[music playing] MARY: TS Eliot wrote there's
no vocabulary for love within a family, love that's
lived in but not lived at, love within the light
of which all else is seen, the love within which
all others love finds speech. This love is silent. COUNSELOR: Fall semester,
'94, music scholarship, English major, sociology
major, history major. You've had a lot of interests. It was a very
interesting time for me. What happened? I don't know where to start. How about the very beginning? That's sort of the problem
is I'm always at the beginning when I really want
to be at the end and actually finish something. What if I told you that
every finish line is just the beginning of
a whole new race? I'd say I'm tired of running. I'm going to recommend
that you join a peer tutoring program. It might just help you find
the thing you're looking for. Thank you. [sighing] [phone ringing] Hi, it's me. Mary. [laughing] I know it's been a long time. OK. Yeah. [laughing] Look at you! Look at you! You look fabulous! You haven't changed. Your hair! Oh my goodness. This is your house! Wow. Oh my gosh. I cannot believe Mary Thomas
is in my little ol' house. I can't believe you have
a house and a neighborhood and a real life. And don't forget Bill. Bill Smith? Wow! Still Bill. Still. He was too lazy to
even get a divorce. Man, 20 years later, and
you're still the grownup. My college fund ended
once you left my life. Now I'm just one cliche
of another PhD living in suburgatory. Looks nice to me Dr. Graham. Nice is not a
compliment, Mary. And look at you, Ms. Hot
Musician World Traveler. I am not hot. You're hot. The only thing hot out on
me are these hot flashes. And sometimes they're lukewarm. Now listen my guest
room is yours. How long you staying? I'm staying staying. You're staying staying? I got my own place. Girl, what in the
world are you doing? Graduating I hope. [squealing] Well, I have just
the thing for you. Come on. Come on. Oh my goodness, graduating. Yes. There you go. You held on to all this stuff? Well, I prayed
you'd come back. I just didn't think
it would be 20 years. Are you OK? It's just seems
like a lifetime ago. You ever think about him? No. You ever think about him? Every single solitary day of
my very single solitary life. Mm-hmm. [music playing] Oh, hey. Wow. Get it. Do not mess that up, OK. Dude, what are you doing? You're missing our party. It's not our party. It's yours. Now what happened to us
making this year different, huh. You and me. It's going to be-- Legendary.
Yeah. You say that every year. Listen, buddy-- I can't go out there, OK. My game is off. In order for your
game to be off, first got to play the game. My man. [chatter] Hey, hey, hey, no. Hold on now, Buddy. Why is it the minute a
girl breaks up with me, she turns hot. NOAH: Don't be fooled by that. All right, it's
just an illusion. Lucy's got that
ex-girlfriend glow. Even Beth? No. No, Beth's different. Beth's the most beautiful
creature on the planet. Come on. Excuse me, do you
know whose car this is? It's blocking my garage. Yeah, the guy in 301. Excuse me, who's in charge here? He is. Well, does he have a name? Yeah, Noah Riley. GIRL: Ben, what time are
we gonna leave the party? I need to get my keys and
Rachel's really worried. She still has to
study for tomorrow. Another glass? What has gotten into you today? Meghan, he was right in
front of me in the flesh. I saw him. I think he saw me, too. Who saw you? Lawrence. Lawrence Noah Riley III. Your son? Yes. What? Where? At his apartment. MEGHAN: What did he say when you
told him you were his mother? You did tell him, didn't you? What was I supposed to say? You who don't know me, but
I'm the woman that gave birth to you 20 years ago. My name's Mary, but
you can call me mom. Mary Thomas, what is going
on in that head of yours? Everything happened so fast. I didn't know what to say. Maybe we can get to
know each other first. Maybe we can become friends-- Oh, you can forget that. Parents do not get a chance to
see us pop back into a child's life after 20 years and become
their secret best friend. Well, good morning. I can't eat this. Why not? They're organic and gluten free. No. Those eggs have
strings attached. No, I'm pretty sure I cooked
these without any strings. Now future counselor, if
you make me a pretty omelet and I eat said omelet, there's
an obligation, an agreement. No, this is just
a friendly omelet. Friendly? Is that what we are now? Friends with benefits? No, we're friends
with breakfast. Friends don't kiss like that. And they definitely
don't make sexy eggs. Oh. OK. So you think I'm sexy, huh? What do you want right now? I want those eggs,
which is why I gotta go. Thanks, dude. Hello. I'm home. Son. Hello, sir.
