The Guncle Abroad

Patrick’s movie is a comedy titled Tongue-in-Cheek, and he stars opposite Jude Law. On the last day of filming, he brings Maisie and Grant to set and has them become extras for one of the final scenes. As he jokes with them, Patrick realizes that they no longer find him as funny or listen to him as easily. He realizes that they are growing up faster than he wants them to. As he prepares for this final scene, Patrick realizes how much he missed acting during the years he hid in Palm Springs, mourning Joe. The lights and everyone’s attention on him thrill him. On set, he finds Maisie and Grant in the crowd, dressed up to be kids with their parents in the crowd. Seeing them with parents forces Patrick to realize how much they lost with Sara’s death and how much they could gain with Greg’s marriage to Livia.

Patrick remembers a night with Sara in her dorm room early in college. Both were theater majors, hoping to make acting their careers. Sara asked Patrick if he would ever let his kids go into acting. Confused, Patrick asked her why she wondered that, and Sara admitted that her parents recently threatened to stop paying her tuition if she did not pursue a course more “practical.