( Dove cooing )
MONICA: "To be, or not to be."
I would definitely say not to be.
Oh, Tess, I just love Shakespeare.
He was a strange little man.
He kept writing down everything and saying "alas."
He really talked like that. Drove the local folks crazy.
( Door opens )
WOMAN: Okay, give me a T.O. and grab some bench.
Come on, don't make me give you a lecture.
That means shut up and sit down.
WOMAN: I'll have you doing push-ups.
Hey, hey, hey. Come on, fellas. Knock it off.
All right, while we're waiting,
I'm Bebe Manero, women's basketball coach.
I don't think any of you are on the team.
Anyway, as you know,
Woodbridge College is what is officially called
financially challenged.
What that means is
this school is busted flatter than a supermodel.
So, this year I'm gonna do basketball,
and I'm gonna be in charge of the theatre department.
I'm really looking forward to this assignment, too,
because I figure I'll expand my horizons,
and I can really use the extra 60 bucks a month.
Now, as my first official act as head of the department,
I have hired one of the greatest actors
of daytime television to teach our class.
He's a little late,
but hang tough.
Who are they waiting for? Our assignment.
He's late.
Oh, no, he's an actor.
They never think of it as showing up late.
They call it "making an entrance."
( door opening )
MAN: Hello!
BEBE: All right, here he is.
Hey, you know him as Malcolm Elliot
from the daytime drama "The Young and the Yearning,"
he's Joel Redding.
( Minimal applause )
( whispering ): I think my mum had a crush on him a million years ago.
You know, I never missed a day;
I wouldn't even schedule basketball practice at 2:00
so I could watch the show.
Well, I'm flattered.
You're flattered? I'm flattered.
You're the greatest.
Now that Malcolm's toast
because he was poisoned by his aromatherapist,
Joel has decided to join our faculty
as a visiting professor.
Or until they need his twin brother.
( laughs )
Thank you, Coach.
Um...
well, I, uh, I know why you all are here,
but, um, you may not know why I'm here...
why I left New York,
and, uh, said good-bye to Malcolm Elliot,
who earned me 11 years of work
and four Emmy nominations.
I, um, I left that soap opera
and walked into this theatre
because the theatre is not only
where an actor truly bears his soul,
it's where he learns that he has one.
And I'm ready to share that with you.
Now, I know that most of you are undergrads,
although we do have a couple of grad students here,
and that, um, I'll be working very closely with all of you...
Don't waste your time, man.
It's just an old TV guy from the wax museum.
JOEL: Everybody will get a chance.
I hope that you'll all decide to participate
in the community fund raiser that I'll be developing.
Um, I've decided to make it an evening of Shakespeare,
and, um, I hope to see you all at the auditions.
Uh, should be a lot of fun.
So, um, thank you.
( Bebe claps )
Okay, practice tomorrow night, 7:00.
And remember, no street shoes on the stage.
BEBE: Okay, class dismissed.
MONICA: So why are we here?
All the world is a stage, baby,
and everybody has their part to play.
Unfortunately for his son,
that's all Joel has.
MONICA: His son?
Marshall.
Marshall adores his father.
But just about all he knows about him
is what he sees on TV.
And the man is not going to be on TV anymore.
♫ When you walk down the road ♫
♫ Heavy burden, heavy load ♫
♫ I will rise and I will walk with you ♫
♫ I'll walk with you ♫
♫ Till the sun don't even shine ♫
♫ Walk with you ♫
♫ Every time, I tell you I'll walk with you ♫
♫ Walk with you ♫
♫ Believe me, I'll walk with you. ♫
Hi, Mom.
Hi, honey. How was your first day of school?
It was okay.
What did you do afterwards?
Did you hang with your new friends?
They're all morons. There's nothing to do in this town.
Hey, keep your mitts off that.
I want us to all eat together.
It's our first dinner in our first house.
Man, even the pizza bites here.
No, it's just different from what you're used to.
Yeah, well, what I'm used to is good New York pizza.
I can make that New York pizza.
Eat that and get outta here!
Very weird.
