Charming the Hearts of Men (2021) Movie Script
1
Welcome home.
Few men have had both
the courage and compassion
possessed by our dear judge.
Let us show the compassion
that he showed others
by following the words
of our dear Lord
from Matthew chapter 5.
"You have heard it said that
you should love thy neighbor
and hate thine enemy,
but I say unto you,
Love your enemy.""
They're crowding in.
I need a drink, Abel.
It's early.
That was a beautiful service,
right?
Yeah, Daddy would be proud.
Don't give me that look.
Even God can see
the necessity of getting drunk
on a day like today.
Thank you, Walter.
Good luck.
Baby, there's a whole
lot of folks out there
that want to pay their respects.
Okay.
Right.
Let's get this over with.
And her second husband
was a polo player.
Doesn't it sound glamorous?
Sounds to me
like she can't keep a man.
- Divorced.
- Twice.
- Are you busy later?
- And the other one,
well they say
he wasn't much more than
a playboy himself.
Who would play around on her?
My God, you act
as though you know her.
You know she wouldn't
give you the time of day.
What do you know
about fitting in?
All the important men
were at the meatballs
and you were at the dip.
- It's all BS.
- It's communist talk.
- Damn right.
- Them Yankees and unions.
- Down here causing problems.
- Mhm.
- Drink, sir?
- Thank you.
Obliged.
- Thank you.
- Very much.
And it's that King and his boys.
They're gonna send us all
to hell in a handbasket
with the Civil Rights Bill.
You gotta stop
this nonsense.
Now, hold on.
We are nowhere near
hell in a handbasket.
We are here to pay respects
to a good man,
one of the best.
Judge,
your wisdom
will sorely be missed.
- Safe landing.
- Here, here.
Here, here.
Smells like they put out
the meatballs.
Come on, boys,
you can't miss this.
My.
Don't be shy, boys,
you better dig in
cause these puppies
are gonna go quick.
Now, they got these
little toothpicks here,
but I'm gonna grab
one of those plates.
So sorry for your loss.
Thank you,
thank you so much.
- Thank you for coming.
- Mhm.
Maybe she'll come home
to run this place.
That is not going to happen.
- Thank you so much.
- I'm so sorry.
- I know, it's so sad.
- Grace.
Excuse me.
I don't know how she does it,
but Mattie's cooking
just gets better and better.
Hi.
Thank you for coming.
- I'm gonna miss your father.
- Me too.
Man, you are more beautiful
each time I see you.
And you are always
a charming politician.
Your father kept me up
on all your escapades.
"Escapades,".
Well, I hope
they weren't too boring.
On the contrary,
I was living vicariously.
Congressman, Sophia Spencer
needs to see you
in the other room.
Excuse me, my fan club awaits.
- Call me if you need me.
- I will.
Con...
Miss... Mrs. Gordon?
- Yes?
- I'm... I'm Bradford Lotts.
I'll be the one at the bank
to handle your father's affairs.
Clear... clear things up.
- We will need to talk.
- No, that's, um, fine.
Just leave things as they are.
- Well...
- And have you tried that dip?
It's delicious. Excuse me.
Snotty bitch.
What did she say?
Useless female,
that's what she is.
Will you excuse me?
Come on, Walter,
we're on the move.
I'll catch you later.
- You ain't get me nothing?
- You know I did.
I wanna see this here.
- No meatballs?
- You ingrate.
I couldn't bring you meatballs,
the red barbecue sauce
would stain my pocket.
Best kitchen in 20 miles...
let's get rolling
before another constituent
feels the need to chew my ass.
All right, Walter.
All right now.
I look terrible in black.
I mean, why wear black
to funerals?
Why not red to celebrate?
Daddy's life
should be celebrated.
Sure should, baby, sure should.
Now, get on out of this dress.
You know what I heard them say?
Narrow-minded little ninnies.
- What'd they say?
- They said that I was
a spoiled,
middle-aged
divorce,
and good for nothing.
And useless.
- That's what they said.
- Don't you mind
what they sayin',
cause you know who you are.
No, maybe I don't.
I know I've been...
a good man's daughter,
and two not-so-good men's wife,
but... I mean, otherwise,
am I useless?
No, baby, don't fix your mind
thinking that.
Our God has a plan.
I wish I had your faith, Mattie.
Well, it don't matter
if you do or you don't,
He's still looking out for you.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome, precious.
- Ooh, here we go.
- Where?
- First, if you don't mind.
- Good morning.
Hello.
- Dad, the...
- Well, who are they...
and what can they be
talking about?
New York? Dick, come look.
I'm watching The Secret Storm.
Those TV airwaves
are gonna scramble your brain.
Who cares?
Gonna go around
with a scrambled brain?
Well, sounds pretty good to me.
And that's on your account.
It's on account of a man like
you took an interest in me,
and I wanna say thanks.
Well, I'm glad things
are going well, Kate.
Well, they seem to be,
I report for
modeling assignments tomorrow.
Ma'am, your meter has expired,
and the new meter maid
is unforgiving.
Thank you.
Have a good day.
Yes, ma'am, may I help you?
I need to have a few words
with someone about my accounts.
- Mr. Lotts.
- Mr. Lotts, yes.
Can you tell him
that I'm waiting?
Yes, ma'am, have a seat,
we'll be with you in a moment.
I'm finished with this one,
if you want it.
It's mostly about
Liz Taylor and her affair
with that Welshman.
Even a big movie star
has trouble with her men.
Well, I guess you get
what you settle for.
Yes, ma'am, I guess you do.
Well, if we're gonna
talk about men,
I should introduce myself.
- Grace Gordon.
- I'm Ruth,
and this is my girl, Angelina.
Well, that's
a very pretty dress, Angelina.
- Thanks.
- So fancy.
God!
I told you not to bother me
this morning, I am busy.
Well, the office is filling up.
One woman looks
like a real tart,
and she's got a child with her.
The way that child
is clutching a paper sack,
I think it's full of money.
And Mrs. Gordon is here.
So, today is not going to be
a complete bore.
She said she's here
to give you a few words.
She is, is she?
Well, I have a few words
for her as well.
In, um... in 10 minutes,
I want you to come interrupt us.
And is your dolly a good girl?
- Mhm.
- Um, Mrs. Gordon.
- Please, please, come in.
- Well, these ladies
- were before me.
- I... l insist, please.
That's all right, ma'am,
we'll just sit here
in the cool air.
- Sure?
- Yeah.
- It was very nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
What are you doing here?
I wanna put my money
in a safe place,
and the paper says
you're giving out toasters
- to new depositors.
- The bank doesn't take
your kind of money.
My money's green,
like everyone else's,
and I earned it,
the hard way,
and who knows it
better than you?
Come on, let's go.
Please, have a... seat.
Um, you know, I... I have called.
I've, I've left
several messages with...
Yes, it seems like
there's been a breakdown,
and had it not been for
a stack of Mattie's famous
sweet potato pancakes,
our water would've been
turned off.
Well, Mrs. Gordon,
let's, let's best see
how to describe this breakdown.
The bank pays bills with money
from a customer's account...
Yes, I know that.
I have to go to lunch,
so if you could just
deal with these quickly,
and move them forward.
We don't really like
disturbances.
No, no, most...
most people do not like
disturbances,
but, you've got one now.
You see, there is no money
in the account.
I don't understand,
where was the money put?
Well, your father transferred
a great deal of what he had
to you over the years,
and sold off land along the way
to, keep you up
in your adventures,
and... and marriages.
Been two, right?
So, the account
is dry as a bone.
Now, the house
and what land is left are yours,
but,
the mortgage is overdue,
and you'll have to sell.
Sell?
That house has been
in our family for generations.
Times change, and besides,
farmland really isn't
worth much these days.
Mattie and Abel,
they've been on that land
all their lives.
Mattie's granddaughter's
with us, and she has
no place to go.
I have no place to go.
No, I wouldn't dream of selling.
Well, unless you've been
stashing money away somewhere.
But, look,
once you've paid off your debts,
I mean,
if you don't live too long,
you'll make do.
Merner Courts would be
your best bet in town.
Merner Courts?
That's a retirement home.
Mr. Lotts, you have a call,
someone important I think.
Well, you've gotta do something,
extend the loan.
Well, the, the bank
only makes loans to men,
and anyway, I really don't think
you'd be a good bet.
I mean, you're 40, am I right?
That is none of your business.
Okay, well, near enough.
No skills,
no money, NO man.
I, I think at this point
in you life, missy,
you need to face facts:
You are retired.
How dare you?
What's the matter, baby?
We're broke.
Tightening-our-belts broke,
or fending-off-the-wolves broke?
Wolves.
And that scrawny little banker,
he said there's
nothing I can do about it,
so there it is again, I'm...
I'm useless.
Now, you know you ain't useless.
Well, what can she do?
Well, just get another one.
- Another what?
- Man!
I don't want another one!
That's our only option.
Well, what about
the Congressman?
Now, that is a good man,
and, baby, you remember
you was flirtin' with him
when you was too young
to be flirtin'.
And he got
that government money.
That kind don't ever run out.
Yeah, and he's
a confirmed bachelor.
God, I'll have
to brush upon my skills.
Jubilee, go get
the judge's address book.
So, you're what, you're gonna
choose one from a book?
No, too old.
Or dead.
He spits when he speaks.
- Mr. Parker, no.
- No.
We both agree that 14,000 miles
of interstate highway
is an incredible feat.
But, with more funds,
we could be
one nation under God,
connected by asphalt.
Yeah, well before you go patting
yourself on the back just yet,
the Romans built
50,000 miles of road
from sea to shining sea
in 300 BC
without a single bulldozer.
- Really?
- And no constituents
calling to complain
about the cost,
or the dust,
or the offensive billboards
blocking their view
of their lovely hills.
Emanuel Celler, again,
and Alice Paul asking when
you might be available to talk.
I know, the bill.
Damn it, no rest for the weary.
Thank you, Rachel.
Listen, you want my support
for more funding
- for this asphalt river?
- I do.
No more graft.
Clean this thing up,
and give me more exits.
And more fund...
Tell the two of 'em
I'll get back to em
just as soon as I'm able.
You are a glutton
for punishment.
I believe the word
is "masochist."
Here you go,
here's your dress and drink.
I made it strong
just the way you like.
- Thank you.
- Mhm.
Do you still remember
what to do on a date?
Yeah, it's like riding a bike,
and men are only interested
in one thing.
Snatch.
No, I was referring
to their deeper need.
- And what's that?
- Well, to talk about themselves,
or just a sympathetic ear.
I'm not about to be
a sympathetic ear
- for no man.
- Really?
So, what are you gonna do,
you gonna make it on your own,
- Miss Independent?
- Yes.
There I was,
thinking you're a realist.
Here.
Why don't you try some,
try these on.
Let me see you walk.
- Where am I gonna wear these?
- I don't know,
when you go
hootin' and hollerin'.
- No, I am not my mama.
- No, you got more sense.
But you gotta go wild sometime,
you know, dance with abandon.
That's how you dance,
with abandon?
I'm not allowed to be that free.
You know, my first drink
that was at the Blue Goose,
Abel waved me in.
I learned two things
that summer:
How to hold my liquor,
and how to dance
like no one was watching.
What a good time that was.
I felt so free.
"But now,
I cannot dance upon my toes.
No man has instructed me."
That's Emily Dickinson.
Who's she?
Just another woman
who had to dance backwards.
Right, I'm about to
sell myself
like a pound of meat.
Yeah, I think I can
sell myself as prime.
Spode, it's my favorite pattern.
A man with taste, now that's
a great trait to have.
I developed it
on my ltalian travels.
My mother lets me out
of her grip every summer.
I go to Rome
for a month of utter bliss.
Rome in the summer,
that's so romantic.
I'm free to wander
the cafes and shops,
meet all varieties
of interesting people.
Now, a good boy
never kisses and tells,
but,
some of the things I have done.
But, mother's
tight purse strings
pull me right back every time.
She's never found a vice
she could embrace.
The old penny pincher'll
probably have a grip on me
my entire life.
Would you
excuse me a moment?
Mattie, wrap it up,
one for him,
and one for his mama.
And... get the address book.
All right, baby.
They don't want us around here,
they keep doing their thing.
So, y'all need to get
yourselves in the system
and be registered
so y'all can vote.
Listen to me.
I'm right.
I'm here for you.
Jim Crow's biting me,
and he's biting you.
Now, we should all
be equal under the law.
Come on, y'all.
This high-yellow fella
come down from the North
to help us poor darkies out.
I've come down to get you here
to enlist you in the battle
of your equal rights.
Equal rights?
Abel, what you think about
this whole communist talk
- he talkin' about?
- Just trying to figure out
- what it all means.
- Yeah.
Well, what it means,
Abel, is,
old Peanut here,
he gonna get half
of what's yours,
split down the middle,
share equal.
Nah, nah, nah,
that's not what I mean.
Yeah, Abel,
give me half your bill.
He ain't got shit.
- Lazy ass.
- Yeah, that's what it is, man.
Well, he gonna take
half of it.
Not what I'm saying.
See, old whitey here?
