Original subtitles

(RAIN PATTERING)

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

(DOOR OPENING)

(DOOR CLOSING)

(KEYS JANGLING)

You're home.

I, uh...

I couldn't get a cab.

I had to take the subway.

And my umbrella wasn't in my briefcase.

It's by the front door.

(SNIFFLING)

Have you been smoking again?

I wish you would talk to someone.

I told you, I'm fine.

I've decided to look at the positive side of the whole episode.

At least it shook me out of my routine.

You make it sound as though you deserved it.

I've been going over that night in my mind,

thinking about the guy who did this to me.

If it had been some kid, you know, some young punk,

maybe I wouldn't have been so surprised.

But he was almost my age.

For all I know he's got a wife, bills to pay,

he eats dinner at the same time every night.

Just like me.

It could have been me, for God's sake.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

(SIGHS)

What is it that you want?

What everyone wants, to experience life.

To wake up enthused.

To be happy.

Can I get another round, Patrick?

Still happy hour?

Fifteen more minutes.

Fifteen minutes.

Happy hour.

You wouldn't know it from the looks in here, would you?

Well, at least I'm happy.

I just sent a guilty man to prison today.

Got another low-life off the street.

Show me a happy man and I'll show you a disaster waiting to happen.

You know, if you don't mind me asking,

what makes you an authority on the subject?

I knew a happy man once. It was a curse.

That man you knew, he, uh...

He wouldn't happen to be sitting in a bar on a weeknight,

having some drinks by himself, would he?

Just a guy I used to work with.

He thought he had it made and liked to brag about it.

Every day he'd come into the office,

he'd sit himself down

and read the paper until 9:00, 9:30.

Every night, he'd pack his briefcase at five minutes to 5:00.

And every Wednesday at lunch

he's take himself a little walk around the corner,

and come back with a haircut and a sandwich

and seven bucks worth of lottery tickets.

So one morning he goes through his routine,

and he's reading the paper as usual,

and he's checking his numbers,

and he realizes he's got a ticket in his wallet

and it's worth two million dollars.

So he stands up and he quits right then and there, on the spot.

You should've seen the grin on that man's face.

But you know what they say.

"Fortune smiles at some and laughs at some others."

What happens?

Neighbors start coming out of the woodwork,

they ask for small loans,

a woman shows up at his door claiming to be his mistress,

she wants her cut.

That didn't sit too well with his wife.

Someone threatens to kidnap his teenaged son,

it turns out the son cooked up the plot himself.

And then there was this business with the mother-in-law,

somewhere along the line he had asked the old lady to pray for his good fortune,

so wouldn't you know, she claims he won that money

on account of some candles she lit.

So she figures she's entitled to half of it.

(SCOFFS)

Decides to take him to court.

By this time, what with most of his assets tied up in litigation,

not to mention all the shakedowns and bad loans,

he's flat broke.

Next thing you know, he comes crawling back to the office,

(MOANING) he wants his old job back,

he wants any job back.

He wants his old life back.

So, now you tell me if his happiness wasn't a curse, then what was it?

Yeah, look, there's one fundamental difference

between your friend and myself.

See, he seems like he tried to take a shortcut.

I earned it.

I worked hard, I put in the hours,

I went to court, I fought well, and I won.

Maybe you just got lucky, this once.

I don't believe in luck.

Luck is a lazy man's excuse.

Spoken like a guy who's had nothing but good luck.

Let me guess, prep school, yacht club,

trips to Europe in the summer, that sound about right?

Lots of silver spoons.

(CLEARS THROAT)

(SNIFFLES)

Tell you what, my friend, it's been nice talking to you.

Now if you'll excuse me...

I'm going to slip back to the booth with my friends and do a little celebrating.

Could you get him another one on me, please, Patrick?

Funny story, though.

OWEN: So who's your new best friend over there?

Uh, he's a barstool preacher.

Got a hold of an unlucky lottery ticket.

Is he trying to make you feel guilty for having a good time?

Absolutely not.

Because what do we say? We say, fuck guilt.

ALL: Fuck guilt!

We have dealt with enough of that today, men.

(HUMMING)

For my friend at the bar on the corner.

(PEPPY SONG PLAYING)

You my friend, yes sir.

Another place up the street. Are you guys coming?

No, no, no. Not me. Going home. I've an early day tomorrow.

All right. You have a good one.

Where are you heading? Midtown?

I'll give you a lift.

I keep thinking about what he said when he was arrested.

How he threw himself on the ground and shouted,

"I can't go back! I can't go back!"

I know, I figured the jury would remember that, too,

that he'd been in prison before.

I mean, I had to bring out his priors.

The guy is a habitual offender.

He belongs in jail.

That's what's so damn beautiful about our job, Owen.

We prosecute the guilty,

we hold them responsible for their actions.

And I believe that's what people want.

They want an example.

They want structure.

Show them some concrete proof that there's some order in this world.

You know, show them a system that can determine right from wrong,

and they're gonna show us a better society.

And that's exactly what we can give them.

(FLUTTERING)

(ENGINE STARTING)

(SNIFFLES)

(INAUDIBLE)

Hey, are you okay?

Yeah, I'm fine.

What, are you hungover or...

No, I'm not fucking hungover.

I had two drinks at the lousy bar with you, Owen.

I wasn't counting, man.

Two. Two lousy watered-down fucking drinks.

I don't need my mother here, all right?

Okay, I didn't...

What happened to your head?

Nothing. It's my own clumsiness.

Fuck.

Look, man, I'm sorry about that.

I'm sorry about jumping on you.

It's been a long week.

OWEN: It's okay. I know.

TROY: How's your drug bust case going?

