All language subtitles for Class.Action.1991.720p.BluRay.x264-[YTS.AM]

The principle, your honor,
is informed waiver,

a concept deeply embedded

in the black-letter law
of this state.

This is a simple case

of a contract willingly
and completely executed.

Appeals to the contrary
based on emotion

have no place
in a court of law.

This is not
a court of law.

You did not
enter through a doorway.

That, ladies and gentlemen,
is the rabbit hole,

and we, like so many Alices,
have plunged through it

directly into Wonderland.

Behold
the Queen of Hearts...

Carrigan Chemical,

a company
that has spewed its bile

into the Laughing Well River
for 17 years.

Plants wither,

children die,

and no court in the land
can stop them.

Finally...

One man has had enough.

Frustrated,

desperate,

he slams his truck

into the plant
manager's office,

and for one bright,
shining day,

that hellhole of a factory
shuts down.

Do we honor him?

Do we throw him a parade?

Do we even say thank you?

No.

He is put on trial.

Welcome to the Mad Hatter's
tea party.

Objection!

Objection? Why not
"off with their heads"?

Paid him fully according
to the contract.

Now he wants more,

intending to get it by
harassing my client.

Yes,
the plaintiff is a man of moderate means.

Yes,
Zydex is a successful corporation,

but the law,
not charity,

must dictate our
course here today.

Yes...

Yes...

He rammed
through that wall.

And yes, he did shut
that hellish factory down

for one day.

And yes, he is responsible
for damages

in the amount of $427,000.

How high a price
is that to pay

if he saved
just one single life?

Madam, I'll give you
$427,000 for your child.

Deal?

And you, madam,
same price for your husband.

And you, counselor.

How about an even
half a million

for your precious hide?

Objection,
your honor!

Order! Order!

Counsel is way
out of line here.

Sustained.

Mr. Ward, sit down.

Order! Order!

Defense is prepared
to mount its case.

We have witnesses,
agreements,

dep-depositions,
and volumes of evidence

to prove my client
acted fairly.

But to what end?

The plaintiff has
offered no viable case.

In the interest
of justice,

defense moves for nonsuit.
Submitted, your honor.

Would you
remind them next door

that justice is blind
and not deaf?

As to your motion,
counsel...

12 minutes.

12 minutes!

Those idiots took 81/2 days
to mount their case.

It's too bad you
mispronounced heresy.

It's too bad you
didn't get a chance to.

So, counselor,
have you decided

where you'll be
spending your vacation?

No vacation.

Maggie, come on.
You got to have three, four weeks coming.

No. I hear something big's
happening on Argo Motors.

You know anything about it?

Mm-mmm. Argo?
No. Have you?

No.

Want to be big-time lawyers?
Learn to lie better.

Maggie. Maggie.
Lawyers never lie.

We just tell the truth judiciously
to guarantee utter confusion.

Goddamn, you could lose your
hand in one of these things.

Ahem.

Mr. Ward, excuse me.
Howard CRayhill.

I've read
all your books.

I've read Civil Rights
on Trial twice.

Congratulations.

You found a copy
they hadn't burned.

Grateful client?

No. It's a present for your mother.
Anniversary.

Hard to believe we've been
together 34 years.

35.

You biting your fingernails again,
Margaret?

Don't say it.

Minor flesh wound.
He didn't even draw blood.

Brian, my father
always draws blood.

I was getting ready
to make a left.

I had the blinker on.

I saw the other car coming towards
me in the rear-view mirror.

I couldn't move,
couldn't get out of the way.

I just watched him,
kind of in slow motion.

At first, I couldn't believe
it was happening, you know?

It was like watching
TV or something.

And then the guy hit me,

and the car
just kind of...pow!

It just exploded,

and there was fire...
Everywhere.

And my wife
started screaming,

and my baby boy...

Son of a bitch.
I'm sorry.

You have nothing
to apologize for.

What happened
to you...

I'm so goddamn
tired of this.

Those bastards,
they just think

they can do anything
they want...

lie, kill, destroy
whatever they touch,

and get away with it.

Let me tell you, Steven,

they don't always
get away with it.

Sometimes people like us,
this law firm,

we stop them.

This is going to be
one of those times.

Mr. Ward,
I'm very grateful.

I just wish I'd been with
your firm from the beginning.

Well, we're here now.

Good afternoon.
Quinn, Califan & Lunt.

I'm sorry. He's away
from his desk right now.

May I take a message?

Hold on one second.

Maggie.
Maggie, Mr. Grazier wants to see you.

Now?

Ok. Tell me what you know
about Argo Motors.

They're our
biggest client,

21% of last
year's billing.

26. They're headed by a man
named, uh, Eugene Forrest.

He came aboard
two years ago...

in a hostile takeover.

Thinks the automobile industry's
future is in computerization.

Rumor is he's
looking to merge,

perhaps with
a Silicon Valley type.

Wrong. He found it.

Loracatron Electronics.

Geez. Big-time.

But there's a catch.

This is where
we come in.

Three years ago,

a class-action suit
was filed against Argo,

claiming that their
1985 station wagon,

the Meridian,

blew up on impact.

So?

Did they have
a case?

No. I've handled Argo

since that car was still
on the drawing boards.

It's totally clean.

We managed to persuade the
other side's attorneys

that they couldn't win,

but now another firm
has refiled,

a much more
aggressive firm.

The American way...

find the guy who busted
his hump to build it,

then rob him blind.

What do we do, guys?

Settle
for chump change.

Get confidentiality.
Keep the press away.

No, we have to
win in court.

Loracatron is a very
conscientious company,

very consumer-oriented.

But something like this
is time-critical. You can't...

ok, ok.
If I decide we fight it,

one of you will be on point.
It's good input.

Thanks for your time.

You know, my hobby

is rebuilding
American cars. I can...

get out of here.

Michael.

You have to give me
this case.

I know Argo
backwards and forwards,

I'm a better litigator
than any associate,

and you're too busy to go
to court on the prep work.

Bernstein has
a lot going for him.

He's a team player.

Second team.

Maggie...

Michael, please. This is
the partnership express.

I deserve this.

Why throw lightweights
like Bernstein at me?

Look. Ok, ok.

I want you on this one.

There's no question.

There's a problem.

What?

The plaintiff's attorney
is your father.

Ahem.

Yeah? What's wrong?

We got no case.

Sure, we have a case.

Look at the facts.

I've looked at the probability
charts backwards and forwards.

The facts are that Argo built
half a million Meridians

and a few of them
blew up.

132 cars?

Out of
half a million built,

that's only
a few cars.

That's not that many more than would
have blown up, no matter what.

Ok. Maybe Argo designed the Meridian wrong.
Maybe they didn't.

But that doesn't
make a case.

Hey, I got a car
that blows up,

people who almost
died in them,

and the company
doesn't care.

To me,
that makes a case.

Rosenberg-Blittman had
everything that we have.

They had it
for three years.

They dropped
the case, Jed.

They couldn't
find anything.

Billy Blittman couldn't find
his butt with both hands.

That's true,

but it's a contingency case,
Jed.

Even if we win,
we see no money for years.

Can we afford that?

Hey, I know it's not a slam dunk, Nick.
I know that.

Sometimes you got to go
with your gut...

the passion.

I got a feeling
about this.

Network news time.

I like seeing you on TV.

It's just...
whoa, whoa, whoa.

This isn't about my ego.
It's about us,

what we stand for.

This firm was built on
David and Goliath cases.

They're just
not around anymore.

You got all these
fascist Reagan judges.

They hear you're after
a big corporation,

they throw
your ass out.

It's just too goddamn
discouraging.

Something like this
comes along...

good plaintiffs,
decent evidence,

a judge
who will listen...

I've gone to war
with a lot less.

It would be fun

to nail those Argo bastards
to the wall, wouldn't it?

Going to kick
their asses.

I believe so.

Just once,
I'd like to see you sleep through the night.

