All language subtitles for Carbon Copy (1981) _ Denzel Washington’s Film Debut _ Full Movie

I need that black tree TV. I need that

black tree TV. I need that black tree

TV. Black tree.

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat.

Heat.

Heat.

Heat. Heat.

Heat. Heat.

back down.

What are you trying to do, Walter?

Nothing tricky, dear. Just husband wife

stuff. Oh, you make me feel so used. Why

can't you do what considerate husbands

do? What do considerate husbands do?

They jog. Oh, I'm 41 years old, Vivian.

And who knows when the magic will leave

my body. Then will be the time to start

jogging.

You have no right to force me, Walter.

The Bible says, "Woe unto the wife who

turneth her back on a horny spouse." The

Bible doesn't say that, Walter. It did a

long time ago. It was edited out by a

lesbian translator. Vivian, I want you.

Walter, you're scaring me. Oh, nothing

to be afraid of, sweet baby. It's just

an old friend coming for a visit. Open

the door, Walter. I said open the door.

Bianca.

Gracias.

Who the hell was that? That was Bianca,

the new housekeeper. The new

housekeeper? Where's Estelle? Walter. I

had to fire her. I liked her. She kept

forgetting her place. Bianca just

arrived from Guatemala. Everyone's

importing them from Central America

these days. They don't resent being

treated like servants. Why don't you

import a husband who doesn't mind being

treated like a servant?

That's what I feel like. Like I don't

really belong. Walter, you know how

uncomfortable I get when you just barge

into the bathroom. What are you ashamed

of, Vivian? What is there to see that I

haven't already seen? I mean, whether

you want to admit it or not, I've seen

you naked, Vivian. I've even laid you,

Vivien. Must you use language like this

in the bedroom, Walter? This is not some

cheap bar. I could get more action in a

cheap bar than I get here.

Good morning, mother. Good morning,

darling.

Morning, Walter. Maryanne. Mother, is it

all right if I go shopping this morning?

Of course, darling. As long as you're

home by 6. Shopping? You don't need any

new clothes. Walter says I don't need

any new clothes. Of course you do,

darling. I'll talk with him later.

You committed a moral crime this

morning, Vivian.

That's why we're having all this trouble

in the country today. We're a nation of

sex starve, frustrated men, so we jog

and vote for the death penalty.

I was shocked, Walter.

Shocked. I did not try to rape my wife

in front of the housekeeper. Nelson,

whatever my faults, I don't lack a sense

of the theatrical. I majored in theater

arts. Now, if I try to rape the

housekeeper in front of my wife, that's

drama. My daughter was in tears when she

called me. She had no right to call you.

Vivian's concern is your career, Walter.

Her upbringing has stressed the

importance of that career.

Beware of the wife who places the bed

ahead of the office.

I've seen a dozen careers ruined because

of sexually aggressive wives. A wise man

can always make discreet arrangements.

I'm not the type of man who goes out

cheating, Nelson. Not cheating, Walter.

Not cheating.

Think of it as easing the pressures on

someone you love.

You're a lucky man, Walter.

Why don't I feel lucky? Vivian,

Maryanne, there's something wrong.

Elson,

I feel like I've blown up this beautiful

balloon, but I'm on the inside. I'm

lonely. Learn to trust unhappiness,

Walter.

You and I have shared many secrets. I'll

share today's secret by forgetting it.

Go throw yourself into your work. I've

never seen a happily married executive

that was worth a damn.

No, thank

you. I'll see if he's in.

Oh, Mr. Whitney. Uh, there's a young man

at reception who wants to see you. A

Roger Porter. I don't know. Roger

Porter. Mr. Whitney. He says to tell you

he's Lorraine Porter's son.

Have him sent up.

Lorraine Porter's son.

[Music]

L the rain

porter.

Yeah, Mr. Whitney. He's here. Have him

come in.

Lorraine Porter's son.

Yeah.

Yeah. This is cool.

Nothing ratty tatty about this place.

And that's the way it should be up here

where the hog is fat.

No meat scraps. We're talking t-bone

steak here, huh?

And man, you're red, huh? The big ace in

the card deck.

[Music]

I'm sure glad our zodiac signs crossed.

It's like my horoscope said, Capricorn

baby, consolidate your financial future

today.

Here I was, thinking I was just another

little poor black orphan boy going to

freeze in the cold, white world. The

rain is Your mother's dead, gone.

Oh, I can't tell you how sorry.

I'm truly and deeply sorry. Uh-huh. She

was a very special person. A dear

friend. Uh-huh.

What about your father? Oh, mom never

got married. You know how it is with us

colored folks. We ain't much for

marrying. What the hell kind of thing is

that to say? You don't talk that way

about your mother. Of course, not being

married didn't make my mother less of a

woman. It just made my father less of a

man. I don't like you, Mr. Porter. I

have tolerated your incredible display

of bad manners because your mother and I

were friends. Dear friends,

someone I knew very well. No, you lived

with her, but you didn't know her.

Come on, let's lay it on each other's

street. Let's tell it like it was. I

don't believe it.

Lorraine was a lovely person,

intelligent, cultured.

It's just too much of a shock for me to

accept you as her son. Well, if that's

too much of a shock for you, you're

liable to go into a coma when you get

behind this.

Hi, Daddy.

[Music]

Hey,

hey, hey, hey, hey.

your son.

There's things about me I never told

you, Victor. And you're my dearest

friend.

I guess that's how we keep our dearest

friends, by only telling them the things

that make us dear to them.

You didn't know about Lorraine or about

me changing my name?

Changing your name from Weisenthal to

Whitney. Weisenthal? What? What sort of

name is that? It's Jewish.

You better have a drag. You'll feel

better. It's too late. Too late. Oh,

come off it. You're not in that kind of

trouble. I'm Jewish. My son is black and

my lawyer smokes pot. Don't tell me I'm

not in trouble. Hey, it makes me feel

better and does not affect my judgment.

