Three Inches

[ Rain falling ]

Coming to hold you close

My name is Walter Spackman

26 years old.

I ran out of money,

so I had to move back home.

And I'm currently washing dogs

until I save up enough money

to move out.

But the thing is,

I buried the headline.

'Cause in about two seconds

everything is gonna change.

[ Thunder crashes ]

Whoa, that's so...

[ Thunder crashes ]

[ Birds chirping ]

10, 9, 8...

Rise and shine,

my little boomerang!

Up and at 'em

6, 5...

He who hesitates is brunch.

3, 2...

Lily.

All work and no play

makes Jack my first husband.

And if I find you

standing there

if at first you don't succeed,

you're a spackman.

[ Dog barking ]

And if I find you

standing there

Hey!

Walter, don't do it.

It's a death trap.

Lily's back visiting her dad.

I can tell by the way

the air shimmers.

Also... she texted me.

Ok, he doesn't listen

to a word I say.

I appreciate your concern

and I know you care about me...

I care enough about you to

murder anyone that hurts you,

if that's what you mean

by caring.

I'm gonna be late for work.

Walter, you're too old for me

to lock up in the basement,

but you're too young to know

that dreams are just lies

that we tell ourselves

while we're asleep.

I should have told her when we were 10

and she hated her braces.

I could spell "laodicean"

in my sleep.

I should have told her

when we were 16

and she blew out her knee

in Kitzbuhel.

I should have told her

when we were 20

and she left Chicago to build

the hospitals in Kenya.

Oh, yeah,

like that's a big thing.

Today I am finally

going to tell Lily Theroux

exactly how I feel.

I'm gonna put the right words

in the right order

like a magic spell,

and when I do,

everything will be different

than it was before.

I'll be different, too.

Walter?

Walter.

Hearts don't break

like legs break.

The pieces never really mend.

I...

Wait, Walter!

Eat your toast!

I:

[ Sighs ]

I won't slide closer to her

she has a beauty...

Dude.

Last poodle of the day?

[ Dog growls ]

It's not a poodle.

Give me 10 minutes.

All right.

[ Dog barking ]

Bedroom and practice room.

What's practice room?

It's like a room that's too big

to call a closet

but too small to

call a bedroom, uh.. huh.

Lucky for me I don't own

anything bigger than a toaster.

[ Chuckles ]

Yeah, uh, Joey Katz...

The guy who repeat fainted in Mr.

Danforth's bio class? Right.

His sister lives there.

Everything works,

the landlord's decent,

so we can go check it out

tomorrow if you want.

I got the day off

at the restaurant.

You still on prep?

Screw up once and they think

you don't know the difference

between a fork and a spoon.

I'm a lil cook, man.

Chopping lettuce is beneath me.

Lucky lounge tonight.

Everybody's going.

Katie burns asked me

if you'd be there.

Ever wonder where courage

comes from? - Beer.

The subgenual anterior

cingulate cortex.

Increased activity in the cortex

is what makes you brave.

Lily's back in town.

How could you tell?

I'll see you tomorrow, Walter.

[ Engine turns over ]

[ Sighs ]

Are you ready

to sit by his throne?

[ Record skipping ]

are you ready

are you ready...

are you ready

are you ready

[ Music stops ]

Lily.

[ Chuckling ]

Walter!

I can't believe your mom

still has this old car.

Yeah, the engine runs on anger

and wishful thinking.

Good gas mileage, too.

Do you remember the minivan

of sorrow?

My dad used to take me on those

father/daughter road trips

to crooked lake,

where they have the... the...

the tents with the for.

And... and he'd make a fire,

roast marshmallows,

and pretend

my mom wasn't dating

the strength coach for the bear

and then he threw all her shoes

on the front lawn

and listen the "Phantom of

the Opera" for three months.

[ Both laugh ] So bad!

You look good.

Thanks.

So do you.

Thank you.

[ Chuckles ]

You still washing dogs?

9:
00 to 5:00.

So, record-store clerk...

Uh-hu

video-store clerk,

bookstore clerk.

The digital revolution

kill my clerk work.

Process server...

Lasted one day.

Game-show contestant...

Locked up in the bonus round.

Bread-truck driver.

Nothing beats the smell

of fresh-baked bad.

All I'm saying...

Is what you always say.

That you could do so much better

if you just wanted to.

Not that there's anything wrong

with grooming pets.

It's all a part

of my 10-year plan.

Finding a way to live

in the world

that makes sense takes time,

that's mean I don't find it.

Besides...

everything's about to change.

Really?

Walter that's great. How?

I have a special surprise

for you.

Just a little bit further.

Okay.

[ Laughs ]

How did this happen?

Me.

Thank you

for my special surprise.

[ Chuckles ]

That's not the surprise.

No?

Lily...

Mm-hm

it took me a long time

to understand

that my life had a purpose.

Is this a part of your 10-year plan?

If it's okay with you,

it's probably better if there's

no more interruptions.

This is the kind of thing I just

gotta get out in one piece.

Right, sorry.

Continue.

[ Exhale sharply ]

Lily, it took me a long time

to understand

that my life had a purpose.

[ Sighs ]

But once I did,

I realize that you was always there,

waiting for me to see it and...

And to recognize its value.

I believe that my purpose

in life is to make you happy.

I think it's something

I'd be really good at.

And not because

I've studied for it

or because

there's a written manual.

I'll be good at it because

that's why my heart was made.

I love you the first day

you moved in next door.

I loved you 7th grade

when you wore that same

"Dexter's laboratory"

t-shirt for a year.

I loved you in high school

when you dated Bruce Butterworth

and didn't hang out

like we used to.

I loved you when you went

away to change the world.

I love you now even more

than all those other times.

It's the best thing I do.

I never told you this

'cause I was afraid

of what you'd think.

But if I never told you,

how would you know?

I'm not afraid anymore.

It's important to me

that you know

and now you do.

The end.

[ Chuckles nervously ]

[ Thunder rumbles in distance ]

That's the most beautiful thing

anybody's ever said to me.

[ Chuckling ] I practiced

in my spare time.

[ Chuckles ]

But...

But?

[ Sighs ]

When I'm away on a project

or in another country,

or maybe something that feels

like this amazing adventure,

you're the first person I want

to call and tell about it...

Because you're my best friend.

And I know that what you said

was really hard

and brave and important.

[ Voice breaking ] I don't feel

the same way you do.

I wish that I did.

Are you okay?

I'm fine, thanks.

Would it be better if I pretended

like this never happened?

You can remember if you want

I'm pretty sure I will.

[ Thunder rumbling ]

Maybe this is the kind of thing

that will make

our friendship stronger...

You know, more durable.

Spun polyester is very durable.

The open weave

reduces fabric stress.

Come on, Walter!

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