Asunder, One Flesh Divided (2020) - full transcript

In the
beginning, God said,

"Let us make man in our image,
according to our likeness".

And the Lord God formed the man

from the dust of the ground,

and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life,

and man became a living being.

But the Lord said,

"It is not good that
man should be alone".

"I will make him a helper
comparable to him."

Then the rib, which the Lord
God had taken from the man,

he made into a woman,



and brought her to the man.

Adam said, "This
is now bone of my bones,

and flesh of my flesh".

"She shall be called woman

because she was
taken out of man."

"Therefore, a man shall
leave his father and mother,

and be joined to his wife,

and they shall
become one flesh."

Hello?

Yes, this is she.

Oh my god!

What happened?

Yes.

What happened?



What hospital?

Hey, baby.

- What's up?
- I...

What's goin' on?

What happened?

It's my dad, he's sick.

What do
you mean he's sick?

I mean, he's sick, baby.

He's in the hospital right now.

What happened to him?

I don't know,

that's why we need
to go and find out.

Oh, no.

I'm sorry, baby.

We need to go to the hospital.

I can't.

I can't go to the
hospital right now.

This motion is due
by seven tomorrow.

I need to go to the hospital.

Yes, baby, I'll take
you, but I just can't stay.

Can you stay an hour?

Okay, just one hour?

I don't think I...

- I can't do this by myself.
- No, I can't.

Please, don't do this.

Do what?

You're always try to guilt
trip me into doing things,

and when I don't, you make
me feel like a freakin' jerk.

Fine, don't go.

I'll see you later.

This is what

- I'm talking about.
- Enough, Brandon.

I don't have time
for this, okay?

I will go to the
hospital by myself, okay?

Look, I'm sorry
about your dad.

Let me know how he's doing,

okay?

Whatever.

Hey, sweet pea!

What's goin' on?

What happened to you?

Out of no where,

my stomach started hurting
me something terrible,

so go inside, use the bathroom,

and there's blood in the toilet.

What really made it worse,

was I took some
pills for the pain,

and after a couple of hours,
pain came back so strong

I could barely hold myself up.

After a while,

your brother came and found me,

and took me here to
get me checked out.

Oh god.

Has the doctor seen you yet?

Yep.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, he saw
me, ran some tests,

and we'll see what it looks
like later on tonight.

Daddy, I'm gonna come and
stay with you for a few weeks.

Mm-mm, no.

- Honey, no.
- Daddy, no.

- No, no, no.
- It is not up for discussion.

I said no.

You have your own
life, your own family

- to take care of.
- Daddy,

Brandon will understand.

You need me right now.

No, I need you to be at
home with your husband.

You all need each other.

I'm gonna be all right.

Besides, I still have your
idiot brother with me.

I love you so much sweetie.

And I'm proud of you.

Your mama would be proud too.

I know.

I love you too.

I gotta go to the bathroom.

Here, here,
let me help you up.

No,
no, no, no, no.

Are you all right?

- I'm fine, I'm fine-
- Mr. Taylor,

are you all right?

I'm
fine, I'm fine.

Just let me get
ahold of my breath.

- To my knees.
- What happened?

Ow.

Come on, I got you.

Take your time.

I gotta go to the bathroom.

- All right.
- Daddy, your socks are

on the wrong way.

Let's sit you down first,

all right?

Let's go over some results.

I gotta see a
man about a horse.

Don't worry,

I'm gonna take you to
see that man, all right?

Just listen to me for
one second, all right?

You his daughter?

Yes, yes.

Good, glad
to have some support here.

Are you all right?

Yes, yes, I'm fine.

What do the test results show?

Have a seat for
a moment, please.

Please.

I didn't hear you come in.

How is he?

Do you care?

I wouldn't ask
if I didn't care.

He's sick.

They say he needs surgery
three weeks from now.

Man, sorry about that.

What happened to you?

I tried to lift
daddy out of the bed,

and he pulled my arm
trying not to fall.

It's not a big deal.

I'm fine.

Hmm.

Well what did he say
was wrong with him?

They say that daddy has-

It's Matthew.

I gotta take this.

Babe, just give me a second,

and I'll help you rub
your shoulder, okay?

Matt, did you get
the draft I sent you?

Good.

Excellent.

I need you to look at
the bottom of page three.

Yeah. Yeah.

You see it?

Jamison, Wilson, Stewart.

Yes, of course.

No, she's in litigation.

Maybe I can put you
through to her secretary?

Mm-hmm.

Hold, please.

Jackson Black.

I'm here to meet
with Ruth Stewart.

Of course.

If you have a seat,
please, Mr. Black,

I'll make sure that
she know you're here.

All
right, thank you.

Ms. Stewart, Mr. Black
is here to see you.

Yes.

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

Jackson?

Yes.

Jackson Black.

A pleasure to meet you.

Ruth Stewart.

Very nice to meet you as well.

I am very excited to
be here, Ms. Stewart.

Oh, please, skip
the formalities.

Call me Ruth.

We're the same age.

Okay, no problem.

I just wanted to come
correct, that's all.

From what I can
see from your resume,

you are quite impressive.

Weinstein & Shapiro recommended
you with much enthusiasm.

Thank you.

We're always happy to have
another associate on board.

And I'm gonna be your mentor
for the next three months,

so we'll be working
pretty closely together.

I can tell I'm gonna
be in really good hands.

Indeed.

Come, let me show you
around the office.

Daddy?

Daddy, what do you
mean they don't have

your insurance information?

It's on your paperwork from
Dr. Concordia's office.

But that's not your
fault, that's their fault!

I can't believe they're
trying to bombard you

with all this
nonsense right now?

Yes, I'm...

I'm not, I'm not,
I'm really not.

You know what,
daddy, I actually...

I keep a file with your
paperwork at my desk at the job,

so I'm gonna take
a look at that,

and I'm gonna send it over
to the hospital, okay?

Yeah, no, no, no, no, I'm
not, I'm not, I'm not.

Everything's okay.

It's fine.

Okay, I will.

I love you too.

Bye.

- Brandon?
- Yeah?

Can you come here, please.

Yeah, what is it?

