(theme music playing)
NARRATOR: Man lives in the sunlit world
of what he believes to be reality.
But... there is,
unseen by most, an underworld.
A place that is just as real
but not as brightly lit.
A dark side.
MAN (clearing throat): Good morning, Hall.
Working hard, I see.
You know how we artists are, Mr. Blake.
It takes a while to get focused in the morning.
Yeah, so maybe this will help you get focused.
I can't seem to find your paycheck in here.
Well, I'll have to check it out with personnel, I'm afraid.
Not now, lunch hour will do.
Overlays for Thin Air Vacuum 3:00 deadline, remember?
Keep your eye on the ball, Hall.
Wouldn't want anyone around here
to think you were slipping, now would we?
Good morning, Chris.
Thank you, Mr. Blake.
Sometimes I think that guy got his diploma from Bulldog High.
Can't wait to see his face when he hears
we'll be getting practically twice that check
at Commercial Graphics.
It'd be nice to hear from them today.
Hey, Rick...
Hmm?
I guess I forgot to tell you.
I got a call late yesterday, you must have gone home.
$25,000.
An office, a window, the whole deal--
just like we pictured it.
Hey, all right.
Just like we pictured it.
Congratulations, Chris.
Hey!
We need to celebrate this.
I'll call Elaine.
Hold on, hold on.
We're going to celebrate,
we're going to do it right-- together.
As soon as you get the good word, okay?
(phone rings)
Maybe that's them.
Yes?
No, this is extension 25, Richard Hall.
Chris Wood is 26.
For you.
Yeah, hello.
(phone ringing) (pop music playing)
Yes, my love?
Now aren't you lucky it really is your husband?
What if I were some other man?
Oh, but, you see, for me there is no other man.
Besides, with a voice like that
you could make most any girl do just about anything.
Mmm...
Well how about telling me what's in the mail?
Sorry, no mail today.
No mail?
I was expecting at least...
And I'm expecting news about your new job
at Commercial Graphics.
Sorry,
no news yet.
There's no news?
Well, you'd better call them, my love.
Well, I was going to tell you...
And how many times do I have to tell you sweetheart?
Keep calling.
Now, you don't want them to forget you, do you?
Please, darling, do it for my sake
and I'll be right here waiting.
Bye.
(blows kisses, purrs)
Bye.
(clears throat)
(dialing phone)
(line ringing)
WOMAN: Commercial Graphics.
Uh, Mary Andres please.
This is Mary Andres.
Oh, uh, this is Richard Hall.
Yes, can I help you?
Well, I was just wondering, uh...
Are you the fellow whose records they keep telling me to find?
Well, I-I mentioned that my birth certificate
had been destroyed,
but a duplicate should arrive at any moment.
I assume you were born.
But, uh, other items, college transcripts,
Social Security, I'm still waiting.
But I wrote for those things over two months ago.
Well, to tell you the truth, there's another problem.
I'm sorry, can you hold?
Your portfolio-- somehow it's been misplaced.
Misplaced?
How could anyone miss a large item like that?
I really can't say. I'm sorry.
Please sit tight a few more days.
I'm sure it'll turn up.
I'm sure it will.
Uh, thank you.
(sighs)
Nothing but thin air.
(humming tune)
Well, Mr. Hall...
Well, what, Mrs. Hall?
How does it look?
Well, I'd say it doesn't look all that bad.
No cracks, no blemishes.
Flesh tones are warm and natural.
But to be sure if it's art or reality,
I suppose I'd have to test it
with a kiss.
You know, somebody ought to give me a spanking. Yeah.
Here I am, feeling so sorry for myself,
because someone misplaces a paycheck.
Somebody else a portfolio,
and all I could ever desire is taking off my jacket.
They lost your paycheck?
And Commercial lost my portfolio.
It seems like some gremlin is out to rob me
of all documentation.
So, you had a lousy day, it's time to forget it.
I will just hang this up, fix you a drink, and, uh...
relax.
Elaine?
What?