OWEN: Maybe you can give me a ride home, you know,

and we can talk about it on the way.

TROY: I can't. We gotta find another time. I didn't drive.

OWEN: Okay.

Troy, the bureau chief is looking for you.

He wants to see you right away.

Did he say what it's about?

I don't know. He's in his office.

(KNOCKING)

I've got something for you.

One that requires special attention.

I was actually going to talk to you about taking some time off.

We can't afford that right now.

Here is the homicide you've been looking for.

He's got two priors for petty theft.

This one might've been petty, too,

if things had turned out differently.

What do you mean?

The suspect grabbed a camera from some tourist.

There was a brief struggle,

the victim fell and struck his head on the ground.

Died almost instantly.

I'll have your other cases assigned to someone else.

By the way, I've recommended you for a promotion.

Uh, wait. Stop here a minute, will you?

CABBIE: You find what you're looking for?

I don't know.

Damn, I forgot to turn on the meter.

Well, smile, why don't you? It's your lucky day.

WALKER: The car is traveling at 30 miles per hour,

when he sees a pedestrian 150 feet ahead.

Using this equation, we find that reducing the velocity to zero

requires a constant deceleration of...

6.45 feet per second squared.

Don't you have to assume that the car's velocity remains constant

during the deceleration period?

Yes, you're right. The constant in this case is in fact an average.

A better example of nearly-constant acceleration

is the vertical free-fall of a body near the Earth's surface.

A pair of glasses dropped from a building, for example.

Any more questions, before we move on?

Okay, now let's turn our attention to entropy

(CHUCKLING)

WALKER: Mr. Hammond.

Tell me about the movement of an isolated material system

from one state of equilibrium to another.

Just as I thought.

Now let me ask you, then...

When you get up in the morning, do you expect your bed to make itself?

I would if I was in a hotel.

(ALL CHUCKLING)

Perhaps someone else would like to offer a better example.

Mr. Avery.

When two gases mix, the entropy is always greater than it was initially,

and it can never, by itself, unmix.

Exactly.

It can never go back to the way it was.

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

Oh, you look so serious.

Ah, I was just thinking.

About what?

How much my life has changed since we met.

I bet you never thought you'd be living in one room out of a suitcase.

I can't believe you haven't been back to your place yet

to get the rest of your things.

Maybe I'll just get new things.

Start over.

It's a simple light refraction through a converging lens

(BEEPING) Oh!

I forgot to turn it off.

Does your husband ever wonder

why you're not in your office on certain afternoons?

He's never asked me.

What would he do if he found out?

(SIGHING) I'm not sure.

When he was first diagnosed,

he told me he'd understand if I sought companionship elsewhere.

But don't believe him.

People often lie to make others happy.

Look, his health is improving.

Why should he be tormented, doubting himself?

Ignorance is bliss, is that it?

Maybe he's better off living under an illusion.

"The mind is its own place,

"and in itself can make a heaven of hell,

"hell of heaven."

Paradise Lost.

I'm teaching Milton this semester.

When can I see you again?

Next Thursday, after my 4:00 lecture?

I meant it before, when I said you had changed my life.

I'm different now.

You set me free.

From what?

Life of predictability.

Dullness of routine.

I'll see you again Thursday.

Same time.

WOMAN: Hey, Bea.

(LAUGHING)

Take a break.

Yeah, I found this in the hall closet. (LAUGHING)

There's a nice little red one in there, too. (LAUGHING)

It's almost 1:00. My show's going to be on.

Okay. Well, um...

You can go ahead and watch. I'll do the bathroom.

Okay.

It is cold in here.

How many more flights, huh?

Just two. I think you can make it.

Just you here, right? Mmm-hmm.

Nice little setup here.

Familia, friends...

Hello, Tweety.

So you like living alone?

Mmm-hmm.

I can do whatever I want.

Okay, what's this? (CHUCKLING)

I got it for my birthday when I was five.

My mom was sick that day

so a neighbor took me to the beach,

and I just sat on the pier with her in my lap,

watching the water.

And the sun, the way it was shining on it,

it kinda looked like fire,

so I reached down and I tried to touch it with my toes,

and then I fell in.

A man had to jump in and save me.

Where's the rest of it?

It rotted.

And her one eye got stuck.

Kinda looks like she's winking.

BEA: It's a sign.

I should have drowned that day, but I didn't.

Oh! Oh, I was gonna give you something

that I got from the Rudolphs for you.

Oh, wow!

Thank you!

Oh, Greece. I think they went there a few months ago.

Yeah, I think they go there a lot.

I think they go a lot of places.

They got too much money.

Yeah, they sleep in separate bedrooms.

DORRIE: Yeah, probably both use shrinks, too.

(CHUCKLING)

All rich people do. They got nothing better to do with their money.

What would you do if you had a lot of money like that?

I'd probably give you some.

Hey. I had to sit. My back was hurting again.

DORRIE: We were just finishing up in here.

Oh, yeah, don't mind me, I'll get out of your way.

Um, your shirt is torn, but I could fix it for you, if you want.

If it's not too much trouble. No. Not at all.

He smiled at you. I know.

(CHOIR SINGING)

"Do not grumble against one another, that you may not be judged,

"behold, the Judge is standing at the door.

"As an example of suffering and patience,

"take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

"Behold, we count them happy who endure."

He's been over every single night this week.

He spreads his stuff everywhere.

I couldn't even get in the bathroom this morning.

What did your roommate say?

She says that she is in love.

Okay, how are you gonna know you're in love with somebody when you just met them?

DORRIE: Ridiculous.

It's not fair, 'cause I'm gonna have to be the one that's gonna move out.

You can bet that.

