Age of Adaline, The (2015)

[bunniefuu]

NARRATOR:
On December 31st, 2014,

a taxi cab traveled
through San Francisco

from Chinatown to Marin.

The car carried
a single passenger,

a woman.

Her birth name,
Adaline Bowman.

(BEEPING)

(BUZZING)

Current alias,
Jennifer Larson.

This is the first and
last chapter of her story.

(KNOCKING)

Uh, sorry, you just got to be, uh, quiet.
My dad, he's still sleeping.

He works nights.
Come on in.

I, uh, finished the color seps
and the digital printing last night.

I pulled some line art
from the Internet

and printed the imperfections.
See, that's kind of my secret.

The dust marks
and the discoloration.

No one's going to question that detail
in a million years.

So, why 29? I mean...

If I were you,
I would shave a couple years off.

You could definitely get away with it.
(SOFT CHUCKLE)

You're very kind, Tony.

Nice work.

It was a pleasure
doing business with you.

If any of your friends
ever need anything...

- Why are you doing this?
- Come again?

You're a smart kid.
Forgery is a felony.

$250,000 fine,
six years in jail.

sh*t. You're...
You're a cop?

(CHUCKLES)

No. I'm about as far
from law enforcement as you can get.

I just hate to see
wasted potential, Jeff.

Tony. It's Tony.

The autographed baseballs in your bedroom.
Made out to Jeff.

Don't get sloppy.
It's the little things that trip you up.

Honey, I'm home.

Reese?

(DOG BARKS)

Hi. Hi.
(GIGGLES)

(DOG WHIMPERS)

There we go.

You're going to love
the new farmhouse.

Clean air, acres and acres of woods,
a mountain stream.

You'll feel
like a puppy again.

Did you know

that your great-great grandmother
was born just a few towns over?

So was mine.
Not at the same time, of course.

Oh.

I got to go to work.

The Civic Archives, please.

It may take a while.
Market's jammed.

Okay, then please take
California to Hyde.

There's construction
on Hyde.

Why don't you stay on this?

Take this to Gough,
Gough to Bush, Bush to Polk, Polk to Grove,

and then just leave me
on the corner of Market.

Do you want my job?

You never know.

- Morning, Jenny.
- Morning.

- Morning.
- Hi, Kenneth.

CORA: We thought you might not
be coming in today,

it being New Year's Eve
and all.

Well, it's still
a Wednesday.

The fun doesn't start
till tonight anyway.

Well, are you up
for a little excitement right now?

- Sure, what is it?
- Your favorite.

The news reel archive.
It's finally being digitized.

We need a little help
getting it ready to be shipped.

I'd love to.

NARRATOR: Adaline Marie Bowman
was born at 12:01 a.m., January 1st, 1908

at Children's Hospital,
San Francisco.

The only child
of Faye and Milton Bowman.

On June 16th, 1929,

just as Adaline Bowman and her mother
stopped to admire the expanse

where three years hence

construction would be finished
on the Golden Gate Bridge,

a young engineer
displayed uncommon gallantry.

Eighty-seven days later,

Adaline married
Clarence James Prescott

at Old Saint Mary's Cathedral
in San Francisco.

Very nice.

Three years later,
Adaline gave birth to a baby girl.

They named her Flemming,
after Adaline's paternal grandmother.

On February 17th, 1937,

eight workers
and two engineers lost their lives

when a section of scaffolding
fell through a safety net

during construction
of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Among the deceased
was Adaline's husband.

Ten months after
her husband's death,

Adaline was driving north
to her parents' beach cottage

where five-year-old Flemming
was waiting up for her

when something
highly unusual occurred.

Something almost magical.

Snow fell in Sonoma County,
California.

(BANGING)

(GASPING)

(CRASHING)

(GASPING)

NARRATOR: The immersion
in the frigid water

caused Adaline's body
to go into an anoxic reflex,

instantly stopping her breathing
and slowing her heartbeat.

Within two minutes

Adaline Bowman's core temperature
had dropped to 87 degrees.

Her heart stopped b*ating.

(THUNDER RUMBLING)

At 8:55, a bolt of lightning
struck the vehicle...

...discharging half a billion volts of electricity

and producing 60,000 amperes of current.

Its effect was threefold.

First, the charge defibrillated
Adaline Bowman's heart.

Second, she was jolted
out of her anoxic state,

causing her to draw her first breath
in two minutes.

(GASPING FOR AIR)

Third,

based on Von Lehman's
Principle of Electron Compression

in deoxyribonucleic acid,

which will be discovered in the year 2035,

Adaline Bowman will
henceforth be immune to the ravages of time.

She will never
age another day.

As the years passed,
Adaline credited her unchanging appearance

to a combination
of a healthy diet,

exercise, heredity
and good luck.

Adaline?

Miriam, hello.

My God.
You haven't changed a bit.

Oh, that's very
kind of you to say.

Flemming, you're all grown up.

That's what I keep telling my mom,
but she doesn't believe me.

Oh, darling. I'm sorry, we really must leave.

But you look like sisters.

You better stop
or it will go straight to my head.

How is that possible?

A new face cream from Paris. (CHUCKLES)

Made from the royal jelly of the queen bee.

Okay, darling. Bye, now. Great seeing you.

(CHUCKLING)

NARRATOR: Action was required.

Just weeks later when,
living a quiet suburban existence,

Adaline was pulled over
for a minor traffic infraction.

Ma'am, it says here
you were born January 1st, 1908.

That's right.

That would make you

45 years old.

Yes.

Ma'am, I'm going to hold onto this.

When you come by
the station house to pick it up,

please bring
your birth certificate.

I would be happy to, Officer.
Is tomorrow morning all right?

Sure.

NARRATOR: Soon after,
Adaline moved back to San Francisco

and took a clerical job
at the school of medicine.

There she availed herself of every opportunity
to research her condition.

After a year of intense study,

Adaline Bowman was forced
to confront the fact

that there was absolutely no
scientific explanation for her condition.

MAN: (ON TV) Are you a member
of the Communist Party?

Or have you ever been a member
of the Communist Party?

Adaline?

Oh, I'm sorry.
You have the wrong person.

We're from the Federal Bureau
of Investigation, Miss Bowman.

We'd like to ask you
a few questions if you don't mind.

Why? I've done nothing wrong.

I'm a good American. How dare you bother
me at my place of employment?

