The View From Here

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1

(piano music)

- [Narrator] The Presidio of San Francisco

has been a fortress since

the late 18th century.

First for Spanish explorers, then Mexico,

and lastly for the United States Army.

It became a beacon of strength

and a refuge from storms,

a camp for refugees

after the quake in 1906.

It is the final resting place for veterans

of two worlds wars.

It was a training

facility, a field hospital,

and since 1989 it has

served as a national park.

Mark Mathison first discovered this place

on October 10th, 1996.

So it makes sense that on this, the day

of his father's funeral, Mark would return

to this spot where no one could find him

except for Gillian.

- [Jeremy] You want me to go with you?

- No, I'll just be a second.

You stay here.

(piano music)

- [Narrator] Gillian Broche

had not seen Mark in two years.

She wondered what it would feel like

if her first glance

would be a painful one,

or would it light her

up the way it used to.

Would he be glad to see her?

Would she smile and lie, tell him

that she had been doing great?

Would they have anything

left to say to each other?

Would they just sit in

silence waiting for one

of them to move?

She didn't know.

- [Gillian] Mark are you okay?

Were you really gonna leave

without saying anything to me?

- I always loved the view

of the bridge from up here.

Read about a guy who lost

his job, and he jumped.

But, he lived.

Can you imagine what was

going through his head?

Do you think he was

relieved or disappointed?

- You know I don't know, Mark.

Is that really what

you want to talk about?

- I don't want to talk about anything.

- I think that we should.

You really gonna leave

without saying anything?

- I didn't feel like

sticking around to hear

my uncles talk about

what a good man he was.

- That was a nice turnout.

- He had a few drinking buddies.

I'll give him that.

Or, maybe they just share

the Episcopalians' passion

for fiction.

- I thought it was a nice service.

- Why are you here?

- She invited me.

- Who?

- Your grandmother.

- That figures.

Well thank you for coming.

I'm sure it meant a lot to her.

- Do you need anything?

- [Mark] No.

- I thought about you the other day.

I was cleaning out my office, and I found

one of my old notebooks.

It had our first interview in it.

Do you remember?

- No, I don't remember that.

- [Narrator] He was lying.

Mark remembered every detail.

- [Sofia] Jeff, will you

come taste this please?

- What is that thyme?

- Yeah.

- It's too much.

- You told me to use that in the sauce.

- It doesn't matter what I told you.

You should know what I was thinking.

(speaking in a foreign language)

What was that?

- I said I love you.

- That's what I thought.

(knocking)

- Mark, designer's here.

Chef, this is Miss--

- [Gillian] Gillian Broche.

- Right, this is Chef Mark Mathison.

- Gillian?

- Yes.

- We've actually met before.

- We have?

- Yeah in Sonoma.

Last summer my friends Nancy and Carol

had a tasting for their new red.

- Oh yeah.

- You were there with...

- Paul.

- Paul, that's right.

And, how is Paul?

- I wouldn't know.

- I'm sorry to hear that.

- Right well this is adorable.

What do you have for us, Miss Broche?

- Well I do have a few preliminary designs

based on the measurements I received.

- It's modern.

That is what we talked about, right?

- Can I be honest?

- [Mark] Of course.

- This isn't my best work.

- Well if it's not your best work,

than what are you doing here?

Look Miss, we are very busy,

and for you to come in here

with your half assessed--

- Can I see a menu?

- What for?

- Because the food's very important to me.

It's kind of hard to

get a sense of the space

without understanding the flavor profile.

- I'll go grab one.

Here you go.

- Something wrong, Miss Broche?

- No, I see you have a

tartar, Caprese salad.

(muttering)

These are your recipes?

- That's right.

- What sets your menu apart?

- Apart from what?

- No offense, but this is

the most ubiquitous menu

I've ever seen.

- Who do you think you are?

You realize we're the clients, right?

- What sets it apart, Miss Broche,

is that I'm the one making it.

- Okay.

What does that mean to people?

- [Peter] Did you come to insult us

or design the restaurant?

- No offense, but this is

not what inspires people.

I was hired because I have bold ideas

that go beyond what the

color of the sconces are.

So if you want this place to look like

every other restaurant in

America, then hire someone else.

But, if you want this place to have soul,

let me help you find it.

- How many restaurants have

you designed in San Francisco?

- This is my first one.

- Okay, I think we're done here.

Thank you for coming.

- Wait a minute, Peter, I want

to hear what she has to say.

- Can I talk to you a moment privately?

- One minute.

- We have to get rid of her.

- Why, I like her.

- Are you insane?

She has no idea what she's doing.

- And, I want to see where that takes us.

- I can't believe you're

even entertaining the idea

of letting her--

- Look what choice do we have?

We're over budget, we're over time.

I mean you want to wait

another six months?

I say we just give her a shot.

- Oh really, Mark Mathison

wants to give her a shot?

- Yes.

- You're so predictable.

- Look, who else is gonna do it?

- It can't be that hard.

- Oh give me a break.

I gave you the wine list,

I gave you the name.

Just give me this one thing, Pete, please.

- Fine, but if I don't like what she does,

I get a veto.

- Of course.

- And, don't call me Pete.

- Sure, whatever.

- Hey.

Don't let her get in your head.

We are not changing the menu!

- Gillian, hey.

- Thanks for meeting me.

- Of course, no problem.

Are you sure you don't

want me to cook for you?

- Oh no, not yet.

I want you to show me around first.

- Show you around, like the city?

- Not quite.

Let's say you had two hours left.

- To do what?

- To live.

Giant monsters are gonna

come through the city

and destroy it.

- Okay.

I can only pick one?

- [Gillian] Yes.

- I can't stop and grab a drink.

(laughing)

- No.

- All right.

I got one.

- You got one?

- Yeah.

- Okay what is it?

- Well why don't I just show you?

- Okay.

- Come on.

- You brought me here.

- [Mark] I remember.

- I think it made all the difference.

- To what?

- The design.

- It was your game.

I was just playing along.

- It was more than that.

- I don't know what you want me to say.

Day one, and I could talk to you like...

I never talked to anybody like that.

- Neither have I.

(dramatic orchestral music)

- Well it's very unorthodox.

- But, I got some good stuff.

So it worked out pretty well.

- So what's next?

You're gonna walk all the

was to Sausalito with Peter?

- No.

He owns half that restaurant,

but he's not the heart

of that place, you are.

- But, you don't like my food.

- I've never tasted your food.

And, besides the restaurant

has to be a reflection

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