All language subtitles for When.The.Starlight.Ends.2016.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC5.1-[YTS.MX]

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[lighter flicks open]

Narrator: When did it start?

When did anything start?

[lighter closes]

Nothing can ever just go away.

Not in this universe.

-[faint heartbeats]
-A man lives.

A man dies.

He rots. He becomes dirt.

He becomes trees.
He burns and becomes gas.

He becomes clouds.
He becomes rain.

He becomes trees.
He becomes fruit.

He feeds men who die
and become dirt.

It's a meaningless cycle
of birth and death.

Unless you find something or someone to give you purpose.

For me, it was Cassandra.

[keys clacking]

I see her for the first time.

She is dressed in black.

I think I can't hit on her,
this is a funeral.

We go out that night
for drinks.

I try to kiss her,
and she turns away,

telling me she promised

she would never kiss a boy
who was drunk.

I ask her whether she would
ever have sex with one.

She says no.

I don't sleep that night,
thinking about her.

I try to remember
how long I have to wait
before I can call her.

She calls me the next day.

We make love
for the first time.

It is awkward, and I'm
so nervous I have trouble.

She says it's okay.

That we will have
plenty of time.

That it will get better.

In five years, seven months
and eleven days,
she will leave me.

Everything happens
for a reason.

[keys clacking]

I wonder what Bill is going
to think when he sees this.

That I've written my
story editor into my story.

[rock music playing on speakers]

[lighter flicks open]

Nah.
[chuckles]

The beginning of a story
is the most important part.

You write
a good beginning and...

you have a chance that
people will stick with you
throughout the whole thing.

A... shitty beginning and...

I was so desperate
for inspiration

I Googled the word
"philosophy" today.

There were 138 million hits.

There are 6.7 billion people
in this world.

That means that theoretically,
there could be

a unique philosophy
for about every 50 people.

You have a philosophy.

-Do I?
-You wanna hear
the one I made up?

Jacob:
What if we're all standing

on either side
of a giant scale?

If we're all born
with an antithesis.

Someone who's
our exact opposite.

Maybe not in terms of,
like, personality

but in a more
metaphysical sense.

But for that to work,
wouldn't it mean that

half of the world
would be miserable

and the other half
really, really happy?

I, I knew you would say that.

Now, you've gotta consider
how many people are

out-of-their-fucking-minds
happy

and how many people
are truly miserable.

It all balances out.

Unless something extraordinary
happens to somebody.

That's, uh--
That's rare though.

Mostly it's these
little victories.

Little defeats.

My theory is,
when we're getting shit on,

just mildly shit on
or really, really dumped on,

the exact opposite
is happening to our opposite.

Do you get it?

I think so.

What do you think?

I like it.
[chuckles]

What would you do
if a genie appeared here?

The way they do
in stories.

And you had three wishes.

What would your wishes be?

I don't know.

Never really thought about it.

What about you?

My first wish would be...

that she would just
come back.

And the other two?

Jacob narrating: I could feel everything I felt,

but I can't change it.

A ghost looking over
my own shoulder.

If time is a great city, then
all the streets are one-way.

Otherwise, we'd all be
heading back.

Not to the beginning
but to the point in time

when we made the wrong turn.

The turn
that changed everything.

[slams receiver]

[sighs]

Knock, knock?

-Hey, um,
what are you--
-Hi.

[chuckles]
You're, uh, here for lunch.

Yeah. Oh, how do you feel
about hotdogs?

Get me out of here, please.

All right, I've been thinking.

I want you to quit.

Quit what?

I want you
to quit working at JBL.

Sounds good.

I'm serious.

Well, babe, I just...

finished telling you
I'm worried about our finances,

and you respond by telling me
I should quit my job.

I'm not sure that's the way
to get us out of debt, lover.

This isn't about that.

-Oh, it's not?
-No.

This job is killing you.

-Babe, I'm not quitting.
-Why?

I couldn't do that to you.

And how is working
at this job helping?

I'm sorry, you keep making
what you're making,

and it'll take years
to pay everything off.

You have a gift, Jacob.

I don't want to see you spending
another day at this place,

squandering it.

We wouldn't be able to survive.

We could make it work.

Uh, I'm, uh,
I'm getting a second job.

No.

-No, no, absolutely not.
-Yeah.

-No. End of conversation.
-No, wait a second.

I'm getting a second job
waiting tables, okay.

What kind of man would I be
if I let you do that?

No, it has nothing to do
with letting me do anything.

I've thought about.
I wanna do it.

And it's not like you'd just be
lying around all day.

You know, I would expect
a lot from you.

-Oh yeah?
-Yeah.

Yeah, you would have
to write your ass off.

Seriously, like, write like
you've never written before.

-[both laugh]
-Oh God!

Hey, and when you make it...

and you will make it,
you just need the energy

to focus, that's it.

And when you do,
then you can, uh,

pay me back
for all my extra hours.

I don't know if it is possible
I could love you more.

Jacob narrating:
There is a subway in L.A.,

even though hardly
anybody knows about it.

We used to ride it downtown
to watch the Lakers.

There was an old man
on the train.

I asked him what
the true meaning was

of the word "love."

He turned to me
and he said...

Old man: Love is when
you can jerk off to thoughts

-of the person you're with.
-[Cassandra chuckles]

Jacob narrating: But Cassandra
was more than that.

She was my muse.

Everything I wrote
was about her.

Everything I write will always
be about her in some way.

Is there anything else
I can get you?

No.

Okay.

Jacob narrating:
I'm never going
to forgive myself for this.

Now I think about it,
I'm writing about myself

writing about myself writing.

"And in she walked."

