For Their Own Good (1993) - full transcript

(Multicom Jingle)

(gentle music)

- [Narrator] Although certain
characters and incidents

have been fictionalized,

this film was inspired by an actual event.

(horn honking)

(people chattering)

(upbeat band music)
(crowd chattering)

- How you doin'?

- Hi, alright.

(marching band music)



- [Man] I think they all look good.

I'm glad they're home.

Yes, sir.

- Hi, mama.

- Hi.

Well, I just wanted to sneak
a peak at you in your uniform,

make sure you got home
safely in one piece.

That's all.

- Glad you're here.

- I certainly took my chances.

Had to figure that your
pa weren't gonna show.

- I never seen you lookin' so pretty.

- Well, you keep talkin' like that,

and I'll be cryin' my
Mary Kay peachy blush



right off my face.

- No.

Please, mama.

Mama, don't.

- Sorry, I can't help it.

I've been prayin' so hard for this moment,

hopin' it would come.

All it took was seven years and a war.

- There's nothin' you could do, mama.

I mean, there's nothin' anybody could do.

Are you gonna offer a
tired soldier a ride home,

or am I walkin'?

(laughing)

Well, pa didn't write me one time

the whole time I was over there.

Got 36 letters from you, though.

- [Sally] I've still got two in my purse.

- [Jody] I can't believe
that plant's still standin'.

- You look so thin.

What's they feed you in
Saudi Arabia, anyway?

- [Jody] Mama, pull over.

I wanna ask you somethin'.

- Smack in front of McCade?

They see me, they come pourin' outta there

like a bunch of porcupines
lookin' for a dartboard.

- There ain't nothin' they can do to you

they ain't done already.

One thing bein' over taught me was

you gotta look the enemy
straight in the eye.

- Nobody said nothin'
about gettin' outta no car.

Jody.

Jody.

Oh, shoot.

- You know, I still have nightmares

about what they done to you.

- Hey well what's done is done.

Ain't nothin' gonna ever change that.

- You wanna talk about it?

- I can't.

I just can't.

- Please?

I've waited seven years.

(emotional music)

Well then, if you're not gonna tell me,

I guess I'm just gonna
have to hold my breath

'til I turn blue.

- Well, can't have you
turnin' blue, too, can I?

You know blue used to
be my favorite color.

They sure took care of that, didn't they?

After I lost you,

I didn't think anything
could hurt me as bad.

But I was wrong.

(crew chattering)
(machinery clanging)

- Hey, Travis, they want you down

at the gas Hurley down there

at the the tower.

- Right.

- [Worker] Right in the
middle of my work space here.

- Y'all take a break yet?

- Huh-uh.
- Take it now.

- [Worker] Now roll that on outside.

- 40 pounds too much for you, girl?

- [Sally] No, I can manage.

- Take a hike, Hank.

- You hold them trays
away from your hooters

when you lift 'em, you hear?

You keep touchin' 'em
with these compounds,

don't come cryin' to me when you get hurt.

- You better not get any ideas
about touchin' 'em, Hank,

or I'll have the union on your
butt like a runaway train.

- I'm just tryin' to be helpful, girl.

- [Naomi] Helpful, my ass.

- I cannot believe you
talk to him that way.

- You just got here.

It's only your first week.

I used to be a shy flower
when I first started, too.

He knows damn well nobody, man or woman,

can lift 200 trays a day.

Just lift them whichever way you can.

- Oh, it's okay.

Tough enough gettin' this job.

I ain't gonna give them
any excuse to fire me.

(door slamming)

- [Clark] Hey.

- Dinner's almost ready.

(television droning)

- What's this here?

- That is my very first
paycheck from McCade Industries.

- $264?

- $343.50 before taxes.

I can't believe it used to take me a month

to earn that much down at the coffee shop.

- Shoot, it's $80 more
than I made last week.

- Oh, yeah?

Someday you're gonna own
that fillin' station.

You ain't always gonna be
punchin' a time clock like me.

Jody, get in here and turn
off the TV, dinner's ready.

- Canned hash?

- Well, I didn't have time to do shoppin'.

I wanted to make you pork chops.

- Oh, you know what I think?

I think we was all better off

when you was still a waitress.

Right, Jody?

Well, he's your boy, all right.

He can't even offer up an opinion.

- Don't start with him, Clark, please.

(machinery whirring)

- [Worker] Shut 'er down.

- [Worker] Got it.

- Take my sister Laura for instance.

She popped a baby every
year for the last eight,

and I ain't even had one.

- Oh, it'll come, honey,
when you least expect it.

Every time we try, nothin' happens.

Every time we didn't, we had one.

(woman chuckling)

John still wants a boy.

Not enough hands to do the chores.

What about you, Sally?

You want another?

- Me, I want a whole house full.

Doesn't seem to be in the cards, though,

not the way me and my
husband have been gettin' on.

- Some's got lots of children.

Some's got lots of money.

Them's got both find somethin'
else to complain about.

Y'all don't because me,
watch Oprah for five minutes.

- See it on whose TV?

My husband I still savin' up
for a used washin' machine.

Georgia, quit hoggin' the soap.

- Well, there's somethin'
the matter with it.

- Here, hand it to me.

Ah, look at that, you see,
they watered it down again.

- Yeah, you think they'd let
us know we ain't wanted here.

- They either bein' cheap
or nasty, take your pick.

- What they are bein' is disrespectful.

- [Woman] Who's gettin'
an eyeful this time?

- [Woman] Glory be, will you look at that?

- Ladies, I think I see
a cockroach over here.

(women crying out)

- I'm so scared.
- Oh, my god.

(women chattering)

- [Woman] I can't believe
that, look at that thing.

- Sally, come see this roach.

- [Woman] I can't believe.

I bet it's the new

(speaking drowned out)
- You ain't afraid

of cockroaches, are you?

- Scary lookin'.
- Come on, Sally.

- Ooh.
(women chattering)

- Come on, you're the
new full 'round here.

You can do the honors.
- Sally, come on over here.

- Just take this bottle and squeeze,

and holler marry Christmas.

- Ooh, oh.
- Biggest one I ever saw.

- I've never seen a bug like...
- Be sure to get it.

Right there.
- Looked like...

- Go on.

- Go on, Sally.

- There it is.
- Yes!

(women cheering)
(women laughing)

- I can't believe I just did that.

- You get a gold star.

(Sally coughing)
(ominous music)

- Sally, I want you to quit.

- I need a towel.

- My god, you're coughin' this
crap up all over the place.

- I'll clean it up.

Naomi says we wouldn't
be havin' these problems

if we got better respirators.

- You wouldn't be havin' this
problem if you would quit.

Now, you shower off before
you come back to bed.

I'm tired of you leavin' this mess

on the sheets every night.

- I could shower from here
to kingdom come, Clark.

It wouldn't make no difference.

People's retired says
when you leave the plant,

you sweat color for a year.

- [Clark] Just do it.

(whistle blowing)
(crowd cheering)

- Go, Jody.

- Go, Jody.

My god.

God, he's gotten so big.

- Get him, son.

- [Spectator] Come on, come on.

- He just flipped him on his stomach, pa.

Come on, Jody, pin him.

- Put mule in the barn, boy.

(whistle blowing)

- Looking good!

Way to go, Jody!

(boy groaning)
(whistle blowing)

- He's wimpin' out.

- He's doin' fine.

- He's got nothin' left.

He never does when he needs it the most.

