Hyde Park (2022) - full transcript
A Nigerian-American attorney is tasked with saving his client who is gay from deportation, all while defining his cultural identity in his romantic relationship with his American girlfriend.
I really
enjoyed that movie.
I love classics.
Yeah, it was fascinating.
The ending with the kids
singing and dancing?
That one kid playing
the acoustic guitar?
That was touching.
Okay, you're right. I gotta
learn the Portuguese language.
Gotta be next on
my things-to-do list.
-You should teach me.
-Got no problem with that.
Think that's our Uber.
Yep, that's him.
How's your day?
Good.
I'm starvin'.
I can call our order in.
You want pizza?
Sure.
Hi, I'd like to order a large
pan pizza with green peppers,
spinach, and sausage for pickup.
Thank you.
Is everything okay?
Everything is fine.
-Are you sure?
-Are you sure you don't
want a slice of pizza?
'Cause you keep staring.
Yes, no?
We don't mind.
Besides, Tyler mouth is
much bigger than his stomach.
What? Really?
I know you ain't talkin',
Mr. I-Could-Eat-A-Whole-Cow
but really can only end up
eating a small little mouse.
Come on.
Come here.
Hey! Hey! Not that in my car!
This makes no sense to me,
this men kissing men stuff.
It's not acceptable
in my country!
Good thing we're not
in your country, are we?
Why don't you just
shut the hell up and drive?
-Thank you.
-Get out of my car!
Look, we'll report you,
you won't get paid,
so I suggest you take us
where we need to go.
- I don't need your money!
Get out! Get out!
These boys...
I am sick of you
and your rainbow colors.
-This guy got a bat?
-What's-- what's he doin'?
- He's walking over!
- Get out of my car!
- What's he about to do?
- Get out!
-What is he about to do?
-Go, go, go!
Stay behind me.
This man is crazy!
He's a bigot!
No, no. No!
No! No, no!
No! No, no!
Lola. I'm leavin'.
Thank you, Your Honor.
I rest my case.
Mr. Eguasa, wake up.
We don't have all day.
-Uh...
-Counsel, are you ready
to give your closing statement?
Yes I am, Your Honor.
Your Honor, the State
gives a compelling case.
Attorney Matthews here...
quite captivating,
now, wasn't she?
Yes, she was.
Well,
I'd like for your brilliant
minds to consider this.
In the case of...
Okay. Uh, schedule her
for tomorrow by 10:00.
Awesome. Uh, thank you. Bye.
Not now, Lola. Come on.
- Not now.
I didn't say anything!
- Not now, okay?
- What?
Okay, what is it?
She had you shook.
Give her a few more years,
and she's gonna be a beast
to deal with in that DA office.
Look,
she wants to save the world
by putting away the bad guys.
No problem. Give her some time.
Once she has a taste of
Chicago's political culture,
she's gonna come
running to us for work.
-You better hope so.
-I know so.
I don't ever wanna see you
like that again.
Remember who you are.
You are David Eguasa.
My father would've
had a heart attack
if he witnessed that.
Yeah, I'm sure of it. But...
your parents would be very
excited to know that eventually,
you'll make partner.
- Amen to that.
- Salud.
Salud.
What are we
toasting to this time?
Mmm.
Another one of David
courtroom victories.
-Mm-hmm.
-Although this time,
he almost got thrashed.
"Thrashed"?
-Yes.
-Interesting word.
But I doubt it.
My boy has the whole
fashion history maker.
You guys want another?
-The usual?
-Yeah, you know what?
Give us your best bottle of
Ciroc and put it on David's tab.
Where's everyone at?
Everyone except Sokal,
'cause that dude's
supposed to be our friend.
Every time he comes here,
it's like he's
asking for discount.
Ah, Sokal is always late.
And he's cheap.
Sokal's cheap when
it comes to supporting,
but anytime we go anywhere else,
he's happy to pay more.
Crazy.
Oh, here they go.
-Hey!
-Hey.
Trina, we need a bigger table.
Thanks.
- Oh, my gosh.
Another round after this!
-I'm glad y'all having fun.
-Mm-hmm.
'Cause I'm just gonna
get right to it.
Pay your bill. Tip the waiters.
What are you talking about?
Don't come at me like that.
Nobody comin' at you like--
Pay your bill, tip the waiters.
-How's the comedy club
coming along?
-Good.
-When's the official open?
-Soon.
-So you're giving us
free tickets?
-Ah! Yes.
I hate you, man. Like, what?
How'd cheap-o over there
get a beautiful Liberian queen
like you?
You're African royalty.
- I know you have cousins.
Oh... hook me up.
Mmm. Well, you know what,
I do have this one cousin.
- Yeah?
- Mm-hmm.
And he, let me tell you--
He? Oh! Whoa! Oh, no.
That's what you get!
'Cause we don't even
talk like that.
Now, we have thousands
of languages and dialects.
Which one are you
pretending to do?
The ones from
Zamunda and Wakanda.
-Yeah.
-Let me get this right.
So you'd rather think
Wakanda and Zamunda are real,
-right?
-Yes.
-But I bet you don't even know
where Liberia is on the map,
do you?
-Not exactly.
-Mm-hmm. Yeah.
See, that, my Black brother,
that don't make no sense to me.
Preach, my queen.
-Yes, baby.
-"Preach, my queen."
"Preach, my--"
You from Hyde Park, bro.
Hyde Park.
-Such a hater.
-"Preach, my queen."
-David.
-Yeah?
So, Wakanda and Zamunda.
Not real places?
- They don't exist, bro.
They ain't real.
- What? Wow.
- They ain't real.
-We been hanging for a minute, you wasn't even gonna tell me.
You got me out here looking--
Yeah, okay, brother.
Gosh, I can't believe
he thought those were real.
Leave the bottle here! Come on!
Hey, Mum. Good morning.
Good morning, my son.
- How are you today?
- I'm doing fine. Great day.
Uh... where's Dad?
Ah, you know your Dad
like to take his time.
He upstairs. He be down shortly.
-Okay.
-Something wrong?
-Oh, no. I'm fine.
-Okay.
-Hey, son!
-Pops.
-Good morning.
-Yes. Good morning.
And how are you
and things at the office?
-Couldn't be better.
-Is that a good
or bad thing, David?
Is what's-her-name-- Roth--
is she treating you well?
