The chicken is stuffed with garlic. - Mom, Nicki. I thought you just didn't eat red meat. I'm vegan. We, uh... we went through this already, Mom. So you never, ever eat chicken? (SIGHS) She's, like... she's hoping you're gonna forget. It's so embarrassing. I should have made fish. - I'm sorry. - ZIGGY: No, Mom, she... she doesn't eat any animals. But she has to have protein. She's still growing. Mom, don't say dumb shit like that. Hey. Enough, okay? NICKI: Honestly, it's fine. I can... I can eat the salad and bread. I'll be fine. Have you always been this way? Uh, Nicki is, um... she's also a Buddhist. Well, that sounds interesting. You know, I have no idea what that really means... "Buddhist." I always hear people talking about Buddhism and celebrities, but nobody says what it is. Okay. Well, um... so the root of all suffering is our desire not to suffer, so we have to give up on the idea of being happy. You're okay with not being happy? NICKI: Yeah, I try not to think that way. Happiness is an illusion. ZIGGY: Um, I read this thing about this kid who drowned in a river because the only person watching him was this Buddhist monk, and if you're Buddhist, you're not supposed to save anybody's life. You're not supposed to, like, interfere with their path. - Why can't Buddhists save lives? - NICKI: Oh! GABE: Where'd you... where'd you read that? It was an article. It was, like, a... like, a real article on, like, Huffington Post or something. Um, yeah, that's not Buddhism. Yeah, well, that monk should be shot. - Dad. - Louie. NICKI: No, he's right. I mean, metaphorically, of course. Yeah. You know, metaphorically. I get it. (LOUIE CLEARS THROAT QUIETLY) LOUIE: I don't know what to do about Ziggy. He's lazy. Agnes, are you listening to me? Shh. Lower your voice. What are you reading? Puzzle instructions. Don't you just put all the pieces together till you run out? What other instructions do you need? Strategies, suggestions. Doesn't matter. (SIGHS) You know... only children play with puzzles, Agnes. I don't think he's lazy. He just sits there until I tell him to do something. I mean, he does it when I tell him, but... he's got no initiative. All day. (SIGHS) What? Huh? You were looking at me with, like, some kind of... like, some kind of look in your eye. No, I wasn't. I know you, Agnes. - There was no look. - (SIGHS) - Say it. - There was no look. You know, I turned down a doughnut today. Okay? A jelly doughnut. You know how hard that is for me? You should be very proud of yourself. I am. And I cut back on smoking, too. And cholesterol... I mean, that's hereditary. It's not my fault. I just don't want to lose you. Well, then you better start praying. (BOTH CHUCKLE) (LOUIE SNORING) (VACUUM WHIRRING) AGNES: Hi, Lucy. WOMAN (VOICE-OVER): Lent starts in five days. Since we're no longer doing the soup kitchen, we need to start organizing a food drive. Is it true Father Kutash is only doing confession - once a month now? - No one shows up. There's nothing we can do about it. I guess we'll just have to pack our sins into neat monthly portions. I'm sorry. It was a joke. I didn't realize I was speaking out loud. (CHURCH BELLS CHIMING) Bingo. AGNES (VOICE-OVER): Aunt Emily? How are you? I heard. Completely broken? I'm so sorry. Good. Good. It's just, I have a question. The present you sent with Vlad... The puzzle. Yeah. No, it's very nice. In fact, I'd like to get another one. Where did you buy it? Uh-huh. (WRITING) Mm-hmm. Thompson and Third. Oh. That's too bad. No. I haven't been to New York for years. ANNOUNCER (OVER P.A.): Now arriving on track four, the local train to New Haven, making stops at Stratford, Milford, - West Haven, then New Haven. - (SIGHS) Now arriving, track four. (TRAIN APPROACHING) A ticket to Grand Central, please. That's $19. - How much? - 19. I thought it was eight. It's $19 one way, off-peak, when you purchase tickets on board. Next time, get it at the station. It's cheaper. You can get a ten-trip or a weekly. No, thanks. I don't think there'll be a next time. (INDISTINCT ANNOUNCEMEN OVER P.A.) (INDISTINCT CHATTER) Could you stop, please? I'll walk. I'm sorry. (QUIET CHATTER) Let me know if you need any help. You ready? What do you think, sir? - Which one? - Uh... (CHUCKLES) Depends on what you want to spend days looking at. What do you mean? They're each like a thousand pieces. Take forever. I'll take both. What's that about? "Desperately." CLERK: Uh... I don't know. Some guy. My father's usually here. I'm just visiting. (SIGHS) (CONTINUES TYPING) (TAPS PHONE; PHONE WHOOSHES) (SIGHS) (PHONE WHOOSHES) (TYPING) (LOUIE SNORING) FATHER KUTASH (VOICE-OVER): Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return. Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return. (DISTANT TRAFFIC RUMBLING, HORNS HONKING) 320... I'm Agnes. Hi. Robert. Come in. REPORTER (OVER TV): State authorities enacted Emergency Relief Act after flood waters forced millions from their homes... (SIGHING): Oh, God. Have you seen the news? What? No. Uh, I'm here about the puzzles. Flood in India, and thousands of people washed away just like that. It boggles the mind. There was an earthquake in northern Iran, and... I'm not trying to be gloomy. I know we're just meeting. It's just... (SIGHS) too much, you know. No, I didn't hear... Oh. Sorry. You seem to have some interesting mark on your forehead. Oh. It's Ash Wednesday. You're Catholic? Is that a problem? No, no. Not at all. As long as we don't have to share the prize with the Pope, you know? (BOTH CHUCKLING) Come. Uh, what prize? Coat. Um, you said prize? Every competition has a prize. Your ad never mentioned a competition. I thought it was obvious. "Champion desperately looking for a puzzle partner." Did you think I was looking for companionship? No, of course not. Uh, just a partner. For a competition. Come in. Come in. Please sit. All right. Let's see how we work together. Is this a test? Absolutely. (RUMMAGING THROUGH PUZZLE PIECES) What is the competition? National Jigsaw Puzzle Championship. I won the singles last year. My first time. I didn't know such a thing existed. Oh, don't tell anyone. There'll be a run on the place. What happened to your partner? How do you know I had a partner? You wouldn't have signed up for doubles if you didn't have a partner. Very good. She left. You're not doing it by color first? Rule number one of competitive puzzling: You've got to organize by color before you do anything else. I will do green and the blues. You do red and the dark browns. I've never really done it that way. How long have you been puzzling? A while. How long is a while? I'm very fast. You said that in your text. How long? I don't remember. Years. I was always good in math. Patterns. Shapes. I picked up a puzzle the other day, and... there it was. (CHUCKLES) Like riding a bike. (TIMER TICKING) - Pardon me. - Sorry. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. (TICKING STOPS) Fuck me. Pardon my French. Are you sure you don't need to think about it? No. Not-not... not for a minute. You're a godsend. It was meant to be. (CHUCKLES) So, uh, what works for you? Like, we have to meet at least twice a week. Uh, the tournament is in a month. Barely enough time to prepare. Oh. Oh. Don't tell me you can't do it now. No. I can do it. I'll do it. I want to. I'll... - Okay. - Yes. - Uh... wait. - So... Why did she leave you? Your last partner. Oh, she just left. No explanation, really. Not even a note. So, she wasn't just your puzzle partner? No. She was my wife. Oh. Was she good? At puzzles, I mean. Not as good as you. (CHUCKLES) Okay. Mondays and... Mondays and Wednesdays? You don't have to be at work? No, I-I work at home. Me, too. So, I got some bad news. Aunt Emily is sick. I mean, she broke her foot, the poor thing. Well, that's too bad. So, I'll be going to New Rochelle two days a week to help her out. You know, buy groceries, cook some meals for her. Mondays and Wednesdays, for about a month. That's a long time, Agnes. You won't even notice the difference. GABE: Should we go visit her, too? - I don't think that's necessary. - Yeah, I, um... I can't. I got a lot going on this weekend. So, I have to write one essay about why I want to go to college, and in another, I have to describe a transformative experience in my life. How about when you wet your bed at Cub Scout camp? - (LAUGHTER) - That must have been transformative. - Dude, fuck you! - LOUIE: Hey, hey. Language. You got a lady present. GABE: All right, let's just face it. There's nothing transformative in my life. Hmm. Maybe I just, like, shouldn't even go to college. Hey. Conversation's not happening right now. "Transformative" is such a funny word. Trans... form... a... tive. Trans-form-a-tive. (CHUCKLING): Why are you in such a good mood all of a sudden, Mom? I'm just happy we're together here. Right now, like this. She's using you. Everybody always uses you, and you let 'em. She's my aunt. Yeah, well, she's got her own family. I mean, you got things you gotta do around here. I mean, we need you. Like, I got invoices piled up at the garage I could use your help with. (SIGHS) All right. Maybe I'm just being selfish, all right? I admit it. I mean, I love you too much. You take such good care of us, I just... I want you to take it easy. Is that so wrong? Let me call her. No. I'll call her, tell her I can't come twice a week. Not even once a week. For