Original subtitles

Good time, any time you need a payment. Good time, any time you feel free.

Good time, any time you're up and under.

Not getting hassled, not getting hustled. Keeping your head up for water.

Making a wave when you can.

Temporary.

So? So, so fill it.

Hey, look here, girl.

I'm tired of you bossing me around like this.

Look, JJ, we made a deal that whoever would break the New Year's resolution

first would have to do what the other one said for a week, right? And you

You resolved not to insult my boyfriend.

Hey, Thelma, I don't consider that an insult. I consider that a compliment.

All I said was that I enjoyed your latest movie, Mr. Kong.

JJ, I don't think that's very funny at all. Just fill this glass up now.

You want it filled, huh?

Yes, I do. That's what I called you in here for.

Okay, I'll fill it.

Oh, my God.

JJ, look what you did. You messed up the floor.

Look, you clean up this house immediately, and you start with

right now.

Okay, Miss Scarlet, but I don't know nothing about birthing no babies.

Oh, boy.

All right, look at all this junk Michael's got in here.

She's throwing away junk.

She's keeping junk.

It's future junk.

What's this?

It's a letter from Michael's school.

Addressed to Ma.

Addressed to Ma? What is it doing to Michael's school? Let me see this.

Dear Mrs. Evans, we are sorry to inform you that your son, Michael Evans, has

been replaced as leader of the Honor Assembly because of the stance he has

taken. The militant midget strikes again.

This is very important. Ma doesn't know about this letter. And she's downtown

now buying them new clothes for the assembly.

Well, I hope she buys them a suit with two pair of pants because she's going to

beat a hole in the other one.

Ma's coming now. Oh, my goodness. What am I going to do with this letter? Do

what all good spies do when they're caught with incriminating evidence.

Eat it.

The president says the economy is suffering.

There must have been at least 1 ,500 people in that store today.

They was all looking for jobs.

I'm sorry we're so late.

I guess I better get dinner started.

Well, Anna, why don't you stay?

We're having stew.

Oh, I had dinner with you last night, and it was stew.

I sure appreciate that, Flo, but I got a pressing engagement.

Oh, the girls down at the shop are having a meeting tonight.

We're thinking about forming a union, you know, because we are sick and tired

the exploitation.

And the long working hours.

And the poor salary.

And something that's got to be done about it immediately.

Tonight the stew has meat in it!

Well, time to think of it, honey. I can wait till tomorrow, can't I?

Let me have my apron, please.

With moan pleasure.

Moan pleasure.

What are you doing?

Nothing, ma.

Well, I mean, what is all this about?

Oh, what's I doing all that?

That's a new dance, ma. It's called the funky finger.

See? You can do it like this, or you can do it like that.

I can't keep up with these dances.

If it ain't the...

shaky finger is to hustle your bustle. No, that's a shake your booty.

Whatever.

Michael isn't home yet?

He's probably working late, Ma. You know how excited he is about his new job at

the repair shop, right?

And his new boss. I know.

Everything is Mr. Dixon says this, Mr. Dixon says that.

You got that right.

If Mr. Dixon told Graham that the world was flat, he wouldn't go north of the

loop for fear of falling off.

Well, I hope he gets here soon.

Thelma, will you stop your dance and help with all this at the table?

Uh, Ma, you know, you've been working too hard around here.

You know, it's up to the family members to take the load off your apron. I mean,

uh, your shoulders.

Uh, Thelma, you cook.

Thelma cook.

Honey, I'm going to the meeting.

Hey, stop your foolishness and give me back my apron.

Hi, everybody.

Oh, hi there, Michael.

I bought you a new sweater and a new pair of pants to wear to the honor

assembly.

Oh, that's great, Ma.

Come here, man of the hour.

Oh, I'm not proud of you, Gramps. We all are.

Thanks, Milona.

Oh, so many good things have been happening.

Michael leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the honor assembly, holding down a

job.

You know, Michael, you have hands just like your father's.

He had strong hands, too.

Boy, did he have strong hands.

Michael, this is your father's tool belt.

I think it's about time you should have it. You can use it in the repair shop.

