The Congressman (2016) Movie Script
[ music playing ]
[ splash ]
You better get your traps
out of here, sonny.
These waters belong to us.
You don't own the ocean.
Oh, yeah?
This part of it, we do.
Get the hell
out of here!
Inbred Catatonk
bastards!
[ gavel bangs ]
The House will be in order.
The Pledge of Allegiance today
will be led by the gentleman
from Idaho.
REPRESENTATIVES: I pledge
allegiance to the flag
of the United States
of America
and to the republic
for which it stands,
one nation, under God,
indivisible with liberty
and justice for all.
[ music playing ]
Half
Clear as a bell
Half believer
Half gone to Hell
Half gone to Hell
Half gone to Hell
Well, we're all half Rama
And half
All the ones you love
Shine
On the ones you love
Shine...
I know that subsidies
have gotten a bad name
in recent years,
but this one is
vitally important
to the economic fabric
and well-being
of this nation,
and I need support of
this committee to do so.
The President called me
this morning.
He wants this subsidy
in the budget,
demands that it be
in the budget.
I'm afraid
that my good friend
Congressman Winship
has no conception
of the practical
difficulties,
eliminating it
from the federal budget.
Sorry to hear that.
After listening
to his testimony,
I deeply regret...
What's the vote?
The final passage
of the defense bill.
House resumes
Monday morning
with the human cloning ban.
You still have time
for basketball before you
catch your flight.
Hey. I'll talk--
Hey.
I'll call you
later, okay?
Our PAC just voted
to endorse you, Charlie.
Can't say it was easy
having to always the toe
the line for us,
but I know you'll
be there next time.
I'm bundling 20,000
for you next week.
Yeah.
Is that all
you have to say?
Well,
fuck you, buddy.
Come and get it.
Come on. Come on.
Stay on him!
Yes! Yes.
Good shot.
Can't you guard
that old son of a bitch?
Give me the damn ball.
Stay on him.
Take it easy.
What the hell is
wrong with you, Winship?
[ winces ]
Ooh.
You ought to be seeing
a chiropractor, son.
My back is incurable,
Harlan.
Hey, gentlemen,
I see the TV attack dogs
are at it again,
polling
every single member
based on past drug use.
Uh-huh.
Hey, Harlan,
what'd you
tell them?
Never done drugs,
pure and simple.
Of course, you bait
the trap with whiskey
and pussy,
and they'll
catch me every time.
Ooh, that smells like
good sour mash to me.
You know I can
still hunt, Harlan.
Uh-huh. Yeah.
I don't know
if you, uh, saw her,
but there was
a woman upstairs
taking pictures
of you up in
the visitors gallery.
That's illegal.
Yeah, I know.
You sure it was me?
Yeah. You were
sitting by yourself
at the Whip's desk.
[ chuckles ]
Senator Freeman
needs a call back
on the interior
appropriations bill.
Governor Hodgekiss
needs another 10 million
for the dam project
in Moosejaw,
and the White House
wants an answer on
the human cloning ban.
The meeting
with the President
on the Canadian
trade agreement was
postponed till Monday.
Charlie,
we have a problem.
Casey's hoping you'll
have time to stop by
and finalize
the division of your
personal things.
Her actual words were--
Charlie,
this is serious, okay?
You keep saying that,
and I'm still here.
Well, this time,
you've really done it.
Casey is
serious this time.
I mean very serious.
Okay, guys,
guys, what is it?
What is it--
Casey has contacted--
No, no, no, excuse me.
One second.
The Pledge.
Charlie, I have talked
to you about this.
You don't stand up
for the Pledge of Alliance.
You never even
mouth the words.
So guess what happened
this morning?
Someone took
a video of you
with your feet
up on the Whip's desk
while everyone else
is standing and
saluting the flag
like the few
and the proud.
Yeah. Well, as one of
the few and the proud,
let me tell you
that none of us recited
the Pledge every morning
when we were holding
Khe Sanh against
the communist hordes.
Fine. You want
to play the cynical
Vietnam warrior,
that's fine.
I like that card,
but I'm telling you,
they care about this shit
back in the district.
I am not gonna
recite a loyalty oath
every morning
just to prove
that I love my country.
Okay. Sure, yeah.
That's fine, Charlie,
but they're already
calling you a Pledge dodger.
Your congressional opponent,
Deidre Macavoy,
has started a petition drive
to recall you
and, if that's not enough,
the Morality First
Foundation would love--
Jared, Jared,
I can't be
recalled, okay?
Here's
your weekend schedule.
You have that visit
to Catatonk Island tomorrow.
Charlie,
listen to me.
What are you
talking about?
Elected officials
are getting recalled
for breathing these days.
They'd have
to vote me
out of office.
Can't you reschedule
the trip--
You've already
rescheduled three times,
and you promised
to visit there.
It's 18 miles out
in the Atlantic.
20. You can almost see
Ireland from the cliffs.
Who's in there?
That is former
Congressman Devereaux.
What does he want?
Well, he's here to ask you
if you will postpone
your trip to that island.
You have
exactly eight minutes.
Otherwise,
you'll miss your flight.
All right,
all right.
I appreciate this,
Charlie.
I know why
you're here, Laird,
and I still
have to go out there.
Those inbred bastards
started a shooting war.
They're crazy.
Who do you represent
in all this?
Lobstermen's
Benevolent Association.
There are 4,000 of them
along the Maine coast.
They're in the right.
How much
they paying you?
Oh, it's almost
a charity thing.
$25,000 a month.
You need to go.
Charlie, why don't you come out
to Burning Tree with me?
Hell, you can't
stay here forever,
but everybody
loves you, Charlie.
Yeah, you could bill
a million dollars a month
once you get through
the revolving door.
Charlie, think about it.
Drink about it.
[ chuckles ]
Jared, sit down a minute.
We need to talk
about your future.
I'm gonna need you
to help me with him,
you know
what I mean? He--
Charlie has
a hard head
sometimes.
You know, the people
that I work for--
well, with,
they're gonna run
this country soon,
and it wouldn't
hurt you to be
on the ground floor.
You know what I mean?
Hell, you're gonna enjoy
being a Congressman.
Hell, we share the pie.
Heh heh.
Gonna share the pie.
[ chuckles ]
You went to college,
and you joined
a fraternity,
didn't you?
Yes.
Do you remember
the first time
you came back
after fucking a virgin
and you went back
to the house and you
shared the wealth
and told all the boys.
Remember that? Ha ha.
Well, that's just
the way it's gonna be.
We all share the wealth.
All the donors
and the virgins...
Jared...
fresh meat.
you're gonna miss
your flight.
Oh. Yeah. Okay.
Jared,
just a minute now.
Yeah.
You don't
seem to have
a social life.
And when you
get back here,
I want you
to think about it.
Call me.
Mm-hmm.
I'm gonna
introduce you to some
exceptional friends.
Heh.
I look forward to it.
I'm sure you will.
[ laughs ]
No redheads.
Oh, I got
a whole bunch of 'em,
redheads,
blue heads, every damn--
all the head
you want, pal. Uh-huh.
[ P.A. ] Welcome
to Rockland Airport.
Please note this is
a nonsmoking facility...
Listen, I'm sorry
about, uh, missing
the connection,
but the next one,
it gets us in only down
an hour behind schedule.
Back-to-back, huh?
[ sighs ]
You know, it's--
it's starting to become
noticeable, Charlie.
"He is never so generous
as when he is giving advice."
Well, I just--
You know,
I'm being honest.
I think you have
a--a problem.
Today I do.
I'm just tired
of the bullshit.
You know,
maybe what you need
is a nice,
long vacation.
A long vacation?
Yeah.
Get in touch with this,
you know?
You want my job,
don't you, Jared?
No. God, no, Charlie.
I-I've made no secret
about possibly running
someday, yes,
but not
while you're here.
No, no, but you're good.
You're good.
You have an innate sense
of the issues and
what people need.
But why do you want it?
Well, I've wanted it
for as long as
I can remember.
Yeah, but why?
You want
to serve the people?
A lot of reasons.
Lot of reasons.
You know, when we're young,
we think we're going all
the way to the mountaintop,
and then somewhere
along the journey,
most men
look up at the summit,
and they realize
that they're never
gonna get there.
Then they look down,
and they see how far
they've come,
so they stop
to enjoy the view,
and that is
as far as they get.
Well, I'm going all
the way to the summit.
Heh heh. Yeah.
Yeah, you just might.
You just might.
You, uh, you want me
to go in with you, boss?
Thanks, but the shouting part
is over, I think.
Congressman!
[ gasps]
It's me,
Bernie Gimpel. Hi.
Bernie,
please don't do that.
Okay? Please.
Yeah. I'm--I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I was in your
district office,
uh, today
and happened to glance
at your schedule.
I hope you don't mind.
It's very important.
Bernie, I--I've got
to go talk to my wife.
I'm sorry. I just got--
Yeah, look, I was--
If you don't mind,
I really--
I canvassed
22 precincts for you.
I'm handling
the fundraiser...
I know.
at Wong's Chinese again,
and I've never
asked for anything
that I haven't earned
with my blood, my sweat,
and my tears.
Okay.
What is it, Bernie?
What is it?
Okay. Okay.
Do you know
George Kratz?
No, I don't think so.
Yeah.
Well, he runs
the offtrack betting
parlor in Lincolnville,
and he had
a heart attack
this morning.
Oh, I'm so sorry. Sorry.
Yeah.
Well, um,
I was wondering
if you could put me in
for his job.
Bernie, they haven't even
had the funeral yet.
Well, he's not dead.
I mean,
he's very sick.
It's just a--
a matter of time.
I mean,
people are lining up
at the district office
for this job--
Bernie, I can't give you
the job of a man
that's still alive.
It's imminent,
I tell you, imminent.
JARED: Bernie.
I can't--
Bernie, listen.
The Congressman,
he's very busy right now.
Okay, Charlie,
I'll handle this.
Jared will handle this.
Yeah.
He's--He's great.
Hi. How are you?
How am I?
The Congressman
owes me this.
I've worked
like a dog.
The place is falling
to rack and ruin.
I know.
I don't see why
we can't afford
to mow the lawn.
Well, every time
I try to mow it,
one of your constituents
feels compelled to get
out of their car
and tell me
their problems.
I think I heard one
lurking in the bushes
a little while ago.
Yeah. We just
had a nice talk.
He wants an almost
dead guy's job.
Drink?
I made myself at home.
I hope you don't mind.
It's still your house.
Yeah,
for three more days.
Could've kept it,
you know.
I loved it here,
but there's just
too much.
Yeah.
I'd like to set a date
for dividing the rest
of the things.
Divorce was
just finalized, Casey.
I was thinking
that maybe we could just--
Stop, Charlie.
Just a couple--
Stop.
Okay. Okay.
We'll do it tomorrow
right after I get back
from the island.
Thank you.
So how was your day?
Good.
I broke John Randolph's nose
on the basketball court,
got filmed
in the House chamber
with my feet up on a desk
when they were reciting
the Pledge of Alliance,
which will probably
cost me my job.
Real productive day.
I don't think
you'll lose your job,
although I wish you had
over the years.
Yeah, well, I'm not sure
I even care anymore.
It's just not the same.
There was a time
when Congress was important,
when it meant something
to be there.
Now it's all
about delivering money
for some bus station.
It just makes you feel
kind of irrelevant.
Well, welcome
to my world.
I think the straw that
broke the camel's back
for me
is when
I had to call Abigail
to get on your schedule.
That really sucked.
[ chuckles ]
I know
I sound like a bitch.
I just--I don't care
anymore, Charlie.
You made your bed,
darling.
Not that
I don't sometimes
miss being in it.
For you.
We had something
good and deep, Charlie.
I just--
I got tired of trying
to make you feel it...
and now I just want
to be free, you know?
I want to mean
something to someone
the way they
mean something to me.
Does it hurt?
Surprisingly,
yes, very much.
Good.
You kind of deserve it.
I'm sorry, Charlie.
So am I, honey.
So am I.
For what it's worth,
I never did stop
loving you.
I just stopped
loving you well.
[ Jared sighs ]
Okay.
Listen, we only
got a hour here
before we
have to catch the boat
to Catatonk Island.
You know why
I first opened this
mobile office, Jared?
To win more votes.
No.
Aside from that.
No.
Never mind.
Doesn't matter.
You look good.
Nice turnout,
though, huh?
You know, I've been
trying to figure out
how much time I've spent
in this place.
45 Saturdays a year
at, uh, 18 years,
six-hour stints.
Wonder if it
was worth it?
I plead the Fifth.
No, I'm asking you.
Um, absolutely, Charlie.
[ door opens ]
Hi.
Hi.
Hello.
Morning, ladies.
Please come in.
Yeah, sit down.
Hi. How are you?
So what can I do
for you?
Do you think it's right
that they're teaching
our children how to
have sex with animals?
[ music playing ]
I voted for you.
What can you do?
You gotta stop
these kids.
Listen to me.
Look at me.
These little
fecklatards
that keep rolling
in my community
with their
baseball bats need
a baseball field.
This is
what I have left
of my mailbox.
