[ Telephone rings ]
[ Ringing continues ]
- [ Echoes ] Hello. - [ Static hisses ]
Hello?
MAN: Patrick?
Hello, Patrick, is that you?
Nicholas?
Patrick, I'm afraid I have rather bad news.
I'm in New York.
I-It concerns your father.
♪ Summertime-time-time ♪
♪ Child ♪
♪ The livin's easy ♪
♪ Fish are jumpin' now ♪
♪ And the cotton, Lord, cotton's high ♪
♪ Lord, so high ♪
♪ Your daddy's rich ♪
♪ And your ma's so good-lookin', babe ♪
♪ She's lookin' good now ♪
♪ Hush, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby ♪
♪ No, no, no, no, don't you cry ♪
♪ Don't you cry ♪
[ Song continues ]
[ Song stops ]
[ Insects chirping and buzzing ]
[ Up-tempo piano music playing ]
[ Clattering and clinking ]
Patrick?
Ah! Yvette.
It's you. Bonjour.
Monsieur Melrose.
I am making the table ready for this evening.
DAVID: Ah, yes.
Beautiful day.
I sense autumn.
[ Tray rattling ]
Don't you? Je sens l'automne.
- Oui, Monsieur Melrose. - Any sign of my darling wife?
Has she risen like the sun to cast her golden rays on us?
Not yet, Monsieur Melrose.
And my son. I hoped to spend the day with him.
- He's playing, monsieur. - [ Rattling continues ]
Everyone seems to be hiding from me this morning.
[ Breathing shallowly ]
[ Rattling continues ]
Well...
You be careful with my wife's china.
It's extremely valuable.
[ Rattling continues ]
[ Up-tempo music plays ]
[ Giggles ]
[ Groaning ]
Oh! Oh, Christ, that hurts.
God! Mm!
[ Groans ]
[ Panting ]
[ Creaks ]
[ Creaking ]
DAVID: Eleanor?
Patrick?
Where's everyone hiding?
[ Exhales slowly ]
[ Breathing heavily ]
PATRICK: [ Humming tune ]
Anne? Are you up yet?
Aha-ha.
So, who are you on?
Caligula, appropriately enough.
Well, come on. Breakfast now.
Oh, darling, you shouldn't have!
- Have what? - Made breakfast.
No, I mean, I-I'm... I'm...
I mean, I'm ready, uh, for breakfast.
- Uh... - [ Sighs ]
- [ Jingle plays on radio ] - [ Rhythmic creaking ]
[ Jingle continues ]
You know it's a real turn-on,
you reaching for the clock like that.
What time's the taxi?
You might help out here, move around a little...
If we miss our flight...
Oh, God, what's the bloody point?
[ Sighs ]
Ruined beauty.
Won't be long before they say,
"He used to be so handsome."
- Ohh. You still are. - Heh heh.
[ Northern English accent ] Give over, love. Give over.
- Ugh! Don't do that, though. - [ Doorbell rings ]
NICHOLAS: Oh, Christ. There's the taxi.
WOMAN: Where are we going this time?
I told you, the south of France.
Mm...
I just think it's a little rude.
We are his guests, after all.
Well, I'm sorry. I'd no idea there'd be a test.
Well, with David Melrose there's always a test.
It's a good idea to, uh...
well, to prepare something intelligent to say.
Well, did you know Caligula tortured his wife
to find out why he was so devoted to her?
What's David's excuse, I wonder?
And what's in this for you, Sir Victor?
If you're so scared of him, why are we even here?
I'm not scared of him.
I'm just fascinated by him, that's all.
At Eton he was
an extraordinarily gifted young man.
Very distinguished. Held in awe.
Well, when I was at college,
the football heroes got to sleep with the cheerleaders.
At Eton, they got to beat young boys for burning the toast.
Heh! He didn't beat me, exactly.
The important thing is w-we're friends now,
and also his guests.
I'm sure it's very American of me,
but I fail to see what's so glamorous about lost promise.
"Distinguished" for what?
For doing nothing for a long time in the same place?
Please, God, don't say that.
The only one I like is the boy.
At least he still has a little life in him.
[ Dramatic piano music playing ]
- [ Floor creaks ] - [ Music stops ]
[ Music resumes ]
- [ Floor creaks ] - [ Music stops ]
Where are you off to?
