Jimmy (2013) - full transcript

No! No! Please don't!

Ah! I don't wanna go in!
Help! Somebody help! No! No!

(Indiscernible screaming)

No, no, no.

My name is Jimmy Mitchell
and I'm fourteen years old.

I live in piney grove,
Georgia

right next to the
Alabama state line.

Daddy says that when
people cross into Alabama

they should set their watches
back one hundred years.

I tried that once but,
it didn't work on my watch.

That's my dog,
buster.



I know he likes his name

because he comes running
every time I call it.

He can fall asleep
as fast as he can run.

I can't.

(Lee) Jimmy!

Jimmy!
Where are ya?!

Down here!

What are you
doing down here?

I missed the catch.
I can't get my ball.

Who you
throwing with?

A watcher.

Is that so?

Well then why doesn't he
get the ball out for you?

'Cuz, he said he wanted
me to get it for myself.



Jimmy, that's barely
three inches of water.

You're in high school now.

When are you gonna grow up
and get over this?

Can you get
the ball for me?

No. Now grab buster.
It's time to go.

Come on!
Let's go!

Well, thank you once again
for a great breakfast, Ellen.

Mmm hmm.
Oatmeal.

(Laughs) My pleasure, Jim.
Bye, dad.

Bye bye.

Come on, buster.
Come here, buddy.

How's it sound?

Thump. Thump. Thump.

You let me know
if it quits. All right?

Okay, I will.
Good deal.

Who's this guy
you're going to meet?

A new client named
Jake garner.
Mmm hmm.

Brought up
on drug charges.

I don't like you
representing those guys, Lee.

They're dangerous.

I know hon.
I know you don't.

Jimmy! Let's go!

You gonna ride your bike
to the station?
Yeah.

All right.

Bye bye!

I love you.
Love you, mama.

Give me a hug.

Come on, son.

Give me your glove.

Okay, got it?
Yeah.

All right.
Don't go fast, okay?
Okay.

All right.
Bye mama.

Bye.

I love you!

Love you too,
mama!

(Jimmy) Mama always smells like
the flowers in our front yard.

I like flowers but, grandpa
saysthat you gotta be careful

when you put
your nose in one,

because it could
have a bee in it,

and then that
could sting you.

Good spray,
Jimmy.

Yeah, yeah you can't get
something clean without soap.

Here you go.

Wipe the hubcaps
clean with this.

Thank you. (Laughs)

You enjoy coming
here every week?

Yes sir.

Especially when you let me
turn on all the lights and
sirens.

Sheriff brinson says it's
against regulations,

but I don't think it
hurts anyone.

Yeah. (Laughs)

You thirsty?

A little.

Why don't I go
get US something.

You want like, uh,
mountain dew, or cheerwine?

Mama says that
I'm not allowed

to drink any cola
without asking her first.

Okay. I'll tell you what...
Yeah.

I'll give her a call when
I get inside the station.

If she says yes,
what do you want?

Okay. Umm...
Then, a cheerwine.

Me too.
Yeah. (Laughs)

I'll be right back.
Okay. Bye.

(Jimmy)
Deputy askew is mama's first
cousin, once removed.

But I don't know what
he was removed from

since he's still in the family.

Oh hey, garret.
How's Jimmy doing
out there?

I hope he's not
slowing you down.
Oh no, he's a real help.

I gotta go to the office
for just a few...

Jimmy will be fine
with me.
Thanks.

Oh, listen Lee, is it
all right if he has a cola?
Uhhh, yeah. Sure.

We don't have
anything on garner.

We got the goods
on Lenny.

Drugs couldn't
have belonged to Lenny.
And why not?

Because he's
Georgia bureau.

Lenny's undercover
with the g.B.I.?

You need to turn in
an inventory

saying that you found
the drugs at garner's place.

Do you realize what would
happen to me if I get caught?

Look. Just do it. I'll sign.

Garner's scum and I aim
to protect the people

of this county
from his ways.

More prison time
for that boy,
the better.

I'll sign.

All right.

(Mama) Do you think he
was telling you the truth?

Well, garner's rough lookin'.

Dropped out of
high school early.

He's probably a user, but I
don't think he's a dealer.

He claims the drugs belonged
to this guy named Lenny.

Oh yeah, did you know that
Lenny's an undercover g.B.I.?

G.b.i.?

Georgia bureau
of investigation.
What's that son?

Yeah. Sheriff brinson said

that the drugs couldn't
have belonged to Lenny

because he's
an undercover gbi.

And then he told
detective milligan to turn in

an inventory saying that
he found the drugs

in Jake garner's house

so that Jake garner
would go to prison

for a really long time.

(Jimmy)
Mashed potatoes look
like warm snow.

It doesn't snow here
in piney grove much.

Well, one time it did

and buster and I went outside
and tasted it.

I like mashed potatoes better.

I just,
I don't feel good about it.

Ellen. I cannot run
my law practice

based on your
fear and feelings.

Now Jimmy's
gonna be fine.

I know that the sheriff didn't
follow proper procedure.

I get it. I do.

But how do you let a guy
like that walk free? Come on.

That is the price we pay
for the bill of rights.

If the rules don't
protect everyone,

they don't protect anyone.
Mmm hmm.

So, counselor... did you happen
to promise Jimmy anything

for coming here today?

Oh yeah, that buster
could sleep in my room

for one whole week. (Laughs)
I'll bet he did.

Lee...

It's okay, mama.

There's nothing wrong
with telling the truth.

You're absolutely
right, Jimmy.

Come on.
It's time to go.

Give me your arm. Yeah.

The defense
would like to call

James Lee Mitchell III
as a witness your honor.

Y-Your honor, not only
is Jimmy a minor,

but he is as
everybody knows... slow.

Am I in trouble,
mama?

No honey.
Of course not.

Mr. Mitchell, do you have
a response for this?

Why yes, I will call
Dr. Susan Paris

to provide evidence establishing
Jimmy's competency

in testifying in this
courtroom today.

The school psychologist?

(Judge) Well I'll hear
what she has to say.

(Lee) The defense calls
Dr. Susan Paris to the stand.

Please.

(Jimmy) I saw a real snake
in the woods once with grandpa.

But he told me not to pet it
or pick it up.

Does that snake drawing on
Jake garner's arm

wash off in the shower?

