Original subtitles

With a million neon rainbows burning below me, and a million

blazing taxis raising a roar, here I sit above the

town, in my fat, plated gown, down in the depths, on the

90th floor, while the crowds at El Morocco punish the

parquet.

And at 21, the couple clamor for more.

I'm deserted, depressed, in my regal, ego mess, down in the

depths, on the 90th floor.

When the only one you wanted wants another.

What's the use of swanking cash in the bank of law?

Why, even the janitor's wife has some sentiment in her life.

But here am I, facing tomorrow, alone with

my sorrow, down in the depths on the 90th floor.

Bravo, Ted.

Thank you, baby.

Terribly sad, though, isn't it?

Down in the depths on the 90th floor.

What floor are we on, by the way? The 63rd floor.

And by the way, where are your shoes?

I didn't bring them.

I've been thinking recently that all the time I've been spending with human

beings might be having a negative effect on me.

Go on.

Well, for instance...

This evening, when I got the call to meet you, did you notice that I was just

wee bit late?

Yes, I did.

Well, that's because I... I couldn't make up my mind which shoes to wear.

What do you think of that? I mean, I remember the time when I didn't want to

wear any shoes at all, and yet here I was today, trying to decide between the

pink ones and the gold ones, and finally I said, you know what, Monica, forget

it, don't wear any shoes at all.

I'm going back to my room.

That's very interesting.

Since you're going back that far, I'd like for you to stop in the 1800s and

remember everything you can about a man named Jack Clay.

Jack Clay.

Yes, I was in search and rescue at the time.

That has to be over 100 years ago. I mean, he must be... Oh, yeah, he's

on and unfortunately forgotten.

Well, nearly, anyway.

My goodness.

That's Everett. He's Jack's great -grandson.

The resemblance is remarkable.

Yes, it is.

The resemblance doesn't stop there, I'm sorry to say.

Oh, dear.

I don't understand human beings sometimes.

It seems that no matter how many times their ancestors tripped and fell in the

past, some people still have to go down the same road and fall all over again.

And when it's from the 90th floor, or even from the 63rd floor,

it's a long way down.

When you walk down the road,

heavy burden, heavy load, I

will rise and I will walk with you.

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

Walk with you.

Every time I tell you I'll walk with you.

Walk with you. Believe me, I'll walk with you.

Now you're here. Now you're here. And now I know just where I'm going.

No more doubt. No doubt. No fear. I found my way. I found my way.

Love came just in time. Love came just in time. You found me just in time. You

got here just in time. And saved my lonely life.

Hey, Dan, you were great. Thanks.

Have you met Tina? Hi, Tina. Enjoy yourself.

Now, tell me who you are and which of my friends had the vision to bring you

along tonight.

My name is Tess, Mr. Clay, and you really have a lovely place. And you have

magnificent voice. Thank you. But you're not from New York, are you? No, I'm

just passing through.

Aren't we all, in a way? But not everybody passes through in such style.

You say that as if it were a bad thing.

Oh, no, the only problem with style is you can't take it with you when you go.

No, but then you can't take anything else, either.

You take love.

I knew you weren't from New York.

You two were wonderful. Thank you.

Carla, Simon, Tess.

Nice to meet you. She's visiting from California, I'm guessing.

F. Are you doing Marbella this year?

I've already sent the yacht ahead. I'll be flying there next week to join it.

Well, think about Cap Ferrar.

We'll be there till the opera season starts, and you know you're always

I missed the column door.

The house in Aspen is just sitting there, you know. It's yours if you get

Colorado. Oh, thank you.

Excuse me a moment.

My father.

I don't believe it. The old man himself.

83 and still runs the family business.

Plastics, textiles.

I've heard they even make buttons.

Dad, I wish I'd known you were coming.

I wish I'd known I was invited.

You're always invited.

I read the society column this morning.

I don't usually bother with that drivel.

The fact that you credit your success to the strong Puritan worth ethic that you

inherited from your Mayflower ancestors, well, it just caught my eye.

Dad.

I could spend all night dissecting the stunningly false elements in that

statement, but that's not why I came.

Your boat, your little yacht, on its way across the Atlantic, the one you sent

ahead to avoid the annoyance of actually being on it, has sunk off the coast of

Spain.

What?

My God, no.

I haven't used the dining mat. It's irreplaceable.

