Portrait of Jennie

Since the beginning...

man has looked into the awesome reaches of infinity...

and asked the eternal questions:

"What is time? What is space?

"What is life? What is death?"

Through a hundred civilizations...

philosophers and scientists have come with answers.

But the bewilderment remains...

for each human soul must find the secret in its own faith.

The tender and haunting legend of the portrait of Jennie...

is based on the two ingredients of faith:

truth and hope.

There is such a portrait that hung in the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

And there was such a girl named Jennie who sat for it.

So much is true.

For the rest, science tells us that nothing ever dies...

but only changes.

That time itself does not pass, but curves around us.

And that the past and the future are together at our side forever.

Out of the shadows of knowledge...

and out of a painting that hung on a museum wall comes our story.

The truth of which lies not on our screen...

but in your heart.

And now, Portrait of Jennie.

New York is a cold place in the winter.

It was no warmer in the winter of '34.

Yet there is a type of suffering for the artists...

which is worse than anything a winter or poverty can do.

It is more like a winter of the mind.

Dreadful feeling of the world's indifference.

My courage had all run out.

Yes, sir, what can I do for you?

You can buy one of my pictures, perhaps.

Yes, but of course, we buy very little, almost nothing.

Times being what they are.

However, let me see what you have.

- Landscapes. - Mostly.

Too bad.

These are some things I did up at Cape Cod.

That's the fisheries at North Truro.

Land's End.

Yeah, landscapes.

Here are some sketches of the city.

That's the bridge.

It's a good bridge, but I just don't happen to like bridges.

They come here every day by the dozen.

Miss Spinney, you startled me.

This is my partner, Miss Spinney.

I don't believe I caught your name.

I didn't say it.

My name is Eben Adams.

- What are you so defensive about? - I'm not.

"I'm Eben Adams." It would be better if you weren't.

You might eat more.

Don't be in such a hurry. Let's see what you've got here.

There's nothing there that'll interest you or your partner.

You're probably right. I'd like to see what interests you.

Sit down, Adams.

You may not sell anything, but at least you'll rest.

I'd advise you to sit.

- You can paint a nice flower. - Thank you.

- You ever read Robert Browning? - Long time ago.

You remember his poem about Andrea del Sarto, the perfect painter?

Proportion, anatomy, color...

he had everything and nothing.

He painted a perfect hand...

while Raphael drew a formless claw.

But Raphael loved his work.

Poor Andy del Sarto.

I think I get your point.

There isn't a drop of love in any of these.

- Really, Miss Spinney. - Don't be soft, Matthews.

I'm an old maid, and nobody knows more about love than an old maid.

What's the matter with you, Adams?

You have to learn to care deeply for something.

We'll take the flower.

I happen to have a weakness for flowers. He doesn't do them too badly.

Give you $12.50 for it. If there's any argument, there's no sale.

No argument.

You pay him, Mr. Matthews.

Have you change of $1?

I haven't got a dime.

He'll owe us 50 cents.

If you want more flowers, I've got a carload of them at home.

I was afraid of that. Good day.

Thank you very much. Good day, Miss Spinney.

I don't think you really wanted the picture.

If I hadn't wanted it, I wouldn't have taken it.

You have beautiful eyes. Goodbye.

Oh, dear, I'm afraid that picture isn't worth more than a couple of dollars.

No, but Adams is.

Yes, but we're supposed to be in the business for profit, Miss Spinney.

I thought.

I bought this for myself.

It's wonderful what a little compliment can do.

My first in 20 years, Mr. Matthews.

At last! I had a little money in my pocket.

But I think I was a little light-headed from not having had enough to eat.

Suddenly I had the awareness of something extraordinary.

The city sounds were muted and far away.

They seemed to come from another time...

like the sound of summer in a meadow long ago.

It belongs to me.

Isn't anybody here with you?

No, why should there be?

It's getting pretty dark. Oughtn't you go home?

I don't have to go home yet. Nobody's ready for me.

Anyway, you're with me.

I'm Jennie.

- Jennie what? - Jennie Appleton.

Father and Mother are actor and actress.

They're working down at Hammerstein's Victoria.

- They do juggling on a rope. - Did you say Hammerstein's?

Why?

Because it was torn down years ago, when I was a boy.

You must be thinking of some other place, because I was there yesterday.

- Well, now. Really... - Let me see your pictures, mister.

Adams.

- How do you know they are pictures? - I just know.

Those are awful little windows for such a big church.

They have to be little, there's so much wind in Cape Cod.

I don't like it, it scares me.

- The wind? - No, the black water.

There should be a lighthouse out there in the ocean.

Yes, there should be. How did you know?

I don't exactly remember.

Someday, I'll show it to you. Out there on the rocks.

- The Land's End Light. - Thought you said you didn't remember.

I don't, I just know.

I wish I liked your pictures, but I don't.

That's what everybody says. That's why I can't sell them.

Maybe you shouldn't paint places. Why don't you paint people instead?

Cecily Brown's home is full of pictures of people.

- Who's Cecily Brown? - She's my best friend.

I go to school every day now, but only in the mornings.

What do you learn?

Yesterday we learned about the Kaiser. He's the king of Germany.

He was, a long time ago.

You're wrong.

Cecily's father's in Germany now, and he sees him all the time.

He says the Kaiser rides around on a white horse...

and he likes to fight.

I can fight, too. I can fight Cecily.

She's bigger, but I'm stronger. I can fight her good.

Thought you said Cecily Brown was your best friend.

She is.

It's fun to have somebody to play with. Don't you have anybody to play with?

No.

I'm afraid I have to go now.

It's a little lonesome here, all by myself.

So I'll walk a-ways with you, if you don't mind.

I know a song. Would you like to hear it?

I'd love to.

Where I come from

nobody

knows

And where I am going

everything goes

The wind blows

the sea flows

Nobody knows

And where I am going

nobody

knows

- Who taught you that? - Nobody, it's just a song.

- Do you know the game I like to play best? - What?

It's a wishing game.

- I'll tell you what I wish most. - What do you wish?

First you have to close your eyes and turn around three times.

I wish that you would wait for me to grow up...

so that we could always be together.

But you won't, I guess.

I can't talk to you anymore. Goodbye.

- I'll get your parcel. - Thank you.

Funny kind of a kid.

- Is that you, Mr. Adams? - Yes, Mrs. Jekes.

You always come in so extremely quiet, I can hardly hear you.

- So thoughtful of my other tenants. - I didn't want to disturb anybody.

Of course not, a fine gentleman like you.

- Would $5 do for a while? - It won't, but I'll take it.

- Hope I'll have more for you soon. - You better see that you do.

I don't suppose you'd be interested in one of my sketches--

My bathroom's full of them now.

Where would I put another one? In my parlor?

No, I wouldn't expect anything like that.

You certainly have a way, Mrs. Jekes.

Play with him like a cat with a mouse, then you pounce.

But he is attractive, isn't he? And a gentleman besides.

That's what makes it so hard to throw him out.

But he's an ornament to your house.

Just can't understand a man fiddling away his time, just painting things.

Of course he did shovel some snow to pay part of last month's rent.

Painting things? Women?

Women in the...

We agreed that he was a gentleman, they just don't paint women "in the..."

No, of course not.

Somehow the tune the little girl sang stayed in my mind.

And I thought of the last thing she'd said to me...

about waiting for her to grow up.

But people can't wait for other people to grow up.