DOT: All I wanted
was to be invisible.
It was a simple request.
It didn't
involve anyone else.
When I was in a room
with another person,
I felt like I was
only half there.
When I was in a room
with two other people,
I felt like
a third of myself.
When I was in a room
with three other people,
I felt like
a quarter of myself.
And when I was in
a whole crowd of people,
I felt like nobody.
(BELL RINGING)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
NINA: I hate you.
MICHELLE: Please.
...all of those things.
Oh, I think he's hot.
Oh, Tiff Peedle told me
he only has one nut.
That's disgusting.
Tiff Peedle's
a pathological liar.
You never know.
There's only one way
to find out, really.
You're not doing that. Stop.
No. No.
Hey, Connor.
Hey, what's going on?
Nothing.
He blatantly likes you.
Do you think?
Blatantly wants to fuck you.
Oh, my God.
Frederica Diaz told me
he was a massive fuck.
Frederica Diaz?
Yes.
Spanish exchange student?
Sophomore,
fall, big butt, small skirts,
homeroom 42, remember?
Yes. Right.
Yes.
What?
(GIGGLING)
God.
The freaks
don't even want her.
Your new sister is Z-list.
She's not my sister.
It's karmic law, Nina.
Your house is perfect,
your mom's a babe,
your dad's hot.
Don't be gross.
And you're
the prettiest girl in school.
Yeah, well, I'm fat.
Well,
you were bound to inherit
a retard sooner or later.
Dot.
Do you mind
if I sit down with you?
I could sure
use some company.
(WATER DRIPPING)
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)
Come on,
we've been waiting for you.
Let's go.
Fuck! It's ridiculous!
Hurry up.
Where was she hiding?
She was in the bathroom.
Ugh! What a freak.
NINA: Can't believe
my parents took her in.
When she arrived last week,
she was holding
a cardboard box
with her dad's ashes in it.
(BIRDS TWITTERING)
(WOMAN CHATTERING ON TV)
I really wish
you would accept Dot, Nina.
We're all in this together.
Whatever.
It wasn't my decision.
She's sitting right there.
So what? She can't even hear.
She can't even speak.
It's like she's a cat,
or a dog or something.
(GIGGLES)
My mom says hi.
She wanted me to tell you
that her sister
is looking
for an interior decorator,
if you're interested.
She lives in Wallingford.
Well, I will give her a call.
I'm still very
busy here, though.
I haven't even
finished the kitchen.
Or the living room,
or the dining room.
Will you help me
with dinner, Dot?
Don't touch that, please.
I'm sorry. My mom's
a total control freak.
This could be
the fabric for our new couch.
Jesus Christ, Mom,
she was just touching it.
It's not Like she has cooties
or something.
Besides, you're
letting the retarded girl
touch our food.
Be careful, Nina,
she can read lips.
Your bedroom looks great,
Mrs Deer.
I love the new curtains.
They're very dramatic.
When were you in my bedroom?
We were just getting
some lipstick, Mom.
Mr Deer did such a nice job
with this house.
It's the nicest house
in Meriden, everyone says so.
Thank you, Michelle.
(WOMAN CHATTERING ON TV)
Not Like that, Dot.
You're wasting
too much of the bean.
(MUSIC PLAYING ON TV)
I was watching the news.
Why can't we watch something
that actually affects us?
Michelle's
staying for dinner.
Not tonight, Nina.
Why, there's not enough food
with the deaf girl?
Your father's had a long day.
I'm sure he would
Like a quiet night.
Well, then,
why doesn't he
dine alone with Dot?
Paul Deer,
how nice to see you again.
Janice Feltswater.
I'm Nina's college advisor.
Parent-teacher conference.
Oh, yes.
Yes.
I've been meaning
to touch base with you.
Or your wife.
I, uh, I'm concerned.
About Nina?
About Dot.
The disabled girl
you've taken in?
She's deaf.
She seems very unhappy.
She just lost her father.
They were very close.
What about her mother?
Cancer, when Dot was seven.
Oh, tragic.
Yes.
You are so good
to have taken her in.
You're not only
a brilliant architect,
you're a good man.
Thank you.
Olivia Deer?
Yes.
Something wrong?
Oh, uh,
my wife had a root canal.
Ouch.
Antibiotics.
Well, it was nice to see you.
Good to see you.
Good night.
Tell your wife hello.
I will. Good night.
Good night.
(DOOR CLOSES)
PAUL: Hello, Dot.
Did you have
a good day at school?
She spent most of the day
in the bathroom.
She's a total freak.
Can't you just be,
Like, her un-godparents?
PAUL: You look nice today.
I just said
that you Look nice today.
Well, I Look Like shit
and I need to wash my hair.
Mom's passed out
in the Living room.
Hey, come here. Take it.
It's great.
It's, Like,
socially acceptable.
It's legalised heroin.
My mom won't notice.
Pussy.
Hey.
