(CAR DOOR OPENS)
(CAR DOOR DINGING)
(CAR DOOR CLOSES)
INDIA: My ears hear
what others cannot hear.
Small, faraway things people
cannot normally see
are visible to me.
These senses are the fruits
of a lifetime of longing.
Longing to be rescued.
To be completed.
Just as the skirt needs
the wind to billow,
I'm not formed by things
that are of myself alone.
I wear my father's belt
tied around my mother's blouse.
And shoes which
are from my uncle.
This is me.
Just as a flower does not
choose its color...
we are not responsible
for what we have come to be.
Only once you realize this
do you become free.
And to become adult
is to become free.
()
(BIRDS CAWING)
()
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
(ENGINE REVVING)
(CAR CRASHING)
(CAR EXPLODES)
(SIRENS WAILING)
(PHONE RINGING)
EVELYN:
Richard! No!
(SOBBING)
REVEREND:
A family man,
devoted husband
to his wife, Evelyn,
loving father
to his daughter, India.
He was a model to our town
and of what it means to be a man
who walks through the world
with openness,
honesty and integrity.
RICHARD:
India?
REVEREND: Richard
Stoker was taken from us
by a cruel twist of fate.
RICHARD:
India?
REVEREND: The reasons for which
are unknown and unknowable.
By an accident
nobody would have predicted.
It would have been impossible
for even an outstanding
architect,
like Richard,
to understand God's
great design.
(PLAYING SOFT MUSIC
ON PIANO)
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)
EVELYN:
India?
India.
The guests will be here soon.
Can you help
Mrs. McGarrick in the kitchen?
Please?
Don't do this to me, India.
Not today.
HOUSEKEEPER 1:
When they pried open his car,
you know, his body was burned...
HOUSEKEEPER 2: To a crisp.
Terrible accident.
Poor thing. India was
so close to her father.
Who's gonna look after her?
HOUSEKEEPER 2:
She's still got her mother.
HOUSEKEEPER 1: Her mother look after
her? More like the other way around.
HOUSEKEEPER 2: You know what?
This whole accident is so strange.
HOUSEKEEPER 1: Have you heard
all the rumors floating around...?
(HOUSEKEEPERS SPEAKING
INDISTINCTLY)
You don't think he meant
to drive off the bridge?
Why did he have to go
two states away?
I don't know.
McGARRICK: Everything all right?
HOUSEKEEPER 1:
Yes, Mrs. McGarrick.
Now I'm wondering if I kept them
in the fridge too long.
What do you think?
Was I too stingy
with the paprika?
Hmm?
(CHUCKLING)
Your deviled eggs remind me
of when I was a little girl.
Well, you may be all grown up,
but you still get eggshells
all over the floor.
Have you outgrown your shoes?
()
Did you find your
birthday present yet?
INDIA: I found the
box, but it was empty.
Are you sure?
Did you check?
Check again.
Every year I thought
it was my father
who left me shoes
on my birthday.
But all this time, it's been...
Tell me what it opens.
How would I know?
WOMAN:
All right.
CHARLES:
That was my brother...
(PEOPLE CHATTERING)
CHARLES: You know, originally
they were part of a set of four
but then I broke one as a kid.
Now I'm seeing in this house
someone must have
let another break.
No, it wasn't me.
When we...
When we moved in,
it broke as the housekeepers
were unpacking it.
India. Come and say hello
to your Uncle Charlie.
EVELYN:
India? Come over.
CHARLES:
See you soon.
Hello, India.
Come on.
(SIGHS)
She hates to be touched.
I'm her mother.
What a curse. Hmm?
(SIGHS)
EVELYN: You know, Charlie,
Richard used to say
that we had lost you to the rest
of the world forever.
Why, India,
you're white as a sheet.
Is something wrong?
Yes.
My father is dead.
(FOOTSTEPS ECHOING)
(FOOTSTEPS RUNNING)
(FOOTSTEPS RUNNING)
(SMALL FOOTSTEPS RUNNING)
REVEREND:
How beautiful.
Richard was so proud
of India's hunting
that he stuffed every single
thing she killed.
What a tragic waste of life.
These live particularly
deep in the forest.
They'd be very hard to catch.
I guess Richard and India
were a good team.
CHARLES:
Oh.
