Charlie[about him talking to Grace's parents] What'd I do wrong? Am I being too nice? Is that it? You think I'm kissing up to them?
No, you're not. That's the problem. You're just being you.
Charlie
Right. Okay, that's the problem. I'll just start being someone else.
No, wait. Look, it's... In my whole life I've been struggling to find a me that's different than them. Honestly, it's like... My meter for making decisions: If they object, do it. Then all of a sudden, I fall in love with you. And outta nowhere, they decide it's the best idea they've ever heard.
Charlie
So?
So they're out there right now thinking they've won. Thinking I've stepped in line and I've decided to behave or something. It's just...
Charlie
Look, I know that's not what's going on here, and you know it. What's the harm in letting them think that they've won just this once?
Well, the harm is... The harm is... The harm is it bugs me. Look, I know I'm being a baby about this. But can't you just let me do that just this once?
Charlie
Just this once.
Charlie
Hey, what the hell--?
[Charlie laughs]
Bailey; This whole thing's been a major hassle, and I don't need to hear about it from either of you.
SSam
So, you feeling better?
SSam
Oh, man, you didn't see? I was a saint to those people. I brought 'em drinks, chatted with 'em. I'll try and swing by after work, okay?
AAll
Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Owen. Happy birthday to you.
Well, that pretty much sucked.
Charlie
Yeah!
Who the hell put that there?
Charlie
He's ripped.
Drunk. Really drunk. Okay, so it's a little messed up, but it's a lot more fun that way, right?
Hey, what did you expect?! I've never done this before. You expect a first-time clown not to make any mistakes? Huh?!
Oh, God, don't cry. He's crying!
Charlie
Bay, come on, let's get outta here.
I'm talking to my friend, here. I'm teaching him how to be a man.
Charlie
Bay, I said, come on.
Oh, my God. Charlie, are you okay?
Charlie
I'm fine.
It was-- He pushed-- It was an accident. The hell with all of you.
WWoman
I think it's time to go.
MMan
I think that's a good idea.
[after her siblings ask her to lie to Bailey about Owen being hurt in an attempt to get him to come to the house] No. Uh uh. No way.
Charlie
Claud.
No. Forget it. That's a terrible thing to do.
Yeah, it is. It is. But how else, Claud. How else can you get him here?
I don't know. But that? No, no. You can't tell him that. I mean, you can't have him get in his car and drive all the way over here thinking that. [to Sarah] You don't think this is, like, the cruelest thing you could do to a person? I mean, you're actually okay with this?
I know it'll get him here, Claudia. So yeah, I am.
Well, I don't care. I won't. I don't care, and you know, if you think it is such a great idea, you call.
It won't make any sense coming from Sarah. Or me, or Charlie.
Charlie
It's you, Claud. If you call him and say that you need his help, that you don't know what to do, then he'll believe you. And he'll come.
He's in trouble, Claudia. I mean, aren't you willing to do whatever it takes to help him? I am.
[Claudia looks torn; starts dialing]
[crying hysterically on phone] Bay! Bay, um, it's Owen. He...I wasn't looking and he...he fell down the stairs and he hit his head...hard. I don't know...I don't know if he's breathing...but he's not moving, Bailey. And I don't know what to do! You gotta...you gotta...okay. Okay, but hurry. [hangs up. To Charlie] Shame on you.
He was an alcoholic, Bailey.
Right. Sure. Sure he was.
Your father was an alcoholic.
Eighteen years he was sober before he died, but for years, before that, years.
No, you're just... No! No, I.. I don't believe you.
On my life, Bailey. It's the truth.
I thought... I thought you couldn't get any lower than what they did. Lying about Owen saying he was hurt just to get me to come over here. But you... You son of a bitch!
What do you think? What? You think he's dead, you can say what you want to say about him?!
He'd want you to know! He'd want me to tell you!
My father was not an alcoholic!
Get outta here, Joe. Get the hell outta here! [To Charlie] Have you heard this load of crap?! Have you? Oh, hey. This was probably your genius idea. Right? Let's get Joe to say Dad was a drunk. And then maybe...
