Original subtitles

Okay, okay, one more toast. It's my turn, and I promise to keep it short.

As you probably know, I've built a few buildings in this town.

I want to thank George and Howard, of course, the Board of Directors for their

excellent taste, the City of Portland for approving the plans, and Pookie

Longfellow -Smith.

What can I say?

Portland's most dedicated and certainly most creative fundraiser. Pookie?

And who am I forgetting?

My inspiration and the true work of art in my life, my bride, Helen.

To our city and its future.

Cheers.

Thank you.

That's a nice treat.

You sounded sincere.

What's that supposed to mean? Nothing.

Can we go now, please?

We can't go. I've got to work. You know that. Did you see who was here tonight?

Well, how can we leave now?

I don't know. I thought we could, you know, take a drive, make out like

teenagers. We're not teenagers.

Ellen and Greg have been married for 19

years, but they're going to need our help if they're going to make it 20.

What exactly are their problems?

He want them alphabetically or numerically.

Tess, you know, I don't know that much about marriage.

Marriage is God's way of letting people practice loving one person completely,

no strings attached.

And when they learn to love each other like that, they get a better idea of how

God loves them.

But they forget, and they give up before they get it right.

Then their love died.

Hello. Two people, three angels? Three people, three angels.

When you walk down...

heavy burden heavy load I

will rise and I will walk with you

I'll walk with you till the sun don't even shine

walk with you every time I tell you I'll

walk

Believe me, I'll fall with you.

You look tired.

You must tire somehow.

You know, this girl who runs this party, she would be perfect for you. She's

wonderful and she's looking for a job and she doesn't try to steal your

Stay right there, okay?

Monica. It's me, Monica.

I want you to meet Ellen. She is my best and oldest friend.

Ellen's husband is Greg Sawyer, the developer.

Ellen and I graduated from college together, but I'm not going to tell you

year.

I love your outfit.

Oh, thank you. I was just about to say the same thing about yours. Thank you.

Ellen makes all her own clothes. My goodness.

She makes her own clothes. She cleans her own house. She puts gas in her own

car. She is a threat.

Women of leisure everywhere.

You are so bad.

Well, Monica needs a job and you need some help.

Ciao.

You need some help?

Yes. The busier my husband gets, the busier I seem to get.

I could buy some time by not doing all this sewing, but I love it so much.

Must be wonderful to envision something and then actually make it with your own

hands. You mean what's a rich lady like me doing making her own clothes?

My husband says the same thing.

No, I mean that I appreciate talent.

Thank you.

I haven't felt very talented in a long time.

I think the bow's too big.

But the rest of it's beautiful.

I don't know much about clothes, but I know what talent looks like.

Um, anything else I can get you?

Uh, no.

Thanks.

Here's for the sandwich, but I don't have anything left for the tab. Oh,

okay. I want to give you something.

I wrote you a song.

You what?

Shuts out the world.

She's all alone.

Beautiful girl.

Well, I want to talk to her.

But it would be wrong.

Ain't got much to offer.

Except for maybe this song.

Oh, what's it called?

I, uh, named it after you, but I don't know your name.

Ellen. Ellen.

Hello, Ellen.

I'm Denny.

Oh, excuse me.

Cocker can't sell it. Because I'm going to develop all around it. You can't hold

on to it for the same reason. I'm the only game in town, and every day the

goes down, down, down.

So what I want to do... Excuse me. Sorry, sorry. Excuse me.

Um, I was just doing my mingling slash eavesdropping thing, and you know that

last waterfront property that Cochran won't sell you?

Yes. He sold it to somebody else this morning.

What?

Who?

Greg Sawyer.

Andrew. Greg, nice to meet you.

I'm not selling.

I like a good game of hardball.

What do you say we have lunch?

Fine. I'm not selling.

Why don't we make that dinner?

Did I look all right tonight, Greg?

You always look all right.

Greg, can we talk?

What about?

Nothing in particular. You know, just talk.

Sure, I'll talk.

We need something to talk about.

Okay.

I met a woman at the reception tonight, and I'm thinking about hiring her to

give me some extra help around here.

Great.

I'm going to shower.

Keep a lot of my old stuff up here.

Oh, you do your sewing here, too? Yeah.

Greg doesn't like to see me, so I think it reminds him of the old days.

