Somewhere in Queens (2022) Movie Script

1
["Buona Sera"
by Louis Prima playing]
[indistinct chatter]
- [Louise] You cryin', Dad?
- [crying]
Guess what time it is.
It's cake time!
- Congratulations.
- Congratulations.
Louise, you look beautiful.
Doesn't she look beautiful?
You look beautiful.
I never seal the envelope
until I see what kind
of party is thrown.
It's all in here.
I love youse both. Mwah!
Louise, I know you think
I hate you. I don't. I love you,
and I was right
about that dress.
Sebastian, you better be
good to her because
she's my ride or die.
- I swear. She seriously--
- Yeah. You better
treat her right.
Yeah, treat her right,
'cause if not, I'm gonna beat
the fuck out of you.
[woman] Say hi to Aunt Louise!
Hi, Aunt Louise.
Congratulations from all of us
in the Russo family.
- [man] Whoo!
- Right?
- Salute , eh?
- Yeah.
- Salute !
- Salute !
[Rosa] Love it, Dad.
Short and sweet.
Oh, go. Go say what you want.
Oh, Oh, okay.
This is gonna be good, boys.
[laughter]
- Okay. Uh...
- Give it to me.
Uh, God bless from me
and Leo and Sticks.
We love you both.
Okay, who's next? Ro, talk.
Me? No. What the hell
am I gonna say? Here.
Oh, not Sticks. Kid hasn't made
a sound since his baptism.
Gotta be an asshole
on the wedding video.
[laughter]
Sticks, gonna make a man
out of you.
No, no, no,
he's already a man.
Relax, Leo.
[Leo] I am relaxed.
I'm just saying...
- All right, give me the thing.
- [laughter]
- No. I got somethin'.
- [indistinct chatter]
Uh, Sebastian and Louise...
- Uh, I guess...
- [Pops] Put down the wine.
That's enough.
- Who got my fork?
- Oh, here. Take mine, Dad.
- I got one.
- That's my fork.
The best advice
I could give to you is, uh,
don't hurt each other, you know?
- If you can avoid it.
- [utensils clatter]
- And, uh...
- Can you please
move over, please?
- Thank you.
- [indistinct chatter]
- Oh.
- Get him a glass.
[indistinct chatter]
So God bless. God bless to you,
and God bless the children
that you're gonna make
for all of America.
Yeah. Okay.
That was different.
Hey, hey, hey.
H-hold-- hold on, hold on.
Yeah, listen. Um...
You want us to edit you out?
- Yeah, edit me out.
- Okay.
- [Rosa] You're like a freakin'
12-year-old.
- [laughter]
You're 12 years old.
["I Got A Name"
by Iron & Wine playing]
[horn honks]
- No cheesy things?
- I'm concentrating here.
No cheesy things.
Five o'clock today, okay?
Don't forget.
- Be ready.
- Yeah, yeah. Aren't you late?
Nah.
Oh, shit.
No more parking tickets.
Five o'clock,
please, Ange. Serious.
Costing us a fortune.
[door closes]
Fuck me.
The fuck is this?
You know, I've been friends
with him my whole life.
Can't remember him running,
even when we were kids.
Looks like
he shit his pants, no?
No parking in this neighborhood.
I'm like a mile away.
Are they here?
Nah, I think they're bidding
on that Jackson Heights job.
Oh, right. Right.
Good, good.
I got to leave early, so they
don't need to know I'm late.
You know me.
I don't know nothin'.
- Huh.
- Hey, Leo! Hey,
you think you can get
one of your guys to come
look at my bathroom today?
My damn tub is leaking.
Oh. Yeah, okay.
- Sure, we'll get in there.
- Oh, thank you.
Hey, if you hear some groaning,
it's just this old lady
tryin' to yoga.
- [laughs] Bye.
- [Leo] Huh.
Kind of hope she groans, right?
I was thinking the same shit.
[laughs]
[vehicle approaches]
[engine turns off]
How'd it go, Dad?
How did it go?
Frank gave him a price.
They're gonna ask for lower.
You know, we'll see.
Yeah. Oh, uh,
the lady, uh, Pamela,
she said her tub's leaking,
so I told her
we'd get in there--
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Leo, come on.
You don't promise the client
anything until I speak...
I didn't promise anything.
Forget it. Let's go take a look.
Come on.
The gate, guys, it needs
to be primed and painted.
Nobody's going home
until it's done.
Okay, but you know
I got to leave early, right?
- 'Cause I got Sticks' game.
- You better get to it, then.
I'll check out
the tub thing, Pops.
Your little brother's
turning into a real dick.
Yeah, you know,
got a lot of pressure.
Foreman and all,
it's a lot of stress.
Irregardless, glad I used
to beat the shit out of him.
These are so nice.
They do a good job
at that Versailles.
The Viennese hour was late.
That pissed me off.
- It was fine.
- [sighs]
And the chocolate fountain
was spinning all lopsided.
I think that's how it's supposed
to look when it spins.
It was all beautiful, Connie.
So beautiful.
Louise looked gorgeous.
Oh, they look so nice together.
Where'd they go again
for the honeymoon?
Anguilla.
Am I saying that right?
Oh, that's nice.
That's tropical, right?
I don't know what it is,
but they'd better
get pregnant there.
[laughter]
What? I got nothing to do now.
She's out of the house.
Let's go. Gimme a baby.
I put a bottle of wine
in her luggage
- because wine always helps.
- That's funny.
When Phil's horny,
he gives me wine. He knows...
I need wine.
Of course you need it.
I can't fuck Lou without wine.
- Oh, boy!
- Phil pours me wine
and does this frickin'
English accent.
- [laughs] No.
- Yeah.
Thinks it's sexy.
Sounds Japanese. Swear to God.
- [laughter]
- How about Leo?
Quiet ones are always
the biggest freaks, right, Ange?
Little different
for us still. [chuckles]
She lost weight--
Louise, right?
That dress fit her so good.
Yeah. Unfortunately, her nose
becomes more prominent
with the weight loss,
but you can't win 'em all.
[door squeaks open]
Okay, Dad, I'm gonna go.
- And the gate?
- Done. Finished. Yeah, 100%.
- Yeah.
- All right.
Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna go.
It's his last game tonight...
unless they win.
Then they got the playoffs.
Well, they're not
gonna win, though.
They're playing the best team
in the Tri-State area.
Uh-huh.
Yeah, it's too bad.
Basketball's been good
for his confidence.
You know, you, uh, you never
seen him out there, Dad.
Maybe you should come, huh?
Get a chance to see him play.
It's, uh...
He's different out there.
You just told me
he was gonna lose.
Yeah, but that-- uh...
- Tub's fixed.
- Come here, come here.
I wanna show you something.
Look at this. Got a problem.
[Frank] Oh, my God.
You know how much problems
that's gonna give us?
We gotta call
an engineer in here.
- Exactly
- Look at this here.
Because here, look...
All right, see you Monday.
...through the pantry...
[cheering]
[chanting] We are... Glendale!
We are... Glendale!
We are... Glendale!
We are... Glendale!
[chanting] Principal Murphy!
- [rhythmic clapping]
- Okay.
[all chanting]
Principal Murphy!
Principal Murphy!
Whoo!
Don't make me run, Leo.
Gonna miss the intros now.
- Mr. Russo!
- Hey, Marshall.
I saved you your regular seats.
It wasn't easy.
Almost a full house tonight,
last game and all.
Well, no,
not if we win, Marshall.
True, but North Jersey's
ranked first
- in the Tri-State area.
- Yeah.
John Slaughter averages
31 points a game.
Nice to see you, Mrs. Russo.
First time since the Great Neck
game in February.
- [horn honks]
- Oh! Got to go!
- Nothing gets by that kid, huh?
- No, he knows his stuff.
I like him. Come on.
[announcer]
Put your hands together
for your starting lineup
for your Glendale Cougars!
[cheers and applause]
At guard,
junior Blake Corcoran!
[cheers and applause]
Oh, shit. They started
already. Come on.
[announcer speaks indistinctly]
[cheers and applause]
Come on, come on.
Up here. Here.
- Don't push me.
- I'm not. Just get up there.
Leo, give me some hope here.
Can we sneak a win?
- Hey, why not, right?
- That's what I wanna hear.
- [Leo] Come on. Right here.
- [announcer] And finally,
at forward, standing
six foot, two inches...
- Just made it.
- Calm down.
Breathe or somethin'.
...Matthew "Sticks" Russo!
[cheers and applause]
[crowd chanting] ...Russo!
Mister... Russo!
Mister... Russo!
Mister... Russo!
[chanting continues]
How long have they
been doing that?
Last three or four games.
'Cause I'm here
all the time, I guess.
- Weird, right?
- Yeah. I can see you hate it.
