Original subtitles

Sex!

It's all about sex, fornication, defilement, debauchery.

Different names for the same thing.

This California concept of recreational sex

is spreading like a disease, pardon the pun.

I can't tell you how many young people I've heard say

"sex is no big deal."

No big deal, huh?

You know what I call it?

The trivialization of marriage.

The rape of a sacred institution!

Now, y'all remember how God created men and women, right?

From one flesh?

Well, if you read a little further in the Bible,

and I hope I'm not spoiling anything for anyone,

you'll come across a passage in Ephesians,

concerning the nature of marriage.

It says "a man shall leave his mother and father,

"and shall be joined unto his wife and they, too,

"shall become one flesh."

Now, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what the meaning

of becoming one flesh, [chuckles] it means sex!

But it means more than just California recreation,

and adulteration and fornication.

It means sex is intended to exist only within

the sacred covenant between one man and one woman!

You see what I'm getting at here?

I'm talking about pre-marital relations.

Are you listenin'?

Pre-martial sex!

I like to give this sermon this time of year,

because we all know what's right around the corner.

Prom.

And we all know what some of our kids

are doing on prom night, I'll give you a hint.

It ain't dancin'.

Y'all familiar with the law of fire?

Law of fire is simple.

You stick your hand in the flames, you're gonna get burned.

[chuckles] Even kids know that.

But you got these young people nowadays with their big heads

and their California morals and they think

that they're somehow above the law of fire!

So they gather up all the kindling

and all the dry wood they can find and they build

the biggest roaring infernos you could possibly imagine!

And then what do they do?

They stick their hands in the fire and they say,

"I'm not gonna get burned, I'm not gonna get burned!"

And then what do you think happens? [chuckles]

They get burned!

Their hands get all black and blistered!

And if they hold it there long enough,

the flesh just melts right off the bone.

That's sex, ladies and gentlemen.

You start havin' sex outside of marriage,

bad things will happen.

You start sleepin' around, next thing you know,

you start gettin' diseases.

Maybe it's a little pain when you urinate.

Maybe it's warts in places where you don't wanna see warts.

Maybe you get lesions and ulcers and all sorts of horrible

skin conditions that will physically mark you as a deviant!

As a sinner against God's will!

You wanna have and illegitimate child?

You wanna give your mother an illegitimate grandchild?

How dare you.

Listen to me.

Purity carries with it the joy of obedience.

If you are pure, you have pleased your family.

You have pleased your community.

You have pleased your pastor and you have pleased your God.

[chuckles]

There is no greater joy,

than the freedom of a clear conscience.

Stay pure, because I assure you,

the fall from grace is long and agonizing.

- [lively rock music] - Fuck Florida!

[Group] Fuck Florida!

[group cheers]

♪ And I'll take you anywhere ♪

♪ If you'll leave with me ♪

♪ Step across the threshold ♪

♪ Take my hand ♪

♪ By doing so, you'll be my woman ♪

♪ And I'll be your man ♪

♪ But ain't it great ♪

♪ To fall in love ♪

Bobby, fuck yeah, man.

You're gettin' the hell out of here!

Come with me, man!

Woo!

♪ Well, there's no one else ♪

♪ I'd rather hold ♪

♪ In my awkward arms forever more ♪

♪ So you don't get cold ♪

♪ But ain't it great ♪

♪ To fall in love ♪

♪ There's nothing like it in the big bad world ♪

♪ Nor in the blue skies above ♪

♪ So I'm running down the hall ♪

♪ Without opening my eyes ♪

♪ When I met that girl I've always dreamed of ♪

♪ And I can't let it hide ♪

Hi, Francis.

Hey.

What're you doing up here all alone?

Smoking.

You don't like to dance, do you?

Nope.

♪ Ain't it great ♪

♪ To fall in love ♪

♪ There's nothing like it in the big bad world ♪

Are you drunk?

No.

Yeah, you are.

I can smell it on you.

Hey, where's Judith?

At a party.

A party.

This is a party.

Yep.

Francis, Judith doesn't go to parties, come on.

Well, why aren't you with her?

Did you break up with her?

No.

Have you fucked her yet?

None of your god damn business.

That means no.

It means it's none of your god damn business.

James and I have sex.

Every weekend.

That's nice.

Can I tell you a secret?

Please don't.

I think you're cute.

You know, I just don't understand

why you're wasting your time with these virgins.

Really, Francis, I don't understand the appeal.

And her clothes are just so boring.

God, Francis.

You were like a rock star.

[Francis] No, no I'm not.

I just don't understand any of it.

It doesn't make any sense to me.

What doesn't make sense, little girl?

Life.

[chuckles]

Francis is so drunk.

I see that.

Let's go talk to Bobby for a little while.

[Girlfriend] Okay.

♪ Happy birthday, it's your birthday ♪

♪ Happy birthday, it's your birthday ♪

♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

[chuckles]

That's to guarantee my wish comes true.

What'd you wish for, Grandpa?

Well, a handsome face.

That's what you wished for last year, Samuel.

Excuse me, it worked, didn't it?

That cake is gonna kill me.

You ate a half a pound of steak for dinner,

and you're worried about a little cake?

I'm a meat eater, I was built to eat steak.

This is the work of the devil.

You want some milk, Grandpa?

Oh, yes, milk would be really good

to wash down this evil confection.

- Use the flour cups, Judith. - Okay.

Ah.

Thank you.

Did I ever tell you about the cakes we used to make,

back when your dad was a kid?

Birthdays were hard back then.

One year I remember I didn't have any money

to get your grandma a present.

[melancholy music]

I went to the dump ground, dug around for a little while,

found a coffee can, turned it upside-down, and out came

the most beautiful sapphire necklace I think I'd ever seen.

It was all covered in dirt,

coffee grounds, god knows what else.

I cleaned it up and put it in a handkerchief.

Stuffed in a baking soda box.

It was the best gift I ever gave her.