When we were first married, we rented a room over a garage, cooked over a camp

stove. I made all my own clothes. How things have changed.

Yeah. Back then, we didn't have anything but each other, and now we've got it

all. Oh, here we go.

I'm afraid it's just you and the house this weekend, Monica.

Greg and I are going to our cabin in Lake Bearclaw for our wedding

Sounds romantic.

I think we do better in one room.

Oh! Oh, I'm sorry.

Don't worry about that. It's just a bunch of old scrapbooks and things.

Yeah, high school yearbooks.

They don't make hair like that anymore.

There are letters here to an Ellen Turner Archer colleague. Yeah, that's

My mother would write me once a week, begging me to change my major from

design to accounting.

I hear some from Denny Bly.

Oh. Oh, here, I'll take that.

From another life.

Helen? Oh, yes, we're up here.

Hi, I'm Greg.

Hello, I'm Monica.

Welcome.

I'll be home late.

Okay.

Well, this Andrew guy could kill the whole waterfront project.

He doesn't care about money. Can you believe that?

He sounds like an interesting guy.

Now I've got to call an emergency meeting for the partners tomorrow night.

They're getting very nervous.

But we won't be here. We leave for the cabin tomorrow morning, right?

Look, Ellen, I'm going to lose these guys if I can't guarantee the whole

package. I promised to deliver 20 properties, not 19.

You promised me, Greg.

It's our anniversary.

We need this weekend.

Ellen, I am going to be stuck for the next three days trying to keep this deal

alive.

Why don't you go to the cabin?

By myself?

Yeah, you get some rest. I'll get my work done, and next weekend I'll take

anywhere you want to go.

Next weekend won't be our anniversary.

Why do humans always wonder about what might have been?

Well, baby, it's awfully tempting to put your faith in the road not traveled

when the one you're on is getting lonely.

You have taken me up like one of those garments you make.

You've cut me out of rough cloth and made me into something new and

For the rest of my life, I will live as a different man because of you.

These days I dream of a small but good life, a little home.

Maybe I'll finally build that treehouse in Oregon City and we'll live together

in the clouds forever.

Always, Danny.

Oh, that's it, Monica.

I'm off.

I hate to see you going alone, so if you want some company... Oh, no, it's all

right. I'm used to it.

You're all set.

Have you changed your mind?

That's George.

Yes, George. I'll call you when I get there. Hold on for one second.

Happy anniversary.

Happy anniversary.

Yes, I'm listening.

Go straight, baby. Just go straight.

I've seen that look before.

A little glazed, a little tired, a little cold.

You need a cup of coffee, don't you?

Are you a regular?

Oh, no, I've never been here before.

No, I was talking about your coffee.

Let me see. Your sugar and no cream.

Yeah. How do you do that? You're talking to a real professional here.

Um, do you have a phone I can use?

Oh, yeah. It's across the lobby on the other side of the stairs.

I'll be right back. All right.

Uh, yes. Oregon City, please.

Bly. B -L -Y -E.

Denny or Dennis?

No, I don't know the address.

You know what?

Never mind. He probably doesn't even live here. Oh.

Oh. Um.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

I'm through for the day.

Good. See you tomorrow.

20 years.

Congratulations. Thanks.

Sawyer. Hi.

Hey, you made it. Yeah.

It's beautiful here.

Greg, I was hoping...

Couldn't you just get away just for a day? I can't. Things are really heating

here. I've really got to go. I'm having dinner with that Andrew guy.

Okay.

I just thought I'd make one last try.

Okay.

Got to go. Bye.

Was it something he said or something he didn't say?

I just lied to my husband for the first time.

All because of these seven numbers.

Well, remember, you're talking to a professional here.

I guess this is the part where I spill my guts to the bartender.

I guess so.

I control 19 waterfront properties.

You can call one.

I want you to tell me you're one. Now, what do you want?

I want your 19.

Very funny.

It's no joke.

The waterfront area is historically significant, very beautiful, and I think

should be restored to its original state. I agree.

Really.

Now, I had a hunch that what you wanted to do was to sell it to retail stores

and self -storage facilities, make a killing and get out.

What exactly is it that you want to save about the waterfront?

Have you been down there recently?

Have you?

Not exactly the best neighborhood.

