Gifted (2017)
Genre: Drama
Director: Marc Webb
Writers: Tom Flynn
Stars: Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate, Octavia Spencer, Glenn Plummer, Julie Ann Emery, Joe Chrest, Keir O’Donnell, Jona Xiao, John Finn, John M. Jackson, Jon Sklaroff
Plot: Frank, a single man raising his child prodigy niece Mary, finds himself in a custody battle with his mother over Mary’s future and well-being, as his desire for her to live a normal life clashes with his mother’s ambitions for Mary’s intellectual potential.
* * *
FRANK: Hey! Come on. Let’s move!
MARY: No!
FRANK: Let me see.
MARY: No!
Come on. I made you a special breakfast.
MARY: You can’t cook.
Hey, Mary, open up!
You look beautiful.
I look like a Disney character.
(SIGHS)
Where’s the “special”?
The what?
You said you made me a special breakfast.
Please don’t make me go.
You can keep homeschooling me.
I’ve taught you everything I know.
But I don’t wanna go.
Well, I don’t wanna go to work, but I do.
You don’t go to work. You fix the boats on a dock.
Okay. It’s a poor example, but you’re still going.
But what about Fred?
FRANK: What about him?
MARY: You won’t take care of him.
You don’t like cats.
I don’t like two-eyed cats.
Fred, as you know, is monocular.
Who’s gonna throw him his ping pong ball?
Fred’s gonna be fine. No more argument, okay?
We’ve discussed this ad nauseam.
What’s ad nauseam?
Oh, you don’t know?
Well, looks like someone needs school.
(CHILDREN CHATTERING)
This is gonna be fun.
You’re gonna meet kids today
you can borrow money from the rest of your life.
Come on.
You’re gonna be great.
You know, just…
I don’t know. Try bein’ a kid.
(KNOCKING)
ROBERTA: Mmm-mmm.
Frank!
Frank, I know you hear me.
Frank!
(LOCKS DOOR)
(DOORKNOB RATTLING)
There’s still time for you to undo this nonsense.
Go get in your car and go get that child.
Are you technically allowed to
use those keys whenever you want?
How can you stand there…
acting all calm and everything, Frank,
and make light of this?
Now go get her back before it’s too late.
She gotta get out in the world.
She has no friends her age.
No social skills.
She doesn’t know how to be a kid.
Two nights ago, she told me
that even if Germany bails out the euro…
there could still be a worldwide depression.
I was staring at the ceiling for three hours.
(CRYING) I’m so worried.
(SIGHS) Come on, Roberta.
If you start crying,
I’m gonna have to pretend to start crying.
Hey.
You know, there’s something you could be overlookin’.
This could work out.
Maybe.
But if anybody takes that baby away…
I’ll smother you in your sleep.
Morning, Fred.
(KEYS JANGLING)
(DOOR CLOSES)
(SIGHS)
BONNIE: One plus one is two.
That is fact number one of today.
Who can tell me what two plus two is?
Who’s got it?
Mmm-hmm?
Four.
Excellent, Donna.
It is. Two plus two is, indeed, four.
Okay, who wants to try three plus three?
Three plus three? Really?
I beg your pardon?
What kinda school is this anyway?
It’s the kind of school
where students don’t speak without permission.
All right. But everyone knows it’s six.
Nobody in this classroom speaks…
unless they are called upon.
Okay? Is everybody clear on that?
STUDENTS: Yes, ma’am.
Good. Mary, can you stand up please?
Stand on up. Stand up, babe.
These questions are for you because you’re so advanced.
What is nine plus eight?
17.
Yeah. Yes, it is. That’s good.
What is…
15 plus 17?
32.
(STAMMERS) Yeah. That is right.
All right, then.
Well, what is 57 plus 135?
192.
Yeah.
Can you tell me…
what 57 multiplied by 135 is?
(EXHALES)
Okay.
Who can tell me what four…
7,695.
GIRL: I don’t think anyone can do that.
MARY: The square root is 87.7.
And change.
Now what does ad nauseam mean?
I have a very strange kid.
I have 27 strange kids.
Good morning.
Good morning, good morning, good morning.
BONNIE: That’s great, guys, but take your seats, okay?
Oh, God. See ya.
Good morning, Ms. Stevenson.
Good morning.
Mind if I sit in?
Not at all!
Okay, class.
I have a treat for you.
I would like to introduce you to our principal, Mrs. Davis.
Good morning, first graders.
STUDENTS: Good morning, Mrs. Davis.
Are you ready for a great year?
STUDENTS: Yes!
Uh… Yes, Mary?
She’s the boss?
Mrs. Davis is our principal. Mm-kay…
Okay. Now I want you
to get on your phone and call Frank…
and tell him to get me out of here!
AMANDA: Wait a minute. That’s the dad? I know him.
I see him at Ferg’s almost every Friday night.
He’s the quiet, damaged hot guy.
What are you doing at Ferg’s every Friday night?
Trying to get picked up by him.
Excuse me? Hi.
Oh. Look, it’s my teacher.
Probably wants to remind me what one plus one is.
Go to the car, okay?
Hi.
Hi.
Sorry to yell at you and then chase you down.
It’s okay. Mary’s teacher?
Yes. I’m Bonnie Stevenson.
Frank. How are you? Sorry about today.
I know she got a little overexcited.
I think it’s just first day jitters.
Sure. Yeah.
We’re running a little late actually. We gotta get going.
Okay. I don’t even wanna talk about that.
I’ll keep you just a minute.
Okay.
I think your daughter…
I think Mary might be gifted.
What?
Yeah. Today in Math, she answered some really…
Oh, no, no, no. That’s…
No, please.
It’s not gifted.
Really difficult questions.
All right.
Just that a seven-year-old would…
It’s Trachtenberg.
Jakow Trachtenberg.
I’m sorry?
Spent seven years in a Nazi concentration camp.
Developed a system to rapidly solve problems.
It’s the Trachtenberg method.
But she’s…
I mean, she’s seven though.
I learned it when I was eight.
Do I look gifted to you?
It’s kind of gone out of vogue
since the invention of the calculator…
but, uh, I can still win a drink at a bar using it.
Sorry for today.
Won’t happen again.
Okay.
Nice to meet you. Bonnie.
Frank.
(CAR DOOR CLOSES)
(ENGINE STARTS)
Hmm.
For the record, I didn’t wanna go
to the stupid school in the first place.
And the boy in the next row
acts inappropriately for someone who’s a child.
I’m sorry. I’m still passive aggressively ignoring you.
Other kids answer questions. They don’t get into trouble.
You didn’t get in trouble for answering questions.
You yelled at the principal.
You know what? You’re gonna find this interesting.
So, I googled “first graders who yell at the principal…”
and statistically, you’re never gonna
believe how many kids do it.
How many?
None.
(STARTS MOTOR)
Frank, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.
Yeah, right.
You can’t show off like that at school.
I know.
You promised you wouldn’t, then the first day…
I know, I know. I screwed up.
