Original subtitles

What?

I was just thinking about how much I love you.

Good.

♪ Tell me why ♪

♪ I love you like I do ♪

♪ Tell me who ♪

♪ Can stop my heart As much as you ♪

♪ Let's take each other's hand ♪

♪ As we jump into The final frontier ♪

♪ I'm mad about you, baby ♪

♪ Yeah ♪♪

Hey, look at you.

Hey.

Keep writing. Keep writing.

That's okay.

I was just about to take a break.

So it went better today?

Much.

Let me see.

It's still really rough.

"Graduate Writing Workshop Story Sample Submission.

By J.S. Buchman."

That's all I've got.

But do you know what?

I like what you've got.

It's good.

The "J.S." that's cool.

That's very writerly.

J.D. Salinger. Pearl S. Buck.

Pearl is not exactly an initial, but...

Did you notice the bookshelves?

I arranged them by color.

You spent your time well.

This'll make it easier

in case we want to read something,

let's say, orange.

You were wrong, by the way.

Everybody liked this sweater.

Aw, good.

I missed you today. Did you miss me?

Hey, yes, you...

You were definitely missed.

Hey, oh, excuse me.

Hey, you don't think I know what this is?

I'm just another cheap excuse for you not to write.

No, no, no.

Hey, Murray, I will kiss you in a minute.

Wait your turn.

Honey, his feet are all wet.

Look at this. Little doggie footprints.

Got a Grauman's Chinese Theater thing going on here.

What happened?

Either Timmy is in the well...

Oh, my God, there's a flood!

Honey, do something.

What do you propose I do?

If I knew, I'd do it.

Would you get some towels?

Wait. Let's use the ones your mother gave us.

Would you do something?

You've got one of the old ones here.

This one's been around since the beginning.

If this toilet could talk.

Well, let's all be thankful, huh?

Did you see Mrs. Wicker on her Nyquil commercial?

That was her. You owe me $5.00.

She beat out Estelle Getty for that part.

Sweetheart, we're distracting Mr. Wicker.

No, you're not.

You've got writing to write, and he...

What do you got stuck back here?

What? I wouldn't leave that here.

That's not ours.

Can I use your phone?

You see what's happening here? We're losing him.

Oh, honey, we're going to have to throw these out.

Darn.

All right. So what do we do now?

Honey, he's getting his toolbox.

I've got an emergency in 3-B.

What is this, a picnic?

Look, I'll be back soon.

You say soon. Soon is when?

Soon.

And now, suddenly, I have to pee.

Oh, honey, use the sink.

I'm not going to use the sink.

Why not?

I once had a very bad experience with that.

I really don't want to discuss it.

Oh, darn.

See, that's snippy.

These things he found behind the toilet

are letters.

To us?

Why would there be letters to us behind the toilet?

It must be the other family

that gets their mail delivered there.

I've got to go in the worst way.

No, no, no. Don't use the toilet.

Try beeping him.

I beeped him. The man is un-beepable.

I'm going to go find him.

I'm coming.

You've got writing to do.

That's snippy.

That's supportive.

With a little snip in it.

These are amazing.

I can't believe you don't have to go.

They're from a couple

who must've lived here, like, 50 years ago.

You're like a camel.

"June 12, 1943."

This girl, Millie,

is waiting at home in our apartment

for her sweetheart who's overseas.

Oh.

Who is it?

Um, 11-D upstairs. The Buchmans.

Hi.

Hi.

Uh, we're looking for Mr. Wicker.

He was here a while ago.

Not anymore?

Nope. The story of my life.

I... I'm sorry. It's just this guy.

What are they all afraid of?

I... I don't know.

It is not worth it.

Oh, it is. It really is.

You think?

You know anybody?

What about Ira?

Who's Ira?

He's in prison.

Is he funny?

Did Mr. Wicker say where he was going next?

Oh, Millie got a job at Shraft's.

She's saving up to buy them a new Victrola.

That's a record player.

I know.

You didn't know valise.

I knew valise.

Just a minute!

If Wicker is in there, I don't want to know.

Yeah?

Hi, uh...

We were told Mr. Wicker was here.

Oh, he was.

He's gone.

Could you tell us where Mr. Wicker is?

Who?

It's like talking to a gland.

Listen, could I... can I use...

Wow.

Oh, God!

This is just so us.

This guy's trying to sleep?

I'm sorry. It's just, I'm reading this,

and it's like we wrote them in another time.

I guess this would be a time when you actually wrote.

That was snippy. I see that now.

Tell me. How was this like us?

The way they love each other.

She has issues with his mother,

and he's just... he's just you...

In every way.

In what ways?

In tons of ways,

except that he accepts what she says without question.

