DELINQUENCY IS NOT DESPAIR. IT IS THE DESIRE TO CHANGE THINGS.
Can I come sit beside you for a bit?
What for?
To be more comfortable until your folks get back from the restaurant.
What are you doing?
Patrice is just taking his pants off
because it's a little hot in here.
If you taste mine, I'll taste yours, OK?
You'll see, it tastes good.
That's it.
OK.
Open your mouth bigger.
Stop whining, OK?
Stop whining, I said.
You're doing great.
That's it...
Keep going...
Patrice is happy.
Go to sleep.
CRYING OUT
Are the doctors going to fix Mommy?
They're working on it.
Come with Daddy.
Got your horsie?
Got her?
Don't forget the blankie.
Love you, Dad.
Here we go. Three, four!
The wind in your blond hair
The sun on the horizon
A few words of a song
It's so beautiful
Life is beautiful
To be able to still see
To be able to still hear
Sorry, let's start again. Three, four!
It's so beautiful Life is...
Excuse me!
Mr. Larose!
Turn that music off!
Mr. Larose!
Your other shoulder, too. That's it.
I'm hungry.
- Make yourself a bowl of cereal. - I can't.
In this family, we don't say "I can't." We try.
Watch your hair.
Is that too hot?
You're OK?
Go watch hockey with the other fags!
Fucking gay game!
Don't cut in. It's my turn!
Those shitheads there make toilet paper!
- I know! - I'm telling ya!
They're ass-wipes!
Stop staring at me, motherfucker!
That's enough!
Back off!
Are you done fighting, jackass?
I can never go out for a quiet beer with you!
I've fucking had it with you!
You're a broken fucking record!
Goodbye, Louange!
Is Daddy going to be all right?
You bet! We've got the strongest dad in the world.
Get that through your skull, nitwit.
- I'm not a nitwit. - You're not? What are you then?
A businessman, like Daddy.
Sorry! I apologize!
Hi, sweetie. Did you find him?
No.
- He must be at Mom's. - The witch?
Eat your sandwich!
Eat.
Where is he?
I don't know.
If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't have kids.
Once you decide to bring one into the world,
you never sleep again.
Look at your father.
He just lost his wife,
and now he's stuck with two babies to look after.
What's he going to do?
That's my client. I'd rather you didn't stay.
I don't even have my makeup on.
MOTEL FOR SALE
He can't just walk out on them like that.
- Anyone for a date square? - Me!
He's always been irresponsible as hell.
- Louise, he lost his wife. - Losing a child is sad enough.
But a child without a mother, that's horrible.
I vote against calling the police.
- Put some gin in my cup. - Where is it?
Dad's stash must still be under the sink.
The police will file a report. That's all.
- Found it! - No way. They'll arrest him.
You just can't do what he did.
We can't rat out our own brother. What'll he do?
Get me a smaller piece, Jeanne-Mance. That's too big.
What's he going to do with the body?
- What do you mean? - Did you speak to Dad?
I was waiting for you to do it. He'll listen to you.
- Maybe I'll go see him. - Sure.
You're the oldest, Denise. It's up to you.
I don't know any better than you guys.
He's the one who usually makes the decisions.
Marcelle, what do you think?
Don't look at me. I have no idea.
Anybody want milk with their date square?
- They're good. - Sure are.
Nice and warm.
- So? - They're eating date squares.
He's in a bar somewhere. I'm sure about that.
- No doubt. - We all know that, Marcelle.
But which one? That's the tricky part!
- Who knows the bars like he does? - Dad.
So who's going with Dad then?
Who said he's going?
He can't go!
My husband won't. He can't stand him.
Neither can mine.
He almost whacked him with a lawn chair, remember?
Well, maybe...
What? I hate it when you guys say stuff without talking.
- Do you have his number? - Who?
- What do you think, Louise? - No.
Christ, he's worse than both of them.
The last time we all got together, he attacked my husband!
- They get along, those two. - Yeah, Lord knows why.
Two peas in a pod. Boozers and bastards, both of them.
Are they still talking after their last blowup?
Call him.
Tell him to come see us.
If he says no, tell him he'll have to answer personally to Marcelle.
