Mr. and Mrs. Loving (1996) - full transcript

A moving and uplifting drama about the effects of interracial marriage in the 1960s. Friends since childhood, and loved by both families, this couple are exiled after their wedding and have to wage a courageous battle to find their place in America as a loving family.

♪♪

How do?

How do, there do.

Richie!

Hey, Mrs. Jeter.

Ow, that's hot!

Take that on up to the barn,

will you?

[laughing]

[indistinct chatter]

Good to see you.



[lighter clicks]

♪♪ [Roy Milton's

"Milton's Boogie" playing]

♪ That's all right, baby

♪ That's all right for you

♪♪

♪ That's all right, baby

♪ That's all right for you

Yeah, yeah!

We gonna have a wang-dang-doodle

tonight!

Hey, Mr. Jeter!

How you doin', man?

[indistinct chatter]



Mmm! Mm-mm.

♪♪

What you feelin', girl?

[indistinct chatter]

Hey, boy, where you been?

I was out back.

Look here.

Whoa, Norma!

[laughing] Hey, Richard!

Go ahead on.

Nah, you were here first.

Go on.

No, no.

[laughing] No.

Oh!

[shrieks]

Yeah, come on, y'all.

[indistinct chatter]

Look at you.

Ain't you something?

[indistinct chatter]

Whoo!

Yay! Aah ha ha!

Whoo!

♪ Yes, I know

♪♪

♪ Baby, baby

♪ What's the matter now

♪ Baby, baby

♪ What's the matter now

Bean?

That you, bean?

Yeah.

Say what?

Yeah, it's me.

Hey, Joe!

What happened to String Bean

here?

That be nature, man.

[laughing]

♪ That's all right for you

♪♪

♪ That's all right, mama

♪ Most any old way you do

♪♪

♪ Got wings like a devil

♪ Shaped like a frog

♪ But when she starts lovin'

♪ Holler, "Ooh, hot dog"

♪ I love my baby

♪ Better than I love myself

♪♪

♪ Come to find out baby's

♪ In love with someone...

[car engines rev]

[applause]

[tires screeching]

[track announcer] Driven by

Richard Loving from over in

Caroline county.

And the black...

[crowd cheering]

... put 12,000 man hours' work

into her.

And the starter is ready.

[engines revving]

[tires screeching]

Go, Richard!

Go, Richard!

Now!

Go! Go!

[all cheering]

Hyah!

Aaaah!

Richard!

[laughing]

All right!

[engine humming]

[cheers and applause]

Beautiful, beautiful,

beautiful.

Thing of beauty, thing of

beauty, man.

That was great, man.

You shifted at just the right

minute, man, I mean it.

Everything held up good.

That was some sweet shifting,

boy, I taught you well.

I'll tell you the truth.

Motor looks good, too.

Motor looks real good.

Whew!

Boy, you know you came in under

ten seconds.

Load of plywood going out at

6:00 a.m. tomorrow.

Uh...

Yeah, I'll be there.

[snickers]

[sighs]

What Bean say was you got top

eliminator over there.

Well, we was lucky.

Try this here, Richard.

Your mama make spoon bread?

Lucky, hell-- Leonard said

you beat that guy like he was

standin' still!

You get a trophy for that,

Richard?

Give him some tea, Norma.

You want some tea, honey?

Of course he gets a trophy.

Girl, you born slow or

something?

Mama!

Gerald.

Hush, hush, now-- say she

could feel that noise right down

to the bone.

Can I come over and see it

sometime, Richard?

Nobody around here ever won

nothin'.

[slams pitcher down]

My, my, my, ain't you

something tonight, honey girl?

Bean, that's my dress.

Oh, yeah, but it be workin'

on her.

[laughter]

Pa!

Now, everybody hush, now.

Richard, I want you to have her

back at 10:00.

Mama!

[all] Mama!

Well, 11:00, then.

No drinking, no driving fast,

and no you-know-what.

Well, no driving fast, I

ain't going.

[laughter]

That boy is something else,

ain't he?

♪♪ [faint music on radio]

Grape Tru-Ade?

Damn, girl, you sure that ain't

too strong?

I like grape.

Hey, Dexter, I can't find me

no grape soda in here!

My girl says if I can't come up

with one, she's gonna walk home

on-- ohh, ohh!

Help! Help!

Hey, it's got me!

Hey, it's got me!

Ohh! Whoop.

Never mind, never mind,

never mind.

This what you want?

Yeah.

Oh! Oh, no, okay.

All right.

Oh! Well, no, this--

Okay.

[both shouting indistinctly]

Ohh!

[laughter]

Whoo whoo! Hoo!

Whoo! Whoo!

[laughing]

I'll give it to you.

I'll give it to you.

You gotta give me something

first, though.

A nickel.

No, not a nickel.

A kiss.

[chuckles]

Not here.

No? Where?

I don't know.

I do.

[whispers] Come on.

[motor rumbling]

[Santo & Johnny's "Sleep Walk"]

♪♪

Old Civil War road is what

they is.

All in through here.

Yeah.

I been on every one of 'em, I

guess.

My dad let me drive his '39

Plymouth, I'd... sit up on a

Sears catalog.

[both chuckle]

Drivin' around.

What?

Mmm!

[both groaning softly]

I ain't supposed to be doing

this.

Mmm.

I ain't supposed to.

[breathing hard]

Ohh!

Oh, Richie.

Mmm... mmm.

[both moaning]

He measure up from the floor,

and he say, "Adeline, your skirt

two inches too short."

Meantime, he catching a look

right up to heaven there.

I seen him!

I was standing one over.

He had us all lined up like we

was criminals.

Me and Richie doing it.

What?

Me and Richie, we doing it.

Tell me.

Lord have mercy, tell!

Tell me, tell me!

Well, there's this dirt road

he knows about.

And there's this real nice

place, and sometimes we go down

there, and he lays a blanket

out, and sometimes we stay in

the car.

And sometimes, we turn the radio

on and... we do it.

Since when?

Since a while.

How many times?

A night? Or...

A night?!

Okay.

Yeah, sure.

How many times a night?

Well, we done it six times,

once.

Six?!

Shh...

[whispering] Six times in one

night?

[laughing] What is he, off a

spaceship?

