You know, I was waiting for a ride here tonight,
watching the headlights go by,
and I got to thinking how different it was
back in the old days,
standing in front of a burger stand and waiting.
Yeah, those were the days
of the really important headlights.
Is that him?
No, too narrow.
Is that him? No.
You'd think after 700 or 800 cars you'd lose interest,
but that's the one thing about waiting for drugs...
You never lose interest.
Yeah.
Hey, Martin. What?
Whoa. Slow down. What account?
Oh, yeah, that account. That account. Ok.
What promo?
No, no, no, no.
Uh-uh.
No, no, no, no.
The balance on that will shift from time to time.
Yeah.
Yeah. Well, it's a very fluid account.
Yeah.
Wait. So you're telling me the whole 80,000...
All right, the entire 92,000... Isn't there?
Martin, it's there.
Are we talking about the same thing?
The escrow account, right?
Yeah. Believe me, it's all in there.
Check with the bank on Monday.
Martin, check with the bank on Monday, would you?
Yeah.
No. No problem.
It's ok. All right, man.
Absolutely. Monday, Martin.
Fuck.
Where do you get this stuff?
Here.
Get your heart started.
Come on, you little munchkin.
Appears to be comatose.
Yeah, respiration very shallow.
You got anything for me?
Where's the coke?
Excuse me?
Hey, I hardly knew her.
Give me a second, will you?
Yeah, but now's just not a very good time.
It has nothing to do with the quality.
No. Don't. Hey, I won't be here.
Hey, I will pay you.
Listen...
Listen, kid, I know you want to win a bike,
but I already subscribed.
Hey, uh...
She's going to be all right, isn't she?
You better hope so, asshole.
Stick close to home, huh?
Absolutely.
A 20-minute weather delay.
Attention, please. Flight 38 to Boston
is now boarding at gate nine.
Give me a ticket on the 8:45 to Toronto.
There's a delay.
What else you got?
Going where?
I don't care. Vancouver, Ottawa. It doesn't matter.
We're not getting an authorization
on this credit card.
If you have another...
How about cash? You take that, right?
Give me the fucking card.
Fuck!
You always remember the moment you knew.
The time you went, "this is it."
Mine was July 14, '79.
I was in the shower
after a little two-day extravaganza,
and I slipped.
I looked in the mirror,
and my nose was completely bent
all the way over across my face,
all the way to one side.
I decided to fix it.
I got a hammer and began banging it back
to a right angle with my face.
Suddenly I saw myself in the mirror...
A hammer in my hand, blood on my face.
And something inside me said,
"Richard, your life is no longer manageable."
God won't force it. It's your decision.
I pray in Jesus name...
You want something to eat or something?
No, thanks. Do you have any beer?
I think so.
Wow. You have the most amazing hands.
Seriously.
I knew this chick once, she was a hand model.
She used to get paid 7 grand
to hold up a can of creamed corn.
Thanks, Debbie.
Oh.
I'm sorry.
Some girl had a heart attack in my bed.
The cops think it might have been drugs.
Who was she?
I don't know.
Some girl I met in a mall.
Martin, I need a place to stay.
Ahem!
Honey.
I don't mean to be rude, but we have this tennis thing.
Go ahead, man. Finish your beer.
Hey, Martin, just for a couple of weeks?
Here?
If she dies, they'll say I did a John belushi on her.
How will I handle the escrow thing if I'm downtown?
You took the money, didn't you?
No! Look, it's real complicated. I can't explain it now.
Martin.
Look, Daryl, I don't think so.
You don't look very well, you know?
Maybe you should see a doctor.
Ok.
So basically, it's "fuck you, Daryl," right?
Hey.
You mind getting me another beer?
Alcoholism and drug addiction
affect the lives of over 70 million Americans.
70 million! Jesus!
I'm Dr. Paul Thanstead,
Director of The Crossroads Center.
Hi, Paul. Daryl Poynter. Nice to meet you.
If you or someone you know
has lost control of his life,
effective treatment is available now.
Our 21-day program is conducted under medical supervision
with absolute confidentiality.
No one need ever know you're here.
Call the insurance company?
Absolutely. You can write them.
It'll just take a little longer.
Uh... that's fine.
Let me know if I can be of any help.
Hi.
How you doing?
Good.
These your barns?
No. Afraid not. Can I help you.
I heard about the program,
and it sounds really good to me.
I just want to make sure
I understand the confidentiality aspect.
Yes, the program is completely confidential.
No one would know I'm here.
Not unless you wanted them to.
Great. You take Blue Cross?
Yes, we do.
Good.
Let's say someone found out I was in here
and tried to call me or wanted to bother me.
I'll tell you why I ask.
I'll level with you.
I got the police after me
for some old bullshit traffic violations.
I think it would be a good idea
if I avoided any outside pressure for a while.
Well, this is probably
the safest place you could be.
Our program begins here in detox.
I'll examine you, see what chemicals you've been using,
prescribe medication to moderate the effects
of detoxification on your body.
Most patients using alcohol and cocaine
remain in detox for 48 hours.
Is 48 hours the norm?
Give or take.
Could I use a phone?
Sorry. No calls till you're downstairs.