How are you? Capital. Hey, mom. Hello, love. LAWRENCE: Feeling fit? Yes, sir. Dinner's in an hour. Oh, great. I'm starving. Got some people
I want you to meet. All right. Though soon the
legal community will benefit from
the privilege of our adding another Riley to the
legacy of this great firm. Yes. Legendary. Are you ready to
conquer the world? Well, I believe the
question is is the world ready for me to conquer it. Oh. LAWRENCE: Noah was born ready. At six, he was
cross examining me. At seven, he was
advising his teachers. [laughing] I believe he was five. At six, he was actually
beating you, darling. [laughing] And that is why Harvard
would be lucky to have you. LAWRENCE: I agree. - To Harvard.
- To Harvard. To Harvard. To Harvard. I was proud of you tonight. Hey, it's just dinner. No. Never been just dinner again. From now on, every
meal is an interview. Every handshake is a
potential client, a merger. You're on double time now. Double time? You're gonna have to
work twice as hard just to stay in the game. I can open up the
door for you, but you gotta walk through yourself. How is it in the
female department? I mean, there are prospects. I'm not talking
about sex, son. Oh. Good, 'cause I'd rather not
talk about sex with you, sir. Still stuck on that,
uh, that Betty girl or-- Beth. You know her name. Not exactly a rising star. What's that supposed mean? You're almost 21, Noah. You're going to need to find
a woman that's an asset, not a liability. Dad, she's not
just a transaction. Doesn't passion
count for something? [chuckling] It's overrated. [chuckling] Congratulations. Welcome to the real world. [alarm ringing] Damn. [chatter] Thanks for gracing us
with your presence, Miss-- Me? Yes, you. What's your name? Thomas. Mary Thomas. Well, next time you
decide to be late, Ms. Thomas, do us a favor. Don't be. [laughter] [playing piano] MEGHAN: You don't have
to sign those papers. MARY: What if they're right? What if I can't give him
the life he deserves? MEGHAN: Mary, don't say that. A mother's love is
all anyone needs. I'm sorry. MATTHEW: No, please finish. What is that? It's nothing. Those dark chord progressions
say it's something. I hear love, pain. If you won't tell me,
maybe the piano will. Sometimes the keys
have a memory. [playing piano] Wait. Well, this is a first. It's cozy. It's still here. Matthew Kessler,
Class of 1994, professor of music studies. Mary Thomas. I should go. [yelling in agony] Oh, you OK? Yeah. Yeah. I'm OK. I found her. Her? What happened to Lucy and
the morning after eggs, huh? Forget about Lucy. This is-- this is a real woman. Bro, you wouldn't know a real
woman if she was standing right next to you. What happened to
your game being off? Oh, it's back on now. Before you get hung
up on this new girl, tell me what's so
special about her. She was in my class. Oh, wow. Serendipity. You guys have the
same class together. Come on I'm serious, man. I need your help. I might need some
tutoring on this one. Get in line. This year I have a
peer tutor elective, and I don't want to be
late for my first session. So talk about this later, OK. By the way, bro, you need to
work on both of your games. [knocking] Hi. You're my peer tutor? Yes. I'm Noah Riley. I-- yeah, I'm in the
right place, correct? You are Mary Thomas? Yes. Yes. Come on-- come on in. Sure. How are you? Good. Good, good. Give me a few minutes
to get myself together. Just make yourself at home. Sure. All right. OK. Find what you're looking for? Oh. No, I was just looking around. It's like an antique
travel shop in here. You saying I'm old. NOAH: Uh, no, I'm just
saying you get around. Uh-- I'm sorry. I-- what I meant to say was I'm
sure if these items could talk they would have a pretty
interesting story. They probably would. So let's get to work. I have a lot of
catching up to do. I love a good challenge. Let's see. OK. Ahh! Pattern and Voice--
An Anthology of Verse. I love this one. Let's start here. [music playing] All right. This is the big mid study snack
you've been talking about. Exactly.