It couldn't be helped, ma'am.

We have no record of your residence.
This way, please.

(VEHICLE APPROACHING)

ADALINE: If anyone contacts you,

tell them that I went to Europe on vacation,
that I never came back.

The next time we see each other,
I'll have a new identity.

I'll always be your mother.

You'll just have
to introduce me as your friend.

(SOFTLY)
Mama, no.

It has to be this way. Here.

(SNIFFLES)

(MILD SOBBING)

NARRATOR: To ensure the freedom
and safety of herself and her daughter,

Adaline vowed to keep moving.

Changing her name, residence,
and appearance every decade.

And never to speak
a word of her fate

to another living soul.

In seven weeks,
when Jennifer Larson disappears forever,

and Susan Fleisher takes up residence
in a remote farmhouse in Ashton, Oregon,

Adaline Bowman,
aside from one moment of weakness,

will have kept her vow
for the past 60 years.

(PHONE RINGING)

Hello, Regan.

Amanda, you're not
going to stand me up, are you?

You asked me that last year.
Why don't you trust me?

I just can't believe
you haven't got a better offer.

Impossible.

I'll pick you up at 8:00?

Actually, that's
the other reason I called.

The Grand Hotel of Nob Hill
is sending a car for me.

Look at you.

Have you ever been there for New Year's?

Only once. Ages ago.

I guess it's pretty lavish.

Well, I better get to it then. I'll see you soon.

Bye, Regan.

Hmm.

(DOG WHINING)

Are you hungry?

No?

Oh, you just want to come
out with me tonight, don't you?

Sorry, buddy,
it's a girl's night.

Nothing to worry about,
Miss Bowman.

We're just going to run
a few tests on you.

(PLANE ENGINES STARTING)

(DOORS OPENING AND SHUTTING)

AGENT: What's the status, boys?

(GRUNTING)

(OLD BIG BAND MUSIC PLAYING)

Avery, if you don't remove
your hand from my knee...

Both my hands are on
the table, Adaline.

Allison.

(ADALINE LAUGHING)

(MUSIC FADES OUT)

(PIANO PLAYING)

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

Thank you.

- Happy New Year.
- Oh, hey, Amanda!

That was you clapping,
wasn't it?

- How did you guess?
-(LAUGHING)

- You have good manners.
- We're the last two.

Yeah. Hey, grab a glass.

Tell me, what did I miss?

Uh, not much.
Just some happy chatter.

It's funny.
No matter how old you get,

New Year's Eve still feels
like the one night where anything is possible.

What's your resolution?

Same as always. True love. How about you?

To live this year as though it were my last.

Well, you never know.
It could be at our age.

So, hell, yeah. Let's live.

Beware, bachelor at 3:00 getting his nerve up.

Mmm. What's he like?

Brown hair,
icy blues, mid 30s.

How come when I'm with you,
we always get hit on by babies?

- Shh. He's here.
- Oh!

- Good evening, ladies.
- Welcome to the cougar den.

-(CHUCKLES)
- I know.

We don't look a day over 28. You're too kind.

What's your name?

Dale Davenport.

Dale's a painter.

- Really?
- Yeah. A starving artist, though.

(CHUCKLES)

Because he doesn't accept
his affluent family's help.

I'm sorry, have we met?

No, no. Just your Cartier wrist watch,
one of the very first.

I'm assuming it
was given to you by a well-to-do grandfather.

Great-grandfather.
But how do you know that I paint?

Your hands are covered in paint. (LAUGHS)

- Ah.
- That one was easy.

(LAUGHING)

Well, Picasso, have a seat.
We're going to buy you a drink.

Um...

- Sure.
- REGAN: Happy New Year.

- DALE: Happy New Year.
- Thank you.

(INAUDIBLE)

(INAUDIBLE)

ALL: ...six, five, four,
three, two, one.

ALL: Happy New Year!

(CHEERING)

Hello.

Thank you, sweetheart.

Oh. (LAUGHING)

No, no.
You don't have to sing.

No, please, please. Don't sing.
I've already had enough birthdays.

Aw, where are you?

You didn't go out at all?

Hmm.

Well, I don't blame you.

Are we still on
for tomorrow?

Great. All right, get some sleep. I love you.

Good night.

- Wherever he is, I hope he's got
-(GASPS)

one hell of an excuse.
(CHUCKLES)

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you.
It's just...

Isn't there some
sort of tradition

if you're alone
on New Year's Eve

that you're supposed
to kiss a stranger?

(CHUCKLES)

Damn it.
You've heard it before.

Just once.
From a young Bing Crosby.

...type.

Happy New Year.

ALL: Happy New Year!

(ALL CHEERING)

- I am too old for this.
- Oh, now, don't disappear.

I'll call you tomorrow
and you can tell me

everything I missed.
I love you.

Bye,dear.

(PIANO PLAYING)

- Ah!
- Oh!

(GRUNTS IN PAIN)

Oh, well, that will teach me not to put my
hand where it doesn't belong.

Something tells me it won't.

(CHUCKLES)

You know,
that was a risky move.

What was?

Not introducing yourself before you leave.

I'm a daredevil.

I'm Ellis.
It's a pleasure to meet you.

- Like the island?
- No man is.

I'm Jenny.

Like the poem?

No? (STAMMERS)

"Say I'm weary, say I'm sad
Say that health and wealth have miss'd me

"Say I'm growing old, but add

"Jenny kiss'd me"

(LAUGHING)

Who wrote that?

Oh, one of the romantics,
I think.

Well, you're not sure.
(LAUGHS)

Actually, I am, but I don't
want to come across like a know-it-all.

(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)

Too bad.
I adore know-it-alls.

Wa...

So, where are you off to?

Someplace with better food.
My apartment.

Yourself?

Back to the party.

I just wanted to spend
27 floors with you.

- Well, that was a risky move.
- What?

Leaving your date upstairs.
I hope it was worth it.

- What are you talking about?
- Oh, Come on. That beautiful woman in blue.

Does her name happen to end in "kova"?

(CHUCKLING)

No. Her name is Agnes Boggs.

Her uncle's the chef.
I'll let him know you liked his food.

And she's not my date.

- HOTEL DOORMAN: Taxi, ma'am?
- Yes, please. Thank you.

- Good night.
- Oh.

I'll just wait with you.

