Big Eyes

The '50s were a grand time, if you were a man.

I'm Dick Nolan. I make things up for a living. I'm a reporter.

It's the strangest goddamn story that I ever covered.

It started the day that Margaret Ulbrich walked out on her suffocating husband,

long before it became the fashionable thing to do.

Come on, Janie.

Sugar! You made it!

- You're in North Beach! - Look at you, Deirdre!

- Dee-Ann. - Oh! Dee-Ann.

I know, but I came on the scene and Deirdre sounded like something

my mother would call me. So are you flipping for all this?

- Are you settled? How's Jane? - Jane is swell.

She's going to this sweet, little school.

You know, it's really hard without her father, and I just...

- ...don't know if we're gonna be... - Stop that.

- What? - You're better off.

Between us, I never liked Frank.

- You were a bridesmaid. - Exactly.

That's why I couldn't say anything. But if I see you wrong off again,

I will tell you. Now, come on, let's have some fun.

For jazz, check out the Hungry I. For Italian, Vanessi's.

For salvation, try the Buddhist temple. For art, Six Gallery.

- Do they only show Modern? - Everyone only shows Modern.

And in the basement, they have espresso.

Espresso, what's that? Is that like reefer?

You have a lot to learn.

Back then, women didn't leave.

Not without a job or prospects.

All she had was her paintings in the trunk,

and her daughter in the backseat.

Good luck.

Okay.

We don't get many ladies in here.

So, your husband approves of you working?

My husband and I are separated.

Separated?

I realize that I have no employment experience,

but I really do need this job. I have a daughter to support.

I'm not very good at tooting my own horn, but I do love to paint.

So if I could just show you my portfolio.

I studied at the Watkins Art Institute in Nashville,

then I took some illustration classes in New York.

This is a... it's a pastel that I did.

And... this is a charcoal portrait.

You do understand this is a furniture company?

Okay, sounds great.

- You see anything you like? - I like those over there.

- They're really neat. - Yeah.

- Your stuff is cute. - Thank you.

- How much? - Today's special, $2.

I'll give you $1.

- All right. - All right, go ahead, Dylan.

Go ahead and have a seat.

- What's your name? - My name is Dylan.

- Dylan. And how old are you? - I'm nine years old.

Nine years old, wow.

- It's like a Monet. - Monet?

Monet? That's a hell of a compliment.

Though, if I may respectfully disagree,

I'm more in the tradition of Pissarro.

Come, come a little closer. Come on. Good!

See these daring specks of bold color?

Do you wanna touch it? Come on.

Go on, do it. I don't lay it on thick. You're not gonna break it.

It's $35.

Would you excuse me one second?

Here we are.

- Here you go. - Thank you.

Oh, thank you.

You're better than spare change. You shouldn't sell yourself so cheap.

- Well, I'm just glad they liked it. - Oh! You're past that point.

Your heart's in your work.

What's your name?

Margaret.

Look, wouldn't you rather... flirt with those girls over there?

No. I like you, Margaret...

Ulbrich.

You know, Margaret Ulbrich, you undervalue yourself.

Let me show you how it's done.

Little girl!

How would you like your portrait sketched

by the world-renowned Margaret Ulbrich, Queen of the Bay?

In mere minutes, she captures your soul!

- Nah. - "Nah"?

Don't you wish this were you in this beautiful painting?

But that is me.

And that's me, and that one started as me,

then Mother turned it into a Chinese boy.

My apologies. I misconstrued the situation.

Well, I'd better mosey along

before Mr. Ulbrich comes back and socks me in the eye.

Mr. Ulbrich is out of the picture.

- Bonsoir, Henri. - Oh, Monsieur Keane!

Sorry for not calling first.

Monsieur, your regular table is ready. Madame, bonsoir. Bienvenue.

Thank you.

And I don't have to pay.

I'm set because I gave the chef a painting.

- You know what he said? - What?

He said, "No one paints Montmartre like Walter Keane!"

I can't believe you lived in Paris.