[dinging] OK. ? You ready. I'm ready. Ooh. Oh my God. Wow! A-plus on dessert. I'll make sure to mark you down. Mm-hmm. Getting a little
extra strawberry. [typing] Excuse me. You're not Winona. No. I'm your new Winona. What you think? I think you're late. I think you're in my chair. Let me save us some time here. I'm Lawrence Noah Riley III. You taught my class honors
college last year, student body president, pre-law. You get the picture? I think it's developing. Composition or performance? What? Says here you're a music major. Double major. Music and history but
as far as I'm concerned, music is my history. You make a fine lawyer. Brilliant at evading
the question. What was the question? Do you play or write? I listen. So your senior thesis
will be in music listening? My thesis? Yeah, thesis of
composition or performance is required for the student
who wishes to be awarded a degree in music. That's you. You see, Winona and
I had an agreement. And now you and I
have a disagreement. You know, I suggest you
make a few phone calls. Once you're properly
informed who I am, I'm sure we'll be in agreement. Have a good day. [chatter] [knocking] Ms. Thomas. You here to finish your piece? Piece? No. I'm sorry.
I don't have an appointment. I can just come back. No, please. Stay. What can I do for you? The student that just left
here, Lawrence Noah Riley III, is he a natural talent? He was born with
it, at least that's what his last advisor said. Why so much interest
in Mr. Riley III. I shouldn't be talking
to you about this. I don't even know why I'm here. Well, I do. You do? You wanted to see me. Right. Well, for now, let's just
forget I was even here. For now. [playing piano] Hey! That was great. That was nice. Yeah. Can I ask you something? Sure. Go ahead. Why do you always wear suits? Well, my father says a poorly
dressed man can be turned away from any door, but a
well-dressed man can walk through any door he pleases. So though I must
admit this necktie gets quite bothersome sometimes. Yeah. You should loosen it maybe. Yeah, what the hell. I'm not at a business
meeting, right. Sure. That does feel a
little bit better. You can. Breathe OK. I got a piece for you. Try and guess this one. [playing piano] Vexations. A short piece to be played-- 840 times. I believe I played
that piece 840 times by the time I was eight. OK. He did not really intend for
it to be played 840 times. He was talking about
art and artists and not having rules
and limitations. He was using wit. Oh, I was quite the
accomplished eight-year-old. Your turn. Like you to play something. OK. [playing piano] You know, I feel like I
heard this somewhere before. You don't know that piece. No, seriously I feel like
I've heard it somewhere. Who's it by? Me. You know, I actually have
tickets to the symphony coming up. Would you be interested
in joining me? Yes. Really? You know, it also happens
to be my birthday coming up, and we're having this
little celebration Saturday night with the boys
down at Milan's bar. Private room, shots,
whole nine yards. Love it if you could join us. You cannot crash your
son's 21st birthday party. You're right. Why can't I? Well, aside from 21 being
a sacred rite of passage, no boy wants his mother
there spying on him. He won't know
that I'm his mother. That's even worse. What if he has a stripper
jumping out of a cake? How can I tell him without
him hating me for it? Who knows what his
father's told him? Exactly. You don't know. And I know what
happened was wrong, but that by being
this close to you and not knowing that you are
his mother, that's as wrong. How do I look? Like a bad idea. NOAH: Shots! Hey, one more. Whoo hoo! Boy! My, man. Yeah. I'm gonna die alone,
depressed, and a virgin. Listen, you're gonna
die so you won't even be depressed anyway. But you're still
going to be a virgin. Hey, hey, hey, hey, come on. Cheer up, buddy. Listen, listen, right. Forget about losing. Tonight, I am going to find
you the love of your life. To the best friend in
the whole wide world. Happy birthday to you. (SINGING) Happy birthday-- EVERYONE: To you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear [inaudible]. Happy birthday to you. Noah. Hey, Mary! Happy birthday. Hey, it's my 21st birthday. I'm a man now! It's her. Her? Yep. Oh, her! Mary! Bartender, pour up another round
for Mary, all right, my friend. Yes. All right. To you! [yelping] [laughing] Hey! Lucky you. That's right. Lucky you. You. - Come on.
