Good Times (1974–1979): Season 2, Episode 5 - The Man I Most Admire - full transcript

♪ Good times Any time
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♪ Good times Any
time you need a friend ♪

♪ Good times Any time
you're out from under ♪

♪ Not gettin' hassled
Not gettin' hustled ♪

♪ Keepin' your
head Above water ♪

♪ Makin' a wave when you can ♪

♪ Temporary layoffs Good times ♪

♪ Easy credit
ripoffs Good times ♪

♪ Scratchin' and
survivin' Good times ♪

♪ Hangin' in a chow
line Good times ♪

♪ Ain't we lucky we got 'em ♪



♪ Good times ♪♪

Finish that milk.

Mama, don't Thelma look
beautiful all of a sudden?

J.J., stop that foolishness.

Tell the truth, Ma.

Isn't this a face only
a mother could love?

Only a mother.

Come on, woman! Let's dance.

You got to learn how
to shake it, mama.

First time I ever saw

two dummies dancing together.

Mm. Then I'll put
down the fake dummy

and dance with the real dummy.

J.J., get out of here.



Jesse Jackson. Yeah.

What are you talking
about, Michael?

We have to write a
composition in our English class

on the man I most admire,

and I think I'm gonna
write about Jesse Jackson

and what he's
done for our people.

Well, that's a good choice.
He is a great American.

And, Michael, he has done
a lot of good for all people.

Oh, Ma. This dress is beautiful.

You're a miracle worker, Ma.

You know, you're better

than those fancy
French designers

that sell to the big
department stores.

Thanks.

Next week, I'll have a
showing of my fall line

down in the laundry room.

You know, it sure
wasn't easy to decide.

There's so many great brothers.

I hate to leave out Hank
Aaron and Thurgood Marshall.

You completely
forgot Elroy Duncan.

Who's he?

He did more for
blacks than anybody.

He invented the hot comb.

Oh, Ma...

I can't get over it.
How'd you do it?

Oh, it was easy.

The blouse is
from your old blue,

the skirt is from your old red,

and the belt is
from the old sofa.

Boy, Ma. You
don't waste nothing.

I got a feeling

the old bedroom curtains
used to be my shorts.

Wrong again, J.J.

They used to be
Thelma's old pillowcase.

Good morning, family.

Good morning, Dad.

Good morning, baby.

Dad, you look great.

Well, thank you.

You look real handsome, Dad.

Like father, like son.

There goes another
myth out the window.

Listen, kids.

Your father is going
on an interview

for a real important job.

Assistant foreman of a
van and storage company.

And, James, you
gonna get this job.

I just feel it.

Well, baby, since
you feel it so strong,

why don't you go out
and get the job for me?

Oh, James.

No, I'm just kidding,
Florida, but, somehow, baby,

I feel like this just gonna
be another door slam.

Oh, honey.

You look so fine,
I'd hire you myself.

You know, if I do
get this job, Florida,

I got you to thank for it

for giving me all that
confidence to go and get it.

Come on, kids.

Let's hear it for your Mama.

Yay!

Gimme an "M".

Oh, yeah!

Gimme an "A".

Oh, yeah.

Gimme an "M".

Oh, yeah.

Gimme an "A". Oh, yeah.

What's that spell?

Oh, yeah!

Mama! Yay!

Yeah, right. Mama. Right. Yeah.

Oh, J.J.

Just jiving y'all. Just jiving.

Thanks, kids.

It's nice to be appreciated.

That's all right, Ma.

You want some coffee
before you go, James.

No, baby. I don't wanna
be late for this one.

It's gonna be a biggie.

Daddy. Do they
know you're black?

Michael, they don't ask that
on the applications no more,

but the minute I get there,
I'll be sure and tell them.

See you later, baby.

Good luck, Honey.

Thank you.

Ma, what do you think?

Do you think I should
write about Jesse Jackson?

I think it's a good choice.

