Original subtitles

Do it now.

Any time you need a payment. Do it now.

Any time you feel free.

Do it now. Any time you're up and under.

Not getting hassled. Not getting hustled. Keeping your head above water.

Making a way when you can.

Temporarily.

baby he's really excited about this one i don't blame him usher in an uptown

fancy movie house and jg's a real good usher too he sure doesn't know how to

give orders when he gave me that free pass the other night he was outside

okay everybody the picture breaks in five minutes so keep to the right please

don't crowd the sidewalk everybody keep to your right moving on

that makes women interrupt my bathroom time.

Yeah, Henrietta, what is it this time?

Nah, I can't take you out tonight.

I have a previous engagement.

Now, don't get hysterical.

Life is full of little disappointments.

Don't worry, you'll get over it.

Sirenara.

When you tell me something, how come you got such an independent attitude toward

Henrietta? all of a sudden. I thought she was your main dish.

She was, Dad, but I changed the menu.

All she is now is yesterday's leftovers.

What are you talking about, JJ?

Family, are y 'all ready for this?

I have met Clarissa Robinson.

Love has trucked into my life and we are doing a lot of double clutching.

stop changing trucks so much, you're gonna strip your gears.

Aw, Ma, Clarissa is the real thing.

She has a figure that makes the number eight look like the number one, and a

smile that lights up the night, and it all belongs to Kid Dynamite!

Junior, you go through this routine every time you meet a new girl.

You're not too bright, kid dino, Mike.

You don't understand.

Clarissa's different.

She's class with a capital C, like in Cadillac.

What she happens to drive.

Hey, Judy, she drives her own hog.

Hey, what kind of girl you got here, anyhow?

A loaded one. She lives on the South Shore.

South Shore?

That's where all the rich blacks live.

They're so fancy, they eat their fried chicken broiled.

movie house. I personally escorted her down the aisle.

It was dark, so I took her hand, and the minute our hands touched, we knew it

was love.

How?

My flashlight lit up, and it didn't have no batteries in it.

You sure you ain't making all this up?

No, Dad, I took her out three times.

Paula's a big -time businessman.

Yeah? And Ma, you should see that house.

Eight rooms.

That don't include the three bathrooms.

They got one bathroom upstairs, one bathroom downstairs, and one little itsy

-bitsy one in what they call the entry hall.

That's in case you can't make it to the upstairs.

Well, if y 'all excuse me, I gotta get ready for work.

Just look at him.

Stretching like a peacock. Why not, baby? He ain't short on ham. Oh, jam.

It doesn't make sense.

If Clarissa is anything the way J .J. described her, what's she running after

him for?

Very simple, Thumb.

Because he's his father's son.

Baby, what I'm trying to say is before we got married, I used to date a lot of

rich girls, too.

You know Emma Watson?

You talk about bathrooms, three of them.

Her family had 96 of them. Oh, come on now, J .J. I'm not jiving, baby. 96.

Of course, they ran a string of pay toilets, huh?

trying to say, baby, is that there's something about the Evans men that seems

attract all kinds of women, both plain and fancy. I know all about you Evans

men. I just don't want to see J .J. hurt, that's all.

What you mean, baby?

Oh, you know how J .J. is. Every time he meets a new girl, he goes flying out

into the clouds. And most times, he comes falling back to Earth without a

parachute.

J .J., you gonna wear your uniform tomorrow?

That's right, Ma. I turn Clarissa on when I wear my uniform.

Oh, J .J., about Clarissa, don't get too involved, huh?

Just think of her as another girl.

Well, she's not just another girl.

This is it. I mean, all the other girls I met were just oleo margarine.

Clarissa is 100 % pure butter.

And I am her corn...

J .J., it's Clarissa.

Hello.

This is the love of your life speaking.

Of course I'm available for Saturday night.

For you, I always am.

Hey, yeah, you know I got a tuxedo. Uh, doesn't everybody?

something. All right, I'll talk to you later, Clarissa. Bye.

J .J., what's going on? So she don't dig me, huh, little girl? I'll have you

know she just invited me, Brother J .J., to the 10th annual South Shore Deputant

Ball.

Deputant Ball?

You mean to say they still have them things? They sure do, James.

That's the big social event of the year for black society.

They always have a big spread about it in the Defender.

Stop lying.

She invited you?

Not invited.

Begged.

Well, I'm just going to debutante. I guess that makes me a debut dude.

Everybody's moving on.

Well, why not, baby? Like I told you, there's something about the Evans men.

All right. All right.

Boy, you get too carried away, Mr. Big Shot. What about that tuxedo you told

you had? Oh, that ain't no problem, Thelma.

I'm going to stroll over to Charlie's Mortuary and see can I borrow one that

ain't used.

Dad,

if it's all the same with you, I'd rather rent one.

I feel better knowing the tuxedo moves than I do.

Your brother is a fine boy and beautiful in his own way.

I can see why any girl would be interested in him. That's right. Now

beginning to realize that there's something about this man.

