Original subtitles

Excuse me, Joey, Mr. Emerson...

...since the dishes are done, can I go over to Erika's?

Sheila, let me ask you something.

Why do you always callhim "Joey" and me"Mr. Emerson?"

Well, Joey is sort of like a friend at school.

And you're, like, the principal.

Do you want me to start calling you by your first name?

Yeah, well, I guess we can give it a try.

- Roc, can I-- - No, no, no. Hold.. No, no...

You-you can call me Mr. Emerson.

Now, you can go over to Erika's but remember

I want you home before it gets dark.

What time is that?

- 7 o'clock. - 8 o'clock.

- 8:00 it is, see ya. - Well, ho-hold on...

Hold on, young lady, I want you here by 7:00.

Alright.

Joey, what're you thinkin'?

By 8 o'clock, it's completely dark outside.

Roc, look, I will bet you $10 that tonight the sun sets

closer to 8 o'clock than 7 o'clock.

- Okay, let's check it out. - Let's look at the paper.

Let's check it out...

Alright, there you go.

"Sunset: 6:56 p.m." Where's my ten?

Alright. Double or nothin' on the barometric pressure.

♪ There's a man ♪

♪ With no future ♪

♪ So it seems ♪

♪ He can't live out his dreams ♪

♪ Now he's trapped into thinking ♪

♪ He won't succeed ♪

♪ And he can't believe ♪

♪ Live your life today ♪

♪ Oh yeah ♪

♪ Not for tomorrow ♪

♪ Not for tomorrow ♪

♪ Oh ♪ Oh-h-h ♪

♪ Live your life today ♪

- Well, did you find her? - No, we looked everywhere.

Okay, the kids left Erika's house at 6:30

to get ice-cream, right?

Alright, we checked the Mini Mart

the video store, the school yard.

Where else could she be?

It's 9:20, now if she's not home by 10:00

I'm callin' every house in this neighborhood.

- There she is. - Oh, thank God!

- Oh, man, that's pop. - Damn!

Oh, this is terrible.

Well, if you want me to move out, just say so.

Daddy, we were just worried because Sheila is not home yet.

Oh, no.

Hey, people...

- Are we glad to see you? - Sheila, are you alright?

Sure I'm alright, I was at the movies.

What were you doin' at the movies?

Uh, sitting in the dark eating over-priced candy.

'Sheila, come here.'

Now, you were told to be home by 7 o'clock.

That's right. Now, you go upstairs to your room

and think about what you've done

while we decide how we're gonna punish you.

Before I go, let me say this...

I was wrong and I'm sorry I worried everybody.

I love you all very much.

I didn't realize how lucky I was to have people who care about--

Nice try, Sheila. Go on upstairs now.

Okay, okay, we-we gotta come up with a way to punish her.

Well, the best way to punish kids

is to take away their privileges.

That's perfect, pop. We'll take away something she likes.

Wait, h-hold it, Roc. Don't you think that's a little harsh?

I mean, come on, all she did was lose track of time.

It's not like she broke one of your big rules, you know, like

throwin' away the toothpaste

before it's been squeezed in a vice.

Let me tell you somethin', you no-job, no-money-havin' nutjob.

I hope you realize that when we go up there

we've gotta put on a united front.

That means, you have to agree with everything I say.

Who's gettin' punished here? Her or me?

- Daddy... - Uh-huh.

Did Joey and Roc ever get along at all?

Oh, sure, when they were kids.

It was October day, mid-'60...

Come in.

Uh, Sheila, we were worried about you tonight and, um...

...what you did was irresponsible.

So, Joey and I are gonna have to punish you.

Right. Oh, cool. You got a Tetris.

Hey, you ever play Super Mario Bros.?

- Sure. - Hey, let me ask you somethin'.

Why're they plumbers? What's up with that?

- Hey, Joey... - 'Huh?'

Oh-oh, yeah, okay.

Hey, look, Sheila, when we give you a curfew

you're supposed to obey it.

I know, I'm sorry.

But look, we don't like doing this but we're gonna have to...

...teach you a lesson.

So we've decided to take away something you like.

Mm-hmm.

What do you like?

Let's see...

I like ugly clothes that make me look fat.

I like listening to Grandpa Andrew tell stories about

when he had a big afro and used to stick it to the white man.

And liver.. There is nothing like a big slab of liver.

Yeah, right.

Okay, boom box, Walkman, tapes... You're into Hip Hop music.

I'm taking away your music for a week.

But I don't really like Hip Hop.

I just listen to it so that the other kids will accept me.