All they do is they
just run around town
breaking up everything.
They tore up my lawn,
broke my pink flamingo.
This isn't a joke.
This isn't a game.
This isn't
about health care.
I voted for you
the first time you ran,
and I think that you have
become sadly out of touch.
My daughter
teaches English
at the high school,
and she smuggled
this filth out of
the health class.
They're teaching
children how
to use tampons.
I need you to fix this,
or I am going
to powder-keg
that mailbox,
and the next time
one of those
little fecklatards
puts a baseball bat
on my mailbox,
there's gonna be
C-4 packed in it,
and I'm gonna
be cleaning them up
with a sponge.
I've got the buckets,
and the windows
are boarded.
We'll find you
a mailbox.
So can you help me?
So, Mildred,
it's good to see
you again.
What can I do for you?
I know you
fought in Vietnam,
Congressman.
I need some help
understanding
something.
My son, my boy,
was killed
in Iraq by an IED.
Tell me this,
Congressman.
Does his death
count for anything?
I don't know.
Get the signs.
Let's get going.
[ bullhorn squeals ]
This is
State Representative
Deidre Macavoy,
Congressman.
Oh, no.
And I want to know
why you won't stand up
for the Pledge of Alliance.
Oh, this can't be good.
It's her.
According to
the Morality First
Foundation,
you have one
of the lowest
morality ratings
of any Congressman
in the nation.
And we just
found out today
that you won't even
recite the Pledge
of Allegiance.
Personally, I think
you're disgusting.
Let's go, Martha.
Thank you
for your opinions.
Freedom of speech.
Well, two more
satisfied customers.
Three. That thing
had a life of its own.
What kind of Congressman
refuses to stand for
the Pledge of Allegiance?
Maybe I should
propose a law
that all husbands
and wives
be required
to recite
their wedding vows
every morning.
Well, do not
even go there,
Charlie, please. I--
There's a demonstration
out there, sir.
Yeah, I heard.
No one else
is waiting.
Well, looks like
it's time to go.
Are you ready for this?
We want an answer!
Why do you refuse
to say the Pledge!
Why do you refuse
to say the Pledge,
you liberal bastard?!
I suggest you get
that thing out of my face,
or I'll shove it
so far up your ass
only a forklift'll
get it out.
Congressman Winship,
is it true you dissed
the Pledge of Allegiance?
Did you say, "dissed"?
Dissed. Did you
diss the Pledge?
Do you know who
wrote the Pledge
of Allegiance?
The Founding Fathers?
No.
And it wasn't etched
on the tablets
Moses brought down
from Mount Sinai either.
The Pledge of Allegiance
was written
by a national
socialist by the name
of Francis Bellamy,
who believed that
the government should
take over the schools.
He ordained
that the Pledge
should be recited
while all American
schoolchildren stood
and gave the so-called
Bellamy salute.
Have you ever seen
the Bellamy salute?
Well, here it is.
[ crowd exclaiming ]
Cooler heads prevailed,
and that part
of the Pledge
was dropped
after Hitler
declared war on us.
Can we go?
Can we go?
Did you get that?
Well, guess who
just made network news.
What are you thinking?
What are you--
Are you trying to put
your head in a noose?
You know, I can remember
when this whole part
of the state was
virgin forest.
That's how old I am.
[ music playing ]
[ overlapping chatter ]
Whoa. Whoa, whoa.
Watch out. Watch out.
Uh, excuse me.
We're looking for
the First Selectman
of the island.
His name is
Sherm Hawkins.
His, uh, boat's
coming for us.
The big one.
Uh, excuse--Um,
Sherm Hawkins? Anybody?
I know him.
Oh, hi. Good.
Do you know
where we can find him?
Yeah. He sent me in
to get you.
I'm Matty Pierce.
Oh. Thank you.
Jesus.
She looks
like Chewbacca.
How do we know
she's not just
another nutcase?
Because we left them all
back at the mobile office.
Have faith, Jared.
This is America.
Mm-hmm.
[ music playing ]
Uh, excuse me, Miss.
Do you have anything
we can sit on?
Any chairs
or stools?
No? Okay.
Strong and silent type,
I guess.
You know, what
are these, by the way,
these things?
Those are lobster buoys.
Each one of them is attached
to two or three traps.
Must be
thousands of 'em.
Millions
from the Canadian border
down the coast,
around the cape,
all the way to Manhattan.
Wow.
[ cellphone rings ]
Hello. Yes.
Congressman, we are
on the way right now.
I need you
to make him
see the light.
There's a lot
at stake here.
I know what to do.
All right,
I gotta go.
REPORTER: This morning,
we have another shocking example
of just how far removed
from traditional American values
our so-called political leaders
in Washington really are.
This is Congressman
Charles Winship of Maine,
who has allegedly
equated the American
Pledge of Allegiance
with the stiff-armed Nazi salute
of Adolph Hitler.
We caught
his ugly rant on camera
after we asked Winship
why he refused to stand
and recite the Pledge
of Allegiance in Congress.
For the Nazis
in Germany.
Congressional sources tell us
that Winship
believes American children
can actually benefit from
the example of the Hitler Youth.
[ crowd murmuring ]
We asked Winship's opponent,
Deidre Macavoy,
what she thinks.
Our Founding Fathers
fought and died
to give us
the Pledge
of Allegiance
as a reminder
of who we are
as Americans
in the greatest country
in the world.
You go, girl!
And Congressman John Randolph
has just announced
that he plans to seek
an immediate expulsion motion
of Winship
based upon the video evidence
of his actions.
His conduct is
absolutely despicable.
As chairman
of the Ethics Committee,
I plan to bring charges
without delay.
[ music playing ]
Hey! Jared!
Jared! Jared!
We're getting close
the island.
You might want
to change.
I'll change
when I get there.
What is this,
the Hatfields and McCoys?
Hello, Congressman Winship.
I'm Sherm Hawkins.
I'm sorry I wasn't
there to meet you
at Port Charles.
We had an emergency.
One of our boats
was sunk last night.
Accident?
No. It was deliberate.
Our friends from the mainland
just trying to remind us
that they want to take over
our fishing grounds.
We're not always armed,
but these
are dangerous times.
I'd like to know more.
We'll try to oblige you.
Lead the way.
Hope you don't mind
riding in the back.
Excuse me?
[ dog whimpers ]
Hey! Whoa! Whoa!
Hey!
[ music playing ]
Turn me to then fro
Forever
Forever
Some may sow and pray
For gentle weather
Their seeds may fall
Fall in shallow soil
Oh, oh
Ah, come on.
[ groans ]
Oh, my suit.
Excuse me, dog.
[ groans ]
Oh, what is
that stench?
It's the herring we use
to bait our traps.
It's eyeballs, tails...
Really?
fish heads,
whatever.
The riper, the better.
It's money.
Ahh. Yeah.
Perfect.
Thank you.
No, go. Away.
[ dog whimpers ]
Sherm.
CHARLIE:
Hi. How are you?
Nice to meet you.
Well, I think we ought
to welcome the Congressman
and thank him
for coming all the way
out here to see us.
Congressman, we've got
some coffee for you
or something
a little stronger,
if you prefer it.
Thank you.
I should start
by telling you
we've been living
out here the same way
for the last 400 years.
Most of us choose to live
without the so-called
modern conveniences,
television,
cellphones.
Each one of us
is different.
We tolerate
those differences
as long as they don't
hurt the other person,
and everybody respects
what we have here.
Sherm, could you cut
to the chase, please?
Thank you, Brad.
I'm just giving
the Congressman
a tour here.
400 years ago,
the Gulf of Maine was
teeming with fish.
Then 70 years ago,
those fish began to disappear.
That was when
then village elders
decided
to conserve our resources
on these fishing grounds
by fishing
six months a year,
the winter months.
Since 1614, nobody
has fished within
five nautical miles of us.
On more
than one occasion,
we've had to fight
to protect that right.
So you don't take
one lobster
from within
five miles of here
for six months
a year?
No.
No.
No way.
Not us, at least.
Not our way.
I have heard that,
uh, sometimes you guys
take the law into
your own hands when it
comes to outsiders.
We take what
a healthy sea provides.
They take it all.
And who's gonna
protect us?
You people
in Washington?
This is bullshit.
We don't need him.
Thanks
to reckless greed,
there are no big fish
left around here.
Tuna, blue marlin,
halibut,
swordfish, all gone.
Not a one.
I don't have to tell you
what the big ocean draggers
do to the mackerel
and the cod and
the flounder.
Ain't no
goddamn cod left.
Exactly.
They drag
the ocean bottom
and take everything
in their path,
everything,
the whole habitat.
We're being invaded by men
who have overfished
their own fishing grounds.
We don't have any laws
to protect us, Congressman,
only the common laws
that were established
years ago.
Yo, pardon me, Mr. Hawkins.
You know, you--
you talk about
being invaded.
Uh, we're more
than 20 miles out here.
No one should
have their own right
to the sea.
And what the hell
do you know?
These are
our goddamn waters
out here, sonny.
You know nothing
about fishing.
[ overlapping chatter ]
Son, do you have any
idea of the importance
of these grounds?
Do you? Any idea?
You don't, do you?
Well, if you
want to know,
why don't you go out
on one of our boats
with us on that ocean
and find out
for yourself?
Yeah.
That's a great idea.
No offense, uh, sir,
but I don't need
to personally
go out on a boat
to see
that it's unfair
for you guys to profit
while everyone else
cannot fish
your grounds.
It's--It's an ocean.
It's part of America.
It doesn't belong
to you.
I mean all
at the expense of other
fisherman, it's not--
I think
that's a good idea.
No. No. Listen, that is not
a good idea, Congressman...
Jared, there's plenty
of sunlight left.
I think you ought
to call the mainland,
get ahold of
the district office,
and tell them
we're gonna be late
for the meeting
over in Eaton's Neck.
Charlie, uh, I--
first of all, I don't have
the proper gear.
It's okay.
We'll get you some skins.
No, no, no, don't.
It's fine. Charlie--
Who's gonna take him?
I'll take him.
That's right.
Ben could stern
for us.
SHERM:
Awesome.
Ah.
Here you go.
Oh. Thank you.
See if these fit.
Okay?
Put 'em on.
Uh, I will.
I will. I-I'll see you
outside in a minute.
Boots.
Thank you.
They go last.
Right.
Hurry up.
[ sighs ]
Jeez.
[ door closes ]
[ sighs ]
[ sniffs ]
You've got
a library out here?
Sure do, since 1838.
Dedicated to two kids
who were swept out to sea.
Mind if I
take a look inside?
Please do.
[ radio ] Big Sherm.
Come in, Big Sherm.
Okay,
what's the latest?
We got a problem.
Don't know what Bobby's
gonna do about his boat.
Uh-huh.
[ floor creaks ]
What are you
doing here?
I happen to like books.
Well, then you've come
to the right place,
Congressman.
And you are?
Rae Blanchard.
You're the librarian?
Yes,
and I'm also
the second assessor,
the deputy constable,
the truant officer,
and the island
garbage collector.
A true Renaissance woman.
Precisely.
Rae, Bobby Machum's wife
is out of her mind
with worry,
and I gotta
go see her,
so if you could show
the Congressman around
before he leaves,
that'd be
a big help for me.
Of course.
Thank you.
I've only got
about two hours.
It usually
takes visitors
a couple of days
to slow down
to the rhythm
of the sea.
Like him?
We only run
when we have to.
[ overlapping chatter ]
Hey, Rae.
Morning.
Congressman Winship,
so nice to meet you.
Thank you.
Let me give you
a tour of school
Kids, can you welcome
the Congressman?
KIDS: Hi, Congressman Winship.
Hi.
Hi, guys.
Congressman, will you lead us
in the Pledge of Allegiance?
I would be honored.
I pledge allegiance
to the flag
of the United States
of America
and to the republic
for which it stands,
one nation, under God,
indivis...
in the windowsill...
with liberty
and justice for all.
Excellent.
[ music playing ]
[ cellphone rings ]
[ ring ]
Hello.
Congressman,
Mr. Devereaux,
you will not believe
where I am right now.
No, no. We're on track.
We're on track.
Okay. No.
[ rock 'n' roll plays ]
Yeah.
Congressman, what?
Yeah. I'll--
I'll call you back.
Well, I never thought
that I would meet
Anyone that could dance
like you at all
Now I see where I belong
Now I see
where I belong...
Oh! Oh! Oh!
Hey! Hey!
Stop!
[ groans ]
Shit!
Shit! Shit!
Now I see where I belong
Now I see where I belong
Now I see where I belong
[ insects chirping ]
[ bird chirping ]
RAE: You hear that?
We're on the flyway
out here.
More than 500
bird species drop in
for a pit stop
every spring and fall.
[ birds chirping ]
It's a fairy house.
Some of us
grew up believing
that the island
was enchanted
and had magical
healing properties.
And now?
I'm 43 and divorced,
if that answers
your question.
Must be hard
to imagine ever leaving
a place like this.
It's like
a timeless sanctuary.
But it isn't timeless.
Time is running out,
Congressman.
