Good Times (1974–1979): Season 3, Episode 12 - The Mural - full transcript
JJ's artistic ability is displayed at a nearby bank.
♪ Good times Any time
you meet a payment ♪
♪ 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
rip-offs Good times ♪
♪ Scratchin' and
survivin' Good times ♪
♪ Hangin' in a chow
line Good times ♪
♪ Ain't we lucky we got 'em? ♪
♪ Good times ♪♪
I'm telling you, Flo,
working in that
boutique is education.
I see it all... from the
hanky to the panky.
Let's skip the hanky
and get to the panky.
I am not one to gossip, but
you know Lucille Adams?
Live on the fourth floor,
work at the laundry?
That's the one. Uh-huh.
Girl, last night,
that dude husband of hers
comes strutting in the store
and bought this
foxy baby-doll nightie.
So?
Honey, he bought a size seven,
and Lucille ain't wore
size seven since she was 7.
I can't believe that
about Jake Adams.
He's such a nice man.
Yeah, but nice to who?
Had it all wrapped up fancy.
And while he was
waiting for the package,
he calls Lucille.
Check this out...
"Lucille, honey,
"I got a little bad
news for you.
"You see, I'll be home
a little late tonight.
I got to go to the
lodge meeting."
The old story about
the lodge meeting, huh?
Uh-huh. That's what it was.
James? Huh?
You know Jake Adams, don't you?
Yeah, a matter of fact,
I saw him at the lodge
meeting last night.
You did?
Yeah, poor guy had to miss
his daughter's birthday too.
Bought her a nice present.
I was just saying what
a nice guy he was.
Well, what do you see?
What do you see?
What am I holding?
Nothing.
That's right, because
there was something,
but now there's
nothing, because I sold it.
Sold... You sold
a painting, Junior?
Honey, which one was it?
The one with the
kids by the fire hydrant
in the water.
I called it My Ghetto Seascape.
I always knew you had talent.
Talent? That's his middle name.
Oh, we got a
genius in the house.
I know.
Oh, J.J., where'd you sell
it and who'd you sell it to?
At a sidewalk exhibit.
Well, actually, Michael
was sitting with it
when it was sold. Oh?
Yeah, this dude comes
by, kind of walks past,
like, around
three or four times.
Very sophisticated.
Mm-hmm.
You could tell he
was interested,
so J.J. comes up
and looks over the
dude's shoulder and says,
"Hey, man, that painting
sure does look great.
"I mean, it sure
does look groovy.
I have never seen art
that cool before in my life."
J.J., you mean you
shilled your own painting?
Sure, Ma.
Who else knows how
great I am better than me?
Oh, J.J.
So J.J. says to me, "Hey, man,
I'll give you $5 for
that painting." Uh-huh.
So the dude says,
"I'll give you 10."
So J.J. says,
"I'll give you 20."
So the dude says,
"I'll give you 30."
Then J.J. says,
"$30? Are you kidding?
"That is an insult
to the artiste.
I will give you 50."
So the dude said,
"You got it, man,"
and walked off.
I thought y'all
said you sold it.
We did sell it, Willona,
to the next guy that came by.
This time J.J. kept
his mouth shut.
Oh!
How much y'all
get for it, Junior?
Five dollars.
The paint and the
canvas cost him $7.50.
Oh, it's all right.
As long as somebody
recognized his work.
The money will come later.
Ma, Dad, have I got
news! Whoo, whoo!
You got news?
Wait till you hear my news.
What do I care about your
news? I got good news.
My news is good news.
Thelma, how come
you always trying
to out-good my good news?
Okay, okay, open
the grand canyon
you call a mouth, and
tell me the good news.
I sold a painting for $5.
That's wonderful,
J.J. Congratulations.
All I'm doing is saving
Mom and Dad $1000!
Huh?
A thousand dollars?
What you talking about?
Something I always
dreamed of is really happening.
Yeah, but what, Thelma, what...
What are you talking about?
I won the alumni
scholarship award
to the University of Chicago!
Oh, Thelma, I'm proud of you.
Did you hear that?
Congratulations!
How soon, how soon they forget.
Huh?
All right, Thelma,
I gotta admit,
I'm proud of you too.
Oh, thank you, J.J.,
and I'm really happy you
sold that painting, I really am.
Well, Thelma,
you got the brains,
and I got all the
talent and good looks.
Well, I gotta be splitting.
I gotta go spread the good
news about J.J. and Thelma.
That's right.
And retract the bad
news about Jake Adams...
that, uh, some gossip started.
Mm-hmm.
Thank you, Willona.