JOEL: I'm home!
Hey. Oh, hey, Dad.
Hey, buddy, how was your day?
Honey. It was all right.
Let's see.
Well, at school, they're only a year behind
everything I did last year. I hate the school,
I hate the town, and I want to go back to New York,
but outside of that, it was a great day.
Well, I had a great day.
They had a banner onstage...
"Woodbridge College Welcomes Joel Redding."
They all knew me. You should have been there.
KAREN: Now you see, I told you
you didn't have anything to be worried about.
Listen, uh, I noticed when I came in that the table
was behind the couch. Doesn't really fit, does it?
The table was behind the couch in our apartment.
You were just never there to notice.
Sorry, just trying to help.
You know, you could help
by hanging the family portrait.
( Doorbell rings )
Look, I'll get it.
Who on earth? We don't even know anybody yet.
Uh... actually, I meant to tell you...
MARSHALL: Dad, it's for you.
They're here for some meeting.
Hello, I'm Monica. I spoke to you on the phone.
I'm your new stage manager.
And I'm Tess.
The dialogue coach. Yes.
For a play?
It's going to be wonderful.
I love Shakespeare.
Yeah, Dad's the best at that.
You know, he's not just a TV guy.
I thought you were only gonna teach this year.
JOEL: Well, it's just a little fund raiser.
They needed a director...
And you couldn't say no.
It's an evening of great moments from Shakespeare.
And a month's worth of evening rehearsals.
Yes, I'll, I'll put on the coffee.
Well, um... why don't we get started?
Oh, wonder.
How many goodly creatures are there here?
How beauteous mankind is.
Oh, brave new world that has such people in it.
That was very good.
I have a scene from Romeo and Juliet
that should be just perfect for you.
Great.
I look forward to working with you.
Sure. Me, too.
Hmm.
TESS: The old charmer's getting old.
That's a sign.
Must be a difficult time for a man.
They call it midlife crisis.
But if he isn't careful, it's gonna be a crisis
for everybody real soon.
That's your cue.
Hey.
Hello, Marshall. What are you doing here?
Well, after school's out,
there's nothing to do in this crummy town.
I figured I'd see if dad could use some help.
He could.
We need a Hamlet.
Oh, no. Listen, I'm not an actor.
I mean, look, Dad's the actor.
You know, I've seen him do it,
but there's, I mean, no way that I could...
What? You'd make a great Hamlet.
Why?
You have so much in common.
Like what?
Well, for one thing, you're both students, right?
You both love your fathers. You're both making adjustments
to major changes in your life.
And maybe some of the things that are confusing to you
were confusing to him.
Go on.
Take a look at it.
"To be, or not to be"?
Yeah. You see, here Hamlet is confused,
but in this case it's about whether to live or to die.
Yeah, I know what it's about.
But I'm not confused about living.
No, of course not.
I mean,
I wish I was living somewhere else, but...
Oh, well, you see, think of that
when you're reading it.
And put that feeling into your audition.
Go on. Give it a try.
Go on.
Friends, Romans, countrymen,
lend me your ears!
If Shakespeare was alive, he'd drop dead.
"I come not to praise Caesar,"
"but to bury him."
The good in men oft lies inter... Uh, okay.
Thanks, Mr. Oberman.
I'm sure we can find something.
Uh, check the board tomorrow.
Thank you. Thank you.
All right, I guess that's our last audition.
Um, I want to thank everybody for coming tonight.
Wait!
Please. There's one more.
To be, or not to be...
That is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer.
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?
To die,
to sleep, no more,
and by sleep we say to end the heartache
and thousands of natural shocks that flesh is heir to.
To die...
to sleep.
To sleep...
Perchance to dream:
Ay, there is the rub!
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come.
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause.
( Applause )
I don't know about Marshall being an actor.
Well, he's pretty good.
Well, of course, he's good.
He's my son.
Right.
Tell me something,
are these pants too tight?
No. No, wait. Don't change the subject.
You know, Joel, you never finished college.
I don't want Marshall distracted like you were.
Honey, I was distracted by you.
