1985 (2018) Movie Script
1
Dad...
Hey, sorry about the delay...
the storm at LaGuardia
was really bad.
It was no big deal.
I was just waiting
about an hour.
This airport seems bigger now.
When was the last time
you were here?
Wasn't it like, Thanksgiving?
Yeah... in '82.
(Woman) Are they here?
[dog barking]
Aw... Landry!
Don't let him out!
My best boy!
I have missed you so much.
-Dad, you got it?
-Yep!
-Oh, Adrian.
-Hey, Mom.
Goodness gracious,
you've gotten so thin!
Yeah, he had a stomach flu.
-Are you alright now?
-Yeah, I'm fine.
I'll take this big ol' bag
of rocks in your room.
Andrew?
Andrew, your brother's here.
Hey, Andrew.
Wow, man,
you've gotten so tall.
Hey, can I get a hug?
Oh, Andrew...
He's just being a little shy.
-It's fine, Mom.
-He's very excited to see you.
-It's fine...
-Andrew!
We thank you, Father,
for bringing Adrian
back home safe and sound
to celebrate
this blessed holiday with us.
We pray that You will
watch over and guide him,
as You have watched over
and guided all of us.
Amen.
(All) Amen.
I made all your favorites.
Wow, this looks
really delicious, Mom.
Still playing football Andrew?
He quit last year.
I kinda sucked at it.
No, that's not true now.
Coach Jennings said
you have great potential.
Andrew is the vice president
of the drama club now.
Wow, is that right?
He was in
Arsenic and Old Lace recently.
I was the lead.
You were a very
convincing older man.
And he got the biggest applause.
He needs to speak up
is what he needs to do.
He mumbled through
most of his lines.
I could barely
understand him half the time.
Sorry I missed it, buddy.
I'm sure you were brilliant,
you wouldn't be cast
as a lead otherwise.
Are you still at that same
place, the ad agency?
Yep.
You've been there
a long time. Still like it?
Yeah, it's been three years.
I still like it a lot.
Have you guys seen the
Crunchy Chocolate Puffs
commercial
that's playing right now?
Oh, yeah.
You worked on that?
I wrote parts of it, yeah.
I saw it..
It was lame.
Andrew, that wasn't very nice.
No, he's right, Mom.
It's kinda lame.
How are your roommates?
They're great.
Um, did they go home
for Christmas too?
Mm-hmm.
Where are they from?
Brandon is from New Jersey,
and Leo is from Ohio.
I think I talked to Leo
on the phone once
when you weren't there.
He sounded very nice.
I just can't understand
how three grown men
can still live together.
It's like y'all
are back in college.
Dale, the rents are much
more expensive there.
I'm aware of that it's just--
This pot roast, Mom,
is as good as I remember it.
I've literally had dreams
about your cooking,
I miss it that much.
Thank you, honey,
that's very sweet.
Hey, can you smell Georgie?
Yeah? I think you two
would like each other.
Knock, knock!
Hey... Mom, I'm so full
I can't have another bite.
Come on, will you please
eat this cake?
Your brother's going
to eat it, otherwise,
and all the sugar is not good
for his complexion.
Oh, poor guy.
Alright.
It's... it's really good.
It's very good, Mom.
You know, your Dad wanted to
turn this room into storage
but I just didn't have the heart
to take out all your stuff.
And also I like to
sleep in here sometimes.
You know
how your Dad snores.
I haven't missed that.
I hope you're not
too bothered by Andrew.
No, I'm not.
I know he's still mad at me.
I ran into Carly yesterday
at the store.
She had no idea
you were coming to town.
I thought you guys talk to
each other once in awhile.
Uh, no. It's been awhile.
I just got busy.
Well, it turns out
she moved to Dallas.
She's got a job there.
Yeah, I heard that.
Her Dad had
a heart attack recently,
did you know that?
I didn't know that. Is he OK?
He's recovering, but Carly's
at home helping out her Mom.
She gave me
her new phone number
if you wanna give her a call.
OK.
Christmas wasn't the same
without you.
I'm really glad
you made it back this year.
Yeah, me too, Mom.
Well, you should get some rest.
You must be exhausted.
Yeah.
And eat this cake!
OK! Fine.
-Goodnight, honey.
-Goodnight, Mom.
Landry?
Landry...
It's our little secret, buddy.
Oh, you are hungry!
Shhh... Stop.
Landry, you're such
a bed hog, get off...
(Radio) You're listening to
The Word with Dave Hewitt.
Right before the break,
I was talking about Santa Claus
How a lot of us,
myself included,
have accepted the dominance
of Santa in Christmas.
-Good morning.
-Mornin'.
Morning.
But Santa Claus
has distracted us...
How'd you sleep?
I slept great.
I hope you're hungry because
breakfast will be ready soon.
Can I do anything?
No, just, have some coffee.
The lie about Santa Claus
may not be a big deal.
I certainly don't think
that it is.
But there are many other lies,
in our society,
that do a lot more damage.
You want more coffee, Dad?
Hmm? No, no. I'm good.
(Radio continues) I'll get more
into this in a minute,
because what I'm ultimately
getting at is the truth.
The church,
our place of worship,
is the foundation of truth.
When we're there having
fellowship with each other,
we hear the truth.
But, when we're not
at the church,
we are surrounded by
so many pervasive lies.
Remember what Jesus said
in John 8:32?
Then you will know the truth,
and the truth
will set you free...
Honey? Are you OK?
Yeah. Yeah, no I'm fine.
I'm just waking up.
[knocking on door]
Andrew?
Andrew...
What?
Mom wants you up for breakfast.
Give it back.
Sorry.
Hey um...
I wanna apologize to you for um,
you not being able to come
to New York to visit me.
I know you were really
bummed about that.
I just...
something came up and I couldn't
get any time off so...
Hey, what are you
listening to nowadays?
Is that Madonna? Since when
were you into Madonna?
Hey, um, I was at her last show,
at Radio City Music Hall.
Wait, you went
to the Virgin Tour?
Yeah! Leo got us
front row tickets.
No way.
It was so much fun, man.
We had such a blast.
I had her other album too but...
Dad found it in my backpack
and threw it away.
Really?
He's thrown away
a bunch of tapes.
I had a Bryan Adams poster
but he tore it off the wall.
There was a sermon at church
about "secular music."
That's nothing new, Andrew,
they'll always find ways
to make that stuff up.
Yeah, well, people around here
don't think it's made up.
You know Mr. Thompson
from down the road?
-Yeah?
-He has all the records.
Oh, yeah.
He has an amazing collection.
He had an amazing collection.
He had Pastor John over and they
burned them all in his backyard.
You could see the smoke
from blocks away.
The fire department had to come
and put it out.
Do you think I'm ugly?
I mean, like, if you weren't
my brother and all.
Andrew, why would you ask that?
Well, I don't know.
The kids at school, they um...
They call me pizza face.
Tommy Clements said
that his sister said
that there's no way
we're related
'cause you're so much
better looking than me.
You're not ugly, OK?
I had really bad skin too.
It goes away after a few years.
Kids can just be assholes.
Also Tommy's older sister,
Susie, was such a bitch.
And no one liked her
because she tried way too hard
to be cool,
so he's probably the same.
You just said the A-word
and the B-word.
Yeah, I'm gonna
call you the A-word
if you don't get up
for breakfast!
It's pancake day!
We eat pancakes!
We can have pancakes--
Knock it off!
Breakfast is ready!
That was your fault.
What?
Yep, all your fault!
Give it all you got now!
Come on!
I'm trying...
So are you seeing anyone?
Barely have time for myself,
much less anyone else, Mom.
'Cause y'know I spoke with Carly
and I think she's
still on the market.
-Mom.
-What?
I was very fond of her.
Yeah, well, Dad wasn't.
That's a different story,
and you know why.
Can I borrow your car?
I need to get
some stuff at the store.
Sure, um, can you
drop me off at the church?
I'm volunteering for
the afternoon service.
Yeah, sure.
Will you pick up
some stuff for me too?
I'll make you a list
and you can just get the money
out of my purse.
No, no, no just make
the list, Mom, I got it.
It's so close!
It's not just about strength;
it's about leverage, right?
So turn tha...
turn that wrist, go on.
There ya go. There ya go!
-Yes!
-See?
-OK!
-That was good work.
So you have to do it
with the wrist?
