ALISON: Caption: I leapt out of the closet and four months later, my father killed himself by stepping in front of a truck...
While I was in college... exploding into my new life... you were sitting here, reading a book
SMALL ALISON: Daddy, you saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa one time, right?
BRUCE: I did... What's that?
SMALL ALISON: In school, we're learning maps and globes and Ms. Winsor said draw a map of all the places people in our family have been to.
They're for showing in class tomorrow
BRUCE: What's this?
SMALL ALISON: Okay, so this is a keystone because Pennsylvania is the Keystone State.
Inside this square, that's Beech Creek... See?
Bridge, Ford Creek, school, Fun Home, our house, uh, Aunt Jean and Uncle Randy's house
This is Germany. Oh! John, Christian, me. See?
Floating in bubbles because we're not born yet.
BRUCE: That is very interesting. Now, let me show you how we could make it better.
You have the potential to become a real artist.
Do you know that? You do.
But, you have to study the forms, you have to learn the rules.
Now, let's talk about composition. Now, this is all over the place. Pick one area.
SMALL ALISON: Hmm... the Keystone State!
BRUCE: No, that's still too much. Here, watch this
Okay, I'm going to draw our mountains...
See? See that? See how I'm shading them. That gives them dimension
(sung) Make this part look rugged, mhmm
Allegheny Plateau
This dark shaded stripe, bum bum bum
Is the front
And paint the long ridges and valleys below, mhmm
SMALL ALISON: I want the whole state
BRUCE: I'm trying to explain to you, you can't do that.
SMALL ALISON: But, let me try!
BRUCE: No, Allison. This is how it should look.
SMALL ALISON: But I like the way mine looks!
BRUCE: No you can't do that unless you want to ruin it!
I'm trying to teach you something important!
HELEN: Bruce, it's a drawing. It doesn't matter
BRUCE: It doesn't matter? She's taking it into to school. She's showing it in class...
You know what, nevermind.
You want to take some half-baked mess into school. You want to embarrass yourself.
Doesn't matter to me. Do what you want. I don't care
SMALL ALLISON: No, I... I like the one you did Daddy