l grew up slowly, beside the tides and marshes...
...of a Carolina sea island.
We lived in a small, white house...
...won by my great-great-grandfather...
...Winston Shadrach Wingo...
...in a horseshoe game.
Last one around the tree is a ninny!
Joop, Joop! Come here.
boys, boys! Careful, now.
-l'll race you, Tom. -Wait up, Luke.
There are families who live their entire lives...
...without a single thing of interest happening to them.
Don't run so fast, Tom!
l've always envied those families.
Luke, mind you, don't torment that dog.
lt's my dog!
Tom, you're gonna step on him. He's only a pup!
Here, Joop. Come here!
Mom, did you see me run?
Savannah, you want a bean?
boys, you want a bean?
Quit squealing, Savannah.
You're next, Tom.
The child of a beautiful woman, l was also a shrimper's son...
...in love with the shape of boats.
Luke, he's pushing me.
l'm not pushing her!
As a small boy, l loved to navigate my father's shrimp boat...
...between the sandbars.
l suppose Henry Wingo would have made a pretty good father...
...if he hadn't been such a violent man.
From my mother, l inherited a love of language...
...and an appreciation of nature.
She could turn a walk around the island...
...into a voyage of purest discovery.
As a child, l thought she was the most extraordinary woman on earth.
l wasn't the first son to be wrong about his mother.
l am sick and tired...
...of you never showing me any respect in my own house.
l don't know when my parents began their war against each other.
But l do know the only prisoners they took were their children.
Wait, you guys. My shoes are falling off!
Keep up, Savannah.
When my brother, sister and l needed to escape, we developed a ritual.
We found a silent, soothing world where there was no pain.
A world without mothers or fathers.
We would make a circle bound by flesh...
...and blood...
...and water.
And only when we felt our lungs betray us, would we rise toward the light...
...and the fear of what lay in wait for us above the surface.
All this was a long time ago...
...before l chose not to have a memory.
Daddy!
l think something bit me!
Mr. brighton, are you selling dope to my girls again?
Stop bugging us, Dad.
-bye, Mr. brighton. -Come on in. lt's getting late!
lt's a conch.
bring him home. l'll send him to college!
How do you know it's a boy?
Well, let's examine him.
Girls, have l ever told you the facts of life?
Oh, no. Not this again.
Stay away from boys because they're disgusting beasts...
...that pee on bushes and pick their noses.
Gross, Dad!
That's completely gross.
Anyway, l'm not gonna stay away from boys.
That's the spirit. Never do what parents tell you.
Hey, Mom, look what l found!
lf you don't quit smoking, you'll die. That's what they told me at school.
Well, no more school for you.
Mom, Dad's smoking again.
Oh, no. Well, you know what to do with that. Put it in the sink.
Give me a kiss.
l wanna play.
You look tired, doctor. l'll fix you a drink.
That would be so nice. lt's been one of those days.
Hey, honey, it's tough work being a saint.
Sal, can you get it?
Something smells good.
Hey, Dad. Come and play with us.
Later.
Your mother's calling from her car.
l'm not here.
Okay, Lila. She's coming over.
Why didn't you tell her we were under quarantine?
She said she had to see you.
Dad, they won't share.
Work it out, girls. Work it out.
She said it was urgent. She was crying.
l can't remember a day when Lila wasn't crying.
be nice to her, Tom.
l hate my mother, Sally. l enjoy hating her.
Don't kill one of the few pleasures in my life.
Can we talk about something else?
-Sure, what? -Us.
l need a stiff drink for that conversation.
Girls?
-Girls! -What?
Anyone want to sit on Daddy's lap?
-There's money involved. -Okay!
l'm gonna ask you a serious question...
...and l want you to answer honestly.
l know the question.
Who's the greatest human being on this earth?
Mama? l've gotta develop some new routines.
Come on, everybody. Pick up, now.
Come on, wash. lt's bath time.
Gotta pass inspection. Lila's coming over.
Lila, Lila, Lila. Why can't we call her Grandma?
-You'll know when you're a grandma. -l will?
Pick up and get into that tub.
How does bouillabaisse sound to you?
Yuck! Can't we ever have normal food?
Do you think we could talk seriously?
Not now, Sally. My mother's close.
Can't you tell? The air stopped moving.
Sometimes l think all you need is just a good smack across your mouth.
Here she is. Sally, tie this garlic around my neck.
Do we have to invite her for dinner?
