Fresh Horses (1988) - full transcript

And then there was something
on the 12th.

What was it?
Something to do with...

My brother’s
graduation.

Oh, right. Oh, yeah.

I forgot.

I know
it sounds ridiculous,

but I’m in
the wedding party.

My parents are not
asking for a wedding.

It would
be just like

no one would be able
to come.

So we’re hoping,
at the end of June,



but we plan to be...

Should we lie?

We don’t have to.

Okay.

Matt, what happened?

Alice, the boat,
you know how it is.

It broke down again.

Don’t you lie to me.
Now get in here.

May I? Thanks.

Hello.

Hey, Pats, how you doing?

Looking good.

I want you.

You got me.



Where’s your tie?
Huh?

Oh, no tie.

Hey.Hey!

How are you doing?

It’s bachelorette
number three, huh?

I wanted you to meet

our oldest and dearest friends,
Dr. and Mrs. Oppenheimer.

Oh.This is Sam. This is Lila.

How do you do?Kyle and Jeannie Larkin,

who will be, of course,
Alice’s future in-laws.

How nice.

Look, look,
all I was saying before

was that it was unfair
to me for you two... What?

Does this look stupid?A little.

It’s unfair to me
for you two to get engaged.

That’s all I’m saying.It was unfair to you?

Mm-hmm. How does this
make Maureen feel?

Look at her.
She’s ready to go now.

She’s going to come at me.
It’s your fault.

Hi.

Congratulations, guy.

Thanks.

Tipton.

Fairgate.

What a slob.

If I had stayed
with my last boyfriend,

I wonder if we would
have ended up

with an engagement party
like this

and marriage
and the whole thing?

When I canned him, he said,

"If you ever
change your mind...

ever..."

I won’t, but...

I thought it was
a decent thing to say.

Just born to be
a heartbreaker, Ellen.

Nothing you can do
about it.

I guess.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Ladies and gentlemen,
your attention, please.

Just a moment.

To my daughter
and to Matt,

to their engagement,

and may June
come quickly.

If the reflux ratio
is decreased continuously,

a second limiting condition
is reached,

at which the reflux ratio
becomes a minimum.

What would be
the required number

of plates

at the condition
of a minimum reflux ratio?

Mr. Fletcher?

Infinite.

Thank you,
Mr. Fletcher,

but your ventriloquist
won’t be there on exam day.

Where will you be?

Hi, Michelle.

Mr. Burke, how are you, sir?

How are you?

Say, buddy,
how’s it going?

Say.
Larkin, this is Sproles.

Hi. Matt.
O.W.

Sproles took me to this house
in the country last night.

What house?

What was
that woman’s name again?

Jean.
Right.

This woman named Jean lives
there, has this constant party.

Well, I don’t know
if it’s constant...

I talked to some guys
who were there.

They said it was like
a perpetual house of party.

What guys?

I don’t know,
just these guys.

Her friends are some
rough characters.

That doesn’t
bother us because...

My brother’s
an undercover cop.

Nobody hassles us.

What'd you do there?

Uh, I don’t know.
What did we do?

We just hung.

Yeah, yeah, my brother knows
a lot of joints

off the beaten...
You know, track.

Yeah, but listen,
this one’s hip.

I’m taking your ass
over there tonight.

I’m an engaged man,
Tip, remember?

Parties will never
be the same.

Come on, Larkin.

Why would I want to go

to some house
in the country, anyway?

Because...It’s outrageous, man.

Yeah.I got too much to do.

Matt...

Matt, you work
too hard, pal.

Be like me.
I don’t work.

You know, some day,
you’re a hotshot engineer,

then work.

Goodbye.

Your next lucky number
in this bingo game

is O-75.

7-5, under the O.

Well, I can’t believe

that didn’t do it
for somebody.

Now, you got
that lucky red dress on.

You must be
coming close, Sandra.

N-41.

That’s 4-1
under the N.

Bingo!

That’s the name of the game.

Check that card, Suede,
my very good friend,

and remember, sports fans,
don’t clear your cards

until this race is announced...
official.

These people are older, Matt,
but I like that.

I feel comfortable
around them, personally.

I don’t think so.

Am I going to spend the rest
of my life with these people?

I doubt that too,
but it’s just that...

well, who are we

unless we sample
a little of this,

try a little of that,

sample some
more of this.

I don’t know, who are we?

It’s just that...
That element, that...

these people
have lived a little.

Okay, unsavory?

I’m not going to say
they’re not,

but that can be appealing.

Yeah. Absolutely.
Unsavory's my favorite.

I wasn’t going
to tell you this,

I was going to let you
find out for yourself

when you
came out there.

The night I was there with
Sproles, I met this girl.

She’s a friend of
the woman who owns the place.

Uh-huh.

Hello.Hi, Ellen.

Hello.

May June
come quickly.

Anyway, I met this chick, and
she’s...

Well, she’s like,
she loves me.

She’s head over heels
over me.

Like you would go
out on Maureen.

Hey, Matt!

I might.

Come on,
let’s go out there.

You don’t have
to move in.

Okay, just watch me,
all right?

What are you
going to do?

Watch how I act.

Watch how I make myself
at home, all right?

That’s what you do here.
That’s how you act, okay?

Okay?

♪ I done run into my baby

♪ And finally found
My old blue jeans ♪

♪ Well, I done
Ran into my baby ♪

♪ And finally found
my old blue jeans ♪

You’re right.

This is exciting.

You want a beer?No.

The kitchen’s that way.
Get me a beer, would you?

Sure, buddy.

