[fan beeps]
[huffs]
[people chattering]
[sound of boat approaching]
[announcement through loudspeakers]
[man giving lecture]
[lecturer] So who wants to read? Come on, it's like the...
What is it? The fourth week now? Let's hear someone else.
Do you, um...
Lisa.
Lisa, do you mind sharing?
No. [takes deep breath]
So what did you write this week?
A short one. A haiku.
Oh, really?
I didn't see you work on it.
I did it on the ferry.
Read it to me?
A dream garden blooms
Rose, iris, phlox, but here?
A white crocus pierces concrete.
[both chuckle]
It's good, Lis.
They didn't like it.
[takes deep breath] Someone said it was derivative.
But they always say that, right?
They say it if it's good, they say it if it's bad.
My teacher said I need to put more of myself in my work.
[sighs in frustration]
What is it, like,
the flowers out by the pool?
Yeah.
More or less.
I'm going to go cut some paper.
[scrubbing toilet]
[flushes]
[children chattering]
[Lisa] Okay, let's move on to "S."
Do you guys see the "S" at the top of your paper?
And do you see how there's a piece of an "S"?
Can you see if you can finish that "S"?
That's really good, Derek.
So, when you think of an "S," think about...
the curve of a slithering [imitating snake hiss] sss...
- What? - Snake.
[Lisa] Snake. That's right. Actually, everybody think of a snake.
Think of the way a snake moves
when it sort of slithers on the ground, right?
Ssss, right?
Good job.
Okay. How are you guys doing over here?
- [girl] My hand hurts. - Yeah.
We've been doing this for a long time, haven't we?
Okay. We're going to do song circle after one more letter.
You guys got one more letter in you?
Yeah. One more letter. Does anybody have any idea what the next letter is?
[children] "T"!
"T" is the letter that comes after "S" in the alphabet.
Very good! "T" is a tall, tough letter, like a hard tooth!
- Or like a... - [girl] Tusk.
[Lisa] Like a tusk. Yes. Very good.
Hey.
Can I see a beautiful "T"?
Thank you.
You know what?
Finish up the letter you're working on and let's do song circle.
Okay, give your papers to Meghan.
- To hell with the core curriculum. - Thank you.
♪ O-ro the rattlin' bog, The bog down in the valley-o ♪
♪ And on that... ♪
- Necklace. - ♪ ...There was a... ♪
Beach.
- Beach? - [children laughing]
- I love it! - [girl] A beach on a necklace!
[Lisa] And a beach...
on a necklace, and a necklace on the...
- Popsicle. - ...and a Popsicle on the...
Booger.
...and a booger on the...
Moon.
- [indistinct chattering] - Bye.
Bye, Caitlin.
You have your collage?
[teacher] Hey guys, take it easy.
- Hi, Lisa. - Hi, Lauren.
[Jimmy] Anna.
Anna.
Anna's beautiful.
Beautiful...
enough...
for me.
The sun...
hits...
her...
yellow...
house.
It's almost like a sign from God.
What was that?
I don't know.
Was that a poem?
That was a poem. It's remarkable.
I think we should write it down. Right?
[Becca] Okay.
[writing fast]
[Becca] Wow, you remember it.
[tears page from notebook]
What's your name again?
- I'm Becca. - Becca. Right. I'm sorry.
[Lisa] I've seen you here before. So Jackie's gone?
- [Becca] Yeah. She quit. - [Lisa] That must be why I was confused.
All right. Let's go.
Becca, would you do me a favor?
If he does this again, will you promise you write it down for me?
Yeah, I can do that for you.
Thanks.
Hey, Jimmy...
I really liked your poem.
Okay.
[Becca] All right. Bye.
[children speaking]
[girls chattering in the back seat]
She uses way to many hashtags.
Oh, my God.
This is clearly edited.
Look at that.
Yep, that's Photoshopped. That's definitely Photoshopped.
How was your day?
- [Lainey] It was good. - Dad said you had a test?
Yeah. It was fine.
- [Lainey] So what did he say? - [Brittany] That he likes me
and he wants to go out, but that he had to have a talk with Katrina.
But my god, she’s like hanging on for dear life.
[doorbell]
- [Lisa] Who's that? - [Grant] You guys going to come eat?
[Lainey] We ordered pizza.
[Josh] Excuse me.
- You, too? - Yeah.
[Lisa] You won't say "hi?"
- Hello. - Hello.
- Could I have some of those, please? - Yeah.
- Did you go online and look at the dorms? - Hey.
- Yes. - And did you pick your preferences?
[Josh] Yes, I did.
- [birds chirping] - [children chattering]
"Anna is beautiful.
Beautiful enough for me.
The sun hits her yellow house.
It's almost like a sign from God."
[Grant sighs]
Wow.
It sounds so advanced.
- How old is he? - Five and a half.
It's extraordinary.
I think that Lainey and Josh knew lots of words at that age, but...
[takes deep breath]
...it conjures a feeling.
So specific.