- I'll see you all later.
- Okay, bye.
See you, Willona.
Boy, Thelma, I can't tell
you how happy we are.
I can't believe it. I
can't wait to see it.
Wait a minute, wait a minute.
Now I gotta tell
you the bad part.
What?
The $1000 won't
cover everything.
I could live at home,
but I'll still need at least
$200 more to make it.
Thelma, you won't have to worry.
Shall we tell her now, James?
Florida, uh...
Thelma, we got a
big surprise for you.
You don't have to worry.
We got the money!
Florida.
Oh, James, now, let me tell her.
I'm so excited I could burst.
Thelma, when you were a baby,
your daddy went to the bank
and opened an account
for a college fund for you.
Oh, Daddy, for real? Thank you.
Yeah, believe me,
Thelma, it ain't no big thing.
The heck it isn't,
and it wasn't easy.
I remember you said,
"My daughter is
going to college.
I'm gonna put away 50 cents
every week in that account."
Hey, 50 cents times 52 weeks.
That's $26, and 26 times 18...
Oh, boy, I can't
even think that high.
Hey, Daddy, how much
money does Thelma have
in her college fund?
Eight dollars and 16 cents.
James... Is that all there is?
Honey, I don't understand.
Sorry, baby, but I had to
dip into it every now and then.
In case you all ain't aware,
we living in hard times.
But, honey, why
didn't you tell me?
I thought we always
talked about these things.
Except when I don't
want you to know about it.
Oh, baby, what I mean is
I had to take that money
out of that college fund
for your operation.
If I had told you where I
was taking the money from,
you would never have
had that operation,
and you know it. Oh,
wait a minute, now.
Let's look at the
bright side of this thing.
Maybe Thelma might
not get to college,
but Ma's gall bladder might
make it to medical school.
Oh, Junior, shut up.
Don't be for them 12 cavities,
boy, I wouldn't have
spent the money,
you raggedy-mouthed rascal.
Sorry, Dad.
Sorry, baby girl,
just wasn't nothing I could do.
That's okay, Daddy.
Oh, Florida, I tell you,
if it ain't one
thing, it's another.
Either layoffs
or trying to put something
under the Christmas tree,
keep these kids in
clothes, and Michael there,
he growing so fast, he
needs a new pair of shoes
every time he
wakes up from a nap.
Sorry, baby,
just wasn't nothing I could do.
College always seemed
like something
way off in the future,
but eating and living
always been right now.
James, we
understand. It's all right.
Aw, the hell it is, baby.
There ain't nothing
I can do about it.
Honey, you had to
do it. We know that.
Daddy, don't
worry. It'll work out.
I can always go to city college.
Now, James,
don't start blaming
yourself so much.
You have always been the
breadwinner in this family,
and a darn good one.
A lot I got to show
for it, baby... $8.16.
James, don't worry
about it. It'll all work out.
Where there is a
will, there's a way.
Yeah, well, Will ain't
been around here lately,
and I don't see no way.
Ah! Maybe that's Will now.
Will who? Will help.
Why did we bother to
get your mouth fixed?
Michael, answer the door.
Okay, Daddy.
Hello.
Is James Evans, Jr. here?
Yes, he is, come in. Thank you.
Yeah, I'm James Evans, Jr.
How do you do? I'm P.J. Hewitt,
president of Hewitt
Trust and Savings Bank.
Assets over 10,000,000.
Oh, you can't have that much.
Dad's been pulling a little bit
out of his account.
I'm Mr. Evans. This
is my wife, Mrs. Evans.
What can we do for you?
Well, it's your son
that I was looking for.
I understand that
you're a painter.
That's right, but I didn't
paint those signs on your wall.
I ain't into spray cans.
No, uh...
In fact, I'm interested
in your work.
I happened to see
a painting of yours
that a friend of mine bought...
Ghetto children playing
at the fire hydrant.
I liked the way it
captured the feeling
of the black community.
It had a certain...
Well, I just can't find
words to express it.
Try "fantastic."
Sure.
The purpose of our bank is
to serve the black community.
"We are into black."
That's the bank's motto.
Into black and in the black.
Clever, huh?
I wrote that myself.
You here to make
a point, Mr. Hewitt?
Yes, of course.
I'm here to commission your son
to paint a mural for my bank.
A mural?
A whole wall?
Are you talking about
painting it or rolling it?
Painting, of course.
Naturally, the
bank will pay for it,
in line with our policy of
supporting ghetto youth.
Mr. Hewitt, how much
money you talking about?
