Wrestle (2018) - full transcript

[indistinct chatter]

[man 1]Come on, come on, come on.

You know, I know you got this.
Come on.

-[thunder rolls]
-Here we go. Come on.

-[indistinct chatter]
-You don't wanna let go.

Yeah, you got to keep
your pace going. Come on.

[overlapping dialogue]

-[man 2] Let's keep going.
-[man 3] Let's go!

-[man 2] Come on, Jamario.
-[man 3] Let's go!

[man 2]
You gotta fight for it, go.

[overlapping dialogue]



[man 3] We're the state champs.

-Let's go!
-[all groaning]

-[man 3] Let's go! Let's go!
-[man 4] Go!

[screaming]

[overlapping dialogue]

[man 5] Heads up!
Get up. Let's go.

[Chris] Let's go. Stand.
Breathe, breathe, breathe.

Breathe, breathe, breathe.

[man 6] Go water it down.

Breathe as you walk.
Breathe as you walk.

[Jamario]I will never quit anything.

When I'm hurt, I still push
and push through it.

I have to fight my way up.

And now...



I'm here.

[wings flapping]

[tense music]

[Chris] Why do we fight?

There is no other team
in two years of existence,

that without a youth program,

or like a beautiful facility,

that has done
what you all have done.

If you keep coming in here
grinding every day,

you're gonna get
top of the state.

When you feel
like skipping fourth block,

when you feel like
taking it off a year.

Remember...

it's not about you.

It's about the opportunity

that you've been given
to be great.

For those of you who did not buy
what we're selling,

I promise you this.

You will live the rest
of your life regretting it.

For those of you who buy
what we're selling,

and when you get
that scholarship,

and when you get that job,

and when you provide
for your kids,

you will understand
why we fought.

[Chris] You ready?

Wrestle.

[razor buzzing]

-I have prayers today.
-Yep.

One more thing about Jailen,

he guarantee
he get a haircut every week.

Lot of teammates
gonna keep no appointment

but they ain't good,
he's very punctual, too.

He say, he coming here
in five minutes,

he'd be here in five minutes.

[clicks tongue]

You know,
I sleep here sometimes, bro.

[stutters]
But it's getting a little messy.

All right, so...

this is like a self-portrait.

[Jailen] This is first place,

third place, third place,

second place.

This is, uh,
this thing I did last summer.

I had to talk about,
"Why my life matters?"

And I say, "My life matters

because I stand
as a symbol of hope.

I'm a young man
who is self-motivated

and full of confidence.

There are some who put me down,

so I wanna show my doubters
that I am somebody.

I have a commitment to fulfill
as a black male

or not let
the African-American race down

by becoming
an ever menace to society."

[claps, clicks tongue]

[Chris]All the way around, team.

Why you bending at the elbow?

-[Jailen] Arms forward.
-[Chris] Arms straight.

After arms forward.

[Chris] There you go.

All the way around there you go.
Shon'D, Jailen, nice.

Lavanze, nice.

-[groans]
-Tyrik, nice.

Thirteen!

[all] Thirteen!

[Jaquan] I think he's double
jumped to be two steps, right.

[creaking]

Oh, come on.

I'm gonna get this.

[Sheba] Jaquan,
why are you on punishment?

[chuckles]

I don't know what it feel like
trying to let...

[Sheba] Why? Why not?

'Cause I... 'cause I had
to skip school, as well.

Oh, he the man, he'd grown.
[clicks tongue]

So he leave and got caught.
My sister caught his butt.

Just cause you have good grades
in school,

that's not all that matters.

You know what
I thought about Jaquan?

-[Jaquan mumbles]
-The weirdest child,

he's got to be the weirdest
because I'm thinking...

he was gonna do basketball,

he was gonna do football...
Let me check my shrimp.

[Jaquan] I did play basketball
and football.

But when he told me wrestling,
I was like, "Wrestling?

-Are you serious?"
-[chuckles]

So, don't take this
the wrong way.

[stutters]
Somewhere in my head, it's just,

"I got a white son."
[laughs]

You were a little white boy

trapped inside
a little black boy's body.

This one,
I won my first tournament.

And there's a lazy boy
right there.

[Jaquan's brother]
It's just bronze.

-That's gold.
-[Jaquan's brother laughs]

That's all gold.

[Chris] Everybody roll!

Everybody counting!

Everybody jacksing!

Everybody sprawling.

-[all] Four, three, two, one.
-[Chris] Teague.

-I'm not playing with you.
-[all] Seven, six...

-[Chris] Teague!
-[all] ...five,

four, three, two, one.

[birds chirping]

[dogs barking]

[Teague's mother]
How are you gonna get down?

-Huh?
-How are you going to get down?

[Teague] Wrestling
is all I used to do.

I actually had nicknames,

Hercules, Muncher,
and pretty much like...

freaking boss names.

I would have all my medals,
but when my dad got arrested,

he got them like, confiscated,

and then,
they were just got lost.

[Teague] As of, right now,

I'm on four meds,
but I don't take them.

It helps with my behavior
and, uh...

And my, me focusing,
that's better,

but I don't usually take it.

[Chris] Guys, real quick.

Before we start this practice,

let's just get a general idea
of the weight classes.

So, I'm gonna divide you guys up
along the wall by weight class.

You guys are 106.

You're 120.
Leave a space right here.

You're 126, right?
Are you weighing now?

Raise your hand if you have
not yet got weight certified.

I'm taking you guys,
and Reuben...

He's gonna get
his shoulder press.

...and Jaquan...

-[James] And Rowe.
-...and Rowe.

Where is Rowe?

[indistinct chatter]

-Priorities straight.
-What's going on?

[Lolitia]

Man, I'm not gonna be--

[Lolitia] No,
you're saying one thing,

and she's saying something else.

He specifically told them

now, come and get me.
And I said, "Okay."

[Lolitia] No, you said they had
no gas to bring you back.

They didn't.

[Lolitia muttering]

[crows cawing]

[telephone ringing]

Hey.

Yeah, Jamario here.

All right.

Let me see.

[indistinct chatter from TV]

Come on, mama.

[Lolitia]

[Jamario] Well...

The girl ain't
nothing but drama.

She blows your phone up,

she calls, she texts,

but you're saying
you're stressed out

when you get 'em.
I'm not the one stressing you.

[tense music]

[somber music]

[car door closes]

[car revs]

Practice is closed.

Also, we just don't want,
as a policy,

girlfriends coming to practice,
you know what I'm saying?

'Cause that gets weird,
you know.

[Chris] I don't want Jamario,

in the middle of his practice,
to be talking to his girlfriend.

-I'm not going to, man.
-That's all I'm saying.

-I'm not going to.
-Does that make sense?

I want him to be focused
during practice.

-All right?
-[Jamario] You sit over here.

[indistinct chatter]

One minute, y'all. One minute!

-[Chris] Go.
-[all] One.

-Go.
-[all] Two.

-Go.
-[all] Three.

-Go.
-[all] Four.

I got with him when he was 13,
I was 14.

We had curfew.
[chuckles]

You're see it off the phone, so,

we had to wait for them
to go to bed, and...

"What would you do,
best friend?"

[Samara] He's such...

I mean,
everybody doesn't see this,

but he's really
an amazing person.

[mumbles]

This could be the first male
to graduate from high school,

out of his family,
and the first to go to college.

And I guess that's putting
a lot of stress on him, too,

'cause he just wants his family
to be proud of him.

[Chris] Come on.

Twenty seconds.

Both of y'all

first in the family
to get a scholarship.

Keep it up!
Ten seconds, ten seconds.

Come on.

Five, four, three,

two, one. Good job.

