Original subtitles

- Are we connected? - I'm with you.

OK.

Hello?

Hello.

I want you to be free to live your life as you want to live it...

not as Al Gore or George Bush thinks is best for you.

My son had read an article about Sunset Hall in the "New York Times".

He mailed it to me without any explanation.

And it showed people in wheelchairs and crutches and different things.

And he said, "This is for you, Mom".

And I thought, "What is he sending this to me for? I'm doing OK".

And I got sort of mad at him.

At that time, I was doing my own everything, in my apartment.

So we stayed mad for about two or three days.

But he really was the one that directed me here.

And I liked the theory that it had a bunch of retired radicals.

So I decided Sunset Hall, it would be an interesting place to be.

...at Israeli soldiers.

Around ninety people, most of them Palestinians, have died.

Lucille, are you ready?

My contemporaries mostly are gone.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

And the two that are left have Alzheimer's.

In view of Irja, which... we're very close...

she saved my life, I think, here.

And she says I've saved hers, so together we'll last a while.

Did you have a good sleep?

- Yes. - Good.

I overslept, even.

Can I hold something for you?

How about you?

Yeah, I had a pretty good night after I finally went to sleep.

Yeah. Oh, there's the bell.

The bell.

Audrey.

- Wake up, honey. - Hello?

Hello?

So, did you watch any interesting news last night?

The county workers are going on strike.

I came here in August...

and Lucille came two weeks after I did.

So we were both the new people around the block.

So, Lucille walked in, and she said, "I talk a lot".

But she said, "If I talk too much, just tell me".

Well, that appealed to me, because I finally had somebody I could talk to.

She's helping him now.

Cheney's wife is worse than he is.

Irja is a very unusual person. I can't get over her energy.

There isn't a thing she won't do, night or day.

We have a joke.

I say if they had a demonstration in the middle of the night...

that she'd get up and go.

How are you?

Two years ago, I had a very serious heart attack.

I can remember getting out of the hospital.

I just wanted to be able to wipe my own butt.

That became very important to me.

- What do we do? - Stand up! Fight back!

Everything gives me pleasure, you know?

Getting dressed takes time, because I put on one shirt, and I'll sit.

Catch my breath before I put my shoes on.

And so I concentrate on it...

and think of how pleasant it is to be able to put your shoes on.

How wonderful to be putting your shirt on by yourself.

And I think this came out of my illness, really.

Hey, hey! Ho, ho! United Care has got to go!

Do you remember when we were younger?

There was no such thing as a hospital that was run for corporate profit.

- When do we want it! - Now!

And, hey, joining up in a picket line...

that makes me really feel alive.

OK, let's go.

I thought when I retired...

I had a vision of sitting in a green pasture...

with flowers and green grass...

and people bringing me books, new books that were just out...

and that I could read when I had time.

Well, that isn't what happened.

So, we're here as Californians to say we care about health care.

Does anyone at Sunset Hall have dates? Do they ever have dates?

Doris, yes.

Doris had a gentleman come down one day.

- Yes. - And he stayed overnight.

She had to run down to Vermont all by herself...

and buy a brand new nightgown, because she was having a visitor.

And we thought, well, maybe it was a woman...

and she wanted to give the woman a nightgown to wear.

He was a nice looking man, yeah.

Oh, he was beautiful, yes.

Handsome guy.

And we asked him if he was going to stay overnight.

- And he said no. - Oh, really?

But, by gosh, he was there the next morning for breakfast.

He was there for breakfast with her. He never left.

So we don't know what went on all night. -We don't know what went on.

She gets all the men.

All of them. At Sunset Hall...

Well, if you want to listen to their illnesses...

I never lock my door for anybody. I'm still hoping.

And she acts like she's so interested.

Oh, is that so?

How are you today, Peter or John?

And how's the little baby?

And how did she do at school today?

Don't you do that?

- No. - No.

This is a lovely morning.

And I think the whole view...

what's ahead of us, is good.

- Oh. - If you know what's good for you.

I like that.

OK?

All right, anything else on your minds?

The things that gets me, and I am irritated about it...

is that anytime I pass the fruit thing...

then I get into trouble.

- Or if I... - Whenever you pass the food thing?

No, fruit.

Oh, the fruit thing. I'll explain that to you.

There is a fruit bowl.

The problem is, some of you don't eat it.

Yeah, but I resent...

- You resent? - Yeah.

- OK. - The heavy hand that goes on whatever.

- OK. - I don't understand.

Well, do you resent it when you're taking...

Or if they take the whole thing!

I don't understand.

I wished I had known some of these people...

maybe ten, twenty years ago.

- ...with a clear eye. - With a what?

Most of them have been professional people.

We have teachers, we have directors, we have social workers.

And even with Alzheimer's...

I listen to them, and sometimes they really aren't making sense.

But it does make sense to me...

because I have a strong feeling about what good people they are...

what good things they have done in their life.