And miss these
great movies?

They are on cassette.

No.
It's not the same.

Oh. I'm freezing.

Hey.

Michael.

Mm-hmm?

Do you like me?

What?

Do I like you?

Yeah.

What kind of
a question's that?

A surprise.

How can you
not know that?

How can I know that?
How can anybody?

I mean, tomorrow,

if I did something
you really hated,

would you
still be here?

Listen. Come here.

Now listen to me.

That's not the way
these things work.

I'm not your father.

This has nothing
to do with him.

Oh, yes, it does.

Maggie,
I want this to work.

I really do.

Now, I trust you.

You want to know
if you can trust me.

Ok. All right.

Give this place up.

Live with me.

No, Michael.

We said we'd
talk about that

after
I made partner.

Maybe we need
to talk about it now.

No.

Why not?

No.

It might help,
but...

I'm just not ready
to go public yet.

What, you don't think
they suspect?

Oh.

There's a difference
between suspecting

and being
on the mailing list.

Who cares
what they think?

I do.

Why?

Because it's different
for a woman.

I don't want them
saying I made partner

for anything
other than my work.

Maybe I should be the one
asking how much you like me.

No.

No.

I think so.

Oh, no.
No. Come on.

One anxiety attack
at a time.

Your turn, is it?

My turn.
Ok.

Thanks.

♪ My mother died
from asbestos ♪

♪ My father's name
was Estes ♪

♪ Might have known
that messed us ♪

♪ up, what a day ♪

♪ My brother was workin'
at the boiler ♪

♪ at the boiler ♪

♪ Glad he wasn't
workin' as an oiler ♪

♪ Then my sister
went and lit a match ♪

♪ and up
is where they went ♪

♪ They went ♪
♪ up, up, up ♪

♪ like a guy ♪ on a rocket ♪ ♪ up,
up, up ♪

♪ Keep your luck,
don't hock it ♪

♪ Up, up, up ♪
Who's Cyd Charisse?

Oh, Deborah, your dad's new intern.
She's really great.

Aren't they all?
Aw, come on.

♪ Numerous to mention ♪ ♪ Don't
you know ♪ ♪ who's goin' up ♪

♪ and up and up
and up and up ♪

♪ up ♪

yeah.

Yeah.

Good luck
with the school board.

Oh. Luck I got.
Votes I need.

Thanks a lot.

Mom! Hiya.
Hi.

Come on, mom.
You're the bride.

You're supposed to be
having a good time.

Are you having
a good time?

Yeah. I haven't talked
to dad all evening.

Hey, Maggie!

Maggie,
be nice.

Yeah, yeah.

Maggie, I got one
for you.

Stop it. Hi.

Weems vs.
United States, 1910...

what was the issue?

Damn. A pop quiz,

and me
without a blue book.

These
are the easy ones.

Come on.

Cruel and unusual
punishment.

They put a guy in chains
for 15 years.

That's absolutely right.

Ok. So you do
know everything.

That's absolutely
right also.

Terrific.
Everybody's right.

Why don't you
and Maggie dance?

You promised!

Excuse me,
excuse me,

but this used to be
a party.

All right,
all right.

Come on, Nick.
Dance with me.

Jed, dance with Maggie.

All right.
You're a party pooper!

One more, one more!

1941... Kemper vs.
Walden. Issue.

♪ Bum bum bum ♪

come on! Issue!

All right, all right.

Issue!

All right, all right!
Wait!

I haven't
the vaguest idea.

The court ruled

that children
have the right

to sue their parents
for nonperformance.

♪ That canned,
canned music ♪

♪ Canned music ♪

♪ Playin' on the radio ♪

♪ Canned music ♪

The guy
in the peach trunks,

that's "nature boy"
Rick Flare.

I represented him
once.

Then he was wrestling
under the name of...

Son of Satan.

Son of Satan, right.

He had the horns,
the pitchfork, the whole shot.

He had a great thing
going with another guy

named Angel of God.

One morning,
Satan wakes up and sees the light.

Becomes a born-again
Christian.

Blows
the whole rivalry.

What happened?

Ah, Son of God,
he goes berserk.

He sues my client
for breach of contract.

Did they have
a contract?

Beside the point.

He was imposing
on my client's...

Religious freedoms.

Dad,
can I talk to you?

The judge threw us
out of court.

He thought we should
all go to hell.

Dad.
What?

I need
to talk to you.

Ok. See you guys.

Kids, you know?

Now, what about this Walden vs.
Kemper?

Did you
make that up?

Look it up,
counselor.

No, I, uh...

I wanted to ask you about
something about work.

You want to ask me
something?

Yeah. I know.

You want my advice?

Shocked the hell
out of me. I know.

Uh, I've been
offered a case...

good case, you know?
Partnership time.

Why would you want to be
partner in that firm?

Don't make me
sorry I asked.

Go ahead. Ask.
What's the problem?

For God's sake.

Ok.

Anyway,
it's a great case.

I could try
the hell out of it,

but I'm wondering if
I shouldn't pass it up

because there's an extreme
conflict involved.

How extreme?

They want me
on Meridian.

So what's
the problem?

Wait a minute.
Well, it's obvious, isn't it?

Obviously
there's no problem.

You're
not taking it.

Oh, really?

Just like that?

Margaret,
don't you see?

They're using you
as a parlor trick.

They think I'll see my precious
daughter and go all soft.

I think
it's more than that.

You think, Margaret.

You're an associate
at Quinn-Califan.

They pop out baby
lawyers like you

like a shark grows teeth...
in rows.

When it comes
to the crunch,

they'll send in
the big boys.

They already did.

You mean you?

Did it ever
occur to you

that I might be
a very good attorney?

You better be.
I raised you.

No. Mother raised me!
You had a date!

Sorry.

I'm looking forward to it.
It's kind of funny.

I don't see the humor.

Fred Quinn thinks he can
rattle me with my daughter.

And what if she wins?

Someday maybe,
but, please...

Don't force me
to be immodest, ok?

No one ever
had to before.

Whose side are you on
anyway?

Oh, Jed.
Don't be an ass.

Absolute nonsense.

What do you mean,
it's absolute nonsense?

You don't know
what you're talking about.

What should I do,
buy her flowers?

She hates me!

She doesn't
hate you.

She hates me,
goddamn it.

I see it every time
I look in her eyes.

Oh, yeah?

I don't hate her,
and I have every right to.

Aah.

Does it matter to her that
these cars are blowing up? No.

Does it matter to her

that people...
babies are being killed?

No.

Does she care
that she's in bed

with the vilest kind
of corporate vermin?

I'm talking to you!

No, you're not.
You're talking to the jury.

Listen, Jed,
I love you dearly,

but you are a superior,
self-righteous bastard

who's never satisfied
with anybody or anything.

If I were Maggie,
I wouldn't want you to be my father, either.

So I'm the bad guy
here, huh?

Oh, I don't know.

I should have locked
you two in a room years ago

and not let you out

until you kissed
and made up.

I thought...

In time you'd come
to your senses.

Boy, was I wrong.

So now
I spend my life

between two
bickering children,

both of whom are old
enough to know better,

especially you.

Hey.

You know,
Margaret I can take.

A swine like
Frederic Quinn,

no problem at all,

but you...

You rattle me.

Stelly, I love you.

You know me for the
old codger that I am,

and you still
hang around.

I can't for the life
of me understand why.

Jed.

This case will...

Eventually go away.

Please, please...

Don't make her
go away with it.

They asked me
how long I lived here.

Hi.

Maya!

Hi. How are you?

Fine? Good.

Beep beep.

Maggie, taking one
for a test drive?

I don't even have
a learner's permit.

You don't need one.
On-the-job training.

Very funny. Very funny.

So what's wrong?

I didn't say a word.

I know,
and very loudly.

Ok.

I'm worried, Maggie.

Yeah?

I'd like you
to drop the case.

Tell him to drop it.
I dare you.