-Yeah, you feel it?
-Yeah.
With your size you're gonna
need some leverage, alright?
Just checking in on Georgie.
Is he OK?
Did he stop throwing up?
Well, good, OK, that's good.
How are you doing?
[chuckling]
Oh, man.
Uh, no I haven't.
I just got here, Brandon.
Yeah.
Yeah, I know.
That's really rich
coming from you.
What, you just--
You don't even talk
to your own family anymore!
No!
So stop telling me
what I should do!
It's alright.
I'm sorry, Brandon.
I just, don't really
wanna talk about this.
Um...
OK, I'll call you back
in a couple days, alright?
Just don't worry about me, OK?
And um...
Give Georgie
lots of kisses for me.
Alright. Bye.
It's declined.
Uh, can you try that again?
Yeah, it's still
not going through.
Um, OK, do you take Diner's?
No.
Alright, I'll just
pay cash then. That's fine.
Here you go.
Hey, Lester!
Adrian Lester!
Ha! I thought that was you.
Hey...
Oh, Marc, we went to
Arlington Heights together.
Yeah, yeah, hey.
Did you move back to Fort Worth?
No, sorry, I um, I'm just...
I'm home for the holidays.
Do you work here?
Yeah, I'm the Assistant Manager.
That's great.
Hey, do you want
a fresh pumpkin pie?
I could hook you up.
That's alright--
No you gotta try ours,
they're the best.
Wait right here, alright?
It'll take me one second.
Alright.
Hey!
Hey.
Sorry, I didn't know--
I'll just put this right here
on your bag.
How much do I owe you for this?
Oh, no, it's on the house,
perks of the job.
Uh, were you two years
ahead of me in school?
Yeah.
You were on
the football team, right?
Go Yellow Jackets!
I was a lot heftier then.
Marcus. Marcus Peterson. Right?
Yeah, I went by Marc
after I graduated.
Marcus just sounds
so dorky you know?
It's funny what dropping
two letters from your name
can do for your self-image.
Listen...
I don't wanna pretend
like nothing happened before.
I wasn't very nice
to a lot of people in school.
And uh, I know I wasn't
very nice to you.
I know it's not an excuse but,
I was going through
a lot of stuff at home
and I took it out on you guys.
Y'know it was a really
long time ago. But...
No worries.
Well...
I think it's God's will
I ran into you today.
Yeah, uh, it was really good
to see you, Marc.
Likewise.
-Merry Christmas, Adrian.
-Hey, Merry Christmas, Marc.
Say hi to your folks for me.
[snoring]
Dale, roll over.
Hey, if you go before me...
Will you wait for me?
'Cause I'll wait for you
if I go first.
Merry Christmas, Landry.
[Christmas hymn plays]
Come on now, open it up.
Pastor John suggested those;
he said it sounds just like
the stuff you listen to.
But without
all the filthy lyrics.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Alright, who's next?
What is it?
Oh!
Oh, thank you!
You're welcome. You can do
all kinds of stuff with it.
I know. I saw it on TV. Wow...
And you got it on sale!
Darn, I forgot to take that off.
Thanks, Andrew.
Y'know that's like the
third time you've got me a tie.
Yeah, but not one with checkers!
Right, not one with checkers.
Ah, cufflinks, too.
We thought your old one
would be worn out by now.
It's... This is
really beautiful, thank you.
It's real gold leaf.
It's a really soft light leather
so it's perfect
for Texas winters.
Let's see what I've got.
Alright.
Oh this...
This is cashmere.
Alright, Andrew.
Just open it, buddy.
So, this one actually records
and it's a little bit smaller
so it should be easier
to carry around.
And it has Dolby.
You're the best.
Yeah, now you did not
need to get him a new one,
his old one worked just fine.
Dale, come on, it's Christmas.
And um,
this is for all you guys.
Ooh...
Alright.
These are...
These are round-trip tickets
to Honolulu.
Lemme see that.
Give it here...
3 days of hotel?
You've always wanted to go Mom.
And these are open tickets
so you can use them
any time next year.
Hawaii?
So--
We're gonna get room service?
Wait, you're not
gonna go with us?
Well...
Uh...
I mean, of course,
I would love to. I just--
I don't know
if I can get off work.
How are you paying for this?
It was a special deal.
Um, Brandon, my roommate,
he's a travel agent.
But all these presents, it
must have cost you a fortune.
No, it's nothing.
Uh, Bloomingdale's is
one of our biggest clients
so I get a huge discount there.
And um...
I uh, I have some news--
...to share with you.
Um, I've just been trying to
find the best time to do this.
I got a big promotion.
You did?
Yeah...
And I'm hoping
to get my own place soon.
Wow, congratulations.
We always knew
that you had talent.
So, now I can come visit you?
Yeah.
[knock on door]
Listen.
Everybody...
Praise!
Everybody...
Praise!
Oh, wow.
- It sucks, right?
- It's jubilant.
Hey, um,
I got you something else
but um,
I didn't want Mom and Dad
to freak out.
A hundred dollars
to Sound Warehouse?
Yeah.
Yeah, so now you can get
whatever tapes you want.
You just-
You have to hide them well.
That's awesome.
Thank you.
Yeah, man, Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
Praise!
Everybody--
Praise!
You just gotta--
Praise! Woo!
I just wanna see
what it looks like on you.
It's a little warm today, hun.
Quit whining and just
put it on for a minute.
Come on.
Alright...
Turn around.
Wow! See, how handsome!
Hey, I'm gonna
take Landry for a walk.
OK.
[sobbing]
I don't know what to do.
Oh, God...
I miss you so much.
Hello?
Hello?
Hey Carly, it's Adrian.
Well, well.
Merry Christmas.
Right...
Y'know I wasn't
counting on hearing from you.
Hey, how's your Dad?
I'm really sorry to hear
what happened to him.
Right, um.
He's doing a lot better.
Thank you for asking.
Hopes to go back to work
after the holidays.
OK, that's good.
Tell him I said hey
when you get a chance.
Yeah.
Hey, guess who
I ran into yesterday?
Marcus fucking Peterson.
Carly...
Carly, are you really
this mad at me?
Did he give you any free shit?
Yeah he gave me
a pumpkin pie, actually.
Why? Did he give you something?
Yeah.
He gave me a fucking
rotisserie chicken
when I was there with my Mom.
It was so weird.
I guess he's just
trying to make amends.
Y'know, he's a changed man,
praise the Lord.
Chicken was good though.
Yeah, so was the pie.
Uh, are you busy?
Uh, it would be
really nice to see you.
Y'know I live in Dallas now,
so--
OK, uh...
I can borrow my Mom's car.
You're only like,
45 minutes away.
Alright, well I have to get
ready for this thing tonight.
What's you're...
What's the thing?
(Carly on stage)
How's everyone doing tonight?
[applause]
Alright.
My name is Carly.
But my Korean name is
Jeong Ki-bum Choi Young-soon.
Right so,
just please call me Carly.
Uh...
Growing up in school,
I didn't think that I was
any different from
any of the other students,
until one day, in 6th grade,
in history class we're learning
about World War II.
Madeline, the most
popular girl in school,
stands up during the lesson,
points at me,
and calls me a "dirty Jap."
[Audience groans]
Yeah, horrible, right?
It's racist! It's just, like,
assuming that
we're all the same.
Y'know I'm Korean-American.
I'm very proud and I...
thought it was important
to explain that to her.
So the next day
I went to school...
dressed in...
traditional Korean garb,
which I...
quite kindly explained to her
was called a Hanbok.
And then I
kicked her fucking ass.
Yes!
Yeah, kicked her...
Ass! Felt so good.
But y'know what,
I do not condone violence.
No, looking back
I feel pretty bad about it.
But I thought it was important
to teach her the lesson,
that there's a difference
between a "dirty Jap"...
and a motherfucking "gook!"
Thank you. Yeah.
Thanks.
[crowd laughs, applauds]
Hey!
Hey.
Aw, man, you were hilarious!
Thanks. Yeah thanks,
I'm still working out the jokes.
It's really, really good.
My cheeks are a little sore
from smiling so much.
Um, do you want a drink?
I'll get the first round.
Please.
Hey, Gene,
can I have a vodka soda?
And I'll have a gin and tonic.
I don't know I just,
started taking some
improv classes for fun.