(crowd shouting)

(whistle blowing)

(buzzer sounding)

(crowd applauding)

- It's okay, Jody, it's okay.

- I don't wanna hear any
more of your lame excuses.

You get down on your all fours, quick.

- [Jody] Pa, I'm studyin'.

- Wait, what are you doin'?

- He's gonna learn a thing or two

about wrestlin', that's what.

- Oh, he ain't got time for this.

Jody, you get yourself back to work.

You got an English test tomorrow.

- You put a lid on it,
and you get down now.

- Yes sir.

- Aw, come on, Clark, don't be ridiculous.

- No son of mine is gonna
wrestle like a girl.

- Ow.
- You fight.

- Ah, ow, ow.
- And you fight like a man.

- It hurts.
- Stop it, Clark.

Don't be ridiculous.

- Shut your face.

- Clark, please, leave him alone.

He's just a little boy.

- Learn to fight.

- Stop it, it hurts, ow.

- Oh, my god, Clark, please, stop it.

(fist cracking)
(Sally groaning)

Jody, you run to Billy's house.

- No, mama.
- And you stay there.

- Clark, get off.

- I said to get.

- Don't hit her no more, pa.

- Go.

Now.

(lamp crashing)

(machinery clanging)

- You better put some ice on that shiner.

- Will you quit starin' at me like that.

You think your husband never
laid a finger on you before?

- No.

And if he ever got any ideas,

I'd have no qualms about
pullin' his smelly socks

above his head, tyin' him up,
and smotherin' him to death.

Look at you.

You shouldn't even be working.

- Yeah, well, I ain't got
much of a choice, do I?

- Yes, you do.

You could get rid of that SOB.

- Well, it wasn't always this bad.

- Well, it's bad now.

Sally, we don't have to take it

just 'cause our grandmas did.

We allowed to be happy, too.

- Jody makes me happy.

- [Hank] Roy, I said I come
down here to talk to you.

(speaking drowned out by noise)

You've got to take some time off.

- [Roy] I was just off
two weeks before Easter.

- [Hank] Yeah, and the levels
have got to be brought down.

- Was it lead poisonin'?

- No, that's in pavement.

They say it's somethin' else,

some other kind of compound
that's just as bad.

Probably worse, if I know them.

- You ever get forced leave?

- Yeah.

They said the toxins was
stickin' to my lipstick.

- We took care of them levels last time.

- They are up.

We are gonna deal with it.

And you've got to pack it in.

Naomi, come over here and take
over for Roy on this packer.

I need somebody who
knows what they're doin'.

- Somebody must have treated
him real good last night.

That's the closest thing
to a compliment he paid me

ever since I've been here.

I'll hop right on it, sweet pea.

- Sally.

You think you can handle this by yourself?

- Yeah.

- You know them hooters of yours

are lookin' flatter than usual.

You sure you haven't been
puttin' them compound trays

up against them when I ain't been lookin'.

- Hey, Hank, that ain't no
way to be talkin' to a lady.

- You ought to know, boy.

You're divorced, aren't you?

- That's the second time in a
week somebody's bailed me out

with that man.

Sally Thompson.

Thanks go out to you.

- Think you better sit out this round.

- No, no, no, I can't let you do that.

It ain't right.

You're gonna get us both into trouble.

- I ain't gonna say
nothin' to you about it,

but I ain't gonna pretend

like I don't see what's
been done to you neither.

- My brother'd still be workin' for McCade

if it weren't for that
fumb equal opportunity law

about hiring women.

- No, your brother would
still be workin' here

if he'd been doin' his
drinkin' in the right places

instead of on the job.

- All I know is, is perfume
and compound don't mix.

- You know what I think?

I think you're raggin' on 'em

'cause you're scared for your own neck.

Heck, everybody here
knows productivity is up

since they was hired on.

- Not enough to save this sinkin' ship.

I heard there's new talk
about closin' us down.

- Hell, they've been
closin' this place down

and movin' this shindig to
Mexico since before we was born.

- Strawberry rhubarb.

Strawberry's frozen,
but the rhubarb's fresh.

Got plastic knives here, forks, and enjoy.

- Well, thank you.

Seein' as how you feel
about women the way you do,

you don't mind if I just hog
this all for myself, do you?

- Well, what are you lookin' at?

Gotta start somewhere.

- I love banana cream.

(women laughing)

- I got news for you.

It's gonna take a whole lot of pie

to make us one big happy
family around here.

- Guess what?

A mandatory meeting's
been called for us women

right after work.

It's with Dr. Mason.

- Dr. Mason?

- What's she gonna do,
hand out tongue depressors?

(women laughing)

- After a comprehensive
study of compound divisions

in facilities across the nation,

the findings show that certain substances

women are exposed to could
endanger a developing fetus.

- About time they got us some proper gear.

- Therefore, the company has adopted

the following fetal protection policy.

All women of childbearing
years, ages 15 to 60,

who work in hazardous areas

must undergo a sterilization operation.

(women chattering)
- Sterilization?

- Or be terminated from their current job.

- What?
- What?

- Of course, if you've
already had a hysterectomy

or have written proof of sterility,

there is nothing further required.

Dr. Mason here will be
happy to field questions

if you have any.

Thank you.

- Oh, no, no, no, no, wait a minute.

Do I got this straight?

- [Woman] That's not right.

- We have to give up our
ability to have children

so that we can continue
to work in this cesspool?

- I know this is difficult.

- Why don't they just clean up the plant

like they're supposed to?

- I'll tell you why,

because there ain't
enough of us workin' here

for them to spend the
money to make it safe.

- Y'all are doin' this 'cause you know

we ain't got no place else to go.

- My husband uses protection.

Isn't that enough?

- I'm afraid it's not considered reliable.

- Well, what if we go on the pill?

- [Dr. Mason] What if
you forget to take it?

- What if we promise not to sue?

You know, sign some sort of agreement?

- I asked the same question
to our legal people,

and there's just too many loopholes.

- So what have we gotta do?

- Well, the operation
is a routine procedure

called a tubal ligation.

- Routine for who?

- You're in and out of the
hospital in three days.

Recovery period is six weeks.

The company will foot the bill.

- Well, that's generous.

- You have 30 days to make your decision.

- 30 days to choose
between starvin' to death

or havin' a child.

Well, that's quite a decision, ain't it?

But that ain't really the point, Clark.

- I mean, how good's a
boy's English gotta be

for pumpin' gas?

- Well, I know you like
workin' at the fillin' station.

But maybe Jody wants to do somethin' else?

- Good enough for me,
it's good enough for him.

Right, Miss Gates?

- We were talking about Jody's grades.

- I wanna see you outside.

Excuse us, please.

- Of course.

- Clark.

- I don't care.

You contradicted me in front
of that teacher of his.

- Give up.

You and me are turnin'
out to be as different

as molasses and vinegar.

- Oh, what the hell are you talkin' about?

- Just forget it.

- No, you got somethin'
to say, you say it.

- It ain't even worth discussin'.

It's stupid of me to think

you'd even wanna have another child.

- You're damn straight,

you can put it right outta your head.

Comes waltzin' in at six
o'clock after some plant meeting

like she's got nothin' better to do,

and you expect to have
another mouth to feed.

What's so important they
gotta have a meetin'

at that plant anyway?

- Ain't nothin' that you'd care about.

(train chugging)

- Well, they got all them doctors

and scientists workin' for 'em.

What I mean is they must
know what they're doin'.

- You're kiddin' me.

Do you have any idea what
you're talkin' about here?

- Come on, everybody's
gonna have their turn.