[cheers and applause]
[buzzer]
[whistle blows]
I got him.
Go, go!
- Ohh! Ohh!
- Oh, man.
- Cut, cut!
- Here you go, Sticks!
- [grunts]
- No!
- [cheering]
- Yeah!
- [man] That's the shit, Leo!
- [laughs]
- Oh, no!
- [groans]
- Ohh!
- [cheering]
[chanting]
Defense! Defense! Defense!
[groans]
- Ohh! Matty!
- Yeah!
[player] Go, go, go.
[cheering]
- Let's go!
- Yes!
[announcer] That's halftime,
ladies and gentlemen.
- Oh, my God!
- [cheering]
[announcer] See you
in about 20 minutes.
Who let the dogs out?
Who, who, who, who, who
Who let the dogs out?
- Who, who, who, who, who
- [laughs]
They know that's
20 years ago, right?
I know. I told 'em we should use
"Ain't gonna be no rematch."
- Huh?
- Um, the end of Rocky .
Creed hugs him and says,
"Ain't gonna be no rematch."
Rocky says, "Don't want one."
That's 40 years ago.
- Thank you.
- [chants] Hey, Mr. Russo!
You got to believe, Mr. Russo.
[laughs] I do, Ryan. I do.
I don't know if that's Ryan.
- Oh, shit.
- What?
- Angela!
- Hi, Dorothy.
Hi. I haven't seen you
in a while.
Well, you know,
but last game, so...
No, no, not if we win.
Look at your hair.
It came back wavy
like I told you.
Yeah, yeah.
That's my sister now, you know.
Yeah, me too.
Uh, two hot dogs
and a Sprite, please.
Coming up. You look great.
- [under breath] I'm leaving.
- What?
Mm, she's gonna push
that support group shit on me.
I'm tired of saying "no" to her.
Just tell her I had to pee.
- Oh, come on.
- Hey, Leo.
What are you feeding that kid?
We got a shot at this.
Oh, that's-that's who he is,
you know?
It's his mom who feeds him.
Nah, you feed him. Leo.
It's you!
[chuckles]
[girl] Mom, I told you
I was going to a game.
Yes, I did. You just never
listen to me. That's why.
[faucet running]
Okay, bye.
[indistinct chatter]
- Oh, Mrs. R.
- Emory.
- Our boy bangin' tonight, huh?
- Yeah, I guess he's bangin'.
How's your mom? You being
a pain in the ass to her?
Come on. Don't do that, Mrs. R.
You know I'm the best.
- We should get back, right?
- Yeah, but look who's here.
Oh, you broke up with Stephanie?
Stephanie?
Wait a minute, Mrs. R.
You don't know who this is?
You've never seen her.
Yeah, I seen her
in the bathroom.
- [laughs]
- Oh, shit.
Hey, this is Sticks' girl.
- What?
- [scoffs]
My boy don't even tell
his moms. Of course.
Mrs. R., you're Mrs. Russo?
Oh, my God. Hi.
- Hi.
- It's so nice to meet you.
- Oh. Well, wait, my Sticks?
- [Emory] Yeah.
It's so like him, right?
All quiet and weird. [laughs]
Mm. Yeah, yeah.
You should see your face
right now, Mrs. R.
- God, this shit is hysterical.
- Emory! Come on! Let's go!
Hey, boo-boo!
Hey, I got to go, Mrs. R.
- I'll see you later.
- Okay.
Um... okay.
Well, this was cool.
- Yeah.
- [giggles] Bye.
You too.
[Emory] Y'all,
I see you runnin', bro,
where my Skittles at?
Hey, Ange. I'm looking all over
for you. Halftime's over.
Matthew's got a girlfriend.
[cheering]
- [whistles]
- [chanting] Defense!
Defense!
Defense! Defense! Defense!
[crowd groans]
Come on, come on.
[cheering]
[cheering]
- [grunts]
- [crowd cheering]
Yeah!
- [chanting] Defense!
- I got ball! I got ball!
Defense!
Defense! Defense!
- Defense! Defense!
- [grunts]
Stay on him, Sticks.
Stay on him.
Defense! Defense!
- No! No! No.
- No, no.
[cheering]
- We can win this!
- [man] Come on, Glendale.
[chanting]
I believe that we will win!
I believe that we will win!
I believe that we will win!
- I believe that we will win!
- Johnny, go.

- [yells]
- [buzzer]
[crowd shouting indistinctly]
Good game, Glendale! Good game!
[announcer]
Congratulations, North Jersey.
You played a great game.
- Well, that sucked.
- [Scott] Leo.
Leo, I'm gonna make
this high-def for you, okay?
I'll tell you what.
I'll bring it by the house.
- Thanks, Scott.
- Yeah.
That'll be nice
for Matthew to look at.
Sure.
Well, come on. We should be
down there when he comes out.
Yeah.
Ah, I should have worked
with him more on his jump shot.
When? Since he's ten, you're in
the yard with him every second.
- Yeah...
- Here he comes.
Don't be all sad, okay?
Let's be happy
for what he done.
She go in the locker room
with him?
All right, don't be mean
in front of her, Ange.
She don't know us yet.
Sticks, 22 points. Nice.
Rather win.
Yeah. Yeah, of course
we'd rather win. Yeah.
Who's this, Sticks?
Oh, this is Dani.
I mean, her name is Danielle.
- But... yeah.
- Hi again. [laughs]
And I guess just a first "hi"
to you, Mr. Russo.
- Yeah, hi. Hi.
Nice to meet you.
- Yeah.
Say something!
Ow... but... uh,
you said "hi" already, so...
Where you from, Danielle?
- Uh, Forest Hills Gardens.
- Oh.
Not the ritzy part.
We're mostly normal. [laughs]
Got the smallest house
on the block. Right, Matty?
You been to her house.
- Not in it, but you know, yeah.
- [cellphone rings]
Oh, shit.
We got to go, Matty.
I, uh, I got to drive her
to work.
Oh, we were gonna go to Corona,
get some lemon ices, you know,
celebrate everything.
You could come.
Oh, that's so nice, um,
but my boss sucks if I'm late.
He's an idiot, so...
Told her I'd drive her,
so let's go.
It was really nice
to finally meet you guys,
no thanks to this one.
[giggles] Bye.
[Dani giggles]
Wait. Come here.
- [laughs]
- Oh.
- Okay, go.
- Oh, man.
Come to dinner Sunday!
- Ma, she don't--
- I would love to.
I love Italian food.
Okay, Sunday, twelve o'clock.
Dinner at 12. I-I love it.
I'll be there. Thank you.
Now take me to work, boy.
You want me to get fired?
[Dani laughs]
Wait! I'm slipping.
- [Sticks] Kind of heavy.
- [Dani] Hey!
- Sorry.
- [laughs]
Do not fuckin' like her.
How come we don't know
about her till now?
- What? Who?
- The girl.
Danielle, or Dani,
or whatever she calls herself.
I don't know.
Come on. He's 18.
He's doing a lot of things
we don't know about.
Name one.
Name one thing that kid does
we don't know about.
Well, how am I supposed
to name it
- if we don't know about it?
- Open the car.
You know, what's funny is
you worry about him
'cause you never talk to nobody,
and now he's got a girlfriend,
you're still worried.
So which is it?
They're filling gaps, Ange.
- What?
- Yeah, what-what Rocky said,
- why he went out with Adrian.
- [sighs] Here we go.
[imitating Rocky Balboa]
"I got gaps. She's got gaps."
- Together they have gaps.
- "Together, we fill gaps."
- Open the door.
- It's true.
- [car alarm chirps]
- [man] Excuse me!
Yeah. How you doing? I'm sorry.
Front gate to get out of here?
Yeah. No, up the hill
around there.
Oh, thank you. Yeah.
I get lost in an elevator.
- Huh.
- Hey, wait a second.
You're, uh,
you're number 42's dad, right?
- Huh?
- Uh... [chanting] Mr. Russo!
- Yeah, that's me.
- Yeah. Hey, your kid--
he had a good game.
Twenty-two points.
Yeah. Yeah, 22 points.
I mean, that's more than some
teams get against North Jersey.
- Where's he going to college?
- Oh, well, no. He's--
He's coming to work for us--
a family business, construction.
Wait, wait,
you're-you're telling me
he's not going anywhere
with game like that?
Look, with all due respect,
and this is none
of my business--
That's right. It's not.
[laughs] Well, actually, it's--
it's exactly my business.
- I'm a talent evaluator.
- [softly] Hmm?
- I'm a scout for Syracuse.
- Syracuse?
Wait, wait. You-you think
that Sticks can--
No, no, no. I'm sorry, look--
No, I'm here for Slaughter.
Your son's
not going to Syracuse,
but you're telling me
none of the smaller schools
came sniffing around here
for your boy?
- Sniff what?