Is he religious?
No, I don't think so.
It's just weird that someone so young would write about God.
It's... It's disturbing, slightly.
Why do you say that?
Why do you use the word "disturbing?"
I don't know.
It's not disturbing, I suppose. It's more like...
peculiar.
The whole God thing. I don't know.
"Anna is beautiful.
Beautiful enough for me.
The sun...
hits her yellow house.
It is almost like a sign from God."
What do you guys think?
[class chattering]
[Justin] I love that line, "Beautiful enough for me."
It suggests so many things. Like...
you don't deserve much, or you don't prioritize beauty.
But then the word "beautiful" is repeated,
so I feel like you do in fact value it in some deep way,
and that you really find Anna beautiful.
Yeah! I think it was really good.
Really good, because...
with so few elements you make something very...
very complex.
It's as if it was said by someone that has seen a lot of beauty,
but now, you know, makes do with very little.
Okay, so for next week, I would like you all to focus...
on the boring things.
The banal, the mundane. Just,
you know, try it and see if the act of writing about something
can transform it into something new.
Let's see.
[children laughing and chattering]
[boys] Ho is for whore! Ho is for whore!
[Lisa] No! Jimmy, no!
No. That is an awful word. All of you guys.
That's a very powerful word and you guys are just little kids,
and there's no place for that here.
Okay?
I know you guys are better than that.
I'm sorry, Jimmy, but I have to give you a timeout.
[children laughing and chattering]
[Jimmy crunches biscuit]
So, Jimmy,
tell me about your poem.
Who is Anna?
Is she someone you know?
How about your mommy?
Is her name Anna?
My mom is dead.
I'm sorry to hear that. I didn't know.
[children shouting at the yard]
Remember when we planted these?
They were just tiny little seeds.
What does this one smell like?
Smell.
- [Jimmy] Tomato. - Yeah. Tomato.
We have some thyme.
[smells deeply]
"The rain to the wind said,
- you push..." - "...push,"
- "I'll pelt." - Remember that one?
"...They so smote the garden bed
That the flowers actually knelt,
And lay lodged,
But not dead.
I know how those flowers felt."
I'm sorry I had to give you a timeout.
I don't like doing that.
I know you can be steady and use beautiful words.
"Ho" is a boring word.
It's a word boring kids say.
Hey...
Let's look at the kindergarten.
These toys, we play with them everyday.
Or the sunflower.
I see the sunflower every single day.
And our butterfly?
Right? They're part of our everyday routine.
Maybe, if we try...
we can see something new.
Do you feel anything?
[Jimmy] No.
- [opens sink] - [washing cups]
- [sighs] Hi. - [Lisa] Hi.
Sorry.
- That's okay. - Hey.
Meghan, can you take Jimmy to get his clay sculpture?
- I think it's still drying outside. - Sure, I'll get it.
- Do you mind if we chat for a minute? - Yeah.
Um... I just felt like Jimmy was acting a little strange today.
He was energetic at recess and then he was...
very quiet. He hardly said a word for the rest of the day.
Yeah. He does get quiet like that.
That's true. I mean he's a weirdo.
But how often does he compose poems?
Mmm... I don't know, like once a week.
- Maybe like every few days. - Really?
Yeah. He'll just, like...
pop up. Start walking back and forth like a zombie, like,
mumbling to himself.
Yeah. I hadn't seen him do it ever before Monday.
I got to say, they're really cool.
- I like them. - And what does his family think?
Oh! Nobody knows he does it, but me. [laughs]
His dad's like a really busy guy.
He owns that big night club in Bayonne. Ultra Lounge?
His mom is doing her thing in Miami. She's not around.
Okay.
And Jimmy said she was dead.
- No. - Yeah.
I didn't think so. Usually, I'm informed of that kind of thing.
It was a really nasty custody battle.
And are you close with his dad?
Yeah, we work together.
So I know him.
I did coat check at Ultra Lounge for a year,
and then I quit to pursue acting.
But then he said he needed a nanny.
So, I was, like, this is a perfect part-time.
- [chuckles] Good. - But you know what?
His uncle, Sanjay, does come by the house,
and Jimmy tells me they read poems, works on a newspaper.
That's good to know. I'm glad there's some support...
in the house.
And you like acting?
Yeah.
I do.
- Well, good luck with that. - Thank you.
Oh! I almost forgot.
There was one yesterday.
You want to see it? I wrote it down like you said.
Yes, sure. I'd love to take a look at it.
"The bull stood alone in the backyard.
So dark.
I opened the door and stepped out.
Wind in the branches.
He watched me,
Blue eyes.
He kept breathing to stay alive.
I didn't want him.
I was just a boy.
Say yes,
Say yes, anyway."
Wow.
[chairs moving]
I like the "breathing to stay alive".
What do you guys think?
[Justin] I was trying to understand the assignment.
I thought everything was supposed to be observational,
and about things that we see everyday.
I mean it is great, but this seems like an exercise in surrealism.