To pick up Nicholas from the airport.
Well, there are hours yet.
I wanted a drive. With Anne.
- Ahh. - Promised.
I see.
You'll leave Patrick here.
Of course.
- You remember our discussion? - Of course.
Well. His flight lands at 2:00.
Off you go.
Patrick, where on Earth have you been?
Your father's been calling for you.
- Can we play now? - Not now.
- But you said we could. - Darling, I'm sorry.
I have to pick up Nicholas from the airport.
There's absolutely nothing I can do about it.
You promised.
Au revoir! A bientôt!
- Can I come with you, then? - No!
Your father wants you here with him.
I'll stay in the car. I won't say a word.
[ Sighs ]
I know it's strange,
but your father gets jealous.
He thinks it's very important
that you're not too dependent on me.
You mustn't prefer my company to his.
- I do. - [ Laughs ]
Well, you mustn't let on.
Be very nice to Daddy, yes?
And then you can come find me before dinner,
tell me about your day, and I'll tell you about mine.
And I promise...
I swear, you will have my full attention.
[ Smooches ]
Hello! Here you are!
Just in time.
I hope you're comfortable in the cottage.
I'd have put you in the house,
but you know how David hates to share anything with anyone,
even air.
Of course at dinner, he'll be all over you.
Patrick, are you gonna come with us?
- I do hope so. - No, no.
American girls only, I'm afraid.
I'm sure we can make an exception?
Victor, aren't you terribly hot?
How's the book coming?
Oh, uh, you know...
Identity. It's a big subject.
- Does Freud come into it? - No.
No, I'm not approaching it
from a psychoanalytical point of view.
- ANNE: Perhaps I should drive. - No.
No one else drives this car.
It's the one thing that's still mine alone.
But it is rather a long way.
Not the way I drive.
ANNE: Bye!
VICTOR: Well, young man...
W-What have you been up to?
[ Down-tempo piano music playing in distance ]
I know you're there.
Hello, Mr. Master Man.
Have they all gone?
Good. We'll have our special day.
Do you recognize this?
PATRICK: You wrote it for me.
DAVID: When I left Eton, my father asked me,
"What do you want to do with your life?"
I didn't dare tell him I wanted to compose music.
"I don't know, sir," I said.
What did he say?
"Better join the army."
Mm.
What will you do with your life, I wonder?
I don't know, sir.
Now...
Shall I pick you up by the ears?
No.
Come here.
Ready?
- Up! - [ Giggles ]
[ Both laugh ]
- Now let go. - No.
- Let go, and I'll drop you. - No.
Trust me.
On three. Ready?
One, two, three!
[ Screaming ]
You've learned a very useful lesson today.
Think for yourself.
Never let other people make important decisions for you.
- Do you understand? - Put me down!
- Do you understand?! - Yeah! Yes! Yes!
You lied to me! You hurt me!
Don't whimper. It's very unattractive.
[ Dramatic piano music playing ]
Yaagh!
[ Grunts ]
[ Exhales slowly ]
Patrick!
[ Groans ]
[ Exhales sharply ]
[ Groans ]
Okay. Up the stairs, Patrick.
PATRICK: [ Groans ]
BRIDGET: So who are these Melroses?
NICHOLAS: David doesn't have a penny.
His terrible father cut him off.
Left him nothing but a pair of old pajamas.
BRIDGET: What for?
For daring to defy him, becoming a doctor.
Before that, he wanted to be a composer.
Could have, too.
[ Tires screech ]
[ Up-tempo music playing on radio ]
Eleanor, on the other hand,
comes from one of the richest families in America.
All new money, of course,
from the patent on a dry-cleaning fluid,
but completely loaded.
The house was the first thing he persuaded her to buy.
First summer there, we were all sitting on the terrace
and she complained about the dreadful waste of figs
that fell from the tree onto the ground and rotted there
while there were people starving in the world.
And David did this amazing thing.
He told Eleanor to get down on all fours
and eat every fig off the ground.
- In front of you? - Yes.
She didn't protest, though. She just ate every single one.
Kinky.
[ Insects chirping ]
Now, that's a meaningful life.
Like a Red Indian or something.
Getting up with the sun.
Living off the land, connected to the earth.
And if you want a chicken, you have to go out
and strangle it yourself.
Sounds idyllic.
ELEANOR: This is so frustrating.
