Virgin Suicides Script - Dialogue Transcript

Virgin Suicides Script

 


(distant siren)



(water dripping)



(man) Cecilia was the first to go.



(siren approaches)



(voices over two-way radio)



(siren starts)



(heart monitor beeping)



What are you doing here, honey?



You're not even old enough
to know how bad life gets.



Obviously, Doctor,
you've never been a  13-year-old girl.



Everyone dates
the demise of our neighbourhood...



..from the suicides of the Lisbon girls.



People saw their clairvoyance in
the wiped-out elms, the harsh sunlight...



..and the continuing decline
of our auto industry.



Even then, as teenagers,
we tried to put the pieces together.



We still can't.



Now whenever we run into each other
at lunches or parties...



..we find ourselves going over
the evidence one more time.



All to understand those five girls,...



..who, after all these years,
we can't get out of our minds.



Cecilia, the youngest, was 13.



And Lux was 14.



Bonnie was 15.



Mary was 16.



And Therese was 17.



No one could understand how Mrs Lisbon
and Mr Lisbon, our math teacher,...



..had produced such beautiful creatures.



Paul Baldino claimed to have
found Cecilia on her first attempt.



Hey, I was the one who found her.



I was in the storm sewer under my house.
There's all these tunnels.



You could get into anyone's house.



When Paul said this, we believed him...



..because he was the son
of Sammy "the Shark" Baldino,...



..and we knew about his escape tunnel.



So I went up, thinking I could see
one of those girls taking a shower!



Right!



And I walk in...



..and I see blood everywhere.



So I turned around, went for the stairs
and right back out the tunnel.



I had to tell you guys that story.



I'll see you guys later, all right?



- (woman) I heard there was an accident.
- (woman #) It was no accident, Joan.



Of course the parents are to blame!



I heard they found the razor in the toilet...



Everyone had an opinion
as to why Cecilia had tried to kill herself.



That girl didn't want to die.
She just wanted out of that house.



She wanted out
of that decorating scheme.



The most popular theory
held Dominic Palazzolo to blame.



Dominic was staying with relatives
until his family got settled in New Mexico.



He was the first in our neighbourhood
to wear sunglasses,...



..and within a week ofhis arrival
he'd fallen in love.



The object ofhis desire wasn't Cecilia,
but Diana Porter.



I love her!



When Diana Porter left on vacation
in Switzerland, Dominic denounced God.



To prove the validity ofhis love...



..he jumped offthe roof
of his relatives' house.



Ahem! I'm gonna
show you some images,...



..and, uh... you tell me...



..what they remind you of.



OK?



A banana.



A swamp.



An Afro.



I don't think Cecilia
truly meant to end her life.



Her act was a cry for help.



I know you're very strict,...



..but I think that Cecilia would benefit
by having a social outlet...



..outside of the codification of school,...



..where she could interact
with males her own age.



Peter Sisten had helped Mr Lisbon install
a model ofthe solar system in his class.



And in return Mr Lisbon
invited him for dinner.



Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts,...



..which we are about to receive from thy
bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.



Amen.



Lux, please, put your shirt on this instant.



(whispers) Sorry.



- Thank you, dear.
- Can you pass the salt, please?



- Ham?
- Thank you.



- Sweetheart, would you like some peas?
- I hate peas.



Here.



(father) That's a nice-looking ham, dear.



- Well, thank you, honey.
- (girl) Mm, this is good.



So, Peter, are you an aviation enthusiast?



Well, I don't know if I'd call myself
an enthusiast, but I like planes.



Ah.



Uh, Peter, are you on the football squad?



Um, no, I play it,
but I'm not actually on the team.



- Oh, I see.
- (father) Ah, not a team player.



Do you like to wrestle?



- (girls laugh)
- (father) You OK, Peter?



The Brazilian turbot frog was added to
the endangered species list today.



- That's the third animal this year.
- Oh, dear.



The turbot frog?
I don't think I've ever heard of...



Um, excuse me, may I use the rest room?



Oh, of course. The one down here
isn't working very well.



- Go upstairs through Cecilia's room.
- OK. Thanks.



- (knocking)
- Hold... Hold on.



(giggles) I thought you'd died in there.



Are you done hogging the bathroom?
I need something.



Do you mind?



(giggles)



- Thank you very much.
- You forgetting something?



Oh, Peter. Here's a little aerofoil
I thought you might find amusing.



It's a...



..demonstration of
Bernoulli's principle: lift.



From that time on,
the Lisbon house began to change.



Almost every day,...



..and even when
she wasn't keeping an eye on Cecilia,...



..Lux would suntan wearing a swimsuit...



..that caused the knife sharpener to give
her a -minute demonstration for free.



Following the doctor's orders,
two weeks after Cecilia returned home...



..Mr Lisbon persuaded his wife to allow
the girls to throw the first and only party...



..of their short lives.



There. Is that OK?



I'm gonna get dressed.



