The Ice Storm

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen!

This train, originating from New York's Grand Central Station...

is back in service.

Next stop will be New Canaan, Connecticut.

New Canaan, Connecticut, next stop.

In issue number 141 of The Fantastic Four...

published in November 1973...

Reed Richards has to use his antimatter weapon on his own son...

who Annihilus has turned into a human atom bomb.

It was a typical predicament for the Fantastic Four...

because they weren't like other superheroes.

They were more like a family...

and the more power they had, the more harm they could do to each other...

without even knowing it.

That was the meaning of The Fantastic Four...

that a family is like your own personal antimatter.

Your family is the void you emerge from and the place you return to when you die.

And that's the paradox...

the closer you're drawn back in...

the deeper into the void you go.

The dilemma that Dostoyevsky...

claims here to have discovered...

goes to the very core of Christianity's relationship...

to the modern world.

But it is a dilemma that... Yes, Libbets?

What Dostoyevsky is saying here is that to be a Christian is to choose...

because you have to choose of your own choice.

And since you can't choose to do good because that'd be too rational...

you have to choose to do bad.

It's existential.

Thank you, Libbets. That's a very compelling summary.

But, of course, existentialism, as you said...

Libbets? Hey.

Dostoyevsky. I'm also really a fan.

And what you were saying, you know...

Have you ever read The Idiot?

The Idiot?

If you liked Notes from Underground, you'll love The Idiot.

Great. Thanks for the tip.

The Idiot.

- I'm in love with Libbets Casey. - Oh, come on.

She's a poor little rich girl. Check out the jeans and fur look.

And get a load of this.

Her mom, step-dad and stepsisters are going to Switzerland to ski over Thanksgiving break...

and they didn't invite her.

- How do you know this shit? - They did it last year too.

It's, like, traditional or something.

They've got this humongoid place in New York City...

and she just holes up there with a wad of cash.

You think Francis is gonna beat me to the punch here?

Since he sleeps with every girl you ever show an interest in...

why don't you just keep your Libbets fixation a secret from him?

You already told him.

I hope you changed the water in that bong from last night.

The water, as you call it, is a special mixture of amaretto and brandy...

blended for just the exact chemical interaction...

with the last of our precious Thai stick.

Waste not, Master Hood! That was 20 for the bag!

I been thinking, Francis.

You know, you are one drug-addled, elitist freak.

And when the revolution comes...

I do not want to be lined up with you and shot...

because you are fucking ripe for political reeducation.

- You know? Like in the fields. - Let me enlighten you about something here.

You and I exist on two opposite sides of a great existential divide...

that being your pathetic virginity on the one hand...

and my astonishing number of sexual conquests on the other.

You are simply jealous.

Hood. Telephone.

And remember, with your erogenous zones lubricated as such with the mighty herb...

beware out there, because you drone on like a motherfucker when you're stoned.

Flame on, asshole.

- Hello? - Paul?

- Oh. Hi, Dad. - Hey, guy.

How's it going? Everything all right up there?

- Yeah. Everything's good. - Well, good.

Well, I'm just confirming you'll be on the 4:40 on Wednesday, right?

I'm gonna come Thursday.

Well, you can't come on Thursday, Paul, because Thursday's already Thanksgiving.

But a record which would only be disclosed...

Well, that's the whole point of the holidays, Raul.

So you and your sister can mope around the house...

and your mother and I can wait on you hand and foot...

while the two of you occasionally grunt for more food...

from behind the hair in your faces.

- Believe it or not, we actually enjoy it. - Okay, okay, Dad.

- Good. Thanks, guy. Hang on a second. - First, the investigation should be thorough.

Wendy, you want to say hi to your brother?

- And second, that if there were any military involvement... - Wendy, come on!

We should get the facts out first.

As I said at my August 29 press conference last...

- Charles. - Charles, have you been keeping out of my shit?

Have you refrained from entering the sacred precincts of my room?

I haven't touched your sh... stuff.

- Are you watching this? - Watching what?

Nixon, doofus. It's incredible. He should be shot.

Hey. Drop the political assassination stuff, please.

He's a liar. Dean told him on March 21 about Kalmbach and Hunt...

all about the payoffs to the Watergate burglars.

