Original subtitles

* Good Times *

* Anytime you meet a payment *

* Good Times *

* Anytime You need a friend *

* Good Times *

* Anytime You're out from under *

* Not gettin' hassled, Not gettin' hustled *

* Keepin' your head Above water *

* Makin' a wave When you can *

* Temporary layoffs *

* Good Times *

* Easy credit rip-offs *

* Good Times *

* Scratchin' and survivin' *

* Good Times *

* Hangin' in A chow line *

* Good Times *

* Ain't we lucky We got 'em? *

* Good Times *

J.J., I hope you're getting dressed.

You don't want to be late for your job.

Oh, you don't have to worry about that, baby.

He's really excited about this one.

I don't blame him.

Usher in an uptown fancy movie house.

And J.J.'s a real good usher, too.

He sure does know how to give orders.

When he gave me that free pass the other night,

he was outside saying, "Okay, everybody,

"the picture breaks in five minutes,

"so keep to the right, please.

"Don't crowd the sidewalk.

Everybody, keep to your right. Moving on."

I bet they listened.

I know I did, Mama. I was the only one on line.

[TELEPHONE RINGS]

Hello.

Just a minute.

J.J., telephone. It's Henrietta.

[DOOR SLAMS]

What is it about me

that makes women interrupt my bathroom time?

Yeah, Henrietta. What is it this time?

No, I can't take you out tonight.

I have a previous engagement. Now don't get hysterical.

Life is full of little disappointments.

Don't worry. You'll get over it.

Sar-on-ara.

Son, you tell me something.

How come you got such an independent attitude

towards Henrietta all of the sudden?

I thought she was your main dish.

She was, Dad, but I changed the menu.

All she is now is yesterday's leftovers.

What are you talking about, J.J.?

Family, are y'all ready for this?

I have met Clarissa Robinson.

Love has trucked into my life,

and we are doing a lot of double clutching.

Well, if you don't stop changing trucks so much,

you're gonna strip your gears.

Aw, Ma, Clarissa is the real thing.

She has a figure

that makes the number eight look like the number one

and a smile that lights up the night,

and it all belongs to Kid Dyn-o-mite.

Junior, you go through this routine

every time you meet a new girl.

Yeah, you always think you found something better,

then you run right back to Henrietta.

You're not too bright, Kid Dyn-o-mite.

Y'all don't understand. Clarissa's different.

She's class with a capital "C,"

like in Cat-o-llac...

Which she happens to drive.

Junior, she drives her own hog?

What kind of girl you got here, anyhow?

A loaded one.

She lives on the south shore.

South shore?

That's where all the rich blacks lives.

They so fancy, they eat their fried chicken broiled.

J.J., how'd you happen to meet a girl like that?

In the movie house.

I personally escorted her down the aisle.

It was dark, so I took her hand,

and the minute our hands touched,

we knew it was love.

How?

My flashlight lit up,

and it didn't have no batteries in it.

Fool.

Junior, you sure you ain't making all this up?

Nah, Dad. I took her out three times.

Father's a big-time businessman.

And, Ma, you should see their house.

Eight rooms. That don't include the three bathrooms.

They got one bathroom upstairs, one bathroom downstairs,

and one little itsy-bitsy one

in what they call the entry hall.

That's in case you can't make it to the upstairs or downstairs.

Well, if y'all excuse me, I got to get ready for work.

Just look at him, strutting like a peacock.

Why not, baby? He ain't short on hens.

Oh, James.

It doesn't make sense.

If Clarissa is anything the way J.J. described her,

what she running after him for?

Very simple, Thelma-- because he's his father's son.

Baby, what I'm trying to say is,

before we got married,

I used to date a lot of rich girls, too.

You know Emma Watson? You talk about bathrooms...

Three of them? Her family had 96 of them.

Oh, come on now, James.

I'm not jiving, baby. 96.

Of course, they ran a string of pay toilets, though.

Now, what I'm trying to say, baby,

is that there's something about the Evans men

that seems to attract all kinds of women,

both plain and fancy.

I know all about you Evans men.

I just don't want to see J.J. hurt, that's all.

What you mean, baby?

Oh, you know how J.J. is.

Every time he meets a new girl,

he goes flying out into the clouds,

and most times,

he comes falling back to Earth

without a parachute.

J.J., you're gonna wear your uniform to work?

That's right, Ma.

I turn Clarissa on when I wear my uniform.

Oh, J.J., about Clarissa-- don't get too involved, huh?

Just think of her as another girl.

But she's not just another girl.

This is it. I mean,

all the other girls I met were just oleo margarine.