I know they were considering
you, and by now, they should
have made you partner.
Well, they're still considering.
Hmm.
Anyway, um, what's new?
I don't know, David.
I'm reading newspapers,
and when I'm done,
I will tell you.
What is it?
What's on your mind? Speak up.
Now that I won
my last three cases,
things are looking
pretty good for me.
Do you know Black people
only make up 4% of lawyers
in the United States?
I can't even tell
how many of them make partners.
David...
we are so proud of you.
However, we are not surprised.
But you know
that we are Nigerians now,
and so we expect
the best from you.
Abi?
As for that 4%...
3.9, that's us now.
Ah!
- Thanks, Dad.
- Yes.
Great!
We will celebrate this weekend.
I will make
your favorite pepper soup.
Oh, that sounds great, Mum.
Thanks.
Ah, I will invite the Woodtors
and their beautiful daughter,
Bendu.
-You remember her?
-Well, I'd like to invite Lola.
She loves you guys.
Lola? David.
You need to be with
a Nigerian woman like Bendu.
Henry, talk to your son now.
David. Counselor.
Dad.
Now that
you are winning cases,
perhaps it's time
that we should discuss
the 20 million
I've invested in you.
20 million?
You mean in naira or dollars?
- David. You got jokes now.
- I'm just asking, Dad.
We are in the US,
and you're talking about nairas?
I will be expecting
20 million US dollars from you.
Okay, you mean Liberian dollars.
That was a good one.
That was a good one.
Bendu is smart and respectful,
and she understands
our traditions.
- Thanks, Mum.
- All right.
You're welcome, my son.
David.
Do you want me to
invite Bendu over for dinner?
Mmm, mmm.
This is good. It's really good.
-What? What's wrong?
-Hold on, it's David.
Hey.
Yeah. I'll grab it for you.
Okay. I'll see you later.
-All right, let's go.
-Wait. You'll grab it for him?
What are you talkin' about,
Lola?
Every day we're out here
trying to keep our bodies
lookin' right,
all the cute guys
trying to holler at us,
and obviously
you stuck on David.
Girl, stop making yourself
so available to him
and let him chase it.
Look, I am not stuck on David.
I thought we'd been
through this already!
David and I are-- are--
- It's complicated.
- Yeah, okay.
-And I don't always
make myself available to him.
-Yes, you do.
Girl, every time he calls,
you stop and answer.
If you want him
to appreciate you,
let him appreciate you,
so you guys can become
a real couple.
Send him to voicemail.
We do work together.
Okay, well,
what did he want this time?
He asked if I could
stop by the store
and grab some milk.
What? Grab him some milk?
God, does he want you
to get some cereal, too?
He's allowing me to stay at his
place until my bathroom is done.
-That's the least I can do.
-Okay, Lola.
I am not about to accept
advice from a woman
who doesn't have a man.
Oh, I don't have a man
because I have too many men
chasing me.
-Oh?
-Uh-huh.
-Sam seems to like you.
-Ew. No.
Ew? Sam is attractive!
Girl, Sam is goofy.
Real goofy.
That makes the two of you.
Come on, let's go.
-Lola.
-Santiago!
-How are you?
-I'm good.
-You good?
-Yeah.
I remember you from college.
-Aja. Aja. How are you?
-I'm good.
-You good?
-Yeah.
And my girl here, she's single.
- Girl!
-I just-- Since you guys already know each other.
When are you gonna
come over to good side?
I always said you would
do well as a prosecutor.
Good side. That's interesting.
I think I'm pretty comfortable
at private practice.
-Are you comfortable?
-It's David.
-What? Really?
-Mm-hmm.
-You still hangin' on to David?
-Yeah,
she said he's just a friend.
That's because
he is just a friend.
I'm playing soccer
against that guy's team.
-Ah!
-Tomorrow.
-Oh.
-So now he's "that guy."
-Wow. Okay.
-He's just so insignificant.
I always forget his name.
What is it?
Davido-- Kunta. Kente!
-Wow, shots fired.
-Shots fired.
-It's David.
-David!
-Uh-huh.
-David. That's his name, David.
I defeated him in court
a few times. How could
I ever forget his name?
-That's funny,
but you're real petty.
-I am petty, ain't I?
Listen, uh, these muscles
ain't gonna grow themselves.
I gotta go. Gotta stay fit
for the courtroom,
and maybe dinner with you?
Yeah, uh, 7:30 p.m.,
Friday night.
- I can give you her address.
- Girl!
- Your number still the same?
- Yes. Uh, 555-6830.
- Aja!
- I'll be giving you a call.
You look so good.
I'ma call you.
- Damn! He is fine.
- Oh, my God!
- Yes, he is.
- I want her so bad.
Let's go, fellas!
Oh, oh, oh, oh!
Oh!
All right, dude.
- The ball.
- Let's go!
There we go.
Now y'all playing! Let's go!
- Hey, hey, hey. Come on now.
- Now y'all are playin'!
Whoa!
Oh, fuck!
You good, boy?
Come on, bud.
Let's get up.
- What happened, boy?
- It's on.
He so petty.
What?
- Did-- did David
just step over Santiago?
Yes. Yes, he did.
Wow. Yeah.
He so petty.
The both of them are petty.
Both.
Yeah.
Here you go.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
I know you're a busy man
and all,
but your laundry is piling up.
Do you wanna help me?
I appreciate you
for letting me stay here,
but I am not your maid.
- I never said you were.
- But you act like it.
What you doin' out here
with all this ass?
Seriously?
Get off your dang phone.
-I'm just replying to mail.
-I don't care.
If it's not work-related,
I need your undivided attention.
Oh. Like the attention
you're giving to Santiago
at the soccer game?
Yeah, I saw that.
What was that about, though?
You and Santiago
are like two petty females,
and it's not attractive at all.
Whatever.
Are you jealous?
Jealous? Of course not.
I'm just concerned about
the kind of company you keep.
Oh, so now you're
concerned about me.
How's your knee feelin'?
Better.
It looks good.
So, when is your place
gonna be ready?
Are you ready for me to leave?
Can I have my phone back?
No.
Instagram will be there
in the morning.
Come on.
Thanks for checking in.
Mm-hmm. Okay.
Knock, knock. Folder.
Oh, come here.
- Thank you.
- You're very welcome.
