Freeman (1977) - full transcript
(gentle music)
(factory whistle blowing)
- Ellis and Marie Stewart
bought over on Montana.
- Yeah.
- Nice little six-room house.
- Ain't much to those little houses.
- But Ellis, he's real handy.
Sure fixed up his mother's basement nice.
(upbeat music)
(factory whistle blowing)
(knuckles tapping)
I sure wish I had somebody
to fix up my basement for me.
- Put enough in this shack already.
Kitchen cost more than the house is worth.
- Well we got to live here.
- That's what we've
been doin' for 30 years.
- You sure oughta talk to him.
- Who?
- Freeman.
(factory whistle blowing)
- Freeman, Freeman.
It's time to get up.
- She oughta talk to him.
- About what?
- What he plans to do.
- Plans to do about what?
- About his wife and child.
Girl's expectin'.
Never would I be pregnant and sittin' up
in somebody else's house.
He'd get a move on and get outta here
and find me someplace to stay.
You oughta talk to him.
- Freeman is grown.
When folks are grown, ya leave 'em alone.
- I ain't botherin' him.
- You better learn how
to keep your hind parts
out of other folks's business.
- Well now I can't talk.
He just lays up here in my house
and I ain't supposed to say nothin'.
- Well, ask him to move.
- Well, I sure wish
he'd hurry up and move.
Givin' me a headache.
- Mornin' Miss Teresa.
- [Teresa] Good mornin', Osa Lee.
- Mornin', Mr. Ned.
- [Ned] Freeman up?
- Oh, he's in the bathroom,
workin' on himself.
He sho' is vain.
Spends more time in the bathroom
than any woman I ever seen.
- [Ned] Well he better hurry
up if he gonna ride with me.
- Maybe you could get him out.
I hate to see him late for work.
- He knows he's got a job to go to.
- Freeman!
Freeman, your daddy's
down here waitin' on you!
- [Freeman] Osa Lee!
- Whoopee!
- Would you stop that goddamn, "Whoopee"?
You're not in the cotton patch now.
And stop callin' me.
I'll be down when I get good and ready!
- Thinkin' 'bout namin' the
baby after you and my daddy.
- Why don't ya name him after Freeman?
- Well I reckon I could do that,
but I don't really like
the name Freeman too much.
You wouldn't mind, would ya, Mr. Ned?
My namin' the baby after you and my daddy?
- Suit yourself.
- That's what I think I'll do.
Scared to name him after Freeman.
Might mark him.
You believe in that, Mr. Ned?
- Believe in what?
- That you can mark a child
by the name you give it.
Freeman ain't industrious
and I sho' do like industrious people.
Can't stand nobody lazy.
I sho' hope my child ain't lazy.
(Ned and Osa Lee laugh)
- Freeman ain't down here yet?
- He's still in the bathroom, Miss Teresa.
- Boy, will you come on outta there?
Ain't that your new suit?
The way you go dressed
down to that foundry
folks would think you were vice
president of Moloch Motors.
- [Freeman] Here's your breakfast.
- Just some coffee.
You can go on, Dad, I
can catch a cab downtown.
- Boy, ain't you going to work today?
- Depends on how long my business takes.
- Ned!
- Boy, you better come on to your job.
The man is lookin' for you to be on time.
Now you're a man with responsibility,
growin' responsibilities.
- I can take care of 'em, Dad.
- Come on now.
- Come on what?
- You know what I'm talkin' about.
- No I don't.
- Yes you do.
Now you can't kid me.
You're gonna talk to me,
you gotta come right.
- I sure hope you know
what you're talkin' about
'cause I don't.
- I ain't gon' say no more.
- Don't listen to nobody.
Just knows everything.
- Freeman.
- Hm?
- I'm worried, Freeman.
- Worried about what?
- I wish my mama could come
up here and be with me.
- She can come.
- No she can't.
I can't let her come up here
and see me livin' like this.
She have a fit.
- You doin' better now than
you ever did in your life.
- I ain't doin' as well as
none of my brothers or sisters.
(Freeman grunts)
I'm the only one roomin'.
- We ain't roomin'.
- Just because it's your
mama and daddy's house
that don't change what it is.
- That's how they suck you in.
They get you to buy one of these shacks.
They sell 'em to the
niggers when the white folks
move out after they've worn 'em out,
then you spend your life
tryin' to pay for it
and spend the rest of your
life tryin' to fix 'em up.
- Well ya gotta have some place to stay.
- We got a place to stay.
- It ain't ours.
- When I get a house, it's gonna be one
that ain't nobody ever lived in before,
one I'm gonna build myself.
Osa Lee.
This is the house we're gonna have.
- What is it?
- The house I'm gonna
build in Blanchfield Hills.
- Ain't that where Dr.
Coleman built his house?
- Yes.
- Who drew it?
- Designed.
I did, designed it myself.
I probably coulda been an architect.
I took it downtown to one
of those architectural firms
and you know what?
- [Osa Lee] Hm?
- They thought a real
architect had done it.
He kept wantin' to know what was the name
of the architect that designed it.
Just couldn't believe that I had done it.
A 12-room house, brand new,
never been lived in by nobody else.
See here, this is the downstairs.
The living room would be here,
the dining room here, the kitchen here.
Ranch style, all electric.
The library and den'll be here.
Serve as my study,
someplace I can get away,
be alone to think.
- Where you gonna get the money?
- I'll get it.
- It sure would be hard to keep clean.
- You'll have servants.
- Servants?
- Yes.
The servants' quarters
will be over the garage.
- I like them houses over on
Montana a heap more better.
- You'll get used to it.
Where you goin'?
- Back to bed.
I'm still sleepy.
I can't seem to get enough sleep.
You goin' with us to the
supermarket after work?
- Supermarket?
- It's Friday, we always go
to supermarket on Fridays.
And put your dishes in the sink.
(ominous music)
(factory whistle blowing)
Oh.
Here ya go.
(gentle music)
I'll take that for ya, Miss Teresa.
- Oh thank you, honey.
Well, you just in time to
help put up these groceries.
- [Osa Lee] I thought you was gonna go
with us to the supermarket.
- No, he was too busy
downtown actin' a fool.
- You heard about it.
- [Teresa] Hm!
- I heard about it out at the plant.
- It was the talk of that hospital.
Folks kept comin' up to my floor
to ask me if I'd heard about it.
Boy, I didn't know you
was that big a fool.
People laughin' at you.
I didn't know I'd raised anybody so silly.
- I was just comin' out
there to see about you.
I heard they'd put you in jail.
- Well why didn't you?
- I had to help your mother.
- You know we go to the
supermarket on Friday evenings.
- [Freeman] And nothin'
could interfere with that.
- Well, what'd ya do?
How did you get out?
- They let me out.
After I talked with a
couple of psychiatrists.
- Psychiatrists?
- Damn judge sent 'em down there.
- Maybe they thought there was somethin'
the matter with you.
- He was just mad because
I made a fool out of him.
- Oh, you made a fool outta him, huh?
Your behind was sittin' up in jail,
but you made a fool outta him.
- You ain't no lawyer, Freeman.
- I got my certificate
from Smith's Correspondence School of Law.
- Told you when you was takin' that course
it wasn't worth anything.
- Boy you talk crazy.
You don't have no degree.
- Degree. (chuckles)
Their degree didn't help 'em
behind what I was puttin' on 'em.
I was citin' stuff they'd never heard of.
I turned the judge and the
county prosecutor inside out.
Talkin' about practicin' some law?
I was practicin' some law.
I mean, I went down home and got some law
and put a hurting on 'em. (chuckles)
The county prosecutor thought
he had a air-tight case.
See, they thought they had Randolph Davis.
See, they found all these number slips
in Randolph Davis' locker at the plant.
But instead of the plant
guards goin' into his locker,
the city police did, and they
didn't have a search warrant,
which means that all the
evidence that they had
against Randolph Davis
was obtained illegally.
None of the evidence,
therefore, was admissible.
10 more minutes and Randolph Davis woulda
walked outta that courtroom a free man.
I was just gettin' ready
to call for a dismissal
on a point of law, but then the judge
called for a recess for lunch.
(scoffs) Lunch!
Then when we got back from lunch,
the judge was gettin' ready
to hand down a decision,
and then somebody tipped the judge
that I wasn't a member of the Bar.
Nevermind that I had won the case.
I mean, I had them beat
on every point of law!
- Osa Lee, honey?
- [Osa Lee] Ma'am?
- Take this meat down, put it
in the freezer for me, please?
- Sure.
- Mama, Mama, if that judge
hadn't called that recess--
- Get out the way, honey.
- I told Randolph Davis
I'd get him off.
(phone ringing)
- [Ned] Hello?
Attorney Aquila?
Freeman, it's for you.
- Who is it?
What case?
Who is this?
Say, man, are you tryin' to be funny?
They just raided a gamblin' joint
and want me to take the case?
Go to hell!
- Who was it?
- Some clown on the Square
tryin' to make fun of me.
I bet they're just waitin' down there
to give me the business.
- Where you goin'?
- Down on the Square.
Show them who the fool is.
- I wouldn't go down there
if I were you, Freeman.
- I gotta go.
- Suit yourself.
- Osa Lee!
I gotta go out for a little while.
- But what about supper?
- I'll eat it when I come back.
- But it won't be hot.
- Stick it in the stove,
I'll eat it when I come back.
- It'll be cold.
- I'll eat it cold.
- I want you to stay here
and eat your supper hot.
- Just stick it in the stove!
- I'll throw it away first,
flush it down the toilet.
Miss Teresa.
Miss Teresa, Freeman's goin' out.
- Freeman, we gettin' ready
to put the food on the table.
- Stay out of it, Teresa.
- Now here's your supper.
I'ma flush it down the toilet.
- Now ya satisfied?
You got her upset.
- She was born upset.
- Maybe you ought to talk to her.
- About what?
- Ned!
- Woman, will you not
trouble me with those folks
and get the supper ready?
(somber music)
Work me nigh onto death.
- I don't see why don't
just go on and retire.
Well everybody else that gets
hurt on a job out there does,
and all you got to do is say
your head's botherin' you.
You could go right on disability.
- Well I ain't built like that.
My head is botherin'
me, sure, but not enough
to keep me away from my job.
- Well just as soon as I
can I'm sure gonna retire.
Feet all swollen up.
- Quit wearin' them cheap shoes.
- Every time I think about
havin' to go back to that hospital.
- I keep tellin' you to quit.
- Well ya ain't gonna have
to tell me that much longer.
- Heard that before.
- I got my time set.
(engine rumbling)
- Is that Rex?
- Yeah, go open the door.
- Ned.
- Hi, Rex.
- [Teresa] Hey, Rex.
- [Rex] How are you, Miss Teresa?
- Oh, I'm doin' fine, except
that Moloch General Hospital
about to work me to death. (laughs)
- Well why don't you let me
have you transferred to an easier job?
- Oh, no, no.
My time is set out there and
it ain't gon' be much longer.
I reckon I can see it through 'til then.
(Rex chuckles)
- How 'bout you, Ned, how you doin'?
- Oh, he aint' doin' too good.
He won't admit it, but he's half sick.
- Some days I feel pretty fair.
- His head's botherin' him.
- Ned?
- Well, once in a while.
But I figure I'm lucky to be here.
- Well, sure lucky we knew you.
If you hadn't been able
to get that brain surgeon.
- Well I'm glad I was
in a position to do it.
- So how's Callie?
- Aw, she's just fine, Miss Teresa.
- Ooh, I saw her downtown
one day last week.
Lord, she sho' was dressed.
Ooh, she had an outfit on.
- Yeah, she loves clothes.
- Looked right through me.
- She didn't say anything?
- Never parted her lips.
- Aw.
- (laughs) Now don't you say
nothin' to her about it, Rex.
Callie's always been like
that from a girl on up.
- Oh, it don't mean anything.
Her father was like that.
- Mm-hmm.
- Unh-huh.
(Rex and Teresa laugh)
- Is Freeman home?
- Oh, ya came to pick him up?
He's upstairs.
- Now he's--
- [Rex] Freeman!
- Yeah?
Who is it, Rex?
- [Rex] Come on down, old buddy.
- Hey, Rex.
- How you doin', old buddy?
- What's happenin'?
- It's your world, I'm
just travelin' through.
(Rex and Freeman laugh)
- Hey, man, I've been tryin' to call you.
Left some messages on your service.
- Aw, I've been so busy I've
hardly had time to turn around.
Anything important?
- That deal we talked about.
- [Rex] What deal is that, old buddy?
- Don't you remember?
- Old buddy, I've been so busy
I hardly remember my name.
- Dawson's Foundry.
- Dawson's Foundry?
- They've closed down.
- Yeah, I know.
- That buildin's still
standin' there for sale.
- So?
- Remember, I talked to you about it.
Look, the building stands,
right at the edge of the projects.
Now, we make a co-op plant out of it,
the people in the projects
will own a piece of it.
They share the profits.
- Yeah.
- Could be bought for a song.
- Well what would we do with it?
- Make slipcovers for cars.
Listen, man, we could get a contract
from Moloch Motors to
make slipcovers for cars.
- Look, how would we get the contract?
- By makin' 'em cheaper
than they could make 'em,
and we could make 'em
cheaper because everybody
would be partners in the company.
Do you realize what that would mean, huh?
Listen, if we could employ
3,000 people in this town,
black people would have some power.
We'd be contributing 3,000
paychecks to the economy.
- (whistles) That would be somethin'.
- [Freeman] Yeah, see,
black people ain't gonna
get no power until they
stop becoming consumers
and start becoming producers.
We went through all this.
- Yeah, I remember.
- You and me could run it.
Now, I'd do most of the work 'cause I know
you pressed for time.
- Freeman.
- Man.
- Why don't ya write the whole thing down.
Write it down in black and white
and then you and I can sit
down and have a chat about it,
I mean a real chat,
soon as I get some time.
- [Freeman] When will that be?
- Well, I'll have to
try and make some time
somewhere along the way.
- Look, man, we got to move on this thing.
That buildin's valuable.
Do you know what it would
cost to build that building?
And it's in the black community.
Moloch Motors could, they
woulda snapped that up.
- Oh look, Freeman, why
don't you put it down
in facts and figures and get it to me.
- Hello, Dr. Coleman.
(Rex laughing)
- Hello, Osa Lee.
- Oh.
- Say, when are you gonna
make this cat a daddy?
- Well it won't be long now, Dr. Coleman.
