Original subtitles

(young girl's voice) In the beginning of the world,

the earth and the sky were one creature

and it was the hardest thing to tear them apart.

They loved each other so much. And that's why it rains,

because the earth and the sky are always trying to get back together.

Mrs. Ferriter told me that after my mother died,

a long time ago, before I met Nora and Jim.

(thundering)

(raindrops)

Nora and Jim. Jim and Nora.

Their marriage was more perfect than most.

They loved each other,

but she had never told him the truth.

And that made them strangers.

(laughing)

The sound of her head smacking the floor

sobered me up real fast.

I was suddenly extremely sober.

I could have taken my SATs.

How long were you out?

It was more like in and out.

I wasn't really unconscious. I'm fine now.

Well, I can't recommend you go ahead with your travel plans.

We have to go. It's all set. We've got one foot out the door.

We have two and a half feet out the door.

When you're young, you think you're immortal. Right, Jimmy?

If I could just ditch these headaches,

- I'd be happier than a clam. - Nora, you have to quit drinking.

I know I've been accident prone lately, very prone.

We're cutting back. We were just celebrating.

We're allowed to celebrate, aren't we?

I didn't ask you to cut back, I told you to quit.

No alcohol, none, not even a drop.

No. I'll quit. I've got will power. I'm willful.

- I'll do it myself. - We'll do it together.

You're going to Ireland to dry up?

No, we're going to Ireland to see my grandmother.

Jimmy's never seen her. She's incredibly old and frail.

And while we're there, sitting by the fire, we'll say goodbye

to all our bad habits and bad thoughts and bad dreams.

(thundering)

(young girl) When they flew into Charlotte, it was raining,

or about to rain, or it had just finished raining.

That's how it is here.

- Where's the map? - Where's the map?

I gave it to you.

Okay. Oh, I'm sitting on it.

Honey, we found the map.

Thanks.

Hey, the Blarney Stone. Let's get out and kiss it.

Is that on the map?

Well, figure it out.

Where are we?

(young girl) They told themselves, why be serious?

That's for people in tragic countries like Poland or Africa.

Well, you're close.

But the road's twisty. It's faster as the crow flies.

I haven't been home in ages, at least ten years.

What about that trail of bread crumbs you told me about?

Oh, the wee birdies ate 'em.

It's dead easy from here. You'll be there in a half an hour.

I'm hungry.

We'll have a packet of crisps, please. And two pints of Guinness.

Sure.

It's just Guinness. It's like mother's milk to me.

I'm starving.

Jimmy, in much the same way that...

a spider is not an insect but an animal,

a pint of Guinness is not strictly speaking alcohol.

It's food.

We're quitting, honestly.

We'll be out of here any minute.

Just a few sips, and it's straight to Grandma's house.

To abstinence.

To abstinence.

Nora?

Joe.

You want a drink?

Take mine. I'm done with the stuff.

What have you been doing with yourself, Joe?

You know.

My boxing career bottomed out after I killed that Englishman.

Then I spent seven years in a dirty little room.

I want to talk to you, Joe. I really do...

but, you know, we're due at my Grandma's house for dinner.

She's getting on, and it'd be lousy to keep her waiting.

We're staying at the old place, you know? For a few months.

- Just give a call tomorrow, whenever. - Nora, that place is poison.

I'm the bogman. I've been up there.

Stories come out you know. I talked to the gardener.

Your uncle, he's gone round the loop. He's lost his bucket.

- What? - He's crazy.

That may be, but we're moving in with him.

- We'll see who's craziest. - This is Jim, my husband.

That's Jim, Jr., our son, asleep on the bar.

This is Joe Boylan.

We played in the bog together when we were Jimmy's age.

Now, Joe, you say you're the bogman.

What does that mean exactly?

It means that I'm the bogman. That's what is means.

It means that I deliver peat for fuel from the bog.

Oh, well, that's great, Joe.

Do you enjoy it?

I really don't need your narky comments, do I?

I don't know. Does he need 'em?

Joe, we really got to shove off, okay?

Maybe a poke in the snozzle would be more to your liking.

- What? - A pop in the snout.

I think I hurt my hand.

You deserve it. He's actually lethal.

He kills people like you.

Keys.

(young girl) This wasn't the first time they'd been thrown out of a pub.