Uh, no honey, that's a tattoo.
It's permanent.

Can I get one of buster
on my arm?

No, absolutely not.
Pay attention.

Dr. Susan Elaine Paris.

I work part time as a
school psychologist

for the cabarrus county
board of education.

Have you had
the opportunity

to examine my son,
Jimmy Mitchell?

Yes. It's part of my regular
duties with the school board.

Well could you summarize
for the court, please,

Jimmy's mental status?

An IQ score
of less than 59

indicates severe
mental deficiency.

Above 70 is dull-normal.

Jimmy is in between
the two categories.

So, do you have an opinion
as to whether or not

Jimmy is capable
of understanding

the importance of
telling the truth?

Yes. He has always been
forthright and honest,

even if telling the truth
casts him in a negative light.

What are they saying
about me mama?

That you're a
very good boy.

If it's explained to him
in the right way.

He believes in god
and that it is a sin to lie.

He recently discussed
this concept with me

when his step-mother,
Mrs. Mitchell,

was teaching him about
the 10 commandments.

So, if Jimmy told you
about a conversation

that he had overheard,
would you believe him?

Generally, yes.

Thank you Dr. Paris.
That's all, your honor.

Mr. Laney?

So, apart from a low IQ,

are there any other mental or
psychological abnormalities

that you've identified
in Jimmy?

Jimmy has a persistent,
irrational fear of water.

He will not swim in a swimming
pool, or go near a boat.

He will take a shower,

but he will not go near
a bathtub full of water.

(Attorney) Why does
he have this fear?

Mrs. Mitchell believes it's
due to a childhood trauma,

involving his
biological mother.

What kind of childhood trauma
are we talking about?

Objection! Irrelevant.

I agree. Sustained.

Any other
abnormalities then?

Jimmy has infrequent
hallucinations and delusions.

Jimmy sees people
who are not there.

He calls them "watchers".

Watchers?

Please do tell the court
about these, watchers.

The first time he mentioned it
was during a testing session.

I noticed him looking up
from his testing booklet

and staring to a spot in
the corner of the room.

What is it Jimmy?

He--he's in the room.

Did he describe
this person?

He said it was a man that is
at the school from time to time.

He called him the
school watcher.

Does he communicate
with these watchers?

He claims that sometimes

he can hear the thoughts
they are thinking in their head.

Which makes this a much
more complex delusion.

So we have a young man
who lives in a fantasy world,

inhabited by imaginary people,

who tell him things the
rest of US can't hear?

Are there any
other abnormalities
we should know about?

Not to my knowledge.

That's more than enough.

Thank you, Dr. Paris.
You may have a seat.

The defense
would like to call

James Lee Mitchell III
to the stand.

Come on, son.

Now, put your left hand
on the Bible,

and your right hand
in the air.

No, son, your
other right hand.

There you go.

Now, do you swear that the
testimony you're about to give

in the matter pending before
this court is the truth,

the whole truth and nothing
but the truth, so help you god?

Yes, sir.
Good boy.

Now Jimmy, you know who
judge Robinson is, right?

Yeah, but I thought her
name was Jill though,

since that's what you
always call her in church.

If judge Robinson asked
you to tell the truth,

you would do it.

Yes sir.
Good boy.

Jimmy,
how old are you?

I'm 14-years-old.
When's your birthday?

My birthday is
may 6th, 1997.

When's your
mama's birthday?

My mama's birthday is
the day before Christmas,

which makes her the best
present in the whole world.

(Attorney) Your honor,
we're not planning
birthday parties.

I fail to see
the relevance in this
line of questioning.

Your honor, I'm merely
illustrating Jimmy's ability

to truthfully tell concrete
pieces of information.

Very well,
you may continue.

Jimmy, do you know
what a lie is?

A lie is a sin.

And people who tell lies
get thrown into a lake of fire.

And is it a bad thing
to tell a lie?

I think he's made that
point more clear

than anyone who's ever
appeared in this courtroom.

(Laughter)

That's all your honor.

(Judge)
Mr. Laney?

Jimmy are you going
to tell the truth today?

Or are you going to say what
your father wants you to say?

Objection! Irrelevant.

Overruled.

I'll ask again,
Jimmy.

Are you going
to tell the truth?

Or what your father
wants you to say?

Both.

Why do you say both?

Because the truth is what
my daddy wants me to say.

Mr. Laney, that's enough.

I'm going to rule
that he can testify.

What about these
imaginary people

and his inability
to distinguish between-

(judge) I think that
Jimmy understands

that he is to tell the truth,
the best he can.

Bailiff? Please bring
the jury back in.

Now Jimmy, I'm gonna
ask you a few questions

about what you heard
sheriff brinson

say in the parking lot.
All right?

Yes sir.

Sorry I wasn't in
there today, Jimmy.

I just don't have
the Patience

for what goes on in
those court rooms.

That's okay.

So is daddy gonna be eating
supper with all the people

that were sitting together
in the court room?

Honey, they don't
let the lawyers

spend time with the jury
outside the court room.

Is Jake garner
a bad man?

Oh, well,
he's your daddy's client.

We should invite him
over for supper one night.

Yeah.

Lets ask your father.

Okay. Yeah, what's gonna
happen to Jake?

I don't know.

You sure are asking
a lot of questions, Jimmy.

Case dismissed.
(Laughs)

Congratulations!
Yay!

I called
two alibi witnesses,

and then I put
garner on the stand.

Laney practically
caused a mistrial

during his cross-examination.

He tried to introduce completely
unrelated criminal charges

as similar acts.
I don't know what
he was thinking.

Yeah, did he show everybody
the snake on his arm?

Because I could never
see its head though.

No son, he put his jacket
on before the jury came in.

But the coup de grace was when
Laney had to inform the judge

that sheriff brinson didn't
even bother to show up.

I didn't even
say a word.

I just took a copy
of the subpoena

and I put it on the bench.

The judge instructed the deputy
to bring the sheriff in,

even if he had to
handcuff him.
Wow...

Still makes me sad.
Bringing down the sheriff.

Dad, the chance to
ambush the prosecution

is something that happens once,
maybe twice,

in a lawyer's entire career.

Yeah, okay, so are
you gonna take me

to wash cars with
deputy askew tomorrow?

Well I don't think that's
such a good idea, son.