Well, as you must realize,
your son is an
unestablished artist
and this will be
quite a break for him.
Shall we say... $250?
Two hundred and fifty dollars?
Two hundred and fifty dollars?
Uh, now, hold on, hold on here.
Uh, as an artiste,
I usually don't
accept a commission
unless I have complete
approval of the subject matter...
Well... And I approve.
Well, you are the artist.
All that we want
is something
appropriate for the bank,
something depicting the
life of the black community,
especially the happy
side of ghetto life.
Happy?
For $250, you
gonna get ecstatic joy!
Mr. Hewitt... we don't
know how to thank you.
The pleasure is mine.
We have another motto...
We are the bank that
banks on the youth of today.
I wrote that one too.
It has a nice sound to it.
Well, I must be going.
It has been a pleasure
to meet you all,
but as we say in the bank,
it is time for my withdrawal.
Good day.
Good day. Bye.
Good day, Mr. Hewitt.
Cheerios.
All right, J.J.!
All right, Junior!
Oh, I'm so happy for you.
It looks like everything good
is happening today. Yeah!
Yeah, J.J., you
finally moving up, man.
Yeah, Rembrandt,
don't get uptight,
because here comes
Kid Dy-no-mite!
Hey, J.J., what are you
gonna do with the money?
Well, according to the
bylaws of the Evans household,
all money earned by
any member of the family
goes into the family pot.
Well, I don't think
it's gonna be hard
to figure out what
to do with the money.
We're gonna give it
to Thelma for college.
Right, J.J.? Right.
Ma, J.J., I can't
let you do that.
We need the money
for so many other things.
Oh, but, honey, this
is the biggest thing
that's happening
to us right now.
Your daddy and I
have always talked
about you going
to a good college,
right, James?
That's right.
Now, Thelma, that money
is for your education.
I don't want to hear
another word about it.
Thanks, Daddy.
Thanks, Ma... Oh.
And especially you, J.J.
♪ For he's a jolly good fellow ♪
♪ For he's A jolly good fellow ♪
♪ For he's a jolly good
fellow That nobody can deny ♪
♪ That nobody can deny
That nobody can deny... ♪♪
Yeah, look here, Lord,
now, you and me ain't had
too much to talk about lately.
And you know I'm just as
happy as everybody else
about this thing, but...
there's something
about the whole thing
just don't set right with me.
Now, what is it? What is it?
Michael! Michael, are you awake?
Michael. Oh, what's
the matter, J.J.?
I can't sleep.
Well, maybe you can't
sleep, but I sure can.
Hey, J.J.!
Come on, Michael.
This is my big break.
I see my whole future
flashing before me.
Today, I paint a
mural at a bank.
Tomorrow, city hall.
And before you know it,
the pope walks up to me
and says, "Brother J,
we getting tired of that
ceiling on the Sistine Chapel."
Oh, boy. Hey, man,
I can see it now...
The Sistine Chapel
full of black angels.
And Ma's been working too hard.
We gotta get her a
maid... a white one.
Yeah, but we'd better make
sure she does windows.
Yeah, and Dad
needs transportation.
I'm gonna get
him four Cadillacs,
one for each direction.
J.J., if I didn't know
you were Kool-Aid man,
I'd be worried about
the way you be flying.
Michael, believe me, I
haven't forgot about you.
We gonna send you
through law school.
Well, Michael, tell me, how
do them apples grab you?
Okay, you better
rest up for law school.
Get ready to hit them books.
Hey! Hey! Hey!
What is it?
Oh, Florida, I was
having a nightmare.
Baby, it was a bad one too.
What was it?
Florida, I dreamed
I was walking
through this field.
Mm-hmm.
I came across this hole.
It was real narrow,
about 20 feet deep.
I fell down in it, and,
baby, I broke my leg,
and I couldn't get out...
and then right across
from me was a stream,
and right on the other
side of the stream
was a pack of mean crocodiles,
and when they saw me, they
looked at me and they said,
"Sharpen your teeth. Here
comes Sunday dinner."
I looked up at you, baby,
and you said you was
gonna try and help me,
but you couldn't
get through the hole
because it was too narrow...
Baby, it wasn't
nothing but a dream.
Honest. See, I
was just dreaming.
Anyhow, I looked up,
and I saw Junior's
face smiling down at me,
and he said, "Don't worry, Dad,
I'll get you out.
I'll save you."
But he couldn't reach me,
so you grabbed him by his
heels, and skinny as he was,
you let him hang down the
hole, and he grabbed me,
and baby, seconds, just
seconds before them crocodiles
was gonna make me
the blue plate special,
Junior reached down,
grabbed me, and pulled me up.