Um, Mrs. Roth will wanna see you
in the conference room.
- Okay, I'll be there in five minutes.
-Okay.
- So, I sign here?
- Hey.
Um, rumor has it that this case
can make you a partner.
Congratulations in advance.
David Eguasa here
is our number one guy,
but he doesn't win
without Lola Henderson,
-also one of our very best.
-Good morning.
David, Lola,
thank you for joining us.
Mr. and Mrs. Deng
have been referred to us
by our very good friend,
the mayor.
I'm gonna pull your other cases
so that you can give them
your undivided attention.
-They're from Africa.
-Uh, we are from Uganda.
I know Uganda.
Their son
is fighting deportation
because of an unlawful
firearm conviction.
Allow me.
I don't know
what got into my son.
I don't understand this,
because he has never exhibited
any type of violent behavior.
He is a well-mannered young man.
I am sure he was provoked.
So your son shot an Uber driver
during an altercation?
Look,
my son Eric is no criminal.
There has to be
a reason for this.
I don't understand
why he had a gun.
Well, it seems like Eric
has had multiple offenses
involving a firearm.
His first was bringing
a loaded gun to school
his sophomore year,
and his second was possession
of a loaded, unregistered weapon
on the armrest of his vehicle.
Let's start at home, Mr. Deng.
What do you do for a living?
Um, me and my wife
own an import-export business
here in America
and in Kampala, Uganda.
My family is very well-respected
in the community.
We help others start
and maintain their businesses.
In our culture,
it is not right to do well
and not help the village.
We take our responsibility
very seriously.
This is why I specifically
requested for you.
We're a team.
So, your son, Eric.
Is he involved
in the family business?
Yes, he is.
He's the one
that built the website.
He has been distributing flyers
for the business all over town.
He's even part of the people
that organize the food drive
every year.
He's passionate
about helping people.
What about school?
Um, what kind of grades
does he get?
Is he, um-- Does he get along
with the students, teachers?
Does he involve in sports?
Oh, what does this have to do
with defending my son?
Mr. Deng,
what I'm trying to understand is
what could have caused this,
uh, uncharacteristic behavior
in your son.
You know,
what could have triggered him
to want to make such a decision,
to buy a gun and use it.
- Who's on trial here?
- It's his style.
But, David,
just let up a little bit.
My son was a very good student.
Top of his class.
Mr. Deng, here's what
we're trying to understand.
The man handling
this prosecution is an animal,
so we need to know
everything about your son Eric.
The size of his shoe,
where he lives, when last
he went to a strip club.
Does he have a girlfriend?
My son does no such thing.
Well, does he have a girlfriend?
Not that we know of.
See, Mr. Eguasa,
we are going to make sure
that you have everything that
you need to win this case,
but my son cannot
go back to Kampala.
Mr. and Mrs. Deng,
we will do everything possible
to defend your son.
Ah! I figure that's the reason
you wanted two plate.
One with extra jollof.
-That is not acceptable.
-What isn't?
The extra plate of jollof?
I'll slap you across your head.
Mum, I don't get this.
Lola and I have been friends
since high school.
Then, you didn't complain.
Why now?
Because your father and I
wanted you to have fun.
You wasn't ready for marriage.
Can't believe I'm having
this discussion with you
about a girl, an American girl
who loves your jollof rice.
David! She doesn't know
how to even cook jollof.
And I'm your mother.
And I don't understand.
And you know your father.
He would definitely
not understand.
Wasn't it you and Dad who told
me to go after what I wanted?
Don't twist our encouragement
to justify your behavior.
Oh, so that only applies
to when I'm doing
what you guys want me to do?
-What, David?
-Mum, for crying out loud.
Lola might just be
my long-lost cousin.
Maybe we should do
a 23andMe test to just,
you know, clarify.
Who knows?
Stop laughing.
This is not funny, David.
Your decision will
affect our family.
What would people think?
You know what, Mum?
My food is getting cold.
-Mmm.
-I'll see you later.
-Mm-hmm.
-Let's just say
Lola and I are friends.
Hmm?
-Friends?
-Yes, friends.
- David.
- Save that stuff for me, okay?
Love you.
"Friends." Hmph.
Who does the boy think I am?
Hmm?
Hey.
Man, I say hey.
Huh?
You-- you talkin' to me?
I sure as hell
ain't talking to myself.
I'm fine. How are you?
Locked up.
It'll get better.
Considering our
current situation,
it has to get better.
So what happened, man?
How'd you end up in here?
- My Uber driver
attacked me and my friend,
so I pulled out a gun
and I shot him in the leg.
In the leg?
The same old story.
Now let me guess.
The cops didn't bother askin'
for any witnesses, right?
Yeah, you-- you'll be good, man.
Long as you got
a concealed carry,
you'll beat the case
with self-defense.
It's a little bit
more complicated than that.
- Oh?
- No concealed carry?
Man, they're tryin' to
deport me for some shit
that wasn't even my fault.
I can't go back to Africa, man.
-They'll--
-They'll what?
Shit, man, I wish I was African
instead of the facing
the time I'm facing here.
You lucky.
Let the judge give me a choice
between Africa and jail.
I'd be walkin' through there,
putting my finest dashiki,
dancin' like a Zulu warrior.
Why are you here?
Ah, man. Forgot to pay
a traffic violation.
Judge issued a warrant
for my arrest.
Man, SWAT team came to my house,
like, 100 deep.
Really?
A hundred police officers?
I'm just playin', man.
It was just this one little
fine little dime piece, man.
Came in, threw the cuffs on me,
and locked a brother up.
Moms was crying,
'cause, you know,
they lockin' her baby up.
Geez.
I'm so sorry to hear about that.
So, how long you in
for this traffic violation?
Couple hours?
Maybe out in the morning.
Never mind.
-Hey, girl, what's up?
-Hey, ma. What's up?
Nothin' much.
What's going on with you?
Well, my fiancé and I...
...are about to go do
our wedding registry.
Wait, y'all still coming over?
Did you really
just call to ask me that?
Of course I will see you later.
-Hey.
-Oh! David's here.
I'll call you back.
All right.
Talk to you later. Bye.
Sorry I'm late.
I was on the phone with my mum.
-Oh, just talking to your "mum"?
-Silly.
-So, check this out.
-Yeah.
I was going over the case.
I think he has
an obsession with guns.