Why?

Well, Jimmy.
Yeah.

Sheriff brinson isn't very happy
with what you told the court

about detective milligan.

Yeah, but I told
the truth though.

And you did right,
by doing so, Jimmy.

Absolutely the right thing.

Hey, um, instead of going
to the station tomorrow,

why don't you come over to
my house, we'll hang out.

What do you say?

Okay. Yeah.

Atta boy.
We'll have a good time.

Thanks, dad.

Sure.

(Mama)
You ready for bed?

Get your covers up.

Good.

Love you, mama.
I love you too, Jimmy.

Hey, do you remember
the first time I met you?

No, but I pretend
that I can though.

Yeah? Okay, well...
You were four years old,

and at the time I was
working in the clerk's office

in the courthouse
and I met your daddy

because he's a lawyer.

So one day he decided
to bring you in,

and I remember looking up
over my desk
and there you were,

you were just
standing there, staring,
not saying a word.

What was I
doing that for?
I don't know,

but I'd like to believe
that maybe you thought

one day I was gonna
be your mama.

Where was daddy?

He was there,
he was watching.

You know at the time,
your daddy and I,

we had been eating dinner
together for several months,

and I was so excited
because he decided

it was time for me
to meet you.

What'd you
think about me?

Jimmy, I loved you from the
very first second I saw you.

And you know,

seeing the world
through your eyes

has changed my life forever.
And I thank you for that.

Goodnight, mama.

Goodnight baby.
Get cozy.

Give me a kiss.

I'm gonna turn your
light off, okay?

There you go. Good night.
Sweet dreams. Night buster.

Wow. It looks
really good, Jimmy.

It's not
the same, though.

I think it looks great.

Hey, why don't you take buster
over to your grandpa's house

by yourself this time.

By myself?
Yeah, I'll watch you
from the front yard

till I can't
see you anymore.

Thank you, mama.
You're welcome.

Come on, buster.
Let's go.

Hey, make sure you have
your grandpa call me

on your way home, though.

Okay!

(Jimmy) Mama once showed
me a picture of grandpa

in front of my high school.

He wore old-fashioned clothes
and looked a lot younger.

My school looked
the same though,

except for the trees
out front.

They were smaller.

That's grandpa's house.

This way.

Hey buster.
Get on in the house.

Go get it! Go get it!

Go get the football!

Where's your mama?

Mama said that
me and buster

can go by
ourselves this time.

Good.

Can I listen?
Yep.

Thump. Thump.

Sounding pretty good?

Yeah sounds
pretty good.

Come on in.
Okay.

(Jimmy) I like the way that
grandpa's voice sounds.

Sometimes when I lay
in bed at night,

I try to repeat big words
in my head

that I have heard him say.

You're about full grown
now aren't you.

Yes sir.

So, you ready?

For what?

Yeah, grandpa I thought
you can't climb the pole

after your heart stopped
beating that one time.

Never you mind.

I'm not going up the pole
today Jimmy.

I'm gonna start
teaching you.

Grandpa if I get to
the top of that pole

can I get a job
at the power company too?

Jimmy I can't
promise you a job,

but you're gonna be
able to do something

most other boys
won't be able to do.

Can any of your friends
climb a pole like a monkey?

No, sir.
No, sir. All right.

Okay.

Take off your shoes.
Okay.

All right. Uh... grab
ahold of my hands.

There you go.
Yeah.

Now put your feet right
at the base of the pole.

Just put your feet
right there.

Now lean back.

Lean back.

All right... I'm not
gonna let you fall.

Lean back. Grab ahold
of the pole, but lean back.

Grab ahold with both hands.
Grab ahold of the pole.

What are you
doing with that?

That's your safety strap.

All right. Lean back.
Let go.

(Laughs) No hands.
Yeah...

Lean back.
I'll lean back.

All right. Now, I want you
to take this leg

and pick it up and I want you
to stick that spike

right in at about there.

Right there.

Right here.
Okay.

That's good, that's all right,
that's all right, go again.

Take that spike, that spike
here-- there you go!

Whoop! There you go!
All right, all right.

Lean back. Lean back.

Lean back. Let go of
your hands...

Okay.
No hands!

Yeah, no hands!
No hands! That's good!

Now, we gotta move
your safety strap up.

So, um... you know when
you're riding your bike

and you stand up
on the pedals?
Yeah.

And you pull yourself up
on the handlebars?
Yeah.

That's what you're
gonna do here,

you're gonna pull yourself up
and you're gonna

slide this up, because this
needs to go up higher.

You got it? Yeah!
Yeah! I got it!

All right. You gotta go
a little higher now.

Now what do I do?
How you gonna do that?

You wanna go up there.
You wanna go up.

How you gonna go?

Lift that leg right here.
Okay.

Let's put
your weight on here.

Straighten this leg.

Lock it out.
Lock out that knee.

Take that spike out
and stick it up here.
Okay.

Stick it up here.
Right here in the front.
Okay.

Stick it up.
Yeah, there you go.

Whoa.
You're all right.

Got it.
Climb the pole.

You got it. There you go.
There you go.

Got it.
There you go.

Okay.
There you go.

There you go!
Go on!

Look how high I am!
Yeah!

Yeah! You're getting on up
there. There you go.

Now down.

Whoa!
You're all right!
You're all right!

[Whimpering from Jimmy)]
Jimmy! Jimmy!

I wanna come
down now!
No!

I wanna come down.
No. No.

Lean back.
Okay. Okay.

You're gonna take
two more steps.
No, I can't.

You're gonna take
two more steps, Jimmy.

Two more steps.
One, two.

Just like that.

One...

Two... (Laughs)

All right, you can
come down now.

Okay, yeah one more.
All right.

Yeah, one more.
Okay, ready?

Yeah!
There you go.

Yeah, I did it.
I got it.
Come on down.

I got it.

I think we should keep your
climbing lessons to ourselves.

We won't tell anyone,
that will it will be a surprise

to everyone when you
make it to the top.

Yeah, can I tell
mama though?
No.

Okay, yeah,
but I tell mama everything.

Look, I know it's hard
for your to keep quiet,

but let me mention it
to her first, all right?
Yeah.

Can you keep
a secret?

Can you keep a
secret till then?

Yes sir.
Atta boy.

