"I was bruised and battered I couldn't tell what I felt" "I was unrecognizable to myself" "Saw my reflection in a window" "And didn't know my own face" "So, brother, I'm gonna leave" "Wastin'away on the streets of Philadelphia" "This one?" "I walked the avenue till my legs felt like stone" "I heard voices of friends vanished and gone" "At night I hear the blood in my veins" "Just as black and whispery as the rain" "On the streets of Philadelphia" "Ain't no angel gonna greet me" "It's just you and I my friend" "And my clothes don't fit me no more" "I walked a thousand miles just to slip this skin" "Night has fallen I'm lyin'awake" "I can feel myself fading'away" "So, will you receive me, brother with your faithless kiss" "Or will we leave each other alone like this" "On the streets of Philadelphia" "This "pestilent dust"counselor refers to has appeared on only three occasions." "This "pestilent dust"counselor refers to has appeared on only three occasions." "Each time it was tested, and the results:" "Limestone." "It's messy, but innocuous." " "Innocuous"?" " Defined by Webster's as harmless." "I know what it means." "May I?" "Thank you." "Your Honor... imagine how the children in this neighborhood are being made to feel." "The constant pounding of construction ringing in their ears... as this skyscraper..." "a tribute to mankind's greed... grows daily, casting an ominous shadow over their lives... filling them with dread even as they are surrounded by this toxic dust." "Your Honor, Kendall Construction... builds neighborhoods, it doesn't destroy them." "Granting a restraining order against this construction site will... throw 753 Philadelphians out of work... and lend validation to this contemptible and groundless nuisance suit." "It's an example of the rapacious litigation... that today is tearing at the very fabric of our society." "Let's not go off the deep end, gentlemen." "You've made an articulate and compelling presentation, Mr. Miller... but I don't believe you've proven irreparable harm." "Not yet, Your Honor." "Proper use of trade name without..." " Is that you?" " Yeah, that's me." "Miller." "Yes." "Hello, Iris." "Client of yours?" "Funny." "Hold on, Iris." "Excuse me, sir?" "My sons and I went to a restaurant the other day." "We ordered coffee." "The waiter goes..." ""Would you like sugar or Sweet 'n' Low?"" "I said, "Do I look like I should be on a diet?"" "Oh, God, sometimes I just feel so sorry..." " Andy." " Hi, Doc." "Your blood work came back this morning." "I'm gonna come back in a few minutes and talk to you about it." " All right?" " I'll be right here." "Good." "How you doin' today, Jackie?" "Hi." "How're you feeling?" " Feelin' pretty good." " Great." "Make a fist for me?" "Once more." "Gonna have to start lookin' for veins in your feet, sweetheart." " Patience, Tyrone." " Okay." "Once more." " How are the Magruder accounts?" " We'll close in a couple weeks." "Terrific job on the Kendall situation." " Top-notch, Mr. Beckett." " Thanks, Kenneth, Robert." " Hi, Mr. Beckett." " Hi, Rose." "Anthea, just the paralegal extraordinaire I was hoping to see." "I know what that means." "The answer is no." " I'm talkin' dinner at Felicia's." " I've got a class." "I've got some pretty compelling briefs that need proofing." "You can exploit somebody else." " Since you've asked..." " Your exam." "Thank you." "Ninety-eight." "Ninety-eight?" "Congratulations." "I have to pick up Amy, but I want to talk to you about that Hansen thing." "Give me a call." "I'll be here." "Tell Amy I loved her painting." "It's on my wall." "Hi, Andrew." "Conference call's up." "The roll call just started." "Now, this is a settlement agreement." "The red-line copy's on your desk." " You need me in there?" " No." "It's 6:30." "Go home." " Hello?" " Hey, Mom.!" "Oh, hi, darling." "What a wonderful surprise." "How are you?" "Good." "Well, what does Dr. Gillman say?" "Dr. Gillman says I am fine." "My blood work is excellent." "She says my T-cells are steady." "Honey, how 'bout your platelets?" "What did she say?" "Oh, even my platelets look good." "Great." "Mom, more importantly, how are you?" "Mom?" "I'm fine." " And Dad?" " Dad is fine." "And what are you doin'?" "Okay." ""Action for the wrongful interference with prospective economic relations."" "Okay." "Am I interrupting you?" "In a word, Bob..." "Charles wants to see you upstairs." "I was just about to take a break." " I'm not underdressed for this?" " No, you're not." "Charles, Andy has expressed a keen interest... in Highline, Inc." "V. Sander Systems." "Isn't that right, Andy?" "The fate of the participants interests me." "Yes, sir." "It's an antitrust action." "It is, and it isn't, Charles." "Sander Systems copies Highline's spreadsheet program." "For me... the legal principle involved is copyright infringement." "Well, tell me this, Andy." "Which side of this conflict would you wish to see emerge victorious?" "And don't allow my close personal relationship with Bill Wright..." "Sander Systems' C.E.O. To influence your answer in any way." "Well, I'd like to see Highline win this one." "Oh!" "Why, Beckett?" "If Sanders Systems wins... an energetic, young company is destroyed." "The laws for antitrust and copyright were enacted to prevent exactly... the kind of bullshit that Sander Systems is trying to pull." " Andy, you know who reps Highline?" " Rodney Bailey." "Oh, I object!" "Rodney Bailey, who couldn't find his way around copyright law with a map." "Well, apparently the fellas at Highline agree with you, Andy." "Which explains why, as of 9:03 this evening, right after dessert..." "Highline is now represented by Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown." "Outstanding." "And more specifically..." "Senior Associate Andrew Beckett." " Bravo!" " Yes!" " Come on!" " Congratulations." " Thank you, Robert." " We've got to get on this right away." "Statute of limitations, yeah." "I'm right on it." " Exactly." " We have ten days to file." "Tokyo on line four, Bob." "Walter, thank you." " Kenneth, thank you." " You bet, Andy." "Congratulations." " Thanks." "I'm overwhelmed." " What's that on your forehead, pal?" "What?" "Where?" "That... right there on your forehead." "Oh, I got whacked in the head with a racket ball." "Excuse me." "Charles, I..." "I sincerely appreciate your faith in my abilities." "Faith, Andy, is the belief in something for which we have no evidence." "It does not apply to this situation." "Well, go home." "Oh, no!" "Go back to work." "Thank you, Charles." "No sweat, buddy." "The committee meeting we're gonna have next week... a bunch of staff members..." "Tommy, how are ya?" "The Highline complaint is right there on my desk, Shelby." "It's all set to go, so make sureJamey is on top of it." "Sure." "You got it." "Anything else?" "No, that's it." "I'm gonna be working out of the house this afternoon... so, thanks a lot." " Bye-bye." " Bye-bye." "Okay." "Now, you're gonna want to apply this foundation as evenly as you can." "'Cause you don't want it to look like you threw it on with a spoon." " Yeah." " So, over here, you try this." " I got it." " Right there." "Chandra, you don't think this is just a little too orange for me?" "Well, okay, it's Tahitian Bronze." "That works best on these lesions." "Think of it as the "I just got back from Aruba" look." "Exactly." "I've called in sick for four days... and now they're gonna think I was taking a cruise." " Fax." " Oh, thank you, Bruno." "Okay, we can try this light Egypt..." "What?" "Excuse me." "Just like my cousin, Fredo." "Does anybody want a bagel?" "You okay, Andy?" "I think I need to go to the hospital." "Watch out!" "Hello, hello." "Oh, it's all right." "It's all right." " I'm gettin' out of here, all right?" " Okay." "I'll talk to you later." "Oh, one more." "Thank you for driving like a bat out of hell." " Take it easy, all right?" " Dr. Gillman is out of her office." "I told her to take a day off, and she took a day off." "Can you believe that?" "They took blood?" "A specimen or something?" "Blood, yes." "A specimen, I'm empty." "Did you find someone to take your class?" "Don't worry about it." "Let me see." "Oh, you got a fever, baby." "Oh, there's my guy." "Excuse me." "Doctor?" "Hello, hi." "Just one second." "I came that close to not making it to the bathroom again." " I almost lost it in front of everyone." " So what?" " It's nothing to be ashamed of." " I'm not ashamed, it's just..." " What about my blood work?" " We're waiting." "Meanwhile, I want to prep you for a colonoscopy, take a look inside." " It sounds delightful." " Wait a minute." "Why do you need to do this?" " Who are you?" " Who are you, Dr..." " This is my partner." " Yeah?" "He keeps the records of all my hospital visits." "It's nothing personal." "Oh, I'm Dr. Klenstein." "Listen, you're right." "A colonoscopy is not a pleasant procedure." "But if the K.S. Is causing the diarrhea, we've got to know about that right away." "No, but it could be parasites, an infection." "I mean..." "Reaction to the A.Z.T." "All these are possibilities, but we've got to go forward..." "Listen to me." "He's not going through some painful procedure... until we cancel out everything else, understand?" " I'm trying to help your partner, okay?" " Okay." " You're not immediate family." " I'm not?" " I could have you removed from the E.R." " Really?" "Look, he's upset." "He's sorry." "No." "Don't apologize for me, okay?" "Okay." "He's not sorry." "Let's do this." "Let's find out what the blood work tells us." "I'll try to give you a specimen." "Some hospital food may help me along." "Then we might hear from Dr. Gillman." "We can start from there, okay?" " Everybody happy?" "All right?" " Okay." " I'll see the lab about the blood work." " Thank you, Doctor." "I'm sorry." "That's the third time the office has beeped me." " I better go." " "Klenstein"?" "I gotta go give them a call." "Now, I want you to sit down and relax." " I am relaxed." " Oh, good." "Is there a phone around, somewhere nearby?" " Down the hall." " Thank you." "If you or someone you know has been injured through the fault of others... you may be entitled to a cash settlement... or money damages for your pain and suffering." " Good Lord." " I'm attorneyJoseph Miller." "At McCreedy and..." "Mr. Beckett's office." "Shelby, it's me." "Jamey's been beeping' me." "I'm so glad you called, Andrew." "Listen, I just want you to know we have a minor catastrophe in the making here." "It's about that Highline complaint." "Jamey is going absolutely ballistic." "All right." "Calm down." "Put him on." "All right." "One second." "Andy, this is a disaster.!" "We can't find the revisions on the Highline complaint." "Wait, wait." "Slow down." "I told them you were working at home, and it would be here this morning." "No." "I brought it into the office last night." "I was there till 3:00 a.m. There should be a copy with corrections on my desk." "I'm telling you it's not here, Andy." "Shelby can't find it either." "All right." "The hard disk on my computer." "Print it up on the double and run it through word processing yourself." " Okay." "What did you file it under?" " H" " L-1." "Jamey, I don't have to tell you we are up against the statute oflimitations... and it runs out in... in 75 minutes?" " It's not here, Andy." " Not there?" "I'm on my way." "Every problem has a solution." "Aw, it's coming." "Yeah, baby, it's coming!" "It's a girl." "Oh, my God." " Take a picture, Joe." " I'm trying." "I can't get the film in." "Oh, my God." "Baby?" "Help me, baby." "Aw, look at her." " That little, sweet little..." " Get a picture before she gets too old." "She's perfect, Lisa." "Long hair." "Go down to Famous Fourth Street Deli, and get a pound of Nova..." "No..." "Scotch salmon." "She likes that." "Yeah." "Some onion rolls, bagels..." "Here, give me a call." " Nice champagne." " You're that TV guy." "I don't care how much it costs." "Get some nice Dom Perignon." " Thanks." " How much?" "A hundred dollars?" "Don't get Dom Perignon." "Get a nice Californian." "Dom Perignon's too much." "Get it all over here, because she's starving." "No, Iris, not the baby." "Lisa is starving." "Yeah, Lisa." "Iris, listen." " Anybody call?" " An Andrew Beckett called." "Beckett?" "Who's Andrew Beckett?" "There he is!" "Joseph!" "The entire street is clear, except for one small area under construction:" "This huge hole that is clearly marked and blocked off." " Yes." " You decide to cross at this spot." "You fall into the hole." "Now you want to sue the city for negligence, right?" "Yes." "Do I have a case?" " Yes." "Of course you've got a case." " Great." " Go with my assistant Iris." " All right." "She'll have you fill out some forms, tell you about our fee arrangement." "Of course, you know we take no cash unless we get cash justice for you." "How's your back?" "You got any lower back pain, dizziness, nightmares?" "Funny you should mention that." "I been having..." "Iris will take good care of you." "Iris, you take good care of Mr. Finley." " I will." "Mr. Beckett's here." " Hey, thanks a lot." "Take care." "Mr. Beckett?" "Mr. Beckett, come in." "It's good to see you again, Counselor." "Judge Tate." "Kendall Construction." ""Innocuous."" "How are you?" "What happened to your face?" "I have Al DS." "I'm sorry." "I, uh..." " Can I sit down?" " Yeah." "Thank you." "Oh, look at this." "You have a new baby." "Yeah." "I got a little baby girl." ""It's a girl." Congratulations." "Yeah." "One week old." "Kids are great." "Yeah." "Thank you, Beckett." "I'm real excited about it." "Listen, I..." "What can I do for you?" "I've been fired by Wyant, Wheeler." "I want to bring a wrongful termination suit against Wheeler and his partners." "You want to sue Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown?" "Correct." "I'm seeking representation." "Continue." "I misplaced an important complaint." "That's their story." "Want to hear mine?" "How many lawyers did you go to before you called me?" "Nine." "Continue." "The night before it was due, I worked on the complaint in my office." "I left a copy of it on my desk." "The next day, the complaint vanished." "No hard copy." "All traces of it mysteriously gone from my computer." "Miraculously, a copy of the complaint was located at the last minute... and we got it to court on time." "But the next day I was summoned to a meeting with the managing partners." "They were waiting for me in the conference room." "Oh, hello, Andy!" "Come on in." "Would you mind hitting the windows?" "Thanks." "Come on in." "Kenneth, Robert, Charles, Walter and Lydia." "Thanks for coming in." "Oh, of course." "Andy, before we begin, I'd just like to say... that everyone in this room is your friend." "I know that, Charles." "More than your friend... family." "Charles, I must apologize again for the Highline mishap yesterday." "That was some scary moment around here." "Wow." "Thank God the complaint was found... and no damage was done." "This time." "What about next time?" "There won't be a next time." "I guarantee it." "Yeah." "It's just that something's come over you lately, Andy." "I don't know... some kind of stupor or fogginess." "Some people think you have an attitude problem, Beckett." "Really?" "Who thinks that?" "I do." "Excuse me." "Am