He won't.
I dare you.

You know he won't.

This is the first time
I have him in a place

where he doesn't
make the rules...

in a courtroom...

someplace
I can beat him.

Beat him?

He's your father,
Maggie.

So what?

I am sick and tired
of being afraid of him.

All my life,
he's made me feel

like I wasn't
good enough.

Never mind if he was.

He made
some mistakes.

That just
makes him human.

Too human.

You of all people
should know that.

All of those women.
Were those mistakes?

What happened between
your father and me

is our concern.

If I can
put it behind me,

you should, too.

Well, I've tried...

And I can't.

Mom, I was there.
I saw how much he hurt you.

Why didn't you
just leave him?

Come on. Talk to me.

About
what you choose?

What about
what I want?

I won't drop
this case.

I won't.

Somebody has to fight him.
You didn't.

Oh, Maggie,
you never understood.

Maybe
that's my fault.

Look,
I had to make a choice with your father.

It was
a very hard choice.

Sure,
I could have left.

God knows
I thought about it.

But I still
love him.

So I decided to stay

and try
to make it work.

It took a long time,

but we
got through it,

and I honestly feel

that I got a lot
more than I gave up

by staying,

and I still do,

whether you
believe it or not.

That's fine, mom.

You forgive him.

You have a right
to your own choice,

and I have a right
to mine.

We'll just be following you
around for a couple of days,

videotaping you,

uh, the boat, the docks,

trying to show what your life's
been like since the accident.

My life is not
so very interesting.

We think the jury will
find it very interesting.

We want them to see
what you've lost,

what you can't do
anymore.

I cannot fish
is what I cannot do.

That's good.

Is good
I cannot fish?

No, no, no, no, Mr. minh.
It's a terrible thing.

We need to hear the stories from all
the Meridian owners who got hurt.

Mr. Minh, thank you...

who is this man
with Mr. Ward?

Oh, that's Jack Tagalini.
Mr. Ward helped him,

just like he's going
to help you.

Mr. Ward
must be great man.

A very great man.

Now, listen.

You take care.
We'll be in touch.

Bye-bye.
Good-bye.

Pretty severe burns.
Yeah, but his English.

The jury might not
understand him.

So we shoot the video.

If it doesn't play,
we lose him.

Who's next?

We'll go right to the summary
proceedings and then, uh...

How do I look?

Nervous.
Why?

You have pepto-bismol
on your mouth.

Maggie.

Hi. Hi.

Are we still friends?

What do you think?

Don't worry
about me, Margaret.

I'm just your old,
decrepit father.

Be strong, be strong.

Your honor, it all
boils down to evidence,

and plaintiff
doesn't have any.

The only reasonable
course of action

is to grant my client
summary judgment.

Denied.

Thank you, your honor.

Next case.

Thanks.

Case number 861947...

Kellen, et Al.
Vs. Argo Motors.

For the plaintiff,
Jedediah Tucker Ward.

For the defense,
Margaret Eleanor Ward.

I'm glad I won't be at your
house for the holidays.

I presume the proper waivers
have been signed here.

They have, your honor.
They...

ok. What have
you got for me?

The court
has before it

a discovery motion

compelling
the defendant

to supply the names,
job descriptions,

current addresses of
all Argo employees

involved in the design
of the Meridian

between 1980
and 1985.

Response, Miss Ward?

It doesn't deserve one,
your honor.

This is a bald-faced
fishing expedition.

Counsel
knows full well

there are people who
worked on that car

who might have
something interesting

to say
on the subject.

Your honor,
if my esteemed colleague

had the vaguest idea
what he was looking for,

he might
narrow his discovery

to something smaller
than the phone book.

Miss Ward, I think
he deserves something.

What he's asking for
is out of the question.

A number of those people haven't
worked for Argo for years.

They've scattered
to the four winds.

Generating
a current address list

could take
thousands of hours.

We will give him
the names.

Mr. Ward?

That's a start,
your honor.

The job descriptions
along with the names

really are not
much value

without the current
addresses.

Mr. Ward,
really, in all fairness,

I think
Miss Ward has proved

that supplying
the addresses

would put an undue burden
on the defense.

I was very concerned
about that, too,

so I told the pension
department at Argo

I had a former friend
I was looking for

named John Smith.

Had anybody by that
name worked for them?

They called him up
on the computer

and got me
his address.

Really?

That's an illegal
invasion of privacy.

They keep an updated record
of all former employees

so they can send them
their pension statements.

Your honor...
then they asked me

if I worked with him
at Argo

and
where did I live,

and then they sent
me this newsletter.

Wasn't hard at all,
your honor.

I want
those addresses.

Of all the cheap
sideshow tricks.

It worked.

Because Symes is a sucker
for your antics.

Lighten up. I'll
buy you ice cream.

Oh, Jed,
cut it out.

Stelly, shush.

No more.

No. There's a lot more.

This is just the beginning.

She used to like
ice cream.

She used to like you.

I know.

I know, Michael.

Don't try to make me
feel better.

Call 911!

This will slow us up.

Brian and Howie haven't had a
whole weekend off in months.

Oh, no!

Somebody
get an ambulance!

Maggie.

Maggie!

Maggie!

Come on! Hurry!
The bottom of the stairs!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Stand back!
Let us through!

Mom?

1, 2...
Is there a doctor?

Did you call the doctor?

Mom!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

♪ Yeah, yeah,
I'm on my way home ♪

♪ On my way home ♪

♪ Yeah, when you're here
in my home, Lord ♪

♪ When you're here
in my home, Lord ♪

♪ Don't worry about me ♪

♪ Don't worry about me ♪

♪ When you're here
in my home, Lord ♪

♪ When you're here
in my home, Lord ♪

♪ I don't want you
to worry about me ♪

♪ Don't worry about me ♪

♪ When you're here
in my home, Lord ♪

♪ When you're here
in my home, Lord ♪

♪ Don't worry about me♪

♪ Don't worry about me ♪

♪ I'm just another soldier ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah ♪

♪ And I'm on my way home ♪

♪ On my way home ♪

In 1954...

I was watching the McCarthy
hearings on television,

and...

I had trouble keeping my
mind on the testimony.

There was
this beautiful woman

sitting in the first row
of the gallery.

Every time the camera
would catch her

in the background...

She was doing this.

I was fascinated.

I watched for hours,
trying to catch sight of her.

Finally I couldn't
stand it any longer.

I called the hearing room,

had the guard...

Ask her if she would
call me during recess.

Amazingly enough, she did.

I introduced myself and
asked what she was doing.

She was mouthing the words,
"McCarthy is a weasel.

McCarthy is a weasel."

Subliminal advertising,
she called it.

She said it would stick
in people's minds forever,

no matter what, she claimed.

It was the way
the deaf vote.

I got on the next plane,

and we were married
a month later.

I'm sure wherever
Stelly is now,

there are 12 guys
better than me

who are
chasing her around.

But if you have a moment...

I just have this to say...

remember, please, forever
that I love you.

Don't be late
for work tomorrow, ok?

You ok?

I've been better.

How's it going
in there?

It's going, uh, ok.

People are starting
to leave.

Good.

You need something?

A priest.

Yeah.

You know, somebody
I could confess to,

somebody who'd tell me
it wasn't my fault.

It wasn't your fault.

No.

Maggie,
she shot an embolism.

These things,
they take...Years.

They build up...

Then you...

but then
I took this case.

Mm-hmm.

You know, Nick,
all my life...

Whatever I wanted,

she's always
been there for us,

and the one time she asked
me to do something...

now, now, now, now.
Come on.

Oh.

You can't blame yourself
for that, Maggie.

That's not what she
would have wanted.

Right?

Yeah.

I got to go home.

No. I think
what you got to do

is stay here and be
here with your father.

He'll be fine, Nick.
He's got you.

He's got me, yeah,
but he needs you.

He needs you,
Maggie.

Nick.

