Necessary Parties (1988) - full transcript

(dramatic music)

(tranquil music)

(people arguing)

(door slamming)

(people yelling)

- [Girl] What should I draw now?

- [Boy] I don't know.

- How about a turkey?

- Fine.

(parents arguing)

- Let's say it's the turkey's birthday,



and he's getting completely
tons of presents.

- Fine.

- [Woman] Where are you going?

Answer me.

(door slams)

- So many doors.

- [Woman] I can't stand this anymore.

- Get the orange juice.

- Are you with us?

- I'm with ya.

- [Man] Just checking.

- [Woman] That was not my ball.

(couple arguing)

- Here, eat it.



- What is it?

- It's a very certain dessert,

and you better eat it.

- Maybe later.

- Eat it now.

- Come on, Trudy, it's dirt.

- Pretend.

- Mm.

- Why aren't you playing tennis?

- Beats me.

- We're not drinking our carrot juice!

- Don't ever do that again.

You have no right to
belittle me in public.

- I wasn't belittling you.

I was just trying to bring your attention

to the fact that your
mind was not on the game.

- [Woman] Let's drop it.

- You have every white thing on,

and you didn't even play.

- [Man] No, I'm curious.

Where was your mind?

- [Woman] I don't want to talk about it.

- I have to go to the bathroom.

- I'm covering the net.

I can't be looking back over my shoulder

wondering where you are.

You have to counter.

- [Woman] If you can't see me,

how can you criticize my game?

- I have to go to the bathroom!

- Can you wait until we
get home, sweetheart?

- You'll know when I explode.

(phone ringing)

It's personal (indistinct).

- Hello.

Oh hi, Dan, what's the word?

No, Thursday's no good.

I'll be in Denver.

No, no, I can't today,
I have a lunch meeting.

- [Woman] You have a meeting today?

- [Man] Can we get his
number on the island?

- You have Jenny this afternoon.

- Maybe Rosemary has it.

- Stephen, you have Jenny this afternoon.

- Hold on a minute.

I have a meeting this afternoon.

- [Woman] You never told me about it.

(parents bickering)

- I'm starving to the point of death.

- I'll call you right back.

Why didn't you leave her with Trudy?

- Because you weren't gonna take her.

- I can't cancel my meeting.

- Of course not.

Chris, can you take Jenny?

- I have to hang my art show.

- Well, can you at least get her organized

with Helen or Trudy before you leave?

- What if they're busy?

- Chris, please, we're
in a real bind here.

- Fine.

- [Stephen] You've known about
this meeting for two weeks.

- [Woman] I don't know what you do

from one minute to the next.

- Fine, I'll have Rosemary
run off my schedule

for you everyday.

How would that be, Connie?

Would that make you happy?

- [Connie] Look, I'm not
asking you to do that.

I'm just asking, once in a while,

if you would make things a
little clearer around here.

(parents arguing)

(classical music)

- I want grilled cheese
and chocolate milk.

- In a minute.

- So much fighting.

- Yeah.

Close the door.

- Bad day for bunny.

- They came back.

- Who did?

- The old fish people under my bed.

- Touche, a veritable hit.

- I don't want to see them anymore.

Their dry lips, their
mournful eyes and scaly skin.

- Do they have bodies or only heads?

- Oh, they have bodies all right.

They come from the swamps,

but they don't get to go there anymore.

They're all dried out, clammy.

- Well, maybe you're seeing
into another dimension.

Got you, you're a dead man.

- Bunny's all ripped.

- Die, Ronald, I killed you.

- I want Mommy.

- [Chris] Mommy's not here.

- [Jenny] I want her.

- She'll be home soon.

- Call Mommy.

- [Chris] I don't know where she is.

- She's at slimnasties.

- No, she's not.

She's out working somewhere.

- But where?

- [Chris] Who knows?

- I cut my knee too.

- Time out. (sighs)

How'd you do that?

- I was on the chair sewing
bunny up and spinning

and jumping down to catch him,

and he hit the bookcase, and I fell down.

- Ah, we're going over to Ben's.

You coming?

- I've got Jenny.

- I'm too young to be alone.

It can be dangerous.

- Bring her along.

- It gets too complicated.

- Okay.

See you tomorrow.

- [Chris] So long.

- Fix bunny.

- Not now.

Gotta put something on your knee.

Come on inside.

- I want Mommy.

- So do I.

Come on.

(cutlery rattling)

- Have some more peas.

Everybody's so creepy quiet.

- Your mother and I have
something to tell you.

I'll start.

Then your mother can say
what she wants to say.

First, I want to tell you
that your mother and I

both love you very much.

Let's remember that.

(throat clears)

Your mother and I are getting a divorce.

For a long time now,

Mommy and I haven't been
getting along very well.

There've been a lot of fights.

We don't make each other happy,

and that's not good.

Sometimes, the person you marry changes.

And sometimes you change.

(phone ringing)

But your mom and I have both changed

in the 16 years since we got married.

- [Jenny] The phone is ringing.

- Hello?

I can't talk right now.

I'll have to call you back.

- Mom and I have been
talking about this problem

of us both changing and
what to do about it.

We've been talking about
it for a couple of months.

That's about right, isn't it, Connie?

Anyway, we finally faced the fact

that it's never going to be any different.

- Bunny's leaving.

- You need to hear this, Jenny.

Now sit back and don't
fiddle with the tape.

- Come here, sweetheart.

- It's not healthy for any of us

to be where there's fighting all the time.

Nobody's been very happy.

And what this means, Jenny,

is that I won't be living here anymore.

I'll be living in a different place.

You and I will be living in
the same place sometimes.

And you and Mommy will be living

in the same place sometimes.

But Mommy and I will be
living in different places.

(phone ringing)

- You can't do this.

- Let me finish, Chris.

- No!

We can't talk now.
- Chris, please.

- No!

Jenny and I are not gonna get ripped apart

and played off against you and Mom

and shoved off alone on airplanes

and mixed up over the holidays!

- [Stephen] It isn't
going to be like that.

- Yes, it is!

It's always like that!

- [Connie] Please, Chris,
don't make this any harder-

- I don't wanna talk about it!

- We have to talk about it.

- You're not gonna do this.

(Chris crying)

(gentle music)

- Shh.

We'll get through this, I promise.

- I don't wanna get through it.

- Don't turn on him, Chris.

It's not the way I wanted it.

- Then don't do it.

- Aren't you cold?

- No.

(Connie crying)

- Can somebody help me with Jenny, please?

- What is it?

- She's in her toy chest.

She won't come out.

- Excuse me.

Jenny?

- [Jenny] I'm not here.

- [Chris] Yes, you are.

You're in your toy chest.

- [Jenny] Bunny's in the toy chest.

I'm disappeared.

- They're not gonna get divorced.

If you're worried about
that, you can forget it.

- [Jenny] What if they change
their minds and they decide.

And they're grownups and big.

- I don't care what they decide!

I won't let them do it.

- [Jenny] What can you do?

- I don't know yet.

- Nothing, that's what.

They made up their minds to a stupid way.

So who will take care of bunny?

- You will, just like you always do.

- But I won't be any place.

- You will.

- But no.

If Mommy goes away from Daddy

and Daddy goes away from Mommy,

then I'm on the sidewalk!

- You're not on the sidewalk!

- Don't be mad.

- I'm not mad.

I'm trying to help you.

- You're not doing a very good job.

- Listen, Jenny, no matter what they do,

they're not gonna rip us apart.

I'm gonna be with you,

and you're gonna be with me,

and we're not going to be on any sidewalk.

- Funny Bunny Richardson is the best bunny

in the whole world.

He needs me.

He's the best and helpless bunny.

- Keep up, they're gonna
like catch this crocodile

and bring it back to the zoo

for research or something.

But these other guys
plant dynamite in him.

So he explodes, and he blows
up these two research guys

like the same moment.

- Does he die instantly,

or does he sense his
body parts dispersing?

- Hi.

- Hi.

- What's wrong?

- Nothing.

- Something's wrong, I
feel it in my nerves.

- Come on, now, don't
make a whole big thing.

- Please tell us, we have to know!

I plead with you on bended knees.

- Get up, Haverman.
- Ow.

- What's going on?

- My parents are getting a divorce.

- That's terrible!
- What a drag.

- That's real depressing.

- Yeah, but they're not
gonna get away with it.

- Yeah, I know the feeling.

- Yeah, I went through that
stage too, all three times.

- Yeah, like you wanna stop it,

'cause you think you caused it.

One of my psychiatrists told me that.

- I didn't cause anything!

- You didn't cause anything, ever?

- Shut up, Haverman!

Don't you have feelings?

- Anyway, don't worry about it.

It'll all work itself out.

My dad and my stepmom and
my mom and her boyfriend,

they all started out like fighting,

but now they're all best friends.

They play cards every Tuesday,

and they have like this
timeshare condo in Barbados.

- What are those peaches called?

- What peaches?

- The ones without any hair.

- Nectarines?

- Nectarines!

I couldn't figure out what
the hell they were called!

It's like, oh.

You know how that can drive you crazy?

- You drive me crazy.

My parents are getting a divorce,

and all you can think about is nectarines!

What's the matter with you?

- I'm sorry, it was just, you know,

like I couldn't think.

It was jamming my brain.

Up, Ben, all hands on deck!

Hey, I'm sorry about the nectarines.

- Forget it.

- I get crazy sometimes.

- [Chris] Tell me about it.

- Listen, it's not so bad.

You're gonna get more
attention and presents

and stuff than you've ever had.

It's called guilt.

They're both gonna get it.

They're gonna get it,

and you're gonna reap the benefits.

- Yeah, but then I run the
risk of goin' crazy like you.

- Well, there's that.

- So you see that North Carolina

and Rhode Island had a
whole different idea.

They didn't want any
part of the Constitution

or the new government,

till the Bill of Rights
was proposed in 1789.

Then they got interested.

Ben.

What did you just hear?

- History.

- So far so good.

(students laughing)

Tell me everything you know
about the Bill of Rights.

- It's got 10 things.

- [Teacher] Amendments.

- Amendments, right.

- What else?

- I like it.

- Why?

- It says a lot about a freedom.

- Such as?

- What?

- What does it have to say about freedom?

- I'm a little hazy on the specifics.

- Read it.

- Amy, what is the purpose
of the Bill of Rights?