I accept...

Let me see this.

"They're shipping us out tonight.

"I can't tell you where I'm going.

"It doesn't really matter anyway

"because all I can think about

"is what I'm leaving behind,

and what, I pray, I will come home to someday."

It's like what you said to me

when you went to Jersey for the weekend.

"Last night, your mother had me for dinner,

"and I mean that literally.

"She had me convinced

I was responsible for the fall of Poland."

"After three months, at last, civilization.

"Some of the guys went out and got plowed.

"Sergeant Cope, the one I told you about,

went shopping."

"The new janitor started today.

"His name is Bill Wicker,

"and he's very sweet and very handy.

He started to fix the radiator, but he had to leave."

"They've been shelling us since dawn.

"All I keep thinking about

"is that last night in the apartment

"when we danced until the neighbors complained.

You fell asleep in my arms."

How can anybody dance in this apartment?

The floor's all slanty.

It's not slanty.

All right.

"I'm sitting here in your old pea coat,

"listening to our song,

and counting the minutes until we can dance here again."

"I'm sending you this dirt.

"It is real, honest-to-God ditch dirt.

"If you stand on it,

"at least we'll know

"that we're on the same earth.

"So here's what I'm thinking.

"How about the next time we dance in that apartment,

"it's as man and wife?

What do you say?"

What does she say?

That's it?

There aren't any more.

God, these Nazis are so obnoxious.

Where does this guy go? This is the fourth message.

Mr. Wicker, it's the Buchmans.

I'm begging you.

He's here.

Don't get snippy with him.

I save all my snips for you.

Ah, it's not him.

Not who?

Our toilet's broken.

Really?

No, it's a big rumor I'm spreading.

Man, all of a sudden, I've got to go.

Use the sink.

He's not using the sink.

I don't use the sink, he ain't using the sink.

We met a nice girl in 3-B.

Yeah? She have a toilet?

Probably.

Forget about her.

She's a little needy.

Really? How needy?

Marsha-from- the-bookstore needy.

Ooh. Ooh.

Who is Marsha from the bookstore?

She's before us.

I'll fix the toilet.

The toolbox's in the kitchen.

It's not something that's doable. I tried.

You ain't me.

What about a story about the people in this building?

Hey, that's good. Like what?

I don't know.

Like that girl

or this couple in these letters, or us.

You know how we're all...

Looking for the super?

That's something good.

Why don't you start writing?

I am.

Hey!

What?

What did you do?

She said I could.

The bathroom sink.

Oh.

We have to move now.

I know.

Hello.

Hey. Where'd you go?

Stopped at Tower.

Is that girl there, with the shoulders?

They moved her to classical.

Good.

Dancing Through World War II.

You are really getting into this.

Want to Lindy later?

It's a dance.

Maybe I knew. Maybe I didn't know.

Guess what.

Wicker showed up.

No. I finished my story.

Hey, good for you.

Hi. You guys want the usual?

Sure. Why not?

Okay, and that would be what?

Cheeseburger, chef salad.

Medium-rare?

Fine.

Okay.

That's the burger.

So, can I read it?

Will you like it?

Sure. How do I know?

Because you wrote it.

Because I wrote it or because it's good?

I'm going to like it because it's good.

If you don't like it...

All right. Okay. Okay.

All right.

Hmm.

Okay.

What? What'd I say?

I said "hmm" because it's good.

It was a good "hmm."

It's the best hmm there is.

And he said... ha!

You really think they got together after the war?

Yes. I think they got married,

had their dance in the apartment.

You don't?

No. I think the guy, Leo...

I think he ended up with the French girl.

What French girl?

The one in the market.

She sold him some fruit.

Many men have been swept off their feet

by a lady with a nice nectarine.

Where do you get that?

Three letters, he mentions

going to, coming from, or being at the market.

You don't know Leo.

You tell me I am Leo. How could I not know?

I see what's happening.

You'd go off and fight this big war

and leave me behind

and stay in France and eat fruit.

I'm using the bathroom. Want to come?

I don't have to go.

Sponge woman, that's who you are.

Did you forget to lock the door?

No. Did you?

One of two things happened.

A... burglars or B...

Hello, Buchmans.

Hallelujah!

I'm almost done.

You're going to love it.

I hope so.

My wife was up for a Clio award last night.

How did she do?

Well, it's an honor just to be nominated.

I'm sorry.

That's okay.

The couple who lived here before us,

do we remind you of them?

Never thought about it, but now that you mention it...

no.

What were they like?

Sweet couple.

He was a chiropractor.

The other one, he...

A he and a he?

He and a he.

Hmm.

Huh.

Huh-huh.

Are we talking about the same people?