- Chris, all I'm tryin' to say

is it don't matter much to me anymore.

I'm gettin' kinda old
to have kids, anyway.

That's it, I'm done.

- Georgia?

- It's kind of personal.

I don't know if I should
be talkin' about it.

- Now, come on now, Georgia.

Now, nobody's gonna judge ya.

- Well, see, Tommy's
brother, he's kinda slow.

Well, mentally and all.

So we decided we wouldn't
even try to have kids.

I mean, in my heart, I know it's wrong,

(melancholy music)

but I'm not gonna fight it.

- I can't just sit here
and listen to this,

watch my whole life go down the drain.

- Well, then you oughta quit.

- And do what?

Have a baby and give it up for adoption

when we can't afford to keep it?

We know there's no work
in this whole damn town.

We've all looked.

I can't believe it was just the other day

we was all in here, in this very room,

talkin' about havin' kids.

- I know.

It's like the devil got off the
bus on his way back to hell.

Sally, we haven't heard from you yet.

- You know I was only 15 when I had Jody.

And I'll admit, these
years have been tough.

Yeah, they've been tough on all of us.

But I love my boy more than life itself.

I can't imagine givin' up
my chances to have another,

even though children is a sore point

with my husband right now.

It just don't seem right.

- You know what I think?

I think they's puttin' one over on us.

And I'm gonna find out.

See y'all later.

- So you remember how nasty things got.

How many of you were with
McCade during the last strike?

- I was there.
- Oh, I was.

- Well, there are still folks

who haven't completely
recovered their losses.

And there are still folks
who are askin' themselves,

was it worth it goin' out over 50 cents?

- [Woman] Oh, come on.

- I think it was.

Others think they would
have got the increase anyway

over time without the help of the union.

It's a tough call.

- Is this a tough call?

- Well, I can't answer that

without launchin' a
complete investigation.

- Well, are you willin' to?

- [Dave] It's not me, it's the union.

- All right.

Is the union willing to?

- The union is workin' for you.

You should never forget that.

- Like the time we lobbied
for our own bathroom.

We had to use one in another building,

nearly half a mile away.

How long did that go on, Dave?

- A year, and it would
have gone on forever,

except one of those girls' husbands

was a plumber and did it for free.

- If you couldn't even
get us our own bathroom,

how do you expect to help us here.

- Yeah.
- Right.

(women chattering)

- 'Cause this is more important.

Right, Dave?

- Right.

(telephone ringing)

- Well, they got two jobs
available in converters

and one in the supervisor's office.

But these are all gonna go to those

with the highest seniority.

- And you know that ain't one of us.

- I wish we could move to another town.

- Sure, you and everybody
else in McCade County.

You know they let go of 200 men over at

Stone Rivers this mornin'.
- How'd you make out

with the union?

- They workin' on it.

- Yeah, well, I was you,

I wouldn't go puttin' off the inevitable.

Sometimes the company
gets a little squirrely,

you know what I mean?

You come 'ere, I wanna talk to you.

Come on.

- Is this your idea of a date, Hank?

- They're watchin' you.

You know there's nothin' you can do or say

that don't get back to
the big boys in spades.

- Well, I'm just fightin'
for what's right.

- I'm not gonna be able to
bail you out this time, Naomi.

I ain't.

Now, you better get off
that high horse of yours

before they kick your butt.

Let me tell you somethin'.

They haven't forgotten
all that ruckus you raised

about bringin' women into
this plant in the first place.

Besides, you got a husband workin'

the night shift, don't you?

- What's Henry gotta do with it?

- Slim pickins out there.

Hard enough to get one job, let alone two.

- Are you threatenin' me, Hank?

- No.

I'm just deliverin' the message.

- You know, I know that
English ain't easy, sweetheart.

Heck, if it was, we'd all be president.

- Did you ever wish you
had a different teacher

when you was my age?

- Of course, we all did.

Why?

You wishin'?

- See, Mrs. Gates ain't from around here.

She got a funny way of speakin' and all.

I can't hardly understand
her most of the time.

- Most of 'em in this whole country

don't speak the way that we do.

But you best listen to
what Mrs. Gates tells you.

You don't get stuck here
the rest of your life

like I did.

- But I like it here.

- I know you do.

It's just that I want you
to have choices, Jody.

It's real important.

I don't want you to get backed
into a corner like we did.

(pot crashing)

- Did you get cornered here, Sally?

(telephone ringing)

- Yeah?

It's for you.

- Hello?

Hi, Paul.

What?

Oh my.
(gasps)

No, I'll be right there.

I'll be right there.

Just stop your worryin'

about the medical expenses, all right.

I got some rainy day money saved at home.

- No, thank you.

This is my own damn fault.

I didn't put the mat down
gettin' out of the shower.

- Lucky that sink broke her fall,

otherwise it might've messed
up that pretty face of hers.

- Oh, what do you know about pretty.

You ain't seen my face in years.

- Mom.

You could've done it all over again,

would you have had the four of us?

- What kind of question is
that to be askin' your mama?

- All I remember is us bein' poor

and wearin' each other's
clothes until they was shot,

and the two of you never havin'
no time to come up for air.

Now that all the work's done

and everybody's gone
their own separate ways,

we're hardly a family anymore,
except for Thanksgiving.

- For every one of the Thanksgivings,

I thank God for the lot of you.

I wouldn't trade my family off
for nothin', especially you.

(telephone ringing)

- [Staff] Dr. Taylor, report
to pediatrics, please.

- Hello, Sally.
- Dr. Taylor

to pediatrics, please.

- I'm Mike Yates, I'm Erma's husband.

- Oh, that's right.
- We met at the plant picnic.

- I'm sorry, my memory
ain't worth a damn lately.

- That's understandable with
what's happenin' and all.

You just gettin' out?

- Gettin' out?

No, no, my mama fell and broke her hip.

- For a minute, I thought
you were a super human,

walkin' outta here like that.

They're bringin' Erma
down in a wheelchair.

Of course, she's had some complications.

Oh, hey, darlin'.

Could you keep her company
while I fetch the car?

- Yeah.

Yeah.

(emotional music)

Why?

- I couldn't see no way out.

- But we was just gettin' started.

- My husband was one of the men
got laid off at Stone River.

And Hank's been ridin' me to death.

I couldn't take the chance
of losin' my job, too.

- Oh, Erma, no.

If only you just could've held
out a little while longer.

The union was workin' on this.

- Stop dreamin', Sally.

There are 500 men in that union.

What on earth did you think
they were gonna do for 25 women?

- Oh.

Naomi, we could've talked to them.

- [Hospital Staff] Thank you, bye-bye.

- What do you mean?

But you're not afraid of them.

I'm seen you.

- [Man] I'm here for an X-ray.

- What?

They cut your hours in half?

How can they do that?

No, I understand.

It's okay.

No, I'll see you at the plant.

Okay.

Hi, I'm Sally, Sally Thompson.

I work over at the plant.

- Oh right, I don't have
anything to report yet.

- Yeah, well, I do.

Erma's had the operation.

- I'm sorry.

I wish I had known.

- What have you done?

- Well, we're hoping to set
up a negotiating committee

by the end of the week.

And we're still trying to meet

with the president of McCade next Tuesday.

- Hopin' and tryin'.

Look, I appreciate your mighty efforts.

But I do not want anyone else
to wind up on that table.

And if you just dawdle
around and let it happen,

you're gonna be wearin'
this on your conscience

like everybody else.