You'll probably suffer from repeated vomiting.
If you don't make it to the bowl, fine.
Push that button and someone will clean up.
We keep the room cold because you're going to sweat.
There's a television lounge down the hall,
but most patients spend their time in bed.
You'll sleep on and off, probably have poison dreams.
It only lasts a couple of days.
48 hours, right? That's what the doctor said.
If you need anything, just hit the button.
Can I use a phone?
Lie down and go to sleep, baby.
It's gonna be all right.
Averaging speeds of 20 to 25 miles an hour,
and the Ben Franklin bridge backed up to the 30.
Our top story of the hour... Unidentified terrorists
have seized an American passenger plane in Peru
and claim to have set explosives
timed to go off in 46 hours...
Fucking bitch.
In this rathole.
It's your ass.
Even names of the flight crew are being withheld from us.
How you doing?
Uhh.
Hey.
Anybody care if I change this?
It's all right, I guess.
Fuck it! Fuck this god damn place!
God damn this! Open up!
Open the fucking...
Call the doctor!
Open it up, god damn it!
Stop it!
Get the fuck away from me!
God damn it!
Get the fuck out of here!
Where is that god damn door?
Hey!
Where is that god damn door?
I told you to stay away from me!
Don't touch me, god damn it!
Stay out of my face, you motherfucker!
Xavier, we're here to help you!
Stay away from me!
Nurse!
Can I please have a librium?
And in here, we normally have TV and coffee.
Oh, great.
Is that what I'll look like tomorrow?
This word just in.
It has been confirmed by our ambassador in Lima.
The passengers will be released.
Here we go.
Hot damn.
And the passengers...
Oh, my god! I don't believe it! The bomb went off!
So what's next?
Welcome to the Social Rehab Center.
Someone will get you a schedule.
All therapy, education, and other activities
are mandatory.
If you leave the area, you'll be tested for chemicals.
If you fail to participate, you'll be discharged.
Each patient is given one 24-hour pass
when their counselor feels they're ready for the outside.
When you return, you'll again be tested for drugs.
If you have any questions, ask your counselor.
He's a recovering addict himself.
His name is Craig, and this is his office.
He'll be back in a minute.
Hey, Spence. Big D, man.
How you doing?
You got to do me a favor, ok?
Oh, fuck you!
You got to send me some product, ok?
I don't know. About 5 grams probably.
What do you mean you don't have any?
It's your fucking job, man.
Hey, come on, man. I always pay you.
Come on. Hey, Spence.
You fucking asshole!
Coronary care, please.
Yeah. I want to check the condition
of a Karen Peluso.
I don't know how to spell it.
Look, I just want to know if she's going to be all right.
Fine.
What's icu?
Never mind that. Who's her doctor?
What do you mean you don't know?
Hang up the phone, please.
Obviously I'm a relative.
Hang up the phone.
Give me a fucking minute, man.
I'm her uncle, all right?
I'm her uncle.
We like to get patients focused on the program
before they start dealing with the outside.
You must be Daryl.
I'm Craig.
It's a real pleasure, Craig,
except you interrupted a pretty important fucking phone call.
Maybe you could tell me what the Big Deal is
about the phone here.
I mean, life goes on, right, Craig?
It's my phone.
Oh, fuck.
Fine. Here.
Tell you what...
We're even.
I think not.
You know what the addict's least favorite word is?
"No."
Ask me if you can use my phone, Daryl.
Say, Craig...
May I use your phone?
No.
Come on. I'll show you to your room.
I'm feeling better already.
Hi.
I think I'm your roommate.
Is this yours?
Go ahead.
Your bed?
I'm Donald.
Donald Towle.
Daryl.
I was in detox for five days.
Five days is the longest I've ever been without a drink.
I've been drinking since I was 9.
So how about you? What's your...
Bob. Alcoholic.
I'm with American Cyanamid,
and I want to stop.
I know I can stop.
I got to stop.
Roger Tiller. Alcoholic, addict.
I'm a hair consultant...
Color and whatnot.
I promised a friend I'd do this.
Oh. Um, Iris.
I got to run down to the bathroom.
I know what I'm supposed to be doing here.
I take that back. I'm here...
And I'm glad I'm here.
I guess.
Come on.
Hey, Spence. Big D. Again.
I got to talk to you. Don't hang up.
Fuck you!
Here's a healthy liver. It weighs about 3 1/2 pounds.
This chronic alcoholic's liver weighed 15 pounds.
The microscopic picture shows healthy liver cells.
Alcohol replaces them with massive deposits of fat
which obstruct the liver's functions.
I had been drinking vodka for a long time,
but there was no indication that I was sick.
I didn't consider myself...
Go to my desk.
There's a envelope there in the bottom drawer.
It's a little recreational stuff.
Seal that envelope,
take it to Federal Express,
and tell them it's a priority delivery.
Daryl, I'm with clients.
All right, all right.
Give me the address.
It's a hospital?
You're in a hospital?
Yeah. I'm having some tests done.
Just some tests.
Exercise.
Good for the body, good for the soul.
Help us build up a little appetite for dinner.
Some of our chemically dependent bodies
aren't used to a little physical exertion.
