Original subtitles

There's no place like home.

With your family around you, you're never alone.

When you know that you love, you don't need to roam. Cause there's no place

home.

Those times are changing every day.

We won't get by with those same old ways. Pulling together, we'll make it

With help from our friends, I know we can fly.

No place like home.

With your family around you, you're never alone.

When you know that you love, you don't need to roam.

I need no place, child.

Well, hi, ladies. Hi, Mary.

Somebody moving in or moving out across the street? Moving in.

I don't know how those people can afford those condos.

Well, child, there's a lot of new money around.

I'd settle for some used money.

You know, speaking of new, did you know they got a new doorman over there?

Either Louie quit or he was fired.

Oh, he'll be back. I hear he's in the hospital having some corrective surgery.

Really? What kind?

Well, he held his hand out for tips so long they got to get his arm back to his

side. Oh!

Ooh!

Another car bit the dust.

If they don't fix that pothole soon, we're not going to have one good tire

in this neighborhood.

That hole's getting bigger and bigger.

Yeah. Another rain and we got a swimming pool.

you wrote. Have you got an answer yet? Girl, not a word.

Nothing from street maintenance, nothing from the city council, and nothing from

the mayor's office.

That's the end of the line.

Nobody's left.

Uh -uh. I wrote one more letter. To who?

The president.

What president?

The president of the United States.

Boy, you don't fool around.

Mary, I'm sure the president is not in the potholes.

Not unless there's a Russian hiding in one.

Well, he lives in Washington just like we do.

And I think he ought to be interested in what goes on around here.

Well, what did you tell him? Well, I told him we were running out of

told him we had a big pothole sitting out there in the middle of the street.

I told him I wanted him to help us get it filled. You mean you told the

president to stop it?

Well, that's one way of putting it.

Well, I certainly hope you mentioned our names.

I sure did.

Good. Did you tell the president that every time a car went over that pothole,

the noise kept me awake at night?

I told him those exact words. Because I'm old and I need my sleep.

And this president can relate to that.

Well, I didn't mince words, Pearl. I told him that if he didn't fill that

pothole, Lester would, and we would be out there to pay him a visit.

That's telling the mayor.

Well, when you're writing an angry letter, you're supposed to be angry.

Oh, it doesn't matter. He'll probably never read it anyway.

Oh, he'll read this one. On the envelope, I put confidential, personal,

urgent. What you should have said was jelly beans inside.

There's a man following me.

That bothers you?

Not usually, but this guy doesn't look friendly or rich.

That's him now.

Uh, Mary Jenkins?

Mary Louise Jenkins?

Yes? I'd like to ask you a few questions, if I may.

Who are you?

Bob Gamble.

United States Secret Service.

Uh -oh.

Well, what do you want with me?

Recently you wrote the president a letter, did you not?

Well, yes, I did.

And I put a 22 -cent stamp on it.

I'd like to ask you a few questions in private.

Come in.

Mrs. Holloway.

Mrs. Clark.

Mrs. Shea.

I'll leave it open.

What's this about?

Those are my cousins, Fred and... And Bobby.

and cousins on your mother's side.

How did you know that? Oh, you'd be surprised at the information we gather,

Jenkins. Oh, really?

Well, how are Fred and Bobby? Oh, just fine. Fred just bought a car.

He did?

Expensive?

Turbo.

Hey, you know, this is cheaper than long distance.

What's that?

It's just our file on the Jenkins family.

That's about us?

You're wasting taxpayers' money investigating us? Just routine, Mr.

Then why are you investigating me? I'm just a housewife.

What do you think I'm doing? Selling recipes to the enemy?

What are you writing down?

Just a note.

What kind of note?

It's a secret note.

As you know, Mr. Gamble, that I'm an American citizen, protected by the

Constitution of the United States. I'm aware of that, Mr. Jenkins.

I vote in every election, and I never, ever cheat on my taxes. Not just a

-weensy little bit?

No. Do you?

I'm asking the questions, Mrs. Jenkins.

Now, as I said, this is just a routine investigation, but that letter you wrote

to the president, now that was pretty rough.

Well, that pothole was pretty big. It's been out there for three months, and

nobody's lifted a finger to do anything about it.

I'm just stating what everybody in this building feels.

Mm -hmm.

Another secret note?

Mrs. Jenkins, have you ever belonged to any communist organizations?

My bowling team wears red jackets.

Have you ever used chemical substances?

Does Drano count?

Now, Mrs. Jenkins, I just want to tell you that unless you... Oh, hi, honey.

Larry.

Who are you and who's Larry?

He's not Larry.

No, he's Lester. Lester?

Lester. Not Larry?

Lester. Boy, someone's going to catch hell for this.

Oh, honey, I'm glad you're here. Who is he?

Bob Gamble, Secret Service, and he's asking a lot of questions.

Secret Service? What have you done now?

It's about the letter I wrote to the president.

I told you not to write that. Now you got the FBI down on us. Secret Service.

Whatever.

Mr. Jenkins, have you ever been arrested?

Listen, you can't come barging in here asking all sorts of personal questions.

believe you're violating my civil rights.