A coworker of mine
has been doing it for awhile
and she suggested
that I give it a go.
And y'know what, I just, um,
I find it really liberating.
You get to say all the shit that
you wouldn't say in real life.
That's really cool.
I just never...
Never would have
pictured you doing this.
It's awesome.
Yeah, well, I'm still
very much an amateur.
No, Carly, you're actually
really good at this.
Thanks. My parents don't
even know that I'm doing it.
I mean, if they knew that I
was doing stand-up in front of
a bunch of drunks
in this part of town,
Fuck, my Dad
would have another heart attack.
And, y'know it's the whole
reason why I moved to Dallas.
To get them off my back.
Wish I had the balls
to do what you did though.
You uh, you did it.
You left fucking Texas.
You went for it.
Look at you now.
Making waves on Madison Avenue.
Oh my God,
is that what my Mom said?
Oh man, uh...
Yeah, I'm...
I'm still not making
any money and uh--
I live in uh,
the same crappy neighborhood.
I've been mugged three times.
Wow, sounds like
you're living the dream.
Yeah, no, this year has actually
been really rough for me.
Well, if there's nothing else,
this shitty year is about
to come to an end.
So here is to 1986.
May this new year,
give us a fucking break.
Yeah, cheers to that.
You don't have to go home
right away, do you?
- You can hang out?
- Yes! What am I, 15?
I don't know, man,
you always had curfews.
What do you have in mind?
I'm gonna take you
to this bitchin' club.
[music plays in background]
-Hey.
-Hey.
Do you want some wine?
Uh, no I'm good.
We used to
do this all the time.
Yeah, Carly, I'm-
I, I really just wanna hang out.
OK?
[turns music off]
Why did you stop calling me?
I left you
so many fucking messages
and you just
checked out on me.
Yeah, I know.
Hey.
Adrian, please look at me.
Please.
What's going on? What's wrong?
Nothing.
Can I actually get water?
Are you happy?
Um...
Yeah, I'm doing fine.
How have you been?
Good.
Are you seeing anyone
in New York?
Uh, no I'm not.
Are you seeing anyone?
Adrian, I'm--
Carly, the reason
I didn't call you back--
I went there to start over.
I really needed a fresh start.
I didn't like my life here
and um...
That's that.
OK.
So then why the fuck
did you call me today?
Why are we doing this?
Because, I really
wanted to see you.
It's been a long time
and I wanted...
I'm in town...
And, I just couldn't leave
without seeing you.
I love you...
I care about you a lot!
You can't say that to me.
You can't--
Fuck you!
Fuck you.
Adrian, we have known each other
since we were ten
and this is how you're going to
fucking end this?
I...
I just wanted to see you
one last time.
Well it looks like you
got what you wanted.
You're a fucking coward.
You're a piece of shit.
I think you should go now.
I'm really sorry, Carly.
Oh shit, Mom!
Language!
Oh my God,
what are you doing in here?
Your Dad was snoring up a storm
and I came in here
to wait for you
and I guess I just fell asleep.
Where have you been?
Um, I was hanging out
with Carly.
Oh, did you have a good time?
Oh honey,
you don't look very good.
Yeah, no, I don't feel good.
Have you been drinking?
Mom...
And you drove all the way
from Dallas,
you could've killed someone!
I'm not drunk, Mom, Jesus.
Adrian!
Oh my God...
[wretching]
Let's hope it's
not another stomach flu.
Maybe I should take you
to the doctor tomorrow.
No, it's not a stomach flu.
And, I'm actually starting
to feel a little better.
Are you able to undress yourself
and get in the tub?
Yeah, Mom.
It smells like bubble gum.
Just like childhood.
Y'know you made
a bath for me
every single time I'm sick.
And I still do.
I'm sorry, Mom,
I didn't mean to make you mad.
I swear I'm not drunk.
Is this about Carly?
We had
a really big fight tonight.
Pretty sure
that friendship's over.
Oh nonsense.
You guys have
known each other forever,
it's not like it's the first
time you've had a fight.
I'm sure you'll both
work through this.
Mom, I'm never
gonna be with Carly.
I need you to understand that.
You should have your tea,
before it gets cold.
I don't want you to think
we didn't like the presents
you got for us.
We're just, not used to
having such nice things.
And you know, your Dad
is kind of a cheapskate.
Oh, Mom.
Well, he is.
You're never gonna believe me
when I tell you this.
What?
I didn't vote
for Reagan last year.
Mom!
Your Dad has no idea.
You voted for Mondale?
You actually
voted for a Democrat?
I changed my mind
at the last minute.
I really liked his
nuclear freeze policy and--
I don't believe in war.
I saw what it did to your Dad,
and to his friends.
And then there's
the Equal Rights Amendment.
I just had a good feeling
about him.
I didn't even know
you were that into politics.
Sweetie, I'm not just
a country bumpkin.
I like to think of myself as
a well-informed citizen
these days.
You think you're ready for bed?
Um, I'm gonna stay here
another minute.
OK.
Thanks, Mom.
Adrian?
Adrian.
Uh, yeah?
Get up, we're gonna be late.
It's alright, just let him rest
He's not feeling well.
But Mom, he already said
he was gonna take me.
Adrian? Can we go now?
Yeah, hey can you
just give me--
Just give me like two minutes?
Hey, can we have...
one adult, one child for
A Chorus Line, please?
Sorry, that one's sold out.
I'm sorry, bud,
it's my fault we're late.
It's OK. I wouldn't mind
seeing Back to the Future.
How many times
have you seen that?
I dunno, like, four?
OK, let's see something
you haven't seen.
OK...
Oh. Nightmare 2.
That's rated R.
I can't take you to see that.
Mom and Dad will kill me.
Mom and Dad don't have to know.
Please?
[movie plays]
So, I think I'm gonna get these.
You don't have to spend
your entire
gift certificate today, buddy.
Yeah, but they had
all the ones I wanted.
Bud, you...
Wow, you are listening to
way too much Top 40.
Alright, we gotta get you
some different tapes...
Do you know The Cure?
Or REM?
- Who?
- OK, let's go.
Hey.
You wanna have a drink?
No, I'm good, thanks.
Couldn't sleep either, huh?
No.
Come on, put that water down.
Have a beer
with your old man, come on.
Grab a seat.
There ya go.
Sit down.
Have I ever had a drink
with you before?
No, I don't think so.
Hell, I was 15 when I first
had a beer with my Dad.
Oh, well, cheers.
Cheers, Dad.
You...
took off just as soon
as you could.
You couldn't have...
taken off any faster.
Were you running away
from something?
I wasn't running away, Dad.
I can feel Andrew
drifting away from me.
I don't even know
what to do about it.
Everything was fine
when he was playing football.
I was at every game.
Once he started
to get into the theater,
I just didn't know how
to talk to him anymore.
Well, you can just...
ask him questions about it,
that's a good place to start.
He doesn't think I know
anything about that stuff,
thinks I don't get it.
Maybe he's right, I've--
I've never been an
artsy-fartsy kind of guy anyway.
But I am getting worried.
Does he...
Does he seem soft to you?
He's still a kid, Dad.
But you weren't like him
when you were at his age.
You played sports
all through high school.
You helped me out in the shop.
I mean, Andrew's
gotta be a lot tougher
or he's gonna have
a hard time out in the world.
Your grandfather...
Now he was tough on me.
He didn't hug any of his sons,
or ask us questions.
But he sure knew how to
straighten us out
with discipline.
Or a good ol' ass whoopin
if that's what was called for.
I am who I am today
because of him,
and I turned out alright,
didn't I?
Yeah.
You know you can always
count on me, right?
If something goes wrong,
you need money, anything at all.
We may not have much
but we always pull through.
Hell...
You wouldn't believe
some of the stuff I did
for my buddies in 'Nam,
against them gooks.
Dad, you can't say "gooks."
I can call them
whatever the fuck I want!
You weren't there.
There were people's lives
depending on me.
I've helped so many people.
I'm still known for that,
you ask anyone in town.
I'm the most reliable person
in this town. Ask anyone.
So?
Is everything OK with you?
Come on now,
I don't have all damn night.
Yeah, everything's fine.
How'd you pay for the gifts?
I've already told you guys.
It's a lot of money, Adrian.
I tried to call your office
a few months ago.
Dad, you can't--
You just... If you need to talk
to me you have to call my house.
They don't like personal calls.