He fought
the whole fuckin' world
in World War Il
defending this republic.
- Yeah, he did.
- Old whitey's doing a good job
running things.
Streets are safe.
- You got good-paying jobs.
- Mhm.
And you men sleep
with your windows open.
Now, what other animal lives
under that kind of protection,
I know who you are.
You drive the Congressman,
and you'd like things to stay
exactly the way they are
unless that man
tells you otherwise.
Listen here, yellow boy,
I don't kiss no one's ass,
I'm my own man.
- That's right.
- The way I sees it,
all the men here,
we're doing pretty goddamn fine.
Yeah, you see, old whitey,
he got a plan.
He building a highway
from the sea to shining sea.
That shit's so big
they're gonna call it
- a superhighway.
- Are you content?
Are you content
to pee by the side of that road?
Sleep and eat
where that white man
says your ass can?
Jim Crow's gotta go.
Y'all gotta register yourselves
- and stand up.
- You're just itching to get
your hand on that power stick,
and you ain't got no plan,
yellow boy.
You ain't got no plan.
Mhm.
Call me "yellow boy"
one more time...
- And what?
- Hey!
Hey, y'all gonna spend all night
fighting over about what?
Cause the only thing
gonna get settled tonight
is who's gonna get
hot and sweaty, right?
You.
- You wanna dance?
- With all that
white blood in him?
He ain't gonna be able
to move much, baby.
Well, you do gotta dance
in our shoes
if you trying to...
trying to preach to us.
Come on now,
I'll give you a dance.
Hey, Abel,
you got some of that...
that good whiskey locked away?
- Sure do.
- All right now.
Break out something
for the boys.
- On me.
- Two, come on, man, for me?
- The lady, too.
- That's what I'm talkin' about.
Now, y'all can't run
from the truth.
You cannot run from the truth.
- Okay.
- Jim Crow is alive and well.
Please, please,
register yourself...
- Okay.
- ...S0 you have equal rights.
I hear you, man.
Lord, Lord, Lord.
You'll be all right,
you gonna be all right.
You gonna be all right.
Johnnie,
Johnnie on the rocks.
Ooh!
You got back so soon.
Yeah.
That juke joint, like the one
my mama couldn't get enough of.
Women throwing themselves
at men, hoping for something
they ain't gonna get.
Men arguing about
what they want and don't have.
Mhm.
Where do I fit in?
Look up at that sky.
Each one of them stars
shining from its own spot.
He got a plan for us all.
- Come on, now.
- Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!
Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!
- Mommy!
- Wow, are you
feeding them kids good?
- The scrawny little mutts.
- I put food on the table
- the best I can.
- Mhm.
You think those men
who gave me them children
sending me money?
I ain't got no steady work.
What you got for me?
Or am I just along for the ride?
Walter.
That boy last night.
He said he's gonna
make us equal.
Not you, baby.
He wasn't talkin' about you.
Hi, Andy.
Hey, how are ya?
Now, let's get this straight.
There's a few more things
to take care of.
So, all right,
have him looking sharp.
Nothing sells better than
a well-dressed underdog.
Trying to win a Pulitzer Prize,
aren't you?
Camera ready,
and no trouble.
Don't you worry about that,
I'll have him singing Dixie
and huggin' their mama,
if it gets us the front page.
In Birmingham today,
police arrested
Martin Luther King,
along with 58 other members
of the Southern...
Every time you turn around
something about some darkie
causing trouble.
NAACP.
SNCC.
Call themselves T-R-O-U-B-L-E,
make it clear.
That is the same car.
I'm tellin' ya, something
is getting ready to go down.
George, ain't nothing
going down around here
except your IQ.
Look at you, getting into
the Cutty Sark already
and The Secret Storm,
haven't even started yet.
Now, tell me about this
fascinating job you have.
Ford automobile's a good value.
Ford don't make anything cheap.
Top of the line,
a Thunderbird V8.
Well, that one's been
a big best seller
for me this year.
Can I get a top-off in here?
Well, let's get to it.
As a rich widow in town,
I know what this all about.
This place is
expensive to keep up.
Needs work.
You need money.
Of course, my dealership
prints it,
long as Ford makes cars
like the Ford Galaxy.
Nothing cheap there.
It's got
a 390-cubic-inch engine.
When that thing roars up,
it's like...
My Lord, come on.
Come on now,
spit it out, spit it out.
Lord.
Um, no dessert.
It says, um, that you buy things
that are useful and good.
- That's right, I do.
- Well.
Well.
Say, what does
this little one do?
That's a pickle fork.
It's 1800s,
my great-grandmother's.
Teresa,
take a look at this.
It's a fork just for a pickle.
My goodness, a pickle fork.
And many a fine dinner
it has seen, I'm sure.
Unfortunately, fine dining items
just don't sell anymore.
It's all been replaced
with the TV dinner.
Before you know it, we won't
even be talking to each other.
We'll just be lost
in our appliances.
Amen.
I hope it doesn't come to that.
Gotta go, it's good
to meet you, ma'am.
Good to meet you, too.
- Bye, y'all.
- All right.
Bye.
Ma'am...
I do give cash for diamonds.
The only thing that
good-for-nothing paid for.
That's beautiful,
let's have a look.
Yeah.
Well,
there is
a pretty significant flaw.
How much?
Are you talking to em, Walter?
You tellin' em all that
pie-in-the-sky,
everybody's-equal poppycrap
is just that?
And things are nice as they are.
I'm talkin' to 'em, boss,
but everybody
don't listen to me, you know?
They say
there's always two sides.
Not always two right sides.
Look out there.
God did bless America.
He really did.
How do I look?
What?
A man ain't gonna buy the cow
when he can drink the milk
- for free.
- I'm just letting him know
that the cow's
still worth milkin'.
Just...
Now.
Could do with
a little bit more punch.
Well, bit of valerian,
little pinch of passionflower.
I got it set, right?
Before we use any more
of what we got left,
we better make sure
this is what we want.
Well, Lord, more spice
ain't gonna do no harm.
It looks like we the only ones
at this dinner party.
You come get me out, you hear me
making promises I can't keep.
- I know the drill.
- How do I look?
Like a man with no self control.
Ladies, ladies,
what is that smell?
Ooh, we're cooking all kinds
of wonderful things for you,
- Congressman.
- Don't be wasting
your fine herbs on me.
I'm already under your spell.
How is she, Mattie?
- Has it been rough?
- She gettin' right along.
Mhm.
Your magic herbs give you
an unfair advantage.
Well, if I'd known
you were gonna be this easy,
I wouldn't have opened
Abel's home brew.
I am this easy, so be gentle.
Look at you,
beautiful as always.
Such a flatterer,
and it isn't even voting time.
That's how you know I mean it.
- How have you been?
- I don't even wanna think
about that,
but you are the escape.
The delicious escape.
Well, let's, go outside,
and pour ourselves a drink,
and let's talk about
nothing important
- all night long.
- Yes, ma'am.
Jubilee, you take good care
of Walter tonight.
Why I gotta take care of him?
Because I said so.
Thank you kindly, ma'am.
Yes, sir.
Why don't you sit down
and have you something to eat?
How y'all doin', Miss Mattie,
with no man in the house?
We doin' all right.
How y'all doin'
up there in Washington?
Well, a lot of talking,
but mostly same old grumbling.
Now, who this here,
Miss Mattie?
You know her,
that's my grandbaby,
Miss Jubilee Moody.
Well, your grandbaby
sure grown up fast.
I'm not the one up for sale.
You sure?
She's spicy, I like that.
Mhm.
God damn, it tastes so good.
even the air out here
smells sweet.
To you, Grace.
To this place.
To this night.
To us.
my mama used to make
muscadine wine.
And me, an official of the law.
Well, you aren't
gonna turn me in, are you,
- Congressman?
- No, ma'am.
you mind if I just help myself?
Muscadine wine.
That's America's grape,
and you know,
every great civilization
needs its own wine.
Miss Mattie, I'm proud
how you're teaching
your grandbaby
how to treat a man.
Woo!
She got some work to do,
though?
Quit studying me.
You don't want me
to study?
Tell me,
what you want old Walter to do?
Nothing, you only here
cause you driving the man.
Ouch, come on, girl.
He's eating out of her hand.
I mean, he is actually eating
right out of her hand.
I bet he was droolin'
when he saw this fruit tart.
Big old smile on his face.
Big old stupid grin.
Now, this here is
near the best I ever had.
Near the best?
Well, I'm saving
the category of best
till I taste to know the rest.
Look here,
do you come with this deal?
Cause we sure could
use the help around here.
That roof leaks, for starts.
Only thing is,
you don't look like
you work much labor.
Miss Mattie, y'all trying
to cut a deal with my man?
Something you need to know
about him, sweet pea,
he a politician.
Now, he can be bought,
but he can't be had.
Lifetime bachelor.
Wanna bet we can't win him?
You got something
worth wagering?
No?
How about a dance then
at the Blue Goose?
What's the matter,
you can dance, can't ya?
Only thing is, I don't think
you'd ever find out.
- You sure?
- Those wide loads of yours
don't look none too graceful.
Well, they know how to get
out of the way of long feet
trying to stomp on em.
So, we on?
A dance for me if I get through,
and if...
if you win, well,
I guess you got
your dedicated slave,
and that roof up there
gonna get fixed.
Yeah.
- Shake.
- Yes, ma'am...
What you got there, girl?
Cubans.
I suppose after all that trouble
with the Bay of Pigs,
- I should've thrown them out.
- You're right.
Can't let politics stand
in the way of a good cigar.
Excuse me, Miss Gordon.
It's been so nice
around here that
time just done run away with us.
Congressman,
you told me to remind you
about the business you got
at the Capitol in the morning.
- Not yet, Walter.
- Excuse me.
You had too much to drink,
you're starting
to make promises you can't keep.
I suggest we get away
while we can.
- Trust me.
- Yeah.
My apologies, Grace.
Seems the specter
of tomorrow has
abrupted our festivities.
Will I be invited back soon?
I'll check my calendar.
I am holding my breath,
so please,
- don't wait too long.
- Come on now, Congressman.
- All right, I got it, I got it.
- Thank you.
Well, all right.
That is some good stuff.
You got that right.
That girl Jubilee
ripe for the picking.
There will be
none of that, Walter.
I don't want you
muddying up these waters
with your obsessive desire
to mark your spot.
This gonna be my spot.
I might just throw in the towel.
Retire, let those fine wenches
take care of me.
Retire, you?
That's the wine talkin', boss.
No, I've had an entire lifetime
of managing the world order.
I wanna just
float.
Ain't gonna be
no floatin' around here.
That Jubilee already taking bets
about me doing some roof.
Know what I'm saying?
There's gonna be no retiring.
"All good men
should come to the aid
of their country."
- God, what's the time?
- 7:30.
- What... what you doing?
- You know, out of 60 ads,
there's only eight for women,
and only one of those
barely applies to me.
What they payin', babe?
Pay dependent on skills.
The plant person
at Sea Graves Trucking...
Hello.
I'm Grace Gordon,
I'm here for the job
of girl Friday.
Here, fill this out.
Over there with them others.
Do you have a pencil?
Thank you.
Yeah, you better get out here.
My office is fillin' up.
Y'all here for the job?
Yes.
My husband's been out of work
for a few months now.
We got two kids, and...
we're staying with
his sister's family.
I gotta get out of there
before they drive me crazy.
My mother can't work no more.
I'm supportin' us both.
What you here for?
Extra spending money?
No.
I'm also here for my family.
Okay, what we got here?
All right, May Jones.
Yes, sir, I'm May Jones.
Can you type, honey?
Yes, sir,
a little.
But, if you hire me,
I bet I can do just about
anything you ask me to do.
Ooh, that's the kind of answer
I like to hear.
All right,
Nell Brown.
See here you got experience.
Type 100 words a minute?
Yes, sir, I take shorthand, sir,
and if you need, sir,
do your accountant work,
too, sir.
And you.
Grace Gordon.
- Yes, sir, that's right.
- You graduated
from Hollins College
with a degree in...
19th century poetry?
- Yes, and I also have...
- Married?
Divorced.
And I also type,
not as quickly as these ladies,
but if I'm given the job,
I can certainly help this place
look less like a...
like a truck stop.
As the adage goes,
"A man is judged
by his appearance,
and I can certainly
help with that.
Divorced?
Okay, let's have
a quick turn around, girls.
All right,
lift skirts a little bit.
Are we applying
for the chorus line
or a secretarial job?
Everything must be appealing,
didn't ya say?
Let's go in the back,
honey, come on,
let's go know each other
a little bit better.
Well.
I guess the interview is over.
Yeah, I think he got
all he needed to know.
I'm too ugly,
and you're too bossy.
This is The Secret Storm,
brought to you by Dristan.
The measure of our leadership
is in rebuilt inventories,
increased production
all along the line.
The measure of our leadership
is the measure of the future.
When'd you get this?
Brought it in a few days ago.
Mrs. Grace Gordon
came in proud as you please.
That belonged
to her grandmother.
Can you just imagine
all those society evenings?
- That's fancy.