I being fired?" "Let me put it this way, Andy." "Your place in the future of this firm is no longer secure." "We feel it isn't fair to keep you here... when your prospects are limited." "And now, I don't want to rush you out..." "We've got a committee meeting." "Excuse me, Charles... with all due respect, this is preposterous!" "It doesn't make any sense." "Oh, you're right, Beckett." "You don't have an attitude problem." "Take it easy." "If you'd lost confidence in me, why did you give me the Highline suit?" "Andy, you nearly blew the entire case." "That alone is inexcusable." "It would have been catastrophic for us." "So you were concealing your illness." "That's correct." "All right." "Explain this to me like I'm a two-year-old, okay?" "Because there's an element to this thing that I cannot get through my thick head." "Didn't you have an obligation to tell your employer... you had this dreaded, deadly, infectious disease?" "That's not the point." "From the day they hired me to the day I was fired..." "I served my clients consistently, thoroughly, with absolute excellence." "If they hadn't fired me, that's what I'd be doing today." "And they don't want to fire you for having Al DS... so, in spite of your brilliance, they make you look incompetent." "Thus, the mysterious lost files." "Is that what you're trying to tell me?" "Correct." "I was sabotaged." "I don't buy it, Counselor." "That's very disappointing." "I don't see a case." "I have a case." "If you don't want it for personal reasons..." "Thank you." "That's correct." "I don't." "Well, thank you for your time, Counselor." "I'm sorry about what happened to you." "It's a bitch, you know?" "Have a nice day, Mr. Beckett." "What the hell's the matter with that guy?" "Iris, find out if Armbruster can see me." " Joe Miller's office." " Iris." " Find out if Armbruster can see me." " Armbruster?" "When?" " Sometime this afternoon." " What's wrong with him?" "No." "Right away, Iris." "Excuse me." "The HIVvirus can only be transmitted through the exchange ofbodily fluids... namely, blood, semen and vaginal secretions." "Right." "Yeah." "But isn't it true they're finding out new things about this disease every day?" "Now, you tell me today there's no danger." "Go home." "I go home." "I pick up my little baby girl." "Then I find out six months from now on the news or something:" "Whoops!" "Made a mistake." "Yeah, you can carry it... on your shirt or your clothes or..." "What are you doing?" "We're gonna draw blood." " Why are we gonna do that?" " Joe." "LittleJoe." "I've known you since you were a kid." "And I don't care a whit about your private life." "Thanks, Doc." "I don't need an Al DS test, but thanks anyway." "Just send a bill to my office for me." "Okay?" "Thanks for the information." "Really." "You have a problem with gays, Joe." " Not especially." " Yes, you do." " How many gays do you know?" " How many do you know?" " Lots." " Like who?" "Karen Berman, my aunt Theresa..." "Cousin Tommy who lives in Rochester..." "Eddie Meyers from the office..." "Stanley, the guy who's putting in our kitchen cabinets." "Aunt Theresa is gay?" "That beautiful, sensuous, voluptuous woman is a lesbian?" "Since when?" "Probably since she was born." "Oh, man." "All right." "Well, hey, I admit it, okay?" "I'm prejudiced." "I don't like homosexuals." "There." "You got me." " All right." " I mean, the way these guys do that... thing, don't they get confused?" ""Oh, I don't know." "Is that yours?" "Is that mine?"" "You know, I don't want to be in bed with anybody who's stronger than me... or who has more hair on their chest." "Now, you can call me old-fashioned, conservative." "Just call me a man." "Besides, I think you have to be a man to understand how... really disgusting that whole idea is anyway." " Yeah?" " Yeah." "Well, well." "Little caveman of the house." "You damn skippy." "Here you go, baby." "Stay away from your aunt Theresa too." "Joe, don't say that to her." "Think about those guys pumping up together... trying to be macho and faggot at the same time." "I mean, I can't stand that shit." "Hey, I'm bein' totally honest with you, okay?" " Oh, yeah." "You are." " All right." "I got a question for you." "Would you accept a client... if you were constantly thinking..." ""I don't want this person to touch me." "I don't want him to even breathe on me"?" " Not if I was you, honey." " That's what I'm talking about." "What?" "Ho, ho, ho.!" "Merry Christmas.!" " Merry Christmas." " Thank you." " Hey, merry Christmas!" " Merry Christmas, sir." "Thank..." "Happy new year." " You're the, uh, the TV guy." " TV guy." "Sir?" "This is the supplement." "You're right." "There is a section on HIV-related discrimination." "Thank you." "Thank you very much." "We do have a private research room available." "I'm fine right here." "Thank you." "Excuse me." "Do you know where I can find the State v. Murdock case?" "Just a moment." "I'll be right with you." "Thanks." "Wouldn't you be more comfortable in a research room?" "No." "Would it make you more comfortable?" "Beckett." "How you doin'?" "Counselor." "Whatever, sir." "Excuse me." "Who'd you get?" "What?" "Did you find a lawyer?" "I'm a lawyer." "Hey, how's your baby?" "Oh, yeah." "She's, uh..." "She's wonderful, great." "What's her name?" "Larice." "That's a beautiful name." "Named her after my sister." "Look, I'm, uh..." "How'd they find out you have the Al DS?" "One of the partners noticed a lesion on my forehead." "But how do you go from, uh..." "How do you go from a lawyer spotting a lesion, which could be anything... to the partners deducing that you have Al DS... and terminating you on the basis of that conclusion?" "That's a good point." "The partner who spotted the lesion, Walter Kenton... worked for Walsh, Ulmer and Brahm in D.C." "A paralegal there, Melissa Benedict... showed lesions on and off for the better part of two, three years." "She says it was common knowledge around the office they were caused by Al DS." "But they didn't fire her." "No." "They did not fire her." "I see." "So you got a relevant precedent?" "The Arline decision." " Arline?" " Supreme Court." ""The Federal Vocational Rehabilitation Act... of 1973 prohibits discrimination... against otherwise qualified handicapped persons... who are able to perform the duties required by their employment." "Although the ruling did not address the specific issue... of HIV and Al DS discrimination..."" ""Subsequent decisions have held that Al DS is protected as a handicap... under law, not only because of the physical limitations it imposes... but because the prejudice surrounding Al DS... exacts a social death which precedes..." "which precedes the actual physical one."" ""This is the essence of discrimination:" "Forming opinions about others not based on their individual merits... but rather their membership in a group with assumed characteristics."" " Charles Wheeler." " Julius Erving!" " By golly, I'm glad to see you!" " Ken Starr." " Ken, how are ya?" " How are ya?" "Come over here." "Charles Wheeler, how you doin'?" " How are you?" " Very good." " Welcome..." " Summons for you." "Take a look at it." "Have a good day." "Hey, Dr.J. How are you?" "You're the best." "If you ever need a lawyer for anything, you give me a call." "If you slip and fall, you know, accidents, anything, let me know." "See you in court." " The TV guy." " Yeah, the TV guy." "Say, Chuck, what's up?" "Now, regarding Andy, I want to know everything regarding his personal life." "Does he frequent those pathetic bars on Chestnut Street?" " Right." " Oh, Jesus." "What other homosexual facilities does he go to?" " Absolutely." " Charles." "What deviant groups or organizations does he secretly belong to?" " First thing in the morning." " Wait a minute!" " Look..." " What is it?" "Let's make a fair settlement offer and put this tragic business behind us." "Bob..." "Andy brought Al DS into our offices... into our men's room." "He brought Al DS to our annual goddamn family picnic." "We ought to be suing him, Bob." "Where is your compassion, gentlemen?" "Bob, we gave him Highline." "Did Andrew Beckett say..." ""I might not be able to serve our client to the best of my ability"?" "He said nothing." "And now, disregarding the trust and affection I conferred upon him..." "Andrew Beckett proposes to haul me into court... to sling accusations at me, to call me a bigot... in full view of the entire Philadelphia judicial establishment." "My God!" "Excuse me." "Beckett doesn't want to go to court." "He wants a quick, tasty settlement." "Ajury might decide that he has a case." "Wait a minute." "He was fired for incompetence, not because he has Al DS." "You didn't know he was sick, did you, Bob?" "Holy shit." "Did you, Bob?" "No." "No, not really." "Okay, everybody." "Everybody, this is the house that I grew up in... right here in the hometown of Lower Merion, Pennsylvania." "Wait, here's proof." "There." "My handprints from when I was a cute little boy." "Today is the 40th wedding anniversary of my mom and dad, the Becketts." "Isn't that somethin'?" "Pretty tough life around this poverty so many years, huh?" "Well, those can be some pretty mean streets." "Don't let appearances fool you." "Here's the front door." "Now, I once slammed... this finger in the front door and I broke it." "There's my sisterJill, everybody." " Say hello, Alexis." " Mommy's pregnant again!" "What?" "Are you really?" " Hi, Meghan." " It's Uncle Andy!" " Where's Dad?" " He's trying to fix the snowblower." "It snows once in seven years, Dad buys a new snowblower." "Oh, me." "How are you?" "Oh, Mom, today's a good day." "Meghan, keep that up." "You're doin' a great job." "I gotta say hello to the Bronte sisters." "How are you?" "Good to see you." "Hi, Lee." "How are you?" "Put me down!" "If you let me love you" "It's for sure I'm gonna love you" "All the way" "All" "Bud and Sarah" "All the way" "There will be things said at the trial that are hard for you to hear... about me and my personal life." "And there's gonna be publicity." "I want to make sure it's okay with everybody." "Andy, you want me to take her?" "No." "She's fine." "I think it's great that you're asking, Andy... but this is really your call." "All right." "Thank you, brother." "Hey, you're my kid brother." "That's all that matters." "Okay?" "To be honest, I'm worried about Mommy and Daddy." "They've been through so much already." "And it's possible there are going to be some very tough times ahead." "Andy, the way that you've handled this whole thing... you and Miguel..." "with so much courage..." "I don't believe there's anything... that anyone could say that would... make us feel anything but incredibly proud of you." "Well, I didn't raise my kids to sit in the back of the bus." "You get in there and you fight for your rights, okay?" "Gee, I love you guys." "Ladies and gentlemen of thejury... forget everything you've seen on television and in the movies." "There's not gonna be any last-minute surprise witnesses." "Nobody's gonna break down on the stand with a tearful confession." "You're gonna be presented with a simple fact:" "Andrew Beckett was fired." "You'll hear two explanations for why he was fired:" "Ours and theirs." "It is up to you to sift through layer upon layer of truth... until you determine for yourselves which version sounds the most true." "There are certain points that I must prove to you." "Point number one:" "Andrew Beckett was... is... a brilliant lawyer... a great lawyer." "Point number two:" "Andrew Beckett, afflicted with a debilitating disease... made the understandable, the personal... the legal choice to keep the fact of his illness to himself." "Point number three:" "His employers discovered his illness." "And, ladies and gentlemen, the illness I'm referring to is Al DS." "Point number four:" "They panicked." "And in their panic, they did what most of us would like to do with Al DS... which is just get it and everybody who has it... as far away from the rest of us as possible." "Now, the behavior of Andrew Beckett's employers may seem reasonable to you." "It does to me." "After all, Al DS is a deadly, incurable disease." "But no matter how you come to judge Charles Wheeler and his partners... in ethical, moral and human terms, the fact of the matter is... when they fired Andrew Beckett because he had Al DS... they broke the law." "Fact:" "Fact:" "Andrew Beckett's performance on the job... varied from competent, good... to oftentimes mediocre... to sometimes flagrantly incompetent." "Fact:" "He claims he's the victim of lies and deceit." "Fact:" "It was Andrew Beckett who lied... going to great lengths to conceal his disease from his employers." "Fact:" "He was successful in his duplicity." "The partners at Wyant, Wheeler did not know... that Andrew Beckett had Al DS when they fired him." "Fact:" "Andrew Beckett is dying." "Fact:" "Andrew Beckett is angry... because his lifestyle, his reckless behavior... has cut short his life." "And in his anger, his rage... he is lashing out." "And he wants someone to pay." "Thank you." "Andrew Beckett represented your company in a lawsuit in 1990." "Is that correct?" "That's correct." "Were you pleased with his work?" "We were satisfied with the outcome of the litigation." "Satisfied." "Mr. Laird, when I approached you about being a witness in this trial... you gave sworn testimony in a deposition, is that correct?" "That's correct." "In that deposition, you said that you were impressed and delighted... with the quality of Andrew Beckett's work." "Do you recall saying that?" "In all honesty, I was delighted... with certain aspects of Andy's efforts." "But in general, I found the work to be... merely satisfactory." "Do you agree... that a bologna sandwich is a satisfactory meal?" "Whereas caviar and champagne... roast duck and baked Alaska... that might be considered a delightful meal?" "We object." "These gastronomical comments are irrelevant, Your Honor." "They are not irrelevant." "Your Honor, five months ago this witness characterized Andrew Beckett as caviar." "Now he's a bologna sandwich." "I think the jury is entitled to know... what powerful force has caused him to change his mind." "He hasn't changed his mind." "He's amplified his answer." "Objection sustained." "All right." "Mr. Laird, explain this to me like I'm a four-year-old, okay?" "Did Andrew Beckett win your lawsuit for you?" "Yes, we won." "Oh, congratulations!" "That must've been a very... satisfactory experience." ""Al DS Cures Homosexuality" Homophobia's got to go." "Hey, hey!" " Ready, Mr. Beckett?" " Get ready." "Here they come." "No rights for sodomites!" "Adam and Eve!" "Not Adam and Steve!" "Thou shalt not lie with mankind." "Do you see this as a gay rights issue?" "I am not political." "I just want what is fair, what is right." "But you are gay, aren't you?" "I don't see how that's any of your business." "But, yes, I am." "Totally irrelevant." "Do you think that homosexuals deserve special treatment?" " Hell, no!" " We're in Philadelphia... the City of Brotherly Love, birthplace of freedom... where the Founding Fathers authored the Declaration of Independence." "I don't recall that glorious document saying... anything about all straight men are created equal." "I believe