Plus, like you, he loves Africa.
Goodness, all you ever talk
about is how beautiful it is.
What's your point, Lola?
Why is he so adamant about
not being deported back?
And don't say because this is
the land of the milk and honey.
Like,
I need to know exactly why.
Well, 'cause he's been here
since he was ten.
Okay, but he's never
been back to visit.
His parents have, but why
would they leave him behind?
Lola, look.
Nobody wants to be
deported from the place
they know and call home.
Technically, he's American.
No, technically,
he's still from Uganda.
And that's exactly why
the system wants to deport him.
Listen. His parents paid us
a lump sum of money
to prevent that from happening.
-So let's play ball.
-David.
-Yes, Lola?
-Look,
if you look over the case,
you'll see that every time
he's caught carrying a gun,
he's always in
a particular area.
So what are you saying?
Okay.
This is exactly why you need me.
I'm extremely detailed
and very observant.
This guy graduated
the top of his class,
he comes from
an extremely wealthy family,
and he's only had
one girlfriend his entire life.
And?
And? Is his girlfriend American?
Like,
why is he keeping her a secret?
We need to get
to the bottom of this.
Okay.
You have a point there.
Sorry, let me get this.
It's Sam.
Well, let me get this, okay?
-You have
a good point there, though.
-Mm-hmm.
Hey, bro. What's up?
Yo, David.
I've been thinking, bro.
You know, my grand opening's
in a few days.
I got a good idea.
I think we should
tell Lola to invite Aja.
Listen to this.
Well, I think Aja has her
unique plans to come already,
but you want to send her
a special invitation, right?
David.
Do you have me on speakerphone?
- David, why do you have me
on speakerphone, bro?
Why do people do that?
Hey, Sam.
I wanna come to the club!
Take me off speakerphone, bro.
Take me off. Right now.
These are the files
you can go through.
-Are you good?
-Yeah, I'm good.
Take me off, man.
Take me off speaker phone.
Sam. Come get me.
I'll call you later, bro.
-Leaving already?
-Yes.
- Where you going?
- To the club. Bye.
I just got here.
Myself with that one.
- Oh!
- Mm-hmm.
- Okay.
- Mm-hmm.
Not bad.
It's my little place, you know.
Okay, Sam.
Yep.
Wait till I turn the lights on.
I see you.
You could have
took the chair down for me.
Oh, you got it, sis. You got it.
I'm strugglin'.
There you go.
Yep.
It's gonna be good.
Sam...
why is David so confusing?
Why is David so confusing?
He's not confusing, he's...
quite simple,
actually, like most men.
You're just
too emotionally attached.
- Explain.
- I just did.
-Why does he treat me
like I'm one of the fellas?
-Because that's what you allow.
I'm not about to try
to control a grown-ass man.
No, you can't control David,
but you can control
how you respond to him.
It's just about
setting up boundaries.
-Boundaries.
-Boundaries.
Look, enough of you and David.
What's up with Aja?
-You really wanna know?
-I asked, didn't I?
I may have mentioned
the fact of you two together.
Yeah? What'd she say?
She said
"Ew."
"Ew"?
-The hell is that
supposed to mean?
-Google it.
I mean, I know what it means,
but what she mean by "Ew"?
I-- I mean,
I guess she's not interested.
What?
I don't want her big head ass.
No way.
Honestly, she said
you can't handle all that.
Oh. So she must not know
I'm bow-legged.
-That doesn't mean anything.
-It does over here.
-Oh, my gosh.
-Oh, man.
-I'm not chasing her.
I'm the catch.
-Oh?
-Yeah.
-Well, you know this is
Aja we talkin' about,
so you might wanna
put on some running shoes.
Yeah.
I'm just messin' with you.
Look, go ahead
and make me a drink, please.
Okay, what you want, girl?
-Something nice and sweet.
-Nice and sweet.
With cranberry juice.
Oh, give me the bottle, please.
-Cranberry, okay.
-And what kind of
chasers do you have?
You know what?
We're out of ice and chasers.
-No cups, chasers.
-Oh, my gosh! What kind of
establishment is this?
Gotta take a shot from here.
Let's go. Come on.
- Okay, ride the boat. Come on.
- Oh, there we go.
- Oh, okay.
- Stupid.
I'm thinking
something light.
- Okay.
- Nothing too heavy.
Well,
just so you ladies know,
the colors are
gonna be purple and gold.
- Ooh, purple and gold.
- Perfect.
Look who just walked in like
the world revolves around her.
Oh, you know, just wanted to
give you a daily reminder
of who's the baddest, you know?
-I'm a ten.
-Okay, whatever.
Look, did you all
finish the website?
Because we need it
done by the 25th.
-Yes.
-I need to send out the invites.
-Yes.
-The website.
Relax. I got this.
She acting like
this her own wedding.
Excuse me. You relax.
I just wanna make sure that
this is the perfect wedding
for my friend.
You come in here,
cursing everybody out
in Swahili.
I bet you bring
that Italian guy to the wedding.
Actually, he's Greek.
-Ooh?
-Yes.
Oh, so you just gon' colonize
an African wedding?
Right.
Actually, Aja, maybe I won't.
I think I just might
call up Dave.
Dave is single, right?
Okay, because I was under the
impression that it was Lola--
-yes, Lola--
-No.
...who was in queue
waiting for Dave
to get it right.
-No?
-No, it's not.
You don't know the secrets.
Girl, Lola's actually
seeing somebody named San Diego.
- Santi who?
- His name is Santiago.
It's pronounced Santiago.
And I'm not seeing him. Yet.
Girl, he is exotic.
-Ooh.
-And he speaks fluent in English
and Spanish, and he's a lawyer.
- Ooh, girl.
- And his shoe size? On point.
Mmm! And his teeth?
His teeth were
straight and white.
When I tell you ladies,
this man is fine.
-Fine. Mmm.
-Ooh.
So you mean there's
someone other than Dave
that has Lola's attention?
-Mm-hmm.
-Okay, Lotten,
what is up with all this shade?
Oh, she's throwin' all that
shade because she's just mad
that she's not
the maid of honor.
"Oh, she just mad
'cause I'm not--" No.
Actually, she's my sister.
And she's promised me since
we were kids in Liberia, right?
Right, Lotten.
Oh! Y'all, did I tell you the
time I dated this African guy?
