"Star light, star bright."
"First star I see tonight."
"I wish I may, I wish I might."
"Have the wish I wish tonight."
Dear, God, please, please,
I wish for there to be a circus in my backyard tomorrow afternoon,
when I come home from school.
Not a fake circus, a real circus,
with clowns and acrobats and everything.
If you do this, I'll tell everybody.
You'll be on television and you'll be in the newspapers.
And you'll get more money for church.
Please, God, please. Make this come true.
All right now, children, I want you to tear a page
neatly out of your notebooks,
and copy the address down just as Bobbie's writing it here on the board.
All right? Isn't this exciting?
How many children have relatives in the circus?
I bet your regular teacher wishes she was here today.
And there's gonna be clowns, a trapeze and horses and everything.
All in your backyard. Hmph! Isn't that thrilling?
Yeah. And everybody from school gets in free.
That's nice.
Now, children, I want you to be sure and write down the time, all right?
It's 3:30. Can you write that?
Hey, hey, son!
Are we going to see the surprise?
What is this circus?
Where is the circus? I don't know.
But it was supposed to be here. It was supposed to come.
Hi. My name is Bob...
Shit.
Okay.
Hi. My name is Bob Jones.
I was born in Detroit, Michigan in 19... Damn!
Okay.
My, my name...
I am...
Bob Jones. Robert Jones.
Formerly Bobbie Jones.
Formerly,
Bobbie Ivanovich, actually.
I am...
Those are my... This... That's who... I hate this.
Okay, look. I'm just gonna do this, okay?
Sorry if it doesn't all make sense, but, I may not have a lot of time here, so...
The fact is,
I'm supposed to be dying.
I've got a disease called cancer.
There are a lot of different kinds of cancer.
Mine started in my kidneys, spread to my lungs.
Now, I have a doctor, nice enough guy,
says, we're gonna try all kinds of experimental therapies.
But the truth is he really doesn't think I'm gonna make it.
I plan to prove him wrong. Now the tricky part here is not that,
I'm supposed to be dying, but that,
you're about to be born.
Okay? Here are some facts.
We all die.
Not pleasant, but we do. It happens.
I could get hit by a truck tomorrow.
Hopefully not a large truck.
I could, be sleeping,
palm tree crashes through the bedroom ceiling, kills me.
It's over. Could happen.
If something like that did happen, it would really be a drag
because there are a lot of things I wanna tell you and say to you.
There's not a lot you can trust in this world. There just isn't.
So I wanted to leave you this videotape,
for better or for worse, so that
you know something about me, who I am.
Well, this is me.
Came into the world weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces, 21 inches tall.
Eyes, blue. Hair, none.
Let's... Look at this.
My goodness.
Look at this.
It's amazing. How is that possible?
Who the heck is this guy? He looks like a loose kind of guy, doesn't he?
One of the members of the family who just got out of a mental institution, I think.
Look at this. Looks like the meat packers union.
None of these people will ever become a member of a dance troupe.
You can bet on that.
Here's a picture of me and my mom, Rose.
She said there were 12 tornadoes in Detroit the day I was born.
Twelve tornadoes. Four people died.
She always said I was a natural disaster.
Here you go. This is my dad. Take note of that.
It's one of the few pictures you'll see of my dad awake.
See what I mean? Look there.
To get my dad off the couch, you had to say the sale light was on at Kmart.
Okay. These primitive life forms you see here
are, your relatives, actually, grazing and foraging in Detroit.
They still live there, so the chance of you seeing them are pretty slim.
I think it's important for you to see this so that you realize,
you know, who you are isn't necessarily all your fault.
You can blame it on the gene pool.
Here's your grandfather lightin' up a smoke.
There's me and your Uncle Paul, my brother and your uncle.
As you can tell from these movies,
the chances of a Nike contract in your future are slim.
Sorry.
My Uncle Marco used to pack us in his station wagon,
take us all these places.
And, we used to go to this place, this amusement park.
That was called the Screamer, right there, that roller coaster.
And my Uncle Marco thought it was a good idea
to put me on this thing and said I was gonna have a lot of fun.
Stupidest thing I ever did. Thought I was gonna die.
That's where I first learned the meaning of the word fear.
First and last roller coaster ride you're lookin' at right there.
Here's another shot of your Uncle Paul. He used to be a schoolteacher, Paul.
Taught social studies. Now he works for my dad, junk dealer.
We don't talk too much anymore. I hate these things.
I hate other people's home movies. I hate my own home movies.
And I always did.
Eleanor called today.
She wanted to know if I'd be treasurer again this year.
What'd you say?
What could I say? "I can't. I'm going fishing for the next 150 years."
Very funny.
You know, it's something we're gonna have to tell people.
Yeah. Don't forget to tell me when that is, okay?
Amazing, isn't it?
There's just no appropriate etiquette for this.
Yeah, you'd think Hallmark would have come up with something by now.
You know, "Due to an unexpected terminal illness",
"Bob Jones regrets to inform you..."
Or you can leave it on your answering machine.
"Hi, this is Bob Jones. I'm dead right now."
"But if you leave your name, number and time that you called..."
Here.
Water. I hate this.
I hate this.
Hey.
Son of a bitch.
This is ridiculous.
I don't have time for this.
Okay.
Call her up. Tell Cynthia we got her a spot on the Today Show.
Yeah. She'll be happy.
They're gonna do it at her house. Yeah. Hey, you know what?
Tell her to do something with that kitchen. Rent some groceries or something.
Yeah. Okay. Hold on a minute.
Got any messages for the office?
All right, see you in a minute.
Hey. Equal time. Now can we talk for a minute? This is important.
I spoke with Robin yesterday about that Chinese healer.
Don't give me that look. He helped her father.
Hon, a healer. Come on.
I may have cancer, but it's not in my brain.
Besides, you know what they say about Chinese healers.
They heal you. You feel fine. Half hour later, you need to be healed again.
Hon, listen to me.
Eight percent of all people on Interleukin-2 have total remission.
Survival for people on laetrile is around 6%.
I figure if you add up all the percentages of all the things I'm trying,
I've got about a 122% chance of survival here.
Come on. Don't give up hope on me, babe.
Okay,
tell George to go over to Oshman's and pick up some baseball bats,
gloves and t-shirts and balls and stuff and send 'em over to Randy Spikes.
