City Island Page #4

That's like being in jail.

Join me.

You got to tell them, I mean...

...the longer it goes about not knowing who

you really are, the greater her sense of betrayal.

And she's been betrayed enough.

Yeah, and it all started

when I walked off.

No, don't do that.

Things come to self-flagellation.

I mean, I understand it of course.

It was one of the Catholic of you and

everything but you're beyond it.

You've opened up your

home to a convicted felon.

You'd shown him huge trust...

by leaving him alone

there with your family.

Oh, Jesus, that's all I need.

No, because he's your

flesh and blood.

If you can't trust your own blood

then what the hell can you trust.

Vince, come on, it's time for you to just

take the final step and fill his part right there.

He started that boatshed 3 years ago...

with enough wooden junk

to build a forest.

This is gonna be his new career,

building things.

He gets discouraged when

things take too long.

Like more than an hour.

And him? and his poker games.

Does he really think

I'd buy that crap?

- What is it in "New Screen and Stage"?

The Wall Street Journal

is staging actors.

You prove yours, that's it.

A new open course...

Parts that are never get

and projects that are never made.

For instance...

Here, open call, male, 30-50

working class type,

no agency rep required.

Auditions will be held Monday,

That would be a good one for you.

...Yeah, no kidding.

Does it also say, if you got

no age, you're not qualified?

Does it say no talent?

So what happens, you go to

that street and then what happens?

You've never been to an audition before?

- No.

Oh Vincent, it's dreadful.

What?

Okay, so, you walk in...

you wait in a room crowded with the faces

that look vaguely familiar in an explicit way.

They mark you in, they stare

at you, they hate you.

You sing and dance and throw a

baton, show off all the talents..

that once thrilled your mother and father.

They make faces, sometimes very rarely.

They ask you a question.

Then you're dismissed

and you go home for the night.

Content not peeing there.

Sounds terrifying.

But having said all that...

you really should go for this one.

It sounds perfect for you, come on.

Thank you very much.

You walked me off a cliff.

Welcome my new fat-friendly fan.

You're now officially

a member of my club.

If you see me out at the BBW

Function in the New York Metro area

you can tell me

you're a special member

by saying our secret word:

"Botero"

When you think about it, Vincent,

acting is one of the strangest things

a person can possibly choose to do.

Pretending to be someone else

who was dreamed up by some third party.

It's like agreeing to be a marionette.

Why do you act?

Rarely, what other profession could have

committed my sort of behavior problems.

Yeah, sort of like they pay

you for being a professional schooler.

Perfect.

I grew up with a mother

and no father.

And my mother hated my father so much...

for leaving. Then, she took it

out on me because I reminded her of him.

I didn't even know him.

It's hilarious.

Upstairs, my son's room

has a bunch of sweaters

Second door on your left.

Thank you.

Botero?

Hello, who's there?

So you thought any more

about your secret?

All the time.

For you to have a land of secrets.

Yeah, skies.

That'll be very difficult for you

to decide which one is the best.

Am I ever gonna get a chance to hear it?

I don't mean to press you

or anything, it's just that...

I'm feeling a little nervous

since we have a class in 3 days and...

...I just wanna be helpful.

Where do you live?

Le Bronx.

No thanks.

What?

Forget it, soak it in the ash.

I'm sorry.

I'm sure Le Bronx is lovely.

My part overly is,

the other part not so much.

I lived in a place called City Island.

It's an old fishing village.

Really?

City Island

For two worlds standing

apart really from each other.

City:
so short and abrupt and definite.

and Island:
it's subtle, unknown.

..and with a silent "S".

I would never...

thought about it in those terms,

but yeah, it's a great spot.

If you live there, you go up there...

you would never think

about moving somewhere else.

Good night, Tony.

Pleasant dreams.

Good night, Mrs. Rizzo.

Joyce.

- Mrs. Rizzo is Vince's mom.

That's it.

What?

It's my secret.

No, not yet.

I needed it to stay mine

just for a little bit longer.

Once you know, it's no

longer treated a secret.

Be at the moment when it's obvious.

Will you keep it with you?

Yeah, of course.

Vince.

-What?

What a wonderful time

to not disappear.

Where were you last night honey?

Friends.

Where are you going?

Beach.

Okay, here's what I'm thinking...

take the pipe and we'll run

it right through here.

We angle it off, we chase the steps up

the hill and tap it to the main line.

Feels good, son, don't you?

You know, my grandfather built this

house way before I was born.

Yeah, you told me.

He came from the old country.

He became a fish scaler.

Yeah?

- Yeah, him and his brother.

Couple of young mussel suckers.

How's that?

City Island has an old custom.

If you come from somewhere else

you're known as a "mussel sucker."

But if you're born and raised here

like myself, you're a "clam digger"

Clam digger.

Mussel sucker.

Hey, you wanna see something?

- No.

Really.

- Are you sure?

Go away.

If could mess with your head like forever.

I'd wanna see it.

Where did you get that?

Dad hides it in the bathroom.

Hey, relax, relax.

It's just me.

You scared the hell out of me.

What's that?

What?

- That.

It's between you and me, okay.

It's an open call for a movie tomorrow.

So?

Ever since I was a little kid

I wanted to become an actor.

I thought it was something I could do.

I've been taking acting classes

over there in the city.

Nobody knows. Joyce don't know.

Nobody knows.

It's kinda stupid.

She thinks I got a poker game.

Well, what you really had

going on is an acting class?

I got an acting class.

Another friend of mine who goes to the classes,

explaining to me what it's like going on auditions.

Doesn't sound like it's for me.

- You should give it a shot if that's what you wanna do.

It's what I wanna do

but I'm no actor.

Not for real anyway.

But anyone can act

if they have to.

What do you mean anybody

can act if they...

you can't act if you have to.

You gotta study that.

A lot like..like when I got to South court.

I figured that acting more psycho

than everyone else when I was younger.

Had to watch out for myself.

So what did you do?

I went at the ugliest guy I could find.

I think I'm pissed off of you.

And I don't know why.

Do I need a reason?

You said that?

- Shut up! I'm talking to you.

Give me top ten reason you're a

piece of sh*t and I'll let you know...

when something rings a bell,

but don't lie to me.

And don't figure me as one of your

sissy boys, it's gonna pay out for you.

You're sadly a deformed

excuse for humanity

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