Original subtitles

I got you!

You better run!

I got you now--

Come on!

Gillian!

What?

Do it again.

I don't need a big, fine car

I got everything

That a man could want

I got more than I could ask for

Daddy, could you just turn it down a little?

I don't have to run around

I don't have to stay out all night

When my baby kisses me

- Chills run up and down my spine - Daddy, could you turn it down?

- My baby - Exactly.

I have been getting this all summer.

- You have to stay on the island. - How many times you gonna say that?

I've been back three days.

I'm insecure.

You spent the whole summer away. School starts in two weeks.

I've gotta know whether I should be shopping around for a new best friend.

Mr. Wacko up there is your father.

- Here we go. - Son of a bitch!

Daddy. You're in the wrong lane.

Daddy, this really is not smart.

- He's crazy! - Would you pull over, please?

- What? - Hello!

I'm over here! I'd like to talk to you for a minute.

This is a two-way street. What the hell's the matter with you?

Pull over!

- You had a yield! - What's your problem?

My problem is you didn't yield. You saw the sign.

I was ahead of you!

- In the car now. - I was ahead of you.

- He said he was ahead of me. - You could get arrested.

- You're crazy. - I'm not crazy. You saw that sign.

- It said ''yield.'' -Just get in the car.

- You were not ahead of me. - Get in the car.

- I'm sorry. He's just-- - Rachel!

- We're late for Esther and Paul. - Sorry.

- You're right. He didn't yield. - He didn't.

Come on.

Who's gonna be brave, huh?

Go ahead. Don't be shy.

Paul, come on. You gotta try this.

They say there's something spiritual about feeding them in flight, but--

I've tried it. One of them bit me in flight.

Don't believe them.

- Stop. Come on. Come here. - I already pulled a muscle.

Here we go. Here, birds.

No dinner, no TV.

- See if they take it. - Here you go.

- Great. Thanks, Esther. - Did you tell her yet?

What scared the birds away?

It's the sound of your voice, Esther. What are they, skittish or intuitive?

- Tell me what? - The complete truth.

He was supposed to fill you in as soon as we left port...

but obviously he hasn't.

Those birds are rabid.

What? What complete truth?

Well...

you know, David's wife?

It happened--

- The boating accident. - Right.

Gillian, where are you going?

Esther, would you please translate for me?

- She never listens to me. - Come on, Gillian. Not funny.

Get down.

Gillian, come on!

It's my birthday. Let me have some fun.

It's your 3 5th birthday. Grown-ups shouldn't be having fun.

Tell your mother grown-ups don't scale things.

Grown-ups don't scale things!

Tell your father he's not my father.

He's supposed to be my fun-loving husband.

- This is incredible! - Mommy, please!

Paul, could you get her down?

Sure, as soon as I unclench my fingers.

Mom!

I'm almost there!

Mom, you're scaring me.

This is so great!

You can come down now.

Rachel, try again. She'll listen to you.

Daddy?

Daddy?

What?

What are you looking at?

What?

Oh, nothing.

Nothing.

Hey, the ferry's here.

See it, David?

- Oh, great. - ''David''?

He asked me to call him that.

I'm 1 6, Rachel. Give it up a little.

Tomorrow is her birthday?

So this is two years to the very day--

We didn't even think of it until a few days ago.

And then we were afraid that you might back out.

You are fixing me up with a man on the anniversary of his wife's death...

which also happens to be her birthday.

I absolutely would have backed out.

- She's upset now. - Thank you.

What do you expect?

How could he have agreed to this, for God's sake?

- Well-- - Oh, my God.

''Oh, my God'' what? You mean there's more?

He doesn't exactly know that you're coming.

Air.

- He doesn't know I'm coming? - He does know, in a way.

He knows that we're always trying to fix him up.

He doesn't know we are bringing someone on this particular trip.

But I'm sure that we'll all laugh about it over dinner.

It's okay.

Don't worry. It'll be fun. We're already having fun. This is great.

- Easy now. Here it comes. - I got it.

- Easy now. Here it comes. - I got it.

There you go.

Hi there.

I see them. There they are.

Hey, Paul!

Hey, David!

Aunt Esther, hi!

Hi. You look great.

Oh, sweetie. Look at you.

Three days away from me, already you look different.

- No, I don't. - Hey, muscles.

Hey, Mr. Cerebellum.

- New toup? - Nah, it's the old toup.

- Hi, sweetie. - Hi.

If we hustle, we can beat the traffic. Is this all the luggage?

Hi.

Hi?

What do you mean, ''hi''? Who are you?

I'm leaving, that's who.

David, meet Kevin Danford, business associate.

She designs all our software. She decided to join us for the weekend.

Under extremely false pretenses.

Actually, Kevin took one of your literature classes...

at BU for one day years ago.