But Clarissa is 100% pure butter.

And I am her corn on the cob.

[TELEPHONE RINGS]

Hello?

Who's calling?

Just a minute. J.J., it's Clarissa.

Heh heh heh heh.

Heh heh heh heh.

Hello.

This is the love of your life speaking.

Of course I'm available for Saturday night.

For you, I always am.

Hey, yeah, you know I got a tuxedo.

Uh, doesn't everybody?

Hey, that's sounds like it's really gonna be something.

All right. I'll talk to you later, Clarissa. Bye.

J.J., what's going on?

So she don't dig me, huh, little girl?

I'll have you know she just invited me, brother J.J.,

to the 10th Annual South Shore Debutante Ball.

Debutante Ball?

You mean to say they still have them things?

They sure do, James.

That's a big social event of the year for black society.

They always have a big spread about it in The Defender.

J.J., stop lying. She invited you?

Not invited, begged.

Well, I'm gonna be escorting a debutante.

I guess that makes me a debu-dude.

Son is moving up.

Well, why not, baby? Like I told you...

there's something about the Evans men.

All right.

All right.

Before you get too carried away, Mr. Big Shot,

what about that tuxedo you told her you had?

Oh, that ain't no problem, Thelma.

I'm gonna stroll over to Charlie's Mortuary

and see can I borrow one they ain't using Monday.

Uh, Dad, if it's all the same with you,

I'd rather rent one.

I feel better knowing the tuxedo moves when I do.

Well, goodbye, Mater.

Goodbye, Pater.

Goodbye, little Brater.

And goodbye, Sater.

He's crazy. This whole thing is crazy.

What's she running after him for? Why?

Thelma, your brother is a fine boy

and beautiful in his own way.

I can see why any girl would be interested in him.

That's right. Now y'all beginning to realize

that there's...

OTHERS: Something about the Evans men.

Right on. Right on.

[WALTZ PLAYING]

One, two, step. One, two, step. One, two, step.

One, two, step. One, two, step.

Yeow!

Ma, Ma, what did I do wrong?

I thought I was light on my feet.

You were, J.J., but you was heavy on my corns.

Aw, Ma, what do I have to learn how to waltz for, anyway?

Because those debutante balls

always start off with a waltz.

Honey, just try to think of it as soul in three-quarter time.

Tonight's a big night. Let's try it once more.

One, two, step. One, two, step. One, two, step. One, two.

One, two, step. One, two, step.

One, two, step. One, two, step.

Oh!

It's one, two, step, not one, two, kick.

Aw, Ma, it ain't no use.

The music may be for waltzing,

but my body's built for boogying.

You're body wasn't built.

It was manufactured in a toothpick factory.

Oh, you got some nerve, you lumberyard pine tree.

All right! Now that's enough.

J.J., we'll pick up the dancing later.

Right now, let's run through

some of the other things you ought to know

about these fancy shindigs.

The important thing

is to look down your nose at everybody.

Look down your nose at everybody.

That's good. That's a great down-the-nose look.

Another thing is your conversation.

Now, what people with money talk about is money,

so if anybody asks you about the economy,

you just look real big and say,

[SNOOTY] "The reason people are unemployed today

is because they're not working."

But that don't make no sense, Ma.

That's why it's perfect economy talk.

Aw, Ma.

Hey, Junior. Where you on your way to?

I'm going down to pick up my tuxedo at the rental place.

Do y'all realize, family-- do y'all realize--

this is my first shot at the major leagues.

My first tuxedo. My first South Shore Ball.

Look out, world, I feel so rare.

Here come the debu-dude estro-dinaire!

Baby, I ain't never seen Junior so excited.

He's 10 feet off the ground.

I mean, he's like a tall, skinny Prince Charming.

Well, this is the biggest thing that ever happened to J.J.

I bet they gonna have his name on the society page.

I could just see it.

"Miss Clarissa Robinson

and her escort-- James Evans, Jr."

You know something, James? I think we're all getting...

just as big a kick out of this as J.J.

Yeah, you right on that, baby.

Yeah, even me.

FLORIDA : Well...

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

Oh, Mrs. Evans?

Yes.

I'm Clarissa Robinson.

Oh, what a nice surprise. Come in. Comein.

J.J. will be so pleased you stopped by.

Oh, I'm not so sure.

What's the matter? Is something wrong?

Yes. I've come to tell him he can't take me to the ball.

Oh, Daddy.

Clarissa, what do you mean he can't take you to the ball?

I don't know how to say this,

but my parents feel he's not the right type.

What the hell you mean he's not the right type?

