Being Heumann (2026) Movie Script

1
["The Passenger" playing]
I am a passenger
And I ride and I ride
I ride through the city's backsides
I see the stars come out of the sky
[horns honking]
Yeah, the bright and hollow sky
You know it looks so good tonight
- [pedestrian] Come on, lady.
- I am the passenger
I stay under glass
I look through my window so bright
I see the stars come out tonight
I see the bright and hollow sky
Over the city's ripped-back sky
And everything looks good tonight
Singin' la la la la la la la la
[driver shouting]
- Okay!
- [driver] Move it!
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
[bus honking]
Singin' la la la la la la la la
Sign 504! Sign 504!
Sign 504!
Sign 504!
- [protester 1] Let 'em hear it!
- Sign 504!
Sign 504! Sign 504!
Do you know about Section 504? It is part
of the Rehab bill, and Nixon vetoed it!
Ma'am, can I give you one of
these leaflets? Please, can you, please
Ma'am, ma'am.
Do you know about Section 504?
Hey, can I talk to you about Section 504?
It would allow us to go to school.
Sign 504! Sign 504!
Sign 504!
Aw, man. Again.
[protester chanting]
Sign 504! Access for all!
Excuse me, ma'am.
Do you know about Section 504?
It's a sentence in the Rehab bill, and--
Get me down.
Get me down, guys. Get me down.
Put me in the fucking street.
Get her down! Come on!
Help her down.
[protester 1] Go, go, go, go, go.
[horns honking]
[truck horn honking]
[protester 2] Holy shit! She's crazy.
- Yo, get me down. Come on, go!
- Come on. Get Bobby down!
Go, go! Let's fucking move!
- [protesters shouting]
- [tires screeching]
Sign 504! Sign 504!
Sign 504! Sign 504!
Outta the way, you crippled bitch!
Back off, you motherfucker!
[chanting continues]
Sign 504!
Louder!
Sign 504!
["Born To Lose" playing]
Got a cigarette?
Why are you always stealing from me?
It's over there.
Born to lose
Born to lose
Born to lose
Over here we got wheelchair repair.
That's sign class.
Back here we got van modification.
This whole place
used to be a car dealership.
Oh. Wow.
Yeah.
People come here for personal attendants.
Where did Ed find you?
I've mostly been working
in the civil rights movement
- Uh-huh.
- and with the Socialist Workers Party.
I didn't know Socialists wore pearls.
A couple of senators snuck some language
about disability discrimination
into the Rehab bill.
You wanna write this down?
- No, I got it.
- Okay. Well, it finally passed.
But no one will act on it.
We've been waiting for five years.
And what are they doing about it?
Nothing.
Yeah. Carter's not doing shit.
His administration is ignoring us.
So we've given him
a deadline to sign. April 5th.
And then what?
This protest.
Which is way too polite,
but Ed won't let me storm the building.
Because that would be, um
oh, illegal.
You don't just draw a line in the sand
and then let them piss it away.
Yeah?
"R-A-D
I-C
A-L
C-R
I-P."
I am.
A radical crip.
Then what am I?
"D-I"
Dick boss.
- Yeah.
- [activists laughing]
- You're a degenerate.
- I am.
- Oh!
- [protester 1] Get his eye!
The president is concerned the press
is talking about the layoffs.
He asked me to cut the budget.
I'm cutting the budget.
This place is completely unmanageable.
I'm gonna have to fire people.
Carter doesn't like the optics.
Well, maybe he should stop wearing jeans
to all of his meetings.
He wants you focused on welfare reform,
it was central to his campaign.
- No, no, no.
- He wants a new plan by May.
I've been in the job
for, what, two months now?
Welfare reform. What does that even mean?
It won us the election.
Yeah, 'cause everyone heard
what they wanted to hear.
The liberals heard it was
more money for the poor,
and the conservatives heard,
"Kick the bums off welfare."
So which is it?
That's for you to figure out.
[laughs]
Sure. Sure.
"Joe, while you're at it, can you fix
Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid,
the health care system?
Can you feed the poor, put every kid
in Head Start, fund Sesame Street
and not spend a dime while you do it?"
[clears throat] Uh
Judy Heumann called again, sir.
Who's that?
An activist for the handicapped.
She wanted to know what you're doing
about the 504 regulation.
I got 6,000 pages of regulations here.
What page is that on?
- Uh--
- Okay, make a memo.
Color-code it so I can find it.
What are these cookies doing here?
They're your cookies.
You told me to get rid of the cigarettes
and to put cookies
Not fucking Milanos.
[protester 1] Joseph Califano, please.
Judy Heumann.
I'd like to talk to him
about the 504 regulations.
Stop!
- What's wrong?
- Loud!
Yes.
Right. Well, have him call.
Okay.
Okay. So there are nine HEW buildings.
Right?
We have Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver.
Califano's office is in DC.
Why are we just doing one rally
in San Francisco?
We don't have enough protesters.
People have enough trouble
even leaving their houses.
We don't know if they're gonna show up.
Okay, so we loop in national organizations
like the Federation for the Blind.
Yeah, blind people don't advocate
with wheelchair users.
But this is about building coalition.
Yep. That's the truth.
It's about anyone
who's ever felt marginalized.
- You can count the Panthers in.
- Good.
They'll put our flyer in their newsletter.
Great.
Wait. Why are we involving the Panthers?
Man, what's your beef with us?
You're a bunch of homophobes.
Hold on.
You wanna do nine simultaneous rallies?
I thought you were a radical crip.
- Yeah.
- [chuckles]
["The Clapping Song" playing]
Three, six, nine, the goose drank wine
The monkey chewed tobacco
On the streetcar line
The line broke
[Judy] Hello. Joseph Califano, please.
This is Judy Heumann.
I need to talk to him
about the 504 regulations.
"No otherwise
qualified handicapped individual
in the United States, shall,
solely by reason of his handicap,
be excluded from the participation in,
or be subjected to discrimination
under any program or activity"
Joseph Califano, please.
Judy Heumann.
Yes.
Looks great.
Please have him return
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
For the rally, okay?
We're gonna be protesting outside
Would you have a good route
that we could use?
Joseph Califano, please.
Judy Heumann.
This is Judy Heumann.
You're staring at me.
You've got nice legs.
The line broke, the monkey got choked
And they all went to heaven
In a little rowboat
Okay. Our biggest handicap is Califano.
Mmm! We shall not be moved.
[giggles]
Judy, what is that word?
- "Disabili-li-ty"?
- Oh, f
- Fuck!
- "Disabili-titties!"
- Great. You were distracting me!
- [laughing]
Come on.
- [attendant] Sorry, I'm here! I'm here.
- Oh, thank God.
Sorry.
BART was backed up, and the trains
weren't even stopping at Ashby--
I have to pee.
Okay. Here we go.
Arms down. Yep.
- One. Two.
- Up.
Not yet.
- Okay. Now.
- Okay.
Okay.
There we go.
One. Two. Three.
- Okay.
- Again. One. Two. Three.
- Oh, wait. I'm stuck.
- Sorry.
My ass! Ooh!
- [chuckling] Okay.
- Come on!
One. Two. Three.
[attendant] Okay.
Okay.
- Backing up.
- Yep.
- Plates.
- Okay.
Come on.
- All right.
- Lock's on?
Yes.
Okay. Ready?
Pull.
- Okay, up.
- Scooching. Okay.
- There?
- Yeah.
Okay.
That was close.
That seam is gonna kill me.
- Which?
- Both.
- [horn honking]
- [attendant] Van's here.
Shit. You know what? No shoes. Forget it.
Just put 'em in my bag.
- Glasses.
- Yeah.
Leaflets.
Extra buttons.
- Extra buttons.
- Oh, and while you're at it,
get me a spare pair of underwear.
Yeah.
- Don't forget my purse and my coat.
- Oh, right.
I'll wait for you out there!
["Feelin' Alright" playing]
Feelin' alright?
Oh, no
I'm not feeling too good myself
Oh, no
Yes, sir
You're feelin' alright?
Oh, no
Hey, Hale. What's cooking, my brother?
Hale! Hale. Oh, my God.
Yes, you have buttons.
Thank you, thank you.
Okay, buttons! Buttons!
And even now I sit
And I wonder why
You didn't.
I did.
- [chuckles]
- God
Buttons!