It's a peer pressure thing.

Actually I'm heavy into Garth Brooks.

Look, Sheila, what you did was wrong, okay?

So going without music for a week

is not that high a price to pay.

Wait a minute, that's not all.

You're not goin' to that TLC concert on Sunday.

- What? - What?

- What? - But they're my favorite group.

I know that. So when you're sitting home Sunday

you can think about how important it is

to keep your curfew.

But this is the only time they'll be in Baltimore

all year. By the time they go on tour again

I'll be old and un-cool.

I won't be def, "D-E-F.."

...I'll be deaf, "D-E-A-F."

Well, can you hear this?

Rules are rules and I'm sorry.

- Oh, hey, Eleanor. - Hey.

What're you doin'?

Oh, I'm fillin' out this questionnaire I got

from the Democratic party.

They want my opinion on how President Clinton is doin' it

runnin' the country.

Oh, is that what he's doing?

I thought he was, uh, White House-sittin'.

Daddy, come on now...

Now, here's the first question. See?

"What do you think of President Clinton's

handling of the economy?"

Well, I think he's handling it right into the ground.

At the rate he's goin', everyone will be unemployed

includin' his own family.

His brother, Roger Clinton, will be on the street with a sign.

"Will promise not to sing for food."

Daddy, you are impossible.

For 12 years you complained about Reagan and Bush.

Now that we got a guy in there that at least admits

that the country has some problems

you're all up in his face.

Well, to tell you the truth...

...I kinda miss Reagan and Bush right now.

Oh, daddy, stop it now.

Well, at least they were honest.

They said, "We're Republicans, we're rich.

And if we got anything left, we'll trickle it down to you."

You're a mess. You know that, don't you?

Hey, Sheila, honey, how're you doin'?

- Okay. - Alright then.

- Mrs. Emerson. - Yeah.

- I wanna ask you a question. - Mm-hmm.

You like Motown, right?

Oh, yeah, the Four Tops, The Temptations, the Marvelettes...

Oh, yeah, girl, I loved all those groups.

Well, there are a whole bunch of Hip Hop groups

that sound a lot like 'em.

Oh, I know. I know. Uh-huh, I'm hip.

Uh, Jodeci, Boys II Men... Oh, yeah, I keep up.

I may have shoes older than they are but I keep up.

Well, Jodeci has a video comin' on right now on Channel 5

if you'd like to see it.

I bet it's a good one too, huh?

- Oh, yes. - We should watch it.

Yeah.

- Mrs. Emerson. - Mm?

That's not the Jodeci video, it's the news.

I know it's the news.

But instead of manipulating me, why don't you try manipulating

your mind into thinkin' this is the Jodeci video?

Please let me watch the video. Please?

Gee, don't even try workin' those

big, brown, sad eyes on me.

I was a little girl once too, you know?

I know all the tricks of the trade. Watch...

Sheila...

Sheila, please...

Please take your punishment like you're supposed to.

Please pick your lip up off the floor.

- Please! - Alright. I get it.

Please, Sheila!

Hey, Joey, you're just in time

to imagine the Jodeci video with Sheila.

Say what?

Just make sure she watches the news.

- Bebop, what's up? - Nothin' much.

Alright, alright, alright. Look...

You've been moping around this house all week now.

- You wanna talk about this? - You know what it is.

I wanna go to the concert and I can't.

Well, what you did was wrong. You gotta learn your lesson.

Joey, I learned my lesson when Mr. Emerson took away my music.

Now, he didn't have to take away the concert too.

That just wasn't fair.

Okay, look, now, sometimes Roc seems unreasonable

but he means well.

I don't believe I just said that.

Come on, you know how I feel.

Yes, I know exactly how you feel.

You know, one time when I was your age

Roc was babysittin' me

and I wanted to go to an Orioles game, right?

I wanted to sneak out.

Roc said, "No, it's against the rules. It's against the rules."

See, Roc was old for his age.

When we used to play cops and robbers...

...Roc was the judge.

- So did you just stay home? - No, I didn't stay home.

I called my boy, Eddie, and he called Roc and told him

he'd just won a free pizza and he had to go pick it up, right?

Roc went tearin' out the front door

and I snuck out the back. It was a classic.

Joey, you could be my Eddie.

You can help me sneak out to this concert.

Yeah, that's a great idea.

When Roc finds out, you can help me pack.

You said yourself your brother was unreasonable.

He's unreasonable, he's stubborn and he's pig-headed.

He's also employed.