Three days?

Three.

Are you serious?

What do you
mean, am I serious?

Are you serious?

Did you seriously leave
nasty dirty dishes

in the sink for three days?

Look, I don't have time
for this right now, okay?

I've told you a hundred
times, we need a housekeeper.

I know you like to
keep things clean,

and you know I have
a lot of work to do.

I told you before, I
don't want a housekeeper.

They steal from people,

and besides, we can
clean up after ourselves,

but it just takes
a mutual effort.

You already know
I work very hard.

To hell with that!

I work hard too.

I support us too.

I work late, I write motions,
appeals, I go to court.

We're both attorneys,
so don't give me that.

All right, calm down.

Now, look, all I'm saying is,

is that instead of complaining,

that you should try
and hire a housekeeper,

or wash them yourself.

'Cause I always wash
them myself, Brandon.

Always.

And I don't complain,
I just do it.

You seem to not be complaining

- a lot lately.
- Mmm.

I'm not the only one who
eats off of these plates,

or walks on these floors,

or uses the bathroom,
or wears clothes.

Look, look, all I'm saying,
is that when I cook for us,

which is all the time,

so you just wash the
dishes after we eat.

It's not that deep.

Fine, I will wash them
after I finish my work, okay?

I'm meeting with Freddie
and Matt tomorrow night,

and I don't know how long

- Freddie and Matt?
- I'm gonna be out for, so-

Yeah.

I thought you told
Deacon Mitch that you were

coaching the little
league game tomorrow?

That was just yesterday.

Well, something came up.

I'm sure he'll understand.

So you just flat out
lied to him, and me?

It's not lying, Ruth.

Things do come up.

This didn't just come up.

You knew this.

What are you doing?

Leave them.

- I said, I'd wash them.
- Forget it.

No, no, no, I said I got it.

Baby, just forget
about it, really.

Why the hell are
you always doing this?

You're always telling
me what I'm doing wrong,

everything I'm doing wrong,

but when I try to fix it,
you don't want me too.

Why even tell me
in the first place?

Okay, forget I
mentioned it, okay?

I am sorry.

I'll do it myself, okay?

Just forget it.

No Ruth.

I'll wash it.

I got it, I got it.

No!

- Put it down!
- No!

Ruth, I said put it down.

There, I put it down.

I'm sorry, okay?

No.

Leave it.

Look, I'll take care of it.

Leave it.

Look, the Justice
ruled in our favor.

We did a good job today,

Team Ruth.

Fantastic.

Let's go.

All right.

Thank God, 'cause I am hungry.

I could eat.

You always could eat.

Hey, there's this new
restaurant I heard about

It'll be great.

Let's go.

Why don't we all go?

So y'all don't wanna eat?

But I made some beef
stew for everybody.

Okay, her cooking is great.

I'm with her.

I don't eat beef.

You don't eat beef.

I eat beef.

You eat beef?

- Oh yeah, let's go.
- Let's go.

Are you serious?

That's messed up, y'all.

You can come.

You enjoy that beef.

- Well, I don't know
- Hey.

- what I'm gonna do now.
- Hey, now.

Don't worry about it.

It's vegan.

- Vegan, really?
- Yep.

Sound good?

I know you like vegan.

Well, let me get my coat.

You're not gonna need it.

It's nice outside.

- Come on.
- Okay.

The walk will do us some good.

That's right.

- After you.
- Thank you.

Hi, Ruth.

Oh, hey, Jackson.

You scared me.

I'm sorry.

Never my intention.

Yes, I know.

Something you need?

No, not really.

I just wanted to get
you the statements

from the Walker file.

I mean, I think
this is all of them.

That man is the
bane of my existence.

I can't believe he
actually wants to go over

every bank statement
he's had since 1975.

How 'bout you don't steal
other people's money?

- Check and balance that.
- Well-

- That is why you
make the big bucks.

Where do you want
me to put this?

That's okay, I'll take them.

- Thank you.
- Okay.

Ow!

Geez!

Are you okay?

Yeah.

I...

I hurt my shoulder
a few weeks ago.

Weeks?

What happened?

Sorry, I don't mean to pry.

- Just concerned.
- It's fine.

It's okay.

My father is very sick.

Oh, no.

At the hospital, I lifted
him up trying to help him

to use the restroom, and he
slipped, and he pulled my arm.

Have you seen a doctor?

No, no, it's fine.

Really, it's just a little sore.

I mean, if you say so.

My mother died six years ago.

Ovarian cancer.

Really?

Yeah.

I'm an only child, and she
raised me, so it was hard.

It's gonna be all right.

I promise.

Yeah.

Thanks, Jack.

I lost my mom too while
I was an undergrad.

I'm sorry, I just...

- I really need to-
- Mm-hmm, yeah.

To find this paperwork.

You know, you're
lucky, you know?

I mean, with all this going on,

that you have your husband
to go through it with you.

You know, standing by
your side, helping you.

I mean, at least you don't
have to do it on your own.

Yeah, you're right.

So he's gonna meet you
here, or at the hospital?

Who?

Your husband.

No, Brandon has to work.

Oh my God, I have to text him

to get his plate
out of the fridge.

I'm sorry, I really just...

I gotta go,

- Yeah.
- and find this paperwork.

Ah!

Oh my god!

Thank God.

So, while you're
tending to everyone else,

who's tending to you?

What do you mean by that?

Ruth, I'm sorry, I didn't
mean to be out of place.

You are out of place.

And just so you know, my
husband takes care of me.

Jackson, don't you have somewhere to
be, or something to do?

Take care.

Oh God.

Oh, no.

- Oh my God.
- Sorry.

Are you okay?

Yeah, your hands are freezing.

I keep screwin'
up trying to help.

You know it's funny,

'cause before I
went to law school,

I wanted to be a chiropractor.

- Oh, really?
- Yep.

What happened?

Long story.

Short of it, I suck at biology.

Oh! Ow!

But a chiropractor,
my dear Ruth,

is exactly who you need to see.

You need to get to a
doctor, immediately.

No, it's fine.

It's fine, please.

You say that a lot.

It's 'cause
it's not fine Jackson,

but I want it to be.