So what am I gonna do, huh?

You could stay with me.

I'm not staying with you. You barely have enough room for yourself.

These rich people, they got it easy.

They don't got to worry about nothing.

People with money worry about other things, I suppose.

Yeah, like what?

They worry about losing it.

One day you're gonna see I'm right.

Life isn't fair.

Maybe it seems that way now,

but you don't know what's up ahead.

Amazing things happen all the time.

You actually believe that?

Well...

I didn't tell you this before, but...

The day I almost drowned, I had a vision through the water,

and I asked about it later, but no one else had seen it.

What did it look like?

It was white,

like a sail blowing in the breeze.

And while I was watching it, this...

...feeling came over me, like I was floating.

And I knew that everything would be all right.

That I was saved for a reason.

(HUMMING)

What are you studying there there so intently, Wade?

Your horoscope?

GENE: Is it gonna be another great day for you, Bowman?

I was just looking at the sports.

Did I tell you my son made the all-city swim team?

Oh, really?

Now, which one is this, the math genius or the other one?

The musical prodigy.

Casey, my oldest. He's a good kid.

Well, they both are, thank the Lord.

Yeah, what's the good Lord think about your girlfriend?

What girlfriend?

You know, the one you're always sweet-talking on the phone.

Hey, don't try telling us it's your wife.

Nobody talks that way to the ball and chain.

Come on, guys, you don't need to hear how happily married Bowman is, do you?

I do. It'll be 23 years next month.

MICKEY: Hey, 23 years you say? That's a coincidence.

My wife and I were happy for 23 years.

Then we met.

(ALL CHUCKLING)

What is all the excitement? Is this some holiday I don't know about?

No, Wade's been filling us in on his latest good fortune.

Ah. Well, you know what they say.

"Fortune smiles on some, and laughs at others."

Okay, there's a disaster in across the Hudson

I need you to do a price tag on.

Some idiot chopped down a tree

that fell on his neighbor's house,

neighbor happens to be a policyholder of ours, half his roof is gone.

He's lucky it didn't happen last week when we were having all that rain.

Yes, you tell him that. I'm sure he would appreciate your point of view.

Here, for you, Mickey. A slip and fall, and I think the guy's a professional.

He's got one too many neck braces on his record.

See you later, fellas! I hope you like traffic, Bowman.

I heard on the radio, both tunnels backed up, at least an hour.

That's okay. I'm halfway through one of those books on tape.

Guy's got a comeback for everything. Yeah, good old Smiley.

He's got the world beat, doesn't he?

Kincannon just called.

The monthly meeting got shoved up.

What do you think?

(CHUCKLING) No doubt it's about the bad rating.

Hi, fellas!

I stopped at home and brought you some tomatoes from my garden.

Can you believe the size of these? Whoa!

Help yourselves. Mr. Green Thumbs.

(CHUCKLES) Yeah.

(SNIFFING) Mmm.

Thanks, Bowman. Careful, they're juicy.

Yeah, I bet!

Let me ask you something. Yeah.

What's your take on him?

I'd say he's about the happiest son of a bitch you'd ever wanna meet.

You think he's happy? Mmm-hmm.

I don't believe it. I think he's hiding something.

(DICK SCOFFS)

GENE: Yeah. The devil doesn't have horns and a tail, you know.

He's the guy that lives in the apartment next door and plays the music too loud,

and steals your newspaper in front of your door every morning.

(DOOR SLAMS)

(BANGING)

MAN: Smoke? Smoke? Smoke? Smoke?

What are you looking at, mister? You want something?

As a matter of fact,

I'd like you to take your business out of my neighborhood.

We've got young children here.

Yeah, what are you going to do about it, old man?

Haul me off to jail? Lock me up, huh?

Put you in a place where you can watch

free cable television all day at taxpayers' expense?

Not on your life!

And now you must excuse me, I have a real job I have to go to.

LEW: Our latest ratin has fallen,

and we are trying to find some way to right this ship.

So I would like to hear from all the department heads,

and we will start first with Gene in Claims.

Gene? Well, we're in pretty good shape.

According to the underwriters, our payout on claims is very, very low,

and they're all legitimate.

Yeah, well, not quite low enough.

Now, the obvious solution is to raise the premiums,

I've talked to the actuarial department,

and they've come up with some answers in this area.

Now, I'm wondering if we ought to re-examine our policy standards.

Just stop insuring property in certain areas of town altogether.

Look, forgive me, but the situation we're in

has got nothing to do with policy standards.

The reason our rating fell

is because we're undercapitalized.

That's a financial problem.

What happened? Another round of finger-pointing?

If they think they're gonna blame this department

for that junk punk's bad financial investments, they got another guess coming!

Hey, hey, hey, I got a couple of seats for tonight's game.

I'll let you have a good deal.

Who'd you shake down this time, hmm?

Yeah, you can say what you want, it's your loss.

Gene, you're a baseball fan. What about you? I got plans.

They getting worried about Hank Stockwell's resigning?

No, it didn't come up. He wasn't even there.

I hear he's been headhunted by a west coast company.

He's gonna bail out.

Where'd you hear that from?

Up on 35, redheaded secretary up there.

She's been taking all of his messages.

(MICKEY WHISTLING)

It's really warm out there. Nice haircut, Bowman.

Thank you. Good news.

The electrical fire was confined to an empty storage area.

Priced out below the deductible.

Gene, you got a phone call on line three.

Take a message.

It is your ex-wife. She said it was important.

I'll take it in my office.

GENE: How long has he been here? MAN: Since last night.

Okay. Here's the $1,500 for the bail money.

When's the court date?

Uh... November 20th.

But if he skips this time, there's nothing I can do.