- Welcome!
- Good evening, Mrs Lisbon.



Come on in.



The party's in the basement.



Just go on round to the left,
and then down the stairs.



(mellow middle-of-the-road music)



Hi, I'm Bonaventure.



Hi.



- Hi. Tim.
- Nice to meet you.



Hi.



- Would you like some punch?
- Yeah.



Thanks.



- Hi.
- Hi.



Thanks.



- Hi.
- Thank you.



- Hey.
- Hi.



Do you wanna sit down?



- Yeah.
- Me too.



(nervous laughter)



Um, how did your SATs go?



OK.



Good.



Do you know where you're applying yet?



Well, no, but my parents
are pushing towards Yale...



..cos that's where my dad went.



That's nice.



You have to imagine
what it'd be like when...



..out of the sun would come the Hun
and his Messerschmitt coming down.



And boys, I swear,
two or three years older than you...



..would be in this - the P B Mustang.
B for what? For bull's-eye, see?



You've heard of Yale?



Oh, yeah.



This punch is fantastic.



- Can I give you more?
- Sure. What's in it?



Juices. Some cherry, pineapple.



You know, I uh... I love pineapple.



Really?



This baby would come in, and this won
the war for the United Kingdom. You see?



- Excuse me.
- Sure.



And it's this kind of, uh...
this kind of equipment that makes, uh...



..a model work.



Here's Joe.



- Hi, Joe.
- Hi.



- Now, if he needs anything just call me.
- Oh, I'm sure he'll be fine.



Hi.



Hi.



- Joe! Good to see you. How are ya?
- Hey, Joe.



- Glad you came tonight.
- How's it going?



You're just in time.



Good. Hi.



Everyone look! His ears wiggle
if you scratch his chin.



(laughter)



Joe, sing your song.



# Oh, the monkeys have no tails
in Zamboanga



# Oh, the monkeys have no tails
Got bitten off by whales



# Oh, the monkeys have no tails
in Zamboanga



- (cheering)
- Good job, Joe!



(boy) Good job, Joe.



(# The Hollies. "The Air That I Breathe")



Where'd you learn that song?



May I be excused?



If you want to, dear, but this is your party.



Oh, all right, if you want to go upstairs,
go ahead, but we'll just...



We'll just have to have fun without you.



Oh, look. He always chooses heads.



- Joe, what's it gonna be?
- Heads.



Joe, will you try tails?



Heads it is!



I'll show you again. Let's go.



- Heads.
- Tails.



Heads.



- One more time. In the air, Joe.
- Heads.



Heads it is anyway. One more time here.



- OK, call in the air, Joe.
- Heads.



Heads. Not bad.



How you doin'?



Good.



- You picked it up really well.
- It's my favourite song.



You know, you're... very beautiful.



I could paint you sometime.



Thanks.



- So did they sing it to you?
- Yeah.



(voices and laughter)



(Mr Lisbon) Cecilia!



(startled cries)



Cecilia!



(gasps)



Oh, my God...



No! No! No! Don't look. Turn around.



Turn around. Darlings, turn around.



Don't look. Don't... Don't look at this.



Oh, Jesus. Please, God.



(Mrs Lisbon wails and sobs)



OK.



- What did he say?
- He said she was only  .



(door bell)



Oh, hi, Mary. Are your parents home?



Hi, Father Moody. Come in.



Oh, hello, Father.



Please, sit down.



Thanks.



Come on, Miller, that was inside.



Ah, no. No, thanks.



(gulps)



How about we get the missus down here,
have a little chat?



Afraid she's under the weather.



(clears throat) She's not really...



..seeing anybody.



Well, she'll see her priest.



Ah! This kid's a sucker
for the high inside ones every time.



Every time.



Excuse me.



Father.



Ah! Double play... Father.



Double play.



Mrs Lisbon?



(knocks)



- May I come in?
- (girl) OK.



Hello, girls.



I thought we could talk.



Do you feel like talking?



Well, if you ever want to,
you know where to find me.



Mrs Lisbon, it's Father Moody.



Mrs Lisbon, hello.



I wanted you to know that
I listed Cecilia's death as an accident.



An accident waiting to happen. John said
you couldn't get a policy to cover it.



I know. It's so incredibly dangerous.



Let's give it a try.



Ready?



One, two, three.



(sighs) Oh, God. It's just so sad.
I can't even believe it.



Footings are too deep.



Got that chain in your truck?



(engine starts)



Hit it!



Our collection ofsouvenirs
of the Lisbon girls, which still exists,...



..started with Cecilia's diary.



Parkie had gotten it from Skip Ortega,
the plumber's assistant,...



..who had found it next to the toilet.



Tim Weiner - "the Brain" - decoded it.



Emotional instability.



Look at the i's.
The dots on 'em, they're everywhere.



Basically,...



..what we have here is a dreamer.



Someone completely
out of touch with reality.