I want it to be.

Everything is gonna be fine.

It'll all be all right.

Trust me, okay?

It feels good?

Uh-huh.

Yeah, thank you.

Ruth.

Ruth.

- No.
- Come on.

Oh my God.

- Hey!
- Get out!

Listen.

No, no.

No!

Wait!

Well, hello, Mrs. Stewart.

You're home early.

Hey, baby.

How was your day?

I'm glad you asked.

The judge accepted our motion.

Our client is going
to a halfway house,

and won't see any jail time.

And now Rosenberg, Sloan, &
Stewart LLP are $250,000 richer.

So all that good and
hard work paid off.

Thought we'd celebrate

a little bit.

And how was your day?

Good, good, good.

Anything excitin' happen?

Well?

You hungry?

Dinner's almost ready.

Oh, what you
cookin' over there?

Tomato and okra chili,

brown rice, vegetables,
and cornbread.

- Mm-hmm.
- Mm-hmm.

It smells so good too.

You've always known
the way to my heart.

Are you on the menu too?

Okay, stop it.

I wanna finish what I'm doin'.

I'm hungry.

Oh my God.

- Whoo, geez.
- What?

Your hands are freezin'.

Well, it's winter time, baby.

What you expect?

Besides, I said I was
gonna give you a massage,

and I'm a man of my word.

Yeah, two weeks later.

Thanks, honey.

Oh!

Listen, man, you gotta go

to the doctor for this.

It's been sore too long.

No, it's fine.

- It's okay.
- No, it's not.

It's not fine.

Okay, I'll go see somebody.

Good.

How does you feel now?

It feels good?

Yes.

What's wrong?

Ruth, what's wrong?

Is it your dad?

What did they say about him?

They say daddy's
got pancreatic cancer.

No.

It's spread.

He needs to get surgery to
remove a mass on his liver.

When?

Next week.

Well, why didn't

- you say anything to me?
- I did,

over and over again.

You were too busy.

Everything is gonna be okay.

I promise.

Trust me.

- Good morning.
- Oh, good morning.

- You okay?
- Yeah.

I'll be in my
office if you need me.

Okay.

All right.

All right,
talk to you later.

All right, see you later.

Oh,
Ruth, good morning.

Did you get that email that I
sent about the Walter estate?

They want a conference
call this afternoon,

and I put it on your calendar,

- Okay, that's fine.
- and I need you to confirm

the dates that you
wanna go to Chicago

- for the Partners Conference.
- Okay.

- Fine, I'll do-
- Oh, and Don just called.

He said he's faxing over
the summons for Walker.

Okay, Cherise.

I can't really talk to you

- about this right now.
- And I need you to put in your time,

so that I can draft that invoice

- for Hughes Lovells -
- Cherise, I can't talk now.

- I gotta go, okay?
- Okay.

- And coffee's on your desk.
- Thank you.

Oh, wait, there's the fax now.

Yeah, he's a crook all right.

By the way, your husband
called, he said...

Hi, Ruth.

Did you get my email?

About Glick?

I sent it three days ago.

We're set to meet
in about 30 minutes.

And I thought you mentioned

something about another brief
you wanted me to go over?

I hope you like the flowers.

I thought maybe you could
give them to your father.

- Jackson, I don't really-
- Just hear me out,

- please.
- No, Jackson.

Wait.

Listen, you have only
been here for a month,

and you've already...

No, I can't do this.

No, just go.

Just leave, please.

- We-
- Don't, no!

Don't touch me.

I'm married, it's wrong.

This is wrong.

Please, just go.

- Please.
- I'm not going anywhere

- until you listen to me.
- What?

Are you crazy?

Are you trying to
ruin my career too?

What is wrong with you?

- Well, listen to me then.
- Okay, listen, okay?

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

- Why would you said that?
- Because I am.

I never should have
lead you on like that.

I just...

I shouldn't have done...

I'm really, really sorry.

You didn't seem all
that sorry three days ago.

What?

Oh, oh, okay, okay.

Wrong thing to say.

I respect you, and
I care about you.

I had no right to approach
you the way that I did,

especially since I
know you're married.

I just...

I couldn't stand
seeing you crying.

I care about you.

You've done so much for me.

Since I've gotten here,

you're the one who's
helped me the most.

It's like I see myself in you,

ever since we first met.

and I just knew.

And then nobody has got my
back the way that you do.

I wouldn't be here without you.

So, please, please, forgive me.

I am sorry.

All right, okay.

I listened to you.

Now go.

Starting tomorrow, George
is gonna be your new mentor.

I think that would be best.

Well, I just don't want
this to affect our friendship.

I love you.

Get the hell outta my office.

Now!

Hey.

Hey, baby.

What are you doin' here?

I thought we'd
have some lunch together.

You hungry?

Oh, yeah.

I didn't know
you had a meeting.

I called your assistant earlier,
and she said you were free.

She tried you once again,
but once I got here,

but you didn't answer,

so I thought I'd come on
back here and get you myself.

Oh.

No, no.

We don't have a meeting.

This is our new
associate, and my mentee.

We just had to go over a
brief, but we're done now.

Yeah, we're done now.

My apologies, sir.

Jackson Black.

Black, no worries.

Brandon Stewart.

Oh, trust me, I
know who you are.

It is an honor to
meet you, brother.

I've read some of your cases.

I gotta say, you are
a real inspiration.

Definitely know how to win.

Thanks, I learned my
best tactics from Ruth.

Me too.

Well, I gotta go, and get
these gloves for Glick.

So, I'll let you
know how it goes.

Gloves?

Oh yeah, yeah, she's
a real germaphobe.

Hey, I can tell you, our
clients, some real nutcases.

By now, I just do whatever
they want me to do.

Whether wearing gloves,

massaging their backs,
kissin' their necks.

You know, we do what
others won't do,

that's what makes
us so successful.

I'll do anything for my clients.

Without them, we wouldn't
be anything, you know?

We owe them.

- Hmm.
- Yep.

Your hands are freezing, man.

Well,

another reason I wear gloves.

See you.

Ruth.

I can't believe you're here.

It's so good to see you.

