1
- I am stretched on your grave
and I'll lie there forever
if your hands were in mine
I'd be sure they could not sever
my apple tree, my brightness
it's time we were together
for I smell of the earth
and am worn by the weather
when my family thinks
that I'm safely in my bed
from morn until night
I am stretched out at your head
calling out to the earth
with tears hot and wild
my grief for the girl
that I loved as a child
do you remember
the night we were lost
in the shade of the blackthorn
and the chill of the frost
so I'm stretched on your grave
and will lie there forever
if your hands were in mine
I'd be sure they could not sever
my apple tree, my brightness
it's time we were together
for I smell of the earth
and am worn by the weather
my apple tree, my brightness
it's time we were together
for I smell of the earth
and am worn by the weather
- um, maybe right down there?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
I'm so sorry.
- Shannon, thanks for coming.
- You okay?
- Ah, hanging in there.
Sam, good to see you again.
- I'm sorry, Aiden.
- And look at this one here.
A man before my eyes.
She'd be pleased to
know that you were here.
- You must be Liam.
I hear you're quite the Irish
dancer.
- Yeah, I guess so.
- I'm Sam.
This is my wife Shannon.
- Of course!
Maggie's daughter.
Aiden told me so much about you.
- Is it okay if I take this down
there?
- Of course, please.
- Hey, there's grandma and
grandpa.
- Thank you for coming.
- Aiden, I'm sorry for your
loss.
If there's anything we can do.
- John, thank you.
Thanks for coming, Maureen.
Thanks for making the trip down.
I appreciate it.
- And where should we sit,
sweetie?
- Why not just join Sam.
He's right up front.
- Okay.
- Can I talk to you?
- Is everything all right?
- Yeah, I just want to
talk to you for a minute.
- Okay.
You know, I fell in love
many times in my life.
Trouble was, it was always
with the same woman.
- I know you loved her, Aiden.
- That wonderful, wicked woman.
- I'm so sorry.
- Shannon, I know I'm only your
stepfather
and really have no right to ask
you,
but will you please say a few
words
to honor your mother?
- Oh, I don't think I'm
the right person for that.
- Of course you are.
- I have no idea what I would
say.
- It would mean the
world to me if you'd try.
Shannon, I can't go up there
and talk about her right now.
I'm asking you, please,
would you do this for me?
- Sure, okay, yeah.
I'll say something, yeah.
I'll say something.
- Liam, please put the phone
away.
What was that all about?
Is everything okay?
- He wants me to say a few
words.
- Are you okay with that?
- Yeah.
- Welcome to all on this blessed
day
as a child of god returns
to the kingdom of heaven.
Before proceeding to the
cemetery for the burial service,
Maggie's daughter Shannon
is now going to come up
and say a few words.
Shannon?
- Did you know she was gonna
talk?
- No.
Didn't know that.
- It's making me most
uncomfortable.
- Let's just try to be
supportive, okay?
- Oh, supportive.
I think we're supportive
just by being in here.
- Shh!
Three Irishmen were adrift
at sea, terribly thirsty.
Suddenly a mermaid swims up and
says,
"I shall Grant you one wish."
Without thinking, one
of the Irishmen says,
"turn the sea to beer."
The mermaid says, "let it be!"
And the sea was turned to beer.
Then one of the other
Irishmen stands up and says,
"shite!
Where are we gonna piss?"
For those of you who don't know
me,
I am Shannon, Maggie's daughter.
I was given up for adoption at
birth.
I guess it was so I wouldn't
have to listen to her jokes.
Funny thing is that I
didn't get to know Maggie
until recently.
Those of you who know her,
you know how tough she was.
Had to be.
But what most of you might not
know
is she was a great artist,
an artist that was never
given the opportunity
to pursue her passion.
In addition to my blue eyes
and...
God, her eyes, and my fair skin,
I too am an artist.
About a year ago I
decided to rent a place,
send out invitations because I
was going
to paint a family portrait.
My whole family.
- Hurry up!
Let's go, c'mon.
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!
C'mon, c'mon.
Hurry up!
Come on!
Stop.
After you.
- Whoa!
Oh my god!
- Yeah.
- Think it's big enough?
Yeah, over here.
- Mom, how did you find this
place?
- Oh, a friend recommended it to
me.
You'll appreciate this.
I had the canvas delivered a few
days ago.
- Yeah, what is with the canvas?
- I wanted to paint the family,
and get us together for a few
days,
away from the house.
- Cool.
- Remember, take plenty
of photos this weekend.
- Okay.
Yeah, no problem.
I'll just, ah, I'll do that.
- You little!
- C'mon, c'mon!
- Oh, shut it!
I'll get you.
- Hey, I brought the bags in.
How's the studio?
Because it cannot be any
better than this kitchen
and there is a smoker
and a barbecue out back.
- It's perfect.
What did I say?
- You're right.
- I love you.
- I love you.
- All right you.
- Wait before you pull in here.
- Oh just sh-sh-sh.
I think this is it.
What do you think?
- Well...
Yep, those are the longhorns on
the gate.
- Uh-huh.
- Yep, this is it.
- Okay.
This is nice.