Then he smiled
to the crocodiles,
and he tipped his hat and said,
"Sorry you gotta miss
your Sunday delight,
because Dad has been
saved by Kid Dy-no-mite!"
Wow, that is a wild one.
Yeah, baby, I'll be doggone
if I can figure that dream out.
You know something, James?
Huh?
It just might have something
to do with J.J. coming through
with the money today
just when we needed it.
What you talking about, Florida?
What could that have to do
with me dreaming
about him saving my life?
Well, it could be that
you a little disappointed...
Well, you know...
Because you weren't able
to help Thelma yourself.
Aw, baby, that ain't
got nothing to do with it.
I mean, I love the kids.
I love all of them,
and I'm proud of all of them.
That ain't got nothing
to do with nothing.
She's right.
That's what it was.
That's what's eating me up.
Well... now that I know
what it is, I can deal with it.
James, did you say something?
Huh?
Oh, yeah, I said, uh...
as long as we up,
how about, uh...
How about what?
How about making me a sandwich?
I been down that
hole a long time.
Attention, please,
attention, please.
Attention, please. Shh.
Ladies and gentlemen,
not only does Hewitt
Trust and Savings
offer a full range of
services, maximum interest,
free travelers checks,
safety deposit boxes,
and our new personalized
African motif checks...
With all that wind,
he should be playing the tuba.
Willona!
It is with great pleasure
that I present to
you a young man
who, through the
generosity of this bank,
assets over 10,000,000...
Together with his own
drive and determination,
has brought him to
this proud moment.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mr. James Evans, Jr.
That's my boy! That's my son.
Thank you there, Mr. Hewitt.
Ladies and gentlemen...
uh, cats and kitties,
dudes and dudettes...
Uh, I'd like to
thank all the people
who made this moment possible...
First, my mother,
who encouraged me to
paint at every moment...
Oh, hear, hear! Hear, hear!
Thank you.
And next, my father, who
beat my butt whenever I didn't.
And my sister Thelma,
and my little brother Michael.
All right. All right.
Flo, Flo, he left me out.
And to my neighbor and
dear friend, Willona Woods.
Hey, hey!
That's me, that's me, folks.
Willona Woods, with two O's.
These hands are the hands
that changed his diaper.
Isn't that something?
Thank you all!
Thank you. Yeah.
Ahem.
And now for the moment
we all been waiting for,
the grand unveiling.
May I present to
you... Mr. Hewitt.
Yeah, all right!
Baby, that's the best
thing you ever done!
I'm so proud of
you, I could bust.
J.J., I just love it!
J.J., I'm so proud of you.
Uh, don't panic, sweetheart.
She's only my sister.
Uh, Mr. Hewitt,
you may now unveil the bread.
I refuse to pay for
that piece of trash.
Trash?
What are you talking about?
That... That idiotic painting?
I commissioned your son to paint
the happy side of ghetto life.
Well, uh, what can be happier
than shooting
a little eight ball?
This is a bank, not a pool room.
But, Mr. Hewitt,
I thought you said I could paint
anything I wanted to.
Within limits.
That painting is sordid,
and totally unfitting to
the dignity of this bank.
He worked for hours every night.
I don't care how long he worked.
I'm not going to pay for it.
I'm going to have
that wall repainted,
and I refuse to pay
a cent for that junk.
He just...
Oh, now, wait a
minute, Mr. Hewitt.
I don't believe I
heard you right.
I said I am not going to pay.
Oh, no, you gonna
pay him, bourgie.
Now, you told my son
to paint what he wanted.
Now, he likes it, I like
it, and everybody like it,
don't everybody?
The main thing is
my son is a fine artist.
He painted it the way he saw it,
so that makes it good.
Now, wait... No, you wait!
You know how many
years it took him to learn
how to paint like that, huh?
You know how many hours
he had to stay up doing that?
Do you?
Now, that painting
is worth 10 times
what you trying
to rip him off for,
and if you don't pay him,
I'm gonna shove you
in the night deposit box.
All right.
All right... All right.
You don't have to get
rough. This is a bank.
James...
I suppose it does
have a certain basic...
appeal to it.
You're right about that.
Dad, take your hat.
Boy, Dad, you really
told that dude off.
I could've never stood
up to a dude like that,
not even with a pair
of brass knuckles.
Aw, Junior, I was just
doing what I had to do.
No, Dad, it's more than that.
I mean, when something's wrong,
you got the guts to
make it right, and I don't.
Dad, I'll never be
the man you are.
I'm proud of you.