So you tell me where the so-called Dean Report is.

- But you can't because it doesn't exist. - All right. The defense rests.

- You want another? - No, thank you.

- We should be off. - Got you.

And the only person knows that when the March 24th tape...

Charles? Charles, calm down. I wasn't in on it.

It's gonna sink, and the entire country will fall into anarchy.

- And the Symbionese Liberation Army... - Dinner's on the counter.

We'll be at the Carvers'. You know the number.

- Paul, hi! - Hi.

Hi. Is there anything special you want?

Any particular kind of food or snack or anything we can stock up on?

- Nope. - No? You're all right?

- Yeah, I'm good. - Yeah? Okay. All right.

We'll see you next week. I love you.

Me too.

All right. Bye-bye.

- All right, Wendy. We'll see you later. - Asleep by 10:00.

I mean it, young lady.

As a matter of fact I have a practice...

whenever I'm not too tired at night...

Of dictating my own recollections of the day.

I think that, perhaps, will be the more accurate record of history in the end.

The dog jumps up on the barstool, and he says, "Okay."

It was a benefit for the A.C.L.U. or something.

Harry Reems himself was there.

The man with the... from Deep Throat.

- The very one. - Classic.

- Something about a First Amendment defense fund. - Ted took me to see it.

- I'm sorry. - Oh, Ted, how romantic.

- I have to admit the movie didn't do much for me. - That's nice, son.

But being in that theater, surrounded by all those horny, young college boys and perverts...

- I mean, there was something in the air. - Oh!

- Oh, I'm sorry! Jesus! - It's okay, sweetie.

- Oh, I'm sorry. - No, no, no. No problemo, Mikey.

- Don't worry about it. - It's okay, Mikey. No problem.

Rut the wine down. Just leave the wine on the table.

- Go ahead on in the kitchen. - It's fine. It's fine.

- Nice save, Mikey. - Sandy, help your brother, okay?

It's just... It's nothing.

It's fine. Thanks.

- You need help with that? - We changed our couples group.

Now we're in some geriatric group.

Though I must admit there are a couple of lookers.

But you two are still sticking it out with Dr. Pasmier?

Oh, actually, Ben decided that... Well, I mean we both decided...

I just... I just don't see what the appeal is.

I mean, like Ted said, people go in there...

and they just get themselves all worked up, and...

That's the point. Then they go home and make up.

But Elena and I, we don't...

we don't go in for those sort of histrionics.

About the only big fight we've had in years...

was about whether or not to go back into couples therapy.

It appears you won.

- Oh, please don't. - It's not a bother.

I insist.

Don't touch them.

Oh.

It's really quite all right.

Of course.

And to think, they met at a key party, of all things.

A key party?

Oh, you know, it's a California thing.

That scuzzy husband of hers dragged her kicking and screaming to one when they were out in L.A.

You know, the men put their car keys in a bowl...

and at the end of the evening, the women line up and fish them out.

And whoever's they've got, they go home with.

Anyhow, that's how she met this Rod person, or whatever his name is.

He's left his wife, she's packing for California...

and Irwin is devastated.

- It's so ironic. - Ironic?

Well... Yes, ironic.

His name's Rod.

No, come on. He's like a big, infected whitehead.

I would never.

Shit. It's my parents.

He's so gross.

My drumstick was still frozen when you, you know, cut inside there.

Probably gonna get whatever that disease...

I knew it. Watch this.

- Dad, stop it!. - Get to sleep, young lady. I mean it.

Fascist.

If I were a fascist, I would have sent you to one of those Southern military academies a long time ago.

Now get to bed!

Hey.

Hey, kiddo.

Sleep well?

Good night, Dad.

Ben.

Reduce its cash position...

especially during this period of inflation.

- Elena? Elena Hood, am I right? - Yes?

Reverend Edwards. Philip Edwards. You came by and checked out the congregation a couple of times last year.

Oh, yes. It was... I ended up...

No need to make excuses. We're not for everyone, I know.

But I did think for a time that you might be someone who...

Well, what I mean is that you didn't seem to think what we were trying to do is laughable...

like some of your fellow citizens around hereabouts.

No. No, I... I didn't think it laughable at all. I...

Perhaps you find in books what I try to find in people.