Paisley.
It's hard work decorating,
Paul.
I have to rely
on the French and Italians
to send me fabrics.
Come on.
Let's get you to bed.
Come on.
Up you go.
Up.
You all right?
(MOANS)
Thanks, hon.
Stop it.
What?
Looking at me Like that.
Like what?
My hip still hurts at night.
This arrived today.
Now the room
is finally finished.
It's perfect.
Good.
I'm sorry.
About Dot.
(SIGHS)
I want her here, Olivia.
It was the right thing to do.
I should get
the girls dinner.
Don't say it Like that.
Don't imply,
every time you say
that you are
going to do something,
you are implying
I am not the one doing it.
You're tired, Olivia.
Get some sleep.
No, I'm self-aware!
I'm incredibly
fucking self-aware.
So, you think
Dot's going to be able
to keep up
with your classes at school?
I don't know,
why don't you ask her?
You seem to be an expert
in deaf-speak.
You know, there's an
American Sign Language course
at the evening extension.
I thought it would be fun
if we all learned
a little sign language.
You mean
she's actually staying?
Of course she's staying,
Nina.
She doesn't
have anybody else.
She doesn't have any family.
She's not as fortunate
as you.
It wouldn't hurt for you to,
you know,
take some
sign Language courses.
It couldn't
help but Look good
on your college applications.
People Like to see
a Little initiative.
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
NINA: Hello? Yeah. I know.
Yeah, well,
let me call you back. Okay.
You make yourself
at home, okay, Dot?
I'm spending the night
at Michelle's.
We have to practice
our new routines.
Tonight?
Yeah, I wanted to give you
and your new daughter
some time to bond.
TEACHER: Michelle Fell
with Norman Griss,
Nina Deer with Nelim Sathime.
Oh, and, Dot,
for this dissection
you'll be partnered
with Connor Kennedy.
Okay?
All right, everybody.
Hi.
PILN: Peel back
that outer layer of skin
and get yourself acquainted
with the general
anatomical structure.
I'm calling PETA.
This is major
animal cruelty right now.
PILN: Save it, Miss Fell.
Oh...
Gentle, Dot, slow.
The pig is already dead.
MICHELLE: I can't believe
that auditory waste product
gets to lab with Connor.
It's Like Piln
trying to hold fate.
And I want to fuck him.
Fuck him.
He's obviously
afraid of commitment.
So, who do you want to
bang-chung these days, Nina?
No one.
Nina,
you got to get it going.
You are 17
and you're still a virgin.
Don't worry, I'm not
going to tell anybody.
It's just
if you don't pop this thing
before the end of the year,
you're going to end up
being a high-school spinster.
Blatantly.
Now,
I really just don't get it.
You could have
anybody you wanted.
Except Connor.
Dibs on him this semester.
Oh, Look.
Dot's found a companion
she can speak with.
Maybe Myrna
will adopt her, and that way
she can have
two deaf daughters.
DOT: When Beethoven
was 17 years old,
his mother died.
In 1801, when Beethoven
first discovered
he was losing his hearing,
he got severely depressed.
(CHATTERING)
...he actually
knows who I am.
I gave him two weeks' notice.
Watch,
I'm telling you right now...
What?
Oh, nothing, man.
I want to see.
Don't worry about it.
Hey, what the fuck?
You don't want to fuck
with the master, baby.
Come on.
Hey, you guys, come on.
Let's go.
DOT: But he emerged
from this moment of crisis
triumphant.
His middle period
is characterised
by a heroic tone,
as in his opera, Fidelio,
where a wife
saves her imprisoned husband
from murder
at the hands of his enemy.
Come here, Dot.
Don't be scared,
you need some colour.
It's too bad
I stopped seeing you
after your mom died.
I always wanted a sister.
You know,
maybe if you would have had a
female influence in your life,
you wouldn't
Look Like a janitor.
There, Looks perfect.
Now you actually
Look Like a woman.
Later.
I had a pop quiz
in history today. I got a B-.
Oh, that's too bad.
Michelle got a C.
I thought it
was a good thing.
The least you could do
is say something supportive.
Your hair is getting so Long.
It's so soft.
Thanks, Daddy.
DOT: I was seven
when my mom died.
After that,
my father became my world.
When I was little,
even if I was just
practicing scales,
my father
would press his back
against the base
of our upright piano
with his eyes closed
so that he could
feel the vibrations
of the piano strings.
It was his way of listening.
One day
we were eating French fries.
I was playing with
the ketchup on my plate.
My father told me he had to
run across the street
to the bank.
I said
I had to go to the bathroom.
He told me to meet him
in front of the restaurant.
By the time I got there,
there were people everywhere.
My father had run
in front of a truck
and was killed.
The police officer told me
that he probably
died on impact.
It was fast,
there was no pain.
I'm supposed to
find comfort in that.
For the record,
he had looked both ways,
but he couldn't
hear the truck's horn
honking at him.