They'd been thrown out of pubs all over the world.

But this was a little rough, because it was the only pub around for miles.

Good thing we're not alcoholics.

It's rotten you had to meet Joe like that.

He was actually important to me at one time.

We were close.

Mud is thicker than water.

Remember that.

I had a dog once, a black dog named Shadow.

He ran away on a day like this.

One of those strange shifty days.

Hot then cold, sunny then cloudy.

On days like this you could turn around

and hills are covered with little poison mushrooms.

Anyone who knows how to read the signs would know.

Something bad was going to happen.

(tires squealing)

(metal crashing-horn honking)

(dog barking in the distance)

(horn continues to honk)

(horn stops)

Nora?

That was interesting.

I'm fine. I think.

- Mommy. - Oh, are you okay?

Did you see that? Flying right at the windshield?

I mean, I tried to swerve,

and then I suddenly felt like my hands were switched around.

Like my left hand was on my right arm

and my right arm was on my left.

You must be Jim and Nora.

Yeah. And this is Jimmy.

- I'm Alice. - Hi.

The professor sent me out to get you.

The house is just up the road.

Oh, man. It's all coming back.

Jimmy, I want to show you something.

That's your great-grandma. That's Grandma Ferriter.

The professor's meditating right now.

Meditating?

He meditates every day.

He'll be finished soon. Want to see your rooms?

That fire looks real good.

See, Jimmy, that's peat from the bog.

Pete who?

No. They make these little bricks out of it.

It helps the fire burn.

The bog's out there, all that black stuff.

It's bottomless.

Look, sweetie. Uncle Bill's house of vinyl.

This is so cool.

He has every Tom Jones, every Neal Diamond,

every Joe Dolan song ever recorded.

Plus... he drinks 12-year-old single malt Jameson.

He said I should offer you a drink.

The man is a giant. Does he mind if we play his records?

- He doesn't mind. - We came to the right mansion.

But we'll refrain from the whiskey.

We'll show incredible restraint. We'll admire it from afar.

Life is so beautiful when you're sober.

(plays Joe Dolan album)

♪♪♪ When God created a woman for me♪♪

♪♪ He must have been in a beautiful mood♪♪

♪♪ To show the world what a woman could be♪♪

♪♪ When he created a woman like you♪♪

♪♪ He made the sunshine right out of your eyes♪♪

♪♪ He made the moonlight... ♪♪.

May I challenge you to a dance?

Nora.

Uncle Bill.

We've missed you.

It's amazing to be back.

I was concerned.

You're late, and the roads here are terrible.

Well, we crashed the car. Well, I crashed it.

We were really lucky, but the car is useless.

Three flat tires. We should call to get it rescued.

This is Jim.

- Of course. - Hi.

I'm glad you're intact, but we can't call anyone now.

Your grandma's busted the phone in a fit of pique.

This is Jimmy. He's eight. Say hello to Uncle Bill.

Hi.

We'll be friends.

I'm so happy.

Would you like a drink?

- Actually, it would be... - No.

I'm trying to picture how Grandma busted the phone.

I mean, she's so old.

She was older than me when she had my mother,

she must be ninety-something, at least.

Well, she's ancient. No one knows how old she is.

She lies about everything.

- I can't wait to see her. - She's napping right now.

In fact, these days I sedate her.

Otherwise, she'd tear the place apart.

You sure you don't want something to drink?

Oh. No. Thanks. We're great.

- Do you put pepper in this? - A little.

This is the best food I've ever tasted.

She's strong as an ox. Her mind is gone.

She can't tell chalk from cheese.

She won't recognize you.

She's lost the bucket.

Careful. You might fall in. Let me taste that.

Help me, I'm getting smaller.

Have you seen any big, vulture-like birds flying around here?

No.

But then I am certifiably blind, five years now.

From reading too much they tell me, though my eyes were always frail.

These days I see outlines of things, little moths beating against my retina.

Like stars seen through a telescope when they're too bright.

I, I didn't even notice.

I'm so sorry.

I hadn't thought to mention it, but that's how it is.

Really? You can't see?

You know, you could never tell.

The good part is I have an excuse not to finish my book.

Though, in fact, I'm still at it.

I have Alice.

Her parents were lost the same as yours.

I adopted her.

She's my light.

