The Son (I) (2022)
Zen McGrath: Nicholas
Photos
Quotes
-
Peter : What are you doing, Nicholas? What do you want? When I was your age, my mother was sick, I wasn't seeing my father any more, I had money problems, but I fought on. I fought on, and believe me, most days, it was no joke.
[Nicholas tries to walk away to his room]
Peter : And what has happened to you? What is there in your life that is so dramatic you're not able to go to school like everybody else? Answer me.
[shouts]
Peter : Answer me!
Nicholas : I can't deal with it!
Peter : I don't understand what that means. You can't deal with what?
Nicholas : Living! I can't deal with living. And it's your fault!
Peter : Sorry?
Nicholas : If I'm like this, it's your fault.
Peter : What have I done? What's... What's my fault?
Nicholas : You disgust me.
Peter : What did you say?
Nicholas : You give all these big speeches about life and work and then you abandon us as if we were pieces of shit.
Peter : What?
Nicholas : You think you always do the right thing, but right from the beginning, you've basically been an asshole!
Peter : Take back what you just said, Nicholas. Do you hear me? You take back what you just said. Now!
Nicholas : [shouts] Asshole!
Peter : Me, an asshole? Me? Haven't I always done everything for you? I stayed with your mother for years for your sake. So why are you saying this? Why?
[Nicholas tries to leave but Peter is holding him back]
Peter : Why? Tell me why. Is it because I fell in love with another woman? Is that my crime?
[shouts]
Peter : How is that any of your business? I have the right to reinvent my life! Fuck! It's my life, do you hear me? It is my life!
[Nicholas falls on the floor terrified as Peter realizes what he just did]
Peter : I'm... I'm sorry, Nicholas. I...
[hesitates]
Peter : I don't know what just happened.
[Nicholas runs to his room and slams the door]
-
[Nicholas enters Peter's apartment with the latter waiting for him in the living room]
Peter : Nicholas.
Nicholas : Yeah?
Peter : Can you come here for a couple of minutes? I'd like to talk to you.
Nicholas : What is it?
Peter : Sit down.
[Nicholas sits on the couch]
Peter : We need to talk.
Nicholas : What about?
Peter : About your school.
[pause]
Peter : What's going on?
Nicholas : Nothing special. Why?
Peter : Nothing special?
Nicholas : No.
Peter : Today, you had your practice test, right? How did that go?
Nicholas : Went well, I think.
Peter : Good.
[astonished at his son's lies]
Peter : Only, you see, this afternoon, Beth went to the park, and she saw you. I don't know what you were doing, but in any case you weren't at school. So, I'm gonna ask you one last time. This time, I want an answer. What's going on?
[pause]
Peter : You started to skip classes again, is that it?
Nicholas : No. I...
Peter : Then why weren't you in school today?
Nicholas : Why did she tell you that?
Peter : That's not the problem!
Nicholas : Yes, it is the problem. She wants to turn us against one another!
Peter : No, the problem is you're fucking lying to me.
[pause]
Peter : Why weren't you in school today?
[waits for his son to answer until he loudly says...]
Peter : I'm listening!
Nicholas : Um... I wasn't feel well. I couldn't bring myself to go. And... I'm under too much pressure from this test. I'm sorry.
Peter : You're sorry.
[scoffs softly]
Peter : I called the school. I called them. And you know what they told me? They told me you'd never been back there. They told me you were there on the first day, last month, and afterwards you never came back. Never. Not once! It seems they got an email from me, saying that we'd decided to send you back to your old school.
[Nicholas says nothing]
Peter : Got nothing to say?
[pause]
Peter : So, you've become a world-class hacker, am I right? I mean, when I think you had the balls to tell me you were getting As, being invited to parties and the whole time you were lying to me. I mean, what did you do all these days? Just go for walks? Is that it? You just... I mean, we give you a chance to climb back up, and what do you do? You do the exact same thing! You lie to everybody! Explain it to me.
[Nicholas is biting his nails]
Peter : What's going on? Are you on drugs?
Nicholas : [scoffs]
Peter : Then explain it to me!
[pause]
Peter : I don't know what else to do with you, Nicholas. I'm just... I'm telling you straight, I just don't know.
[hesitates]
Peter : I've, I, I've tried to listen to you, I've tried to, to be there for you. I've tried to give you strength and confidence, but obviously, none of that's any use. I mean, you really think you can just live your life like that? Doing whatever the hell you feel like? Getting out of school, never taking any responsibility, refusing to grow up. I mean, what are you gonna do with your life? If you're not doing anything, what's gonna become of you?
Nicholas : [raises his eyes and begins to stare fixedly and as if defiantly at his father]
Peter : Naturally, you have no answer.
[notices his son's fixed stare]
Peter : Stop staring at me like that. What's the idea? Are you... Are you trying to intimidate me? That's not gonna work, I can tell you that right away. Not with me.
[pause]
Peter : All right, I'm gonna explain to you how it's gonna be. Starting tomorrow, whether you like it or not, you're going back to school. Is that clear?
Nicholas : No.
Peter : Sorry?
Nicholas : I'm saying "No, I will not go back to school."