WOMAN (WHISPERING): It's kind
of disrespectful, him not wearing
black to his own
brother's funeral.
MAN 1:
He must have come back today
from the Middle East
or something.
WOMAN 2: It's just part of a
dig in some old part of Istanbul?
MAN 2: No, I think he was
digging for gold in Indonesia.
EVELYN: I really want to thank
you for your words this morning.
Well, you and Richard
deserve every word.
(GUESTS CHATTERING)
()
The wine's good.
()
There you are.
Come and join us.
This is, uh,
Richard's brother.
MR. BLOOM: Hello.
Good evening.
He's come back.
MRS. BLOOM: Nice to meet you.
These are the Blooms,
good friends of ours.
Good evening.
MR. BLOOM: I didn't know Richard
had a brother. Nice to meet you.
MRS. BLOOM:
We're sorry for your loss.
CHARLES:
How did you know Richard?
MAN 1: Got his doctorate
from Oxford when he was 24.
MAN 2:
Stoker sure had the brains.
MAN 1:
Yeah. Just look at India.
CHARLES:
Hello, again.
(GASPS)
Do you want to know why you feel
at a disadvantage right now?
Because I didn't know
you existed until today?
Because you're standing
below me.
(CHUCKLES)
You look like my father.
I am so sorry.
It's your loss too.
Oh, um...
In about 60 seconds,
your mother's gonna tell you
that I'm gonna be
staying here for a while
but I want it to be
your decision too.
Why?
Because...
it's important to me.
(CHARLES WHISTLING)
(WHISTLING CONTINUES)
(WHISTLING)
This really
is a beautiful garden.
The soil...
is so soft.
Good for digging.
(WOODPECKER TAPPING)
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
(WOODPECKERS TAPPING)
CHARLES: I'm not exactly
sure what you're driving at.
McGARRICK:
I don't want any trouble.
I am the only one who would know
anything about it.
I did everything
you asked of me.
I kept you informed every year.
I was your eyes, your ears,
your hands all this time.
You're acting like
you're in diapers now
and you've done this to me
ever since you were a child.
I'm tired of it.
I am tired of it.
All right.
(OPERA MUSIC PLAYING
OVER RADIO)
EVELYN:
Mrs. McGarrick?
Mrs. McGarrick?
Where is she?
INDIA:
I haven't seen her yet.
Good morning.
(SHUTS OFF MUSIC)
It's afternoon.
Oh. I guess it is.
Do you think you could...?
That's my girl. Thank you.
Hmm.
What are you doing today?
Thought I'd...
draw the curtains,
stop the clocks,
cover the mirrors
and then retire to my room.
Don't be morbid.
Get rid of that dress.
What is that?
It's my mourning attire.
Why don't we get out of here?
Hmm?
Go shopping.
We could get some ice cream.
In Victorian times, a widow was
expected to mourn her husband
for two years.
At least.
India.
But in Ancient China
they built a straw hut
beside the grave
and live there
for three years doing nothing.
You and me, ice cream,
fresh air.
Come on, all these years
of hunting trips with him
and all I'm asking for
is one afternoon with me.
That's what your father
would have wanted.
You know, your father and I
weren't always so distant.
I miss when he was...
...young.
()
(METRONOME TICKING)
(METRONOME TICKING)
(PLAYING SOFT MUSIC
ON PIANO)
(STOPS PLAYING)
(METRONOME TICKING CONTINUES)
(FLY BUZZES)
()
(GASPS)
(RATTLES)
(TICKING CONTINUES)
India!
India!
(FRENCH POP MUSIC
PLAYING ON RADIO)
Mature aroma.
You chose a good year.
You can't compare it
to a younger wine.
Too tannic.
Not ready to be open.
You should have come with us,
India. Oh, the open top,
the air. It felt so good.
We stopped and Uncle Charlie
got some ice cream for you.
CHARLES:
One chocolate, one vanilla.
Did I get it right?
I like the swirl kind.
You can make the swirl yourself,
you lazy thing.
Where's Mrs. McGarrick?
She's still not here.
EVELYN: What? What
are we supposed to do?
I'm not much in the kitchen.
I can cook a little.
EVELYN:
No, you don't have to do that.
I'd love to.
Charlie, who in the world
are you?
CHARLES: India, would you take
these down to the freezer, please?
Do as your uncle tells you.