Huh, Daryl?
Best way to break old habits
is to start new ones.
Right, Bob?
Yes, sir.
Fun, huh?
1, 2, 3,
4, 5, 6.
Focus on the program, huh?
3, 4, 5, 6.
That's right, Daryl. Thanks for asking.
And basically, fuck you, Daryl.
Ok.
Cheryl Ann. I'm an alcoholic.
I'm an addict.
I'm a mother, too.
At least I was when I got here.
I'm having a pretty hard time in here.
No shit.
I just really want to get my life back.
Me, too. Give me a drink.
Ha ha ha ha!
Come on, Gordon. Just tell me
where we stand on DW Industries.
Fuck.
Yeah, I'll hold.
Craig said I could use the phone.
Did Craig say you could use the phone?
I gave you $90,000,
and I can't know how my money's doing
because some asshole spilled a tab
on your fuckin' terminal?
Going to be here long?
Yeah.
Pardon me, asshole.
Delicate young thing, aren't you?
Fuck you!
Gordon.
Oh, no shit. Really?
If it went from 60,000 to 40,000 in 3 days,
I guess it is sloping downward, you fuckin' jerk.
Sell it all, and we'll short it.
Yeah.
Listen, I want you to do me a favor.
Call this guy at my office.
His name is Martin...
Yeah. I'll call you back, ok?
Thanks. I just had to make a...
You better leave.
Is there a problem?
Take this to the front office.
Wait. I don't understand.
Is there a problem?
I want you out.
Why? Because I used your fucking phone?
That was a $90,000 phone call, man.
$90,000.
90 grand, man! That's the stock market, babe.
It doesn't give a fuck if I'm in a hospital!
The stock exchange doesn't care
if some asshole who makes $300 a week
says I can't use the fuckin' phone!
I'm close, right?
Like 310, maybe 315?
That's about it, isn't it, Craigy?
Boy, a big 307 a week.
You got to allocate that motherfucker, don't you?
What's that... Lean Cuisine, some pork and beans?
Get another pair of plastic shoes!
Fine! You want me out of here?
I'm fuckin' out of here! I'm gone!
Motherfucker, look at this back.
Fuck!
Gone, baby. The big fade.
Fuckin' a, baby.
Fuckin' b, c, and d, too.
I'm out of here, asshole!
Fuck you.
I don't fucking believe it.
Fuck!
Fuck.
It's ok. I work here.
I'll come back.
I got an emergency deal,
and I need to find this contract, really.
This guy's nuts. He never sleeps.
I'll come back.
Ok.
I'll straighten up all this.
You won't even know I was here.
It's all right, really. It's ok.
Ok?
Hi. Daryl. How are you?
Oh, jeez. I'm sorry, Ma.
Is it really?
I was working in the office.
I didn't realize how late it had gotten.
I'm sorry.
No, I'm fine, really.
I just remembered I hadn't called in a while.
No. Everything's great.
Yeah. How are you guys?
Well, make him get somebody to do the lawn, Ma.
Then you get somebody to do the lawn, Ma.
It's not going to look good with a dead guy
lying in the middle of it clutching his heart, is it?
No, everything's fine, I'm telling you.
Well, there is one thing.
I'm in a little bit of a, uh...
I'm in the middle of a cash crunch.
I was wondering
if I could hit you up for a little advance.
Um...
About $30,000.
Yeah, I know.
I know how much money that is.
You didn't bring me up stupid, Ma.
Well, actually,
I do know where you get that kind of money.
Well, I'm talking about the house.
You do a second, and send me the payment book.
Wait, ma, I know how long you lived in that house.
Yes. This is not... No, calm down.
Nobody's telling you to move. You don't have to move.
You just go to a bank. It's done all the time. It's...
Forget that. Forget about that.
Let me talk to you about something else.
Remember when you and dad had that will drawn up?
Were you going to leave me anything?
Mom.
What are you crying for?
Ma, what are you crying for?
I'm just trying to figure out a way...
Ma.
Wait a minute.
What's going to give you more pleasure...
To give me that money while you're alive
and can see me get some use out of it,
or later, when I may or I may not?
Ma, stop crying.
Stop crying and put dad on the phone.
Put dad on the phone.
You got somewhere to go?
You better go there.
Look,
leave me alone a minute.
I call police.
You got somewhere to go?
You better go there.
So, yeah, you know,
I'm out there looking for a program...
Thanks.
And I say to myself...
Well, hey, I'm already in one.
They got the paperwork. I know the people.
Really like that counselor Craig...
Yeah. They're going to be pretty happy
with this one, Craig.
Pretty fucking happy.
How many of you been
to an A.A. meeting before?
Ok. Your job tonight is to find a sponsor.
What's a sponsor?
Somebody you can relate to.
Somebody who's heard all your bullshit before.
Somebody who...
Well, you'll know him.
You'll know him right away.
Hi. I'm Jane, your alcoholics secretary.
Hi, Jane. Hi, Jane.
Sheila will lead the meeting.
Sheila.
Hi. I'm Sheila, alcoholic-addict.
Hi, Sheila. Hi, Sheila.
Rarely have we seen a person fail
who has thoroughly followed our path.