Where did you
get the socks from?

[Jailen] Uh...

DICK's. Sport DICK's.

You got Spiderman
on the back of them.

Well, is that about
some 20 dollar socks?

-No, 15.
-[grandfather] Fifteen?

For some socks?

-Please...
-They bring me luck.

-They do what?
-They bring me luck.

And?

-Only ones you wear?
-Every time.

Okay.

Well, this is,
this is my whole nick of pins

from my first season.

And we get those
after we pin a guy.

You get a pin.

-[whistle trills]
-[Jailen] So...

You are on points
when you wrestle,

and you can win
by losing points,

but what you really want
is a pin.

Basically, you get a guy
on his back,

shoulder blades touch the mat
for five short seconds.

One, two, three, four, five.

-When we got there, its...
-[snaps]

That's the match, you know,
you get your hand raised,

go to coach, get your pin,

put it where you want it.

[bell ringing]

[woman 1 over PA]Good morning, Jaguar Scholars.

Welcome to another wonderful
learning day after day!

Where it is our business
that all students...

[background chatter]

So, GDP is criticized
because it measures

the overall wealth
of the country,

but it doesn't take into account
the distribution of income

that some people in the country

might have the vast majority
of the wealth.

[indistinct chatter]

[Chris] Guys,
we gotta check your weight.

Every single day,

we're gonna monitor weight
where you're at.

Dude, Jailen's gonna be huge.

Look at him.

-What?
-[all laugh]

[Chris] Jaquan,
step on the scale.

-Holy fuck.
-[man 7] Shit boy.

That is fucking crazy.

Dude, you're ten motherfucking
pounds overweight.

Let's go. Now.

[whirring]

When I see the sweat,

drip off your nose
and not your chin,

go two more minutes harder
and then stop.

[Chris] Teague.

-Teague.
-[loud thud]

Teague, put it down.

I stuck my leg in.

-All right. Make sure it's down.
-You all right there?

[exhales]

This is like...

Yeah, this is an improved
banana split.

All right, all right, all right.

This is ain't
called banana split.

He can't do nothing about that.

Guys, in a little less
than three days,

we're gonna be driving down
as a whole team.

To Birmingham.

[Chris] This is our first
big tournament.

We want everyone
who's scoring points

in their weight class
to place at this tournament.

["Goin' Down South" playing]

♪ I'm goin' with you, babe
I'm goin' with you, babe ♪

♪ I'm goin' with you, babe
I'm goin' with you, babe ♪

♪ I don't care where you go ♪

♪ I'm goin' down south
I'm goin' down south ♪

♪ I'm goin' down south
I'm goin' down south ♪

♪ The chilly wind don't blow ♪

[Chris] When I call
your weight class, say present.

-120.
-[man 8] Aye.

-52.
-[man 9] Present.

Other 52, where's Rowe?

[cell phone dial ringing]

We can't wait. Where are you?

[Chris] You have
a wrestling tournament

where you're starting
on a varsity.

What the fuck?
Get the fuck over here.

[car signal beeping]

-[Chris] Rowe.
-[Jamario mumbles]

-Are you getting your stuff?
-[Lolitia] Oh, my god, Mario.

Come on, bro.

Oh, that's why
he's not trying to come.

Hmm.

Can we go?

Come on.

-[Jamario] Man, I'm sorry.
-Why are you changing your mind?

Can you remind him that
he's gonna be back tomorrow,

and you'll still be here?

-[Samara] Hm.
-[Chris] Okay.

I got to be somewhere.
I gotta go back to school.

-Go on.
-Okay.

You know I'll wait.
I'm not going...

-[Chris] Okay.
-Babe, just go.

[Jamario] Come on.

[Chris] Hey,
what are you angry about?

Hey, what are you angry about?

-What is his problem?
-I don't know.

I don't know, he has flu.

[Lolitia] Tell me
why you're crying.

Come here.

He won't stop.

[Jamario inhales]

[Samara] Come on.
Stop stressing me out.

You're gonna have
a nervous breakdown.

[car engine revving]

[sniffles]

[cell phone ringing]

[Fat Cat over the phone] Hello?

[Chris] Hey, sir.
This is Coach Scribner

from J.O. Johnson High School
on Huntsville.

I'm Jamario's wrestling coach.

[Fat Cat] Uh-huh.

[Chris] Hey, sir,
I just want to tell you

that your grandson, Jamario,

is one of the best wrestlers
in all of Alabama this year.

-[Fat Cat] Oh, that's great.
-Yes.

That's very,
that's very impressive.

And I've been waiting for years
to hear something like this.

If there's any way
you would be able to come here,

we could even,
maybe, pick you up.

[Fat Cat] Right into my house?

So you could see
Jamario wrestle.

[Fat Cat]Well, I sure would like to go.

Wow, that's awesome.

Wait, do you want to talk
to your grandson?

He's in the car.

[Fat Cat] Yeah.
Let me talk to him.

[Chris] All right.

[calm music]

[chuckles]

[calm music]

-[laughter]
-[overlapping dialogue]

[Sheba] How much weight, Jaquan?

So you gotta lose four pounds?

Well, no burrito for you.
[chuckles]

I'm not eating the whole thing.

I'm just like gonna eat
about until right here.

[background chatter]

[Sheba]
You gotta work it out now

because you gonna go back
down there

and work out some more.

[Jaquan] Well, yeah.
'Cause I'm 139.

-[Sheba] What is that?
-[Jaquan's brother] 139.

[Sheba] 139?

-[Jaquan] Yeah.
-[Jaquan's brother] Yeah.

[Sheba] You went up.

Uh-huh.

Yeah.

[Sheba]

[all laugh]

[Chris] It's great to meet you,
Fat Cat, it's an honor.

-How are you doing?
-I'm all right.

I'm Chris.
You can call me Coach Chris.

-All right.
-[laughing]

So you know, ain't no mountain
high enough, is it?

-[Lolitia] Oh, my Jesus.
-It ain't nobody low.

-[both laughing]
-It got to go.

[Fat Cat] I love you, Lolitia.

I'm glad I'm alive to see this.
This is a dream come true.

Now, you stay
in the right-hand lane.

You must be reading
the newspaper online.

Stay at the right-hand lane
and elbow.

That mean, you keep straight
going elbow.

You didn't go the direct...
Just take straight.

-[Chris] Okay.
-You don't understand, huh?

-Oh.
-The old school's

-not good really.
-Oh, okay.

-You understand like I do?
-Oh, okay.

-[Chris] I'm learning, Jamario.
-I'll break...

-[Chris] I'm learning.
-I'll break it down.

Yeah, break it down
a little bit.

We're going down here
on highway.

-[Chris] No, I got you.
-Oh, okay.

[giggling]

Wow.

Yeah, he's, he's from New York.

[cell phone dial ringing]

Jaquan.

Stop being a dickhead.
Stop fucking pissing me off.

[Chris] You've got a tournament,
make the way.

Thank you.

[car engine revving]

You're not gonna lose
any weight like this, though.

You don't lose weight
by like softly pedaling.

[Chris] I'll help
you make it, weigh in.

We'll see where you're at,

and then, I'll tell you
what you need to do.

It's not gonna be that crazy.

[Chris] Okay. So you have...

Wow, you have five pounds
to lose right now. So you...

[Jaquan] No.
I'm gonna get to 132.

[tense music]

[Chris] Jaquan,
if you don't make it,

you forfeit, and that ruins
your shot at State.

Okay, come on.

You got this, Jaquan.

You lost anything?

[Jailen]
He's been doing this mostly.

It is on your job, man.
You can do it, bro.

