It's over. Unless you're serious about Tracy. Are you?
- No. Tracy's too young. - Then call her up.
Listen, she's an unhappy person. I mean, she needs something in her life.
- I think you guys would be good together. - I could be a good influence on her.
I think that under my personal vibrations, I could put her life in a kind of good order.
That's what you said about Jill, and she went from bisexuality to homosexuality.
Yeah, but I gave it the old college try there for a while.
- Listen, you should call her up. - No kidding. What did she say about me?
She said that she likes you very much. She thinks you're smart.
- She thinks you're... - Keep going. Don't stop.
- Attractive. - Really? No kidding.
You see, to me a great movie is with WC Fields. That's what I like.
Or Grand Illusion. That's... I see that every time it's on television, if I'm aware of it.
So what you got to eat here? Nothing.
Oh, Jesus, what is this? You got a corned beef sandwich here from 19517, I think.
- Look at this. I mean... - Yeah, I know, I know.
- I don't have time to cook. - Corned beef should not be blue.
It's really terrible.
- Hey. - What?
Come here.
What're you doing?
What am I doing? You have to ask? I was kissing you flush on the mouth.
I... I cannot get my life in any kind of order. It's just...
- It's something I wanted to do for ages. - Yeah, I know.
Do you? Cos I... I thought I was hiding it. I was trying to be real cool and casual.
I thought you wanted to kiss me at the planetarium.
- I did. - I thought so.
But you were going out with Yale then and I would never in a million years interfere...
Did you want me to kiss you?
I don't know what I wanted. I was so angry at Yale that day.
But you were so sexy. You were soaking wet from the rain
and I had a mad impulse to throw you down on the lunar surface
and commit interstellar perversion with you.
I can't go from relationship to relationship. It's senseless. I can't do it.
Well, what... Are you still hung up on Yale? Is that the problem?
I've got too many problems.
I'm really not the person to get involved with. I'm trouble.
- Hey, honey, Trouble is my middle name. - What are you saying?
Actually, my middle name is Mortimer.
I'm... I'm kidding.
My problem is I'm both attracted and repelled by the male organ.
So it doesn't make for good relationships with men.
What about your relationships with women?
You never really told me much about your first wife.
My first wife was a kindergarten teacher, you know.
She got into drugs and she... moved to San Francisco.
Went into est, became a Moonie.
She's with the William Morris Agency now.
D'you like that?
This... this, I think, has a kind of wonderful otherness to it, you know.
- A marvellous negative capability. - OK.
Kind of wonderful energy to it, don't you think?
I thought that wine was wonderful, didn't you think?
And it just made my face all flushed and hot.
Yeah. You look so beautiful I can hardly keep my eyes on the meter.
It's 14 bucks!
I know, but it was a great restaurant. Didn't you love it?
Yeah, I love seafood. Course I'm drunk. I don't know if you can tell or not.
Hey, you know, it was the only time in my life I ever had Chianti from Warsaw.
- Give me a kiss. - OK.
What are you thinking?
I was thinking there must be something wrong with me
because I've never had a relationship
that's lasted longer than the one between Hitler and Eva Braun.
I think you're still drunk!
It's great. It's... it's...
I don't play the harmonica, but it's an incredible... harmonica is what it is.
Well, you said you wanted to learn. I'm trying to open up that side of you.
Tracy, you're throwing away an enormous amount of real affection
on the wrong person.
It's not wrong for me.
Listen, I don't... I don't think we should keep seeing each other.
Why not?
Because I think you're getting too hung up on me, you know?
"Hung up on me." I'm starting to sound like you.
I'm not hung up on you. I'm in love with you.
You can't be in love with me. We've been over this.
You're a kid. You don't know what love means. I don't know what it means.
Nobody knows what the hell's going on.
We have laughs together. I care about you.
Your concerns are my concerns. We have great sex.
You... But you're 17 years old.
By the time you're 21, you'll have a dozen relationships,
believe me, far more passionate than this one.
Well, don't you love me?
The truth is that I love somebody else.
You do?
Hey, come on... We... we...
This was supposed to be a temporary fling. You know that.
You met someone?
Don't stare at me with those big eyes.
You look like one of those barefoot kids from Bolivia who needs foster parents.