And you say that you've never had a run -in with the law?

That's right. Baltimore, Maryland, May 17th, 1962, during 55 in a 35 -mile -an

-hour zone, citation number... Hey, that wasn't my fault. I wasn't even driving.

Somebody else was.

Miss Trish Lamar.

Who was Trish Lamar?

Mary, we weren't even engaged then. That's not what I asked you. She was a

waitress at the Flatiron. Would you stop helping me?

Oh, excuse me.

May I use your phone?

It's over there.

Thank you.

Trish Lamar?

What's she look like? Who cares? We got the Secret Service here.

We'll talk later.

I have to go now, Mrs.

Jenkins, but we'll be in touch with you. Wait a minute, you just can't waltz in

here, pry into our lives and waltz out.

Just doing my job, Mrs. Jenkins.

Then why don't you fix the pothole?

Mary, what happened?

Yeah, Mary, that G -man gonna put you in jail?

Nobody's going to jail.

What'd you do, Mary?

I merely wrote a letter to the president suggesting that as taxpayers, We're

entitled to live on a pothole -free street. You asked the president to fill

pothole? Well, quick, Mary, call George Bush. My living room window is stuck.

Mary, you didn't tell the president anything about us, did you? Like what?

I won $200 in a bingo game once, and I forgot to report it.

I could wind up in the slammer.

It was just a letter. It has nothing to do with us. Yeah, but Mary said you were

going to fill the pothole.

I was going to fill the pothole. You didn't tell me that.

I was going to tell you, dear.

You're all overreacting. This is nothing.

Oh, see what you say when a bunch of jeebies swoop down on you.

Why would they do that?

Other than the obvious.

Your name was in the letter, too.

Is that right, Mary?

Well, you were all complaining. It made perfect sense to me. Did it implicate us

all in this wretched mess?

who said it was about time somebody took a stand.

Yeah, but we meant somebody else, not us.

Look, everybody calm down. Mary wrote a simple letter of protest. There's

nothing to worry about. You should be proud of her.

Thank you, Lester.

Lester, I'm Larry.

Mary had no right putting our names in that letter.

I hate looking through my mail these days.

Scared I'm going to get something from the government.

Me too.

I had this dream.

I got a letter from Social Security.

Dear old person.

You are a troublemaker.

Turn in your number.

Every time I think about what Mary did, I get terribly upset.

And I had this other dream.

I went to the post office and they wouldn't sell me any stands.

Good morning, Pearl.

I said good morning, Pearl.

She must be getting hard of hearing.

I hear fine.

I was being rude.

Must be catchy.

Whatever do you mean?

I mean, your shoulder's been so cold lately, I'm surprised your blouse ain't

slid right off your back.

Talk about fair -weather friends.

You know, Sandra, a real friend wouldn't get her other friends in trouble.

Trouble?

What kind of trouble have you had? We've got Secret Service men snooping around,

and they're all married.

Next, they'd be tapping our phones.

See, it may not matter to you, but there are some of us who have things in our

past that we just don't want made public.

You? I'd never guess.

think the United States government is interested in the days of your life.

Or how your world turns.

Go ahead, joke about it. I say you're a lot better off if the government doesn't

even know you're alive.

Oh, that man is back.

Good morning, Mrs. Jenkins.

That depends on what's in the envelope.

Greetings from the President of the United States.

You've been drafted.

What does it say, Mary?

You better sit down.

Dear Mrs. Jenkins.

Oh, he sounds mad to me.

Rose, we received your letter regarding the pothole situation on your block, and

it makes us very unhappy.

You see that, Mary? You've upset a man who can blow up the whole world.

As unhappy as we are with the pothole, however, we are equally happy to see

some Americans still take pride in their community.

And to help celebrate this spirit, the president would like to pay you a visit,

Mrs. Jenkins, and join your husband in repairing the pothole.

Let me see that letter.

Can you believe that? He's actually coming here. Do you know what that

I'm going to see a real live...

United States coming to visit me. What's this me garbage?

Yeah, she was right.

We complained in that letter, too. You change lanes faster than the road,

runner.

You know, Mary, they do have a point. No, they don't. You all wanted your

off the letter, remember?

In fact, you disassociated yourselves altogether.

Well, Mary, now we're reassociating.

Well, it's too late.

We want to meet the president, too.

You want to meet the president? Yes.

Manage the team that wins the World Series.

But we're your friends, Mary.

Some friends.

Mary, about these past few days, there might be some fractional truth to your

contention that we mistreated you. So, to that end, I suppose I'll accept any

partial responsibility which may have resulted from my limited involvement.

That's an apology?

That's as good as it gets.

Forget it.

Oh, Mary, come on. We all apologize. We were wrong and we admit it, don't we? Uh

-huh. Hmm.

To err is human. To forgive divine.

Come on, Mary.

Be divine.

I accept your apology.

Did you vacuum under the bed? Oh, yes.

Is the president going to pee under the bed, Mary?

I just want everything to be right, Lester.

Mary, the pothole's out in the street, not in our living room. The president's

not coming up here.

He is if I have anything to do with it. I got some questions to ask him.

Honey, go get changed.

