"Here's what I found out." "That all of life is a learning experience." "Everything is part of a big... master plan." "But sometimes it's-- Well, it's hard to read." "It's like if you get too close to the screen... all you can see is a bunch of little dots." "You don 't see the big picture until you stand back." "But when you do... everything comes into focus." "My name is Suzanne Maretto." "No, wait." "I'm sorry." "Suzanne Maretto is my married name." "My own name... is Suzanne Stone." "That's my professional name." "It's not like I have any negative feelings about the name Maretto." "Maretto is the name, after all... of my husband... who I loved... very, very much." "Sorry." "It's also the name of his parents, Joe and Angela Maretto... and of his lovely and talented sister, Janice Maretto... who have been like a second family to me... and who I regard as I do my own family... particularly since my recent tragedy." "I knew just through knowing and being related to them." "They have given me what I think is a very precious and valuable insight... into the different kinds of ethnic relationships... that are part of the very things that I've been trying to explore... as a member of the professional media." "First impressions in one word?" "You really want to know?" "Four letters, begins with C.'" "Larry, it's a girl." "You ain't never seen one of them?" "'Cold.'" "Cold." "C-O-I-D." "Yeah." "What did you think of Suzanne when you first met her?" "I just didn't get the Suzanne thing." "All the girls around town thought Larry was really cute." "I mean, Larry used to hang out at the restaurant... on the nights when my dad... would let Larry and his dopey rock band play there." "Just, you know?" "Oh, Susie Q I love you" "I love the way you walk" "I love the way you talk" "I like the way you talk I like the way you walk" "Laura Risley, I remember." "Peggy Holden." "She was kind of a slut." "He could've had anybody, basically, is what I'm saying." "I don't know." "Suzanne-- blonde." "I don't know." "Well, yeah, sure, I could've said some things." "Well, to tell you the truth, I did say some things." "He's my brother." "But in a very subtle way." "What do you think of Angela Raguzzo?" "She's all right." " She's hot." " Why?" "She wants you to ask her out." "Look, don't try and fix me up with people." "It's embarrassing." "All right." "What do you think of Dana Defalco?" "You want me to go out with a girl whose father's in the mob?" " Who says he's in the mob?" " Everybody." "So?" "Don't you want a little excitement?" " I got all the excitement I can take." " With who?" "The ice maiden?" "You don't know what you're talking about." " I don't?" " No." "Inform me." "Well, it's none of your business." "But Suzanne, she looks, you know... very fragile and delicate, right?" "But when we're" "I mean, when I'm-- I don't know why I'm telling you this." "Details are too graphic." "But let me just tell ya, she's like" "She's like a volcano." "You mean people come from miles around just to watch her explode?" " Is that it?" " Very funny." "Like Mount Saint Helens?" "Man!" "When he says to me" "I'm gonna marry her." "Wait a minute." "You what?" "'You what?" "' I said." "And then he says" "I'm tellin' ya, sis, she's it." " She's the golden girl of my dreams." " Oh, God." "And I did one of these... which I regretted right away... 'cause he looked at me with that kind of doggy look that guys get." "I'm just kidding." "I'm kidding!" "She can't even bowl." "Yes!" "Yes!" " Let me tell you something, all right?" " Yeah." "She's like-- She's like a delicate china doll." "You ever try kissing a doll?" "You know, they don't kiss back." "She's like one of those porcelain figurines that Mom collects." "She is so pure and delicate... and innocent." "You just have to look at her, and you wanna take care of her... for the rest of your life." "Yeah, I can see that." "So" "Anyway, so when she, Suzanne, says to me" "If you're actively seeking a career in the professional ice skating field-- in the spotlight, so to speak" "I think you have to maximize your positive features." "Sure." "What I'm saying is that a qualified plastic surgeon... could just snip away those little beauty spots, or facial blemishes... and you'd see how much better you'd feel about yourself." "You know, commenting about my face and stuff." "I knew where she was going." "Miss Fixer-Upper." "I believe that Mr. Gorbachev-- The man who ran Russia for so long?" "I believe that he would still be in power today if he'd done... what many people suggested and had that big purple thing taken off his forehead." "I firmly believe that." "Someday I hope to interview him, and we'll discuss that... along with other more pertinent international things." "I'm tellin' you, sis, she's gonna be the next Barbara Walters." "Is that right?" "Well, Barbara does have many admirable qualities-- a wide knowledge of current events... and a deep sympathy for people's inner feelings... which is a trait so many people have who are of the Jewish persuasion." "Isn't she something' else?" "So, yeah, that was it." "I mean, a done deal, finito." "He was a goner." "The point is that, for instance..." "Connie Chung, who is married, I believe... to Maury Povich, the well-known interviewer... doesn't say, 'Hello, this is Connie Povich with the news.'" "I don't think she would be embarrassed by it... because she's already pretty ethnic when you think about it." "Or, to take another example... someone who doesn't appear to have an ethnic bone in her body" "Jane Pauley... who I strongly relate to... because, you know, we have similar physical traits." "Although, I thankfully don't have to struggle with the weight problem... like she does." "And she also, to the best of my knowledge... has never identified herself, audience-wise... as Jane Trudeau... even though her husband, Mr. Trudeau... is a prominent cartoonist of some kind... and not, as so many people believe, the ex-president of Canada." "So, what I'm saying is this:" "There are some people who never know who they are... or who they wanna be until it's too late... and that is a real tragedy in my book... because I always knew who I was and who I wanted to be, always." "Who wants to be on TV?" "There she is!" " Look at who's looking at herself." " Just look at that." "Suzanne, lookie there." "Come here." "Look at the camera." " See?" " Look, what a darling." "Sweetheart." "Can't you get it focused better than that?" "And we're back... with the families of Suzanne and Larry Maretto." "Mr. Stone." "At first, I have to admit we-- we didn't think too much of it, the relationship." "Here was our daughter, a college graduate." "Junior college, yes, but... with good grades and a degree in" "Electronic journalism." "Exactly." "And here was this young man... a good boy obviously... but, still, a boy