- The purpose of the Bill of Rights

is to safeguard people's rights

to life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness.

It also prevents the government
from violating these rights.

The first Congress thought

that people have rights that are inborn

and that no one should
be able to deprive them

of these rights.

- [Teacher] Okay.

And how is that accomplished?

- The judicial system, trial
by jury, things like that.

- Mrs. Price?

- [Mrs. Price] Yeah.

- When does this stuff start?

- Rephrase your question.

- The Bill of Rights.

Is there an age you can be when
you don't get those things?

- You mean do kids have legal rights?

- Yeah.

You bet they do.

A lot of them, everywhere
except this classroom.

(students laughing)

(bell ringing)

- How do I find out about that?

- Kids' rights?

- [Chris] Yeah.

- There's a book called "The
Rights of Young People."

Check the library.

If they don't have it,
I can get it for you.

- Thanks.
- Okay.

Where's your Jefferson paper?

- It's in my computer.

I couldn't print it
because it was thundering.

- That's the best one I've ever heard.

? I've got a hunch Esmeralda
is the girl for me ?

? I've got a hunch that these
bells are gonna set us free ?

Guess what, Mr. Stewart says

I'm already better than Charles Laughton.

- Alert the media.

- Ew!

I hate it when cheese sweats.

Look at this, a perfectly decent sandwich

decimated in the heat of my locker.

- Life is hard.

- [Haverman] Hey, how's it goin', Chris?

- Hey.

Are you with your father tonight?

- [Haverman] Um, what day is it?

- Tuesday.

- Uh, yeah, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

It's me, my father and what's her name.

- Sherry.

- Sherry, right?

Why do you want my dad?

- I want to stop the divorce.

- [Haverman] How you gonna do that?

- I don't know yet.

That's why I need to talk to your father.

- You know what he charges?

- No, what?

- 150 an hour.

- Dollars?

- That's even for phone calls.

The phone rings, he picks
up, on goes the timer.

And as the minutes tick by,

there goes your life
savings down the toilet.

- Couldn't I talk to him as a friend?

- He doesn't have any friends.

- Well, don't lawyers
have different prices?

- Yeah they got different prices!

The rotten ones are cheap.

- I know a lawyer in Elmsford.

I dated his nephew.

- $1.50 a minute.

- Sometimes he works free.

- Do-do, do-do, danger patrol.

- No, I think he's sort of
sort of genius or something.

- Well, could you take me there?

- I don't have a car.

- [Chris] We could take our bikes.

- Okay.

- Okay, I'll meet you on
Commodore in half an hour.

What are we doing here?

- [Girl] This is where he works.

- I thought he was a lawyer.

- He is, but he does other stuff too.

Hi, Joey.

- Hey, Marion.

How's your love life?

- I'll tell you later.

Is Archie here?

- Yeah, he's in the office.

- It's not your oil, Mrs.
Winderman, I know all about it.

Check your seat belts, Mrs. Winderman.

If they're not hooked
up, the car won't start.

- Hi, Archie.

This is my friend Chris.

He has to talk to a lawyer.

- Oh, yeah?

Think back, Mrs. Winderman.

Remember last February,

Joey had to pick you up at
Thornwell with the frozen meat?

- Can we take one?

- Go ahead.

- Hook 'em up, Mrs. Winderman.

Try it now.

- Um, can he talk to you, Archie?

- Yeah, what do you want?

- My parents are getting a divorce.

- Joey!

Don't forget the tail lights for the 320i.

- [Joey] Right!

- I want to sue them.

- Hold on.

Start over again, what?

- My parents are getting a divorce,

and I want to sue them.

- Yeah well, what do you
want to sue them for?

- I don't want them to get divorced.

- What do you want to sue them for?

Do you want damages?

Do you want to throw them in jail?

What do you want?

- I want to keep the
divorce from happening!

- [Joey] They sent the wrong mounts.

- For what?

- [Joey] The 320.

- That's the last time I'm
dealing with those guys!

Call up what's his name

and tell him we're gonna
start an account over there!

- So anyway, I don't think
they should get divorced.

- Who's that, your parents?

- Yes.

- [Archie] Why not?

- [Chris] It's a mistake.

- How come?

- They belong together.

- So what are they gettin' a divorce for?

- They're confused.

- [Archie] How do you know?

- They're my parents.

I know them.

- It's a tough situation.

Yes, Mrs. Winderman.

Do me a favor, will ya?

Next time this happens,
check your seat belts first

so we don't have to go
through this every two months.

Good, thank you.

The woman's an idiot.

She ought to have her
license taken away from her.

Joey!

Gotta rotate Barbara's tires!

- Is this a good time?

Maybe we should talk
when you're not so busy.

- I'm always busy.

- I could come back later.

- This is good.

- So what do you think I should do?

- I don't know.

It sounds like a tough situation.

- I wanna stop it.

- How are you going to do that?

- I don't know, that's
what I need a lawyer for!

- Lawyers don't stop divorces.

They like them, they're lucrative.

- So what should I do?

- If I were you,

I'd forget about the whole thing.

You'll never win, but that's
not even my main objection.

- What's your main objection?

- Joey, where's the 9/16?

- [Joey] Right where you left it.

- Can you hear me under there?

- [Archie] Yeah.

- [Chris] What's your main objection?

- Pain.

You fight for something you
believe in, nobody cares.

There's no laws to help you.

It's useless torture.

- I've got rights.

Trial by jury.

Says so in the Constitution.

Justice for all should
mean justice for all!

- Yeah, well, it's the 20th century.

Nobody takes that stuff literally anymore.

- So what am I supposed to do?

Sit by and watch it happen?

I tried those fancy lawyers,

and they charge 150 an hour!

And where am I supposed to get the money?

And then I go to you,

and you say forget it.

And that's supposed to be the end of it?

But I'm right.

That should count for something.

- I agree with you.

- And what about my sister?

She's six year's old, and
she's too young to do anything.

So the hell with her?

Well, I don't like that way of thinking.

I think it stinks.

- So do I.

- So what am I supposed to do?

- Good question.

Come back tonight at
seven o'clock upstairs.

We'll talk some more.

- Benjamin hit me on the nose.

- [Chris] Where's Mom?

- See, he was quite a baby,

but then he hit me on the nose.

- You were at Trudy's?

- Yeah.

Look what Trudy's mom made.

- Guess what?

- It's a vest.

She stitched him too,
but it didn't hurt him.

He doesn't have feelings,
'cause he doesn't have skin.

- I think we have a lawyer.

- Trudy buried her cat in the back yard.

- I had one meeting with him already

and another one tonight.

- He used to snore.

- If it goes good, we
can stop the divorce.

- He was a snoring thing just like dad.

- Did you hear me?

- Turn up muscles.

- What time is it?

- 5:30.

- Oh, God, I slept for three hours.

I have all this work to do.

- Trudy got bad breath.

She stuck lima beans up
her nose, and they rotted.

- Did Jane Marywell call?

- [Chris] I don't know.

- I have two articles due tomorrow.

I'll never make it.

What are you doing?

It's almost supper time.

- I'm not having supper.

I've got homework, then I have a meeting.

I'll be out.

- Out where ?

- I have to see my lawyer.

- What lawyer?

I'm suing you, Mom.

I'm gonna stop the divorce.

- You're not going anywhere tonight.

Chris, I'm talking to you.

- [Chris] I heard you.

- Where are you going?

- To my room.

I'm eating, I'm doing my homework,

and I'm going out!

- [Archie] Okay, start from the beginning.

Slowly, tell me everything that happened.

- Last night, my dad told me and my sister

about the divorce.

He said he and my mom
had tried everything,

and it wasn't working.

But I don't think that's true.

I don't think they've tried everything.

- Maybe they don't love each other.

- They do.

- Not for you!

How do you know?

- I know.

It's not the family that's wrong.

It's the way they're acting.

- How are they acting?

- Different.

- How?

- Archie, sit down.

- We used to do stuff together.

- Like what?

- Like picnics or playing
music or hiking in the woods.

We planted a tree.

We painted the house.

Just the four of us.

- Archie, sit down and listen to him.

Let me take care of this.

- [Joey] I'll help.

- I don't know what happened.

Everything just slowly
started to fall apart.

They got more busy and more grouchy,

and they stayed away more and more.

And now they're never home.

They put all their time and
energy into other stuff.

- Such as?

- Such as making money
and jobs and working

and shopping and jogging
and I don't know what.

They're gonna mess up the
life of my little sister,

and I don't think that's right.

I don't think it's fair.

And I don't think it's constitutional.

- You'll never win.

- Why not?

- Because you're interfering
in the lives of other people.

What they do amongst
themselves is their business.

- Where's the Parmesan?

- It's right here behind the antifreeze.

Lie down!

Lie down!

- Look, maybe I'll look like a total jerk,

but if I feel something is true,

I don't think it's right
to lie about it or shut up.

If a family is breaking up,

and one of the people knows it's a mistake

and sees another person in
the family being hurt bad,

then I think they should do something.

- Yeah.

But if you could force
them to live together,

let's say you could do that,

don't you think they'd stay unhappy?

I mean, wouldn't it be worse?

They'd have no option of living apart.

They'd have no choice about it.

That's a very rough spot to put them into.

- But it wouldn't be like that!

They don't want this divorce!

They're confused.

That happens to people.

It's like the worst
parts of them come out,

and it runs things.

And it's bad, but then it passes.

Haven't you ever had that happen?

You get caught in something,

and it starts running you,

and you can't stop.

They'll see the mistake.

I know they will!

But what if they're already divorced

or married to other people?

What are they gonna do then?

It'll be too late!

I wouldn't be saying
this if it wasn't true!

Please, Mr. Corelli, help me.

I don't know what else to do.

- Well, you got guts, kid,
I'll say that for you.

You're gonna go through this

no matter what anybody tells you.

My advice is to go get a lawyer.

- What do you mean?

I thought you were a lawyer.

- Well, I mean, I have a diploma,

but I don't practice.

- Then what am I doing here?

- You told me you wanted legal advice.

My advice is to go and get a lawyer.

- Well, don't you take cases?

- No.

- Yes, you do.

What are you telling him
things like that for?

- I don't take cases anymore.

- Yes, you do.

What about that man with the tree?

- Yeah, that hermit guy.

- That was four years ago,

and it was a disaster.