- A little rustic, huh?
- Wow.
- Daddy?
- Your parents are here.
- Yeah.
They're here!
Uh-oh, I can't miss.
Oh!
- Hey!
- Oh, momma!
- Well, we got the right place.
- Yes you do.
- It's so pretty.
- Ooh, I'm so happy you're here!
- Me too.
- Oh!
- Give me some!
- Oh, you'll get some.
- Good to see ya, kid!
You look great.
My god, look at you!
Oh my god, you look amazing.
I can't believe you did all
this.
- Yeah, you proud?
- Mmm, proud!
- C'mon inside.
- Okay!
- Hey, Francis, good to see you!
Hey, I got the list.
We're gonna head out to the
store.
Anybody need anything?
- Yes!
We need bottles of wine, vodka,
beer.
- Wife's a lush!
- Shut it.
Oh, get something for dessert
too, please.
- Ice cream?
- Ah, see what they have.
- All right, I'll leave it up to
Liam.
We'll stop at the dairy
mart on the way there.
- Mm-hmm!
- All right.
- If it's okay, I'm
gonna put you down here.
That way you don't have to
deal with too many stairs.
- Stairs don't bother me none.
- He's wearing one of those
watches that records your steps.
- Yeah, it counts my steps,
measures my heart rate,
it even notifies me when my
subscription to playboy arrives!
- Sh, sh, stop it.
- He's in better shape than I
am.
- Oh, don't say that.
- I'll wake you for cocktails.
- Okay.
- All right.
I'm putting you two upstairs.
- Are there more stairs?
- Oh!
- What did you bring,
your whole closet?!
- Oh, this is great!
You know, you could
have stuck us anywhere.
- Oh, speak for yourself.
- There's plenty of closet
space, a big balcony,
private bathroom down the hall.
- Oh!
- Dad?
- Uh-huh?
What?
Oh.
- Look at that view.
- Oh, that's perfect.
Oh my god.
But, honey, you gotta
stop worrying about us.
- I couldn't figure out what to
wear,
so I bought everything.
Including the sheets.
- Yeah.
- You're kidding.
- No, you've spoiled her.
- Oh, I couldn't figure
out who slept on this bed.
I mean, it could be
somebody who's been infected
by some horrible rash
or lord knows what else.
- Yeah, well...
- Now, I have something
I want to show you.
It's all my new clothes.
- No, no, no, honey, just try
'em on
in a little while.
I want a moment with my
daughter.
Mm-hmm.
Now, you told us to
bring something special,
right, something that
meant something to us?
- Mm-hmm.
- Have I ever showed this to
you?
No?
This is our family's scrapbook.
It goes back many generations,
all the way back to Ireland.
Huh?
Yeah, it's full of memories.
And in the back, there's some
blank pages,
ready for you to put some more
in.
Oh, ah.
Here, just flip through
it when you get a second.
- It's perfect.
I love you.
- I love you too.
Okay, honey!
All yours!
- Thank you!
- I'm gonna
get a drink, all right?
- Ah, you would be so proud of
me.
I separated all my dresses.
Party, daytime, formal.
- What's in the other bag?
- Shoes.
- Oh.
Of course.
- All right, what do ya think?
- Ah, it's...
- Unh-uh.
- No?
- - Nuh-uh.
- Okay.
You know, before we left, I
treated myself to a manicure
and a pedicure and some
highlights,
and I don't even think
your father noticed.
- Well, you look great, mom.
That, great.
- I'm glad you like it.
'Cause I bought it for you.
- You didn't have to do that.
- Yes I did, 'cause I liked it.
I looked at it in the store
and I just saw you in it.
I thought, gosh, you'd just
look beautiful in that.
You know, when you invited
everybody,
you said on the invitation that
you wanted
something personal, something
special?
Something that would inspire
you, right?
- Mm-hmm.
- Well, your daddy brought
you the photo album,
and I brought you this.
It's Seana's.
- Yup, she made it for me
when she knew I was going to be
a mother.
You see the three stars,
that's her, that's me,
and that's you.
Three.
- I can't take this.
- What?
Yes you can.
- It's yours.
- Shannon, you know
that I have always said
flowers are for the living.
That's yours.
- Thanks, mom.
- I love you.
- Love you.
- What is this?
- Oh, a beer?
- Yeah, absolutely.
Love these tops.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Salut.
- Salut.
- Ah, that is good.
I think we're just gonna order
some pizza.
- Oh, well, that's fine with me.
- All right, what kind ya want?
- Well, anything but
Canadian bacon.
- I thought you liked bacon.
- Oh, I love bacon,
but Canadian bacon isn't bacon,
it's ham.
It's Canadian ham, you know what
I mean?
I don't know how they get
away with calling it bacon.
It's ham!
I'm gonna file an injunction.
- All right, I'm with ya.
- So how's my grandson doin'?
- Hey.
Hello!
How's my grandson?
- Doin' good, grandpa.
Just stayin' busy.
School, studyin', dancin'.
Same ol', same ol'.
- Well, there ya go.
So how's the butcher
business, Dr. scalpel?
- Same ol'.
Oh, here they go.
How cute.
Did she end up with a Unitard?
- Ha, that'll clear a room.
- Stop it.
- We're just gonna order pizza.
- You just went to the store.
- I just thought that it would
be easier.
- Nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-no.
Once everyone's here, we're not
leaving.
- Why don't you come on out and
show me
where we're gonna have that
portrait, huh?
- Check the lighting, honey.
Whew.
- Yeah.
- Whoo.
I don't think there's enough
whiskey in all of Ireland
to get through this weekend.
- Forget Ireland.
Check the trunk of my car.
- Thank you.
- Bless me.
- Oh, it is so beautiful.
- Yeah.
I thought the same thing the
first time I came out here.
- You know who I think is the
most excited about being here?
- Hm?
- Your granddad.
He rushed around the house
trying to find
his captain's uniform.
For the portrait, you know.
Is that all right?
- Absolutely.
Is he doin' okay?
- Yeah.
He gets tired, you know,
but he still wants to
be in complete control.
He sat in the backseat of the
car
and he was barking
directions all the way here.
He is who he is.
- Mom?
About this weekend.
- What is it, honey?
- Hey, mom.
Let me get a picture of you and
Nana.
- You better get my best side,
you know.
- All right, make sure that
those end up in my studio.
- Yes, ma'am.
- You know who would have loved
it here?
- Hm?
- Your grandma, Seana.
Oh, what a terrific lady.
Complicated, dressed to the
nines,
but very strict.
Did I ever tell you about the
time
I was in the bathroom,
and she walked in on me,
and she yelled at me
because I wasn't sitting up
straight enough on the toilet?
I guess that's how she tried to
love me.
- I guess.
- What's the matter, honey?
What is it?
Sometimes...
- What?
- I don't feel like I belong.
- I don't think you should feel
that way.
I mean, we're all here because
we're connected to you.
We love you.
Well, I don't know what to say
except,
why don't we have a drink?
What do ya say?
For your grandma.
We'll toast.
- Hey, mom!
- Oh, hey!
- What are you doin'?
- Setting up, getting organized.
Whatcha got?
- Remember how you asked
everybody
to bring somethin'
special for the portrait?
- Mm-hmm.
Aww.
Wow.
- Remember?
- Of course I do.
It's the first show I ever took
you to.
- It was great, wasn't it?
- Mm-hmm.
- I remember thinkin'
it would be so great
to learn how to dance like that.
- And now you do.
Wow.
- Oh, we took the pictures
with 'em too, remember?
- Yeah!
That really is a great night.
Wonderful memory.
Thank you.
- Thanks, mom.
All right, see ya.
- See ya.
- Hello, sweetie.
Wine?
- Absolutely.
- All right.
Liam, drink?
- Beer me!
- Yes, all right.
- Beer me, what?
- There ya go.
There ya go!
- Poor baby.
- Sorry.
- A nice try though.
- I would have given you one.
- You sit down and tell
me what you've been doin'.
- Well, just getting organized.
- Did you get our Liam's
present?
- I did, and the album?
It's amazing.
- Yeah.
Did your mother tell you
we're planning a cruise
in the fall?
- No, she didn't.
- Her idea.
- Ugh, he sounds really
excited, doesn't he?
- Mm-hmm.
- It's a small boat, about 200
people.
We're goin' to Alaska
before global warming
destroys all the polar bears.
- Mom, you don't like cold
weather.
- Oh, I know, but your
daddy's gonna buy me
a beautiful jacket,
aren't you, daddy dear?
- Well, that's why we're goin',
so she can get a new jacket.
- Sounds fun, grandma.
- Yeah, well, you can come along
with us
if you're not in school.
- I can miss school to
go see polar bears die.
- No, you can't.
- Dad?
- No, you can't.
- Oh well, we'll work on him,
okay.
See if we can work it, huh?
- Mmm.
- If he help us to go, he
can go.
- All right, stop.
I wanna find out something.
How did you find this place?
- A friend of mine, she
works at the gallery,
she's been here before, so,
yeah.
- It's gorgeous.
It's perfect and rustic and
great for a family gathering.
And I love it.
- I'll drink to that.
- He'll drink to anything.
- Cheers.
- Oh, did we wake you up?
- I'll get it.
- Nuh-nuh-no.
I got it.
- Everybody good on drinks?
- Yeah.
- Hey.
It's good to see you.
Come on in.
Um, Maggie, Aiden, you
remember my parents,
and here are Francis, Liam, and
Sam.
- John, Maureen.
- - Sam.
- Hi.
- - Hi.
- Hey, Liam baby, take a
picture of Nana for me.
- Whose is that?
- Yo.
Yeah, just a sec.
- Liam, where are you going?
- Sorry, Nana, I gotta
take this.
- I hate cellphones.
- I am so sorry.
- Hey, what's up?
Yeah, we're at that house
in the middle of nowhere.
My mom's painting a portrait.
- Hey, Liam.
- Baby, it's fine.
- I guess so, sort of.
Yeah, the whole family.
She even brought her
real mom and stepfather.
Can you believe that?
I told you she was adopted.
Huh, I guess you can call them
my grandparents, technically.