I guess I could replace it. I still have the plan somewhere, but what a waste,

my God.

Hey, Grandpa.

Carson, what did you do with that $5 million I gave you?

Well, I formed an Internet startup that incubates websites to allow for online

broadcasting of previously recorded material for personal downloading.

And what is it worth today?

Today?

$5 million means absolutely nothing to you, does it?

You've taught him well, Everett.

I'd like to see you at my office at 9 o 'clock tomorrow morning.

Do you know where it is?

Oh, by the way, about that yacht, you never bothered to ask if

anyone drowned.

Life has just been one long party for you, Herbert, punctuated by the

yacht sinking and misplaced cummerbund.

You have played and spent and drunk your way through the last 55 years.

And if you don't die of a heart attack, you'll die from sheer overexposure

to unlimited wealth.

And when that happens...

It won't be your fault.

It will be mine.

There's a story in the Bible about the

prodigal son who takes his share of his inheritance and leaves town and

piddles it all away until he ends up penniless and miserable, sleeping in a

barn and slopping pigs.

He finally...

returns home having learned that money is no substitute for the things that

really matter in life like hard work and integrity

and family and his father

welcomes him back with open arms and tears in his eyes well son i've been

waiting to welcome you home for years

But you never came.

And that is because you were just never miserable enough.

And so, I'm going to help you out.

What?

You are cut off, son.

Your credit cards, your limousine, your penthouse, your monthly allowance.

Everything this company has provided you, and now this company is taking it

back.

You are disinherited.

You've got to be kidding.

This is ridiculous.

Yes, it is.

I should have done it a long time ago.

I hope you have some cash in your pocket.

I got you serious.

You're throwing me out with nothing.

I'm supposed to walk out of here and never look back, right?

No. I hope you look back.

I truly do.

Whether or not you'll admit it to your society friends.

We are not the highfalutin descendants of old money and Mayflower families.

Your great -grandfather Jack started this company by carving these

buttons.

The first buttons he ever made.

He sold them two for a penny.

He never owned a yacht.

He never gave a fancy party.

But somehow, he learned to do an honest day's work.

For an honest day's pay and I'm proud of that and someday I want to be proud of

you So I'm not going to let you leave here with nothing today I'm giving

you This

need a lift?

Oh, Tess, isn't it?

Yes. I was just... Oh, don't explain.

People experience all kinds of emotions when they're disinherited and lose

millions and millions of dollars.

Oh, my God.

Must be all over town.

I'm finished.

I can't show my face around here.

Well, Aspen's nice this time of year.

That's right.

Simon and Carla said I could use their house anytime, but it's in Colorado.

I don't even have taxi money to get home.

That is, if I had one.

Well, you know, it's the funniest thing.

I'm just leaving for Colorado.

Really?

I don't suppose you're going there on your, um, plane?

No, that's my baby.

Oh, look here.

Take this.

You could use it for the chilly nights in the mountains.

Come on, let's go.

Oh, we're making excellent time. I'm a very good driver.

Where do you want to spend the night?

Oh, we're not going to stop, honey. I'm going to drive straight through.

She'll be coming round the mountain when she comes.

When she comes, she'll be coming around the mountain. When she comes, when she

comes, she'll be coming around the mountain. She'll be coming around the

mountain. She'll be coming around the mountain.

Good morning, and welcome to Colorado.

Colorado? Last time I looked, we were in Indiana.

Central City?

Presidents, millionaires, opera singers, and high society.

They all came through here when it was a big mining town.

Interesting, huh?

Yeah, but how far is it to Aspen?

Don't you get it?

Aspen is nothing compared to what Central City was a hundred years ago.

This was the place.

Come on, I got something I want to show you.

Come on, come on. I thought we were going to get some breakfast.

Looky here.

Who is she?

You never heard of the face on the bar room floor?

No. Well, some people say that it's the lost love of a miner who drew her to

pay his bar bill.

And then some people say, that's all a practical joke by a traveling sign

painter.

They spent years trying to figure out how she got here.

Well, she's beautiful. It's a shame nobody knows who she was.

Oh, I didn't say that. I know who she was.

She was a friend of Jack Clay's, your great -grandfather.

And how would you know that?

I'm a history buff.

Now, let me ask you a question.

That deerskin jacket that you almost threw away on the sidewalk, that was

wasn't it?