(emotional music)

- Somethin' the matter, mama?

- Train woke me.

Lasts more than 10 minutes, that's it.

I'm up for the rest of the night.

- It was a long one, wasn't it.

- Yeah.

- Must've been over 200 cars.

- You feel like givin' me one of your hugs

for no good reason?

Go on back to bed.

(people chattering)

- Hey, hey.

There's a face I haven't seen in a while.

- Hey, Roy.

- How're things goin' at the plant?

- So-so.

- Hank still ridin' you?

You tell me the truth,

'cause I'll take care of that,

you know.
- Yeah, well.

You're beginnin' to look like
you never worked at McCade.

Your cheeks is pink, not
blue like the rest of us.

- The doctor says I'll
be back any time now.

- Naomi'd be thrilled.

She don't know how you keep that packer

from breakin' down every five minutes.

She says the machine belongs in a museum

instead of a factory.

- Sounds about like me.

I'm gonna be 40 in a month.

- That ain't so old.

- That's plenty old

when you ain't much to
look at in the first place.

So you goin' straight home?

- Gas station, then home.

- Well, how about gas station,
cup of coffee, then home?

- Well, got coffee already.

- Yeah, I don't see no cinnamon
fry cakes in there, though.

Benny'd have a batch of 'em up by now.

- No, I gotta get home.

My husband's expectin' me.

- Well, I don't mean to keep you.

- Well, I'll best be outta here.

See you, Roy.

- See you, Sally.

- I never thought I'd see the day,

a respirator that fits snug
against a woman's face.

About time.

- Girl, I hope you don't think

these respirators change things.

The policy is still the same.

- Why, if we ain't gonna be
inhalin' the pollutants as bad?

- They're just protectin' themselves.

- Come again?

You know, I got news for you.

Pretty soon, you ain't gonna have to worry

about gettin' sterilized anymore.

This company's startin' to feel the heat.

Unnecessary expenses like
these respirators here

are gonna shut this place down.

(workers chattering)

- Want me to help you with that?

- No, I got it.

- Look, I know you think
I disappointed you,

but everything's changed around here.

- I'm not.

How come Marjorie and Georgia ain't come

to get their respirators?

Where they been all day?

Where are Marjorie and Georgia?

- Why don't you check the hospital?

- Sally.

Wait, Sally.

- I don't get it.

I just, I don't get it.

What is goin' on?

- They were afraid if they
waited 'til the last minute

they'd be out on the
street with no place to go.

- Well, I'm afraid too.

In fact, I'm scared to death.

But this is my god-given right, Naomi.

And I am not about to
let anybody take it away.

Shoot, even if the union does
come up with somethin' now,

we ain't got a leg to stand on.

Don't they realize that
they're just makin' it worse?

- They're not makin' it worse.

It's the damn company.

And furthermore, they all
got they lives, Sally.

They all got their reasons.

They don't need anybody to
tell 'em what's right or wrong.

- Somebody's got to you, haven't they?

You ain't the fighter that I used to know.

- Who is anymore?

- [Worker] That's 363.

(engine rumbling)

- Where'd that come from?

- [Clark] Bought it.

- You're kidding me, what?

- [Clark] What you worried about?

- You shouldn't be lettin'
him drive that thing.

He's barely 12.

- It's time.

- It's against the law.

- Since when did you start
payin' attention to the law?

That's enough, son.

- Now, what is that supposed to mean?

- It means you're a married woman flirtin'

with some stranger
outside the supermarket.

And don't say otherwise,

'cause a friend of mine from work saw you.

- I ain't got time for this.

Where is it, Clark?

Where's all the money?

- [Clark] You're lookin' at it.

- You mean to tell me that
you spend my hard-earned money

on a used dirt car?

- [Clark] Hey, it's my money, too.

- This is my rainy day money.

- You keep houndin' me,
you'll see another cent of it.

- Jody, come inside and pack your things.

- What for?

- We're leavin'.

- You stay put.

- What, you got some confidence
'cause you met somebody

and you got a factory job?

- And don't forget to
pack your school books.

- You was plannin' on leavin'
all along, weren't you?

- That's right, Clark.

That's what I was plannin' all along.

I was plannin' to just
waltz out that door.

I was plannin' to have an operation

that I never wanted to have.

- What are you talkin' about, operation?

- Oh, I'm surprised that
your friend didn't tell you.

(door slamming)

- Do you see this here rifle?

You ever try to leave
and I'll hunt you down,

and I'll kill you both.

You hear me?

- Yes, sir.

- Come again.
- Yes, sir.

- Jody, are you ready?

I hope you're in there packin'.

Sweetheart.

Jody, come on, I need you to get busy.

What are you doin'?

Come on.

- I gotta stay with pa.

- If you're goin', go.

- Now, you tell him to come with me.

I need my boy.

- Come on, Jody.

Let's go take the car for another spin.

- Jody, Jody, what is the matter?

- Nothin'.

I don't wanna go with you.
- Jody, talk to me.

- That's all
- Why?

- I just don't wanna gonna.

Now leave me alone.
- Why not?

- Jody!

(emotional music)

- You're gonna have to find
another way outta here.

- I'm gonna be at grandpa's.

You can change your mind
any time you want to.

'Cause I'm gonna be waitin'
there with open arms.

(machinery clanging)
- Let's go, let's move it.

(workers chattering)

- Damn.

Be faster if I fill these
bins with a measurin' spoon.

- You know I put you on this here machine

'cause I thought you was experienced.

But you've proven me wrong
from day one, haven't you?

- I can't repair and fill
the bins at the same time.

It's either one or the other.

Take your pick.

- Sally Thompson.

Come over here and help your friend.

- She don't know nothin' about the packer.

- Well, she's gonna learn, isn't she?

Now, what I want you to do
is go up this ladder here,

open up that door, and unclog
that stuff, let it fall down.

Go on.

- I'll do it.

I've done it 100 times, I'll do it again.

- No, you gonna stay down here

and catch the blue when
it comes fallin' down.

Now you get up there.

I'll hold the ladder for you.

- Is this thing soldered on or somethin'?

- Why don't you use some elbow grease?

You got elbows, don't you?

- Yeah, but I wasn't sure
if there was a plant policy

against usin' 'em or not.

- You know, you two girls
are real entertainin'.

I'm gonna miss you around here.

- Who says we're goin' anywhere?

- Well, I haven't seen
you makin' any steps

towards gettin' yourselves fixed.

That's gonna mean somethin'
to those men upstairs.

(blast booming)

- [Worker] Hey, what is it?

- [Worker] What happened,
how'd she get up there?

- You all right?

- Yeah.

- Now look what you done.

You broke my machine, didn't you?

You just get up, wash up, and get out.

You, too.

- I swear, every day that goes by,

he gets meaner and meaner with us.

They shipped Carolyn outta
here to scrub toilets

for less than half her pay.

- Why?

- They said her productivity was way off.

Of course, we all know the whole reason

was she was holdin' out,
tryin' to set an example,

like you and me.

Now that Chris has had her
surgery, there's just us left.

Sally, I'm gonna say something,

and I don't think you're gonna like it.

First thing tomorrow morning,

I'm gonna schedule that operation.

- Don't do this.

- You know, I know when I'm licked.

My spirit's all broke.

I used to think Hank was
just a big bag of hot air,

and I could yell my fool head off at him

any time I wanted to, and
nothin' would ever happen.

But now I know he is
speakin' for the company.

- Now, Naomi.

You're all I got.

I lose you, I don't
know what I'm gonna do.