You came to pick us up?
- Well not exactly.
Callie called me at the hospital
and said you wanted me to pick you up?
- Yeah, well I didn't wanna bother Dad.
- Gee, old buddy, you
really put me on the spot.
- Put you on the spot how?
- Well you see it's invitation only.
- Since when do I need a
invitation to come to your house?
- It's my house but it's not my party.
- Whose party is it?
- We gave the house over
to the Business and
Professional Men's Club.
They sent out the invitations.
- Well you're a member
of the Business and
Professional Men's Club.
Didn't you get any invitations?
- [Rex] I would've sent you one, but--
- But what?
- They're going for $100 a couple.
- Well don't you think
I could afford $100?
- You've got a lot better
things to do with your money.
- I can afford it.
- Well the invitations are all gone.
There were only a limited number.
The food and drinks are all measured out.
Besides, I wouldn't have you
payin' to come to my house.
I'm gonna throw a real party
for my real friends later on, yeah?
- You mean the foundry workers.
Business and Professional Men's Club,
they're not your friends.
- In a manner of speaking.
You see, tonight's affair
is more of a smoker
than anything else. (chuckles)
- We aint' goin' to the party?
- No, we're not going to the party.
Would you go upstairs
and take that dress off?
- Osa Lee, I am going to throw a party
for my real friends real soon, hm?
- Uh-huh.
(Rex chuckles)
- Why didn't you just call?
- We're friends, you don't call friends.
- And uninvite them to your house.
- You're mad, mad about a stinkin' party.
- It's the principle of the thing.
- All right, call Osa Lee.
- Call Osa Lee for what?
- You wanna go to the party that badly?
Does it mean that much to you?
Call Osa Lee and come on.
- You better get goin', man.
Callie'll be wonderin'
what happened to you.
- I do have a house full of people.
- I thought it was a housewarming,
I bought you a gift. (chuckles)
- Thanks.
Ned, Miss Teresa.
- [Ned] Had a little mix up, huh?
- [Teresa] Well he shoulda
called you about it.
- [Rex] I wish he had called me.
I wouldn't have thrown a
party and not invited Freeman.
He would've been the first
person I would invite.
- [Teresa] I know you would.
- [Rex] Callie and I'll have you
over to the house real soon.
- [Teresa] Oh, that'll be nice.
- You mind unbuttonin' this for me?
Can I ask you somethin',
and you won't get mad?
- Go ahead, I won't get mad.
- Is you crazy?
- Now where did you get that from?
- Goin' to parties ya ain't invited to?
Oh, the way you walk around,
dressed up all the time,
totin' that case like you
think you somebody important.
You don't wanna have work
and get hold of nothin'.
I think there's somethin'
the matter with you.
- Osa Lee, go to bed.
- Freeman.
- I said go to bed!
- Don't holler at me.
I ain't used to nobody hollerin' at me.
- Well somebody needs to holler at you.
- You just talk to me that way
'cause I ain't got no kinfolks up here.
If my daddy or my brothers was here
you wouldn't talk to me that way.
- I'm so sick of hearin'
about your relatives.
They're all a bunch of sharecroppers!
(Osa Lee whimpers)
Oh heavens.
Osa Lee, will you get up?
Osa Lee, get up.
All right, lay there then.
- I see you got your wires crossed.
- Yeah.
- Well I reckon next time
you'll check with folks first.
- Next time?
- Where's Osa Lee?
- Sleep.
- Is she upset about
not going to the party?
- Yeah.
Yeah, she's upset about
not goin' to the party.
- I'm gon' tell my daddy.
I'm sure gon' tell him, see if I don't.
Think 'cause I ain't
got no kinfolks up here
can treat me any kinda way!
- They're fine.
(chuckles) Very nice.
Miss Teresa, what do you
think about all this?
- Oh, I guess he'll do about as well
as some of those who
used to sit down there
on the city commission.
- You mean before Dr. Fairchild?
- Well I wouldn't compare
Freeman with Dr. Fairchild.
- What did he ever do?
- Oh, he did a lot for
this district in his time.
- That's not what you said
when you ran against him.
(family laughs)
- That was just campaign talk.
I mean Jim and I don't
agree on a lot of things,
but I do have to give him credit
for what he did in his time.
And he was a professional man.
- [Freeman] What does that mean?
- Well he didn't have to sit
down there on the commission.
He had a very lucrative practice.
He could've turned his back
and ignored the problems of this district.
- I always liked Dr. Fairchild.
- You liked him. (chuckles)
- Well I always had a lotta
respect for Dr. Fairchild.
You know he was the second
black professional man in this town.
- Mama, that doesn't mean anything.
- Osa Lee, you think you'll like
bein' a commissioner's wife?
- Well I don't know, Dr. Coleman.
I don't know that much about it.
- [Rex] You'll make a
good commissioner's wife.
- What I have to do?
- Oh nothin' you couldn't handle.
Entertain a little bit, that's all.
You'll do very well. (chuckles)
Ned, what do you think about all this?
- I don't know if I have
any thoughts about it.
- Come on, Ned, that's not like you.
- I just heard about
it a little while ago.
- [Rex] Would you advise him to run?
- I only give advice
when I'm asked for it.
- You didn't talk this
over with Ned, Freeman?
- I didn't talk it over with anyone.
- What, don't you talk
things over with people
before you make your moves?
That's something you're
gonna have to learn
how to do, Freeman.
- Freeman's got a mind of his own.
- I wish you'd talked it over with me
before you put those things up.
- [Freeman] Why?
- I think it would have been a good idea.
- You're backin' me, aren't ya?
Now we had an agreement.
- [Rex] An agreement?
- Four years ago, the first time you ran,
the night you were elected, remember?
You said you'd keep it two
terms then you'd bless me.
- Freeman, to run for city commissioner
you would have to give up
your job at Moloch Motors.
- Why would I have to give up my job?
- [Rex] Because campaigning
is a full-time job itself.
- I'm goin' on sick leave.
Didn't you fill out the forms?
- Yes.
- [Freeman] Well do I get it?
- No, I didn't know
what you wanted it for.
- I need that sick leave, Rex.
- Freeman, I examined you,
I couldn't find nothing wrong with you.
Now you can't ask me to lie for ya.
- Your wife's 'bout to have a baby
and you goin' on sick leave?
- It doesn't look like I'm goin'
on sick leave, does it, Rex?
- Well you can't expect
Rex to lie for ya, Freeman.
- Then I guess I'll have to quit.
- [Osa Lee] Quit?
Quit your job?
- And throw away all your seniority?
- You better clear your head, fella.
- Who you backin' to take your
place on the commission, Rex?
- It was decided we'd
back Luther Henderson.
- Four years ago we had an agreement!
- Things were different then.
Four years ago there were only three
black professional men in this town.
Now there are over 25 and
more coming every year.
- Yeah, and as soon as
they fill their pockets up
they move out to Blanchfield Hills.
- Freeman, I didn't decide against you.
The Business and Professional Men's Club
picked Luther Henderson.
I am one member of that club.
Now I can't buck them just
because you're my friend.
- So you pick him over me.
- Freeman, do you know the first thing
about municipal government?
What training do you have?
- I'm a student of political science.
- So, you're a student
of political science.
- I got an A in my
political science course!
I know municipal government
backwards and forwards!
Open it to any page.
- You don't have to prove
anything to me, Freeman.
- I want you to open the book.
- You can still run, but
I just can't back you.
Goodnight.
- Judas.
Come back, don't go away, Judas!
I am a student of political science!
I am a student of political science!
- Freeman!
- I am, Dad.
- What?
- A student of political science.
(somber music)
- [Rex] Freeman, it's me, Rex.
- What are you doin' sittin' out here?
- No one was home.
- [Freeman] Come on inside.
- Let's sit out here for a while.
- It's cold out on this porch.
- Sit down, Freeman.
It's been a long time since
we sat out here on this porch.
- [Freeman] A long time.
- Porch almost seems haunted.
Listen.
(gentle music)
I can still hear the echos.
Sittin' out here tonight waitin' for you
lots of things started to come back.
All the nights we spent
out here on this porch.
Remember?
(Freeman chuckles)
Remember how the whole
gang used to come over here
and sit around half the night?
(Freeman chuckles)
Until Ned got tired.
Come down, make the guys go home.
- Rex, what do you want?
I know you came over
here for something else
besides talkin' of old times.
- Well you're putting up
a much better campaign
than anybody ever expected.
Freeman, it takes roughly
between 10 and $12,000
to wage the kind of
campaign your mounting.
Where'd you get the money, Freeman?
- (laughs) Now I don't know
that that's any of your business.
- You're no fool.
You know where the money's coming from,
the worst white element in this town.
- I know.
- You know Samuel Hicks is running.
- He won't get his weight in votes.
- You think so?
He's an old-fashioned white liberal.
Lots of folks still remember
him from the old days.
- He's a right-winger now.
- Black people don't know that.
He could cut into the black vote.
- No way.
- Freeman, have you ever
read the city charter?
Well if you read the section
"Governing Elections"
it reads that if a candidate in a district
doesn't get a majority, then the selection
of that candidate of that district
gets thrown back into the city commission.
- (chuckles) They
wouldn't dare pick Hicks.
- Now don't be too sure
what people wouldn't do.
- You'll still be on the commission.
- I'd be a lame duck.
That'd be one vote in seven.
They could pick Hicks, and then
you know what they could do?
They could return this city
back to city-wide elections.
- I better get a majority.
- [Rex] Well suppose you don't?
Suppose Luther doesn't.
- I have to risk it.
- You'd risk that?
(Freeman grunts)
I begged the guys to let me
come over here and talk to you.
I knew before I came
it'd be a waste of time
asking you to drop out of the election.
So now I'm tellin' you, drop out.
- (laughs) How you sound.
- Freeman, if you don't pull out
of this election, the Business
and Professional Men's Club
will expose the source of
your campaign contributions.
- Expose?
- [Rex] It'll be circulated
throughout the district.
- You mean you'll smear me?
- [Rex] Oh, we're not gonna smear you.
We're merely going to inform
the voters of District One
the source of your campaign contributions.
- You know what you're doin', don't you?
You'll be brandin' me an Uncle Tom.
- The voters of this district
have the right to know
who's paying for your campaign.
- [Freeman] This your idea?
- What does it matter whose idea it was?
- Since you like playing lackey so much,
you go back and tell
the Business and Professional Men's Club
that I'll burn in Hell
before I'd drop out.
- Freeman, pull out.
(somber music)
- I'm goin' inside.
It's cold out here.
Besides, the porch is haunted.
(gentle music)
- You vote yet?
- Yeah, I voted.
- When?
- On the way home from work.
- You sure?
- Well I reckon I ain't got good sense.
I ain't got sense enough to know
whether or not I did somethin'.
- Who ya vote for?
- That ain't none of your business.
That's why they have them
curtains up 'round the booth.
You think he's got a chance of winnin'?
- I don't know.
- Well everybody I talked to
say they gon' vote for him.
Heard when I got off
from work he was leadin'.
Did you vote for him?
- That's why they got them curtains
'round them votin' booths.
What's she doin' down there?
- [Teresa] She doin' her washin'.
- She vote yet?
- Says she did.
You know, folks say he really
put on a campaign.
(door thuds)
- [Ned] That's what they say.
- You voted yet?
- Yeah, we voted.
How does it look?
- Looks good. (chuckles)
Polls just closed about an hour ago.
- [Teresa] Oh, son. (laughs)
(Ned and Freeman laughing)
- Why don't we sit down and relax.
- Where's Osa Lee?
- She's downstairs in the cellar.
- [Freeman] Osa Lee!
- [Osa Lee] Whoopee!
Sorry, Freeman!
- They'll be callin' any minute now.
I want you up here!
(visitor knocking)
Hey, Rex, come on in.
- [Teresa] Hey, Rex.
- [Ned] Hey, Rex.
- How you folks this evenin'?
- Oh just fine.
- Just fine,
just fine.
- Hello, Dr. Coleman.
- I was just gettin' ready to call you.
I want you to take the
post on the hospital board.
Now I know you're busy, but it won't
take up much of your time.
- Freeman.
- What?
- You lost.
- (chuckles) Lost?
But I was leadin'.
- You were earlier.
The first precincts had you in the lead.
When the others came in--
- No, that's impossible.
- Well, Freeman, I just
left Luther Henderson--
- No!
- [Rex] Take it easy, Freeman.
- What precincts gave it to Luther?
- I don't know, I didn't have a breakdown.
- I want a recount.
- Then have a recount.
That's close enough for
you to have a recount.
You can file for it.
Now I wouldn't if I were you, but you can.
- Let it go, son, let it go.
- No, I'm not gonna let it go.
They're not gonna make a fool outta me.
I won, I won!
- Don't ask for a recount, Freeman.
It'll only make you look like a bad loser.
- Well at least it's all over.
- Did he get a majority?
- Yeah, Luther got a majority.
- Well somebody had to lose.
- They'll be coming, Freeman.
- Who'll be coming?
- Luther Henderson's victory celebration.
- What for?
- To ridicule me.
They'll drive over and shine their lights
in the house, honk their horns.
- Now that sho' is mean.
- Well that's why they do it.
Where you goin', son?
- Out on the porch, I
don't wanna disappoint 'em.
- Don't go out there, Freeman.
- You people, go on to bed.
- Now why you wanna do that to yourself?
- Rex.
- Yes, Miss Teresa.
You all right?
- Better get outta here.
- I'll stick around.
- Go on, go on home, get outta here.
- I said I'll stick around.
- They cheated me out of it, didn't they?
- Believe that if you want to.
- Tell me the truth, Rex.
- If I can.
- They stole it?
- I honestly don't know.
- What do you think?
- It's possible.
Anything is possible.
- You're not gonna get away with it.
- Me?
- You and the Business and
Professional Men's Club.
- You're not gonna drop it, are you?
- I'll burn in Hell first.
- Yes, I know you will.
(horns honking)
- You tell your friends, all of 'em,
they'd better make sure they
covered their tracks well
'cause I'm coming after 'em.
(horns honking)
Understand?
(horns honking)
- Mr. Ned?
- Huh?
- Would you do me a favor?
- [Ned] What?
- Would you get me an application
form for Moloch Motors?
- You wanna hire out to Moloch Motors?
- They pay that good money
out there, don't they?
- [Ned] Yeah.
- Got a heap of women workin' out there.
- You don't wanna be workin' out there.