And there was a button missing, wasn't there?

You want to know why?

I must admit this is somewhat intriguing, but frankly, I'd rather be

to Aspen.

I'm not very interested in my family tree.

Well, excuse me for saying so.

But you're not being interested in your family tree is what got you on the road

to Aspen in the first place.

Now, why don't you just sit down, have a cup of coffee, and listen to a nice

little story?

I'm buying.

Bartender? Yes, ma 'am. One cup of coffee and one cup of tea, please.

Coming right up.

Now, this vase...

Her name was Monica, and she worked right here in the Teller House Saloon.

It's coming.

It was in 1893, and Central City was a great big silver town,

or was it a gold town? But that doesn't matter. I thought you were a history

buff. Do you want to hear this story or not?

Now, your great -grandfather was not a bad man, but he wasn't a happy one

either. He was just trying to get along and make that big strike so he could

make up for all the bad decisions he made in his life.

Sarsaparilla?

Good for what ails you.

Welcome to the teller house.

Mighty fine place you got here, sir.

My name's Clay, Jack Clay.

Andrew.

And I'd be prepared to sacrifice a bottle of my amazing miracle elixir for

something a little slender.

Oh, that's okay, Mr. Clay.

Sarsaparilla's on the house.

When I was a lad, I served a term as office boy in an attorney's firm. I

the windows and I swept the floor and I polished up the handle on the big front

door.

I polished up the handle so carefully that now I am the ruler of the Queen's

Navy.

Now, lantern and all, whoever you may be, if you want to rise to the top of

tree, if your soul ain't fettered to an office, be careful to be guided by this

golden rule. Be careful to be guided by this golden rule.

One bottle of elixir and you will see just why I am the ruler of the Queen's

Navy.

The Queen's Navy.

Pay you back here for a magical elixir.

Elixir. You got any more of that? Yes, and there's more. There's more.

For you, sir.

Thank you, ma 'am. Tell Andrew I'm obliged for the grub.

It's been a while since I've been pleasured by home cooking.

I'll repay the kindness one day.

There's no need, Mr. Clay.

Kindness is a gift.

Sarsaparilla and Purdy Manor.

I gotta get out of this Sunday school.

You in or out, Clay?

Um, yeah.

To you.

It's up to you, Clay.

Will you take an I .O .U. from a gentleman?

If the gentleman has something to back up that I .O .U.

A right honorable horse named Judge.

And my gun.

Show your card.

Three majestic kings.

Full house.

Queens over nine.

Your gun, sir.

I'm going to blow your damn business with you.

The next morning, Jack came loaded for bear.

Good morning.

Good morning. Where are they?

Who? Barkley Stubbs, the man I was playing cards with last night.

I gotta get my saddlebags before he takes off with what used to be my horse.

Stubbs? He's long gone, mister.

Gone where?

Nobody knows where he goes. He just comes into town every once in a while,

cheats some poor sap out of anything he's got, and disappears into the hills

somewhere.

Cheats? Yep.

Usually comes up with a full house. Queens over nines. His favorite.

But I guess you know the game being a snake oil salesman and all.

Say, you didn't get taken by old Barkley, did you?

I'm going to go after that son of a grizzly bear.

Who's coming with me?

I'll go.

You're a woman.

I'm an excellent tracker.

Really?

Really?

Really? You're from Tucson, originally.

You haven't handled any actual gold ore for over three weeks.

And this morning you had eggs on sourdough toast and Lincolnberry jam

street.

She's right.

Every word.

All right, let's go.

Can I bring Andrew?

I don't care what you bring, as long as it ain't Sarsaparilla.

And then they did Western things, like jump on their horses and yell yee -haw

and ride off into the sunset and stuff.

That's not exactly what you'd call an historical rendition.

Oh? Were you there?

No, I wasn't there. I wasn't there then, and I don't want to be here now.

Are you all right?

Just a little... A little short of breath, that's all.

Must be the altitude.

Let me get you some water.

I thought we'd have more time.

It happens when it happens.

Here's the water.

Thanks.

I always get a little dizzy when I'm too high up above sea level.

Well, how did you manage the 63rd floor all these years?

I've managed.

But the 63rd floor is gone.

Unfairly taken.

Like everything else I own.

But you still have a son.

Yeah.

It's the only thing I ever did right.

But... But?

Five million dollars. I should never have let him lose it.