I delivered the validictorian speech at

Harvard. Completely stoned. Okay. Okay.

Get me out of this spot, Victor, and

I'll keep you in grass the rest of your

life. Okay. You provide the facts, I'll

provide the solution. Now, who knows?

You changed your name? Just Vivien and

her father. It was his idea.

And who knows about Lorraine? Just

Vivien's father.

After I got out of the army, I went to

Northwestern. I met Lorraine in my

sophomore year. We lived together almost

three years.

And after I graduated, I came here to

Uni Electron as a copywriter. It was

going to be temporary until I made

enough so that we could get married.

Married?

Oh, yeah. The only problem was I made an

instant smashing success. I was kidding

around one day and I came up with this

idea for fun. The biggest lie I could

think of. Unileron, the company that

puts people ahead of profit. Was that

yours? Yeah. It's a biggie. Two weeks

later, I was a junior executive. And

then, like everything else, Viven's

father found out about Lorraine. Oh, no.

What'd he do? He had a fatherto- son

talk with me.

No, it was more like the Pope talking to

a parish priest. Someday you will sit in

this chair, Walter. He promised the

parish priest the Vatican. I'm only

showing the concern your mother and

father would show if they were alive. He

slipped on my parents' ghosts like you

would an overcoat. As your mistress,

yes,

but not marriage. Hemoralized. She would

never be accepted by the right people.

The fear of the unknown. as the wife of

a plumber, a garage mechanic, an

elevator operator. Fine. A veiled threat

to my future employment. We wouldn't

want to lose you. A direct threat. I am

not a bigot, he believed. But I am a

realist. From that day, I've never known

the difference between those words. I am

your friend, he insisted. There might be

a child. The image we leave of ourselves

on this earth after death. Think about

that, Walter. I said nothing.

You're in love,

but not for the last time.

That's what makes man superior.

He can love, forget, and love again.

Write to her. Tell her that getting

married at the moment would not be

practical.

She'll understand.

There are very understanding people. I

wrote the letter. She never answered.

After she died, Roger found all the

letters I'd written. How could a dude

write all these pretty words?

Just dripping with honey.

They could make a nun pack a suitcase

and blow the convent.

I think you show damn little respect for

your mother by reading these letters.

Not as little as you show it by writing

them, Dad. And stop calling me dad. I

Who told you that I'm that we're

related? Well, after I found the

letters, I asked Aunt Clara. You

remember mom's sister Aunt Claraara?

Yeah, I remember Aunt Clara. Well, mom

went to stay with Aunt Clara when she

got that way. And you know, Aunt Clara

would never lie. Not with her husband

being a preacher of the highest. Okay, I

won't argue the fact that you're my son.

You're a good sport, Dad.

This is a moment that calls for total

honesty. Nothing but the truth.

We both agree that this is a delicate

situation. Uh, I think we would both

agree to keep this delicate news to

ourselves. Oh, you mean now we found

each other, we're not going to tell

anyone?

Who would we tell?

Well, I guess first your wife

[Music]

Stop following me. Isn't the son

supposed to follow in his dad's

footsteps?

Why are we walking by the ocean anyhow?

In case I decide to throw myself in. Or

when do we go home and tell the family

about me?

Do you really expect to come and live

with us?

Are you ashamed of me, Dad? And stop

calling me dad. Oh, what am I supposed

to call you? Well, I don't know. Whitey,

honky, Mr. Charlie, anything. But not

Dad. Not right now. Something I'm going

to have to get used to slowly, if ever.

Good morning, Whitey.

Hi there, honky.

No, that's no way for a boy to talk to

his father. Sounds disrespectful. And

whatever else I may feel, I respect you.

Mr. Charlie

has a certain dignity. Makes me still

feel like your son. Flesh of your flesh.

Blood of your blood. Mistake of my

mistakes. Oh, you'll feel different

after you adopt me.

Adopt you? I'm 17. It's time I became

legal. No way. Know how?

I know I'm not everything you want in

the sun. That's a keen observation.

We'll become buddies.

We'll go to games.

We'll go fishing and hiking. We'll

wrestle on the floor together. We'll

become pals.

You can teach me how to build a model

airplane. I'll show you how to pick a

lock.

You take me to a Chamber of Commerce

meeting. I take you to a third world

liberation meeting. Why are you doing

this to me, God?

There's this boy who claims to be your

son. He is my son. I think a judge is

better qualified to make that decision.

I can't deny it. Not because he's my

son, but because Lorraine was his

mother.

You know, I loved her, but I I I really

can't remember what she looked like.

We used to laugh a lot, but I can't

remember what about. There were so many

moments.

It was so long ago.

Oh, God. to be young again with a lover

that says yes. Well, unfortunately,

you're in San Marino with a wife who

says no. Now, you may not love Vivian,

but a husband does owe his wife some

loyalty. What does a father owe his son?

Oh, you know what I mean. Viven, my

wife, all those women. They're social

animals whose jungle ends at the city

limits. Now, you want to toss those

tigers this kind of raw meat. That's it.

That's the answer. They're animals.

Don't appeal to their intellect. Appeal

to their instinct. Their instinct is to

kill. Their basic instinct is to kill.

What about their baser instincts? Envy,

ego, false pride. What are you talking

about? Let Viven adopt without ever

knowing. Let it be her victory, not my

defeat.

Take in a colored orphan for the summer.

It's an experimental program to show

underprivileged kids a better way of

life.

But if they see a better way of life,

they're going to want it permanently.

Oh, why give them false hope? It seems

so cruel. No more cruel than busing. And

you accepted that? Only because it

didn't affect Maryanne. Oh, Walter, why

us? Why must you get us involved in

something like this? We owe it to them,

Vivian. When will we stop owing? They

already have welfare, low rent housing,

special job programs, and four of their

own television series. When will we stop

owing and be even? Vivian, it's just for

the summer vacation.