[bells chiming]

[jazz music playing]

Man: Oh, shit!

Yeah.

Is that...

Yeah.

Jacob narrating:
You live in L.A.,

you hear about this happening
all the time.

But Cindy O'Hare.

She's so famous,
other famous people

are starstruck around her.

Like Madonna.

And...there she is.

I could just walk up to her.

I could tell her
she was my first love.

I've seen everything
she's ever done.

Even the early avant garde stuff nobody liked,

when she had
that awful hairdo.

I used to watch them
with the sound off

and write my own dialog.

As Cindy: I'm losing track
of where you end,

where the memories
of you begin.

As man: When did I ever
stop thinking about you

in the present tense?

Hi.

I'm a huge fan.
Is there any way you could...

-Oh yeah.
-...sign that for me?

Yeah, yeah.

Jacob narrating: What do you do in this situation?

Y-Y-You leave her alone, right? Let her enjoy her coffee

like a normal person.

-Thank you so much.
-No problem.

Jacob narrating:
But what if...

Hey.

Hi.

Do I know you?

You look familiar.

Funny. I was just gonna say
exactly the same thing to you.

[chuckles]

Uh, that was a joke, right?

Oh, my God, that would be
so humiliating

if you were being serious.

-Of course it was a joke.
-Oh! Whew!

Do I look like
I live under a rock?

Eh, it's hard to say.

How can I help you?

I, um--

-I read in a magazine once...
-Uh-huh.

...you were doing
this interview, and...

you said,
"I just want a normal guy.

"I'm sick of all
these Hollywood types.

"It's tough because of who I am,
people are intimidated by me.

It's hard for me
to find a date."

-Something like that.
-Yeah.

Now even though
you are this uber-famous,

uber-hot actress,
you have trouble meeting men.

I am so mortified right now.

Well...

were you bullshitting
or what?

Were you for real?

Or just trying to sound cool
and down-to-earth?

I was serious.

Well...

my name is Jacob Silver.

Jacob narrating:
Too mundane.

Hey.

Jacob: What if I focused all my intensity into one word?

What if I funneled all my
passion into a single phrase?

What if I summoned
every ounce of energy

into my soul and just overwhelmed her with my being?

Hi.

Too weird. Too subtle.

People don't like subtle
these days.

They need something big.

So I wanted to tell you

-I'm a really big fan of yours.
-Oh.

I really respect you
as an actress.

Not that my opinion means
much to you probably,

but you inspire me
as an artist.

-Cindy: Oh, my God.
-Holy shit.

Hey, if you're smart,
you should open the register.

-Nobody move!
-[people scream]

I just want the cash
in the register,

and I want wallets
on the table.

-[gasps]
-Burglar: If y'all cooperate,

I'll be gone.

You'll be back
enjoying your coffee.

Nobody--

Holy shit.

Cindy O'Hare.
[chuckles]

-No bodyguards?
-Please, please, please!

-Please.
-Stand up.

Okay. All right. Here.

-You can take my purse--
-What the fuck do I need
a purse for?

Do I look like a guy
who needs a purse?

Cindy: Please just take
my money.

Jacob: What do you do
in this situation?

What kind of world is it
when a man like this

-would hurt a girl like her?
-Please don't hurt me--

No, I think
you're gonna come with me.

[both grunting]

[gunshot]

[people screaming]

Somebody call an ambulance.

Oh, my God.
Are you okay?

[panting]

I don't think so.

You saved my life.

And you ruined mine...

so it goes.

Oh, my God. Somebody help!

[keys clacking]

-You saved my life.
-No.

No, no, no,
a-anybody would have done it.

I-I was just closest. I--

No, that was the bravest thing
I've ever seen.

You really want to thank me?

Huh?

Kiss me.

What?

If I live, then at least
I get to tell everyone

I got to kiss Cindy O'Hare.

And all I had to do
was get shot in the gut.

-[groaning]
-Oh.

If I die...

then at least let
the last thing
I feel be

a beautiful woman's lips
touching mine.

[thinking]: Too ridiculous.

No, the best thing
is realism.

Even if people don't like it,

they can't fault it
if it's real.

I am alive at every moment
I ever was

and ever will be.

Everything in my life
is happening now, somehow.

Somewhere.

She is still here somehow.

Somewhere.

We are still together somehow
in some different when.

I wonder if that other me,
the one who still has her,

is aware of this other me,

who is alone,

the way I am aware of him.

[car alarm chirps]

Everyone I have ever known,

even the people I've forgotten,

are still here
with me, somewhere.

[keys clacking]

Imperfect souls,
depending on how I feel.

A king one day,
a beggar the next.

The beauty of fiction.

[lock rattling]

-Hi.
-Hey.

They say there isn't anything
more powerful than nostalgia.

That you will always remember
the good times.

How's it going?

Jacob: That you will always
fall into that human trap

of wanting to be elsewhere...

of failing to appreciate
where you are now,

until you're gone.

Those were the good times.

Congratulations, Jacob.

-This is a big deal.
-[chuckles]

Cass, I just got
out of the publisher's,
the meeting, and, uh...

Well, I know you're working
right now, but...

Jacob narrating: It's easy
to get lost in it.

Writing books,
talking to agents,
talking to publishers.

Getting rejected again
and again.

Revising. Editing. Outlining.

When the words
you are writing are
what are gonna pay the rent,

when the little black letters
on a white screen are

what are feeding your family,
you won't fail.

You can't fail. It's your most basic instinct.

It's gonna be okay.
[laughs]

[door opening]

[chuckles]
What's this?

I have something to show you.

Okay.

What do you wanna show me?

[gasping]
Holy crap.

