For most of Robert’s life, his family entrusted his care to the state of New York. Then, in the nineties, with raising his own family out of the way, Jay was able to devote more time to his brother. Realizing that the state hospital only exacerbated his brother’s condition and trusting that a half-way house might be the answer, he innocently asked the person in charge what he could do to get help, only to be told to talk to the Governor followed by a dial tone.

Jay did just that - wrote to the Governor - and soon after that all hell came down on the hospital holding his brother. This led to his release into one of the Fountain House’s half-way houses, which was featured in another recent documentary, West 47th Street (see article). The right environment can indeed work wonders, but miracles take time. Fortunately, when Robert assaults a worker he is not put in five-point restraints and shipped off to isolation. Rather, he and Jay attend a meeting frequented by Robert’s case manager and other Fountain House staff. Robert is wearing earmuffs and is plainly displeased at having been sent to the equivalent of the principal’s office, but his mere presence there represents a miracle in its own right, for the people in the room are clearly committed to enabling Robert to have a life of his own.

On a day trip to their old neighborhood in Brooklyn, the two happily reminisce over old times as Robert checks every public telephone they pass for loose change while joking, "Everyone should have a hobby." On another outing, however, Robert is acting up, talking loudly in a Chinese restaurant and otherwise making a spectacle of himself. "It’s not fun relating to Robert on days like this," Jay confides. "I’m very angry with you!" his brother scolds, before making a grand sidewalk exit with a resounding stage door slam. A minute later, he reemerges and hugs his brother.

Robert had his first breakdown at age 19. Eventually, his mother said, "I can’t take it any more," and signed him over to the state. "A lot of parents said to me, ‘I wish I had your mother’s courage,’ Jay discloses.

Robert is still at Fountain House 18 months later, now working as a receptionist, camera on his shoulder, interviewing his case worker. Just being able to function in a half-way house represents an important achievement for Robert, which is the note on which the film ends, but in the sequel to the book, "Imaging Robert", "Transforming Madness", Jay dares to imagine his brother in his own apartment leaving for work and stopping at a local bakery for coffee and to read his paper and kibitz with the other patrons. With hope anything is possible, but in the film Jay seems resigned to his brother’s present situation. What may seem like a contradiction to outsiders is undoubtedly a fact of life for caregivers, who somehow must come to terms with things as they are while working to achieve what could be. Either way, Robert will continue to need lots of people to make it work.