The Safety of Objects

Synopsis: A series of overlapping stories about four suburban families dealing with different maladies. Esther Gold's life is consumed by caring for her comatose son; Jim Train is sent into a tailspin when he's passed over for a promotion; Annette Jennings' family is struggling in the wake of her divorce; Helen Christianson is determined to shake up her mundane life.
Genre: Drama
Director(s): Rose Troche
Production: IFC Films
  3 wins & 4 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.6
Metacritic:
58
Rotten Tomatoes:
50%
R
Year:
2001
121 min
$86,250
Website
151 Views


[ENGINE RUNNING]

[ENGINE RUNNING]

[ENGINE STOPS]

[DOOR OPENS]

[KEYS JANGLING]

[DOOR SLAMS]

[KEYS JANGLING]

[FOOTSTEPS]

[FOOTSTEPS]

[DOOR SQUEAKING]

Julie, whispering:

Hey, Audrey.

[DOOR CLOSES]

[DOG PANTING]

Who's a good girl?

[FOOTSTEPS]

[FOOTSTEPS]

Esther, whispering: ...the

moments of the most terrible,

essential and tormenting

questions of the soul.

To remain only with the

free decision of the heart.

Hey.

How'd it go?

FINE, MOM.

IT WAS JUST BABYSITTING.

WHY ARE YOU WHISPERING?

Uh, your father

is asleep.

Uh, your father

is asleep.

OK. I'M GONNA CLOSE

THIS DOOR.

I DON'T WANT TO HEAR

HIS MUSIC IN MY ROOM.

Julie?

Could you please bring

your brother's guitar

back in here?

FINE.

FINE.

AHH, ONE MORE FOR YOU, PAUL.

[SCRAPING]

[SCRAPING]

?? AND YOU ARE

ALL THAT I NEED ??

?? TO PICK ME UP

I'M CRYING ??

?? AND YOU ARE

ALL THAT I NEED ??

?? TO BRING ME DOWN

I'M FLYING ??

?? AND YOU ARE

ALL THAT I NEED ??

?? I'M CRYING ??

?? AND YOU ARE

ALL THAT I NEED ??

?? CRYING ??

?? CRYING ??

[APPLAUSE]

[APPLAUSE]

WHOO!

[CHEERING]

THANK YOU EVERYBODY.

WE'RE AHAB'S FISH.

THANKS FOR COMING OUT.

THANKS FOR COMING OUT.

Annette:
IT'S A TRAIN, AND IT'S

HEADING FOR THE TUNNEL. OPEN UP.

CH-CH-CH-CH! WHOO WHOO!

CH-CH-CH-CH!

HE'S COMING FAST.

OPEN UP. [CHUGGING]

HA.

SAM, DON'T MAKE IT WORSE,

PLEASE.

SAM, DON'T MAKE IT WORSE,

PLEASE.

MMM.

MMM.

[WHISPERING] Do that again.

SHE'LL DO IT IF YOU DO IT.

SHE'LL DO IT IF YOU DO IT.

YOU KNOW, SAM.

IT'S GONNA TAKE AN AWFUL

LOT OF ENERGY FOR YOU

TO STAY ANGRY AT ME

THE REST OF THE WEEK.

I'M SORRY ABOUT CAMP.

WE JUST COULDN'T AFFORD IT.

YOU COULDN'T AFFORD IT.

THAT'S RIGHT. I COULDN' AFFORD IT. I'M A CRAPPY MOM.

DOES THAT MAKE YOU

FEEL BETTER?

NO.

HMM?

THEN DON' BRING IT UP AGAIN.

THEN DON' BRING IT UP AGAIN.

COME ON, RAYANNE.

GET YOUR BACKPACK.

WE GOTTA GO TO SCHOOL.

COME ON.

[CLATTER]

[CLATTER]

RAYANNE.

RAYANNE.

SORRY, MOM.

SORRY, MOM.

GOOD KID.

LOVE YOU.

LOVE YOU.

THAT'S ATTRACTIVE.

GUYS REALLY LIKE THA ON A GIRL.

WELL, WHAT AM

I SUPPOSED TO DO?

PRETEND LIKE I DON' KNOW HOW TO FIX IT?

THAT'S LIKE THE STUPID

GIRLS YOU GO OUT WITH.

MM-MMM.

TRY LIKE THE STUPID GIRLS

MOST GUYS GO OUT WITH.

LATER.

LATER.

LATER.

DON'T YOU HAVE

ANY OTHER FRIENDS?

DO YOU HAVE A LIFE?

[TOASTER PINGS]

[LAUGHING]

HOPE THAT'S TOAST I HEAR.

WHEAT!

YOU KNOW I HEARD

ON TV LAST NIGH THAT A FEMALE UNDER

18 YEARS OF AGE HAS

3 TIMES HIGHER A METABOLISM

THAN A WOMAN OVER 35.

NOW, ISN'T THAT SOMETHING

TO LOOK FORWARD TO?

MMM.

SO, DID SALLY TELL YOU

THAT SHE'S NOT GONNA

GO TO CAMP THIS WEEK?