Thanks, pal.

Hi.

♪ By the oil
And the gasoline, yeah ♪

Good tune, huh?

Excuse me.

I didn’t mean to...

I just came in here to...
get, uh...

Is this the refrigerator?

Came in to get
the refrigerator?

Huh?

No. Tipton wanted, uh,

a beer, actually,
is what he wanted.

Would you mind if I had a...

could I have a sip
of your soda?

Oh, I’m sorry.

Kid, no spitting.

Sorry. It’s bourbon.

I was kidding. God.

My name’s Jean.

What’s your name?

Matt Larkin.

Matt...

Can I make you
a bacon, lettuce

and tomato sandwich, Matt?

No thanks.

Thank you, no.

So you going to be
coming around or...

Uh, maybe.
I don’t know, maybe, yeah.

I think you just got
to come around some.

You live here?

No.

No, I don’t either.

I know you don’t.

Supposed to be
a lot of fun here.

Well, Jean likes
to have people around.

It makes her happy.

You in school?
No.

I thought just maybe
we went to college together

and just didn’t know it,
you know?

Yeah...but no.

Yeah, I just came here
because my friend, Tipton,

he heard about this place
at school.

I just run over here
from my house next door

because my step-daddy come home
with that breath of his

and climbed into my bed

and laid down
and put his arm around me.

Jesus.

Yeah.

What the hell were you doing
in bed at 11:00 in the morning?

I was tired, okay?

I already had
two classes.

Oh, good for you.

I’m really sorry I spit on you.

Didn’t bother me.

Thanks anyway...pal.

Uh...aren’t you going
to introduce me?

Jewel, it’s for you, honey.

It’s Jewel.

Hello.

No, I can’t talk now.

I can’t talk now
because I’m busy.

If your step-father
gives you a hard time,

maybe you could tell
your boyfriend.

Maybe he could
help you out.

That wasn’t my step-father,

and I don’t have a boyfriend.

Say...
Say.

What the hell are you doing?

My dad wants to sell her.

No!
Yep.

Cathy!

I told him wait till spring,
I’ll clean her up,

he gets twice as much,
and we split it.

What, you get half?

Yeah.It’s too much work, pal.

I don’t mind.

Look, Maureen and I are going
to be over at her place tonight.

Why don’t you and Alice
show up, huh?

I thought maybe we’d go back out
to that house, you and me.

No, I’d rather see Maureen,
wouldn’t you?

I mean, Alice.

What did you think
of that girl I met out there?

Trouble.

Why do you say that?

You asked me
what I thought.

Come on, Larkin,

I didn’t take you out there
to meet some, you know...

Some what?Some... I don’t know,

whatever...
Whatever she is...

Here, make yourself
useful, huh?

Oh, no, I can’t.
Sorry.

I got to...
I got a class.

On Sunday?

Yeah, it’s some, uh, medieval
religious heretic seminar.

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

Goodbye Cathy.

Cold?
No.

You?

Fine.

Good.

Let’s see.
You live, um...

Yeah, that way.

Are you from
this area?

No.

What’s the matter?

Nothing. No. Nothing.

It’s just...
Where are you from?

Well, Florida’s
where I was born.

Oh...

I love Florida.

Brothers or sisters?

No.

I think my step-daddy’s
got a kid somewheres,

but I never seen him.

What’s this place?

It used to be
a railroad repair place

a long time ago.

There’s still
some of them standing.

Come on,
I’ll show you.

I come here
sometimes.

To do what?

Just to get away.

You know, I can read your future
with 32 ordinary playing cards.

Thirty-two?

Yeah. Ace down
through seven.

All four suits.

Or even 18.

Twelve court cards,
four aces and two jokers.

How'd you learn to do that?

It’s been passed on down to me.

Shoot, I even got my name
from the cards.

The name Jewel?

It comes from the ruby
in the crown

of the Queen of Clubs.

Why didn’t they just
call you Ruby?

What’s the two of hearts mean?

Good fortune.

Success.

Good.

Good thing it wasn’t
the two of diamonds, though,

because that means
a bad love affair,

friends and relatives
against you.

This could be good,

but there’s no cards
on either side of it,

so I don’t know...

but I got a feeling.

You get feelings
sometimes, don’t you?

Oh, yeah.

I get feelings.

Then believe mine.

And sometimes I can go through
a whole deck of cards

and tell which ones are red
and which ones are black.

From the back?

Yeah.

How do you do that?

I do it by heat.

Can we go now?

I’m telling you,
this is true.

They open the guy, right,

and they find the surgeon's
magnifying goggles

in his stomach
with nothing there from,

like, the last operation.

No, no, I’m telling you, this
happens in hospitals every day.

Listen, Alice, has your father
ever operated on a guy’s spine,

after the operation,
the guy can’t walk?

God...

I don’t think so.You have any sense at all?

Well, is it important
to you that I do?

Yeah.

Did I offend you?
No.

See?You have to work tomorrow night?

Hand me that
extra knife.

You know I do.That one.

Can't we skip the game
and maybe just be alone tonight?

We're here,
Alice.

I know, we've got the rest of
our lives and everything, but...

Is this like the crystal
you were talking about?

See, it’s simple
and elegant. I love that.

Okay, five bucks,

and you give me three points.Please?

Five bucks, and you
give me six points.Sure.

Deal?
Done.

You’re a sucker.
You’re such a sucker.

I’ll tell you why.
First of all,

the guy can’t
throw a long ball.

He can’t run.

Can he run? No.

All right, he can run,
but he drops the ball.