whose education was... limited to high school." "I remember saying, 'Honey--'" "Honey, I'm worried that you don't know what you're getting into with this kid." " Dad, I'm not a little girl anymore." " I know that." "All I'm saying is that... we come from pretty different backgrounds." "'For all you know his family could be mixed up with the mafia.'" " I'm sorry, Joe." " No problem, Earl." " I was just being" " I understand." "I understand." "Please." "She just laughed at me." " Don't worry." " I have to worry." "That's what dads do." "If you ask me, I'd say Larry appealed to a side of her... that you wouldn't ordinarily know was there." "It was a kind of a" " What?" "A wild side." "Not wild, but" "Wild." "I thought he would marry-- I don't know." "A nice lfalian girl." "But like the guy in The Godfather says..." "'This is America, okay?" "The melting pot.'" "Anyway, one day, Larry comes over to me." "He says" "I'm gonna tell you something, Pop." "She's going places." "She's got goals." "You know, she's studying stuff." "She's sending out resumes all the time." "Did I show you what she gave me for my birthday?" "'You Can Be The 0ne.'" "The one what?" "Well, the one anything." "That's the point." "It's self-motivation." "It's from that guy on TV, the inspirational millionaire... with all the houses and yachts." "You know?" "Sounds pretty serious." "Serious?" "Pop, I sold my drums." " You sold your drums?" " Yep." "And he did." "He sold his drums..." "And he did." "He sold his drums... and he turned himself right around... just for her." "The veil Suzanne wore... she had copied from a picture in a magazine... the exact same one Maria Shriver wore at her wedding." "Larry, he was so proud, you know... 'cause Suzanne designed the wedding rings... all by herself." "You want me to describe them for you?" "They were round, and gold." "I mean, big fuckin' deal." "Come on, Suze, let's go!" "I'll still never find a guy like you, Dad." "What?" "We got a postcard from Suzanne... every single day that they were on their honeymoon." "And it very much surprised us that they went to Florida... because Suzanne was never one to lie around the beach." "But Larry was very much into boating and fishing... and I think she just wanted to make him happy." " That's a pretty lady you got there." " Yes, sir." "We've been married for four days and 18 hours." "I wouldn't let her out of my sight for very long." "Well, she can't go in the sun." "It's not good to tan when you're on TV." "What show is she on?" "Have I ever seen her?" "Not yet, but you will." "Hi, honey." "Did you miss me?" "Did you dream about me, baby?" "It must've been a... pretty successful honeymoon, because when they came back they were" " Radiant." " Exactly." "Radiant." "Larry took the money he was saving in case he wanted to go back to college... and put a down payment on that condo at the Heights." "And he bought her that pretty little Mustang." " Hi." "How are you?" " Come in!" "All right." "Come on." "So you thought Larry changed a lot after he and Suzanne were married?" "Totally!" "It was like suddenly he went from Van Halen... to Jerry Vale overnight." "She didn't have any" "She thought she had taste, but" "Barquettes with leek chiffonade." "This is the dish that they serve... in Johnny Carson's favorite restaurant in Hollywood." "Well, hey, if it's good enough for Johnny" "Well, was that some meal or what?" "I say Julia Childs better watch her back... or she'll be looking for another job." "Well, I won't be doing this every night." "I'm planning on starting this exercise class so I can get rid of a few pounds." "From where?" "Your feet?" " On TV the camera adds five pounds." " Is that true?" "I didn't know that." "Did you know that?" "Talking about exercise, I gotta go." "I got a rehearsal... at some god-awful hour all the way over in Norwalk." " What are you rehearsing?" " Janice has a job in the ice Follies." "They're going on tour in September." " That's fabulous." " Thanks." "I'm just one of the chorus now, but" "Actually, I do skate this one medley." "It's kind of a, you know, salute to great TV shows." "I skate the Peggy Lipton part in the Mod Squad number." "Peggy Lipton?" "Yeah." "I get to wear a blonde wig." "How exciting." "They're talking about like maybe a TV special this year or so" "Listen." "Hang on, everybody." "Because, well, we've got... a pretty important announcement ourselves to make... and I think congratulations are in order." "Oh, honey." "Wait, wait, wait!" "Cut, cut, cut!" "It's not that." " You're not" " No, I'm not pregnant, for God's sake." " Suzy's got a job." " What?" "Over at WWEN, the TV station." "The first woman they ever hired." "Isn't that right?" "That's right." "Yep, our Suze is on her way now... and nothing is gonna stop her." "Oh, honey, I'm proud of you." "That's great." "We're proud of you." "That's great." " How are the newlyweds?" " They're doing great." " Thanks, Sal." " Yeah, cute kids." " Aren't they just?" " Yeah." " Did you like the barquettes?" " The what?" "With the leek chiffonade." "Was it okay?" "We never did 'em before... but she showed us this recipe in a book, so" "No problem." "I never told anyone... even Joe." "So she couldn't cook." "There are worse crimes... as we all know." "You're not anybody in America unless you're on TV." "On TV is where we learn about who we really are... because what's the point of doing anything worthwhile... if nobody's watching?" "And if people are watching, it makes you a better person." "Marry me." "Mary, say yes." "I thought she was like a goddess of some kind." "Like Lady Di before she dumped the prince... and went nudist and everything." "Suzanne bought me this dress, which I hope to fit someday." "Suzanne Maretto was a beautiful human being... with real dreams and aspirations." "Suzanne used to say 'Opportunity is always knocking... but if you aren't listening, its knuckles get sore... and it moves to another house.'" "Something like that." "She said that even on her honeymoon she had Larry take her... to this hotel in Florida where there was going to be... this kind of convention of all these big-shot TV people... that she'd read about in a magazine." "Which, of course, she didn't tell Larry... because she didn't want to maybe hurt his feelings about... her attending to her career while they were bonding sexually... so to speak." "So the German reporter says to the Hungarian editor..." "'Of course she's always smiling." "She gets 'faxed' at least ten times a day.'" "Boom." "Thank you." "I know that's a silly joke... but it does illustrate our central thesis today... which is 'Here and Now in the..." "Fast-Moving Computer Age.'" "It's the" "In our fast-moving computer age... it's the medium of television... that joins together our global community." "And it is the" "It is the television