your own sake, Agnes. Okay. (QUIET CHATTER) MAN: Ave Maria Gratia plena Maria Gratia plena Maria Gratia plena Ave, ave Dominus - (DOORBELL RINGS) - REPORTER: A massive tornado. Take a look. Touching down in Central... ROBERT: There's a tornado. I was watching... AGNES: I don't have as much time as I thought. We better start. All right. - (TIMER TICKING) - So, they give you the puzzle, and you pour the whole thing out at once. You don't take little handfuls and spread them around the table. I noticed you doing that the other day. You also stand up. And walk around the table a couple of times before you start. - Oh. - (AGNES GRUNTS) You get more perspective this way. You see puzzle pieces without the glare. You see patterns you might not have seen from your chair. You know, different color schemes. - All right? - Mm-hmm. Now we can sit. And it's-it's faster to divide things up. I... I do borders, you do colors. Well, all right. (TIMER TICKING) Your name should actually be pronounced "Ag-nesh," right? That's how my father would pronounce it. Yeah. But I was born here. Ag-nesh Oros. I was Mata before Oros. That's my maiden name. - Agnes Mata. - Really? I bet you heard plenty of Mata Hari jokes growing up. (TIMER STOPS TICKING) - (SWITCH CLICKS) - Tea, Maria. (CHUCKLES) That's funny. What's funny? A blind man on the train was singing "Ave Maria." That's funny how? "Tea, Maria." "Ave Maria." I don't know. It's ironic. That's not irony. That's coincidence. It doesn't mean anything. Has to mean something. You don't really believe that, do you? Come. I'm fine, ma'am, thank you. She's fine. - Thank you, Maria. - Mmm. You're so much more comfortable when you're focusing on the puzzles, aren't you? Why? You ask a lot of questions. (ROBERT CHUCKLING) Yeah. That's how you get to know someone. But I don't ask you anything. Go ahead. I can't think of a question right now. That's my point. You're uncomfortable around me. Well, I don't know you. But it's not just that. I, uh... I'm not comfortable, generally, because I... because, normally, my mind is, uh... I don't know. Because, normally, your mind is moving so fast, you don't really know where it's going. There's nowhere for you to express your mind. No one to express it to. It makes you nervous. So you focus on menial tasks. Puzzles are menial tasks for you, so you can focus. But the results are aesthetically pleasing, you like it, and it turns you on. What? I'm not sure I totally understand what you just said. (CHUCKLING) Honestly, Agnes, if you learn the rules and hone the technique, I think we have a good chance at going to Belgium. - Belgium? - If we win the nationals, we go to the World Jigsaw Puzzle Federation competition. It's in Brussels, right after the nationals. You don't want a free trip to the ancestral home of the Brussels sprout, Mata? I don't think we have time for tea. ROBERT: Ave Maria. ("AVE MARIA" BY ESTHER CHOI CHUNG PLAYING) Ave Maria Jungfrau mild Erhore einer Jungfrau Flehen Aus diesem Felsen Starr und wild Soll mein Gebet zu dir hin wehen... (INDISTINCT CHATTER) LOUIE: Hey. Look who it is. To what do we owe the honor? Mmm. What is this? You trying to kill me or something? No. God. It's just, you've been so good. I'm just kidding. I thought maybe I'd take a look at the invoices. All right. Hey, Ziggy! Come out here a second. - Zig! - What? - Oh, hey, Mom. - Hi. Where were you? I was in the bathroom. But you just came from outside. Yeah, I was taking a smoke break. Well, why'd you say you were in the bathroom if you were out having a smoke? 'Cause that's where I was before. You don't want me to smoke in the bathroom, right? I'm gonna get started. LOUIE (IN OTHER ROOM): Listen, we're gonna run a diagnostic on the car, check the electrical work. We might find some damage. We're gonna check everything, all right? WOMAN: All right. I don't know, I... LOUIE: Now, hopefully, the chassis doesn't need straightening out. (CONVERSATION CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY IN OTHER ROOM) (CONVERSATION CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY) ZIGGY: All the other guys flirt with the customers, and he just, like, talks about how awesome his wife is all the time. Your father is a decent, good man. Yeah. That's what he says about you. That's nice. Are you okay, Zig? Uh... I don't know. Yeah, I'm miserable. I hate my life. Oh, honey. Dad hired me out of pity. That's not true. I'm not good at this. Do you have any idea what it's like to spend all day not doing something you're good at? So, what would you rather do? What are you good at? I don't think I'm good at anything. I want to cook, Mom. What? I've watched you cook my whole life. I watch cooking shows