Home Again

---

ALICE:
I was born in the summer

of 1977 in Los Angeles, California.

My father, John Kinney,

received the news of my birth

two days later when

a telegram reached him

on the Greek island of Mykonos

where he was directing a film.

He said that it had

just started raining

and the telegram

arrived sopping wet,

and written in Greek.

The film's camera

operator translated.

Congratulations!

She's 6 pounds, 12 ounces

and her name is Alice.

I'm told so much champagne

popped that night

it sounded like fireworks.

(FIREWORKS POPPING)

My father made personal films that

captured the spirit of his generation.

He found the truth

in the bedroom,

the agony in love

and the humor in it all.

In my father's obituary

The New York Times

called him a "Comic Poet, "

a sentiment I assure you no one

would have loved more than him.

My dad's work brought him

greatjoy, respect and success.

And with that success,

he bought this car

and this house where I lived every

other weekend of my childhood.

My dad's personal life was

a little less of a success.

He married several women.

And lived with several more.

But he was the first to admit

the end of his affairs

was always entirely his fault.

This was certainly the case

with his last wife,

my beautiful mother, Lillian.

My mother was 22 years old

when she met my dad

which made her

26 years his junior.

Theirs was a real "hold

onto your hat" kind of love.

A love that would never last.

My parents divorced

soon after my fourth birthday.

Unfortunately for my mother,

this inspired some

of my dad's best work.

But he said it was me

who completed his third act.

My dad wasn't

very sentimental,

but he always

loved my birthday.

Every year, he'd say

the same thing.

"This is your day.

Your year.

"Get ready, Alice.

The future is yours."

(ALICE GASPING)

(SOBBING)

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

ISABEL:
Mom?

Mom, are you in there?

Yeah, just a sec!

ROSIE:
Mom!

Remember the drought!

ALICE:
Oh, yeah.

ISABEL:
Mom, open up!

ROSIE:
Open the door!

ALICE:
I'm coming!

BOTH:
Happy birthday!

Oh, my gosh, you guys!

Come here!

Mom? Is everything okay?

Yeah! I'm great!

It's my birthday! And

I love you both so much.

Okay. Who wants pancakes?

BOTH:
I do!

ALICE:
So, girls.

How are we feeling?

First day, new school.

Are you nervous? You excited?

Excited. Definitely.

Nervous. Extremely.

Wait. Can kids

have heart attacks?

Oh, my gosh, honey, no.

But I understand.

This is a big deal.

Do you wanna listen

to your favorite song?

Or maybe we could

go over your schedule

and talk about what's

making you anxious.

I don't wanna do that

doctor's stupid exercises.

Can't I just go on anti-depressants

like every other kid?

Oh, my God.

Ugh.

Isabel, for the billionth time,

you are not depressed, I'm positive.

Please, Mom? You know,

I'm feeling exhausted,

hopeless, anxious,

and I don't enjoy the things

that I once loved.

Music, please!

I'm not alone, you know.

Depression affects

over 20 million Americans.

And I'm an American, so...

Where are you

getting this from?

The Zoloft commercial.

Obviously.

Okay, Iz, you're being

a little bit dramatic.

You're just gonna walk

right into first period...

No!

What? What did you forget?

My summer reading book report!

Oh, God.

Okay.

It's no big deal. I'm gonna

drop you guys off at school

and then I'm gonna

go back to the house

and I'll bring it back

to you, okay, honey?

But please try and be a

little bit more responsible.

I'm working on it!

Okay.

It's okay. You can just email it to me

and I can print it out in the library.

See?

Well, assuming I have

time and they let me.

(GROANING)

ALICE:
Okay, this is it!

Wow!

This is gonna be great!

Look at this, it is so much prettier

than your school in New York.

It has trees and sunshine.

Look at that cool mural.

Okay, you want me

to walk you in?

ISABEL AND ROSIE: No.

Got it. Unanimous.

All right. Don't forget that

after school we're gonna have

a little birthday

celebration with ice cream.

And then tonight

you guys are sleeping over

at Nanna's house. Okay?

Can you tell Nanna

I go to bed at 9:00 now?

I think it's 8:
45, missy.

But, yes, I will tell her.

Love you.

Love you, honey.

Have a good day!

I will.

Hi, welcome.

ROSIE:
Hi.

Isabel?

You got this. You've got

a great first day outfit.

You're hilarious.

You're brilliant.

You're cool.

You're a city kid.

Mom.

You're gonna be great.

I promise.

I guess. But right now,

I just wanna go home.

It's okay. You're gonna

be home before you know it.

I meant to New York.

Happy birthday, Mom.

Thanks, sweetie.

(HORN HONKING)

Have fun!

TOUR GUIDE:
Hollywood Boulevard

is famous for the Walk of Fame

which has different stars...

RAJEESH:
Your payment is late.

HARRY:
Okay, I hear you.

But all we need

is another five hours.

Let us keep the stuff here.

We'll figure out

the deal with the money and

we'll just get it to you, man.

It's not gonna be a problem.

I'm not running

a charity here.

You have to leave now.

Okay. You know what, Rajeesh?

We're talking in circles.

We paid the first two weeks.

We didn't think we'd

be here for a third.

But if you just give us until

tonight, it's all gonna be good.

Get out, now! Go!

Okay, I have to say, I think you

are being incredibly difficult,

maybe even

slightly irrational.

What are you doing?

What is that?

So, now I am

calling the police.

(STAMMERING)

So?

So, I gotta get changed

or we're gonna be late.

What'd he say? What

happened? He's a maniac.

Indians never like me.

Okay.

Teddy, you packed?

Oh, sorry.

Thought you said

you had a plan.

You are looking at it.

George, enough! We need

to focus on our meeting.

Now, let's go

over the pitch.

Teddy, should we

run some lines?

I think it could be good to

act out some bits in the room.

I'll play Sam.

You play Jane.

But I'm playing Sam

in the movie.

Fine. I'll play Jane then.

All right, let's just make

sure we stick to our guns, okay?

I've heard horror stories

about great scripts

getting totally dismantled

by these kinds of people.

Aren't these the kind

of people who are gonna

actually help us

get our movie made?

I've read about it.

It happens.

Also, let's agree

not to get

talked out of shooting

the movie in black and white.

Perfect.

Right?

I get it, and I don't need

the extra weird stare.

Guys, we're

gonna do great.

I have a really good

feeling about this.

Everybody ready to rumble?

Yeah, wait.

Where are we gonna stay?

Do I look worried?

Alice Kinney

is the principal owner

and designer of

Alice Kinney Designs.

Alice is...

A depressed newly

separated loser.

(PHONE RINGING)

Hello?

AUSTEN:
There she is.

The California girl.

Hey.

How's your birthday going?

It's good so far.

There's a lot going on.

It's the girls'

first day of school.

You called them, right?

Hey, I do not need you

to remind me to do that.

Okay. So, you did

or you didn't?

They will hear from me

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