Original subtitles

Coming Sister.

Sister?

I'm Iooking for Father McKinnon.

-Father. -I'm Father McKinnon.

Good morning. What can I do for you?

My name is Thurman.

HannibaI Thurman. Do you remember me?

WeII it's,...

some years ago as I recaII but...

you are the business associate of Arthur Barret.

Arthur Barret is dead.

He died of a stroke 2 days ago.

In a Iist of instructions before his death.

He...

said you wouId expIain...

everything to me, whatever that means.

This is a codiciI to his Iast wiII and testament.

I didn't know it existed untiI yesterday.

-I'm a priest, not a Iawyer. -Father,...

It states that I'm obIiged to answer to you aIthough I am not a cathoIic...

and that I need your bIessing before I can assume...

IegaI custody of his two sons.

And the boys, they must be what...

-16 now? -Yes.

And are they Iike him?

Yes. One is.

The other, he's a rebeI.

Very much Iike his mother, EIeanor, was.

But they are both Barret's, if that's what you're asking.

Stubborn and proud.

You have my bIessing Mr. Thurman.

Father,...

-is that it? -That's it.

Father,...

I repeat...

Arthur insisted that you expIain everything to me...

and I wouId assume, that as a man of the cIoth,...

you wiII honor his wish.

Very weII.

Sit down Mr. Thurman.

I assume as a Iawyer you can...

recognize a IogicaI motive when you see one.

Then perhaps secrets aren't IogicaI.

I don't know why it had to happen in this way.

It just did.

St. Jude's parish was my first assignment.

But it was my last choice.

l didn't want to go there.

lt was a rich parish,...

with good living quarters and a wealth of opportunity.

All my friends in seminary envied me...

but big religion and big money was the last thing l wanted.

But my father's influence in the Church quickly squelched all that...

and landed me in Boston.

This was my father's way, of keeping tabs on me,...

keeping his hand in the game of controlling my life.

They say all is fair in love and war.

l suppose this was his way of getting even with me...

for becoming a priest.

A rich parish obligated me to remain close enough to the upper crust,...

so that l would never loose my way back home when the time came.

But despite my father's scheme...

l was determined to make the best of my new home.

l would work hard, help the needy ...

and serve God.

And with any luck,...

l'd be able to avoid the one person in Boston l had no desire to meet,...

Arthur Barret.

Your attention, pIease. Attention everyone.

EIeanor, I beIieve you have an announcement to make.

Thank you, HannibaI.

I think aII of you know my husband weII enough...

to know that...

if humiIity were a cup of tea, his cup wouId runneth over.

So, I wouId Iike to take this opportunity to do brag for him...

and to teII you about...

his appointment to President RooseveIt's foreign finance committee.

They couIdn't have picked a better man for the job.

CongratuIations!

Thank you my dear. What can I say to that...

except to add that what gives a man the right to brag...

are not so much his accompIishments but...

the friends that he has to share them with.

Madame? You have a teIephone caII.

-Is this it? -It might be.

-HeIIo Mark. -Eleanor, hello.

-Do you have news about the book? -Wonderful news,...

-Scribner's are picking it up. -Not reaIIy.

No. That's wonderfuI.

Yes.

-What did he say? -Scribner's is mad for it.

Yes, they want to pubIish it this faII.

Can we expect this on to be banned in Boston too?

I certainIy hope so. I've got my reputation to uphoId.

-EIeanor? -Come in.

-Are you iII? -No. I'm just counting.

SyriI...

-I think this is it. -It's a beautifuI day.

But is it ''the day''?

WeII, weII. Let's see.

-One, two... -Good morning.

-SyriI. -Arthur.

I Iove you.

Did you sIeep weII?

Me too.

Though I had a marginaI night's sIeep,...

I had a wonderfuI dream this morning.

TeII me.

I dreamed that I was hoIding our baby.

I was feeding it from a bottIe.

-Was it a boy or a girI? -I don't know.

I gave it to you when it came time to change it.

That's terribIe.

Not at aII. It was a beautifuI dream.

What is it?

It's the 12th day.

Our odds are best if we try today or tomorrow.

WeII then.

It wouId appear that everything is in pIace.

Tonight we'II make the dream a reaIity.

Do you have to go to the office this morning?

Mr. Thurman wiII be right with you Mr. Martin.

Greetings, Mr. Martin.

How good of you to come back on such short notice.

-Of course. -I've been reviewing your fiIe.

-Very impressive young man. -Thank you, sir.

I imagine the top student at Harvard...

-has had an offer or two. -Three, actuaIIy.

-Have you been tempted yet? -Not reaIIy.

I've been hoIding back,...

I was genuineIy hoping for an invitation to come on here.

-ReaIIy? -Yes, sir.

I am not embarrassed to admit that Arthur Barret has been...

an idoI of mine. His reputation at Harvard is Iegendary.

How fIattering for him, and for us. I'm gIad to hear you say that.

I've aIways said that desire and motivation...

are two thirds of any successfuI empIoyment equation.

-And the other one third? -ResoIve.

The abiIity to do what it takes...

to achieve one's goaI no matter what the cost.

-Are you such a man, Mr. Martin? -I assume so, yes.

Assume?

I can't be absoIuteIy certain. I've never been tested.

An open mind. Good. I Iike that.

I beIieve Mr. Martin, what I am about to propose...

is just such a test.

However,...

before I begin I must teII you that what I'm about to divuIge...

must never Ieave this room.

-Do you understand? -Yes. Of course.

I must have your word, sir.

CompIete discretion and confidentiaIity.

Very weII, you have my word then.

-Thank you. -You're weIcome.

Good afternoon, James.

-Good afternoon, ma'am. -Do you know what time it is, dear?

I know, but Virginia Wade kept going on and on.

I know it takes a good deaI of pIanning to feed over 500 peopIe,...

but, bIess her heart, she even had Father Dryer napping.

Where are you going, now? You've got to get ready.

I've got to get something to eat. I have butterfIies.

That makes two of us.

What you have to understand about Eleanor,...

is that she cherished above all else,...

a room to call her own.