Don't try your charm on me.
Listen, he's got to keep up with his grades.
I'm serious.
I really don't want him to end up...
What, like me?
I didn't say that.
MARSHALL: En garde.
Ah!
Another hit. What say you?
A touch, a touch, I do confess it.
Oh, not with my sourdough.
Well, here, give me this.
( Yelling and laughing )
You missed a spot.
I beg your pardon. Do I know you?
The Angel of Death at your service.
Andrew, put that away before you hurt somebody.
Hey. You're supposed to tell me how dashing I look.
Monica, this is Andrew.
He's teaching me how to sword-fight.
I've seen enough of 'em.
Ready? Yeah.
En garde.
Good. Good. Keep your hands up.
Tess, is Andrew here on business?
Well, he's certainly gonna do a death scene.
We just don't know if it's onstage or off.
You, um...
you missed a spot.
( Knock on door )
Come in.
How you doin', Mr. Shakespeare?
Malcolm's croakin' today.
Don't you wanna see your own character hit the buzzer?
Uh, I really have a hard time watching myself on camera.
Yeah, well, believe me,
you're smokin'.
Whatever you remember about me,
Katrina,
remember that...
I never stopped lov-loving...
( coughing )
KATRINA: Malcolm, I... I never got to tell you...
I'm not just your lover,
I'm your...
( crying )
Oh, God,
he's dead.
Good-bye, Malcolm.
I'm gonna miss you.
( Turns off television )
Out, out brief candle.
Life's but a walking shadow,
a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon a stage.
( Woman clears her throat )
Karen. Mr. Redding.
( Chuckling ): Oh, uh, please, call me Joel.
Um, I really need your help.
Sure. What's the problem?
Well, it's this line here.
"Sweet, good night."
"This bud of love, by summer's ripening breath."
I just don't feel it.
By summer's ripening breath,
may prove a beauteous flower when next we meet.
Good night. Good night.
As sweet repose and rest
come to thy heart as that within my breast.
Here.
Why don't we take it line by line?
So where's Dad?
He called. He's going straight to the theatre.
Why didn't you tell me?
Honey, how was school today?
It was okay.
Listen, I got rehearsal.
Wait a minute. Not so fast.
What?
Well, somebody from the high school called.
Do you have anything to tell me?
Okay. So I skipped a class.
Three. Honey, what's going on?
Listen, this is no big deal, okay?
You know, I know all that stuff.
Where were you?
I was working on my lines.
Instead of going to school?
Listen, I don't like school.
I like acting, you know, and I want to help out Dad.
I'm sorry. School comes first.
Well, not to me it doesn't.
Listen, I am still your parent.
Well, so is Dad.
Don't even start with that.
You know, just because your dad is around more now
doesn't mean that my opinion
doesn't count anymore.
You know, why don't you get off my back?
You know, I had a life until we moved to this place.
Marshall, I'm on your side.
Oh, no, you're not.
You made dad give up everything and move here
to this pathetic town.
You don't understand.
No, I do understand.
Listen, I'm miserable, and Dad is miserable.
And don't tell me you had nothing to do with it.
( Doors opens and slams shut )
See, this is why it's good for us to work alone.
Art takes concentration.
Now, do you notice anything about these lines
when Romeo and Juliet first meet?
No, okay. It's a sonnet,
14 lines.
Romeo's first touch should be electric.
Here.
Let me show you.
Look at him. I can't believe he's doing this.
Well, honey, he thinks his best days are over.
And he's trying desperately to hold on to somebody
or something
that still makes him feel like a man
or a star.
Well, which one of us is gonna stop him?
Neither one of us.
God made us angels, not police.
Now we can hope and pray that he makes the right decision,
but the choice is his.
Sin from my lips?
Oh, trespass sweetly urge.
Give me my sin again.
( Whispers ): Marshall.
Marshall.
Marshall!
( Door opens )
Hi, rehearsal over?
Yeah.
What's the matter?
Marshall.
I'm going down to bed.
What's going on?
Joel?
Uh, just a long rehearsal.