Hadn't thought of it.
Yeah, grandma and grandpa are
here.
Yeah yeah, and Franny.
Oh no kidding, it was so ugly.
They came in last night.
- Smoke bothering you?
- It's important to her.
- Liam!
Hang up the phone and get over
here.
- Sam.
- It's rude.
- Listen, I gotta go.
We're still on for tomorrow
night.
Yep, yep, a'ight, later.
- Honey, can we take a break for
a minute?
- You know what, that is a great
idea.
Everybody, let's take a break.
- I gotta hit the head.
- Sam, will you help
daddy set up the grill?
- Yeah, sure.
- Thank you.
- So are you grillin'
today or...?
- All right, what's next?
- I've got coleslaw in the
fridge
and a bowl in that drawer.
- All right.
- Maggie, you need anything?
- No.
- Hm.
- Hm?
- No, I was just, I just said,
"hm."
It was interesting what kind
of potato salad you're making.
- What's that mean?
- Doesn't mean anything,
it just means it's interesting,
all right?
What are you puttin' in it?
- It's an all-mustard potato
salad.
- Mustard?
- That's right.
- No, no mayonnaise?
- That's right.
No mayonnaise.
- Why?
- 'Cause I don't like
mayonnaise.
- Well, but you always make
potato salad with mayonnaise.
- Well, not this one.
- All right.
And why is that?
Is that because of health or
something?
Because I read somewhere that
mayonnaise is just as healthy
as an avocado.
- I don't know about that, mom.
- I just never liked the stuff.
- That's good to know, yeah?
- Yeah.
Oh.
Oh, that's just great.
So we're gonna have
potato salad with mustard.
That's dandy.
- I guess you just
prefer the devil's sperm.
- What?
What did you just say?
- The devil's sperm.
- Oh my god.
- You prefer the devil's sperm?
- You're disgusting.
Jesus.
My god.
Why do you ever let her
talk to me like that?
- Maggie.
- Oh, you devil you.
- John?
- I'll be right there.
- Looks like someone salted her
pie.
- Everything okay?
- It could be anything.
Hey, Aiden.
Are you still out in Coryell
county?
- That's right, still there.
I do most of my work out
of Jonesboro these days.
- Well, what are you doin' to
keep busy?
- Same thing that's kept me
busy for the last 40 years,
electrical work mostly.
A little carpentry, odd
jobs here and there.
- Oh, here we go.
- We could certainly use a good
handyman
up in the big d.
The only thing I can manage
to change are my diapers.
- And we pray that he remembers
to change 'em every day.
- There we go, I knew it.
- John, you still practice law?
- He knows the license
plate of every ambulance
in Tarrant county.
- Yeah, I'm still a partner.
They haven't caught me yet.
- What do you know about life
insurance?
- I know if Maureen knew
how much money we had,
she would have run me over years
ago.
Why, what's up?
What do ya need?
- I, ah, I'm thinking of changing
our policy, age and all,
but these regulations of
preexisting conditions and stuff.
I was just wondering if you knew
someone
- I could talk to.
- - Mom.
Will you help me?
- Ah, well I could email
you a couple of names.
You just send me all of your
information
and I'll do it when I get back.
- If you don't mind,
yeah, that'd be great.
- No, I'd like to do it.
- Thank you, thank you.
- Sure.
Yeah, excuse me, guys, for a
minute.
What's the problem, Maureen?
- You won't believe what she
said to me.
- Momma, please.
- Can't we just...
- mom!
Please.
- Fine.
- Look, look, look, look,
over there on that branch.
- What is that, a bird?
- That's a brown-headed cowbird.
- Oh god, not this again.
- What's a cowbird?
- Well, a cowbird is a member
of the blackbird family
and they've evolved to follow
around
the herds of cows and sheep and
buffalos
and it picks the ticks off of
their backs.
- Wow, this is just like animal
planet.
- There it is.
- Keep goin', daddy.
- She's a brood parasite.
- What's a brood parasite?
- Ah ha, see, the curiosity of
youth.
A brood parasite, see that's
when the female cowbird
lays her eggs in the nest
of other birds, right.
- So they make the
other birds raise their babies?
- Exactly.
- Hey!
What're you sayin'?
- Maggie, he didn't mean
anything.
- God, that's, I'm sorry,
I didn't mean anything really by
it.
- I know.
She'll be all right, just let
her go.
Probably best to just
leave her alone for a bit.
- Sorry.
- Aren't you proud of yourself?
- Hey.
- Hey.
- Come back down and join us.
- Nnh.
I lost my appetite.
- Daddy didn't mean anything.
He has really been into birds.
We got him this book last
Christmas.
I wasn't hungry anyway.
- How are you?
- Fine.
- The hospital?
- Took in a couple of extra
shifts.
I'm workin' six days a week.
- Busy's good.
- Yeah, I guess.
- I'm busy too.
I had a few gallery showings
and a couple new commissions.
- That's nice, real nice.
- A lot of hard work but...
- But what?
- Why'd you stop painting?
- Oh.
Well, I never had the time
or the means to do anything with
it.
I was so busy at the hospital.
I just had a whole lotta things
goin' on.
