ENZO: Gestures are all that I have.
I have no words I can rely on,
because my tongue was designed long and flat
and is therefore an ineffective tool
for making complicated polysyllabic sounds.
And that is why I'm here now...
waiting for Denny to come home...
lying in a puddle of my own making.
(keys jingling, door unlocks)
DENNY: Yo, Enz!
(door closes)
(footsteps approaching)
Enzo?
ENZO: I hear the worry in his voice.
DENNY: What happened, pal?
Oh, Enz.
ENZO: I can smell the day on him.
Motor oil and gasoline and roast chicken.
DENNY: Can you get up, bud?
I'm here, buddy.
DENNY: I'm right here.
Okay.
ENZO: If only I could speak...
I would tell him not to worry.
I saw a documentary about Mongolia on TV once.
In Mongolia, they believe that when a dog
has finished living his lifetimes as a dog,
his next incarnation will be as a man.
I'm right here, bud.
There he is.
ENZO: I realize this would mean losing all my memories,
my experiences.
But I have a plan.
I will try to imprint what I know on my soul,
carry it so deeply in the pockets of my existence
that when I open my eyes and look down at my new hands,
I will already know.
DENNY: There's my Enzo.
ENZO: I will be ready.
I will remember.
(puppies whimpering)
ENZO: He picked me out of a pile of pups,
a tangled mass of paws and tails.
He'd stopped at the farm on his way home
- from the speedway at Yakima. - DENNY: Hey.
ENZO: Even back then, I knew I was different than other dogs.
My soul just felt more... human.
This one.
(chuckles) Definitely this one.
- The pick of the litter. - ENZO: She always said that.
MR. SPANGLE: Well, just a minute now.
We were thinking of keeping that one.
ENZO: He always said that, too.
Hey.
How much?
ENZO: And so, I had my first glimpse
at the rest of my life.
(music playing on radio)
(squeals)
(young Enzo barks)
(music continues playing)
(indistinct chatter)
Tony! Denny's here.
TONY: Hey-hey!
DENNY: Ah, just wait for it.
I didn't know you were getting a puppy.
DENNY: Neither did I.
Saw a sign on the road and,
I don't know, something came over me.
Isn't that right, Enzo?
"Enzo?" You mean like Ferrari? That's rad.
You can't look after a dog. You're never home.
Oh, you're gonna ruin the moment, aren't you?
Our best friend, he's gonna ruin the moment.
DENNY: I'll take him on the road with me.
He can be my good luck charm.
TONY: Hey, you coming to our show tonight?
We're opening for The Scoffs at The Dive.
Oh, no, he can't. He's got a new puppy to look after.
See, he's good luck already.
I got the call this morning, they need an extra driver.
Yeah, sure. Yeah, I'll, uh, leave you a pass at the gate.
Okay, two passes.
Who is this guy again?
That's right.
- ENZO: I liked my new home. - (sniffing)
It only lacked for grass,
but I figured I could make do.
- Enzo, no! - (whines)
Don, I got to call you back.
And... go ahead.
Okay, bud, fire away.
ENZO: Denny seemed unusually interested
in my bathroom habits.
Go on. Go ahead.
(urinating)
DENNY: Oh... (sighs)
Of course, you did.
(chuckles)
Okay, pal...
it's time to turn in.
Big day tomorrow at the race.
So just be a good boy.
Get some sleep, okay?
(whimpering)
(Denny groans)
- (young Enzo barking) - (sighs)
Okay.
All right.
Okay.
(sniffles)
(indistinct chatter on TV)
(sighs) Okay.
Of course. Just rub that in...
- (loud bang) - (car honks)
ENZO: I'd later learn it was called a television.
And, in time, it would teach me much about human behavior.
But that night,
it felt like a window into a whole new world.
Oh, you like that, huh?
ENZO: Like it?
No, I loved it.
(car engines whirring on TV)
DENNY: Right foot on the gas.
Ease into the turn.
(barks)
(chuckles)
(indistinct chatter)
ENZO: And even better was
when he took me to the race itself.
MAN: Denny!
- Oh, look! - Oh, it's a puppy.
ENZO: Denny's apartment was home, but this...
this was where I truly belonged.
(indistinct shouting)
(indistinct announcement over PA)
ENZO: It was more thrilling than I could've imagined.
(car engines roaring)
What do you think, Enzo?
ENZO: I thought it was heaven on earth.
WRIGHT: What'd you say his name is again?
Denny Swift.
KITCH: Number 96 car.
KITCH: He teaches for me from time to time
when he needs cash, but you trust me,
this kid's a diamond in the rough.
CREW CHIEF: Copy that.
(indistinct chatter)
ENZO: The heat coming off the track,
the breathless speed and precision of the pit crew...
I was in awe of it all.
(whirring)
He did a year in Formula Three.
Got picked up by Zip Simone's Audi program.
Started making a name for himself,
but then Zippy went bankrupt.
Then he lost his ride.
(engine revving)
Clear!
(all applauding)
KITCH: You really serious about starting your own team,
there's your man right there.
He's been down almost a full lap this whole stint.
It's not about who's got the heavier foot.
It's about the feel.
(thunder rumbling)
Denny was the first to make the call
to switch to rain tires.
(crowd clamoring)
Step over here.
Hey. Watch this.
In all my years of racing,
I've never seen anyone like Denny in the wet.
Reminds me what they used to say about Senna:
"When it rains, it doesn't rain on him."
(tires screeching)
(cheering, whooping)
- ENZO: And when he won... - Enzo!
...I felt like I'd witnessed true greatness.
(all cheering)
DENNY: Yeah!
First race, huh?
What'd you think, boy? You like it?
Did you like it?
- Hey, kid, you got a minute? - Hey.
I want you to meet Sean Wright.
Hey. Denny Swift.
He sold his tech company for some obscene amount of money
and now he's determined to waste it all racing GTs.
Yeah, I think I've read about you.
That was some win today.
You think you could drive that way for him?
Try me.
ENZO: My first year went by in a blur.
Wait. Let me see.
ENZO: I realize nobody has a perfect childhood,
but I'd contend that mine came fairly close.
Denny began racing for Wright full-time
and took me with him whenever he could,
like a four-legged member of the pit crew.
(indistinct chatter)
DENNY: Hey, Enz, you good?
ENZO: I was better than good.
CREWMAN: Go! Clear!
- (engine revving) - (tires squeal)
ENZO: Call it fate, call it luck.
All I knew was I was meant to be his dog.
(man cheering)
ENZO: Denny always said
the best drivers focus only on the present.
Never dwelling on the past,
never committing to the future.
(man shouting indistinctly)
- Go get it! - Whoo!
ENZO: Reflection must come at a later time.
Which is why drivers compulsively record
their every move with their in-car cameras.
DENNY: I got to turn earlier.
Get a better run on that corner.
ENZO: I learned so much from him about balance,
anticipation, patience.
Car goes where your eyes go, Enz.
ENZO: And I would fantasize that one day I, too,
might actually race.
REPORTER: Congratulations on a spectacular win today.
Not an easy race, by any stretch.
Well, you know, I'm a risk taker.
Man, that win was all you.
This guy hasn't even mentioned you once.
You're way too good for this guy, Denny.
You got to start getting your own sponsors.
Yeah, maybe.
My drivers look to me as their leader...
Turn this clown off. Put on the Mariners.
ENZO: There's an old saying I'd often hear Denny repeat:
"No race was ever won in the first corner
but many have been lost there."
Just you and me, Enz.
Always you and me.
...and then accelerating through.
ENZO: Nothing was more important to us than racing.
I knew it was only a matter of time
before Denny reached his goal of racing Formula One in Europe.
- DENNY: (whistles) Come on! - (Enzo barking)
ENZO: And the whole world would see him the way I did.
Good boy.
ENZO: He'd be adored by fans everywhere.
His victories the stuff of legend.
His name inscribed alongside
the very best our sport has ever known.
