All language subtitles for Cmon.Cmon.2021.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-CMRG.engl.

Okay, I'm gonna ask you
a series of questions,

and there are no right
or wrong answers.

So when you think
about the future,

how do you imagine it'll be?

Like, what will
nature be like?

How will your city change?

Will families be the same?

What will stay with you,
and what will you forget?

What scares you?

What makes you angry?

Do you feel lonely?

What makes you happy?

[LIVELY MUSIC PLAYING]

[SIREN BLARING DISTANTLY]

So we are goin'
around the country,

goin' to different cities
and interviewing kids,

ranging in age, um, just
about their... their life

and what they think
about the future.

If I ask you anything
that you don't wanna answer,

or you don't like a
question or whatever,

you can just be like, "No."

- I want you to just
feel comfortable,

and if there's anything
that I ask you about

that you don't
wanna talk about,

say "I don't really
wanna talk about that."

- I think adults always
think they're the boss,

and they always gotta be
the boss of everything.

And I think that some
adults have that mindset

where "I'm right
and you're wrong."

- When you think
about the future,

how do you imagine it'll be?

- I... [SIGHS]

I imagine and hope
it'll be good.

And do you ever think,

like, what could
adults have done

to have made sure that we
went in the right path?

- Definitely most of all,
pay more attention

to, like, what's
going on around them,

'cause I feel like
that's a big problem

with, like,
literally everything.

Like, that's a big, big thing.

They'll be like,
"Oh, you're from Detroit."

I was like, "Yeah."

Like, "It's really
dangerous there.

The schools are
really terrible

and, like, nothing's
good there."

I was like, "Well,
how would you know?

You don't live there,

and you don't go
to school there.

You weren't
raised in Detroit."

Like, "I've been raised
in Detroit all my life."

America,
uh, it's so much...

It's so much tragedy,

and some people
aren't treated fairly,

because of race, because
of who they like,

because of where they live,

because of how much
money they have.

So I would want it to
become a better place

and people to know

that just because
someone isn't like you

doesn't mean that
they're wrong,

but then I'm not sure.

We're at
the point right now

where we have to
change things,

and just based on
our morals as people,

I don't really see that
happening anytime soon.

So, you're... You're
hopeful for the future?

Like, when you think
about the future,

you think it'll be
better or worse?

For me,
personally,

I feel like things
are gonna get better,

because I have a lot of
opportunities right now.

[OVER TAPE] I'm
hopeful for myself,

for other people.

I don't know if things
are gonna get better,

it's really on the side,

but I really hope
things get better.

Um, but for the overall world,

once again I hope
it gets better,

but it might not,
like everything.

JOHNNY [OVER TAPE]: If you
could have one superpower,

what would it be?

That's a
hard question.

Um, that's one of
the popular questions

that I ask people.

Some people say...

Detroit was the future.

[CLICKS TONGUE]

[SIGHS]

So we came to...

We came to Detroit to talk
to young people, kids.

You know, we came to Detroit
to talk to kids, young people,

and to ask them

what they thought their
lives would be like,

how it's changing for them,

what are they inspired
by and excited by,

and what are their
lives like now?

[SIGHS]

[PHONE LINE RINGING]

[ON PHONE] Hey.

- Hey.

Hi.
-Hi.

- It's nice that you called.

- I didn't know if
I was gonna call

or if you would...

If no one would...

- It's a good day to talk.

Maybe Mom's listening.

Yeah, maybe.

It doesn't feel like
it's been a year to me.

Does it to you?

No, it's weird.

I didn't know what to
do with myself today.

[SOFT PIANO MUSIC PLAYING]

Yeah, I know.
If I just, um, work,

then I feel like
I'm not mourning

in the right way or whatever.

And if I sit in this
depressing hotel room

and just think about Mom,

then, yeah, it's
just pretty brutal.

So, yeah, I called you.

[PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]

- Where are you?

- Um, I'm in Detroit.

I've been, um,
interviewing kids.

Uh, so that was cool.

Cool.
-Yeah.

- Jesse heard you on the
radio the other day.

- Oh, yeah?

Yeah, we were driving,

and there you were on
the radio as usual,

and I had to tell
him it was you.

- Really?
- He's nine, you know?

He didn't recognize
your voice,

it's been a year.

It's a long time for a kid.

- Wow.

All right.

Yeah.

How is Jesse?

Uh, he's so good.

He's smart, and he's so weird.

He's older, and he's funny,
and I don't know, he's...

He's... he's a whole
little person.

Um, and Paul moved to Oakland.

- He did?

- Yeah.

- Whoa, really?

- Yeah, it's okay.

I... It's... I think so.

Jesse is dealing
with it well so far,

but Paul's not.[CHUCKLING]

- He is...
- Hmm.

I mean, he... I'm just...

He's fine.

I just have to go up
and help a little.

Help him settle in.

- Oh, yeah?

- Yeah.

So I'm heading up there
soon, but we're good.

- So you taking...
You taking Jesse?

- No.

No, I don't think it's
that kind of trip.

- So who's watching Jesse?

I haven't
gotten there yet.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]

- Hi. [CHUCKLING]
Hi.

- Hi.

Hey.

- Say hi.

- [WHISPERS]
"Hi, how are you?"

- How are you?

- [WHISPERS]
I'm good. How are you?

- I'm good.

- Hmm.

[WHISPERS] Wanna ask
Uncle Johnny to come in?

- You should ask me
if I wanna come in.

Do you
wanna come in?

- Thank you.
- Okay.

- I get a hug?

[GRUNTING PLAYFULLY]

- Hi.
- Hi.

[JOHNNY CHUCKLES]

- We have, um, her dresses

um, all my homework stuff.

- Hmm, cool.

- Mom says you're gonna
sleep up here tonight

in her extra-big, cozy bed,
best bed in the house.

So there are these, um,
big, big, big, big,

big, um, little
like fungus tubes

or tubes that are fungus,

and they're connecting
all the trees.

so they're up here.
- Mm-hmm.

And they'd be really tall.

They get all the food,
and then you kinda,

like, go through the
tubes into another tree.

And then, um,
well, they...

They would, like,
get all the food

and then it'll go through.

And so the tree
needs... [FADES]

So what's goin' on
with Paul? How's he doin'?

- Oh, I don't know.

I mean, he was offered this,
you know, incredible position

at the San Francisco Symphony,

which he totally deserves,

but the transition
fucked him up.

- Mm-hmm.
- Like transitions always do.

And... And then he
got a fucking dog,

which he should not
have gotten, so...

- No. No.
- So, yeah. It's just...

It's... It's... It's a
total mess as usual.

- And you have
to clean it up?

- Yeah.

Yeah, that's Paul.

[SIGHS]

- What about Jesse?
What does he know?

- Nothing. I said I was gonna
help him get organized,

so we'll go together later.

- He gonna be okay
just with me?

Like, what...

- He loves it when
I'm not around.

He'll have so much fun.

- Yeah?

- It's really good
to see you.

Hello?

Is anyone home?

- Hello?
- Uh, are you ready for this?

- God, what?

- Hello?
- Brace yourself.

There's this, uh,
little orphan

who likes to come visit me.

In fact, he will
probably come visit you,

and he likes to pretend that,
uh, I have some dead children,

and he asks me a lot of
questions about what they did,

so he can do
those same things.

- That's fucked up.
- Yeah.

It's really...
It's totally normal.

All the kids do this.

Is anyone home?

- I'm coming.

- Hi.
- Hi.

- Is this the orphan?

- Mm-hmm.

Can I sleep here tonight?

They only have bunk
beds at the orphanage

and all the kids snore.

- Hmm, of course you can.

Uh, actually, my son's
not here tonight, so...

- I could take his
place if you want.

- That's a good idea.

He usually goes
to bed right now.

You know, this way, I
happen to have a room

with a bed just your size.

You wanna check it out?

- "Dorothy lived in the midst

of the great Kansas prairies

with Uncle Henry,
who was a farmer,

and Aunt Em, who was
the farmer's wife."

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

She hugged me, and
she felt different,

or I felt different,

and, yeah, Jesse maybe
vaguely remembered me.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Da, da. Da, da, da, da.

He told me about trees
communicating with each other

and how connected they were

by an underground
network of fungus.

- Love you, love you, love
you, love you, love you.

Mmm. [KISSES]

Love you, love you, love you.

[WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]

Oh, cozy. Okay,
go back to sleep.

[CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING
LOUDLY ON SPEAKERS]

- Good morning.

[SHOUTS OVER MUSIC]
It's loud!

- It's Saturday.

I get to be loud on Saturdays.

- Mom just left?

- Uh-huh.

She said you might
be a bit awkward.

- What?

- She said you might
be a bit awkward.

[CHUCKLING]

But you'll get used to things.

[MUSIC CONTINUES LOUDLY]

- Will you turn it
down a little?

[MUSIC CONTINUES SOFTLY]

- She left you some
notes in the kitchen.

[READING INDISTINCTLY]

- Is that a microphone

or is it a...
in the headphones?

- Huh?

- Is it... Is the mic in
the headphones and...

Or is that the mic?