Tell him to get his kid in little league.
We'll worry about the contracts later.
That's so sweet.
Yeah, I'm a wonderful human being. All right, what next? Telegram.
Hey! George, come on in. Gimme a minute, would you? Get the door.
Thanks.
Hey, how'd it go? You finish it up?
It's not gonna work, Mr. Jones.
It's just not happening. Maybe I'm not the person to do this.
No, no. You wanted to be a filmmaker, right? This is your shot.
I know. I'm sorry.
Maybe you need a professional,
someone who knows how to open people up...
No, no. You're great. You're the man, George.
I'm sure. Let me see the tape.
You got the tape. Let me see it.
It's not very good. I don't think...
Come on. Come on. Let's go look at it.
Okay.
Hold on. I left my lens cap on.
All right, I'm ready. Rolling.
What exactly does he want?
Just a few words. Things you remember about him,
funny moments, things like that.
What's he want this for? I don't know exactly.
I think it's some kind of a surprise. He doesn't want his wife to know.
Has anyone else done it? Brenda.
Look, why don't you get somebody else to do this first, okay?
Bob Jones is one of the great men in public relations.
LA Magazine rated him one of the top-10 most powerful men in the field.
He's charming, clever, funny, a real wheeler-dealer.
This is good.
What about personal stuff?
Personal?
Yeah. Whatever you talk about outside the office.
Sports, movies. Come on. You know.
He loves the Raiders.
There. I love the Raiders. Okay. Good, good.
I've known Mr. Jones for five months now,
and he's the best boss I've ever had.
Ever.
He never complains when I disconnect him,
or lose a call or give him the wrong phone message.
He's very compassionate, and...
I just think he's a really great guy.
Can I do it one more time? One more, I swear.
I'll get it right. We did it four times.
Four times? Yeah.
You sure it's off?
No. I didn't know this recorded.
Well, the truth is, I mean... I wanna see this.
I don't really know him. I don't know if anybody really knows him.
I mean, including himself.
He's not exactly what you'd call an examined life.
Well, God, this is tricky. I mean...
I mean, the truth is he's really a product of his own PR.
What do you mean?
Well, I mean, like, his MBA. He told everybody he went to the University of Michigan.
In fact, he graduated from Wayne State. Only spent one semester at Michigan.
He's brilliant with resumes.
His name's not even Jones. It's, Ivanovich or something.
Why is that light blinking?
I think it means the battery's charged.
This is terrible. Isn't there anything nice you could say?
Go ahead. Start it. I'll talk about his charity work.
He'll like that. Okay. I'm ready. Rolling.
I didn't know that recorded.
No, that's okay. It's all right.
Good job, man.
I'm really sorry, Mr. Jones.
What? It's good. It's very good.
It's terrific. Don't worry about it.
That's the idea.
Thanks, Sandy.
Rosemary asked us to dinner, but don't worry, I didn't commit.
And Dr. Califano's office called.
They wanna see us on Friday.
Test results.
Are you listening?
I can't eat any of this.
Well, how about some plain chicken? We can ask them to boil it.
Yeah, but I'm gonna throw up all over the table. I can't eat this.
Okay. What about some plain rice? That shouldn't upset your...
Gail, come on. We didn't come here for me.
You been craving Cuban food all week.
Just order.
I...
I wanted to tell you something else.
I'm having another ultrasound.
Not right away, down the road. I'd like you to be there.
Wait. Before you reject this, just listen.
I think it would be good for you. It will give us a picture of the baby.
You'll be able to see it. We might even find out if it's a boy or a girl.
We could choose a name,
buy clothes.
I need to share this with you, Bob.
Don't make me go through it alone, please. It's our baby.
Don't pretend it away. I'm not pretending it away.
I'm setting up trust funds. I'm preparing for its future.
What kind of pretending is that?
Damn it.
Bob, please.
Love us.
Doris. Wow! Look at this.
Green sludge and my mother-in-law,
together in the same room.
Boy, it doesn't get much better than this, does it?
Hiya, Bobbie.
What'd you do, wake up at the crack of dawn?
Beautiful morning. Just felt like a drive.
I wanted to visit my daughter.
Really? She didn't call you to tempt you with leftover Cuban food?
I'm too old for temptations, Bob, especially leftovers.
Well, here's to many such fine mornings. Down the hatch.
God, how can you drink that?
Not too bad really when you get to that chewy center.
It's really good. That's disgusting.
Really? Yeah.
Sorry. Sure you don't want some?
Thanks. Maybe next time.
Might not be a next time, Do.
You know, you married a saint.
I know. It's the balance of nature.
Together, we almost make a normal person.
I called your parents this morning. You're kidding.
What'd you do that for? Somebody had to.
I told them you were having tests.
They were grateful to know. You should call 'em
I talk to them all the time. I just called them, when was it?
Four months ago, when we found out I was pregnant. You didn't say two words.
Your mom sounded concerned.
Concerned? If she loves me so much,
why doesn't she get on an airplane and come on out here and see me?
Fly? She doesn't love God that much.
You should call her.
Why? We have one conversation.
I don't need to keep having it over and over again.
Be grateful they're there.
Look. I spent 20 years trying to get out of Detroit.
I don't need to go back.
Paul's getting married.
You're kidding.
To whom?
I don't know. Anya something. Your mom said she was lovely.
Anya. Yeah, that's perfect.
Probably in food services or sanitation, somethin' like that.
It's April 21st. I thought it might be nice if we went.
You mean we're invited?
Look. Forget it. I'll probably be dead by that time anyway.
Great. Then we'll have the perfect excuse of not showing up.
Come on. We haven't been there in four years.
Will you at least think about it?
I'll see.
We need family, Bob.
It's true. If it wasn't for my mom, who would I have?
You'd have me.
We got the lab reports back this morning.
I'm sorry, Bob. They don't look very good.
There's been no reduction in tumor size or density.
And based on your response to the Interleukin therapy,
I can't recommend further treatment.
We're losing ground, Bob.
The tumor's growing, and I think you have to face things as they are.
Of course, we'll continue to monitor everything.
You could still have three or four months.
I think you should aim for that.
Four months.
You have a spring to look forward to.
The symptoms won't be too bad. We have drugs to manage the pain.
What if I wanna do the treatment again?
What if I elect to do it? Are you gonna stop me?
