When a man loves a woman
Can't keep his mind on nothin' else
He'll trade the world for the good thing he's found
If she is bad he can't see it
She can do no wrong
Turn his back on his best friend
If he put her down
When a man loves a woman
Spend his very last dime
Tryin' to hold on to what he needs
He'll give up all his comforts
And sleep out in the rain
- If she said that's the way it ought to be - Hey, that looks good.
That sandwich. Looks good. You on your lunch hour?
When a man loves a woman
- Any news in the paper? - Would you like to read a section of this?
No, thanks. I, uh, actually read for a living.
- So, the last thing I want to be doing on my lunch hour... - Oh, excuse me. - Hey!
- Sorry. Excuse me, miss. - Yeah.
Baby, please don't treat me bad
- Okay? - Yeah.
When a man loves a woman
- What? - Where you going after this?
- Why would you be asking that? - Ah, I am a pilot.
And I'm gonna barely make my flight to Seattle-Tacoma...
and I haven't had a chance to pick up my laundry.
- And? - I thought you could pick it up for me.
Oh, I'd give you the money and everything.
Here's the receipt and $30. That should cover it.
What do you propose that I do with your laundry after I pick it up?
Good question.
Here's the keys to my place.
The address is on the, uh, little thing.
And I will be there at about 12:30 and...
- you can bring it by then. - After midnight?
- Uh, excuse me., Actually, sir, I was... - No, no, hold on one second, one second, one second.
- If I could impose one further question. - Okay.
Why wouldn't I drop off your laundry at my convenience...
since I have your key?
Because then I wouldn't be able to thank you properly.
Oh, I see. And how would you do that?
I would give you something...
that you can take away with you.
- And what might that be? - Oh, you want to know up front?
Oh, yeah.
Excuse me.
I bake.
You bake?
You bake!
You like... chocolate.
I'm allergic... to chocolate.
Do you like carrot cake?
Very much.
Well, then?
Cream cheese frosting?
My specialty.
- Check it out. - Look.
She's so lucky.
- Jesus! - Whoa.
Cable guy come this morning?
No? That's three weeks those kids are without adult movies.
What a fuckin' world.
Hey, that looks good.
Is that Chablis?
Does anyone have, like, a towel or something?
Now, this is you, inside.
Not inside the dress, inside the body.
- How did I get in there? - That's a whole other set of videos.
And they won't let you watch those.
- Give me this. - There you are.
Why wasn't your real daddy there?
- You say the dumbest things. - I'm four years old.
- Guys! - Mom, can you tell her?
Oh! I married your daddy...
because he made me a cake with cream cheese frosting.
That's how much he wanted me.
How come Daddy wanted you?
God, woman, just look at her.
Oop, late! Second team, take over.
Porsche. Jesus, one more time. Amy?
Jess has to do her homework tonight so she doesn't leave it for the weekend.
Let's go. Amy, did you get that?
Which part were you afraid I missed?
- Amy? - Sorry.
Happy anniversary.
It's a press-on tattoo!
It says, "If found naked, please return to Alice Green. "
It's to wear on trips so that the stewardesses know you're spoken for.
- Flight attendants. - Flight attendants, whatever.
Very thoughtful.
- I went over the 20 bucks. - Oh, hey, I didn't go over the 20 bucks.
- Really? - Yeah.
You rat.
That's incredible.
Now I'm gonna have to do that thing to you tonight.
I think she wants you, baby.
- Hello, how're you doing? - Fine.
- Mm, you're a good dancer. - Thank you.
Ooh! Thanks.
- How was he? - He was great!
Happy anniversary.
- Oh! - What?
- Porsche again. - Oh, honey.
Come here. No, no, no. Alice?
- Honey. - Goddamn it.
Hey, it's 1:00 in the morning. People are trying to have sex up here!
Alice, there's nobody down there. You're talking to a car.
Goddamn it!
Alice.
- Alice. - What a piece of shit. Damn it.
- Alice. - Goddamn it. Shut up!
- Alice! Alice! - Goddamn it!
- Alice, am I gonna like this? - Here.
Shut up!
Shit!
Fucking foreign car!
Okay, batter up!
Right here! Hey, batter, batter, batter, batter, batter, batter!
Right here. Come on, baby. Let's go.
I'll start your shower.
You're not suggesting I go to work?
Yes.
Okay. You promise no one will be loud?
Six hundred kids? Sure.
Go on.
Get dressed, sugar. We're runnin' late.
See, I'm not sure that Matthew Wasserman's...
glance at your breasts rises to the level of sexual harassment.
Well, what if he said, "You know you want it. "
- Did he? - No.
- But what if he did? - Well, that would be closer.
I think if we can get him to lift up your dress, we can put him away.
So, uh...
what is the deal with cutting language lab... Shit!
Another self-mutilation day.
I'm checking on availability for end-of-the-day wind-down.
Oh, come on. My problem's gotta be more sordid than Shannon's.
Okay, a quick one. Michael's got a trip.
Yes.
- Hi. - Hey. - Where's Alice?
That's right, where's Alice? Bye.
Amy! Amy! Amy, Amy, Amy, Amy, Amy, Amy.
Listen, I, uh, got a trip.
I'm late, and Wayne's supposed to meet me. I've got no way to call him.
He's waiting at my Lamaze class. I just can't not show up. I...
Amy, Amy, uh, this is important. I got a trip.
You're not saying my life is less important?
Of course not.
I didn't think so. Bye.
She didn't come home.
I did notice that.
- I have a trip. - What if she doesn't get back?
Well, I'll just go down to the corner and offer the first person I see...
- five bucks to stay with you. - Michael.
Okay, ten bucks.
You're so pretty.
Twenty minutes, lights out.
- Okay? - Okay.
You're okay.
I've called everyone we know.
Hospitals, the school.
- You're up. - I'm supposed to be up.
I'm just supposed to be doing it in Chicago.
Hey! Stop that.
You got a trip.
Really?
I better get a move on.