- It wasn't a disaster, you just lost.

- And another good man got screwed.

A court of law is no
place for an honest man.

- Oh, Archie, for God's
sake, the boy needs help.

What's wrong with you?

He's got no place else to go.

- Oh, God, it's always
the same damn thing.

Someone screaming in the wilderness,

spitting in the wind, no money.

- I have money.

- You haven't got enough.

- I have $300.

- I don't want your money.

- Oh, the hell with it.

Give me 10 bucks for phone calls.

- All right!

- Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Corelli.

- Drop the mister.

Listen, I gotta tell you up front,

I don't think we'll win.

I don't think we got a chance in hell.

But I like you.

You're honest, you got a point,

and you're gonna make some people think.

I don't mean just your parents.

I mean judges, I mean lawyers,

I mean anybody who hears about it.

What'd you say your name was?

- [Chris] Chris.

- Chris what?

- [Chris] Mills.

- You live in Ardsley?

- Yes.

- Your father own a Saab?

- [Chris] Um hmm.

- With an oil leak?

- Yeah.

- Tell him I can see him Thursday.

- You're my dad's mechanic?

- [Archie] Yeah.

- Oh.

- Okay, how old are you?

- 14.

- 14.

Well, you're underage,

so you need a guardian,

like a grandmother or a
relative or somebody you like.

- We could call the captain.

- [Archie] Who's that?

- He's my grandfather.

He and my dad don't get along too well.

- Perfect.

Call him up.

(upbeat jazz music)

(phone ringing)

- Hello?

What?

Oh, Red Dog!

Say, where's my light house picture?

Talk a little louder, Chris.

I got the music on.

So when's your art show?

Well, you tell your
father to come and get me.

Why not?

Oh, for God's sake.

Well, what the heck's the matter with him?

Look, let me talk to him.

Put him on the phone.

Oh, I see.

Well, anything you say, Chris.

You just let me talk to him first.

- Definitely not!

Dad, there's nothing to talk about.

No, it's really none of your business.

No, you don't know anything about it.

Look, Dad, I can't talk now.

No, I'll have to.

Goodbye, Dad.

Goodbye.

Where have you been?

- Where have you been?

- I asked you a simple question.

I asked it in a nice way.

I'm still your father.

I think I'm entitled to an answer.

(phone ringing)
- I went to see my lawyer.

- Don't get smart, Chris.

- Hello?
- Okay, I went for a walk.

What's the sudden interest?

- Quiet, Jenny, I can't hear!

Can a person talk on
the phone in this house

for God's sake?
- Jenny, your mother's

on the phone!

Come here, honey.

It's 10 o'clock.

You're supposed to be home
by 10 on a school night.

- Right.

And why aren't you supposed to be home?

- (sighs) I'm at the
Holiday Inn in Mount Kisco.

I'm available whenever you need me.

- No, it's in the high school.

I can't get into that right now.

- Smoke, smoke, smoke.

You'll smoke all those
terrible many cigarettes,

and your lungs will turn
brown and shrink up,

and you'll die.

And they'll bury you in Trudy's backyard

with her dead cat,

and that will be very creepy.

- So let me get this straight,

your lawyer works in a garage.

- Yeah.

- I'm not getting a clear picture.

- You don't have a clear
picture of anything.

- This is just true.

Oh, God, I'm aware of my tongue.

You ever had that happen?

- No.

- It's like your entire
tongue is swelling.

- You have to work it out.

- You call that salad?

Where's the lettuce?

Where's the tomato?

Fill the bowl, come on-

- Go!
- Go already!

- [Haverman] Hey, what's up, Ronald?

- [Chris] God, is this disgusting.

Tiny and disgusting.

- [Haverman] Minuscule and gross.

What's that?

- [Chris] Mrs. Price gave it to me.

- I'm gonna go get some more food.

- I wouldn't.

Let me see it.

A child has the right to work.

A child has the right to be
supported by his or her parents.

A child has the right to
sue his or her parents

in the state of New York.

Can I read this when you're done?

- Hi, guys.
- Hi.

- [Haverman] Where were you this morning?

- My dad's alarm clock was broken.

His girlfriend borrowed my clock radio,

'cause she had to get up at like 5:30

to go to Detroit, and-

- Just say you got hung up, Marion.

We don't need to hear all this.

You like to live on that?

- Have a better chance than you do.

Hate to think with that was fried in.

- Don't think.

It's the only way to survive.

So how's it going with Archie?

- I dunno, he's a little weird.

- What's he charging?

- $10.

- An hour?

- No, for the whole thing.

- That's hello for my father.

- Really.

- What's he doin' it for?

- He thinks I'm right.

- So do I.

Gimme 10 bucks.

- Leave him alone, Haverman.

He doesn't need your surly comments.

- He wouldn't change
your oil for 10 bucks.

- Yeah well, he's got principles,

and he likes to help people.

But you want to understand about that.

- I think he's one
pickle short of a barrel.

- You've never even met him.

- The elevator doesn't go
all the way up to the roof.

- Don't talk so much.

Remember your tongue?

- Oh, no.

Here comes Ronald!
- Oh, you didn't

get the chili!
- Why not?

- Oh, my gosh, Ronald!

Come on, put the chili in the basket.

- Why?
- Out.

- Don't you know what they put in there?

- What?

- Please, not while I'm eating.

- What do they put in there?

- Do you remember that dog
in the art lab this morning?

- Come on,

we're tryin' to eat.
- Don't start!

- I liked that dog.

- In the basket, Ronald.

- In the basket.
- Come on, let's go.

(kids yelling)

(kids laughing)

- What an infant.

- All right now.

What's all the screaming?

- Mrs. Sivalo, I scream, you scream,

we all scream for ice cream.

(kids laughing)

Over the line, sir, absolutely.

- Way over.

- It won't happen again.

- You can count on that.

- Right on it.

(gentle music)

- Hi, Chris.

- Hi.

That was nice.

What was it?

- Corelli.

- [Chris] You wrote it?

- Ha, ha, I wish.

That was the real Corelli.

You liked classical music?

- I do, mostly Beethoven though.

- Oh, well, Beethoven.

Whatta you got there?

- A book on kids' rights.

- Oh yeah, you got any?

- Uh, yeah.

- I'm glad to hear it.

(classical music)

(dishes rattling)

- What's going on in there?

- [Archie] I'm making popcorn.

- Oh, that's a whole big thing.

Why don't you just have some ice cream?

- [Archie] Chris wants popcorn.

- Oh, I don't want any popcorn.

- Yeah, you do.

Where's the thing?

- In the closet with the
mops behind the bicycle.

(items crashing)

Do turtles have feet or is it paws?

- I don't know.

Feet, I think.

- I have to make these cutouts,

and I can't remember.

- Are you an artist?

- No, I teach nursery school.

I'm having a turtle party.

- All right.

Okay, let's get to work.

- Okay, Corelli, what's our next step?

What are we gonna do?

- All right.

Now, normally when you try a case,

you're trying to prove something.

You're party A,

and you're trying to prove that
party B caused your injury,

deprived you of your rights in some way.

So what do you do?

- I don't know.

- Law is based on precedent.

So you look up past cases.

That's what all these books are for.

- I'm working here.

- Gimme a minute.

Gimme a minute.

You try and find out

if any past cases are the same as yours.

- Are there any?

- No.

- That doesn't sound good.

- No it's not, it's not good.

If there's no cases like
yours, there's no precedent.

- So what do we do?

- You set one.

Move over!

- How do we do that?

- How do you do what, set a precedent?

- Yeah.

- We gotta prove that
your parents' divorce

is in someway a violation of your rights.

In other words, we've gotta prove

that they're breaking the law.

But we gotta do it in some new way.

Some way that hasn't gone to court before.

- Like what?

- Who knows?

(popcorn popping)

- Oh, for God's sake.

- I got it.

I got it, I got it.

I got it, I got it, I got it.

(dog barking)

Eat it.

When I was in law school,
I had two courses,

tax law and ethical responsibility.

I go down to pick up the books,

the book on tax law is like this.

It's like this.

It cost $75.

And ethical responsibility,
what would you say?

- I don't know.

- A pamphlet, a lousy $2
pamphlet with a soft cover.

And nobody even bothered
showin' up for the course.

What does that tell you?

- It stinks.

- You're tellin' me.

Okay. (throat clears)

Now, first thing we
gotta get you a guardian.

- We already did that.

- [Archie] No, we didn't.

- Yes, we did, my grandpa.

Remember we call him.

- Oh, yeah, yeah, all right, all right

There was something else.

What is it?

- I don't know.

- Well, I know there's something.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Find out if it's uncontested.

- How do we do that?

- Ask your father.

No!

Get away!

Get off a there!

$50 for a squirrel-proof bird feeder,

all I get on it is squirrels.

Go on, take off, get away!

Off, off, off!
(pot banging)

Get outta there!

Take off!

- While a child's wishes
are not controlling,

the current direction of the law

is for the courts to attach
some weight to their position.

- I have to talk to you.

- Some other time, all right?

- Do you know you're gonna
flunk all your courses?

You're not in art.

You're not in chorus.

You're not in Algebra or any-

- I have to work on the case!

- Anyway, there's a
dance a week from Friday,

and you're coming with me.

- I have no time for dancing, Marion.

- You always find a way to weasel out of-

- Look, Marion!

I'm working on the case.

I feel like I'm drowning.

I don't know if Corelli's
doing anything at all!

I'm losing my mind here!

- What's wrong with Archie?

- You tell me.

He makes popcorn, screams at animals,

cooks his socks.

- He's a genius.

That's what they're like.

So what time should I pick you up?

- Hi.

- Hi.

Aren't you supposed to be at work?

- I took the afternoon off.

- How come?

- I needed to.

Can we talk for a minute?

- Okay.

What's this?

- It's the easel I promised
you about six months ago.

I'm very late, and I apologize for that.

- Forget about it.

- It's the portable kind you wanted,

so you can take it to the Met.

- Thanks a lot, Dad.

- You're welcome.

So how have you been?

- Okay.

- Anything good on cable this week?

- Not that I know of.

- (sighs) Listen, I'm not very
good at this kind of thing,

so bear with me.

I mean, we've never had
this kind of relationship,

and I don't want to burden you,

but I've got to be open.

Chris, I'm lost.

