All language subtitles for L.A. Law S08E09 Rhyme and Punishment

Previously, on L .A. Law. You made a
list of reasons you want me to father

child. I told you, this baby is the most
important consideration in the world to

me. Can I have the baby?

I've been trying to convince myself I
can do this, but the truth is, I can't.

Hey, how you doing?

Fine, thank you.

Get all your shopping done?

Most of it. How about you?

Nothing. I'm going to be in the stores
like every night between now and

Christmas.

That's a pretty cross.

Thanks.

Can I ask you a question?

Mm -hmm.

Do you wear it as a religious symbol?

As opposed to what?

The way it looks.

I don't know. I don't usually separate
the two things.

I was just curious.

What are you curious about?

Well, I guess... I'm curious about
whether or not you're a religious

I know that's none of my business.

Well, if it so happens, I am.

I'm not religious the way you are.

That's all right.

Is that all right? I don't mean to sound
as if I'm judging you. It's just

sometimes I feel that people who wear
crosses, especially who wear ones like

that, it's just fashion. They don't
think about what it stands for. You

Jane, I went to Catholic school for 12
years.

I know about Jesus Christ.

I know about the Blessed Virgin.

I know all the stations of the cross and
all the sacraments and all about the

lives of the saints, okay?

Whether or not I still go to church,
whether or not I read the Bible or even

a Bible, this is as much mine to wear as
it is yours.

You're absolutely right.

In the lane, snow is glistening.

A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight.

Walking in a winter wonderland.

Gone away is a new bird.

Here today is a new bird.

These things are gone as we go along.

Walking in a winter wonderland.

Pincus versus Pincus.

We represent Nat Pinkett.

I'm appearing with the permission of the
court.

Wait a minute. You represent the Nat
Pinkett, the comedian?

Right. You're kidding.

What's the case? Nat's living with a
woman who's about 30 years younger than

him. His son thinks she's taking undue
financial advantage, and he wants his

father declared incompetent to manage
his assets.

You see, everyone thinks a young woman
could only be with an older man for his

money. The truth is, while I think this
woman loves him, I've had my doubts

about how competent Nat is. Nat's no
youngster. Does that correspond to his

being incompetent, Douglas?

Absolutely not.

Move along.

Ruskin versus Delgato.

This is mine. We represent Bernard
Ruskin, a poetry publisher.

He owned a mailing list of people who
buy poetry books and attend poetry

readings. A former employee appropriated
the list and gave it to Mr. Delgato, to

whom he's currently employed.

Is this likely to go to trial? We're
very far apart. It may.

Well, then why are you handling it?

Because no one else is available. It's
certainly not because...

Poetry is something that appeals to me.
Well, I never thought that it did. You

just don't usually try cases. If I need
help, I'll ask for it. You're a little

defensive, aren't you, Douglas? Not at
all.

I'm not at all defensive.

I happen to love poetry.

Do you really? Yeah. Emily Dickinson, T
.S. Eliot, Shakespeare's sonnets. I love

that stuff.

Oh, I would like to remind everyone that
for this year's Mackenzie Brackman

Christmas Party, we are committed to a
major gala. Chance to show off your

renovations, eh?

Maybe you can recite something, Douglas.

This meeting's adjourned.

What is your relationship to Nat Pincus?

He's my father.

How often do you see your father?

I used to see him at least once a week.

That fell off to twice a month, then
once a month, and then he stopped

to see me at all. Was the diminution of
visits with your father related to any

specific change in your father's life?

It was related to Morgan Farrell coming
to live in my father's house. Would you

describe for us what your understanding
of your father's relationship with Ms.

Farrell is?

She's his mistress.

And what was it about her moving into
the house that resulted in your not

your father as often as you had before?

I felt as though she was controlling my
father. I felt as though she was taking

advantage of him. I spoke my mind. I
became unwelcome in their home.

What specifically led you to believe
that Miss Farrell was taking advantage

your father? A week after she moved in,
he bought her a new Jaguar.

Inside of the first two months, she
bought herself a Cartier watch.

Two months ago, he put the house in her
name. Would you describe how Miss

Farrell behaved toward your father?

She belittled him. It seemed to me that
he was frightened of her, that he was

desperate for her approval.

I felt then and I feel now that it is my
duty as my father's son to intervene.

There are those who would say that
you're after his money. I don't need his

money. I have enough money.