Somethin' I never approved
of is a woman workin'.
- Miss Teresa works.
- Yes, she works.
What about your child?
- I could pay somebody to
take care of it while I work.
See, why I wanna put my
application form in now
is so by the time I have the baby,
they be done call my name.
They don't call you right away, do they?
- Not generally.
- Freeman says you could
get people on out there.
- Freeman said that?
- Well would ya, Mr. Ned?
Would ya get me on out there?
I'm a good worker.
You wouldn't have to be scared
none about recommendin' me.
- I'll see.
- Thanks, Mr. Ned.
- Ned, my car is actin' funny.
I want you to run me
out to the flea market.
- How long you gon' be out there?
- Well, 'till I sell my stuff.
I'll call ya to come pick me up.
- Good morning.
- Mornin'.
Anybody seen my silver fruit dish?
- [Osa Lee] I think it's on
the buffet in the dining room.
- Lord Jesus!
Freeman, you been puttin'
your cigarette butts
in my silver fruit dish?
I had this silver fruit
dish on the buffet.
You put your cigarette butts in it?
- Ain't that an ashtray?
- Ashtray!
I bought that out at the tradin' post.
Lord I can't have nothin',
not around these Negroes.
I bet if I went to
sleep with my mouth open
I'd wake up with a mouthful of ashes.
Smokers would be usin' it for an ashtray.
- Well it looked like an ashtray to me.
- That is an antique.
(Ned and Freeman laughing)
- An antique.
See, white folk sell niggers their junk
and call it an antique.
- Well let her believe it's an antique.
(Ned and Freeman laughing)
- Say, Dad, you talk to
Mom about that thing?
- Now I'm gonna give you this money.
- Thanks.
- I want my money back.
- You get it back.
- What are you plannin' to do?
- Plannin' to do about what?
- Your wife and child.
- Aw, Dad, I got that covered.
- I talked to the general
foreman out at the plant
the other day, sent your
name up to the front office.
You can ride out with me on
Monday mornin' and rehire in.
Means you're gonna have
to hire in as a new man.
Freeman, you're a grown man
and I can't have you layin'
around here not workin'.
- I'm waitin' on ya, Ned.
- All right, Teresa.
Now you can ride out with
me on Monday mornin'.
- See y'all later.
- Boy, your daddy sure is good to you.
(gentle music)
- Hey y'all, wake up!
- What, is it Monday mornin'?
- What time is it?
- About 12:30.
- Ooh Ned, you better
get up and go to bed.
Won't wanna get up in the mornin'.
- You better come on to bed, too, Freeman.
You ain't gonna wanna get up
and go to work in the mornin'.
- Won't be long, that whistle
be blowin' in a little while.
- Dad, Dad, I got it.
- What?
- Affidavits, signed and notarized.
I can prove there was a
fraud in the election.
- Osa Lee, did you fix Freeman's lunch?
- [Osa Lee] Shoot.
- Ned, you ready for tomorrow?
- Is that what you did with my money?
Osa Lee?
- Sir?
- Did you wash out an apron for Freeman?
- It's on the line.
- Three men took the machines
out of the polling place.
- [Osa Lee] Freeman, do you
want a apple in your lunch?
- Dad, those machines
disappeared for three hours
before they were brought
back to the polling place.
- Go to bed, son.
- Dad.
Dad.
- We got to get up and meet
the man in the mornin'.
- Meet the man?
- Freeman, it's almost Monday mornin'.
- Dad, Mama, I don't have to
go back into that foundry.
I can prove they stole it from me.
- Freeman, tell me about it tomorrow.
Let's talk about it on the job tomorrow.
- I ain't goin' back into that foundry!
- Then what are you gonna do?
- I ain't go back out there and
push that bull another step.
I'm not gonna spend the rest
of my life pushin' a bull!
- I push the bull, and
pushed it for 30 years.
- What's pushin' the bull?
- The nigger job.
They wrap a chain around you,
connect it to a big iron cup
of white hot steel that
hangs from the ceiling
and you have to pull it 40
or 50 yards to the molds
and you pull it and pull it back and forth
eight hours a day, 40 hours
a week, 2,000 hours a year.
- You think I'm in love with the bull?
You think I like bitin' the
dust down at Moloch Motors?
You think I like gettin' up
and gettin' outta here to meet the man?
I tried to keep you out of that foundry.
- You tried to keep me out of it?
You're the one who put me in it.
You're the one wo took me down there
and chained me to the bull.
You took me down to that foundry
and wrapped that chain around me!
You remember that, Dad.
The day after I got
kicked outta Moloch High.
I told you I'd never go
back if I had to apologize
to that racist bitch.
The very next day you took me down
to the foundry and wrapped
the chain around me!
I was 17 years old!
- Well what'd you expect your daddy to do?
Let you lay up here on your behind?
- Look, I didn't know you was gonna stay.
I thought you'd get a taste of it
and then go back to school.
- You both knew I'd never go back.
- Well you coulda gone back to school.
- All I could see was the long money!
- If you'd just kept your mouth shut.
- That's right, Mom, if I'd just
kept my mouth shut like Rex.
- I begged you, "Freeman,
keep your mouth shut.
"Stay in school, get what ya need."
- Yeah, ya should've gotten
it when ya had the chance.
- Chance for what, to take their shit?
- You been blessed, Freeman,
and you didn't even know it.
I wanted to make sure that you didn't have
to come up under the
same kind of conditions
that I came up under in
the South, and I did.
I gave you your chance, Freeman,
and you fooled around and
the time run out on you.
- I won't be an accessory
to my own murder.
I am not gonna end up like you!
- Freeman.
- You're a dead man!
- Freeman.
- Freeman.
- You talk about retirement, your pension.
They got it all figured out.
They know for all practical purposes
when you walk out of that foundry,
within 10 years you'll be dead,
then they won't have to pay you for long.
- Stop that crazy talk.
- Oh let him go on, Teresa.
- Daddy, I remember when
you were a strong man.
But you're not a strong man anymore.
What happened to all that
strength you used to have?
- Yes, I sold my strength.
That was all I had to sell.
That was the only thing
anyone would buy from me.
I should have made sure you
had something else to sell.
I should have beaten you
all the way to Hell and back
and made you go back to school.
- What good would that have done?
- None maybe, but I would've done my part.
(somber music)
- [Teresa] You did you part, Ned.
- I can prove they stole it from me.
- Well, guess there wasn't no
need to be fixin' your lunch.
(somber music)
- You know somethin'?
- What'd you say?
- Huh?
Oh I didn't say nothin'.
Suppose Freeman was in jail for murder.
- Ned, what you mumblin' about?
Is your head botherin' you?
- No, my head ain't botherin' me.
Teresa.
- Hm?
- Supposin' Freeman
was in jail for murder,
and I wanted to mortgage this house
to keep him outta the electric chair.
- Ned, what are you ramblin' about?
You know good and well
they don't have capital
punishment in Michigan.
- Oh, I know that, but just
say for instance they did.
- If your head's botherin' ya,
I wish you'd take your medicine.
- If that boy was sittin' in jail,
would I mortgage this house?
Got to pull together.
Gotta get a hold of somethin'.
Gotta get a hold of a little somethin'
in this life, work together.
Gotta try to build a little
respect for each other.
Do you think she's in love with him?
- If she is, she got to be mental.
(visitor knocking)
- Ned.
- Hey, Rex.
Come on in.
We was just readin' about you.
- Rex.
- I saw it, Miss Teresa.
- That's a good picture of you.
It looks just like you.
- I see the governor's
gon' make the dedication.
- Lieutenant governor.
(Rex chuckles)
- The Rex Coleman Community Center.
When does it open?
- Well we'll begin operations next week.
We're still fixing it up, of course.
It probably be a year
before it's completed.
Is Freeman home?
- Yeah, he's upstairs.
- [Rex] Freeman, hey Freeman!
- Be right down, Rex!
(somber jazz music)
I saw your picture in the paper.
- I kinda figured you had.
- [Freeman] The Rex
Coleman Community Center.
- It's gonna mean a lot to
the people in this district.
- I told you about Dawson's foundry
and you went behind my back and got it.
- [Rex] I didn't go behind
your back and do anything.
- I told you I wanted to
open a slipcover factory
in that building.
- Do you know what it would take
to open up a slipcover factory?
You know how much cash we would need?
The credit, the equipment?
Not to mention the people
we'd have to rub down.
- You're good at that, aren't you?
Rubbing people down.
- I get things done.
This way the building
serves the whole community.
- We would have been
serving the community, too.
We woulda been producing something, jobs,
not always having to ask
the white man for jobs.
And we coulda done it, too.
Be a cold day in Hell
'fore I ever tell you
about anything else.
- I knew about that building before Dawson
closed down operations.
We had to vote to use
it as a polling place.
Now do you think that old man Dawson
would've given that building
to us to go into business?
He would've laughed in our faces.
- Good evening, Dr. Coleman.
- Oh, hello, Osa Lee.
- What y'all fussin' about?
- Oh, we're not fussin',
we're just havin' a little discussion.
I took your idea at the meeting
of the Business and
Professional Men's Club
and it was concluded that your idea
was impractical at this time.
- It's a wonder they
didn't try to steal it
from me like they did the election.
- They didn't steal the
election from you, Freeman.
- [Freeman] They didn't, huh?
- I checked it out, man.
The election was on the up and up.
- You're a liar.
- You take it easy, friend.
- I can prove it.
Maybe I can't lay it
on the Business and
Professional Men's Club,
but I can prove fraud.
- So what?
What if you could prove fraud?
What would it get you, another election?
The only reason why you
did so well last time
is because they played you cheap.
This time they would crucify you.
- Yeah, well we'll see
who the crucifixee is.
- [Rex] I know all about
the affidavits, Freeman.
- You know about 'em?
- [Rex] What do they mean?
- Those machines disappeared
from the polling place.
Three men came into the polling place
and took 'em out for three hours.
- Those men were from
the Board of Elections.
The machines jammed.
They had to be taken
downtown and worked on.
The marshal was there the whole time.
- No, no, I have sworn statements.
- To what?
To the fact that the machines were removed
for a couple of hours?
Sure those men signed those affidavits.
They didn't lie.
The only lie is in what
you read into them,
and you paid them, Freeman.
- You lyin', man.
- Would I lie about a thing like that?
- You sure was silly, Freeman.
- Osa Lee, go on upstairs.
- Well I'd have thought you
had better sense than that.
- Osa Lee, would you just go upstairs!
- Don't talk to her like that, Freeman.
- It's all right, Dr. Coleman.
It don't matter how he talks to me.
I ain't nothin'.
- You could always do that, couldn't you?
- [Rex] Do what?
- Smile, with a word,
you're a master of that.
- I don't know what you're talking about.
- Don't you, Rex?
- Freeman.
- Look, man.
Why don't you do me a favor?
Why don't you just leave me alone?
- [Rex] Look.
- Leave me alone, please!
- Okay.
But I just want you to know one thing.
If there had been any
fraud in that election,
if the club had cheated you out of it,
I would have walked.
Now do you believe that, Freeman?
- Do you believe that, Rex?
- Yes, I do.
(suspenseful music)
- Where you goin'?
- I'm goin' out for a walk.
- You want a little company?
- Nah, I kinda wanna be by
myself for a little while.
(somber music)
(suspenseful music)
Osa Lee.
You asleep?
- What do you want?
- [Freeman] I just hoped I
hadn't woken you up, is all.
- Naw.
Couldn't get to sleep.
- Listen, I wasn't tryin'
to hurt your feelin's.
- What you come messin' with me for?
- You mean marry you?
- Now we both know why we got married,
but what you come foolin' 'round with me?
I came here to find me somebody,
somebody I could work with, do well with.
And now I done got trapped with you.
Half-scared now you done marked my baby
with your strange ways.
- Listen, I wasn't tryin'
to hurt your feelin's.
It may have looked that way, but...
- You ain't like nobody I ever knew.
You ain't like nobody down home.
There's somethin' the matter with you.
- Tonight, every dream I ever had just--
- Dreams don't mean nothin', Freeman.
Can't bring anything out of a dream.
I used to dream I had money in my hand.
Tried to hold onto it tight as I could
so I'd have it when I woke up.
But then when I woke up, it was gone.
When you can wake up with
your dreams in your hand,
then they mean somethin'.
When you can bring your dreams out
into the light of day,
then they mean somethin'.
Otherwise they just a bunch of dead things
best left in your sleep.
- Yeah, well let me tell you.
- [Osa Lee] I don't wanna
hear your foolishness.
- Listen, I'm tryin' to tell ya.
I want you to understand, I
know you won't, but I'm tryin'--
- If I'm so dumb, what you tellin' me for?
Anyway, I don't wanna hear it.
All I wanna hear about is gettin' a house
with some food on the
table to feed this child
and some shoes to put on his feet.
- [Freeman] Look, Osa Lee.
- Don't you hit me.
My mama done raised me already.
'Cause if you hit me, I'll get you.
I'll get you if I have
to catch you sleepin'.
- I'ma give you somethin' to get me.
(Osa Lee crying out)
- Oh please, I'm carryin' your baby!
- Mr. Ned, Mr. Ned!
Mr. Ned.
- Oh come on, come on.
- What is this?
- Freeman jumped on me, he's crazy!
- Freeman?
- You two gotta
stop that in this house.
- I wanna go home.
I wanna go home!
- Well get the hell outta
here right now, hear?
- Freeman!
- Oh Freeman, what you
think you doin'?
- Freeman!
- [Osa Lee] No. (crying)
- Freeman?
- [Ned] Freeman?
Freeman.
- Help, help, police!
They tryin' to murder me.
- You wanna go home, I'm gonna help ya.
I want your ass outta here tonight!
- Osa Lee, come back in the house.
- Help, help, somebody, help, somebody!
- Osa Lee, please come back in the house.
- Osa Lee, now you come
back in this house, girl.
- (crying) Mama.
I want my mama. (crying)
Miss Teresa. (crying)
- I'll get your things.
- No, no, leave 'em out there
so everybody can see
what a big fool he is.
(somber music)
- Rex.
- I brought you folks a deer.
- A deer?
- I bagged him yesterday mornin'.
Got him tied to the bumper of the car.
- Well aren't ya gonna
take it home to Callie?
- She doesn't know how to cook venison.
- (chuckles) It's been
so long since I tried
to cook venison ain't
even funny. (chuckles)
- Then you don't want it?
- Well none of us really like venison.