Sorry I couldn't help you
wash cars this morning.

Mama and daddy
wouldn't let me.

Hop in the car Jimmy.
Buster too.

Okay. Come on buster.

(Grunts) Good boy.

So I had no idea you could
remember everything you hear.

No, I can't
remember everything.

If I could do that,

then I'd be in all the
smart classes in school.

Well I think you're
smart, Jimmy.

I also think what you
did was a brave thing.

I'm proud
of you for it.

Then can I come back
and wash cars then?

Well it's best
you wait till

things settle down
a bit at the station.

Sheriff brinson still
has a lot of friends

in the police force.

You wanna turn on
the siren?

Really?
Yeah. Go on ahead.

It's my way of showing you
I'm not mad at you.

Yeah, okay.
That one?
That's the one.

Okay.

[Siren sound]

(Jimmy)
Daddy said sheriff brinson

had to stop driving a police
car and wearing a uniform.

If I had a police uniform
I wouldn't ever take it off.

I'd ask mama is if I could
wear it every day.

[Singing church hymn]

Come on honey,
the methodists are gonna
beat US to the restaurant.

I'm coming. You can't
mess with god's work.

Yeah, I like it when
brother Fitzgerald preaches,

especially when we
can see all his teeth

when he smiles so big.
(Laughs)

Hey Jimmy!

Hey Max.
Hey guys.

Hey Max.
Hey, how you doin' Max?

Max, what happened
to your eye?

Tried to catch
a pass.

Does it hurt?
Not as bad
as it did yesterday.

My dad put some
raw steak on it,

then he cooked it for me
and I ate it.

(Laughing)

Football practice
starts next week.

You gonna be there to help
me out on the sidelines?

Yeah... uh... am I gonna have
to try and catch a pass though?

No. I only got this
from messing around.

Okay, now I'm not
okay with this.

Honey,
what did I say?

You said that coach Cochran
would take care of him...

But look at his--
yeah, we'll both
take care of him.

There you go.
All right...

See you next week, Jimmy.
Okay, yeah bye Max.

See you later!

(Jimmy)
Max is my friend.

He's still in junior high

but since his daddy coaches
the high school football team,

he gets to help
out every season.

I've never seen a game up
close from the field before.

[Ambient police radio messages]

Tell me about this pole
you're about to climb.

It's a 25-foot, class 5 pole,

and it's made out of
South Georgia pinewood.

And what's class 5 mean?

Means that it's thicker
than class 6,

but thinner than class 4.

Good. Now what are
you gonna do next?

I'm gonna tighten
my new safety strap.

And what's new
about your strap?

It'll help me
so I won't fall.

It's not gonna
let you fall.
Yeah.

All right. You see
that Mark up there?

That one?
Yeah, I want you
to climb to that Mark.

I can't,
that's too high.

It's not too high.

Yeah, it's too high,
I can't do it.

Jimmy...
I want you to try.

That's good.

That's good spacing.

What's wrong?

What?

I can't. It's too high.

Yes you can.
No.

What?

What are you looking at?

If I make it to the top
of the Mark,

will you come to church
with US tomorrow?

You know Jimmy, god
makes me nervous

when you
get him indoors...

Why do you want me
to go to church?

Because a watcher
told me to ask you.

Well yeah, all right,
I'll go, I'll go
with you tomorrow

if you go up and climb
to that Mark.

Okay.

But climb right.

Yeah. I got it.

Yeah, you do.
Good spacing.

I got it! I got it, look!
See, i--

yeah. Climb a
little bit higher.

Just a couple
more steps.

Okay.

That's it. Now that's good.
Right there.

Now there's a can of paint
in your bag,

I want you to make a little
Mark of your own right there.

I got, I did it.

Hey, is your watcher
friend still there?

No. He's gone.

What are you
boys doing?!

Nothing...
Come on down.

I can't believe you
had him lie to me, Jim.

You, you could've
gotten him killed!

He wasn't in any danger.

He was up, like, 15 feet!
Yeah, and the
reason he got there

is because I told him
I'd go to church with him

if he reached a certain point
on the pole.

That is unfair pressure
to put on a young kid.

He wasn't in any danger!

It's okay mama.
A watcher told me to ask him--

Jimmy! Stop it with
the watcher nonsense!

Lee, you stop it!

I knew that Jimmy
eventually

was going to climb
beyond my reach.

All right? So, I stopped
at the power company

and talked to a buddy of mine
who still works there

and he gave me this.

Now this hitch has got
a safety catch in it.

He can't fall.
He can't cut out.

It's o.S.H.A. Approved.

Now, with this thing,
he could...

It's safer than climbing
a wall at summer camp

if I'm there coaching him.

Each time he gets
a little higher
he marks a spot

with a can of spray paint.

Ellen you should see
how proud he looks

when he reaches
those spots.

If you could see that,
I think you'd reconsider.

But what about
your heart, Jim?

Let me check....

Thump. Thump. Thump.

No problem.
Yeah.

I know how much
he loves you Jim,

and I would never dream

of hurting your
relationship with him.

But just the
two of you

out on that pole
is not a good idea.

Daddy could help.

What?

Yeah, you could help US
climb the pole.

Because if daddy
was there,

then that would mean
that there's three of US.

No, no, Jimmy I can't,

I can't be expected just
to drop work every time

you want to go take
a climbing lesson.

Mmm hmm,
why not, Lee?

You know, the thought of you
three Mitchell boys

actually spending some
time together for once...

That's the best idea
I've heard all day.

So, what does the
story of the workers

in the vineyard
tell US today?

Whether you're thirteen
or ninety-three,

god is not going
to give up on you.

The reward is the same

whether you know
him your whole life,

or you meet him with your
last breath on this earth.

And I want to urge you...

If you hear the inner voice
of the holy spirit

calling you forward today
to accept Jesus,

don't ignore it.

Come forward.

Mama, I think I wanna
go down to the front.

(Lee)
What's he saying?

He wants to
go down front.

No, no. Jimmy,
you don't have to do this.

I have a sense in my heart that
there's at least two people

today that need to
respond to the message.

If you feel that tug on
your heart,

don't resist it.

Jimmy.

Jimmy...
Get back here!

Excuse me.

What can I do
for you son?

I feel that tug.

Okay. Let's pray....

Father god, we just
come before you right now

and thank you for calling
this young man forward.

