Original subtitles

* Good Times Any time you meet a payment *

* Good Times *

* Any time You need a friend *

* Good Times *

* Any time 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 *

["AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH" PLAYING]

Thelma.

J.J., what do you think you're doing?

Hey, now, don't turn off the music.

I was just starting to cook here...

because my arms are in first, my body's in second,

and my legs are double-clutching in time.

And your brain is in reverse.

Oh, you just jealous

because I'm more graceful than you are.

I'm like a swan in flight.

No, you're more like a turkey in pain.

Ah.

I bet you wouldn't be so hostile if your boyfriend Larry

was tiptoeing through the tulips with you.

Huh. Not a chance.

Larry hates any kind of ballet.

Oh, yeah?

He don't like nothing you like to do.

Which means he has good taste.

That's not true.

Larry and I have a lot of things in common.

Oh, yeah? Like what?

Well, they like to kiss a lot.

That's not all we do. We do a lot of talking.

About what?

Kissing.

Oh, come on, now.

We talk about a lot of things.

Larry's always telling me about his work at the garage,

and how he fixes the carburetors, radiators,

generators...

He loves cars.

Well, maybe instead of putting makeup on your face,

you should simonize it.

Hey. Give me that.

Now, come on, Thelma.

You know you're just kidding yourself.

You don't dig Larry half as much as you say you do.

Are you crazy?

We can't get along without each other.

That's the same thing Sonny and Cher found out.

And you know what else?

Hey, what am I talking to you two for?

You don't know anything about love.

Oh, no? Well, for your information, Thelma,

I been in love three times this year,

and number four is in the hopper.

Michael, that's just puppy love.

Well, J.J., I may get them when they're puppies,

but you get them when they're dogs.

Your mama here yet?

No, she didn't get back yet.

Well, I can't wait till dinner.

I'll eat some leftovers.

Where's the leftover chicken?

Oh, I had a morning snack, Dad.

Where's the leftover ham?

Oh, I had an afternoon snack.

Well, I guess I'll have some peanut butter.

Uh, too late, Dad.

I got hungry between snacks.

Junior, don't you do nothing but eat?

I can't, Dad.

These are my wonder years.

I wonder when you're going to start buying your own groceries.

Well, I guess I'll have a jam sandwich--

two pieces of bread jammed together.

MICHAEL: Hey, hey, hey, hey, Willona, what's wrong?

WILLONA: Some water.

MICHAEL: Water?

What's the matter?

Come on, sit down, Willona.

You all right?

Uh-huh.

What happened, some dude chase you home? Uh-uh.

You chase some dude home?

Here you go.

What happened, Willona?

Honey, the elevator's broke again.

[LAUGHS]

What's so funny?

Well, you knew it was broke when you left here, didn't you?

Willona, you been living here long enough to know,

you don't leave your apartment when the elevator's broke.

Only a fool would walk down 17 flights,

knowing they got to walk back up 17 flights.

[LAUGHS]

Oh, yeah?

Well, uh, get on your hiking shoes, fool,

because Florida's on the eighth floor

with three big bags of groceries waiting on you.

Damn.

Oh.

That's, uh, eight each way.

Up and down.

Come on--

Hey, Daddy, I'll help you.

All right. Come on, Junior.

Don't worry, Dad. I'll be here to open the door

when you get back with the bundles.

Uh, son, did you get filled up

on the peanut butter and the ham and the chicken?

Sure did, Dad.

Good, because you ain't getting diddly-squat tonight.

Yeah, it'll probably take them forever

to fix that elevator, Willona.

Yeah, it's the only elevator I know of with three buttons--

up, down and forget it.

Oh, what you kids doing for the weekend?

You going out with Larry, right?

Yeah, if he doesn't have to work late tonight,

we're going to go to a movie or something.

I'm gonna try to get him to take me to The Magic Flute.

Music by Mozart.

"Mo-zart."

I'm taking my current fox to go see a concert by "Mo-town."

I bet my "Mo" out-"Mo"s your "Mo."

J.J., who's your new fox?

Sexy Samantha, the human panther.

If she goes out with you, she'll be an endangered species.

Where do you meet these strange-named chicks from?

Well, I met Samantha while I was working at the spare rib joint.

Mm-hmm.

I brought over an order of ribs and French fries

and threw in a side order of L-O-V-E, amour.

Whew.

Hey, uh, let me help you with this thing here.

Thank you, J.J.

Boy, I tell you, you all made it up the stairs

in pretty good time.

When I was in physical education class,

I always learned that climbing upstairs was good exercise.

You know, good for your legs and your thighs.

Helps strengthen your lungs.

Build your muscles.

Then why didn't you come down and help?

Ma, look at this body.

If I add one more muscle to it,

I won't know where to put it.

How about in that vacuum in your head.