- Talk about a small world, right? - Years ago.

Well, let's go. Let's go.

- You knew. - I knew it was somebody named Kevin.

- I figured a fishing buddy. - Paul doesn't fish.

- I thought maybe he started. - You think that's funny.

Just let me take the next boat back.

- You're walking the wrong way. - This is gonna be a fabulous weekend.

It's gonna be fabulous!

Paul, you might think I enjoy carrying the luggage, but you would be wrong.

I can't be both a bellboy and a mediator, Esther.

- We have a situation. - Did I tell you about this air?

I have been smelling.

You bottle it, you take it home and sell it. It's that good.

Come on. Breathe deep.

In good stuff, out shit.

Come on. In good, out shit. Come on, Cindy.

Okay, all packed up. Let's go.

Cool it, and drive normal.

All right, Kev, you sit in the front.

- Can I just talk to you? - You're leading me away from the car.

I can't get in the car if you--

We have the potential for a colossal disaster on our hands.

Look, they're both alone, so we arranged. End of story.

- Look happy. They're watching. - Let's make the most of it.

- You're a negative person. - That's another thing.

Don't be trotting out your little psychology platitudes.

- If my training can help-- - Your training is in architecture.

These head-shrinking seminars, they're part of your midlife crisis.

I hear you don't even contribute to the class, so what's the big deal?

Who said?

- I've heard. - Who said?

Come on! You're holding up the fun!

Let's go.

All right, Kev, get in the front seat. Isn't this an amazing old car?

At least smile.

To reveal that you have teeth might keep them distracted.

I'm writing that one down.

This could get bumpy.

Everybody in?

Slow down!

How 'bout that ocean air?

He almost never crashes.

Bottle it, take it home and sell it. That's what I say.

What are you doing?

I was just noticing you had quite the developmental year.

You're gross.

Okay, here we are. Everybody gets to pick their own room.

First come, first serve.

That air!

Smell that island air.

Enough with the air, Esther.

Could I speak with you a moment alone, please?

- Sure. - Excellent.

Yeah. Hey, I gotta pee.

- I'd like to hear this. - Forget it, Cindy.

I got the bathroom, everybody.

You may wanna-- Paul and Esther, they will grab the best room.

Look, I am very sorry.

I had no idea that this was the anniversary of your wife's--

Oh, don't, please.

And I had no idea that you knew nothing about my coming.

I am quite prepared to leave. I don't know how they could think this--

You're here.

Hey, tomorrow we've got a big sand castle competition atJetties Beach.

I'm excellent at castles. I do the whole bit.

Pillars, balconies, columns.

Moats?

What have they been tellin' ya?

- They're acting friendly. - He was angry.

This is your most gigantic goof ever.

It's for his own good. It's not healthy, all this seclusion.

- It was his wife, Esther. - She was my sister.

- But life goes on. - Again with the psychology.

If he won't recognize that, we should have Rachel live with us permanently.

- She only gets to be 1 6 once. - She only gets to be 1 6 once.

She'll never get this year back. It's her junior year.

We are here to enjoy a nice, restful weekend.

She's got college, SATs, not to mention socially.

Must you always be your complete and total self?

- What? - That's two.

I'm writing down two.

Didn't I tell you?

No way. You are not wearing that.

We both are. I got one for you too.

Oh, my God. Look at your breasts.

Wonder Top. Cleavage.

I'm not going out like that. I'm not gonna do it.

At some point in your life, you are going to have to trust me.

This is that point, while you're wearing electric blue rectal floss?

Your diaphragm covers more than that.

This is the time when we learn to deal with men.

We gotta practice on the boys.

This is how we tease them with the goods.

Now, let's practice our walk.

- Our walk? - Oh, yes.

The walk is very key, and it's all hips, like this.

Oh, my Lord.

I am not doing that. No way am I doing that.

We gotta own the beach, Rach.

The walk is ownership.

- I don't wanna walk. - At least slow down.

- We're barely moving. - You're 39, I'm 42.

I only have sex by appointment, and even then, it's with Esther.

Why do you do that, all the put-downs?

- We don't really mean it. - It gets boring.

Being caustic sort of preempts kindness...

which is important since kindness could lead to more sex...

and it is exactly how you picture it.

- Let's stop. - What's the matter?

Don't you think it's insensitive fixing me up on her birthday?

Gillian has no more birthdays, David.

I'll bear that in mind.

- It's not natural for a man-- - Nature's the goal?

Most mammals mate for life. That's nature.

Some species, the surviving mate remains faithful even after the mate has died.

-Did you know that? -Let me renew your subscription to Nova.

I don't have to stand for this. I can outrun you.

Oh, yeah?

He goes out there every night.

- Thursday he was out all night. - Doing what?

Staring at the ocean, I guess.

Is it like a sickness?