journalist who serves as messenger... bringing the world into our homes... and our homes into the world." "Thank you." "Thank you very much." "Thanks a lot." " The point is, Miss" " Stone." "That's a good name." "Now, that's a name you can remember." "The point is, Suzanne... if you want it bad enough you'll get it... but you gotta really want it." "You gotta be able to do things that ordinary people wouldn't do." "You see what I'm saying?" "I think so." "How about another of those?" " I don't know about that." " Sweetheart?" "Give us another all around." "Anyway, when I was at the network... there was this gal from some ten-watt station in the Midwest... where she did the weather." "The weather." "So she comes up to New York... in her best Donna Karan dress-for-success knockoff... blonde hair all done up in a French twist... and an audition tape in her imitation leather briefcase... along with a letter of introduction from her station manager." "And it says..." "'Please give your most serious consideration... to the bearer of this letter--'" "Miss So-and-so." "'Who is of moderate intelligence... who has some experience in broadcasting... and, more importantly... who can suck your cock until your eyes pop out.'" "And you know who that gal is?" "Who?" "Is that true?" "It's true." "And here comes the best part." " Yes?" " This is the best part." "About ten years ago, I'm at some TV conference somewhere... and I run into that station manager... and I congratulate him on his letter-writing skills." "And he doesn't know what I'm talking about." "Why doesn't he?" "Because he didn't write the letter." "Oh." "Who did?" "She did." "She wrote it herself." "Oh, I see." "It's good, isn't it?" " I watch your show all the time." " Everybody does." "So... what do you think, Suzanne?" "What do I think about what?" "Well" "Hi, honey." "Where were you?" "I couldn't sleep." "When I put out the sign for a gal Friday..." "I figured I'd be interviewing a couple of high school dropouts... who wouldn't mind going to the mall and picking up doughnuts... and emptying the ashtrays, that kind of thing." "This is when we first meet Gangbusters." "That's what George and I called Suzanne." "Not to her face, of course." "Mr. Grant, I am the woman you are looking for." "My name is Suzanne Stone Maretto... but I plan to use Suzanne Stone as my professional name." "I'd like you to look over my resume... which details both my educational background... and my references in the media field." "I can make you a solemn promise that I will be... dedicated and committed to this job." "Hang on a second." "We're only looking for someone to answer the mail, run errands." "Minimum pay, no benefits." "Money is not my main concern." "I just want a chance to contribute something." "I think you'll find I have very valuable ideas about programming." "Whoa!" "No!" "You're not hearing what I'm saying." "Take a look around you." "I mean, Suzanne, we're talking local cable station here." "I just want a chance to get my foot in the door." "Everybody has to start somewhere." "Do you know where Edward R. Murrow started?" "No, I don't." "No." "Well, neither do I offhand." "I don't think it was at the top, do you?" "I live only five minutes from here." "I will be willing and eager... to respond to any newsworthy emergency you put in front of me." "Mr. Grant, this is a dream I have had all my life." "I will do anything to get this job." "This is my associate George." "Pleased to meet you, George." "Well, we'll think about it." "I believe that my assets" "I said we'll think about it!" "And we will." "Thank you." "I believe that in our fast-moving computer age... it is the medium of television that joins together the global community... and it is the television journalist who serves as messenger... bringing the world into our homes and our homes into the world." "It has always been my dream to become such a messenger." "I look to you, gentlemen, now... to make that dream... a reality." "Jesus Christ." "Gangbusters." "Fuckin' gangbusters." " Come on back to bed." " I gotta go to work." " Ten minutes." " I gotta go." " Five minutes." " I gotta put my face on." " Put your face on me." "Two minutes." " Take your hand away." "Come, Walter." "The dog was a cute little thing, wasn't it?" "She was crazy about that dog." "It was darling." "Oh, hello!" "She named it Walter... after Walter" "Is it 'Cronkite'?" "The guy who used to be on TV." "I think he was Dan Rather's uncle or something." "It was like a hair ball puked up by some demon from hell." "There wasn't much to do." "Most of the time she just sat over there and worked on her file... her idea file." "She had so many ideas." "This is the presentation on that idea with me going to local movie theaters... talking to the people coming out to see what they really think." "An actual... vox populae, if you know the term." "Here's the memo on that children's show with me as the hostess... and the live, in-studio animals." "Look it over tonight." "Give me your thoughts in the morning." "A couple of pages outlining that concept for interviewing everyday citizens... like mailmen, school crossing guards... to inform our citizenry on what kind of valuable services are available to them." "After a few months, she wore me down." "I let her do the evening weather report, which she was fine at." "Although with the preparation she put into it... you'd think she was covering D-Day." "Six, five..." "Six, five... four, three... two, one." "You're on!" "Good evening from the WWEN Weather Center." "Weather Center?" "The heavy system we were expecting... moving down from the north is not going to show up after all... because the high pressure system... is going to be moving up to the north." "The temperature for tonight will remain unseasonably cool... with patches of fog in the morning and probably" "Come on." "Let's have some quiet here." "The winds are at seven to ten miles per hour." "Sunrise will be at 6:12." "That's about It for your up-to-the-minute weather report." "This is your WWEN weather person saying..." "I'll be with You again tomorrow evening, rain or shine." "I never really gave a rat's ass about the weather... until I got to know Mrs. Maretto." "Now I take it very seriously." "If it rains... or there's lightning or thunder... or if it snows..." "I have to jack off." "Oh, right." "Sorry." "Today's guest, Mrs. Maretto... is a representative of our local television station, WWEN." " On-air correspondent." " I'm sorry?" "Actually, I'm an on-air correspondent." "Well, that's fine." "Anyway, Mrs. Maretto has asked to have a few words with you." "I know that while I'm gone you will give her your best attention." "Here's my best attention." "Did you say something, Russell?" "No, Mr. Finlaysson, I didn't." "I didn't!" "Well, first of all, I would like to thank you