"Are you busy, will?" "No, not really." "So, what's up?" "well, they're kind of having cheerleader tryouts at school... and I sort of thought about going." "But, you know, that's kind of a stupid idea, so I sort of blew it off." "Oh well, I think that... being a cheerleader is a kind of, you know, a sort of a good idea." "Do you think I have a chance?" "Of course you do." "Yo, back in philly the girls had this cheer, right... that, yo, really got the crowd hyped." "They used to be like this." "They used to, Iike:" ""We beat them, we dissed them, we kicked they butt good." ""But that was kind of stupid, y'aII, we in they neighborhood!" ""Run! "" "philip, this skirt used to look better, didn't it?" "This didn't used to be here." "Does this look better?" "Oh, yeah." "Now you look just like YuI Brynner in The King and I." "Vivian." "You look great and you always will." "You are the best-Iooking 40-year-oId woman in this hemisphere." "philip, I am not 40." "I will not be 40 until 7:08 tonight." "7:09, if you count my feet." "One hour later you and your feet are gonna be at the world's greatest birthday party." "Oh, philip, you've gone to so much trouble." "I'm so sorry I'm such a grouch." "Baby, that's okay." "Nobody's thrilled about getting... not young." "But look what you've accomplished." "You're a full professor, you've got three great kids... and a husband who's tail, dark, and loaded." "How many people can say that at your..." "ZIP code?" "Man, carlton, that's kind of a smooth tie you've got there, man." "Here, Iet me check that joint out." "Sure." "It's silk twill, hand sewn in italy." "That spider been getting on my nerves all day, man." "Check this out!" "I dotted the "I" on Armani!" "will, I thought about it all weekend... and I've decided to sign up for cheerleader tryouts." "Are you sure, ashley?" "You'II have to wear an indecently short skirt... make a spectacle of yourself in front of your whole school... and ride on a bus with a bunch of sweaty teenage boys." "Gosh, I hope I get it." "Yeah, I'm sure you will, Ash." "Hey, Iet me see your moves." "well, okay." "Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar!" "AII for HoIIingsworth Preparatory Institute... stand up and holler!" "Yay, school!" "I take it back, ashley." "That was incredible." "Thanks, carlton." "AII right." "well, what do you think, will?" "That was, kind of... dignified, Ash." "would you Iike some help?" "Oh, thank you!" "Oh, you're welcome!" "well, I spent the entire day shopping for the perfect gift for us to give Mother." "But it was worth the sacrifice, she is going to love it." "Ta-da !" "No, wait." "That's for me." "Oops!" "For me again." "Here it is." "What's wrong with you, girl?" "I gave you two weeks salary and you got a pot holder?" "Shh!" "I hear her coming." "Happy Birthday!" "Happy Birthday!" "Yeah, yeah, yeah." "Here, hilary, sweetie, these are for you." "I don't think short skirts are appropriate for me anymore." "Mother, I've been meaning to talk to you about how you look in diamonds." "There's Stacey Cooper, the dean's daughter." "You know, I heard her mother had some extensive plastic surgery." "carlton, that is her mother." "What happened to the rest of her chins?" "Yo, they look good down there." "Thank God." "I got to the mail right as it was closing." "They made a huge fuss just because I asked them to turn the escalator back on." "Anyway... our present is going to be perfect." "It's a very conservative, long wool skirt." "Good." "Oh, hi!" "Vivian." "Hi, sweetie." "How are you?" "Mom, isn't that your costume from halloween?" "You know, the year you came as Tina Turner?" "It certainly is." "You're not going to sing Proud Mary again, are you?" "well, I might." "The night is young, baby, and so am I." "My life is great, this party's gonna be great... and I Iook fantastic." "Yeah, Mom, you do." "You look great." "I Iook stupid, don't I?" "Oh, Vivian." "Thanks." "philip, this has all been just perfect." "Has?" "Oh, no." "The night's not over yet." "Surprise!" "Surprise!" "Yo, we're here to display" "A look at a woman who is forty today" "She's smart and well-dressed, so just to give thanks" "This is your life, Vivian Banks!" "Remember 1951?" "Remember Chuck Berry?" "Remember HuIa-Hoops?" "Me neither!" "hold up, yo." "well, that was the year that Vivian Smith was born." "Eat your heart out, LaToya." "In just a few short