War Cake (2020) Movie Script
Sex!
It's all about sex, fornication,
defilement, debauchery.
Different names for
the same thing.
This California concept
of recreational sex
is spreading like a
disease, pardon the pun.
I can't tell you how many
young people I've heard say
"sex is no big deal."
No big deal, huh?
You know what I call it?
The trivialization of marriage.
The rape of a
sacred institution!
Now, y'all remember how God
created men and women, right?
From one flesh?
Well, if you read a little
further in the Bible,
and I hope I'm not spoiling
anything for anyone,
you'll come across a
passage in Ephesians,
concerning the
nature of marriage.
It says "a man shall leave
his mother and father,
"and shall be joined unto
his wife and they, too,
"shall become one flesh."
Now, it doesn't take a genius
to figure out what the meaning
of becoming one flesh,
it means sex!
But it means more than
just California recreation,
and adulteration
and fornication.
It means sex is intended
to exist only within
the sacred covenant between
one man and one woman!
You see what I'm
getting at here?
I'm talking about
pre-marital relations.
Are you listenin'?
Pre-martial sex!
I like to give this
sermon this time of year,
because we all know what's
right around the corner.
Prom.
And we all know what
some of our kids
are doing on prom night,
I'll give you a hint.
It ain't dancin'.
Y'all familiar with
the law of fire?
Law of fire is simple.
You stick your hand in the
flames, you're gonna get burned.
Even kids know that.
But you got these young people
nowadays with their big heads
and their California
morals and they think
that they're somehow
above the law of fire!
So they gather up
all the kindling
and all the dry wood they
can find and they build
the biggest roaring infernos
you could possibly imagine!
And then what do they do?
They stick their hands
in the fire and they say,
"I'm not gonna get burned,
I'm not gonna get burned!"
And then what do you
think happens?
They get burned!
Their hands get all
black and blistered!
And if they hold it
there long enough,
the flesh just melts
right off the bone.
That's sex, ladies
and gentlemen.
You start havin' sex
outside of marriage,
bad things will happen.
You start sleepin' around,
next thing you know,
you start gettin' diseases.
Maybe it's a little
pain when you urinate.
Maybe it's warts in places
where you don't wanna see warts.
Maybe you get lesions and
ulcers and all sorts of horrible
skin conditions that will
physically mark you as a deviant!
As a sinner against God's will!
You wanna have and
illegitimate child?
You wanna give your mother
an illegitimate grandchild?
How dare you.
Listen to me.
Purity carries with it
the joy of obedience.
If you are pure, you
have pleased your family.
You have pleased your community.
You have pleased your pastor
and you have pleased your God.
There is no greater joy,
than the freedom of
a clear conscience.
Stay pure, because I assure you,
the fall from grace is
long and agonizing.
Fuck Florida!
Fuck Florida!
And I'll take you anywhere
If you'll leave with me
Step across the threshold
Take my hand
By doing so,
you'll be my woman
And I'll be your man
But ain't it great
To fall in love
Bobby, fuck yeah, man.
You're gettin' the
hell out of here!
Come with me, man!
Woo!
Well, there's no one else
I'd rather hold
In my awkward
arms forever more
So you don't get cold
But ain't it great
To fall in love
There's nothing like
it in the big bad world
Nor in the blue skies above
So I'm running down the hall
Without opening my eyes
When I met that girl
I've always dreamed of
And I can't let it hide
Hi, Francis.
Hey.
What're you doing
up here all alone?
Smoking.
You don't like to dance, do you?
Nope.
Ain't it great
To fall in love
There's nothing like
it in the big bad world
Are you drunk?
No.
Yeah, you are.
I can smell it on you.
Hey, where's Judith?
At a party.
A party.
This is a party.
Yep.
Francis, Judith doesn't
go to parties, come on.
Well, why aren't you with her?
Did you break up with her?
No.
Have you fucked her yet?
None of your god damn business.
That means no.
It means it's none of
your god damn business.
James and I have sex.
Every weekend.
That's nice.
Can I tell you a secret?
Please don't.
I think you're cute.
You know, I just
don't understand
why you're wasting your
time with these virgins.
Really, Francis, I don't
understand the appeal.
And her clothes are
just so boring.
God, Francis.
You were like a rock star.
No, no I'm not.
I just don't
understand any of it.
It doesn't make any sense to me.
What doesn't make
sense, little girl?
Life.
Francis is so drunk.
I see that.
Let's go talk to Bobby
for a little while.
Okay.
Happy birthday,
it's your birthday
Happy birthday,
it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you
That's to guarantee
my wish comes true.
What'd you wish for, Grandpa?
Well, a handsome face.
That's what you wished
for last year, Samuel.
Excuse me, it worked, didn't it?
That cake is gonna kill me.
You ate a half a pound
of steak for dinner,
and you're worried
about a little cake?
I'm a meat eater, I
was built to eat steak.
This is the work of the devil.
You want some milk, Grandpa?
Oh, yes, milk would
be really good
to wash down this
evil confection.
- Use the flour cups, Judith.
- Okay.
Ah.
Thank you.
Did I ever tell you about
the cakes we used to make,
back when your dad was a kid?
Birthdays were hard back then.
One year I remember I
didn't have any money
to get your grandma a present.
I went to the dump ground,
dug around for a little while,
found a coffee can, turned
it upside-down, and out came
the most beautiful sapphire
necklace I think I'd ever seen.
It was all covered in dirt,
coffee grounds, god
knows what else.
I cleaned it up and put
it in a handkerchief.
Stuffed in a baking soda box.
It was the best gift
I ever gave her.
Anyway.
We didn't have any money
for cakes back then, either.
We'd just throw everything
we had into the oven
and bake it and call it a cake.
Was during the war, so
we called them war cakes.
Didn't have any eggs.
Didn't have any milk.
No butter, no sugar.
We had some flour and we'd
have some baking soda,
and baking powder.
And if we was lucky, we'd
have some brown sugar.
We'd throw in some apples.
Maybe some raisins.
Nuts.
Anything that'd feasibly
make a cake.
And you know what? It was good.
'Cause that's all we had.
But it wasn't
anything like this.
This is gonna kill me.
Quiet, you.
You're allowed to
have cake today.
Judith, honey, slow down.
It's your grandfather's
birthday.
Are you goin' somewhere tonight?
I have to study for
a test at Paula's.
That's what she says,
but if I find you're going
to that boy's party, there's
gonna be consequences.
Who's party are you goin' to?
I'm not going to a party.
Bobby Henderson is
moving to New York,
so he's throwing this big
thing in his dad's barn.
Ah, I see.
And nothin' good happens
at Bobby Henderson's
barn parties.
I'm sure she's not
gonna put herself
in a compromising situation.
She's a very smart girl.
Why don't you go get
grandpa his present,
and then you can get on
with your, um, studying?
Okay, I'll be right back.
She'll be all right.
How was your party?
Boring, and yours?
It was nice.
Did you drink?
I had a beer.
My mom thinks I'm at Paula's.
Yeah, I figured.
Actually, she
thinks I'm at Bobby's.
Grandpa probably
knows where I am.
Probably.
So, how long till graduation?
A month.
That long?
Three weeks.
Then what?
What do you mean?
What happens after graduation?
You get a job and
find me a ring,
and then we live
happily ever after.
Correct.
I was wondering what
you were getting at.
I just like to hear you say it.
I'm getting my dress tomorrow.
What color?
I don't know, what do you think?
White.
Well, that's boring.
I'm saving that for
my wedding day.
What about red?
Yeah, that's fine.
You don't care, do you?
Yeah, I mean, of course I care.
You don't have to care, it's
okay, it's just a prom dress.
Oh, my god, you decided
to go with white after all.
I fell in love with it as
soon as I walked in the store.
It's beautiful,
you look adorable!
- Oh, my gosh, I love it.
- It's comfortable, too.
What's your mom gonna say?
She'll be fine.
It's not revealing.
Have you told her yet?
What?
- That I'm going with Francis?
- Mm-hm.
No, but she knows.
Well, you should
probably get on that soon.
I'm workin' on it.
Meanwhile, I have
yet to be asked
by anybody with a
full set of teeth.
Oh, Tommy's cute in his own way.
Well, unfortunately,
his way is not my way.
Do you know what
Greg's doing yet?
I think he's going
with Cathryn Vice.
You are so much
prettier than she is.
Yeah, well, Greg
apparently thinks otherwise.
Do you regret...
Yeah.
I guess, yeah.
Why?
Are you thinking about it?
No.
No.
Francis and I getting married
soon, so it'd be pointless.
Just be careful, Judith, I
don't want you getting hurt.
Hi, Mom.
It'll be fine.
Uh-huh!
Hi, Grandpa.
You wanted me to come over?
Judith.
You're here.
Come on in, I was just
eating some ice cream.
Don't tell your mother.
Prom was the first time
I ever met your mom.
Did I ever tell you that?
Your dad was so shy
in high school,
we didn't think he'd
ever ask anybody.
And actually, we were right.
She asked him.
Your mom asked him, two
nights before the dance.
She said she'd been waiting
around for two months,
and he never opened his
mouth, because he was scared.
Can you imagine that?
Missing out on the
love of your life,
'cause you're too scared?
I guess maybe it
happens all the time.
Anyway, her parents brought
her over and we made quick
introductions and I sent 'em
off in the old convertible.
I was sure they were
gonna crash it.
Do you know, before they
even got out the door,
I knew they was
gonna get married.
Number one, your dad was
so terrified of women,
I just knew that once
he'd wrangled one,
he wasn't gonna let her go.
And number two, they
were just a fit.
You know, sometimes you
can tell, people just fit.
You know things like
that sometimes.
Hey, get enough ice cream?
Oh, no, this is fine.
Ah, come on, it's not every day
you get to eat ice
cream with your grandpa.
The more you eat, the less
there is there to tempt me.
I started reading
Mr. Baker's book.
- You did?
- Yep, sure did.
I had a little time on my hands,
so I thought I'd give it a spin.
I read a couple of
chapters, I think I like it.
You do?
Yep.
Yeah, Mr. Baker is
a very smart man.
I don't agree with all
his ideas, of course,
but that's the beauty
of literature, isn't it?
Kinda like conversation,
you agree with some parts,
and disagree with others.
I like what he said at the
end of one of the chapters.
He followed his love to
the star of salvation, or,
she followed her star,
something like that.
But you know, I always associate
salvation with Christianity
and I know he's not a
religious writer, but,
I think there's a
lot of truth to it.
I didn't bring you here
for a sermon, did I?
I think it's about time
for me to tell you
the real reason for this
clandestine rendezvous.
I thought our meeting
was to celebrate
this fine culinary dish?
And a noble cause
that is, for certain.
However.
With my only granddaughter
having bought a prom dress,
and me being her
only grandfather,
I felt a obligation
to honor this momentous
occasion with a gift.
I've told you this story about
it over 100 times, I know.
