Original subtitles

[music playing]

Fragile things.

Not meant to last.

Bloom and fade.

Live and die.

They never overstay their welcome.

If only we could say the same of love.

SOPHIE [VOICEOVER]: By thetime, February rolls around,

you're sick of the cold,the gray skies, the snow.

Rooms grow smaller and minds start to close.

My boyfriend wanted a new,more open relationship.

My editor just wanted something new.

I wanted to hit the road, keep moving,

write about somethingdifferent, that classic concept

of freedom.

Stick out your thumb.

Go somewhere you've never been.

I closed my eyes.

Turned three times in a circle.

My finger landed in a placethat wasn't even on the map.

I called my best friend from phonebooth.

If I'm not back in 48 hours, call the cops.

From where, she said.

I don't know yet.

[heavy metal music]

Hi.

Sorry about that.

No problem.

That's one hell of a paint job you got there.

Yeah, the envelope?

She draws some second looks.

I'll bet.

So which way are you heading?

West on 90.

You?

To this small town in theAdirondacks, North Inlet.

Well, I can get you as far as Route 28.

But then, you're on your own from there.

Hey, I got a schedule to make.

You in or out?

Hey, you never done this before, have you?

No.

I haven't.

Well, then, maybe today'snot the day to start.

All right.

Hey, there's some warm teain the thermos, if you want.

SOPHIE: I'm fine. Thank you.

JESS: You sure?

Yeah.

I'm Jess, by the way.

I'm Sophie.

Hi, Sophie.

Hi.

So Jess, is this your regular rig?

It's my job.

What do you do?

I'm a checkout girl.

Nothing wrong with that.

Tell that to my boyfriend.

So you got a boyfriend, huh?

Alex.

He's a plumber.

Does he know you're doing this?

No.

I mean, yes.

I mean-- well, he was supposed to drive me.

And he got this big job, with his dad.

So I told him I'd take the bus.

Only I decided to save the money.

So Jess, what are you carrying back there?

Stuff.

Is that offer of tea still good?

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Here you go.

Help yourself.

It's hibiscus.

What?

Truck drivers don't drink herbal tea?

I'm sorry.

This is good.

Well, here we are.

Route 28.

Right.

Listen, thanks for the ride.

No, no.

You know what, Sophie?

I don't like it.

I'll be OK.

Somebody I'll be along before it's dark.

Look, look.

Forget it, all right?

And do what?

Let me give you a ride to North Inlet.

Come on.

Are you sure?

Would you take yes for ananswer and shut the damn door?

It's cold.

I'm strictly New England region.

Must be so great in the fall.

Oh, I guess it's like anything else.

You do it often enough, you really don't notice.

[clanging]

What is that?

I don't know.

Damn.

I'll be right back.

SOPHIE [VOICEOVER]: Enginetrouble, middle of nowhere,

middle of the night.

A guy might do this on purpose.

A girl already did.

-Houston, we've got a problem.-What happened?

Well, I don't know.

Well, can you fix it?

If I could, I would.

Do you have a cell phone or something?

Nope. You?

It's a long walk.

Yeah.

Too long.

It's cold.

It's 10 o'clock.

And I haven't seen a car pass in over an hour.

You know what, we could get in the back cabin.

There's stuff there you could keep warm with.

Worst comes to worst, we'llmake it through till morning.

You mean, spend the night back there?

Well, the alternative is freezing to death.

That way, anyone comes,they'll know we're in the back.

Huh?

SOPHIE: I guess you're right.

JESS: Let's go.

[jess laughing]

SOPHIE: Jess?

Cold?

Here.

Try some of this.

What is it?

Oh, it's like brandy. Not top shelf.

But it'll warm you.

Yeah.

You sleep back here?

Nah. It's a display item.

All right.

Now, what we need to think here is igloo.

The smaller the space, the warmer we'll be.

You mean, in the bed?

Layers.

What we need are layers.

Silk is the best insulation there is.

What are you carrying anyway?

Expensive linens?

Not exactly.

Sex aids.

Holy moly.

It is what it is.

I guess so.

Did you know that the heat from one candle

can keep a person alive?

It's a fucking joke.