I wondered why you wouldn't
give us your work number.
But it didn't take me long
to figure that out.
They said you don't
work there no more.
Well, I'm not sure
who you talked to,
it's a really big agency,
they were probably confused--
Don't lie to me.
What happened?
I mean, did you get fired?
Did you steal something?
Dad!
Well, answer...
Answer my question!
You may be a grown man
but I'm still your father.
OK, I didn't steal anything!
I can't--
Honest-- Oh, my God,
I gotta go to bed.
You remember when I was in
Connecticut for Frank's funeral?
He was the commander
of my platoon.
- You remember?
- Yeah.
Well...
They thought he killed himself.
Knowing him he just probably
just got too wasted.
Fooling around
on some shooting range
that he shouldn't have been on.
Stupid son of a bitch.
So I was in Connecticut
for Frank, and then I took...
the train down to the city
to have lunch with you.
Yeah.
I asked if I could
see your place
but you had excuses as to
why that wasn't a good idea.
Dad, I just, didn't want you
to see what a mess it was.
If I'd had time to clean it--
Why are you
still bullshittin' me?
I took a cab
to your neighborhood.
I wanted to see where you lived.
As we drove
past your building...
I thought I saw you with some
guy on the steps
but I wasn't sure at first
if it was you
so I had the cab driver
go around the block again.
This time I...
I was sure it was you.
You had your arms around him.
I didn't even recognize you.
It was like
you were a different person.
Don't you even think
about telling your mother.
You will break her heart.
You hear me? Not one word.
Yes, sir.
Ow!
Did you cut yourself?
Let me see...
Yeah... Where are the Band-Aids?
I'll get them.
- There.
- I got it.
Why won't you let me help you?
I'm fine, Mom! I'm not a child!
Adrian!
Somebody's here to see you.
You sure there's nothing
I can get for you, hun?
Make you some tea or something?
Oh no, I'm fine, Mrs. Lester.
Please, call me Eileen.
Where's Mr. Lester?
He's at the store with Andrew.
Oh, OK.
Ah, our man of the hour.
Hey.
Hi.
I've got a chicken to put in the
oven so I'll leave you to it.
Say hi to your parents for me
and let me know if there's
anything I can do.
I will, thank you so much.
Alright.
Don't be a stranger.
I won't.
I'm starving,
do you wanna grab a bite?
Wow, this place
has not changed a bit.
Remember we used to come here
whenever we were broke
and we'd order
an extra large order of fries
and get refills on the Coke?
And leave no tip!
We were terrible.
Hi, what can I get for y'all?
Um, I'll have a Caesar salad
and a Diet Coke.
And I'm just gonna have
a cup of coffee,
cream and sugar.
And we're gonna have an extra
large order of fries to split.
OK, perfect.
I'll be right back with that.
I'm really sorry...
about the other night.
I just don't...
I don't wanna lose you
as a friend again.
Yeah, me too, Carly, I'm...
I've really missed you.
I just, um...
I don't know if I'm gonna be
here this time next year.
What do you mean?
Leo passed away two months ago.
In October.
Nine months
after he was diagnosed.
We'd spent every
New Year's Eve together
since we met.
I was really hoping he was
gonna make it to this one.
I called his parents up
after he died.
They didn't want
anything to do with him.
He really wanted
to be buried in Ohio,
where he was born.
I wasn't even able
to do that for him.
I've lost so many friends.
I've been to
six funerals this year.
I feel like I'm losing
my fucking mind.
Leo left me his Chihuahua.
It breaks my heart a little bit
when he looks at me funny.
He's still wondering
where Leo is.
And uh...
My job at the agency,
I lost that.
Someone might have found out,
I don't know.
And uh,
I'm working at a restaurant.
Barely getting by, I spent all
my money on Christmas gifts.
I can't believe it took you
this long to tell me.
Did you really think that
I wasn't gonna be cool
with that?
Yeah.
I guess we're even.
You don't really know me either.
Promise me something.
When you get sick,
you have to call me. OK?
You don't wanna be
anywhere near this.
Trust me...
Things are gonna
get really ugly.
I shouldn't have kissed you.
If something happened to you--
Stop it, OK, stop it.
You're being paranoid.
OK?
I'm gonna see you
next Christmas.
We're gonna go out and
we're gonna have a good time.
And who knows,
there might be a cure by then.
There could be new drugs,
new treatments--
I'm not gonna make it that long.
You're still healthy.
You don't even look sick to me.
Sorry.
You don't have to
say yes to this.
But in the future...
Would you tell Andrew what
really happened to me?
Please?
Honey, will you do us the honor?
Uh, yeah sure.
Dear Father...
Um...
Thank You
for another wonderful meal.
And we wanna thank You
for allowing us to spend
this Christmas together.
We pray that there are many
more days like this to come,
and many more memories
for us to look forward to.
And we pray that...
You'll continue
to teach us how
to love
each other unconditionally,
just the way that You love us.
We pray that
Your everlasting grace
continues to lead
and inspire us. Amen.
(All) Amen.
That was lovely.
Thanks, Mom.
Can't you just
stay a few more days?
I really wish I could, Andrew,
but I have to get back to work.
So, when are you
gonna come home next?
Um, well...
The next chance that I get.
Better not be
another three years.
I mean, you have a promotion
now, you make money,
can't you just fly home
whenever you want?
Let it go, Andrew.
Hey.
Hey.
What's going on?
I'll tell him for you.
I'll tell Andrew.
Thank you, Carly.
Thank you.
I told you
I don't need a new coat.
Honey, he's leaving soon.
Would you just put it on?
It's the least you can do.
Would you stop pestering me?
If you won't put it on for him
then just put it on for me.
Eileen!
God, you're so stubborn.
Why don't you just
take it to work with you?
It's supposed to get cold later
I'm sorry
I have to go again, bud.
Are you gonna miss me?
Alright.
Wish I could bring you with me,
but you're just too big.
I gotta go to work early
so your Mom's gonna
take you to the airport.
Alright.
So, I'll say my goodbyes now.
- Take good care of yourself.
- You too, Dad.
I meant what I said.
You can always count on me.
OK...
Hey, Dad.
Yeah?
I was reading through
some passages in the Bible
that you and Mom got me and--
I know I need to
make some changes.
I'm a little lost
right now, but...
With His light,
I know I can find my way back.
I gotta go.
Alright.
Bye, Dad.
Andrew...
Andrew?
Mom?
Is it time?
Yeah, we should get going.
OK, I'm just gonna
drop you here.
And I'm...
I'm not gonna walk you in, OK?
OK.
I don't want you
to miss your plane.
You know...
You don't have to tell me,
until you're ready.
And I'll try to be ready
when you are.
[sobbing]
Mom...
Alright...
I should probably get going.
OK.
I love you, Mom.
I love you, too.
(Adrian on tape)
Hey, Andrew...
Now I want you to keep this
tape as long as possible.
I think you might need to liste
to this again in the future.
It might make more sense
to you when you're older.
You're gonna have
some tough days.
Days where...
You'll feel like
everything sucks.
And you don't wanna
get out of bed.
Days where you're gonna feel
like you just don't belong.
I've had a lot of those days.
And I want you to know...
You're not the only one who
feels the way that you do.
There's a whole world out there
for someone like you.
I promise you, you are not as
different as you think you are.
And Mom and Dad,
they might not get it.
A lot of your friends
might not get it either.
And some of them might say some
pretty mean and awful things.
Because they just don't get it.
But I get it.
And I know that you're
gonna learn to be happy...
with who you are.
And you may need to be
in another place to be happy.
And you know what?
That's OK.
That's why I left home.
It might seem like the
hardest thing to do at first.
But it might be
the right thing for you too.
And in another time...
At another place...
You're gonna meet
the right people.
People that are just like you.
People that are just like me.
So hang in there, Andrew.
Things tend to
get a little darker
before they get brighter.
I will always regret
that I wasn't home enough
these past few years.
I feel like I'm only
really getting to know you
this time around.
And I'm proud
that you're my brother.
I will always be with you.
(Radio) We know that there is
no forgiveness in hell.
Whatever goes to hell,
will stay in hell--
[clicks off radio]
(Intercom) Attention passengers
of Flight 261
to New York, LaGuardia.
We are now boarding
groups A and B.
Please have your
boarding passes ready.
Again, we are now boarding
groups A and B.
