- Galleycat? - Gawker.
- Slut. - He's been out twice already.
- Thanks.
Jack bauman's office.
Oh, hi, Morgan.
Yeah, I'm sure he did read them. Um, I did.
I thought it was amazing work.
- So glad you could make it.
If you've got a minute, let's go through my day.
- You know, I'm sure that he would love to talk to you,
uh, but he's in a meeting right now.
- And don't forget to change my shrink appointment.
- Got it.
- Oh, um, I need you to manage another release for me.
- There's nothing scheduled for months.
- It's for the e-book of "waking eyes."
We're tying in the new edition.
- I thought that was coming out next fall.
- A spot opened up on "Charlie rose."
We're moving it up.
- Oh.
- I thought you'd be the perfect person for the job.
- What?
- Well, your father is Milan's agent, right?
- Yeah, but-- - they sent me the arcs.
Get a list from publicity. Let's put our heads together.
Alice?
All right, look, i know it's not glamorous,
but I'm putting my trust in you.
"Waking eyes" is the best seller on our backlist.
All right, all right, look,
what if--what if i read that manuscript
you've been hounding me about, hmm?
- You will? - Yeah, what's the girl's name?
- Karen Malone. - Yeah, Karen.
- Malone. - Okay.
- It's the best thing that I've read since I've been here.
- I said I'd read it.
- Okay, but we have to hurry
because there might be some interest--
- yes, Alan Mitchell, please.
He's busy? Ah. Well, fuck him.
No, I don't want to leave a message.
- So you'll read the manuscript this week?
- Yes.
- Hey.
You're doing the "waking eyes" release?
- Did you know they were moving it up?
- Yeah.
That's the book that made me love books.
I totally identified with her.
Didn't you?
Alice?
- Well, these are friends of my wife.
- Nice to meet you.
- They've just come over from some...
Hey, sport.
You having a good time?
- Sure. - Say hi to everyone.
- Hi.
- Alice wrote a terrific short story last week.
She's gonna be the real deal.
Oh, this is Milan daneker.
This is my daughter, Alice.
- Hi.
- It's a pleasure to meet you.
- Milan is one of your mother's undiscovered writers,
but he's written a book, a good book,
and I'm going to make sure it sells.
- Yes, please. - Yes.
- You got to meet Annette...
- All right. - "Times book review."
Lay a little of that foreign charm on her.
- "She dodged the forced laughter
and the vapid conversations."
"If she could just"--
- oh, sorry.
I-i was just looking around, and, um...
- It's okay.
- Can I?
Really?
So how is it to grow up like this?
- Uh...
It's a little lonely.
- That's what I thought, yes.
Yeah.
And you're a writer too, yes?
- Um...
I don't know.
- I would like to read your story.
- It's nothing.
- Why don't you let me decide?
Well, i-i must--
okay.
- "If she could just make herself small enough"...
"Completely unremarkable"...
- Hi. Sorry.
- Here she is, late as usual.
Mwah.
We were just discussing this new film with, um...
What's his name?
Flavor of the month-- you know who I mean.
- Oh, yeah, yeah. - Yeah. Have you seen it?
- Yeah, Sadie and I went to see it last weekend, actually.
- Mm-hmm.
And?
- We--we kind of enjoyed it.
- I thought you were smarter than that.
Did you know Alice won a scholastic writing award
when she was 16?
- Really? - We'd like to order now.
What'll you have, sport?
Oh, get the beef cheeks.
They're fabulous here.
She'll have the beef cheeks. And you?
- Pasta puttanesca.
- Oh, I'll have the puttanesca.
You have the grilled chicken. Maya?
- She'll have the grilled cheese.
- No, no, a half order of calamari
and some fries for her.
Yeah. Make it a whole order.
Kids love fried stuff.
Here's to you, pal.
- Oh. What are we celebrating?
- Independent booksellers love the book.
Word of mouth is fantastic. - Thank you.
- Congratulations. - Thank you very much.
- Oh, I love watching you eat.
- I know, I know. - You must.
You invite him to dinner every night.
- Anna.
- That looks great.
- So here's to me.
I discover talented writers, develop them for years,
and then you steal them away from me.
- Anna, you told me to get a new agent.
- We're getting some great press in the trades.