- This is the mic,

and I'm just gonna get
a quick little level.

Careful.

[SNAPPING FINGERS]

Da, da, da, da, da, da, da.

[CLICKS TONGUE]

So when you think
about the future,

what do you imagine?

- Um, I don't wan...
I don't wanna.

- You don't wanna imagine
what the future's like?

- I don't wanna do
the questions.

- Uh-uh.
- Oh, what's that?

- Um...
- There's a screw there,

and there's loads
of little buttons.

- Well, that's the...
That's the gain.

- The gain?

- Well, it's how you
know how much...

Here, put these on.

[JESSE SCATTING]

Do you see this?

Here.

[RUMBLING ON HEADPHONES]

- Can you hear that?
- I can...

- Yes.
- ...hear that.

- Yeah. So this is what you
adjust for an input volume.

Now it's super quiet.

So turn it
all the way up,

you can feel that.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[SEAGULLS SQUAWKING]

Having fun?

It all sounds
amazing in here.

My dad would love this.

Johnny!

You need something?

- My mom tells me stories.

It can be fiction
or non-fiction.

- [SIGHS] Oh, boy, I
don't know any stories.

Um...

Can we just talk and
get to know each other?

- Why did she stop
talkin' to you?

[JOHNNY CHUCKLING]

- Um, we talk.

- No, you don't.

- [SOFTLY] I mean,
I don't know.

- Did you used
to talk a lot?

- Yeah.

[SOFT PIANO MUSIC PLAYING]

- Johnny, where have you been?

- Hi.

- You can help me.

- Yeah, what do you need?

- He's coming to get me.

- Who's coming?

- I have to get dressed.

My dad's taking
me to the DMV.

My sweater was over there.

Help me up.

I'm gonna get my license.

I don't know
why you give in

to those delusions like that.

Are you serious?

Yeah, I'm serious.

- Are you fucking serious?

Easy, I got you.

- Hurry.

- Why wouldn't I
entertain it?

Just let her have
that. Why you...

What's going on?

- My dad's coming to get me.

- Mom, why don't you, um...

Why don't we wait for
your dad lying down?

You just give in to her!
You always just give in to her!

- This is precisely...
- Whatever she wants!

- ...what you should give in to.

- What are you talking about?
- It's not her, though.

It's not even her...
[CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY]

What is your problem?

You know what
my problem is?

Yeah, yeah.

It's thatfor our entire lives,
I am the only one

whoever challenged them.

Really? Really?
For our entire lives?

Yes. Yes, really.

So easy for you.

They made me feel like
I was a crazy person

again and again,

and you just went
along with it.

You don't exactly
make it easy to help you.

Well, maybe, but
I needed your help.

- Look, you're losing a
mom who adored you.

She just did.

And I'm losing one who
never understood me.

[SOFT PIANO MUSIC CONTINUES]

[SNIFFLING]

[SOFTLY] Okay, Mom.

"It is kind of you to
wear that", said Boq.

"Blue is the color
of the Munchkins,

and white is
the witch color.

So we know you are
a friendly witch.

Dorothy didn't
know what to say.

Dorothy did not know
what to say to this,

for all the people seemed
to think her a witch,

and she knew..."

- Why aren't you married?

- Um, I was with...

I was with somebody for
a long time, Louisa.

[CONTINUES READING]
"And she knew very well

she was only an
ordinary little girl

who had come by the
chance of a cyclone

into a strange land."

- Did you love her?

I still do.

- Then why did you break up?

- I don't know.

Um... "When she had tired
watching the dancing,

Boq... Boq led her
into the house,

where he gave her a room
with a pretty bed in it."

I don't think it
was my choice.

Mm, I think, um,

you love each other,

and then you still
love each other,

but find it hard to express
that love to each other,

and so then you
look at each other,

and you do this.

And you go, "Oh."

You... You know, I mean,

I hope you don't
have the experience,

but you probably will.

It's all right, actually.

Um, "The sh..."

"Pretty bed in it.

The sheets were
made of blue cloth,

and Dorothy slept soundly..."

Okay, good night.

- Um, so what happened...

[CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY]

Read him
The Wizard of Oz,

kissed him on the head,

and said good night,

and he asked me why
am I not married.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

I didn't tell him
that I wanna be,

that I miss Louisa.

I made it into a weird joke.

Why'd I do that?

[SOFT MUSIC CONTINUES]

Not so long ago,

in an Arctic village far away,

there lived a
polar bear family.

There was a papa polar
bear, a mama polar bear,

and a baby polar bear,

and they all loved
each other very much,

but something was
not quite right.

[BOTH ARGUING INDISTINCTLY]

Baby bear knew
something was wrong.

He never said a word,
but he worried all the time.

He worried about his papa.

You see, Papa Bear
had a hard time

controlling his feelings

and sometimes he did
things that upset,

and even scared
Mama and Baby Bear.

[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

[OPERA MUSIC PLAYING]

- So should I call
you like "Papa"

or "Dad" or just "Johnny"?

You can call me

whatever feels
comfortable to you.

- Uh, I... I don't know,

it's just I'm not used
to being able to choose.

- Maybe we can just take
this process slowly

and... [CHUCKLES]
And see... See how it feels.

- Mm-hmm, yeah.

And I'm just really sorry
that your children died.

- Um, you know, I don't
think I can do that part.

- Yeah, I... I told you
that's how me and Mom do it.

- If it's... makes sense
for your mom to do that,

that's cool, but it
doesn't make sense for me

and that's what I was
explaining to you.

- Why it doesn't make
sense for you? It's...

- Because it's ridiculous.

- Is it...

- It's sad.

The question is why
do you wanna do it.

- You are just
terrible at this.

- Oh, man, I'm tryin'.

Let... Let me ask
you a question.

Why does everything have to
be like this kind of weird,

eccentric thing that you do?

- 'Cause I like it.

- Yeah, but why not just

do something normal?

- What's normal?

- Like everything in
your real life...

- What's normal?

- Okay, fine. Good point.

[ON TAPE] The only
thing that I do have

is that I know that I'm safe.

I'm in a home where
people care about me

and I have friends that
care about me and...

[PAUL TALKING INDISTINCTLY]

- That's the total randomness.

Like there was nothing.

It was like a triangle
one on this one

and a square on this one,

and half of the block
would be a triangle,

and the other half
would be a wood,

and they'll be like,
"Can you figure it out?"

It looked very similar
to this floor here.

[ON PHONE] Hi.

Hey, what's...
what's going on?

Oh, it's really bad.

He really needs to go
somewhere for help

and he's not letting me,
uh, get him there.

- I'm sleeping,
I'm going to work, I have...

- Are you sleeping?
- I am sleeping!

- How many hours
do you usually...

- [SIGHS] Does that matter?

I'm sleeping,
I'm sleeping!

[ON PHONE] You know,
he's totally fucking paranoid.

Just the second
I bring it up...

Yeah, you know, I just tried
to put some things in a bag

and he totally fucking
lost his mind.

- And you took all
these clothes

if I'm gonna be there for a
month or two months or whatever.

- No, no, no, we don't...
we don't have to.

- No, no, no. Because I want
all my things there.

I know that I can get
him to check himself in,

but I've just...
I've gotta lay off

and just slow down.

So can you stay
with Jesse for me

for another couple of days?

I called Jesse's school
and put you on the list,

and you can... You can
just bring him to school

and pick him up.

Can you do that?

- Yeah, I can.

Um... [CLEARS THROAT]

- Oh, thank you.

- But, uh, Viv, you know,

I'm supposed to do these,
um, interviews on Friday

back in New York, um,
but I'll figure it out.

- You will? You can...
You can do that?

- Yeah, don't...
I'll figure somethin' out.

- Okay.

Thank you.
Thank you.

And listen, you just don't
say anything to him, okay?

Yeah, okay.

[ON PHONE]
I think our first one

is maybe00 on Saturday.
Will you be back for that?

- Yeah, definitely.

Cool.

Is that something where
I'll see you before that

or should I send you
the pre-interview notes

Fernando gave us
for like the plane?

- Um... Yeah, I'll be there,

but, um, yeah, just send it,

just... just so I have
it and I'll look at it,

but, no, I'll be
in, um, Friday.

Well, I don't know, I haven't
figured out a ticket yet,

but, um...

- Okay.
- I'll figure somethin' out.

- And how's...
How's like Vivs and stuff?

- Good.
- Yeah?

- Good. Yeah.

Yeah, it's, um,
I mean, you know,

we're just working out,

but, um, this kid
is fucking great.

[CHUCKLES]

- Yeah?

- He's got... He's got the
gear on and he's, uh...

- Oh, have you been showing him
like audio recording stuff?

Have you
been to New York?

- No.

- Never been to New York?

- Never ever been to New York.

- You don't think all the,
like, sunshine and sand,

and bodies is kinda boring?

- No.

- Oh, man.

You know, you should
come with me.

- What?

- Yeah, come with
me to New York.

- Like... Like, right now?

- Well, not right
now, but, yeah,

I have to go this weekend

to do interviews and stuff,
and you can help me.