In your psychology classes, do they have a name for this kind of behavior?

Oh, yes.

He's nuts.

He will be all right. It's just--

He really loved her.

He's not the only one.

I know.

You're probably beginning to notice-- I never leave.

Why is that?

I live next door. Parents are away.

I'm orphaned here for the weekend.

You know about this weekend?

Oh, yes.

It's an anniversary.

Not just that. It's the anniversary.

Dress-up dinner, castle building, karaoke.

Gillian started it.

They choose stupid songs you'd never admit to liking.

- They what? - A lot of Barry Manilow.

Weekend tradition.

This is the Gillian weekend.

You've got a cute way of talkin'

You've got the better of me

Just snap your fingers and I'm walkin'

Like a dog

- Hangin'on a leash - Are you kidding? This is your song?

Yeah. So?

So you're supposed to choose songs you're ashamed of.

This is a classic. I love this song.

You make me feel like dancing

I wanna dance the night away

Oh, you look fabulous.

- I know. - You might want to lose the gum.

Or not.

He's not gonna fall for you.

Live people can't compete with dead ones.

Ask anybody.

Thank you.

I don't think so.

I feel like dancing, whoo Dancing, whoo

Dance the night away

I'm sorry. We were just--

We were practicing for karaoke.

Sorry to intrude. I heard the sound, couldn't quite believe it.

Sorry.

Me too. You know what?

I miss Esther.

Sugarplum.

I think there's a plan to give us private time.

The plan is to get me over Gillian.

It's been two years. I'm not over her.

I see.

Well, look, you can relax...

'cause if it makes you feel any better, you're not my type.

Thank you.

Well, we'll see you at dinner.

Dinner, yes.

- Not too much. - First off...

I would like to toast us all for looking so fantastic.

- Absolutely. - Especially me.

It took me an hour to get into this dress.

And ten seconds to imagine you out of it, Miss Teen Succulent.

- All right, glasses up. - I'm sorry.

- To all of us. - Cheers.

Chin, chin. Okay, I'm hungry. Let's eat.

Rachel said you have a baby.

- You have a baby? - Yes.

I have a little boy. He's three years old.

And why I'm not back home with him right now completely escapes me.

If you don't mind my being a nosy little bug...

what happened to the father?

- I know you're divorced. - He cheated on her bad.

Rachel said.

Yes, my husband is out of the picture.

I have complete custody.

Completely out of the picture, David. Did you hear that? That's good news.

So, how come you don't have children? Do you shoot blanks?

That's a personal question.

If you really wanna know--

- Can I tell her? - You might as well.

We were afraid that they'd turn out like you.

You are such a child.

Who's helping me with the castle tomorrow?

We gotta be on the beach by 7:00 a.m. Judging's at 2:00.

7:00 a.m.? I thought we were going to the cemetery tomorrow.

No time. We gotta start early.

I wanna beat Megan Weeks. I've lost to her three years running.

She's ungracious, arrogant...

and this year she's gonna gag on the taste of unmitigated defeat.

She's nine.

This is my entry tomorrow.

As you can see, I'm gonna need some help.

Here's an aerial view. Could you take the end of this?

What?

- You have blueprints? - Sure, this takes organization.

Look at these columns. They're Corinthian.

How long did it take you to do that?

I don't know. Does it matter?

- ''Does it matter?'' - Pumpkin?

You're a professor of literature.

You spend your time meeting with sand engineers.

Pumpkin.

- We build castles every year. - Not with forklifts.

You'll need permits for that kind of construction.

What's the problem, Esther?

Honeybuns?

Sweetcakes.

I'd like to know the problem.

No problem.

- I want to know the problem. - You want to know the problem?

Let me see if I can locate the problem for you.

You're living on a practically deserted island in winter.

- You're doing nothing. - I'm writing a book.

Oh, really? What have you written? Let me see.

I'm the only one who gets to read it. Everyone else waits until it's finished.

- You're protecting him. - I'm not protecting him.

- I don't need protecting. - Don't be reading my mind, Esther.

Can't we once just eat dinner without having a free-for-all?

- I can't stand it! - Butt your nose in, stick it in snug.

Can we just regroup? We've got a terrific soup here.

Come on in. Wreck my life.

It's been two years.

Listen to yourselves.

Can't we once not do this? One time?

Maybe you're not a happy person. I don't know.

Or care.

Whether or not you're happy, do you have to spoil our dinner?

Does it bring you relief?

My concern is for Rachel. My unhappiness is about--

- Sugar. - Stop calling me food!

This is not a stable home.

She's living with a single parent who's an unemployed recluse...

who does nothing but plan Corinthian sand columns.

You can talk to me about a lot of things, but parenting isn't one.

You don't know the first thing about being a parent.

Then maybe it's time I found out.

Maybe Rachel should come and live with us full-time.