All right. Why don't you have a seat?

I'll have someone send him out.

What happened? What are we doing here?

I didn't do it.

Ronnie, you say that every time.

It's the same thing with you.

MAN: Hey, no smoking.

He said no smoking. Go to hell.

Ronnie, I just laid out 1500 bucks for you.

Give me five minutes of your time. Ronnie!

DICK: I'm sure it's just a phase he's going through.

It'll pass.

Well, I'd like to kick him into the next phase.

Look, can I get another cup of coffee when you get a chance?

Thank you.

Bowman's wife made these cookies. Want one?

I can't get enough of them.

What next?

Last week his prizewinning tomatoes, this week cookies.

Well, his kid came in first place in some swim meet or something.

Hmm! We get leftovers.

Look, I love my kids to death,

but I can't remember the last time one of my kids came in first in anything.

I don't get it. Am I missing something?

Bowman just glides through life without a care in the world,

he's out all day looking at leaky roofs, dented cars,

looking at other people's misery.

He comes back, he's smiling.

Smiling.

If I didn't know better, I'd think that you were jealous.

Excuse me? Did I hear you correctly?

Did you say you think I'm jealous of Smiley Bowman?

I just meant, why let a guy like that bother you?

Because he's average, that's why.

He sits behind his desk all day,

rushes home exactly at 5:00 to his wife and his kids,

messes around with his garden.

He's got no vision.

He's got no drive.

You know, your wife ever make you cookies like this?

I don't remember.

(MUFFLED MUSIC FROM ANOTHER APARTMENT)

(BANGING)

Hey, Gene, Lew Kincannon was down here to see you.

Yeah? What did he want?

Look, I don't know, he waited in your office for a while,

then he went back upstairs.

Oh, God. I was stuck in the subway.

What is it? What are you smiling at?

BOWMAN: Was I smiling? I didn't even realize it.

Well, I did. I realized it.

BOWMAN: Sorry, Gene. I didn't mean anything by it.

Lew? Oh, Gene. Come on in.

Just missed you. We must have crossed elevators.

Yeah, look, I just wanted to tell you that Hank Stockwell has just made it official.

Yeah, he's taking a job in California.

It starts at the end of the month.

Oh, I heard something about that.

Yeah, his timing couldn't be worse.

We cannot afford to lose a vice president. Especially now.

We will be promoting people from the inside,

because we don't want to further damage company morale.

In the meantime, we're asking all the company managers

to cut back on department expenses.

So, whatever you can do, we'd appreciate.

Okay.

BOWMAN: "And you're gonna rob all the men, and kiss all the women."

And the next one says, "You let Jesse rob this train the way he wants."

(ALL LAUGHING)

It's because I'm excited. It's my anniversary.

I could never concentrate when it was my anniversary.

PETE: I don't see how your wife puts up with you, Bowman.

GENE: Dick, you wanna come in here?

Close the door.

Jesus, Gene. Your shirt!

Oh, God damn it!

(GRUNTING)

What's Smiley going on about out there?

I don't know, ah...

I heard him mention it was his anniversary, and I tuned out.

Ten bucks says I can wipe that smile off his face.

Come on, man, we've been trying to pop a pin in that guy's balloon

for almost two years.

You know good and well whatever you say or do

is just gonna bounce right off.

Not this time.

Sounds serious.

Maybe I oughta get Mickey in on the action.

No, let's keep this between us.

Kincannon didn't come down here to pay me a social call.

We've gotta cut overhead.

What are you gonna do, take away his company car?

I'm gonna take away everything.

Smiley's history, and I get to tell him the good news.

Kincannon wants you to fire him?

Well, I've been going over figures all afternoon,

and cutting back on paperclips isn't going to do it.

I know you guys don't want to take a pay cut.

He's only been here two years.

He's the last one hired.

Wow.

Looks like Smiley's luck has finally run out.

GENE: Well, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.

Maybe now we'll get to see if it's all been an act.

Wade, can I see you in my office for a minute, please?

You got plans?

Nothing that can't wait. I'll be brief.

Have a seat.

Well, let me get right to it.

I'm sorry I have to tell you this, Wade, but we're gonna have to let you go.

(SCOFFS) I get it, this is some kind of a joke, isn't it?

The other guys put you up to it.

It's not a joke, and I'm sorry to have to tell you this,

but believe me, it hurts me as much as it hurts you.

Wh...

I don't know what to say.

I thought things were going so well.

Gene, I have to ask.

Was it me?

Was it something I did?

No, it's not you at all. The company's falling on hard times,

and I have a feeling that a lot of other heads are gonna roll before this is over.

Huh. Well, that makes me feel a little better.

I mean, not that I would wish it on anyone else.

Well, I'll see to it that you stay out the week,

and I'll see what I can do about a nice severance package.

Thanks, Gene. I appreciate it.

You know, maybe I should look at the upside of this.

I can take that vacation I've always wanted.

Spend some time with my kids before they leave the nest.

Good night, Gene. Yeah, good night.

See you tomorrow, Dick. Right.

(DOOR CLOSES)

Do not tell me. You lost your nerve. Couldn't do it.

No, it's over, it's done.

No, he walked out that door with a smile on his face.

He was definitely smiling when he walked out that door and said goodnight.

Yeah, you won.

For a minute, I thought I had him there,

but at the last minute he puts on those rose-colored glasses and it was all over.

If only he'd thrown himself on my mercy,

I could have at least had some pity for him.

Here you go.

No, you don't have to pay me, you know.

Suit yourself.

Goodnight, Gene. See you in the morning.

330 horsepower engine,

236 pounds of torque and a top speed of 137.

So it can go from zero to 60 in about 4.8 seconds, then?

