Dad Page #8

I don't want to

go in a cab.

We'd probably wind

up in Santa Monica.

That town is an outside

old people's home.

On every corner,

a doctor's office or a bank.

I'd like to drive to Venice.

Maybe to the pier.

Get in a little fishin'.

Oh, I used to like fishin'.

Where's all my fishing gear?

I think I put it away

in the garage.

About 35 years ago.

I'll get it.

Well, whatever's

going on with Dad,

I think it's pretty terrific.

Oh, come on.

It's going to be okay.

Johnny, I'm scared.

He's talking about

people I don't even know,

or people

I'm sure are dead.

He says we live on a farm

in Cape May, New Jersey

and he wants us

all to go back there

because it's harvest time.

What?

Dad.

She told you, huh.

Yeah.

What's goin' on?

Take me for a ride.

John, I need to talk.

Johnny...

what chance is there

that Mother and

I have four kids

and we live on a farm in

Cape May, New Jersey?

I don't think there's

much chance, Dad.

No chance that I have

a little fa-farm there?

Right next to

Bill Sullivan and Ira Taylor

across from my brother

Ed and Gene Michaels?

I don't have

four kids there?

You and Annie and

Hank and little Lizbeth?

As far as I know, Dad,

you've been living here

in LA about 25 years.

Held a regular job at

Lockheed till you retired.

Before that,

we lived in Plainfield

and you worked

for Lockheed there.

I know you must be right.

I mean, how can you be

in two places at once?

I've got to tell you,

my life there is as real

to me as we are here,

just sitting and

looking at the ocean.

Stop me if this

gets too technical

or too fantastic.

Your father is what

Laing would call

a successful schizophrenic.

Over the years,

he hasn't been getting

enough pleasure

out of his daily life,

so he's isolated

his greatest joys

into a dream.

He's created

a personal experience

more to his liking.

An alternate coping system.

How long has

this been going on?

Hard to say yet.

At least 20 years,

maybe more.

Incredible.

You realize, it takes

an extremely intelligent,

strong-willed,

and imaginative individual

to do this successfully.

Where is my mother

in all this?

Is she just shut out?

No, she's there.

She's younger. You all are.

You're frozen in time.

She's very supportive,

very sweet.

I take it that's not

always the case here

in this world?

She has her moments.

The problem is

your father's participation

in this world

is totally tied up with

your mother's approval.

Since his recovery,

he's been a happy person.

The walls dividing his two

worlds have broken down.

And he's bringing

into his everyday life

the joy In living

he's kept separate

all these years.

If your mother doesn't

go along with him here,

he'll just fade away again.

Hello, all you

beautiful people.

Oh, it's a wonderful day.

Let's go to the beach.

Maybe I can do some jogging

on the bike path.

What will people think

if they see you like this?

Who cares?

We got to get

over the feeling

that we're old fogies.

And also stop worrying

at what people think.

You sure as hell

don't see any of

the young people

asking us what to wear.

I'll go with you, Dad.

Good boy, good boy.

Don't worry about me.

I'll run over to Newark,

pick up some things

for the farm.

Hey, Ma, Ma, I told you

what the doctor said.

It's very important that

you support him right now.

Making that kind of remark

won't help anything.

The man is living in

another time zone.

I think it should be pointed

out to him. That's all.

I've explained,

this is just a dream.

A very well-defined

and lovely dream world.

Dad's learning how to

separate the two right now.

He's trying.

I don't care what you say.

It's not normal.

Something has

happened to him.

This man is not your father.

I think this is the

real Jake Tremont.

He's just been

hiding for 50 years.

Hello.

I'm Jake Tremont,

this is Bette Tremont.

We're your neighbors

across the street.

Of course.

Can I help you

with something?

No. No, no, no, just wanted

to introduce ourselves

and say howdy.

Well.

This is Christopher.

What do you say there,

young guy?

Say hi to Mr.

and Mrs. Tremont, Chris.

Hi.

Hi.

We're home all the time

if you ever need

anyone to baby-sit.

Oh, how nice.

Thank you.

No, no, no,

that's a lying dog.

That one. That's a good

example of a lying dog.

That's-that's Speedy.

Yes.

Yeah, he's, he is fast.

Look at that.

Look at him race.

Let's...

Maybe if we put...

Well, hi there.

We're Jake and Bette Tremont

from up the street.

Wanted to say hello.

Brought you

a little cake.

Come on in.

Oh, thank you.

Go ahead, Bette.

Good morning, Mother.

Where's Dad?

I don't know.

Probably out pole-vaulting.

Did you hear any

strange noises last night?

No.

Why, did you?

I thought

I heard something.

Must've been the wind.

Close the door

They're comin'

in the window

So how's it going

with Dad?

The doctor thinks he's

making a lot of progress.

He keeps coming

into my bed at night.

He won't leave me alone.

Your father's always been

a highly sexed man,

but since he came back

from New Jersey, it's insane.

When we first got married

and I told my friend Fanny

Hogan the things we were doing,

she told me to leave him

and notify the police.

I told the priest

in confession,

he said he'd pray for me.

Fat lot of good that did.

You know, when your

father gets excited,

police, priests, prayers,

nothing is gonna stop him.

Oh, grow up.

I'm a little teapot

Short and stout

Here is my handle

Here is my spout

When I get

all steamed up

Hear me shout

"Tip me over

and pour me out!"

Oh, bingo.

There.

You know,

I just realized something.

We don't speak Japanese.

You just realized that.

We should have

one night a week

where we try to learn

about a new country.

We should eat food

only from that country

and speak that

country's language.

We should do that.

No, we shouldn't.

"Where is the train station?"

"Where is the train station?"

What are you doing?

I'm trying to find

the train station.

I think this is good.

This is working.

I'm beginning to

feel very Japanese.

Oh, uh, yeah, Annie,

give us some facts, please.

Costumes, right?

"The Japanese

costume for women

"is hardly different

from that of the men.

"In many districts, the

peasant women wear trousers

"and raincoats like

their husbands.

"This, coupled with the

absence of beard in the men,

"often makes it difficult

for a newcomer

to distinguish

between the sexes. "

I don't know about

you guys,

but I'm very nervous

about a country

where you can't distinguish

between the sexes.

Mario.

I'm serious.

That happened to

me in a bar once.

John, John, you tell us

about, uh, agriculture.

All right.

"In this land of mountains,

barely 12% of the entire

surface can be cultivated. "

Pass the rice, please.

Only if you ask in Japanese.

"Pass the rice, please. "

You're welcome.

Come on, Mom.

Get in the spirit.

No.

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