- Well, did you know
she lived in Paris, France,
for a while?
She must be hard up for money.
It's the same car,
the one with
the New York plates.
I'm tellin' ya,
something is goin' on.
Sure, George.
Probably Time magazine
come all the way down here
to report on paint drying.
- Where?
- Right there, the black sedan.
- That one right there?
- Right there.
Hello.
Well, look at you,
fresh as a daisy.
We were just talkin'
about your valuables.
Was anything sold?
Well, no, not yet.
All right, well.
Whoops, better get back to work.
I am in need
of a little more money
for something special
I'm working on,
and I wonder how much
I could get for these.
I mean,
it's costume jewelry, but,
- anything?
- Well...
...these are very beautiful.
Wish I had someone
to give em to.
You know, Dick, you should
buy something like this
for your wife.
- Do something nice.
- Why?
She ain't give me
nothing but a hard time.
Well, that's no way to be.
I can loan you $35 to $40
for the lot.
You know, I was thinkin'
about you the other day.
Here's...
Have a look at this here paper.
It says,
"Make the world
a beautiful place,
and make money doing it.
Avon is coming to your area,
and there's
new territory for sale."
Maybe this is for you.
Door-to-door sales?
Honey, 60-day loans
roll around real fast.
Yeah, and I may have managed
to stage a narrow escape.
We'll see.
- Right there.
- Well, I didn't count on that.
Well, I'm guessing you will.
I can do this here.
What do you think of that?
Congressman,
I can see you're up to
your same old tricks.
I might have one or two
left in the bag.
- I can say...
- Well, just say it.
I win.
Congratulations, Earl.
Yeah, I think this is
the first time
in two or three years
you beat me, well,
well done, well done, my friend.
All right, Tiny.
That is my last four bits.
Robbery.
You know, you should be
ashamed of yourself
treating your congressman
like this.
I gotta go, boys,
I got work to do,
but I wanted to give you
a little something here.
All right.
Here it is.
Tell 'em to have
a look at this here.
Yeah.
A little gift for you, boys.
Niggas got bones
in their nose in Africa.
God bless America?
- Congratulations.
- Bones in our noses
and wings on our backs.
Now, boys, aren't y'all tired
of being excluded?
We gotta
register ourselves.
We gotta be in the system.
We gotta be...
we gotta be counted.
Get out of here.
You all right?
- Watch your head.
- That's crazy.
Don't come around here.
Avon.
Hello? Avon.
Hello? Avon.
Avon calling.
Here to make your day
more beautiful.
My man don't allow
nobody on his property.
I'm not here for him.
I'm here for you
and I got products.
Ma'am, I ain't got no money.
You're a beekeeper?
Yes, ma'am.
Well, that's beautiful.
I always wanted
to be a beekeeper.
You don't want no run-in
with him.
Please go.
Who is that on my property?
Um...
Well, I'm here to see your wife.
Um, see if she's interested
in some products.
Well, she ain't go no money.
So get.
Go on now.
Get on out of here.
A girl should always have
mad money.
Every lady always needs honey.
I said get, bitch.
- Woo!
- I got her!
I got her, I got her!
What? Help!
What?
Help!
Good God Almighty, boys.
What have y'all done?
You from the truants' office?
I told them boys
to get to school,
but they don't mind me.
No, I'm Avon.
I'm here to make
your day more beautiful.
Reading, writing,
and 'rithmetic
don't mean shit
if all they do
is produce heathens.
Manners.
That's what they need
to be teachin' in schools.
These heathens
are your next citizens.
Yes, you have a point.
I'm not from
the truants' office.
Can you get
your boy off of me?
Leave that woman alone
and act right for once.
Not until you call uncle.
Let go of whoever
you've got this instant,
Bobby Jo, you hear me?
You hurt?
A little.
It's you, from the bank.
Miss Grace Gordon.
I'm Ruth, remember?
Yes.
If you don't mind me askin',
what in the name
of Sam Hill are you doin' here
on this side of town?
Avon, here to make your day
more beautiful.
But I'm... I'm not doing
a very good job.
Avon?
To this neighborhood?
Well, you landed
in the right place now.
Come on,
I'll get you cleaned up.
Thank you.
Golly.
Now you don't mind,
do you,
comin' in, I mean,
and gettin' somethin' to drink?
Do you have bourbon?
Why, yes, ma'am,
we sure do.
Then I'd be delighted.
Girls, we got a caller.
Things gonna make you
even more beautiful.
Come look.
Miss Effie,
we got Avon.
Girls.
Avon.
Straighten up.
- Here you go, Miss Grace.
- Thank you.
You got a room
full of ready customers,
don't she, girls?
Everyone, this is my friend,
Miss Grace Gordon.
And she's here
with some nice things.
- Well, um...
- That's right, baby doll.
This is a hootchie-cootchie
titty house.
Queenie, stop it.
Miss Grace, money don't know
no prejudice,
and we're workin' girls
that got money.
Well, that's right.
Well, all right, come on.
Right this way.
I have some very nice items.
Honey, we ain't lookin'
for nice.
Come on.
Look at this.
Scheherazade's Arabian Nights.
Now don't that sound exotic?
Shoot, sounds hot to me.
And expensive.
You're cheap, Queenie.
Bet you got the first dollar
you ever got laid for.
Don't you worry
bout what I got.
You got anything to cover this
in that bag of tricks?
Here.
Did someone hit you?
Some people
think hurtin' you
comes with the price
of the ride.
It's okay.
Miss Effie keeps a gun.
Scheherazade.
Who was she to get a perfume
named after her?
It's Scheherazade.
Now, let me tell you
about her.
See, in a far away land,
there was a king.
And each night,
he chose a wife.
And every day,
he beheaded her.
You know why?
Cause he didn't want her
to be unfaithful.
But when Scheherazade
was chosen,
she outsmarted him.
She spun a tale
that was so intriguin'
that the king
kept her alive
for 1,001 nights
just to hear more.
And then
she became his queen.
This day started off
just like any other regular day
and then you dropped in
and made it magic.
No, you've been the one
doin' all the sellin'.
You'd be good at sales.
No, no one's gonna hire
an uneducated hillbilly like me.
Nah, I gotta play
to my assets.
Plus, I got a little girl
to take care of.
I'm gonna make sure
she's educated.
She's gonna be
a fine lady like you.
All right, girls.
Tea party's over.
Ruth, Bay Bay,
you're on the window tonight.
It's a two-drink minimum,
on top no matter.
Come on, get a move on.
I hope our paths cross again.
I won't speak up or nothin',
just smile,
if you won't mind it.
Of course.
Honey, you got
your order ready.
You need to pack it up.
We got business.
Yeah.
All right.
What did y'all learn
at school today?
Wow.
A, B, C,
D, EF, G.
$6.70,
and then two Skin So Softs
at $5.78.
$20.03.
Easy money.
Sorry, did you just do that
in your head?
Got a head for figures,
I guess.
Yes, you have.
And for sellin'.
You should do somethin'.
Somethin' better than this.
Better?
I'm sorry,
I didn't mean to be rude.
It's just that... you could.
You're... useful.
This ain't no regular life
for you,
but I was born
on the wrong side of the tracks.
Ain't got no education
to speak of.
But I'm a saver.
Baby, you're gonna miss
the start of your show.
- Okay.
- Go on, get your study books.
- Bye.
- Bye.
Well?
How do I look?
I look all right?
Yeah.
All right.
For your future.
Which one of these
you want to use tonight?
Which one
makes me look thinner?
You ask a lot of these jackets,
Congressman.
The art of flattery
will only assist you, Walter.
You gonna stay the night?
Up to the lady, of course.
I do believe I have won my way
into her good graces.
Congressman,
don't get all caught up.
This woman is used
to nothing but high living.
There's a lot of work
to do over there.
Walter, I've been
playing this game
since before you were a gleam
in your father's prick.
No tie.
Yes, sir.
Mattie?
Jubilee?
We in here.
All right, what's goin on?
The man done turned us off.
He said they're a power company
not a charity business.
My God,
what else can happen?
Congressman called,
said he was ridin' into town
and said we sure would be
a good sight to see
if we wasn't doin' nothin'.
With no electricity?
Please do not tell me
that you invited him over.
We've got to close
this deal tonight, baby.
We in the dark.
After the day I've had.
How am I gonna pull that off?
I'm glad to be
goin' someplace
where there's not a care
in the world.
- Yes, sir.
- And one of God's
sweetest creatures
is gonna be treatin' me
like I'm all that matters.
Lord.
What's goin' on?
They sent one of them
rabble-rousers down here
to stir things up.
- Rabble-rouser?
- Yes, sir.
Is that one of King's men or one
of those crazies from Chicago?
One of King's men,
and a commie reporter too.
Dammit. Streets are safe.
Plenty of jobs.
I'd say we've created
a kind of utopia.
I wouldn't go that far.
What did you say, Walter?
Look at you?
Driving a Cadillac,
getting all the snatch
you can handle.
Back seat.
You've had your fair share
of the pie in your day too.
My day?
This is still my day.
My forefathers
wrote the Magna Carta
and the Constitution
and the Boy Scout manual,
three of the finest documents
ever written.
And I'm still writin'
damn good law.
Only thing
missing today is gratitude.
Congressman,
they just sayin'
why can't a negro man
eat where he wants?
Drink from the same fountain,
piss in the same pot?
What's that all about?
Hell, Walter, let's just get
to where there's no trouble
and no talk of change.
Now what's this all about?
What the hell?
Y'all blown a fuse?
Welcome!
Well, what have we here?
Scheherazade awaits.
Follow me.
Boss, be careful,
this looks like a trap.
Lead the way, my sweet.
Lead me away.
Jubilee, Jubilee.
Shut up.
Grace.
My Grace.
What do you have
on your mind?
And will I live up
to the challenge?
Well, I think
you'll manage just fine.
Come curl up under.
Let's enjoy the world.
Sounds like a perfect plan.
They say we're movin'
a thousand miles an hour
through space.
Yet down here it feels like
we sittin' still.
Yeah.
This is all just an illusion,
really, isn't it?
See, when I was young,
I used to see those lights
in the distance.
They'd sparkle like diamonds
and I thought...
...I was curious
to see what they were.
After all of your travels,
you finally found that
there's no place like home.
Come on.
What?
Let's swim in the moonlight.
Come on.
I double-dare you.
Beautiful.
God.
My God.
All right...
Geronimo!
God dammit!
I'm comin'.
Whilst he...
Who truly took it from them...
I'm readin'!
- You don't like me readin'?
- I'm listenin'.
You look damn fine,
little girl.
Go on.
Go on, back it up
in that chair now.
Ooh!
I'm gonna go get me
another drink.
I'll be back.
My man.
Good night, right?
Yeah. Say, Walter...
Walter.
I need your man
to send around a cruiser.
What's going on?
White trash
I've never seen before
been ridin' by
whoopin' it up.
I feel like combustion
is on its way.
- I'll talk to him.
- All right.
Well, well, well.
If it ain't
Mr. Rabble-rouser himself.
How you doin', sir?
Abel, set this man up
a drink here on me.
I'll take
a shot of Johnnie,
and I'll buy it myself,
all right?
- I don't need...
- Well, come on now, brother.
Just trying
to be hospitable.
Trying to set me up?
That's all you, baby.
Come on, pretty boy.
Dance with me.
Show old Viola how you move.
Careful with our V.
She might bite.
- Very good.
- Mind your business.
Look what we have here.
Let me get a water.
Hello.
Hey.
How you doin'?
Fine.
Abel, give her a real drink.
No. Water's fine.
I suppose that you came
to dance with old Walter.
We didn't lose.
But you ain't won yet either.
You scared?
Hey, hotshot.
Pour me one.
And then you and me
do a little bump and grind.
Vi, you need to calm down,
cool off.
Come on, what you want,
a Coca-Cola?
I'll buy it,
I'll buy it.?
I don't want no Coca-Cola
and I don't wanna cool off.
There are all these men
for you to dance with, so.
Go on, get out,
you're embarrassing yourself,
I'm with this lady.
Go on.
- Can I get another drink?
- What you want to drink?
And you ain't gonna get
no water.
Coca-Cola.
You with this fresh meat?
I'm with myself.
Yourself?
Yeah.
Well, you young and sassy now,
but you gonna get old
and used-up fast, gal,
cause nigger women
at the bottom of the rung
that everybody's stepping on.
Agh!
Y'all so fired up
about civil rights?
Y'all are quiet now.
Boy from New York coming here
talkin' 'bout Jim Crow.
What about Jane Crow?
What about us?
What about us?
Here, drink a cola
and don't worry about all that.
She just liquored up.
It's not the liquor,
she's cursed.
She's cursed?
Yes.
She wants to feel alive
but don't have a chance.
Shit, she ain't nothin'
but an old bar whore.
Liquor all she want.
She's like my mama.
High hopes
and low expectations.
I don't wanna end up like them
with no hope for better.
Well, you ain't like them.
A real fine lady.
Walter, come on.
You need to stop.
All right, come on now,
we gonna need to get along.
We gonna be seeing
a lot of each other.