Yeah, something like that.

If you don't mind my asking, why do you want to sell it?

I don't drive anymore.

Thank you.

What does a young man like yourself do to afford a car like this?

It was a gift from my parents.

I work at the DA's office.

It must be quite frustrating dealing with crime in this city.

I was held up at gunpoint recently.

The guy took my wallet and coldcocked me for no reason.

He gave me a real shiner.

He could easily have killed me.

The guy that mugged you, did they ever catch him?

I doubt if anyone's even looking.

Life goes on.

I suffered my share, and now it's over.

Even my eye has healed.

Over time it will be as though it had never happened.

(SCREAMS)

(GLASS BREAKING)

Ah!

(KEYS JANGLING)

Oh!

Excuse me, I thought you might be someone else.

I'm sorry if I woke you.

You're bleeding.

Let me bandage it for you.

A week ago, he was robbed at gunpoint.

The next day I got a phone call,

a man found his wallet in a trash can.

He delivered it the same day, but...

I never bothered to tell my husband.

There were things inside the wallet that indicate he's having an affair.

Do you mind if I smoke? No.

Did you, um, confront him?

No, I was waiting for him to mention it,

to say something,

to lie.

You seem so calm.

Maybe I've just gotten used to feeling alone.

I was thinking on my way home from work

how strange it is to live in a city so crowded with people

all trying hard not to look at each other.

Self-protection, I imagine.

I read about a study once that said,

humans beings require 18 inches of personal space.

Silly, isn't it, to put a number on it like that?

Eighteen inches?

Well still, you know, underneath it all,

maybe we want the same things.

Maybe we're more connected than we know.

Do you think so?

I'm sure your husband will come to his senses.

"Ask yourself if you're happy and you cease to be so."

Tonight before he left,

it took him nearly an hour just to pack a small suitcase.

Finally, I had to do it for him.

That should be it, then.

The suitcase and shopping bag I'll take with me.

The address is on the tag.

I'll meet you there.

What about these boxes?

Those are for charity.

Listen, I spoke with the attorney last night.

He said if we can get Ronnie into some kind of rehabilitation

they might go easier on him.

Well, I don't care what Del has to say about it.

(DOOR OPENING)

Monthly P and L. I thought you'd like to see it.

I'm on the phone with my ex.

I'm sorry, I've been under the gun.

The insurance company dropped our rating.

Wait a minute! I didn't say I was looking for a job!

I'm not peddling ballpoint pens for Del Strickland,

so tell him thanks, but I don't need any favors.

It's enough he's trying to raise my son.

That's right.

Yes, that's right.

I guess I was busy working my way up from the bottom,

and I didn't have a company handed to me by my old man

like Del did.

What?

It's taken me years to get where I am.

Well, for your information,

I'm about to be made vice president.

(WHISTLING)

Who's whistling?

Me. Just trying to lighten things up around here.

A little tribute to Smiley Bowman.

Knock it off! I can't hear myself think.

Come on Gene, it's just a joke.

You haven't cracked a smile since Bowman left.

Speaking of Bowman, I could use one of his wife's cookies about now.

We're not running a snack bar here, Pete.

GLENN: You guys talking about Smiley?

I saw him the other day at Penn Station.

Had on a suit and tie.

If I didn't know better, I'd figure he was on his way to work.

Huh. Poor guy.

Rumor has it, he hasn't even told his wife he's been canned yet.

Apparently he's been coming into the city every day

just to have coffee and read the paper.

DONALD: I mean, what's the guy gonna do?

He's over 50 years old. Not exactly a marketable commodity.

MICKEY: Yeah, from what I understand

he's got a lot of one and two-year stints on his resume.

That doesn't help matters any.

DONALD: If he's lucky he could get a job bagging groceries.

I mean, they're using kids for that, too.

PETE: Or seniors.

(KNOCKING)

Hi, I'm looking for Ronnie.

He's out. Be back later.

Do you have any idea when?

I don't know, man. He just left.

Do you want me to give him a message or something?

Yeah, tell him Gene, his father, came by.

Would you mind giving him these?

Thanks.

Uh, tell him I'll see him on Wednesday, okay?

BOWMAN: Hi, Gus. I dunno, same old.

Gene? Gene English? How have you been? How are you?

Can I buy you a cup of coffee? No, no. I...

Come on. Just for a minute.

How about something to eat? I just ate.

GUS: Somebody left this in the back booth. I saved the want-ads for you.

Thanks, Gus.

So how's the job hunt going?

Oh, you know. It takes time.

How are things with you back at the office?

Oh, you know, same old budgetary crunch.

The company is lucky to have you,

especially at a time like this.

Don't let it get you down. These situations have a way of turning themselves around.

I really do believe that.

I'll let you get back to your lunch.

I've got to go to the office. Good to see you.

Nice seeing you. I'm glad we ran into each other.

Yeah! It must have been fate.

Yeah, right.

Hey, Dick.

Hey, listen. You want in on a game of poker tonight?

Our regular guy can't make it.

I think his daughter's got the measles or something.

Can't. Mother-in-law's in town.

Can I interest you in a game of poker tonight, Gene?

Are we all braced for the big shake-up?

What are you talking about? What big shake-up?

I'm talking about moving upstairs.

I'm talking about squeezing in to another department.

Hey, I thought you knew.

Where did you hear this from?

My secretary friend, up on 35.

Hey, I didn't think this was a big secret.

I mean, they're planning to make an announcement when this new VP takes over,

and they're planning to make us work longer hours.

What new VP?

That manager from the finance department.

You know what I'm talking about. What's his name?

The young guy.

Don't you have anything better to do

than sitting around flapping your gums all day?