Thank you.
Thank you, India.
(EVELYN AND CHARLES SPEAKING
INDISTINCTLY IN DISTANCE)
()
(KNIFE CHOPPING)
(KNIFE SHARPENING)
CHARLES:
Too cold down there?
No.
(CHOPPING)
EVELYN: Ahem. You know, there was a time
Richard used to cook meals
like this. Ahem.
Wasn't there, India?
Oh. I'm sorry, of course.
That was before you were born.
Where did you learn
to cook like this, Charlie?
Madame Jacquin.
She ran a Michelin-starred
restaurant
outside of Toulouse
called "L'Institution."
Hmm. A female chef.
Mm. In her opinion, there was
nothing a man could master
that a woman couldn't make.
What do you mean?
It sounds better in French.
Did I tell you on the way home?
Your French accent is perfect.
One of the perks
of a first-class education.
I could stay locked up in this
house for the rest of my life
yet still speak
impeccable French.
CHARLES: I know you're not
gonna spend the rest of your life
locked up in this house.
How do you spend your days?
I want to know
my brother's wife.
Oh, I don't know
where to start. Heh-heh.
Charlie, you didn't even
touch your food.
Did you put poison
in the food just for us girls?
(CHUCKLING)
But India ate everything.
Practically licked it clean.
(INDIA DROPS UTENSILS)
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Now, can I get you
anything else?
Maybe some ice cream?
No.
"No, thank you."
I mean, no, thank you.
Would you like to play something
for us after dinner?
I don't think so.
Would you?
India.
I mean, no, thank you.
Why didn't you tell me
I had an uncle?
Because I barely knew about
Charlie myself.
I mean, he's been traveling
the world
for as long as I've known
your father.
CHARLES:
You know, he used to say to me:
"What kind of family is family
that never comes home?"
Let's stop talking
about Richard. Excuse me.
I'm sorry.
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
CHARLES:
The year you were born.
What do you want from me?
To be friends.
We don't need to be friends.
We're family.
(CLOCK CHIMING)
FELDMAN: It takes time
to observe attentively.
Wait for the moment
that our eyes
finally penetrate the inside
of the subject.
Look, Marv,
see that flower?
The way it just hangs there?
My eyes are penetrating
the inside of you.
FELDMAN: Observe carefully and
you'll note that this plant...
(STUDENTS LAUGHING)
BOY:
Check out Pitts.
FELDMAN: I want you to really...
Hey.
(BOYS LAUGHING)
(GROWLS)
FELDMAN:
Pitts.
PITTS: Yes, Mr. Feldman?
(SCHOOL BELL RINGS)
FELDMAN: Is there something
you'd like to share
with the rest of the class?
PITTS: Yeah, I've got
something I'd like to share.
With India.
(STUDENTS LAUGHING)
(GIRLS CHATTERING)
GIRL:
He's gorgeous.
(GIRLS CHATTERING)
()
GIRL 1:
Hey.
(GIRLS SQUEALING)
GIRL 2:
Come back.
INDIA:
Mom?
()
It's going to rain.
(THUNDER RUMBLING)
()
EVELYN:
Relax.
There.
(EVELYN GIGGLING)
EVELYN:
Curl your fingers.
(PIANO PLAYING NOTES)
No.
Watch me. You see?
(PLAYS SOFT MELODY)
(DOOR SLAMS)
I'm teaching him piano.
Uncle Charlie is
a complete beginner.
Put on some dry clothes
and come play with us.
Why don't you take a hot shower
first or you'll catch a cold.
Come on. Here.
(PLAYING PIANO)
EVELYN:
Good morning, sweetie.
Charlie cleared off
the court yesterday.
So we're just gonna walk
on over.
You don't want to come,
do you?
CHARLES:
Hello, India.
I took one of Richard's belts.
His whites are
a little big.
Ready?
Let's go.
(DOORBELL RINGS)
India?
It's me.
Come and give
your Auntie Gin a hug.
(UTENSILS SCRAPING PLATE)
EVELYN: What time did
you get in, Gwendolyn?
Around 4.
Oh. That's right.
And when do you fly out?
That remains to be seen.
I'd originally planned
to stay for only a day or two
but now I'm thinking
I should stay a bit longer.
Spend a little quality time
with India.
Hmm. How nice for her.
