The Secret Lives of Dentists Summary

The Secret Lives of Dentists Summary (directed by Alan Rudolph)

Start
X-rays of teeth. Dave (in voiceover): “Teeth outlast everything. … Life is what destroys teeth. … Dentists are convinced their patients can’t be trusted with their teeth.” Slater: “My wife made this appointment for me.” Laura (the hygenist): “I’m waiting for a man who takes really good care of his teeth.” Dana talking to patient about opera: “All the things you can’t really say in life, lifted and purified by the music.”
The Hurst family
Family at dinner. Music is so inspiring Dave asleep in front of t.v. when Dana comes home late from rehearsal. In bed. Dave: “I love you.” Dana: “Remember when a year seemed like a long time?”
Leah
Leah only wants Daddy. Slaps Mommy at breakfast. Whacks babysitter as parents leave for opera. Dana: “Nabucco is the one with the stick and crown. … We’re all singing for redemption.” Daughter Stephanie offers Dana rabbit’s foot.
Backstage pass
Dana forgets rabbit’s foot in car. Dave brings it, glimpses Dana being kissed.
A disgruntled patient
Slater shows up at opera, complains about tooth. Lizzie looks at program: “Mommy’s in the program: ‘Dana Hurst, as one of the virgins.’”
Nabucco
Girls watch as Dave flashes back to college romance with Dana. Scene on bike. Memories: pulling first tooth, making love standing up, first house and baby, pregnancy and work. Scene on bike, climax of opera. Backstage with girls, Dana congratulated by Italian conductor. Leah hits Daddy. Dave sleeping in nursery.
“I can’t believe it’s over.”
Dave and Dana. “It’s so beautiful. I could sing it every night forever. … I don’t want to sing other things.” Dave talks about Slater’s teeth. “It’s a waltz. That’s what’s so tragic. You could dance to it; but you can’t.” Leah calls for Daddy. Dana leaves for newspaper, rather nicely dressed, without stockings. Leah slaps Daddy, refuses to be put down. Drive to country house. Dave talks about “nature” breaking things down.
“I wish we were closer.”
Dana in bed: “Do you think Leah’s reacting to something between us?” Dave acts asleep. Back in office. Dave: “See you around six.” Dana: “Six-thirty, sometime.” Dave pictures Dana in office threesome.
Hurst dental services
Dave at dinner with girls. Dana arrives at 7:15. Dave to girls: “Yea, Mommy’s home.” Dave flashes back to backstage glimpse.
The focus of her uneasiness
Lizzie at doctor office. Doctor: “Every feeling is in the body, as well as in the mind.”
“You scare me a little.”
Dave and Dana talk about hard week, reminisce about previous hard times with daughters. Dana mentions being scared by Dave, recalls riding on handlebars. “Do you like me? … I mean if you weren’t sleeping with me. Would you want to talk with me and have lunch with me. … Do you think we’re friends?” Dana thought her marriage would be more like a movie. Throughout, Dave begins fondling her. Next morning. Dana leaves early. Dave sees her in window at office.
The return of Mr. Slater
Slater in Dave’s office. Dave: “Mr. Slater.” Slater: “Dr. Mengele.” Dave: “Did you chew on this?” “The social situation is the most difficult for me.” Meditates on “the age of grief,” pictures various ways of kicking. “You should have those wisdom teeth out; it’s not a good idea to wait.”
The voice in his head
Dave with Slater in car. Slater: “People hate you, you’re a dentist.” Dave responds with threat of gum disease. Dave picks up girls. Slater: “You’re kind of like the mommy here.” Dana arrives home with groceries. Slater at home. Dave kisses Dana, Slater puts Dave’s hand on Dana’s breast. Dave asks about Dana’s day, she says it was the usual. Slater: “The usual; isn’t that nice.”
Daddy’s mad
Leah turns over plate. Slater: “Where’s the booze?” Dave puts Leah to bed. Girls and Dana fidget over food. Slater smoking. Slater: “Kill her; I would.” Dave to Dana: “Admit that every day is worse. I could kill you. … You can’t control your thoughts.” Dave in car with Slater. Dave: “My dad used to say, ‘When you’re mad, whatever you do, don’t get in the car.’” Slater: “He was a jerk.” Dave: “Yes he was.”
Upset about something