[ Horn honks ]
MAN: [ Speaking French ]
I wanted to stop for lunch.
- [ Honks ] - [ Men shouting in French ]
So is Patrick looking forward to going back to school?
Why do people think they'll please me
by asking about Patrick?
I don't know how he is. Only he knows.
- I'm sorry. I thought... - Look, you'll see him tonight.
He'll be lurking.
Oh, God. Tonight.
[ Sighs ] I need a drink.
[ Tires screech ]
[ Men shouting ]
- No! - [ Horn blares ]
ELEANOR: Ah, yes, here it is!
Lovely place. There's Marcel.
Marcel! Marcel!
After the war, the Nazis killed every man in the village
except Marcel.
Which is lucky for us because the food is wonderful!
- [ Fly buzzes ] - Isn't this fun?
[ Slowly ] American girls.
Hey.
Hey! Wake up.
I'm awake.
You know what I need? A cognac.
- That's not a good idea. - Of course it is.
It's exactly what we need after all this heavy food.
It's for my headache.
Marcel, deux cognacs!
May I speak frankly?
Oh, I do hate it when people say that.
Do you think perhaps you're drinking a little too much?
Too much for what?
Too much for lunch. For your own good.
For Patrick's.
Obviously, it's never possible to know
exactly what goes on in a family...
No, it's not.
Especially when you are neither married
nor have children yourself.
Merci, Marcel.
Extraordinary remark.
Mm.
[ Church bell chiming ]
Well...
[ Clinks ]
...seeing as you're so concerned about my welfare,
you can drive.
- [ Click ] - [ Mid-tempo music plays ]
- Hello. Hello. - [ Singing in French ]
Oh! That stew was awfully rich.
I feel better now.
Good.
Oh, here it is! L'O.K. Corral!
- We have to go! - Oh.
- It'll be like going home. - But do we have time?
Of course! Please?
Please, please, please?
- Sure. - [ Giggles ]
- [ Gunshots ] - [ Whooping and shouting ]
Isn't it terrific?!
[ Gasps ] Look!
A Ferris wheel!
Oh, there's your Cadillac!
You know, I'm so glad we did this.
Girls' day out.
I'd... I'd like you to understand something.
He wasn't always like he is now.
David?
When I first met him, he played so brilliantly.
He was so intelligent and beautiful.
So different from all the other English snobs.
[ Chuckles ]
We were going to do wonderful things together.
Useful things.
Of course he was a difficult man,
even then.
But I thought I could turn to him.
The idea of turning to him now...
...of being alone in the same room with him...
Why have we stopped?
I'm sure it's only for a moment.
ELEANOR: We're gonna be late for Nicholas now.
- Oh, just a few minutes. - And he'll tell David.
I'm sure he won't mind. A few minutes.
- It's so high. - There's nothing to worry about.
Why have we stopped? You mustn't tell David about any of this.
- Eleanor... - I beg you.
Eleanor, are you afraid of him? You seem afraid.
Let's get off this fucking thing!
Eleanor, you have to stay still.
Hello!
Hello down there!
- We want to get off! - Eleanor.
- Let us off! - Eleanor!
ELEANOR: Hello!
- [ Clears throat ] - MAN: Bridge.
Bridge, is that you?
Barry! Thank God!
Ohhh! I was literally just thinking about you this morning.
- That is synchronicity, Bridget. - This fabric's amazing!
God, I'm stoned.
[ Both laugh ]
What are you doing here?
There's a jazz festival in Arles.
We're all going! [ Whistles ]
It's gonna be amazing. You should come.
Oh, you should come. Come, come, come, come.
I can't. I'm staying with these Melrose people.
[ Snores ] God. [ Laughs ]
Let me give you the number.
- [ Grunts ] - ELEANOR: Nicholas!
- Ah. - I'm so sorry.
We got caught on a Ferris wheel and they wouldn't let us off.
Very like you, Eleanor, to get more fun than you wanted.
[ Chuckles ] Oh, will you excuse me just a minute?
What the hell are you playing at?
I've been carrying these fucking suitcases around
looking for you!
Just get a trolley, man.
- [ Both laugh ] - I'm Barry.
Don't you ever do this again, you stupid...
ELEANOR: Nicholas?
And this is Bridget Watson-Scott.
- Eleanor Melrose. - And who's this?
He is no one. Shall we?