Hold up here.

See, that's full speed.

[Sheba] And I know you.
I know my child.

You can handle this.

-Just do what he says.
-This is nasty.

But also, I don't... I don't...

-[Jamario] All right. Now, go.
-[Chris] Go for it.

-[water splatters]
-[all groans]

-[Sheba] Y'all sound silly.
-That is disgusting!

-[Sheba] That was so silly.
-Ew!

-That was nasty?
-That was sweat.

[all groan]

[Chris] I'm estimating he's got
a pound to go.

No.
[stutters]

-He made it?
-I don't think he made it.

-How much did he have?
-Four pounds.

-I think he made it.
-I don't think he made it.

[Chris] All right, guys.
Go to bed.

-Come on.
-No.

You gotta get up at 7:00.

[indistinct chatter]

[suspenseful music]

Go into the weighing room

and say you're weighting
on the scale.

Booth. Hey, sweat first.

[indistinct chatter]

Jaquan Rhodes.

-Yeah!
-Yes, sir!

[Chris]

[commentator 1] Welcome to
the first wrestling tournament

of the season.

Today, each wrestler will earn
his initial state ranking.

By the end of the season,

they will have to make it
to the top eight

in their weight class

to qualify
for the state championships.

All right, Johnson, in on me,
real quick.

I wanna beat Grissom so bad.
I went to the coach

'cause he won
all these state championships,

I said, "Coach, I wanna start
a wrestling team in Johnson."

And he looked at me,
and he said,

"There is no way

you will ever get

more than one or two kids
at Johnson to wrestle."

[Chris] Have faith
that you guys can perform

beyond what you're expected to.
Hands in.

[all] Bring us the serenity

to accept the things
I cannot change,

the courage to change
the things I can,

and wisdom
to know the difference.

-One, two, three!
-[all] Jags!

Very strong kid.

Literally just, he just
pinned Jaq in 30 seconds.

He's not gonna stop
your takedown,

but his tug is on top.

He's not gonna make
a single mistake...

[tense music]

[shouting indistinctly]

[inhales sharply]

[whistle blows]

There you go.

He's just backing up, Jailen
He's just backing up.

Keep circling in, your offense.

-There you go. Close in.
-[whistle blows]

Sway side to side,
he's just backing up.

[whistle blows]

[Chris] Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Uh-oh.

Keep him in! Keep him in!

Keep him in, Jailen!

Move on your right, Jailen!
Your shoulders should stay in.

[whistle blows]

[Chris] Jailen, Jailen,
you've got 30 seconds

-to show us something.
-[whistle blows]

Push it there, right there.

Set it, set it, set it.

-[whistle blows]
-[crowd cheering]

Good job.

[Chris] Jaquan, you're up.

Here we go.

[whistle blows]

[Chris] Yes, pull your offense.
Let him go.

[screaming]

[groans]

[Chris] Yeah, lift, lift.

-Yep, he's giving it to you.
-[Sheba] Don't sit back...

Yep. All right,
behind that left ear.

Yes, right there.

Step it away. Step off the way.

[Sheba] Yeah.

-[whistle blows]
-[Chris screaming]

[crowd cheering]

Hey, good job.
Way to stayed calm.

Thank you.

[all jabbering]

[jabbering continues]

Come on, Teague.

[commentator 2] Teague Berres
from J.O. Johnson High School,

please report to the second mat.

[Teague's mother]His very first match

he was five years old.

The kid pinned him so quickly,

he came straight back up
and he was like,

"Mama, I'm not ever gonna get
pinned again."

And that year, he didn't.

You can do all your crazy stuff
do whatever you want,

you just can't go to your butt
or your back.

[Teague] You what I'm gonna do?

Make that banana split
that I do.

-[chuckles]
-And then, then do a point--

I think he's probably
gonna see that coming

but I'm gonna let you,
whatever you wanna do,

just do not go
to your back, okay?

[whistle blows]

Let's go to your one, here.

Teague, just...

-What are you doing?
-Come on, Teague.

-Come on, Jaquan!
-Don't let him do that!

[Chris] Teague, you can't
grab him through a spiral.

Teague, you can't--

You can't grab him
through a spiral.

I'm about to say
you're out the match.

If you ever talk back to me,

I'm gonna take you
out the match. Go wrestle.

[whistle blows]

[whistle blows]

What the fuck?

[Chris] Teague,
go get your suit off,

you're not wrestling,
you're done.

Look, this is good,
'cause y'all true colors are...

they're really coming out
right now,

and we're gonna have
to improve as a team.

[Chris] Jamario, stand up.

Start getting athletic.

Start moving your feet.

I'm just, I'm worried.

He's so unprepared
for his next match,

he could lose it.

Come on. let's go.

[whistle blows]

[overlapping dialogue]

-[Chris] Keep going! Keep go--
-[crowd gasp]

[Chris] Right there!
Bring it in. Bring it in.

-Bring it in.
-[grunts]

[Chris] No, no, no.
Look at me, bro.

Bro, look at me!

You're fine! You're doing good.

Look at me, hey!
Bring him in, bring him in.

[tense music]

Okay.

[whistle blows]

Come here.

Come here, Jamario.
He just wanna beat you up.

You didn't wanna be here.
He just woke you up.

I don't want you
to leave here disappointed.

I want you
to leave here in a way

that you can be proud
of yourself.

Go hard. Stay off the knees.
Let's go.

[Chris clapping]

[whistle blows]

[tense music]

-[whistle blows]
-[crowd cheering]

[laughs]

[mellow music]

This is the first time
in three years.

I was like, "Dang,
I'm coaching a wrestling team."

First time.

Guys, we're taking this
all the way to State.

[Chris] What that's gonna take

is pushing each other
in every practice.

And each and every one of you

place the top eight
in your weight class.

Basically, I'm gonna...

be a dad soon.

Girlfriend got pregnant.

[clears throat]
She is...

two months.

[Jamario]

Yeah, it's been kinda rough
for me lately.

[sighs, clicks tongue]

That was my biggest worry,
his gettin' a baby but...

they wanna be so grown,
so now...

[Jamario mutters]

...it's here that
we have to deal with it.

I mean, it's their baby,
not mine.

They gonna finish schooling.

-They gonna... Uh-uh. He cannot.
-[Samara mumbles]

How you gonna take care
of that baby

with no job or nothing to,
to bring to the table?

'Cause I'm not gonna put
my life on hold

and raise your baby.

I'm gonna break the cycle,
'cause I'm serious.

[Lolitia] What's the cycle?
What is the--

The cycle is, a cycle
is something that can't stop,

that's gonna continue on going
down the freaking family tree.

So that means, you're gonna be
in your child's life?

[Jamario] Yeah.
Somebody that my dad is not.

That's all you gotta say.

I'm not gonna be a deadbeat dad.
I'm not gonna...

Right, I'm gonna be
the first male to go to college

and actually be successful
so the cycle is broken.

It's broken.

[Jailen's uncle]
When he was little,

He was still...

the little quiet guy that he is.

He's always been
a really nice guy,

very malleable.

Just quiet.

And a lot will tell you,

really didn't even know
that he was around.

His father was in the navy,
his mother...

she said that she would
take care of the kids.

Their mom, she just disappeared.

No, I haven't,
I haven't seen my mom since.

I'll say when I was two.

I haven't seen my mom
in a long time.

[Jailen] She got a new husband,

and, uh, she had two new sons.

But my dad always told me, like,

"You never let anybody see you,
like, crying."

[sighs deeply]

[car alarm wailing]

[cellphone vibrating]

[Jaquan] Oh, shit.
Scrib calling.

That's great. Um, I'm on my way.