When she jumped,
she probably thought she would fly.



"Monday, February  th.
Today we had frozen pizza."



"Thursday. Mom made creamed corn for
dinner. It's the worst. It looks like..."



"Mary chipped her front tooth
on the monkey bars."



"She made a big scene and had to
get it capped. It looks normal, I guess."



Here, give me that.



Told you she had a capped tooth.



Elm trees. How many pages
can you write about dying trees?



Here, something about Dominic.



"Palazzolo jumped off the roof
over that rich bitch Porter."



"How stupid can you be?"



"Today we went out on the boat.
It was cold."



"We saw a couple of whales."



"Lux stroked the whale.
I didn't think they'd stink so much."



"It's the kelp in their baleens rotting."



"I hope we can go again sometime."



Let's read that. "Lux lost it over Kevin..."



- Is it Heines?
- "Heines, the garbage man."



(Cecilia) Lux lost it over Kevin Haines,
the garbage man.



She'd wake up at five in the morning
and hang out on the front steps -



..like it wasn't completely obvious.



She wrote his name in marker
on all her underwear.



Mom found them
and bleached out the Kevins.



Lux was crying on her bed all day.



The trees like lungs filling with air.



My sister, the mean one, pulling my hair.



(narrator) And so we started
to learn about their lives,...



..coming to hold collective memories
of times we hadn't experienced.



We felt the imprisonment ofbeing a girl,
the way it made your mind dreamy...



..so you ended up knowing
what colours went together.



We knew the girls
were really women in disguise,...



..that they understood love
and even death,...



..and that ourjob was merely to create
the noise that seemed to fascinate them.



We knew that they knew
everything about us.



And that we couldn't fathom them at all.



Hi. Uh, Mrs Lisbon, I'm Lydia Perl.



I'm putting together a... Oh.



- Hi, I'm Bonnie. This is Mary.
- Hello, girls.



Um, I'm here to ask you
a couple of questions about Cecilia.



Yeah?



Great, great. Um, maybe you could start
by telling me a little bit about her.



Did she have any
special interests or hobbies?



- Um, she liked writing in her journal a lot.
- That is great.



Um, OK. Uh, did she...



Did she ever talk about ending her life?



What's going on here?



Um, you must be Mrs Lisbon.



I'm Lydia Perl. I'm from Channel  and...



You have to leave now, Miss Perl.



The suicide ofan East Side teenager
last summer...



..has increased the awareness
of a national crisis.



I'm in front ofthe home
where Cecilia Lisbon...



Why can't they let her rest in peace?



..and write poetry,
tragically put an end to her life.



Psychologists agree that adolescence
today is much more fraught...



..by pressures and complexities
than in years past.



More and more doctors say this
frustration can lead to acts of violence,...



..whose reality the adolescent cannot
separate from its intended drama.



I baked a pie full ofrat poison.



I thought I could eat it, you know,
without being suspicious.



My nana, who is ...



She really liked sweets.



She had three pieces.



(woman) I feel sorriest for the mother.



(woman #) You'd always wonder if
there was something you could've done.



- I gotta go. See you later.
- All right, then. Bye-bye.



Bye-bye. (hangs up)



(wind chimes tinkling)



Don't worry.



They took the fence out.



(birds twittering)



God, you snore loud.



(alarm buzzer)



Those girls have a bright future
ahead of them.



The other one
was just gonna end up a kook.



We didn't see the girls together as
a group until convocation, September th.



Mary, Lux, Bonnie and Therese came to
school as though nothing had happened.



We felt if we looked hard enough,...



..we might begin to understand what
they were feeling and who they were.



All right, so if we have - these are
Venn diagrams, as you remember...



If we have A and B intersecting,...



..and A and B...



If A intersects B, we have this area.



And if A is the union with B, we have
all of the circle, plus the intersection.



These are the laws of
intersection and union. OK?



How's it going?



Not bad.



"Do a character sketch on the following
characters from Portrait OfA Lady. "



The first one is... Ralph.



Um, he was nice.



It was really sad when he died.



Oh, my gosh.
I can't believe I just said that.



I am so sorry.



Reading about
the alarming suicide rate,...



..l talked to Mr Woodhouse
and some of the teachers here...



..and realised that nothing
about this serious matter...



..has been discussed at this school.



Quickly thereafter
green pamphlets were distributed.



(teacher) We thought green was cheerful,
but not too cheerful.



Certainly better than red.



They told us there were
 suicides a day in America,...



- .. a year,...
- (all) Cheese!



..and alerted us to danger signals
we couldn't help but look for.



Were the Lisbon girls' pupils dilated?



Had they lost interest in school activities,
in sports and hobbies?



Had they withdrawn from their peers?



Hi. I'm Chase.



I know who you are.



I've only been going to this school
my whole life.



You don't have to talk to me.



(teacher) For example, we have
two different types of economics -



..or so-called two different types.
The first one is called macroeconomics.



