Life During Wartime Page #6

Synopsis: Separated from her incarcerated husband Bill (Hinds), Trish (Janney) is about to be married again. Bill is a pedophile, so Trish couldn't be more excited to have Harvey (Lerner), a "normal" father figure for her two sons. But when Bill is released from prison and the boys finally meet their future stepdad, the family is forced to decide whether to forgive or to forget. Trish's sister, the virginal, angelic Joy (Henderson), is also haunted by ghosts of lovers past. On leave from her degenerate husband, Allen (Williams), and her job at a New Jersey correctional facility, Joy unwittingly leaves behind a trail of shame and exposed secrets wherever she goes. In one of the film's most stylized sequences, the image of Joy walking the dark streets of Miami in her nightgown maintains her innocence against a backdrop of self-affliction and desire.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Director(s): Todd Solondz
Production: IFC Films
  3 wins & 8 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.4
Metacritic:
69
Rotten Tomatoes:
68%
R
Year:
2009
98 min
$278,821
Website
544 Views


? The lambs with his arm ?

? With his arm ?

? And carry them ?

? In his bosom ?

? And gently lead those ?

? That are with young ?

?? [ Distorted ]

- The computer died.

- Tech support.

Oh, and that was so beautiful.

[ Harvey Clapping ]

Although next time maybe you could learn

something a little more -

Jewish?

Don't you listen to him.

Mr. Sarcastic.

Mom, could I please have

a moment alone with Harvey...

while Mark is fixing the computer?

Well, yeah, sure.

Please follow me.

Please sit down.

Make yourself comfortable.

Thank you, Timmy.

Hmm. Nice place.

My mom says

you're planning to marry her.

Well, one step at a time.

We'll see how things go.

You mean my mom is wrong?

You're not planning to marry her?

Timmy...

I love your mother very much.

- So are you getting married?

- I hope so.

We both hope so.

A lot of that depends on you.

You know, while my brother is away at college,

I've been the man of the house.

Oh, I know that. Your mother's told me.

She's very proud of you.

If something doesn't meet my approval,

it's up to me to decide what to do.

Ooh.

That's a lot of responsibility.

You know, I'm almost 1 3.

You don't have to talk to me

like I'm still a child.

I'm sorry.

I have some questions for you.

If you lie, I'll find out...

and I won't let you

go through with the marriage.

I won't lie to you, Timmy.

I'm an open and honest person.

Have you ever had sex with a man or boy?

No.

- Not a single time?

- No.

Not even in your dreams?

No.

Okay.

Do you think a pedophile

is a terrorist?

What -What?

Um, well, I mean -

If you ever met a pedophile,

what would you do?

Timmy, I would never-

Y-You're touching me.

- Timmy...

- [ Gasping ]

I know where you're coming from.

And I want you to know -

Oh, my God.

Oh, you poor kid. Come here.

[ Screaming ]

[ Footsteps Running ]

[ Timmy Crying ]

?? [ Timmy Chanting In Hebrew ]

?? [ Continues ]

?? [ Continues ]

Joy.

Joy, it's been so long.

- Andy, no. No.

- Please don't forget me again,Joy.

- I have no one else.

- No!

?? [ Timmy Continues ]

[ Sniffling, Crying ]

[ Toilet Flushes ]

[ Crying Continues ]

You're the only one

who hasn't forgotten me.

Allen.

Oh.

But you cut and ran.

Oh, I know I should never have left you.

Never.

- Please forgive me.

- Too late.

Oh, but, sweetheart,

isn't there anything that I can do?

Anything.

Anything to - to -

- Two things.

- [ Gasps ]

What?

What? Tell me.

Delete everything off my computer.

All the Web sites and subscriptions.

Oh. Okay.

What else?

Do what I did -

put a bullet through your temple.

Gun in mouth is also okay.

And then write a note saying...

''I am a terrible person.

I tried to improve the world, but failed.

War is evil, but what I did was worse.''

I will never rest until I see that you know

what it is to suffer like I did.

Oh, Allen, I -

I don't know, Allen.

I really think I'd prefer taking pills.

Then remember to mix them

with alcohol.

And to tie a plastic bag

around your head afterwards.

What -What if I end up a vegetable?