-[laughing]
-That's so funny.

Those were my exact words
when I saw it.

You wanna celebrate?

Yeah.
[laughing]

[Cassandra laughing]

-Jacob: No,
I've changed my mind.
-Cassandra: Oh, come on!

-Jacob: No, I'm sorry.
-No, it's too late.
It's too late.

-[salsa music playing]
-Oh God!

I'm so embarrassed.

They said there was no one here.

Come on. All right,
just do what I do.

Yeah, well, I, I can't do
what you do.

-All right.
-Okay.

Here, warm it up.

Feel the music.

Wow.

Wow.

Not so bad.

[both laughing]

[Cassandra laughing]

[laughing]

-[Jacob muttering]
-[Cassandra laughs]

Tell me when it's all over.

-Right here.
-Okay.

Now you can look...

What's this?

No. No, no.

It's our car.

-Really?
-Yeah.

-[laughs]
-Get it.

What?
[continues laughing]

-Does this work?
-[alarm chirps]

Jacob narrating: The most
basic instinct of humans
is to survive.

Not in a tooth-and-nail way,
but in a broader sense.

To be wealthy. To be safe.

To be fat and happy.
To bear children.

To ensure their loved ones
are looked after.

We do every manner of work
to try to gain this.

We sell stories.

[rock music playing]

Hi.

My, uh,
my vehicle broke down.

I don't suppose you could
give me a ride to Palmdale?

Uh, what's wrong
with your car?

I don't know much
about cars.

Uh, I could give you a ride
to the callbox, if you want.

Hey, what's the matter,
sweetheart?

What, you, uh, you scared
I might be some ax-murderer?

-[laughing]
-Pfft.

No, no, of course not.

I promise not to bite.

Hey, you can, uh,
you can search me
for weapons, if you want to.

No. No, no, it's fine.

Of course it's fine!
Uh, get in.

All right, thank you.

Uh, I'm headed up
to Lancaster anyway.

All right. Beautiful.

My name's Chelsea.

Jacob.

So many of them, huh?

Oh, yeah.

I was just thinking
the same thing.

Oh yeah?

What is it?

It's nothing.

-Are you all right?
-Yes, I'm fine.

What, so we're just
done talking then?

I was, uh--

I was gonna tell you something,

but now I think
it's too weird.

I don't know...

I like weird.

Well, I, uh--
[clears throat]

-Before I picked you up,
I was lying in my car.
-Uh-huh.

I was just staring up
at the stars.

And this one star,
it caught my eye.

Chelsea: What part
of the sky was it in?

I-- Uh-- It all kinda looks
the same to me.

-I--
-Yeah.

God. I-I can't
tell you this.

You're...

gonna think that I'm crazy.

Please, I like this story.

I promise not
to interrupt again, okay?

Well, um...

there was something
about this star.

I felt like it was important.

Something that was this flash of light. And then it was gone!

-[loud screeching]
-And then, there was
this really loud sound,

like, uh, a bunch of voices all screaming at the same time.

Now you definitely think
I'm crazy.

You want me to, like,
let you out or something?

No. No, I don't think
you're crazy at all.

Jesus!

[car honking]

[both panting]

It's time to die.

What the fuck?

What is--
What is this?

You-You can take
whatever you want.

There-There's cash
in my wallet. You want--

-You want my car?
It's a nice car.
-No.

God, this is always much harder
on unenlightened worlds.

What?

Maybe I'm just getting softer
with age, you know.

A thousand years on the job
becomes such a grind.

All right, you are going to die,
little Earthman Jacob,

because you saw something
you weren't supposed to see.

Wha-- What?

The end of Aurora.

-Aur-Aur-Aurora?
-Yes.

Oh, don't play dumb.
You just told me
the entire story.

What?

-The disappearing star--
-That was nothing.

That was my imagination.
It was a dream.

This is-- This is still a dream.

This is still a dream.

[moaning]

[gasping]

This is real.

Who-- Who are you?

I work for an organization that
watches from behind the stars.

And you...were looking up
at the wrong part of the sky

at the wrong time.

Whatever this is,
whatever this really is,

you do not have to kill me.

Whatever you think I saw,
it doesn't matter.

Nobody will believe me.
Nobody will care.

Believe me, this is not
my idea of fun.

Coming out here in the middle
of nowhere, short notice.

Got a fucking
thousand other things to do.

Please don't.

[sighs]

I have a f--

A what?

Girl.

[scoffs]

Maybe you should close
your eyes.

No.

If I die, then...

at least let the last thing
I see be a beautiful girl.

[chuckles]

Don't do that.

There's nothing
I can do, is there?

Nothing I can say
to stop you.

Goodbye, lover.

Maybe we'll meet again
someday...

-you know.
-[chuckles]

Nothing ever goes away,
after all.

Hey, maybe
we'll be trees together.

In our forest.

-Do you remember our forest?
-[Jacob sobbing]

[gunshot]

[water running]

Hey.

What are you doing?

I'm reading.

What are you, uh...

It's...

Jacob narrating: Beautiful.

That's what she was gonna say.

Sweetheart, you know
I don't like surprises.

Yeah, well, I, uh...

I think you're gonna like
this one.

I gotta get back to work.

Babe, we are almost there.

[laughing]

What are we doing here?

See that house?

Yeah, it's our dream house.

-We always said that--
-When we were rich, right?

[sighs]

Yeah.

Well...

-What?
-...it's our house now.

-What?
-Yeah.

-Come on.
-No. Seriously?

Are you serious?
Are you fucking serious?

Oh, it's so pretty.

Come on.

Jacob narrating: Every moment
that has ever been

still exists somehow.