- [sighs] This is the problem.
See, no one's gonna hear about
a kid on the Glendale Cougars,
and it's a shame,
'cause all the roster spots,
they're probably filled up
by now, but...
Look, if-if you want me
to make a few phone calls,
there might be
a hole here or there.
Some of those holes
have scholarships.
[game plays quietly
on television]
Sounds like
he's full of shit, Leo.
No, no, no, I mean, he got us
a meeting at the school,
so he's not full of shit.
Seemed a little
squirrelly to me.
What he said made sense.
Why couldn't Sticks play, huh?
We're eating in 20 minutes.
Do not fill up on this.
If we can't eat it,
why are you bringing it out?
'Cause Ma said bring it,
and if I don't bring it,
she's gonna talk about it
for the next 15 days,
and you don't got
to fucking live with her!
Only one of us has to live
in this goddamn house!
- [laughter]
- [Rosa groans]
Look, I mean,
the kid's not gonna play
for the Knicks, right?
- Nobody said that.
- Jesus Christ.
These refs are killing me.
What school
are we talking about?
Drexel. It's in Philly.
Sounds like an ice cream.
Actually, that's Carvel.
I'm joking, dummy.
Oh. [chuckles]
One of the recruits got
Lyme disease or somethin',
so we got lucky.
[exhales deeply]
Gonna lose a three-team parlay
'cause of these
crooked-ass refs.
[Pops] So what happens, Leo?
I mean, he screws around
at this, uh, ice cream school
for-for-- for four years,
then comes to work
for us anyway.
Why waste all that time?
Well, uh, maybe
he takes business,
and he learns something
that helps Russo Construction.
Like what?
Stuff that you learn in school.
I don't know.
- Something we don't know.
- We or you?
'Cause we know all we need
to know about our business.
That's why it works.
I can't take it.
Cover your ears, boys.
You're killing me!
You cheating, game-fixing
son of a bitch!
That wasn't even that bad,
Uncle Pete.
Yeah. It's Sunday.
I left some shit out.
[laughs]
So, is this like
a special occasion?
Somebody's birthday
or something?
No, just Sunday.
And everybody comes?
Your whole family?
Yeah, every Sunday.
That's amazing.
My family... I don't know.
They're just different,
I guess. I love this.
Okay, listen, though,
if I start saying something
stupid or that's, like,
insulting or whatever,
just give me a kick under
the table, and I'll shut up.
I don't think you
can insult them.
I don't know.
Sometimes I get a big mouth,
and then I just start talking,
and I just... Hold on.
Hey! Hey, pencil guy.
What's your name?
- Wally.
- [horn honks]
Relax! I'm talking to Wally.
Hey, I still need to get
my taxes done.
I'm coming to you, all right?
Wally! [laughs]
Sorry.
People just ignore
those guys all day,
so I just like to...
I don't know.
I just like to say "hi"
so they don't feel invisible.
You know? [laughs]
God, I look like a crazy person.
What is your family gonna think
when they see me like this?
I don't really care
what they think.
How come we haven't had sex yet?
Um...
It's not a bad thing.
It's just...
What, three weeks? Right?
Emory said don't tell you this.
But I never tried
sleepin' with nobody.
You knew that?
Yeah.
Take a right up here.
Well, no,
my nonna 's house is--
No, I know where it is.
Just take a right.
["Beyond"
by Leon Bridges playing]
[Sticks grunts softly]
Uh, this isn't gonna work
for us. Come on.
[grunts]
[giggles]
- My legs are getting caught.
- [laughing]
I, um... I don't know
how funny this is.
[laughs]
I think it's a little funny.
You know, it's getting
kind of cold out here.
[dog barks in distance]
Shit! Shit! Shit!
Oh, shit! Get in, get in! Oh!
- [giggles]
- Shit.
[laughs]
- Did he see you?
- I don't know.
- Why would you do that?
- [laughs]
I swear, I've never seen
anybody walking through here.
Sorry. [laughs]
So you've been here before?
Not a lot, but...
yeah, I've been here.
["Beyond"
by Leon Bridges playing]
Thank you, God,
for blessing us with this food,
our health, our family.
And, uh, thank you for, um,
blessing us with the new company
we have today.
In your name,
we will forgive her and Sticks
for being 25 minutes late.
- [laughter]
- And, uh, that's it. Amen.
[Rosa] Amen.
Mangia. Tutti mangia.
- [Rosa] All right.
- [indistinct chatter]
- Sauce-- put sauce on that.
- You gotta put the sauce on.
Dani, how'd you meet
this little shithead over there?
- Petey.
- [laughter]
I say it with affection.
He knows.
Uh... [laughs] First time
was when Glendale came
and played over at Hillcrest.
Danielle's from Forest Hills.
Oh, yeah? We worked
on a house over there.
Yeah, guy had a Maserati.
Yeah, but it was yellow.
No, thanks.
See, Sticks? Athletes--
they get all the girls.
Actually, I-I didn't even know
Sticks played basketball.
I just saw him
in the parking lot.
[laughs]
Just saw him in the parking lot.
- How about that?
- And then what?
Uh, then I...
I just went over there,
and I said,
"We should hang out."
- You go to him?
- Yeah.
- [gasps] Oh, no.
- What do you expect?
You expect Harpo Marx over
there to talk to her first?
[laughter]
No, no. [speaks Italian]
Ma, relax. Women are allowed
to make the first move
since, uh, 1971.
What are you waiting
for then, Ro?
Oh, you know what?
Fuck you, Frank.
- Hey.
- You're breaking
Mom's heart over here.
How about I stick my foot
right up your fucking asshole?
- Enough! I'm telling
all of you now.
- Oh!
I told-- I said
it's enough, didn't I?
You know, with your mother
sitting right here.
Show some respect, huh?
- Sorry.
- All right.
So, Dani,
you graduate high school
next month too, right?
- Yeah. I can't wait.
- Yeah.
- Then college.
- Oh, God, no. [laughs]
A lot of things I want to do.
I'm gonna drive cross-country.
Oh.
For what?
Um... [laughs]
How am I gonna change the world
if I don't see it all first?
Man, I'm being weird.
You're supposed to kick me.
You're not weird.
Well, the thing is, I...
I just want to figure it
all out, you know?
What's my path? How am I
gonna make a difference?
And all that stuff.
What do your mother and father
say about that?
- They're pissed.
- I bet they are.
Yeah, but they're full of it.
They just-- They want me to go
to some Ivy League school
so they can brag about it
to their friends.
It's all about them. [scoffs]
That's why I'm working
at that crappy diner,
'cause I need to buy a car.
My dad says he'll pay
for school and nothing else,
which is stupid,
'cause I would just end up
partying with a bunch of idiots
who don't know what they
want to do yet either.
[clears throat]
- Any more meatballs?
- Oh!
- I make some more.
- Oh, no, no, no. I--
- Please. No, no, no--
- Too late.
No, you did it. You did it.
No, really, I have enough.
Well, you're getting
more meatballs.
- Everybody's gettin'
more meatballs.
- Yes.
The neighbors
are getting meatballs.
- Everybody. Yeah.
- [laughter]
Thank you.
I like what this kid's saying.
What, about the college?
Yeah, but I don't think--
She's right.
The kid's gonna end up
working for us anyway,
making big money, right?
L-let's get to it.
Feels good making money,
right, boys?
Bought a Mustang.
Twenty-two years old,
got his own Mustang.
[Pops] Listen to your
girlfriend, Sticks.
Don't waste your time
with that meeting.
Uh, no, no, no.
I-I didn't say that.
That would be stupid.
[thud]
How's that?
They're offering him
a scholarship, right?
That's like 100 grand
in free money.
Don't fool yourself, kiddo.
Nothing is free
in this world, huh? Yeah.
I mean, they-- they say
they're giving you the money,
and then they, you know,
they schmuck you around with--
Well, yeah,
but you don't know that yet.
I mean, Mr. Russo,
you're a businessman.
You know don't turn down
work before you talk
to the client, right?
I mean, if you don't hear
their offer first,
how do you know they're really
schmucking you around?
[chuckles]
I guess there's no harm
in lookin'.
[chuckles]
Sticks! You got
a little firecracker here.
- [laughter]
- Sticksy! Wow!
[laughter]
- All right.
- Good boy.
[overlapping chatter]
Where are the meatballs, Ma?
- I'ma comin'. Shut up!
- [laughter]

[Ange] I can't find
this damn athletic center.
Got here pretty quick, huh?
I mean, hour and 45,
door to door.
Man, look at this.
I never thought
there was anything,
you know, beautiful in Philly.
You need to turn down
the rah-rah. Okay?
What? This is normal stuff
I'm saying.
You called goats on the side
of the highway "majestical."
- Well, that's not what I said.
- Mm.