[Simon] You don't have to be literal with my assignments, you know?
These are just exercises that spark your creativity.
[Marianne] You know, it might have been helpful to know that beforehand.
[Simon] Okay. Well, I'm sorry. I apologize.
But I find it really interesting that you just went your own way. Really.
You know, sometimes poets, like bulls, they should be stubborn.
[Michael] I like the poem a lot.
I'm just wondering why you wrote it from a boy's point of view.
[class murmurs]
I don't know.
Because she can. That's what's interesting.
You know, it's interesting to see things from a new vantage point.
Well, guys, we have to leave, but...
this week, try using another point of view. Okay?
Let's see what happens. All right? And, please,
just really, don't try to please me. That's not the point.
Okay? All right. Thank you. Bye-bye.
[door unlocks and grinds]
Hey. How was class?
It was good.
Yeah, it was better.
- Are the kids upstairs? - I think so.
Hey.
Hi.
Did you just get back from your poetry class?
Yeah.
Your hair looks nice like that.
- [typing on mobile phone] - [TV on]
Where's Josh?
Tutoring.
Good.
Are there any college kids there?
- Where? - In your class.
No.
It's all adults. It's a continuing education class.
Oh.
Hey, don't you have work to do?
Yeah. I finished it in study hall.
[takes deep breath] I was thinking about...
how great you were at photography last year.
Why don't you take Dad's old camera,
and lenses, and take a walk around the neighborhood?
I post cool stuff on Instagram all the time.
Yeah. But developing in a dark room is totally different
It just stinks in there, with all the chemicals and stuff.
Okay.
Just something I noticed you were good at.
Hi, Mr. Roy. This is Lisa Spinelli calling.
I'm Jimmy's kindergarten teacher.
And I was just calling
because I would like to talk to you about your son when you have a moment.
I left a message on Tuesday with all my information,
so, please, give me a call when you get a chance.
Thanks a lot. Bye.
[sighs]
[Lisa] I'm really curious what's gonna happen
when you have no white on the paper.
- I don't have any white on my paper. - Yeah. Let's see, here it is.
Oh, you need a little more room on the paper.
Here you go.
[children chattering]
Do you need something, Abby?
What do you need?
[Lisa] Now, do you think you guys can make a chrome yellow?
Like in Van Gough's "Wheat Fields"?
Remember how beautiful that color was?
Is this the volcano here, and the lava coming out?
[paint brushing]
[birds chirping]
[Lisa whispering] Hey, Jimmy.
Jimmy.
Hey, Jimmy.
Will you come with me?
[whispering] Where are we going?
Come here.
- Why are we in the bathroom? - [door grinds and closes]
[whispering] Because I want to talk to you about something. Hey.
I want to talk to you about something that I think is very important for a poet.
It's called your point of view.
So, here we are. We're in a bathroom.
But there's not just one bathroom.
- [whispers] There's many bathrooms? - [Lisa] Yes.
There's many bathrooms, because, look,
If you're a grown-up,
the bathroom looks like this.
Yeah, you're a big grown-up Jimmy.
What do you think? Look around.
I bet there's all sorts of things you didn't notice before.
[children playing in the yard]
What else do you want to be?
You want to be a giant?
Okay. Turn around.
What do you see from up there?
What's it like up there?
- The bathroom is so tiny. - Do you like it?
- Yes. - What else? A cat!
Let's be a cat down here. Look, down here.
I'm a cat.
[Jimmy and Lisa meowing]
So if you stay open,
and if you stay curious,
then you can see the world however you want.
You can see the world like a little tiny bug.
Or like a bad guy.
You know what I mean?
Can I go back to nap time now?
Will you think about what I said?
Will you think about it?
All right.
[Lisa whispering] Jimmy.
Jimmy, one more thing.
[washing cups]
[Jimmy recites a poem]
It gets so dark
It stays dark,
Even when I turn on the light.
It gets so bright,
The flowers bow to the sun.
Do you remember the lion?
So quick and so strong.
He has no master when his master is sleeping.
And all his master does is sleep.
[Lisa laughs and sighs]
That was a poem.
Can you say it for me again, so I can write it down?
Meghan, did you catch what he was saying? Did you get the beginning?
Sorry. I had the water running.
I think he was singing a song. He seems to be doing that a lot.
They aren't songs. They're poems.
It was about a dead lion.
You see?
What am I going to do with you?
- [footsteps] - [Becca] Hey.
- Becca, we have a little bit of a problem. - What's wrong?
[Lisa huffs] Poems are disappearing. It happened just now. He was...
pacing back and forth. I rushed to get to him
and by the time I got there he was almost finished. All I got was...
"He has no master When his master is sleeping.
And all his master does is sleep."
It's from the point of view of a hunted lion.
I see.
[Lisa] I mean, how often are we missing these moments?
It's hard to say really, I mean,
I try my best, but...
Out of curiosity, who tucks him into bed at night? Is it you or...
is it somebody else?
It's mostly me.