[ Insects chirping ]
[ Sizzles ]
YVETTE: Patrick, tu es en retard. Déjeuner.
Déjeuner.
- I don't want any lunch. - Tu as faim?
I don't want to be with my father.
YVETTE: Qu'est-ce qu'il s'est passé?
I want my mother.
I want my mother!
YVETTE: Je suis désolée. Ce n'est pas possible.
[ Indistinct conversation ]
Don't you dare!
Don't you dare ever do that again!
- What have I done? - Come up to my room! Now!
[ Softly ] Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Pluto.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Pluto.
What have I done wrong?
Come over here.
But what have I done wrong?
You know perfectly well.
Closer.
Do you know who King Shaka was?
No.
King Shaka was a great and mighty Zulu warrior
who made his troops stamp thorn bushes into the ground
and march for days across hot, jagged rocks.
The soles of their feet were slashed and burnt.
And though there was resentment and pain at the time,
the calluses this created
meant that eventually nothing would harm them.
They would feel no pain.
And what had felt like cruelty at the time was actually a gift.
It was actually love.
I don't expect you to thank me now,
but I hope perhaps,
when you're older you'll be grateful
for the skill of detachment that I've instilled.
Go and close the door.
Do I have to close it myself?
Very well.
Take your trousers down.
[ Door locks ]
[ Mid-tempo music plays ]
[ Music continues ]
[ Music fades ]
Est-ce que Patrick vient déjeuner?
Non, il n'a pas faim.
Merci.
Mm.
[ Moans ]
[ Coughing ]
[ Water sloshes ]
[ Groaning ]
8:00 Please don't be late.
And... And let's forget about our little conversation
this afternoon, yes?
Oh, of course.
NICHOLAS: I'd almost forgotten how wonderful it is here.
ELEANOR: I'd completely forgotten, and I live here.
Eleanor, what a sad thing to say.
Tell me it isn't true.
ELEANOR: Okay. It isn't true.
It's beautiful.
I want one.
That's what David said!
And so I bought it for him.
We were going to do marvelous things.
We were going to turn it into a-a home for alcoholics.
Which, in a sense, we have.
- [ Chuckles ] - Don't worry about your bags.
- Yvette will fetch them. - I wonder where David is.
Perhaps he's drowned in the bath.
- [ Laughs ] - I'll find Yvette!
She's really high.
Do you think you might possibly buck up
and make a little light conversation?
Something other than how vivid the colors are.
- Is this it? - What?
The fig tree. Is it the same one?
Bridget. Bridget, no.
Get up.
I said get up. What if David sees you?
BRIDGET: [ Chuckles ]
I said, get up! Oh, God.
- Mmm. - Bridget! [ Groans ]
Why are you all so scared of him?
What do you think he's gonna do to you, Nicholas?
DAVID: I thought I heard someone.
NICHOLAS: [ Chuckles nervously ] David!
How very nice to see you.
Ah, this is Bridget Watson-Scott.
Hello, my dear.
You have the most wonderful spot here.
Yes.
Just think, with a single machine gun mounted here,
you could dominate the whole valley.
Stay there. I'll come down.
We'll have tea beneath the fig tree.
Tell me, are you going to more weddings
or memorial services?
NICHOLAS: Oh, I still go to weddings, but, uh,
I enjoy the memorials more.
DAVID: Because you don't have to bring a present.
One should only go to an enemy's memorial service.
There's the pleasure of outliving them,
but also the opportunity for a truce.
Forgiveness is so important, don't you think, Bridget?
Gosh, yes.
Especially getting other people to forgive you.
But why would I need anyone's forgiveness?
ELEANOR: Oh, how can you all sit out here? It's so bright!
Careful not to squash the figs.
[ Blows ]
Weird, isn't it?
The way their skin's purple and white at the same time.
DAVID: Like a drunk with emphysema.
[ Laughs ]
This one...
This one is perfect.
Goodness, look. There's a strange little boy.
That's our son, Patrick.
You have kids? Wow.
Patrick! Darling! Come on up. We're having tea.
Patrick, come and join us.
Perhaps he can't hear you.
DAVID: Of course he can. He's just being tiresome.
BRIDGET: Perhaps you could show me to my room
so I can bath and unpack.
ELEANOR: Oh, of course. Come, follow me.
Only the best or go without.