Charles?
Auntie Gin.
How long have you been here?
Not long.
We're so grateful
that he's taken time away
from his commitments
in Europe.
Europe?
Yes.
Evie, dear, after dinner,
I was thinking perhaps
you and I could talk.
We are talking.
GWENDOLYN: Alone.
EVELYN: About what?
Like Richard, for instance.
Richard?
Yes, Evie. Richard.
My nephew, your late husband.
I don't think I'll be forgetting
his name any time soon.
Of course not.
I just thought there might
be arrangements to be made.
Things to be settled.
Our lawyer has said none of this
has anything to do with you.
You're not in the will.
No, dear, I mean something
entirely different.
Like, for example,
maybe we could talk about
your living here
with Charlie like this.
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)
EVELYN: Auntie Gin
isn't shy when it comes
to expressing
her opinions about me.
Like when Richard asked me
to marry him.
What Auntie Gin
might be surprised
to learn is that those opinions
are neither wanted,
needed, or appreciated.
Evie...
You come into my home
and attack me
at a time like this.
GWENDOLYN: Evie...
I'm sure Auntie Gin
didn't mean anything.
You didn't mean anything
by it, did you?
No.
No, of course not, Evie dear.
Now, would either of you two
like to play something
for us after dinner?
No, thank you.
No, thank you.
(ENGINE STARTS)
Good night, Auntie Gin.
Don't mind Evie.
She's just tired.
Oh, um, what was the name
of your hotel again?
The Biltmore.
The Biltmore.
Maybe we could have
breakfast together.
Just us girls.
Oh, I'm not sure.
CHARLES: Can you take
her to the Biltmore Hotel?
I'll probably have a headache
in the morning.
CHARLES: Drive carefully.
Auntie Gin, stay the night here.
Oh, uh...
You made the evening
much nicer.
Oh, thank you, dear.
But an old woman needs time
on her own to recover.
Good night, sweet child.
Call me.
Are there any other hotels
in town beside The Biltmore?
MAN (ON TV): Even family ties have
no meaning when food is scarce.
This one knows there is no room
for his brother in the hunt.
While this sibling rivalry
may seem cruel,
in the end, it is for the best.
Each day in the hunt brings
the eagle closer to maturity.
(CHARLES WHISTLING)
And chicks of his own.
The most patient
of predators,
the black eagle can circle
for hours,
waiting for the perfect moment
to strike.
(WATER RUNNING)
The fish will provide
much needed nourishment
for her growing chicks.
(GWENDOLYN GAGGING)
()
(LINE RINGING)
I was wondering if anyone
had turned in a cell phone.
I think I may have dropped it
when I was checking in.
Are you absolutely certain?
All right.
Oh, wait, wait.
Um, what number do I have
to press to dial out?
Nine. Yes, I thought so.
(PHONE DIALING)
(TAPS CRADLE)
(DIAL TONE DRONING)
(STATIC BUZZING)
()
(DOORBELL BUZZES)
(LIGHTS BUZZING)
GWENDOLYN:
Come on.
MAN (ON TV): The mountains are
no place for the faint of heart.
The steep terrain
and harsh climate
make a challenging climate
for even the strongest
of species.
Wings are freedom.
While the eagle prefers
to find its own meals,
there is nothing wrong
in having a little help.
(PHONE DIALING)
Any advantage in nature is
to be appreciated,
and what the left...
(LINE RINGING)
A hearty meal for the hungry
bird who lived
to hunt another day.
(PHONE RINGING)
(LINE RINGING)
()
Thirteen pounds and a wingspan
of nearly 7 feet.
You said you were staying
at the Biltmore Hotel.
And yet, here you are.
I even had to call
the cab company.
()
MAN (ON TV): Prey does not suspect
the hunter is circling high above
and is taken completely
by surprise.
()
(GWENDOLYN GASPING)
(GASPS)
(DIAL TONE BEEPING)
(GWENDOLYN SCREAMS)
(SCHOOL BELL RINGS)
(BOYS CHATTERING)
BOY 1: Hey, yo, yo. Look who's here.
BOY 2:
No kidding?
BOY 1: Is it...? Is it true?
BOY 2: Is it?
BOY 3:
Yo, check this out.
BOY 4: I'm telling
you, she can talk, bro.
PITTS:
Well, let's find out.