I think that's a time to pay attention to. I mean, imagine how much...
incredible poetry is written in that...
not quite conscious moment just before the lights go out.
Hey.
You're such a good teacher. You know that? You have a big heart.
[zips bag] Listen, baby doll.
When you come up with your poems, just let us know, okay? So we can help you.
Yeah, because we don't want to miss anything, okay?
Do you have kids?
I do.
- Big? Small? - They're big. They're in high school.
Oh, wow.
Well, they're really lucky to have you. You're... very attentive.
Alright, let's go baby.
Okay, so let's just work together to make sure that all of his work gets heard.
I'll do what I can do.
Bye.
[traffic noises]
[people chattering]
Hi.
Hi, I am Lisa.
We spoke on the phone.
- Yes. - Hi.
- Hi, Lisa. - Is now still an okay time?
Yes, of course.
We memorize a few poems, just for fun.
Well, he composes, too.
- Really? I didn't realize. - Yes, and I...
I wanted to speak to you because...
I imagine, maybe, you can appreciate how rare
that gift is.
I mean, I've been...
a kindergarten teacher for almost 20 years and I've never seen anything like it.
And I just want to support it, and I want to protect it as much as I possibly can.
Absolutely.
Talent is so...
fragile and so rare.
And our culture does everything to crush it.
I mean even at four or five, they're coming into school
attached to their phones, talking only about TV shows and video games.
It's a materialistic culture,
and it doesn't support art, or language,
or observation.
Even my own children, who are great, they don't read.
You know, you think...
maybe it's just a phase.
But I worry that it's something larger.
A lack of curiosity.
A lack of reflection.
No one has space for poetry.
Maybe that's true.
Really, what I want is to speak with his father.
His father?
I wonder if he would allow me to oversee his progress.
[sighs] Well, he is a busy man and frankly
I don't know how much you'll get out of him.
Have you met him?
No.
He doesn't actually even return my phone calls.
Maybe the babysitter can help?
- Becca? - Yes, Becca.
Well, between you and me,
I think Becca is a problematic element in this too.
I mean she doesn't understand the depth of his talent.
[phone ringing]
Listen, I apologize, but I should get back to work soon.
I'm sorry.
Okay.
I'll... speak to my brother soon.
- I'll see if I can catch him this week. - That would be wonderful.
[sighs]
I should... I really have a deadline, so...
Okay.
- You know your way out. - I do.
[whispering] Hey Jimmy. Will you come with me to the playground?
I want to talk to you about something.
Come on. Let's play.
They have five more minutes.
- Okay. - Okay.
Jimmy, I want to talk to you about something very important.
When you have a poem in your head,
and when your poem is ready,
- [crow croaks] - ...will you come to me?
Even if you see I'm busy or I'm talking to somebody else,
or if you're mad at me that day, or if you think I'm mad at you,
will you please come to me?
[birds chirping]
If it happens when you're not at school, it's okay.
You can call me on the phone.
You don't have to recite your poem to Becca.
It's better if you call me, you understand?
I'll write it down for you.
And don't let her call you silly names like puppy dog and...
bunny rabbit. It's belittling. It means she's treating you like a baby.
So, look. I took your cell phone from your backpack.
Hope that's okay.
And I'd like to put my number in it, so you have it if you need it.
I'm not going to put it in under Mrs. Spinelli
because that is too long.
I'm going to type in the letter L.
See?
"L..."
is...
for Lisa.
That's my name.
So just find "L" when you want to call me. Okay?
Okay.
[footsteps]
Hello?
Hi.
[forks and knives clinking]
[Grant] Where are you headed?
I have practice.
- No you don't. You had it yesterday. - We have an extra one this week.
Josh, where are you going?
I have a meeting.
[Lisa] Is this Marine stuff?
[Josh humming]
Josh, come in here.
[Grant] We just don't get it. You worked so hard to get into that school
and you busted your butt, and you pulled up your grades,
and we're proud of you. That's all we're saying.
It's not even a good school.
Josh, it's stupid to put yourself in harm's way.
People get their fucking limbs blown off.
I'm just sick of school, okay?
Plus, I think service is more important
than whatever notion of achievement you have in your head.
No, if you want to go fight for oil in the desert, that's fine,
but don't kid yourself.
[door opens]
- [traffic noises] - [slams door]
[opens sink]
- [drinks water] - [slams glass in sink]
[Grant sighs]
[moves chair]
Don't worry. He always lands on his feet.
Does he?
- [both sigh] - [Lisa] I don't know.
Are we finally alone?
[Lisa chuckles]
Can I lock the fucking front door?
- No! - And make sure...
that no one...
comes back in this house...
ever again?
- [Lisa chuckles] - [both moaning]
- [phone rings] - [both moaning]
[Grant] Really?
[phone ringing]
Hello?
Mrs. Spinelli?
Hi, Jimmy.
I have a poem.
[searching for pen and paper]
Wait! Okay. I'm ready to write it down.
Go ahead.
