The Big Chill Page #6

I'm dug in.

I don't need this sh*t.

You know, I really can do it.

It's these damn running shoes.

They practically kill me.

We know you can.

Being a private eye

is dangerous work.

I got to get

back to the game, coach.

Walk.

We're deep in the third quarter.

Just testing.

A little joke.

Michael has graciously

agreed to act as stud for me.

A repeat performance.

He didn't say that, did he?

Well, it's almost that romantic.

What are you going to do?

I can't do it with him.

Too much history, it's not right.

I can't believe this.

I'm just deciding this as we speak.

It's not going to happen this weekend.

Maybe it's a sign from God

that I should reconsider.

Too bad I'm an atheist.

- Like what?

- Say anything.

Tell us about your past.

- I lived with Alex.

- Before that.

Before that.

Randy.

I don't like talking

about my past as much as you guys do.

Okay, I'll buy that.

Can you tell us

something about Alex?

Well, he was cute.

He said we made a good couple because I

had no expectations and he had too many.

He believed in reincarnation.

He never ate meat.

He said he was afraid

he would come back someday as a steak.

He said he should have

accepted that Rutledge fellowship.

What's the matter, Nick?

Two, three, four.

The biggest mistake I made was not

trying harder to steal you from Nick.

You know I always

wanted you to try.

I never got that feeling.

I guess you weren't

paying attention.

It's a little late now, isn't it?

Is it?

What are you saying?

I think you know.

I think you've known

this whole weekend.

Wait, you mean you and Richard...?

See?

You've always been able to read me.

You know my life with Richard

isn't working.

Well, I knew you two

weren't exactly...

But I didn't think-

I'm going to leave him.

Let's get the Wonton Express rolling.

You want to come along?

No, you go ahead.

I'll be right here.

Just climb in there regular, okay?

Listen to those guys.

Goddamn!

Remember the night we

saw them in Cobo?

No, you probably don't.

You were hallucinating

pretty bad that night.

We didn't even have any drugs.

Have you noticed anything

unusual about this weekend?

Other than Alex dying?

I've been getting

some pretty weird propositions.

I don't think I could

live down here all the time.

Last year I went to Hawaii

with my friend Reena.

We ate at a Chinese restaurant.

When they brought the fortune cookies...

...hers said,

"You'll never amount to anything."

I don't believe it.

"Friendship is the bread of life..."

Wait a minute!

"...but money is the honey."

It doesn't say that.

- You're kidding.

- That's great!

Even fortune cookies

are getting cynical!

Cynical?

It's pragmatic.

I think it's touching.

There's nothing I'd rather

do right now than make love to you.

When it's over...

...come into my life.

You and your kids

come out to L.A., move into my house.

There's plenty of room.

It's lovely, it's great.

I can't do that.

It has to do with Robin.

No, it's not that.

My marriage is completely over.

When Robin and I broke up,

I had a million good reasons.

A million things that

were wrong with her, wrong with us.

When I think back on it now...

...and see my daughter with her new

father, I realize what broke us up.

What really did it,

and I hate to admit it, even now.

What did it was...

...boredom.

I couldn't stick with it.

I'd hate to see you

make that same mistake.

You're a much better person than that.

Don't give me that sh*t!

For 15 years, you've acted like

I'm the one you really wanted.

You made sure everyone knew.

And now I come down here-

Don't be mad at him, honey.

Well, it's called an anus.

I'm sure it is boring to

hear it 20 times, but just ignore him.

All right.

Yes. Just a minute.

She's right here.

No, just hold on.

Hello, muffin.

How are you?

You got it? Great!

You did?

When I saw it, I said I have one friend

in the worid who'd appreciate it.

That's going

to be our little secret.

As soon as your

mommy and daddy say you can.

When do you get off from school?

So what would that have meant?

What do you mean?

It would've told us something.

What are you talking about?

Meg is pissed off because

Alex didn't leave a note.

- Could he summed it up in a note?

- Maybe a long note.

I can sum up

people's lives in 32 paragraphs.

I did a rock band in a page and a half

and they had 2 drummers.

Do you think this is funny?

One of our best friends

kills himself and we don't know why.

No one knows why anyone does anything.

Why did I choose these socks today?

Your socks, Alex's death.

They're pretty sad socks.

I believe that

everybody does everything to get laid.

Who said that? Freud?

No, I did.

All I'm saying is how could we

let Alex slip away like that?

Maybe he let us slip away.

I never heard from him.

- Did he hear from you?

- I tried. He resisted.

It's true.

We saw him a lot.

But he didn't tell us much.

Not me anyway.

I can't speak for Sarah.

I knew he was unhappy.

That doesn't tell you much.

I had no idea how bad it was.

I think he

wanted to cut off from us...

...because he was so unhappy

with where he was at.

Is that true, Chloe?

Did you feel that?

I don't know.

We had some good times.

I haven't met many happy people

in my life. How do they act?

I'm sitting here and I realize...

...I don't know what he

did for the last 5 years.

I remember he left

that caseworker job in Boston.

That was, what, '78 or so?

I don't know why he was doing that.

He was a scientific genius.

Why was he doing welfare work?

Then the construction job.

What was that for?

He didn't know what to do.

I can relate to that.

If you'd been in touch with him,

you could've saved his life?

You have that effect on people?

Keep them all jolly, do you?

Wise up, folks.

We're alone out there.

And tomorrow we're

going out there again.

It was straight of him not to cook up

a Reader's Digest condensation...

...of his screwed up life

for our entertainment.

I am sick of people

selling their psyches for attention.

He was classier than that.

It was a real classy act

he pulled in the bathtub.

For some people it isn't a question

of why kill yourself, but why not.

Give me a break.

Spare us the tragic existential pose.

Didn't mean

to get into your area.

Come on now, guys.

We're all friends here.

This is a well-known dynamic.

I've seen it a million times.

Some people...

...ease the pain of separation by

denigrating their relationship.

You're so deep.

I think Michael's right.

I feel shitty

about 10 different ways tonight.

I don't want

to let any of this go.

That's healthy. The only way to avoid

pain is to pretend you don't care.

I know. I've left

more places than you'll ever go.

Give him your pose line, Sam.

There's the existential man for you.

You're one tough cookie.

I could say you're one...

...cold, manipulative guy and it

wouldn't bother you.

I'm deeply hurt.

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