Oh, you've got to see
the China I picked out today.

You'll die.

Putting it
in a house?

Well, apartment.

Until we start a family.

Then I got to have a house.

I mean, you're
a sucker, Matt.

You’re just
a sucker.

Yeah?

So, what have you got
to say for yourself?

Nothing.

Nothing?

You have nothing
to say for yourself?

Yes, I did.
This is my fault.

Well, I’m thanking
you for it.

N-32!

Three-two
under the N.

I just don’t know
if I’m going to allow it.

Hey, look, you don’t
have anything to say about it.

B-8, my friends!
B number-eight.

All right, maybe I don’t have
anything to say about it.

Fine. That doesn't mean
I’m going to allow it.

Look, I have
to do it, all right?

My best friend’s
a raving lunatic.

How do you think
that makes me feel?

Huh?

I’m not a lunatic.

See? The insane don’t
know they’re insane.

They don’t even realize it.

They have no thought.
No idea.

No awareness.

Tsk-tsk...

Call the damn numbers.

Uh...G-48,
my friends.

Four-eight. Four-eight.

No!

Alice! Matt!
What’s going on?

Alice!

Alice!

What have you
done to her?

Alice!

Alice, come on, now.

Alice?

Alice!

Get away!

Get away!

...I’d come home from school,
and I’d cry...

lunch time,

because I didn’t want
to go back,

and my mother
would wipe away my tears.

I’d say, "Mom, do I look
like I’ve been crying?"

She’d say,
"No, no, not at all."

I’d go outside
and meet Tipton on the sidewalk,

and he’d go,
"Matt, are you all right?

Look like you've been crying."

Every day.

You poor thing.

When was that?

Uh, I guess I was
a sophomore in college.

I was in
the third grade.

Careful.

What’s this for?

Thank you.

You ever wonder
who designs these things?

No.

My parents used to bring
me and my brother here

all the time
when we were little.

Yeah?

I used to ask my dad

where these
rides came from.

How they got here.

I don’t know
who does that.

He didn’t either.

I should show you

some of my
designs sometime.

Some of the things
I’ve built.

I wish you would.

My favorite
one, though,

I could never do
anything like that,

I guess.

Although,
you know,

I’m good
in arithmetic.

How old are you?Twenty.

Really?

Mm-hmm.

There is something
I ought to tell you, though.

Okay.

Um...

it’s just that I never graduated
from high school.

What?

I said I never graduated
from high school.

I suspected that.

You did?

Uh-huh.

You see,
we were all the time

moving around
from place to place,

and finally I quit getting
re-signed up and everything.

You know, I almost did,
but then I didn’t.

You will one of these days.Oh, I know I will.

I mean, it is important
that you do,

but, you know, no rush.

Oh, I can’t see you tonight.Why not?

Well, I got to go to Lexington
with my mother

to see my grandmother.
She’s sick.

What?

Oh, it just sounds...peculiar.

Why?

Everybody always uses
their grandmother as an excuse.

Oh, I didn’t know that.

Oh, yeah. I know guys,
six, seven dead grandmothers

all over the country.

What’s up?
What? Hold it.

What are you doing?

Um, you hungry?

I guess so.All right, park it.

It’s just, all
I’m saying is,

that certain
people just...

I mean, treachery
and lies and...

You know?

For example,

I now have something
to tell you about Jewel,

and I really think
you’d better believe it, pal.

I’m not going to talk
about Jewel.

Larkin, look,

if Jewel is such
a touchy thing with you,

maybe you should
think about that.

Every time you talk about Jewel,

you make it clear
you lust for her.

Oh, hey.Hey.

No. No, just hang a minute,
all right?

Jewel is married.

What?

Yes, she’s married.

Jewel’s married.
She’s a married woman?

Yeah. Well, huh...

that’s the other thing.

What?

She’s not a woman.

I mean, she’s not...
She’s not 20.

She’s 16 years old.
She’s a girl.

She is 20 years old.

No, she’s 16 years old,
and she’s married.

Who told you that?

Are you still hungry?Who told you that?

Uh, Sproles.
Excuse me, miss? Hi.

Can we get some more
sliders and spikes to go?

Sure.Thank you.

She’s very cute.

Look, if
she’s married,

where’s
her husband?

Because I see her
every night.

Every night?

Almost.

Uh, apparently, he used to be
in the Navy. Maybe...

He’s in the Navy?

All right, I don’t know. Okay?

But would you just, like,
maybe consider listening

to somebody
besides Jewel sometime?

Who? Sproles?

I don’t think so.

Just consider
the possibility

that you're being lead
down some little path here.

Whether it’s true or not,
it doesn't matter,

because I’m crazy about her.

You’re not crazy about her.

I am.

No, you think
you are.

You tell me the difference.

It’d be nice to see you
around campus again.

Okay, you got king, queen,
king, queen, boy, girl...

God...

What does it mean?

I don’t know
if I know yet.

I mean, this is
your future, here.

This is a very
sexy deck.

Okay, let me
start with you.

You’re the nine of clubs
right here.

Uh-huh.And the five of clubs is...

Hi, there.

Morning, Matt.

I’ll tell you what
they mean later, okay?

Excuse me.

You know what we’re
going to talk about?

No, what?

How come you're
such good friends

with Laurel?

Well, she’s Jean’s
daughter.

She’s...15 years old?

You think I
could be friends

with someone
15 or 16?

Look, let’s just not
talk about people

in their own
home, okay?

Is there something
bugging you about me?

I don’t know, maybe.

Can I see your
driver’s license?