You hear that?
He's proud of me!
Oh...
♪ 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 ♪♪
you meet a payment ♪
♪ 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
rip-offs Good times ♪
♪ Scratchin' and
survivin' Good times ♪
♪ Hangin' in a chow
line Good times ♪
♪ Ain't we lucky we got 'em? ♪
♪ Good times ♪♪
I'm telling you, Flo,
working in that
boutique is education.
I see it all... from the
hanky to the panky.
Let's skip the hanky
and get to the panky.
I am not one to gossip, but
you know Lucille Adams?
Live on the fourth floor,
work at the laundry?
That's the one. Uh-huh.
Girl, last night,
that dude husband of hers
comes strutting in the store
and bought this
foxy baby-doll nightie.
So?
Honey, he bought a size seven,
and Lucille ain't wore
size seven since she was 7.
I can't believe that
about Jake Adams.
He's such a nice man.
Yeah, but nice to who?
Had it all wrapped up fancy.
And while he was
waiting for the package,
he calls Lucille.
Check this out...
"Lucille, honey,
"I got a little bad
news for you.
"You see, I'll be home
a little late tonight.
I got to go to the
lodge meeting."
The old story about
the lodge meeting, huh?
Uh-huh. That's what it was.
James? Huh?
You know Jake Adams, don't you?
Yeah, a matter of fact,
I saw him at the lodge
meeting last night.
You did?
Yeah, poor guy had to miss
his daughter's birthday too.
Bought her a nice present.
I was just saying what
a nice guy he was.
Well, what do you see?
What do you see?
What am I holding?
Nothing.
That's right, because
there was something,
but now there's
nothing, because I sold it.
Sold... You sold
a painting, Junior?
Honey, which one was it?
The one with the
kids by the fire hydrant
in the water.
I called it My Ghetto Seascape.
I always knew you had talent.
Talent? That's his middle name.
Oh, we got a
genius in the house.
I know.
Oh, J.J., where'd you sell
it and who'd you sell it to?
At a sidewalk exhibit.
Well, actually, Michael
was sitting with it
when it was sold. Oh?
Yeah, this dude comes
by, kind of walks past,
like, around
three or four times.
Very sophisticated.
Mm-hmm.
You could tell he
was interested,
so J.J. comes up
and looks over the
dude's shoulder and says,
"Hey, man, that painting
sure does look great.
"I mean, it sure
does look groovy.
I have never seen art
that cool before in my life."
J.J., you mean you
shilled your own painting?
Sure, Ma.
Who else knows how
great I am better than me?
Oh, J.J.
So J.J. says to me, "Hey, man,
I'll give you $5 for
that painting." Uh-huh.
So the dude says,
"I'll give you 10."
So J.J. says,
"I'll give you 20."
So the dude says,
"I'll give you 30."
Then J.J. says,
"$30? Are you kidding?
"That is an insult
to the artiste.
I will give you 50."
So the dude said,
"You got it, man,"
and walked off.
I thought y'all
said you sold it.
We did sell it, Willona,
to the next guy that came by.
This time J.J. kept
his mouth shut.
Oh!
How much y'all
get for it, Junior?
Five dollars.
The paint and the
canvas cost him $7.50.
Oh, it's all right.
As long as somebody
recognized his work.
The money will come later.
Ma, Dad, have I got
news! Whoo, whoo!
You got news?
Wait till you hear my news.
What do I care about your
news? I got good news.
My news is good news.
Thelma, how come
you always trying
to out-good my good news?
Okay, okay, open
the grand canyon
you call a mouth, and
tell me the good news.
I sold a painting for $5.
That's wonderful,
J.J. Congratulations.
All I'm doing is saving
Mom and Dad $1000!
Huh?
A thousand dollars?
What you talking about?
Something I always
dreamed of is really happening.
Yeah, but what, Thelma, what...
What are you talking about?
I won the alumni
scholarship award
to the University of Chicago!
Oh, Thelma, I'm proud of you.
Did you hear that?
Congratulations!
How soon, how soon they forget.
Huh?
All right, Thelma,
I gotta admit,
I'm proud of you too.
Oh, thank you, J.J.,
and I'm really happy you
sold that painting, I really am.
Well, Thelma,
you got the brains,
and I got all the
talent and good looks.
Well, I gotta be splitting.
I gotta go spread the good
news about J.J. and Thelma.
That's right.
And retract the bad
news about Jake Adams...
that, uh, some gossip started.
Mm-hmm.
Thank you, Willona.
- I'll see you all later.
- Okay, bye.
See you, Willona.