No one ran to save him.
No one bothered
to run out and grab him.
If I had been there with him,
it would have been different.
If I hadn't left him alone.
NINA: Daddy.
(PAUL MUMBLING)
PAUL: You have
such a beautiful back.
If only you
weren't so beautiful.
NINA: I gained three pounds.
I weighed myself in gym.
(CREAKING)
NINA: What was that?
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
OLIVIA: How is
the Alderside house coming?
Fine, fine.
NINA: I'm spending the night
at Michelle's.
It's a school night.
And your point is?
You're not going.
Mom.
Why can't she go?
Don't contradict me
just to contradict me.
We're just
going to the movies
with a bunch of friends.
OLIVIA: Boys?
It's none of your business.
I'm just curious.
Yeah, Michelle and I
were gonna gang-bang
the entire varsity squad
in the back row
of the Cineplex.
You're not going.
Why not?
I finished all my homework.
OLIVIA: She finished
all her homework.
So can I go?
Well, it's up to your father.
Thanks, Dad.
(CELL PHONE RINGING)
Oh.
Hello? Yeah.
I'll be out in a sec.
Michelle's waiting outside.
Bye.
(DOOR CLOSING)
What's wrong?
PAUL: She thinks she can do
whatever she wants.
She just wants
to go to a movie.
You're not
helping me, Olivia.
You're not helping me.
I'm trying to raise her.
I am trying to
do things right,
and you are not helping me.
You constantly contradict me.
Calm down. I hate it
when you snap at me.
You undermine my authority.
Don't be ridiculous,
they're just girls.
Jesus.
Oh, I'm sorry
you had to see that, Dot.
Well, he loses his temper
once in a while
for no good reason.
People can be
very complicated, Dot.
You know,
your mother was complicated.
Your mother was a slut.
I married
the first man I was with,
but not your mother.
Your mother was a big,
old, lucky slut.
You Look Like your mother,
you know that?
You are the same age now
as your mother was
when we met.
Hold on.
Here was our apartment
after graduation.
We shared a bedroom.
I put that wallpaper up
with my own two hands.
God, Look at my hair.
Umm-Hmm.
You know, you should make
more of an effort
to keep up appearances.
There you go,
you Look much better.
I envy your mother sometimes.
Never having to grow old.
What,
you want to go to a movie?
Of course.
Sure, I can take you.
PAUL: You're in no condition
to drive.
She's all alone, Paul.
She wants to go to a movie.
It's the Least I can do.
The poor girl.
PAUL: I'll drive her.
Paul is going to drive you.
Move over
so I can sit next to Connor.
I want to see
if he gets a hard-on
when I put my hand
in his lap.
Should we ask Dot
to sit with us?
Some people
prefer to sit alone.
Yeah, dude.
She's a buzzkill, man.
No, I... Seriously,
guys, think about it.
I mean, imagine
what that's got to be Like,
you know?
Not being able to hear?
It's fucking depressing.
She knows
what it's Like to hear.
She Lost her hearing
when she was seven,
after her mom died.
She was totally normal
before that.
That's cool.
I don't know,
I bet it'd be harder
losing something
than never
having had it at all.
Okay, Deepak Chopra Winfrey.
Thanks for the Life lesson.
(ALL CHUCKLING)
DOT: One day we wake up
and we realise
the world sucks.
And we suck for being in it.
And we run away.
MICHELLE: I'm telling you,
she's a hermaphrodite.
What? You don't believe me?
DOT: Anything
but to face ourselves
as we are.
Anything to avoid asking
why we hate ourselves
so much.
(WOMAN MOANING ON TV)
MICHELLE: How do you know
if you're a good kisser?
NINA: What do you mean?
I mean,
if you were a bad kisser,
do you think
people would tell you?
Or do you think you'd, Like,
actually live your whole Life
thinking you
were a good kisser?
I don't know.
MICHELLE: You'd have to ask,
I guess.
Find someone you really trust
and kiss them.
And then ask them how it was.
I guess.
(CREAKING)
(DOOR OPENING)
I'm...
I'm sick, Dot.
I'm sick and I hate it.
I thought
when you came here,
maybe things would change.
I thought maybe
having somebody else here
would...
I don't know.
I don't know what I thought.
I hate it.
MICHELLE: If you could live
anywhere in the world,
where would it be?
I don't know.
Did you ever
think about that before?
Of course.
I think about it all the time.
Well, where then?
How about you?
Florida, maybe.
Super sunny.
Yeah.
Maybe Australia.
Random. Why?
It's really far away.
(PEOPLE CHATTERING)
MICHELLE: Whatever, Nina.
Just wait until your
mom and dad are asleep
and sneak out.
It's not that hard.
My mom's a chronic insomniac,
I do it all the time.
I mean, with your mom
it should be easy.
Michelle.
Def Jam Records
over there won't tattle.
She won't hear you.