- Well now that I got the darn thing
I don't know what I'm gonna do with it.
- Why don't you give
it to Luther Henderson.
(Teresa laughs)
- He's still up at the lodge.
- Lodge?
- Yeah, a bunch of us
chipped in and bought
a 12-room lodge up north.
They're all still up there.
- Why did ya come back from
your huntin' trip, Rex?
- Ned, I need your help.
I received a phone call from
the Coleman Community Center.
Freeman has been over there bugging.
- Bugging them?
- He's been picketing.
- Oh Lord.
- I was hoping you would talk to him, Ned.
- Well I can't talk to him.
- Well I can't let him harass the people
who are trying to work over there.
- No.
I reckon you can't.
- The center is very important to me.
- I know it's important to
ya, ya put your name on it.
Any time a man puts his name on somethin'
it should be important to him.
- Well if somebody doesn't talk to him
he's gonna wind up in jail.
- No, Rex.
- You'd put Freeman in jail?
- If he keeps on.
- But you two grew up together.
- You were like brothers,
closest thing either one
of ya had to a brother.
- Well I wouldn't want
to, Miss Teresa, Ned.
- [Ned] That's between you and Freeman.
- I want you to talk to him.
- So you won't have to put him in jail.
- You have to make him listen to you.
- Listen to me?
- I'm pleading with you, Ned.
- No.
- Do you want him to go to jail?
- Wanna put him in jail, put him in jail.
Go on, put him in jail.
- You wouldn't do that.
Not you, Rex.
- Well don't make do it.
Don't make me do it.
- I ain't makin' you do anything.
- Well don't you care?
- It's all over for me.
First thing Monday
mornin' I'm goin' downtown
and gon' put everything in Teresa's name.
- Put everything in my name?
- House, lot, and everything.
- Ned, what are you talkin' about?
- Just get in my car
and drive right on off.
- Drive off where?
- Arizona maybe, who knows.
- Don't pay any attention to Ned.
He ain't goin' nowhere.
Whenever his head bothers him,
he starts talkin' that old fool talk.
- Fool talkin'?
I wonder if I ever talked
anything else but fool talk.
- What about me?
- [Ned] The house is bought and paid for.
- Freeman?
- What about him?
- Are you gonna turn your back on him?
- You did, didn't ya?
- Ned.
- You want me to make it unnecessary
for you to put my son in jail.
- He didn't say that, Ned.
- Why didn't you help him?
- Help him?
- You could have.
- How?
- You could have found a way.
- Now, you're not bein' fair.
- Fair?
Maybe I'm bein' too fair.
Then again, not fair enough.
- Well I would have if
there had been any way.
- We can't blame Rex for Freeman.
- Is that what you're doing, Ned?
- I ain't doin' nothin'.
I ain't blamin' nobody.
- You are blamin' me.
Now I came back here.
I left my hunting trip and came back, now.
I could have just let them
call the police on him.
I don't wanna see Freeman in trouble.
- God, he been in trouble all his life.
- Well that's not my fault.
You make it sound like it's my fault.
- I did a better job with you
than I did with my own boy.
You wanted to be a doctor.
There's somethin' I could
understand, encourage.
- Well you did encourage
me, Ned, you did more.
You fed me, you took me in your house,
you put clothes on my back.
And when I came home on weekends,
Miss Teresa would wash them.
You helped me pay my way
through medical school.
Now I can't pay ya back,
Ned, there's no way.
I used to think that one day I would,
but then I began to realize there's no way
to pay back that kind of thing.
- I never wanted you to pay
me back, I never expected it.
I was glad to do it, too.
Ya see, I always knew what you wanted.
I could feel what you
wanted, appreciated it,
sort of knew about it, had
a frame of reference to it.
But Freeman?
I never had no understandin'
what it was that he wanted.
I never had no, the slightest idea
in the world what he was after.
You an educated man, Rex, you tell me.
- I can't tell you.
- But you're a doctor.
You're an educated man,
and if you don't know...
Always easier with you.
Always so much easier with you.
That's why we helped ya, I reckon.
We could do for you what we
never could do for Freeman.
We made a difference
between you and Freeman,
and it all was on your side.
- Yeah.
- I never made no difference.
- That ain't true, Teresa.
- You tellin' me I made a difference
between my own son and Rex?
- Rex knows that.
- Rex, did I ever treat
you different from Freeman?
From the day your mother
died, did I ever make
the slightest bit of
difference between you two?
Rex, did I?
- Miss Teresa.
- You used to hate to see him comin'.
We both did.
We used to wish he'd just go off somewhere
and never come back.
- Why would I wish that?
- 'Cause he was different.
- Different?
- Yes, ma'am, Miss Teresa.
- You mean he wouldn't do right.
And he sure, Lord, was different.
Just couldn't make him do right.
You never gave me a minute's trouble
the longest day you lived in this house.
- What did he ever really do?
- Always in into somethin'.
Never could get along
with anybody, knew it all.
Who ever had a good word to say for him
when he was comin' along?
- Including you and me.
- Never wanted to be nothin'.
- No, Miss Teresa, I
don't think that's true.
- Coulda been anything he wanted to be.
I woulda worked my fingers to the bone
if he had just wanted to
make somethin' outta himself.
Oh I'd have been so proud if he had wanted
to be a lawyer or a doctor.
- Maybe that wasn't what he wanted to be.
- No, he wanted to be a bum.
- No, Miss Teresa, Freeman
never wanted to be a bum.
- What's wrong with him, Rex?
- A lot of things.
- Do somethin'.
We ain't gon' be with him always.
What's gon' become of him when we're gone?
Help him, Rex.
- Miss Teresa.
- Help him.
Promise me, you will help him. (crying)
- I promise, Miss Teresa,
I'll do what I can.
(door thuds)
Hello, Freeman.
- Hello, Ma.
- Freeman.
- Dad.
- Freeman.
- Rex.
- Freeman.
- Yeah?
- Man, what are you doin'?
- I'm goin' to bed.
- Why are you harassin' those workers
over there at the center?
- Because they have no right being there.
- Why?
What is wrong with people helping people?
People need help.
It helps to talk your
problems over with someone.
Black people are no exception.
- They've already started
givin' out birth control pills.
They've been over at the projects
passing out birth control
pills to black women!
- Now would you rather have those women
over there dropping litters
of babies, growing up
without fathers, generation
after generation on welfare?
- It's genocide!
- [Rex] Genocide!
How is it genocide?
- What do you call it, Rex?
It's the missionary system all over again
only this time they have
briefcases instead of crosses.
- I promised Ned and Miss
Teresa that I would try
and help you straighten yourself out.
Now look, look, Freeman.
You don't have a job.
You lost all your seniority
over at Moloch Motors.
Now if you'd leave that center alone,
I think I can get you a job over there.
- A job?
- We need a sanitation engineer.
- Sanitation engineer.
You mean janitor?
- You'd have two, perhaps
three men working under you.
- [Teresa] That sounds like a good job.
- Foreman of the janitors?
- The job pays around $15,000 a year.
- Well that's as much as
I make at Moloch Motors.
- A $15,000 a year janitor.
- It's not a dirty job.
You can go dressed up every day.
Your title would be sanitation supervisor.
You'd be in charge of the
maintenance of the building.
You'd be given a budget for that purpose,
and then perhaps at the end of the year
there'd be a little left over.
- I could keep that, huh?
Maybe knock down a little bit on the side?
What about the pop bottles I find?
Would they be mine, too?
Could I cash them in and keep the deposit?
- Freeman, take the job.
- I get this for layin' off the center.
- No, you get it because I
promised Ned and Miss Teresa.
- Well I ain't no goddamn
sanitation engineer!
- Freeman.
- Where you goin'?
- I'm goin' to the hospital.
(somber music)
(Freeman grunts)
- Freeman.
- Yeah?
Where's Mom and Dad?
- They left for work a few minutes ago.
- I didn't even hear 'em.
- Want some coffee?
(Freeman grunts)
I looked in on Osa Lee and
your boy yesterday mornin'.
He looks just like you.
- Hm, looks like Dad to me.
- Hard pair of lungs.
- I guess he takes that after me.
(Rex and Freeman laugh)
- A big fella.
You're gonna have to
move to keep up with him.
Osa Lee is due to bring him
back home tomorrow, isn't she?
- [Freeman] Mm-hm.
- Well, soon as you finish your coffee,
I'll drive you over to the
Coleman Community Center.
- Nah, I can walk.
- [Rex] I'll drive ya
over, introduce you around.
- Introduce me around?
- See to it that you get
started on the right foot.
I want you and Burt Callahan
to get off to a fresh start.
- Burt Callahan?
- He's the director of the center.
- Oh, you mean that little
white fag that runs the center.
- Now why do you call him a fag, Freeman?
- Because that's what he is.
- Well how do you know?
How do you know he's a fag?
- The way he switches.
- You're not goin' over there
callin' him a fag, I hope.
- I ain't goin' over
there callin' him nothin'.
I don't want nothin' to do with the fag.
- You're gonna be workin'
under him, Freeman.
He's the director of the center
- He's the director.
A switchin' little white fag.
- He has a Master's Degree in social work.
- You know, maybe I can help them people
over there do some good.
- [Rex] You're not being hired to do that.
- I'm being hired to mop the floor.
- [Rex] Now don't go over
there tryin' to run the place.
- I could study up on social work.
- Freeman, you are the sanitation engineer
and Mr. Callahan--
- Mr. Callahan.
- Yes, Mr. Callahan, the director
of the Coleman Community Center.
- So I have to call him Mr. Callahan?
What does he call me, boy?
- He'll call you by your name.
- Freeman?
- Freeman.
- He calls me Freeman, I have
to call him Mr. Callahan.
What do I call you, Rex, Dr. Coleman?
- I don't care what you call me.
- You want me to call you Dr. Coleman
when you come in the center?
- Would it kill you?
- What does Mama call you at the hospital?
- Dr. Coleman.
- What do you call her?
- Aquila.
- Aquila.
- It's just a formality.
- I'm gonna check him out
very carefully over there.
I catch him doin' anything funny,
I'm gonna report to you.
- No, you're not gonna
report anything to me.
You're gonna go over there
and do your job, period.
- Okay.
- I mean that, Freeman.
You're on probation over there.
- Probation?
- You have to prove to those people there
that you can do the job.
- I don't prove anything to anybody.
- Yes you do.
- To Callahan?
- And to me.
- You?
- I want you to be the
best sanitation engineer
anybody ever saw, 10 times better.
I want you to keep your mouth shut.
Do as you're told, don't
give 'em any arguments.
Now, they ask you to do
anything you don't wanna do,
you do it then come see me.
If you have a legitimate
gripe, I'll take it up.
- Man, you better get
outta my face. (chuckles)
What do you think I am?
- I'll tell you what you are.
You're a man with a family,
a wife and a newborn child to support.
- And because of that I should take shit.
- And because of that
you have to take shit.
- Man, you talkin' to Freeman.
- Just want you to use a little tact.
- Should I scratch my
head and show my teeth?
- I'm not askin' you to do that.
- That's exactly what
you're askin' me to do.
- All I'm askin' you to do
is to use a little finesse.
Now you can get anything you want
if you go about it the right way.
- What way is that?
- You know what I mean.
- No, I don't.
- Man.
- Why don't you teach me?
Teach me how to bullshit.
- The world buys bullshit,
they buy it by the ton.
- Then show me how to do it.
- You have contempt for
me, don't you, Freeman?
- [Freeman] Do I?
- Why?
Because I did somethin' with my life
you have contempt for me.
Hey, you gotta come down to earth, boy.
I have letters behind my name.
What do you have?
- At least I have my self-respect.
- That's about all you have.
I make $75,000 a year.
- [Freeman] So you make
$75,000 a year, so what?
- That's an accomplishment.
- Yeah, if that's what you want,
willin' to do what you
had to do to get it.
- Your opinion of me
doesn't mean a damn thing.
I don't give a good goddamn
what you think about me.
- Now what are you
gettin' so excited about?
- Because I am gettin'
tired of your abuse.
- What's the matter, Rex, you
can't stand a little honesty?
- Honesty?
- I'm direct.
- You and your honesty.
I forgot you the only honest
man in the world, huh?
- [Freeman] That bothers you, don't it?
- It bothers me for you.
You know you're gonna destroy
yourself with that honesty,
yourself and everybody around you.
- Like you do with bullshit.
You're a bullshit artist, Rex.
- You think you're perfect, don't you?
Self-perfection.
- I'm an honest man.
- About other people.
You use your honesty as
a weapon against people.
You cut them to pieces with your honesty.
Ned, Teresa, Osa Lee.
You've done it all your life.
Now I wonder, I wonder what would happen
if you turned some of
that honesty on yourself.
- I live by it.
- Do ya?
- Damn straight.
- Then what are you, Freeman?
Can you with any degree of honesty
say who and what you are?
You're right, I am a bullshit artist.
I learned that to survive.
Now how are you gonna survive, Freeman?
How you gonna make that
honesty work for you?
- I don't know what you mean.
- [Rex] What skills do you have?
- Skills?
- [Rex] What can you do?
I can bullshit, now what can you do?
- Nothin'!
- Yeah, I know how hard it
is for you to take this.
- Go on, man.
- [Rex] What choices are open to you?
You an honest man, what are they?
- The janitor.
- Now I won't try to influence you,
but I am gonna lay it right on the line.
Do you want the job?
Why, I can call it off like
that, but if I do, that's it.
Now you think about it.
You think about Osa Lee comin' home
with that child tomorrow.
- All right.
All right, I want it.
- [Rex] And you have to accept it
and everything that goes with it.
- Go ahead and say it, Rex.
I guess it's all over between you and me.
- I didn't say that.
- But it is.
You and me.
- No.
We'll always be friends.
- No, no we won't.
I don't think we've been
friends for a long time.
I think we just remembered
we used to be friends.
It's funny, what other friends
will we talk about now?
Only time I get a friendly feelin'
comin' from you is when
we talk about old times.
- I'm sorry you feel that way.
- I won't call ya anymore.
No more messages left on your
service for you to call me.
No more harebrained schemes
I'm tryin' to involve you in.
- Aw, I never mind.
- That's somethin' that was.
It's no more.
- [Rex] If you feel that way.
- Yeah, I feel that way.
- I hate to rush you, but...
- Yeah, we better be
gettin' on over there.
- Ah.
(Freeman sighs)
Better put these things in the sink.