The plain brown envelope.

Yeah.

It's an advertising gimmick.

What do you do, sell this junk out the back?

Yeah, if someone wants me to, sure.

Why not?

I get a commission.

But basically, I'm just a supplier.

I can put you in business in 45 minutes.

And if the chastitybrigade comes to get you,

I can pack you up in 30.

I hope this stuff doesn't offend you.

Me?

Not hardly.

Well, you never know.

That's right.

You don't.

Oh, Sophie.

Do you really think that I'd last

very long in this business,if I were some kind of rapist?

Come on, really?

I guess not.

Definitely not.

Hey, who knows?

Maybe I'm your best customer.

Well, in that case, I betterkeep you alive and warm.

Got bear skins.

And your more traditional sex toys.

Batteries not included.

Second shelf on the left.

Oh.

What is this?

It's all about fantasy.

You know what I'm saying?

You know, all this stuff, thecostumes, the roleplaying,

it's all up here.

The doctor and the nurse.

The teacher and the student.

The truck driver and the checkout girl.

What exactly are you saying here?

I'm saying that our mindsare what makes things sexy.

You know?

Half of this stuff-- I don't know.

It's just stuff, until your mindstarts playing games with it.

You're not quite what I expected.

What did you expect?

Whoa.

What's that stuff again?

That's called Tuaca.

I think I had too much of it.

So Sophie, what does yourfantasy say I do know?

What you mean, my fantasy?

I don't know.

Don't you have any?

Everybody does.

What turns you on, Sophie?

Something warm.

The desert.

Tunisia.

Yes.

Tunisia.

JESS: Tunisia.

[middle eastern music playing]

Hey.

Hi.

How did you do that?

I didn't do anything.

You did it all.

That was-- that was-- there are no words.

You stay warm.

I'm cold-blooded. I'll adjust.

What is this?

It's kanji.

What does it mean?

Giver and receiver of pleasure.

Who are you?

I'm whoever you want me to be.

You're so surprising.

So are you.

So what's next?

I don't know.

What's your fantasy?

Pleasing you.

Polar bears?

[growling]

You're not really going towrite about this, are you?

You know, you're much better journalist

than a checkout girl.

I pick a dot on the map--

You went through my bag.

And stick out my thumb--

You had no right.

I'll call in the copy from northwest nowhere.

Pretty good.

Hey, come on, Sophie.

Why'd you do that?

It wasn't bad.

Oh, now, you're a critic.

No, I'm still your truck driver fantasy.

The hell you're a truck driver.

What do you mean? Hey.

Give it to me. JESS: Hey.

No. Come on.

Stop.

An actor.

What what can I say, journalist?

So what's this truck driving business?

Your day job?

Research.

I got a part.

You know what this means, don't you?

I can't write about this.

Yeah.

Do you want to?

No.

Yes.

Sometimes.

Maybe.

I don't know.

Not now.

Well, it's cool.

I mean, as long as you don't use my real name.

People like us, experiences,what we use, as food, material.

Maybe that's why we made a connection so quick.

We did make a connection, didn't we?

I mean, that was a real enough.

Stud.

What are you going to do next?

We've got electronics.

All right, Zard.

Ravish me the Filtugropian way.

Well, you must understandthat on Filtugropia everything

you see, everything you hearis entirely in your mind.

I think I've been there already.

You were only there as a tourist.

Now, I'm going to showyou how the natives live.

[rock music playing]

SOPHIE: Whatever that is, it feels great.

That's one hell of a paint job.

I wonder what's in it.

People.

Note says there's two people in the back.

I hope they didn't stay in there all night.

Would you look at this?

Hello?

Hello?

It's freezing in here.

What the hell is that?

She's blue.

Yeah.

They froze to death.

Jesus.

It's some kind of plastic.

Son of a bitch.

It's a machine.

It's just another part of the truck.

Most people like packages.

A terrible, delightful moment,just before you open it,

when you wonder just what's inside.

Not me.

My own interest isentirely in the packaging.

One man's famine, another man's feast.

One man's fish, another man's croissant.

It's not what you're given, it'swhat you make of what you have.

And of course, what it makes of you.

[music playing]