- Don't you understand?

They have picked us off one by one.

I'm not gonna give 'em
an excuse to fire me.

I can't afford it.

Sally, I'm not gonna
end up winnin' the fight

but losin' the war.

Don't try and stop me.

(emotional music)

(Naomi sobs)

- I ain't gonna.

- At least we was both
blessed with one, right?

Jody'll come around.

You'll see.

- [Doctor] Sally, I
performed a hysterectomy

on your grandmother and on
your mother for health reasons.

But this is a different ball of wax.

I just don't see any reason

why I should perform a tubal
ligation on a healthy woman.

There has to be another way out of this.

- I don't see one, lest you
be willin' to lie for me.

- I'm afraid that wouldn't do any good.

They'll be double-checkin' anyway.

- Well, I'm right down to the wire here.

I only got a couple of days left.

I can't go back to Clark.

Can't go back to 85 cents
an hour and support myself.

I lose this job,

I ain't never gonna have the
means to get my son back.

Please don't make me beg for this.

- Sally, you go through with this,

you can say goodbye to
havin' children forever.

- Well, I'll see you on Friday.

I'll make sure not to eat breakfast.

(staff speaking faintly)

(baby crying)

- [Woman] Was it a boy or a girl?

- What?

Oh, no.

No, I didn't have a baby.

Where am I?

- The maternity ward.

I sorry.

What'd you have, female problems?

- Of a sort.

- Probably didn't have
any other rooms available.

- [Staff] Here we are, special delivery.

- [Man] Oh, here, let
me see that grand baby.

- Here you go.

- [Red-Haired Woman] Come to mama.

- Congratulations.

- This is a golden moment.
- Look here,

this is your grandpa.
- Looky there, looky there.

- Is it a boy?

- Yes, it is.

- Treat him nice.

- I will.

(melancholy music)

- Well, it's behind us now.

(engines rumbling)

You mean to tell me after what we done,

you want us to transfer from compounds

to another department?

- For your own good.

- There's no such thing around here.

We did what you wanted,
now isn't that enough?

- I did not go through
with this to get demoted

to sweeping floors and converters.

- Fine, you want to be harassed,

you wanted to be branded as fixed,

you just go ahead.

You stay here and you're gonna

suffer the consequences.

- Well correct me if I'm wrong,

but I think we already have.

(people chattering)
(equipment rumbling)

- Just gonna take some time for all of us.

- What are you doing in here, Miles?

- Visiting.

- Yeah, well you got your
own toilet to visit, so get.

- Well, the way I see it,

if you're gonna continue
working with the men,

you ought to be putting
out the welcome mat

once in a while.

- You better leave here in two seconds,

or I'm gonna report you.

- Oh come on.
- Get out.

- Like you're gonna get pregnant, huh?

- Leave me alone.
- Come on.

- Get out of here!

Miles, leave me alone!

- Well now I thought you
said this place was private.

We were just fooling around.

I'll see you later, Sally.

- Are you okay?

- You tell all the women
around you from now on

not to go to the bathroom alone.

I know that you're really Clark's lawyer,

and I appreciate you handling

both sides of the divorce.

But all I want is my son back.

- Sally, I've spoken to
him on several occasions,

as early as this morning.

Each time he's stated he
wants to live with his daddy.

- That's because he is being forced to.

- Now how do you know that?

- Because I have been the brunt

of Clark's temper for a very long time,

and now I'm not there for him

to take it out on anymore.

- That's right, you're not.

So don't go basing the
boys expense on your own.

Legally, it just won't hold up.

- Well legally, what will?

- You're gonna have to find
another lawyer for that.

And be prepared, that's gonna cost you.

- Well thank you for your time.

- Sally, are you sure you
don't want me to drive you?

- No, I'm gonna walk.

- Oh, somebody's going
to the playground again.

- It's Jody's birthday today.

- Oh how old is he, 11, 12?

- 12.

- Oh, what you doing for him?

- What can I do?

- What can you do?

You just keep letting him
know that you're still around.

You do your part, and
eventually he'll do his.

Okay?

Go on, go.

- Hey hey, I'm back.

- Hi.

- Doctor told me walking's
the best thing you can do

to push them toxins
right out of your system.

See most people, they'll go right from

the plant to their car,

and if they got an
attached garage like I do,

they don't even have to
go outside to go inside.

Skin don't breathe, and
that's bad, that's real bad.

So, you mind if I let my skin
breathe with you for a ways?

- Free sidewalk.

- Well that ain't much of an invitation.

- A lot happened while you were gone.

- Like what?

- Come on, Roy.
- What?

- Well there's no reason
to pull my leg about it.

- I don't know what you're talking about.

- Oh, nobody told you?

- I don't socialize with
anybody from McCade.

- Yeah, well if that's true,

why are you wasting your time on me?

- 'Cause you seem like a good person

who's hurting a lot inside.

- Separated now.

My husband's got my kid.

- I know what that's like.

- I'm gonna get him back, though.

- I got two kids with
their mama in Dillard.

She don't let 'em come visit.

I wasn't much of a husband
the first time around.

- Which way you going, left or right?

- My pickup's back at
the parking lot there.

(knocking on door)
(gentle music)

- Jody!

Jody, you in there?

(knocking on door)

Jody?

Jody?

Didn't you hear me knocking?

- Yeah I heard you.

- Why didn't you answer me, sweetheart?

- Didn't want to.

- Thought you might be out
celebrating on your birthday.

- Well I'm not.

- Brought you a present.

Ain't you gonna open it?

- Alright.

- You like it?

- It's a catcher's mitt.

I'm a an outfielder.

- Well I'll exchange it for you.

- No, you better go.

Pa's gonna be home any minute.

- Jody, now you know I want
you to come live with me.

- I said pa's gonna be home any minute.

- I don't care.

I can't leave you here, I just can't.

I love you too much.

- Well I hate your guts,
now get out of here!

- Jody, you don't mean that.
- I said I hate your guts

and I don't want to see you no more.

Go, get out of here!

Go!

(melancholy music)

(train horn sounding)
(machines whirring)

- What's all this hide and seek about?

- Looks like McCade jumped the gun.

Only one other plant besides us

has instigated the sterilization policy.

- But we was told that
everybody was gonna do it.

- Maybe, maybe not.

We're not so sure anymore.

Anyway, I want you to hold
off from getting surgery

'til we have a definitive answer.

- You know, I'm real glad that you're

keeping up on things, Dave, real glad.

(door shutting)

(gentle music)

I think I need a push.

- There now.

Isn't that almost like a
picture perfect postcard?

- Here I thought I knew
every decent spot around.

Fort Stockton to Seguin.

- You hunt?

- Can't say that I do.

- Well you wouldn't know this spot

unless you were quail hunting.

- I see.

You any good at it?

- Well, let me put it this way.

I believe that I am one
of the primary reasons

that that bird has grown so plentiful

in these here parts.

Aw, I just use it as a excuse

to get away from it all.

See the dawn crack on a beautiful sight.

- Yeah.

I could see how nothing
could get to you up here.

Just let your mind glide

from one pleasant thought to the next.

Except for Winter, I
would never want to leave.

- You want to sit?

- I do.

And I don't.

- Well, you just let me know

when you feel the first snowflake,

and I'll take you on back.

- If I had known it was
gonna be this peaceful,

I would've brought my knittin'.

- What are you working on?

- A sweater for Jody.

You?

- Key chain or kindling wood,

whatever my boy wants to do with it.

- [Sally] You miss him?