Laura's looking for you.

Take your dish.

Ok.

Yeah, thanks
for coming, man.

See ya.

Take care.

I never knew
she kept this.

My jelly jar glass.

Do you remember when she
boycotted grape jelly

in sympathy
with the farm workers?

Yeah. And all I'd eat
was peanut butter

and grape jelly
sandwiches.

I didn't know that.

Yeah. I solved
the problem, though.

At least
I thought I did.

I found a grape jelly
without grapes in it.

All chemicals.

She'd never let you
eat that.

No, of course not,

but it put her in a
real moral dilemma.

She didn't know whether to
satisfy this demanding child

with an affront
to human rights

or cop out
to toxic sludge.

What did she do?

She introduced me
to marmalade.

Hey, Jed.
Yeah.

Give you a call.

Ok, thanks.

What a mess.

Your mom was always
in charge of organization.

She had a dental
appointment today.

How fast was that,
Dr. Getchell?

30 miles an hour.

It's amazing.

Just amazing.

Isn't that amazing,
Maggie?

All that damage
for just going 30.

Yeah.

Yeah, well, there's
going to be damage

till we can figure out a
way to make cars bounce.

Do you test
every model this way?

Every model,
every year.

Really?

Feds say we got to.

Of course,
this is only one test.

We do 77 others.

Don't want
no surprises.

Uh-huh.

That's what gets my goat
about this damn lawsuit.

What you got here

is just about the safest
car on the road.

You'll say that
on the stand?

Oh, hell, yes.

But don't stop with me.

What's this?

Meridian
performance charts.

The '85 model

exceeded every federal
standard that year.

Oh.

Plus.

Plus?

Plus Rowena.

Who's Rowena?

Not who. What.

An independent
research facility.

The car passed
every test.

I can't find my keys.

You're late.

I need you to chop
ze onions.

Aren't we going out
for dinner?

No. I'm making
your mom's menudo.

You're cooking?

How many tablespoons
in a teaspoon?

Do I look like
a calculator?

Maybe I should
make something.

Oh, ho ho ho,
no, thank you.

I prefer to die
in ze bed.

It's supposed
to look like this?

Hmm?

Jesus.

What?

No, nothing.

So I just left everything
the way it was.

You finished?

Hmm? Yeah.

It's not bad
for a couple of lawyers.

Yeah, it wasn't
your mother's, but, uh...

It was great.

I just wanted some of her smell around,
you know?

I got some of your
mom's things packed up.

I figured
you might like them.

Yes.

Want to see?
Yes!

Oh, no.
What?

Oh, my God.
Look at all your hair.

Oh, you had a beautiful
mother, magpie.

Look at that.
Oh, my God.

Magpie.

You haven't called me
that since...

I must have been 12.

Yeah.

The prettiest,
smartest...

Yeah.

Mouthiest kid.

Ahh, the People's Park
festival.

Oh, yeah.

1967, '68.
Yeah.

They don't make marches
like they used to.

Remember this?

No, only what I read
in the paper.

You left mom and me
at home, of course.

I remember
I just turned 13.

My first boyfriend
had dumped me,

and I could have
used you.

Well, young love
was always

your mother's line,
Margaret.

I was busy trying to keep
the planet in one piece.

Burning a few bras
in the process.

I was more interested
in burning draft cards.

Oh, really?

I thought you were more interested
in the women's movement.

Relationships
were more...

Casual in those days.

They were
just more open.

Oh, please, please.
I'm so tired of this sixties crap.

I was on the road
for six, nine months.

None of this ever
meant anything to me.

No?

Not even Alice Worth?

So that's it?
Case dismissed?

You're out of order,
counselor.

And you are guilty
as charged.

Alice Worth
was my law partner.

Oh, please, dad.

You think I didn't know?

This is none of your business,
goddamn it!

Alice Worth was
very much my business.

She wasn't just some
nameless one-nighter.

Alice was a friend.

She was mom's friend.

Mine.

Jesus, she was everything
I wanted to be.

She was smart and
beautiful and a lawyer.

I used to follow her
around when she was here

just to watch how
she'd cross her legs

or how she'd
hold her drink,

and then mom finds
her letters to you.

She never cried in front of me.
She wouldn't do that.

But when she thought I was asleep,
I could hear her,

alone in her room,
3:00, 4:00 in the morning.

I'm really tired
of this ancient history.

Well, she was never
the same after that!

Something in her eyes
went dead.

You have to know that I was
committed to your mother.

You have to...

No. You know,
in one fell swoop,

you took away
the woman I admired,

the mother I knew,
and the father I believed in.

Jesus.

The conscience
of America.

Defender
of the huddled masses.

The only thing you cared
about the huddled masses

was how tall you could
stand on their shoulders.

Hey, wait a minute.

There's more to this.
Just hold on.

I've spent my life
trying to help people!

You gotten any thank-you notes
from Jack Tagalini recently?

Oh, Jesus.

I had nothing
to do with that!

Oh, yeah?
I think you're being a little modest.

Before you met
Jack Tagalini,

he was this nice guy
who was pissed off

at the cost overruns
at Zembella Air.

It never occurred
to him to go public.

I had to show him how.

You forced him
or conned him

or whatever it is you do

to get on the cover
of newsweek.

Aw, Jesus Christ!

I was on the cover of
newsweek because I was right.

Goddamn it!

That jury was out for 2
hours and 27 minutes.

They gave us
every single point.

But what about
Jack Tagalini?

You turned him
into a whistle blower

without telling him
what it would cost.

He lost his job,
his friends,

his professional life...

that case
changed the law.

It affects every single person
who gets on an airplane.

Then you stopped
taking his calls.

You dumped him.

The world keeps turning.

I had other battles
and other people to help.

You dumped him!

I couldn't hold
his fucking hand, ok?

You didn't
hold a hand,

not unless it was young,
female, and attractive!

You're a user, dad.

You used Tagalini,

you used all those women,
and you used mom!

Goddamned
hypocrite!

How dare you question
my behavior,

you, whose great claim
to fame is being

one of Quinn-Califan's
young Nazis.

At least my clients don't
blow their brains out.

If your mother
could hear you...

She can't.

Wherever she is,
she's got to be happier

than she was with you.

Why, you...

so finally,
words fail the great Jedediah Tucker Ward.

You! Get...

dad!

Maggie?

Maggie.

I heard you were having
dinner with your father.

Figured you could
use a friend.

Oh, Michael.

Mr. Quinn is ready
for you.

Thank you, Sally.

Maggie.

Come in.

Thank you.

How are you?

Fine. Thank you, sir.

You look tired.

Oh, well, I'm fine.

When my mother
died...Well,

I know how long
it can take to get over,

and with the workload
you're carrying...

I'll manage.

I want to believe that,
but in looking over this transcript,

I'm worried about this
Steven Kellen deposition.

No, it's...

It's all completely
under control.

He's wearing down.

If he gets into court in that
wheelchair with this story,

he'll be
far too sympathetic.

I understand that,
Mr. Quinn.

I can't put this
in strong enough terms.

I want him eliminated
as an effective witness.

Yes, sir.

Are you prepared
to do that?

Absolutely.

Then you won't mind
if I sit in?

No.

No.

Great.

Now, uh, Mr. Kellen,

when the paramedics were
pulling you out of the vehicle,

how did it feel
to be on fire?

God sakes, you just
asked me that question.

No, I believe
I asked you

if you remembered
being on fire,

and I asked you

when did you know
you were on fire?

Now I'm asking how did
it feel to be on fire?

It was...

I'm warning you,
we are already halfway out the door.

Mr. Kellen,
were you ever a patient

of a Dr. Maxwell
Chastain?

Maybe.
So?

Yes or no, please.

Yes.

Is Dr. Chastain
a psychologist

specializing
in car phobias?

Is he, Mr. Kellen?

Yes.

A car phobia means you are afraid of driving,
true?

It's not
as simple as that.