Somewhere.

I am there in that moment.

I am still there,

lying in that quiet,
empty house

before we had
our bed shipped in.

I can still feel the hardwood floors pressing against my back

through the sleeping bag.

I can still smell the fragrance

from that herbal shampoo
she used to use.

Nothing in the universe
can ever go away.

Never pull
a true vanishing act.

But what about thought?

Can you ever truly erase
something from your memories?

My flight... [mumbles]

Oh, shit!

-Hey!
-Sorry, there was
so much traffic.

-So glad I didn't miss you.
-I know, me too.

Are you so excited?
New York City,
I can't believe it.

Yeah, I just can't believe
how last-minute this is.

Yeah, but you're going
to be on TV. So who cares.

Yeah, I know, but I promised

I was gonna be around
this weekend.

-We--
-I know, I know, but hey,

this is what you've been
working towards, okay.

This is...huge.

I can hardly believe it myself.

Look, I gotta go,
but I'll, uh--

-I love you so much.
-Um-- Yeah.

I promise I'm going
to marry you someday.

Okay. You promise?

-Yeah. Promise.
-All right.

Bye.

Bye.

Jacob narrating: Every moment
that has ever been

still exists somehow.

Somewhere.

I am there in that moment
with myself.

Come on, girl,
let's get some work done.

[sniffles]

Let's see what you got.

Hey, uh, hey, Ralph.

Oh, hey, Jake.

Who's that?

Oh, that's Warrior right there.
That's Warrior.

Ah. How's, uh, how's things?

It's good, you know.
It's good. I think things are--

-Things are good.
-Yeah, how is, uh...

think it was, um...

Sherry. Name's Sherry.

She's not around
anymore, you know.

Oh.

Anyone new?

What, your next book's gonna
be my fucking biography?

Kidding, man.
You know, it's like,

ask me next week, or...

next day, I'm sure
there'll be somebody, you know.

Pretty sure.

Hey, I-I-I've been meaning
to ask, um...

w-w-what's up
with all the dogs?

What about them?

It seems like you have
a different dog every week.

Yeah?

Cassandra and I,
we were--

Well, um...

we were, uh,
were swapping theories,

and she thinks you, uh,

you tire of them,
you have--

you trade them in, you got
some sort of thing worked out

with the local shelter or...

That's the best
you guys come up with?

I'm a fucking dog-walker, man.

I walk dogs
for rich people, you know.

Nice to them
when they're out of town,

let them take shits.
It's a good--

It's a good job, you know.
I like it.

Well, so that's it, huh?

Yeah. Yeah, that's it.

Sorry to disappoint.

How's, uh...

how's Cassandra?
Is she good?

-She's good. She's good.
-Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Well...

uh, she's all right.

[chuckles] I don't like
the sound of that, buddy.

No, no, no. She's, uh...
she's good. Yeah.

I think
she's miserable though.

-She doesn't seem
miserable to me.
-No.

I think she hides it.

Well, you would know.
I mean...

You think I would?

Yeah.

It's just--

I-I-I don't think
this is her scene.

This city...

living in L.A.

This world I'm in, writing.

Agents and publishers
and press...

Look, buddy, seems to me
like you don't deserve her.

You think so?

No. I just think
you want your cake
and be able to fuck it, too.

I mean, as the saying goes,
that's what you want.

No, I-I feel I am big enough.

-I feel like it's--
-Doesn't matter what you feel.

Maybe you're right.

Of course I'm fucking right.

Now, can we get on?

Warrior got to take a shit
somewhere, you know.

Yeah, yeah. See you--
See you later, man.

Jacob narrating:
In the alternate universe,

the one I know
exists somewhere,

I am not bound
by my identity.

Not limited by
the choices I've made.

I can be any one
of those people I knew
or didn't know.

Take all of their
best qualities,
none of their worst.

[rock music playing]

I could be Ralph.
Ralph's so cool.

She always liked Ralph.
She thought he was cute.

[Warrior barking]

Come here.

-[barks]
-Oh, boy.

Warrior!

Warrior! Come here please!

Warrior!

Mom!

Don't worry.

Just hope
that they can afford it.

My goodness!

I think I have.

Oh, uh, yes, yes, ma'am.
M-My name is Ralph.

I, uh--
[clears throat]

Well, I think I found your dog.

Woman on phone:
What, they found Warrior?

Okay, come on.

That's it.

[panting]

Surprise!

-Go on!
-Hi, baby!

-Thank you.
-Yeah.

-Thank you so much. Thank you.
-Yeah.

-Thank you.
-Jacob: Uh...

Hey, hey.

No, whether you want it or not,
I'm giving it to you.

Family.

-Thank you so much.
-Yeah.

Thank you.

Okay, bye.

Jacob narrating: There is
nothing in the universe
worth anything

except a mystery.

And nothing is ever
as enticing once you know it.

You cannot ever truly enjoy
a story you yourself wrote.

It's the uncertainty of life
that makes it compelling.

It's, it's exciting.
You have to get this publicist.

-They're quite expensive,
but I think it's worth it.
-Hello.

-Oh, hey. Have you met...
-Sorry to interrupt.

-Cassandra: Hi.
-[Jacob continues indistinctly]

Cassandra: Yes.

[indistinct chattering]

You know, it's really--

The one that you,
that you meant--

I-I would like to expand
this conversation.

-Jacob: Um...
-Yes.

[indistinct conversations]

Okay, I got--
I gotta go.

All right, bye.

-Hey.
-Hi.

Who-Who's that?

Uh, it was n-nobody.

Come-- Come join us.

Thank you.

Jacob narrating:
If only I can be him.