Always, provided we, uh, don't have to go without.
She's very vivacious.
Bridget? Mm. She'll do for now.
Don't apologize. She's charming.
Sometimes I think I should be done with it
and settle down with a well-bred, well-educated,
well-informed woman whose conversation I can bear.
And then I remember I've, uh, divorced two of them already.
Patrick.
Where are you going?
Mummy wanted to see me.
Your mummy's tired after her drive.
Come say hello to your godfather.
Hello, Patrick.
- Up to mischief, are you? - Almost certainly.
NICHOLAS: That's what I like to hear.
Come closer.
Mm. Is everything all right?
Yes, Father.
Now, I know you didn't eat lunch.
Did you have tea?
No.
Well, that's why you're so pale.
You must eat if you want to grow up strong.
Go and see Yvette. She'll find you something.
And leave Mummy be today.
All right?
Dinner at 8:00.
Don't be late.
[ Insects chirping ]
[ Louis Armstrong's "I Only Have Eyes for You" plays ]
[ Water running ]
♪ Bah bah doo yes ♪
♪ Are the stars out tonight? ♪
♪ I don't know if it's cloudy or bright ♪
♪ 'Cause I only have eyes... ♪
What the hell were you playing at?
I don't know what you're talking about.
- That business with the figs! - I thought it would turn you on.
It did the first time. You were practically dribbling.
And as to your conversation...
"What a perfect life you have here! What a wonderful view!"
Fuck off, Nicholas, or I'll elope with Barry.
Yeah, why give that yob their phone number?
He asked.
♪ Eyes for you ♪
♪ I don't know if we're in a garden ♪
♪ Or on a crowded avenue ♪
♪ I don't know if we're in a garden ♪
♪ Maybe millions of people go by ♪
Patrick! Don't skulk.
Either enter a room or leave.
Oh, I'm sorry, darling. You startled me, that's all.
[ Humming tune ]
♪ Only have eyes ♪
♪ For you ♪
[ Smooches ] All right, I have to finish my writing.
What are you writing?
A check for charity. To Save the Children.
Because it's important, when one has so much,
to give something back.
You'll remember that, won't you?
When Daddy and I are no longer with you.
I have something for you too.
L'O.K. Corral.
Don't give me that look.
I had to make sure it was suitable.
Handsome boy.
Now, you tell me all about your day.
Hmm? Did you have fun with Daddy?
Did you have a walk?
Patrick? What is it, love?
What is it?
Shall I take your glass down, bring you another?
Such a thoughtful boy.
I'm so glad you've turned out well.
I think the secret is not to interfere.
[ Indistinct conversation ]
DAVID: We'll speak to him at dinner.
I'm sure we can make him agree.
NICHOLAS: Of course, with Victor, the great question is,
what will he be wearing?
A fisherman's sweater, perhaps, or something in corduroy?
[ Conversation continues ]
DAVID: The anticipation. I can hardly wait.
[ Conversation continues ]
I'll see you downstairs shortly.
[ Down-tempo music plays ]
- PATRICK: Aah! - [ Thud ]
- YVETTE: [ Speaking French ] - PATRICK: [ Whimpering ]
YVETTE: [ Speaking French ]
[ Smooches ]
ELEANOR: Merci, Yvette.
I'll take over now.
Hello, love.
Oh, sweetheart.
Ouch!
Mommy sat on some glass.
Silly Mommy. Serves me right, no doubt.
What happened? Tell me.
It was an accident. Don't tell Father.
Oh, I wouldn't dream of it.
You know what I'm going to do instead?
Tomorrow morning I'm going to take you to the O.K. Corral.
No excuses, first thing.
Just you and me.
Would you like that?
I want to go away.
What do you mean?
Leave here.
Yes.
[ Telephone rings ]
I have to get that, love.
I'll come back and tuck you in, I promise.
[ Door closes ]
NICHOLAS: It looks like you bought it
from a stall at Kensington Market.
BRIDGET: I did buy it from a stall at Kensington Market.
Oh, hello again, strange little boy.
[ Ringing stops ]
You look like a medieval witch.
BRIDGET: And you look like an old fart.
A stuffy, conventional old fart!
Um, there's a telephone call for you, um...
Wow!
Barry? Oh, thank God!
I don't think I've ever wanted to speak to someone
so much in my life.
Don't ask people what they do for a living.