when no one's home. I think I'd be happy doing what you do, not what Dad does. But I don't do anything. Are you fucking kidding? Mom, you do a million things, and you're good at all of them. I feel bad Ziggy never got to go to college. Well, he had terrible grades. Gabe's the smart one. But still. Maybe he should have tried, or we should have helped him try. We didn't have any money for that. (LOUIE CLEARS THROAT) Do you ever wish you'd gone? To college, I mean. Learn something just to know it? No. I would have hated college. I think I would have majored in math. Math, huh? (CHUCKLES) You're cute. Ever wonder what your life would be like if you met me a few years later? Or never met me at all? Not for one second. I thank God every day I have you. Every single day? Yeah. And night. I think we should watch the news. Now? No. Just more often. Why? Nothing good ever happens in the world. Still, shouldn't we know about it? Uh... hey, Agnes. - Still here. - Sorry. (LOUIE SIGHS) (LOUIE GRUNTS SOFTLY) When I was in your office doing paperwork, I saw one of the bank statements. Well, I told you we had a pretty bad year. You didn't tell me it was that bad. We don't have enough to send Gabe to college. He's gonna need a full scholarship now. Well, what am I supposed to do? I work my ass off. We could sell the land in Ellenville. But we love going to Ellenville. - No, it's impossible. - Why? Why? Because fishing's the most important thing in my life. What? Fishing is the most important thing in your life? Come on, Agnes. You know that's not what I meant. (DOORBELL RINGS) (WHISTLING A TUNE) Are you going somewhere? No. We are. Together? Where? Oh, it's a surprise. I don't like surprises. You'll like this one. Come. (TIMER TICKING) I don't understand why we have to compete already. What's the big deal? Who are these people? I thought we'd do this to boost your confidence. Well, you thought wrong. All right, j-just focus on what I'm doing. I looked you up. I mean, I Googled you on my phone. Oh. You're an inventor? Uh, not really. Something about magnets? Yeah. No. Uh... uh... I have a patent under my name. One invention... one good idea that took off. That's it. I stumbled onto it almost by accident. Haven't come up with anything since. It made you rich. It was a fluke. I'm not an inventor. Let's just do the puzzle. Why are people staring at us? Okay, okay. (TIMER STOPS TICKING) (ROBERT CLEARS THROAT) This was a bad idea. I'm sorry. Let us get out of here. At the end, she just didn't like me. We got divorced. And I never wanted kids anyway. Why not? Frankly, I don't like kids. (BOTH CHUCKLE) How can you say that? You were a kid yourself once. Right, and I hated it. Not everyone's supposed to have kids, you know. And not only for selfish reasons. Sometimes for the kids' sake. (SIGHS) In this town... kids are an ornament, a fashion statement, an accessory, a... a check box. Honestly, I never felt the need. - (RINGTONE PLAYING) - Does that make me weird? Is everything okay, Ziggy? Yes. You scared me. (SIREN WAILING NEARBY) Well, this is my emergency phone. I'm not at home right now. I'm out. Out. I'm at a church meeting. Yes. I'll see you later. Church? (CHUCKLES) I have to go. Was that your son? Yeah. My oldest accessory. (CHUCKLES) And no, it doesn't make you weird. Just different... from everybody I've ever met. I'm sorry I'm late. Ezster. You missed the Ladies Guild meeting. We were worried. That was today? Yes, it was. I-I was with my Aunt Emily. I'm sorry. She had an accident. (CLEARS THROAT) She broke her foot, and, uh, she needed me. There was no one else. Anyway, I was at the grocery store, and the line was just out the door. You can't tell me to refuse a poor woman in need, and during Lent. It's bad enough your sister casts an evil eye on me for missing the church meeting. Okay, you're exaggerating. Ezster is not... For once, take my side. There's so much pain all around us. So much suffering in the world. Why shouldn't I help? (SCOFFS) What does that mean? You lied to me, like a child. You denied me an act of charity, like a heartless master. What is that supposed to mean? You know exactly what it means. (DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES) (CRICKETS CHIRPING) Hey. You shouldn't smoke. You shouldn't lie. I'm sorry. I... Nah, don't tell me. I don't want to know. Whatever it is, uh... I hope it's something that makes you feel good. It's nothing like that. Why didn't you ever divorce him? Seriously, you've never really been happy. I don't think a mother and son should be having a conversation like this. Whatever. Can I have one? Cigarette? Yeah. (AGNES COUGHING QUIETLY) (COUGHING LOUDLY) (CHUCKLING): Jesus, Mom. When's