it says all men are created equal." "Gimme a goddamn break." "As far as someone being fired from a law firm or a business... if we found that their action was discriminatory... they'd do no business with the city." " Thank you, Mayor." " Yo!" "You're not getting a little light in the sneakers, are you, pal?" "Yeah, I am, Filko." "I'm changing." "I'm on the prowl." "And I'm looking for a hunk, not just any hunk." "I mean a man, a real man like you." "You can tell everybody." "You know what we do." "You wanna play sailor?" " Remember?" "You're the first mate?" " That's not funny!" "Let me tell you something." "These people make me sick." "But a law's been broken." "You remember the law?" "At least we agree on one thing, Joe." "What's that, Charlie?" "Tutti-fruttis make me sick too." "Ms. Benedict, is it true you worked for Walsh, Ulmer and Brahm... at the same time as Walter Kenton?" "That's correct." "At that time, did Walter Kenton know... the K.S. Lesions on your face and arms were caused by Al DS?" "Definitely." "I told all the partners." "How did Walter Kenton treat you after you told him you had Al DS?" "Every time he'd come in contact with me, he'd get this look on his face." "I refer to it as the "Oh, God" expression." "As in, "Oh, God, here comes that woman with Al DS."" "Thank you, Ms. Benedict." "No more questions, Your Honor." "Ms. Benedict, how did you contract the Al DS virus?" "Through a transfusion." "I lost a lot of blood giving birth to my second child." "So, in your case there was no behavior on your part... which caused you to be infected with the virus." "It was something you were unable to avoid." "Isn't that correct?" "I guess." "Thank you." "But I don't consider myself... any different from anyone else with this disease." "I'm not guilty." "I'm not innocent." "I'm just trying to survive." "Thank you, Ms. Benedict." "No further questions at this time, Your Honor." "You may step down, Mrs. Benedict." "Beyond noticing the marks on his face..." "Beyond noticing the marks on his face... were there other things about his appearance, Miss Burton... that made you suspect that Andrew had Al DS?" "He was getting thinner, and he seemed very tired sometimes." "But he was working so hard." "Still, I felt something was wrong." "And I can't believe they're pretending that they didn't notice anything." "Objection." "Just answer the question, please." "Have you ever felt discriminated against at Wyant, Wheeler?" "Well, yes." " In what way?" " Well..." "Mr. Wheeler's secretary, Lydia... said that Mr. Wheeler had a problem with my earrings." " Really?" " Apparently Mr. Wheeler felt... that they were too..." ""ethnic" is the word she used." "She told me he said he would like it... if I wore something a little less garish... a little smaller and more American." "What'd you say?" "I said, " My earrings are American." "They're African-American."" "Let's have order, please." "Thank you." "No more questions." "Ms. Burton... weren't you recently promoted?" "Yes." "I'm in charge of the paralegal department." "Congratulations on your unfettered ascendancy at Wyant, Wheeler." "I don't know if I'd go so far as to call it unfettered." "I don't understand." "How do you explain... the promotion of an obviously... intelligent, articulate... qualified African-American woman... in a firm which practices discrimination... as wantonly and consistently as you and Mr. Beckett claim?" " I can't explain it." " Could it be... that these... instances of discrimination... are in fact misunderstandings... that have been blown completely out of proportion?" "I think counsel tends to oversimplify the issue somewhat." "Thank you, Miss Burton, I'll... take that note under consideration." " How's the trial going?" " Excuse me?" "It's a great case." "I saw you on television." "I'm a law student at Penn." " How you doing?" " All right." "How are you?" " Saw me on TV?" " Yeah." "It's a good school, Penn." "What year are you in?" "Second." "Listen, I just want to tell you... this case, it's tremendously important." "I wanted to let you know I think you're doing a fantastic job." " Hey." " Thank you." "All right." "When you graduate, you give me a call." "Okay." "All right." "Thank you very much." " Listen, Joe?" " Yeah?" "Would you like to have a drink?" "I just finished a game and could use a beer." "Ah, no, I can't." "My wife is..." "I don't pick up people in drugstores every day." " You think I'm gay?" " Aren't you?" "What's the matter?" "I look gay to you?" "Do I look gay to you?" " Relax." " I ought to kick your faggoty ass." "Take it as a compliment." "Geez!" "That is exactly the kind of bullshit that makes people hate your... faggoty ass." "You want to try and kick my ass, Joe?" " Asshole." " No, you're the asshole, buddy!" "Please continue, Ms. O'Hara." "We were going crazy looking for this complaint." "We were going crazy looking for this complaint." "I felt like I was in the twilight zone." "Mr. Beckett was screaming at everybody and he just..." "He looked so freaky." "Mr. Kenton kept saying, "You lost the Highline complaint?"" "And he called Mr. Wheeler, and all of a sudden..." "Jamey comes in with the complaint in his hand." " He says, "It was in central files."" " Central files?" "Central files is a place where paperwork is sent when cases are closed." "Jamey ran it over to the court just in time... and everybody just stood there completely wasted." "there completely wasted." "And Mr..." "And Mr. Beckett just kept saying..." ""I'm sorry." "Sorry." "I don't understand this."" "Thank you, Ms. O'Hara." "No further questions at this time, Your Honor." "All right." "Mr. Miller." " May I?" " Certainly." "Thank you." " You okay?" " Yes." " You want a glass of water?" " No." "Was Andy a good boss?" "Yes." "He was very sweet." "How would you characterize his work as an attorney?" "How would I know?" "I just worked for him." "Excuse me, Your Honor, but is this for the record?" "Mr. Miller, perhaps you should return to counsel's table." "Yes, sir." " Miss O'Hara?" " Yes?" "Were you aware... at any time of any problems that the senior partners had... with the quality of Andrew's work prior to this missing file episode?" "No, I wasn't." "Thank you." "No more questions, Your Honor." "Is Andrew Becket the kind of lawyer who misplaces crucial documents?" "Not to my knowledge." "No." "If you wanted to make a lawyer look incompetent, would this be a good way?" "Hiding an important document maybe for a few hours... and then making it look like the responsible lawyer misplaced it?" "Why would Mr. Wheeler and the others behave so outrageously?" "Because they found out Andy was sick?" " He's not answering the question." " Perhaps." "We've had lawyers with heart attacks, ulcers, prostate cancer, leukemia!" "No one sandbagged them." "Did you have something to do with this file being lost accidentally on purpose?" " Objection." " I'll rephrase." "Did you have anything to do with this file being misplaced?" "Absolutely not." "Are you a homosexual?" " What?" " Answer the question!" "Are you a homo?" "A faggot?" "A punk?" "A queen, pillow biter, fairy?" "Bootie snatcher, rump roaster?" "Are you gay?" " Objection!" " Order!" "Where did this come from?" "Suddenly counsel's attacking his own witness?" "Mr. Collins' sexual orientation has nothing to do with this case." "Please have a seat, Miss Conine." "Would you approach the bench, Mr. Miller?" "Could you kindly share with me... exactly what's going on inside your head... because at this moment, I don't have a clue." "Your Honor... everybody in this courtroom... is thinking about sexual orientation, sexual preference... whatever you want to call it." "Who does what to whom and how they do it." "They're looking at Andrew Beckett." "They're thinking about it." "They're looking at Mr. Wheeler, Miss Conine, even you, Your Honor." "They're wondering about it." "Trust me, I know they're looking at me and thinking about it." "So let's get it out in the open." "Let's get it out of the closet." "Because this case is not just about Al DS, is it?" "So let's talk about what this case is really all about:" "The general public's hatred, our loathing... our fear of homosexuals... and how that climate of hatred and fear... translated into the firing of this particular homosexual... my client, Andrew Beckett." "Please have a seat, Mr. Miller." "Very good." "In this courtroom, Mr. Miller, justice is blind... to matters of race, creed, color... religion and sexual orientation." "With all due respect, Your Honor... we don't live in this courtroom, though, do we?" "No, we don't." "However, as regards to this witness..." "I'm going to sustain the defense's objection." "How many weeks would you be out to sea without stopping at port?" "Oh, anywhere from two weeks to several months." "Any women on board?" "Not when I was in the navy." "So, during these long voyages... months at a time out to sea, no women in sight... hundreds of hardworking, robust young men in the prime of their lives... at the peak of their natural appetites and desires... their God-given hormonal instincts, anything going on?" "Going on?" "Like what?" "Like two sailors down below making flippy-flop." " Objection." " Mr. Miller." "We had one guy like that." "You haven't ruled on my objection, Your Honor." "Go on, Mr. Miller." "You had one guy like that." "You mean a homosexual?" "He strutted around quarters naked trying to get everybody to notice him." "Made everyone sick." "He was destroying our morale." "So we let him know this kind of behavior was not acceptable." "How'd you do that?" "Wrote him a letter?" "We stuck his head in a latrine after ten of us had used it." " You taught him a lesson, didn't you?" " Yes, we did." " Like firing Andrew taught him a lesson." " Objection." "I withdraw." "You were aware when you worked with Melissa Benedict... that she had Al DS, correct?" " She didn't try to conceal it." " So you are aware... of the difference between a bruise and a lesion." "Correct?" "Beckett told me he had been hit by a racket ball, and I believed him." "Did you avoid contact with Ms. Benedict after you found out she had Al DS?" "She says and I quote, that you were repulsed by her." "Is that correct?" "I felt, and I still feel nothing... but the deepest sympathy and compassion for people like Melissa... who contracted this terrible disease through no fault of their own." "Don't move now." "Okay." "Boy." "It's not going through." "We may have to flush it out again." "The vein's closed." "We've got to call Barbara." " Nurse Ratchett." " Wait a minute." "Yeah." "Tell her to come over." "Look, I've..." "There's so much stuff that I need to get done." "Can we..." "Can we just skip the treatment for tonight?" "No." "We are not skipping this treatment." "It's my arm, and it's my treatment, and I say skip it." "Well..." "You know something?" "That stuff is saving your life." "What's the matter with you tonight?" "Close the law book." "Will you just..." "The least you can do... is look at me... and give me a little of your time, man." "Got it?" "You are worried... we don't have very much time left, now, aren't you?" "No." "No." "I'll tell you what I'm gonna do." "I'm going to start planning my memorial service." "I'm going to start preparing for the inevitable." "Maybe you should think about it." "No." "I've got a better idea." " Hi, Andrew." "Hi, Miguel." " Hey, hey!" " Oh, Joe Miller, Counselor." " My wife, Lisa." " Are you Lisa?" "Nice to meet you." " Nice to meet you." " You look wonderful!" " Maria, Lisa." " Miguel's sister, Maria." " How are you, Maria?" " Do you care for something to drink?" " I'll take care ofJoe." "You're looking, uh, alive tonight!" "I had a blood transfusion, and I feel great." "So, you like it?" "I'm a lawsuit." "You get it?" "I'm a lawsuit." " It's not bad." " Lawsuit." " What are you drinking?" " Wine is good." "Can I have some of the red, please?" "We've got to get to this Q and A sometime tonight, you know?" "Sure." "Just one problem." " I'm at a party right now." " Fine." "Whatever." " We'll get to it, just later." " Thank you." "Hi, Joe Miller." " Do I know you?" " Mona Lisa." "Ah." "Uh, lawsuit." "Nice." "Have fun." "Mr. Sandman" "Bring me a dream" "Make him the cutest boy that I've ever seen" "Give him two lips like roses in clover" "Then tell me that my lonesome nights are over" "Mr. Sandman" "I'm so alone" "Don't have a boyfriend to call my own" "Oh, won't you please turn on your magic beam" "Mr. Sandman, bring us a dream" "It is hard to imagine" "Oh, that nothing at all" "Could be so exciting" "And so much fun" "Oh, heaven" "Is a place" "Where nothing Oh, nothing" "Can go wrong" "Thank you." " Thank you." " Sure." "Congratulations, Counselor." "Congratulations?" "You've survived what I assume to be your first gay party intact." "Let me tell you something." "When you're brought up the way most people are in this country... there's not a whole lot of discussion about homosexuality... or what do you call it, alternate lifestyles." "As a kid you're taught that queers are funny, queers are weird." "Queers dress up like their mother, that they're afraid to fight... that they're a danger to little kids." "That all they want to do is get into your pants." "That pretty much sums up the general thinking, if you want to know the truth." " Thank you for sharing that with me." " You're very welcome." "Let's go over this testimony." "We've got a big day on Monday." "Okay." "First I'll ask you..." ""Can you describe the circumstances in which... you joined the firm Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown?"" "Miller?" "Do you ever pray?" "Andrew, that is not the answer to the question." "But, yes, I pray." " What do you pray for?" " What do you mean?" "I pray that..." "I don't know!" "I pray my baby is healthy." "I pray my wife made it through delivery." "I pray the Phillies win the pennant." "Now, can we go through these questions?" "Number one: "Can you describe the circumstances in which... you joined the firm Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown?"" "Can you do that for me?" "There's a possibility I won't be around to see the end of this trial." "Yes, I've considered that." "I've made some provisions in my will for some charities." "Miguel will need a lawyer." "I know it's not your area." "I know a good probate lawyer." " Thank you." " You're welcome." "Now..." ""Can you describe the circumstances in which... you joined the firm Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown?"" "Do you mind this music?" "Do you like opera?" "I am not that familiar with opera, Andrew." "Oh, this is my favorite aria." "It's Maria Callas." "It's Andrea Chenier." "Umberto Giordano." "This is Madeleine." "She's saying how... during the French Revolution the mob set fire to her house." "And her mother died, saving her." "She says, " Look!" "The place that cradled me is burning." "I am alone."" "Do you hear the heartache in her voice?" "Can you feel it?" "Now, in come the strings, and it changes everything." "It's like the music..." "it fills with a hope." "And that'll change again." "Listen." "Listen." ""I bring sorrow to those who love me."" "Oh, that single cello!" ""It was during this sorrow that love came to me." "A voice filled with harmony." "It