All right, now I want to talk about something...

I know you all have an opinion about... the fire drills we've had here.

They show us where to go and how to go and where to stay and...

It's a joke.

The point is this... we really need to take it seriously.

So we're not going to tell you beforehand anymore, all right?

So you're not going to know it. That's going to be the problem...

of getting you guys downstairs who really need help.

Young families, if the parent dies, the children are cared for.

Or one of them are. They don't mention that.

There's no insurance that will carry the family of a worker if he dies.

Lucille's a news hound.

She watches everything, and she knows everything...

every news item that's going on.

So, they're having a revolution, you know, in Yugoslavia.

- Oh, really? - Yeah.

You owe me a nickel.

It looks like I may have to give you the nickel.

I'm afraid you do.

We make five-cent bets on things that are big.

I'm Thoreau, and she's Emerson, you know?

And I'll often say to her, "We don't have to agree on this, do we?"

And she says, "No".

The only way to let people know is to go out and take some action.

Nothing will happen if we just go out and vote.

You have to take it out on the street.

Irja would go in the middle of the night if they had a demonstration.

- Oh, I know it. - Yeah.

She's much more upbeat than I am...

because I see things as they are.

If you lived to be 150...

you'll never know what it is to be a Jew and go into a small town.

- Well... - If you just... no.

If you went into a small town, they wouldn't put you through a...

- I lived in a small town. - I know, but you weren't Jewish.

Have you lived in a small town ever?

No, I wouldn't dare. Wait a minute.

I was in a Catholic school.

I was a Jewish girl.

They were very good to me...

but when they got angry, one called me a sheeny and a kike and...

They wouldn't call you that, would they?

We were always called greenhorns and names like that.

I mean, that's just as bad, isn't it?

- That's not the same thing. - It's discrimination.

"And did you kill Jesus?" I never met Jesus. How could I kill him?

Pauline used to get very upset, because they called her a greenhorn.

- We don't agree. - They didn't call her a Jew or a kike.

They called her a greenhorn.

- Oy vey. - And she was very upset over that.

I don't blame her.

- You've heard her tell the story. - And how have I heard it?

Oh, that's so greasy. Look at it. We need a new cook.

What are you looking for?

Huh? This way?

I'm going to the White House. Where else would I be going?

I got to go to the bathroom.

Everybody tells us everything.

I have a strong opinion that birth control...

should be advocated and taught and pushed.

They say it's as important as the pill was when it was first established.

I had this very conservative background.

Not religiously conservative, but politically.

- What's negative? - Say you have two, three children.

You don't want another one. You can't handle it.

However, my husband was a radical...

and I learned a great deal from him.

He was very strong on women's right to choose...

and to develop their own interests.

He was very strong on that.

Again, lift and release.

Lift and release.

And lift and release.

Now, we're swimming. It's so nice. We're swimming. The water is nice.

- OK. - All right.

Not bad, not bad.

Stay there, Carol, until she brings you your walker.

I recommend...

OK.

- See? There you are. - You found them? No.

No. I'm going to look for it. I just bring your walker, so you can walk.

- Where's my walker? - Right here.

- Where's my glasses? - I'll find your glasses.

Yeah, we'll find them.

She's a wonderful woman to find things. -Yes, she is.

Oh, she certainly is.

She has good eyes.

I don't want to burn your hand.

Martin?

Can you hold... There you go.

- Do it again here. - OK.

OK. I didn't want to burn your hand.

- It's a beautiful morning. - It's a very wonderful morning.

- It's a good morning. - And you look brilliant.

- Oh, really? - Yes.

Something has to happen. Something happens between you and me.

- OK. Sparks, as they say? - OK.

- Martin. - I know.

- Aw. - Give it a little bit more.

A little more fire. It's always a pleasure doing this.

How is that? Is that good tobacco?

- Mmm. - Yeah.

Wonderful.

Wunderbar?

Wonderful. Wunderbar.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

A couple of announcements... not too happy.

Sylvia Carlson passed away last evening at the hospital.

Yeah. Does everybody remember who Sylvia Carlson was?

Interesting lady... very interesting.

She could be very lovable, but she could also be very angry and mad.

OK.

Rosemary is in the hospital... very, very critical, so...

She's not really one of our older people.

She was only in her seventies.

Rosemary is about 76, 77.

She's one of our younger people, but she's very sick.

Where have all the flowers gone?

Long time ago

Where have all the flowers gone?

Young girls pick them, everyone

When will they ever learn?

I was born the year women got their suffrage...

so that's where I am still...

still been fighting for women's rights.

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

There were five of us children.

We lived in the small town of Avon, Connecticut.

It was built around a factory which made axes.

And young men who came over were dying at a very young age...

from inhaling the steel particles.

We were going to funerals all the time.

And my father became very aware of this...

and so he became a very strong union man.

Oh, you can't scare me

I'm a-stickin' to the union, yo!