Gimme like, gimme like,
two minutes.

Dude, get your big ass head
off of me.

I'm tired.

[indistinct chatter]

You're 15 minutes late.

You told me
you won't be late anymore.

You're doing extra,
extra work now.

[door slams]

[Chris] Now, go! Fourteen.

Stand up!

-Teague, sound off to 14, go!
-Come on, Teague!

Way to work defense!

One, low.

That's important.

[Teague's mother]
I just don't know what to do.

Now, you're not even going
to the classes.

You were already held back
in seventh grade.

[grunts, blows raspberry]

You get held back
in ninth grade.

That will put you at, like,

20 when you graduate,
if you graduate.

Which would make you ineligible
to even wrestle.

Which means any help
of a scholarship

would be out the door.

Maybe if you
weren't getting high,

you could wrestle
to your fullest.

Hm?

[chuckles]

I don't really like
wrestling anymore.

It's not that fun.

Ten years ago, today,
I got sober.

I got kicked out of high school

for continuing drink and drug
despite many interventions.

I would make these
sweeping proclamations

that I, you know,

I was gonna quit for good
this time and then...

two weeks later, not even,

sometimes, two days later,
two hours later

I'd find myself loaded
on something.

[Chris] I've realized

that I've been trying to fill
that hole with, you know,

teaching and coaching
as much as possible,

and I'm only 28, so...

I need to be grateful
for the sobriety that I have.

[indistinct chatter]

No, man.

Teague, run with us.

[Teague] I already ran two.

Yeah, we're doing eight.

-[Teague] I'm not doing eight.
-Come on.

I can't do it, nope.

-Sprinted two miles.
-I know, so do two slowly.

Come on.

-[Teague] I will do two.
-[Chris] All right, let's go.

All right, man,
if you feel good,

do another one.

Come on, just one at a time.

-[Teague] Oh, my god.
-One at a time.

Believe in yourself, come on.

Teague, that's not...
[sighs]

All right.

["This Train"
by The Staple Singers playing]

♪ This train, you know
It's bound to glory ♪

♪ This train ♪

[Chris]
I'm not playing with you all.

I want to win the
State Championship this year.

[whistle trills]

Be really patient with it.
I promise you.

He's gonna try
and turn real hard.

♪ This train, you know
It's bound to glory ♪

♪ And I'm gonna ride it with
The righteous and the holy ♪

♪ This train
Is bound for glory ♪

♪ This train ♪

What are you doing?

[whistle trills]

♪ This train
Don't carry no gamblers ♪

♪ This train ♪

[indistinct prayer over speaker]

-[man over speaker] Amen.
-[all] Amen.

♪ This train
Don't carry no gamblers ♪

♪ This train ♪

Lost your back.
There you go. One more.

♪ This train
Don't carry no gamblers ♪

♪ No high flyers
No midnight gamblers ♪

♪ This train ♪

♪ Is bound for glory
This train ♪

[Chris] Even if you didn't get
a win today,

I've seen
incredible improvement.

♪ This train, you know
It carry my mother ♪

♪ This train ♪

You can do with this.
You can do this, Jaquan.

-[Sheba] Come on.
-[Chris] Stand up with it.

Touch the mat!

-[whistle trills]
-[cheers]

You're seeing incredible dance.

-[whistles trill]-♪ This train, you know ♪

♪ It's carrying my mother ♪

♪ Same old train
Took my sister and my brother ♪

-[whistle trills]
-[Jaquan] Give me a hug.

-[all cheering]
-[Chris] Come on.

One match at a time.
One minute a time.

We're fighting our way back.

[male reporter over radio]McNair Junior High School

and J.O. Johnson High School
both from Huntsville,

ended up on the State list
of failing schools.

[female reporter over radio]The District's plan would leave

most students
in segregated schools.

And in some cases,

assigned them to even more
segregated educational...

[overlapping chatter]

[Chris] You know the Johnson
has the highest concentration

of poverty
in Huntsville right now, right?

We're gonna have
to raise the money.

-[Jailen] Teague, you hear that?
-Oh, Jailen.

Jailen, are you ready to speak?

-Speak about?
-[background chatter]

What do I speak about?

"I'm Jailen Young
and I represent the Student Body

at Johnson High School."
[laughs]

[Chris] You're speaking for...

-[Jailen] I'm honored.
-[Chris] ...two, two minutes.

It's at this big,
defense corporation,

and you're accepting
the money, bro.

Dang.

[Chris] So you might wanna talk
about your personal experience.

That would be powerful.

-You know what I'm saying?
-[Jailen] Yeah.

[Chris] Say, "I didn't
give college any thought."

Be forceful with it.
Be a little Obama with it.

I'd like to welcome each of you
to our facility today.

I'd like to let Jailen tell you

a most inspiring message.

Well, I do wanna start
by saying,

College, it wasn't even
considered as a journey for me.

I just think after high school,
I maybe work a low-income job.

After the wrestling team
at our school,

I won't just go to college.

I know I'd go...
Be a, more of a role model.

Not just for myself
but for my community.

[all applauding]

[faucet whirring]

[Sheba] Every time you try to do
something good

you have a breakthrough
at something positive

that you trying to do.

It seems like everything comes
and gets in your way.

That's why I said,
"Never get behind me."

That's my saying.
"Never get behind me."

'Cause he's not gonna stake...
take my word.

[Jaquan] Do you wanna say,
"Well, we're gonna make it

to this mountaintop"?

-Huh?
-[Jaquan] Do you wanna make it

-to that mountaintop...
-[Jaquan's sister chuckles]

...like Martin Luther King?

-We're gonna make it...
-And now...

-to the--
-...you're trying to be smart.

-It's so smooth.
-How did I...

How am I trying to be smart?
That's insane.

It's okay.
It's everyday with him.

He don't stop.

Ooh, you.

It's a little something, man.

Ain't no party,
but we can turn it into a party.

Hey.

♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

♪ Happy birth... ♪

Y'all, come on, now.♪ ...to you. ♪

♪ Happy birthday, dear Jamario ♪

-♪ Happy birthday to you ♪
-♪ Happy birthday to you ♪

[blows out candles]

-All that...
-[all chuckle]

-[laughs]
-Like he's on Flash.

-Oh, my god.
-You are 18.

You should be smiling proudly.

It's gonna take forever.

Is this the real Jamario? Okay.

For real, cuz.

[car door closes]

[car engine starting]

[car engine revving]

[police siren blaring]

[indistinct chatter over radio]

[ominous music]

[officer 1]

[handcuffs clanking]

[Jaquan] I didn't know.
I wanna be given my rights.

That's what I'm saying.

You got anything else inside
in the vehicle...

No, I didn't even use them, sir.

What are you doing?

[mumbling]

[tense music]

[Sheba] I'm pissed.

My nerves is bad,
I'm kinda shaky.

I'm ready for this officer
to call me so...

I think going down to the...

They gonna take him
to the detention home.

-[phone beeps]
-[dial tone ringing]

-[Jamario over phone] Hello.
-Hey.

Jamario.

Hello?

[Jamario] Hey.

You know Jaquan
is on his way to jail, right?

[Jamario] What?

Jaquan is on his way to jail.

[Jamario] For?

Weed. They found weed.

The police found weed
in the car.

Have you been smoking.
at my baby's car?

[Jamario] No.

[Sheba] Jamario, don't lie.

You, you telling me,
you will have,

you weren't smoking no weed
in the car?

[Jamario] No.

Okay. That's all I need to know.

[Jamario] Oh.
[mumbles]

All right.

You all have a good night, okay?
Have a good night.