Anyway.

We didn't have any money for cakes back then, either.

We'd just throw everything we had into the oven

and bake it and call it a cake.

Was during the war, so we called them war cakes.

Didn't have any eggs.

Didn't have any milk.

No butter, no sugar.

We had some flour and we'd have some baking soda,

and baking powder.

And if we was lucky, we'd have some brown sugar.

We'd throw in some apples.

Maybe some raisins.

Nuts.

Anything that'd feasibly make a cake. [chuckles]

And you know what? It was good.

'Cause that's all we had.

But it wasn't anything like this.

This is gonna kill me.

Quiet, you.

You're allowed to have cake today.

Judith, honey, slow down.

It's your grandfather's birthday.

Are you goin' somewhere tonight?

I have to study for a test at Paula's.

That's what she says, but if I find you're going

to that boy's party, there's gonna be consequences.

Who's party are you goin' to?

I'm not going to a party.

Bobby Henderson is moving to New York,

so he's throwing this big thing in his dad's barn.

Ah, I see.

And nothin' good happens

at Bobby Henderson's barn parties.

I'm sure she's not gonna put herself

in a compromising situation.

She's a very smart girl.

Why don't you go get grandpa his present,

and then you can get on with your, um, studying?

Okay, I'll be right back.

She'll be all right.

[peaceful music]

[Judith] How was your party?

Boring, and yours? [Judith chuckles]

[Judith] It was nice.

Did you drink?

I had a beer. [Judith chuckles]

My mom thinks I'm at Paula's.

Yeah, I figured.

[Judith] Actually, she thinks I'm at Bobby's.

Grandpa probably knows where I am.

Probably.

So, how long till graduation?

[Judith] A month.

That long? [Judith chuckles]

[Judith] Three weeks.

Then what?

What do you mean?

What happens after graduation?

You get a job and find me a ring,

and then we live happily ever after.

Correct.

[both chuckle]

I was wondering what you were getting at.

I just like to hear you say it.

I'm getting my dress tomorrow.

What color?

I don't know, what do you think?

White.

Well, that's boring.

I'm saving that for my wedding day.

What about red?

Yeah, that's fine.

[chuckles] You don't care, do you?

Yeah, I mean, of course I care.

You don't have to care, it's okay, it's just a prom dress.

Oh, my god, you decided to go with white after all.

I fell in love with it as soon as I walked in the store.

It's beautiful, you look adorable!

- Oh, my gosh, I love it. - It's comfortable, too.

What's your mom gonna say?

She'll be fine.

It's not revealing.

Have you told her yet?

What?

- That I'm going with Francis? - Mm-hm.

No, but she knows.

Well, you should probably get on that soon.

I'm workin' on it.

Meanwhile, I have yet to be asked

by anybody with a full set of teeth.

Oh, Tommy's cute in his own way.

Well, unfortunately, his way is not my way.

Do you know what Greg's doing yet?

I think he's going with Cathryn Vice.

You are so much prettier than she is.

Yeah, well, Greg apparently thinks otherwise.

Do you regret... [somber music]

Yeah.

I guess, yeah.

Why?

Are you thinking about it?

No.

No.

Francis and I getting married soon, so it'd be pointless.

Just be careful, Judith, I don't want you getting hurt.

[door creaks] [chimes clink]

Hi, Mom.

It'll be fine.

[Paula chuckles]

Uh-huh!

[Judith sighs]

[bird squawks]

[thud]

[birds tweet]

[knocks]

[muffled pots clang]

[door creaks]

Hi, Grandpa.

[suspenseful music]

You wanted me to come over?

Judith.

You're here.

Come on in, I was just eating some ice cream.

Don't tell your mother.

Prom was the first time I ever met your mom.

Did I ever tell you that?

Your dad was so shy in high school,

we didn't think he'd ever ask anybody.

And actually, we were right.

She asked him.

Your mom asked him, two nights before the dance.

She said she'd been waiting around for two months,

and he never opened his mouth, because he was scared.

Can you imagine that?

Missing out on the love of your life,

'cause you're too scared?

I guess maybe it happens all the time.

Anyway, her parents brought her over and we made quick

introductions and I sent 'em off in the old convertible.

I was sure they were gonna crash it.

Do you know, before they even got out the door,

I knew they was gonna get married.

Number one, your dad was so terrified of women,

I just knew that once he'd wrangled one,

he wasn't gonna let her go.

And number two, they were just a fit.

You know, sometimes you can tell, people just fit.

You know things like that sometimes.

Hey, get enough ice cream?

Oh, no, this is fine.

Ah, come on, it's not every day

you get to eat ice cream with your grandpa.

The more you eat, the less there is there to tempt me.

I started reading Mr. Baker's book.

- You did? - Yep, sure did.

I had a little time on my hands,

so I thought I'd give it a spin.

I read a couple of chapters, I think I like it.

You do?

Yep.

Yeah, Mr. Baker is a very smart man.

I don't agree with all his ideas, of course,

but that's the beauty of literature, isn't it?

Kinda like conversation, you agree with some parts,

and disagree with others.

I like what he said at the end of one of the chapters.

He followed his love to the star of salvation, or,

she followed her star, something like that.

But you know, I always associate salvation with Christianity

and I know he's not a religious writer, but,

I think there's a lot of truth to it.

I didn't bring you here for a sermon, did I?

I think it's about time for me to tell you

the real reason for this clandestine rendezvous.

I thought our meeting was to celebrate

this fine culinary dish?

And a noble cause that is, for certain.

However.

With my only granddaughter having bought a prom dress,

and me being her only grandfather,

I felt a obligation

to honor this momentous occasion with a gift.

I've told you this story about it over 100 times, I know.

I originally planned to wait for your wedding day,

but truth is, I'm getting old.

I can't wait around for everything all the time,

so, this is close enough,

and I hope it doesn't clash too much with that dress.