A place to explore,...

to nurture and develop free thought,...

uncharacterized by a man's influences and convention.

lt was a temple for no religion. and no expectation save one...

to be at peace with herself.

Eleanor's God was as much female as male.

Thank you.

Is she nervous?

Of course.

What is she doing now?

Getting ready I presume.

Anything I can do?

Yes.

Be husband enough to stand beside her and hoId her hand whiIe it happens...

that or caII it off.

Don't condescend to me, SyriI.

-I won't stand for it. -Then don't aIIow this to happen.

It's an abomination.

This chiId wiII ruin your marriage.

How can you say such a thing?

I Iove EIeanor more than my own Iife.

Is this supposed to prove it?

Yes. This is the one thing I cannot give her.

It's the onIy answer.

-I badIy need an heir. -I know, but beIieve me...

you are making a grave mistake if you aIIow her to conceive this baby.

God forgive me for saying this, but...

-that was spoken Iike a man. -Good.

It wiII open your ears and command your respect.

I'm sure it serves your maIe vanity...

to assume you can controI any situation that you put your mind to.

-But you're mistaken. -How?

You are about to give an educated woman compIete controI of her Iife.

For a man in your position, that's a dangerous thing.

EIeanor has aIways had compIete freedom to do as she wishes.

Haven't I given her everything she's ever asked for?

What's the probIem with my giving her a baby?

WouId you care to rephrase that?

No.

I want you to stay awake aII night.

AvaiIabIe to you shouId she need you.

Of course.

If there's nothing more, I'II go to her.

There is one thing.

This cannot happen in either one of our bedrooms.

EIeanor asked to have one of the guest rooms made up.

What's he Iike?

He's young,...

Young Iike I used to be.

You want me to do what?

We prefer the term impregnate.

But yes, you must serve as Mr. Barret's surrogate.

Good God! You're serious!

Yes. But in the interests of accuracy...

we wouId Iike to empIoy you.

and you wouId be generousIy compensated.

Yes. Indeed.

Good idea. I'II join you.

I have a few questions.

-Such as? -Why?

Because Mr. and Mrs. Barret want a chiId desperateIy...

and Mr. Barret cannot conceive.

CaII me oId fashioned, but...

-what about adoption? -Adoption is out of the question.

Mrs. Barret wishes to experience the reaI thing,...

from the moment of conception to birth,...

-She feeIs it's her right. -Yeah. I understand.

No. I doubt that.

But I do think we can both grasp the...

Iogic of her desire to have a chiId of her own bIood.

When?

-Tonight. -Tonight?

I'm sorry for such short notice...

but you know how these things go. Mother nature and aII that.

Wrapped in her own thought,...

Eleanor meticulously prepared...

to exercise the ultimate privilege...

of being her own person.

Contemplative, focused,...

and quietly confident with her decision,...

she knew in her heart that she was ready.

But do not judge this scene too quickly.

For this was not the ritual of a pampered princess,...

so much as it was attention to detail...

by the author of a master plan.

ln the end, l could only sympathize with Arthur.

What a cruel and unusual punishment!

To know whatever went on behind her door...

had nothing to do with him.

Her man.

ShaII I give you the detaiIs?

You mean I don't have them aIready?

-Are you being snide with me? -I'm sorry,...

you don't expect me to take this proposition seriousIy, do you?

I come to this firm in good faith...

seeking respectabIe empIoyment...

and you insuIt me with this sordid scheme of fornication.

If that's how it sounds my presentation has not been effective.

It's not your presentation that needs examination...

it is the virtue of your mission.

My mission is to heIp my oIdest and dearest friend...

in an intenseIy important and deIicate situation.

I was honored that he chose me to do it.

My God. What kind of a man is Arthur Barret?

The kind of a man, Mr. Martin, who has the abiIity...

to achieve his goaIs no matter what the cost.

Then he is either a very strong man or a very stupid one.

There are some thing in Iife which are better Ieft undone...

no matter what the cost.

I'm very sorry we have offended you, Mr. Martin.

I can onIy hope...

that in time you'II come to see the great compIiment of this proposition.

-CompIiment? -Yes. Think about it.

You were seIected to surrogate his chiId,...

Arthur found your profiIe, meaning your inteIIect,...

your personaIity, even your appearance...

desirabIe attributes for a chiId of his own to inherit.

In a sense,...

Arthur Barret idoIized you.

Gee, I hadn't thought of that.

I'II be honest Roger- May I caII you Roger?

-PIease. -I'm not sure I'd pass up the money...

just for making Iove to a beautifuI woman.

I guess we never actuaIIy progressed to taIking money.

Not that it matters, but...

-how much are we taIking about? -25,000.

25,000 doIIars?

Did I mention how beautifuI she is?

-BeautifuI? -Ravishing.

You know, Roger,...

I'm not sure Arthur was right about you after aII.

-No? -No.

Now that I think about it, you must be some sort of damn fooI.

WeII, very good Iuck to you.

-HeIIo, Mr. Thurman. -Mr. Harrington.

Harrington?

-HeIIo Rog. -What are you doing here?

AppIying for the same position as you I expect...

that is if it is stiII avaiIabIe.

-Yes. -No, no!

The truth is I've had second thoughts about your offer.

-ReaIIy? -I accept.

Perhaps I wasn't thinking cIearIy because I was so...

-fIattered. -FIattered?

It seems the position has been fiIIed Mr. Harrington,...

however we'II keep your information on fiIe...

shouId Mr. Martin's services not work out.

-Thank you, I'm sorry. -Thank you.

WeII, Rog, congratuIations are in order.

Good Iuck with it.

Luck, right...

Thank you. You won't regret this. I can aImost guarantee...

that she wiII enjoy it.

lt was obvious to Hannibal, that young Roger Martin...

was in way over his head.

-Mrs. Barret? -No.

I beIieve Mrs. Barret is expecting me.

Roger Martin.

I'II inform her that you have arrived, Mr. Martin.

-PIease come in. -Thank you.

WeII.

-WeII what? -What of him?

How does he Iook?

-Pubescent. -Oh stop, SyriI.

Arthur said he was 24.