Boy, Thelma, I can't tell
you how happy we are.
I can't believe it. I
can't wait to see it.
Wait a minute, wait a minute.
Now I gotta tell
you the bad part.
What?
The $1000 won't
cover everything.
I could live at home,
but I'll still need at least
$200 more to make it.
Thelma, you won't have to worry.
Shall we tell her now, James?
Florida, uh...
Thelma, we got a
big surprise for you.
You don't have to worry.
We got the money!
Florida.
Oh, James, now, let me tell her.
I'm so excited I could burst.
Thelma, when you were a baby,
your daddy went to the bank
and opened an account
for a college fund for you.
Oh, Daddy, for real? Thank you.
Yeah, believe me,
Thelma, it ain't no big thing.
The heck it isn't,
and it wasn't easy.
I remember you said,
"My daughter is
going to college.
I'm gonna put away 50 cents
every week in that account."
Hey, 50 cents times 52 weeks.
That's $26, and 26 times 18...
Oh, boy, I can't
even think that high.
Hey, Daddy, how much
money does Thelma have
in her college fund?
Eight dollars and 16 cents.
James... Is that all there is?
Honey, I don't understand.
Sorry, baby, but I had to
dip into it every now and then.
In case you all ain't aware,
we living in hard times.
But, honey, why
didn't you tell me?
I thought we always
talked about these things.
Except when I don't
want you to know about it.
Oh, baby, what I mean is
I had to take that money
out of that college fund
for your operation.
If I had told you where I
was taking the money from,
you would never have
had that operation,
and you know it. Oh,
wait a minute, now.
Let's look at the
bright side of this thing.
Maybe Thelma might
not get to college,
but Ma's gall bladder might
make it to medical school.
Oh, Junior, shut up.
Don't be for them 12 cavities,
boy, I wouldn't have
spent the money,
you raggedy-mouthed rascal.
Sorry, Dad.
Sorry, baby girl,
just wasn't nothing I could do.
That's okay, Daddy.
Oh, Florida, I tell you,
if it ain't one
thing, it's another.
Either layoffs
or trying to put something
under the Christmas tree,
keep these kids in
clothes, and Michael there,
he growing so fast, he
needs a new pair of shoes
every time he
wakes up from a nap.
Sorry, baby,
just wasn't nothing I could do.
College always seemed
like something
way off in the future,
but eating and living
always been right now.
James, we
understand. It's all right.
Aw, the hell it is, baby.
There ain't nothing
I can do about it.
Honey, you had to
do it. We know that.
Daddy, don't
worry. It'll work out.
I can always go to city college.
Now, James,
don't start blaming
yourself so much.
You have always been the
breadwinner in this family,
and a darn good one.
A lot I got to show
for it, baby... $8.16.
James, don't worry
about it. It'll all work out.
Where there is a
will, there's a way.
Yeah, well, Will ain't
been around here lately,
and I don't see no way.
Ah! Maybe that's Will now.
Will who? Will help.
Why did we bother to
get your mouth fixed?
Michael, answer the door.
Okay, Daddy.
Hello.
Is James Evans, Jr. here?
Yes, he is, come in. Thank you.
Yeah, I'm James Evans, Jr.
How do you do? I'm P.J. Hewitt,
president of Hewitt
Trust and Savings Bank.
Assets over 10,000,000.
Oh, you can't have that much.
Dad's been pulling a little bit
out of his account.
I'm Mr. Evans. This
is my wife, Mrs. Evans.
What can we do for you?
Well, it's your son
that I was looking for.
I understand that
you're a painter.
That's right, but I didn't
paint those signs on your wall.
I ain't into spray cans.
No, uh...
In fact, I'm interested
in your work.
I happened to see
a painting of yours
that a friend of mine bought...
Ghetto children playing
at the fire hydrant.
I liked the way it
captured the feeling
of the black community.
It had a certain...
Well, I just can't find
words to express it.
Try "fantastic."
Sure.
The purpose of our bank is
to serve the black community.
"We are into black."
That's the bank's motto.
Into black and in the black.
Clever, huh?
I wrote that myself.
You here to make
a point, Mr. Hewitt?
Yes, of course.
I'm here to commission your son
to paint a mural for my bank.
A mural?
A whole wall?
Are you talking about
painting it or rolling it?
Painting, of course.
Naturally, the
bank will pay for it,
in line with our policy of
supporting ghetto youth.
Mr. Hewitt, how much
money you talking about?
Well, as you must realize,
your son is an
unestablished artist
and this will be
quite a break for him.
Shall we say... $250?