You know, record sound

and maybe I can,

like, weave that
into the show.

I think it'd be fun.

- I'd love that.

[UPBEAT PIANO MUSIC PLAYING]

[JOHNNY BABBLING]

[LAUGHING]

- Hi!

Come here.

Paul?

Paul?

[ON PHONE]
Uh, so Paul is gone.

Paul?

Uh, he doesn't
answer his phone,

I don't know where he went.

- Uh, does he even want help?

I feel like he just...

He just wants you back
taking care of him.

- Oh, God. Oh, please,
don't... Don't start.

I can't do this
with you right now.

- Just hear me out for a second.
I know you're stressed out,

but just hear me
out for a second.

What if Jesse came
with me to New York?

He said that he wanted to
and I think that, um...

- What do mean, he
said he wanted to?

You already asked him?

- No, we talked
about New York...

- Oh, God, you
already asked him.

- ...And he said he'd
never been there.

Calm down.

- Johnny, you don't ask
a nine-year-old kid

if they want go to New York
before you ask their mother!

- Viv, I wanna help,
I wanna help.

- Jesus Christ!
- Listen to me.

I'm tryin' to help you and
this is a way that I can help.

- Well, that's not helpful.

Uh...

I'll call somebody else.

I'll figure it out.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

And I sat on the wall

waiting for him to
come out of school,

and then I heard all the
kids coming out of school,

running down the
steps, talking loud,

and then he came
down.[CHUCKLES]

And then, this
stupid little voice

with this cute little
fucking hair and face,

he was like,
"Did you talk to Mom?"

I said, "Yeah."

"Well, what did she say?"

"She loves you very much."

'Cause I couldn't tell him.

[CELL PHONE BUZZING]

[ON PHONE] Hey.

- So listen, can you find
somebody in New York

to watch him when
you're working?

Is that a realistic plan
that you could make happen?

- Yes.
- Yeah?

- Yes.
- Who would that person be?

- I'll find someone.

I'll figure it out, I promise.

- Okay. Okay.

I called Jesse's teacher,

and said there's a
family emergency,

and I'll be out
for about a week.

I'll send you his assignments.

- Don't worry.

[VIV CHUCKLING]

[CHUCKLING]

Okay, okay.

- Okay.
- Okay.

"Motherhood is the
place in our culture

where we lodge,
or rather bury,

the reality of
our own conflicts,

of what it means
to be fully human."

"It is the ultimate
scapegoat for our personal

and political failings,

for everything that is
wrong with the world,

which it becomes the task,
unrealizable of course,

of mothers to repair."

[OPERA MUSIC PLAYING]

"What are we doin' to
mothers when we expect them

to carry the burden
of everything

that is hardest to
contemplate about our society

and ourselves.

Mothers cannot help,
but be in touch

with the most
difficult aspects

of any fully-lived life."

[MUSIC ENDS]

"Why on earth should
it fall to them

to paint things bright,
and innocent, and safe"

It's gonna
rock you dead,

come upside your
head. You get ready?

You said, here we go.
Yay, all right, come on.

Come on. Come on, let's go.

Yeah.

All right, everybody, get
down on your basement.

Get ready, yeah, okay.

[TRAIN RUMBLING]

- It's so long.

- Do you like it here?

- What?

- Do you like it
here in New York?

- Yeah.

- What do you like better?

Recording here
or at the beach?

- Here.

But I like the...
I like the skaters.

- You like the skaters?

Yeah.

Yeah, you know, what I
love about recording?

What I love
about recording?

You can hear me?

- Yep.

- Oh, whatever, I'm so...
- No, no, no, no!

No, no.

- [CHUCKLES] No, just...
- Oh, okay, okay.

And in a way it's cool,

because you get to keep
these sounds, right?

You keep it forever.

You make like this
mundane thing,

like be immortal,
and that's cool and fun.

[OPERA MUSIC PLAYING]

- Hey.

- Hey. What's up?
- Hello.

- Nice to meet you.
- This is Jesse.

- Jesse, this is Fern.
- Hello.

This is the
sweetest man in New York.

He's gonna help take care
of you while I'm workin'.

Also notice how
Johnny just like lights up?

- I know.

He is like a...
like a mini Johnny.

- Right.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

With the... with the...
With the little hoods...

- Yeah, the little hoods.

- And the flopsy hair.
What? Yeah.

- Just hangin' out.

- Uh-huh.

- You know, we're gonna hold
off till we eat more.

[FERN CHUCKLES]

We're gonna hold off
till we eat more.

I'm sorry.

[ROXANNE AND FERN LAUGHING]

[CHUCKLES MOCKINGLY]

We're gonna hold off
till we eat more.

It's right here.

Mm-hmm.

So if you eat this,
'cause it's melting,

if you eat this as
quick as you can,

not too fast, but just get
so many... A few more bites

and you can have
the ice cream.

[MOUTHING]

[REGGAE MUSIC
PLAYING ON SPEAKERS]

[JOHNNY CHUCKLES]

[FERN CHUCKLING]

Go for it. You did it.

Enough. Enough.

Craziest thing
you've seen on the internet.

Okay.

Go.

- So I... I like conspiracies.

Perfect. Great.

Tell us...

- Uh, let's eat... Just a
little bit of broccoli

and then talk about...

Okay, a little bit of
broccoli and then we can talk?

- ...then you
can talk about conspiracies.

- Yeah, the government got,
like, a colony of ants.

This is how I
think it happened.

Okay.

- And like in the rock

and they place it
inside a dead person.

Okay.

- And they made him alive

and he has a plan...
planets of ants inside of him.

[GIGGLES]

[FERN CHUCKLING]

- Oh, this is scary stuff.

- Do, um... Uh, I know one.

Oh, I'll show you SCP.

Yeah. No screen time.

- Do SCP 1.

- Not screen time
right now, come on.

- One of them, it was a big
thing that they found

in like a forest

and they took the
face off of it.

Wait, like...

- And injected it with
a bunch of injections

to make it powerful.

Whoa.

It was meant to be
like a government weapon...

[FERN CHUCKLING]

...they were gonna use.

Do you... Do all
your friends act like you?

And that
would be a big no.

Hey, hey,
hey, hey, hey.

What up,
Sunny Spa E Broadway?

I don't know
what that says.

Hey, hey,
hey, hey, hey, hey.

Whoa! Come on. Hey.
Hey, what's goin' on?

- Oh.

Made it back.

And I was tired.

so tired,

but he wasn't.

So do you have
your toothbrush,

'cause I don't see it.

- No.

- Come on, I...
I told you to pack it.

What? You didn't bring it?

- Um, I didn't.

Do you have trouble
expressing your emotion?

- Well, I'm feeling pretty
frustrated right now.

- That's good.

Just sit down, you can
let it all come out.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

[JOHNNY GRUNTS]

- Hey, you okay?

- My friends don't talk
like me, because...

[JOHNNY GRUNTS]

I don't really have friends.

I mostly hang out with adults.

[JESSE TALKING INDISTINCTLY]

No, Jesse,
no. Back to bed.

I did? I don't... I don't
remember saying that.

I took him to the
couch, I laid him down,

and I sat with him
till he was asleep.

I got up and slowly started
walking back to my room.

- Can't I just sleep
with you tonight?

Oh, why did you let me
eat all that sugar?

Mom would not
let me eat that.

- Oh, my God, you said
that she would let you.

- Can you tell me about Mom
when she was a little girl?

- I said, She was cute.

He said...

I heard about
her boyfriends,

and she ran away,
and she got in trouble

all the time.

And I heard that she
got an abortion.

-[WHISPERING] What the
fuck do I say to that?

I didn't even know about it.

You know, a woman's
body is, um,

like a... [HESITATES]
um, maybe every person.

Like you have the right...

[CLEARS THROAT]
...of your own body

and a woman certainly
has the right.

It's like... it's called
the right to choose.

Okay, now fuck that. Um...

- Let me tell you how my
mom puts me to sleep.

Now, lay down.

- Okay.

- Rest your feet,
rest your legs.

Rest your hands,
rest your arms.

- My mom would
never do this.

- [SOFTLY] Rest your eyes.

Rest your mouth.

Rest your jaw.

Rest your mind.

No more thoughts tonight.

No worries.

Just stars in the sky.

So what? Does he
have something that it...

Is it a sleeping problem?

[ON PHONE]
Listen, he's probably

just over stimulated.
Did you give him sugar?

Did you let him watch
shit on your computer?

- No.

- 'Cause that makes him crazy.

- You're just, uh,
used to this.

Like, why are
there so many scratches?

I'm not used to it.

I fucking hate it sometimes.

I mean, I love him
more than I...

I can even understand

and that makes it
even worse when I can

barely stand to be in
the same room with him,

going on and on,
talking, talking...

- Another stick.

- Relentlessly about nothing
random nothingness,

interrupting every
thought I might have...

- Kick, kick, kick, kick.

- Oh, God, and I know.

- From making him lunch
and doing the dishes,

from making lunch and
then doing the dishes,

from making dinner and
then doing the dishes,

from lunch, and then
going grocery shopping,

on, and on, and on, and
on, he never stops.