So you can find out where I live? (CHUCKLES)

It does make it a lot easier to send flowers.

(LAUGHS)
Okay. Thank you, but I'll manage.

Goodbye. It's been an adventure meeting you.

Thank you.

- Wait!
- Oh!

There you go again,
putting your hand in places it doesn't belong.

How do we get in touch?

Happy New Year, Ellis.

Thank you, sir.

Hi, honey.
How's your mom doing?

(PANTING)

- Am I late?
- No more than usual.

Happy Birthday, Mama.

Thank you, darling.

(SOFT CHUCKLE)

I'm so happy to see you.

You know
you don't have to still give me cards.

I love you.

I love you, too.

- So, when are you moving back up?
- Third week in February.

- Right on schedule.
- Of course.

I see you already
forgot our little talk about sodium?

No. I am simply choosing to ignore it.

Actually, um...

I'm thinking of moving myself.

But you love where you live.

I do.
But, you know, there are just too many stairs.

Last week, Kay Alfonso fell

and she broke her hip.

The doctor said
she might never leave the hospital.

And then the very next day
Molly Andrews called me

and she told me about this wonderful
retirement community in Arizona.

She moved in last spring. She said she'd
never been happier in her whole life.

What's the matter?

I only bought in Oregon
so that I could be close to you.

So you could come
up for long visits.

Move in with me eventually.

(CHOKES)

We haven't lived together
since I was in high school.

But you're not
getting any younger.

What if you moved
to Arizona and something happened to you?

What if you got sick?

Then I would hope
that you would come and take care of me.

What if I'm too late?

No. No.

We cannot do this.
Not on your birthday.

It's a holiday.

CORA: I nearly fell off
my feet.

- What are you two clucking about?
- Major news.

Mr. Jones is donating $50,000
worth of first edition classics to this library.

- What books? Do you know?
- We're going to find out very soon.

Because his office called to say that he'll be
here to deliver them himself.

- Hi. I'm Ellis.
- Oh, no.

- Oh, good. Welcome, Mr. Jones.
- Thank you.

On behalf
of the San Francisco Heritage Society,

I'd like to express our sincere gratitude
for your most generous gift.

I left them in shipping and receiving,
but I'm sure they'll be right up.

If you don't mind, we'd like a photograph
of you donating the books.

Yeah. Sure.

Can you give me one second, though?

Hey. It's me.

The know-it-all.

- What are you doing here?
- I got something for you, too.

Some flowers.

Daisy Miller by Henry James.

Dandelion Wine
by Ray Bradbury.

White Oleander, Janet Fitch.

(TITTERS)

Very clever.
(CHUCKLES)

How did you know
I work here?

I just joined the board.
I saw you Coming out of our meeting.

Oh.

You could have mentioned that
in the elevator.

If we had met in
a taller building,

I would have had
time to cover that.

I don't know about you,
but I'm ready for some donating.

Great. I'll be here.

No way. I would like for you
to accept the books on behalf of the library.

Oh, no. I can't do that.

Yes, you can.

No. I don't want my photo taken.

Don't worry. You look stunning.

It's not about vanity.
I just don't like people taking my photograph.

Suit yourself.
If you won't accept them, I won't donate them.

- You wouldn't do that.
- I will. I'll even have a book burning.

I just...
I don't like having my photo taken, Ellis.

Okay, fine, fine.
Here's an alternative.

Let me take you out tomorrow.

Okay.

That's impossible.

All right. Well, I'll just pack up the books
then. It's fine. Yeah.

(SIGHS)

Where?

Someplace you've never been.

Well, if it's in this city,
that's unlikely.

Try me.

MAN: You can leave your boots at the front
when you're done.

- And I'll be right outside.
- We will. Thank you, Tom.

All right.

All right. I give up.

In the first year
of the gold rush,

about 60,000 people
came to San Francisco by ship.

And a lot of them
hightailed it straight into the hills,

leaving their boats behind.

Hundreds of boats
were left on shore.

Downtown San Francisco
was built right on top of them.

Oh, I didn't know that.

Now, city services found this
when they were digging for a utility line.

Oh, my God.

Isn't it something?

Oh...

Is that...

Yeah, that's a boat.

Oh, wow.

This is incredible.

So, we had the digging
stopped immediately, of course

because we want
this made available to the public.

We?

The San Francisco
Historical Preservation Society.

Let me guess.
You're on the board.

Yeah, well,
they'll let anyone on the board these days.

So, how did you come by
your fortune anyway? Inheritance?

Luck.

I was a math major
in college,

and in my spare time I developed an
algorithm for analyzing climate data.

But my roommate figured out that it could
also be used to make economic forecasts.

So we started a company
in our dorm room,

sold it three years later,
and then with his half, he retired to Fiji,

and with my half, um,
you know, I'm doing this.

Your job
is giving away money.

Yeah, that's right.

But if you want to make
a real difference in this world, it's, uh...

it's a lot harder than it seems.

What about you, Jenny?

Oh. Um...

I own a dog.

Okay.

I should be getting back.

But we're having lunch.

Um, it's too late, Ellis.
I only get an hour.

Okay. Let me at least walk you back.

ADALINE: Thank you for all of this.
It's just that you should know I'm moving.

Huh.

Okay. I have an idea.

I'll tell you a joke
and if you laugh,

you have to go out with me one more time
before you move away.

I mean, if you don't laugh, I'll know we're
incompatible and I'll gladly give up.

That must be
one hell of a joke.

It's the funniest
in human history.

But it's subtle,
sophisticated,

so you probably
won't even get it.

- Yeah, probably not.
-(CHUCKLES)

Do you like baseball?

- Yeah, I... I love it.
- Good.

So, one day at Fenway Park,
Ted Williams...

Do you know who he was?

Oh, come on. "The Thumper."
Career batting average of .344, right?

What? Yeah.
That Ted Williams.

Anyway, so,
he's hanging around Fenway,

and this horse walks up
and says,

"I want to play
for the Sox..."

- An actual horse? Hmm.
- An actual horse.

So, Ted's like,
"Okay, what can you do?"

And the horse says, "I can hit just like you
only a whole lot better."

So he picks up
a bat with his teeth and Ted's like, "Okay."

And he throws him
a few and sure enough...

(VOCALIZING)

Into the bleachers.

So, Ted's, like,
"Woah, what else can you do?"

And the horse says,
"Well, I can play shortstop."