The gold rusts,
The warmth breaks
And the light comes at morning,
The police start their way to the dining hall,
And the sound of World War Three is out there.
Dust is out.
And pray God, The wedding is coming.
And the reciting poem is here.
- [Jimmy winces] - [Lisa] Shh!
I loved your poem last night.
[children laughing and playing]
Do you want to hear a poem from me?
Okay.
Mesmerize Me, Butterfly.
Forcing wings open-shut
Thrust with purpose not known to me
Not expert, in your grasses.
In poison
Mushrooms camouflage deliverance
Today the garden teems with wood sprites
Flashing blue
Now white
At the edge of seeing.
[children laughing and playing]
Is that a poem you wrote?
Yeah.
[packs first aid]
You can just forget you heard it.
I don't want to spoil your talent.
- [music playing] - [people chattering]
Amy, what are you doing?
What's the big deal? It's been decriminalized.
Can I have it?
You and dad always act like artsy, progressive hippies!
Okay, you know what?
Smoke it, if you want to. Maybe it'll open you up.
- You... - What's going on?
...could have such an incredible mind.
Incredible mind?
What's up with you? You're acting so weird!
We got all our work done.
I wish there was a little bit more curiosity,
vibrancy, intellectualism in this house.
Ever since you started taking those dumb-ass poetry classes
you've been acting like you're...
the cultural ambassador to the UN or something.
Okay, if you want to go back to college and get your stupid degree,
then you can go ahead.
Okay, I actually get straight A's without having to work very hard
and you never acknowledge that.
You worked your ass off and look where you are.
- [teenagers chattering] - [music playing]
[Grant] Hey.
What the hell is going on?
It's nothing.
She's just being provocative. I'm fine. I'm going to get some air.
[scrapes lighter]
[airplane passing by]
"Cultural ambassador to the UN."
[birds chirping]
[line ringing]
Hello?
Jimmy, hi.
It's Mrs. Spinelli.
It's Lisa.
Why are you calling me?
It's okay. Kindergarten teachers are allowed to call their students.
Becca's going to read me a book.
Okay. I know, it must be getting close to bedtime.
I just wanted to say hi.
Okay.
[Simon] A home transformed by the lightning,
The balanced alcoves smother This insatiable earth of a planet,
Earth.
They attacked it with their mechanical horns because they love you.
Hello?
Hey Lisa, how's it going? Come, sit down.
I was reading this poem that...
that a computer wrote.
You know, with some algorithm.
It even passed the Turing Test.
In the end, we're all machines.
Well, Justin, thank you, and good luck with the sonnet.
Yeah, I'll crack it.
[Simon] Don't make Watson do it. [chuckles]
Cool, man. I'll see you at the reading on Thursday, then.
- [Justin] Great. Bye. - Bye.
[door closes] You know, it is very funny when you have, like,
this amount of books, and I've only read one-tenth of them.
So, Justin was telling me that half of the class is going to stay
for the next semester. Would you like to stay?
- Yes, I would. - That would be great, right?
- Yeah. - Good.
So tell me about you. I don't know anything about you. What do you do?
I teach.
You teach?
I want to thank you for inviting me.
I can't tell you how flattered I was when I received your email.
Oh, please. No. I mean...
You know your work has been...
progressing a lot, and it was a no-brainer.
I mean you have to come.
So what do you teach?
I teach kindergarten.
That's such a delicate thing, right?
I mean, you give the kids something and then they...
they have it forever.
- Yeah. - It's incredible.
That's true.
So... Um...
on Thursday night...
at the Bowery...
we're doing this reading where...
you know, a bunch of poets come in.
It's very eclectic. Young and old.
And there's reviewers, publishers as well, there might be.
And everyone that goes on stage reads two poems.
So you have to prepare two poems that you like.
- Okay. - Alright?
I really want to thank you for this opportunity.
Of course.
There's dancing afterwards...
with poets.
You know, there's going to be a party with drinks and stuff, but...
I don't know, maybe you...
you will be like a center of attention.
[Lisa laughs]
I am sorry. I'm sorry. [grunts] My God, I'm sorry.
I'm very sorry.
I'm sorry. I just...
It's presumptuous of me...
I'm sorry.
Forget about it.
Can I read you a poem?
Yeah.
I wrote it sort of quickly.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Okay.
[police siren]
Mesmerize Me, Butterfly.
Forcing wings open-shut
Thrust with purpose not known to me
Not expert in your grasses
In poison
Mushrooms camouflage deliverance
Today the garden teems with wood sprites
Flashing blue
Now white
At the edge of seeing.
It's good.
Yeah?
Yeah, that was very cool.
It's not my favorite, that you've written, but it's nice.
You know, at the beginning,
when you came into the class, I didn't notice you at first.
There's so many people, you know, and...
Also, you were very quiet for a while.
Then you started to present your work.
But, I mean, I must say, don't take this wrong,
but at the beginning, your work was very typical, you know?