You know I kind of lean on him,

because he's the only
real important brother

I know personally.

You know Jesse
Jackson personally?

Sure do.

Last year, he was coming
out of the Sheraton hotel,

and I was passing by,

and he looked me
straight in the eye,

and said, "Hello,
little brother."

Then he got in the
cab and drove away.

In that case,

I know Walter
Kronkite personally.

Every evening,

he looks right at me and
he says, "Good evening."

Michael, why does it have
to be a man that you admire?

Why can't it be a woman?
Why can't it be any person?

Because.

All the great
any-persons are men.

You know what you are?

What?

A male chauvinist.

Hey, now, don't
call my kid brother

nothing to do with Russia.

I said chauvinist,
not Communist.

A male chauvinist

is someone who believes
that men are superior to women.

In that case,

he's not a chauvinist
nor a Communist.

He's right on.

And I think there are
a lot of great women

Michael could write about.

There's Shirley Chisholm.

There's O.J. Simpson.

Loretta Scott King.

O.J. Simpson.

Harriet Tubman.

O.J. Simpson.

Why is your needle
stuck on O.J. Simpson?

Cause me and O.J.
got a lot in common.

Yeah. O.J. Simpson is
a great football player,

and all you're good for
is one of the goal posts.

You'd better hold
on there, little sister.

Name me one major
league football player

of the opposite sex.

Just give us time.

But he got a point
there, Thelma.

Women weren't exactly
built for contact sports.

Yeah, but for some
contact sports,

they're built perfect.

There he goes again.

The typical male
chauvinist remark.

Making women sex objects.

That's my ambition.

You may be surprised, J.J.

Some day, women
may really play football.

I'll tell you one thing, Mama.

I ain't going out with no chick
that looks like Dick Butkus.

Then how come you dating Doreen?

'Cause whenever I take her out,

she protects me from muggers.

I'm sorry. I started all this.

Nah, don't be sorry, Michael.

Let's be humble
in our superiority.

Now, hold on, Long John.

You're getting too
high and mighty.

No, Mom.

I'm not talking
about me personally.

I'm talking about
men like, uh...

say, Christopher Columbus,
who discovered America.

And how about a
Queen named Isabella

who gave him the
money for the ships?

Tell it like it is, Ma.

And how about
this dude, Pasteur,

who discovered how
to pasteurize milk.

And how about those dudes

who keep raising
the price of milk

so we can't afford to drink it?

And how about women,
who, when they have babies,

can make their own milk?

Well, just don't
sit there, Michael.

Jump in. Say something.

In the beginning,
God created Adam.

Yeah!

And when he
started his mistakes,

he improved on the
model and called her Eve.

I have a good answer for that.

Tell 'em, Michael.

Look, Michael, there
are a lot of great men

and a lot of great women.

Now, if your choice
is Jesse Jackson,

you stick to it.

It's a good choice.

Okay, Ma.

Ma, is the dress ready
for me to try on yet?

Sure, honey.

Hi, everybody.

Hey, Willona.

Hey. Isn't it beautiful?

That's a real knockout.

Mama just made it for me.

Florida, you are a stone genius.

Gramps, you awfully quiet today.

What you up to?

We have to write a
composition in English

on the man I most admire,

and I can't figure
out who it should be.

What do you think, Willona?

Well that's easy. Write
about John Wayne.

Why John Wayne?

Yeah. What has he ever
done for the black people?

He was so busy
killing all the Indians,

he left us alone.

Florida, how's my
tuna casserole coming?

Oh, it should be ready
in about a half an hour.

Whoo-wee. It looks out of sight.

This is one of the best
things that you ever cooked

that I ever took credit for.

Willona, I'm curious.

When your guests
compliment you on the food,

what do you say?

Well, I play it very modest.

I say, "Thank you. I was
up all night cooking it."

Florida, can I help it

if I like to give
candlelight dinner parties

and I'm a lousy cook?

