Beginners

Okay. Is it on?

Yeah, yeah.

Okay. Okay.

This is for our friend, Hal Fields.

Hal, we love you.

Arthur, you're coming to live with me now, okay?

This is my car.

This is the dining room where people come and eat sometimes.

This is the living room.

That's the bathroom.

This is 2003.

This is what the sun looks like,

and the stars, nature...

This is the President.

And this is the sun in 1955.

And the stars,

and nature,

and cars and phones and movies and the President.

These are what pets looked like.

These are fireworks.

This was smoking.

This is what it looked like when people kissed.

When they were happy.

When they were sad.

My parents got married in 1955.

He was a museum director and she fixed up old houses.

They had a child and they stayed married for 44 years,

until she died in their bed,

after four months of cancer, and eating French toast for every meal,

and watching the Teletubbies every day,

and confusing white straws for her cigarettes,

and skipping back and forth through time inside her head.

Six months later, my father told me he was gay.

He had just turned 75.

I'm gay.

I always remember him wearing a purple sweater when he told me this,

but, actually, he wore a robe.

I'm gay.

I'm gay.

I loved your mother, but...

...now I want to explore this side.

I don't wanna be just theoretically gay.

I wanna do something about it.

I wanna do something about it.

I wanna do something about it.

He changed all his clothes.

He got a boyfriend, Andy,

a physical trainer who was also studying

for his professional pyrotechnic license.

Since I came out to my father, he never speaks to me.

That's why I've been always attracted to older men.

He found an out gay priest to guide him spiritually.

He saw a therapist for the first time.

He joined the Prime Timers,

movie night,

Los Angeles Pride.

And then four years after he came out, he died in this room.

Look, it's lonely out here, so you'd better learn how to talk with me.

I know. I know.

Calm. Calm, calm breaths.

Calm.

Oliver!

Please help me with all these ropes.

Pop, Pop, stop, stop, stop.

You're gonna hurt yourself.

Mr. Fields, we're gonna have to secure your arms again, okay?

You two married?

No, Pop.

Why not? She's great.

Yeah, she's a great nurse in the hospital, but we don't really know her.

You're very high on drugs.

Yes, you've always had some very good reasons,

...haven't you? - No, Pop,

I just don't wanna be like you and Mom.

Well...

Thank you.

Oliver?

Ollie, you can do better.

That's good.

Go and have your own experiences with your own people.

I'll be right here.

I'm a human. I'm not a dog.

And you're a Jack Russell and that's a breed.

Your personality was created by this guy, John Russell,

who was a hunting enthusiast in the 1800s.

And he bred your ancestors for their stamina and their courage for the hunt.

You think you're you when you wanna chase the foxes,

but other people planted that in you years ago.

And now, somewhat arbitrarily,

you're considered very cute by us humans.

And we keep breeding you not to chase foxes, but to be cute.

And we put you in television shows and movies,

and you're chasing tennis balls

because they're as close to a fox as you're gonna get.

- Hey, Liz. - Hey.

Let's read this one. I found a lot of books.

Yeah, all right.

Give me the flashlight.

- Nice. - That's nice.

Andy brought those for you.

- Oh, yeah? - Yeah.

Who did that painting?

Well, I don't know. It's just a painting on the wall.

And these?

They're just photos, Pop.

But how do they relate to the exhibit?

They're just personal photos. They're not art.

And that's the water sprinkler thing.

Well, it's beautiful.

What is?

Putting the Japanese Gardens there. It's just beautiful.

Hal?

Andy!

I brought something for you.

We made a recording for you.

Oh, God.

This is for our friend, Hal Fields.

Oh, my God.

- Huh? - Yeah.

Jesus, Liz. Another band that wants portraits.

Well, at least it pays the rent.

You do something decent once and that's all people ever want.

Hi, Liz.

- Oliver? - Yeah?

The pen is not your friend.

The paper is not your friend.

The party is your friend. We're your friends.

Your friends are your friends.

Okay?

I've got the skills

He's got the moves

I've got the moves.

- I've got the skills. - I've got the skills.

Arthur, you haven't been invited to this party.

You're gonna stay and look after the house.

You remember when Oliver was funny,

and he could actually, like, talk in complete sentences?

Funny, funny... I don't think...

Funny. Yeah.

Fun. But not funny, unless, like, serious is funny.

Then he's fucking hilarious. But...

Lovable. Lovable.

Yeah, very lovable.

You are very lovable.

Hey, what's up!

Step aside.

Step aside.

He is so cute! Does he do tricks?

No.

His name is Arthur. He doesn't do tricks.

- No? - No.

Arthur. Sit.

Oh, my God!

Hi. Shake.

Oh, my God. He's so cute. I want him.

Does it make you feel powerful to order my dog around?

Maybe give you a sense of power?

You're being a therapist!

Freud!

Thanks, yeah. Very good.

Bye, Arthur.

Well, I didn't ask for this. Who would ask for this?

This color, this nose, this cheek, this chin.

You know, this is my life.

This isn't a story. This isn't a joke.

Yeah.

I'm so glad you came, Doc.

Just really good to get this stuff off my chest.

I'm sorry. Our time is up

for this week.

Thank you for coming in.

Oh.

I was just...

I was gonna take a break, actually.

Okay.

I guess we should start with your mother.

Well, then, your father.

I don't understand. You can't talk?

Is it a mental problem? Do you need analysis?

It's a physical problem.

I was doing such a good job of hiding it.

How could you tell?

Clearly, I'm gonna need a drink.

You?

You stay here. Yeah.

- No, it's not a natural color for a chicken. - No.

And you see what happens when you free yourself from the cage,

walk away from the factory?

You just have no real color. You're like...

Hey, can you...

Hey, there.

Uh-oh. One. Uh-oh. Two.

Two drinks.

What does that mean... One, two.

Well, that's two people.

- Two people. A girl and a guy? - Hopefully.

Yeah. Wow. Making moves.

Hello?

- Oliver? - Yeah.

I'm not sorry I woke you.