Do you think maybe this boat needs a test ride?
Go get Fred.
Don’t run.
(music playing)
I listen to the wind To the wind of my soul
Where I’ll end up Well, I think
Only God really knows
I’ve sat upon the setting sun
But never, never, never, never
I never wanted water once
No, never, never, never
Fred loves to watch the sandpipers.
He thinks he’d like to catch one…
but he’d regret it.
Fred’s not a killer.
He’s a lover.
(MARY SIGHS)
Would my mom have wanted me to go to this school?
I can only guess.
But I’ll tell you what,
she would have wanted you to have friends.
Idiot friends?
And she’d want you to have compassion for others.
Like a cat can have for a sandpiper.
But what if they don’t like me?
Then they’re idiots.
Good morning, class.
STUDENTS: Good morning, Ms. Stevenson.
Good morning, Mary.
(SING-SONG) Good morning, Ms. Stevenson.
Okay, good morning.
Get a hold of yourself.
For my Show and Tell, I have…
the most awesome cat in the history of time.
Not only is his name Fred, but…
(FRED MEOWS)
He has just one eye.
Uno. Go ahead and count…
but I promise you, it’s always one.
How did he lose his eye?
I don’t know. I wasn’t there.
Just found him inside of a trash can
next to a bottle of alcohol or something.
He is a smart, smart cat, but no one realizes that.
No one understands him. No one.
BONNIE: Put your name on the top of the paper…
so that I know who did such good work.
BOY: I left my pen with you.
BONNIE: Pass those around, guys.
Okay? I wanna see your work.
Turn around, face the desk.
Think about how you get to the answer.
It’s not just about, you know, guessing.
Don’t be messy.
Done.
(TAPPING PEN ON DESK)
Let’s see.
Mmm-hmm.
Okay. I thought you might finish quickly,
so a little something extra.
Done.
(TYPING)
(GASPS)
Oh…
(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)
Do you know who I am?
Hey! Mary’s teacher…
BOTH: Bonnie.
You lied to me.
Okay.
Can you narrow it down?
Mmm-hmm.
I’d like to know the truth about Mary, my student…
your niece.
FRANK: I was running
ridiculously late for a date…
and my sister showed up with Mary.
And she never just showed up unannounced.
She never showed up with the baby.
She said she wanted to talk.
She said she needed to talk.
I told her I would talk to her when I got back.
I think I figured showing up that late to my date…
would hurt my chances of gettin’ laid.
Came home that night and Mary was on the couch…
and found Diane on the bathroom floor.
I mean, there’s no way I coulda known…
but I shoulda known.
Six and a half years later,
me and Mary are still hangin’ out.
And what about the father?
(SCOFFS)
Diane was so socially awkward…
she didn’t date enough to know a good guy from a bad guy.
This particular guy didn’t last a month.
And no grandparents?
Dad died when I was eight. My mom… (SCOFFS)
Short version is she turned her back on Diane
when she got pregnant.
Why?
Didn’t fit into her plan.
She’s an exacting woman, my mother.
Uncompromising.
Very British.
Do you mean, British in demeanor or…
No. Like she’s…
She’s from England.
From England. Yeah.
(SIGHS)
So, Mary is a genius?
(SIGHS)
(CHILDREN CHATTERING)
ALL: Oh!
(BOY LAUGHING)
Look out. Look out.
Your little animals are escaping, dumbass.
Hey! You should not be laughing!
You did a mean thing to a little kid!
What are you gonna do about it?
(SMACKS)
(CRYING)
Hey. Hey, you okay?
You good? All right.
How do we resolve this?
You know, she could be expelled.
God. I hope not.
But if every other first-time offender was expelled,
I guess fair is fair.
Are you gonna take this seriously?
Sure. You don’t bluff me, I don’t bluff you.
Ms. Stevenson believes
that your child is exceptional…
and has talents that our curriculum
can’t begin to challenge.
It just so happens
that I am good friends with the headmaster
of the Oaks Academy for Gifted Education.
He has always said
that if I find that one in a million…
And the one in a million has a $30,000 tuition.
Mr. Adler, I can get your daughter a scholarship.
Full ride.
I wouldn’t say it if I couldn’t do it.
(EXHALES)
I realize, putting that girl in that setting,
you know, 99 times out of a 100, that’s what you do.
It’s the Oaks. It’s a great school.
I looked into it.
But this family has a history with those schools.
And I think the last thing that little girl needs
is reinforcement that she’s different.
Trust me, she knows. So…
I think Mary, I think she’s gotta be here.
Today’s a bad ending. You can’t hit people.
But a 12-year-old bullies a seven-year-old
and she stands up?
Do you know how important it is to me that she did that?
You know how proud I am of her? Aren’t you?
Mr. Adler, your daughter shattered a young boy’s…
I know. You can’t hit people.
That will be made very clear. I get that.
But Mrs. Davis, if we separate our leaders,
if we segregate them from people like you and me,
you get congressmen.
So, I’m sorry.
I wish I could take your offer, but Mary stays.
Unless you kick her out.
This is a mistake. We’ll never be able to raise this child
to the level of scholarship she deserves.
Well, just dumb her down into a decent human being.
Everybody wins.
(DOOR OPENS)
You know what? Can you excuse me one minute?
Bring me every piece of paperwork
we have on this girl.
Hey.
Are you sure you know what you’re doing?
No.
Okay. Mary, I think
you have something you’d like to say to the class.
You wanna hop up and say it?
Okay. I’m supposed to say something.
Hitting people is wrong even if they’re bad.
I won’t do it again, so don’t be afraid of me.
Okay. Thank you.
Now can I say something I wanna say?
Sure.
Before they ruined it,
Justin’s zoo was the best art project.
By far. It was awesome.
(SCATTERED APPLAUSE)
Come on. A little harder.
(ALL APPLAUDING)
Okay.
Thank you. Thank you.
There’s a lady standing in front of our door.
Who is it?
How should I know? I’m seven.
(STOPS ENGINE)
That would be your grandmother.
Holy shit!
An Apple? Whoa.
It’s a MacBook, darling.
Top of the line with the Retina Display.
Hey, you know who else has a Retina Display?
Fred!
Mary, I understand you like mathematics.
So, on there,
you’ll find a great
out-of-print book by Charles Zimmer
called Transitions in Advanced Algebra.
Yeah. Love that book.
You’re saying you’ve read it?
Yeah. I’ve kind of moved on to differential equations now.
Don’t forget your manners. Thank your grandma.
Thank you, Grandma.
Grandmother or Evelyn will do just fine.
There’s so much more on there.
Things I know you’ll find really challenging.
Yes. But sadly, it’s a school night
and there’s homework to do.
What a surprise though, right?
Say good night to Grandmother or Evelyn.
Good night.
I’d kill a priest for a Benadryl.
Still with the allergies?
Why in God’s name have you got a cat?
You don’t even like cats.
It’s not my cat. It’s Mary’s cat.
I’m just along for the ride.
So let me guess.