Our whole way of life
is at risk,
just like
the oceans are.
I thought we were
doing a pretty good job
turning the oceans around.
Whenever
someone sits down
at a seafood restaurant
and orders a pound
of peel-and-eat shrimp,
you should know
that eight pounds
of crab, urchin,
and sea coral
were destroyed
to bring you
that pleasure.
Don't get me started
on tortoiseshell
cribbage sets
and seahorse key chains.
You sound
just like Big Sherm.
Well, I ought to.
He's my father.
Really?
Huh.
MATTY: Hey!
Why don't you
make yourself useful?
Put him to work.
BEN: All right.
[ music playing ]
[ gags ]
[ vomits ]
[ coughs ]
[ groans ]
[ grunts ]
Ohh!
BEN: Whoa.
Ah, junior.
Hello.
You and your father
are pretty articulate
about what's
at stake out here.
You ought to come down
and talk to some
of my colleagues
on the Interior
Appropriations
Committee.
Yeah?
What do they do?
Well, aside
from other things,
we dispense
about 30 billion a year
to preserve
the nation's parks,
forests, wetlands,
rivers, oceans.
Your committee needs
to try harder, Congressman.
You people are irrelevant.
Yeah.
Well...
Must get pretty cold
out here in the wintertime.
Not really.
The sea moderates
the air temperature,
but the wind
is a constant.
At night, it's good
to be near a fire.
Ah. Must get
pretty lonely, too.
Not especially.
Not even in February?
I don't.
There's a lot
to keep me busy.
What about at night?
You're very direct,
aren't you?
No more so than you.
I don't lack
for companionship.
No. I don't doubt
that you do.
What about you,
Congressman?
You seem like
a lost soul to me.
Really?
Huh.
I should know.
I was married to one
for 18 years.
I know the type.
[ seabirds calling ]
[ radio playing
country music ]
I got
the hammer down...
Psst.
[ soft whistles ]
[ whistle ]
Ho!
[ groans ]
How you feeling?
Oh, my G--
How long have I been out?
Just a couple minutes.
[ sighs ]
Are we heading in?
No. We're gonna head
around the point
to haul the last set
of Bobby's traps.
Should be
a little calmer
around the back side.
Oh, yeah.
Great. Okay.
We'll be onshore soon.
What a screwup, huh?
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Get this.
You don't have
anything to prove.
Thank you.
This is a good idea?
This'll help?
Just give it a try.
[ winces ]
It's a death trap.
You know, if it
weren't for the war,
I don't think I ever
would have gone
into politics.
Vietnam?
Yeah.
Were you drafted?
No. Volunteered.
At the time,
I thought we were fighting
to save a fledgling
little democracy
from communist subversion,
but that all ended.
By the end of it,
I just lost all my faith.
You ever kill anyone?
I was a Marine grunt.
I shot people.
That was my job.
Why politics?
I don't know.
Anger, maybe, all the guys
we lost over there.
Anger carried me a long way.
My ex-husband
came out here
to avoid that war.
Yeah.
Well, it was a bad time
all around.
You still angry?
No.
Just tired.
You want to go in,
right?
[ ballad playing ]
No.
It's a long hard road...
All right.
To the softest part
of the man
All right,
here we go.
And it's lined
with stones
Tangled in regrets that are
just too hard to forget
Ohh
[ winch grinding ]
These rusty signs
Overlooked on the way...
This way?
To the heart
All right.
Of a troubled man
Slide it over.
There you go.
You can lose yourself
In the deep muddy ruts
Worn through
Whoa, look at that.
By the pride of a man
Ohh...
Wow.
Now, that is
the one I want.
By the pride of a man
Letting go
See?
It's beyond 3 1/4.
Yeah.
Letting go
Just take that.
Okay, put that
on to its--
Letting go
Twist it.
That's it.
Let it go
That's it. Yes.
That's okay.
Let it go
1, 2, 3.
MATTY: Hey!
Did that good,
Junior Congressman.
Does that happen
here often?
Every day, actually.
No, no,
I meant the--this...
Sometimes
the fog gets so thick,
you can't see your hand.
The ancients believed
that each day brought
a new life.
[ sighs ]
That's Brad.
Oh, Brad.
Stay here.
Hey, where were you
last night?
I don't have time
for this, Brad.
Come on.
I never said
I loved you.
I don't love you.
I'm so sick
of your issues.
I'm--I'm sorry
you had to see that.
Oh, that's okay.
Are you two
involved, or...
To be brutally honest,
it's just very good sex.
[ laughs ]
Physically
I enjoyed him very much.
He is a wonderful lover.
That's nice.
You know--You know what?
I think probably--We should
probably head down.
I think he thought he
could convince me that we
were more than just--
Anyway, I never
meant to hurt him.
No. No, of course not.
You know, I probably
should actually--
I feel terrible about
using him that way.
Well, I'm sure it wasn't
all that hard to endure.
Well, I mean,
at first, anyway.
But I really
do have a dozen stop-bys
on Saturday.
What are stop-bys?
Well, let's see.
There's the Blue and Gold
Cub Scout dinner,
the Rotary Club dance,
the dog show in Bristol,
the Shenango
Fire Department dinner.
Why don't you
let me cook you dinner?
Ah, is that
an island decision?
An island decision?
Yeah, to subvert me
from my public
responsibilities?
You're an idiot.
No, it is my decision,
and I have two two-pound
lobsters on ice
back at my cottage.
Okay. I'll stay.
Oh. Thank you.
[ chuckles ]
Well, did you
learn something?
Yeah. I did.
I did.
Yeah, by the way,
what are 132 lobsters
worth on the mainland?
Well, $3.00 a pound
for soft-shell,
$5.00 for hard.
Got fuel.
Got bait.
About $1,200.
Well, hey,
not a bad day's catch
for you guys, right?
Those aren't my traps.
Those are
Bobby Machum's,
fellow whose boat
got sunk.
You just helped out
his family.
Good job.
Ohh.
Ahh. It doesn't
even burn anymore.
[ coughs, laughs ]
Take this.
You earned it.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you, sir.
Heh.
I'm not so bad, right?
Not so bad.
For a city slicker.
[ laughs ]
[ footsteps ]
Hi.
Hi.
Is Jared Barnes here?
Uh, yeah.
He's here,
but, uh, he's up
in my bathroom.
We have no secrets.
JARED:
...in the night
Baby,
pray for the fall
It's the call
of the night
It's the way
of life, it's the
Law of the night
Yeah
Hey, Charlie!
I see you've been wounded
in the line of duty.
I guess we're
not going back tonight.
Uh, well,
there's--there's no way
to reach you, Charlie.
My phone's, uh--
it's gone.
It's very, uh--
[ chuckles ] It's wet.
And there's no way
to reach my man Laird,
you know, the, uh--
the mainland.
So me and you, we're--
we're--we're here.
We're--we're stuck here.
You know, Jared,
if I didn't know better,
I'd say you'd
fallen off the wagon.
[ laughing ]
I almost fell out
of the fucking wagon.
Ah, Jesus.
Listen, I'm having dinner
with someone tonight.
In case you need to reach me,
her name is Rae Blanchard.
I'm sure Ben knows
where she lives.
Mm, okay.
Yeah.
You know, Charlie,
I've never
been so sore in my--
ow, ohh--
my whole life.
Oh, but I tell you what.
I like this place.
Yeah, me, too.
Have fun, tiger.
Sir. Sorry.
Be good.
[ knock on door ]
Yeah, come in.
Hey.
Hey.
Wow, nice.
Thank you.
Could you open
that bottle?
Sure.
So, how's
your assistant?
Well marinated, I'd say.
[ chuckles ]
Glasses?
Uh, second cupboard.
Where's he staying?
Uh, he's staying
at Matty's with a young man
named, uh, Ben.
Yeah.
Matty always steps up.
She took him in
a few years ago.
He was raised
in foster homes
and badly abused.
He's actually
a really sweet kid
and a wonderful
portrait artist,
a real prodigy.
I thought that
he was, uh, the stern man
on one of the lobster boats.
He does that as well
to get a closer feel
for the lives
of the fishermen.
Cheers.
[ glasses clink ]
[ soft music playing ]
The old flake yards.
In those days, they'd cure
the codfish in the sun.
Of course, there aren't
any cod left anymore.
What are you gonna do
if the grounds
are opened up
to year-round fishing?
Fight it with
every means we have.
Got some
pretty high-powered
lobbying help.
Yeah,
and we don't have it.
Even hiring
a local lawyer
went against the grain
of the people out here.
The number of those
who want to stay and fight
grows smaller every day.
Many are already resigned
to leaving the island.
[ knock on door ]
Come in.
I'm afraid I
got some bad news.
RAE: What happened?
Well, I
was listening
to the radio,
and apparently
some congressional
committee
is having
a special meeting
down there
to decide on
whether to expel you
from Congress
for disgracing
the House of
Representatives.
Something about
an Nazi salute
and desecration
of the Pledge
of Allegiance.
So much for exercising
my First Amendment rights.
Did you do that?
It's a long story, Sherm.
Well, they want you
down there
first thing
Monday morning.
Should I tell
your assistant?
No. No, I'd rather
tell him myself. Thanks.
Okay.
What is he
talking about?
The artist really
captured ol' Matty, huh?
Jesus.
She's gay, right?
She's gotta be gay.
I mean, not that I have--
I have
anything against that.
I don't, personally.
It's not a big deal
to me, but, uh,
she scares me
a little bit,
you know?
She's mannish.
I'm just saying
I wouldn't want to,
uh, run into her
in a dark alley.
You know what I mean?
Heard you talking
about that painting.
Um, yes.
The painting
is very good.
It's very good.
I was wondering,
uh, you know,
who the artist was.
You're sitting
right next to him.
You?
You painted that?
Yeah.
Wow.
Ben, that's amazing.
You should
be really proud
of yourself.
Thank you.
Well, cheers.
Full of mystery,
huh?
So, what are
you gonna do?
Go back and deal with it,
I guess, but not tonight.
Tonight I just want
to have dinner.
You're not a neo-Nazi,
are you?
[ laughs ] No.
I was making a point,
and it was taken
out of context.
I understand.
Thank you.
You remember telling me
that visitors who come here
need a few days
to slow down
to the rhythm
of the sea and the tides?
Mm-hmm.
I haven't slowed down
for 18 years.
Is that how you lost
your marriage?
Well, in spite
of what my ex-wife thinks,
it wasn't because
of the perks of the job.
I knew what to expect
when I went down there.
You get elected
to Congress, and suddenly
your jokes are funny.
You discover that you're
God's gift to women,
all the wrong women.
You get nonstop flattery
from people who all want
something from you,
but those things were
never a problem for me.
Then what was it?
It was this need...
a need that became
the most compelling thing
in my life...
more important than my wife
or our marriage or...
You got kids?
No.
I'd still like to.
Well, that superseded
even them
and everything else
in my life.
I don't understand.
When I got out
of the Marine Corps,
I felt like I was living
on borrowed time.
If I didn't accomplish enough
in a given day or week,
it was like falling behind
in my whole reason
for having survived,
and I was one day closer
to dying without having
made a difference.
Hey, maybe you have made
a difference, Charlie.
Maybe it's just time
to hang up your armor.
Not that easy.
Of course it is.
[ chuckles ]
Well, not right now.
Wow, you're
an amazing artist.
Ben, you really--
You are, man.
You're great.
Do you think
I could do one of you?
What?
Yeah.
[ chuckles ]
Yeah.
Yeah.
I would be honored.
What do I
need to do?
Just, uh, sit on the bed.
Okay.
You got it.
[ laughs ]
Thank you.
Wow.
Turn this way.
Like this?
Yeah.
I put this up?
Is that--
This is very new to me.
[ laughs ]
[ laughs ]
Sit still.
Okay.
Open your eyes.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Good.
Am I allowed to talk?
Whatever you want.
Rae,
is that--Is that
short for Raymond?
[ laughs ]
No.
It's a family name,
but you can call me
Raymond if you like.
No, you know,
I might just--
Ahh. Ah, God.
What is it?
Are you okay?
Oh, it's my back.
It's got a life of its own,
likes to remind me.
Well, it shouldn't.
Let me help you.
Oh, boy.
Come here.
Okay. [ winces ]
You all right?
Yeah, I think.
[ groans ]
Oh, man.
All right,
take off your shirt.
What?
Take off your shirt.
Lie down
on your stomach.
I'm gonna give you
a massage.
What's that?
Magic elixirs
from the fairies
in our enchanted forest.
Oh, man.
[ wincing ]
Ow.
Ay.
[ laughs ]
Oh, my goodness.
All right.
Ow.
There we go. Now...
[ gasping ]
There we go.
Deep breaths.
Ooh. Take it easy on me.
I'm kind of a wimp.
[ laughs ]
All right.
Oh, boy.
All right.
I'm gonna have to bring in
the big guns.
Oh, my God.
Oh.
Hey, this is better
than the lobster.
Aha.
[ laughs ]
Um, Ben, I--
Listen, I don't
mean to be rude,
but I'm exhausted,
and I need to sleep.
Want to see what I got?