Dave shouts with Slater. Dave: “I wish my wife loved me. … I wish she’d look at me with desire instead of regret.” Slater: “Why don’t you come right out and ask her?” Dave: “Then I have to do something about it.” Slater: “Personally speaking, I’d rather know one way or the other.” Dave pictures Dana with variety of men, and women. Arrives home to Dana in bed watching movie. Dave: “I love you.” Dana: “Yeah I know.” At breakfast. Plan for Dana to meet them all in country. Slater has his doubts. On drive, Lizzie vomits while Slater urinates.
All that was left
Slater to Dave, outside cabin: “What do you suppose he’s doing to her right this second? Maybe she’s dead.” Dave pictures identifying dead Dana from dental work.
“I know you’re out there!”
Dana arrives very late as Dave sits outside. He does not answer when she calls, because “she’s determined to tell me; see that look on her face,” as he says to Slater. Dave wakes outside in the morning. Dave cooks Dana breakfast, gets on lawnmower.
Squirrel a la Slater
Slater appears on mower with gun. Leafblower. Slater nets squirrel. At dinner, discussion of coats. Slater gives Dave squirrel. Dana drives back, Dave vomits out window.
Bedtime malaise
Dave with fever at home. Tries not to give flu to Dana. Five days to go through whole family. Dave to Dana: “I think I would die if you disappeared or if something happened to you, or one of our girls. I know we take each other for granted.” Dana gets foot cramp. Dave weeps as he massages her foot. Slater: “You know what: I’m sorry you’re you.” Next morning, Dave in bed while Dana goes to work. Dave pictures Dana at country house. Dana: “I missed you so much today. I love you. ... Did you think I was having an affair?” Dave awakes. Slater: “Somebody’s throwing her the bone, big boy. … These children should be struck.”
Laura
Laura drops off Leah.
Lizzie gets a little sick
Lizzie puts down treat to go be sick; Stephanie takes a bite from it. Slater: “The midget stepped in the puke.” Dave and Dana, exhausted on bed. Dave: “As long as this lasts, let’s avoid talking about how we always are.” Dana: “No sarcasm either.”
Doctor Danny’s advice
Dave with Leah, who vomits on him. She refuses to go to Dana.
20-minute house call
Dana (without stockings) takes Dave and girls to house. Girls talk about how nice the man there is.
“I’ll always be faithful, Daddy.”
Leah: “Marry me Daddy.” Dave: “If I let her tell me about it, we’ll have to do something about it.” Dana is sick upstairs. Lizzie is better, as the girls watch t.v.. Dana calls for Dave. Stephanie is sick. Lizzie finds Leah ruining tapes.
“Fever”
Dave pictures Laura as lounge singer. Slater: “Dump the evil bitch; put the kids up for adoption. Come on tour with us. You know you want to.” Stephanie becomes incoherent. Lizzie is unhelpful.
A temperature of 105.2
Dave takes Stephanie to hospital. No one is at the desk. Next morning, Dave with Stephanie. Girls making breakfast with Dana. Dave and Dana in bed. At office, Dana cancelled her appointments. Office worker with Laura: “Do you believe me now?” At dinner. Lizzie asks where Mom is. Dave puts girls to bed.
“Marriage is impossible.”
Slater: “Why are you so devoted to this?” Dave reflects on all his efforts and their point: “To have this, what I have.” In morning, Dana is at the table. “Until last night, I thought I might be misreading the signals. No?” Dana: “How are the girls?” Dave (with help from Slater): “I’ll ask the questions. Are you leaving or staying?” Dana: “Staying.” Leah calls; Dave responds, “Just a minute, sweetie.” Dave to Dana: “I don’t want to know who it is; I don’t want to know what you did.”
State of the union
Leah welcomes her mother. Slater departs. Dave (in voiceover): “Teeth: two little rows of stones in the flesh. Yet as sensitive in their way as fingers, or lips. Impossible, like marriage. Yet there they are.” Dave examining Dana’s teeth.

Citation: O\'Connor, D. (2007, March 30). The Secret Lives of Dentists Summary. Retrieved November 23, 2009, from Notre Dame OpenCourseWare Web site: http://ocw.nd.edu/philosophy/ancient-wisdom-modern-love/writing-assignments-1/the-secret-lives-of-dentists-summary.