- Bees!

- It's a fucking nightmare.

- Yeah. [GRUNTS]

[ON PHONE] Slow down!

- Do you think I'm horrible now?

- No, no, I have so
much sympathy.

[JOHNNY CHUCKLING]

- Listen, you just have to get
some protein into him, okay?

You know, those disgusting
little, uh, rolls,

the salami and cheese things,
just... He loves them.

Where are we going now?

I have to find you

some disgusting salami
and cheese rolls.

Historically, New
York represents the future

and possibility for
so many immigrants.

We ask today's
children of immigrants

what they think
about the future

and the world
they live in now.

I never thought
that I would be this scared

about like what might
happen in the future,

but then now,

I'm starting to
think about it,

like, I can't...
I can't...

I just can't imagine
animals going extinct,

pollution, like, the
Earth dying, basically.

So my fears
would be like loneliness

and, like, you know,

just like people not
understanding you

even though they're
there to understand you

and stuff like that.

It's just really scary,

'cause it feels like
you have nobody.

My mom always
tells me like,

I hate kids that cry.

There was one time I told
her, Oh, my gosh, I can...

Like, I could cry, uh,

like, it's like a human thing
to do, and then she's like,

No, you're supposed to
be, uh, strong and stuff.

So, yeah, I think that's
what I hate the most.

When people
end up saying,

Oh, words don't hurt,

it... like it gets
to me so bad.

People will just judge
you without even knowing.

It's like not even their
fault that they don't know.

They probably just
wasn't raised like I am

knowing how to treat people,
how not to treat people.

I don't like
when everyone's

just in a stressed mindset

and they're very closed
into themselves.

They just don't
speak to each other

and they're just like
kind of hiding away

from like real life.

I feel
like people

who try to express
their emotions,

like they... they would
get a lot of hate.

It happened like more
in the 20th century.

So instead of
letting them be them,

they wanted to oppose them
in like bad horrible ways.

But I feel like now you could
speak your feelings easier,

but not easily.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[JESSE HUMMING]

Oh, sorry.

[JESSE CONTINUES HUMMING]

[IN SING-SONG VOICE]
Texting. Texting.

- Ha, ha, ha.
- I am tex...

- Oh, what...
what are you doing?

Uh, hey, who are
you mimicking here

with that fancy
texting you're doing?

- You're doing fancy texting.

- But I'm actually
texting something.

-No you're not.
- Uh, here.

- Health and beauty.

- Oh, here it is.

All right, grab one of those
and I'll find toothpaste.

- For some reason, they're
not in the same aisle.

[RECORDED VOICE SINGING]

- Mm-mm, not... Not that one.

That'll flip your mom out.

You can't get that one.

Come on, find which
one you want.

- Oh, she's not here, so...

- Well, she's right.

So...

- Can I please have it?

- Oh, come on, you...
You don't need a song...

- Please.

- ...to brush your teeth to.

The next thing you
know, you're gonna need

electronic stimuli
for everything you do.

You know, it's important to
just live in it, you know?

Peace and quiet.

Your generation is
completely lost.

Mm...

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Jesse?

Hey, did you see a little
kid running around here?

Did you see a kid here?
No.

- Jesse!

Jesse!

[SCREAMS AND CHUCKLES]

What are you doin'?

- You should see your face.

- Hey, you can't do
that, you understand?

You can't do that
to somebody.

- You're freakin' out.

- Stop it.
- Stop it.

- You stop it.
- You stop it.

- Stop!
- Stop!

- Enough!
- Enough!

- You stop now!
- Get off!

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Sorry, it's
so ridiculous.

Do you know I just...
I just said, you know,

You can't have
that toothbrush,

and I went around the corner

for a second to
grab toothpaste,

and then he disappeared.

So I'm runnin' after
him, tryin' to find him,

and he jumps out, scares me,

and, yeah, I... I got angry
and I yelled at him.

I yelled at him.

- That's... It's...
[CHUCKLES]

It's... [CHUCKLING]
It's fucking awful.

I've done it.

I know that look in
those little eyes,

it's the worst.

But it's okay also.

You know, you just
have to explain to him

that you were scared,
and that's why you yelled,

and then you
apologize, you know?

He's... he's a person, you
just be honest with him.

It's called doing a repair.

There's...
There's scripts for it online.

- Okay, sounds...

- Let me... Let me...

- ...Sounds easy.

[VIV CHUCKLING]

- This is not...
- Okay.

- This is not easy.

- No, I know.
I know, it's not. Um, yeah.

- Let me talk to him and...
- Okay.

- Now, I'll yell at him.

- All right, thank you
for talking me down.

Now, hold on.

Hey, Jesse, it's your mom.

Hello.

- Hi, sweetie. Hi.
Are you okay?

- I'm okay.

I was just jokin' around,
he didn't need to call you.

- I know. I know you were,

but you really scared
him, Jesse, okay?

You can't do that.

- Mom, why are you
taking his side?

- I'm not on his side.
Sweetie, there are no sides,

but you have to listen
to Johnny, okay?

You're staying at his house,
he's taking care of you.

- Why?

Why is he taking care of me?

- Sweetie, come on.

Just be nice to Johnny.

[TOOTHBRUSH WHIRRING]

[OVER SPEAKER]

[SONG CONTINUES PLAYING]

[WHIRRING STOPS]

- I don't even know you.

Why my mom let me
come with you?

- Hey, man, come on.

Jesse, you wanted to come.

- I didn't really have a choice.

[SIGHS] She's a
horrible, horrible mom.

- I know you don't
really feel that way.

- My feelings are inside me.

You don't know what they are.

- I think you're mad at me,

because I scared you and...

- No, she just does
what she wants.

- No, that's not true, Jesse.

- You don't know what you're
talkin' about. She does!

- Well, why do you
think you're here?

Do you think that your mom

really wants to
be away from you?

Really?

She's tryin' to
help your dad.

- Well, why does
he need help?

- He, um...

- What's wrong with him?

- He just... He... [STAMMERS]

Do you wanna call her?

- [TEARFULLY] I want my mom.

[OPERA MUSIC PLAYING]

- Hey, I'm so sorry.

[JESSE SOBBING]

Hey, hey, Jesse.

Jesse.

[OPERA MUSIC CONTINUES]

I thought
I was helping,

and somehow it
got away from me.

I don't know even how.

- What... What does he know?
Did... Did he know?

Does he know everything?

- [SIGHS] Yeah, he knows.

Um, let me talk to him.

- Hey, Jesse.

Just tell her I'm fine.

Come on,
just talk to her.

She's impossible.

Hey, hey, hold
on, hold on, hold on.

Viv, you're...
You're on speaker.

[ON SPEAKER] Jesse,
honey, listen to me,

your dad's gonna be fine.

Okay?

- Is it like before?

- Yeah.

Yeah, it's like before,

but he's gonna be fine, okay?

And I didn't wanna worry you,
but I messed up, okay?

I should have told
you, I'm sorry.

- [VOICE SHAKING]
Tell her I'm fine.

- Um...

Viv, I'm so sorry, uh...

- It's fine, it's fine.

Um, just tell him I love
him and I miss him, okay?

[SNIFFLING]

- Okay.

I'm gonna go get him.

[OPERA MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

- What's your child like,
you know,

fighting about
washing his hair,

'cause I could
do that anytime.

- You don't wanna talk?

- Mm, I am talking.

- Are you gonna
be like normal?

- I am talking, like,
you know, normal.

- Okay.

- We have to wash our own
hair at the orphanage.

- Ooh, that's harsh.

- It is.

- Hmm, sorry about that.

- It is harsh.

Not even as a punishment, just,

Wash your hair,
you dumb kids.

- Yeah.

What an awful place.

- Yeah.

- Okay. [INHALES]

Do you want to fight
about washing your hair

and then I'll wash your hair?

All right, I think we have
to wash your hair, young man.

- Why don't you wash
your hair, old man?

[CLICKS TONGUE]
- Well, you first.

- No, you first.

- I'm telling you right now,

you're gonna have
to wash your hair.

- I'm telling you right now

you're gonna wash
your hair, old man.

Nice. Is
that how I sound?

Yeah.

- Ugh.

- You're like old Johnny,
Johnny.

I'm Johnny.

-Yeah, well, that's the way
to wash your hair, old man.

[ON PHONE]
The Tin Woodman

gave a sigh of satisfaction
and lowered his ax.

'This is a great
comfort,' he said.

'I have been holding that ax
in the air ever since I rusted

'and I'm glad to
put it down at last.

'Now, if you will oil
the joints of my legs,

'I shall be all
right once more.'

So they oiled his legs

until he could
move them freely,

and he thanked them again
and again for his release.

Are you guys still there?

Keep reading, Mama.

- Okay. [SMACKS LIPS]

I might have
stood there always

if you had not come
along, he said.

How did you
happen to be here?

We are on our way
to the Emerald City

to see the great Oz,
she answered.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

- So does he just like
walk in to a room

and pretend to be an orphan?

- There's different scenarios.

Okay.

- It's... It's... Listen...

- [CHUCKLES] Okay.