Do you wanna live with Esther and Paul?

No.

Well, there you go.

End of issue.

You know, you're not the first person to lose someone you love.

This isn't original.

I'm goin' for a walk.

They brought somebody. A woman, living.

Dead jokes. Funny.

They're all ganging up, Gill...

saying it's time for me to get over you and let you go.

You don't want me to let you go, do you?

You can't ask me questions like that.

Why not?

'Cause you know my wants.

What I say I want is really what you want me to want...

'cause I'm here right now only in your mind.

Unless I'm real, which would mean I'm kind of a ghost...

which I know you don't want me to believe...

'cause you hate the idea of being crazy.

- Why do you always do that? - Do what?

Fire back in rambling run-on sentences with compound thoughts to confuse me.

- I don't do that. - You do.

What you do is you ask questions you don't really want me to answer.

Whether I want to or not is moot because you always dodge.

You did it alive. You do it dead.

Are you seriously gonna try to outtalk me?

How's Rachel?

She's good, I think.

She seemed to have a good summer with Paul and Esther.

The one rule we had was she comes first.

We even stuck to that one.

- I know. - She needs you to be there...

especially this weekend.

I know that too.

You're okay, Mr. Man.

I miss you.

You're okay.

I gotta run.

Oh, get back here.

Go play with the live girl!

Come on!

Hey, kiddo.

I heard you yelling.

Were you yelling at someone?

Just myself.

You talk to her, don't you?

What?

Mommy. You talk to her out here.

No. Well, yeah, I talk to her all the time...

in my prayers.

You talk to her like she's right in front of you out here.

No, it's--

Sometimes...

I fantasize about stuff.

What's with this book that you're writing?

Well, you know, it's-- You know, it's--

You know.

A lie?

Well, yeah.

Is everything okay?

We haven't really talked much since you've been back.

Yeah, it was kind of hectic those three days...

what with just the two of us.

Do I tell you ''I love you'' enough?

You know, I read these studies.

With teenagers, you're not supposed to say it too much...

because they won't hear it after a while.

And if you say it too little, that can cause harm too.

Do I say it too much, too little?

I don't know.

You say it the right amount.

Come back and make me your wife

And as he started to go

She said Billy, keep your head low

Billy, don't be a hero

Come back to me

Paul, take it outside.

As far away as possible, okay?

- Okay, I'm finished. - Hi, baby.

- Thanks, Paul. Thank you. - Next time, you're gonna have to pay.

- You out talking to him? - Yeah.

How is he?

He's fine.

He cooled off a little bit. He's fine now.

What'd you talk about?

Esther, he's fine, okay?

Maybe you do butt in a little too much.

Well, I'm sorry, but sometimes I get scared for him.

And I get scared for you too.

You can always tell me to butt out, you know?

Yeah.

Just don't worry, okay?

You don't have to worry.

What?

You tell me not to worry, but am I wrong to worry?

I'm tired.

I'm gonna go to bed.

Good night.

Good night.

Why can't you sleep?

How did you know I wasn't sleeping?

When two people are together long enough, they sense things.

Plus which, you snore like an elk.

I have a court appointment Monday morning.

What do you mean, you have a court appointment?

Rachel shouldn't be living in this situation.

You're going to a court of law?

No, it's a tennis court. I'm gonna play doubles.

What are you thinking?

She went from an A student to C's and D's.

Her mother died.

She still had A's the year after.

It was the second year she started to bottom out.

It's not Gillian. It's him.

Her guidance counselor, whom David doesn't even talk to, by the way...

says that she's retreating more and more.

She's been laughing and having fun for the last two months.

With us, yes, but look at her back here.

- She doesn't want to leave him. - Of course not.

Of course she doesn't want to hurt her father...

but she's the one who's getting hurt.

He's done nothing to cause any judge anywhere to take away his daughter.

We're supposed to wait?

- It's not your business. - She's my sister's daughter.

He's her father. You're not her mother. You're an aunt.

An aunt who might want to be more, but still just an aunt.

You want to write that down? Fine.

Maybe that way, you'll remember it.

Don't do this, Esther.

Don't do this.

I don't want to do it.

Let's just--

Let's just see how the weekend goes.

I got some more shovels!

Now I see why David had the blueprints.

- This is serious. - Very.

They even come from the Vineyard for this.

This is Megan Weeks...

last year's winner.

Gee, Megan. What a lovely entry.

I was thinking of adding another victim.

Charming.

Oh, my God!

You madman.

Oh, tread softly, sweet maidens.

- Tread softly. - Wow!

Kiss the king.

Oh, I take it all back.

This is amazing. I take it all back.

You're a genius.

- Thank you. - What about me? I helped.

You want credit?

Last night I'm nuts, now you want credit?

I provided moral support.

This is really cool.