What's not simple?
Either it's true or it's false.

I guess
it's true.

Which makes you cautious, correct?
Maybe too cautious?

Objection. Argumentative.
Noted.

The car blew up.
How can you be too cautious about that?

Technically,
it burst into flames.

Prior to the accident,
Mr. Kellen,

how many times have you been
cited for driving too slow?

Twice.

Are you sure it wasn't
three times?

We have December of '81,
August of '83,

then again in October.

Objection.
This is beyond the scope...

and since the crash,
have you had other accidents?

Don't answer that.

If he doesn't
answer here,

he answers in front
of a jury.

They weren't my fault.
Other people hit me.

I wonder why.

Do you really?

Do you even care
what happened?

I know
what happened.

Oh, my God.

Oh, no. Oh, my God.

And so do you.

I don't believe this.
I don't believe this!

We're out of here.

Who the hell do you think you are?
This wasn't my fault.

This deposition
is finished.

Are you
fucking human?

Do you even care
about anybody?

Nick.
Please.

Ahh.

Nice pictures.
Real nice.

What's a good set
of 8 x 10s cost these days,

10, 15 bucks?

This is important, Fred.

What's the going rate
for a man's dignity, huh?

You stole his wife,
his kid, his body.

Now I guess you spend
another $10 or $15

and get
the whole package?

That's what
this is about...money.

He's after your money,
and you're protecting it?

You hold onto it
real tight,

because without
a heart and soul,

that's all
you'll ever have.

Jed,
we have angles like this on all your people.

Bottom line...

you don't want
to try this case.

Steven Kellen had me
buck naked in a hailstorm.

I need better information.
We've got four weeks before the trial.

242 people worked
on the car's design,

so there are 242 chances

for you people to do
something right.

Most of those folks don't
want to talk with us.

That's just excuses.
Bullshit excuses.

I don't want to hear it.

You're always
going on

about the great David
and Goliath cases.

You forgot about how
hard the David work is.

We have worked
very hard.

If you cannot
see that,

then maybe we aren't
the problem here.

What do you think?

Needs something.

Olive.

Overstated.

I'm Ray.

I'm Maggie.

Maggie.

What do you do?

Me?

I'm a professional killer.

Oh.

Do you like
your work?

Yes and no.

See, it's, uh...

It's long hours,

and it's a lot of stress,

but when you finally put your
head on the pillow at night,

there's this kind of
warm feeling you get

from knowing you tore at least
one person's heart out that day.

I'm a lawyer.

I think
you've had enough.

Ray.

There's never enough.

The big question
I have is,

did they count their
time in bed together

as billable hours?

Sure.
At Grazier's rates.

Maggie's the associate.
I assume she ends up doing all the work.

Especially
the oral arguments.

What about
oral arguments?

Oh.

Um, it's just a case
we heard about.

Drilling rights.

Maggie, Maggie,

you didn't go home
last night, did you?

It's a month
before trial.

The list of people that
worked on the Meridian,

wasn't there
a Pavel on it?

Yeah. He was one of
the research guys.

Why?

Nah,
it's just a weird thing in Getchell's file...

commendation letter
to Getchell from, uh...

Flannery, who was
the CEO back then.

Blah, blah, blah.
Usual hype.

Then it says,
"Please accept my gratitude and thanks

for keeping Pavel
and the Meridian issue

in the family."

And it's signed at the beginning
of the 1985 model year.

So?

So?

What issue?

It could be something.

I want to talk to him.

Thank you.

♪ You can tell the truth ♪

♪ You can tell a lie ♪

♪ You can try to run ♪

♪ From what you
feel inside ♪

♪ Tell yourself,
tell yourself ♪

♪ You don't need him ♪

♪ Then you might
believe it ♪

♪ But don't be misleaded ♪

♪ You might think
it will be ♪

♪ that way ♪

♪ Ay yay ay yay

♪ Ay, yeah ♪

♪ But you know ♪

♪ you can't fight free ♪

♪ You can run ♪

♪ but you can't run away ♪

♪ Yeah,
that's what you do ♪

♪ No matter
what you say ♪

♪ When you can't
fight free ♪

You want a rabbit?

They are the best ones.

I even got them
toilet trained.

Dr. Pavel.

Yes?
I'm Margaret Ward.

My law firm was
in contact with you

and said
I'd be stopping by.

I'd like to talk about
some research you did

while you were working
at Argo on the Meridian.

What Meridian?

A car.

You did
extensive research

on its
electrical system.

It was project 0243.

Zero...
I'm no longer good with numbers.

It was a 1985 model,
uh, station wagon,

and, uh,
and you said there were problems with it.

The depth charge.

Excuse me?

That's what I called it.
The depth charge.

Herbert, stop flirting
with the lady.

Uh, depth charge, sir,
it, uh...

You want to know
about the circuits.

Yeah, yeah. Ok.

Oh, I saved their ass
on that one.

Really? How?

Well, there was
this guy, hillbilly...

Hillbilly?

What's his name.

You mean Getchell?
George Getchell?

That's the one.
Getchell. That's the name.

He, uh,
he was your supervisor for 16 years.

16 years.

Just testing,
testing, testing.

Did you know that...
What's his name designed that circuit,

and I was supposed
to test it?

But he said, "Alexander Pavel,
leave it alone."

"We've already tooled up for
it on the assembly line.

The circuit is ok."

That's what he said.

But I am a scientist.

I test it anyway
on my own.

You see,
I like to mix things.

I like to see
how things combine.

But the circuit
was ok.

Until I started
hitting the carb

and the left turn signal
was flashing.

And then pow.

Depth charge.

It blew up?

It blew up.

The Meridian...Blew up?

Yep.

You see,
where there's an impact of metal on metal...

Mm-hmm.

In this area,

the devices are maybe
50, 75 centimeters apart.

Now...

If there's an arc

in the flow
of the circuit,

just as it's penetrating
the electrical fuel pump,

then the gas tank
will blow up.

It's just a...

Simple chain reaction.

So what
you're saying is

that if the car
is hit from the rear

when the left turn
signal is functioning,

it just
might blow up.

Correct.

Well, if you are really
interested in this,

why don't you
read my report?

And let's have coffee.

The report,
um...

When you filed
this report,

did you give a
copy to Getchell?

To the company.

May I see
another copy?

No. The company has it.

The company has everything.
Yep.

Except...

My notes.

You do have notes?

Of course.

May I see those,
please?

No.

No.

If you want my notes,

you need to go
to Iron Mountain.

Sugar?

Thank you.

Miller's left the office.

You want me
to try him at home?

No.

You know, I think
I should have died

the day
Nixon resigned.

Look at this.

See? Look.

See this?

This guy right here.

How about I make you
some dinner at my place?

No...

Thank you, but, um...

I'm really not
very hungry.

So, um...
Anyway, listen.

I think I found something
interesting a little while ago.

What's that?

A commendation letter
from Flannery to Getchell.

You remember an Argo research guy,
Alexander Pavel?

Look at this.

Thank God.

I don't know.

Maggie,
we're talking about Argo Motors.

They have guys
who research everything.

A glitch like this that
takes three or four things

to happen
simultaneously

could slip by.

I get Getchell
to come clean,

we settle quietly
out of court,

and Argo Motors avoids
a public scandal.

Maybe. Maybe.

Then again, maybe Pavel
is a nut bar.

Maybe.

Look, I grant you,
these days the guy is a couple of sandwiches

short of a picnic,

but somebody was home when
that report was made.

Mr. Getchell is
returning your call.

It's our good buddy
from Argo.

Dr. Getchell.

Ms. Ward, how are you?

Fine, sir.

How would you like to
discuss Alexander Pavel?

Alexander Pavel
is a senile old fool.

You didn't take his advice
on the blinker circuit?

I decided his test results
were inconclusive

and communicated that fact
to Mr. Flannery,

the CEO
at the time.

People were
blown up, sir.