I forgot that. I'm sorry. I owe you a trip.
What happened?
- We went for a drink. - Pam? - Yeah, Pam.
My friend. She needed me. She needed to talk.
She needed me 'cause Joe is an asshole.
I'm glad she needed you 'cause she's the one who got you.
- Nobody else got a fucking phone call. - We were just talking.
She was crying and, and, uh...
Ah, when I looked at the time, I just figured you were asleep.
So, uh...
I- I-I don't know how I forgot the trip.
I don't know either.
Christ, Michael.
You don't know what I go through. You don't have a fucking clue.
- What do you go through? - My job, for one.
The girls and, and running this place...
and I know a lot of women go through the same thing...
but their husbands aren't gone half the time.
I miss you...
when you go.
You got pressures, you come to me.
Why do that to you? What are you supposed to do with all that?
You let me worry about that.
I'm gonna trade Ed Buckley for a trip to Mexico for a week and we're gonna disappear.
Would you like that?
Would you like to disappear?
Go get some candy from Grandpa.
And Mama Andretti.
Hello, Casey, Casey! How are you?
Look what I got for you. See?
- I'm not staying with her. - Hey, it's gonna be okay, honey.
Yeah, but she doesn't care about us.
Listen, she's crazy about you, and she's gonna spoil you rotten.
- Hi, Mom. How are you? Thanks for coming. - Hello, Michael, dear.
- She still puts you down, and I don't like it. - Hey.
You're gonna have to cut Grandma a little bit of slack. She hasn't had the easiest life.
Jessica.
- How's my sweet angel? - Oh, just fine, Mom.
- How are you? - Have you lost weight?
- No. No. - I guess you're just tired.
- Hello, Jessie. - I wish I had time to be tired.
- Give me a smile. Come on. Give me a big smile! - Walter!
- Don't let Michael carry all those bags in by himself! - I'm sorry.
It's all right, Ma. It's only two bags.
Give him the small one. He likes to feel useful.
I got it, I got it.
Mom, can I get you anything before we fly off and leave you with the kids?
The best thing you can do for me is just have the grandest time in the world...
and come home rested, please?
- Hello. - Hey, Dad! - You know what?
When Mama comes home, we're gonna have a big surprise for her.
We're gonna have the whole house clean.
Won't that be nice, huh?
- Thanks, I gotta go. Bye. Bye, girl. - Bye.
- Thanks. Bye. Thanks. - Bye. Have fun.
Safe trip.
- Bye, Mom. I love you! - Bye, bye. - Love you! Bye!
- Okay, let's go. - Don't clean too hard.
It's a press-on tattoo.
Just in case. You never know what might happen in Mexico.
Found a guy at the beach who'll watch us have sex.
Ooh.
- A local? - Mm-hmm.
- Come on, honey. - Ooh. Okay.
Come on.
Baby, gotta tell you something.
Listen.
I think we should do this more often.
I do... because...
they paid you to fly here, I got a pass...
the hotel is a remarkable discount.
There are meals, as you've said before, Johnny.
You gotta eat anyway, so we can afford this.
- Not unless they comp the drinks. - Ah.
What's that supposed to mean, hmm?
- Hey. - You lookin' for a fight, buster? - No, I'm not.
- Buster, buster. Wait, wait, wait. I got a bruise here. - Sit down, Alice. Alice, please.
- Hey! Alice! - If you wanna fight, I can give you...
- all the trouble you can handle. - Sit down. Okay, great. I know you can.
Alice, sit down. Sit!
- Sit. - Woof.
Alice! Alice!
I'm waiting for my spanking.
I know we have pressures.
And we need to have fun.
But wringing you out at the end of an evening is less fun than it used to be.
And thinking back, it's been going on for quite a while, Alice.
What's wrong, baby?
Can you talk about it?
You scared me last night.
Didn't you scare you?
Huh? What's gonna happen?
I'm gonna stop drinking so much.
Last night was the best thing that could've happened to straighten my ass out.
I promise you.
I promise me.
- Hey! - Jessie! Ow!
- Pinatas! - They're here!
- Oh, honey, don't get dirty. - Casey!
- Hi... Hey! - Someone's getting married.
Hi, pretty girl.
- Hi, Casey, honey. - You look wonderful.
- Hey. - Oh, my God, I hope those pinatas aren't full of candy.
- Let me take this for you, darling. - Hi. Hi, Daddy.
- Hi. Wow, man. - Good to see ya. - Hey, Pops, how are you?
- Hi, Mom. - Hi, honey.
- I smell Murphy's Oil. - Yes, I used it a lot.
Shit!
Well, everything's fine on the curb.
Garbage compulsion. I feel much better now.
Come on, baby, it's late.
Casey.
You're not going to Dana's.
Case, I think we're gonna have to fill out one of these homicide reports for Felicia.
- She's soaking off her make-up. - Oh.
- Did I miss something? - She didn't do her book report, so she can't go to Dana's.
- It's not due till Monday. - I told you last night not to save it for the weekend...
- to make sure that you did it on... - Good morning. Good morning.
Good morning. Good morning, the first words out of our mouths.
I think we have all we can handle right now with our coffee and our little spoon.
So, you go to Dana's, and the report gets done first thing Saturday...
- and not last thing Sunday, okay? - What's the difference?
The difference between me helping you do it...
and me pulling your lungs out through your belly button.
- Sorry I'm late. - That's okay.
Um, Casey's taking a nap...
and Jess is teaching Samantha how to use a computer.
- You all right? - I... Whoa.
I had lunch at this Thai place, and, uh...
something in the oil, maybe, but...
I'll be fine. See you tomorrow.
Uh, Alice, um, I can call my mom. I'm sure I can stay and make some supper.
I said, see you tomorrow.
- Alice, I think you should... - Ah, ah, Amy.
Go home.
Okay?
Please!
Go home.
You get some rest.
And I'll call you a little later.
Mom, look. Samantha drew a Buick on the computer.
- It's green. - Do your homework.
Mom?