You may breast-feed the king...

and should there be any leftovers--

What?

We got 'em. See? They're looking.

- Who's looking? - Boys, men.

Ignore 'em. More hip.

God, this thing is killing me. My breasts hurt.

Just own the beach, Rachel. Can you do that?

Walk cool. Own the beach.

The judging is over. You're free.

- Oh, thank God. - Arise, arise, my liege.

Give me your hand.

They'll announce in ten minutes.

- Gee, are you okay? - Let me get you a towel.

- Hang on. - Too much sun maybe.

Plus being buried.

- I'm just a little lightheaded. - Sure.

You know, maybe it's just the thrill of the competition, huh?

Excuse me.

- What are you looking at? - An act of God.

Two acts.

- Turn around, you sweet things. - Look at that.

Junior Mints.

Oops.

- Oh, hi, Daddy. - Never mind ''hi, Daddy.''

- You're practically naked. - What are you doing?

- I'm making you decent. - I'm wearing a bathing suit.

Boys, go away. Please leave the premises. You!

Put that towel on! Put that on!

- Cindy, it's okay. - I'm not going with you.

- You're perfect. I want you to know. - Don't you look at me.

- You're being ridiculous. - What got into you?

Dad, what's the matter?

Dad, what?

Gillian?

Dad?

Gillian!

Daddy! Daddy!

Wake up.

Hey, wake up.

Open your eyes. Come on.

Come on. There you go.

You thought you saw Gillian.

Daddy, are you all right?

- Yeah, he's okay. - I'm fine.

Too much sun. He'll be fine.

Look, you won.

Hey, you won.

- Can we just have a little room? - That's great.

- Give him some air. - Megan Weeks is crushed.

Her life is ruined.

Come on, Rachel, he's fine.

He's not fine. He thought he saw her.

Maybe it was your bathing suit that made him faint.

Speaking of which, this thing is cutting off circulation.

It's lucky I don't pass out.

He screamed her name.

There's this party tonight. It's supposed to be good.

Wanna go?

With you?

Yeah.

Okay. Sure.

I can get somebody for you if you want.

I know how to snap my finger, thank you very much.

I'll pick you up. 8:30.

Great.

I have a date!

Yeah, I see.

- Tonight. - I caught that too.

So, what's with the meditation?

Oh, I have a date.

Dates scare me.

Yeah, me too.

You must have been pretty nervous coming off that ferry.

It was probably more terrifying...

getting on the ferry.

By the time it docked, I'd--

well, I wasn't nervous.

Why?

I don't know, really.

This might surprise you, but I was hoping you and my father--

You don't even know me.

You seem to be on this planet.

You're gonna scare the fish.

I'm sure what you're doing puts them at ease.

- You feeling better? - Much.

Great.

David, we got a problem.

Esther's worried about Rachel living with you.

How many times are we gonna play that record?

It's gone beyond talk now.

She's got an appointment with a judge on Monday.

I think she might move for custody or something.

What?

I didn't know this was coming. I swear it.

- She's going to court? - She doesn't want to.

I'm sure it won't come to that, but I am telling you this...

so you can help yourself for the rest of the weekend.

You gotta act normal.

Use a napkin at dinner. Try to breathe between sentences.

If you see Gillian again, wave subtle.

David, this is dangerous and illegal.

It's also very upsetting to me.

I have a problem with high speed. The speed concerns me.

Then shut your eyes.

I told you what I told you in confidence.

- I hope you're not gonna barge in-- - Right.

Esther's planning to take my kid, and I'm supposed to keep my mouth shut.

Then just broach it to her naturally, so she doesn't know I ratted on her.

Like, ''Hey, how are you? Nice dress. Make any court dates?''

Shut up.

- That was very helpful. - Shut up.

Slow down, please! Watch it!Jesus!

Let me out of the car right here. This is fine, David.

You keep going into the trees.

A moment of your time, please.

- What's wrong? - I need a moment.

- Could I have a moment? - Certainly.

Excuse me.

You come here under the guise of a vacation weekend, and you have--

- You plan to see a judge. - Calm down.

It's like what?

You're punishing me for hurting too much? I shouldn't hurt anymore.

The fucking statute of limitations on pain has run out!

- Let me tell you why-- - Does Rachel know about this?

She would never choose to leave you, but I'm doing it in her best interests.

Rip her away from her father! That's in her best fucking interest!

Want to have an adult conversation, or see how many times you can swear?

- Fuck you. How many's that? - I was on that boat too.

- You have no priority on this. - My priority is my daughter.

- Then make her one! - I want you to get out of the house!

I'm sick of you barging into my life.

If I hadn't barged in, you wouldn't have a life, David!

I'm the one who found you, remember?

I'm the one who barged in after you gobbled all the sleeping pills.

Let's not forget that little piece of trivia.