[phone beeps]

I'm done.
I'm not gonna entertain that.

Because, I, I, I had to remember
he's a child.

And I didn't wanna
snap on him by that.

So that's why
I hung the phone up.

[car door clicks]

[Sheba] Oh, Lord,
give me strength.

Lord, have a peaceful mind.

Not, do not jeopardize
my freedom, Lord.

In Jesus name, Amen.

[car engine revving]

[door buzzes]

All right.

You hadn't been 18, your ass
would've been steel up dead

in Madison County Jail.

And all the reason why
you're not up

at the D home right now
is because

the probation officer said I had
to come get you tonight,

'cause I was gonna make
your ass stay up there.

I don't deserve this.

You treat me worse

than the men in my life
have treated me.

And that hurts. It do.

[sniffles]

[indistinct chatter]

[all] Three, two, one.

Eight, seven,

six...

[James] Did it?

It's illegal.

You get caught with it
in the next six months,

you're going to jail.

You get caught with it

after those six months,
and you're over 18,

you're going to jail.

There is no more college.

They'll revoke
every scholarship,

every grant, every everything.

You're done.

Jamario? Sheba's inside.

First, I'm going to start
by saying...

You already know
the situation he in.

-He's on probation now.
-[Jamario] Mm-hm.

[Sheba] I don't know
how weed got in your car.

I don't know
how he got it in the car.

'Cause it was not,
it was not in the car.

It was not in the car at all.

Well, I went back
in the car again,

and it is loud as hell.

And then, you lied to me
on the phone.

I asked you,

"Was you all smoking it?"

And what did you tell me?

Yeah.

-Jamario.
-You don't ask me one question

-and...
-Jamario.

Jamario, don't do this.

You don't want
to go there with me.

[Jamario] I know, okay.

Don't go there with me, okay.
I'm not...

First, I'm a pissed off
Mama right now.

I'm disappointed in you guys.

You will see if you have a baby.

I'm looking forward to you
being a mentor to him.

He looks up to you
whether you know it or not.

-[snickers]
-No, I don't.

-It didn't stop there.
-[all laugh]

I was getting food stamps.

Can't get food stamps now.
'Cause you got a drug charge.

Now, I gotta go
on a forsaken job...

to keep a roof over our head.

But the decisions
that Jaquan made to go

get high
for that little amount of time,

it cost me a whole life.

It cost me a life.

You got a baby to think about.

Look around.

Everybody out here loves you.

You ain't my child,

I ain't birth you
but I love you.

Can you be an example
to him, too?

[Sheba] You apologize
to me and tell me you was sorry,

Have you heard that come out
from his mouth, yet?

Not one time.

I'm sorry.

[Jailen]

Hmm.

[sighs]

He got locked up when I was,

hmm...

Maybe...

seven, eight years old?

And I didn't see him
until I was maybe like,

twelve or one of those ages.

And he told me, like, what's...

my whole, like,

seventh birthday

was raised off drug money.

I don't know
if he still sell drugs, but...

I wouldn't doubt it.

McDonald's don't get you
a lot of money.

It don't.

So you gotta pick up a side job.

You gotta do something.

[indistinct chatter]

[Cooper] Hey.

[Jailen] Have you seen Teague,
Ms. Cooper?

[Cooper] Have I seen Teague?
No, I haven't seen Teague.

Have you seen him?

I saw him this morning,
walking down the hall.

[door clacking]

Hey, Kiara.

You seen Teague? Out here?

[Kiara]

[Jailen]

[man 10] Hey,
does he know where?

[Teague]

[Teague]

Oh, once we get on to the street
up here, you'll have to stop,

because the guy we're
gonna get something from...

[ominous music]

[indistinct chatter]

[car engine rumbling]

Have you all seen
two little boys walking around?

[officer 2]

No? Okay, thank you.

[Teague's mother]
Up until recently,

I didn't want him
to get arrested,

but I'm getting to the point

where I think it's gonna take
something like that

for it to click in him
that he's doing wrong.

[Teague's mother]
Now, I'm worried about him,

because he has all these issues
and then,

the way that his dad was
with him.

It's somewhat physically abusive

but he was very,
very mentally abusive.

And Teague got
a lot of that growing up.

[tranquil music]

[door creaks]

[Sheba] Jaquan, can you pee?

[Jaquan mumbles]

Well, you need to go drink
some water or something.

[Sheba]

[officer 3]

[Jaquan]

[officer 3]

[wind howling]

[humming]

[Samara] When they told me
about having a baby

but it was like,
gonna be like...

after school and all that,

but I feel like God wouldn't...

but I felt like it's a blessing

because it's not
the baby's fault

that it happened like this.

I feel like God
wouldn't bless me with the baby

if it wasn't the right time.

[Samara] Mom and Dad,

didn't want me
to be with Jamario.

He said, in the Bible

it says black and whites
can't be together.

No, it does not say that.

The past year's been hard.

[Chris] Rowe!

You all right?

Holy shit.

You scared the shit out of me.

[Jomario]

Right, what...
what are you talking about

when you say you need help.
What kind of help?

[Jamario]

Mentally?

[Jamario]

Come here.

[Chris] You cannot join them,
Jamario. Come on.

[Chris] Rowe!

Jesus!
[mutters]

[Jamario] It's okay.
[sighs]

[Chris] Let's go, Teague.

We're right where we want to be.

We're going
for the big trophy now.

Get up, get up!

[Chris] At some point, you guys
are all gonna be in tough spots.

You can't lose your fire.

[Chris] No matter
where you're at in a match,

you can always win.

[people cheering]

[whistle trills]

Keep the leg up,
keep the leg up.

[whistle trills]

[tense music]

[Chris] Chili's, Chick-fil-A,

Bojangles', Waffle House,

-We're going Chick-fil-A.
-I want Bojangles'.

I'm taking you
to Taco Bell/Bojangles'.

[indistinct chatter]

No!

[police siren blares]

Where's your coach
and everybody at?

Uh, I guess
they're on their way home.

-Not home, but to the hotel.
-To the hotel?

[officer 4] You got
a contact number for him?

-Yup.
-[officer 4] Go and call him.

Because they're gonna come
and get you

-or you're going to jail.
-All right.

For urinating in public.

Hold it.
Get in front of the car.

Stand right there
in front of my car.

Oh, boy. Oh, my god.

[clicks tongue]

[officer 4]

I'm sorry.

All right, I don't know
who you're calling.

J-A-I-L-E-N. Young.

-J-A...
-I-L-E-N. Young.

-What's your last name.
-Young.

-Young. Big or small.
-I just spelled it.

-I just asked you.
-[Jailen] Shut up.

-Shut up.
-You, you about this close.

-Shut up, bro, I'm talking.
-Okay.

So you need to lose
the attitude.

Stand back here.

Stand back here,
at the back of the car.

Put your hands on your back.

You getting all this?

I hope you are.

'Cause you can show this
in your documentary.

How disrespectful
this young man has been.

Did you get all that?

402.

[police radio chatter]

My mama wouldn't know or care.

Do what?

She won't know or care
what you were doing.

[man 11]

Huh?

[man 11]

He don't know...

-She just...
-[man 10] Maybe not in...

not in the scene
or just, she just don't care.

[officer 4] Who's responsible
for you?

[phone ringing]

[officer 4] Your grandparents?
What would they say?

-[phone ringing]
-Huh?

That's fine.

[officer 4 chuckling]

[car approaching]

[officer 4] Hey,
are you the coach?

-Yes, sir.
-[officer 4] Let me talk to you

here for a second.

[indistinct chatter]

A cop could talk to anybody
any way they want to,

but if I
talk in my regular tone,

I'm being smart.