all... for extending me the courtesy of your time and attention." "I got something to extend." "And I would like to say that I hope you'll all be as excited... about the project I'm here to propose to you as I am." "First of all, I want to ask... have any of you ever been on television before?" "Not counting home video, of course." "No one?" "I was!" " What's your name?" " Lydia Mertz." "And how did it happen that you made this appearance?" "It was down at Benson's Electronics." "They have this video camera in the window... and when you walk by they take your picture." "Well, this may come as a surprise... but that is how some of our most famous personalities started out-- just seeing what they look like, accidentally." " Is that true?" " Absolutely." "Now, I am producing a television documentary... about kids just like yourselves... because it is teenagers like you... who are the future of our nation." "And, after all, I used to be a teenager myself once... back in the Dark Ages." "I would like to find out about your way of life-- how you feel about your education... how you feel about things like peer pressure... how you feel about drugs... rap music." "Pussy?" "Do we have to get permission slips from our parents for this?" "No, that wouldn't be necessary." "When'd your folks learn to read and write?" "Hey, read this, shitface." "All right." "I am going to put this list on your bulletin board." "And any of you who think this project... would be as meaningful as I know it can be... put their names on it." "I would also like to thank you all... for your interest." " Everything settled then?" " Yes." "Well, then let's give Mrs. Maretto our thanks... and a round of applause." "Thank you." "Sign up." "I'd never really signed up for anything before... except an after-school weight watchers program... which I was asked to leave anyway 'cause they said I wasn't motivated... and because I gained 11 pounds in three weeks." "But this was different... 'cause it turned out to be the most important thing I ever did." "Now, here's some advice, Russell dear." "That nice Mrs. Maretto is married to a boy... whose father is a pillar of the ltalian-American community... and if he knew how you had insulted... his only beloved daughter-in-law... he would make one phone call... and a man with a big knife would show up in the middle of the night... and turn you into a eunuch." "You know what a eunuch is?" "Of course you don't." "You can find it in the dictionary." "If you don't know how to spell it, you can look it up under 'nutless wonders.'" "So I'm thinking, there must be some simple way... for you to make it up to Mrs. Maretto... for your offensive behavior." "What do you think?" "What is a eunuch?" "I have to say that the staff at WWEN..." "I have to say that the staff at WWEN... responded with total enthusiasm to my project... and gave me excellent support... both editorially and technically... because I think they could sense almost immediately... that I was onto something important... in a sociological sense." "She must've taped God-knows-how-many hundreds of hours... with these three dorky kids... who, from what I've seen, would have a major struggle on their hands... just reciting the days of the week in proper order." "Forget about social insights." "Here, I'll show you." "This is 'Teens Speak Out' project, tape one, take one." "I'm Suzanne Stone and these are" "Now, let's just say something in general about ourselves." "Like what?" "What do you plan to do with your future?" "I don't exactly have a plan." "Well, you must have aspirations of some kind." "What?" "A dream, a life goal." "I can tell you Lydia's big life goal." "It's to fuck the new kids on the block." "That's a dirty lie!" "I don't want to hear language like that." "It is very offensive... and it is unsuitable for broadcast under FCC regulations." " You got that?" " Yeah." "Anyways, it was Motley Crue." "All right, Lydia." " Just for your information." " What about you, James?" "I think you get the point." "It's not exactly Mike Wallace, eat your heart out.'" "But I have to say I've never seen more persistence." "I once said to her" "What about we call it a night?" "Just need to get this reel cleaned up." "An hour, maybe two." "You go ahead." "I'll lock up." "Don't you have that nice husband waiting at home for you?" "He knows how much this means to me." "He works full-time at his dad's restaurant, so he gets home real late." "Well, Suzanne, I sure pity the person who says no to you." "No one ever does." "Why're you tying' her up again?" "Why is she fled up again?" "Just leave her alone." "Untie yourself." "Leave her alone." "If she runs away" "As Scripture says, God is alive." "Fucker." "That life, friends, is heaven." "Heaven is waiting for you." "See, nobody ever called me that before." "All anyone ever called me was..." "Jimmy or Jimbo or... other stuff." "My mom told me that I was named Jimmy... after this old movie star she liked... named Jimmy Dean." "But... well, when anyone ever asked me, I always said I was named Jim... after Jim Morrison of The Doors... 'cause, you know... he had this great kind of life... just traveling around and writing his songs... and having women beg him to do it to them... even to take his... 'organ' out onstage." "That kind of life I thought I'd like to have." "I bet he jumps her all the time, you know?" "Like after dinner, just bang, right on the kitchen table." "Fuckin' during even." "Yeah." "Maybe both." "Those skinny bitches, they can't get enough of it." "They're always wanting it." "That's a medical fact." "It's because the nerves in their body are all bunched up in their snatch." "They're all right up in there... so they're all whack." "I don't think that's true." "What are you, a doctor?" "She's a perfectly nice person." "You think she's gonna make you a big movie star?" "Just to be on TV will be something nice." "It'd be something different." "I got something different for you right here." "You're a disgusting pig." "Yeah." "You know what we should do?" "We should get some money out of it." " What makes you think she's got any?" " You shitting' me?" "Her husband, Mr. Fuckin' Big Cock... owns a fuckin' guinea restaurant, all right?" "Look at the car she drives." "Look at her fuckin' fingernails." "Big, red, sculpted, glossy nails." "She got plenty of money." "That's rich bitch stuff." "Yeah, maybe." "You think she's some kind of hot shit." " She just looks" " What?" "Clean." "Come on." "They're ready." "Kids, stop it." " That's a real pretty outfit, honey." " Thanks." " You want one of these?" " No, thanks." "What about one of these?" "You're goin' in the pool." "No, thanks." "He sure is great with those kids." "He's gotta stop eating that junk." "He's getting a rubber tire around him." "He'll make a wonderful father someday." "He calls