Milan is making headway on the next one, right?
- Mm. - Right?
- Yes. - I'm talking to you.
- You're drunk.
- Fuck you.
- Your command of the English language is astonishing.
- Fuck you.
- I think you said that already.
- Cursing was one of the first words I knew in English.
- Really? Who taught you?
- The kid next door.
- Excuse me. I'm going to go freshen up.
- Delicious, huh? Mmm.
- Delicious. - Mmm, mmm.
How's yours?
- Come over here.
- Hello. - Hello.
I'm here to see Jack bauman.
- Oh, yes. Go right in. - Okay, thank you.
- Oh, shit.
- Oh, my god, look at you.
Hey.
- Uh, what are you doing here?
- I just finished my first draft of my new book,
so I'm here to deliver it.
- What, are you kidding? We would've sent someone.
- It's better in person, isn't it?
- Congratulations.
Finally, something worth reading.
- Thank you. - Come into my office.
- It's been far too long.
- Hey, where'd you go? - I'm coming. I'm coming.
- So is it done? - Finally.
- Great.
Alice, where's my lunch?
- Oh, uh, Chez Louis, 1:00 P.M.
- If I'd known you were gonna drop by...
- But maybe I could have lunch with Alice.
- What? - To celebrate.
- I--actually, I can't. I've got--
- you have to eat. - I really need--
- you could toss around some marketing ideas.
- I--you know what? Um...
- She'd love to.
- Please?
How are you?
- Good, good.
Good.
So you're organizing the release of the new edition, yes?
Ironic, huh?
- It's nice.
Tell me about your day.
- Uh...
You know... School.
How was yours?
- You know, writing.
I'm glad you could meet me.
Thank you very much.
When can I read your story?
- It's, like, no big deal.
They, um-- they just printed it
'cause no one really submits stuff,
and, um...
Um, they're kind of desperate.
- Come on.
This line here
is exactly how it feels like
the first time you see someone that you maybe love.
It's, uh...
You're a writer.
What about your writing?
- I'm mostly not.
- That's a shame.
- I read your new bio.
It says that you're teaching a lot.
- Yes, I enjoy it.
- I'm sure.
- You were my first and best student.
- I got to go.
- Alice, I've missed you.
- Why don't you just say, "hey, about that little thing
"that happened 15 years ago that you never owned up to
"or apologized for like you should have,
you motherfucker"-- sorry, Tyler.
- Okay, I should never have told you.
Look, it's not a big deal.
- But he hurt you, Ali.
You don't do publicity for someone who hurt you.
- It's my job.
- I thought your job was to help find and edit
new and wonderful novels.
- Tell that to Jack. - Why don't you?
- Will you help me?
- Besides the fact that I think it's a terrible idea,
what could I do?
- You're a successful web designer.
- Alice.
- Okay, fine. You're a semi-successful web designer
whose best friend thinks she's brilliant.
- Yeah, who gave up her not-so-stellar career
to be a mommy.
- I need to build more of a web presence for the book.
- Oh, that's a great idea.
- Sadie, please, don't make me do this alone.
- You're a real shit, you know that?
Thank you.
All right, I need to go and wrangle a radio spot.
Yay.
- We didn't get to talk
about what you want to do for your birthday.
- Hide in a closet until it's over.
- You better have a big closet.
- You promised.
Come here, buddy. Give me a hug.
I got to go. Hugs.
- Alice, why are you always
running off somewhere you don't want to go?
- Oh, fuck off.
Sorry, Tyler.
All right. - Bye. Call me later.
- I will.
- You want some?
- Hello?
"It was a graceful pas de deux,
"a dance of hate.
"He belittles her, two, three.
She yells, two, three."
- Hello?
- It's me.
This is the new story.
So, uh, I'm not really sure about the ending.
It feels really forced,
and to me, the dialogue is really bogus.
- So...
Do you have a pen?
- Yeah.
- Thanks.
- I can't watch.
- Is that your homework?
- Uh, yeah. I have, like, 100 pages of American history.
- Come over here, kiddo.
Come, let's read together.
It's good. - You made notes all over it.
- I wouldn't bother if it wasn't good.
But it can be better.
It's too abstract.
It's, um...
So it only becomes real...