- Mom, are you sick? - I said...
do your homework!
Mom, are you sick?
I did my homework! That's all I wanted to tell you!
Good girl.
Jess!
Mom?
Is there a Michael Green? Michael Green?
- Switchboard tracking you down, I guess. - Thank you.
Hello.
Jess, what's the matter, honey?
- Mommy died. - What?
She just fell through the shower door and...
all the glass is all shattered and on the floor...
and she's laying in the middle of it.
Jess, listen to me. I'm gonna have somebody over there right away.
- You understand? - Okay.
- Okay? And I'm gonna call you right back. - Okay.
I need an outside line.
- I need an outside line! - Sir.
Hi.
You're all right.
Doctor says.
How's Jess?
She's really happy you're okay.
I hit her hard, Michael.
- I hit her so hard. - It's all right.
She's fine.
We're gonna get you better so it doesn't happen again.
All right?
- God, just don't hate me. - Mmm.
Because I'll die if you do.
That thought would never enter my mind.
I start at 4:00 in the morning, and it goes all day.
I drink in the john, I drink...
in the closet, and I drink in the kids' room when they're not there.
You know how when we... go out to the car...
- and I have to go back inside for a second? - Mm-hmm.
I have to be high to do anything.
And I'm scared all the time.
- I drank for Casey's goddam birthday party. - So did I.
I drink a quart a day.
It's vodka, so you couldn't smell it.
How come I didn't see this?
Because I hid it.
You were scared.
- What am I gonna do? - We'll figure it out.
I don't want you to worry about it.
I'm gonna find you the best treatment...
the best in the fucking world.
You're not alone, honey. Never.
Never.
- Okay, girls, I'll see you later. - Bye.
- Mommy. - Amy. - Oh, I'll just wait in the kitchen.
Okay.
So...
we'll talk on the phone and you'll come see me.
- And then I'll be home. - And we'll go to the beach?
- Are you gonna take care of your sister? - I'm gonna take care of Daddy.
Sorry, baby.
It will never happen again.
Mommy loves you.
- That's us. - Hi.
Uh, we're Alice Green.
Hi. Welcome.
Alice, before we check you in, I need to look through your bag.
Is that all right with you? It's strictly routine.
We've got all your paperwork, so...
everything's ready. Um, sorry.
So, come on, Alice, and we'll get you checked in.
Just Alice.
Give me a minute.
I'll call you tonight.
- I'm sorry. There's no phone calls. - Excuse me, uh...
She's my wife. She can call me whenever she needs to call me.
She'll be in detox until Tuesday...
and she'll be busy getting well.
She'll call you as soon as she can after that.
I love you.
I can hear her heart beat
From a thousand miles
Yeah, the heavens open
Every time she smiles
And when I come to her
That's where I belong
And I'm runnin' to her
Like a love song
She gimme love, love, love, love
Crazy love
She gimme love, love, love, love
Crazy love
She gimme love, love, love, love
Crazy love
Jess?
It's 6:00 in the morning.
Kids are unbelievable.
First she wants French toast, then she wants tuna.
And then she wants a cucumber sandwich.
Case!
Wanna know what she finally eats?
- She ate fruit. - She ate fruit.
Right.
My hair hurts.
Casey, is that you?
- Oh! God. - I did her hair.
Oh, I like it. Let's see that hairdo.
Ooh, that's a little tight there. Let me see that.
- Ow! - Ooh, sorry!
- Mommy does it better. - Oh, Mommy does everything better.
She cooks better, she looks better, she kisses better.
Mommy's a better person.
You know, I bet you have a lot of questions...
things you're feeling about Mommy.
We could talk about that.
See, like if you're sad or scared or angry or something...
- you could just... - What's a alcoholic?
Someone with a bad habit, you know, like if you drank stuff that made you sick.
But you really liked it, so you kept drinking it and it kept making you sick.
Wouldn't you want to learn how to stop?
- What's a alcoholic? - It's why she does all that stuff.
When she does all that stuff, like when she talks like she's sleepy...
forgets stuff, and when she's sad.
When she cries?
She cries in the bathroom.
She, she did that a lot, I bet, huh?
Your hair is so pretty.
You know, Mommy can't wait to get back just to brush it?
I got it. Alice?
I'm Dr Mendez. I'm a counsellor.
You know you're supposed to be in community now?
Your nurse said you've got a problem?
No problem. I don't have any problems.
- You think I have a problem? - Yeah, at least.
I just want to make a phone call. I just want to make a phone call to my husband.
If you wanted to make a phone call to your husband, would you call that a problem?
No, but I'm not in detox dealing with an addiction.
- Look, we'll let you make a phone call, as soon as... - Now!
- Now is when I want to call him! Now! Can you understand that? - Alice...
- Alice, look... - Can you understand fucking anything?
Yeah.
I can.
Two more days, hon. You can do this.
Hang in.
Come on.
Hello.
- Michael. - Alice?
- Yeah.
You can call.
Yeah. What do you know? They let me use the phone.
How was detox?
It was nifty, you know.
- I threw up like a good girl. - Great.
Hard part's over, baby.
Yeah, the hard part's over. Party time.
Well, so, uh...
basically, I just, uh, sit around and...
think of you naked because, you know, you have this...
amazing body.
You still do, don't you?
State of the art.
So, you'd be, what, 65 pounds now?
Honey.
Alice.
Honey, you there?
Alice.
Yeah.
Everyone here is pulling for you.
Alice, they say they tear you down the first two weeks...
so they can build you back up.
- Alice. - God, I'm sorry, baby.
It's just so hard.
- Honey, are you there? - Yeah.
I'm here, baby.
I love you.
I miss you.
Listen, I'll see you, um, I'll see you on Sunday.
- Okay? - The kids are so excited to see you.
I can't talk for too long because there's, um...
one phone and a whole line of people, so...
Can you bring my grey sweatsuit?
Yes.
I'm just, uh, running down my list...
of dumb things to say right now.
Good for you.
You're supposed to wrap it.