Those who do not recover
are people who cannot or will not...
Want to be my sponsor?
No, thanks.
Hey, I'm serious on this.
It's a good deal.
There are those, too,
who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders,
but many of them recover
if they have the capacity to be honest.
Thank you.
Mark gets a 30-day chip
for his first 30 days of sobriety.
Hi.
Daryl Poynter.
Addict. Alcoholic.
You did an amazing job
of running the meeting tonight.
Really. I mean, you know,
it's my first meeting, and actually
I was, uh, I was really moved.
Really?
Truly... truly.
It's funny we're talking here
because actually I'm, uh...
Kind of, uh, you know,
looking for a sponsor.
A sponsor?
Yeah, you know...
A sponsor...
Um... I'm sorry. I don't think so.
But I think you could help me a lot,
a whole lot.
That was very nice. Very smooth.
Yeah. You like that?
I got a million of 'em.
Yeah. I'll bet you do.
Sorry about that situation at the phone.
Don't worry about it.
Got wrapped up in something.
Yeah.
What's your name?
Charlie. Charlene. Charlie.
Charlie. Ok.
You having any luck, uh...
Finding someone?
No, not really.
Me neither.
I guess guys aren't supposed to have
female sponsors or something.
That's too bad.
Tell me about it.
You're a newcomer.
Excuse me?
Sheila said you're looking for a sponsor.
Yeah, well, just came out for some fresh air.
Really can't wait to get to that phone, can you?
Here, give me your back.
If you're looking for a sponsor,
phone this number.
Name's Richard. Good night.
Someone's here to see you.
Said it's important.
Mar-teen, you dog.
How are you?
I had to beg the guy to let me in.
Yeah. Classy joint.
You didn't tell me.
How are you? How's the office?
Good. Well, somebody broke in
a couple of nights ago.
Trashed the place.
Jesus.
I appreciate your coming down here.
You could have sent a messenger.
It's empty.
It's what?
There's nothing in it.
What the fuck are you talking about?
I flushed it down the toilet.
Look, Daryl,
we had an incident yesterday.
Some crazy guy came in shouting and screaming.
What guy?
Peluso. He said you gave his daughter drugs.
About half the staff heard him, including Kramer.
She died, Daryl.
What?
He said she died. Night before last.
He threatened to make a lot of trouble.
A guy from the D.A.'s office interviewed all of us.
Kramer, too. Kramer really wants to talk to you, Daryl.
I can tell him you're in the hospital,
but you'll have to deal with him eventually.
You got to come up with the money you took.
Look, I got to go. I had to work late,
and Debbie's waiting.
Daryl? You ok?
Look, Daryl...
I really got to go.
Shall we?
Tell me how happy I'll be with this one.
Am I going to be happy?
Let me ask you something.
What the fuck are you doing here?
You got a problem, Daryl?
You don't even know you got a problem, do you?
You know how long you been straight, man?
12 days.
12 whole days.
12 days, 3 hours, and 20 seconds.
24 seconds.
26 seconds.
That's how we do it, Daryl.
A second at a time.
A minute at a time.
One day at a time.
But you got to know you got a problem.
Drink up, will you?
All right, uh, ladies and gentlemen,
can I have your attention, please?
Hello?
Good morning. My name is Craig,
and I would like to welcome you to family group.
Now...
I know how hard this is for everybody.
A lot of us have been...
Very angry, very worried for a long time.
But don't be afraid to speak honestly.
What do you mean, bitch?
You took my fuckin' rock!
What the hell you expect?
Your old man steal your Visa, kick your ass every day,
you'd jam his damn freebase down the sink, too.
I want to ask something.
I want to know what she's doing here.
Jesus, Lenny. They were going to fire me.
It's good they didn't because we need gas
so you can get to your probation officer.
Good. Thanks.
Everybody hear that? I'm on probation.
Way to go, Charlie.
I'm sorry.
Fuck your job!
Hey, no. No. I can't fuck my job.
I like having a steel mill to go to
when you're throwing fuckin' telephones through the window.
Beats throwing her through the fuckin' window, doesn't it?
Christ.
Don't.
All right, people. Time for a shower.
How you feeling, Daryl?
I was feeling dandy, old pal,
till you shoved your foot up my ass.
Listen,
I'm starting to give some of the people passes,
a little time to be on their own.
Think you could handle it?
Possibly.
Yeah.
You gonna fuck with me?
No.
All right.
This is Spence. I'm out for a while,
so leave your name and number at the beep.
Spence, Daryl. Pick up. I want to do business.
Come on, Spence, pick up. This is Daryl.
Shit.
We're sorry. You have reached a number that...
Shit.
Hello.
Larry, it's Daryl. I'd like to do some business.
You would, huh? I would, too, Daryl,
but I think you dialed the wrong number.
This is Richard. We met the other night.
Oh, Richard.
Jeez, I got the wrong number. I was just...
Where are you?
Listen, I want to see you.
I can't get away now,
but how about 12:30?
Why?
Why do you think why?
I want you to do something.
Know what an inventory is?
A list of everything you've done
that harmed other people.
Make one. A fearless and searching moral inventory.
Write it down. Have it with you at 12:30.