Oh, creepy, man.
All right.
PITTS:
Hey, Stoker.
(BOYS LAUGHING)
Mm-mm.
PITTS: Hey, Stoker.
BOY 1: Where you going?
I'm talking to you.
Or do you go by
Stroker now?
Because I hear that's
what your mom's been doing
to your uncle.
(BOYS LAUGH)
You been getting
in on that?
What did you say?
BOY 1: She speaks.
"What did you say?"
I think you heard me, Stroker.
Say that again?
(BOYS LAUGH)
All right. I think you'd better
watch your step, Stroker.
You know what happens to
little girls who mess with me?
BOY 1:
Watch this.
What's up, bitch?
What's up?
()
(GROANS)
Hey, come here, you all right?
Oh, my God.
You okay?
All right, Pitts.
That's enough.
Get out of here, Whip.
Follow the bouncing ball,
jackass.
She's not interested.
BOY 1:
Dude, let's just go.
Yeah, like I enjoy wasting
my time on this bitch, anyways.
Let's go.
BOY 2: Freak.
Sorry about that.
He's an A-hole, okay?
Just ignore him.
Hey.
Where you going?
CHARLES:
Too cold down there?
India, would you take these
down to the freezer, please?
(PLAYING DISSONANT NOTES)
(PLAYING SOFT MUSIC)
(PLAYING UPBEAT MUSIC)
(SIGHS)
(SIGHS)
(MUSIC STOPS)
(BREATHING HEAVILY)
(NANCY SINATRA & LEE HAZLEWOOD'S
"SUMMER WINE" PLAYING IN DISTANCE)
I had only sang
To just a few
She saw my silver spurs
And said let's pass some time
And I will give to you
Summer wine
Oh, oh
Summer wine
Strawberries, cherries
And an angel's kiss in spring
My summer wine is really
Made from all these things
EVELYN: You stayed longer
than I thought you would.
You probably need to move on.
And I will give to you
Summer wine
Oh, oh
Summer wine
CHARLES:
You want me to leave?
Come on.
You could return
to Madame Jacquin.
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
She reassured me
With an unfamiliar line
Dance with me.
I always end up leading.
Well then, lead me, Evie.
(LAUGHS)
Strawberries, cherries
And an angel's kiss in spring
My summer wine is really
Made from all these things
You know, for me,
it doesn't matter
who you are.
I feel the same.
Really?
Mm-hmm.
It doesn't matter
who I am for me, either.
When I woke up the sun
Was shinin' in my eyes
My silver spurs were gone
My head felt twice its size
She took my silver spurs
A dollar and a dime
And left me cravin' for
More summer wine
Oh, summer wine
Oh, summer wine
INDIA:
Whip.
Hey.
I just thought I...
I've never been here before.
Yeah, no kidding.
I'll, uh,
see you guys tomorrow.
BOY:
Have fun, bro.
(MOTORCYCLES REVVING)
(BOY WOLF WHISTLES)
So...
You wanna go inside?
Then where would you
like to go?
India Stoker,
Middlebend straight-A student,
hanging out in the parking lot
at Rockets?
Doesn't really seem like you.
Not that you would know.
Well, I...
I guess you're right.
I wouldn't.
It's just that, um...
Yes.
I know what you mean.
Oh, yeah?
How's that?
Have you ever seen
a photograph of yourself
taken when you didn't know
you're being photographed?
From an angle you don't
get to see
when you look
in the mirror.
And you think, "That's me.
That's also me."
Do you...?
Do you know
what I'm talking about?
Yeah. I think I do.
Well,
that's how I feel tonight.
So you're surprised
at yourself?
You're not afraid of being
touched anymore?
Please don't spoil it.
()
(CAT SCREECHING)
(WHIP LAUGHING)
()
(TRAIN HONKS IN DISTANCE)
Aah!
Holy shit.
Everyone said you were crazy.
But they have no idea,
do they?
I wanna go home now.
Let me go.
No, you don't.
You opened this door,
and now you're gonna walk
through it.
(GRUNTING)
(YELLS)
Shh. Quiet.
Hold still.
This is not gonna hurt.
Shit, what...?
(WHIP GROANING)
Stop, stop, stop.
I broke my...
Glad I borrowed
your dad's belt.
Mine would've
been way too short.