She won't stay. You know that.
Then let's invite her.
Lila.
Hello, Sally, dear.
Those shrubs need watering.
Yeah. l have to do that.
-You're looking well, Lila. -Don't be glib, Tom.
-Will you be having dinner with us? -No. l can't stay long.
What a shame.
Where are the children?
They're taking baths. Why?
l have some bad news.
They canceled your American Express card?
Your sister tried to kill herself again.
You wanna make another joke?
Oh, my God, Lila. When?
l'm not sure.
She was in a coma when they found her.
How is she now?
She's alive, thank God.
l spoke to her psychiatrist.
Some Jewish woman in New York.
She wants one of us to go up there right away. l told her you'd go.
lf she's a shrink and a Jew, you can't go?
l didn't say that. l'm just not entirely sure l'd be welcome.
Savannah will probably blame me. My children blame me for everything.
Do l detect a note of guilt, Mama?
Don't give me that psychological horseshit.
Why don't you just say it? l'm responsible for all your problems...
...including you not having a job.
Let's hit way below the belt!
Don't pretend you didn't start this.
l just can't go right now. lt's your stepfather's birthday this weekend.
l can't go either. l gotta wash out Sally's pantyhose.
l'm going to the cleaners.
Why don't you get a job as a standup comedian?
lt pays better than teaching did.
Which was far beneath me. Right?
beneath your abilities, yes.
What do you know about my abilities, for chrissake?
Just stop it, now, the both of you!
l'm sorry you're hurting.
You wanted to talk?
lt can wait.
Let's walk.
Tell me what you're thinking.
l'm trying to calculate the exact moment everything got so fucked up.
l'm also worried the braves are gonna finish last.
l don't feel like laughing.
Oh, come on, Sally. Come on.
Do you know that this is the first time you have touched me in weeks?
My life's a mess, Sally.
Our life's a mess, Tom.
Look, there's the big Dipper.
l don't give a shit about the big Dipper!
Damn it, l care about us.
l care about why you keep pushing me away.
l thought you said this could wait.
l've been waiting for two years, Tom. Ever since Luke died.
l know how you feel about him.
l just don't know how you feel about me anymore.
Don't take it personally. l don't know how l feel about anything anymore.
God, you're pathetic.
Don't blame it on us. blame it on Con Ed!
Get this truck out of here.
Come on, l'm in a hurry!
l've got a doctor's appointment.
Hey, lady! What are you honking at me for?
lt was only my sister who could force me to come to this God-awful city.
This city that roars down on you.
She loved it all. The muggers, the winos...
...the bag ladies, the wall-to-wall noise.
She loved it because it had nothing to do with our childhood.
Luke and l hated it for exactly the same reason.
You're--
Hello.
l'm Dr. Lowenstein. You must be Tom.
Yes, ma'am.
Why don't you come in?
You can leave your things there.
Am l supposed to lie down on the couch, or are we gonna make polite chitchat?
How about a cup of coffee?
Oh, we're gonna make polite chitchat first.
Was that yes or no to the coffee?
lt's a yes, ma'am.
Cream and sugar? And you don't have to call me ma'am.
That's my good home-training, and l'm a little nervous.
Cream, no sugar.
Why do you think you're nervous?
l get nervous every time my sister tries to kill herself. lt's a quirk.
A quirk?
l'm sorry. l was being cynical. lt's a family trait.
Oh, l don't think Savannah's cynical.
No? She's suicidal.
l wish she was cynical.
How is my sister?
She's out of physical danger, but--
When can l see her?
You have to wait until tomorrow.
Why can't l go now?
She's very agitated today. We're trying to quiet her down.
l think it would be too upsetting.
Wouldn't upset me.
No, but it might upset her.
How's your coffee? ls it hot enough?
lt'll do.
ln Savannah's poems...
...are you the shrimper or the coach?
The coach. Luke's the shrimper, or was.
Savannah's last suicide attempt was right after his death, correct?
Yeah, she had a few bad days over it.
Were there other times?
l don't know.
There might have been another time when we were young, but l'm not sure.
How are you getting paid?
Why change the subject?
because l don't like it much. ls it okay if l smoke?
l'd prefer it if you didn't.
How well do you know your sister's poetry?
l said l was a coach, Lowenstein, not an orangutan.
l was also an English teacher. l know her poetry. She's my twin.
l know it a hell of a lot better than you do.
You don't like psychiatrists, do you?