Now, when I go around
like people,

like situations like that,

my voice like turns,
like, white.

Talking about people
getting smart with police.

This is about police
killing innocent people

[sighs]
I'm just trying to calm down.

Bigger concern.

[sighs]

When I tell you
to shut your fucking mouth,

this is why.

[Chris] It's not even about
being white or black.

But it definitely doesn't,
doesn't help

feeling any kind of stereotype

of getting smart
with the police.

Like, it's a self-preservation.

Hey.

Uh, um, thank you, thank you.

Hey.

Uh-uh, come here, come here.

Like, you're getting smart
right now.

Like, just the way
you're talking.

-Are you taking this seriously?
-Yes.

-Okay.
-I could've been sleeping

in jail the other night,

or juvenile detention centers.
I understand that.

Or had some misdemeanor,
on your record.

Yeah. Okay, at 16 years old.

Are you taking it seriously?

I can't tell
if you're being smart.

-I'm...
-The way you sound

makes it sound sarcastic.

-I understand.
-[Chris] Okay.

All right.

-It's Montgomery.
-I understand, I understand.

Do you know where we...
We was in Montgomery.

They love taking
niggers to jail.

They can't wait.

[people shouting]

He's gonna be having it
on the head.

Remember, he can move.

[inaudible dialogue]

[tense music]

[whistle trills]

[tense music]

[tense music continues]

[people cheering]

Forget about it right now.
Don't mention it.

Forget about it.
Hey, listen to me.

Keep your head up.
Don't even cry.

[muffled dialogue]

[loud thud]

[somber music]

[Jaquan]

[Chris] Yes.

That makes me so mad.

-That makes me so mad.
-You even think this

is his first time something like
this had happened to him before?

[Chris]

-[Jaquan] All right.
-[Chris]

[chuckles]

Hello. How is she?

It's possible.

-Good?
-[Jamario] Hm!

Oh, I don't know,
I don't know, I don't know.

[James] Are you going
to practice or not?

And today, I woke up,
not even making a move.

-[mumbling]
-[Chris] Right. Right, Rowe.

Yeah. You have mood swings.

[Jamario] So, everybody
has mood swings.

Sure, but I think yours are

in a range that it exceeds
that of most people.

I think that you would benefit

if you would talk
to a professional.

Man, the people that walk
around up in here are like,

This nigga crazy.

And give me some medication,
and next thing you know, bam.

I'm on to medication
I can't get off of.

That I'll be hooked to.

And they ain't gonna wonder.

[Chris] Well, there,
nobody can make you

take a medication, Rowe.

[Jamario] I just know
I ain't feeling going up there

and make me
see my girlfriend go crazy,

'cause I'm not crazy.

[stutters]
I just have mood swings.

And also breakdowns, that's it.

Jamario, I don't think
a professional is gonna say,

"You're crazy."

Like, that's not what they do.

Screw them. You're not...

you're not everything.

-You're not everybody.
-[man 11]

[chuckles]
You think you're a love doctor.

[Chris] You do not need to go
all the way down...

You just got to e-mail
and you got over yourself.

[overlapping dialogue]

-[man 11] A lawyer.
-[Jamario]

[man 12] Ten bucks.
We have to go there.

[man 13]

[laughing]

[man 13] Poor guy.
He's getting a nervous break.

[indistinct chatter]

I would like a nice,
quiet day again today.

No phone calls, please.

Okay.

[school bell ringing]

Hey, Teague!

-[Teague] Hey.
-Yes, always.

[woman 2] Yeah.

[indistinct chatter]

[birds chirping]

♪ Young nigga, I got old cash
Spazzing on they ass ♪

♪ I got Prada on my ho ass,
got my last one mad ♪

♪ Pop a nigga like a damn tag,
Shopping on they ass ♪

♪ I just bought a new old Jag, ♪

♪ Yeah, it's so fast ♪

[Chris] Nope, you're not.

-[Teagan] Oh, my god.
-No.

-Can you chill out?
-No.

Hey, Teague's just definitely
be suspending.

Hey, y'all come here.

Come here.
Tell them to come here.

[Chris] You know what he did?

Old, retired men,

American...
Good American citizens.

Opens his door to this young man

who says,
"Hey, I'm just raising money

for the Johnson Wrestling Team."

-Oh, my god.
-To go buy what we all know.

Really?

That's what he's doing,
while you all learn in school.

So, here's what
I'm going to say,

me and Coach Scrib,
got to walk down this hallway,

gonna take care of this problem.

[overlapping dialogue]

Y'all can't... Hold on.
Y'all can't get him up.

Just talk to him first
before you...

You can't just sit up here
and beat his ass every time.

[overlapping dialogue]

Y'all trying to fight him,
you see.

Y'all might just go talk to him.

That's literally theft, nigga,
like, that's theft.

Because you and somebody else
took their property,

basically sold it for some weed,

but you can go to jail
for thievery.

And to put money for our team,
we've been working our ass off

What they--
what they know us about?

[overlapping dialogue]

Okay, members, clearly...

Teague, come on. We listening.
We wanna hear from you.

-What should we do to you?
-We wanna hear it.

We might think of the same word.

[Jamario] Beat your ass.

What I went through with Jaquan,

that shit taught me a lesson,
didn't it teach you a lesson?

-Like...
-You gonna be like me, son.

-You gonna be like him.
-[indistinct chatter]

You going to jail.

Listen, bruh. I know what we're
saying is going through one ear

-and out the other.
-It's so easy...

Fuck that shit.

-Teague, I love you.
-Stop.

I love you!

[somber music]

[Chris] This is phase three
of the season.

It's gonna be hard.

Go above. Keep your hips low.

Gotta crack down
between his legs!

Between his legs!

[Chris] Squeeze and grip!

Squeeze in the ribs.

-[whistle trills]
-[crowd screams]

[Chris] I know you guys
are burnt out.

I know you're ready
for the season to end.

We gotta work hard
for each other.

It's got to be something
bigger than us.

[Chris]
I wanna see Jamario Rowe!

What is inside of you?

What's inside of you, Jamario?

[grunts]

-[Chris] Right there! That's it!
-[whistle trills]

[people cheering]

[whistle trills]

-Let's go! Let's go!
-Break, break, break!

[grunts]

This week, I stayed up
two nights in a row,

wondering if you were
gonna make it to 18.

[commentator 3]Nice, Jailen Young.

-Nice work.
-[whistle trills]

[commentator]...tournament champion,

Jailen Young!

[crowd applauding]

[Chris] Let's do it!
Let's do it!

-[timer buzzes]
-[whistle trills]

-Jamario.
-Don't stand in my step.

[Chris] Attitude.
I'm waiting for your style.

[whistle trills]

[Chris] Ya'll have one of
the worst schools in the state.

This is it.

Make a fucking statement.

[people cheering]

[James] Y'all wouldn't have
qualified for state.

Y'all need to win this round.

Win this round.

[Chris]

It's like, words are,
it's gonna be so ugly.

[whistle trills]

[Teague's mother] Come on!
Keep pushing, Teague!

Don't give up! Keep pushing!

-[grunts]
-[thuds]

[Teague's mother]
Come on, Teague!

[man 14] You're doing great!

Let's go!

[Teague's mother] That's it,
that's it, that's it! Go on!

-Come on! Teague, come on!
-[man 15] Lester! Lester!

Rock it up, rock it up!

[Teague's mother]
Come on, Teague!

[man 14] Go, Lester!

[man 14 chanting]
Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!

[whistle trilling]

[people cheering, applauding]

[victorious music]

Look at you.
I'm so proud of you.

