American Playhouse (1981–…): Season 7, Episode 6 - The Revolt of Mother - full transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[ROOSTER CROWING]

[HAMMERING]

MAN: Come on.

That's it.
Right there.

Father.

ADAM: What is it?

What are those men doing
over there in the field?

Sammy, you done clearing the
rocks off the lower field?

Yes, sir.

I break a spike on the
hair, it's your hide, son.



Father.

Leave the dump cart
there like I told you?

Yes, sir.

Look here, Father,
I want to know what

those men are doing
over there in the field,

and I'm going to know.

We should go into
the house, Mother,

and tend to your own affairs.

I'm not going back in the
house until you tell me what

those men are doing over there.

OK, boy, come on around now.

Come on.

Come on.

Adam.



Adam.

What?

I want to know, what are
those men doing in the field?

Putting in a foundation, I
suppose, if you have to know.

A foundation for what?

Barn.

A barn?

You're not going to
build a barn where

we plan to have our house.

Come on, let's go.

Sammy.

Sammy Penn, I know you hear me.

Wait right there.

How long have you
known about this barn?

About three months, I guess.

I'm late for school.

Why didn't you tell me?

I didn't think it
would do any good.

Is your father going
to buy some more cows?

Ma, I got to be going.

Sammy.

I want you to tell
me, is your father

going to buy some more cows?

I suppose he is.

Four more cows?

Well, Mother, you're
already out there milking

two hours, morning and night.

How can Father expect you to--

Hush now, Nanny.
That's enough.

It's gonna be like this all
spring and half the summer too,

isn't it?

Right up to my wedding.

Your Father wants another barn.

But, Mother, we don't
even have a decent house.

Keep your hands nice.

We've been pretty
comfortable here.

Roof don't leak, just but once.

Your Father's kept
it shingled up right.

It's a good many this morning.

Your Father has a good appetite.

I do wish we had a parlor.

I guess it don't hurt George
Eastman none to come calling

you in a nice, clean kitchen.

Nobody's ever heard me complain.

I'm not complaining.

And you'd better not.

You have a good father
and a good home.

Nanny, lots of girls have
to work for a living.

Mother, I was just asking
if you think it's right,

that's all.

What do we need
another barn for?

You haven't found out that
we're just womenfolks, Nanny.

We only know what menfolks think
we do, so far as any use of it

goes.

If you're smart, you'll reckon
menfolks in with providence

and not complain about what they
do any more than the weather.

But, Mother, George
isn't like that.

We'll see.

Just 'cause he's a
teacher don't mean he's

different than any other man.

And you had not to
judge your father.

He can't help it.

He don't see things
just the way that we do.

What kind of pie are
you making today, Mother?

Your Father would like mince.

Mother, make cherry.

You put up all those
cherries last summer,

and we haven't had
them but one time.

Please, Mother.

What's all this fuss
about a cherry pie?

I just thought cherry
would be nice for a change.

Nanny, I have been married
more than half of my life,

so I know.

When your husband's got
a taste for something,

it's your duty to
give it to him.

You'll understand when
you've been married.

Mother, I think
I do understand.

George likes cherry pie.

ADAM (VOICEOVER): For this
and all other blessings,

the Lord make us truly thankful.
ALL: Amen.

MAN: It's gonna have to
come up another foot.

Father.

Will you send Sammy out?

He's gone off to school early.

What you let him
do that for, Mother?

A boy's got chores.

It's the last day, Father.

I thought he'd like a little
extra time with his friends.

You don't see him asking me.

He knows he's got chores.

I gotta get this unloaded and
go for gravel at fort too.

I wanna see you
a minute, Father.

I can't leave this
lumber, Mother, no how.

Adam.

You come here.

I'm going to talk real
plain to you, Father.

I never have since
I married you.

I've never complained,
and I won't now.

But I'm going to
talk plain to you.

This is all the buttery
that I've had for 19 years.

Only place for my pans,
dishes, and victuals.

I've been taking care of the
milk of six cows in here.