the last time you had one? This is my first. - Thank you. - (ZIGGY LAUGHS) AGNES (WHISPERING): Five. Four. Three. Two. One. (CELL PHONE ALARM PLAYS A TUNE) (LOUIE GROANS QUIETLY) Five more minutes, please. Take an hour or two. What? (SIGHS) Mata? I'm early. I'm sorry. - I can come back. - No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Come in. Come in. (INDISTINCT NEWSCAST PLAYING) The elections are too close to call. They think there's going to be a coup. Go ahead. I'll be right there. Please. Oh, I should put that stuff away. Is this where you work? Tea? Okay. (TIMER TICKING) Mata, if you have picked up a piece and looked at it, don't put it back; set it aside. It will save us time later. Remember? Excuse me. (TIMER STOPS TICKING) AGNES (VOICE-OVER): I should go. Oh. Oh, please, please, please, don't rush out on me. (SIGHS) It's 3:00 already. I can't be late home. No, if-if you want, I'll-I'll... I will come to your home next time. I'll see you here Monday. And next time, put on some real clothes, for God's sake. (LOUIE SNORING) (GROANS) What? What? You're snoring. (LOUIE SIGHS) What do you want me to do about it? Stop. How? - I don't know. - (LOUIE SIGHS) Second paragraph. All right, let's see. Uh... "My mother doesn't know anything about the world "outside of our house, our church, "our traditions and our family. "She, like my father and brother, never went to..." It says "collage." He spelled "college" wrong. Probably spell-check. Keep going. "I love my mother, but I also feel bad for her. "She's a sheltered person and doesn't think of anything "but serving the men in her life. "A child of Hungarian immigrants, "she lost her mother when she was young "and grew up doting on her dad. "She's still living in the house he raised her in. "I want to be different. I want to go to college "and learn about other cultures and not just my own. "I don't just want to become my father, "who is too scared to think outside the box, or my mother, who just won't let herself come alive." Well, he does say he loves you. Oh, God. Come on, Mata. To me, this all just rings false. It doesn't sound like you at all. I think it sounds exactly like me. I disagree. You-you can... You don't know me. Hey. Hey. I know that you are the best puzzler I've ever met. I know that you are modest and funny and... and beautiful and strange. (LAUGHS) I don't know... I don't know why someone like you would find me interesting. That's exactly why. Ag-nesh. Can I... Can I kiss you right now? ANNOUNCER: This is New Rochelle. New Rochelle Station. (BEEPING) I feel terrible that I wasn't able to come visit you any sooner, Aunt Emily. Oh, I've got plenty of people looking in on me. It's like Grand Central Station in here sometimes with the grandkids and great-grandkids. I keep getting their names wrong. This helps an old lady like me. How are you, Agnes? Me? I'm, uh... I feel... I'm different. I'm... ...not good. But not bad at all. In between. Louie? He's the same. I'm just, all of a sudden... EMILY: Hmm. That happens sometimes. I got mad at your Uncle Laszlo about the same things for 50 years. Every day, same thing. Then one day, I just stopped. Didn't matter anymore. I always thought you two had a great marriage. We did. (LOUIE HUMMING ALONG TO SONG ON RADIO) Clap for the Wolfman He gonna rate your record high - Mmm - (LOUIE CLEARS THROAT) - Yes, gracious - (LOUIE HUMMING) Clap for the Wolfman You gonna dig him till the day you die. (BIRDS SQUAWKING AND CHIRPING) This is what it's all about. LOUIE: Fine. I'll think about it. Thank you. I'm not saying we're selling it. But I'll give it some thought. At my own pace. - You're the big boss. - (LOUIE CHUCKLES) (LOUIE CHUCKLES) What? Nothing. Everything's perfect. Just like this. Ouch. What? My back, the ground. Oh, Agnes. Let's switch. - Yeah? - Yeah. (LOUIE SIGHS, GRUNTS) - Letting all the cold air in. - (AGNES CHUCKLES) (LOUIE SIGHS) (LONG SIGH) - Is that better? - Mm-hmm. (LOUIE TAKES A DEEP BREATH) - Ow. - (AGNES LAUGHS) (LOUIE LAUGHS) LOUIE: A puzzle competition? Really? Well, how big is it? - 500 pieces. - No, not the puzzle. The... the competition. Oh. About 360 in the individual competition. Look, I don't think it's such a good idea. I'm doing it. Honey... I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. I'm finally doing something on my own, and you can support me or not. I'll do it either way. Wow. Do you want me to sign up and do it with you? No. I'm doing it by myself. (TIMER TICKING) Don't even try. That's not gonna fit yet. You're wasting your time. Maybe I should just watch you do it, then. Okay. I was kidding. That's a mistake. I don't have a sense of humor. Never have, never will. That's why we get along. All you care about are disasters. That's actually funny. What? Stay. Have a drink with me. I have to beat the traffic. I'll see you next week. I'll miss you, Mata. Why did you say that? 