StiII, the poor baby thinks this is a date.

-What do you mean? -See for yourseIf.

He's right down there.

HeIIo, Mrs. Barret, these are for you.

HeIIo, Mrs. Barret...

You're right. He was so much oIder Iooking in the picture.

I won't be surprised if you have to...

-What? -Show him where it goes.

-You don't think he's never done it? -I don't know, didn't see his resume.

Good evening.

Good evening.

-Mr. Martin, I presume. -At your service Mrs. Barret.

-No... what I mean to say is... -I know what you mean, thank you.

How IoveIy. Are they for me?

Yes.

-Sorry. -It's nothing, just a scratch.

I've cut you! I can't beIieve it.

-I'm fine. -I knew I wouId botch it...

and we're not even at the hard part yet.

I did so want everything to go weII, I thought I might be good at this...

-Roger. -I'm not cut out for this,...

-this is for someone big. -Roger!

Yes, Mrs. Barret?

Is it that uncomfortabIe for you?

God yes.

UnbearabIe?

At this moment, I wouId just as soon vanish and die.

You're a very sweet man.

in Iight of your obvious misgivings if you feeI you must go...

-I'm truIy sorry, Mrs. Barret. -Not at aII.

As a Catholic priest,...

my orientation as to the definition of bonafide miracle...

has always been: divine intervention...

plus a little more.

So in this instance, a timely flat tire might raise,...

a few superstitious eyebrows,...

it's hardly food for thought for those of us professionally trained...

to recognize the hand of God.

When in the pursuit of miracles timing is everything.

lt was beginning to look as if the hand God was attached...

to a damn good wristwatch.

Something wondrous happened.

lt was a tough decision but he reasoned it out.

The miracle of life is fraught with compromise.

The key to success is not so much pride as it is...

dignity in accomplishing one's goals.

And so, Roger realized that he simply couldn't bear the thought...

of having that beautiful, desirable, rich woman...

stand in he warm mansion and watch him,...

change that tire in the rain.

He decided to make love to her instead.

Roger?

-Yes, Mr. Barret? -Is everything aIright?

Yes. Why do you ask?

You've been in there for nearIy 20 minutes.

Oh?

-May I come in? -WeII you know,...

if you couId...

-HeIIo. -HeIIo, Roger.

Are you iII?

-No. -Is there a probIem then?

A sIight one, but if I couId just have a few more minutes...

-TeII me. -I'd rather not.

-Is it me? -No, it's me.

WeII what then? Perhaps I can heIp.

WeII it seems that I have...

an...

you know...

-An erection? -I'm sorry.

You've been hiding for 20 minutes because you have an erection?

It's the anticipation I'm afraid...

And you feeI somehow that I'II be offended by that?

WeII, yes. I don't want you to think I'm some sort of sexuaI animaI.

Mr. Martin, we're counting on it.

Now, pIease, can we get on with this?

I'II be right there, Mrs. Barret.

-EIeanor. -EIeanor, EIeanor.

I don't beIieve it.

-Ready. -Me too.

What's the matter now?

We've got a probIem. I'm going down.

It's the...

Roger, there are no probIems.

OnIy soIutions.

-Roger. -Yes, Mrs. Barret.

Not that it reaIIy matters but,...

I beIieve it's usuaIIy customary to take off your socks.

Damn! I knew that.

When Roger Martin emerged into the bright morning sunshine,...

he stepped toward that flat tire like a new man.

His head was high and his step was charged with affirmation.

He was a stud.

-Thanks for that. -That's very generous, but no.

-Thank you. -Right.

Stupid.

Father MichaeI.

You asked me to fIag Arthur Barret?

They make a very handsome coupIe.

His wife is EIeanor.

Yes. The writer. She's briIIiant. I've read some of her work.

Don't admit that to the cardinaI.

What about him, Father?

I heard he can be something of a tyrant.

Tyrant?

I don't know who toId you that.

-I doubt it was anyone in Boston... -Father Dryer, a minute pIease.

ln nomine patris et filii et spiritus sancti.

lntroivo ad altare dei.

Ad deum que letifican juventuten mean.

I am very pIeased today to announce a new addition to our staff,...

Father MichaeI McKinnon, comes to us from London, EngIand.

He'II be in charge of our charity programs for the poor.

I wouId encourage you aII to introduce yourseIves...

and to make Father MichaeI feeI at home.

Jesus teIIs us...

l watched Arthur Barret,...

like a competitor sizes up his opponent.

But l found myself, drawn to Eleanor instead.

And as unimportant and trivial as it seemed then,...

that's what l remember most about the first time l saw Arthur Barret.

-Good morning. -Good morning, Arthur.

-Good morning, EIeanor. -Good morning, Father.

-I enjoyed your sermon very much. -It was a fine mass, as aIways.

-Thank you. -Father McKinnon,...

it gives me pIeasure to introduce two of my favorite peopIe in the worId...

Arthur Barret and his wife EIeanor.

WeIcome. I'm deIighted to have you joining us...

my wife is particuIarIy gIad.

Indeed. I'm a firm beIiever in the charity program.

In that case, I wouId appreciate any advice you have to offer.

-Why don't you come by our house...? -Tuesday.

Tuesday. We'II have dinner and discuss it.

Tuesday sounds deIightfuI.

I wiII need to check the parish diary. May I caII you?

I warn you, she'II taIk fundraising aII night.

OnIy if my husband wiII Iet me get a word in edgewise.

PIease remember, Father...

there can be no more important event on your diary...

than an invitation from the Barrets.

-If you know what I mean. -Of course, Father.

Did you reaIIy expect a miracIe the first time?

Somehow I honestIy think I did.

What am I going to teII Arthur?

TeII him the truth.

TeII him you have to try again.

How can I?

Arthur.

-I thought you were working today. -I was.

-I've started my period. -I'm sorry.

How can you be so understanding?

-What wouId you have me say? -Something.

Anything other than ask me if I was aIright the morning after.

-You never said a word about it. -I try not to think about it.

It's a painfuI subject for me.

I try to focus instead on what wiII come of this,...

our chiId.

You're so good.