Yeah.
Wow.
It's me,
but far too flattering.
Well, that's
how I see you.
Thank you.
Uh, all right.
[ groans, blows lips ]
[ sighs ]
Where did you
learn to do that?
I had a lot of practice.
My husband
was a fisherman.
I mean, this is amazing.
I'm--I'm actually
pain-free.
I haven't felt
this way for months.
[ sighs ]
I don't know
how to thank you.
Help us keep this place
the way it is.
Come sit.
I should go.
Why?
It's a small island.
People'll talk.
You're worried about
your precious reputation?
No.
I'm worried
about yours.
[ laughs ]
This is the least
judgmental place you'll
ever find, Congressman,
and it's been that way
for a long time.
Intolerance is
the least of our problems.
Listen...
I've been with
a lot of men over the years.
[ chuckles ]
I think I was chasing
that excitement,
that sense
of anticipation.
You know what I mean?
I think I've been lonely
for a long time, Charlie.
You said up
on the cliffs that you
weren't lonely.
I guess I lied.
[ bird warbles ]
[ bird warbles ]
[ explosion ]
[ gasps ]
[ boom echoes ]
What was that?
No!
No! My Sea Hag!
Not her!
No!
[ gasps ]
Matty.
MATTY:
No! No...
Whose boat is that?
It's the Sea Hag.
[ Matty yelling ]
Jesus Christ.
No!
No.
I-Is there anything
that we can do?
Yeah,
like call the police
or maybe the Coast Guard
or the fire department?
Yeah, sure.
WOMAN:
Was the Sea Hag.
[ overlapping chatter ]
MATTY:
Gonna be like this?
[ explosion ]
[ sobbing ]
JARED:
Congressman!
I really fucked up,
Charlie.
I think, uh--
I think Devereaux
was behind this.
Who?
Former
Congressman Devereaux.
He doesn't just represent
the other lobstermen of Maine.
Okay, he also works
for a multinational
seafood conglomerate.
Their catch,
it's less and less each year,
and they want
these grounds.
They need these grounds,
Charlie.
Where did I fit in?
They wanted me
to make sure
that you didn't end up
defending these people.
So you hitched
your wagon to him
for what?
Why?
What was the price?
Your seat.
And I'm sorry.
Wow.
Wow.
You know he's probably
bought Deidre Macavoy,
too, don't you?
Listen, Charlie,
that's not it.
He's--He's got plans,
okay?
For you, for this island.
He's got a boatload
of media coming up here
to expose these people.
When will they get here?
Sometime soon.
Is that all, Jared?
Yeah.
I want a helicopter
here at 9 A.M.
[ footsteps ]
[ door opens ]
Hey.
Listen, I'm--I'm gonna
have to borrow these
for a couple days.
Nah, you can keep 'em.
Look, why don't--
Why don't you
come down to Washington
sometime, you know,
come for a visit?
Really?
Yeah.
Come, uh,
see the National
Portrait Gallery.
You know, your stuff
will probably be
hanging there someday.
All right.
Yeah, maybe, uh--
maybe when
lobster season ends.
Did you want this,
or...
Yeah. Are you kidding?
Thank you.
Mm-hmm.
So everything's cool,
okay?
All right.
I'll see you.
Good luck.
[ music playing ]
[ indistinct chatter ]
Jared Barnes?
What happened to you?
Look, Laird's been
trying to reach you
all day.
You gotta talk to him,
and you gotta
talk to him now.
Shh. Okay.
Just calm down, okay?
Hey, listen, is there
a Starbucks around?
No.
I gotta get
a cappuccino.
There isn't.
LAIRD: Are you still
with me all the way?
You're home free
for the nomination.
Charlie's toast.
Oh, right,
you're for me, Laird?
What about your
other pet candidate,
Deidre Macavoy?
Diedre's
the diversion.
For God's sake,
Charlie's gonna
be expelled,
and when he does,
you're gonna get
the nomination,
and you're gonna
have to step up.
So they're, um--
they're really
doing it, huh?
They're gonna expel him?
Expel him?
Hell, they're gonna
crucify him.
For God's sake, he's
been doing that Nazi
salute for 24 hours.
All America's seen it.
It's not
a Nazi salute, okay?
American kids were
doing that for years
while they recited
the Pledge of Allegiance.
It's called
the Bellamy salute.
Well, you tell that
to the American people.
Look, I gotta go,
but when you get back
to civilization,
give me a call.
I got something special
for you.
Yeah.
No, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no!
That was mine!
[ splash ]
That was mine!
Go get it.
Well...
see ya.
Yep.
Why don't you come
down to Washington,
see where this can go?
Are you joking?
No, I'm not.
I'd rather have
a lobotomy. Heh heh.
Why?
Well, I will tell you
why, Mr. Winship.
In some ways,
you remind me
of Jimmy Stewart
in "It's
a Wonderful Life."
Do you remember how
he spent his entire life
trying to protect
his beautiful
Bedford Falls
from the evil
Mr. Potter?
Yeah. Zuzu's petals.
That's Pottersville,
at least to me.
[ helicopter whirring ]
Can you understand?
Yes, I think I can.
Sounds like the bus
to Pottersville is here.
Yep.
Why don't you stay here,
Congressman?
[ laughs ]
And do what?
Ah, I've been thinking
about cutting back
on my portfolio.
I might
be persuaded to give up
the garbage concession.
Now that's something
to look forward to.
You're up against
some serious predators.
Well, we've weathered
bigger storms than this
in the past 400 years.
I know you have.
I'll do what I can
for you in Washington.
You've all
taught me a lot.
Thanks.
Thank you.
Hey!
Come on back, son.
We got it all here.
Every day
is different.
[ engine warming up ]
Charlie! Charlie!
Hey!
I still need
to book the tickets
for Washington.
I'm not going to Washington.
What?
I'm going back
to my district.
Call Abigail. Tell her
I'm having a town meeting
at the local high school
in Bedford.
No, no, no.
Bedford
is Deidre Macavoy's
home base, Charlie.
They'll tear you
apart there.
Probably.
Just do it.
[ music playing ]
[ all shouting ]
Congressman Winship,
are you going
to resign today?
No.
[ overlapping chatter ]
Congressman,
are you a Nazi?
Congressman Randolph
has accused you of
disloyalty to the flag.
He has a right
to his opinion.
Hey, guys,
right this way.
Okay.
[ sighs ] We are riding
the whirlwind now.
Not exactly riding it.
This is the best
I could do.
This high school was
kind enough to donate
their space, so...
You flew
all the way up here
just for this?
Oh, I wouldn't
have missed it.
This is the first
public execution
I've actually ever seen.
Oh, thank you.
[ laughs ]
I'm gonna walk
a little bit.
Well, it turns out that
Congressman Winship is
right about one thing.
Until Nazi Germany
declared war on the U.S.,
American schoolchildren
recited the Pledge of Allegiance
every morning while delivering
the Nazi stiff-armed salute.
[ cellphone ringing ]
Hey, Harlan.
Ah, I got some bad news
for you, son.
I thought
you'd want to know.
Mississippi
has seceded again?
[ laughs ]
That'd be good news.
I've--Oh, wait a second.
The committee
voted to authorize
an expulsion motion.
Now, right now, I'd say
the full House vote is
a foregone conclusion.
So what
are my high crimes
and misdemeanors?
Flagrant disobedience
of House rules,
conduct unbecoming
a sitting member,
equating the Pledge
of Allegiance
with "Mein Kampf."
How did you vote?
[ scoffs ]
Now, how do you think?
Thanks, Harlan.
Now, a lot of people
around here
don't like
what's going on here,
but they're
running scared.
It--It's like a sickness.
Personally,
I think we're headed
into a kind of moral
and political ice age.
Well, that sounds
pretty bleak, Harlan.
Ah, well,
I hope I'm wrong.
Yeah, me, too.
Charlie.
[ knocks ]
Uh...
Congressman.
It's time.
Um, listen,
before you go out there,
I want you to know
my letter of resignation
is on your desk.
What happened to you?
I was scared.
I didn't think
you'd ever quit, Charlie,
and I was afraid
I wouldn't make it
to the summit,
so...
I made
a very selfish decision,
and I lost sight
of what matters
to me the most,
things that
you've taught me.
You're a good man,
Charlie,
and you've done
a lot of great things
for these people,
so please
don't let what I did
affect what you say
out there.
Good luck.
[ crowd murmuring ]
[ crowd chattering ]
You better
resign tonight!
Sieg Heil, you Nazi
son of a bitch!
[ yelling continues ]
I'm not voting for you!
You better
resign tonight!
Go home, Congressman!
I didn't vote
for a Nazi!
Go home, Winship!
You're not really
an American, are you?
Hey,
shut the hell up!
Let the guy
speak.
We owe him
that much!
Yeah, come on!
Give him a chance now!
I stand before you tonight
charged
with personal misconduct
detrimental to the House
of Representatives.
MAN: Yeah!
I've also been charged
with a failure to stand
and recite
the Pledge of Allegiance
at the start
of each day's session.
Yeah!
You aren't American!
The second charge is true.
[ booing ]
On any number of occasions,
I have failed to stand
and recite the Pledge.
On other occasions,
I have stood,
but failed to repeat the words.
Since these charges
were filed,
some of my colleagues
have chosen to publicly
question my patriotism,
my loyalty to my country,
and even
my fundamental Americanism.
To tell you the truth,
I don't much care
what they think or say about me.
What I do care about
is that those charges are a lie.
What makes us unique
as Americans
isn't a bumper sticker
or a patriotic song,
the flag, or even
the Pledge of Allegiance.
What makes us different
is that no American
is required to take
a pledge of allegiance
to a king or a dictator
or even to a flag.
We are a free people.
Now, the American flag is
a symbol of that freedom,
an important and
wonderful symbol.
In my life, I've seen it flying
in a lot of places
around the world.
In 1970, I saw it flying
above a hill called Khe Sanh
in the Quang Tri province
of Vietnam.
Seeing it flying there above us
and later on in many
other places around the world
has never ceased to fill me
with enormous pride.
But to me, that pride comes
from what the flag represents,
what it symbolizes,
not just the flag itself.
As Americans, we are different,
because we were
the first nation in the world
to be founded on an idea,
the idea that each of us
has value as an individual
and that we are free
to express ourselves
in any way we choose
or not to express
ourselves at all.
In 1950, Margaret Chase Smith,
a Republican senator
from right here in Maine
chose to take on
a fellow senator
who had questioned
her patriotism.
His name was Joseph McCarthy.
And this is what she said.
"Those who shout the loudest
about Americanism
"are all too frequently
those who ignore
"some of the basic principles
of Americanism,
"the right to criticize,
"the right
to hold unpopular beliefs,
"the right to protest,
the right
of independent thought."
Now, at the start
of each Congressional session,
those of us
privileged enough
to serve
in the United States Congress
swear an oath
to uphold the Constitution
and every freedom
that this nation holds dear.
I have taken that oath
nine times on your behalf,
and I have always repeated
those words
with the deepest humility.
I believe in the Constitution.
I believe in those words.
I fought for them.
The Pledge of Allegiance
is a fine symbol
for the freedoms we enjoy.
I believe in its words, too.
I do.
But I don't need
to recite them every morning
to prove that I love
my country, and I won't.
I have that right.
I'm an American.
[ light applause ]
MAN: Way to go!
[ cheering ]
Will you take
a look at this?
You are really
turning them around.
Next year, you won't
have to campaign
so hard. Heh.
You know, Charlie,
the people behind Devereaux
are not gonna
give up this easy.
This isn't over,
not by a long shot.
It is for me.
I'm hanging up
my armor.
I'm done here.
What about you?
You ready to try
for the summit?
After what I did?
I'm starting to believe
in second chances.
Thank you, Charlie.
I have the Commandant
of the Coast Guard
on the line.
CHARLIE:
You better get that.
Admiral.
Yes,
this is Jared Barnes.
Congressman Winship
convinced Governor Cabot
to declare the waters
around Catatonk
officially off limits
to commercial fishing.
Temporarily. Yes, sir.
[ music playing ]
Well, then I assume
the shooting war is over.
Climb up this tree
Sit next to me
on a trusty branch
Won't you hold my hand?
Look at the view
While I look at you
It's a pretty sight
Yes, it's pure delight
Pull the blanket down
We'll sit on the ground
till the stars show up
And the day is done
Oh, how I fear
a change in the weather
I could lay like this
with you forever
Surely life itself
will rearrange things
So all we've got to do
is chase that same dream
[ whistling ]
[ song ends ]
[ music playing ]
This is
This is the time
This is
This is the time
You
Look through the glass
Till the moment is gone
Like a ship in the sun
I
Look through the rain
We take the high road above
Only need
what we already got
This is
This is the time
This is
This is the time
Hey
I lived in a place
Where someone
had locked the doors
Now I live in a space
with no ceiling and no floors
I
I feel the earth
See, the truth is like
A river so wide
I
Know a place we can be
Where yesterday's gone
And tomorrow
will always be here
This is
This is the time
This is
This is the time
This is
This is the time
This is
This is the time
This is
This is the time
This is
This is your time
[ splash ]
You better get your traps
out of here, sonny.