I just can't waste my time
I must get down
- Brad. How you doing?
- Joni. I'm all right.
- Take it easy, all right?
- Excuse me, brother. You Brad Lomax?
Yeah. I'm Brad Lomax.
Solid. I'm Chuck Jackson.
You a Panther?
Ericka sent me. I'm here to help you.
Help me with what?
Like, push you or whatever.
So this is your assignment,
you're telling me?
Me?
Yes, sir.
Somebody in the Panthers
got it bad for you, brother.
Say when we're rolling.
We're at 50 United Nations Plaza
in San Francisco today,
where hundreds of the handicapped have
gathered to protest.
Just outside the regional office
for the Health, Education
and Welfare Department.
Boy, they have come out in droves
here today.
Excuse me, sir.
Dig the antenna.
What's your name
and what brings you here today?
One more time.
Okay, that's great. Thank you.
Let me get that.
My cord.
[muttering]
Yeah, but at the time you know
I really felt that way
But that was then
And now you know it's today
Where do you want me?
You're the volunteer?
L.Y.N.N.E
Lynnette.
Have you done interpreting before?
I have a deaf mom.
and takes my place, yeah
[reporter] How'd you get down here?
Well, my sister drove me down here,
and I didn't really know what to expect.
But, uh it sounds like
a lot of people showed up.
- It's pretty rockin' and rollin'.
- Yeah.
- Thank you very much.
- [Ed] Brothers and sisters
All right.
At least that one could talk, right?
I said brothers and sisters
make a joyful noise.
My name is Ed Roberts.
And I have waited my whole life
to see this crowd gathered here today.
[crowd cheering]
504 means access to life.
We are talking about the difference
between existing and living.
Yes!
Now, when I first came to UC Berkeley,
they refused to admit me on the grounds
that there wasn't any housing for me.
I fought back.
[crowd applauds]
Now, at the time,
I was fighting all alone.
Well,
not anymore.
And now it is my great pleasure to welcome
Judy Heumann.
[crowd cheering]
Hi.
[crowd] Hi.
I wasn't allowed to go to school
until I was ten years old.
Every year,
my mother would drag
my wheelchair up the stairs
and fight with the principal to let me in.
- [protester] Shame!
- Yeah.
And he would tell her no,
that I was a fire hazard.
When I applied for my teaching license,
I was denied.
Fire hazard.
And last time I flew,
I was thrown off the plane.
Hell no.
Fire hazard.
- [crowd jeering]
- Shame!
And I told the stewardess,
"If this plane goes down,
I am not gonna be the problem."
Our whole lives,
we believed
that if we played by the rules,
did what we were told,
we'd be included in the American Dream.
But we have waited too long.
We have made too many compromises.
[crowd] Yeah!
And we have been too patient.
[crowd] Yes!
Sign 504!
Sign 504! Sign 504! Sign 504!
One! One signature will end
the discrimination
that we have faced our entire lives.
The federal government cannot steal
our civil rights!
No!
They cannot ignore us!
No!
You cannot ignore us!
No!
And if they don't want
to come out and face us,
then we're going inside.
All of us.
Judy.
We're going inside!
[Kitty] Judy?
[Judy] All of us!
Grab your stuff, we're going inside!
Yeah!
We're going inside!
Judy? Judy.
Come on.
Come on, we're going inside!
504!
Yeah! 504!
504! 504!
[chanting continues]
Keep your eyes on the prize
Hold on, hold on
They're coming in. They're coming in!
Go, go, go!
Move! Move.
[chanting, clamoring]
The ramp, we need the ramp.
Ramp! Get the ramp.
- We need the ramp.
- Getting the ramp.
Get me up here.
Hey, get me up here. Get me up here.
Fourth floor, guys! Fourth floor!
Judy wants the ramp.
Keep your eyes on the prize
Can someone tell me what's happening?
Which way is inside?
- Hey, man. You need some help?
- Huh?
- Yeah.
- Here. Grab my chair.
- I'll lead you, okay?
- Thanks. Where you at?
Just leave me alone!
Cece! Cece, we're going home!
I'm Milton.
Dennis.
Press. No, no.
I'm a reporter. I'm a reporter.
Let's go! Let's go!
Go, go, go!
Fourth floor. Fourth floor.
Everyone, fourth floor.
Keep going. Keep going.
504! 504!
Follow me.
[protesters] 504! 504!
[chanting continues]
We're here to see Joseph Maldonado.
Right.
Is he, uh, expecting you?
Probably not.
I don't know what that is.
Your department is in charge
of implementing the regulations.
[sighs] Are you sure?
You're the regional director.
How have you not even heard of this?
Look, Miss, I think--
- Heumann.
- Okay, Miss Heumann.
I can reach out to Califano's people,
and we'll get some information.
Great, call him. Call him right now.
We will wait.
Hey, first of all, I don't work for you.
- Punch?
- Thank you.
Whoa. Whoa. Wait. What are you doing?
I just thought that while they were
waiting, I'd offer them some punch.
Punch?
No! No punch!
Get Califano on the line.
Mr. Califano is a very busy man,
overseeing many departments--
We are not leaving this building
until these regulations are signed.
Yeah.
I need to use the bathroom.
[protesters groan]
[chuckles]
Yeah, so do we. But we can't get inside.
I regret that.
[Kitty] Judy.
Judy, let the man pee.
Fine.
[mutters]
[chattering]
Everybody out.
[secretary] Out, girls. Out, out, out.
What the fuck are we doing?
They don't even know
what we're talking about.
You want all of us to camp out here?
Sure. Why not? Why not? We can do that.
Judy. Judy.
What about our rallies in other cities?
We don't have a plan for this.
Well, they should
take those buildings too.
Here.
- Call 'em.
- Judy, what are you doing?
[Judy] We cannot budge now.
Can you stay?
I don't know. For how long?
I've got class tomorrow.
[protesters clamoring]
I got a hundred cripples in my office.
A hundred cripples?
They're everywhere, Joe.
They're in the elevator, the hallways.
They're drinking punch.
What I can't help you, Joe, because
We got protesters outside here ourselves.
No, no. They've completely
taken over my office.
They wanna know
what you're doing with the, uh
504 regulations.
I'm reviewing them is what I'm doing.
What are they?
They're fucking expensive is
what they are.
They wanna tear up every city
in the country.
They wanna change every building.
Get up on every sidewalk.
Tell them they're gonna have to wait.
I don't think I can tell them that.
Uh, the woman, Judy,
she was holding me hostage.
Well, then call the police. There's
nothing I can do to help you from here.
Who is this person?
Does she have any idea what she's asking?
It's nationwide. It seems like
they're targeting every HEW building.
How did this bill get passed?
Did anyone read it?
It's like they got to section 500
and they got tired and they went to bed.
It is pretty weird.
I'm not signing it without
some sort of review. I'm not doing it.
It's been reviewed for five years.
Right.
And Matthews, he sent it back
to Congress with a note that said,
"What the fuck were you thinking?"
You have talked a lot
about wanting to help disabled people.
Of course!
I'm all about the government
helping people. Okay?
Poor people, old people, Black people.
Okay? I got a civil service medal
right there, my friend.
I spent my career desegregating.
But these people,
they're not asking for a place on a bus,
they're asking
for a whole new fucking bus!
[sighs]
How many of them are out there?
Um
Maybe forty? Fifty?
I feel sorry for these people. I do.
Somebody's gotta go out there
and tell them.
Well, sir, you could tell them yourself.
They're coming inside.
This is an unprecedented act
made by a group that represents
the most vulnerable among us.
With broken bodies, hobbling on crutches,
and rolling oxygen tanks,
they made their way inside.
Their fortitude is truly inspirational.
How was that?
What do you think of fortitude?
Too much? Or
Listen, why don't we get out of here, huh?
[chattering]
Wild, right?
Never seen anything like it.
You got a light?
Oh, yeah.
I'm Joni. What's your name?
Fanelli. Anthony.
You're Italian?
I'm Italian.
What, you never seen a lesbian Italian?
Fanelli. What is the point of having
security if everybody's just hanging out?
Go downstairs, lock the doors.
Jesus Christ, just arrest them.
Get Milton.
We're getting arrested, everybody!
- We're getting arrested!
- We're what?
She's kidding, right?
You wanna go to jail?