Look, I said I'd try.
Come on, it'll be fun.
It's just the four of us.
We've got
the place to ourselves,
my parents' liquor cabinet.
Maybe you can snag some pills
from your mom.
Her mom's
a major prescriptaholic.
Michelle.
What?
Shut up.
She is.
We're gonna be
late for practice.
Why the dramarama?
Nothing.
Look at me right now.
Brian's parents
are going to be gone
for one night.
Connor and Brian want us
to get drunk with them,
and you're not gonna
fuck this up for me.
Why do I have to be there?
Why can't you invite Fiona?
Because he doesn't
want to fuck Fiona.
He wants to fuck you.
Look, I said I'd try,
Michelle. Drop it.
You know, your mom passes out
by 8:00 every night
and your dad
must go to sleep sometime.
I gotta go to class.
(CELL PHONE RINGING)
NINA: Hello?
PAUL: How's my baby girl?
What do you want?
I just had
a quiet moment at the office.
I thought I'd see
how you're doing.
Fine.
Are you in your
cheerleading uniform?
I gotta get to class.
I'm turning my phone off.
Who was that?
My mom. She's so needy.
(CRASHING)
Shit!
(DOT HUMMING)
Hey, Dot.
Life sucks, Dot. I feel
Like I can tell you this.
I feel Like I can be honest
because you can't hear,
or can you?
Look at you.
Eating your sandwich
Like a piglet while I talk.
It's strangely comforting.
When I first met you,
and when you first
moved in, I hated you.
I hated your face,
and your dumb blank stare.
But now that I feel
Like I know you again,
all that's changed.
It's so nice to know
that there's someone
whose Life sucks
more than mine.
I'm gonna kill my dad, Dot.
Tonight.
I hate him, you know.
I hate him but I Love him.
I hate it when he
won't Let me go out
with my friends,
but I Love it
when he fucks me.
I hate when he
fucks me, too, though.
You see how that works?
It doesn't make any sense.
He Likes it when
I bite on his nipples, though.
I stick the tip of his nipple
between my teeth
and I rub my tongue
back and forth on it,
Like a windshield wiper.
It drives him wild.
I made him come once
just by sucking
on his nipples.
I didn't even have to touch
his dick once.
I Love
that I can tell you this shit.
Because it's Like
it's off my chest,
but it's still a secret,
you know?
Michelle's dad's got a gun.
I know where it is.
But I figure
it'd be too gross.
You know, with Mom's
decorating and all.
Although she's
probably already joined
Judy Garland
and Marilyn Monroe
in pill popper's paradise.
She's Like
an E! True Meriden Story.
I'm gonna do it Late.
Mom won't wake up. Nah.
You can't hear.
Itll just be me,
my daddy,
and a bullet.
Michelle's gonna
steal it for me
this afternoon.
Pow.
(DOT PLAYING PIANO)
Hey, hey, sorry.
Did I scare you?
I--I didn't mean to.
I was just Looking for you.
I heard the music.
That's, Like, amazing.
I--I've never been good
at anything
other than basketball.
Look,
I was just wondering
when you wanted
to get together
to write up the Lab.
Dot.
Dot!
NINA: The wallpaper
in the dining room
is revolting.
They ordered the wrong paper.
Yeah, well,
it makes me nauseous.
They made a mistake.
They'll replace it.
If I had to eat dinner
and Look at that every day,
I would seriously hurl.
That's enough.
What? I'm just saying.
What, is it illegal now
to have an opinion
in this house?
(DOORBELL RINGS)
That's Michelle.
You two
are joined at the hip.
Yeah, we're friends, Mom,
that's what best friends do.
If you had any, you'd know.
Connor.
I should have called.
What are you doing here?
Is she here?
She should be here by now.
You know Michelle,
she'd be Late
to her own funeral.
You can come in, though.
Um, I came to see Dot.
Dot?
Yeah. I mean,
she Lives here, right?
She Lives with you?
Yeah, totally.
Yeah, Dot totally
Lives here, yeah.
I figured it
wouldn't make much sense
to call. Can I come in?
Yeah. Sorry.
I'm totally rude.
Um, my mom is decorating
so we're eating
in the kitchen. Come on in.
Okay.
(CLEARS THROAT)
PAUL: You're not Michelle.
(CHUCKLES) No, I'm not.
Who are you?
I'm Connor.
You never told us
about Connor, Nina.
Why the big secret?
NINA: He came for Dot.
What are you
going to do with her?
Oh, uh, we're Lab partners
in biology.
(DOORBELL RINGS)
Oh, that must be Michelle.
Put this somewhere.
MICHELLE: I waited
until my dad was asleep.
PAUL: So, you go to
school with Nina and Dot?
CONNOR: That's right, sir.
PAUL: Nina
never mentioned you.
Don't give him
the third degree, Paul.
What third degree?
Connor's here.
What?
He wants to see Dot.