You ever think of getting a dog?

Can I talk to you for a sec?

Excuse me. We'll be right back.

- Where is it? - Where's what?

Come on, you think you can fool me for even a second?

- What are you talking about? - You're smashed.

I am not. No. No.

I couldn't resist siphoning off some Jamesons.

You didn't save me any?

Come on. You know what the doctor said.

No. No.

I don't see you fucking quitting.

I just did.

Forever.

Nora, perhaps you'd like to see your grandma now.

It's getting late.

Yeah. I would very much.

It's best if Nora see her alone.

Of course.

Alice will show you to your rooms.

Good night, Junior. Good night, sweetheart.

Good night, honey.

- Say good night to your Uncle Bill. - Good night, Uncle Bill.

You'll need this. I can manage in the dark.

It's this way.

I'm not altogether clear what your husband does for work.

Jim? Well, um, he helps manage my money.

He helps out at the foundation, the charity.

Which basically means going to parties and dinners and dinner parties.

Huh.

Charity is exhausting.

The bathroom's right there,

and your room's down the hall on the other side of the stairs.

I made you a little map in case you get lost.

- Thank you. - Good night.

Good night, Alice.

Okay. You're going down.

- No. No. - Yes. Yes, you are.

You're going down. You're going down.

I better just rest for a minute.

She's waiting for ya'.

I don't think. I don't think I should.

Go easy.

Almost there.

My, my head is...

Are you all right?

Your friends left some interesting things down here.

- Guns? - Whatever.

I try to stay out of politics. Your grandma has her sympathies.

How can you keep her down here? It's freezing?

This way.

Grandma?

No. Your grandma's upstairs, sleeping.

This is... a witch.

Buried out there in the bog 2,OOO years ago.

I don't understand, at all.

It's a women?

Yeah. A woman.

Druid.

Their burial methods were as effective as those developed by the Egyptians,

but these people had no need of embalming.

They had the bog.

Then, too, the Egyptians were materialists.

They believed the body was like a, a used car.

It could be souped up and driven again in the afterlife.

These people had the notion you can't drive into the afterlife.

You have to get out of the car entirely.

You just dug her up? From the ground?

No. I found her here in one of your grandma's trunks.

Since then, I've been completely occupied,

digging around for clues to her identity.

This women was powerful.

You know about Druids, don't you?

Is Grandma upstairs?

They were a society of priests, secret prophets,

highly trained individuals who could put themselves in direct contact

with the power of nature.

This woman, I believe...

was of this kind.

Not good, not evil...

but a creature of force unto her own will.

She was simply...

uncontrollably herself.

It was the Iron Age...

and you had to do a lot of nasty things just to get by.

The ritual sacrifice of animals and humans was all the rage.

Records of her activities span almost 2OO years,

during which she never seemed to age.

But, she fell in love.

It was a disaster.

She neglected her spells.

She let herself go.

The object of her desire, a careless young man,

wasn't interested in her at all.

She knew it.

Her powers were fading.

She didn't want to grow old, weak.

Still, she couldn't stop what happened.

Set in motion, she seduced this man.

She became pregnant.

She had the child.

When he ran off, she went mad.

She tracked him down, killed him, brutally.

Then, she killed herself.

Her grieving colleagues...

prepared her corpse for its journey.

Then they buried her in the bog.

You know all this from poking around in the dirt?

You sound like your mother just now.

Not a day goes by I don't think of her.

She's dead.

She's been dead a long time. That's it.

She's gone.

Still, something keeps going.

Continues.

You know that. You sense it, same as me.

No beginning is like what it leads to.

Nothing stops.

Everything that is, is in the process of turning into something else.

We can't know where our pain is from;

nevertheless, we suffer from it.

Would you like a drink?

Your mom will stop by to say good night, all right?

In the meantime, good night, mister.

Good night, bowl of mush.

Good night, old woman who says, "Hush".

Good night, heater.

Good night, map.

- Good night, Jim. - Good night, Jim.

I've been spending entirely too much time in bed.

So today, I'm only just...

visiting, you see.

- You want a cigarette? - Of course.

Who's here?

Nora. Nora's here.

He's got her downstairs in the basement with the other.

The other?

Give me the keys.

Hey. Hey.

Alice, are you okay?