No, I lost
my driver’s license.

Where? At your
grandma’s?

No. Somebody bumped into me...
Me driving my Mama’s car...

And of course
everybody blamed me,

and Mama just
took my license away.

How old are you?

How old are you?

I’m not 16 years old

if that’s
what you heard.

What?

What else
do you want to know?

I want to know
if you're married.

You don’t think
I’m smart enough

to be going out with,
do you?

No, just smart enough
for you,

because that crack you just
made about my high school.

Will you stop
evading me?

You only want to
believe other people.

You make me
believe you!

You want to know
if I’m married?
Yeah.

Yes!

I’m married, okay?
I married a guy!

Now you know!

I’m sorry.
I was desperate.

I was afraid you wouldn’t
have nothing to do with me

if you knew I was married.

Is that what you thought?Yes.

Good thinking.

The marriage don’t hardly exist.
I never had sex with him.

You never had sex with him?
Am I supposed to believe that?

You’ve got to
believe that.

I was too scared.

I hate Green. I hate the guy.

Thing is,
you married him.

But that was just
to get out of my house,

away from that stepfather
my mama married.

How did I know that we’d move in
with Green’s father,

and he’d turn out
to be the same way?

What are we supposed
to do with each other

with you married?

Why don’t you
come in with me?

No, please
let me wait here.

Good evening.
What?

Christ, Larkin!

It’s just you know,

would it be too much to ask if...
You know, huh?

I had no idea
you were so rude.

You didn’t?

No.

Just, you know, walk in,
why don’t you, huh?

You’ve a cousin
who’s a lawyer,

don’t you?

Yeah, Gary. Why?

I need a lawyer.

For what?

An annulment.

An annulment?

What are you, nuts?

Will you take
me to him?

Larkin, why don’t you just
sleep on this, all right?

In the morning
if you still want to do it...

Screw the morning.
Tonight.

It’s 11:00.

Are you going to help me or not?

You know, Maureen,

you don’t have to
change the bedding.

I have to change the bedding,
thank you.

Maureen’s the cleanest person
I’ve ever seen.

The Mayo Clinic’s
not that clean.

She is immaculate.

She smokes a lot
of cigarettes,

doesn't she?

You’d never know it.

I swear to God,

you could not
in any way tell.

Not even while
she’s smoking.

How does she do that?

She has an ashtray
beside her,

and she flicks
the ash.

The next second
you look,

the ashtray,
it’s perfectly clean.

She’s the most neurotic
person on earth.

Don’t say that.

who you're complaining
about, Matt?

Who?

Maureen.
No, you're not.

That’s not who you're
complaining about...pal.

Means you make the marriage
null and void.

Yeah, I know,
I know that.

I’m sorry.

That’s what
we have to do.

So you have to dig up
something.

Maybe something he lied about
before they were married.

Epilepsy in the family
he didn’t tell her about.

Some kind of
bullshit like that,

or maybe this cat

would simply agree
to an annulment.

In which case,
everybody just lies,

and we get some bozo judge

to toss the marriage
out the window.

She never had sex
with him.

It’s true.

What... What’s this girl’s
religion?

Is she some kind of Catholic?

I got to go to the pope
with this thing?

I don’t know.
I never asked her.

Well, forget about it.
Who cares? Leave it to me.

Okay, so, Gary, what’s this...

500 bucks?

Hey, the initial
consultation’s free.

Look, when the horse
underneath us drops,

we take a fresh one.

Look, why don’t you just take
a hike on this nag...?

This has got nothing
to do with you!

I’m sorry.

What happened
in there?

Nothing.
Forget it.

Where are we going?

Home.

I wish I could meet
your parents.

Oh, some other time.

Come on.

It smells like you in here.

I always imagined

what your room
would look like.

I guess I didn’t imagine
too good.

Who’s she?

I gave her up for you.

She’s pretty.

Well, that’s the way
I like them.

What’s her name?

It doesn't matter.What’s her name?

Jewel...What is her name?

It doesn't matter.What is her name?

Will you be quiet?
Alice is her name.

What the hell’s wrong with you?Her.

I bring you here to
show you what I’m interested in.

What I’m thinking about.
You don’t care.

I don’t know anything
about designing things

or science
or anything like that.

You ought to start
learning a thing or two.

What you and I do
is thrilling,

but it’s not
the only thrill, kiddo.

Call me kiddo, college man.Keep your voice down...

Why’d you bring me here
if you're ashamed?

I’m not... What?I don’t belong

to some sorority girls club.Shh! What?

I don’t want to be here any more
than you want me.

Why’d you bring me here?I want you here.

Why don’t you bring me
in the daytime,

instead in the middle of the
night like somebody’s whore!

Hey, how come you don’t never
wear that thing?

What?

That.

No reason.
No?

No.

Well, when I was little,

I was so skinny,
my wrist would...

Was so tiny, I couldn’t get
a wristband around it,

or if there
was a band,

the watch would
hang over both...

Both sides
of my wrist.

Don’t tell anybody
I told you that, okay?

I won’t.

Just never got used
to wearing one.

Tell me more things like that.

Tell me everything about you.

No.

Do you want to go
to Jean’s house?

No.

You spend too much
time over there.

Most times I’m over there

waiting for you
to come out there to see me.

Those people
that hang out there, her crowd,

they could be anybody.

You be real
jealous, okay?

Who said anything
about being jealous?

Jealousy is
a base emotion.

The what?

It’s contemptible.
It’s...

It’s bad.

Well, I’m the jealous type
myself.

Well...it’s base.

Okay.