- I'm sorry.
- For what?
- Well, didn't you love it?
- Hrmph, love has nothing
to do with it, Shannon.
I do what I do to survive.
- I didn't mean...
- What?
What are you talkin' about?
- I just was, was just trying to
talk.
- Talk about what?
- I was just tryin' to,
I really don't know you
or anything about your life, my
father...
- Shannon?
I don't want to talk about it.
Besides it's really none of your
business.
- What do you mean?
- Ahh, well, I see where
this is goin', mm-hmm.
Next thing you're gonna tell me
I'm the one that ruined your
life.
Hm?
- You don't get it, do you?
I was nine years old when
I had my first sleepover,
and it was great, until
it was time to go to bed.
I was just lying there,
thinkin', worrying,
that no one was going to come
back
and pick me up in the morning.
My friend's mother found me
in the middle of the night,
crying in a corner.
She had to call my parents
to come pick me up.
So it's my fault that you
couldn't spend the night
at your friend's house?
- I stood in the front
door in my nightgown
for my parents to come.
I didn't think they were coming.
But, of course, they did.
- So it's all about you, isn't
it?
Well...
I was 17, thought I was in love,
and I got pregnant and I
didn't want to have a baby.
Your father blamed me for
it, so did my parents.
No, I didn't want to have you,
but I didn't have a choice.
And when I gave you up,
you weren't supposed to come
back, ever.
I moved on with my life.
Do you understand?
This has nothin' to do with
love.
This has nothin' to do with
whether I loved you or not.
The truth is, the day you were
born
was the worst day of my life,
'cause I wasn't ready to grow
up.
- Sorry you feel that way.
- I shouldn't be judged for
being honest.
- No.
Not at all.
You are who you are.
- All right, here we go!
- Honey, could you give
me a minute so I could
run into the little ladies'
room and check my face?
- That's right, you're the
only one in this damn picture.
- It is not a picture, it is a
portrait.
It is a family portrait.
Now, I think it means a
great deal to Shannon,
so I think we should all look
our best.
- No, you're right, Maureen.
Your face could use some more
work.
- Maggie, give
it a break, will ya?
- Just shut your face.
- I hit a nerve, did I?
- Dammit, that's enough!
Maybe we should all stop
thinking about ourselves
for a few minutes and try
to remember why we're here.
- I think that's a very good
idea.
- And I thought
pork chop hill was bad.
- Ugh, you would not
believe what's goin' on.
Naw, we're all out there
posin' for the portrait,
and my grandma starts pickin' a
fight
with my mom's real mom.
Classic.
They did not trade blows.
That would have been cool.
Yeah, yeah, I'll be out
there in about 20 minutes.
Mm-hmm, yeah, we passed it on
the way in.
I'll meet ya there.
All right, bye.
- So...
How you doin', honey?
- I'm starting to think
this weekend was a mistake.
- No, it wasn't a mistake.
The guest list was a mistake.
- Mom.
- Oh, she's a hateful woman.
- Mom, god!
It's not about you.
- I know it was your decision,
but I think you could be a
little bit more understanding
about the other people around
here.
I mean, your daddy and Sam,
Liam, me...
- are you saying I'm
not being sympathetic?
- No, I'm not saying that.
You convinced yourself
that this was gonna be
one big happy family this
weekend.
I mean, w-we've talked about
this.
You do it a lot.
You make up your mind
and then the doors close
and the lock is locked and
nobody can get in anym...
- maybe I don't want anyone in!
Do you ever think about that?
Maybe I just want to fit in,
something I've been trying
to do since the fifth grade
and those fucking, fucking
family trees.
- Whew.
Well, you know you were
four-weeks-old
when your daddy and I brought
you home.
I remember asking the woman
at the adoption agency
what I should do,
and she said, "oh, you just
take her home and you love her."
Well, that sure wasn't enough.
Can't tell you how long
it took for me to feel
adequate and not guilty
for taking you away
from another woman,
a woman who happened to be your
mother.
Dammit, I knew it.
I knew when you were
young that at some point
you were gonna go out and
you would try to find her.
That real mother of yours.
Oh god, I was so scared,
so scared that you'd love
her more than you love me.
- Hey, Liam.
Where ya headed?
- Goin' for a run.
- Yeah, I guess we both
needed to get out of there
for a little bit.
- What's goin' on with them,
dad?
Why they fightin' over mom?
- It's complicated.
- It's just weird.
Why can't they just get along
anyways?
- That would be great.
They just don't see it that way.
- Well, at least I got some good
photos.
They're even smiling in some,
so guess they got along okay,
right?
- Yeah, a picture's
worth a thousand words, right?
- Yeah, I guess so.
- Do you know why people
smile in pictures?
Because we tell 'em to.
You can tell somebody to
smile and say "cheese,"
but you can't really fake being
happy.
Your mom, she's just, she's
trying to figure it all out.
You know, find a way to be
happy.
Or at least content.
- Mom's not happy?
- It's not that simple.
Sometimes she's happy.
She's trying to
connect with her past.
Trying to connect with
her past and present.
She wants to find out where she
came from
so that she understands who she
is.