For your grandma, often, in fact, there comes a time awake at night

in some room with the feeling that my life was disappointing.

The possibilities before me were like so many dark doors.

Behind one of them there was a woman.

I'm gonna go back upstairs.

I'll just get some aspirin, and tuck Jimmy in.

And maybe I can say good night to Grandma.

I'm all right.

He had a nasty spill.

Ah, just fell on my head. No damage.

Bed is the only solution.

You smell nice.

See you in the morning, Alice.

You know Joe really hit the nail on the bean.

Uncle Bill's completely lost it.

Blind in one eye, and he can't see out the other.

Not only that. He's insane.

My toes are tingling.

Nothing's changed. They're still keeping guns in the basement.

Uncle Bill hasn't aged.

He still looks the same as when I last saw him, maybe younger.

Actually, in blind people, I've seen that.

Blind people, since they can't see,

are oblivious to all the filth and crud that fills our waking hours

and makes us worn out and weary and wrinkled.

You know where our room is, right?

I've never actually been there, but I have a map.

Alice made me a map. Sort of cheater's map.

I shouldn't need a map.

Uncle Bill's got a corpse in the basement.

A corpse?

Which he says is a 2,OOO-year-old embalmed Druid witch,

but I have a sick feeling it's my grandmother.

Nah, I met her. She's fine. She's great.

She busted a teapot over my head. Now she's running around loose.

Where's Jimmy?

His room's just... back.

Alice.

- Alice? - Alice!

Alice?

Alice, sorry.

We can't make heads or tails of this map.

Let's just straighten one thing out.

Who was the old biddy who clobbered me on the head with the teapot?

That was professor Ferriter's mother.

- See, his mother. - Grandma.

She's not usually like that. She's been very nervous all day.

He didn't tell her you we're coming but she seemed to know.

- Where is she? - I have to find her.

Can you just take us to Jimmy's room first?

- I really want to check on him. - He's right here.

Jimmy. Great. Listen.

We decided to have a slumber party...

you and me and your pop and whoever else wants to go, okay?

All we have to do is find our room.

(rock music plays on radio)

(tuning)

(soft music plays)

Ma, enough of that.

You know you can't go down there.

Where is Nora? I heard her voice.

Where is she?

You're always hearing voices.

(in Gaelic)

Well, sure I hear them. Runs in the family.

(in Gaelic)

How'd you get down here?

- Alice... - Mama, stop.

- Alice... - Mama...

(dog barking)

Shall we snuggle?

Uncle Bill explained how Grandma's the crazy one, right?

Then he suggested that this emaciated Druid mummy hasn't really died

and how he hopes on taking her out for a date.

Poor bastard.

(camera clicking)

Jimmy, take it easy. Your mom's got one of her headaches.

Can I see the mummy?

I doubt it.

We need to get out of here in the morning.

Oh, already?

Hey, princess, you notice anything funny about this bed?

Actually, I do.

Okay.

One. Two. Three.

Are we superstitious? Is this a portent?

No, it's a potato.

So, the maid has been taking a few tips from the ancient Druid people.

It's not a potato.

Don't eat it.

Look. It's got a little face.

Face?

(imitating Uncle Bill) Oh, Mr. Potato head.

The Druids often used Mr. Potato head figures

as part of their ancient rituals.

Let's keep the mattress on the floor. We'll have a bed-in.

Uncle Bill's plainly a few sandwiches short of a picnic,

but it's a big house.

I think we can avoid him for one night.

And his mummy.

Alice: Transmigration of the soul.

That's when you pass from one life to another.

Like sleeping in different beds in different rooms in a big house,

you can die and come back.

You can be a tree or a dog or a word in a book.

Everything's so strange.

Why not?

- Here. - Don't touch me.

What are we doing here?

Why'd you make me come back?

I can't believe I let you push me into this.

Darling, it was a mutual decision like everything we do.

You make me sick.

I'll get some aspirin or something.

There's nothing here.

Hey, Nora, take it easy. It's gonna be okay.

- No. It won't. - It won't?

Fuck. Fuck it won't.

I knew as soon as Joe popped up. There's no escape.

Joe?

The poor drunk bastard in the bar. He's why I left to begin with.

The minute I'm back, turn the corner, there he is.

- Nora. - Don't touch me.

You don't have a clue, do you?