You too.

I figured you could
use a little break.

We can eat in the park.

Oh, yeah, that would be nice.

That'd be really nice.

You all right?

You feel sweaty.

Yeah, I'm fine.

I'm just thinkin' about daddy,

and a client's
sentencing is coming up,

among many other things.

So just...

I just got a lot on my mind.

Well, I hope this
Jackson is doing his part

helping you with your clients.

Is he any good?

Oh, yeah, he's good.

He's really good.

Wow!

Who got you these?

Oh, the other partners,

they realized it was my eight
year anniversary working here,

so they got me these.

And yeah, I'm so glad
that you saw these,

because I'm gonna put
these in some water,

so I can give them to daddy.

Yeah, I'm gonna...

Yeah, okay.

Where's the water?

What?

You didn't put any
water in the vase.

All right, let's go.

- Let's not waste any time.
- Okay.

Let me just get my...

Okay.

Hello?

Hey, daddy.

How you feelin'?

Oh, good.

Oh, I'm so glad the
surgery went well.

I was worried.

When do they say you're
gonna be able to come home?

Only a few days?

That's great!

Oh, my gosh.

Where's Junior?

Okay.

Yeah, well I'll stop
by later on tonight

just to check in on you.

Okay?

All right.

I love you, daddy.

Get some sleep.

Bye.

- Hey, baby.
- Something smells good.

New perfume?

Yeah.

Wow, you noticed.

Brandon didn't even notice.

I like it.

Thanks.

Nice dress.

You know, George can't
keep his eyes off you.

He can't resist your
beautiful smile.

Do you mind if I undo my tie?

It's kinda hot in here.

Yeah, go ahead,
sure, go for it.

Tell me, Ruth,

while you're tending
to everyone else,

who's tending to you?

My hands could tend to you.

They know where it hurts.

Does that feel good?

Hey, baby.

What's up?

Nothing much.

You okay?

Yeah.

How was your day?

Busy, as usual.

I was in and out of trial
for most of the day,

which was daunting,
but it is what it is.

I had three clients today,
can you believe that?

Three clients being sentenced.

Luckily, none of them will
be seeing any jail time,

just a slap on the wrist.

They even elected a new judge.

So you know I had to pull
all the punches for that one.

I had to do legal.

I had to setup the
documents, the beginning.

I had to cross reference brief.

Honey, I need to talk to you.

- Shoot.
- I just...

I just, I...

I just want...

- Uh-huh.
- I love you so much,

- and I-
- Yeah?

I made a mistake.

Did you bleach one of
my vintage jersey's again?

- No.
- Then what do you mean?

I mean I did something
I shouldn't have.

I never...

It was never ever
a sexual thing.

You cheated on me?

It was not sex!

Then what
the hell was it then?

Okay, listen.

I just...

I just kissed him.

After every damn thing
I've done for us, for you?

And you stick your tongue
down another man's throat?

Everything I've done,

that ain't good enough for you?

You mean everything
to me, okay?

But I told him to stop.

I told him to leave me alone.

Who?

Who is he?

You don't know him.

Is it that new guy, huh?

Your mentee?

No, no.

Sweetheart, please.

Flowers...

He bought you those
flowers, didn't he?

And you were hiding
them from me.

And that jackass had the
nerve to shake my hand.

I could kill him.

No.

- You know I could.
- No.

Honey, listen to me.

This is my fault, okay?

I made the mistake.

Just tell me what...

I'll do anything
not to lose you.

Anything!

- Anything?
- Yes!

Since you wanna be in
someone else's bed so much,

I don't want you in mine.

I didn't even sleep with him!

Can we just work this out?

Work out this sofa!

Work out these sheets!

Work out these silk pajamas.

No, wait, I bought these.

You remember when I
bought these, Ruth?

You remember?

Because you wanted
satin pajamas, right?

Seriously, Ruth?

Are we serious?

Did you seriously leave
a cup in the sink?

Well, don't worry about it.

I got this!

No!

There, now no
one has to wash it,

since we're breaking dishes.

Look, I worked it out.

- I'm working it out for us.
- Baby, please stop!

Please!

And while
you're down here,

think about how your gonna
work out the rest of your life!

- Praise the Lord, everybody!
- Yeah.

I said,

praise the Lord, everybody

I wanted to remember the
broken body of our Lord Jesus.

Now during your
personal tribulations,

recall the blood of Jesus.

And the same mercy.

Did you hear what I said?

- I said, the same mercy.
- Same mercy.

That he showed you,
extend it to others.

But start, first and
foremost, in your house.

The Bible says,

"A house divided against
itself shall not stand".

- Amen?
- Amen.

So
children, love your parents.

- Yes.
- Yes.

Parents, your children.

Husbands and wives,
and everybody,

walk in the spirit of love.

All your disputes must
be settled at home

before you come to participate
in the divine host.

Understand this,

you cannot expect
the mercy of God

when you yourself do not
intend to extend it to others.

Amen!

- Amen!
- Amen!

I'm gonna ask my son,
Deacon Brandon Stewart,

to come and pray
over the host today,

the body and blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ.

Deacon.

Amen!

Glory to your name, Lord.

We pray that you bless the host

as we remember the sacrifice
you made on Calvary.

Forgive us all our sins,

and help us to show mercy,

and forgive the unforgivable.

Teach us to love each other.

Show us how to
love the unlovable.

- Amen.
- Amen.

- Thank you, son.
- Amen.

Son, the body and
blood of our Lord Jesus.

The body
and the blood of Christ.

Amen.

I think I have some
organic butter in the fridge.

I bean
butter in the trunk!

Your into
this organic thing, eh?

I need some meat

- on my plate, though.
- Can you pass the bread?

- Yeah.
- I got you.

Oh, you got me, son?

- Oh, okay.
- You know Ruth?

Brethren, brethren - - If
you had some of those tongs-

- Let's pause for prayer.
- You know, it would be easier

- to pick up the corn.
- Brethren, brethren.

Brethren, okay.

Let's prayer.

- Ew, I got this.
- Yeah.

Y'all bow.

You got this, baby, right?

- Come on.
- Come on, sweetheart.