Look. She's laughing.



He made her laugh! I've never heard him
say anything remotely intelligent.



The boys who talked with Lux
were always the stupidest...



..and made terrible
sources ofinformation.



Squeezebox is all right.



Let me tell you, she's the hottest girl
in the school for sure.



Do you wanna know what happened?
Smell my fingers, man.



Nah, she didn't talk about Cecilia.



We weren't exactly talking,
if you know what I mean.



But the only reliable boy
who actually got to know Lux...



..was Trip Fontaine, who only
eight months before the suicides...



..had emerged from baby fat
to the delight ofgirls and mothers alike.



(whispers) I'm late again.



Oh, come on.



Thank you.



(# Heart. "Magic Man")



# A cold late night, so long ago



# When I was not so strong, you know



# A pretty man came to me



# Never seen eyes so blue, you know



# I could not run away it seemed



# We'd seen each other in a dream



# It seemed like he knew me



# He looked right through me, yeah



# Come on home, girl
he said with a smile



# You don't have to love me yet



# Let's get high awhile



# But try to understand



# Try to understand



# Try, try, try to understand



# He's a magic man, mama



# Ah, he's a magic man



All the girls at our school
were in love with Trip.



All the girls except for Lux.



Trip told us his passion for Lux started...



..when he went into the wrong
history class during fifth period.



He went out to his car
to smoke the marijuana he took...



..as regularly as Peter Petrovich,
the diabetic kid, took his insulin.



On this particular day
he ran into Mr Woodhouse...



..and ducked into the nearest class.



(Trip) She was the still point
of the turning world, man.



I never got over that girl. Never.



I mean... you know,
I loved a lot of ladies, but not like that.



That was real.



I'll never forget the first time I saw her.
I didn't know what had hit me.



I didn't know what to do...



..cos it was so easy
with all the other girls,...



..but she wouldn't look at me.



I, uh...



I was never the kind to pursue,
if you know what I mean.



That girl drove me crazy, man.



Mm, yummy. Warm.



Lux.



Hey.



- Look at it. It's just meat on bread.
- Eugh! Sick!



Thanks, Mom.



(# AI Green.
"How Can You MendA Broken Heart?")



Trip's dad was little help.



Well, first off, don't call her on the phone.



It's all, um... it's all subtlety.



It's all nuance.



Yeah. You just need
to talk to her at school, you know,...



..about anything. About the weather,
or school assignments.



Um, you know, anything
to have the chance to communicate...



..with the language of eye contact.



And, uh, project confidence.



And keep the hair out of your eyes.



She'll feel the vibe.



- Just be yourself.
- Yeah.



(documentary narrator)
The word hurricane was the name...



..given to nature's strongest storm.



A hurricane occurs when high pressure
and low pressure masses ofair...



..come in contact with one another.



There is often a significant difference
in temperature between the two masses.



One mass is warm,
while the other is cold.



The warmer air rises
and the cooler air falls.



Likewise, the low pressure slides down
the sides ofthe high-pressure area.



They swirl in and around one another,
creating the beginnings ofthe storm.



In this footage, taken from
US Navy weather patrol aircraft,...



..we can clearly observe
the two masses,...



..one high pressure and one low,
coming in contact with one another.



The result is a surging storm
of tremendous strength...



..that strikes with forceful determination.



Even though the hurricane is
the most powerful storm known to us...



(loud fart)



(muffled laughter)



Must have been Conley.



His ass is grass.



I'm gonna ask you out.



Fat chance.



First I'm gonna come over to your house
on Sunday and watch the tube.



Then I'm gonna ask you out.



You're a stone fox.



The hurricane. one ofthe most truly
awe-inspiring and spectacular storms...



..nature has to offer.



- (Mrs Lisbon) What channel's this?
- (girl) Five.



Ah, let's see. Um, Animals ln The Wild.



"Journey through the African Kalahari...



..as we visit exotic animals
in their natural habitat."



I think that sounds very nice, don't you?



(TV narrator) The rainforest eventually
gives way to expansive arid grasslands...



..that stretch to the horizon
in all directions.



This is the Kalahari.



Uh, do you want some more pop?



Yeah, sure. Thank you.



Thanks.



The wildlife spectacle played out
on these vast open grasslands...



..and in the deep recesses of
the rainforest is unparalleled on Earth.



Lux, please put your feet down, honey.



(muffled laughter)



The Kalahari and its vast open skies
provide the theatre...



..for the drama played out by the herds
and the great cats that prey on them.



(Mrs Lisbon) Oh, my!



It's getting so late. Honey?



- I said it's getting late.
- Yeah? Oh.



Well, Skip, we usually
hit the hay about now, so...



Right.



- OK.
- Thank you.



OK, so...



- It's nice to meet you, Mrs Lisbon.
- Yes.



- Good night.
- See you.



Bye.



Bye.