[both laughing]

Mama kill you both.

Norma, you ain't gonna tell

her, is you?

Nah.

Promise?

I ain't gonna tell her, Bean,

jeez.

But did you like it?

Yeah.

A lot.

[both laugh]

[engine snarling]

Aaah!

[both laughing]

Let's go again.

Wanna go again?

[giggling]

You ready?

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

Richard, you looking at me.

You said you wasn't gonna look

at me.

Richard!

Huh?

I can't help it.

You're so beautiful.

♪♪

[corn rustling]

[sighs]

Richard...

Bean!

What are you doing out here?

How long you been out here?

A while.

Come here.

What's the matter?

Huh?

Well, you been out here all

night, you're not gonna tell me

what's the matter?

I...

Well, uh, just hang on, okay?

I gotta-- I just gotta go.

I-I'll just be a minute.

Go on.

Huh? Just-- just--

just a minute.

[sniffles]

Gah!

I'm gonna have a baby.

[thudding]

[door creaks]

You mind?

No.

You?

No.

[sighs]

You wanna come in for

breakfast?

[grunts]

Say what?

You can't marry her.

Yeah, I can.

No, shut up!

She's colored, and you ain't.

The end.

No, it ain't the end.

It's against the law, son.

Don't you know that?

Don't Bean know?

She, uh...

I'll just find a church up in

D.C.

What are you talking about?

When's the last time you seen a

white man marry a colored in

Caroline County?

I don't know.

Look at the Broward clan, or the

McNaughtons-- I mean, hell,

they're every color of the

rainbow.

Okay, well, answer me two

questions.

Number one: where do all them

folks live at?

Aw, come on.

I know where they're from.

Pretend I'm from New York

City, okay?

They're from Central Point.

Central Point.

Where nobody comes and nobody

goes, and nobody sure as hell

cares...

and white men been slippin' in

colored beds ever since there

was a white man.

But you tell me...

question number two.

You ever seen any of 'em get

married?

One?

Ever?

It's the right thing to do.

[clock ticking softly]

It... just ain't somethin'

that-- that you do.

Trouble!

Trouble's what I see!

Trouble coming down on us!

How many times I gotta tell

you, honey girl, you gotta stop

and think before you just jump

in like that!

See, Leonard say y'all

can't get married up here

anyways.

Ain't nobody gonna do--

I ain't sayin' nothin' about

you love him or you don't love

him-- now, that's your business.

Course, what you know about

love, I can put in a tiny little

teaspoon.

You tell 'em, Mom.

You children don't know

nothin' about no trouble.

Your lives been too easy up

here.

That's right.

And don't think that I

fault Richard just because you

ain't got the sense that you was

born with.

She just too good-looking.

That's the problem, since she

started filling out--

Mama!

It ain't her fault, Mama.

I know that, but... listen,

what we doin' is we asking you

to just both stop and listen

because it just--

Yeah, listen!

Because we been out there.

That's right.

We seen it!

Uh-huh.

And it just ain't--

It ain't--

It ain't something that you

do!

[all] That's right.

That's the truth-- it ain't

something you do.

Yeah.

Oh, babies.

♪♪

[buzzing]

Uh, come on in.

Hey, Buster, get yourself a

partner, come on!

Why ain't you dancin'?

♪♪

Here you are.

Where was I?

Oh, yeah, so I go across the

bridge, looked him up in the

phone book, the whole thing was

over and done in five minutes.

Oh, it was incredible.

His wife was there.

Between you and I, it looked

like she had a carrot stuck

you-know-where.

[laughter]

But the whole trip, it was under

three hours.

Mmm!

You know that flat part, just

before the bridge?

You know, just right up there?

I had her going up to 80 miles

an hour.

No vibration, nothin'.

All the time, all the time.

Means you be quittin' that

high school, don't it?

Yeah, I-- I guess.

Richard say where he want to

live?

He didn't say nothin'.

Well, there ain't enough room

in his place, not unless y'all

want to sleep in bed with his

mama and daddy.

[silverware clinks]

You tell him, don't ask him,

honey girl.

Okay? 'Cause you gotta learn

to come on out and say what you

want.

Now, you just tell him that

you're coming here to live, and

that's the way it is.

Oh, baby, you stay with me,

okay?

Till you grow into that body of

yours.

[laughing]

Mama...

Well.

Thank you.

[music ends]

[indistinct chatter]

♪ Love, oh, love

♪ Oh, precious love

♪ Mm-mm-mm

[both] ♪ Love, oh, love

♪ Oh, precious love

Come on, Pa.

[all] ♪ Love, oh, love

♪ Oh, love

[all] ♪ Oh, precious love

♪ Precious love

[all] ♪ Look what

♪ Precious love

♪ Has done for me

Come on, Bean and Richard.

Come on, it's your dance.

[all] ♪ If I could sing

♪ Like a morning dove

♪ Like a morning dove

[all] ♪ If I could sing

♪ Like a morning dove

♪ Morning dove

[all] ♪ If I could sing

♪ Like a morning dove

♪ I'd sing for everyone

♪ In love

♪ Everyone in love

♪ I'd sing for everyone

♪ In love ♪

[cheers and applause]

♪♪ [lively fiddle music]

Hold on, now!

[loud thud]

[grunts]

What?

Who's the woman you're

sleeping with, son?

What?

I'm his wife.

Not here, you ain't.

Let's go.

♪♪

[handcuffs clinking]

♪♪

Mama, do I have to go?

[crying] Oh, baby.

[sobbing]

[whispering] Richard.

Richard.

Yeah, I'm here.

What do we do?

[sighs]

[door clattering]

[keys clinking]

Come here, boy.

Let's go.

They lettin' us out?

Where you going?

Here, son.

Here's your papers.

Now go on home and behave now,

you hear?

Go on!

What about her?

Come on, son, let's go.

Upstairs.

Be a good man.

Richard!

Richard!

[indistinct chatter]

[indistinct chatter]

[indistinct chatter]

[man coughs]

... that door over there, and

he's gonna sit down.

And what he'll say is,

"Defendants rise," and you two

are gonna stand up, and I'm

gonna stand up with y'all.

And I'll be right there next to

you.