It was once. It could be again.

You should go down there sometime.

You know, some of those people have been there for generations.

Where would they go?

I'm not my brother's keeper.

Yes, you are.

Okay, say I put profit aside and I become a do -gooder. What does that make

Happier?

You're through now. You can go.

Okay.

How much do I owe you? No charge. It's on the house.

Go home to your husband, and God bless you. And don't look back.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Fury Hotel.

We hope you're having a great time here in Oregon City.

I'm Denny Bly, and I'm sure you know by now that we tend to sing a lot of songs

about love.

There's good love and there's bad love.

When it's good, it's bad, and it hurts to the core.

This is the house.

That love built.

Memories of you are built in each wall.

Warm, tender themes still haunt my dreams.

But I just heard your voice in the hall.

The mirrors reflect.

All the heartache I feel, smiling photographs don't seem

real.

Nothing's been moved, but everything's changed.

Every dream I

dream of you.

Thank you very much. I'm going to take a break right now.

Feel free to drink up because I promise you the more you drink, the better I'll

sound. Be right back.

That's him, isn't it?

Yes.

You still have time to leave.

You want it straight up or you want it on the rocks?

That's a tough crowd tonight.

You better make it straight up.

What is it?

It's okay, whatever it is. It's okay.

It was a coincidence. I stopped for coffee and I heard your voice.

Oh, really?

You want to try again?

Actually,

I'm...

I'm spending my wedding anniversary alone.

And you thought about me.

I'm flattered.

Well, how about you? Did you ever get married?

Did you ever build that treehouse for two?

The treehouse for two, no.

Married, yes, once for 15 minutes.

Oh, I'm sorry about that.

So was she.

15 minutes was 10 minutes too long for her.

But it's okay.

I get Fridays off and it gives me a chance to take Abby camping every

Abby? She's very special.

A little less talk and a little more singing.

That, Tess, is not quite so subtle way of saying go back to work.

Will you stick around?

Tell me about Abby.

She's beautiful.

She's smart as a whip.

And the best thing of all is she loves me unconditionally.

That sounds just about perfect.

Except when her nose gets cold.

Well, that's typical with black lab, isn't it?

Well, I'm back. Did you miss me?

I wrote this song some years ago because there was this special girl that came

into my life.

And since then, I've always had this dream that one night she would walk into

club just like this and I could sing this song for her.

Hey, thanks for staying.

You sound wonderful.

I love that song that you wrote.

Well, I assume you wrote it for me.

Oh, yes, I did.

I wrote a lot of them for you.

You don't know how much I've been thinking about you lately.

Well, guess what?

I never quit thinking about you.

What do you think about?

That if I ever see you again, I'll never let you out of my life a second time.

I'm still a married woman, you know.

But you never said happily married.

No.

You know, Ellen, the thing I'm most proud of is that when I was with you, I

make you happy, didn't I?

Oops.

Did I break the mood?

Good.

It's closing time.

I don't want to say goodbye.

Then don't. Come with me. Come over to my place.

Danny, it's not that I don't want to, but everything's just happening so fast.

think I'll just check in here tonight.

Okay. But how about we have breakfast in the morning at 9 o 'clock?

Sounds good.

Good night.

Good night.

Hey, Ellen.

back into my life.

Trust me, I have not lost one yet, have I?

Good morning.

No, not yet. My number one investor wants to bail on a project I'm doing.

We'll call Ellen. She does some charity work with the guy's wife. She can

probably help.

Mr. Thompson, Greg Sawyer.

What are you doing there? I thought you were leaving as soon as Ellen got there.

But she called me from there last night.

No, just stay there, would you please, in case she calls?

Thank you.

The caretaker says that she never got to the cabin.

I'm sure there's an explanation.

She lied.

Yeah.

Miss Longfellow Smith hasn't heard from her, and I also contacted the state

police just in case they'd received it.

She's in Oregon City.

You found her? Caller ID.

He called from a pay phone at the Peary Hotel.

I just got off the phone with him. She's registered there.

What the hell is she thinking?

It's the biggest deal of my life, and she pulls a stunt like this.

Yeah, you drive.

I don't trust myself.

Can I help you folks? Yes, I'm looking for Mrs. Sawyer. What room is she in?

I'm sorry, sir. I'm not allowed to give out that information.