Are you gonna get a court order to stop me?
I can't believe you're asking this.
The Interleukin nearly killed you.
It was touch and go for six hours. And it didn't work.
Come on.
I'm still in the game here, man, you know?
Come on. One more.
I mean, there are a lot of other therapies.
Lot of other, treatments... Right?
Bob, don't make this any more painful than it has to be.
You don't have a lot of time left. Don't waste it in futile searches.
Medicine has got some terrible limitations.
And I wish there were something more I could say.
There just aren't any words.
Thursday at 2:00 PM.
Mr. Jones...
Who the hell do you think you are?
You think you can take away my hope like that?
Let me tell you something.
That's all I have. Got it?
That's all I have.
I'm gonna beat this thing, Gail.
I'll beat it.
I know.
Look at this. This is crazy.
We're gonna be lucky if we get out of here without getting hit
by a wrecking ball.
Just close your eyes.
Let's go home.
No, we're not going anywhere. Robin's father had pancreatic cancer.
Now he doesn't. That's all I need to know. Come on.
Look at this. How can they fix bodies? They can't even fix their own hallways.
That's what we're gonna find out. Okay.
Here. 202.
Which of these things doesn't belong here? Pick two.
Here. Read something.
Thanks.
Good. Sports. Great.
I feel better already. Let's go.
Mr. Jones?
Take off your shoes and lie down.
How you doin'?
Look. Just so you know. I'm looking for a miracle here, so...
Do you believe in miracles?
I will if this works.
Very bad stomach?
You take too much Rolaids.
Yeah, I do. How'd you know that?
It fell out of your pocket. Half empty.
Pretty good.
You had your appendix out a long time ago.
You were a child.
Yes?
Four or five?
Five.
Five. That's what I thought.
Aha. The tumors are here.
In the lungs. Two of them.
Very big.
The disease comes from the kidneys.
Very sick.
You just get comfortable.
I work.
You must relax. Relax.
I am relaxed.
Where's Gail?
What is that? That hurt.
You fight me.
You make it hard for me to do.
You hold too much anger inside. It poisons you.
I'm not holdin' on to anything.
Do you want to carry so much pain into your next life?
My next life?
The last second of your life
is the most important moment of all.
It's everything you are,
ever said,
ever thought, all rolled into one.
That is the seed of your next life.
Until that last moment, you still have time.
You can change everything.
You can let go of your fear. You can let go of your anger.
I'm not angry, okay?
He's a quack. A total charlatan quack.
You didn't feel anything?
Yeah, I felt the urge to get out.
Guy actually smelled my wrist.
How about that?
Kept telling me how angry I was, stupid son of a bitch.
What else did he say?
I had no faith.
A bunch of bullshit. Life is always trying to talk to me.
Life is always sending me invitations.
Yeah, I'd like to know what invitation life sent me.
You got one to your brother's wedding.
I don't think that's what he meant.
Man, come on.
What the hell has gotten into you?
Reincarnation?
I just wanna know if you believe in it.
I don't know.
Put it on the ballot, I'll vote for it, okay?
Why? I don't know. I just been thinking about it lately.
Thinking about it? What's to think about?
Come on, Bob.
You make, what, 250 a year?
You're in the top one percentile in the country.
Stop contemplating the afterlife and enjoy this one.
I mean, don't you ever think,
you know, what this all is?
Why you're here, who you really are?
You never think about that? No.
Never? No!
What is with you all of a sudden? You're a philosopher?
I took philosophy in college. It got me nowhere.
Are you happy? Come on, Bob.
No, wait a minute. Listen to me.
When is the last time you said,
"You know, I'm really happy"?
Okay. I was really happy when I was beating you at racquetball.
I am really happy right now taking this sauna.
I have been happy all day up until this ridiculous conversation.
You okay? Yeah.
Why? I mean, why did you ask me that?
Because you're acting a little weird in your old age.
You gotta learn to stop tormenting yourself so much.
Turn it off.
Hello.
Hi. Carol Sandman?
Sandman? Boy, that was a long time ago.
Who are you? What's with this camera?
I'm Bob.
I'm, Bob Ivanovich?
Bobbie? Hi. Do you remember me?
My God. Bobbie?
I don't believe this.
What are you doing here? How did you find me?
Do you remember Tony Farantino?
Tony.
I ran into him, and he told me you lived out here.
My God. This is so amazing. I mean...
It's got to be, what, 25, 30 years?
Look at you. You're all grown up.
Body hair and everything.
I just can't believe this.
It's so amazing.
I mean, how can you not remember anything?
You lived right next door to me, for crying out loud.
I know. I must have repressed everything.
I mean, I remember your parents vaguely.
And I remember your brother.
He's married now. He has three kids
and he owns a gun shop in San Antonio.
Really? It's so good to see you.
Thanks. I've got two kids myself.
I know it looks like a lot more.
My oldest, Mara, is in preschool,
and Sophia is probably gonna wake up any minute now
so you'll meet her. Thanks.
Well, Gail and I are having our first one.
Bobbie, that's so exciting. A little Bobbie.
It is very exciting. In fact, that's what the tape is for.
I wanted to make something to show him or her, whomever it's going to be,
you know, who I was.
That's a great idea. That really is.
Yeah. There's only one problem. I can't remember anything.
Come on. Sure you can.
You don't remember how you and me used to laugh together for hours?
No.
And we used to sit in my bedroom and listen to Petula Clark
sing Downtown over and over again, and you would dance.
I danced? I was a dancer. You danced.
And you were so funny. You were always making up stories.
Like once you tried to convince us that your dad was a secret FBI agent.
You remember that? Well, my dad was an secret FBI agent.
That part was true.
And how when you grew up, you were going to famous?
No, I don't remember.
And you always had these dreams.
And I mean, look at you.
You made it happen. It's really amazing.
Well, I mean, I don't know...
You did. Kind of, yeah.
Oop, here we go. Baby time.
That's good. That looks natural.
Yeah? Doesn't feel natural.
It just takes a little practice.
You're gonna be a really great father. I can tell. Really.
Yeah, what do you know that I don't know?
Here. Let's trade.
Here you go. Yeah. Got it?
Yeah. There we are.
There we are.
You know what my Uncle Rudy always used to say?
He said the best thing parents can do for their kids
is just love each other.
"Kids need to marinate in love," he said,
"And after about 16 years, they're really juicy."