Hold my hands.

Okay.

Dear God, thank you so much
for this food we 'bout to eat.

Lord God, El Shaddai, Jireh,

we just ask that it's flavorful,

because we know that Ruth
only uses organic ingredients,

and so we also know
that she does not use

adequate amounts
of salt and pepper.

God, I also ask that we
don't get sick this time,

like we did when she
made that meatloaf.

Lord, we know that you are able.

God, and I also wanna
thank you so much

for getting my SNAP
application approved, God.

So now, I don't have
to ask Tyriek, Rashad,

or Cornelius for anything, Lord.

God, I thank you so much,

because we both know they
ain't good for nothin'.

Thank you for keepin' it 100.

Amen!

- Amen.
- Amen.

- Amen.
- Amen.

- Did y'all feel that?
- It'll be all right.

Yeah.

No!

I don't trust
you anyway, Tommy.

Ever since you became a
Muslim, you don't feel nothin'.

Stop lettin' the devil use you.

Mm-hmm.

See, you know what that is?

That right there, that's your
problem, my beautiful sister.

See, you lettin' that
white man get to your mind.

You know what I'm sayin'?

See, I refuse to believe
that some white Jesus

is gonna bless my food,
and provide for me.

See, that's that slave mentality

that they puttin' in you, huh?

That's that mind poison.

You understand what
I'm tellin' you?

First off,

Jesus wasn't white, okay?

We're not prayin'
to a white man,

and it's not a white man in
the sky answerin' our prayers.

Well, he seems to be
providin' them food stamps

for you every once
and a while, huh?

How them welfare
checks comin', sis?

Jesus give me

- my welfare check.
- Tommy, shut-up, man.

Nobody ain't ask you nothin'.

You know my name
is not Tommy anymore.

My name, which was given
to me by my brothers,

is Jabari Jahi El-Baruch.

Sweetie, I sure hope you
get over this phase of yours

with this Nation
of Muslim business.

You know your mama and daddy
did not raise you like this!

Taylor, how you feelin'
since your operation?

I'm feelin' all right.

Feelin' good.

I just have to take
a little bit easier.

You know what I'm sayin'?

But I got Junior here
sometime helpin' me out.

By the way, baby girl,

you were supposed to
come by last night.

What happened?

Oh, Brandon and I had
somethin' come up last night

that we had to take care of.

Oh, okay.

It took most of the night.

Oh!

We know what y'all
talkin' about.

Y'all was doin' the nasty.

- Hush.
- My black Nubian

- Wesley Snipes.
- Junior, shut up.

Oh.

- Food is good.
- Daddy?

Wait a minute.

- No, nothin' there.
- Daddy,

did they release you
from the hospital?

- Well, no, but-
- Wait!

What were you doin' here?

It's Sunday
dinner, and you know,

so I decided to
take a walk, okay?

Just a little walk.

How long have you been gone?

Well, they would probably
tell you four hours,

- Oh!
- But, I mean,

- what's an hour or two?
- My God.

Wait.

We not goin' for a walk?

I was gonna take him
back right after we ate.

Junior,
you are an idiot!

I'm not going back there.

That place smells like liniment,

- and the food tastes-
- Okay, okay.

No, no!

Stop, daddy.

- Like doodoo-
- Ruth, I was just noticin'

that your fireplace
is a little dusty.

Do you ever get a
chance to clean?

Excuse me?

You know, vinegar is my
solution to everything.

You should try it sometime,
and watch it work.

And you know, another thing.

When you set out your
utensils for your guests,

you should polish them a little

so that the
watermarks won't show.

I'll teach you before we leave.

Hey, man, can
you pass the pulled pork?

From one black man
to another, okay?

Don't consume that swine, man.

- He a mess.
- That poison!

Come on, man.

It is a disgusting animal,

and Allah teaches
us, command us, yet,

not to eat that pork, brother.

Come on, now.

Look, don't you read your Bible?

Deuteronomy, Chapter
14, verse eight.

Brother, come on, now.

Put the pork off your fork.

Don't even put it on a spork.

Jesus said that's there's
nothing outside of a person

that goes into him
that defiles him.

- Mm-hmm.
- But what is in a person?

That is what defines him.

- Amen.
- Like the stupidity

that is flowing out of your
mouth right now, Tommy,

that defiles you.

Look, my name is
Jabari Jahi El-Baruch.

Tommy, shut up.

We don't study
there for education.

I'm just happy to be home, yo.

- Mm-hmm.
- Yep.

Nah, man.

What you doin' with that, man?

Drop that right in here.

Where I'm from, don't
nothin' go to waste.

Hey, listen, I
know I got about...

Put all your water bottles
up in this bag, all right?

Got at least a
dollar at this table.

Ruth, do you have
anymore of this Zinfandel?

This is so delicious.

No, ma'am, you drank
my whole collection.

- Oh.
- Oh, that's okay.

I got it.

Ta-da!

Maggie, don't you
think you've had enough?

Jeffrey, I know how
to take care of myself.

I am fully grown, okay?

So Candice.

So how the kids?

How's work?

They're good.

I'm not working right now.

I'm on unemployment,

but it's just a
temporary situation

leading to a divine altercation.

So yeah, I am starting a
line of hair and extensions,

and they feel and
look like human hair,

but they aren't as expensive.

- Oh.
- And patent is pending.

And we also have a lot of hair
care products and services.

Wow, that's very enterprising!

You have clients?

What, customers?

- Have you got backing?
- Oh, yeah.

Yeah, I have a whole bunch,

and they usually
come to my apartment,

and we work in the kitchen,

'cause I gotta use the stove.

Oh, so it's not
like you have a shop?

Like this is a real LLC?

Mm-mm.

If I did that, I would
mess up my benefits.

I gotta be fiscally responsible.

Oh, I see, yeah.

You gotta fiscal, yeah.

You know, you in
the system, so yeah.

You ain't say
a word all night.

Are
you all right, son?

I know what's

- wrong with him.
- Shut up.

You know, Ruth, you're
not feeding my baby

the way you should.

You know, stop all this
organic foolishness,

and go and buy
some regular food.