Us with all of this time
we got in the world.
Y'all with all that money.
Wait.
What you mean,
us with all the money?
No, wait,
we the ones with all the time
and you the ones
with all the money.
Nah, that's not
how this deal goes.
You mean to tell me your man
over there ain't got nothin'?
My man ain't got shit.
He done bought every
last swamp deal there is.
We been sacrificin' while
treatin' y'all like kings.
Woo.
Well.
Looks to me like
you've been baitin' a catch.
Here.
I don't want you to think
you gave me nothin',
cause you ain't nothin'
to give.
Well, you too hard
on me, girl.
And you too light
on yourself, Walter.
Come on, Jubilee,
we gonna talk about it, baby.
You gonna come back?
- Kiss my ass.
- Come on.
I'd love to kiss your ass.
Come on back.
You fine as any... look at you
twistin' your hips like that.
I love you, girl.
Boss.
Psst, boss.
Boss, come on.
You scared
the piss out of me.
What the hell are you
doin' here so early?
We gotta go.
Come on, man.
Man is supposed to relax
on the Sabbath.
And they probably plannin'
fried chicken for lunch.
There ain't gonna be
no fried chicken,
no more love makin',
no morning bakery.
- We gotta go.
- What the hell
- you jabberin' on about?
- We're overstayin' our welcome.
Thank you very much,
Jubilee.
You folded the clothes,
I appreciate you.
Grace?
All right, ma'am,
we gonna get get out your way.
Come on, boss.
Jubilee, you want a piece...
Damn.
Things were gonna be so good.
Puttin' the weight
of the world down.
But she was only after...
What they all after, Jack,
and you ain't got jack shit.
I'd appreciate it
if people
spent a little less time
on my few faults
and concentrated more
on my many attributes.
You a good politician.
She didn't want to get used.
Hell, I get used all the time.
I'll think it over.
This is Grace Gordon.
If you're there...
...please give me a sign.
No.
I didn't think so.
And here's the pitch.
Sorry, ma'am, we're between
breakfast and lunch.
I can get you a cup of coffee
if you want.
No, I'm here
about the advertisement.
The hostess job?
Yes.
You ever work before?
I've been a hostess
my entire life.
A hostess?
Well, I think I could make
a difference here.
How much you expectin'
to get paid?
How much you payin'?
Someone like you,
no skills, a dollar an hour.
I'll take it.
When you plannin' on startin'?
Today.
Okay, well, come on back,
I'll introduce you
to the girls.
- Okay.
- Follow my rules around here.
$8.50, hardly worth
draggin' my ass out of bed.
Having to listen
to all of that complainin'
about this crappy food.
Well, you get what you give.
I made $15
cause I treat my people right.
That's right,
I keep forgettin'.
Our little do-gooder
just loves
wipin' somebody's ass
for a dollar.
We've been over this
too many times, Aileen.
What we're doing here
is called capitalism.
I get paid according
to my own effort.
Just do a better job.
You need to quit readin'
them books, Teresa.
That's why you don't have
a ring on that finger.
Cause no man wants a woman
spoutin' out your kind of crazy.
And how's havin' a man
worked out for you, nitwit?
Havin' your own money
is freedom.
All right, girls,
I'm not payin' you to argue.
- Hi, Grace.
- Hi.
We're not arguin',
it's just Teresa
spoutin her normal
retard shit.
What the hell's all this?
Another day laborer
walked out.
Well, I got somebody
who can help with that too.
Who the hell are you?
Well, all right,
bring em on by.
See, all right,
you've all been complainin'
about needin' some help.
What's she gonna do,
give out fashion advice?
She's gonna do the seatin'
and she's gonna help you
clear your tables,
and you're gonna give her
10% of what you get.
10%7
You're gonna starve us
out of here?
Well, I believe you can make
this place at least 10% better.
Thank you.
Two eggs, over easy,
two hash browns.
Toast.
Third time today I've seen
them redneck boys go by.
Looks like trouble to me.
Yeah, I know.
I've been keepin' my eye on em.
They're lovin' these cakes
you've been bringin' in.
They're nearly licking
the plates clean.
They may be lickin' the plates
of my cakes clean,
but not these plates
with this nasty food.
Shut up, girl,
and get back to work.
I hate this place.
We have talked
for a hundred years
or more.
It is time now
to write the next chapter
and to write it
in the books of law.
I urge you again,
as I did in 19 and 57,
and again in 19 and 60,
to enact a civil rights law
- so that we can move forward...
- For...
- to eliminate from this nation
- Shh.
...every trace
of discrimination and oppression
that is based upon
race or color.
There could be no greater
source of strength
to this nation,
both at home and abroad.
Second, no act of ours
means more security
for those now working.
More...
Damn socialist.
I'm lockin' up in back.
You two watch the front for me.
Good evening
and you're welcome...
Ma'am.
If you don't mind,
would you seat us.
Now y'all know
this is gonna cause trouble.
Yes, ma'am,
it probably is.
Thank you.
Come on, let's sit down.
My God.
My.
Here we go.
Hell no.
What? Agh!
Come here, come here!
What the hell?
That hoity-toity seated them?
And in my station?
I'm not touchin' nothin'
they put their fat lips on.
Hey. Come here.
God, woman, what the hell
were you thinkin'?
I can't serve Negroes.
No one will put a foot
in here again.
They're well-mannered
and they're polite.
Don't be naive.
They're lookin' for trouble.
And so are those rednecks
right there.
Look here, I didn't plan
on being center stage
of their drama.
One fork touches one pair
of nigger lips...
All right, hey, boys.
Hey, let's just calm down.
Shut the fuck up.
You again?
You seat these niggers?
Well, I am the hostess,
SO, yes,
I'm in charge of seatin'.
You ain't in charge of nothin'.
You want some of this, boy?
Now, you keep your place
like women are meant to.
And the sooner you get that
through your damn spoiled skull,
you don't matter shit.
Hey!
She matters plenty.
Hey...
Hey.
Hey, we did not come here
for fighting.
Spratz Diner.
Good enough to get arrested.
What you got
up your sleeve?
We ain't got nothin'
up our sleeves.
We got straight-out demands.
And what's that?
An appetizer.
Appetizer?
That's more like a tantalizer.
Miss Mattie,
what's goin' on in there?
We just tryin'
to feed you, sugar.
You women puttin' all
your voodoo magic in food,
tryin' to get him to do
something he don't want to do.
But you ain't gonna get him.
And you ain't gonna
get me neither.
Who said anything
about gettin' you?
We ain't practicin'
no voodoo up in here.
What do you need of me?
I'm at your service.
It's the bill.
The bill? What bill?
The Civil Rights Bill.
For God's sake.
Not you, too.
May we please
talk about somethin' else?
Cornbread.
Delicious.
Those look really fantastic.
I thought you liked
a good debate.
Yes, a good one.
Then I have one.
Put women in.
Women.
Dear lady, women are
not part of the debate.
No one on any side
has introduced that idea,
includin' that
Martin Luther King.
He's at the helm
of this movement now,
and including women
is not his intention.
No, not this time.
Then when?
Without women,
this country does not exist.
It's time, past time,
for women to be able
to pursue their own happiness,
their own liberty
under the law.
My fair lady,
for thousands of years,
all of us have agreed
to call women the weaker sex.
Now we all know
it's not true,
but it does make men
feel needed.
And men need
to feel needed.
A man's not needed,
he's just gonna sit down on ya.
We need to be
your white knights,
not your equal.
The facts are many women
have to take care of themselves.
They scratch out a livin'.
Unfairly paid for their work.
And why?
Because it's allowed
because there are no laws,
no protection.
Now, with this bill,
Lady Liberty might
become color blind to men,
but she still continues
to turn a blind eye
to what you call
the fairer sex.
You have me
at a disadvantage.
You'll be remembered
for being noble.
If I do this,
I'll be remembered as a fool,
if I'm remembered at all.
- May I eat somethin' now?
- Yes, you may.
They do look good.
- Ruth?
- Yes.
Ruth, it's Grace Gordon.
- Hi, Grace.
- Hi.
Um...
Boy, do I have
a lot to tell you.
But you know that...
that bag of money you got?
Well, you ever think
of investin' it?
As you said,
play to our assets.
In all the years you've been
scrapin' the sidewalks of DC,
you two have never yet met?
We travel down
different paths.
Mr. Celler
travels with a union
that doesn't think women
are to be treated as equal.
And, as you know,
it's my lifelong ambition
- to prove they should.
- Don't misrepresent me.
I've said that women should
remain a protected class.
Protected.
That's better than equal.
- Miss Powell.
- Thank you.
- Emanuel.
- Thank you.
This isn't gonna hurt much.
We've got a bill
in Congress right now
that wants to designate
bourbon whiskey
as a distinctive product
of the United States.
Think about that.
Just a few short decades ago,
this was illegal.
Shows you how quick people
can have their minds changed.
So what shall we drink to?
Well, let's get
right down to it.
To fairer days
for the fairer sex,
and to amending
the Civil Rights Bill
to include women.
Is that why you got her here,
the bill?
Now, Emanuel, hear her out.
You won't melt.
Well, there will be
no undermining
this long overdue issue.
This bill is for the Negro man,
not women.
- Not now.
- If not now, when?
I believe Abigail Adams
asked that very question.
188 years ago.
Domestic violence and death,
it just plays out across
our land night after night,
and the police refuse
to even take the calls.
They say she belongs to him.
A woman doesn't have
any real protection
unless she has equal access
to a job, to money, to freedom.
And when they take off
to have their child,
who will replace them?
That is a problem.
And when they return to work,
who will rear their child?
Women occupy one
of the most important roles
in our society: motherhood.
It is a man's job
to protect the women.
Now, Congressman Celler,
let's not pretend that
all men protect their women,
nor are we instructing them
to do so.
And what you refer to
as the most vital of all jobs
is unpaid,
in a land
where the dollar is king.
The mother is a pauper
or a slave.
To be absolutely fair,
probably women will do some
things I wish they wouldn't,
but it's not our business
to tell them
what they should do
with their freedom.
But it is our business
to make sure
that they have the right
to try.
Gentlemen.
Don't even think about this,
Congressman,
no piece of ass
worth throwin' ourselves
under the load
about to hit us.
Watch your language.
I said I was gonna do this,
so I will.
Now, everything straight?
Your face gonna
be in the dictionary
under T for Traitor.
Walter.
There are no faces
of forgotten congressmen
in the dictionary.
It's all gonna be just fine.
As long as everybody
follows the rules.
What we have works.
If you are determined
to keep this bill
as it stands,
there will remain
only one group
of second-class citizens
in this country.
Your mothers, sisters,
wives, and daughters.
Women.
So good of you to help.
It's the least I could do.
After what you did for me
and Angelina.
Set us up in business.
I'm Avon now.
Door-to-door sales.
And I've been meetin'
all sorts of interestin' people.
Women sellin' to women.
It's the future.
Sure is my future.
Well, you tell her,
I'm not gonna charge her
interest.
I want to help.
That's awfully nice of you.
- Come on, little one.
- Come on, baby girl.
Go on in here.
Wanna see a trick?
All right.
You see this?
You see it, right?
Blow on it.
Voila.
Wait a minute.
This is for you.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
I will be at the opening night.
Make sure Dick brings his wife,
do somethin' nice
for a change.
Ruth...
Would you be interested
in calling it a date?
A date?
- With me?
- Come on.
All right.
All right.
Did she say all right?
Yeah, she did.
She said all right.
All right.
A date.
You got a boyfriend.
Come on now.
For women?
Negro men waited 300 years
to get a seat at the table
and what you do?
Pull out a chair for em.
Walter, you're gonna grumble
about this
for the rest of your life.
They're equal.
You're equal,
we're all equal.
It's what we do with it now
that matters.
Never in history
have those in power
handed over
such an opportunity.
See where this takes us.
Wait, slow down, slow down,
there it is.
Any other bastard would have
kept her in a gilded cage.
I gave her an exit.
I did it for them.
For her.
- Best table in the house.
- Thank you.
Well.
- Thank you, Walter.
- Yes, sir.
Well, well, well.
Look at what
these women have done.
Mattie.
It smells like magic here.
Doin' our best.
Grace.
You have managed
to accomplish
what 200 years
of Congress could not.
Everyone seated
at the table.
And I guess you won't need
my services anymore.
I'll need you,
perhaps not, but...
...want?
Tonight under the tree.
And you think we'll make it
past sunrise this time?
Yes, ma'am.
Hey, you,
quit hogging the biscuits!
I'll take care of this.
Just like you always have
to take what's not yours.
I wouldn't miss it.
Another time and place.
So nice that we all get
to break bread together,
- isn't it?
- Yes, sir.
Especially
in such a charming place.
And those biscuits
are the finest
south of the Mason-Dixon line.
And trust me,
there's none good north of it.
I just want to smash it
in my face.
Isn't that good?
And always a pleasure
to see you both.
Enjoy your meal,
enjoy your dinner.
My goodness.
I've never seen a table
with such beautiful women
in my life.
Gentlemen,
you better behave yourselves.
How y'all doin'?
Good?