And he provides me with a meager yet surprisingly

satisfying existence here.

Joey, think about how good you felt when you saw

your brother chasing after that phony pizza.

Wouldn't you like to feel that good again?

Yeah.

Hey, I've already learned my lesson. You know that.

- Alright, alright, I'll do it. - Yes.

- I love you, Joey. - Yeah.

And I know you'll come up with something good and sneaky.

That kid's a bad influence on me.

Okay, Bebop, Roc's downstairs. The game's on. You all set?

Yeah, let's run it down one more time.

Okay, I'll be downstairs with Roc, right? Watching the game...

You come downstairs and you say...

"Can somebody please take me to the library?"

- Then you say... - "Not me."

"I'm not movin' from this seat."

Then Roc goes through his whole routine...

"Joey, you're a worthless brother, man.."

"You never do anything, man.." Blah-blah-blah-blah.

Then he tells me to take you to the library

and we're off to the TLC concert. You all set?

- Yeah. - Alright, ready?

- Ready. - Break!

- Hey, Roc, how're you doing? - Shut up.

- You want some potato chips? - Why not? I paid for 'em.

That explains why I never heard of that brand.

Can somebody please take me to the library?

Not me. I'm not movin' from this seat.

Okay, come on. I'll take you.

Wa-Wait... What about the ball game?

He just announced it was rained out.

Come on, Sheila, let's go.

Yeah, yeah, man...

You go ahead and take her 'cause, pish, I'm tired.

Well, I can understand that, Joey.

I mean you've put in a full eight hours

of inhaling and exhaling.

I do plenty around here. I eat breakfast, take a nap.

I eat lunch, take a nap. I eat dinner and...

Look at that, it's nap-time.

Joey, get off that couch. You're takin' Sheila to the library.

Any nappin' around here is gonna be done

by the guy who has a social security number...

...me!

Alright, but I need $10 for gas.

What? The library ain't in Virginia. Here...

Here, take a five.

Alright, now I'll have me a beer and start my relaxing

just make sure you stay at the library and help her.

Don't worry, Mr. Emerson.

He'll be sittin' next to me the whole time.

Section A, seats 2 and 3.

Mm-hmm.

Hey, sweetheart, what're you up to?

Hey, Roc, baby, I was bakin' some cookies for Sheila.

Oh, I thought that'd cheer her up

since she's been mopin' all around the house.

Yeah, her and Joey just left for the library.

Oh, poor girl, stuck at the library

on the day Joey was supposed to take her to that concert.

Yeah, I know. That's the way it goes, you know?

You break the rules and you have to...

The concert's today?

- Yeah. - Joey!

Joey!

Joey!

He tricked me!

It's like Eddie and the free pizza all over again.

What're you talkin' about, Roc?

I can't believe that brother of mine.

He sat right here and put on this big act

like he didn't want to take Sheila to the library.

Next thing you know, I'm sendin' him out to the concert.

I even gave him $5 to get gas.

Roc, baby, the tank was full.

Eleanor, when I see him

I'm gonna need bail-money, alright?

Okay, thanks for looking again. Yeah...

See? I told you. They never even showed up at the library.

Well, you called it, Roc.

That does it. You know all those cookies I baked for Sheila?

I'm gonna eat 'em all myself.

So, geologically speaking, the Pleistocene Era

was relatively recent, huh.

You mean the Mesozoic era was millions of years

before the Pleistocene?

That's right. M before P, that's how I always remember it.

Oh, so it sounds like you two had a good day at the library.

Oh, yeah, we studied geology, biology

you know, all the other major "ologies"

Oh, that's good, Joey. And I'm glad to see

you takin' an interest in Sheila's school work.

So you were there the whole time?

That's right. Except for when we stepped out

to grab a bite to eat.

Oh, yeah? Where'd you go?

We went to that burger place across the street.

Oh, is that right? What'd you have?

- We had a burger, Roc. - Mm-hmm...

Uh, with cheese?

Yeah.

Ketchup?

Yup.

- Onions? - Mm-hmm.

Did you have pickles, Joey?

I mean, did you have, you know, pickles on your burger?

Did you have pickles, Joey?

I don't think your interest in pickles is sincere, Roc.

- What's up? - I'll tell you what's up, Joey.

I don't believe you two ever went to the library.

And if you didn't go to the library

then where could you have gone? Hmm?

Let's see... Could you have gone to--

Alright, we went to the TLC concert.

Ah, Joey, you ruined it.

That was the big finish he was workin' up to.

Young lady, I'll deal with you in a minute.