I knew you could do it.

Bro, what the actual fuck.

-[whistle trilling]
-[people cheering]

[whistle trills]

[people applauding]

[whistle trilling]

[people shouting]

We made it this far, man!

[Chris] We have a team
full of kids

who qualified
for the state championships.

You guys really have earned it.

[Chris] You really are real
state champion caliber team.

You have to believe it.

-[fire crackers crackling]
-[yells]

[lively music]

-[fireworks whistle]
-[explosion]

[all cheering]

[Chris] We have a week
before State.

Start thinking about that.

Think about
your State finals match.

We got work to do.

[all] Six, five, four, three...

-[Chris] All the way up to one.
-...two, one.

-[all] Four, three, two...
-If one of you is state champion

-it's no big deal.
-...one.

I'm calling right now.
Jamario Rowe. State champion.

Go hard. Do not show
on your face that you're tired.

We're not gonna give
our opponent a mental boost

that they think
that they broke us.

We don't break.

[all] Eleven, ten, nine.

[Chris] Start over.

All right,
if you're doing it wrong,

we're gonna start over.

[overlapping dialogue]

Oh, start again, start again.

Wait for Jamario.

[indistinct chatter]

Guys, stay on him.

He's a senior,

he's been through my system
for three years.

[Chris] He's fit to be a father.

This man.

He's about to raise a kid
in this world.

Oh, jeez, bro. Man.

[thuds]

[Chris] Jamario,
you're not gonna disrespect me

in front of all
these other kids.

[Chris] Why are you
being disrespectful right now?

I'm not being disrespectful...
Just move, man.

[Chris] Let's go.

Let's go, come on.
You're going the wrong way.

Hey, Rowe!

Rowe, my ass, yeah...

-Rowe!
-[Jamario] Don't touch me.

Cut it out.

-[Jamario mutters]
-Rowe!

Cut it out, right now.

Right now.

You need to--

-[Chris] Rowe.
-[Jamario] Get off of me.

-All I said...
-Get off me.

-Get off of me.
-Rowe.

All I said, Rowe...
[panting]

Listen.

-You just need to apologize...
-Get the fuck off of me.

[mumbles]
I'm gonna beat your ass...

[Chris] Rowe.

Don't fucking touch me.

Get your stuff.

[somber music]

When the Scrib came,
cussing at me...

He came, it hit me wrong.

He was basically making me
use my ill will.

I haven't had my dad in my life
for 15 years,

so why would I want one now.

[Samara] Do you wanna go
or not, bae?

I told you last night,
I was gonna get you.

You don't have to go
if you don't want to.

That's not what you wanna do,
just tell me.

Well, you don't have to go
if you don't want to,

just gotta tell me
you wanna do something

-and you don't.
-Got five minutes, buddy.

[Jamario]
We've been fucking arguing

for three days straight.
We was even arguing

last night.

I'm not gonna stay here

and waste my time arguing
with you, I'm not.

I was trying to break up
with you last night.

[Samara wailing]

[Lolitia] What's you crying for,
sweetheart?

That baby's more important
than any man beside Jesus.

You're a mama, dear.
He even got up with nothing.

-Quit crying.
-We're breaking up!

[Lolitia] Oh, my god.

[Samara] I want Mario to go
with me, I didn't do anything.

[Samara sobbing]

[Lolitia]

All right.

[Lolitia]
One minute, Mario's good,

one minute,
Mario's somebody else.

Hm...

He can talk to anybody
he want to talk to.

But I ain't paying for it.

And I ain't going to a lawyer
and get it for free.

[exhales sharply]

[Chris] All right. So, it's
gotta be a three-minute speech,

so it's gonna be
roughly two pages, 16 font,

double-spaced.

[groans softly]
Damn it.

[Chris] Jailen, come over here,
we gotta crank up the speech.

Yes, master.

[Jailen] Hold up,
so with the people

who already did
this whole thing,

had they did the same thing
we done? Like...

You know, getting students
to pitch the whole thing.

[Chris] Huh?

All right, so like, from what
I've seen in the video,

there's a teacher standing
up there just pitching--

[Chris] Yeah,
this is a new idea.

-What are they gonna say?
-How are they gonna say no

to some industrial children
like you?

Fuck.

[Jailen] The same way
they said no to those like...

I don't know.

All the time.

Well, I'm not dusty.

All right, so, Jailen,
you ready to start our speech?

No.

What?

No.

[birds chirping]

[knocking on door]

[Lolitia] Who is it?

Hi.

You got a jacket?

[Jamario]

Yes you do,
you don't have a warm jacket.

[Jamario] Eh, screw it.
I don't need... I'm good, man.

[Chris] What do you mean
you're good?

-There's, there's no...
-It's straight.

[Jamario] I got, I got a big
winter jacket in, in my closet.

-[Chris] So, you don't want it?
-[Jamario] No, I'm good.

[Chris] This has been to two
of Obama's inaugurations.

That's good.

It's been
to the top of Africa twice.

[Jamario] I'm straight.

It's Patagonia.

[Jamario] It's straight.

All right,
I'm still giving it to you.

[Jamario] I don't need it.

All right,
where's your other controller?

So, what are you stressed about
right now?

You're gonna be a dad?

I don't know who I am right now,
I'm chilling right now,

I don't know who the guy,
the fuck I am right now.

[Chris] So see, what put you
in this mood, really?

I don't know.

Well, let's talk to your mom.
I'll clear it up.

[Jamario mumbling]

[Chris] Lolitia,
could you come in here

and talk to your son with me?

[Jamario] No.

[Chris] Lolitia, he's upset.

My one request of you ever,
besides making sure

that this man goes to college,
graduates, all that.

Can you please, please, please,

come to the state championship
this weekend?

I need you to get a letter,

so I can have a ticket
to my um, job.

[Chris] All right.
Anything you want.

There is a not a single kid
that I've ever seen

who is this close
to winning a state title.

If they say, no,
can you still take sick days?

I have to have it written
in paper, I have to have it...

[Chris] All right,
will you remind me

to write the letter tomorrow?

Jamario?

You'll remind me?

-Yeah.
-[Chris] Okay.

You promise me you'll go?

-'Cause if you, if...
-[Lolitia] I just told ya,

I gotta have a letter for my job
or I won't have no job.

I'll get Obama
to write a letter.

Shake my hand
before I leave, please.

Jamario, turn around
and give me a real handshake.

I'll see you tomorrow morning.

[light music]

[man 16] How you doing, sir?

[laughter]

-[indistinct chatter]
-[horse sputters]

Damn!

Crazy!

[indistinct chatter]

[laughs]

Wrestle.

[chuckles]

[Chris] For each one
in this room,

tomorrow will be the hardest
tournament of the year.

In order to be in the zone,

you have to be able
to focus your mind.

So I want you
to just do nothing.

But focus on your hands.

[Chris] Tomorrow, you're gonna
be holding a gold medal

from the state championships
in those hands.

You're gonna hold a college
scholarship in these hands.

You're gonna hold your children

and your grandchildren
in these hands.

I want you to put your dream,

whatever it is,

in your hands.

[all] Bring us the serenity

to accept the things
I cannot change,

the courage to change
the things I can,

and wisdom
to know the difference.

-[thunder rolling]
-[rain pattering]

[Jamario] People already think

people like me
is a little greedy,

and they don't think
we want it like they do.

'Cause where we grew up,

where we come from,
where we go to school,

they think that,
they think we gonna drop out

and just become some thugs
in the streets.

I would know this, wouldn't I?

Me and the band, just like home.

[light music]

[commentator] Good morning,
ladies and gentlemen!