Our lovely principal, Ms. Davis.
Never get on the bad side of small-minded people
who have a little authority.
I thought I taught you that.
What are you doin’ here?
You don’t think I have the right
to see my granddaughter?
I do. I’m thrilled your seven-year exhaustive search
has finally come to a fruitful conclusion.
I don’t think this is an appropriate time to talk.
Certainly not the setting.
While I was waiting, a cockroach this big
tried to steal my shoe.
Yeah. They’ll take a shoe.
Honestly, this?
This godforsaken mosquito ranch was a conscious choice?
I could drop you back off at the airport.
(CAR DOOR CLOSES)
(ENGINE STARTS)
This thing is loaded with cool problems.
EVELYN: So, are you teaching?
FRANK: I repair boats.
Please.
I’m not bad at it either.
Well, then, that explains this.
They don’t sell sunscreen here?
I wear sunscreen.
Not enough. And you need a hat.
A big hat that shades your face and neck.
You’re playing Russian roulette with your skin.
You look like a porn producer.
Okay. I appreciate the advice. I do.
But we’re not here to talk about sunscreen, are we?
Oh, so no more small talk? That’s a shame.
Okay. The environment you have created for that child
where she lives, the school she attends,
it’s substandard, every bit of it.
I disagree.
We’re getting nowhere
if we’re not gonna be honest with each other.
I am being honest.
I see. Fine. Well, I’m not leaving without her.
Well, welcome to Florida.
Frank, please listen to reason.
At some point, either you’re gonna come to the conclusion,
or someone in authority
is going to spell it out for you
that the child’s best interest is all that matters.
You’re gonna make me pull rank, I will.
Diane didn’t want you to have her.
Diane…
Diane didn’t always think things through.
Arguably one of the brightest minds on the planet.
Good luck going down that road.
And what do you think she’d say
if she saw how her child is living now?
Do you honestly think she’d be pleased?
That she’s living a somewhat normal life? Yes. I do.
She’s not normal. And treating her as such…
is negligence on a grand scale.
I know your heart’s in the right place on this.
But you are denying the girl her potential. You are.
I can provide for her, I can enrich her life.
Oh, come on, Evelyn. You’re gonna take that girl,
you’re gonna bury her in tutors…
then you’re gonna loan her out to some think tank…
where she can talk non-trivial zeros…
with a bunch of old Russian guys for the rest of her life.
And you’d bury her under a rock.
Look, I don’t expect you to understand
the price you have to pay for greatness.
Oh, I do. That’s why I have Mary in the first place.
That’s uncalled for.
Your sister had a laundry list of problems.
She could have solved Navier-Stokes
and gone down in history…
as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time.
But she didn’t because she couldn’t finish.
She was weak.
Weak like her father and weak like…
Well…
Now, if it’s who I think it is…
Kinda puts a black cloud over our luncheon.
You’re still stubborn and vindictive.
Careful, Mother.
There’s an apple and tree analogy lurking.
You guys ready to order?
Here’s an idea.
Stop thinking about me and you…
and start thinking about what’s best for the child.
For any reasonable person, a clear picture will emerge.
If it doesn’t, I suggest you call your attorney.
He’ll have the bucket of beer.
Hey, let’s go outside.
No.
Come on. It’s nice out.
I don’t care.
Hey, no more math today.
(GROANS)
MARY: Is there a God?
FRANK: I don’t know.
MARY: Just tell me.
FRANK: I would if I could.
But I don’t know. And neither does anybody else.
MARY: Roberta knows.
FRANK: No. Roberta has faith
and that’s a great thing to have.
But faith’s about what you think, feel.
Not what you know.
MARY: What about Jesus?
FRANK: Love that guy. Do what he says.
MARY: But is he God?
FRANK: I don’t know.
I have an opinion.
But that’s my opinion. I could be wrong.
So why would I screw up yours?
Use your head.
But don’t be afraid to believe in things either.
MARY: Huh. There was a guy on TV
who said there was no God.
FRANK: The only difference
between the atheists on TV and Roberta…
is that Roberta loves you. She’s trying to help.
Tell you what though.
One way or another,
we all end up back together in the end.
That’s what you’re asking, right?
MARY: Yep.
FRANK: Okay.
Find something else to worry about, will you?
MARY: All right.
Okay. Adler, grandmother and uncle.
Really?
You sure you folks don’t wanna go out
in the hallway and settle this?
No? Well, that’s a shame.
Mr. Cullen, you are here for the uncle.
Yes, sir, Your Honor.
Start charging you room and board.
Mr. Highsmith,
you’re on the wrong side of the bay, aren’t you?
(CHUCKLES) I’m very happy to be here, Your Honor.
For the record, Mrs. Dibbons
is representing the State of Florida
Child Welfare Department.
Proceed.
Your Honor, my client, Mrs. Adler
is the maternal grandmother of the child.
Her daughter, the girl’s mother,
was a troubled woman…
who seven years ago, sadly, took her own life.
It was at this time that Mr. Adler
preemptively and illegally…
took custody of the girl
and spirited her across state lines…
for the purpose of denying my client custody.
Now, there is evidence that the child currently lives…
in unclean and unwholesome conditions.
We petition the court to grant my client
full custody of the child…
so that she may be returned
to the state of Massachusetts…
and given the care to which she is entitled.
My client took an infant under his wing for one reason only.
It was his sister’s desire that he do so.
My client has been her constant caregiver.
And, Your Honor, as far as the living conditions…
I’ve been in this home. It’s fine.
I mean, if we adopt standards based on…
our northern friend’s aversion to palmetto bugs…
we won’t have a child left south of Tallahassee.
(SCATTERED LAUGHTER)
(CHUCKLES)
All right. Last chance before this starts
costing a lot more money.
Your Honor, my client would need
reasonable access to the child.
So ordered.
Ms. Dibbons, you’ll go over there
and check out the living conditions?
On the books, Your Honor.
All right, folks. Drive carefully.
(GALLERY MURMURING)
Her lawyer has a nice suit.
Relax, Frank. More weight’s put on the talent competition.
Go have a cocktail, hmm?
Roberta, would you like to have Mary tonight?
Why wouldn’t I like to have Mary tonight?
(SCOFFS)
I told you something like this would happen.
Now look where we are.
And I’m supposed to believe you know what you’re doing.
You couldn’t even find a white lawyer.
Wow. Look, just…
Don’t worry, okay?
Don’t tell me that.
There’s nothing you can say
that’s gonna make me feel good…
because I have no say in any of this, Frank.
I’m not a blood relative,
I’m not a legal guardian. I’m nothing!
Just the lady who lives next door,
whose opinion means nothing…
whose feelings mean nothing.
Would I like to have Mary tonight? (SCOFFS)
I’d like to have Mary every night.
(SINGING) Can’t stop me now Hear what I say
My feets gotta move, so…
Get out of my way
I’m gonna have my say
I’m going to every discotheque
I’m gonna dance, dance, dance Whoo!