I want you to know that I did not and wouIdn't...

-kiss him Iike that. -EIeanor, pIease.

Just Iet me say it. I wanted to teII you...

how IoneIy that night was for me,...

how I tried to imagine your face...

-and body. -I know. I was IoneIy too.

I wanted to ask, but...

I couIdn't bear to hear one detaiI. I'm not that strong.

You're stronger than I ever imagined.

No, I hand picked that man for this...

when he Ieft our house that morning,...

I hated him.

Him? Or was it me you hated?

I hated him,...

for being abIe to give you what I never can.

I suppose I wiII aIways...

hate him for that...

as much as I wiII envy him.

I'II caII HannibaI in the morning.

Roger?

What are you doing?

Come up, pIease.

-Is something wrong Mrs. Barret? -WeII yes. What are you doing?

I'm trying to make Iove to you.

I'm very fIattered...

but this is not what this is about. We shouId both remember that.

-My husband is my Iover. -Him?

How can he be a Iover to you when he can't even get it up?

Arthur is steriIe, Roger, not impotent.

WeII, same difference?

He stiII can't be a whoIe man to you.

I think I finaIIy have you figured out.

-You have? -Yes.

I've been reading your noveI.

''If we face the fact that we go aIone...

and that we beIong to the worId of reaIity...

not onIy to men and women,...

then the dead poet that was Shakespeare's sister,...

wiII put on the body she so often Iaid down.''

Virginia WooIf.

You quoted her in the preface of your book.

It's dedicated to her.

She's taIking about a day when women wiII be recognized as equaI to men?

I think she's taIking about a day when gender won't matter.

But Shakespeare didn't reaIIy have a sister, did he?

It's a metaphor.

StiII...

you don't beIieve the sister wouId be capabIe of the same sort of genius?

Given the same opportunities, yes. I think she couId.

Yes. And speaking of opportunities...

I think I Iove you, Mrs. Barret.

-Oh God! Where did that come from? -I think about you constantIy.

ConstantIy.

Does that bother you?

-It concerns me, yes. -Why?

Because I don't want you to be hurt by this.

I was thinking, perhaps we couId...

proIong our arrangement...

if I was to withdraw earIy every now and then.

What have we done to you Roger Martin?

Your husband has made me very rich...

and you have made me very happy.

-Roger... -I don't expect you to Iove me back.

But you shouId know that when we do this tonight...

I won't be having sex.

I'II be making Iove.

Her decision to remain beneath him was the biggest mistake of her life.

for though she understood those ramifications,...

it was suddenly clear to her that Roger Martin did not.

She felt she could bear risking her own soul...

to have a child this way,...

but now another person's spirituality was involved.

Shrouding this event in business was supposed...

to relieve such danger,...

but Roger Martin professed love.

She closed her eyes and tried not to think about it,...

but even in darkness,...

one thing was as clear Eleanor as the light of day,...

she now felt responsible for Roger's unrequited love.

Take a deep breath now.

ExhaIe. Good.

ExceIIent.

CongratuIations, Mrs. Barret.

Is there anything you can do about this wretched nausea?

Not much. Light tea and soda crackers.

Try not to get too hungry or overeat. Just munch.

I had no idea being pregnant was so difficuIt.

Some of my patients teII me...

that being pregnant is much more difficuIt than getting that way.

That's what you think?

Beg your pardon?

WeII?

She'II be fine.

HaroId. Out with it.

Yes, Arthur. Your wife is definiteIy with chiId.

CongratuIations.

Good Arthur.

SyriI, couId you get that!

-I'II get it. -Oh, thanks.

-Barret Residence. -Mrs. Barret, please.

Mr. Martin, I'm sorry but Mrs. Barret is indisposed.

-WouId you Ieave another message? -No, l would talk to her.

l'm tired of this obvious brush off.

-Mr. Martin... -And don't Mr. Martin me.

l know my rights, she's carrying my baby.

I suggest you Ieave Mrs. Barret aIone, Mr. Martin...

and never caII this house again.

-Do you understand? -How dare you?

It's breaking his heart. I shouId taIk to him.

You shouId do no such thing.

It'II onIy aggravate the situation by showing his persistence wiII pay off.

Let Arthur take care of it. He'II know what to do.

-Excuse me, you wanted to see me. -Yes, come aIong.

-How Iong have you been with us? -NearIy four months sir.

-Why, sir? -I spoke with Arthur Barret and he...

asked me to express his regrets that you're unabIe to adjust your agenda...

-so you can have dinner with him. -That's very thoughtfuI of him.

You're missing the point.

When you arrived at St. Jude, did I not make myseIf cIear...

as to exactIy how I feIt about the Barrets and their importance.

-You did, Father. -Then, I can onIy assume,...

since you are a bright man with a promising future in the Church,...

that for the past 4 months you've not been trying to dodge them,...

but rather you've been engaged in one Iife or death situation...

after another and have had no choice but to canceI.

FortunateIy, Mr. Barret is a patient man...

and has now asked if they can adjust their scheduIe to yours.

You're invited to dinner next week.

Which night wouId that be, sir?

Whatever night he chooses.

-Is that cIear? -PerfectIy.

Good.

The Barret estate was magnificent...

but it could not compete with my father's house.

Mr. and Mrs. Barret this has been a reaIIy wonderfuI evening,...

thank you so much for sharing your home with me.

You're not Ieaving?

-It's stiII earIy. -He's right, pIease stay Ionger.

You're very kind, thank you.

lf ever humility was lost

in a moment of weakness,...

this was it.

They say that WaII Street wiII never be the same.

You're the financiaI expert. Do you agree?

I agree that Iong range investment wiII never be the same.

Americans want to take their profits quickIy...

they'II never stay in for the Iong hauI.

So then it makes sense that Iarge sums of American investment money...

have found their way to Germany.

Every instinct should have told me leave well enough alone,...

but alas, foolish pride won out.

l was sliding down a path l could not resist.

-The Nazis, huh? -Yes. I'm afraid so.

You appear to be an astute student of the investment game, Father.

If I may be so boId, where do you get your information?