Dad...
Hey, sorry about the delay...
the storm at LaGuardia
was really bad.
It was no big deal.
I was just waiting
about an hour.
This airport seems bigger now.
When was the last time
you were here?
Wasn't it like, Thanksgiving?
Yeah... in '82.
(Woman) Are they here?
[dog barking]
Aw... Landry!
Don't let him out!
My best boy!
I have missed you so much.
-Dad, you got it?
-Yep!
-Oh, Adrian.
-Hey, Mom.
Goodness gracious,
you've gotten so thin!
Yeah, he had a stomach flu.
-Are you alright now?
-Yeah, I'm fine.
I'll take this big ol' bag
of rocks in your room.
Andrew?
Andrew, your brother's here.
Hey, Andrew.
Wow, man,
you've gotten so tall.
Hey, can I get a hug?
Oh, Andrew...
He's just being a little shy.
-It's fine, Mom.
-He's very excited to see you.
-It's fine...
-Andrew!
We thank you, Father,
for bringing Adrian
back home safe and sound
to celebrate
this blessed holiday with us.
We pray that You will
watch over and guide him,
as You have watched over
and guided all of us.
Amen.
(All) Amen.
I made all your favorites.
Wow, this looks
really delicious, Mom.
Still playing football Andrew?
He quit last year.
I kinda sucked at it.
No, that's not true now.
Coach Jennings said
you have great potential.
Andrew is the vice president
of the drama club now.
Wow, is that right?
He was in
Arsenic and Old Lace recently.
I was the lead.
You were a very
convincing older man.
And he got the biggest applause.
He needs to speak up
is what he needs to do.
He mumbled through
most of his lines.
I could barely
understand him half the time.
Sorry I missed it, buddy.
I'm sure you were brilliant,
you wouldn't be cast
as a lead otherwise.
Are you still at that same
place, the ad agency?
Yep.
You've been there
a long time. Still like it?
Yeah, it's been three years.
I still like it a lot.
Have you guys seen the
Crunchy Chocolate Puffs
commercial
that's playing right now?
Oh, yeah.
You worked on that?
I wrote parts of it, yeah.
I saw it..
It was lame.
Andrew, that wasn't very nice.
No, he's right, Mom.
It's kinda lame.
How are your roommates?
They're great.
Um, did they go home
for Christmas too?
Mm-hmm.
Where are they from?
Brandon is from New Jersey,
and Leo is from Ohio.
I think I talked to Leo
on the phone once
when you weren't there.
He sounded very nice.
I just can't understand
how three grown men
can still live together.
It's like y'all
are back in college.
Dale, the rents are much
more expensive there.
I'm aware of that it's just--
This pot roast, Mom,
is as good as I remember it.
I've literally had dreams
about your cooking,
I miss it that much.
Thank you, honey,
that's very sweet.
Hey, can you smell Georgie?
Yeah? I think you two
would like each other.
Knock, knock!
Hey... Mom, I'm so full
I can't have another bite.
Come on, will you please
eat this cake?
Your brother's going
to eat it, otherwise,
and all the sugar is not good
for his complexion.
Oh, poor guy.
Alright.
It's... it's really good.
It's very good, Mom.
You know, your Dad wanted to
turn this room into storage
but I just didn't have the heart
to take out all your stuff.
And also I like to
sleep in here sometimes.
You know
how your Dad snores.
I haven't missed that.
I hope you're not
too bothered by Andrew.
No, I'm not.
I know he's still mad at me.
I ran into Carly yesterday
at the store.
She had no idea
you were coming to town.
I thought you guys talk to
each other once in awhile.
Uh, no. It's been awhile.
I just got busy.
Well, it turns out
she moved to Dallas.
She's got a job there.
Yeah, I heard that.
Her Dad had
a heart attack recently,
did you know that?
I didn't know that. Is he OK?
He's recovering, but Carly's
at home helping out her Mom.
She gave me
her new phone number
if you wanna give her a call.
OK.
Christmas wasn't the same
without you.
I'm really glad
you made it back this year.
Yeah, me too, Mom.
Well, you should get some rest.
You must be exhausted.
Yeah.
And eat this cake!
OK! Fine.
-Goodnight, honey.
-Goodnight, Mom.
Landry?
Landry...
It's our little secret, buddy.
Oh, you are hungry!
Shhh... Stop.
Landry, you're such
a bed hog, get off...
(Radio) You're listening to
The Word with Dave Hewitt.
Right before the break,
I was talking about Santa Claus
How a lot of us,
myself included,
have accepted the dominance
of Santa in Christmas.
-Good morning.
-Mornin'.
Morning.
But Santa Claus
has distracted us...
How'd you sleep?
I slept great.
I hope you're hungry because
breakfast will be ready soon.
Can I do anything?
No, just, have some coffee.
The lie about Santa Claus
may not be a big deal.
I certainly don't think
that it is.
But there are many other lies,
in our society,
that do a lot more damage.
You want more coffee, Dad?
Hmm? No, no. I'm good.
(Radio continues) I'll get more
into this in a minute,
because what I'm ultimately
getting at is the truth.
The church,
our place of worship,
is the foundation of truth.
When we're there having
fellowship with each other,
we hear the truth.
But, when we're not
at the church,
we are surrounded by
so many pervasive lies.
Remember what Jesus said
in John 8:32?
Then you will know the truth,
and the truth
will set you free...
Honey? Are you OK?
Yeah. Yeah, no I'm fine.
I'm just waking up.
[knocking on door]
Andrew?
Andrew...
What?
Mom wants you up for breakfast.
Give it back.
Sorry.
Hey um...
I wanna apologize to you for um,
you not being able to come
to New York to visit me.
I know you were really
bummed about that.
I just...
something came up and I couldn't
get any time off so...
Hey, what are you
listening to nowadays?
Is that Madonna? Since when
were you into Madonna?
Hey, um, I was at her last show,
at Radio City Music Hall.
Wait, you went
to the Virgin Tour?
Yeah! Leo got us
front row tickets.
No way.
It was so much fun, man.
We had such a blast.
I had her other album too but...
Dad found it in my backpack
and threw it away.
Really?
He's thrown away
a bunch of tapes.
I had a Bryan Adams poster
but he tore it off the wall.
There was a sermon at church
about "secular music."
That's nothing new, Andrew,
they'll always find ways
to make that stuff up.
Yeah, well, people around here
don't think it's made up.
You know Mr. Thompson
from down the road?
-Yeah?
-He has all the records.
Oh, yeah.
He has an amazing collection.
He had an amazing collection.
He had Pastor John over and they
burned them all in his backyard.
You could see the smoke
from blocks away.
The fire department had to come
and put it out.
Do you think I'm ugly?
I mean, like, if you weren't
my brother and all.
Andrew, why would you ask that?
Well, I don't know.
The kids at school, they um...
They call me pizza face.
Tommy Clements said
that his sister said
that there's no way
we're related
'cause you're so much
better looking than me.
You're not ugly, OK?
I had really bad skin too.
It goes away after a few years.
Kids can just be assholes.
Also Tommy's older sister,
Susie, was such a bitch.
And no one liked her
because she tried way too hard
to be cool,
so he's probably the same.
You just said the A-word
and the B-word.
Yeah, I'm gonna
call you the A-word
if you don't get up
for breakfast!
It's pancake day!
We eat pancakes!
We can have pancakes--
Knock it off!
Breakfast is ready!
That was your fault.
What?
Yep, all your fault!
Give it all you got now!
Come on!
I'm trying...
So are you seeing anyone?
Barely have time for myself,
much less anyone else, Mom.
'Cause y'know I spoke with Carly
and I think she's
still on the market.
-Mom.
-What?
I was very fond of her.
Yeah, well, Dad wasn't.
That's a different story,
and you know why.
Can I borrow your car?
I need to get
some stuff at the store.
Sure, um, can you
drop me off at the church?
I'm volunteering for
the afternoon service.
Yeah, sure.
Will you pick up
some stuff for me too?
I'll make you a list
and you can just get the money
out of my purse.
No, no, no just make
the list, Mom, I got it.
It's so close!
It's not just about strength;
it's about leverage, right?
So turn tha...
turn that wrist, go on.
There ya go. There ya go!
-Yes!
-See?
-OK!
-That was good work.
So you have to do it
with the wrist?