I'm a-stickin' to the union, that's right!

To me, he was a real hero.

Raise it up!

Oh, you can't scare me...

And the Depression...

all these things made us almost revolutionary.

There had to be some changes.

I joined the Young Communist's League when I was a senior in high school.

But as I look back on it, Communism could not survive.

It was not for all the people. It was for dictatorship.

Let's feed our children. Don't let any child go hungry.

Tonight is, what, the fifth night of Hanukkah?

- Yes. - I don't know. It's going on forever.

It was Irja who started this whole Hanukkah thing.

- Irja, who's Swedish. - Yes.

It's still going on and on and on.

So we hope Irja comes back, and she can go on...

Well, the latest I heard is that she'll probably be released...

in about three more days.

- Three? - And we sent her a card yesterday.

Good. I hope she gets it.

I want to get in touch with a heart patient that's in the hospital now.

Can you connect me?

Hello, Irja?

How are you today?

Oh. Yeah.

Are you better now?

Oh.

Is it too much to talk?

When are you coming back, do you know?

No idea?

We had a very lively food demonstration today.

I'll tell you about it sometime.

I think she could get along very well without me.

I don't know whether I could get along without her at all.

- Oh, isn't that cute? - Yeah, look at that.

Hello.

- Do you want me here? - Yeah, yeah.

- What color are you getting? - Frosted red.

I like it very natural. I'll show you.

Isn't that pretty?

That's beautiful.

- Let's see. - Don't you want that same color?

No.

Paul brought me a big candle...

but I haven't been using it.

Is it aromatic?

- I think it is, yeah. - Yeah, maybe you ought to light it.

A little bit... very little.

Well, you know, a lot of people believe in aromatic therapy.

It's supposed to make you feel better when it smells good.

- I know. I love candles. - Mm-hmm.

But I don't ascribe any magical ideas to them.

- You don't go for that. - Mm-mmm.

You don't have to be magical to...

You strike me as magical.

See how I match?

Oh, I just feel so elegant.

And she even massaged my shoulders for me.

Wasn't that neat?

You're a very sensuous being.

That I've never been accused of before.

Well, do you want to talk about it? Do you want to talk about sex?

Oh, dear.

No.

I think it's a good thing.

Why?

Let Irja proceed.

Well, I think of sexuality...

it's a necessary thing, really.

But I've never felt that I needed sex.

I enjoyed it...

but sex has never played a big thing in my life.

Don't you feel that it's completely physical?

Do you make anything more of it?

Yes. I think women usually associate romance with sexuality.

Some women do, anyway.

A lot of people are oversexed.

And some are undersexed. -So that it certainly isn't romantic, is it?

- Then there are undersexed people. - That's right, yeah.

But I see it as a very animalistic plane.

Well, it's my theory that most people are bisexual.

I don't have any proof of it.

It's just my own thinking on the subject.

We don't agree on everything, you know.

- No, I'm just... - Yeah.

Well, I just happened to find this.

I don't remember when it was taken or anything...

but I was impressed with the amount of hair I had in there.

My father and my grandmother...

my mother and me.

This is my maternal Aunt Katekla.

When my mother died and my father was gone...

they took over guardianship.

None of these people were demonstrative emotionally.

That's why I don't go in for all the kissing and hugging and carrying on.

I was very young. I was twenty years old...

when my first husband and I were married.

Paul was a chauvinist from the word go.

I was not to work.

Paul and I probably stayed together because of our son.

Then when Hank left home, we divorced...

and I met Bob, who was teaching at Cal Poly.

And Bob was completely different. He did his thing, and I did my thing...

and we allowed each other all the freedom in the world...

to grow our own way.

Take a couple more.

Well, let's put the cheese over a little bit, so the people can get at it.

Skoal.

Could somebody pour me a little bit of this?

Nobody.

Thank you.

Oops.

You can't win.

And how many seas must a white dove sail

Before she sleeps in the sand?

Yes, and how many times must a cannonball fly

Before they're forever banned?

The answer, my friend

Is blowing in the wind

The answer is blowing in the wind

All right.

Come down. Have a little soup.

OK, well, I'm coming down for supper.

You want to stay here?

It'll be warm.

Don't you want to come and have supper?

We have nice soup.

OK? Are you ready to get up?

Unless you want to wait until everybody takes the elevator.

- Yeah, OK. I'll wait. - Let's just sit for a few minutes.

Commander!

Your sergeant is waiting for you.

Oh, there. See? There you go.

Come on. OK. Come on.

Come on. Up! Up!

- March. - Come on, a little march. Come on.

Up! There we go. Fall in.

Fall in.

- I'm commanding you. - Come on.

- One, two... - One, two, three, up!

No, he's warming up.

Who's on the floor downstairs?

- Chachi. - Chachi.

I'm going to go get Chachi. You wait here.

All right, here we go. Chachi's going to help.