Then why not let it go, Mr. Pincus? Why
not just let your father live his own

life? Because I love him.

And I don't want to see him get hurt.

I have nothing further.

Mr. Pincus?

You said that Miss Farrell belittled
your father. Will you tell us the kinds

things she did?

She'd talk down to him.

She'd get impatient.

She'd interrupt him.

When he'd tell a joke, she'd hold up
fingers to let him know how many times

recently told it. My father doesn't get
quiet too often. She could make him get

quiet. She also encouraged him to
perform again, didn't she?

Yes, she did. But my father didn't want
to perform.

He wanted to sit in kibitz with his
friends at the Friars Club. He wanted to

play cards. Your father says otherwise,
does he not?

My father says otherwise.

You don't believe him?

My father is absolutely terrified about
getting on stage at this point in his

life. He is terrified about getting
through a routine.

Is it that he's terrified or that you're
embarrassed?

It's not like it used to be, Pop. Don't
talk to me! Gentlemen, please, let's not

address each other directly.

Isn't it a fact, Mr. Pincus, that you
walked out on your father when he was in

the middle of performing at a Friars
Club roast? Objection. I think that's

completely irrelevant.

When I was ten years old, I sat under a
table at the nightclub of the Concord

to watch you perform.

I was embarrassed.

I was thrilled beyond belief.

But you always said that you would know
when to stop.

You said you didn't want what happened
to other comics to happen to you.

It happened, Dad.

It happened.

And I got to tell you when to stop.

I got to protect you.

What is the nature of your operation,
Mr. Del Giotto?

I'm a promoter. What do you promote?

All these shows.

Rock concerts.

Celebrity softball games, celebrity
golf, celebrity tennis.

We do it all.

Including, of recent times, poetry
reading.

Right. You have an event coming up later
this week, do you not? Yes, I do. I

have a major event scheduled.

How did you go about advertising this
event?

I put a couple ads in the paper, and we
have a few radio spots running. You also

use direct mail, do you not?

Yes, we do.

That would suggest that you use a
mailing list, is that correct?

Right. How did you come into possession
of that mailing list, Mr. Del Giotto?

Well, an individual who works for me
compiled it. What was the name of that

individual?

Ira Maitelka. Isn't it a fact that Ira
Maitelka compiled that list while

for the Southern California Poetry
Society?

I wouldn't know how to answer that.
Where was Ira working when you

him? You would know the answer to that.
Mr. Brackman, could you control your

client, please?

There's a vast untapped market in this
country of people who are bound by the

love of verse, and I intend to tap into
that market. You're not entitled to tap

into that market. You have no
credibility as a poet. You have no

a publisher. Meantime, I'm the one who's
out there doing it, and I'm the one

who's getting them in the tent, and I'm
the one who's got Mamie Van Dorn coming

in to read poetry, so don't talk to me
about credibility.

Hello, Tommy.

Roxanne.

Thanks for seeing me.

I know my phone call must have seemed
out of the blue.

Is everything okay?

Oh, everything's fine.

How's that baby?

She's great.

David Meyer and I got remarried. Yeah, I
heard.

David wants to adopt Casey.

In order for that to happen, we need for
you to surrender parental rights.

I assume that you'd have no objection to
doing that.

You know, I've never even seen her.

Well, she's right outside.

Do you want me to bring her in?

Yeah.

I'd like to ease any potential
awkwardness here by saying that Roxanne

filled me in on the details of your
relationship, and I just want you to

that the feeling I'm left with is one of
overwhelming gratitude.

This is Casey.

Oh, you did good, Rox.

She's so pretty.

Can I hold her for a minute?

Can I have a little time to think about
this?

Do you need to think about it?

Yeah.

What do you consider to be a little
time?

I don't know, Roxanne.

We're leaving for Europe in less than
two weeks, Tommy.

I can't help that.

Let's go, David.

Tell me what happened.

What happened is that Tommy called me
this morning and said that he wasn't

to agree to the adoption.

Can he do that?

He's the biological father. He does have
his rights where his child is

concerned. You remember Arnie?

He told me he had no faith in his
ability to be a parent. Which, in the

eyes, will certainly help your case.

You think this will get to court? I
think we should do everything we can to

avoid getting to that point.

Well, what should we do?

I think we should sit down, the four of
us, discuss this.

Negotiate with Tommy. Find out what he
wants and how we can possibly

him. What if he still says no?

Then we take him to court.

Tell me something.