I can tell you this for free, sir.

There's nobody there.

They went out after breakfast.

They?

Yes, sir. She and her husband, I guess.

It's a small town. Maybe if we drive around.

Thank you.

Let's go.

How come you never pursued your music?

What do you mean?

You're so good. You could have... Could have been a somebody.

No, I didn't mean it that way.

Do you remember why we broke up?

I don't know. I was young.

We wanted different things.

That's exactly right.

We wanted different things.

And we got them.

I guess so.

You know, Ellen, the truth is, I love seeing you.

And you look wonderful.

And we could probably have a great time for a while.

But?

People don't change.

I don't believe that.

I did.

I want a simple life again. I want this.

You didn't come here looking for me.

You came here to visit your past.

Because you're having trouble in the present.

I still have...

Every single one of your old love letters.

And I meant every word.

But you should be reading his.

I think that's all I ever wanted.

Go back and tell him.

He's not a bad husband.

And let's face it, he has all of that ambition that I keep looking for in

myself.

And in you. Hey.

You can't blame a guy for being what it was you liked about him in the first

place.

Yeah.

I guess so.

We have a good life.

You know what I really want?

Is just for him to notice me again.

Then you'll have to go back home to make that happen.

Stay in touch.

Hey, get away from my wife.

What are you doing here?

Hi, I'm Denny White.

You're dead if you don't stay away from me. You don't understand.

Get in the car.

You know nothing happened.

You were kissing my wife.

I was kissing her goodbye.

You're right about that.

Did you hit me because you love her?

Or because you hate to lose?

Take her home. Ray.

Take her home.

I'm okay.

Go on home.

It's not a love letter, but in some weird way, it is a start.

Nothing happened.

I want to believe that, but if you've got nothing to hide, why'd you lie to

I don't know. I just... What's going on?

Who is this guy?

It's Denny.

I told you about him. We dated when I was in college. That's 20 years ago.

morning, you're kissing him.

I found some letters of his in a box, and I started reading them, and I... I

just...

I don't know, Greg. I just... I haven't been very happy lately.

What do you mean you haven't been very happy?

How can you say that?

How can you not have noticed how miserable I'm... Oh, forget it.

I'm surprised you noticed I was missing.

No, no, no. Wait a minute, Ellen. You dumped me on our anniversary for some

business deal. I always come second. I'm tired of... What are you talking about?

Why do you think I do what I do? I kill myself seven days a week.

Now, so that we can relax someday. I do this for us. I do this for you.

Give me a break. You're a workaholic who needs a wife to show up at the parties

and the charity dinners. What do you want from me?

What do you want? You want to go live over a garage like a couple of college

students do? At least we loved each other then.

That's not what I meant.

I've always tried to give you everything that you wanted.

I know.

But I don't think you know what I want.

What do you want?

It doesn't count if I have to ask for it.

So I have to guess?

Is that right? I have to figure it out? I have to read your mind?

I suppose that Denny, the fully evolved, sensitive male, has it all figured out.

Right?

Greg? No, it's Monica.

I thought you could use a wee cup of tea.

Thank you.

I love coffee, and I make all kinds of coffee, but my friend Tess says that a

little teapot and a pretty cup of peppermint tea is more comforting than a

old mug of Colombian Supremo.

Tess is very wise.

She gives me all sorts of good advice.

Never boil the water.

Don't put the lemon in the teapot.

And when someone is hurting, a cup of tea is nice, but the truth will do a lot

more good.

And the truth is, Ellen, that those love letters have no place in your life.

Have you ever been married, Monica?

No, but I know what it feels like to be misunderstood and taken for granted.

And I know what it feels like to be tempted to go to a place you know you

belong.

Every so often I...

I'd read one or two of these and I'd remind myself that there was someone out

there who used to think the sun rose and sat with me.

And I used to wonder what would happen if I ever saw him again.

And what did happen?

He made me feel like a princess.

But then he always did.

But... But he's not my husband.

I just want my husband.

But you have your husband, Ellen.

God gave him to you to have and to hold.

But you can't hold him with all of your heart and both of your hands as long as

you hold those letters too.

Oh, thank you, Monica, but...

You're not married and you don't understand everything.

But God understands.

He is your friend.

And I am his angel.