I'm 41 years old, and I'm lost.

I don't know who I am.

I don't have a clue.

And that's what this is all about.

Most of it, anyway.

I don't want to lose you
as a son or a friend.

Some of the best times I've
ever had have been with you,

our hikes up the mountain,

our times on Monhegan.

I'm not going to cut myself off from you,

but I just need some time
to straighten myself out.

And if I can't get that,

I feel like I'm gonna drown.

I have to find myself.

I need some space to breathe.

- So?

- Well, I just want some understanding

that I'm a person, that
I have problems too.

- So what am I supposed to say?

Okay, terrific?

Go leave me and Jenny and
Mom and go find yourself?

What good is that?

Are you gonna come back?

If you do learn how to get happy,

then are you gonna come back?

- I don't know what I'm gonna do.

- Yeah.

See, so what good is that?

I want us to be together.

I want it to be like before.

- Well, it can't be.

That's just the way it is.

- Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!

- Hello pumpkin face.

Mwah.

Ugh, ugh.

How was school?

- Stupid, as you would expect.

Inside now.

- Oh, Daddy's not coming
inside, sweetheart.

- Why not?

- Daddy's staying at
the hotel, you remember.

- I love your face.

- Don't do that, honey.

No, that's uncomfortable.

Sweetheart, that hurts Daddy.

Stop now, stop, honey.

I have to talk to Chris.

Jenny, this weekend you can come visit me!

- So how long will it take?

- What?

- The divorce.

- Another couple of weeks.

- Is it uncontested?

- Yes.

Why?

- (sighs) I need to tell my lawyer.

(Stephen scoffs)

No, I'm serious.

I'm suing you.

- Well, I can understand
why you'd want to do that.

- Well, I want to, and I'm also doing it.

I'm gonna go inside.

- Where are your shoes, sweetheart?

Jenny?

Why won't you answer me?

- [Jenny] Gorillas ripped my tongue out!

- [Connie] If gorillas
ripped your tongue out,

you wouldn't be able to speak.

- [Jenny] It left a stump.

(phone ringing)

- Hello?

- Red Dog!

It's me, Grandpa.

- [Chris] Hi, Grandpa.

What's goin' on?

- Listen, I can't get
your father on the phone.

He won't talk to me.

- I know.

- [Grandpa] I can't
get your lawyer either.

- Why not?

- Well, you gave me the wrong number.

I keep gettin' a garage.

- That's him.

- Ha, well, I'll try again.

When do we go to court?

- I dunno, Grandpa, it's going slow.

- Well, you tell your lawyer
to stop draggin' his feet.

These things can happen
awful fast you know.

- I know.

- I'll do anything for you, Chris.

You know that, don't you?

That goes for your sister too.

- Thanks, Grandpa.

- How is my Jenny?

- She's havin' a rough time.

- Well, I'm here if she needs me.

- [Chris] I know, Grandpa.

- And you keep your eye on that lawyer.

You gotta watch these guys.

They'll twist your mind inside out

and rob you blind while they're doing it.

- [Chris] I'll be careful, Grandpa.

Goodbye.

- Bye, Chris.

(phone ringing)

- [Woman On TV] And two, two, three, four

and hold, two.

- Yo.

Hi, Chris.

Ha, yeah, he's here.

Mm hmm.

Oh, he can't talk now though,

he's with a customer.

Sure, I'll tell him.

(lively music)

- [Man] Third time's 15 minutes boys go.

- Hey, I heard on the news today.

They had this test at Indian Point,

like in case there was like a
total accident or something.

And the guy in charge said
it was a total disaster.

"Let's be honest," he says.

"There's no way to evacuate
an entire community."

Can you believe this guy?

I mean, one false move,

and goodbye, Westchester.

- Hold still.

- And it's really depressing too.

'Cause I was planning three good days

before the meltdown, and
they still haven't come.

- I need to get outta here.

I'm having a nervous breakdown.

- You can't!

It's show time!

- I have to see Corelli.

- Why now?

- I can't get him on the phone.

I don't know what he's doin',

and I'm going crazy.

- What about my makeup?

My left eye has to be like totally closed.

- It had moth holes.
- No, Your Honor,

it had moth holes when she gave it to me.

- [Man On TV] Coat, Mrs.
Mackey, did she volunteer.

- I need to talk to you, Corelli.

- How you doin', kid?

- Listen, are you workin'
on this case or not?

My parents are getting
a divorce in a week,

and where are you?

I picked you 'cause I thought
you wanted to do this thing.

I could've found somebody else.

Now it's too late!

- You asked me, remember?

I didn't come running after this.

You want to work with me?

This is the way I work.

- I don't see you doin' anything.

- Well, I got a lotta things on my mind.

When I'm working on a car,

I'm thinking about the case.

Whatever I'm doin', it's in there.

It's rollin' around.

- So what's goin' on?

We only have a week.

- [Man On TV] Mrs. Mackey,
did you ever wear the coat?

- Hey!

- Huh?

- We'll be back in a half hour.

Come on, let's go for a walk.

- [Woman On TV] What do I need hers for?

She forgot it one day in my car,

and I had to call her about it.

And if she's too lazy to.

- Okay, here's where we stand.

There's a divorce action pending, right?

- Right.

- And there's gonna be a hearing.

And the judge is gonna make a ruling.

- Yeah.

- Okay.

So what we gotta do is,

we gotta become part of that hearing.

Otherwise, nobody's gonna
pay any attention to us.

- Why not?

- Well, what are they
gonna listen to any idiot

that walks in off the street?

They don't do that.

There's a procedure.

So what you gotta do is
you gotta be accepted

into their case as a necessary party.

If we can prove you're necessary,

then they gotta listen to you.

- You just thought of that?

- No, I knew it, but I forgot.

- Okay, so how do we prove I'm necessary?

- We show up at that hearing.

- You mean the final divorce thing?

- Yeah.

- What if I don't get accepted?

- Oh, I think it will.

- You think so?

- Yeah.

- My life is on the line here, Corelli.

Don't get vague with me!

- I think you'll get accepted.

You want guarantees,
you're on the wrong planet.

- So what do we do?

We just go there, then what?

What do we say?

- I don't know.

I gotta figure that out.

Drop the rock, Bozo, drop it!

Look at that crazy dog.

He carries rocks around in his teeth.

He's got flat teeth from that.

He can't chew anything anymore.

Did you hear me say drop it?

Bozo! Bozo!

(Chris panting)

(alarm clock buzzing)

- Nuts.

You'll be late for school, Jenny.

- Can't hear you, I'm wearing ear muffs.

- You'll be late for school!

- Better not talk to me,

you'll waste your tongue.

- [Connie] A good morning hug?

- Sure.

- I know I've been kinda out of it lately,

but I want you to know

how grateful I am you're in my life.

I love you very much.

- I love you too, Mom.

(phone rings)

Hello?

Yes, it's today.

What difference does it make?

What do you care,

you don't have to be there anyway.

- 11 o'clock.

No, I won't.

Ask your lawyer.

- Who was that?

- Dad.

- [Chris] What happened?

- It's today?

- The divorce?

- Mm.

- I thought it was next week!

- Well, they moved it up.

- And you just found out?

- They told me a coupla days ago.

- Why didn't you tell me?

- I need you to watch Jenny
for me this afternoon.

I don't know how late I'll be.

- I can't.

- Well, I'll call Evelyn.

Maybe she can play with Trudy.

- Right.

- It's today!

It's today.

It's today.

- What?

- Today, 11 o'clock.

- Get outta here.

- No, God, Corelli, what are we gonna do?

- Call the captain.

- The captain!

I forgot all about him!

- Get him down here.

- But he's, he won't drive.

- Go get him then.

- Well, he's in Connecticut.

- Well, you go get somebody to take ya.

- What about you?

- No, you told me I had a week.

I gotta go over my notes.

- I'll take him.

- You stay here.

We got a business to run.

- Well, what am I gonna do?

- You know anybody who can drive?

- [Chris] Marion.

- Marion, fine, get Marion.

- Well, she's in school.

- Get her anyway, it's an emergency!

- What about a car?

- You guys, she can drive Joey's.

- Who says so?

- Lender her your car!

- Are you crazy?

I taught her how to drive.

- The two of you.

Joey, wait a second.

Okay, Joey will take you to the school.

You pick up Marion.

You come back here.

You drop Joey off.

Then you go to Connecticut

and pick up the captain.

And meet me at the courthouse.

- Where's that?

- Yonkers!

Call information, a quarter
to 11 at the front desk.

- Well, do we have grounds?

- [Archie] I don't know yet.

(energetic music)

- Mary Jones against Michael Jones.

- It's so fast.

- It is, isn't it?

They have a very good
turnover here in Westchester.

- You'd think it would take longer.

- No, I hear it's short.

Thank goodness.

This is my first court appearance.

I'm little nervous, so don't tell anybody.

- Why do they have to have
all these things, huh?

Get rid of 'em.

Take a trip around the country.

- Hold still.

- See how people live.
- I have to do this!

- Plant some trees, grow some tomatoes,

then tell me they're unhappy.

- Slow down, there's tubs!

- [Marion] You wanna get there, don't you?

- Alive, I wanna get there alive!

- Trust me.

Oh, God, I have to sneeze.

- So what?
- Three years of journalism,

four years of architecture.
- You close your eyes

when you sneeze.
- Look at him now.

- I'll hit something.
- We don't need another mall.

- Shut up, Marion.
- We don't need another

shopping mart.

I've told him a million times.
- Oh, oh, turn here, here!

We'll miss the whole thing!

- Would you like a mint?

- Not right now, thank you.

- A piece of gum?

- Maybe later.

- How many lights was that?

- Three.

- Yeah, but from where?

- I don't know, I don't know.

- Should we go back to
the parkway and count?

- We gotta, and make it fast.

(Grandpa yelling)
- Oh, God, it's 11 o'clock.

We're never gonna make it.

- [Clerk] Constance Mills
against Stephen Mills.

- That's us.

- Well, here goes nothing.

- Hey, young fella!

Where's the courthouse?

Young lady, young lady!

Where's the courthouse?

(horn beeping)

- Hey.

Let's go, let's go.

Come on, come on, come on, come on.

Come on!

- [Marion] Go on!

- [Archie] Where were you?

- [Chris] Connecticut, remember?

- [Archie] Come on, come on!