And he's going to do it.

In one minute, he's going to do it.

One, two, three, up!

- OK. - One, two, three. There he goes.

- OK. - OK, let's go.

- March, Commander. - March. March!

OK, march.

Hup, two, three! Hup! Fall in.

- Hup! Hup! - Come on, Commander.

- Hup! - There he goes.

Hup, two, three!

- Hup! - Hup! Hup!

Hup, two, three! Fall in, Commander. OK.

It works every time, I swear.

Are you ready to go down?

- Yeah. Are you going? - Mm-hmm.

- You ready? - Mm-hmm.

- OK? - Yeah. Good night.

- Have a good one. - Good night.

- Thank you. - Yeah.

Carol.

Carol.

Don't walk, or else you might fall.

- You know you cannot walk anymore. - I can't hear you.

I said don't walk by yourself...

or else you're going to fall and you're going to break your hip.

You may end up in the hospital.

I haven't done... what have I done?

Nothing.

- What happened? - I want to get away from here.

- Oh. - I want to get away.

But you have to stay here for the night.

I don't know what's the matter with these people.

They seem to want to fight.

Oh, really? Who want to fight?

And, you know, if I raise my voice, then they... ooh. They get angry.

No.

- Yeah. That's true. - Really?

I don't know what's the matter with... I never got into this before.

- Oh. - And I'm...

- You see, I'm new here, and... - Yes.

They've been very mean to me.

They just don't want you to fall.

Oh, but that sounds like...

But I have to leave your place.

No, you have to stay. I'm here.

- Huh? - I'm here, right?

- No. - I'll keep you company.

Don't you have a hotel?

No, I work here.

You work here?

- Nights. - I thought that was your hotel.

No, this is our home.

Jim brought you here.

Oh, well, he may have...

but he didn't say anything to me about it.

Because he told us to take care of you.

- Oh. Well, he's a sweet man. - I know.

I haven't seen him... You know, I was quite crazy about him for a while.

And I thought he was about me, and then...

He does, but he is busy.

Well, I like Jim, and I thought he was a wonderful...

- He is. And he loves you. - Yeah.

But, no, I...

Well, I won't say I loved him, but I thought a great deal of him.

And then I didn't understand...

why he was finished all of a sudden with no explanation.

He was just here last week.

- What's that? - Lunch time, he was here.

You forgot?

I don't know.

I taught English for ten years.

Then I was asked to substitute in a special ed class.

These were the retarded kids.

They were a very neglected part of society.

And it just took one day, and I realized we need change.

Are you ready?

It's not a revolution. The people just stormed the Parliament building.

My family always wanted to be sure...

that you had a profession that would give you the ability to make a living.

I went to the University of Chicago. I got two degrees there in social work.

My difficulty when I started in social work...

I was quite young and, I guess, unsophisticated.

And I found it very difficult to discuss money or sex.

But as I matured, people would feel...

"Oh, she's seen everything by now. We can tell her anything".

And at that time, I realized that my students...

needed to have athletics just like everybody else.

So I had to go to fight for that.

And I almost got fired for that.

This is a golden apple that is given to a teacher of the year.

I was quite surprised when I got it.

I identified a lot with the client that I was seeing.

And sometimes I would wonder...

how they knew I was sympathetic with them.

And later on, I realized I would sometimes get tears in my eyes...

unknowingly, you know, and then they would see that I was with them.

I enjoyed my work a great deal.

And I wouldn't have left, except that the executive...

saw me as a highly-paid worker that he could get at a lower salary.

I'm sure that was one of the reasons.

Every once in a while, he'd ask me, "Are you thinking of retirement?"

And finally, I did, when I was 76.

I was 76 years old when I retired...

so I would still be teaching if my health hadn't broken down.

Norma, have you registered to vote?

You know, Monday's the last day, so...

I can't slow down. I mean, that's not my nature.

- Are you a Democrat? - Mm-hmm.

Good.

I know my son always tells me that. "Mother, are you overdoing?" and...

Yoo-hoo!

Has everyone registered to vote here?

Do it right now.

But I don't think about that.

I've got things to do, and I'm going to do them.

Lourdes, have you registered to vote?

No, I am immigrant. I don't apply.

Come this way, please.

We're having a staffing.

All right, I want you to know that the County Health Department yesterday...

the man said this is one of the nicest places he's ever been in.

Yeah!

Now, the kitchen needs work, OK?

So I'm warning some of the housekeeping staff...

that they might have to help out with the kitchen.

So, let's see. Who is going to do what this morning?

Pauline, you'll get your usual sweet Mrs. Barnes.

Please check Mrs. Barnes' cough. If it's...

How many new staff members do we have now?

Have you been counting them? We have quite a few.

I wonder if they're coming in...

with the same wage that the old staff members are getting.

- Well, that Cherokee and Brandy... - Shakira. Shakira.