(# Heart. "Crazy On You")



# lf we still have time we might still get by



# Every time I think about it I wanna cry



# With bombs and the devil,
and the kids keep comin'



Gotta get back before bed check.



# But I tell myself
that I was doin' all right



# There's nothin' left to do at night



# But go crazy on you



Ahem.



Uh, this is fourth period.
I don't have you until fifth.



- I know.
- Oh.



I'm not here for math today, sir.



I'm here to tell you that my intentions
for your daughter are honourable.



What... might those intentions be?



I wanna ask Lux to
the Homecoming dance.



Trip, why don't you sit down
for a minute?



You see, my wife and I have certain rules.



They've been the same for the older girls.
I can't change them for the younger ones.



Even if I wanted to,
the wife wouldn't let me.



True. So, uh...



If you want to come over and
watch TV again, that would be fine,...



..but you cannot take Lux out,
especially not in a car.



So I'm sorry, son, that's just our policy.



OK, sir, what if there was
a bunch of us guys...



..and we took
all your daughters out in a group...



..and we had 'em back
by whatever time you said?



- Are you on the football squad, son?
- Yes, sir.



- Ah. What position?
- Defensive cornerback.



Ah. Good. Good.



I was a... (coughs)
I was a safety in my day.



That's a crucial position, sir.
Nothing between you and the goal line.



- Exactly! Exactly.
- (school bell)



Oh, well...



So the thing is, sir, we've got
the big game against Country Day,...



..then afterwards we have the dance and...
all the other guys are taking dates.



You're a good-looking fellow, Trip.
Lots of girls would go with you, I bet.



Yeah, well, I'm not interested
in lots of girls, sir.



I'll take it up with the wife, Trip.
Do what I can.



Thank you, sir.



- It's a graph.
- Oh.



Mm.



Trip Fontaine and some of the...



..other boys in the football squad asked to
take the girls to the Homecoming dance.



You know how I feel
about that sort of thing.



- I'm gonna be a chaperon at the dance.
- Oh, come on, Mom. Please!



Your father and I will discuss it later.



Mr Fontaine,
may I speak with you, please?



Now, my wife and I have had a little talk...



..and we've come to a decision
about your request.



Yes!



- (whistle)
- I'm taking Lux Lisbon to Homecoming.



- I need three guys to take the other girls.
- (whistle)



I'll give you three joints, Trip.



Come on, Trip, man. You pick me,
we can take my dad's Caddy.



You gotta pick me, Tripster!



Trip, man, you owe me.



I saved your ass
with Woodhouse that time.



- (shrieks) Thanks, Dad!
- OK.



- Who are the other boys?
- Ah, let's see.



Parker Denton and Jake Conley.
He's a very good student, dear.



And, uh... Kevin Head.



- Who's taking who?
- Whom.



They're just gonna raffle us off.



It made no difference which pattern
of their dream dresses the girls chose.



Mrs Lisbon added an inch to the
bust line and two to the waist and hems.



And the dresses came out
as four identical sacks.



- Everybody decent?
- Yeah.



OK. Come on.



Oh, I'm sorry. OK, there we go.
OK, come on, together.



- There's a leak.
- And Cheddar cheese!



I'm so excited!



- You ready?
- Let's go.



- Ready, man.
- Let's do it.



In the end Parkie won
because ofthe Cadillac,...



..Kevin Head because
he had the killer weed...



..and Joe Hill Conley
because he won school prizes -



..which Trip thought
would impress Mr and Mrs Lisbon.



- Hello, boys.
- (boys) Hello, Mrs Lisbon.



Come in.



(Trip) Thank you.



- Uh, who... who... who's driving?
- I am.



How long have you had your licence?



Two months, but I had
my learner's permit for a year.



We almost never let the girls
go out in cars unless it's necessary.



There's so many accidents nowadays.
I'm sure you will be very careful.



- Oh, yes, ma'am.
- OK, third degree's over!



Girls!



- I better get going. See you at the dance.
- See you there, Mr Lisbon.



Bye, dear.



See you later.



Girls, come on down.



The boys are here.



(dreamy music)



We got white ones.



We didn't know what you were wearing,
and the guy, the flower guy, said...



..that white would go with anything, so...



I'm glad you got white.



(Mrs Lisbon) Why don't you pin them on?



(nervous giggling)



(Mary giggling) Don't stick me!



There we go. All right. Let's do it.



Bye, Mom.



Bye.



Oh my gosh, look, you guys.
Her car's there late again.



Mr Leo's having an affair with the maid.



I saw him follow her
into the laundry room.



- Eugh! He's so fat, and that red nose.
- Totally an alcoholic.



What about the Hessens?
You know they're Nazis.



They're Nazi sympathisers, Bonnie.



They had a fit when the Schwartzmans
tried to join the tennis club.



Nice aluminum siding(!)
Do they really think that looks OK?



Mr Kriegers ordered that
from TV late at night.



- It's the Baldinos' barbecue tree stump.
- I have never seen them barbecue on it.