If you give it concrete details,
concrete details.
Look, here.
It's too abstract.
If you move that one...
Here we go.
- Okay, so who has material to hand out for next class?
- I need one more volunteer.
- I brought in some new pages.
- Um, Alice?
- I had this really radical idea
for this super weapon the xorgots are gonna use
to destroy planet earth. Just wait till you--
- it doesn't have to be complete.
Maybe we could give you some--some ideas or...
- Well, if she doesn't have anything--
- I'm sorry.
- Okay, Josh, what are those aliens up to?
- Oh, my--
look at that view.
It's beautiful.
It's, um...
Come.
So tell me about your day.
- Um...
School.
- School?
- Uh, it's the same every day-- totally boring.
- Oh, not for me. You know, for me, it's like a movie--
cheerleaders, boys in team jackets, holding hands.
- No. - No?
- Mm-mm.
Um, people don't hold hands anymore.
They just hook up.
- They hook up? - Mm-hmm.
- They hook up.
- And, uh, no cheerleaders.
No, wait. I guess we do have uniforms.
- Uniforms? - Mm-hmm.
- Yeah, yeah.
- My best friend, Ruby, just went goth.
- She turned what? - Goth.
- Goth? - Mm-hmm.
- Goth? - Uh-huh.
Well, what--
- you know, like, uh-- like, uh, black eyeliner
and ripped shirts. - Oh, yeah?
- And, uh, her mom would freak out if she knew,
so, she, um--she hides her stuff in the hallway every day
before she leaves. - Uh-huh.
- And, uh, um... - Yeah?
- Um...
Uh... - And, yeah?
- You--you want to hear about this?
- Oh, yeah, yeah.
- Um, well, she says her mom has no idea who she is anymore,
but maybe she never did.
- Yeah.
So Thursday's a good day for you?
- I guess so. - Okay.
See you next Thursday, then.
- I'm sorry, guys.
I know you're wasting precious babysitter time.
I just want to eat in front of the TV
and get sodden and pathetic.
- It is your day. We will do whatever you want.
- Thank you.
Together: Surprise!
- I knew you were gonna make us bring you home.
- Thank you. Aww. I'm going to kill you.
- Happy birthday.
You're really going to enjoy it once you get used to the idea.
- Come on. - Come on, help her blow it out.
- One, two, three.
- Ooh, a little bit more. Oh, oh. Yay.
One more, one more. - Last one.
- Whoo!
- What?
- What you writing?
- My journal.
- Come on.
- Mm-mm.
- I want to know you.
- I can't.
- One page.
- Okay.
My heart is pounding.
I have to get up.
A kiss.
A real one.
- Oh, sorry. - No, that's okay.
I was just-- i was reading.
Sorry. Do you need-- - no, no.
I-i was just looking for a place to hide out.
- My friend invited me.
I don't even know the girl who this is for.
Yeah? - Yeah.
- Well, happy birthday. - Shh.
I'm trying to pretend like I don't have to grow up.
- Is there anything i can do to help?
- Maybe.
- Yeah.
- Looks good.
- So what are you reading?
Oh.
I love that character.
The female Holden caulfield.
- Yeah, that's what they say.
- Not a favorite?
- No.
- So why are you sitting alone
in a bathroom on your birthday reading it?
Work.
- What do you do?
- That is not an age-appropriate question.
- You're right. I'm sorry.
- Want some?
- Definitely.
- Alice.
Oh, Emmett.
- Hi.
Hey.
What?
- You were right. I did have a good time.
I'm glad.
- Hey. - Hey.
- Thanks for inviting me.
- Yeah.
- Wait. You two know each other?
- Uh, he was rob's freshman year roommate,
but I actually met him first...
Freshman mixer.
- Oh, right.
- You're kidding. - No.
- Okay. College, wow.
Let me help you up. - Thank you.
Can I help with the cleanup?
- No, no, no.
We got this. You've done enough.
- You recycle?
- Uh, I plead the fifth.
What about your mom?
- She stayed home with us.
Do you have sponges?
- Uh, uh...
Sorry.
- Yeah, they've been married 35 years,
sometimes happily, sometimes not.
They're abnormally normal.
- Wow. You're, like, some kind of almost extinct species.