[Judith chuckles]

[Judith] I love you, Grandpa.

I love you too, sweetheart.

Just do me a favor, will you?

I know it's two whole minutes to walk over here,

but before you head off to the prom,

would you come by and let me see your pretty dress?

Before Francis comes up

and picks you up in that old beater of his.

[chuckles] I think I can do that.

Good, good.

[crickets chirp] [distant dog barks]

Sit.

I was at Grandpa's.

Sit.

Read.

21:6.

Out loud.

[Judith sighs]

"And he said to me, it is done,

"in the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.

"I will give of the fountain of water,

"of life freely to him who thirsts.

"He who overcomes shall inherit all things

"and I will be his God and he shall be my son.

"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable murderers,

"sexually immorals, sorcerers, idolaters and all liars

"shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire

"and brimstone, which is the second death."

That's enough.

You knew I wouldn't like that dress.

- Mom. - Hush.

I thought about making you return it.

That is, until about an hour ago when Mr. Ferguson called.

He informed me that you're the class valedictorian.

That is the one and only reason I am practicing

any form of restraint right now.

If my daughter is smart enough to be the class valedictorian

I would have to hope that she'd have the wisdom

to make the right decisions for herself.

Unfortunately, being book-smart's

not the same thing as being wise.

Wisdom takes age and devotion.

In the eyes of the law, you're an adult now,

but in the eyes of your mother and your God,

you're a child, and you need guidance.

I understand the desire to fit in with your classmates.

I don't want you to be a social outcast, Judith,

so please don't think that.

But I also don't wanna see you sacrifice

your morals for acceptance.

If you're true to yourself, then people will respect you.

You haven't told me who you're going to the prom with.

You're going with Francis.

I'm not stupid.

Do you realize that by not telling me,

it's the same thing as telling a lie?

Yes, ma'am.

Who does it say will burn in the lake of fire?

Who?

Liars, Judith.

Liars.

Do you think your daddy would've liked Francis?

- Yes. - No.

He wouldn't have.

You wanna know why? [somber music]

Because you were everything to him.

You were the reason he came home from work

with a smile on his face every day.

You are young, Judith.

You don't understand boys.

You mean nothing to him, do you realize that?

Does he tell you he loves you?

He doesn't, 'cause he doesn't even know what love is.

Everything he says or does

is motivated by his own selfishness.

- That's not true. - Of course it's true!

He's an 18-year-old boy, Judith.

I'm worried.

I'm worried for you.

I'm worried for our family.

When your grandfather and I are gone, you're the last one.

You're it, there's nobody else.

I just want you to have the strength

and the wisdom to make us proud.

To make your father proud.

Now, I'm not gonna tell you who to go to the prom with,

and I'm not gonna make you return that dress,

but what I am gonna do is to ask you to pray to God tonight.

Ask him if you're making the right choices.

[instrumental rock music]

It's too early for this shit.

I'll be damned if I have to spend another day under the

tutelage of Peter F. Burpark without the proper medication.

You have enough for two straight weeks?

Right now, dear Bobby, I am enjoying the perks of being

little brother to Hateford's most successful drug dealer.

My supply is, for all intents and purposes, bottomless.

[camera clicks]

Christ.

Put the camera away.

Jesus.

Those will kill you, you know.

Did you know that George Washington owned a hemp farm?

And Thomas Jefferson,

he wrote the Declaration of Independence on hemp paper.

And Betsy Ross used hemp to sew the first American flag.

I find it astonishing, and quite frankly appalling,

how much our educational institutions try to underplay

the role of pot in American history.

Pot, and hemp,

are completely different.

- You idiot. - Technically, yes.

Regardless, you'd be surprised to discover

how closely linked cannabis is to American patriotism.

In the 17th century, farmers were required to grow it.

Yes, to make rope.

You're missing the point, Bobby.

Our forefathers would have a much different perspective

on the drug culture than old Bull Johnson.

Gorgeous.

[Francis chuckles]

How's Judith?

Good.

Is she as giddy about the whole prom thing as Kate?

Yeah, she's excited.

Her mom tried to get her to ditch me, though.

Why am I not surprised?

Must be the smoking.

Have you broken that horse yet?

Do you mean have I had sex with my girlfriend?

Nah, she wants to wait.

That's rough, man.

Oh, like you've made it with Ash.

Not quite.

But prom's coming.

It's going to happen.

We'll see.

How many girls have you slept with?

Four.

Four?

God damn, you're like a rock star, man!

Well, come prom night,

I'll be joining you on that score board.

Mark my words, gentlemen,

Ashley Coleson's virginity will be mine.

And yours will be hers.

Again, you're missing the point, Henderson.

[rock and roll music]

[bird squawks]

[birds tweet]

[knocks]

[knocks]

[suspenseful music]

[door creaks]

Grandpa?

[clock ticks]

Grandpa?

I can't read this.

What is it?

It's a letter.

From the government.

It's in German!

Are you okay?

German, it didn't make any god damn sense.

- Grandpa? - Where the hell's Henry?

Is he out with that girl again?

Robin?

Ruth, whatever her name is?

I knew it was gonna be a silent takeover.

Grandpa.

What the hell are you wearin'?

Prom, it's tonight.

Do I need to call someone?

What difference does it make?

If they have gas...

That shell will eat your eyes right out of your head.

Grandpa, it's me, it's Judith.

When is prom season anyway?

May, June, it's god damn sure not August.

Grandpa, it's...

Get out!

You've come for me.

Oh, lord, you're more beautiful than I remember.

But that's how it works, isn't it?

I guess I didn't expect you so soon, but,

I'm ready.

I knew that death would be beautiful,

but how could I know it was gonna be like this?

The Lord is good, Sue.

The lord is so good.

- No, no! - No!

Grandpa, no!

Grandpa, stop!

- Who's waiting for you? - It's me, Grandpa!

Who is it? [Judith screams]

- No, no. - Who is it?

