Take it easy, will you?
Twilly,
I've never been sh*t before.
I don't know how to act.
Hey, Becky, you got a cigarette?
Thanks.
Your last?
No.
Kid's amazing.
Now listen.
When we get out of here,
Hale's gonna do a piece on you.
You're gonna be famous.
You got a light?
No, no, I'm all out.
Hey, amigo, you got a match?
Hey, Sweet, here.
Hey, thanks, Hale.
Dear Cole,
of all the futile letters
I've ever written to you, my editor,
this one probably takes the cake.
Because there is no doubt in my mind
that you will never receive it.
The takeover is secured.
They blew up the embassy,
so that's that.
Still, a lifetime of habit
keeps my pen moving.
I've borne witness
to yet another m*ssacre.
This one, I'm to be a part of.
The latest barbarian hordes
have stormed another city,
k*lling, plundering, burning,
out of control.
Women,
kids, everybody dies.
Grotesquely.
Sometimes at the hands
of - or -year-old children
with g*ns, knives
and flamethrowers.
I'm sitting in a cell
for three days now
that Edgar Allen Poe could have
described more eloquently than I.
The stink of death
almost as overpowering
as the anticipation of it
by all of us here,
as every little while,
a few more of us
are taken out and sh*t.
No.
No, please. No.
Oh, no, please don't. Stop, no.
No, please. No! No!
No!
Please, stop it, please!
Help me, please. Help! No!
No, please!
He came down here on his own.
Paid his own way.
Noble profession, ours.
But I think he will not die nobly.
Cole, when I was a kid,
I was convinced I had a calling.
The world was destroying itself
and I was put on this Earth to save it.
To change all the hate to love.
What a laugh.
What love have I generated?
Whom have I benefited?
I'm at the end of the line, Cole,
and I leave the world
in the same shambles I found it.
Easy, Dieter, easy.
I'm thirsty.
Guard!
It's time to close this letter
you will never receive.
My life's about to end
and who will care?
Martha.
Yes, Martha will care,
after all I've done.
Martha, Martha, Martha.
She could have had anybody.
She got me.
There's so much
I haven't said to her.
So much I wanna tell her.
If I could just see her,
hold her,
tell her I love her, tell her...
...I've always loved her.
It's real.
About as real as a dream gets.
Who are you?
What is this place?
This is the basement of my house.
That's Louis' old bike.
I thought I got rid of that.
Yeah, you did, about eight years ago.
The mind is a strange
and complex thing.
Oh, yes.
What a way to escape.
Yes.
What a time.
You said you wanted to tell your wife
you loved her.
You have very little time
to choose from.
Oh, yeah, that's a fact.
And who are you?
- Jonathan Smith.
- Jonathan Smith.
- Where have we met?
- We've never met.
Oh, we've never met, I see.
So I've dreamed you up
out of whole cloth.
No, no.
No, this is not your dream.
- This is not my dream?
- No.
I'm here in a dream
but it's not my dream,
it's somebody else's dream.
Whose dream is it?
Martha's.
Martha's. Oh, yeah, sure, of course.
Oh, you don't think that could be?
Real? You mean, for real?
That I'm here in my wife's dream?
Of course not.
Hale, breakfast.
She's dreaming
she's making your breakfast.
She's dreaming it?
You're telling me
that she's actually asleep.
She is actually asleep.
Where is she?
In the study.
She sleeps there a lot
when you're gone.
She never told me that.
I've never seen her sleep
in my study.
Why would she do a thing like that?
Because that's where
your photographs are.
The pictures?
They're all she has
when you're gone.
Only I could come up
with this craziness.
This must be my dream.
No.
- You're not asleep, Hale.
- I'm not asleep.
I was standing
in front of the bars of my cell.
I must have passed out.
You didn't pass out.
If I'm not there, I'm here.
You mean if that guard
comes into that cell
to answer my call, I'm not there?
Absolutely.
But he won't come into the cell.
He can't.