Uh, I'm Junior's daddy. You excuse me.

Oh, how do you do?

Fine. How you do?

What the hell you mean he's not the right type?

We ain't talking about no damn blood bank.

Daddy, please. Nuh-uh!

James, stop yelling at the child.

I ain't yelling at the child, baby.

I'm yelling at her parents.

Got they nose stuck so far up in the air,

break your neck just to talk to them.

I know how you feel, Mr. Evans,

and I'm as upset about it as you are.

We had a big fight about it, and I walked out on them.

That's serious business, child.

I know, Mrs. Evans,

but it's been coming for a quite a while now,

and I've got to talk to someone about it.

Of course.

Come, come. Sit down, honey.

Clarissa, walking out on your parents

is still serious business.

Are you sure you did the right thing?

You're damn right she did.

Clarissa, my husband does know other words

besides "hell" and "damn."

Yeah, I know 'em, but right now,

those the best words to describe how I'm feeling.

My son is out there picking out a tuxedo,

spending his hard-earned money,

looking forward to the biggest night in his life,

just to come home and get hit with a sledgehammer.

I'm sorry. It's my parents.

They had this boy picked out for me,

and when I told them at the last minute

I'd only go with J.J., they got hysterical.

I kept telling them how much I like J.J.--

he's such fun, and he's so talented--

but they wouldn't even listen to me.

They just kept on and on at me

until finally, I just had to get out of there.

It's all right. It's all right.

We understand about your parents.

No, we don't, neither.

Clarissa, this is my daughter Thelma.

Thelma, why don't you take Clarissa to your room

and let her relax for a minute, huh?

Sure, Ma. Come on, Clarissa.

What am I gonna tell J.J.?

Oh, baby, this really makes my jaws tight.

Bourgeois people.

My main concern is J.J. He's gonna be heartbroken.

How are we gonna tell him?

We'll have to tell him just like it is,

that the South Shore done gave him

a swift kick in the south side.

Hey!

Ain't this something?

I'm gonna make all of them debu-dudes

look like debu-duds.

I tell you, Ma,

it looked so sharp when I put it on,

I just couldn't take it off.

J.J., you came through the street

dressed like that?

That's right, Ma.

A mugger walked up to me, didn't ask me for no money.

Asked me for the first dance.

Okay, let's get back to them waltzing lessons.

In these threads, I'm ready to do some high-stepping.

Come on, Ma, let's get down!

J.J.! J.J.!

Ma, when me and Clarissa hit that first waltz,

I want everybody to know

that I'm the ebony Fred Astaire, and she is my Ginger Rogers.

J.J...

Mama don't feel much like dancing.

Come on, Dad, that leaves you.

You look much better than the mugger.

Junior, I think you better slow down, son.

Just slow down, now.

I can't, Dad. My motor is runnin. I can't stop.

Boy, I'm gonna dance all night at that ball.

Man, I tell you,

if I wear out my running shoes, I ain't worried,

because I got on my red socks. Ha ha ha.

Whoo. Ha ha ha.

Clarissa. What are you doing here?

You're not supposed to pick me up.

I'm supposed to pick you up.

And, uh, how come you ain't dressed?

J.J., we're not going to the ball.

We're not going to the ball?

That's what I was trying to tell you, son.

Clarissa's parents don't think

you're the right person to take her.

Why, Ma?

You got the wrong address, Junior.

Your zip code don't make it.

J.J., she walked out on her parents because of it.

What?

If you're not going to the ball, I'm not going,

and I'm not going back home, either.

Hey, Clarissa, now don't get in no hassle with your parents

on my account.

I mean, I got plenty of things that I could do tonight...

Uh, soon as I think of them.

Well, I'd better get out of this tuxedo.

I got it rented for 24 hours.

Maybe I could sublease it.

Oh, Florida, this really makes me mad now.

I mean, I just don't like this.

You know J.J. He'll get over it.

I know that, Thelma, and it ain't this dance.

I could give less than a damn about some stupid dance.

I just don't like the idea

of somebody putting down our son.

I know.

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

We're Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, Clarissa's parents.

Well...

Well, welcome to the ghetto.

How you all get in here, posed as spooks?

Mom, Dad?

We had a feeling you'd be here.

We've had enough foolishness out of you, young lady.

Now get your things and let's go.

I'm not going.

Mr. and Mrs. Robinson,

I think there are some things we should talk over.

Won't you come in?

Thank you.

Now, wait, baby. Wait, wait. Before they come in...

maybe we ought to spray the place down with Lysol

so they don't contaminate theyself, huh?

Clarissa, let's not make a scene.