You know, somethin' that
can stick to his ribs.

Am I right?

No.

He
needs some bitters.

- Do you have some bitters?
- He's not sick.

Well, then why is he so upset?

'Cause I cheated on him with
a co-worker two weeks ago,

and now he wants a divorce.

Say what?

Does anybody want
banana pudding?

Damn.

See, I'm gonna take this.

I'm gonna open

- this up real quick.
- Give me my

stuff back, Tommy.

I don't think so.

I don't think so.

He'll come back here.

Anybody don't
want no bean pies?

Okay, I got bean-citrus juice,

if you need, in the cooler.

Anybody?

In the trunk.

- Unc, you want a bean seltzer?
- No.

Oh, damn.

Are you the Stewarts?

Bill Caffrey.

Nice to meet you.

Brandon Stewart.

This is Ruth.

- Your wife?
- Yes.

You okay, Ruth?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Just have a little
bit of a headache.

I'm fine.

Have a seat.

So I know Pastor Stewart
referred you to me.

Yes, he's my father.

Why are we here?

Well, dad referred us to you

because we've been experiencing
some issues in our marriage,

and he wants us to forego
any ministry duties

until further notice,

until we get our house in order.

What exactly is it that's
keeping your house out of order?

Infidelity.

I see.

Who?

I recently had an
incident with a co-worker

that was inappropriate.

And you only had sex once?

No, it was never sex.

I've only had sex with Brandon.

I kissed him.

I see.

And I'm not sure if I want
to continue this marriage.

Before we even begin
the counseling process,

I wanna ask you,
for the time being,

to get any idea of divorce

- out of your head.
- Are you kidding me?

No, I'm not.

I want us to stop looking into

our understandings
of the issues.

I want you guys to consider

not how you see your marriage,

but how God sees your marriage.

Can we all agree to that?

Deacon?

Yes.

Sister?

Yes.

Good.

Now, let's start
from the beginning.

Brandon, what was
the first thing

that attracted you to Ruth?

Where did you meet?

Well, we met freshman year.

She was in my classes,
and she was beautiful.

And as I got to know her,

I got to see how
kind, thoughtful,

and absolutely
brilliant she was.

So when I asked her to go out
with me, and she said yes,

I couldn't believe it.

I thought something
was wrong with her.

We dated for a few years,

and then she became my wife.

- And...
- Yes, go on.

I'm done for now.

Okay.

What about you, Ruth?

Hmm, he was
always so motivated.

I loved that about him.

As I got to know him,

I found him to be so considerate,
and sweet, and gentle.

And he'd take me
out all the time,

and we'd just talk for hours.

I think one night,
we actually went out,

and just sat there on the lawn,
and then we went to sleep.

You remember that?

There was never a dull moment.

We laughed together.

We shared together.

We loved together.

And soon after school,
we got married,

and it was great at first.

It was amazing.

But then we...

We just separated.

Not legally, or anything,
but in every other way.

Emotionally, spiritually torn.

It was like night and day.

And we even planned
to start having kids.

The doctor said that I
might have infertility.

After that, everything
just went cold.

We both made
partner at our firm,

and we just got busy.

But Brandon never
seemed to have any time.

No time to talk.

No time to make love.

No time, no anything.

I felt like I was single again.

I know how important
intimacy is for every marriage,

and not being intimate is
a sure sign of a problem.

But she's lying.

We have sex.

- We had sex last Thursday.
- Really?

Yeah, ask her.

That's not what
I said, Brandon.

I said, "We haven't made love".

Sex, we have.

Intimacy, we don't.

Well, you really seem to be
enjoying the lack of intimacy.

Brandon,
let her finish.

The only who seems
to enjoy it is you,

because it's your way,
what you wanna do.

You don't even consider
what I like, or what I feel.

You used to really
care about how I felt,

but now it's all about you.

It's all selfish.

Please.

Aside from lack of intimacy,

what else would you say is
causing this separation?

I just feel alone.

Like he doesn't have
my back on anything.

I go to the doctor to get
a cyst removed from my leg,

and he won't go with
me for the procedure.

He tells me to take a cab home.

My father is sick.

He won't even go with
me to the hospital.

And I'm going crazy with
the stress of it all,

and he won't even
be there to support,

or just help around the house.

Ruth, I have a responsibility
to take care of us.

Many times, when you ask
me to go out with you,

or to be with you
during these times,

I have things that
are due the next day,

or within a few hours.

And secondly, you know I hate
doctors offices and hospitals.

It's all very traumatic for me.

Don't you see how
selfish that is?

- But wait-
- And how selfish you are?

- Hold up.
- Baby, there's more

to our life than
just work and money.

I need you to be there.

For trying to keep
a roof over our heads,

or food in the fridge?

You're not even

- listening to me.
- Guys, guys.

But clearly, I can't
be as selfish as my wife

who goes off and gets her
needs met with another man?

Baby, what?

What can I do?

What can I do, or
give you, or say

to let you know how
much I love you?

You know, Brandon,

when you were in your
season of dishonesty,

I didn't treat you like this.

Hey, when I found out
about your secret,

I didn't do this to you.

- Secret?
- Really?

- You wanna go there?
- Yeah.

Why even bring this up?

That was years ago!

This about you, not me!

Brandon, what is
she talkin' about?

- It's not relevant.
- Yes, it is!

- Tell him!
- No!

A year...

- About two years into-
- Ruth!

Excuse you.

About two years
into our marriage,

I discovered that Brandon
was watching pornography.

Well, here we go.

Ruth playing the victim.

- Really?
- Yes.

I found magazines

inside the bottom of his
desk drawer by mistake,

then I looked on his
laptop and our computer,

and I found a whole lot more.

He was addicted.

And when I confronted him
about it, Brandon apologized.

He said he was sorry.

Said he would never do it
again, and I forgave him.

Are you still struggling?

Are you still struggling?

No, I haven't looked
at anything since then.

Even though I was hurt,
and upset, and confused,

I stood with him
because I love him.

But now the tables have turned,

and he's not standing with me.

But it's not the same.

You actually had an
encounter with someone!

Jesus said, "If you look
at a woman to lust after,

then you've already committed
adultery in her heart".