Actually it's an escape tunnel
for Sammy "the Shark".



- Leads to a river where he has his boat.
- Yeah. Paul goes there all the time.



He can get into anyone's basement
through the storm sewers.



- No way.
- Yeah.



Cool.



- (Bonnie) Dad'll smell it on you.
- No, I got mints.



He'll smell it on your clothes.



I'll just tell him some kids
were smoking in the bathroom.



Don't let it die a virgin.



- That's gross!
- Yeah, grow up, Conley.



(# ELO. "Strange Magic")



# You're



# Sailing softly through the sun



# ln a broken stone-age dawn



# You fly so high



# I get a strange magic



# All over me



# Strange magic



# Oh, it's so good



# Strange magic



# Got a strange magic



# Got a strange magic



- Uh, do you wanna dance?
- Sure.



# You're



# Walking meadows in my mind



# Making waves across my time



# Oh, no



# Oh, no



# I get a strange magic



# All over me



We've been having such
lovely weather, don't you think?



Yeah. Yeah, it's been nice.



# Got a strange magic



(feedback)



Good evening, everyone.
If I could have your attention...



I hope you're all having a good time.
Sure looks like it.



Here's a spot.



I'd like to open the voting
for Homecoming king and queen.



The ballot box is at the refreshments
table, so please cast your votes...



..and we'll make the announcement
in a little while. Thank you.



(#  CC. "I'm Not ln Love")



Did anybody see you come in?



No.



- What about you?
- No.



You'll love it.



(Trip) Peach schnapps.



Babes love it.



# I'm not in love



# So don't forget it



# It'sjust a silly phase I'm going through



That stuff tastes really good.



I don't want any, thanks.



Come on, just a taste. A tiny taste.



(giggles) Don't be such a goody-goody.



Don't swallow it!



# I'd like to see you



# But then again



# That doesn't mean
you mean that much to me



# I'm not in love



# No, no



# It's because



(feedback)



Can I have everyone's attention, please?
Thank you.



I'd like you all to put your hands together
for this year's king and queen.



.. Trip Fontaine and Lux Lisbon.



(applause)



(# Styx. "Come Sail Away")



(sister) All right, Luxie!



# But we'll try the best that we can



# To carry on



# The Reno angels



# Beat above my head



# They sang to me this song ofhope



# And this is what they said



# They said



# Come sail away



# Come sail away



# Come sail away with me



# Come sail away



# Come sail away



# Come sail away with me



I'm having the best time!



(whispers) Let's go for a walk.



We better not.
We've gotta go back in a minute.



We can keep an eye on the car.
They won't leave without us.



My dad.



Just tell him you had to put
the crown in your locker.



- Hey, see that divot there?
- Uh-huh.



That's where I reamed this guy today
in a cross-body block.



- Really?
- (growls)



- (Parkie) Maybe they went with your dad.
- I doubt it.



- We're cooked.
- Luxie is. We're not.



(panting)



Does anyone have any mints?



- Sorry.
- No.



Bye, Parkie.



- We'll walk you to the door.
- No, don't.



Why not?



Just don't.



OK.



Will you call me?



Uh, absolutely.



- Bye.
- Bye.



Bye.



(birds cheeping)



(Mrs Lisbon) Where have you been?



Get in!



(adult Trip)
I walked home alone that night.



I didn't care how she got home.
It was weird.



I mean, I liked her, I liked her a lot,
but out there on the field...



It was just different then.



That was the last time I saw her.



You know, most people
will never taste that kind of love.



But at least I tasted it once, right?



It's time for your
six o'clock group meeting.



Given Lux's failure to make curfew,
everyone expected a crackdown.



(door shuts)



But few anticipated it would be so drastic.



The girls were taken out ofschool...



..and Mrs Lisbon shut the house
in maximum security isolation.



She had done more than
just take the girls out ofschool.



That Sunday,
arriving home from a church sermon,...



..Mrs Lisbon commanded Lux
to destroy her rock records.



Now!



(sobs) But, Mom!



This is final, Luxie.



- It's not fair!
- I said now!



(sighs)



Now, Luxie!



Come on.



Hold on.



Kiss! Please don't make me do this.



Burn it.



(coughs)



Oh, Mom. Aerosmith!



- Come on. Don't make me burn this.
- No.



(girl) What's that smell?



It's all right. That'll do for now.
Give me these. Give me these.



I'll put them in the trash.



(coughs)



(chain saw revs)



(men whoop)



This was the time we began to see Lux
making love on the roof...



..with random boys and men.



- Is she naked?
- You can't tell. Hold on.



Well, get it focused.



- Will you stop? Wait your turn.
- What are they doing?



- They're rolling around up there.
- Let me see. Let me see.



Hold on. And she's on him and
he's rubbing his hands through her hair.



- Come on, let me look.
- No, it's my... It's my telescope, Chase!