I could sure use that money now.

Everett, money is not the issue here.

What your son needs is something you could use.

Character.

But the problem is you can't download character off the Internet.

You've got to get it the old -fashioned way.

I suppose you think snake oil salesman and two -bit gambler Jack Clay.

was a model of moral rectitude.

Jack Clay was a man who was willing to change.

I don't know how you do it, Andrew, out here.

Yours, too, tastes just like my wife Helen's. I hope that's a compliment.

Oh, she can make Mangy Longhorn taste like T -bone.

She's one fine woman.

You must miss her very much.

Let me call you sweetheart.

I'm in love with you.

Let me hear you whisper that you love me too.

Keep the love light blowing in your eye.

What are you making?

It's going to be a button.

Odd thing for a man to make, right?

Not at all.

Buttons are very important.

Buttons hold the whole world together. That's what Helen always said.

You'd think they were diamonds the way she goes on about buttons.

Pearl buttons, polished mahogany buttons, ivory buttons.

Buttons I can't afford to buy.

So you make them for her?

Yeah, I make them from stones, wood.

Made these from antler tips.

Anything I can find.

I've made her a button for every day I've been away.

Got a whole saddlebag full.

Except they're in the cheating hands of Barclay Stubbs.

I wonder if Mr. Stubbs knows the Treasury has him those saddlebags.

They ain't worth a plug nickel.

Fundamental values.

Poor substitute for gold.

No.

That depends on how a man measures himself.

As long as Buckley Stubbs gets measured for a pine box, who cares?

Every day I have to spend looking for him. Looking to get back what's

mine.

Keeps me another day from making my own fortune.

And going home.

How did you do that?

It's like that bottle trick you did at the saloon.

I'm not going to tell anybody, are you?

Secret pocket.

Whenever I get a lot of money, I'm going to keep it right there.

Right now, this picture of my wife and daughter is the only thing I've got

that's worth anything at all.

I ought to shoot you in your feet and back right now.

Clay?

Surprise.

Where's my horse?

Sold it.

Looks like queens over nines have been mighty kind to you.

How many people have you cheated out of everything they own?

I don't know.

How many bottles of that phony Miracle that you sold to poor old miners?

There's a difference between salesmanship and cheating.

Not much of one from where I stand.

No, Jack, please.

Don't shoot.

I'd be doing the world one heck of a favor.

That's not for you to decide.

I didn't bring you here to kill a man. I brought you here to bring back only

what belonged to you.

I want more than that, Monica.

I'm tired. I haven't had a bath in months.

I want to go home, and I'm taking that gold one way or the other.

How could you go home to Helen with a man's blood on your hands?

It was an accident.

You're about to convince me not to shoot him.

But he grabbed a gun.

Here's the hospital. It's in Denver. It's 45 miles away.

of gold sitting there.

And I trade every ounce for a hospital nearby.

And some ether.

How about some of that miracle elixir of yours?

Nothing but maple syrup and water.

And a snake oil, of course.

That's what I thought.

What happened to us, Jack?

How did we get so low?

I was a decent man when I left Wichita.

A lot of men pay dearly for what's in this strong box.

I'm sorry for that.

But now that's going to be yours.

Things can be different.

Nobody else has to get hurt.

Hey, you lost one of your buttons.

Sorry. That don't matter.

Just a kind of hobby of mine. These are the first ones I ever made.

My wife made the coat knife.

You know, I sold the ones you were carrying.

Sold them to a lady.

You mean someone paid good money for these things?

I got more for them than I got for your horse.

You got real talent, Jack.

I hope you're smart enough to use it.

I wasn't.

And now I'm dying on the mountaintop.

And I'm never gonna see my wife and kids again.

Grab that saddle bag.

There's a map in there. I'll get you back here from Central City.

Don't take the gold with you now.

Or somebody will kill you for sure as I'm dying here.

You're angels, aren't you?

Yes.

Poor buzzard's hallucinating.

No, he's not.

I got some things I gotta say to God now.

You mind leaving me alone with them for a while?

You sure?

I haven't been so sure of anything in a long time.

Never knew a man like that could deserve a decent grave.

He didn't deserve it.

He asked for it.

And sometimes it takes his own death for a man to get his life right.

Maybe so.

Tell the truth, that old folk hadn't I had more in common than I care to admit.