(chuckles softly)
(car engines whirring on TV)
ENZO: But for now, he was my champion alone.
(indistinct chatter)
And then she showed up.
(indistinct)
- EVE: That was great. - DENNY: Yeah.
Hey.
DENNY: Enzo, this is Eve.
EVE: Hi, Enzo.
How you doing?
ENZO: My first impression of Eve
was as complicated as the scents in the air.
I'm not really much of a dog person.
ENZO: A mélange of produce, shampoo and pheromones.
Yeah, well, he's more person than dog.
ENZO: Denny was clearly taken with her grooming.
She probably bathed every day, for all I knew.
Does he always stare at people like this? (laughs)
If he likes them.
So, are you a chef or something?
No, I teach English as a second language,
and one of my students is Thai,
and she made this curry that was incredible.
But it looks like you have to go.
I don't know what's gotten into him.
It was nice to meet you.
Come here, come on! Hey, uh, Eve?
My, uh... my friends, they play in a band
and they're playing a show at Nemo's tonight.
I thought, you know, if you didn't have plans...
"Head Injury"?
Yeah, they're Seattle's third most popular...
"Soundgarden tribute band."
Yeah, I mean, according to them. (laughs)
EVE: That sounds like fun.
- DENNY: It does? - Mmm-hmm.
Yeah! Yeah, no, we'll... we'll make it fun.
- All right, I'll see you then. - DENNY: Cool.
EVE: Bye.
DENNY: Come on.
- I thought you guys rocked. - See, Mike?
He was freaking out because we skipped a verse on Spoonman.
MIKE: Oh, we skipped a verse?
Now imagine this all throughout high school.
So, which song was your favorite?
The... second-to-last one.
The one with the 12-minute guitar solo?
Yeah, that was the best part!
(laughs) Denny, marry this girl.
(chuckles) Uh, do you want another?
No, thanks. Could I have some water?
- Yeah, sure. Mike? - MIKE: Yep.
So, uh... you two just met, huh?
EVE: Yeah.
- And? - Dude.
(chuckles) And I think he's really nice.
Wait till you see him race. Then you'll really fall in love.
Dude!
- What? I was just... - (chuckles)
So, when do I get to see you race?
(laughter)
ENZO: As if Denny would ever fall for that.
- (woman shouting) - Yes!
ENZO: She knew almost nothing about racing,
but for some reason, Denny didn't seem to mind.
I assumed she would soon be in our rearview mirror.
But by spring, it was clear Eve wasn't going anywhere.
(all cheering)
ENZO: I'll admit I envied the attention he lavished on her,
- with her... - (laughs)
...opposable thumbs and plump buttocks.
EVE: In his regular car, yes.
well, what does he know about teaching English?
Yeah, my point exactly.
ENZO: And her taste in television programs
left something to be desired.
EVE: Will you stop?
ENZO: Denny never tired of pleasing her.
All for his reward,
which usually meant lots of stroking and...
nuzzling.
- How was your class? - It was good.
ENZO: Did I envy her engaging smile?
Her effortless laugh?
Perhaps I did.
(Eve and Denny laughing)
ENZO: For she was a person, unlike me.
DENNY: Mmm-hmm. (kissing)
I'll go make us some breakfast.
- (gasps) Really? - DENNY: Yeah.
Okay, thanks.
(Eve sighs)
Hey, Enzo.
You don't mind if I love him too, do you?
ENZO: As if I had a say in the matter.
ENZO: They were married at a magnificent palace
with its very own ocean.
The kind of place I had assumed only existed on television.
I tried my best to be helpful.
(indistinct chatter)
I minded my manners,
resisted snacking on the trays of exquisite appetizers
and made sure to do my business
in the flowerbed farthest from the festivities.
The place belonged to Eve's parents,
Trish and Maxwell...
who I confess I first mistook for twins.
(indistinct chatter)
Would the bearer please bring the rings forward?
Aww!
(guests chuckling)
ENZO: When the time came,
I did as I was instructed, for Denny's sake.
(man chuckles)
- Good boy. - Come on, Enz. Come here, bud.
DENNY: Hey.
Good boy.
DENNY: With this ring,
I thee wed.
Eve?
EVE: With this ring,
I thee wed.
(chuckles)
(all cheering)
ENZO: And so, we became a family...
to varying degrees of enthusiasm.
Think he could've shaved for his own wedding?
- Maxwell. - MAXWELL: What?
It's just an observation.
Oh, please.
No one's good enough for her in your eyes.
I like him, I do,
but I love my daughter
and the man races cars for a living.
You don't think I'm within my rights
- to be a little concerned? - No, not if Eve isn't.
ENZO: I've learned that people will say
just about anything in front of me,
as I am only a dumb dog.
I put a call in to Andy Neuberger last week.
He said a driver who's been on the circuit
as long as Denny has, if it was gonna break for him,
most likely would've happened by now.
But Eve says he's been doing great lately.
I knew I'd find you two in here.
Come on, it's cake time.
TRISH: Daddy was making his drink.
(both laugh)
ENZO: After the wedding came the move.
(grunts)
ENZO: I was of two minds about it.
I now had room to roam.
But the old apartment was ours,
Denny and me.
(indistinct chatter)
(both laughing)
ENZO: I tried to communicate my feelings.
- EVE: What was that? - It was Enzo. He's just excited.
ENZO: But my gestures were inevitably misinterpreted.
(kissing)
Moreover, there was a mysterious new aura
about Eve that, for some reason,
prevented me from maintaining any resentment toward her.
DENNY: It's Watkins Glen,
which I usually do really well at.
EVE: And that's in New York, right?
Yeah. Yeah.
You could take a couple days off
and we could get out there early.
I'm pregnant.
Wait, what?
You freaked out?
No! No, I'm not! Wait, are you freaked out?
A little, yeah.
(chuckles)
(Denny laughing)
Did you know about this?
- (barks) - (Denny laughs)
ENZO: I never really grasped the concept of money
and why humans always seemed to be in need of it.
But Denny became more and more preoccupied with it.
- All right! - (engine revving)
ENZO: He began to train harder than ever.
He took on extra teaching sessions,
competed in every race he could.
I'll miss you.
ENZO: This meant my spending more
and more time alone with Eve.
- Come on, Enz. Come on. - (car door closes)
ENZO: To be honest,
I still didn't share Denny's overt affection for her.
Hey, buddy, thank you so much.
(groans)
ENZO: But we developed a rhythm of our own.
That's very nice. (sighs)
ENZO: At times, she even reminded me of my own mother
when she would sigh and shrug herself
- into a prone position. - (groans) Oh, God.
ENZO: It must be amazing to have a body
that can carry an entire creature inside.
I mean, other than a tapeworm, which I've had.
Do you want to know what it feels like?
Good boy.
(gasps) Did you feel that?
Did you feel that kick?
Oh, sweet boy, come here.
It's okay. Come here.
That's okay.
ENZO: I couldn't imagine what was going on
inside Eve's magic sack
where the baby was being assembled.
I just hoped it would look like me.
(paper rustling)
DENNY: Enzo... slow down, it's your only one.
- EVE: It's cozy. - DENNY: I love it.
It probably looks exactly like the last one
- I got you, but... - (laughing)
Do you like it?
I got it from Pike Place.
It's 100 percent handmade.
(chuckles) It's, uh...
Your favorite shade of pink.
- It is. - (chuckles)
- (exhales) - You okay?
Yeah, I'm fine. I just want to see what it looks like on.
Hey, can we talk about
this whole midwife thing again?
- Honey, we've been over this. - Yeah, I know.
I'm just saying.
I mean, you know, I was born in a hospital,
you were born in a hospital.
I know, but I really want to do it here.
EVE: I mean, Tanya birthed her twins at home.
And she said that these two women
she used were amazing.
- Okay. - (cell phone rings)
- Hey. - (phone ringing)
Hi, Mom. Merry Chri...
EVE: Okay.
Someone from something-something... Penske?
On Christmas Day?
DENNY: Hello.
