BOUNDARIES

Joanna :

Make everything all right with Lisa.

Steve Jobs :

You know, Joanna? Boundaries.

Joanna :

You've come to my apartment at 1:00 AM and cleaned it.

So tell me where the boundary is.

Steve Jobs :

There. Let's say it's there.

There's no reason in The World why she should be nice.

But she is.

So I helped, because somebody had to.

• Burrell Smith (who designed the Macintosh’s motherboard) decided to leave Apple in early 1985, and figured out the perfect way to quit that would “nullify the reality distortion field.” 

He proposed just walking into Steve’s office, pulling down his pants, then urinating on Steve’s desk. “What could he say to that? It’s guaranteed to work.” 

Unfortunately, Steve heard about it before hand, and seemed more excited about whether Smith would actually do it than upset about him leaving.

What's the problem?

- My problem? It sure isn't the house.

- Jo, I...

It's that you told her you weren't going to pay for Harvard.

That child.

That earnest, unironic kid.

She told you I wasn't paying her tuition?

I should have hit you with something heavy a long time ago.

Lisa told you I wasn't paying her tuition?

Andy told me that.

Which one?

Hertzfeld.

How would Hertzfeld know?

He wrote Harvard a check for 25,000 to cover the semester.

Are you fucking... He paid her tuition?

Isn't that why you just asked to see him?

No, I asked to see him about something...

Did you tell her you weren't going to pay for college?

Yes, because...

How could you do that?

Because her mother, who is also her landlord...

Hertzfeld? I was ranting.

I was just, you know... I was talking. You think I would...

I was pissed off because Lisa was trying to piss me off, Joanna.

That was her intent. I don't know...

You obviously scared the hell out of her.

Hertzfeld wrote a check to Harvard, pay for...

Is she here yet?

I'm sure she is.

Can you have someone bring her back?

Yes.

Thank you.

You know, my grandmother always used to say to me...

I don't give a shit, Yentl.

I'll have someone get Lisa.

Thank you.

And if you see Hertzfeld...

It's Andy.

Speak of the devil's chief engineer.

Go.

Come on in.

You look great today.

Thank you.

Doesn't she?

She looks fantastic. Always does. Get out.

Well, I think I know why I'm here.

Do you?

Steve...

Did you send the check yet?

Yes.

So Harvard got a tuition check from Andy Hertzfeld to pay for Lisa?

I don't think they look that carefully.

I don't think they'd notice the check didn't come from you.

Close one. This was almost embarrassing for me.

I understand how...

I'll wire you the money today.

I-I understand how you feel.

And I do apologize. I do.

But let me tell you my thinking.

I can't even think of an appropriate analogy to describe what you did.

I knew you guys would fix things. You always do.

But in the meantime, if the money wasn't there, she'd miss a semester of school.

Yeah.

And she'd have to tell her friends why.

And she needed things. She needed socks.

What?

It's cold in Cambridge. She needed warm socks.

You gave her socks?

Well, I gave her money for socks.

You don't get to deputize yourself as her interim.

You don't get to override my decisions. Do you understand?

You don't get to act like you're her father.

Somebody had to.

What the fuck did you just say to me?

I've known her since she was six.

I also consider... 

Chrisann's my friend, outside of what you and I... 

outside of our relationship.

So you're like a family adviser.

I'm a family friend.

Then you probably know that Lisa's been seeing a therapist.

Yeah.

For many years.

Yeah.

Without my knowledge.

That really wasn't my business.

I'm fascinated by what you think is and isn't your business.

Lisa's been going to a therapist and she likes it

and would love for you and Chrisann to go with her.

And the reason you know that is because you're the one that recommended the therapist.

Well, I know a guy.

No, I mean you're the one who recommended that she see a therapist.

You know what? 

It was a while ago, and I don't remember how the whole...

You told Chrisann that Lisa should see a therapist.

Steve, you're stigmatizing.

It's a perfectly norm...

It's not...

My thing was, how can it hurt?

Let's find out.

Chrisann is my friend.

What was the reason you gave?

You mean...

What was the reason you gave Chrisann why Lisa should see a therapist?

I don't remember. We were talking and I said...

It's pretty much what I just said, that it certainly couldn't hurt.

You didn't say that Lisa needed a strong male role model?

I did.

I think it's a miracle she's not robbing banks with the Symbionese Liberation Army.

There's no reason in The World why she should be nice.

But she is.

So I helped, because somebody had to.

I'll wire the money to you this afternoon.

You threatened me a long time ago.

Sorry?

A long time ago... You threatened me once.

People are attracted to people with talent.

People without it find that threatening.

Maybe you should see a therapist.

Certainly couldn't hurt.

I meant you literally threatened me.

At Flint, right before the Mac launch.

I was recompiling. I was trying to debug the voice demo.

You said if I couldn't find a solution, you'd call me out in front of the audience.

Did it say "hello"?

It did.

No need to thank me.

Why do you want people to dislike you?

I don't want people to dislike me.

I'm indifferent to whether they dislike me.

Since it doesn't matter, I always have.

Really?

I've always liked you a lot. That's too bad.

Knock 'em dead.

Thank you.