Took me a long time to like you, David.

It's taken me even longer to care, but I do care now.

If you want to throw your life down the toilet...

I will cry for you, whether you believe it or not.

But if you think I would let you take Rachel down with you...

then you don't know who I am.

You have never made the slightest effort to know who I am.

Ready?

All set.

- See you later, Daddy. Bye. - Where you going?

Oh, I have a date. Didn't I tell you?

I thought I did. Funny. Daddy, you rememberJoey.

Joey, my father. Daddy,Joey.

- All right. Bye! - Wait. You're going out with him?

Yeah, we won't be too late. See you.

Hold it.

- Do you take drugs? - No.

How many holes do you have in your ears?

- Six. - Nose?

Three. Four.

Good night. Night, night, night.

I'm gonna skip dinner.

Take a walk.

Remember the meteor shower?

A certain daughter was conceived under those stars.

I thought I saw you on the beach today.

It wasn't you, was it?

No.

I must have been hallucinating.

It was different from the way I see you here.

Who knows?

Maybe they're right-- I am sittin' on a rock, talkin' to a ghost.

I could go.

I think I am in trouble...

a little.

Why?

I think maybe I'm sick.

I pretend I'm okay.

Am I sick?

I always hated good dreams.

I couldn't take the disappointment of waking up.

Then I figured out a way to know whether or not I was dreaming.

What are you talking about?

I realized that in most of my dreams, I'd ask myself, ''Am I dreaming?''

I'd never ask that when I was awake.

So I finally figured it out.

If I ever wondered, is this a dream or not...

then I knew it was.

You ever wonder?

Don't leave.

I'm not leaving.

Danny.

Have some punch. It's a vintage batch I made myself.

It's a zombie.

What's in a zombie?

Rum and stuff. It's good.

I'll get some more.

Would you try talking to him?

You could be an objective voice.

It seems no matter what I say, he just--

Maybe if you weren't so shy about it.

This isn't something I want to do.

Then don't.

A man shouldn't lose his daughter for taking long walks on the beach.

- It isn't just that. - Then what is it?

Is there something else you're not telling me?

Then I don't see his crime.

His wife is dead, and he doesn't wanna let her go.

My husband let me go while I was still living.

I'd prefer to think he was crazy.

If you could just talk to him.

And I hope you can hear

What the words and the music

Have to say

It's so hard to explain

Everything that I'm feeling

Face to face I just seem to go dry

But I love you so much

That the sound--

You know, I didn't get a chance to sing my encore, so--

- Where is everybody? - Well, Rachel went out on a date.

David ran away from home.

Kevin and Esther went looking for him.

So that leaves just you, me and the moonlight.

Let me inspect you for tonsillitis.

Have you been pathetic your entire life?

Not yet.

Come on. Don't look at me like that. You enjoy this banter.

The bathing suits. The outfits.

The ''I Am Woman'' strut.

But don't worry. You're safe. You know, I'm married to Esther?

I'm safe 'cause men like you never do anything...

except sit on porches and watch things and say things.

- You never do things. - You think so, huh?

You wanna kiss me?

I beg your pardon?

We've been doing this flirting thing...

and you've been staring at me since you got here.

You were practically drooling at the beach.

I'm sure you must've thought...

what it would be like.

Maybe we should just see.

Maybe you should just--

I don't know-- touch me a little.

Take a chance.

Nobody has to know.

See?

Men like you just sit on porches.

They don't do anything.

Hello.

Nice night.

Does my apologizing for all of this have any effect?

None.

You think I'm a loon?

Yep.

Anything else?

No. That's it. ''Loon'' sums it up.

You've got an opinion.

I'm a big boy.

She was beautiful, exotic, but she died young...

and you've maybe romanticized her into something mythical...

into something she wasn't.

I was with her for 1 8 years.

There's nothing illusory about my memory.

Just a theory.

He went out alone on the beach again tonight.

If life were like a big truck...

what would be worse--

to get run over by it or for it to just pass you by?

Like from the side of the road-- just passes you by.

What?

The truck, Esther. If life were like a goddamn truck...

better to get run over or passed over?

You're standing by the side of the road?

Yeah.

Do I get to drive the truck?

It's a big joke, right?

Just forget it. All right. Forget it. It's fine, really.

If life were like a truck.

- Easy. - I'm fine.

I probably shouldn't have had the second punch.

And they were big cups too. They were, like--

- I bet they were, like, 1 6-ounce cups. - They were big.

They were huge, which means I had, like, a quart of zombie, and that's a lot...

because I've never really drunk alcohol before.

I probably shouldn't admit that.

Drink a lot of water and eat some bread.

You'll feel less sick tomorrow.

Thanks.

- I had a good time. - Me too.

Maybe we can go to a movie or something.

- Now? - Some other night.