You wanna go to jail?
How much does
a motorized wheelchair weigh?
- Thing's like 400 pounds.
- We can't take the chair.
You gonna take 'em out of the chair?
I don't think we should take them
out of the wheelchairs.
No one's pulling anyone
out of wheelchairs.
- What's going on with this?
- Well, we were told to take it out.
I want this out of my lobby.
You gotta get 'em out.
How you gonna get 'em out?
I cannot have this here. Who are you?
Agent Sullivan. FBI.
Please tell me that you're here
to arrest these people.
You know how many cameras
there are out there?
They've invaded.
You cannot leave them here.
How long do you think
these folks are honestly gonna last?
We'll have a conversation.
- It's I think
- All right.
- Actually, it's a lot of--
- Just let me go.
- Are you sure?
- Yep.
- Are you sure?
- Yes. Come on.
- All right.
- [clamoring, booing]
- There he is!
- Yeah. You're a coward!
- Attention! Attention, please.
- Hey! All right. Quiet down!
Quiet down!
Please, quiet down!
I understand
you all have a lot of concerns.
We want our rights!
Sign 504 now!
Sign it!
- If only it were that simple. Now
- It is simple!
I've reviewed these regulations,
and I'm telling you
they bring up some difficult questions.
What difficult questions?
Now the last administration had
two and a half years
to go over these regulations
- before they decided not to move forward.
- Big deal!
And I've only had two and a half months.
Why won't you sign it now?
[clamoring]
- Why?
- Quiet!
Excuse me. Excuse me, please.
Can I answer this man's question?
Why can't you sign it now?
All right.
[protester 1] Sign it now!
- Because I
- Sign or resign!
Because I want to understand
what they mean.
Bullshit!
[protester 2] They mean access!
Sign or resign.
Right, all right.
- [protesters chanting] Sign or resign!
- All right.
Please, I support your right to protest.
I was at Kent State with the students,
I supported the Selma Marches,
but you also need to be fair!
Fair? Fair?
You wanna talk about fair?
Sign or resign.
Sign or resign! Sign or resign!
[chanting, clamoring]
Okay, listen up, people!
- [Kitty] Everyone.
- Listen up.
We're sleeping here tonight.
We know this may not be possible
for everyone
But it's just one night.
We can do one night.
Okay? One night.
We can do it together.
If you need extra help,
we have plenty of people here.
Judy
I sleep in an 800-pound iron lung.
I'm not the only person here with needs.
- I know.
- Do you?
You've got people here who need
to be turned in the middle of the night
- I know.
- who don't have their medication,
- or their backup ventilators.
- I know.
I'm going home, 'cause I have to.
Keep them safe.
["Life During Wartime" playing]
[chattering]
You're not gonna fit.
No.
Well
"Knock down
wall."
What, this wall?
Ah, Jesus, man. That's vandalism.
Yeah.
All right, you can definitely get that.
All right, fuck it.
Whoa.
Shit.
[laughs]
Come on, baby!
Come on!
Thank you. Great job. Get some rest.
Who wants a pillow? You want a pillow?
All right. Should I get you out of there?
No, I'm all right.
I'll sleep in my chair.
- Go up.
- Okay. Right now?
- Yep.
- All right, great.
[Milton] All right, he's guiding you over.
Yep, we've got this.
All right, I think we can go down.
- You feeling good?
- Yeah.
You feeling good?
- How you feeling?
- Pretty good.
- Good?
- All right.
Perfect.
Okay.
[sighs] That
That was far out.
- Oh.
- There you go.
Thank you.
Uh, he can't hear you.
What if this thing moves?
All right.
- Like this?
- Mm-hmm.
It could work. Huh?
Did you bring a toothbrush?
Yeah.
But no toothpaste.
Jesus Christ, you planned this.
[scoffs]
[chuckles] Wow.
Wow.
One arm under my leg.
Sure.
- Like that?
- Mm-hmm.
Then one back here.
- Okay.
- Mm-hmm.
Careful. I have feeling down there.
Everywhere?
You just can't help yourself, can you?
No, ma'am.
Okay?
Okay.
Don't drop me.
I'm not planning on it.
- Okay, sit me up.
- Yeah.
And then lay back.
How's that?
Okay.
I need a pillow under my legs.
- Under your legs?
- Mm-hmm.
Got you.
How is this?
Where are you gonna sleep?
Well
Seems like there's
plenty of room right here.
Go on in. Morning.
Hold on. What floor are you going to?
- Third floor.
- All right.
Whoa. Who's that?
Secretaries.
Ooh.
Good morning.
Good morning, y'all.
Judy! Judy!
Judy.
Judy, wake up.
We're in The Examiner!
Get my glasses
"An occupation army of cripples."
Shit, that's good.
Yeah.
Shit, that's good!
Give me a minute. We'll figure it out.
It's gonna be all right.
Jesus Christ!
Ladies, let's go.
No work today.
We're outta here.
That's my sweater.
It's comfy.
[Judy] They have guards at the door?
Yeah. Okay, hang in there.
That was DC.
They're denying them food and water.
Check this shit out.
time to review these complex regulations
so that I may assess
the, uh, implications.
Uh, my office right now
is consulting with the handicapped.
You liar.
and we're digging into it earnestly.
And I feel like
we have a very good rapport
Fucking liar.
This needs to be
our refrigerator for medicine.
Needs more insulation to keep it cold.
[Judy] Okay, have him return.
Okay. Write a press release.
We need to hold a press conference.
We need food.
People can't live on four packs of M&M's.
- I can.
- [chuckles]
We're gonna need a legal team,
in case they start arresting us.
And people's bodies
are gonna start breaking down
if we have to spend
one more night on this floor.
We need sleeping bags and pillows.
Well, Judy brought a toothbrush.
So we got that covered.
[Brad] Wait, she brought what?
[Kitty] Just the one?
Jim, get us some attendants.
Can the Panthers get us food?
It's worth a shot.
They got kitchens
for the breakfast program so
Great. Panthers.
Press conference.
Who's gonna talk to them?
You.
Go show your cleavage and cry.
And they should welcome the opportunity
to finally be educated on the law
they are meant to be enforcing.
Is it true Joseph Califano is
collaborating with the DC protesters?
If by collaborating you mean locking them
in a room without food, then yes.
So is that the reason they left?
They didn't leave.
Well, we got word that they cleared out
of DC an hour ago.
We assumed they reached
some sort of agreement. Is that not true?
No. Nobody agreed to anything.
No, if-if they left,
it's because they were starved out.
They starved them out.
Do not let them speak for us.
Look, I am asking you,
the people of San Francisco,
Mayor Moscone, anyone who is listening,
to please, please fight with us.
Because this occupation army of cripples
is not going anywhere.
They didn't even last one day.
Judy. I mean, they didn't even have food.
Fuck!
Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt.
Uh, Judy.
Hi, I'm Evan White.
Can I come in for a second?
Who do you work for?
Where are you from?
KGO-TV.
Never heard of it.
Oh. Well, it's a
it's a local affiliate. ABC.
A baby reporter.
Of course they sent you.
Well, nobody sent me.
They kicked the reporters out
and locked the doors.
I think you might be stuck with me.
[chuckles]
Uh, I'm not much of a shooter,
but I'd love to report from the inside.
I think it's tragic, what's happening.
And if people would hear this story,
they would
they'd be inspired.
To do what?
Sorry?
Inspired to do something?
Or just inspired?
Hey, everybody!
- Can everybody hear me?
- [protesters] Yeah.
Or see Lynnette?
Yeah.
Thank you.
DC folded.
They left the building.
They didn't have a choice, okay?
They had no food or water.
But we're not them.
This is a different situation.
And we cannot leave here
until this legislation is signed.
We cannot.
What's the sign for "Legislation"?
[Milton] How long are we going to be here?
[Judy] Until they make those changes.
What was that?
But wait, they can't make
all these old schools accessible.
They haven't even tried.
How many of you even went to school?
[protester] I did.
Me too, but I was in the basement.
I was 18 and they had me doing nap time.
Nap time at 18.
It's segregation.
Same shit all over again.
Yeah, but we have no power.
And you think Black folks had power?
That's not what I'm saying.
I'm saying that nobody cares about us.
We are so easily ignored.
No, not if we hold this building.
[Milton] Look at my fucking body.