- All right. All right, all right,
all right, come on. [noah singing] (SINGING) [inaudible] Both ways. [inaudible] [laughing] OK, come on. [laughing] (SINGING) Whenever
you need me, I'll be right there to
take the pain away. Your little light-- [noah retching] (SINGING) Feeling like
you can't be strong and they hurt your heart. I'm gonna go. Please don't go. (SINGING) Think there's nothing
left to say but there is, so I'm gonna tell you
that I'll be right there. I'll be right there
to take the pain away. To take the pain away. Class dismissed. Ms. Thomas. Why do I feel like
I'm in trouble again? You're not. OK. Listen, thanks for
taking care of him. And I'm so sorry
for embarrassing you for being late to class. Thank you. How can I make it up to you? You already have. [laughing] Oh, that's such a great photo. I love it. Thanks for sharing these. So when you're all grown
up, What Does the future hold for you, Mr. Noah? Ah, that doesn't
take much imagination-- go to law school, get married
have children, have an affair, make partner, have
grandchildren, have an affair. Oh, so you have
it all figured out? Yeah, well, it's all
figured out for me. Well, is that what you want? Noah, you're extremely talented. Why don't you keep playing? Not exactly in the plan. If there wasn't a plan,
what would your dream be? Carnegie Hall. Carnegie Hall. Yeah. Throw it away. Throw what away. The plan. No, no, no, no, no. No, see, if you knew my
father, you would understand. Trust me. I understand. You know, I wish I
was more like you, Mary. You lived a complete artist
life, a life of total freedom. Freedom doesn't come
without sacrifice. So what do you want to be
when you grow up, Ms. Mary. A little less free. You know what,
let's go for a drive. Do you ever just look up at
the sky with all the stars and think it's like
a big bowl of cereal. [laughing] Yes, I think that every
time I look at the sky. This is the place where I was
born, where my mother abandoned me. Abandoned you? Your father never
told you why she left? My father is very hard to
talk to about anything other than law or Ivy League schools. So you don't know
anything about her? Nothing much. Nothing other than
she didn't want me. You know, sometimes when I
hear like a collection of notes or a piece of music, I
swear I could feel her. Then that feeling disappears
just as quickly as it comes. [piano music playing] Thanks for sharing that. Meghan, I'm going to tell
him after the symphony. There he is. I have to go. Hi. Hey. You look great. As do you. Thank you. Noah, we need to talk. OK, sure we got time. They're running late anyways. Who's running late? My parents. Your parents? Here? Yes, I thought I told you. I would have remembered that. Oh, well, it's your
lucky night, a double bill. Rachmaninoff and the Rileys. So what is it you wanted
to talk to me about? Oh, hold that thought. Here they are right now. I have to go to
the ladies room. I'll see you inside. Sure.