What's that?

My mom's still new here.

The other day, Miss Halliday said
something to me, and I opened up my

her. Is that like I had a line here or
what?

What'd you say?

Well, she implied that this cross that I
was wearing was sacrilegious.

Did she say that?

Well, not in so many words, but I know
that's what she meant.

And what did you say?

Well, I told her I was a good Catholic
girl and that I didn't need religious

instructions from her.

Well, that doesn't sound all that out of
line.

I know she's the lawyer and I'm the
secretary, but so what?

For what it's worth, I've never found
Jane to be particularly judgmental about

stuff like that.

Really?

She might have been just making
conversation.

I don't know.

You were probably just thinking about
all those times the nuns chastised you.

What makes you think the nuns ever
chastised me?

Huh?

In 1985, you were hired by Bernard
Ruskin to work for the California Poetry

Society. Is that right?

Yes. What exactly were you hired to do?

General clerical work. We published a
number of poetry anthologies. We

poetry readings.

I was basically in charge of the
paperwork.

When did you leave your job at the
California Poetry Society?

I left in 1991.

And you left to go to work for Bobby Del
Giotto. Is that correct?

Yes. It was you who furnished Mr.

Del Giotto with the mailing list.

Yes, it was.

Did you receive permission, either
express or implied, for Mr. Ruskin to do

As far as I'm concerned, I didn't need
his permission.

I compiled that mailing list. I think
that list was mine to do with as I

pleased. I think you'll find the law
says otherwise, Ira. That list was my

Those people were my people. Mr.
Metallica, is it not correct that while

were in the employ of Mr. Ruskin, Mr.
Del Giotto approached you and offered

more money if you would go work for him?
The money didn't matter to me. Believe

me, I didn't put in the kind of hours I
did for Bernard for the stinking $300 a

week. Why did you? Because he was
supposed to publish a book of my poetry.

He was supposed to give me my own
reading. I worked for him for six years,

the whole time he kept stringing me
along, and he never did. what he said

do. You weren't ready. I was ready,
Bernard.

I gave you over 200 poems to choose
from. I felt that you were derivative,

You always say that. How was I
derivative?

You aped the beat poet and fell prey to
their worst expectations. I did not ape

the beat. Yes, you did. At least let's
not use this occasion to corrupt our

aesthetic judgment. All right, that's
it.

What's it going to take to settle this?
What are you offering?

Bobby, I'm not sure we have to offer
anything. I don't care, Lanny. I got the

expo starting tomorrow night.

I can't keep going around and around
with this nonsense. Give us a figure.

$15 ,000.

What are you paying Mamie Van Doren?
That's not your concern. I am not going

turn the sacred into the profane for a
few pieces of silver. I have devoted

myself to the veneration of the poet,
the true poet.

I am not about to reconcile with a man
who would propagate the masturbatory

revelations of sitcom actors.

Your Poet Expo has met the resolve of a
man who believes in the verities of W

.H. Auden and Ezra Pound. And I intend
to do everything within my power to make

sure that that grotesque event... never
takes place.

What is your occupation, Mr. Taubelman?
Personal management.

Do you know Nat Pincus?

For more than 40 years.

What is your relationship with him?

I was his manager.

You're speaking in the past tense. Are
you no longer his manager?

That's right. I am no longer his
manager.

What were the circumstances under which
you stopped being his manager?

The circumstances were that he fired me.
What was your understanding of the

reason for that?

Because I told him the truth.

He wants to buy her clothes?

Fine. Jewelry? Fine. A car?

Also, Fern. But I drew the line at
putting the house in her name, and I

line at letting her make decisions about
his life.

Would you give your impression of Mr.
Pincus' mental condition over the last

year? Objection. The witness isn't
qualified to respond to that question.

Honor, it's not coming in as expert
testimony. It's coming in as the lay

of someone who has seen Mr.

Pincus at least once a week for 40
years. That doesn't qualify him to

a mental condition. No, the objection's
overruled. The witness can answer.

Mr. Tavelman?

His mental condition is that he's
slipping.

He gets confused.

He says things, and then he forgets that
he said them. We would talk about

finances. We would talk about the girl.
We would talk about what we had for

lunch.

Sometimes he could follow the
conversation, and sometimes he couldn't.

would like to ask for an expert opinion,
Mr. Tavelman. I'd like to ask what the

condition of Nat Pincus' finances are.

They're the worst they've been in 35
years.

