Eight months ago, he lost his wife, a mother who always kept in touch with the children by the wires . For several months, he talked to her like she was still alive. However, in fact, he was just talking to himself. Without work, he has nothing to do but stay at home, taking care of the gadern and doing the housework.
His doctor asked him: How are you managing on your own?
-------------I'm fine.
-----------You 're fine?
-----------Fine, yeah. I'm fine.
He lied. He misses his wife, his boys and girls. He is lonely, weak and old.
He planned a family reunion and got ready for it, preparing the delicious food and decorate the house. But those who were all supposed to visit him all canceled on him at the same night, by the wires he coated.
Finally, he decided to visit his children all around the country. New York, Chicago, Denver, Vegas. It's a long and hard journey, but he didn't mind.
He's proud of his children and often refered them to the strangers. Robert, the condtuctor. David, The artist. Rosie, the dancer. Amy, very high up in advertising. Everyone turns out and is so outstanding. "Million feet of wire to get them where they are today."That's what he knew about his children. He doesn't know the life of them, nor the thought of them.
He planned to stay a day or two at his kids' home, but none of them could satisfy him .What he got was excuses and lies.
He asked his daughter Amy:
Are you happy?
-----What do you mean?
Are you happy?
-----Yeah, of course I am. I am...
Good. Good. Good girl. A happy one. First one on my list.
She lied, He lied too. Both of them knew the truth, but neither made it out. How could she be happy with a broken family? The husband had left home for three months, he had another woman and abandoned her and their son.
He asked his Robert:
Are you happy?
--- -Happy, yeah. I get paid to bang a big loud drum all day. Of course I'm happy.
Okay, I'm ...
What was the father going to say but not? I'm glad that you're happy? Are you really happy? Am I really glad? No!
The last sentence of Robert is: I'm sorry that we could't spend more time together.
But what is the truth? He told his sister "You know, I wanted to spend more time with him. I'm free tonight and tomorrow, but I just can't. I can't do it. I can 't do it. I don't know what to say to him." (sometimes that's my feeling, too.)
Who is Robert? The conductor in the father's mind. However, he found that his son was just a small potato who hit the drum in the orchestra, a man who walked off the stage and nobody noticed, doing a task without training, without skill, without all music talent. The Dad was disappointed.
(Dad)Everybody said that you had a talent, that you had a future.
----People are polite, Dad. You know, they don't always tell you the truth. The truth is, I was never quite good enough.
But all that education, and now you're disappointed?
---- I'm not disappointed. But you abviously are.
No, I'm not disappointed. It just seems like a waste, that's all.
Well, I guess I'm saying it's never too late. You could keep at it and go back to study, and I could help you out.
----It doesn't work like that, Dad. If it was going to have happened, it would have happened by now. Besides, I'm not sure it's what I wanted . I think maybe I was doing it for you.
I don't believe that.
----Dad, the point is ,this suits me just fine. This is what I want.
(oh my ladygaga, that's the very problem)
I'm not quitting because you want me to. I'm quitting 'cause I know you don't think I can.( that's my style,too. haha)
On the train, he dreamed of his David, the child that he worried about most, also treated the most strictly. He asked "Tell me when I can see you?" (I don't know. I haven't finished this movie so far) and then I knew David was caught buying some drugs in a bar. He got sick so quickly that the police thought he might have panicked and swallowed some of the drugs when he was arrested. Then he died of that. He had a lots of problems. He wasn't happy. He's been having a tough time since Mom died. Poor guy.
Her young daugther Rosie is the only one who welcomes his dad to stay, but dad found that the good life of her daugther was just a show. He didn't know that his Rosie isn't a dancer but just a waitress in a bar of Vegas. She has a baby but she doesn't know if she likes boys or girls.
The following is the talk between them:
I don't know what it is with you kids. You always told your mother everything. You never told me anything. You were always on the phone with her. I'd pick up the phone, I'd say, "Hello," you'd say "Hi, Dad. Mom there?"
----It wasn't that bad. It was just that Mom was easier to talk to and you always worried so much if everything wasn't perfect.
No, that's not true.
----We could just talk to Mom.
oh,but you couldn't talk to me?
----Well, she was a good listener. You were a good talker.
Well, so that's good. We made a good team.
You wouldn't change anything, would you?
----You pushed us pretty hard.
----What about your plans? What did you wanna be when you were my age?
I didn't have any plans. I just wanted to hold down a job and find somebody crazy enough to marry me, like your mother. But when you guys came along, things were different. There were opportunities. What kind of father would I have been if I hadn't pushed you, uh?
----So there wasn't anything you wanted to achieve?
No, I didn't really think much about it. Never really gave it much thought. I wanted to was just be a good father, that's all.
on the back flight home, this old man suffered heart attack. During the unconscious, he has the kid around a table in the gadern.
-----You know I have been asking myself a question, that's been like a puzzle, and I can't figure it out. I keep asking myself why you all lied to me.
The truth is, we so never wanted to let them down.
The truth is, Dad, there are lots of things that we don't tell you , but that doesn't mean that we want to hurt you.
The truth is, I don't wanna disappoint you.
The truth is, I don't wanna worry you until you had a chance to come to terms with what happened.
The truth is, I just don't have the heart to tell you.
There was a lot of confusion. We didn't wanna tell you until we were sure.
-----So what am I supposed to do?
Act as though nothing's wrong. That's what Mom did. It's best for all of us.
-----I can't do that. I can't act as if nothing happened. What do I tell your mother? What do I say? How can I do that"
Tell her nothing, If you love her as she loves you, then you' tell what she wants to hear. Tell her that we are all fine.
At last, he finally had his family in the same room, in the hospital, except David..
Dad said:
You can worry me, all of you. I'm a father of four, I expect that. I know you all have problems. I know that, and I can see you've been keeping things from me. You were honest with your mother, and I want you to be honest with me. It's all right, I can handle it. Just tell me the truth.
and then, he got the news about David.
He recalled of something when David is still a kid.
What are you gonna do when you grow up?
---I wanna be a painter and do my pictures.
You're gonna be an artist. You gonna work hard?
---Yes, Dad.
You gonna make me proud?
---Yes.
But now?
David said: Sorry about how everything's worked out, Dad.
I've been thinking about what I wanna do when I grow up. I might still be an artist or I might just do a normal job, like a painter.
---I'd be proud of you no matter what you did.
Really? good.
In the end, both of they were forgiven by each other.
It was a big trip, and if you ask me what I learned, I'd have to tell you I'm not sure. I know if I could do it all over again, I would ask less of the kids. As long as they were happy, that would be fine with me. I know I have to stop thinking of them as if they're still children. I can't tell them what to do anymore. They have to find their own way.and sometimes you talked to me about things that I should listened to you more carefully. You presented me with the details of our children's lives, and I ignored them.-----the Dad to his wife.
The content of the letter received by each of the kid is:
SEE YOU AT CHRISTMAS?
LOVE DAD
attached with a photo of the children and mom many years ago.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++++++++++
I just wish my family will make its way in the world, and my parents can be proud of we kids and our achievements, and be proud of us no matter what we did. And ,if you were to ask me, I would have to say in all honesty, everybody's fine, we're happy.
Be good.
Just for you.
Be good.
I will.
Keep calling the next time. The number's still the same, and I'm still on the other end.
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