These waters belong to us.
You don't own the ocean.
Oh, yeah?
This part of it, we do.
Get the hell
out of here!
Inbred Catatonk
bastards!
[ gavel bangs ]
The House will be in order.
The Pledge of Allegiance today
will be led by the gentleman
from Idaho.
REPRESENTATIVES: I pledge
allegiance to the flag
of the United States
of America
and to the republic
for which it stands,
one nation, under God,
indivisible with liberty
and justice for all.
[ music playing ]
Half
Clear as a bell
Half believer
Half gone to Hell
Half gone to Hell
Half gone to Hell
Well, we're all half Rama
And half
All the ones you love
Shine
On the ones you love
Shine...
I know that subsidies
have gotten a bad name
in recent years,
but this one is
vitally important
to the economic fabric
and well-being
of this nation,
and I need support of
this committee to do so.
The President called me
this morning.
He wants this subsidy
in the budget,
demands that it be
in the budget.
I'm afraid
that my good friend
Congressman Winship
has no conception
of the practical
difficulties,
eliminating it
from the federal budget.
Sorry to hear that.
After listening
to his testimony,
I deeply regret...
What's the vote?
The final passage
of the defense bill.
House resumes
Monday morning
with the human cloning ban.
You still have time
for basketball before you
catch your flight.
Hey. I'll talk--
Hey.
I'll call you
later, okay?
Our PAC just voted
to endorse you, Charlie.
Can't say it was easy
having to always the toe
the line for us,
but I know you'll
be there next time.
I'm bundling 20,000
for you next week.
Yeah.
Is that all
you have to say?
Well,
fuck you, buddy.
Come and get it.
Come on. Come on.
Stay on him!
Yes! Yes.
Good shot.
Can't you guard
that old son of a bitch?
Give me the damn ball.
Stay on him.
Take it easy.
What the hell is
wrong with you, Winship?
[ winces ]
Ooh.
You ought to be seeing
a chiropractor, son.
My back is incurable,
Harlan.
Hey, gentlemen,
I see the TV attack dogs
are at it again,
polling
every single member
based on past drug use.
Uh-huh.
Hey, Harlan,
what'd you
tell them?
Never done drugs,
pure and simple.
Of course, you bait
the trap with whiskey
and pussy,
and they'll
catch me every time.
Ooh, that smells like
good sour mash to me.
You know I can
still hunt, Harlan.
Uh-huh. Yeah.
I don't know
if you, uh, saw her,
but there was
a woman upstairs
taking pictures
of you up in
the visitors gallery.
That's illegal.
Yeah, I know.
You sure it was me?
Yeah. You were
sitting by yourself
at the Whip's desk.
[ chuckles ]
Senator Freeman
needs a call back
on the interior
appropriations bill.
Governor Hodgekiss
needs another 10 million
for the dam project
in Moosejaw,
and the White House
wants an answer on
the human cloning ban.
The meeting
with the President
on the Canadian
trade agreement was
postponed till Monday.
Charlie,
we have a problem.
Casey's hoping you'll
have time to stop by
and finalize
the division of your
personal things.
Her actual words were--
Charlie,
this is serious, okay?
You keep saying that,
and I'm still here.
Well, this time,
you've really done it.
Casey is
serious this time.
I mean very serious.
Okay, guys,
guys, what is it?
What is it--
Casey has contacted--
No, no, no, excuse me.
One second.
The Pledge.
Charlie, I have talked
to you about this.
You don't stand up
for the Pledge of Alliance.
You never even
mouth the words.
So guess what happened
this morning?
Someone took
a video of you
with your feet
up on the Whip's desk
while everyone else
is standing and
saluting the flag
like the few
and the proud.
Yeah. Well, as one of
the few and the proud,
let me tell you
that none of us recited
the Pledge every morning
when we were holding
Khe Sanh against
the communist hordes.
Fine. You want
to play the cynical
Vietnam warrior,
that's fine.
I like that card,
but I'm telling you,
they care about this shit
back in the district.
I am not gonna
recite a loyalty oath
every morning
just to prove
that I love my country.
Okay. Sure, yeah.
That's fine, Charlie,
but they're already
calling you a Pledge dodger.
Your congressional opponent,
Deidre Macavoy,
has started a petition drive
to recall you
and, if that's not enough,
the Morality First
Foundation would love--
Jared, Jared,
I can't be
recalled, okay?
Here's
your weekend schedule.
You have that visit
to Catatonk Island tomorrow.
Charlie,
listen to me.
What are you
talking about?
Elected officials
are getting recalled
for breathing these days.
They'd have
to vote me
out of office.
Can't you reschedule
the trip--
You've already
rescheduled three times,
and you promised
to visit there.
It's 18 miles out
in the Atlantic.
20. You can almost see
Ireland from the cliffs.
Who's in there?
That is former
Congressman Devereaux.
What does he want?
Well, he's here to ask you
if you will postpone
your trip to that island.
You have
exactly eight minutes.
Otherwise,
you'll miss your flight.
All right,
all right.
I appreciate this,
Charlie.
I know why
you're here, Laird,
and I still
have to go out there.
Those inbred bastards
started a shooting war.
They're crazy.
Who do you represent
in all this?
Lobstermen's
Benevolent Association.
There are 4,000 of them
along the Maine coast.
They're in the right.
How much
they paying you?
Oh, it's almost
a charity thing.
$25,000 a month.
You need to go.
Charlie, why don't you come out
to Burning Tree with me?
Hell, you can't
stay here forever,
but everybody
loves you, Charlie.
Yeah, you could bill
a million dollars a month
once you get through
the revolving door.
Charlie, think about it.
Drink about it.
[ chuckles ]
Jared, sit down a minute.
We need to talk
about your future.
I'm gonna need you
to help me with him,
you know
what I mean? He--
Charlie has
a hard head
sometimes.
You know, the people
that I work for--
well, with,
they're gonna run
this country soon,
and it wouldn't
hurt you to be
on the ground floor.
You know what I mean?
Hell, you're gonna enjoy
being a Congressman.
Hell, we share the pie.
Heh heh.
Gonna share the pie.
[ chuckles ]
You went to college,
and you joined
a fraternity,
didn't you?
Yes.
Do you remember
the first time
you came back
after fucking a virgin
and you went back
to the house and you
shared the wealth
and told all the boys.
Remember that? Ha ha.
Well, that's just
the way it's gonna be.
We all share the wealth.
All the donors
and the virgins...
Jared...
fresh meat.
you're gonna miss
your flight.
Oh. Yeah. Okay.
Jared,
just a minute now.
Yeah.
You don't
seem to have
a social life.
And when you
get back here,
I want you
to think about it.
Call me.
Mm-hmm.
I'm gonna
introduce you to some
exceptional friends.
Heh.
I look forward to it.
I'm sure you will.
[ laughs ]
No redheads.
Oh, I got
a whole bunch of 'em,
redheads,
blue heads, every damn--
all the head
you want, pal. Uh-huh.
[ P.A. ] Welcome
to Rockland Airport.
Please note this is
a nonsmoking facility...
Listen, I'm sorry
about, uh, missing
the connection,
but the next one,
it gets us in only down
an hour behind schedule.
Back-to-back, huh?
[ sighs ]
You know, it's--
it's starting to become
noticeable, Charlie.
"He is never so generous
as when he is giving advice."
Well, I just--
You know,
I'm being honest.
I think you have
a--a problem.
Today I do.
I'm just tired
of the bullshit.
You know,
maybe what you need
is a nice,
long vacation.
A long vacation?
Yeah.
Get in touch with this,
you know?
You want my job,
don't you, Jared?
No. God, no, Charlie.
I-I've made no secret
about possibly running
someday, yes,
but not
while you're here.
No, no, but you're good.
You're good.
You have an innate sense
of the issues and
what people need.
But why do you want it?
Well, I've wanted it
for as long as
I can remember.
Yeah, but why?
You want
to serve the people?
A lot of reasons.
Lot of reasons.
You know, when we're young,
we think we're going all
the way to the mountaintop,
and then somewhere
along the journey,
most men
look up at the summit,
and they realize
that they're never
gonna get there.
Then they look down,
and they see how far
they've come,
so they stop
to enjoy the view,
and that is
as far as they get.
Well, I'm going all
the way to the summit.
Heh heh. Yeah.
Yeah, you just might.
You just might.
You, uh, you want me
to go in with you, boss?
Thanks, but the shouting part
is over, I think.
Congressman!
[ gasps]
It's me,
Bernie Gimpel. Hi.
Bernie,
please don't do that.
Okay? Please.
Yeah. I'm--I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I was in your
district office,
uh, today
and happened to glance
at your schedule.
I hope you don't mind.
It's very important.
Bernie, I--I've got
to go talk to my wife.
I'm sorry. I just got--
Yeah, look, I was--
If you don't mind,
I really--
I canvassed
22 precincts for you.
I'm handling
the fundraiser...
I know.
at Wong's Chinese again,
and I've never
asked for anything
that I haven't earned
with my blood, my sweat,
and my tears.
Okay.
What is it, Bernie?
What is it?
Okay. Okay.
Do you know
George Kratz?
No, I don't think so.
Yeah.
Well, he runs
the offtrack betting
parlor in Lincolnville,
and he had
a heart attack
this morning.
Oh, I'm so sorry. Sorry.
Yeah.
Well, um,
I was wondering
if you could put me in
for his job.
Bernie, they haven't even
had the funeral yet.
Well, he's not dead.
I mean,
he's very sick.
It's just a--
a matter of time.
I mean,
people are lining up
at the district office
for this job--
Bernie, I can't give you
the job of a man
that's still alive.
It's imminent,
I tell you, imminent.
JARED: Bernie.
I can't--
Bernie, listen.
The Congressman,
he's very busy right now.
Okay, Charlie,
I'll handle this.
Jared will handle this.
Yeah.
He's--He's great.
Hi. How are you?
How am I?
The Congressman
owes me this.
I've worked
like a dog.
The place is falling
to rack and ruin.
I know.
I don't see why
we can't afford
to mow the lawn.
Well, every time
I try to mow it,
one of your constituents
feels compelled to get
out of their car
and tell me
their problems.
I think I heard one
lurking in the bushes
a little while ago.
Yeah. We just
had a nice talk.
He wants an almost
dead guy's job.
Drink?
I made myself at home.
I hope you don't mind.
It's still your house.
Yeah,
for three more days.
Could've kept it,
you know.
I loved it here,
but there's just
too much.
Yeah.
I'd like to set a date
for dividing the rest
of the things.
Divorce was
just finalized, Casey.
I was thinking
that maybe we could just--
Stop, Charlie.
Just a couple--
Stop.
Okay. Okay.
We'll do it tomorrow
right after I get back
from the island.
Thank you.
So how was your day?
Good.
I broke John Randolph's nose
on the basketball court,
got filmed
in the House chamber
with my feet up on a desk
when they were reciting
the Pledge of Alliance,
which will probably
cost me my job.
Real productive day.
I don't think
you'll lose your job,
although I wish you had
over the years.
Yeah, well, I'm not sure
I even care anymore.
It's just not the same.
There was a time
when Congress was important,
when it meant something
to be there.
Now it's all
about delivering money
for some bus station.
It just makes you feel
kind of irrelevant.
Well, welcome
to my world.
I think the straw that
broke the camel's back
for me
is when
I had to call Abigail
to get on your schedule.
That really sucked.
[ chuckles ]
I know
I sound like a bitch.
I just--I don't care
anymore, Charlie.
You made your bed,
darling.
Not that
I don't sometimes
miss being in it.
For you.
We had something
good and deep, Charlie.
I just--
I got tired of trying
to make you feel it...
and now I just want
to be free, you know?
I want to mean
something to someone
the way they
mean something to me.
Does it hurt?
Surprisingly,
yes, very much.
Good.
You kind of deserve it.
I'm sorry, Charlie.
So am I, honey.
So am I.
For what it's worth,
I never did stop
loving you.
I just stopped
loving you well.
[ Jared sighs ]
Okay.
Listen, we only
got a hour here
before we
have to catch the boat
to Catatonk Island.
You know why
I first opened this
mobile office, Jared?
To win more votes.
No.
Aside from that.
No.
Never mind.
Doesn't matter.
You look good.
Nice turnout,
though, huh?
You know, I've been
trying to figure out
how much time I've spent
in this place.
45 Saturdays a year
at, uh, 18 years,
six-hour stints.
Wonder if it
was worth it?
I plead the Fifth.
No, I'm asking you.
Um, absolutely, Charlie.
[ door opens ]
Hi.
Hi.
Hello.
Morning, ladies.
Please come in.
Yeah, sit down.
Hi. How are you?
So what can I do
for you?
Do you think it's right
that they're teaching
our children how to
have sex with animals?
[ music playing ]
I voted for you.
What can you do?
You gotta stop
these kids.
Listen to me.
Look at me.
These little
fecklatards
that keep rolling
in my community
with their
baseball bats need
a baseball field.
This is
what I have left
of my mailbox.
All they do is they
just run around town
breaking up everything.
