Matlock (1986–1995): Season 3, Episode 18 - The Cult - full transcript
A man who is trying to get his son out of a cult he joined. When he threatens the leader and when the leader is found dead, he is arrested because the witness who saw him kill the leader is his own son. Ben defends him. And his first task is to figure out why the son would say he is the killer.
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We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We love you, Dennis.
Joshua loves you.
We love you, Dennis.
Joshua loves you.
We love you, Dennis.
Joshua loves you.
We love you, Dennis.
Joshua loves you.
We love you, Dennis...
The future is now.
How may I help you, sir?
I want to see Dennis Austin.
Sorry, sir, none of our
brothers is named Austin.
He's here, and I
want to see him!
Hey, fella, who's in
charge around here?
Joshua loves you.
Have a nice day.
Security.
This is the gatekeeper.
Yeah, what's up? There's a
subversive on the grounds.
Call the police.
How may I help you, sir?
You in charge here?
I'm Martin Washburn,
one of the society's elders.
Joshua Bradbury is our leader.
Yeah? Well, where is he?
Mr. Bradbury's busy.
We'll make an appointment.
Like hell. Get out of my way.
- It's all right, Martin.
Joshua will see the gentleman.
Of course.
This way, sir.
Mr. Austin, this is our
founder Joshua Bradbury.
I want my son.
You sound very
angry, Mr. Austin.
You're damn right I am.
You're holding my son.
No, no, we don't hold anyone.
Your son came here
because he found your world,
the outside world,
corrupt, decayed.
We're the future, Mr. Austin.
I don't give a
damn what you are.
You can't keep me from my son.
Of course not.
We wouldn't think of holding
anyone against his will.
Nobody is trying to keep
anybody from anyone.
You wish to speak to me, Joshua?
My God, Dennis,
what's happened to you?
Dennis, answer your father.
You shouldn't have come here.
What else could I do?
You disappeared from school.
Your friends told me
you went off to join a cult.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
What is this crap?
Dennis, I'm your father.
I love you.
I'm taking you home.
This is my home.
This is my family.
What have you done to my son?
Mr. Austin, you
offered the past.
What we've done is to
give Dennis an opportunity...
An opportunity for perspective
to see into the mind's eye...
A very clear and
pure perspective
into the very life of things.
The future, Mr. Austin.
Dennis has chosen the future.
It's a very important and
happy time for all of us.
But this is private property,
and I must ask you to leave.
Not without my son!
Dennis, what's the
matter with you?!
What the hell is
going on around here?
Damn you, I'll
take your head off
before I let you keep my boy!
What's the problem here?
I'm William Austin.
This is my son Dennis.
And these, these people...
They're holding him.
That true?
Is that true, Dennis?
This man is not my father.
This is my home.
This is my family.
And this man is trespassing.
He threatened my life, and
I want to file a complaint.
File a complaint?
What, against me?
He kidnapped my son!
Do you want to leave?
This is my home.
That's it, Mr. Austin, let's go.
No! I'll kill you!
I'll kill you!
Come on. No!
Leave me alone!
Are you people nuts?
This lunatic Bradbury
has kidnapped my son,
and you're putting me in jail.
Mr. Austin, your son's
an adult with rights.
Just like you and me.
And you have no right
to threaten Mr. Bradbury.
This cult has taken my son,
and that man Bradbury
is the head of it.
It's some kind of a religion,
and it's not against the law.
Now please, empty your pockets.
Booking desk.
Yes.
I see. Fine.
You lucked out.
Joshua Bradbury has decided
to withdraw his complaint.
You're free to go.
Mr. Austin, you've done
what you could for your boy.
Go back to Chicago.
I'm not going anywhere
without my son.
It's almost 11:00.
Time for Joshua's tea.
Oh?
Anna, you all right?
I'm fine.
My baby is blessed.
I'll be back in a minute to
help you finish your work.
You look tired.
No.
Oh, my God!
I'd love to have taken
that jackass's head off,
but this is insane.
Dennis couldn't
have seen me kill him.
What your son actually said was,
he saw you fleeing
the scene of the crime.
But I wasn't there.
I mean, this-this
can't be happening.
You told the police you went to
meet a man who never showed up?
I did. At the time
of the murder?
Yes, I think so.
Well, this is all my fault.
See, Dennis... Dennis
has always been
a fragile boy, and
when his mother
passed away last
year, he was devastated.
Happened so
fast, I was out of it.
I mean, I... I didn't
recognize his pain.
I wasn't any help to him at all.
I just told him time would heal,
and I shipped
him back to school.
Now with his mother gone
and me... me acting
like I didn't give a damn,
well, no wonder that
cult was able to grab him.
You think the cult got your son
to accuse you of murder?
Well, certainly.
They already got him
to sign over his trust fund
and his inheritance.
It was $400,000.
Look, they tell me you're
the best lawyer in Atlanta.
Is that so?
I don't know that
I'm the one to ask.
Please, you talk to Dennis.
Maybe you can get
him to clear this up.
What if I talk to him,
and he sticks to his story?
I don't know.
But if I go to prison,
Dennis is going to be lost
to those people forever.
Dennis? Dennis Austin?
Uh, I'm Ben Matlock.
I'll be representing
your father.
I'm Martin Washburn,
the attorney for the
Future Now Society.
Dennis has nothing to
say to you, Mr. Matlock.
Uh, Dennis, can't
you speak for yourself?
Joshua Bradbury was
the hope for the future,
and this evil man,
William Austin, killed him.
He denies that.
How can you talk that
way about your own father?
He's not my father.
He's a liar and a subversive,
and I never want
to see him again.
Come on in.
Mrs. Carter?