I dated him
and he kept breakin' up with me
for, like, years.
That's 'cause he said
I didn't know how to cook
African food.
'Cause I kept making
steak tacos for him.
I told him, "You know what?
Just pretend like you Mexican."
- But, then he came back,
he started dating me again.
Guess what I started
making for him?
- What?
- Fufu.
- Fufu?
- Yes.
What? Girl, you made fufu?
And I learned how
to quickly make me some fufu.
- Oh, yes.
- That would do it.
-Mm-hmm.
-Mmm! Cheers to fufu.
Yeah, fufu! I need to learn
how to make some fufu.
-Fufu!
-Fufu!
Fufu!
Yes.
Alexa,
how do you make pepper soup?
Here's what I found on the web.
Pipefish and broth.
Maybe I should spell it.
Alexa, P-E-P-P-E-R soup.
Pepper soup.
Pipefish, uziza leaves, ehuru seeds, Scotch bonnet,
-uda, crayfish, ginger,
chili, onion...
-You gotta be kidding me.
-...fennel, tamarind pulp,
cloves.
-Alexa.
Does Campbell's
make a pepper soup?
- No.
- Oh, no.
Hey! There you go!
Good evening, everyone,
good evening.
Welcome to the world-class,
the world-famous
Riddles Comedy Club.
This is our opening.
It took a lot to get me here,
but we're here.
Wanna say "What's up"
to my homie David.
I see you in the crowd, man,
the whole gang over there.
My good buddy Sokal.
I'm sure he just snuck in here
because he's cheap as ever,
but... I still appreciate
the support, you know?
Who here has kids?
Man, bro, I was almost late.
I was babysitting my nephew,
and, like, these new kids
are different.
He's allergic to juice.
And iPads, right?
That's, like-- that's his thing.
So, you know back in our day,
if something was wrong
with the game,
you blow in the cartridge,
you spray the Nintendo, Sega.
Not these new kids, man.
If the iPad turns off,
he goes crazy.
It's like he wasn't born
with an umbilical cord,
he was born with an iPhone
charger or something, right?
It's nuts, so. I don't know.
I don't think
I'm gonna have kids.
How's the pandemic been treating
y'all? Like, post-pandemic.
Everyone been cool
post-pandemic?
My pandemic was okay,
but post-pandemic's been weird.
I've been having,
like, a lot of bad sex.
I mean, a lot of bad sex.
I don't know what's the cause of
it, so I told a buddy about it.
He was like, "Man,
you gotta get some sea moss.
Black people are crazy
about sea moss right now."
So I went over on
Madison and Pulaski
and bought some sea moss,
and, um... it was jerk sea moss.
Yeah. It tastes good,
but it didn't work at all, so.
I'm still having bad sex.
But anyway,
I don't wanna keep you all day.
Wanna bring on this comic
who's a lot funnier than me,
so put your hands together
for comedian Correy Bell!
Y'all keep it going
for my buddy Sam here.
Jerk sea moss?
Keep your day job, buddy.
This is...
not really good for you.
- Everybody good? You guys good?
- Yeah.
Yeah. Sam was talking about
the pandemic, and you know what?
I-- I know that the pandemic
is not over, but I'm over it.
Like, I'm over these masks.
I-- Like, I'm having
too many issues with 'em.
I had an issue the other day.
Look, I'ma tell y'all, 'cause
it's only--
only us in here,
and y'all not gon' tell nobody.
Anybody ever...
- man, you ever sneezed
in your mask?
- Okay!
- -Like, that is the wor--
Like, you can't
get it down fast enough.
Like, it is the absolute worst.
The other day,
I was goin' in the store,
and I was gettin' ready
to walk right into the door,
and before I knew it,
I couldn't get my mask down,
and I sneezed
right inside my mask.
I didn't know whether
I should be happy,
or sad, or cry, or be angry.
But I did what any human being
in my position would do.
I flipped it inside out, okay?
I'm protected
on the inside of this mask.
This nasty virus was on
the outside of that mask,
all right?
I walked right in the store.
Hey, ain't got nothing
to do with me.
I'm protected. All right?
And it's crazy
because I've been dating.
I've been dating a lot.
Anybody else dating?
Like, dating is great.
The hardest part
right now about dating
- is that my husband
keep finding out.
And I don't know who
keeps telling him about
my Tinder profile,
my Plenty of Fish,
but I wish y'all would stop
snitchin'. Like, seriously.
I keep planning these dates. He
keeps showing up with flowers.
Like, something has got to give.
I mean, I need the world
to open back up
really, really quickly.
You play
too many games with me.
How do you mean
I'm playing games with you?
You know I'm not a mind reader.
I never said
you were a mind reader.
I have and know how
to articulate my feelings
very well.
You think you know how
to articulate your feelings,
but you don't.
You always want me to guess.
- David, you are full of shit.
- How am I--
-Full of shit?
-Yeah.
I have bled my heart out to you.
But you ignore it. Why?
Because when it comes
to your parents,
you bow down to them.
Whoa, whoa.
Just relax, okay, Lola?
Don't laugh at me.
I'm not laughing at you.
I'm laughing with you.
I'm not laughing.
When we go to
your parents' house,
you make me sit
and wait in the car.
When before we introduced sex
into this mess of a friendship,
I used to go inside
all the time.
Lola, look.
I don't want my parents
in our business.
David, admit it.
You're afraid that
if they see how you look at me,
they would disown you
for falling in love
with a Black American woman.
Come on, now.
It's not that deep, okay?
But it is.
David, I love you.
I loved you ever since
we first met in college.
You're blind
if you can't see that.
I care about you.
You care about me?
Wow.
Where you going?
To love you
from the couch tonight, David.
-Lola, come on.
-Good night!
Lola.
Come on.
Ready, David?
Mr. Deng,
my name is David Eguasa.
Here's my colleague,
Lola Henderson.
Your parents retain our services
to represent your case.
Great.
It's nice to meet you guys.
So, your parents painted you
as this perfect young man.
We need your help to paint
the same picture to the court.
Can you do that for us?
Eric, what's your fascination
with guns?
-My fascination with guns?
-Yes. Your fascination.
It's a long story.
Well, we have about an hour
to speak with you.
I spent a lot of time
being bullied.
Eventually,
I just grew tired of it.
For some reason,
the African-American didn't
like me because I was African.
