當然﹐隨著年歲漸長﹐火紅的性格也漸漸在土地裡紮下了根。四年多前房子從平地蓋起﹐磁磚﹑廚櫃﹑實木地板﹐油漆﹐所有元素﹐都要從數百種色板裡挑選出來﹐可謂花多眼亂。發現我們最後挑選的顏色都是土壤般的色調﹐如地板是橘紅的橡木﹐廚櫃是淺棕泛白的楓木﹐磁磚是很淡很淡的褐色像流瀉了一泓拿鐵 (latte)﹐窗簾則是駱駝色的絨革 (suede)。以為這些色調很中和﹐重疊配襯起來卻有意想不到的溫暖感。也漸漸發現衣櫃裡原來也有很多褐色的衣物﹐深淺不一的咖啡色T–shirt﹐還有卡其褲子和燈芯絨長褲﹐這樣子 tone on tone 的配搭﹐曾經持續了多年。不知道是不想突出自己還是不敢踏出安全區﹐雖然衣物稱身舒服﹐但我們的色調真的很「土」。
故事大綱十分簡單﹕Jeff (Adam Neal Smith 飾) 和Mark 是多年朋友﹐Jeff 一直「暗」戀Mark﹐但Mark 只把 Jeff 當作好兄弟。後來 Mark 在一宗交通意外中溘世﹐Jeff 答應 Mark 年邁的父母替他們打理 Mark 的故居及遺物。在整理 Mark 的電郵時﹐Jeff 發現 Mark 在過去一年內和一名意大利男子Andrea擁有一段遠距離的關係。雖然 Mark和Andrea還沒有機會見面﹐然而透過電郵兩人毫無保留地傾談心事﹐一段感情正慢慢地萌芽。
Jeff 迫不得已只好告訴 Andrea 朋友辭世的噩耗﹐兩人也因為Mark 漸漸開始交談起來。Andrea 原來已訂好了機票從意大利飛來德州度過一個周末﹐這時正猶豫要不要把旅程擱置。Jeff 本來贊成 Andrea 把機票退了﹐其後卻又改變初衷﹐鼓勵 Andrea 依原定計劃進行。 兩名陌生人初次相遇的三天﹐便是電影劇情的主幹。
電影的成本不高﹐既沒有斷臂山的藍天也沒有阿根庭的大瀑布﹐因而大部份的劇情都在室內發生。為了彌補背景的簡約﹐導演尤喜以大特寫鏡頭﹐輪流徘徊於Jeff 和 Andrea 二人的臉上﹐把兩人的每一個眼神動靜都刻劃下來。幸而兩名主角演技自然﹐拍出來的效果具有一定的美感及可信性。
故事聽來彷彿很讓人沮喪﹐其實不然。導演的手法點到即止﹐一點也不煽情。因為兩名主角始終是初相識﹐是以各自的情緒語調都保持了自制﹐沒有任何誇張的表現﹐從而避過了一般低成本電影的陳腔濫調或自我放縱。其中的一些驚喜是沒有什麼對白的畫面﹐如Jeff在車庫指導 Andrea 打「街霸」遊戲或Jeff教Andrea開小綿羊機車等等﹐都簡單自然地充滿趣味。Jeff 同母異父的妹妹專誠來見識 Andrea 的廬山真面目也十分幽默可愛﹐顯示了導演編劇細如髮絲的心事。
洋人有一句諺語﹕Every cloud has a silver lining ﹐意思和《淮南子•人間訓》的「塞翁失馬焉知非福」大同小異。縱然烏雲密佈﹐陽光總會在雲端透現﹐漆黑裡總有燦爛明媚處。有一些人天性樂觀(或不算悲觀)﹐看見半杯水會說杯是半滿。有一些只看見月缺日蝕﹐「塞翁失馬」於他們而言﹐不啻精神勝利法﹐無異於阿Q精神。醉醉醒醒﹐見仁見智。
我們兩人習慣了一起追看這個連續劇﹐看到了over the top 極盡胡鬧誇張的情境和對白都會忍不住噴飯。喜歡編劇沒有什麼自我審核﹐但又案中有案的對白﹐精警啜核之處回味生甘。
關於工作
Hilda: “A job is not about making friends. It’s about making money and stealing office supplies. By the way we're out of coffee filters.”
關於忠心
Wilhelmina: "Now as for the rest of you, your loyalty is admirable. You remind me of the orchestra that stayed behind to play as the Titanic sank."
關於過招
Fabia: "You must come to the ceremony. I won't be able to get married without my something old.." Wilhelmina: "Oh with the veins in your legs you already have your something blue..!"
關於脂肪
Wilhelmina (Holding out a cashew): "Who on this staff would willingly eat something that is 15 grams of fat per serving?"
關於優待
Daniel: "Back when my mother, father and sister all worked here, people used to think I got preferential treatment, too."
關於押韻
Marc: "I can't go stag, hag"
Amanda: "Buy your own beer, queer"
Marc: "You can't just ditch, bitch"
關於諫言
Marc: "I'm not mean to you!"
Amanda: "You told me my head was too big for my neck!"
Marc: "That was constructive criticism!"
Amanda: "And what am I supposed to do about it?!"
關於襯色
Marc: (Looking at Wilhelmina's purple ribbon) "I thought breast cancer was pink?"
Wilhelmina: "It is. But Alzheimer's went better with the outfit."
關於大腿
Wilhelmina:(Having her skirt altered): "Higher!"
Christina: "Any higher and I'll be giving you a pelvic exam!"
Marc: "Oooh, fill my bucket with nothing but thigh!"
Wilhelmina: "Relax Colonel, we all know you prefer nuggets!"
關於爽快
Wilhelmina (to Betty): "Ohh come on girl, I'm black, you're Mexican, lets not stand here and chat like a couple of dull white girls!"
關於道別
Betty: "I've had to say good-bye more times than I may have liked, but everyone can say that. And no matter how many times we have to do it - even if it's for the greater good, it still stings. And although we will never forget what we've given up, we owe it to ourselves to keep moving forward. What we can't do is live our lives afraid of the next good-bye because chances are they are not going to stop. The trick is to recognize when a good-bye can be a good thing - when it's a chance to start again."