We'll be the only family in San Marino

to have one. That's what disturbs me.

Disturbs you? Cynthia Robbins will be so

green with envy, she'll probably go out

and adopt one. That's true, isn't it?

What about Gloria Pitkin and Elizabeth

Webbner? You think they'll let you and

Cynthia get a step ahead of them? Even

if they all go out and adopt colored

orphans for the summer, it won't

diminish the fact that you did it first.

Like the heart transplant, no matter how

many doctors do it afterwards, it's

always Dr. Christian Barnard who will

take the credit. You'll be the Christian

Barnard of compassion.

You can even start an organization call

it human transplant to take people with

no hope and give them new life. Human

transplant.

A I'll bring him over and you can see

for yourself what a fine boy he is.

He could sleep in your workshop in the

garage until we decide just in case it

doesn't work out. Good idea. It's easier

to ask someone to leave your garage than

it is your home.

I just don't dig it, Mr. Charlie. I

mean, the way you get me to be family.

This this whole adoption bit, me

sleeping in the garage. I told you it's

just temporary. Well, it just don't seem

right. Make him believe I'm an orphan.

You are an orphan. No, I ain't. I got a

daddy. Don't I, Mr. Charlie? Get your

feet off the seat. This is a

Rolls-Royce, not a bus. Hey, will I get

the rolls when you die? It belongs to

the company. It'll probably go to

Maryanne. Oh, you like Maryannne more

than you like me? Far, far more. And I'm

not very fond of her. Would you stop

playing with that telephone?

Are you going to high school, Roger?

Uh-uh. When did you leave? About a year

ago. Have you ever thought of going back

and graduating? Don't need to. You don't

need to, huh? How far you going to get

with an attitude like that? I'll make

out. You'll make out. You know where

you'll make out without a diploma? On

the unemployment line. I mean, outside

of waiting for me to die, you have no

future.

Stop playing with a glove compartment.

You belong to a golf club, don't you?

What about my golf club? Well, I can

join it, can I? Only as a caddy. Oh, you

mean they don't have no black members?

None.

Makes you proud, doesn't it, Mr.

Charlie? What makes me proud? That the

first black to join the club will be

your son.

[Music]

Do I have to wear these square clothes?

Yes, you have to wear them. If the

brothers ever saw me, they'll think I

sold out. Relax, Roger. There are no

brothers in San Marino.

Heat.

Heat.

Heat. Heat.

So, this is going to be my new home.

All right. Just the garage.

I said just the garage.

So, this is Roger.

Mr. Whitney has told me so much about

you. Welcome to our home, Roger. Thank

you, ma'am. It's an honor. My what a

fine looking boy. You were right,

Walter. I was worried over nothing.

You're just in time for dinner. Walter,

will you tell Maryanne that we're

expecting her?

Roger.

We're having chicken for dinner. I just

love chicken, man. I know you do. I had

Bianca prepare especially for you. We

want you to enjoy your stay with us,

Roger. Thank you, ma'am. You don't have

to call me ma'am. Just Mrs. Whitney.

Mrs. Whitney. Thank you.

[Music]

It's an exciting experiment.

When Mr. Whitney first broached it, I'll

admit I was a little dubious. But then I

realized that I'd be giving a boy a

second chance in life, a chance to

improve himself. And you will try to

improve yourself, won't you, Roger? Oh,

yes, ma'am. Mrs. Whitney,

we want to be proud of you, Roger. We'll

see if we can't get our church to accept

you as a member. You'll be a

Presbyterian, Roger. Isn't that nice?

Well, I was raised to be a Baptist in

the You'll be a Presbyterian.

about your schooling, Roger. How far

along are you in high school? I don't go

to high school. We'll give him remedial

schooling and then a job training

program. Excellent. This is going to be

an exciting summer, Roger.

Well, what do you think, Maryanne? Shall

we adopt Roger for the summer?

Have you ever been arrested? That's an

offensive question, Maryanne.

Yes, little sister. I've been busted by

the pigs. Roger. In our community, the

pigs are known as police officers. Well,

where I come from, they're always known

as police officers.

Police officers.

Why were you arrested, Roger? Well, I

was walking along in a protest march

against the clan, singing the second

verse of We Shall Overcome.

Black and white together.

Black and white together.

We know the song, Roger. And when this

man stepped off the sidewalk and hit me

over the head with a lead pipe, well,

needless to say, I fell down and he

started kicking me. And then the

police officers arrested me. Roger, you

must promise to never go on one of those

protest marches again or sing that

overcome song again. Never. Well, if you

feel the urge, you may sing it in the

privacy of your own room.

Well, Maryanne, do you approve of Roger?

I think we should ask Dennis first. Yes.

Who's Dennis?

Dennis Urkl. He's captain of the

lacrosse team. Why do we need Dennis

Urkl's approval? His father is Judge

Urkl. He's going to run for superior

court. And his chances might be

jeopardized if his son's fiance has him

living in the house. Fiance. Maryanne

and Dennis are going together, sort of

unofficially engaged.

Maryanne, don't you think you should

inform your father about something as

important as an engagement? I did. I

called daddy in Westport and he gave me

his blessing. Not that father. Me, your

legal father, Walter Whitney, who's

clothed, fed, and housed you while that

drunken Westport hasn't even bothered to

visit you in two years. Mother, I will

not sit here and have Walter slander my

father.

I just knew he'd cause trouble.

[Music]

We are all a bit upset. I think perhaps

it's best we wait until morning before

taking a vote. Vote? What vote? On

whether to take Roger into our home. We

discussed all that, Walter. I never

agreed to a vote. It's our decision,

just yours and mine. Please, Walter. I

don't want to argue the point. I didn't

take a vote when I adopted Maryanne. She

is my natural child. It was the only

decent thing to do. By that logic, if he

were my natural son, I'd have every

right to expect you, my wife, to accept

him. Don't make ludicrous parallels,

Walter. No, I mean it, Vivien. If Roger

were my son, you'd accept him. Yes,

Walter. If he were your son, of course.