Life isn't just a picture.
It's a series of events
all strung together,
like a puzzle, but no
matter how hard she tries,
she may never find all the
pieces.
And let's face it, women
have more pieces than men.
- I think I'm gonna take off.
- I don't blame ya.
Hey, Liam?
You got your cellphone on ya?
All right, don't stay gone too
long.
- All right, let's play ball!
- All right, let's go it.
- Now you see close only
counts in horseshoes...
And hand grenades!
- Hey!
- Right, pop?
- He was in the Korean war.
- Wow, what was that like?
- It was like a beautiful
picnic,
set on fire.
- Nice shot!
- Franny?
Stay awake.
Hey!
- I'm so hungry I could eat the
ass out
of a low-flying duck.
Oh, great.
Well, have a seat and you two
are gonna sit next to Franny.
- Can I get anybody
else a drink while I'm up?
Hey pops, I got you a
bourbon and water, all right?
- Ah, you talked me into it.
- For the love of Pete!
Who made this Shepherd's pie?
- Wow.
- Team effort.
- I was part of the team!
- I watched while they made it.
Hey, can you help me
out and bring it over?
- Oh, sure.
- Oh, I can smell it from here.
Look at that.
- Looks delicious.
- Oh, that looks good.
- Ooh!
- There we go, Aiden.
- All right.
I would like to make a toast.
Thank you all for coming.
I know I've thrown you some
curveballs.
- Some curveballs?
- It's not what you were
expecting,
but I've been thinking about
this weekend
for a long time.
It's been a dream of mine
and the gifts you have brought,
they meant a lot to me.
So, thank you and cheers.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
- If it's okay, I'd
like to read something.
It's a letter I sent home to
your grandma
from the war in Korea.
It was pork chop hill.
"Good morning, darling.
"Here is another day without
you,
"but nevertheless, you
are forever on my mind.
"Yesterday I received your
letter.
"You'll never know how happy
that made me.
"It gave me new life and
new strength to carry on.
"This is the first
chance I've had to write
"since we staged an attack in
two villages
"in the high mountain.
"We fought all day and
only advanced a few miles
"and we paid for it dearly
with blood and lives.
"I was in a daze for most of it,
"with a prayer and your name on
my lips.
"Every step I took I thought of
you,
"and about our time when
we would be together soon.
"At present, I have 12
men under my command
"and we're guarding 80 enemy
prisoners.
"This'll all be over soon,
"and I'll be on my way
home to your loving arms.
"I love you more than the words
of this letter can express.
"Your loving husband, Francis."
I brought this for you, sweetie.
- I love you.
- Would you mind
if I said a blessing?
- Please.
- Bless, o lord, this
food we are about to eat
and we pray you, god, that it
will be good
for our body and soul.
And if there be any poor
creatures hungry or thirsty
walking along the road,
send them in to us that we
could share this food with them,
just as you share your
gifts with all of us.
Amen.
- Amen.
- - Amen.
- All right!
Where are you going?
Ah.
- Dun-dun-dah!
All right, all right, everybody
smile.
- Okay.
- Smile, c'mon!
- All right!
Now who would like some
Shepherd's pie?
All right, you're gonna
have to pass your plates.
It's too hot.
- This looks fantastic.
- Want some butter?
Thank you.
- You want some bread?
- I think I'm gonna...
- This is so good.
- Could someone pass
me some bread, please?
- Oh, sure.
- Would you like some butter?
- There we go.
- There we go.
- And me too.
Pass it down.
- I'd like some more whiskey.
Is that okay?
- Sure.
- Me too.
- Trade ya.
Get this stuff off of...
- Oh, that smells so good,
darling.
- There ya go.
- Liam, did you know that
Maggie was quite a dancer
in her day?
- Maggie?
A dancer?
I didn't know that.
I wouldn't have known
that in a million years.
- So you danced?
- Oh yeah, as a girl I did,
a little.
We went on a tour a little bit
one summer.
- Liam darling, would you
pass the salt and pepper?
- There you go.
- Thank you for all of it.
- Shannon,
I bought something dear to my
heart too...
For you.
Yeah.
There's these newlyweds
and they're in a hotel room
in the honeymoon suite,
and the groom decides that he's
gonna
let the wife know
exactly where she stands
before the marriage,
so he takes off his trousers
and he throws them at her,
and he says, "put those
on!"
And she says, "I can't
wear your trousers!"
And he says, "and don't
you forget it!
'Cause I'm the one that's always
gonna
wear the pants in this family."
And the bride,
she takes off her knickers.
Throws 'em at him and says,
"well try these on."
And the groom says, "I
can't wear your g..."
oh! No, no!
"I can't get into your
knickers!"
And the bride says, "and don't-"
oh, "and you never bloody will
if you don't change your
attitude."
- See what I live with?
- Well, better you than us.
Ohh.
What is wrong with you?
- Me?
- Yeah, you.
I'm just trying to lighten
things up a little bit,
but oh, no.
- You're doing a hell of a job,
yeah.
- Woman, you're a nasty piece of
work.
- Now, wait a minute,
wait a minute, wait a minute.
- You are nasty.