WHY NOT?

IT'S STUPID.

HORSEBACK RIDING. WHAT?

SWIMMING.

BEING AWAY FROM HER PARENTS.

ALL OF THESE THINGS APPARENTLY

NO LONGER APPEAL TO HER.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I RAISED HER

TO BE INDEPENDENT,

SO I SUPPORT THAT.

SHE KNOWS THAT I LIKE HER

TO MAKE HER OWN DECISIONS.

WHAT DO I ALWAYS

TELL YOU?

LOVE ME.

AND?

RESPECT ME.

RIGHT.

DON'T LISTEN TO HER, SAM.

YOU GOTTA LOOK YOURSELF

IN THE MIRROR EVERY MORNING,

AND YOU GOTTA SAY

"I LOVE ME."

AND IF YOU LOVE YOURSELF,

THAT'S ONE MORE PERSON

IN THIS WORLD WHO WILL.

HA HA.

OK, MRS. CHRISTIANSON.

[OPENS DRAWER]

OH, I KNEW IT.

I HAVE A NOSE FOR EMPTY,

ADDICTIVE CALORIES.

REMEMBER WHAT I SAID.

REMEMBER WHAT I SAID.

[DISHES CLATTER]

[DISHES CLATTER]

[SIGHS]

CAN I HAVE:

THE BUTTER, PLEASE?

Howard:
SURE.

THANK YOU.

MM-HMM.

YOU DON'T WANT THOSE?

NOPE. STILL ON A DIET.

MMM.

I'LL EAT THEM.

I GOTTA GO:

DOWNTOWN LATER,

SO CAN YOU PICK UP

THE CLEANING:

OR DO YOU WANT ME TO?

YOU KNOW, I MAY NOT HAVE

TIME TODAY.

ACTUALLY,

I'LL GIVE THEM A CALL,

'CAUSE THEY MELTED

TWO OF THE BUTTONS

ON YOUR FAVORITE SHIRT.

OHH.

YOU WANT A RIDE:

TO THE STATION?

OH. NO.

IT'S WAY TOO NICE

OUTSIDE.

LOOK AT IT.

THAT'S

THINKING WEATHER.

WILL YOU MAKE I HOME FOR DINNER?

WILL YOU MAKE I HOME FOR DINNER?

OH, TONIGHT.

I DON'T KNOW.

I GOT THE, UH,

BALNER CASE:

AND THE MESSLER:

THING.

CAN YOU GIVE ME:

SOME ODDS?

I'D SAY ABOUT 70-30.

MMM.

ALL RIGHT, THEN.

YOUR DINNER WILL BE

THE LEATHERY THING

IN THE MICROWAVE.

[KIDS SHOUTING]

UH, HEY, SUSAN?

YEAH?

KIDS ARE UP.

WELL, GOOD FOR THEM.

[SHOUTING]

CALL ME IF YOU NEED

A RIDE.

CALL ME IF YOU NEED

A RIDE.

Jake:
I GOT THE PRIZE.

I'M GOING TO GET IT.

EMILY. EMILY, LISTEN.

I'M OLDER.

Emily:
I HAVE IT! I HAVE IT!

NO, EMILY!

GIVE ME THE PRIZE.

YOU HAD IT LAST TIME.

EMILY, NO!

IT'S NOT FAIR!

EMILY, NO!

IT'S NOT FAIR!

NOW, YOU HAVE TO CLEAN

THAT UP. EMILY.

NO. I HAVE THE PRESENT.

GIVE ME--

GIVE ME--

COME ON, RAYANNE.

COME ON.

SCHOOL, SCHOOL.

YOU KNOW, SAM STARTS

NEXT WEEK, TOO.

IT'S NOT SO DIFFERENT.

COME ON.

ALL RIGHT. I'M JUST GONNA

WAIT RIGHT HERE.

[KIDS PLAYING]

[KIDS PLAYING]

[DROPS TOY]

OK.

HI.

HI.

CAN YOU TAKE THIS?

THANK YOU.

I'LL SEE YOU LATER.

BYE-BYE.

BYE.

BYE-BYE.

BYE.

Jim:
HELLO.

HI.

[THINKING]

WHEN I GET TO WORK TODAY,

I'M GOING TO WRITE A CHECK OU TO ONE OF THOSE CHARITIES

THAT HELPS SPECIAL KIDS.

LOOK AT 'EM.

I REALLY SHOULD.

MY KIDS ARE FINE.

SUSAN IS SMART AND PRETTY.

I'VE DONE GOOD.

I'VE DONE GOOD.

Emily:
MOM.

HA HA.

JAKE, CUT IT OUT.

STOP IT!

YEAH. OW, EMILY.

THAT REALLY HURT.

I'M TELLING YOU, GUYS.

DON'T START.

BUT HE STARTED IT.

[BRAKES SLAM]

IF YOU GUYS DON'T STOP,

WE CAN TURN AROUND

AND GO RIGHT BACK HOME.

AND GO RIGHT BACK HOME.

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Rose Troche

Rose Troche (born 1964 in Chicago) is an American film and television director, television producer, and screenwriter. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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