(CHUCKLES)
Clearly an excuse.
He knows we're Like BFF.
Fucking A. How do I Look?
Hot.
Does he want to fuck me?
Yes.
Say it.
Say what?
Say he wants to fuck me.
He wants to fuck you.
Connor Kennedy
wants to fuck me.
Connor Kennedy
wants to fuck you.
(EXHALES)
Let's rock.
NINA: Wait! Let me stash this.
The Last thing I need
is my dad finding it.
CONNOR: Uh, Dot and I
actually have to go over
our biology Lab.
I thought maybe we could
go to the library.
Hi, Mr and Mrs Deer.
Hi, Connor.
Hey.
Dinner Looks great,
Mrs Deer.
OLIVIA: It's from Bene, Bene.
On York.
MICHELLE: Hmm.
What are you Looking at?
You think you two
are the only ones
that do homework?
Okay, um, see you Later.
Where are they going?
PAUL: To the Library.
And you're Letting her go?
Why not?
You never Let me do anything.
That is not true.
He could be some sick fuck,
you don't know.
He said he was
a friend of yours from school.
And you believed him?
You introduced us to him,
you Let him in the house.
I just...
I have a few questions
about the...
About the Lab.
See, I gotta get
a--a good mark in bio
'cause I need to pull a B
to get this
basketball scholarship
at UConn
and I know
that I'm not going to get
anything better
than a C- in English,
so I kind of need this.
Can I help you?
I think we need
another minute.
What flavour?
She's deaf.
Um, but if you speak slowly,
she can read your Lips.
Vanilla?
Strawberry?
Chocolate?
Um, nothing for me.
I'm fine, thanks.
Chocolate?
Do you think my nipples
are abnormally big?
Michelle, put your tit away.
Well, Steph Simon
was talking about it
in the locker room.
Your nipples?
Nope.
Nipples in general.
(KNOCK ON DOOR)
Dad! Jesus Christ,
can't you knock?
PAUL: I did knock.
Yeah,
but can you wait until I say
"Come in," or something?
I just wanted to see
if you'd
finished your homework.
I told you I did it
this afternoon. Fuck.
PAUL: Nina, can I talk to you
for a second?
Nina?
NINA: What?
PAUL: It's a school night.
So what?
And it's Late.
You should be focusing
on your homework.
Send her home.
We are doing homework.
You're not finished,
you're in there
doing your nails.
Just send her home, okay?
It's a school night.
You gotta go.
Go?
Go where?
I don't know. Home, I guess.
Why?
Just because.
What if Connor comes back?
I'll call you.
Okay, well,
I'm picking you up at midnight
and we're going to Brian's.
I can't!
Michelle...
CONNOR: I'm not stupid, Dot.
I'm not. People think I am,
but I'm not. I mean, I...
I have this learning disorder.
I have ADD.
People think
a lot of stupid things.
I mean, people think
I fucked Frederica Diaz,
it's...
I think about you sometimes.
I think about
how you Look naked,
and how quiet you are.
Like a doll.
You're a virgin, too,
aren't you, Dot?
(SIREN WAILING)
(THUNDER RUMBLING)
NINA: Stop. Stop it.
I'm fat.
PAUL: You always say that.
Where are you fat?
I don't see any fat.
Where is the fat, here?
NINA: Stop.
PAUL: Any there?
Here?
Stop it.
I have something for you.
What?
PAUL: A present.
NINA: No,
you're just saying that.
No, it's true.
I'm gonna give it to you.
PAUL: But first...
(CRASHING)
What was that?
Dot broke the statue.
I'm gonna get the dustpan.
You're gonna have to be
a Little more careful
around here, young lady.
Don't touch it,
youll cut yourself.
Olivia.
(CRYING)
(DOOR OPENING)
Dad, I, uh, said I was tired.
Be honest.
Do you think I'm fat?
Be honest.
I guess I can trust you,
right, Dot? I mean,
why would you lie to me?
You don't care about me.
Tonight's the night, Dot.
I can feel it.
Tonight I'm gonna kill him.
And I'm gonna do
it at midnight.
Itll be the perfect time.
You know, it's so good
that you can't hear, Dot.
Otherwise, you'd be,
Like, an accomplice.
(SIZZLING)
REGINA:
Department of Child Welfare.
Gina McQueen speaking.
Hello?
Hello?
(CROWD CHEERING)
(WHISTLE BLOWS)
CHEERLEADERS: H-O-T, hot!
The Cougar team is hot.
H-O-T, hot!
When we say roar,
you say net.
Go for the net. Meriden.
Meriden.
They got boys but we got men.
The Cougars stand
up proud and tall.
The Cougars
rock at basketball!
Hey.
I didn't see you there.
I suck at basketball and...
CONNOR: You know,
usually when we win,
there's a whole
bunch of people
waiting outside
of our Locker room,
cheering us on.
Got out fast today.
Nobody Likes a loser.