So Ted hits him
a few ground balls and sure enough...

He's a vacuum cleaner.

Yeah. So, Ted's, like, "Woah! Can you pitch?"

And the horse just looks at him
and says, "Pitch?

"Who ever heard of a horse pitching?"

- Yeah!
-(LAUGHS)

Yes!

(SHOUTING)
Ladies and gentlemen.

Oh, no. (SHUSHING)

- The lady has been conquered.
- Please, just stop. (SIGHS)

That's the worst joke
I've ever heard in my entire life.

- Thank you.
- It wasn't a compliment.

Dinner. Tuesday, my place, 30318th Street.

8:00.

Fine.

FINANCIAL ADVISOR: Good morning,
Miss Larson. Good to see you again.

- ADALINE: Good morning.
- So, what can we do for you today?

I'd like to add
another signee to my account.

- May I ask the reason?
- I'll be traveling for a while.

Traveling, er...

Okay. I'll get the paperwork.
I'll be right back.

(DOOR CLOSING)

All of these companies
rate very highly with us.

What's this?
The Haloid Photographic Company?

Yeah, they've been around 50 years.
They make photo paper and equipment.

They're developing something
called electrophotography.

It could revolutionize
the business.

But you won't see
any immediate returns.

It could be a few years away.

That's all right.

I'd hate to see you
tie up your money.

I'm patient.

Well, what do you know.
They changed their name.

They're now called...

Eh...
(CHUCKLES)

What the heck?
It starts with an X. It's, um...

It's Greek.
It's pronounced Xerox.

Xerox.

(DOOR OPENS)

So, we can start
with the signature card.

What is the name
of the cosigner?

Susan Fleisher.

Susan Fle... F-L-E...

I-S-H-E-R.

ADALINE: Now I made you
some salmon.

This no-eating nonsense
just won't do

if you're going to be
a proper farm dog.

I want you to eat every last bite.
Do you understand me?

Oh.

There we go.

Yeah.

(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)

(KNOCKS)

Hello?

Ellis?

- Am I interrupting?
- Hey!

I was afraid you got
cold feet.

No, no, just trouble
getting a cab.

- Hey.
- Hi.

Can I take your coat?

Okay.

Um, your...
Your place, it's, uh...

- Unfinished?
- Yes.

Um, I noticed that part.
Is it an artistic choice?

(LAUGHING) No.

I have to paint and plaster
and do all the wiring and stuff,

but I'm doing it all myself.

So, it's going to take
a little while.

(FOOD SIZZLING)

I think your food
is burning.

- Ah!
-(CHUCKLES)

Just, uh, make
yourself comfortable.

Sit down, relax.

Okay.

(CLEARS THROAT)

What is it that
you're cooking?

Well, it's a delicacy
which, to be honest, is not for everyone. So...

I hope you like it.

- Are you ready?
-would you like a drum roll?

(DRUMMING ON TABLE)

ELLIS: Voila.

(LAUGHS)

It was between this
and stuffed quail.

Please don't tell me
you're disappointed.

- I... I'm truly overjoyed.
- Yes!

- Dig in.
- Okay.

(INCREASES MUSIC VOLUME)

- Well?
- It's as perfect as the music is painful.

- You don't like jazz?
- No, I love jazz. This is something else.

(SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

My mom grew up in Maine.
She's a real New Englander.

Sweet, but tough as nails.

My dad, on the other hand,

has his head in the stars.
Literally.

He's an astronomer.

He just retired
from Stanford.

His claim to fame
is that he discovered an unusual comet.

Unusual in what way?

Well, it has a mathematically
perfect perigee.

So, based on his calculations,
it would pass by Earth in the winter of 1981.

- Did it?
- No.

-(LAUGHS)
- No. It did not.

But that didn't stop us
from looking for it every year.

It was kind of a ritual we had
when I was growing up.

My dad is still looking.

Well, one more glass of wine
and I may see it.

(LAUGHS)

Oh, no. No, thank you. Please.

Oh, come on.
You know, they have a saying in Italy.

(SPEAKING IN ITALIAN)

"Years, lovers, wine, cups..."

"Years, lovers, and glasses of wine.

"These are things that
should never be counted."

You have no idea.

ADALINE: I like your view.

- Mm.
-(CHUCKLES)

ELLIS: Thank you.

I like the way you read.

What?

The first time I saw you,
coming out of the board meeting,

you were reading.

Your hair was pulled back
and you were wearing a blue dress.

It was a book in braille.
I slowed down to watch.

ADALINE: How long
did you watch for?

Long enough to realize
you weren't blind.

And that I had to meet you.

I didn't know
when or how but I...

I knew I would.

I think I, um...

I think I remember that day.
Uh... (CHUCKLES)

Um...

Yes, um, it was a book
in Norwegian,

and because of all
the umlauts over the vowels,

it made it nearly
impossible to comprehend.

- You're kidding.
- Yes.

You're kidding.

(LAUGHING)
Yes, of course I am.

It was braille for beginners
or nursery rhymes or something.

You can tell me anything you want
and I'll believe it.

I know almost
nothing about you.

It's better this way.

No, it's not.

Tell me something
I can hold onto forever and never let go.

Let go.

(SOFT MOANING)

Hi.

Good morning.

Okay, move your arms.
Some of us work for a living.

Oh, okay, I get it.
You're holding me hostage. (GIGGLES)

Will you ever come back?

Are you sure there's no one there who
speaks English or even Spanish?

No, no. We want it all.

(SPEAKING IN PORTUGUESE)

-(WHISPERING) I have to go.
- Hold on.

Uno momento, por favor.

Just give me a second, okay?
I'm trying to deal with this in Portuguese.

I can't.

What are you trying to say?

The Rainforest Trust
wants to buy 5,000 acres.

Hmm, well,
you're not even close. Here.

Thank you.

(SPEAKING IN PORTUGUESE)

I'm late for work.

Wait. That's it?

Let go.

CAB DRIVER:
It's $1.50, ma'am.

Ma'am?

I changed my mind.
Just keep driving, please.

You got it.

(PHONE RINGING)

Reese.

Reese?

(PHONE CONTINUES RINGING)

(DOG WHIMPERS)

Baby. Are you okay?

Are you okay, baby?

VETERINARIAN:
His urine creatine levels are way too high.

Which means his kidneys are failing.