Yeah, Ma, this will work great. I'm going to go down to the shop and show it

Carl. Well, first, I want you to try on your new clothes, honey. But, Ma, I can

try them on tomorrow.

No, no, no. I want you to do it now. There may be some alterations. We can do

later.

Oh, Michael.

You're going to look so good.

I might go to that assembly myself.

Hey, that's a good idea. No, it isn't, Ma.

Why is it?

Because of the no mamas at the assembly rule.

See, what happens is any mamas caught at the assembly will have to get a note

from their children.

Ma, but that's the new law, you know? Yeah, Michael here voted against it, but

he was outnumbered.

Something's going on.

Thelma, you've been doing strange things with your hands.

And JJ, everything you do is strange.

Now what's going on here?

Uh, strange, you should ask that question, Ma.

Especially when I don't have an answer.

Thelma? Uh, well, you see, Ma, it's like this.

Mom, what was the question again?

Now, look.

I want to know, and I want to know now.

Mom, it's not them. They're trying to protect me.

Protect you from what?

The letter in my drawer will explain everything.

It's not in my drawer?

Where is it?

Oh, so that's what the new dance craze is all about.

Michael.

hear that you won't be leading the honor assembly.

Why? And don't give me any fancy answers.

Ma, take it easy. Hey, Thelma, don't worry now. Your mother will handle this.

Well, I'm only trying to get some information from Michael.

And I'm asking him in a nice, calm, gentle, motherly way.

Just what have you done to upset that assembly?

Well, um, um, I'm waiting, Michael.

Well, Ma, they wanted me to say something I didn't believe in.

You don't believe in the Pledge of Allegiance? Michael, have you lost your

Carl doesn't think so.

Carl? Carl Dixon? Yeah.

What has he got to do with this? Well, Ma, he says it's a hypocrisy to say one

thing when you know in your guts you feel something else.

All right, Michael, let's pin this down.

Just what is it about the Pledge of Allegiance that upsets you and your

Probably the part about liberty and justice for all.

No, it's that mumbo -jumbo about one nation under God.

What? Yeah.

Carl says there is no God, and I'm not going to say there is.

What did you say?

Michael, don't say anything.

It's having a chance to hide.

Maybe I can get out of the lightning striking place there.

There is no God, and I'm not going to say there is.

Michael, that's blasphemy.

into you. Oh, take it easy. You know, just a kid with wild ideas don't mean

nothing, honey. Yeah, remember the time when he wrote President Nixon and said

that the south side of Chicago should become an independent black nation?

Remember that?

Yeah, and then Nixon wrote back and said, where's Chicago?

No, no, this one is different.

Michael, you're my child and your father's child, and we believe in God.

And so did you before you were brainwashed.

clear yeah mine's clear but the way i feel i don't want to hear anything

yes mama i believe in god

no

mama michael was it carl dixon who told you to say there is no god

ma carl didn't tell me to say anything he just opened my eyes Well, look, we

talk about that later. Let's have dinner now. Yeah!

We can't talk about it later, Wilona.

Michael, Carl Dixon is a stranger.

Now, you letting a stranger change everything this family has always

Ma, Carl says if you can't see it, hear it, feel it, or touch it, it's not

there.

God is everywhere.

And you can feel it here.

How do you know it's not heartburn?

I realize this is upsetting you, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to

say One Nation under God, and that's that.

Michael, baby, baby, there is a God.

A kind, loving, merciful God.

Ma, if he's so merciful, how can we still live in the ghetto?

Right.

Hey, Carl.

What do you want me to do with this?

Throw it away.

I spent 20 years in the Army, and I learned that whenever you had something

over, throw it away.

Otherwise, they'd grind it up and serve it to you on a shingle the next day.

Ah, hello there, Mr.

Barnes.

All right.

Can't complain.

Got a TV and a wife, and they're both working.

Something I can do for you?

My hearing aid cuts off and on. I have to keep hitting it.

You know, I got a hearing aid, false teeth, an electric pacemaker in my

I'm a regular $8 million man.

Mr. Barnes, don't you mean a regular $6 million man?