them love handles." "I call them flab." " What about you?" " Me?" "You think I look fat?" "No!" "What about the idea of kids?" "That's what I mean." "Well, I love kids." "I absolutely love them, but... a woman in my field with a baby has two strikes against her." " Say I'm in New York" " New York?" "Well, for instance." "And I'm suddenly called on some foreign assignment... like a royal wedding or a revolution in South America." "You can't run from place to place with your crew following... and conduct serious interviews with a big, fat stomach." "Or say you've already had the baby, and you've got this blubber... these boobs out to here." "It's just so gross." "Careful!" " Excuse me." " Nice." "You having a good time?" "Well, I want to get out of the sun." "I have to go prepare my show." "I sure would like to have a couple of them." "What do you think?" "What do you think?" "I think if you wanted a baby-sitter you should've married Mary Poppins." "Hi, Ed." "Wake up, George." "Let's hit it." "Hi, everybody." "This is Suzanne Stone with your late-nlght sign-off weather report... from the WWEN Weather Center." "I don't think I need to tell you that today was a hot one." "That old mercury zoomed on up to 91." "That's a record-breaking temperature for this day." "Tomorrow promises to be more of the same... with relevant numbers up in the 90's... humidity to match... and maybe just a hint of a breeze or two." "Won't be much help with this heat, the kind of heat... that makes me want to head for that swimming hole with my friend James... strip off everything, including my panties... which you can see right fhrough anyway... and poke my soft, pink tongue in his mouth... and slide my hand way up the inside of his leg... until he's so hot that he rolls over on top of me... and I'm yelling, 'James,' his name." "What are you doing to me... with your big, fat, hard" "Oh, Jesus." "Listen to me, Larry." "So she finishes her little docudrama... whatever the fuck it is." "She sends it off to someone in New York, and while she's waiting for an answer... you should, forgive the expression, knock her up." "Knock her up and then" " Whoa!" "Los Angeles?" "What does Los Angeles got to do with it?" "A course in what?" "Advanced media?" "Advanced bullshit!" "Look, I'm sorry." "You're my brother." "I know you love her and want her to succeed... but sometimes, man, you just gotta say no." "What do you mean, how?" "N-O, that's how." "Comes to the right of the key, throws up a hook shot." "It's good!" "The score is again tied here in the first half at the Palace." "With the ball" "Yeah?" "What are you doin'?" "Just sitting here, waiting for you." "I asked you to please keep your feet off the coffee table." " We got to talk about some things." " What kind of things?" "I think you know." "No, I don't." "Can't this wait until tomorrow?" "I'm really tired." "What?" "No, I don't think it can wait." "Sit down." "We're gonna talk about this stuff." "I think we got this great future ahead of us." "I just want to make sure we both understand what the priorities are." "I think Pop's gonna let me take over managing the restaurant." "And I got a lot of exciting ideas... like introducing some new menu items... bringing in live music on the weekends... and maybe even one night a week... open house for local singers and comics... which you, with your TV background, could help me with." "You know, maybe shooting the acts... and then maybe selling the tapes... which you could edit yourself back to the performers." "I talked to my folks about it, and they thought it'd be a great idea." "Really." "And, believe me, I am not selling short what you're doing now." "I mean, the weather report stuff... which you're really good at." "But let's face facts." "It's probably not gonna... lead to any big network offers." "Now, this way... we could be working together in both our respective fields... doing what a family is supposed to be doing." "A family, that's what I'm talking about." "What do you think?" "I'll think about it." "It's true that the road my husband and I chose to travel on... was paved with many speed bumps." "Larry said he would never stand in my way, whatever happened." "But the word failure' is not part of my vocabulary." "My commitment to my career or my marriage, or whatever... has always been 110 percent." "Regardless of how fast I was growing in my vocation..." "I would never leave Larry behind." "The word divorce' was never mentioned." "What do you think?" "Like the color?" " Yeah." " It doesn't make me look fat?" "I think I'm gonna get it." "Mr. Maretto is going to" "Yeah, right." "Let me tell you something." " No, you wouldn't understand." " Maybe I would." "Well, you grow up, you know." "You think it's all gonna be like a fairy tale." "Like you're Sleeping Beauty and along comes this Prince Charming." "And he looks at you and it's nighttime." "And he smiles at you and kisses you." "Yeah, I know that story." "And then... you wake up... and it's daylight... and you look at him." "When you work all day, trying to perfect yourself... and create something meaningful, you expect support." "Does anyone ever say, 'Did you have a good shoot today?" "'" "Or 'How's the editing going?" "'" "I guess not." "I mean, the point is..." "Larry is a nice guy, you know... but he just doesn't know a thing about television." "Let's get outta here." "Mrs. Maretto bought me lots of nice stuff..." "Mrs. Maretto bought me lots of nice stuff... like this ankle bracelet, for instance... and a bottle of real expensive perfume-- a 'scent' she called it-- which I'm saving for a special occasion." "No one ever really bought me stuff before... except my mom's boyfriend Chester... who got me for my birthday when I was 12... a bottle of something called Garden of Eden body oil... which he said would be good for my skin... and which he wanted to show me how to use... which I let him do." "He did other things for a while." "When I was 13, I got this mild case of T. B. and he wasn't interested anymore." "You just have to block that out of your memory... like some scary TV movie where you just change the channel... and pretend like it never happened." "Before you know it, the whole thing will be like a bad dream." "Anyway, my mom keeps this gun hidden in her closet... 'cause of all the sex fiend killers around." "And one time, I told him if he didn't leave me alone..." "I'd get it out and I'd shoot him." "I mean, he didn't give me any more trouble or anything." "Now I guess I wish I hadn't told her all that... 