What good do you people do? You ask a lot of questions.
l'm sick of this whole damn routine.
l'm sick of my sister's attraction to razorblades.
And l'm sick of shrinks who can't do a fucking thing to help her.
l don't know if l can help her either.
but l do know l'm not gonna give up trying.
Why not? Maybe she just wants to die too damn much.
And that's okay? You sound resigned to losing her.
Hell no, it's not okay with me.
Yeah, but l am resigned.
Then l don't think you can help me with Savannah.
l'm sorry you had to come all this way.
What do you want from me?
lnformation.
You see, l've only been Savannah's doctor for a few months.
There's so much more l need to know about her.
l need to hear about her childhood, and she can't tell me...
...because she's blocked portions of her life out.
blotted out.
So l need you to be her memory, in a sense...
...and fill in the missing details.
l've spent my life trying to forget those missing details.
-l beg your pardon? -l--
God, she's a pain in the ass.
What time tomorrow?
l'll meet you at the hospital at noon.
Do you have a headache?
A doozy. You wouldn't have any morphine handy, would you?
Morphine?
That's a joke, Lowenstein.
Come on, get out of the way, kid. You're gonna get hurt.
Screw you, man.
You gonna help me with the bags?
You out of your mind? l ain't helping you with no bags.
Come on, move! Get out of the way, huh?
Yo, taxi!
Shit! Shit!
Move your ass an inch...
...and you can kiss it goodbye.
Hi, Eddie. Go ahead and shoot, l've had a rotten day.
Tom! You should have told me you were coming.
The gun, Eddie, the gun.
l'm sorry. Savannah and l have been robbed twice this year.
They're leaping from fire escapes. One landed on my air conditioner.
l greased my windowsills. That didn't help.
l love New York.
Tell me about it.
-How's Andrew? -Gone.
Said he needed space, so he found a younger man with a duplex.
lt's his loss, Eddie.
bless you.
Savannah was an angel. l practically lived over here.
So you're alone now, huh?
Unless l can tempt you into crossing the line while you're here.
l got enough troubles, Eddie.
Actually, you look terrible, Tom. You're not even cute anymore.
lf that's your idea of seduction, no wonder you're alone.
Well, it isn't easy.
Did you know Savannah was seeing a psychiatrist?
Of course. l recommended her. She's a friend of mine.
lt was a bitch washing it out.
You found her?
We've been giving her 50 mgs three times a day.
l'd bring it down to 25.
Don't expect too much.
Dr. Lowenstein, l need to see you.
Hey, Savannah. Hey, darling.
lt's me. Tom.
l have a cancellation, so why don't you meet me...
...here at the hospital in 45 minutes, okay?
l'm on the third floor.
What the hell is going on here? Why is she strapped down?
Her team felt she had to be restrained--
Why? She has enough drugs to anesthetize a whale!
-Her team decides-- -Quit calling them her team!
Sounds like she's trying out for the Giants.
What should l call them?
Let's be creative. Call them assholes.
Let me tell you something about those assholes.
l'm grateful because they saved your sister's life.
l don't like--
l don't care what you like. She's still a threat to herself.
There's no point to this unless we keep Savannah alive.
And l don't care if it takes drugs or voodoo or reading tarot cards...
...l want her alive. Do you understand me?
When l'm not picking straw out of my teeth, l'm a very smart man.
l'm sorry. l didn't mean to sound condescending.
You're tough, Lowenstein...
...and l'm starving.
Any interest in lunch?
Only if you let me pay.
Oh, l insist.
l wouldn't have objected to Lutèce or Le Cirque.
Their chili isn't as good. Thank you.
Tell me something.
Why didn't your father answer my telegram?
Dad only likes good news. besides, the shrimp are running good.
And your mother? Why didn't she come? She was the one l spoke to.
Priorities. My mother's too busy hiring a caterer...
...for my stepfather's birthday.
Do you always make jokes in place of conversation?
lt's the Southern way, ma'am.
The ''Southern way''?
My mother's immortal phrase:
''When things get too painful, we either avoid them or we laugh.''
When do you cry, according to the Southern way?
We don't.
Jesus, even Sally makes better chili than this.
-l have a good recipe. lnterested? -No, thanks. l never cook.
What the hell is it with you doctors?
Does ''Callanwolde'' mean anything to you?
No. Why?
Savannah kept repeating it when she first came out of the coma.