- Why me? - He's scared of you.
- True enough. - How come?
My husband and him went into town to run some errands,
and the jackasses got back at 3:00 in the morning.
They partied it up all night long.
I could smell the liquor and the eau de slut on them.
They got a piece of my mind.
You can be one nasty piece of work!
Look who's talking!
It's not the same thing. I like to yell!
Well, we must be related!
She's just like Mom! Real pigheaded!
THE WARRIORS' RETREAT RETIREMENT HOME
You still alive?
You didn't have to come.
I can go if you want.
Get my luggage out of the closet. I didn't get all cleaned up for nothing.
I'm not getting in that.
- It's all I got. - Let's take mine.
- They said no car. - You reporting to your aunties now?
Shit.
Stupid little pig face.
Stubborn old prick.
Easy.
Goddammit, where did I put the stupid thing?
What are you doing?
Don't get her upset.
Here it is, missy. I've got my money.
You didn't come to your grandmother's funeral.
I'm not good at that stuff.
They fixed her up nice.
If the undertaker had butchered her, he'd have answered to me.
Grandma wasn't the same near the end.
You didn't know how to take her.
Once, when I went to your place, she thought I was the paperboy.
I took the money and didn't say a word.
Dumb-ass.
You seen him?
Not around here, but it's a good thing you came.
The church warden's about to start blabbing.
If it's about the hole, then no!
You'd best keep that to yourself, Father!
Listen to me...
I can't just overlook this. It's illegal. You can't dig up a corpse.
God doesn't deserve that, neither does Louange.
- Your daughters are in the choir- - Listen up!
If I hear tell the cops got wind of this,
it won't be $5 bills you find in your collection plate!
It'll be your balls!
Is that clear?
You gotta be wasted to do something that screwed up.
You used to drink like him, too.
You're out of line.
How come you drank that much?
This has got nothing to do with me.
I'd like to hear what you have to say about that.
You say me and Dad are the ones with a problem, but you...
what's your story?
It's too late to get into my story.
Anyway, it sure has to come from someone.
You try raising a couple of kids if you think it's so easy.
Roland! Another one, would ya? We're not on the wagon here!
To forget
And suffer less
There's nothing left for me
Of days that used to be
They're just a memory
Among my souvenirs
Some letters sad and blue
A photograph or two
I see a rose from you
Among my souvenirs
A few more tokens rest
Within my treasure chest
And though they do their best...
I think I saw a girl leaving the room this morning.
- Was she hot? - Not bad.
Thank Christ. I never remember anything.
Don't drink so much, and you'll see what you're missing.
I can't. If I have one, I want a dozen.
Is it too much to ask for you to cover up your pecker?
You take care of that. I'll wait downstairs.
THE QUARRY HOTEL
She made up my mind for me.
Death always has the last word, the bitch.
But she'll never decide for me again.
I won't let the cunt win.
I never agreed to say goodbye.
I can't believe you thought I'd let you go, even for a second!
You must not know me very well.
You must not love me very much.
He doesn't want to let her go.
We know that, Mom.
Pick another card.
I see people waiting for her.
He has to let her go toward the light.
If he doesn't, she could be in limbo forever.
I never liked her very much.
We know that, too, Mom.
But I wouldn't wish that on her.
Stop sighing like you don't believe in this.
You saw stuff from an early age. You kept telling me over and over.
It's called an overactive imagination, Mom.
You're saying your mother is nuts?
You're the one who tells fortunes.
- They're tarot readings. - Same damn thing.
Sounds less tacky.
Take this. It's cloves.
You smell like the bottom of a beer barrel. I can't focus.
Basically, you tell people what they want to hear.
- Your father's in a bad way. - He's not the only one in this family.
Insulting me won't help you find him.
I know there are lots of things you still hate me for.
He wouldn't let me take you back after he threw you out.
You just had to tell him to go to hell.
I thought he'd stop paying support for the girls.
Stop playing the victim!
You know what I mean, Mom!
You get so mad when you're left alone.
He was never around.
When you're pregnant...
you pray to God your baby won't turn out to be a bum.
You pray the anger inside doesn't stay with them when they come out.
And you hope that they never get big...
that they stay little forever.