OK. OK. Hi. There he is. How you doing, sir? Well, indeed. Darling. Good evening, mom. You look great. Thank you. As do you. Shall we go in. Absolutely. Let's do it. Where's your friend? She's in the restroom. I can't wait for you
guys to meet her. She's so gorgeous. [phone ringing] [knocking] There you are. Here I am. Did I do something wrong? No. Of course not. Why? Well, you disappeared
at the symphony, you won't return any
of my phone calls, and you missed three of
our tutoring sessions. I'm sorry. You say that a lot. I'm sorry. See. OK, it's just-- it's been a lot harder than
I imagined coming back. And the tutoring
and the homework-- You don't have to say anymore. Whatever it is
you're going through, if you need a friend to help
you through it, give me a call. Thanks. You're welcome. I'm glad you called. It's been ages
since we hung out. Yeah. Welcome to mi casa. Ahh! Can I get you a drink? MARY: No, I'm fine. All right. Close your eyes. Why? Just do it. OK. And turn around. All right now. Keep 'em closed. They're closed. All right. Turn around. And open them. Oh! These are so pretty. What special girl are they for? They're for you. Don't get me flowers. No, no, no, Mary. I feel like I've known
you my entire life. You inspire me. Be uninspired. What are you doing? Spencer! Wait, Mary! Where are you going? What are you doing? [clearing throat] You can have any girl
you want on campus, and you choose the one woman
that I'm interested in? Look, bro. I didn't think-- Of course, you didn't. That's your problem. People have always said to
watch my back around you, that you're selfish. But no. I defended you. That's how people
really think of me? It's not about
what they think. It's who you are. So where you going? Somewhere, anywhere but here. Well, you used up all of
your somewhere else, sis. He made a pass at me. I'm so sorry to hear that. But you know it's your
fault. I mean, come on. You let the boy grow close. You don't tell him
you're his mother. Who else is to blame for him
misinterpreting his feelings? I am. I'm just afraid I'm going
to make the wrong decision. Mary, you know you can
only live your life two ways. You either live in your love,
or you live in your fear. My best friend comes
back after 20 years. I just don't want
to lose you to fear. OK. So come on. You can deal with it. LAWRENCE: You're right. See you did your research. Why aren't you pursuing it? It? Music. You know it's complicated. Father says I can't really
have a career in music. You can't? Well, where would it lead to? I mean, I would just end up-- Teaching music like me? Nothing personal but yes. You do realize I still have
the power to pass you or not? So you're going to
block me from graduating? No. We're gonna help each
other out, collaborate. The music school here is in
serious financial trouble. Wait, isn't it customary to
let the student graduate first before hitting
them up for money? I don't want your money. So what do you want? I hear you're pretty creative,
blending old and new music genres. I been known to
throw a good mashup. (SINGING) I dream every
night and day time, too, that some must [inaudible]
something and something do. Almost walked into a wall
imagining your embrace. I was hoping to see you here. She was hoping she'd
see you seeing her here. At our age. Ain't nobody got time for that. You better talk to him. He got those thick eyebrows. I'll be damned. Big ass [inaudible]. [giggling] You know what they say
about big [inaudible].. Girl, go. This is my friend
making Meghan. Oh and-- hi. And this is my friend Mary,
and she loves to dance. - I do?
- Yeah, you do. Come on now. Get out there. Get out there. Oh my goodness. Cute couple. Ooh, her baby daddy had
thick eyebrows, too. Where the grown folk. We were both here in '94. It took me 20 years
to discover you. Maybe because I'm
still discovering myself. Maybe we can
discover together. I'd like that. (SINGING) We will never die. We were meant to be. Oh, girl. Look at me. Yeah, my hands are sweating. What are we gonna do? Well, what did you
do back in the day when we were in college? You would've
gone home with him. I would've gone home alone. Ooh, girl, I sure do
miss those good old days. [giggling] Well, this time, we
will do the opposite. I'm too old to hook up. Honey, you too not to hook up. Good point. Mm-hmm. (SINGING) Hey I know how it
will end 'cause it's already been told. Happily after only
happens in fairy tales. Daydreams are never. But I was taught on the stars. Now here you are shining
through the sky like them, my [inaudible]. I don't like me without you. You've got to take it slow. (SINGING) Now here
you are to stay. Hey. You mean like this? Slower. You look beautiful tonight. Thanks, babe. Of course. (SINGING) Higher than high past