Till the break of day
Oh, shame, shame, shame, shame
Oh!
Shame on you
If you can’t dance too
And I said shame, shame, shame, shame
Shame, shame, shame Shame on you
(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)
Hi.
Hi.
Um, I heard Davis bragging about a custody case
and then I found out whose…
I feel terrible.
But I also wanted you to know that after we talked…
I didn’t say anything to anyone.
I swear.
And it’s, um, important to me that you know that.
I know.
Okay.
My lawyer told me to get drunk.
And you’re trying to do it with that?
Okay. My turn.
Who was your first celebrity crush?
Um, I’ll go with…
Mona from Who’s the Boss?
Oh, wow!
You know who I’m talking about?
The sexy grandmother.
(CHUCKLES) Yeah!
I always felt like she had a secret.
Yeah, which is that she loved sexual intercourse.
That was it.
And she wasn’t secret about it.
That’s why I liked her.
(LAUGHS)
You know what? I liked her, too.
See?
All right. Um…
Least favorite student. And why.
Oh, no! I love all my students.
I don’t believe you. At all! Not for a second.
No, they’re all great.
They’re all so great.
I’m gonna go ahead and drink.
Let’s keep this honest.
He? She?
Uh, he is Ronnie Middleton.
Sounds like a dick.
(LAUGHS)
He’s a little child, okay?
I’m sorry.
The point is that he’s evil in his core.
(BOTH LAUGHING)
And there’s nothing I can do.
Wow.
(CLEARS THROAT)
What’s your greatest fear?
Wow!
That’s a change of tone.
Yup, I’m a really serious person.
Okay.
Look, if it’s too much, you can just drink your drink…
and live with the fact that you’re afraid.
No, I can handle this. Um…
That I’ll ruin Mary’s life.
You’re very, um…
surprising, Mary’s teacher.
Very much so.
Okay. Hold on. I’m sorry.
(LAUGHS) What?
Just so that…
I feel like I need to say this…
just so that there’s no misconception.
Oh, God. No, I didn’t…
No, hold on!
That this can’t, isn’t happening.
I get it. I know. I’m with you.
Yeah? Okay.
100%. We’re on the same page.
Good!
No, that’s great. I’m sorry. That’s embarrassing.
It’s okay. I get it.
BOTH: Oh!
Are you okay?
Yeah, I’m good.
Okay. Good.
Can you promise that there’s no way?
Yes. Roberta has Mary
every Saturday till noon, I promise.
Yeah?
Mmm-hmm.
Mmm. Mmm-mmm. Sorry.
(SIGHS)
I can’t do this.
(EXHALES) Okay.
Okay.
I understand.
I’ll take you home.
Yeah.
Sorry, just… One more time.
(LAUGHS)
(BLIND CLACKING)
MARY: I can’t find my DVD.
ROBERTA: It’s right there, baby.
No, it isn’t. You come and find it.
ROBERTA: I’m doing lady business.
Now, you were the last person to watch it.
What did you do with it?
Oh…
(GROANING)
(SIGHS)
(GASPS) Oh! Oh, my God!
(EXHALES HEAVILY)
Good morning, Miss Stevenson.
Hi.
Look, I am…
Oh, you know what? I’m actually incapable…
of having this conversation right now.
Good. ‘Cause I have no idea what I was gonna say.
(CHUCKLES)
Great! Perfect!
Sir, if you please. Take me to jail.
(SING-SONG) Awkward.
Mary…
Stop! Stop!
Stop with the Legos! Listen.
Do we have a rule about Saturday morning?
What?
Are you allowed in this apartment this early
on Saturday morning? Yes or no?
No.
No!
(LEGOS RATTLING)
Are you allowed to… Hey!
Stop! Enough with the Legos.
Are you allowed to use Roberta’s keys?
No.
No!
Hey! Look at me.
Then why are you here, huh?
Can you answer me that?
You broke every rule!
You just embarrassed me.
We have these rules.
We’ve gone over them a hundred times! Ahh!
God!
Damn it!
Can I just get five minutes of my own life?
(SLAMS DOOR)
(FRANK SIGHS)
Nothing that happened today was your fault.
I got mad at you…
I was really mad at me.
And the manufacturers of Legos,
they should all be in prison.
I’m sorry.
Do you forgive me?
Sure. Whatever.
Hey, close the laptop. Come on.
Please. Doesn’t count if it’s not eye to eye.
Come on, please.
(SIGHS)
Do you really have no life because of me?
That’s not what I said.
Hmm.
Did you mean it?
Last month you said I was
the worst uncle in the world…
and you wished death upon me
’cause I didn’t buy you a piano.
Did you mean that?
No.
Not entirely.
There you go.
We say things all the time we don’t mean. So…
Let’s forget it, okay?
Okay.
Okay.
(FRANK SIGHS)
Frank?
Yeah?
Can I have a piano?
No.
Was that really Mary’s teacher this morning?
You know, I got a book called
Fundamentals of Decision Making.
You can borrow it.
What is it?
It’s nothing.
Looks like Mary gets to go to Boston for a couple days.
It’s just two days.
Relax.
EVELYN: So, what do you think?
MARY: Cool.
Wow! You and my mom…
were always together.
Always.
Oh, no, you don’t want to look at that one.
Is that you?
Yes.
(BOTH CHUCKLE)
How old were you?
EVELYN: 29.
MARY: Where is this?
That’s Cambridge University.
In England.
MARY: Who are those people?
My research colleagues.
For what?
Mathematics, of course.
Really?
Cool!
So, then you came to work…
at a college in America?
EVELYN: No.
I married your grandfather…
and I came back to America with him.
And I had children.
Oh.
So, no more math?
It’s late.
You’ve got a big day tomorrow.
Come on. Up, up, up.
MARY: Can I play the piano?
EVELYN: No, you can’t.
Now stop dragging those feet.
But, it’s fun!
EVELYN: Come on!
BONNIE: I have had a series of nightmares…
where I’m fired…
because of what happened.
(CHUCKLES) You get it?
And then I try to rationalize…
that everything that happened was just all alcohol.
(CHUCKLES)
I have an addiction to fixer guys.
(FRANK LAUGHS)
Dr. Shankland, this problem is…
I know. Just copy it exactly as you see it written.
But it’s…
Exactly as written. Thank you.
MARY: So, what’s this problem I’m supposed to look at?
I don’t know.
Is it like the problems Mom worked on?
Your mother didn’t work on problems.
She worked on just one problem.
Just one?
Her entire life?
Most of it.
Look.
These are the Millennium Problems.
Seven great and meaningful problems.
Some mathematicians have worked
their entire lives to prove them.
Who’s the dude with the beard?
(CHUCKLES) That’s not a dude.
That’s Grigori Perelman.
He proved the Poincaré conjecture.
The only one of the seven proved.
This…
This is your mother’s problem.
Na… vi…
Navier-Stokes.
No picture.
She didn’t solve it?
No.
She was close.
She would have won the Fields Medal…
and probably shared a Nobel…
considering what it would have meant for physics.