God damn it, where are you going, dressed like that?

Well, guess what, you're not going anywhere.

[Judith screams]

Shut up!

I've had all of it I'm gonna take.

You're completely done, you understand me?

No more of this horseshit. [Judith screams]

[Judith screams]

[sustained high-pitched tone]

[Ruth] Judith, are you getting ready for tonight?

Judith?

[footsteps clack]

Judith?

Are you ready for tonight?

Mom?

What's goin' on?

What's the matter, Judith?

Shh, take a deep breath.

Take a deep breath, it's all right.

What's the matter?

I can't go.

Why?

What happened?

I don't feel good.

Well, are you sick?

Do you want me to take you to the hospital?

I just...

Oh, honey.

Is your stomach?

Anything else?

[sobs] I just feel awful.

You sure we don't need to get you to the emergency room?

No, I just need to rest.

Oh, honey, this is a big night for you.

You sure you don't wanna go for just a little while?

You could go for an hour and I could pick you up,

if you don't feel well.

[Judith sobs]

Are you sure you're gonna be all right?

[Judith sobs]

Honey.

It's okay.

Shh, it's okay.

[Girl] When was the last time you were with a girl?

[Francis] A week ago.

[Girl] Oh, my god, you're so bad.

Who was she?

[Francis] Some girl at a party.

[Girl] Is that what I am?

[Francis] What?

[Girl] "Some girl."

When was the last time you were in love?

[Francis] Now.

Are you in love with me?

What?

You just said you're in love with me.

Oh.

No.

No, I'm not.

You meant someone else.

Fuck you, Francis, get the fuck off of my bed.

[Francis] What?

You can't treat people like that.

You can't go around breaking hearts just because you're sad

or it makes you feel better, or whatever.

I thought you liked me.

I guess I'm glad I'm finding this out now.

I mean, fuck, I wish I knew that before I had sex with you.

Wow.

I feel really used.

Thanks for that, Francis, it feels good.

Really, it had been too long.

Fuck you, man, don't call me.

[somber music] [birds tweet]

[door slams]

[car engine roars]

[knocks]

Come in.

You doin' all right, sweetie?

Yeah, just readin'.

This is good.

Judith, can I talk to you for a minute?

Sure.

I'm worried about you, honey.

Did somethin' happen?

Like what?

Well, I don't know, Judith, you tell me.

When's the last time you saw Paula?

I was over there last week.

Well, last summer, you two were together almost every day.

She has a boyfriend now.

Well, when's the last time you saw anyone else?

You're done with school now, honey, and that's wonderful,

but you're not gonna get to see

your friends again in the fall.

You need to maintain those relationships.

Especially if it's gonna be another year

before you start college.

I thought you said you were okay with me waiting a year?

Well, I'm not thrilled about the sudden change,

but yes, I'm okay with it.

What I'm not okay with is you sittin' in this room,

day in and day out.

Now, I know I can be protective, dear, but,

well, I want you to get out and be happy, enjoy being young.

I am happy.

I don't think you are, Judith.

[chuckles] Never thought I'd hear myself say this, but,

I want you to spend more time with your friends, okay?

Can you do that?

Yes.

And you need start looking for a job soon.

Summer's almost over.

I will.

Okay.

Well, I'm gonna get dinner started.

You can always talk to me.

You know that?

Yeah.

[sighs]

[ominous tones]

What do we do with our families?

I don't know if you've noticed, folks,

but the family structure in America is rapidly, as I say,

rapidly disintegrating!

We don't live in the 19th century anymore.

We don't live in 1914, this is isn't even 1952.

The year is 1968 and I say the world is rapidly

disintegrating into sin and chaos!

If ever there was a time for the second coming,

it would be now!

Not a day goes by that I don't wake up

and wonder if today is the day.

Sometimes I even find myself hoping, hoping,

for the sake of our nation and of humanity,

hoping for the rapture to free the good Christian people

from this cycle of sin and suffering.

Now, do you think 100 years ago,

church leaders were hoping for the end?

[chuckles] No.

No, they weren't.

This unease, this cosmic anxiety that I'm experiencing,

that we are all experiencing,

if you trace it back to the source,

I guarantee you'll find the collapse of the American family.

Proverbs, chapter 22, verse six.

"Train up a child on the way he should go,

"and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Are you listenin'?

"Train up a child on the way he should go,

"and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

God gave us families before he gave us a church.

Guys, this is important.

See, before we had the institution of the church,

we had our families and families were educational forces

for passing down and instilling morals into our children!

And now, in American society, we just hand off the

responsibility of raising our children to other people!

We depend on our schools, we depend on our churches,

we depend on the almighty television

to do the parenting for us!

Now, don't get me wrong, schools and churches are important.

They are.

To raise a child to its fullest potential,

you need the support of the community, that's true.

But our homes need to be our schools before our schools,

and our churches before our churches.

Did I lose some you there? [chuckles]

You see, our homes need to be holy places,

where God is welcome, where we can provide

instruction and mentoring for our children.

"Train up a child on the way he should go,

"and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Beth Combs told me that this was

the best vegetable ham soup in town.

You know, it doesn't hold a candle to the box cart.

Well, leave it to Beth Combs to spread misinformation.

I think Beth is a kind woman.

She just doesn't always have her facts straight.

You know last week she told me that absolutely

Nixon was gonna choose Romney as his running mate.

I think Agnew was an interesting choice.

His leadership skills are a little bit weak.

I think he was chosen more for geography than anything else.

No politics on Sunday, Sam.

Sorry, girls, you know politics is my sport.

So, what's on the agenda for this week, anything good?

Same old routine.

Work and knittin' with the girls on Wednesday and

got a doctors appointment in the mornin'.

That's good.

What about you, Judith?

Any plans?

No.

[Ruth sighs]

Excuse me.

Judith?

Look at me.

[somber music]

Look at me, please.

What is wrong?