The toxins are building up in his body.
He can't handle it.

Is he in pain?

It's difficult to say.

If you were me,
what would you do?

I'd be thinking about

what a wonderful life
he's had.

(SOFT SOBBING)

And how lucky you are
to have found each other.

(SOFTLY) Um...

(VOICE BREAKING)
May I have a moment alone with him, please?

Of course.

(DOOR CLOSES)

(SOBBING)

(SNIFFLING)

(PHONE RINGING)

(PHONE BEEPS)

Hey, Jenny, this is Ellis.
I tried you a couple times.

I hope you got my messages.
Call me back.

(PHONE HANGS UP)

(SIGHS)

(SOFT GIGGLING)

(EXHALES)

(SOBBING)

ELLIS: Jenny.

What are you doing here?

I tried to call, but...

How did you get my address?

Um...

The library.

Come on, don't be upset.
I didn't know what else to do.

My dog, I had to, um...

- I had to put him down.
- Oh, no. I'm so sorry to hear that.

You should have waited
for me to contact you.

Um, Jenny, I'm...

There's a reason
I don't give out my address.

I'm sorry, honestly.

This isn't going to work.
I'm moving.

Are you serious?

Hi. For you.

FLEMMING: Barbara Ireland,
before she moved to Florida,

she got rid of all
of her books.

I could no sooner
get rid of this book than I could...

Well, it looks like
I'm not the only one getting nostalgic.

You have had such
a wonderful life.

FLEMMING: Yeah,
I like to think so.

I just wish you had...

You know, that you could have
been there for more of it.

So do I.

Remember that?

1954. I was a junior
in college.

That's the last photo
I have of you.

Well, if you've seen one,
you've seen them all.

(LAUGHING) It's true.

What is it?

What's wrong?

I'm just tired of running,

of lying to good people-

Then stop.

Nobody's chasing you anymore.

Anyone who was ever suspicious
is long dead.

You don't have
to be alone forever.

Don't you miss
having someone to love?

It's been such a long time.

Well, it's not the same
when there's no future.

What are you talking about?
You've got nothing but future.

I mean a future together,
of growing old together.

(SNIFFLING)

Without that, love is...

It's just heartbreak.

It's the same
for everybody.

How many times has
my heart been broken?

Too many.

If I had your looks and your energy,
I'd fall in love tomorrow.

-(SOFT CHUCKLE)
- I really would.

I did meet someone.

What?

On New Year's Eve.
He jumped in my elevator.

- Why didn't you tell me?
- Because I knew you'd look at me like that.

(FLEMMING CHUCKLING)

Don't get too excited.
I, um...

I told him to leave me alone.

I was horrible.

Cruel.

Tell him you're sorry.
Tell him you made a mistake.

I can't. I'm leaving.

You're moving to Oregon,
not Timbuktu.

Come on.

If you won't do it for yourself, do it for me.

Please?

- Hello.
- Can I help you?

Um, I'm here to see Ellis Jones.
He's... He's not expecting me.

Oh. Let's see what
we can do about that.

And you are?

Incredibly sorry.

Incredi...
(INHALES)

Eh, Mr. Jones,
you got a guest down here.

I bet you got a name.

Jennifer Larson.

Please tell him
I understand if he doesn't want to see me.

I'm just here to say I'm sorry.

And that my life
has been unbelievable

since longer than he can imagine. And I just...

I was emotional the other day. And...

Now I realize
how incredibly kind to me he's been,

and I've just been
too stupid to accept it.

And I know better now.
And...

And that's why
I want to tell him how sincerely sorry I am.

Okay.

And ask if he could
come downstairs, maybe,

and let me make it up to him
by taking him out tonight.

Please.

Uh, there's a Jennifer Larson.
She says she understands if you don't...

Oh, you heard that.
Okay, good.

He wants to know
where you're taking him.

Someplace he's never
been before.

- Hello.
- Hey, Jenny.

Come on.

ELLIS: All right. You don't actually think
this is my first chop shop, do you?

ADALINE: Oh, be quiet.
There's more here than meets the eye.

This used to be one
of the most popular picture houses in the city.

- A movie theater?
- Yes.

In the 1930s,
a woman named Mary Elizabeth Woods

read about a chemical magnate
who had created a drive-in theater

in Camden, New Jersey.

And so, naturally, she needed one of her
own here in San Francisco.

Everyone thought
she was crazy as a loon, which she was.

She would sleep with anyone
who wasn't her husband.

And she used to put on these airs
like she was better than everyone else.

Which, in fact...
(CHUCKLES)

- Anyway.
-(BOTH CHUCKLE)

Because of local ordinances,
she couldn't have an open-air theater,

so she brought all
the cars in here.

That's the screen
right there.

It was spectacular...

I imagine.

- Are you ready for the best part?
- Sure.

Okay. Look up.

ELLIS: Oh!

ADALINE: She had
photo-luminescent filaments installed.

They took the time
to create the constellations.

ADALINE: Isn't it beautiful?

Yeah.

Haha. What are you doing?

Come on.

(GIGGLES)

Cheers.

ELLIS: The great paradox
of all this is that

the better our instruments get,
the farther we can see,

but not into the future,
into the past,

events whose light
hasn't even reached us yet.

ADALINE: I don't think I'll ever understand
why so few people care about history.

The future has
its charms, too.

We could talk about ours.

- Ellis...
- Not the distant future.

I'm talking
about this weekend.

What did you have in mind?

My parents are having a party
to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.

It's just a couple hours
from here.

Come with me.

Okay.

- Can I drive?
- Huh.

(ELLIS LAUGHING)

Oh, my God. You know,
you rarely see a Saab in the Daytona 500.

There's a reason for that.

You might want to consider
an occasional tap

on that square pedal by your foot.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Oh! Woah, woah,
woah, woah, woah.

Oh, my God!

(LAUGHS)

Oh, I'm sorry.

What's wrong with you?

Do me a favor.
Stop and pick her up.

Oh, I'd rather not get stabbed. (SNICKERS)

That's my sister.

- ADALINE: Oh!
-(BRAKES SCREECHING)

- Sorry.
-(CHUCKLES)

- What's up, pussycat?
- Do you need a ride?

- What's it look like?
-(LAUGHS)

- How are you?
- Good. Hi.

- Oh!
- Get out. Still driving the Saab. huh?