Oh, it's all right, Willona.

I love doing it for you.

Thanks, Flo.

You know, there
were three things

that led to my divorce.

What was that?

Breakfast, lunch and dinner.

But I will say this for myself.

It took a year and a half

before my husband even
noticed how bad my cooking was.

Willona... Well,
thanks again, Flo.

You're welcome.

I gotta go home now
and chill my bubbly.

Okay. Bye.

Ma, it's perfect.

This is going to be the
baddest dress at the party.

It is pretty, honey.

Oh, Mama, you're the greatest.

I love you.

Isn't it pretty, J.J.?

Hmm. It looked
better on the dummy.

I made up my mind.

The man I most admire
is right here in this family.

I accept the honor
with all humility.

The man I most
admire is a person.

She makes clothes for my sister,

sends my father
out on job hunting

with a smile,
cooks for her friend.

The person I most
admire is my mother.

Now you're talking, Michael.

You couldn't have
made a better choice.

Right on.

Oh, children.

I'm flattered, but
I'm not famous.

Mama, a person doesn't have
to be famous to be admired.

The things you do
around here are great.

You keep our family together.

And don't forget your
biggest accomplishment...

Me.

Every great person

is entitled to one mistake.

And you is it.

"And I was it."

Okay, you two lovebirds.

Mama, you know,

I was going to write
about Jesse Jackson,

but I am going to erase his name
and put your name in his place.

Not so fast, son.

The person who
really keeps it together

is out there clawing
and scratching for jobs.

That's your daddy.

No matter how bad things
get around here with us,

he never quits.

You know, famous people
get written about all the time,

but your daddy is a hero too.

In his own way.

You know, Mama, I
never thought of it that way.

The man I most admire
is my father, James Evans.

James, what you
doing back so fast?

I'm sorry, Florida.

I just couldn't stand

having another door
slammed in my face.

I never even went
for the interview.

In that case,

I got a feeling he
ain't gonna get the job.

What y'all staring at?

Why don't somebody
say something?

James, there's nothing to say.

It really isn't all
that important.

I know what you thinking, baby.

You thinking I dogged it.

Well, you're wrong.

I just outsmarted that
fancy personnel director,

that's all.

I didn't give him a chance

to go into that old
put-down routine.

You know how it goes, baby.

"Mr. Evans, as you know,

"we're an
equal-opportunity employer,

so your color really
isn't important."

Meanwhile, the dude is
looking me up and down,

like he's trying to figure out

how many watermelons
a day I can knock off.

Then the cat asked me,

he say, "Have you got any
van and storage experience?"

I mean, can you imagine

the nerve of that cat asking
me a question like that?

Me, the one who moved
every stick of furniture

in this house in here with my
bare hands and on my back.

That's right, Dad. And
you did a great job too.

This house looks professionally
vanned and storaged.

Damn right.

But when I tell him that,
does it get through to him? No.

Then he says to me,

"Mr. Evans, what is the extent
of your educational background?"

I said, "Well, I've got a
sixth-grade education."

He said, "Well it
doesn't matter."

Meanwhile, the cat is
writing on his pad like,

"No way in the world I
am gonna hire this dude."

Then he sticks out that
four-bit manicured hand,

and says, "Thanks, Mr. Evans.
Don't call us. We'll call you,"

which is the same thing

as a preacher
pronouncing the last rites.

Well, baby, this is one cat

they didn't have a chance to
take through them changes.

No, sir. I fired him

before he had a
chance to fire me.

Oh, your daddy's
just letting off steam,

and I don't blame him.

Sometimes, he
must get the feeling

that the whole world is
kicking and it's all aimed at him.

Thelma, can I use your
room to do my composition in?

Of course you can, Michael.

Thanks.

You're still gonna
write about your daddy,

aren't you, honey?

I'm not sure, Ma.

I have to start all over again.

Thelma, put on some
water for some tea.