Why can't he?
Because time has stopped for you.
You mean the w*r has stopped,
no more executions?
b*ll*ts in mid-flight.
Hale.
She wants you upstairs.
What am I supposed to be doing
down here?
You came down to get that book.
Shall we go?
Hale.
It's all a trick of the mind anyway.
- My mind.
- Your mind?
And who are you, Jonathan Smith?
- I'm an angel.
- Angel.
I don't believe in angels
and neither does Martha.
So if this is her dream--
She won't be able to see me
or hear me.
- But she'll see me?
- Yes.
- And she'll hear me?
- Of course.
She's dreaming of you.
It's impossible.
Usually. This is a one-time thing.
She deserves something,
I'm giving her something.
- At least be grateful.
- Oh, I'm grateful as hell.
That's the way you're dressed
in her dream.
Honey, where are you?
The coffee's a-boil.
Remember, you're seeing this
through her eyes,
her mind,
her dream.
I just wanna touch her.
I mean, really touch her.
That's all she's ever wanted.
Hale.
Well, my world traveller at last.
Coffee?
My God.
It all looks so real.
- It's too real.
- Easy.
Hale, sit down.
- What is this chair?
- That's your chair.
It's the only one
Martha dreams about.
Yeah, but look at the size of it.
It looms very large to Martha
because it's empty most of the time.
Sugar's in.
Martha.
It's been so long
since you've touched her,
she doesn't dream
about that anymore.
Pancakes?
I know they don't have them in China.
China?
She's thinking
about Chiang Kai-shek.
Yeah, but does it matter? You've been
so many places. Just go with it.
Pancakes will be fine, dear.
What is that?
Whose child is this?
That's your son.
No, that's impossible, though.
Louis is years old.
Oh, but not in your wife's dream.
Louis?
Oh, it is Louis.
Oh, my God, he's got both his arms.
Jeez, I can't look, I can't--
Look at him. Look.
Look, he had such strong little arms.
I don't wanna be here.
Dieter.
Dieter.
Dieter.
- I don't want to be here.
- It's too late.
You're in your wife's dream.
You can't escape it now.
No.
No, I can't stand to look
at my little boy the way he was.
Before the accident?
Yes.
Maybe she won't dream
about him again.
Promise me.
Promise me
she won't dream anymore.
I can't. It's not my dream.
I won't go back up there.
Hale, your breakfast is getting cold.
I told you, it's too late to escape it.
Time to go back up, Hale.
Hale, where are you?
I'm right here, dear. I'm right here.
Come sit down
before your pancakes get cold.
Yeah.
I made you four.
Thank you, darling, thank you.
Oh, you poor dear.
Look at your hair.
Little streaks of silver.
Well, I am getting a little older,
darling.
Oh, my darling,
we're both getting older.
Still, we've got a lot of good years
left together.
Thank God.
I don't know what I'd do without you.
What's that?
Your hand.
Martha, I love you.
Isn't that funny?
I can see your hands holding mine,
and I can't feel your touch.
Feel, dearest, feel it.
I want to.
I just can't remember
what it feels like.
I never forgot your face,
your eyes.
That scar from
when you fell off the ladder.
But I forgot your touch.
Please, Jonathan,
make her remember.
Make her remember.
I can't, I'm not the one
who made her forget.
Come on.
I want you to eat a good breakfast.
You're gonna need all your strength
to tell Cole.
- He can be very persuasive.
- Martha--
I want you to put your foot down
and tell your editor
that your wife needs you.
For the first time, he can send
somebody else to South America.
Come on now, eat your food.
He'll be here any minute.
What is this?
That's the money you told her
your editor was giving you
to take the assignment.
But it was just a bonus.
I mean, it didn't amount
to much at all.
But she thinks about it all the time.
She blames herself for your taking it,
to get her a little extra money.
I should never told her about it at all.
I don't want a coat.
I've got plenty of coats.
Tell him to keep his old money.
Did buying her that coat
really ease your guilt?