That's great.
See, I knew I needed to see you for something.
Well, seek and ye shall find. Yeah.
I never been much of a seeker.
Hey, what are you talking about?
You're here, you found me, didn't you?
It's really great to be here, Carol.
Okay. Music.
This is actually a pretty important subject.
Try to stay with the classics. I would say,
Stones, Elvis, Stevie Wonder, James Brown always. Anything Motown.
Don't get into any trendy music, you know?
Anything where a guy would set himself on fire, I would avoid.
Your mother is going to be of no help in this area.
She will try to fill your head with show tunes.
If she starts singing...
¶ Some enchanted evening you will meet... ¶
Turn and run the opposite direction.
Otherwise, you're gonna have South Pacific coming out your nostrils.
Temps. Temptations.
Can't lose.
You can't lose with the Temps. Smokey...
What next?
All right, now, this is a little bit of a delicate subject.
Someday your mom may want to get married again.
And this might make you feel a little strange
or even a little angry,
like maybe she's being disloyal to me.
Well, let's think this over.
Your mom is a pretty wonderful person.
She's funny and nice and pretty and smart.
She married me, didn't she?
And she might also get lonely, and maybe she'll meet some guy
who's a really nice guy and you really like him,
and he plays baseball with you,
and takes you to Lakers games.
And don't worry about me being jealous 'cause...
Well, I might be a little jealous,
'cause he'll be doing all the things that I wanna do with you.
But if he's smart,
he won't ever try to take my place.
'Cause you know and I know
that I'm your dad, and that's never gonna change, ever.
I'm not saying this is going to happen for sure.
I'm just saying if it happens,
I wanted you to know how I feel.
I mean, we both want your mom to be happy.
Don't we?
Why didn't you tell me?
I couldn't.
Well, I wish I could tell you that I love it,
that I admire what you've done.
But mostly I...
It just really hurts me, Bob.
I know maybe it shouldn't, but it does.
Why can't you tell me these things?
Why is it you can tell all this to a camera,
you can open your heart to a machine?
I'm flesh and blood.
I'm here for you anytime.
Your silence isn't protecting me, Bob.
I feel like I've already lost you.
Like we've lost each other.
What do you want me to say?
Don't say anything. Just hear me.
Bob, I need you. I need you too. I can't do this alone.
I need you to be there.
How can I be there?
Let me inside.
Share what you're feeling.
That's all I need.
Bob! Bob, it's all right.
It's all right. It's okay. I'm here.
Hey, it's all right.
I don't wanna die.
Don't let me die, Gail.
No, it's okay.
It's okay.
I wanna live.
I know.
I wanna live.
If you want to know the truth,
I'm surprised you came back.
If you wanna know the truth, so am I.
Most people like you come once.
Then never see them again.
My wife talked me into it.
She's very good woman.
Yeah, she is, very good.
That's why I married her as a matter of fact.
It's not enough to marry goodness.
You have to find it in yourself.
Try and relax.
I am relaxed.
Yeah.
What the hell are you doing to me?
That was good. I got some poison out.
Now I can see more clearly.
Your anger is very deep and very old.
Who you been talking to, my wife?
I talk to nobody.
I just listen to your heart.
But if you listen to it, you will not need me.
Your heart is crying out.
Forgive.
Forgive who?
I don't have anybody to forgive.
Here we are, winging our way across the breadbasket of America,
on our way to picturesque Detroit.
Now, do you wanna know why we're making this epic 2,000 mile journey?
Let me put on your mom, who will explain to you why. Mom?
Tell your child why it is we're going back to the one place
I tried hardest to get away from.
Because your Uncle Paul is getting married, and they invited us to come.
Because this video wouldn't be complete
without showing where your father used to live.
Right. Because your father needs to see his family.
You want more? No. See?
Here we are with the Detroit Police Department
on a secret raid in a hotel room in suburban drug-infested Detroit.
Here's the suspect over here,
lying flat, passed out on the bed.
Begin undercover operation. Let's go right under the covers.
Suspect has good legs.
And a really big tummy.
Bob, what are you doing?
Open your eyes.
I want to see if your pupils are dilated.
Come on. Go shoot something useful.
You don't mind, do you, honey?
You take your pills?
Fully medicated, babe.
Just drive carefully.
Joking. See you.!
Am I bleeding?
It's so small.
Mommy! Mommy! It's okay.
It's okay. I'm Bob Jones.
Er, Ivanovich. I lived here.
This used to be my house.
Years ago. It's okay, really.
Do you mind... Sure. Go ahead.
Hi.
Did you used to sleep up here, too?
Yeah. When I was little,
about your age.
In my bed?
No. No, I had my own bed,
right here against the wall, right by the window,
and the people who lived over here were called Sandman.
That's the Robinsons, they live there, now.
Yeah?
My brother's bed used to be right over there.
We used to talk all night long.
You want to see where I hide?
Sure.
I used to hide in here.
It's a good hiding spot, isn't it?
Yeah.
Bobbie?
What are you doing in there?
What is all this about a circus?
Nothing. I didn't do anything.
Are you lying to me?
You're the liar.
You said you were gonna take us to the circus.
You promised.
No, Bobbie. I did not promise.
I said I would try.
You promise things, but you never do them.
What is it you want, Bobbie?
You want food on the table?
People have to work.
That's all you ever do. You always work.
You're never, ever home. You never do anything with us.
I hate you. I hate you.
I never heard that story before. How come you never told me?
I totally forgot about it.
I must have blanked it out or something. How's this?
Can you imagine?
I invited my entire class
to a circus in my back yard.
Why would I do something like that?
Maybe for attention.
Yeah, maybe.
I mean,
I really thought it would be there.
I thought I'd go home and there'd be a circus there. I really believed it.
¶ Someday I'll wish upon a star
¶ And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Why are you doing that?
¶ Where troubles melt like lemon drops
¶ Away upon the chimney tops.
Okay. All right.
¶ That's where you'll find me
¶ Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds... ¶
The people are gonna be, like...
next door.
You're a believer.
It's so weird.
I don't even know who that person was.
Come on. Sounds just like you.
What do you mean?
You're still a ringmaster.
Bob Jones, public relations,
except instead of wishing for circuses, you're creating them.
You got 20 rings all going at the same time.
It's really sweet.
In some ways you're still just that little boy.