Maybe I’ll have my picture up here someday.
If you really desire it…
you can have your picture there, darling.
I can help you.
It takes focus and hard work, but if you succeed…
your name will live forever.
Don’t be smug, Seymore.
Well, she’s had plenty of time.
She traveled yesterday. She slept in a strange bed.
Give her a chance.
At six years old, she read Zimmer.
Outstanding.
How much did she comprehend?
So, Mary…
I see you’re looking at our little problem.
MARY: Little? It’s big.
Yeah.
MARY: Why are you so mad all of a sudden?
I’m not mad. I’m annoyed.
Not with you, dear.
With that pompous ass, Shankland.
I knew that guy was gonna have a beard
before we even went in there.
Math teachers like to grow beards.
I should never have agreed to this in the first place.
Did he really expect you
to just walk in and be able to dissect…
some random, massive problem?
Not much to dissect, if you ask me.
Why do you say that?
It was wrong.
What?
Well, for starters,
he forgot the negative sign on the exponent.
It went downhill from there.
The problem was unsolvable.
Maybe this school isn’t as great as you think it is.
Mary, you knew the problem was incorrect.
Why didn’t you say anything?
Frank says I’m not supposed to correct older people.
(CHUCKLES)
Nobody likes a smart-ass.
I’m loaded with swag!
Wanna come inside?
Cat.
MARY: Frank, I think this is stupid.
Why don’t we just call Evelyn
and tell her I don’t wanna do this?
Because like I told you,
Evelyn didn’t order this. The court did.
So again, what are we gonna do?
Tell the truth.
Exactly.
Sooner we answer these questions,
sooner we get to go home.
So, no attitude, okay?
Okay.
(SIGHS) Frank?
Mary.
I like Evelyn.
She looks like my mom.
And she has a piano.
But I don’t wanna live with her.
She’s bossy.
I’ve heard that.
Hey.
Don’t worry. You’re not going anywhere.
Promise?
I promise.
Hi, Mary. I’m Pat Golding,
but you can call me Pat if you like.
Got it.
Do you know why you’re here?
I mean has anyone told you what this is about?
My grandmother wants me to live with her
and I wanna stay with Frank.
That’s correct.
I’m sure this can all be very scary stuff.
Does any of it worry you?
Nope. Frank says I’m not goin’ anywhere.
Your uncle told you you’re not going anywhere?
Just 15 minutes ago.
So, we done here?
Not quite yet.
My best friend other than Frank and Fred is Roberta…
who lives a couple houses away.
Really? What’s she like?
She’s nice and funny. And I love her.
(CHUCKLES) That’s nice.
Is Roberta your only friend your age?
Roberta’s not my age. She’s like 40, 50…
30-something.
Roberta’s a grown woman?
People my age are boring.
Roberta’s cool.
Okay.
I don’t watch TV.
But I got hooked on SpongeBob.
Mostly because Roberta loves it.
Oh. And on Saturday nights, we watch the UFC.
The UFC? Is that…
Is that Ultimate Fighting?
Every Saturday.
You and your uncle watch Ultimate Fighting?
Well, you don’t just watch it.
Frank turns the sound down
and we do the grunting and voices.
Hmm.
Sometimes I attack Frank for real.
Which is really fun for me.
I think if you guys knew Frank,
you’d leave us alone.
He can be pretty annoying…
but he’s a good person.
I think.
Why do you say that?
He wanted me before I was smart.
HIGHSMITH: Mr. Pollard, are you…
the natural father of Mary Adler?
Yes, I am.
And how can you be certain of this?
POLLARD: Well, I always knew, but then you had me…
take a DNA test.
I would offer the test results
as presumptive evidence that Mr. Pollard…
is the father and natural guardian of the minor.
As well as an affidavit…
from Mr. Pollard nominating…
Mrs. Adler, the maternal grandmother,
as the legal guardian of the minor.
No objections.
Mr. Pollard…
has Mrs. Adler offered you any monetary reward…
or employment for coming forward today?
No, sir. I have a job of my own.
HIGHSMITH: Thank you.
No further questions, Your Honor.
CULLEN: Mr. Pollard…
when was the last time you saw Mary?
Uh… I’ve never seen her.
CULLEN: Oh, why not?
POLLARD: By the time I heard about Diane…
passing…
the baby was gone already.
CULLEN: Well, did you try and find her?
Best I could.
I couldn’t just go and search the entire country.
CULLEN: Do you use a computer at work?
POLLARD: Sure.
You know what? Help me out.
Here, let’s google “Mary Adler”
and, uh, see what we find.
(EXHALES DEEPLY)
You know what?
Uh, you better add her middle name.
It’ll narrow it down.
Eileen.
Yeah. Hit Enter.
(KEYBOARD CLACKS)
Page 2.
Second hit.
Would you please tell the court what you see there?
It’s a newspaper article called
“Not So Terrible Twos.”
And one of them is Mary Eileen Adler.
Same name as your daughter.
Born on the same day as your daughter.
With a photograph.
Um, in your defense, you’d never recognize it…
Your Honor, this is…
CULLEN: Your Honor…
if there’s one thing here that’s sadly obvious…
it’s that Mr. Pollard has never been
a genuine guardian of the minor…
and his nomination of Mrs. Adler
is no less disingenuous.
While the State of Florida gives deference
to nomination by a natural parent…
I’m inclined to side with Mr. Cullen’s laptop…
at this time.
Thank you, Your Honor.
(PEOPLE MURMURING)
Don’t gloat.
Wouldn’t dream of it.
Walk you to your car?
We’ve been so preoccupied, I’m almost ashamed to ask.
How’s Walter?
(SCOFFS)
You wouldn’t believe it if I told you.
Why?
Well, your stepfather is in Montana.
He bought a ranch.
Bullshit.
Exactly. A man whose idea of roughing it…
is being too far from the ice machine at the Ritz-Carlton…
now owns a 1,000 acres of grass and dung.
Walter Price is a cowboy.
Walter Price puts on a Brooks Brothers suit
to take out the garbage.
He has a cowboy hat and cowboy boots…
and a horse that doesn’t know dressage.
Is there some logical reason for this?
Midlife crisis, apparently.
He’s 70.
I know.
Must have been on time delay or something.
I guess I should be happy
it wasn’t a 25-year-old cocktail waitress.
But then again,
an affair you can explain to friends in a minute.
For this, you put on a pot of coffee.
And he’s out there right now?
Yessiree!
Ridin’ the range. Punchin’ doggies.
(IMITATES JOHN WAYNE) He had a six gun on his hip…
and a saddlebag full of Lipitor.
The fastest asset management in the West.
The man who shot Liberty Mutual.
That’s what I’ve been calling him.
(CHUCKLES)
That’s really, really funny.
Take her to the airport.
Go home, Evelyn.
Or Montana. Rustle some cattle.
You know…
I have no desire to hurt you.
I hate it that we’re at odds.
We’re always at odds.
Yes.