Now, what I want you to do is

look straight ahead, look him

right in the eye, and don't look

at each other.

I don't want you to act...

married.

What I want him to see is two

young people standing there

separate, with their whole lives

in front of them.

Are you listening to me?

Be upstanding in court.

Defendants rise.

On the count of

Miscegenation, I find defendant

Richard Perry Loving and

defendant Mildred Dolores Jeter

guilty as charged.

[all gasping]

To be remanded to the state

penitentiary system for a time

of not less than one nor more

than three years.

No!

However...

I'm gonna go ahead and suspend

the sentences... provided both

defendants leave Caroline County

and the state of Virginia...

forthwith, and do not return

to said state and county

together for 25 years.

[all gasp and murmur]

Almighty God created the races.

White, black, yellow, Malay, and

red.

And he placed them on separate

continents.

And but for the interference

with his arrangement, there

would be no cause for such

marriages.

The fact that he separated the

races shows that he did not

intend for the races to mix.

Case closed!

No!

[courtroom murmuring]

[sighs]

Richard.

Take care of her, you hear?

Or so help me, I'll get out my

bird gun and I'll come find you.

[indistinct chatter]

I'll see you Sunday up at

Colonial Park.

Ain't no God damn law against me

coming back alone.

No, sir.

Nothing's changed.

Nothing's changed.

[car horn honks]

Told you this'd happen.

[car engine revving]

Bye, Ma.

[car door squeaks]

[engine starts]

Call soon as you get there,

all right?

[crow caws]

I didn't tell you.

It's okay.

No...

I thought if we went and got

married up in DC, nobody would

care, you know?

It's okay.

They wouldn't bother to come

after two people like us.

It's okay.

I'm sorry, babe.

♪♪

Go on.

Bean...

No... you go on.

[children laughing]

Come on, you gotta see.

It's... more than we hoped for.

It's too much money, but it's--

They got a toilet right next to

the bedroom.

It's pink.

Pink!

Well--

This is a restricted

building, Mr., uh...

Do you know what that means?

Well, it means that you can't

rent an apartment here if

you're, if--

if she's with you.

You're just looking in the wrong

part of town, that's all.

I'm just telling you for your

own good, so you don't go off

and put somebody else through

this, okay?

Why don't you go over and look

someplace like Shaw?

Shaw, can you remember that?

It's a whole lot cheaper there,

too.

You go and, uh, tell your...

My wife.

Whatever you think best.

I won't say anything.

Come on, too much money.

♪♪

[children playing]

[Richard sighs]

That the last one?

It's better than the last ten we

seen.

Another paper come out

tomorrow.

You wanna sleep in the car

again tonight?

Why can't we just go back to

the first one we seen?

I mean, one room'll do for

now.

By the time the baby come,

you'll have work.

We can get a one-bedroom, and

the park is just right across

the street.

All I gotta do is walk the baby

across the street.

I don't need a car or nothin'.

They won't have you, Bean.

Don't you understand that?

They won't have you.

I mean, why do you think these

people live here?

You think they want to live

here?

Who the hell'd want to live in

this place?

God damn son of a bitch!

[indistinct street chatter]

[brush scrubbing]

[water trickling]

How'd you do?

[sighs] I don't know.

I went clear into Maryland.

Nobody's hiring.

Place looks good, babe.

[water sloshing]

Got a race up at Colonial.

Listen to your radio shows,

okay?

I won't be late.

Say hey to Leonard for me.

All right, will do.

[car driving by]

♪♪ [radio playing R&B]

[car horn honking]

[street chatter]

Hey, bro, good to see you,

man!

Wondered when you was back in

town.

That's mine!

Excuse me one second.

Yeah, sure.

All right.

Later.

Howdy.

Hey there, I'm Blue.

Hey.

Blue Conklin.

His name's Irving, honey.

Least that's what his mama call

him when he-- he come out.

The ugliest baby born that year,

as I recall.

[laughter]

And don't you go giving him

another minute of your precious

life, darling.

It's almost 2:00-- ain't you

forgetting about your TV

stories there, Sophia?

Sophia's the name.

He got that part right.

And this here is the Wilder

sisters-- Leeanne and Marcella.

Oh, I guess, uh, her mama

and daddy didn't give her no

no name at all.

Oh! Um...

I'm Mildred.

Mildred Jeter.

Loving.

Mmm... Loving.

Shut up.

You ever had your hair done,

sugar?

They's hairdressers, both of

'em.

Out-of-work hairdressers.

Oh, and you ain't?

Oh, I work-- you know good

and damn well I work, girl.

"Slick"...

S.C.L.C.

Southern Christian Leadership

Conference.

That's Martin Luther King's

people.

Mm-hmm.

[Wilders] Martin Luther King.

You heard of the King.

You do know what the Civil

Rights Movement is?

I ain't sure.

Well, I bet you know what

black and white together is!

[laughter]

Oh, you mean Richard?

Mm-hmm.

Oh, well, he ain't-- I mean,

he's just Richard, that's all.

I knowed him all my life.

His best friend, Leonard

Johnson, he's a colored man.

Negro.

That's right.

He's darker than me.

See, back where I come from,

in Central Point, there's white

and there's colored right next

to one another.

Always been, all my life.

That's the way it is.

On the moon, that's the way

it is, girl.

No, that's the way it is.

Well, it ain't here.

Mm, sure ain't.

Here, you live in Shaw.

And your skin is black.

And that's the way it is.

[Wilders] Mm-hmm.

Don't think about going down

to Georgetown.

It don't matter if you got the

money for one of the

restaurants.

You go down there, and them cops

are gonna come down on you.

And that's the way it is.

You wanna know what my job is?

I'll tell you: I walk into a

luncheon counter, and I sit in

the whites-only section, and I

sit in the front of the bus,

and I even go down... to

Virginia, and I piss in a toilet

that don't say "colored."

Right in, right in.

Now, I ain't never heard of

no Central Point, and I'm having

a hard time believing that there

is a place where whites and

Negro, don't make no difference.

But you here now.

You gotta look around and open

your eyes, heh, and recognize,

heh, the eeevil...

I say, the...

[all] Eeevil...

... that lies, heh, before

you, heh.

You gotta fight, heh, for your

right, heh.