Mrs. Carter, I know
it's difficult, but...
Try not to worry, Mrs. Carter.
If your daughter's in
the Moonies, I'll find her.
No, I'll call you.
Okay, bye.
You're Ben Matlock.
Yes, sir.
You make the papers.
Well, sometimes, I guess.
Did you track down
all these folks?
Yeah, most of them.
They're the ones I tracked down,
I deprogrammed successfully.
I've heard.
Ah... What's on your mind?
Um, well, I... I have a problem.
My client William Austin
has been accused of
murdering Joshua Bradbury.
Oh, I read about it.
Somebody should have
done that a long time ago.
The Future Now Society.
A very rich cult.
They make all their new
members sign over all their assets.
Bank accounts, property,
even life insurance policies.
And they're very
good at investments.
Well, what do the people who
join this society get out of it?
In return for their money
and absolute obedience,
cults provide their
victims with the illusion
that they're on the side of
good, fighting against evil,
that their leader is
greater than God.
Oh.
Con games dressed
up to look like religion.
My client's son Dennis
told the police
he saw his father
fleeing the scene of the crime.
Dennis is a cult member, is he?
Yeah, he's been a
member for two months.
I-I-I think he's lying.
Oh, I doubt that.
Well, I'm certain
my client's innocent.
Cults dwell on the
purity of their world
and the corruption and
deceit of everyone else.
They'd never ask the boy to lie.
Well, how could Dennis
say he saw his father?
What do you know about
brainwashing, Mr. Matlock?
Not much.
Let me put it this way.
Given the right circumstances,
you or I could be
programmed to see...
that phone and
think it was a snake,
or a monster, or God.
That's hard to believe.
It's true.
Cults control minds.
That's how they work.
It's what they do.
And I undo.
Well, um, thank you
and I'll be leaving. I may...
may be coming back.
Do it.
Thanks.
Mm-hmm.
Pretty impressive place
for a religious organization
that sends kids out in
the street to sell flowers.
Yeah, well...
the flowers are just
what the public sees.
The money these poor
people turn over to this cult
has given Mr. Bradbury
two mansions,
a fleet of cars, boats,
no telling how many
secret bank accounts.
Well, now that he's dead,
maybe the Future Now
Society will fall apart.
Well, now, here,
they've got elders
who've already taken over.
You think one of them
killed Joshua Bradbury?
They were all there when
William Austin threatened him
and tried to strangle him.
I guarantee you, one of
them made the phone call,
left him without an alibi. Mm.
Mr. Matlock. Miss Thomas.
I'm Thomas Oldham,
one of the elders.
I believe you've
met Mr. Washburn.
Quite a place you've got here.
Let's get this over
with, Mr. Matlock.
One of you can see our
new leader, Ezra Smith.
The other can
see Joshua's study.
Well, what, do we flip?
I'll take the study.
Mr. Smith is downstairs.
The study is upstairs.
Now, the police say
the killer entered
through these, uh,
French doors and
left the same way,
with, uh, Dennis following him.
That's right.
And at a certain point,
the killer fell, and
that's when Dennis saw
that it was his father.
Yes.
Are you finished, Mr. Matlock?
No.
Now, as I understand it,
uh, Dennis Austin was
bringing tea to Mr. Bradbury
when he heard the shot.
That's a coincidence.
Here comes young
Dennis, bringing tea
at the exact moment
his father's supposed
to be shooting this fella.
Yes, but Dennis always
brought tea to Joshua at that time.
Oh, I see.
Huh.
Every night?
At 11:00.
Hmm.
Um, what, uh, what were you
two gentlemen doing when, uh...
Joshua was murdered?
This is outrageous, Mr. Matlock.
Um, Martin's a very
volatile man, Mr. Matlock,
and was totally
dedicated to Joshua.
His loss has made him angry.
Now, to answer your question,
Martin, Ezra, and
I emulated Joshua.
From dinner until 11:00,
we each meditated privately.
Oh, I see.
Uh-huh.
Well, one more thing.
Um, um, you say that, um,
Mr. Smith is now your
leader, your new leader.
When was the election?
Joshua named me his
successor in his will, Miss Thomas.
Mr. Bradbury expected to die?
We all die, Miss Thomas.
But that's not
what you're asking.
Joshua was realistic.
He found it quite possible
he might meet a violent end.
You see,
people misunderstand
our society, our goals
and the devotion
of our followers.
Like Dennis Austin.
Yes. When Dennis first came
here, he was confused, lost.
We gave him love, a
home and a purpose in life.
Do any of those things
sound evil to you?
Of course not,
but... Miss Thomas,
you're obviously a
resourceful woman
and clearly, your life works.
There are others
not as fortunate,
and without your inner strength,
who would turn
to drugs or alcohol,
to lives of self-destruction.
Dennis was on that path.
As were many
others you see here.
Most religions
claim to save souls.
We also save lives, Miss Thomas.
You must, you must
admire us for that.
Hi. My name is Sarah.
I have some information
I'd like to share with you
that will change your life.
Hi. I'm Sarah.
Do you believe in the future?
Can't be any worse
than my present.
Believe me, the future is now,
and you can be a part of it.
Read this.
And if you can, make
a small donation.
Lady, I'm broke.
I got laid off from my
job five months ago.
Just got kicked out of my room.
Hey!
Run! Run!
Let's get out of here.
Go!
Thank you. You all right?
Yeah.
Who were those guys?
Deprogrammers.
I live at the Future
Now Society.
And what do they want with you?
Parents do that.
They don't want us to
be reborn in the future,
so they hire
deprogrammers to go after us.
You say you have
no place to live.
Well, come to dinner.
The Future Now Society
will welcome your man
Tyler with open arms.