Um, I think I'll make myself a sandwich
and then, uh, maybe get to that picture.
Morning, Mom.
Where's Dad?
He's already gone.
Uh, Marshall, have you seen the ladder?
Uh, yeah, it's at the theatre.
Oh, graveyard of every tool in this garage.
Blueberry pancakes?
Yeah, sure.
Listen, Mom. Hmm?
Everything's gonna be okay.
What's gonna be okay?
Um, well, you know, school's getting better and everything.
And you know, the show's gonna be over soon,
so we can be a family, you know, like you wanted.
Who are you,
and what have you done with my son?
TESS: I am weary.
Give me leave a while.
Fie, how my bones ache.
What a jaunt have I had.
I would thou hadst my bones and I thy news.
Wait a minute. Stop.
I've had this long, fat jaunt.
I got to sit down.
Good idea.
Hey, got a minute?
Yeah. Take five.
Great.
What's up with this invoice?
14 Elizabethan costumes?
Yeah. What do you mean?
Elizabethan. I thought we were doing Shakespeare.
And whatever it is we're doing,
we only got 65 bucks to do it with.
That's our entire budget? I couldn't buy a ruff for $65.
Who wants to buy a ruff?
What is a ruff?
Uh... a ruff is what an actor wears
that forces him to stand in a certain way,
Shakespearean way. He has to adopt a formality
which is matched by the formal language
that Shakespeare gave his courtiers.
You know, my dog wore one of these once
so he wouldn't bite his stitches out.
Let's talk.
I got a little money from the wiener concession.
So, maybe if I could come up with, uh, some dough
for your Shakesabethan finery,
maybe you could find something
a little Thespic for me, maybe.
Hmm?
Um, yeah. Sure.
Marshall, what you saw was...
I didn't see anything!
Marshall, come on. You're not concentrating.
Excuse me.
Here, Marshall, let me show you something.
May I? Sure.
Thanks.
Okay, let's go.
En garde.
You're holding back.
Don't hold back.
All right, from the sixth parry.
En garde.
Come on, man, if you want 'em to believe it,
you gotta commit to it.
Let's go, from the top.
You should talk about commitment.
En garde.
MONICA: Marshall, stop it.
Marshall, please.
Marshall.
Marshall, that's enough rehearsal for today.
( Panting )
( knock on door )
Hey.
I guess you got more of those fencing lessons
than either of us thought.
Whatever the problem was out there,
dueling is not the way
that people work things out these days.
Why don't you try to talk to him?
Because I've got nothing to say to him.
Oh, I don't know.
You can start with the truth. It's always a good technique.
Now, it might not be pretty,
but you got a pressure cooker that's building up in you,
and the truth...
The truth is kind of like a safety valve, you know?
You just let it out even and... and slow,
and just maybe you won't blow up all at once.
And one other thing...
I'd pack away the swords first.
I'll see you out there.
( Sighs heavily )
Okay, everybody, that's it. Go home. Take a rest.
And remember, I want all lines memorized by tomorrow.
Good work. Good night, get outta here.
MAN: Hey, you wanna grab something to eat?
See you later.
WOMAN: Do you need a ride home?
MAN 2: No, I'm fine. Thanks.
Uh, Marshall, you want a ride home?
I'd rather walk.
I'll see you at home.
( Scoffs )
Mom, I'm home.
Dad will be a little late.
Mom. Mom.
Mom. Mom!
( Beeping )
Mom!
Mom.
I need some help.
Somebody help me!
Mom.
Dad.
Where are you?
WOMAN ( over P.A. ): Dr. Archibald to the solarium.
Dr. Archibald to the solarium, please.
Marshall, what happened?
I don't know.
I mean, I got home and she was just lying there,
bleeding.
Have you seen my dad?
I'm sorry.
How is your mother doing, baby?
I don't know.
I mean, they keep coming and going,
but they don't tell me anything.
Well, we will just see about that.
Are you okay?
Where's my dad?
Don't worry. I can guess.
Mr. Nurse, there's a young man down there
waiting outside of his mother's room
where she's been in there for several hours.