He has less money in the bank and a
greater tax liability than he's had

the late 50s. And what would you
attribute this to?

I attribute it to her, and to the fact
that Nat can't say no to her.

Objection. Sustained. I have nothing
further.

How did you feel about Nat's performing
again, Mr. Tavellman? If I thought it

was something that Nat wanted to do, it
would be one thing.

The only reason he's doing it is because
Miss Farrell over there wants him to.

She wants to be a producer, and he's her
ticket. Ask the witness's remarks

regarding what Morgan Farrell wants be
stricken.

So stricken? It's a fact, is it not,
sir, that in the last four years you've

served at least nominally as Nat
Pincus's manager, you've got him no

any kind.

He didn't want any bookings. He didn't
want to be working. You say that

notwithstanding the fact that soon after
Miss Farrell began serving as his

manager, he was working.

Yeah, he was working. He was working for
her.

Mr. Tavenin.

You said that you drew the line at
transferring the house.

You drew the line at Miss Farrell making
decisions.

Was it really your job to draw the line?
Exactly, Mr. Payne. Hey, Junior, we go

back to 1953 together.

Nobody ever told me what was or what
wasn't my job. Is it possible, Mr.

Tavelman, that you're angry because
somebody finally did?

Oh, please.

I'm up here for only one reason.

Because I love this guy.

Nat, you're making an idiot of yourself,
and you're doing it over a bra. You

should be so lucky, Jack. You should be
so lucky to have one like this. Mr.

Pincus, you're wearing my patience.

Excuse me, Judge.

So happened I got this jacket at Sye
DeVore.

I have no further questions, Your Honor.

What I think we can accomplish here is
talk some things through, work out an

arrangement we can all live with. We are
not unconcerned with your feelings in

all this, Tom.

No. Absolutely not. It is a sensitive
proposition, and if we have been

in any way about what you're thinking or
feeling, then we apologize.

I think that's a fair statement, don't
you, Roxanne?

We'd be very interested in hearing what
it is you are thinking.

I have some concerns about my daughter's
future, and I think I'm within my

rights to have them. No argument here.

I don't consider her to be your
daughter.

Roxanne, let's try and be constructive.

And let's address Tom's concerns about
Dave Meyer, father.

Will I be loving?

Answer yes.

Will I be steadfast? Answer, another
yes. Forgive me.

I don't even know you. What I know is
that when Roxanne was married to you the

first time, she was utterly miserable.

Okay, that's fair.

I won't deny that Roxanne and I went
through a blue period.

But the point I want to hammer home
right now is that things are different.

She is, if I may say so, Roxanne, not
miserable now. I love her and her

very much.

And there's nothing I want more than to
take care of the both of them. With all

due respect, Dave, that's lip service.
You want something. You're saying what

you think you have to to get it.

But there is no indication that this
marriage is going to work out any better

than the first one did. Who the hell do
you think you are? Roxanne, wait a

minute. Who the hell do you think you
are to sit there and pass judgments on

him, our marriage, or anything else
pertaining to my daughter's life?

You walked away.

You walked away from me. You walked away
from the child you helped create.

Suddenly you've got concerns.

Suddenly you've got opinions about
things.

Oh, I don't want to hear your opinions.

I don't want to hear your concerns. As
far as I can see, you have absolutely

nothing to say. Not about me, not about
my marriage, not about my kid.

I don't want you in our life.

I don't want you in my life. We don't
need you, Tommy.

We don't want you.

Ms. Farrell.

Would you describe to the court the type
of relationship you have with Mr.

Pincus? Nat and I live together.

Is it reasonable to assume, then, that
you're in a position to observe him over

the course of a day?

Yes. In your opinion, is Mr. Pincus
frail?

No. Does he have to become confused?

No more so than I am. Would you describe
the state of his health generally?

He has some health problems. His
pressure will go up. His arthritis will

him. He has to take it easy more now
than in the past.

But I'll tell you something.

He's got all of his faculties.

At the time you met him, was Nat Pincus
actively performing as a comedian?

No, he wasn't. Have you encouraged him
to go back out on stage as a comedian,

Miss Farrell?

Yes, I did.

Did you pressure him to go back on
stage?

No, I did not.

Nat was performing his whole life. He
got back out on stage because he wanted

to. It's been alleged that you wield a
great deal of influence over Nat Pincus.

How do you respond to that?

I don't wield anything.

Nat loves me.