Like, all the...
all the metaphors were very...
kind of commonplace, which is normal because you're...
just experimenting with the nature of all of this.
But when you read your poem about Anna.
Then, I thought, okay, there is a poet here.
And from then on, I was just...
I don't know.
I wonder what...
what's going on with you.
[Lisa chuckles]
Are you going out with Anna?
No.
Do you like women?
Occasionally.
[both moaning]
[children playing]
Hey.
Come with me.
[teacher] Is he okay?
Yeah. Of course.
Yeah, let's go in here.
So, on Thursday,
we've been invited to a place
where poets read their poems on stage, like this,
in front of an audience.
Some of them will probably be pretty mediocre, but...
I was wondering if you might want to read a few of yours.
What do you think?
Yeah, I'd like to.
I think it would be a great opportunity.
[takes deep breath]
Actually, why don't you stand up here.
Yeah.
Like a stage.
Can you show me how you say one of your poems?
Maybe "Anna"?
Anna's beautiful
Beautiful enough for me
You know what's in there?
What?
Your heart.
Can you try saying it more from there?
From your heart?
Anna's
beautiful
Beautiful enough for me.
The sun hits her yellow house.
It's almost like a sign from God.
Okay, good.
So, on Thursday we'll do "Anna" and...
how about "The Bull"?
Yeah.
And we'll practice both of them a little bit every day.
Okay.
[takes deep breath]
- [police siren] - [traffic noises]
[music pumping loud]
Mr. Roy.
Yes.
[pouring ice in a glass]
So...
I've got a kid with a good head.
I'm happy.
Well it's more than that.
I think we have a young Mozart.
He's gifted,
Mr. Roy.
He writes poetry on a level that is far...
beyond his age.
[music playing]
Have you talked to Sanjay?
Sanjay who?
Your brother, the writer.
[laughs] The writer? Haven't talked to him in a month.
I see. He was supposed to call you.
What can I do for you, Lisa?
Mozart...
was nurtured by Kings and Queens.
They massaged his tired hands. They fed him candy...
while he played the piano.
And Jimmy doesn't have that.
I'm not saying he should be spoiled, but he does need support.
And Becca,
she's nice.
But she's not a good influence on him.
[Father of Jimmy] Why?
Well, I think she treats him like any stupid child.
She talks to him like a puppy dog.
And I should tell you she's often late picking him up and dropping him off.
Is that true?
Yes.
Last week, she was an hour late because she was at an audition.
I know. I see you're very busy and...
that you're a very successful man, and that you don't have a lot of time.
And I know that Jimmy's mother isn't around.
I want to help my son. Especially if he enjoys doing this.
But, I don't want him to be like my brother.
You met him, right?
Forty two years old. Makes 50 grand a year because he wanted to be an intellectual.
Now?
Corrects spelling mistakes for the newspaper.
I want my son to do good in school. I want him to be smart, but...
it's also good to have a normal life.
Make money, be practical.
But you know I don't like this Becca forgetting to pick him up.
I'm going to ask her to leave.
I knew it wasn't going to work, but, you know,
whenever this happens, it's a real problem for me because...
who watches him?
I'm happy to.
It's not hard for me.
Especially if it's a few hours after school.
Yeah.
- That would help me very much. - Okay.
At least until 5 or 6. Then I could get a girl to come to the house.
Yes, I can do that.
And...
I don't know if Jimmy mentioned it to you, but I've asked him to recite
a few of his poems in Manhattan on Thursday night at a poetry reading.
See now,
on Thursday he has baseball practice with his friend. They go together.
So, forget it. It's too complicated.
I see.
Do you need me to bring him to baseball?
Oh, no. They've got it arranged. The father of the kid takes him.
It's a shame...
that he won't be able to go to the reading.
Don't overthink it.
They need things simple at this age.
[piano playing]
[cell phone buzzes]
You know what?
Let's turn our phones off.
And then we can just...
look at the art,
not worry about anything else.
Hi.
[woman] I tried to call three times.
Come on, honey. Let's go.
[closes car door]
Anna is beautiful
Beautiful enough for me.
The sun hits her yellow house
It's almost like a sign from God.
That was great, Jimmy.
Do it just like that tonight, okay?
Okay. Now...
I'm going to be somebody in the audience,
and I'm going to pretend to ask you a question, okay?
I'm going to raise my hand.
Mr. Jimmy Roy.
Who is Anna?
And then you have to answer.
So, you can say...
You can say Anna is a little tweeting bird.
Or you can say
she's one of the little girls in our kindergarten.
Or you can say she's the moon,
or a star or...
you can say whatever you want.
[Lisa] Hi, Richard.
[Richard] Hey.
- [Lisa] Can I talk to you for a sec? - Sure.
[Lisa] Okay, great.
So...
Jimmy was really not feeling well today.
I think maybe it's best if he skips baseball.
[Richard] That's fine with me.
Better he's not running around in the heat.
Does Nikhil need me to take him to the doctor?
You know, I just spoke to him.