I thought you said there was no mail today?
Oh, there wasn't when you called.
¶ The movies, time for the movies ¶
¶ Da-dum. ¶
You should read this.
What? The Cross Creek News Reporter?
You've got to be kidding.
I know you have no interest in my small town heritage.
but they're closing down my high school.
They're having a reunion.
Hmm, you don't say. When?
April 6.
Great...
Oh, you mean yesterday?
Right, yesterday.
Oh, Rick, how many times do I have to tell you,
forget all those people.
Yeah, look what happens,
now they seemed to have forgotten me.
I mean, why in the hell didn't I get an invitation?
Rick, why don't we watch
somebody's favorite movie tonight,
It's a Wonderful Life.
I mean, we could call Chris. I'm sure he'd love to see it.
It's a wonderful life. Mm-hmm.
You know, the town in that movie reminds me a bit of Cross Creek.
And yet my own wife hasn't ever even seen it.
Well, I told you I will sometime, sweetheart.
Sometime.
Sometime maybe you'd meet this guy, Jim Harris.
He used to be a pretty good friend.
I can't believe this.
He was in charge of the reunion committee--
he didn't even send me an invitation.
Rick, where are you going?
I'm going to call this guy.
Not Chris,
Jim Harris.
I'm sure his number is here in my old book.
WOMAN: Hello?
Hi, is Jim Harris there?
This is an old friend, Rick Hall.
Oh, uh, no he's not.
I'm his wife, Mandy, though.
Oh, I didn't know he got married.
I'm sure he's talked about me.
I taught him how to catch the fattest bass
out of Brady's Lake when we were both kids.
Really? Oh, well, I'll be happy to tell him you called.
I was just wondering why he didn't notify me
about the reunion?
Oh, we sent invitations out to everyone six weeks ago.
Um, what did you say your name was?
Rick. Rick Hall.
Or Richard Hall.
Well, I can't remember, but I'm sure we sent it.
That's odd though.
It sure is.
Jim said he could never bear the notion of fishing,
just like hunting, you know, we're both strict vegetarians.
Yeah, uh, perhaps you might mention I called.
Thank you. Good-bye.
Elaine? Mm-hmm.
Why was all this mail thrown out?
And Elaine Anderson, that's your maiden name.
Oh, that's junk.
Well, the only one that's opened isn't junk.
Department of Motor Vehicles, addressed to Elaine Anderson.
The car registration, right? Mm-hmm.
Didn't we agree the car was to be registered in both of our names?
Well, yeah, of course we agreed.
Well, where'd you put it?
I don't know, what does it matter?
You just don't throw away a car registration, Elaine.
Rick, come on.
Elaine Anderson.
My name isn't even registered on the car I bought.
Why'd you do this, Elaine?
Do what, Richard?
Change the car registration.
Throw away my reunion invitation.
God knows what else.
Please, sweetheart, it... it did...
it struck me as sort of weird, too,
but I'm sure there's just a simple explanation.
I'm sure there is.
Chris is in on this, isn't he?
Chris?!
He's your friend.
No. First he was your friend, remember?
My old friends, even my family,
they weren't worth the bother or the time.
Marriage and career were all that ever mattered, right, Elaine?
You quit college to hitch up with me
all because I was going to be such a big success.
Now you're seeing maybe you bet on the wrong horse.
That fine new job-- they hired Chris Wood, not Richard Hall.
You probably knew that weeks ago, didn't you?
No sweetheart, I didn't.
Look, I am your wife.
I love you.
Take my advice, you and Chris--
stop messing with my head.
Mom.
Look, I'm sorry to get you up without calling or anything.
But I need to see you very badly.
Me?
I don't understand?
Who are you?
Who am I?
Mother, I'm your son, Richard.
Please let me in.
I'm very sorry.
There must be some mistake.
I wouldn't say you don't look familiar somehow.
But a mother should certainly know
whether or not she's ever had a son.
And believe me, I never did.
Please, don't do this to me, Mother.