I said the sun that was
coming up behind the goats
was majestical.
Goats were just, you know,
part of the majesty.
Just turn it down.
I'm excited. This could happen,
for Sticks. Right?
I mean, who would have thought
this kid with this anxiety stuff
and afraid of anything new...
- Yeah.
- And here we are, right?
I'm saying,
just let it be his choice,
'cause that stuff
is still inside of him.
And if we push him
into something he don't want,
he starts feeling overwhelmed,
that's gonna mess him up
even more.
All right, you're right.
I'll tone it down.
These trees, Sticks, huh?
They're everywhere.
We're a small school, Matthew,
but it's full of good people.
Really good people.
[Leo] Yeah, we seen that.
My wife got lost,
and some very nice people
gave us directions.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah.
We call him "Sticks,"
by the way,
'cause of the long legs.
Always had 'em.
Yeah. Came out
of the chute that way.
Just kept growing.
Still growing.
Six-three?
Six-two.
Okay.
Still growing, though.
All right, enough chit-chat.
Let's, uh, go take a look
at the gym.
Oh, great.
Really? Came outta my "chute"?
Right in here.
Mr. Parsons mentioned
a scholarship?
A scholarship spot
has opened up,
but there are six prospects
we're looking at.
Well, seven now,
including Sticks.
Well, uh, Mr. Parsons--
he didn't say
nothin' about that.
No. Man's a scout.
He doesn't work here.
- So he wouldn't know
about that.
- Right.
He just knows talent
when he sees it.
So in three weeks,
we try out all the recruits.
And if Ben's right about Sticks'
talent here, and he usually is,
then I think you've got
a pretty good chance.
Here we are.

Saturday
Bwomp, bwomp
In the park
Bwomp, bwomp
Two thousand seats, huh?
You believe that?
Yeah, believed it when you
told us eight hours ago, Leo.
I tell you about the trees?
Yeah, like a half-wit.
You told us about trees.
Come on. Time to lock up, Leo.
I want to catch my bookie.
Got to settle up
before the Knicks start.
You go. I'm gonna lock up here.
I want to finish this
so I don't hear Frank's shit.
You sure?
I can wait a few minutes.
No, no, I got it.
Give me the keys.
- Okay, weirdo.
- Go lose your money.
- I'll catch you tomorrow.
- Later, Leo.
People, dancing people
Smiling
Singing Italian songs
These are the best fries
I ever had.
Maybe it's 'cause they're free.
- Shh!
- Don't think he heard me.
So... what else?
How are the dorms?
They're far. Far away, you know?
It's Philadelphia.
That's nothing.
Yeah, I guess.
- They got big guys there.
- Hm.
I'm only, like,
average next to them.
I don't hang out with average.
- I wrote you somethin'.
- What do you mean?
Nothing. Sometimes I just
think stuff, so I write it down.
What, like a poem?
Don't rhyme or nothing. Here.
Uh-uh, you wrote it,
you read it.
No, it-- it ain't that good
or anything.
If I read it, you're really
gonna think it sucks.
Like that would happen. Come on.
It's not the critic that counts.
It's the man in the arena.
Teddy Roosevelt.
Maybe it was the other one.
I don't know.
One of the Roosevelts.
But it's true.
You are the man in the arena.
You are the brave one.
So what everybody else
says or thinks doesn't matter
'cause they're all pussies.
Okay. Uh...
"Every time my eyes look at her,
my mouth waits
for the right words
to tell her how
she makes me feel.
Words like 'happy' and 'strong',
but better than that.
Come on, brain.
Send some words down.
But they don't come.
Next time I'll ask my heart.
There's words in there.
But don't worry, mouth.
There's only three of 'em."
You get it?
Saturday, bwomp, bwomp
- In the park
- [car door slams]
Bwomp, bwomp, I'm singing
on the 4th of July
- You're still here?
- Oh. [chuckles]
I like a foreman who stays
longer than his workers.
Tell you the truth, I'm not--
It's, uh, my brother Frank--
Ohh! I'm still sore
from today. Oh.
[sighs]
You know, you're good.
You're really good.
Yeah. Ed, he couldn't even
hang a friggin' picture.
Yeah, he wasn't good at much.
[laughs]
Although, you know, he was...
he was always there.
- Hmm.
- You know?
I think I do, yeah.
And then he goes and dies, so...
he's not good at that
no more neither, huh?
- [laughs]
- Oh.
You have dirt on you.
- Oh.
- Yeah.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Tomorrow. That's...
when we come back, yeah.
- Okay.
- All right.
- Bye.
- Bye.
[door closes]
[exhales ]
[sighs]
Whoo.
- [Leo] Hey!
- Hey. How was work?
Normal, 100% normal.
Yeah. So where is he?
Oh, where you think?
What's her face?
Oh, yeah? So, uh, what then?
Uh, we're alone?
Yeah, we're alone.
What do you think?
Somebody's
in the friggin' closet?
What the hell does that mean?
I'll put you in the closet, huh?
- I'll get in there with you.
- Okay.
Petey show your porn
on his phone again?
- Mm. You're the porn.
- [sighs]
The mommy porn.
- Ew, Leo.
- Yeah, that was stupid.
I don't know why I said that.
Forget it. Erase that. Erase it.
- Aw, I'm making cutlets.
- I think you forgot one.
Oh. Still has a bone in it.
Oh, shit, Ange
that's fuckin' porn talk.
- [both laughing]
- [Leo] Come on.
- [door opens]
- Huh?
- Oh, okay.
- Oh.
Sticks-aroni! Hey!
[exhales deeply]
Home early. Good.
[sighs]
What's going on, man?
She broke up with me.
Uh, what? Why?
Wrote her a poem.
Tell her what
she means to me.
Means to you?
She don't mean nothing to you.
- All right, Ange, please.
- And since when are you
writing fucking poems?
I'm gonna go to bed.
All right, hold on,
hold on. Listen.
Your-your mom's hysterical here
because she doesn't like seeing
you like this, getting hurt.
Dani wants to see other people.
That's what she said.
- I'm so surprised.
- Ange, stop it. [sighs]
Can I go to my room now?
[sighs] Yeah.
Yeah, get some rest.
Tomorrow we start getting
ready for the tryouts.
A lot of exciting stuff
happening for you!
[footsteps ascending staircase]
Too bad.
She was all right.
Full of piss and vinegar,
you know? But in a good way.
Yeah, he'll be okay.
I just got to get his mind
off it, you know?
- Get him back on the court.
- Yeah.
I remember my first girl,
Debbie Keaton.
Nobody cares.
I fucked her legs.
Yeah, it was the first time
for both of us.
I thought I was,
you know, in her vagina.
Went home, told all my friends
I had sex and shit.
Next day, she dropped
the bomb on me.
I fucked her legs.
Wish you hadn't told me that.
That's what I said to her.
[laughter]
- [Pops shouting indistinctly]
- [objects clattering]
- [door bangs open]
- Motherfuckers.
- [thud]
- What's going on?
- Somebody broke in.
- Stole all the tools.
Got my damn chop saw
and all my drills!
- Motherfucker!
- [thud]
Who locked up last night?
Yeah. No, I did.
Oh, you fucked it up.
Goddamn it.
I could see it
all over your face, Leo.
It's not on my face.
I'm not--
I'm not doing anything
with my face.
The lock ain't busted.
Means it was left open.
I think I locked it.
You don't think!
That's your problem, Leonard.
I'll tell you one thing.
I didn't work my whole life
building this company
so you can just piss it away.
[Frank] All right? Come on.
Let's get back to work.
["How Can You Mend A Broken
Heart" by Iron & Wine playing]
- [knock on door]
- [door opens]
Look what was left
in the mailbox.
Last game highlights.
Brandon's dad.
Wanna go watch?
Nah.
Sticks, remember, um...
remember when Creed
breaks Rocky's nose?
- I'm gonna shower.
- Wait, wait, wait, wait.
[sighs] Look, you-you--
you got to believe me, Sticks.
I-I know how you feel,
but I also know...
you're gonna get over it.
How?
You-- you just
keep going like Rocky.
Huh? He broke his nose--
No, no, Dad. No. It's...
You said you know how I feel.
How?
You've been with Mom
since high school.
No one--
Dad, no one ever forgot
about you.
I'm gonna shower, Dad.
[door closes]
[crowd chanting]
Let's go... Glendale!
[cheering and shouting
indistinctly]
[click, rewinding sound]
[crowd shouting indistinctly]
[cheering]
[rewinding sound]
[announcer]
Standing six foot, two inches,
he's a senior, his name is...
- Matthew "Sticks" Russo!
- [cheering]
[cheering resumes]
[crowd chanting]
Mister... Russo!
Mister... Russo!
Mister... Russo!
Mister... Russo! Mister...