A moral inventory. Hey, look...
Just do it. It'll take your mind off calling Larry.
There's a coffee shop at 2nd and Market.
I'll bet.
What are you going to bring?
Drugs. Lots of drugs.
An inventory. You got an hour and a half.
Park yourself someplace and do it.
Sorry I'm late.
Addicts are always late.
Thank you.
What is it with you guys and food?
You're like wild dogs.
Addicts are compulsive.
You got your inventory?
Uh-huh.
Call Larry?
No.
You want something to eat?
No. It's all right.
"Halloween 1964, put a cherry bomb
"in this guy's air conditioner.
"1970, I faked a hand stamp to get into a dance.
"1976, I told some girls
"I played in the Pan American games when I didn't.
"Two weeks ago, borrowed $92,000 from an escrow account.
"'81, took a blender back to Sears that I broke,
told them it was fucked-up when I bought it."
You asleep yet?
What's with this 92,000?
I was a little short.
For coke?
I needed a few thousand dollars,
so I put some money in some stock options.
Made a little at first,
then the market got weird.
How much you lose?
$52,000.
You get along with your boss?
Is there some way he'll let you pay it back?
I don't know.
See...
This guy, uh...
His daughter had a heart attack in my bed.
He went into the office,
screaming and yelling how I killed his daughter
because I gave her drugs.
Did you?
No. She gave them to me.
What about the police?
Told me not to leave town.
You an addict, Daryl?
Funny how the mind works.
You're not an addict if you're not dead, right?
I don't believe this shit.
What?
That I'm fucking here.
Are you an addict, Daryl?
Fuck you.
I tell you, Craig, old pal,
all you'll find in this one...
A couple of milk shakes.
Well, more than that, actually. Five milk shakes...
The chemical equivalent of nitro fucking glycerin.
I can barely see straight, man.
Get that snake out of there.
Come on, you python. There you go!
I got him all coiled up after lasso practice.
Well, we've been together a long time.
It's hard with him, you know.
Why? What makes it hard?
I don't know. He's stupid.
Like, I, uh...
He... he ripped off all this cable from the phone company...
You know, all those spools they've got
that lie underground, you know.
I come home one night, and there's, uh,
152-ton spools of wire in my back yard.
There's this Mafia fuck
who was supposed to broker it all for the copper,
so Lenny and him, they... They get into an argument,
and, uh, Lenny shoots him in the foot.
Then the cops come, and Lenny goes to jail.
You do any drugs while Lenny was away?
How you doing, Daryl?
Just groovy, Craig.
Iris?
Ok.
Oh, yeah?
Yeah.
I'm fine. Thanks.
Where'd you get the stuff?
What do you mean?
I mean the stuff you took before you came in here.
I can see it in your eyes.
My eyes are fine.
Then you don't know what I'm talking about.
Afraid not.
There are a lot of people in here trying hard to stay clean, Iris.
I think you owe it to them to tell me the truth.
All right, Iris.
If you're using, I want you to leave.
Right now.
Hey, Chuck.
What's shakin'?
Besides you, I mean.
Hey, too bad about Iris, huh?
Yeah, too bad.
She was your roommate, right?
You always take two desserts?
Ok.
So I guess you'll be all alone up there
for the last few days.
Tough duty, Chuck, tough duty.
Listen, I just want you to know
if sleeping alone starts to get you down...
You know what I mean.
I know how tough it is to sleep alone.
I'll bet you do.
Come on!
You know the jerk?
Come on! Come on!
Whoo!
Bravo!
Hey, hipsters,
take a little stroll down memory Lane to 1962...
Kennedy was in the white house,
Bobby was in Marilyn's house,
haircuts were $1.00 apiece,
the baby boom was on,
and everybody wants to be happy.
Yeah! Yeah!
You're staring, man.
Who?
Oh, ho ho ho.
She's out of there.
What?
God, it's Ike.
Checks in here all the time.
Ike Turner.
What are you talking about?
Did you read what he did to Tina?
It took her 15 years to get away from him.
Tina said his tongue is the size of an anteater.
He'd bore it down her throat,
her body would go into a trance.
Fuck you. His name's Gary.
She just told him she doesn't use birth control.
Ike's asking if Xavier's got one of those huge rubbers...
Big lambskin mothers,
look like Tomahawk missiles.
I think I'll move in while she's still hot.
Hey, put it in park, you little pecker.
You like to dance?
Yeah.
No, no.
I mean with me.
Oh. Oh, with you.
Yeah.
Come here.
Oh, wonderful. A slow one.
You want it kicked up to 78?
That's ok.
Jesus.
What?
I haven't done this in a long time.
Not straight anyway.
You scared?
Of what?
I don't know. You know...
Tomorrow,
getting out of here and everything.
Yeah, a little. Are you?
A little.
Yeah, I am. You know...
So what do you do?
I run a crane.
A crane?
A gantry crane in a steel mill.
I'm the token cunt.
No kidding?
No kidding.
You like it?
I like the union.
I like the medical and dental.
I like the job security.
There's job security running a crane?
As long as once a month I forget to wear a bra
and show them my high beams, there is.
What do you do?