We don’t have to go
over there then.

I don’t mean to say
that you can’t go...

I said, okay!

He still giving you a hard time?

Who?

Who? Your stepfather.

Oh, no.

You’d tell me
if he was,

wouldn’t you?

Yeah.

You sure?

Yeah.

Good.

Give me a coffee.

Here you go, sugar.

And listen, anybody can go
to some off-campus bar...

maybe a fancy restaurant...

You drop $22.95

on a blackened steak
and asparagus.

Hey, O.W.,
how you doing?

Hey, good.
How are you?

Naw. Naw, I like a place that’s
a little different, you know?

I’d rather bring
a six-pack of beer over here,

maybe a sack of White Castles
and put my feet up, you know?

Oh, baby, don’t you have
some school work?

No.

Well, pretend like you do, baby.

Hey, Matt, water hot enough?Oh, yeah, fine.

Tough living without
a bathroom, isn’t it?

Yeah, you never get
used to it, I guess.

Oh, and Jewel went
over to her mama’s.

She’ll be back in an hour.

All right.

It’s my bet.

I’ll bet five.

Hey, you don’t need
any money, do you?

Matter of fact,
I do.

I can give you
about 50 bucks

for that little redheaded
number of yours.

Hey, don’t walk away from me...

Yeah, it’s tough living here
too, boy!

Come here, faggot.

Roy!

Roy, what are you doing?

This is it, Roy!

I never want to see
your face again.

And take your drummer boy
with you.

What this now, you want me
to leave here for good?

That’s exactly right.

It almost sounds
like she means it.

Yeah,
it almost does.

You damn right, I mean it.

Now, get the hell out of here,
both of you.

This guy goes to a...
A used car lot,

and he sees a salesman,

and he goes over
to the salesman

and the salesman says,
"Can I help you, sir?"

The guy says, "Yeah,
I’m looking for a new car."

The salesman looks,
and he says, uh,

"Is that your wife
sitting there in the car?

Looks pretty good to me."

Hi, there.

Hi.

You look awful lonesome
sitting there.

They fought over me.

I know they did.

Me and Matt...

You ever had an experience
like this?

No.

I wish I could have had
an experience like that.

Just one.

You’ve had lots
of experiences, Jean.

Yeah...

and I wish I could forget
every one of them.

I left some water for you
on the window sill.

Thank you.

Jean?

Uh-huh.

Why didn’t you warn me?

Honey,
I had no idea

he was going to do
anything like that...

No, about her.

Why didn’t you warn me
about her?

Get some sleep now.

Say...

Say.

Matt, you
remember Sproles.

Sproles...

How goes it?

Larkin, I got
to tell you something.

Uh, pardon me.

This is my friend, Jane.

She’s in
my criminal law class.

Hi, Jane. How are you?
You got to hear this.

Go ahead.

Sproles knows this guy,
um, what’s his name?

Green.

Right,
this guy, Green,

and-and-and he knows
his wife, Jewel.

So...

Uh, allow me.

First of all,

Green is scum,
okay?

Now, he’s the kind of scum,
he’s, uh, 10, 12 years old,

he tells his friends
to steal money

from their mother’s pocketbooks

and then when his mother’s
getting dressed,

he charges his friends
outside her window to watch.

So what?

It’s got nothing to do
with Jewel.

But this is the guy
she had to have so bad

she married him.

This Green character,

my brother says
he may have murdered

two different people.

Sproles' brother’s
undercover.

You said.

Listen to him,
please.

He’s a fifth-year
senior.

Now, Jewel,
well...

Jewel is just a...

Look, without that body
built the way she is,

nobody would go near her,
and she’s what?

She’s 16 years old?That’s not true.

Yeah, right.

Do you realize
I know all about you?

How you met her over at Jean’s.

Your little love-hutch.

I even know
about the night

at the side
of the house.

I don’t know how you

or anybody else
would know about that.

How could I know?

Ask yourself.

Jewel told you?

No, that, uh, what’s her name?
Um, Laurel.

She told me.

Look, she’s like, uh,
what’s that word?

Manipulating you,
like, uh...

Putty.

Yeah.

Listen, you don’t have to marry
every teenage girl

that catches your eye.

Especially if she’s already
married to somebody else...

Who said anything
about marrying her?

Okay, I told Sproles
you might.

She sees a chance
in you, that’s all.

You got breeding.

I don’t have breeding.I know.

But compared to her you do.

This is a girl
who lies to you, Larkin.

Thank you.

Your friend is, uh...Just shut up.

Oh, I missed a class.

Tell me about it.

No, I hate missing
General Health.

General Health?

What the hell are you doing
taking General Health?

I didn’t take it when I was a
freshman, when it was required.

Now, I take it,
or I don’t graduate.

That’s humiliating, huh?

Well, actually,

the good thing
is the girls.

You’re surrounded
by all these,

well, smart, healthy,
frisky, freshmen animals.

They idolize you,
you know?

It’s like being
in a corral

with these wild ponies.

It sounds good.

Yeah, it is good.

Leta’s go out.

Where?

Follow me.

What, girls?

What do you think?

I think
I like your style, Larkin.

Because you know,

I’m not going to
wake up someday

saddled to
some mistake,

and you're
not either.

You know what I don’t get?

How your dad made
so much money so fast.

It wasn’t so fast.

Look, I think about this country and economics

and having a little bit of self-go-get-'em,

and I can’t understand

why everyone, say,
over the age of 32,

everybody doesn't want
to be incredibly wealthy.

Okay, bobo.

Say!

Say...

Hey...