Have you been seeing someone?
No. Yes. Someone older.
I mean, y-y-you know, y-y-you know.
Not as old as I am, but in the same general ballpark as me.
Gee, now I don't feel so good.
It's not right. You shouldn't get hung...
I mean, you should open up your life.
You know, you've got to.
You state it like it's to my advantage, when it's you that wants to get out of it.
Hey, don't be so precocious, OK? I mean, don't be so smart.
I'm 42. My hair's falling out. I'm starting to lose some hearing in my right ear.
Is that what you want?
I can't believe that you met somebody that you like better than me.
Why should I feel guilty about this?
I've always encouraged you to go out with guys more your own age.
Kids from your class. Billy and Biff and Scooter.
And, you know, little Tommy or Terry.
Hey, come on, don't cry.
Don't cry.
Come on, don't cry.
Tracy... Tracy, don't... Come on. Don't cry, Tracy.
- Tracy... - Just leave me alone.
Tracy, come on, don't...
Leave me alone.
- That was wonderful. - I'll say.
- I love being in the country. - It's very relaxing.
The mosquitoes have sucked all the blood out of my left leg. Apart from that...
- Doesn't it make you feel better? - Yeah, you were dynamite,
except I felt for about two seconds you were faking.
- Not a lot. - No.
Yes. When you dug your nails into my neck, you were a little...
Well, I guess I'm nervous around you.
- Still? - Well, yeah.
- So crazy. - Because I'd like everything to work out.
It will. You should leave everything to me. I'll make everything happen.
D'you really promise?
Because I like you. I feel good around you.
I don't blame you.
Yeah, I mean... Yale was great, he was absolutely great, but he was married.
And Jeremiah, my ex-husband.
He was just this oversexed, brilliant kind of animal.
- Hey, what am I? Grandma Moses? - Not at all. No, no, no.
- You're much different. - Yeah?
Yes. You're someone I could imagine having children with.
- Really? - Yeah.
Hit the lights. Go ahead. Turn 'em out.
We'll trade fours.
Well, we never see you any more.
Cos I'm working on my book. I'm submerged.
- It's that girl. Serious, isn't it? - Well, serious, you know.
When are we gonna get to meet her? I'm sure Yale'd like to meet her.
We should go out sometime.
I don't understand. Why does he need a car? A sudden urge.
He just wants it.
What...? Is there nothing I can do to dissuade you from this?
It's so crazy. They should ban all cars from Manhattan. I mean, this is crazy.
Listen, Emily wants to know why I never bring Mary around.
Why not bring Mary around?
- I don't know. Is it awkward for you? - Are you kidding?
I spoke to her. It's no problem for her.
- Then why not? - Well, you know.
Hey, don't get this thing. I hate cars. It screws up the environment.
- This is a work of art. - Yeah.
- Hi. - Hi.
- This is Emily. - Hello. Nice to meet you.
- This is Yale. - Hi, Yale.
So, shall we go?
- Yeah, let's go. - Sure.
Look at that. That building is almost torn down.
Can't they have those things declared landmarks?
Yeah, I once tried to block demolition.
Getting some people to lay in front of a building, and a cop stepped on my hand.
The city's really changing.
I need something for round the house that doesn't make me look too Mexican.
Ugh, this is...
- Mary? - Oh, my God. Jeremiah. Well...
Hi.
- Jeremiah, this is my friend Isaac Davis. - Hi. Glad to meet you.
- God, this is incredible. - Incredible.
I'm in town for a few days. There's a symposium on semantics.
- Well... - And you're looking so great. I just, uh...
- You. You're so thin. You lost weight. - Well, I have an exercise machine.
Well, you really look good. Really good.
God. Well, I'm a bit late, but it's just so nice seeing you.
- It's great seeing you. - I read an article by you
- On Brecht. - Oh, shit! I know.
I always was a sucker for Germanic theatre.
- Well... - God.
- OK. Well, God... OK. So long. - Bye. Bye, Jeremiah.
Bye. Bye.
God, what a surprise. I cannot get over it. My ex-husband.
And he really does look a lot thinner. He looks great.
You certainly fooled me. I was shocked cos that's not what I expected.
- What did you expect? - I don't know. You had always led me to...