- Mom, can I have some ice cream?
- Sure.
Then I'll have my tonsils out.
You're a good man, Louis.
Louis?
It's Louis at years old.
Hey, Louis.
No, he can't hear you.
Why not?
Because you weren't here then.
You were gone, as usual.
Here, I got your favourite kind.
Thanks.
Can I have one of Daddy's kisses?
Sure.
Well, there's the envelope.
Now let's find
a really good Daddy kiss.
- Where do you want it?
- On the nose.
Okay?
Okay, let's put the envelope back.
And I'll call the doctor and tell him
you decided to have your tonsils out.
Okay. Night.
Night, darling.
You know,
you almost lost him that time.
What? It was only his tonsils.
No, the anaesthetic.
It was a close call. He could've d*ed.
Martha never told me.
She handled it.
She didn't want you to worry.
There were a lot of things
Martha didn't tell you.
Oh, that'll be your editor.
I'm not going. I'll tell Cole. I promise.
No, no. Don't promise.
Don't promise me you're not going,
you'll only break it.
He's got to go, Martha.
- I'm sorry.
- Coffee, Cole?
Your coffee? Absolutely.
- Chicory?
- Sure.
Well, you packed, Hale?
He never said that.
He never said,
"Martha, you got to go."
He did in her mind.
We never discussed it together.
Well, of course not. You never
discussed anything with Martha.
You went because you wanted to go.
- I'm not going.
- Of course you are.
Martha, Hale is the best we've got.
Best there is.
He's our man in South America.
He's the franchise, as it were.
Here's your coffee.
Oh, Martha, very good.
Here's your plane ticket, Hale.
Forget it.
We don't need the money, Cole.
Look at your coat.
It's all tattered and torn.
Hale, how can you let her
go around like that?
Where did you get that?
She doesn't go around like that.
She doesn't own a coat like that.
What--? This is crazy.
Hale-- Hale knows General Diaz,
Martha.
Very difficult man to know.
Lot of good it did me.
You know, Diaz will tell Hale things
he won't tell anybody.
He was k*lled
while I was still on the plane.
He shouldn't go.
He still has a cold from the Philippines.
I'm sorry, Martha.
I need him here.
I need my husband home.
- Tell him you're not going, Hale.
- I'm not going.
I'm not going.
Of course you are.
Sorry, Martha.
Go get them, Hale.
What the hell's the matter with you,
Cole?
I told you, I'm not going.
I'm not going.
He's right, of course.
You are the franchise.
Who else would he send?
When are you leaving?
I'm not leaving.
Darling, you took the bonus.
Well, I'll give the money back.
It wasn't the money.
Oh, no.
No, but you played it cool.
So he begged and he gave you
some extra bonus money.
But you would have gone anyway.
You would have paid him to go.
Wild horses
couldn't have kept you home.
Of course it wasn't the money.
You're a reporter
and you were home for three months.
- Yeah.
- You wanted to go. Martha knew that.
And she wanted you to be happy.
She always wanted you to be happy.
Yeah.
Oh, Martha, I love you.
Oh, you didn't finish your money.
- She can't hear you, Hale.
- Why not?
Because it's been so long
since you told her you loved her.
Come on, darling,
your money's getting cold.
Mom, what time is it?
Now what?
Something Martha dreams about
all the time.
- What is it, Martha?
- You're late, Louis.
What is it?
What's she dreaming about now?
- What's that?
- Mrs. Edlitz.
Let's go, Louis,
I've got a train to catch.
It's Louis' ride.
- No, no.
- I'm coming.
- Hurry, Louis.
- No, wait a minute, wait a minute.
Martha, stop it. Stop it. Wake up!
Wake her up, Smith, wake her up.
Ma, I gotta go.
Baseball practise after school.
Bye.
Martha, stop him. Stop him.
Wake up!
I have to finish the dishes.
- There's nothing you can do.
- He doesn't need a ride.
I can take him.