- (laughs) - DENNY: Yeah, hi.
What is this hat?
ENZO: They say dogs can't see color.
DENNY: Oh, Okay.
ENZO: Apparently, neither could Denny.
DENNY: Yeah, I'll, um, hear back from you again, okay.
DENNY: Bye.
EVE. What is it?
That was Judd Murphy from Team Penske.
He's down a driver
and he just offered me a seat in the 24 Hours of Daytona.
That's good, right?
Good? I mean, it's great!
DENNY: It's Daytona.
This is the shot I've been wanting.
DENNY: This could change everything for me.
Oh, my God, Denny, that's great!
(barking)
It's the last weekend of January.
So? The due date isn't till February 15th.
DENNY: That's cutting it awful close.
Hey, what if you came with me? Huh?
We don't have to fly.
Denny. I'm not driving to Florida.
- (Denny sighs) - But you have to do this.
There is nothing to debate here.
This is your shot.
If you finish well,
all these doors start to open.
You're not worried about timing... at all?
When have you known me to be early for anything?
(groaning and screaming)
ENZO: I didn't know a human could make such sounds.
(Eve screaming)
ENZO: Denny missed it all however,
as he was driving through the night at Daytona.
ANNOUNCER: (on TV) Denny Swift in the #22 car
putting in a tremendous performance,
considering the team was in 10th place.
MIDWIFE: You're doing wonderfully, Eve.
(Eve screaming)
ANNOUNCER: (on TV) Approaching hour 17
of this marathon race, and the rain is really pouring.
EVE: I want to talk to Denny. Can you call him?
MIDWIFE: Just keep pushing, okay?
ANNOUNCER: With Swift back in the #22 car,
he's snapping at the heels of car #17.
MIDWIFE: One more push.
(screaming)
ANNOUNCER: Unbelievable! Denny Swift has taken the lead
in a magnificent show of skill.
- (baby crying) - Oh, hi, sweet girl.
You're nice and warm.
MIDWIFE: All right. We'll give you two some time alone.
- Thank you. - (chuckles) You're welcome.
Oh! Shoo now, pup!
No, he can stay.
Yeah. Oh...
EVE: Enzo.
ENZO: The scent was...
unprecedented.
Come here, sweet boy. Come here.
ENZO: I had never encountered a creature quite so beautiful.
Zoë...
this is Enzo.
He's your family, too.
And he'll always protect you.
(baby coos)
- (brakes screech) - (Enzo barking)
(Enzo barking)
DENNY: Hey, how is everything? She's okay?
Hi! She's fine. Yes, just fine. (laughs)
- DENNY: Hey. - (Trish sighs)
DENNY: Yeah.
She's been waiting for her daddy.
I should've been here.
EVE: Honey, she's a day old.
DENNY: I know, but still...
You're here now.
EVE: This is why we met.
To make this perfect little thing.
- (kisses) - (Zoë coos)
EVE: I still don't understand.
DENNY: We lost. It's no big deal.
We were leading by a lap going into the last stint.
And... I told Murph I felt up to finishing, but...
the sponsors were pressuring him
to go with this wonder kid from California
who'd been doing a bunch of press lately.
Ten minutes in, the kid hit the wall.
Totaled the car.
But you drove well.
Yeah, it doesn't really mean a whole lot
if your team doesn't finish.
It's okay.
Really. There's gonna be other races.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
Oh, Zoë. You okay?
Where is she? It's been too long!
(both laughing)
ENZO: The twins, who rarely visited,
now stopped by frequently to clutter our home
with garish gifts.
Denny pretended not to mind,
but something about the zebra
put me ill at ease.
Look at those pretty eyes.
Hello, baby girl.
- Dad, she needs a change. - Oh, I'll do it!
- EVE: Yeah? - (Trish chuckling)
Yeah, Grandma's got you.
Denny!
- It's coming along. - Thanks.
I watched some of that race of yours, by the way.
How's that boy doing, the one who crashed?
We've had this conversation before.
Still, you have a daughter now.
MAXWELL: Say, for instance, you get seriously injured,
or God forbid, killed...
- I won't. - You can't promise that.
Yes, I can.
I promise you that I will always provide
for Eve and Zoë, no matter what.
And I swear to you that I will put my safety first,
even if that means losing every race that I enter.
TRISH: Bye. Bye, honey. Love you.
(door closes)
ENZO: It amazed me, the power exerted
by a creature as tiny as our little Zoë.
A power she wielded over me as well...
with no more effort
than the earth does the moon in its orbit.
(indistinct chattering)
(Zoë cooing and laughing)
ENZO: I was an integral figure in her entertainment,
leaping after tennis balls
and scrambling back to catch them
then dancing like a four-legged clown
to catch them again.
- Run! - (Enzo barks)
DENNY: Whoa!
(Eve laughing)
- You ready, birthday girl? - (giggling)
Okay, here we go.
ENZO: I was so immersed in her world
that I'd lose count of the weeks and months.
DENNY AND EVE: Ready, steady...
- go! - (Zoë inhales sharply)
(all cheering)
ENZO: And when she would tell her playmates
that I was her big brother,
my heart would swell with pride.
Hot potato!
- EVE: Whoa! - (Zoë laughing)
- Ahh! - Stinky Drawers!
DENNY: Oh! She's coming in.
Go! She's coming in hot!
Good boy.
(Zoë giggling)
(Denny laughing)
ZOË: Everyone has to wait their turn for a snack,
even zebras.
Right, teacher?
- Daddy! - Hi!
(grunts)
Hey, I'm sorry I missed your dance recital.
Mommy told me all about it.
- Did you win? - No, sweet pea, not this one.
- ZOË: Better? - (chuckles)
- You have no idea. - (giggles)
(grunts)
Thanks for taking care of our girls, Enz.
Okay, so what do we got here?
ZOË: Well, this is my second-grade class.
DENNY: Feels like I'm always at the track
or getting on a plane.
EVE: Feels that way for me too sometimes.
(pills clatter)
It'll get easier.
You okay?
Just a headache. I was up late grading papers.
It wasn't supposed to take this long, you know.
Dream's always been Formula One, but it feels...
like I'm just kind of treading water.
Hey...
no race was ever won on the first corner.
(chuckles softly) Yeah.
You still love it, don't you?
Yeah, of course. Yeah.
Maybe that's not enough.
I don't know.
Apex offered me a seat at Laguna Seca for next weekend.
I told them I needed to think about it.
You're just tired.
Yeah.
ENZO: I spent a sleepless night contemplating
what Denny had said.
Quit racing?
He was a racecar driver the way I was a dog.
It was his nature.
His destiny.
MAN: (on TV) According to Mongolian folklore,
the dogs are able to see into the spirit world...
EVE: Zoë, honey, dinner's ready!
I want to wait for Daddy.
EVE: Daddy's teaching tonight.
- Five more minutes? - EVE: Ugh!
Okay. Enzo, dinner!
Yes!
ENZO: And then all my worries
about Denny were eclipsed by a smell.
An odor coming from her ears and sinuses like...
decay.
Like rotting wood.
Given a facile tongue, I could have warned her.
Don't give me a hard time, too, buddy.
ENZO: Instead, all I could do was watch and feel empty inside
because there was nothing I could do to help her.
In the zebra's mute stare,
I could sense it mocking my predicament.
Eve had assigned me to protect Zoë.
(exhales softly)
But no one had been assigned to protect Eve.
(car door opens and closes)
(barking)
Hey, hey, shh. You're gonna wake up Zoë.
Come on.
(car revving on TV)
Since when do you watch my in-cars?
How come you go through the turns
so much faster than the other cars?
Well...
most drivers are afraid of the rain,
because it's an unpredictable element.
They're forced to react to it.
And if they're reacting at speed...
then they're probably too late, so they should be afraid of it.
Well, I'm afraid just watching it.
Yeah, but if you intentionally make the car do something,
you don't have to predict.
You control the outcome.
So, you skid the car before it skids itself?