They tore up my lawn,
broke my pink flamingo.
This isn't a joke.
This isn't a game.
This isn't
about health care.
I voted for you
the first time you ran,
and I think that you have
become sadly out of touch.
My daughter
teaches English
at the high school,
and she smuggled
this filth out of
the health class.
They're teaching
children how
to use tampons.
I need you to fix this,
or I am going
to powder-keg
that mailbox,
and the next time
one of those
little fecklatards
puts a baseball bat
on my mailbox,
there's gonna be
C-4 packed in it,
and I'm gonna
be cleaning them up
with a sponge.
I've got the buckets,
and the windows
are boarded.
We'll find you
a mailbox.
So can you help me?
So, Mildred,
it's good to see
you again.
What can I do for you?
I know you
fought in Vietnam,
Congressman.
I need some help
understanding
something.
My son, my boy,
was killed
in Iraq by an IED.
Tell me this,
Congressman.
Does his death
count for anything?
I don't know.
Get the signs.
Let's get going.
[ bullhorn squeals ]
This is
State Representative
Deidre Macavoy,
Congressman.
Oh, no.
And I want to know
why you won't stand up
for the Pledge of Alliance.
Oh, this can't be good.
It's her.
According to
the Morality First
Foundation,
you have one
of the lowest
morality ratings
of any Congressman
in the nation.
And we just
found out today
that you won't even
recite the Pledge
of Allegiance.
Personally, I think
you're disgusting.
Let's go, Martha.
Thank you
for your opinions.
Freedom of speech.
Well, two more
satisfied customers.
Three. That thing
had a life of its own.
What kind of Congressman
refuses to stand for
the Pledge of Allegiance?
Maybe I should
propose a law
that all husbands
and wives
be required
to recite
their wedding vows
every morning.
Well, do not
even go there,
Charlie, please. I--
There's a demonstration
out there, sir.
Yeah, I heard.
No one else
is waiting.
Well, looks like
it's time to go.
Are you ready for this?
We want an answer!
Why do you refuse
to say the Pledge!
Why do you refuse
to say the Pledge,
you liberal bastard?!
I suggest you get
that thing out of my face,
or I'll shove it
so far up your ass
only a forklift'll
get it out.
Congressman Winship,
is it true you dissed
the Pledge of Allegiance?
Did you say, "dissed"?
Dissed. Did you
diss the Pledge?
Do you know who
wrote the Pledge
of Allegiance?
The Founding Fathers?
No.
And it wasn't etched
on the tablets
Moses brought down
from Mount Sinai either.
The Pledge of Allegiance
was written
by a national
socialist by the name
of Francis Bellamy,
who believed that
the government should
take over the schools.
He ordained
that the Pledge
should be recited
while all American
schoolchildren stood
and gave the so-called
Bellamy salute.
Have you ever seen
the Bellamy salute?
Well, here it is.
[ crowd exclaiming ]
Cooler heads prevailed,
and that part
of the Pledge
was dropped
after Hitler
declared war on us.
Can we go?
Can we go?
Did you get that?
Well, guess who
just made network news.
What are you thinking?
What are you--
Are you trying to put
your head in a noose?
You know, I can remember
when this whole part
of the state was
virgin forest.
That's how old I am.
[ music playing ]
[ overlapping chatter ]
Whoa. Whoa, whoa.
Watch out. Watch out.
Uh, excuse me.
We're looking for
the First Selectman
of the island.
His name is
Sherm Hawkins.
His, uh, boat's
coming for us.
The big one.
Uh, excuse--Um,
Sherm Hawkins? Anybody?
I know him.
Oh, hi. Good.
Do you know
where we can find him?
Yeah. He sent me in
to get you.
I'm Matty Pierce.
Oh. Thank you.
Jesus.
She looks
like Chewbacca.
How do we know
she's not just
another nutcase?
Because we left them all
back at the mobile office.
Have faith, Jared.
This is America.
Mm-hmm.
[ music playing ]
Uh, excuse me, Miss.
Do you have anything
we can sit on?
Any chairs
or stools?
No? Okay.
Strong and silent type,
I guess.
You know, what
are these, by the way,
these things?
Those are lobster buoys.
Each one of them is attached
to two or three traps.
Must be
thousands of 'em.
Millions
from the Canadian border
down the coast,
around the cape,
all the way to Manhattan.
Wow.
[ cellphone rings ]
Hello. Yes.
Congressman, we are
on the way right now.
I need you
to make him
see the light.
There's a lot
at stake here.
I know what to do.
All right,
I gotta go.
REPORTER: This morning,
we have another shocking example
of just how far removed
from traditional American values
our so-called political leaders
in Washington really are.
This is Congressman
Charles Winship of Maine,
who has allegedly
equated the American
Pledge of Allegiance
with the stiff-armed Nazi salute
of Adolph Hitler.
We caught
his ugly rant on camera
after we asked Winship
why he refused to stand
and recite the Pledge
of Allegiance in Congress.
For the Nazis
in Germany.
Congressional sources tell us
that Winship
believes American children
can actually benefit from
the example of the Hitler Youth.
[ crowd murmuring ]
We asked Winship's opponent,
Deidre Macavoy,
what she thinks.
Our Founding Fathers
fought and died
to give us
the Pledge
of Allegiance
as a reminder
of who we are
as Americans
in the greatest country
in the world.
You go, girl!
And Congressman John Randolph
has just announced
that he plans to seek
an immediate expulsion motion
of Winship
based upon the video evidence
of his actions.
His conduct is
absolutely despicable.
As chairman
of the Ethics Committee,
I plan to bring charges
without delay.
[ music playing ]
Hey! Jared!
Jared! Jared!
We're getting close
the island.
You might want
to change.
I'll change
when I get there.
What is this,
the Hatfields and McCoys?
Hello, Congressman Winship.
I'm Sherm Hawkins.
I'm sorry I wasn't
there to meet you
at Port Charles.
We had an emergency.
One of our boats
was sunk last night.
Accident?
No. It was deliberate.
Our friends from the mainland
just trying to remind us
that they want to take over
our fishing grounds.
We're not always armed,
but these
are dangerous times.
I'd like to know more.
We'll try to oblige you.
Lead the way.
Hope you don't mind
riding in the back.
Excuse me?
[ dog whimpers ]
Hey! Whoa! Whoa!
Hey!
[ music playing ]
Turn me to then fro
Forever
Forever
Some may sow and pray
For gentle weather
Their seeds may fall
Fall in shallow soil
Oh, oh
Ah, come on.
[ groans ]
Oh, my suit.
Excuse me, dog.
[ groans ]
Oh, what is
that stench?
It's the herring we use
to bait our traps.
It's eyeballs, tails...
Really?
fish heads,
whatever.
The riper, the better.
It's money.
Ahh. Yeah.
Perfect.
Thank you.
No, go. Away.
[ dog whimpers ]
Sherm.
CHARLIE:
Hi. How are you?
Nice to meet you.
Well, I think we ought
to welcome the Congressman
and thank him
for coming all the way
out here to see us.
Congressman, we've got
some coffee for you
or something
a little stronger,
if you prefer it.
Thank you.
I should start
by telling you
we've been living
out here the same way
for the last 400 years.
Most of us choose to live
without the so-called
modern conveniences,
television,
cellphones.
Each one of us
is different.
We tolerate
those differences
as long as they don't
hurt the other person,
and everybody respects
what we have here.
Sherm, could you cut
to the chase, please?
Thank you, Brad.
I'm just giving
the Congressman
a tour here.
400 years ago,
the Gulf of Maine was
teeming with fish.
Then 70 years ago,
those fish began to disappear.
That was when
then village elders
decided
to conserve our resources
on these fishing grounds
by fishing
six months a year,
the winter months.
Since 1614, nobody
has fished within
five nautical miles of us.
On more
than one occasion,
we've had to fight
to protect that right.
So you don't take
one lobster
from within
five miles of here
for six months
a year?
No.
No.
No way.
Not us, at least.
Not our way.
I have heard that,
uh, sometimes you guys
take the law into
your own hands when it
comes to outsiders.
We take what
a healthy sea provides.
They take it all.
And who's gonna
protect us?
You people
in Washington?
This is bullshit.
We don't need him.
Thanks
to reckless greed,
there are no big fish
left around here.
Tuna, blue marlin,
halibut,
swordfish, all gone.
Not a one.
I don't have to tell you
what the big ocean draggers
do to the mackerel
and the cod and
the flounder.
Ain't no
goddamn cod left.
Exactly.
They drag
the ocean bottom
and take everything
in their path,
everything,
the whole habitat.
We're being invaded by men
who have overfished
their own fishing grounds.
We don't have any laws
to protect us, Congressman,
only the common laws
that were established
years ago.
Yo, pardon me, Mr. Hawkins.
You know, you--
you talk about
being invaded.
Uh, we're more
than 20 miles out here.
No one should
have their own right
to the sea.
And what the hell
do you know?
These are
our goddamn waters
out here, sonny.
You know nothing
about fishing.
[ overlapping chatter ]
Son, do you have any
idea of the importance
of these grounds?
Do you? Any idea?
You don't, do you?
Well, if you
want to know,
why don't you go out
on one of our boats
with us on that ocean
and find out
for yourself?
Yeah.
That's a great idea.
No offense, uh, sir,
but I don't need
to personally
go out on a boat
to see
that it's unfair
for you guys to profit
while everyone else
cannot fish
your grounds.
It's--It's an ocean.
It's part of America.
It doesn't belong
to you.
I mean all
at the expense of other
fisherman, it's not--
I think
that's a good idea.
No. No. Listen, that is not
a good idea, Congressman...
Jared, there's plenty
of sunlight left.
I think you ought
to call the mainland,
get ahold of
the district office,
and tell them
we're gonna be late
for the meeting
over in Eaton's Neck.
Charlie, uh, I--
first of all, I don't have
the proper gear.
It's okay.
We'll get you some skins.
No, no, no, don't.
It's fine. Charlie--
Who's gonna take him?
I'll take him.
That's right.
Ben could stern
for us.
SHERM:
Awesome.
Ah.
Here you go.
Oh. Thank you.
See if these fit.
Okay?
Put 'em on.
Uh, I will.
I will. I-I'll see you
outside in a minute.
Boots.
Thank you.
They go last.
Right.
Hurry up.
[ sighs ]
Jeez.
[ door closes ]
[ sighs ]
[ sniffs ]
You've got
a library out here?
Sure do, since 1838.
Dedicated to two kids
who were swept out to sea.
Mind if I
take a look inside?
Please do.
[ radio ] Big Sherm.
Come in, Big Sherm.
Okay,
what's the latest?
We got a problem.
Don't know what Bobby's
gonna do about his boat.
Uh-huh.
[ floor creaks ]
What are you
doing here?
I happen to like books.
Well, then you've come
to the right place,
Congressman.
And you are?
Rae Blanchard.
You're the librarian?
Yes,
and I'm also
the second assessor,
the deputy constable,
the truant officer,
and the island
garbage collector.
A true Renaissance woman.
Precisely.
Rae, Bobby Machum's wife
is out of her mind
with worry,
and I gotta
go see her,
so if you could show
the Congressman around
before he leaves,
that'd be
a big help for me.
Of course.
Thank you.
I've only got
about two hours.
It usually
takes visitors
a couple of days
to slow down
to the rhythm
of the sea.
Like him?
We only run
when we have to.
[ overlapping chatter ]
Hey, Rae.
Morning.
Congressman Winship,
so nice to meet you.
Thank you.
Let me give you
a tour of school
Kids, can you welcome
the Congressman?
KIDS: Hi, Congressman Winship.
Hi.
Hi, guys.
Congressman, will you lead us
in the Pledge of Allegiance?
I would be honored.
I pledge allegiance
to the flag
of the United States
of America
and to the republic
for which it stands,
one nation, under God,
indivis...
in the windowsill...
with liberty
and justice for all.
Excellent.
[ music playing ]
[ cellphone rings ]
[ ring ]
Hello.
Congressman,
Mr. Devereaux,
you will not believe
where I am right now.
No, no. We're on track.
We're on track.
Okay. No.
[ rock 'n' roll plays ]
Yeah.
Congressman, what?
Yeah. I'll--
I'll call you back.
Well, I never thought
that I would meet
Anyone that could dance
like you at all
Now I see where I belong
Now I see
where I belong...
Oh! Oh! Oh!
Hey! Hey!
Stop!
[ groans ]
Shit!
Shit! Shit!
Now I see where I belong
Now I see where I belong
Now I see where I belong
[ insects chirping ]
[ bird chirping ]
RAE: You hear that?
We're on the flyway
out here.
More than 500
bird species drop in
for a pit stop
every spring and fall.
[ birds chirping ]
It's a fairy house.
Some of us
grew up believing
that the island
was enchanted
and had magical
healing properties.
And now?
I'm 43 and divorced,
if that answers
your question.
Must be hard
to imagine ever leaving
a place like this.
It's like
a timeless sanctuary.
But it isn't timeless.
Time is running out,
Congressman.
Our whole way of life
is at risk,
just like
the oceans are.