- What? - In a newspaper or a paper bag.
So nobody sees it or something.
Mommy tell you that?
Hey.
You wanna do one?
Come on. Take your pick.
Vodka, huh?
All right.
Let me see.
Now if Mommy cries when she sees you...
it's because you're beautiful.
Okay?
Piggyback?
Oh, the purse. Ready?
- Where is she? - I don't know. We'll see.
She said she'd be out here.
There she is. Do you see her in the hat?
Mommy! Mommy!
Mommy.
Hi, baby.
Hey.
Say hi to Mommy.
- Hi, beautiful girl. Hi. - Hi.
You want to take 'em for a walk and I'll catch up later?
- Hmm? Bye-bye. - Thank you.
- Okay. - Come on, you guys. Let's go.
Art Braun left alone.
- Nice shot. - Excuse me. Can you get some coffee in here?
What do I look like, a fuckin' waitress?
Try the striped in the side.
Hey! I saw you with Alice.
You're her significant other.
Good to meet you, man. Your wife's amazing. Malcolm.
- Oh, uh, Michael. - Yeah, Michael.
- Good to know... Come on in. - How are ya? No, I got the kids outside.
- Uh-uh. That's okay. This is Earl. - Hey, I'm Earl.
- Hi, Earl. Michael. - Hiya. Watch the game.
- No, I-I got the kids outside. Okay. - Have a seat, man.
- Myers shooting at 50% tonight. - Well, there's that middleman.
- Blalock is still on him. - Hi. How ya doin'? - Good. How are ya?
...moved up the lane, opened up that soft spot.
It's clear on the other side there...
- Come on, Malcolm. - Been a while since you watched a game without a beer?
- Me? - You.
Actually, uh, I don... I don... I don't, uh, drink much.
Can you believe that, man?
I been there, man. Denial.
- Jesus. - Ain't just a river in Egypt.
- Hey, shut up! - Cork it, Danny.
Are you guys sayin' that this dude don't drink?
- I'm sayin' shut the fuck up, man! - Fellas. Fellas, my fault.
Hey. It's a cunning, baffling disease, man.
The man doesn't have a problem, pecker-face. You do!
Cunning and baffling disease.
- Save it for group, man. Save it for group. - Yeah!
- Nah, not in group, Earl. - Save it for group, all right? Yo, Earl, man.
- I like your new friends. - Oh, d'you meet Malcolm?
- Big black guy. - Cokehead.
- We hit it off. - The girls are with him.
Right now?
Oh, come on, Michael. He's not a child molester.
He's an armed robber.
What?
Well.
Whatever you think of these people, Michael, think that of me, because it fits.
- I thought you'd quit. - I did.
Malcolm and I, um...
really talk, you know?
Talk about everything.
Everything.
We have a lot in common, and the truth is that right... right now...
I really need these people.
I'm glad you have 'em.
And when you come home, you'll have me.
What's wrong, Alice?
Hmm? You were fine when the kids were around. What's wrong?
Long day.
- Hey. - Hi.
Gary, this is Michael.
Hi.
- Feel like I know you. - Oh, yeah?
Yeah. Your wife's a very comforting person.
- Yes. - Very.
Do you mind if I talk to her for a second?
- No. - I just need... Just for a second.
- I'll just be one second. What's the matter? - Okay.
Uh...
I'm sorry.
Sheila... called me.
Bob. Bobby!
No, that's not what I said. I have never turned the company down in an emergency before.
- This is a first. Bob! Bob, I... - Give me it! Give me it!
I am not gonna leave my kids for four days with Alice gone! I mean, ah, well, I'm certainly...
not gonna bring Alice's mother into the picture at this point in their lives.
- They have enough grief already. Amy! - Give me it! Give me it!
- What? - Come on! Give me it!
Roll-backs? Will you settle down? Amy!
- Amy! Amy! Hello? - No!
What do roll-backs have to do with this, Bob?
Oh, Bobby. Why don't you just save the little subtle threats.
It's making me embarrassed for you. Amy! Listen, hold...
Can you hold on a second? Hold on.
Hey! Hey! What is this? What is this? Huh? Get up! Get up right now!
- She bit me. She bit me hard. - Did you bite her?
- Yeah. - Well, that's no excuse!
This is your baby sister, and you could hurt her. Huh? You're much bigger than her.
You should be loving each other, you understand me?
- Now who spilled this Coke? - She did it. - She did it.
- Who? - She did it! - She did it!
Right. In bed, right now.
Ah, don't you hear those kids fighting?
I haven't eaten all day. It's 10:00.
- Why don't you put 'em to bed? - I did. They just keep poppin' back up.
They miss their mother, Michael. They're out of control.
They spilled some Coke, Amy.
- I'll get it in a minute. - In a minute? It is soaking into the rug!
Don't yell at me. I am workin' overtime to help you out.
Okay.
Where are the paper towels?
There are no paper towels.
Jesus Christ, I am in a crisis here. I need some help.
I need someone that can look around the house, and when there are no paper towels...
they go to the goddam store and buy some paper towels.
I mean, how many goddam stores do you pass on the way home from school...
that are filled with paper towels?
I need someone to use a little common sense around here.
Why don't you get somebody else?
Amy. Amy. Amy.
Amy, I-I wa... Amy, I didn't... I was kidding. I... Amy, I might have...
Oh, no.
Oh, no. No.
- Bob. ... make a call, please hang up and try again.
- I'm not gonna do it. - I don't have another choice, Jess.
- This isn't fair. - Well, you know, sometimes life isn't fair.
- Hi, Lisa. - Hi, Gigi.
I told you, Jess, they're tryin' to get rid of the experienced pilots.
- They wanna bring in kids. - Kids can't fly planes.
Not kid kids. Men kids.
- I'm not living with her, and you can't make me. - It's four days, Jess.
- Four days. - Well, why can't we live with Amy? She loves us.
I tried that. She won't talk to me.
- Well, whose fault is that? - Look now, this is not a vote.