And, uh, don't ask the staff how they feel.
And don't provoke David.
Fine, but will you do one thing for me tonight?
- Of course. - Don't suck up to them.
Don't let them bully you. Don't try to fit in.
- Well, isn't that three things? - They're all connected.
You're as good as these people. In fact, you're better.
You have warm blood.
What an extraordinary chair.
Oh. It used to belong to some doge.
It really should be in a museum.
Of course it's David's favorite.
He likes to rest his cigars on the arm.
Well, I don't think he'll sit in it if you're in it already.
I wouldn't be so sure. He does like to get his own way.
- Well, hello. - Hi!
God's sake, Victor, that suit.
Couldn't you have got Anne to iron that for you?
- Well... - ANNE: Has it begun already?
We're barely through the door.
Let's have a pleasant evening, shall we?
- Thank you. - Thank you.
Let's drink to...
Let's drink!
NICHOLAS: Nothing a don likes more
than bashing another man's discipline.
VICTOR: I'd hardly call psychoanalysis a discipline.
ANNE: But it helps people.
Yes, yes, there's the therapeutic promise.
Here he is. Ha! A real doctor.
Victor, Anne. Pleasure to see you.
Eleanor.
I do like you in pink.
It matches your eyes.
Is that vodka I see?
Please don't take this the wrong way,
but I find it hard to imagine you as a doctor.
So did I, my dear.
And I must confess to stumbling a little
over the Hippocratic oath.
Fortunately, my wife's money
removed the necessity of my leading a useful life.
Her great gift.
I appreciate your escorting my wife to the airport.
It was pure pleasure.
As was this.
Ah, so much pleasure in one day.
My cup runneth over.
I've had a very special day too. Must be magic in the air.
BRIDGET: Hey, Dave. [ Gasps ]
I love those kinky yellow slippers.
DAVID: Do you really like them? I'm so pleased.
- Vodka, my dear? - Do you have a Coke?
Alcohol's such a crude high.
Let's have dinner.
Victor, you sit there.
No.
Anne, you sit next...
No, that's not right.
Thank God we're only six.
While we wait for Eleanor to solve the problem,
Anne, tell me, what did you think of the Emperor Galba?
Oh, terrific.
A terrific character.
Anne was particularly taken with Caligula.
Victor attempted to make me feel sorry for him.
Bridget, you sit here with me.
VICTOR: But Tiberius killed his whole family.
It's only natural that those who are terrified
become terrifying, given the opportunity.
- Is that how it worked at Eton? - DAVID: [ Chuckles ]
Anne takes a rather satirical attitude
to the English public school system.
Does she, now?
As to his obsession with screwing his sisters...
NICHOLAS: You know what they say...
Vice is nice, but incest is best.
No, I'm sure I'd have liked the chap.
He did exactly what he wanted to do
with no nonsense about ethics.
Why do you think it's superior to be amoral?
NICHOLAS: It's not a question of being superior.
It's a question of not being a bore or a prig.
What one aims for is ennui.
[ Insects chirping ]
DAVID: Eleanor, what a marvelous memory you have,
to be able to duplicate the dinner we had last time.
She has that expression she puts on
when she's thinking of her dear, rich, dead mother.
I'm right, aren't I, darling?
Yes, David.
Once Eleanor's dear father had been dismissed
for being too drunk,
Eleanor's mother decided to purchase a human antique.
[ American accent ] A real, old aristocrat.
[ Normal voice ] On the grounds that
if you're going to buy a husband,
he might as well be a duke.
And so the duc de Valencay was reupholstered
with thick wads of dollars.
But you just can't treat human beings like things.
Definitely.
- You agree with me? - Definitely.
Maybe the human antique wanted to be bought.
Oh, I've no doubt of that.
I'm sure he was licking the windowpane.
What so shocked Eleanor's mother was that he dared to rear up
on his Louis XV legs and start giving orders.
You see, I feel that so strongly,
that the problem with the world
is people treating other people like things.
I so agree. That's something else we have in common.
Things should be treated with great care.
Excuse me.
[ Exhales sharply ]
"What one aims for is ennui."
Hello, Patrick.
I broke a glass. Don't tell my father.
You look so grim.
What's up?
Can't you get to sleep?
Does it hurt? Let me see if it's...
- No, I only wanted... - I'm fine.