When you love somebody, you want to make
them happy.

I think that goes both ways for us.

I have no further questions, Your Honor.

Is it your testimony, Miss Farrell, that
Nat Pincus is competent to manage his

own affairs?

Yes, it is. Did Nat pick out the Jaguar?
He wanted to buy me a car.

I picked out the Jaguar. How about the
Cartier watch?

He wanted to buy me a gift. We went
shopping. I told him what I liked.

After about a month of living together,
you didn't have to tell him, did you? I

don't know what that means.

Well, it means that you had Nat set up
credit cards for you. You had his

checking accounts.

You were free to spend Nat's money any
way you wanted, weren't you? I wanted it

that way. I did it. I wanted it that
way. Miss Pincus, that's enough. Your

Honor, I would object to this whole line
of questioning.

The issue here is competence, not the
relationship between Mr. Pincus and Miss

Farrell. Your Honor, we would argue that
the basis for the relationship between

these two people is Mr.

Pincus's competence, or lack thereof. We
would argue that Miss Farrell has taken

full advantage of that lack of
competence. and I believe that we're

demonstrate that. The court would agree.
The objection's overruled. Whose idea

was it to put the house in your name,
Miss Farrell?

It was Nat's. He said it was better for
taxes that way.

Better for taxes?

Do you recall an incident that took
place in Nate and Al's restaurant on the

morning of March 19th, 1992? I know what
you're referring to. While having

breakfast there, you and Mr. Pincus had
an argument, is that right? Yes. And you

walked out of the restaurant leaving Mr.
Pincus behind, did you not? Yes, I did.

How did Mr.

Pincus get home that day, Miss Farrell?

He came home in a police car.

Isn't what happened that Nat Pincus
tried to reach you on the phone?

Couldn't. Wandered lost around Beverly
Hills until he was finally picked up by

the police because he was found sitting
on someone's lawn and crying at 9 o

'clock that night. He became
disoriented.

We'd had a fight.

It wasn't because he's senile or he
can't decide things for himself.

Could have happened to anybody what
happened to him.

I never should have left him.

Don't upset yourself, honey.

Don't upset yourself.

Mr. Pinkus. Don't pay attention to any
of this.

What's going on here has nothing to do
with you.

We can't stop the Expo from going
forward, Bernard.

And why is that?

We don't have adequate grounds for an
injunction.

That sounds very general to me, Douglas.
Tell me specifically, what grounds are

we lacking?

A showing of irreparable harm.

You can't get a temporary restraining
order without a showing of immediate and

irreparable harm, particularly when
there's a third party involved. In this

case, those people have already bought
the tickets.

Well, I'm not sure I accept that thesis.

I've had a lot of people working on
this, Bernard. I've researched this

thoroughly.

I must say, I'm disappointed.

We're still proceeding with the lawsuit.

Well, I would assume so.

You know, I have to tell you something,
Bernard.

What's that?

I've been reading a little poetry
lately.

Is that right? Last night, unable to
sleep, I found myself thumbing through a

volume of Kipling.

Though I've belted you and flayed you by
the living God that made you, you're a

better man than I am, Gunga Din.

Pretty great, wouldn't you say?

Great? No.

You don't think Gunga Din's a great
poem?

No, Douglas, I don't. I think it's
mawkish, sentimental, hopelessly

paternalistic, reactionary doggerel. You
certainly have the right to enjoy it,

but rest assured, it doesn't even
faintly resemble a great poem.

Nothing by Kipling? No, Douglas, nothing
by Kipling.

Mr. Pincus, A great deal is made of the
fact that you resumed performing.

I'd like to tell a court why you did so.

What should I do?

I'm a comedian.

Comedians perform.

But you had stopped performing.

What was it that made you start again?

She did.

She became my manager. She became my
agent. All of a sudden, I had work.

Before she came into the picture, most
people thought I was dead.

Two old Jews run into one another in the
street. One looks at the other and

says, was it you or your brother who
died?

Mr. Pinkett, I appreciate the humor.

Nonetheless, if you could, I'd like you
to confine your remarks to answering the

questions. It was apropos, Judge. That's
all.

Mr. Pincus, did you read the paper?

Every day. Do you vote?

Every election. Twice.

Are you taking any medication on a
regular basis?

My pressure.

That's it. Are you prone to become
disoriented or confused?

It happened that one time after leaving
Nathan House. That's it.