years, little Vivian starred in her first dance recital." "Over a quarter of a century ago." "The seasons came and went." "The 60s." "The Dark Ages of fashion." "Yet, Vivian braved the afro, the dashiki, and the platform shoe." "She went off to college with dreams of being a dancer." "Time marched on." "As the days turned into years..." "Vivian got a teaching degree, got married, and moved to california." "The years rolled by." "Today, Vivian Banks has matured into a successful college professor... outstanding wife and mother, and a tribute to middle age." "hold up, y'aII." "hold up, hold up, hold up." "Now, see... a Iot of people make jokes about being 40, but we're not living like that here." "'Cause 40 ain't old... if you're a giant sequoia !" "After all, life begins at 40." "Oops, did I say "life"?" "I meant gum disease." "really, 40 is just the beginning." "The beginning of the end!" "What we're trying to say here is...." "What is going on?" "The candles, sir." "The system really isn't equipped for that kind of heat." "Two returns in two days." "How humiliating." "The second time I had to pretend I was my own twin." "well, what did you get her?" "This is Mom-proof." "Any professor would be proud to carry this... whether she's wearing a dress or a G-string." "'Course, with that second outfit, attendance would shoot up." "Among other things." "Where's your mom?" "She hasn't come down since we got home from school." "She's probably going to be moody and depressed." "So let's try and be understanding, okay?" "Sure." "hello, everyone!" "Hi, Mommy." "Isn't it a beautiful day?" "Good call, uncle phil." "philip, I had the greatest day, thanks to you." "That party really helped me put things in perspective." "Last night I realized that my career has gotten in the way... of the thing that's the most important to me." "That's wonderful, honey." "well, I hope you know I'm behind you, whether you want to be a professor or... a loving wife who devotes her day to supporting her hardworking husband... and keeping an immaculate home." "I'm glad." "Because I've made a decision." "You're gonna vacuum in that?" "No!" "I'm gonna dance." "well, I'm all set for dance class." "Has anybody seen my keys?" "Where's my purse?" "Where's my car?" "Aunt Viv, maybe I should drive you." "I gotta go down to Jazz's anyway." "I'd appreciate that, will." "Mom, before you go, could you sign this so I can go to cheerleader tryouts?" "Oh, ashley, I am so proud of you." "Sweety, I know you've wanted to do this since you were a child." "But just remember:" "no matter how nervous you get... don't give up." "No matter what the odds." "Even if you feel foolish leaving an important position at your school." "You have to hold your head up high... walk out that door, get in your car, and follow your dream." "Y'aII remember that movie, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?" "The israeli foIk-dancing class is down the hall." "Is this Advanced Jazz?" "Yes." "Then I'm in the right place." "So, anyway, last summer I was in A Chorus Line and Oklahoma." "really?" "I was in West Side Story, Gypsy, and My Fair Lady." "really?" "actually, the Iast thing I was in was the supermarket." "I guess you could say, you know, I'm into... all type of artistic endeavors, you know?" "I Iike dance, the theater, opera." "I'm a pretty cultured brother." "Wow, just like that, huh?" "Okay, we'II start in a minute." "Up." "AII right, class, Iet's begin." "Warm up, space it out." "And five, six, seven, eight." "And contract." "Five and six, head, seven, eight." "Fingers open, straighten out." "Head look, contract, release." "And up." "And stand, and pose." "Repeat." "Five and six and seven, eight." "Good." "Arms up, contract." "Good." "Up!" "So, Mom, how was dance class?" "It was like heaven." "Except the angels was doing splits." "It was hell on earth." "So, how was dance class?" "Great!" "You know, Vivian, maybe you jumped into this too fast." "You might just need to relax." "And I have just the thing." "Two first-cIass tickets to Hawaii!" "philip, how could you?" "I just thought you might want to take it easy." "Easy?" "Easy?" "philip, I took it easy 20 years ago when I got that teaching degree." "I don't want to take the comfortable road anymore." "And you shouldn't have to." "Hand over the keys to your Benz." "No one is going to stop me from being a dancer." "Now, there's an