Why do you think I was shipped off to the states when I was 16?

Your parents.

No. Not that and not because I was depressed flunking classes,

falling down escalators, fucked up on every drug ever invented.

What are you doing?

It's because I was pregnant.

That's why.

I went to New York for an abortion.

And I never told you. You were too thick to figure it out.

So there you have it.

Where's Nora?

She's sick. Where's Uncle Bill?

He's gone.

- Where did he go? - I'm not sure.

Listen, she needs a doctor.

Or at least some drugs.

I have some drugs in the kitchen.

Did anyone fix the phone?

No.

Am I going to get out of here alive?

Maybe.

I really thought there'd be dogs out here, you know?

In the country... you know what dogs are like in the country.

They really look like they're,

like they're having a good time, you know?

Bouncing a ball around and chewing on stuff

and panting and happy, you know?

What you got there?

Quaaludes?

The aardvark of drugs.

Excellent.

Seems like it's child proof.

(speaking Gaelic)

Nora?

Honey, are you okay?

I, I was looking for your Uncle and then Alice and I, uh...

is Jimmy back up there?

You weren't supposed to move after a fall like that.

Great, just sit here.

You know, this is reminding me of that night in New Orleans,

except that you're so cold.

We have the technology. We can rebuild it.

Is Jimmy asleep?

Should I run up and get him?

Blink twice if you understand what I'm saying.

Come on. Nora, you're scaring me.

Nora.

What?

Tastes like blood.

Ah, we, uh...

I think Grandma pushed her down the stairs.

She's okay now. She's okay but...

I have to find Mrs. Ferriter.

Jimmy, sorry for yelling. I didn't mean to scare you.

You know mommy loves you. Just, stay here. Okay?

I'm feeling better.

I'm a little bit light headed but really strong too.

Just cuddle up, okay? I'll be right back.

Stop. Stop. Stop.

I don't think this is a good idea.

I don't mind your Uncle Bill seeing us, he's blind.

But I really think this might wig out your grandmother.

I think it's fair to say that someone's lost their fucking bucket around here.

Here.

I got a glimpse of your grandma's pill arsenal.

She has enough little helpers in there to sedate fifty grandma's.

A veritable Irish stew of tranquilizers.

(dog barking in the distance)

Nora.

Nora?

Ah, it's you.

I thought I saw Nora.

Where'd she go? Nora?

Is she all right?

She's groovy. Nora?

What's she doing out here?

Go home.

You talk too much.

♪♪ And she combed her hair, and she combed her hair♪♪

♪♪ and she combed her hair♪♪

♪♪ and she combed her hair, and she combed her hair. ♪♪

Joe?

I've been wondering what's going on in your head, Nora.

I'm trying to put myself in your shoes.

(thundering)

You can't be in my shoes, Joe.

That's the thing about someone else's shoes,

they're not yours.

Where's Jim?

I tried to forget you.

I didn't want you locked up in my place.

What could I do? You insisted.

(broken glass clanking)

Where does you uncle keep the good stuff?

The basement?

There are things down there, Nora.

Things that would amaze you.

What's this?

Joe Dolan?

I wouldn't call that music.

I have a family now.

I'm not going to mess that up.

I would call that one rat vomit, but this...

you remember this, Nora, don't you?

Nora?

(heavy rock music playing)

Okay.

I know what you're gonna say, but let me handle it.

If he sees you, he'll never leave.

Hey, kids, Jimmy. Can't sleep, huh?

It's just an old friend of your mom's.

He's leaving now.

Honey, honey, take the kids into the kitchen.

There's some towels in there, all right?

I'll be there in a minute to mainline some coffee.

(rock music continues to blare)

Come here a minute.

Who's this?

Nora.

Let go.

(gunshot)

Jim: Who is that?

You okay, Joe?

Jesus, she looks just like you.

Jimmy, come back here. Don't look at that.

She's, she's wearing his clothes.

I saw what she was doing to Joe.

I wasn't aiming at her head.

She dead?

- I need a drink. - No you don't. Definitely, no.

Who are you?

He's Sean, the gardener.

Gardener? I didn't see any garden out there.

Just because there's no garden doesn't mean I'm not the gardener.

There used to be a garden out there.

When the professor aired out that corps,

the weather went bad. Everything died.