- No no, wait one second.
Anybody else, you want a drink,
do you want another
drink here at the table?
- Well, I think she's had
enough.
- Oh, yeah I've had enough.
I've had enough of you for this
lifetime!
- Look, nobody is holding
you hostage, dear.
You can leave any time you want.
- Well, I didn't even want to
come here in the first place,
did I, huh?
And I certainly never,
never would have come
if I'd known you were gonna be
here.
- Well, then why did you come?
You can go, you are free to go.
Don't you understand?
You have given me everything
I have ever wanted
with this woman at the end of
the table.
So go on, go ahead, run, run.
Run away.
We don't need you here.
- You're a rude fucking cow.
- And you're a disgusting pig.
- Yeah, well go eat shit, bitch.
You go home!
- All right, that's enough!
That's enough!
- You bitch.
- Goddamn it, that's enough!!
- Maggie?
- Oof!
- Y'all are gonna wanna go see
this.
No, seriously, you gotta
see what I have planned.
- Oh, Shannon, I'm hunting.
Come on now.
- Wait!
- Ladies?
Ladies!
I'll take it from here.
- Why did I think this would be
any different than it is?
- Sweetheart, don't
kick yourself too hard.
The weekend isn't over yet.
How the hell did you arrange all
this
without anyone gettin' wind of
it?
- It was Liam.
He put the whole thing
together with his friends.
- C'mon.
I still got some kick left in
me.
- Well?
- We shall see.
Drink?
- Oh yeah.
- Whoo-hoo!
- Knock, knock.
Hey.
- Hey.
- Been in here all night long?
- Most of it.
- Everything okay?
- Eh, couldn't sleep.
- I brought you some tea.
- No.
- Okay.
That was some surprise party
last night.
I had no idea you planned it.
How did you pull that off
without me findin' out?
- The dancing?
That was all Liam.
Pretty sneaky, huh?
- Yeah, real sneaky.
Impressive.
Was it what you expected?
- I was hoping we'd all have a
good time.
Maggie would relax a
bit and enjoy the music,
we'd all get to know each other.
Guess I was asking for too much.
- "Hey, you wanna try my pants
on?"
C'mon, it was funny.
- My mother didn't think so.
- Yeah.
I just don't think those two
are ever gonna get along.
I mean, the only thing
they have in common is you.
- Shouldn't that be enough?
- It should be.
- I wasn't expecting this
to be some big love fest.
I wanted this to pull
us all closer together,
not tear us further apart.
- Cut yourself a break.
Heck, those two...
It's just not gonna happen.
- You really think smoking
is a good idea right now?
- Not like it's gonna kill me.
- I wish you wouldn't talk like
that.
- Well, why quit now?
- Because I'm asking you to.
Maggie, I love you.
- I know you do.
- Listen, I know you
didn't want to come here,
but you're doing this for me,
so this morning, please talk to
Shannon.
We need her, you need her.
Please go and find her
and tell her you're sorry
about last night.
Can you do that for me?
- Just for you.
- Thank you.
- What the hell?
Would you please close the door?
What are you lookin' at?
Oh, Christ.
- Mornin'.
How's everythin' goin' in here?
- Just finishing what I came
here to do.
- Can I come in?
- Sure.
- Sable brushes.
- I like the way they
glide across the canvas.
- May I take a peek?
Mmm, yeah.
Oh, it's comin' along real good.
- Slowly.
It's still missin' some pieces.
- Yeah.
I guess we have some things we
don't know
about each other.
- That's why I invited
you here this weekend.
So we could learn those things.
Some of 'em.
- Shannon, as much as you want
it,
you can't fit a lifetime into
three days.
Will you look at me for a
moment, please?
I'm sorry about last night.
I had a few too many and
I really shouldn't have
acted that way.
I'm very sorry.
- It's not an easy
situation for any of us.
Especially you.
I appreciate you being here.
- I appreciate you inviting me.
Maureen and I just...
- I love my mother.
- Oh, I know you do.
- She's good to me.
- You know, in the world that I
come from,
you didn't get pregnant
unless you were married.
And even then,
you sure as hell didn't tell
anyone.
When it happened to me I was,
hmm,
I was scared and ashamed and
alone.
I wore the biggest clothes
I could find,
trying to hide it
and then when I outgrew
'em, I sewed my own.
Tryin' to hide the truth.
But you can't hide the truth.
Can you, Shannon?
You can't hide the truth.
My daddy, he screamed at me so
loud.
I thought he was gonna kill me.
And my mother,
she was so drunk,
you know, she couldn't stop
crying.
I don't think she ever looked
at me again after that.
When the nurse...
Handed me you,
I held you so tight.
I didn't want to say goodbye.
And after that, I...
I got numb for a while.
I started wonderin',
is this a dream or did it really
happen?
After that,
that moment...
I was so angry
and bitter,
and I hated myself for
what I had done to you.
- I don't hate you, Maggie.
I don't.
- I would not blame you if you
did.
- I get it.
That must have been so hard.
I am sincerely grateful for what
you did.
Well, better get back to work
if I'm gonna ever finish this.
We'll see ya outside, okay?
- That's why I'm here.