That's why, later on,
you don't know what to say to them when they do grow up.
In your head, they're still your little baby.
It's like a stranger has arrived on your doorstep.
You can love a man, but not too much.
Just enough so you can smile...
when he takes off with someone else.
What can I say?
You were already sad when you came into this world,
like you knew what was going on here.
I even think you wanted to stay inside me forever.
I would've let you...
but I couldn't.
Come on, Mom...
I wouldn't ever have met you.
That's what I tell myself.
A mother without her son isn't worth much.
Say...
did you try where your grandfather's old hotel used to be?
You pay. That'll make up for stealing from your grandma.
Got it?
Come on, dammit. Skate!
What the hell are you doing? Get the puck!
Hammer him into the boards! Let's go!
They can't even skate right.
- I'm thinking of quitting my job. - To...?
- Do something else. - Like...?
I don't know.
What do you think you'll do with the rest of your life?
I'll start by dying, then I'll see.
Maybe I'll write some poems.
Some...?
Poems.
That's not a job.
- Never mind. - Read me one so I can hear.
No way.
- Come on! - Not here!
Sissy.
From the moment I left my mother's womb
I was already drunk
Brought into the world by wolves
Emerged from a body wracked with fear and anguish
From dying cum in an afflicted hole
A lost sperm
Before a disenchanted egg
Intoxicated to the very bone
And the rage
The bellowing cry within
Like the howl of a jackal in the dim, cold light
Right...
I think you should keep making toilet paper.
At least that's of some use.
What did you want me to say? Outstanding! Let's get it copyrighted!
Ah, hell!
Where were you? I looked everywhere for you!
- What's that for? - A souvenir.
We're not on our honeymoon.
Wanna tell me why you're always so damn angry?
I don't know, and that's what pisses me off.
Good grief.
Look at me.
You won't win any beauty contests with that face.
How long do you plan on doing this?
We're happy together.
We haven't always been.
Don't go there.
We fought a lot at the end.
I said stuff I didn't mean.
- You love booze more than you love me. - Don't start that again.
I'm a drunk, not an alcoholic. It's not the same.
I can stop whenever I want to.
The bottle is your real wife.
Stop it!
- Who's taking care of my babies? - I said stop it!
Who's taking care of my babies?
Where are you?
With Mommy.
Mommy's gone, Daddy.
Do you love us?
Daddy loves you more than his heart can hold.
Why don't you come home then?
Because Daddy can't let go of Mommy yet.
I don't know what to do.
Tell me what to do, OK?
In this family, we never say "I can't." We try.
OK, Daddy?
I'll try, little buddy.
Daddy will try.
Bye, Son.
Bye, Daddy.
Boy, did I ever sell a lot of beer here!
The fire took everything,
except a fur coat with your dad wrapped up inside.
I wanted to rebuild right away,
but your grandmother swore she'd leave me if I did.
So that was the end of that. I never did own another hotel.
Didn't stop you from hanging around them, though.
After that, there was the gravel pit.
That could've been a family operation.
Don't start in on that.
But no, you were too stubborn and too lazy.
You could've at least loaned me the excavator.
It's hard to go into business when you can't even work the machines.
- It's not easy to operate. - You could've showed me how.
If you weren't so distracted!
For two years, I killed myself crushing rocks for you.
You were always on my back.
Nothing I did was ever good enough! Nothing!
You're not good with machines!
Bullshit! I drive forklifts all day long at the plant.
Oh yeah?
And that's why you wanna quit and write your crap, I suppose?
That's different.
"I left my mother's womb. I was drunk."
That's not it at all.
"Inside my very being, I'm dying."
Enough, already!
"I'm not like anyone else."
Enough!
- You miss Grandma a lot, huh? - Yeah.
I don't think I'll ever be able to love someone that deeply.
You don't know that. You never tried.
I love women too much for that.
If you try to love them all, you'll never love any of them.
How did you stay with her for 60 years?
You have to not be around.
Did you ever look at anyone else?
I saw plenty of bars and bras in my time...
if that's what you're asking.
Your grandmother's gone.
Even if I wanted her to come back,
she's gone.
That's what your father has got to realize.
I don't think I want to find him.