You're breaking my heart, darlin'.

We haven't had one single conversation this entire summer.

Your mom tells me that you hardly ever get out of your room.

You know, if you just tell me what's wrong,

I might be able to help.

I'm an old man.

I know things. [chuckles]

Is it about school?

Something happen with Francis?

Paula?

It's just school.

Oh, well...

There's nothing wrong with being sad about leaving school.

Leaving behind good memories that you've made is never easy.

I know when I wanted to move closer to you and your mom,

I really found it tough to sell that house.

I'd made a lot of good memories with your dad and grandma.

But the thing is, that's over.

And it's all right.

The hard part is enjoying today,

as much as you enjoy remembering the past.

Trust me on this, I say it with 100% confidence,

you are 18 years old, you are going to college next year,

you're smart, you're beautiful.

High school was your life.

High school was your world,

but there's a bigger world out there.

So, why don't you cheer up?

'Cause I promise you, the best is yet to come.

[ominous music]

[woman clears her throat]

[engine roars]

[door slams]

[birds tweet]

[knocks]

[door creaks]

Hey, uh, Miss Hall, is Judith home?

No, Judith is not home.

Okay, uh, do you know when she'll be back?

No.

All right, uh, can you ask her to give me a call?

[tense music]

What did you do to my daughter?

[door creaks]

[door slams]

[distant engine roars]

It's strange, last summer was so much fun, wasn't it?

I guess everyone was just really excited about senior year

and everything, but this summer is so different.

I mean, it's so different.

People are so much less inclined to go out and do things

and I don't know, and I don't just mean just you and me,

I mean, it's pretty much everybody, I mean, everybody I've

talked to has just been sleeping all through the summer.

Everything's so...

Muted.

Does that make sense?

Do you think it's 'cause Bobby left?

You know, he always had that way of forcing people together?

But I guess it could be a lot of reasons, I mean,

we have like, what, six people

from our graduating class going to college?

And so that pretty much means work for everybody else.

Honestly, the only person that I've really seen is Brian,

and I mean, he's great and I like him so much,

and we do these fun things, but I just miss last summer!

Sittin' on the porch every night,

and driving in Jessica's car! [giggles]

But I guess we're not kids anymore.

I guess I just thought that growing up

would be a more gradual process.

It's so much more instantaneous than I would have thought.

Yeah.

Well...

Should I take you home?

Yeah, I should probably get going.

Okay.

[sighs]

Paula.

I have to tell you somethin'.

What is it?

I haven't told anyone.

You can tell me anything, you know that.

[somber music]

Three months ago,

I was assaulted by someone.

Someone I know.

Oh, my god.

Judith!

And I think I'm pregnant.

Are you serious?

Judith!

Oh, my god, oh, my god, Judith, who would do that to you?

I can't say.

You can tell me.

Judith, please, this is serious.

Who would do that to you?

- Was it Francis? - No.

No, it wasn't Francis.

Was it someone at school?

Paula, please.

I wanna help you.

Is this why I haven't seen you all summer?

Judith, please.

This is serious.

Why haven't you told anyone about this?

Does he even know you're pregnant?

No.

So what are you gonna do?

I don't know, I...

I think I need to run away.

And where would you go?

Judith, you don't even have a car, where are you gonna go?

I don't know, New York or somethin'.

You can't just run away.

Especially not if you're gonna have a baby.

You need support, you need your mother and I'll be here.

I'll help you.

And when me and Brian get married, I'll have a baby,

and then we can raise our babies together,

and they'll be best friends.

But Judith, listen to me.

I know that running away seems like it's the easy answer,

but it's not.

Who did this to you?

Are you afraid they're gonna hurt you if he finds out?

I don't know, I don't think so.

I think I need to tell him.

You need to tell the police.

Who did this?

Judith, please, I'm your best friend and I want to help you!

Who did this to you?

It was...

It was Francis.

Oh, my god.

Oh, Judith, I am so sorry.

Oh, my god.

Why haven't you told anyone?

Are you afraid he's gonna hurt you?

I don't know.

Well, if you won't go to the police, I will.

Nobody hurts my friends.

Paula, stop.

No, he is going to fucking prison,

and I hope he fucking gets murdered.

Please, will you just wait?

You have got to start sticking up for yourself.

What he did was beyond horrible,

and I'm not gonna sit here and watch him get away with it!

Will you just give me some time to figure something out?

There is nothing to figure out!

Judith, it's very simple.

He raped you and now he's going to jail.

Please, listen to what I'm saying, I...

I still love him.

And that makes it okay?

No.

No, it doesn't, I just,

I'm not ready to go to the police.

I will, I promise, okay?

Just not yet.

Come here.

[bleak music] [bird squawks]

[birds tweet]

[knocks]

[door creaks]

Well, look who's here.

Wow, hello, stranger.

What brings you to this neck of the woods?

I was just hoping that we could talk?

Sounds kinda serious, is something wrong?

No, I just wanna talk.

Well, that's something we haven't done enough of lately.

I'm making some cookies, come on in.

You want a cookie?

I'm gettin' bad about cookies, seems like my sweet tooth's

gettin' a whole lot more persuasive with age.

These are chocolate macadamia nut cookies,

with a hint of cinnamon.

I haven't got my technique down perfect yet,

but I'm gettin' better.

I finished that book.

It took a while, but I got through it.

A little too much existentialism to suit me, but,

Mr. Baker is a smart man.

Maybe too smart for his own good.

I don't guess I had to bring that up.

I know you haven't been seein' Francis, but,

I just kinda wanted to tell you that

I really enjoyed your birthday gift.

I wanted to tell you how much I appreciated it.

So, tell me what's wrong, Judy.

Got a little trouble with the law?

[suspenseful music]

I just wanted to ask you something.

Mm-hm.

Have you been feeling okay lately?

Well, yeah!

Better than ever.

Why do you ask?

I guess these cookies are startin'

to show up a little too much, huh?