- You won't.

- But I don't want to die.

You die for me...

and I will know you loved me.

[ Crying ]

Shh.

Allen...

did you meet any angels?

[ Sniffles ]

Yeah.

I mean, sure.

Lots of really nice, friendly people.

Do they think this is

the right thing to do?

An eye for an eye?

Then comes forgiveness.

?? [ Techno.. ''Hava Nagila'']

-?? [ Continues ]

- [ Cheering ]

?? [ Continues. Muffled ]

Where is Timmy?

?? [ Man Singing In Hebrew ]

?? [ Continues ]

I'll be back in five.

Hi.

Hey.

Congratulations on becoming a man.

Thanks.

I heard your dad was leaving.

Yep.

Your mom tell you?

Yeah.

Where is he moving to?

Israel.

But why?

Isn't it dangerous there?

What makes you think there won't be

a terrorist attack here?

I mean, if I were Al-Qaeda,

this part of Florida is a gold mine.

Anyway, I don't think he's too focused

on survival these days.

I'm sorry I made a mistake.

I mean,

even if your dad is a pedophile...

he should be allowed to get married.

He's not a pedophile.

- Yeah, but even if he is.

- He's not.

I know.

I'm sorry.

Forget about it. It's over.

What if I -

My father visited my brother

up at college a few weeks ago.

They hung out for a little while,

and then... he left.

Disappeared.

Nobody knows where.

My mom thinks he's probably

lying somewhere dead in a gutter.

And for real this time.

But...

he wasn't a pedophile either.

-?? [ Chorus Singing In Hebrew ]

- He wasn't.

He wasn't.

[ Crying ]

I'm sorry I freaked out before.

It was before my bar mitzvah.

I was still just -

I was -

Please.

?? [ Ends ]

Sure.

Forgive and forget.

But it's like freedom and democracy.

In the end, China will take over,

and none of this will matter.

I don't care

about freedom and democracy.

I just want my father.

?? [ Alt Rock..Ballad ]

[ Man ]

? I try to forgive ?

? I try to forget ?

? Try not to relive ?

? What makes me upset ?

? We all make mistakes ?

? So why not admit them? ?

? I made a mistake ?

? It's just like the end now ?

? Life during wartime ?

? Life during wartime ?

? Time-to-reflect time ?

? Time-to-rethink time ?

? Life during wartime ?

? I try to forgive ?

? Try not to forget ?

? The things you don't get ?

? You always regret ?

? When times are so rough ?

? And people are dyin'?

? I say that's enough ?

? There's no use in lyin'?

? Life during wartime ?

? Life during wartime ?

? Time-to-recoup time ?

? Time-to-be-good time ?

? Life during wartime ?

? I thought I could change

the way that you think ?

? Instead. it's so strange ?

? I've turned you to drink ?

? Why did I roam?

Why did I roam around on my own? ?

? I should've stayed home

Should've stayed home ?

? And thrown out your iPhone ?

? Thrown out your iPhone ?

? I thought I forgave ?

? I thought I forgot ?

? I tried to be brave ?

? But found I could not ?

? I made a mistake ?

? And now it's all too late ?

? My heart's full of ache ?

? Is this what is called fate? ?

? Life during wartime ?

? Life during wartime ?

? Time-to-breathe-deep time ?

? Time-to-be-strong time ?

? Life during wartime ?

? You cannot forgive ?

? What can't be forgot ?

? The life that you live ?

? Is that all that you've got? ?

? Life during wartime ?

? Life during wartime ?

? Life during wartime ?

? Time-to-breathe-deep time ?

? Time-to-be-strong time ?

? Life during wartime ?

? You cannot forgive ?

? What can't be forgot ?

? The life that you live ?

? Is that all that you've got? ?

? Life during wartime ?

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Todd Solondz

Todd Solondz (born October 15, 1959) is an American independent film screenwriter and director known for his style of dark, thought-provoking, socially conscious satire. Solondz has been critically acclaimed for his examination of the "dark underbelly of middle class American suburbia," a reflection of his own background in New Jersey.[1] His work includes Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995), Happiness (1998), Storytelling (2001), Palindromes (2004), Life During Wartime (2009), and Dark Horse (2012). more…

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