- I am your father. I'm asking... - No, you're not.
Oh, yes, I am. I am the only father you've got, little girl.
- Okay, here it is. - I know things are tough, Jess.
But Mommy's sick...
and I'm all alone, and we need to pitch in.
It's time you understand that.
I'm gonna go to my dad.
Your dad calls you from Oregon maybe twice a year.
Plenty of times. All the time. And you don't know!
- I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean that. - I'm gonna go to my mom!
Shit!
- Jess. Jess. - I'm goin' to my mom!
- Jess. - I want her.
- I want my mom! - I know. I know, sweetie.
Let go of me. Stop it!
- Stop it! Let me... - I know. It's okay.
- Let me go! I want my mom! - We'll work it out. Okay, we'll work it out.
We'll work it out.
- I want my mom. - I want your mom too.
What's wrong?
It's no fun to eat shit.
So don't.
Then you'd be stuck with Grandma.
Let's go in.
Come on.
Wait for me here.
You.
Me?
What did you just say about me?
That you were the one with the paper towels.
Guilty. I'm very sorry I did that.
Can I talk to you a second in the kitchen or someplace?
Don't bother. Nobody speaks English, except my cousin Vu.
And I'd love to hear this.
Uh, okay.
I got a trip.
If I don't go, I get fired.
I don't wanna leave Jess with her grandma.
Why is this my problem?
Actually, it's not.
So, you're basically begging?
Well, it worked.
You gonna leave without saying goodbye?
It's okay. You don't have to tell me nothin'.
Ready to go, huh?
I don't know.
I don't know how I'm gonna do anything any more.
You know, you're supposed to give me an answer here.
You're supposed to say something very encouraging. This is why you get those big bucks.
No, no.
They tried to tell me that shit when I first went home...
and it never did me a damn bit of good.
- When you first went home? - Yeah, that's right.
Two-time loser.
I know you're scared shitless, 'cause I sure as hell was.
There's no easy way through it.
You just gotta do the work.
I'm gonna disappoint him.
This is not the person that he married.
I don't know who this is supposed to be now.
Well, who was the other person?
Well, every now and then, let's face it, she was... she was a blast.
A- And I'm not gonna be fun.
Mm-hmm. That's exactly what happened to me...
when I first went home.
Exactly.
So everything turned out okay in the end, right?
No. We got divorced.
Oh, sacred place It's with my soul and body
There's a rainbow above me
That the storm clouds hide and calm
We will never die
But the magic, it comes
Springs from above
Love
We laugh sometimes but it's a little word like love
Make our earthly home heaven above
And there is no sorrow heaven cannot heal
A fire within
No cross, no crown
Runnin' from mercy heavin' and cold
Swim in our sleep down in oceans of joy
Died in the arms of a natural life
Wakin' our happiness drowning in life
Ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh
Wake 'em up.
Come on. Wake 'em up. You're dyin' to wake 'em up.
I promised them.
Mommy.
- Hi. - Michael...
you said you'd wake me up.
Mommy.
- Casey. - Jessie, shh-shh-shh.
Casey, it's Mom.
Casey.
Mommy.
Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!
- Stop! Stop it! - Give me it!
- Hold it! Hold it, both of you.
- She said I could use it. - Yeah, but she's breaking it!
- Mine's already broken. - Give me it!
- Now it's mine. Come here. - Hey, hey, hey. Ho, ho, ho, what's the baby problems?
First guy to say one word loses, okay? Whatever this is...
you don't need to bother Mommy about it.
- Michael, we'll be okay. - All short guys, upstairs.
- Because we were just... We were just sorting out... - I'll be up in two minutes.
- Upstairs. - We were just...
Did you hear me? Go!
Yes. Go.
We were ju... We were just workin' it out.
Sounded like it. Finish your work. I'll settle their hash.
We've been doin' Walkman wars all month.
See, Michael, I would rather handle their fights lately.
- That's all you need, babe. - Oh. Well, what does that mean? I'm not up to it?
Oh, no. No, Mr District Attorney. My wife is perfect.
She's really perfect. You hear me?
Thank you for the vote of confidence.
What, I'm being, uh, overly, uh...
- Attentive. A little bit. Yeah. - Attentive.
Like I'm pregnant or psychotic or like I'm made of glass.
You're handling play dates...
polishing toilets, shopping up a storm.
- A storm. - Yeah, have you looked in the freezer lately?
Because there's like 83 cans of frozen orange juice in there...
if you can see past all the frozen waffles.
- The kids like 'em now. - Ah. Oh. "Now. "
The post shameful incarceration era.
That's what we like to call it.
Sorry.
So, I was thinking...
about this weekend.
I call Ed and trade him for the Mexico route.
- I spoke to Amy. - Amy, yeah.
Michael, don't you think this is all just a little bit inappropriate?
What?
I mean maybe I should learn to live in reality before I start trying to escape from it again.
I mean, Rachel was in my group. She... She's 46. She taught Russian history at Berkeley.
She has two kids. Sh... Her family has money...
and she was living under a bench in Golden Gate park for three years...
before her sister found her there.
Do you think that can't happen to me?
Ask me how much I want a drink right now.
How come we haven't talked about this?
How come we haven't talked about a lot of things?
I think... I think maybe we should see someone.
A- At the place, they said that sometimes it's good...
for a couple to see someone who knows about this stuff.
You mean like a licensed contractor?
You would do that?
Only if you were incredibly grateful.
And this is ever since you've been back?
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm. The... I'm, uh...
just agitated and pissed off...
and it seems unreasonable to me, and I... And it's...
I feel like I'm, uh, being unfair, and, uh...
I... J... Especially to Michael, because he's been trying to be sweet, and he's really...
He really... You know, he just wants to be there for me.
So you're saying that there's a problem in your marriage and that it's your fault.
No, I don't think that's what she said at all.
- I'm sorry, Alice. Is that what you meant to say? - What I heard was that...
- she's irritated and she can't get a handle on it. - No, I didn't mean to say that...
and, Michael, I can talk for myself.