ELLIS: Yeah. It's good to see you, too.

- Hello.
- Hey.

Kikki, this is Jenny.

Jenny, this is my sister.

- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.

You should have told me
you were taking the bus.

We would have picked
you up at the station.

I stopped using
telephones two months ago.

Any particular reason?

To protest the involvement
of telecom firms

in the development
of high-tech weapons systems.

Oh.

- Kikki graduated from Berkeley.
- Ah.

So, this is the new one, huh?

(CLEARS THROAT)

Have you done him yet?

Yes, 10 minutes ago,
right where you're sitting.

(SOFT SNICKERING)

So, what's the story with this girl?
She works there?

I've told you
everything Ellis told me.

Thank you.

A beautiful girl

working in a public library.

Maybe she likes books.
And silence.

Or maybe she Googled him,

and found out about
his generous contribution and then

worked her way in there
so she could get her hooks into him.

Yeah, I'll bet that's it.

Shouldn't they be here
by now?

You clear the table.

KATHY: They're here!

Yeah, yeah.

How do I look?

Very pretty.

- Oh, there you are!
- ELLIS: Hey, Mom.

Oh, honey.
Oh, you look great.

Look who we picked up
on the road.

- Hi.
- Hi, baby.

- So, this is Jenny.
- Hello.

- It's so nice to meet you.
- It's nice to meet you.

You must be exhausted
after your trip.

- Oh, no, it was nothing.
- We made it in, like, 18 minutes.

Now, I'm not amused.
He knows I hate it when he speeds.

It wasn't me, it was Jenny. I swear.
She thinks she has nine lives.

- Let me take your coat.
- Thank you.

WILLIAM: Where have
you been?

What, did you forget
where we live?

- No.
-(ELLIS LAUGHS)

Um, this is my dad, William.

Dad, this is...

Adaline.

Er, Jenny, actually.

Dad, are you okay?

(LAUGHING)

I'm sorry. It's just...

You look exactly like
this old friend of mine. Um...

Adaline Bowman.

That's my mother.

You're joking? Really?

- Yeah.
- Oh, my gosh.

Did you know her?

Yeah. Yeah, I mean...

We were very close. I...

I knew her in London.

Yeah. Yeah, she lived there in the '60s.

Right before she moved to Paris,
and met my father.

-Incredible. What are the odds?
- What a small world.

Wow, wow.

The resemblance is...
Is absolutely amazing.

You must hear that
all the time.

For as long
as I can remember.

Wow. We were very close.

You said that already, honey.
I can't believe you never mentioned her.

Oh, yeah, I must have.

No, no. I remember your close, close friends.

How is she?
How is she doing?

She passed away.

Six years ago.

No. Really?

Oh, wow.

I'm so sorry.

Um...

Extraordinary woman.

Yeah, well,
it runs in the family.

(WILLIAM AND KATHY CHUCKLING)

Eh, um...

Come on.
Do you want something to eat or drink?

KATHY: Yeah, yeah,
I made cheesecake.

Um...

We're kind of tired, actually.

I think we'll head up
if that's okay with you.

- Me, too. Mm-hmm.
- Really?

All right.
Now, I have you in the back bedroom.

ELLIS: Ah, you're in the back.

- Hey-
- Hey-

It's so nice to meet you.

- Dad.
- Oh, yeah.

Hey, baby.

WILLIAM: Miss!

-(ENGINE SPUTTERING)
- Miss.

You know, if you keep doing that,
you're going to flood your engine.

Thank you.
Thank you for the useful tip.

Well, you're going to get
one hell of a tan at least.

I'm sorry. I've done everything
I could to get this thing started.

It just... It won't work.

All right, all it needs
is a push start. Um...

Just lose the brake,
I'll give you a push,

you pop your clutch
and you'll take off.

Okay.

Thank you.

- Ready?
- Ready. You ready?

- Okay.
- Okay.

Okay, now pop your clutch.

Ahhh! Haha!

Thank you!

You're welcome.

(CHUCKLES)

NARRATOR: They would spend
the next five weeks together.

And Adaline did something
she had promised herself she would never do.

You know,
you still haven't told me your name.

Adaline Bowman.

- But my friends call me Della.
- That's beautiful.

Thank you.

NARRATOR: Three weeks later,
his semester completed,

William flew home
to the United States.

Adaline came with him.

(DOOR OPENING)

Hey.

How did you sleep?

- Fine.
- Good.

I'm sorry about last night.
I didn't mean to embarrass you. It just...

I must be losing it.

It's okay.

- Hey.
- When did you come up?

Not too late.
I read for a while.

Hmm.

Hi, baby.

KATHY: Where's Jenny?

ELLIS: She'll be down
in a sec.

- She was up all night tossing and turning.
- KATHY: Oh.

You know,
you've never told us how you guys met.

Uh, we met in an elevator
on New Year's Eve.

Some coffee?

No, thank you.

ELLIS: But I'd seen her
once before that.

Hey.

It was at the library.
She was reading a book in braille and I just...

I knew she was an original.

Here you go, baby.
So was her mom.

How did you meet her mother?

WILLIAM: Uh, it was outside London.

Her car broke down.
I helped her fix it.

So, she was English.

Oh, no, no.
She was just there studying French.

She spoke, like,
what, four languages?

I... I think so.

- Wow.
- Yeah.

- Jenny's brilliant with languages, too.
- WILLIAM: Really?

So, um, how old were you
when you met her?

Oh, I was about...

Let's see, it was the second
year of med school, so I was, like, 26.

I was thinking about quitting medicine.
I was bored.

But I was...

I was afraid I was too old to start over.

I told...

I told Adaline about it
and she just laughed in my face.

She said, "Go for it.
Don't be silly.

"Life's too short."

If it wasn't for her, I probably wouldn't
have found astronomy, physics.

She was only a couple years older than I was,
but she was so wise.

She was so sophisticated.

Um...

She, uh...

(SIGHS)

- What? Honey.
- That's enough, William.

What? What's going on?
(CHUCKLES)

What, you think this is funny?

What do you mean? What did I do?

"You were very close."
"You were very close."

You said that to me twice now.

And you should see your face
when you talk about her.

Are you going to wax nostalgic
this whole g*dd*mn weekend?

Look. It's just that she looks
so much like her mother

that I'm remembering things
that I didn't even know I remembered.

Well, I hate feeling
like second choice.