You said he was a ladies' man, that he opened you up sexually.
- So? So? - Then this little homunculus, you know...
He's quite devastating.
Really?
Well, it's... it's amazing how subjective all that stuff is.
I don't know what you're...
- Boy, you're really typing away. - Yeah, it's a cinch.
You still reviewing Tolstoy?
No, no, I finished that two days ago. I'm on that novelisation.
What... what do you waste your time with a novelisation for?
Why? Because it's easy and it pays well.
It's like another contemporary American phenomenon that's truly moronic.
The novelisations of movies. You're much too brilliant for that.
You should be doing other stuff.
- Like what? - Fiction. I've seen your fiction. It's terrific.
Hello?
Mary, hi. It's Yale.
I was hoping you'd pick up.
Listen, could we meet for coffee?
Well, why? What is it?
Well, you know, I miss you. I just thought maybe we could talk.
No, I don't think that would be possible. I don't think that would be possible at all.
I'm sorry, I just, uh... No, I... I'm sorry. I gotta go.
- Who was that? - What?
Who was that on the phone just now?
- Uh, dance lessons. - Dance lessons that was?!
Yeah. Do we want free dance lessons?
Right. They give you one free lesson, then they hook you for $50,000 worth.
Viking loved my book. They loved the first four chapters
and, you know, they were really complimentary.
Yale had read them and thought they showed promise.
But Yale's family, so of course he's encouraging.
But Viking will shell out the money.
Maybe it'll inspire Yale to finish his book. He's been talking about it long enough.
Mary read the stuff and she was laughing out loud. I respect her judgment.
- Although she's doing a think piece on... - Hello?
Hey, where were you? You were supposed to be home an hour ago.
- Uh... I bought the car. - Oh, no. You did?
I know it's a meaningless extravagance, but I had to have it.
- That thing we saw? - Yeah.
Did you hear Viking Press loved the first four chapters of lke's book?
- Great! - They were real complimentary.
Next week I get the car and we'll celebrate.
- OK. - In our new car.
Jesus, listen to this.
"Making love to this deeper, more masterful female
made me realise what an empty experience,
what a bizarre charade sex with my husband was."
Please. That is so nauseating. I...
Is this true? Did you make love with Jill and a woman?
She put that in?
Christ! She wanted to, I think. I didn't wanna be a bad sport.
- Did you have a good time? - No, I didn't.
Did you hear the one where he tried to run her lover over?
- Oh, yeah. - Whose side are you on?
I didn't try and run her over. It was raining. The car lurched.
Jesus, now everybody in town is gonna know all these details.
Everybody... All my friends and...
Listen. "He was given to fits of rage, Jewish, liberal paranoia,
male chauvinism, self-righteous misanthropy,
and nihilistic moods of despair."
"He had complaints about life, but never solutions."
"He longed to be an artist, but balked at the necessary sacrifices."
"In his most private moments, he spoke of his fear of death
which he elevated to tragic heights when, in fact, it was mere narcissism."
- I came here to strangle you. - Nothing I wrote was untrue.
You make me out to be Lee Harvey Oswald!
It's an honest account.
- That I'm narcissistic? - You're self-obsessed.
- Misanthropic and self-righteous? - I wrote some nice things about you.
Like what? What?
You cry when you see Gone With The Wind.
What are you laughing about?
- You let her write that garbage? - Wait. This is between you two.
D'you honestly think that I tried to run you over?
You just happened to hit the gas as I walked in front of the car.
- Did I do it on purpose? - Well, what would Freud say?
That I really wanted to run her over. That's why he was a genius.
Listen, I'm going upstairs. I got work to do.
Don't forget that Willie's at ballet class.
Look, I better warn you.
I've had some interest in this book for a movie sale.
Anybody home?
Yeah? I got an unbelievable story to tell you. Absolutely incredible. You OK?
- Oh, yeah. - Yeah?
Just let me get one glass of brown water cos I'm dying of thirst.
- Isaac, I wanna talk to you first. - Mm-mm. So I go over to Jill's today
because I'm real annoyed over that junk she printed in the book. And...
Isaac, before you get wound up, there's something I wanna tell you.
- What's the matter? You look pale. - Well...
Wh... What's the matter?