- Shakira and Brandy work together. - Yeah. Yeah.

But, gosh, don't you think they ought to give them a little more pay that that?

Oh, yeah, of course.

But where are they going to get the money?

They could raise their rates a little.

Are you going to suggest it?

- No. - No.

We suggested that they throw a potato in the oven.

Just throw a potato in. It doesn't take any work.

- No. - And...

some of us like a baked potato.

But how many times do you have to tell them the same thing?

We didn't get a single fresh peach this summer.

They never heard of a tangerine, either.

Pauline, can you help me?

We want to make a couple Jewish Happy New Year signs.

- Yeah. - How do you say it in Yiddish?

Well, I have it. I can do it.

- You want it in English, don't you? - No.

- You want it in Yiddish? - It has to be in Jewish.

Now, don't run off. I'll get the cardboard and the pens.

- Do you want me to get it? - No, I can get it.

You want to come in?

No? OK, bye.

They don't like us.

What are you doing, Bud?

Bud, push the two.

The tenth floor, please.

- Push number two. - You want to go to the second floor?

Yeah.

You did it again. Oh, gosh.

Don't touch it again, now.

You're going to get old, too.

Shana Tova...

means good year.

And then we will celebrate Tashlich.

- What? - Tashlich.

- This is where you... - Never heard of it.

Well, it's like all the troubles you've had all year long...

you're going to throw them away.

Oh, we did that one year.

So you take a pebble, and you throw it in the water.

Yeah, we went to a river. You're supposed to go to a river.

See? You do remember.

So, tonight we're going to take pebbles, and we'll throw them in the pool.

Muriel, come help us.

- Who else is Jewish? - Almost everybody.

Can you see that?

Yes, but it's a bigger loop up above than it is down below.

Yeah, you're right about that.

We speak English.

- Well... - We're Americans.

Try to be.

You keep pushing us out.

Be Jewish. Be Jewish.

I told you. We send cards... Happy New Year... and that's enough for us.

It doesn't have to be in Jewish.

I love lighting candles.

Well, light them if you want to. You don't have to drag all the Jews into it.

Yes, I do. It's your holiday.

Yeah.

We don't drag the Finns in and tell them eat Rye Krisp.

- You don't do that? - Eat the raw fish.

- Be Finnish. - Oh, no comparison.

And my father used to tell my mother...

the lost Jewish tribe went up to northern Finland...

and that's where she was born.

I probably have some latent Jewishness in me.

Yeah. I'm sure you do.

- Where are you going, Jenny? - She's in our way.

No, that's all right. Where are you going, dear?

Are you going downstairs?

Keep moving, keep moving.

No, that's all right. We'll help her.

I'm very tired. Could you keep moving?

Yeah.

Jenny, the elevator's right there, honey.

Yeah.

I'm sorry you don't feel well.

I didn't sleep one minute last night.

Isn't there anything you can take to help you sleep?

Well, I was thinking I could choke on the fluid that develops, you know?

You know, maybe a liquid, something like NyQuil.

Because it develops all night long.

I could just be sound asleep and choke on it.

If I were asleep...

I'm going to see the doctor Friday.

Last time, he said there's nothing you can do about it.

We missed you at Freethinkers.

Well, I wanted to take it easy, you know?

Yeah, I know you did.

I usually know what everybody's going to say anyway, you know?

Yeah.

What did you have for lunch today?

- Chicken. - Oh!

In that sauce.

And of course, it was ice cream day today...

so they had ice cream for dessert.

But everyone wondered where you were.

Well, I would've come in for ice cream...

but I was afraid I'd start spitting up all over.

You don't have to worry about that.

Thank you.

- What is it? - 104.

Oy vey.

Yeah. You can take a seat here, ma'am.

Hey, I'm down to 104.

They don't come like you anymore.

I guess not. It's a good thing.

- What should I tell you first? - Whatever you want to.

I have this sore that I'm sitting on. It bothers me now.

How long has that been there for?

A few days, because I had someone look. And it probably needs some attention.

- Yeah. I mean, I can take a look. - Yeah.

- Right here, right? - Yeah.

Yeah, that's because you're sitting around too much.

Well, what is it, a bedsore?

- Yeah. - Oy vey.

How long is this going to go on? You don't know, huh?

You mean... what do you mean by "this"? You mean...

When is the end coming?

I have no idea.

Obviously, it's an aggressive cancer. We talked about that.

You didn't call it aggressive.

Well, any cancer of the esophagus is going to be aggressive.

You know, I mean, who knows? The end could come tomorrow.

- I mean, there's no way of predicting. - It's OK to me, you know.

The thing is is that, right now, you're still doing reasonably well.

You're able to eat most foods.

My son tells me, "You're lucky, Mom".

Yeah, you are. Yeah, you are, you know?

Very lucky.

I don't anticipate that you're going to live for years.

I mean, I don't think you anticipate that, either.