I thought we were
doing a pretty good job
turning the oceans around.
Whenever
someone sits down
at a seafood restaurant
and orders a pound
of peel-and-eat shrimp,
you should know
that eight pounds
of crab, urchin,
and sea coral
were destroyed
to bring you
that pleasure.
Don't get me started
on tortoiseshell
cribbage sets
and seahorse key chains.
You sound
just like Big Sherm.
Well, I ought to.
He's my father.
Really?
Huh.
MATTY: Hey!
Why don't you
make yourself useful?
Put him to work.
BEN: All right.
[ music playing ]
[ gags ]
[ vomits ]
[ coughs ]
[ groans ]
[ grunts ]
Ohh!
BEN: Whoa.
Ah, junior.
Hello.
You and your father
are pretty articulate
about what's
at stake out here.
You ought to come down
and talk to some
of my colleagues
on the Interior
Appropriations
Committee.
Yeah?
What do they do?
Well, aside
from other things,
we dispense
about 30 billion a year
to preserve
the nation's parks,
forests, wetlands,
rivers, oceans.
Your committee needs
to try harder, Congressman.
You people are irrelevant.
Yeah.
Well...
Must get pretty cold
out here in the wintertime.
Not really.
The sea moderates
the air temperature,
but the wind
is a constant.
At night, it's good
to be near a fire.
Ah. Must get
pretty lonely, too.
Not especially.
Not even in February?
I don't.
There's a lot
to keep me busy.
What about at night?
You're very direct,
aren't you?
No more so than you.
I don't lack
for companionship.
No. I don't doubt
that you do.
What about you,
Congressman?
You seem like
a lost soul to me.
Really?
Huh.
I should know.
I was married to one
for 18 years.
I know the type.
[ seabirds calling ]
[ radio playing
country music ]
I got
the hammer down...
Psst.
[ soft whistles ]
[ whistle ]
Ho!
[ groans ]
How you feeling?
Oh, my G--
How long have I been out?
Just a couple minutes.
[ sighs ]
Are we heading in?
No. We're gonna head
around the point
to haul the last set
of Bobby's traps.
Should be
a little calmer
around the back side.
Oh, yeah.
Great. Okay.
We'll be onshore soon.
What a screwup, huh?
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Get this.
You don't have
anything to prove.
Thank you.
This is a good idea?
This'll help?
Just give it a try.
[ winces ]
It's a death trap.
You know, if it
weren't for the war,
I don't think I ever
would have gone
into politics.
Vietnam?
Yeah.
Were you drafted?
No. Volunteered.
At the time,
I thought we were fighting
to save a fledgling
little democracy
from communist subversion,
but that all ended.
By the end of it,
I just lost all my faith.
You ever kill anyone?
I was a Marine grunt.
I shot people.
That was my job.
Why politics?
I don't know.
Anger, maybe, all the guys
we lost over there.
Anger carried me a long way.
My ex-husband
came out here
to avoid that war.
Yeah.
Well, it was a bad time
all around.
You still angry?
No.
Just tired.
You want to go in,
right?
[ ballad playing ]
No.
It's a long hard road...
All right.
To the softest part
of the man
All right,
here we go.
And it's lined
with stones
Tangled in regrets that are
just too hard to forget
Ohh
[ winch grinding ]
These rusty signs
Overlooked on the way...
This way?
To the heart
All right.
Of a troubled man
Slide it over.
There you go.
You can lose yourself
In the deep muddy ruts
Worn through
Whoa, look at that.
By the pride of a man
Ohh...
Wow.
Now, that is
the one I want.
By the pride of a man
Letting go
See?
It's beyond 3 1/4.
Yeah.
Letting go
Just take that.
Okay, put that
on to its--
Letting go
Twist it.
That's it.
Let it go
That's it. Yes.
That's okay.
Let it go
1, 2, 3.
MATTY: Hey!
Did that good,
Junior Congressman.
Does that happen
here often?
Every day, actually.
No, no,
I meant the--this...
Sometimes
the fog gets so thick,
you can't see your hand.
The ancients believed
that each day brought
a new life.
[ sighs ]
That's Brad.
Oh, Brad.
Stay here.
Hey, where were you
last night?
I don't have time
for this, Brad.
Come on.
I never said
I loved you.
I don't love you.
I'm so sick
of your issues.
I'm--I'm sorry
you had to see that.
Oh, that's okay.
Are you two
involved, or...
To be brutally honest,
it's just very good sex.
[ laughs ]
Physically
I enjoyed him very much.
He is a wonderful lover.
That's nice.
You know--You know what?
I think probably--We should
probably head down.
I think he thought he
could convince me that we
were more than just--
Anyway, I never
meant to hurt him.
No. No, of course not.
You know, I probably
should actually--
I feel terrible about
using him that way.
Well, I'm sure it wasn't
all that hard to endure.
Well, I mean,
at first, anyway.
But I really
do have a dozen stop-bys
on Saturday.
What are stop-bys?
Well, let's see.
There's the Blue and Gold
Cub Scout dinner,
the Rotary Club dance,
the dog show in Bristol,
the Shenango
Fire Department dinner.
Why don't you
let me cook you dinner?
Ah, is that
an island decision?
An island decision?
Yeah, to subvert me
from my public
responsibilities?
You're an idiot.
No, it is my decision,
and I have two two-pound
lobsters on ice
back at my cottage.
Okay. I'll stay.
Oh. Thank you.
[ chuckles ]
Well, did you
learn something?
Yeah. I did.
I did.
Yeah, by the way,
what are 132 lobsters
worth on the mainland?
Well, $3.00 a pound
for soft-shell,
$5.00 for hard.
Got fuel.
Got bait.
About $1,200.
Well, hey,
not a bad day's catch
for you guys, right?
Those aren't my traps.
Those are
Bobby Machum's,
fellow whose boat
got sunk.
You just helped out
his family.
Good job.
Ohh.
Ahh. It doesn't
even burn anymore.
[ coughs, laughs ]
Take this.
You earned it.
Yeah?
Yeah.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you, sir.
Heh.
I'm not so bad, right?
Not so bad.
For a city slicker.
[ laughs ]
[ footsteps ]
Hi.
Hi.
Is Jared Barnes here?
Uh, yeah.
He's here,
but, uh, he's up
in my bathroom.
We have no secrets.
JARED:
...in the night
Baby,
pray for the fall
It's the call
of the night
It's the way
of life, it's the
Law of the night
Yeah
Hey, Charlie!
I see you've been wounded
in the line of duty.
I guess we're
not going back tonight.
Uh, well,
there's--there's no way
to reach you, Charlie.
My phone's, uh--
it's gone.
It's very, uh--
[ chuckles ] It's wet.
And there's no way
to reach my man Laird,
you know, the, uh--
the mainland.
So me and you, we're--
we're--we're here.
We're--we're stuck here.
You know, Jared,
if I didn't know better,
I'd say you'd
fallen off the wagon.
[ laughing ]
I almost fell out
of the fucking wagon.
Ah, Jesus.
Listen, I'm having dinner
with someone tonight.
In case you need to reach me,
her name is Rae Blanchard.
I'm sure Ben knows
where she lives.
Mm, okay.
Yeah.
You know, Charlie,
I've never
been so sore in my--
ow, ohh--
my whole life.
Oh, but I tell you what.
I like this place.
Yeah, me, too.
Have fun, tiger.
Sir. Sorry.
Be good.
[ knock on door ]
Yeah, come in.
Hey.
Hey.
Wow, nice.
Thank you.
Could you open
that bottle?
Sure.
So, how's
your assistant?
Well marinated, I'd say.
[ chuckles ]
Glasses?
Uh, second cupboard.
Where's he staying?
Uh, he's staying
at Matty's with a young man
named, uh, Ben.
Yeah.
Matty always steps up.
She took him in
a few years ago.
He was raised
in foster homes
and badly abused.
He's actually
a really sweet kid
and a wonderful
portrait artist,
a real prodigy.
I thought that
he was, uh, the stern man
on one of the lobster boats.
He does that as well
to get a closer feel
for the lives
of the fishermen.
Cheers.
[ glasses clink ]
[ soft music playing ]
The old flake yards.
In those days, they'd cure
the codfish in the sun.
Of course, there aren't
any cod left anymore.
What are you gonna do
if the grounds
are opened up
to year-round fishing?
Fight it with
every means we have.
Got some
pretty high-powered
lobbying help.
Yeah,
and we don't have it.
Even hiring
a local lawyer
went against the grain
of the people out here.
The number of those
who want to stay and fight
grows smaller every day.
Many are already resigned
to leaving the island.
[ knock on door ]
Come in.
I'm afraid I
got some bad news.
RAE: What happened?
Well, I
was listening
to the radio,
and apparently
some congressional
committee
is having
a special meeting
down there
to decide on
whether to expel you
from Congress
for disgracing
the House of
Representatives.
Something about
an Nazi salute
and desecration
of the Pledge
of Allegiance.
So much for exercising
my First Amendment rights.
Did you do that?
It's a long story, Sherm.
Well, they want you
down there
first thing
Monday morning.
Should I tell
your assistant?
No. No, I'd rather
tell him myself. Thanks.
Okay.
What is he
talking about?
The artist really
captured ol' Matty, huh?
Jesus.
She's gay, right?
She's gotta be gay.
I mean, not that I have--
I have
anything against that.
I don't, personally.
It's not a big deal
to me, but, uh,
she scares me
a little bit,
you know?
She's mannish.
I'm just saying
I wouldn't want to,
uh, run into her
in a dark alley.
You know what I mean?
Heard you talking
about that painting.
Um, yes.
The painting
is very good.
It's very good.
I was wondering,
uh, you know,
who the artist was.
You're sitting
right next to him.
You?
You painted that?
Yeah.
Wow.
Ben, that's amazing.
You should
be really proud
of yourself.
Thank you.
Well, cheers.
Full of mystery,
huh?
So, what are
you gonna do?
Go back and deal with it,
I guess, but not tonight.
Tonight I just want
to have dinner.
You're not a neo-Nazi,
are you?
[ laughs ] No.
I was making a point,
and it was taken
out of context.
I understand.
Thank you.
You remember telling me
that visitors who come here
need a few days
to slow down
to the rhythm
of the sea and the tides?
Mm-hmm.
I haven't slowed down
for 18 years.
Is that how you lost
your marriage?
Well, in spite
of what my ex-wife thinks,
it wasn't because
of the perks of the job.
I knew what to expect
when I went down there.
You get elected
to Congress, and suddenly
your jokes are funny.
You discover that you're
God's gift to women,
all the wrong women.
You get nonstop flattery
from people who all want
something from you,
but those things were
never a problem for me.
Then what was it?
It was this need...
a need that became
the most compelling thing
in my life...
more important than my wife
or our marriage or...
You got kids?
No.
I'd still like to.
Well, that superseded
even them
and everything else
in my life.
I don't understand.
When I got out
of the Marine Corps,
I felt like I was living
on borrowed time.
If I didn't accomplish enough
in a given day or week,
it was like falling behind
in my whole reason
for having survived,
and I was one day closer
to dying without having
made a difference.
Hey, maybe you have made
a difference, Charlie.
Maybe it's just time
to hang up your armor.
Not that easy.
Of course it is.
[ chuckles ]
Well, not right now.
Wow, you're
an amazing artist.
Ben, you really--
You are, man.
You're great.
Do you think
I could do one of you?
What?
Yeah.
[ chuckles ]
Yeah.
Yeah.
I would be honored.
What do I
need to do?
Just, uh, sit on the bed.
Okay.
You got it.
[ laughs ]
Thank you.
Wow.
Turn this way.
Like this?
Yeah.
I put this up?
Is that--
This is very new to me.
[ laughs ]
[ laughs ]
Sit still.
Okay.
Open your eyes.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Good.
Am I allowed to talk?
Whatever you want.
Rae,
is that--Is that
short for Raymond?
[ laughs ]
No.
It's a family name,
but you can call me
Raymond if you like.
No, you know,
I might just--
Ahh. Ah, God.
What is it?
Are you okay?
Oh, it's my back.
It's got a life of its own,
likes to remind me.
Well, it shouldn't.
Let me help you.
Oh, boy.
Come here.
Okay. [ winces ]
You all right?
Yeah, I think.
[ groans ]
Oh, man.
All right,
take off your shirt.
What?
Take off your shirt.
Lie down
on your stomach.
I'm gonna give you
a massage.
What's that?
Magic elixirs
from the fairies
in our enchanted forest.
Oh, man.
[ wincing ]
Ow.
Ay.
[ laughs ]
Oh, my goodness.
All right.
Ow.
There we go. Now...
[ gasping ]
There we go.
Deep breaths.
Ooh. Take it easy on me.
I'm kind of a wimp.
[ laughs ]
All right.
Oh, boy.
All right.
I'm gonna have to bring in
the big guns.
Oh, my God.
Oh.
Hey, this is better
than the lobster.
Aha.
[ laughs ]
Um, Ben, I--
Listen, I don't
mean to be rude,
but I'm exhausted,
and I need to sleep.
Want to see what I got?
Yeah.
Wow.