''Callanwolde, Callanwolde.'' No?
l don't know.
l have to get back to the hospital.
lt's late.
l can't see you tomorrow till about 7:30. Okay?
Lowenstein!
What's your first name?
Why?
Why not?
lt's just that my patients call me Dr. Lowenstein.
but l'm not your patient.
Susan.
Thank you, doctor. l won't use your name. l just wanted to know it.
be on time.
-Eight bucks a pound. -Eight bucks a pound? For shrimp?
-Are they fresh? -Yeah!
They're today's. They're gorgeous.
-l'll take a pound. -Let me at the scale.
Shrimp Newburg? For chrissakes, Lila, it's got wine in it!
lt's garbage!
lt's elegant food, Henry. And it's gonna get me into Colleton League.
That's a joke. Why do you think they got a Colleton League?
To keep people like you out. Joop!
Why do you want to join anyway, Mama, if they don't want you?
Of course they want me. They just don't know it yet.
Even the dog won't eat it.
Goddamn it! l work hard all day long to come home and eat this shit?
l think it's good.
-Who asked you? -Nobody.
Nobody.
Tip your head up, boy. You ain't gonna cry, are you?
What did l tell you about crying?
What did l tell you about crying in this house?
Put the hands in your lap. Sit up straight!
Come on, sit up straight. You gonna cry now?
Savannah, get this little girl one of your dresses.
Why are you so mean?
Henry, why don't l get you another supper?
There's leftover hash and rice. l'll heat it up.
Give me a hand, Tom.
You go out in the kitchen with the rest of the girls.
bully on somebody your own size.
Can't anyone take a joke around here?
l'll help, Mama.
l want you to melt this butter, Savannah.
Heat up this rice. You chop that onion into fine little pieces, Tom.
And the Yankees are back out in front.
l'm sorry, Mama.
There's nothing to be sorry for.
Marry into nothing, you get nothing.
Add some pepper, Tom.
Hand me that Worcestershire sauce.
Your mouth is hanging open, child.
Nice and spicy.
All l want is a good, plain American meal!
Here you go, darling.
Now, this is food, Lila.
Eat up, children.
So your mother fed him dog food, huh?
He even asked for a second helping.
Maybe you got your sense of humor from your mother.
Very funny.
She called today, very concerned about Savannah.
Don't believe a word she says. She's a liar.
That's interesting. She said you'd tell lies about her.
That figures.
l saw Herbert Woodruff come out of your office. He sure can play the fiddle.
You're changing the subject.
What's wrong with him?
Just kidding.
l can't believe anybody with that kind of money has troubles.
Are you really that provincial?
Oh, hell, yes. So is Savannah.
When we were kids, the only way to get off our island was by boat.
We grew up on a tidal plain.
A tidal plain? What does that mean?
Tides mean everything, Lowenstein. They measure everything.
Moods, seasons, the time to plant...
...to fish, to mate.
lt's primitive. biological clocks ticking all over the place.
Sounds like a nice way to live.
What else did she say, my mother?
She said that she was the one who encouraged Savannah to become a poet.
ls that true?
Jesus Christ!
That woman has no shame.
Wanna know how she encouraged Savannah?
-by burning her childhood journals. -Why'd she burn them?
because Savannah was being disloyal, writing about our hideous family.
What's hideous about your family?
Are you asking me to be disloyal?
lf that's what it takes to help Savannah, yes.
Aren't we about done? What time is it?
We still have a few more minutes.
What did Savannah do after your mother burned her journals?
She took her fingers, and she wrote in the sand.
And then she wrote in the air.
She wrote poetry so mother wouldn't understand it.
ln a sense, your mother helped to create a poet.
bullshit, Lowenstein. She created a schizophrenic.
My mother should've raised cobras, not children.
Can you tell me anything good about your parents?
No.
Try.
They did two really good things:
Luke and Savannah.
lncredible people.
Passionate, defiant, not for sale.
What about you?
Oh, l was a courteous Southern boy that did what he was told.
l was responsible and normal and dull.
l don't know what normal is, and you're anything but dull.
Compared to them, l was.
Your sister's in the hospital, and your brother's dead.
You must be doing something right.
You can go now.
Time's up.
Good night.
''Women and men both little and small
Cared for anyone not at all
They sowed their isn't They reaped their same
Sun, moon, stars, rain
Children guessed but only a few
And down they forgot As up they grew.''
So this began a series of confessional days...
...when l spun out the history of Savannah's past...
...in order to keep her alive.