'Cause I meant it. How can you mean it? I don't know. How can this be happening? I don't know. Why are we wasting all this time doing puzzles? What else is there to do? It's a childish hobby for bored people. You know that's not true. Tell me you're not a bored rich guy. Tell me I'm not a childish housewife. No, that's not what we are. You have much more important things to do. You're a man of ideas. Why do you do these stupid puzzles? It's a way... to control the chaos. That's ridiculous. Come on, Mata, you... you're missing the point. Okay. What is the point, Robert? Life is messy. It doesn't make any goddamn sense. Sorry to break the news to you. Life's just random. Everything's random. My success, you here now. There's nothing we can do to control anything. But when you complete a puzzle, when you finish it, you know that you have made all the right choices. No matter how many wrong pieces you tried to fit into a wrong place, but at the very end, everything makes one perfect picture. What other pursuits can give you that kind of perfection? Faith? Ambition? Wealth? Love? No. Not even love can do that, Mata. Not completely. (QUIET CHATTER) Confession, Agnes? How about you? Confession? GABE: Nah, Nicki's parents are jerks. They grounded her for a month, then they went away on a cruise. And now her stepsister is watching her like a warden. LOUIE: A warden doesn't watch the prisoners. The guards do. GABE: Whatever. It's the same difference. She's in jail, and I need to break her out. LOUIE: Oh... (LOUIE CLEARS THROAT) My manchego isn't in the cheese drawer. (LOUIE SIGHS) I didn't go grocery shopping today. - Sorry. - What? Oh, that's too bad. I was looking forward to that stuff. I said I'm sorry. I'll get some tomorrow. Jesus. What are you looking at? Can't you do something? Like? Like, why don't you set the table for once? Ziggy helps out when he can. Who made you the prince in this family? Okay. (CLOCK CHIMING QUIETLY) So, I got into the tournament. I signed up. Oh, good. You took my advice. Your mother is gonna do a puzzle competition. Jigsaw puzzles. - Cool. - Nice. What happens if you win? What do you mean? If you win, what do you get? Is there a prize? Oh. I don't know. I think you get a trophy or something. Something small. - To Mom. - To Mama. To Mom and to competition. You know, your mother and I, we want to talk to you two about something else. We're gonna sell the land in Ellenville. You're kidding. It's for the two of you. Well, you know, for, uh, Gabe, for you to have money for your education, and, Ziggy, you know, so that you can get your own place, you know, when you're ready. Put a down payment on a house. Lou, when did we, uh...? Wait. Seriously? - Is this a joke? - No, it's no joke. Okay, but don't you want to spend that money on yourselves? Take a vacation or something. Mom, you barely leave the house. Go to Montreal. You've always wanted to go there. No, okay? It's a gift for you two. End of story. GABE: I think it's a great idea. I don't understand how you could make a decision like that without me. It was your idea. But the last time we talked, you said you'd think about it. I did think about it. But we didn't even get to discuss it first. Well, wh-what is there to discuss? It's what you wanted. What? I don't understand what the fucking problem is. The fucking problem is my fucking husband not thinking there's a fucking problem. (LOUIE SIGHS) (SIGHING): Ah, fuck. Hey, Ag, uh... couple of people said they didn't get their invite to the Easter party. Oh, that's strange. I mailed them all. I'm helping Mom cook for the party. LOUIE: Okay. Hey, can you, uh... not forget to get my cheese? GABE: Hey. So, um, guess what, everyone. I have some good news. I have decided what I'm gonna do with the Ellenville money. - (TAPPING TABLE RHYTHMICALLY) - LOUIE: Stop that. That money is for college. I, um... I'm gonna take a year off. I'm gonna go to Tibet with Nicki. And I, uh, think I'm gonna go to college eventually, but I just kind of want to take some time to figure out what I'm gonna do exactly. Dad said that money is for a house for Ziggy and your college. Um... Well, no. He kind of said that it was a gift. Are you gonna say anything? GABE: I mean, travel's kind of an education unto itself. Louie? I did say it was a gift. (SPOON CLANGS IN FRYING PAN) (DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES) (INSECTS CHIRPING, BIRDS TWEETING) (CELL PHONE RINGTONE PLAYS) REPORTER (OVER TV): The Kilauea volcano flow has