Charlie
Joe.
Charlie
He didn't... I would've known.
You were just a kid when he quit, Charlie. Probably too young to recognize the signs.
Charlie
What signs?
Don't you remember him coming home late from the restaurant every night?
That doesn't mean... Look, he had a business to run.
Charlie
He liked hanging out with the guys late. Shooting the bull.
Honey, I was the one who had to drive him home night after night cause he couldn't drive himself.
Charlie
I don't know.
Don't you remember the fight he had with your mom?
Charlie
I don't know. Okay?
It was bad. For a long time. If he hadn't gotten the help when he did...
But I never saw him take a drink in my life. Not once, not even a beer or a glass of wine.
That's right. And what do you think? Not a drop, not an ounce, nothing. He owned a restaurant, and hell, he owned a bar. Why never a sip? Cause he knew he couldn't. Ever. That's what it is to be an alcoholic. He knew that...
[Claudia goes back inside the house, Charlie tries to go after her]
I don't need to be taken care of. And I don't need any AA contact. I mean it's okay, Charlie. I kind of feel better, actually.
Yeah, I do. Anyway. I guess you guys were right about me. Turns out you were right. Of course you were. I mean, I'm my father's son, right? Which is...which explains a lot of things. I mean, I can finally stop looking at myself and thinking, what is going on here? What am I turning into? Who am I turning into? Because it's him. I'm turning into him. And it's not my fault. It's not my fault. It's his fault. So...so I'm gonna stop beating myself up and I'm gonna stop letting all of you guys beat up on me. Because this is just who I am, and this is what I do. I drink. Anyone seen my coat?
[upset] No. No no no no no no no. I can't take this, Bailey. I mean, you can't do this anymore.
[crying hysterically] No, Bailey. I mean it. That's it...that's it! I mean if you don't...if you don't get help, I don't want to see you. You can't talk to me...and you can't talk to Owen...and you can't come over to the house...and I'm not going to come and see you...and I'm not going to call you...and I'm not even going to think about you.
Charlie
Claudia...
No! I love you, Bailey. More than anyone. I love you the best. You know that. This is the only thing I have that I can take away from you...to make you stop. So either you get help right now...or get out of here.
[long pause; Bailey finds his coat and leaves]
Charlie
Where the hell have you been? Where the hell have you been?!
Where the hell have I been? I took Owen out for a ride... what the hell is so the hell about it?
Charlie
You took him from daycare without telling anybody, then you kept him all day without calling?
I spent the afternoon with my little brother. What's the big deal? I do it all the time.
Charlie
No you don't. For the last couple months you've been totally AWOL.
Well, then I'm making up for lost time. What's wrong with that?
Charlie
Because we had no way of knowing... How are we supposed to...
If I was drunk? Is that what this is about? You thought I'd be wasted? Right? You thought I would drive around wasted and get Owen killed?
Charlie
Well. Are you?
Oh, that's really sweet, just when I thought my family couldn't love me any less...
Charlie
Have you had anything to drink?
Charlie
Let me smell your breath.
Charlie
You have! You've been drinking!
I had a beer, Charlie. One beer.
Charlie
You drank and you drove with your little brother in the car!
I'm completely sober! Ok, you wanna give me a test?!
Charlie
I don't believe you! Somebody ought to...
Well, come on! Go on! [Charlie grabs Bailey by the shirt, and the others run to stop him]
No, Charlie! Charlie! Charlie! Stop it!
Stop it! [to Bailey] Bailey.
Charlie
Just stay away from Owen, you hear me? You can wreck your own life, but you're not gonna hurt him.
Charlie
No, he's not!
I can't believe, that you people--
Bailey! We gotta go after him. Right? I mean, obviously this isn't working, he isn't gonna learn anything like this. He's been drinking and now he's gonna drive and we've gotta do something! Right? Right?
Charlie
Why did you tell Claudia all that stuff about our father?
AAvery
Well, she came in all upset, and I just--
Charlie
Exactly. Exactly! She's upset. She's upset about drinking in our family, so you tell her that her father was some kind of abusive drunk? Why would you do that?