I know it's been some time,
but I... I... I...
I mean, I'm sorry.
You must think I'm crazy.
I didn't mean to frighten you.
I'm sorry to disturb you, Mrs. Hall.
Take care of yourself.
Sorry to disturb you...
Mrs. Hall.
Okay, let's see here.
Barbara Jane Henderson.
"Remember thyself to thyself.
To Richie, a true artist."
"Don't sell out, love, Barb."
Well, there's our beautiful thought for the day.
Maybe we ought to try and find this girl.
Why? So she can prove to us that her memory is as lousy
as everybody else's in that dumpy little town?
I mean, Chris, even his own mother can't remember him.
Well, she's lived alone long enough.
She could easily have become senile.
Or perhaps she just resents you
for having stolen her son away so completely.
Why doesn't he just call?
Can't he sense what this is doing to us?
I mean, three days without a trace.
I'm beginning to think we'd all be better off
if he'd never even been born.
Oh, I didn't mean that, I really didn't mean that.
It's okay.
It's just that I'm so confused, and...
It's all right.
Come here.
Oh, Chris.
Wow.
What would I do without you, huh?
Even before Richard.
You were always there for me, weren't you?
Hmm?
Uh, look, we, uh, we can't give up now.
(phone ringing)
I'll get it.
Hello.
Where the hell are you?
Talk louder, I can't...
Mm-hmm.
Look, just tell me exactly where you are, I'll be right over, okay?
Uh-huh.
Okay, now stay put, I'm coming.
Right now.
It's all right.
That was him, he just called.
What? That was Richard? Yes.
It's gonna be all right.
I promise.
It's gonna be all right.
Okay.
(door opening)
I must thank you, Chris, for convincing Elaine to stay home.
It wasn't easy my friend. No.
But eventually we all find a way to make things easier.
Good to see you, Chris.
Elaine and I were just about at the end of our rope.
You had us thinking the worst.
Worst.
Time to start seeing it all for the best, Chris.
You could've at least called, man.
I know.
I just wasn't in control.
First I was blinded with anger,
suspected she was somehow behind all this.
Suspected you both were.
Then when I saw my mother,
I realized it was beyond all of us.
Elaine's already fixing a dinner you're never gonna forget.
What you working on there?
Something for Commercial?
Doesn't look like Thin Air Vacuums to me.
Take a look.
You see here a man,
his past...
his future...
And present.
For some reason,
known only to forces beyond all of us,
the layers of time have steadily been lifted.
Childhood, early friendships, family,
all passed.
Rick, Elaine is waiting.
Okay, now you can just give us your explanations later.
Later.
Well, don't you see?
Without future or past,
you can't remain like this much longer.
The wife, the friend,
they still see a future and a past.
We can find you help.
For all of this.
Can you help this, Chris?
You try it.
Look closely.
Is that you, Chris?
We know ourselves as we reflect.
We need to connect all dimensions to live.
Richard Hall cared less and less to connect.
So he started to slip through the cracks of time,
till his reflection became more and more one-dimensional.
Till it was too late to control the forces
beyond all reflection.
(voice echoing): I'm a memory that's slipping, Chris.
Fading fast now.
To zero...
Elaine.
ELAINE: ¶ Da-dum. ¶
You like it?
Yeah.
I... Elaine, I... couldn't bring...
Richard back.
Well, uh to be perfectly honest with you, Chris,
I always figured one man was enough.
Listen, I know this must be very difficult for you.
Yeah, well, men like you are always a bit difficult at first.
But, uh, why don't you just relax and I'll get some wine.
I hope you've still got the tickets.
Now, this should help a difficult day,
in the life of a rising young star in the design industry.
So, what were you gonna tell me about this, uh, Richard person?
Richard?
Who's Richard?
(laughs) I don't know.
And, um...
to be perfectly honest with you, I really don't care.
NARRATOR: The darkside is always there.
Waiting for us to enter.
Waiting to enter us.
Until next time, try to enjoy the daylight.