They said I was too arrogant.
And of course,
the white kids didn't like me
because I was Black.
I was fine until it got violent.
- Violent?
- I was attacked.
- For being African?
- Where are you from?
- Nigeria.
- Raised?
Between here in the States
and Nigeria, yes.
So you know what I mean.
Well, I was never
physically attacked.
Well, maybe 'cause
you're a lot tougher than me.
Eric, when did you
start carrying guns?
One day after school,
a couple of kids
decided they wanted to
make me their punching bag.
But I wasn't having it.
The first boy approached me,
and I hit him
before he could hit me.
That's when they all jumped in
and attacked me.
After that,
I decided I wanted to get a gun.
So, were you physically injured?
Did your parents
notice anything?
Black eye
and bruises all over my body.
When I got home,
I simply told my parents
that I tried out
for the football team.
- Soccer.
- Yeah.
That made my dad proud.
After that, I purchased a gun
and kept it in my bag.
The rest is in my file,
I'm sure.
Did you ever have
a girlfriend in school?
- A girlfriend?
- Yeah.
Someone who we may use
as a character witness,
or someone who may have been
there during one of the attacks.
'Cause I was looking
through your file,
and I don't see anyone.
It was just always
you and some guy
fighting the bullies.
No. No one special.
They want to deport you
back to Uganda.
-I-- I can't go back there.
-What if that's
not what you want?
We're gonna need your help to
make sure that doesn't happen.
- Well, what do I need to do?
- Be honest with us.
I am being honest with you!
Okay.
Okay.
Good morning,
ladies and gentlemen.
We're here today
to decide the case
of the United States Government
vs. Eric Deng.
Counsel, have you prepared
your opening arguments?
- Yes, I have, Your Honor.
- Let's hear it.
- Let's get this show on the road.
- -Okay.
Your Honor, every day,
immigrants have been deported
back to their home countries.
Oftentimes, these people
don't even know their way home,
because they've lived in America
and haven't traveled
back home for years.
Some can't even speak
the language anymore,
because they're fully integrated
into the American way of life.
While some don't even have
living relatives back home.
But with your help,
we can save Eric
from experiencing this fate.
He moved to the States
when he was a preteen,
and has been a productive
citizen of the United States
up until his recent
felony conviction that
we'll explain in detail.
I am sure we can all relate
to Eric's experience,
because sometimes in our lives,
we are faced
with making decisions
that change the direction,
the course of our lives.
Eric made one mistake.
He believed he was
defending a friend.
But now, he's faced
with being taken away
from the place he calls home.
I hope that you can make
the best decision in this case.
Thank you.
Thank you for this time,
Your Honor.
Fine people of
this great country
are called to duty once again.
And it is our civic duty to do
our part in helping keep America
the safest place in the world.
Unfortunately,
there are some
who slip through the cracks
and wreak havoc on our streets.
Eric is one of those people
taking the freedoms that
we fight for, for granted.
Now, if this had been
his first run-in with the law,
we wouldn't be standing here.
Hell, if it was his second,
we wouldn't be here.
But the fact of the matter is,
this is his third run-in.
When is enough enough?
All of Eric's offenses
involves a weapon,
and now he has shot someone.
Do we want to give him a chance
to kill? Absolutely not.
There is no justification
for this young man's behavior.
He has proven,
time and time again,
that he does not belong
on American soil.
We must do what is right
for American citizens
and deport Mr. Deng
before he wreaks any more havoc
on our streets,
on our American soil.
Eric is part of the decay
that we see each and every day.
Thank you.
I wonder what
the judge's verdict is gonna be.
Well, um,
I don't think what he did was,
like, really extreme.
-I think it's gonna be fair.
-Yeah.
I guess we gotta see.
-How's your sandwich?
-Mmm.
It's good.
-How's yours?
-Mmm.
All rise.
Be seated.
Eric, you seem like a good kid,
with very loving parents,
and I'm not sure
why things continue
to go wrong in your life.
Unfortunately,
you have an obsession with guns,
and this was taken
into consideration.
And the court's decision
is to move forward
with this deportation.
This is based on the penal code
count 8 USC, 1227 (a)(2)(c).
According to
the United States government,
you've now been issued
a deportation order.
You will be released
to Immigration and Customs
Enforcement agents,
and you will remain in
their custody until this order
is enforced, Mr. Deng.
You have the right
to file an appeal with
the Board of Immigration Appeals
in the next 30 days.
-Do you understand me?
-Yes, Your Honor.
Court is adjourned.
Lola's across the street,
filing for an appeal.
I've been to Uganda before.
-Oh, really?
-Mm-hmm.
-It's beautiful.
-It's very beautiful.
-Nothing like you see
on American television.
-I'm telling you.
You know,
I tell them all the time,
"Listen, this is not
the Africa I grew up in."
You know, it's different.
Eric,
what's the relationship
between you and Tyler?
- I'm sorry, it's just that--
- Listen, Eric.
I need to know everything
so I can stop
this deportation order.
Deportation...
I was ten years old
when I left Uganda.
I still remember
that to this day.
- I had no idea
why we had to leave.
I cried so hard.
I love it so much.
I miss it so much.
-But I can't go back there.
-Why can't you go back?
Hmm?
Why can't you go back, Eric?
My parents are gonna hate me.
Talk to me, Eric.
Why can't you go back to Uganda?
- Because...
- Because what?
Because...
Tyler's my boyfriend.
Guard?
Let's go.
David? You okay?
Eric is gay.
That was why
the Uber driver attacked him.
A hate crime.
-Self-defense.
-Exactly.
Bring in that Uber driver
or anyone that witnessed
the altercation.
Lola's on it already.
- The driver?
- We're on it.
Hey. Have some good news for me?
Uh-oh. I know that look.
-Mm-hmm.
-What is it now?
-You know what it is.
-What?
You know,
preparing for Comfort's wedding
just has me thinking
about our situation.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Just slow down now, Lola.
-Where you going with this?
-Don't make me
pour this coffee on you.
I thought I got you
hot chocolate.
Hot chocolate, coffee,
it's the same thing.
David, not to sound cliché,
but I deserve
a wholesome relationship.
A man who loves me.
You know I'm not out here
sleeping around.
We've been back and forth
for so many years
without a real commitment.
Professionally, we're great.
You're my best friend.