I got to say, that
was a hell of a setup.
I hope he can resist
their brainwashing.
Well, I-I think he can.
You know, given the
right circumstances,
Tyler, you or me...
Brainwashing.
It works.
Wake, brother.
The future is now.
I just went to sleep.
Rejoice, brother,
you were reborn.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
And now, just as
Joshua taught us,
you will begin
your purification.
You will undergo
four days of fasting,
meditation, and the
fellowship of your brothers.
You are the future, Tyler.
Joshua loves you.
Joshua loves you.
You have completed
your purification.
Have you found
peace with us, brother?
I've found peace,
I've found love.
This is my home.
We are the future.
Still no word from Tyler.
Well, give him time.
Here's a message.
Ben, Ben, this is Tyler.
Ben, where are you?
He's in trouble.
He sounded all right to me.
Well, then why did
he hang up so fast?
Well, probably
somebody was coming.
He'll call back when he can.
No, we've got to
go get him, Ben.
Tyler can take care of himself.
Most of the time,
but he's undercover in
a cult with those people.
What if they steal his mind?
Huh.
Ben!
Patrick Morrison told me,
the people most
vulnerable to cults
are the ones who are
not happy with their lives.
Tyler's happy.
Oh, sure.
He gets hit, kicked and shot at.
The woman he dated for six
months eloped with his dentist.
His rent was just raised,
and he's being
audited by the IRS.
Nothing's perfect.
Ben! Just a little josh.
Hi, Dennis. How's it going?
Just fine, Tyler, and you?
Great.
Anna, what is it?
Anna?
I just can't believe
that Joshua is gone.
How could this happen?
Anna, what's wrong?
I... I'm just... I'm just tired.
I'm going to take
you up to your room.
If anything
happened to the baby,
Thomas would be very unhappy.
♪ ♪
Want to see his statements?
Well, I'd like to
look at them myself.
Tyler, what are you doing here?
I was picking up
the dirty dishes.
That's Anna's job.
Oh, Anna isn't
feeling very well.
The baby?
Excuse me.
Tyler!
You're not getting
away with this.
Wh-What?
This sloppiness.
You forgot the tray.
Ah, Mr. Washburn.
Well... nice.
I asked the right people
and found out you
keep an office in town.
What do you want?
Uh, well, before you joined
the Future Now Society,
you were one of the most
successful corporate lawyers
in Atlanta.
Why'd you give it up?
You wouldn't understand.
I might.
You're right, I was successful.
I had the life we're
all taught to want.
But I felt empty inside, hollow.
So, I became what's
known as a seeker.
I tried EST, Scientology,
spent six months in
India with various gurus,
but nothing clicked
until I met Joshua Bradbury.
From the moment I
met Josh, my life began.
He was a true visionary,
and the greatest
leader of our time.
And very persuasive.
The way I hear it,
people were standing in
line to give him their money.
And he put you at
the financial helm
of this multi-million-dollar
enterprise.
We are a way of
life, not an enterprise.
Apparently, the federal
government disagrees.
They're looking into
the Future Now Society's
investments,
commercial properties,
fishing fleets, travel agencies.
The word is that you're about
to lose your tax exempt status.
The federal government
has no business
interfering with a
religious society.
They can if they can prove
misappropriation of funds.
Money diverted
to private accounts
in, oh, Switzerland,
the Caymans.
They'll never prove that.
Especially with
Joshua Bradbury dead.
You did know the
government was making a deal
with your former leader?
He was going to throw
you all to the wolves.
What are you saying?
That Joshua Bradbury's death
was a convenience for you.
How dare you!
The police told me that
he never dropped charges
against an angry parent before.
Who made the call
to drop the charges?
I did.
But it was Joshua's decision.
It was in our best interests
to avoid bad publicity.
And to make sure
that William Austin
had no alibi.
Did you make
the call that night?
Did you make the
call to William Austin
the night of the murder
about that fake meeting?
I did not.
One of you did.
Future, future, future,
future, future, future,
future, future, future, future,
future, future, future, future,
future, future, future,
future, future, future, future,
future, future, future,
future, future, future, future,
future, future...
Killer! Killer!
Killer! Anna, stop it.
This is wrong.
But he killed Joshua.
As Joshua taught
us, this isn't the way.
Don't worry, Anna,
he'll pay for what he did.
Martin Washburn told
me about your visit.
He did?
Your charges are more
than entirely unprovable...
They're ridiculous, Mr. Matlock.
I'm looking forward
to Dennis's testimony.
Future, future,
future, future, future,
future, future, future,
future, future, future...
We've heard testimony
that on the afternoon
Mr. Bradbury was murdered,
your father threatened him.
Is that true?
Your Honor, we have
already stipulated
that the defendant
threatened the deceased.
Said he'd knock his head off
and tried to strangle him.
And I, for one, am proud of him.
- Can we move on?
- Mr. Matlock!
Proceed.
On the night in
question, at 11:00,
you were on your way
to Mr. Bradbury's study
to bring him a cup of tea,
is that right? Yes.
Will you describe what happened?
When I reached Joshua's study,
I knocked on the door.
I was about to enter...
wh-when I heard...
What did you hear?
A gunshot.
What happened next?
I dropped the tray.
I went into the room,
and that's when I saw him...
Joshua slumped over his desk,
and I knew he was dead.
You need a moment
to compose yourself?
No.
I'm fine.
This testimony is my duty.
My final service to Joshua.
Proceed.
You discovered
the decedent's body.
What happened next?
I heard a noise.
When I looked up,
I saw someone running
through the French doors.
Did you recognize him?
Not at first.
But I ran after him.
He ran through the gardens
towards the trees
near the fence.