- And my daughter.

- They know it?

- They got a whole new life now.

It wouldn't be right
for me to go down there

and mess 'em up.

- Mess 'em up?

They gotta know that you love 'em.

'Cause if they don't, that'll mess 'em up.

- I'm not too good at that sort of thing,

letting people in on how I feel.

- Well how do you know unless you try?

- 'Cause every time I do, I ruin things.

- For instance?

- Like right here.

Ever since we come up
here, I wanted to kiss you.

Well, I feel like there's a blizzard

rolling in here real quick.

And my hunting abilities
being what they are,

not only will we freeze to
death, but we're gonna starve.

So, we better just skedaddle
down off this mountain.

(horns wailing)
(people chattering)

- I feel bad.

I mean, I wanted to tell
him, I just couldn't.

- Well it don't make no difference.

Stop making a pork pie
out of a piece of bacon.

- Oh, just everybody knowing
a handy operation, except Roy.

- Well, you know, if it's
meant to happen, it'll happen.

What're they wasting good trees on now?

- All employees small
division to compounds

meet 12 o'clock sharp
in the plank cafeteria.

- Something tells me this
ain't gonna be no free lunch.

- Our decision to close down
the compound division of McCade

is by no means a reflection

on the high standard of performance

by this ambitious workforce.
(melancholy music)

But it is a sign of the changing times.

In the past months,

increased pressure from our competitors,

coupled with the costly demands

for improvements by OSHA,

have provided us with no
other option but to close.

All other divisions of McCade
are unaffected by this,

so however many of you

can be absorbed into those operations

will be relocated by
our staff and personnel.

- You bastards!

- You're not gonna get away with this.

- You're scum!

You're all scum!
(yelling)

- Let's make no mistake about this.

It's because of you women

they're closing this department down.

(people yelling)

- Them sneaky bastards.

I bet they know'd all along
this was gonna happen.

- You know they never cared about

what happened to us
women in the first place.

You think that since
we got our tubes tied,

they even flinched?

They ain't never had no intentions

of doing right by us ever.

- We thought if we had the operation,

we'd have job security.
- Erma!

- Now we got nothing.

- Erma, Erma, wait.

- We rolled the dice, we paid the price.

- Don't run off like this, talk to us.

- It's over, Sally.

Don't you see?

We got sterilized for nothing.

Nothing in the world is
gonna give us back our jobs,

and ain't nothing in the
world is gonna give me a baby.

(people chattering)

- I'm sorry you had to find out like this.

- [Worker] Union ain't
doing it, that's for sure.

(dog barking)

- I need your help on something,

and you are the only lawyer that I know.

Well you've seen the papers?

- I've read all about it.

- Yeah well, it's like this.

I want to sue McCade Industries.

- Who in particular?

- The whole damn company.

- Sally, this is a small town.

Except for a couple gravel pits,

McCade runs the show.

Every lawyer I know has wanted

to take them on at one time or another,

but we don't have the power

nor the kind of legal staff

that's necessary to go
against the giant corporation.

They know we know it.

We know they know it.

Why do you think they get
away with the stuff they do?

- Well, let me know when
my divorce papers is ready.

- Hold on, hold on a second here now.

Now look, I don't want you to

let anybody know I gave you this.

- ACLU, what is this?

- That's an organization
that deals in peoples rights.

They got lawyers.

- What's the 212?

- Area code for New York.

- New York?

Well so you mean to sit there and tell me

that there ain't nobody in all of Texas

that'll be willing to help us.

- Nobody that has half
a chance of winning.

(cars honking)
(siren wailing)

(people chattering)

- Hey, how about you?

Yeah yeah.

- [Woman] Taxi.

(knocking on door)

- Hi, I'm Jo Mandell.

- Sally Thompson.
- Sally.

Why don't you come in and grab this seat

before Millie comes in
and puts more books on it.

- Alright.

It's funny, nobody said that
you was gonna be a woman.

- Nobody told payroll, either.

I still get my checks Joseph Mandell.

So, I don't mean to make you feel bad,

but why didn't you come to us first?

- I didn't even know 'til

less than a week ago y'all existed.

- Did you get the information

about the fetal protection policy

from a memo?

What I mean is did
anyone get written notice

that they'd be fired
if they didn't comply?

A company newsletter or anything.

- No, I mean I never
got nothing like that.

- Then how did you know?

- We was told.

- Who told you?

- It was line boss, some doctor they had.

- Which one?

- What difference does it make?

- A lot.

To build a case, you need
concrete written evidence.

- I was sterilized.

Is that enough concrete evidence for you?

I can't have no more kids.

- Sally, don't confuse me
with those other people.

I'm on your side.

But without written proof, it
is your word against theirs.

- Why don't you just put down

that sandwich that you're eating

and give me the bottom line?

Do you or do you not think

that you can go up against a company

the side of McCade and win?

- I'm not going to lie to you.

You have been in my
office for five minutes.

There is no way for me to know that.

- Yeah, well this is a very long way

for me to come to hear that.

I think we've just
wasted each others time.

- Sally, wait.

Let me discuss this with my colleagues,

and I'll get back to you.

- Sure, I've heard that before.

(meat sizzling)
(birds chirping)

How's that chicken coming, pa?

- If it ain't cackling,
it must be cooking.

- I know you're gonna get on with Roy.

- I remember you telling me
that about somebody else once.

- Well you been on my case all day.

Why?

- Chicken's starting to burn.

- You're blind, pa, not deaf.

- Well you shouldn't have done it.

- Don't you say that.

I wanted that job, I needed that job.

It's just what I had to
do to keep it was wrong.

Roy's gonna be here any minute.

We all need some time off from this gloom.

I'll go get the potato salad, alright?

Hey mama.

You gonna be having dinner with us?

- I'll be happy to meet Roy

just as soon as you're
officially divorced.

- Well, have it your way.

Oh my god.

- I was on my way home on the subway,

I guess I missed my stop.

- What are you doing here?

- I've talked to the union.

We've scheduled a meeting tomorrow night

at eight o'clock for all the women

at Union Headquarters.

I hope you can make it.

Of course if you have
tickets to the ballet,

well that's another story.

- I'll be there.
- Good.

- You want to stay for dinner?

- Let's win the case first.

(engine revving)

I'm staying at the Sleep
Cheap if you need me.

- Alright.

(engine rumbling)

Hallelujah, kiss the ground!

- Oh you look like a 500 watt
bulb in a 50 watt socket.

What was that?

- That was the lady from the ACLU,

come to find me all the
way from New York City.

- Good for you, Sally, good for you.

- I can't believe it, we're on our way.

- In honor of the occasion.

One's for you and another
one's for your mom.

They're from my yard.

You can keep them bottles.

- They're so beautiful.

You know, if you hadn't said anything,

I would've thought for sure

they'd come from a professional florist.

- According to Title VII of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964,

discrimination on the basis
of sex is prohibited by law.

In my opinion, that policy was implemented

by McCade Industries in
blatant violation of the law.

For that reason and that reason alone,

I believe you could
win and you should win.

(laughing and clapping)

Okay, but, that doesn't mean you will win.

- [Woman] Oh great.
- [Employee] Why not?

- Now, this is a fact that you are all

going to have to face if you decide

to enter into this lawsuit.

And believe me, it's gonna be a long one.

It will test the strength of
each and every one of you.

The opposition will dissect
you under a microscope

and come at you with
everything they've got.

Plus more.

So, I wish that you would talk
this over with one another

and let me know what you want to do.