the sky where I'll find not too far in the stars. That's where you are. I told myself I
wasn't gonna do this. I suppose you want me to
make you breakfast now. Or I could just
be the breakfast. Be careful what you ask for. You might not like
what I create. Well, my plate has been
empty for far too long. Been waiting for a woman
like you to fill it. I don't know if I
have time for boys. I have homework to do and
studying, papers to write. You want me to go? Yes. How about now? Maybe. Now? No. [giggling] I'm sorry. I miss you, man. If the Beatles can get
back together, so can we. That's right. You and me. The legendary. You talk to Mary? No. But I really need to apologize. Four A's, one B, and a pass. I think you're in harmony. OK. Now what? The what is up to you. Just remember life is but
a symphony of choices. May I sit down? Of course. I'm sorry. I know I overstepped my bounds. I just felt that we
were somehow connected. I miss hanging out with you. I miss hanging
out with you, too. You know, what are you
doing for the holidays? I'll be here. You know, me and my family,
we have this tradition. We're supposed to invite a
new friend for Christmas. You should come. Well, in case you
change your mind-- Be nice to have you there. It'd be our first
Christmas together. Thank you. [knocking] Matthew. What are you doing here? Merry Christmas? It's cold. Come on in. It's a baby tree. [giggling] It's cute. You always stop
playing when I show up. You know I'm not
giving you a grade. What's this? Think it's your present. I didn't get you anything. You know what you
could do for me. You can finish playing that
piece you were playing. [playing piano] I know that look. Can't finish the song. Pain in the dark chords
is standing in your way. Mary, as artists we give
birth through our music. We create it, we love
it, we release it, but we get to celebrate
what we created. Matthew, I have a son. A son? That's great. I want to meet him. You already have. Noah, is my biological son. He never said
anything about it. He doesn't know. Oh, uh-- MAN: All right. Merry Christmas! Yeah! Woo! [laughter] Have you ever ridden a camel? Let me tell you something. Riding a camel is
not only an art form. I mean, you know, we
got my mom on a camel. They had it bring
out a trampoline just so she could step aboard. It's quite interesting
and fascinating actually. I feel like an NBA player
out there, you know. Oh, boy, it's quite
the experience. Beth. Hey, hey, hey, hey,
ho, ho, ho, ho, ho. Whoa. Where you going? I can't do this. Do what? What is it, the
food, drink, music? What's going on? This all feels
like one big facade. What, are you asking me
to throw away everything I worked so hard for? No. I'm not asking you for anything. Noah, I've known you
for four years now, and it still feels like I
don't know the real you. This is the real me. Come on. If this is a life
you're passionate about, then so be it. But I need a world that's
not so predictable, a life of surprises. I want someone who's not afraid
to do something crazy just because people are looking. So am I wrong to be
a part of all this? I'm not saying
you're right or wrong. This Noah is just not
the right one for me. Go find yourself. And then come find me. [light knocking] Can I come in? You know, all my life,
I've been able to walk through any door of please. One door I've always
been afraid of, I can't stop it from closing. She says I'm predictable. What do you see
when you look at me? The truth. I see someone who's living
someone else's dream and not his own. I'm tired of my
father's expectations. Then write your
thesis composition. You help me? Absolutely. Spring break at a beach house? Oh, Mary, you are
asking for a storm. I'm going to help him. I-- I don't want to see
him waste his talent. Is this about Noah or
about him and his father? Noah. Both. Well, you know, you
never listen to me, but I am going to
keep telling you. You have got to
stop this charade. I mean, that boy finds
out the truth about you and he is not going to allow you
to be his mother or his friend. I'll tell him before I leave. I promise. Yeah, you said
that in my kitchen. You said that in my bathroom. You said that in
the living room. You keep saying that. When are you going to tell him? I know, I know, I know. Tell the boy. [piano music] MARY: Slow it down a bit. NOAH: OK. You're jumping ahead. OK, the top of the measure,
I want you to try this. All right. Right. Starting with
the C, two counts-- Mm-hmm. Go to B-- OK. And then the chord. [playing piano] OK, I need you to
remember to breathe. Breathe. All right. And play from your heart. OK. [playing piano] Like it?