Charlie
Because this whole alcoholism thing, the way it works, she's gonna think that whatever happened to Dad is gonna happen to Bailey!
AAvery
She asked me what I remember. All I did was--
Charlie
The fact of the matter is that Dad was never that bad! I remember him from back then too, you know, and I don't remember any of the stuff that you told Claudia. I mean, he drank too much, sure, and there was some yelling, definitely, but he got his act together pretty quickly, and Bailey will too. So as far as all this stuff you told Claudia, I don't know, maybe you have your own reasons for believing it, but we don't need to hear it, okay?
AAvery
You think I'm carrying out some sort of old grudge against Nick?
Charlie
Everyone knows you were in love with her, so of course you're going to blow up every flaw he had. You didn't want to believe that he belonged with her.
Charlie
You're just trying to get back at him.
AAvery
That's not even close, Charlie. Because there's so much worse that I could have told her.
Charlie
I'm sorry, Claud. I shouldn't have yelled at you. But I don't get it. I don't get why you're so mad at him.
Because of what he did to us.
Charlie
But what did he do to you, really? Because he didn't make Bailey drink. I know you think he did, but--
Yes, he did. He gave him his problem.
Charlie
No, Claud. Even if he did get the alcoholism from him, Dad couldn't help that, any more than Mom could help giving you her music.
Maybe not, but…he could help what he did to her. He could help being a bad husband and a bad father.
Charlie
He wasn't Claud. He quit drinking. He made himself better, and the guy he was after that, you loved him. You thought he was a great father.
I don't care. I don't think that anymore.
Charlie
You know, I've made a lot of mistakes, too, stuff that's hurt this family, and I tell myself that you need to screw up before you can learn, you know? Maybe you've got to be a lousy person before you can be a good one. And Owen, I mean…what if someday, Owen looks at me the way you're looking at Dad? Because if he does, there's no reason he won't decide to hate me.
You're different, Charlie. The stuff you did, it's just not the same thing.
Charlie
Yes, it is. It's exactly the same. He was a good father, Claud, and if he was still around, he'd be a good father now. [long silence] Claudia?
Charlie
I hope so. But I don't know.
If I owned an Armani anything, I would wear nothing else. I mean, what is your problem with this suit?
Charlie
Okay, you want to know what it is... Kathleen gave it to me. Like as a tip so every time I put it on I feel like a gigolo or something.
That's very moving Charlie, but my feeling on this is unless you're going to say that in your wedding toast, you should put on the suit.
Charlie
I just gotta know, Julia. What are you waiting for, Julia? My funeral?
Charlie
I mean, I can't get Claudia to shut up about it, and you, I don't hear a word from! Nothing! You don't even stop by! It's like I'm going through all this, and you couldn't care less!
You think that? You think I don't care?
Charlie
What am I supposed to think? What's take, Julia? How much effort is required to pick up a freakin' phone?
Maybe it takes, I don't know, some sign, something that I'm a part of your life! I mean, you want me to care, Charlie, but you didn't want me to know!
Charlie
But you do know! Now you know!
But you didn't tell me! Claudia did.
Charlie
Look, I don't have time to play games with you, Julia.
Games? You are the one playing games, Charlie. You let me go on and on about my stupid money problems. You don't interrupt. You don't say a word about your health, like your cancer isn't important enough to mention! Like how could Julia possibly care about anything but herself? God, what am I supposed to do Charlie, except take my cue from you? If you have wanted anything from me, if you had expected anything from me, you would have treated me like I was capable of coming through for you. But obviously, you don't. So congratulations, Charlie. I guess you have me pegged.
Charlie
What is this? What is your...God, I'm sick! I'm sick, and you've got a problem with, with my process? Get over yourself, Julia! Man, I thought Owen was the baby of the family!
What about Owen? Should I call a doctor or something?
Charlie
Which color food is it now?
What? He's done this before?
Charlie
Yeah, when Bailey went to college last year he wouldn't eat anything that wasn't green. It means he's a little freaked by what's going on.
Yeah, well this year it's white.
Charlie
Well, then my advice is cook white food.
Party of Five · 364 quotes