They should breed you in captivity.
- So, aside from not being environmental activists,
what's your family like?
- Um...
Not much like a family,
I guess.
- And?
- Nuts.
- Oh, that explains it.
Thanks.
- Look, just so we're clear,
I don't really do nuts.
- I'll keep that in mind.
Hey.
- Hey.
How do you take your coffee?
- Black.
- Okay.
- I'll call you later?
- So, while he was building a bionicle,
I posted on new yorker books, Paris review, galleycat.
Uh, what else? - How am I gonna thank you?
- Oh, I don't know. Foot massage?
Not too high, Ty.
- So Alice grew up and became
a wife and mother just like everybody else.
Isn't that sad?
- Yeah.
But it would make me sadder if she hadn't.
Your face is chapped.
When you're near 30, you have to moisturize.
Trust me.
- Kissing.
- What?
- Too much kissing.
- Never say that to a married person.
Emmett. - Yeah, I guessed.
Look at you. - What?
- I'm so glad.
- It's terrifying. - And exhilarating.
- Mom? - What is it, baby?
- Jesus Christ. - Mom?
- Okay.
- Alice. - Dad.
- I forgot I need a jacket for this thing tonight.
Here, this was in the middle of the living room.
- It's not mine.
- Well, where the hell did it come from?
God, it reeks.
- I think it's Milan's.
- Milan's?
- He was here this afternoon.
- Did he bring by a new draft?
- He, uh-- he came to see me.
- You?
- Yeah.
He's been helping me with my writing.
- What? Wha--
since when?
- A while.
- Well...
You couldn't have a better mentor.
You're a lucky girl.
- Yeah.
- I expect great things of you.
- Good night.
- Okay, here.
So this lady, she hasn't voted in 20 years.
She starts reading our most outrageous quotes of the day,
sees her senator waxing poetic
about the benefits of hydrofracking.
Immediately promises to volunteer
for anyone who will run against him.
- Wow. - And this guy--oh, my god.
I love the way they curse in the south.
- You do realize you're a fanatic, don't you?
- Yeah, sorry. - Mm.
- You, uh--you want some of my pakora?
- Yes, I want to try your pakoras.
- I approved your entry, so you can post it anytime.
I'm the last one here, so I'm gonna head out.
See you tomorrow. - Bye.
- Bye. Thank you. - Bye.
- It's nice to know somebody
who actually likes what they do.
I always wanted to be a writer when I grew up.
- Are you?
- Grown up?
- No, writing.
- No.
- How come?
- I sit there waiting to hear the characters speak,
and instead, i have this voice in my head,
saying, "this is shit. This is shit. This is shit."
- Come on, that voice?
Everybody hears that voice.
It's the same voice that says,
"i can't believe you just said that, you fucking moron."
Everybody hears that voice.
- You think?
- Yeah.
Most people just ignore it.
- Really? I just...
Succumb.
- Yeah?
I like a girl who knows how to succumb.
- Really?
- Really.
- Shit.
- Ah.
Well, good morning.
This the new jacket copy? - Yeah.
- Great. - I thought that you--
- can you get Harold Blake for me?
- Did you get a chance to read Karen's manuscript?
- Uh-huh. Not yet.
The Fisher book's exploding.
- But you will this week.
- As soon as I get a free moment.
Now, Milan did an interview with the press office.
Can you see if he said anything we haven't heard before?
- This week?
- I'm sorry? - This week.
- Oh, yes, of course.
I really need to talk to Harold.
- Harold's on line one.
"The only real rule of good writing is generosity."
- Rule number one-- generosity.
You must be willing to share yourself.
Oh, I brought you a present. - You did?
- Yeah.
It's a birthday present.
I wrote you a poem.
- I didn't know you write poetry.
- I don't, but you inspire me, so...
Come.
- Um...
- What do you think?
- Uh, it's--it's-- it's nice.
- "Nice"?
- I have a--i have a precalc test tomorrow.
Jesus, I hate this stuff. - Alice?
- It's okay.
- Okay. I'm glad you liked the poem.
- Anything we can use?
- Nothing that we haven't heard before.
- Damn.
Get me Susan at Simon & schuster.
- Sorry.
- So are you ever on time?
- No. But, um...