WHIP: Shit...
All yours.
WHIP: I'm seriously hurt. Shit.
CHARLES: Shut up.
(GRUNTING)
()
(WHIP GRUNTING)
WHIP:
India, stop.
India.
Stop. Stop.
()
()
(FAUCETS SQUEAK)
(SOBBING)
I'll kill you. Unh!
(SOBBING)
I don't give a fuck...
(GASPING)
(SNAP)
(SIGHS)
()
(PHONE DIALING)
(LINE RINGING)
(SHOVEL DIGGING)
(SOBBING)
()
(SOBBING)
()
(SOBBING)
(CHARLES GRUNTING)
(SOBBING)
(MOANING)
()
(MOANS)
(NANCY SINATRA & LEE HAZLEWOOD'S
"SUMMER WINE" PLAYING ON RADIO)
(KNOCK ON DOOR)
Yes?
(DOOR OPENS)
INDIA:
Can I come in?
Well, what time is it?
Would you brush
my hair?
I was just going to bed.
Then I'll brush yours.
You're wearing the nightgown
I bought you.
Tonight I felt like wearing
something silk.
Now that I think about it,
I never brushed your hair,
did I?
You were busy.
With what?
I don't know.
You and your father
were always
on your hunting trips.
How could I compete
with all of those dead birds
you constantly brought home?
(NANCY SINATRA & LEE HAZLEWOOD'S
"SUMMER WINE" PLAYS ON RADIO)
(PIANO PLAYING SOFT MUSIC)
(THUNDER RUMBLING)
I saw you in
the dining room today.
I don't know
what you think you saw...
but nothing happened.
You were so still,
I never even heard you there.
Dad taught me that.
Hunting.
To wait.
In silence.
We wouldn't need food or drink.
We would watch everything.
The patterns of tree branches
spreading out...
The thousands
of shapes clouds make.
I could count the number of
leaves on a tree in five hours.
I always thought Dad
liked hunting.
But tonight I realized
he did it for me.
He used to say, "Sometimes
you need to do something bad
to stop you from doing
something worse."
()
Tomorrow, I'm gonna go
to the hairdresser
after I clean out
your father's study.
(DOOR OPENS)
()
CHARLES:
Dear India, happy birthday.
You are five years old today.
I wish I could be there
for your party,
but your uncle is far away
in Africa taking pictures.
Dearest India, I'm writing this
letter to you from Florence.
Yesterday, I circled
Michelangelo's David for hours.
He carries a sling.
INDIA: His belted weapon
over his left shoulder.
CHARLES: You are my
dearest and only niece
INDIA: My silent and invisible partner.
CHARLES: And these
are the lessons for you
in our many chapters together.
INDIA: Dear India.
CHARLES: Happy birthday again.
I've missed your first teeth
coming out.
INDIA: I'll never see the
holes in your smile or how
they will fill in as you mature
into a young lady.
CHARLES:
Greetings from Saint-Etienne,
where everyone I meet insists
on kissing both cheeks.
This custom of hugging
and kissing.
INDIA: I think you, too,
would find this uncomfortable.
CHARLES: If I found it
was you in an embrace,
I could make an exception.
INDIA:
I wonder if you would, too.
CHARLES: Happy Valentine's.
INDIA: Happy Halloween.
CHARLES: Merry Christmas. Though
I never receive a letter back...
INDIA: I see your messages in the stars.
CHARLES:
Or in the music I hear.
It is a whistling tune
from a lonely man
wandering in a foreign land.
I sense things so acutely
until it becomes
almost too much.
I wonder if for you, too,
life is made difficult by...
INDIA: The fact that you can
hear what others cannot hear,
see what they cannot see.
CHARLES: I know that someday
you'll be very special, India,
and you already are.
INDIA: I know inside you
feels some loneliness.
CHARLES:
Because you are the only one.
BOTH: Please know that I am with
you as we share the same blood.
CHARLES: Tonight, I'll fall
asleep as I try to imagine
that you'll grow up
and take over our name.
How I want to meet you.
All my love, Charlie.
All my love, Charlie.
()
(PHONE DIALING)
(LINE RINGING)
MAN (ON RECORDING): You've reached
the Middlebend Sheriff's Department.
If this is an emergency,
please hang up and dial 911.
Otherwise, please hold for
the next available operator.