By the second week, l'd developed the New York willies.
The guilt that every out-of-towner feels...
...if he's not improving his mind every goddamn second.
l made a list of things l should do.
Museums, plays, run six miles in under 50 minutes.
See three foreign films all at the same time.
Anything not to feel guilty.
Tom, how old was Savannah when you first realized...
...something was wrong with her?
About 7 or 8.
Anything specific happen?
My mother had a baby at home.
lt was stillborn.
She told us it died because we were bad.
Anyway, we were gonna bury it the next day...
...so Dad wrapped it in some towels and put it in the freezer.
That night, l got up to get a drink of water...
...and l saw Savannah sitting in the rocking chair...
...with the dead baby in her arms.
She was saying...
...''You're the lucky one because you don't have to live with us.''
Did you say anything to her?
The next day l did, but she didn't remember anything about it.
When l told her, she said...
...''Why would anyone do a crazy thing like that?''
So you were her memory even then?
l guess so.
Goddamn locks!
l'm coming! l'm coming!
What was that again?
l'm learning to speak the language of the natives here. Hi, Sally.
How's it going down there?
lt's just sort of blowing up a storm.
l got the girls' drawings.
-Did they get my letters? -Yes, and they loved them.
Good! Did you get my letter?
Tom?
lt's not a good idea for you to come home this weekend.
Why not?
l'm just not sure that l want to see you right now.
l have a lot to figure out.
What's the point, Tom?
l mean, let's face it...
...we don't make each other feel good anymore.
Right.
Look...
...l didn't want to tell you this on the telephone.
l wanted to tell you before you left. but the way you left...
...there wasn't any time.
What did you want to tell me, Sally?
What's his name?
What's his name, Sally? The man must have a name.
Jack Cleveland.
Oh, no. Oh, no! Oh, Jesus, Sally!
Jack Cleveland?
That aging, pompous hippie from the hospital who still rides a motorcycle?
Oh, for chrissakes, Sally! Why him?
because he knows how he feels about me.
Oh, Sally.
This is too difficult to talk about over the phone.
Just think about it carefully, okay?
l hardly think about anything else.
Good night, Tom.
What?
Are you really in love?
l'm not sure.
l might even be doing this to hurt you.
l gotta go.
Dear Sally:
l wish the words, ''l love you''...
...weren't so difficult for me.
l've missed you. l miss touching you.
l don't know what keeps me at such a distance.
l'm sorry l disappoint you, Sally...
...but you're right to feel that way.
How else could you react to half a man?
How could you not be disappointed?
Hell, l seem to disappoint anyone who tries to find the best in me.
Tom?
Ma'am?
Come on in here.
Come on, lie beside me. Come on.
You're the only Wingo who's gonna amount to something.
Luke can't do it, because he isn't smart.
Savannah can't, because she's just a girl.
-but Luke's smart, Mama. -Not like you.
Or me.
Nobody knows this yet...
...but l'm an amazing woman.
Do you believe that?
Yes, ma'am.
l'm not gonna die in a house like this. l promise you that.
Something else, Tom.
l love you more than l love any of them.
-but, Mama! -l do.
l can't help it.
You're my favorite.
That's gonna be our little secret.
You keep a secret?
Yes, ma'am.
Can l go now?
Not till you tell me you love me.
l love you, Mama.
lt took me 20 years to tell Luke and Savannah about my secret.
And when l did, they just fell on the floor, howling.
My mother took each of them into that room...
...and told them exactly the same thing.
Why did you tell me that story?
To prove that Lila Wingo would....
Just to show why Savannah could never trust her.
You mean why you could never trust her.
l'm sorry. That's the wrong story. Let's just skip it...
...and l'll try to think of a better one.
What's bothering you?
Global warming, acid rain, the national debt....
And my wife's having an affair with a heart surgeon in South Carolina.
Jesus! l feel like such an idiot.
l never even knew it was going on.
-Maybe you weren't paying attention. -bullshit!
Let's face it, Lowenstein. Women are more devious than men.
You're great at hiding things. You keep secrets. You smile when you lie.
You expect a man to be a tower of strength.
When he's got a few weaknesses and insecurities...
...what do you do? You turn around, and goddamn it, you betray him!
You feel that your mother betrayed you?
l was talking about my wife!
Oh, God, l hate this Freudian crap.
lt's not your job to listen to my problems. l'd like to go.
You're free to leave anytime.
Good!
Goddamn shrink.