Come on. All the other couples
that we've been around, they say
that those are the key elements
of keeping sparks
in their relationship.
Dude, I feel like I practically
beg you to be with me.
Like, what is it?
Like, look at me!
I am sexy as hell.
I deserve more than this.
Yeah.
You deserve more than this.
Now, what is it?
I mean, is it someone else?
If so, just tell me.
If so, just tell me!
And let me do me.
Yeah.
When you haven't said anything,
that's exactly why you also
haven't committed, too.
Lola, look.
I have a lot of things
on my mind right now.
I mean, we just lost a case.
This guy is about to be
deported back to Uganda.
And if he does,
he's gonna be killed.
Kill-- What do you mean,
killed, David?
-Eric is gay.
-Duh.
I swore an oath
to defend this guy,
only to find out that he's gay.
Like, I don't even know
what I'm doing right now.
I don't know what to do.
-Like, if it was in my country--
-In your country, David?
Newsflash:
it's your job and your duty
to defend that young man,
despite whatever
your traditional beliefs may be.
Look me in my eye
and tell me that you're okay
with allowing
another young Black man dying.
Of course I'm not okay with it.
Good. I know you.
You're so damn sexy right now.
Oh, my gosh,
you get on my nerves.
Lola...
I really do love you.
That's the first time
you ever told me that.
I said it a couple of times.
-I don't recall.
-Through my actions.
-Really?
-Yeah.
David...
Look. Thank you.
And you may be willing
to toss your career away,
but not me.
I am going to file the appeal,
so get ready to man up.
-Man up?
-Yes, man up.
What do you mean?
Whatever your traditional
beliefs may be, just--
Man up, get ready.
And by the way,
this hot chocolate is delicious.
Sure, of course.
I know how you like it.
It's all the actions.
Oh, God.
Excuse me.
-It's my mum.
-Mmm.
Tell your "mum" I say hello.
I'll call her back.
So... would you wanna go
to this comedy show with me?
I can use a good laugh.
I'm sure you would.
What do you want me to wear?
Wear a dress.
No undies.
-Oh, God. David, let's go.
-I know you like it.
Come on, now.
- Come on.
- Come on.
Really?
Hey.
You stalking me now?
I don't stalk.
Thanks.
How's that appeal coming?
It's coming.
Even after a loss,
you are just
absolutely stunning.
What's your secret?
You know... water.
Lots of rest. Exercise.
You know they say
Black don't crack.
Indeed.
Mi abuela,
she would always say...
-She sounds like a smart woman.
-She is.
I wonder what you would
look like if you had won.
Okay...
What's going on with this?
-With what?
-With this pursuit.
I like it
when you call it that.
A pursuit. I don't stalk.
Okay, yeah, but... is it real?
I can tell you
over a nice steak
and a glass of wine.
Well, I'm vegan.
But... maybe I'll take up
your offer on the glass of wine.
Your place or mine?
Okay. I'll think about it.
But until then,
I'll see you in court.
See you in court.
-Thanks for the water.
-My pleasure.
My pleasure.
- Thank you.
- Of course.
Read this.
-Think it's funny?
-Hmm.
You don't think it's funny.
Nah. Not as funny
as the last one you told.
Maybe it's the way you told it,
but reading this right now?
It ain't funny.
Hmm. Thanks for your honesty.
- Hey, Sam.
- What's up?
Would you get married
to a woman from Africa?
Mmm, probably if
it was Charlize Theron.
Come on, man.
No, I'm just joking, man.
The reason why I'm asking
is 'cause--
I know why you asking, man.
Lola.
I don't wanna keep
leading her on, you know?
Then stop leading her on, bro.
Look, man, you my best friend,
so I can be honest with you.
You go outside right now
and you fighting two guys,
I'm coming out there
and we fighting together.
-What about 20 guys?
-I'm calling the police.
No, we going down together, bro.
You my brother.
So I'm gonna stand with you
on whatever decision you make.
-Thanks, bro.
-Yep.
You can see it in her eyes, man.
Yours too.
You really don't like this joke,
though?
Let me see that again.
Bro, you gotta try again, okay?
-That bad, huh?
-Yeah. That bad.
Okay, all right. I--
Mr. and Mrs. Deng,
I wanted to meet
with you and Eric
so we can go over
the details of Eric's appeal.
We were able to file
a motion to reopen the case
with this information.
Eric has something
he'd like to share with you.
Well, what is it, son?
Mom, Dad...
I was just defending
myself against people
who don't like my kind.
Because you are African?
Because... I'm gay.
What are you saying?
- I'm gay, Dad.
- What are you saying?
Where did you learn this?
From the white people on campus?
Didn't learn it from anyone.
I have always been this way.
Elizabeth,
are you hearing this nonsense?
He is saying
that he is homosexual.
Elizabeth, are you listening?
I knew it.
-You knew what?
-I knew it, and you knew it too.
Ah... we both chose
to ignore it.
It does not matter now.
What's matter is,
Eric needs to get out of here.
Dad...
can you please not
look at me with such disgust?
Eric! Let's go.
The judge is back.
-I love you, son.
-I love you too, Dad.
Can you state your name
to the court
and your relationship
with the defendant?
My name is Tyler Smith, and...
Eric is my boyfriend.
On the night Eric was arrested,
can you tell the court
the events leading up to that?
Well, Eric and I were
just coming from the movies,
and we wanted to get
a quick bite to eat.
Neither one of us
wanted to drive,
so we called an Uber.
Everything was going smooth
until the driver realized
that me and Eric were sitting
really close to each other.
He got angry.
He pulled over,
and demanded that we get out.
I can remember him
saying things like,
"Y'all are disgusting.
Y'all need to be
wiped off the Earth."
That's when he grabbed his bat,
came over to the passenger side,
and yanked the door open.
Me and Eric got out
on the left-hand side.
He kept charging us
with the bat.
He started swinging.
And I fell.
I just knew he was
gonna bash my head in.
I couldn't do nothin'.
That's when I heard the gunshot.
Mrs. Deng.
Can you tell us about
your experience in Uganda?
Objection, Your Honor.
Relevance.
Objection overruled.
Go ahead, Mrs. Deng.
When I was a little girl
in Kampala,
I had a friend.
His name is Moses.
We're very close.
See, Moses did not
like to play football
like the other boys.
He was always so neat and clean,
and a lot of the kids
found it very strange.