- [Grandpa] I'm comin', I'm comin'.

- We'll never make it.

We'll never make it.

Total nightmare.

What's happening?

What's going on?

Who's in there?

- Stephen Mills.

- That's us.

Come on.

Hold on!

Your Honor, I wanna make an application

to intervene in this case.

- Who is this?

- I'm Mark Angelo Corelli,

and this is my client, Christopher Mills,

son of this, which one is your mother?

- That one, that one.

- Son of this woman over here.

This is the boy's
grandfather, MacIntyre Mills.

- Pleased to meet you.

- I wanna make an application intervene.

- Is this your son?

- Yes.

- What is your name, young man?

- Christopher Twombley Mills.

- What legal basis do you have
for intervening in this case?

- He's a necessary party, Your Honor.

Being that the court must have before it

all parties necessary for a
proper judgment to be rendered,

and being that my client has pertinent

and necessary information to
be included in that judgment,

I request the court's permission
to present our argument.

- In what respect is
your client necessary?

- I'd like to answer that-

- Hold on, Captain,
I'll take care of this.

My client is an integral
part of this family unit,

and, as such, has important information

to be included in this case.

I'd like an opportunity to-

- Your Honor-
- I'm not finished!

- I respectfully submit-
- I'm not finished!

- Counselors, counselors, please.

This is highly unusual.

- Your Honor, with all due respect,

in order for you to make a judgment

on the pertinence of
my client's testimony,

first you have to hear the testimony.

I would like to cite CPLR section 1012,

which deals, which
deals with intervention,

which deals with intervention as a right.

And point out to you that
any decision made here

will so affect the life of my client

and his sister that my
client must be heard.

What are we talking about?

We're talking about a
delay of a week or two.

That's nothing.

These people have been
married for over 16 years.

Surely they can wait a week or two

in a matter of such crucial import

to their children's welfare.

- Is it your desire to
intervene in this case?

- Yes, sir, Your Honor.

- Do you honestly feel
you have information

that must be presented to the court

before a proper decision
can be made in this matter?

- I do.

- Well, there may be some
novel legal issues here.

I am not going to prevent a
motion being made to intervene.

I may deny that motion,

but I will not deny
permission to present it.

Mrs. Mills, the court must dispose

of this issue before the
divorce can be granted.

- Your Honor, will the court
issue an order appointing

the boy's grandfather guardian
ad litem in this matter?

- [Judge] So ordered.

- Good boy!

- You have two weeks to
prepare your argument

and submit your application to the court.

See the clerk to set a date and time.

Case adjourned.

- Now you're talkin'.

- Corinne Crapshaw
against Russell Crapshaw.

- What are you trying to pull?

Are you insane?

- Yeah, probably.

Nice to meet you, Mrs.
Mills, Counselor, Captain.

- I'm calling Beanie.

- You instigated this whole thing.

I know you.

This was your doing.

- Fine, Connie, and how are you?

- How could you do a thing
like this without telling me?

- I did tell you, Mom!

- No, you did not.

- I told you, Mom.

You thought I was joking.

- This isn't happening.

I'm calling your father.

(upbeat classical music)

- I think Mom's a little upset.

- Sometimes you have to upset people.

It's the only way they learn.

- What happened?

How did it go?

- It went good.

We're in the case.

- What happens now?

- We get outta here before my mom

gets off the phone and kills us.

- I'm buyin' lunch.

- What the hell is
going through your mind?

- [Chris] I want us to be together.

- You have no right to interfere.

If you have something to say,

then just come right out and say it.

Don't go sneaking behind
our backs to lawyers.

- I told you!

- I don't remember that.

- Well I did.

You didn't believe me.

- Oh, now it's my fault.

- Will you hold your voice
down, for God's sakes!

- [Chris] Stop fighting!

I can't stand it anymore!

- Well, we wouldn't be fighting now

if you hadn't gotten into this, would we?

Well, it's over.

You're not going to see your
crackpot lawyer anymore.

- Yes, I am.

- Oh, no, you're not, pal.

I'm still your father, and I forbid it.

- [Chris] You can't do that, Dad.

- Oh, yes, I can.

- You can't deny my right to counsel,

O'Shea v. Brennan 1976

and the Constitution of the United States.

I'm trying to save my family!

- We tried that!

- [Chris] No, you didn't.

You haven't put any time
into makin' this family work.

- [Connie] Don't act like
it's always been like this.

- You're never here.

You or Dad.

How come we have a family?

- I'm a good mother.

I do other things because I need to.

I have talents and interest,

and I have a right to them.

- I don't mean don't do anything.

Just don't get so tangled up!

You get all caught up,
and you forget about us!

- I never forget about you.

- [Stephen] Your mother
is a damn good mother!

- [Chris] When she's here.

- I don't want to hear
you complaining about her,

you got that?

- And where are you?

You're so busy makin' money,

you don't have time for anything else!

- That's not true.

- And don't say you do it for me.

- I do, whether you believe it or not.

I love you, and I provide for you.

And this divorce is not
going to change that.

- Well, if you're doin' it for me,

then why don't you ask me what I want?

- I want a bush baby.

- We're talking to Chris right now.

We'll discuss it later.

- They come from Africa.

- Don't interrupt.

- What are you doing with your lives?

Running around in jogging
suits keeping fit.

Fit for what?

Fit to watch our family self-destruct?

- Are you finished?

- I don't know.

- Because, if you are, the
lawn has not been mowed,

and the drains have not been cleaned.

Now, do you think you can see
to your own responsibilities,

or do we have to check
with your lawyer on that?

- No, I think I can handle that myself.

- I want a bush baby.

- He's not dealing with this very well.

- I'm losing my mind.

I can feel it happening.

- Well, what'll we do?

I mean, he's got to face reality.

Can we send him to your
mother's for awhile?

- No!

If we interfere, he'll throw us in jail.

You heard him.

- Well, we have to do something!

- I need a bush baby.

- In a minute, sweetheart.

Call your lawyer.

- [Stephen] You better call yours too.

- Nevins?

Forget it, she's 12 years old.

They gave her to me
because I had an easy case.

- Call her anyway.

What about your divorce group?

- [Connie] Which one?

- The one you started in the school.

You think we can get him into that?

- We're not divorced yet.

- Pull strings.

Mr. Davis, please.

It's Stephen Mills.

Tell him it's an emergency.

(classical music)

- [Jenny] Bunny almost died.

- How?

- He shut himself in the clothes drawer

with a pillow on his head.

- He looks okay now.

- He's living, as you can see,

but he wants to run away.

- Where to?

- He's not telling.

- I stopped the divorce
for two weeks, Jenny.

- I can't hear you.

- Take off the ear muffs.

- I can't hear you, I'm wearing ear muffs.

- Wanna get some ice cream?

- Okay.

I want a bush baby.

- How come?

- Because he'd be cute and
furry like a cat would be

or a monkey or both of them.

And they have the biggest eyes.

And they stay out in
the very deep of night.

- [Chris] I didn't know that.

- You do now.

They make the loudest noises.

I'm tell you because
we heard it in a movie

at school like eeeee!

(dogs howl and bark)

Everybody leaves them alone

because they don't want
to hear that sound.

Eeeee!

(dogs bark and howl)

- That's loud.

- It's a good way.

- Does he have a case?

- No.

Based on what?

He's a little upset, that's all.

- [Stephen] What can he do?

- Nothing.

He can cause you some embarrassment,

some emotional grief.

He can drag it through
the courts for a while,

create some extra legal fees.

That's it.

- Sounds like enough to me.

- So we can have a nice new car.

- Are you suggesting
that we buy off our son?

- Not at all.

A little show of affection,
that's what he's asking for.

- How about a computer?

- You don't know him.

Everything we do just
makes the situation worse.

- Let me talk to him.

Let me talk to him.

I'll straighten the whole thing out.

(light classical music)

- [Archie] Tell me again.

- [Chris] They made an agreement,

and they're not living up to it.

It's hurting us, so they should stop.

- Who says?
- I say.

- Who are you?
- I'm their son!

- So what, that gives you
the right to pass judgment?

- I think so.

- Why?

- I know them!

- So do a lot of people.

- Nobody knows them better than me.

- Well, that's your opinion.

- It's true!

- Yeah, well, let's hear why then?

What gives you the right
to run their lives?

- I don't wanna run their lives.

I want them to do what's right.

- How do you know what's right?

- 'Cause I know!

- Yeah, well, let's hear it then.

Why should I believe you?

- Because I'm right!

- Articulate.

How do you know you're you're right?

- I don't know how!

- How do you know you're right?

- I can't do this.

- Come on.

Come on, Chris.

Come on, come on.

You can do it.

- I can't do this.

I can't.

- It's what they're gonna
hit us with in court.

We gotta be ready.

Don't fall apart on me now.

Come on.

- I feel like a baby.

I say I'm doin' this for Jenny.

It's not true.

It's for me.

I just want my mom and dad.

I want them to love me.

I want them to be there, you know?

- Yeah, I know.

- This whole thing is stupid.

Maybe they don't love each other.

Maybe I said 'cause I want them to.

- [Archie] Maybe.

- I don't think I can do this.

- Nobody's forcing you.

- What do you think?

Do you think I'm lyin' to myself?

- I don't know.

All I know is, if you don't go through it,

you may regret it for
the rest of your life.

You may be asking yourself forever

whether you had a chance
to pull something together

to do something and
whether you were a coward.

You'll never know.

- Right.

- Hi.

- Hi.

- Is everything okay?

- Yeah, I scared him.

- How did you do that?

- I'm mean.

You okay?

- I guess so.

He shouldn't quit the law.

He's too good.

- He doesn't like it.

- Why not?

- Ask him.

- 'Cause being a lawyer's
all about winning cases,

and I'm not interested in that.

- [Chris] How come?

- It's got nothin' to do with the truth.

- What's the truth?

- What's the truth?

Beethoven.

That's the truth.

Like to pipe that

into some of the courthouses
around the world.

It'd be a better place to live in.

Ready to go back to work?

- Okay.

- Okay.

What's your name?

- Christopher Twombley Mills.

- [Archie] What business do
you have with this court?

- I'm the son of Stephen and Connie Mills.

- So I go upstairs to get something,

my hairbrush, I think.

And I hear this crying.

I look into my mom's room,

and she's lying on the bed

with just a slip on, and it's cold.