Okay, that's it for me.

I'm gonna finish my lunch at my desk.

Yeah, go to your desk, and do some work there while you're at it,

instead of poking your nose in other people's business, you pathetic loser!

Yeah, I'm a loser.

That's right, Gene.

I had a good teacher.

Actually, I learned a few things from you.

You got the guys in the leather swivel chairs,

you got middle-management ass-kissers,

and then you got your scapegoats.

(SCOFFS) Wisdom comes suddenly, doesn't it?

What's that supposed to mean?

You figure it out.

Why you let him get to you like that, Gene?

I mean, why do you look at everyone like they're your enemy?

Mickey, he is who he is.

He's just a guy like the rest of us, trying to get by.

What do you know about this guy from finance?

It's all just hearsay anyway.

I don't trust the rumors.

I don't pay any attention.

Hey, where are you going?

Mr. Strickland will see you now.

Hello, Gene. How are you doing, Del?

Good.

Nice place you got here.

Is that where your father used to sit?

No, he passed on before we moved up here.

Oh, sorry to hear that.

Look, I don't want to take a lot of your time.

I'm just here to see if you might have an opening in your sales force.

Gene, I've always told you, if there's anything I could ever do for you,

I'd be more than happy to do it.

I know what a hard worker you are,

and I'd love to have you on board.

Oh no, no, this is not for me.

I'm here on somebody else's behalf, a guy named Wade Bowman.

He's a hell of a guy, and a terrific worker.

He's had a string of bad luck lately,

and I thought, well, he could use a leg up.

What happened? He get laid off?

Yeah, you know the drill. Office politics. Yeah.

You know, Rose is gonna be at Ronnie's court date tomorrow.

If you want I could, uh...

It's okay. I can take care of it.

Well, thanks for the lead. I'll give the guy a call.

Terrific. I think the two of you would be very good for each other.

And, uh, probably better if you don't let him know I came up here.

He's got a lot of pride, you know what I mean?

Sure.

JUDGE: What's the next available date?

BAILIFF: January the 6th.

People of New York v. Ronald James English.

Do you waive reading of the charges?

LAWYER: So waived.

I need an adjournment. My client's not here and I'm having trouble locating him.

I'll find him for you, Counselor.

The court hereby issues a bench warrant for his arrest.

LAWYER: Would you consider staying that, Your Honor?

JUDGE: (SCOFFS) Well, I'll consider it, but I won't do it.

BAILIFF: Bench warrant issued.

(KNOCKING)

Come on in. You don't have to knock.

It's all there in black and white.

It says we have to be off this floor by the end of the month.

They want us to move down to 33,

share space with...

...underwriting and sales.

Bullpens. (CHUCKLING)

We can kiss our windows goodbye.

How long have you been working here?

Fourteen years in January.

Were you here when Eddie Jasper cracked up?

No, that was before my time. I think I heard about him, though.

That's the guy who went to pieces in the middle of a meeting, right?

Yeah, they had to take him away in an ambulance.

Right at a time when things seemed to be going well for him.

On the outside, anyway.

Came in, he did his work, he talked about his family.

The only problem was he had another wife and set of kids right across the Hudson.

He wanted it all and he got it all, times two.

It's like the old Gypsy curse.

"May you get what you want."

Hmm.

Go ahead and take it.

But take it, and pay for it.

(SIGHING)

MICKEY: Oh, my God.

Oh, my God!

DICK: What's the matter?

Oh, my good God! Are you all right?

I won. I won! I won! The lottery?

I won! I won!

Oh God, eight years, I've been going down to that newsstand every day.

How much? How much?

I finally hit it! Two million bucks!

(ALL WHOOPING AND LAUGHING)

LEW: Congratulations, man!

MICKEY: I can't believe this!

DICK: What you gonna do with all that money, man?

MICKEY: Oh, God, I don't know!

(LAUGHING)

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

What do I mean, I don't know what I'm gonna do with the money?

I know what I'm gonna do! (LAUGHING)

I don't have to work another day in my life!

No, I'll never have to set foot in this place again as long as I live!

Oh, yeah!

Oh. Oh yeah.

Let me tell you something, Gene.

You listen to me.

You take a good look.

This is what a winner looks like.

This is what it really looks like.

Yeah, take a good long last look,

because I am out of here.

(LAUGHING)

Good going. Take care, man.

(MICKEY LAUGHING)

Oh, goodness.

Oh, there is a God, let me tell you.

Oh, bye-bye, Gene.

Well, I have some good news.

My roommate broke up with her boyfriend, so I don't gotta move out.

But that dumb fuck, he stole our TV.

How's work going?

Mmm. Mrs. Turner made another complaint about me.

She says I chipped one of her stupid figurines or something.

Bitch.

So when are you gonna come back?

I miss you. It's, like, totally different when you're not there.

I don't know.

The agency says I can't work again until I get my cast off, so...

She's lucky to be alive. The doctor said it was a miracle she survived.

Yeah? Somebody's watching out over her.

And how's the architect doing?

He stopped the service.

You know he doesn't want us there when you're not there.

I put the boxes with some of your things in your room.

And the rest of the stuff I put in the garage.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Got something for you!

I tried to get one that would match your real hair color.

I hadn't even thought about a wig yet.

Thank you. Thank you. You're welcome.

Oh, it's so good to have you back, honey.

Did they give you back everything at the hospital?

Just what was in that bag.

Some of the clothes you were wearing were ruined, so I threw them out.

Nothing's missing, is it? No.

This is a fire hazard! This is an old house, you know.

(BLOWING)

I'm going to go downstairs, okay?

(DOOR CLOSES)

Wow. What a surprise!