I followed.
Did this person have a gun?
Yes.
Dennis, when did
you recognize him?
When he got near
the trees, he fell.
Then he turned his
face towards me.
And I saw his face.
Dennis, whom did you see?
I saw him.
William Austin.
Thank you, Dennis.
Nothing further, Your Honor.
Cross-examine?
No questions, Your Honor.
No questions?
What the hell do you
mean, no questions?
Order in the court, please.
He said in open court he saw me.
You know damn well he didn't.
It's no use.
He believes what he's saying.
Aren't you supposed
to be helping Anna
in the kitchen, Tyler?
I was looking for
some dirty dishes.
Someone took my
papers from my desk.
No? Not one of the brethren?
We checked with
the phone company.
You've been calling Mr. Matlock.
I... don't live here anymore.
Thomas, stop him!
Look out!
Hey, Tyler!
I've gone over this transcript
of Dennis Austin's testimony
so many times, I must, I
must be missing something.
I can't look at it
again. It's so damning.
Is it cold?
I'm gonna see Patrick Morrison.
Mr. Oldham, how long
have you been a member
of the Future Now Society?
For a little over five years.
And during that period,
you've risen to the
position of elder.
Joshua chose me
as one of three, yes.
So you would know everything
that goes on in this society?
I would think so.
Uh, including the government's
investigation into
Joshua Bradbury's
misappropriation of funds?
Your Honor, I
object. This is another
issue altogether and irrelevant.
It is not irrelevant,
Your Honor.
It goes to motive.
Overruled. Proceed, Mr. Matlock.
Now, Mr. Oldham,
is it true that Joshua Bradbury
was being investigated
by the federal government
for allegedly diverting funds
to offshore banks, yes or no?
Yes.
Now, the night of the
murder, you say that you were
uh, in your study.
I was in meditation, yes.
Are you sure?
Objection:
The question was
asked and answered.
Sustained.
Mr. Oldham, you're
in charge of the kitchen
at the Future Now Society?
The kitchen is part of
my responsibility, yes.
A... a couple of days
after Joshua died,
you told me every
night after dinner,
he went to his study
and absolutely no one
was permitted to
disturb him until 11:00
when Dennis Austin brought
him his tea, is that right?
Yes.
Absolutely no one could
disturb Joshua Bradbury
till 11:00 when tea was served?
That's right.
Answer me this:
On the night he was
murdered, how did he get his tea
before Dennis arrived?
He didn't.
He did, and I can prove it.
Your Honor? It's
relevant, it's relevant!
Mr. Matlock, proceed.
Dennis told the police
in his statement to them
that he went up to the
study, knocked on the door
heard the shot and ran inside.
But he testified in
this court yesterday
that he went up to the
study, knocked on the door,
heard the shot, dropped
the tea, then went inside.
So I ask you again, how
did Joshua get his tea
before he was murdered?
He didn't.
All right.
What's this?
This is a police photograph
of the crime scene.
Now look at it.
See if you see anything unusual.
Anything unusual.
Okay, look right there
at the edge of the desk.
See that?
That's a teacup. Now,
if Dennis dropped his
tea outside the door,
how'd that tea get there?
Well, how should I know?
It was probably left
over from the afternoon.
Oh, no, no, no. I spoke
with the medical examiner,
and he said that Joshua
had several sips of tea in him
before he was shot,
so I ask you again,
where did this tea come from?
How should I know?
You should know because
you brought it just
before you shot him.
That's not true.
Yes, it is.
When my client, Mr. Austin,
threatened Mr. Bradbury,
you saw you had
your, your chance.
You knew that Dennis
would be coming at 11:00.
So you brought him his tea
a few minutes before 11:00.
He probably asked you
what you were doing there,
and you made up some excuse.
But when Dennis knocked
on that door, you shot him.
That's ridiculous.
The man that Dennis
saw was his father.
No! The man Dennis
believed he saw was his father.
The question is, how could
Dennis see someone else fleeing
the scene of the crime and
believe he saw his father?
It's impossible.
Really?
I have spoken with
a foremost authority
in the subject of brainwashing,
and he not only
believes it's possible,
he believes it's
exactly what happened.
New recruits for the
Future Now Society.
Are put through a
process which you called
a "purification
process." Is that right?
It's a spiritual process, yes.
And for the duration
of this spiritual process,
you don't allow them to
eat or sleep, is that right?
They fast, they keep vigil, yes.
And they learn to call all
non-members of the society
by what name? Well... Answer.
"Subversives."
Subversives.
So, you don't let them
sleep, you don't let them eat,
and they believe that
all non-members are evil.
So what you've done,
you break them down.
You program their
minds, you brainwash them
so that by the time, by the
time, these members have
finished their
purification process,
they think what you
want them to think
and they see what
you want them to see.
You don't understand. We
prepare them for a better world.
Dennis Austin believed
he saw his father because
that's what you
programmed him to see.
Why would I kill
Joshua? I loved him.
I believe you did.
I believe you did.
He was your teacher.
He preached lofty ideals:
new life, new world, new values.
But then he disillusioned you.
Joshua, like so many
men in and out of public life,
had a weakness.
He found a soft woman
to be very appealing.
He had an affair
with your wife Anna.
Joshua would, would never
do such a despicable thing.
You know, when
I, when I realized
you were the one
who brought the tea,
I had to find out everything
I could about you.
So I went to see Patrick Morris.
And what does he know about me?
Not much.
Not much, not much,
but he-he did suggest
that I go see your
former wife Carrie.
Pleasant woman, pleasant woman.
She told me what she could
about the, about the, uh, cult,
and she asked me about
your life now, and in passing,
I told her that your
present wife Anna
was gonna have a baby.