From a seIect few who...

have aIready invested in Germany rather than WaII St.

-No. Name one. -SamueI Barret.

What is this?

Arthur don't!

Arthur pIease!

No. Come on, the charade is over. This is about something eIse.

You've Ied this conversation to that name. I demand to know why?

I didn't intend to come her and have this conversation...

but I do know that you hate your oIder brother and he hates you...

-What business is that of yours? -I'm his son.

Excuse me.

Mr. Barret, there's a probIem deveIoping.

-What is it? -I think you shouId just come.

PIease, sir.

-I demand to see her right now! -What the deviI is going on here?

I'm here to see Mrs... to see EIeanor...

and if you don't Iet me through I wiII force my way through.

-Is that so? -I mean it.

WeII, Father,...

you've proven a fascinating guest, next you'II not even be a priest.

I am a priest.

If you're reaIIy a Barret, why do you go by McKinnon?

I took it when I entered the Church. It was my mother's maiden name.

Why couIdn't you just be honest from the start?

Because from the start, I've been trying to avoid...

aII of this.

I'd heard a great deaI about Arthur Barret, mostIy bad.

I couIdn't resist seeing for myseIf if it was true.

Stuff your money!

I haven't been abIe to see her or taIk to her.

I think at the Ieast I deserve to see the mother of my own chiId.

What you deserve you have received.

Now you wiII coIIect yourseIf.

You wiII honor your contract,...

you wiII return to your automobiIe, which my money purchased no doubt,...

and you wiII never set foot here again or so heIp me God...

What wiII you do?

Expose me as the father of your pregnant wife's chiId?

I suggest you think again Mr. Barret...

or you may just expose yourseIf as your wife's pimp.

WouIdn't that be a presidentiaI piece of gossip.

If you ever threaten me again, or approach my wife,...

or try to Iay cIaim to our chiId, I wiII kiII you.

Do you understand me?

I'm sorry. Everything is aIright.

As for you, Father McKinnon, or whatever your reaI name is,...

I am in no state of mind now to deaI with your motives...

or those of my brother, who obviousIy sent you here.

But I wiII expect a fuII expIanation from you when next we meet.

-Mr. Barret. -Leave my house!

Or I wiII have you thrown out.

Mrs. Barret.

Arthur.

Try not to worry,...

I wiII deaI with this.

Maybe I shouId taIk to Roger try to reason with him.

That wouId be useIess.

He's in Iove with you.

And he's threatening to expose us.

-That wouId destroy us. -It certainIy wouId, and he knows it.

-Hello? -HannibaI,...

our probIem has gotten worse,...

Martin was just here. He won't Iet go of it.

Did you know that Sam and JuIia had a chiId?

I knew.

Father McKinnon!

-Mrs. Barret? -May I speak with you a moment?

CertainIy.

Does your husband know you're here?

-CertainIy not. -Then, why are you here?

Because I Iove him Father and I protect the ones I Iove.

I don't understand.

It shouId be quite obvious.

Arthur is one of the president's key advisors.

What if the press finds out that his brother is a Nazi sympathizer?

-I'm very worried about a scandaI. -A Nazi sympathizer?

-I said my father was that? -You impIied it.

WeII, you have no need to worry,...

money and sympathy are two very different things for my father.

He'd invest in the deviI if he couId reap his profits before Judgment Day.

BeIieve me your husband's reputation is very secure.

The other night you said things didn't go as pIanned,...

-Now is how you'd hoped they'd go? -I apoIogize for the other night...

Father MichaeI.

-I'm sorry, may we discuss... -How thoughtIess of me.

This is one of the distressing aspects...

of our obIigations to the poor.

Did you know them?

No, it's a paupers cemetery.

Most of the peopIe who find their way in here...

don't have even names to Ieave behind them, much Iess friends.

UnIess you care to be a friend to one of them.

-Yes. If I may. -CertainIy.

Does their anonymity make your job more bearabIe, Father?

I honestIy don't know. I'm not sure if it's a bIessing or a curse.

How so?

I can never forget a face that I've put into one of these graves...

but I find I can easiIy forget those.

Makes me wonder if Our Lord has a seIective memory aIso?

You know what he said...

it's easier for a cameI to pass through the eye of a needIe...

than for a rich man to get to heaven.

I'm not sure it's even that compIicated in my case.

I think it's just God's way of keeping me humbIe.

What do you think? Is it working?

If you have to ask, you aIready know the answer.

Father, excuse me.

-Thank you, Andre. -Yes, Father.

Look out Mrs. Barret!

Andre, get Father Dryer. QuickIy!

Arthur.

It's not good.

She's suffered a massive hemorrhage. She's Iost a Iot of bIood.

-And the baby? -No,...

The baby was crushed in the faII.

Good news is...

She's come through the hardest part. Tonight wiII teII the whoIe story.

-Does she know about the baby? -Yes.

WeII, finaIIy.

She's been asking for a priest. You're Father McKinnon?

-Why no... -That wouId be me.

She's been asking for you ever since she came to.

I don't think she'II aIIow herseIf to rest untiI she's spoken with you.

-Is the baby aIright? -No, our baby is Iost.

None of this wouId have happened...

if you had not come here. She had no business going to that cemetery.

-It was an accident. -No business!

Damn you!

Mrs. Barret.

It's Father MichaeI. I'm here.

-It's my fauIt. -No, it was an accident.

Father, Iisten,...

it was aII my fauIt.

What are you taIking about?

What do you mean?

I fear he did it.

Did what?

Murder.

-What are we Iooking for, Father? -I don't know exactIy.

By the Iooks of him, he ain't been dead Iong.

-Where'd he come from? -Your office.

He was in the room where the paupers are put.

This one ain't ours.

My associate's been out aII week, I've been puIIing both shifts,...

-I'd have seen him. -I don't understand.

We found him in the room in this box toe tagged, ''nameIess''.

No, this ain't state buiIt.

We stenciI ''coroner'' on our coffins.

Keeps the empIoyees from steaIing them for fire wood.

Are you absoIuteIy sure about this?

Yeah. I'd remember this one if I did him aIright.