Yeah.
When I'm in a racecar,
I'm the creator of my own destiny.
"That which you manifest is before you."
Create your own conditions
and rain is just rain.
(Denny chuckles softly)
Tomorrow morning you're gonna call the folks at Apex
and you're gonna tell them
that you'll see them in Laguna Seca.
And you can't give up, not ever.
Not for us.
Not for anyone.
EVE: Promise me.
I promise.
ENZO: At that moment,
I finally understood Denny's love for Eve
and why for so long
I had been afraid to love her myself.
She was my unpredictable element.
She was my rain.
ANNOUNCER: It's looking to be a beautiful day here
at Laguna Seca Raceway in Salinas, California.
We have a deep field of 43 GT cars
and an impressive roster
- of drivers. - (object clatters)
(Eve retching)
(sniffling)
(clears throat)
(continues retching)
- Mommy? - EVE: Go pack your bag.
We're gonna to Grandma and Grandpa's
for a few days until Daddy gets home. Okay?
Are you feeling sick?
I just really need to rest.
EVE: Please?
(groaning)
(retching)
(coughs)
Come on.
ENZO: It all happened so fast.
(door lock clicks)
In five minutes they were gone.
But I wasn't gone.
I was still there.
Denny always said panic's a driver's worst enemy.
So, I did not panic.
I did not overcorrect or freeze,
even though I knew Denny wouldn't be home
for at least another two days.
But I'm a dog.
And when God denied dogs the use of thumbs,
He gave us the ability to survive
without food for extended periods.
So, although a thumb would've been very helpful,
allowing me to turn a doorknob, for instance,
my second-best tool was my ability
to go without food.
The longer my isolation continued,
the more anxious I became.
- What if Denny never returned? - (indistinct chatter on TV)
With only a limited supply of drinking water,
I had no way of knowing
how long I'd have to make it last.
I sustained myself with the odd stray Cheerio
Zoë had dropped...
and suffered the indignity
of relieving myself on the mat...
waiting for my ordeal to end.
(car door closes)
(barking)
(thunder rumbling)
ENZO: It was roughly 40 hours into my solitude
when I think I began to hallucinate.
I'd just discovered some remnants of spilled yogurt
when I heard a noise.
(thudding)
(rock music playing)
It was the zebra.
(barks and growls)
I stalked the creature
as it performed its brutal burlesque
not sure how much more
- I could abide. - (toy squeaks)
(barks and growls)
(fabric rips)
(laughs)
(growling)
(snarling)
(laughs mockingly)
ENZO: I ran out, hoping what I had seen was only in my mind,
a demonic vision driven by lack of glucose.
(thunder rumbling)
But somehow, I knew that it was true
and that something terrible had happened.
(TV playing in background)
(keys jingle)
Anyone home?
Enz, hey.
What are you doing? Come here.
(Enzo grunts softly)
DENNY: Enzo, come here!
(whines)
Come here, bud. Hey.
What happened?
Where is everyone?
Eve?
Are Eve and Zoë still there?
Can I talk to her?
Yeah. I'm at the house. Enzo is here.
Wait, Eve, wait, hold...
He's been here the whole time?
DENNY: I thought you took him with you!
No, I got to go. I got to take care of him.
The mat was the only place you used, huh?
Come here, bud.
There you go.
- ZOË: Daddy, I missed you! - DENNY: Oh! I missed you, too.
ZOË: Can I say hi to my animals?
DENNY: Yeah, go up.
I'm just trying to understand.
Ugh. I felt so sick I wasn't thinking.
The doctor thinks it's maybe something viral.
Hi, buddy. Hi.
Enz, I'm so sorry.
- I'm so sorry. - (Zoë screams)
(gasps) Zoë?
ZOË: Something happened to my animals!
- (Zoë crying) - DENNY: This is a mess.
I don't understand why he'd do this.
Zoë, stop crying.
I'm gonna go find him.
Get over here.
- Get over here! - (whines)
Bad dog! Come on!
Look what you did. Look what you did!
DENNY: You see that? Why would you do that?
DENNY: Bad dog!
- You stupid dog! - Denny, stop!
EVE: What are you doing?
ENZO: I had only one thought:
The zebra must have reassembled itself
and attacked the remaining animals after I left.
I should've destroyed the demon when I had the chance.
I should've eaten it, even if it killed me.
(Zoë sobbing)
I'm so sorry, Enz.
I promise I'll never do that again.
DENNY: You're a tough old dog.
Come on.
I won, by the way.
Like first in class?
First overall.
- (gasping) - Plus, a permanent seat
in the Apex prototype.
EVE: Oh, my God, Denny! Oh, my God!
(laughs) They want me down in Sonoma
to start training with the team right away.
I'm so proud of you.
I was thinking we could all go on the road?
- Yes. - Maybe at least for the summer?
Yeah, go to all the races and everything?
ENZO: In racing, your car goes where your eyes go.
A driver who cannot tear his gaze from the wall
will inevitably meet that wall.
But the driver who looks down the track
as he feels his tires break free,
that driver will maintain control
of his car and his destiny.
I realized this was what Denny had done.
He had manifested a win
because he knew we needed one.
(indistinct chatter)
EVE: Keys.
- Okay. I'll call you tonight. - Okay.
Bye, bud. Hey, kiddo, I need that.
(chuckles) Let's see.
Thank you. Thank you.
- Have fun. - Bye.
ZOË: Bye, Daddy!
(cell phone ringing)
- Hi, Mom. - TRISH: (on phone) Hi.
I wanted to see how you're feeling.
I'm fine. Much better.
I'm taking Enzo for a hike while Zoë's at school.
I need to get into shape, I feel so gross.
TRISH: Honey, you're frail as a whippet.
Is Denny out of town again?
Mom, I'm not getting into this. I hear enough about it from Dad.
TRISH: Sweetheart, I'm really just asking.
I know.
Um, I got to go. I'll call you later. I love you.
- TRISH: I love you. - Bye.
(sighs)
(exhales sharply)
(breathing heavily)
It's okay.
I'm okay.
(barking)
ENZO: There are moments when the urge to speak
is truly maddening.
(Enzo continues barking)
(sirens wailing)
WOMAN: There's a number.
ENZO: Sometimes I hate what I am.
DENNY: Hey, come on.
Come here.
Yeah... she's gonna be okay.
- Appreciate this, Mike. - MIKE: No problem, man.
They're talking about not even doing a biopsy,
just go in and get it... malignant or not.
MIKE: You, um...
You want me to call Apex for you?
Nah, I already did.
Told them I'm out for the season, maybe longer.
I have to be here.
Okay, Enzo, you're gonna bunk with Uncle Mike tonight.
What do you say about that?
You be good for Mike, okay?
See you in a couple days.
ENZO: I would have done anything to stay with him.
But being a dog,
I was not allowed into the hospital
to hear the diagnosis or the options being discussed.
I was almost ten years old
but no one confided in me,
or expected anything except that I control my barking
and do my business outside.
(indistinct chatter)
Somewhere the zebra was dancing.
I thought about escaping.
I wanted to push everyone away
and run off to live with my ancestors
on the high desert plains of Mongolia.
I might have, too, if not for my absolute faith
in Denny's ability to make things right again.
(indistinct chatter)
She's out of surgery.
Now we just wait and...
see how she responds.
Hey, pal.
ENZO: A transmission gear snaps
The clutch fails.
Brakes go soft from overheating.
The poor driver will crash.
The average driver will quit.
But the great driver will drive through the problem.
Hey, listen.
I have to teach tomorrow,
so you're gonna go to Caroline's house after school
and I'll pick you up at six.
Okay.
Daddy?
Yeah.
When's Mommy gonna come home?
I don't know, pal.
Soon, I hope.
ENZO: The great driver finds a way to keep racing.
Good night, Daddy.
- Love you. - Love you, too.
(exhales)
(indistinct chatter)
Oh, what's the matter? You like grilled cheese.
But it's gonna be cold by lunchtime.