Step one, two, step one, two.

One, two, step one, two.

What did I do wrong? I thought I was light on my feet. You were, J .J., but

was heavy on my cones.

a waltz for anyway?

Because those debutante balls always start off with the waltz. Honey, just

to think of it as soul in three -quarter time.

Come on, tonight's a big night. Let's try it once more.

One, two, step. One, two, step. One, two, step. One, two, step.

One, two, step. One, two, step.

one -two kick.

Oh, Ma, it ain't no use.

The music may be for waltzing, but my body's built for boogie!

Your body wasn't built. It was manufactured in a toothpick factory.

That's from none of your lumberyard pine trees.

Now that's enough.

J .J. will pick up the dancing later.

Right now, let's run through some of the other things you ought to know about

these fancy shindigs.

The important thing is to look down your nose at everybody.

Look down your nose at everybody.

That's good. That's a great down the nose look.

Another thing is the conversation.

Now, what people with money talk about is money.

So if anybody asks you about the economy, you just look real big and say,

reason people are unemployed today is because they're not working.

But that don't make no sense, Ma.

That's why it's perfect economy talk.

Hey, Junior, where you on your way to? I'm going down to pick up my tuxedo at

the rental place.

Do y 'all realize, family? Do y 'all realize this is my first shot at the

leagues? My first tuxedo. My first South Shore ball.

Jr. is so excited. He's ten feet off the ground. I mean, he's like a tall,

skinny Prince Charming. Well, this is the biggest thing that ever happened to

.J. I bet they gonna have his name on the society page.

I could just see it. Miss Clarissa Robinson and her escort, James Evans Jr.

You know something, James.

I think we all getting just as big a kick out of this as J .J. Yeah, you're

right on that, baby. Yeah, even me.

Well...

Mrs. Evans?

Yes? I'm Clarissa Robinson.

Oh, what a nice surprise. Come in, come in.

JJ will be so pleased you stopped by.

Oh, I'm not so sure.

What's the matter? Is something wrong?

Yes. I've come to tell him he can't take me to the ball.

He can't take you to the ball.

I don't know how to say this, but my parents feel he's not the right type.

What the hell do you mean he's not the right type?

I'm Junior's daddy. You excuse me. Oh, how do you do?

Fine. How do you do?

What the hell do you mean he's not the right type?

You can't talk about no damn blood bank.

Daddy, please. No.

James. Stop it.

I'm yelling at the child, baby. I'm yelling at her parents.

Got their nose stuck so far up in there, break your neck just to talk to them.

I know how you feel, Mr. Evans, and I'm as upset about it as you are. We had a

big fight about it, and I've walked out on them.

That's serious business, child. I know, Mrs. Evans, but it's been coming for

quite a while now, and I've got to talk to someone about it.

Of course. Come, come.

Sit down, honey.

Marissa, walking out on your parents is still serious business.

Are you sure you did the right thing? You're damn right she did.

Marissa, my husband does know other words besides hell and down.

Yeah, I know, but right now those are the best words to describe how I'm

feeling. My son is out there picking out a tuxedo, spending his hard -earned

money, looking forward to the biggest night in his life, just to come home and

get hit with a sledgehammer.

I'm sorry.

It's my parents.

They had this boy picked out for me, and when I told them at the last minute I'd

only go with J .J., they got hysterical.

I kept telling them how much I liked J .J. He's such fun, and he's so talented,

but they wouldn't even listen to me. They just kept on and on at me until

finally I just had to get out of there. It's all right. It's all right.

We understand about your parents.

No, we don't either.

Clarissa, this is my daughter, Thelma.

Thelma, why don't you take Clarissa to your room and let her relax for a

Sure, Ma. Good girl.

I don't know what I'm going to tell JJ.

Oh, baby, this really makes my jaws tighten.

My main concern is JJ.

He's going to be heartbroken. How are we going to tell him? We're going to have

to tell him just like it is, that the South Shore didn't give him a swift kick

in the South Side.

It looked so sharp when I put it on, I just couldn't take it off.

J .J., you came through the street dressed like that?

That's right, Ma. A mugger walked up to me, didn't ask me for no money, asked me

for the first dance.

I'll tell you what, let's get back to them waltzing lessons.

In these threads, I'm ready to do some high...

She is my Ginger Rogers.

Mama don't feel much like dancing.

Come on, Dad. That leaves you. You look much better than the mugger.

I think you better slow down, son. Just slow down, now. I can't, Dad. My motor

is running. I can't stop. Boy, I'm going to dance all night at that ball.

Man, I tell you, if I wear my running shoes, I ain't worried because I got on

running shoes.

Clarissa, what are you doing here?

You're not supposed to pick me up. I'm supposed to pick you up.

And, uh, how come you ain't dressed?

J .J., we're not going to the ball.

We're not going to the ball?

That's what I was trying to tell you, son.

Clarissa, parents don't think you're the right person to take her.

Why, Ma? You got the wrong address, Junior.

Your zip code don't make it.

because of it. What?