I used to take him to school.
You weren't here, you were in London,
at Heathrow, waiting for Eleanor.
Louis! Louis!
For God's sake, Smith,
do something.
- Stop it.
- I can't. It's already happened.
Louis! No!
Where are we?
Somewhere in your wife's mind.
You're punishing me, aren't you?
You're the one
who wanted to see Martha.
Martha?
Hale,
you shouldn't be here.
Mrs. Stoddard,
I'm afraid I have some bad news.
- Your son's arm--
- No.
My husband is here.
She's trying to protect you, as usual.
She knows you're really in London.
She wants to tell you herself
about Louis.
She doesn't want you to hear it
on the phone the way she did.
Dr. Burns is the best in the country,
they told me.
She always secretly thought
that if you would have been here,
the doctors would have tried harder
to save Louis' arm.
Oh, I know
it doesn't make any sense.
But of such stuff, dreams are made.
Louis will be all right.
I know about Louis, dear.
- You do?
- Oh, yes.
All this happened
a very long time ago, my darling.
Did it?
Louis is all grown-up now.
He's just fine.
And Eleanor?
She knew, Hale.
She always knew.
No sense in lying to her
about it here.
I haven't seen her
in a very long time.
I know.
Hold me, darling.
Hold me in my dreams.
This is a lovely home,
Mrs. Stoddard.
Eleanor?
Eleanor was never here in my home.
She was in your wife's dreams,
many times.
Martha, darling,
Eleanor and I were just
working people
who met in various spots around the
world when we were covering stories.
- That's all? Really?
- Yeah, that's all, really.
I know she didn't mean anything,
really.
You were lonely,
away from Louis and me so much.
But she was so bright.
I read her columns
and I fantasised about her.
I remember once I read she was
gonna be a guest on Meet the Press.
Two days, I waited to see her.
Couldn't do anything.
Two days, I stayed in the house.
Then there she was.
She was impressive.
I'm sorry, Mrs. Stoddard.
London...
...was just one of those things.
And when he got the news
about your son, we both felt so guilty.
Eleanor, please stop.
Martha never said anything to me
about Eleanor.
She always knew.
Do you remember that time
in Saigon?
Those bombs?
People running everywhere,
I was so terrified.
Eleanor was never in Saigon.
- Wasn't she?
- No.
I wanna believe you, Hale.
You have quite a husband,
Mrs. Stoddard.
I know.
This plane was diving.
He grabbed me, threw me down,
then covered my body with his.
- That's not true. This is not real.
- It is to Martha.
He saved my life.
He seems always to be there
when I need him.
And I think he needs me too.
We love each other.
No.
No, I never said I loved her.
I have never stopped loving you.
Never, not for a single moment.
I believe you, Hale.
She does believe you.
She wants to believe you.
And she forgives you.
But you can't blame her
for fantasising, can you?
Daddy.
- You look beautiful, darling.
- Thank you, Daddy.
Your mother and I are so proud
of you today, pumpkin.
Hale's a fine man.
A fine man.
I'm glad you like him, Daddy.
He thinks so much of you.
Listen, you'd better hurry.
They're getting impatient down there.
I'll be right there.
Her father looks so young.
- I looked so young.
- You were young.
Seventeen. I was such a baby.
I was going to marry
a man of the world.
You were gonna show me China,
introduce me to Chiang Kai-shek.
- Well, he d*ed before I had a chance.
- I know.
I did so wanna see China.
But you went with Nixon
to see the Great Wall.
I wanted to take you, dear,
I really did.
Then why didn't you, Hale?
Well, I tried,
there was just no space.
- I pulled every string I could find.
- I know.
You wanted to take Eleanor.
- You didn't take Eleanor, did you?
- Eleanor?
- You didn't, did you, Hale?
- Oh, sweetheart, no.
It was wonderful.
The Great Wall
is the only man-made thing
you can see from the moon.
Do you think they could see us
from the moon?
I did not take Eleanor, sweetheart.