You think even if
I could get into those places,
someone would actually hire me?
[Judy] Yes!
This isn't charity.
Yeah. [scoffs]
Hey. Hey.
They build the ramp,
and then they get you.
Okay? They hire a reader
and then they get him.
- What's his name?
- Dennis.
Dennis!
They should be so lucky, Dennis!
But there is always something else, Judy.
- Like braille or cane travel--
- I know.
But stop feeling like
you deserve to be invisible.
Okay?
Like you have to be easy or grateful
But we're such a minority, Judy.
Yeah, a minority that anybody
could be a part of!
At any time.
They see you in front of the stairs
and they think that you're the problem.
"Oh, look at that poor girl.
Her legs don't work."
Okay, but you are not the problem.
You are not the problem.
You are not the problem.
The stairs are the problem!
And all they need to do
is build a fucking ramp, okay?
That is not That is not too much to ask.
Okay, this has been
This has been uncomfortable
and really hard.
And it will continue to be.
But this is so much bigger than us.
And I am going to stay in this building
until Califano signs those regulations
without changing one word.
I wanna know who's with me?
[Milton sighs] Yeah.
Hell yeah.
All right.
["Take My Soul Higher" playing]
[chattering]
Yeah, I got another one back there too.
Grab the trays. Let's go.
There are hungry people inside. Let's go.
Anything heavy can go on the carts.
Everything else you can hand carry.
- Uh, medic?
- Yeah.
- Medic?
- Yes.
Attendant? Yep.
Attendant. Thank you so much.
Who, uh Who are these people?
Interpreters.
Interpreters?
What, they don't speak English?
They don't hear.
- Interpreter. Interpreter--
- Whoa, whoa, whoa.
How many interpreters do you need?
Uh About four for every deaf person.
- Mm-hmm. Yeah.
- Um Okay, okay. Uh, come on in.
All right, that's one, two
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Stop right there. What's in the trays?
Corn, fried chicken, potato salad,
revolution
- You can't bring that in here.
- You said we can have food.
Yeah, you said food was okay.
What changed?
Melanin levels.
I know who these people are,
and they are trespassing
on federal property.
- This is a public building.
- Turn that off.
I don't care if it is guns
or potato salad,
it is not coming in this building.
[camera clicks on]
Long known for their harassment
of the Black Panther party,
police are denying meal deliveries
today for the protesters.
Many of whom haven't eaten in days.
- Get this fucking guy outta here.
- Ms. Huggins, please
- Do you mind telling me
- Turn it off!
Hold on a second.
All we have here is food,
which is a basic human right.
These people are peacefully protesting.
Now are you gonna let us feed them
or are you trying to starve them out?
We're checking the trays. Check the trays.
Hey! Let's go, come on.
I want 'em all checked.
[Panther] Check it. Go ahead.
- Come on in.
- Thank you so much.
Um It looks good.
Help yourself.
Sure. Yeah. Thanks.
We're checking the trays.
[protesters chattering, laughing]
Ericka. Looking mighty fine today.
It's a nice spread you got here.
You know I always got you, Brad.
You know this is Willy Dicks
from the Machinists Union?
Standing by to help.
Hey, brother.
And y'all know each other.
- Nah, man. I'm Leroy.
- Hey.
I remember the brother. How you been?
Oh. Oh, shit.
Brad Lomax.
Oh, sorry, man, I ain't recognize you.
Yeah, last time I saw you was,
uh the Survival Conference.
What was that now, like, five years?
I got you, bro.
Come on. Come on in.
We got plenty more food right here.
[protester] Aw, hell yeah.
[cheering]
["Give Up The Funk" playing]
You've got a real type of thing
Going down, gettin' down
We gotta do something.
I'm not going up there.
Are you going up there?
What the fuck are they doing out there?
Eating. I made you a plate.
Look at this.
You're pretty good at that.
George Miller here.
Congressman Miller! It's Judy Heumann.
Well, you certainly are persistent.
You should see my phone sheet.
It's Judy Heumann all the way down.
Well, I know you were part
of drafting public law 94-142
No, I don't want food. I want a cigarette.
I was part of that bill.
It was intended
to help handicapped children.
Well, surprise, surprise.
We grow into adults.
We're not as cute,
Jerry Lewis doesn't give a shit about us.
But God knows we could use an ally
in government right now.
I assume you're familiar with the 504?
Yeah. Yeah, I am.
That's part of the Rehab bill.
I'm also aware of your protest.
And I know that you guys have
been waiting a long time.
["Hit It and Quit It" playing]
- You worked the Survival Conference?
- Yeah, I did. Two years ago.
I was walking then.
So this thing gets worse.
Sorry, brother. What's it called again?
It's all right. Multiple Sclerosis.
Damn.
You got multiple?
Okay, guys. Come on.
Time's up. Let's go.
You've had enough. All right.
[protester] Come on, Gerald!
- Come on.
- All right, all right.
Let's go. Over there. Go.
[Lynette] On your marks!
Get set!
Go!
Go, go, go!
What the hell is this?
It's fun.
People, we have a sex and disability class
that is starting in five minutes.
We've got "Modified Wheelchair Doggie."
We've got "Sideways 69."
And I'm gonna need
about two or three volunteers
- Yeah?
- Mm-hmm.
I'm fun.
Okay.
[both moan]
[Jim breathes heavily]
Get my chair.
Really?
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Okay, come back here.
I'm gonna tell you what I want,
and you're gonna do what I say.
Sir, yes, sir.
[snoring]
Holy shit.
That's the mayor.
No.
Why is he making them comfortable?
You running a hotel?
Is he putting mints on pillows?
It is San Francisco, sir.
Moscone cannot be the hero here.
He's the mayor.
I don't give a shit.
You're the FBI.
It's a federal building.
Yes, so let me handle it.
Handle it!
God, nothing ever felt this good!
- Judy's first lesbian experience!
- [all laughing]
Nah, she saves it all
for the freight elevator.
- What?
- Mm-hmm.
You know those doors close, right?
Oh, come on. No one heard that.
Even the deaf guys heard it.
What?
Judy and Jim
Sitting in a tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G!
No! We were not in a tree. How the fuck
would we get up in that tree?
Oh, my God. Cool it down.
Okay. Get Evan in here!
This is the kind of press we need.
- [Lynnette] He'd love to be in here.
- Evan!
"A group of disabled protesters
with giant, pendulous breasts"
- What?
- "have taken a federal building
- by storm."
- Give me that.
All right, everyone out! Let's go, move!
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
You wanna shower, go home!
- Okay, okay. We're going.
- Everyone out! Let's go!
- The mayor gave us these!
- I don't care!
Come on! Come on!
- Go. Get out of here.
- Get the hoses.
Now they're claiming that the New World
Liberation Front is working with us.
"Advocating violent attacks in solidarity
with the 504 protesters."
The fucking NWLF, man.
But that's not true.
We have nothing to do with them.
But this is what they do,
try to tie us to an extremist group.
I'll call George Miller.
Okay, he needs to know.
He has to do something.
[Brad] Welcome to the big time, Judy.
Jesus.
What the hell?
It's dead.
Check the other one.
Oh, no, no, no.
They're all dead.
No, but
How are we gonna talk to the press?
How are we gonna get food?
Damn it!
What's wrong?
They cut the phone lines.
[protesters chanting]
504!
Oh!
Hey, Ed. Look at that.
Why do they need deaf people?
Fuck.
[Judy] They pushed them out of DC
[pounds]
They wanna starve us out too.
They're trying to bully us.
Shit, you know what? This isn't working.
I gotta get this from outside.
They're not gonna let you back in.
Yeah. I know, I know. But I can do more
for us out there than I can in here.
This is too good of a visual.
I mean,
this is six o'clock news good, right?
- Really?
- It's what we've been talking about.
I got a cocksucker of a news director,
who only cares about murder and mayhem.
But these are real fucking stakes.
Keep it coming.
Yeah.
Evan.
Tell them I'm going on a hunger strike.
- What? No, you can't do that.
- Gandhi did it for 21 days.
What is it?
Hunger strike.
Oh, so you're Gandhi now?
Tell them I'm not gonna eat
until Califano signs.
How about I put you on camera?
You tell him yourself.
- Evan!
- Genius.
I'm not eating.
No.
Yeah.
"They're trying to overpower us.