Who was l kidding?
l was a champion at keeping secrets.
Better than any woman.
Until Susan Lowenstein came along.
A man who never talked...
...now is doing nothing else.
Her questions making me as dizzy as her perfume.
Excuse me.
Would you like to dance?
Who, me?
Yes, you.
Come on.
Come on, just loosen up!
Hands to yourself! He's spoken for.
How's Savannah? When can l see her?
l don't know, Eddie. lt's like talking to a fern.
Well, l'm glad she's improving.
Come on, let's dance.
Give me a break, Eddie. l'm a lousy dancer.
Walk on the wild side. You're in the big city.
Oh, hell. All right....
God, you are a lousy dancer! Go mingle.
Get in here. Get into the party.
Where are my chairs?
l found four of them, and l have a lead on another two.
Roberta, have l got a settee for you!
Don't laugh.
You're laughing!
l'm sorry.
l'm surprised to see you here.
Why? l like Eddie.
You know, l--
You really pissed me off today.
but you made me think about some things.
Don't make it a habit, or l'll have to charge you.
Oh, we do have a sense of humor!
l was beginning to think you had it surgically removed.
You look mighty pretty tonight.
Thank you.
Are you all right?
Oh, God, l'm great. l'm just great.
Now that l finished lying, can l ask you to dance?
You'd be the first woman l've danced with in New York.
l'd rather not.
Come on, Lowenstein. Walk on the wild side.
lt's a party. Come on.
Don't worry, l can't dance and make a pass at the same time.
l lose count.
You came alone?
Yeah, it's funny. l never went anywhere alone until l got married.
Well, that speaks well for matrimony.
No, it's just that...
...my husband travels a lot.
What does he do?
You know, it's late. l really should go.
l'll take you home.
No, it's okay. l'm fine.
l'm a Southerner, ma'am. We take our ladies home.
How do you do it?
How do you listen to people's sob stories? Doesn't it depress you?
No, not if l think l can help them.
Anyway, you learn to separate your patients' problems from your own.
Now yours, l think l could handle.
Oh, yeah? Don't be so sure.
Tell me something.
Did you ever wanna write like Savannah?
You're changing the subject, Lowenstein.
Am l?
lt's a technique l'm learning from you.
There he is again.
You see him? That guy is following me.
So you're a shrink to the stars, huh?
He's not my patient. He's my husband.
No kidding? Herbert-fucking-Woodruff is your husband?
Herbert Woodruff is my husband, yes.
How'd you meet him?
l saw him perform at...
...Carnegie Hall. l was 22 years old.
l had never heard anything like it. l mean, that kind of...
...passion, artistry, whatever you call it. lt's like Savannah's.
They have that gift to make people feel.
l fell in love with him instantly.
So you married him, and then you lived happily ever after, huh?
l married him.
Are you telling me that mine isn't the only screwed up union?
-l'm not telling you anything more. -Wait. No fair.
l spill my guts.
l tell you my marriage is full of holes. but you got nothing to say?
l think it's your turn to give a little.
Come on, Lowenstein, be human. Talk to me.
-Tell me about yourself. -l can't.
Why are there never any cabs?
l'll ask you a few simple questions, and you just answer.
-Simple? -Very simple.
-What's your father's name? -Douglas.
What's your favorite car?
l like old Ford Woodies.
Good! Who's the first boy you ever kissed?
Dick berkowitz. He was very cute.
Do you have any idea how beautiful you look in that suit?
ls this ''Make Lowenstein Feel better Day''?
And you got a great smile. You should smile more.
-Stop. -You don't believe me, do you?
Come here. Let me show you something.
Come here. Let me show you.
-A painting? -No, you. Look at you.
You. Your face, your smile, your suit.
l'm talking great stuff here. beautiful.
Okay, you convinced me.
Now, would you please get me a cab?
Come up for a minute. l'd like you to meet my son.
Sure. Okay.
Come on in.
bernard?
l'd like you to meet a friend.
How do you do?
Mind stepping out of the way?
Oh, excuse me.
Mr. Wingo is a football coach, bernard.
Oh, yeah?
Dad called from Vienna today. Said to say hi to you when l saw you.
Did you practice this afternoon?
No, l've been too busy watching TV.
You're being rude, bernard.
No, he's being a teenager.
l used to be one myself.
No kidding?
Where are you from? Your accent's weird.
South Carolina.
ls this TV or--?
l'm trying to watch this movie.