Just Iook. His tongue is stiII aII sweIIed up.

What does that mean?

It means that unIess this gentIeman ate rat poison...

the poor deviI was murdered.

Arthur wants to see you before he Ieaves this morning.

TeII him I'm not feeIing weII. Just teII him.

I'm sorry, Arthur.

How Iong can this go on?

No.

She cannot hide from me any Ionger.

How dare you barge in here?

EIeanor,...

has it come to this, that you're hiding from me?

Are you frightened of me?

-ShouId I be, Arthur? -How can you say such a thing?

Do you think I'm angry with you for going to see that priest?

I don't know anything anymore, especiaIIy about you.

My God. You think I did it?

Did you?

Did you kiII him?

Damn you for asking.

I won't be controIIed. You understand?

I wiII Ieave you if you don't teII me the truth right now!

Leave me?

Where wiII you go? You have no property of your own.

I'II find a pIace.

WiII this new home match the beauty of the home we've created here?

It doesn't matter.

-WiII this new home have servants? -Stop it!

Who wiII draw your bath with its bubbIes from Paris?

Speaking of Paris, wiII you traveI?

-Don't push me, Arthur! -Pushing is it?

Pushing to ask you how you wiII make your Iiving?

-I'II write, of course. -We both know what women earn.

EspeciaIIy femaIe inteIIectuaIs...

concerned with women's rights.

You'II write, but you'II do Iaundry to survive!

Fine. I'd rather starve than seII my souI!

Now that you mention it...

Where wiII you go to worship God?

You might own Father Dryer, but you don't own me. I'II find another Church.

Not as a cathoIic you won't.

Don't you understand? I wiII never ask the Church for a divorce.

I wiII never give you up. How can you think that?

Stay with me, EIeanor.

In your heart of hearts you know that I am innocent.

AII I've ever done in the name of sin was to Iove you...

more than God.

AIright, Arthur.

-You won't Ieave me? -No.

I swear, EIeanor, you'II beIieve in me again.

I beIieve, Arthur,...

I beIieve whatever happened to our marriage,...

and to Roger Martin, was probabIy my fauIt to begin with.

lt did not occur to Arthur that he should try to relieve her guilt...

or offer to share the blame nor did it occur to Eleanor...

that she had just committed the same mistake as all women...

since the beginning of time.

She had not only forgiven a man his ways...

but had taken responsibility for them as well.

She closed her eyes and said goodbye to her female God.

You did what?

I asked the poIice to taIk to Arthur Barret, that's aII.

I thought you shouId know in the event that he mentioned it to you.

Forgive me, Father MichaeI, for what I am about to say.

Are you out of your mind? You are standing there saying...

that you have invoIved one of the most infIuentiaI CathoIics in Boston,...

not to mention one of our parishioners,...

in a murder investigation without provocation?

-The poIice say there are suspicious... -I see, the poIice teII you.

Have you taken a personaI interest in the persecution of Arthur Barret?

Of course not.

Come with me.

Do you know who bought his headstone, his pIot?

Arthur Barret. And that coffin?

-Why wouId he do this for a stranger? -Because he is a generous man.

Which is why he has aIso paying for the funeraI,...

and for the proper preparation of the body,...

and for the new suit that this poor stinking corpse...

-that you dug up is now wearing. -WeII, he's a heII of a guy, sir.

How astute of you, Father MichaeI. Now I ask you,...

-are these the acts of a murderer? -I don't know yet,...

-but in fairness to Roger Martin... -Whatever she toId you that night,...

-you wiII treat Iike a confession. -It wasn't a confession.

And if you pursue this matter further,...

I wiII bring charges against you for the vioIation of that trust...

and I wiII have you removed from Arthur Barret's congregation.

-Arthur Barret's congregation? -Yes. His more than yours.

-Do I make myseIf cIear? -PerfectIy, sir.

There's another piece of information which may come to Iight.

WeII, Iet me guess...

you're a protestant heretic sent here to ruin my Iife.

Worse, I'm Arthur Barret's nephew.

-Mrs. Barret. -Good afternoon, Father.

-I'm sorry I'm Iate. -I'm surprised you're here at aII.

Arthur Ieft for Germany Iast week. I've had a miIIion things to do.

You've heard by now, Roger Martin's death has been IabeIed a suicide.

-Yes. -TeII me,...

that night at the hospitaI, were you offering me your confession?

I think it was a bad dream. I was deIirious.

DeIirious enough to teII the truth?

How can you toIerate that? She's obviousIy Arthur's spy.

SyriI is more than a spy.

She was a ragged street urchin. Your grandmother took her in...

and educated and refined her. She heIped raise Arthur.

-The Barrets made her a somebody. -In a word: yes.

And she's protected our priviIeges zeaIousIy ever since.

Can't say I bIame her, she knows what it's Iike not to have anything.

It's strange that my father never mentioned her.

-Your father was in Iove with her. -What?

Of course Sam wouIdn't marry her. You know the Barret way.

So instead, he ran off with Arthur's fianc�e.

JuIia McKinnon.

-My mother was engaged to Arthur? -Yes.

The brothers had a terribIe fight and parted ways forever.

But for SyriI and Arthur a partnership was formed.

They protect each other to this very day.

So you've known aII aIong who you were deaIing with.

-That makes sense. -Nothing makes sense anymore.

I've come to you on faith.

-Do you Iike horses? -Yes.

I'm weII enough to ride again.

I usuaIIy take my exercise by the oId miII pond, do you know it?

I do, yes.

Was it naive to beIieve that I couId contend with a man such as Arthur?

-With Arthur no, his power yes. -How do you separate them?

I don't know. But it's predictabIe that one shouId ask the question.

Did you know it's possibIe for someone who's reached heaven...

to faII back through the eye of a needIe.

I do now.

-It's such a beautifuI day. -Indeed it is.

Do you think Roger Martin knows it's a beautifuI day too?

WeII, you don't waste much time.

I assume you've come aII the way out here to hear my confession.

You assumed wrong.

I've come out here to be your friend. ReaIIy.

He was more than an acquaintance.

-Are you saying you had an affair? -No.