She just lying there, and she's crying.

I got, I got scared.

I mean, she's taking all these pills,

and she's out of it half the time.

And she tells me she's lonely. (crying)

Well, what the hell am I supposed to do?

Now I'm supposed to be
taking care of my mom,

and I can't even take care of myself.

- It's hard, Vivian, I know,

but it's wonderful that you can
share your feelings with us.

- Here comes the good part.

- We think sometimes when
we get in shaky situations

that we're alone.

We're not alone.

None of us.

And I think we learn that here.

We're all in the same big boat.

- The S.S. Titanic.

- A little leaky, maybe,
in need of some paint,

but we each have an oar,
and we're going to row.

- I have blisters.

- Talking about our fears
helps us to get rid of them.

Expose them and they lose their hold.

Now, we've all heard the expression

there's nothing to fear but fear itself.

Do you know who said that?

- You did.

- Prior to me.

- [Haverman] Richard Pryor.

(kids laughing)

- President Roosevelt.

- Chris, it's your first
time here with the group,

are there any feelings
you'd like to share with us?

- I don't think so.

- You'll feel better if you do.

Are you having any angry feelings?

- Not at the moment.

- How are you dealing with
your parents' divorce?

- I'm suing them.

- Oh.

My goodness, that's, that's
an interesting approach.

- I guess it is.

- Yeah, they were supposed
to be a divorced already,

but we found a lawyer and stopped them.

Tell him, Chris.

- Well, it's just temporary.

We don't know if it's going to work.

- Hey, do you mind if I take notes?

My mom and I do stuff
for the "Patent Trader."

- It's okay with me.

- Okay, go ahead.

- Well, I'm in the case now,

and they have to hear my argument.

And I have two weeks to prepare,

so my lawyer's workin' on it right now.

- What's all this silliness?

- What silliness?

- The intercession, you
know what I'm talking about.

- I don't find it silly.

- You can't win, you know that, don't you?

- No.

- You can't.

No judge can force two people
to care for each other.

That's psychological, not legal.

- They care about each other.

- They're not compatible.

They're incompatibility
vitiates your efforts.

It would be in your best interest

for the marriage to terminate.

See what I'm saying?

- No.

- You're a smart kid.

Why do you wanna make trouble?

- I don't.

- That's what you're doing.

Legal fees alone will be
an unnecessary hardship.

- Don't charge them.

- What?

- If you don't think it's
fair, don't charge 'em.

You got a nice place here,
you don't need the money.

- That's not the point.

- What is the point?

- I've been trying to tell you

if you'll listen to me for a minute.

You're wasting everybody's time here.

- I don't mean to offend you, Mr. Davis,

but that's not true.

I'm tryin' to save my family.

And if I'm your time, I'm sorry.

But I don't think there's anything

I can do about that right now.

- Did you see this?

- Yeah, I saw it.

What are you doing here?

- We're all over the front page!

The kid's so interested in
rights, what about mine?

I'll sue him.

I'll sue him for defamation of character,

him and his lawyer too!

- I'd think twice about that.

- [Stephen] You know who his lawyer is?

- [Connie] Who?

- My automobile mechanic.

- Your car, man?

- That's right.

- (laughing) His lawyer is your car man?

Dammit!

I cannot do anything anymore.

I cannot function!

- You all right?

Hold it under cold water.

Anyway, Beanie thinks
we should talk to him.

- I've lost the use of three fingers.

God, that hurts.

- We have to find out what he's after,

publicity or money or whatever it is.

We'll have him over for
brunch or something.

- Over where?

- Over here.

- You don't live here anymore.

- Beanie says it's important.

We have to have him over.

- There is no we.

You don't live here anymore, remember?

- Look, do you want to solve this thing,

or do you want it to drag
on for another six months?

- Who does the shopping?

- I'll do it.

- Who buys the food?

Who does the dishes?

- I'll do it.

It's my idea, I'll take care of it!

What should I get?

- You take care of it.

- All right.

I'll see if he's good
for brunch on Sunday.

Is that all right with you?

- I'll have to change something,

but I can make it work out.

If you need any help, call me.

- I can take care of it.

- You don't have time.

- [Stephen ] I'll make time.

- You go to The Smokehouse,

and I'll go to Cheese and Things.

- Fine.

- [Connie] And next time knock!

(light jazz music)

- Uh huh.

Uh huh.

Oh, well, you spelled my name wrong.

- It's a very easy thing to fix.

- Yes, well, it has to be done.

- Right.

Well, all this states is that
you're the boy's grandfather,

that you've spent time with him,

and tat you've seen the
parents interacting with him.

- You see, it doesn't explain
my role in all of this.

- Yeah, right, well,

we don't have to get into that right now.

- You see, they might want my
impression of the situation.

- No, no, no, no, that's
further down the line.

Right now, they just want
you to sign the affidavit.

- See, I have to be very careful.

I've had some bad
experiences with lawyers.

- Yeah, well, you're not the only one.

- My sense is they have no soul.

- Well, you might be right.

- You know what I mean?
- Yeah.

- Or are you just being charming?

- No, no, I know what you mean.

- I want you to do right by this boy.

I don't want him fooled around with.

- Well, I can understand your concern.

You wanna sign this thing?

- If I wasn't tied to the house,

I'd take a very active
role in all of this.

- Right.

Right, I don't blame you.

- Now, we'll have some lemonade.

- No, no, no, I gotta-

- First we'll have some lemonade,

then some Pop Tarts.

There's more I have to say.

- So there you have it.

As you can see, we've come a long way

in our understanding of dyslexia,

in our recognition of the talents

and intelligence of
these special children.

And, finally, in the establishment
of remedial programs.

We in the committee thank you

for your continued interest and support.

Now, I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Yes?

- I understand your son is suing you.

Did I get that right?

- Yes.

- Seems rather drastic, doesn't it?

I mean, could we hear
your side of the story?

- We all do the best we can.

Things happen.

I don't care to comment.

- When I was eight years old,

I lived in a small town.

I wanted to be in Little League.

- I love this story.

- My mother got me a baseball hat,

and I plan for days how it was gonna be.

I practiced batting.

I practiced catching.

I fielded.

- [Haverman] I always cry at this part.

- David, is there something you want

to share with the rest of the group?

- Not really.

- Sarcastic comments are
often a form of hostility.

You know?

- Not in my case,

- Perhaps you're upset

about your father's moving to Venezuela.

- No, I think it's great.

- His plans to leave the
country have no effect on you?

- I'm prepared for anything, Mr. Dunfee.

- Chris, what about you?

Anything you'd like to
share with the group?

- I'd like to hear what's
going on with the case.

- I'm more concerned with what
Chris is feeling now, okay?

We're here to explore our feelings.

- My feelings are that I'd like to hear

what's going on with the case.

- Yeah!

Let's hear about the case.

How do you find a lawyer?

- We're not getting into that now.

- Why not?

What, are you afraid to
get too controversial?

- No, not at all.

It's just not a class in
legal tactics, that's all.

- I thought it was anything
we wanted it to be.

- Yeah, how come you can
talk about baseball hats,

and we can't talk about the case?

- All right, we can talk about the case,

but let me share my concerns.

- [David] That concerns me.

- What?

- Hearing your concerns.

- Why is that?

- I don't know.

It makes me anxious.

- My concerns make you anxious?

- No, just hearing them.

- Oh, oh, I see.

Well, I'm stating them anyway.

We may all here feel, well,

just perhaps that the
slightest bit of guilt.

This guilt may say, "What's wrong with me?

Chris is trying to stop
his family's divorce.

Why didn't I do that?"

Now, is anybody here
having those feelings?

- If I tried to stop all
my parents' divorces,

I wouldn't have time to
come to these sessions.

- Is anybody here having
those guilty thoughts?

- I am.

- [Mr. Dunfee] You feel guilty?

- Yeah.

- Vivian, you have nothing
to feel guilty about.

Most divorces cannot be stopped,

nor should they be.

It sometimes takes tremendous
courage just to let go.

Now, my concerns were that
dwelling on Chris's case

might stir up these
unnecessary feelings of guilt.

- I'm sick of the case!

I don't wanna hear about it anymore!

- Well, that's good, Bud.

That's a understandable, natural feeling.

- We spend months sitting
here listening to you

tell us we didn't cause the split up,

that we have to adjust.

Then he comes here and tells us

we all have to sue our parents.

- He didn't say that.

He just said, that's what he's doing!

- My father came home drunk

three nights a week,

and the rest of the time,

he didn't even come home.

He sets foot in the house again,

I get up, I walk out,
and I never come back!

- Who said anything about you?

He's doing what's right for him!

You do what's right for you!

- What are you, his press secretary?

Let him talk, for God's sake.

- I have no comment.

- Neither do I.

I have nothing to say.

And I would like some time
to share my feelings on that.

- So tell me, what's the word
on these brushless car washes?

- I don't like 'em

- Really?

- [Archie] They've got
all this abrasive grit

and junk in there.

- [Stephen] You know,
I was afraid of that.

Enough eggs?

- [Carol] I'm fine, thanks.

- I'll have some more eggs.

- [Stephen] What about rustproofing?

- I don't like it.

- [Stephen] Why not?

- Weakens the frame.

They do more damage drilling the holes

to inject their rust proofing

then the natural process
of the rust itself.

- Someone in your shoe box?

It's hard to hear when
you're wearing ear muffs.

- Very hard.

- So tell me, how long
have you been a lawyer?

- About 20 years.

- Man of many talents.

- Not really.

- Do you have many clients?

- Got one.

- One? (chuckles)

Well, we all know who that is, I guess.

- I guess we do.

- More bagels, anyone?

Eggs, coffee?

- I'll have some more of the, uh, fish.

- Fish?

Coming right up.

- Excuse me for a minute, will you?

- Wow, this is fun.

- Oh, yes.

- Are you gonna talk to him,

or are we gonna play What's My Line

for the rest of the afternoon?

- You don't like the way I'm doing things,

you handle it.

- This wasn't my idea.

- Then just give me a little room.

I'm easing into it.

- Who handcuffed you to the chair?

- Bunny did it.

- Does Bunny have the key?

- Not anymore.

- Well, where did Bunny put it?

- Somewhere deep.

- Where was that?

- In the toilet.

- Can he get it out?

Why not?

- It's flushed.