All right, Vivien. I will let you be as

good as your word. Roger is my son. I

don't find that very amusing, Walter.

Neither do I, but it happens to be a

fact. That can't be. He's

And so was his mother.

This is really your son. Yes.

Your natural son? Yes.

Oh my god. And to think I was going to

let him live here.

You promised to accept him just I

accepted you a child. You tricked me.

Don't touch me, Walter. Don't ever touch

me again. You're getting hysterical. God

will never forgive you for having a

black child. How do you know, Vivian?

Maybe he'll be pleased. Maybe God is

black.

You will burn in hell for saying that,

Walter. Deep in my heart,

I do believe. Will you stop singing that

song? We shall overcome

someday.

Mr. Charlie, I got a feeling you better

start learning the words.

[Music]

Where's the boy? In the garage.

[Music]

Vivian

upstairs with Dr. Bristol and Reverend

Hayworth.

[Music]

How is she? She's under sedation.

Reverend Hayworth is praying with her.

I even had to give Maryanne

tranquilizers.

I've been the Longhurst family doctor

for 40 years. I delivered Vivian and to

see her in this state of shock.

You must be a satist flaunt a black son

in front of her. I didn't flaunt him.

He's not black. He's what interior

decorators call hickory bronze. Same

color as your new car. I would just

assume you did not compare that boy to

my new car.

I no longer consider myself your

personal physician and I would advise

you not to get sick in San Marino, Mr.

Whitney.

Your father-in-law wants the family to

spend the night at his house.

I don't see God's book around. Walter,

I'm sorry.

Sorry is for those seeking forgiveness.

Are you seeking forgiveness, Walter?

Forgiveness for what? Reverend Vivian

said you told her that God is black. I

simply posed it as a possibility. We

don't speculate on God's color. Walter,

if you ever want Vivian to speak to you

again, go upstairs and tell her that God

is white, but we're really not sure. I

mean, the Hindus don't believe it. The

Muslims, the Buddhists. God is white.

It's simple logic. His son is white.

That's not proof. I'm white. My son is

black.

I'll pray for you, Walter.

A companion Alleso with the Amiko.

[Music]

Walter,

this is the most critical night of your

life. I I was beginning to get that

feeling,

but one which you can easily survive

provided we proceed with delicacy and

good taste. And Roger is not good taste.

Someday perhaps, but not at the moment.

When does Roger become fashionable? Who

makes those decisions? People. Me, you,

me.

Have I been wrong all these years in

interpreting your silence as approval?

That's human. People lean anyway the

wind blows. The wind blows white, not

black. Blows Whitney, not Weisenthal.

You must not legally recognize the boy.

As long as he is considered

illegitimate, society is not threatened.

Someday the torch of leadership of power

will be passed to you. We must feel

confident that when your turn comes to

pass on the torch, he won't put it in

the hands of someone who would burn down

the country with it. Pass on the torch

to him.

I don't think of Roger as my future.

I even resent his being here.

But I have a serious problem, Nelson. A

flaw in my character.

I don't have the sense of commitment or

strength or courage to look at him and

say, "Go away. It never happened.

Walter, you were like a son to me. But

as you well know, having a son can turn

out to be a bitter disappointment.

Mr. Charlie. Hey, where you going? To

work. If you're hungry, there's food in

the kitchen. Otherwise, stay in your

room. Can I go swimming in the pool?

Maybe tomorrow. Just stay in your room

and read. And if you can't read, just

sit and draw pictures. Mr. Charlie,

I want you to know that no matter what

happens, I'm behind you 100%. You can

even rub my head for good luck. I don't

believe in superstitious myths. Oh,

there's no myth about black people

changing your luck. Well, you only met

me yesterday and already your luck has

changed, hasn't it? I never thought of

it like that. Get your hand off the car.

[Music]

Sorry, Mr. Whitney. We can't let you in.

Can't let me in. Orders from the man

upstairs. I'm the man upstairs.

Mr. Lawhurst gave the order. Yes, sir.

We also got orders to confiscate your

car. My car? Yes, sir. It's company

property.

This is outrageous.

Hello.

I'd like to call my secretary. You don't

have a secretary anymore, sir.

[Music]

WLO Executive Security. May I have your

credit cards? My credit cards? Article 7

of your company contract. You Electron

shall reserve the right to revoke all

issued credit cards at any time. May I

have your credit cards, please?

[Music]

Thank you, sir. Have a nice day.

[Music]

And then he took out these scissors and

cut me in half. You don't know what it's

like to see yourself lying there on the

ground. Roger. Mr. Charlie, has anyone

been around this morning? Man, have I

been trying to reach you? Well, I called

your office and they said you didn't

even work there anymore. As soon as you

left, the whole family came back. Cops,

moving men, and everything. It's a wild

scene, Mr. Charlie. All your suitcases

are on the lawn. They're putting my

suitcases on the lawn. Not putting them,

throwing them.

What about my golf clubs? My fishing

gear? My dough bro. What's a dough, bro?

It's like a guitar.

Yeah, well, they just threw that on the

lawn, too.

I got a feeling you ain't welcome around

here anymore, Mr. Charlie. All right.

Now, listen. Call a cab, put everything

in it, and come down here to my lawyer.

242 Commtock. Got that? 242 Commtock.

She's throwing my things out of the

house. Yes, I know. I advised her to do

so. Your doseier, Walter.

Tax returns,

bank statements,

investments,

insurance,

everything. You advised

you, my dearest friend, my lawyer. I'm

still your dearest friend, but no longer

your lawyer. I agreed to represent

Vivien in the divorce. You agreed to

represent Viven? Oh, damn it, Walder. Do

you think I like doing this?