"Star light, star bright."
"First star I see tonight."
"I wish I may, I wish I might."
"Have the wish I wish tonight."
Please, God,
just let me live long enough to see my child.
That's all I'm asking.
How do I look?
I feel fat.
Don't worry about it.
They'd love you.
Come on.
Bobbie! My God! Gail and Bobbie!!
Rose, come here! Mr. Hollywood.
How are things in movie land?
Bobbie! Bobbie!
Come here. Give me a kiss!
Gail, look at that tummy.
I know.
Bobbie, how are you?
You're gonna be a grandfather?
I'm glad to look at you.
Gail!
Two words. Weight Watchers.
I thought instead of having a wedding I'd be having a nervous breakdown,
because my husband wasn't at the church.
He and the best man got lost.
He always got lost.
You remember.
Well, I don't know about the rest of you
but I have a wedding to attend to tomorrow.
Let's go, honey. It's getting late.
It is getting late. Goodbye, everybody.
Bye-bye. Bye.
Hey, Bob,
don't you ever come out from behind that thing?
Nah.
Just kidding.
Okay, hi. My name is Paul. I'm your uncle,
your father's baby brother,
the one he hasn't talked to in nearly two years.
Got that in there.
And this is my fiancee, Annie. Annie Stasiuk.
Not for long.
And over there is her parents, Lida and Nestor.
I'm Lida. I'm Nestor.
This is my dad, your grandfather,
Bill Ivanovich. Dad, wake up.
Wave away that smoke and say hello.
Hello?
Okay.
This is Rose.
This is your grandmother.
It's my mom. Come on, Rose,
say something to the camera.
I've got nothing to say.
Stop hiding behind that thing.
Let us see you.
Turn it off, already. Ma, Ma.
It's not a lineup.
You're not in the mafia, are you?
Turn it off.
God, my back is killing me.
I gotta get out of this stuff.
So scary.
Smartest thing I ever did was get away from here.
They really love you, though.
Underneath it all, you can feel it,
you really can.
What are you feeling with, your feet?
Poor Paul.
He had his chance to escape. He blew it.
It was his choice.
If he would have only listened to me.
You know, there are thousands of great jobs in LA, great women...
Now he's stuck in the junk business with my father. What a waste.
Come on.
You're here to make peace. Enjoy them for what they are. Accept them.
They're yours.
¶ Hallelujah
¶ Hallelujah ¶
Lord, our God, crown them with glory and honor.
Wow! Come on!
Hey, Bobbie. Bobbie, come on!
No, no.
Go on!
I'm doing this. Dance with me, Bobbie. Come on.
I can't breathe.
It's okay.
Four tornadoes, I said, not 12.
The day you were born, there were four tornadoes.
One in Hamtramck and three in Detroit,
and nobody was killed.
You exaggerate things.
Yeah, but you said...
All right, you said I was a born disaster, right? I mean, that's a quote.
When you were four, yes. A holy terror.
How about when I was 10?
You were different at 10.
You used to disappear for hours into the basement.
You would play with your trains. You had an erector set...
We never saw you.
Why? What happened? Why did I disappear?
You...
You were ashamed of us by then.
You hid everything from us.
You didn't bring your friends home.
One time, your mother came to the school to talk to the teacher,
and you pretended not to know her.
Not to know your own mother.
She cried for two days.
Dad, come on. It's my wedding day.
What'd I tell you? Every time we get together this shit happens.
Well, what do you think...
I mean, why do you think I did that?
It was a long time ago.
You always thought you were too good for us.
That was your problem.
I think that...
I...
I think your kid should know
that his father was too good for his own family,
that the first chance he gets, he runs away.
He changes his name, and he doesn't ever come back.
You know, you're changing the subject.
I'm sorry I brought it up.
I'm not changing anything. You're the one who changes things, "Jones".
What's the matter? You don't like my name?
Your father's name? Your grandfather's name?
I'm sorry. Please, Dad. Just forget it, you know...
Change everything. You run from everything.
You know what?
I never ran.
I never ran. I left!
You know why? I wanted a life.
You can't have a life with your family?
If it wasn't for your wife, for her phone calls, you'd be a dead man to us.
That's the truth! What do you want me to do?
You want me to call and listen to this same stuff over and over again?
Why would I do... Why would any rational person do that?
A man who loves his family calls them.
Dad, he really does love you.
Not in my book.
Don't tell me...
Don't tell me about love, okay?
You know why? Now shut up for a minute.
I've lived in Los Angeles 10 years.
You never came to see me once.
You never saw what kind of business I made,
what kind of life I live,
so don't tell me about love.
Come on, Bobbie. You know Mom doesn't fly.
What about trains?
It's too far. I can't go that far.
See? Exactly.
See?
Now, maybe when the baby is born.
Yeah. Right. Right. Then I can come.
You know what? Forget it.
We'd just hack over the same shit anyway. It's boring.
How do people's lives come to this?
I gotta tell you something, Bobbie.
I love you.
I really do, but...
You can be
a stuck-up, arrogant son of a bitch sometimes. You know that?
I mean, you stopped talking to me
'cause I make a career choice you don't approve of.
What kind of bullshit is that?
That's not true, Paul. You rejected me.
Man, I rejected Los Angeles.
I couldn't live your life out there.
I needed my family. I needed my friends.
All you cared about was business.
I was out there two weeks.
We had dinner, what, twice?
Even then I felt like a client.
You could've had a job starting at $60,000 a year.
Instead, you chose the junk business.
Scrap metal, Bobbie. It's called scrap metal.
It's junk. It's always been junk.
See, this is where we differ.
You always hated Dad for being a junk man.
I always loved him for being a hard worker.
That's the difference.
I never said I hated him.
Yeah, Bobbie, you have.
Well, okay, let's forget the semantics.
Look, he's your dad for God's sake. I mean...
You used to bounce up and down on his knee.
You rode the train together to Cleveland.
I remember you used to talk about that all the time as a kid,
how he took you on the Pullman car,
just the two of you.
I still remember the look in your eye.
What happened to that look, Bobbie?
I don't know.
You know, it's funny,
for all your complaining about Dad,
I get the sense you're gonna turn out just like him.
Well, I gotta go in. I really do.
I'm leaving for my honeymoon in half an hour.
You gotta show it to them too, Bobbie.
Maybe one day.