Ma, I'll put away the groceries for you.

Thank you, honey.

Yeah, well, I guess I'll go on home

and start my dinner.

You know, the one good thing

about having this elevator out of order--

with this inflation,

it's the only thing that's not going up.

Ow! I'll see y'all later.

FLORIDA & JAMES: See you, Willona.

I'm going downstairs to make some extra cash.

There's some ladies downstairs who's going to pay

some good money to have their groceries brought up.

Hey, Michael. Hey, Larry.

Hey, everybody.

How you doing? Hi, Larry.

Hey, Larry, how come you're not breathing hard?

The elevator's broke.

No, it's not. I just fixed it.

Boy, I tell you,

this dude is handier than the Ty-D-Bol man.

Oh, Larry, I'm so glad

you didn't have to work late tonight.

Dig it.

I begged my boss to let me off early, right.

Get ready for this.

Some customer came into the garage

and laid two tickets on me.

Yeah? Are they for the Magic Flute?

No, for the Chicago Bulls.

Hey, Mr. Evans-- Huh?

Want to go with me? Bulls are playing the Nicks tonight.

I got second row tickets.

Second row tickets?

You got to be jiving.

I'll be ready in 15 minutes, man.

Second row tickets. All right.

Uh, Larry, I thought we were going to go

to a movie tonight.

Well, yeah, Thelma, but how often do you get

good tickets to the Bulls game?

I mean, you understand, don't you?

Yeah, sure.

You know I'd rather go with you, but you don't like basketball.

Well, it's okay, Larry, go ahead. Enjoy yourself.

Thank you, baby. Now, I gotta go home and change these clothes.

You tell your father I'll be right back, okay?

Bye, Miss Evans.

Goodbye, Larry.

Hey, Larry.

Who's playing center for the--

He'll be back in a minute, James.

Oh.

You know something, Thelma?

You lucky to get you a dude like Larry.

You know, you sure did change your tune, James.

When those kids got engaged,

you weren't exactly crazy about Larry.

Well, that's before I found out

he could get tickets to the Bulls game.

James.

Just jiving, baby.

Actually, Larry would make Thelma a perfect husband.

He's hardworking, he's honest,

and he's handsome, like me.

Oh...

Uh-oh, what am I doing sitting here?

I got to go put on my lucky sweater

if I'm going to that game.

What lucky sweater?

The one I wear to the Bulls games all the time.

Every time I wear it,

they don't lose but by 20 points.

Thelma, are you okay?

Yeah.

Is something bothering you, honey?

No, I'm fine, Ma, why?

Well, we don't normally keep ice cream in the cupboard.

Sorry, Ma, I wasn't thinking.

You're disappointed

that Larry isn't taking you

to the movie tonight, aren't you?

No, I'm not.

Well, good, then there's nothing wrong.

Right. There's nothing wrong.

But in case there is, you can tell me about it.

Oh, Ma.

All right, all right.

I'm glad to know that everything is fine,

but if there is something wrong,

you know you got plenty of time

to think about it, honey.

It's not like you and Larry

are just jumping into this,

and that is smart.

Right, Ma.

So, see, there's nothing wrong.

You don't have to worry. Everything's fine.

Good. Good, good.

Well, I hope the Bulls look as good tonight as I do.

[KNOCKING]

I'll get it.

Hi. Hey, Larry.

Hey, Mr. Evans.

I'm sorry for busting in on you guys like this,

but I can't go to the game tonight.

I just got some fantastic news.

Take Michael or J.J.

Yeah, okay, but what happened, Larry?

What's the big news, Larry?

My uncle from Los Angeles just called me

and offered me a job running the garage he owns out there,

and, baby, I took it.

I am going to be part owner, and it is a gold mine.

You mean you're going to move to California?

That's right, by the end of the week.

Baby, put on your foxiest dress, because I'm taking

you out to dinner to the Oak Room tonight.

We got a lot of big decisions to make.

I'll pick you up in a little while.

I'll see y'all later.

[DOOR SLAMS]

California.

Well, doesn't take a palm reader to know

that he's going to ask you to go with him.

Yeah.

Larry have fun and sun in his eye

and taco sauce on his shirt.

James, will you calm down?

There ain't no way, Florida. If that grease monkey

thinks he's taking my daughter to California,

his head needs a tune-up.

James, I don't want her to go 2,000 miles away

any more than you do, but Thelma is not a baby.

Well, she's still my baby.

MICHAEL: But, Daddy... Hush.

Now, she ain't going nowhere with nobody.

But, Daddy. What?

Well, when Larry was giving you free tickets

to the basketball game,

you said he was the greatest guy in the world.

That's before I knew he was going to make a fast break

with my daughter.

Well, wait a minute.

They may go to California and hit it big.

We can go out there and visit.

I'll get a chance to sit across from Diana Ross.