Best time of my life.

I've never even been on an airplane.

Oh, you have to experience these things. You have to grab them.

I wanted to be an artist, so I just went!

Studied painting at the Beaux-Arts.

Lived in a Left Bank studio. Survived on bread and wine.

- You are a romantic. - Damn right you are.

Of course, walking away from the bourgeois scene wasn't easy.

I had to quit my job... leave my wife.

Yeah, these choices aren't easy.

I've never acted freely.

I was a daughter, and then a wife, and then a mother.

All of my paintings are of Jane because she's all I know.

Don't knock your work. You have an amazing talent.

You can look at someone and capture them on canvas.

You can paint people.

I can only paint things.

Yeah, my street scenes are... charming,

but at the end of the day, they're just a collection of buildings and sidewalks.

Walter, I bet you can paint anything.

When you look at me like that, I could fall hard.

I'm sorry. This is just moving really fast.

I haven't been on a date in a long time.

Jane, sweetie, stop fidgeting.

Mother, after all this time, you must know what my face looks like.

Hey. Your canvas is blank.

- You can't rush inspiration. - Jane.

Don't bother Mr. Keane. You know creativity comes from within.

Don't worry. She's not bothering me.

I gotta ask you a question.

- What's that with the big crazy eyes? - Oh.

Well, I believe that you can see things in the eyes.

The eyes are the window to the soul.

Yeah, but... you paint them like pancakes.

They're way out of proportion.

Well, eyes are how I express my emotions.

I've always drawn them like that.

When I was little, I had surgery that left me deaf for a period,

and I couldn't hear, so I found myself staring.

I relied on people's eyes.

Walter? Hey, Walt!

- I thought that was you! - Hi, Don.

Boy, am I glad to see you!

Hey, have we heard back from the city on that setback?

My guys really need the variance for the first floor retail.

- We'll hear from Permits by Thursday. - Yeah? That's terrif!

I'll tell the architects. Okay.

What was that?

I didn't want you to know.

I'm in commercial real estate.

- You're a realtor? - Yeah.

A hugely successful realtor.

Top earner in the downtown office three years running.

And you're ashamed?

Well, any blockhead can arrange a sublet.

All I ever wanted was to support myself as an artist.

I tried to make a clean break, but couldn't cut it.

I'm just a Sunday painter.

You're such a gentleman carrying it all the way.

Thank you. Just come right in here.

Just set it down over here. I just like to...

- Right here? - Yeah. That's great. I just...

like to keep it out of the way.

This is... one that I'm working on.

You can see that... I'm working on it.

I got the mail.

The mail...

What's wrong?

Frank wants to take Jane away.

- He says that I'm an unfit mother... - You're a perfect mother.

He told the courts that... she lacks a proper home

and that it is beyond my capabilities as a single mother...

Marry me.

Walter! I...

Don't think of a reason to say no,

'cause I've got a million reasons to say yes.

- I know it makes no sense. - No, it doesn't...

But just think of the fun we'll have!

And I'm going to take care of you girls.

Margaret, I'm on my knee!

Come on, what do you say? Let's get married.

- We could be in Hawaii by the weekend. - Oh, Hawaii? Marriage?

I don't know, Walter, I'm crazy about you.

I'm just really overwhelmed right now. Why would we go to Hawaii? Why?

Because you're a princess and you deserve to get married in paradise.

You were right! It's paradise!

- Only God could create these colors. - I knew you'd love it.

- Can't we just stay here forever? - Well, I don't know about forever.

But I guess I could arrange for another week.

That's that waterfall, and the air was so fresh you could taste it.

This was... an ancient altar.

That's a statue of Kane, the god of creation.

I said a prayer to him.

Oh, and that's Walter and Janie, they built that sandcastle together.

Wow, this is all happening mighty quick.

In the time you moved here, I've had two dates and you're already married.

Well, I thought there was a void in my life and Walter filled it.

Walter's filled a lot of things.

He's diddled every skirt on the art circuit.