They're not gonna be around forever, you know.
It's leaving.
Hey, wait!
What's the matter?
I blew it.
Bob, come on. Come on. The bus is leaving.
I didn't resolve anything, Gail.
Bob, come on. Let's go.
Are you all right?
This is my last trip home.
It's not getting any better.
You don't have to tell me.
I can see.
It's still there.
Right there.
The anger. The fear.
You are not a very good student.
Life is trying to teach you,
but you don't listen.
Opportunities come and you don't see them.
What are you talking about? I did exactly what you said.
I went to Detroit. I went 2,000 miles.
I saw my parents.
I did not tell you to see your parents.
I just said you needed to forgive.
There is only one place you need to go.
Where?
Your heart.
Great. My heart.
How exactly does one get there?
Feel in the center of your chest.
Imagine your finger pushing into it,
deeper and deeper.
When you start to feel happy,
you feel a sense of well-being,
you are there.
That is the place of love
and forgiveness.
Go there. Soon.
¶ Some enchanted evening
¶ You may see a stranger
I'm seeing Dr. Mills tomorrow.
I'm having the ultrasound.
Just wanted to let you know.
Okay.
¶ You know even then
¶ That somewhere you'll see her again and again
I'm sure everything's fine.
Nice tune.
¶ Some enchanted evening
¶ Someone may be laughing
¶ You may hear her laughing across a crowded room ¶
Does he belong to you? I found him wandering in the hall.
Bob.
What are you doing here?
I was in the neighborhood, so...
I can't believe it. I...
I can't believe you came.
Come here.
Honey, thanks.
Are you changing in your old age?
Mr. Jones, I presume? Pleasure to meet you. I'm Dr. Mills.
Hi. How are you?
How are you, Gail?
I'm fine.
Okay. Let's take a look at this baby with the ultrasound machine.
It's been really active.
Perfectly normal. This will be a little cold.
"A little cold"?
Sorry. Would you like me to videotape this for you?
Yeah. Can you do that?
Wow.
Home movies before you're born.
Well, what do you think?
What a beautiful profile.
My God.
That's the heart.
Where?
There. You see it?
That is a gorgeous baby.
This is all very good.
You're in your 27th week,
and your baby's right on schedule.
Look, it's sucking its thumb.
- That's what it's doing? - Yeah.
- My, my. - Look at that.
Do you wanna know the baby's sex?
Yeah. Right?
Yeah.
You have a son.
A beautiful, healthy-looking son.
My God!
Really?
How you know that?
Either that or he's got three legs.
Geez.
A son.
Geez, what are we gonna name him? Did we even think of that?
Mom wants to name him after her father.
I'm drinking for two. Thanks.
Zachary? Are you crazy?
Zack.
Not me. No son of mine is gonna be named Zack.
He'll get killed at school.
What else starts with a Z?
Zeus?
Prometheus.
Prometheus has a ring to it.
Agamemnon.
Cute.
Odysseus.
Forget the Greeks. Let's try something, Roman. Try Romans.
Roman, Roman... Julius.
Julius. Augustus. Augie.
Augie!
Jehoshaphat.
Something thinner.
Anorexis.
That's a girl's name.
I didn't even know that was a name.
All right, Morton.
Morton? That's terrible.
Yeah. I'm sorry.
That was a spontaneous emission,
so to speak.
You sure you want to do this?
I'm sure.
You're an amazing woman, you know that?
I must be. I live with you.
Am I really that difficult?
Some things you don't want to know.
I love you.
I love you, too.
Please, follow your shot.
Once you get in, box out.
What do you do? Pump fake.
Right. That way you draw the foul.
We have a lot of work to do, tomorrow.
We'll talk about boxing out the man for the rebound.
Now, cooking spaghetti.
Boil some water.
Salt it. Maybe a little olive oil.
Slide the noodles in.
You want them soft, but not too soft.
Okay?
Now...
Cooking in college.
Probably own one pot, right?
There you go, babe.
There are basically two schools of shaving, okay?
Down, like that,
or up, like that.
Never, I repeat, never sideways, like that. No.
A Raiders cap!
And look!
It's not for you, Bob. Cutest little Raiders jacket.
That's adorable!
Thanks, guys. Wait a minute. Look what else is in there.
What?
This, a jock.
That's so sweet.
Now let's try the same breathing on our side.
Everyone turn over.
Daddies, this is a good time to practice your massage.
Okay, now, daddies. Keep it gentle but firm.
Very good. Right on the lower back.
Good.
Is it working?
No.
Just what I needed to hear.
Do you want me to stop?
No.
Careful. Don't hyperventilate.
So, tell me, is this breathing all a load of crap?
Well, you know,
it's better than screaming.
Great.
Hurry. The line's not too long.
It's been over 30 years.
It's time I tried it again, I think.
Well, maybe you should start on the Tilt-A-Whirl.
No, no, no.
I'm going right into the core of fear, the heart of darkness.
Wish I could go with you.
Some things you just gotta do alone, hon.
Good luck.
You ever been on a coaster before?
Not since I was six. I've been too afraid.
You're kidding.
And now you pick "the Serpent"?
If you really wanna do it right, let go.
You crazy?
You won't fall out. Trust me.
This is what I trust. Right here.
Yeah!
How much more?
Plenty!!
But...!
Just a few more drops, but really great ones!
You can let go now.
My hero.
Hey, you did it.
A snap.
Here you go. Thanks. Thanks.
You know what today is?
No. What?
D-Day.
"D-Day"?
It's death day.
I was supposed to be dead by today.
Bob.
We're living on borrowed time.
Okay, now, the important thing to remember about jumping another car
is to put the cables in the right place.
Positive to positive. Negative to negative.
Or you can ground it here by putting it on metal. Okay?
And don't go goofing around with these things. Okay? They're not toys.
All right? You don't, you know, put 'em together,
they make some pretty cool sparks, but don't do that.
Don't goose your buddies with 'em or anything like that.
Just ask your Uncle Paul.
Ask him about the time we were playing Frankenstein.
Sex.
Walking into a room,
correct way and the wrong way.
Correct way. With confidence,
right to the person you're about to address.
"Tom. Brian. Brian Jones."
Right there, okay?
One line.
You can even start the handshake up here if you want to.
You can go that early if you want to.
Never.
"Hi."
Never. Okay?