I originally planned to
wait for your wedding day,
but truth is, I'm getting old.
I can't wait around for
everything all the time,
so, this is close enough,
and I hope it doesn't clash
too much with that dress.
I love you, Grandpa.
I love you too, sweetheart.
Just do me a favor, will you?
I know it's two whole
minutes to walk over here,
but before you head
off to the prom,
would you come by and let
me see your pretty dress?
Before Francis comes up
and picks you up in
that old beater of his.
I think I can do that.
Good, good.
Sit.
I was at Grandpa's.
Sit.
Read.
21:6.
Out loud.
"And he said to me, it is done,
"in the alpha and the omega,
the beginning and the end.
"I will give of the
fountain of water,
"of life freely to
him who thirsts.
"He who overcomes shall
inherit all things
"and I will be his God
and he shall be my son.
"But the cowardly, unbelieving,
abominable murderers,
"sexually immorals, sorcerers,
idolaters and all liars
"shall have their part in the
lake which burns with fire
"and brimstone, which
is the second death."
That's enough.
You knew I wouldn't
like that dress.
- Mom.
- Hush.
I thought about
making you return it.
That is, until about an hour
ago when Mr. Ferguson called.
He informed me that you're
the class valedictorian.
That is the one and only
reason I am practicing
any form of restraint right now.
If my daughter is smart enough
to be the class valedictorian
I would have to hope that
she'd have the wisdom
to make the right
decisions for herself.
Unfortunately,
being book-smart's
not the same thing
as being wise.
Wisdom takes age and devotion.
In the eyes of the law,
you're an adult now,
but in the eyes of your
mother and your God,
you're a child, and
you need guidance.
I understand the desire to
fit in with your classmates.
I don't want you to be a
social outcast, Judith,
so please don't think that.
But I also don't wanna
see you sacrifice
your morals for acceptance.
If you're true to yourself,
then people will respect you.
You haven't told me who
you're going to the prom with.
You're going with Francis.
I'm not stupid.
Do you realize that
by not telling me,
it's the same thing
as telling a lie?
Yes, ma'am.
Who does it say will
burn in the lake of fire?
Who?
Liars, Judith.
Liars.
Do you think your daddy
would've liked Francis?
- Yes.
- No.
He wouldn't have.
You wanna know why?
Because you were
everything to him.
You were the reason he
came home from work
with a smile on his
face every day.
You are young, Judith.
You don't understand boys.
You mean nothing to him,
do you realize that?
Does he tell you he loves you?
He doesn't, 'cause he doesn't
even know what love is.
Everything he says or does
is motivated by his
own selfishness.
- That's not true.
- Of course it's true!
He's an 18-year-old boy, Judith.
I'm worried.
I'm worried for you.
I'm worried for our family.
When your grandfather and I
are gone, you're the last one.
You're it, there's nobody else.
I just want you to
have the strength
and the wisdom to make us proud.
To make your father proud.
Now, I'm not gonna tell you
who to go to the prom with,
and I'm not gonna make
you return that dress,
but what I am gonna do is to
ask you to pray to God tonight.
Ask him if you're making
the right choices.
It's too early for this shit.
I'll be damned if I have to
spend another day under the
tutelage of Peter F. Burpark
without the proper medication.
You have enough for
two straight weeks?
Right now, dear Bobby, I am
enjoying the perks of being
little brother to Hateford's
most successful drug dealer.
My supply is, for all intents
and purposes, bottomless.
Christ.
Put the camera away.
Jesus.
Those will kill you, you know.
Did you know that George
Washington owned a hemp farm?
And Thomas Jefferson,
he wrote the Declaration of
Independence on hemp paper.
And Betsy Ross used hemp to
sew the first American flag.
I find it astonishing,
and quite frankly appalling,
how much our educational
institutions try to underplay
the role of pot in
American history.
Pot, and hemp,
are completely different.
- You idiot.
- Technically, yes.
Regardless, you'd be
surprised to discover
how closely linked cannabis
is to American patriotism.
In the 17th century, farmers
were required to grow it.
Yes, to make rope.
You're missing the point, Bobby.
Our forefathers would have
a much different perspective
on the drug culture
than old Bull Johnson.
Gorgeous.
How's Judith?
Good.
Is she as giddy about the
whole prom thing as Kate?
Yeah, she's excited.
Her mom tried to get
her to ditch me, though.
Why am I not surprised?
Must be the smoking.
Have you broken that horse yet?
Do you mean have I had
sex with my girlfriend?
Nah, she wants to wait.
That's rough, man.
Oh, like you've
made it with Ash.
Not quite.
But prom's coming.
It's going to happen.
We'll see.
How many girls
have you slept with?
Four.
Four?
God damn, you're like
a rock star, man!
Well, come prom night,
I'll be joining you
on that score board.
Mark my words, gentlemen,
Ashley Coleson's
virginity will be mine.
And yours will be hers.
Again, you're missing
the point, Henderson.
Grandpa?
Grandpa?
I can't read this.
What is it?
It's a letter.
From the government.
It's in German!
Are you okay?
German, it didn't
make any god damn sense.
- Grandpa?
- Where the hell's Henry?
Is he out with that girl again?
Robin?
Ruth, whatever her name is?
I knew it was gonna
be a silent takeover.
Grandpa.
What the hell are you wearin'?
Prom, it's tonight.
Do I need to call someone?
What difference does it make?
If they have gas...
That shell will eat your
eyes right out of your head.
Grandpa, it's me, it's Judith.
When is prom season anyway?
May, June, it's god
damn sure not August.
Grandpa, it's...
Get out!
You've come for me.
Oh, lord, you're more
beautiful than I remember.
But that's how it
works, isn't it?
I guess I didn't expect
you so soon, but,
I'm ready.
I knew that death
would be beautiful,
but how could I know it
was gonna be like this?
The Lord is good, Sue.
The lord is so good.
- No, no!
- No!
Grandpa, no!
Grandpa, stop!
- Who's waiting for you?
- It's me, Grandpa!
Who is it?
- No, no.
- Who is it?
God damn it, where are you
going, dressed like that?
Well, guess what, you're
not going anywhere.
Shut up!
I've had all of it
I'm gonna take.
You're completely done,
you understand me?
No more of this horseshit.
Judith, are you
getting ready for tonight?
Judith?
Judith?
Are you ready for tonight?
Mom?
What's goin' on?
What's the matter, Judith?
Shh, take a deep breath.
Take a deep breath,
it's all right.
What's the matter?
I can't go.
Why?
What happened?
I don't feel good.
Well, are you sick?
Do you want me to take
you to the hospital?
I just...
Oh, honey.
Is your stomach?
Anything else?
I just feel awful.
You sure we don't need to
get you to the emergency room?
No, I just need to rest.
Oh, honey, this is
a big night for you.
You sure you don't wanna
go for just a little while?
You could go for an hour
and I could pick you up,
if you don't feel well.
Are you sure you're
gonna be all right?
Honey.
It's okay.
Shh, it's okay.
When was the last
time you were with a girl?
A week ago.
Oh, my god, you're so bad.
Who was she?
Some girl at a party.
Is that what I am?
What?
"Some girl."
When was the last time
you were in love?
Now.
Are you in love with me?
What?
You just said you're
in love with me.
Oh.
No.
No, I'm not.
You meant someone else.
Fuck you, Francis, get
the fuck off of my bed.
What?
You can't treat
people like that.
You can't go around breaking
hearts just because you're sad
or it makes you feel
better, or whatever.
I thought you liked me.
I guess I'm glad I'm
finding this out now.
I mean, fuck, I wish I knew
that before I had sex with you.
Wow.
I feel really used.
Thanks for that,
Francis, it feels good.
Really, it had been too long.
Fuck you, man, don't call me.
Come in.
You doin' all right, sweetie?
Yeah, just readin'.
This is good.
Judith, can I talk
to you for a minute?
Sure.
I'm worried about you, honey.
Did somethin' happen?
Like what?
Well, I don't know,
Judith, you tell me.
When's the last
time you saw Paula?
I was over there last week.
Well, last summer, you two
were together almost every day.
She has a boyfriend now.
Well, when's the last
time you saw anyone else?
You're done with school now,
honey, and that's wonderful,
but you're not gonna get to see
your friends again in the fall.
You need to maintain
those relationships.
Especially if it's
gonna be another year
before you start college.
I thought you said you were
okay with me waiting a year?
Well, I'm not thrilled
about the sudden change,
but yes, I'm okay with it.
What I'm not okay with is
you sittin' in this room,
day in and day out.
Now, I know I can be
protective, dear, but,
well, I want you to get out and
be happy, enjoy being young.
I am happy.
I don't think you are, Judith.
Never thought I'd
hear myself say this, but,
I want you to spend more
time with your friends, okay?
Can you do that?
Yes.
And you need start
looking for a job soon.
Summer's almost over.
I will.
Okay.
Well, I'm gonna get
dinner started.
You can always talk to me.
You know that?
Yeah.
What do we do with our families?
I don't know if you've
noticed, folks,
but the family structure in
America is rapidly, as I say,
rapidly disintegrating!
We don't live in the
19th century anymore.
We don't live in 1914,
this is isn't even 1952.
The year is 1968 and I
say the world is rapidly
disintegrating into
sin and chaos!
If ever there was a time
for the second coming,
it would be now!
Not a day goes by
that I don't wake up
and wonder if today is the day.
Sometimes I even find
myself hoping, hoping,
for the sake of our
nation and of humanity,
hoping for the rapture to
free the good Christian people
from this cycle of
sin and suffering.
Now, do you think 100 years ago,
church leaders were
hoping for the end?
No.
No, they weren't.
This unease, this cosmic
anxiety that I'm experiencing,
that we are all experiencing,
if you trace it
back to the source,
I guarantee you'll find the
collapse of the American family.
Proverbs, chapter 22, verse six.
"Train up a child on
the way he should go,
"and when he is old, he
will not depart from it."
Are you listenin'?
"Train up a child on
the way he should go,
"and when he is old, he
will not depart from it."
God gave us families
before he gave us a church.
Guys, this is important.
See, before we had the
institution of the church,
we had our families and
families were educational forces
for passing down and instilling
morals into our children!
And now, in American
society, we just hand off the
responsibility of raising
our children to other people!
We depend on our schools,
we depend on our churches,
we depend on the
almighty television
to do the parenting for us!
Now, don't get me wrong, schools
and churches are important.
They are.
To raise a child to its
fullest potential,
you need the support of
the community, that's true.
But our homes need to be our
schools before our schools,
and our churches
before our churches.
Did I lose some you there?
You see, our homes need
to be holy places,
where God is welcome,
where we can provide
instruction and mentoring
for our children.
"Train up a child on
the way he should go,
"and when he is old, he
will not depart from it."
Beth Combs told me that this was
the best vegetable
ham soup in town.
You know, it doesn't hold
a candle to the box cart.
Well, leave it to Beth Combs
to spread misinformation.
I think Beth is a kind woman.
She just doesn't always
have her facts straight.
You know last week she
told me that absolutely
Nixon was gonna choose
Romney as his running mate.
I think Agnew was an
interesting choice.
His leadership skills
are a little bit weak.
I think he was chosen more for
geography than anything else.
No politics on Sunday, Sam.
Sorry, girls, you know
politics is my sport.
So, what's on the agenda for
this week, anything good?
Same old routine.
Work and knittin' with
the girls on Wednesday and
got a doctors appointment
in the mornin'.
That's good.
What about you, Judith?
Any plans?
No.
Excuse me.
Judith?
Look at me.
Look at me, please.
What is wrong?
You're breaking my
heart, darlin'.
We haven't had one single
conversation this entire summer.
Your mom tells me that you
hardly ever get out of your room.
You know, if you just
tell me what's wrong,
I might be able to help.
I'm an old man.
I know things.
Is it about school?
Something happen with Francis?
Paula?
It's just school.
Oh, well...
There's nothing wrong with
being sad about leaving school.
Leaving behind good memories
that you've made is never easy.
I know when I wanted to move
closer to you and your mom,
I really found it tough
to sell that house.
I'd made a lot of good memories
with your dad and grandma.
But the thing is, that's over.
And it's all right.
The hard part is enjoying today,
as much as you enjoy
remembering the past.
Trust me on this, I say
it with 100% confidence,
you are 18 years old, you are
going to college next year,
you're smart, you're beautiful.
High school was your life.
High school was your world,
but there's a bigger
world out there.
So, why don't you cheer up?
'Cause I promise you,
the best is yet to come.
Hey, uh, Miss Hall,
is Judith home?
No, Judith is not home.
Okay, uh, do you know
when she'll be back?
No.
All right, uh, can you
ask her to give me a call?
What did you do to my daughter?
It's strange, last summer
was so much fun, wasn't it?
I guess everyone was just
really excited about senior year
and everything, but this
summer is so different.
I mean, it's so different.
People are so much less
inclined to go out and do things
and I don't know, and I don't
just mean just you and me,
I mean, it's pretty much
everybody, I mean, everybody I've
talked to has just been
sleeping all through the summer.
Everything's so...
Muted.
Does that make sense?
Do you think it's
'cause Bobby left?
You know, he always had that
way of forcing people together?
But I guess it could be
a lot of reasons, I mean,
we have like, what, six people
from our graduating
class going to college?
And so that pretty much means
work for everybody else.
Honestly, the only person that
I've really seen is Brian,
and I mean, he's great
and I like him so much,
and we do these fun things,
but I just miss last summer!
Sittin' on the
porch every night,
and driving in Jessica's car!
But I guess we're
not kids anymore.
I guess I just thought
that growing up
would be a more gradual process.
It's so much more instantaneous
than I would have thought.
Yeah.
Well...
Should I take you home?
Yeah, I should
probably get going.
Okay.
Paula.
I have to tell you somethin'.
What is it?
I haven't told anyone.
You can tell me
anything, you know that.
Three months ago,
I was assaulted by someone.
Someone I know.
Oh, my god.
Judith!
And I think I'm pregnant.
Are you serious?
Judith!
Oh, my god, oh, my god, Judith,
who would do that to you?
I can't say.
You can tell me.
Judith, please, this is serious.
Who would do that to you?
- Was it Francis?
- No.
No, it wasn't Francis.
Was it someone at school?
Paula, please.
I wanna help you.
Is this why I haven't
seen you all summer?
Judith, please.
This is serious.
Why haven't you told
anyone about this?
Does he even know
you're pregnant?
No.
So what are you gonna do?
I don't know, I...
I think I need to run away.
And where would you go?
Judith, you don't even have a
car, where are you gonna go?
I don't know, New
York or somethin'.
You can't just run away.
Especially not if you're
gonna have a baby.
You need support, you need
your mother and I'll be here.
I'll help you.
And when me and Brian get
married, I'll have a baby,
and then we can raise
our babies together,
and they'll be best friends.
But Judith, listen to me.
I know that running away seems
like it's the easy answer,
but it's not.
Who did this to you?
Are you afraid they're gonna
hurt you if he finds out?
I don't know, I don't think so.
I think I need to tell him.
You need to tell the police.
Who did this?
Judith, please, I'm your best
friend and I want to help you!
Who did this to you?
It was...
It was Francis.
Oh, my god.
Oh, Judith, I am so sorry.
Oh, my god.
Why haven't you told anyone?
Are you afraid he's
gonna hurt you?
I don't know.
Well, if you won't go
to the police, I will.
Nobody hurts my friends.
Paula, stop.
No, he is going
to fucking prison,
and I hope he fucking
gets murdered.
Please, will you just wait?
You have got to start
sticking up for yourself.
What he did was beyond horrible,
and I'm not gonna sit here and
watch him get away with it!
Will you just give me some
time to figure something out?
There is nothing to figure out!
Judith, it's very simple.
He raped you and now
he's going to jail.
Please, listen to
what I'm saying, I...
I still love him.
And that makes it okay?
No.
No, it doesn't, I just,
I'm not ready to
go to the police.
I will, I promise, okay?
Just not yet.
Come here.
Well, look who's here.
Wow, hello, stranger.
What brings you to this
neck of the woods?
I was just hoping
that we could talk?
Sounds kinda serious,
is something wrong?
No, I just wanna talk.
Well, that's something we
haven't done enough of lately.
I'm making some
cookies, come on in.
You want a cookie?
I'm gettin' bad about cookies,
seems like my sweet tooth's
gettin' a whole lot more
persuasive with age.
These are chocolate
macadamia nut cookies,
with a hint of cinnamon.
I haven't got my technique
down perfect yet,
but I'm gettin' better.
I finished that book.
It took a while, but
I got through it.
A little too much
existentialism to suit me, but,
Mr. Baker is a smart man.
Maybe too smart
for his own good.
I don't guess I had
to bring that up.
I know you haven't been
seein' Francis, but,
I just kinda wanted
to tell you that
I really enjoyed
your birthday gift.
I wanted to tell you how
much I appreciated it.
So, tell me what's wrong, Judy.
Got a little trouble
with the law?
I just wanted to
ask you something.
Mm-hm.
Have you been
feeling okay lately?
Well, yeah!
Better than ever.
Why do you ask?
I guess these cookies
are startin'
to show up a little
too much, huh?
No, I just, um...
A few months ago...
Oh, let me get that.
This actually might
be important.
Be right back.
Hello.
Yes?
Yeah, all right.
Okay, bye.
I'll be right there, Jude.
Holy mother of Christ.
Mother of Christ.
Sue?
Sue!
No, no, no!
No!
You bitch!
Ow!
Just stop!
How dare you!
Judith?
Where are you goin'?
Uh, what?
Where are you goin'?
It's 11:30.
Paula left some clothes
here that I borrowed,
so I was gonna go return 'em.
Well, it's a little
late, don't you think?
She needs them for tomorrow.
Okay, well why are you
using your pillow case?
We have bags.
Oh.
Well, I'll get you one,
you don't need to be using
your nice pillow
cases for laundry.
Here.
Well, I'm gonna go
on back to bed.
You gonna with her for a while?
Not too long.
Okay.
Goodnight, Judith.
Goodnight.
As you've all heard by
now, one of our number
was reunited with our
Father in heaven this week.
The Lord was ready
to receive him
and when he comes
a-callin', you gotta go.
I know we all want God
to grant us a quiet
and peaceful entrance
into the kingdom,
but the truth is, we
all can't be so blessed.
Samuel Hall, a lot of
you probably knew him.
He was a good man.
He was at this church
longer than me,
if you can believe that.
I had the honor of presiding
over his funeral yesterday,
and let me tell you,
that man was loved.
I got this theory, right?
I got this theory about love.
The more you put in,
the more you get out.
Pretty simple, right?
Now, John wrote, "let
us love one another,
"for love comes from
God and whoever loves
"is born of God and knows God."
Now, what does that mean,
to be born of God
and to know God?
Well, it means simply that
at his core, God is love.
That's a bold statement, right?
God is love.
And so to love and to experience
love and to share love
is to feel God's
presence here on Earth.
Samuel Hall was a
man full of love.
He was a man born of God.
And he probably knew God
better than most of us.
Now, the love I felt at
his service yesterday was
unsurpassed.
Truly.
If you wanna gauge a man's
commitment to his community,
attend his funeral,
see who shows up.
Now it seems that Sam was a
member of just about every club,
committee and council
here in town.
We had everyone here
from the food bank
to Sam's poker
buddies showing up.
And the outpouring of
love I felt yesterday
gave me so much hope.
It did.
Hope for the future.
Because where there's
love, there's God.
Now, there are two women
I wanna recognize today.
These two women right
over here, in fact.
Ruth and Judith Hall.
Ruth is Samuel's
daughter-in-law,
and Judith is his granddaughter.
Now, listen up, folks.
These two ladies buried their
closest relative yesterday.
Ruth said that after
Samuel, they have no other
family members in this
part of the country.
And after Ruth's husband passed,
it was just Ruth,
Judith and Samuel.
That's it, those three.
Can you imagine losing a
third of your family suddenly
without any warning beforehand?
That's what happened
to these ladies.
But...
But where are they?
They are here, with you, today.
That's bravery.
That's courage.
It's more than that,
it's devotion.
They know that they need
to be with God right now.
Most people, when they
get hurt, they push away.
They say, "God wouldn't
do that to me,
"God wouldn't let that happen."
Well that kind of thinking is
not only wrong, it's cowardly.
I want you all to commend
Ruth and Judith right now
for being here with us.
These ladies have suffered
unspeakable horrors
at the hands of a maniac!
Yet they are here, with you,
to hear the word of God,
and to worship with
their community.
The officer's here.
You all right?
Yeah.
Hi, there, you must be Judith.
I'm Officer Walters.
Samuel sure did leave two
fine-looking gals behind,
didn't he?
I should introduce
you to my son.
Officer, can I get you anything?
We've got coffee,
water, lemonade.
No, ma'am, no, thank you.
I do appreciate the
offer, though.
I just polished off a
coffee before I came in.
How are you ladies doin'?
We've had better days.
I hear ya.
Especially under
these circumstances.
I will try to make this
as quick and painless
as possible, though.
Lord knows you two
have been through
more than your fair share.
Why don't we start
with you, Judith?
Where you from Tuesday
evening to Thursday morning?
Um...
On Tuesday...
Relax now, darling.
Take a deep breath.
I'm on your side.
There's no pressure.
Unfortunately, this is just
something I have to do.
I know I look scary here
in this uniform, but,
I'm a nice guy, I promise.
On Tuesday, I was at
my friend Paula's house.
What's her last name?
Johnson.
Okay, and her address?
3-10 Bungalow Drive.
Bungalow?
That's right around the corner.
Okay, continue.
She dropped me off
here around midnight and
then I went to bed.
Did you hear her come in, Ruth?
No, I was asleep.
And your Wednesday?
I just stayed home all day.
Did you have any guests over?
No.
Well, how did you
spend your day?
I just read, mostly.
Took a nap at one
point, cleaned my room.
Spend a lot of days like that?
Yeah, I guess.
She's been upset
about graduatin'.
I understand.
Leavin' your friends is hard.
So, you sat around and you
twiddled your thumbs all day.
What time did your
momma come home?
She always comes
home around 5:15.
All right and how did you
spend the rest of your evening?
Oh, I wasn't feeling very well,
so I didn't have any dinner,
I just rested all evening.
Yep.
That'll happen when you stay
cooped up inside all day.
You gotta get out, stretch your
legs every once in a while.
So, you rested and then what?
I went to bed.
All right.
And Paula came over
to get her clothes.
Paula Johnson?
Yes, Paula came
over around 11:30
to get some clothes
that I had borrowed.
Why so late?
She needed 'em for the next day.
For what?
She wanted to wear
a certain dress
to lunch with her boyfriend.
Which dress?
Um...
I'm just kidding with
ya, I don't much care
what dress Paula Johnson
wore to her lunch date.
All right, so Paula came
to pick up her clothes,
and you went to bed.
What time did you wake up?
Around nine.
All right, nine.
See there?
That wasn't so bad now, was it?
Asking all these questions
sure has made me thirsty.
Ruth, would you mind
terribly if I got some
of that lemonade you
mentioned earlier?
That is, if the
offer still stands?
Well, of course,
would you like ice?
No, ma'am, no, thank you.
Hurts my teeth.
This must be very hard on you.
Especially with your dad gone.
I suppose your grandpa was
sort of a father figure to you.
Is that right?
Did you have a good
relationship with your grandpa?
Yes, very good.
Good.
It's important.
With any luck, I'll be a
grandpa myself one day.
Lord knows I'll treat those
kids like they were my own.
When's the last
time you saw him?
Last Sunday.
Church?
You're a good girl, Judith.
And strong, I can see it.
But you don't need to shoulder
this weight on your own.
You have the support of
this entire town behind you.
You understand me?
Don't hesitate to reach out.
Thank you.
Paula.
No, Paula, listen.
I had to see him again,
it's not a question
of whether I should I
shouldn't, I had to.
No.
Paula, listen to me.
I had to lie to the officer.
Yeah, I know, I'm sorry.
My mom caught me sneakin'
out on Wednesday night,
and I told her I was returnin'
some clothes I borrowed.
No, I had to, she can't know
I was seein' Francis again.
I know, I'm sorry, okay?
Listen, if he asks you,
you had to wear a dress to
go to lunch with Brian, okay?
That's what I told him.
Yes, of course.
No, I'm sorry.
Please, Paula, this is
really important, okay?
Okay.
Let me know if he comes back.
Goodbye.
What are you doing here?
I just need to talk to Judith.
Are you insane?
Do you have any idea
what time it is?
I just wanna
talk to her for a minute.
Judith.
Judith, it's not
the time for this.
It's in the middle of
the night, Judith!
Judith!
I wanna run away with you.
Okay, let's run away.
Why did you stop
letting me see you?
I can't tell you.
I didn't want to, I didn't.
I had to.
I'm so sorry, Francis,
you didn't deserve that.
I don't understand,
why can't you tell me?
I just can't, not yet.
I will, someday, I promise.
Before we get married.
Is it somebody else?
No.
No.
It's only you.
It's always only been you.
Even during all those weeks,
I only thought about you.
Then why can't
you tell, it just,
it doesn't make any sense.
It will.
I promise you, it will.
You just have to
trust me, Francis.
You're gonna be so late.
I don't care.
What's goin' on?
I hope my mom didn't
do somethin' crazy
and report me as
missin' or something.
Do you need me
to go up with you?
No, it'll be fine.
Call me tonight.
Mornin', Judith.
My, you are lookin'
radiant today.
Thank you.
Mind if we talk for a minute?
Sure.
I'll make this short,
seeing as how I don't have
much time myself.
I spoke with your friend
Paula this morning.
She told me she wasn't ever here
at your house, Wednesday night.
Says she was over
at her cousin's.
In Polk.
That true?
Yes.
Judith.
Don't lie to the police.
It ain't smart.
Now, Paula tells me you was off
with some boy named Francis.
I'm guessing that
was him in the car?
Paula also says you don't
want your momma to find out.
Why not?
He bad news?
She doesn't like him.
I understand, I was
young once, too.
But now, darlin', I need
you to be honest with me.
You see, if I'm asking you
for information, well now,
there's a reason for
that, you got that?
Okay.
I'm gonna need to speak
with this boy, Francis.
What's his address?
It's 755 Norton Drive.
Norton Drive.
All right.
No more lies now, okay?
By the way, we've identified
the owner of the murder weapon.
Turns out it was Sam's
neighbor, Jacob Weisel.
But don't worry, we've had him
in custody since last night.
Do you think it was him?
There are so many
unanswered questions.
Do you want my honest opinion?
I don't think Mr. Weisel
has anything to do with it.
He seems sane enough.
A sane man just wouldn't
leave the murder weapon
at the scene of a
crime, would he?
Think someone's
trying to frame him.
Well, maybe my grandpa
borrowed the ax,
and that's why it
was at his house?
Now, why would you think that?
I don't know, I
just thought that
maybe I'd seen it there before.
Huh.
I see.
I'll have to speak with
Mr. Weisel about that, but,
Judith, I don't think that's so.
You call me, if you have
anything you need to tell me.
You have a good day, Judith.
I'm sorry, Mom.
I love him.
Love has nothin' to do with it.
I raised my daughter better
than to spend the night
with a man outside of marriage.
Nothin' happened.
All we did was talk
and slept, that's it.
Talk and sleep.
I sincerely doubt that.
I just needed
someone to talk to.
What about me, Judith?
What about me?
Why not talk to your mother?
I'm the only other person that's
just as devastated by this
whole mess as you are.
Do you understand how bad it
hurts when you shut me out?
I have no one else
I can talk to.
You're all I have, Judith.
You're the only person
who can even come close
to understanding what
I'm going through.
And yet, you'd rather
pour your heart into some
irresponsible boy who's
just gonna take advantage
of your situation for
his own benefit.
Mom.
Do you think Grandpa
had dementia?
Excuse me?
Do you think that
it was possible?
Why would you ask that?
That's an awful thing
to say about a man
who loved you so very much.
It just seemed that...
Just that what, Judith?
Your grandfather was one
of the sharpest men I knew.
What's gotten into you?
He hurt me.
What did you say?
Go to your room.
Go to your room, or
get out of my house.
How dare you disrespect
your grandfather.
He loved you more than anything!
I know you're upset, Judith.
You need to think about
what you're sayin'.
Go!
Judith!
Can we talk?
Judith, I'm so sorry.
I got really scared
and I couldn't lie.
Can I come in?
Yeah, my parents
should be out until 10.
Look, Judith, I'm so sorry.
I wanted to cover for you,
but that guy is so scary.
And then he started asking me
all these questions and I just
I couldn't lie, I just couldn't.
It's okay, I don't care.
My mom saw Francis last night,
when he came to pick me up.
She did?
Yeah, she's really upset.
But I don't care, I love
him and I wanna be with him.
Judith, you have
to go to the police.
You have to tell them
what he did to you.
No, I'm not doin' that!
I love Francis and I
just want all this chaos
to be over with, I just want
life to be back to normal.
I wanna be with Francis,
and I don't wanna answer
any more questions.
I think that you are
making a huge mistake.
No, I know what
I'm doin', I just,
you just have to trust me.
What...
What is that?
It's one of the
pictures I took from prom.
Are you all right?
I have to call Francis.
- I have to call Francis.
- Wait, what's goin' on?
- What's going on?
- I don't know.
Judith!
Judith, where are we going?
I don't know, I'm so confused.
Judith, it's all right, just
calm down for second, okay?
Stop, I'm gonna be sick!
Tell me I didn't go to prom.
Tell me I didn't!
I didn't go, I was sick!
Have fun tonight, darlin'.
Y'all familiar
with the law of fire?
Do you...
Regret?
Francis, I'm pregnant!
Okay.
Hey, that's great!
No, hey, we're gonna have a kid!
You're gonna be a mom.
You're gonna be a mom
and I'm gonna be a dad.
And the kid, he's gonna be
little Frankie or something.
Look, we're just, no, hey.
Hey, we're gonna start a family.
Look, that's wonderful.
Give me a smile, please.
Just give me a smile.
We're gonna be all right.
I, I, I killed my grandpa.
What?
I, I...
I took an ax and I killed him!
Judith, what are you saying?
I thought he raped me.
What?
You thought that he...
You thought he hurt you?
I...
Because you were ashamed.
Because of what they did to you.
No, this is not your fault.
Okay, hey, we've gotta go.
We've gotta go, okay?
Come on, we've gotta
get in the car.
Come on, we've gotta go.
Come on, come on,
come on, come on.
Francis.
Is that you?
You got Judith in
that car with you?
Uh, yes, sir.
Oh, good.
I was getting worried you
two disappeared on me.
Y'all mind coming
down to the station,
answering a few questions?
Both of y'all.
Why?
Well, uh, had an
interesting development in
the Sam Hall case and I'd like
to get y'all opinion on it.
Okay, uh, we'll
come by the morning.
Mm, no.
Y'all comin' now.
Do not make this
difficult, Francis.
You already pushed my
buttons once today,
refusing to answer my questions.
You do not wanna make me mad.
But, uh...
Something's wrong with Judith.
What do you mean?
She's sick, I think,
uh, she can't walk.
Did you hurt that little girl?
No.
All right.
Judith, darlin', it's
Officer Walters.
Judith?
Now listen, I'm gonna need
you and Francis to come
into the station and
answer a couple questions.
Nothin' to be alarmed about,
but we need to act fast.
Now, Judith.
Now, listen.
Now, you're not making
this easy on me.
All right now, I'll get you
some medical attention first,
but if you're not gonna walk,
I'm gonna have to carry you.
What's with the matter with
this girl, is she on drugs?
Oh, I'll be yours if
you'll leave with me
And I'll take you anywhere
If you'll leave with me
Step across the threshold
Take my hand
By doing so,
you'll be my woman
And I'll be your man
But ain't it great
To fall in love
There's nothing like
it in the big bad world
Nor in the blue skies above
Well, there's no one else
I'd rather hold
In my awkward
arms forever more
So you don't get cold
But ain't it great
To fall in love
There's nothing like
it in the big bad world
Nor in the blue skies above
So I'm running down the hall
Without opening my eyes
When I met that girl
I've always dreamed of
And I can't let it hide
Like a church, they say
Oh, let is shine
But it ain't no flame
they're tryin' to put out
Just a goofy ol'
friend of mine
It's all about sex, fornication,
defilement, debauchery.
Different names for
the same thing.
This California concept
of recreational sex
is spreading like a
disease, pardon the pun.
I can't tell you how many
young people I've heard say
"sex is no big deal."
No big deal, huh?
You know what I call it?
The trivialization of marriage.
The rape of a
sacred institution!
Now, y'all remember how God
created men and women, right?
From one flesh?
Well, if you read a little
further in the Bible,
and I hope I'm not spoiling
anything for anyone,
you'll come across a
passage in Ephesians,
concerning the
nature of marriage.
It says "a man shall leave
his mother and father,
"and shall be joined unto
his wife and they, too,
"shall become one flesh."
Now, it doesn't take a genius
to figure out what the meaning
of becoming one flesh,
it means sex!
But it means more than
just California recreation,
and adulteration
and fornication.
It means sex is intended
to exist only within
the sacred covenant between
one man and one woman!
You see what I'm
getting at here?
I'm talking about
pre-marital relations.
Are you listenin'?
Pre-martial sex!
I like to give this
sermon this time of year,
because we all know what's
right around the corner.
Prom.
And we all know what
some of our kids
are doing on prom night,
I'll give you a hint.
It ain't dancin'.
Y'all familiar with
the law of fire?
Law of fire is simple.
You stick your hand in the
flames, you're gonna get burned.
Even kids know that.
But you got these young people
nowadays with their big heads
and their California
morals and they think
that they're somehow
above the law of fire!
So they gather up
all the kindling
and all the dry wood they
can find and they build
the biggest roaring infernos
you could possibly imagine!
And then what do they do?
They stick their hands
in the fire and they say,
"I'm not gonna get burned,
I'm not gonna get burned!"
And then what do you
think happens?
They get burned!
Their hands get all
black and blistered!
And if they hold it
there long enough,
the flesh just melts
right off the bone.
That's sex, ladies
and gentlemen.
You start havin' sex
outside of marriage,
bad things will happen.
You start sleepin' around,
next thing you know,
you start gettin' diseases.
Maybe it's a little
pain when you urinate.
Maybe it's warts in places
where you don't wanna see warts.
Maybe you get lesions and
ulcers and all sorts of horrible
skin conditions that will
physically mark you as a deviant!
As a sinner against God's will!
You wanna have and
illegitimate child?
You wanna give your mother
an illegitimate grandchild?
How dare you.
Listen to me.
Purity carries with it
the joy of obedience.
If you are pure, you
have pleased your family.
You have pleased your community.
You have pleased your pastor
and you have pleased your God.
There is no greater joy,
than the freedom of
a clear conscience.
Stay pure, because I assure you,
the fall from grace is
long and agonizing.
Fuck Florida!
Fuck Florida!
And I'll take you anywhere
If you'll leave with me
Step across the threshold
Take my hand
By doing so,
you'll be my woman
And I'll be your man
But ain't it great
To fall in love
Bobby, fuck yeah, man.
You're gettin' the
hell out of here!
Come with me, man!
Woo!
Well, there's no one else
I'd rather hold
In my awkward
arms forever more
So you don't get cold
But ain't it great
To fall in love
There's nothing like
it in the big bad world
Nor in the blue skies above
So I'm running down the hall
Without opening my eyes
When I met that girl
I've always dreamed of
And I can't let it hide
Hi, Francis.
Hey.
What're you doing
up here all alone?
Smoking.
You don't like to dance, do you?
Nope.
Ain't it great
To fall in love
There's nothing like
it in the big bad world
Are you drunk?
No.
Yeah, you are.
I can smell it on you.
Hey, where's Judith?
At a party.
A party.
This is a party.
Yep.
Francis, Judith doesn't
go to parties, come on.
Well, why aren't you with her?
Did you break up with her?
No.
Have you fucked her yet?
None of your god damn business.
That means no.
It means it's none of
your god damn business.
James and I have sex.
Every weekend.
That's nice.
Can I tell you a secret?
Please don't.
I think you're cute.
You know, I just
don't understand
why you're wasting your
time with these virgins.
Really, Francis, I don't
understand the appeal.
And her clothes are
just so boring.
God, Francis.
You were like a rock star.
No, no I'm not.
I just don't
understand any of it.
It doesn't make any sense to me.
What doesn't make
sense, little girl?
Life.
Francis is so drunk.
I see that.
Let's go talk to Bobby
for a little while.
Okay.
Happy birthday,
it's your birthday
Happy birthday,
it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you
That's to guarantee
my wish comes true.
What'd you wish for, Grandpa?
Well, a handsome face.
That's what you wished
for last year, Samuel.
Excuse me, it worked, didn't it?
That cake is gonna kill me.
You ate a half a pound
of steak for dinner,
and you're worried
about a little cake?
I'm a meat eater, I
was built to eat steak.
This is the work of the devil.
You want some milk, Grandpa?
Oh, yes, milk would
be really good
to wash down this
evil confection.
- Use the flour cups, Judith.
- Okay.
Ah.
Thank you.
Did I ever tell you about
the cakes we used to make,
back when your dad was a kid?
Birthdays were hard back then.
One year I remember I
didn't have any money
to get your grandma a present.
I went to the dump ground,
dug around for a little while,
found a coffee can, turned
it upside-down, and out came
the most beautiful sapphire
necklace I think I'd ever seen.
It was all covered in dirt,
coffee grounds, god
knows what else.
I cleaned it up and put
it in a handkerchief.
Stuffed in a baking soda box.
It was the best gift
I ever gave her.
Anyway.
We didn't have any money
for cakes back then, either.
We'd just throw everything
we had into the oven
and bake it and call it a cake.
Was during the war, so
we called them war cakes.
Didn't have any eggs.
Didn't have any milk.
No butter, no sugar.
We had some flour and we'd
have some baking soda,
and baking powder.
And if we was lucky, we'd
have some brown sugar.
We'd throw in some apples.
Maybe some raisins.
Nuts.
Anything that'd feasibly
make a cake.
And you know what? It was good.
'Cause that's all we had.
But it wasn't
anything like this.
This is gonna kill me.
Quiet, you.
You're allowed to
have cake today.
Judith, honey, slow down.
It's your grandfather's
birthday.
Are you goin' somewhere tonight?
I have to study for
a test at Paula's.
That's what she says,
but if I find you're going
to that boy's party, there's
gonna be consequences.
Who's party are you goin' to?
I'm not going to a party.
Bobby Henderson is
moving to New York,
so he's throwing this big
thing in his dad's barn.
Ah, I see.
And nothin' good happens
at Bobby Henderson's
barn parties.
I'm sure she's not
gonna put herself
in a compromising situation.
She's a very smart girl.
Why don't you go get
grandpa his present,
and then you can get on
with your, um, studying?
Okay, I'll be right back.
She'll be all right.
How was your party?
Boring, and yours?
It was nice.
Did you drink?
I had a beer.
My mom thinks I'm at Paula's.
Yeah, I figured.
Actually, she
thinks I'm at Bobby's.
Grandpa probably
knows where I am.
Probably.
So, how long till graduation?
A month.
That long?
Three weeks.
Then what?
What do you mean?
What happens after graduation?
You get a job and
find me a ring,
and then we live
happily ever after.
Correct.
I was wondering what
you were getting at.
I just like to hear you say it.
I'm getting my dress tomorrow.
What color?
I don't know, what do you think?
White.
Well, that's boring.
I'm saving that for
my wedding day.
What about red?
Yeah, that's fine.
You don't care, do you?
Yeah, I mean, of course I care.
You don't have to care, it's
okay, it's just a prom dress.
Oh, my god, you decided
to go with white after all.
I fell in love with it as
soon as I walked in the store.
It's beautiful,
you look adorable!
- Oh, my gosh, I love it.
- It's comfortable, too.
What's your mom gonna say?
She'll be fine.
It's not revealing.
Have you told her yet?
What?
- That I'm going with Francis?
- Mm-hm.
No, but she knows.
Well, you should
probably get on that soon.
I'm workin' on it.
Meanwhile, I have
yet to be asked
by anybody with a
full set of teeth.
Oh, Tommy's cute in his own way.
Well, unfortunately,
his way is not my way.
Do you know what
Greg's doing yet?
I think he's going
with Cathryn Vice.
You are so much
prettier than she is.
Yeah, well, Greg
apparently thinks otherwise.
Do you regret...
Yeah.
I guess, yeah.
Why?
Are you thinking about it?
No.
No.
Francis and I getting married
soon, so it'd be pointless.
Just be careful, Judith, I
don't want you getting hurt.
Hi, Mom.
It'll be fine.
Uh-huh!
Hi, Grandpa.
You wanted me to come over?
Judith.
You're here.
Come on in, I was just
eating some ice cream.
Don't tell your mother.
Prom was the first time
I ever met your mom.
Did I ever tell you that?
Your dad was so shy
in high school,
we didn't think he'd
ever ask anybody.
And actually, we were right.
She asked him.
Your mom asked him, two
nights before the dance.
She said she'd been waiting
around for two months,
and he never opened his
mouth, because he was scared.
Can you imagine that?
Missing out on the
love of your life,
'cause you're too scared?
I guess maybe it
happens all the time.
Anyway, her parents brought
her over and we made quick
introductions and I sent 'em
off in the old convertible.
I was sure they were
gonna crash it.
Do you know, before they
even got out the door,
I knew they was
gonna get married.
Number one, your dad was
so terrified of women,
I just knew that once
he'd wrangled one,
he wasn't gonna let her go.
And number two, they
were just a fit.
You know, sometimes you
can tell, people just fit.
You know things like
that sometimes.
Hey, get enough ice cream?
Oh, no, this is fine.
Ah, come on, it's not every day
you get to eat ice
cream with your grandpa.
The more you eat, the less
there is there to tempt me.
I started reading
Mr. Baker's book.
- You did?
- Yep, sure did.
I had a little time on my hands,
so I thought I'd give it a spin.
I read a couple of
chapters, I think I like it.
You do?
Yep.
Yeah, Mr. Baker is
a very smart man.
I don't agree with all
his ideas, of course,
but that's the beauty
of literature, isn't it?
Kinda like conversation,
you agree with some parts,
and disagree with others.
I like what he said at the
end of one of the chapters.
He followed his love to
the star of salvation, or,
she followed her star,
something like that.
But you know, I always associate
salvation with Christianity
and I know he's not a
religious writer, but,
I think there's a
lot of truth to it.
I didn't bring you here
for a sermon, did I?
I think it's about time
for me to tell you
the real reason for this
clandestine rendezvous.
I thought our meeting
was to celebrate
this fine culinary dish?
And a noble cause
that is, for certain.
However.
With my only granddaughter
having bought a prom dress,
and me being her
only grandfather,
I felt a obligation
to honor this momentous
occasion with a gift.
I've told you this story about
it over 100 times, I know.
I originally planned to
wait for your wedding day,
but truth is, I'm getting old.
I can't wait around for
everything all the time,
so, this is close enough,
and I hope it doesn't clash
too much with that dress.
I love you, Grandpa.
I love you too, sweetheart.
Just do me a favor, will you?
I know it's two whole
minutes to walk over here,
but before you head
off to the prom,
would you come by and let
me see your pretty dress?
Before Francis comes up
and picks you up in
that old beater of his.
I think I can do that.
Good, good.
Sit.
I was at Grandpa's.
Sit.
Read.
21:6.
Out loud.
"And he said to me, it is done,
"in the alpha and the omega,
the beginning and the end.
"I will give of the
fountain of water,
"of life freely to
him who thirsts.
"He who overcomes shall
inherit all things
"and I will be his God
and he shall be my son.
"But the cowardly, unbelieving,
abominable murderers,
"sexually immorals, sorcerers,
idolaters and all liars
"shall have their part in the
lake which burns with fire
"and brimstone, which
is the second death."
That's enough.
You knew I wouldn't
like that dress.
- Mom.
- Hush.
I thought about
making you return it.
That is, until about an hour
ago when Mr. Ferguson called.
He informed me that you're
the class valedictorian.
That is the one and only
reason I am practicing
any form of restraint right now.
If my daughter is smart enough
to be the class valedictorian
I would have to hope that
she'd have the wisdom
to make the right
decisions for herself.
Unfortunately,
being book-smart's
not the same thing
as being wise.
Wisdom takes age and devotion.
In the eyes of the law,
you're an adult now,
but in the eyes of your
mother and your God,
you're a child, and
you need guidance.
I understand the desire to
fit in with your classmates.
I don't want you to be a
social outcast, Judith,
so please don't think that.
But I also don't wanna
see you sacrifice
your morals for acceptance.
If you're true to yourself,
then people will respect you.
You haven't told me who
you're going to the prom with.
You're going with Francis.
I'm not stupid.
Do you realize that
by not telling me,
it's the same thing
as telling a lie?
Yes, ma'am.
Who does it say will
burn in the lake of fire?
Who?
Liars, Judith.
Liars.
Do you think your daddy
would've liked Francis?
- Yes.
- No.
He wouldn't have.
You wanna know why?
Because you were
everything to him.
You were the reason he
came home from work
with a smile on his
face every day.
You are young, Judith.
You don't understand boys.
You mean nothing to him,
do you realize that?
Does he tell you he loves you?
He doesn't, 'cause he doesn't
even know what love is.
Everything he says or does
is motivated by his
own selfishness.
- That's not true.
- Of course it's true!
He's an 18-year-old boy, Judith.
I'm worried.
I'm worried for you.
I'm worried for our family.
When your grandfather and I
are gone, you're the last one.
You're it, there's nobody else.
I just want you to
have the strength
and the wisdom to make us proud.
To make your father proud.
Now, I'm not gonna tell you
who to go to the prom with,
and I'm not gonna make
you return that dress,
but what I am gonna do is to
ask you to pray to God tonight.
Ask him if you're making
the right choices.
It's too early for this shit.
I'll be damned if I have to
spend another day under the
tutelage of Peter F. Burpark
without the proper medication.
You have enough for
two straight weeks?
Right now, dear Bobby, I am
enjoying the perks of being
little brother to Hateford's
most successful drug dealer.
My supply is, for all intents
and purposes, bottomless.
Christ.
Put the camera away.
Jesus.
Those will kill you, you know.
Did you know that George
Washington owned a hemp farm?
And Thomas Jefferson,
he wrote the Declaration of
Independence on hemp paper.
And Betsy Ross used hemp to
sew the first American flag.
I find it astonishing,
and quite frankly appalling,
how much our educational
institutions try to underplay
the role of pot in
American history.
Pot, and hemp,
are completely different.
- You idiot.
- Technically, yes.
Regardless, you'd be
surprised to discover
how closely linked cannabis
is to American patriotism.
In the 17th century, farmers
were required to grow it.
Yes, to make rope.
You're missing the point, Bobby.
Our forefathers would have
a much different perspective
on the drug culture
than old Bull Johnson.
Gorgeous.
How's Judith?
Good.
Is she as giddy about the
whole prom thing as Kate?
Yeah, she's excited.
Her mom tried to get
her to ditch me, though.
Why am I not surprised?
Must be the smoking.
Have you broken that horse yet?
Do you mean have I had
sex with my girlfriend?
Nah, she wants to wait.
That's rough, man.
Oh, like you've
made it with Ash.
Not quite.
But prom's coming.
It's going to happen.
We'll see.
How many girls
have you slept with?
Four.
Four?
God damn, you're like
a rock star, man!
Well, come prom night,
I'll be joining you
on that score board.
Mark my words, gentlemen,
Ashley Coleson's
virginity will be mine.
And yours will be hers.
Again, you're missing
the point, Henderson.
Grandpa?
Grandpa?
I can't read this.
What is it?
It's a letter.
From the government.
It's in German!
Are you okay?
German, it didn't
make any god damn sense.
- Grandpa?
- Where the hell's Henry?
Is he out with that girl again?
Robin?
Ruth, whatever her name is?
I knew it was gonna
be a silent takeover.
Grandpa.
What the hell are you wearin'?
Prom, it's tonight.
Do I need to call someone?
What difference does it make?
If they have gas...
That shell will eat your
eyes right out of your head.
Grandpa, it's me, it's Judith.
When is prom season anyway?
May, June, it's god
damn sure not August.
Grandpa, it's...
Get out!
You've come for me.
Oh, lord, you're more
beautiful than I remember.
But that's how it
works, isn't it?
I guess I didn't expect
you so soon, but,
I'm ready.
I knew that death
would be beautiful,
but how could I know it
was gonna be like this?
The Lord is good, Sue.
The lord is so good.
- No, no!
- No!
Grandpa, no!
Grandpa, stop!
- Who's waiting for you?
- It's me, Grandpa!
Who is it?
- No, no.
- Who is it?
God damn it, where are you
going, dressed like that?
Well, guess what, you're
not going anywhere.
Shut up!
I've had all of it
I'm gonna take.
You're completely done,
you understand me?
No more of this horseshit.
Judith, are you
getting ready for tonight?
Judith?
Judith?
Are you ready for tonight?
Mom?
What's goin' on?
What's the matter, Judith?
Shh, take a deep breath.
Take a deep breath,
it's all right.
What's the matter?
I can't go.
Why?
What happened?
I don't feel good.
Well, are you sick?
Do you want me to take
you to the hospital?
I just...
Oh, honey.
Is your stomach?
Anything else?
I just feel awful.
You sure we don't need to
get you to the emergency room?
No, I just need to rest.
Oh, honey, this is
a big night for you.
You sure you don't wanna
go for just a little while?
You could go for an hour
and I could pick you up,
if you don't feel well.
Are you sure you're
gonna be all right?
Honey.
It's okay.
Shh, it's okay.
When was the last
time you were with a girl?
A week ago.
Oh, my god, you're so bad.
Who was she?
Some girl at a party.
Is that what I am?
What?
"Some girl."
When was the last time
you were in love?
Now.
Are you in love with me?
What?
You just said you're
in love with me.
Oh.
No.
No, I'm not.
You meant someone else.
Fuck you, Francis, get
the fuck off of my bed.
What?
You can't treat
people like that.
You can't go around breaking
hearts just because you're sad
or it makes you feel
better, or whatever.
I thought you liked me.
I guess I'm glad I'm
finding this out now.
I mean, fuck, I wish I knew
that before I had sex with you.
Wow.
I feel really used.
Thanks for that,
Francis, it feels good.
Really, it had been too long.
Fuck you, man, don't call me.
Come in.
You doin' all right, sweetie?
Yeah, just readin'.
This is good.
Judith, can I talk
to you for a minute?
Sure.
I'm worried about you, honey.
Did somethin' happen?
Like what?
Well, I don't know,
Judith, you tell me.
When's the last
time you saw Paula?
I was over there last week.
Well, last summer, you two
were together almost every day.
She has a boyfriend now.
Well, when's the last
time you saw anyone else?
You're done with school now,
honey, and that's wonderful,
but you're not gonna get to see
your friends again in the fall.
You need to maintain
those relationships.
Especially if it's
gonna be another year
before you start college.
I thought you said you were
okay with me waiting a year?
Well, I'm not thrilled
about the sudden change,
but yes, I'm okay with it.
What I'm not okay with is
you sittin' in this room,
day in and day out.
Now, I know I can be
protective, dear, but,
well, I want you to get out and
be happy, enjoy being young.
I am happy.
I don't think you are, Judith.
Never thought I'd
hear myself say this, but,
I want you to spend more
time with your friends, okay?
Can you do that?
Yes.
And you need start
looking for a job soon.
Summer's almost over.
I will.
Okay.
Well, I'm gonna get
dinner started.
You can always talk to me.
You know that?
Yeah.
What do we do with our families?
I don't know if you've
noticed, folks,
but the family structure in
America is rapidly, as I say,
rapidly disintegrating!
We don't live in the
19th century anymore.
We don't live in 1914,
this is isn't even 1952.
The year is 1968 and I
say the world is rapidly
disintegrating into
sin and chaos!
If ever there was a time
for the second coming,
it would be now!
Not a day goes by
that I don't wake up
and wonder if today is the day.
Sometimes I even find
myself hoping, hoping,
for the sake of our
nation and of humanity,
hoping for the rapture to
free the good Christian people
from this cycle of
sin and suffering.
Now, do you think 100 years ago,
church leaders were
hoping for the end?
No.
No, they weren't.
This unease, this cosmic
anxiety that I'm experiencing,
that we are all experiencing,
if you trace it
back to the source,
I guarantee you'll find the
collapse of the American family.
Proverbs, chapter 22, verse six.
"Train up a child on
the way he should go,
"and when he is old, he
will not depart from it."
Are you listenin'?
"Train up a child on
the way he should go,
"and when he is old, he
will not depart from it."
God gave us families
before he gave us a church.
Guys, this is important.
See, before we had the
institution of the church,
we had our families and
families were educational forces
for passing down and instilling
morals into our children!
And now, in American
society, we just hand off the
responsibility of raising
our children to other people!
We depend on our schools,
we depend on our churches,
we depend on the
almighty television
to do the parenting for us!
Now, don't get me wrong, schools
and churches are important.
They are.
To raise a child to its
fullest potential,
you need the support of
the community, that's true.
But our homes need to be our
schools before our schools,
and our churches
before our churches.
Did I lose some you there?
You see, our homes need
to be holy places,
where God is welcome,
where we can provide
instruction and mentoring
for our children.
"Train up a child on
the way he should go,
"and when he is old, he
will not depart from it."
Beth Combs told me that this was
the best vegetable
ham soup in town.
You know, it doesn't hold
a candle to the box cart.
Well, leave it to Beth Combs
to spread misinformation.
I think Beth is a kind woman.
She just doesn't always
have her facts straight.
You know last week she
told me that absolutely
Nixon was gonna choose
Romney as his running mate.
I think Agnew was an
interesting choice.
His leadership skills
are a little bit weak.
I think he was chosen more for
geography than anything else.
No politics on Sunday, Sam.
Sorry, girls, you know
politics is my sport.
So, what's on the agenda for
this week, anything good?
Same old routine.
Work and knittin' with
the girls on Wednesday and
got a doctors appointment
in the mornin'.
That's good.
What about you, Judith?
Any plans?
No.
Excuse me.
Judith?
Look at me.
Look at me, please.
What is wrong?
You're breaking my
heart, darlin'.
We haven't had one single
conversation this entire summer.
Your mom tells me that you
hardly ever get out of your room.
You know, if you just
tell me what's wrong,
I might be able to help.
I'm an old man.
I know things.
Is it about school?
Something happen with Francis?
Paula?
It's just school.
Oh, well...
There's nothing wrong with
being sad about leaving school.
Leaving behind good memories
that you've made is never easy.
I know when I wanted to move
closer to you and your mom,
I really found it tough
to sell that house.
I'd made a lot of good memories
with your dad and grandma.
But the thing is, that's over.
And it's all right.
The hard part is enjoying today,
as much as you enjoy
remembering the past.
Trust me on this, I say
it with 100% confidence,
you are 18 years old, you are
going to college next year,
you're smart, you're beautiful.
High school was your life.
High school was your world,
but there's a bigger
world out there.
So, why don't you cheer up?
'Cause I promise you,
the best is yet to come.
Hey, uh, Miss Hall,
is Judith home?
No, Judith is not home.
Okay, uh, do you know
when she'll be back?
No.
All right, uh, can you
ask her to give me a call?
What did you do to my daughter?
It's strange, last summer
was so much fun, wasn't it?
I guess everyone was just
really excited about senior year
and everything, but this
summer is so different.
I mean, it's so different.
People are so much less
inclined to go out and do things
and I don't know, and I don't
just mean just you and me,
I mean, it's pretty much
everybody, I mean, everybody I've
talked to has just been
sleeping all through the summer.
Everything's so...
Muted.
Does that make sense?
Do you think it's
'cause Bobby left?
You know, he always had that
way of forcing people together?
But I guess it could be
a lot of reasons, I mean,
we have like, what, six people
from our graduating
class going to college?
And so that pretty much means
work for everybody else.
Honestly, the only person that
I've really seen is Brian,
and I mean, he's great
and I like him so much,
and we do these fun things,
but I just miss last summer!
Sittin' on the
porch every night,
and driving in Jessica's car!
But I guess we're
not kids anymore.
I guess I just thought
that growing up
would be a more gradual process.
It's so much more instantaneous
than I would have thought.
Yeah.
Well...
Should I take you home?
Yeah, I should
probably get going.
Okay.
Paula.
I have to tell you somethin'.
What is it?
I haven't told anyone.
You can tell me
anything, you know that.
Three months ago,
I was assaulted by someone.
Someone I know.
Oh, my god.
Judith!
And I think I'm pregnant.
Are you serious?
Judith!
Oh, my god, oh, my god, Judith,
who would do that to you?
I can't say.
You can tell me.
Judith, please, this is serious.
Who would do that to you?
- Was it Francis?
- No.
No, it wasn't Francis.
Was it someone at school?
Paula, please.
I wanna help you.
Is this why I haven't
seen you all summer?
Judith, please.
This is serious.
Why haven't you told
anyone about this?
Does he even know
you're pregnant?
No.
So what are you gonna do?
I don't know, I...
I think I need to run away.
And where would you go?
Judith, you don't even have a
car, where are you gonna go?
I don't know, New
York or somethin'.
You can't just run away.
Especially not if you're
gonna have a baby.
You need support, you need
your mother and I'll be here.
I'll help you.
And when me and Brian get
married, I'll have a baby,
and then we can raise
our babies together,
and they'll be best friends.
But Judith, listen to me.
I know that running away seems
like it's the easy answer,
but it's not.
Who did this to you?
Are you afraid they're gonna
hurt you if he finds out?
I don't know, I don't think so.
I think I need to tell him.
You need to tell the police.
Who did this?
Judith, please, I'm your best
friend and I want to help you!
Who did this to you?
It was...
It was Francis.
Oh, my god.
Oh, Judith, I am so sorry.
Oh, my god.
Why haven't you told anyone?
Are you afraid he's
gonna hurt you?
I don't know.
Well, if you won't go
to the police, I will.
Nobody hurts my friends.
Paula, stop.
No, he is going
to fucking prison,
and I hope he fucking
gets murdered.
Please, will you just wait?
You have got to start
sticking up for yourself.
What he did was beyond horrible,
and I'm not gonna sit here and
watch him get away with it!
Will you just give me some
time to figure something out?
There is nothing to figure out!
Judith, it's very simple.
He raped you and now
he's going to jail.
Please, listen to
what I'm saying, I...
I still love him.
And that makes it okay?
No.
No, it doesn't, I just,
I'm not ready to
go to the police.
I will, I promise, okay?
Just not yet.
Come here.
Well, look who's here.
Wow, hello, stranger.
What brings you to this
neck of the woods?
I was just hoping
that we could talk?
Sounds kinda serious,
is something wrong?
No, I just wanna talk.
Well, that's something we
haven't done enough of lately.
I'm making some
cookies, come on in.
You want a cookie?
I'm gettin' bad about cookies,
seems like my sweet tooth's
gettin' a whole lot more
persuasive with age.
These are chocolate
macadamia nut cookies,
with a hint of cinnamon.
I haven't got my technique
down perfect yet,
but I'm gettin' better.
I finished that book.
It took a while, but
I got through it.
A little too much
existentialism to suit me, but,
Mr. Baker is a smart man.
Maybe too smart
for his own good.
I don't guess I had
to bring that up.
I know you haven't been
seein' Francis, but,
I just kinda wanted
to tell you that
I really enjoyed
your birthday gift.
I wanted to tell you how
much I appreciated it.
So, tell me what's wrong, Judy.
Got a little trouble
with the law?
I just wanted to
ask you something.
Mm-hm.
Have you been
feeling okay lately?
Well, yeah!
Better than ever.
Why do you ask?
I guess these cookies
are startin'
to show up a little
too much, huh?
No, I just, um...
A few months ago...
Oh, let me get that.
This actually might
be important.
Be right back.
Hello.
Yes?
Yeah, all right.
Okay, bye.
I'll be right there, Jude.
Holy mother of Christ.
Mother of Christ.
Sue?
Sue!
No, no, no!
No!
You bitch!
Ow!
Just stop!
How dare you!
Judith?
Where are you goin'?
Uh, what?
Where are you goin'?
It's 11:30.
Paula left some clothes
here that I borrowed,
so I was gonna go return 'em.
Well, it's a little
late, don't you think?
She needs them for tomorrow.
Okay, well why are you
using your pillow case?
We have bags.
Oh.
Well, I'll get you one,
you don't need to be using
your nice pillow
cases for laundry.
Here.
Well, I'm gonna go
on back to bed.
You gonna with her for a while?
Not too long.
Okay.
Goodnight, Judith.
Goodnight.
As you've all heard by
now, one of our number
was reunited with our
Father in heaven this week.
The Lord was ready
to receive him
and when he comes
a-callin', you gotta go.
I know we all want God
to grant us a quiet
and peaceful entrance
into the kingdom,
but the truth is, we
all can't be so blessed.
Samuel Hall, a lot of
you probably knew him.
He was a good man.
He was at this church
longer than me,
if you can believe that.
I had the honor of presiding
over his funeral yesterday,
and let me tell you,
that man was loved.
I got this theory, right?
I got this theory about love.
The more you put in,
the more you get out.
Pretty simple, right?
Now, John wrote, "let
us love one another,
"for love comes from
God and whoever loves
"is born of God and knows God."
Now, what does that mean,
to be born of God
and to know God?
Well, it means simply that
at his core, God is love.
That's a bold statement, right?
God is love.
And so to love and to experience
love and to share love
is to feel God's
presence here on Earth.
Samuel Hall was a
man full of love.
He was a man born of God.
And he probably knew God
better than most of us.
Now, the love I felt at
his service yesterday was
unsurpassed.
Truly.
If you wanna gauge a man's
commitment to his community,
attend his funeral,
see who shows up.
Now it seems that Sam was a
member of just about every club,
committee and council
here in town.
We had everyone here
from the food bank
to Sam's poker
buddies showing up.
And the outpouring of
love I felt yesterday
gave me so much hope.
It did.
Hope for the future.
Because where there's
love, there's God.
Now, there are two women
I wanna recognize today.
These two women right
over here, in fact.
Ruth and Judith Hall.
Ruth is Samuel's
daughter-in-law,
and Judith is his granddaughter.
Now, listen up, folks.
These two ladies buried their
closest relative yesterday.
Ruth said that after
Samuel, they have no other
family members in this
part of the country.
And after Ruth's husband passed,
it was just Ruth,
Judith and Samuel.
That's it, those three.
Can you imagine losing a
third of your family suddenly
without any warning beforehand?
That's what happened
to these ladies.
But...
But where are they?
They are here, with you, today.
That's bravery.
That's courage.
It's more than that,
it's devotion.
They know that they need
to be with God right now.
Most people, when they
get hurt, they push away.
They say, "God wouldn't
do that to me,
"God wouldn't let that happen."
Well that kind of thinking is
not only wrong, it's cowardly.
I want you all to commend
Ruth and Judith right now
for being here with us.
These ladies have suffered
unspeakable horrors
at the hands of a maniac!
Yet they are here, with you,
to hear the word of God,
and to worship with
their community.
The officer's here.
You all right?
Yeah.
Hi, there, you must be Judith.
I'm Officer Walters.
Samuel sure did leave two
fine-looking gals behind,
didn't he?
I should introduce
you to my son.
Officer, can I get you anything?
We've got coffee,
water, lemonade.
No, ma'am, no, thank you.
I do appreciate the
offer, though.
I just polished off a
coffee before I came in.
How are you ladies doin'?
We've had better days.
I hear ya.
Especially under
these circumstances.
I will try to make this
as quick and painless
as possible, though.
Lord knows you two
have been through
more than your fair share.
Why don't we start
with you, Judith?
Where you from Tuesday
evening to Thursday morning?
Um...
On Tuesday...
Relax now, darling.
Take a deep breath.
I'm on your side.
There's no pressure.
Unfortunately, this is just
something I have to do.
I know I look scary here
in this uniform, but,
I'm a nice guy, I promise.
On Tuesday, I was at
my friend Paula's house.
What's her last name?
Johnson.
Okay, and her address?
3-10 Bungalow Drive.
Bungalow?
That's right around the corner.
Okay, continue.