continued its escalation, and locals hope it won't engulf the town below. Some locals tell us, while the lava won't necessarily hit their homes or businesses... Hello? What are you doing right now? What am I doing? I'm doing nothing, really. As usual. (CHUCKLES) REPORTER: Authorities reported the flow moving 11 to 14... Happy Holy Thursday. (SIGHS) Is it Thursday already? Holy Thursday. Tomorrow is Good Friday, and Sunday is Easter. The resurrection. I know what Easter is, Mata. I also know that you are not the believer you once were. And that's okay. I like it when you call me Mata. That's who you are. (SIGHS) It was. It used to be. God. It's the worst thing I've ever done. Wait, what? What happened? - Kissing you. - (CHUCKLING): Oh. Wow. If that's the worst thing you have ever done, Agnes, you are pretty damn lucky. (ROBERT CHUCKLING) I haven't gone to confession. I don't know how to confess this. I've been telling lies. I love you. (PHONE CLICKS) (HONKS HORN) (SIGHS) (SNIFFLES) (CRYING SOFTLY) (SNIFFLES, SIGHS) (SNIFFLES, SIGHS) Oh. Hi. You okay, Mom? Where's dinner? I guess I forgot. You forgot about dinner? (CHUCKLING): What else you forget about? You forget about us? I'm sorry. Just be a minute. Did you buy my cheese? Did you forget about that, too? I did. You think this is funny? - What's wrong with you? - ZIGGY: Come on, Dad. No, I slave all day for this family. I come home, and you're making puzzles? ZIGGY: Look, I'm gonna make dinner for everyone, okay? Dad, just go upstairs and take a shower. I'll take care of it. No, this is bullshit. If you leave now, don't come back. Finished. I'll make you dinner now, dear. NICKI: You know a third of the population... I think it's something like 34%... in Tibet, they live below the poverty line. That's a dollar and 25 cents a day. How is anyone expected to survive like that? God, just basic needs. Shelter, food, clothes. I've been thinking. Ziggy, maybe instead of getting your own place, you could go back to school. Maybe culinary school. LOUIE: Culinary school? You want him to be a cook? He's clearly good at it. So what? You think it's a bad idea? Frankly, I don't think it's a very manly thing to do, is what I think. AGNES: All the great chefs today are men. - Most. - No one asked you. Most of the great chefs today are men. - Many. - How do you know that? I looked it up online. - (CHUCKLES) Yeah. - Stay out of this. I think, if this little punk wants to go to Tibet, then Ziggy should do whatever he wants with that money. Punk? You don't want to work at the garage anymore? Do you want to study... cooking? Cat got your tongue? - (LOUIE SCOFFS) - (DROPS FORK ON TABLE) You turned my oldest son against me. ZIGGY: No, Dad. It's what I want. It's my idea. Mom's just trying to help. Don't wait up for me. (FOOTSTEPS DEPARTING) (DOOR OPENS) (DOOR CLOSES) (FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING) I told you not to wait up for me. You're drunk. Go to bed. Goddamn it, Agnes. You've forgotten how to listen. I never did you wrong. Ever. - This fucking puzzle. - Louie! Oh! Jesus. Look at you. What are you...? What's going on? Who's filling your head with all these new ideas? Selling the land and cooking school? - This fucking competition? - Oh! You know what my father would have done to my mother in this situation? (GASPS) (VOICE BREAKING): I'm not my father. I'm not him. (CORK POPS) Surprise. To our last practice together. - To you. - To you. To getting all the wrong pieces right. Right. Oh, God, you're so beautiful. (ROBERT SIGHS) Anyway, let's start. (GLASS SHATTERS) AGNES: We have an Easter egg hunt. Louie's family comes early, and all the women from the Ladies Guild. What would happen if you didn't go? I don't know. ROBERT: Hmm. People would still show up, right? And your husband would have to entertain them. And maybe that would be all right. I can't imagine it. Don't go. Don't go to the party. Stay here. Stay here. Stay here. I can't stay. I know. (CELL PHONE RINGTONE PLAYING) Oh, God. What time is it? (SIGHS) Look, I, uh... Please don't make any excuses, Ag. Please. I know you weren't with Emily. I called her. And Ronnie was here earlier. He said he saw you at the train station the other day. I... I got stuck. I, uh... Please don't lie to me. Just don't lie to me, okay? You gotta tell me, Agnes. You gotta tell me everything. I don't have to tell you anything. I'm not your servant. You don't own me. Are you having an affair? Yes, I am. I think. You think you're having an affair? I have a puzzle partner. He's a man. We are a team. Uh, we're competing as a team. We've had sex one time, and it wasn't good, but it wasn't bad. Can you say something? (CRIES) We began our celebration