You're sold out. I'm recommending an

attorney, Bob Garvey. Because of the

uniqueness of the case, I think he's

eminently qualified to represent you.

I don't object to him recommending you,

Mr. Garvey. I object to the reason why

he recommended you. They're not going to

get away with this. I'm going to fight.

A fight, Mr. Whitney. A fight with what?

Money? I've got money. Oh, you mean you

have other funds that aren't listed

here? Of course not. Everything I have

is in there. Where is the boy now?

Downstairs waiting in the cab. Is a

meter running?

I mean, with a financial statement like

this, I'd watch every nickel.

Well, there must be some mistake, some

misprint. Well, your salary has gone

into a stock option plan, which is in

Vivian's name. There's a trust fund,

which is in Maryanne's name. Your bank

account is in Vivian's name. Man, you

don't even have a checking account. But

I didn't need checks. I had credit

cards.

All right, cutting through all the talk,

Mr. Garvey. What am I worth? How much

have you got in your wallet?

$68?

You mean that's it? That's it, baby.

I'm worth $68.

I know it's a very old cliche, Mr.

Whitney, but uh you still got your

health.

68 Dallas wants it. Well, until we get

them into court, we could always collect

unemployment. I can't. Not unemployment.

That's what they want to do. Break me.

Well, I'm not going to give them the

satisfaction. They're never going to

make me cruel. Never.

And stop smiling. Even you're beginning

to irritate me.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. You don't

have to apologize.

Social menopause is a very difficult

time for a man. Social menopause? Yes.

You're going through a change of color,

Mr. Whitney. You don't want to play the

game as a white man, so they're going to

let you watch it as a black man.

[Music]

This is it. It's got no swimming pool.

Maybe they got a tennis court in the

back. Stop complaining. They got TV and

free ice.

He'll be $22 and checkout time is noon.

There'll be no dope, no parties, no

fighting. Only people allowed in the

room is them that paid for it. Sounds

fair enough. Here you are. Okay. Room

13.

And if I give three short rings on the

telephone, that means the vice squad is

here.

the vice squad.

[Music]

He happens to be my son.

I've heard them all, mister. But that's

cute.

Hey, Daisy. Fell out here. Wait.

Hey, you have to put a quarter in to

make it work. They only promise free ice

cubes. I don't like ice cubes. Stop

whining and eat them. Will you stop

banging that set? I got to watch Starin

Hut. We can't afford them. Well, maybe

some quarters will come out. Roger, we

do not steal. It ain't stealing. I'll

put the quarters right back. We do not

steal, Roger.

Sorry, Mr. Charlie. Just seemed like the

natural thing to do. Then we will have

to control our natural instincts. Who

told you to take that bed? I can't sleep

on a narrow bed. Neither can I. Well, if

I don't get enough sleep, I wake up with

a headache. Your health is expendable.

I'm the one that we got to keep alive.

That bed is mine. I got it first. All

right, we'll let reason prevail. We'll

split the room in half. The space

between the bed shall be the dividing

line. Each man's half shall be his where

he can do as he pleases and into which

the other cannot cross without

permission. Call it heads.

Ts,

take that bed and I'll take this.

I sure hope you get a good job so we can

find a decent place to live. Don't worry

about me. I'll get a job. I've got

friends.

[Music]

Hey, Walter. Come in. Come in. Sit down.

Sit down.

Where is he? Where's who, Freddy? Your

son. Who told you? Vivian called Helen

this morning.

Is it really as black as she says?

How does it feel, Walter? Uncomfortable.

Freddy, I got to talk to you. Vivian

told Helen she threw you out of the

house. Yeah.

Look, I've got a favor to ask you. Where

are you and your son staying? In a

motel, Freddy, I'm I'm not with you in

Electron anymore. Vivian told Helen they

took your Rolls-Royce away.

Freddy, I need a job.

Nelson called the old man this morning,

Walter.

No chance, huh? Your name is [ __ ] around

here. I appreciate that, Freddy. I mean

it. There's nothing worse than being

left up in the air. I can loan you some

money. Vivian told Helen they took

everything you had. Oh, thanks, old

buddy. But I I'm fine. Just fine.

Well, see you around.

See me around where, Walter.

That's true.

Where

you want me to okay a loan without

collapse? I'll pay it back, Tubby. As

soon as I get a job. $2,000? That's a

lot of money. I said I'd pay it back. No

house, no car, no jewelry, no stocks.

You must have something you can put up

for security. I'm putting up our

friendship, Tubby. 15 years of

friendship guarantees I'll pay you back.

I'm giving you the ultimate collateral.

Walter Whitney's word. But your name

isn't Walter Whitney.

[Music]

765 for food, 25 cents for the paper,

bus fair, phone calls, lunch, $22 for

the room. We're down to 30 bucks. $22

again for the room. Tomorrow, phone

calls, buses, and it's kaput.

Eat, enjoy. This may become known as the

second last supper.

What's this? Cream cheese, bagel, and

locks. Oh, what's locks? Smoked fish. I

don't take smoked fish. Shut up and eat

it. It's soul food. This is soul food to

my group. Yes. You know, you're not the

only people who have soul. That sandwich

is the result of 6,000 years of

suffering. I don't understand. Don't

understand what? Well,

if you're that loyal to a sandwich, how

come you change your last name? None of

your business, Roger. Well, being that

your name is my name, too. I just wanted

to know what I should call myself. I

mean, after you make me legal, will I

still be Roger Porter? Whatever makes

you happy.

Roger Whitney?

Yeah, that's style.

Sounds like I belong.

Roger Weisenthal.

Nah, I don't feel right. I could just

see everybody saying you don't look like

no Weisenthal.

Hey, where you going? Out. You coming

back? Unless I get hit by a car or

struck down by lightning. But knowing my

luck, I'll be back.

Here we go. That's a good shot. You kind

of need to go. Go.