Now, if you can do this...
"Hi, Brian. Brian Jones."
Do it. But ever since Cary Grant and Fred Astaire died,
there are very few guys who can pull that off.
Bob?
It's time.
What?
My contractions have started.
I can't hear you. What?
I'm having contractions.
Your contraption, what?
We're having a baby. Now?
Damn! What are you doing?
I forgot the camera..
This is great. That's it.
God! God! Okay, okay. How you doin'? Good. That's it.
Can you turn this way a little, honey?
Turn that fucking thing off!
I love you.
I love you so much.
How's that?
Great. I...
It's coming. My back!
You okay? You all right? Yeah.
Okay. Remember, breathe, honey, breathe.
That's it. Relax.
Relax. Just go with it. Just go with it.
Let it happen. Breathe, breathe, breathe. I can't. It hurts.
Relax. Breathe, breathe, breathe.
Breathe, breathe, breathe, relax. That's it.
Shut up! Okay, all right. Sorry.
- How's everyone doin'? - I don't know.
Yeah.
Hi, Gail.
How we doin'? Well, everything's fine,
but her contractions are getting further apart.
We need for them to be closer together
and more regular to make progress. Right.
I'd like to start pitocin, which will increase
the strength and frequency of the contractions.
Good idea. Good idea. Increase? What do you mean, increase?
Are you crazy? What are you talking... Are you nuts?
It'll speed things along.
It's gonna speed it up, honey.
Doc says it's just gonna speed it up. Okay.
Hey, Doctor! How do you think it's goin' in there?
Everything's just fine. No, seriously. How do you think it's goin'?
Everything's just fine. Yeah?
Go back in. Help her relax. Okay.
I love you, honey. I love you so much.
- Bob, grab your camera. - What?
The baby's head is crowning. How often do you get to see your baby being born?
- Can you hold her? - Sure.
Okay, Gail.
I know that it hurts, I know that it's hard, but I know you can do this.
God!
The head is out.
What about...
You know... The rest?
Last time. I promise. No more than this. We're almost there.
I'll need you to push one more time. Where's the baby? What?
Push one more time. We have to get this baby out. Not one more.
Yes, one more time. You can do it. Not one more.
No, I don't have... Honey, I can't!
Come on, honey. Yes, you can.
I know you can, come on. You're doing marvelously well.
Push one more time. Come on. Yes, you can.
Yeah, you can. You're doin' so great.
I need to...
One more. Just one more.
One more.
My God!!
My God.
Where's the baby? Where is he?
Here's your handsome son.
Hello!
Hello, little one.
Yes..
Sweetheart.
You're so beautiful.
We have a baby.
Grab your camera.
Hey.
Here we are. Sorry, hon!!
Sorry. Here, could you do this?
Look through the thing and just get my kid, my wife.
- Kid, wife. - You did great.
Thanks. Her. You did great.
You did great. Hi, sweetie.
He's gorgeous!
Thank you.
- Come on. - Good burp.
He's drunk.
Been drinking.
Honey, he's just eaten. He's gonna throw up.
No, no, no, no. He likes it.
Yeah. You like your daddy, don't you?
Oops! What's that you're puttin' on him?
It's just the soap. Take it easy.
All right. Yikes! Gee!
Easy! Easy there! Yo!
Yeah. Yeah.
Here we go. Okay. Come on.
Shit!
Bob. Sorry. I'm sorry, honey.
Yeah.
Here we go. Smile. Smile. Is he smiling?
One more. He's smiling. Okay. Yeah!
Damn!
Honey. I'm sorry. Okay. Here we go.
Get ready.
Okay. Okay. Okay. Ready?
Did it click? I didn't hear it.
The red light on?
Sweetie, your hand. I can't see his face.
Sorry. Put it in the other hand.
Wait a minute. Right. Yeah.
You can't...
I'm sorry. Here. Wait. Gimme... Okay.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry about that.
Here. If this makes you feel any better, there.
How's that? Now we're even.
¶ Da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da
¶ Da-da-da-da ¶
Bobbie!
You gonna take every second of this baby's life?
Too much. You're a scallywag, that's what you are.
Say, "Bye, Daddy. Bye."
See? See how he can go around there? You watching?
See, you can do that. Here, wait, wait, wait. Gonna stop this thing. There.
Right there. Right where that kid's feet go. Right there, one in front of the other.
Watch, Brian. One. See?
Now one... Go ahead, do it. One in front of the other. Go, go.
You think he'll sleep? Yeah. He's exhausted.
Yeah? Look at him. I don't get it.
Why's he so happy?
It's not like he's got a Mercedes and a great job or anything.
Maybe he's just happy being alive.
Doesn't that make him some kind of mutant or something?
That makes him your son.
What does that mean? He's learning it from you.
I love you, Gail.
I know.
See you in the morning. Go to sleep.
Bob!
I'm afraid the cancer has spread to the brain.
This is not uncommon with kidney cancer. It's very opportunistic.
The miracle is that you've managed to survive this long.
I don't know what has kept you alive, but a man in your condition
should not be sitting across from me right now.
Traditionally, a brain tumor of this size progresses very quickly.
I hate to be the one to tell you this, but...
There is really very little time left.
What, a month?
Two? With luck.
We can hospitalize you if you wish, but in truth,
hospice care can be equally effective
and you can stay in the comfort of your own home.
I'll be happy to recommend a service for you.
I should warn you that you will probably develop muscle weakness.
Walking and lifting things may become difficult for you.
That's why it's a good idea to have professional help around.
I'd also like to begin a series...
That light.
I keep seeing that light.
What is it? Why do I keep seeing it?
That is the light of the self.
It is the source of life,
the source of all healing.
Does that mean it's working?
Can it heal my tumor?
It's going too fast.
So there isn't anything?
What can I do?
Put your house in order.
Find peace.
Shit!
Would someone get that?
Mom, can you get the door?
Does anybody hear that?
Come on. That...
Well, no need to ask who the patient is.
You're Bob, I assume? Yeah.
And you're the wife. Are you Gail? Yeah, I'm Gail.
I'm Theresa, the hospice nurse. Dr. Altman referred me?
Yeah. Can I come in?
Yeah. Sure.
We're gonna need a walker, aren't we?
I'll bring one over this afternoon.
Now, Dr. Altman filled me in on everything.