- Hello.
- Hello to you.
Can I help?
- Yeah.
Now take an end.
Put it down here in front of me.
- And this one?
- Uh-huh.
I'm gonna set it on the end.
- All right.
I just hope we don't get rained
out.
- Yeah, me too.
- Maybe we can all hold
matching umbrellas.
I think it's been done.
- You got a heck of a family,
Shannon.
- Yeah, I like 'em.
- And thanks for havin' us.
I'm really sorry about last
night.
- It's okay.
I talked to Maggie.
- Well...
Is there anything else I can do
for you?
- Gather the troops, quickly.
- No problem, I'm on it.
- Thanks, Aiden.
- Hey, mom.
Check this out.
Come on, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon.
- I'm hurrying.
- Hurry!
- Oh!
- Boom.
How ya feelin' today?
- I'm good.
- How 'bout last night?
- I am so proud of you.
How did you get your friends to
come here?
You'll never know how
much that meant to me.
Now, if we can just get
through the rest of the day.
- I'm gonna take one more.
- Ah!
Oh, jeez.
- Oh man.
You have got to be kidding me.
Give me these.
I guess I will work in the
studio
until this passes.
- Poor thing.
All those interruptions.
I don't think she's ever
gonna get it finished.
What's the matter?
Are you feelin' okay?
- Oh, I think my body's given
out on me.
I'm just gonna sit here for a
minute.
- I'm gonna go get Sam.
- No, don't bother.
Not unless he stopped bein' a
doctor
and started diggin' graves.
- Maggie, don't talk like that.
It's gonna be okay.
- You're gonna be fine.
- - Aiden.
- You're gonna speak with
Shannon today
and you're gonna ask her.
That's why we're here,
and we need to find out now.
- Well, we sure didn't
come for the conversation.
- No, but that's
exactly what we need to have,
a conversation with Shannon!
- Well, how about somethin' like
this?
"Hi, sweetie!
"I gave you up for
adoption when you were born
"because I didn't want you,
"and now I'm dyin' and I
need a liver transplant
"and I'd like you to be a
living organ donor for me!"
Hmm?
How's that, honey?
- Go ahead, joke about it,
but we have to find out if she
can help.
- Hey.
- Hello, dear.
Get it, deer?
- Will you round everyone up?
I think I can get what
I need to finish, okay?
- Sure, I'll do it for a buck.
- Oh gosh.
Go!
Hey, it's Sam.
Ah, Shannon sent me up.
She's ready to wrap things up.
Can you guys come down?
- Ah, just a second.
Um, Maggie's runnin' out of
steam.
- Is everything okay?
- Um...
- I just need to freshen up.
I'll be right down.
- Is there anything I can do?
- Everything's fine.
We'll be down in a few minutes.
- Okay.
If there is anything I can do.
- Nah, we're good.
We're good.
Uh, we'll be right down, thanks.
- Okay.
Probably.
We need to get this done
then we can go fishing.
- Are you guys talking about
fishing?
- Again.
- There he is.
Hey, Liam, what's wrong?
- Why don't you ask her?
- Liam.
- No, Aiden.
I think you should tell her.
- Aiden, let's leave.
- No, we won't.
Ask her.
Ask her right now.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
What are you talking about?
- I just heard them
talkin' on the balcony.
She's dying, mom.
She needs a liver donor.
- Maggie.
- She wants you to do it.
That's the only reason they're
here.
- Oh, w-wait.
I don't
understand what's going on.
- Partial liver transplant.
- They were talkin' about
how they could drop it on mom
so that she'd agree to it.
- She's dying, Shannon.
- Oh, this is unbelievable.
- Maggie, why didn't
you just say something?
- This whole thing is my fault.
I made her come.
Don't blame it on her.
Listen, I'm not proud of a lot
of things
I've done in my life,
but I'll be damned if I'm gonna
stand here
and pretend that we weren't
hoping that Shannon could help.
If we went about this
the wrong way, I'm sorry.
If we hurt your feelings,
I'm very, very sorry.
I don't know what to do,
Shannon.
I've no right to, but I'm
begging you.
- Maggie?
- I never wanted any of this.
I wasn't supposed to be in your
life,
and you weren't
supposed to be in mine.
But that all changed when you
found me.
You grew up,
it was a good family.
You have a wonderful mother and
father.
You married a good, smart man,
kind.
Maureen, you surrounded
her with a loving family,
somethin' I couldn't offer her.
And just knowin' that,
it's given me a sense of peace
that I...
I haven't felt in a very long
time.
In a very, very long time.
- It's okay.
It's okay.
We're gonna figure this out,
okay?
Maggie and I were strangers in
many ways.
Who knows, maybe we weren't
meant to meet.
I know she didn't think
we were supposed to,
but something pushed us
together.
Whether it was me searching to
find myself
or Maggie searching for a match,
which I was not,
something forced us to connect.
Maggie thought her life was a
failure
because she made bad decisions.
But that's not true.
She had me, she put me up for
adoption.
She gave me life.
And because of that, she
gave me all the people
who taught me how to live it.
And she gave me three days in
August,
and for that, I am eternally
grateful.