I'm happy to keep Jimmy tonight.
I was just concerned because I know you've got two other babes in the house.
And I wouldn't want him to get everyone else sick.
[Richard] Alright. As long as Nikhil's fine with it.
[Lisa] He agreed it would probably be better.
- Thanks, Lisa. - Okay. Alright, see you tomorrow.
[people chattering]
[woman recites poem] Who you think you're talking to?
Don't you know I'm the reason why you can't shut any wet part of your face?
While all the badass hurricanes struck a woman's fame,
I put God in my hands, snapped.
Watched it rain.
Skid my teeth across the thin skin of my full lip
Just to usher the sun in, so yeah.
I make you dog pant.
Make you beg big. But I'm also the reason you hallelujah.
Just as much life I've given you, I can take it away.
Calling me bitch?
Only sharpens my blade, only makes me want to watch you gargle your own tongue.
I've been a killer.
Baby, I keep caskets warm,
God in business. I parade into rooms
And the wallpaper don't even stand up no more.
My pussy be hurricane season so the next time
You see me walk in a room,
Out a room, up the block. Shit, down the block, just say Amen.
Like I'm the answer to the sky.
[audience applaudes and cheers]
Hi, this is Jimmy Roy
and he'll be reciting two poems for you tonight.
[Jimmy starts reciting]
Anna is beautiful.
Beautiful enough for me.
The sun hits her yellow house
It's almost like a sign from God.
The Bull.
The bull stood alone in the backyard.
So dark. I opened the door and stepped out.
Wind in the branches.
He watch me.
Blue eyes.
He kept breathing to stay alive.
I didn't want him. I was just a boy.
Say yes.
Say yes, anyway.
[audience applauding and murmuring]
[man] I'm sorry to ask such a basic question, but...
are these your poems, and if so,
are you using him as a sort of poetic medium?
No, these are his poems.
He wrote them.
- [audience applauding] - [man] Bravo!
[man] For the... young man.
How long have you been writing poetry?
I started when I was five.
[audience laughing]
Jimmy?
I was wondering who is this Anna that you write about.
Anna could be...
anyone you love.
For me, she's my kindergarten teacher's helper, Meghan.
[audience murmuring]
[audience applauding and cheering]
Jacket's tight on my arms.
I want to take it off.
[Lisa sniffles and sighs]
Why are you upset?
I'm not.
Just emotional because...
I'm so proud of you. You did such a beautiful job.
They clapped for me.
[whimpers]
[sniffles] They loved it.
[sniffles] Jimmy can you wait outside for me for a minute?
[whimpers] Just wait right there, right outside the door.
[starts crying]
[sniffles and sighs]
- [people chattering] - [music playing]
Jimmy?
Hi, Jimmy.
He's incredible, isn't he?
I think you should leave the class, Lisa.
I'm uncomfortable with the fact
that you're presenting work that is not your own.
Okay.
All artists take from each other. But what you're doing,
I don't know.
It's something different.
You're leeching off a child.
I'm so sorry that you see it that way.
You break the whole trust that goes into a classroom.
The whole ethic.
I don't see what's the point? I was excited about you, Lisa.
Well, this is about him.
No, it is very unclear what you're doing.
What's clear is that you're not an artist.
You're just an art appreciator.
A dilettante.
It's very different. Don't you think?
[high-heels dropping on floor]
- [Lisa sighs] - Where have you been?
[Lisa whispers] The reading went late.
[Grant sighs]
It went okay?
Yeah.
[Lisa sighs]
Are you proud of the kids, Lis?
What do you mean? Our kids?
Josh said the other day that...
he thought you seemed disappointed in them.
[Lisa huffs]
No.
Of course not.
- [Grant] Okay. - [Lisa sighs]
X-ing X's.
X-ing X.
Jimmy,
it's Lisa, where are you?
Are you sick?
I hope not.
I don't even know if I need to take care of you this afternoon.
So can you please call me?
Let me know what's going on?
[chattering]
Okay, bye.
[children chattering]
[cell phone buzzes]
Hi, Jimmy.
Mr. Roy. Let me just...
Let me just find a place where we can talk.
Nikhil.
Nikhil, listen to me.
Listen for a second. Nobody's fighting with you.
I did it in the name of his talent.
No. It wasn't a bar. It was a poetry club.
Okay.
Okay. Yes.
I do under...
I do. I thought it was very late,
and that it made much more sense for him to spend the night.
Well, I...
I think you're reacting very strongly,
but of course you're entitled to your opinion.
Yes, I should have asked for your permission and I'm sorry.
Meghan.
Is everything okay?
Yeah, that was Jimmy's dad.
He's leaving us. He's going to go to another kindergarten.
That's too bad.
Sorry to hear that.
Okay, everybody,
let's have some snacks.
[children talking]
[girl] Me too.
[boy] Gluten-free.
[other kids talking]
[girl] I need a big one.
[Lisa starts whimpering]
Hi.
Hey.
Who's here?