- She's a lot of talk.

But I'm willing to reserve judgment.

- She's nothing like us.

- Maybe that's good.

- You didn't like her
when you first met her.

- But she come down here
out of her own accord.

How many of us would have done that, huh?

Especially since we ain't
paying her a red cent.

- Y'all I don't know.

My husband still works at McCade.

I don't want to jeopardize his job,

word of this gets out.

- Well you ain't gotta
go through with this

if you don't want to.

Ain't none of us gonna
hold it against you.

We all got our reasons for
doing and not doing things.

So, is she gonna be our
lawyer, or ain't she?

(knocking on door)

You can go ahead with it.

- Come on in.

Okay let's go back.

When did you start in compounds?

- It was in March.

- That's not gonna be good enough.

I need the exact date.

- I don't know.

- It says here March 18th.
- March 18th.

- Who was your supervisor?

- Hank.

- Hank Smith, Hank Schwartz, Hank who?

- Just Hank.

I don't think any of us
ever knew his last name.

Who'd want to?

- Well, the McCade attorneys among others.

Now look, I know this
seems like little stuff,

but in order to be a credible witness,

you've got to be able to answer
these questions accurately.

So, here's your employment record.

Your personal file.

Take them home, study them.

Names, dates, places, conversations.

- Okay.
- And Sally.

Whatever you do, don't panic.

I grade on a curve.

- Really cool.

That last question.

Remind me never to vote
for Ronald Reagan again.

- You did fine.

She did fine.

You ready?

- Ready as I'll ever be, I guess.

- This is a deposition.

You are not on trial here.

If you get nervous, you
just imagine these guys

in hula skirts and low coconuts.

- Miss Thompson, have you ever had

a sexual relationship with
anyone besides your husband

while you were still married?

- Objection, this is
an invasion of privacy.

This is highly prejudicial,

and I am instructing the witness
not to answer the question.

- Have you ever used birth control?

- Yes.

- For how long?

- From the time Jody was born.

June 12th, 1972,

until I left my husband on
April 23rd of this year.

- May I ask the reason why?

- Why I left my husband?

- No, why you used birth control.

- 'Cause he didn't want no more kids.

- Just your husband, Miss Thompson?

- Objection, the witness has
already answered the question.

- It's true, is it not, with
or without this operation,

you have no current expectations

of having any more children,

given the nature of
your personal relations.

- Objection.
- What does he mean by that?

- We've spoken to a number of men

at the plant, Miss Thompson.

Now they allege that
you've been carrying on

with at least two of your coworkers

in the women's bathroom.
- Objection.

You are badgering the witness.
- At the plant,

and in front of the market.

Come on now, Miss Thomspon.
- That is a stone cold lie,

and you know it.

- I have no further questions.

- [Lawyer] Don't volunteer any of it.

- So.
- I can't talk right now.

- What's the matter?

- I just gotta be alone.

- What happened in there?
- Nothing.

- Well nothing sure made you awful mad.

- What is it that you want from me, Roy?

(gentle music)

- I want to spend the
rest of my life with you.

- Why?

- 'Cause you got them bushy eyebrows,

like two little caterpillars go like that.

'Cause if you can stand up

after all they've done to you,

then maybe some of that's
gonna rub off on me.

- This is a picture of the lunch room.

If you can call it that.

That's my work station.

Right there.

It's kind of hard to
see with all that blue.

Our bathroom.

Otherwise known as the beauty parlor,

where we tried to make ourselves glamorous

at the end of the day.

Of course, when you only
got two sinks, no hot water.

For all the women to use at once.

Ended up going home like that
wicked witch most of the time.

- I think I've seen enough.

Thank you.

These are really gonna help a lot.

- So here I am.

- I think I've found a problem.

- Well you didn't call me over here

to watch you fix your car, did you?

- Sorry I couldn't get over there.

You did not get that from me.

(crickets chirping)

(knocking on door)

- This is a list of all
the pollutant levels

from everybody in compounds.

Goes back five years.

Now I ain't much of reading this stuff,

but Roy says that all the
levels are way over the top,

which means if they were gonna bother

to sterilize the women,

they should've sterilized the men, too.

Don't ask me how I got it.

- Of course I'm gonna
ask you how you got it.

- Well I can't tell you that.

- You asked me once if
I could win this case.

I can't do it alone.

- Somebody gave it to Roy.

- Somebody isn't gonna quite do the trick.

- He didn't tell me who.

- Would you ask him for me?

Please?

- You know, you get to
go back to New York.

We still gotta live here, you know?

- Sally, we need a witness, desperately.

(gentle melancholy music)

- You know, you ain't gotta
tell me if you don't want to.

I ain't gonna hold it
against you or nothing.

You stuck your neck
out far enough already.

(car whirring)

(gentle country music)
(bell dinging)

Well I asked him.
- Yeah?

- Didn't seem to do much good.

Just sort of stood there all quiet-like,

staring up at the blank sky.

Finally went to bed,
didn't even say goodnight.

- Well, thanks for trying.

- Yeah, I see we made the McCade Courier.

Front page.

- Washington and New York papers, too.

- Holy cow, they gonna run us out of town.

- Yeah, let them try.

- Thank you.

Tell me.

Is everybody from New
York as fearless as you?

- You should meet my mother.

She grew up dishing it out
in a rough neighborhood.

- She must be awful proud of you,

being a lawyer and all.

- Actually, she's still upset

my piano lessons didn't pay off.

No, she made a lot of sacrifices for me.

But, nothing compared to what you did.

- You think I made a big mistake.

Don't you?

- I did, at first,
before I came down here,

but now I know you did what you had to do.

- Well, hearing you say
that don't make it better,

but it does take a little
bit of the sting away.

- You want some cold toast?

- Well no wonder you're so tiny.

You never eat nothing.

- It's too hot out.

- What is Roy doing with him?

I shouldn't even be on
the same planet with you,

let alone talk to you.

- Suits me.

Weren't my idea to come here, anyway.

Only reason I took that file is 'cause

I just got my walking
papers yesterday myself.

- Well you can keep on walking.

- Miles, we really
appreciate your contribution.

Don't we, Sally?

- Yeah, we appreciate it.

- Yeah, I mean shoot.

I heard talk they've been thinking about

phasing out that compound division

for the past five years anyway.

- What?

You heard that and you never told us?

- Well none of us thought any of you

would go through with it.

We thought you'd quit first.

- You thought wrong.

- They said if any of
you had a defective baby,

you'd sue the pants off
McCade, so they had no choice.

- No, we had no choice.

- Settle down, Sally.

- Alright.

- Off the record,

nobody there wanted you
women working at the plant.

- I'm gonna need you to say
that on the witness stand.

- Now you listen here and
you listen good, both of ya.

You don't have to be employed at McCade

for them to mess up your life.

Now they rule this town,
and they rule this county.

You can just forget
about me being a witness.

- Excuse me, Jo.

What happened to that file that Miles took

from the office?

The one you was gonna
use as evidence in court.

- Oh that.

If I remember correctly,

I think I sent that off to New York

for our attorneys to review.

- Hey that was for your
use and your use alone!

That weren't for no other lawyers!

And that weren't for no trial.

This is the last time
I do anybody a favor.

- Oh I don't know, Miles.

I think if you search real deep,

you still got one more favor left in you.

God, I hate him.

I hate him.

- Sally.

We got our witness.

(laughing)

- We got our witness.
- We got our witness.

- We got our witness.
- We got our witness.