-Yeah, you feel it?
-Yeah.
With your size you're gonna
need some leverage, alright?
Just checking in on Georgie.
Is he OK?
Did he stop throwing up?
Well, good, OK, that's good.
How are you doing?
[chuckling]
Oh, man.
Uh, no I haven't.
I just got here, Brandon.
Yeah.
Yeah, I know.
That's really rich
coming from you.
What, you just--
You don't even talk
to your own family anymore!
No!
So stop telling me
what I should do!
It's alright.
I'm sorry, Brandon.
I just, don't really
wanna talk about this.
Um...
OK, I'll call you back
in a couple days, alright?
Just don't worry about me, OK?
And um...
Give Georgie
lots of kisses for me.
Alright. Bye.
It's declined.
Uh, can you try that again?
Yeah, it's still
not going through.
Um, OK, do you take Diner's?
No.
Alright, I'll just
pay cash then. That's fine.
Here you go.
Hey, Lester!
Adrian Lester!
Ha! I thought that was you.
Hey...
Oh, Marc, we went to
Arlington Heights together.
Yeah, yeah, hey.
Did you move back to Fort Worth?
No, sorry, I um, I'm just...
I'm home for the holidays.
Do you work here?
Yeah, I'm the Assistant Manager.
That's great.
Hey, do you want
a fresh pumpkin pie?
I could hook you up.
That's alright--
No you gotta try ours,
they're the best.
Wait right here, alright?
It'll take me one second.
Alright.
Hey!
Hey.
Sorry, I didn't know--
I'll just put this right here
on your bag.
How much do I owe you for this?
Oh, no, it's on the house,
perks of the job.
Uh, were you two years
ahead of me in school?
Yeah.
You were on
the football team, right?
Go Yellow Jackets!
I was a lot heftier then.
Marcus. Marcus Peterson. Right?
Yeah, I went by Marc
after I graduated.
Marcus just sounds
so dorky you know?
It's funny what dropping
two letters from your name
can do for your self-image.
Listen...
I don't wanna pretend
like nothing happened before.
I wasn't very nice
to a lot of people in school.
And uh, I know I wasn't
very nice to you.
I know it's not an excuse but,
I was going through
a lot of stuff at home
and I took it out on you guys.
Y'know it was a really
long time ago. But...
No worries.
Well...
I think it's God's will
I ran into you today.
Yeah, uh, it was really good
to see you, Marc.
Likewise.
-Merry Christmas, Adrian.
-Hey, Merry Christmas, Marc.
Say hi to your folks for me.
[snoring]
Dale, roll over.
Hey, if you go before me...
Will you wait for me?
'Cause I'll wait for you
if I go first.
Merry Christmas, Landry.
[Christmas hymn plays]
Come on now, open it up.
Pastor John suggested those;
he said it sounds just like
the stuff you listen to.
But without
all the filthy lyrics.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Alright, who's next?
What is it?
Oh!
Oh, thank you!
You're welcome. You can do
all kinds of stuff with it.
I know. I saw it on TV. Wow...
And you got it on sale!
Darn, I forgot to take that off.
Thanks, Andrew.
Y'know that's like the
third time you've got me a tie.
Yeah, but not one with checkers!
Right, not one with checkers.
Ah, cufflinks, too.
We thought your old one
would be worn out by now.
It's... This is
really beautiful, thank you.
It's real gold leaf.
It's a really soft light leather
so it's perfect
for Texas winters.
Let's see what I've got.
Alright.
Oh this...
This is cashmere.
Alright, Andrew.
Just open it, buddy.
So, this one actually records
and it's a little bit smaller
so it should be easier
to carry around.
And it has Dolby.
You're the best.
Yeah, now you did not
need to get him a new one,
his old one worked just fine.
Dale, come on, it's Christmas.
And um,
this is for all you guys.
Ooh...
Alright.
These are...
These are round-trip tickets
to Honolulu.
Lemme see that.
Give it here...
3 days of hotel?
You've always wanted to go Mom.
And these are open tickets
so you can use them
any time next year.
Hawaii?
So--
We're gonna get room service?
Wait, you're not
gonna go with us?
Well...
Uh...
I mean, of course,
I would love to. I just--
I don't know
if I can get off work.
How are you paying for this?
It was a special deal.
Um, Brandon, my roommate,
he's a travel agent.
But all these presents, it
must have cost you a fortune.
No, it's nothing.
Uh, Bloomingdale's is
one of our biggest clients
so I get a huge discount there.
And um...
I uh, I have some news--
...to share with you.
Um, I've just been trying to
find the best time to do this.
I got a big promotion.
You did?
Yeah...
And I'm hoping
to get my own place soon.
Wow, congratulations.
We always knew
that you had talent.
So, now I can come visit you?
Yeah.
[knock on door]
Listen.
Everybody...
Praise!
Everybody...
Praise!
Oh, wow.
- It sucks, right?
- It's jubilant.
Hey, um,
I got you something else
but um,
I didn't want Mom and Dad
to freak out.
A hundred dollars
to Sound Warehouse?
Yeah.
Yeah, so now you can get
whatever tapes you want.
You just-
You have to hide them well.
That's awesome.
Thank you.
Yeah, man, Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
Praise!
Everybody--
Praise!
You just gotta--
Praise! Woo!
I just wanna see
what it looks like on you.
It's a little warm today, hun.
Quit whining and just
put it on for a minute.
Come on.
Alright...
Turn around.
Wow! See, how handsome!
Hey, I'm gonna
take Landry for a walk.
OK.
[sobbing]
I don't know what to do.
Oh, God...
I miss you so much.
Hello?
Hello?
Hey Carly, it's Adrian.
Well, well.
Merry Christmas.
Right...
Y'know I wasn't
counting on hearing from you.
Hey, how's your Dad?
I'm really sorry to hear
what happened to him.
Right, um.
He's doing a lot better.
Thank you for asking.
Hopes to go back to work
after the holidays.
OK, that's good.
Tell him I said hey
when you get a chance.
Yeah.
Hey, guess who
I ran into yesterday?
Marcus fucking Peterson.
Carly...
Carly, are you really
this mad at me?
Did he give you any free shit?
Yeah he gave me
a pumpkin pie, actually.
Why? Did he give you something?
Yeah.
He gave me a fucking
rotisserie chicken
when I was there with my Mom.
It was so weird.
I guess he's just
trying to make amends.
Y'know, he's a changed man,
praise the Lord.
Chicken was good though.
Yeah, so was the pie.
Uh, are you busy?
Uh, it would be
really nice to see you.
Y'know I live in Dallas now,
so--
OK, uh...
I can borrow my Mom's car.
You're only like,
45 minutes away.
Alright, well I have to get
ready for this thing tonight.
What's you're...
What's the thing?
(Carly on stage)
How's everyone doing tonight?
[applause]
Alright.
My name is Carly.
But my Korean name is
Jeong Ki-bum Choi Young-soon.
Right so,
just please call me Carly.
Uh...
Growing up in school,
I didn't think that I was
any different from
any of the other students,
until one day, in 6th grade,
in history class we're learning
about World War II.
Madeline, the most
popular girl in school,
stands up during the lesson,
points at me,
and calls me a "dirty Jap."
[Audience groans]
Yeah, horrible, right?
It's racist! It's just, like,
assuming that
we're all the same.
Y'know I'm Korean-American.
I'm very proud and I...
thought it was important
to explain that to her.
So the next day
I went to school...
dressed in...
traditional Korean garb,
which I...
quite kindly explained to her
was called a Hanbok.
And then I
kicked her fucking ass.
Yes!
Yeah, kicked her...
Ass! Felt so good.
But y'know what,
I do not condone violence.
No, looking back
I feel pretty bad about it.
But I thought it was important
to teach her the lesson,
that there's a difference
between a "dirty Jap"...
and a motherfucking "gook!"
Thank you. Yeah.
Thanks.
[crowd laughs, applauds]
Hey!
Hey.
Aw, man, you were hilarious!
Thanks. Yeah thanks,
I'm still working out the jokes.
It's really, really good.
My cheeks are a little sore
from smiling so much.
Um, do you want a drink?
I'll get the first round.
Please.
Hey, Gene,
can I have a vodka soda?
And I'll have a gin and tonic.
I don't know I just,
started taking some
improv classes for fun.
A coworker of mine
has been doing it for awhile
and she suggested
that I give it a go.