We changed that light
in the next model year.

I suggest you get
yourself an attorney.

I've already
talked to one.

It was right at the time
the report came out.

He said we had nothing
to worry about.

What idiot
told you that?

Why,
if I'm not mistaken,

he's your boss...
Michael Grazier.

Ms. Ward?

Are you there?

What?
What did he say?

Maggie?

Mag...

it was a rough time.
I, uh...

I was buried, working on 50
things at once.

It got lost
in the shuffle.

You gave advice on something
you hadn't reviewed.

I mistook it
for another report.

Then why didn't
you tell somebody?

Well, Quinn had
just made me liaison

with Argo's
in-house counsel.

That was
a huge plum.

If I did it well,

they were going to give me
all of Argo's litigation.

Not a good time
to appear sloppy.

Now what?

We have to lose it.

I am not going to be a party
to destroying evidence.

Maggie,

Argo paid this firm over $8
million in fees last year.

Do you really want
to jeopardize that?

We'd be hurting ourselves
and the client.

That would compound
the mistake.

Michael,
people were killed!

Yes, I know that.

It was a bad mistake,
but it's done, over.

We have to move on.

I don't know.

What?

What don't you know?

People
make mistakes.

Mea culpa.

But they don't want
to trash their lives.

Guilty as charged.

Sometimes you have to
learn the hard way.

You're not the only one that
doesn't sleep at night.

Ok. Ok,
tell me you don't make mistakes yourself.

Maggie...

Oh, Maggie.
Come on, please.

If you have any feelings for me,
please...

Think about this
for a while, huh?

Hey, come on.

Oh, Michael. No.

What?

You didn't give me this
case to help my career.

You wanted
to cover your ass.

You figured
if this ever came up,

who better to keep
your little secret

than someone
you're sleeping with!

You asked me
for this case!

You threw the bait
in the water

and waited for me
to snap it up.

Maybe this isn't clear.
If I go down, so do you.

I haven't done
anything wrong.

But you're about to.

You're going to break
rule number one...

don't fuck your friends.

You turn on me,
every lawyer here's going to turn on you.

You'll be on the bricks
faster than you can dream of.

You'll be lucky to get
hired as a messenger.

I guess that's a risk
I have to take.

Look around you,
Maggie.

I'm all you've got...

Anywhere.

Now, you do this...

You are all alone.

Frederic, the way
I see things...

The way you see things

is what's gotten us
in this position.

My father wants all the
information on Pavel.

We hand this over,
we lose Argo and the case.

And if we don't give
them full disclosure

and we get caught,

we lose
the confidence

of every other
client we have.

You're jeopardizing the
biggest corporate play

this firm has ever
been involved with.

We're down
to the wire here.

We cannot let this become
even more of a disaster.

What do you
want to do?

How long did
Pavel work for Argo?

32 years.

You have
to figure...

An awful lot of paper would
build up over that time.

Right.

So we bury it.

We send them everything...

every letter,
every phone message,

every scrap of paper.
Anything we can find.

We'll send them the goddamn
Library of Congress.

They'll pull the files

from the year
the research was done.

Things get misfiled.

You can't do that.

We can inventory them
any way we want to,

come up with some
arcane structure...bury it.

Bottom line...
it is within the letter of the law.

It'll work.

It had better, Michael.
It had better.

Now, both of you,
this matter is quarantined.

No one outside this room
is to hear about it.

There's still
the matter of Miss Ward.

What does
that mean?

Well...

I think it's obvious

there are
serious questions

regarding her loyalty
to this case.

I consider her
an important

and extremely
loyal member

of this team,
Michael.

Are you going to have
a problem with that?

No.

Good.

Let me see that,
please.

There it is. Page 23,
third from the bottom.

I transposed
the numbers,

put it in project 2340.

Plausible deniability.

Congratulations.
They'll never find it.

That is the idea.

Ah, the glamour
of law.

Justice by avalanche.

Maggie, you're just
defending your client.

What about the victims?

Well, they should have
had a better lawyer.

This entire box
is from 1963.

This is a joke.

All of my labels
are falling off.

Let's just
keep digging.

Maybe we'll find
what we're looking for.

Hey,
what's going on?

We lose our lease?

No. This is
a father's day gift

courtesy of Quinn,
Califan & Lunt.

What's so funny?

Oh, don't you get it?

We asked for
one man's files,

she sends us
a paper blizzard.

She's hiding something.

Yeah...Maybe.

I ever tell you you're
a terrific lawyer?

Yes.

I lied.

Find this guy Pavel.
You know, the bunny man?

I want to talk to him.

Because the testing
methodology

was state-of-the-art
at the time,

that's what we went by.

Ok, George.
We're through for today.

You're still talking
a little above the jury,

not that
that would be difficult.

Just keep it simple.

Wish to hell I'd never
seen that damn report.

That makes two of us.

May I ask
a question, please?

Sure.

Why didn't you just change
the blinker circuit?

It's just a question.

I told Flannery
about the problem

a month or so
before he died.

He called in his
head bean counter.

What's a bean counter?

Risk management expert.
Right, George?

Yeah.

Flannery asks him how
much it would cost

to retrofit...

you mean recall?

Yeah. You got it.

To retrofit
175,000 units.

You multiply that times $300 a car,
give or take.

You're looking at right
around $50 million.

So the risk guy,

he crunches the
numbers some more,

and he figures out

you have a fireball collision
about every 3,000 cars.

That's
158 explosions.

Which is almost exactly

as many plaintiffs
as there are.

These guys know
their numbers.

So you multiply that times
$200,000 per lawsuit.

That's assuming
everybody sues and wins.

30 million Max.

It's cheaper to deal
with the lawsuits

than it is to fix
the blinker.

It's what the
bean counters call

a simple
actuarial analysis.

Dad?

Dad.

Ms. Ward?
What an honor.

You've come to admire
your handiwork, I see.

Is he here?

He's gone.

This wasn't my idea.

I'm sorry.

I'm glad to hear that.

So...

You guys got
anything stronger

than herb tea to
drink around here?

Ohh.

That bad?

Ha ha!

I'm sorry. Deborah usually
does this kind of thing.

Oh, you mean she
has another job?

Maggie,
she's married.

That never stopped
him before, Nick.

She's married
to a woman named Cindy.

Really?

Really. He doesn't
play around anymore.

Or maybe you
hadn't noticed?

Nope. Maybe
I didn't care.

Of course you care.
The man owns you.

I swear he does.

Everything you are,
everything you do

is based
on driving him crazy.

Well, thank you,
Dr. Freud.

Like it takes a real
genius to spot it?

Jesus, Maggie.
If he stands up, you sit down.

If he turns right,
you turn left,

even if you
don't want to.

Your biggest aspiration
is to be his mirror image,

exactly the opposite
of what he is.

The problem is you
don't know what he is.

That makes being you
impossible.

You give him too
much credit, Nick,

but I guess
you always have.

And what the hell
have you done?

Huh?

You're probably going
to beat him, Maggie.

We both know that.

You got the staff
and the money

to grind us
into the ground.

But even if he loses...

He'll know he went down
on the right side.

You'll have your big success,
your partnership...

And what else?

I got work to do.

What?

Oh, no.

Oh, no!

Of course,
he denied everything.

You mean there's not
one single copy left?

No.

Well, then, who's to say
the notes ever existed?

Here.

Good. Good dog.

Go get the ball.

It won't work,
Mr. Quinn.

I can still testify.

I can tell them
the notes existed.

What then?

Your testimony will be
vitiated by Michael,

who has
an impeccable record

and loyal friends
in the legal community,

and he will have destroyed
a very promising career.

I'd hate
to see that happen.

What about Pavel?

My father will find him,
call him as a witness,

and he'll
blow the cover.

Oh, I don't think so.

We can neutralize him.

How?
You.

Here.

I watched your deposition
of Mr. Kellen.

You discredited him
while making it seem

like he was doing it to himself.
That takes talent.