No, I just, um...

A few months ago...

[phone rings]

Oh, let me get that.

This actually might be important.

[phone rings]

Be right back.

[Judith sighs]

[phone rings]

Hello.

Yes?

[mumbles]

Yeah, all right.

Okay, bye.

I'll be right there, Jude.

Holy mother of Christ. [tense music]

Mother of Christ.

[glass smashes]

Sue?

Sue!

No, no, no! [door thuds]

[door thuds]

[Judith screams]

No!

[screams]

[groans]

You bitch!

Ow!

Just stop!

How dare you! [Judith groans]

[thud] [groans]

[thud]

[somber music]

[Judith sobs]

[sustained high-pitched tone]

[tense music]

[Judith sobs and pants] [water splashes]

[Judith sobs and pants]

[music swells]

[Judith gasps]

[Judith pants]

[Judith sobs]

[Judith sobs]

[bleak music]

[door creaks]

Judith?

Where are you goin'?

Uh, what?

Where are you goin'?

It's 11:30.

Paula left some clothes here that I borrowed,

so I was gonna go return 'em.

Well, it's a little late, don't you think?

She needs them for tomorrow.

Okay, well why are you using your pillow case?

We have bags.

Oh.

Well, I'll get you one, you don't need to be using

your nice pillow cases for laundry.

[paper rustles]

Here.

Well, I'm gonna go on back to bed.

You gonna with her for a while?

Not too long.

Okay.

Goodnight, Judith.

[Judith] Goodnight.

[paper rustles]

[chimes clink] [door creaks]

[suspenseful music]

[car passes]

[grunts]

[water splashes]

As you've all heard by now, one of our number

was reunited with our Father in heaven this week.

The Lord was ready to receive him

and when he comes a- callin', you gotta go.

I know we all want God to grant us a quiet

and peaceful entrance into the kingdom,

but the truth is, we all can't be so blessed.

Samuel Hall, a lot of you probably knew him.

He was a good man.

He was at this church longer than me,

if you can believe that. [chuckles]

I had the honor of presiding over his funeral yesterday,

and let me tell you, that man was loved.

I got this theory, right?

I got this theory about love.

The more you put in, the more you get out.

Pretty simple, right?

Now, John wrote, "let us love one another,

"for love comes from God and whoever loves

"is born of God and knows God."

Now, what does that mean,

to be born of God and to know God?

Well, it means simply that at his core, God is love.

That's a bold statement, right?

God is love.

And so to love and to experience love and to share love

is to feel God's presence here on Earth.

Samuel Hall was a man full of love.

[somber music]

He was a man born of God.

And he probably knew God better than most of us.

Now, the love I felt at his service yesterday was

unsurpassed.

Truly.

If you wanna gauge a man's commitment to his community,

attend his funeral, see who shows up.

Now it seems that Sam was a member of just about every club,

committee and council here in town.

We had everyone here from the food bank

to Sam's poker buddies showing up.

And the outpouring of love I felt yesterday

gave me so much hope.

It did.

Hope for the future.

Because where there's love, there's God.

Now, there are two women I wanna recognize today.

These two women right over here, in fact.

Ruth and Judith Hall.

Ruth is Samuel's daughter-in-law,

and Judith is his granddaughter.

Now, listen up, folks.

These two ladies buried their closest relative yesterday.

Ruth said that after Samuel, they have no other

family members in this part of the country.

And after Ruth's husband passed,

it was just Ruth, Judith and Samuel.

That's it, those three.

Can you imagine losing a third of your family suddenly

without any warning beforehand?

That's what happened to these ladies.

But...

But where are they?

They are here, with you, today.

That's bravery.

That's courage.

It's more than that, it's devotion.

They know that they need to be with God right now.

Most people, when they get hurt, they push away.

They say, "God wouldn't do that to me,

"God wouldn't let that happen."

Well that kind of thinking is not only wrong, it's cowardly.

I want you all to commend Ruth and Judith right now

for being here with us.

These ladies have suffered unspeakable horrors

at the hands of a maniac!

Yet they are here, with you, to hear the word of God,

and to worship with their community.

[knocks]

The officer's here.

You all right?

Yeah.

Hi, there, you must be Judith.

I'm Officer Walters.

Samuel sure did leave two fine-looking gals behind,

didn't he?

I should introduce you to my son.

Officer, can I get you anything?

We've got coffee, water, lemonade.

No, ma'am, no, thank you.

I do appreciate the offer, though.

I just polished off a coffee before I came in.

How are you ladies doin'?

We've had better days.

I hear ya.

Especially under these circumstances.

I will try to make this as quick and painless

as possible, though.

Lord knows you two have been through

more than your fair share.

[somber music]

Why don't we start with you, Judith?

Where you from Tuesday evening to Thursday morning?

Um...

[chuckles]

On Tuesday... [clears throat]

Relax now, darling.

Take a deep breath.

I'm on your side.

There's no pressure.

Unfortunately, this is just something I have to do.

I know I look scary here in this uniform, but,

I'm a nice guy, I promise.

[Judith chuckles]

On Tuesday, I was at my friend Paula's house.

[Walters] What's her last name?

[Judith] Johnson.

Okay, and her address?

3-10 Bungalow Drive.

Bungalow?

That's right around the corner.

Okay, continue.

She dropped me off here around midnight and

then I went to bed.

Did you hear her come in, Ruth?

No, I was asleep.

And your Wednesday?

I just stayed home all day.

Did you have any guests over?

No.

Well, how did you spend your day?

I just read, mostly.

Took a nap at one point, cleaned my room.

Spend a lot of days like that?

Yeah, I guess.

She's been upset about graduatin'.

I understand.

Leavin' your friends is hard.

So, you sat around and you twiddled your thumbs all day.

What time did your momma come home?

She always comes home around 5:15.

All right and how did you spend the rest of your evening?