'cause maybe it put some ideas in her mind." "I don't know." "I just told her stuff I'd never told anyone, because she was my friend." "She was my only real friend." "Where are you going?" "I told you, hon." "Pop and I are going to the trade show in Freeport." " We're leaving from the restaurant." " Yeah." "Right." " Look, are you going to be okay?" " Sure." "Will you think about what we talked about?" "I have been." "That's great, hon, because I believe..." "I got something here that's really gonna work." "You know who I want with me by my side?" " Who?" " 'Who'?" "My best girl, that's who!" "My beautiful little lady." "I left a phone number on the fridge." "And don't forget to lock the garage." "Bye." "You know what I'm thinkin', Larry?" "Why don't we get some artificial plants for the restaurant?" "Good idea." " Then we don't have to water them." " Exactly." "Come on, Liddy." "I can't do this, Mrs. Maretto." "Of course you can." "You just have to let your natural sense of rhythm take over." "I don't think I have one of those." " She really stinks at this." " Here." "Watch me." "Watch me." "Watch my hips." "You can do that." "Can't you?" " I can't do that." " Of course you can!" "You just have to move." "Move your body." "Come on." "Come on." "Relax." "Relax!" "You're like a stick." " I can't do this." " Move your hips." "No, I gotta sit down." "This is makin' me feel all funny." "Come on, James." "Come on." "Come on, James." "I'm dancing." " Would you do me an enormous favor?" " Sure." "What?" "Walter hasn't been out for hours." "Would you take him for a walk around the block?" " Yeah." "Sure." " I'm gonna go upstairs." "Take my sweater off." "It's really hot in here." "When you come back, I'll fix us something to eat." "And, Liddy?" "Don't let him come back until he's done his business, okay?" "Like a good little boy." "I'm back." "Hello?" "I have to use the bathroom." "It was like I was in one of those" "Okay, you know those great movies where everyone is comin' out of their graves?" "With like half their faces missing... and their eyes hanging out and their lips falling off?" "You know those?" "And they're all walking around... real slow like this." "They're all walking like this and kind of grunting." "And they're all looking for the same thing." "For regular live people, to eat their flesh... and drink their blood and all." "Smile." "Smile." "And they can 't help themselves... 'cause they're dead... and that's just what happens." "That's what I felt like." "You gotta tell me what's wrong, please." "James, do you think about me when we're not together?" "All I do is think about you." "When I'm not with you, I'm not alive." "Mrs. Maretto... you're the best thing that ever happened to me." " I can't do this anymore." " What?" "I can't go home every night and have him try to touch me." "And all the time I'm just thinking about you." "About us." "And when I push him away, he has this temper." "What do you mean?" "Does he hurt you?" "There were these women, you know... on the Sally Jesse Raphael Show the other day... and they were all wearing disguises so their husbands couldn't find them." "They were living in shelters, and I thought I could live in one of them." "If they let me bring Walter with me, I could live in one of them." "Someplace in another state where no one even knows who I am." "Look." "Couldn't you just get a divorce?" " And then" " But then he would get the condo." "And he'd get the car." "And he'd take Walter from me!" "He'd take Walter." "I know you think I'm just a kid, but..." "I could never do anything bad to you... or ever hurt you." "A guy that does that to someone like you... doesn't deserve to live." "That's the truth." "He doesn't deserve to live." "No." "I suppose you're right." "He doesn't." "Oh, fuck!" "I love this song!" "Don't you love this song?" "I don't know." "Mrs. Maretto used to let me drive around in her car... even though I didn't have a learner's permit." "'Cause she said when she'd be living in California and doing her TV shows... she'd make me her personal assistant, and I'd have to drive her places... and help her answer her personal fan mail." "I guess this is the most exciting time of my life." "It was like living in a really great movie... except it was kind of X-rated on account of all the sex stuff, you know." "Hey." "Don't stop." "You didn't answer my question." "What question was that?" "Did you talk to Russell?" "Yeah, I did." "What did he say?" "He wants a thousand dollars." " Is that all?" " And some CDs." " Did you get the gun?" " No, not yet." " Why not?" " I don't know." "I guess I thought you'd ask Lydia or" "I can't ask Liddy." "You have to." "Don't you understand?" "I guess so, but I thought" "Do you want me to keep doing what I was doing?" " Yeah, please." " Okay." "Then you have to do what you have to do." " So when will it happen?" " Please don't" " I just want to know when." " Let's just do this." "I don't know." "Whenever." "Jesus." "If you don't know, I'll have to find somebody who does." "Aw, Mrs. Maretto, you have to understand." "No." "I think I do understand." "Obviously you're not the mature individual that I thought you were." "Actually, I just had a thought." " Maybe a better way to go on the thing." " What's that?" " Russell." " What about him?" "Russell's enough of a man to take charge of the situation." " Well" " He looks at me in a certain way." "I think he'd be very appreciative of what I could do for him." "What do you think?" "I think we could probably do it next week." "Is that soon enough?" "Would you really do that for me, James?" "Anything." "And then we can be together." "And you can sleep over." "And we could do anything we wanna do." " Anything?" " Yeah." "Anything." "Got it?" "Got it?" "Stand back, tell me if it's straight." "Oh, it looks great." "Hey, Walter!" "Five." "Four." "Come on, boy." "Let's go for a walk." "Three." "Two." "One." "Hi, everybody." " This is Suzanne Stone, live." " What do you want?" "Don't fuckin' move." "Just take whatever you want and get out." "Come on, Jimmy." "Now!" "Wait." "Just wait." "Take the watch." "It's a Rolex." "I know it's a fucking Rolex." "Think it's the first time I've seen one?" "Gimme your fuckin' chain." "Gimme your chain." "As you've probably noticed, it's been another beautiful evening... with just a slight chill in the air... and those autumn temperatures right about where they should be." "Now, Jim." "Do it." " No, please." " Give me your ring." " My ring?" " Give it to me." "I can't give you my ring." "My wife will kill me." "She'd kill you?" "Suzanne would kill you?" "You know my wife?" "Jimmy, now." "Fuckin' now, asshole!" "Do it!" "God, forgive me." "So, for the next few days it should be... just about perfect for boat season weather." "That's about it for tonight." "I'm Suzanne Stone saying" "And if you'll allow me, just a personal note." "A special greeting to my husband Larry... on this, our first anniversary." "Good night, honey." "Come on!" "Hello." "Hello." "Anything?" "Looks like a little dirt." "Who knows?" " And this." " What?" "Don't know." "Feels like pieces of shell." " Janice