We will resist.
Califano wants to bully us?
We will meet his challenge."
These are the words of Judy Heumann,
the leader of this protest, being signed
through the window of the HEW offices.
Nine days into the protest
- Ah, Jesus Christ.
- the FBI has cut off
not only the phone lines, but any food
at all from entering the building.
It's a sobering moment as we witness
Who the hell is this guy?
Why are they even airing this?
Uh, Evan White.
He's a local correspondent,
but the story is
getting picked up nationally.
- A hunger strike?
- It's everywhere.
A hunger strike?
Who is she, Gandhi? Turn it off.
Turn it off.
Oh, no. You're smoking?
No. It's a menthol.
Um, Congressman Miller is here to see you.
Shit.
Do you have any idea what it's gonna
cost to implement these regulations?
I'm guessing a lot.
2.4 billion.
Billion. Billion dollars. Do you think
the American people are ready
to get behind that kind of spending?
Well, I mean,
these are the American people, sir.
Right, of course.
But I'm in the city every day.
How many handicapped people you see?
Well, I mean,
that's the whole point, right?
I mean, if they can't leave their houses,
you're not gonna see 'em, are you?
Look
You know Congress didn't understand
what they were doing
when they passed these regulations.
I got lobbyists calling me
every single day.
Universities,
colleges, hospitals.
Nobody wants to pass this thing,
nobody wants to do this.
I'm not saying it isn't complicated.
It's impossible!
But there are two million disabled kids
out of school right now.
I'd love to sign,
but then I got sixty days.
Sixty days to make sure
every federal building,
every public space, every post office,
every public bus, is compliant.
Sixty days to remake the world.
To banish stairs!
No one is banishing stairs.
How long you been in this town?
You-You're a young congressman.
What, one term?
Do you know what the motto of the Health
and Education and Welfare Department is?
Let me tell you. It says it right there.
"Spes anchora vitae."
Hope is the anchor of life.
But you know what this place really is?
This is where human hope
and human tragedy meet.
We can't help everybody.
If I sign this, I get fired.
Carter will have my big, fat,
Italian head on a post.
At least hold hearings in the building.
No.
Joe.
They're not leaving.
Yeah, um put,
"Hey, Mom. It's day 11,
and I'm running out of clothes"
Go on.
Wow. Keep up the good work.
Damn, that looks tasty.
It's not.
You want some?
Nah, man. I can't.
But shit, am I fucking hungry.
Thank God this weed is mainly seeds.
How many people are doing this?
I don't know, like, seven?
Dennis. I'm not standing here all day
to tell your mom you need clean underwear.
She can't get in here!
[Gerald] Which one of you crips
is supposed to be at the window?
- Please. I hate that fucking word.
- Who is supposed to be at the window?
[Steve] Me.
I stood at the window all day
passing out your messages.
It's not my fucking job.
[Olin] If you want to use us,
you should include us.
Deaf people don't want what you want.
What? Access?
We don't wanna be mainstreamed.
But you should have a choice!
Why do you speak for all of us?
Wheelchair users don't know what's right
for deaf people.
[clamoring]
- What the hell you just say?
- This is our fucking protest, man.
What the fuck, Milton?
Get the fuck outta here.
Wait, wait.
Y'all are asking to be segregated?
[Ron] That is exactly
what they are asking for.
I need an aspirin.
You need to eat.
Look, everyone has the right
to express their dissent.
This is a democracy.
Okay, okay. The message is access.
That is not just curb cuts,
it's also an interpreter.
Well, curb cuts suck for blind people.
We need to know where the curb is
so we know when to cross safely.
No way, man!
Curbs are a major fucking problem!
Okay, you know what?
Just roll over my dead body
when I get hit by a car, all right?
- Dennis!
- Happily, eh?
I would
just so I could get where I need to go.
- The hell is your problem?
- Are you serious?
Now this guy's arguing for curbs.
Get outta here.
Milton, we're all learning.
Everyone has their blind spots.
No, don't say blind spots.
I'm okay with it.
Hale is saying,
"What if
we
off
set"
- Nope.
- "the
curb cuts
so
that blind people"
No. No. No.
We can't start compromising!
Hey, hey, hey!
Hale is not done talking, okay?
Do not interrupt him!
Everybody shut up so that Hale can talk!
Look.
We have been here for twelve days.
We're exhausted.
We're hungry.
I think we need to just take a break.
No! No!
Nobody leaves this fucking room
until everyone has had a chance to speak!
I do not care if we are in here
until two o'clock in the morning!
If this is a democracy!
Hale, do you wanna finish?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
It's fucked that they can't get a meal in.
Yeah. If these were the Huey days, man,
they'd be back here with rifles.
Shit.
I remember standing outside
Alameda courthouse
marching, singing, shouting,
loud and proud,
"Off the pigs! Off the pigs!"
I was an intimidating motherfucker, Jack.
People used to look at me and say,
"That's an angry brother right there."
Now it's a different kind of fear.
It's more like,
"Shit, I hope I don't end up like him."
Say, I gotta
Yeah.
Let's get your pants, brother.
[whistles blowing]
[officer] Wakey-wakey! Can't camp here!
- [officer 2] Come on.
- [officer 1] Clean up this shit!
Let's go, wake up!
It's gonna get worse from here,
understand?
- Watch it.
- Whoa.
Hey, stop. That's my chair!
- What the fuck is going on?
- [officer] An infestation.
- They're fucking with us.
- [Judy] Joni!
- It's the cops.
- What Well, then get me up.
- Get me up and get me in my chair!
- Hold on.
Joni!
Get outta here!
[officer 2]
You think this is a fucking hotel?
Keep walking!
Keep your mouth shut, little man.
Are you okay?
Fuck.
Where is everyone?
Well, some of them left.
What do you mean?
What happened last night was scary.
I mean, Judy,
people were scared.
Who told them they could go?
We said no one leaves this building.
No, you said that.
You.
This This is a revolution.
And you're dyeing Easter eggs.
I am trying to save this movement.
Oh, for fuck's sake!
You didn't even know there was a movement!
You don't own this, Judy.
Okay? The movement isn't you.
You roll around
barking orders to everybody.
Oh, you want me to be like you?
Some little Pollyanna disabled girl?
Maybe. Yeah.
If it means thinking about other people.
I am always thinking about other people!
That is all I think about!
I'm not talking about the cause, Judy.
I'm talking about
human beings in this building,
getting weaker by the day
because you told them not to eat anything.
Milton's body, it can't handle this.
I think Milton knows his own body.
You don't get to speak for everyone!
You are so obsessed with the message
that you don't even see
what the rest of us are doing!
You think that the meals just appear?
And the dishes do themselves?
We are all working
our asses off for Queen Judy.
So, yeah, people left.
And I'm dyeing
these stupid fucking Easter eggs,
and I am doing my part.
[Judy] She's turning people against me.
I don't think so.
There you go.
- You okay?
- Mm-hmm.
I think you guys
just have different personalities.
I'm not an asshole.
I'm just from Brooklyn.
I'm from Brooklyn.
You're a little bit of an asshole.
What's that saying?
Catch more flies with honey.
I shouldn't have to be nice to people
to have them help me.
All right.
Give 'em up.
What if we fail?
I'm so hungry.
[officer outside] Please move
in a hurried yet calm fashion.
Everyone, do not shove
Help others, and make your way
to the nearest exit.
[exclaims]
Lynnette!
What? What's wrong?
[Gerald] What's going on?
People are evacuating!
Why?
[protesters clamoring]
What is happening?
Hey! No!
Can someone help me flush this shit!
Joni! What is it?
There's a bomb in the building!
We gotta get everyone out now.
No, no! Stop!
- [fire alarm blaring]
- Are you fucking kidding me?
Nobody move! Nobody move!
Nobody move!
What's happening?
Dog's really going to town
on that sex tent.
Brother Dennis, move your feet.
- Just move 'em.
- You need to evacuate the building.
We have received
a bomb threat to this location.
You are all in immediate danger!
You need to get them out.
How do we know this is real?
We intercepted a communiqu
from the New World Liberation Front.
Let me see it.
They claimed two bombs.
We found the first one half a block away
at the Social Security building.
Why would they do that?
'Cause they're terrorists.
Look.
You may be a giant pain in my ass.
That does not mean I want you dead.