Oh, that'd be great. I mean, that'd be really, really great.

I'm sorry. I am so dizzy right now.

It's okay.

That was my first kiss ever using my tongue.

I probably shouldn't admit that.

Daddy, hi.

Oh, I am so sorry. That's so unlike me.

Are you drunk?

- You're drunk. You're drunk. - I just-- I just had a quart--

- She's drunk. - The cups were bigger than they looked.

- They were big cups. - Say good-bye toJoey forever.

Good-bye. Good-bye forever,Joey. Call me.

Call me, okay?

- I said I was sorry. - Get up to your room.

- To your room. - And then what? You gonna talk to me?

- Yes. - Or are you gonna go and talk to her?

- Who? - Do you know he talks to my mother?

Every night, he goes out there. He has conversations.

My mother appears, and he swims with her...

and they probably even kiss.

You were out there again tonight, weren't you, Daddy?

You were out in the water with Mommy.

- Weren't you? - I asked you to go upstairs.

- What did she say? - She's drunk.

Does Gillian appear to you out there on the beach?

Yes, she does.

You swim with her?

Yes.

- Is she naked? - It's all pretend. I know it's pretend.

You go out on the beach, and you have imaginary conversations with Gillian.

- People talk to the dead all the time. - But the dead don't talk back.

You're ill.

People dream, Esther. It's normal.

People dream. They fantasize.

You screamed at her on the beach today. What kind of a daydream is that?

- No. That was sunstroke. - Don't you see what you're doing?

You're trying to deny that she's gone. That's why you won't go to the cemetery.

- You wanna pretend. - I don't like cemeteries.

You're carrying on an active relationship with your dead wife.

I still love her. There's no rule saying that love has to die too.

Oh, that's such poetic bullshit.

Love is a feeling, Esther. It's a feeling.

And if I feel it, it exists. And if it exists, it's real.

- Grief is a feeling too. - I'm not grieving. I'm happy.

When I go out to the beach at night, God, I feel better.

I look forward to seeing Gillian. It makes me happy.

It makes me happy, happy, happy.

Well, I'm happy for you, Mr. Happy Happy Happy...

but it's not normal to be spending your nights with your deceased wife.

You can't apply ''normal'' to me.

Should I give up the happiness I found with her for the sake of normalcy?

David, you can't keep living in a fantasy.

Yes, it's a fantasy. It's a fantasy.

How many normal, married people, while making love to their spouse...

pretend they're with somebody else?

That's a fantasy. But what I have is an emotional fantasy.

- Why should I apologize for it? - Fine.Just tell it to the judge.

How dare you do this thing? She's my daughter.

He's always running off.

Your goddamn sister and my best friend Paul.

How can they do this? How can they do this?

- Where's Rachel? - They don't know my life.

They don't know it. They don't know.

I think they're upset now because they do.

Maybe you shouldn't have told them you talked to me. Maybe--

I'm not insane. I don't go to restaurants and order for two.

When I go to the movies, I buy one ticket, you know that.

- One ticket. - I didn't create all this.

I'm just trying to survive it. I'm just trying to survive.

I didn't climb the goddamn mast. I didn't do that.

- I'm to blame. - Maybe you are. You were selfish.

- You didn't think. - I was stupid.

- You're being selfish. - I screamed at you to get down.

- I begged you to get down. - And who's up there now, David?

Who's the next to fall?

I'm not helping you this way.

I'm not.

Maybe I should go.

- Don't go. - I think--

I think it has to be soon.

But not tonight. Not tonight.

I don't wanna go.

Do you think I wanna be gone? I don't wanna be gone.

I don't wanna be gone.

Maybe if I go back to Boston, you could be there.

They've offered me my teaching job back.

When I come home at night...

you could be there like you are here.

I don't know.

I can't let go.

I cannot. I can't.

If I stop this, you'll be gone forever.

- I'm not ready. - I know.

- Come on. - What?

- One night like it used to be. - What?

One night.

Let's get you dressed.

This is crazy.

- Put your hands out like we used to. - I hold on to handlebars now.

No hands!

I'm passing you!

- All right. - Here I come.

- Here I come. - No chance.

Oh, you're old, Mom. Give it up.

Funny.

- Who's passing who now? - You're passing me. You're not gonna.

Mom?

- What's wrong? - Mommy--

- Mommy, she was here. - It was a dream, sweetie.

- It was a dream. - Mommy, she was here.

- No, she was here. - It's okay, Rachel. It's okay.

- It was just a dream. - Mommy was here.

- You saw Mommy in a dream. Oh, God. - She was here.

It's okay.

- Mommy was here. - You saw her in a dream.

- I didn't dream. - You did so dream.

Mom was here.

- You want some tea? - Yeah.

Tea.

Hey, Cindy, why don't you sit over here?

Yeah.