Get near Pam Greer.

Let Freda Payne drive me insane.

Go ahead, make jokes.

Settle my life.

This is the most important decision

I've ever had to make,

and everybody's deciding what I should do except me.

Well, you ain't got to decide nothing, Thelma,

because I already decided for you.

James, please, Thelma is grown up.

Let her make up her own mind.

Oh, now, wait a minute, Florida.

You said you didn't want her to run off too.

I don't, honey, but if you keep yelling at her like this,

it's going to cause her to set her mind

and go just the opposite.

Well, now that would be just plain stubbornness.

Now, where would she get a bullheaded attitude like that?

I have no idea, James.

Well, let's look at the bright side of this thing.

We're not losing a daughter. I'm gaining a bedroom.

Oh, no, you're not. I'm going to get it.

Oh yeah? Who's the oldest?

Yeah, well, who's the strongest?

Well, all right. We'll toss for it.

No, we won't, because--

[ARGUING]

All right, you two, that's enough of that.

Now, how can you carry on like that over a bedroom,

when there's every chance

that your sister may be leaving us.

You're right, Ma. I'm sorry.

Yeah, Ma, I'm sorry too,

but if Thelma leaves, can I have the bedroom?

Oh, Michael.

Florida, we got to do something about this now.

I mean, we had plans

for our daughter going off to college,

not to just run off to California,

and she might be leaving the end of this week.

Well, I'm going to do something about it.

Go on in there and talk to her, Florida.

James, the best thing that you and I can do

would be to just leave her alone.

Well, you sure know how to surprise a girl.

Can I come in?

You're already in.

So I am, so I am.

Uh, Thelma, I want to apologize for the way I acted out there.

I-I guess I let my mouth run away with me.

Hey, Thelma, what's wrong?

Usually when I say something like,

"I let my mouth run away with me,"

you say, "Your mouth runs so fast,

you should enter it in the Olympics."

How come you blew such an opportunity?

Oh, J.J.

I don't feel much like hassling right now, okay?

Yeah, I guess you're right.

It would never work.

What will never work?

Well, out there I said that if you left,

I would take over your bedroom,

but this color scheme would clash with my red underwear.

Oh, J.J., you're too much.

I know.

Hey, Thelma.

I want to tell you.

I'm always around

if you need a shoulder to lean on.

I would if you had one.

Now you're perking up.

What I want to know is, what's really bugging you?

J.J., you know what's really bugging me?

I have a feeling something's happening

between me and Larry.

I mean, we're together,

but at the same time we're going in different directions.

Well, let me tell you something, Thelma.

I been watching you since you been growing up.

I mean, in between the hassles,

and you got smarts, I mean, real smarts.

Now, not to say that Larry doesn't have smarts,

but it's a different kind of smarts.

Like, you got "bal-let" smarts, reading smarts, book smarts.

Larry's got changing the oil smarts,

rotating tires smarts, making a living smarts.

I mean, ain't nothing wrong with that,

but maybe for you, that just ain't enough.

But maybe it is enough.

I mean, we love each other, and we could work it out.

I mean, people have their differences,

and not every couple is perfect.

I mean, we can work things out,

and he'll give a little, and I'll give a little.

Hey, there's nothing we can't straighten out.

Except for one thing.

What's that?

I don't believe a word I just said.

Well, Thelma, why don't you just tell Larry

that it ain't going to work?

Oh J.J., it's not that easy.

He has plans and dreams, and I'm part of those dreams.

Oh, I wish I didn't have to face this.

Well, why don't you get him to take you

to Jack in the Box?

It's pretty hard to propose to someone

when somebody's asking you

if you want more chili or onions on your burger.

Just jiving. Just jiving.

Thanks anyway, J.J., but I'll think of something.

J.J.?

Huh?

I love you,

and I'm glad you're my brother.

I'm glad I'm your brother too, because if I were your sister,

we'd be fighting over who uses the mascara.

Thank you.

Have a nice evening.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Oh, Larry, this is a beautiful restaurant.

Really beautiful.

Nothing but the best for you, baby.

Nothing but the best.

You know, there's so many things

that I want to tell you and ask--

You know, Larry, when you said

you were going to take me to a fancy restaurant,

I had no idea it was going to be a steak place.

I thought it was going to be French,

you know, or Italian.

Oh, I just love Italian foods, don't you?

Yeah, baby, sure do.

Now, what I wanted to ask you--

You know, and my favorite is spaghetti olio.

Ooh, I just love it.

It's made with butter, olive oil and garlic.

Mm, it's delicious.

Have you ever had spaghetti olio?

Uh, I don't think so.

Now, baby, about California, see--

You know, I think they call it spaghetti olio

in California too.

Well, you know, spaghetti is spaghetti

all over the world, right?

Except in China, where it's noodles.