said, 'Live still." "I am life." "Heaven is in your eyes." "It's everything around you." "It's the blood and the mud." "I am divine!" "I am oblivion." "I am the god... that comes down from the heavens to the earth... and makes of the earth a heaven." "I am love." "Geez, I better get out of here." "Lisa's..." "I told her that, you know..." "I'll look over the Q and A." "No, you're ready." "Jesus." "God." "Yes, baby." "Oh, I love you, little Larice." "Place your left hand on the Bible." "Raise your right hand." "Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" " I do." " Please be seated." "Andrew, can you describe the circumstances in which... you joined the firm Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown?" "Wyant, Wheeler aggressively recruited me." "They were the most prestigious firm in Philadelphia... full of opportunity." "And I was impressed with the partners." " Including Charles Wheeler?" " Particularly Charles." "What impressed you about him?" "He was the kind of lawyer I thought I wanted to be." "What kind of lawyer is that?" "Possessed of an encyclopedic knowledge of the law... a razor-sharp litigator, genuine leader." "Gifted at bringing out the very best in others... and an awesome ability to illuminate... the most complex of legal concepts to a colleague, a courtroom... to the man in the street." "The kind of person who can play three sets of tennis... but doesn't sweat." "Underneath an elegant surface... he has an adventurous spirit." "In the years you worked at Wyant, Wheeler... did you ever tell Charles Wheeler you were gay?" "No, I didn't." "Why not?" "You don't bring your personal life into a law firm." "You're not supposed to have a personal life, really." "Anyway, I did plan to tell Charles eventually." "But then something happened... at the racket club... about three years ago." "Somebody started telling somejokes." "What do you call a woman who has P.M.S. And E.S.P. At the same time?" "I don't know!" "What do you call her?" "A bitch who knows everything." "Sounds like someone I know." "Hey, Walter, how does a faggot fake an orgasm?" "He throws a quart of hot yogurt on your back!" "That reminds me..." "How'd that make you feel?" "Relieved... that I never told him I was gay." "Just very relieved." "All right." "Are you a good lawyer, Andrew?" "I'm an excellent lawyer." "What makes you an excellent lawyer?" "I love the law." "I know the law." "I excel at practicing." "What do you love about the law, Andrew?" "L..." "Many things." "What I love the most?" "Yes." "Is that every now and again... not often, but occasionally... you get to be a part of... justice being done." "That really is... quite a thrill when that happens." "Thank you, Andrew." "You said earlier... you aspire to be the kind of person who had an adventurous spirit, correct?" "Something like that." "Do you take risks?" "In my work, yes." "Calculated risks." "You have to." "Did your doctor ever tell you to reduce stress?" "That long hours and stressful working conditions... might damage the immune system... and speed up your illness?" "My doctor mentioned the impact Al DS..." "Excuse me." "My doctor mentioned the impact stress could have on the immune system." "Have you ever been to the Stallion Showcase Cinema... on 21 st Street?" "I've been to... that..." "I've been to that theater... three times in my life." "What kind of movies do they show there?" "Gay movies." "Gay pornographic movies?" "Yes." "Objection, Your Honor." "Your Honor, this line of questioning is vital to the issue of credibility." "Let's see where this is going." "Continue, Counselor." "Do men have sex with each other in that theater?" "Some men." "Have you ever had sex with anyone in that theater?" "I'm Robert." "Andy." "Yes." "Once." "When?" "Approximately what year did that event take place?" "I guess it was 1984." "'84, '85." "Were you aware in 1984, '85... that there was a fatal disease out there called Al DS... and that you could contract it through sexual activity?" "I'd heard of some..." "I'd heard of a thing." "The gay plague, the gay cancer." "We didn't know how you could get it... or that it killed you." "Do you need a break, Mr. Beckett?" "No." "I could use some water, though." "John, would you bring Mr. Beckett some water?" "While you were employed at Wyant, Wheeler you did everything you could... to make sure no one knew that you were an active homosexual." "Correct?" "No." "That's not correct." "I never lied about it." "As a homosexual... one is often forced to conceal one's sexuality." "Isn't that right?" "In some circumstances, yes." "Isn't it true you've spent your life pretending to be something you're not... so much so that the art of concealment and dishonesty..." " has become second nature..." " Your Honor, I object!" "I'll withdraw it, Your Honor." "Mr. Beckett, were you living with..." "Miguel Alvarez... in 1984 or '85 when you had your... anonymous sexual encounter in the porn theater?" "Yes." "So you could have infected him, isn't that right?" "Miguel has not been infected." "You didn't answer my question." "You could have infected Mr. Alvarez at that time." "Is that correct?" "Yes." "You've testified that the lesions on your face... were visible to the people that you worked with, correct?" "That's right." "And you contend that when the partners were made aware of the lesions... that they leapt to the conclusion that you had Al DS and fired you." "Is that correct?" "As painful as it is... to accuse my former colleagues... of such reprehensible behavior... it is the only conclusion I could come to." "Do you have any lesions on your face at this time?" "One here... right by my ear." "Your Honor, may I approach the witness?" "Yes, you may." "Remembering that you're under oath... answering truthfully... can you see the lesions on your face in this mirror... from three feet away?" "Answering truthfully." "Well, I..." "At the time I was fired..." "I had four lesions, and they were much bigger." "Could you answer the question, please?" "Well, no." "No, I can't really see it." "No more questions, Your Honor." "This would be a good time to break for today." " We can reconvene in the morning." " I hate this case." "Your Honor, may I have five minutes in redirect?" "Your Honor, may I have five minutes in redirect?" "Mr. Beckett, can you go on for five minutes?" " Three minutes." " Yes." "May I borrow your mirror, please?" "Do you have any lesions on any part of your body at this time... that resemble the lesions you had on your face... at the time that you were fired?" "Yes." "On my torso." "Your torso." "If it please the court..." "I would like to ask Andrew to remove his shirt... so that everyone could get an accurate idea of what we're talking about." "Objection." "Your Honor, it would unfairly influence the jury." "Your Honor, if Andrew was forced to use a wheelchair due to his illness... would the defense ask him to park it outside... because it would unfairly influence the jury?" "We're talking about Al DS, about lesions." "Let's see what we're talking about." "I'll allow it." "Mr. Beckett, would you please remove your shirt?" "My God, what a nightmare!" "He asked for it." "Can you see the lesions on your chest in this mirror?" "Yes." "Thank you." "Do you swear to tell the whole truth, so help you God?" "Do you swear to tell the whole truth, so help you God?" "I do." "Please be seated." "Mr. Wheeler, were you aware that Andrew Beckett... was suffering from Al DS at the time of his departure from Wyant, Wheeler?" " No." " For absolute clarity... did you fire Andrew Beckett... because he had Al DS?" "No, I did not fire Andrew Beckett because he had Al DS." "Mr. Wheeler, can you explain, in a way that leaves no doubt... why you promoted..." "Andrew Beckett through your firm?" "And then, most importantly... why you eventually asked him to leave?" "If you're the owner of a major league ball club... you recruit the hot rookie." "And Andy was tremendously promising as a young attorney." "Fresh out of Penn." "Crackerjack." "That's why we went after him." "That's why we hired him." "And that's why we stuck with him year after year." "Why did you give him... opportunity after opportunity?" "Well, when you groom someone... the way we groomed Andy, nurturing him... lavishing all kinds of special treatment on him... you make quite an investment." "We were waiting for the promise to kick in and deliver." "But ultimately we could no longer... ignore the gap between the reality and the promise." "Thank you, Mr. Wheeler." "No more questions at this time, Your Honor." "Mr. Miller?" "Objection!" " Your Honor, objection." " All right, Mr. Miller." " That'll be sufficient." " Mr. Wheeler, you are magnificent." "You are my hero." "Andrew is right." "You are the greatest." "Are you gay?" "Objection." "How dare you!" "Witness will kindly answer." "No, I am not a homosexual." "Isn't it true that when you realized..." "Andrew Beckett... your golden boy, your future senior partner... was gay and had Al DS... it drove a stake of fear right through your heterosexual heart?" "Remembering... all the hugs and handshakes, the intimate moments in the sauna... the friendly pats on the backside that you and Andrew exchanged... like guys exchange." "It made you say, " My God!" "What does this say about me?"" "Objection, Your Honor." "The witness will please respond to the question." "You may tap dance around me all you wish... with your innuendoes and locker room fantasies." "But the truth still remains that your client... worked when he wanted to work... telling us what he thought we needed to know about who he really was." "Andy insisted on bending the rules... and his work suffered tremendously in the long run as a result of that." "Explain this like I'm a six-year-old, 'cause I just don't get it." "Who makes these rules that you're talking about?" "You?" "Read your Bible, Mr. Miller, Old and New Testament." "Pretty valuable rules in there." "Excuse me." "Excuse..." "I can't..." "Excuse me!" "Christ's sakes, somebody get a doctor!" "What is it?" "Turn over now." " Call an ambulance, please?" " Right away." "An ambulance, please!" "Let him breathe." "Please make room for him." "It's not working." " Please, sir!" " It's not working!" " They know how to save him." " It is making him worse!" "Did you notice any changes whatsoever in Andrew's appearance... over the course of the year leading up to his termination?" "Yes." "I did." "Were these changes for the better or for the worse?" "Sometimes for the better, but generally they were for the worse." "Mr. Seidman, what did you think caused these changes in Andy's appearance?" "I was afraid." "I suspected Andy had Al DS." " Order." " Thank you." "Your witness." " Miss Conine?" " Mr. Seidman... did you share your suspicions with Mr. Wheeler... or any of the other managing partners at any time... before the decision to fire Andrew Beckett was made?" "No." "I didn't." "I didn't mention it to anyone... not even Andy." "I didn't even give him a chance to talk about it." "And I think I'm going to regret that... for as long as I live." " Any more questions, Miss Conine?" " That's all, Your Honor." "They are sayin'he wasn't a good lawyer." "He was mediocre." "And the fact that they gave him the most important lawsuit they ever had... for one of their most important clients..." "They say that doesn't prove anything because that was just a test." " What'd they call it?" "A carrot?" " Yeah. "What's up, Doc?"" "To see if he'd rise to the occasion." "Okay." "Say I gotta send a pilot into enemy territory... and he's gonna be flyin' a plane that costs $350 million." "Who am I gonna put in that plane?" "Some rookie who can't cut it so I can see if he is up to the challenge?" "Or am I gonna give that assignment to my best pilot... my sharpest, my most experienced, my top gun... the very best I got?" "I just don't get that." "Would somebody please explain it to me... like I'm a six-year-old?" " Juror number six?" " I agree." " Juror number seven?" " I agree." " Juror number nine?" " I agree." "Juror number ten?" " I disagree." " Juror number 11?" " I agree." " Juror number 12?" "Agree." "Have you awarded any damages?" "Yes, Your Honor, we have." "For back pay and loss of benefits we award $143,000." "For mental anguish and humiliation we award $100,000." "And for punitive damages we award $4,782,000." "You may record the verdict." "Everyone remain seated until the jury is removed." "How could they do that?" "This trial is now concluded." "Congratulations!" "We'll strain ourselves getting a reversal on this one." " We'll get started in the morning." " Well, that's that." "Congratulations, Mr. Miller." "I'll see you at the appeal." "Congratulations." "Well done." "Oh, man." "Thanks a lot." " I'll see ya at the hospital." " Okay." "Oh, Mr. Miller." "Hi." "How you doin'?" " You know where the room is?" " Down the hall." " Right there." " The one off..." "Thanks." "If he leaves the hospital, which is unlikely... don't expect him to be remotely like he was before this crisis." "He's lost the vision in his right eye... and because of the C.M.V. He will not regain his vision." " Next door, to the right." " The C.M.V. Has ravaged his body." "Hi." "Congratulations." "Hey." "Way to go." "Man of the hour." "Hey, Joe." "We are so grateful to you." "You were wonderful." "Thank you so much." " Can I take that for you?" " Yeah." "I brought some..." " Oh, wonderful." " Cheese and stuff." "How ya doin'?" "What do you call a thousand lawyers... chained together at the bottom of the ocean?" "I don't know." "A good start." "Excellent work, Counselor." "I thank you." "It was great working with you..." "Counselor." "I'd better go." "Yeah." "Sure thing." "I'll see you later?" "Thanks for stopping by." "I'll see you again." "I'll keep it on ice for you." "See you." "I just want to say thank you." "We really appreciate it." "We'll see you again?" "He's a fighter." "We just want to get him home." "Thank you, Joe." "What do you call a thousand lawyers chained at the bottom of the ocean?" " A good start?" " Very amusing." "I'll see you tomorrow, buddy." "Okay?" "God bless you, Andy." "Good night, son." "Try to get some rest, okay?" "I love you, Andy." "I love you too, Dad." "See you first thing tomorrow." "Hey." "It's okay." " Don't worry." " I'll see you tomorrow." "Come on, sweetheart." "It's all right." "It's okay." "Don't worry about it." "Good night, my angel." "My sweet boy." "No, let me help you." "Miguel..." "I'm ready." "Hello?" "Joe, it's Miguel." "Hello?" " It's nice to see you." " Everybody's upstairs." "Sometimes I think that I know" "What love's all about" "And when I see the light" "I know I'll be all right" "I've got my friends in the world" "I had my friends" "When we were boys and girls" "And the secrets came unfurled" "Look at my boy." "Oh, hi." "Yes, I know." "City of Brotherly Love" "Place I call home" "Don't turn your back on me" "I don't wanna be alone" "Love lasts forever" "Someone is talkin'to me" "Calling my name" "Tell me I'm not to blame" "I won't be ashamed oflove" "Philadelphia" "City of Brotherly Love" "Sometimes I think that I know" "What love's all about" "And when I see the light" "I know I'll be all right" "Philadelphia" "Subtitles By Captions, Inc." "Los