Well, she was
shocked. You know why?
Please don't do this.
You and Carrie didn't
have any children, did you?
No.
You took those
tests to find out why.
And those tests proved that
yours was the
infertility problem,
and it was uncorrectable.
That right?
And Anna, Anna didn't know that.
So when she told
you she was pregnant,
you knew you
were not the father.
And you knew that Joshua
was the only other person
she'd be that intimate with.
That's a lie!
You knew Joshua was the father,
and that's why you killed him.
Dennis, tell him it isn't true!
Dennis knows his father
did not kill Joshua Bradbury.
Dennis can remember...
what he actually saw.
Now he can look
back and remember.
No. No!
No, it was you!
It was you!
It's all over, son.
Your Honor, in view
of the circumstances,
the State moves to
dismiss all charges
against William Austin.
Case dismissed.
This court is adjourned.
Thank you, Ben.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We love you, Dennis.
Joshua loves you.
We love you, Dennis.
Joshua loves you.
We love you, Dennis.
Joshua loves you.
We love you, Dennis.
Joshua loves you.
We love you, Dennis...
The future is now.
How may I help you, sir?
I want to see Dennis Austin.
Sorry, sir, none of our
brothers is named Austin.
He's here, and I
want to see him!
Hey, fella, who's in
charge around here?
Joshua loves you.
Have a nice day.
Security.
This is the gatekeeper.
Yeah, what's up? There's a
subversive on the grounds.
Call the police.
How may I help you, sir?
You in charge here?
I'm Martin Washburn,
one of the society's elders.
Joshua Bradbury is our leader.
Yeah? Well, where is he?
Mr. Bradbury's busy.
We'll make an appointment.
Like hell. Get out of my way.
- It's all right, Martin.
Joshua will see the gentleman.
Of course.
This way, sir.
Mr. Austin, this is our
founder Joshua Bradbury.
I want my son.
You sound very
angry, Mr. Austin.
You're damn right I am.
You're holding my son.
No, no, we don't hold anyone.
Your son came here
because he found your world,
the outside world,
corrupt, decayed.
We're the future, Mr. Austin.
I don't give a
damn what you are.
You can't keep me from my son.
Of course not.
We wouldn't think of holding
anyone against his will.
Nobody is trying to keep
anybody from anyone.
You wish to speak to me, Joshua?
My God, Dennis,
what's happened to you?
Dennis, answer your father.
You shouldn't have come here.
What else could I do?
You disappeared from school.
Your friends told me
you went off to join a cult.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
What is this crap?
Dennis, I'm your father.
I love you.
I'm taking you home.
This is my home.
This is my family.
What have you done to my son?
Mr. Austin, you
offered the past.
What we've done is to
give Dennis an opportunity...
An opportunity for perspective
to see into the mind's eye...
A very clear and
pure perspective
into the very life of things.
The future, Mr. Austin.
Dennis has chosen the future.
It's a very important and
happy time for all of us.
But this is private property,
and I must ask you to leave.
Not without my son!
Dennis, what's the
matter with you?!
What the hell is
going on around here?
Damn you, I'll
take your head off
before I let you keep my boy!
What's the problem here?
I'm William Austin.
This is my son Dennis.
And these, these people...
They're holding him.
That true?
Is that true, Dennis?
This man is not my father.
This is my home.
This is my family.
And this man is trespassing.
He threatened my life, and
I want to file a complaint.
File a complaint?
What, against me?
He kidnapped my son!
Do you want to leave?
This is my home.
That's it, Mr. Austin, let's go.
No! I'll kill you!
I'll kill you!
Come on. No!
Leave me alone!
Are you people nuts?
This lunatic Bradbury
has kidnapped my son,
and you're putting me in jail.
Mr. Austin, your son's
an adult with rights.
Just like you and me.
And you have no right
to threaten Mr. Bradbury.
This cult has taken my son,
and that man Bradbury
is the head of it.
It's some kind of a religion,
and it's not against the law.
Now please, empty your pockets.
Booking desk.
Yes.
I see. Fine.
You lucked out.
Joshua Bradbury has decided
to withdraw his complaint.
You're free to go.
Mr. Austin, you've done
what you could for your boy.
Go back to Chicago.
I'm not going anywhere
without my son.
It's almost 11:00.
Time for Joshua's tea.
Oh?
Anna, you all right?
I'm fine.
My baby is blessed.
I'll be back in a minute to
help you finish your work.
You look tired.
No.
Oh, my God!
I'd love to have taken
that jackass's head off,
but this is insane.
Dennis couldn't
have seen me kill him.
What your son actually said was,
he saw you fleeing
the scene of the crime.
But I wasn't there.
I mean, this-this
can't be happening.
You told the police you went to
meet a man who never showed up?
I did. At the time
of the murder?
Yes, I think so.
Well, this is all my fault.
See, Dennis... Dennis
has always been
a fragile boy, and
when his mother
passed away last
year, he was devastated.
Happened so
fast, I was out of it.
I mean, I... I didn't
recognize his pain.
I wasn't any help to him at all.
I just told him time would heal,
and I shipped
him back to school.
Now with his mother gone
and me... me acting
like I didn't give a damn,
well, no wonder that
cult was able to grab him.
You think the cult got your son
to accuse you of murder?
Well, certainly.
They already got him
to sign over his trust fund
and his inheritance.
It was $400,000.
Look, they tell me you're
the best lawyer in Atlanta.
Is that so?
I don't know that
I'm the one to ask.
Please, you talk to Dennis.
Maybe you can get
him to clear this up.
What if I talk to him,
and he sticks to his story?
I don't know.