Yeah, honey, see--

Honey, what I wanted to tell--

Oh, my goodness.

Look at these prices.

Ooh, wow. Now, this is an expensive restaurant.

Oh, that's all right, Thelma.

See, one thing we don't have to worry about anymore is money,

which is one of the things that I wanted to tell--

Oh, $11.50 for live Maine lobster.

Maybe we should order a dead one.

Oh, and $8.95 for a steak?

Oh, Larry, this is too much.

Babe, would you stop looking at the prices, okay?

Would you care to order anything from the bar?

Yeah. Honey?

Oh, uh, do you make anything like Shirley Temples?

Yes, ma'am.

Oh, well, that's what I'd like-- a Shirley Temple.

A beer for me, please.

Oh, and a cherry and a slice of orange

in the Shirley Temple, please.

Yes.

Oh, oh, oh.

And-- And a chunk of pineapple.

Oh, I just love pineapple.

Yes, ma'am.

Oh, oh, and if you have--

a slice of banana?

Perhaps you'd like a fruit salad.

No, just a Shirley Temple. Thank you.

Fine.

Funny, they're still making Shirley Temples.

These days they should be making

Rodney Allen Rippys.

Let's see, now, where were we?

Oh, yeah, sweetheart.

Now, I got a lot of big plans for us.

Now, we've been engaged for a long time,

but I think it's time--

Ooh! Larry, everything here's a la carte.

They don't even have soup or salad with the dinner.

Oh, this is a rip-off.

Come on, let's get out of here.

Babe, would you stop worrying about the prices.

What's the matter with you?

You act like you're nervous about something.

Nervous? Me?

Oh, I'm not nervous. Why would I be nervous?

I'm not nervous about anything.

Good.

Just relax and let me get to the subject

of the evening, okay?

Let me do all the talking.

You do all the listening, all right?

All right. Okay.

Now, babe, this is what we're going to do--

Bow wow wow!

Ooh!

Look who's here.

Small world, isn't it?

Oh, J.J.

What are you doing here, man?

What you talking about?

This is one of my favorite watering holes.

I always come here to chow down.

Even when I'm not going to eat,

I come here just to leave a tip.

Wow.

I'm really surprised to see y'all here.

Hey, I want y'all to meet my main lady, Samantha.

Sam, this is my sister, Thelma,

and her old man, big Lar.

Hi. Hi.

What are we all standing here for?

Sit down.

J.J., wouldn't you and your date like to have your own table?

Why? Y'all leaving?

This is our table.

Well, Larry, since they're here,

we might as well all eat together.

There's no sense in splitting up into separate tables, right?

So slide over, come on.

Well said, well said, little sister.

But isn't this nice.

All the four of us here

right in a nice little cozy spot

for a nice long evening.

Here we are.

Oh, thank you.

Hey, look here, Jack.

Uh--

Uh, give my lady one of these,

and, uh, give me the u-jal.

What's the "u-jal"?

A Kool-Aid sour.

Uh, bon soir.

Look here, uh, give me two menus.

Yes, sir.

Guess who's staying for dinner?

Well, isn't this a coincidence?

I mean, us meeting here like this.

Well, as they say in gour-met circles,

savoir faire and finger bowls for everybody.

Uh, J.J., Thelma and I have some private things

that we wanted to talk about...

Larry, we can't be rude.

Hey, hey. Y'all got something private to talk about.

Don't worry about us.

Me and Sam here got our own thing going,

don't we, sweet mama?

Mm.

Hey, don't wait for us. Drink up.

We'll get started on these bread sticks here.

Thelma, I have a feeling

that this is a little bit more than just a coincidence.

What do you mean?

I mean, I think you're trying to tell me something.

Ever since we walked in that door, you been stalling

every time I bring up the subject of California.

And now J.J. walking in here.

Well, I had no idea he was going to come here...

Tell the truth.

You don't want to go to L.A. with me, do you?

Well, Larry, it's a big step.

I mean, look.

We're both young.

Why do we have to rush into it?

Yeah.

I think I know what you're trying to tell me now.

Oh, Larry, you're the most wonderful guy I ever met,

and there are so many things that are right between us--

And so many things that are wrong.

Here we are.

Ah, good. Very good.

Would you care to order now, sir?

Uh, yeah, four filet mignons, please.

Yes, sir.

Yeah, I'll have the same.

Just jiving. Just jiving.

Waiter, bring me the tab. It's on me.

Yes, sir.

On you?

Hey, Larry, you know how much

all this is going to cost?

Sure, but this is a big night.

We're celebrating.

It's a farewell dinner.

[***]

* Mmm *

* Just lookin' Out of the window *

* Watching 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 *

ANNOUNCER: Good Times is recorded on tape

before a live audience.

* Ain't we lucky We got 'em *

* Good Times *