I just want you to know we're gonna help you in every way we can.
There we go. You got it. See?
Balance, lift, step. Don't forget.
Hey, this is hard.
Nobody said Olympic training was gonna be easy.
Come on. You can do it.
You're doin' fine. Just take your time.
No. Come on now. None of that.
We'll just lay you down in the den, that's all. No big deal.
All right, that'll do it. That's all there is to it. Thanks.
Thanks. I'll show you out.
Bye.
I want him in my bed.
You can stay with him downstairs.
It's not the same. I know.
Mom.
So this friend of mine introduces me to your mother.
And at first,
nothing in me responded to her.
Maybe I was intimidated by how beautiful she was.
I kept saying to myself,
"She's too tall, too skinny."
"She knows too much about public relations."
But she had,
compassion, and she was really open.
Even then, though, I didn't think it was love.
I just liked her. I just really liked her.
She made me feel good.
And I felt whole, somehow.
Then one day I woke up,
and I realized,
I love this woman.
Just hit me. I just love her.
So, I guess what I've learned is,
liking someone is just as important as loving them.
And if you like somebody long enough,
and enough enough,
you learn what love is, too.
So... That's it.
What do you think?
I... I think I'm gonna throw up.
Really? Let me tell you about this other girl in Detroit.
You!
Sure. Now you wanna kiss me.
(WILLIAM TELL OVERTURE.
Bob, what are you doing?
It's the middle of the night.
You gotta get some sleep.
I don't wanna go to sleep. What do you mean you don't wanna sleep?
Just try. . I don't want to.
Just a nap. How you gonna keep your strength?
Strength?
I can't even brush my teeth.
I know you're having trouble sleeping, but could you turn it down a tad?
Mom, in a little bit, okay? He loves this part.
I gotta start over.
(WILLIAM TELL OVERTURE.
So long, partner. Please, Daddy. Don't go. Stay.
A fiery horse with the speed of light,
a cloud of dust and a hearty, "Hi-yo Silver, away!"
If in the middle of the night you feel a kiss,
it will be from me.
This is the story of one of the most mysterious characters
to appear in the early days of the West.
And hope to those who wanted to make this frontier land their home.
He was known as the Lone Ranger!
Daddy.
Mom, let me talk... Let me say...
Just let me say something. Hold...
She wants to know if I had any second opinions.
Mom, I've had second opinions about my second opinions.
Lots of 'em. Listen.
Is... Dad, are you there?
Can you let me... Just let me say one thing. Please?
I just wanna say something to you guys.
I never wanted to hurt you.
No, no, it wasn't you. It was me.
Listen. You did the best you could.
I'm doin' the best I can.
No. I wanna tell you something.
You never did anything wrong.
It's okay. I wanted you to know that.
Okay?
They're crying.
Give it to me.
Mom? Dad?
Just listen to me.
Yeah. I know. Just call us back when you know your flight number.
I know. We love you.
We'll talk to you later this morning.
Okay. Bye.
You did it.
I know.
She's gonna fly.
They're gonna have to knock her out cold.
Yeah. I got it.
Mom. Hi.
You got in early?
Yep. Just put it all down here.
I'm so glad you made it.
- Us, too. - It's a minor miracle.
I just wanna warn you. He's... He's weak.
Okay.
Come here. Bobbie.
Bobbie.
Hey. Bobbie.
Bobbie, you look... Nice.
Hey, Paul. Hey, brother.
How you doin'? I'm okay.
Hey, Anya.
You need a little shave.
Yeah. You feel all right?
Yeah, you know. A little tired.
So... What do you think?
California. Like it?
Well, hot.
Hey.
Check out your grandson.
What a cute little baby!
This is Brian.
Bobbie.
He's so beautiful.
Hug Grandma Rose. You're so beautiful.
- He's chunky. - He looks strong!
He looks just like Bobbie when Bobbie was a baby.
Yeah. He look like Bobbie. Just look at you.
I can't believe you got on a plane.
She was only conscious for a part of it.
Never mind. They're making fun of your grandma.
Yeah. What?
This is so great.
I'm so happy you guys came.
We all are.
Gail. Bob.
Get up. Hurry up.
Hey, Paul, what's going on?
You'll see.
Okay.
Hup!
Hup! Hup!
Aha! Hup!
What... What is this? Who did this?
Your parents. They wanted to do something.
Sometimes wishes come true.
Better late than never.
I love you, Bobbie.
Toro, hup! No, no, down! Hup! Hup! Hup!
Where's Brian?
Here you go.
Don't forget this. Don't ever forget this.
Hey, Brian?
I was just downstairs,
thinkin' about some things.
I thought I'd come up here and...
Have a talk with you, man-to-man.
Listen.
This whole, dying thing,
not my idea.
Sometimes, stuff just happens.
You know, my brother was right.
I could've turned out just like my father.
He was really a good guy,
but he worked all the time, and he wasn't around too much.
You would've spent your whole life being angry.
You don't wanna do that.
You'd have never known me, Brian.
I don't want you to feel bad about me dying.
Dying's a really hard way to learn about life.
That's what happened.
Boy, I'm so grateful
for all this time I've had with you.
'Cause it's absolutely the happiest I've ever, ever been.
Nice to meet you, Brian.
Good.
One more? No, no more.
No? Definitely not? Definitely.
Okay.
It's happening so fast.
It's a blessing.
Believe me, I've been around. Now, let me take this.
I love you, Dad.
I love you, too.
No.
It's okay.
You don't have to talk.
I know.
I know what's in your heart.
It's okay.
No.
I love you.
You're the love of my life.
Bob?
"Say!
"I like green eggs and ham.
"I do! I like them, Sam-I-am!
"And I would eat them in a boat. And I would eat them with a goat.
"And I will eat them in the rain and in the dark and on a train.
"And in a car and in a tree.
"Wow!" Dada.
He must really like them? That's right.
Gonna eat them on a tree and in the car. Dada.
We eat in the car sometimes? And in a tree?
Can you imagine climbing a tree to eat?
He's gonna eat them. See?
He's gonna take a bite. Gonna try it.
"So I will eat them in a box and I will eat them with a fox."
"And I will eat them in a house, and I will eat them with a mouse."
"And I will eat them here and there."
"Say! I will eat them anywhere."
"I do so like green eggs and ham."
"Thank you. Thank you, Sam-I-am."