Real estate. I sell commercial real estate.
What's so funny?
Nothing. I just knew.
Just knew what?
A slick guy like you
had to do some kind of bogus tap-dancing for a living.
Why, thank you.
Thank you very much.
Want to get together when we get out?
I live with somebody, remember?
Yeah, I know. Right. I know.
I'm talking about something casual.
Bring Lenny.
You come to my house for dinner.
I go to your house for dinner.
You'll come to my house?
You, me, and Lenny?
People do it all the time.
You're nuts.
Be honest with yourselves.
Go to your meetings.
Talk to your sponsors.
For christ's sake, talk to each other.
If you need a phone number, call me.
I'll put you in touch.
You'll make it.
Jesus.
You got ants in your tuner.
Where's your stash?
What stash?
The cops were all over.
Mind if I look?
I'm going to assume
that most of your friends these days are selling drugs,
so I want you to screen all your calls.
What's your situation at work?
Damn. You don't let up, do you?
I want you to spend the next day or two
figuring out how you'll straighten things out.
I'll handle it.
How?
Dancing around until it gets too big to handle?
Good excuse for getting high.
Hey, look...
What you do is you sit down
and write out what you'll tell your boss.
If you're afraid, use the paper like a script.
Whatever the case, you tell him everything.
You tell him the truth.
Yeah, right.
Then he congratulates me and gives me a raise.
It's an A.A. schedule.
Anytime you want to go to a meeting,
look in there. You'll find one.
Motherfucking god...
Hi, uh, is this Mrs. Towle?
My name's Daryl Poynter.
I was your son's roommate at the clinic.
I'm thinking about going to one of those A.A. meetings.
I was wondering if Donald wanted to go or needed a ride.
I don't know.
Oh, he's not.
Ok.
That's all right. Just tell him I called.
Ok. Thank you.
Hey, Chuck.
I was just in the neighborhood.
Thought I'd stop by.
Yeah?
Well, I'm fixing dinner.
Yeah, well, uh...
I just wanted to see how you were doing.
How are you doing?
I got an 8:00 shift.
Ok. You know what? I'll stop by some other time.
Hey.
You could join us if you like.
This is nice.
Are you sure this is ok?
Sure. Why not?
Lenny!
What?
This is one of the guys from the clinic.
Hi. How you doing? Daryl Poynter.
I'm doing all right.
So why do debutantes hate group sex?
Oh, Jesus.
Because they have to write so many thank-you notes.
You live around here?
Oh, yeah, kind of.
Uh, sort of, yeah.
No. I thought it was a good idea to keep in touch
with the people in the program.
You wouldn't believe what a mess this guy was.
Yeah. Well...
So, Lenny, what kind of work are you in?
I'm a doctor.
A brain surgeon.
Hmm.
I'm through.
I know I don't know you very well,
and it's probably none of my business,
but do you think
that's a smart thing to do around Charlie?
Dinner's over.
She's got to go to work.
Why don't you get the fuck out of here?
I don't think you understand.
Lenny.
Uh, you driving me to work,
or am I driving myself?
Sorry.
It's ok. It keeps life interesting.
Keeps Lenny on his toes.
It was really kind of nice.
So what's next?
What do you mean, what's next?
I want to take you to a movie or something.
Uh, I don't think so.
Come on. There's a movie theater down the street.
Tomorrow's Saturday.
Tell him you're going shopping or something.
Tomorrow.
3:00.
Hi. This is Daryl.
You know what to do.
Daryl, Richard Dirks.
What's the deal with your boss?
You got to take care of that now.
All right. You made it.
Got a good flick today.
The care bears movie and five color cartoons.
You seen them?
I screwed up.
Matinees, you know?
Yeah, well, I don't have too much time.
I guess this isn't too cool out here.
Ok. Come on.
Ahem.
What are you doing?
Nothing. Nothing.
Just looking at you.
It's nice to see you.
Why?
I don't know.
I'm alone all day, and you're nice.
I don't know.
Would you stop staring at me?
All right. I'm sorry.
I just kind of wanted to talk about something.
You don't talk in a movie.
Let's go someplace and talk.
I don't want to.
What it is, is...
What? What it is, is what?
Well, what it is, is...
I'm trying to organize my life,
I mean, I am, and I know you are...
Yeah. So?
So...
Why don't we try and do it together?
I mean, you know, honestly,
this is not about sex or anything,
and it's not about cooking.
I don't know what it's about.
Wait.
Charlie!
What the fuck do you want me to do?
At home I get high.
Here I get steamrolled by you.
I'm leaving.
Why?
None of your god damn business!
Hey!
Fuck.
It's been damn near a week.
I'm just getting everything I need to say on paper.
I'll drive you.
No. I'll go. I'm going right now.
Hi.
What are you doing here?
Well, I came to apologize.
Would you just leave me alone?
Let me give you a hand.
I got it.
I get out of hand sometimes because...
You only think about yourself.
Am I supposed to say "fuck you"
to a guy I've been with 10 years?
What I'm trying to say is...
I know what you're trying to say.
I admit I'm not functioning great these days,
and I'm sorry.
I don't know what for,
but I'm sorry.
I just want to see you again. That's all.