My man.
Have a drink.
Welcome home.
Few men have had both
the courage and compassion
possessed by our dear judge.
Let us show the compassion
that he showed others
by following the words
of our dear Lord
from Matthew chapter 5.
"You have heard it said that
you should love thy neighbor
and hate thine enemy,
but I say unto you,
Love your enemy.""
They're crowding in.
I need a drink, Abel.
It's early.
That was a beautiful service,
right?
Yeah, Daddy would be proud.
Don't give me that look.
Even God can see
the necessity of getting drunk
on a day like today.
Thank you, Walter.
Good luck.
Baby, there's a whole
lot of folks out there
that want to pay their respects.
Okay.
Right.
Let's get this over with.
And her second husband
was a polo player.
Doesn't it sound glamorous?
Sounds to me
like she can't keep a man.
- Divorced.
- Twice.
- Are you busy later?
- And the other one,
well they say
he wasn't much more than
a playboy himself.
Who would play around on her?
My God, you act
as though you know her.
You know she wouldn't
give you the time of day.
What do you know
about fitting in?
All the important men
were at the meatballs
and you were at the dip.
- It's all BS.
- It's communist talk.
- Damn right.
- Them Yankees and unions.
- Down here causing problems.
- Mhm.
- Drink, sir?
- Thank you.
Obliged.
- Thank you.
- Very much.
And it's that King and his boys.
They're gonna send us all
to hell in a handbasket
with the Civil Rights Bill.
You gotta stop
this nonsense.
Now, hold on.
We are nowhere near
hell in a handbasket.
We are here to pay respects
to a good man,
one of the best.
Judge,
your wisdom
will sorely be missed.
- Safe landing.
- Here, here.
Here, here.
Smells like they put out
the meatballs.
Come on, boys,
you can't miss this.
My.
Don't be shy, boys,
you better dig in
cause these puppies
are gonna go quick.
Now, they got these
little toothpicks here,
but I'm gonna grab
one of those plates.
So sorry for your loss.
Thank you,
thank you so much.
- Thank you for coming.
- Mhm.
Maybe she'll come home
to run this place.
That is not going to happen.
- Thank you so much.
- I'm so sorry.
- I know, it's so sad.
- Grace.
Excuse me.
I don't know how she does it,
but Mattie's cooking
just gets better and better.
Hi.
Thank you for coming.
- I'm gonna miss your father.
- Me too.
Man, you are more beautiful
each time I see you.
And you are always
a charming politician.
Your father kept me up
on all your escapades.
"Escapades,".
Well, I hope
they weren't too boring.
On the contrary,
I was living vicariously.
Congressman, Sophia Spencer
needs to see you
in the other room.
Excuse me, my fan club awaits.
- Call me if you need me.
- I will.
Con...
Miss... Mrs. Gordon?
- Yes?
- I'm... I'm Bradford Lotts.
I'll be the one at the bank
to handle your father's affairs.
Clear... clear things up.
- We will need to talk.
- No, that's, um, fine.
Just leave things as they are.
- Well...
- And have you tried that dip?
It's delicious. Excuse me.
Snotty bitch.
What did she say?
Useless female,
that's what she is.
Will you excuse me?
Come on, Walter,
we're on the move.
I'll catch you later.
- You ain't get me nothing?
- You know I did.
I wanna see this here.
- No meatballs?
- You ingrate.
I couldn't bring you meatballs,
the red barbecue sauce
would stain my pocket.
Best kitchen in 20 miles...
let's get rolling
before another constituent
feels the need to chew my ass.
All right, Walter.
All right now.
I look terrible in black.
I mean, why wear black
to funerals?
Why not red to celebrate?
Daddy's life
should be celebrated.
Sure should, baby, sure should.
Now, get on out of this dress.
You know what I heard them say?
Narrow-minded little ninnies.
- What'd they say?
- They said that I was
a spoiled,
middle-aged
divorce,
and good for nothing.
And useless.
- That's what they said.
- Don't you mind
what they sayin',
cause you know who you are.
No, maybe I don't.
I know I've been...
a good man's daughter,
and two not-so-good men's wife,
but... I mean, otherwise,
am I useless?
No, baby, don't fix your mind
thinking that.
Our God has a plan.
I wish I had your faith, Mattie.
Well, it don't matter
if you do or you don't,
He's still looking out for you.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome, precious.
- Ooh, here we go.
- Where?
- First, if you don't mind.
- Good morning.
Hello.
- Dad, the...
- Well, who are they...
and what can they be
talking about?
New York? Dick, come look.
I'm watching The Secret Storm.
Those TV airwaves
are gonna scramble your brain.
Who cares?
Gonna go around
with a scrambled brain?
Well, sounds pretty good to me.
And that's on your account.
It's on account of a man like
you took an interest in me,
and I wanna say thanks.
Well, I'm glad things
are going well, Kate.
Well, they seem to be,
I report for
modeling assignments tomorrow.
Ma'am, your meter has expired,
and the new meter maid
is unforgiving.
Thank you.
Have a good day.
Yes, ma'am, may I help you?
I need to have a few words
with someone about my accounts.
- Mr. Lotts.
- Mr. Lotts, yes.
Can you tell him
that I'm waiting?
Yes, ma'am, have a seat,
we'll be with you in a moment.
I'm finished with this one,
if you want it.
It's mostly about
Liz Taylor and her affair
with that Welshman.
Even a big movie star
has trouble with her men.
Well, I guess you get
what you settle for.
Yes, ma'am, I guess you do.
Well, if we're gonna
talk about men,
I should introduce myself.
- Grace Gordon.
- I'm Ruth,
and this is my girl, Angelina.
Well, that's
a very pretty dress, Angelina.
- Thanks.
- So fancy.
God!
I told you not to bother me
this morning, I am busy.
Well, the office is filling up.
One woman looks
like a real tart,
and she's got a child with her.
The way that child
is clutching a paper sack,
I think it's full of money.
And Mrs. Gordon is here.
So, today is not going to be
a complete bore.
She said she's here
to give you a few words.
She is, is she?
Well, I have a few words
for her as well.
In, um... in 10 minutes,
I want you to come interrupt us.
And is your dolly a good girl?
- Mhm.
- Um, Mrs. Gordon.
- Please, please, come in.
- Well, these ladies
- were before me.
- I... l insist, please.
That's all right, ma'am,
we'll just sit here
in the cool air.
- Sure?
- Yeah.
- It was very nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
What are you doing here?
I wanna put my money
in a safe place,
and the paper says
you're giving out toasters
- to new depositors.
- The bank doesn't take
your kind of money.
My money's green,
like everyone else's,
and I earned it,
the hard way,
and who knows it
better than you?
Come on, let's go.
Please, have a... seat.
Um, you know, I... I have called.
I've, I've left
several messages with...
Yes, it seems like
there's been a breakdown,
and had it not been for
a stack of Mattie's famous
sweet potato pancakes,
our water would've been
turned off.
Well, Mrs. Gordon,
let's, let's best see
how to describe this breakdown.
The bank pays bills with money
from a customer's account...
Yes, I know that.
I have to go to lunch,
so if you could just
deal with these quickly,
and move them forward.
We don't really like
disturbances.
No, no, most...
most people do not like
disturbances,
but, you've got one now.
You see, there is no money
in the account.
I don't understand,
where was the money put?
Well, your father transferred
a great deal of what he had
to you over the years,
and sold off land along the way
to, keep you up
in your adventures,
and... and marriages.
Been two, right?
So, the account
is dry as a bone.
Now, the house
and what land is left are yours,
but,
the mortgage is overdue,
and you'll have to sell.
Sell?
That house has been
in our family for generations.
Times change, and besides,
farmland really isn't
worth much these days.
Mattie and Abel,
they've been on that land
all their lives.
Mattie's granddaughter's
with us, and she has
no place to go.
I have no place to go.
No, I wouldn't dream of selling.
Well, unless you've been
stashing money away somewhere.
But, look,
once you've paid off your debts,
I mean,
if you don't live too long,
you'll make do.
Merner Courts would be
your best bet in town.
Merner Courts?
That's a retirement home.
Mr. Lotts, you have a call,
someone important I think.
Well, you've gotta do something,
extend the loan.
Well, the, the bank
only makes loans to men,
and anyway, I really don't think
you'd be a good bet.
I mean, you're 40, am I right?
That is none of your business.
Okay, well, near enough.
No skills,
no money, NO man.
I, I think at this point
in you life, missy,
you need to face facts:
You are retired.
How dare you?
What's the matter, baby?
We're broke.
Tightening-our-belts broke,
or fending-off-the-wolves broke?
Wolves.
And that scrawny little banker,
he said there's
nothing I can do about it,
so there it is again, I'm...
I'm useless.
Now, you know you ain't useless.
Well, what can she do?
Well, just get another one.
- Another what?
- Man!
I don't want another one!
That's our only option.
Well, what about
the Congressman?
Now, that is a good man,
and, baby, you remember
you was flirtin' with him
when you was too young
to be flirtin'.
And he got
that government money.
That kind don't ever run out.
Yeah, and he's
a confirmed bachelor.
God, I'll have
to brush upon my skills.
Jubilee, go get
the judge's address book.
So, you're what, you're gonna
choose one from a book?
No, too old.
Or dead.
He spits when he speaks.
- Mr. Parker, no.
- No.
We both agree that 14,000 miles
of interstate highway
is an incredible feat.
But, with more funds,
we could be
one nation under God,
connected by asphalt.
Yeah, well before you go patting
yourself on the back just yet,
the Romans built
50,000 miles of road
from sea to shining sea
in 300 BC
without a single bulldozer.
- Really?
- And no constituents
calling to complain
about the cost,
or the dust,
or the offensive billboards
blocking their view
of their lovely hills.
Emanuel Celler, again,
and Alice Paul asking when
you might be available to talk.
I know, the bill.
Damn it, no rest for the weary.
Thank you, Rachel.
Listen, you want my support
for more funding
- for this asphalt river?
- I do.
No more graft.
Clean this thing up,
and give me more exits.
And more fund...
Tell the two of 'em
I'll get back to em
just as soon as I'm able.
You are a glutton
for punishment.
I believe the word
is "masochist."
Here you go,
here's your dress and drink.
I made it strong
just the way you like.
- Thank you.
- Mhm.
Do you still remember
what to do on a date?
Yeah, it's like riding a bike,
and men are only interested
in one thing.
Snatch.
No, I was referring
to their deeper need.
- And what's that?
- Well, to talk about themselves,
or just a sympathetic ear.
I'm not about to be
a sympathetic ear
- for no man.
- Really?
So, what are you gonna do,
you gonna make it on your own,
- Miss Independent?
- Yes.
There I was,
thinking you're a realist.
Here.
Why don't you try some,
try these on.
Let me see you walk.
- Where am I gonna wear these?
- I don't know,
when you go
hootin' and hollerin'.
- No, I am not my mama.
- No, you got more sense.
But you gotta go wild sometime,
you know, dance with abandon.
That's how you dance,
with abandon?
I'm not allowed to be that free.
You know, my first drink
that was at the Blue Goose,
Abel waved me in.
I learned two things
that summer:
How to hold my liquor,
and how to dance
like no one was watching.
What a good time that was.
I felt so free.
"But now,
I cannot dance upon my toes.
No man has instructed me."
That's Emily Dickinson.
Who's she?
Just another woman
who had to dance backwards.
Right, I'm about to
sell myself
like a pound of meat.
Yeah, I think I can
sell myself as prime.
Spode, it's my favorite pattern.
A man with taste, now that's
a great trait to have.
I developed it
on my ltalian travels.
My mother lets me out
of her grip every summer.
I go to Rome
for a month of utter bliss.
Rome in the summer,
that's so romantic.
I'm free to wander
the cafes and shops,
meet all varieties
of interesting people.
Now, a good boy
never kisses and tells,
but,
some of the things I have done.
But, mother's
tight purse strings
pull me right back every time.
She's never found a vice
she could embrace.
The old penny pincher'll
probably have a grip on me
my entire life.
Would you
excuse me a moment?
Mattie, wrap it up,
one for him,
and one for his mama.
And... get the address book.
All right, baby.
They don't want us around here,
they keep doing their thing.
So, y'all need to get
yourselves in the system
and be registered
so y'all can vote.
Listen to me.
I'm right.
I'm here for you.
Jim Crow's biting me,
and he's biting you.
Now, we should all
be equal under the law.
Come on, y'all.
This high-yellow fella
come down from the North
to help us poor darkies out.
I've come down to get you here
to enlist you in the battle
of your equal rights.
Equal rights?
Abel, what you think about
this whole communist talk
- he talkin' about?
- Just trying to figure out
- what it all means.
- Yeah.
Well, what it means,
Abel, is,
old Peanut here,
he gonna get half
of what's yours,
split down the middle,
share equal.
Nah, nah, nah,
that's not what I mean.
Yeah, Abel,
give me half your bill.
He ain't got shit.
- Lazy ass.
- Yeah, that's what it is, man.
Well, he gonna take
half of it.
Not what I'm saying.
See, old whitey here?