Oh, no, sonny. Don't you know things in the ghetto cost more?

Well, Carl, I'm going to go deliver this griddle. See you later, Mr. Barnes.

What's the kid mumbling about?

I don't know.

I'm going to have to send it back to the factory.

I'll put a rush on it. No hurry.

Starsky and Hutch are just as funny without the sound.

Well, it's closing time.

Closing time.

It's closing time, Mr. Barnes.

We're closed.

Another one with a hearing problem.

Lady, I'm trying to tell you we're closed.

I'm sorry, but this is important.

Okay, what's so important? I am Michael Evans' mother, and we quit.

You can't quit. You don't work here.

Well, as of now, neither does Michael.

Oh, boy, I don't want to miss this.

Why don't you want Michael to work here?

Because you're a bad influence. You have turned Michael into an atheist.

Oh, come on. He made up his own mind about that God jazz.

Mr. Dixon, God exists. And I don't like expressions like that God jazz.

That God rock and roll.

You're not funny, Mr. Dixon.

God exists.

Where? Where is he?

He's everywhere.

He's even in this shop.

Don't look at me, lady.

I may be old, but I ain't God.

Boy, atheist one, believer zero. You want to take another shot at it, Mrs.

Evans? Now give me some proof that God exists.

You. You're here.

Of course I'm here. It's my shop. I mean, he created you.

In all these years, I've been sending a tie to my dad on Father's Day.

Atheist two, believer zero.

Look, lady, bomb kills four in Belfast, starvation in India, two -week -old baby

dies in its crib.

If God existed, would he allow these things to happen?

And another thing, would he allow the Boston Celtics to beat the Chicago Bulls

116 to 104?

Mr. Dixon, did you bet on the game?

Yeah. Did you win?

No. Ha!

There is a God.

You want me to believe in a God that plays favorites?

Tell me something.

Who's he picking at Arlington in the fifth?

Look, I don't care what you believe, Mr. Dixon.

I just don't want you changing anything my son believes. And Michael believes in

God. If Michael believes in God, he's the lousiest atheist in town.

And if there's one thing we atheists cannot abide, it's a backslider.

Well, it looks like this game is running into overtime.

I am leaving. I get a gracious plenty of God on Sunday. Now, don't forget to fix

this. I won't.

Mrs. Evans, look.

I've had it up to here.

I'm a busy man.

If God exists, I wish he'd make his presence known.

I have.

Hello? Yeah.

What?

Okay.

That was a man upstairs.

Before you get carried away, it wasn't your man upstairs, it was my man

upstairs.

Mr. Jennings, he lives above the store and he wants to know if his radio is

fixed.

Mr. Dixon, Michael is at a very impressionable age.

He was sure of his beliefs until he met you. I haven't influenced him one way or

the other. Oh, yes, you haven't. There's no need to yell. I'm not yelling. You

are so yelling. I guess I should know yelling when I hear yelling.

Mrs. Evans, what do you see here?

Look, Mr. Dixon, I'm in no mood to play games. Come on, come on. What do you see

here?

Two screwdrivers.

Now, what do you see?

Two screwdrivers.

Now, what do you see?

Two screwdrivers.

I say there are three screwdrivers.

I'm sorry, Mr. Dixon, but there are only two screwdrivers there.

You say there are two screwdrivers?

I say there are three screwdrivers.

Now, will you admit that I wasn't yelling?

If I'm wrong?

Well, certainly.

I'm wrong.

Okay, Mr. Dixon.

You flim -flammed me.

You're right, Mrs. Evans.

That's just what I did.

Well, if you can do that to me...

don't you think you can influence Michael?

You made your point, Mrs. Evans.

And you did it without a screwdriver.

Mr. Dixon?

I'm telling Michael he can't work here any longer.

You're his mother, and I can't stop you.

But, uh, do yourself a favor.

Let me do the dirty work.

If you lower the boom on Michael, he's gonna resent it. If I do it, what the

hell?

He doesn't have to see me again.

Thank you, Mr. Dixon.

You're very thoughtful.

For an atheist?

Good night, Mr. Dixon.