The man called nobody.

Hi.

[mumbles quietly]

You okay?

Huh.

Yeah.

Wonderful.

Is there any way I can help?

Hmm?

What?

Hmm?

Got it.

Got what?

[muttering]

[keys clacking]

Jacob narrating:
Nobody is always someone.

I'm in that other universe,

where reality
and fiction blend.

I become him,
and he is me.

Hey!

Hey, man.

Come over here
when you got a minute.

Got something
I wanna chat about.

Jacob narrating: Did I mention
I'm fucking Ralph's wife.

I think somebody's
fucking my wife.

What? Uh--

What makes you think that?

Intuition, I guess.

Sixth sense maybe,
even a seventh.

-Seems pretty reliable.
-It is.

When you're that fucking close
to somebody,

there's nothing
you can hide, you know.

I mean, the smile is a little
bit different, you know,
the way they exhale,

and you just know there's
something fucking going on.
You just fucking know it.

So she, she breathes wrong,
and you think she's cheating
on you.

Maybe she's got allergies.

Like I said, man, I know.

Never been surer of anything
in my whole life.

[clears throat] Theoretically,
I mean, if you're right,

if, then, uh, well...

Who do you think it is?
This-this guy or girl,

I guess.

I honestly have no idea.

-How long do you think
it's been going on?
-Six months.

Maybe longer.
Six months at least. Yeah.

Six months.

Well, if you're right,
then, uh--

Shit, I'm...

I'm really sorry, man.

No, no. I mean,
it's not your fault,

you know, I mean...

you didn't do anything.

But I need to ask you
something, you know.

I need to ask you a favor.

You're gonna think
it's fucking weird,
you know? But that's okay.

Just-- just--
I need you to do this.

-Hey, sure. Sure.
What do you need?
-You know?

I need you to spy
on her for me.

What?

Okay, you don't have
to do it, you know.

I know it's fucking weird.
You know, just forget
I even asked.

You know,
it's not a big deal.

Just forget I even asked.
It's not a-- It's nothing,
you know.

I'll pay you, man.

I'll give you $1000.
I'll give you a grand.

Even if you don't get anything.
Just for trying.

I'll pay you for trying.

And what if she's not?

Not what?

-Cheating.
-She is.

Okay, but look, look, look.

I'm not wrong. But if there's
a possibility that I'm wrong...

and she's not,
well then...

at least I'd know, you know.

But I gotta tell you,
if I find out she's cheating,

it would rip my heart out,
you know.

It would devastate me.

But at least then
I'd have answers.

It's not knowing
that just really--

It's like an act, you know.

I hate not being able
to act, you know.

Just rip my fucking
insides out.

So what do you say?

Neighbor?

-Why don't you just do it?
-I can't do it.

She'll recognize my car.

But you're perfect.

She's never going
to assume anything with you.

I'll arrange everything.
I'll plan it all.

Okay? And I'll pay you
in advance, man.

I got cash in the house.
I can go get cash right now.

What if she notices me
following her?

She's not going
to notice you following.

Carli's a shit driver, man.

She's not gonna check
her mirrors.

You're gonna be fine.

[exhales]

I'll do it.
Yeah, I'll do it.

-I always wanted to be a spy.
-That's good, that's good.

That's good.
I like that. That's good.

-Thank you, man.
-Yeah. When?

-When do you want me to do it?
-Now.

-You need to do this now.
-Now?

Yeah. Go.

Carli [laughing]:
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

He wants you to spy on me?

You know, he's convinced
you're cheating on him.

Hmm.

What did you say?

Huh?

[whispering]:
I said I'd do it.

You wh--

You what?

Yeah, I have a plan.

Oh God.

You and your ideas.

You-You don't understand, Carli.
He really loves you. He--

You didn't have to see his face
when he was telling me.

He looked like he was dying.
[chuckles]

I'm afraid if he found out
about us,

he'll do something drastic.

I don't know,
divorce you or...

try to hurt you
or something.

Or hurt himself.
Put a gun in his mouth.

I can't be part
of something like that.

No, he's not like that.

Hmm.

Well...

[inhales]

...this is what I think
we're gonna do.

-What?
-I'm gonna spy on you.

Oh, my God.

Like he wants me to.
Only, you won't go into, like...

a guy's house or anything.

You'll go somewhere else.
You'll go somewhere

that if he saw you going,
it wouldn't hurt him,

but which you'd still want
to hide. I don't know, a...

a casino or something or...

maybe even buy
some drugs. See...

I don't think he necessarily
knows you're cheating on him.

I think he just knows
you're hiding something.

I think-- I think
we could set it up,

make it seem bad enough,
like you're scoring

-crack or something.
-[laughing]

'Cause even that wouldn't
hurt him the way it would

-if he found out
you were cheating on him.
-Hmm.

He'd understand,
you know, he'd--

[inhales deeply]

He'd help you
work it out.

Mmm, I-I don't know.

It's a perfect plan.

[laughs]

I don't know if that's the word
I would use to describe it.

No. I've got it
all worked out.

Yeah, I can see that.

Hey, let me ask you
something, huh?

Mmm.

Okay.

Let's say...

your perfect plan works, huh?

Let's say we go
through with it.

Well, what then?

What do you mean?

I mean, are we done then?

You and I?

Wouldn't you want us to be?

No.

No, I'd rather
just tell him the truth.

I would leave him.

Don't say that.

All right.
Well, it's true.

[sighs]

What happened with you two?

I don't know,
we're just different.

We want different things,
you know.

He was already in love
before we got together.

What?

I'm not his first love, right.

-Or, or his greatest.
-I'm sure you are.