So, how do you feel right now?
I'm irritated. I'm irritated.
Because he does this sometimes. He just does this. He just...
Like he... I was trying to settle a fight between the two girls...
and he kind of came in and he took over.
And it pissed me off, you know? It just pissed me off.
This is since you've been back.
Yeah. Well...
No, he's al... He's always done that.
- Like? - Like the time that...
Jess wouldn't do her homework, so I said she couldn't go to her girlfriend's house...
and he came into the kitchen, and he took over again...
and erased everything I did.
Belittled me in front of them.
When was this?
When you told me I had all I could handle with my coffee and my little spoon.
What was that about, Michael?
It was a joke, to begin with.
And...
she was very hung over, and I was trying to help.
So, Michael, how do you feel?
- Manipulated. Irritated. - Why?
Because we're here to... to be closer to one another.
And talking over your problems isn't getting closer?
Michael, have you ever thought about going to an Al-Anon meeting?
A meeting for families of alcoholics?
Why that face, Michael?
It's the only face I have, Janet.
A little slutty.
- Slutty. - Yeah.
Amish.
Not Amish enough.
It's her first boy-girl dance, Michael. We should let her go as a girl.
It's like... yee-ha!
- Did you put that together? - No.
That's a sad little ensemble.
Oh, well. I forgot how good you were at this, Michael.
It's just that I know 8- year-old boys, and they only have one thing on their minds.
Mmm, yeah, 14-year-old girls.
I feel like an eight-year-old right now.
You look like a 14-year-old.
- That's sweet, right? - Yeah.
Oh, because, you know...
- Gary, there's so much truth coming out of you. - It is. This is the depth.
I think I'm gonna share this tonight, if I may.
You gonna go to the meeting tonight?
Hey. Honey, you remember Gary, right?
Sure.
- How's it goin'? - Good.
It's really good. How you doin'?
You got a great house. You really do.
It's her, yeah.
Excuse me.
- I'm sorry. I'm gonna go. No, I'm sorry. - I'm sorry.
Tell him I'm, uh, sorry if I inconvenienced anything.
- You know? - Hey, hey. It's not about you, okay?
- I know. Okay. You take care. - I'm sorry.
- Slow down. I love you. - Thank you so much. Okay.
- I'll talk to you later. - All right. About 3:00, I'm free, so...
- Okay. - Okay, good night.
Why would you suppose he dashed off like that?
I don't know, Michael. Could it have been your face?
You looked like we were naked or something.
- Do you wanna ask me something? - No.
You think this thing with Gary is romantic?
I don't know what to think about anything.
Well, I'm glad to hear you say that.
We haven't sat close like that since I can remember, Alice.
Not since I'm back, and if you think about it...
not since a while before that.
Gary needs me, and that feels good.
A- And when I'm scared, he can't help...
and he doesn't pretend that he can.
And it's not just Gary, Michael. The people that I really lean on...
are the ones at my meetings, and you never even ask me about them.
Don't you wonder who they are or what we talk about?
- I do now. - So why don't you ask me?
Come on, Michael. Let's talk about it. Okay?
I'll tell ya anything you want to know.
Do they know how this got started?
How I became an alcoholic?
No. They don't know that. Nobody seems to know that.
My dad's drinking didn't help.
The way my mother made me feel like nothing.
Or maybe it's genetic or I...
Nobody knows.
Did you think this was about you?
- Why would you say that? - Well, I don't know. You seem a little defensive.
Wh-Why would I be defensive? Is somebody attacking me?
No. Nobody's attacking you.
Michael, I am just hanging on here.
The girls need me really badly. I am trying to reestablish a little credibility at school.
- I'm trying to make my meetings. - So that kind of tells me my-my place in the batting order...
of what you need.
I'm so tired of all this shit.
I don't wanna be angry any more. I don't wanna...
I don't wanna feel...
guilty or...
sad or depressed or frustrated...
or confused or...
Just once, for five minutes, I wanna feel good.
- My name is Joanna. - Hi, Joanna.
I am so grateful for Maria's topic, uh, emotional abuse.
Until I came to Al-Anon...
I was not even aware of how cruelly I was abused by my alcoholic husband...
because I did not own my own feelings.
Every waking hour was about my husband's feelings.
When he was down, I was lower.
When he was happy, I thought I was too.
Every day I walked in that door...
waiting to see what shape he was in...
so I could find out how I was gonna feel.
Now, thanks to this programme...
I not only have my own feelings...
but I have feelings about my feelings.
And I am so grateful.
Anyway, thanks.
Thank you, Joanna.
All right, as you know, we have no dues or fees...
so we're gonna continue sharing as Bob passes the basket around.
- Hi. - Hi.
- You okay? - Never better.
What happened? Somethin' at A.A.?
Uh, I'll be okay. It's just a really bad day.
You wanna tell me what's wrong?
- Somethin' I can do? - Thank you, but...
Can't fix it unless we know it's broke.
How was your meeting?
First time. I'll get used to it.
There was a lot of people there feeling sorry for themselves.
It's like an alcoholic has ruined their lives, and they'd rather... rather be a victim...
than try and fix it.
Fix it, huh?
What'd I do now, Alice?
Nothing, Michael. Nothing.
I'm talking about some losers at my meeting.
You're takin' it personally.
The trouble with all these losers at your meeting...
is that they're not perfect like some people.
They're married to alcoholics who are bouncing off the walls...
and they don't know what the fuck to do.
So you might have to be a little tolerant...
give them the benefit of your expertise in problem solving.
Good meeting, huh? You guys drop acid or something?
Like I said...
I'm having a really bad day...
and I don't mean to take it out on you.
What is it? You want a drink real bad?
That wouldn't distinguish it from any other day, Michael.
- One of your friends fall off the wagon? - Nothing happened, Michael.
Nothing has to happen for me to have a bad day. That's the thrilling part of all this.
It just comes and hits and runs me over like a goddam freight train.