Two hundred and fifty dollars?
Two hundred and fifty dollars?
Uh, now, hold on, hold on here.
Uh, as an artiste,
I usually don't
accept a commission
unless I have complete
approval of the subject matter...
Well... And I approve.
Well, you are the artist.
All that we want
is something
appropriate for the bank,
something depicting the
life of the black community,
especially the happy
side of ghetto life.
Happy?
For $250, you
gonna get ecstatic joy!
Mr. Hewitt... we don't
know how to thank you.
The pleasure is mine.
We have another motto...
We are the bank that
banks on the youth of today.
I wrote that one too.
It has a nice sound to it.
Well, I must be going.
It has been a pleasure
to meet you all,
but as we say in the bank,
it is time for my withdrawal.
Good day.
Good day. Bye.
Good day, Mr. Hewitt.
Cheerios.
All right, J.J.!
All right, Junior!
Oh, I'm so happy for you.
It looks like everything good
is happening today. Yeah!
Yeah, J.J., you
finally moving up, man.
Yeah, Rembrandt,
don't get uptight,
because here comes
Kid Dy-no-mite!
Hey, J.J., what are you
gonna do with the money?
Well, according to the
bylaws of the Evans household,
all money earned by
any member of the family
goes into the family pot.
Well, I don't think
it's gonna be hard
to figure out what
to do with the money.
We're gonna give it
to Thelma for college.
Right, J.J.? Right.
Ma, J.J., I can't
let you do that.
We need the money
for so many other things.
Oh, but, honey, this
is the biggest thing
that's happening
to us right now.
Your daddy and I
have always talked
about you going
to a good college,
right, James?
That's right.
Now, Thelma, that money
is for your education.
I don't want to hear
another word about it.
Thanks, Daddy.
Thanks, Ma... Oh.
And especially you, J.J.
♪ For he's a jolly good fellow ♪
♪ For he's A jolly good fellow ♪
♪ For he's a jolly good
fellow That nobody can deny ♪
♪ That nobody can deny
That nobody can deny... ♪♪
Yeah, look here, Lord,
now, you and me ain't had
too much to talk about lately.
And you know I'm just as
happy as everybody else
about this thing, but...
there's something
about the whole thing
just don't set right with me.
Now, what is it? What is it?
Michael! Michael, are you awake?
Michael. Oh, what's
the matter, J.J.?
I can't sleep.
Well, maybe you can't
sleep, but I sure can.
Hey, J.J.!
Come on, Michael.
This is my big break.
I see my whole future
flashing before me.
Today, I paint a
mural at a bank.
Tomorrow, city hall.
And before you know it,
the pope walks up to me
and says, "Brother J,
we getting tired of that
ceiling on the Sistine Chapel."
Oh, boy. Hey, man,
I can see it now...
The Sistine Chapel
full of black angels.
And Ma's been working too hard.
We gotta get her a
maid... a white one.
Yeah, but we'd better make
sure she does windows.
Yeah, and Dad
needs transportation.
I'm gonna get
him four Cadillacs,
one for each direction.
J.J., if I didn't know
you were Kool-Aid man,
I'd be worried about
the way you be flying.
Michael, believe me, I
haven't forgot about you.
We gonna send you
through law school.
Well, Michael, tell me, how
do them apples grab you?
Okay, you better
rest up for law school.
Get ready to hit them books.
Hey! Hey! Hey!
What is it?
Oh, Florida, I was
having a nightmare.
Baby, it was a bad one too.
What was it?
Florida, I dreamed
I was walking
through this field.
Mm-hmm.
I came across this hole.
It was real narrow,
about 20 feet deep.
I fell down in it, and,
baby, I broke my leg,
and I couldn't get out...
and then right across
from me was a stream,
and right on the other
side of the stream
was a pack of mean crocodiles,
and when they saw me, they
looked at me and they said,
"Sharpen your teeth. Here
comes Sunday dinner."
I looked up at you, baby,
and you said you was
gonna try and help me,
but you couldn't
get through the hole
because it was too narrow...
Baby, it wasn't
nothing but a dream.
Honest. See, I
was just dreaming.
Anyhow, I looked up,
and I saw Junior's
face smiling down at me,
and he said, "Don't worry, Dad,
I'll get you out.
I'll save you."
But he couldn't reach me,
so you grabbed him by his
heels, and skinny as he was,
you let him hang down the
hole, and he grabbed me,
and baby, seconds, just
seconds before them crocodiles
was gonna make me
the blue plate special,
Junior reached down,
grabbed me, and pulled me up.