Give your dad a break.
DENNY: I'm kinda learning on the job here, kiddo.
Your wife works too, huh?
My mommy's in the hospital. Her brain got sick.
DENNY: Okay, so I'm gonna pick you up right after school.
But today's Tuesday. I have an extended day.
Okay, so what time is that over?
Ask Mommy. She knows.
- Bye, sweetheart. - Bye.
ZOË: Hi, Mommy.
ENZO: Days became weeks,
and still Eve did not come home from the hospital.
You're gonna be okay.
ZOË: Everything's gonna be okay.
Maybe you should sit down now.
ENZO: The people who cared about Denny
made special accommodations.
Mike got him some part-time work at the garage
and looked after me whenever Denny asked.
Ow!
ENZO: And there were other skills
he was forced to master.
- ZOË: You're hurting me! - DENNY: Okay.
I'm sorry.
ENZO: Zoë spent the hot summer days
at a kids' camp over by Green Lake...
Hi, sweetheart.
ENZO: ...and the occasional night with the twins.
TRISH: Bye!
Here we go.
ENZO: On those nights,
Denny would stay late at the hospital with Eve.
When we'd come home, he would be very quiet.
(sighs)
ENZO: And then it would fall to me to provide what he needed.
(exhales)
ENZO: By autumn, we'd come to resemble
something like a seasoned pit crew.
Anticipating, adjusting, correcting.
Wait, sweetheart, here. Here's your lunch.
- Thanks, Daddy. - Okay, see you later.
- Bye. - Bye.
Bye, Enzo.
Bye.
What do you say, Enz?
You're gonna like this one. You ready?
Hey, Zoë!
Dinner!
ANNOUNCER: (on TV) Benjamin is going around the outside,
- and it's Wilson and Neal. - (chuckles) Oh!
No fair. It's the red car's fault!
DENNY: Well, yes and no.
See, you've got to be in charge of your position on the track.
That's what the red car was doing.
At some point, in every race
you got to take a risk if you want to win.
(in sing-song) "Slow hands in the fast stuff,
fast hands in the slow stuff."
(chuckles) Oh, my God!
Your mom is gonna kill me.
ENZO: That night, Denny got the call.
The doctors were finally allowing Eve to come home,
only she wouldn't be coming home to us.
Why can't Mommy stay with us?
DENNY: Well, she will soon.
But we thought since your grandparents
are home all the time,
it'd be best if she just stayed with them.
Just for now.
Mommy's here!
(chuckling)
- Oh, Zoë... - EVE: That's fine, Mom.
EVE: Oh, my baby.
I've been waiting for this.
Me, too.
(Enzo whines)
It's still her, boy.
(chuckles)
EVE: Mmm.
ZOË: "And it was snowing on a squirrel,
it was snowing on a beaver
and it was snowing on everyone.
But then he said,
'Oh, look, just as we thought.'
And Boggan said, 'Whishhhh.'
Charles wrote his wish on a piece of paper."
DENNY: I don't understand. What exactly are you asking?
Maxwell and I think Zoë should stay here with us.
At least until...
Until what?
Are we just assuming now that she's not gonna make it?
MAXWELL: We're all praying for the best,
but you heard what her doctor said.
This might be the only time Zoë has with her mother.
TRISH: I can drive her to and from school.
Or you can.
TRISH: Whatever you want.
And you're welcome to stay here, too.
We just didn't think that you...
It's really up to you.
I'll talk about it with Eve.
DENNY: Come on.
They just want to help us, Denny.
I know.
What matters is what you want.
I want my old life back.
Has my dad been any better with you?
He promised he would be.
Yeah, he's fine. We're fine, really. You just...
You just keep focused on you. Okay?
Knock wood, in a few weeks I'll get some strength back
and we can both come home again.
Right?
Right.
I want you to start racing again.
You've been away from it for too long.
We'll see.
I can't be the reason that you quit.
You promised me that you wouldn't quit.
DENNY: I won't.
I won't.
Get some sleep...
okay?
I love you.
I love you so much.
ENZO: It must be so difficult being a person.
Sometimes I doubt my ability to interact on such a level,
but I know it's required if I'm to become the human
I hope to be.
Take care of our girls, Enzo.
ENZO: I stayed awake all that night
and many others that followed.
The demon was coming for Eve.
But he would have to get through me first.
Only once the others awoke
did I dare relinquish my guard duties.
Lazy dog.
ENZO: On some nights, Denny kept watch with me.
But he couldn't rest in the morning.
(grunting)
- I got it, I got it. Okay. - He had to stay strong for Zoë.
Tug-o-war. What about this one?
(both laughing)
DENNY: We've got a tug-o-war.
DENNY: Which one's he gonna get? Which one's he gonna get?
(Enzo barking)
(Denny grunting)
Here it goes! I got it. It's over there!
Enz, come here.
Good boy.
- TRISH: Remember? - ZOË: Yeah.
ENZO: His endurance knew no limits.
DENNY: Ah, hey...
- a tennis racket. - TRISH: Yeah!
TRISH: And Grandpa got you lessons at our club
on Wednesday afternoons. Won't that be fun?
Actually, Wednesday's not that good for me.
I'm at the garage all day.
That's all right. We can drive you, Zoë, right?
- Yeah! - Yeah.
ENZO: And when Eve's parents doted on Zoë, he let them.
He understood this was their way of pushing out of their minds
what was happening to their own daughter.
(indistinct chattering)
ENZO: A task that was, of course, impossible.
DENNY: Hey, I'm back. Where are you guys?
(barking)
(music playing on stereo)
- Hi. - Surprise!
DENNY: (laughs) What's the surprise?
Just come.
EVE: We decided to have a party.
We're having a party?
I think I'm a little underdressed.
You look incredibly handsome.
Are you sure you're up for this?
I want to come home.
I want you home.
So bad, you have no idea.
(music continues playing)
Do you see?
EVE: Do you?
I'm not afraid of it anymore.
Because I know it's not the end.
But you knew that, didn't you?
You know everything.
ENZO: Not everything, no.
(Eve exhales deeply)
ENZO: But I know this:
Eve's last breath freed her soul.
I saw it leave, myself.
Released to continue its journey elsewhere.
(Denny sniffles)
(exhales)
DENNY: That's nice.
That's a baby game.
I have to be a grownup now.
(sighs deeply)
Trish just fixed Zoë something to eat.
Thank you.
(sighs) All those people.
All her old friends.
Students of hers.
Yeah, everyone loved her.
I thought I'd be ready, you know?
I mean, I knew it was coming, but...
I wasn't ready.
Not at all.
Well, to be honest, Denny, that's...
what's concerning us a little.
That you haven't made any preparations.
You don't seem to have a plan in place.
Plan? I don't...
Zoë's eating an egg and some toast.
We just started.
Oh, I thought...
I'm sorry, started what?
Can one of you tell me what exactly is going on here?
Um...
Maxwell and I have been talking, and...
we were wondering if maybe
the best situation for all of us involved
might be if Zoë continued to live here with us.
(scoffs) What?
MAXWELL: She needs stability right now.
And, frankly, we don't think you're in a position
to provide that.
MAXWELL: Not if you're gonna return to racing.
Are you gonna go back to racing?
Of course, yeah.
- Not right away, but... - And when you do,
who's gonna take care of Zoë then?
I will.
- Like you did Eve? - Maxwell!
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Denny, please, none of us has the heart
to argue about this right now.
Maybe if you'd been around more,
you'd have noticed something was wrong.
Maybe it could've been caught in time.
TRISH: That's not true!
He's upset, Denny, he's just upset.
You don't think that I asked the doctors
that question a thousand times?
We all know there's nothing anybody could've done.
That's not what this is about.
Zoë is coming home with me. End of discussion!
We just want to consider what's best for Zoë.
What's best for Zoë is that she is with her father.
And if you want to have any relationship with her,
I suggest you stop pushing this issue right now!
See, what'd I tell you?
But you could still be in her life,
just as much as you want to.