And nobody has had enough compassion to let him know...
Ma'am, I don't have anything...
Hush. Hush. Now, you get me a doctor,
get me some facts, or I will go into that room myself
and nobody, and I mean nobody,
is gonna stand in my way.
Do you understand me?
Where would you like me to get a doc...
Just hush up!
Just do it, and do it now.
( Sighs )
Marshall.
Marshall, this is Dr. Schulman.
Hi.
Your mother has suffered a blow to the head,
which has caused a severe hematoma.
Tell him what that means.
It's a bruise inside that's caused her brain to swell.
Now, that leaves us with some very difficult decisions.
Surgery, right?
Marshall, the type and the location
of your mother's hematoma makes this a very dangerous operation.
I'd be lying to you if I told you there wasn't some risk here.
What risk?
If we operate, she may live but lose her sight.
And if she doesn't have the operation?
It is possible that the swelling could go down by itself,
or it may get worse. And when that happens,
it will be too late to operate and she will die.
Look, I need your father
to sign a consent form for the surgery.
I left a message at home.
If he went back, he'd be here by now.
Well, in the absence of an adult relative,
I have the power to use my discretion.
Look, Marshall, you're her son. What would she want?
Mom's a fighter.
Go ahead.
Do the surgery.
Doctor.
If somebody had found her sooner,
would it had made a difference?
Look, don't beat yourself up over this.
This is not your fault.
She made me blueberry pancakes this morning.
( Bell dings )
Ah, nurse. May I help you?
Yes. My name is Joel Redding.
My wife was brought in here earlier today.
Can you tell me...
Thanks for dropping by.
What happened?
Since when do you care?
Marshall, calm down and tell me what's going on here.
I don't want to talk to you.
Marshall, what happened to your mother?
Tell me, please.
Look, cut the act, Dad.
Because you don't care about her and you don't care about me.
All you care about is your bimbo.
( Sighs )
Marshall, let me explain.
I was with Karen, but we were rehearsing.
Rehearsing what, huh? Don't lie to me! Don't!
Marshall, stop it. Marshall, that's enough!
And Mom is gonna hate you, too.
If she lives.
( Sighs )
Come on, Marshall, pick up the phone.
Here's some ice.
Thanks. Marshall, you there?
Marshall, I'm just trying to find out if you're okay.
Maybe he's still in the hospital.
I'd better look for him.
Maybe I'd better go with you.
Marshall's been under a lot of strain lately.
I think he's starting to crack, Mm-hmm.
Between moving and rehearsals
and now this terrible thing with his mother.
Mm, well, let's just step right in here a moment
and see what we can find.
What is this?
A chapel. Some people think of it
as a place for reflection and meditation.
Well, doesn't look like he's in here.
Well, I think you ought to sit down.
What for?
To reflect and meditate. Sit on down.
I beg your pardon.
Well, we'll get to that pardon part later.
But right now I want you to stop trying
to explain away your son's behaviour.
I think he's handling this thing
pretty well, don't you?
Handling what thing?
Your affair.
How did you know?
Well, you don't have to be an angel
to see what's going on around here.
But that's what I am, an angel sent by God.
Now, now, don't be afraid.
But I have to tell you,
God is not pleased with what's going on around here.
All the world is not a stage, Joel.
And the men and women are not merely players.
Who you are and what you do
matters to God.
Now, how charming you are
and how many autographs you've signed
and how many of those little gold statues
you got sitting on your cocktail table
will not impress the creator of the universe.
Now, you can play all the roles you wanna play
and it won't matter a bit,
because you're not playing the role
that God created especially for you.
Joel, just Joel.
And the real Joel
has no business fooling around.
I'm sorry.
Don't tell me.
Tell Him. Tell God, and then tell your family.
They're the ones you're hurting.
I never meant to hurt anyone.
( Sighs )
I wasn't looking for... someone else.
I just needed to feel better about myself.
Well, did it work?
I didn't think so.
And another thing,
what do you care about being loved as a TV star,
when you're already loved as a father,
a husband and a child of God?