Angeles" "I was bruised and battered I couldn't tell what I felt" "I was unrecognizable to myself" "Saw my reflection in a window" "And didn't know my own face" "So, brother, I'm gonna leave" "Wastin'away on the streets of Philadelphia" "This one?" "I walked the avenue till my legs felt like stone" "I heard voices of friends vanished and gone" "At night I hear the blood in my veins" "Just as black and whispery as the rain" "On the streets of Philadelphia" "Ain't no angel gonna greet me" "It's just you and I my friend" "And my clothes don't fit me no more" "I walked a thousand miles just to slip this skin" "Night has fallen I'm lyin'awake" "I can feel myself fading'away" "So, will you receive me, brother with your faithless kiss" "Or will we leave each other alone like this" "On the streets of Philadelphia" "This "pestilent dust"counselor refers to has appeared on only three occasions." "This "pestilent dust"counselor refers to has appeared on only three occasions." "Each time it was tested, and the results:" "Limestone." "It's messy, but innocuous." " "Innocuous"?" " Defined by Webster's as harmless." "I know what it means." "May I?" "Thank you." "Your Honor... imagine how the children in this neighborhood are being made to feel." "The constant pounding of construction ringing in their ears... as this skyscraper..." "a tribute to mankind's greed... grows daily, casting an ominous shadow over their lives... filling them with dread even as they are surrounded by this toxic dust." "Your Honor, Kendall Construction... builds neighborhoods, it doesn't destroy them." "Granting a restraining order against this construction site will... throw 753 Philadelphians out of work... and lend validation to this contemptible and groundless nuisance suit." "It's an example of the rapacious litigation... that today is tearing at the very fabric of our society." "Let's not go off the deep end, gentlemen." "You've made an articulate and compelling presentation, Mr. Miller... but I don't believe you've proven irreparable harm." "Not yet, Your Honor." "Proper use of trade name without..." " Is that you?" " Yeah, that's me." "Miller." "Yes." "Hello, Iris." "Client of yours?" "Funny." "Hold on, Iris." "Excuse me, sir?" "My sons and I went to a restaurant the other day." "We ordered coffee." "The waiter goes..." ""Would you like sugar or Sweet 'n' Low?"" "I said, "Do I look like I should be on a diet?"" "Oh, God, sometimes I just feel so sorry..." " Andy." " Hi, Doc." "Your blood work came back this morning." "I'm gonna come back in a few minutes and talk to you about it." " All right?" " I'll be right here." "Good." "How you doin' today, Jackie?" "Hi." "How're you feeling?" " Feelin' pretty good." " Great." "Make a fist for me?" "Once more." "Gonna have to start lookin' for veins in your feet, sweetheart." " Patience, Tyrone." " Okay." "Once more." " How are the Magruder accounts?" " We'll close in a couple weeks." "Terrific job on the Kendall situation." " Top-notch, Mr. Beckett." " Thanks, Kenneth, Robert." " Hi, Mr. Beckett." " Hi, Rose." "Anthea, just the paralegal extraordinaire I was hoping to see." "I know what that means." "The answer is no." " I'm talkin' dinner at Felicia's." " I've got a class." "I've got some pretty compelling briefs that need proofing." "You can exploit somebody else." " Since you've asked..." " Your exam." "Thank you." "Ninety-eight." "Ninety-eight?" "Congratulations." "I have to pick up Amy, but I want to talk to you about that Hansen thing." "Give me a call." "I'll be here." "Tell Amy I loved her painting." "It's on my wall." "Hi, Andrew." "Conference call's up." "The roll call just started." "Now, this is a settlement agreement." "The red-line copy's on your desk." " You need me in there?" " No." "It's 6:30." "Go home." " Hello?" " Hey, Mom.!" "Oh, hi, darling." "What a wonderful surprise." "How are you?" "Good." "Well, what does Dr. Gillman say?" "Dr. Gillman says I am fine." "My blood work is excellent." "She says my T-cells are steady." "Honey, how 'bout your platelets?" "What did she say?" "Oh, even my platelets look good." "Great." "Mom, more importantly, how are you?" "Mom?" "I'm fine." " And Dad?" " Dad is fine." "And what are you doin'?" "Okay." ""Action for the wrongful interference with prospective economic relations."" "Okay." "Am I interrupting you?" "In a word, Bob..." "Charles wants to see you upstairs." "I was just about to take a break." " I'm not underdressed for this?" " No, you're not." "Charles, Andy has expressed a keen interest... in Highline, Inc." "V. Sander Systems." "Isn't that right, Andy?" "The fate of the participants interests me." "Yes, sir." "It's an antitrust action." "It is, and it isn't, Charles." "Sander Systems copies Highline's spreadsheet program." "For me... the legal principle involved is copyright infringement." "Well, tell me this, Andy." "Which side of this conflict would you wish to see emerge victorious?" "And don't allow my close personal relationship with Bill Wright..." "Sander Systems' C.E.O. To influence your answer in any way." "Well, I'd like to see Highline win this one." "Oh!" "Why, Beckett?" "If Sanders Systems wins... an energetic, young company is destroyed." "The laws for antitrust and copyright were enacted to prevent exactly... the kind of bullshit that Sander Systems is trying to pull." " Andy, you know who reps Highline?" " Rodney Bailey." "Oh, I object!" "Rodney Bailey, who couldn't find his way around copyright law with a map." "Well, apparently the fellas at Highline agree with you, Andy." "Which explains why, as of 9:03 this evening, right after dessert..." "Highline is now represented by Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown." "Outstanding." "And more specifically..." "Senior Associate Andrew Beckett." " Bravo!" " Yes!" " Come on!" " Congratulations." " Thank you, Robert." " We've got to get on this right away." "Statute of limitations, yeah." "I'm right on it." " Exactly." " We have ten days to file." "Tokyo on line four, Bob." "Walter, thank you." " Kenneth, thank you." " You bet, Andy." "Congratulations." " Thanks." "I'm overwhelmed." " What's that on your forehead, pal?" "What?" "Where?" "That... right there on your forehead." "Oh, I got whacked in the head with a racket ball." "Excuse me." "Charles, I..." "I sincerely appreciate your faith in my abilities." "Faith, Andy, is the belief in something for which we have no evidence." "It does not apply to this situation." "Well, go home." "Oh, no!" "Go back to work." "Thank you, Charles." "No sweat, buddy." "The committee meeting we're gonna have next week... a bunch of staff members..." "Tommy, how are ya?" "The Highline complaint is right there on my desk, Shelby." "It's all set to go, so make sureJamey is on top of it." "Sure." "You got it." "Anything else?" "No, that's it." "I'm gonna be working out of the house this afternoon... so, thanks a lot." " Bye-bye." " Bye-bye." "Okay." "Now, you're gonna want to apply this foundation as evenly as you can." "'Cause you don't want it to look like you threw it on with a spoon." " Yeah." " So, over here, you try this." " I got it." " Right there." "Chandra, you don't think this is just a little too orange for me?" "Well, okay, it's Tahitian Bronze." "That works best on these lesions." "Think of it as the "I just got back from Aruba" look." "Exactly." "I've called in sick for four days... and now they're gonna think I was taking a cruise." " Fax." " Oh, thank you, Bruno." "Okay, we can try this light Egypt..." "What?" "Excuse me." "Just like my cousin, Fredo." "Does anybody want a bagel?" "You okay, Andy?" "I think I need to go to the hospital." "Watch out!" "Hello, hello." "Oh, it's all right." "It's all right." " I'm gettin' out of here, all right?" " Okay." "I'll talk to you later." "Oh, one more." "Thank you for driving like a bat out of hell." " Take it easy, all right?" " Dr. Gillman is out of her office." "I told her to take a day off, and she took a day off." "Can you believe that?" "They took blood?" "A specimen or something?" "Blood, yes." "A specimen, I'm empty." "Did you find someone to take your class?" "Don't worry about it." "Let me see." "Oh, you got a fever, baby." "Oh, there's my guy." "Excuse me." "Doctor?" "Hello, hi." "Just one second." "I came that close to not making it to the bathroom again." " I almost lost it in front of everyone." " So what?" " It's nothing to be ashamed of." " I'm not ashamed, it's just..." " What about my blood work?" " We're waiting." "Meanwhile, I want to prep you for a colonoscopy, take a look inside." " It sounds delightful." " Wait a minute." "Why do you need to do this?" " Who are you?" " Who are you, Dr..." " This is my partner." " Yeah?" "He keeps the records of all my hospital visits." "It's nothing personal." "Oh, I'm Dr. Klenstein." "Listen, you're right." "A colonoscopy is not a pleasant procedure." "But if the K.S. Is causing the diarrhea, we've got to know about that right away." "No, but it could be parasites, an infection." "I mean..." "Reaction to the A.Z.T." "All these are possibilities, but we've got to go forward..." "Listen to me." "He's not going through some painful procedure... until we cancel out everything else, understand?" " I'm trying to help your partner, okay?" " Okay." " You're not immediate family." " I'm not?" " I could have you removed from the E.R." " Really?" "Look, he's upset." "He's sorry." "No." "Don't apologize for me, okay?" "Okay." "He's not sorry." "Let's do this." "Let's find out what the blood work tells us." "I'll try to give you a specimen." "Some hospital food may help me along." "Then we might hear from Dr. Gillman." "We can start from there, okay?" " Everybody happy?" "All right?" " Okay." " I'll see the lab about the blood work." " Thank you, Doctor." "I'm sorry." "That's the third time the office has beeped me." " I better go." " "Klenstein"?" "I gotta go give them a call." "Now, I want you to sit down and relax." " I am relaxed." " Oh, good." "Is there a phone around, somewhere nearby?" " Down the hall." " Thank you." "If you or someone you know has been injured through the fault of others... you may be entitled to a cash settlement... or money damages for your pain and suffering." " Good Lord." " I'm attorneyJoseph Miller." "At McCreedy and..." "Mr. Beckett's office." "Shelby, it's me." "Jamey's been beeping' me." "I'm so glad you called, Andrew." "Listen, I just want you to know we have a minor catastrophe in the making here." "It's about that Highline complaint." "Jamey is going absolutely ballistic." "All right." "Calm down." "Put him on." "All right." "One second." "Andy, this is a disaster.!" "We can't find the revisions on the Highline complaint." "Wait, wait." "Slow down." "I told them you were working at home, and it would be here this morning." "No." "I brought it into the office last night." "I was there till 3:00 a.m. There should be a copy with corrections on my desk." "I'm telling you it's not here, Andy." "Shelby can't find it either." "All right." "The hard disk on my computer." "Print it up on the double and run it through word processing yourself." " Okay." "What did you file it under?" " H" " L-1." "Jamey, I don't have to tell you we are up against the statute oflimitations... and it runs out in... in 75 minutes?" " It's not here, Andy." " Not there?" "I'm on my way." "Every problem has a solution." "Aw, it's coming." "Yeah, baby, it's coming!" "It's a girl." "Oh, my God." " Take a picture, Joe." " I'm trying." "I can't get the film in." "Oh, my God." "Baby?" "Help me, baby." "Aw, look at her." " That little, sweet little..." " Get a picture before she gets too old." "She's perfect, Lisa." "Long hair." "Go down to Famous Fourth Street Deli, and get a pound of Nova..." "No..." "Scotch salmon." "She likes that." "Yeah." "Some onion rolls, bagels..." "Here, give me a call." " Nice champagne." " You're that TV guy." "I don't care how much it costs." "Get some nice Dom Perignon." " Thanks." " How much?" "A hundred dollars?" "Don't get Dom Perignon." "Get a nice Californian." "Dom Perignon's too much." "Get it all over here, because she's starving." "No, Iris, not the baby." "Lisa is starving." "Yeah, Lisa." "Iris, listen." " Anybody call?" " An Andrew Beckett called." "Beckett?" "Who's Andrew Beckett?" "There he is!" "Joseph!" "The entire street is clear, except for one small area under construction:" "This huge hole that is clearly marked and blocked off." " Yes." " You decide to cross at this spot." "You fall into the hole." "Now you want to sue the city for negligence, right?" "Yes." "Do I have a case?" " Yes." "Of course you've got a case." " Great." " Go with my assistant Iris." " All right." "She'll have you fill out some forms, tell you about our fee arrangement." "Of course, you know we take no cash unless we get cash justice for you." "How's your back?" "You got any lower back pain, dizziness, nightmares?" "Funny you should mention that." "I been having..." "Iris will take good care of you." "Iris, you take good care of Mr. Finley." " I will." "Mr. Beckett's here." " Hey, thanks a lot." "Take care." "Mr. Beckett?" "Mr. Beckett, come in." "It's good to see you again, Counselor." "Judge Tate." "Kendall Construction." ""Innocuous."" "How are you?" "What happened to your face?" "I have Al DS." "I'm sorry." "I, uh..." " Can I sit down?" " Yeah." "Thank you." "Oh, look at this." "You have a new baby." "Yeah." "I got a little baby girl." ""It's a girl." Congratulations." "Yeah." "One week old." "Kids are great." "Yeah." "Thank you, Beckett." "I'm real excited about it." "Listen, I..." "What can I do for you?" "I've been fired by Wyant, Wheeler." "I want to bring a wrongful termination suit against Wheeler and his partners." "You want to sue Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown?" "Correct." "I'm seeking representation." "Continue." "I misplaced an important complaint." "That's their story." "Want to hear mine?" "How many lawyers did you go to before you called me?" "Nine." "Continue." "The night before it was due, I worked on the complaint in my office." "I left a copy of it on my desk." "The next day, the complaint vanished." "No hard copy." "All traces of it mysteriously gone from my computer." "Miraculously, a copy of the complaint was located at the last minute... and we got it to court on time." "But the next day I was summoned to a meeting with the managing partners." "They were waiting for me in the conference room." "Oh, hello, Andy!" "Come on in." "Would you mind hitting the windows?" "Thanks." "Come on in." "Kenneth, Robert, Charles, Walter and Lydia." "Thanks for coming in." "Oh, of course." "Andy, before we begin, I'd just like to say... that everyone in this room is your friend." "I know that, Charles." "More than your friend... family." "Charles, I must apologize again for the Highline mishap yesterday." "That was some scary moment around here." "Wow." "Thank God the complaint was found... and no damage was done." "This time." "What about next time?" "There won't be a next time." "I guarantee it." "Yeah." "It's just that something's come over you lately, Andy." "I don't know... some kind of stupor or fogginess." "Some people think you have an attitude problem, Beckett." "Really?" "Who thinks that?" "I