Then he smiled
to the crocodiles,
and he tipped his hat and said,
"Sorry you gotta miss
your Sunday delight,
because Dad has been
saved by Kid Dy-no-mite!"
Wow, that is a wild one.
Yeah, baby, I'll be doggone
if I can figure that dream out.
You know something, James?
Huh?
It just might have something
to do with J.J. coming through
with the money today
just when we needed it.
What you talking about, Florida?
What could that have to do
with me dreaming
about him saving my life?
Well, it could be that
you a little disappointed...
Well, you know...
Because you weren't able
to help Thelma yourself.
Aw, baby, that ain't
got nothing to do with it.
I mean, I love the kids.
I love all of them,
and I'm proud of all of them.
That ain't got nothing
to do with nothing.
She's right.
That's what it was.
That's what's eating me up.
Well... now that I know
what it is, I can deal with it.
James, did you say something?
Huh?
Oh, yeah, I said, uh...
as long as we up,
how about, uh...
How about what?
How about making me a sandwich?
I been down that
hole a long time.
Attention, please,
attention, please.
Attention, please. Shh.
Ladies and gentlemen,
not only does Hewitt
Trust and Savings
offer a full range of
services, maximum interest,
free travelers checks,
safety deposit boxes,
and our new personalized
African motif checks...
With all that wind,
he should be playing the tuba.
Willona!
It is with great pleasure
that I present to
you a young man
who, through the
generosity of this bank,
assets over 10,000,000...
Together with his own
drive and determination,
has brought him to
this proud moment.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mr. James Evans, Jr.
That's my boy! That's my son.
Thank you there, Mr. Hewitt.
Ladies and gentlemen...
uh, cats and kitties,
dudes and dudettes...
Uh, I'd like to
thank all the people
who made this moment possible...
First, my mother,
who encouraged me to
paint at every moment...
Oh, hear, hear! Hear, hear!
Thank you.
And next, my father, who
beat my butt whenever I didn't.
And my sister Thelma,
and my little brother Michael.
All right. All right.
Flo, Flo, he left me out.
And to my neighbor and
dear friend, Willona Woods.
Hey, hey!
That's me, that's me, folks.
Willona Woods, with two O's.
These hands are the hands
that changed his diaper.
Isn't that something?
Thank you all!
Thank you. Yeah.
Ahem.
And now for the moment
we all been waiting for,
the grand unveiling.
May I present to
you... Mr. Hewitt.
Yeah, all right!
Baby, that's the best
thing you ever done!
I'm so proud of
you, I could bust.
J.J., I just love it!
J.J., I'm so proud of you.
Uh, don't panic, sweetheart.
She's only my sister.
Uh, Mr. Hewitt,
you may now unveil the bread.
I refuse to pay for
that piece of trash.
Trash?
What are you talking about?
That... That idiotic painting?
I commissioned your son to paint
the happy side of ghetto life.
Well, uh, what can be happier
than shooting
a little eight ball?
This is a bank, not a pool room.
But, Mr. Hewitt,
I thought you said I could paint
anything I wanted to.
Within limits.
That painting is sordid,
and totally unfitting to
the dignity of this bank.
He worked for hours every night.
I don't care how long he worked.
I'm not going to pay for it.
I'm going to have
that wall repainted,
and I refuse to pay
a cent for that junk.
He just...
Oh, now, wait a
minute, Mr. Hewitt.
I don't believe I
heard you right.
I said I am not going to pay.
Oh, no, you gonna
pay him, bourgie.
Now, you told my son
to paint what he wanted.
Now, he likes it, I like
it, and everybody like it,
don't everybody?
The main thing is
my son is a fine artist.
He painted it the way he saw it,
so that makes it good.
Now, wait... No, you wait!
You know how many
years it took him to learn
how to paint like that, huh?
You know how many hours
he had to stay up doing that?
Do you?
Now, that painting
is worth 10 times
what you trying
to rip him off for,
and if you don't pay him,
I'm gonna shove you
in the night deposit box.
All right.
All right... All right.
You don't have to get
rough. This is a bank.
James...
I suppose it does
have a certain basic...
appeal to it.
You're right about that.
Dad, take your hat.
Boy, Dad, you really
told that dude off.
I could've never stood
up to a dude like that,
not even with a pair
of brass knuckles.
Aw, Junior, I was just
doing what I had to do.
No, Dad, it's more than that.
I mean, when something's wrong,
you got the guts to
make it right, and I don't.
Dad, I'll never be
the man you are.
I'm proud of you.
You hear that?
He's proud of me!
Oh...
♪ 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 ♪♪