You gotta fight, heh, for your

life, heh.

You gotta fight, heh, like, we

all doin', heh.

♪ You and you and you and you

You all gotta fight.

And, girl...

your face...

a bottom like yours...

you got half the damn battle...

licked.

[Wilders laugh]

All right, Irving.

That'll do with that.

[bell jingling]

[indistinct chatter]

[laughter and chatter]

Ooh, Sophia, I ain't had

chicken this good since my mama

used to...

[indistinct chatter]

Hey, Richard!

How'd you do?

Come over here, I want you to

meet my friends.

This is Sophia and Leeanne and

Marcella and Blue.

They come over here after you

left.

Mi-Mildred says you racing

cars today.

Yes, ma'am, yeah.

Excuse me.

Talk to my wife.

Bean.

He must have lost.

I wanna thank y'all.

Richard--

Hold on, hold on, hold on.

Now, grab that chair right

there.

Go on, go on-- grab that chair.

Just bring it right over here.

Just right about there.

Give me that piece of chicken.

Now, you sit down.

Ask me how I done at the races

today.

Richard--

No, go on, ask me how I done

at the races.

How did you do at the races?

I got a job.

A job!

That's right, ain't no

joyride down there, Bean.

I'm telling you, I got

connections, and one of 'em,

Thad Harper-- he's the old guy

that drives the Twister, right?

Uh-huh.

Well, he come up to me and

says, "Heard about y'all's move.

And I know how hard a place DC

can be and-- you know, he lives

here, right?

And he says, "You looking for

work, I got it."

Now, I don't say nothin', you

know.

I'm too proud, right?

But Leonard, he don't care, so

he says, "Damn right the boy

needs work.

He got a baby on the way and

everything."

So That hires me right there,

boom, just like that.

[gasps]

Well, what kind of job?

The kind that pays a buck 25

an hour.

That's 50 bucks a week, 200 a

month, Bean-- we're rich.

I'm telling you, we're gonna

make it here.

Oh, Richard!

Whoa, hold on, hold on.

Um, um, you just...

Oh, stay right there.

A TV!

Ohh, my Lord!

Yeah, now go on, sit down,

right there.

A TV!

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

There we go.

Oh, oh, oh, uh...

You don't wanna touch it.

Just...

Oh.

Uh, fix the static.

There we go.

Yeah.

It's not a new TV.

♪♪ [orchestral music]

[woman on TV] I love you,

too, but... it scares me.

♪♪

But it is a wonderful feeling.

It's wonderful you're here.

And I can hold you, I can--

I can see you.

And I can hold you next to me.

Oh, Angela, if I could only tell

you how much I love you.

If I could only tell you all.

Tell mama.

Tell mama all.

♪♪

[crickets chirping]

Sophia... it's time.

We goin' to the hospital now.

[dog barking]

I just want her to know we was

leaving.

[groans]

Good luck, honey girl!

Good luck now!

All right.

Happy landings!

[giggles]

Good luck!

Thanks, Sophia.

It's gonna be all right,

dear, it's gonna be all right.

It'll be all right.

[engine starts]

It's gonna be all right!

She's my wife!

She's my God damn wife!

She has the same rights I do!

Sir, listen to me!

No, you'd take me if I was

sick-- take a look at her, God

damn it!

I told you, this is a private

hospital!

It don't matter, she needs

help now!

Freedman's is over on "H"

Street, they'd be happy to take

her there.

No! No, I ain't going to

another God damn hospital!

This is the God damn hospital!

I'm staying right here!

They will be happy to take--

She has the same rights I do!

Stop it! Leave him alone!

The same God damn rights I

do!

Out!

Stop it! Move it!

No, stop!

Come on.

Come on!

You all rot in hell!

[tires screeching]

Oh, Lord God Almighty!

Oh, Richard, hurry up.

[sobbing] Hurry up!

[gasping and groaning]

I think you're in the wrong

hospital!

She's having a baby!

She's bleeding!

She's bleeding... come on.

Oh, Jesus, Lord.

Oh.

Don't you worry about a thing,

baby.

We've got you.

[wailing]

Watch it, we're coming up to

a corner here, baby.

[gasping]

Go to the desk, sir.

Go to the desk.

No, I'm staying right here

with her.

You got to fill out the form,

sir.

Oh, Richard...

Come on, sir, you gotta check

her in.

You're fine, baby.

Come on, she'll be fine.

[indistinct chatter]

[PA] Dr. Kelly, please call

the operator.

[indistinct chatter]

♪♪

[chuckles]

Hold on.

We gonna call your grandma

Jeter.

Girl, go in.

[girls] M-I!

Crooked letter, crooked letter,

"I"!

Crooked letter, crooked letter,

"I"!

Humpback, humpback, "I"!

M-I-S-S...

[overlapping chatter]

[chanting continues]

[line ringing]

[man on phone] Hirams.

Mr. Hiram?

Hi, it's Bean Jeter.

I think my mama's supposed to

be--

Bean, how you doing?

Yeah, she sure is, honey.

Now, don't you go nowheres, now.

Honey girl?

Hey, Mama!

Oh, darling, how are you?

I'm fine, Mama, I'm fine.

Everybody here is good.

Uh, what?

Did you get the pictures I

sent?

Oh, did we!

And that baby, he's just a

wonder!

Ain't he something, Mama?

He's with me right now, sleeping

just like a little angel.

Ohh, heh.

And how are you and Richard

doing?

We're fine, Mama.

We're fine.

Yeah, well, what do you do

with your days then?

I mean, you all alone when

Richard go off?

No, no, no.

I-- I got my friends.

Uh, they're real nice people.

They gettin' me into civil

rights.

What?

You ain't marching, are you,

baby?

No, no, I ain't, Mama.

It's just that...

Negroes gotta stand up, is all.

I mean, we can't let 'em keep us

down forever.

Well, what did Richard say?

Well, he got his, you know,

his-- his car racing and all.

He don't mind that?

Uh... he...

He loves the baby.

Well-- well, all right.

That's good, that's good.

[operator] Deposit 75 cents

for the next three minutes,

please.

No, no, no, no, don't do it.

No, no, Mama, wait.

[coins clinking]

No.

Ma-- hello, hello?

Mama, hello?