What's happening?

You could say that you're receiving a love letter from your creator.

The God of love.

The God who is love.

The truth has its own sound, don't you think?

I'm afraid.

Ah, don't be afraid.

God loves you so much.

He knows how many lonely nights you've spent waiting for your husband to come

home.

He knows the longing in your heart for romance, the excitement of new love that

you think is missing in your marriage now.

He knows that you...

gave up your dream to support your husband, and now you feel left behind.

knows all of this.

There's nothing about a woman's heart that God doesn't understand.

We all come from God.

He made you, Ellen.

And he made Greg.

And do you know what?

He made you for each other.

Why am I so unhappy?

Because you expect your husband to compete with a memory.

The memory of someone who's not a better man than your husband.

Denny is able to write down on paper the words that your husband has written in

his heart. He just can't express them to your satisfaction.

But is that wrong for me to want that from Greg? To want the romance and

the love letter?

But when did you last write him a love letter?

Love is not a line you draw in the sand, Ellen, and then dare the other person

to step over.

Love is not a feeling that comes and goes.

Love is a choice.

And God wants you to make that choice.

Andrew. What are you doing here? I'm here on business.

How about you?

I'm here taking care of some personal things.

Listen, Andrew.

Andrew, my back is up against the wall with this deal. My investors are getting

nervous.

I'm prepared to double my offer if you can deliver the property to me tomorrow.

As you may have guessed, I represent someone who is interested in your

I knew it.

And he wants to be your partner.

No, no way. Forget it. He's someone who likes to restore things.

Andrew, it's too expensive.

It'll cost you a lot more if you don't.

Like that situation with your wife.

What did you say?

Greg, you've been doing business with an angel.

Now, I imagine that's going to be a pretty hard thing for a businessman like

to believe, but it's true.

And God isn't interested in real estate. He is interested in people.

The people on that waterfront.

And the man sitting here, whose marriage is in trouble.

What do you think?

You're crazy, right?

You walked out on your wife.

You came here to finish the job on the man you assaulted this morning, and

you're waiting, you're trying to close a business deal.

And you think I'm crazy?

Look, whoever you are, whatever you are,

are you in a position to sell me this property?

Because if you are, the offer's on the table, and if you're not, I... Mr.

Sawyer, the property is yours.

Get one thing very clear, though.

You didn't win.

This is a gift.

God has given you many gifts. He expects you to take care of them, because if

you don't, you will lose them.

And you start with accepting the greatest gift there is, which is the

has for you, and you share that love.

And you work harder on that than anything else, because in the end, Greg,

you and I meet again, that love is all you're going to have to take with you.

She's not here.

You come to hit me again?

As a matter of fact, I was planning on it, and then

I changed my mind. Well, that's good news, because I've got a show to do, and

hate to bleed all the way through it.

Hey, I'm sorry about all this.

I'd like to ask you something.

I mean, you'd think that after I've been married to my wife for 20 years that

I'd know what it is that she wants and... Roses.

What? That's the secret.

I used to buy her a rose every week.

Or a daisy, whatever I could afford.

I'd write her little notes for no reason at all.

I even wrote her some pretty bad songs back then.

I just wanted her to know she was the most important thing in the world to me.

Do you still love her?

Enough to make sure she's loved by you.

She is.

But I don't think I'd know where to begin writing a love letter.

It doesn't matter what you write.

It's not about finding the right words.

It's about finding the pain.

Can I get you something before the show starts?

No,

thank you.

I'm going home.

Don't let me stop you, baby.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'm Denny Bly.

He works hard to give her all he thinks she wants.

A three -car garage.

Her own credit cards.

He pulls in late.

To wake her up.

With a kiss goodnight.

If he could only read her mind.

She'd say.

Buy me a rose.

Call me from work.

Open a door for me. What would it hurt?

Show me you love me by the look in your eyes.

These are the little things I need the most in my life.

And the more that he lives, the less that he tries to show her the

love. That he holds inside.

And the more that she gives.

The more that he sees.

This is a story of you.

And me.

So I bought you a rose.

On the way home from work.

To open the door to a heart that I hurt.

And I hope you notice.

This look in my eyes.

I'm going to make things right for the rest of your life.

And I'm going to hold you tonight.

Do all those little things for the rest of your life.