I'm not quite sure what to do about that.

Yes, you are.

Barkley had a second chance.

It only lasted a few hours, but he took it.

What are you going to do with yours I guess I'll just take what he took

from me We'll leave the rest It

ain't easy but Leave it

So he just walked away from it all yeah, he

used his money to go back to New York And he started his button company with

nothing but hard work.

Well, I guess the old boy had some character after all.

I don't think I could have just walked away from a box of gold just sitting

there.

an old trail because the road goes left and the map goes right.

Well, hold on.

Seven. Eight.

Knock yourself out.

Okay, Jack. Don't let me down.

The gold is here. Yes.

I can feel it.

There we go.

Yes.

This means I don't need my dad's money anymore.

I don't have to crawl back and beg for anything.

Here we go.

After all these years, I'm free.

Look again.

Well.

It's a button.

It's the button.

Remember I asked you, did you want to hear the story about what happened to

missing button from the jacket? Well, that's it.

That's where it's been, in that box all these years.

I couldn't care less about a button.

I want to know where the money went. You said he didn't want it.

He changed his mind.

What?

He changed his mind.

That's it. That's the story.

This has all been about a useless, utterly worthless button.

Are you nuts? I need money. I need it now.

What good is an empty box with a button in it going to do me?

It's going to help you get a second chance.

You're out of your mind.

What? Everett, you're having a heart attack.

This has been coming on for a long time.

This is it.

I'm going to tie it here, just like Barclay did, for a button.

25 -year -old male. He's got 200 feet per minute. Okay,

I want to start a second line. I want a pen -pan with ABGs, chest x -ray. Yes,

sir. Let's get him started on a 12 lead. All right, doctor. Come on. Okay,

folks, all together on my count.

Ready? One, two, three.

Dr.

Carl.

I know you.

You're the face on the barroom floor.

Yes.

He put it there so that when this day came, you would recognize me.

Who?

Who put it there?

God.

You see, I am an angel.

Then it's true.

Barclay Stubbs did see angels before he died.

Yes.

What are you thinking about, Everett?

Thinking about my son, Carson.

How I wasted 50 years on champagne and first -class tickets and friends who

won't even bother coming to my funeral.

I'm thinking about my father.

How I let him down.

Do you remember the story he told you, your father?

About the prodigal son?

Yes.

I wish I were living in a barn and slopping pigs. I don't even deserve

And if you're an angel, then that's a god.

Well, I guess I'm going to find out what I do deserve.

Probably some special kind of hell for wastrels. Is that how it works?

No, that's not how it works, Everett.

You see, God is a father, too.

And he gave this life to you.

And yes, he's disappointed that you've used it to spend money instead of love.

But children disappoint their parents every day.

And that doesn't stop fathers from loving their sons.

And that doesn't stop God from loving you so much that he'll wait a lifetime

that's what it takes for you to become the man that he created you to be.

I don't know how to do that.

Yes, you do.

Remember the button?

I think that your great -grandfather left that button behind as a way to

say to whoever found it someday, I started all over again with nothing but

decision to live my life simply and honestly.

I am going to do that, and you can too.

Well, maybe he tried, but...

He must have failed. He went back to the gold, remember?

Yes.

But there was a reason.

I hope it was a good one.

Oh, yes, it was.

It was.

You are going to get a second chance, Everett.

And no matter how much time is left to you in this life, just remember...

You'll always be your father's little boy.

Vitals?

Stable. And? And what?

Looks like he's crying.

Okay.

Good. We got him. Nice work, people. Get him upstairs.

Mr. Clay, your son is on line three.

Thank you.

The answer is no.

You're right.

The question is, did I ever appreciate everything I had? The answer is no.

If it's am I a good son, I'm a good father.

The answer is no.

If it's do I deserve another chance, the answer is no.

But I'm not the same person who left New York, Dad.

I know that's hard for you to believe.

I haven't gone very long, but I want a chance to prove that to Carson.

And to you.

Dad?

Come home, son.

Just come home.

Thank you so much. My pleasure.

Hey, Ted.

I have brought you an I'm glad you got well present.

You notice anything different?

The button, you found it. Well, nobody's going to believe this story if you

haven't got all your buttons.

It's great to be alive.

Yes, it sure is.

You know, Tess, you never did tell me what old Grandpa Jack did with all that

gold.

That's right.

I never did.