Judy, get them out.
We're calling their bluff and staying.
Judy!
Anyone who wants to leave, tell me now.
If anyone is killed,
you are not only morally responsible,
you are criminally responsible.
We'll seal off this floor.
Officers, clear out.
I've informed them they need to leave.
It's on the record.
They're on their own.
[muttering]
I'm gonna go lay down.
They were willing to die in there.
It could have been bad.
Fred Hampton bad, Pine Ridge bad.
Fucking FBI, a bunch of thugs.
They're never leaving.
I don't know what to do.
What if you talked to them?
[Jim sighs]
Judy.
Judy.
[Judy] Hmm?
Drink this.
It's water.
[Jim sighs]
There was this guy I once served with.
Tango Mike Mike.
And he once ran into battle
with only a knife,
and got himself stabbed 37 times.
But he saved eight guys.
They thought he was dead, and
they went to zip him inside a body bag,
and he spit in the doctor's face.
Just to let him know he was alive.
You're our Tango Mike Mike.
I don't wanna be that guy.
[phone ringing]
Is that the fucking phone?
Oh, this is wonderful news.
And when would that be?
Are they working?
Fantastic!
Yes. They work.
It's Miller. He turned the phones on and--
Yes, I'm telling Judy now.
Thank you so much, Congressman.
They're holding congressional hearings
in the building.
Califano's coming.
We did it?
We did it.
- We did it?
- He's coming here!
Oh, my God.
- Yes!
- We did it!
Jesus Christ.
Ah!
It's happening.
[laughs]
Mmm.
Oh, thank God.
Jeremiah was a bullfrog
- Was a good friend of mine
- [mouthing words]
I never understood
A single word he said
But I helped him drink his wine
And he always had
Some mighty fine wine
Singin' joy to the world
All the boys and girls
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me
My turn!
You know I love the ladies
What is this?
Did you make these?
For your finger dancing.
[laughs]
They're amazing.
Oh, my God! Okay, okay.
'Cause I'm a straight-shootin'
Son of a gun
Joy
He's here.
[chuckles] Judy.
His car.
[Evan] He's coming. All right, come on.
Frame up. Frame up, frame up.
All right.
[clears throat]
Okay, now?
- Go.
- After nearly three weeks of a standoff,
Joseph Califano, head of the Health,
Education and Welfare Department,
arrives here in San Francisco
He's coming out.
This is a long-awaited moment.
As he steps out of the vehicle
Excuse me, correction.
Uh
It appears perhaps a
What?
It's a different guy.
He didn't come?
Ladies and gentlemen.
If I could have your attention.
We are here today to review the facts
and to hear directly from the protesters
about the importance of this legislation.
We're also joined by a HEW representative
This means "cunnilingus".
That's "legislation".
Go ahead.
[stammers] First, we want to thank
this group of sincere protesters
- [protesters laugh]
- for raising the public's awareness
of these regulations.
Secretary Califano intends to fulfill
his fundamental commitment.
We simply need time--
- [protesters clamoring]
- What?
No, no, no. Boo!
to ensure that the complex objectives
are achieved in an orderly fashion.
You understand, I'm sure,
why this group would balk at this delay?
Uh Many issues are under judicial review.
We have to consider how to make things
separate but equal
- Separate but what?
- Oh, hell no.
No. Fuck no.
Separate but equal?
- More talk about segregation?
- You are a phony!
[Judy] Excuse me.
Excuse me!
Excuse me!
[clamoring quiets]
I don't know your title.
I'm not even sure you have one.
But whether there was a Section 504,
there was a Brown v. Board of Education.
- [protester] Yes.
- That's right.
Exactly.
[Judy] The harassment,
the lack of equity
that is being provided
for disabled individuals,
and that even now is being discussed
by the administration,
it's so intolerable
that I can't quite put it into words.
I can tell you
that every time you raise issues
of separate but equal,
the outrage of disabled individuals
across this country
is going to be ignited.
And there will be more takeovers
of more buildings
until maybe you begin
to understand our position.
And I would appreciate it if you
would stop nodding your head in agreement
when I don't think you have any idea
what we are talking about.
[cheering, clamoring]
[protester 2] Where's he going?
- [Ron] Coward.
- [protester 3] Get back in here.
They're yelling.
It's loud.
It's tense.
They send this guy.
If I could just If I
I hear them coming back.
[protester 4] Bring him back in here.
Please pardon that interruption.
We do not wish to waste
any more of your time.
I understand
many of you have prepared testimonies.
Judy?
Ed, want to start? Yeah.
[clears throat]
Thank you for coming back.
When I had polio,
the doctor said to my mother,
"You should hope he dies.
'Cause if he survives,
he'll be a vegetable."
Well, I come before you now
as a proud artichoke.
Prickly on the outside,
but a big heart on the inside.
My name is Dennis Billups,
and the education I received
was little to none.
After I lost my sight at a young age, um
I wasn't able to keep up with my peers.
I wasn't able to read the textbooks.
I wasn't able to learn the math
'cause, to be honest with you,
the teachers didn't even bother
to teach me.
I didn't get a job till I was 25
I needed to bring my own interpreter.
Being deaf was
an automatic disqualification.
When I was 41,
I was hit by a car.
And it changed everything for me
and my family
and my ability to work.
I mean, it's hard
to be
have to depend on someone.
It's hard.
And, to give up everything.
Um
I grew up, I was a very prideful person.
It's not my illness.
It's not me that's disappearing.
But,
if the world treats you
as if you're invisible,
you start to believe it.
The only reason I went to Ivy League
is because I am so dead set
on overcompensating
because the world has kept me so small
that I had to pick
the biggest, baddest
institution in America.
It feels like I'm not wanted
or worth their time.
I want people to actually get to know me
for who I really am,
and not just think that
I can't talk, I can't read,
I can't hold a job.
No interpreter, no support.
I often feel unsafe.
And every job interview,
I'm met with snide remarks and rejection.
My body is a walking joke to them.
It's probably a joke to you.
[Ron] I am a Black man,
which means that I grew up on Selma.
I am a homosexual man,
which means
that I've seen Stonewall.
But I am also a disabled man.
If given the opportunity,
I can be like my peers. I can graduate.
I feel like I'm more left out That
[Miller] Take your time.
I know. Could I squeeze you?
Thanks.
"Disability
is
not
a
tragedy.
It
is
a
tremendous
hassle."
[protesters applauding]
[protesters outside]
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine
There you are.
Hey.
You okay?
No, I'm good.
You already testified.
[Judy] We don't have any news.
It's just been
[sighs]
silent.
I have nothing, okay.
I don't know what to do.
That motherfucker didn't come.
That fat cat's sitting in Washington
licking the president's asshole.
[Dennis chuckles]
It's not funny.
He's trying to pretend
like we don't exist.
Hmm. Yeah?
"G-O"
"God C"?
No!
What is that? What are you
"G-O-D-C."
What?
Go. Go DC.
[Hale] Yeah!
[Lynnette] Go DC.
- Yeah!
- All of us?
- [Hale] Yeah.
- [Gerald] Why not?
Look those bastards in the eye.
We can't leave the building.
What's the alternative?
You just wanna sit here and fizzle out?
[Judy] I know what this feels like,
but we cannot leave.
This is all we have.
It is our only leverage.
Judy,
we have been in this building
for twenty days.
Okay, they don't care.
It's not working.
Look, we did not come this far
just to give it up.
So, what?
Was this all for nothing?
No.
We should make those jive motherfuckers
say it to our faces.
- Yep.
- Yep.
- [Brad] Right on.
- [Ron] Right on.
Listen, I'll hold down the building.
They'll have to drag my crippled ass out,
okay?
Me too. I'll stay.
I'll stay.
Who thinks all of leadership should go?
- [Hale] Yeah!
- Yeah.
If I get to be in leadership.
[chuckles]
You all think we should go?
- [Hale] Yes.
- Yes.
On a plane?
[all] Yes.
["Judy Is a Punk" playing]
Jackie is a punk
Judy is a runt
They both went down to Berlin
Joined the Ice Capades
And, oh, I don't know why
Oh, I don't know why
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
Second verse, same as the first
Hi. Uh, are you all flying today?
Yes. All of us.
And, oh, I don't know why
Oh, I don't know why
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
- You okay?
- Yeah.