Good night, Mrs. Evans.

Good night.

Here's the money from the griddle.

Anything else you want me to do before we knock off?

How do you like that?

Worked all day, and all I took in was $10.

Don't worry, Carl. You got a lot of work coming in.

Damn oil company.

Huh? You know what they've done to the price of oil?

On a little can like that?

Michael, on a little can like this, you're multiplied by eight more, and

you get? Bankrupt.

Michael, I mean it.

I'm going to have to cut down on expenses.

I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go.

Michael, Michael, you don't understand business. It starts somewhere at the top

with some guy digging in the desert and it works itself down.

And it's always the little man who gets it in the neck.

Yeah, but around here, I'm the little man.

There are only two of us, Michael.

Who am I gonna fire?

Me?

Tell you what, I don't have to come in every day. I just come in three times a

week.

I'll take a cut in my salary.

I'll work for nothing until the price of oil goes down.

Damn. Oh, come on, Michael. It's only a part -time job.

Look at J .J. He's been fired more times than a Saturday night special.

You got that right. It's just a part -time job. He'll get another one, honey.

Yeah, it's just a shame it had to happen 50 years before retirement.

Oh, it never fails.

Now, who could be so inconsiderate as to come calling just at the dinner hour?

Mr. Dixon.

I brought Michael's tool, Del. I thought he might need it.

Won't you come in?

Thank you.

Ma, may I be excused? You certainly may not. We have company.

Mr. Dixon, these are my children, JJ, Thelma, and my neighbor, Wilona Woods.

Hello. How are you?

Hey, uh, look here, Mr. Dixon.

There's word out in the street that you got a job opening.

J .J., how could you?

Ain't for me, Ma.

For Thelma. I figured we ought to get her out here working.

Michael.

Michael, I thought you might want this.

Michael, you're being rude.

But he fired me. He said he was my friend, and then he fires me for no

all. Michael.

Michael. Mr. Dickson didn't fire you.

I did.

Ask Mr. Dixon to let you go.

Ma, how could you? Honey, I was trying to do that for your own good.

Michael!

Help, soldier!

Bad face!

Knock it off.

Michael, when I read that letter about the Honor Assembly and heard your

newfound views on religion, I had to do something about it. Your mother was

doing what she thought was best.

You're right, Mr. Dixon. But she cost me a good job.

You're right, Michael.

Well, now, how can Mr. Dixon and Michael be right?

I'm a shut -up.

I'm a peacemaker.

Mom, the way I see it, you're trying to make me choose between you and Carl. Oh,

that's not true, Michael.

Michael, look me in the eye and tell me.

Do you believe in God?

Well, Ma... Michael, you've lived in this house for 15 years. There's no

way you don't believe in God.

Michael, I don't believe in... God.

But you don't have to do my thing to be my friend.

I'm going to love you just as much anyway.

Is it okay if I leave that assembly tomorrow?

You got it.

What about my job?

You got it. Hey, right on.

Damn it, the moneymaker.

Well,

That's all cleared up. Thank God.

Oh, gotcha.

What? You said, thank God.

Madam, when I say, thank God, that doesn't mean I believe in a supreme

more than when you say, holy mackerel.

You're gonna kneel down to a fish.

Now look, Mr. Dixon.

Uh, Ma, please, no halfling on an empty stomach.

Let's eat!

There's something I want to say.

We've had our differences, but I admire a woman who can stand up to me the way

you did.

Are you kidding?

Ma can stand up to Howard Cosell.

Well, that being the case, and seeing the group that has gathered into this

room, and knowing how much meat there is in the stew, I would say, won't you

please stay to dinner?

Well, I... Oh, we have plenty, and I... Talk me into it.

Come on.

at Borgin's Market. You wish you might come to the most.

J .J., would you say the grace?

Okay.

Lord, for the fool we're about to receive, we thank you.

By a vote of five to one.

Just looking out of the window, watching the asphalt glow,

thinking how it all looks and it dies. Good times, good

times, keeping your head above water,

making a wave when you can.

Temporary layoffs, good times.

Good times is videotape in front of a studio audience.