Revolutionary Road

- So what do you do? - I'm studying to be an actress. You?

I'm a longshoreman.

- No, I mean, really. - I mean, really, too.

Although starting Monday, I'm doing something more glamorous.

- What's that? - Night cashier at a cafeteria.

I don't mean how do you make money. I mean, what are you interested in?

Honey, if I had the answer to that one…

I bet I'd bore us both to death in half an hour.

Thank God that's over.

So much for the debut of the Laurel Players.

And she was very disappointing.

- Frank! Very nice, Frank. - Thanks so much, Mrs. Givings.

I can't tell you how much we enjoyed it.

- You have a very talented wife. - I'll pass it along.

Frank!

Hi!

She's in there. I'm about ready for that drink!

Couple of minutes.

April? Sweetheart?

- Hi. - Hi.

- About ready to leave? - Yeah.

I just have to get this makeup off.

Well, I guess it wasn't a triumph or anything, was it?

I guess not.

- I'll be ready in a minute. - Take your time.

Listen, will you do me a favor?

Milly and Shep wanted us to go out with them.

Will you say we can't? Say it's because the babysitter or something.

The thing is, I said we could.

I just saw them and I said that we would.

Then would you mind go out and saying you were mistaken?

That's simple enough.

Don't you think that's a little bit rude, April?

Then I'll tell them myself.

Okay, take it easy, alright? I'll tell them.

Well, I mean it, baby. You were the only person in that play.

Thank you.

We just shouldn't have let you get mixed up in the damn thing.

- All right. - A bunch of amateurs.

I mean, you studied, for Christ's sakes.

- Could we stop talking about it now? - Sure.

I just don't want you feeling bad, that's all.

Because it's not worth it, you know.

Bad enough having to live out here amongst these people…

- What did you say? - I said, "Yes."

All right, Frank. Could you just stop talking about it now…

before you drive me crazy? Please.

What are you doing?

April, sweetheart, let's talk about this, okay?

- Please don't do that. - Come on.

- Don't touch me. - April…

Would you just leave me alone?

Okay. It strikes me…

that there's a considerable amount of bullshit going on here…

and it just a few things that I'd like to clear up. All right?

Number one, it's not my fault the play was lousy, okay?

Number two, it sure as hell isn't my fault…

that you didn't turn out to be an actress.

The sooner you get over that little piece of soap opera…

the better off we're both going to be.

Number three, I don't happen to fit the role…

of dumb insensitive suburban husband.

You've been trying to lay that crap on me ever since we moved here.

And I'll be damned if I'll wear it! Number four…

April!

April!

April!

What the hell are you doing? Get back in the car!

No. I will in a minute. Just let me stand here for a second.

God damn it.

April, can you please just get back in the car and talk about this…

instead of running all over Route 12?

Haven't I made it clear I don't particularly want to talk about it?

Okay. I mean, Jesus, I'm trying to be nice…

about this thing here, for God's sake.

How kind of you! How terribly, terribly kind of you!

Wait a minute. I don't deserve this!

You're always so wonderfully definite…

on the subject of what you do and don't deserve.

Wait a minute! Wait a god damn…

April, now you listen to me! This is one time…

you're not get away with twisting everything I say, April!

This just happens to be one goddamn time.

I know I'm not in the wrong here!

Christ, I wish you'd stayed home tonight.

You know what you are when you're like this, April?

You're sick. I really mean that. You're sick.

- And you know what you are? - What?

- You're disgusting! - Yeah?

You don't fool me, Frank.

Just because you've got me safely in this little trap…

you think you can bully me into feeling whatever you want!

- You in a trap! - Yes, Frank, me!

Jesus Christ! Don't make me laugh!

You pathetic, self-deluded little boy!

Look at you. Look at you and tell me…

how by any stretch of the imagination you can call yourself a man!

Fuk you!

Damn it!

Jesus Christ!

- Don't look at me like that, April. - Could we please go home now?

Fifteenth floor.

I'm going to need your help this morning, old scout.

For the next few hours…

you're to warn me of Bandy's every approach…

and you may shield me from public view…

in the likely event I void my stomach.

- It's that bad. - Good morning, Jack.

Nothing good about it, I assure you.

Of course I knew when you stepped off the train what you were looking for.

A small remodeled barn or carriage house.

And I just hate to be the one to tell you…

that sort of thing isn't available anymore.

But I don't want you to despair.

There is one place up here I want to show you.

Now, of course, it isn't very desirable at this end.

As you can see, Crawford Road…

is mostly little cinderblocky, pickup-trucky places.

Plumbers, carpenters, little local people of that sort.

But eventually…

eventually it leads up to Revolutionary Road…

which is much nicer.

Now, the place I want to show you is a sweet little house…

and a sweet little setting.

Simple, clean lines. Good lawns. Marvelous for children.

It's just around this next curve. Now you'll see it.

There. See the little white one?

Sweet, isn't it?

The perky way it sits there on its little slope.

Charming, isn't it?

Yes.

You wanted to see me?

Came for you from Toledo this morning.

- This is the third one this month. - Sorry. I thought I'd…

I'm not prepared to have this conversation again, Frank.

- Do you understand? - I was literally just…

These folks in the provinces look up to us.

We need to be efficient.

We can't have this kind of back and forth and so forth.

It's just not efficient. Am I right?

Yes.

- What was that about? - Toledo.

The branch manager wants a revised brochure…

for the conference on the Knox 500.

"It's just not efficient. Am I right?"

Sounds like a goodie.

For God's sake. I don't even know what the Knox 500 does. Do you?

Don't insult me.

If you look in the inactive file under SP-1109…

you'll find copies of all the stuff we sent to the agency.

That way we can trace the thing back to its original sources.

I hope you weren't planning on an early lunch.

No, I'm not really hungry.

Good. I'll check on you later, then.

- All right? - Okay.

Okay.

You know something, Maureen?

You're lucky you met me.

How's that?

I think I can show you the ropes, you know?

There's a certain art to survival in Knox. Really.

Let me show you what I mean.

Waiter?

Bring me the telephone, would you? And two more martinis.

Klondike-5-5566, please.

Hello, Mrs. Jorgensen? Frank Wheeler here. Yes.

I just wanted to let you know…

that I had to send Maureen Grube down to Visual Aids for me.

I'll probably need her the rest of the afternoon. Yes.

You, too. Take care now.

I never even heard of Visual Aids.

That's because it doesn't exist.

- Hi, Helen. Come on in. - I can't stay a minute.

I just wanted to bring these Sedum plantings…

for that messy patch down by the foot of the drive.

It's like the European Houseleek…

only these have the most marvelous little yellow blossoms.

Now, all it needs the first few days is a tiny dollop of water…

and you'll find it absolutely thrives.

Thank you, Helen. That's so kind of you.

Would you like some coffee?

Is there something I can do for you, Helen?

I almost forgot!

There is one small favor I would like to ask.

It's about…

it's about my son, John. He's been in the hospital.

I'm sorry. Is everything alright?

Well, just for the time being, he's in Pleasant Brook…

Psychiatric.

- I see. - It's nothing serious.

I mean, he just got a little run-down.

Things can just get the better of us sometimes.

- Don't you agree? - Yes. Of course.

It's a marvelous facility.

And the treatments seem to be doing wonders for him.

Anyway, they said getting him out for an afternoon…

might do him a little bit of good.

I think he finds my friends a bit conventional, quite frankly.

I mean, he's traveled. He has a Ph.D. in mathematics.

I suppose you could say he's an intellectual.