- I always forget. (grunts)
(somber music)
(soft jazz music)
(factory whistle blowing)
- Ellis and Marie Stewart
bought over on Montana.
- Yeah.
- Nice little six-room house.
- Ain't much to those little houses.
- But Ellis, he's real handy.
Sure fixed up his mother's basement nice.
(upbeat music)
(factory whistle blowing)
(knuckles tapping)
I sure wish I had somebody
to fix up my basement for me.
- Put enough in this shack already.
Kitchen cost more than the house is worth.
- Well we got to live here.
- That's what we've
been doin' for 30 years.
- You sure oughta talk to him.
- Who?
- Freeman.
(factory whistle blowing)
- Freeman, Freeman.
It's time to get up.
- She oughta talk to him.
- About what?
- What he plans to do.
- Plans to do about what?
- About his wife and child.
Girl's expectin'.
Never would I be pregnant and sittin' up
in somebody else's house.
He'd get a move on and get outta here
and find me someplace to stay.
You oughta talk to him.
- Freeman is grown.
When folks are grown, ya leave 'em alone.
- I ain't botherin' him.
- You better learn how
to keep your hind parts
out of other folks's business.
- Well now I can't talk.
He just lays up here in my house
and I ain't supposed to say nothin'.
- Well, ask him to move.
- Well, I sure wish
he'd hurry up and move.
Givin' me a headache.
- Mornin' Miss Teresa.
- [Teresa] Good mornin', Osa Lee.
- Mornin', Mr. Ned.
- [Ned] Freeman up?
- Oh, he's in the bathroom,
workin' on himself.
He sho' is vain.
Spends more time in the bathroom
than any woman I ever seen.
- [Ned] Well he better hurry
up if he gonna ride with me.
- Maybe you could get him out.
I hate to see him late for work.
- He knows he's got a job to go to.
- Freeman!
Freeman, your daddy's
down here waitin' on you!
- [Freeman] Osa Lee!
- Whoopee!
- Would you stop that goddamn, "Whoopee"?
You're not in the cotton patch now.
And stop callin' me.
I'll be down when I get good and ready!
- Thinkin' 'bout namin' the
baby after you and my daddy.
- Why don't ya name him after Freeman?
- Well I reckon I could do that,
but I don't really like
the name Freeman too much.
You wouldn't mind, would ya, Mr. Ned?
My namin' the baby after you and my daddy?
- Suit yourself.
- That's what I think I'll do.
Scared to name him after Freeman.
Might mark him.
You believe in that, Mr. Ned?
- Believe in what?
- That you can mark a child
by the name you give it.
Freeman ain't industrious
and I sho' do like industrious people.
Can't stand nobody lazy.
I sho' hope my child ain't lazy.
(Ned and Osa Lee laugh)
- Freeman ain't down here yet?
- He's still in the bathroom, Miss Teresa.
- Boy, will you come on outta there?
Ain't that your new suit?
The way you go dressed
down to that foundry
folks would think you were vice
president of Moloch Motors.
- [Freeman] Here's your breakfast.
- Just some coffee.
You can go on, Dad, I
can catch a cab downtown.
- Boy, ain't you going to work today?
- Depends on how long my business takes.
- Ned!
- Boy, you better come on to your job.
The man is lookin' for you to be on time.
Now you're a man with responsibility,
growin' responsibilities.
- I can take care of 'em, Dad.
- Come on now.
- Come on what?
- You know what I'm talkin' about.
- No I don't.
- Yes you do.
Now you can't kid me.
You're gonna talk to me,
you gotta come right.
- I sure hope you know
what you're talkin' about
'cause I don't.
- I ain't gon' say no more.
- Don't listen to nobody.
Just knows everything.
- Freeman.
- Hm?
- I'm worried, Freeman.
- Worried about what?
- I wish my mama could come
up here and be with me.
- She can come.
- No she can't.
I can't let her come up here
and see me livin' like this.
She have a fit.
- You doin' better now than
you ever did in your life.
- I ain't doin' as well as
none of my brothers or sisters.
(Freeman grunts)
I'm the only one roomin'.
- We ain't roomin'.
- Just because it's your
mama and daddy's house
that don't change what it is.
- That's how they suck you in.
They get you to buy one of these shacks.
They sell 'em to the
niggers when the white folks
move out after they've worn 'em out,
then you spend your life
tryin' to pay for it
and spend the rest of your
life tryin' to fix 'em up.
- Well ya gotta have some place to stay.
- We got a place to stay.
- It ain't ours.
- When I get a house, it's gonna be one
that ain't nobody ever lived in before,
one I'm gonna build myself.
Osa Lee.
This is the house we're gonna have.
- What is it?
- The house I'm gonna
build in Blanchfield Hills.
- Ain't that where Dr.
Coleman built his house?
- Yes.
- Who drew it?
- Designed.
I did, designed it myself.
I probably coulda been an architect.
I took it downtown to one
of those architectural firms
and you know what?
- [Osa Lee] Hm?
- They thought a real
architect had done it.
He kept wantin' to know what was the name
of the architect that designed it.
Just couldn't believe that I had done it.
A 12-room house, brand new,
never been lived in by nobody else.
See here, this is the downstairs.
The living room would be here,
the dining room here, the kitchen here.
Ranch style, all electric.
The library and den'll be here.
Serve as my study,
someplace I can get away,
be alone to think.
- Where you gonna get the money?
- I'll get it.
- It sure would be hard to keep clean.
- You'll have servants.
- Servants?
- Yes.
The servants' quarters
will be over the garage.
- I like them houses over on
Montana a heap more better.
- You'll get used to it.
Where you goin'?
- Back to bed.
I'm still sleepy.
I can't seem to get enough sleep.
You goin' with us to the
supermarket after work?
- Supermarket?
- It's Friday, we always go
to supermarket on Fridays.
And put your dishes in the sink.
(ominous music)
(factory whistle blowing)
Oh.
Here ya go.
(gentle music)
I'll take that for ya, Miss Teresa.
- Oh thank you, honey.
Well, you just in time to
help put up these groceries.
- [Osa Lee] I thought you was gonna go
with us to the supermarket.
- No, he was too busy
downtown actin' a fool.
- You heard about it.
- [Teresa] Hm!
- I heard about it out at the plant.
- It was the talk of that hospital.
Folks kept comin' up to my floor
to ask me if I'd heard about it.
Boy, I didn't know you
was that big a fool.
People laughin' at you.
I didn't know I'd raised anybody so silly.
- I was just comin' out
there to see about you.
I heard they'd put you in jail.
- Well why didn't you?
- I had to help your mother.
- You know we go to the
supermarket on Friday evenings.
- [Freeman] And nothin'
could interfere with that.
- Well, what'd ya do?
How did you get out?
- They let me out.
After I talked with a
couple of psychiatrists.
- Psychiatrists?
- Damn judge sent 'em down there.
- Maybe they thought there was somethin'
the matter with you.
- He was just mad because
I made a fool out of him.
- Oh, you made a fool outta him, huh?
Your behind was sittin' up in jail,
but you made a fool outta him.
- You ain't no lawyer, Freeman.
- I got my certificate
from Smith's Correspondence School of Law.
- Told you when you was takin' that course
it wasn't worth anything.
- Boy you talk crazy.
You don't have no degree.
- Degree. (chuckles)
Their degree didn't help 'em
behind what I was puttin' on 'em.
I was citin' stuff they'd never heard of.
I turned the judge and the
county prosecutor inside out.
Talkin' about practicin' some law?
I was practicin' some law.
I mean, I went down home and got some law
and put a hurting on 'em. (chuckles)
The county prosecutor thought
he had a air-tight case.
See, they thought they had Randolph Davis.
See, they found all these number slips
in Randolph Davis' locker at the plant.
But instead of the plant
guards goin' into his locker,
the city police did, and they
didn't have a search warrant,
which means that all the
evidence that they had
against Randolph Davis
was obtained illegally.
None of the evidence,
therefore, was admissible.
10 more minutes and Randolph Davis woulda
walked outta that courtroom a free man.
I was just gettin' ready
to call for a dismissal
on a point of law, but then the judge
called for a recess for lunch.
(scoffs) Lunch!
Then when we got back from lunch,
the judge was gettin' ready
to hand down a decision,
and then somebody tipped the judge
that I wasn't a member of the Bar.
Nevermind that I had won the case.
I mean, I had them beat
on every point of law!
- Osa Lee, honey?
- [Osa Lee] Ma'am?
- Take this meat down, put it
in the freezer for me, please?
- Sure.
- Mama, Mama, if that judge
hadn't called that recess--
- Get out the way, honey.
- I told Randolph Davis
I'd get him off.
(phone ringing)
- [Ned] Hello?
Attorney Aquila?
Freeman, it's for you.
- Who is it?
What case?
Who is this?
Say, man, are you tryin' to be funny?
They just raided a gamblin' joint
and want me to take the case?
Go to hell!
- Who was it?
- Some clown on the Square
tryin' to make fun of me.
I bet they're just waitin' down there
to give me the business.
- Where you goin'?
- Down on the Square.
Show them who the fool is.
- I wouldn't go down there
if I were you, Freeman.
- I gotta go.
- Suit yourself.
- Osa Lee!
I gotta go out for a little while.
- But what about supper?
- I'll eat it when I come back.
- But it won't be hot.
- Stick it in the stove,
I'll eat it when I come back.
- It'll be cold.
- I'll eat it cold.
- I want you to stay here
and eat your supper hot.
- Just stick it in the stove!
- I'll throw it away first,
flush it down the toilet.
Miss Teresa.
Miss Teresa, Freeman's goin' out.
- Freeman, we gettin' ready
to put the food on the table.
- Stay out of it, Teresa.
- Now here's your supper.
I'ma flush it down the toilet.
- Now ya satisfied?
You got her upset.
- She was born upset.
- Maybe you ought to talk to her.
- About what?
- Ned!
- Woman, will you not
trouble me with those folks
and get the supper ready?
(somber music)
Work me nigh onto death.
- I don't see why don't
just go on and retire.
Well everybody else that gets
hurt on a job out there does,
and all you got to do is say
your head's botherin' you.
You could go right on disability.
- Well I ain't built like that.
My head is botherin'
me, sure, but not enough
to keep me away from my job.
- Well just as soon as I
can I'm sure gonna retire.
Feet all swollen up.
- Quit wearin' them cheap shoes.
- Every time I think about
havin' to go back to that hospital.
- I keep tellin' you to quit.
- Well ya ain't gonna have
to tell me that much longer.
- Heard that before.
- I got my time set.
(engine rumbling)
- Is that Rex?
- Yeah, go open the door.
- Ned.
- Hi, Rex.
- [Teresa] Hey, Rex.
- [Rex] How are you, Miss Teresa?
- Oh, I'm doin' fine, except
that Moloch General Hospital
about to work me to death. (laughs)
- Well why don't you let me
have you transferred to an easier job?
- Oh, no, no.
My time is set out there and
it ain't gon' be much longer.
I reckon I can see it through 'til then.
(Rex chuckles)
- How 'bout you, Ned, how you doin'?
- Oh, he aint' doin' too good.
He won't admit it, but he's half sick.
- Some days I feel pretty fair.
- His head's botherin' him.
- Ned?
- Well, once in a while.
But I figure I'm lucky to be here.
- Well, sure lucky we knew you.
If you hadn't been able
to get that brain surgeon.
- Well I'm glad I was
in a position to do it.
- So how's Callie?
- Aw, she's just fine, Miss Teresa.
- Ooh, I saw her downtown
one day last week.
Lord, she sho' was dressed.
Ooh, she had an outfit on.
- Yeah, she loves clothes.
- Looked right through me.
- She didn't say anything?
- Never parted her lips.
- Aw.
- (laughs) Now don't you say
nothin' to her about it, Rex.
Callie's always been like
that from a girl on up.
- Oh, it don't mean anything.
Her father was like that.
- Mm-hmm.
- Unh-huh.
(Rex and Teresa laugh)
- Is Freeman home?
- Oh, ya came to pick him up?
He's upstairs.
- Now he's--
- [Rex] Freeman!
- Yeah?
Who is it, Rex?
- [Rex] Come on down, old buddy.
- Hey, Rex.
- How you doin', old buddy?
- What's happenin'?
- It's your world, I'm
just travelin' through.
(Rex and Freeman laugh)
- Hey, man, I've been tryin' to call you.
Left some messages on your service.
- Aw, I've been so busy I've
hardly had time to turn around.
Anything important?
- That deal we talked about.
- [Rex] What deal is that, old buddy?
- Don't you remember?
- Old buddy, I've been so busy
I hardly remember my name.
- Dawson's Foundry.
- Dawson's Foundry?
- They've closed down.
- Yeah, I know.
- That buildin's still
standin' there for sale.
- So?
- Remember, I talked to you about it.
Look, the building stands,
right at the edge of the projects.
Now, we make a co-op plant out of it,
the people in the projects
will own a piece of it.
They share the profits.
- Yeah.
- Could be bought for a song.
- Well what would we do with it?
- Make slipcovers for cars.
Listen, man, we could get a contract
from Moloch Motors to
make slipcovers for cars.
- Look, how would we get the contract?
- By makin' 'em cheaper
than they could make 'em,
and we could make 'em
cheaper because everybody
would be partners in the company.
Do you realize what that would mean, huh?
Listen, if we could employ
3,000 people in this town,
black people would have some power.
We'd be contributing 3,000
paychecks to the economy.
- (whistles) That would be somethin'.
- [Freeman] Yeah, see,
black people ain't gonna
get no power until they
stop becoming consumers
and start becoming producers.
We went through all this.
- Yeah, I remember.
- You and me could run it.
Now, I'd do most of the work 'cause I know
you pressed for time.
- Freeman.
- Man.
- Why don't ya write the whole thing down.
Write it down in black and white
and then you and I can sit
down and have a chat about it,
I mean a real chat,
soon as I get some time.
- [Freeman] When will that be?
- Well, I'll have to
try and make some time
somewhere along the way.
- Look, man, we got to move on this thing.
That buildin's valuable.
Do you know what it would
cost to build that building?
And it's in the black community.
Moloch Motors could, they
woulda snapped that up.
- Oh look, Freeman, why
don't you put it down
in facts and figures and get it to me.
- Hello, Dr. Coleman.
(Rex laughing)
- Hello, Osa Lee.
- Oh.
- Say, when are you gonna
make this cat a daddy?
- Well it won't be long now, Dr. Coleman.
You came to pick us up?