Please get your things.

Yes, the faster we get out of here, the better.

Yeah. Ain't you all heard?

There's niggas in here.

We didn't come here to fight, Mr. Evans.

We only want our daughter home. Clarissa?

I said I'm not going, Ma.

Clarissa!

Maybe you'd better go, sweetheart.

Ma, Clarissa said she doesn't want to go.

Thelma, let me finish.

Mr. and Mrs. Robinson,

I don't like your way of thinking,

and I don't like the way you've hurt our boy,

but I do believe it couldn't hurt you

to spend a little bit more time

listening to your daughter.

Clarissa, I was thinking that, uh--

Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, uh, I should say hello,

but from the expression on your face,

I think I'll say goodbye.

Uh-uh. Uh-uh, Junior. This is your home.

This one place you don't break and run from nobody.

Now come on back here.

I think I'd rather, Dad.

I said come back here, Junior.

Uh, how do you all do?

Uh, can I offer you all some Kool-Aid?

Junior, you don't offer Kool-Aid to Mr. and Mrs. Oreo.

See, it's got to be imported champagne

with custom-made bubbles. Ain't that right, cookie?

That cuts it. That cuts it, Mr. Evans!

I think it's time you and me get down!

Get down, huh? Listen to him.

Get down! Well, that's pretty hip talk

for somebody from uptown, ain't it?

And where in the hell do you think I worked

before I got uptown? I was right here.

Now, I busted my butt a lot of years

to get out of here, and I made it.

Now, you make it sound like success

is a dirty word, brother.

No. Success ain't the dirty word.

It's forgetting.

Forgetting where you came from, brother.

Damn right I'm forgetting. I don't want to know...

the stink of the ghetto no more,

and that goes for my wife and my daughter.

Well, what the hell you think I want

for my family, man?

What you think I'm fighting and scratching for?

I'll tell you something. If we are lucky enough to make it,

there's one thing we ain't gonna do--

we ain't gonna forget the ones that got stuck here.

Right on, Daddy.

All I know is I've paid my dues,

and I'm gonna make sure that my daughter has the best.

And what makes you think our son isn't the best?

Yeah?

All right, he's a nice boy, but he's here.

Now, you can talk all you want about getting out,

but you know it's a million-to-one shot.

Mr. Robinson, I want to show you something.

What do you think of this? Huh?

Yeah, how about this? Hmm?

And this one.

They're very unusual, Gene.

Yeah. Very powerful.

This is our son's way

of cutting down those million-to-one odds.

He painted these?

He certainly did, Daddy.

They're really very good.

That is if it don't bother you

to be reminded of where you came from.

I'll tell you what.

Oh, no, no, no. They ain't for sale.

What? Not to you.

You heard what my husband say.

J.J.'s paintings are not for sale,

and neither is J.J.

Mm-hmm.

Well, I was gonna give you a hundred dollars.

I'll take it!

Shut up, Junior. Shut up, J.J.

All right, then.

Clarissa, are you gonna go back home?

On two conditions, Daddy--

that I don't have to go to that dumb dance tonight,

and that I can still keep on seeing J.J.

No.

Ah-ah. It's okay.

All right, all right.

Now that we're not going to the ball,

where are we gonna go tonight?

Let's go get a Big Mac.

Sounds great!

Okay, I'll be with you in a couple of minutes.

Where you going?

I'm gonna put on my tuxedo.

I got it rented. I might as well use it.

Now don't come home too late, now.

We won't. Mrs. Evans, thanks.

You're welcome, sweetheart.

See you later, Junior.

Well, Mr. and Mrs. Robinson,

it looks like they were good enough for each other.

Yeah, for the moment. But actually...

Clarissa's going away to college in a couple of weeks,

a long way away,

and as far as these paintings are concerned,

I thought they might be a good business investment,

but that's all your son meant to us.

What do you mean by that?

Oh, no, no, no... James!

That's all right. It's all right, baby.

The man's just telling it like it is.

He's the kind of man gotta say what's on his mind,

just like me, huh, brother?

Right.

That's why I'm saying get the hell out my house.

Just get the hell out, both of you!

[APPLAUSE]

[APPLAUSE]

* Just lookin' Out of the window *

* Just lookin' Out of the window *

* Watchin' the asphalt grow *

* Thinkin' how it all Looks hand-me-down *

* Good Times *

* Good Times *

* Keepin' your head Above water *

* Makin' a wave When you can *

* Temporary layoffs *

* Good Times... *

JOHN AMOS: Good Times

is recorded on tape before a live audience.

* Ain't we lucky We got 'em? *

* Good Times *