We have the time and the money to care for her
the way Eve would have wanted.
You can continue to pursue your racing full-time.
I'm done. I'm done listening to this.
You're giving us no other choice.
Maxwell, you promised me you wouldn't!
(stammers)
DENNY: Are you kidding me?
I just buried my wife
and you're suing me for custody of my daughter?!
(sobs) Denny, I'm so sorry.
This is not at all what we thought...
ZOË: Finished my egg.
Sweetheart, go inside and pack your things.
We're gonna go home right now.
Everything's fine, honey.
Your dad has some things to take care of,
so you'll stay with us for now.
Zoë, go and get your stuff. We're leaving.
Who the hell do you think you are?
MAXWELL: You can't do this alone and you know it.
What happens when you're back to disappearing
for days on end at those races of yours?
You're on a plane every weekend.
You missed her birth, for Christ sakes!
You're not taking her.
- (grunts) - Oh, my God.
(groaning)
- Are you... - I'm fine.
I said I'm fine!
Denny, please let her stay.
Just for now.
The lawyers could come up with a compromise!
DENNY: Zoë!
We'll come back later for your dolls, okay?
Okay.
Get in the car, sweetheart.
You're making a big mistake!
Enzo, get in.
Not now, Enzo.
(scoffs)
What? Okay.
(chatter on TV)
ENZO: I didn't know what was on.
I only knew he needed a distraction.
It was something Eve used to do when Denny was down.
Okay, you crazy dog.
ENZO: It turned out to be the 1989 Luxembourg Grand Prix
in which the Irish driver Kevin Finnerty York
finished victorious while driving the final 20 laps
with only two gears.
A true champion can accomplish things
a normal person would consider impossible.
Denny just needed to remember that.
DENNY: Thanks for taking my call at home, Mark.
You're the only lawyer that I know.
And you're the only mechanic I trust.
(chuckles)
MARK: Relax, Denny.
From what you told me on the phone,
this is open-and-shut.
- Where is your daughter now? - She wanted to go to school.
- Should I have kept her at home? - No, that's good.
You're responding to her needs.
They're trying to claim you're an unfit parent
because of the intrinsic dangers of your occupation.
MAXWELL: It's a totally bogus suit.
Can't imagine why they even bothered to file it.
I'll demand a summary judgment and that'll be that.
You're saying there's not even a chance.
This is Washington State.
The child is always awarded to the biological parent.
- No question. - (breathes deeply)
- Afternoon, Officers. - You Dennis Swift?
I'll just check if he's still in the back.
I'm Denny Swift.
Would you step out from behind the counter, sir?
Okay.
We have a warrant for your arrest.
DENNY: Some kind of joke?
Place your hands on the counter and spread your legs.
- Okay. - (Enzo barking)
Hey, buddy, it's okay.
DENNY: Can you tell me how long this will take?
You have the right to remain silent...
I need to pick my daughter up from school.
Denny, I can pick her up for you.
No, call Mark Finn.
- He'll know what to do. - Do you understand your rights?
- Yeah, I understand. - This way, please.
Call Mark Finn.
Stay.
TONY: What are you arresting him for?
ENZO: I'd only felt such helplessness once before.
The day Eve collapsed in the woods.
MARK: Coffee tomorrow morning, 8:30 sharp.
We'll go over everything then, all right?
All right.
We tried picking Zoë up from school, but...
I know, her grandparents got to her first.
They timed this thing on purpose, man.
Come on.
Thanks, Mike.
MARK: Fourth-degree assault is a gross misdemeanor,
so it's unlikely you'll see any real jail time.
But we both know that's not what this is about.
There's almost no chance you'll be awarded custody
- if you're convicted. - (scoffs)
Now, because of the criminal charges,
the judge granted a temporary restraining order.
That means you're looking at 90 days
before you can see Zoë again.
No.
DENNY: No, I can't not see...
MARK: You're gonna have to.
Eve's parents already filed a motion
to terminate your rights.
Mark, this is crazy. He grabbed me.
Any witnesses?
Trish, I guess, but her back was to us.
DENNY: I can talk to her.
No, do not speak to either of them, I mean it.
You'll jeopardize your entire case.
Now, to explain your absence to Zoë
we have agreed to invent a story
about you driving for a team in Europe.
I also managed to negotiate a letter exchange.
Ninety days!
ENZO: The injustice was unbearable.
First, Denny lost Eve,
and now he would be deprived of Zoë, too.
Denny struggled as the weeks passed.
(chuckles softly)
ENZO: While I very much wish to be human,
there is one advantage to being a dog that I will miss.
What do you think, Enz?
(barks)
ENZO: It is this:
A dog can power down his psyche and slow his metabolism.
He can sit for hours on end with no effort.
A dog can change the tempo of the world,
but people are at its mercy.
(phone ringing)
Hello?
MARK: (on phone) What's the deal with the dog?
- Huh? - MARK: The dog.
Zoë's been asking her grandparents to see the dog.
Of course, she can see Enzo.
Tell her he's been staying at Mike's
and I can have Mike drop Enzo off this weekend.
- MARK: Okay. I'll float it. - Okay.
Thanks, Mark.
MARK: Listen, my secretary says we sent you an invoice.
Yeah, I paid that.
MARK: That was your prior invoice.
I realize you can't leave the state,
so racing is not an option.
But I have people working on this...
paralegals, support staff.
Yeah, I know, Mark. I'll...
find a way to pay you.
(sniffles)
ENZO: It was hard to comprehend
this turn our lives had taken.
(Zoë giggles)
Come here, Enz!
Make sure you wipe his paws off before he comes in.
Grandma just had the carpets cleaned.
Okay. (giggling)
(singing) Hey, little Enzo So nice to see you...
I miss Daddy. Don't you?
ENZO: For the first time in my life,
I was glad I couldn't talk.
I wouldn't know what to tell her.
(chuckling)
ENZO: After Zoë went to sleep,
I took the opportunity to spy on the twins.
The man put me on the ground.
I cracked a rib, for God's sake.
You saw what happened!
The lawyer said the whole case hinges
on you corroborating my statement.
You need to testify.
ENZO: Inside me a darkness was brewing.
Just remember who we're doing this for, okay?
Our granddaughter. That's all that matters.
ENZO: And I was not above using the tools of my dogness
to exact justice.
What?
You like pepper?
Maxwell.
ENZO: I knew that pepper was bad for me,
but I ate it anyway.
Good, huh?
ENZO: After all, I'm just a stupid dog.
It's the second longest bull market we've ever seen.
Potential sellers have not bailed out.
ENZO: I watched and I waited...
(Enzo's stomach growling)
...as in my stomach a foul concoction steeped.
(Enzo farting)
(sniffing)
MAXWELL: Come on. We got to go outside, come on.
(stomach growling)
Come on. Let's go, let's get busy, come on!
Come on, let's go, let's get busy.
Oh, no, no. No!
- No, no, no, no! - (defecating)
MAXWELL: Trish! Get down here!
The dog just took a liquid dump on the carpet!
MAXWELL: Where's the bucket?
Ohhh, God.
MAXWELL: Trish! Can you get down here?
ENZO: You get busy, mister.
Your eyes are already forward, looking at that next turn.
- Mmm-hmm. - Give me a second, okay?
What happened?
I thought they were keeping him until tonight.
MIKE: Yeah. From what I understand,
Enzo wasn't exactly the ideal houseguest.
Okay. Well, we're almost finished up here.
ENZO: It'd been years since these old eyes
had seen a live track.
I didn't realize just how much I'd missed it.
I even felt the tug of my old dream
of driving in a real racecar alongside him.
KITCH: All right, let's checker the session,
clear the track!
All the students to the grandstand.
Nobody head home yet.
Hey, Denny, got a minute?
DENNY: Give me a second.
Luca!
Don, how are you? Good to see you.
KITCH: Good to see you.
This is Luca Pantoni from Ferrari.
He's visiting us from Italy.