And lord, we pray that
your holy spirit
will rest on him now...

I know, I'm sorry he
missed it too honey,

but he was starting
to have chest pains

and needed to go home.

Well he should've
come to the front

and have brother Fitzgerald
pray for him like he did for me.

Jimmy, did you know

that after people make
altar calls in our church

that they have to be
baptized soon thereafter?

Wait, do
you mean...

Do you mean like going
underwater at the pond

like everybody else?

Yeah, that's
what they do.

Yeah, okay, but I don't
wanna do that though.

I don't wanna go
under water.

Well why don't we talk to
brother Fitzgerald about it.

Does that sound good?

Yeah. That
sounds good.

Okay.
Okay.

(Voice in Jimmy's head )
Behold, I make all things new.

Jimmy?! [Gasps]
Jimmy!

What--what
are you doing?

I was going to try
and get into the tub.

Mama, what's
behold mean?

Did you write this?

Yeah, just now.

Did you copy it
from somewhere?

No mama, I just heard it
in my head.

Okay.

What's behold mean?

Um, behold is another
way of saying 'look'.

Kind of like, you know,

when your teacher
says to the classroom

"look at what's written
up on the board."
Okay.

But honey, what does that have
to do with the water in the tub?

I wanted to see if I was
still afraid of the water.

You do?
Are you sure?

Yeah.
Okay, all right.

Well let me help you,
all right?
Okay.

Okay, look.
You just stay real calm.

It's not a big deal.

Okay? Let's start with
your right foot, okay?

I got ya.

That's good!
All right.

Okay. Let's try
the other one.

Yes you can.
Yes you can.

Okay, just go slow.
Find your balance.

You got it.

You got it.
There you go.
There you go.

Take a deep breath.

Oh no, no, no,
no, no, no!
Okay, okay!

Okay, it's not a big deal
it's not a big deal.

I'm gonna get it off.
I'm gonna get it off.

Just sit here.

Okay, here.
Give me your foot.

There you go.
Is that better?

Okay. Are you okay?

Yeah... yeah...

You wanna go
in the other room?

Lets go in
the other room.
All right.

You did good though.
That's a good job.

Well, uh I've worked
with people

who don't even like to get
their hair wet, so I'm flexible.

I understand.
Okay.

Well, brother Fitzgerald,

this certainly isn't
a case of dislike.

Jimmy experiences
full blown panic attacks

when faced with
the possibility

of being around
any kind of water.

Really?
Yeah.

(Brother Fitzgerald) Well,
what do you think started it?

Well...

When Jimmy was a baby,

my first wife, Vera,
was giving him a bath.

And she slipped and fell,
and hit her head.

By the time she came to,

Jimmy was submerged for
god knows how long...

The doctors said it was a
miracle that he was even alive.

(Brother Fitzgerald)
So that's why he's slow?

(Lee)
We're not certain.

(Brother Fitzgerald)
I'm sorry to hear that.

We'll figure
something out.

Can you excuse me
just one second?

Hey honey...

What are you
looking at?

A watcher.

He stays here
at the church.

Jimmy... I want you
to ask the watcher

if he can help you get over
your fear of being baptized.

I can't. He's gone.

(Whistle blowing)

(Shouting from football
practice)

Carter. Now, he's a junior.

I know he doesn't
have hal's heart, but-

he's also not
really that smart-

yeah, excuse me.

Hi. Yeah, uh is
coach Cochran here?

Coach Cochran's
down at his office.

Are you the new boy
who's gonna help US out?

Yes sir. My name's
Jimmy Mitchell.

Well Mitchell,
you just hang tight

until we give you
a job to do.

Okay, yes sir.

Okay. So who else
we got?

Johns?
Right, Johns.

Johns is a bit small.

Could we work
with Johns?

Mitchell?
What you looking at?

I'm talking to you son.
Answer me.

Remember he's slow.

No sir,
I'm a really fast runner.

Fast? Okay.
Yeah, I'm really fast.

Well why don't you show me
how fast you are

and go tell coach Cochran
I found the defensive playbook

behind the seat of my truck.

Okay, yeah. Yes sir.

All right, now repeat
that back to me.

I wanna make sure
you understand.

Come on coach, this is the
boy that testified in court

against sheriff brinson.

He has a photographic memory.

All right. What did
I just say to you?

You said that you found
the defensive playbook

behind the back seat
of your truck.

He's already smarter
than the defensive line.

(Laughs)

All right, Mitchell,
get to it.
Okay.

(Laughs)

Oh boy, oh boy.
Ain't that somethin'.

It is funny.

Oh, here he is.

Jimmy!

Oh hey Max!
Hey coach Cochran!

Um, tha-- coach, coach,
I can't remember his name,

but he said that he found
the defensive playbook

in the back seat
of his truck.

That would be
coach sellers.
Yeah, coach sellers.

Good, I won't have to make
him do those wind sprints.
Yeah.

Wait, what's--what's
a wind sprint?

It's basically
what you just did,

we just do it
in shorter distances

and over and over
to build endurance.

Wait, well am I gonna need
to run any wind sprints?

No, no not as long
as you do your job.

Dad, don't
tease him.

He's just kidding.
Oh, okay.

All right, you two are gonna be
our water boys today, okay?

(Both) Okay.
Max will fill you in
on all the details.

Okay.
Okay?

Hey Jimmy, you wanna run
our own wind sprints?

Yeah, wind sprints!
Okay, let's race!
Go!

Okay go!
(Laughs)

(Quarterback) Down! Set! Hut!

Guys, let's get it right
this time.
Come on hal, hit it!

Hustle, hustle, hit it!
Hit it! Hustle!

[Shouting]

[Crashing]

Good one.

Whoo!
Yeah.

Good job.

Yeah.

Are you okay?
Yeah I'm fine.

Hey, boys.

I thought we ran garner
off for good last time.

I'll take care of it.

(Grandpa) Come on Jimmy,
you can do it!

(Lee on phone) Yeah, yeah
I know. I know, I know.

Hey uh, it's not gonna kill you
to join in a little, is it Lee?

Well it looks like you
got it covered dad...

What's that?
Sorry about that.

That's my boy!

Yeah, I think
I'm done now.

All right,
great work today!

You'll reach the top
another day!

Yeah.