As we grew up
and went to high school...
Moses grew up so handsome.
Almost pretty.
And all of the girls in school
was in love with him.
One day, he told me that
he's not interested in girls.
I was so confused,
'cause I've never heard somebody
say something like that before.
I've never heard it in my life.
But I promised that day...
that I would keep his secret.
I would never tell anybody,
till today.
One day, he decided
to tell another boy...
how he felt about him.
A big fight
broke up in school that day.
The boy and his friends,
they ran,
they chased after Moses.
He ran.
He ran all the way
to the market square that day.
They chased him.
And they caught up with him.
They beat him
black and blue that day.
He was unconscious.
I didn't know what to do,
so I started to run.
I ran all the way.
To this day,
I have never seen him again.
Nobody knows
what happened to him.
Do you see Moses in your son?
Yes.
Did you fear
for your son's life?
I do.
Objection, Your Honor!
Relevance.
I wanna see where the defense
is going with this.
Objection overruled.
Go ahead, Mrs. Deng.
Mrs. Deng, are you telling
the court that your move from
Kampala, Uganda to the States
was because you were afraid
for your son's life?
I love my country.
But I love my son more.
And Kampala is not a place
for a boy like my son. It's not.
No further questions,
Your Honor.
You may step down.
Your Honor, I'd like to present
to you this exhibit as evidence
to support the reversal
of the deportation order.
Since the passage of the
Anti-Homosexual Law in 2014,
the gays and the LGBTQ community
have been tormented on the daily
by the police
and the citizens of Uganda.
Court is in recess.
Irene.
This America is
turning into something else.
Where we are from,
it is a man and a woman, period.
Abi, I don't understand
where this new behavior
is coming from,
this man and man,
woman and woman.
Adam and Femi. Eve and Chidinma.
It is rubbish.
Rubbish, I tell you.
Henry...
I understand
this is not our culture.
But we cannot sit here
and allow this young man
to get killed
if he get deported.
If it was our son,
would you want him
to get killed if he was gay?
Well, I do not have to
worry about that.
We should have mercy on him,
and pray the court
will have mercy on him too.
Just to spare his life.
David.
When you find a woman...
let her cook
as well as your mum.
I'm in love with Lola.
Ay!
- Hey.
- Hey.
Great job.
Thank you.
Let's go save this guy.
Does the prosecution
have a closing statement?
No, Your Honor.
The prosecution rests.
Interesting.
Well, if I may.
Eric, I have watched you
during this trial,
and you hold on to so much
hurt, anger, and pain.
Young man, we all deserve to
be free by way of forgiveness.
When we decide not to forgive--
because forgiveness
is a choice--
we hold on to that pain.
And then it begins
to eat away at us.
And then we seek
the sympathy of others
instead of taking charge
and action of our own healing.
It takes more energy to hate
a person than to forgive them.
So let go.
Move on with your life.
Stand up, young man,
while I read this new order.
I'm glad you finally
came to your senses.
- I was about to drop you
from my Rolodex.
- Wow.
-You were gonna
drop me from your Rolodex?
-Yeah, all the way off.
-Really?
-You were gonna go
to the bottom.
Whatever.
You know, I'm proud of you.
You did a good job today.
Thank you.
Thank you for understanding.
Thank you for seeing
the bigger picture.
And thank you for saving a life.
Yeah. I think we all
could do some good.
Yeah.
He's gonna have to do six months
for the charges, though.
-We understand.
-Yeah.
You know,
you should accompany me
to Comfort's wedding.
I've always liked Comfort.
You sure you want me to go,
though?
You know David's gonna be there.
David is a non-factor.
Yeah, I know.
Thank you.
You're so beautiful.
Thank you.
I now pronounce you
husband and wife.
You may kiss the bride.
Whoo-hoo!
Hey, Michael Jackson
was right to make that song
"Liberian Girl."
These Liberian women
are fine, bro.
She about to be
livin' la vida loca,
all because you don't want her.
-Shut up, Sam.
-They're probably going to
the parking lot to do sex.
Shut up, Sam. Look,
Lola ain't like that, okay?
Bro, he has wavy hair.
Italian wavy hair.
Go and get that girl, man.
Shit.
So you want one of these
African women in here?
Nah. I already got me one.
You think you can hang with me?
You do know I'm from
the West Side, right?
You do know I'm from
the South Side, right?
What's that mean?
I mean,
you keep on playing on me,
you gon' find out.
-Really?
-Really.
You sure about that?
-I'm sure about that.
You know what else?
-What?
-That after we do this...
-Mm-hmm.
...you gon' know that with me,
you're always in good hands.
-You sure about this?
-Yes, I am.
-You like that?
-A little bit, yeah.
Wait a minute.
We need to go somewhere.
Mm-hmm. Let's go.
-Ready?
-Mm-hmm. Let's go.
-You smell so sweet.
-Oh...
You know
all the right words to say.
You want kids?
Can we talk?
What's up?
-This is rude, David.
-Can you stop?
Please. Can we talk?
Give us a few minutes.
I'm going outside.
If you ain't out there
in five minutes, I'm leaving.
-All I need is five.
-Leaving for good.
Yes, David?
-I kissed you in my office.
-And?
We kiss all the time.
Your kisses mean nothing to me.
-It means something to me.
-Well, not to me.
What do you want me to do, Lola?
I shouldn't have to
tell you what to do, David.
And now you have
a few more minutes, counting.
-You don't want that guy.
-He is a man!
He told me what his intentions
were from the very beginning.
Give me one reason, David, one,
why I should pick you over him.
Because you love me,
and you know it.
I can learn to love him.
People do it all the time.
You should know that.
I do now.
Lola,
my intentions with you are pure.
I'm no longer afraid
or ashamed to love you.
Just...
give me one more chance
to make this work.
I promise you,
I will right all my wrongs.
Please.
He's waiting for me.
-Hey.
-It's been ten minutes.
Yeah.
You okay?
Look, I gotta go.
You know,
you're in good hands with David.
You think so?
Yeah.
Santiago,
you are one hell of a guy.
I know.
Kiss for the road?
-Maybe a little one.
-The cheek is fine.
'Cause I'd be devastated
if you were mine
and you kissed another man.
Oh, gosh.
Take care of yourself.
See you soon?
Yeah. See you later.
Official?
Official.