Some people were put
on this planet for a reason.

Some people have a purpose

and if they get distracted
from that purpose...

there's nothing sadder.

Right? Seeing someone
old and gray just...

wishing that they had done
what they were passionate about.

And...

I'm not his purpose.

He wasn't put
on this planet to love me.

And yeah, I love him,
and I--

I wanna stay.

But...

there are things he has to do.
There are things that he is...

fucking good at doing.

And I worry that
if I stay, he won't.

-[Carli scoffs]
-Oh.

Okay. All right.

When do you want to go through
with your little plan, huh?

Hmm?

He's leaving in three days
for Salt Lake City.

Hmm.

He'll be gone a week.

[laughing]

[kissing]

Okay.

Ready?

-Carli: Yeah!
-All right.

Now come outside.

Fuck!

Hey. No, wait.
Wait a minute!

-Carli: What?
-Hang on.

My camera's broken.

-What?
-Fucking camera's broke.

Let me see it.

Oy!

-Lens cap.
-Oh. Of course.

Ooh, what now?

Go back inside,
do it again.

-Carli: Oh!
-No big deal. Only this time...

just, uh, act like
you don't notice me.

You were kinda smiling
in that last take.

-No, I wasn't.
-Gotta look natural.

Okay.

There she goes.

Look at the ass.

[front door opens]

Here she comes.

Jacob: Huh.

Looking good.

Those tits and ass.

Oh, good.

Huh.

Wait, hold on.

What the fuck!

[engine starts]

Jacob: Here we go.

At this pretty liquor store.

And who do we have here?

Looking good.

Oh yeah!

Pretty.

See,

there's nothing to worry about.

She's an alcoholic.

And you thought
she's cheating on you.

It's all in your mind.

[keys clacking]

I made you lunch.

[continues typing]

[soft jazz music playing]

What's the saddest thing
you've ever seen?

Uh...

I haven't really thought
about it. You?

It was on the news.

Mm-hmm.

Funny thing though.

It wasn't like the war or...

some missing child
or anything like that.

What was it?

It was a story
about a whale.

[scoffs]

A whale.

It was a baby whale.

Jacob narrating: He was lost
off the coast of Australia,

and he had somehow
come across this yacht

he thought was his mom.

He kept on trying to, you know,

suckle from the side
of this boat.

But all the people on the boat
were watching him

and they felt bad,
but what could they do?

They tried to sail away,
but he kept following them.

And I just kept thinking
what that poor whale
must have thought,

wondering why his mom had
suddenly turned so quiet

and so cold.

You really need
to get over this.

Thanks a lot. That--

That is really
sage advice.

Well, blame yourself.

You're the one writing
the words I'm saying.

You're right.

No. Really, you are. You--

It's just...

so horrible.

[inhales deeply]

I'm so lost.

This story doesn't make
any sense.

It's like what
you said before.

Realism.

If all else fails, just...

go, go back
to what really happened.

That's always your defense.

If somebody doesn't like it,
you just say, "Pfft.

Well, at least it was real."

Jacob narrating: Everything
in my life is happening now,

somehow.

Somewhere.

She is still here somehow.

Somewhere.

We are still together
in some different when.

We have been hiking all day.

She says she likes the way
the sunlight filters
through the leaves.

She says it makes her
feel restless in a good way.

I tell her it feels like we are in a scene from a movie.

In three years and four days,
she will leave me.

Her skin is dark.
Her hair is a mess.

She is a goddess.

[Cassandra screaming
and laughing]

We make love that night,
and I can smell sulfur
on her skin.

Faint.

Cicadas an endless undulation.

Dark things out there
moving in the forest.

Hey.

Hey, what is this?

You're, uh...

reading my new book.

This is the new book?

No, but this is our life.

[chuckles]
What, you don't like it?

What are you talking about?

What-- Don't like it--
What you've written here

are moments from our life.

Private moments.

Sweetheart, every writer's life
ends up in his work. It's just--

No. No.

Not these. Not these.

These are personal details.

I don't want people reading
about these things, okay.

These are between
you and me.

I'm sorry. I...

had no idea
you would be upset by this.

You know, that's what upsets me
the most actually,

that you thought that
I would be okay with this.

With having our lives in a book
for millions of people to just--

Yeah, not really millions yet,
but that is the general idea.

[chuckles]
Okay.

I'm really disgusted
with you right now.

-Disgusted?
-Yeah.

Yeah, I just-- I see
something that I don't like.

What do you see?

Can I ask you a question?

Jacob, if I asked you
to take that stuff out

and write something else,
would you do it?

-You wouldn't do it, would you?
-Cassandra, it's--

[sighs]
It's my best work.

Sweetheart, I, I write...

to make a better life for us.

I've made a better life for us.
I've got us this place.

[sighs]
There's my answer.

[sobbing]

I'd choose you.

No, you wouldn't.

[sniffles]

[shushes]

Shh.

Jacob narrating: I'm there,
feeling her breathing
against me.

Trapped.

Knowing there's nothing I can
tell her for comfort but lies.

In two months and four days,
she'll leave me.

She's already gone...

even though her body
is still there.

It's just been in my head
all this time.

Finally see it for real,
you know.

Yeah, a movie, it's--

Seriously, it's been
one of my biggest dreams.

What? This--

This doesn't excite you?

No, I-I'm...

I'm excited for you.

I just think we get excited
about very different things,
you know.

We need different things,
you know.

What do you--
What do you want?
What do you need?

I can--
I can get it to you.

I need a normal life.

Um, I need a husband
and kids someday.

But you're different, you know.

You, you're doing
what you're meant to be doing.