I mean, I think what we'd like to do...

is get you to the last chapter and the end of the story...

as comfortable as we can.

Life goes on, huh?

Well, yeah.

I mean, sooner or later, I guess something has to happen, huh?

Yeah. I'm spitting up all the time.

What is that stuff that comes up? It looks like sputum.

It sounds like it's just sputum, yeah.

I use napkin after napkin.

Once it gets to the point where things get bad...

like I say, we can talk about dilating the esophagus.

You know, it's just taking a narrow tube and trying to make it a little bit bigger.

Again, that's not going to buy you one extra day of life.

If the swallowing gets really bad, and you told me...

"Look, I'm having a hard time swallowing...

"but I don't want to, you know, do anything...

"that's just going to, you know, feed the cancer...

"or prolong it like that.

I just want comfort care".

I mean, that's a reasonable choice.

Are you hungry?

No, I'm never hungry. I'm not, really.

- You look lovely. - Thank you.

Everybody says I look rested.

I did get two nights of good sleep.

So, what else did the doctor tell you...

besides telling you to run around the block?

Well, he looked at my buttock.

He could hardly find it, he said.

Well, now, I try to walk around the balcony four times a day.

- Yeah. - I don't always...

Now, today, I only have been able to make it once...

so I'm going to have to make it three this evening, believe me.

But...

- I could follow you once around. - Yeah, you could follow me.

- We could have a race. - Yeah.

I'll hang on your chair. Chariot.

Yeah, but, no, I use my walker.

- Oh, your walker. - Yeah.

Oh, well, then I could use my walker, too. -Yeah.

- Yeah. - Yeah, we'll have a race.

Yeah.

Oh, I'm so excited about it.

Yeah, I walk four times a day.

- Good. - Is that good?

- Really? - Bull's-eye.

Yeah, you got the wrong key. One of these are for the gate.

These are the keys to your heart.

- Oh, it's to my heart? - Yeah.

Oh.

Did you change the lock?

The doctor had told her that she could have surgery, but she...

It was too serious, too difficult a surgery.

She didn't feel she should go through with it.

Time to cry.

She hasn't told most of the residents that she is not well.

- You're OK now, huh? - Wonderful.

And do you know, sadly, they don't remember.

OK.

No one knows how long it's going to go on.

And when I asked the doctor if he couldn't make a quick demise...

he said no, he couldn't.

No one wants to take the responsibility.

Fire drill.

Fire drill.

Folks, we're having a fire drill.

Keep going. Go into the living room, OK?

Did you come out for the fire drill?

No, I was getting wash.

Suppose there was a real fire?

Morning, Eli.

Well, I don't know what to say.

You want to hold on to the chair?

That might be a good idea.

- You can hold on to me. - OK.

- Hang on. - We're all connected.

- Not too fast. - Don't go too fast.

No, I'm not going too fast.

Hi.

Are you ready?

- Lucille? - Yeah.

Can I come in?

Do you want to read the Jewish prayer?

- Me, read it? - Yes.

No, I don't.

- Are you sure? - Positive.

Well, I shouldn't read it.

You read it. You're getting so Jewish. You read it.

No, I think it's nice.

Throwing a stone doesn't mean a thing to me.

- Well, pretend... - What is it supposed to mean?

Well, it's sending away all your troubles. Your... all the illness you've got.

I'm not throwing my troubles away. They're still with me.

Well, why don't you try it?

- Are we going? - Mm-hmm.

Got your cane?

Where is it now?

Are we connected?

Not yet. OK.

- Connected? - Yeah, I think.

- OK. - OK.

Now we will observe Tashlich.

We will each take a pebble, throw it into the water...

and when you throw your pebble into the water...

you are throwing away all the bad things...

you don't want to take with you into the new year.

- When do we do it? Any time? - Yes.

Now, did you think of what you're throwing away?

- Oh, look at the fish! - Oh, oh, did somebody hit the fish?

Shana Tova, Lucille.

Listen...

I'm listening.

My family wanted to be part of America...

and they didn't use those terms.

- They didn't? - No, they'd say Happy New Year.

It didn't have to be in Hebrew.

No, it doesn't have to be.

I'm doing this just for you.

- Well, thank you. How nice of you. - Yeah.

I think that's very sweet of you to do it for me.

I think it's lovely.

And it's going to be a good one.

I'm only here because of you.

And I appreciate it. I think that is very nice of you.

OK.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

Oy vey.

Now, somebody's going to say to me, "Why are you tired? What did you do?"

I didn't do anything.

But it was wearing to sit there and sit there and waiting...

come here and all, you know?

- I'll have two cups of soup... - Yeah.

One chicken noodle and one cabbage without the cabbage.

And very hot.

You're not having the sandwich today. How come?

Oh, I can't swallow.

I have trouble with my esophagus.

That's why I'm eating like that.

- That's why you're eating... - Yeah.

Maybe you should've ordered the other soup first.