Well, you're gonna have
to pay me back for this, Mom.
'Cause if you didn't say
I could use the car,
I would have taken the bus.
Now I'm late.
I got to Uber or something.
Getting highlights
is not an emergency!
It's-- Mom!
Doesn't give one shit,
neither of them.
Here's dinner.
I'll see you tonight.
And when you're done,
turn the TV off
and finish your homework.
- Right?
- Yeah.
Hey, Dani.
- Thanks for this.
- Yeah. Yeah, sure.
Hey, listen, I-I guess
I came by to see...
you know... if you're okay.
Look, Mr. Russo, I-I didn't...
Sticks is so sweet, and he--
He was just getting
so into us, you know?
And I mean we're only 18.
I... I don't...
I-I'm leaving as soon
as I get a car, so I just...
The last thing I ever
wanted to do was hurt him.
I know that. I know.
That's why
I wanted to ask you.
Do you think that maybe
you could go back out with him?
It'd only be for three weeks,
just until the tryouts.
And you don't got to see him
that much 'cause you work
and-and he's at practice.
Uh, uh, Mr. Russo, uh...
I can't--
Listen, listen, Dani,
I-I know this kid,
and-and he is not gonna make
that team if he's sad like this.
I understand that,
but I can't just--
- I can't just pretend--
- He's just not ready. He's not
ready for the heartbreak.
The heartbreak that
he's never had before.
But, no, Mr. Russo, I don't
think that's a good idea. I--
How about this? I give you
the money for that car.
You-you think I would
take money from you?
Not take it. No, no.
It's like you're doing
something for me,
so I'm just doing
something for you.
- [scoffs]
- That's all it is.
No, it's not. I...
[sighs] Can you--
Can you just pull over?
- Pull-- Pull over?
- Yes, please.
Oh. Ah, shit.
- I'm so fucking stupid.
- It's really, I--
Forget I said it.
I never had to deal
with something like this,
and I don't think
things through, and...
I-I-I...
It just popped in my head.
Please. Forgive me
- and just forget I said it.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- I apologize.
It's okay.
Can I just drive you
to work? And that...
Sure.
Okay. [sighs]
You know,
he didn't talk till...
till he was like
four years old.
I mean, he talked,
but never outside the house.
Four years old.
Did he tell you that?
People said take him to doctors
and this and that, but...
His mom-- she's...
She's tough, she don't believe
in any of that therapy stuff.
Yeah. He was mostly
a normal kid.
Ate his vegetables, all that.
He just always,
for whatever reason...
He don't feel comfortable
out in the world, this big kid.
Camp, sleepovers...
Even school. We--
We'd drop him off
at school, and...
and it would be good,
and we'd think...
"Okay, all right, he's better."
And then we get the call,
"Come and get him.
He wants to come home."
He felt safe at home.
And then I got him
that hoop in the yard.
He started playing it.
Boy, when he hit that court...
Oh. You seen him, right?
- Yeah.
- Yean.
Not at first, though.
First I had to be there for him,
even for the practices.
He would look for me
in the stands and...
and he'd point--
he'd point at me, you know,
just to make sure I was there.
Yeah, and I was... every time.
[indistinct chatter]
[muffled Italian music playing]
Come on!
Ooh, mamma,
pesce fritt'e baccal
[all] Ooh, mamma,
pesce fritt'e baccal
Ooh, I'm Italian now!
Mamma mia!

- I don't get it.
- [giggles]
What's to get?
They're kids, Ange.
Maybe she figured
she made a mistake, right?
[DJ] Here we go!

He's, uh, so much
better now, you know?
Yeah. He spent the last week
talking his dick off a ledge.
- Mm-hmm.
- What does that mean?
First time having sex, right?
That stops...
Messes you up, man.
No. Stupid.
They're not doing that.
Of course they are.
The fuck is wrong with you?
Yeah, but this...
I mean, look at him.
That kid's asking for sex?
Leo, I don't care
who the kid is.
It's a fact
of biological science.
[laughs]
Sal, please tell him
his kid's having sex.
I mean, he does seem
a little different.
Like he's, uh, floatin'.
They're having sex, Leo,
all right?
There's nothing
you can do about it.
Hey, listen,
if I don't call you later,
it's 'cause I got half
a history book I got to read.
Yeah. Okay.
- That's your dad?
- Yeah.
Oh, man. Good thing
we weren't kissing, right?
[sighs] It's whatever.
He's just gonna go
hide away in his office.
I won't see him till tomorrow.
- Wasn't gonna kiss you anyway.
- [door closes]
- Okay.
- Yeah.
Not 'cause...
Well, you ever seen Rocky ?
It's a boxing movie,
make a bunch of them
with that old guy from Creed .
- Yeah.
- Ah, uh-huh.
There's this part
where his trainer,
or his dad,
I'm not really sure,
he tells him,
"Women weaken legs."
Like... with sex.
Anyway, my dad showed me
that scene this morning,
and I guess he was trying
to tell me not to...
You know, not to do anything
with you till after the tryout,
just in case you were wondering
why I wasn't trying.
No. Yeah, I--
I wasn't, like...
I figured it was
something like that.

Fadeaway! [grunts]
- Nice.
- Thanks.
[indistinct chatter]
Nine...
Ten...
Eleven. Keep it going.
Let's go.
[indistinct chatter]
[basketball dribbling outside]
[rustling]
[doctor] Is this what
you're talking about?
Yeah, that's it.
It wasn't there before.
Well, uh, good news is...
you're wrong.
It's scar tissue.
- Really? You sure?
- One hundred percent.
Should we sonogram it?
Oh, no need.
Well, ain't it good
just to know?
Angela, I really think
you can relax.
I'm still
in the danger zone, right?
Not five years yet.
You said so yourself.
Yeah, that's true, but I--
I'm telling you, you're fine.
Look, for-for what you faced,
it's normal to have
some anxiety.
Oh, here we go. You want
to put me on pills now?
Oh, I'm not saying that.
What about that, uh,
that support group
that we talked about?
My eyes don't look right
when I look in the mirror.
I felt a lump in the same
damn spot I found the cancer.
I don't need to talk
to fucking strangers about that!
Margie, let's set up
a sonogram.
[Margie] Okay.
Scar tissue. Wanna eat?
Don't look at me.
I'm taking this.
- I don't know.
- Hmm?
- What do you think?
- Yeah, nice.
For what?
For the whatever the hell thing
that the Brunos are having
at Versailles next month.
Oh, right.
These parties never stop.
Italians got to celebrate
every fricking thing?
Some little asshole has a first
Communion next month,
I got to go out
and buy a whole new outfit?
[chuckles]
I'm thinking about
trying those dating apps.
Ro, no, you don't need that.
All those creeps on there. No.
I gotta do somethin'. I can't...
as Frank so lovingly put it,
keep breaking Ma's heart.
- Ro...
- I'm so done.
No, you're gonna find a guy,
and he's gonna be so lucky,
and Ma loves having you at home.
And Frank's full of shit, making
you feel guilty about anything.
Screw him.
I know, right? Just ignore me.
Stupid, stub dick asshole.
[laughing]
You know that's true, right?
He's got a little stub dick.
- Ro.
- I'm not kidding.
I've seen both
those idiots naked.
- [laughs]
- Leo's is normal,
and Frank's looks like a...
- A fucking ring pop.
- [laughs]
Maybe... that's why
Annie left him.
[laughter]
- Don't tell anyone I said that.
- [laughs] I won't.
[laughing continues]
Thank you. It's nice
to laugh with somebody.
- Yeah, right?
- For a change.
- I know.
- [both laugh]
I got to go get more sauce.
They never give you
enough sauce.
- Yeah, right?
- You want one?
- Yeah, please.
- Uh, watch my... you know.
- Right.
- Thank you.
- Ring pop.
- [both laugh]
Ain't no sunshine
when she's gone
Oh God, he's gonna do
that fucking song again.
Oh, no, Uncle Leo.
Come on, please.
- Only darkness every day
- No, shut up!
- And I know, I know, I know
- Stop!
- I know
- Don't do it!
- [cellphone ringing]
- Oh-ho. You got lucky.
There's 26 "I know's".
Hey, Ange.
Gonna punch this tramp
right in her little bitch face.
What? Who?
Danielle.
What-- Why?
Did she say something?
No, she's with
somebody-- a guy.
They're right in front of me.
I'm looking right at 'em.
Okay. All right,
all right, calm down.
What does that mean? It could be
a friend, a cousin, right?
Oh, she's making out
with her cousin. Let me go.
- I'm calling Matthew.
- No, you can't tell him.
Of course I'm telling him!
Do you love him?
- What does that mean?
- Do you love him?
Because you've seen
what happened to him, Ange, huh?
And-and-- And if you
tell him about this,
he's gonna go right
back to how he was.