- What do you mean second choice?
- Especially this weekend.

- Second choice?
- Yes.

Forty years, baby.
Come on.

Second choice? Uh-uh.

Honey, you're blowing
this all out of proportion.

Am I?

Are you jealous?

Huh?

Well, yeah, as a matter of fact. (LAUGHING)

Look. Look.

It was fleeting.

Inconsequential

It sounded like you
were more than that.

I love you.

- I love you, too.
- Come on.

(PANTING)

I'm coming.
(CHUCKLES)

It's not the most
romantic weekend.

Thanks for being
such a good sport.

- Of course.
- I promise I'll make it up to you.

Sorry about my dad.
It's really embarrassing.

He's lovely.

Hey, your mom must have
really been something.

Yeah, she was.

WILLIAM: (SHOUTING)
Kikki!

So, guys.

Dad is riding a
47 game winning streak.

All the money I spent
on your education,

I was hoping
for stronger competition.

- Have you played this before?
- No, never.

Kikki, come on!

KIKKI: DO I have to?

ALL: Yes.

The idea is to get enough
of these little wedges...

- Of pie.
- They're cheese.

They're wedges. You get enough
of them to fill up your circle and you win.

Okay?

KIKKI: Most of the questions
are about the stupidest stuff.

Hence the word "trivial."

Yeah, like,
here's an example for you.

Um, "On June 22nd, 1938, this American boxer
retained his heavyweight championship

"when he b*at Max Schmeling
in the first round."

-well, that is a tough one.
- I know. What do you think?

Um...

Sonny Liston?

Joe Louis.

Good guess, though. Really.

Yeah. Women and boxing. It's cute. Okay.

Excuse me. What did you say?

Okay, you know what?
Fine then. Ladies, we're on a team.

- Here, roll the dice.
- Here we go. All right.

Here we go.

The women are pink.

Women are pink?

"Who was the first United States
President to be born in a hospital?"

Jimmy Carter.

Jimmy Carter.

(CHEERING)

KIKKI: She's fast.

WILLIAM: Beginner's luck.

KATHY: I don't think so.
Try again.

"At what event
did the hula hoop make its debut?"

In 1956 at the World's Fair
in Schenectady, New York.

"1956 World's Fair,
Schenectady, New York."

Oh, my God.

- Nice one.
- Wow.

- Cheese.
- Pie.

Wedge.

All right.
Come on, let's do this.

- A lot of pressure.
- Do you smell something?

Like your winning streak
going up in smoke?

(LAUGHING)

We used to have
this family joke.

What would happen first,
Dad loses in Trivial Pursuit

or Della finally appears?

"Della"?

Yeah, you remember
the comet I told you about,

the one that
my dad discovered?

He named it "Della C 1981

After my great aunt, Adele.

- Okay, let's go.
- Yeah.

- Dad, come on.
- Here we go.

Jenny.

For the win.

"Of what country was Albert Einstein
offered the presidency in 1952?"

Um, Israel.

Israel.

(LAUGHING)

It's okay. We still love you.

How does that feel, Dad?
Are you sad?

I'm all right.

Let's look at page two, okay?

Section three, paragraph H.

- I'm sorry.
- Okay, I'm going to go for a walk.

Sure.

ELLIS: Uh-huh.

Yes. Now let's look at page 10.

How many stars
do you think there are in our galaxy?

I don't know, 500 million.

(LAUGHING)

Couple of 100 billion.

Plato believed that

every soul has a companion star
it returns to after death.

If you lived a moral life.

You believe that?

No. No. I'm a...

I'm a scientist.
Plato was a philosopher, a poet.

Why did you name your comet
after my mother?

If my calculations were correct...
They turned out to be wrong.

It would have been the closest approach to
Earth of any comet in 200 years.

In other words,

like your mother...

A near miss.

What does that mean?

I was going
to propose to her.

I had a... (LAUGHING)

I had an engagement ring in my pocket.

She stood me up.

A near miss.

Good night.

William.

She loved you, too.

ELLIS: Wow.

And we just met, right?
I know that.

And I should probably
shut up right now.

I'll just shut up.

Come on. What?

What is it?

(STAMMERING)
I just got to tell you the truth. I...

I can't imagine
my life without you.

I know it's probably the last thing
you want to hear right now. But...

But I'm falling in love with you, Jenny.

I can't help it.

I...

I don't know what to say.

Um...

I wasn't expecting...

Please don't say anything, all right?
I just want you to know how I feel.

(DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES)

Oh, hello.

Jenny.

Do you know
where everyone went?

Yeah. Kathy and Kikki went to the market
and Ellis went for a run.

- Okay.
- Hold on. You have a bug in your hair.

- It's all right.
- Oh! What is it?

It's a ladybug.

Oh, they say
they're good luck.

Did you get it?

- I got it.
- Thank you.

Please tell Ellis
I went for a walk.

(PANTING)

(GRUNTS)

(HISSES)

(MOANS IN PAIN) Oh!

- Della, are you okay?
- Oh, my God.

This is going to sting
a little, okay?

Okay. Just do it quickly.

(GROANING)

- Don't worry. I'm going to fix you up.
- Okay.

Oh, my God.

YOUNG WILLIAM: Excuse me. Hi.

Uh, do you mind taking our photo?

- Sure.
- No, no.

No, it's okay. I don't...

- It's going to be great. Come on.
- No. I don't like photos.

- No, you're going to love it.
- No, we're wasting film.

We're not wasting it.

I'm just very shy.

Three, two, one.

Please. I'm hopeless.

(BREATH TREMBLING)

I know.

I know who you are, Adaline.

What?

The scar. The same scar.

I stitched it myself.

Please.

The truth.

(VOICE BREAKING) William.

I thought I was losing my mind.

How? How is this possible?

I...

I don't know.

(STAMMERING) I was normal.

And then one day,
I just stopped.

I wanted to tell you
so badly.

But I couldn't.

You know what they would do to me.
I would've been a...

A curiosity.

- A specimen.
- Yes.

That's why you left?

That's why you disappeared?

- Oh.
-(MILD SOBBING)

You can't imagine
how much it hurt.

Oh...

I think I...

I think I can.

And you've never
told anyone?

No.

If I had,
it would have been Ellis.

Don't. Don't run away.

Don't disappear again, please. For Ellis.

- Adaline.
- Please.