[Chatter on the field]

Put the balls in the
equipment room bins,

and then stack the water coolers
on top of the other ones, okay?

Stay right there,
I'll be back.

Yeah.

How much does
this guy pay?

Look, shut up man.

Look, we shouldn't be talking
about this here, all right.

Go see if anybody's
down there.

We're good.

So when do you
get the money?

We get half
before the game,

and then the rest will be
delivered after it's done.

How do you know
it's legit?

Nobody makes this much
in high school football.

Look, Jake garner's been
doing this a long time.

All right?
He always pays.

Now Pete and I were
in on it last year.

You remember the uh
Drake county game?
Yeah.

Where I fumbled the handoff
in the fourth quarter?

Mmm-hmmm
Pete and I each made a
thousand bucks off that game.

Yeah, my daddy knows
Jake garner too!

What are you
doing in here?

Huh?
Yeah, I'm gonna go now.

You're not
goin' anywhere.

Not until we have
a little chat, all right?

Yeah, I don't understand.

Well, don't worry,
I'm gonna make this
real simple for ya, okay?

Yeah.
Whatever you think you heard,
you didn't. You hear me?!

Yeah.
Huh?! You're gonna tell me
exactly what you heard,

and I'm gonna tell you how
much trouble you're in!

Got it?! Huh?!
You got it?!

Hey!

Get outta here.

Beat it daddy's boy!

[Dramatic music]

Max! Max!

(Lee) Nobody can get a
straight answer out of him.

Jimmy, you wanna
tell me what happened?

Can we cook this now?

I think he's
gonna be all right.

Here's your lunch,
Jim.

Thank you.
You're welcome.

You sure you're feeling
all right enough to take him?

Always, for a
fishing tournament.

Yeah, besides the boy
could use a break

from all the pole climbing
and the football.

Hey, but Jim,

don't let him get too far ahead
of you on the bike, all right?

Don't worry about it.

Bye mom.
By honey, have fun.

Bye daddy.
You be safe.

Catch a fish.
Bye, yeah!

[Squeals tire in driveway]

Come on, dad.

[Horn beeps]

(Jimmy) Grandpa is the best
fisherman in piney grove.

He's got a lot of dead fish

hanging on the wall
in his garage.

And most of those fish came
from ponds in Georgia,

but a few of them he caught all
the way out in the ocean too.

I wouldn't wanna go
near all that water,

but my grandpa likes it.
He's not scared of anything.

Hey Freddie.
Hey Gary.

Twenty five.
You got it.

Alrighty. Good luck!
Appreciate it.

Hey there, Jim.
Gary.

Am I putting both of you
on the list today?

Yes sir.
What do we owe ya?

That'll be
fifty dollars total.

You uh, have any idea uh,
what the pot's gonna be?

Oh, I wouldn't be surprised
if it pushes 500 bucks.

We're gonna have to limit
the number of fisherman,

otherwise the popular spot's
gonna get too crowded.

If you've got
a favorite spot,

I suggest you hurry
and get there.

Yeah, yeah,
come on!

Bye bye!
Bye bye,
good luck!

(Jimmy) Grandpa's been
teaching me how to fish

ever since I could tell
people how old I was

with the fingers
on one hand.

I like fishing from land

Jesus's friends liked
to go fishing too.

I know that because I saw
pictures of it in my Bible.

They used nets instead
of hooks, though.

It's hard enough to convince
a fish to get

in one of my grandpa's
special hooks

so I don't know how
Jesus's friends

convinced any fish
to jump into their nets,

but I know they did.

I found this spot a
couple of weeks ago.

There's a steep drop off
right here by the shore.
Yeah.

That's the deepest spot
of this pond.

You sit here
on this cooler.

I don't want anybody
to find out

what my
secret bait recipe is.

What is it?

These are the best grits
any carp has ever tasted,

and it's seasoned with

my special fresh
water mussel recipe.

Wait, what's mussels? What--

mussel's like a little clam.
Oh, clam.

It's like a muscle,
but spelled different.

Okay, yeah.

You sit there
until I get back.

I'm gonna go get
the rain gear.

The carp, they're gonna swim
right over ever else's bait

and grab ahold of ours.

(Laughs) Okay!
Got more mussels!

You sit there
until I get back!

Okay!

Oh, hey son,
I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to
startle ya there.

I'm new to this pond and I
haven't fished it much,

and uh... I was kinda wondering
where the weigh-in is.

You reckon this weather will
make em' bite today?

Getting' kinda
cloudy today.

You know where
that weigh in is?

Yeah, you'll have to ask my
grandpa when he comes back.

I see, I see.
I'm Alfred Walker by the way.

I--i came up from
bartow county.

And of course, I fish for
carp all over the state.

I'm Jimmy Mitchell and
I'm from piney grove.

And my grandpa
fishes here a lot.

He does?
Yeah.

I see...

What uh... what you
got in the cooler there?

I got bait.

Bait?
Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah...

Well uh, you mind sharing your
recipe with a fellow fisherman?

Uh...

Yeah, you'll have
to ask my grandpa

when he comes back.

Well I reckon he's
probably got you

guarding it then there,
doesn't he?

Uh, you, you you mind
giving me a hint?

Okay. Yeah, wait, what--
what's a hint?

What do you mean?

Hint's like a clue.
Kind of a helper.
Yeah.

Kind of an idea to
help you guess it.

Course, now if you don't
want to tell me that's alright,

we can make a guessing
game out of it.

Okay, yeah.
Okay, lets do that.
Give me a clue, I'll guess it.

Okay... you ready?

Ready.
Okay, ready!

What are you doing?

Arm? Arm?
Arm bait?

No, no.

It's strong,
it's got an odor to it.

No. (Laughs) No. That.

It's mussels ain't it?
It's mussels.

Yeah, yeah that's what it is!
It's mussels!
Fresh water mussels.

But my grandpa says
that it's spelled differently

than the muscles
in your arm though,

because it's not spelled
the same.

Yeah, yeah. That's different.
That's different alright.

Well all right Jimmy, you take
care buddy, I'll see ya later!

Yeah. Bye!
Bye bye!

Yeah.

[Bird screeching]

[Hissing]

That was a red-tail.
Red tail hawk.

Oh, yeah?
[Hissing]

[Jimmy hisses]
Yeah.