And now you're gonna build a
new barn, buy four more cows,

and give me more work to
do in this small space?

I want to know, do you
think that's right?

I ain't got nothing
to say about it.

Those stairs over there go up
to two unfinished chambers that

are all your children have had
to sleep in all of their lives.

There's not a prettier,
more ladylike girl

in the whole town
than Nanny, nor a boy

as strong and fine as Sammy.

And they haven't got places
so warm and tight to sleep

as the horses in their stalls.

Now I want to know, do
you think that's fair?

Told you, I ain't got
nothing to say, Mother.

I ain't gonna say nothing.

Take a look at
this room, Father.

It's never even had a
carpet on the floor.

No new paper on the
walls for 10 years.

Even then, I hung it myself.

It only cost 9 pence a roll.

This is all the
room that Nanny's

got to have her company in.

Not one of her friends
doesn't have better,

and their fathers
not so able as you.

This is all the room she's
got to be married in.

What would you have
thought if we were married

in a room no better than this?

You remember our wedding?

My mother's parlor?

Stuffed furniture and real
silk on the lampshades?

I want you to take a look
at the bedroom over there,

our bedroom, the
small space where

I bore all of our children--
the two that's living

and the two that died.

Now if we don't
have this new house,

what's to become of
Nanny after she marries?

She'll have to go and live
somewhere else, away from us.

And I cannot have it so.

Nanny weren't ever strong.

You know that.

I took the heft of
everything off of her.

She's not fit to keep a house.

Think of her doing
all the cooking,

and cleaning, and sewing.

With those delicate white hands,
she'll be worn out in a year.

And I can't have it so, Father.

You said that if I married
you, right there in that field,

you was gonna build me a new
house before the year was out.

It's 19 years now, and I've
watched you putting up sheds

and building one new
barn after another,

housing your bloody
beasts better

than your own flesh and blood.

I haven't said anything, Adam.

But I'm asking you
now, please, please,

won't you think it over?

Please build me that house you
promised instead of this barn.

Got nothing to say.

Come on.

Adam.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Adam.

[MOOING]

Come on.
Come on.

[CRYING]

You know, son,
womenfolk don't always

figure on crops doing
poorly, animals getting sick,

rain that don't come.

That's why the Lord made menfolk
to do their thinking for them.

Ain't always easy.

Were you at the
store all this time?

I went over to the school
house to see George.

And we took a walk.

I see.

Mother, I'll just
die if I have to have

my wedding in this room.

I'd be ashamed to have
George's folks come here.

Well, maybe we can put
up some new paper by then.

You won't have any
call to be ashamed.

For all the good
new paper will do,

we might as well have the
wedding in the new barn.

Mother?

Womenfolk forever
fussing over nothing.

Well, your work, Father,
seems plain to me.

It's the Lord's will you
keep all your fingers.

Mother, will you leave
that and come to bed?

Give me your hand.

And don't make a fuss.

Am I hurting you, Adam?

Not likely.

You don't hurt me no ways.

Can't be too careful.

Even when it's not
intentional, what gets hurt

won't ever be the same.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[SAWING]

[HAMMERING]

[HAMMERING]

MAN: Ready.
Up.

Good.

[GRUNTING]

Lift.
Lift.

Up.

Up.

Up.

Up.

Up.
Up.

[CLANGING]

I don't know but
what, I'd better go.

I guess Rufus and the others
can get along without me

three, four days.

Course, I hate going off
right in the middle of haying.

On the other hand, I can't
get a horse around here

to suit me no how.

And your brother's got wind of
a Belgian, supposed to be good.

Then again, I was gonna move the
stock to the new barn tomorrow.

But I gotta get me another
animal for hauling this fall.

I guess I better go.

Hiram say anything
about the folks?

You understand me, son?

Yes, sir.

I pitch the hay first thing.

When the cows get
here, me and Rufus

drive them into the new
barn, like you said.

Good boy.

No finer woman than
your mother, Sammy.