So what,
just supposed to ignore it?
Ange, Ange, listen,
all I'm saying is,
just... un-- until he makes it.
He gets on that team, Ange,
and everything changes for him.
Everything.
[sighs]
[indistinct chatter]
Oh, is that Dani?
[packets splat]
Hey, you had your breakfast,
right, Sticks?
Yeah.
How's your week been, Danielle?
- Pretty boring, actually.
- Oh.
Couldn't find nothing fun to do?
Cow! Right there.
That's a cow right there.
You seen one of them, Dani?
Really, Dad?
I mean, in the wild here.
Yeah. I've seen cows before.
I'm sure you have.
You seem to get around a lot.
I mean, I guess... [laughs]
enough to have seen a cow.
I heard it's bad for the earth
when they fart-- the cows.
Yeah.
[Leo sighs]
All right. Here we are.
You know that train station
we passed,
that goes all the way
to New York.
You been on a train, Dani?
- Dad. She's not Amish.
- No, far from it.
Yeah. That's just the excitement
kind of bubbling out of me.
- Sorry, Dani.
- Oh, it's okay.
It is exciting.
This place looks beautiful.
I know. With the trees
and all, right?
Guys, go ahead.
We'll, uh, we'll catch up.
[Sticks] Sorry about my dad...
What?
What? You what?
You're gonna mess up
this whole thing, Ange.
Two hours, I gotta listen
to that phony?
She messed around
with a guy, huh? So what?
Remember you made out
with Scotty Amato that one time.
Oh, here he goes again
with Scotty Amato.
We weren't even seeing
each other then.
Yeah, but you knew
that I liked you.
- Ugh!
- And still it happened, right?
- I let it go, though.
- Did you?
'Cause you're still
talking about it.
- Gotta let it go.
- [sighs]
You gotta let him go.
Yeah, that's right.
That's what this is, huh?
You, uh...
all the ladies, right?
You wanna--
Connie, Patsy wanna baby him.
- No. No, no.
- Keep 'em home
till they're frickin' 40.
- Don't you compare me to them.
- No, you are them. I mean,
- you sit together.
You talk about--
- No. They've got
their whole fucking life
to spend with their kids.
- I don't got that, Leo.
- What are you talking about?
- I don't got that.
- What are you--
Wait, wait, wait, Ange.
It's back?
- No.
- Then... what's going on?
I'm a horrible fucking mother.
- What? No.
- I saw her kissing that guy,
and I knew
it would break his heart.
And...
[voice breaking]
And I... I was glad.
Because then he'd stay home,
and then I'd have more time.
Ange, what? You--
You got so much time with him.
No, you don't know that.
Leo, who knows that?
Nobody. You, Ro,
Connie, and Patsy.
I can't talk to them
about this shit.
They don't want to hear it.
They want to talk
about baked ziti
and chicken fucking cutlets.
I mean, I laugh with them.
I smile with them,
and they don't know that...
even though I'm smiling,
really, I'm...
Crying.
Scared, Leo. Jesus Christ.
I'm fucking scared. [crying]
- Ange.
- [sniffles]
Ange, listen, remember...
remember when
the chemo ended and...
Remember Dr. Scarpulla?
He said to us...
He looked us right in the face.
And he said, "That's it.
You're cancer-free."
Huh? Remember how happy
we were 'cause we beat it.
That's it. That's the feeling
that you gotta keep in there.
You can't let worrying
stop you from living
like a-a normal life,
'cause then...
then we didn't beat it.
Yeah, okay.
You can beat anything, eh?
You're the strongest frickin'
woman I've ever known.
- Okay, let's get inside.
- I mean it.
If we had a fistfight
I would lose.
Yeah. [laughs]
Let's go. [sniffles]
All right. Let's go. Come on.
You know, the truth is,
if he makes this,
you're probably gonna be
seeing more of him,
'cause we're gonna come
to the games.
Plus he's gonna come home
every weekend with his laundry.
- Right?
- Yeah.
- He don't know how to do
that shit.
- Yeah, let's hope so.
- Yeah.
- Is my makeup running?
No, no, you're good.
- You didn't even look at me.
- No, but I know.
[sneakers squeaking]
[indistinct chatter]
- How's he doing?
- I think he's nervous.
[Leo] Oh, he's tight.
I should have told him where
we were sitting or something.
Oh, he'll--
He'll be fine. Relax.
There's nothing we can do
from up here.
Yeah, there is.
[wolf-whistles]
["Celebration"
by Kool & the Gang playing]
[DJ] Special request right now
coming out for Mr. Leo Russo.
Lemme have that.
[amplified voice]
Celebrate this time
Come on
Go, man!
- I'm fucking hysterical
right now.
- I'm dead.
- Rosa! Celebrate it!
- Okay.
- Shake it! Bump it!
- I'm celebrating. Okay.
- Bump it!
- Leo, get your butt off me.
- Whoo!
- I'm so sorry about my brother.
Get out there.
Show him how it's done.
...right here, Mr. Petey!
He's gonna throw up
in the car. You watch.
- Give me that.
- [laughs]
[Leo] Come on!
- Thank you.
- [Leo] Whoo!
We gonna party down
and rock it with you
I never told Matthew
about the mall.
- I can see that.
- Yeah.
- He's happy, so...
- We're all happy, Ange.
I mean, think about
how worried you were
about that scared little kid,
and now he's going to college.
Cent'anni!. Salute!
- Salute .
- Beautiful.
Come on, dickhead.
You know it's good.
[Leo] Doo-dee-doo-doo-doo
- Doo-doo
- Oh, God.
Let me back into you
a little bit.
["You Were Made For Love"
by John Edwards playing]
Sorry you had to come
to another of these.
It's okay. I kind of like it.
Me too.
But I like being
anywhere with you.
- Rexel?
- Drexel.
Drexel. It's in Philly.
Oh, it's--
it's a beautiful place.
- They got trees there.
- Sounds nice.
The gym holds 2,000.
People, that's people.
- You mentioned that already.
- Oh.
- I-I got to get back.
- Okay.
The campus has a Chipotle.
- Hey! There she is.
- I'm ending it. Tonight.
Oh, no. Here? Really?
You said to wait until
the tryouts, and he did it.
He got in,
so now it has to stop.
But... I saw you two dancing,
and I thought I saw something.
You're not feeling anything? No?
- Mr. Russo, please.
- Okay.
I get it. The heart, right?
Goes... Goes wherever it wants.
Hm? It's like a coyote.
Okay. Okay, but just--
just let me ask you one thing.
Could you wait a week?
Yeah-- 'Cause-- 'Cause Monday
he goes back to school,
and if he could
just live with it,
the-the good feeling
of what he done,
be the big shot
of his classmates...
If-if that could sink in,
then when you...
do what you-you got to do,
it-it'll be a lesser blow
to his heart, because...
he-he'll know that he's...
he's somebody now.
Friday. That's it.
Of course. Yes.
Thank you. Thank you.
And-and listen to me,
what you're doing for him,
that's gonna change
his life irrevocably.

Hey. [laughs]
Just talking about you.
Just telling her about, um,
when you were two
and ate a beetle.
Why?
- Ah--
- Come on, Leo!
Oh! Ho-ho!
[laughs]
- Here we go.
- Here we go!
You want to go home?
- Uh, now?
- It's half over.
- Sure.
- Come on.
- You've suffered enough.
- Okay.
- Ready to kick it up?
- [laughter]
["You & Me & Everybody"
by The Kyds playing]
[Sticks] Don't think
I swallowed it.
Just kind of crawled
around in my mouth.
[chuckles] Gross.
Where are you going?
Figured we'd go to our spot?
Wrote you another poem.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Don't worry, I'm not
gonna read it right now.
It's still lame, but I'm
getting better, I think.
Should we get in the back?
- Meet you there?
- [seat belt unbuckles]
[locks click]
Uh...
Hey. Not as funny.
My pants are still on.
Dani?
[car door closes]
Just... please
don't be mad at me.
What's wrong?
Just don't hate me.
Hate you?
I love you.
I know. Shit. I know!
[crying]
And I'm sorry, but--
I-I never should have done this.
Done what?
He was worried
about you, Sticks,
and he came to my house,
and I just-- I wanted-- I...
Ugh! Fuck! What am I-- Fuck!
- Who? Worried about what?
- Gosh, no,
I shouldn't have said anything.
I don't know why...
- I-- [sighs] I have to go.
- Dani, wait!
Just forget about it. Just
forget about all of it, okay?
Wait!
[sighs] You know,
you're lucky, Sticks.
[voice breaking] To have family
that cares that much.
I'm sorry.
[indistinct chatter]
[dance music playing
in distance]
[boy giggles]
Nicholas!

Oh, that's--
That's it right there.
That's how it's done, people.