- Denny Swift. - PANTONI: Pleasure.
Is this the new model?
Yeah, direct from the factory.
It's even better-looking in person.
You know, I saw you race once. In Daytona.
Yeah, that was a tough one.
Luca was hoping you could show him the track.
Yes, sir.
(engine revving)
(people whooping, cheering)
MIKE: Who is that?
Head of driver development from Ferrari in Italy.
MAN: Whoo-hoo!
I figure it'll take him a lap to get comfortable
but next time by it'll be a flyer.
- (chuckles) - Follow me.
- MIKE: Come on, Enz. - Up here, guys. Bring it in.
Now watch. You're getting a master class here.
(tires screeching)
That said, any of you ever drive like that,
I will black flag you so fast your head'll spin.
Denny's a professional.
(tires squealing)
MAN: Whoo!
- How was it? - (chuckles softly)
- That was incredible. - Ha!
You deserve it.
- All right, show's over! - What'd you think, huh, boy?
KITCH: See everybody tomorrow!
You're a Ferrari guy. Isn't she a beaut?
I would like to offer you a job.
I work in Maranello,
the factory headquarters,
and we have a wonderful track there.
You'd be testing the cars.
Thank you, Mr. Pantoni, but...
there are certain things
that keep me from leaving the country right now.
Don explained to me all about your troubles.
But if your situation should change,
my phone is on the card.
It was a pleasure.
DENNY: Thank you, sir.
Come on.
(engine revving)
He's asked about you over the years.
When I told him what you went through with Eve,
- he said he wanted to hire you. - Huh.
All I know is, he respects how you're fighting
for your daughter.
And what if I don't win?
KITCH: There's no dishonor in losing the race,
there's only dishonor in not racing
because you're afraid to lose.
Now go find your students, get back on the track.
That's where you belong.
(clicks tongue) Come on.
ENZO: Ninety days seemed an eternity, even for me.
But at long last, day 90 arrived.
- Hey. - Daddy!
DENNY: Oh!
Hi. (chuckles)
- Enzo! - (Enzo barking)
MARK: I'll be back for her by six.
DENNY: Okay.
- Take care. - Thanks.
(chuckling)
- Mmm. Missed you. - ZOË: Missed you.
Come on. I made something special for dinner.
(utensils clattering)
Daddy?
Are you gonna go back to Europe soon?
- No, not yet, sweetheart. - Yay.
But, Zo, you need to stay with your grandparents
for just a little while longer, okay?
No, I want to come home.
I know you do.
And I want you to more than anything, but...
the lawyers still need to make a decision
about where it's best for you to live.
Okay? That's just part of what happens
when someone's mommy dies.
Just tell them.
Tell them I want to live back home with you and Enzo.
DENNY: Okay.
I'll tell them.
- Bye, Daddy. - Bye, baby.
(Denny sighs)
You'll get her every other weekend until the trial.
After that...
It's all or nothing.
(tapping on glass)
Look, Denny...
I know this isn't what you want to hear right now...
but their attorney made it clear to me.
The suit, the criminal charges, it can all go away tomorrow,
if you dropped your custody claim to Zoë.
Now, I have an obligation to make sure you understand...
we have leverage now.
I'm talking visitation, privileges.
Things we're gonna have a much harder time securing,
if you're found guilty of assault
and Zoë's grandparents are awarded custody.
Leverage.
I'm not saying we can't win.
We might.
But we could also lose. Big.
Can't lose, Mark.
Denny, anyone can lose.
You, of all people, should know that.
Look, just...
just give it some thought.
(car door closes)
(car engine starts)
ENZO: I knew what Denny was thinking.
If he just had a steering wheel to hold onto,
his hands wouldn't shake.
"Just you and me, Enzo."
That's what he'd always say when we'd take our night runs.
Come on, Enz! Let's go.
ENZO: But not that night.
We were together, but alone.
I began to devise a plan.
We'd drive to Zoë's school one day,
pick her up unannounced
and then head straight for Montreal,
where they host a Grand Prix every summer.
Enz?
Enzo, stay where you are!
Enzo, no!
- (Enzo whimpers) - (Denny gasps)
Oh, God!
- I... I didn't see him! - It's not your fault.
ENZO: It was mine. Stupid.
- Is he okay? - DENNY: He's still breathing.
- Um... - ENZO: I'm so stupid.
Let's get him in your car.
(panting)
ENZO: Your car goes where your eyes go.
How could I forget?
Ayrton Senna did not have to die at Imola.
That's what I was thinking on the way to the hospital.
He struck the concrete barrier
at the Tamburello corner at 190 miles an hour.
But, by all accounts, he would've survived
if not for a small piece of suspension
that managed to penetrate his helmet.
Straight to the back.
ENZO: But I know the truth.
Senna died that day
because his body had served its purpose.
His soul had learned what it came here to learn.
And I knew that if I had already learned
what I was meant to...
I too would be gone.
But apparently, I still had work to do.
DOCTOR: Fair amount of internal bleeding.
Also, some renal damage.
He is very lucky.
It could have been far worse.
I have to be honest with you, Mr. Swift.
An old dog like yours,
this kind of injury's often the beginning of the end.
X-rays, sedative, pain meds
and nighttime emergency fee comes to $812.
Thank you.
(machine beeps)
NURSE: I'm sorry, your card was declined.
Oh.
Okay, um... here's my debit.
(machine beeps)
Uh, it says insufficient funds.
Is there a problem?
Uh, I deposited my paycheck today, so it...
probably just needs to clear.
I do have some cash. I have...
$300.
I can go to the bank first thing in the morning
and bring the rest by then.
It's fine. These things happen.
Write a receipt for the $300, leave a note for Susan
to invoice the balance in the morning.
Actually...
are you okay if I keep just twenty of it?
Thank you.
DENNY: You ready to go home? Huh, pal?
ENZO: The medication kept me
in a near-constant dream state for weeks
which I confess came as a relief.
(audience cheering faintly)
Anything to replace that look I'd seen on Denny's face.
MARK: It's not for me to say
whether it's the right decision or not.
But, for what it's worth,
I support you on this a hundred percent.
Me, too.
You're doing what you have to do.
Zoë will understand when she's older.
The visitation schedule will be as we discussed.
Plus, three weeks in the summer,
a week at Christmas, and the April school break.
But what about the charges?
MARK: They'll be dropped immediately.
Like I said, Denny, we had leverage.
ENZO: A sharp panic rose in my throat.
- I need a pen. - ENZO: Was I still dreaming?
Who was this person, this imposter?
What had he done with Denny?
Sorry. Only one I could find.
ENZO: And then all was revealed.
Mmm, it wasn't Denny.
It was the zebra.
I'd been in a position to prevent the demon
from destroying Zoë's toys
and I'd failed.
I knew I had to stop it,
but how?
Enzo! Give me those papers!
Come here!
- TONY: Where'd he go? - MIKE: Out the window!
(Tony laughing)
DENNY: Enzo, you give me those papers!
It's not funny, Tony. Enzo, drop it! No!
(Mike laughing)
I mean, it's kind of funny.
Okay, you made your point. you made your point.
(Mike and Tony laughing)
Call their lawyers.
Tell 'em we'll see 'em in court.
DENNY: I'm with Enzo on this one.
You're sure?
I made Eve a promise.
I'm not quitting.
Man, I got to get me a dog.
(all chuckling)
(indistinct chatter)
ENZO: Denny was prepared to risk everything.
Lose the case and he would lose Zoë.
His breathing that morning struck me as unusual.
(exhales sharply)
ENZO: Deep inhalations, quick exhalations.
It was a sound I recognized.
It was the way he breathed just before a race.
This is it, Enz.
(doorbell ringing)
It's Tony.
Hey, man. Thanks for coming by.
I would've brought him by the shop,
but he hasn't been doing too good lately.
TONY: Yeah, poor little guy.
DENNY: Hey, Enz, look who's here. It's Tony!
Hey, Enz, buddy. How you doing, hmm?