I'm here, honey.

I-I don't think you should be

spending your money, though.

No, no, Mama.

I just-- I just wanted to say

good-bye, is all.

Oh...

Sure, okay, then.

Kiss Papa for me?

I'll do that.

Write often, honey.

[crying] Okay, well, um...

I guess it's good-bye.

Uh, honey girl...

Now, you would tell me if you

wasn't okay, wouldn't you?

No, no, Mama, I told you.

We're fine.

We're fine.

It's just that, uh...

Oh, I miss you, is all.

Oh, baby.

Well, all right, um...

I'm gonna go now, Mama.

Okay? Uh... bye, now.

Okay... you take care now,

hear?

Bye.

[click]

[children chattering]

All right.

We won't go too fast.

Okay, next one.

Oh... it's okay.

[on TV] ♪ We shall overcome

♪ We shall overcome

All right, does everybody

like egg salad?

Uh-huh.

Leeanne, you got the ham,

right?

Mm-hmm, got the ham, got the

chicken, got the sandwich

spread.

Okay, what else?

All right, anybody seen King

yet?

No.

Oh, wait a minute.

There he is.

Right there.

Oh...

[laughter]

You don't know.

I do know, Sophia.

Hell, I met the man.

Oh, please, Blue.

Okay, okay, let's just go.

I'm about peeing in my pants

with excitement.

Okay, what about Sidney?

Are you dry, doll baby?

He's dry as a bone, honey.

Just open that little spot.

Richard, where he at?

Richard, come on.

Come on!

[overlapping chatter]

You can see it 1,000 times

better right here.

I mean, look at all them people.

How you gonna get by all those

people?

It don't matter.

It's different, Richard.

Yeah, yeah, you know, it's--

it's worse.

It's Dr. Martin Luther King,

Richard, come on.

Come on, y'all, grab the baby.

Let's go.

We gonna miss the damn

speech.

All right, let's go.

Let's go.

Come on, now, hurry up.

Why don't you go on ahead.

No, it's okay, go.

I gotta work anyway.

This ain't no holiday.

Oh, sure it is, man.

Sure it is.

It's Martin Luther King Day.

Yeah.

[laughter]

Richard...

Go on ahead.

Richard!

Y'all go on.

Oh, no, you gonna come with

us.

Sophia, take Sid, now.

I want him to see Dr. King.

Aw, Bean, come on, you can--

Come on, y'all we're gonna be

late.

I don't understand...

Oh, my goodness.

Come on, girl, let's go.

Be careful.

Martin Luther King: Let us

not wallow in the valley of

despair.

[applause]

So even though we face

the difficulties of today and

tomorrow, I still have a dream.

Woman: Yeah!

It is a dream deeply rooted

in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day...

Woman: Yeah!

...this nation will rise up

and live out the true meaning of

its creed.

We hold these truths to be

self-evident that all men are

created equal.

[cheers and applause]

I have a dream that my four

little children will one day

live in a nation where they will

not be judged by the color of

their skin but by the content of

their character.

I have a dream today!

[cheers and applause]

I have a dream that one day,

one day right there in Alabama

little black boys and black

girls will be able to join hands

with little white boys and white

girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

[cheers and applause]

King: This is our hope.

This is the faith that I go back

to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able

to hew out of the mountain of

despair a stone of hope.

With this faith, we will be able

to work together, to pray

together, to struggle together,

to go to jail together, to stand

up for freedom together, knowing

that we will be free one day.

And when we allow freedom ring,

when we let it ring from every

village and every hamlet, from

every state and every city, we

will be able to speed up that

day when all of God's children,

black men and white men, Jews

and Gentiles, Protestants and

Catholics will be able to join

hands and sing in the words of

the old Negro spiritual, "Free

at last, free at last.

Thank God Almighty, we are free

at last!"

[cheers and applause]

And we gonna swing on

the monkey bars.

I don't know if you can play in

that sandbox, but we gonna try.

Wait, look, here the mailbox.

You see the mailbox?

Let's mail the letters.

Let's mail the letters!

Okay.

Now, this one is to the electric

company.

Put it in there.

They make the stove work.

This to Grandma Jeter.

[baby cooing]

Yeah, that's mymama.

And this is to Grandma Lovin'.

Mail that.

I want them to know how it went

with Mr. King yesterday.

And here, this one.

One more.

There you go.

That's just...

Nothing.

[approaching footsteps]

[door opens]

Whatcha doin' here?

I been laid off.

Oh, no, why?

I don't know.

You know what I'm guessing?

I'm guessing it's because of

the march.

No.

Oh, they think I went.

But you didn't go.

They think I went.

Richard, you can't tell by

that.

No, I can't, just like I

can't tell who turned us into

the sheriff back home...

if anybody did.

But I do know one thing and that

is that I might have worked.

And we got flat nothin' in

the bank, and they're come down

here the end of the month and

put us out on the goddamn

street.

That I can tell you.

[exhales]

[engine revving]

[tires screeching]

Man.

I mean, it's what you do, son.

Hell, I can't drive her.

You can drive her.

Not like you.

No, sir.

Look, if you just need a loan--

No loan.

No.

Damn.

I figure, uh, half the car

and all the work we put in and

all-- right around $2,000.

Probably more.

I don't need it all now.

I ain't got it all now.

You sure you gotta do this?

Yeah.

[tires screeching]

[engine revving]

[engine revving]

[tires screeching]

[women screaming]

Stop it, stop it!

[all shouting]

Stop it!

Richard, stop, goddamn it!

Get in the house!

Get in the house!

Make you feel like a man,

boy, huh?

This a Blue neighborhood, boy!

Yeah, go on in the house.

[glass shatters]

Jesus.

Richard!

Why did you do that for?!

Richard, damn it, get out here!

What did you do that for?

Are you crazy?

You must be going crazy, 'cause

that man, he ain't done nothin'

to you.

Those are my friends, the only

friends I got in this whole ugly

rotten, rotten city.

And you can't-- you ain't

allowed to cause them no harm.

They are my friends.

Your friends, why do you

think those people come over

here in the first place?

'Cause they got nothing better

to do, that's why.

They love to come over here, sit

on their fat asses, and listen

to the country girl from

the boonies tell all our goddamn

family secrets.

