The Hours Page #6

could've been happier

than we've been."

Oh, God, no!

Happy birthday.

Happy birthday, Dan.

This is perfect.

This is just perfect.

Oh, do you think so?

Do you really think so?

Why, sure.

You must've been

working all day.

Well, that's what

we were doing.

Weren't we, bug?

Been working all day.

This is just fantastic.

It's what I've always wanted.

Oh, Dan.

One day, Richie, I'll tell you.

I'll tell you

how it all happened.

Don't.

I want to.

I want to tell him the story.

What happened...

when I was in the war.

At war, I found myself

thinking about this girl

that I had seen...

I had never met her...

at high school,

this... strange,

fragile-Iooking girl

named Laura McGrath.

Yeah.

And she was shy...

and she was interesting.

And... well,

your mother won't mind if

I tell you this, Richie.

She was the sort of

girl that you see

sitting mostly on her own.

And I'll tell you...

sometimes, when I was

in the South Pacific,

the fact is

that I used to think

about this girl.

Dan.

I used to think

about bringing her to a house,

to a life.

Pretty much like this.

And it was the thought

of the happiness...

the thought of this woman,

the thought of this life...

that's what kept me going.

I had an idea of our happiness.

Why does someone have to die?

Leonard...

In your book,

you said someone had to die.

Hmm.

Why?

Is that a stupid question?

No.

I imagine my question is stupid.

Not at all.

Well?

Someone has to die

in order that the rest of us

should value life more.

It's contrast.

And who will die?

Tell me.

The poet will die.

The visionary.

What are you doing?

I'm brushing my teeth.

Are you coming to bed?

Yeah, in a minute.

Come to bed, Laura Brown.

I ran into Ray.

He said Kitty had to

go to the hospital.

I know.

Nothing serious.

He said just a checkup.

I'm terrified.

Why?

Only I knew

that she could disappear.

Maybe you could

go see her

in the morning, honey.

I was going to.

I was going to stop by.

I've had a wonderful day,

and I have you to thank.

Come to bed, honey.

I'm coming.

Are you coming?

Yes.

What?

I was hoping

you were going to bed.

I am.

I am going to bed.

What, then?

All else is clear.

The outline of the story

is planned,

now one thing only.

Mrs. Dalloway's destiny

must be resolved.

You're Laura Brown.

Yes, I'm Richard's mother.

Of course.

I'm Clarissa Vaughan.

Please come in.

My friend Sally

is in the kitchen,

and my daughter.

I'll take this.

We were having a party.

We were going to have a party.

I was lucky.

I got the last plane

from Toronto.

So, that's the monster.

Hope I did the right thing.

I found your number

in his phone book.

Yes, he had it.

We didn't speak often.

It's a terrible thing,

Miss Vaughan... to outlive

your whole family.

Richard's father died.

Yes, he-he died of cancer

quite young.

And Richard's sister is dead.

Obviously, you...

feel unworthy.

Gives you feelings

of unworthiness.

You survive and they don't.

Have you read the poems?

Oh, yes. Oh...

I also read the novel.

You see, uh, people say

the novel is difficult.

Uh... I know.

They say that.

I know.

He had me die in the novel.

L-l-I know why he did that.

It hurt, of course.

I can't pretend it didn't hurt,

but I...

I know why he did it.

You left Richard

when he was a child.

I left both my children.

I abandoned them.

They say it's the worst thing

a mother can do.

You have a daughter.

Yes...

But I never met Julia's father.

You so wanted a child.

That's right.

You're a lucky woman.

There are times

when you don't belong,

and you think you're going

to kill yourself.

Once, I went to a hotel.

Later that night, I made a plan.

The plan was

I would leave my family

when my second child was born...

and that's what I did.

I got up one morning,

made breakfast,

went to the bus stop,

got on a bus.

I'd left a note.

I got a job in a library

in Canada.

It would...

be wonderful to say

you regretted it.

It would be easy.

But what does it mean?

What does it mean to regret...

when you have no choice?

It's what you can bear.

There it is.

No one's going to forgive me.

It was death.

I chose life.

Time to take your coat off.

I thought you might like

a cup of tea.

Oh my goodness.

Thank you, dear.

I feel like I'm stealing

your room.

Um, we put the food away,

so, if you're at all hungry

in the night,

just help yourself.

Oh, I will.

Where will you sleep?

Oh, the sofa.

Oh, oh, I'm sorry.

Good night, sweetheart.

Good night.

"Dear Leonard,

"to look life in the face...

"always to look life

in the face,

"and to know it for what it is.

"At last, to know it,

"to love it for what it is,

"and then...

"to put it away.

"Leonard...

"always the years between us,

"always the years...

"always... the love...

"always...

the hours."

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote