"You know what your problem is?" "You're always talking about "X,"" "but thinking about "Y."" "Learn to talk about "Y."" "Forget about "X."" ""X" is going to take care of itself." "What are you talking about?" "Hear yourself." "Listen to what you're really saying and to what you think you're saying." "When are you going to realize nothing can be controlled?" "We live in chaos, a central issue in everyone's life." "Mack, look around you." "Everyone in this parking lot is struggling for control." "You know what it is they're trying to control, each and every one of them?" "Fear." "They're trying to control their fear." "Thanks for the game, Davis." "You're my best friend." "This is important." "Let's talk tomorrow." "Good night, Mack." "Good night, Vanessa." "I have more to say about this." "Vanessa, why is it when someone's successful in one field, they think they know about everything?" "Drive carefully." "... should be heard on this subject." "Missiles can accomplish at a cheaper price and greater accuracy and fewer casualties the mission, that, uh, that a pilot was supposed to carry out and did in previous wars." "And the Air Force is very resistant to changing..." "Dad should be home soon." "The game just ended." "I thought you were studying for your English exam." "I was." "I had the game on the radio." "Oh." "Oh, um, can you pick me up tomorrow at, uh, 4:30?" "4:30, behind the school?" "I thought you were going to get a ride occasionally." "I try." "It's just hard to arrange to leave at exactly the same time with someone." "It's just hard for me to arrange my afternoon around picking you up." "I'm working at the senior center tomorrow." "If you can't do it, I can try to find a ride." "It's kind of late, but... thanks." "Mom, I think you need to get organized." "Mmm." "Uh... fuck!" "God." "What the..." "All right!" "All right!" "Oh... shit." "God." "Fuck!" "Fuck!" "Fuck." "Operator 349." "What city, please?" "Yeah, I need road service for, um, I don't know." "Let's say Inglewood." "Hello..." "God." "Damn!" "Yeah, uh, Buckingham, but remember it's about a half mile, uh... west, I guess, of there." "It should be about a 45-minute wait." "Uh-huh." "I understand, but, see, uh, if it takes that long," "I might be, like, dead." "You might call the police." "The police." "Oh, shit." "No, uh... nothing's happened." "Just get the truck here as fast as you can." "Will do, sir." "Mayday." "Mayday." "We're going down." "Hey, man." "You need some help here?" "This a nice car, mister." "This one of them new Jap cars?" "Yeah." "Yeah, you need help or yeah, it's a Jap car?" "Thanks." "Uh, no." "I've already called for the, uh, tow truck and the police." "You called the police?" "What?" "On that phone, you called all those people?" "Who else you call, your mama?" "He been busy, man." "I see." "Nice car." "I could use a car with a phone." "Maybe you wants a ride somewhere." "Want a jump start or something?" "How about a jump start?" "Ooh, he nervous, y'all." "What you so nervous about, man?" "Maybe he carrying, Jim." "Maybe he's scared we going to bust him." "Bust his ass." "Leave that man alone!" "O.K., Grandma." "Whatever, baby." "Why don't you get out of the car, mister?" "You want me to have Jimmy take you out?" "Or how about this..." "Do you ever want to get out of that car again?" "Look, what do you want?" "Do you want my wallet, my watch?" "It's a shitty watch." "You're welcome to it." "I want you out of the car." "Let's get this shit over with." "Now, motherfucker." "Which one of you call for the truck?" "Me." "That was me." "Uh, this is it." "It just sort of died." "I'm the one that called." "I guess it was you, huh?" "Yeah." "Hey, man, we was doing fine here." "Uh, is it the battery?" "Huh?" "Were you stopped, and it wouldn't start again?" "Oh, no." "I-It just died on me." "We're going to have to take it in." "You dissin' me, man?" "You bet he is." "You seeing it now, man." "That's right." "That's what he's doing." "Is that right, you dissin' me?" "No, I'm not." "Nothing like it." "I'm doing a job." "This is how I make my living." "I just ride out there and do the job." "I want it to go as smooth as it can." "I don't like it to be harder than it is." "Make sure you're in neutral and the parking brake is off." "That's bullshit, man." "He talking bullshit." "What's goin' down?" "This is fucked up." "Get in the truck." "You'll ride up with me." "Are you the one I'm talking to?" "We all decide what goes down, so don't fly that shit." "Yeah, man." "Fuck you!" "Am I talking to the right man?" "That's what I thought." "Look, I got to ask you a favor." "I got to ask you to let me go my way here." "Now, this truck is my responsibility." "Now that the car's hooked up to it," "I'm responsible for that, too." "Any shit comes down now, it's my ass." "Follow me?" "Do you think I'm stupid?" "Answer me that first." "Then we'll talk." "Look, I don't know nothin' about you." "You don't know nothin' about me." "I don't know if you're stupid or some kinda genius, but I do know this." "I got to get out of here, and you got the gun." "So I'm asking you a favor for the second time." "Let me go my way here." "I'm going to grant you that favor, and I'm going to expect you remember this if we ever meet again." "Yeah." "But first, you got to answer one more thing for me, and you got to tell me the truth." "Are you asking me a favor as a sign of respect, or are you asking me a favor 'cause I got the gun?" "Man, the world ain't supposed to work like this." "Maybe you don't know that, but this ain't the way it's supposed to be." "I'm supposed to be able to do my job without asking you if I can." "That dude should is supposed to be able to wait with his car without you ripping him off." "Everything's supposed to be different than what it is." "So what's your answer?" "You don't have the gun, we ain't having this conversation." "That's what I thought." "No gun, no respect." "That's why I always got the gun." "Thanks." "You saved my ass." "We both got lucky." "It could have gone different." "What's going on in the world?" "This neighborhood has gone to shit." "This country has gone to shit." "My sister and her kids live near here." "That was a joke, Frasier." "Oh, I forgot I married a madcap." "Hey, uh, listen, folks." "Nobody's interested in your motor trip." "We're talking about my upcoming surgery." "Now, where was I?" "So you're going to see the Grand Canyon?" "Don't miss Yosemite." "Go to the alligator farm outside Tallahassee." "Tell Ivar Woody says, "hey, hey."" "Hey, Ma." "Hey, baby." "How you doing?" "I'm all right." "What time is it?" "11:30." "Mmm." "What's up?" "What's up?" "Kelley's going to be in the Girl Scouts next year." "Yeah?" "Mm-hmm." "I have to get her a uniform." "Ooh!" "I'm going to bed." "Sleep tight, baby." "Good night, Ma." "It was more slow time than Showtime earlier this season." "The Lakers were simply out of sync." "But a stifling defense and a return of that patented running game has catapulted L.A. back into serious contention in the west." "They're now just a game and a half back of the Blazers after ending Orlando's magical road run." "Magic was hot as they put up everything." "Dunleavy wanted a timeout." "His team was down by 10." "Here's Earvin Johnson missing the lay-up." "This is Sam Vincent of Orlando." "Three on one, the Iceman." "Jerry Reynolds stuffing over Teagle." "The Lakers got hot and went on a 20-point win." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Hi, guys." "Mack, what's wrong?" "Nothing." "I'm fine." "The car died." "Where?" "Near the Forum." "Oh, shit." "Roberto." "On Manchester?" "No, no." "Like an idiot I took a shortcut and got turned around." "You've never been where I broke down." "Shit." "Are you out of there now?" "Yeah." "I'm at a gas station." "Good." "You're lucky you got out with your life." "It could have been curtains, Dad." "Roberto, could I talk?" "See you tomorrow, Dad." "Good night, pal." "You want me to come and get you?" "Nah." "If they don't finish, I'll take a cab." "Sleep." "I'll tell about my adventure tomorrow." "Adventure?" "Mack, what happened?" "Are you all right?" "I'm fine." "Go to bed, honey." "I love you." "Love you, too." "Bye." "You can go swimming in the ocean every day and be perfectly cool, you know." "Then one day, one particular day, you bump into the big shark." "The big shark don't hate you." "He's got no feeling for you at all." "You look like food to him." "You don't hate hamburger, do you, huh?" "Yeah." "Those boys back there, they ain't got nothing to lose." "If you just happen to be swimming along and bump into them, well..." "It might not be worth worrying about." "It's like being in a plane crash." "Well, that's comforting." "I'm glad you brought that up." "There just seems to be so many ways to buy it, particularly in this city." "I'm amazed at the end of each day that anybody's alive." "Then other days I think that maybe people aren't so fragile." "Things have always been kind of brutal, and people just keep on going." "You ever been to the Grand Canyon?" "I always meant to go." "I was there." "It only takes about nine hours from here." "I know." "We were planning to take my boy." "How old is he?" "15." "15?" "Probably won't want to go with you now, probably go with his friends and his chick now." "You've missed that boat." "What's his name?" "Roberto." "Roberto." "After Roberto Clemente." "No shit." "Man, get yourself to the Grand Canyon." "Beautiful, huh?" "It's pretty, but that's not the thing of it." "You can sit right on the edge of it." "I did that." "I did everything." "I went down in it, stayed overnight there." "The thing that got me was sitting on the edge of that big old thing." "Those cliffs and rocks, they're so old." "It took so long for that thing to get to look like that." "It ain't done either." "It happens right while you're sitting there watching it." "It's happening right now while we're sitting here in this ugly town." "Yeah." "When you sit on the edge of that thing, you just realize what a joke we people are." "What big heads we got, thinking that what we do is gonna matter all that much, thinking our time here means diddly to those rocks." "It's a split second we've been here, the whole lot of us." "And one of us?" "That's a piece of time too small to get a name." "You trying to cheer me up?" "Yeah." "Those rocks are laughing at me." "I could tell." "Me and my worries is real humorous to that Grand Canyon." "Hey, you know what I felt like?" "I felt like a gnat that lands on the ass of a cow that's chewing its cud next to the road that you ride by on at 70 miles an hour." "Small." "Oh, yes... it's small." "My name is Mack." "Yeah?" "Simon." "Oh!" "No!" "Aah!" "Aah!" "I said left!" "I told you left!" "You scum-sucking pig!" "I must have heard you wrong." "No!" "I told you not to move!" " Aah!" " Aah!" "Aah!" "Where's the shot?" "What shot?" "You took out the shot." "Which shot?" "The money shot..." "the bus driver's head, the brains- on-the-window shot, the viscera- on-the-visor shot." "We thought we'd show it to you like this, without all the..." "Put it back." "Don't show me anything." "You don't need it." "You're not even giving it a chance." "How does the rear-view mirror gag work without it?" "Am I the only one here who respects the writing?" "I got to help these kids on the bus." "Right." "Counselor in training." "When I get back from camp," "I'll practice driving every time we get in the car." "That gives me a month to relax." "Have a great time, pal." "You, too." "I'll write a lot." "Yeah." "All right, you have 15 seconds to tell me all the mother stuff one more time." "Sunscreen, hat, allergy pills, summer reading, floss." "Watch out for poison oak, lyme ticks, bears, dragons... pestilence." "Just be careful, O.K.?" "Write if you need anything." "Mom, I'm going to camp, not the army." "I love you, sweetheart." "Me, too." "Be happy." "I got to go." "You O.K.?" "Mm-hmm." "O.K. Call you later." "O.K." "I don't want to go!" "Come on, son." "Come on, son." "You're going to have fun." "Really." "That's your good luck hat." "Bye-bye!" "O.K., Robby, you ready for an adventure?" "Mm-hmm." "We're going to figure this town out, you and me." "Here we go." "You ride shotgun." "O.K., Mommy." "O.K.?" "O.K." "Hey." "Fuck, you scared the shit out of me." "The Rolex." "The car?" "You want it?" "You got it." "Asshole." "I told you I wanted the watch." "The bleeding's under control." "Just barely." "This guy's lucky." "What do we got here?" "A gunshot wound to the thigh." "Bone, muscle, and arterial damage." "Is he conscious?" "In and out." "Oh, looks like he's coming out right now." "Severed the sartorious muscle, the anterior gracilis, and partial trauma to the rectus." "Femoral artery?" "Jesus, what a mess." "Did the femur just shatter?" "See if it's even possible to save the leg here," "O.K., O.K." "O.K." "O.K. Shh." "Shh." "Yeah." "Yes." "You got a soapy head." "You do." "Yeah." "What's that?" "Yes, I know." "I know." "O.K." "Here we go." "Right here where you can see everything." "Mmm." "Yum, yum, yum, yum." "Where's that toe?" "Here it is." "Look at this." "Oh, this is going to look very good on you," "I can tell." "I know." "Come here." "Go oopsie daisy, do." "O.K." "Who's up?" "Mrs. Flores and her three sons." "Mmm." "Then what?" "At 4:30, Mr. Duk." "Mr. Duck?" "Mr. Duk." "Mr. Daffy Duk?" "You're awful." "That's why I can't stand you." "Hello." "Honey?" "Hi, Mack." "How you doing?" "Good." "I'm having a good day." "Why are you whispering?" "Am I whispering?" "I guess I'm feeling quiet." "I've been sitting out back." "I talked to Davis." "How is he doing?" "Terrible." "Apparently, the bullet just tore the shit out of everything." "It's going to take a long time to recover, and then he may have a limp, but they're not sure." "That's awful." "I can barely hear you." "I said that's awful." "Yeah." "Do you still want to go out tonight?" "No, I can't." "Uh, I don't feel like it." "I'll make something here." "I like the sound of that." "I got to go." "Mack, don't work late." "I won't." "Bye, baby." "Surprise, surprise." "Yes." "Yes." "What?" "O.K." "I love you, sweetheart." "Oh, shit." "Um, how's my girl doing today?" "Why... aren't you... out... on a date, beauty?" "What's with school?" "So?" "Hmm?" "Come on, don't give me a hard time." "Dee, nobody knows less about men than me." "You do all right." "O.K., let me ask you one question first." "Do you like your job?" "I know what you're going to say." "Because you can kiss it goodbye." "It never fails." "I absolutely guarantee the thing ends with you losing your job." "And not because you're the missus now living in the big house." "Don't think that's gonna happen." "I don't think that." "I wouldn't even want that." "Give me a little credit, will you?" "One of the things I think is so great about him is how devoted he is to his wife and kid." "You're so full of shit." "You may not even know, but you really are." "You're saying what they all say at first." "I've seen it many times, honey." "If he is so devoted to his wife, what's he doing messing around with you?" "He hasn't done anything." "You told me you were holding hands and getting all soulful today." "Big deal." "I shouldn't even have told you." "You got to tell somebody." "That's how you know it's really happening." "Otherwise, it's too god damn lonely." "We must be going about this whole thing wrong or something." "What thing?" "The love thing." "The touch thing." "Where there's somebody to touch you, real nice and gentle." "Doesn't have to be that gentle." "Whatever." "Jane, do you ever feel like you're just this far from being completely hysterical 24 hours a day?" "Half the people I know feel that way." "The lucky ones feel that way." "The rest of the people are hysterical 24 hours a day." "Claire, I'm here." "Hi, Mack." "You forgot to bring in the mail." "Something here from Carol." "Mack, come on up here." "I want to show you something." "Mmm." "Is something wrong?" "Mm-mmm." "Whose is it?" "She's beautiful, isn't she?" "Oh." "Is that the Wilson kid?" "Who?" "I don't know." "What do you mean?" "I don't know who the parents are." "Don't make me guess." "Where did it come from?" "Shh." "Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh." "So?" "What's the story?" "I found her." "I was jogging, and I heard this crying, and I looked under these bushes..." "Where was this?" "On Carmelina, around the corner." "I looked under the bushes, and there she was." "When was this?" "This morning." "This morning?" "What time?" "This morning?" "What time?" "Around 9:30, I guess." "What did the police say?" "Hmm?" "My guess is the police did not say, "Hmm?"" "So I guess my next guess is you haven't called the police." "Claire." "You know, it's possible this baby was kidnapped, and somebody's been frantically looking for it all day." "I don't think so." "I could tell." "But I listened to the news three times." "There wasn't a thing about it." "That doesn't mean a thing." "They may not have announced it yet, or maybe they're waiting to hear from the kidnappers." "This baby wasn't kidnapped." "I can tell you that, Mack." "This baby was deserted by its mother, and it's going to need a new one." "Claire, are you O.K.?" "I'm fine." "You do know that we're going to have to call the police right now?" "Of course, Mack." "I haven't taken leave of my senses." "I just wanted you to see her, so I waited till you got home, that's all." "She's so beautiful." "Just wanted you to see her." "I told you that baby wasn't kidnapped." "I told him." "I said," ""There's no way this vehicle is worth as much as you're going to pay to tow it."" "He tells me, "It got sentimental value."" "What's so funny about that?" "Maybe it did." "Yeah, maybe he got his first piece in there." "Otis, watch your mouth." "What did he say, Mama?" "Nothing, baby." "Just bring me that meat loaf." "He was in this car the first time he was shot." "Man!" "He had some good times in there." "Are we going to play roundy roundy, Uncle Simon?" "Uh-uh." "Time for bed, little girl." "One game." "Come on, Mama." "You said we could play one game." "One game, Mama, please." "In your pajamas, teeth brushed." "Go on." "Get ready to get whipped, Homes." "Ooh." "I know." "I started it." "Oh, baby, don't you want to stay home and be with your uncle?" "I got to go out." "I got to meet some people." "Take it slow, Simon." "From the shoulders, old man, you still got it." "I ain't over yet, baby." "Be back soon, Ma." "O.K." "Rarr!" "Hey, anybody come from the shoulders anymore, huh?" "Anybody got the hands, huh?" "Man, I wish." "Seem like every time you turn around, some sucker's coming from the pocket... and he's strapped." "You know, I never laid any shit on you, did I?" "No." "I love you, Otis, and I love my sister." "I don't want her to have any more pain than she's already had." "You know, she's suffering here every night till you come home." "We don't even get into that no more." "When we're together, we try and have it be good." "If we ain't talking about it, why you got to talk about it?" "It ain't gonna change nothing." "You sure?" "Maybe we can figure out something together." "What?" "What?" "You going to figure out something that nobody else around here thought of?" "Later, Simon." "Hey." "Hey." "Plenty have gotten out, Otis." "I don't want out." "Hey, bullshit." "Without my set, I'm nothing." "They care about me, man." "You want to be gang-banging when you're 25?" "Shit." "I'll never live to be 25." "I got to roll." "Mmm." "I'll call you Friday." "Drive safely." "All right." "Kelley!" "Kelley!" "Kelley!" "Kelley!" "Get down here with me!" "Mama!" "Mama!" "Well, look who's up and at 'em." "Somebody leave your curtains open last night?" "I asked them to." "I wanted to see this." "City of the Angels." "I have seen the light." "Mazel tov." "Watch your end." "O.K. Right there." "Close." "Right there." "Move it up." "Be right back." "Hi, Jackson." "Let me see that elbow." "Come on, just one look." "I want to see if it's as good as my knee." "Ah." "This is just a scrape, man." "Shit, my knee was a real mess." "This thing is just half bad." "Did Adam push you?" "Should we talk to him?" "How come?" "He's an asshole." "Maybe, but we could discuss it." "You having a bad day?" "Did you get a letter from your mom today?" "Did she say she missed you?" "Oh, man, my mom used to do that." "It made me nuts." "They love you so much, they don't even know it's going to make you feel terrible." "I missed my mom so much the first year I came here." "When she wrote me and said she missed me," "I felt so lonely." "Is that how you feel?" "Well, you got me." ""Just don't tell him."" "So Harlan told him anyway." "What else would Harlan do?" "The only way he wouldn't have told him is if I'd told him to tell him." "I can't talk about Harlan again tonight." "I've begged you to get away from him for eight years." "What, so I can start a new immigration practice on my own?" "That night when I thought those boys were going to kill me," "I realized..." "I hate fucking immigration law." "No, you don't." "You like it, and you're good at it." "You hate being partners with an asshole like Harlan." "Maybe you hate some other part of your life, and you don't want to admit it." "What did you say?" "When a person thinks they're about to die, nothing they did that day will look worthwhile." "That's not what you were going to say." "If you know what I'm going to say," "I guess I don't have to say anything." "Look, I don't even know what I'm going to say from one second to the next." "The world doesn't make any sense to me anymore." "What's going on?" "There are babies lying around in the streets." "There are people living in boxes." "There are people ready to shoot you if you look at them." "And we're getting used to it." "The world is so nuts, it makes me wonder about all the choices that we've made." "Jesus Christ." "What?" "Oh, shit." "Oh." "Let's see what you..." "Wow." "Ah..." "Damn, that smarts." "Hold it up." "Apply pressure." "Pressure." "Pressure." "I'm taking you to the hospital." "They'll have to sew that up." "No." "It's not that bad." "Here, let's see." "Take it off." "Look at this." "Under the water." "See what happens when you yell at me?" "Never again, baby." "Maybe next time you'll be more understanding when I bitch about my life." "Here." "O.K." "Ow, ow!" "Let me." "I'll get my purse." "I'm going to take you to St. John's." "Maybe you better sit down." "I really don't need to get this sewn up." "Are you afraid of a few stitches?" "I'm not afraid." "I just think we ought to discuss this." "You're kidding, right?" "Are you going into shock?" "I just hate seeing my blood spill out on me like that." "Does everybody..." "Earthquake!" "Earthquake!" "It's a big one." "Let's get outta here." "Aren't we supposed to..." "Aren't we supposed to..." "I don't care!" "I'm sorry." "I'm never complaining again." "Bullshit." "No, no." "I swear." "You'll forget about all this tomorrow." "No, no, no." "Did you feel that?" "I think there's an aftershock coming." "Sally." "Your chandelier fall down again?" " No." " Oh, good." "Claire!" "Claire!" "Bernice, what's the matter?" "Claire!" "It's Byron." "I don't know what's wrong with him." "I dialed 911." "The line's busy." "I don't know what's happening." "Everything's going to be O.K." "We'll be right there." "He's bleeding!" "No, he's not." "That's Mack." "Come on, come on." "Come on." "I need an ambulance right away." "222 Avondale." "What?" "Yes." "Yes." "Uh, male." "79, I think." "Heart attack." "Maybe a..." "Maybe a..." "Aah!" "Aah!" "Aah!" "Hey, man!" "Hey, Mack!" "Over here!" "Come on!" "Give me a fly-by!" "Yeah!" "Ha ha ha..." "Mom, I think you need to get organized." "Nobody told me that!" "I sense it!" "Mack." "Mack, wake up." "So, now tell me that again." "You have the baby at home now?" "Oh, Mack, that's wonderful." "That's not what I said." "Claire wants to adopt the baby." "Claire is so great." "What's the problem?" "You're not allowed to just keep every baby you find." "Aren't there laws and shit about that kinda thing?" "There's a process you can go through." "Claire's already started collecting the forms." "She is the most self-actualized person" "I ever met." "She is this week." "Home, sweet home." "Mr. Davis." "Hiya, Leonard." "Good to see you." "Just toss me in." "Just roll me back and flip me in." "I'll go check the car." "Set the brake." "What could happen?" "Is that going to work?" "I'll see you back at the house." "You got it." "Mabel, I'll never forget the times we had." "As you know perfectly well, my name is Esther." "My mother's name was Esther." "And since you've been so much kinder to me than my mother ever was," "I have given you a better name." "And when I think of the experience that changed my life," "I will think appreciatively of you." "You are very kind." "Remember, if you start to feel some pressure, that means it's time to get the pus drained." "I love it when you talk that way." "Don't you have a favorite charity?" "A favorite child?" "A favorite horse?" "This is very unusual for me." "I'm notoriously cheap." "Ask anyone." "It's true." "Goodbye, Davis." "O.K., a hug." "Come on, a hug." "There we go." "O.K., so long." "Bye." "Take it easy." "Leonard, get me outta here." "So, tell me about this life change." "It's not a life change." "I had some kind of vision, some, uh... insight, but I don't want to talk about it." "Tell him, Davis." "He's your best friend." "We're talking about Mack's new baby." "Besides, I think if you talk about stuff, that takes the place of doing it." "That's never been your problem." "No kidding." "Claire wants this baby, but you're not high on the idea, not that you don't like kids." "Roberto's maybe the best thing that ever happened in your life, but he's 15 now." "Soon he'll be moving out." "You thought you and Claire could get back the freedom you had when you were first married." "You feel you're getting old way too fast." "The last thing on your mind was starting a new family with all the whining and the diapers and the attendant baby baggage." "Why start all that again when you already wonder if you did the right thing the first time?" "Davis, you're awful." "This is so much more time-efficient than a regular conversation." "Since you're currently obsessed with the question of what's going down and why are you going with it, what shape are you in to take on some new baby from God knows where, who has God knows what health and emotional problems" "and never asked to be taken in anyway?" "On the other hand..." "Hey, baby, what's the matter?" "While we got a moment here, explain something to me." "What is the theory on this handkerchief thing?" "You blow your nose in it, put it back in your pocket." "Then you see someone in distress and give them this gift from your pocket?" "They're supposed to be grateful as they wipe it all over their face?" "If I tell you, you'll think it's about you, but it's not, but you won't believe it, and you'll get defensive." "If you don't want to talk about it, don't force yourself." "I want to have children." "I really want them." "I don't care how rotten the world is, but I'm so far from having them." "I'm involved with you, and you're not going to have kids with me." "We're not even getting married." "I can't even start." "I got to break up with you and find someone else I can stand being with, and even then, I might have trouble getting pregnant after everything I've done to my body." "Maybe I should just hop out up here." "I could call a cab." "Why, Mack?" "You're my friend, too, aren't you?" "Hey." "Hey." "Who says we're never going to get married and have kids?" "No, I didn't." "Well, doesn't it?" "Uh-uh." "Come on, baby." "Hey." "Hey, how you doing?" "I don't know if you remember me." "Oh." "Hey, man, sure." "Uh, Mack, right?" "Right." "Yeah, I didn't recognize you at first." "Yeah." "I called, and they said you'd be getting in about now." "I wanted to thank you again for the other night." "You did already." "Look... can I buy you breakfast somewhere or something?" "Yeah." "Sure." "Just a minute." "All right?" "You play basketball?" "I played in high school." "Sixth man for a year and a half." "Me, too." "Sixth man until my senior year." "Then I started." "Center or forward?" "Forward." "I wasn't big enough for center." "Must have been some team." "We had Oscar Benson on that team." "No shit?" "You must be pretty good." "I wasn't playing the same game that Oscar was playing." "Uh, look... the other night..." "You weren't in any danger except for maybe losing your wallet." "I didn't save your life, so don't think you have to say something to me." "One morning about three years ago," "I was on my way to a meeting at the Mutual Benefit building on Wilshire in the Miracle Mile." "I love that name..." "Miracle Mile." "It's the building across the street from the County Art Museum." "I was thinking about the meeting." "I was worried about it, actually." "I started to step off the curb... and a stranger grabbed me and yanked me back as a city bus went flying by my nose." "It filled up the world 6 inches from my nose." "I would have been a wet bug stain." "I wouldn't have even felt it." "It would have been over so fast." "I thanked this stranger, this woman in a baseball cap, but I was pretty much in a daze." "When I thanked her, she said, "My pleasure."" "I didn't notice till the last moment the cap she wore was from the Pittsburgh Pirates, my favorite team since I was a kid." "Roberto Clemente." "Right." "I never got over the idea that I should have thanked that woman more, talked to her, something." "She reached out and yanked me back from the edge, literally changed everything for me, for my wife and my son." "Then she just wandered off down the Miracle Mile." "And how come she was wearing a Pirates cap?" "That's unusual at 9 A.M. on Wilshire Boulevard, a woman in a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball cap." "It's suspicious." "You lost me." "I just wondered later on, was she for real?" "Was that a real person, or was that something else?" "You know, sent from somewhere else to grab me back from that curb." "Is that what you're wondering about me?" "I just couldn't let it happen again." "I didn't want to just let you drift away like she did and never talk to you." "Didn't seem right to let it happen twice." "That's why I'm bothering you." "You're not bothering me." "You're just buying me breakfast." "Good." "You got a right to try to figure out what confuses you, but it seems like you're making more of this than it is." "The world's a hard place." "Sometimes you just get lucky." "I believe in luck." "Of course, sometimes you don't." "One thing's for sure..." "If you're alive, some terrible shit's gonna happen to you." "Maybe some good things, too, but you can always count on the terrible." "If it doesn't kill you, you'll be around to see it come down some other way." "Thank you, honey." "No." "No, thanks." "My... father died last year." "81 years old." "That's a long time for a black man to live in this town." "He outlived everyone he ever knew." "Saw two wives die and three of his children." "He had a great ugly old face that looked like a suitcase gone a million miles... all beat up and dented and scuffed and stained." "He looked like he walked 80 years on that face." "When I used to look at that face and see all the pain there, all the things he lost, all the hurt he had," "I wondered why he wanted to go on, why he just didn't lay down and give it up." "Did you figure it out?" "No." "Never figured out much about that guy." "I asked him, though." "What did he say?" "Habit." "Does your sister have a job?" "She's a cashier at Jon's." "Lets her work her hours around her little girl's school." "Would they let her transfer to another store?" "I don't know." "Why?" "I was just wondering about something." "What's that?" "Just seems like an impossible situation." "You can't live your life like that, thinking someone's going to shoot up your house." "A lot of people do." "You know, I know this guy who's got an apartment house in Canoga Park." "I might be able to get her something out there at a very reasonable price." "Uh..." "Hey, listen, Mack, thanks, but, uh..." "I'm not so sure it's a good idea." "O.K. I'm not going to push it if you're not comfortable." "Maybe you want to think about it." "You don't have to decide now." "Yeah, maybe." "O.K." "You got my number." "Yeah, O.K." "Simon?" "Yeah." "What is it exactly?" "I want to know for two reasons... to know if it's what I think it is and that I haven't done something to offend you." "That's the last thing I wanted to do." "Man, you are a piece of work." "Sometimes I let stuff go, and then I wonder about it later." "O.K., here it is." "I guess I think it's hard, maybe even dangerous, mucking around with other people's lives." "Sometimes there's a reason they're doing what they're doing." "That's a tough one." "You don't want to fuck with things you shouldn't." "But you don't always want to turn away, either." "Is that what you thought it was?" "Yeah, that and... you know... the white guy." "You white?" "Hey, how about Canoga Park?" "That's pretty white, ain't it?" "No, not really." "Think about it." "I'll see you." "To try and understand just what exactly had been delivered unto me at the cost of flesh and bone and precious blood, what message was being delivered to me in a.38-caliber envelope for me to open and read and understand," "and this problem, this, um, difficulty" "I was having in understanding, it grew on me like a fever." "It buzzed around my brain till I could no longer sleep or eat or think about anything else." "It was as painful and real as the physical wound I saw in my thigh." "What?" "Nothing." "Go on." "I want to hear this." "I had a feeling that you more than anyone else would have a problem taking me seriously." "I am taking you seriously." "I'm sorry for whatever you think you saw." "First you have to tell me what made you smile." ""Unto."" "What?" "You said, "delivered unto" you." "I'm sorry." "That is purposeful." "We're talking about a religious experience." "I might say doth or thou or lots of things." "Please, Davis, go on." "The suspense is killing me." "The end of this long, torturous night, my head pounding in syncopation to my throbbing wound, there came a glorious, delicate dawn, and I knew," "I knew I can't make those movies anymore." "I can't make another piece of art that glorifies violence and bloodshed and brutality." "I can't contribute another stone to this landslide of dehumanizing rage that has swept across this country like a pestilence." "That's a mixed metaphor, isn't it?" "Anyway, I'm done, kaput, finis..." "No more exploding bodies, exploding buildings, exploding anything." "No more shit." "Davis, that's wonderful." "You know how I feel about it." "I think I've always been frank with you." "You'll never have to say another word." "Excellent." "Have you told the studio yet?" "Ah, fuck the studio." "Have you told your business manager?" "Fuck 'em, Claire." "You said all along there's a fortune to be made in stories about life... the life force, the creation of life, the very instinct for living." "Besides, I don't give a shit about money." "I made more money this year than my father made in his entire life." "At the rate I'm going," "I won't run out of money for, uh... well, 18... months, anyway." "I'm going to make the world a better place for your new bambina." "What's happening?" "What's happening?" "Well, let's see." "We're filling out forms." "We're being evaluated." "We're becoming official foster parents, which would be the first step." "We're..." "We're arguing." "We're talking." "We're... flirting with marital disaster." "Mack and I are both being... passionately, unshakably devoted to our own position." "Claire, may I be very, very frank with you?" "Is it possible this has come up because Roberto's about to move on and you are coincidentally approaching a certain age?" "As opposed to what?" "As opposed to being wildly in love with this particular baby which I had in my house for nine hours?" "Of course that's why this has come up, Davis." "It's not that simple, but, yes." "But is that rational?" "Rational?" "Reasonable, feasible for you and Mack?" "Well..." "I guess I'd have to say..." "I don't really care." "And it's in Canoga Park." "A nice little apartment complex, he says." "A friend of his owns it, his associate." "He'd be reasonable with the rent." "Canoga Park?" "Yeah, yeah." "That's a bunch of white people, isn't it?" "Uh, I don't know." "Yeah." "Right." "He didn't want to go to Cabo San Lucas?" "He didn't say." "Hmm?" "Hi." "Hi." " Hi." " Hi." "Do you know Jane?" "Nope." " This is Mack." " Hi, Mack." "Hi, Jane." "Do you want to sit down?" "Thanks." "I got something I should do upstairs." "I'm having one of those days." "Which kind?" "I keep drifting." "I can't seem to carry through on anything." "Like I'll say I have to go upstairs, but I don't want to, so I don't go." "Have a seat." "Thanks." "At the same time, I'm feeling very free, like I've got a little buzz on or something." "Does that happen to you?" "It doesn't happen to me as much as I'd like." "It's very pleasant." "What brought it on?" "Maybe I'll try it." "I got up early this morning." "Sometimes it helps to be sleepy." "I got that part down." "I went to see this guy that helped me when my car broke down..." "he drives a tow truck." "I really like him." "His daughter goes to this deaf college in Washington, D.C." "His wife left him." "He's kind of lonely, but he seems peaceful about it." "That would be nice." "It would be great if you could be down about things but still be all right with it, like, finally accept the fact you'll feel bad most of the time and not fight it." "It would also be nice not to feel bad." "That's how you get in trouble... thinking how nice it'd be to be happy more." "Jane, are you married?" "No." "Got a boyfriend?" "No." "Would you like to meet this guy?" "I don't know." "What does he look like?" "How important is that?" "Somewhat important." "No, I was just curious." "I mean, he happens to be a very handsome black guy." "I don't know that much about him." "How are you going to describe Jane?" "Same way." "A very handsome black guy." "Yeah." "Mama, there's a man here." "Yes?" "Hello, Mrs. Dotson." "You've got a polite little lady there." "What is it?" "My name's Harvey Charles." "I represent the Ohio Continental Insurance Company." "Here's my card." "You're selling insurance?" "Yes, ma'am." "We don't want life insurance." "That's what most people say." "Our policies only cost $10 per month." "Mister, I'm too young to be getting life insurance." "We're not just talking about you." "Think about your children." "I ask you only one thing, Mrs. Dotson." "Just glance at these news clippings here in my hand." "What about them?" "What they show in frightening detail is the high rate of violent death caused by gangs and crime in your neighborhood." "Can I hand these to you to look at?" "Look, Mrs. Dotson," "I'm not going to kid you." "These policies are inexpensive because the benefits aren't that big when they pay off, but what they'll do is, if harm should come to one of your children, this policy will cover all funeral expenses and arrangements..." "Kelley, go wait in the kitchen." "What?" "Go." "You trying to sell me life insurance policies on my kids?" "Ma'am, they're the ones on the front line." "They're the ones in danger." "You get the fuck off my porch!" "I said get away from my house, damn it!" "Bottom of the list." "Who needs them?" "Beaufort, South Carolina?" "My mother tryin' to keep the baby." "You need her as much as she needs you." "It's big for the money." "It's not beautiful, but they keep it up pretty good." "They have their share of gangs here, too." "But they don't run the place." "Not yet anyway." "I guess Kelley would eventually adjust." "Is it always this hot?" "Yeah." "Deborah's really confused." "It's a big move, and I don't know what to tell her, either." "Either way, thank you, man." "Excuse me." "Are you Roberto's mother?" "Yes." "We're Amanda's parents." "I'm Steve Fox." "This is my wife Cathy." "Hi." "Claire." "We can't wait to meet Roberto." "Feel like we know him from Amanda's letters." "I'm sorry." "I'm afraid that Roberto doesn't write as much as he should." "We're very pleased about Thanksgiving." "Thanksgiving?" "It's so good of you to let Roberto come to San Diego." "Gosh, I'm sorry." "I guess you may not have heard everything about this summer." "I'm beginning to get the picture." "There's my parents." "Which ones?" "See the man in the beard?" "Oh, God." "They're talking to my mother." "They were relieved I wasn't Puerto Rican." "Amanda didn't explain that in the many, many letters that she wrote to her parents?" "I hope they're not bigots." "Did you want to tell me about it?" "What?" "What happened this summer." "At camp?" "Oh, camp was O.K." "I really missed you, kid." "I'm glad you're back." "Yeah." "Me, too." "I'm sorry about that Thanksgiving thing." "We'll talk to your father about it." "It's O.K. with you?" "I didn't say that." "But your mind's open?" "Roberto." "O.K. Remain calm." "Let me ask you something." "How open is your mind?" "Is this going to be about my hair?" "No." "This is something pretty big." "About me?" "Only partly." "It involves you." "Are you and Dad splitting?" "Why do you say that?" "Is that it?" "No." "Absolutely no." "Why would you say a thing like that?" "Do we look like we're about to split?" "I don't know." "People do it all the time." "They look like they're fine." "I am crazy for your father." "Are we giving you any sign that we're having trouble?" "So, um, what were you going to tell me?" "Wait a minute." "Answer me." "I, um, sometimes it just looks like you're both kind of unhappy, O.K.?" "Maybe I misunderstood." "It just looked like that a lot before I went away." "Really?" "Yeah, but look..." "look, I'm glad I'm wrong." "I mean, God, that would be horrible." "I hope you guys never split." "I'm sorry I said it." "What were you going to tell me?" "What do I have to have an open mind about?" "We'll talk about it later." "Oh, Mom, just pretend I never said anything and tell me." "Um..." "Ahem." "Your father and I are discussing whether to adopt a little girl." "What?" "To, uh, you know, the evening." "Some playboy, huh?" "Yeah." "Nice car." "Oh, thank you." "It's yellow." "Yeah, of course it's yellow." "God, what am I thinking of?" "All right." "Ooh, boy." "Uh, O.K." "I thought you changed your mind." "Oh, no way." "It's just been a while since I did this." "You haven't been going out?" "Oh, I go out a little." "I just can't remember the last time I was, uh, set up." "Fixed up." "Yeah." "So, what do you think so far?" "So far it's all right." "I like it." "I'm just..." "I'm just a little surprised." "Why?" "What did you expect?" "No, it's not you." "I'm just surprised at how nervous I am." "Me, too." "Yeah?" "Yeah." "That's all right." "At least now we know that much about each other." "Yeah." "Um, Mack must have had some reason to think this would work." "I guess you've known him a while, huh?" "I don't know him at all." "Really?" "Well." "I don't know him much, either." "Hmm, that's funny." "Maybe we're the only two black people he ever met." "I think you're being too hard on yourself." "You're trying to help." "You think moving to Canoga Park's gonna save that family?" "Who said you have to save anybody?" "Maybe out there the kids won't get hurt." "Who knows?" "They'll go or not go." "You're not responsible." "You just happen to know a guy who owns an apartment house." "Why am I fixing Simon up with some girl?" "I do this shit, and the next morning I'm astounded." "Has it occurred to you it doesn't really matter all that much?" "Why should you be the one person on earth who acts rationally?" "Forget rational." "I'm completely out of control." "Stop me before I kill." "So?" "Good for you." "Aren't you sick of trying to be in control all the time?" "I am." "Mack, you think I want that baby because I've got some hole in my life or I think I'll have some hole in my life, but that's not it, or it's just a part of it." "That baby needs someone to take care of it." "It has to be you?" "I believe there's a reason I found her." "Dismiss it all you want, but I'll always believe that." "You told me you thought there was a reason this guy... this Simon..." "showed up and saved you." "I did?" "How do you think that I feel about this baby?" "What if I hadn't heard it?" "What if no one had heard her?" "We would've read about it in the Times." ""Oh, my God." "They found a dead baby under the bushes on Carmelina."" ""Mack, I must have run right by it the other morning."" "But that didn't happen." "I found her, and maybe I saved her life just the way maybe Simon saved yours." "What are you saying?" "Something has happened." "You can't go back and have it not happen." "Some connection has been made and has to be played out." "That is why you can't stay out of Simon's business." "It's like this itch you've got to scratch." "Claire, you're talking about a lifelong commitment." "I won't be dealing with this Simon the rest of my life." "How do you know he won't be your friend until the day that you die?" "What if these are miracles, Mack?" "Maybe we don't have any experience with miracles so we're slow to recognize them." "I'm getting a terrific headache." "No, you're not." "I'm not?" "I'll tell you why I reject your headache." "Because it's inappropriate." "Inappropriate?" "If I'm right and these events are truly miracles, then it's an inappropriate response to get a headache in the presence of a miracle." "Wow." "Yeah." "I don't know about you, but I'm thinking this Mack must be some kind of genius." "Do you believe in fate?" "I believe in luck." "Do you think you should come up?" "Do I think I should come up?" "What do you think?" "Well, I think this night has gone about as well as it possibly could." "I don't want to push our luck." "Is it O.K. to call you at work?" "I look forward to it." "This is a feeling I'd like to have at work." "What is it?" "Ohh." "Bye, Simon." "Say that again." "Simon." "You O.K.?" "Whoa." "You sure?" "Why don't you just pull right over there?" "Didn't see him coming, did you?" "I still don't know what happened." "I guess you were lucky, even though it might not seem that way right now." "Pretty scary stuff." "I was crying before it happened." "Really?" "I don't cry this easily normally." "Sorry." "Don't apologize." "You want to get out of there for a second?" "Walk around and catch your breath?" "Come on." "You'll feel better." "You O.K.?" "Then I guess I better hang on." "Don't imagine you want to talk about it with a complete stranger." "I'm in love with a married man." "We haven't been having an affair." "He wouldn't do it." "We just had one night together." "One really amazing night." "Uh-huh." "Do you think that's awful?" "Which part?" "All of it." "I think it happens." "Did he treat you bad?" "It hurts." "When you love someone and they don't choose you... it's bad." "That's the way he's been bad to me." "Married men suck... by definition." "Are you married?" "Tell the truth." "No, I'm not married." "I haven't found the right girl." "Can't quit now, babe." "Last mile." "Catching my second wind, man, shoot." "Oh, man." "That's all there is." "We did it, man." "Just put it anywhere." "That's the end of it, baby." "Good." "I don't know if he's even gonna stay here tonight." "Well, let's get a beer." "Get out of the way, man!" "This is fucked." "What you doing, man?" "No talking, huh?" "That's cool." "That's cool." "I guess you don't want no company." "I thought you was talking to me." "I thought you said I was fucked up." "I wasn't talking to your sorry ass." "Who the fuck were you talking to?" "Were you talking to yourself?" "What's up, man?" "Hey, that dude was quick." "Must have come here from Beirut." "You, stop running and put your hands behind your head." "Stop running and put your hands behind your head." "Here we go." "Halt!" "Halt!" "Turn around and get down on your stomach." "Turn around and get down on your stomach!" "What?" "Down, asshole, and I mean now!" "Put your right hand behind your back." "Bring the other one around." "Don't you know what stop means?" "Where you going in such a hurry, pal?" "Nowhere." "I'm just running." "Running from what?" "Nothing." "I live around here." "Where?" "I don't know." "You don't know?" "What's that supposed to mean?" "Back there across from the park." "What park?" "I don't know." "They almost smoked me!" "See a nigger run around here, they smoke you, ask questions later." "I ain't staying here, I'll tell you that." "I ain't fucking staying!" "What's next?" "Nothing." "I'm quitting." "Tell me." "This is intolerable." "I can't do this anymore." "It's sick." "I need to go on." "Don't act like you're not relieved." "I know you are." "I don't want you to go." "You know what your trouble is?" "You just never want to be the bad guy." "You want everything you do to be O.K., but it isn't." "If you didn't want this to happen, then you shouldn't have fucked me." "I'm sorry." "I think I've said that before." "But you didn't mean it." "You aren't really sorry it happened, are you?" "Are you?" "You've denied me in every way you can." "Everything I've wanted, you've denied me." "I've been honest with you all along." "Even that night." "Who gives a shit?" "Don't you see what you do?" "Even now you deny me what's rightfully mine." "Which is?" "To resent the hell out of you, to feel totally rejected and hated." "To hate you for doing it to me." "There are a lot of good men out there who'll treat me like I'm the very thing they want." "And then you do that thing with Jane." "What?" "You know, with that guy?" "That tow truck guy?" "What's that got to do with anything?" "You don't even know, do you?" "You don't even know why that hurts me so much." "Jane's in love." "She thinks he's the one." "Is that bad?" "I thought she's your friend." "She is my friend." "I'm very happy for her, but it makes me feel like shit that you're finding her the love of her life and I'm here like, what?" "I'm here like shit." "How do you think that's going to make me feel?" "Dee, look, I understand you're angry with me, but why..." "Forget it." "It doesn't have to make sense." "I'll stay for two weeks, but you better find somebody else." "Is Otis coming home tonight, Mama?" "No, baby." "I told you." "When will we see him again?" "I don't know, honey." "Ha ha!" "Yeah." "I just feel like I'd really like to work for a woman lawyer this time." "I never have." "It might be a good thing." "I'm not sure you'd find it much different, but, frankly, with your qualifications and experience," "I have no desire to discourage you." "I am curious though." "Your former employer has written you the most glorious recommendation." "Why did you decide to leave him?" "Hey, Otis." "Hey, what's the matter?" "You O.K.?" "Yeah, I'm all right." "Hey... you're... you're hurt, boy." "It ain't my blood." "What happened?" "Hey, what happened?" "I seen some bad shit, Simon." "O.K." "O.K., O.K., O.K." "O.K." "We have a three-car collision to report on the Santa Monica Freeway east of National." "Only one lane is open." "And, Ted, the surface streets are no picnic, either." "It is a jungle down there." "And I realized it wasn't both you and Mom who were always saying how glad you were you didn't have little kids anymore." "It was just you." "Mom never really said that." "Which way are you going to turn?" "Right." "So what do you want to do now?" "Get in the right lane." "No!" "Whoa!" "Roberto, you can't just go because you want to!" "I..." "I messed up." "Make sure it's clear." "I messed up." "Better to go 10 blocks out of your way than try to get over when it's impossible." "Watch this guy getting out of his car here." "Slow down." "Slow, slow." "Slow!" "When I say stop, you've got to stop." "You didn't say stop." "You told me to slow down." "It won't matter if you hit another car, but you can't hit a person." "That's the most important thing." "People are such assholes." "You got to watch out for the dumbest stuff." "Just watch..." "Just watch the road." "So why should I tell Mom she's crazy to want this baby?" "I don't want her telling me my stuff is crazy." "Maybe it's not so crazy." "It's her life." "And mine." "And yours, too, I guess, although she's going to be the one most involved." "Believe me it affects us both, a lot." "Let's concentrate on what we're doing." "What now?" "Um, I'm going to take a left." "Really?" "It's, uh... kind of busy here, isn't it?" "Dad, I've got to learn how to do it." "You're right." "Left turn signal." "Left turn signal." "Done." "O.K. This is good." "Right here." "Perfect." "If you only had one life to live... which you do..." "And you really wanted to do something and Mom said you couldn't, how would that make you feel?" "Let's just think about this turn." "All right." "What are you watching for?" "The light." "And?" "What's the most important thing?" "Don't hit a person." "No, I mean here." "Don't fuck around." "This is no joke." "Sorry." "Um, the most important thing is that... that those cars have really stopped." "Right." "Because?" "Because some idiot is always liable to run a red light." "Good." "What else are you looking for?" "Um... those cars in the cross streets." "Good." "The light's going to change." "This is good." "Wait." "Wait." "Not yet." "O.K. They're stopping." "Go ahead." "Stop!" "You idiot!" "Fuck you!" "Whoa!" "Asshole!" "This guy's letting us in." "Go, go, go." "When I tell you, you'll be able to get over." "We'll pull over here." "O.K., go now." "Just pull it right over." "Y-Y-Y-Yes." "Shit." "That guy was a cretin." "It's so crazy out there, you got to react really fast." "If you're going, you've only got a split second to do it." "Otherwise the cross traffic will whack you." "Sorry, Dad." "Hey, this is difficult stuff." "Making a left turn in L.A." "Is one of the harder things you'll learn in life." "That guy was almost in your lap." "Heh heh heh." "This town stinks." "Do you want to drive?" "Hell, no." "I'm too shook up." "Let's get out of here." "So I guess we're going to get this baby, huh?" "Hello." "What?" "We've got no Feiruz here." "You've got the wrong number." "Oh, really?" "Well, fuck you also." "Who?" "Feiruz." "You know him?" "My heart is pounding." "Ahh..." "Come here." "It's O.K." "Hmm." "Everything seems so close together." "Hmm?" "All the good and bad things in the world." "Everything." "I feel it in myself even." "And in us... our marriage." "I love you, Claire." "I like living my life with you." "Do you?" "'Cause I love you so much, Mack." "Ohh..." "Drive me over to the stage." "Drive me over to the stage." "My car's over by your office." "You can take the cart back." "I got to get back downtown." "Relax." "No one's going to get deported while you drive me to stage 20." "We spent the whole lunch discussing your marriage to Vanessa." "I didn't congratulate you on the new direction your career has taken." "On the what?" "Claire told me." "You know, the violence in your movies." "She was so pleased." "Oh, that!" "Oh, fuck that." "What?" "That's over." "I must have been delirious for a few weeks there." "Hi, Tim." "How are you?" "Man, I don't want to be the one to tell Claire you changed your mind." "Changed nothing." "I regained my senses." "I was talking like a moron." "Down here and go left." "What happened?" "Nothing happened." "It never happened." "Look, Mack, I'm an artist." "Now, go ahead and laugh, because everybody does." "Nobody in this town will admit that a producer is an artist." "But I know what I do." "I know how many lame-o directors" "I've carried on my back and then watch as they take all the glory, reviews, and awards." "Which awards?" "That's O.K." "I don't mind working in modest anonymity." "That's the way Thalberg did it, too." "If they're lame-o, why hire them?" "I haven't got time to do it myself." "Hanging around the set all day, doing that boring lighting and shit." "Let them do that." "That's beside the point." "The point is..." "Turn around." "Turn around and go back down there." "Where was I?" "The point is... there's a gulf in this country, an ever-widening abyss, between the people who have stuff and the people who don't have shit." "It's like this hole's opened up in the ground as big as the fucking Grand Canyon and what's come pouring out..." "Hi." "My name's Davis, building 78." "The whole building." "Stop by." "I have something for you." "This is the greatest town on earth." "Go left here." "Where was I?" "The Grand Canyon." "Yeah." "And what's come out of this big hole is an eruption of rage, and the rage creates violence, and the violence is real, and nothing's going to make it go away until someone changes something." "Which won't happen." "You and I may not like it, but I can't pretend it isn't there, because that is a lie." "And when art lies, it becomes worthless." "So I got to keep telling the truth, even if it scares the shit out of me, like it scares the shit out of you, even if it means some motherfucker can blow a big ol' hole in my leg for a watch," "and I'm going to walk with a fucking limp the rest of my life and count myself lucky." "That's what's amazing, you know, is what we count as lucky today." "Our criteria for lucky has changed a bit." "We're not talking about great art here." "Says you, Mr. Snob," "Mr. Arbiter of Taste," "Mr. Immigration Lawyer to the Arts." "I'll tell you this, though." "There's so much rage going around we're lucky we have the movies to help us vent a little." "That line is so tired." "I'm shocked you'd use it." "You think just anyone can do what I do?" "You think anyone can make the crap I make?" "Wasn't there something about "life force," "life-affirming"?" "That's what Claire told me." "This is life, pal." "That's what I'm trying to get through your thick, sanctimonious skull." "There's always been violence." "There will always be violence... violence and evil and men with big guns." "My movies reflect what's going on, they don't make what's going on." "And if I happen to make 'em better than anyone, then I've got a bigger responsibility than anyone to serve it up." "Mack, you ever seen a movie called Sullivan's Travels?" "No." "That's part of your problem." "You haven't seen enough movies." "All of life's riddles are answered in the movies." "It's a story about a man who loses his way." "He's a filmmaker, like me." "He forgets for a moment what he was set on earth to do." "Fortunately, he finds his way back." "That can happen, Mack." "Check it out." "Ha ha ha ha!" "You're kind of big, aren't you?" "You look about ready to play." "Yeah, maybe." "I want to see you shoot from the outside." "What made you get me together with Jane?" "What made you get me together with Jane?" "Dumbness, I guess." "Compulsion to stick my nose where it doesn't belong." "Why, has it ended badly?" "No, it hasn't ended." "She's the best thing that's happened to me in a long time." "Really?" "No shit?" "Yes." "Here you go, my friend." "Sometimes things work." "Yeah?" "Yeah." "O.K., then." "To 20." "Take it out from back there." "Winner takes it out." "You're sure?" "You might not get a chance to shoot." "You're going down." "That is so cool about you and Jane." "Yeah." "That's why I came tonight." "I thought of a way to thank you." "You don't have to." "I have an idea." "If you're up for it, there's something I could do for you." "You don't have to." "Just play ball." "That's why I'm here." "I thought of a way to show I appreciate you for... for introducing me to Jane." "End of the line, folks." "So what do you think?" "I think..." "it's not all bad."