We were going to call,
but we didn’t.

No problem.

Who beat you up?

Some asshole.

So...anybody
want to, uh...

do something?

♪ You better think ♪ Think

♪ Think about what
You’re trying to do to me ♪

♪ Think ♪ Think, think

♪ Let your mind go
Let yourself be free ♪

♪ Leta’s go back
Leta’s go back ♪

♪ Leta’s go way on
To way back when ♪

♪ I didn’t even know you ♪

♪ You couldn’t have been
Too much more than 10 ♪

♪ I ain’t no psychiatrist ♪

♪ I ain’t no doctor
With degrees ♪

♪ But it don’t take
Too much IQ ♪

♪ To see what
You’re doing to me ♪

♪ You better think ♪ Think

♪ Think about what you're
Trying to do me, yeah ♪

♪ Think, think

♪ Think let your mind go
Let yourself be free ♪

♪ Oh, freedom, freedom

♪ Leta’s have some freedom ♪

♪ Oh, freedom

♪ Yeah, freedom ♪ Oh, yeah, freedom

♪ Freedom ♪ Oh, freedom

♪ Freedom

♪ Give me some freedom

♪ Oh, freedom

♪ Yeah, think about it

♪ You think about it

♪ There ain’t nothing
You could ask ♪

♪ I could answer you
But I won’t ♪

♪ But I was gonna change you

♪ I’m not if you keep doing
Things I don’t ♪

♪ You got to think ♪ Think

♪ Think about what you're
Trying to do to me ♪

♪ Think

♪ Think, let your mind go
Let yourself be free ♪

♪ People walk around
Every day ♪

♪ Playing games
And taking scores ♪

♪ Trying to make other people

♪ Lose their minds

♪ Careful don’t lose yours ♪

♪ Oh, think ♪ Think

♪ Think about what you're
Trying to do to me ♪

♪ Oh, think

♪ If you love something
That can’t rewind ♪

♪ Get enough attraction

♪ Or is it something
That you're keeping ♪

♪ I’ll say goodnight
You say goodbye ♪

Your parents
are in Saint Croix?

Yeah.

Saint something.

I don’t know.

I’m glad
you kissed off Alice.

I knew you would.

You did?

I had a hunch.

Because a few
months ago,

about the time
of your engagement,

I began to see
things more clearly.

I began to wake up

to the things
around me.

Wake up?

See...

someone can
be asleep...

like, unconscious,

until much older

than you’d think
possible.

You can do things.

People talk to you,
you talk to them,

but you're really just...

Talking
in your sleep.

Sounds like you know
what I’m talking about.

It does?

I should
tell you, Ellen,

I’m on
the rebound, here.

I don’t give a shit.

What’s up?

It’s time
for a change.

Have you heard this or not?No.

Listen, listen, all right,
here it is, okay?

This guy walks into
a psychiatrist’s office,

all right, and...

With a parrot
on his shoulder, okay?

And-and-and he says,
um, the psychiatrist says,

"Yes, sir, how can I help you?"

And the...

The parrot says...

"Get this guy off my feet."

You’ve heard
this joke?

How come you guys got so many
schmellows?

I didn’t get it.

You don’t get it?Yeah, I don’t get it.

Why don’t you amble
over here by the fire,

and I’ll
explain it to you.

Gross.

How come we dragged
ourselves out here?

She likes you.I guess so.

I mean it. I’m sorry.
I do not feel dragged.

How did you guys know
about this place?

This place is a dive.What are you talking about?

This place is great.It’s horrible.

Us? Huh?

How do we know
about this place?

Uh, we... We come
hunting here sometimes.

Come on, you guys.

Yes. We come hunting.

What do you hunt?What do you hunt?

We hunt with
a crossbow.

We hunt wild geese
and wild boar.

Wild boar?

Yeah.
Wild boar?

Is that... Is that
where you found Alice?

Ooh!

I bet you and Alice
come here all the time.

Is this your little love nest?Come on.

I was seeing a married woman,
and we used to come here.

I don’t think that’s funny.

That is so funny.
That is...

I mean, this guy, you
joke and you joke.

Mister Rebound.

No, I think he’s not kidding.

Of course he’s kidding.
What are you, bobo?

Come on, he’s kidding.Hey!

You were serious
with a married person?

You don’t get serious
over a married person.

You just... You...
You have fun with her.

Wait a minute.

Are you in a problem
with this married person

and we’re here to mend
your bruised heart?

Did you have fun with her?

No, this is
not true.

Because we’re not
like a bunch

of desperate old housewives

that just need to escape out
someplace and get laid.

Wait! Who said anything
about getting laid yet?

Uh, I...

You know something
guys don’t realize?

Move.

Don’t throw that at me.

They don’t realize

that we consider
ourselves lucky

when we get laid.

No, no, you see,
you're wrong there.

We consider you very lucky
when you get laid.

Oh, come on,
back me up on this.

That is... That is really rude
and vile.

Now I’m trying to make
an important point,

I believe.Yes, yes,

men and women
are very similar.

Oh, yes,
we’re so similar.

Yes, but
the difference is,

with guys...
No, with guys...

That’s dumb.What, sex? Oh, please.

Look at me.

I like women
for their minds.

Oh, come on,
guys.

And their
intelligence.

You loved my mind in the
pool, babe.

Yeah, well, not your mind.

Women... Women
are so special.

I know where your mind is.
Absolutely juvenile.

Juvenile?

You know what your problem is?

Who are you all?

Who are you?

I got to go meet somebody.

Anybody got
a cigarette?