Maretto?" " Yeah, that's me." "Telephone call at the desk." "Hello." "What?" "Thank you." "Hey, wake up!" "We're open right now!" "All Saturday night around the clock." "Anything upset him at the restaurant?" "Some guy come in and drink too much, or say something to him?" "Five-piece, all-wood dinettes in Colonial, oak and white." "Your choice, 297." "Complete king bed set-- mattress, box, frame-- 297." " That's Tom Peterson." " And Gloria Stewart." "And that concludes our broadcast day at WWEN." "Your community access station serving Little Hope... and the greater Hope County area." "You don't have to talk to those people if you don't want to." "That's what surprised me." "That he didn't put up much of a fight." "I mean, for a guy with such a mean temper." "When I was standing in the hall... with the gun..." "I was trying to keep from being too nervous... by thinking about Mrs. Maretto... and how we'd be together for the rest of our lives." "Let us take leave of our brother." "Living in Callfornia, Florida, somewhere..." "lying around on beaches where everyone goes topless... and working on her TV show." "When the love of Christ, which conquers all things... destroys even death itself." "All by myself" "Don't wanna be all by myself" "Anymore" "I just knew." "I don't know why I knew." "I just" " I just knew." "It was like a light just went off in my head, and I knew she'd" "I knew she just got rid of him." "Just got in her way." "Anyway" "Then I didn't see her again." "That was the last time I saw her." "Suzanne." "I'm sorry." "Could we" "Could we stop for a second?" " What do you want, Liddy?" " Just to talk." "I'm really busy right now." "What do you want to talk about?" " What we're gonna do!" " We?" "You and me and Jimmy." " I'm scared." " There's nothing to be scared about." "You and I and Jimmy are gonna stay miles away from each other." "Well, he's here." "Here?" "Shit!" "Where?" "Across the street." "Jesus Christ!" "Get in here." "Get in here quick!" "Now you listen to me." "You tell James to stay away, all right?" "What is the matter with you people?" "Don't you ever watch Mystery Theater?" "He says that he needs to see you and that he's dying of love." "Tell him to call a doctor." "And Russell wants his money and his CDs." "Really?" "You tell Russell if he doesn't keep his mouth shut... he's gonna be playing his goddamn CDs in the gas chamber!" "What else?" "What do you want?" "Just to be like before, like we were." "Lydia, we can't be like we were." "We have to forget we ever knew each other." "Go on, get outta here." "What about the Tv show in California and everything?" "Jesus, Liddy." "Get real." "God!" " Did you tell her I love her?" " Yes, I did." "She said you were sick and you needed to see a doctor." "Hello, Suzanne." "How's it goin'?" "I'm real unhappy I haven't been able to give you an exclusive on everything." " Pardon?" " The competing news markets... are clamoring for attention, and I have to consider future possibilities." " Of course." "I understand absolutely." " Good." "I need to collect my tapes." "With all the publicity, I've decided to finish my documentary" " There's gonna be a slight problem." " Problem?" " The cops took 'em." " What do you mean?" " They came and took 'em away." " Why would they do that?" " They said it was standard procedure." " But those tapes belong to me!" "Technically speaking, those tapes actually belong to us." "I mean, to the station, until such time" "I'll show you the section that peaked the cops' interest, you might say." "Today we're talking about sexually transmitted diseases... and teenage attitudes toward them." "Would anyone like to start it off?" "Personally, I'm against them." "Let's see if we can be more specific." "What do you think of when I say the word 'AIDS'?" " Queers." " Perversion." "The Hershey Highway." "Settle down, children." "What about you, Liddy?" "Supposing you were in a sexual relationship?" "Would you expect that person to wear a condom?" "I don't know." "I guess it would depend on, you know, what kind of person he was." "Yeah, a blind person." "How about you, James?" "Are you personally concerned about aids?" "Well, in my present situation" "Well, in the relationship I got goin', I don't worry about that type of thing." "She's not that kind of person." "She's very clean." "That's the piece GerAldo used with some minor editing." "It was on First Edition and American Justice." "We made a few bucks on this one, and got a nice credit." "...in the Holy Spirit, I want you to bow down..." "Arms straight up." "Thank you, Jesus." "Thank you for my life." "Think a little bit about Your life." "Think about what you can part with." "A dollar?" "Ten dollars?" "A hundred dollars?" "How important is Jesus in your life?" "As you can imagine..." "I was shocked beyond comprehension." "I mean, to think that these disadvantaged youngsters... who I had taken under my wing and spent my time with... and who would only stand to ultimately benefit from my media savvy... to think they might be responsible for this heinous crime!" "It simply boggles one with disbelief." "Of course, I realized, and I hope this doesn't sound callous... that the upside to all this, assuming justice prevailed... is that I would have in my documentary an extremely marketable commodity." "Something that even PBS would take an interest in... which would mean a smaller audience but a much larger prestige factor." " Want to tell us about it?" " I got nothin' to tell." " Your friend Russell told us plenty." " Like what?" "He said your dick was bigger than your brain." "Oh, yeah?" "He really said that?" "I don't think he meant it as a compliment." " Fuckin' amateurs." " Who?" "Listen, as career criminals... you guys flunk out of kindergarten." "Your prints are on the gun." "Your pal left a trail of clam shells all over the murder scene." "You boys did everything but leave a business card." "There's Larry Maretto's blood all over those shoes you wore." "And pieces of Larry's brains." "He, he, he used to beat her up all the time." " He said he was gonna kill her." " I'm sure he did." "We were going to California 'cause... she said I had real potential in TV 'cause of my voice." " Doing what with your voice?" " Sports." "Like being a sports announcer." "When did you start bangin' her?" " It wasn't like that." " What was it like?" "It was just" "We were" "You were what?" "In love." "We were in love." "How many times?" "How many times did you do it, you and Mrs. Maretto?" "I don't know." " Lots, I guess." " Where?" "In her bed?" "ln her and her dead husband's bed?" "Yeah, sometimes." "Where else?" "In her car." " In her car." " Yeah." "And once at school." "Jesus Christ." "At school, huh?" "Yeah." "In the back of the gym." "And once late at night at the station where she does her weather reports." "And