Stepmom

Hey, good morning, New York.

Scott Zoe here at 102.7, WNEW-FM, where rock lives.

Beautiful autumn day in the city,

and a great record coming your way, too.

Ben?

Ben?

Ben.

Get up, get up, get up.

Late, late, late.

Ben?

Come on, honey. Get up. We're seriously late.

All right, you may think this is funny, but this is so not...

funny.

I'm not kidding around anymore, Ben.

You make yourself appear right this instant.

Ben?

Ben?

The clock is ticking, Ben. Come on now.

Ben.

Anna?

Oh, good. You're already up.

You forgot to wash my shirt.

I told you 100 times, today is purple shirt day at school.

I didn't forget.

Actually, I was up half the night thinking about it.

Yeah, right.

And I concluded that you are too special to look like everyone else.

So, orangy red.

That's your color. Few can carry it off.

Now, uh... Would you help me find your brother?

You lost Ben?

No.

I didn't lose Ben.

Ben?

Ben?

All right, Ben. Fine.

You explain to your teacher why you're late.

Your daddy said he had a very important case this morning,

and he had to go to work early.

And he left us here to be responsible, that we could...

Shit.

You're so not funny. Not funny, and you're also late,

and that means you have to get dressed right now.

Stay. No. Stay. Ben. Ben.

This is not funny, Ben. We've got to get you dressed.

We're running so late. This is not a game. Ooh.

Come on. Help me out. Ben.

Come on, Ben, really. We're so late.

I don't want to go to school.

No.

Mommy!

- Mommy! - Hi, sweetie.

Ben, you look like you're having such a good time.

- But we're running a little late. - Ben.

Sweetie, I thought you were supposed to be wearing purple today.

- She forgot to wash it. - Oh, hey.

Mmm, what a hug.

I'll handle it from here, Isabel.

I'm sure you will, Jackie.

Oh, my gosh. She made you a lunch?

Okay. Come on.

Mom, why do we have to listen to this classical stuff?

Because I like it, and I'm driving.

And when you get your own car, you can pick the music.

Why does Isabel wear Daddy's underpants?

Doesn't she have underpants of her own?

Uh, well, I saw a whopping pile of laundry sitting on the washing machine.

Perhaps Isabel's underpants are in there.

They're right next to my purple shirt.

I'm never speaking to her again.

Never say never. Here's your vitamins.

She's always messing up my life.

It's not fair to say always.

I hate her. She's such a witch.

Hey. No name-calling. Use your words.

I hate when you say that.

Now that's a beginning.

Hate is a totally acceptable word.

You just have to be careful when you use it.

And only use it when you truly detest something.

Like what?

Well, like... The planet Uranus.

I hate that. It's a terrible name for a planet.

Your anus.

Yeah.

- And the hokey-pokey. - The hokey-pokey?

The hokey-pokey. I hate the hokey-pokey.

Putting your foot in and out at weddings. It's terrible.

Oh, Ben!

I hate when you do that. I can smell your breakfast.

Point well taken.

Right here, let's just calm... Ladies, let's just calm down.

She'll be here.

She will be here. Isabel, where are you?

Come on. Any word?

Yeah, she's on her way up here.

She's on her way. I promise you.

- Oh, really? - Yes.

- How do you know? - I have sixth sense.

I'm here. I'm sorry I'm late.

What a crisis.

White pants, black top, and if it's the black top, is it the white or black bra?

And I just picked this...

All righty.

I'm here. I'm lame.

You got a Froot Loop in your hair.

All right. Get me the digital camera right now.

Russell, get this out of here, please. Thank you.

Quick. Come on, boys.

Here you go.

- Why is she shooting this? - I don't know why.

Isabel, we have been waiting for an hour.

I know, I'm sorry. It won't happen again.

Why are you shooting this?

Because I'm brillant.

And I see something you don't.

So stand back and trust me, why don't you?

Oh, I trust you.

I just don't understand why you're shooting the craft service guy

when I've got five male models in very expensive suits over here.

Thank you, ladies. That's lovely. It's a wrap, everybody.

No! No, no. It's not a wrap.

Not a wrap. She's kidding.

You're kidding, aren't you, Isabel?

I'm not kidding, actually. And if you meet me back here in an hour,

I will prove to you why you hired me,

even though I wouldn't sleep with you.

She's got such a great sense of humor.

Let's see if I can save

both our jobs.

Wow.

- The little guy in the suit. - I like it.

- What do you think? - I like it.

- I like it. Good work. - I like it, too. Very creative.

- Congratulations, Duncan. - Thank you.

Congratulations, Duncan.

Well, the suit takes pounds off him.

While change is exhilarating for an adult,

it can be quite a challenge for a child.

I won't get that.

That's fine.

Change. You were talking about change.

Well, the fact that you two are remarrying

obviously has Anna overjoyed, and she's very excited about the move to Switzerland.

She said we are remarrying?

Mmm-hmm.

And my concern is that Anna seems apathetic towards her work,

knowing she's leaving before the semester.

- Mrs. Franklin, we are not... - No plans on getting...

- Remarried. There's no move... - To Switzerland.

- No. - Really?

Really.

Well, then my concern for Anna,

is that she...

- Are you here? - I'm here.

Because you don't seem like you're really here.

I'm here.

The judge is about to rule on a motion that could make or break this case

I've been working on for eight months, but have I answered my beeper?

So turn it off.

I'm wondering if there's anything going on at home

that could possibly be intensifying Anna's need to create this fantasy.

I've been seeing another woman for the past year.

In the three short years since our divorce, he's seen a number of women, and...

I saw a few women when we first split up, but I've been seeing one woman for the past year.

- Without very much warning to the kids... - After discussion with her and the kids, I might add,

- she moved in last month. - He's living with a woman half his age.

- Isabel's not half my age. - We're not discussing your age.

Then why bring it up?

When they go to your house, they want to be with you.

They want to be with their father.

When they come to my house, they want to be part of my life.

Isabel's part of my life.

Mr. Harrison, I hear you talking about your life, your needs,

but are you really in touch with what Anna needs?

Anna needs a home where she feels safe and loved.

- What I'm trying to give her. - I thought that's what she already had.

I would walk through fire for Anna.

Gladly.

Any day of the week.

Except Thursday, when Isabel forgot to pick them up.

Jackie, she was five minutes late, for Christ's sakes.

- Well... - She was five minutes late.

I'm wondering if Anna could be responding to the underlying hostility

that exist between your girlfriend and Mrs. Harrison.

Well, of course she's responding to it.

Mrs. Franklin, do you think any of this is easy for us?

Do you think it's easy for Jackie to watch her kids

being looked after by another woman?

Not to mention a woman who really has no experience being a mother.

Of course, Jackie's going to be

irrational, hostile,

defensive.

Thank you, Luke.

I didn't say that. Why would I say that you and Daddy are getting back together?

Sometimes people make up stories about things that they wish would happen.

I don't want that to happen. Why would I want that to happen?

Okay, pick a card, any card.

Because you're upset?

You know, because Isabel moved in, and...