I'm glad you came
with me, Jimmy.

Yeah, me too.

I can't think of anybody else
in the whole world

I'd rather go fishing with.

Yeah? With me?

I love you with
my whole heart.

You have a lot
of determination.

That means that you,
uh, you're not a quitter.

Okay, yeah.
Oh yeah, because I climbed.

I'm learning
to climb the pole.

Yeah, and I rode my bike
all the way here

from our house
to the pond. Yeah. (Laughs)

Yes you did.

And you're in
high school now.

And you're working
for a football team.

Yeah, the panthers.
Go panthers.

Yeah, go panthers.

I believe you're gonna
surprise a lot of people

with what you
can do in life.

Oh! Oh! I got one!
You got one! Yeah!

All right, all right, now
relax, relax, relax, relax.

Okay.
Set the drag
a little bit. Okay?

Yeah.

There we go.
There we go. Okay.

All right. All right.
Now let him run.

Let him run if
he wants to.

Let him run!
He's running!

Okay.
Okay. There you go.

No wait I don't wanna.
I don't.

All right, okay,
okay, okay, I got it.

Go get that bucket, put some
water in the bucket.

We can't take the fish to the
weigh station in a dry bucket.

Wait, no, I can't do it.

Yeah you can, just get some
water in the bucket, Jimmy.

No, I can't put
any water in the bucket--

here, take the pole
for a second.

Just take this
for a second.

Give me the bucket.
Give me the bucket.

Take the pole.
Take the pole.

Take the pole.
Step back from the water.
No, no wait!

It's okay, it's all right.
I got it. I got it. I got it.

Okay. Yeah
he's tired now.

(Laughs) We got him!
We got him!

Yeah, we're not gonna eat him.
We're just gonna let him go.

Yeah, we're gonna let him
go home, so he can go to bed.

Hi fishey...

Yeah, that's a big one.
(Laughs)

You wanna hold him?

Yeah, okay.
Got him. Ahh!

Don't drop him!
Don't drop him!

Okay, weigh him.
In the bucket-- (laughs)

I got him.
Here you go buddy.
Put him in the bucket.

All right. Let's go weigh
this sucker in.

Yeah, lets go get it!
We got it. Good job.

Now, I'm not gonna stand up
here and tell a joke.

Of course, if I had a fresh
cup of coffee i'd--

who caught the
biggest fish?

Yeah, I want
my money!

Freddie, that minnow
you brought up here

would be bait fish
for the winners.

Okay... third place,

and the check for $150
goes to... bill owenby!

For his fish,
19 pounds, 12 ounces.

[Applause]

Congratulations.

Second place, and the $300
check goes to Jim Mitchell

and his grandson Jimmy for their
fish at 22 pounds, 4 ounces!

There you go.
Congratulations. Way to go.

Jimmy caught the fish.

And the grand prize winner...
A webb's pond newcomer,

who cashed in on beginner's luck
to land a giant carp!...

27 pounds, 14 ounces...
Alfred Walker!

Come on up here and
get your $450 prize!

Hey buddy!
What's your recipe?!

Well, I best not
tell you that.

But, uh, tell you what
I will do though...

I'll give you a hint.

[Chuckles]

You wanna lead the way
on your bike again?

I'm too tired.

Wait, can I ride in
the back this time?

Nope, you're gonna ride
in the cab with me.

Okay.

[Exhaling sharply]

[Tires screeching]

Grandpa? Grandpa?! Grandpa?!

Wake up! Wake up!

[Crashing]

So, grandpa's
been sleeping

ever since his
heart attack, okay?

And I just want
to let you know

that he's probably gonna have
a little needle in his hand,

which is good, because
that's for his medicine.

And then he's gonna
have a tube in his nose,

and that's just so that
he can breathe. Okay?

But we all have to promise not
to touch those things. Okay?

Yeah.
All right? We're just gonna
stay for a little while

so that we can get
grandpa better.

Okay, yeah.

You ready?

Yeah.

Okay. Let's go.

[Beeping]

Can I listen
to his heart?

Yeah, just be careful.
All right son?

Okay, yeah I can't
hear anything!

Honey, honey, it's just
because of the machines.

They make it harder to hear.
Try again, you'll hear it.

Thump, thump, thump.

I heard it that time.

Grandpa, you don't have to go
to the front of church

to ask Jesus
into your heart.

You can pray right here.

This is what brother
Fitzgerald told me to say

when I went up to
the front of the church.

Dear god, thank you
for sending your son Jesus.

And thank you for the promise of
heaven, and a new beginning...

[Car approaching]

I wanted to bring
this back to ya.

It was still sitting in the rear
of your grandpa's truck.

Thanks so much garret,
that wasn't necessary.

Aww, it's no problem.

Thank you.

Listen Jimmy, if it's
all right with your parents,

I want you to come back and
help me wash cars again.

Things have settled down
back at the station.

Would you like that?

Yes sir.

Okay, so maybe next week then?
Is that good?

Whenever he's ready.

Okay. Thanks again for
bringing the bike back.

You bet.

Buster!
Hi honey, how are ya?

Go see Jimmy.
Buster.

[Cell phone rings]

Hey, Lee...

(Lee)
Ellen, he's gone.

Oh.

Okay.

Okay, yeah.

Mama, what?

Okay, I'll talk
to ya later. Thank you.

What is it?
What happened?

Come here,
honey.

It's okay!

[Marching band music]

[Crowd cheering]

Can we get some
water over here?!

Mitchell!
Bring US some water!

[Marching band music continues]

Here we go.

You okay?...

Yeah.
(Quarterback)
Hut... hut...

Fumble!

Oh, what is wrong with you?

Uh oh.

(Coach)
That's the last time

this boy's gonna
mess up a game.

Get him off my field!
Now!

Dad's not gonna
be happy tonight.

Come on!

Defense, come on
lets go!

(Jake gardner)
That's a good fumble, hal.
I bought it.

Totally believed it.

You boys did a good job.
Make me proud.

It's all there, Brian.
Don't insult me.

Right. Of course.

You boys ready to make
some real money?

This isn't?

It's milk money, son.

All right, we're listening.

I got a shipment of blow
coming into town next week.

I wanna move it
through your school.

See, I figure ya'll got
some rich townie kids

looking for some excitement
on the weekend,

and little old Jake here
can help 'em with that.