You know,
I was thinking
about you Last night.
I was thinking that
if we went on a road trip,
how quiet it would be.
You know,
we could go all the way
through Long Island, to, uh,
to Pennsylvania.
You know,
that's where they make
Hershey's chocolate.
Pennsylvania.
And, uh, all the lamp posts
Look Like Hershey's Kisses.
They give you free M&M's
at the factory.
I can smell your hair.
It smells Like cucumbers.
I--I got really,
really hard Last night.
I had to beat off.
And my mom
was just outside of my room,
putting the towels away.
You know, I could hear her,
but I couldn't help myself.
I mean, I came four times.
I mean, four times,
that--that isn't normal,
is it?
What am I gonna do?
I'm this sex addict
with a Learning disorder
who forgot
how to play basketball.
OLIVIA: The landscaper's
coming at noon tomorrow.
You told me already.
Is Nina
at the basketball game?
She's your daughter.
You don't know where she is?
Well, of course I know
where she is,
she's at the basketball game.
That boy that came
over the other night
was on the basketball team.
I thought he was very cute.
Cute?
OLIVIA: For Nina.
PAUL: Careful, Olivia.
What with all
these music videos
and magazines,
do you really
think she needs you
to push her into dating
and dressing Like a slut?
Paul?
Have I gotten fat?
She's only 17.
When you were 17,
you were still a virgin.
Come on, just Look.
You didn't even Look.
Come here,
see if you can pinch an inch.
See if you can pinch an inch.
Good night.
OLIVIA: You're mean.
I'm sleeping on the floor.
PAUL: Get into bed, Olivia.
I don't want to,
I'm comfortable here.
Get into bed.
Leave me alone!
Olivia, get into bed.
You're gonna catch a cold.
Yeah,
itll be all your fault.
(CHUCKLES) See, I'm still
as light as a feather.
You know, I've kissed
a bunch of girls before.
It's all right.
But I've never done it,
you know, the it.
Stuck it inside.
What?
What is it?
That's all right.
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
Nina?
Nina?
What?
Where's Dot?
How am I supposed to know?
How was the game?
It sucked.
We Lost.
Don't get it on my uniform.
I've got something
that might make
you feel better.
What?
Daddy!
Open it.
What? Oh, my God!
I told you
I got you a present.
I Love it!
You really Like it?
Yes, I Love it.
I Love it, Dad.
It's so great.
(GIGGLING) Wait a minute,
Dad, wait a minute.
What's the matter?
Stop.
Gosh. I gotta iron my uniform
before I go to bed.
So...
I'll be in my room.
(MOANING)
You okay?
Oh, shit.
Do you think
I have a big dick, Dot?
I mean, I've measured it.
It's pretty small
when it's soft,
but when it gets hard,
it's--it's pretty big.
Wait.
Dot! Wait!
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
Come in.
I knocked
and waited this time.
Don't do that,
I can't see what I'm doing.
I'll burn myself
and be disfigured.
Dad, I gotta do this.
Iron it before the next game.
I don't Like my uniform hot.
Stop it!
I Like to iron it
and Let it cool off.
Dad, I have a secret for you.
You do?
Yeah.
A surprise.
Really?
Sit down.
NINA: Close your eyes.
Close your eyes.
Okay.
I want you
to be ready for this.
Hmm.
Keep them closed.
That feels nice.
I Love you so much, Nina.
(DOOR CLOSING)
What was that?
Probably Dot.
Honey, who cares?
NINA: Were you not
gonna yell at her
for coming home so Late?
No, no, no, no, no.
Not right now. I'm still
waiting for my surprise.
Daddy?
Yeah.
I have to tell you something,
but you have to promise
not to get angry.
Of course, of course, honey,
anything. Anything.
You have to promise first.
Just tell me.
Do you promise?
I promise.
Swear!
What is it?
I'm pregnant.
You can open your eyes now.
PAUL: What do you mean, Nina?
I'm pregnant, Daddy.
I'm pregnant.
Well, that's impossible!
You don't believe me?
How do you know?
I took a test!
Those tests aren't accurate.
They're 87% accurate, Daddy,
and I haven't had
a period in six weeks.
Fuck!
That's it?
That's all you're gonna say?
What are you
gonna do about it?
What am I gonna do about it?
What do you think
I'm gonna do about it?
I don't want a baby
with webbed feet
running around the house,
Daddy!
I just wanted to make sure.
Do you think I'm crazy?
I just wanted to make sure!
I need $1,000.
$1,000?
There's an anonymous clinic
in Fairfield.
You haven't told anyone?
Of course not.
All right. I'll...
I'll write you a cheque.
You can't write me a cheque,
Daddy.
It's not anonymous.
I need cash.
I'll get it tomorrow.
Where are you going?
I'm tired.
You're probably tired, too.
It's a school night.
DOT: I used to hold my breath
underwater
for long periods at a time.