See, Ruth only kissed one man.

How many women have you looked
at with the same intention?

Ruth, you say you love Brandon.

So I have to ask you again,

do you have any feelings
for this colleague?

I don't know what I feel.

This is hard,
but this is good.

Transparency is what we need
for your marriage to heal.

Our time's almost up,

but I want you guys to
both keep this in mind,

marriage, as you both know,

represents God's
relationship with us.

I want you guys to both to
really think and consider

everything that
God has given us,

then I want you to think
about the communion exercise.

"For I have received of the Lord

that which also
I give unto you."

You receive salvation, mercy,
grace, and forgiveness.

We're gonna use this
scripture as a guide

for our last sessions together.

But in the interim,
I'm gonna recommend

that you guys take a brief
separation from each other.

And I'm also gonna ask
that, for the next session,

it just be Brandon and myself.

Can we agree to that?

Good.

See you then.

I don't know what to do.

I don't...

I don't know what
else to say, God.

I just...

Just help us.

Wait a minute,
wait a minute, wait.

What are you saying?

What I'm saying, is she
kept telling me, "Go slower".

She's always doing that.

She's so controlling.

Tries to control everything.

Yeah, and you said,
"You didn't care".

I didn't say that.

I said, "I couldn't stop".

You said, "You kept going".

And?

You didn't stop.

It was too late.

I couldn't.

What do you mean you couldn't?

Think about it.

So you
chose not to stop?

What your point, man?

How often do you
actually make love to Ruth?

Well?

This is so stupid!

Oh, it is?

She belongs to me.

Her body belongs to me.

Who are you to tell me what
to do with my wife in bed?

Well, who else
does she belong to?

Who do you belong to?

Well, if I knew
the answer to that,

we wouldn't be
here now, would we?

And you'd be broke,
without a job.

Man, I just can't believe
she would do this to me.

After all the hard work,
after everything I've done!

After all the sacrifices
I made for us!

You keep askin'
the same question,

"Why did she do this?",

but have you ever
stopped to ask yourself,

"Why did she stop?".

Why didn't she just keep
going with this man?

Why come home and tell you?

Risk her reputation?

Agree to sleep on the
couch indefinitely?

And to top it all off, withstand
your incessant cynicism,

demands, and constant criticism?

Have you ever asked that?

What the hell are
you telling me, man?

She cheated on me.

Just because she came to me,
after stickin' her tongue

down another man's
throat I should be happy?

Well, she stopped,
yet, you didn't.

It's interesting.

What do you mean?

She stopped kissing this
other man because she loves you.

You claim that
she's controlling.

She is controlling.

She tries to control everything.

She controls the dishes.

She's controlling about
the housework, about sex,

about what I eat.

It's driving me crazy!

And you're not controlling
about anything ever?

Are you saying
I don't love my wife?

No, no, I'm not
saying that, Brandon.

Look, Ruth was
unfaithful to you.

She committed
infidelity, and for that,

you have every right
to be upset, period.

But I'm trying to get
you to see something.

Just see it.

When your wife
took her last kiss

on the lips of this other
guy, she ran to you!

She ran hoping that you would
embrace her in your arms,

and what do you do afterwards?

You force your will and
desire, and call that love.

That's what I'm trying
to get you to see.

Emotions might have caused her
to land into the wrong arms,

but love caused her to
come back into your arms.

Isn't Ruth worth fighting for?

Yeah.

You know, I was talking to her
father before we came to you,

and he was saying to me,
when he gave Ruth away,

that he's entrusting
her life to me.

He's sick right now with cancer.

He doesn't know if
he's gonna make it.

And he's known for a while
now, he just hasn't told Ruth.

I mean, I can't
control whether or not

she takes her next breath,
but her life is in my hands.

He gave her to me.

God gave her to you.

But she needs your compassion,
protection, and love.

Take her back.

Win her back.

She belongs to you.

Ruth?

Ruth?

You didn't answer me.

Huh?

I said, tell me
how did we get here?

Honestly, I don't know.

I don't know what
happened to me.

When did you first realize
that something was wrong?

When Brandon would touch me,

it made me feel like I was
heavy and weighed down.

His hands used to
make me feel like

nothing could buckle me.

Everything I needed
was in those hands.

Then they stopped giving.

They started taking.

Stopped loving.

And I stopped giving.

I started taking.

And with Jackson,
I stopped loving.

What was it about Jackson that

you wanted to take for yourself?

The warmth and the love
that Brandon gave me,

I found again in
the hands of this,

in the cold hands of this man.

Yes, I know you
have a lot going on,

and it probably seems like

there's not a whole
lotta support.

You said your father
has cancer, right?

Yes, stage four.

Sorry to hear that.

And you also said
your mother passed

when you were an undergrad.

Does her not being here
add to the weight you feel?

Do you think about her?

No more than most people do

when they think about
their dead parents.

You miss her?

Ruth, come sit.

It's gonna be okay.

She's already.

It's okay.

Sorry.

No!

No!

She was my best friend.

But she took on
so much, you know?

Upon herself that we didn't
even know that she was sick.

And it seems like Brandon
is the same way with me.

He didn't even notice that
I wasn't around him anymore.

He didn't notice just how
heavy his hands were getting.

And then Jackson was there,

- and-
- Do you love him?

Brandon?

Yes, I do.

Do you love Jackson?

As much as I love his
hands, I can't say I love him.

If you had a choice between

Jackson's hands and
Brandon's heart,

who would you choose?

I don't know.

That's a question
that you have to answer.

That's a question that will
make or break your marriage.

Cherise, because you know

that is why the early
bird gets the worm.

All right, can you get
me the Simpson affidavit.

I wanna send over their
pre-trial motion tomorrow.

All right.

Thank you.

Mr. Stewart.

To what do I owe the pleasure?

Nice office, Black.

How'd you end up in here?

Well, Ruth secured this
for me before I got here.

It is great.

How did you get in here?

You ask too many questions.

You and Ruth are like
two peas in a pod.

You seem fond of her.

Well, she's great.

She's a wonderful woman.

You're a very lucky man,

but, of course, you know that.