Help me.
Don't ask me.
Ask Him.
God is your helper,
and He loves you, and He is listening.
I've, uh, really messed up here,
but I guess you know that.
I don't deserve it, but...
I could use a little help here.
Please.
Help.
( Bell dings )
Oh, here they are now.
Mr. Redding, I think we're out of the woods.
She's in post-op now.
WOMAN: Is Monica here?
Yes. Telephone.
Oh. Would you excuse me?
DOCTOR: Anyway, it went very, very well.
Thank you. Hello.
Marshall?
I think we're looking at a rapid recovery.
Oh, thank God. Yes, indeed.
Um, can I see her?
Well, she's not awake, but I think you can look in.
It went quite well, they tell me.
Sometimes I'm just an observer.
I, um, I just spoke to Marshall.
Marshall.
Mom's okay. She's okay! She's gonna be fine.
Well, no thanks to you and Karen.
What happened with Karen was a mistake,
and it's over.
You gotta believe me, son.
Find yourself another son.
Because as far as I'm concerned,
you're not my father.
Marshall, I'm asking for your forgiveness.
Forget about it.
You ever hear of the expression
to err is human, to forgive divine?
Look, man, don't quote me that crap,
you know, all your speeches and your lines.
Well, listen, don't even talk to me
until you want to tell me the truth.
You know why we left New York?
Yeah, because mum finally got you to leave the city.
No. I was fired.
What?
I didn't quit the soap.
They fired me because I was too old.
Just like 11 years ago they fired somebody else
and gave me his job.
We're here because it's the only job I could get.
I didn't have the guts to tell you the truth.
Why?
Because you were my biggest fan,
and I didn't want to disappoint you.
Ironic, huh?
I'm sorry I hurt you.
I'm sorry I hurt your mother.
But I felt like such a loser coming here, I...
I just needed to be wanted by somebody.
I forgot I already was.
Your mother didn't make us leave.
All she ever wanted was a family.
As do I.
What I did was wrong,
and I'll never do it again.
Well, I still can't forgive you.
MONICA: The quality of mercy is not strained...
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
upon the place beneath.
It is twice blessed...
It blesseth him that gives
and him that takes.
You're like some kind of an angel.
Before Shakespeare wrote it,
God was it.
Mercy is his gift.
And you shine with His divine light
every time you are merciful
or show someone forgiveness.
I should know, Marshall,
because I am an angel
sent by God.
And He wants you to understand
that you cannot judge your father.
But you can forgive him.
I hate him.
MONICA: God doesn't hate him.
He knows that Joel is a man
and that men make mistakes.
But you've never seen your father as a man, have you?
Only as a hero to be worshipped.
No one should be worshipped on this earth, Marshall.
You may want to hate your father,
but god wants you to love him.
And it is time now
for you to do that.
( Whistle blows )
Bravo! Bravo!
That was a slam-dunk!
How did you do that with the lights?
( Applause )
Thank you.
Thank you all for coming to our little fund-raiser this evening.
You've given this old theatre a new lease on life.
And it makes me happy
to know that you are all so willing
to show this old building a little mercy.
'Cause you know,
the quality of mercy is not strained!
It droppeth as the gentle rain from the heaven
upon the place beneath.
( Applause )
And gentlemen in England
will think themselves accursed that they were not here.
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
that fought with us upon St. Crispin's Day!
CAST: Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
( Applause )
CAST: Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
Good job, honey.
Slam-dunk!
( Coughing ): Nothing but net.
You know, it doesn't seem the same
without a little towel slappin', does it?
So, where do angels go?
We move on.
And so will your family.
JOEL: Great show.
You guys were really terrific.
Excuse me.
Can I have an autograph?
Oh, um...
I don't give autographs anymore.
Really? Since when?
Well, since I only want one fan.
You.
You guys ready to go?
Yeah.
TESS: Look now, you see?
Like I've always said,
all's well that ends well.
Look, Tess!
Our names are in the program!
There's nothing worse than a star-struck angel,
except two star-struck angels.
( Dove cooing )
♫♫