Hotel.
ROBERTA: Mary, baby, come on now.
Stop this now.
(CRYING) No.
Come on out, honey.
No.
Why did you have to tell her that deadbeat was testifying?
Because it’s the truth.
And if I didn’t, Evelyn would’ve.
If I was the dad of a little girl
and I never saw her…
and I was in the same town…
I would visit her.
Well, I hope you’re happy.
He didn’t even need directions.
He could’ve followed you here.
Speaking of men who aren’t worth a damn.
(CRYING)
Doesn’t even wanna see what I look like.
All right.
Hey, put your shoes on. We’re going for a ride.
You too.
A ride?
MARY: What are we doing here?
FRANK: Waiting.
(ANNOUNCEMENT ON PA)
We can see that.
Why?
Because I said so.
How long do we have to stay here?
As long as it takes.
And keep your voice down. It’s a hospital.
Food’s here.
Yeah, food’s here.
(INDISTINCT CONVERSATION)
(EXHALES) It’s a boy.
(ALL CHEERING EXCITEDLY)
Way to go!
(LAUGHING)
That’s exactly how it was when you were born.
This happy?
This happy.
Who came out and told everybody?
I did.
Can we stay for another?
(INAUDIBLE)
Mrs. Adler, in your earlier testimony, here today…
you’ve painted a pretty dim picture of your own son.
Don’t you think?
I’m under oath.
I take no pleasure in it.
So, your son’s a failure in life,
your daughter took her life.
You know, you’re oh for two.
HIGHSMITH: Objection!
Withdrawn.
If I go one for three, I’m in the Hall of Fame.
You know baseball.
Fenway Park.
You know, I’d like to go there some time.
How often in a year
did you take Diane to a baseball game?
Diane wasn’t interested in sports.
She never wanted to go to a game? Ever?
I don’t recall her ever asking.
Just out of curiosity, Fenway, that’s a tough ticket.
Where do you get yours?
EVELYN: My husband has season tickets.
And how long has he had them?
30 years.
But I’ve only been married to him for 20.
And Diane never went to one game?
What color was the dress Diane wore to prom?
Diane didn’t attend a prom
because she didn’t go to a high school.
No prom.
What sports did she play?
As I told you earlier,
she wasn’t interested in sports.
Did she go to camp during the summer?
EVELYN: No.
Community swimming pool?
We had our own pool.
Girl Scouts?
No.
Then what did she do with all that time?
She loved mathematics. It was her passion.
She preferred it to all other things.
All other?
Mrs. Adler, who’s Paul Riva?
(SCOFFS)
He was a boy from the neighborhood.
CULLEN: Oh, come on. He was much more than…
just a boy from the neighborhood.
Paul was Diane’s first love…
wasn’t he?
I wouldn’t characterize it that way. No.
CULLEN: And how would Diane characterize it?
Diane was 17 years old at the time.
She didn’t know anything about love.
CULLEN: Mrs. Adler…
in January of 1998…
didn’t Diane and young Mr. Riva run away together?
He coerced her.
And where did they go?
Vermont.
And you called the police, didn’t you?
Because he kidnapped her?
Yes. Yes.
And where did the police find young Mr. Riva and Diane?
I told you. Vermont.
Stowe, Vermont. Wasn’t it?
A resort town.
Stowe Mountain.
He took her skiing.
You see, kidnappers don’t usually
take their victims skiing.
But this is what Paul did…
because he and Diane were in love.
No.
And when they returned,
you pressed kidnapping charges.
You filed a lawsuit against his parents…
until Paul stopped calling Diane.
Didn’t you?
Yes.
And Diane never heard from or saw Paul Riva again.
Did she?
Not to my knowledge.
And how did she take it?
She was upset for a while.
She lost focus.
She lost focus.
Mrs. Adler, in March of 1999…
didn’t Diane Adler attempt to take her own life?
This episode was minor. It was nothing.
I have the hospital report in my hand.
It was nothing.
Diane was not like regular people.
She was extraordinary.
And extraordinary people
come with singular issues and needs.
You have no idea the capability she possessed.
One in a billion.
And you would say, “Fine, let’s throw that away…
“so the boy who cuts our yard can make a sexual conquest.”
Maybe before you make that decision,
you stand in my shoes.
I had responsibilities which went beyond
the mother-daughter relationship.
The greatest discoveries
which have improved life on this planet…
have come from minds rarer than radium.
Without them, we’d still be crawling in mud.
And for your information, counselor…
a year after this incident with this boy…
Diane thanked me for my intervention.
She realized she’d made a mistake and she thanked me.
You see, Diane understood she was accountable
for the gift she’d been given.
And she didn’t shy from it.
And I think, if she were here today, Mr. Attorney…
she would refute your baseless insinuations…
that she would give up her brilliant future
and take her own life…
just because Mommy didn’t get her a little red wagon.
No more questions.
(INAUDIBLE)
HIGHSMITH: Mr. Adler…
where are you currently employed?
I repair boats.
Oh, really? At which marina?
I don’t work at a marina. I freelance.
So, safe to say, no health insurance.
No.
HIGHSMITH: About a week before your sister took her life…
what were you doing for a living then?
I was a teacher.
HIGHSMITH: You’re being modest, aren’t you?
You were a professor at Boston University…
isn’t that right?
Yes, well, Assistant Professor.
And what’d you teach?
Philosophy.
Truth and logic. That sort of thing.
Your attorney said that the primary reason…
that you took Mary is because it was what your sister…
would have wanted you to do. Is that the truth?
Yes.
So Diane had visited Pinellas County before?
No.
Indicated she wanted her daughter
uprooted and moved here?
No.
No.
So, you decided to bring Mary here, didn’t you?
Did Diane have a problem
with your health plan at Boston University?
Not to my knowledge.
Do you think she would want her daughter
to have access to healthcare?
Of course.
So what do you do, when little Mary gets sick?
You repair a doctor’s boat?
Objection.
NICHOLS: Sustained.
Mary has been identified…
as a math prodigy.
But her formal math education under your care…
she’s learning at the first grade level, isn’t she?
FRANK: Yes.
HIGHSMITH: And you turned down a scholarship at the Oaks…
a school specializing in the education of gifted children?
Yes.
And Diane, she’d be fine with that?
I couldn’t say.
HIGHSMITH: Prior to Mrs. Adler giving her one,
did Mary have a computer?
She used mine.
Mr. Adler, does Diane’s daughter have her own bedroom?
FRANK: No.
HIGHSMITH: Does she sleep in a bed that you bought…
in a secondhand shop?
Yes.
So, the truth is, Mr. Adler,
that you didn’t come down here
because your sister wanted you to…
and you certainly didn’t come here
because it was good for Mary.
No, it was personal.
Diane was a star. You weren’t.
Diane got the attention. You didn’t.
And over the years, you got angry.
And here comes Mary.
What a great way to get even.
(SIGHS)
You’ve uprooted that little girl
and brought her here for one reason only.
To do harm to your mother.