He fought
the whole fuckin' world
in World War Il
defending this republic.
- Yeah, he did.
- Old whitey's doing a good job
running things.
Streets are safe.
- You got good-paying jobs.
- Mhm.
And you men sleep
with your windows open.
Now, what other animal lives
under that kind of protection,
I know who you are.
You drive the Congressman,
and you'd like things to stay
exactly the way they are
unless that man
tells you otherwise.
Listen here, yellow boy,
I don't kiss no one's ass,
I'm my own man.
- That's right.
- The way I sees it,
all the men here,
we're doing pretty goddamn fine.
Yeah, you see, old whitey,
he got a plan.
He building a highway
from the sea to shining sea.
That shit's so big
they're gonna call it
- a superhighway.
- Are you content?
Are you content
to pee by the side of that road?
Sleep and eat
where that white man
says your ass can?
Jim Crow's gotta go.
Y'all gotta register yourselves
- and stand up.
- You're just itching to get
your hand on that power stick,
and you ain't got no plan,
yellow boy.
You ain't got no plan.
Mhm.
Call me "yellow boy"
one more time...
- And what?
- Hey!
Hey, y'all gonna spend all night
fighting over about what?
Cause the only thing
gonna get settled tonight
is who's gonna get
hot and sweaty, right?
You.
- You wanna dance?
- With all that
white blood in him?
He ain't gonna be able
to move much, baby.
Well, you do gotta dance
in our shoes
if you trying to...
trying to preach to us.
Come on now,
I'll give you a dance.
Hey, Abel,
you got some of that...
that good whiskey locked away?
- Sure do.
- All right now.
Break out something
for the boys.
- On me.
- Two, come on, man, for me?
- The lady, too.
- That's what I'm talkin' about.
Now, y'all can't run
from the truth.
You cannot run from the truth.
- Okay.
- Jim Crow is alive and well.
Please, please,
register yourself...
- Okay.
- ...S0 you have equal rights.
I hear you, man.
Lord, Lord, Lord.
You'll be all right,
you gonna be all right.
You gonna be all right.
Johnnie,
Johnnie on the rocks.
Ooh!
You got back so soon.
Yeah.
That juke joint, like the one
my mama couldn't get enough of.
Women throwing themselves
at men, hoping for something
they ain't gonna get.
Men arguing about
what they want and don't have.
Mhm.
Where do I fit in?
Look up at that sky.
Each one of them stars
shining from its own spot.
He got a plan for us all.
- Come on, now.
- Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!
Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!
- Mommy!
- Wow, are you
feeding them kids good?
- The scrawny little mutts.
- I put food on the table
- the best I can.
- Mhm.
You think those men
who gave me them children
sending me money?
I ain't got no steady work.
What you got for me?
Or am I just along for the ride?
Walter.
That boy last night.
He said he's gonna
make us equal.
Not you, baby.
He wasn't talkin' about you.
Hi, Andy.
Hey, how are ya?
Now, let's get this straight.
There's a few more things
to take care of.
So, all right,
have him looking sharp.
Nothing sells better than
a well-dressed underdog.
Trying to win a Pulitzer Prize,
aren't you?
Camera ready,
and no trouble.
Don't you worry about that,
I'll have him singing Dixie
and huggin' their mama,
if it gets us the front page.
In Birmingham today,
police arrested
Martin Luther King,
along with 58 other members
of the Southern...
Every time you turn around
something about some darkie
causing trouble.
NAACP.
SNCC.
Call themselves T-R-O-U-B-L-E,
make it clear.
That is the same car.
I'm tellin' ya, something
is getting ready to go down.
George, ain't nothing
going down around here
except your IQ.
Look at you, getting into
the Cutty Sark already
and The Secret Storm,
haven't even started yet.
Now, tell me about this
fascinating job you have.
Ford automobile's a good value.
Ford don't make anything cheap.
Top of the line,
a Thunderbird V8.
Well, that one's been
a big best seller
for me this year.
Can I get a top-off in here?
Well, let's get to it.
As a rich widow in town,
I know what this all about.
This place is
expensive to keep up.
Needs work.
You need money.
Of course, my dealership
prints it,
long as Ford makes cars
like the Ford Galaxy.
Nothing cheap there.
It's got
a 390-cubic-inch engine.
When that thing roars up,
it's like...
My Lord, come on.
Come on now,
spit it out, spit it out.
Lord.
Um, no dessert.
It says, um, that you buy things
that are useful and good.
- That's right, I do.
- Well.
Well.
Say, what does
this little one do?
That's a pickle fork.
It's 1800s,
my great-grandmother's.
Teresa,
take a look at this.
It's a fork just for a pickle.
My goodness, a pickle fork.
And many a fine dinner
it has seen, I'm sure.
Unfortunately, fine dining items
just don't sell anymore.
It's all been replaced
with the TV dinner.
Before you know it, we won't
even be talking to each other.
We'll just be lost
in our appliances.
Amen.
I hope it doesn't come to that.
Gotta go, it's good
to meet you, ma'am.
Good to meet you, too.
- Bye, y'all.
- All right.
Bye.
Ma'am...
I do give cash for diamonds.
The only thing that
good-for-nothing paid for.
That's beautiful,
let's have a look.
Yeah.
Well,
there is
a pretty significant flaw.
How much?
Are you talking to em, Walter?
You tellin' em all that
pie-in-the-sky,
everybody's-equal poppycrap
is just that?
And things are nice as they are.
I'm talkin' to 'em, boss,
but everybody
don't listen to me, you know?
They say
there's always two sides.
Not always two right sides.
Look out there.
God did bless America.
He really did.
How do I look?
What?
A man ain't gonna buy the cow
when he can drink the milk
- for free.
- I'm just letting him know
that the cow's
still worth milkin'.
Just...
Now.
Could do with
a little bit more punch.
Well, bit of valerian,
little pinch of passionflower.
I got it set, right?
Before we use any more
of what we got left,
we better make sure
this is what we want.
Well, Lord, more spice
ain't gonna do no harm.
It looks like we the only ones
at this dinner party.
You come get me out, you hear me
making promises I can't keep.
- I know the drill.
- How do I look?
Like a man with no self control.
Ladies, ladies,
what is that smell?
Ooh, we're cooking all kinds
of wonderful things for you,
- Congressman.
- Don't be wasting
your fine herbs on me.
I'm already under your spell.
How is she, Mattie?
- Has it been rough?
- She gettin' right along.
Mhm.
Your magic herbs give you
an unfair advantage.
Well, if I'd known
you were gonna be this easy,
I wouldn't have opened
Abel's home brew.
I am this easy, so be gentle.
Look at you,
beautiful as always.
Such a flatterer,
and it isn't even voting time.
That's how you know I mean it.
- How have you been?
- I don't even wanna think
about that,
but you are the escape.
The delicious escape.
Well, let's, go outside,
and pour ourselves a drink,
and let's talk about
nothing important
- all night long.
- Yes, ma'am.
Jubilee, you take good care
of Walter tonight.
Why I gotta take care of him?
Because I said so.
Thank you kindly, ma'am.
Yes, sir.
Why don't you sit down
and have you something to eat?
How y'all doin', Miss Mattie,
with no man in the house?
We doin' all right.
How y'all doin'
up there in Washington?
Well, a lot of talking,
but mostly same old grumbling.
Now, who this here,
Miss Mattie?
You know her,
that's my grandbaby,
Miss Jubilee Moody.
Well, your grandbaby
sure grown up fast.
I'm not the one up for sale.
You sure?
She's spicy, I like that.
Mhm.
God damn, it tastes so good.
even the air out here
smells sweet.
To you, Grace.
To this place.
To this night.
To us.
my mama used to make
muscadine wine.
And me, an official of the law.
Well, you aren't
gonna turn me in, are you,
- Congressman?
- No, ma'am.
you mind if I just help myself?
Muscadine wine.
That's America's grape,
and you know,
every great civilization
needs its own wine.
Miss Mattie, I'm proud
how you're teaching
your grandbaby
how to treat a man.
Woo!
She got some work to do,
though?
Quit studying me.
You don't want me
to study?
Tell me,
what you want old Walter to do?
Nothing, you only here
cause you driving the man.
Ouch, come on, girl.
He's eating out of her hand.
I mean, he is actually eating
right out of her hand.
I bet he was droolin'
when he saw this fruit tart.
Big old smile on his face.
Big old stupid grin.
Now, this here is
near the best I ever had.
Near the best?
Well, I'm saving
the category of best
till I taste to know the rest.
Look here,
do you come with this deal?
Cause we sure could
use the help around here.
That roof leaks, for starts.
Only thing is,
you don't look like
you work much labor.
Miss Mattie, y'all trying
to cut a deal with my man?
Something you need to know
about him, sweet pea,
he a politician.
Now, he can be bought,
but he can't be had.
Lifetime bachelor.
Wanna bet we can't win him?
You got something
worth wagering?
No?
How about a dance then
at the Blue Goose?
What's the matter,
you can dance, can't ya?
Only thing is, I don't think
you'd ever find out.
- You sure?
- Those wide loads of yours
don't look none too graceful.
Well, they know how to get
out of the way of long feet
trying to stomp on em.
So, we on?
A dance for me if I get through,
and if...
if you win, well,
I guess you got
your dedicated slave,
and that roof up there
gonna get fixed.
Yeah.
- Shake.
- Yes, ma'am...
What you got there, girl?
Cubans.
I suppose after all that trouble
with the Bay of Pigs,
- I should've thrown them out.
- You're right.
Can't let politics stand
in the way of a good cigar.
Excuse me, Miss Gordon.
It's been so nice
around here that
time just done run away with us.
Congressman,
you told me to remind you
about the business you got
at the Capitol in the morning.
- Not yet, Walter.
- Excuse me.
You had too much to drink,
you're starting
to make promises you can't keep.
I suggest we get away
while we can.
- Trust me.
- Yeah.
My apologies, Grace.
Seems the specter
of tomorrow has
abrupted our festivities.
Will I be invited back soon?
I'll check my calendar.
I am holding my breath,
so please,
- don't wait too long.
- Come on now, Congressman.
- All right, I got it, I got it.
- Thank you.
Well, all right.
That is some good stuff.
You got that right.
That girl Jubilee
ripe for the picking.
There will be
none of that, Walter.
I don't want you
muddying up these waters
with your obsessive desire
to mark your spot.
This gonna be my spot.
I might just throw in the towel.
Retire, let those fine wenches
take care of me.
Retire, you?
That's the wine talkin', boss.
No, I've had an entire lifetime
of managing the world order.
I wanna just
float.
Ain't gonna be
no floatin' around here.
That Jubilee already taking bets
about me doing some roof.
Know what I'm saying?
There's gonna be no retiring.
"All good men
should come to the aid
of their country."
- God, what's the time?
- 7:30.
- What... what you doing?
- You know, out of 60 ads,
there's only eight for women,
and only one of those
barely applies to me.
What they payin', babe?
Pay dependent on skills.
The plant person
at Sea Graves Trucking...
Hello.
I'm Grace Gordon,
I'm here for the job
of girl Friday.
Here, fill this out.
Over there with them others.
Do you have a pencil?
Thank you.
Yeah, you better get out here.
My office is fillin' up.
Y'all here for the job?
Yes.
My husband's been out of work
for a few months now.
We got two kids, and...
we're staying with
his sister's family.
I gotta get out of there
before they drive me crazy.
My mother can't work no more.
I'm supportin' us both.
What you here for?
Extra spending money?
No.
I'm also here for my family.
Okay, what we got here?
All right, May Jones.
Yes, sir, I'm May Jones.
Can you type, honey?
Yes, sir,
a little.
But, if you hire me,
I bet I can do just about
anything you ask me to do.
Ooh, that's the kind of answer
I like to hear.
All right,
Nell Brown.
See here you got experience.
Type 100 words a minute?
Yes, sir, I take shorthand, sir,
and if you need, sir,
do your accountant work,
too, sir.
And you.
Grace Gordon.
- Yes, sir, that's right.
- You graduated
from Hollins College
with a degree in...
19th century poetry?
- Yes, and I also have...
- Married?
Divorced.
And I also type,
not as quickly as these ladies,
but if I'm given the job,
I can certainly help this place
look less like a...
like a truck stop.
As the adage goes,
"A man is judged
by his appearance,
and I can certainly
help with that.
Divorced?
Okay, let's have
a quick turn around, girls.
All right,
lift skirts a little bit.
Are we applying
for the chorus line
or a secretarial job?
Everything must be appealing,
didn't ya say?
Let's go in the back,
honey, come on,
let's go know each other
a little bit better.
Well.
I guess the interview is over.
Yeah, I think he got
all he needed to know.
I'm too ugly,
and you're too bossy.
This is The Secret Storm,
brought to you by Dristan.
The measure of our leadership
is in rebuilt inventories,
increased production
all along the line.
The measure of our leadership
is the measure of the future.
When'd you get this?
Brought it in a few days ago.
Mrs. Grace Gordon
came in proud as you please.
That belonged
to her grandmother.
Can you just imagine
all those society evenings?
- That's fancy.
- Well, did you know
she lived in Paris, France,
for a while?