If you're not going to the ball, I'm not going.

And I'm not going back home either.

Hey, Clarissa, now, don't get no hassle with your parents on my account.

I mean, I got plenty of things I could do tonight.

Uh, as soon as I think of them.

Well, uh, I better get out of this tuxedo. Uh, I got it rented for 24

maybe I could sublease it.

Well, this really makes me mad now. I mean, I just don't like this.

You know, J .J., he'll get over it.

I know that, Thelma, and it ain't this dance. I could give less than a damn

about some stupid dance.

I just don't like the idea of somebody putting down our son.

Well,

Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, Clarissa's parents.

Well!

enough foolishness out of you, young lady. Now get your things and let's go.

I'm not going.

Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, I think there are some things we should talk over. Won't

you come in?

Thank you.

Oh, now wait, baby, wait, wait. Before they come in, maybe we ought to spray

place down with Lysol so they don't contaminate it.

Mr., let's not make a scene. Please get your things.

Yes, the faster we get out of here, the better.

Yes.

Don't you all heard? There's niggers in here.

We didn't come here to fight, Mr. Evans. We only want our daughter home.

Clarissa? I said I'm not going, Ma.

Clarissa. Maybe you'd better go, sweetheart.

Ma, Clarissa said she doesn't want to go.

Thelma, let me finish.

Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, I don't like your way of thinking.

And I don't like the way you've hurt our boy.

But I do believe it couldn't hurt you to spend a little bit more time listening

to your daughter.

Uh, Clarissa, I was thinking that, uh... Oh, uh, Mr. and Mrs. Robinson.

Uh, I should say hello, but from the expression on your face, I think I'll

goodbye. Uh -huh.

Uh -huh, Junior. This is your home. This one place you don't break and run from

nobody. Now, come on back here.

I said, come back here, Junior.

Uh, how do y 'all do? Can I offer y 'all some Kool -Aid?

Junior, you don't offer Kool -Aid to Mr. and Mrs. Oreo.

She has got to be imported champagne with custom -made bubbles. Ain't that

right, Cookie?

That cuts it.

That cuts it, Mr. Evans.

I think it's time you and me get down.

Listen, Annie. Get down.

Well, that's pretty hip -hop for somebody from uptown, ain't it?

Where in the hell do you think I was before I got uptown?

I was right here.

Now, I busted my butt a lot of years to get out of here.

And I made it.

Now, you make it sound like success is a dirty work.

No, the sex ain't the dirty word.

It's forgetting.

Forgetting where you came from, brother.

Damn right I'm forgetting.

I don't want to know the stink of the ghetto no more.

And that goes for my wife and my daughter.

But what the hell you think I want for my family, man?

What you think I'm fighting and scratching for?

And I tell you something, if we're all lucky enough to make it, there's one

thing we ain't gonna do. We ain't gonna forget the ones that got stuck here.

Right? on, Daddy.

All I know is I paid my dues, and I'm going to make sure that my

daughter has the best.

And what makes you think our son isn't the best? Yeah. All right, he's a nice

boy, but he's here.

Now, you can talk all you want about getting out, but you know it's a million

one shot.

Mr. Robinson, I want to show you something.

What do you think of this?

Yeah, how about this? And this one?

They're very unusual, Gene.

Very powerful.

This is our son's way of cutting down those million -to -one odds.

He painted these?

He certainly did, Daddy.

That is,

if it don't bother you to be reminded of where you came from.

I'll tell you what.

No, no, no. It ain't for sale. What?

Not to you.

You heard what my husband say.

J .J.'s paintings are not for sale, and neither is J .J.

I'm going to give you $100.

I'll take it.

Shut up, J .J.

All right, then.

Look, Clarissa, you're going to go back home.

On two conditions, Daddy.

that I don't have to go to that dumb dance tonight, and that I can still keep

seeing J .J.? No.

It's okay, baby.

All right, all right. Now that we're not going to the ball, where are we going

to go tonight?

Let's go get a Big Mac.

Sounds great!

Okay, I'll be with you in a couple of minutes. Where are you going?

I'm going to put on my tuxedo. I got it rented. I might as well use it.

Now, don't come home too late now.

We won't. Mrs. Evans, thanks.

You're welcome, sweetheart.

See you later, Jimmy.

Well, Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, it looks like they were good enough for each

Yeah, for the moment.

But actually, Clarissa's going away to college in a couple of weeks.

A long way away.

And as far as these payments are concerned, I thought they might be a

business investment.

But that's all your son meant to us.

What do you mean by that? No, no, no, no. It's all right. It's all right,

It's all right. The man's just telling it like it is. He's the kind of man

got to say what's on his mind.

Just like me, huh, Brian?

That's what I'm saying. Get the hell out of my house.

Looking out of the window, watching the asphalt road,

thinking how it all looks when you die.

Good times, good times, keeping your head above water,

making a way when you can.

Temporary layoff, good times.

Good times is recorded on tape before a live audience.

Think we're lucky we got them.