do." "Excuse me." "Am I being fired?" "Let me put it this way, Andy." "Your place in the future of this firm is no longer secure." "We feel it isn't fair to keep you here... when your prospects are limited." "And now, I don't want to rush you out..." "We've got a committee meeting." "Excuse me, Charles... with all due respect, this is preposterous!" "It doesn't make any sense." "Oh, you're right, Beckett." "You don't have an attitude problem." "Take it easy." "If you'd lost confidence in me, why did you give me the Highline suit?" "Andy, you nearly blew the entire case." "That alone is inexcusable." "It would have been catastrophic for us." "So you were concealing your illness." "That's correct." "All right." "Explain this to me like I'm a two-year-old, okay?" "Because there's an element to this thing that I cannot get through my thick head." "Didn't you have an obligation to tell your employer... you had this dreaded, deadly, infectious disease?" "That's not the point." "From the day they hired me to the day I was fired..." "I served my clients consistently, thoroughly, with absolute excellence." "If they hadn't fired me, that's what I'd be doing today." "And they don't want to fire you for having Al DS... so, in spite of your brilliance, they make you look incompetent." "Thus, the mysterious lost files." "Is that what you're trying to tell me?" "Correct." "I was sabotaged." "I don't buy it, Counselor." "That's very disappointing." "I don't see a case." "I have a case." "If you don't want it for personal reasons..." "Thank you." "That's correct." "I don't." "Well, thank you for your time, Counselor." "I'm sorry about what happened to you." "It's a bitch, you know?" "Have a nice day, Mr. Beckett." "What the hell's the matter with that guy?" "Iris, find out if Armbruster can see me." " Joe Miller's office." " Iris." " Find out if Armbruster can see me." " Armbruster?" "When?" " Sometime this afternoon." " What's wrong with him?" "No." "Right away, Iris." "Excuse me." "The HIVvirus can only be transmitted through the exchange ofbodily fluids... namely, blood, semen and vaginal secretions." "Right." "Yeah." "But isn't it true they're finding out new things about this disease every day?" "Now, you tell me today there's no danger." "Go home." "I go home." "I pick up my little baby girl." "Then I find out six months from now on the news or something:" "Whoops!" "Made a mistake." "Yeah, you can carry it... on your shirt or your clothes or..." "What are you doing?" "We're gonna draw blood." " Why are we gonna do that?" " Joe." "LittleJoe." "I've known you since you were a kid." "And I don't care a whit about your private life." "Thanks, Doc." "I don't need an Al DS test, but thanks anyway." "Just send a bill to my office for me." "Okay?" "Thanks for the information." "Really." "You have a problem with gays, Joe." " Not especially." " Yes, you do." " How many gays do you know?" " How many do you know?" " Lots." " Like who?" "Karen Berman, my aunt Theresa..." "Cousin Tommy who lives in Rochester..." "Eddie Meyers from the office..." "Stanley, the guy who's putting in our kitchen cabinets." "Aunt Theresa is gay?" "That beautiful, sensuous, voluptuous woman is a lesbian?" "Since when?" "Probably since she was born." "Oh, man." "All right." "Well, hey, I admit it, okay?" "I'm prejudiced." "I don't like homosexuals." "There." "You got me." " All right." " I mean, the way these guys do that... thing, don't they get confused?" ""Oh, I don't know." "Is that yours?" "Is that mine?"" "You know, I don't want to be in bed with anybody who's stronger than me... or who has more hair on their chest." "Now, you can call me old-fashioned, conservative." "Just call me a man." "Besides, I think you have to be a man to understand how... really disgusting that whole idea is anyway." " Yeah?" " Yeah." "Well, well." "Little caveman of the house." "You damn skippy." "Here you go, baby." "Stay away from your aunt Theresa too." "Joe, don't say that to her." "Think about those guys pumping up together... trying to be macho and faggot at the same time." "I mean, I can't stand that shit." "Hey, I'm bein' totally honest with you, okay?" " Oh, yeah." "You are." " All right." "I got a question for you." "Would you accept a client... if you were constantly thinking..." ""I don't want this person to touch me." "I don't want him to even breathe on me"?" " Not if I was you, honey." " That's what I'm talking about." "What?" "Ho, ho, ho.!" "Merry Christmas.!" " Merry Christmas." " Thank you." " Hey, merry Christmas!" " Merry Christmas, sir." "Thank..." "Happy new year." " You're the, uh, the TV guy." " TV guy." "Sir?" "This is the supplement." "You're right." "There is a section on HIV-related discrimination." "Thank you." "Thank you very much." "We do have a private research room available." "I'm fine right here." "Thank you." "Excuse me." "Do you know where I can find the State v. Murdock case?" "Just a moment." "I'll be right with you." "Thanks." "Wouldn't you be more comfortable in a research room?" "No." "Would it make you more comfortable?" "Beckett." "How you doin'?" "Counselor." "Whatever, sir." "Excuse me." "Who'd you get?" "What?" "Did you find a lawyer?" "I'm a lawyer." "Hey, how's your baby?" "Oh, yeah." "She's, uh..." "She's wonderful, great." "What's her name?" "Larice." "That's a beautiful name." "Named her after my sister." "Look, I'm, uh..." "How'd they find out you have the Al DS?" "One of the partners noticed a lesion on my forehead." "But how do you go from, uh..." "How do you go from a lawyer spotting a lesion, which could be anything... to the partners deducing that you have Al DS... and terminating you on the basis of that conclusion?" "That's a good point." "The partner who spotted the lesion, Walter Kenton... worked for Walsh, Ulmer and Brahm in D.C." "A paralegal there, Melissa Benedict... showed lesions on and off for the better part of two, three years." "She says it was common knowledge around the office they were caused by Al DS." "But they didn't fire her." "No." "They did not fire her." "I see." "So you got a relevant precedent?" "The Arline decision." " Arline?" " Supreme Court." ""The Federal Vocational Rehabilitation Act... of 1973 prohibits discrimination... against otherwise qualified handicapped persons... who are able to perform the duties required by their employment." "Although the ruling did not address the specific issue... of HIV and Al DS discrimination..."" ""Subsequent decisions have held that Al DS is protected as a handicap... under law, not only because of the physical limitations it imposes... but because the prejudice surrounding Al DS... exacts a social death which precedes..." "which precedes the actual physical one."" ""This is the essence of discrimination:" "Forming opinions about others not based on their individual merits... but rather their membership in a group with assumed characteristics."" " Charles Wheeler." " Julius Erving!" " By golly, I'm glad to see you!" " Ken Starr." " Ken, how are ya?" " How are ya?" "Come over here." "Charles Wheeler, how you doin'?" " How are you?" " Very good." " Welcome..." " Summons for you." "Take a look at it." "Have a good day." "Hey, Dr.J. How are you?" "You're the best." "If you ever need a lawyer for anything, you give me a call." "If you slip and fall, you know, accidents, anything, let me know." "See you in court." " The TV guy." " Yeah, the TV guy." "Say, Chuck, what's up?" "Now, regarding Andy, I want to know everything regarding his personal life." "Does he frequent those pathetic bars on Chestnut Street?" " Right." " Oh, Jesus." "What other homosexual facilities does he go to?" " Absolutely." " Charles." "What deviant groups or organizations does he secretly belong to?" " First thing in the morning." " Wait a minute!" " Look..." " What is it?" "Let's make a fair settlement offer and put this tragic business behind us." "Bob..." "Andy brought Al DS into our offices... into our men's room." "He brought Al DS to our annual goddamn family picnic." "We ought to be suing him, Bob." "Where is your compassion, gentlemen?" "Bob, we gave him Highline." "Did Andrew Beckett say..." ""I might not be able to serve our client to the best of my ability"?" "He said nothing." "And now, disregarding the trust and affection I conferred upon him..." "Andrew Beckett proposes to haul me into court... to sling accusations at me, to call me a bigot... in full view of the entire Philadelphia judicial establishment." "My God!" "Excuse me." "Beckett doesn't want to go to court." "He wants a quick, tasty settlement." "Ajury might decide that he has a case." "Wait a minute." "He was fired for incompetence, not because he has Al DS." "You didn't know he was sick, did you, Bob?" "Holy shit." "Did you, Bob?" "No." "No, not really." "Okay, everybody." "Everybody, this is the house that I grew up in... right here in the hometown of Lower Merion, Pennsylvania." "Wait, here's proof." "There." "My handprints from when I was a cute little boy." "Today is the 40th wedding anniversary of my mom and dad, the Becketts." "Isn't that somethin'?" "Pretty tough life around this poverty so many years, huh?" "Well, those can be some pretty mean streets." "Don't let appearances fool you." "Here's the front door." "Now, I once slammed... this finger in the front door and I broke it." "There's my sisterJill, everybody." " Say hello, Alexis." " Mommy's pregnant again!" "What?" "Are you really?" " Hi, Meghan." " It's Uncle Andy!" " Where's Dad?" " He's trying to fix the snowblower." "It snows once in seven years, Dad buys a new snowblower." "Oh, me." "How are you?" "Oh, Mom, today's a good day." "Meghan, keep that up." "You're doin' a great job." "I gotta say hello to the Bronte sisters." "How are you?" "Good to see you." "Hi, Lee." "How are you?" "Put me down!" "If you let me love you" "It's for sure I'm gonna love you" "All the way" "All" "Bud and Sarah" "All the way" "There will be things said at the trial that are hard for you to hear... about me and my personal life." "And there's gonna be publicity." "I want to make sure it's okay with everybody." "Andy, you want me to take her?" "No." "She's fine." "I think it's great that you're asking, Andy... but this is really your call." "All right." "Thank you, brother." "Hey, you're my kid brother." "That's all that matters." "Okay?" "To be honest, I'm worried about Mommy and Daddy." "They've been through so much already." "And it's possible there are going to be some very tough times ahead." "Andy, the way that you've handled this whole thing... you and Miguel..." "with so much courage..." "I don't believe there's anything... that anyone could say that would... make us feel anything but incredibly proud of you." "Well, I didn't raise my kids to sit in the back of the bus." "You get in there and you fight for your rights, okay?" "Gee, I love you guys." "Ladies and gentlemen of thejury... forget everything you've seen on television and in the movies." "There's not gonna be any last-minute surprise witnesses." "Nobody's gonna break down on the stand with a tearful confession." "You're gonna be presented with a simple fact:" "Andrew Beckett was fired." "You'll hear two explanations for why he was fired:" "Ours and theirs." "It is up to you to sift through layer upon layer of truth... until you determine for yourselves which version sounds the most true." "There are certain points that I must prove to you." "Point number one:" "Andrew Beckett was... is... a brilliant lawyer... a great lawyer." "Point number two:" "Andrew Beckett, afflicted with a debilitating disease... made the understandable, the personal... the legal choice to keep the fact of his illness to himself." "Point number three:" "His employers discovered his illness." "And, ladies and gentlemen, the illness I'm referring to is Al DS." "Point number four:" "They panicked." "And in their panic, they did what most of us would like to do with Al DS... which is just get it and everybody who has it... as far away from the rest of us as possible." "Now, the behavior of Andrew Beckett's employers may seem reasonable to you." "It does to me." "After all, Al DS is a deadly, incurable disease." "But no matter how you come to judge Charles Wheeler and his partners... in ethical, moral and human terms, the fact of the matter is... when they fired Andrew Beckett because he had Al DS... they broke the law." "Fact:" "Fact:" "Andrew Beckett's performance on the job... varied from competent, good... to oftentimes mediocre... to sometimes flagrantly incompetent." "Fact:" "He claims he's the victim of lies and deceit." "Fact:" "It was Andrew Beckett who lied... going to great lengths to conceal his disease from his employers." "Fact:" "He was successful in his duplicity." "The partners at Wyant, Wheeler did not know... that Andrew Beckett had Al DS when they fired him." "Fact:" "Andrew Beckett is dying." "Fact:" "Andrew Beckett is angry... because his lifestyle, his reckless behavior... has cut short his life." "And in his anger, his rage... he is lashing out." "And he wants someone to pay." "Thank you." "Andrew Beckett represented your company in a lawsuit in 1990." "Is that correct?" "That's correct." "Were you pleased with his work?" "We were satisfied with the outcome of the litigation." "Satisfied." "Mr. Laird, when I approached you about being a witness in this trial... you gave sworn testimony in a deposition, is that correct?" "That's correct." "In that deposition, you said that you were impressed and delighted... with the quality of Andrew Beckett's work." "Do you recall saying that?" "In all honesty, I was delighted... with certain aspects of Andy's efforts." "But in general, I found the work to be... merely satisfactory." "Do you agree... that a bologna sandwich is a satisfactory meal?" "Whereas caviar and champagne... roast duck and baked Alaska... that might be considered a delightful meal?" "We object." "These gastronomical comments are irrelevant, Your Honor." "They are not irrelevant." "Your Honor, five months ago this witness characterized Andrew Beckett as caviar." "Now he's a bologna sandwich." "I think the jury is entitled to know... what powerful force has caused him to change his mind." "He hasn't changed his mind." "He's amplified his answer." "Objection sustained." "All right." "Mr. Laird, explain this to me like I'm a four-year-old, okay?" "Did Andrew Beckett win your lawsuit for you?" "Yes, we won." "Oh, congratulations!" "That must've been a very... satisfactory experience." ""Al DS Cures Homosexuality" Homophobia's got to go." "Hey, hey!" " Ready, Mr. Beckett?" " Get ready." "Here they come." "No rights for sodomites!" "Adam and Eve!" "Not Adam and Steve!" "Thou shalt not lie with mankind." "Do you see this as a gay rights issue?" "I am not political." "I just want what is fair, what is right." "But you are gay, aren't you?" "I don't see how that's any of your business." "But, yes, I am." "Totally irrelevant." "Do you think that homosexuals deserve special treatment?" " Hell, no!" " We're in Philadelphia... the City of Brotherly Love, birthplace of freedom... where the Founding Fathers authored the Declaration of Independence." "I don't recall that glorious document saying... anything about all straight men are created equal." "I