Already changed?

Into a suit and tie.

Mary, I'm going to fill a pothole.

you get to fill a pothole with the president?

Hopefully just once.

Oh, Pearl, you look so nice.

It's a new dress, isn't it? I hope the president likes it.

You know, I've always been attracted to older men.

Where are you two going?

To clean the bathroom.

Just in case the president has to, um, you know.

I bought one for Tyler's mom.

He'll never know that the R stands for rope. Okay.

Testing, testing.

This is Calvin Dobbs. We're in the Jenkins household as they prepare to

president. The room is abuzz with activity.

See?

This is from our report in the school paper.

Tell me, Mrs. Jenkins, how are you feeling right now?

Well... I'm a little nervous, but happy. All the residents of 227 have come

together. Sandra's here. Let the games begin.

Good. Let's play hide and seek. You hide.

Like you've been hiding all day.

Now, Sandra, all the residents have gotten together, decorated the stoop,

helped clean the apartment.

What do you plan to contribute to this special occasion?

I'll stay till the end.

That's not what I had in mind.

Here. What's that for?

Dust. You already have enough dust.

You can start with the lamp.

Mary, I made a vow that Lemon Pledge would never touch these fingers.

No problem. We'll just wrap them.

Mary, I must say, you certainly have whipped up the community spirit. Oh,

you, Rose.

So, Mary, what do you think?

Oh, honey, you look nice.

I mean, about this new shovel I borrowed from work. Isn't it a beauty?

Yeah, but I wish it matched your tie.

Ah, Brenda Jenkins.

You're about to experience the most exciting event of your life.

Except when you first met me.

In a little while, you and your parents will be standing with the President of

the United States.

Right down there on our very own street.

What are your thoughts?

Well... I can picture it all right now.

We'll all be outside and mom and dad will be standing right there with the

president. And then we'll...

some sentimental value?

I'll have you know the President of the United States and my husband will be

filling that pothole. That's funny. The President didn't mention it to me at

breakfast this morning.

Look, we're not kidding around. The President's going to be here in a couple

hours for a big ceremony. Why do you think we decorated this building?

But I got a work order to fill this hole.

Well, if you won't listen to us, maybe you'll listen to the Secret Service.

Yo, Secret!

up again yet? Yeah, they made it even deeper than before, which means now I'm

going to have to work hard.

Yeah, because you know Ronnie ain't in no shape to do no serious digging.

Do you see anything yet? Yeah, the barn gardens are getting a new couch to live.

Give me those binoculars.

Do you see the president yet?

Not unless he's getting off the number 44 bus.

Miss Park, may I have back my binoculars now, please.

Oh, yes.

Those certainly are powerful binoculars. I hope you're not looking at my window

from the White House.

So how much longer is it going to be?

Any minute now.

Do you remember your drill?

Yeah. First we have a talk with the reporters.

And then the president arrives.

At exactly $1 ,400.

Then I shake hands with the president.

Well, now, let me see. Now, the president arrives at $1 ,400.

And takes a picture with Mr. Jenkins, 1403, waving at the crowd, 1404.

Did I shake hands with the president? I don't have that down here.

I'm shaking hands with the president at 14 -something.

Ah, yes.

Oh, yes, I do have it right down here.

Captain Gamble, call for you soon.

Excuse me.

Mom, Dad!

Mrs. Jenkins, Mr. Jenkins, there has been a last -minute schedule change.

What? The president is not coming.

Oh, no.

What do you mean the president is not coming? He's flying to Camp David. It's

emergency meeting with the Soviet ambassador, and that's pretty important.

More important than our pothole?

Now, at this time, I'd like to present this certificate acknowledging your

achievement, which the president would have presented to you and which he would

have congratulated you on.

Then we would have shaken hands.

Right. Now, I know it isn't the president, but if I may fill in, Mrs.

congratulations on behalf of the entire United States government.

Speak,

speak, speak. Our president is on the phone. What? Mrs. Jenkins.

It's for you, Mrs. Jenkins.

Hello?

Is this the Mr. President?

The one who played in King's Row?

You know, they showed that on TV again last month.

Yeah, it was good.

So how's Nancy?

Good, good.

Oh, no, no, no. Not Larry.

Lester.

He was going to help you fill that pothole.

Yeah, we're sorry you had to miss it, too.

Listen, maybe Lester could wait till you come back.

Oh, no, no, we understand.

Happy schedule.

Oh, no, we didn't go through any real trouble.

I mean, what?

Hello?

Yes, yes, we do take pride in our neighborhood.

I think everyone should. Don't you agree?

He agrees.

Listen, Ronnie.

About those advisors you got, child. Uh -uh.

Now, when you come back from Camp David, I'm going to bring Rose and Pearl to

the White House.

Yeah, we got some advice for you on Social Security, drug abuse, and the

national deficit.

You know, I wish you could have talked to me before you went to Camp David.

Jack right here is him.

He looks much younger in person.

Well, our work is done here.

Mrs. Jenkins, thank you.

Where are you going?

I beg your pardon?

I thought you were filling in for the president.

Well, I am.

Well, here, Jeff.

Fill in for the president.