It's me,
but far too flattering.
Well, that's
how I see you.
Thank you.
Uh, all right.
[ groans, blows lips ]
[ sighs ]
Where did you
learn to do that?
I had a lot of practice.
My husband
was a fisherman.
I mean, this is amazing.
I'm--I'm actually
pain-free.
I haven't felt
this way for months.
[ sighs ]
I don't know
how to thank you.
Help us keep this place
the way it is.
Come sit.
I should go.
Why?
It's a small island.
People'll talk.
You're worried about
your precious reputation?
No.
I'm worried
about yours.
[ laughs ]
This is the least
judgmental place you'll
ever find, Congressman,
and it's been that way
for a long time.
Intolerance is
the least of our problems.
Listen...
I've been with
a lot of men over the years.
[ chuckles ]
I think I was chasing
that excitement,
that sense
of anticipation.
You know what I mean?
I think I've been lonely
for a long time, Charlie.
You said up
on the cliffs that you
weren't lonely.
I guess I lied.
[ bird warbles ]
[ bird warbles ]
[ explosion ]
[ gasps ]
[ boom echoes ]
What was that?
No!
No! My Sea Hag!
Not her!
No!
[ gasps ]
Matty.
MATTY:
No! No...
Whose boat is that?
It's the Sea Hag.
[ Matty yelling ]
Jesus Christ.
No!
No.
I-Is there anything
that we can do?
Yeah,
like call the police
or maybe the Coast Guard
or the fire department?
Yeah, sure.
WOMAN:
Was the Sea Hag.
[ overlapping chatter ]
MATTY:
Gonna be like this?
[ explosion ]
[ sobbing ]
JARED:
Congressman!
I really fucked up,
Charlie.
I think, uh--
I think Devereaux
was behind this.
Who?
Former
Congressman Devereaux.
He doesn't just represent
the other lobstermen of Maine.
Okay, he also works
for a multinational
seafood conglomerate.
Their catch,
it's less and less each year,
and they want
these grounds.
They need these grounds,
Charlie.
Where did I fit in?
They wanted me
to make sure
that you didn't end up
defending these people.
So you hitched
your wagon to him
for what?
Why?
What was the price?
Your seat.
And I'm sorry.
Wow.
Wow.
You know he's probably
bought Deidre Macavoy,
too, don't you?
Listen, Charlie,
that's not it.
He's--He's got plans,
okay?
For you, for this island.
He's got a boatload
of media coming up here
to expose these people.
When will they get here?
Sometime soon.
Is that all, Jared?
Yeah.
I want a helicopter
here at 9 A.M.
[ footsteps ]
[ door opens ]
Hey.
Listen, I'm--I'm gonna
have to borrow these
for a couple days.
Nah, you can keep 'em.
Look, why don't--
Why don't you
come down to Washington
sometime, you know,
come for a visit?
Really?
Yeah.
Come, uh,
see the National
Portrait Gallery.
You know, your stuff
will probably be
hanging there someday.
All right.
Yeah, maybe, uh--
maybe when
lobster season ends.
Did you want this,
or...
Yeah. Are you kidding?
Thank you.
Mm-hmm.
So everything's cool,
okay?
All right.
I'll see you.
Good luck.
[ music playing ]
[ indistinct chatter ]
Jared Barnes?
What happened to you?
Look, Laird's been
trying to reach you
all day.
You gotta talk to him,
and you gotta
talk to him now.
Shh. Okay.
Just calm down, okay?
Hey, listen, is there
a Starbucks around?
No.
I gotta get
a cappuccino.
There isn't.
LAIRD: Are you still
with me all the way?
You're home free
for the nomination.
Charlie's toast.
Oh, right,
you're for me, Laird?
What about your
other pet candidate,
Deidre Macavoy?
Diedre's
the diversion.
For God's sake,
Charlie's gonna
be expelled,
and when he does,
you're gonna get
the nomination,
and you're gonna
have to step up.
So they're, um--
they're really
doing it, huh?
They're gonna expel him?
Expel him?
Hell, they're gonna
crucify him.
For God's sake, he's
been doing that Nazi
salute for 24 hours.
All America's seen it.
It's not
a Nazi salute, okay?
American kids were
doing that for years
while they recited
the Pledge of Allegiance.
It's called
the Bellamy salute.
Well, you tell that
to the American people.
Look, I gotta go,
but when you get back
to civilization,
give me a call.
I got something special
for you.
Yeah.
No, no, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no!
That was mine!
[ splash ]
That was mine!
Go get it.
Well...
see ya.
Yep.
Why don't you come
down to Washington,
see where this can go?
Are you joking?
No, I'm not.
I'd rather have
a lobotomy. Heh heh.
Why?
Well, I will tell you
why, Mr. Winship.
In some ways,
you remind me
of Jimmy Stewart
in "It's
a Wonderful Life."
Do you remember how
he spent his entire life
trying to protect
his beautiful
Bedford Falls
from the evil
Mr. Potter?
Yeah. Zuzu's petals.
That's Pottersville,
at least to me.
[ helicopter whirring ]
Can you understand?
Yes, I think I can.
Sounds like the bus
to Pottersville is here.
Yep.
Why don't you stay here,
Congressman?
[ laughs ]
And do what?
Ah, I've been thinking
about cutting back
on my portfolio.
I might
be persuaded to give up
the garbage concession.
Now that's something
to look forward to.
You're up against
some serious predators.
Well, we've weathered
bigger storms than this
in the past 400 years.
I know you have.
I'll do what I can
for you in Washington.
You've all
taught me a lot.
Thanks.
Thank you.
Hey!
Come on back, son.
We got it all here.
Every day
is different.
[ engine warming up ]
Charlie! Charlie!
Hey!
I still need
to book the tickets
for Washington.
I'm not going to Washington.
What?
I'm going back
to my district.
Call Abigail. Tell her
I'm having a town meeting
at the local high school
in Bedford.
No, no, no.
Bedford
is Deidre Macavoy's
home base, Charlie.
They'll tear you
apart there.
Probably.
Just do it.
[ music playing ]
[ all shouting ]
Congressman Winship,
are you going
to resign today?
No.
[ overlapping chatter ]
Congressman,
are you a Nazi?
Congressman Randolph
has accused you of
disloyalty to the flag.
He has a right
to his opinion.
Hey, guys,
right this way.
Okay.
[ sighs ] We are riding
the whirlwind now.
Not exactly riding it.
This is the best
I could do.
This high school was
kind enough to donate
their space, so...
You flew
all the way up here
just for this?
Oh, I wouldn't
have missed it.
This is the first
public execution
I've actually ever seen.
Oh, thank you.
[ laughs ]
I'm gonna walk
a little bit.
Well, it turns out that
Congressman Winship is
right about one thing.
Until Nazi Germany
declared war on the U.S.,
American schoolchildren
recited the Pledge of Allegiance
every morning while delivering
the Nazi stiff-armed salute.
[ cellphone ringing ]
Hey, Harlan.
Ah, I got some bad news
for you, son.
I thought
you'd want to know.
Mississippi
has seceded again?
[ laughs ]
That'd be good news.
I've--Oh, wait a second.
The committee
voted to authorize
an expulsion motion.
Now, right now, I'd say
the full House vote is
a foregone conclusion.
So what
are my high crimes
and misdemeanors?
Flagrant disobedience
of House rules,
conduct unbecoming
a sitting member,
equating the Pledge
of Allegiance
with "Mein Kampf."
How did you vote?
[ scoffs ]
Now, how do you think?
Thanks, Harlan.
Now, a lot of people
around here
don't like
what's going on here,
but they're
running scared.
It--It's like a sickness.
Personally,
I think we're headed
into a kind of moral
and political ice age.
Well, that sounds
pretty bleak, Harlan.
Ah, well,
I hope I'm wrong.
Yeah, me, too.
Charlie.
[ knocks ]
Uh...
Congressman.
It's time.
Um, listen,
before you go out there,
I want you to know
my letter of resignation
is on your desk.
What happened to you?
I was scared.
I didn't think
you'd ever quit, Charlie,
and I was afraid
I wouldn't make it
to the summit,
so...
I made
a very selfish decision,
and I lost sight
of what matters
to me the most,
things that
you've taught me.
You're a good man,
Charlie,
and you've done
a lot of great things
for these people,
so please
don't let what I did
affect what you say
out there.
Good luck.
[ crowd murmuring ]
[ crowd chattering ]
You better
resign tonight!
Sieg Heil, you Nazi
son of a bitch!
[ yelling continues ]
I'm not voting for you!
You better
resign tonight!
Go home, Congressman!
I didn't vote
for a Nazi!
Go home, Winship!
You're not really
an American, are you?
Hey,
shut the hell up!
Let the guy
speak.
We owe him
that much!
Yeah, come on!
Give him a chance now!
I stand before you tonight
charged
with personal misconduct
detrimental to the House
of Representatives.
MAN: Yeah!
I've also been charged
with a failure to stand
and recite
the Pledge of Allegiance
at the start
of each day's session.
Yeah!
You aren't American!
The second charge is true.
[ booing ]
On any number of occasions,
I have failed to stand
and recite the Pledge.
On other occasions,
I have stood,
but failed to repeat the words.
Since these charges
were filed,
some of my colleagues
have chosen to publicly
question my patriotism,
my loyalty to my country,
and even
my fundamental Americanism.
To tell you the truth,
I don't much care
what they think or say about me.
What I do care about
is that those charges are a lie.
What makes us unique
as Americans
isn't a bumper sticker
or a patriotic song,
the flag, or even
the Pledge of Allegiance.
What makes us different
is that no American
is required to take
a pledge of allegiance
to a king or a dictator
or even to a flag.
We are a free people.
Now, the American flag is
a symbol of that freedom,
an important and
wonderful symbol.
In my life, I've seen it flying
in a lot of places
around the world.
In 1970, I saw it flying
above a hill called Khe Sanh
in the Quang Tri province
of Vietnam.
Seeing it flying there above us
and later on in many
other places around the world
has never ceased to fill me
with enormous pride.
But to me, that pride comes
from what the flag represents,
what it symbolizes,
not just the flag itself.
As Americans, we are different,
because we were
the first nation in the world
to be founded on an idea,
the idea that each of us
has value as an individual
and that we are free
to express ourselves
in any way we choose
or not to express
ourselves at all.
In 1950, Margaret Chase Smith,
a Republican senator
from right here in Maine
chose to take on
a fellow senator
who had questioned
her patriotism.
His name was Joseph McCarthy.
And this is what she said.
"Those who shout the loudest
about Americanism
"are all too frequently
those who ignore
"some of the basic principles
of Americanism,
"the right to criticize,
"the right
to hold unpopular beliefs,
"the right to protest,
the right
of independent thought."
Now, at the start
of each Congressional session,
those of us
privileged enough
to serve
in the United States Congress
swear an oath
to uphold the Constitution
and every freedom
that this nation holds dear.
I have taken that oath
nine times on your behalf,
and I have always repeated
those words
with the deepest humility.
I believe in the Constitution.
I believe in those words.
I fought for them.
The Pledge of Allegiance
is a fine symbol
for the freedoms we enjoy.
I believe in its words, too.
I do.
But I don't need
to recite them every morning
to prove that I love
my country, and I won't.
I have that right.
I'm an American.
[ light applause ]
MAN: Way to go!
[ cheering ]
Will you take
a look at this?
You are really
turning them around.
Next year, you won't
have to campaign
so hard. Heh.
You know, Charlie,
the people behind Devereaux
are not gonna
give up this easy.
This isn't over,
not by a long shot.
It is for me.
I'm hanging up
my armor.
I'm done here.
What about you?
You ready to try
for the summit?
After what I did?
I'm starting to believe
in second chances.
Thank you, Charlie.
I have the Commandant
of the Coast Guard
on the line.
CHARLIE:
You better get that.
Admiral.
Yes,
this is Jared Barnes.
Congressman Winship
convinced Governor Cabot
to declare the waters
around Catatonk
officially off limits
to commercial fishing.
Temporarily. Yes, sir.
[ music playing ]
Well, then I assume
the shooting war is over.
Climb up this tree
Sit next to me
on a trusty branch
Won't you hold my hand?
Look at the view
While I look at you
It's a pretty sight
Yes, it's pure delight
Pull the blanket down
We'll sit on the ground
till the stars show up
And the day is done
Oh, how I fear
a change in the weather
I could lay like this
with you forever
Surely life itself
will rearrange things
So all we've got to do
is chase that same dream
[ whistling ]
[ song ends ]
[ music playing ]
This is
This is the time
This is
This is the time
You
Look through the glass
Till the moment is gone
Like a ship in the sun
I
Look through the rain
We take the high road above
Only need
what we already got
This is
This is the time
This is
This is the time
Hey
I lived in a place
Where someone
had locked the doors
Now I live in a space
with no ceiling and no floors
I
I feel the earth
See, the truth is like
A river so wide
I
Know a place we can be
Where yesterday's gone
And tomorrow
will always be here
This is
This is the time
This is
This is the time
This is
This is the time
This is
This is the time
This is
This is the time
This is
This is your time