Okay.
Third verse, different from the first
Jackie is a punk
Judy is a runt
They both went down to Frisco
Joined the SLA
And, oh, I don't know why
Perhaps they'll die, oh yeah
Just past the cab.
- [Willy] Over here, y'all! Over here!
- Oh, there. I see him.
What the hell?
[Judy scoffs] Willy.
Judy, it was the best I could do.
It's a U-Haul.
So, where to?
Okay, to the church first to sleep.
We'll regroup there,
and then we'll stake out
Califano's house in the morning.
Morning? Why can't we just go right now?
Willy, do you got the address?
I do.
Let's wake this asshole up!
[chuckling, cheering]
Okay.
My brother. All right. Here we go.
[Judy] Yes! Yes. Let's go.
[Willy] Bags first. Yep.
Wait for it to come all the way down.
Hey! Hey, Evan.
You know you can just take a cab?
Oh. It feels like that might be cheating.
[Joni] Slow. Slow. Slow, slow.
Steady.
[Willy] All right. You all set?
Yeah.
- [Willy] You got flashlights?
- Yep.
See you on the other side.
- [Joni] Oh, shit.
- [Chuck] Damn, this is spooky as hell.
Yeah. That's worse.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa.
[Kitty] Everybody, put your brakes on.
- [muttering]
- [Joni] Careful, careful.
- [exclaiming]
- [Joni] Hold on.
Oh, my God!
I love this.
[Dennis] This little light of mine
[protesters] No, Dennis! Shut up.
- [Chuck] Nah, brother, nah.
- [Kitty] Not the time.
[groaning, chattering]
Good.
- Thanks, Willy.
- All right.
[protesters outside] We shall overcome
We shall overcome someday
Oh, deep in my heart
What the hell is that?
I do believe
We shall overcome someday
We shall live in peace.
- Honey, what's going on?
- [groans]
They're here.
We shall live in peace
We shall live in peace someday
Oh, deep in my heart
Jesus Christ.
I do--
Like a tree standing by the water
We shall not be moved
We're young and old together!
Young and old together
We shall not be moved
Young and old together
Thank you.
Morning, neighbor.
Jesus Christ.
Don't they have anything better
to do with their time?
Honey, get away from the window.
The whole goddamn neighborhood
is out there watching right now.
How about I make you some breakfast,
and maybe by then they'll leave?
They're not leaving.
They're obviously not leaving.
Why aren't they
at the goddamn White House?
Is the press here?
There better not be press here,
goddamn it.
How the hell am I supposed to get to work?
They want your attention,
why don't you go talk to them?
They won't listen to me!
Maybe you should listen to them.
Now it's you too. Great.
This is a goddamn disaster.
How dare they come to my house!
I'm going out this way.
You're making things so much worse.
Cinnamon! Move, back!
- [dog barking]
- Back! Get back!
Keep her there. Keep her there.
- Let me get your briefcase.
- Cinnamon, down!
Don't let her go out.
It's the last thing I need.
"Califano's dog attacks a crippled woman
in a wheelchair and maims her."
- Argh!
- Oh!
- Shit!
- Are you okay?
I'm fine.
[sighs]
[Joni] Chuck? Can I get some water?
[chattering]
Hey, hey, hey! We got a runner!
- It's Califano.
- What?
[Chuck] Hey! Hey!
Get back here, you weasel fuck!
[Gerald] No! Hey!
[tires squealing]
[sighs]
[organ music playing]
[Evan] Hey, can I get your help
on this for a sec?
So, I'm trying to write on this
and I'm circling a thought.
The fear, where does it come from?
I mean, they're literally running from us.
Yeah.
What are they so afraid of?
They're afraid of becoming me.
- Of becoming you?
- Yeah.
We're not that fucking fragile, are we?
Fuck yeah.
[chuckles]
Judy. Judy. Phone.
Milton's having respiratory problems.
They called an ambulance, but he won't go.
Milton?
Hey.
Tell me you got Califano bound
in duct tape.
He's a lot faster than he looks.
How are you doing?
How am I doing? Um
I'm fucked.
Uh, I haven't shit in days.
They're tryna take me in,
saying I have pneumonia
um, but the hospital is
gonna kill me anyway, so
- You need to leave.
- No, uh
You need to take care of your body.
I can't fail.
You're not failing.
There are a lot of ways to fight.
Are
we gonna
Are we gonna win this?
We're trying.
It's like they knew we were coming.
Yeah.
Ready?
We're here for the event.
It's a private event.
It's a public building.
Press only.
Well, he is press.
He has credentials. Show him.
Evan White. KGO-Television.
Yeah, he's not getting in.
Just move away from the doors, please.
No, you have to take those.
I said move away from the doors.
Ma'am.
Ma'am.
Move away from the doors.
[clamoring]
Move away from the doors.
Clear the sidewalk.
Get back into your truck!
Move away from the door.
If you want to stay on the sidewalk,
stand by the building.
Or you can get back in your truck
and go, huh?
[screams]
- Judy!
- Judy!
Are you serious?
Yes, I'm fucking serious!
Go, come on!
[clamoring]
Back up! Back up!
We are allowed to be here!
Get your hands off of me.
Don't touch me, man.
[guard] Come on, come on. Hey, hey!
- Come on. Get away from there.
- [mouthing words]
Keep rolling, okay? Keep rolling.
Move!
[chattering softly]
How's the ankle?
Is it noticeable?
Not very.
Can't get the fucking hem
over the bandage.
Help me.
What the hell is going on outside?
There's disabled people
in the doorway. It's a circus.
- They're here too?
- The police are handling it.
They better be.
Jesus Christ.
[both breathe deeply]
Move it out!
[police, protesters clamoring]
No, don't let them take you.
Leave 'em alone!
[Judy] Let go. My hand!
You're hurting me.
Hey, hey! Put him on the ground.
Stop it!
Give him his fucking chair!
Ah. Welfare reform
means different things
to different people.
Abe Ribicoff,
who was the HEW secretary under JFK,
called me when I got this job.
He said, "You're constantly caught
between the president
and the constituencies you represent.
You can't win because
you represent the poorest people
who never get their fair share,
and every president has
budgetary problems."
[laughing]
The president has made
welfare reform a priority,
and I believe that
with these proposals here today,
that we are successfully
satisfying both sides.
I can take your questions now.
Right here.
Why are they arresting
disabled people outside?
- Not you, sir. Him.
- You aware that this is happening, sir?
There are people in wheelchairs outside
being assaulted by police officers.
If you can't wait your turn
to be called on,
you're gonna be ejected
from this conference. You understand?
[Evan] You can't answer the question?
Go ahead.
Fucking prick.
Get him out. Get him out.
Wait, wait. No, no.
I'm just in the way here.
I can't even help.
Where are we taking them?
[officer 1] Central.
[officer 2]
There's no elevator at Central.
Guys, I don't know about moving this guy.
I don't know. He's not gonna go.
Bring him down.
We're getting different vehicles.
Over here, sir.
Thank you.
Hey, Channel 9, can I get you
to kit back up really quick?
What the hell is going on out there?
So the cops can't arrest them.
- Why not?
- They don't have anywhere to take them.
There are no accessible jails.
Do not let the reporters walk out
of this goddamn National Press Club--
- Why won't you sign 504?
- Get this guy away from me.
We're not taking any more questions.
It's been five years.
What's stopping you, Joe?
Sorry.
You know, disabled Americans have been
holding the HEW building in San Francisco
for 24 days.
You have consistently refused
to meet with them, haven't you?
You even jumped out
your own window yesterday
to avoid seeing the protesters
face to face.
No, I did not.
Let's take the stairs.
I can't take the fucking stairs.
Is this how you wanna be remembered?
This is gonna be your place
in history, you know that?
Nobody is gonna remember your work
with the Great Society program.
Nobody is gonna remember
your work with MLK.
Your legacy will be that
you denied a group of disabled Americans
their chance at basic human rights.
Sign it, Joe.
I really thought you and I
would be spending the night in jail.
We can't even get in there.
We should rob a bank.
Kitty, I can't go back with you.
What? No. Of course you're coming back.
No, I have to stay here.
Keep the pressure on.
You take care of the building.
They like you better anyway.
I'm an asshole.
Yeah, well, you're the asshole we needed.
All right.
Nice.