- You don't wanna get into
that, I promise you.

Okay. All right, I'll
leave that between you.

- I'm trying like to figure
out how to talk to him

and so I'll try
to play along...

- Yeah.
- In an indirect way

and like, this is ridiculous.
He wants to say something.

I have to be open
and so I say,

Hey, man, I know

you wanna talk
about something?

- Yeah.

- And... Yeah, and I
look at him like this,

like real earnest.

- Yeah, sincere.

And then, he just
is like dismissive,

and makes me feel stupid,
and then I feel crushed...

[CHUCKLES]

And... And...

[CHUCKLES] And... I
know it's funny now,

but when it happens,
it's... It's frustrating.

- Yeah. He seems like
he's doing good.

- He is, but he should
be holding the mic

if he wants to get that,
you hold the mic up.

- No, he's gotta
find his own way!

- Yes.

- That's how we all did.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

Let's say
somebody your age

that was coming
from another...

AnoYeah.y...

What would you tell
them about the US?

You come here and
you'll see a lot of bad,

but it's beautiful.

Even though there could be like
problems here and there,

you know,

you see all these good people
who just have kind hearts

and, you know, and they
don't even know you.

There's been a lot of
issues with my dad.

He's in jail right now,

so everything is,
like, crazy, you know?

My little sister,
she didn't, like, really see

what was actually going on.

The stuff that I went
through, I don't want her

to know any of
that or just be,

like, have to
think about that.

You have a lot of
responsibilities in your life,

and sometimes they
just come to you,

and you can't really
do anything about them.

They're just there.

I feel like a responsibility

to like that I'm
proud to take,

because I love her a lot,

and basically, it
wouldn't matter to me

if she sees me as a
father or a brother.

Yeah, that's pretty
much it. [CHUCKLES]

- You're a good man.

How... How often do you...
do you get to visit your dad?

[OVER TAPE] Always.

Yeah, I feel like that's
one of my like motivations

to just think
about the future.

Everything that could happen...

I ask for trust,
cooperation, and permission

without knowing
where the experience

will lead the subject.

I can and will leave a place,
a situation, a problem,

but the people I
interview cannot.

The work offers
the interviewer

access and a reason

to stay in a world
that's not my own,

complete distraction
from my own life,

a sense of invincibility,
a sense of invisibility.

I traffic in hope without
the ability to know

what will happen
in the future.

The work offers the
subjects a chance to speak

of things they have
never spoken of,

a chance to see
themselves as subjects

worthy of time and attention.

The work offers the subjects

the creation of
an image of self,

the distribution of
which they cannot control

on a global scale,
in perpetuity.

- ...you know, there's, like,

a lot of Chinese
people actually,

so it's not, like,
hard to communicate.

Sometimes in other
places, I'm actually...

[CONTINUES INDISTINCTLY]

[ON PHONE] You let
Johnny interview you yet?

[ON PHONE]
Oh, God, no.

That seems
like a smart move.

Too many questions
with that guy, right?

Not enough answers.

Oh, I miss you
so much, babe.

- I miss you, too, Mama.

Excuse me, please.

Thank you.

- We've been goin' around
the country asking kids

what they think the
future would be like.

- Uh-huh.

- Um...

If there's anything
you don't wanna answer,

you can just say
skip or no,

or I do not want to
do this question.

- Okay.

- Why don't you and my mom
act like brother and sister?

- This one?

- Yep.

Why are you alone?

[CHUCKLES]

- I mean, who cares?
Blah, blah, blah.

The same... [GIBBERING]

[BOTH GIBBERING]

Yeah, exactly, who cares?

- Did you tell my mom to leave
my dad when he first got sick?

Did you?

- I told her to take
care of herself.

- Blah, blah, blah.

- No, it's not blah, blah, blah.
- It is.

- No, it's not.

- It is.

- Okay...

- Means you did it.

- There were many things

that were done, and everybody
said a lot of things,

and there was a
lot of concern,

and sometimes we don't
completely understand

why we're doing the things
that we're doing, right?

But I never did anything

because I wanted
to hurt your mom

or hurt your dad
or hurt you.

I only wanted
everything to be okay.

- Oh, blah, blah,
blah, blah, blah.

[SIGHS]

- Hmm.

Maybe... Maybe it is blah,
blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

- Blah, blah, blah,
blah, blah, blah.

- Exactly.

[SIREN WAILS]

[ROCK MUSIC PLAYING]

- Coming from somewhere unknown,

he's as tall as
a small person!

Jesse the Man!

- Watch it, man.

[JESSE GIGGLES]

- Wait, wait, wait, wait.
Have to do my expression, too.

You can't just jump
right into it, okay?

Go back. Do your introduction.

All right!

[SPEAKING GIBBERISH]

[JESSE LAUGHING]

[CONTINUES SPEAKING GIBBERISH]

I'll rise up from the volcano
and destroy you!

[LAUGHING]

That's how you do it.

[GIGGLES]

- Then, he just said,
"Pack my bag, get my stuff,

take me to the hospital."

"If you don't, I'm just
gonna run away again, right?"

Which is true.

So I took him to the ER,

which was fucking awful.

Absolutely, Paul.

- The milligrams have
to be specific...

- We'll make sure that they are.

- Because Dr. Marklin said that,

and he worked on it
for three months,

and it was still
going back and forth.

- Well, I'm not Dr. Marklin,
I'm...

I mean, you can't
believe it, Johnny,

it's so humiliating.

They just asked him
the same questions

over and over, and over again.

- I have been eating

and I have been sleeping
the regular amount

that I usually eat and sleep.

You ask me a question,
I answer it,

and then all of a
sudden you ask her.

Like, just why
don't you ask her

the goddamn question.

And then we finally
got him into a real center.

- I've done this before,
I know it all.

Yeah, no
shoelaces, you're right.

He was so scared.

- I'm gonna have
you sign off

that you're gonna be
taking those things home.

Okay, sure, right here?

Yeah.

- And then when I was leaving,
he asked me in the sweetest...

[SOBBING]

In the sweetest way
if I could just stay

until he was a little better.

That's what he said,
Just a little better.

- Oh, I'm so sorry.

- And I want Jesse to
have his dad, you know?

I mean, what the
fuck can I do?

I've gotta...

- Yeah, you gotta stay with him.

[SIGHS HEAVILY]

Really, Viv, we're doin' okay.

You just take care
of what you need to.

Jesse can keep
staying here with me.

We're havin' a great time.

[ON PHONE] I found
someone in New Orleans

who can get us kids and
I think we should do it.

Okay, I know,

but I got Jesse and
I just don't know

if I can make that,
um, trip right now.

Uh, I don't
wanna go solo.

[CHUCKLING] No,
it's sort of like

we told, like, audiences,
and funders...

Johnny!

- And everybody that we...
-Johnny!

...were gonna go to
multiple cities.

- Johnny. Johnny,
let's go to the park.

- I think we have to do it.
-Stop, stop. Please.

- Johnny.
-Stop.

- Unfortunately...
- Get off your phone.

- Yeah, what?
- Are...[CHUCKLING]

Are you... Are you with Jesse?
How's it going?

- Yeah, yeah, fine.

So what...
Where we at with things?

I think New Orleans
was a good idea.

I know someone down there.

She can get us kids.

We just need to tell
them we wanna do that

and then we can have Fern,

like, start booking
everything for us.

- I know, but a lot...

Jesse?

- Can you hear me?

- Hold on a second.

Just, like, give me a sec.

- You were jazzed about the
idea like two days ago.

- Jesse?

- You were like we just need to
get you back to that spot.

- This is not a great time.

- Yeah, yeah.

- I, uh...

Listen, let me, um...

Let me call you back,
okay? I'll call you back.

- Okay, okay.

- Jesse?

Jesse.

Fuck. Oh, fuck.

Oh, fuck.

Jesse!

Jesse!

Wait, wait! Jesse.

- Where'd you go?

- I was right there!
- No, you weren't!

- I was on the phone,
I turned around one second

and you were gone!

Hey, listen, you can't
do that, you understand?

-You lost me!
- I didn't lose you.

- You did.

- I lost you? Okay,
okay, I lost you.

I'm the worst uncle
in the world!

What... What are you doin'?

You, uh...
Hey, come here!

[PANTING]

What are we doin' here, huh?

- I don't know.

- That could have been
really, really bad.

- I don't need you.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

- You so need me.

He can feel how fucked up
things are right now, okay?

So in his... In his little
inarticulate kid way,

he's saying, I'm feeling
out of control right now.

Can you handle it?

Can you take care of
me feeling this way?

If I run away from you,
if I hide from you,

even if I jump on this bus,
am I gonna be okay?

- Oh, I'm just, like, in
this fucking fantasy

that you know, I got
everything under control

and, uh, you know,
I'll... I'll be there,

I'll figure it out,
I'll get you snacks,

and I'll pack your bags,

and we'll go off,
I'm thinking of goin',

I don't know what
I'm fucking doing.

- Yeah.

Yeah, welcome to
my fucking life.

I... Nobody knows
what they're doing.

Nobody knows what they're
doing with these kids.