OPERATOR: Middlebend Sheriff's
Department, how may I help you?
Hello?
Hello?
Hello?
(LINE HANGS UP)
My father had the exact same
sunglasses.
He wore them only
when he was driving
so they were always
in the glove compartment.
Now I suppose they're
all melted up,
along with the rest
of the car.
Please leave before
my mother wakes up.
Aren't you curious
about what happened to Richard?
I'm curious about
what happened to Jonathan.
CHARLES: That's an inseparable
part of what happened to Richard.
Richard was completely taken
with Jonathan.
That summer,
Jonathan had just learned
how to climb the stairs.
RICHARD:
Let's go again. Let's go.
CHARLES: He couldn't resist climbing
any staircase he came across.
()
(JONATHAN LAUGHING)
(JONATHAN LAUGHS
THEN THUDS)
(JONATHAN CRYING)
(LAWNMOWER WHIRRING)
()
(FLY BUZZING)
INDIA: It's been 20
years since your family
donated this building
to Crawford.
It may look old now,
but Charlie's room
is still very comfortable.
As you know, he was the one
who wanted to stay here.
And he insisted on being
discharged on this day.
Today.
Welcome to my home.
Away from home.
(MAN SCREAMING IN DISTANCE)
CHARLES:
Au revoir, Dr. Jacquin.
(SPEAKING IN FRENCH)
Oui, Charlie.
Until we meet again.
I'm so proud of you.
It always was
your favorite car.
I think you're gonna
love New York.
I got you your own apartment.
You see?
Aren't we going
to your house?
Everything you need
is in here.
Why aren't we going
to your place?
I'm not gonna
see India?
Here are the keys.
I think you'll see
that I've taken care
of all the details.
CHARLES: Why are you doing this to me?
RICHARD:
Do I really have to
tell you something
you already know?
Why can't I go?
Charlie.
Why not?
Tell me.
You listen very carefully.
This is the most
important thing.
If anything happens,
you must call...
You still love me,
don't you, Richie?
Yes, of course,
I love you, Charlie.
I just have to love you
a little less now.
I can't have you...
Near my India, my family.
And I said:
But I'm your family.
What kind of family is...
...family you can't
take home?
Jesus.
Excuse me.
Jesus, Charlie.
(LAWNMOWER WHIRRING)
()
(GROANS)
()
RICHARD:
Are you okay?
CHARLES:
I'm fine, Richie.
I'm fine now.
Thank you for asking.
()
Charlie?
(GROANING)
Oh, Charlie.
(BLOWS LANDING)
Of course,
I still love you, Richard.
I just have to love you
a little bit less now.
INDIA:
Why now?
Why come back now?
The day I left Crawford,
the day your father
had his accident,
what day was it,
do you remember?
Yes.
I remember.
What day was it?
It was my 18th birthday.
()
I was waiting.
For you.
Everything
I've ever done.
For you, India.
()
(MOANS)
Happy birthday, India.
(DOORBELL CHIMES)
(POLICE RADIO CHATTERING)
INDIA:
Yes, sheriff.
I was hungry, so I stopped
by Rockets for some fries.
I bumped into Whip
at the parking lot
and we decided
to go for a walk.
At night?
Those woods are dangerous.
Oh, I wasn't scared.
Not with Whip there.
He's so strong.
I see.
INDIA:
So we, uh...
We had a very
nice time.
(CLOCK CHIMES)
SHERIFF:
And then?
INDIA:
And then I went home.
I thought Whip said
he was heading home too.
SHERIFF: Any idea what time that was?
INDIA:
Well, that was, uh...
SHERIFF: When did you eat the fries?
INDIA:
Excuse me?
SHERIFF: Well, you said you went
there because you were hungry?
And then, that is,
after having a nice time,
you would have become
even more hungry,
and if you went
to eat some fries,
I could find some people
that can remember
what time they saw you.
INDIA:
I think I, um...
I think I must
have been...
I must have been
blushing.
It was my first time
outside with a boy
and I didn't want
to be seen.
It was 8:30
when you came home.
Il Trovatore
was playing on PBS.
Yeah, when I came home,
my uncle was watching TV
so I watched it with him.
SHERIFF:
Um, just one moment.
Il Trovatore.
What is it?
It's a foreign movie?