Uh, look man,

fixing a few games is
one thing, but coke?

Sorry man,
we're not dealers.

What about you hal?
Is that how you feel about it?

Yeah.

I can understand that.
All right, fair enough.

Let me explain
something to you, Brian.

You're criminals now.

Fixing games is illegal,
just like dealing.

Except dealing...

Dealing's gonna make you
a whole lot more money.

Right, Brian?

Yeah, right.

Yeah. Better wipe
that look off your face boy.

Jimmy! Come on!
Let's go!

Come on,
let's get going!

Now what are we
gonna do about this?

Why don't you boys run along.
Run along!

(On the phone)
This is deputy askew.

Hey garret, it's Ellen.

I just wanted to let you know
that Jimmy is on his way over.

Great, I got the cars
ready for him.

Thank you so much.

You bet.

Bye Jimmy! I'll be here
when you get back!

Bye mama,
I love you!

I love you too!

Hey, stop at the
stop signs all right!

And look both ways!

Yeah, okay!
Okay.

Something wrong
with my tire!

Could use
a little help!...

That you, Jimmy?
Hi buddy.

Hi Jake.

Wanna have a look there
and tell me what ya,

what ya see wrong?...

What do ya think,
huh?

I don't see anything...

Yeah, yeah I couldn't
figure it out either.

No, wait, I don't, I don't
wanna ride in the truck.

I wanna ride my bike.

Shhh, shhh, get in
the truck Jimmy.

Get in the truck.

[Jimmy whimpering]

Quiet down,
Jimmy.

Hey Jimmy.
It's all right.

Just a quiet cabin
in the woods.

You and me.

Now, if I take that
gag out of your mouth,

you gotta promise me,

you ain't gonna
make no words,

you ain't gonna say nothin',
unless I tell ya.

(Muffled) Okay.

[Stomping]

You're not listening,
Jimmy.

You ain't gonna say nothin',
unless I tell you.

All right?

You listening to me?

Yes sir.

Yes sir.
I like that Jimmy.

That's how it's gonna be
between you and me.

Yes, sir.

Hey Ellen,
it's garret,

I thought you said Jimmy
was coming over a while ago.

Do you want some?

Y-Yes.

Cause that lady in court,
she said you scared of water.

You scared of water?

Well, yeah. That's okay.

Tell you what, I'm gonna
give you a little bit,

if you can answer some
questions for me.

All right?
How'd that be?

Okay.

Who are hal shanks
and Brian brown?

Brian is the quarterback
for the football team,

and hal is the running back.

You ever hear them
say my name?

Yes, sir.

When?

When I was in
the locker room.

They said that you
would give them $1,000

to fix the football game.

But, I didn't know that
it was broken though.

Right, right.

You tell anybody
about that?

No, sir.

No?

What about last night
after the game?

Was that you outside
the can listening to US?

Yes, sir.

Yeah, I thought so.

So, you heard me then.

You tell anybody
about that?

No, sir.

Listen carefully now, Jimmy,
because I don't like liars.

I don't like
liars no ways.

You understand me?

You know where liars go?

Lake of fire.

That's right, Jimmy.
Liars burn in hell.

Hey... it's okay.

Okay.

Because I believe ya.
I sure do.

We're gonna keep it
between you and me.

Just like that.

Okay.

Okay?

Yeah.

Good.
Okay.

Let me fix those for ya.

Can you take me
home now?

Now Jimmy... that
is the wrong question.

Okay.

'Cause you ain't never
going home again, Jimmy.

Okay, but I just want
my mama!

What did I say about
talking out of turn boy?!

[Jimmy whimpering]
Shut your mouth.

Shhh. All right,
all right, all right.

Shut your mouth.

Who's is it?

Sounds like there's somebody
listening outside.

Maybe we should go find out
who that is, don't you think?

You just stay right here.

[Jimmy whimpering]
Shhh!

Hello?

Shhh, not another word,
understand? Shhh.

Hello?
[Knocking]

I should not have let him
bike there on his own.

It's not your fault, honey.

Ellen I promise you,

every squad car in the
area's out looking for him.

(Radio dispatcher)
We just received a call

reporting suspicious activity
behind webb's pond.

A silver dodge ram
with Georgia plates
is parked outside

a cabin with a child's bicycle
in the bed of the truck.

The plates are registered
to a Jake garner.

10-4. En route.

Whoa, I can't let
you come, Lee.

He's my son,
you have no choice.

This is deputy askew.
Be advised.

I'm en route to webb's pond.
Emergency traffic.

In reference to
the silver dodge truck
near the back entrance.

Leaving from Georgia street.

Come on, Jimmy!

Lets go son!

[Jimmy crying]

All clear!

Hey, Lee?!

Come on, lets go!

Whoa, whoa, whoa,
look it's garner's truck.

Lee promise me, when we get out,
you stay behind me.

What do you think?

Gotta be this way!

[Sighing]
[Jimmy whimpering]

You know I heard about you
and your granddaddy down here

winning second prize
in that fishing contest.

That was a real shame he died
on you the next day, huh?

So, I guess it makes
sense though,

that you decided to
take a sentimental

kinda ride on your bike.
Come on back down here.

But unfortunately, you just
weren't too careful, were you?

And you lost your balance,
and you and your bike.

You fell in the water.
Yeah.

Jimmy, shhh, I hate to tell
you this, but... you drowned.

No! No! No! No! Noooo!
[Screaming]

Garner!
Drop him garner!

[Gunshots]

Jimmy!

Garner!

[Empty gun chamber]

Garner! Get down!

Daddy!

Get down boy!

Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!

Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!

You're almost there,
Jimmy!

Yeah!

How's that leg doing?

Ah, it's getting better
all the time.

You know,
you done good up there.

Here you go, sheriff.

Thanks, Lee.

You should be proud
of your boy, Lee.

He's done a good
thing for this town.

Yeah, for me too.

Lee, for a boy
who doesn't swim,

how did he find you at the
bottom of that pond so quickly?

That's true,
that water was so murky,

I couldn't see past my hand
when I pulled Jimmy out.

Well, he said a watcher
led him to me.

Did you see this watcher?

No. But if Jimmy says
that's what happened,

that's good enough for me.

That's great, son!

(Mama)
Good job, Jimmy!