I'll go make us some tea. You'll be okay.

It's okay.

There, there. Yes. There, sweetheart.

I really think that you should go up there, David.

- I'm making the tea. - David, I really think she needs you.

- She had a nightmare about her mother. - That's right. It was a nightmare.

It's all right. I got it. It's okay.

It's okay.

She had a nightmare. She's all right.

- She's all right. - No, I'm not.

I think I should go live with them, Daddy.

I can't. I'm sorry.

I see you go out there and talk to her at night...

and I know you wanna make her alive.

But she's not alive.

And I'm sure you never meant for me to know you tried to kill yourself.

She didn't tell me. She didn't have to.

But every time you go to that beach, she's--

I didn't see.

I'm sorry. I didn't know.

You'll always be my father.

But I have to go.

I have to let my mother be dead.

Rach, what am I gonna do?

I'm stuck here.

You're gonna come visit all the time.

Oh, great. And I'll get to play with Paul.

Always late. Boat's not gonna wait for you. You ever consider that?

Did I consider that your yapping doesn't speed me up?

Was he talking about you last night?

What?

People pretending they're making love to somebody not their spouse.

- Do you do that? - No.

- Do you? - Never.

We used to make love all the time. Now it seems-- I don't know-- seasonal.

- We're not in our 20s anymore. - Yeah.

How would you describe our marriage?

You know, I'd describe it as--

You know, it's very nice.

We have a nice marriage, Esther. A lot of people don't have that.

You know, they say the reason most couples want to have children...

is because they sort of want to celebrate the marriage.

Do you think that's why we never wanted to have kids?

Because we didn't feel we had anything to celebrate?

What was that thing last night...

that ''life passing you by,'' that ''big truck of life''?

- What was that? - That was just-- I love trucks.

Can't we just once be honest? Can we be truthful with each other?

We don't wanna face the truth, Esther.

The truth is that David goes out there and gets giddy...

every night splashing around with a ghost.

And we're both jealous because he has something we've never known.

That's the truth. We don't wanna face that.

Every day...

I get up, I go to work...

and I come home to you.

I may not jump into bed all the time wanting sex, but...

I sure as hell need you to be there for me to hold onto.

And if that's not--

then God didn't make little green apples, or however that goes.

Where are my brown shoes here?

Four-minute warning. That horn means we got four minutes.

Let's go.

- Look after him for me? - I promise.

Don't try to date him.

- It's okay. I got this. - Let's get a move on.

I don't wanna put up with you people for another day.

- Yeah? - We'll take good care of her.

- You can count on that. - I will.

- I got these. I got 'em. No problem. - No. Here.

I got this.

- It was very nice meeting you. - Well, I'm so glad I came.

You're a very romantic man, Mr. Lewis.

If you ever do come over to the mainland, I'm gonna fix you up.

You're making fun again.

Say good-bye to your daughter.

Such a horrible thing, young love nipped in the bud.

Postcards are beautiful and cheap to send. Say good-bye, sweetheart.

Joey lives in Belmont. He's a renter, so I'll see him in a couple of weeks.

Joy.

- I'll call. - Okay.

- Bye. - Bye.

So, there's something that needs to be said here.

- I wish I knew what it was. - Me too.

You know, these are the times I miss her the most...

'cause she'd always know what to say.

She was the center.

Dad, you were the center.

It was always you.

She was the one climbing masts...

and letting go of handlebars.

Well, boat's gonna leave.

- I'm sorry. I wish I could stay. - No, no, no. This is right.

You're doing what's right. You're doing what's the best.

We don't even need to say good-bye, really.

- No. More like ''see ya.'' - Yeah. ''See ya.''

We'll be seeing each other, visiting each other a lot.

A lot. A lot.

Say hi to her for me.

See ya.

- I will call as soon as we get back. - Right.

Yeah. Have a good trip.

- I'm staying. - No, you're not. You're going.

And I'm going. I can get my job back at BU.

- You mean it? - I mean it. I mean it.

You know, I just have to close up the house and settle a few affairs.

I'll be on the morning ferry.

- No more crying. This is a good thing. - I know. I know.

The boat's gonna leave.

He's going back to work at BU. He's gonna come back.

What are you lookin' at me for? You should find me a real estate broker...

and a good therapist, somebody with a little more training than Esther.

Done. And maybe till you find a place, you can come and live with us.

If you promise not to sing.

You made a shadow.

You must've been thinking about me.

You remember that rule we had.

Rachel comes first.

That was our rule. Your rule.

I picked you some flowers.

I'm gonna miss you, Mr. Man.

Oh, I can't let you be real anymore, Gill.

- I can't. - I know.

I know.

I gotta go on for Rachel's sake.

And mine.

Does it have to be today?

Yeah.

I love you forever.

Me too.

Good-bye.