You blamed her for your sister.
No, I don’t.
And Mary to you is just a pawn in all this. Isn’t she?
Diane wanted Mary…
to be a kid.
She wanted her to have a life.
She wanted her to have friends…
and to play…
and to be happy.
Do you realize the consequences
of boredom for a gifted child, Mr. Adler?
They become resentful and sullen.
Mary’s not an angry kid.
HIGHSMITH: Really?
Did she not attack a child on the school bus?
FRANK: A 12-year-old tripped
a 7-year-old and she came to his defense.
Did she break the boy’s nose?
Yes.
On October 16th of last year were you arrested for assault?
Oh, my God.
NICHOLS: You have to answer the question, Mr. Adler.
A drunk idiot attacked me and I defended myself.
What does that have to do with anything?
Did you spend the night in jail?
Yeah.
You are in way over your head here.
You’re depriving that girl.
You’re gambling with her future…
and now you’re being presented with an opportunity…
to do right by her. Jump at it.
CULLEN: Does counsel have a question for my client?
Take the high road, Mr. Adler…
before she is irreparably damaged.
CULLEN: Does counsel have a question…
for my client or not?
Yes, sir.
I do have the question.
Tell us, is your continued guardianship…
really in the best interest of this little girl?
Yes.
Yes, it is.
HIGHSMITH: I have no further questions.
MARY: Research and Development…
has come up with a brand new Fred cheer.
Fred personally asked me if I would tell you it.
Let’s hear it.
S-O-C-K I-T Sock it to me, Freddy…
Sock it.
(VOCALIZING)
Sock it.
(VOCALIZING)
Tell R and D, they got a winner.
That’s exactly what I said.
MARY: S-O-C-K I-T Sock it to me, Freddy
CULLEN: They wanna cut a deal.
Highsmith called me first thing this morning.
Why would he do that? I don’t understand.
In the middle of…
Just listen. Listen to me, man.
Mary would be put in a fostering situation.
No.
Come on, Frank.
Cullen, I told you no.
It wouldn’t be a court-appointed
foster family, Frank.
Hey! Drop it!
We could cherry-pick…
from the cream of the crop.
Mutually approved.
Just hear me out.
Tampa.
I insisted, and they agreed.
No more than a half an hour from your front door.
Now, she would attend the Oaks.
It’s a great school.
And visiting rights for the grandmother…
but she was gonna get that anyway.
Right? And on her 12th birthday, Frank,
she can go back into court…
No.
and decide then…
where she wants to live and with who.
I don’t understand this.
I thought you were supposed to be on my team.
Why are you bringing me this deal?
Other than I’m required to by law?
You like this deal?
I love this deal.
They think they’re gonna lose.
Yeah.
They do.
You think we’re gonna lose.
Yes.
I do, Frank.
(CULLEN EXHALES)
I gotta go put my kids to bed.
I’ll do whatever you want me to do.
But if we leave this up to that judge, Nichols…
he’s old school, Frank.
Does he like your mother? No.
Does he like her income?
Does he like her health plan? Does he like her home?
You better believe it.
I’ve been in his courtroom.
A hundred times.
And if it’s a coin toss…
Look at me.
If it’s a coin toss…
that old boy is going to side with the money.
So, do me a favor, Frank.
Just meet the family. See how it feels.
It’s all I ask.
WOMAN: (SINGING) Fly away, little pretty bird
Fly, fly away…
Pool. Florida.
That dock is on the Intercoastal.
Which I guess is obvious…
since we’re on the Intercoastal.
Added this desk, so she could do her homework.
Yeah.
And this would be her room.
I see in your eyes a promise
So, while I’m trying to sell you on the house…
and us…
I just don’t want you to think
that we’re completely insensitive…
to what you’re feeling.
You guys gonna be okay with a cat?
Absolutely.
Love’s own tender flames
Warm this meeting
And love’s tender song you will sing
But fly away…
I’ve been thinking a lot about the word “compromise.”
On one hand, good challenging school…
on the other…
foster people.
They can watch sitcoms with her.
Take her to Olive Garden.
Teach her to say “irregardless.”
The only saving grace, I suppose,
is she’s better off than she was.
Well…
Goodbye, Frank.
(SIGHS) Hey…
come on.
I’m only 25 minutes away.
(CRYING) Please don’t leave me here.
Please.
No.
Look, you’re going to
a brand new school, a better school.
I don’t want to.
I want my crummy school.
And you got Fred.
Please.
And once a month you can come back.
You can stay with me and Roberta.
I want you and Roberta now!
And in a few years, if you want…
you can come back. You can live with me.
I wanna stay with you.
Frank, you promised me.
Come on. Don’t do this.
You promised me.
I know.
I know.
Please, Frank. Why are you leaving me?
Because the court said I had to. You know this.
We’ve discussed this ad naus…
We’ve discussed this. Come on.
Come on, please.
No!
Hey, Mary.
No!
Hey, Mary.
No! No!
Sweetheart, you know what?
No!
There’s no easy way to do this.
Not gonna be as long as you think, honey.
Frank!
You’re gonna see.
MARY: Frank!
Don’t leave me!
I know this is hard.
Please!
No! Get your hands off of me!
Frank! Please!
I know it’s hard.
Come back!
Mary! I know.
No!
Frank!
Don’t go!
I need you!
Fred needs you!
(STARTS ENGINE)
You promised me!
No!
(SIGHS) Huh.
BONNIE: Hey, down there.
FRANK: I don’t know which mistake is worse.
Designing a water pump that leaks…
or putting it somewhere no human being can reach.
(FRANK GRUNTS)
How do you design something you know is gonna fail?
Gotta be devious or clueless, right?
After the first few weeks, I knew…
I had to find a real family for her.
I was in way over my head.
And every day, I’d say, “Today’s the day…
“I’m takin’ her to child services.”
And every day, she’d do something just…
so unbelievably cool.
Her little personality was exploding.
She was funny.
And she was angry, and she was happy, and she was…
sad.
And was cute.
Just so damn entertaining.
And so I kept her.
Not that that’s in her best interest.
Not that I’m capable of raising a child.
A child that might still have a mother…
if I had taken the time to notice that she needed me.
(GRUNTS)
And now, six and a half years later…
I finally got her to the foster family,
and you know what?
It was great. She loved it.
I thought it would be a nightmare…
of abandonment and betrayal.
But, turns out it was a huge success.
I’m a fucking hero.
(CRASHING)
Frank…
No, Bonnie.
I appreciate everything you’ve done.
Just…
Hey.
Hi, Frank.
We’re having a little bit of a problem in there.
What?
Uh, Mary’s fine…
but she’s having a little bit of a meltdown.
Right. Let me talk to her.
No, hang on.
That’s not a good idea.
Your visit here is the reason for the meltdown.
What?
She don’t wanna see you.
I’m sorry, man.
This is predictable.
You know, she needs time.
Just give me five minutes with her.
I let you inside…
then we’re gonna betray her trust
and we have an even bigger problem.