Black, I'm a cut
right to the chase.

I know what happened
between you and my wife.

Look,

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

Man, don't test
my patience today.

Man, you don't
know what you have.

Ruth is gorgeous, skillful,
brilliant, and incredibly sexy.

She's kind, loving,
generous to everyone here,

but you don't even care.

What kind of man can't go
with his wife to the hospital?

Oh, yeah, she told me.

So yeah, I know Ruth.

I may know Ruth more
than you even know.

Hell, if her lips
were a preview,

I'd give my left nut
to be her husband -

Please, do it.

I dare you.

I'll knock your teeth out.

Now, you listen to me,
and you listen to me good.

Stay the hell away from my wife!

You come near her again, and
I will personally kill you.

What,

you threatening me?

You don't know me!

Damn right I am.

And believe me, I've had seven
clients in the past 10 years

who've committed murder,

all of which walked
away Scott free.

I will get away with it.

I'm sure you know that.

And if you even think about
smearing my wife's name,

or ruining her reputation,

all I have to do is
make one call, one,

to ruin your career
for the next 20 years.

Are we clear?

I know you, Black.

I know all about you.

How you graduated
with a 2.5 GPA,

yet, have unexplainable success,

going from office to office,

telling every lie
you could think of,

and inch by inch, as you slide
under your boss' dresses,

you climb the corporate ladder.

Ruining families, breaking
hearts, adding to your list.

And when these
scandals risk exposure,

they throw you somewhere else
with high recommendations.

Yeah, I know you, Black.

I know you real good.

Give your two weeks
notice by Friday.

Well, alas, here we are.

Six weeks gone.

Our last session together.

Ruth, are you all right?

Yes, I'm fine.

My brother cooked
for us last night,

but it all came up this morning.

But I'm okay.

Before we get into interactions,
I wanna ask you both

what your experience was
like being separated.

Ruth, let's start with you.

You know, the Lord
really showed me that

I rely too much on people
to help and support me,

and, of course, it's
always good to get

encouragement and support,

but with Jackson,

I wanted him to
make me feel valid.

In that moment, he gave me that.

And I felt so confused
about how I felt about him.

I would start to have
feelings for him.

When I saw him coming,
my heart would race.

I would dream about him.

But then I realized,

that only God can love me in
such a way where I feel valued.

Just being in his
presence made me realize

just how much I love Brandon.

Wow.

Brandon, what about you?

Well, I have a confession.

Go ahead.

I've never felt
good enough for you.

No, it's not that I don't care.

I just don't know how to make
myself feel enough for you.

That's why all I can do is work.

That's something
I know I can do.

I can provide for you,

but I can't give you
what you really need.

It hurts, because I...

I can't...

So I work, and I
work to prove to you,

to prove to myself,
that I'm a man.

I am a man, and I can
do something for you.

But it seems like
every case I win,

I forget about the
most important one,

and that's you.

Baby, you are
all I ever wanted.

You are all I ever needed.

I needed you to be there.

I have another confession.

Okay.

It's not because of you
that we can't have children.

I went to the doctor by myself,

and they determined
that my count is low.

Something's wrong with me,

and I've known for so long,
but I didn't say anything,

because I know, I already
know I didn't deserve you,

but I did everything.

I felt like I did
everything for you.

Why would you go
to someone else?

I'd never thought in a
million years that I would.

So much stuff began to happen,

and that's why I needed you
there with me by my side,

but you were never there.

But now I understand
what happened.

You turned into a
completely different person.

You went cold
just like that.

And for what, baby?

Because of a low sperm count?

Why wouldn't you tell me this?

I don't know.

And you didn't even
notice that I was gone,

and that hurt me so bad,

that you could see me
day in and day out,

and not know that your
own wife was gone.

You won your cases,
you made partner,

but a part of you was dead,

and you didn't
even seem to care.

But I'm a good man, Ruth.

I'm a good man.

I've done everything
I know to do for you.

Some of these men out here
who call themselves married

would never do these
things for their wives.

I'm working, coming home,
and attending to you.

I'm not sleepin' around.

I don't have babies all
around the neighborhood

- with different women.
- Yes.

I'm a good man.

I'm just not good
enough for you.

Okay, what do you
want me to say, honey?

I know it.

- Yes, you are a good man.
- What do I want you to say?

How 'bout sorry for
ruining my life?

How 'bout sorry
for embarrassing me

- in front of your family?
- I said that I was sorry!

I've said I'm sorry
a million times,

but it doesn't seem
to be enough for you!

Nothing I do is
good enough for you!

What the hell else
do you want me to do?

Just stop.

Everybody take a deep breath.

Our time is almost over.

I know you two care for each
other, but let me just say,

love is a choice, and choice
is a very powerful thing.

Jesus' prayer for his disciples
was that they would be one,

just as he and the
Father are one,

and that is my prayer for you,

even as we end
our sessions here,

that you two would be
one, but it's a choice.

It's your choice.

Will you choose to fully
embrace this principle,

and apply it to
your walk together

the way God intends you
to, or will you not?

Look, I rarely do this.

These are divorce papers.

I'm giving these to you,

and you two will decide
what you're going to do.

I just have one last
request for you both.

That you two go to the
beginning of your relationship.

Go to the place where
you had your first date,

and there, decide whether or not

you wanna continue
this marriage.

Can we agree to that?

I will agree to that.

When?

Whatever works for you.

Saturday.

You know the time.

Fine.

Excellent.

A pleasure meeting you both.

I wish you well, and
I'll be praying for you.

So Briar's Park, Saturday?

Yeah.

Thank you for
all your blessing.

You have been so good to me.

She betrayed me, God.

How am I supposed to...

I need you to speak.

I need you to say
something to me now.

I love her.

I do.

I do.

With this ring.

With this ring.

I'm so scared.

I'll be right there with you.

I don't want a divorce.

Me either.

"It's not an option",

that's what you said when
we first got engaged.

We're in this thing together.

Like Ossie and Ruby.

I'm sorry, baby.

I love you.

Me too.

You see, you were always
everything I needed.

Thank you, Jesus.

That what
God has joined together

let no man put us under.