Oh, I wasn't feeling very well,

so I didn't have any dinner, I just rested all evening.

Yep.

That'll happen when you stay cooped up inside all day.

You gotta get out, stretch your legs every once in a while.

So, you rested and then what?

I went to bed.

All right.

And Paula came over to get her clothes.

Paula Johnson?

Yes, Paula came over around 11:30

to get some clothes that I had borrowed.

Why so late?

She needed 'em for the next day.

For what?

She wanted to wear a certain dress

to lunch with her boyfriend.

Which dress?

Um...

I'm just kidding with ya, I don't much care

what dress Paula Johnson wore to her lunch date.

[chuckles]

All right, so Paula came to pick up her clothes,

and you went to bed.

What time did you wake up?

Around nine.

All right, nine.

See there?

That wasn't so bad now, was it?

Asking all these questions sure has made me thirsty.

Ruth, would you mind terribly if I got some

of that lemonade you mentioned earlier?

That is, if the offer still stands?

Well, of course, would you like ice?

No, ma'am, no, thank you.

Hurts my teeth.

[tense music]

[melancholy music]

This must be very hard on you.

Especially with your dad gone.

I suppose your grandpa was sort of a father figure to you.

Is that right?

Did you have a good relationship with your grandpa?

Yes, very good.

Good.

It's important. [chuckles]

With any luck, I'll be a grandpa myself one day.

Lord knows I'll treat those kids like they were my own.

[chuckles]

When's the last time you saw him?

Last Sunday.

Church?

[chuckles]

You're a good girl, Judith.

And strong, I can see it.

But you don't need to shoulder this weight on your own.

You have the support of this entire town behind you.

You understand me?

Don't hesitate to reach out.

Thank you.

Paula.

No, Paula, listen.

I had to see him again, it's not a question

of whether I should I shouldn't, I had to.

No.

Paula, listen to me.

I had to lie to the officer.

Yeah, I know, I'm sorry.

My mom caught me sneakin' out on Wednesday night,

and I told her I was returnin' some clothes I borrowed.

No, I had to, she can't know I was seein' Francis again.

I know, I'm sorry, okay?

Listen, if he asks you,

you had to wear a dress to go to lunch with Brian, okay?

That's what I told him.

Yes, of course.

No, I'm sorry.

Please, Paula, this is really important, okay?

Okay.

Let me know if he comes back.

Goodbye.

[sighs]

[suspenseful music]

[sobs]

[breathes deeply]

[sinister music]

[needle clacks]

[somber music] [sobs]

[knocks] [crickets chirp]

[Ruth] What are you doing here?

[Francis] I just need to talk to Judith.

[Ruth] Are you insane?

Do you have any idea what time it is?

[Francis] I just wanna talk to her for a minute.

[tense music]

Judith.

Judith, it's not the time for this.

It's in the middle of the night, Judith!

Judith!

I wanna run away with you.

Okay, let's run away.

[Judith chuckles]

Why did you stop letting me see you?

I can't tell you.

I didn't want to, I didn't.

I had to.

I'm so sorry, Francis, you didn't deserve that.

I don't understand, why can't you tell me?

I just can't, not yet.

I will, someday, I promise.

Before we get married. [chuckles]

Is it somebody else?

No.

No.

It's only you.

It's always only been you.

Even during all those weeks, I only thought about you.

Then why can't you tell, it just,

it doesn't make any sense.

It will.

I promise you, it will.

You just have to trust me, Francis.

You're gonna be so late.

I don't care.

What's goin' on?

I hope my mom didn't do somethin' crazy

and report me as missin' or something.

Do you need me to go up with you?

No, it'll be fine.

Call me tonight.

[door slams]

[engine roars]

Mornin', Judith.

My, you are lookin' radiant today.

Thank you.

Mind if we talk for a minute?

Sure.

I'll make this short,

seeing as how I don't have much time myself. [chuckles]

I spoke with your friend Paula this morning.

She told me she wasn't ever here

at your house, Wednesday night.

Says she was over at her cousin's.

In Polk.

That true?

Yes.

Judith.

Don't lie to the police.

It ain't smart.

Now, Paula tells me you was off with some boy named Francis.

I'm guessing that was him in the car?

Paula also says you don't want your momma to find out.

Why not?

He bad news?

She doesn't like him.

I understand, I was young once, too.

But now, darlin', I need you to be honest with me.

You see, if I'm asking you for information, well now,

there's a reason for that, you got that?

Okay.

I'm gonna need to speak with this boy, Francis.

What's his address?

It's 755 Norton Drive.

Norton Drive.

All right.

No more lies now, okay? [tense music]

By the way, we've identified the owner of the murder weapon.

Turns out it was Sam's neighbor, Jacob Weisel.

But don't worry, we've had him in custody since last night.

Do you think it was him?

There are so many unanswered questions.

Do you want my honest opinion?

I don't think Mr. Weisel has anything to do with it.

He seems sane enough.

A sane man just wouldn't leave the murder weapon

at the scene of a crime, would he?

Think someone's trying to frame him.

Well, maybe my grandpa borrowed the ax,

and that's why it was at his house?

Now, why would you think that?

I don't know, I just thought that

maybe I'd seen it there before.

Huh.

I see.

I'll have to speak with Mr. Weisel about that, but,

Judith, I don't think that's so.

You call me, if you have anything you need to tell me.

You have a good day, Judith.

[forks clink]

I'm sorry, Mom.

I love him.

Love has nothin' to do with it.

I raised my daughter better than to spend the night

with a man outside of marriage.

Nothin' happened.

All we did was talk and slept, that's it.

Talk and sleep.

I sincerely doubt that.

I just needed someone to talk to.

What about me, Judith?

What about me? [somber music]

Why not talk to your mother?

I'm the only other person that's just as devastated by this

whole mess as you are.

Do you understand how bad it hurts when you shut me out?

I have no one else I can talk to.

You're all I have, Judith.