No. Oh, no. No, no. Okay, Dad. Try one

more.

I'll get it. Here. Throw it here. What?

Cut underneath the basket. Okay. Right

now. Okay. Here you go. There you go.

Okay. Here. I'm going to throw it. I

want a corner. Cut out here. You want me

to throw it to you then? You shoot it?

I'll get it, Dad. Don't worry about it.

Sorry. I'll get it. I'll get it.

Is that your boy? Yeah. What What is it?

He's He's about 17, right? Uh-huh. He's

a pretty good ball player. Not bad. I

got a son about that age, too. You want

to play a game, you and your son,

against me and my son? Three baskets

win. We'll play for $5. Okay, you're on.

Be back in 5 minutes. Okay.

Hey, where are we going? Pick up an easy

five bucks. Just hope those two turkeys

haven't left yet.

Okay, first team scores three baskets,

wins $5.

Hey, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait

a minute. Wait a minute. Supposed to be

my son against your son. Well, he is my

son. Come on, let's play. You take it

out first. Come on, son.

Okay, Dad. You didn't tell me we were

going to play basketball. Don't slam

dunk it right away. It'll scare him.

Listen, Mr.

Just do what comes naturally. Come on,

fellas. Let's play.

[Music]

Here we go. Here we go. Here we go.

[Music]

Come on, Roger. Stop kidding around.

[Music]

That's one.

[Music]

Stop clowning around. I didn't even get

a chance. Come on.

Okay.

[Music]

What the hell kind of shot was that?

It's the best I could do, Mr. Jolly.

That's the best you can do.

Five bucks. We blew five big ones. I

have to be the father of the only black

kid who can't play basketball. You

didn't have much luck finding a job,

huh? Look, jobs at my executive level

are not just floating around. But don't

worry, I'll get work somewhere. I heard

about a place today at Lincoln and Seco

where there's jobs for hardcore

unemployables. I am not a hardcore

unemployed. You go there in the morning,

right? And guys come by on trucks

looking for dudes to do odd jobs. Mowing

lawns, painting houses, cleaning

stables, picking stables. Where do you

even hear about a job like that? This

afternoon when I stopped to give this

guy a lift. How could you give someone a

lift? Roger. And the car was driving.

Car? Whose car? My car. Car? You have a

car? Yeah. I picked it up secondhand to

come out here. You have a car and you

didn't tell me you let me blow all my

money on cabs and buses. Well, I didn't

have a chance, Mr. Charlie. I mean,

everything happened so fast. You dragged

me to the car and you drove me to the

ocean, then to the store. Forget it.

Forget it. Where is it? It's over there.

It's the red one. Should have guessed.

Cost me $14 in a record player. You were

overcharged. You drove this 2,000 miles.

You could have been arrested for

littering the highway.

[Music]

Do you hear that engine? Needs a tuneup.

It's a menace. Leaves walking. No, it

doesn't.

[Music]

Hey, this gas fumes are in. That means

the engine's still running.

[Music]

Open the window.

[Music]

It's stuck. You won't open. We'll bang

on it a few times.

Hey, what are you doing to my car, man?

Your insurance will cover it, won't it?

What the hell was that? I don't know. We

may be on fire. On fire. That dude on

the bike, yell for him to get out of the

way cuz once I get rolling, I can't slow

down. Well, you're on. Don't have one.

Don't have one.

Out of the way. Out. Out of the way.

We've got no brakes.

Out of the way. We've got no brakes.

[Music]

Good morning, officer. Get the hell out

of here.

[Music]

85 cents. That's what we're down to. 85

cents. You can sign up for unemployment.

Never. That's what they want me to do.

Oh, how about welfare? Lots of black

families on welfare. We are not a black

family. Well, what's going to become of

us, Mr. Charlie?

I don't know.

I never thought it'd end up like this.

Eating sandwiches in a cheap motel. I

came to California figuring I'd live in

a mansion. Look where you dragged me.

Where I dragged you? I thought you'd

take better care of me. That's all. I'm

doing the best I can. I've been turned

down by every corporation in town. So,

we're talking wall here. We're doing

what? I mean, they really got you up

against the wall. Oh, yeah.

That's it. What's it? The wall? What

wall?

The money's in a wall safe behind the

picture of Viven's mother.

Right.

[Music]

Who is it? Who's there?

Don't hurt me.

Take what you want.

I know what you're going to do.

I know I can't talk you out of it. I

can't stop you. I'm I'm all alone. My

husband isn't here. I'm defenseless.

All right. Go ahead. Do what you're

going to do and leave.

Just go ahead and

get it over with.

Well, what are you waiting for? Go

ahead. Do it.

17 years of marriage and the only

memorable night with my wife was the

night I came in as a burglar. She was

like a wild woman. And you know, if

she'd have known it was me, she would

have gotten a headache. Roger. Mr.

Charlie. Roger. Remember that place you

mentioned?

the place for the hardcore

unemployables.

Yeah, it's on the corner of Lincoln and

Seco, but it's not that easy to get a

job there either. I mean, there's lots

of competition. Stop worrying. I can

hold my own with any misfit.

Come on, you guys. Let's go.

[Music]

After Roger registers, tell him to pull

my golf clubs and find a cheap furnished

apartment. I'll meet him in front of

your office when I'm done. Are you sure

you know what you're doing? They're not

going to beat me, Mr. Barbie.

Heat.

[Music]

Heat.

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

Any

[Music]

of you know how to load scrap iron?

All right, you in the blue cap across to

the white cap. Hop in the back of the

truck.

[Music]

You want a drink, buddy? 5 cents.

I only drink after work.

[Music]

Hey, any of you turkeys ever work in a

rock quarry? Yeah. All right, get on

you. Yeah, you. Come on. Get on.

All right, sit down and hang on.

Come on in.

[Music]

It's just you and me, buddy.