Come see where I live.
There's no hot tvs,
no spools of telephone wire.
What do you say?
You work tonight?
No. I'm off.
Let me cook you dinner.
Call me, all right?
I'm in the book!
Brought some Tequila.
Nice touch.
18, huh?
18.
Married, pregnant, and happy.
I was.
I mean, that's the way
life's supposed to go, right?
Grade school, junior high,
high school, married, baby.
Right. So what happened?
The bump died.
We called it the bump.
I was seven months pregnant,
I got real sick, and the bump died.
And then Charlie left.
Charlie and Charlie.
Charlie and charlene?
Oh.
We were a hell of a couple.
But he left.
That's when I moved to darby.
My uncle got me a job in the steel mill.
$6.00 an hour to start, and that was '72.
So here I am.
Here you are.
Want some more coffee or something?
I think I better go.
Why?
I told Lenny I was working.
So?
What if he calls there?
Live with me.
I can't.
Why not?
I can't leave Lenny.
Why not?
Because...
Because why?
Because... It's not that easy.
It is. All you got to do is want it.
Well, I don't know if I want it.
Well, you know...
You deserve somebody who cares about you.
Maybe it's not me.
It might be somebody else,
but it sure ain't Lenny.
I can't.
All you got to do is tell him.
Fuck it. I'll tell him.
Hey, no! I'll tell him.
Here.
I can't.
Why? Because you're afraid? Don't be afraid.
Don't you get it?
You never have to see this guy again.
He'll have to deal with me. Just tell him.
You know, I've been writing
this script for myself
for this thing I've got at work.
Here. Let's write one for you.
Jesus. You really buy into all this shit, don't you?
Look, let's just try it, ok?
I mean, Christ, let's just try.
Ok, here.
That's you, and that's Lenny.
"I love you for what we had,
but now my life's different."
Give me a fucking break.
Put it in your own words.
What's that?
That's his probable response.
But if you stick to that, you can't get confused.
Here. Tell him tonight.
Listen, I'm here, ok?
And I want to help you.
Lenny? Hi. Yeah, it's me.
I'm still at work.
Um, listen. Listen, I got something
I want to say to you, ok?
Ok, will you listen just for a second?
I got some...
Ok, just listen to this.
Lenny, I've had a lot of time to think lately
and sort out my feelings
and make some hard choices.
"Where are you, you fucking douche bag?"
I don't see that there.
"Get your ass home now, bitch."
Tell him you're not going home.
Tell him you won't do anything
until he listens to what you have to say.
Do it.
Lenny.
Uh-huh.
All right.
Fuck!
Charlie!
Hey.
Daryl. Hey, look at you.
Yeah, look at me.
You're back, fella.
Yeah. I'm smoking like a fucking chimney.
I go to the can every 10 minutes.
What's it like up there?
Good. It's good. I told Kramer you were laid up.
Thanks. I appreciate it.
It's nothing. You'll have to talk to him, Daryl.
I know that. What should I say?
What's the thinking in there?
Come on, Martin! My ass is on the line here.
I know that! I know that.
Kramer's not a bad guy, Daryl.
You know, it... It'll be ok.
They figure they'll fool him.
Then they bring in this hooker...
I'm sorry, there's a meeting here.
Yeah, I know that.
Um...
I'm sorry to interrupt, but I, uh...
I think I should kind of clear up the situation
with the escrow account
before it really gets blown out of proportion.
But I can come back another time.
This is as good a time as any.
Well, uh, here it is.
I, uh...
I was just in the hospital for a while,
and the best that I can put together is,
what happened was, uh,
I had one of the girls
do a telephone transfer for me.
I wanted to consolidate the 92,000
with another account.
And, uh, by mistake, it was a stupid thing,
I accidentally gave her
my own personal checking account number.
I was in the hospital
and didn't know what had happened
until a little while ago.
So you've corrected the problem?
Yeah.
Almost.
Almost?
Well, I owe the IRS a couple of hundred dollars,
and they've frozen my account.
But once I get a check, everything will be fine.
Did you take the money, Daryl?
Did you spend it, Daryl?
Did you have an emergency?
I put most of it in the stock market.
Why, Daryl?
I had a drug problem.
And I went into a program...
At a clinic.
And now I'm back on my feet again.
We're still talking about embezzlement here.
People go to jail for that.
Fuck you people! Go to jail?
All of us could go to jail, man.
Did you ever look at this guy's appraisals?
They're not that bad.
Fuck you, not that bad.
This Vietnam vet, this all-state athlete.
He gets 90% financing on a $300,000 building
that's only worth 2.
With the extra cash, he buys an apartment complex,
sells it for double, pays the bank back,
and puts what's left into a company boat.
Get the fuck out of here. Company boat.
How's the fishing, Ron, Hank, Bob?
Better than the stock market.
Yeah, maybe.
We see your point, Daryl.
Look.
I fucked up.
But, you know...
You know, take a look at my sales record.
I promise I'll pay you back,
out of my commissions.
Why don't you give us a few minutes?
All right.
Ok.
Thanks.
Thank you.
Right away.
He sees this naked woman
watching him drive the car.
I'll tell you later.