You're the only person who can even come close

to understanding what I'm going through.

And yet, you'd rather pour your heart into some

irresponsible boy who's just gonna take advantage

of your situation for his own benefit.

[fork clinks]

Mom.

Do you think Grandpa had dementia?

Excuse me? [tense music]

Do you think that it was possible?

Why would you ask that?

That's an awful thing to say about a man

who loved you so very much.

It just seemed that...

Just that what, Judith?

Your grandfather was one of the sharpest men I knew.

What's gotten into you?

He hurt me. [ominous tones]

What did you say?

Go to your room.

Go to your room, or get out of my house.

How dare you disrespect your grandfather.

He loved you more than anything!

I know you're upset, Judith.

You need to think about what you're sayin'.

Go!

[door thuds]

[crickets chirp] [dark orchestral music]

[knocks]

Judith!

Can we talk?

Judith, I'm so sorry.

I got really scared and I couldn't lie.

Can I come in?

Yeah, my parents should be out until 10.

Look, Judith, I'm so sorry.

I wanted to cover for you, but that guy is so scary.

And then he started asking me all these questions and I just

I couldn't lie, I just couldn't.

It's okay, I don't care.

My mom saw Francis last night, when he came to pick me up.

She did?

Yeah, she's really upset.

But I don't care, I love him and I wanna be with him.

Judith, you have to go to the police.

You have to tell them what he did to you.

No, I'm not doin' that!

I love Francis and I just want all this chaos

to be over with, I just want life to be back to normal.

I wanna be with Francis,

and I don't wanna answer any more questions.

I think that you are making a huge mistake.

No, I know what I'm doin', I just,

you just have to trust me.

[dark orchestral music]

What...

What is that?

It's one of the pictures I took from prom.

Are you all right?

I have to call Francis.

- I have to call Francis. - Wait, what's goin' on?

[tense music]

[tires screech]

- What's going on? - I don't know.

Judith!

[door slams]

[engine roars]

Judith, where are we going?

I don't know, I'm so confused.

Judith, it's all right, just calm down for second, okay?

Stop, I'm gonna be sick!

[door slams]

[Francis pants] [sobs]

Tell me I didn't go to prom.

Tell me I didn't!

I didn't go, I was sick!

Have fun tonight, darlin'.

[Pastor] Y'all familiar with the law of fire?

[Judith pants]

[Judith pants]

Do you...

Regret?

[sobs]

Francis, I'm pregnant! [sobs]

Okay.

Hey, that's great!

No, hey, we're gonna have a kid!

You're gonna be a mom.

You're gonna be a mom and I'm gonna be a dad.

And the kid, he's gonna be little Frankie or something.

Look, we're just, no, hey.

Hey, we're gonna start a family.

Look, that's wonderful.

Give me a smile, please.

Just give me a smile.

[sustained high-pitched tone] [somber orchestral music]

We're gonna be all right.

I, I, I killed my grandpa.

What?

[Judith sobs]

I, I...

I took an ax and I killed him!

Judith, what are you saying?

[Judith sobs]

I thought he raped me.

What?

You thought that he...

You thought he hurt you?

I...

Because you were ashamed.

Because of what they did to you.

No, this is not your fault.

Okay, hey, we've gotta go.

We've gotta go, okay?

Come on, we've gotta get in the car.

Come on, we've gotta go.

Come on, come on, come on, come on.

[siren wails] [suspenseful music]

[Judith pants and sobs]

[door slams]

[footsteps approach]

Francis.

Is that you?

You got Judith in that car with you?

Uh, yes, sir.

Oh, good.

I was getting worried you two disappeared on me.

Y'all mind coming down to the station,

answering a few questions?

Both of y'all.

Why?

Well, uh, had an interesting development in

the Sam Hall case and I'd like to get y'all opinion on it.

Okay, uh, we'll come by the morning.

Mm, no.

Y'all comin' now.

Do not make this difficult, Francis.

You already pushed my buttons once today,

refusing to answer my questions.

You do not wanna make me mad.

But, uh...

Something's wrong with Judith.

What do you mean?

She's sick, I think, uh, she can't walk.

Did you hurt that little girl?

[Francis] No.

All right.

[tense music]

Judith, darlin', it's Officer Walters.

[Judith sobs]

Judith?

Now listen, I'm gonna need you and Francis to come

into the station and answer a couple questions.

Nothin' to be alarmed about, but we need to act fast.

Now, Judith.

Now, listen.

Now, you're not making this easy on me.

All right now, I'll get you some medical attention first,

but if you're not gonna walk, I'm gonna have to carry you.

What's with the matter with this girl, is she on drugs?

[thud] [groans]

[thud]

[Francis grunts]

[thuds]

[sustained high-pitched tone] [somber music]

[door slams] [engine starts]

[engine roars]

[rock music]

♪ Oh, I'll be yours if you'll leave with me ♪

♪ And I'll take you anywhere ♪

♪ If you'll leave with me ♪

♪ Step across the threshold ♪

♪ Take my hand ♪

♪ By doing so, you'll be my woman ♪

♪ And I'll be your man ♪

♪ But ain't it great ♪

♪ To fall in love ♪

♪ There's nothing like it in the big bad world ♪

♪ Nor in the blue skies above ♪

♪ Well, there's no one else ♪

♪ I'd rather hold ♪

♪ In my awkward arms forever more ♪

♪ So you don't get cold ♪

♪ But ain't it great ♪

♪ To fall in love ♪

♪ There's nothing like it in the big bad world ♪

♪ Nor in the blue skies above ♪

♪ So I'm running down the hall ♪

♪ Without opening my eyes ♪

♪ When I met that girl I've always dreamed of ♪

♪ And I can't let it hide ♪

♪ Like a church, they say ♪

♪ Oh, let is shine ♪

♪ But it ain't no flame they're tryin' to put out ♪

♪ Just a goofy ol' friend of mine ♪