I got you these.
- Thanks.
- Oh, wow. Alfred marks began working
at the white house at the age of 28.
Good for Alfred.
Louise Van Der zwan--
okay, stop. - All right, stop.
- What?
- Is this what you do every Sunday morning?
You just sit here and envy other people's lives?
- No, that is pretty much a full-time occupation.
- You know it's pointless, right?
- Yes, I do.
You can't write in front of me. - What?
- No, I'm serious. If anyone's gonna write in my apartment,
it's going to be me.
- But you don't.
- Thank you for pointing that out.
- Come on, it's not like there's a finite number
of words in the room,
and if I use them all,
there won't be enough left for you.
- Why does everything you say have to make so much sense?
It's fucking infuriating.
- Okay, shut up now.
- Seeing anyone special, sport?
- Not really.
- You know, having children
is the most satisfying thing life has to offer.
- Yeah.
- How's the writing going?
- Oh, you know...
There is a book that I read that I thought was terrific.
- Yeah? - Yeah, I'm trying to get Jack
to read it.
- Yeah?
- Um, well, I thought that maybe you would have a look.
Maybe you'd want to meet with the writer.
- Jack hasn't read it?
- Don't worry about that. I'll get him to read it.
I just--i just thought you might want to meet with her.
Her name's Karen Malone. She, um--she did "Iowa."
She has this amazing short story.
- No, no. I'm going to call him up.
- No, dad. Please don't. That's not what I meant.
- Well, I can fix it, sport.
- Dad, dad, I'll get him to read it.
I just wanted your opinion.
- Okay.
- Dad, I mean it. Don't call him.
- Okay, honey, i won't call him.
Hey, tiger.
Are you having fun? Huh?
- Great work.
Um, Alice, can you hang out a minute?
Look, do you want me to refund your tuition?
- What?
- It's past the official deadline,
but I could ask them to make an exception.
- It's not that I'm not trying.
- Why don't you sign up again when you feel like you're ready?
- Thanks.
Yeah, I know he's doing a lot of press right now,
but it would be great if he could squeeze in
the "waking eyes" re-release party.
Okay, no, I don't have any confirmations yet, but...
I can hold.
- Is this Jack bauman's office?
- Yeah, is he expecting you?
- Karen Malone.
- Karen, hi.
I'm Alice. - Nice to meet you.
It's really nice to meet you too.
- So could you tell him I'm here?
- Hey, Karen, come on in.
- Hi. - Jack bauman.
- So nice to meet you. - Pleasure to meet you.
- Alice. Hi. - Dad?
- Am I late?
See, sport, i told you I'd fix it, huh?
Can I take you to lunch when we're through here?
- Ben, good to see you. - Hey.
- Hi. - Karen.
- How are you? - All right.
- Hi. - Hi.
- Uh, Keith.
I'm watching Tyler.
- Oh, okay.
- We were at the park all day. He's taking a nap.
- Um, I'm Alice. - Yeah, um, hi.
- Hi.
- Sadie's at, uh, prenatal yoga.
Um, she'll be back in, like, an hour and a half.
- Maybe you could just tell her that I came by.
She could call me. - Yeah, sure.
- Okay.
You know what? Actually, maybe I'll just check on Tyler,
if that's okay. - Yeah, sure. Come on in.
- He's such a great kid. - Yeah.
I--we read this in my, uh, modern lit class last year.
- Oh?
- I didn't finish it.
- Well, you can have that copy if you want.
- It's kind of dated.
- What?
- Keith?
What the fuck are you doing?
- Uh, what are you doing home?
- I decided to skip deep relaxation.
Is there someone in there?
- Um...
- Keith, get out of here.
- Okay.
Um... You owe me 40.
- Now. - Okay.
- What the hell are you doing?
- I don't know.
- He's a kid. - I know.
- If Tyler had woken up, oh, my god,
he would've been so confused. - I know.
- What about Emmett? - I know, I know.
I don't know.
- Hey, honey. - Mama?
- Yeah, baby?
- Aunt Alice!
- Aunt Alice has to leave now.
- Okay.
- Still waiting on that updated guest list.
- I'm working on it.
You could have told me that you read it, that you liked it.
- That we're publishing it.
- You are?