Hey, what... Is there something wrong? What is it?
I think I'm still in love with Yale.
What?
You... Are you kidd...?
- You are? - Yes.
Well, when did this happen? What...
Well, you are or you think you are?
I started seeing him again.
When? Since when?
Just since today. I mean, that's why I wanted to be open about it.
Jesus, I'm... I'm shocked.
I'm... I'm shocked. I'm surprised.
I think I've always been in love with him.
How does he feel about this?
Well...
He wants to move out of his place so that we can live together.
I'm stunned. I mean, I'm in a state of...
Somebody should throw a blanket over me. You know, I'm...
Well, you see, he called me several times in a very depressed state
and he still loves me.
This is shaping up like a Noel Coward play. Somebody should go make martinis.
I don't blame you for being furious with me.
I'm too stunned to be furious.
Well, then I wish you would. I wish you'd get angry so that we could have it out.
I don't get angry. I tend to internalise.
I can't express anger. That's one of the problems I have. I grow a tumour instead.
Well, I told you that I was trouble from the beginning, from when we started dating.
So what does your analyst say?
Donny's in a coma. He had a very bad acid experience.
Oh, that's gr... That's great. I mean, you know...
- I think you're making a big mistake here. - Why?
Why? Because you... Why? Because you're preferring Yale to me.
I know that sounds egotistical, but... you know...
This guy's been married 12 years. What do you think will happen?
He'll be away from her for a month, he'll go crazy.
And if he does commit to you, when you start to feel secure, you'll drop him.
I know it. I give the whole thing... four weeks.
I can't plan that far in advance.
- You can't plan four weeks in advance?! - No!
What kind of foresight is that?
Jesus. You know, I knew you were crazy when we started going out.
You always think that you're gonna be the one that makes 'em act different, but...
Isaac, I'm sorry. I really am. I'm really sorry.
Oh, well, I'm...
I'm sorr... Where are you going?
- I gotta get some air. - Oh.
What are you doing here?
I spoke to Mary. Were you gonna tell me?
- I was, but... I'm trying to teach a class. - So where can we go and talk?
- How'd you get past the security? - I walked right past.
What are you telling me? That you're gonna leave Emily
and run away with the... the winner of the
Zelda Fitzgerald Emotional Maturity Award?
Look, I love her.
- What kind of crazy friend are you? - A good friend. I introduced you two.
- Why? What was the point? - Cos I thought you liked her!
- I do! Now we both like her! - Yeah, well, I liked her first.
"I liked her first." What are you, six years old? Jesus!
Look, would I have encouraged you to take her out if I still liked her?
So you liked her? Now you don't like her?
It's early. You can change your mind one more time before dinner.
Don't get sarcastic about this. You think I like this?
How long were you gonna see her without telling me?
Don't turn this into one of your big moral issues.
You could've said, but you... All you had to do was call me and talk to me.
I'm understanding. I'd have said no, but you'd have felt honest.
I wanted to tell you about it. I knew it would upset you. I...
We had a few innocent meetings.
A few? She said one. You guys should get your story straight. Don't you rehearse?
We met twice for coffee.
Hey, she doesn't drink coffee.
Did you meet for Sanka? That's not too romantic. A little on the geriatric side.
I'm not a saint, OK?
You're too easy on yourself. Don't you see?
You're... You rationalise everything. You're not honest with yourself.
You talk about you wanna write a book, but in the end you'd rather buy a Porsche.
You cheat a little bit on Emily and you play around the truth with me.
The next thing you know you're in front of a Senate committee naming names.
You are so self-righteous.
I mean, we're just people. We're just human beings. You think you're God!
I gotta model myself after someone.
You just can't live the way you do. It's all so perfect.
Jesus, what are future generations gonna say about us? My God!
You know, someday we're gonna be like him.
And he was probably one of the beautiful people, dancing and playing tennis.
And now look. This is what happens to us.
You know, it's important to have some kind of personal integrity.
I'll be hanging in a classroom one day
and I wanna make sure when I thin out that I'm... well thought of.
Ike!
Isaac, where are you going?
No, I knew Yale had affairs.
But then, nothing's perfect.
Marriage is a... requires some minor compromises, I guess.
It's funny cos I'm just a non-compromiser.