Okay, when's the next freight train comin' through? You got a printed schedule?
'Cause I could plan around these things, you know, and...
give you the space so you can, you know, smoke.
Maybe you shouldn't have to, Michael.
One of the women at my meetings is going to a halfway house...
because she... she's not making it in her home environment, and I...
What?
- You're actually thinking about this. - Oh, now wait.
Don't start jumping to conclusions.
What?
Excuse me for taking my life personally, Alice.
What is wrong with our home?
- Nothing. - Nothing.
You said it. It was something. What is it? Huh?
Is it the couch?
Is it an area rug? Or is it possibly, Alice... Alicia... me?
- Is it me? - It's not your problem.
No, it's not my problem! It's just my fucking fault!
Everything is my fault!
My sick wife is not making it in her home environment! Why, exactly?
I mean I am not your problem.
I am not your problem to solve!
It was so much more fun in the old days, wasn't it, Michael?
I'd get drunk, I'd pass out, and you'd put me back together.
That was the best, huh?
That made you feel good.
And that's what hurts.
- Okay. - Oh, fuck that!
Fuck making it better, Michael! It's not getting better!
I don't know how to make it better, and I swear to God, you don't either.
Baby...
Every time you say that...
every time you look at me like that, Michael...
I wanna come right out of my skin.
You make me feel like a stupid, worthless...
weak animal.
I don't know how to try any more.
Not giving up. Sticking together.
Isn't that what we're supposed to be trying for?
No, Michael.
We're supposed to try to be real.
And when you feel alone, you are not together, and that is real.
And when you don't know, you just don't know.
I think I could love you again...
if you could just for once say, "I don't know. "
I don't know.
Didn't work, did it?
I'll go pack some stuff.
- Michael, I didn't ask you to do that. - No, Alice?
- No. No. - No?
Come on. Let's be real.
You're clean. You stay hopeless and confused.
Keep polishing those skills, and I'll take the heat...
'cause I got some needs of my own.
When I touch someone...
I like it better when their skin doesn't crawl.
- That's not what I meant. - My wife hurts.
I need to say:
"What's wrong, honey? Somethin' I can do?"
And "I love you. "
So fuck me.
Hey.
What's the matter, baby?
You guys were really loud.
Oh.
Where's Michael?
He's out. So, are you...
Are you getting all excited about Ashley's sleep-over?
I'm not going.
You're not going? Why? What changed your mind?
I didn't get to be invited.
Everybody hates me.
Oh. Hey, sweetheart, that's not possible.
Is this Ashley Barrows?
Ashley Canter? Ashley Goodrich?
- No. - Ashley Whipsnade?
- There is no Ashley Whipsnade. - There is too. I can prove it.
Michael moved out.
For a while.
But I'm here, and we're gonna be fine.
He left us?
- Don't blame him. - But how could he leave us?
You blame me. I messed up, baby.
But I'm fighting my way back, so, you help me...
and don't you blame him.
Not ever.
Hey. Double trouble.
- Where have you been? - I've been on a trip.
- Are you ready for the beach? - Where you been?
I told 'em you were staying with Peter.
It's only until Mommy feels better.
Mommy feels better already.
See how well it's working?
Are you guys getting a divorce?
Hey. Don't be silly, baby.
You guys go have a great time.
Let's go. Up you go.
- Bye. - Bye.
When your day is long
And the night
The night is yours alone
And you're sure you've had enough
Of this life
Hang on
Don't let yourself go
'Cause everybody cries
Everybody hurts
Sometimes
everything is wrong
Now it's time to sing along
- When your day is night alone - Hold on
Hold on
- If you feel like lettin' go - Hold on
If you think you've had too much
Of this life
Hang on
'Cause everybody hurts
Take comfort in your friends
'Cause everybody hurts
Take comfort in your friends
- Hi. I'm Michael. - Hi, Michael.
I've been coming here for...
four months.
This is the first time I've talked.
My wife is an alcoholic, and we're separated.
And she's doing great.
She has her life, uh, back. She seems to have her life back.
I, on the other hand, I'm not doin' so good...
which is funny, I guess.
I miss my wife.
And I miss my daughters.
And things at work...
Basically everywhere...
I can't get a handle on things.
Everything's loose and...
fuzzy.
I look at her now when I drop off the kids at the house...
and I see what a wonderful job she's doin' with the kids, and I wonder why.
That maybe she never really needed me...
as much as I thought she needed me.
She thinks the girls need more watching after.
Especially Casey. She's our youngest.
You think they're growin' up fine on automatic pilot.
But, uh, you really have to watch them closely because, you know, y... They just...
They're always hiding stuff, even from themselves.
Anyway...
I like coming here.
Thank you, Michael.
Oh, you did? Really?
Well, it's, um... Yeah, I guess it's a speech.
At my meetings, when you have six months, you stand up and tell your story.
That's all.
And it's, uh, a week from Saturday.
And I'd really like you to come.
What? I'm not gonna say bad stuff about you.
Oh, you're gonna lie, huh?
I'm gonna accept responsibility.
That's what it's for.
No wonder I'm confused.
- I'd really like you to come. - Well, I'll sleep on you... it.
- You wanna go home with me, huh? - Never entered my mind.
- Enters mine. - Really?
Yeah, all the time. I just don't know...
what it would be like, because I'm really afraid of that roller coaster thing.
- Oh, I hate that. - You know, when people break up and then they make up...
- and they break up and they make up, and the very thing... - People can be so immature.
that attracts them is the reason that they shouldn't be together.
And I can't do that, Michael.
I can't do that any more.
I'm moving to Denver.
They're talking about roll-backs in this domicile, and if I...
take the transfer, I have a... I have a better chance to keep flying.
It's either that or change airlines, and I'd have to start from the bottom scale.
So I told 'em that I'd have to talk to you first...
before I could commit.
Well, you've worked a lot of years to just start at... at the bottom.
I can bid for the San Francisco route.
And with passes and everything, I can s...
This accepting responsibility stuff is really fun.
I better go home.