I don't want the other.

It's not because it's hot. It's the way it goes down.

Talk to me. Tell me what's been going on with your life.

I haven't talked to you for a while.

- Nothing good. - Nothing exciting? No nothing?

What has happened?

I've got an obstruction here.

Aw. You'll be OK. You're strong. You'll be OK.

I'm 95.

You're young, still young.

I'm ready to go.

Go where?

No, don't say that. No, no, no. Never, never, never.

We're busy eating.

When I get up to heaven, I'll call you.

Gandhi was a barrister, an English barrister?

My husband died very young...

and Paul has no memory of him at all.

How do you do, Tony?

I heard you were an art director in France.

He missed not having a father.

I deliberately didn't try to get married again.

I thought I was very adequate.

I had a job. I had some funds.

I had friends. I didn't need a man.

I think Paul found my illness hard to accept...

but evidently something got to him...

because he calls me almost every night.

And he used to hang on and on and on...

and I would say, "Paul, I just can't talk anymore".

And I would say, "It's just enough for you to call and say 'how are you'...

and then let it go after that".

- That's my son. - Oh, hi.

He happened to be in town today, so it was good he could meet you, yeah.

Sure. Your mom has told me, basically, she doesn't want any heroic things.

- Right. - Yeah.

On the other hand, would you feel better...

if the hospice nurse came out and checked on you periodically?

- It wouldn't hurt, I don't think. - OK, sure. We'll do that, then.

- Yeah, we'll do that. - It wouldn't hurt.

You gained weight, and...

you've got your marbles, you know?

Yeah.

He said if I can't swallow, they'll have to put a tube in.

She has a genius for visualizing all possible disasters.

And I'm rarely disappointed.

But, I mean, instantly, she, you know...

she's got them all right there, all lined up for you.

She could've been a terrific attorney in some way.

Yeah. I would be an attorney now.

I would try to be one anyway.

Yeah, you'd have them running around, yeah, nicely.

This is the matriarchy.

Ready for one more hug?

Oh, lots of hugs for this guy.

Oh, yeah, that's a great hug.

OK.

- Have a good trip. - Take care.

And start with the temple.

Once again, we have two circular moves.

As the hand crosses the face area...

about mouth height.

Muriel, Lucille couldn't come down.

- She's not feeling at all well today. - Oh, I'm sorry.

I don't think she'll be down for supper, either.

No.

I wish they could find something for her condition.

I know. I know.

She's just getting weaker and weaker.

She's 95?

Yes, 95 last birthday.

Oh, dear.

Mm-hmm.

Where do you want it? Here?

You can double that one...

Lucille just seems to be depressed...

like she wants to hasten her death or something.

I can't understand it.

She's probably coming.

Irja realizes there's going to be a time when we won't be together.

And since I had this diagnosis...

it's a little bit not quite as solid of a relationship.

So, that's...

She just shuts me out completely...

unless I talk about something completely unrelated to her illness.

I miss her.

Once in a while, she'll come down...

but she runs upstairs right away.

Good night.

We'll see you tomorrow.

Some people will do anything to prolong their lives...

no matter how difficult. I don't feel that way.

I've lived a long life, and it's time to go.

OK, come back after five minutes.

- Thank you. - You're welcome.

- She's dreaming about us leaving. - Mm-hmm.

Prince Charming.

Gore Vidal. I like him.

Steve Martin. I like him.

Hey, hey, who's to blame? MTA has got no shame!

Hey, hey, who's to blame? MTA has got no shame!

We always did things together, and...

I wished, you know, we could still do the same things together.

This is the land of the free and the home of the brave?

No, it isn't. It's not the land of the free.

- Hi, Irja. - Hello.

Hi, I'm John. I'm from KFWB here in Los Angeles...

and they were telling me that you are the spokesperson...

from Sunset Gardens.

- Sunset Hall. - Sunset Hall.

I'm certainly glad I'm here...

because I'm more or less representing the seniors...

and they're dependent on public transportation.

Boy, you are in the news!

Oh, this is...

They should've put a sign there... "Cook wanted".

It's hard to know just how Lucille feels.

Lucille?

All I can do is just be there for her.

But I have to accept it as I have accepted...

many of the people who have left me.

Come in.

Are you decent?

Are you decent?

I came to see your new commode.

They have a new gal, and she moved it last night.

She didn't know what to do, to tell you the truth. Yeah.

So, what have you seen on the news?

I don't know. There's yesterday's paper.

Look, over there. I didn't even read Robert Scheer.

You sure you don't want that?

I want to know Robert's affair. Bring it back.

- All right, I'll... - Just Robert Scheer.

OK, I'll get Robert out for you and bring it back.

I was spitting up all morning.

I had a hard time with the spitting this morning.

- Longer than usual. - I'm sorry.

Are you in pain?

Only when I start eating something.

Everybody OK downstairs?