And as you mentioned,

the good doctor's a far more
impeachable witness.

You shouldn't have
any problem with him.

The jury accepts this
kind of thing much better

if a woman does it.

But even if it's not,

you can be certain

we will have the doctor
dispatched by someone.

It's going to happen.

This is really
the way you want it?

That's the way it is.

Bottom line...

Michael Grazier
has put us

in an extraordinarily
difficult position.

When it's over,
he's going to pay for it.

But that needn't
concern you.

You're going
to be far too busy...

As the youngest partner
in the history of this firm.

Margaret?

Yeah?

Yes?

Margaret,
are you here?

Yeah. Yeah, I am.

Hey. Nick said you came by
the office the other night.

Yeah.

I guess we just
missed each other.

How did you get in?

I used your
mother's key.

I tried calling you,
but your phone's been disconnected.

Yeah. Come on in.

I didn't want
to use it,

but, uh, well, I...

I got worried.

I thought something
had happened to you.

Your mom was mad at me when she died,
and I...

Don't worry. I'm not
going out any windows.

I just wanted to say
that I was sorry,

and I'm wrong.

I was dead wrong.

I...I got
real defensive,

and I...Started...

I was acting like
a clown, you know?

I was bullying
people, you.

Dad, you don't
have to do this.

Wait. I'm not
finished yet.

I, um...

I guess
I'm finished.

Would you sit down?

Yeah.

Oh, you can
just toss that.

Dad...

God, I wish mom
were here.

Wish I could call her
and talk to her.

Yet I know exactly
what she'd tell me.

And I was going
to call you.

I was.

I wanted to,

but I didn't know how.

I'm so used to being
angry with you

that anything else
just didn't feel right.

It felt kind of
awkward, you know?

I'm sorry.
I've spent my whole life

being angry with you.

I mean, it's been...
it's been a constructive anger.

I've gotten
a lot done somehow.

You were also
my scapegoat.

If anything went wrong,
I blamed you.

Anything. Anything.
I could fail a test,

and somehow
it was your fault.

Now I look at things
as they are,

and I realize...

I need a new approach.

And I don't have
the slightest idea

where to begin.

I don't know.

I get up in the morning,
and I pray to God

that I'll get
through the day

without somebody
catching on.

In between,
it's just all smoke and mirrors.

I always thought I was
doing the right thing,

but maybe
I was wrong.

I don't know.

I think that's
the first time

I ever heard
you say that.

Guess I should work on that,
shouldn't I?

Come in.

Hi.

These are for you.

Fine.

Nothing
terribly important.

Interrogatories,
depos, summaries,

witness lists.

Just leave it.

Michael, you were right.

I would make
a lousy messenger.

I'm listening.

I saw my father
last night.

We talked about
a lot of things,

even got some of them
straightened out.

And afterwards
I did some thinking,

and I realized...

Well, I realized it
had been a long time

since I'd done
any thinking.

It felt good.

Somebody once told me an
emotional lawyer is a bad lawyer.

I've been a pretty bad
lawyer lately.

No argument.

I've come very close to
blowing everything around here

for everyone,
including myself.

So...
What do you say?

You forgive me,
I'll forgive you.

Or I'll forgive you,
you forgive me.

Please.

Tell me what you know
about Pavel.

He doesn't
have a chance.

Right.

Dr. Pavel,

let's talk about the
Meridian blinker circuit.

In your capacity as
research scientist at Argo,

did you have occasion
to test it?

Yes, sir, I did.

Did you have
problems with it?

Did we have
problems?

That circuit
is garbage.

It blew up
the gas tank.

I said so in the report
to Mr. Getchell.

But it was his
big invention.

Big deal.

Mr. Getchell.

So I just gave
him the report.

After that,
I don't know.

But you were
certain then

this shouldn't have
gone into that car?

Objection!

Calls
for conclusion.

Your honor,
his job at Argo

was reaching conclusions
just like this.

Overruled.

Should this circuit have
gone into the Meridian?

Yes...

If you want
to kill people.

No further questions.

Your witness, Miss Ward.

Your honor,

does plaintiff's counsel
intend to introduce

this alleged report?

Mr. Ward?

No.

So the only evidence
of its existence

is testimony such as
that of Dr. Pavel?

Yes. Just testimony.

Dr. Pavel, um...

In all of your years
at Argo,

you must have worked on hundreds of projects,
correct?

Oh, yes. Hundreds.

Would you tell me about
your favorites?

Objection.

Dr. Pavel's
former research

has no relevance here,
your honor.

Overruled.

Please answer, doctor.

There were lots.

The Atlas.

That was
a terrific car.

Motorcycle...

Pyton.

Uh, no.
The Python, doctor.

Did it have
circuit problems?

No. But I worked on
different motorcycles,

and maybe some
of the others...

perhaps like the A-100.

Remember a defective
gasket on that?

A-100.

No.

What about CA-3200?

According to reports,

an axle had
to be replaced.

Yes, yes.

That was a wonderful
motorcycle.

That was the first time
we put that linkage

in a two-wheel
vehicle.

The CA-3200 was
a pickup truck, doctor.

Objection.

She's testifying
for the witness.

Sustained.

Doctor...

What is 2762396?

Objection!
This is not a math test.

It goes to the quality
of his memory.

Overruled. I think
without the report

that the doctor's
memory is relevant.

I'm going to allow
this line of questioning.

I'm not so good with
numbers anymore.

Could you please
repeat it?

Absolutely.

2762396.

Isn't that
your phone number, sir?

Objection!
Overruled.

How about 94536?

Objection!

Overruled.
Sit down, Mr. Ward.

Your zip code, sir.

12-30-19?

I don't know.

Isn't that
your birthday, sir?

And 0243...

objection.
Your honor...

all right, Miss Ward.

Isn't that
the Meridian, doctor?

Miss Ward!
Your honor.

No further
questions.

I move to have
that last remark struck.

Miss Ward,
I don't want to warn you again.

Beautiful.

You may step down,
doctor.

I'm sorry.
That's all right.

Not good with
numbers anymore.

That's not a crime,
is it?

I still remember

the most important
things.

Next witness, Mr. Ward.

Your honor,

plaintiff calls
Michael Grazier.

What? Objection,
your honor.

This is completely
unsupportable!

I need him on
the witness stand.

It's outrageous!
Hold on!

I want you all
in my chambers now.

Recess.

I need him
on the stand.

No, Jed,
you listen to me.

Turn some other
courtroom into a circus

with your
half-assed stunts!

If it's a stunt,

if I'm a joke,
let me prove it!

The jury decided
that one long ago.

Hey, wait a minute.

Hold it!
All right. Just sit down.

Look, people,
listening to you spit on each other

is entertaining
as hell,

but I got to move
this thing along.

Jed, what the hell
are you doing?

I have to
have him testify

to show Argo's
state of mind

when they
built that car.

He can't put me
on the stand

without
prior notice.

That's within
your discretion, judge.

He's just trying to save face
in front of his clients.

There's no offer
of proof here.

You're asking for
a real leap of faith.

Give me one reason
why I should.

The worst that can
happen is I'm wrong.

If I am, you'll
make it ugly for me.

I'd think
the thought of that

would be
irresistible to you.

Do you swear to
tell the truth,

the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth,

so help you God?

I do.

Be seated and
state your name.

Michael McKinley Grazier.

As I understand it,

you're in charge
of legal affairs for Argo

in the firm of
Quinn, Califan & Lunt.

I'm the chief
legal liaison

between Argo
and my firm.

If somebody asked for
a safety report on Argo,

someone like me,
for instance...

You would get it,

and you would turn it
over to them, right?

Right.

All of them.

Every single one.

Mr. Ward, you have

all the safety research
in existence.

You mean there
might be a report

that is no longer
in existence?

There might be
eight-legged mice on Venus.

That's another question
I can't answer.

Easy for you
to make jokes.