And y'know what, I just, um,
I find it really liberating.
You get to say all the shit that
you wouldn't say in real life.
That's really cool.
I just never...
Never would have
pictured you doing this.
It's awesome.
Yeah, well, I'm still
very much an amateur.
No, Carly, you're actually
really good at this.
Thanks. My parents don't
even know that I'm doing it.
I mean, if they knew that I
was doing stand-up in front of
a bunch of drunks
in this part of town,
Fuck, my Dad
would have another heart attack.
And, y'know it's the whole
reason why I moved to Dallas.
To get them off my back.
Wish I had the balls
to do what you did though.
You uh, you did it.
You left fucking Texas.
You went for it.
Look at you now.
Making waves on Madison Avenue.
Oh my God,
is that what my Mom said?
Oh man, uh...
Yeah, I'm...
I'm still not making
any money and uh--
I live in uh,
the same crappy neighborhood.
I've been mugged three times.
Wow, sounds like
you're living the dream.
Yeah, no, this year has actually
been really rough for me.
Well, if there's nothing else,
this shitty year is about
to come to an end.
So here is to 1986.
May this new year,
give us a fucking break.
Yeah, cheers to that.
You don't have to go home
right away, do you?
- You can hang out?
- Yes! What am I, 15?
I don't know, man,
you always had curfews.
What do you have in mind?
I'm gonna take you
to this bitchin' club.
[music plays in background]
-Hey.
-Hey.
Do you want some wine?
Uh, no I'm good.
We used to
do this all the time.
Yeah, Carly, I'm-
I, I really just wanna hang out.
OK?
[turns music off]
Why did you stop calling me?
I left you
so many fucking messages
and you just
checked out on me.
Yeah, I know.
Hey.
Adrian, please look at me.
Please.
What's going on? What's wrong?
Nothing.
Can I actually get water?
Are you happy?
Um...
Yeah, I'm doing fine.
How have you been?
Good.
Are you seeing anyone
in New York?
Uh, no I'm not.
Are you seeing anyone?
Adrian, I'm--
Carly, the reason
I didn't call you back--
I went there to start over.
I really needed a fresh start.
I didn't like my life here
and um...
That's that.
OK.
So then why the fuck
did you call me today?
Why are we doing this?
Because, I really
wanted to see you.
It's been a long time
and I wanted...
I'm in town...
And, I just couldn't leave
without seeing you.
I love you...
I care about you a lot!
You can't say that to me.
You can't--
Fuck you!
Fuck you.
Adrian, we have known each other
since we were ten
and this is how you're going to
fucking end this?
I...
I just wanted to see you
one last time.
Well it looks like you
got what you wanted.
You're a fucking coward.
You're a piece of shit.
I think you should go now.
I'm really sorry, Carly.
Oh shit, Mom!
Language!
Oh my God,
what are you doing in here?
Your Dad was snoring up a storm
and I came in here
to wait for you
and I guess I just fell asleep.
Where have you been?
Um, I was hanging out
with Carly.
Oh, did you have a good time?
Oh honey,
you don't look very good.
Yeah, no, I don't feel good.
Have you been drinking?
Mom...
And you drove all the way
from Dallas,
you could've killed someone!
I'm not drunk, Mom, Jesus.
Adrian!
Oh my God...
[wretching]
Let's hope it's
not another stomach flu.
Maybe I should take you
to the doctor tomorrow.
No, it's not a stomach flu.
And, I'm actually starting
to feel a little better.
Are you able to undress yourself
and get in the tub?
Yeah, Mom.
It smells like bubble gum.
Just like childhood.
Y'know you made
a bath for me
every single time I'm sick.
And I still do.
I'm sorry, Mom,
I didn't mean to make you mad.
I swear I'm not drunk.
Is this about Carly?
We had
a really big fight tonight.
Pretty sure
that friendship's over.
Oh nonsense.
You guys have
known each other forever,
it's not like it's the first
time you've had a fight.
I'm sure you'll both
work through this.
Mom, I'm never
gonna be with Carly.
I need you to understand that.
You should have your tea,
before it gets cold.
I don't want you to think
we didn't like the presents
you got for us.
We're just, not used to
having such nice things.
And you know, your Dad
is kind of a cheapskate.
Oh, Mom.
Well, he is.
You're never gonna believe me
when I tell you this.
What?
I didn't vote
for Reagan last year.
Mom!
Your Dad has no idea.
You voted for Mondale?
You actually
voted for a Democrat?
I changed my mind
at the last minute.
I really liked his
nuclear freeze policy and--
I don't believe in war.
I saw what it did to your Dad,
and to his friends.
And then there's
the Equal Rights Amendment.
I just had a good feeling
about him.
I didn't even know
you were that into politics.
Sweetie, I'm not just
a country bumpkin.
I like to think of myself as
a well-informed citizen
these days.
You think you're ready for bed?
Um, I'm gonna stay here
another minute.
OK.
Thanks, Mom.
Adrian?
Adrian.
Uh, yeah?
Get up, we're gonna be late.
It's alright, just let him rest
He's not feeling well.
But Mom, he already said
he was gonna take me.
Adrian? Can we go now?
Yeah, hey can you
just give me--
Just give me like two minutes?
Hey, can we have...
one adult, one child for
A Chorus Line, please?
Sorry, that one's sold out.
I'm sorry, bud,
it's my fault we're late.
It's OK. I wouldn't mind
seeing Back to the Future.
How many times
have you seen that?
I dunno, like, four?
OK, let's see something
you haven't seen.
OK...
Oh. Nightmare 2.
That's rated R.
I can't take you to see that.
Mom and Dad will kill me.
Mom and Dad don't have to know.
Please?
[movie plays]
So, I think I'm gonna get these.
You don't have to spend
your entire
gift certificate today, buddy.
Yeah, but they had
all the ones I wanted.
Bud, you...
Wow, you are listening to
way too much Top 40.
Alright, we gotta get you
some different tapes...
Do you know The Cure?
Or REM?
- Who?
- OK, let's go.
Hey.
You wanna have a drink?
No, I'm good, thanks.
Couldn't sleep either, huh?
No.
Come on, put that water down.
Have a beer
with your old man, come on.
Grab a seat.
There ya go.
Sit down.
Have I ever had a drink
with you before?
No, I don't think so.
Hell, I was 15 when I first
had a beer with my Dad.
Oh, well, cheers.
Cheers, Dad.
You...
took off just as soon
as you could.
You couldn't have...
taken off any faster.
Were you running away
from something?
I wasn't running away, Dad.
I can feel Andrew
drifting away from me.
I don't even know
what to do about it.
Everything was fine
when he was playing football.
I was at every game.
Once he started
to get into the theater,
I just didn't know how
to talk to him anymore.
Well, you can just...
ask him questions about it,
that's a good place to start.
He doesn't think I know
anything about that stuff,
thinks I don't get it.
Maybe he's right, I've--
I've never been an
artsy-fartsy kind of guy anyway.
But I am getting worried.
Does he...
Does he seem soft to you?
He's still a kid, Dad.
But you weren't like him
when you were at his age.
You played sports
all through high school.
You helped me out in the shop.
I mean, Andrew's
gotta be a lot tougher
or he's gonna have
a hard time out in the world.
Your grandfather...
Now he was tough on me.
He didn't hug any of his sons,
or ask us questions.
But he sure knew how to
straighten us out
with discipline.
Or a good ol' ass whoopin
if that's what was called for.
I am who I am today
because of him,
and I turned out alright,
didn't I?
Yeah.
You know you can always
count on me, right?
If something goes wrong,
you need money, anything at all.
We may not have much
but we always pull through.
Hell...
You wouldn't believe
some of the stuff I did
for my buddies in 'Nam,
against them gooks.
Dad, you can't say "gooks."
I can call them
whatever the fuck I want!
You weren't there.
There were people's lives
depending on me.
I've helped so many people.
I'm still known for that,
you ask anyone in town.
I'm the most reliable person
in this town. Ask anyone.
So?
Is everything OK with you?
Come on now,
I don't have all damn night.
Yeah, everything's fine.
How'd you pay for the gifts?
I've already told you guys.
It's a lot of money, Adrian.
I tried to call your office
a few months ago.
Dad, you can't--
You just... If you need to talk
to me you have to call my house.
They don't like personal calls.