My father took me to the YMCA
Saturday mornings.
Submerged in the pool,
I heard nothing
but my own heartbeat
echoing against the water.
I would've stayed
underwater forever
if my father
hadn't been waiting for me
in the bleachers
by the diving pool.
I killed my goldfish
when I was Little, Dot.
I had six of them.
And I cut them in half
with scissors.
DOT: When someone
is waiting for you,
you have to come up for air.
I was braver
when I was a kid.
(STUDENTS CHATTERING)
Hey.
I was just
wondering if you'd want...
Myrna, can you do me a favour
and ask Dot in sign Language
if she'd go to
the Spring Fling
with me tonight?
Sure.
She says no.
What do you mean, no?
MYRNA: That's what she said.
No, I mean,
sign that back to her.
Sign back,
"What do you mean, no?"
MYRNA: She says she can't go,
she says she's sorry.
I don't understand.
She says to Let it go now.
She says
she's not right for you.
How does she know
what's right for me?
Just ask her.
She says she
belongs by herself.
It's just a dance.
Hey.
I'm taking you
to the dance, Dot.
Carrots.
Me, too.
I'm gonna make
that fucking whore...
Michelle,
take it down a notch.
The whole world already knows
you're a cunt.
There's nothing left to prove.
I thought
you could wear this
to the dance.
I think itll
Look pretty on you.
Suit yourself. Fine.
I'll just put it
in the dumpster
or give it to
the Salvation Army.
Dot, I have some
good news for you.
After tomorrow night,
you are going to be
an only child.
That's right, I'm taking off.
I mean,
who wants to stick around
for murder charges? Not me.
I'm getting out of here.
I think
maybe I could start over
in New Haven, you know?
I could work at a bar
or be a stripper.
I saw this show on MTV
about strippers.
They make a Lot of money
and it's easy, I guess.
Some of them
even become famous,
Like Courtney Love.
She--She was a stripper.
I could be Like her, maybe.
I mean,
I wouldn't really care,
bunch of old guys
Looking at my tits.
Wouldn't matter,
at Least I'd be getting paid.
It was so hard
to Lie to my dad
about being pregnant
that I think
a part of me thinks it's true.
Is that crazy?
I'll have $1,000, though.
That'll be enough
to get me started in New Haven
before I have to get a job.
Itll be perfect.
You know, I am not Letting you
go to the dance
without Lipstick,
I just can't do it.
This one
smells Like strawberries.
Connor will go crazy
when you go to kiss him.
Perfect.
Now you almost Look human.
DOT: Beethoven's best work
comes in his late period,
a period
of complete deafness.
I imagine his mind
must have been
the loudest silence
in history.
You don't Like it?
Dot, you can't go to
the dance Like this.
You Look Like you
should be pumping gas.
What about Connor?
He's totally hot for you!
You are a major enigma, Dot.
I don't know how you do it.
Do you want to Let me in
on your secret?
DOT: They say that the truth
can set you free.
That's a lie.
The truth is,
lies can protect us.
Lies keep us safe
from the truth.
PAUL: Nina?
Nina?
Jesus Christ,
Dad, you scared me.
How do I Look?
I brought you the money.
NINA: I Look Like shit.
PAUL: $1,000,
isn't that what you said?
$1,000, right.
So you can fix the problem.
Right. Fix.
Because you're pregnant,
I went to
the bank and got cash.
Great.
Because you're pregnant.
Dad, I really wish
that you would
stop saying it.
That you're pregnant?
Stop it!
What?
You're pregnant, aren't you?
Dad.
I can keep saying it.
Well,
I really wish you wouldn't!
You're pregnant,
Nina, say it!
No!
I'm gonna go and get ready.
I can say it
over and over again.
No! You're scaring me.
But no matter
how many times
I repeat it,
no matter how many times
I repeat it,
it still
doesn't make it true,
isn't that right, Nina?
Huh?
My daughter is a whore.
What is that?
WOMAN ON TV:
It is a neighborhood
where 12 families
have lost their homes.
The fire broke Friday...
What is that?
Listen to me, Nina!
Listen to me.
I'm sick of your bullshit.
I don't know
what you're talking about.
Tampons?
I can explain.
I bought you that purse.
Dad.
As a present.
And this is how you repay me?
By using it
to hide your lies?
They're Michelle's.
Don't, Nina. Don't.
Are you trying to make me
into some kind of an asshole?
Are you?
Dad,
I swear they're Michelle's.
She's not bringing her purse
and I'm
carrying them for her.
No, Nina. No.
You lied to me.
Do you know how scared I was?
(NINA SOBBING)
I'm sorry.
Do you know
how frightened I was?
I Love you, Daddy.
What happened
to my baby girl?
I'm still your baby girl!
My baby girl who would--
who would listen to me
and tell me the truth.
I'll tell you
what's happened to her.
She's turned
into a Little bitch!
That's not true.
You're hurting me!