But if I go to prison,
Dennis is going to be lost
to those people forever.
Dennis? Dennis Austin?
Uh, I'm Ben Matlock.
I'll be representing
your father.
I'm Martin Washburn,
the attorney for the
Future Now Society.
Dennis has nothing to
say to you, Mr. Matlock.
Uh, Dennis, can't
you speak for yourself?
Joshua Bradbury was
the hope for the future,
and this evil man,
William Austin, killed him.
He denies that.
How can you talk that
way about your own father?
He's not my father.
He's a liar and a subversive,
and I never want
to see him again.
Come on in.
Mrs. Carter?
Mrs. Carter, I know
it's difficult, but...
Try not to worry, Mrs. Carter.
If your daughter's in
the Moonies, I'll find her.
No, I'll call you.
Okay, bye.
You're Ben Matlock.
Yes, sir.
You make the papers.
Well, sometimes, I guess.
Did you track down
all these folks?
Yeah, most of them.
They're the ones I tracked down,
I deprogrammed successfully.
I've heard.
Ah... What's on your mind?
Um, well, I... I have a problem.
My client William Austin
has been accused of
murdering Joshua Bradbury.
Oh, I read about it.
Somebody should have
done that a long time ago.
The Future Now Society.
A very rich cult.
They make all their new
members sign over all their assets.
Bank accounts, property,
even life insurance policies.
And they're very
good at investments.
Well, what do the people who
join this society get out of it?
In return for their money
and absolute obedience,
cults provide their
victims with the illusion
that they're on the side of
good, fighting against evil,
that their leader is
greater than God.
Oh.
Con games dressed
up to look like religion.
My client's son Dennis
told the police
he saw his father
fleeing the scene of the crime.
Dennis is a cult member, is he?
Yeah, he's been a
member for two months.
I-I-I think he's lying.
Oh, I doubt that.
Well, I'm certain
my client's innocent.
Cults dwell on the
purity of their world
and the corruption and
deceit of everyone else.
They'd never ask the boy to lie.
Well, how could Dennis
say he saw his father?
What do you know about
brainwashing, Mr. Matlock?
Not much.
Let me put it this way.
Given the right circumstances,
you or I could be
programmed to see...
that phone and
think it was a snake,
or a monster, or God.
That's hard to believe.
It's true.
Cults control minds.
That's how they work.
It's what they do.
And I undo.
Well, um, thank you
and I'll be leaving. I may...
may be coming back.
Do it.
Thanks.
Mm-hmm.
Pretty impressive place
for a religious organization
that sends kids out in
the street to sell flowers.
Yeah, well...
the flowers are just
what the public sees.
The money these poor
people turn over to this cult
has given Mr. Bradbury
two mansions,
a fleet of cars, boats,
no telling how many
secret bank accounts.
Well, now that he's dead,
maybe the Future Now
Society will fall apart.
Well, now, here,
they've got elders
who've already taken over.
You think one of them
killed Joshua Bradbury?
They were all there when
William Austin threatened him
and tried to strangle him.
I guarantee you, one of
them made the phone call,
left him without an alibi. Mm.
Mr. Matlock. Miss Thomas.
I'm Thomas Oldham,
one of the elders.
I believe you've
met Mr. Washburn.
Quite a place you've got here.
Let's get this over
with, Mr. Matlock.
One of you can see our
new leader, Ezra Smith.
The other can
see Joshua's study.
Well, what, do we flip?
I'll take the study.
Mr. Smith is downstairs.
The study is upstairs.
Now, the police say
the killer entered
through these, uh,
French doors and
left the same way,
with, uh, Dennis following him.
That's right.
And at a certain point,
the killer fell, and
that's when Dennis saw
that it was his father.
Yes.
Are you finished, Mr. Matlock?
No.
Now, as I understand it,
uh, Dennis Austin was
bringing tea to Mr. Bradbury
when he heard the shot.
That's a coincidence.
Here comes young
Dennis, bringing tea
at the exact moment
his father's supposed
to be shooting this fella.
Yes, but Dennis always
brought tea to Joshua at that time.
Oh, I see.
Huh.
Every night?
At 11:00.
Hmm.
Um, what, uh, what were you
two gentlemen doing when, uh...
Joshua was murdered?
This is outrageous, Mr. Matlock.
Um, Martin's a very
volatile man, Mr. Matlock,
and was totally
dedicated to Joshua.
His loss has made him angry.
Now, to answer your question,
Martin, Ezra, and
I emulated Joshua.
From dinner until 11:00,
we each meditated privately.
Oh, I see.
Uh-huh.
Well, one more thing.
Um, um, you say that, um,
Mr. Smith is now your
leader, your new leader.
When was the election?
Joshua named me his
successor in his will, Miss Thomas.
Mr. Bradbury expected to die?
We all die, Miss Thomas.
But that's not
what you're asking.
Joshua was realistic.
He found it quite possible
he might meet a violent end.
You see,
people misunderstand
our society, our goals
and the devotion
of our followers.
Like Dennis Austin.
Yes. When Dennis first came
here, he was confused, lost.
We gave him love, a
home and a purpose in life.
Do any of those things
sound evil to you?
Of course not,
but... Miss Thomas,
you're obviously a
resourceful woman
and clearly, your life works.
There are others
not as fortunate,
and without your inner strength,
who would turn
to drugs or alcohol,
to lives of self-destruction.
Dennis was on that path.
As were many
others you see here.
Most religions
claim to save souls.
We also save lives, Miss Thomas.
You must, you must
admire us for that.
Hi. My name is Sarah.
I have some information
I'd like to share with you
that will change your life.
Hi. I'm Sarah.
Do you believe in the future?
Can't be any worse
than my present.