audition in three weeks, and I am going to take every class I can." "I'm gonna show the world that Vivian Banks can dance." "well, this is it." "The audition." "I guess I'd better get going, huh?" "I guess I'm a little nervous, but that's silly." "Why should I be nervous?" "I just have to do a few dance steps in front of a professional choreographer... and a room full of 20-year-oIds who've been dancing their whole lives." "I'm gonna go to bed and eat a cheesecake." "No, no." "Vivian." "You're gonna go to that audition and you're gonna give it everything you've got." "Thank you, philip." "Hey, go get them, Aunt Viv." "You know, uncle phil... most husbands wouldn't want their wives running off half naked to a bunch of... bulging, masculine dancers that's gonna be grabbing them and lifting them... in places their husbands forgot existed." "I guess that's what trust in a marriage is all about." "Thank you, will." "Vivian!" "Excuse me." "There's an audition here today." "I know." "Auditions usually require dance training." "You haven't been to any classes." "unless you count Lamaze." "well, actually, I've been taking private instruction with NataIia Broshkova." "The dancer?" "No, the obstetrician." "Okay, people." "We're looking for three of our leading roles, so let's get started." "We have to Iearn this combination." "Okay?" "Five, six... five, six, seven, eight." "A one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight." "Down, up, and rock, and rock, and one, two, three, four, and five, six... seven, eight." "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight." "One, two, head, head, head, over up, pop-pop." "And walk it, and walk it, and walk it." "And step, step, double turn, down, cross, swing around." "Up, change." "Okay." "Let me have my first four." "Let's have you... you... you, and you." "Come on down." "Everybody else...." "AII right, ready?" "Here we go." "Five, six... five, six, seven, eight." "One." "AII right!" "AII right!" "Very good!" "Okay." "Next four." "Are you ready?" "Five, six, seven, eight...." "So, you're home." "So, is there anything... you know, new?" "Audition go okay?" "It was better than okay." "It was great." "They offered me one of the lead roles!" "That's great, Aunt Viv." "hold up." "When's the cast party?" "I wanna sit next to that honey that was doing the splits." "hold it, guys." "I am not gonna do the show." "I turned down the part." "AII right." "I mean, if that's okay with you." "philip... for the Iast 20 years I have wondered if I couId have made it as a dancer." "And now I know I couId have... twenty years ago." "These have been the hardest three weeks of my Iife." "There isn't a part of my body that isn't aching for Bengay." "But I miss books." "I miss my kids." "And do you know what I miss the most?" "What, honey?" "Häagen-Dazs vanilla Swiss almond." "I wish I couId have seen those kids' expressions." "Sounds like you left them dancing in your dust." "philip, do you think I'm old?" "Of course not." "Do you think I'm pretty?" "Woman, look in that mirror and tell me what you see." "I don't know." "well, Iet me tell you." "I see every great thing a man could possibly want in a woman." "Eyes so dark and deep a man could get lost in them." "Skin the color of mahogany... soft as satin." "A body fit for a goddess." "Look how beautiful you are." "Look." "Look how beautiful you are." "Why do you think I make it home by 6:00 every night?" "I thought it was for those little cheese things Geoffrey makes." "well, it's not." "Are you too tired for one more dance?" "Oh, baby, not with you." "philip!" "Maybe I should sit this one out." "An even better idea." "Hey, hey, hey!" "Say hello to Miss Pompom !" "ashley, you made cheerleader?" "Yes!" "will's cheer did it." "Okay, go on, show them your moves." "Okay, will, but you'II have to fill in for little Bobby Greenspan." "Okay, that'II be swell." "One, two, three, four." "Your school is whack!" "Your school is whack!" "Wherever y'aII came from, just take your butts back!" "You look great, and you always will!" "You are the greatest 40...." "Any professor would be proud to carry this... whether she's wearing a dress or a G-string." "'Course, that second outfit... you know, would do something." "Now, I do know my line." "You know, it just slipped my memory for a second." "But I know it!" "Yeah, yeah...." "l know what it is!" "I know what it is!"