- We're all here. - Good.
I was thinking...
I would cook a big dinner tonight for everyone.
I went to the market. I got some great stuff.
Mwah!
Honey, you're sweaty.
- You okay? - Yeah.
Josh?
Okay.
Lainey?
Hey.
I got some great food.
I was hoping we could have dinner together tonight.
I sort of can't. I'm supposed to go to Kelly's to study for Bio.
Well, can you go after?
Hey, I would really appreciate it if we could sit down and have a meal together,
just once like a normal family.
It's been a long time.
Okay.
I'll tell Josh.
But can I leave at 7:30?
Yeah.
Mom?
Sorry I got so upset with you the other night.
Probably could have worded that a little bit better.
Came off kind of bitchy.
It's okay.
[Lisa] How was your meeting?
[Josh] It was fine.
There are actually so many benefits to joining up.
They'll even pay for a year of my college.
[placing plates]
Okay.
[Josh] You don't mind?
[birds chirping]
[sighs]
[kisses]
[takes deep breath]
[starts moaning]
- [Grant breathes heavily] - [Lisa continues to kiss him]
Have a good day.
[music playing]
[children playing]
Hey, Jimmy.
Hi.
It's so hot today. I thought maybe we could go swimming.
You know how to swim?
Yes.
Turn that.
Push it to the left.
[gate grinds]
I missed you.
Where we're driving, up North, is so beautiful.
Big mountains.
A lake you can swim in. Have you ever done that before?
No. I've only been in a pool.
But I like to swim.
[Jimmy] How long are we going swimming for?
[Lisa] As long as we want.
[sea hitting the shore]
- [squelching] - [kids laughing]
[Lisa moans]
[birds tweeting]
You want to swim like the other kids?
Come on. I'll go with you.
Alright.
[Jimmy laughs]
[Jimmy spatters]
- [coughs] - You want to make a wish?
[Jimmy blows]
I have a poem.
[Lisa pants] Okay.
Come. Let's move in a little.
Anna, get up.
Remember
Loneliness is still time spent
With the world.
Here's the room with everyone in it.
Your dead friends passing through you
Like wind Through a wind chime.
Don't be afraid, Anna.
The end of the road is so far ahead
It is already
Behind us.
[Jimmy squelches]
[sobs] Oh, Jimmy.
[door closes]
[thunders crashing]
[Lisa] It's beautiful, isn't it?
So different from home.
[Jimmy] It's beautiful...
and sad-looking too.
[Lisa] Yeah.
Sadness never ends.
Van Gough said that before he died.
[rain pattering]
[Lisa] Okay.
Go get cleaned up, alright?
You're covered in sand and dirt.
[unzips suitcase]
Go ahead.
[opens and closes bathroom door]
[squeaks]
[shower pouring]
Hey, Jimmy.
Are you okay with the hot water?
- [thunder crashes] - [rain pours]
[door opens]
I'm going to go get washed up too.
[closes door]
[shower pouring]
[Lisa sighs]
[door locks]
Jimmy?
Hey, Jimmy, did you lock the door?
Yes.
On purpose?
Yes.
Hey, Jimmy, sweetie. Open the door.
You know how much I care about you. I love you so much.
This whole trip was planned for you.
Open the door, baby.
Jimmy.
Listen, tomorrow...
we're going to go back to the lake and we're going to get ice cream.
And then,
we're going to drive across the border...
and you're going to recite your poems...
and I'm going to write them down.
And we're going to publish a book that has your name on it.
Just think about that.
Hello, I've been kidnapped. Can you help me?
[sniffles]
Hey, Jimmy, if you want to call the police,
you have to dial 9-1-1.
[dialing]
[line beeping]
- [operator] 9-1-1. What's your emergency? - You know, Jimmy,
this world is going to erase you.
There's not a place in this world for you.
For people like you, [sniffles]
...couple of years, you were gonna be...
just a shadow, just like me.
[starts crying] Shit.
[sniffles]
No, she's in the shower.
[operator] Okay. Where are you? Have you come here before?
[Lisa crying]
[operator] Jimmy?
I'm in a place with lots of beach trees.
[operator] Okay. Can you...
[Jimmy] Yes, I'm near Canada.
Jimmy, tell them you're at Placid Oaks Motel, Room 114.
And tell them I don't have a weapon.
[Jimmy] I'm in Placid Oaks Motel, Room 114...
and she doesn't have a weapon.
[Lisa] What did they say?
[Jimmy] They said to hang tight and they'll be here soon.
[sniffles]
[starts crying]
Hey, Jimmy.
Can you open the door, please?
I'd like to get my clothes on...
before the policemen come. [sniffles]
[Jimmy unlocks door]
[music playing]
[Lisa continues sniffling]
[sniffles]
[sighs]
[birds tweeting]
[door bangs open]
[police speaking through radio]
We'll get you an ice cream in just one second.
I have a poem.
[Jimmy] I have a poem.
[police speaking through radio]
[beeps off]
[music playing]