She must be hard up for money.
It's the same car,
the one with
the New York plates.
I'm tellin' ya,
something is goin' on.
Sure, George.
Probably Time magazine
come all the way down here
to report on paint drying.
- Where?
- Right there, the black sedan.
- That one right there?
- Right there.
Hello.
Well, look at you,
fresh as a daisy.
We were just talkin'
about your valuables.
Was anything sold?
Well, no, not yet.
All right, well.
Whoops, better get back to work.
I am in need
of a little more money
for something special
I'm working on,
and I wonder how much
I could get for these.
I mean,
it's costume jewelry, but,
- anything?
- Well...
...these are very beautiful.
Wish I had someone
to give em to.
You know, Dick, you should
buy something like this
for your wife.
- Do something nice.
- Why?
She ain't give me
nothing but a hard time.
Well, that's no way to be.
I can loan you $35 to $40
for the lot.
You know, I was thinkin'
about you the other day.
Here's...
Have a look at this here paper.
It says,
"Make the world
a beautiful place,
and make money doing it.
Avon is coming to your area,
and there's
new territory for sale."
Maybe this is for you.
Door-to-door sales?
Honey, 60-day loans
roll around real fast.
Yeah, and I may have managed
to stage a narrow escape.
We'll see.
- Right there.
- Well, I didn't count on that.
Well, I'm guessing you will.
I can do this here.
What do you think of that?
Congressman,
I can see you're up to
your same old tricks.
I might have one or two
left in the bag.
- I can say...
- Well, just say it.
I win.
Congratulations, Earl.
Yeah, I think this is
the first time
in two or three years
you beat me, well,
well done, well done, my friend.
All right, Tiny.
That is my last four bits.
Robbery.
You know, you should be
ashamed of yourself
treating your congressman
like this.
I gotta go, boys,
I got work to do,
but I wanted to give you
a little something here.
All right.
Here it is.
Tell 'em to have
a look at this here.
Yeah.
A little gift for you, boys.
Niggas got bones
in their nose in Africa.
God bless America?
- Congratulations.
- Bones in our noses
and wings on our backs.
Now, boys, aren't y'all tired
of being excluded?
We gotta
register ourselves.
We gotta be in the system.
We gotta be...
we gotta be counted.
Get out of here.
You all right?
- Watch your head.
- That's crazy.
Don't come around here.
Avon.
Hello? Avon.
Hello? Avon.
Avon calling.
Here to make your day
more beautiful.
My man don't allow
nobody on his property.
I'm not here for him.
I'm here for you
and I got products.
Ma'am, I ain't got no money.
You're a beekeeper?
Yes, ma'am.
Well, that's beautiful.
I always wanted
to be a beekeeper.
You don't want no run-in
with him.
Please go.
Who is that on my property?
Um...
Well, I'm here to see your wife.
Um, see if she's interested
in some products.
Well, she ain't go no money.
So get.
Go on now.
Get on out of here.
A girl should always have
mad money.
Every lady always needs honey.
I said get, bitch.
- Woo!
- I got her!
I got her, I got her!
What? Help!
What?
Help!
Good God Almighty, boys.
What have y'all done?
You from the truants' office?
I told them boys
to get to school,
but they don't mind me.
No, I'm Avon.
I'm here to make
your day more beautiful.
Reading, writing,
and 'rithmetic
don't mean shit
if all they do
is produce heathens.
Manners.
That's what they need
to be teachin' in schools.
These heathens
are your next citizens.
Yes, you have a point.
I'm not from
the truants' office.
Can you get
your boy off of me?
Leave that woman alone
and act right for once.
Not until you call uncle.
Let go of whoever
you've got this instant,
Bobby Jo, you hear me?
You hurt?
A little.
It's you, from the bank.
Miss Grace Gordon.
I'm Ruth, remember?
Yes.
If you don't mind me askin',
what in the name
of Sam Hill are you doin' here
on this side of town?
Avon, here to make your day
more beautiful.
But I'm... I'm not doing
a very good job.
Avon?
To this neighborhood?
Well, you landed
in the right place now.
Come on,
I'll get you cleaned up.
Thank you.
Golly.
Now you don't mind,
do you,
comin' in, I mean,
and gettin' somethin' to drink?
Do you have bourbon?
Why, yes, ma'am,
we sure do.
Then I'd be delighted.
Girls, we got a caller.
Things gonna make you
even more beautiful.
Come look.
Miss Effie,
we got Avon.
Girls.
Avon.
Straighten up.
- Here you go, Miss Grace.
- Thank you.
You got a room
full of ready customers,
don't she, girls?
Everyone, this is my friend,
Miss Grace Gordon.
And she's here
with some nice things.
- Well, um...
- That's right, baby doll.
This is a hootchie-cootchie
titty house.
Queenie, stop it.
Miss Grace, money don't know
no prejudice,
and we're workin' girls
that got money.
Well, that's right.
Well, all right, come on.
Right this way.
I have some very nice items.
Honey, we ain't lookin'
for nice.
Come on.
Look at this.
Scheherazade's Arabian Nights.
Now don't that sound exotic?
Shoot, sounds hot to me.
And expensive.
You're cheap, Queenie.
Bet you got the first dollar
you ever got laid for.
Don't you worry
bout what I got.
You got anything to cover this
in that bag of tricks?
Here.
Did someone hit you?
Some people
think hurtin' you
comes with the price
of the ride.
It's okay.
Miss Effie keeps a gun.
Scheherazade.
Who was she to get a perfume
named after her?
It's Scheherazade.
Now, let me tell you
about her.
See, in a far away land,
there was a king.
And each night,
he chose a wife.
And every day,
he beheaded her.
You know why?
Cause he didn't want her
to be unfaithful.
But when Scheherazade
was chosen,
she outsmarted him.
She spun a tale
that was so intriguin'
that the king
kept her alive
for 1,001 nights
just to hear more.
And then
she became his queen.
This day started off
just like any other regular day
and then you dropped in
and made it magic.
No, you've been the one
doin' all the sellin'.
You'd be good at sales.
No, no one's gonna hire
an uneducated hillbilly like me.
Nah, I gotta play
to my assets.
Plus, I got a little girl
to take care of.
I'm gonna make sure
she's educated.
She's gonna be
a fine lady like you.
All right, girls.
Tea party's over.
Ruth, Bay Bay,
you're on the window tonight.
It's a two-drink minimum,
on top no matter.
Come on, get a move on.
I hope our paths cross again.
I won't speak up or nothin',
just smile,
if you won't mind it.
Of course.
Honey, you got
your order ready.
You need to pack it up.
We got business.
Yeah.
All right.
What did y'all learn
at school today?
Wow.
A, B, C,
D, EF, G.
$6.70,
and then two Skin So Softs
at $5.78.
$20.03.
Easy money.
Sorry, did you just do that
in your head?
Got a head for figures,
I guess.
Yes, you have.
And for sellin'.
You should do somethin'.
Somethin' better than this.
Better?
I'm sorry,
I didn't mean to be rude.
It's just that... you could.
You're... useful.
This ain't no regular life
for you,
but I was born
on the wrong side of the tracks.
Ain't got no education
to speak of.
But I'm a saver.
Baby, you're gonna miss
the start of your show.
- Okay.
- Go on, get your study books.
- Bye.
- Bye.
Well?
How do I look?
I look all right?
Yeah.
All right.
For your future.
Which one of these
you want to use tonight?
Which one
makes me look thinner?
You ask a lot of these jackets,
Congressman.
The art of flattery
will only assist you, Walter.
You gonna stay the night?
Up to the lady, of course.
I do believe I have won my way
into her good graces.
Congressman,
don't get all caught up.
This woman is used
to nothing but high living.
There's a lot of work
to do over there.
Walter, I've been
playing this game
since before you were a gleam
in your father's prick.
No tie.
Yes, sir.
Mattie?
Jubilee?
We in here.
All right, what's goin on?
The man done turned us off.
He said they're a power company
not a charity business.
My God,
what else can happen?
Congressman called,
said he was ridin' into town
and said we sure would be
a good sight to see
if we wasn't doin' nothin'.
With no electricity?
Please do not tell me
that you invited him over.
We've got to close
this deal tonight, baby.
We in the dark.
After the day I've had.
How am I gonna pull that off?
I'm glad to be
goin' someplace
where there's not a care
in the world.
- Yes, sir.
- And one of God's
sweetest creatures
is gonna be treatin' me
like I'm all that matters.
Lord.
What's goin' on?
They sent one of them
rabble-rousers down here
to stir things up.
- Rabble-rouser?
- Yes, sir.
Is that one of King's men or one
of those crazies from Chicago?
One of King's men,
and a commie reporter too.
Dammit. Streets are safe.
Plenty of jobs.
I'd say we've created
a kind of utopia.
I wouldn't go that far.
What did you say, Walter?
Look at you?
Driving a Cadillac,
getting all the snatch
you can handle.
Back seat.
You've had your fair share
of the pie in your day too.
My day?
This is still my day.
My forefathers
wrote the Magna Carta
and the Constitution
and the Boy Scout manual,
three of the finest documents
ever written.
And I'm still writin'
damn good law.
Only thing
missing today is gratitude.
Congressman,
they just sayin'
why can't a negro man
eat where he wants?
Drink from the same fountain,
piss in the same pot?
What's that all about?
Hell, Walter, let's just get
to where there's no trouble
and no talk of change.
Now what's this all about?
What the hell?
Y'all blown a fuse?
Welcome!
Well, what have we here?
Scheherazade awaits.
Follow me.
Boss, be careful,
this looks like a trap.
Lead the way, my sweet.
Lead me away.
Jubilee, Jubilee.
Shut up.
Grace.
My Grace.
What do you have
on your mind?
And will I live up
to the challenge?
Well, I think
you'll manage just fine.
Come curl up under.
Let's enjoy the world.
Sounds like a perfect plan.
They say we're movin'
a thousand miles an hour
through space.
Yet down here it feels like
we sittin' still.
Yeah.
This is all just an illusion,
really, isn't it?
See, when I was young,
I used to see those lights
in the distance.
They'd sparkle like diamonds
and I thought...
...I was curious
to see what they were.
After all of your travels,
you finally found that
there's no place like home.
Come on.
What?
Let's swim in the moonlight.
Come on.
I double-dare you.
Beautiful.
God.
My God.
All right...
Geronimo!
God dammit!
I'm comin'.
Whilst he...
Who truly took it from them...
I'm readin'!
- You don't like me readin'?
- I'm listenin'.
You look damn fine,
little girl.
Go on.
Go on, back it up
in that chair now.
Ooh!
I'm gonna go get me
another drink.
I'll be back.
My man.
Good night, right?
Yeah. Say, Walter...
Walter.
I need your man
to send around a cruiser.
What's going on?
White trash
I've never seen before
been ridin' by
whoopin' it up.
I feel like combustion
is on its way.
- I'll talk to him.
- All right.
Well, well, well.
If it ain't
Mr. Rabble-rouser himself.
How you doin', sir?
Abel, set this man up
a drink here on me.
I'll take
a shot of Johnnie,
and I'll buy it myself,
all right?
- I don't need...
- Well, come on now, brother.
Just trying
to be hospitable.
Trying to set me up?
That's all you, baby.
Come on, pretty boy.
Dance with me.
Show old Viola how you move.
Careful with our V.
She might bite.
- Very good.
- Mind your business.
Look what we have here.
Let me get a water.
Hello.
Hey.
How you doin'?
Fine.
Abel, give her a real drink.
No. Water's fine.
I suppose that you came
to dance with old Walter.
We didn't lose.
But you ain't won yet either.
You scared?
Hey, hotshot.
Pour me one.
And then you and me
do a little bump and grind.
Vi, you need to calm down,
cool off.
Come on, what you want,
a Coca-Cola?
I'll buy it,
I'll buy it.?
I don't want no Coca-Cola
and I don't wanna cool off.
There are all these men
for you to dance with, so.
Go on, get out,
you're embarrassing yourself,
I'm with this lady.
Go on.
- Can I get another drink?
- What you want to drink?
And you ain't gonna get
no water.
Coca-Cola.
You with this fresh meat?
I'm with myself.
Yourself?
Yeah.
Well, you young and sassy now,
but you gonna get old
and used-up fast, gal,
cause nigger women
at the bottom of the rung
that everybody's stepping on.
Agh!
Y'all so fired up
about civil rights?
Y'all are quiet now.
Boy from New York coming here
talkin' 'bout Jim Crow.
What about Jane Crow?
What about us?
What about us?
Here, drink a cola
and don't worry about all that.
She just liquored up.
It's not the liquor,
she's cursed.
She's cursed?
Yes.
She wants to feel alive
but don't have a chance.
Shit, she ain't nothin'
but an old bar whore.
Liquor all she want.
She's like my mama.
High hopes
and low expectations.
I don't wanna end up like them
with no hope for better.
Well, you ain't like them.
A real fine lady.
Walter, come on.
You need to stop.
All right, come on now,
we gonna need to get along.
We gonna be seeing
a lot of each other.
Us with all of this time
we got in the world.