twice at the motel on Piedmont." "0h, and the back of Russell's truck." "And the movie theater on Hayworth." "Oh, a couple times at her parents' house... when they were away on some vacation or something." "And... also in the field behind the gas station." "Probably where you get your doughnuts and coffee." "It's close." "Hi, Liddy." "Is it my imagination, or is that diet working?" "You lost a few pounds in there?" "I don't know." "I haven't been eating much lately." "What's this about talking to the police?" "I just figured that Russell would tell them everything, so" "Look." "No one's gonna believe anything Russell or Jimmy say." "they're just a couple of punks." "They wouldn't be in this deep shit if they'd kept their mouths shut." "There's no evidence that we're involved." "I wasn't near the house." "And if they did find out anything, you know who'd be in trouble, don't you?" " You would!" " What do you mean?" "If you hadn't gotten your mother's gun, Larry would still be alive." " But you asked me to." " No, I didn't." "No." "Jimmy did." "Don't you remember that?" "But you asked Jimmy, and you told Russell that you'd pay." "I don't think so." "Now you listen to me." "I never gave Russell any money." "Do you understand?" "The way I remember, it was your plan all along." "You and Jimmy!" "You had a fixation about me, and you were getting a perverted kick out it... like people with your sexual problems tend to do." "Russell went along with you because Russell is an evil fucking scumbag!" "Who, I'll bet, you were having some kind of dirty sex with... in spite of your lesbian tendencies." " Wait a minute!" " Wait for what?" "I thought we were friends." "Okay, then." "Can you take some advice from a friend?" "You keep your fuckin' mouth shut." "It's their word against mine." "Who are they?" "A bunch of 16-year-old losers who grew up in trailers... whose parents sit around drinking and screwing their cousins." "I'm a professional person, for Christ's sake." "I come from a good home." "Who do you think a jury would believe?" "Thank God we still have legal procedures in this country." "The court has ruled this is a clear case of police entrapment." "The tapes were found to be inadmissible evidence." "My client was granted bail in the amount of $200,000, which we felt was steep... but at least she'll be able to assist us in the preparation of her defense." "Do you have a statement?" "You have something you'd like to say?" " Suzanne, please say something." " I just want to say... it's nice to live in a country... where life, liberty... and all the rest of it still stand for something." " Thank you." " What are you gonna do now?" "I'm gonna go home and walk my dog." " How will you address the questions?" " Will you take the stand?" "Did you get those kids to kill your husband?" "I loved Larry Maretto... with all my heart." "But the fact is... my husband had a serious cocaine problem." "There." "I've said it." "I've finally said it." "I believe that while I was making my documentary..." "'Teens Speak Out'..." "James and Russell became acquainted with my husband without me knowing... and got him addicted to drugs... and became his main supplier." "And when he tried to break free of them or maybe when he told them... he was thinking of turning them in to the law... they killed him." "I had no intention of revealing this dark side... of my late husband's character... because I wanted to spare his parents the pain." "But I just don 't have a choice any more." "I have to defend myself with the truth." "There were times when" "And I know someday when my fight is over..." "I will be joining my husband... in the heaven that he so fervently believed in." "And that was the last time we" " The last time we saw her." " And that" "That pretty well brings us up to date." "Until your phone call, which I must say wasn't entirely unexpected... since in the last few days a number of interesting offers for my story... have been literally pouring in from the networks... and some major movie studios." "I totally understand why we'll be keeping this meeting confidential... until such time as we may come to a mutually beneficial agreement." "And I have to admit... that I really do enjoy... this spy story aspect of our first rendezvous, if I may call it that." "Because I think that being a good investigative reporter... is very much like being a kind of secret agent." "I hope you enjoy viewing this document... which I believe could serve as the first draft... that you Hollywood people are so richly rewarded for." "Well, I guess that's a wrap." "Come on, Walter." " Suzanne?" " Yes." "Finally." "The famous Suzanne Maretto." "How nice to meet you." "Did you come all the way from Hollywood?" "I came a long distance to see you." "Who's this?" "This is Walter." "Walter." "Hi, Walter." "I don't know why, but I thought that you'd be older... running a big studio and everything." "I am older." "Come on out." "I want to show you something." "I brought my tape." "Let's go." "Let's go for a walk." "Oh, dear." "Where are we going?" "To show you." "What?" "It has to do with your story." "It is so funny." "I don't see why we have to go." " This is for you." " Thank you very much." "It sure looks good." "Thanks, Mrs. Maretto." "Maretto's." "I understand." "Thank you." "I'll be here... every day for life." "Plus thirty years, if I live that long." "Plus thirty years, if I live that long." "Russell copped a plea and got only 16 years." "I miss him." "He was my friend." "And Lydia too." "She was okay." "Mostly Mrs. Maretto." "And the weird thing is... now it's hard for me to even remember what she looked like." "You know?" "Except when I dream about her... which I do every night." "I dream I'm at a baseball game... and I'm way up in the broadcasting booth." "And I'm callin' all the plays." "And she's sittin' right next to me... with her hand on my leg, feelin' me up." "I can hardly wait to get to sleep at night." "Suzanne used to say that you're not really anybody in America... unless you're on Tv." "'Cause what's the point of doing anything worth while... if there's nobody watching?" "So when people are watching, it makes you a better person." "So if everybody was on TV all the time... everybody would be better people." "But if everybody was on TV all the time... there wouldn't be anybody left to watch." "That's where I get confused." "Anyhow, they're flying me to go on Oprah next weekend." "I hope she's gonna give me some diet tips." "And Phil Donahue called too." "But to tell you the truth, I'm kinda nervous about that one... 'cause I honestly can't follow what he's sayin' most of the time." "There's some others too that I can't remember off hand." "But it's really something when you think that..." "I'm the one who's gonna be famous." "Suzanne would die if she knew." "End sticks."