- Well not exactly.
Callie called me at the hospital
and said you wanted me to pick you up?
- Yeah, well I didn't wanna bother Dad.
- Gee, old buddy, you
really put me on the spot.
- Put you on the spot how?
- Well you see it's invitation only.
- Since when do I need a
invitation to come to your house?
- It's my house but it's not my party.
- Whose party is it?
- We gave the house over
to the Business and
Professional Men's Club.
They sent out the invitations.
- Well you're a member
of the Business and
Professional Men's Club.
Didn't you get any invitations?
- [Rex] I would've sent you one, but--
- But what?
- They're going for $100 a couple.
- Well don't you think
I could afford $100?
- You've got a lot better
things to do with your money.
- I can afford it.
- Well the invitations are all gone.
There were only a limited number.
The food and drinks are all measured out.
Besides, I wouldn't have you
payin' to come to my house.
I'm gonna throw a real party
for my real friends later on, yeah?
- You mean the foundry workers.
Business and Professional Men's Club,
they're not your friends.
- In a manner of speaking.
You see, tonight's affair
is more of a smoker
than anything else. (chuckles)
- We aint' goin' to the party?
- No, we're not going to the party.
Would you go upstairs
and take that dress off?
- Osa Lee, I am going to throw a party
for my real friends real soon, hm?
- Uh-huh.
(Rex chuckles)
- Why didn't you just call?
- We're friends, you don't call friends.
- And uninvite them to your house.
- You're mad, mad about a stinkin' party.
- It's the principle of the thing.
- All right, call Osa Lee.
- Call Osa Lee for what?
- You wanna go to the party that badly?
Does it mean that much to you?
Call Osa Lee and come on.
- You better get goin', man.
Callie'll be wonderin'
what happened to you.
- I do have a house full of people.
- I thought it was a housewarming,
I bought you a gift. (chuckles)
- Thanks.
Ned, Miss Teresa.
- [Ned] Had a little mix up, huh?
- [Teresa] Well he shoulda
called you about it.
- [Rex] I wish he had called me.
I wouldn't have thrown a
party and not invited Freeman.
He would've been the first
person I would invite.
- [Teresa] I know you would.
- [Rex] Callie and I'll have you
over to the house real soon.
- [Teresa] Oh, that'll be nice.
- You mind unbuttonin' this for me?
Can I ask you somethin',
and you won't get mad?
- Go ahead, I won't get mad.
- Is you crazy?
- Now where did you get that from?
- Goin' to parties ya ain't invited to?
Oh, the way you walk around,
dressed up all the time,
totin' that case like you
think you somebody important.
You don't wanna have work
and get hold of nothin'.
I think there's somethin'
the matter with you.
- Osa Lee, go to bed.
- Freeman.
- I said go to bed!
- Don't holler at me.
I ain't used to nobody hollerin' at me.
- Well somebody needs to holler at you.
- You just talk to me that way
'cause I ain't got no kinfolks up here.
If my daddy or my brothers was here
you wouldn't talk to me that way.
- I'm so sick of hearin'
about your relatives.
They're all a bunch of sharecroppers!
(Osa Lee whimpers)
Oh heavens.
Osa Lee, will you get up?
Osa Lee, get up.
All right, lay there then.
- I see you got your wires crossed.
- Yeah.
- Well I reckon next time
you'll check with folks first.
- Next time?
- Where's Osa Lee?
- Sleep.
- Is she upset about
not going to the party?
- Yeah.
Yeah, she's upset about
not goin' to the party.
- I'm gon' tell my daddy.
I'm sure gon' tell him, see if I don't.
Think 'cause I ain't
got no kinfolks up here
can treat me any kinda way!
- They're fine.
(chuckles) Very nice.
Miss Teresa, what do you
think about all this?
- Oh, I guess he'll do about as well
as some of those who
used to sit down there
on the city commission.
- You mean before Dr. Fairchild?
- Well I wouldn't compare
Freeman with Dr. Fairchild.
- What did he ever do?
- Oh, he did a lot for
this district in his time.
- That's not what you said
when you ran against him.
(family laughs)
- That was just campaign talk.
I mean Jim and I don't
agree on a lot of things,
but I do have to give him credit
for what he did in his time.
And he was a professional man.
- [Freeman] What does that mean?
- Well he didn't have to sit
down there on the commission.
He had a very lucrative practice.
He could've turned his back
and ignored the problems of this district.
- I always liked Dr. Fairchild.
- You liked him. (chuckles)
- Well I always had a lotta
respect for Dr. Fairchild.
You know he was the second
black professional man in this town.
- Mama, that doesn't mean anything.
- Osa Lee, you think you'll like
bein' a commissioner's wife?
- Well I don't know, Dr. Coleman.
I don't know that much about it.
- [Rex] You'll make a
good commissioner's wife.
- What I have to do?
- Oh nothin' you couldn't handle.
Entertain a little bit, that's all.
You'll do very well. (chuckles)
Ned, what do you think about all this?
- I don't know if I have
any thoughts about it.
- Come on, Ned, that's not like you.
- I just heard about
it a little while ago.
- [Rex] Would you advise him to run?
- I only give advice
when I'm asked for it.
- You didn't talk this
over with Ned, Freeman?
- I didn't talk it over with anyone.
- What, don't you talk
things over with people
before you make your moves?
That's something you're
gonna have to learn
how to do, Freeman.
- Freeman's got a mind of his own.
- I wish you'd talked it over with me
before you put those things up.
- [Freeman] Why?
- I think it would have been a good idea.
- You're backin' me, aren't ya?
Now we had an agreement.
- [Rex] An agreement?
- Four years ago, the first time you ran,
the night you were elected, remember?
You said you'd keep it two
terms then you'd bless me.
- Freeman, to run for city commissioner
you would have to give up
your job at Moloch Motors.
- Why would I have to give up my job?
- [Rex] Because campaigning
is a full-time job itself.
- I'm goin' on sick leave.
Didn't you fill out the forms?
- Yes.
- [Freeman] Well do I get it?
- No, I didn't know
what you wanted it for.
- I need that sick leave, Rex.
- Freeman, I examined you,
I couldn't find nothing wrong with you.
Now you can't ask me to lie for ya.
- Your wife's 'bout to have a baby
and you goin' on sick leave?
- It doesn't look like I'm goin'
on sick leave, does it, Rex?
- Well you can't expect
Rex to lie for ya, Freeman.
- Then I guess I'll have to quit.
- [Osa Lee] Quit?
Quit your job?
- And throw away all your seniority?
- You better clear your head, fella.
- Who you backin' to take your
place on the commission, Rex?
- It was decided we'd
back Luther Henderson.
- Four years ago we had an agreement!
- Things were different then.
Four years ago there were only three
black professional men in this town.
Now there are over 25 and
more coming every year.
- Yeah, and as soon as
they fill their pockets up
they move out to Blanchfield Hills.
- Freeman, I didn't decide against you.
The Business and Professional Men's Club
picked Luther Henderson.
I am one member of that club.
Now I can't buck them just
because you're my friend.
- So you pick him over me.
- Freeman, do you know the first thing
about municipal government?
What training do you have?
- I'm a student of political science.
- So, you're a student
of political science.
- I got an A in my
political science course!
I know municipal government
backwards and forwards!
Open it to any page.
- You don't have to prove
anything to me, Freeman.
- I want you to open the book.
- You can still run, but
I just can't back you.
Goodnight.
- Judas.
Come back, don't go away, Judas!
I am a student of political science!
I am a student of political science!
- Freeman!
- I am, Dad.
- What?
- A student of political science.
(somber music)
- [Rex] Freeman, it's me, Rex.
- What are you doin' sittin' out here?
- No one was home.
- [Freeman] Come on inside.
- Let's sit out here for a while.
- It's cold out on this porch.
- Sit down, Freeman.
It's been a long time since
we sat out here on this porch.
- [Freeman] A long time.
- Porch almost seems haunted.
Listen.
(gentle music)
I can still hear the echos.
Sittin' out here tonight waitin' for you
lots of things started to come back.
All the nights we spent
out here on this porch.
Remember?
(Freeman chuckles)
Remember how the whole
gang used to come over here
and sit around half the night?
(Freeman chuckles)
Until Ned got tired.
Come down, make the guys go home.
- Rex, what do you want?
I know you came over
here for something else
besides talkin' of old times.
- Well you're putting up
a much better campaign
than anybody ever expected.
Freeman, it takes roughly
between 10 and $12,000
to wage the kind of
campaign your mounting.
Where'd you get the money, Freeman?
- (laughs) Now I don't know
that that's any of your business.
- You're no fool.
You know where the money's coming from,
the worst white element in this town.
- I know.
- You know Samuel Hicks is running.
- He won't get his weight in votes.
- You think so?
He's an old-fashioned white liberal.
Lots of folks still remember
him from the old days.
- He's a right-winger now.
- Black people don't know that.
He could cut into the black vote.
- No way.
- Freeman, have you ever
read the city charter?
Well if you read the section
"Governing Elections"
it reads that if a candidate in a district
doesn't get a majority, then the selection
of that candidate of that district
gets thrown back into the city commission.
- (chuckles) They
wouldn't dare pick Hicks.
- Now don't be too sure
what people wouldn't do.
- You'll still be on the commission.
- I'd be a lame duck.
That'd be one vote in seven.
They could pick Hicks, and then
you know what they could do?
They could return this city
back to city-wide elections.
- I better get a majority.
- [Rex] Well suppose you don't?
Suppose Luther doesn't.
- I have to risk it.
- You'd risk that?
(Freeman grunts)
I begged the guys to let me
come over here and talk to you.
I knew before I came
it'd be a waste of time
asking you to drop out of the election.
So now I'm tellin' you, drop out.
- (laughs) How you sound.
- Freeman, if you don't pull out
of this election, the Business
and Professional Men's Club
will expose the source of
your campaign contributions.
- Expose?
- [Rex] It'll be circulated
throughout the district.
- You mean you'll smear me?
- [Rex] Oh, we're not gonna smear you.
We're merely going to inform
the voters of District One
the source of your campaign contributions.
- You know what you're doin', don't you?
You'll be brandin' me an Uncle Tom.
- The voters of this district
have the right to know
who's paying for your campaign.
- [Freeman] This your idea?
- What does it matter whose idea it was?
- Since you like playing lackey so much,
you go back and tell
the Business and Professional Men's Club
that I'll burn in Hell
before I'd drop out.
- Freeman, pull out.
(somber music)
- I'm goin' inside.
It's cold out here.
Besides, the porch is haunted.
(gentle music)
- You vote yet?
- Yeah, I voted.
- When?
- On the way home from work.
- You sure?
- Well I reckon I ain't got good sense.
I ain't got sense enough to know
whether or not I did somethin'.
- Who ya vote for?
- That ain't none of your business.
That's why they have them
curtains up 'round the booth.
You think he's got a chance of winnin'?
- I don't know.
- Well everybody I talked to
say they gon' vote for him.
Heard when I got off
from work he was leadin'.
Did you vote for him?
- That's why they got them curtains
'round them votin' booths.
What's she doin' down there?
- [Teresa] She doin' her washin'.
- She vote yet?
- Says she did.
You know, folks say he really
put on a campaign.
(door thuds)
- [Ned] That's what they say.
- You voted yet?
- Yeah, we voted.
How does it look?
- Looks good. (chuckles)
Polls just closed about an hour ago.
- [Teresa] Oh, son. (laughs)
(Ned and Freeman laughing)
- Why don't we sit down and relax.
- Where's Osa Lee?
- She's downstairs in the cellar.
- [Freeman] Osa Lee!
- [Osa Lee] Whoopee!
Sorry, Freeman!
- They'll be callin' any minute now.
I want you up here!
(visitor knocking)
Hey, Rex, come on in.
- [Teresa] Hey, Rex.
- [Ned] Hey, Rex.
- How you folks this evenin'?
- Oh just fine.
- Just fine,
just fine.
- Hello, Dr. Coleman.
- I was just gettin' ready to call you.
I want you to take the
post on the hospital board.
Now I know you're busy, but it won't
take up much of your time.
- Freeman.
- What?
- You lost.
- (chuckles) Lost?
But I was leadin'.
- You were earlier.
The first precincts had you in the lead.
When the others came in--
- No, that's impossible.
- Well, Freeman, I just
left Luther Henderson--
- No!
- [Rex] Take it easy, Freeman.
- What precincts gave it to Luther?
- I don't know, I didn't have a breakdown.
- I want a recount.
- Then have a recount.
That's close enough for
you to have a recount.
You can file for it.
Now I wouldn't if I were you, but you can.
- Let it go, son, let it go.
- No, I'm not gonna let it go.
They're not gonna make a fool outta me.
I won, I won!
- Don't ask for a recount, Freeman.
It'll only make you look like a bad loser.
- Well at least it's all over.
- Did he get a majority?
- Yeah, Luther got a majority.
- Well somebody had to lose.
- They'll be coming, Freeman.
- Who'll be coming?
- Luther Henderson's victory celebration.
- What for?
- To ridicule me.
They'll drive over and shine their lights
in the house, honk their horns.
- Now that sho' is mean.
- Well that's why they do it.
Where you goin', son?
- Out on the porch, I
don't wanna disappoint 'em.
- Don't go out there, Freeman.
- You people, go on to bed.
- Now why you wanna do that to yourself?
- Rex.
- Yes, Miss Teresa.
You all right?
- Better get outta here.
- I'll stick around.
- Go on, go on home, get outta here.
- I said I'll stick around.
- They cheated me out of it, didn't they?
- Believe that if you want to.
- Tell me the truth, Rex.
- If I can.
- They stole it?
- I honestly don't know.
- What do you think?
- It's possible.
Anything is possible.
- You're not gonna get away with it.
- Me?
- You and the Business and
Professional Men's Club.
- You're not gonna drop it, are you?
- I'll burn in Hell first.
- Yes, I know you will.
(horns honking)
- You tell your friends, all of 'em,
they'd better make sure they
covered their tracks well
'cause I'm coming after 'em.
(horns honking)
Understand?
(horns honking)
- Mr. Ned?
- Huh?
- Would you do me a favor?
- [Ned] What?
- Would you get me an application
form for Moloch Motors?
- You wanna hire out to Moloch Motors?
- They pay that good money
out there, don't they?
- [Ned] Yeah.
- Got a heap of women workin' out there.
- You don't wanna be workin' out there.
Somethin' I never approved
of is a woman workin'.