- I thought daddy would've spread the word.
- Well, who are you assigning it to?
- I'm editing it myself.
- It's not your kind of book.
- Eh.
- I found her. I--
- Alice, that's your job.
You cull the good stuff. I decide if it's good enough.
- Yeah, but listen, i have some great ideas--
- shh. Now, listen, there's no way I'm going to let
an inexperienced editor work with an inexperienced writer.
- I've worked here for two years.
- And how many books have you edited?
- My point exactly.
- I will cc you in my notes.
You can come to me with your thoughts anytime you like.
Now, listen, Milan is expecting you at the taping tomorrow.
The new novel is almost unreadable.
Make sure he sticks to "waking eyes," okay?
You're the best.
- So 15 years. - Mm-hmm.
- You've written seven novels since "waking eyes,"
and none has become the kind of cultural icon.
- No, unfortunately not.
- What do you think makes it
so perennially popular?
- Um...
What I think it is, is that everyone has been a teenager,
and...
We all know how out of kilter it makes you.
- All right. Is it--
okay, so are you gonna tell me the secret now?
- All right, I think I'm gonna actually tell you.
Come here for a second.
No one can hear this, actually.
Mm.
- What?
- I have to go.
- So go.
- It's not important.
- So the question i have to ask...
- Which I probably have answered many times before, so go ahead.
- Possibly.
How does a man in his 40s
perfectly capture the essence
of a teenage girl?
- Um...
This opening paragraph is self-indulgent.
95% of writing is rewriting.
You know that.
And here, here's another dangling preposition.
The way you mangle the English language is--
look at this. I'm the immigrant here.
- I was hanging out with my friend. I forgot.
I'm sorry.
I do this because I believe in your talent.
- I know.
- Come here.
I do this because I love you.
- I know. - Yeah.
- I met a boy.
- Oh, I'm happy.
So glad.
I want you to be happy.
What can I do to make you happy?
We all like a mystery,
but there's no mystery girl in it.
It's all fiction,
and, um...
At that time, i did walk around in the city
and listen in on subways, coffee shops...
- Mm-hmm. - Streets, you know,
and I still do, now and then,
listen in to see if girls have changed.
You know? - Hmm. And have they?
- Some things never change.
- Hi. - Hi.
- Special delivery.
- What the hell are you doing here?
No, no, you need to go.
I have somebody coming here. - Another time?
- No, no.
- Why?
- Look, I just turned 29. - Really?
- And I guess it messed with my head.
Shit.
- Hey. - Hi.
- This is Keith.
- Yeah?
- Uh, he's Sadie's babysitter.
- Yeah?
- You her husband? - Yeah.
- No.
- Keith was just leaving.
- Yeah, um...
Sorry, man.
- I got us some wine.
- Alice?
- I went to Sadie's the other day, and I forgot that.
- And?
- Well, I told him that he could borrow it.
- Before or after you forgot it?
- Emmett.
- Did you...?
Fuck.
- Emmett, can-- can we just talk about it?
Please, it was the day that I found out
about the manuscript.
I was really upset.
I am never gonna to see this guy again.
Emmett. Listen, let's just talk about it.
Emmett.
- I will not let you make me as crazy as you are.
- Dad? - Hey, champ, come.
Come and meet Alana.
- You must be Alice. - Hi.
- Sit, sit, sit, sit.
Alana is a fantastic conductor.
Women are really coming into their own in that field.
- What about Maya, dad?
- I'm gonna see her. Yeah.
Helene just needs a little time to cool down.
- Oh, dad.
- Hey, hey.
You know how it is, right?
- Sorry. I just, uh...
Suddenly started to just feel--
- Alice? - Excuse me.
- Alice.
- What are you doing here?
- I brought food.
- You know how precious sleep is to me.
- I need to talk. Sadie--
- Emmett is my friend, and Keith is our neighbors' kid.
- Look, I'm sorry. - Good.
- I brought Dulce de leche.
- You know I love you more than almost anyone,
except Tyler and rob and my mother...Sometimes.
But I'm starting not to like you very much...
And I'd never forgive you for that.
I need to not see you for a while.
What about the book?
- Screw you, Alice.
- You know what? I--
can we just-- can we just not?
- What?
- I'm really tired.