Come on, y'all!
This is 50 years of marriage!
You gotta jam like her right now
Vito and Eleanor, this for you!
Let's leave now before
the valet parking gets nuts.
[Cockney accent] Get m'lady home
for a spot of tea and a shag.
Christ.
- Think he'll start?
- I don't think so.
Probably not at the beginning.
If he works hard enough,
he will get there.
Not for nothing, maybe we get
a little point shaving thing.
- Petey.
- Who's gonna know?
I'm like his uncle.
- Can't win me
a couple of bucks?
- [laughter]
Oh, my God.
That Joey Bones don't stop,
he's gonna kill us all.
I tell you
what I can't wait for.
All of us going to a game, huh?
How much fun is that gonna be?
You guys, you can come,
huh? Be fun.
- Some people work.
- Oh, yeah, you can't be happy
for anyone doing better
than you, right?
Who's doing better than me?
- [Ange] Come on, you guys.
- [laughter]
What Sticks is doing,
it's a reflection on all of us.
- That's right.
- All right, lads and ladies,
I'm gonna lower this music
'cause it's cake time!
Ah, Yeah. I love cake.
I love cake. I love cake.
[laughter]
I always love cake.
Hey, big man.
["Volare"
by Dean Martin playing]
What's wrong, Matthew?
Dani broke up with me.
- Just went back with you.
- What, she got the bipolar?
Got another word
for what she is.
[Ange] What happened, Matthew?
I don't know. She just
started crying and ran away.
Dad, did you go to her house?
What? What does that mean?
[chuckles]
She said Dad talked to her
at her house.
- You didn't go to her house.
- No. No.
Go to her house. What--
Why am I gonna do that?
Here's what's happening.
This is a kid who's messed up,
confused, probably.
She's making stuff up to explain
whatever she can't explain.
That's what's happening.
Sit. Mangia la cake.
Yeah, come on.
Come on, Sticks, sit down.
I don't want cake.
Give that-- Give that to him.
That's got the--
the cherry stuff in the middle.
- [Pops] Leo.
- Come on.
That's your favorite
right there. Come on, Sticks.
- Leonard.
- What?
You go to the girl's house?
No! I-I just said I'd--
No. I told you that.
Yeah, I know what you told us.
I also know when you're
covering up for something
- you half-assed.
- Why--
- Same here.
- Why are you saying all this?
You can't see he's upset?
Yeah, I can see that.
Okay, so let him eat cake.
That's all we're trying here.
Sit down, and we can
all calm down, right?
And talk about
all the good stuff
that's happening to him
right now--
basketball, Philadelphia,
the cows.
- Leo!
- What?!
[silverware clinks]
- What did you do?
- Nothing!
I didn't do anything!
[indistinct whisper]
[Sticks] Dad.
Please.
I-I did. I talked to her.
- I knew it!
- Shut up, all right?
- Huh? Just shut the fuck up.
- Hey, hey.
It was to help you, Sticks.
What'd you do, Leo?
She left, and you were so sad.
- What did you do?
- I told her the truth.
That he couldn't play
after she left, that he was...
He was crumbling.
And maybe if she could just,
you know...
stay with him a little longer.
- [Rosa] Oh, shit.
- What?
She was pretending?
No. No, no, she wanted
to do this. She cares about you.
She didn't want the money.
She didn't want nothing.
- Money?
- [gasps] Oh, my God.
- Wow.
- Jesus Christ, Leo!
- Who's doing better now, Ro?
- What's the matter with you?
Okay. What should I do? Let him
be like your fucking kids?
- Oh, you wanna talk
about my kids?
- Oh, no, come on.
I don't pay nobody
to be with 'em!
- She didn't want the money.
- Hey, and cake time is over...
That's the point
I'm making here.
All she wanted to do
was help him.
[DJ] Let-let's twist, everybody.
- Get up and let's twist.
-["The Twist" plays]
She didn't want any of it.
She cares about you.
That-- No, no. Sticks. No, no.
No, leave him alone.
You done enough.
What? What did I do?
I got him into college!
Huh, what did I do?
Open your damn eyes!
You humiliated him!
So what? And then he--
he don't get an education.
Huh? He goes straight to Russo,
working for you and Frank.
No, I'm trying to save him
from a lifetime of humiliation!
Except that's not really
the reason.
Huh?
You want him
to get an education, Leo,
or you want him to play ball?
The ball gets him the education.
What's it get you? Hmm?
More attention,
more kids cheerin' your name?
I don't know what
you're talking about.
- Be fucking honest.
- I am being honest!
That you want this for yourself!
You be honest!
She told me herself
she didn't want him to make it!
She wanted him to stay home
because she would--
[gasps]
["The Twist" playing continues]
[chair scrapes floor]
[sighs]
[clattering]
Okay! Let's get the love
back in the room.
I know exactly how,
with some...
Hokey fucking Pokey.
[indistinct chatter]
[drill whirring]
- Leo!
- Huh?
- What are you doing?
- Leave me alone, Petey.
Come on. You're piss drunk here.
- I'm taking you home.
- Leave me alone!
- I'm taking you home.
- Get off!
- [grunts]
- [cloth rips]
Shit. That was an accident.
Give me yours.
What? No, it was an accident.
Get the fuck outta here.
- Give me your jacket.
- Leo, what are you doing?
- Come on. Take it off!
- No!
- Let go of me! What the--
- Give me that jacket!
What, are you out of your mind?
Oh, come on!
Leo, my god! Aah!
- [grunts] Let go.
- Oh, shit! Let go.
- [grunting]
- Let go! That's enough!
What the fuck, Leo?
You know, you've always been
there for me.
Why don't you let me be
the one to help you for once?
You want to help me, Petey?
- Leave me alone.
- Come on.
- Leave me alone.
- Come on.
Oh, for crying out loud, Leo.
It's my only jacket.

[thunder rumbles]
[bottles clinking]
[thud]
[clattering]
[clattering]
- I've got a gun, asshole!
- Huh?
Leo?
Jeez, I-I can't believe this.
I mean, you don't see
homeless guys around here.
- Yeah.
- [clicks teeth] Oh.
- He just grabbed you?
- Yeah...
- 'Cause of drugs.
- Oh.
What were you
doing over here anyway?
I, uh, just needed a walk.
You're a good lady.
We should really disinfect this.
I got some peroxide upstairs.
Should we go up and get it?
Yeah. Okay.
[drawer opens]
[rustling]
Give me your hand.
[exhales deeply]
[Leo] Is that Ed?
- Oh, God, no. That's my dad.
- Oh.
Looks like a nice guy.
- Eh, he left when I was seven.
- Hm.
- That's not nice.
- No. [chuckles]
He was done, you know?
He didn't wanna be here anymore.
That's what my mom said,
anyway, so...
Still keep his picture,
though, huh?
Yeah.
I guess time heals
everything, right?
- Or you just never know.
- Yeah.
The one thing I do know,
when Ed died on me...
is that the only time
that you're guaranteed...
is right now.
I'll be right back.
[exhales deeply]
[drawer closes]
[Pamela] You know I liked you
from the start, Leo.
[faucet turns on]
- How come?
- [water running]
[Pamela sighs]
I don't know, you know?
You're-- you're different.
You got heart.
[sighs]
Got heart, but I ain't
got no locker, do I, Mick?
[drawer closes]
What was that?
Mickey. He, uh...
He gave away Rocky's locker.
He gave it to another fighter
because he thought
that, uh, Rocky...
was a bum.
Oh. Okay.
[sighs] My wife was right. I...
I hurt my whole family.
Just so I...
I-I wouldn't feel
like a bum anymore.
Okay. What's happening here?
Uh, I'm not sure.
All I know is, um...
[sighs]
I can't do sex with you.
- Oh.
- We didn't do nothing!
It got weird, but I left!

Oh, Petey.
Shit.
Stupid jacket.
- [birds chirping]
- [dog barking]
[silverware clanking]
[door closes]
- [pan thuds]
- [Leo] I, uh...
I slept on the grass.
I didn't want to wake you.
How thoughtful.
Listen, Sticks, I...
I guess... what I'm trying
to say here is, uh...
I-I always...
I always try to do
what I think is best for you.
- I'll eat this later, Ma.
- But not this time.
I mean, uh...
If I'm telling the truth
to myself, I-I...
A lot of what I did was...
It was... for me.
And-and-- And also,
you were right.
When-when you said
that I didn't know,
I never had nobody
break my heart.
I didn't know
what you were feeling.
I do know one thing
that's, like, similar.
I know what first love
feels like.
Man, to lose that?
I got lucky, Sticks.
I got real lucky.
And I-I promise you,
one day you're gonna
get lucky too.
Anyway, uh...
I just hope
that you can forgive me.
Not yet.
Okay.