- Miss Teresa works.
- Yes, she works.
What about your child?
- I could pay somebody to
take care of it while I work.
See, why I wanna put my
application form in now
is so by the time I have the baby,
they be done call my name.
They don't call you right away, do they?
- Not generally.
- Freeman says you could
get people on out there.
- Freeman said that?
- Well would ya, Mr. Ned?
Would ya get me on out there?
I'm a good worker.
You wouldn't have to be scared
none about recommendin' me.
- I'll see.
- Thanks, Mr. Ned.
- Ned, my car is actin' funny.
I want you to run me
out to the flea market.
- How long you gon' be out there?
- Well, 'till I sell my stuff.
I'll call ya to come pick me up.
- Good morning.
- Mornin'.
Anybody seen my silver fruit dish?
- [Osa Lee] I think it's on
the buffet in the dining room.
- Lord Jesus!
Freeman, you been puttin'
your cigarette butts
in my silver fruit dish?
I had this silver fruit
dish on the buffet.
You put your cigarette butts in it?
- Ain't that an ashtray?
- Ashtray!
I bought that out at the tradin' post.
Lord I can't have nothin',
not around these Negroes.
I bet if I went to
sleep with my mouth open
I'd wake up with a mouthful of ashes.
Smokers would be usin' it for an ashtray.
- Well it looked like an ashtray to me.
- That is an antique.
(Ned and Freeman laughing)
- An antique.
See, white folk sell niggers their junk
and call it an antique.
- Well let her believe it's an antique.
(Ned and Freeman laughing)
- Say, Dad, you talk to
Mom about that thing?
- Now I'm gonna give you this money.
- Thanks.
- I want my money back.
- You get it back.
- What are you plannin' to do?
- Plannin' to do about what?
- Your wife and child.
- Aw, Dad, I got that covered.
- I talked to the general
foreman out at the plant
the other day, sent your
name up to the front office.
You can ride out with me on
Monday mornin' and rehire in.
Means you're gonna have
to hire in as a new man.
Freeman, you're a grown man
and I can't have you layin'
around here not workin'.
- I'm waitin' on ya, Ned.
- All right, Teresa.
Now you can ride out with
me on Monday mornin'.
- See y'all later.
- Boy, your daddy sure is good to you.
(gentle music)
- Hey y'all, wake up!
- What, is it Monday mornin'?
- What time is it?
- About 12:30.
- Ooh Ned, you better
get up and go to bed.
Won't wanna get up in the mornin'.
- You better come on to bed, too, Freeman.
You ain't gonna wanna get up
and go to work in the mornin'.
- Won't be long, that whistle
be blowin' in a little while.
- Dad, Dad, I got it.
- What?
- Affidavits, signed and notarized.
I can prove there was a
fraud in the election.
- Osa Lee, did you fix Freeman's lunch?
- [Osa Lee] Shoot.
- Ned, you ready for tomorrow?
- Is that what you did with my money?
Osa Lee?
- Sir?
- Did you wash out an apron for Freeman?
- It's on the line.
- Three men took the machines
out of the polling place.
- [Osa Lee] Freeman, do you
want a apple in your lunch?
- Dad, those machines
disappeared for three hours
before they were brought
back to the polling place.
- Go to bed, son.
- Dad.
Dad.
- We got to get up and meet
the man in the mornin'.
- Meet the man?
- Freeman, it's almost Monday mornin'.
- Dad, Mama, I don't have to
go back into that foundry.
I can prove they stole it from me.
- Freeman, tell me about it tomorrow.
Let's talk about it on the job tomorrow.
- I ain't goin' back into that foundry!
- Then what are you gonna do?
- I ain't go back out there and
push that bull another step.
I'm not gonna spend the rest
of my life pushin' a bull!
- I push the bull, and
pushed it for 30 years.
- What's pushin' the bull?
- The nigger job.
They wrap a chain around you,
connect it to a big iron cup
of white hot steel that
hangs from the ceiling
and you have to pull it 40
or 50 yards to the molds
and you pull it and pull it back and forth
eight hours a day, 40 hours
a week, 2,000 hours a year.
- You think I'm in love with the bull?
You think I like bitin' the
dust down at Moloch Motors?
You think I like gettin' up
and gettin' outta here to meet the man?
I tried to keep you out of that foundry.
- You tried to keep me out of it?
You're the one who put me in it.
You're the one wo took me down there
and chained me to the bull.
You took me down to that foundry
and wrapped that chain around me!
You remember that, Dad.
The day after I got
kicked outta Moloch High.
I told you I'd never go
back if I had to apologize
to that racist bitch.
The very next day you took me down
to the foundry and wrapped
the chain around me!
I was 17 years old!
- Well what'd you expect your daddy to do?
Let you lay up here on your behind?
- Look, I didn't know you was gonna stay.
I thought you'd get a taste of it
and then go back to school.
- You both knew I'd never go back.
- Well you coulda gone back to school.
- All I could see was the long money!
- If you'd just kept your mouth shut.
- That's right, Mom, if I'd just
kept my mouth shut like Rex.
- I begged you, "Freeman,
keep your mouth shut.
"Stay in school, get what ya need."
- Yeah, ya should've gotten
it when ya had the chance.
- Chance for what, to take their shit?
- You been blessed, Freeman,
and you didn't even know it.
I wanted to make sure that you didn't have
to come up under the
same kind of conditions
that I came up under in
the South, and I did.
I gave you your chance, Freeman,
and you fooled around and
the time run out on you.
- I won't be an accessory
to my own murder.
I am not gonna end up like you!
- Freeman.
- You're a dead man!
- Freeman.
- Freeman.
- You talk about retirement, your pension.
They got it all figured out.
They know for all practical purposes
when you walk out of that foundry,
within 10 years you'll be dead,
then they won't have to pay you for long.
- Stop that crazy talk.
- Oh let him go on, Teresa.
- Daddy, I remember when
you were a strong man.
But you're not a strong man anymore.
What happened to all that
strength you used to have?
- Yes, I sold my strength.
That was all I had to sell.
That was the only thing
anyone would buy from me.
I should have made sure you
had something else to sell.
I should have beaten you
all the way to Hell and back
and made you go back to school.
- What good would that have done?
- None maybe, but I would've done my part.
(somber music)
- [Teresa] You did you part, Ned.
- I can prove they stole it from me.
- Well, guess there wasn't no
need to be fixin' your lunch.
(somber music)
- You know somethin'?
- What'd you say?
- Huh?
Oh I didn't say nothin'.
Suppose Freeman was in jail for murder.
- Ned, what you mumblin' about?
Is your head botherin' you?
- No, my head ain't botherin' me.
Teresa.
- Hm?
- Supposin' Freeman
was in jail for murder,
and I wanted to mortgage this house
to keep him outta the electric chair.
- Ned, what are you ramblin' about?
You know good and well
they don't have capital
punishment in Michigan.
- Oh, I know that, but just
say for instance they did.
- If your head's botherin' ya,
I wish you'd take your medicine.
- If that boy was sittin' in jail,
would I mortgage this house?
Got to pull together.
Gotta get a hold of somethin'.
Gotta get a hold of a little somethin'
in this life, work together.
Gotta try to build a little
respect for each other.
Do you think she's in love with him?
- If she is, she got to be mental.
(visitor knocking)
- Ned.
- Hey, Rex.
Come on in.
We was just readin' about you.
- Rex.
- I saw it, Miss Teresa.
- That's a good picture of you.
It looks just like you.
- I see the governor's
gon' make the dedication.
- Lieutenant governor.
(Rex chuckles)
- The Rex Coleman Community Center.
When does it open?
- Well we'll begin operations next week.
We're still fixing it up, of course.
It probably be a year
before it's completed.
Is Freeman home?
- Yeah, he's upstairs.
- [Rex] Freeman, hey Freeman!
- Be right down, Rex!
(somber jazz music)
I saw your picture in the paper.
- I kinda figured you had.
- [Freeman] The Rex
Coleman Community Center.
- It's gonna mean a lot to
the people in this district.
- I told you about Dawson's foundry
and you went behind my back and got it.
- [Rex] I didn't go behind
your back and do anything.
- I told you I wanted to
open a slipcover factory
in that building.
- Do you know what it would take
to open up a slipcover factory?
You know how much cash we would need?
The credit, the equipment?
Not to mention the people
we'd have to rub down.
- You're good at that, aren't you?
Rubbing people down.
- I get things done.
This way the building
serves the whole community.
- We would have been
serving the community, too.
We woulda been producing something, jobs,
not always having to ask
the white man for jobs.
And we coulda done it, too.
Be a cold day in Hell
'fore I ever tell you
about anything else.
- I knew about that building before Dawson
closed down operations.
We had to vote to use
it as a polling place.
Now do you think that old man Dawson
would've given that building
to us to go into business?
He would've laughed in our faces.
- Good evening, Dr. Coleman.
- Oh, hello, Osa Lee.
- What y'all fussin' about?
- Oh, we're not fussin',
we're just havin' a little discussion.
I took your idea at the meeting
of the Business and
Professional Men's Club
and it was concluded that your idea
was impractical at this time.
- It's a wonder they
didn't try to steal it
from me like they did the election.
- They didn't steal the
election from you, Freeman.
- [Freeman] They didn't, huh?
- I checked it out, man.
The election was on the up and up.
- You're a liar.
- You take it easy, friend.
- I can prove it.
Maybe I can't lay it
on the Business and
Professional Men's Club,
but I can prove fraud.
- So what?
What if you could prove fraud?
What would it get you, another election?
The only reason why you
did so well last time
is because they played you cheap.
This time they would crucify you.
- Yeah, well we'll see
who the crucifixee is.
- [Rex] I know all about
the affidavits, Freeman.
- You know about 'em?
- [Rex] What do they mean?
- Those machines disappeared
from the polling place.
Three men came into the polling place
and took 'em out for three hours.
- Those men were from
the Board of Elections.
The machines jammed.
They had to be taken
downtown and worked on.
The marshal was there the whole time.
- No, no, I have sworn statements.
- To what?
To the fact that the machines were removed
for a couple of hours?
Sure those men signed those affidavits.
They didn't lie.
The only lie is in what
you read into them,
and you paid them, Freeman.
- You lyin', man.
- Would I lie about a thing like that?
- You sure was silly, Freeman.
- Osa Lee, go on upstairs.
- Well I'd have thought you
had better sense than that.
- Osa Lee, would you just go upstairs!
- Don't talk to her like that, Freeman.
- It's all right, Dr. Coleman.
It don't matter how he talks to me.
I ain't nothin'.
- You could always do that, couldn't you?
- [Rex] Do what?
- Smile, with a word,
you're a master of that.
- I don't know what you're talking about.
- Don't you, Rex?
- Freeman.
- Look, man.
Why don't you do me a favor?
Why don't you just leave me alone?
- [Rex] Look.
- Leave me alone, please!
- Okay.
But I just want you to know one thing.
If there had been any
fraud in that election,
if the club had cheated you out of it,
I would have walked.
Now do you believe that, Freeman?
- Do you believe that, Rex?
- Yes, I do.
(suspenseful music)
- Where you goin'?
- I'm goin' out for a walk.
- You want a little company?
- Nah, I kinda wanna be by
myself for a little while.
(somber music)
(suspenseful music)
Osa Lee.
You asleep?
- What do you want?
- [Freeman] I just hoped I
hadn't woken you up, is all.
- Naw.
Couldn't get to sleep.
- Listen, I wasn't tryin'
to hurt your feelin's.
- What you come messin' with me for?
- You mean marry you?
- Now we both know why we got married,
but what you come foolin' 'round with me?
I came here to find me somebody,
somebody I could work with, do well with.
And now I done got trapped with you.
Half-scared now you done marked my baby
with your strange ways.
- Listen, I wasn't tryin'
to hurt your feelin's.
It may have looked that way, but...
- You ain't like nobody I ever knew.
You ain't like nobody down home.
There's somethin' the matter with you.
- Tonight, every dream I ever had just--
- Dreams don't mean nothin', Freeman.
Can't bring anything out of a dream.
I used to dream I had money in my hand.
Tried to hold onto it tight as I could
so I'd have it when I woke up.
But then when I woke up, it was gone.
When you can wake up with
your dreams in your hand,
then they mean somethin'.
When you can bring your dreams out
into the light of day,
then they mean somethin'.
Otherwise they just a bunch of dead things
best left in your sleep.
- Yeah, well let me tell you.
- [Osa Lee] I don't wanna
hear your foolishness.
- Listen, I'm tryin' to tell ya.
I want you to understand, I
know you won't, but I'm tryin'--
- If I'm so dumb, what you tellin' me for?
Anyway, I don't wanna hear it.
All I wanna hear about is gettin' a house
with some food on the
table to feed this child
and some shoes to put on his feet.
- [Freeman] Look, Osa Lee.
- Don't you hit me.
My mama done raised me already.
'Cause if you hit me, I'll get you.
I'll get you if I have
to catch you sleepin'.
- I'ma give you somethin' to get me.
(Osa Lee crying out)
- Oh please, I'm carryin' your baby!
- Mr. Ned, Mr. Ned!
Mr. Ned.
- Oh come on, come on.
- What is this?
- Freeman jumped on me, he's crazy!
- Freeman?
- You two gotta
stop that in this house.
- I wanna go home.
I wanna go home!
- Well get the hell outta
here right now, hear?
- Freeman!
- Oh Freeman, what you
think you doin'?
- Freeman!
- [Osa Lee] No. (crying)
- Freeman?
- [Ned] Freeman?
Freeman.
- Help, help, police!
They tryin' to murder me.
- You wanna go home, I'm gonna help ya.
I want your ass outta here tonight!
- Osa Lee, come back in the house.
- Help, help, somebody, help, somebody!
- Osa Lee, please come back in the house.
- Osa Lee, now you come
back in this house, girl.
- (crying) Mama.
I want my mama. (crying)
Miss Teresa. (crying)
- I'll get your things.
- No, no, leave 'em out there
so everybody can see
what a big fool he is.
(somber music)
- Rex.
- I brought you folks a deer.
- A deer?
- I bagged him yesterday mornin'.
Got him tied to the bumper of the car.
- Well aren't ya gonna
take it home to Callie?
- She doesn't know how to cook venison.
- (chuckles) It's been
so long since I tried
to cook venison ain't
even funny. (chuckles)
- Then you don't want it?
- Well none of us really like venison.
- Well now that I got the darn thing
I don't know what I'm gonna do with it.