SAMMY: I reckon
you're right, Father.

ADAM: Course, there's times
she's a touch stubborn.

You know, son, when I
was just about your age,

my father left me
with the womenfolk,

watching after my
mother and sisters

while he went off and
got himself killed.

Except that was a
whole nother thing,

what with the war and all.

Point is, nothing's
gonna happen to me.

But if the Lord willed
it so, it's your duty

to take care of your mother.

Hear me?
-Yes, sir.

I'll be back by sundown Monday.

Sammy here knows what
to do while I'm gone.

And don't forget, there's
something in this basket

for Hiram and the folks.

You be careful.

Stop!

Rufus, you hear me?

Stop there.

What's the matter, Mother?

Don't you put the
hay in that new barn.

I want you to put
it in the old one.

Why, Mrs. Penn,
your husband told

us to put it in the new one.

That's the truth, Mother.

Is there room enough
in the old barn?

Room enough, Mrs. Penn.

Reckon you didn't need the
new barn no how as far as room

goes.

But Father told me--

Sammy, you come down here now.

I suppose your father
changed his mind.

Rufus, you go on,
put it in there.

It'll be all right, Sammy.

You come on in to supper.

With your Father gone,
that's all I'm serving today.

When you get through,
I want you to help me.

-Do what, Mother?
-You'll see.

Nanny, if you're through, go on
upstairs and pack your things.

Sammy, you can help
me take the bed down.

I know your father told
you some things, son,

but this is the
way it's gotta be.

You got no call to worry about
getting whooped on my account.

Idle hands are for
Satan's getting.

The Lord frowns on those
just setting. [CLAP] Shoo.

Sammy, are you gonna
do what Mother says?

I just hope the same
is true of Father.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

NANNY: Mother.

Mother.

Mother.

Mother?

Rufus says the
new cows are here.

What do you want me to tell him?

Oh, Rufus.

Tell him to take the cows
and put them into the shed

next to the old place.

Tell him this ain't
the barn no more.

Tell him the Penns got
themselves a new house.

Maybe.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Hello, Nanny.
-Hello, Reverend.

I'd like to talk to your
mother, if it's no bother.

She's out back, Reverend.

[GASP]

Oh.

Reverend.

I didn't mean to
give you a scare.

Sarah.

I know why you've come
all the way out here.

Well, yes.

But, Sarah--

There's no use
talking about it.

35 years ago, I was
baptized in your church.

And I've been going ever since.

I got my own mind,
and I go my own ways.

And nobody but the
Lord's gonna dictate

to me unless I'll have him.

Would you like to go to the
house for cool lemonade?

Uh-- no, thank you.

I believe I'm
doing what's right.

I made it a subject of prayer.

And it's betwixt me,
and the Lord, and Adam.

And there's no call for
nobody else to worry about it.

Well.

If you brought it to
the Lord in prayer,

there's nothing
more a body can do.

Good day, Sarah.

Good day, Reverend.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Here he comes.

Mother.

It's all right.

What on earth are
y'all doing down here?

Sammy, what's the
matter with the house?

We've come here
to live, Father.

Mother, what's this mean?

Come on in here, Father.

There's nothing to
get upset about.

That house wasn't
fit for us no more.

So I made up my mind I
wasn't gonna stay there.

We've got just as much right
as new horses and cows.

I'm gonna live right here.

Adam, I've done my
duty by you 19 years,

and I'm gonna keep on.

In this new house.

And you're gonna have
to put in some windows

and some partitions.

And you're gonna have to
buy me some new furniture.

So come on, come on over
here and get washed up.

We been waiting supper on you.

Sammy, you tell Rufus
to tend to the horses.

Nanny.

Father.

Aren't you gonna ask a blessing?

For this and all
other blessings,

the Lord make us truly thankful.

ALL: Amen.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Adam?

Don't do so, Adam.

I'll put up your windows
and everything you want.

I had no idea.

I never meant to
hurt you, Sarah.

[MUSIC PLAYING]