I'm not going to that school.
Yeah.
We're scheduled to wrap
on the 25th.
I don't know how fast
you want me to move.
I got my entire crew working
in there day and night!
Hammers waking her up
in the morning?
What the fuck is up her ass?
Yeah, I don't think
it's personal.
I think she's just
a little lonely, that's all.
Oh, yeah? Yeah?
Is that what you think?
[sawing and hammering
in distance]
- Hey.
- Hey.
- [keys jangle]
- Hmm.
- Oh. Yeah.
- Yeah, that's-- Yeah.
[both muttering]
Pops wants me down
at the lumber yard right away.
Yeah. Yeah. Hey, Petey.
Listen, uh...
Uh, look, I owe you, uh--
Forget it, weirdo.
You were drunk.
We wrestled in the plants.
It's over.
Okay. All right. Thanks.
I didn't hurt you,
though, right?
Had to ice my knee and pull
pottery out of my ass,
but I'm fine.
Fucked you up, though.
[chuckles]
Found that T-shirt
you thought you lost.
[closes drawer]
You remember
when I shaved my head?
It was this day.
You had a tournament. Your dad
said he had to go to it.
Told me to wait to shave it off,
but I'd started the chemo,
and the hair was already
coming out in clumps,
and I just wanted to get it
over with, you know, so...
drove myself to the salon,
and they buzzed it.
And of course,
all the salon ladies--
they're all blabbing
about how good I look,
how I got a good head shape
and all of that.
'cause they got to say that.
I-I... And I don't want
to hear it from them.
I-I want to know what
your father thinks, my husband.
So I text him a picture.
What'd he say?
He said I look like a mutant.
'Cause he thought it'd make me
laugh, make me feel better.
That was this day.
[sighs]
He's so fucking
stupid sometimes.
[door closes]
- We start at seven.
- Yeah. Yeah. Sorry.
I just-- I had some stuff
to deal with at the house.
Yeah, I'm sure you did.
Anyway, listen, um,
I-I said some things
to you and Frank
last night, and, uh...
Let's forget it.
No, yeah. I-I just want you
to know that I didn't--
You gonna make me say,
"Forget it" again?
No.
No.
All right.
Is he going?
No.
You okay with that?
Gotta be, right?
I guess that's true.
[clears throat]
He's lucky to have you, Leonard.
Thanks, Dad.
[door closes]
[indistinct chatter]
Hey!
We're outta here, baby!
[indistinct chatter continues]

[horn honks]
[indistinct chatter]
Shit.
Hey.
Hey.
Uh, uh, I was just
driving by, and, um--
Uh, you're gonna have
to buy something.
Huh?
Uh...
I'll take some gum, I guess.
Sure. It's $1.75.
[beeps, drawer opens]
- Juicy Fruit.
- It's a classic.
I, um...
I just-- I figured
you might run into somebody,
hear about it eventually,
but, um...
I'm not going to Philadelphia.
[sighs]
Fuck.
Oh, no, don't.
Please don't feel bad.
That's why I came.
Uh... truth is...
I don't think
I ever really wanted it.
Figured I'd try to find
my own... thing...
for me.
And you showed me that.
All right. Look,
you-you got your gum.
- If you're not gonna eat--
- Armon, not now!
[under breath] Oh. Every day,
something with this girl.
What were you saying?
[both chuckle]
I think I was saying thanks.
Well, you're welcome.
So when are you leaving?
Two weeks.
- Wow.
- [chuckles] Yeah.
Twenty-five hundred miles.
You scared?
Everybody's scared, Sticks.
[DJ] Ladies and gentlemen,
let's give a big hand
for the newly christened...
[jazz music playing]
[singsongy] ...baby Isabella!
[cheers and applause]

- She's cute.
- All right.
The bow's crooked.
Don't run. You're a grandma.
[laughs]
That's a bad bow. Hold on. Stop.
It's over her eye.
- She loves her bow.
- You made her cry.
- I didn't make her cry.
- Yes, you did.
- Oh, stop it, smile!
- [baby crying]
Didn't we just go
to their wedding?
Yeah, about five months ago.
- Puttana.
- [laughter]
- What does that mean?
- Nothing good.
What's everyone
doing in their seats?
Come on!
Let's make this a party!
Are you serious?
Oh, my God. This dude
is bush league, okay?
You can't yell
at the crowd like that.
There's a nuance
to what you do with it.
Babe, no one is as good as you,
but you're not working today.
- [DJ] Let's go!
- You know what? You're right.
How about we go cut a rug
and help this kid out?
- Yes.
- Ah. Come on, you.
- [laughs]
- [DJ speaking indistinctly]
I will have your daughter
back shortly, good sir.
Don't break anything.
[laughter]
Coming through! Ooh, ahh!
- "Good sir."
- "Oh, let's cut a rug, baby."
- Hey, shut up.
- Come on, Dad.
Look at the clown she's with.
Guy's a goober.
We're just bustin'
Aunt Ro's chops.
She's happy,
so shut the hell up, all right?
- Frank, I got it.
- We were-- Okay, but--
- Hey, what the hell?
- Show some respect.
Hey, it's a new jacket.
[Leo] I got to go. Uh...
Just tell 'em
congratulations for me.
Where are you going?
Well, I-I told you, Dad.
I got some stuff.
Seven a.m., Monday, eh?
Lumber deliveries.
- Okay.
- Don't be late.
Am I ever?
- Every day.
- Mm-hmm.
[indistinct chatter]
- Okay. I'll see you soon.
- Okay. Okay.
- Bye-bye.
- Bye!
- Open the door.
- Oh.
[sighs]
So all of them had cancer?
Huh? No, they got all kinds
of meetings. Alcohol, drugs.
- My group was cancer.
- A lot of people, huh?
Yeah. What'd you tell everybody?
Oh, I just said that
you had the pink eye.
Pink eye?
I told you to say fever.
I know. I wanted to say that,
but, uh, came out "pink eye."
Well, what do I care
what they know?
So what do you do in there?
You just talk?
Yeah, that's it.
You think it's gonna help?
Mm, maybe.
That's good.
- Oh, shit. Let's go.
- [engine starts]
[Leo] I knew it was
this side of the campus.
How was I supposed to know?
We never been here before.
Excuse me.
This is the little gym?
- Uh, yeah, right there.
- Okay, thanks.
- Oh, now we're late.
- Well, don't blame me.
I'm not blaming you.
I'm just saying it's your fault.
- [door closes]
- [Ange] See? It's empty.
You don't know
where you're going.
Will you stop?
He said to come through here.
But you don't know
if this is the here.
Well, nobody knows that.
So we will lift our voice,
and we sing.
We stand on our feet,
and we dance.
This is the beauty
and the majesty of an instrument
in the hands of a magician.
The truth-- the truth
is acoustic, perfect,
like fits, like pitch,
like cadence,
like symphony and breath.
So listen.
Within these walls, listen,
because the music...
never stops playing.
[cheers and applause]
- Marshall Davis Jones, guys.
- [lowered voice] I don't, um...
[lowered voice]
Yeah. Me neither.
Thank you so much for coming
back to where you started.
All right, I don't envy
having to follow that,
but let's get into it.
Oh, we about to throw
a freshman lamb
to the slaughter here, guys.
- [chuckles and murmuring]
- Okay.
For his first time
at Queensborough Spoken Word,
reciting a piece he calls
"The Arena"...
Matthew Russo.
[applause]
Whoo! Go, Matthew! Yeah!
[audience member clears throat]
[whispers]
We shouldn't have come.
"What does it look like?
Always wanted to know.
What does the thing look like?
The thing that
won't let me breathe...
won't let me leave...
won't even let me talk.
You don't get to see it, though.
Like the Invisible Man...
the only time you see him
is when he suits up.
And the only time
the thing suits up...
is in the arena."
[whispers]
Oh, that's the title.
"So that's what I do every day.
I get in the arena,
and there it is."
"Fear."
"And we fight...
hard.
I lose most of the time.
But that's okay.
I know what it looks like now.
And every time
it gets in the arena,
I'm getting in there too.
And one day...
I'm gonna fuck 'em up."
- [man] Oh!
- [laughter]
"I'm gonna fuck 'em up
real bad."
- [audience affirming]
- Yeah, you are.
"It's gonna stumble
and grab me so it don't fall."
- [audience murmuring]
- [man] Come on.
"Then pull me in close
and whisper in my ear..."
"'Ain't gonna be no rematch.'"
- Whoo!
- [audience affirming]
"'Ain't gonna be no rematch.'"
[cheering and applause]
- Whoo!
- Whoo!
Whoo! I love you,
Matthew! Whoo!
Who's this whore?
["Saturday in the Park"
by Chicago playing]
[song ends]
["I Got a Name"
by Iron & Wine playing]
[song ends]