- (laughs)
- Yes, and what else?



Our male up there
seems to be in a Burger Chalet uniform!



That Burger Chalet - you never think
those guys ever get lucky.



She turns to me and asks me
if I thought what we'd done was dirty.



I knew what to say. I said no.



Then she grabs my hand
and goes "You like me, don't you?"



I didn't say anything.
It's best to keep chicks guessing.



(woman) Chase, honey!
Come practise your violin before dinner!



You're not gonna believe it.
Lux is on the roof again tonight!



- Her hands are moving down.
- I gotta see this!



- This is beautiful.
- No, no. She's on top of him.



- What's she doin', man?
- Wait.



Now they're done, he's getting up.



- That's it?
- Popcorn.



That was quick.



(mutters)



Ooh, good morning!
Good morning (mumbles plant name)



Have we photosynthesised
breakfast today?



(mutters)



Hello, Ronald.



Hi, Eric.



Your daughters haven't been at school
for over two weeks.



You checked out back?



(woman) They found a new math teacher.



- Well, he's gonna have to get another job.
- I know.



(sighs) How long can those girls
be cooped up like that?



- Just go away. This is our tree.
- Girls!



Girls, it's a little late. This tree is dead.



- Why not leave it up to nature?
- If we did, there'd be no trees left.



That's what it's gonna be like anyway.



If boats hadn't brought the fungus,
this wouldn't have happened.



OK? Let's go.



No?



All right. That's it.



I have an order to cut down your elm tree,
but your kids won't let us.



- How do you know that tree's sick?
- It had yellow leaves. The tree is dead.



Our daughter said Aritex is
a less aggressive therapy.



It doesn't work. I leave that tree,
they'll all be gone by next year.



Will be anyway, way things are going!



I don't want to call the police.



Our daughters are standing on their own
front lawn. Since when is that a crime?



Right.



(Mr Lisbon) Uh...



Clive, did you see those girls in the
nighties? That's the shot that I want, OK?



Honey, move forward.
I want those girls in the nighties.



Oh, God. OK.
Here, let's just back up a little bit.



There you go. Is that good? OK?



Four sisters ofCecilia Lisbon,
the East Side teenager...



..whose suicide last summer focused
awareness on a national problem,...



..put their own lives injeopardy by trying
to protect the elm that Cecilia so loved.



(chain saws buzz)



For the next few weeks
we hardly saw the girls at all.



Joe Hill Conley didn't call Therese
as he had promised.



And Lux never spoke to Trip again.



(Trip) You're a stone fox.



The girls' only contact with the outside...



..was through catalogues they ordered
that filled their mailbox...



..with pictures ofhigh-end fashions
and brochures for exotic vacations.



Unable to go anywhere,...



..the girls travelled in their imaginations
to Siamese temples...



..or passed an old man with a leafbroom
tidying a moss-carpeted speck ofJapan.



We ordered the same catalogues...



..and, flipping through the pages,
we hiked through passes with the girls,...



..stopping every now and then
to help them with their backpacks,...



..placing our hands
on their warm, moist shoulders...



..and gazing offat papaya sunsets.



We drank tea with them
in a water pavilion.



We did whatever we wanted.



Cecilia hadn't died.
She was a bride in Calcutta.



The only way
we could feel close to the girls...



..was through these impossible trips
which have scarred us forever,...



..making us happier
with dreams than wives.



Collecting everything we could oftheirs,
the Lisbon girls wouldn't leave our minds.



But they were slipping away.



The colour oftheir eyes was fading, along
with the locations ofmoles and dimples.



From five they had become four,...



..and they were all living in the dead,
becoming shadows.



We'd have lost them completely
if they hadn't contacted us.



OK, one long,...



..two short...



- ..and one long.
- Mm-hm.



You got that? That's it.



"Help."



"Send...



..bo...



..bo."



- Bo-bo?
- Bo-bo.



That's what it says: bo-bo.



"Help send bo-bo"?
I thought you knew Morse code.



Something here for you.



I got one, too.



We racked our brains
for a way ofcontacting them.



Tom Faheem suggested we fly a kite
with a message alongside the house,...



..but that had logistical problems.



In the end, the answer was so simple
it took a week to work out.



We called them on the telephone.



...



- .. .
-  .



(whispers) Get ready.



- (Mary) Hello?
- Go!



(Todd Rundgren) # Hello, it's me



# I've thought about us
for a long, long time



Call us.  .



- (phone rings)
- Shit! It's them.



(Gilbert O'Sullivan)
# To think that only yesterday



# I was cheerful, bright and gay



# Looking forward to - who wouldn't do? -



# The role I was about to play



# But in my hour ofneed



# I truly am indeed



# Alone again



# Naturally



(The Bee Gees)
# Run to me whenever you're lonely



# Run to me ifyou need a shoulder



# Now and then you need someone older



# So darling



(Carole King) # So far away



# Doesn't anybody stay
in one place any more?



# It would be so fine
to see your face at my door



# Doesn't help to know you'rejust far



# Away



I gotta go home. See ya tomorrow.