That ain't true.

Blue, what the hell's he

think he is, in some goddamn

Sidney Poitier movie?

But he's got you going, doesn't

he?

He can touch you and do--

He don't touch me!

No, he's a goddamn pimp, for

Christ's sake.

Ain't you learn nothin' here?

You!

You ain't learned nothin'.

Who reads the papers in this

house?

Who watches Cronkite in this

house?

Not you.

You tell me what you know about

our civil-rights struggle,

which is what Blue walk on each

and every day of his life.

And because he's colored Negro

and he dress fine, you wanna go

and you wanna call him a pimp.

Well, that is just too damn

ignorant, Richard.

Meanwhile, what do you do with

your life?

You leave me here to set here

all alone.

You don't care about me.

You don't think about me!

All you care about is your

little silly goddamn racecar.

I sold the goddamn car, okay?

I sold the car 'cause I'm a man.

And I take care of my family.

And I work at that job every day

for three years where every

single day they call me "boy."

And I watch you take that

paycheck, go out and buy crap

put on your face, so I'm ashamed

to be seen in public with you.

That ain't it.

That ain't the truth.

I'm gonna tell you exactly why

you don't wanna be seen in

public with me.

It's because you ashamed to be

seen with a black woman.

Richard, don't you walk out on

me!

Richard!

I'm pregnant.

How long this check keep us?

I don't know.

Give you time to find another

job?

I don't know.

What difference does it make?

Were you gonna leave me?

No.

I don't wanna leave you, Bean.

I wanna leave here.

Where you wanna go?

Home.

They put us in jail if they

catch us.

Yeah, I know.

What they do to Sidney?

I don't know.

You have to leave all your

civil-rights stuff and your

friends.

I like my friends.

I love my family.

I miss my family.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I think...

it's the only place we can live

together.

[sighs]

Come here.

I think it's the only place in

this whole damn world don't

matter what color we are.

Now, tell me I'm wrong.

Tell me you don't see people

staring at us that way.

Colored, white, don't matter.

All the same.

Your friends, when they first

seen me-- exact same way.

And it ain't true, Bean.

I ain't ashamed of you.

Nope.

I just-- I just can't bring

myself to go out there anymore

with you, have people looking at

us that way.

And you do know that look.

You know that look, Bean.

It's a look that make you feel

like you're...

You know, like you're, uh...

A nigger?

♪♪

♪♪

[scoffs]

Okay, Bean.

Wake up, Sidney.

Wake up, honey boy.

We home.

We home, baby.

[dog barking]

Mama, it's us.

Oh, my God.

Looky here.

Oh, my God!

Man!

Oh, my God!

Hey, man, how you doin'?

Hey, boy.

Look at that.

It's Sidney.

Yeah, he's grown half a foot

since you seen him last.

[laughter]

Whatcha all doin' here?

Yeah, so I mean, you got to

stay inside, though, see.

Y'all got to stay inside.

[overlapping conversation]

Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait.

One sec.

I forgot to tell y'all something

extremely important.

I'm gonna have another baby!

[all exclaiming]

[knock on door]

What?

It's okay, it's okay.

It's just the Lovin's.

I seen 'em come up.

Yeah, well, it's a good thing

we got James Bond over here,

ain't it?

[laughter]

Oh, go to Mama there, baby.

There you go!

All right.

Hello, Ma.

Hey, you remember your

grandmama.

Say hi, Sidney.

Oh.

Say hi, baby.

He's beautiful.

Oh.

[crying]

Bean: There's your grandpa.

[all giggling]

♪♪

Bean: Richard, where you

taking me to?

You know we ain't supposed to be

doing this.

Oh, my Lord.

[scoffs]

Come here.

It's cold.

We're still here, okay?

We never left here.

We never went up there.

We never lived there.

It didn't happen.

Okay?

None of it happened.

Except Sidney.

Except Sidney.

Okay?

Okay.

Okay.

It's them, it's them!

Come on, go, go, go, come on!

Come on, y'all, whatcha

waiting on?

Come on, get outta here!

Come on, let's go!

Let's go!

[Sidney whimpers]

[car starts]

Shh.

[siren blaring]

Hey, now whatcha all doing?

Get back in the house now!

Go on!

Get back in there!

Get out!

No!

[all shouting]

Leave him alone!

He's leaving the state.

Come on.

Bean: Come on, don't hurt

him, please.

Sheriff: Take it easy, little

lady.

[grunting] All right.

[Sidney crying]

Sheriff: Harley, go get

everybody's name in the house

there.

I know every--

Harley!

Come here.

Mama: Where are you taking

Richard?

What are you doing?

You know what I gotta do,

don't you?

[panting]

Oh, don't you look at me like

that, boy.

Did I call you all up and say,

"Come on down, we changed

the laws down here"?

Dumb.

Dumb!

Honest to freakin' God, now I

gotta haul you all up to

Greensville for a year inside.

I mean, that's gonna open your

eyes, boy.

[Sidney whimpering]

Damn, with all the

nice-lookin' white girls in this

county, why did you have to go

and marry one of them?

[spits]

Here.

Now listen good, you hear me?

I'm gonna make you a deal.

I'm gonna let you off.

And her, too.

If-- now, there ain't no deal

comes for free.

You gotta end the marriage.

That's the deal.

End it.

Over and done.

Never happened.

I guarantee the judge will be

more than happy to grant you

an annulment.

A little birdy told me.

Okay?

That's the deal.

No negotiatin', no nothin'.

End the marriage.

Or get in the cruiser.

I'm giving you the choice, son.

I don't see there's much choice

in it.

Can I at least discuss this

with my wife?

I expect you're gonna have

to, son.

[door slams]

He asleep?

Yeah.

Good.

He says he'll let us go.

[sighs]

The thing is, uh...

we, uh, we--

The deal is...

we split up.

What?

Yeah.

Split up.

Call it off.

He says, uh, he says the old

son-of-a-bitch judge would be

happy to do it.

And I bet he will.

Bet he will.

But that's...

that's the deal, Bean.

Or we go to jail.

Now, it means, it means you can

stay here.

Just like you used to before.

Like--

Like it didn't happen.

[knock on window]

Richard?

Hang on tight.

