Synecdoche, New York

- 7:
45 on this beautiful, almost balmy

22nd of September in Schenectady.

And it's the first day of fall.

So in honor of that fact,

we have Elke Putzkammer...

...professor of literature

at Union college...

...to talk about autumn in poetry

and literature.

- Good morning, professor.

- Hi, Alex.

So, what about it? Why do

so many people write about the fall?

Well, I think it's seen

as the beginning of the end, really.

If the year is a life, then September,

the beginning of fall...

...is when the bloom is off the rose

and things start to die.

It's a melancholy month and maybe

because of that, quite beautiful.

Is there something

you might read to us?

Oh, I'd love to.

Whoever has no house now

Will never have one.

Whoever is alone will stay alone

Will sit, read, write long letters

Through the evening

And wander the boulevards

Up and down, restlessly

While the dry leaves are blowing

Goodness, that harsh, isn't it?

Well, perhaps. But truthful.

Mommy, done.

Okay.

- Good morning.

- Good morning.

- I tried not to wake you.

- Well, thanks.

You didn't. I just...

You know, I couldn't get up.

- Caden, can you get that?

- It's Maria, I don't want to.

- Caden... Oh, that's weird.

- Hey, it's me. How are you?

Mommy, is something wrong

with my poop?

No, honey, it's just green.

You probably ate something green.

I didn't. What's wrong with me?

I have to get that, Olive.

You're gonna be fine, okay?

- But, Mommy...

- Yeah, I'll be right back, Olive.

Oh, nothing.

Just wiping Olive's ass. You?

- An earthquake in Kashmir...

- Oh, you're kidding. Holy f***.

...has killed an estimated 73,000...

- I don't feel well.

Oh, my goodness.

- March in Washington, D.c., today,

October 15th.

- Harold Pinter died.

- Well, he's old, right?

- No, wait. He won the Nobel Prize.

- Mom.

- What, honey?

- Do you need to look at my poop?

- You sure it's all right?

- It's fine, Olive. Just flush.

What if it's alive? What if I kill it?

- It's green like plants.

- It's not alive, honey.

Remember the production of

The Dumb Waiter I did at Albanyfest?

Have your oatmeal, honey.

- I want peanut butter and jelly.

- You said oatmeal.

- This isn't a restaurant.

- I don't want oatmeal.

- Okay. Fine.

- Mommy, I'm sorry.

They found avian flu in Turkey.

In the country Turkey, not turkeys.

- Can I watch TV till school?

- In some chickens. Yeah.

There is a secret something at play

under the surface...

...growing like an invisible virus

of thought.

But you're being changed by it...

- Milk's expired.

- Okay.

Jesus.

- You better eat this.

- I will.

Yeah.

How did I guess

you'd ask me that question?

Happy Halloween, Schenectady.

And how long have you been

in New York for?

The first black graduate

of the University of Alabama died.

Vivian Malone Jones.

Stroke, 63.

F***!

God! Somebody! Adele, help!

- Jesus, Caden, what the f***?

- I was shaving and the thing flew off!

Oh, my God!

Jesus, look at your head.

Oh, sh*t.

Oh, God, I can't turn it.

Oh, wait.

- Mommy, Daddy has blood.

- Yeah.

- Will there be a scar?

- Probably. It looks like a mud flap.

- I prefer there not to be a scar.

- Yeah.

That fellow is annoying.

He's in here every week,

like clockwork.

There. I think that should...

Let's see.

- What?

- Change in bowel movements?

It's a little more yellow than usual.

Why?

Yeah, I'd like you to see

an ophthalmologist.

- A neurologist?

- What? No.

An ophthalmologist.

I said, ophthalmologist.

Do you hear that?

Yeah.

And today is Tuesday.

Mommy, is today Tuesday?

No, honey, today is Friday.

So, what exactly did he say?

That my pupils weren't properly

opening and closing.

Dilating.

- No.

- Yeah.

- I don't think that's what he said.

- Yes.

- That's not what he said.

- Is it the bump to your head?

He doesn't know. Maybe.

He said he doesn't think so,

but maybe. But he doesn't know.

- But maybe. Who knows?

- Okay, Jesus, Caden, I got it.

- He doesn't know...

- Sorry. I'm a little anxious.

- Did you have to get a shot, Daddy?

- No, honey.

- It's the start of something awful.

- Do I have to get a shot?

- Course not.

- Did you tell him I have green poo?

- It's f***ed timing.

- Call the plumber. Hey.

Sorry. I have rehearsal. F***.

- Hey, come on.

- Sorry, sorry, sorry. Everybody, sorry.

How many years

until I have to get more shots?

- Not for a really long time, babe.

- A million years?

- Remember what Dr. Woodman said...

- Dad, what's a plumber?

- He's a man...

- Or a woman, Dad.

Right. He's a man or a woman

who fixes sinks and toilets and...

- Do you know what pipes are?

- No.

- Hey, Jim. I had an accident.

- Like to smoke out of?

A different kind of pipe, honey.

All right, bye.

Houses have pipes,

and they're made of...

They're like tubes,

and they're behind the walls...

...and they're under the floors

and everywhere.

- And...

- What's the matter?

- Every single where?

- It's okay, honey.

They just carry water

to and from sinks and toilets.

- It's like in your body. You have veins.

- Capillaries.

Capillaries filled with blood.

I have blood? I don't want blood.

I don't want blood.

- What are you doing?

- Trying to explain plumbing.

- Stop.

- I can't do this now.

- Don't worry, you don't have blood.

- Don't tell her she doesn't have blood.

- Caden, stop it.

- I don't want blood.

Thanks for getting me in right away.

- Was it the bump to the head?

- No.

Could be, but I think we need

to get you to a neurologist.

- Neurologist?

- It's a brain expert.

I know what a neurologist is.

- I thought from the way you asked...

- I just thought you said "urologist."

- Why do I need to see a neurologist?

- Just for a look-see.

The eyes are part of the brain,

after all.

No, that's not true, is it?

- Why would I say it if it weren't true?

- It doesn't seem right.

Like morally correct,

or "right" as in accurate?

I don't know. Accurate, I guess?

Interesting.

Now, when you kick off, boy,

I want a 70-yard boot.

And get right down the field

under the ball.

And when you hit, hit low and hit hard,

because it's important, boy.

There's all kinds of important people

in the stands.

And the first thing you know... Ben?

Ben, where do I?

- Ben, how do I?

- Willy, you coming up?

Willy?

Willy, answer me.

Willy! No!

- Oh, Jesus, come on.

- Oh, crap.

Claire, are you okay?

What's happening here?

It's too late in the game

to have these problems.

- I know, Caden. I'm sorry. We'll get it.

- Oh, my God.

- You okay?

- Yeah, I think the wig saved my life.

- Yeah.

- It's okay, honestly.

That was good, Tom.

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

I was trying something different.

I was crashing differently.

- Ambivalently.

- Yeah, I saw that. I liked it.

Try to keep in mind that

a young person playing Willy Loman...

...thinks he's only pretending

to be at the end of a life full of despair.

But the tragedy is that we know

that you, the young actor...

...will end up in this very place

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