as he stands for a moment watching the taxi as it disappears.
from his attitude it is clear that there is no love lost between them.
his eyes open, he looks around startled.
he takes one look at the note, crumples it up and tosses it in the wastebasket.
looking at her like she has lost her mind. nevertheless he continues on, passing through swinging doors into a long corridor lined with secretaries' desks and offices leading off of it.
as he rips open the letter.
as he starts to read, slowly, carefully, so that billy can absorb it.
he watches his son for a second, then carefully refolds the letter, puts it away.
he hasn't the foggiest idea.
as he grabs a piece of paper and starts writing frantically.
he removes the photograph from the drawer, crosses to the bed and places it on the nightstand nearby so that billy will be able to see the picture of joanna when he wakes up in the morning. he sits for a moment longer on the side of the bed and reaches across and smooths down his son's rumpled hair.
clearly in a rush, loading his briefcase with work to do that evening. he starts for the door and the camera tracks with him as he walks along the outer office corridor, heading for the elevator. as he passes the door to o'connor's office:
the camera pans with him as he crosses to where billy dropped his clothes on the floor, picks them up.
he sits on one of the playground benches, the work he took from the office stacked beside him on the bench. sitting next to him is a personable-looking man of about ted's age. he is nattily dressed in a suit complete with vest, tie and polished gucci loafers. we will call him the saturday father.
tracking in front of him as he starts to chase after billy.
tracking in front of him as he continues to chase his son.
tracking in front of him as he walks down the street carrying a large and elaborate papier-mch art thing that billy made in school.
he drops into a chair and shoves a stack of papers across the desk to her.
who has leapt out of bed and is scrambling into his pants.
as he gives billy a look that says, we have to humor her. he throws a ball.
watching the ball disappear in the distance, he turns back to phyllis, open-mouthed.
as he takes the receiver.
not very reassured.
tracking with him as he steams out of his door and marches along the corridor to o'connor's office.
preoccupied, jumpy. he is eating, but he doesn't taste a thing.
he is out of his chair like a shot, crosses to billy and jerks him to his feet.
as he finishes doing the last of the dishes, dries his hands and looks around to make sure that everything has been put away. he flips off the light and, as the camera tracks with him, he walks from room to room, turning off the lights, until he reaches the door to billy's room which is still closed. ted hesitates for a moment, then eases open the door and steps inside.
as he crosses to the sleeping child and starts to straighten the covers.
stunned at the question.
waving back, a grin of enormous pride on his face. he glances around, embarrassed to make sure no one is watching and wipes tears from his eyes.
he leaps to his feet, starts toward the boy.
he stands watching her, his knees weak. it is impossible not to fall in love with her all over again.
the question he has been dreading.
speechless.
he reacts as though he has been slapped.
agitated. this is not what he wanted to hear.
he sits for a moment, staring at the list, then he crumples the paper, gets to his feet.
who stands at the sink doing the last of the dishes. a dishtowel is tucked into his belt, serving as an apron. hold on him as we hear:
as he finishes. he sits back, pleased with himself.
as he decides to take a gamble.
checking his watch.
as he steps out of ackerman's office, sits down. now, all of the fear, all of the anxiety that he has been fighting down comes welling up. what if he pushed too hard? what will he do if he doesn't get a job? if ted kramer could fall to his knees and pray, he would.
realizing that billy has not said good-bye, has not looked at him once.
who stands with a cup of coffee in his hands, looking out the window, but not seeing anything. hold for a beat, then he checks his watch and starts for the bedroom.
he looks up for the first time, smiles.
he takes a long look at his son, then closes the law book, puts his notes away.
as he comes out of the building, starts down the steps.
he realizes that they have lost.
he sits at the dining table, a typewriter in front of him. as he begins to type, hunt and peck system, we:
struck by the urgency in her voice.