I, uh, brought your shirt back.

I'm sorry it took so long.

I, uh, heard about your accident.

I'm hoping I can come back to work soon.

Uh, listen, the last time you were here,

I realized when I got to work that I'd left my watch by the sink.

It was a gift.

Oh, yeah, I put it in the drawer so it wouldn't get wet.

I'll show, I'll give it to you.

I'm sorry, I must have forgotten to put it back after I cleaned.

Oh. Oh, God.

Oh, I'm sorry. I just assumed that you and the...

I mean. You know...

What happened to you anyway?

A car hit me.

Why?

Because I was in the way.

I was just heading out to the store.

Come on in.

Beatrice, your friend is here!

Hi. Hey.

You guys are out here. It took me forever to get here.

You didn't have to come.

Yeah.

They laid me off.

I had to talk to you because I don't know what, I don't know,

somebody said something, made a complaint or something.

I'm pretty sure it was that bitch Mrs. Turner.

So now what am I gonna do?

Life isn't fair.

What? I said life isn't fair.

You were right. What are you saying that for?

Because it's true.

The architect thought I stole his watch.

No, no.

That guy is an idiot. And you would never do something like that.

I should have taken it, since I was blamed for it.

I've thought and thought about why I got hit by that car,

and why I was standing on that corner at that moment,

and why that white shirt blew out of my hands.

And then I realized,

there is no reason.

Well, I just think that,

you know, you never know what's gonna be around the corner.

And that's what you say.

You're always telling me that.

My eyes have been opened.

And I can never go back.

You changed. You're different.

I'm not different.

I'm like everyone else.

(DOOR CLOSING)

(DOOR OPENING)

OWEN: Some of the guys are getting together later, going for a drink.

You wanna join us?

No, thanks, but I got a lot of work to do.

People are starting to call you Saint Troy behind your back.

JUDGE: This is your last chance to accept the plea

the DA has offered.

If not, this case will be sent up for trial.

Your Honor, my client maintains his plea of Not Guilty.

CHIEF: When's sentencing?

TROY: It's next Monday.

Oh, this judge is tough. He's likely to give him the max.

Probably.

He took a human life. He has to be punished.

TROY: What do you, what do you think about?

All day, what...

I think of that man I killed.

I had a job interview lined up.

But it was raining.

And the trains were crowded.

I saw three trains go by, and I couldn't squeeze in.

(CHUCKLING)

After a while, I knew I had missed my chance.

That's when I went for the camera.

I didn't mean to hurt that guy.

You know what I say to myself every single day?

I say, "If only it hadn't rained."

If only it hadn't rained.

(BELL TOLLING)

DOCTOR: Well, I can't find anything wrong with you physically.

Given the symptoms you described,

I suspect it was a panic attack.

WALKER: That doesn't make sense. I'm not the type to panic.

Have there been any changes in your life recently?

Yes, a few. And?

They've been positive, for the most part.

But I still feel unsatisfied somehow,

like I'm missing something.

I keep asking myself, is that all there is?

To merely exist?

What is it you're looking for?

I'm not even sure anymore.

Sometimes I look at my students' faces

and I see a sense of wonder,

a zest for life,

when they're learning something new.

Surely you must get some satisfaction, then, from teaching them.

It's not the same.

I already know it.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Yes?

CHRIS: May I speak with you?

My office hours are between 3:00 and 5:00 on Mondays.

Yeah, I was just wondering if I could take the exam over.

I didn't do as well as I could've.

I haven't finished grading them.

Maybe you did better than you think.

Uh, it's kind of important.

You know, I gotta pass this class to get into medical school.

And yet you spend most of your time in class trying to gain attention.

And you've been late on several occasions.

You make certain choices,

you have to live with the consequences.

There's things going on in my life right now.

Personal problems.

I haven't been sleeping, and my girlfriend and I, we broke up.

Cause and effect.

The third law of motion.

Is Professor Tate around?

Uh, she won't be in today. She had some sort of family emergency.

I see. Thank you.

It's not working. In fact, it seems to be having the opposite effect.

Well, I can prescribe something else,

but I'm not sure if it's the answer you're looking for.

It's perverse, isn't it?

People spend years developing their minds,

educating themselves,

and in the end they just want to shut them off.

The other night I found myself in front of my old apartment building.

I haven't been there since my wife and I separated.

Well, were you any happier then?

I was content, I suppose.

Then why did you leave?

I've always thought of contentment as a form of resignation,

of accepting the status quo.

It means you've given up.

I'm not ready to surrender.

Maybe I'll go back.

I can't say right now, but I know I'll see my wife again sometime.

I still have all of my things there.

We can determine the range, R, with this equation.

An object projected horizontally will reach the ground at the same instant

as the free-falling one dropped from the same height.

Even if one of them is significantly... There are no ifs!

Physics is an exact science.

The laws of the universe are absolute.

He knows.

What happened?

He told me he didn't want to go on living without me.

I see.

What about you?

Can you say the same thing?

Um, hey, Professor, I was wondering if you were finished grading the exams.

I'll be handing them back on Monday.

You can schedule an appointment for afterwards.

Uh, do you think you can just give me any indication as to whether I passed?

I can't be expected to remember every grade.

Yeah, do you think you could look them up?

Why you want to be a doctor, anyhow?

So I can help people. How?

By keeping them alive today,

so you can prolong their misery until tomorrow?

(RINGBACK TONE)

I see Mr. Hammond is late again, hmm?

Um, there was a party last night.

He fell from the top of the math building onto the quad.

AVERY: No, he didn't. The range is too great.

If he'd have fallen, he would have landed near the bushes.

He must have jumped.