[car starts]

All: Go, go!

Go, go!

[all shouting]

[siren blaring]

Go!

♪♪

[siren continues]

Go, Richard, go!

[siren continues]

[tires squealing]

Come on, come on.

[siren continues]

[siren continues]

Wait!

[tires squealing]

[screaming]

Richard!

[siren continues]

Aah!

[laughing]

[cackling]

We did it!

Go, Richard, go!

Catch me now, you

son-of-a-bitch cop!

Catch me now.

[car doors slam]

[sighs]

[children playing]

I'll get the baby.

Sophia: Oh, my goodness.

Where you all been to?

Hey, Sophia.

Some man come by for you.

What did he say?

Y'all settle down now.

Huh?

What'd the man tell you?

Oh, he just lookin' for you

is all.

No, but did he, uh, did he

say...

Did he say he was from

the police?

The what, honey?!

[Sidney whimpering]

Come on, honey boy, now don't

spray it all over.

Here-- oh.

[Sidney whimpering]

I gotta find me a job.

Worry about that tomorrow.

Better worry about it today.

You got any money?

Well, we got nearly a hundred

in the bank.

Oh!

Well, let's buy us a Cadillac.

A red one.

Hell, a convertible.

With white walls.

[knock on door]

You take the baby.

Go in the back.

[Sidney whimpering]

Shh, shh.

[knock on door]

Mr. Loving?

Richard Loving?

My name is Bernie Cohen.

I gave my card to your neighbor.

You weren't here before, so,

uh...

Is this a convenient time?

See, the thing is that I'm so

busy these days, I can only come

by after work.

See?

I'd ask you to my office, but

it's in Virginia, you know, so.

Is your wife here?

She's the one who actually sent

the letter.

What letter?

Letter, the one, uh, Bobby

Kennedy.

Bean!

Bernie: So, um, you sent the

letter, right, to Bobby Kennedy,

and his office, they go through

all his mail and they-- well,

they read yours and they

forwarded it onto the ACLU

office in New York because there

isn't one here, though there

will be, you know.

But anyway, I guess you could

call me a stringer for the ACLU.

Um, I have my own practice.

You looking for a divorce?

I'm kidding.

[chuckles]

Kidding.

Uh, but anyway, I do as much

pro bono work as I can for them.

I believe in them, and I'd like

to work full-time for them, but

I just got married.

And I bought a house, and

the mortgage is killing me.

So, so, so, so.

So!

I told them, "Sure."

I just, you know, come by and

meet you two, get the story, and

see if there's anything, any

legal basis that I can help you

with, okay?

You from the police?

Uh, the ACLU, the American

Civil Liberties Union.

I'm sorry, I thought-- well,

the letter, your letter,

Mrs. Loving, was so eloquent

that I-- I thought you were

familiar with the legal...

you know, the legal stuff.

But you know what, that's not

important.

I'm a lawyer.

I'm here to help you.

The end.

"Dear Mr. Kennedy, yesterday I

seen Dr. King speak.

I'm sure you seen it, too, and

recall him talking about his

dream that in our country, white

folks and black folks should

have the right to join their

hands together.

I'm a Negro woman, and my

husband Richard is a white man.

They arrested us because it is

against the law in Virginia for

us to marry.

The judge made us leave the

state, and now we live here in

Washington, and we don't like

it.

I don't think it's anybody

else's business who I marry as

long as it don't hurt anybody.

And we never hurt anybody in all

our lives.

Can you please help us?

Sincerely yours, Mildred

Loving."

Did you both compose this?

Uh, no, no, she--

Well...

you certainly...

This definitely got everybody's

attention.

But for me to help you, I have

to hear the whole story.

So just begin at the beginning,

and I'm just gonna sit right

here and I'm not gonna say

anything.

I'm just gonna listen.

Okay?

Well, I--

Go ahead.

I known Richard all my life.

And, uh, we started seeing each

other and a while after, I--

She didn't know it was

against the law, see, so I

brought her here to get married.

Because I knew we couldn't do it

back home.

And on our wedding night,

that very same night, they come

right in our bedroom.

Now, we was naked.

They came right in and took us

to jail and left us there.

They let Richard out the next

morning.

Wouldn't talk to me, wouldn't

even look at me.

You know, I asked them as they

letting us out, and they just

walk on by, slam the door, left

me in another week.

Now, it wasn't my fault, see?

I told them to let her out.

She didn't even know why she was

in there.

They didn't tell me.

They didn't tell me nothin' till

the trial.

Didn't let me take no shower.

Didn't give me no clean dress.

It wasn't no real trial

anyway.

The old judge they had, he slept

through most of it.

He had his mind made up anyway.

He gave some speech about God

or something.

What'd he say?

He said, "God made the races

separate on purpose," or some

kind of bull, see?

And then he sentenced us to one

year--

One to three.

That's right, in prison.

And then he said he'd suspend it

if we left the state.

For 25 years.

Twenty-five years in this

place!

Now, think about it.

Think about that!

I'd like to see that judge spend

25 days right here.

And then, so, we, we...

We came here.

And, uh...

That's it.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

Um, thank you.

That was, uh, very clear and...

clear!

That was-- that was...

very clear.

I'd like to... to think about it

and, um, then, um, I'll get back

to you.

Okay?

Uh, thank you.

Okay, okay, okay, all right.

This is what it is.

I'm, uh, I'm like 95% sure about

this, but what we have here is

a Supreme Court case.

[exhales]

TheSupreme Court, you know,

the one down the road?

I don't mean the State Supreme

Court, I mean-- we do have to go

to the State first.

You can't go to the Supreme

Court without first going to

the State.

But that's, that's nothing.

That's a formality.

Hold on, hold on, hold on.

I'm 28 and I have a Supreme

Court case.

You know, you talk about

building a practice.

But, um, anyway...

let me just tell you, what they

did to you... they can't do.

Yeah, but they, uh--

No, I, I, I don't care if

there's some law in some state

which says they can.

According to the Constitution of

the United States of America,

they can't do it.

Believe me, it's a law from

like-- it's one of the last

chains from the slave days.

It won't stand the test.

It's gonna go down, you know,

like a bomb.

Boom!

Okay.

What we have to do is we have to

go back to the same court.