I had the flu. I wasn't feeling well. I
stepped out onto Beverly Drive. I didn't

know where I was.

Mr. Pinkett, I would like you to tell
the court whether you feel as though you

can still manage your own affairs.

Yes, I can.

My son may not approve of what I do with
my money. He may not approve of who I

choose to be friends with. He may not
approve of me being back on the stage.

Last time I looked, I didn't need his
approval.

I have no further questions.

Thank you.

Is it your testimony, Mr. Pincus, that
you are in all respects capable of

performing again?

My dear, when they stop laughing, I'll
know it's time to call it quits. How

about when you have to be escorted off
the stage?

You're talking about the Friars Club.

That's not what happened. Is it your
testimony that you were not escorted off

the stage?

It was a bit. I worked it into the
routine.

Was rambling incoherently for ten
minutes on the stage prior to that?

Also a bit.

Everybody's a critic. Mr. Pincus, that
Friars Club appearance was part of a

larger effort, was it not?

I don't know what means larger effort.

Was not Miss Farrell trying to produce a
special on old comedians for HBO?

Showtime or whoever she could sell it
to.

She's still gone to. Isn't what
happened, Mr. Pincus, that Ms.

Farrell's brow beat you into performing?

Absolutely not. Did you or did you not
tell your son that Ms. Farrell had

threatened to leave you if you did not
perform?

Absolutely not. Did you tell your son
that she had promised to reward you with

oral sex if you did?

Objection, Your Honor. I never would
have repeated something like that.

I have no further questions.

Excuse me. You almost through?

No. I'm going to be a while.

Ann?

Yeah. I'm going to do something that I
thought I would mention to you on the

chance that it might appeal to you as
something to do.

What? Just because of what you said in
the staff meeting, vis -a -vis your

appreciation of poetry.

That's why I thought I'd mention it.

Mention what, Douglas? You haven't
mentioned anything.

There's something called a poetry expo.

Given our client's pending action
against the promoter, I have to go. I

you might actually want to go.

That's the reason I mention it.

I would love to go.

Goodbye, Tom. Goodbye, Lon.

I'll not flick you in the eye. There's a
round in East Texas, and one of us must

die.

I think we could probably move on.

I can't help but feel as though this
does represent a corruption of some

I don't know about this. People enjoy
this.

Who's to say what serious poetry must
not?

This is by Ellen Ginsberg and the name
of it is Howl. I can't believe that

Van Doren is actually sitting there. I
was in love with her.

You knew she was going to be here,
right? But I didn't think she'd actually

show. I saw the best minds of my
generation destroyed by madness.

Starving, hysterical, naked.

dragging themselves through the Negro
streets at dawn, looking for an angry

When was it you were in love with her? I
was a teenager.

Outside of a few relatives and some
schoolteachers, she may have been the

woman I ever had dreams about.

I'm with you in Rockland in my dreams.

You walk dripping from a sea journey on
the highway across America in tears to

the door.

of my cottage in the Western night.

We had the avant -garde poetry of Ira
Maitel.

Excuse me, Miss Van Doren. I just want
to say I've never forgotten you from

School Confidential.

Aren't you sweet. And I've never
forgotten you from Three Nuts in Search

Bolt. Well, thanks.

And, you know, I'd just like to invite
you to our office Christmas party.

I'll try and make it.

It'll be fun.

I'm taking handfuls of St. Joseph
aspirin for children, and I'm loving

does to me.

The ratcheting, ratcheting, ratcheting
is still.

It's finally still.

Look at yourself, Byron.

Look what you've surrounded yourself
with, Bernard.

I thought you wanted to be... I thought
that was the whole point. What I want is

to be heard.

What I want is for my poems to be read
and listened to by people from all

different walks of life. Not just by
self -appointed arbiters of what's

and serious and what's not.

I have no trouble whatsoever looking at
myself, Bernard.

I'm up on a stage. I'm reading my
poetry.

And Mr. Del Giotto said he would get me
published.

That right there makes me a lot better
off than I ever was with you.

Gregory Corso says, poets walk with
kings.

And that's what I want.

I want to walk with kings.

Tommy, why don't you begin?

Actually, I'd like to say something to
Roxanne.

Alone, it's okay.

Okay.

All right, we'll be in my office.

I'm listening.

I made a lot of mistakes this past year.

I know that.

But when I looked into our baby's face,
it seemed like a miracle

that something so good came out of all
those mistakes.