Wouldn't that be right, Professor?

CHIEF: A neighbor found him in his apartment.

The door was wide open.

I suppose he just couldn't live with the secret anymore.

Well, why did you send for me?

The note he left was addressed to you.

He wanted you to take care of something for him.

You're back.

I just got here.

I must have been dreaming.

You heard what happened?

Yeah, blood poisoning from the cut on your head.

No, that's not what I mean.

Your note sounds like a will.

You're giving away everything you own.

Well, I want to give something to the victim's family.

Make amends. I don't know.

What if you could do something for the girl?

I wish I could.

You can.

How can that be?

I left her.

Well, sometimes people just get lucky.

You know, they're given a second chance.

Dorrie!

Hey!

Hey.

I, um, I didn't recognize you.

Your hair grew.

Why did you stop calling me?

I don't know, I, um...

I just felt...

I felt bad for you after the accident.

But, I don't know, you were just hard to be around.

You were always the one that made things right.

For a while I just...

I couldn't see anything good.

No matter where I looked.

And one day I just couldn't take it anymore.

I was in midtown at rush hour, and...

It was noisy and crowded

and everybody was pushing each other and...

They were just trapped, you know?

Someone bumped me from behind and I just decided, that's it.

I give up.

I was standing on the corner,

watching the traffic,

and thinking of how easy it would be.

Just a few small steps.

Maybe it should have happened before.

Maybe that was supposed to be my fate.

I picked someone out across the street,

someone to look at.

Someone...

Someone to give me a reason to do it, you know?

So I picked this man,

and I stared at his face,

and thought about how selfish people were.

How miserable and predictable.

I swear, that man, he must have read my mind,

because he looked right back at me and smiled.

Just like that, he broke the spell.

I'm glad you picked him.

So am I.

How are you?

Hello.

Gene English, how are you, old friend?

Hello, Wade. How are you doing?

Oh, Gene, I've been great.

I've got a job in sales, and I love it!

I'm an account executive for an office supply company.

Been there over a year now. Wonderful.

You wouldn't believe it. I got a phone call one day, out of the blue.

The president of the company called me himself.

Said he's heard about me from some headhunter,

knew I was looking for a job.

Things couldn't have worked out better.

Well, you always said you were born under a lucky star.

And I don't know why I deserve it!

You know, Gene, I've been thinking about you,

thinking about paying a call on you.

Maybe seeing how you're doing in the way of office supplies.

But I wasn't sure if things were still...

You know.

Here.

Let me give you my card.

We should get together sometime for a cup of coffee.

Gene.

Sorry I'm late. The meeting lasted longer than I expected.

(SIGHING)

What is it we're celebrating anyway?

Are we celebrating?

I just got downsized. I got eased out.

Well, I hope you're sticking them for the full package.

It would be my great pleasure.

TROY: For my friend at the bar on the corner.

(PEPPY SONG PLAYING)

For you, my friend.

A couple of hotshot lawyers over there celebrating

because they just put someone away.

I'm trying to figure out what to say to my son when he gets out.

I'll have plenty of time to work on it.

Maybe I could also figure out a way

to get myself nominated "Father of the Year."

(DICK CHUCKLING)

Speaking of which...

Guess who I ran into?

The world really is too small.

(CHUCKLING)

So he's still working for your ex-wife's husband?

Loving every minute of it. Well, naturally.

Did you let on it was you who got it for him?

Let me put it this way.

There are a lot of people in this world I feel like I owe an explanation to.

Smiley Bowman is not one of them.

Anyway, he believes in miracles.

Who am I to rain on his parade?

Maybe he's right.

What do I know?

Patrick, would you get my friend here another round of drinks?

I think he could still use a little cheering up.

My friend, I've been back there thinking about

your buddy who won the lottery ticket,

and his kid, and the kidnap, and the boombada and all that stuff.

Anyway, I realized something I said,

if there really is luck, if it does exist,

I hope I'm lucky enough to recognize it when it comes my way.

Well in that case, may you get what you want,

and may you want what you get.

Both times.

You have a good night, my friend.

Mother-in-law with the candles.

That was his father's fault!

(LAUGHING)

You putting the old double Gypsy curse on him, are you?

He's just some guy I was talking to before you get here.

He's got it all worked out.

He's so damn sure of himself,

I felt I owed it to him to tell him a little about Mickey Wheeler.

Oh, yeah.

I forgot to tell you.

Mickey called me the other night.

Oh, yeah? What did he want?

He wanted you to testify in his big law case?

Not any longer.

Apparently, his mother-in-law's case was dismissed.

Get out of here!

I mean, the woman can light a thousand candles, say the rosary every night,

but it seems that in a court of law,

there's no way to prove the effectiveness of prayer.

Or as the judge put it, "Faith is the antithesis of proof."

Hmm.

Hmm!

Still, you've gotta have faith in something.

There was a time when I was married

when I was working night and day

and I had an opportunity to get some extra training,

so I took a management course in another state,

and my wife and I were having problems anyway,

so it didn't need much of a push.

The day I left, I was down in the street

and I happened to look up

and see her in the window,

and by the time I returned eight weeks later,

she had already filed for divorce.

I can still see her in the window,

just standing there,

hoping for a sign from me or something,

a small gesture,

and I always wondered

what would have happened if I had just...

...waved back,

maybe it would have been enough.

Maybe we'd still be together.

Maybe my son wouldn't be a stranger.

DICK: I wish...

I wish we could see into the future sometimes.

That's the problem, isn't it?

I mean, life, it only makes sense

when you look at it backwards.

Too bad we gotta live it forwards.

GENE: Hey!

MAN: Hey, man, come on!

(MEN LAUGHING)