today with a service of light, which represents Jesus Christ rising from the dead and bringing light unto us. Christ's light has shone in the world, scattering darkness forever. We had been waiting for this moment from the beginning. We heard in our readings today an account of the creation of man and woman. This was in God's eternal plan for humankind. But the high point is the resurrection. It is God's greatest gift to God's church. And this is the most blessed of days, as we heard in the Exultet, the Easter Proclamation. Hey, uh, I'm gonna go to the garage, do some work. Do you want a ride? No, I'm good. What are you doing up already? (CHUCKLING): What does it look like? I was gonna do that. Yeah, well, today I'm doing it. You can relax. It's your big day. You need to save your energy for lifting puzzle pieces. It's really good. Yeah, it's the truffle oil. GABE: Isn't that chocolate? - ZIGGY: No, it's mushrooms. - GABE: Whatever. GABE: Hey, Mom. I really think you're gonna win this thing. ZIGGY: Yeah. Bring home the trophy. ANNOUNCER (VOICE-OVER): All right, puzzlers, - this is it. - WOMAN: Yes! The moment of truth is upon us. Ready? On my count. Five. Four. Three. - Two. One. - MAN: Here we go! Begin. (INDISTINCT CHATTER) (INDISTINCT CHATTER CONTINUES) What are you doing? Stand up. Remember, it's important to step away and take a look? Shh. I'm working. WOMAN: Okay, almost halfway. You're not doing it by color. You're doing it the old way. What are you doing? Everyone else is doing colors and borders. Yeah, that's how we trained. If we do it that way, we won't win. We'll come second or third. I'm doing it the old way. Listen, listen, listen, listen. If we argue about this, we definitely won't win. You're a goddamn rebel. A rebel is what you are. GABE: Hello. Is this an emergency? Yes. Hi. What happened? I won. - What? Hey! She won! - NICKI: She won! ZIGGY: She won? That's awesome! - NICKI: You're so good! - (LAUGHTER, WHOOPING) GABE: Congratulations. I left a roasted chicken in the fridge. You can just heat it up with some... GABE: What? Mom, don't worry about it. We can, uh... we can take care of ourselves. Okay. I love you, sweetie. Do you want to talk to Dad? No. (CLEARS THROAT SOFTLY) - No, that's okay. - All right. Congratulations, Mom. ZIGGY: Proud of you, Mom. GABE: Love you. Thank you. Bye. (PHONE BEEPING) (KNOCKING AT DOOR) ROBERT: Hello? Knock, knock. Mata, are you in there? I need your date of birth. What for? I'm on the phone booking tickets to Brussels. Do you have a frequent-flier number with American, Mata? (LAUGHS) (AGNES YELLING IN PAIN) (GROANS, HISSES IN PAIN) LOUIE: What happened? Did you get a splinter or something? Oh, it hurts! Here, let me see. Yeah, that's a piece of glass. - It's tiny. - Don't! - Sorry, sorry, sorry. - (AGNES GROANS) I think it's the last piece. Of what? Of the plate you broke. Come here. Let me see it. Okay. Just tell me if this hurts, okay? Oh, man. Does that hurt? All right. It's almost there. Okay. You ready? For what? I'm gonna pull it out. It might hurt, okay? Are you ready? Okay. (GRUNTS) (GROANS) I'm gonna miss this place. I remember the day your dad came home and said, "Guess what. "I bought a piece of land. "There's a cabin, a lake. "We'll never have to think about where to go on vacation ever again." (CHUCKLING): So that's why we never went anywhere. It's ironic. We had a place to go, so we never went anywhere. And now we don't have a place to go, we'll have to go somewhere. Do something. Be something or someone. I don't really know what you're talking about, Mom. (THUNDER RUMBLING) Is this about you and Dad? (CELL PHONE RINGTONE PLAYING) Hey. Are you all packed? I'm with my family. Mata, you have to get to the airport at least three hours early for an international flight. You have to be here around 1:00. Security is going to take forever. Uh, did you tell Louie? I'm not coming. Mata... Please... don't... don't do this to me. I love you. I miss you. I'm sorry. I love you, too. I miss you, too. Sometimes Life can promise so much Each breath of air Will never reach deep enough It's a bottomless well Of trust Sometimes A touch of a hand Can spread out... ANNOUNCER (OVER P.A.): This train will be making stops in Poughkeepsie, Albany, Saratoga and Whitehall. Our final destination is Montreal. Please let the light in Let the light in... Every second Every moment Carries hope On its shoulders Standing tall Growing more and more Whispering Please let the light in Let the light in... Every second Every moment Carries hope On its shoulders Standing tall Growing more and more Stretching, peeking Over all of us... (MUSIC FADES) |
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