You just have to
keep doing it.

[SOFT CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING]

- I ran up and down the street
calling out his name.

I saw him from
across the street

as a bus passed
in front of me.

I ran towards him,
screaming out his name, Jesse.

He was mad at me,
he was scared.

He turned, and he walked away,
and got onto a bus.

I don't like feeling this,
but I feel like he's spoiled,

or I am.

[ZIPPER RUNS]

- I can't believe
you're doing this.

[JOHNNY SIGHS]

- I know, but I can't take
care of you right now.

- You can.

- No, but as soon as
I get done with work,

I'll come out to LA and...

And we'll do
whatever you want.

All right?
I'd like that?

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

- My stomach hurts.

- I'm sorry.

- I need to poop.

- You do?
- Right now.

- Really?
- I need to poop.

- You can't...
you can't hold it.

- I can't hold my poop.

- Okay. Um, excuse me, sir,
could you please pull over

at a gas station or diner?

Okay.

- Thank you.
Okay, just hold on.

Okay, I'll be right back.

Here.

Hey, is there a
bathroom he can use?

Down over there.
- Thank you.

Okay, hold it,
just hold, hold on.

You okay?

- No.

- Okay, well, hurry up,

'cause we got...
We gotta go to the airport.

No.

- What?

Are you going poop?
- No.

- Do you even have to
go to the bathroom?

Huh?

- No.

[CHUCKLING]

You got me. You got me.

You got me. You... Shit.

[SIGHS]

[CLICKS TONGUE] All right,
fun time's over, let's go.

Time to come out.

- No!

- Jesse, come out right now.
[DOORKNOB RATTLING]

- No!

- Jesse, come out right now!

- I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I hid,
I'm sorry I ran onto the bus,

I'm sorry, Johnny,
I am sorry!

I heard you talking
on the phone.

You can't take care of me.

I don't wanna go home.

My mom is just gonna
be sad about my dad

and my dad's
not even there.

[SIGHS]

- Okay.

[CHUCKLING]

Okay.

All right, just, um...

I'll be right back,
stay in there.

New Orleans is
like... Is very different.

You don't see it anywhere else

and, like, sometimes
I understand

why people wanna come here,

because it's like so beautiful
and just so different

to where it's, like,

sometimes we need something
different in our lives.

I feel like people are
sometimes being selfish

when they come here,
so they're like,

Oh, I wanna go see
something different,

but you're not takin'
in consideration

about where you are.

If they keep it up,

like buildin' Airbnbs
and everything,

all of it is gonna be gone.

There is not gonna
be a New Orleans,

but I also think that,
like, we, as people

and who live in New Orleans,
make it New Orleans.

[SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY]

- Yes.

Hey, how are you?

I'm good.

This is Jesse.

Nice meeting
you, Jesse. I'm Sunni.

Hey.
- Hey. Thank you for having us.

- Absolutely.
- Come on in, come on in.

-I'm excited.
- Hi, I'm Fern.

- Hey, how are you?
- Hey, Fern. Nice meeting you.

- Through this way in
the kitchen here,

and then there are
two rooms back here.

So Johnny and Jesse,
I figure, you can be here.

There's a bathroom...

[JESSE AND JOHNNY VOCALIZING]

- She mentioned that
she doesn't think

that humans are innately
violent, which I thought

was really interesting.

- Mm-hmm.

- Um, and she said she
thinks the violence

took place a long time ago.

- Mm-hmm.

- And has just been
passed down.

- Passed down?
Yeah. She did speak about it.

- And then she said that, um,
it's in people's genetic makeup.

But we have the power...
- There you go.

- ...to override that.
- Yeah.

- Which I was like...
- Yeah.

...wow!

I'm like, What PDFs
are you reading?

[ALL CHUCKLE]

What?

Yeah, can
you believe...

[ON TAPE] So my fears
would be like loneliness

and like people not
understanding you

even though, they're
there to understand you

and stuff like that.

It's just really scary,

'cause it feels like
you have nobody.

All right,
listen, it's lesson time.

So first, as the adult,

take time for the sad, mad,

or scared feelings to
work their way through.

How this happens will
depend on your personality.

Calmly invite your
child to hear you out.

You can try,
"Hey, I made a mistake

and I would like to
talk to you about that.

May I come in?"

- Sure.

- Try to... [MUMBLING
INDISTINCTLY]

Try... Try something like,

"Did you feel hurt that I
was gonna send you home?"

- Yeah, I did.

- Yeah.

Uh, then I say...

I feel badly about
how I behaved.

Are you feeling mad at me?

It's okay if you are

and I'd like to hear whatever
you're feeling and thinking.

- Mmm...

I thought that you were
being a pain in the ass.

[JOHNNY CHUCKLES]

- Yeah.

Then, I...
[CLEARS THROAT]

I am feeling very...
Use a feeling word.

[GRUNTING]

Shitty, stupid, totally out
of touch, and also, um, sad.

Sorry, I shouldn't.

Then, from the
bottom of your heart,

look your child in the
eye and say you're sorry.

Oh, come on.

- Say it. [PATS ON BACK]

- I'm sorry.

- I'm sorry, too.

- Your mom does all this?

- Yeah, but she doesn't have to
read it from a stupid phone.

Now, no more phone
time for you.

No more...
No more screen time.

[SWITCH CLICKS]

Can I sleep with you?

- Hmm?

- Can I sleep with you?

- Yeah. Hmm.

[SIGHS]

- Can I be an orphan?

- Mm-hmm.

You okay?

- I just want to be the orphan.

- Okay.

- Is there anything about my
past you'd like to ask me?

- What was your mom like?

- She was nice.

- Hmm, yeah.

Do you remember her?

Yeah.

She always took baths,

but she'd act like she
never got to take 'em,

but she always took them.

When she'd get home from work,
she'd clean up the kitchen,

all bangy and loud.

Then I'd say, "Why are
you being so loud?"

"Are you mad?"

Then she'd say,
"I'm not being loud."

[JOHNNY LAUGHS]

She wrote books,
fiction and non-fiction.

[SINGING]

She's always
singing old songs

from when she was a kid.

And in that place,
you have...

She thought about
weird things, like ghosts

and incarnation,
all that stuff.

She'd loved it here.

She taught her classes.

When she was stressed out,

she would just cook
herself a big steak

and just eat it.

She loved hanging out
with her friends.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

She says even though
we love each other,

she'll never know
everything about me

and I'll never know
everything about her.

It's just the way it is.

[JOHNNY GRUNTING AND KISSING]

[GIGGLING] Stop.

- Um...
- You're weird.

- Okay, yeah. Time to screen
time as much screen time

- as he wants.
- Okay.

- He can watch
anything he wants.

- All the screen time he wants.
Here, here, here, here.

- R-rated, anything,
anything he wants.

- You have to make sure
your eyelids stay open.

Get as much screen
time as possible.

- If he cries or anything,
no screen time, all right?

- All right.
- Yeah.

- Okay, that was it, that
was your screen time.

- Nice.
- Yeah.

Do you feel screenful?

I feel screenful.

- Yeah.
- Screenish.

- So do you feel like
adults understand

what kids are going through?

- Um, I definitely think
lots of moms do,

because... I think they do.

I'm curious,
like, you said this was

one of the hardest
hit areas of Katrina,

like, what are the
stories you've heard?

Um, a guy died
in this house,

but I like to believe
that ghosts are nice

and they don't try
to scare people,

unless that's their intention.

Tell me
about that, uh,

tattoo you've got on your arm.

- It is nothing.
- Oh!

[CHUCKLES] his is
what I... I've learned

about Devante so far.

Devante is like,
my business is mine.

What's about that?

I don't feel like talking
about that right now.

What's the tattoo?

Don't worry about
what's the tattoo.

You know, this kinda thing.

So, uh, you know, what
I appreciate about you?

I appreciate the
fact that you, um...

You hold what is
sacred, right?

So what do you think
happens to you after you die?

Well, me
and my mom are Baptists.

Uh, well, I would
say heaven, I feel.

I don't know how
it would be like,

but what I imagine it,
uh, I would say a meadow

with a one big tree,

and you just lay on
the grass with flowers

and you just stare
up into the sun

with a lot of
breeze, obviously.

You don't want it
to be too hot.

Yeah, that's what
I kind of imagine.

That's
really beautiful.

Do you think
that the world is fair?

No, nothing's
really that fair.

There's always gonna be, uh,

like, probably
gonna be more wars,

since there's more
things to fight about

if you keep on building
onto what's in the past.

What causes
flooding within yourself,

within whether
it's in your mind,

within your heart,
within your spirit?

What causes flooding,
um, within you?

[CHUCKLES] Um, I think
it would be, like,

not, like, feeling that,

like I said no one cares
or, like, just feeling that

I'm, like, alone sometimes.

But I know a lot
of kids are saying,

Oh, the world's gonna
end and all that.

I don't think the
world's gonna end.

I just think the world's
not gonna be as clean

as it used to be.

Say if your parents
were your children...

[CHUCKLES]

What's something you
would want them to learn?

What's something
you would teach 'em?