Y'all with all that money.
Wait.
What you mean,
us with all the money?
No, wait,
we the ones with all the time
and you the ones
with all the money.
Nah, that's not
how this deal goes.
You mean to tell me your man
over there ain't got nothin'?
My man ain't got shit.
He done bought every
last swamp deal there is.
We been sacrificin' while
treatin' y'all like kings.
Woo.
Well.
Looks to me like
you've been baitin' a catch.
Here.
I don't want you to think
you gave me nothin',
cause you ain't nothin'
to give.
Well, you too hard
on me, girl.
And you too light
on yourself, Walter.
Come on, Jubilee,
we gonna talk about it, baby.
You gonna come back?
- Kiss my ass.
- Come on.
I'd love to kiss your ass.
Come on back.
You fine as any... look at you
twistin' your hips like that.
I love you, girl.
Boss.
Psst, boss.
Boss, come on.
You scared
the piss out of me.
What the hell are you
doin' here so early?
We gotta go.
Come on, man.
Man is supposed to relax
on the Sabbath.
And they probably plannin'
fried chicken for lunch.
There ain't gonna be
no fried chicken,
no more love makin',
no morning bakery.
- We gotta go.
- What the hell
- you jabberin' on about?
- We're overstayin' our welcome.
Thank you very much,
Jubilee.
You folded the clothes,
I appreciate you.
Grace?
All right, ma'am,
we gonna get get out your way.
Come on, boss.
Jubilee, you want a piece...
Damn.
Things were gonna be so good.
Puttin' the weight
of the world down.
But she was only after...
What they all after, Jack,
and you ain't got jack shit.
I'd appreciate it
if people
spent a little less time
on my few faults
and concentrated more
on my many attributes.
You a good politician.
She didn't want to get used.
Hell, I get used all the time.
I'll think it over.
This is Grace Gordon.
If you're there...
...please give me a sign.
No.
I didn't think so.
And here's the pitch.
Sorry, ma'am, we're between
breakfast and lunch.
I can get you a cup of coffee
if you want.
No, I'm here
about the advertisement.
The hostess job?
Yes.
You ever work before?
I've been a hostess
my entire life.
A hostess?
Well, I think I could make
a difference here.
How much you expectin'
to get paid?
How much you payin'?
Someone like you,
no skills, a dollar an hour.
I'll take it.
When you plannin' on startin'?
Today.
Okay, well, come on back,
I'll introduce you
to the girls.
- Okay.
- Follow my rules around here.
$8.50, hardly worth
draggin' my ass out of bed.
Having to listen
to all of that complainin'
about this crappy food.
Well, you get what you give.
I made $15
cause I treat my people right.
That's right,
I keep forgettin'.
Our little do-gooder
just loves
wipin' somebody's ass
for a dollar.
We've been over this
too many times, Aileen.
What we're doing here
is called capitalism.
I get paid according
to my own effort.
Just do a better job.
You need to quit readin'
them books, Teresa.
That's why you don't have
a ring on that finger.
Cause no man wants a woman
spoutin' out your kind of crazy.
And how's havin' a man
worked out for you, nitwit?
Havin' your own money
is freedom.
All right, girls,
I'm not payin' you to argue.
- Hi, Grace.
- Hi.
We're not arguin',
it's just Teresa
spoutin her normal
retard shit.
What the hell's all this?
Another day laborer
walked out.
Well, I got somebody
who can help with that too.
Who the hell are you?
Well, all right,
bring em on by.
See, all right,
you've all been complainin'
about needin' some help.
What's she gonna do,
give out fashion advice?
She's gonna do the seatin'
and she's gonna help you
clear your tables,
and you're gonna give her
10% of what you get.
10%7
You're gonna starve us
out of here?
Well, I believe you can make
this place at least 10% better.
Thank you.
Two eggs, over easy,
two hash browns.
Toast.
Third time today I've seen
them redneck boys go by.
Looks like trouble to me.
Yeah, I know.
I've been keepin' my eye on em.
They're lovin' these cakes
you've been bringin' in.
They're nearly licking
the plates clean.
They may be lickin' the plates
of my cakes clean,
but not these plates
with this nasty food.
Shut up, girl,
and get back to work.
I hate this place.
We have talked
for a hundred years
or more.
It is time now
to write the next chapter
and to write it
in the books of law.
I urge you again,
as I did in 19 and 57,
and again in 19 and 60,
to enact a civil rights law
- so that we can move forward...
- For...
- to eliminate from this nation
- Shh.
...every trace
of discrimination and oppression
that is based upon
race or color.
There could be no greater
source of strength
to this nation,
both at home and abroad.
Second, no act of ours
means more security
for those now working.
More...
Damn socialist.
I'm lockin' up in back.
You two watch the front for me.
Good evening
and you're welcome...
Ma'am.
If you don't mind,
would you seat us.
Now y'all know
this is gonna cause trouble.
Yes, ma'am,
it probably is.
Thank you.
Come on, let's sit down.
My God.
My.
Here we go.
Hell no.
What? Agh!
Come here, come here!
What the hell?
That hoity-toity seated them?
And in my station?
I'm not touchin' nothin'
they put their fat lips on.
Hey. Come here.
God, woman, what the hell
were you thinkin'?
I can't serve Negroes.
No one will put a foot
in here again.
They're well-mannered
and they're polite.
Don't be naive.
They're lookin' for trouble.
And so are those rednecks
right there.
Look here, I didn't plan
on being center stage
of their drama.
One fork touches one pair
of nigger lips...
All right, hey, boys.
Hey, let's just calm down.
Shut the fuck up.
You again?
You seat these niggers?
Well, I am the hostess,
SO, yes,
I'm in charge of seatin'.
You ain't in charge of nothin'.
You want some of this, boy?
Now, you keep your place
like women are meant to.
And the sooner you get that
through your damn spoiled skull,
you don't matter shit.
Hey!
She matters plenty.
Hey...
Hey.
Hey, we did not come here
for fighting.
Spratz Diner.
Good enough to get arrested.
What you got
up your sleeve?
We ain't got nothin'
up our sleeves.
We got straight-out demands.
And what's that?
An appetizer.
Appetizer?
That's more like a tantalizer.
Miss Mattie,
what's goin' on in there?
We just tryin'
to feed you, sugar.
You women puttin' all
your voodoo magic in food,
tryin' to get him to do
something he don't want to do.
But you ain't gonna get him.
And you ain't gonna
get me neither.
Who said anything
about gettin' you?
We ain't practicin'
no voodoo up in here.
What do you need of me?
I'm at your service.
It's the bill.
The bill? What bill?
The Civil Rights Bill.
For God's sake.
Not you, too.
May we please
talk about somethin' else?
Cornbread.
Delicious.
Those look really fantastic.
I thought you liked
a good debate.
Yes, a good one.
Then I have one.
Put women in.
Women.
Dear lady, women are
not part of the debate.
No one on any side
has introduced that idea,
includin' that
Martin Luther King.
He's at the helm
of this movement now,
and including women
is not his intention.
No, not this time.
Then when?
Without women,
this country does not exist.
It's time, past time,
for women to be able
to pursue their own happiness,
their own liberty
under the law.
My fair lady,
for thousands of years,
all of us have agreed
to call women the weaker sex.
Now we all know
it's not true,
but it does make men
feel needed.
And men need
to feel needed.
A man's not needed,
he's just gonna sit down on ya.
We need to be
your white knights,
not your equal.
The facts are many women
have to take care of themselves.
They scratch out a livin'.
Unfairly paid for their work.
And why?
Because it's allowed
because there are no laws,
no protection.
Now, with this bill,
Lady Liberty might
become color blind to men,
but she still continues
to turn a blind eye
to what you call
the fairer sex.
You have me
at a disadvantage.
You'll be remembered
for being noble.
If I do this,
I'll be remembered as a fool,
if I'm remembered at all.
- May I eat somethin' now?
- Yes, you may.
They do look good.
- Ruth?
- Yes.
Ruth, it's Grace Gordon.
- Hi, Grace.
- Hi.
Um...
Boy, do I have
a lot to tell you.
But you know that...
that bag of money you got?
Well, you ever think
of investin' it?
As you said,
play to our assets.
In all the years you've been
scrapin' the sidewalks of DC,
you two have never yet met?
We travel down
different paths.
Mr. Celler
travels with a union
that doesn't think women
are to be treated as equal.
And, as you know,
it's my lifelong ambition
- to prove they should.
- Don't misrepresent me.
I've said that women should
remain a protected class.
Protected.
That's better than equal.
- Miss Powell.
- Thank you.
- Emanuel.
- Thank you.
This isn't gonna hurt much.
We've got a bill
in Congress right now
that wants to designate
bourbon whiskey
as a distinctive product
of the United States.
Think about that.
Just a few short decades ago,
this was illegal.
Shows you how quick people
can have their minds changed.
So what shall we drink to?
Well, let's get
right down to it.
To fairer days
for the fairer sex,
and to amending
the Civil Rights Bill
to include women.
Is that why you got her here,
the bill?
Now, Emanuel, hear her out.
You won't melt.
Well, there will be
no undermining
this long overdue issue.
This bill is for the Negro man,
not women.
- Not now.
- If not now, when?
I believe Abigail Adams
asked that very question.
188 years ago.
Domestic violence and death,
it just plays out across
our land night after night,
and the police refuse
to even take the calls.
They say she belongs to him.
A woman doesn't have
any real protection
unless she has equal access
to a job, to money, to freedom.
And when they take off
to have their child,
who will replace them?
That is a problem.
And when they return to work,
who will rear their child?
Women occupy one
of the most important roles
in our society: motherhood.
It is a man's job
to protect the women.
Now, Congressman Celler,
let's not pretend that
all men protect their women,
nor are we instructing them
to do so.
And what you refer to
as the most vital of all jobs
is unpaid,
in a land
where the dollar is king.
The mother is a pauper
or a slave.
To be absolutely fair,
probably women will do some
things I wish they wouldn't,
but it's not our business
to tell them
what they should do
with their freedom.
But it is our business
to make sure
that they have the right
to try.
Gentlemen.
Don't even think about this,
Congressman,
no piece of ass
worth throwin' ourselves
under the load
about to hit us.
Watch your language.
I said I was gonna do this,
so I will.
Now, everything straight?
Your face gonna
be in the dictionary
under T for Traitor.
Walter.
There are no faces
of forgotten congressmen
in the dictionary.
It's all gonna be just fine.
As long as everybody
follows the rules.
What we have works.
If you are determined
to keep this bill
as it stands,
there will remain
only one group
of second-class citizens
in this country.
Your mothers, sisters,
wives, and daughters.
Women.
So good of you to help.
It's the least I could do.
After what you did for me
and Angelina.
Set us up in business.
I'm Avon now.
Door-to-door sales.
And I've been meetin'
all sorts of interestin' people.
Women sellin' to women.
It's the future.
Sure is my future.
Well, you tell her,
I'm not gonna charge her
interest.
I want to help.
That's awfully nice of you.
- Come on, little one.
- Come on, baby girl.
Go on in here.
Wanna see a trick?
All right.
You see this?
You see it, right?
Blow on it.
Voila.
Wait a minute.
This is for you.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
I will be at the opening night.
Make sure Dick brings his wife,
do somethin' nice
for a change.
Ruth...
Would you be interested
in calling it a date?
A date?
- With me?
- Come on.
All right.
All right.
Did she say all right?
Yeah, she did.
She said all right.
All right.
A date.
You got a boyfriend.
Come on now.
For women?
Negro men waited 300 years
to get a seat at the table
and what you do?
Pull out a chair for em.
Walter, you're gonna grumble
about this
for the rest of your life.
They're equal.
You're equal,
we're all equal.
It's what we do with it now
that matters.
Never in history
have those in power
handed over
such an opportunity.
See where this takes us.
Wait, slow down, slow down,
there it is.
Any other bastard would have
kept her in a gilded cage.
I gave her an exit.
I did it for them.
For her.
- Best table in the house.
- Thank you.
Well.
- Thank you, Walter.
- Yes, sir.
Well, well, well.
Look at what
these women have done.
Mattie.
It smells like magic here.
Doin' our best.
Grace.
You have managed
to accomplish
what 200 years
of Congress could not.
Everyone seated
at the table.
And I guess you won't need
my services anymore.
I'll need you,
perhaps not, but...
...want?
Tonight under the tree.
And you think we'll make it
past sunrise this time?
Yes, ma'am.
Hey, you,
quit hogging the biscuits!
I'll take care of this.
Just like you always have
to take what's not yours.
I wouldn't miss it.
Another time and place.
So nice that we all get
to break bread together,
- isn't it?
- Yes, sir.
Especially
in such a charming place.
And those biscuits
are the finest
south of the Mason-Dixon line.
And trust me,
there's none good north of it.
I just want to smash it
in my face.
Isn't that good?
And always a pleasure
to see you both.
Enjoy your meal,
enjoy your dinner.
My goodness.
I've never seen a table
with such beautiful women
in my life.
Gentlemen,
you better behave yourselves.
How y'all doin'?
Good?
My man.
Have a drink.