But it's like the world would fall apart if I lost him.
That's only natural.
When your father's gone, you have to become a man.
And that's painful.
After the divorce, Dad called Mom all sorts of names,
things that it hurt to hear.
And my mom pulled some incredible stuff on my dad, too,
stuff you wouldn't believe.
She must've loved him like hell to hate him that much.
Anyway, that didn't give him the right to call her crazy.
Every time he said it to her, it was like it was meant for me.
- Don't stay out too late, sonny. - I won't, Grandpa.
THE DOVE'S NEST
I lost the love of my life.
Where did she go?
Somewhere I can't find her.
Try 411. You never know.
That's so fucking sad, honey.
Everybody should find true love.
But when it gets ripped away from you, it hurts like hell.
Worse than a kidney stone?
Go find someone who cares what you think.
I try, but nobody ever does.
You're not looking hard enough.
Same thing every time.
Look what you made me do. My mascara's running like crazy.
And at my age...
it takes forever to make the magic happen.
OUT OF USE
What's the matter?
That fucking bastard over there.
Bartender, a Clamato and a beer, please.
Oh no! God!
I'm so sorry!
I really didn't mean to do that.
Sure!
Lay off the booze!
Can I help you?
Your name's Patrice, right?
Yeah.
Do you know who I am?
Fuck! Come on, motherfucker!
You fucking asshole!
Do you know who I am now, cocksucker?
Take that, you cocksucker!
Take that, you asshole!
Jesus fucking Christ!
I want you to say my name!
I want you to say my fucking name!
Say my name, cocksucker! Say my name!
Enough, Hugo.
He gets it. That's enough!
I think he gets it!
It's over.
I'm calling the cops.
I'm sorry...
I can't.
It hurts too much inside.
It's not you.
Don't apologize, honey.
These days, I have more faith in the dead than the living.
Sometimes, I feel like taking my little girl in my arms...
and jumping into the lake with her to be with my wife again.
Don't do that.
It's all I can do to stop myself.
You just need love...
someone to hold you...
like a baby.
That's all.
When I was away at school,
we had priests who were pretty touchy-feely, too.
I was big enough to defend myself.
Do you remember taking me to pick wild cherries to make wine?
Boy, you were just a little fella.
Or the time you caught a partridge in your rabbit snare?
I wondered how you managed to follow me into the woods.
Most of the time, you carried me.
Really?
I think so.
Your eyes...
Your eyes seek out mine.
If there's a good place to die, this is it.
After your body goes into the water,
fish would eat up all the little pieces
and keep them inside.
Well, then...
I'd get eaten by a bear.
Bears like fish.
Goodbye, my love.
Your bail's been posted. Time to go.
You were supposed to find him, not get shit faced.
Where are they now?
Go where there's water. He's there.
Water?
There's tons of rivers and lakes around here!
No, bigger.
- Like the sky. - Shit, I don't understand!
Stop swearing. It's not attractive.
OK, but come on! There's water, but not a river. It's like the sky.
You're thinking too much with your head.
Don't you remember their little lovers' getaway?
- He wasn't too much of a pain? - No, it was fine.
I'm not talking to you.
Did he show you the money-in-the-cow trick?
You could've come to the funeral.
She wasn't your real mother, but she did love you.
But I suppose consideration and respect were never your thing.
I hate funerals.
You can't always do what you like in life.
That's not how it goes, not in the fucking slightest.
I married your mother to have kids, not because I loved her.
I can get loaded on my own, you know.
- That's for sure. - What do you-
Jesus! Watch what you're fucking doing!
Sorry there, Dragon Lady!
Get the fuck out. We've heard enough out of you!
- She's got a mean streak! - You have a problem?
Wow, God must've used a spoon when he sculpted you,
because you're one ugly jerk!
- Take it easy, man. He's sloshed. - Relax!
You don't decide when I'm sloshed. Go ahead, swing away!
- Jesus! Relax! - Was I talking to you?
Get the hell out! Go on, get out, you geezer!
- Good luck with the ugly duckling! - Keep going, asshole!
Listen to Gramps, you sorry son of a bitch!
- Motherfucker! - Hold on!
That's enough!