Not to be selfish, not
to be bad, and not to...

And not to disrespect,
and not to have...

And to have close feelings

for your friends,
your parents,

and not to be...

if I were the one to be a lead.

- If you could change one
thing about yourself,

what would it be?

- My attitude.

- [CHUCKLES] Hey, what's
wrong with your attitude?

You seem like you have
a great attitude.

What would you change
about yourself?

My anger.

[JOHNNY CHUCKLES]

There, colors,
sensations, and sounds

will wash over
you constantly.

You will see so
many living things.

Hey.

Hey, what's up?

[JOHNNY GRUNTING]

Beyond imagining...

- How's it going?
- Sensations and sounds...

- Thank you.

- ...will wash over
you constantly.

No problem.

- Hey. You're good?

- Yeah.
- I'm sorry.

- Yeah.
- What happened?

- No. It's okay.

He just... There
were some tears...

- Why?

- ...we ran out of snacks,

the iPad died, it was
like thing after thing.

We only have raisins left.

- Shit.
- We don't like raisins.

- I didn't plan well,
I'm so sorry.

- No, don't cuss.
- Hey, sorry.

- It's fine.
- You all right?

- Yeah, I'm gonna
go find Maurice.

- Okay.
- And I'll be back.

- Thanks, Fern.

- Hey.
- Hey.

- You okay?
- I'm embarrassed.

- You're embarrassed?
- That I cried.

- You're embarrassed that you
cried, don't be embarrassed.

- Because I don't
usually cry that much.

- Huh?

- I don't usually
cry that much.

- It's okay.

[CHUCKLES] It's all right.

You mad at me?

- Mmm-mmm.

Can you finish that book?

- Yeah.
- Please.

- To visit planet Earth,

you will have to be
born as a human child.

At first, you'll have to
learn to use your new body,

to move your arms and legs,
to pull yourself upright.

You will learn to walk
and run, to use your hands

to make sounds
and form words.

Slowly, you will learn
to take care of yourself.

Here, it is still
and peaceful,

but there, the
colors, sensations,

and sounds will wash
over you constantly.

You will see so
many living things,

plants and animals,
beyond imagining.

Here, it is always the same,

but there, everything
is in motion,

everything is
always changing.

You will be plunged into
Earth's river of time.

There will be so
much for you to learn

and so much for you to feel,

pleasure and fear,
joy and disappointment,

sadness and wonder.

In your confusion
and delight,

you will forget
where you came from.

You will grow up,
travel, and work.

Perhaps, you'll
have children,

even grandchildren
of your own.

Over the years, you will
try to make sense

of that happy,
sad, full, empty,

always-shifting
life you're in.

And when the time comes
to return to your star,

it may be hard
to say "goodbye"

to that strangely
beautiful world.

Damn this book.

- You're crying.

- No, I'm not.

- Yes, you are.

You're definitely cry...
See, you're cry...

[JOHNNY CHUCKLES]

- No, it's just...
It's true.

We forget everything.

- No, I don't, you do.
You're stupid.

- Yeah, you'll barely
remember this.

You'll have, like, a few
blurry memories

of this whole trip.

That's...
That's very stupid.

You're just the
stupidest, stupid person.

[CHUCKLES]

Ever. And, like, you have
the lesser brain capacity

than an actual
deceased dead person.

[JOHNNY CHUCKLING]

[BOTH LAUGHING]

[ON PHONE]
So eating steaks,

I know this and...

- Oh!

- You used to give mom
so much shit about that.

- [CHUCKLING]
I did, didn't I?

- I can't fucking believe it.

- Yes, I am. God, that little
shit needs to learn

how to keep secrets.

- Uh-huh?

- Uh-huh.

Why are you still up?

- Good question. I'm so
exhausted I can't sleep.

I just... I'm gonna
tell you something

that as a mother you won't
be able to understand,

but you're gonna
have to trust me.

Taking care of him and working
at the same time is...

- Yeah.
- ...a little too much.

It just takes a
lot out of you.

[VIV CHUCKLING]

So tomorrow, I'm gonna
take him to a parade

that Sunni told me about.

- You're doing so good.

Yeah, he's
been such a trouper,

I feel like I owe
him a good time.

[BAND PLAYING UPBEAT MUSIC]

Even though, he, um, keeps
asking me why we don't talk.

- Oh!

Cool. I like this kid.

And what do you say?

[CHUCKLES]

- Apparently, some bullshit.

He didn't let you get
away with that, did he?

No.

I just don't know
what to do anymore.

I'll probably run out
of bullshit I guess.

- Well, you could
tell him the truth.

That sounds fun.

Just tell your 9-year-old
the truth. What...

[JOHNNY CHUCKLES]

Which... Which part?

That I...

messed up with you and Paul,
that I got in the middle

of something I
didn't understand?

That part?

- Oh, yeah, that's good.

That's... That's a
really good start.

[BAND CONTINUES PLAYING]

- Or was it when Mom
died, we got in...

into all that weird
shit when Mom died.

[CHUCKLES] That part?

- You mean, like all
that weird shit

of our entire lives?
That stuff?

Yeah,
our entire lives.

Or was it when Louisa left me

and everything just exploded.

- You know, that's the first
time you've said that.

- Yeah, which part?

- All of it.

[BAND CONTINUES PLAYING]

- Johnny.

Johnny. Johnny, Johnny!

[CROWD CHEERING]

Johnny.

- I'm okay.
You okay?

Are you all right?
- Uh, I'm okay.

- Johnny.
- I'm okay.

- Stop, Johnny! Johnny!

- Whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa.

- Take it slow.
Take it slow.

- It's okay, it's okay.
- Okay.

It's okay.

- Did I drop you?

- I jumped.

- Okay, good move.

I don't know what that was.

- You fainted.

- What?

Okay, I fainted.

Uh, maybe we shouldn't
talk about it with anyone,

'cause it's embarrassing.

- It's not embarrassing!

- That must have been
scary for you.

- Nah-uh.

- No, really?

- I was fine.

- I don't think I was fine

and I don't think
you were fine.

[SIGHS]

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

- We have a zone of resiliency.

When we're out of the
zone, we can meditate.

Just think of something
that can bring you joy.

When you're stressed out,

you can use some of
these techniques.

Shoulder-tapping,
rock-tossing.

Finger-touching.

Or mindful breathing.

[TAKING DEEP BREATHS]

And, or you can
just shake it off...

[GRUNTING]

[CHUCKLES] Yeah.

- That's amazing. Thank you.

Do you think we're alike?

- God, no.

- Yeah, we are.

- We are, we are.

- No, we are not.
No, we are not.

- Yeah, we are.
- No, we're not.

No, we are not!

[JOHNNY CHUCKLES]

- Well, I wanna be.

- I don't faint like you do.

[JOHNNY CHUCKLES]

[ON TAPE] But I know
a lot of kids are saying,

Oh, the world's gonna
end and all that.

I don't think the
world's gonna end.

I just think the world's
not gonna be as clean

or as easy to get around
or easy to breathe

or easy stuff like that.

[ON TAPE] Yeah.
Thank you so much.

This was really fun.

[CLEARS THROAT]

[EXHALES]

- Have you ever thought
about the future?

Oh... [CLEARS THROAT]

[DEEPENS VOICE] Have you ever
thought about the future?

Uh, yeah.

Uh, whatever you plan on
happening, never happens.

Stuff you would never
think of happens.

So you just have to...
you have to come on,

come on, come on,
come on, come on,

come on, come on, come on,

come on, come on,
come on, come on.

[JESSE CHUCKLING]

[ON PHONE]
Uh, so he slept.

He slept for two
whole nights

and he's responding
to his meds,

so the doctor said he
can do outpatient care.

He just told me
he can go home.

- He did?
- Yeah.

- Wow. Um...

And how are you?
You doin' all right?

[SCOFFS]

- I don't know. Yeah, just fine.

[SIGHS]

- Um, you wanna
tell Jesse now?

- Yeah.

Johnny, thank you so much.

- Okay.

Jesse, it's your mom.

- Hello.

Hi, sweetie,
how are you?

- I'm good.

- Oh, good.

So listen, your dad's
doing so much better.

The doctors are gonna
keep helping him,

but they thought he was
well enough to go home.

So I'm gonna come
get you, okay?

I'm just driving Moses home

and then I'm gonna be on the
first flight out tomorrow.

Oh, I'm so excited, I can't
wait to see you.

- Yep.

- Jesse?
- Oh, take the phone,

take the phone,
take the phone!

- Jesse. Sweetie,
are you there?

Jesse?

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

- You don't have to
follow me everywhere.

- Come on, man.

- [SIGHS] I'm fine.

- Oh, yeah?

You can be not fine.

- But I'm fine.

- Okay, you know, when
you're not in your zone,

like, your zone of
resiliency, it's...

It's okay to not
be fine, you know?

Like, you can be...

you know, angry,
and... and sad,

and... and lost, and confused,

and that's okay.

- But I'm fine!

- Okay, but if you're
ever not fine,

you can kick the air,
you can throw a fit,

you can yell,

and it would be okay.