[Music]

Either you stiffs now to clean stables.

Yes, sir. I can. I'm available. Okay,

you dummy.

I think he means you.

Yeah, you dummy. Come on, get your butt

in the back on the double.

[Music]

[Music]

You shovel each and every one of these

real clean. Then come on over here to

this other barn.

Then you clean all of these. You start

all the way down there at that end.

Clean all these up to here. Then go back

down there and clean all those on that

side. You load it all on this wheelbar

here. Clear up to the top. Now you got

that. Come on then.

Come on. Then you walk it over here to

this pile and unload. Got it, Demi? Yes,

sir. Then you go over there to that barn

over there and start over again.

Now go back to number one and don't stop

till I tell you. Go ahead. Go.

Move it. Move it. Move it, dummy.

[Music]

[Music]

32 stalls.

You're okay, dummy.

[Music]

Mr. Charlie.

Mr. Charlie.

Hey. I I went to wait for you down at

Mr. Garvey's office, but when you didn't

show up, I came here.

[Music]

I hopped the golf clubs, found us a

furnished apartment.

Wasn't easy, but I found one.

had a rough day. Yeah.

[Music]

Once I lived the life of a million.

Spending my money.

I didn't care.

Carried my friends out

for a good time.

What would leg become champagne and wine

when I began

fall so long?

Nobody wants me.

I don't if I ever get my hands on a

dollar again, I'm going to hold on to it

till them holy ghost.

Oh

nobody knows you

when you dead and out

in my pocket

of glory

and my friends I have one

before I get on my feet again

and I find my long lost friend.

It's mighty strange

without a doubt.

No man can use you when you

I mean when you

Where are we? Roger. Watts. Mr. Charlie.

Watts.

What are we doing in Watts? Well, it's

not the fanciest apartment, but at least

it's home.

This is home.

This is home.

Get down to that store, boy. Your mama

be home in a minute.

I hope we don't have to pay for that.

I don't mind living at Watts, but do we

have to live in the poor section?

The lock sometimes gets stuck,

which in a way is good cuz you can hear

anyone trying to break in.

Who'd want to break in?

This is a furnished apartment.

This is terrible.

Terrible.

Oh, the better places wanted first and

last month's rent.

I only got $35 for the golf clubs.

$35? That was a complete set of McGregor

clubs. Where's the bedroom, Roger? Oh,

it pulls out. But one of us can sleep on

the couch. I thought that was the

bathroom. Yeah, I did, too, at first.

Where is the bathroom, Roger? It's um

down the other end of the porch.

No, never. I'm not sharing a communal

bathroom. It's unhygienic. That's

exactly how the other tenants feel, Mr.

Charlie. That's why every apartment has

its own toilet seat.

Now, it wasn't easy for me to get you in

here, Mr. Charlie. I mean, they weren't

too happy about having a white person in

the building. You're here on a trial

basis. Well, I don't want to lower the

standard of living.

I registered at a job training center

today. The only opening they had was in

a class for short order cooks. Short

order cook. That's a good trade. We can

always get a job. Yeah. And you can save

money with me doing the cooking. Now you

just sit down and relax.

What? I can feel the springs.

Hey, cut off the goddamn radio.

What's the carton? Uh, just something I

brought from home.

What's in it?

Just a lot of stuff that must belong to

you. To me? Yeah. I um found it in my

mom's closet after she died.

It's yours, ain't it?

It's mine. Be pretty embarrassing if it

belonged to some other dude, huh?

Mom was great for saving things.

I mean, if a bird left some crumbs on a

window sill, she'd leave him there like

she expected the bird to come back or

something. I mean, it never entered her

mind that the bird had forgotten where

she lived.

Hey, it's

it's like Cinderella,

you know, like the slipper fit and you

were once the prince, but it's midnight

and it's too late and prince has turned

back into a pumpkin.

Aside from mangling a beautiful fairy

tale,

the reason the slipper doesn't fit is

that the prince's feet are swollen from

shoveling horse manure all day so he can

support the pretender to the throne.

I cleaned 32 stables. I've been

following the horses all day, picking up

the pieces of my life.

In a couple of weeks, you're going to

have a trade. You'll get a job.

Then each of us goes his own way

until that time.

I'll shovel it. I'll live in it. But I

won't take it.

Think I'll go take a walk, huh?

I'm going to get off your back and get

right on your

You got to get

[Music]

all the

fear.

I live underneath.

[Music]

[Music]

We had difficulty finding you.

Forgive me for not getting up, but I had

a hard day at the stables. I got the job

without a character reference.

Walter, many strong words were said in

the heat of crisis.

But what you said was true. The wind

does blow white, not black. It does blow

Whitney, not Weisenthal.

When you're shoveling manure, you really

find out which way the wind is blowing.

I admire you, Walter.

I mean that.

You've shown a determination and a

ingenuity which I admire.

I thought you would break, but you only

bent.

I respect that ability to survive.

The company misses you, Walter.

Vivian misses you.

Come back.

Come home to the people you belong with.

What about Roger? Provisions will be

made.

A good military academy to strengthen

character. Tour of duty overseas in the

service of his country. And if by chance

he survives, in that case, he will be

sent adequate funds to permit him to

live comfortably.

It's a solution that will preserve your

integrity, your sense of obligation,

and most important, the quality of life

you've worked so hard to create.

I think Vivian would like to say

something in private.

Peace with Anna Walter.

Why peace at all, Nelson? I'm a

deserter. You execute deserters. Only as

a last resort.

You're one of us, Walter. And there are

so few of us. We are the true minority.

Those tiny wheels that keep the one big

wheel turning. If we vanish, that wheel

stops and it rust into chaos, anarchy,

nihilism.

All power to the people.

They had it once. It was called the

Stone Age.

I had a long talk with Maryanne, Walter,

and she's agreed to call your father.