believe it says all men are created equal." "Gimme a goddamn break." "As far as someone being fired from a law firm or a business... if we found that their action was discriminatory... they'd do no business with the city." " Thank you, Mayor." " Yo!" "You're not getting a little light in the sneakers, are you, pal?" "Yeah, I am, Filko." "I'm changing." "I'm on the prowl." "And I'm looking for a hunk, not just any hunk." "I mean a man, a real man like you." "You can tell everybody." "You know what we do." "You wanna play sailor?" " Remember?" "You're the first mate?" " That's not funny!" "Let me tell you something." "These people make me sick." "But a law's been broken." "You remember the law?" "At least we agree on one thing, Joe." "What's that, Charlie?" "Tutti-fruttis make me sick too." "Ms. Benedict, is it true you worked for Walsh, Ulmer and Brahm... at the same time as Walter Kenton?" "That's correct." "At that time, did Walter Kenton know... the K.S. Lesions on your face and arms were caused by Al DS?" "Definitely." "I told all the partners." "How did Walter Kenton treat you after you told him you had Al DS?" "Every time he'd come in contact with me, he'd get this look on his face." "I refer to it as the "Oh, God" expression." "As in, "Oh, God, here comes that woman with Al DS."" "Thank you, Ms. Benedict." "No more questions, Your Honor." "Ms. Benedict, how did you contract the Al DS virus?" "Through a transfusion." "I lost a lot of blood giving birth to my second child." "So, in your case there was no behavior on your part... which caused you to be infected with the virus." "It was something you were unable to avoid." "Isn't that correct?" "I guess." "Thank you." "But I don't consider myself... any different from anyone else with this disease." "I'm not guilty." "I'm not innocent." "I'm just trying to survive." "Thank you, Ms. Benedict." "No further questions at this time, Your Honor." "You may step down, Mrs. Benedict." "Beyond noticing the marks on his face..." "Beyond noticing the marks on his face... were there other things about his appearance, Miss Burton... that made you suspect that Andrew had Al DS?" "He was getting thinner, and he seemed very tired sometimes." "But he was working so hard." "Still, I felt something was wrong." "And I can't believe they're pretending that they didn't notice anything." "Objection." "Just answer the question, please." "Have you ever felt discriminated against at Wyant, Wheeler?" "Well, yes." " In what way?" " Well..." "Mr. Wheeler's secretary, Lydia... said that Mr. Wheeler had a problem with my earrings." " Really?" " Apparently Mr. Wheeler felt... that they were too..." ""ethnic" is the word she used." "She told me he said he would like it... if I wore something a little less garish... a little smaller and more American." "What'd you say?" "I said, " My earrings are American." "They're African-American."" "Let's have order, please." "Thank you." "No more questions." "Ms. Burton... weren't you recently promoted?" "Yes." "I'm in charge of the paralegal department." "Congratulations on your unfettered ascendancy at Wyant, Wheeler." "I don't know if I'd go so far as to call it unfettered." "I don't understand." "How do you explain... the promotion of an obviously... intelligent, articulate... qualified African-American woman... in a firm which practices discrimination... as wantonly and consistently as you and Mr. Beckett claim?" " I can't explain it." " Could it be... that these... instances of discrimination... are in fact misunderstandings... that have been blown completely out of proportion?" "I think counsel tends to oversimplify the issue somewhat." "Thank you, Miss Burton, I'll... take that note under consideration." " How's the trial going?" " Excuse me?" "It's a great case." "I saw you on television." "I'm a law student at Penn." " How you doing?" " All right." "How are you?" " Saw me on TV?" " Yeah." "It's a good school, Penn." "What year are you in?" "Second." "Listen, I just want to tell you... this case, it's tremendously important." "I wanted to let you know I think you're doing a fantastic job." " Hey." " Thank you." "All right." "When you graduate, you give me a call." "Okay." "All right." "Thank you very much." " Listen, Joe?" " Yeah?" "Would you like to have a drink?" "I just finished a game and could use a beer." "Ah, no, I can't." "My wife is..." "I don't pick up people in drugstores every day." " You think I'm gay?" " Aren't you?" "What's the matter?" "I look gay to you?" "Do I look gay to you?" " Relax." " I ought to kick your faggoty ass." "Take it as a compliment." "Geez!" "That is exactly the kind of bullshit that makes people hate your... faggoty ass." "You want to try and kick my ass, Joe?" " Asshole." " No, you're the asshole, buddy!" "Please continue, Ms. O'Hara." "We were going crazy looking for this complaint." "We were going crazy looking for this complaint." "I felt like I was in the twilight zone." "Mr. Beckett was screaming at everybody and he just..." "He looked so freaky." "Mr. Kenton kept saying, "You lost the Highline complaint?"" "And he called Mr. Wheeler, and all of a sudden..." "Jamey comes in with the complaint in his hand." " He says, "It was in central files."" " Central files?" "Central files is a place where paperwork is sent when cases are closed." "Jamey ran it over to the court just in time... and everybody just stood there completely wasted." "And Mr..." "And Mr. Beckett just kept saying..." ""I'm sorry." "Sorry." "I don't understand this."" "Thank you, Ms. O'Hara." "No further questions at this time, Your Honor." "All right." "Mr. Miller." " May I?" " Certainly." "Thank you." " You okay?" " Yes." " You want a glass of water?" " No." "Was Andy a good boss?" "Yes." "He was very sweet." "How would you characterize his work as an attorney?" "How would I know?" "I just worked for him." "Excuse me, Your Honor, but is this for the record?" "Mr. Miller, perhaps you should return to counsel's table." "Yes, sir." " Miss O'Hara?" " Yes?" "Were you aware... at any time of any problems that the senior partners had... with the quality of Andrew's work prior to this missing file episode?" "No, I wasn't." "Thank you." "No more questions, Your Honor." "Is Andrew Becket the kind of lawyer who misplaces crucial documents?" "Not to my knowledge." "No." "If you wanted to make a lawyer look incompetent, would this be a good way?" "Hiding an important document maybe for a few hours... and then making it look like the responsible lawyer misplaced it?" "Why would Mr. Wheeler and the others behave so outrageously?" "Because they found out Andy was sick?" " He's not answering the question." " Perhaps." "We've had lawyers with heart attacks, ulcers, prostate cancer, leukemia!" "No one sandbagged them." "Did you have something to do with this file being lost accidentally on purpose?" " Objection." " I'll rephrase." "Did you have anything to do with this file being misplaced?" "Absolutely not." "Are you a homosexual?" " What?" " Answer the question!" "Are you a homo?" "A faggot?" "A punk?" "A queen, pillow biter, fairy?" "Bootie snatcher, rump roaster?" "Are you gay?" " Objection!" " Order!" "Where did this come from?" "Suddenly counsel's attacking his own witness?" "Mr. Collins' sexual orientation has nothing to do with this case." "Please have a seat, Miss Conine." "Would you approach the bench, Mr. Miller?" "Could you kindly share with me... exactly what's going on inside your head... because at this moment, I don't have a clue." "Your Honor... everybody in this courtroom... is thinking about sexual orientation, sexual preference... whatever you want to call it." "Who does what to whom and how they do it." "They're looking at Andrew Beckett." "They're thinking about it." "They're looking at Mr. Wheeler, Miss Conine, even you, Your Honor." "They're wondering about it." "Trust me, I know they're looking at me and thinking about it." "So let's get it out in the open." "Let's get it out of the closet." "Because this case is not just about Al DS, is it?" "So let's talk about what this case is really all about:" "The general public's hatred, our loathing... our fear of homosexuals... and how that climate of hatred and fear... translated into the firing of this particular homosexual... my client, Andrew Beckett." "Please have a seat, Mr. Miller." "Very good." "In this courtroom, Mr. Miller, justice is blind... to matters of race, creed, color... religion and sexual orientation." "With all due respect, Your Honor... we don't live in this courtroom, though, do we?" "No, we don't." "However, as regards to this witness..." "I'm going to sustain the defense's objection." "How many weeks would you be out to sea without stopping at port?" "Oh, anywhere from two weeks to several months." "Any women on board?" "Not when I was in the navy." "So, during these long voyages... months at a time out to sea, no women in sight... hundreds of hardworking, robust young men in the prime of their lives... at the peak of their natural appetites and desires... their God-given hormonal instincts, anything going on?" "Going on?" "Like what?" "Like two sailors down below making flippy-flop." " Objection." " Mr. Miller." "We had one guy like that." "You haven't ruled on my objection, Your Honor." "Go on, Mr. Miller." "You had one guy like that." "You mean a homosexual?" "He strutted around quarters naked trying to get everybody to notice him." "Made everyone sick." "He was destroying our morale." "So we let him know this kind of behavior was not acceptable." "How'd you do that?" "Wrote him a letter?" "We stuck his head in a latrine after ten of us had used it." " You taught him a lesson, didn't you?" " Yes, we did." " Like firing Andrew taught him a lesson." " Objection." "I withdraw." "You were aware when you worked with Melissa Benedict... that she had Al DS, correct?" " She didn't try to conceal it." " So you are aware... of the difference between a bruise and a lesion." "Correct?" "Beckett told me he had been hit by a racket ball, and I believed him." "Did you avoid contact with Ms. Benedict after you found out she had Al DS?" "She says and I quote, that you were repulsed by her." "Is that correct?" "I felt, and I still feel nothing... but the deepest sympathy and compassion for people like Melissa... who contracted this terrible disease through no fault of their own." "Don't move now." "Okay." "Boy." "It's not going through." "We may have to flush it out again." "The vein's closed." "We've got to call Barbara." " Nurse Ratchett." " Wait a minute." "Yeah." "Tell her to come over." "Look, I've..." "There's so much stuff that I need to get done." "Can we..." "Can we just skip the treatment for tonight?" "No." "We are not skipping this treatment." "It's my arm, and it's my treatment, and I say skip it." "Well..." "You know something?" "That stuff is saving your life." "What's the matter with you tonight?" "Close the law book." "Will you just..." "The least you can do... is look at me... and give me a little of your time, man." "Got it?" "You are worried... we don't have very much time left, now, aren't you?" "No." "No." "I'll tell you what I'm gonna do." "I'm going to start planning my memorial service." "I'm going to start preparing for the inevitable." "Maybe you should think about it." "No." "I've got a better idea." " Hi, Andrew." "Hi, Miguel." " Hey, hey!" " Oh, Joe Miller, Counselor." " My wife, Lisa." " Are you Lisa?" "Nice to meet you." " Nice to meet you." " You look wonderful!" " Maria, Lisa." " Miguel's sister, Maria." " How are you, Maria?" " Do you care for something to drink?" " I'll take care ofJoe." "You're looking, uh, alive tonight!" "I had a blood transfusion, and I feel great." "So, you like it?" "I'm a lawsuit." "You get it?" "I'm a lawsuit." " It's not bad." " Lawsuit." " What are you drinking?" " Wine is good." "Can I have some of the red, please?" "We've got to get to this Q and A sometime tonight, you know?" "Sure." "Just one problem." " I'm at a party right now." " Fine." "Whatever." " We'll get to it, just later." " Thank you." "Hi, Joe Miller." " Do I know you?" " Mona Lisa." "Ah." "Uh, lawsuit." "Nice." "Have fun." "Mr. Sandman" "Bring me a dream" "Make him the cutest boy that I've ever seen" "Give him two lips like roses in clover" "Then tell me that my lonesome nights are over" "Mr. Sandman" "I'm so alone" "Don't have a boyfriend to call my own" "Oh, won't you please turn on your magic beam" "Mr. Sandman, bring us a dream" "It is hard to imagine" "Oh, that nothing at all" "Could be so exciting" "And so much fun" "Oh, heaven" "Is a place" "Where nothing Oh, nothing" "Can go wrong" "Thank you." " Thank you." " Sure." "Congratulations, Counselor." "Congratulations?" "You've survived what I assume to be your first gay party intact." "Let me tell you something." "When you're brought up the way most people are in this country... there's not a whole lot of discussion about homosexuality... or what do you call it, alternate lifestyles." "As a kid you're taught that queers are funny, queers are weird." "Queers dress up like their mother, that they're afraid to fight... that they're a danger to little kids." "That all they want to do is get into your pants." "That pretty much sums up the general thinking, if you want to know the truth." " Thank you for sharing that with me." " You're very welcome." "Let's go over this testimony." "We've got a big day on Monday." "Okay." "First I'll ask you..." ""Can you describe the circumstances in which... you joined the firm Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown?"" "Miller?" "Do you ever pray?" "Andrew, that is not the answer to the question." "But, yes, I pray." " What do you pray for?" " What do you mean?" "I pray that..." "I don't know!" "I pray my baby is healthy." "I pray my wife made it through delivery." "I pray the Phillies win the pennant." "Now, can we go through these questions?" "Number one: "Can you describe the circumstances in which... you joined the firm Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown?"" "Can you do that for me?" "There's a possibility I won't be around to see the end of this trial." "Yes, I've considered that." "I've made some provisions in my will for some charities." "Miguel will need a lawyer." "I know it's not your area." "I know a good probate lawyer." " Thank you." " You're welcome." "Now..." ""Can you describe the circumstances in which... you joined the firm Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown?"" "Do you mind this music?" "Do you like opera?" "I am not that familiar with opera, Andrew." "Oh, this is my favorite aria." "It's Maria Callas." "It's Andrea Chenier." "Umberto Giordano." "This is Madeleine." "She's saying how... during the French Revolution the mob set fire to her house." "And her mother died, saving her." "She says, " Look!" "The place that cradled me is burning." "I am alone."" "Do you hear the heartache in her voice?" "Can you feel it?" "Now, in come the strings, and it changes everything." "It's like the music..." "it fills with a hope." "And that'll change again." "Listen." "Listen." ""I bring sorrow to those who love me."" "Oh, that single cello!" ""It was during this sorrow that love came to me." "A voice filled with harmony." "It said, 'Live