- I believe you, Hale.
- Yeah.
We love each other, Mrs. Stoddard.
- I believe you.
- We love each other.
- I believe you, Hale.
- We love each other.
- I believe you.
- We love each other.
- We love each other.
- I believe you.
No, no.
No, no more.
No.
No, no.
No.
Mom, could you tie my tie?
Oh, look at him, will you?
Your father would be so proud.
I was in Morocco
when he graduated.
- I wish he could've made it.
- He said he'd call.
- Leave it to your father.
- I'll get it.
Hello? Hello?
- Damn it. Static. Dad?
- I'm here, Louis. I'm here.
Dad.
Dad.
It's dead.
I could hear you.
I was yelling, "Louis, Louis."
I was calling from the middle of a bank
in Casablanca.
Everyone was looking at me.
I was going, "Louis. Louis."
We'd better hurry, Mom,
we'll be late.
There was always
a lot of pressure on him.
The son of Hale Stoddard.
Father in absentia.
They printed that essay he wrote
about you in the yearbook.
"That extraordinary man, my father."
He's a writer, that boy.
He can write.
I wrote him a letter about that,
remember?
He was so proud.
He was so afraid you wouldn't like it.
It was a marvellous letter.
It took him about ten minutes
to get up the nerve to read it.
But he kept it, always,
in his drawer,
with that watch you sent him
from Lisbon.
And the stamps you sent him
from Athens.
And that little piece of peanut candy
that you sent him from Turkey.
And the coins
and some of your cards.
Fragments of a life spent
over the horizon.
I was a handicap to him.
He had to try living up to somebody
he hardly new.
Sweetheart,
you did the best you could.
Oh, please, please, Martha,
don't try to protect me.
Protect you?
I'd give my life for you
if you needed it.
It always hurt me
that you never really needed me.
Never needed you?
I could never have gone on
without you.
You were the only reason
for my living.
We've been married years.
I think we can tell each other
the truth.
Your work has always been
your reason for living.
Work--Words--
It's just words, words-
Oh, but the words.
You're a reasonable man
in an unreasonable world.
No, no, I have thrown away
our life together.
Our life together has been beautiful.
You are my great pride.
Of course I wanted more of you.
This house is a big place
when I'm alone.
Oh, Martha, my dear,
when my dreams are done,
there will have been only you.
I wish it were so.
I've always wished it were so.
In this life I've lived, waiting for you,
dreaming you safe.
She's a wonderful woman.
You owe her more than you know.
If I had it to do over again,
I would do it much differently.
Kiss her one last time.
One last time?
Life goes on.
She's about to awaken.
No.
No.
No.
Don't wake up.
Please don't wake up.
I don't wanna leave you now.
Not now, now that we're so close.
Please.
Please.
Please.
Please.
Please.
Hale?
Please.
- Hale?
- What?
What are you doing?
I was...
...dreaming.
Oh, my Lord, we overslept.
That's Cole coming
to take you to the airport.
- You're gonna miss your plane.
- No, no, wait, wait.
It was my dream, mine.
- What are you talking about?
- It was my dream all the time.
I'm here, I'm really here with you.
I'm not in South America.
And you're not going to be
if you miss that plane.
I'm not going.
- What are you talking about?
- I'm not going.
- What?
- I'm not going.
I wanna be here with you.
You really mean that?
Oh, I do.
Yes.
Oh, yes.
I do indeed.
I love you.
You're wasting your time, Mr. Editor.
He's not going.
What?
Martha?
Hale?
Hey, Mark.
Hey, buddy, wake up.
What? What?
Oh, Jonathan.
Oh, it's morning.
It's morning?
You left me out here all night?
I'm sorry. All right, let's go.
Let's go?
I thought we had an assignment.
It's all taken care of.
Why did you want me
to meet you here?
You could have called a cab.
Hey, I said I was sorry.
I wish you hadn't waken me
like that.
I was right in the midst
of a terrific dream.