CHARLES: No. No, it's an opera by Verdi.
Would you like me
to write it down?
I'm fine.
I do hope
Whip's okay.
Well, his folks
are a mess.
Then again,
I have a feeling
that he'll turn up.
Boys that age...
Well, you know
how they are.
I'm sure I do.
(CHUCKLES)
You will let me know
if you hear anything,
won't you?
Will do.
Okay.
Well, I'll be
in touch.
Goodbye, sheriff.
CHARLES:
Goodbye, sheriff.
SHERIFF:
Oh.
Oh, by the way,
did your housekeeper
ever get in touch
after leaving town
so quick?
No.
She didn't.
Strange how people
can just disappear on you.
(CAR ENGINE STARTS)
He'll be back.
What are
we going to do?
I think
we'll really love
New York.
When do we leave?
(FLOOR CREAKS)
I'm sorry.
(DOOR CLOSES)
Tomorrow night.
()
(PIANO PLAYING IN DISTANCE)
CHARLES:
Should we do it again?
INDIA: I'm hungry. Let's eat first.
(DOOR SLIDING OPEN)
You know,
I've often wondered
why it is we have children
in the first place.
And the conclusion
I've come to is...
At some point in our lives,
we realize things are...
They're screwed up
beyond repair.
So we decide to start again.
Wipe the slate clean.
Start afresh.
(SIGHS)
And we have the children.
Little carbon copies
we can turn to and say,
"You will do
what I could not.
"You will succeed
where I have failed.
Because we want someone
to get it right this time."
But not me.
Personally speaking,
I can't wait to watch life
tear you apart.
India...
Who are you?
You were supposed to love me,
weren't you?
Come up to my room,
please.
I enjoyed your performance.
India, go and pack a small bag.
We'll be leaving shortly.
(WHISTLING)
I, uh...
I came to say goodbye.
I can't allow you
to do this.
Why not?
EVELYN: There are little things
one notices along the way,
but one suppresses because...
Because?
Why do you think?
CHARLES:
Love?
Richard loved India.
He would never have driven
so far away on her birthday.
Not unless,
for some reason
he was called away by someone
he couldn't say no to.
Auntie Gin wanted
to speak to me about you,
but she never did come back
after that night, did she?
CHARLES:
People disappear...
...all the time.
()
Have me instead,
but stay away from my daughter.
She's of age.
Of age for what?
To live in this house
on her own
while her mother
finally travels the world.
Don't you want to
speak French in France?
What are you suggesting?
Come with me.
()
(BOTH GRUNTING)
India.
India, come here and look.
(EVELYN GASPING)
CHARLES:
India, come here.
(GASPING)
India! Come here! Now!
(GASPING)
(RIFLE COCKS)
()
(BIRDS CHIRPING)
(CAR DOOR CLOSES)
(CAR ENGINE STARTS)
(CAR DRIVES AWAY)
(SIREN WAILING)
(POLICE RADIO CHATTERING)
In a hurry?
Know how fast
you were going?
(SPEAKS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
Pardon?
Effectively fast,
Mister Sheriff.
Effective for what?
To get your attention.
(GASPING)
(CAR DOOR DINGING)
()
(GASPING)
(EMILY WELLS'S
"BECOMES THE COLOR" PLAYING)
I became the color
I became the daughter
And the son
When the feast was over
Welcome to the motherland
Lay my body down
Down upon the water
Wrapped up in the my clothes
Of my mother and my father
Oh, this is wrong
And I wanna be complete
I was waiting round
And I did a jump, see
I had hunger
A mouth full of interludes
You'll do anything
Just to get rescued
I have known you
Isn't it the key?
Take, take, taste
Taste, taste sweet
They said I'd gone south
Said I'd gone asunder
I was just free
We were ready to behave
But there's no freedom
Without the key
Whatever you think
You've become
Don't worry about it, dear
It's where you're
Coming from
Oh, no, no
Take me from my misery
There's no such thing
As living comfortably
There's no such thing
As going home
I'm not gone
Got myself alone
All the other others
They just fade to black
When you think you're ahead
Is when I don't look back
Keep on laughing
Calling after me
Keep on laughing
I'm just free
We were ready to behave
But there's no freedom
Without no key
Whatever you think
You'll be gone
Don't worry about it, dear
It's where you're
Coming from
()