Maybe your daddy
would like some.

Okay, Ma.

Thelma, as the oldest
children in the Evans household,

I feel we should do something
to lift Daddy's morale.

You can start by
running away from home.

Anyway, we gotta make
Daddy feel important.

We have to think of
something sensible.

The last time you thought
of something sensible...

Come to think of it,
there was no last time.

Aw, now, come on, Thelma.
Who you talking to like that?

J.J., stop the noise.

Hey, I got a way to make
Daddy feel real happy.

Oh, Florida, I don't
know what came over me.

I guess standing there
waiting for that bus,

I just had too long

to think about
getting turned down.

Hmm. You know something?

If we had faster bus service,
I might have gotten that job.

Oh, James. You'll get
the job you want some day.

I just know it.

When I married you,
I married the best.

Baby, you're one great lady.
You're entitled to the best.

So his headache is gone,

but it's been
replaced with conceit.

Don't stop rubbing,
Baby. That feels too good.

Wow, I'm a lucky man.

Got my own massage parlor.

Yeah, but this one is rated "G"

for general audiences.

Well maybe we could
change that to "PG".

James, it's the
middle of the day.

Not in London, baby.

All right, then.

Let's go and have 4:00 tea.

Come on.

I've got some brewing for you.

Come on, James.

All right, but that's
one you owe me.

Water boiling, Thelma?

Yes, Ma.

Daddy? Hmm?

Can we talk to you for a minute?

Sure, baby girl.

Thelma and I have
been having a discussion.

Hmm. That's like George Foreman

having a discussion
with Muhammad Ali.

No, Ma. We were
talking real serious.

Daddy? Huh?

We have a problem
and only you can help us.

Yeah, we need a man with
the wisdom of Isaac Hayes

and the worldly experience
of Meadowlark Lemon.

What's the problem, Thelma?

Well, Daddy, J.J. and I
are gonna be graduating

from high school this year,

but we don't know
what to head for.

I don't know whether to study
to become a teacher or a nurse,

or maybe a professional dancer.

What do you think, Daddy?

I can tell you
right from the jump

that dancing sounds
like a long shot to me.

You gonna need something
solid to fall back on.

Now, nursing or
teaching sounds good,

but, Thelma, you got the
brains to go on and be a doctor.

Oh, thank you, Daddy.

I was confused,

but I knew you'd
straighten me out.

No problem, baby girl.

Well, now that you got
Thelma on the right track...

here comes another train.

I'm confused too.

Yes.

My problem is that
I'm a great artist,

and as you know,

great artists don't
become famous

till after they're dead.

Personally, I don't
think I can wait that long.

Yeah, you're right, junior.

Selling paints is a long shot.

But you know what you could be?

What?

A commercial artist.

You know, them cats
that do the billboards,

and then the magazines
and everything.

Man, they make a lot of money.

Dyn-o-mite.

A commercial artist.

Now, how come I
didn't think of that?

I can paint those
big muscle dudes,

with those seven-foot shoulders,

going down to the
four-inch jockey shorts.

He'd sure better paint them,

because he won't
ever pose for them.

Boy, Dad, thanks for the advice.

I don't know what
we'd do without you.

You're the greatest father
in the father business.

Come on, J.J.

Let's not bother Daddy anymore

and let him read his newspaper.

Yeah, I think he's okay now.

Hey, hold it.

What you mean, you
think "He's okay now?"

Nothing, Dad. Nothing.
Right, Thelma. Nothing.

No, he didn't mean
anything, Dad.

Oh, so that's what you
meant by that jive, huh?

Oh, no, Daddy. We didn't...

Now, I should have
figured it from the jump.

You talking all that, "Gee, Dad.

Thanks for your wonderful
advice and all that."

And Junior telling
me, "Gee, Dad.

We don't know what
we'd do without you."

And, Florida, all
that sweet talking

and neck rubbing,
and telling me,

"James, when I married
you, I married the best."