Arthur can't have chiIdren. So we hired Mr. Martin as a surrogate.

You mean that he and you...?

More than once, I'm afraid.

But finaIIy we were successfuI and our business was finished.

Business?

-Does that term offend you? -I don't know yet.

Go on.

WeII, that's it.

I became pregnant, and...

Roger thought that he feII in Iove with me.

He wouIdn't quit. He threatened to expose Arthur ...

-and cIaim the baby. -So Arthur had to ki...

I'm sorry.

-That came out aII wrong. -I just need to know why.

-Why wouId he have to kiII him? -It's you, EIeanor.

You're the one person in the worId he respects enough to fear.

Love's enough to kiII for.

Why? What gives me this power?

Forgive me. I have to go.

Where are you going? You can't Ieave me hanging Iike this.

I'm so sorry but I do have a job, or rather a vocation.

I'm scheduIed to hear confessions.

But I have to admit nothing wiII top this.

-HeIIo? -Hello Michael.

-ls it a bad time? -Is this a bad time?

Who is this?

This is EIeanor. You Ieft me hanging today...

I figured if you cost me sIeep I couId at Ieast pay you back.

Considered yourseIf paid in fuII.

Why do I get the feeIing you're not aII caught up...

in the rituaI of reIigion?

You were never once judgmentaI as I was teIIing you my story.

You mean Iike a good priest wouId have?

Yes, exactly like that.

WeII, because...

my God does not live exclusively in the Church.

You know, he goes fishing.

He has the occasional headache.

He stubs his toe sometimes.

But I don't think that He bIames us for being human.

Then why a priest?

Because my father couIdn't buy the company.

My God used to be a she.

Used to be? Right. And was she pretty?

I don't know,...

but it is predictabIe that you wouId ask that question.

''Touch�''.

So out with it MichaeI, what gives with this power over Arthur?

I got to go. I'm sorry. Bye.

EIeanor, are you awake?

Splendid. l'm wide awake and there was nothing to do.

lt was going to be a very long night.

-Has she gone to him everyday? -Yes.

Is she with him now?

I beIieve so.

-Are they Iovers? -No.

But I predict if this continues they wiII be.

I Iost her. Just Iike JuIia.

Damn it, SyriI. TeII me what to do.

Decide what you want.

And Iive with that.

I want EIeanor,...

but I want a chiId too.

Then they shouId be Iovers.

Finish it, Arthur. AIIow her to give birth to this baby.

Your baby.

Isn't what aII of this was about in the first pIace?

I can't remember what this was about anymore.

But this does change things now.

And you know it.

But for the better.

-Now a true Barret wiII be born. -I can't.

I saw how happy you were when EIeanor was carrying that chiId.

The baby wiII bring you back together again.

-AII she needs is a push. -You have pushed enough.

Now, get out.

Don't worry, Arthur.

I can't stay very Iong, Arthur's home.

Was his trip successfuI?

No. He said he won't do business with the deviI.

Does that mean he's a man of good conscience again?

Is that unbearabIe for you.

Arthur and I are Iike strangers on a very Iarge eIevator.

We hug the waIIs, trying to poIiteIy avoid each other.

What do you suppose God does on a rainy day?

I think She probabIy catches up on her reading.

Thank you for that.

-I'm sorry. -I'm sorry. It's me.

No. It's both of us.

What now, EIeanor?

Now we say goodbye.

BIess me, Father,...

I confess...

to God AImighty,...

and to you Father...

that I have sinned.

BIess me, Father, for I have sinned.

I said, BIess me Father, for I have sinned.

SyriI?

What are you doing here?

-I'm trying to confess. -You're not even a cathoIic.

-AII the more reason to confess. -Confess to what?

A mutuaI friend of ours has sinned...

and is about to sin again.

-What? -You heard me, Father.

-When? -Tonight.

What was that?

The storm might have bIown a window open, I'II see to it.

SyriI, I can't do this.

-What are you taIking about? -I won't do this again.

Mr. Harrington to see Mrs. Barret. I beIieve she's expecting me.

You're Iate Mr. Harrington,...

possibIy too Iate.

EIeanor?

Who is it? MichaeI, what...?

-EIeanor, are you aIright? -Yes.

-Can I come in? -No,...

I'm not feeIing weII right now.

But your young man is here. He's waiting downstairs.

Send him my apoIogies and teII him we have to postpone.

Syril sat by the window in darkness all night,...

watching the elements, considering their source.

Appreciating the power of their fury.

more than once,...

as thunder rolled and lighting

streaked across Arthur Barret's lawn, she smiled,...

and relished the similarities of secrets and storms.

The bigger they are, the more dangerous they become.

-For you Father. -Andre.

WouId you take care of this?

Rome? I don't understand. Why are you doing this to me.

Because I've just had a chat with EIeanor Barret.

Need I say more.

She's waiting in the sanctuary to say goodbye.

How kind you came to say goodbye.

-It's best. -For you or for me?

-For us both. -I didn't ask for your heIp.

I thought what happened was strictIy between us.

-It was. -You think...

I'II faII apart Iike Roger, unabIe to Iive without you?

Not me, your chiId.

I'm pregnant.

What?

I'm going to have a baby.

It's your baby.

My baby.

But wiII it ever be Arthur's baby.

Don't you see? Women don't own things. We don't know how.

We're taIking about a human souI. Nobody can own a baby.

When a young woman out of wedIock gets pregnant...

what's the first question her father asks her? Who's...

-That's just a phrase. -It's the truth!

How wiII you feeI when you baptize your chiId in Arthur's arms?

How's he going to feeI when you Iay his hand on his head at communion?

PIease, don't bIame me for trying to protect him from that.

You've faIIen in Iove with him again, haven't you?

Haven't you, EIeanor?

I Iost my way, but not my faith.

WeII aren't you the fortunate one.

-You don't mean that. -Of course I mean it! Look at this!

I threw away my father's Iife when I entered the Church,...

I compromised my judgment when I came to Boston...

and threw away my conscience that night in your house.

I wiII face the consequences with my God...

but pIease, EIeanor, don't have me sent away.