- [LOUDLY] I'm fine!

- It'd be a totally
reasonable response!

It'd be reasonable!

You're not fine.

- [LOUDLY] I'm fine!

- [YELLING] Yeah, I'm not fine!

- I'm fine!

- I'm not fine and that's a
totally reasonable response!

[IN NORMAL TONE]
Come on, man.

[JESSE SCREAMING]

-Yeah.

- I'm not fine!
- Yeah.

- And that is a totally
reasonable response!

- Yeah. This is fucked up
and that makes sense!

- This is fucked up
and that makes sense!

- [SHOUTS] How could this being
so fucked up make sense?

- It's fucked!

[BOTH SCREAMING]

[SCREAMING]

[BOTH SCREAMING]

[BOTH GRUNTING]

Yeah.

[GRUNTING]

[BOTH SCREAMING]

Are you laughing or crying?
I can't... I can't tell.

I wanna have the
appropriate reaction.

Hey, man, come here.

Let me...
Let me look at you.

- Mm.
- Are you laughing?

Is that a smile?

Is that your big
stupid smile?

- Are you all right?
- Yeah.

- All right.

- Are you gonna faint?

- No.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

I got my shoulder-touching,
finger-tapping, rock-throwing.

Why are you throwing
rocks, by the way?

Do you think I'm gonna
be like my dad when I'm older?

- I think you have
it better, Jesse.

- Why?

- 'Cause you are just...
I don't know.

You know yourself more,

you're able to like
express yourself

and your feeling, that's
what your mom taught you.

So you are way ahead of
the game, believe me.

Means you're looking better.

- Lots of blah, blah, blah.

- Lots of blah, blah, blah.

- Be funny, comma,
when you can, period.

- What's that?

- My dad used to
say that to me.

- Really?

- Yeah.

- That's funny.

Hi!

Mama!

[SCREAMING]

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]

- Hi.
- Hi.

- Hi.
- Hi, hi, hi.

- Hi.
- Oh.

Hey. Hey.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]

...two, three...

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[JESSE CHUCKLING]

- Bye, you guys.
- Bye.

So he needs a lot of
protein with every meal

and no screen time
on the weekdays.

Weekends, one hour a day
and that's it, all right?

- Bye.

- I love you.

- I love you.

[ON TAPE] Have you ever
thought about the future?

[DEEPENED VOICE] Have you ever
thought about the future?

Uh, yeah.

Uh, whatever you
plan on happening,

never happens.

Stuff you would never
think of happens.

So you just have to...
You have to come on,

come on, come on,
come on, come on,

come on, come on,
come on, come on.

[JESSE CHUCKLES]

Johnny, Johnny, Johnny,
Johnny, Johnny, Johnny.

Johnny is a bit strange.

Um, he's really fun.

He makes me laugh.

He's really funny
when he wrestles.

[JOHNNY CHUCKLES]

He might be my best friend,

'cause he only has
only has two... two...

He only has two friends,

but he might be
my best friend.

I don't know.

Blah, bablah, blah, blah.

- I would say so blah, blah,

blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

[SIGHS]

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

- You ready?

[ON TAPE] Hey, Jesse,
this is Mozart,

your intense and overly
emotional uncle.

When I woke up, you were
blaring crazy opera music.

I was surprised that
your mom had left,

but you didn't seem
bothered about it.

You just pretty much...

[SIGHS]

...accepted me.

I showed you my recorder,

but you didn't want
to be interviewed.

You recorded the beach,
the sounds of the city.

I had to go back to New York

and I asked you
to come with me,

and you just said,
I'd love that.

And you couldn't sleep,

and you were just
talking a mile a minute,

and you had so many
things to say,

and what about approaches,

and how to record...

And I could never
actually stop you,

and then I kept trying,
and I wish I wouldn't have.

Now I wanna hear all
of your crazy thoughts

and cool ideas.

And then we were in bed,
you asked...

- Are you gonna
remember any of this?

[HESITATES]
Uhm, What do you mean?

And that's, like,
our awesome sleepovers.

- And you said you
won't remember it.

No, I said,
"You won't remember it."

I'll remember it.

- I won't remember?

I said,
I hope you do,

and you got so upset,

and I said,

I'll remind you
of everything.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

[BIRDS CHIRPING]

[WAVES CRASHING]

Do you think it's easy
to understand your feelings?

Like, do you have access
to... To what you feel or...

Hmm, the only
thing that I do have

is that I know that I'm safe.

- That's beautiful.
- Hmm.

- Uh, what... What
makes you feel safe?

- I'm in a home where
people care about me.

And I have friends
that care about me

and everything like that.

Um, I would definitely

take a lot of what
my parents did

into account of how I
parent my future children.

I would talk to them
about what they want,

and, like, what they feel
would be the best for them,

and make it known,
like they could talk,

but I wouldn't force them.

I wouldn't be like,
Hey, just so you know

we can talk all the time,

'cause sometimes
parents do that.

Mm-hmm.

And it gets annoying
and they'll be like...

It's sort of scary, uh,

to talk to other
people sometimes.

Mm-hmm.

- Because, um, uh, personally,

I feel like you never know
what they're gonna say next.

So...

...right?

In your... If
you had this...

this superpower,
what'd you do?

What would it be?

I don't know.
I don't think

I would ever, like,
use a superpower.

I think I would just be me.

Like, me is my superpower.

Yeah.

And like I use
it to help people

and use it in ways that's...

that have never
been done before.

Mmm.

Yeah.

That's super.
[CHUCKLES]

What about
you, London?

What's the worst thing
that's ever happened to you?

Uh, it would probably
be either the fact that

I can I have a
nasty personality

that clashes with my
siblings or the fact that

I might have to have surgery

when I'm older
on this one tooth

'cause it's like...

Well,

uh, maybe humanity ends,

just humans cease to
exist on this earth.

I mean, uh...

I don't really know

if that's a good
thing or a bad thing.

Uh, I mean, if we're...

Yeah, like I want

everybody to be kind
to each other and

I don't know, like, any harm

or any anger towards
anybody. Like, why? Why?

Wouldn't... Wouldn't
you rather be happy

than angry at someone?

Mm-hmm.

And why do those things

when you can just
come together...

So... What...
Describe adults for me.

Like, what do you
think an adult is?

It's... An adult, mm...

All adults have to
do is get money

and have to pay student loans.
Got 'em.

[JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING]

I think
that I get excited

'cause I know that I can do
something to make the world,

the world a better place
and I also think that

it's kinda devastating,
because, like, I'm 14,

why should I be worried about
the way the world looks,

or like, I should
be able to...

Do you
ever think about

what happens after you die?

Even though, like,
the scientific thing to say

is that we don't think at all,

our bodies decompose

and, uh, like, life
continues on without us.

- Mm-hmm.

- But why would we be
made to just die?

- Mm-hmm.

- There's probably that...

There's probably not a reason

but there might be
a reason behind it.

Somehow, I don't
know, I'm not sure.

Kids tend
to think freely.

Adults when they think,
they think in a tight space.

You get what I'm saying...

I think... it's hard.

I think it's probably a cross
between mind reading and flying.

Mind reading because
if someone's sad,

they usually won't tell
you what's going on.

And I'm a little bit of a...

that kind of person
that is a little...

Apparently,
scientific studies,

I'm not saying this is
completely true or whatever,

it's just what I've heard,

but, uh, your brain

has to knock out
some old memories

to be able to save new ones.

So I feel like there's
two types of Americans, like,

people who can constantly
get what they want

and have what they need,

and then there's
the other type

where they kind of
have to struggle

and work harder for the
things that they need.

It's not
the way we look,

but it's, like, how we are
on the inside that's...

Just like you can't judge
a book by its cover,

it's the same with humans.

So I like to look at
the positive side of things.

Um, I like to think about,

um, like new
inventions that might

actually help save the world.

I think about going into space
and discovering a new planet

and then maybe like
building a life there.

What do you hope
that you really remember

about your mom and your dad?

That they were
always there for me,

that they always love me.
They say...[CHUCKLES]

I tell her

good night
every night and...

[SNIFFLES] I always tell
her that I love her,

just like out of the blue
and she would do the same.

[VOICE BREAKS]
And I really feel

that strong
connection with her.

If you could
have any superpower,

what would it be?

The ability to
bend space and time.

[JOHNNY AND BOY 6 CHUCKLE]

If you were what
you believe is a good person

and you ask whoever
you believe in,

Hey, can I be reincarnated

into, I don't know,
like a tiger?

And you were a good person
then they would be like,

Yeah, you can be a
tiger, go ahead.

[TRAIN CHUGGING]

Well, I feel
like if we die,

like, we don't
really feel anything,

all like memories
are gone and stuff.

And we're just like,
we'll just see you wait

becoming a baby.[CHUCKLES]

And, yeah,

getting born and then
just restarting life.

Like, I'm not sure 'cause
I've never been dead before.

Sit down

and close your eyes,

and try to find yourself.

Because I feel like that's
what you really have to do,

to know what you want.

Like, find a way that you feel
comfortable finding yourself.

You know, you gotta
find to find.