Believe me, the future is now,
and you can be a part of it.
Read this.
And if you can, make
a small donation.
Lady, I'm broke.
I got laid off from my
job five months ago.
Just got kicked out of my room.
Hey!
Run! Run!
Let's get out of here.
Go!
Thank you. You all right?
Yeah.
Who were those guys?
Deprogrammers.
I live at the Future
Now Society.
And what do they want with you?
Parents do that.
They don't want us to
be reborn in the future,
so they hire
deprogrammers to go after us.
You say you have
no place to live.
Well, come to dinner.
The Future Now Society
will welcome your man
Tyler with open arms.
I got to say, that
was a hell of a setup.
I hope he can resist
their brainwashing.
Well, I-I think he can.
You know, given the
right circumstances,
Tyler, you or me...
Brainwashing.
It works.
Wake, brother.
The future is now.
I just went to sleep.
Rejoice, brother,
you were reborn.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
We are the future.
The future is now.
And now, just as
Joshua taught us,
you will begin
your purification.
You will undergo
four days of fasting,
meditation, and the
fellowship of your brothers.
You are the future, Tyler.
Joshua loves you.
Joshua loves you.
You have completed
your purification.
Have you found
peace with us, brother?
I've found peace,
I've found love.
This is my home.
We are the future.
Still no word from Tyler.
Well, give him time.
Here's a message.
Ben, Ben, this is Tyler.
Ben, where are you?
He's in trouble.
He sounded all right to me.
Well, then why did
he hang up so fast?
Well, probably
somebody was coming.
He'll call back when he can.
No, we've got to
go get him, Ben.
Tyler can take care of himself.
Most of the time,
but he's undercover in
a cult with those people.
What if they steal his mind?
Huh.
Ben!
Patrick Morrison told me,
the people most
vulnerable to cults
are the ones who are
not happy with their lives.
Tyler's happy.
Oh, sure.
He gets hit, kicked and shot at.
The woman he dated for six
months eloped with his dentist.
His rent was just raised,
and he's being
audited by the IRS.
Nothing's perfect.
Ben! Just a little josh.
Hi, Dennis. How's it going?
Just fine, Tyler, and you?
Great.
Anna, what is it?
Anna?
I just can't believe
that Joshua is gone.
How could this happen?
Anna, what's wrong?
I... I'm just... I'm just tired.
I'm going to take
you up to your room.
If anything
happened to the baby,
Thomas would be very unhappy.
♪ ♪
Want to see his statements?
Well, I'd like to
look at them myself.
Tyler, what are you doing here?
I was picking up
the dirty dishes.
That's Anna's job.
Oh, Anna isn't
feeling very well.
The baby?
Excuse me.
Tyler!
You're not getting
away with this.
Wh-What?
This sloppiness.
You forgot the tray.
Ah, Mr. Washburn.
Well... nice.
I asked the right people
and found out you
keep an office in town.
What do you want?
Uh, well, before you joined
the Future Now Society,
you were one of the most
successful corporate lawyers
in Atlanta.
Why'd you give it up?
You wouldn't understand.
I might.
You're right, I was successful.
I had the life we're
all taught to want.
But I felt empty inside, hollow.
So, I became what's
known as a seeker.
I tried EST, Scientology,
spent six months in
India with various gurus,
but nothing clicked
until I met Joshua Bradbury.
From the moment I
met Josh, my life began.
He was a true visionary,
and the greatest
leader of our time.
And very persuasive.
The way I hear it,
people were standing in
line to give him their money.
And he put you at
the financial helm
of this multi-million-dollar
enterprise.
We are a way of
life, not an enterprise.
Apparently, the federal
government disagrees.
They're looking into
the Future Now Society's
investments,
commercial properties,
fishing fleets, travel agencies.
The word is that you're about
to lose your tax exempt status.
The federal government
has no business
interfering with a
religious society.
They can if they can prove
misappropriation of funds.
Money diverted
to private accounts
in, oh, Switzerland,
the Caymans.
They'll never prove that.
Especially with
Joshua Bradbury dead.
You did know the
government was making a deal
with your former leader?
He was going to throw
you all to the wolves.
What are you saying?
That Joshua Bradbury's death
was a convenience for you.
How dare you!
The police told me that
he never dropped charges
against an angry parent before.
Who made the call
to drop the charges?
I did.
But it was Joshua's decision.
It was in our best interests
to avoid bad publicity.
And to make sure
that William Austin
had no alibi.
Did you make
the call that night?
Did you make the
call to William Austin
the night of the murder
about that fake meeting?
I did not.
One of you did.
Future, future, future,
future, future, future,
future, future, future, future,
future, future, future, future,
future, future, future,
future, future, future, future,
future, future, future,
future, future, future, future,
future, future...
Killer! Killer!
Killer! Anna, stop it.
This is wrong.
But he killed Joshua.
As Joshua taught
us, this isn't the way.
Don't worry, Anna,
he'll pay for what he did.
Martin Washburn told
me about your visit.
He did?
Your charges are more
than entirely unprovable...
They're ridiculous, Mr. Matlock.
I'm looking forward
to Dennis's testimony.
Future, future,
future, future, future,
future, future, future,
future, future, future...
We've heard testimony
that on the afternoon
Mr. Bradbury was murdered,
your father threatened him.
Is that true?
Your Honor, we have
already stipulated
that the defendant
threatened the deceased.
Said he'd knock his head off
and tried to strangle him.
And I, for one, am proud of him.
- Can we move on?
- Mr. Matlock!
Proceed.
On the night in
question, at 11:00,
you were on your way
to Mr. Bradbury's study
to bring him a cup of tea,
is that right? Yes.
Will you describe what happened?