All right, it's late. Come on.
lt's time for bed, bernard. Let's go.
Turn down the TV and go to bed.
l'll see you, bernard.
l'm sorry that he was so rude to you.
You don't have to apologize, Lowenstein.
Teenagers, by definition, are not fit for society.
That's true.
bernard wants to play football. That's why l brought you to meet him.
l thought that maybe you could coach him a couple of days a week.
You see, he never gets a chance to play while his father's around.
Herbert's on tour. l thought maybe--
ls this a job offer?
Yes, and l would insist on paying you.
What would you consider a reasonable rate?
What are your rates?
l charge $1 50 an hour.
Fine, l'll take it.
You must be a very good coach.
Forget it, Lowenstein. l'm not a charity case yet.
Tell bernard we'll start Monday.
Good.
Good night.
First rule of thumb, bernard. Never be late.
l didn't want to come anyway, okay?
Your mother thinks you want to play. ls that true?
Maybe, maybe not.
Where do you coach, Mr. Wingo? Hillbilly country?
We're a little class-conscious, are we?
Do you go to Miss Porter's?
Phillips Exeter, smart-ass.
You didn't get to play last year, did you?
How'd you know?
because any snot-nosed punk that would dare call his coach a smart-ass...
...wouldn't get to haul water, let alone play.
With your attitude, you belong in the bleachers, kid.
When you get ready to play football, get my number from your mother.
Catch.
You need help.
This is not an attractive look for a middle-aged man.
You can take me shopping. Did you ever hear of Renata Halpern?
No, who is she?
l don't know, but she writes poems about growing up Jewish in brooklyn.
Was she staying with Savannah recently?
Not that l know of. Of course, l've been out of town a lot.
bloomingdale's on Saturday, big boy.
Coach Wingo?
You know, yesterday, l....
You know, l....
l accept your apology, bernard.
l didn't play last year, because l never made the team.
They made fun of me.
lf l coach you, l promise they won't make fun of you.
but you gotta promise something.
You gotta shut up, bernard. Your mouth pisses me off.
''Yes, sir'' is the way to address me.
First thing we'll do is follow certain courtesies.
You'll do whatever l tell you and do it with enthusiasm.
l'm gonna teach you to play football well.
-l'll run your ass off every day. -l have my violin lessons.
-Shut up, bernard. -Yes, sir.
After l run you till you drop, make you lift weights...
...tackle till your arms cramp...
...something will happen to you that's never happened in your life.
What's that, sir?
You're gonna be happy, kid.
Keep moving. Move them. Hit it!
Come on! Get up.
Drop that leg. Roll. Drop this leg. Roll.
That's it. All right, let's see that smile.
Do it again with a smile.
Cross. back. Cross.
That's it. Cross them over. Cross!
bring this shoulder out. This shoulder.
Keep your eyes on the ball. Concentrate!
Come on, bernard. Get your hands up.
Get it. Look behind!
Turn around and run!
You're the greatest person in the whole world, Daddy.
What? l don't even get the pleasure of asking the questions anymore?
-When you coming home, Daddy? -Soon.
Well, if you miss my birthday, l'm gonna kill you.
Chandler, how could l miss your birthday?
l was there the day you pushed your way into the world.
l want an alligator!
You go down to the marsh and you get one.
l want a stuffed alligator so he can sleep in bed with me.
Now, that's a dangerous habit to get into, kiddo.
ls Mama there?
Daddy wants to talk to you.
Oh, hi, Sal.
l want to come home for Chandler's birthday.
lt would only be--
We'd all be upset if you didn't come, Tom.
Oh, good. Well, thanks, Sally.
Okay. l'll talk to you. bye.
All right. bye-bye.
Hustle. Hustle. Hustle!
-You got a broken cigarette. -You gonna take it away?
So this became my routine. Coaching Bernard in the morning...
...and in the afternoon, telling the Wingo family secrets to his mother.
And looking forward to telling them. Or looking forward to seeing her.
lt's as if Savannah has some kind of a splinter...
...that she's neglected.
lt festers.
lt festers inside you until you...
...you get it out. You know what l mean?
The stories you're telling me are helping her remember...
...and l'm very proud of the work we're doing.
Know what l mean?
Time's up. Out.
Lowenstein.
-Here. Catch. -My nails!
-Throw me the ball. -Throw you the ball?
Coach, are you trying to kill yourself?
l'm not quitting, bernard. You hear?
Then l