I'm asking that you not shut me out of
her life.

What exactly do you want?

bedtime stories.

Help her with her homework. I want to
start a college fund. I want to pay for

her wedding.

It's too late for me to make it up to
you, but I got a chance to make it up to

her. I want her to know me, Roxanne.

I want her to love me not because I'm
her biological father, but because I've

been there for her.

Because she'll know there isn't anything
in the world I care about more than her

happiness.

I...

I may not have the right to ask it of
you, Rox.

But I'm asking anyway.

Let me be your father.

All right.

What was so important that it couldn't
wait?

We have a proposal to make. What kind of
proposal?

We drop our lawsuit in return for you
applying your promotional efforts to Mr.

Ruskin's work. What does that mean? Mr.
Ruskin would like to enter into a joint

venture whereby his poetry anthologies
and journals are marketed by you. He's

interested in you distributing a catalog
of spoken word records.

And he would like a booth at the Poetry
Expo.

Well, well.

No doubt you'll view this as an occasion
for gloating. I have to say that some

amount of gloating would be appropriate,
wouldn't you? I assume you're curious

as to the cause of this change of heart.
Hey, Bernard, I know what caused it.

You came to the hotel last night.

You saw the scene.

You saw what I can do.

And you said to yourself, how can I be a
part of this?

What I said to myself was that there
were some projects where perhaps the two

us could combine our talents.

Like what? Like I was thinking of a
Robert Lowell festival.

Also, 1994 is the sesquicentennial, the
158th anniversary of Gerard Manley

Hopkins' birth. I thought perhaps we
could do something surrounding that.

what? Like, what do you mean, like what?
Like what you do.

Like, make a big event out of it.

Have cameras there.

And celebrities.

Like what?

I'm tired of the obscurity. All right?

I'm tired of the same few souls who meet
in musty second floor meeting rooms.

All of them poets. All of them academic
smartasses who don't make money and who

don't meet women.

They're all just like me, and I'm sick
of them.

I want some action.

After considering all of the testimony
and all of the evidence, one thing that

can safely say is that this is...

Not a case that can be resolved easily
or painlessly.

Possibly it's a case that can't be
resolved at all.

That notwithstanding, for our purposes,
resolve it we must.

I'm not prepared to rule on Ms.
Farrell's motive, nor is it appropriate,

think, that I do so, because only she
knows what's in her heart.

I will admit to having a great concern
for the welfare of Nat Pincus.

Nonetheless, the evidence is far from
conclusive that his decisions are not

reasonable ones, nor is it conclusive
that he's being taken advantage of, if

that is in fact what someone close to
him is trying to do.

That said, I find the evidence
insufficient to declare Mr. Pincus

manage his own affairs.

However, should his condition worsen, I
will entertain a new motion.

In the meantime, the motion is denied.

Dad, I'm sorry for putting you through
all of this.

Tell her.

It's okay.

Well,

Merry Christmas, Jonathan.

Move along, Douglas. I loved your
reading yesterday.

Really? What was it that you loved?

Me reading Alan Ginsberg or me wearing
what I was wearing?

It was both.

Don't lie to me now, Douglas.

Maybe. It so happens I love poetry.

Do you?

Ship me somewhere east of Suez, where
the best is like the worst, where there

aren't no Ten Commandments and a man can
raise a thirst.

Oh, the road to Mandalay, where the
flying fishes play, and the dawn comes

like thunder.

Outer China, across the bay.

You like Kipling.

I love Kipling.

Well, they're done with Danny Deaver.

You can hear the quick step play, the
regiments in column, and they're

us away.

Oh, the recruits are shaken, and they'll
want their beer today after hanging

Danny Deaver in the morning.

No one loves Kipling more than I do.

Aren't you coming to the party?

I'm going to finish this up first. I'll
be right out.

You know that poetry thing I went to
yesterday?

Mm -hmm.

You'll never believe what I dug up when
I came home.

What? I dug up a notebook of poetry that
I wrote when I was a sophomore at Mount

Holyoke. You're kidding.

That I would actually have sat down and
written some of these is truly hard to

imagine. I bet it is.

Listen to this. I want to give you an
idea of my state of mind at the time.

Oh, rain.

Oh, driving, relentless, unconflicted
rain.

Everything I look at is gray.

and still.

All except for a ripe green pear.

Hi, little cat.

What sets me apart from you? It must be
that I'm sad.

What do you mean?