James, I meant it.

Oh, woman. I don't want
to hear none of that bull.

You know the one thing I
don't need from none of y'all

is pity.

"The man I most admire
by Michael Evans."

"The man I most admire
is my father, James Evans."

Boy, y'all really spreading

the fertilizer thick this
morning, ain't you?

You even got the militant
midget in on the act.

James, that is not so.

I don't wanna hear no more.

Now, Michael, bring
your butt out here.

You know, one thing
I don't appreciate

is being played for
no fool. Yeah, Daddy?

I'm gonna teach you a
lesson, that, evidently,

the rest of the family
is too old to learn.

Michael, the worst
thing you can try and do

is to try to con
your own father.

Now, I know who I am.

I ain't much, but I'm the
best James Evans I can be,

and I don't need you or
nobody else around here

trying to change me into
something else, you hear me?

So don't you never try and
pull a stunt like this again, hear?

But, Daddy.

Everything I wrote on this paper

is what I really feel about you.

Michael, let me see that.

Florida, I told you,

I don't wanna hear no
more of that con now.

But, Daddy, Michael
wasn't even in the room

when J.J. and I
decided to try this.

And Mama wasn't either.

Daddy, me and J.J.
are the ones to blame.

Thelma, now don't
go pleading guilty

till we see our lawyer.

Shut up, Junior.

James, listen to this.

"My daddy may not
be a famous man,

"but he is great.

"He gets knocked down a lot,
but he always comes up swinging.

"Sometimes he gets
angry at the world.

"That's only because

"he wants us to have
all the things we need.

"That isn't easy the
way things are today.

"He doesn't have the
best education in the world,

"but he's the best
father in the world.

We wouldn't have a
family without him."

Oh, James.

Does that sound like a con?

Well, look at your son.

Can't you see he
means every word?

Aw, Michael. I'm sorry, son.

I apologize to you for
not believing, you hear?

That's okay, Dad.

And, James, about
what we were trying to do,

some of it was real
and some of it was not,

but we were all heading
for the same goal

'cause we all love you.

That's right, Dad.

I should have never
listened to Thelma.

She made me do
it against my will.

J.J., I'm gonna kill you.

And if you do, I'll sue
you for assault and battery

if you touch one hand
on this fragile little body.

Most of it was...

I had nothing to do with it.

I don't wanna hear
anything about it.

Well, well, well. Now what
else could a father ask for

than a loving family, huh?

Michael, I appreciate you

putting my name in
your composition, son,

but I think you ought to write
about some of the brothers

that are really
helping our people.

You know, cats like
Thurgood Marshall,

or Mayor Tom
Bradley, or Julian Bond,

'cause them cats

are where it's really at, son.

Mama, I don't care
what Daddy says.

I'm still gonna write about him.

And you couldn't have
made a better choice either.

Right on!

James, where have you been?

I went down to see about
that van and storage job.

What happened, Daddy?

Well, I walked in,

and that fancy
personnel director said,

"Oh, I'm so glad
you're here, Mr. Evans.

"I was about to call you.

We'd like you to
go to work for us."

Oh, James. You
did it. You did it.

You got the job! No.

While I was standing there

talking to him about that
moving and storage job,

another moving
and storage company

was taking out
all their furniture.

You know what the man said?

"Oh, my goodness.
We've gone broke."

I said, "Welcome
to the club, baby."

♪ Mm-mm-mm ♪

♪ Just lookin' Out
of the window ♪

♪ Watching the asphalt grow ♪

♪ Thinkin' how It all
looks hand-me-down ♪

♪ Good times Good times ♪

♪ Keepin' your
head Above water ♪

♪ Makin' a wave When you can ♪

♪ Temporary layoffs Good times ♪

Good Times is recorded on tape

before a live audience.

♪ Ain't we lucky we got 'em ♪

♪ Good times ♪♪