You're shaking.
You want to tell me? What is it?
Patrick?
I gather that Gerald Frogmore
shot more birds last year than anyone in England.
Not bad for a chap in a wheelchair.
Perhaps he resents their freedom of movement.
[ Laughter ]
What about your mother? Do you want to tell your mother?
Okay, I'll be right back.
I promise.
I don't believe you.
You say you will, but you won't.
Patrick, I will.
[ Footsteps ]
NICHOLAS: Everyone enjoyed themselves...
even the man who was being hanged.
Fun for all the family.
I found Patrick on the stairs.
He wants to talk to you.
- DAVID: Darling. Eleanor? - Yes?
I thought we'd agreed that you wouldn't rush to Patrick
each time he whines and blubbers.
He fell earlier, so he... he may be hurt.
In that case he may need a doctor.
He's not hurt. He just wants to talk to his mother.
You see, darling? He isn't hurt.
And so it's just a question of sentiment.
Does one allow oneself to be blackmailed or not?
If you sit, we can discuss it.
The proposition I'd like to make is that education
should be something of which a child can later say,
"If I survived that, I can survive anything."
Well, that's crazy and wrong, and you know it.
Well, I-I certainly think a child should be challenged...
Oh, for goodness' sakes, Victor!
NICHOLAS: Well, nobody wants anyone to be miserable.
- We're just saying... - ANNE: "We."
Because God forbid you should ever contradict him.
...it doesn't do a child any good to be molly-coddled.
I know it's an unfashionable point of view,
but in my opinion, nothing that happens to you
as a child really matters.
ANNE: When it comes to things that don't matter,
you're top of my list...
saying silly things to sound less pompous
and pompous things to sound less silly.
A ferocious backhand there
from the young American lefty.
Well, nothing that happened in your childhood
did matter, Nicholas.
You just did exactly what everyone expected.
NICHOLAS: I refuse to apologize for an uneventful childhood
or to relish the suffering over the happiness.
- Big lawns, buckets and spades. - What the fuck?
Throwing coins into the golden pool at the Ritz.
Would you like a fig?
They're at their best this time of year.
Go on. I know how much you like them.
I'll need a knife.
I'm sorry, I've... I've really tried here,
but I can't do this anymore.
You... You are a pompous, silly little sycophant.
And the only thing in your favor is that you frighten him.
That aside, you're a failure.
It's your son I feel sorry for. If I had my way, then...
Victor, stay with your friends, by all means,
but if you do, I never want to see you again.
- No, I'm coming with you. - Must you leave so soon?
Yes, Eleanor, I have to be up early
to, uh, make... make some... some progress on my book.
Eleanor, Patrick is in the hallway.
He is sad and he's lonely and scared,
and I promised I'd bring you with me.
Will you come and find out what's happened?
Eleanor, please.
Eleanor.
For someone so conventional,
Victor does love an unconventional girlfriend.
Almost nothing is as entertaining
as the contortions of a clever Jewish snob.
NICHOLAS: Very broadminded of you
to have one in the house at all.
Oh, do fuck off, the pair of you.
- [ Laughing ] - NICHOLAS: [ Laughing ]
[ Whispering ] Thank you.
[ Whispering ] No, you were right.
In the end, one must oppose cruelty,
even if only by refusing to take part.
Why are we whispering?
I have no idea.
[ Both laugh ]
Oh, one moment.
Patrick?
It's only me.
He must have gone to bed.
Barry, you are saving my life.
- BARRY: Like I always do? - [ Smooches ]
NICHOLAS: They're desperate to get her into Country Life.
But Mummy's keen on roses, Daddy loves the gee-gees.
I took them up to Covent Garden to see "Le Nozze di Figaro,"
and when the conductor came on the podium,
Rodney Watson-Scott said,
"Look! They're under starter's orders."
- [ Laughs ] - DAVID: [ Laughs ]
[ Engine idling ]
[ Sighs ]
Barry.
ELEANOR: You see?
It's not as easy as you think.
[ Footsteps ]
Can't sleep?
No, me neither.
Must be all the excitement.
All these people.
Here.
Is that better?
I'll leave you now.
But know one thing.
If you ever tell your mother
or anyone else about today...
...I will snap you in two.
[ Door creaks ]
[ Whispering ] Johnny?
You can go now.
[ Up-tempo string music plays ]