I'll see you later.



- (Lux) We're suffocating.
- (Mrs Lisbon) You're safe here.



I can't breathe in here.



No answer.



- (Tim) What time is it?
- (Chase) Any time now.



- Guys, there it is.
- What?



(Tim) Yeah, it's them.



(all) Let's go!



(whispers) I have keys to my mom's car.



- (clatter)
- Shh!



Maybe we should knock.



(knocks)



We're here.



About time.



We've been waiting for you guys.



We got a car, a full tank.
We'll take you anywhere you wanna go.



It's just a Cougar, but it's got a big trunk.



Can I sit up front?



Sure.



Which one of you
is gonna sit up front next to me?



Where are your parents?



Asleep.



- What about your sisters?
- They're coming.



Come on, it's getting late.



Wait five minutes. We had to wait
until my parents were asleep.



They take for ever.
My mom's an insomniac.



We better take our car.
There's more room.



Think you can handle a station wagon?



Sure. It's not a stick, is it?



- No.
- Yeah, no problem.



- Will you let me steer?
- Sure.



But maybe we should go.
I heard somethin'. Could be your mom.



Come on in.



I'll go wait in the car.
You guys wait here for my sisters.



(girls giggling)



(humming)



(thud)



These girls are making me crazy.
If I could feel one of 'em up just once...



What?



(creaking)



(hissing)



We would never be sure
about the sequence ofevents.



We argue about it still.



Most likely Bonnie had died while we
were waiting in the living room,...



..dreaming ofhighways.



Mary put her head in the oven
shortly thereafter.



Therese, stuffed with sleeping pills,
was gone by the time we got there.



Lux was the last to go.



(engine running)



(coughs)



It's four o'clock on Sunday afternoon.
Do you know where your children are?



(reporters' voices overlapping)



(babble of voices)



This has been Lydia Perl
with Channel  News.



(Mrs Lisbon) None ofmy daughters
lacked for any love.



There was plenty oflove in our house.



I never understood why...



After the suicide free-for-all the Lisbons
gave up any attempt to lead a normal life.



They had Mr Hedlie pack up the house,...



..selling what furniture he could
in a garage sale.



Mr Lisbon put the house on the market...



..and it was sold to
a young couple from Boston.



We, ofcourse, took the family photos
that were put out with the trash.



(clock ticking)



We had pieces ofthe puzzle, but however
we put them together, gaps remained -



..oddly shaped emptiness,
mapped by what surrounded them...



..like countries we couldn't name.



What lingered after them was not life,
but the most trivial list ofmundane facts.



..a clock ticking on the wall,...



..a room dim at noon,...



..the outrageousness ofa human being
thinking only ofherself.



We began the impossible process
of trying to forget them.



Our parents seemed
better able to do this,...



..returning to their tennis foursomes
and cocktail cruises...



..as though they'd seen this all before.



It was full-fledged summer again, over
a year since Cecilia had slit her wrists,...



..spreading the poison in the air.



A spill at the plant
increased the phosphates in the lake...



..and produced a scum ofalgae so thick
that the swamp smell filled the air,...



..infiltrating the genteel mansions.



Debutantes cried over the misfortune
of coming out in a season...



..everyone would remember
for its bad smell.



The O'Conners, however,
came up with the ingenious solution...



..of making the theme oftheir daughter
Alice's debutante party "Asphyxiation".



Like everyone else,
we went to forget about the Lisbon girls.



(woman) She'll give him a heart attack!



(muffled voices)



(muffled voices)



Hi, Parkie.



(vomits)



Al's got the acting bug, you know.



- She caught it from Pinkie.
- (laughter)



And I want to announce tonight
that next fall...



..Alice is going to
a little school in New Haven(!)



(laughter)



I hear they have
a great drama school out there.



- In fact, Sam, didn't your father build it?
- That's the law school.



We're so proud of Alice.
We really couldn't be prouder.



(all toast)



I've had it.



Goodbye, cruel world.



No, no, no, you don't understand me!



I'm a teenager. I got problems!



(laughter)



So much has been said
about the girls over the years.



But we have never found an answer.



It didn't matter in the end
how old they had been,...



..or that they were girls.



But only that we had loved them,...



..and that they hadn't heard us calling,...



..still do not hear us calling them
out ofthose rooms...



..where they went to be alone
for all time,...



..and where we will never find the pieces
to put them back together.



(# Air. "Playground Love")



# I'm a high school lover



# And you're my favourite flavour



# Love is all



# All my soul



# You're my playground love



# Yet my hands are shaking



# I feel my body remains



# Time's no matter



# I'm on fire



# On the playground love



# You're the piece ofgold



# That flushes all my soul



# Extra time



# On the ground



# You're my playground love



# Any time



# Anywhere



# You're my playground love