Those can't be the guys. That's Millie.

The Bartons.

The Bartons?

So he did come back to her. Nectarine.

They've got a house in Patchogue now.

I've got to go.

Go finish in here first.

That's what I'm saying. Yes, please.

Honey, Patchogue's not that far.

If you live in Quogue.

That's right near Patchogue.

We should bring these to her.

She'd want to have them.

Why do we have to go out there?

They're so much like us.

Don't you want to see how it ends?

They're not like us, and it ends any way you want.

You can end it.

Leo would go.

Leo did go. That's why he's in Patchogue.

I'm talking about the Leo

who traded his cigarettes for that broken-down bike

and peddled all over bombed roads

just to give her a card on Valentine's Day.

What, you're saying I don't do that kind of stuff?

Whoever heard of a train without a bathroom?

Hello?

Is anybody home?

Mil, there's somebody in the house.

Did you forget to lock the door again?

Hello.

Millie?

Yes?

I'm sorry. Wow.

Um, Bill Wicker gave us your address.

Oh... well, come in.

I'm Jamie Buchman. This is my husband, Paul.

Boy, I've got to say,

you look exactly like in our head.

Who is it?

Oh, it's the Buchmans.

Okay.

We live in your old apartment.

On 12th street?

Yes.

Please, come on in. Sit down.

Thank you.

This is our first time in Patchogue.

You've done a great job with it.

The Wickers send their best.

I thought I saw her on T.V., kissing a Nyquil bottle?

That's her.

I knew it!

You owe me $5.00!

What can I do for you?

Well, it's kind of odd.

We feel like we already know you.

We found your letters.

My letters?

Yes.

You did?

What's a six-letter word for "suitcase"?

"Valise."

These are the Buchmans.

Yeah, I heard. Who are they?

I'm not really sure.

We live in your old apartment.

I thought two guys lived there.

They moved.

Why don't you visit them?

Um... we read your letters.

You read our letters?

They were behind our toilet.

Millie, what the hell are they talking about?

Show them.

I don't remember any letters.

But you have to.

Um...

N-no. I-I-I'm sorry. They're not ours.

Here. Let me see those.

They're not ours.

You're the Bartons. You're Millie.

Hold it. What are you guys up to?

What do you mean?

I saw this on Diane Sawyer one time.

They're going to ask us for money.

We don't want any money.

She said you'd say that.

We don't even like Diane Sawyer.

It's the other one we don't like.

You'd better go.

You have to remember... The bombed-out roads?

The dirt?

Fifi and the nectarine?

Please?

Yeah.

I'm sorry.

Um...

So am I.

I didn't even have to go.

I just did because I could.

You okay?

I just don't get it.

I know, I know.

Why would she say these weren't hers?

Maybe she forgot.

It's been a long time.

Not that long.

Yeah, but people forget.

Remember that time

when we couldn't remember where we parked the car?

What am I going to do with you?

If that's across the hall about the stereo,

I ain't turning it down.

I'm not turning it down.

And you back me up.

May I come in?

Of course.

Please, yes.

Listen, our house is your house...

literally.

Oh, my God.

Please come in.

This feels very weird.

I never thought I'd be back.

Oh, I see they still haven't fixed this.

Whoa!

My God.

Where did that building come from?

We don't know.

Somebody just left it there.

You know, we lived here close to 30 years.

May I ask you one question?

Which way did you face the couch?

Oh, I know.

I tried it here...

I tried it by the window.

I did everything but turn it on its side.

This is nice, though.

This is good.

Thank you.

Yes, they're mine.

I thought maybe they were.

I told her they were. She didn't believe me.

They'd probably be better off

behind your toilet.

All I need is for Manny to find them.

Manny would be who?

You met Manny...

Uh, this afternoon?

My husband.

That wasn't...

Leo?

Oh, no. No, no.

My Leo never came back.

I lost him in the war.

Well, there's a conversation stopper.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

No, you see, Manny was Leo's cousin.

And they were very close.

After we got the news, I guess we just sort of...

took care of each other.

Well, anyhow,

if I'm going to catch my train.

I'd better... I'd better be going.

Oh, my God. I married Ira.

Would you...

Thanks for coming. It was nice to meet you.

Well, look,

you two, take care of each other...

and don't let him go off to battle.

Don't worry.

Oh, my God.

I played that over and over on my old Victrola.

That's like a record player.

Thank you both very much.

Uh...

Uh, Millie?

Mm-hmm?

Would you like to have that dance?

Mrs. Wicker had no formal training?

None.

That's amazing.

Because she's a natural.

Shh. Here she comes.

Ah-choo!

Oh, God.

Is she wonderful or what?

She's amazing.