Oh, Walter,

I know that I have on occasion failed

you as a woman, but I assure you I am a

woman capable of great warmth and

passion, but only for burglars. Oh,

Walter, I knew that was you all along.

Come home, Walter.

I'll be waiting.

[Music]

[Music]

They're after me. Mr. Charlie, what did

you do? What did I do? Nothing. I'm just

walking down the street, right? These

dudes come up, break a store window,

grab some stuff, and took off. Yeah.

Well, the police pulled up and I started

running. Innocent people don't run from

the police. Yeah. Maybe not in San

Marino, Mr. Charlie. They were probably

just trying to find out what happened.

Yeah, when a cop yells, "Freeze your

ass, nigga." He's made up his mind what

happened.

Open up. Police. Help me, Mr. Jolly.

The vent. Quick, hide in here. You'll

find me a minute. No, they don't do as I

say. Why? Because I'm your father and I

say so.

[Music]

Coming.

Show off pigs.

Watch out.

[Music]

[Music]

How you doing, Mr. Jolly? Not too good,

Roger. You get points today. Got

yourself arrested for me. roughed up.

Finally starting to act like a father,

huh? Enough. So I'll get off your back.

I didn't want anything from you, Mr.

Charlie.

No adoption, no trust fund, nothing.

I just came out here because every kid

wants to see what his dad is like.

I didn't want you to like me because I

was your son.

I wanted you to respect me because I was

mom's son.

But I looked in your eyes and you didn't

see mom.

You saw black

and mom deserve better than that.

You're older more than that.

I looked at you in that big office and I

kind of went crazy inside.

I said to myself, "This is the man who

broke mama's heart.

the man she spent her whole life loving

and waiting for.

And she died loving you, Mr. Charlie. I

think you ought to know that.

You walked away from a great lady.

There's no woman in the world could love

a man more than she loved you, Mr.

Charlie.

She'd have made you happy.

She knew how to make people happy.

I wanted to hurt you like you hurt mom.

I wanted to insult you so bad that you

get angry and take a swing at me, then

I'd have an excuse for punching you out.

Isn't that terrible? A son wanting to

hit his own father.

And I was glad when things went wrong

for you.

But then I realized no matter how much

bad happened to you, that couldn't make

any good happen to Mama.

She's dead, Mr. Charlie.

We'll never see her again, hear her

again,

touch her again.

She deserved a better life.

You should have given her a better life.

I should have given her a better life.

Did you love my mom, Mr. Charlie? This

is very important.

Did you love my mom? Yeah, I loved her.

I loved her very much.

Wow.

Black and white together.

It's a lot to overcome.

You go on back to your family, Mr.

Charlie. I got a feeling they'll be a

lot nicer to you now.

Well, you're really not a bad guy. I

mean, if you weren't my father, we might

have become friends.

Walter, just in time for the board

meeting, then lunch with the common

market delegation. It's as though these

past days never happened. Nothing's

changed. Everything changes constantly.

That's why we have to adapt so we can

always come out on top. Being on top

means somebody's on the bottom. Well,

you can't have winners if you don't have

losers. Why can't we all win, Nelson? No

losers.

That's what life is all about. Even

death has heaven and hell. Winners and

losers.

It's hard to hate you, Nelson.

You have just enough logic to give your

sickness respectability. You've

sentenced whole races of people to be

born losers. And as the father of one, I

object. Not that he was born with two

strikes on him, but that you won't give

him a third pitch to swing at.

Goodbye, Nelson.

You walk out this time, Walter, and I'll

destroy you.

When I'm through with you, you'll think

shoveling horseshit is a step up.

I just don't understand. Why is he going

back there? He was going to learn a

trade here. What's he going to do back

there? Well, the new college semester

starts in a couple of weeks.

Well, what's that got to do with him? He

said he left high school when he was 16.

That's when he graduated, Mr. Whitney.

Graduated? He made me promise not to

tell you. He goes to college. Roger

received a scholarship from

Northwestern.

It's where I worked. He's in his second

year of premed.

He was right, Mr. Garvey. I looked at

him and I saw black. I didn't see

Lorraine, what she was, what she would

have brought up our son to be. I looked

at him and I didn't see a college

student. I saw a high school dropout.

I didn't see a doctor.

I saw a short order cook.

Look, there he is.

Roger. Yeah.

Just wanted to wish you a good trip.

Thanks.

If you need something, I mean, if you

need money or anything, I can always be

reached through Mr. Garvey. Well, if you

need anything, I mean, if you run short

or something, I mean, I'll be at Aunt

ClariS.

Well, have a good trip, Roger. So long,

Mr. Charlie.

You know, uh, Mr. Charlie doesn't sound

right. Not when you're saying goodbye.

Well,

so long, Dad.

I had this friend back in Evston, uh,

Bernie Leven. Every time he'd come out

here, he'd try and talk me into coming

back there and working for him. I

thought I might just go there and take

him up one. It's not far from the

university. Might give us a chance to

see one another every once in a while,

have dinner, talk,

maybe take in a ball game, get to know

one another.

I mean, maybe we'll never get to be

friends, but then

maybe we will. I mean, it's worth a try.

Yeah,

we'll have a good trip, son.

Hey, listen.

If I'm going to go back there, I might

as well start now. Wouldn't hurt to have

someone along. I'm a pretty good

mechanic. Good idea.

[Music]

You can send the rest of this stuff to

me. It is a ClariS. Well, all right. All

right.

Heat. Heat.

[Music]

Hey, I almost forgot. Um, this picture

of mom thinks she'd like you to have it.

[Music]

Let's take the long way home. The long

way home. We'll let them believe they've

lost us. I'm off the talk and dream. The

blow off steam. Believe in the dream

comes true.

There's hope in a new beginning. I see

the hell with the past.

Keep loving the blood between us. You

take our time and say the best

closer

[Music]

you

[Music]

survive. What the [ __ ]

[Music]