She dropped me off
here around midnight and
then I went to bed.
Did you hear her come in, Ruth?
No, I was asleep.
And your Wednesday?
I just stayed home all day.
Did you have any guests over?
No.
Well, how did you
spend your day?
I just read, mostly.
Took a nap at one
point, cleaned my room.
Spend a lot of days like that?
Yeah, I guess.
She's been upset
about graduatin'.
I understand.
Leavin' your friends is hard.
So, you sat around and you
twiddled your thumbs all day.
What time did your
momma come home?
She always comes
home around 5:15.
All right and how did you
spend the rest of your evening?
Oh, I wasn't feeling very well,
so I didn't have any dinner,
I just rested all evening.
Yep.
That'll happen when you stay
cooped up inside all day.
You gotta get out, stretch your
legs every once in a while.
So, you rested and then what?
I went to bed.
All right.
And Paula came over
to get her clothes.
Paula Johnson?
Yes, Paula came
over around 11:30
to get some clothes
that I had borrowed.
Why so late?
She needed 'em for the next day.
For what?
She wanted to wear
a certain dress
to lunch with her boyfriend.
Which dress?
Um...
I'm just kidding with
ya, I don't much care
what dress Paula Johnson
wore to her lunch date.
All right, so Paula came
to pick up her clothes,
and you went to bed.
What time did you wake up?
Around nine.
All right, nine.
See there?
That wasn't so bad now, was it?
Asking all these questions
sure has made me thirsty.
Ruth, would you mind
terribly if I got some
of that lemonade you
mentioned earlier?
That is, if the
offer still stands?
Well, of course,
would you like ice?
No, ma'am, no, thank you.
Hurts my teeth.
This must be very hard on you.
Especially with your dad gone.
I suppose your grandpa was
sort of a father figure to you.
Is that right?
Did you have a good
relationship with your grandpa?
Yes, very good.
Good.
It's important.
With any luck, I'll be a
grandpa myself one day.
Lord knows I'll treat those
kids like they were my own.
When's the last
time you saw him?
Last Sunday.
Church?
You're a good girl, Judith.
And strong, I can see it.
But you don't need to shoulder
this weight on your own.
You have the support of
this entire town behind you.
You understand me?
Don't hesitate to reach out.
Thank you.
Paula.
No, Paula, listen.
I had to see him again,
it's not a question
of whether I should I
shouldn't, I had to.
No.
Paula, listen to me.
I had to lie to the officer.
Yeah, I know, I'm sorry.
My mom caught me sneakin'
out on Wednesday night,
and I told her I was returnin'
some clothes I borrowed.
No, I had to, she can't know
I was seein' Francis again.
I know, I'm sorry, okay?
Listen, if he asks you,
you had to wear a dress to
go to lunch with Brian, okay?
That's what I told him.
Yes, of course.
No, I'm sorry.
Please, Paula, this is
really important, okay?
Okay.
Let me know if he comes back.
Goodbye.
What are you doing here?
I just need to talk to Judith.
Are you insane?
Do you have any idea
what time it is?
I just wanna
talk to her for a minute.
Judith.
Judith, it's not
the time for this.
It's in the middle of
the night, Judith!
Judith!
I wanna run away with you.
Okay, let's run away.
Why did you stop
letting me see you?
I can't tell you.
I didn't want to, I didn't.
I had to.
I'm so sorry, Francis,
you didn't deserve that.
I don't understand,
why can't you tell me?
I just can't, not yet.
I will, someday, I promise.
Before we get married.
Is it somebody else?
No.
No.
It's only you.
It's always only been you.
Even during all those weeks,
I only thought about you.
Then why can't
you tell, it just,
it doesn't make any sense.
It will.
I promise you, it will.
You just have to
trust me, Francis.
You're gonna be so late.
I don't care.
What's goin' on?
I hope my mom didn't
do somethin' crazy
and report me as
missin' or something.
Do you need me
to go up with you?
No, it'll be fine.
Call me tonight.
Mornin', Judith.
My, you are lookin'
radiant today.
Thank you.
Mind if we talk for a minute?
Sure.
I'll make this short,
seeing as how I don't have
much time myself.
I spoke with your friend
Paula this morning.
She told me she wasn't ever here
at your house, Wednesday night.
Says she was over
at her cousin's.
In Polk.
That true?
Yes.
Judith.
Don't lie to the police.
It ain't smart.
Now, Paula tells me you was off
with some boy named Francis.
I'm guessing that
was him in the car?
Paula also says you don't
want your momma to find out.
Why not?
He bad news?
She doesn't like him.
I understand, I was
young once, too.
But now, darlin', I need
you to be honest with me.
You see, if I'm asking you
for information, well now,
there's a reason for
that, you got that?
Okay.
I'm gonna need to speak
with this boy, Francis.
What's his address?
It's 755 Norton Drive.
Norton Drive.
All right.
No more lies now, okay?
By the way, we've identified
the owner of the murder weapon.
Turns out it was Sam's
neighbor, Jacob Weisel.
But don't worry, we've had him
in custody since last night.
Do you think it was him?
There are so many
unanswered questions.
Do you want my honest opinion?
I don't think Mr. Weisel
has anything to do with it.
He seems sane enough.
A sane man just wouldn't
leave the murder weapon
at the scene of a
crime, would he?
Think someone's
trying to frame him.
Well, maybe my grandpa
borrowed the ax,
and that's why it
was at his house?
Now, why would you think that?
I don't know, I
just thought that
maybe I'd seen it there before.
Huh.
I see.
I'll have to speak with
Mr. Weisel about that, but,
Judith, I don't think that's so.
You call me, if you have
anything you need to tell me.
You have a good day, Judith.
I'm sorry, Mom.
I love him.
Love has nothin' to do with it.
I raised my daughter better
than to spend the night
with a man outside of marriage.
Nothin' happened.
All we did was talk
and slept, that's it.
Talk and sleep.
I sincerely doubt that.
I just needed
someone to talk to.
What about me, Judith?
What about me?
Why not talk to your mother?
I'm the only other person that's
just as devastated by this
whole mess as you are.
Do you understand how bad it
hurts when you shut me out?
I have no one else
I can talk to.
You're all I have, Judith.
You're the only person
who can even come close
to understanding what
I'm going through.
And yet, you'd rather
pour your heart into some
irresponsible boy who's
just gonna take advantage
of your situation for
his own benefit.
Mom.
Do you think Grandpa
had dementia?
Excuse me?
Do you think that
it was possible?
Why would you ask that?
That's an awful thing
to say about a man
who loved you so very much.
It just seemed that...
Just that what, Judith?
Your grandfather was one
of the sharpest men I knew.
What's gotten into you?
He hurt me.
What did you say?
Go to your room.
Go to your room, or
get out of my house.
How dare you disrespect
your grandfather.
He loved you more than anything!
I know you're upset, Judith.
You need to think about
what you're sayin'.
Go!
Judith!
Can we talk?
Judith, I'm so sorry.
I got really scared
and I couldn't lie.
Can I come in?
Yeah, my parents
should be out until 10.
Look, Judith, I'm so sorry.
I wanted to cover for you,
but that guy is so scary.
And then he started asking me
all these questions and I just
I couldn't lie, I just couldn't.
It's okay, I don't care.
My mom saw Francis last night,
when he came to pick me up.
She did?
Yeah, she's really upset.
But I don't care, I love
him and I wanna be with him.
Judith, you have
to go to the police.
You have to tell them
what he did to you.
No, I'm not doin' that!
I love Francis and I
just want all this chaos
to be over with, I just want
life to be back to normal.
I wanna be with Francis,
and I don't wanna answer
any more questions.
I think that you are
making a huge mistake.
No, I know what
I'm doin', I just,
you just have to trust me.
What...
What is that?
It's one of the
pictures I took from prom.
Are you all right?
I have to call Francis.
- I have to call Francis.
- Wait, what's goin' on?
- What's going on?
- I don't know.
Judith!
Judith, where are we going?
I don't know, I'm so confused.
Judith, it's all right, just
calm down for second, okay?
Stop, I'm gonna be sick!
Tell me I didn't go to prom.
Tell me I didn't!
I didn't go, I was sick!
Have fun tonight, darlin'.
Y'all familiar
with the law of fire?
Do you...
Regret?
Francis, I'm pregnant!
Okay.
Hey, that's great!
No, hey, we're gonna have a kid!
You're gonna be a mom.
You're gonna be a mom
and I'm gonna be a dad.
And the kid, he's gonna be
little Frankie or something.
Look, we're just, no, hey.
Hey, we're gonna start a family.
Look, that's wonderful.
Give me a smile, please.
Just give me a smile.
We're gonna be all right.
I, I, I killed my grandpa.
What?
I, I...
I took an ax and I killed him!
Judith, what are you saying?
I thought he raped me.
What?
You thought that he...
You thought he hurt you?
I...
Because you were ashamed.
Because of what they did to you.
No, this is not your fault.
Okay, hey, we've gotta go.
We've gotta go, okay?
Come on, we've gotta
get in the car.
Come on, we've gotta go.
Come on, come on,
come on, come on.
Francis.
Is that you?
You got Judith in
that car with you?
Uh, yes, sir.
Oh, good.
I was getting worried you
two disappeared on me.
Y'all mind coming
down to the station,
answering a few questions?
Both of y'all.
Why?
Well, uh, had an
interesting development in
the Sam Hall case and I'd like
to get y'all opinion on it.
Okay, uh, we'll
come by the morning.
Mm, no.
Y'all comin' now.
Do not make this
difficult, Francis.
You already pushed my
buttons once today,
refusing to answer my questions.
You do not wanna make me mad.
But, uh...
Something's wrong with Judith.
What do you mean?
She's sick, I think,
uh, she can't walk.
Did you hurt that little girl?
No.
All right.
Judith, darlin', it's
Officer Walters.
Judith?
Now listen, I'm gonna need
you and Francis to come
into the station and
answer a couple questions.
Nothin' to be alarmed about,
but we need to act fast.
Now, Judith.
Now, listen.
Now, you're not making
this easy on me.
All right now, I'll get you
some medical attention first,
but if you're not gonna walk,
I'm gonna have to carry you.
What's with the matter with
this girl, is she on drugs?
Oh, I'll be yours if
you'll leave with me
And I'll take you anywhere
If you'll leave with me
Step across the threshold
Take my hand
By doing so,
you'll be my woman
And I'll be your man
But ain't it great
To fall in love
There's nothing like
it in the big bad world
Nor in the blue skies above
Well, there's no one else
I'd rather hold
In my awkward
arms forever more
So you don't get cold
But ain't it great
To fall in love
There's nothing like
it in the big bad world
Nor in the blue skies above
So I'm running down the hall
Without opening my eyes
When I met that girl
I've always dreamed of
And I can't let it hide
Like a church, they say
Oh, let is shine
But it ain't no flame
they're tryin' to put out
Just a goofy ol'
friend of mine