I wondered why you wouldn't
give us your work number.
But it didn't take me long
to figure that out.
They said you don't
work there no more.
Well, I'm not sure
who you talked to,
it's a really big agency,
they were probably confused--
Don't lie to me.
What happened?
I mean, did you get fired?
Did you steal something?
Dad!
Well, answer...
Answer my question!
You may be a grown man
but I'm still your father.
OK, I didn't steal anything!
I can't--
Honest-- Oh, my God,
I gotta go to bed.
You remember when I was in
Connecticut for Frank's funeral?
He was the commander
of my platoon.
- You remember?
- Yeah.
Well...
They thought he killed himself.
Knowing him he just probably
just got too wasted.
Fooling around
on some shooting range
that he shouldn't have been on.
Stupid son of a bitch.
So I was in Connecticut
for Frank, and then I took...
the train down to the city
to have lunch with you.
Yeah.
I asked if I could
see your place
but you had excuses as to
why that wasn't a good idea.
Dad, I just, didn't want you
to see what a mess it was.
If I'd had time to clean it--
Why are you
still bullshittin' me?
I took a cab
to your neighborhood.
I wanted to see where you lived.
As we drove
past your building...
I thought I saw you with some
guy on the steps
but I wasn't sure at first
if it was you
so I had the cab driver
go around the block again.
This time I...
I was sure it was you.
You had your arms around him.
I didn't even recognize you.
It was like
you were a different person.
Don't you even think
about telling your mother.
You will break her heart.
You hear me? Not one word.
Yes, sir.
Ow!
Did you cut yourself?
Let me see...
Yeah... Where are the Band-Aids?
I'll get them.
- There.
- I got it.
Why won't you let me help you?
I'm fine, Mom! I'm not a child!
Adrian!
Somebody's here to see you.
You sure there's nothing
I can get for you, hun?
Make you some tea or something?
Oh no, I'm fine, Mrs. Lester.
Please, call me Eileen.
Where's Mr. Lester?
He's at the store with Andrew.
Oh, OK.
Ah, our man of the hour.
Hey.
Hi.
I've got a chicken to put in the
oven so I'll leave you to it.
Say hi to your parents for me
and let me know if there's
anything I can do.
I will, thank you so much.
Alright.
Don't be a stranger.
I won't.
I'm starving,
do you wanna grab a bite?
Wow, this place
has not changed a bit.
Remember we used to come here
whenever we were broke
and we'd order
an extra large order of fries
and get refills on the Coke?
And leave no tip!
We were terrible.
Hi, what can I get for y'all?
Um, I'll have a Caesar salad
and a Diet Coke.
And I'm just gonna have
a cup of coffee,
cream and sugar.
And we're gonna have an extra
large order of fries to split.
OK, perfect.
I'll be right back with that.
I'm really sorry...
about the other night.
I just don't...
I don't wanna lose you
as a friend again.
Yeah, me too, Carly, I'm...
I've really missed you.
I just, um...
I don't know if I'm gonna be
here this time next year.
What do you mean?
Leo passed away two months ago.
In October.
Nine months
after he was diagnosed.
We'd spent every
New Year's Eve together
since we met.
I was really hoping he was
gonna make it to this one.
I called his parents up
after he died.
They didn't want
anything to do with him.
He really wanted
to be buried in Ohio,
where he was born.
I wasn't even able
to do that for him.
I've lost so many friends.
I've been to
six funerals this year.
I feel like I'm losing
my fucking mind.
Leo left me his Chihuahua.
It breaks my heart a little bit
when he looks at me funny.
He's still wondering
where Leo is.
And uh...
My job at the agency,
I lost that.
Someone might have found out,
I don't know.
And uh,
I'm working at a restaurant.
Barely getting by, I spent all
my money on Christmas gifts.
I can't believe it took you
this long to tell me.
Did you really think that
I wasn't gonna be cool
with that?
Yeah.
I guess we're even.
You don't really know me either.
Promise me something.
When you get sick,
you have to call me. OK?
You don't wanna be
anywhere near this.
Trust me...
Things are gonna
get really ugly.
I shouldn't have kissed you.
If something happened to you--
Stop it, OK, stop it.
You're being paranoid.
OK?
I'm gonna see you
next Christmas.
We're gonna go out and
we're gonna have a good time.
And who knows,
there might be a cure by then.
There could be new drugs,
new treatments--
I'm not gonna make it that long.
You're still healthy.
You don't even look sick to me.
Sorry.
You don't have to
say yes to this.
But in the future...
Would you tell Andrew what
really happened to me?
Please?
Honey, will you do us the honor?
Uh, yeah sure.
Dear Father...
Um...
Thank You
for another wonderful meal.
And we wanna thank You
for allowing us to spend
this Christmas together.
We pray that there are many
more days like this to come,
and many more memories
for us to look forward to.
And we pray that...
You'll continue
to teach us how
to love
each other unconditionally,
just the way that You love us.
We pray that
Your everlasting grace
continues to lead
and inspire us. Amen.
(All) Amen.
That was lovely.
Thanks, Mom.
Can't you just
stay a few more days?
I really wish I could, Andrew,
but I have to get back to work.
So, when are you
gonna come home next?
Um, well...
The next chance that I get.
Better not be
another three years.
I mean, you have a promotion
now, you make money,
can't you just fly home
whenever you want?
Let it go, Andrew.
Hey.
Hey.
What's going on?
I'll tell him for you.
I'll tell Andrew.
Thank you, Carly.
Thank you.
I told you
I don't need a new coat.
Honey, he's leaving soon.
Would you just put it on?
It's the least you can do.
Would you stop pestering me?
If you won't put it on for him
then just put it on for me.
Eileen!
God, you're so stubborn.
Why don't you just
take it to work with you?
It's supposed to get cold later
I'm sorry
I have to go again, bud.
Are you gonna miss me?
Alright.
Wish I could bring you with me,
but you're just too big.
I gotta go to work early
so your Mom's gonna
take you to the airport.
Alright.
So, I'll say my goodbyes now.
- Take good care of yourself.
- You too, Dad.
I meant what I said.
You can always count on me.
OK...
Hey, Dad.
Yeah?
I was reading through
some passages in the Bible
that you and Mom got me and--
I know I need to
make some changes.
I'm a little lost
right now, but...
With His light,
I know I can find my way back.
I gotta go.
Alright.
Bye, Dad.
Andrew...
Andrew?
Mom?
Is it time?
Yeah, we should get going.
OK, I'm just gonna
drop you here.
And I'm...
I'm not gonna walk you in, OK?
OK.
I don't want you
to miss your plane.
You know...
You don't have to tell me,
until you're ready.
And I'll try to be ready
when you are.
[sobbing]
Mom...
Alright...
I should probably get going.
OK.
I love you, Mom.
I love you, too.
(Adrian on tape)
Hey, Andrew...
Now I want you to keep this
tape as long as possible.
I think you might need to liste
to this again in the future.
It might make more sense
to you when you're older.
You're gonna have
some tough days.
Days where...
You'll feel like
everything sucks.
And you don't wanna
get out of bed.
Days where you're gonna feel
like you just don't belong.
I've had a lot of those days.
And I want you to know...
You're not the only one who
feels the way that you do.
There's a whole world out there
for someone like you.
I promise you, you are not as
different as you think you are.
And Mom and Dad,
they might not get it.
A lot of your friends
might not get it either.
And some of them might say some
pretty mean and awful things.
Because they just don't get it.
But I get it.
And I know that you're
gonna learn to be happy...
with who you are.
And you may need to be
in another place to be happy.
And you know what?
That's OK.
That's why I left home.
It might seem like the
hardest thing to do at first.
But it might be
the right thing for you too.
And in another time...
At another place...
You're gonna meet
the right people.
People that are just like you.
People that are just like me.
So hang in there, Andrew.
Things tend to
get a little darker
before they get brighter.
I will always regret
that I wasn't home enough
these past few years.
I feel like I'm only
really getting to know you
this time around.
And I'm proud
that you're my brother.
I will always be with you.
(Radio) We know that there is
no forgiveness in hell.
Whatever goes to hell,
will stay in hell--
[clicks off radio]
(Intercom) Attention passengers
of Flight 261
to New York, LaGuardia.
We are now boarding
groups A and B.
Please have your
boarding passes ready.
Again, we are now boarding
groups A and B.