- Look, let me be blunt.

My wife and I are very much concerned

with our son's welfare,

and we feel he's being taken advantage of.

- Oh, yeah?

By who?

- You know what I'm talking about.

- We don't want to see him hurt,

and we don't want to see him disappointed.

- Well, I can certainly understand that.

- He's not a wealthy kid,

if that means anything to you.

- I'll give him a $10 back.

- All you're doing is
making everybody miserable.

You haven't got a chance.

- Can't we just admit
the thing's not possible,

and stop it right now?

- You want me to drop the case?

- We do, yes.

- Well, it's not up to me.

It's up to my client.

- With all due respect,

Chris is in no position to
judge the consequences here.

- Why not?

- You're emotionally involved.

You can't be objective.

- What about you?

- Listen, with all due respect,

I put in a hell of a week,

and, on Sunday, I just
kinda like to sit back

and shoot the breeze, if you don't mind.

- Give him some fish.

- So what about you?

You, you got any hobbies?

You like woodworking?

You go sailing?

- No.

- You play golf?

- [Chris] A child may
sue and recover damages

for severe and violent
(drowned out by banging).

Well, that doesn't really apply.

- [Archie] Go on.

- A child may sue for
intentional infliction

of emotional distress.

How 'bout that?

- [Archie] Hard to prove.

- Everything's hard to prove!

- [Archie] Go on.

- It has also been proved that a child

can sue his parents for negligence

resulting in his injury.

- That's the area.

Look in the brown book over there.

- "Know Your Exhaust System."

- No, no, no, the other
one, under the dog.

- "Symptoms of Emotional Damage or Injury

as Recognized in the State of New York."

- They got emotional starvation?

- Emotional starvation,
like emotional abuse,

is the most difficult
type of abuse to detect

and is perhaps the most tragic.

- They got symptoms?

- Child refuses to eat or eats little

and is very frail.

That's Jenny.

- She's not frail.

- She doesn't eat.

- No, no, she's a healthy kid.

It won't hold up.

- Child is unable to
perform normal functions.

for a given age, i.e., walking, talking.

She can, she just won't.

- Not the same thing.

- Child displays antisocial behavior,

may be abnormally
unresponsive, sad or withdrawn.

Well, she does weird things.

And what about the ear muffs?

- All kids do weird things.

It's gotta be more dramatic than that.

- Okay, no go on emotional starvation.

- No go on nothin'.

- What about malpractice?

- No, that's a joke.

We'd get laughed out of court.

- So what are our grounds?

- You tell me.

- No, you're the lawyer.

- Law's got holes.

- I'm saying a true fact,

and you're telling me you can't find

one legal ground to base it on?

- What do you want from me?

We're dealing with the law here.

It's not solid geometry!

The law's slippery, it wanders,

it oozes around the times!

- What are we gonna do?

- I don't know.

Bozo, you got any ideas?

- Hi.

- Hi.

- Why aren't you working?

- We're on a break.

- Where's Archie?

- He closed himself in the office.

- Well, that doesn't sound good.

- Want a pretzel?

Somebody left them at school.

- Thanks.

We appear tomorrow, and
he hasn't got a case.

- Uh oh.

- I don't understand him.

I don't know what goes on in his mind.

- That makes two of us.

- [Man On TV] He knew they
were from me, Your Honor.

He knew right from the start.

- [Judge] That's opinion, Mr. Jerasse.

How do you know?

- [Jerasse] Because he came to my house

and took measurements.

That's how I know.

- [Man On TV] I never went to his house.

- You did.

I have witnesses to prove it.

- [Man On TV] Where,
where are these witnesses?

- [Jerasse] They couldn't come today.

- [Man On TV] Well, fine.

- Why doesn't he practice?

Does he talk to you about it?

- He says it's gaps.

- What kind of gaps?

- Gaps between what should be and what is.

Too much idealism can discourage a person.

He'd rather fix cars.

- I could understand that.

- He says, "With cars, it's simple.

There's no opinions.

You find out what's
broken, and you fix it."

- You're not married or anything, are you?

- No.

- Why not?

- He never asked me.

- How long have you been his girlfriend?

- 12 years.

- 12 years?

That's ridiculous.

- I keep thinking when I
grow up, I'll say something.

- I wonder what's gonna happen.

I have an ominous feeling.

- No matter what happens,

you did a very brave thing.

- I wanna win.

- [Jerasse] A deal is a deal, Your Honor.

Am I not right?

- [Man On TV] Your Honor,

I didn't make any deals with Mr. Jerasse.

- [Judge] You had a contract-

- Third party beneficiary of a contract.

- [Customer] Are you gonna
help me out here or what?

- Shh! Quiet!

- [Judge] Try to explain, Mr. Itser.

When you broke that contract, you denied-

- Third party beneficiary of a contract.

- [Itser] I have no
deals with Mr. Jerasse.

- [Judge] I'm afraid you do, Mr. Itser.

Mr. Jerasse is a third party
beneficiary of a contract.

- Yes!
- He gets the venetian blinds.

(light classical music)

- I got 'em!

- [Chris] Got what?

- The grounds.

I got 'em, I figured 'em out.

You're the third party
beneficiary of a contract.

- Around four o'clock.

Our cleaning lady saw her.

I wasn't here.

I got back, oh, around 5:15,
maybe 5:30, 5:15 or 5:30.

Completely sure.

She's not here.

All right.

He said to wait by the phone.

- What happened?

- Have you seen Jenny?

- No, what happened?

- She's not here.

- You haven't seen her at all today?

You have no idea where she might be?

- No.

- No idea at all?

- Well, she was talking
about Bunny running away.

- Where?

Did she say where Bunny would go?

- No.

- What about Trudy?

Did you call Evelyn?

- I called everybody.

Where are you going?

- I'm going out to look for her.

- Well, I'm coming with you.

- No, stay here.

The police will be calling back.

- I won't stay here!

I can't sit here and wait.

- All right, let's go.

Chris, stay by the phone.

- No, they may never call!

I wanna come.

- All right.

All right, turn on the answering machine.

We'll just keep calling that.

- Do you want your jacket?
- Yeah.

I'll get the flashlights.

- [Connie] All right, I'll get it.

(melancholy music)

- Therefore, I would like to point out

that what we are asking for here is

merely that this family stay intact.

This is not, this family is not merely

a, it's not a mere...

No mere, uh, ugh, this.

- [Connie] Jenny?

Jenny, can you hear us?

- [Chris] Jenny?

- [Connie] Jenny?

- [Chris] Mom, I don't think she's here.

- [Connie] Jenny?

- [Chris] Jenny?

- [Stephen] Come on, get in the car.

Let's check out the neighborhood.

- Your Honor, I respectfully submit

that we are dealing,

we are dealing here with a
situation that absolutely defies,

defies, the situation.

It defies, ugh.

Defies the what?

- Jenny?

Jenny?

Jenny?

Jenny?

Jenny?

- [Chris] We should try downtown.

- Your Honor, we have here a situation

that, that, that just simply, we can't,

it defies pigeonholing.

It defies precedent.

It defies.

- It defies the law of gravity.

- That's good.

That's helpful.

Do you want to do this?

- No.
- Then keep quiet!

- No word.

They haven't heard a thing.

(Connie crying)

- It's all right, Mom.

- Come on, Con.

We'll find her.

We'll check back at the house.

Maybe she went home.

- There she is!

- Jenny!
- Jenny!

Sweetheart.
- Where have you been?

Are you all right?

- What did you do?

We were very worried.

- It was Bunny's idea.

- It wasn't a very good one.

Why would he do such a thing?

- No one even sees him anymore.

No one cares if he could be almost dead.

- Well, look at his friends, sweetheart.

They're all here.

All his friends are here.

- [Jenny] They're stuffed.

- Let's go home and have a nice hot bath

and comb out your hair.

- [Jenny] Bunny can't take a bath.

He'll disintegrate.

- [Stephen] We'll just sponge him off.

Will that be all right?

I think he'll be okay.

- It's 10 to eight.

- I know.

- [Carol] Get up, you'll
be late for court.

- I'm not going.

- What do you mean you're not going?

- [Archie] I'm not going.

- Oh, yes you are, now
get up and get dressed.

- (coughs) I'm sick.

- You're not sick.

You're a coward!

- I'm sick.
- You're not!

Just show up and do your work

and stop worrying about yourself.

You're so stupid and selfish.

Well, there's other people
in the world besides you.

- I know that.

- Well, Chris is counting on you,

and you better not let him down.

You're so afraid of losing.

Well, I'll tell you something,

that's not what matters.

What matters is being some
kind of dependable person

who thinks about somebody
else for a change.

Somebody who isn't scared of
making some kind of commitment.

You talk about truth all the time,

but when you have a chance
to do something, you cop out.

You cop out of everything!

You always have,

and I am sick of it!

And I'll tell you another thing,

we are getting married.

12 years is enough.

We're meant for each other,

and we're supposed to be together.

And if you can't see that,

you've got a thicker, more puffed up

and dense head than I ever thought.

Where are you going?

I'm talking to you!

- Going to the hearing.
- You are?

- Yeah, that's what you want, isn't it?

- Is it because I want
it or because I'm right?

- Because you're right.

- About everything?

- About everything, you happy?

- I'm happy.

- Good, now where's my socks?

- You okay, Mom?

- In my way.

- You don't want the
divorce really, do you?

- I want it!

- I want olives.

- You can't have olives for breakfast.

- Why not?

- They're not breakfast food.

- They are to me.

- You can't have olives now.

- Only why?

- Because you can't!

They're not the kind of thing
you have in the morning.

- I do.

- Have some cereal.

- It spilled.

- After school, I'll meet you
right here at the bus stop,

and we'll go for some ice cream.

No matter what happens in court,

that's still what we're gonna do.

Okay?

- Okay.

- What flavor are you gonna get?

- I don't know.

- I'll be getting chocolate.

- Maybe that's what I'll get too.

- Dearly beloved, we're
gathered together here

in the sight of God and in the presence

of this company to join this man

and this woman in holy matrimony.

Into this holy estate-

- Oh, for God's sake!

- [Man] Let him finish.

- Yeah, right, good.

Now, Reverend Mosley,
after that first part,

did you ask these two people here

to make certain vows?

- I did.

- And what were those vows?