We've gone over everything, Daryl,
and we've decided to give you a break
on the embezzlement thing,
so long as you make restitution.
Thank you.
Thank you. Thanks.
However, we have no alternative
but to terminate you as of today.
The licensing board...
Wait a minute.
That's all.
Whoa! Wait a minute.
You know how many properties I sold last quarter?
23. 23 properties.
Please tell security Mr. Poynter will be vacating...
Me! By myself! For you, man!
Charlie! You got a phone call!
I don't know what happened.
I don't know what I'm doing, you know?
I don't know why I called you.
I don't know what I'm doing.
Listen, I'm gonna take you home.
I'll drop you off around the corner from your house.
No, no, no. Don't take me home.
I don't want to talk about it.
Just... just drive the car.
Just...
Oh, man.
Oh, man, what?
Just oh, man.
Daryl, I've been through a lot.
I know. So have I.
No, I mean really a lot.
Are you attracted to me?
Yeah.
You haven't been through nothing yet.
Hey.
Here's a thought.
Why don't you call in sick today?
Ha. You're not worth it, babe.
Some day, when you have a job,
you'll understand.
Very funny. I want you to know something.
I've had hundreds of offers. Hundreds of them.
Well, thousands, even, actually.
It's really going to boil down to
who's got the best parking and nicest cafeteria.
Is this what you do with Lenny?
Maybe that's why I'm here.
Flush it down the toilet.
Going to be some happy rats
in the sewers tonight.
You gonna stay?
You want to stay?
I don't know.
This is pretty much of a dump you got here.
Why don't you get a job, you bum?
Daryl, d-a-r-y-l, Poynter, p-o-y...
Yeah, that's Poynter. P-o-y-n-t-e-r.
That's a "y", not an "I".
Poynter. What does that mean?
It means hard worker.
34. I was born in 1954.
April 3, 1955.
27. 27 last month, as a matter of fact.
I was up to 47,500 my last job,
so I couldn't possibly take less.
Low forties. You know, that ballpark.
I'm flexible, I guess.
Money? Salary? I don't know.
It isn't really the main consideration for me.
I'm sorry.
If I did stuff to make it hard for you...
It's only because I was having problems, too.
You always have problems.
I know!
I always have problems.
I do always have problems.
But if you're not around...
I don't make it at all.
Somebody want to tell me what's happening here?
Nothing. Nothing's happening here.
Really?
I'd like him to leave.
Fuck you.
Fuck me? Fuck me? No, no, fuck you!
You're in my house now, asshole,
so get the fuck out!
Where are you going?
You don't need me, Daryl.
Look at all you've got.
You don't drink from jelly jars.
You want to say something, you figure out how.
What the hell do you need me for?
I do need you! You need me!
Didn't you know he'd come back
and work you like this?
Will you let him snort coke off your tits?
What part of him will you snort off of?
Good-bye.
Yeah?
Hi. I think I've got something.
I mean, it's going to take some negotiating.
Daryl, don't call me anymore.
6:19 to go in the half.
Up in Philadelphia, the Eagles lead the Cowboys.
Hello.
No, she's not home right now.
Who's this?
Who was that?
Where are you going?
Cigarettes. I need cigarettes.
Hello.
I know what you're thinking, Daryl.
You're thinking you could have done something for her, right?
It's your fault, right?
You can give up on yourself now, right?
That's what you're thinking, isn't it, Daryl?
But you got to understand
that's absolutely conceited, Daryl.
It's self-important and conceited.
Are you getting this?
It's important because a guy
who thinks he can control somebody else's addiction
needs to know how overblown his thinking is.
Could anybody make you stop, Daryl?
No, sir.
Nobody but you can.
Not me.
Nobody.
Sorry!
Maybe we ought to go inside, Daryl.
We're in the line of fire.
About a month ago...
I had a few problems.
And I figured the only way to deal with these problems...
Was to, uh, disappear.
One of the problems was I didn't have any money,
so I asked myself, "where could a guy go
and be totally anonymous and get somebody else to pay for it?"
Well, the answer I came up with was pretty brilliant.
I figured what I would do would be
I would check myself into a drug clinic.
And, uh, the only trick was
I had to convince the people in the drug clinic
that I was an addict.
So, uh...
I sat in front of a place in my car...
And, uh...
I had a couple of beers...
And I figured out all the language
and all the gestures and moves
so that I could give this really convincing performance.
And, uh...
Somehow I did.
And you fools bought it.
And now, it's 30 days later...
And, um...
I've been to a funeral.
I've been to about nine million job interviews.
I'm $52,000 in debt.
And I got this chip.
I got this chip.
And I got this...
Startling belief that...
Uh...
That I am an alcoholic and a drug addict.
God knows what we got going next month,
but if it's anything like this last one,
Jesus Christ.
So here we go, and thank you.
And thanks for my chip.
And thanks for not smoking.
Hit it!
All right.
Lord, have mercy.
Say it again.
Dig it!
All right.
Hit it!
All right.
Lord, have mercy.
Hey, all right. Say it again.
Hey! Hit it!
Hey, Mr. Deejay.
I just want to hear some rhythm and blues music...
Here's the band!
One more time!