Sit down and drink your beer, or I'll shove it down your throat!
- Got it, you bastard? - It's all right.
I've had it!
What are you doing?
Give me my Louange back!
Come back here! Enough of this damn foolishness!
- Leave me alone! - Think of your kids!
Exactly! My kids! Not yours! They're my kids!
- OK, come on! - Leave me alone!
You don't know what love is, what pain is.
- You know nothing! - You think you're special?
- Lots of people get their hearts broken. - Not as bad as mine!
You don't know how much I love her.
- What is it with you, you selfish prick? - Selfish? Me? Yeah, I'm selfish!
I give and I give! I give all the time!
And what do you ever give me? Jack shit!
You think you're brave for coming to find me?
I want nothing to do with you and your crappy life!
This is your worthless fucking life, you little bastard!
At least I made something of my life!
What the fuck are you doing with it?
You're taking us all down with you.
At least I'm alive. I don't change girls like I change my underwear!
- You can't stick with one! - Did you manage to stick with one?
I'm not the one who left. She did!
And Mom? Did you stick with her?
I don't give a shit about your mother!
Watch what you say about her!
Wanna know the truth? She's a crazy bitch!
Don't get hurt!
You want me to drown you?
Fuck!
Shit!
You never finish what you start!
Shut the fuck up!
Shut your fucking trap!
- For Christ's sake! - You keep the fuck out of this!
Back the hell off!
So I'm a son of a bitch, am I? Am I a son of a bitch, motherfucker?
Am I a son of a bitch?
He should save the "son of a bitch" for your kid!
Get the fuck out!
Do it, babe. Kill the fuckin' bastard!
Do it!
Come on, you fuck!
I lost my love, Dad.
My love is dead.
She's dead and she's not coming back.
She's never coming back.
That's it.
Did I tell you I lost my love?
- Yeah... - And she's never coming back.
I love you, Dad.
I love you, too, Son.
It'll do you good...
to get some sleep now.
Don't worry. I'll take care of everything.
Thanks, Dad.
Go to sleep, my boy.
I loved Louange, too.
We didn't always get along, but I loved her just the same.
It only makes sense: She messed up my mother and stole my father.
You're the one I hate.
I hate you for being you.
I hate you for all the times you told me I was a loser
and for being drunk every time you said so.
I hate that I never talked to you about it when you were sober.
I hate that you use self-pity as a reason to drink and cry.
But more than anything...
more than anything,
I hate myself for being just like you.
I feel like a fucking waste of space.
What'll I tell them?
Well...
tell them you took a trip.
Daddy took a trip.
That's it.
Daddy!
- Look what she learned. - What did you learn? Show me.
- What is it? - Mummy's in our hearts.
Mummy's in our minds. Mummy's up in heaven.
My sweet little girl.
Here.
My only wish for you, my boy,
is that someday you'll have grandkids like mine.
But first, you need to find someone you love more than anybody else.
But don't you worry. Life will take care of that.
So that's it, I think.
Goodbye, my little pig face!
Hugo Larose, please call reception.
Hey, bro!
Phone!
Mom!
You look so handsome,
just like when I used to fix your bowtie when you were little.
You don't have to come in.
I don't think he'd be mad.
I wrote something.
Could you put it in his pocket?
- Why don't you read it? - No, it was for him...
Yeah, but...
sometimes sharing things helps other people, too.
Not everyone can find the right words.
You're good at it.
He didn't always treat us right, but at least he tried.
Sometimes I think that's enough.
But we're not all made the same.
You're fine the way you are.
You too, just so you know.
When I look at you,
I see in you my father,
my aunts, my sisters,
my brother and me, too.
In your smile...
I see mine.
In my eyes, I see the reflection of your face.
My hands look like yours.
And that soothes me...
for a time, a short time.
Not strong enough to ward off the invading angels of death.
And I see them up there,
the luminous shadows who await you...
beaming with joy.
And I recognize them.
They ask me, tenderly, not to hold on to the weight of existence.
Reluctantly, I let go.
Goodbye, Conrad.
FOR SALE CONTACT CONRAD LAROSE
FOR CÉBALD AUBERT
Translation by Shonda Secord
Subtitles by Vision Globale