Mind if I flop a minute?

When I was a little baby
about less than a year old,

people in my family used to
give me cigarettes to smoke.

When you were
how old?

Just a little baby.

They used to hold lit
cigarettes up to me,

the ones they were smoking,

and I just draw on them

like they was
a bottle of milk.

I’ve been smoking since I was
less than a year old.

I’ve been addicted that long.

God, the things they
can find to do to you.

And, like, take, like,

there was this family on this
lookout mountain, way high up,

and this little girl’s momma
picks her up by under the arms

and makes her look
all the way down,

maybe two whole miles,

and this little girl’s
dangling over the wall,

screaming her lungs out,

and the mama’s saying,
"Look, look, little baby,

you can see seven states."

You do that to a little child,

and you can scar her brain
for life.

Crazy fucking things
happen to you.

Can I see you outside a minute?

Some kind of mess,
isn’t it?

You get the money?

Yeah, I got it.

Thanks.

Did you come out here
with these people

just to hurt me?

It worked.

Why have you left me?

I haven’t.

I just tried to.

I need to borrow your car
to go meet Green.

You want to borrow my car...

Please.

I have to go meet him
to talk about the annulment.

Be careful.

Come back soon.

I will.

He would scare
him to death,

and he forgot it was...

Oh, he’s back.

Is the night ruined?

What does
everybody think?

I don’t think

anything has
to be ruined.

Can I talk to
you for a sec?

Jeez, man,
I don’t know,

maybe I ought to
kick your ass, huh?

Huh? Huh?

We got these highly
attractive women out here.

We bring them out here, right,
and what do you do?

I mean, you let Jewel
come in and act up

right in the middle
of everything.

It’s...

I mean, look,
look at me.

I’m busting my ass

trying to
straighten you out.

I don’t know
why I bother.

Don’t bother.

Yeah, I’ll tell you
why I bother.

Because when you
become our age, it...

It gets harder
and harder, you know,

to... To make
friends, all right...

and if you find someone
who you like,

or you have someone you like

for some reason...

I say, okay,
you fight to keep him.

So I will, okay?

But just...
come on, come on,

just don’t push me
to the limit on this thing.

This isn’t the only place
in the world.

Leta’s go to a spot.

Look, these are... These are
wonderful girls, here.

I can’t go.

Listen, I don’t want
to take sides, but...

I can’t go.

Okay. Fine.

Come on.

Leta’s go.

Hello?

Jean?

Hey.

Hey.

She’s at her
mother’s house.

Thanks.

Matt...

Yeah?

Wish you well.

You too, Jean.

Okay, what
happened?

Why couldn’t you
come back last night?

You'll hate me if I tell you.

I won’t hate you.

I can’t hate you.

I drove out, and I met Green
at the Blue Devil.

The Blue Devil?

That’s where he told me
to go meet him.

I had to if I want him
to go along with the annulment.

Why didn’t you tell me
you were going there?

I would have
gone with you.

You didn’t ask me.

I met him out in front,
where he was standing there

with a couple
of other guys,

and he come over to my car...

He came over.
He didn’t come over.

It already happened.
He came o...

Then what?

He wanted me to get
in the back seat with him,

and I said no,

and I tried to start up the car
to leave,

but the car wouldn’t start.

It just wouldn’t start.I know, I know.

Go on.

So then he made me
get in the backseat with him.

He said just to talk.

So I give him these papers

that this lawyer guy
gives for him to sign,

but he wouldn’t
sign it.

By then, a bunch
of these other guys

had started
gathering around,

and some of them
got in with us,

and one of them was Green’s
old man, he was there.

He’s even more awful
than my stepfather ever was...

and then they all started
grabbing me and touching me,

or trying to,
because I was struggling,

and then Green made them stop,

and I thought he was going
to protect me,

but I should have known better.

He told them

that he would
show me off

for money
from them.

So they all started
paying him.

And one of them
would hold me down,

and Green would pull up my shirt
and my bra

and show me off
to one or two of them,

and then some of them
would get out,

and then others would get in
and the same thing,

and the windows
were getting all fogged up,

and I was getting dizzy
and shaken and bruised,

and I couldn’t even struggle
anymore or think straight,

and every one of them
was just laughing

and slapping
each other around

and passing liquor...

and then I don’t remember
what happened after that.

Are you telling me you
were raped

in the back of my car?

I don’t know.Of course you know.

I said I’m only clear about it
as much as I told you.

How long did this go on?

It seemed like a very long time.

If you were assaulted,
we got to do something about it.

No.

I went through it,
and it’s over.

It’s done with,
and I want to forget about it.

I passed out.
I must have passed out,

because I woke up this morning

with my clothes every
which-a-way

and I just
straightened myself up,

and I come right here.

Did you recognize anybody
besides Green and his old man?

Yeah, one.

That friend of Tipton's
was there.

Who?Um...

Sproles.
That guy Sproles was there.

He paid his money to see me,
I swear it.

Is everybody going to have
a different story, Jewel?

Will you let me take you
to a doctor?

No.

You... You’re sick!

Hey, hey, hey, Larkin!Last night.

No... Oh, no, no, no,
you don’t understand.

I was there,
but I just happened to be there.

I wasn’t...
I... I had nothing to do with it.

Look, I was a bystander.

Hey...

Look, Jewel parked in the front
of the drive-in, see,

and Green, he’s there
with a bunch of guys in...

Shooting craps
in the back of his truck.

He... He’s got
a fistful of money.

He comes over,
gets in the car with Jewel

and starts trying
to fool around with her.