Joey, you and I have got a big problem.

Wait a minute, Roc, before you get on your soap box

let me say somethin', okay.

You got the wrong idea about raising kids.

Now, being her guardian does not mean being her warden.

Oh, Sheila, look, Sheila, I'm about to scream at Joey.

Would you mind leaving the room, huh?

What the hell's the matter with you, Joey?

Roc, the punishment should fit the crime.

Now, you went too far by not letting that girl

go to that concert.

Joey, I might be inclined to agree with you

if you hadn't been so childish, so irresponsible

and just plain stupid

and snuck her out of the house.

I bet you put her up to this.

I didn't. She came to me.

Joey, that's an all-time low for you blaming an 11-year-old girl.

- Why don't you ask her then? - Okay, alright, ask...

Sheila! Sheila, get in here.

You know, I'm gonna tell you what your friend

has been sayin' about you.

He said sneakin' out to the concert was your idea.

- It was. - Go back in the kitchen.

I don't care whose idea it was. You shouldn't have helped her.

Joey, you can't let Sheila break the rules

just because you wanna be her friend.

Yeah, no, that's right. Come on, Joey, we promised her father

before he went to prison that we would raise her up right.

I'm just doin' what I think he would want.

And I think I'm doin' what he would want.

- Oh, you do, huh? - Yes, I do.

You do, huh? Okay... Sheila! Get in here.

Sheila, when your father punished you

was he strict like me or lenient like Joey?

- Lenient like Joey. - Go back to the kitchen!

Now, listen...

I'm not a parent, you know... So maybe...

Maybe I don't know what I'm doin'.

But I do know one thing, when I look out that door

I see drugs, gangs and kids in trouble.

You know why they're in trouble, Joey?

'Cause the government doesn't give a damn, that's why.

And that thing called television could care less about the images

of African-Americans they put out there

for these youngsters to emulate.

And there are some adults who don't teach these kids

right from wrong. I mean, kids need discipline, Joey.

More today than ever before.

Roc, I agree with you, but sometimes

it works the other way.

That's what you don't understand.

Sometimes you can be so tough on these kids

you push 'em right into all that bad stuff.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, maybe so, Joey.

But once the punishment has been set, all of the adults

have to stick with it.

You cannot let her manipulate us

and then play us against each other.

Alright, maybe I made a mistake.

Yes you did. Now, the only way she's gonna learn

is if we double her punishment.

Two weeks in the house. No phone, no friends over

no music, no TV... Particularly that FOX network.

And guess what? You're the one who's going to tell her.

Why me?

Well, it makes sense, son. You're the weak link.

Alright, alright, fine. I can be tough.

Come on, bring her on. Bring her on.

- Okay, alright... - Mm-hmm.

Alright, Sheila! Sheila, get in here.

Do I have to keep coming back and forth like this?

- It's making me dizzy. - Mm.hmm.

Well, Sheila, your friend has something to say to you.

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm...

Alright, alright.. Look here, Bebop, there something I--

No, no, no, no. Use her real name.

You can't get tough with them little cute nicknames.

Alright, Sheila Hendricks, you did wrong

and you're gonna learn your lesson, okay?

So for the next two weeks, you'll stay in the house.

No phone, no music and no friends.

Are we serious about the friends?

And I'm serious about the friends.

- Okay, Joey. Is that all? - Yes. Now, you, uh...

What? Go to her room? Go to your room.

Good. Hopefully, now, Sheila has learned her lesson.

Mm-hmm, you know, we were strict, you know what I mean

but if that's the only way we can get through to her

that's the way it's gonna be.

Yeah, but there's no way of knowin' that.

There's no way of knowin' whether you did right

or if you had any effect on her at all.

As a parent, the only thing you can be sure of

is that you're gonna have lots of worries

and make a bunch of mistakes.

Well, then what's the point of havin' kids, pop?

I don't know.

Sufferin' builds character.

But there is a silver lining.

You can take comfort in knowing that some day...

...your children are gonna have to go through all this grief

with kids of their own.

Well, goodnight.

Ah, this has certainly been a fun day for me.

Hello.

Sure, we filled out the questionnaire

on President Clinton.

So the Democratic party wants a donation from us?

Oh, sure. Like most over-taxed working class families

we're just dying to give our money away.

Tell you what, I'll give you a $1000 when unemployment

drops to zero, when the homeless have adequate housing

when there's a hospital bed for everybody that needs one

and.. Hello...

Hello?

Oh, they cut me off before I could tell 'em

I think I'm Clinton's long-lost brother.