And welcome to 64th Annual
State Wrestling Championship

[crowd cheering]

[lively music]

[Jailen]

[commentator] Let's wrestle!

-[whistle trills]
-[crowd cheering]

[grunting]

[groans]

[inaudible dialogue]

Take him down! Take him down!

[whistles trilling]

[Jailen]

[commentator 4]
Jailen Young of J.O. Johnson

taking on Zack Hanes
of Tallassee.

[James] Come on, Jailen.
Have fun!

You attack, Jailen.
Don't wait for it. Let's go.

Come on. Have fun.

[whistle trills]

[tense music]

[panting]

[indistinct shouting]

[Chris] Let's go, Jailen!

[woman 3 shouting]

[woman 3] Let's go, Jailen!

[Chris] Go, Jailen!

Hey!

Power ahead!
Power ahead, Jailen.

Look up!

-[grunts]
-[whistle trills]

[crowd cheers]

Hell yeah!

[screaming]

I'm so proud of you, buddy.

[Jailen]

You worked so hard, bro.

-[whistle trills]
-[crowd cheering]

[whistle chirps]

Come on, Teague. Don't be crazy.

[Chris] That's not a move,
Teague.

That's not a move!

[indistinct shouting]

[Chris] No!

-[Teague panting]
-[muffled dialogue]

Get him, Teague!

That was a hit.

[whistle trills]

[mumbles]

He's getting mad.

[Chris]
Teague, Teague, Teague! Smile!

Calm down, you're good!

[whistle chirps]

[whistle trills]

[Chris] Teague,
I'm really proud of you.

You showed good sportsmanship
this weekend.

You'll probably gonna get
some help this spring.

You know that, right?

Are you okay with this?

[light music]

I'm proud of you.

[Chris] Hey.
You've gotta step it up.

When you win this match
you are placing, son.

You know you can beat this kid.

I'm gonna try.

You gotta fight
your fucking ass off.

Yes, sir. I'm gonna try.

[whistle trills]

[grunts]

[Chris] Go, go, go! Go!

Take the head!

[whistle trills]

That's...

[Chris]
Jaquan! This is yours, buddy!

Let's go!

[whistle trills]

[upbeat music]

Knock him to it.

Don't look down. Just...

[indistinct chatter]

[whistle trills]

Keep him down!

[whistle trills]

[cheering]

Thank you.

All right? Thank you.

You proud of yourself for that?

-[Jaquan] Yeah.
-Hey.

[Chris] Get him something
to drink in here.

[calm music]

[indistinct chatter]

[tense music]

[whistle trills]

[Jamario grunts]

[groans]

[Chris] Take him down,
right there!

Hump, hump, hump!

You're good!

[panting]

You gotta come through it.

Keep fighting him.

[Chris] You gotta fight
through it, Rowe!

Here you go, fight through it!

Jesus!

Hold it, hold him some more!

[both panting]

[grunts]

You have to turn!
Turn. Get your one.

[Chris] Stay in game, Rowe!
You're good!

[whistle trills]

-Rowe! Rowe!
-Rowe!

-Ten seconds!
-Good job! Look at the clock.

[whistle trills]

Rowe, you gotta get up!

Short side, Jamario!

[whistle trills]

[somber music]

[somber music continues]

[Chris] I know.
Hey, we are so proud of you.

Hey, we are so proud of you.

[Jamario sobbing]

[Chris] We know how much
you've been through to be here.

We know how much
you've worked and fought.

[somber music]

[commentator] In fifth,
Jaquan Rhodes, J.O. Johnson.

[crowd cheering]

[commentator] Third place,
Jailen Young. J.O. Johnson.

[light music]

[Chris] I'm gonna be honest,
with you all. With all the lows,

like, all the lows
that we've had this year,

I've contributed to a lot of it.

I would do this again
in a heartbeat.

How about you guys?
Would you guys do it again?

[chuckling, sobbing]

[Chris] Bring it in. Group hug,
group hug. Bring it in.

Hands in, let's bring it down
the last time.

[all] ...to accept the things
I cannot change,

the courage to change
the things I can,

[all] Jags!

[light music]

[Samara] Yesterday, I woke up

and I felt like I had to pee.

And it was my water,

but they've been giving me
medicine to stop my contractions

to try to slow everything down.

She could be here
from anytime tomorrow...

to three to four weeks from now.

So, it's just a waiting game.

[Samara]
Jamario wants to be here,

and he's actually trying now.

I know he does love me,
and has love for me,

but he's not in love
with me anymore.

[school bell rings]

[indistinct chatter]

You know how we talked about...

how I had all my credits
and I was good,

and that,
that I was gonna graduate

I was trying to figure out
what else

is, they talking about,
because they keep saying

that I'm not gonna pass.

And...

Did you take your final exam
with Mr. Marshal?

-No.
-[Cooper] No.

I'm gonna walk with you,
we're going to go around there

and you're gonna take that test.

While you're doing everything
you need to do,

I'm gonna check
with everybody else.

You can do this.

One class at a time.

Like, my mind is bad right now.

I don't... I don't know
where to focus right now.

I had a lot going on.

-[groans]
-[Cooper] I know you do.

[Jamario]

I know. I mean,
I don't want you to miss that.

[Jamario]

I know.

-[Jamario] So...
-But I also...

don't want your baby to be born
to a high school dropout.

[Jamario] I know, I know.

Fuck.

[professor]
You are coming down to the wire.

[Jamario] Dang!

Got it.

[Jamario sighs]

Good luck.

[Jamario] Thank you.

[keyboard clacking]

Well...

[Chris] It's gotta be
three pages.

You have 60 minutes.

[sighs]

[tense music]

[Jamario groaning]

[Jamario]
This is so stressful, bro.

[professor 2] Oh, perfect!

[sniffles]

[Chris] I really love
these students.

And they're...
all four are amazing kids.

And, I'm really scared

that they're gonna have
a rough-ass life.

I made all the same choices
they did.

And I was given
a lot of chances.

I don't know how that's fair.

[Teague's mother]
Turn the TV off, we gotta go.

[calm music]

[Teague's mother]
Just do good, okay?

[Teague] I will.

Hold up. Please?

-[Teague] I will.
-Do your best.

I want you to come back better.

[imitates whooshing sound]

[light music]

Are those my shades, bro?

No.

[Chris] Are you sure?

[Jaquan] Play the CD.

[Chris] You don't have shades
like these.

[Chris] Bro, these are...

These are what?

Yeah, they're exactly
like the shades I have.

I'm not saying
you're stealing my shades, bro.

I didn't say that, dude.

Goddamn, just 'cause I'm white,

doesn't mean you gotta
accuse me of accusing you.

[Chris chuckles]

Huh? What?

"Congratulations.
You're being recognized

just because
of your outstanding grades,

leadership potential,
and your desire

to contribute to the good
of science and technology."

[tranquil music]

[woman 4]
Tony Clarisse Vincent Jackson.

...Thompson

[crowd cheering]

[woman 4] Deante...

[crowd screaming]

[indistinct announcements]

Jamario Rowe.

[crowd cheering]

-[Chris] Jamario!
-[James] Jamario!

These are the
James Oliver Johnson graduates.

[crowd applauding]

[lively music]

[birds chirping]

[phone ringing]

[Samara]

Good.

[Samara]

What?

[Samara]

[tense music]

Okay.

[Samara sobbing]

[Jamario] Oh, my...
[sobbing]

[Samara] You okay?

[groans]

[somber music]

[overlapping dialogue]

[groans]

[light music]

[light music continues]

[crowd cheering]

[crowd screaming]

[commentator] Jailen Young!

[light music]

[calm music]