Yeah, they seem to be. Pauline lost her keys this morning.

You know, they started that chain of calls again last night.

My brother and his wife got on the phone...

and they chatted, how much he wanted to come down...

but he couldn't make it and he wished he could come...

and she said she wished she could come...

and she's taking care of him.

And I was tired...

and I thought they'd finally say, "That's enough".

They didn't. I had to say, "I just can't talk".

The minute they hung up, the phone rang again.

Am I talking too much? Just tell me.

No, no, and then I... No, then they...

they do it in a chain, you know? Three or four of them.

They mean well. They want me to know they're thinking of me.

- I know they are. - Yes.

If they didn't call, I'd be angry, too.

Oh, dear.

I do want to hear. I do, and I don't.

- Yes, of course you do. - Yeah, it's a mixed feeling.

I know. Yeah, it's difficult.

I dreamt that you and I were in the same room...

but we had twin beds.

You finally got me into your bed.

Then I thought you'd want to get in the bathroom.

We only had one bathroom.

And let's see. This morning, I thought it was Sunday...

so I said, "Let's look at Meet the Press".

I found out it wasn't Sunday.

Lucille, I think you're getting tired.

Oh, I think I am, too. Thank you for coming.

Yeah, and remember...

call me if you need anything or want anything...

because I'm not going to just drop in.

Well, whenever you feel like it, just for a few minutes.

I'm not spitting right now. Finally, maybe it stopped.

Yeah.

Yeah, that medicine...

Well, I don't know what it does. I think it puts me to sleep.

Oh, look at the big teddy bear.

Oh, aren't you sweet?

Oh, here's an old witch! Oh, my goodness!

Look at that witch.

Look at that awful witch.

- Thank you. - Oh, look at that face.

Did you lose your keys again?

Let me see your wrist.

Lucille?

Did I leave my keys on that table over there?

Usually I went and checked on her...

when I went for breakfast.

That November 3, she didn't want to talk.

We just threw kisses at each other.

Right after lunch, I was going to go up to see her...

and instead, when the elevator door opened...

Priscilla came out.

She said, "Lucille's gone".

It was very empty, very empty...

just going by her room to pick her up to go to a meal.

I started going the other direction...

and then I decided, no. I'll go by her room every day...

and say, "Hi, Lucille".

But...

It's cold this morning.

Fortunately, her seat didn't remain empty too long...

because Laurie moved into her chair.

Wow, look at that hat!

I had a hat when I came in, and I'll have a hat when I go out.

Thank you.

Bread, bread, bread.

We've got the apartment managers to cooperate...

the school to cooperate.

We bet a nickel on everything. Are we going to Kosovo?

Is Linda Tripp going to jail?

And I think the same nickel passed back and forth for two years.

I don't know how we ended, wound up. I can't remember.

Just what we were betting on the last week.

It took me a while to...

realize that she's gone.

I still, you know, think of something I want to tell her.

That's all right, dear.

You need some help?

I really do believe in reincarnation.

I believe in evolution so much.

Oh, look who's here.

And this goes along with my reading...

and thinking about the Oriental religions.

Hey, that's a good five!

I feel that life has to keep going on.

There is so much to learn.

There is a man...

And so many changes we have to make within ourselves.

And Moses is his name...

And you can't do it in one lifetime.

And I've also provided for you, in a sort of phonetic form, the Gaelic.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

And never brought to mind?

Should all acquaintance be forgot

And days of auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear

For auld lang syne

We'll take a cup of kindness yet

For auld lang syne

Oh, bless you.

We twa hae run around the braes

And pou'd the gowans fine

We've wander'd many a weary foot

Sin' days of auld lang syne

Sin' days of auld lang syne, my dear

Sin' days of auld lang syne

We've wandered many...

I'm not taking my purse. Is that all right?

Because, you know, I'm here all day, so I leave my purse.

You don't need a purse unless you have to have Kleenex or something.

- All right. Fine. - OK.

The third Global Women's Strike is being celebrated...

here in Los Angeles.

- When do we want it? - Now!

- What do we want? - Action!

- When do we want it? - Now!

What do we want?

I was a teenager during the big Depression...

and I used to march then.

And do you know that was 67 years ago?

And I am still marching for the same things!

Who do you trust? Do you trust the White House?

- No! - No!

Do you trust Wall Street?

- No! - No!

Do you trust the corporations?

- No! - No!

No. Write to your congresspeople! Write to your newspapers!

Call them on the phone! Talk to your neighbors!

Get out on the street and hit those pots and pans!

Save Social Security!

One, two, three, four, we don't want your racist war!

Five, six, seven, eight...

And last of all...

our money is going into war...

Come out, come out for freedom!

We'll fight, we'll beat 'em!

Come out, come out for freedom!

- Are we connected? - I'm with you.

What are you going to do now?

I'm going to take off my wig and make a personal call.

All right.

Life goes on, you know.