MARY: Yeah. - Yeah.
- See, it makes a difference. NOAH: It does make a difference. MARY: When you play
from your heart because that's where
the music comes from. NOAH: I like it a lot.
- Good. - Nice.
- Try it again. OK. [playing piano] LAWRENCE: Hello. Dad. What are you doing here? DEE: Your father and I thought
we'd surprise you and come spend spring break with you. What's going on here? What are you wearing? You must be Noah's parents. So nice to meet you. I'm Mary Thomas. Hello. What are you going to do? I'm going to get drunk
on very expensive scotch. DEE: Lawrence, you need to have
a conversation with your son. You've been avoiding this
truth for far too long. I'm going to have a
talk with her first. OK. Come on. LAWRENCE: Mary, what
were you thinking? How could you let him
believe I didn't want him? Are we going to get into
all of that right now? Yes, we're going to get
into all of that right now. You abandoned me, Lawrence. You let your father
take everything from us. No one took anything from you. You signed it away. Your father made it impossible
to do anything else. I was not a liability
and you know it. LAWRENCE: Dee and I have given
that boy a life of stability you never could have imagined. MARY: Lawrence, you are doing
to Noah exactly what your father did to you, and you
don't even realize he has dreams of his own. LAWRENCE: Are you finished
condemning me in my own house? OK, I need you two to stop. Just stop. Now tomorrow we will
talk to Noah together and calmly unless you two
kill each other first. You've changed. You haven't. You know, Mary has one of
the most interesting lives out of anyone I've ever met. Sure she does. NOAH: She's played in famous
music halls all over the world. Even with all of her experience,
she came back to Buckley to finish her degree. I really admire that. Is that where you met? No. I'm her tutor. Noah is an
extraordinary musician. Yes, we are aware of that. We raised him to
have many talents. I'd like to make a toast. Dad, no-- Great. He does this all the time. We have a
surprise, sweetheart. The reason your
mother and I are here. Wanted to deliver the
news to you in person. News? You got in. Harvard Law School. [laughing] We just got
confirmation yesterday. Wow. SPENCER: Man, that is legendary. What if he wants
to do something else? Mary-- I'm going to say
it if you're not. Please. Lawrence, you
can't make someone do something just
because you did. I don't see how this is
any of your damn business. DEE: This is a
celebration, honey. What's going on here, guys? You guys act like
you know each other. We did. They went to school together. They've done more
than that together. How did you-- That was a long time ago. (WHISPERING) Tell him. Tell me what? Are you-- Are you her? Noah-- I'm your friend. NOAH: Answer the damn question. Are you her? And I'm your mother. Noah! Don't-- don't
you dare touch me. I trusted you. I'll be on the
next flight out. You're very good at this? Leaving. What do you want me to do? I want you to go as
far away as possible, back to where you came from. I don't ever want
to see you again. (SINGING) 'Til that mountain
move out my way, look out, the light's coming through. Tell me I did the right thing. It doesn't matter
what you did. What matters is what
you're going to do next. He doesn't want me around. Mary, you can't expect the
child to accept overnight what it took you 20 years
to gain the courage to do. You have to give the child time. Do you think he'll
ever forgive me? Have you forgiven yourself? No. Everything is lost. Lost. If there's one thing I've
learned from you, Mary Thomas, is that it's never too late to
re-orchestrate the symphony you call your life. Spencer. Mary. Could you give
this to Noah for me? I'll give it to him, but I
can't promise he'll read it. You really miss him don't you? Yes. Tremendously. I'll try my best. Listen, would you just put
the damn ball in, all right. I don't want to talk
about it anymore. SPENCER: You have to eventually. She doesn't exist to me. SPENCER: She's the same
person she was before break. No. She left me, she pretended to
be my friend, she lied to me, and now she left me again. She didn't. What are you talking about? She's still here. She wants to see you. What are you on
her side now, too! She's not the enemy. Neither am I. MARY: Dearest Noah, I know you
may not understand the choices I've made in the past,