still." "I am life." "Heaven is in your eyes." "It's everything around you." "It's the blood and the mud." "I am divine!" "I am oblivion." "I am the god... that comes down from the heavens to the earth... and makes of the earth a heaven." "I am love." "Geez, I better get out of here." "Lisa's..." "I told her that, you know..." "I'll look over the Q and A." "No, you're ready." "Jesus." "God." "Yes, baby." "Oh, I love you, little Larice." "Place your left hand on the Bible." "Raise your right hand." "Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" " I do." " Please be seated." "Andrew, can you describe the circumstances in which... you joined the firm Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown?" "Wyant, Wheeler aggressively recruited me." "They were the most prestigious firm in Philadelphia... full of opportunity." "And I was impressed with the partners." " Including Charles Wheeler?" " Particularly Charles." "What impressed you about him?" "He was the kind of lawyer I thought I wanted to be." "What kind of lawyer is that?" "Possessed of an encyclopedic knowledge of the law... a razor-sharp litigator, genuine leader." "Gifted at bringing out the very best in others... and an awesome ability to illuminate... the most complex of legal concepts to a colleague, a courtroom... to the man in the street." "The kind of person who can play three sets of tennis... but doesn't sweat." "Underneath an elegant surface... he has an adventurous spirit." "In the years you worked at Wyant, Wheeler... did you ever tell Charles Wheeler you were gay?" "No, I didn't." "Why not?" "You don't bring your personal life into a law firm." "You're not supposed to have a personal life, really." "Anyway, I did plan to tell Charles eventually." "But then something happened... at the racket club... about three years ago." "Somebody started telling somejokes." "What do you call a woman who has P.M.S. And E.S.P. At the same time?" "I don't know!" "What do you call her?" "A bitch who knows everything." "Sounds like someone I know." "Hey, Walter, how does a faggot fake an orgasm?" "He throws a quart of hot yogurt on your back!" "That reminds me..." "How'd that make you feel?" "Relieved... that I never told him I was gay." "Just very relieved." "All right." "Are you a good lawyer, Andrew?" "I'm an excellent lawyer." "What makes you an excellent lawyer?" "I love the law." "I know the law." "I excel at practicing." "What do you love about the law, Andrew?" "L..." "Many things." "What I love the most?" "Yes." "Is that every now and again... not often, but occasionally... you get to be a part of... justice being done." "That really is... quite a thrill when that happens." "Thank you, Andrew." "You said earlier... you aspire to be the kind of person who had an adventurous spirit, correct?" "Something like that." "Do you take risks?" "In my work, yes." "Calculated risks." "You have to." "Did your doctor ever tell you to reduce stress?" "That long hours and stressful working conditions... might damage the immune system... and speed up your illness?" "My doctor mentioned the impact Al DS..." "Excuse me." "My doctor mentioned the impact stress could have on the immune system." "Have you ever been to the Stallion Showcase Cinema... on 21 st Street?" "I've been to... that..." "I've been to that theater... three times in my life." "What kind of movies do they show there?" "Gay movies." "Gay pornographic movies?" "Yes." "Objection, Your Honor." "Your Honor, this line of questioning is vital to the issue of credibility." "Let's see where this is going." "Continue, Counselor." "Do men have sex with each other in that theater?" "Some men." "Have you ever had sex with anyone in that theater?" "I'm Robert." "Andy." "Yes." "Once." "When?" "Approximately what year did that event take place?" "I guess it was 1984." "'84, '85." "Were you aware in 1984, '85... that there was a fatal disease out there called Al DS... and that you could contract it through sexual activity?" "I'd heard of some..." "I'd heard of a thing." "The gay plague, the gay cancer." "We didn't know how you could get it... or that it killed you." "Do you need a break, Mr. Beckett?" "No." "I could use some water, though." "John, would you bring Mr. Beckett some water?" "While you were employed at Wyant, Wheeler you did everything you could... to make sure no one knew that you were an active homosexual." "Correct?" "No." "That's not correct." "I never lied about it." "As a homosexual... one is often forced to conceal one's sexuality." "Isn't that right?" "In some circumstances, yes." "Isn't it true you've spent your life pretending to be something you're not... so much so that the art of concealment and dishonesty..." " has become second nature..." " Your Honor, I object!" "I'll withdraw it, Your Honor." "Mr. Beckett, were you living with..." "Miguel Alvarez... in 1984 or '85 when you had your... anonymous sexual encounter in the porn theater?" "Yes." "So you could have infected him, isn't that right?" "Miguel has not been infected." "You didn't answer my question." "You could have infected Mr. Alvarez at that time." "Is that correct?" "Yes." "You've testified that the lesions on your face... were visible to the people that you worked with, correct?" "That's right." "And you contend that when the partners were made aware of the lesions... that they leapt to the conclusion that you had Al DS and fired you." "Is that correct?" "As painful as it is... to accuse my former colleagues... of such reprehensible behavior... it is the only conclusion I could come to." "Do you have any lesions on your face at this time?" "One here... right by my ear." "Your Honor, may I approach the witness?" "Yes, you may." "Remembering that you're under oath... answering truthfully... can you see the lesions on your face in this mirror... from three feet away?" "Answering truthfully." "Well, I..." "At the time I was fired..." "I had four lesions, and they were much bigger." "Could you answer the question, please?" "Well, no." "No, I can't really see it." "No more questions, Your Honor." "This would be a good time to break for today." " We can reconvene in the morning." " I hate this case." "Your Honor, may I have five minutes in redirect?" "Your Honor, may I have five minutes in redirect?" "Mr. Beckett, can you go on for five minutes?" " Three minutes." " Yes." "May I borrow your mirror, please?" "Do you have any lesions on any part of your body at this time... that resemble the lesions you had on your face... at the time that you were fired?" "Yes." "On my torso." "Your torso." "If it please the court..." "I would like to ask Andrew to remove his shirt... so that everyone could get an accurate idea of what we're talking about." "Objection." "Your Honor, it would unfairly influence the jury." "Your Honor, if Andrew was forced to use a wheelchair due to his illness... would the defense ask him to park it outside... because it would unfairly influence the jury?" "We're talking about Al DS, about lesions." "Let's see what we're talking about." "I'll allow it." "Mr. Beckett, would you please remove your shirt?" "My God, what a nightmare!" "He asked for it." "Can you see the lesions on your chest in this mirror?" "Yes." "Thank you." "Do you swear to tell the whole truth, so help you God?" "Do you swear to tell the whole truth, so help you God?" "I do." "Please be seated." "Mr. Wheeler, were you aware that Andrew Beckett... was suffering from Al DS at the time of his departure from Wyant, Wheeler?" " No." " For absolute clarity... did you fire Andrew Beckett... because he had Al DS?" "No, I did not fire Andrew Beckett because he had Al DS." "Mr. Wheeler, can you explain, in a way that leaves no doubt... why you promoted..." "Andrew Beckett through your firm?" "And then, most importantly... why you eventually asked him to leave?" "If you're the owner of a major league ball club... you recruit the hot rookie." "And Andy was tremendously promising as a young attorney." "Fresh out of Penn." "Crackerjack." "That's why we went after him." "That's why we hired him." "And that's why we stuck with him year after year." "Why did you give him... opportunity after opportunity?" "Well, when you groom someone... the way we groomed Andy, nurturing him... lavishing all kinds of special treatment on him... you make quite an investment." "We were waiting for the promise to kick in and deliver." "But ultimately we could no longer... ignore the gap between the reality and the promise." "Thank you, Mr. Wheeler." "No more questions at this time, Your Honor." "Mr. Miller?" "Objection!" " Your Honor, objection." " All right, Mr. Miller." " That'll be sufficient." " Mr. Wheeler, you are magnificent." "You are my hero." "Andrew is right." "You are the greatest." "Are you gay?" "Objection." "How dare you!" "Witness will kindly answer." "No, I am not a homosexual." "Isn't it true that when you realized..." "Andrew Beckett... your golden boy, your future senior partner... was gay and had Al DS... it drove a stake of fear right through your heterosexual heart?" "Remembering... all the hugs and handshakes, the intimate moments in the sauna... the friendly pats on the backside that you and Andrew exchanged... like guys exchange." "It made you say, " My God!" "What does this say about me?"" "Objection, Your Honor." "The witness will please respond to the question." "You may tap dance around me all you wish... with your innuendoes and locker room fantasies." "But the truth still remains that your client... worked when he wanted to work... telling us what he thought we needed to know about who he really was." "Andy insisted on bending the rules... and his work suffered tremendously in the long run as a result of that." "Explain this like I'm a six-year-old, 'cause I just don't get it." "Who makes these rules that you're talking about?" "You?" "Read your Bible, Mr. Miller, Old and New Testament." "Pretty valuable rules in there." "Excuse me." "Excuse..." "I can't..." "Excuse me!" "Christ's sakes, somebody get a doctor!" "What is it?" "Turn over now." " Call an ambulance, please?" " Right away." "An ambulance, please!" "Let him breathe." "Please make room for him." "It's not working." " Please, sir!" " It's not working!" " They know how to save him." " It is making him worse!" "Did you notice any changes whatsoever in Andrew's appearance... over the course of the year leading up to his termination?" "Yes." "I did." "Were these changes for the better or for the worse?" "Sometimes for the better, but generally they were for the worse." "Mr. Seidman, what did you think caused these changes in Andy's appearance?" "I was afraid." "I suspected Andy had Al DS." " Order." " Thank you." "Your witness." " Miss Conine?" " Mr. Seidman... did you share your suspicions with Mr. Wheeler... or any of the other managing partners at any time... before the decision to fire Andrew Beckett was made?" "No." "I didn't." "I didn't mention it to anyone... not even Andy." "I didn't even give him a chance to talk about it." "And I think I'm going to regret that... for as long as I live." " Any more questions, Miss Conine?" " That's all, Your Honor." "They are sayin'he wasn't a good lawyer." "He was mediocre." "And the fact that they gave him the most important lawsuit they ever had... for one of their most important clients..." "They say that doesn't prove anything because that was just a test." " What'd they call it?" "A carrot?" " Yeah. "What's up, Doc?"" "To see if he'd rise to the occasion." "Okay." "Say I gotta send a pilot into enemy territory... and he's gonna be flyin' a plane that costs $350 million." "Who am I gonna put in that plane?" "Some rookie who can't cut it so I can see if he is up to the challenge?" "Or am I gonna give that assignment to my best pilot... my sharpest, my most experienced, my top gun... the very best I got?" "I just don't get that." "Would somebody please explain it to me... like I'm a six-year-old?" " Juror number six?" " I agree." " Juror number seven?" " I agree." " Juror number nine?" " I agree." "Juror number ten?" " I disagree." " Juror number 11?" " I agree." " Juror number 12?" "Agree." "Have you awarded any damages?" "Yes, Your Honor, we have." "For back pay and loss of benefits we award $143,000." "For mental anguish and humiliation we award $100,000." "And for punitive damages we award $4,782,000." "You may record the verdict." "Everyone remain seated until the jury is removed." "How could they do that?" "This trial is now concluded." "Congratulations!" "We'll strain ourselves getting a reversal on this one." " We'll get started in the morning." " Well, that's that." "Congratulations, Mr. Miller." "I'll see you at the appeal." "Congratulations." "Well done." "Oh, man." "Thanks a lot." " I'll see ya at the hospital." " Okay." "Oh, Mr. Miller." "Hi." "How you doin'?" " You know where the room is?" " Down the hall." " Right there." " The one off..." "Thanks." "If he leaves the hospital, which is unlikely... don't expect him to be remotely like he was before this crisis." "He's lost the vision in his right eye... and because of the C.M.V. He will not regain his vision." " Next door, to the right." " The C.M.V. Has ravaged his body." "Hi." "Congratulations." "Hey." "Way to go." "Man of the hour." "Hey, Joe." "We are so grateful to you." "You were wonderful." "Thank you so much." " Can I take that for you?" " Yeah." "I brought some..." " Oh, wonderful." " Cheese and stuff." "How ya doin'?" "What do you call a thousand lawyers... chained together at the bottom of the ocean?" "I don't know." "A good start." "Excellent work, Counselor." "I thank you." "It was great working with you..." "Counselor." "I'd better go." "Yeah." "Sure thing." "I'll see you later?" "Thanks for stopping by." "I'll see you again." "I'll keep it on ice for you." "See you." "I just want to say thank you." "We really appreciate it." "We'll see you again?" "He's a fighter." "We just want to get him home." "Thank you, Joe." "What do you call a thousand lawyers chained at the bottom of the ocean?" " A good start?" " Very amusing." "I'll see you tomorrow, buddy." "Okay?" "God bless you, Andy." "Good night, son." "Try to get some rest, okay?" "I love you, Andy." "I love you too, Dad." "See you first thing tomorrow." "Hey." "It's okay." " Don't worry." " I'll see you tomorrow." "Come on, sweetheart." "It's all right." "It's okay." "Don't worry about it." "Good night, my angel." "My sweet boy." "No, let me help you." "Miguel..." "I'm ready." "Hello?" "Joe, it's Miguel." "Hello?" " It's nice to see you." " Everybody's upstairs." "Sometimes I think that I know" "What love's all about" "And when I see the light" "I know I'll be all right" "I've got my friends in the world" "I had my friends" "When we were boys and girls" "And the secrets came unfurled" "Look at my boy." "Oh, hi." "Yes, I know." "City of Brotherly Love" "Place I call home" "Don't turn your back on me" "I don't wanna be alone" "Love lasts forever" "Someone is talkin'to me" "Calling my name" "Tell me I'm not to blame" "I won't be ashamed oflove" "Philadelphia" "City of Brotherly Love" "Sometimes I think that I know" "What love's all about" "And when I see the light" "I know I'll be all right" "Philadelphia" "Subtitles By Captions, Inc." "Los Angeles"