We have to start all over again.

And we're gonna lose all over

again.

But that is exactly what we want

because-- and this is the beauty

of it-- because this is

a civil-rights case.

So the Supreme Court, the feds

here, they have to hear it.

They can't pass on it.

It will go to them.

Your case is gonna go to

the Supreme Court.

And it'll be overturned.

All these racist laws will be

wiped off the books.

But does that mean that we--

Oh, yes, yes, I'm sorry.

You know what, I, I--

Please, um, understand, I'm 28,

you know, and this is the

biggest thing that can happen to

a lawyer.

I said that already, didn't I?

Whoo, I'm sorry.

It means that your sentence is

gone.

It's over.

And there's no ridiculous

medieval banishment, no prison,

no nothing.

You go back home together.

Free at last.

Believe me.

Thank you.

Thank you.

It's my pleasure.

It's my honor.

All right, well, that's all.

That's all I can think of for

right now.

So, um, it's-- oh, great.

I'm late again as usual.

Um, thank you.

It's-- it's been, uh...

How long you think it'll

take?

Oh, uh, well, with a case

like this, uh, you'd have to

file for each one.

You have to wait for a court

date, and there's the research

and the papers.

Um...

[exhales]

You want the truth?

Mm-hmm.

A long time.

How long?

Years.

And you have to be model

citizens the whole time.

You have to obey the laws.

And you have to stay here.

But, but...

if you can do that...

I will win this case for you.

I will.

It's a promise.

Look, here's my card.

It's got my number on there to

office and home.

All right?

Call me.

Will you call me?

Okay.

Listen...

trust me.

Okay.

[panting]

What, Bean?

Oh, God, Richard, he said

the Supreme Court.

Yeah, he said a lot of things

fast.

Well, doesn't that mean--

I mean, if he's right and if

he's good.

Yeah, if he can stand it up

here.

Yeah, then we could go back

home... together with our

babies.

And they couldn't do a thing

about it, could they?

I don't know.

But I'd love to see it.

I'd love to see that skinny old

son-of-a-bitch judge just stand

there and watch us walk down

the street, just like that.

Just like we own it.

And him not allowed to open his

mean, old wrinkled mouth.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I'd love to see that,

boy.

I could die after I seen that.

Hmm.

Call him.

Bean, it's 2:00 in

the morning.

Please?

♪♪

That's what I'll do.

["Turn, Turn, Turn" begins]

♪ To everything

♪ Turn, turn, turn

♪ There is a season

♪ Turn, turn, turn

♪ And a time to every purpose

♪ Under heaven

♪ A time to be born

♪ A time to die

♪ A time to plant

♪ A time to reap

♪ A time to kill

♪ A time to heal

♪ A time to laugh

♪ A time to weep

♪ To everything

♪ Turn, turn, turn

♪ There is a season

♪ Turn, turn, turn

♪ And a time to every purpose

♪ Under heaven

♪ A time to build up

♪ A time to break down

♪ A time to dance

♪ A time to mourn

♪ A time to cast away stones

♪ A time to gather stones

♪ Together... ♪

[music continues]

Bean: Hey.

How you doing?

Oh, my gosh, this Sidney and

Donald?

You boys are getting so big.

Stand up here.

Oh, my gosh, you're getting so

big and heavy.

What are you guys building

there?

How's everything?

We all right.

Richard here?

Yeah, he inside watching

sports.

I think you should get him.

Sidney, go tell your daddy

Mr. Cohen come.

Bernie, Bernie.

How's Becky doing?

Oh, I just got her to sleep.

Oh, she's sleeping.

Mr. Cohen.

Bernie, Bernie.

[sighs]

Okay.

Huh?

That's it.

That's your day in court.

I told you.

You did.

Yeah, you did.

It only took, uh...

Three years and eight months.

Three years, eight months.

Really?

Wow.

[exhales]

So...

you're invited, you know.

It's a show.

Really, it's...

It's history.

Don't you wanna hear me give my

speech?

Oh, yeah, sure we do, uh,

Mr. Cohen.

It's just, uh...

well...

I don't think we could stand

being there.

Okay.

Richard: Mr. Cohen?

Thank you.

All right.

[chorus humming]

That these are the most

odious laws to come before this

court.

They are not concerned with

racial integrity or with racial

supremacy.

They rob the Negro race of its

dignity.

And only a decision which will

reach the full body of these

laws of the state of Virginia

will change that.

If the framers had intended to

exclude anti-miscegenation

statutes, it would have taken

but a single phrase in the 14th

Amendment to do so.

But there is none.

The language meant to include

equal protection for Negroes.

And with that equal protection

comes the right to marry as any

other human being has the right

to marry.

And that is the right of Richard

and Mildred Loving.

To wake up in the morning, to go

to sleep at night knowing...

that the sheriff will not be

knocking on their door...

or shining a light in their

faces in the privacy of their

bedroom.

No matter how we attempt to

emphasize the enormity of the

injustices under this Virginia

statute, no one can articulate

it better than Richard Loving

when he said to me, "Mr. Cohen,

tell the court I love my wife

and that it is just unfair.

And I can't live with her...

back home...

in Virginia."

I thank the Court.

[chorus continues humming]

♪ People, get ready

♪ There's a train a comin'

♪ You don't need no baggage

♪ You just get onboard

♪ All you need is faith

♪ To hear the diesel comin'

♪ You don't need no ticket

♪ You just thank the Lord

[chorus humming]

♪ People, get ready

♪ There's a train to Jordan

♪ It's pickin' up passengers

♪ Coast to coast

♪ Faith is the key

♪ To open the doors

♪ And board it

♪ But there's room for wrong

♪ Among those loved the most

♪ There ain't no room

♪ For you hopeless sinners

♪ Who has spent all mankind

♪ Just to save his own

♪ Believe me now

♪ Have pity on those y'all

♪ Whose chances grow thinner

♪ But there's no hiding place

♪ Against the kingdom's throne

♪ So people, get ready

♪ There's a train a comin'

♪ You don't need no baggage

♪ You just get onboard

♪ All you need is faith

♪ To hear the diesel comin'

♪ You don't need no ticket

♪ You just thank

♪ The... Lord ♪

♪♪