I mean, I mean, you're right. It's
pretty bad.

Hi, little cat. I don't remember saying
that I thought it was bad, Stuart. You

did. I thought...

When you came in, the whole point of it
was that it was bad.

I thought that was the whole point.
Forget it.

I should realize that there are some
things I can't trust you with.

Obviously, my innermost thoughts are at
the top of the list.

I have to tell you, Daniel.

I think that young woman architect did a
superb job.

You should tell her, Leland. I will if
she hears. She couldn't make it. Leland,

Daniel. How'd it go? We were in all
respects successful. Congratulations.

Thank you. I'd like to meet Nat Pincus,
Morgan Farrell, Leland McKenzie, and

Daniel Morales. How do you do? Hi.

Stewie, I want you to meet Nat Pincus.
This is my cousin and colleague, Stuart

Markowitz. Pincus.

Pleasure. So, there are two Jews who
work here.

You know, I saw you many years ago at
the Eden Rock Hotel in Miami Beach.

Really? Yeah. What was I doing there?

You were performing.

I thought I was loyal.

No, you were very funny, actually.

Thank you.

Can I get you something?

Just a cold drink, dear.

I'll make you some.

Do you know much about the direct mail
game?

Did I hear you say direct mail? Yes,
sir, you did.

Bobby Delgiano, I built an entire
business on direct mail.

Dave Meyer, you know much about vertical
markets?

No, but I'd like to have you tell me.
Freshen up his punch, would you, son?

So you're asking me what I'm doing for
New Year's Eve?

Yeah, I'm asking.

Isn't it a little late to be, you know,
looking for a date?

No, I'm thinking of having a party. I'm
going to have some friends over, have a

little champagne, some dancing on the
patio.

Oh. So you're interested?

Yeah, maybe.

Good.

Jonathan, there's a client or somebody
looking for you. Oh, did you do the...

I'll call you about the details. Right.

You haven't seen Anne through here, have
you? Yeah, I think she went that way.

Yeah? Yeah.

Hi.

Hello, Denise.

Hey. I wanted to say something to you.

All right.

Religious faith is a very personal
thing. I know that.

And if I made you uncomfortable or
somehow suggested that I was a better

than you, I want to apologize for that.
The last thing I wanted to do was to

judge you.

Yeah, maybe I did make too big of a deal
of it. I guess I jumped to the wrong

conclusion, huh?

I, um, got you a Christmas present.

Really? You didn't have to do that.

And I hope you will take it in the
spirit of which it's given.

Did I open it now? I mean, we're not
going to be spending Christmas morning

together, so... Sure. Yeah? I love
getting presents.

Bible.

I didn't know whether or not you had
one. And I wanted to give you one.

It's beautiful.

Thank you.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you.

What do you think of the renovation?

Oh, I love it. I think it's great.

My office is next.

Yeah.

Okay.

Okay.

Let's talk in here.

You want to be a father?

Yes.

Okay.

Really?

You left me, Tommy, and I was hurt.

I was angry.

I thought that if David adopted Casey,
it would somehow change the way she came

into the world.

I can't do that. I can't change the fact
that I came to you and asked you to

father my child.

I don't know what to say.

But I can promise you I will never...

Merry Christmas, Roxanne.

Merry Christmas.

Guy goes into a bar, orders a scotch.

He says, don't tell me what kind.

Bartender pause, takes a sip. He said,
do us. He says, give me another bread.

Bartender pause.

He says... How do you talk?

Dear, are we doing a two?

Sorry.

Bartender's getting sick of this. Goes
outside, comes back with a plain bottle.

Pause. Guy takes the drink. He says,
God, this is urine. He says, yeah, but

whose?

Good, that's good.

Okay. Guy's bragging about his hearing
aid. He says, this is the greatest

hearing aid you can buy. I spent $1 ,500
on this hearing aid. Friend says to

him, he says to him,

What kind is it? He says half past four.

It's the only Henny could do that joke.
It's Henny's joke, honey.

Guy goes home to his wife and he finds
in his bed his partner.

The guy goes into the kitchen and he
says... Goes into the kitchen and he,

The wife says... She

says... Can I finish it, honey?

Come on, let me finish it, okay?

So, the wife says, um, what are you
doing standing here drinking coffee?

And she says, what about your partner?
And he says, let him get his own coffee.

You ready to go, Nat?

Bye, everybody.

Bye. Happy holidays.