but please know everything I did was because I love you. I thought I couldn't compete
with your father's family and all they could provide. So I decided not to rob you of
the opportunities I wish I had. And I struggle every
day with that decision. You have been the angel in my
world these last few months. And I so desperately want
you to see the best in me. If you can find it in your
heart, please forgive me. Love your mom and friend. I want to show you something. What are you doing? You don't get it do you? What? I miss my mother every
single day of my life. I'm sorry. Noah, you are so fortunate. How do you figure? Your mother is your friend,
and your friend just turned out to be your mother. [music playing] Lawrence, I think it's time. I donated the car. I love you, dad, but my dreams
aren't for sale anymore. What do you want to know? Whatever it is you
don't want me to know, that's what I want to know. I was in love
with your mother. Deeply. But we were from different
worlds, and my father, in his mind there was no
room for a college pregnancy. When I chose Mary
over law school, he gave her money for
a ticket out of town. It was different
time then, Noah. And this was a different place. He didn't think she
could take care of you. Somehow he convinced her
to turn over custody to us. I didn't have the guts to
stand up to him, to stand up for your mom. End of story. End of story. LAWRENCE: We can live our
present regretting our past, but what good does
that do, Noah? Dad, you can't shut
the door on them either. No. I guess her coming back here
swung the damn thing wide open. Someone had to. [door slamming] [knocking] Mom. She came back. What? She changed her mind. She got an attorney. She called every month
for the first few years. She really tried. How do you feel
about all this, mom? For 21 years, I had the
privilege of being your mom. But it's time to
end the silence. I am your stepmother. Right now, I need to be
your step aside mother. I love you. I love you, too, mom. [music playing] [exhaling deeply] [whispering] I'm proud of you, son. Thank you, dad. You stayed. I stayed. I'm never going to let anything
come between us ever again. So that means
you're stuck with me. Forever. So Mr. Legendary,
now that you're free to live like an
artist, how does it feel? Feels like home. Yeah. Shall we? Yes. I loved that progression
that you did. It was--
- Really? So beautiful. Oh, wow. See, I thought I
messed up for a second. [knocking] Oh, Noah! It is so good to see you, again. Good do see you. Do we know each other? Have we met? When you were two minutes old
and you have aged beautifully. She's my Spencer. Ahh, got you. OK, makes sense. Meet you over there later. - OK.
- OK. Bye bye. All right. You look great. Thank you. So do you. Thank you. Mm-hmm. I've wanted to be
your mother for so m and now I get to be your
mother and your friend. I like it. Sounds great. Come here. Let's do it?
Shall we? You ready to graduate? I am. All right. After you. The heaviness of well
laid plans and hard work will be replaced
with a lightness of a bright new future. That future is only limited by
the lens in which you capture it. Today is not the
end of the race. It's just the beginning
of a brand new start. [applause] Graduates rise. [music playing] [inaudible] Well done, Mr. Roth. Mary Thomas. OK! Whoo! Congratulations, Mary. Michael [inaudible]. Laurence Noah Riley III. Whoo! Well done, Riley. Congratulations. Yes, sir. [chatter] This is the best filet
mignon you'll ever have. (SINGING) Lost
in your stare, I found courage in those eyes of
things I never dreamt I could-- Aww-- It's crazy. How cute. (SINGING) Walking alone
down paths I did not see, you were the light
that set me free. You've unlocked the doors
to the deepest part of me. I'm not afraid 'cause
you are everything to me. What are you doing? Ever since that day you
left me, I've been lost. I don't want to go
on a day without you. [applause] [playing piano] I like it. What's those new chord
progressions I hear. Forgiveness. Thank you. So where do we go from here? We re-orchestrate the
symphony called our lives. I like it. All right. Race to the fountain. MARY: Wait, you
got a head start! Come on. MARY: Wait! [mary laughing] (SINGING) I got
sunshine when it hurts and when nothing seems
to work I got sunshine. When you see the sun shine. [vocalizing] [theme music playing]