- Well, first I said,
addressing Mr. Mills there,

I said "Wilt thou,
Stephen, take this woman,

Constance, to thy wedded wife.

To live together after God's ordinance

in the holy state of matrimony?

Wilt thou love her,

comfort her in sickness and in health

and forsaking all others,
keep thee only unto her

so long as you both shall live?"

- And what did Mr. Mills say?

- He said, "I will."

- And then did you ask the
same thing of Mrs. Mills?

- I did.

- And what the Mrs. Mills say?

- She said, "I will."

- What is this nonsense?

We know this service
backwards and forwards.

- I don't think we do.

- Go ahead, Mr. Corelli.

- Thank you, Judge.

Now, Reverend Mosley,

at the time you asked these
two people those questions,

were they of age?

- Yes.

- Were they under duress?

- No.

- So then, to the best of your knowledge,

they answered freely, nobody forced them.

- That's correct.

- Thank you, Reverend Mosley.

Boy, that's, that's really something.

You really put yourself on the line

when you enter into a contract like that.

- Your Honor, this is a
hearing strictly to determine

whether or not this boy
has a right to intervene.

My client's right to a
divorce is not the issue.

- May I finish?

- Let him finish!

- Thank you.

I merely seek to point out the
conditions of the contract,

which these people entered
into of their own free will.

- This has absolutely nothing to do

with what we're talking about here.

- My client, Christopher
Mills, is necessary

to this proceedings by
virtue of the fact that he,

along with his sister Jennifer,

is a third party beneficiary
to this marriage contract.

That's ridiculous.

- May I finish?

- I think we're a little
off the point here.

- I'm not finished!
- Oh, for God's sake.

- Let him speak.
- Counselors, please.

- [Archie] May I finish, Your Honor?

- [Judge] Proceed.

- [Archie] Thank you.

Now then, the mother and
father of my client entered

into a contract 16 years ago.

It was willingly entered
into by both parties.

Nobody forced them.

Now, I submit that this contract
was specifically designed

with my client in mind.

My client is a beneficiary
by virtue of the fact

that it is inherent in a marriage contract

that both parties
contemplate having children.

Marriage and children
are inexorably linked.

They have been since the
dawn of civilization,

and so it is with Stephen
and Constance Mills.

When they decided to get married,

they contemplated having
a child, and here he is!

Surely, he is no less a beneficiary now

than he was when he was
merely contemplated.

- That's totally irrelevant!

- Can I finish, please?

Breach of contract will cause
emotional damage to my client.

What do we need, a panel
of psychiatrists in here

to tell us that divorce hurts kids?

Look around the country.

Look at the hundreds of thousands-

- Could we limit the
discussion to the case at hand?

The nation's ills are hardly
within our jurisdiction.

- Yes, they are!

- Mr. Davis has a point here.

- No, he doesn't.

- Mr. Mills, please.

- The nation's ills are
everybody's business.

Where do the nation's ills come from?

The American mind, the democratic process?

No!

They come from people.

They come from us.

The state of the world must
be the business of this court

and of everybody on this planet.

Nobody takes responsibility
for anything anymore,

which brings me back to
what I was talking about.

These two people want a family.

Nobody forced them.

They made a decision
together and under law.

They took the responsibility
for that decision.

It was a wonderful decision.

Is it just now that they turn

and on some flimsy idea
of self-gratification,

abandon their responsibilities

and cause emotional
damage to their children?

Mr. and Mrs. Mills, do
you think that's fair?

- Wanna go on the swings?

Wanna run around and yell and fall down?

- My client and the
client of Ms. Nevins here,

are seeking dissolution of their marriage.

They are no longer compatible.

Not compatible.

They would know.

This youngster wouldn't.

It's as simple as that.

Now, the question has been
raised as to my client's

responsibility to his children.

I submit that, far from
ignoring this consideration,

it has been a prime concern to my client

and, I dare say, to Ms.
Nevins's client as well.

What child can successfully be raised

in an atmosphere of dissension?

No.

In the best interests of the children,

you separate the parents.

I question the right of this young man

to intervene here at all.

For once he does, if he does,

he must be shown that his parents do,

in fact, have his best interests at heart.

Lastly, I would say that
for the court to rule

that these two individuals remain

together incompatibly is unthinkable.

To rule that they remain together
compatibly is impossible!

- [Nevins] Your Honor.

- [Judge] Ms. Nevins.

- My client concurs with
everything stated here

by Mr. Davis.

It is clearly not the boy's right,

nor the right of this court,

to force these two people
to live together in harmony.

That must be left to a higher power,

and that's all there is to say about it.

- We're not asking for that.

We're not asking for fairy tales.

- Yes, you are.

- No, we're not!

- Gentlemen.

- We are simply asking
that the court prevent

emotional damage to these children

by not granting this divorce.

That's all.

Accept my client into this
case as a necessary party

and encourage these decent, well-meaning

and capable people of
fulfilling the responsibilities,

which they willingly
undertook to their children,

to each other and to themselves.

- Do you want to be two
spies from another planet

that looking hard and you can't see them,

and you never tell?

Wanna be gorillas?

- Young man?

Christopher.

- Yes, sir.

- Would you tell us, please,

do you feel that you're
necessary to these proceedings?

- Should I stand up?

- If you like.

Tell us please, in your own words.

- Well, I guess a lot
of people would think

I'm against divorce.

I'm not.

I think that sometimes
people maybe make a mistake

or they change, or the
other person changes,

and there's nothing they
can do to make it right.

Then there's other times,
when it's not like that.

It's just too hard, and
they don't want to do it.

I see it all the time.

Some kids in my school,

their parents have been
divorced two or three times.

It's too much.

I mean, in a way, it's their lives,

but they leave a lot of hurt behind them,

and that's not right.

That's why the courts should stop them.

The courts shouldn't let people go around

hurting other people for no good reason.

- How do you feel the courts
should deal with this issue?

- Maybe, before people get a divorce,

the judge should ask them
if they did everything

to make the marriage work.

Then the people would have
to give an honest answer,

just like they have to be honest

about other stuff they say in court.

If they say yes, then
they should get a divorce.

But if they say no,

then the court should
make 'em honor the law

they signed up for when they got married.

- I'm afraid that would
be difficult to enforce.

People sometimes lie to themselves.

They might think they were
giving an honest answer,

when, in fact, they were not.

- It's worth a try.

- I gathered from your
statements, Christopher,

that you feel that your
parents have not tried

to make this marriage work?

- Not lately.

- How do you know that?

- They're my parents.

Mr. Davis over there said I don't know

what they really feel.

Well, I don't think that's true.

I think they're just a
little mixed up right now.

I think they're scared
about a lot of stuff.

I can understand that,

but that's not a good enough
reason to hurt a little kid.

Everybody is hurting
everybody else in this world,

and that's why everything's
in such a mess.

- Your Honor, this is irrelevant.

- Would you sit down until he's finished?

Go on, young man.

- I don't know how much longer we have.

I think the world might be over soon.

But I think we have to start
by making peace in the family.

If we don't have that,

see, then nothing else is gonna work.

It won't make any difference.

But if we do have that,

then everything else will come.

So I think if my parents, or anybody else,

can make that real,

they have to do that.

The main thing I have to say

is that I love my mom and dad very much.

And I know they love me and Jenny.

I think if they could just realize

that they do love each other

and that they do have responsibilities

and that they can live up to them

and be happy doing it.

Then everything is gonna be okay.

That's my feeling anyway.

My mom and dad could be the
best parents in the world

if the courts would make it

so that they had to live
up to what they said.

I don't know if any of this is legal,

but I know it's the truth.

- Thank you, Christopher.

Are there any further comments?

- I'd like to say something.

I think this kid's got more courage

than all the rest of us put together.

I'm honored to know him,

and I pray to God there's a
coupla more around like him.

- Well, you've raised some
important issues here.

In many ways, I'd like some
time to consider these points

before making my decision.

But I know even now what
that decision must be.

The fact that this marriage
doesn't work is not surprising.

We see as many marriages that
don't work as those that do.

And it's not the job of this court

to figure out why that is so,

merely to deal with the fact,

to make the inevitable
as painless as possible.

It's inevitable that the breakdown

of any marriage is gonna cause some pain

to the children involved.

Young man, your attempt to
save your family is laudable.

I might even say, off the record,

I agree with you.

But, son, I can find no legal precedent

by which to give you the
relief that you seek.

Therefore, I must deny you any access-

- [Stephen] He's right.

- What's that?

- He's right.

- Mr. Mills?

- He's right, Your Honor.

I don't know if my wife agrees with me.

I don't know if we can make
it work even if she does.

But I know my son is right.

- Mr. Mills, do I infer from your comments

that you wish to terminate
divorce proceedings at this time?

- If my wife agrees.

- If your wife is in agreement,

you wish to terminate divorce
proceedings at this time?

- [Stephen] Yes, Your Honor.

- Mrs. Mills?

- Yes?

- Are you in agreement?

- Yes.

- Then we're adjourned.

Congratulations, son.

Good luck to all of you.

Case dismissed.

(gentle music)

- Congratulations, sweetheart.
- Thank you.

Wait, wait, I gotta, I gotta
get a ride for the reverend.

You got a ride, Reverend?

- [Reverend Morley] Well, I'm trying

to find Merrick Parkway.

Then I won't need the ride.

- [Chris] Who's gonna take Grandpa home?

- [Grandpa] Oh, I'm gonna stay right here.

- [Archie] Could you give
him a ride to the Merrick?

- [Beanie] Uh, uh, what?

- [Archie] Could you give
him a ride to the Merrick?

- [Beanie] I'm going downtown.

- [Connie] Nice to see you too.

- [Nevins] I don't have a car.

- [Grandpa] And don't forget
my lighthouse picture.

- [Archie] I still have the
slot for you next Thursday.

- [Stephen] Yeah, I was
gonna ask you about that.

- [Archie] Yeah, you're in.

(everyone talking)

- You gonna come with us?
- Absolutely.

Congratulations.
- Come on, Grandpa.

- [Grandpa] Nobody wants
me here all the time.

- [Reverend Mosley] I'm trying
to find Merrick Parkway.

- Is it okay?

- It's okay.

- We have a family?

- We have a family.

- That's very good.

- [Chris] Did you pick your flavor yet?

- [Jenny] Chocolate.

Daddy likes that kind.