- No, I don't-- i don't think so.
- Okay.
- We did things. - "Things"?
- Things.
- You hooked up.
- Yeah.
- Was it wonderful?
It should be wonderful. Was it?
- Mm...
- Please, tell me about it--
come on, how it was like.
Did he make you come?
I want to make you come.
I want to be first person to make you come.
Come here.
Look at me.
Don't close your eyes.
Open your eyes.
Don't close your eyes.
That's not the way we do it.
- Look at me.
It's just something that I do, that I've always done.
I see that look in a guy's eyes,
like he wants me.
I don't know.
It's the only thing that makes me feel real.
- I want you.
- I know.
- So?
- So it wears off.
Like...
I start wondering, "what's wrong with this guy?
Why can't he do better?"
- That is unbearably sad.
- I know.
- But I probably can.
- Yeah.
Hey.
Give me a hug.
- I got a hose. - Cool.
- It's an ambush.
- Where's my hat? I need to be protected.
- Here you go.
- I can't not be your friend for one more day.
- With friends like you...
Honey, be careful.
- I figure if even you can't put up with me,
I'm gonna have to do something about it.
- Yeah, you better.
- Aunt Alice, emergency, emergency!
You're on fire! - I am?
- Say "help"!
- Help.
Um, hi. My name is Alice Harvey.
I am a volunteer for people for the people,
and I'm calling you because...
This is such an important election,
and it's so important that you--
hello?
- Hey, you made it.
- Of course.
- Come on in.
Hi, nice to meet you.
- Hi. - Thanks for coming.
Everyone, listen up.
Let's take a little five-minute break.
Put your phones down.
This is Emmett Grant,
who founded people for the people.
He is the guy that got us all here tonight.
Whoo-hoo!
- I didn't get you here. You got yourselves here.
Everybody take a look around the room.
I forgot to thank our hostess for this evening.
Thanks.
Did you look around?
It's a room full of people, right?
See, we reached out to you.
Tonight you're here.
You're reaching out to others,
and then with any luck,
those others are gonna reach out
on election day and fill in the right bubbles,
and maybe together,
we can change the political landscape.
If not...
We can because it's the reaching out that matters.
It's the reaching out that scares the shit out of them,
even when our guys don't win.
So please, please,
just keep reaching out.
Thank you. - Whoo-hoo.
- Yeah! - Awesome.
That was a really nice speech.
- I should have known. - Listen, I love you both.
- You've got about five minutes.
- How could you use this event for personal reasons?
- That's not fair.
I wanted to help you. I know how important this is to you.
- Keep calling.
- Emmett--
- no, actions have consequences, Alice.
- Hey, we got to move on.
- I'm reaching out.
- I have to go.
- Please, please, please, just keep reaching out.
- What would you like, sport?
- I'd like to start with the arugula salad, please.
- You know, the duck is fabulous here.
You should try it. - And I'd like the filet.
- Why don't you bring her the duck?
Milan...
You want to tell them?
- It's all your doing.
- Bullshit.
Bookseller preorders for "waking eyes," unbelievable.
We may have a best seller on our hands.
- Oh. - You're a genius, pal.
- Hayworth's marketing department is.
- Okay, so we're all geniuses.
- Please pass the rolls.
- Sylvio is good,
but not if he doesn't have something great to sell.
- Could you pass the rolls, please?
- Would you just stop kissing each others' asses
and enjoy the moment?
- Do you have to be so crude?
- Do you have to be so smug?
- I'm happy.
Not that you'd have any idea what that feels like.
- Mm-hmm. I wonder why.
- Actually, I'd like to stick to the filet.
- Okay, sport.
And duck for me and a side of spinach.
So can anybody explain to me the appeal
of that--that--that guy in that movie.
Oh, jeez, you know the one, the one that won best picture.
- I can messenger a copy over today.
Yes, I will hold.
Hi. Um, one second.
Uh, yeah, I'll send it right over.
Okay, great. Thanks.
- My agent said that you gave him my book.
- Shit!
- I'm not sure i did you any favors.
- I was actually working on something new before all this,
and, um, I would love if you could take a look.
- Yeah?
- It's my first chapter.
- I-I'd love to. Um...
- Great. - Thank you.