You have another purpose.

I'll quit.

I'll quit right now.
I-I just--

I just need you.

No, it's not that simple.

It's, uh,
it's a catch-22.

'Cause, you know,
what I love about you,

and what I've always loved
about you is your talent

and your passion and if you
gave up your work for me,

you would be giving up
the thing I love most about you.

What am I supposed to do?

-Exactly what you are doing.
-Well, I can't.

I can't.
Not if you're unhappy.

-Of course you can.
-Just--

Let's start over.

Leave all of this behind.

I can be happy with you
no matter where we are.

But, Jacob, like,
just stop and think about
what you're saying for a second.

Just consider, like,

you know, you in a small house,
in a small town,

a small job,
a small life.

Would that really
make you happy?

Jacob narrating: In eight days, she will leave me.

The moments we've shared
will start fading

like film negatives
left in the sun.

-Jacob: If you unders--
-Cassandra: All night
and all morning--

-Jacob: If you understood me--
-Cassandra: Oh,
I don't understand--

-Oh, I must be so stupid
to not understand
-If you knew me better,

-you wouldn't be asking this.
-what it takes to write a book.

-Let me do my work.
-Fine, fine.

[sobbing]

[Jacob grunting]

Cassandra:
This is good.

Yeah.

I, uh...

I've been meaning to talk
to you about something.

Yeah?

What?

Uh...

baby, it's time.

It's past time.

I-I've loved you
since the day we first met.

You're the best person
I've ever known.

There is no one else
in the world I want
to be with but you.

I, I know you worry
about my work, but...

you're my muse.
You inspire me to be better.

Jake, I don't--
I don't-- I, uh--

I don't know what to say.

Well, it's, it's just one word.

Um...Okay, I want
to talk about this, okay?

What's, what's there
to talk about?

Will you marry me?

I saw this ring,
and I knew it was time.

I saw our...
whole life together.

I saw us with babies...

I saw us with grown-up kids,

when we're all old
and covered with wrinkles,

and all we do is sit in the
same room and read all day.

I saw 50 Christmases.

I saw trips to Europe.

Every moment I've ever
looked forward to involves you.

I-I-I want you to be
with me, now.

[whispers indistinctly]

Baby, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.

What am I supposed to do?

I-I thought I could
be happy, but--

All I ever wanted was just
to be everything to you.

You absolutely are.

I'm not.

Jacob narrating: Can you ever
truly erase something
from your memories?

Or can you just push it down?

Kick it into the shadows until you can no longer see it.

But so much pain can't just
remain hidden forever,

no matter where you hide it.

Every bit of pain
and love and sadness

we have ever felt is still
somewhere in our minds.

Changed, perhaps...

but never gone.

One month and fourteen days
since she left.

Five years, eight months,
twenty-four days ago we met.

I tell myself that every one
of those moments still exists,

somewhere in time.

I tell myself we just met
at that funeral.

Ralph: Hey, Jake.

Hey, Jake.

Jacob: I tell myself

we are lying on a warm rock

beside a cool creek
in a forest

where the leaves shiver

and the sunlight dapples
the ground.

I said, "Hey, Jake!"

Jacob: I tell myself
we're floating in that lake,

our bodies unattached
from the world.

Her warmth against me
in the cold.

Hey.

What's happening?

Nice robe, brother.

You know, you're gonna drown
those plants, man.

They're just plants.

Well, hey, look,
you damn well know
I'm not a psychologist,

but if you wanna
come over and complain...

[bottles tinkling]

...I got beer.

[hose shuts off]

Thanks.

[knocking on door]

[door unlocks]

Hey.

You said come over if...

I wanted to complain.

Right. Didn't expect it
so soon.

It's funny.

I don't miss my mother.

Huh?

She died three years ago.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Like I said.

I don't miss her.

Okay.

When she went...

I hadn't seen her
in over a year.

I used to go home
a lot, then less.

I still loved her,
still love her

But that's the thing.
The love wasn't immediate.

It was all tied up
in these memories.

There were these warm...
happy memories.

Now, I'm worried.

I'm worried that the same thing
is gonna happen to her.

That...

I won't miss her anymore.

That she won't be immediate...

anymore.

Cassandra didn't die, did she?

No.

[chuckles]
Oh, God. Thank God for that.

She's still alive.

Thanks.

Thanks for listening.

Of course.
Glad I could help.

You know, Cassandra...

she always liked you.

She thought you were hilarious.

That's a compliment, I think.

Yeah.

You didn't--

You never fucked her,
did you?

Christ!

What kind of question
is that?

So...no?

Of course not.

Cool.

See you later.

Fucking nutbag.

Five years.

I despair this masterpiece
may never get finished.

I'm close. I'm close.

I'm just trying to end it.

The end is the most
important part of a story.

Once you've taken them
on this journey,

you can't just leave them.

Things have to wrap up properly.

I want to end it with a quote.

Any quote?

That's the thing.
I don't know.

A quote that ends
the story perfectly.

The story of her.

Say, that's not a bad title.
What do you think,
"The Story of Her?"

I don't like it.

So you're just looking
for any old quote?

I invented my own.

About her.

About our story.

-Drumroll?
-[chuckles]

Not necessary.

It goes like this:

"What does the sun have to fear?

"For he looks down
and sees all the world,

"and all the people on it,

"and they look to him,
and they are lit by him,

"and they cannot live
without him.

"He grows the plants
that feeds them, and...

"heats the air that warms them.

"They are his friends.

"But what of the night?

"Which does nothing
but scare...

"and make it hard
for people to see.

"It has but the moon,
whose glow is ever changing

"and fickle
as the passing of time.