(women chattering)
(laughing)

(upbeat dance music)

- Hey.

- I'm gonna teach you
something about Texas.

- What?

Oh no, I'm going back to New York.

- No you're not.
(laughing)

- Alright go on, get in line!

(all chattering)

Jo, get in line.

- What do I do?

- Hips, hips.
(women chattering)

You have it, girl.

- Go to the right, y'all.

Left.
(country music)

Left and right.

⪠Arrest a man on the low âª

⪠He said you gotta get
the rhythm of the island âª

(cheering and laughing)

⪠Help me carry my load âª

- Okay, right!
- Left, right.

Left, right left right left.

(laughing and chattering)

- I thought the song was gonna go down.

(laughing)

- Yeah.
- Oh yeah.

- What a great idea.

- What's the matter, Jo?

- This is absurd.

- What is?

- We gotta get a new judge on the case.

- Why, who'd they stick us with?

- Lucas Conner.
- Lucas Conner?

When we were in grade school,

he used to pull the wings off of flies.

- He's about as McCade as you can get

without actually punching in.

- Miles is gone.
- Oh my god.

- His phone's been disconnected.

I went to his house.

His neighbor said he split
with a bulging suitcase.

- Oh great.

Our one and only witness.

- Probably just paid him off.

- Yeah, send him to Argentina.

- Yeah, but we're alright.

We're alright, ain't we Jo?

- It's just gonna be a little harder now.

I needed Miles to help clear something up.

- Like what?

- I've heard talk that
some of your ex-husbands

and boyfriends are going
to testify against you.

- About what?

- That some of you have
been sleeping around.

- You gotta be kidding me.
- I know.

- Who are they claiming?

- So far, Chris and you.

- Nobody has touched me,

not even my own husband since the surgery.

(engine rumbling)

(doors slamming)

- I got the signed
divorce papers right here.

That makes you a free
man and me a free woman.

This is the man I'm gonna marry.

This is the man that you're claiming

I'm sleeping around with, but ain't,

because he is too much of a gentleman.

And Clark, if you so much as step one toe

inside that court house,

I'll make your life so miserable

you won't know what hit you.

- I'll tell you what'll hit you.

- Listen to me good now, mister.

You ain't never gonna
harm this woman again.

- You can have her.

She's spayed, anyway.

- Roy, don't.

My boy is in there.

- Don't you get any ideas
about getting him back.

- Jody, Jody!
(door slamming)

Jody!

- Don't even think about it.

(knocking on window)
(rock music)

- Jody!

Jody, I know that you can hear me darling.

Jody, no matter what happens,

I ain't never gonna give up on you.

I love you, I always will.
(tapping on window)

You mean more to me than
anything in this whole world.

- Come on, Sally.

Come on.

I'll take you home.

(rock music)

- That's the offer.

Take it or leave it.

- The offer?

It's not for me to decide.

- I strongly recommend
that you make it clear

to your clients if they decide
to go further with this,

if they elect not to settle out of court,

even if they win, they stand to wind up

with nothing in their pockets.

- Would you like to explain that?

- Well, if they proceed to trial,

and the case is decided in their favor,

but the judge awards
them $250,000 or less,

your clients are responsible
for all legal costs.

- And trust us, there's a real possibility

of that in this case.

- This is coercion and you know it.

- $250,000 is a lot of
money to throw away.

- $250,000 divided among
all those courageous women

is no compensation for
what they went through.

- It is in West Texas.

- How would you know?

More than anything, I want a victory here.

I want you all to have your day in court.

Because you put your lives on the line,

McCade is now in the spotlight.

Every one of you has contributed
valiantly to this end,

and I'm so proud.

(gentle music)

Unfortunately, the kind of victory

we were hoping for here

doesn't always come in a single dose.

Sometimes it comes in
smaller victories over time.

So I can't, in my heart of hearts,

tell you not to accept this
less than generous offer

because there are no guarantees.

If it was entirely up to
me, I'd stay and fight.

But I go home to my job when this is over.

And although this money is not
enough to change your lives,

it will provide for you
during these tough times

and perhaps give you comfort in knowing

that you have made a difference.

- Thank you.

- Much obliged.
- Don't feel bad.

I know you did your best.
- Thank you.

- Come on, let's go.

We need to get on with our lives.

- We ain't never gonna get what we want.

Might as well just take this.

(gentle music)

- Well, $14,000 settlement
ain't a lot of money,

but it might buy some peace
of mind, if that's possible.

You sure picked a hard
bargain caring about me

after all that's come down here.

- If I had my way, I'd
pack you and your boy up,

take you so far away from here,

your shadow couldn't find you.

You ain't done with
this thing yet, are you?

- To tell you the truth,
I honestly don't know.

But I got this anger inside,

and I just don't know what to do about it.

I gotta let it out.

But I pray when it happens,

it ain't let out on you.

- Don't you worry about it.

If you've got to dish out, I can take it.

- I love you, Roy Wheeler.

You sure must be eager to get home.

- Hm, I've been away so long.

I hope my husband recognizes me.

I'll be like, hi honey, it's me, Jo.

- I want you to have this.
(gentle music)

It's just a small token of appreciation.

It's a baby quilt.

I made it for Jody when he was born.

- I can't keep this.

- Oh no, it's just a quilt.

Nothing compared to what
you gave to us, to me.

If it hadn't have been for you,

we wouldn't have had a voice.

I would've just given up.

Pretty soon we've been forgotten about.

I wouldn't have had the
strength to fight 'em alone.

- Oh yes you would.

You are a much more fearless
woman than you think you are.

- Well.

We sure started something here, didn't we?

- Yeah we did.

- You better get going.

You know that meter's running.

Bye.

My name is Sally Wheeler.
(gentle music)

I am writing you on behalf
of a serious injustice

that has forever changed the
lives of my ex-coworkers,

my dear friends, and myself.

On March 30th, 1984,

the women working in
the compounds division

of McCade Industries, Grift Texas,

were forced to undergo a
sterilization procedure

to keep their jobs.

It is now nearly seven years later,

and little has changed.

There is still no law on the books

forbidding this heinous
crime against humanity.

How many more women will
have to live in fear each day

that their birthrights
might be taken away?

How many more women will have
to suffer the consequences

until total justice is done?

I know it's too late for us,

but it's not too late to close the book

on this terrible mistake.

Please, put an end to
fetal protection policies.

With all respect, Sally Wheeler.

Thank you.

Anyway, nothing more to tell, Jody.

It's funny, I promised myself

if we ever got back together,

I wouldn't go on about the past.

So much for promises.

- I let you down.

I wasn't there for you when you needed me.

- Don't you think that way.

I got through it.

I wasn't alone, I had Roy.

- Well you had me too.

I wanted to go with you, mama.

I really did.

But he was gonna kill you if I ever tried.

Kill me too if I ever told you.

- No.

You lived all this time with that?

(gentle music)

Here I thought I went through something.

How can I take your hurt away, huh?

- Just be my mama now.

(phone ringing)

- [Nurse] Dr. Seebers to radiology please.

- Hurry up Roy.
- I'm right behind you.

- Good evening.

- She's so beautiful.

- Hi.

Hey Sally, hey Roy.
- Oh hi.

- Here she is.
- Come here, come here.

Hi.

Mama, your granddaughter
wants to meet you.

(gentle music)
(baby weeping)

Thanks Roy.

We're so lucky.

- [Roy] Guess that makes me a grandpa.

(gentle music)

(steady instrumental music)

(Multicom Jingle)