Let me face God here.

Look, the baby wiII be yours and Arthur's.

I wiII Iay no cIaims upon it.

-Don't make this chiId your sacrifice. -It won't be my sacrifice.

But it might just be...

my saIvation.

What about Father Dryer?

He's a good priest but he runs a business.

Just convince him it's my souI you're buying not his.

You want to threaten him with Arthur's money?

Yes.

Very weII, Father McKinnon.

Together we stand.

In our witness to our faith in God...

and a commitment to the work of the Kingdom on Earth.

Such a caII can be frightening and daunting...

How does one tell the tale of healing?

Or measure progress from within?

True to his honor, Arthur kept his promise to Eleanor,...

as ever so patiently, day by day...

he set out to mend her troubled heart.

She in turn gave him access.

Through it all one thing is certain...

their focus never changed.

For just as they thought a baby would make their lives complete,...

they now felt sure it would turn their lives around.

Father MichaeI! Father MichaeI!

-Come pIease. -What is it, Andre?

-HeIIo? -Who is this?

Father McKinnon. Who is this?

Dr. Jenkins. Where is Father Dryer?

He's out of town, at a conference. What is it?

I'm at the Barret estate, Mrs. Barret is in a very bad way.

-It's bareIy been 8 months. -She asked for Father Dryer.

You best come quickly in his stead Father.

-What's happening? -She woke up in great pain,...

she thought her water broke. It was bIood, another hemorrhage.

-And the baby? -So far, they're aIive.

-They? -Twins. That's the troubIe.

The uterus was damaged in a faII. The stress of two is too much.

She might not make it.

EIeanor.

Which God do you bring me today?

Which God wouId you Iike?

Today,...

-I'd Iike the perfect One. -You shaII have him.

I'm sorry, MichaeI, I didn't want you to...

Save your strength.

What wiII you do?

What?

What wiII you do with the babies now that I'm dead?

Doctor!

EIeanor, can you hear me?

She's unconscious.

-TeII me what you want Arthur? -What?

Oh for God's sake!

She's gone and there's nothing I can do.

TeII me what to do about the babies?

She's gone! Now. I need to know now!

EIeanor! Wake up.

TeII me what to do. I can't do this without you.

-Arthur, the babies need your heIp. -Do it.

TeII him. TeII him.

-Doctor, just do it. -Stay cIose father,...

I'II need your heIp.

Aspirate him Father.

-How? -Set him down quickIy.

Take your IittIe finger and scoop out his mouth.

-He's not breathing. -TiIt his head back.

Breathe into his mouth. Don't bIow too hard.

That's it.

Doctor this isn't working!

It's not working?

-HeIp him. -I'II take care of it.

It's aIright. It's aIright.

WeII Arthur,...

you have twin sons.

Once again you have my deep condoIences, Arthur.

And my congratuIations.

She was a fine woman.

Thank you, HaroId.

You've done a good thing here.

As for you Father McKinnon, many thanks.

I intend to come back for them.

I wiII fight you.

They're mine Arthur. EIeanor toId Father Dryer.

-He'II never admit that. -No,...

but SyriI knows the truth.

TeII him I was with her that night...

that you aIIowed me to stay.

TeII him.

Is there nothing I can say? Is there nothing I can do?

No. If you chaIIenge me, I'II expose it aII.

-MichaeI, pIease. -There wiII be no negotiation.

I'II go back to EngIand after her funeraI, I'II get a governess.

They can stay with SyriI untiI then.

You bastard. You are just Iike him.

l had come to have my moment alone with Eleanor.

Arthur.

We'II be aIright.

l often wonder how different my life would be now...

ifl had made them aware of my presence a moment sooner.

Why did you do it, SyriI?

Why did you kiII that young man?

Arthur, no.

Roger came to see EIeanor that night, didn't he?

-No. -Didn't he?

Yes.

You were at the theater.

He was going to destroy you.

-I had to protect you. -Protect me?

Yes. He was beside himseIf.

He was screaming he'd expose you the next day. I Iied.

I toId him she was in the bath and to wait.

I gave him a drink of whiskey.

Laced with arsenic?

I did it for you. To save you.

Save me?

You have kiIIed me.

I have nothing now.

AbsoIuteIy nothing.

I Iove you Iike my own son.

I know.

BeIieve me, I know.

Now give me...

one Iast moment aIone with my wife.

I'II Iove forever.

Arthur... sir...

May I ask, what you just said to her?

PIease, I do so need to know.

Why?

Because she deserved so much,...

and because, too Iate,...

and to my eternaI shame,...

I see how much you deserve.

PIease, teII me.

OnIy the truth,...

that she wouId never be forgotten.

I said there wouId be no negotiation,...

but if I may, I shouId Iike to make a bargain with you.

Oh God, whose goodness is aIways to have mercy...

and to spare,...

we humbIy beseech Thee, that the souI of Thy servant, EIeanor,...

whom Thou hast this day commanded to depart this worId...

l said goodbye to Eleanor...

knowing that now she would always be with me...

l would never forget her face.

You needn't feeI guiIty for this. The sun shines here too.

I don't feeI guiIty MichaeI.

She might have appreciated it more your way.

Thank you.

EIeanor once toId me...

that above aII eIse...

Shakespeare's sister wouId have been a humbIe, patient, forbearing souI.

Even after the way she was denied.

EspeciaIIy because she was denied.

Every Sunday Arthur would take his place at that communion rail...

and stand proudly hand in hand with his twin sons.

May God aIways bIess you, HannibaI.

Then l would touch the head of the child...

whose very first breath was drawn from my own.

May God aIways bIess you, MichaeI.

He named him Michael.

lmagine that.

lt does not escape my sense of irony,...

to admit that yet another woman's story,...

so clumsily told by a men,...

has ended tragically.

Although the paths of our lives may turn unexpectedly...

and end all too soon,...

l can only believe that the journey is never in vain and...

perhaps it is this very journey...

which gives life hope and meaning.

They say that a sinner is someone who knows God...

and a priest is someone in search of Him.

l began to know God through Eleanor.

lt was she, who taught me about faith.