He was showing her off.
No!

That’s the way she tells it.

She’s being exhibited.

Well, no, maybe she
perceived it that way.

I don’t know.

See, the money Green had
in his hands,

maybe she perceived
it was payment to look at her.

Maybe that’s why
she was fighting.

How did you
just so happen

to be at
the Blue Devil, Sproles?

I was there with my brother.

He’s an undercover cop,
for chrissakes.

Look, he came
out front

to see
what was going on,

and he sent the guys
on their way.

Now, if Jewel were
being mistreated

back there, Larkin,
by those thugs,

he would’ve arrested
the whole bunch.

Now I’m telling you
the truth.

You can ask
my brother.

Look, I’m not saying
Jewel was lying to you.

She was hysterical.

She, uh, maybe she got panicky.

She... What do you call it, um,

misinterpreted
what was going on.

Do you know where Green lives?

Huh?

Yeah.

No, look,
I have a class.

My brother’s going
to get the guy

eventually, Matt,
for all kinds of stuff.

Why don’t you just
leave him

to my brother, hmm?

Look, I don’t have
to go in there, do I?

I mean,
there’s nothing I can...

Take off, Sproles.

Well now...

you just came right on in,
didn’t you?

I knocked.

Well, I’m not going to worry
about it.

Business good?

Working myself
to death.

What is this?

You’re not
very good at this.

This supposed to be an animal?

Didn’t exactly
bring it to life, did you?

Just kind of
take a bar of Life-boy

and hack
the thing up?

Maybe I ought to wash
your mouth out with it.

You want to do that?

You want to
wash my mouth out with it?

Why are you here?

I think she
likes it here.

I don’t think so.

What are you
doing here?

You gonna be the prince,
is that it?

You’re gonna carry her off
on a big white horse?

No.

I’m nobody’s prince.

Well, I think she’s expecting
you to give her everything.

Haven’t you led her to believe
that you would?

I can’t.

I can’t do that.

So you're here
to bail out tonight.

Right?

I mean, if you ain’t gonna just
sweep her away,

well, you're bailing out.

Ain’t no in-between here, son.

Well, maybe there is.

Maybe you would
sleep a lot better, now,

knowing she’d been...released.

I’d sleep a lot better

knowing she never had
to see you again.

But you're too good for her,
is that it?

I ain’t good enough,
but you're too fucking good.

Why’d you have to come out here?

I want everyone
to stop hurting you.

Jesus Christ...

You want me to leave?

Yes.

I wouldn’t go nowhere
just yet, son.

I gotta decide
what to do with you.

I’m taking you with me.
I’m not leaving you here.

Hold on!
Let him go!

Oh, now she’s going
to get into it.

Watch this.
This'll be good.

Boy, she’s one bag
of tricks, ain’t she?

Between you and me, reach in,
don’t know what you might get.

I tell you,
one time I come home,

she’s got some kind of
black magic going on.

Had them goddamn cards
spread all over the floor.

Candles burning
all over the house.

Frightening scene.

Honey, what was it
you was trying to find

in the cards that night?

Your future?

Will you let me
take you home, please?

Just stay
away from me!

I want you to
get out of here!

I never want to
see you again, ever!

Jewel...
Go, go!

And let him go!
Don’t you dare try to stop him!

Sign the papers,
or don’t sign them.

I don’t care, because
you're dead to me anyway.

You’re dead to me!

Yeah, I’m going all right,
but I’m going by myself.

Don’t talk about me.
Don’t even think about me.

Just do me
that favor.

You don’t want me. I’m used.

I’m worn-out. I’m bad goods.

You can’t trust me.

Why don’t I just go to hell?

You think I’m a dope?
Well, let me tell you something.

Deep down,
I’ve always been smart enough

to know this wouldn’t last.

You got one thing with me,
just one thing... Sex with me...

Jewel, that is not all
that we ever had.

Shut up.

I heard the truth.

I heard you.

Grab my hand, grab my hand!

Hang on!

Watch it!

Ah, body block!

So, you're making
the old Tiptop

go back to
school, huh?

I want him
to get his master’s.

Yeah, and I tell her,
half of the people

who work
in Kings Island

have their master’s
in history,

but, you know,
what can it hurt, right?

Right.

Here, let me
get these things.

I’ll meet you guys
up there, okay?

Order me a hot chocolate,
all right?

Laurel, hi.

Hi, Matt.
How are you?

Good. I’m... I’m good.

How are you?
How’s... How’s your mother?

She’s fine.

We sold the house.

We moved into an apartment.

How’s it up
in the north?

Oh, it’s fine.

It’s not too bad.
You here alone?

No...

Hi.

Hi.

Hey, Matt,
this is Steven.

Hi.
It’s a pleasure.

Same here.

Steven, do you want to help me
with the skates?

Yeah, sure.

I enjoyed meeting you.

Yeah.
Nice meeting you.

I wondered
if you’d be home

for the holidays.

Oh, you knew
I went away?

Sure, I knew.

How’s that
graduate school?

Oh, school?

You know,
it never ends.

No, I don’t guess
it ever does.

No.

Thank you.

Steven seems like a good...

A good guy.

He is.

He’s awful nice.

He’s in my English class.

Oh, good.

I was hoping that you’d...
go back...

I did.

I’m in Laurel’s
school.

Laurel’s grown up a little bit.

A year’s worth.

It’s funny.

In some ways,
I remember her very clearly,

and in other ways...

I think the mind
has a natural way of letting go,

doesn't it?

I guess so.

I have to go, Matt.

Thank you.