- Good luck, Den. - Thanks, man. Yeah.
- You want to watch TV? - (barks softly)
ENZO: Dogs are not allowed in court,
so I was forced to imagine what was happening across town.
I invented whole scenes in my head
fueled by Denny's nightly retelling of the day's events
as well as my own admittedly melodramatic sensibility.
Objection, Your Honor!
ENZO: Perhaps it was my advanced age
but I found my imagination increasingly prone to wandering.
No, sir, I most definitely did not.
ENZO: Until...
(phone ringing)
MAN 1: (on TV) Isn't it possible at some point
- you decided to speed up? - (barking)
MAN 2: Your Honor, I object. Asked and answered.
MAN 1: How?!
(sighs)
Yeah. (clears throat)
MAN 1: (on TV) You don't even remember killing...
Um, I'm on my way.
TONY: Something's happened, bud.
- You want to come? - (barks)
What's going on, Den?
ENZO: With some effort, I was able to decipher
what had happened.
So help me God.
ENZO: Today was the day Trish had testified.
Can you please tell the court about the alleged assault?
TRISH: It happened the way my husband said it did.
PROSECUTOR: So, you personally witnessed Dennis Swift
throw your husband, a man 20 years his senior,
o the ground
fracturing a rib and very nearly his wrist?
Yes.
PROSECUTOR: Thank you. No further questions.
(sighs)
You can step down now.
JUDGE: I'm going to suggest that we take a brief recess here
while I review all of the testimony and materials.
(stutters) I can't.
(people murmuring)
Excuse me?
I can't!
(stutters) I can't do this.
I thought I could, but I just...
I didn't see anything.
I'm only saying what you told me to say.
I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore.
I know that Denny loved Eve too much
to ever hurt her father.
Objection. The witness is clearly speculating.
It's your witness, counselor.
MARK: They dropped the charges.
All of it. Tossed out.
(both laugh)
You did it, Denny. It's over, man.
- (all laughing) - (barks)
ENZO: He'd done it.
Denny's risk had paid off.
If a driver has the courage to create his own conditions...
then the rain is simply rain.
Daddy!
- I missed you. - DENNY: Oh, I missed you.
(Enzo barking)
ENZO: Zoë was ours again.
Denny had won her back,
and it was a victory for the ages.
(phone ringing)
Denny, this is Luca Pantoni returning your call.
Luca, yes, hi.
Thank you for calling me back.
I wanted to let you know that the...
issues keeping me in the States have been resolved.
ENZO: I could just picture him
on the terrace of some magnificent villa.
I can tell by your voice
they were resolved to your satisfaction.
DENNY: Yes, sir.
And I was wondering if the job that you'd offered me earlier,
- if that was still available? - It is.
Then my daughter and I, and our dog Enzo,
would very much like to join you in Maranello.
Your dog's name is Enzo?
Yeah, he's a racecar driver at heart.
Okay, I will have my assistant make all the arrangements.
Welcome to Ferrari.
We will talk again soon, Denny.
Ciao.
(chuckling)
- GIRL: What is it, Zoë? - KIDS: Wow!
MAN: This is a great party, look at these gifts, it's great.
- Nice cake, Denny. - WOMAN: So cute.
- "Wishing for you... - (doorbell rings)
...a fairy tale birthday."
What'd you get?
- ZOË: Daddy, look! - Oh, cool.
(sighs) I don't...
If you want me to go, I could...
- ZOË: Grandma! - TRISH: Hi, sweetheart.
ENZO: I might not have been as forgiving.
But Denny had Zoë to think about.
I'd often heard the expression "to be the better man."
ZOË: Grandpa!
ENZO: Well, I knew no better man than Denny.
Big number nine.
All right.
- You ready? - Ready...
BOTH: steady... go!
- WOMAN: Aw... - (all cheering)
- Happy birthday. - Thanks, Daddy.
- Okay, who wants cake? - ZOË AND KIDS: Me!
Yeah? Okay, Grandma, will you help me with this?
Grab a knife from the kitchen.
ENZO: Sometimes my life seems like it has been
so long and so short at the same time.
I feel as if I've lived for an eternity.
DENNY: Yo, Enz!
ENZO: And yet it's as if no time has passed at all.
DENNY: Enzo?
ENZO: I hear the worry in his voice.
DENNY: What happened, pal?
Oh, Enz.
ENZO: I can smell the day on him.
Motor oil and gasoline and roast chicken.
Can you get up, bud?
ENZO: I saw a documentary about Mongolia on TV once.
DENNY: Oh... Okay.
ENZO: In Mongolia, when a dog dies,
he is buried high in the hills,
so people cannot walk on his grave.
DENNY: I'm here, buddy. I'm right here.
ENZO: His master whispers into the dog's ears
his wishes that in his next life
the dog will return as a man.
Not all dogs return as men, they say.
Only those who are ready.
Let's get you up.
ENZO: I am ready.
(grunting)
ENZO: I know death is not the end.
Eve told me so.
And I believe her.
When I return to this world,
I will practically be an adult
the moment I am plucked from the womb
with all the preparation I have done.
There he is.
ENZO: I will walk among my fellow men,
lick my lips with my small dexterous tongue
and shake hands with a firm grasp.
DENNY: There's my Enzo.
ENZO: And I will teach people all that I know.
All that I have learned.
- You okay now? - ENZO: I'm fine, Denny.
I am.
You've always been with me.
You've always been my Enzo.
DENNY: First time I saw you,
I knew we were supposed to be together.
(sighs)
I love you, boy.
What are you doing here?
DENNY: I thought we'd go to the track.
'Cause I have a surprise for Enzo.
Thanks for arranging this, Don.
We won't be out long.
Take your time. Track's all yours.
Okay.
- Have fun. - Thank you, sweetheart.
Not too tight? Okay.
- You ready? - (barking)
All right.
Drivers, start your engines.
(starts engine)
ENZO: I have never ever felt so special.
You did it, man.
Brakes are warm, tires are warm.
What do you say we try a hot lap, huh?
(barking)
ENZO: I'd like to stay out here forever.
- Stay with them forever. - (giggling)
We're gonna take this one at speed. You okay?
(barking)
ENZO: I wish I could glimpse what awaits them in Maranello.
Denny will be a wonderful driver for Ferrari.
So wonderful that one day
they will pluck him from the ranks
to give him a tryout for their Formula One team.
"Try me," he'll say.
I'd like to see that.
(laughing) Enzo!
ENZO: But we can't have everything we want.
Besides, the best drivers don't dwell on the future or the past.
The best drivers focus only on the present.
You've been a good friend.
A very good friend.
ENZO: The best of friends.
Come here.
ENZO: We'll be heading home soon.
But for now, all I want is one more lap.
Just one more.
I'll bark again so he knows.
(barks)
Faster, Denny.
Faster!
(announcer speaking Italian on PA)
(all speaking in Italian)
(man speaking Italian)
(in English) Dad!
There's some people who want to meet you.
- Uh... - Come on, they're big fans.
I think you'd really like them.
You're the boss.
(both speaking in Italian)
MAN: (in English) We are your biggest fans.
Your daughter said that you would not mind.
No, of course not.
My son, he talks about you always.
(speaks Italian)
He races the go-karts. He's very good.
Bene. Va bene.
Oh, could you please sign the program?
Sure.
We are going to watch the race from the infield tomorrow.
DENNY: Hmm.
(speaking Italian)
Enzo.
Enzo?
(speaking Italian)
(in English) My name is Enzo.
MAN: He wants to be a champion.
Like you.
Mi scusi.
(in English) Your son reminds me of an old friend of mine.
My phone number in Maranello.
When you think your son is ready, give me a call.
DENNY: I'll make sure he gets proper instruction.
Grazie. He talks about you always.
MAN: He says that you are the greatest driver ever.
Better even than Senna.
(both laugh)
Well, he's a racecar driver at heart.
Grazie! Grazie mille!
Grazie!
Prego.
Come on.