(CHILDREN CHATTERING)
Oh…
(CELL PHONE RINGING)
(SIGHS)
(CELL PHONE CHIMING)
Hi.
Hi! Can we help you?
Yeah. Do you have a one-eyed orange cat named Fred?
We have a one-eyed cat,
but I don’t know what his name is.
Where?
I don’t know. Today was his last day.
Hey, you can’t go back there.
(DOG BARKING)
Hey.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you doing back here?
(SIGHS IN RELIEF)
(CAT MEOWS)
I told him he couldn’t.
(SIGHS)
Hey, Fred.
(MEOWS)
Who brought this cat in?
Some guy. He said it was an allergy issue.
(SIGHS)
Evelyn.
(CATS MEOWING)
Frank!
Where’s Evelyn?
Evelyn? You mean your mother?
Yes.
Kevin.
Evelyn is in the guest house.
Yeah, listen. I’m sorry, man.
Frank, let me tell you,
she was so helpful with the tutors.
Mary was so distant.
Hey!
Look, we know what you’re up against.
Do you want your life back?
Go back inside.
What are you doing here?
Come on, Mary. We’re goin’ home.
No.
You’re trespassing!
You need to look at this.
Let’s go, Mary.
Let’s move. Come on.
No!
Hey! Mary.
Mary!
Mary!
It’s okay. I got her.
Uh-uh!
Think again, lady.
Mary!
Mary! Hey, stop it.
No! Let me go!
No!
No! No!
Stop, Mary!
Stop. Stop.
No!
Come here.
You lied to me!
I know!
No! No!
Stop! Stop, stop!
(SOBBING)
I’m sorry.
I made a mistake. I’m so sorry.
You promised me.
I know.
You promised.
I know. I’m sorry.
You said you wouldn’t leave me.
I made a mistake.
(SIGHS) I’m sorry.
I was so sad!
I missed you.
I missed you, too.
They took Fred.
No. It’s okay.
I got him. He’s home.
What?
He’s at the apartment right now. I got him.
For real?
Yeah. He’s home kicking around his ping pong ball.
Why did you leave me there?
Because I thought I was bad for you.
And then it dawned on me.
If Mary is this amazing…
smart, sweet human being…
then I must be doing something right.
(CRYING)
You’re smiling.
(LAUGHS TEARFULLY)
Roberta!
(ROBERTA CHUCKLES)
Oh, baby.
Of all the stunts you could pull.
Where are they going?
Nowhere.
Not yet.
You two, out!
What is this?
Do you want to know…
how Diane told me she finished?
What is this unconscionable lie?
I walked into her apartment
and she was sitting on the floor…
with that baby in her arms
and you know what she said to me?
Admit it. You made this up.
She said, “What do I do now?”
No.
It is not a completed proof…
It is.
No! It isn’t! It can’t be.
Evelyn, stop!
I’m taking Mary and I’m raising her
how I believe Diane would’ve wanted.
We’ll see about that later.
I realize…
she’s not normal.
But if Einstein can ride a bike, so can she.
Let’s just say Diane didn’t tell me, which is nonsense…
it’s a Millennium Problem.
She would have shared it with the world.
That’s where your charade falls apart.
If she had completed the proof,
she would have published it.
Diane instructed me very clearly.
That I was only to publish it postmortem.
She died six years ago.
It wasn’t her death she was talking about.
I tried to talk her out of it.
But you know how Diane could be
when she made her mind up about something.
I called MIT.
Shankland’s out of his mind
about the possibility of publishing it with you.
He’s waiting for your call.
You’re gonna be spending the next few years of your life…
defending it.
You won’t have time for her.
What if I say no?
Back to Plan A.
Wait for me to die?
I know Diane was hard.
I know she was angry.
But something really good came out of this, Evelyn.
She needs you now.
You’re the best woman for the job.
Take it.
It doesn’t seem as though Diane wanted me to have it.
Diane didn’t always think things through.
I’ll be outside.
Let me know what you wanna do.
(DOOR CLOSES)
(ENGINE STARTS)
RECEPTIONIST 1: (ON RECORDING) You’ve reached
the Department of Mathematics at MIT.
If you know your party’s extension,
you may dial it at any time.
(SOBBING)
If you wish to speak to an operator…
please stay on the line
and someone will be with you as soon as possible.
RECEPTIONIST 2: Good afternoon, MIT Mathematics,
how may I direct your call?
Hello? I’m sorry. I can’t hear you very well.
No! No.
Yeah. There you are.
Yeah, can I help you?
Uh, yes.
Doctor Shankland.
I’m really sorry. I can’t hear you.
Could you speak up, please?
Hello?
Evelyn Adler…
for Seymore Shankland, please.
PROFESSOR: And what I want you to notice,
is that when you compute P of N…
for N congruent to four mod five…
the answer is a multiple of five.
So, the first person to notice this
was Srinivasa Ramanujan.
In the beginning of the 20th century…
he proved that it was the case for all…
numbers congruent to four mod five.
So, he proved that P of five N plus four…
is congruent to zero mod seven…
and that P of eleven N plus six
is congruent to zero mod eleven.
(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)
FRANK: Good?
MARY: You drive like an old lady.
FRANK: It’s Florida. I’m blending in.
How was school?
Hmm, fun.
Not like regular school fun…
but interesting.
What is this book?
Discourse on Method. René Descartes.
What’s it about?
Existence.
Existence?
Yup. “I think, therefore I am.”
Well, of course you are.
That’s obvious.
(CHUCKLES)
I think about Fred, therefore, I am.
Cogito ergo Fred?
He’s a dude and he’s a guy.
And he only has one eye.
Fred, Fred, Fred!
Freddy, Fred, Fred!
(CHILDREN CHATTERING)
All right, here we are.
Hey! Wait till I come to a stop.
MARY: Then come to a stop already!
(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)
MAN: (SINGING) A new wind is blowing through these streets
Those cold days are history to us
I’m not sayin’ times they won’t get tough
We still got each other That’s enough
I know life ain’t simple for you, dear
But I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere
I’m not sayin’ I know how you feel
I just know that I can help you deal
Don’t lose your mind
Don’t lose your good heart
Just know this time
That you’ll be waking up in all these better days
This is how you walk on
This is where you belong
I’m not sayin’ this isn’t where you ‘ll stay
But this is how you walk on
This is how you walk on
The warm light of the evening sings so sweet
Cold grass underneath your dancin’ feet
These simple things mean more than I can say
These moments make up for our past dark days
Don’t lose your mind
Don’t lose your good heart
Just know this time
That you’ll be waking up in all these better days
This how you walk on
This is where you belong
I’m not sayin’ this isn’t where you’ll stay
But this is how you walk on
This is how you walk on
This is how you walk on
This is where you belong
I’m not saying this isn’t where you’ll stay
But this is how you walk on
This is how you walk on
This is how you walk on
This is where you belong
I’m not saying this isn’t where you’ll stay
But this is how you walk on
This is how you walk on