- I-I... - Don't go yet.
- I gotta go. - Don't go.
Hey, partner. Can I see that?
Thought Mom was gonna pick me up after movement class.
She is. I'm just here for a visit.
It's a bug box.
Just wanna see it. Ooh.
I like a name that tells you what it is.
How come you're here?
Come here.
I came to say I'm sorry.
I'm sorry for the fight we had the other day at the park. That was my fault.
And I'm sorry for not making it better when Mommy was away.
Wasn't so bad.
I'm really sorry for almost leaving you with Grandma.
But mostly I'm sorry for the kind of daddy I was or wasn't...
all the time since I've known you.
Why are you saying this?
I'm leaving for Denver tonight.
I'm moving there.
You and Mommy are getting divorced.
No, no one's even talked about that.
And if that were to ever happen...
I'd get lots of free passes, and I'd call you all the time...
and I'd come to visit all the time.
'Cause Casey will still be your daughter?
No. 'Cause you're my daughter...
and I will always come back to see you.
I will always come back.
Not like my dad?
I love you so much. Just like your real daddy.
But I'm really scared. I'm really scared.
I'm scared that you don't know how much I love you...
and so I'll always have to be doing stuff so you'll know.
I'll try to do stuff too.
You have to go there, huh?
Yeah.
Oh.
I'm gonna miss you so much.
I'm sorry, baby.
You can do it.
Hey there, buster.
You goin' on a trip?
Boo. Bad decision.
Cat got your tongue?
It's a long trip this time.
Like Mommy's trip?
Maybe longer, but I'm gonna call ya every day.
Every day. And I'll be back every chance I get.
And when I can't...
you'll come visit me.
Like Mommy?
- Yeah. - Will there be swans?
Swans? Swans are possible.
- Bye, baby. - Bye, baby.
Thank you for the fan appreciation, folks.
It was a lot less dramatic than it looked.
For those of you connecting out of Denver, please check your monitors for any delays...
and for the rest of you...
welcome home.
Hi, I-I'm Alice, um, alcoholic.
Hi, Alice!
I've been sober for 184 days.
I- I drank my first beer when I was nine years old.
My dad's an alcoholic, so my mother liked to blame my lapse on his example.
That way she could hurt both of us at once.
Anyway, I liked my beer, and the ones that followed.
And about a year ago I got drunk.
I couldn't stop getting drunk.
It had never really happened quite like that, and I still don't know why.
I've lied to everyone that I know...
everyone I love, and, uh...
I was ashamed and terrified and humiliated every day.
Uh, one day I... got out of the shower...
grabbed a towel and decided to go get the paper.
And nobody saw me go out the front door or at the curb...
which was a very good thing because I was holding the towel just folded in my hand.
I know how lucky I've been...
because there were times when I drove my little girls around just ripped out of my mind.
One Saturday I took my baby girl on errands...
and when I got home...
I realized she wasn't with me.
I had left her someplace.
And since I couldn't remember where I'd been...
I had no idea where, so...
I spent the next few hours calling every shop I'd ever been to...
until finally the tile guy rang my front doorbell.
They had found my address on a check.
I rewarded him, of course, you know...
by never going back to his store.
My bottom was 184 days ago...
when my, uh, my little girl...
watched me wash down aspirin with vodka.
And then I hit her.
And when I passed out, she was alone with me...
and she thought I was dead.
And all of my life I will never know what that did to her.
And I know I have to forgive myself for that.
And I have to forgive myself for what I've done to my husband.
It's horrifying how much you can hate yourself for being low and weak...
and he couldn't save me from that, so I turned it on him.
I tried to empty it onto him, but there was always more, you know?
When he tried to help, I told him that...
he made me feel small and worthless.
But nobody makes us feel that, man.
We do that for ourselves.
I shut him out because...
I knew if he ever really saw...
who I was inside...
that he wouldn't love me.
And we're separated now.
He's moved away, and it was so hard not to beg him to stay.
And I don't know if I'm gonna get a second chance, but I have to believe...
that I deserve one.
Because we all do.
Thank you, Alice. Everyone, let's take a 15-minute coffee break.
Thanks.
Just so beautiful.
I just hope I can do it too.
How do you feel? Like a cigarette?
- Yes. Thank you, Sponsor. - You're welcome.
- That was wonderful. - Thanks for letting me talk.
Alice, you really made me cry.
Me too.
My wife is an alcoholic.
Best person I ever met.
She has 600 different kinds of smiles.
They can light up your life.
They can make you laugh out loud just like that.
They can even make you cry just like that.
That's just with her smiles.
You'd have to see her with her kids.
You'd have to see how they look at her...
when she's not looking.
To think of all the things she lived through...
and I couldn't help her.
- Maybe helping wasn't your job. - The hell it wasn't.
See, I love her.
And I tried everything.
Except really listening.
Really listening.
And that's how I left her alone.
I'm so ashamed of that...
and I couldn't even tell her.
Maybe if I tell her, she'd love me anyway.
Oh, more.
She would have loved you even more.
I think you should tell all this stuff to your wife.
Hold me, love
I can't sleep again
Ooh, I have to kiss your lips
I wanna lay here next to you
Oh
I remember
Walkin' in the rain
Rain was falling on my head
I don't wanna live through that again
No
Outside
It oughta get dark now
Love is walkin' in the park now
Children singin' songs
One day we'll make all our dreams come true
I will love you
It only takes love
Love is a healing thing
When you give everything
You love in the world
The world gives you love to hold on to
Remember me
When sorrow is over
- Somewhere - Just give me many chances
- Oh, no - I'll see you through, my love
- The memories - Just give me time to learn, to grow
Just give me many chances
I'll see you through, my love
Just give me time to learn, to grow
Just give me many chances
I'll see you through, my love
Just give me time to learn, to grow
In September
When the rain comes
And the wind blows
I will see you walking in your coat
Oh
Just give me many chances
I'll see you through, my love
Just give me time to learn, to grow
Time to learn, to grow