You just happened to drop by?

We got a phone call from Mrs. Ferriter.

She said she was having some trouble and we should rush over.

Line's dead. It's been dead since we got here.

Why not just find the professor? Let him deal with it.

It's not that simple.

She's not dead. She can't be killed.

She's a Druid witch, a shape shifter.

Caught halfway between being alive and dead.

The spell's been cast. This body is just a temporary vessel.

Her spirit has made a partial transfer to you.

Until she completes the process, you'll both be in torment.

- Where did you get all this? - Mrs. Ferriter.

She's a witch as well, but she's old now.

- She can't remember her spells. - Isn't that the worst?

Something's been dead for 2,OOO years wants to come back, tear your head off?

I really hate that.

Steady.

You're you, and she's not.

That's the basic thing to keep in mind here.

I'm freezing.

Here, give us that.

Jimmy, Alice get out of here right now. Run.

(fires two shots)

Hold her down! Hold her down!

(screaming)

Jimmy. You okay?

Come on, we're getting out of here.

Nora, Nora.

Go in the other room. I'll get this sorted out.

Get it sorted how? You can't kill that thing.

Go on. Go to the kitchen.

Make some coffee.

I'll be with you in a minute.

(fires two more shots)

Grandma.

That's a lot of blood. Is she okay?

She gets like this sometimes. But I think she...

Grandma? It's me.

It's Nora.

She's so cold.

She's in some sort of trance.

Honey, I'm so sorry.

All the bad things, everything I said upstairs.

Whatever. I'm so sorry.

Don't worry about it. I'm not made of glass.

Coffee or Quaaludes? We have both.

(gunshots)

(pounding) Hey, let me in!

Bloody hell.

You're right. I don't think I can stop her.

What about fire? She'll burn, won't she?

We could incinerate her.

I just tried that. She didn't like it.

Is this your mother?

The thing out there, the witch...

what does she want?

- To take her soul. - Is there an extension cord?

In the press. Up there.

My soul?

- She's halfway there. - Halfway where?

Inside her. Inside you.

Fill this up for me with water.

Jimmy, get away from the door.

Okay, when I say so, I want you to splash her.

Can you do that now?

Okay. Ya' happy?

Okay, better get back.

Jim: We got to get out of here.

She'll be back.

Hey kid? Are you deaf? Get away from there.

Jimmy!

Get a ladder. Or a rope.

Nora.

Jimmy?

Can you hear me?

It's your mom.

Nora?

Careful now.

Mrs. Ferriter used to let your man, Joe, keep some cases down here.

Cases? Cases of what?

Gelignite.

Gelignite?

Five cases.

Fifty pounds in each case.

Gelignite's an explosive.

Exactly.

I'll make it easy for you.

Take me.

Take me.

If you just let him go.

Nora?

Nora!

Jamesons, it's 3O years old.

To explode or implode? That is the question.

I never wanted you to be gone so long, so far away.

But you could never understand.

I've been trying to keep you away.

To protect ya' from all this.

I'm sick. My head's not right.

Grandma, my son.

My son, my son is down here.

You said you'd be willing to sacrifice yourself...

for your son.

You really mean it?

There.

Jimmy.

Okay. Buddy, your gonna be all right.

- No. Wait. - She's not your wife.

I know, but she looks incredibly familiar.

Jimmy, you just, sit tight.

I brought a little peace offering, huh?

Peace to my wife...

a nice Irish girl, who could always drink me under the table.

How do you feel?

Sort of... drunk.

That's only temporary.

I can feel her. It's inside me.

If she let's Jimmy go, I'm hers.

I'm dead.

Sometimes it seems that things, even people, don't exist.

They're just dreams that take possession of us

because we give them the power.

(laughing)

I gave it to your mother.

Now it's yours.

She's with ya'. I'm with you.

You have all you need.

I love you.

Jimmy, get out of here. Right now. Run.

(screaming)

(thunder)

It's all right.

It's me.

Alice: Jim looked into her eyes

and saw this new pain, or being, or quality looking back at him.

She was clear. The calm at last.

Not hiding.

At a place beyond fear.

Beyond fate. Or death.

They were starting over.

People start over all the time.

Everyday.

All the time.

You wake up, open your eyes...

take a breath...

start over.

That's how it is.

---The end---