"Only the stars are its friends.

"And what sayeth
the night...

when the starlight ends?"

I like it.

[paper rustling]

[phone buzzing]

[ringtone playing]

[groaning]

Really?

[phone clicks, ringing stops]

Hello.

Huh?

No, that's great.

Listen, man. Listen.
I hate reading.

I hate to read...

and I stayed up
all night last night.

And I'm telling you,
this is your masterpiece.

And I'm telling you thanks.

And as usual,
you're being an asshole.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.
You're right. I--

[sighs]

I just-- I got
to thinking about her.

For real?
It's been five years.

You've got
to get over this chick.

You've got to move on.

I mean,
it's great and all.

All that angst or whatever
that brought you to this book.

But really,
you need to move on.

Listen, you're great.
This is great.

Now, you need to go
out there and get laid.

Thanks.

I, uh...

I'm gonna go see her.

What do you think's
gonna happen?

I don't think
anything's gonna happen.

I just have to know...

if I made
the right choice or not.

If I should have fought
to keep her.

If I should have given
all of this up.

Jacob narrating:
One day since I called her

and heard her voice for
the first time in five years.

I told her I was in town,

that I had tracked her down
through a friend.

She didn't know if it was
a good idea for us
to see each other.

I said it was.

Just to catch up.
Have a mellow chat.

That was what I said.

[doorbell chimes]

-Hi.
-Hi.

It's good to see you.

You're pregnant.

Yeah.

-Come on in.
-Sure.

[softly]: Here.

[exhales]

[clears throat]

This is really great
iced-tea.

You, uh,
make it from scratch?

[chuckles]

No, I buy it at the shop.

It's like five bucks
for 20 bottles.

It's delicious.

You're not, uh...

Oh, no,
caffeine's not good for...

-Oh.
-I get it for Al.

Al?

-That's his name, huh?
-Mm-hmm.

[softly]:
Al.

Al.

Is that short for something?
Alfred? Alvin? Alowishus?

Alan.

-The next one I was gonna say.
-Oh.

Yeah, I was surprised
when you called actually.

You know, I tried to get
in touch a few years ago
after we, uh...

I thought we could be friends.

I was still pretty bitter.

Yeah.

I'm sorry if it's...weird

me coming up here.
I just-- It's uh--

I, uh...just finished
my latest book.

It's the one about you.

The... one I've been
working on forever.

I, uh, I just finished it,

and I don't know, it...

it felt right coming up here
to see you for some reason.

For closure?

I guess.

I've read all your work.

Uh, the stuff
you've been writing

while finishing
that one, I guess.

The novel, the spy novel.

And I saw "Tears of--"

Oh, yeah.

Yeah. I've been pretty busy.

Yeah.

You got a girl?

Sometimes.

Good for you.

What's your last name now?

Miller.

Cassandra Miller.

Alan Miller.

[chuckles]
I like it.

Because it's, uh...exotic.

It's not all that different
from Silver.

No.

No, just a few letters.

And a totally different guy.

[clears throat]

I was, uh...

I was talking to my agent,
Don, the other day,

you remember Don?

Yeah, I think so.

I-I told him I was coming
up here because...

I wanted to see if I'd made
the right choice.

You know,
with how things went,

in the end with you and I.

And?

I feel weird
talking about it.

I mean...

can the baby hear us?

Well, I, uh,

don't want him hearing

some other guy, some other dude
you used to have sex with.

Could be, uh,
confusing for him.

It's a girl.

A girl?

And, no, I think it's fine.

Just don't start yelling
at me or anything.

Yelling at you?

I'm not really
the yelling type.

[chuckles]

No, I know. Yeah.

You were always
really patient.

Whoa!
[laughs]

Well, she just kicked.

Oh.

Here, you wanna feel?

Jacob narrating:
In 41 minutes,
I will walk out.

I will hug her, being careful
not to press my stomach

too hard against her stomach,

because I don't want
to squish her baby

or fold it in half
or something.

She will say
we should keep in touch.

I will say I will.

She will smile
and close the door.

I will walk to my car.

I won't look back.

In one hour and 11 minutes, I will be in my car

on the way to the airport.

I will start crying suddenly,

and then I will stop.

Like those summer rainstorms
that come and go so fast,

it's like it never happened.

Then...I'll rewrite the future.

[clapping and cheering]

Jacob: In this alternate
timeline, she says yes

when I ask her to marry me.

We make love that night,
and she gets pregnant.

Al Miller died in a horrible
sky-diving accident.

No big deal, since neither
of us ever met him.

Our son's name is Morgan.

She always loved that name,
and I say it's fine

as long as we never start
shortening it to become Morg.

Chelsea and David come later.

Chelsea becomes a doctor.

David joins the army
for a week,

then leaves because
he says it's too hard.

He goes to film school.
He wins an Oscar.

He thanks his mom
and says I'm his inspiration.

He gets a star on
the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Morgan is a star tailback
in high school.

He is drafted by L.A.'s
new football team.

In this alternate universe,

L.A. finally has
a football team.

They are terrible,
until Morgan comes along.

Then they win an unprecedented
three straight Super-Bowls.

Cassandra and I get old.

Our bones don't work
so good anymore.

We have to wear diapers.

Her glasses get thicker
every year.

I wear a hearing-aid,
and she's always nagging at me

to turn it up because
I always can't hear her.

We never get Alzheimer's.

We always remember each other,

right up until the day we die.

We die on the same day,

so neither of us
is alone at all.

The last thing she ever asks me

is if I made the right choice.

I ask her if she's happy.

She says of course she is.

Then I just smile.

That's my answer.

[end theme music playing]