I mean, I can't... I can't see that.
I think it's always a mistake to look the other way cos you pay for it in the end.
But then you saw what Jill wrote about me in that book.
I'm living in the past.
How about you? You seeing anybody?
Yeah. You know, I... I never had any problem meeting women. I mean, that's...
But I was thinking about this just about a week ago.
I think, and I know this sounds strange, but I think I really missed a good bet
when I let Tracy go.
- Remember Tracy? - Yeah. I liked her.
Yeah. I was thinking about this at home last week
and I think, of all the women I've known over the last years,
when I actually am honest with myself, I think I had the most relaxed times
and, you know, the nicest times with her.
She was a terrific kid, but young, right?
So that's that.
Why don't you call her?
No, I would never do that. I think I blew that one.
I kept her at a distance and I would never give her a chance.
And she was so sweet, you know.
She called me. She left a message with my service about a month ago
that I should watch Grand Illusion on television and I never returned her call.
Cos I, you know, I didn't wanna lead her on or anything.
She really cared about me and I...
You know I was a little pissed off at you.
Me?
I figured if you hadn't introduced Mary to Yale, this might never have happened.
An idea for a short story about, um, people in Manhattan
who are constantly creating
these real, unnecessary, neurotic problems for themselves
cos it keeps them from dealing with more unsolvable, terrifying problems
about... the universe.
Let's... Well, it has to be optimistic.
Well, all right, why is life worth living? That's a very good question.
Well, there are certain things, I guess, that make it worthwhile.
Like what?
OK... for me...
Ooh, I would say Groucho Marx, to name one thing.
And Willie Mays.
And... the second movement of the Jupiter Symphony.
And... Louis Armstrong's recording of Potato Head Blues.
Swedish movies, naturally.
Sentimental Education by Flaubert.
Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra.
Those incredible apples and pears by C?anne.
The crabs at Sam Wo's.
Tracy's face.
Hi.
I...
What are you doing here?
Well, I ran.
I tried to call you on the phone, but... it was busy
so I knew that was two hours' worth of...
So I couldn't get a taxi cab, so I ran.
Where you going?
London.
You're going to London now?
What d'you... What d'you mean? If I got over here two minutes later, you'd be...
...you'd be going to London?
Well, let me get right to the point then.
I don't think you oughta go.
I think I made a big mistake. and I would prefer it if you didn't go.
Oh, Isaac.
I mean it. I know it looks real bad now, but, uh, you know, it...
Are you seeing anybody? Are you going with anybody?
No.
So... well...
D'you still love me, or has that worn off or what?
Jesus, you... pop up...
You don't call me and then you suddenly appear.
I mean... What happened to that woman you met?
Well, I'll tell you, I don't see her any more.
I made a mistake. What d'you want me to say?
I don't think you oughta go to London.
Well, I have to go.
I mean, all the plans have been made, arrangements.
I mean, my parents are there now looking for a place for me to live.
Well...
Do you still love me or what?
Do you love me?
Well, yeah, that's what... Of course.
That's what this is all about, you know.
- Guess what? I turned 18 the other day. - Did you?
I'm legal, but I'm still a kid.
You're not such a kid. 18 years old.
They could draft you. In some countries you'd be...
- You look good. - You really hurt me.
It was not on purpose, you know.
I mean, I... You know, it was... I mean...
It was just the way I was looking at things then.
Well, I'll be back in six months.
Six months! Are you kidding?
Six months you're gonna go for?
We've gone this long. I mean, what's six months if we still love each other?
Hey, don't be so mature, OK?
I mean, six months is a long time. Six months!
You're gonna be in the thea... working in the theatre with actors and directors.
You know, you go to rehearsal and you hang out with those people.
You have lunch a lot and before you know it attachments form and... you know...
I mean, you don't wanna get into that... You'll change.
In six months you'll be a completely different person.
Well, don't you want me to have that experience?
I mean, a while ago you made such a convincing case.
Yeah, of course I do, but, you know...
I mean, I just don't want that thing about you that I like to change.
I've gotta make a plane.
Come on, you don't... Come on.
You don't... You don't have to go.
Why couldn't you have brought this up last week?
Six months isn't so long.
Not everybody gets corrupted.
You have to have a little faith in people