All these years, you've lived,
but you've never had a life.

Please, for yourself. For Ellis.

Stay, Adaline.

I don't know how.

Don't run away, Adaline.
Adaline!

Adaline!

(ENGINE STARTING)

(SHOWER RUNNING)

(PANTING)

(SHOWER STOPS)

Adaline, don't.
Don't. Adaline, please.

Please don't do this.

Adaline, don't.
Think about Ellis. Please!

Adaline, please! Adaline!

(PANTING)

(SHOUTING) Dad! Dad!

Dad, where are your keys?

She's gone.

She's not coming back, son.

What just happened?
What is... What is this?

Dad, what the hell did you say to her?

Nothing.

She can't explain.

Please tell me
what she said.

That she's not capable.

Of what?

Of change.

(CELL PHONE RINGING)

FEMALE AUTOMATED VOICE:
You have reached the voicemail...

Do you love her?

Son.

Listen to me.
Do you love her?

Yes.

How do you know?

- Dad, I don't...
- It's a simple question.

How do you know?

Because nothing makes sense without her.

(SOBBING)

FLEMMING: Hello?

Oh, darling, I'm so sorry.
I didn't mean to wake you.

- Everything okay?
- No, no. I just wanted to tell you...

What is it?

You're right.
No more running.

Oh, Mama.

I'll call you tomorrow, okay?

I'm so happy to hear that.

- I love you.
- I love you, too.

- Bye.
- Bye, Mama.

(JOYFUL CHUCKLE)

(EXHALES)

(CRASHING)

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(CRASHING)

(TIRES SCREECHING)

(EXHALES)

NARRATOR: The moon
is responsible for much

of what takes place
on the surface of the Earth.

A stray meteor hit
the moon in 1178.

The resulting concussion

would cause extreme tides on every lunar
phase in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.

A 23% rise in the mean tide
on this night

produced a storm
2,000 miles off the Pacific Coast,

causing an increase in the amount of
molecular ionization in the atmosphere.

And for the first
time in 78 years,

snow fell in this part of Sonoma County.

In the first stages of hypothermia,

the body will try
to generate heat through shivering.

When this fails,
it will decrease

the flow of blood
to the extremities.

Metabolism slows to a crawl.

You're dying,
but you don't know it.

In the final stages, the victim
breathes only once or twice a minute.

A state
of suspended animation.

Jenny!

NARRATOR: At 10.'07 p.m.,

Adaline Bowman's core temperature
had dropped to 87 degrees.

Her heart stopped b*ating.

(GRUNTING)

Wake up.

At last,

at the age of 107,

Adaline Bowman was,
by any definition,

dead.

At precisely 10:09 p.m.,

paramedics placed two defibrillator
paddles on Adaline Bowman's chest.

They counted the prescribed
five seconds

before administering
750 volts of electricity.

(BREATHING)

PARAMEDIC: (FADED)
Look at the light for me, please.

Ma'am, look at the light, please.

Pupils are responsive.

WOMAN: (OVER PA)
Doctor Robertson, please call extension 612.

How is she?

We've just run a series of tests
and don't see any long-term damage.

It's quite remarkable,
in fact.

Is she awake?
Can I go see her?

She's exhausted,
but you might be able to get in a few words.

Okay. Thank you.

Hi.

Jenny.

Hi.

Hey.

I know why you ran away.

You do?

It's because of what
I said to you last night, isn't it?

I told you I loved you.

- And you got scared and I shouldn't have.
- Come here, Ellis. I love you.

I love you, too.

(LAUGHING)

Oh.

There's something else.

What? What is it?

Well, first...

My name isn't Jenny.

My God! What happened?

Nothing. Nothing. An accident.
I'm fine. Okay?

- But...
- Hey. I'm better than fine, okay?

This is Ellis.

- Hello.
- Hello.

He's the man
I've been telling you about.

Oh.

Nice to meet you.

Um...

I'm Jenny's grandmother.

What? What is it?

He knows.

(CHUCKLES GLEEFULLY)

He knows?

(LAUGHING)

(JOYFUL SOBBING)

(ALL LAUGHING)

(DINGING ON GLASS)

WILLIAM: Hey, everybody.

I don't want to ruin the party,
but I want to say something.

First of all,
thanks for being here.

Kathy and I, we're really grateful
that you could all be here.

It means a lot to us

that you would be here
to help us celebrate

the first... First 40 years of our marriage.

(CROWD LAUGHING)

When I first met
this lovely lady,

back in the olden days, I had...

I had a pretty good idea
of what I wanted to do in my job,

but I didn't really

know what I wanted to be
as a man, when I grew up.

- If I ever grew up.
-(KATHY CHUCKLES)

But the commitment
that she made,

(VOICE BREAKING)
to our marriage and our family, to me,

the quality of her love

led me to understand
that I could have

no greater ambition in life

than to be the best

possible husband
I could be for her.

And I'm still
working on it.

(CROWD LAUGHING)

So, here's to Kathy,
love of my life,

mate of my soul,
mother of my lovely children.

To Kathy.

ALL: To Kathy.

(CROWD APPLAUDING)

MAN: (ON TV) And we are back
live in Times Square.

Now just a few minutes
from the moment we have all been waiting for,

the big ball drop
ushering in 2016.

There you are, honey.
Good girl.

Yeah.

Hey, you guys,
you better hurry up.

You're going to be
late for the event.

ELLIS: Yeah, I've been
ready for 10 minutes.

- Oh, so handsome.
- Thank you.

I'm ready, too.

Wow!

I just need this zipped.

Are you sure
you don't want to come with us?

- I'm positive.
-(DOG BARKING)

I've got my date right here.
Come here, baby.

(LAUGHING)

Okay, I love you.

I love you.

I have to grab my clutch.
Oh, and my camera.

- His whiskers are so big.
- Yeah.

ELLIS: And that fur
is so soft.

FLEMMING: Yeah, it is.

Now he's really waiting
for the rest of his body

to catch up with the size
of his whiskers, right?

ELLIS: Adaline, are you okay?

Yes.

Perfect.

NARRATOR: The instant Adaline's heart was
struck by the defibrillator paddles,

the telomere structures
in her genes regained their pliability,

causing her to resume
the natural course of aging.

William was right after all.

The comet Della C 1981 finally did return.

A half century late, but as bright
and magnificent as he had predicted.