You have both
your arms and legs.

Objection! Argumentative.

Sustained.

Opposing counsel
has not suggested anything

that justifies keeping
Mr. Grazier on the stand.

Isn't it time
to move on?

I'm leaning in that
direction myself.

Please get
to the point.

Mr. Grazier, do you
know of the existence

now or in the past

of a report
calling into question

the safety
of the Meridian model?

I can't testify on some
hypothetical report.

It wasn't hypothetical
to Dr. Pavel.

He wrote it.

So he says.

So he says under oath.

Do you understand, sir,
that you're testifying under oath?

Yes, I do.

And committing perjury
is grounds for disbarment?

Mr. Ward, I find
that objectionable.

I do know the law.

So do I, and you're
using semantics

when all you
have to do

is answer
a simple question!

Did you see
that report?

Yes or no!
Objection.

The question
has been answered.

It has not
been answered!

Overruled.

Yes or no?
You're being evasive.

I'm not
being evasive.

I'm answering the
questions you're asking.

The hell you are,
Mr. Grazier!

You and I know that.
The jury knows that.

I think everybody
in this courtroom knows it.

Mr. Ward, sit down!

The son of a bitch is
really getting to the jury.

No. He's
only bluffing.

He did the same thing
in Rangel vs. Kincaid.

I can handle this.

Then do it.

Miss Ward?

Uh, Mr. Grazier,

Mr. Ward has been
thundering on

for quite
some time now,

and it occurs to me

that with all his
fire and brimstone,

he might have just
confused the issue,

so I'll ask you
a question straight out.

Have you any knowledge
of a report

calling any version
of the Meridian unsafe?

No.

Have you
ever seen one,

read one,

or heard of one?

No.

No further questions.

Members of the jury,
what you've just seen here

is obviously unusual.

Mr. Grazier's presence
on the stand

should in no way
influence you

to find for or against
his client.

You may step down.

Your honor,
plaintiff calls Anthony Patricola.

Mr. Patricola.

Who the hell
is Anthony Patricola?

I've never
heard of him.

His name was there.

You must have
missed it.

I'm sure
I gave it you

along with a bunch
of other papers.

You got the goddamn
Library of Congress.

Do you swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth,

and nothing but the truth,
so help you God?

I do.

Be seated and
state your name.

Anthony
Patricola.

What do you do
for a living,

Mr. Patricola?

I am the Chief
Accountant

in the Risk
Management Division

of Argo Motors.

Mm-hmm.

Are you what is
affectionately called

a bean counter?

Yes, sir.

Is it fair to say you're
the head bean counter?

Yes, sir.

So you see a lot
of reports in your job,

and you take
these reports...

Bitch.

...make a simple
actuarial analysis.

You gave him
Patricola.

...if we understand
what that means.

I'm sorry, Michael.

I guess
it's in the genes.

You have
a defective part.

You make a decision on whether
to replace that part in a recall

or suffer a lawsuit,
whichever's cheaper.

Is that correct?

I don't make
the decisions.

I just analyze
the reports.

The reports, yes.
Let's talk about them.

Do you recall one
questioning the safety

of the 1985 Meridian model?

Yes.

Your honor.

Mr. Quinn.

May we approach?

Defense requests
a conference.

And, your honor?

Yes?

Lead counsel only.

All right, Fred,

what's on
your mind?

Your honor,
there's been an appalling conspiracy here,

one that has compromised our entire case.
I demand a mistrial.

Unbelievable.

Let's hear it.

Well, Miss Ward's turned over
privileged information to her father,

and he's accepted it

in flagrant violation
of every principle

of legal ethics
I know.

Which one would that be?

Enough, Jed.
This isn't a joke.

The joke is, your honor,

you're being
asked to consider

legal ethics argument

from the boss
of Michael Grazier.

Michael Grazier no longer
works for Quinn-Califan.

He's a closed issue.

Ballast off
a sinking ship.

I'll have you referred to the
State Bar for disciplinary action.

Please do it!

I'll have your daughter

thrown out
of the profession.

Your honor,
Miss Ward discovered

that Michael Grazier had
deliberately destroyed

Dr. Pavel's report.

I'm entitled
to that evidence.

That proved my case.

She couldn't
give it to me,

so she told me about
a corroborating witness.

That's ethical,
legal, but imperative.

By the way,

you so much as look in
my daughter's direction,

they won't be able to identify
you with dental records.

Fred,

if what he says
is true,

your firm
has violated

at least
three sections

of the
State Bar Act.

Listen,
in the best interest of your client...

but, your honor...

and what remains
of your reputation,

I think you ought
to end this thing

as quickly and as
quietly as possible.

Ok. Ok.

I'm going to have to
clear this with Argo,

but, um...

What's it going to take?

I was looking forward
to trying this.

30 million.

I've got a real good
chance of winning.

Oh, come on, Jed.

Some of your clients
weren't even hurt that bad.

$50 million.

Oh, damn it, Jed!
What's it going to take?

Bottom line, Fred?

You can't count
that high.

Alexander Pavel.

Here's to Mr. Minh's
fishing fleet.

Here's to
$100 million.

P.T. Barnum...

Ohh!
Father of us all.

Cheers.

Jed.
Maggie?

Hi.

Hi.

So, how'd it go?

It worked.
Good. Good.

Hi, darling.

Thank you, Maggie.

Yeah.

Counselor. I can still
call you that, right?

Yeah. Yeah.

You did good, Maggie.

What?

Just...You two together.

I was beginning to think maybe
parenthood wasn't such a good idea,

but you give me hope.

Dad.

Thank you.

Hey, you did it.

No.

Thank you.

You know,
I never told you,

but when
your mom told me

that she was pregnant
and we were having you,

I went out, and I got really drunk,
and I prayed fervently

there had been
a mistake at the lab.

Even those days,
you didn't listen to me.

And then you were
in my arms, and I...

I looked down
at this little...

Crossed eyes and...

And I knew you were
going to break my heart.

You did.

But you give me back
your mom

in your hands,
in your face...

dad.

Yeah.

I love you, too.

I promised mom once...

That we would dance.

♪ If you don't know me
by now ♪

♪ You will never, never,
never know me ♪

♪ Ooh ooh-ooh ooh ooh ♪

♪ All the things ♪

♪ That we've been through ♪

♪ You should
understand me ♪

♪ Like I understand you ♪

♪ Now, girl,
I know the difference ♪

♪ Between right and wrong ♪

♪ I ain't gonna do nothin' ♪

♪ to break up
my happy home ♪

♪ Oh, don't get
so excited ♪

♪ When I come home
a little late at night ♪

♪ 'Cause we only
act like children ♪

♪ When we argue,
fuss, and fight ♪

♪ If you don't
know me by now ♪

♪ If you don't know me ♪

♪ You will never,
never, never know me ♪

♪ No, you won't ♪

♪ Ooh ooh-ooh
ooh ooh ♪

♪ If you don't
know me by now ♪

♪ You will never,
never, never know me ♪

♪ Ooh ooh-ooh
ooh ooh ♪

♪ We all got ♪

♪ Our own funny moods ♪

♪ I've got mine and ♪

♪ woman,
you got yours, too ♪

♪ Just trust in me ♪

♪ like I trust in you ♪

♪ As long as
we've been together ♪

♪ it should be
so easy to do ♪

♪ Just get yourself
together ♪

♪ or we might as well
say goodbye ♪

♪ What good is
a love affair ♪

♪ when you can't see
eye to eye, oh ♪

♪ If you don't
know me by now ♪

♪ If you don't know me ♪

♪ You will never,
never, never know me ♪

♪ No, you won't ♪

♪ Ooh ooh-ooh
ooh ooh ♪

♪ If you don't
know me by now ♪

♪ You will never, never,
never know me ♪

♪ Ooh ooh-ooh
ooh ooh ♪

♪ If you don't
know me by now ♪

♪ You will never, never,
never know me... ♪