- Look into the camera.
Wave to the camera.
- Yes, greenstreet is coming.
Terrific. How many guests will that be?
Okay, great.
Thanks.
- Alice.
- He's just finishing up a call. He should be right out.
- Could I take you to lunch?
- Why?
- Sorry to make you wait. Hot off the presses.
One for you. One for you.
It's got the new dedication.
- Oh, that's great. - Nice, huh?
Come in, come in.
- "Still she haunts me phantomwise,
"Alice moving under skies,
never seen by waking eyes."
- Milan daneker--
he'll be reading from his new novel,
"waking eyes."
Mr. daneker.
- Thank you, Martin. - Mm-hmm.
- Sorry.
Yes.
"She was slouching under the weight
"of a too-big book bag,
"cracking her gum fiercely
"like a line of defense.
"But her eyes cried out,
'love me. Oh, please, love me.'"
"'a little lonely,' she said.
"'My mom has no idea who I am anymore,
"but maybe she never did.'
"she swayed with a graceful pas de deux,
"the dance of hate.
"She was small enough.
"She was invisible to them and always would be.
"Her eyes opened wider and wider
"as she came,
brimming with surprise"...
"Pleasure, and ineffable sadness."
Thank you.
- Alice?
Alice, what is it?
- I have to tell you something.
- Fantastic night.
- Yeah, yeah. - You're a natural.
- No, I was terrified. - You were great.
Wasn't he great? - Mm-hmm.
Yes, it went very well.
- I can't believe that woman
from the New York review of books was there.
- She was interesting.
- She was eating out of your hand.
- Ben.
- Alice, um...
Your mother told me what you said.
- I had to.
- Yes, I told him it wasn't true.
- What?
- It isn't true? - It's what he said.
I asked him. He said it's understandable.
- Yes.
Like I told him, you maybe misinterpreted it somehow.
- Is that what it is, Alice?
- I think it's what you wish were true.
- Alice? - Stop the car.
- It's perfectly natural to have feelings for someone
that you look up to. - I'm flattered.
- I really--i don't know what to think anymore.
- He said he may have used details from your life...
- Writers are magpies.
- To make the character more real.
- Please stop the car!
- Alice.
Alice!
- Hey.
What are you doing here?
Are you okay?
Alice?
Are you all right?
Oh, please, please.
It's, um-- - is this the new book?
- Yeah.
- Whose life did you appropriate this time?
- No one.
Uh, well, there's bits and pieces here and there.
You know what I mean? Yeah.
- Yeah.
- It was such a long time ago.
- What?
What... - Alice.
Was such a long time ago?
Concrete details.
You must give me concrete details to make it real.
- I know at that age, little things seem enormous.
- Your warm...
Heavy arms around me...
The smoky taste of your tongue in my mouth.
- I was helping you.
- The feel of your hard-on against my thigh.
- But nothing really happened. - Yes, it did!
- Yes, well, you seemed to enjoy it at the time.
- You were one of the few people who ever...
Actually seemed to see me...
To make me feel real and important.
- But you are. - You used me.
- Oh, come on. - You abandoned me.
- Alice-- - you made me feel
like I was nothing all over again.
- Not nothing. It's...
It's a beautiful character.
- I know.
And I've been living in her shadow for 15 years.
Good-bye, Milan.
- Hey, Emmett.
- What?
- Come here.
- What? Did Jeff screw up again?
- No, I just got a Google alert.
- Reaching out scares the shit out of them,
even when our guys don't win.
So please, please, please, just keep reaching out.
- Because I love you.
- Gentlemen. How are we?
Where's Alice?
- I haven't seen her yet. Sadie?
Where the hell is Alice?
- She had something better to do.
- What? - Wait. Who are you?
- Her best friend.
Are you ready to read, Mr. daneker?
- I am.
- Walk this way.
- Some old lady
with a slight beard let me in.
- Mrs. rayburn.
- Oh.
Emmett...
I'm sorry that I hurt you.
- Thanks.
- I might not be ready to take on the world,
but I think...
That I can remember...
To think about one other person.
- Yeah?
- I'd like that to be you.
- I'll think about it.
- Okay.
- 100 was really good.
- You're the girl in the book, aren't you?
Not anymore.