- Why don't you give
it to Luther Henderson.
(Teresa laughs)
- He's still up at the lodge.
- Lodge?
- Yeah, a bunch of us
chipped in and bought
a 12-room lodge up north.
They're all still up there.
- Why did ya come back from
your huntin' trip, Rex?
- Ned, I need your help.
I received a phone call from
the Coleman Community Center.
Freeman has been over there bugging.
- Bugging them?
- He's been picketing.
- Oh Lord.
- I was hoping you would talk to him, Ned.
- Well I can't talk to him.
- Well I can't let him harass the people
who are trying to work over there.
- No.
I reckon you can't.
- The center is very important to me.
- I know it's important to
ya, ya put your name on it.
Any time a man puts his name on somethin'
it should be important to him.
- Well if somebody doesn't talk to him
he's gonna wind up in jail.
- No, Rex.
- You'd put Freeman in jail?
- If he keeps on.
- But you two grew up together.
- You were like brothers,
closest thing either one
of ya had to a brother.
- Well I wouldn't want
to, Miss Teresa, Ned.
- [Ned] That's between you and Freeman.
- I want you to talk to him.
- So you won't have to put him in jail.
- You have to make him listen to you.
- Listen to me?
- I'm pleading with you, Ned.
- No.
- Do you want him to go to jail?
- Wanna put him in jail, put him in jail.
Go on, put him in jail.
- You wouldn't do that.
Not you, Rex.
- Well don't make do it.
Don't make me do it.
- I ain't makin' you do anything.
- Well don't you care?
- It's all over for me.
First thing Monday
mornin' I'm goin' downtown
and gon' put everything in Teresa's name.
- Put everything in my name?
- House, lot, and everything.
- Ned, what are you talkin' about?
- Just get in my car
and drive right on off.
- Drive off where?
- Arizona maybe, who knows.
- Don't pay any attention to Ned.
He ain't goin' nowhere.
Whenever his head bothers him,
he starts talkin' that old fool talk.
- Fool talkin'?
I wonder if I ever talked
anything else but fool talk.
- What about me?
- [Ned] The house is bought and paid for.
- Freeman?
- What about him?
- Are you gonna turn your back on him?
- You did, didn't ya?
- Ned.
- You want me to make it unnecessary
for you to put my son in jail.
- He didn't say that, Ned.
- Why didn't you help him?
- Help him?
- You could have.
- How?
- You could have found a way.
- Now, you're not bein' fair.
- Fair?
Maybe I'm bein' too fair.
Then again, not fair enough.
- Well I would have if
there had been any way.
- We can't blame Rex for Freeman.
- Is that what you're doing, Ned?
- I ain't doin' nothin'.
I ain't blamin' nobody.
- You are blamin' me.
Now I came back here.
I left my hunting trip and came back, now.
I could have just let them
call the police on him.
I don't wanna see Freeman in trouble.
- God, he been in trouble all his life.
- Well that's not my fault.
You make it sound like it's my fault.
- I did a better job with you
than I did with my own boy.
You wanted to be a doctor.
There's somethin' I could
understand, encourage.
- Well you did encourage
me, Ned, you did more.
You fed me, you took me in your house,
you put clothes on my back.
And when I came home on weekends,
Miss Teresa would wash them.
You helped me pay my way
through medical school.
Now I can't pay ya back,
Ned, there's no way.
I used to think that one day I would,
but then I began to realize there's no way
to pay back that kind of thing.
- I never wanted you to pay
me back, I never expected it.
I was glad to do it, too.
Ya see, I always knew what you wanted.
I could feel what you
wanted, appreciated it,
sort of knew about it, had
a frame of reference to it.
But Freeman?
I never had no understandin'
what it was that he wanted.
I never had no, the slightest idea
in the world what he was after.
You an educated man, Rex, you tell me.
- I can't tell you.
- But you're a doctor.
You're an educated man,
and if you don't know...
Always easier with you.
Always so much easier with you.
That's why we helped ya, I reckon.
We could do for you what we
never could do for Freeman.
We made a difference
between you and Freeman,
and it all was on your side.
- Yeah.
- I never made no difference.
- That ain't true, Teresa.
- You tellin' me I made a difference
between my own son and Rex?
- Rex knows that.
- Rex, did I ever treat
you different from Freeman?
From the day your mother
died, did I ever make
the slightest bit of
difference between you two?
Rex, did I?
- Miss Teresa.
- You used to hate to see him comin'.
We both did.
We used to wish he'd just go off somewhere
and never come back.
- Why would I wish that?
- 'Cause he was different.
- Different?
- Yes, ma'am, Miss Teresa.
- You mean he wouldn't do right.
And he sure, Lord, was different.
Just couldn't make him do right.
You never gave me a minute's trouble
the longest day you lived in this house.
- What did he ever really do?
- Always in into somethin'.
Never could get along
with anybody, knew it all.
Who ever had a good word to say for him
when he was comin' along?
- Including you and me.
- Never wanted to be nothin'.
- No, Miss Teresa, I
don't think that's true.
- Coulda been anything he wanted to be.
I woulda worked my fingers to the bone
if he had just wanted to
make somethin' outta himself.
Oh I'd have been so proud if he had wanted
to be a lawyer or a doctor.
- Maybe that wasn't what he wanted to be.
- No, he wanted to be a bum.
- No, Miss Teresa, Freeman
never wanted to be a bum.
- What's wrong with him, Rex?
- A lot of things.
- Do somethin'.
We ain't gon' be with him always.
What's gon' become of him when we're gone?
Help him, Rex.
- Miss Teresa.
- Help him.
Promise me, you will help him. (crying)
- I promise, Miss Teresa,
I'll do what I can.
(door thuds)
Hello, Freeman.
- Hello, Ma.
- Freeman.
- Dad.
- Freeman.
- Rex.
- Freeman.
- Yeah?
- Man, what are you doin'?
- I'm goin' to bed.
- Why are you harassin' those workers
over there at the center?
- Because they have no right being there.
- Why?
What is wrong with people helping people?
People need help.
It helps to talk your
problems over with someone.
Black people are no exception.
- They've already started
givin' out birth control pills.
They've been over at the projects
passing out birth control
pills to black women!
- Now would you rather have those women
over there dropping litters
of babies, growing up
without fathers, generation
after generation on welfare?
- It's genocide!
- [Rex] Genocide!
How is it genocide?
- What do you call it, Rex?
It's the missionary system all over again
only this time they have
briefcases instead of crosses.
- I promised Ned and Miss
Teresa that I would try
and help you straighten yourself out.
Now look, look, Freeman.
You don't have a job.
You lost all your seniority
over at Moloch Motors.
Now if you'd leave that center alone,
I think I can get you a job over there.
- A job?
- We need a sanitation engineer.
- Sanitation engineer.
You mean janitor?
- You'd have two, perhaps
three men working under you.
- [Teresa] That sounds like a good job.
- Foreman of the janitors?
- The job pays around $15,000 a year.
- Well that's as much as
I make at Moloch Motors.
- A $15,000 a year janitor.
- It's not a dirty job.
You can go dressed up every day.
Your title would be sanitation supervisor.
You'd be in charge of the
maintenance of the building.
You'd be given a budget for that purpose,
and then perhaps at the end of the year
there'd be a little left over.
- I could keep that, huh?
Maybe knock down a little bit on the side?
What about the pop bottles I find?
Would they be mine, too?
Could I cash them in and keep the deposit?
- Freeman, take the job.
- I get this for layin' off the center.
- No, you get it because I
promised Ned and Miss Teresa.
- Well I ain't no goddamn
sanitation engineer!
- Freeman.
- Where you goin'?
- I'm goin' to the hospital.
(somber music)
(Freeman grunts)
- Freeman.
- Yeah?
Where's Mom and Dad?
- They left for work a few minutes ago.
- I didn't even hear 'em.
- Want some coffee?
(Freeman grunts)
I looked in on Osa Lee and
your boy yesterday mornin'.
He looks just like you.
- Hm, looks like Dad to me.
- Hard pair of lungs.
- I guess he takes that after me.
(Rex and Freeman laugh)
- A big fella.
You're gonna have to
move to keep up with him.
Osa Lee is due to bring him
back home tomorrow, isn't she?
- [Freeman] Mm-hm.
- Well, soon as you finish your coffee,
I'll drive you over to the
Coleman Community Center.
- Nah, I can walk.
- [Rex] I'll drive ya
over, introduce you around.
- Introduce me around?
- See to it that you get
started on the right foot.
I want you and Burt Callahan
to get off to a fresh start.
- Burt Callahan?
- He's the director of the center.
- Oh, you mean that little
white fag that runs the center.
- Now why do you call him a fag, Freeman?
- Because that's what he is.
- Well how do you know?
How do you know he's a fag?
- The way he switches.
- You're not goin' over there
callin' him a fag, I hope.
- I ain't goin' over
there callin' him nothin'.
I don't want nothin' to do with the fag.
- You're gonna be workin'
under him, Freeman.
He's the director of the center
- He's the director.
A switchin' little white fag.
- He has a Master's Degree in social work.
- You know, maybe I can help them people
over there do some good.
- [Rex] You're not being hired to do that.
- I'm being hired to mop the floor.
- [Rex] Now don't go over
there tryin' to run the place.
- I could study up on social work.
- Freeman, you are the sanitation engineer
and Mr. Callahan--
- Mr. Callahan.
- Yes, Mr. Callahan, the director
of the Coleman Community Center.
- So I have to call him Mr. Callahan?
What does he call me, boy?
- He'll call you by your name.
- Freeman?
- Freeman.
- He calls me Freeman, I have
to call him Mr. Callahan.
What do I call you, Rex, Dr. Coleman?
- I don't care what you call me.
- You want me to call you Dr. Coleman
when you come in the center?
- Would it kill you?
- What does Mama call you at the hospital?
- Dr. Coleman.
- What do you call her?
- Aquila.
- Aquila.
- It's just a formality.
- I'm gonna check him out
very carefully over there.
I catch him doin' anything funny,
I'm gonna report to you.
- No, you're not gonna
report anything to me.
You're gonna go over there
and do your job, period.
- Okay.
- I mean that, Freeman.
You're on probation over there.
- Probation?
- You have to prove to those people there
that you can do the job.
- I don't prove anything to anybody.
- Yes you do.
- To Callahan?
- And to me.
- You?
- I want you to be the
best sanitation engineer
anybody ever saw, 10 times better.
I want you to keep your mouth shut.
Do as you're told, don't
give 'em any arguments.
Now, they ask you to do
anything you don't wanna do,
you do it then come see me.
If you have a legitimate
gripe, I'll take it up.
- Man, you better get
outta my face. (chuckles)
What do you think I am?
- I'll tell you what you are.
You're a man with a family,
a wife and a newborn child to support.
- And because of that I should take shit.
- And because of that
you have to take shit.
- Man, you talkin' to Freeman.
- Just want you to use a little tact.
- Should I scratch my
head and show my teeth?
- I'm not askin' you to do that.
- That's exactly what
you're askin' me to do.
- All I'm askin' you to do
is to use a little finesse.
Now you can get anything you want
if you go about it the right way.
- What way is that?
- You know what I mean.
- No, I don't.
- Man.
- Why don't you teach me?
Teach me how to bullshit.
- The world buys bullshit,
they buy it by the ton.
- Then show me how to do it.
- You have contempt for
me, don't you, Freeman?
- [Freeman] Do I?
- Why?
Because I did somethin' with my life
you have contempt for me.
Hey, you gotta come down to earth, boy.
I have letters behind my name.
What do you have?
- At least I have my self-respect.
- That's about all you have.
I make $75,000 a year.
- [Freeman] So you make
$75,000 a year, so what?
- That's an accomplishment.
- Yeah, if that's what you want,
willin' to do what you
had to do to get it.
- Your opinion of me
doesn't mean a damn thing.
I don't give a good goddamn
what you think about me.
- Now what are you
gettin' so excited about?
- Because I am gettin'
tired of your abuse.
- What's the matter, Rex, you
can't stand a little honesty?
- Honesty?
- I'm direct.
- You and your honesty.
I forgot you the only honest
man in the world, huh?
- [Freeman] That bothers you, don't it?
- It bothers me for you.
You know you're gonna destroy
yourself with that honesty,
yourself and everybody around you.
- Like you do with bullshit.
You're a bullshit artist, Rex.
- You think you're perfect, don't you?
Self-perfection.
- I'm an honest man.
- About other people.
You use your honesty as
a weapon against people.
You cut them to pieces with your honesty.
Ned, Teresa, Osa Lee.
You've done it all your life.
Now I wonder, I wonder what would happen
if you turned some of
that honesty on yourself.
- I live by it.
- Do ya?
- Damn straight.
- Then what are you, Freeman?
Can you with any degree of honesty
say who and what you are?
You're right, I am a bullshit artist.
I learned that to survive.
Now how are you gonna survive, Freeman?
How you gonna make that
honesty work for you?
- I don't know what you mean.
- [Rex] What skills do you have?
- Skills?
- [Rex] What can you do?
I can bullshit, now what can you do?
- Nothin'!
- Yeah, I know how hard it
is for you to take this.
- Go on, man.
- [Rex] What choices are open to you?
You an honest man, what are they?
- The janitor.
- Now I won't try to influence you,
but I am gonna lay it right on the line.
Do you want the job?
Why, I can call it off like
that, but if I do, that's it.
Now you think about it.
You think about Osa Lee comin' home
with that child tomorrow.
- All right.
All right, I want it.
- [Rex] And you have to accept it
and everything that goes with it.
- Go ahead and say it, Rex.
I guess it's all over between you and me.
- I didn't say that.
- But it is.
You and me.
- No.
We'll always be friends.
- No, no we won't.
I don't think we've been
friends for a long time.
I think we just remembered
we used to be friends.
It's funny, what other friends
will we talk about now?
Only time I get a friendly feelin'
comin' from you is when
we talk about old times.
- I'm sorry you feel that way.
- I won't call ya anymore.
No more messages left on your
service for you to call me.
No more harebrained schemes
I'm tryin' to involve you in.
- Aw, I never mind.
- That's somethin' that was.
It's no more.
- [Rex] If you feel that way.
- Yeah, I feel that way.
- I hate to rush you, but...
- Yeah, we better be
gettin' on over there.
- Ah.
(Freeman sighs)
Better put these things in the sink.
- I always forget. (grunts)
(somber music)
(soft jazz music)