Why did you Lie to me?
PAUL: Why?
NINA: Listen to me, Daddy,
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Daddy, stop it. Please.
I was scared, you know.
I was scared.
(SCREAMS)
No, please. I have to
get ready to go out.
Please don't do this.
Don't, please.
Stop!
No!
You trying to make
an asshole out of me?
Daddy, please,
don't hit me.
I have to go, please.
No. No.
We can do this
when I get back.
I have to get ready!
No!
Please, I have to
get ready to go out.
Please, don't do this, don't.
Please!
Don't make me do this!
I loved you.
Please!
I fucking Love you!
You're hurting me!
Stop it, please!
Please stop.
Stop it! No!
Please don't, please!
Please, no!
WOMAN ON TV: neighbors say
the first sparks
were seen just past 9:00,
and it wasn't until 10:00
that the fire
began to take hold of
the cul-de-sac.
Authorities...
Stop it!
No! No!
Shut up!
(SCREAMING)
Shut up!
Leave her alone!
Shut up!
Stop!
Shut up!
NINA: (CRYING) No. No.
No! You killed my daddy!
You killed my daddy!
You fucking bitch!
You lying fucking bitch!
If you wouldn't have been
such a fucking Lying bitch,
this would've never happened.
No one would've known.
No one would have ever known.
And this would
have never happened.
(DOORBELL RINGS)
It's a miracle.
You can hear.
(BANGING ON DOOR)
MICHELLE: Move it or lose it,
Nina!
Get it together.
Come on, Nina.
Go around the front,
we'll meet you in a second!
Go.
Nina,
we have to bury the backpack.
We have to follow the plan.
Jesus,
it took you guys Long enough.
I didn't realise
she was coming.
What's with the backpack?
Let me see.
Stop it!
So secretive.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Your eyes are red.
Red, right?
Yeah.
Yeah.
What'd you take?
I don't remember
what they were.
I think one was vicodin
and maybe codeine.
Well, did you bring me some?
No.
Do you have any cigarettes?
Yeah.
MICHELLE: Hold these for me
because I've gotta go
find Brian.
There you are.
Do you want to go dance?
(MAYBE NOT PLAYING)
Let's take that bag off.
Come on,
you can't dance with it on.
Come on, let's go.
# At the turn of the tide
is withering thee
# Remember one thing
the dream you can see
# Pray to be shake this land
# We all do what we can
# So we can do
just one more thing
You're shaking.
Are you nervous?
# We won't have a thing
# So we've got nothing to lose
# We can all be free
# Maybe not with words
# Maybe not with a look #
I Like dancing with you, Dot.
Dot, wait.
Dot?
Turn around, Dot.
(PEOPLE CHATTERING)
Can you hear me?
I'm sorry.
You can talk?
You can hear?
You're a psycho,
you know that?
All those things
I said to you were private.
I know that.
You sat there
and you listened to me
talk about my dick.
You sat there
and you Listened to me talk
about how many times
I beat off.
Connor, please.
What?
You don't Like
to hear it anymore, Dot?
It's not as much fun
when you have to
come up with an answer,
is it, Dot?
Please.
No.
Fuck you.
Nina. Come on, we gotta go.
NINA: Where are we going?
DOT: Follow me.
DOT: Here.
I think that's deep enough.
I never got
to bury my father.
Your father must have known
that you could hear.
It was our secret.
Why did you do it?
Because you wouldn't.
No, I mean,
why did you pretend
you were deaf
in the first place?
I just...
I wanted to be closer to him.
And invisible
to everyone else.
Well, you can't now.
Why?
Because then
well both be alone.
Let's go home.
(SIREN WAILING)
(SIREN WAILING)
(WOMAN CHATTERING ON RADIO)
Mom!
Where are they taking you?
Nina, hold on,
I'm going to go away
for a Little while, okay?
I'm not--I'm not well.
I did a terrible,
terrible thing.
I killed your father.
He went crazy.
He was throwing things,
and breaking things,
and he told me he hated me.
And I--I took a piano wire
and-- and I strangled him
with it.
POLICE OFFICER: Okay,
time's up.
Hold on one second!
Just Let me finish.
I didn't want
him to hurt you.
Nina, I never
wanted him to hurt you.
I'm sorry, Nina.
Can you ever forgive me?
I am so sorry.
(CAR ENGINE STARTING)
DOT: People always talk
about the quiet
before the storm
but no one talks
about the quiet after.
(PIANO PLAYING)
At least after the storm
you know it's really over.
When Beethoven died in 1827,
over 10, 000
people came to mourn.
DOT: From the beginning.
DOT: I used to fantasize
that when I died
there wouldn't be a funeral.
Having led my life invisibly,
no one would come to mourn.
But being invisible
isn't worth it in the end.
Because when you're invisible,
other people may not see you
but you can't help
seeing other people.
(CAN I BE YOUR SECRET PLAYING)