[line rings]
[secretary] Health, Education and Welfare.
Joseph Califano, please.
This is Judy Heumann.
Yes, Ms. Heumann,
I have passed along your many messages.
Unfortunately he is not
in the office right now.
[line disconnects]
- Sir, that was--
- I know who it was.
[phone ringing]
Health, Education and Welfare.
Hi, Judy.
No, he is really
not in the office right now.
Judy Judy.
Nothing has changed.
We talked two minutes ago.
Well, you can keep calling, but--
I have no power in this situation.
[sighs] I understand. I do.
Some protein
[news on TV, indistinct]
We have to have a protest
at the White House.
I think we can activate local groups.
I'm gonna call every democrat
in Congress to lobby Carter.
- Judy.
- Mm-hmm.
You need a proper night's sleep.
You didn't have to stay with me.
I know.
I wanted to.
Fucking crazy.
I like you.
A lot.
I'm gonna stay right here
till you tell me to get lost.
[news anchor] Handicapped Americans
won a big victory today
Yeah?
[patron] Hey, excuse me.
Isn't that you?
Department of Health,
Education and Welfare
Wait. Could you turn that up a bit please?
Ultimately,
all institutions receiving federal support
will have to do the same thing.
There's been a law requiring all this
on the books since 1973,
and when HEW secretary, Joseph Califano,
signed the paper today
Is that Is that real?
Is this real?
[Califano] The biggest change will be
in the mindset of the American people.
He signed.
[Joni] He signed?
They're just gonna have to recognize that
the 36 million handicapped people
in this country
Oh, my God.
deserve to be treated
just like everybody else.
I need a pay phone.
Quarters.
Joni, he fucking signed.
The fucker signed!
[phone ringing]
- Hello?
- Kitty.
Kitty, can you hear me?
Judy, is that you?
Kitty. We won.
Wait, what?
He signed. It's on the news right now.
He signed, that fucker signed.
Kitty, we won.
Oh, my God.
He signed.
- What?
- He signed.
He signed! He signed!
- He signed!
- Califano signed! He signed!
Hallelujah, praise God, he signed!
Oh, my God, I am out of here!
He signed! Califano signed!
- He signed 504.
- [exclaiming]
[cheering]
[cheering through phone]
[laughs]
Do you hear that?
Yeah, yeah, I can hear that.
I'm smiling so big
I think my head's gonna split open.
Wait, you You have to come back.
You have to be here for this.
We'll wait for you.
No, I need to stay here.
These assholes have actual work to do now.
And I'm gonna make sure they do it.
Judy, don't you wanna lead people
out of the building?
You do it, Kitty.
You know I'm not a public speaker.
Go show your cleavage and cry.
[Cece]
I can't go back to living with my aunt.
She doesn't even let me dress myself.
Maybe I should just tell her
I got fingered in the sex tent.
- Cece!
- [laughing]
Come on now. It ain't so bad out there.
Just a world full of strangers asking,
"What's wrong with you, baby?"
Like, "Let's all lay hands
on poor, little, blind Dennis."
"Oh, it's such a pity.
You have such a pretty face."
"Wow
you can talk?"
[laughing]
[chattering]
All right, people, let's do this!
[cheering]
Everyone ready?
- Yes.
- Yeah.
Hey, nice cop, come here.
Come here.
[activists exclaiming, cheering]
- [Ron] All right.
- Cece!
Ready?
Ready.
Ready.
["Sir Duke" playing]
They only cover federal programs.
Yeah, no, we need to expand them
to state and private institutions.
Judy. It's on.
Okay, I'll call back.
[chuckles]
Hale.
[chuckles] Oh, my God.
[laughs]
You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over, people
Yeah, baby!
You can feel it all over
You can feel it all over, people
Music knows it is and always will
Be one of the things
That life just won't quit
Hi, folks, I'm here with Hale Zukas today,
who's spent a brutal four weeks
in this protest.
Hale, this was an incredible feat
of endurance.
Please, tell us,
why did you fight so hard?
"I
did
not
want
my
style
cramped."
Well, folks, there you have it.
I don't normally, uh give the speeches.
Um, but
I feel like a damn fool.
'Cause I just can't stop smiling.
And this little line
keeps running through my head.
We won.
[cheering]
We won!
We won!
And did we show courage?
Yeah!
And did we show commitment?
Yes!
And did we show power?
Yeah!
We, the hidden.
We, the supposedly frail and weak.
We showed that we could wage a struggle
at the highest level of government.
And win!
We won! We won! We won!
[crowd] We won! We won!
[chanting continues]
[phone rings]
Hello?
Yeah.
Sorry, who?
Oh.
What?
It's Califano.
- [mouthing words]
- Yeah. I
This is Judy.
Hello, Judy. It's Joseph Califano.
Thought I'd return your call.
Well, I'm not gonna say thank you
if that's what you're looking for.
They didn't even film me
signing the regulations.
Not one single photograph.
I'm not the villain here, Judy.
Well, you are.
But every story needs one, so
[chuckles]
I'm gonna get fired.
You'll be fine.
No, really, I'm gonna get fired.
And this could be the death knell
for the whole HEW.
I'll go down in history as the guy
who blew nearly 3 billion dollars
in 60 days.
Maybe.
But when you're old,
you'll be able to get up
and down off the sidewalk.
So are you gonna stick around DC?
I have work to do.
Well, you'll see it's
a complicated and difficult town.
It's almost impossible
to get anything done.
Maybe.
[Miller] Burton has been talking to people
and he's wrangled some support.
This thing you're talking,
I mean,
it'd be the size of the Civil Rights Act.
So, we're gonna have to start
by targeting individuals.
I have some meetings
with congressmen later today
'cause their districts
are gonna be all over them, pushing back.
It's gonna take a lot of lobbying.
[sighs]
Uh, yeah
there's another way, right?
Yeah, I think there is. Um
[Joni] A loading dock or something?
Yeah, or a service entrance.
I'm gonna take a look, um
- Do you wanna follow me?
- Yeah.
So, I think if we just go around here
These stairs are a fucking problem.
Go! Go! Go!
[chanting continues]
Access now! Access now!
ADA now!
ADA now!
["It Isn't Nice" playing]
It isn't nice to block the doorway
It isn't nice to go to jail
There are nicer ways to do it
But the nice ways always fail
It isn't nice, it isn't nice
You told us once, you told us twice
But if that's freedom's price
We don't mind
- We don't mind, we don't mind
- Whoa
- We don't mind, we don't mind
- Whoa, we don't mind
We don't mind, we don't mind
- We don't mind, we don't mind
- Oh, no, no, no, we don't mind
It isn't nice to dump the groceries
Or to sleep in on the floor
Or to shout our cry of freedom
In the hotel or the store
It isn't nice, it isn't nice
You told us once, you told us twice
But if that's freedom's price
We don't mind
- We don't mind, we don't mind
- Whoa
- We don't mind, we don't mind
- Whoa, we don't mind
We don't mind, we don't mind
- We don't mind, we don't mind
- Oh, no, no, we don't mind
Yeah, we tried negotiation
And the token picket line
Mr. Charlie didn't see us
And he might as well be blind
When ya deal with men of ice
You can't deal with ways so nice
But if that's freedom's price
We don't mind
- We don't mind, we don't mind
- Whoa
- We don't mind, we don't mind
- Whoa, we don't mind
We don't mind, we don't mind
- We don't mind, we don't mind
- Oh, no, no, we don't mind
They murdered folks in Alabama
They shot Medgar in the back
Did you say that wasn't proper?
Did you stand out on the track?
You were quiet just like mice
Now you say that we're not nice
But if that's freedom's price
We don't mind
- We don't mind, we don't mind
- Whoa
- We don't mind, we don't mind
- Whoa, we don't mind
We don't mind, we don't mind
- We don't mind, we don't mind
- Oh, no, no, we don't mind
It isn't nice to block the doorway
It isn't nice to go to jail
There are nicer ways to do it
But the nice ways always fail
It isn't nice, it isn't nice
You told us once, you told us twice
But thank you, buddy, for your advice
But if that's freedom's price
We don't mind
- We don't mind, we don't mind
- Whoa
- We don't mind, we don't mind
- Whoa, we don't mind
We don't mind, we don't mind
- We don't mind, we don't mind
- Oh, no, we don't mind