When I reached Joshua's study,
I knocked on the door.
I was about to enter...
wh-when I heard...
What did you hear?
A gunshot.
What happened next?
I dropped the tray.
I went into the room,
and that's when I saw him...
Joshua slumped over his desk,
and I knew he was dead.
You need a moment
to compose yourself?
No.
I'm fine.
This testimony is my duty.
My final service to Joshua.
Proceed.
You discovered
the decedent's body.
What happened next?
I heard a noise.
When I looked up,
I saw someone running
through the French doors.
Did you recognize him?
Not at first.
But I ran after him.
He ran through the gardens
towards the trees
near the fence.
I followed.
Did this person have a gun?
Yes.
Dennis, when did
you recognize him?
When he got near
the trees, he fell.
Then he turned his
face towards me.
And I saw his face.
Dennis, whom did you see?
I saw him.
William Austin.
Thank you, Dennis.
Nothing further, Your Honor.
Cross-examine?
No questions, Your Honor.
No questions?
What the hell do you
mean, no questions?
Order in the court, please.
He said in open court he saw me.
You know damn well he didn't.
It's no use.
He believes what he's saying.
Aren't you supposed
to be helping Anna
in the kitchen, Tyler?
I was looking for
some dirty dishes.
Someone took my
papers from my desk.
No? Not one of the brethren?
We checked with
the phone company.
You've been calling Mr. Matlock.
I... don't live here anymore.
Thomas, stop him!
Look out!
Hey, Tyler!
I've gone over this transcript
of Dennis Austin's testimony
so many times, I must, I
must be missing something.
I can't look at it
again. It's so damning.
Is it cold?
I'm gonna see Patrick Morrison.
Mr. Oldham, how long
have you been a member
of the Future Now Society?
For a little over five years.
And during that period,
you've risen to the
position of elder.
Joshua chose me
as one of three, yes.
So you would know everything
that goes on in this society?
I would think so.
Uh, including the government's
investigation into
Joshua Bradbury's
misappropriation of funds?
Your Honor, I
object. This is another
issue altogether and irrelevant.
It is not irrelevant,
Your Honor.
It goes to motive.
Overruled. Proceed, Mr. Matlock.
Now, Mr. Oldham,
is it true that Joshua Bradbury
was being investigated
by the federal government
for allegedly diverting funds
to offshore banks, yes or no?
Yes.
Now, the night of the
murder, you say that you were
uh, in your study.
I was in meditation, yes.
Are you sure?
Objection:
The question was
asked and answered.
Sustained.
Mr. Oldham, you're
in charge of the kitchen
at the Future Now Society?
The kitchen is part of
my responsibility, yes.
A... a couple of days
after Joshua died,
you told me every
night after dinner,
he went to his study
and absolutely no one
was permitted to
disturb him until 11:00
when Dennis Austin brought
him his tea, is that right?
Yes.
Absolutely no one could
disturb Joshua Bradbury
till 11:00 when tea was served?
That's right.
Answer me this:
On the night he was
murdered, how did he get his tea
before Dennis arrived?
He didn't.
He did, and I can prove it.
Your Honor? It's
relevant, it's relevant!
Mr. Matlock, proceed.
Dennis told the police
in his statement to them
that he went up to the
study, knocked on the door
heard the shot and ran inside.
But he testified in
this court yesterday
that he went up to the
study, knocked on the door,
heard the shot, dropped
the tea, then went inside.
So I ask you again, how
did Joshua get his tea
before he was murdered?
He didn't.
All right.
What's this?
This is a police photograph
of the crime scene.
Now look at it.
See if you see anything unusual.
Anything unusual.
Okay, look right there
at the edge of the desk.
See that?
That's a teacup. Now,
if Dennis dropped his
tea outside the door,
how'd that tea get there?
Well, how should I know?
It was probably left
over from the afternoon.
Oh, no, no, no. I spoke
with the medical examiner,
and he said that Joshua
had several sips of tea in him
before he was shot,
so I ask you again,
where did this tea come from?
How should I know?
You should know because
you brought it just
before you shot him.
That's not true.
Yes, it is.
When my client, Mr. Austin,
threatened Mr. Bradbury,
you saw you had
your, your chance.
You knew that Dennis
would be coming at 11:00.
So you brought him his tea
a few minutes before 11:00.
He probably asked you
what you were doing there,
and you made up some excuse.
But when Dennis knocked
on that door, you shot him.
That's ridiculous.
The man that Dennis
saw was his father.
No! The man Dennis
believed he saw was his father.
The question is, how could
Dennis see someone else fleeing
the scene of the crime and
believe he saw his father?
It's impossible.
Really?
I have spoken with
a foremost authority
in the subject of brainwashing,
and he not only
believes it's possible,
he believes it's
exactly what happened.
New recruits for the
Future Now Society.
Are put through a
process which you called
a "purification
process." Is that right?
It's a spiritual process, yes.
And for the duration
of this spiritual process,
you don't allow them to
eat or sleep, is that right?
They fast, they keep vigil, yes.
And they learn to call all
non-members of the society
by what name? Well... Answer.
"Subversives."
Subversives.
So, you don't let them
sleep, you don't let them eat,
and they believe that
all non-members are evil.
So what you've done,
you break them down.
You program their
minds, you brainwash them
so that by the time, by the
time, these members have
finished their
purification process,
they think what you
want them to think
and they see what
you want them to see.
You don't understand. We
prepare them for a better world.
Dennis Austin believed
he saw his father because
that's what you
programmed him to see.
Why would I kill
Joshua? I loved him.
I believe you did.
I believe you did.
He was your teacher.
He preached lofty ideals:
new life, new world, new values.
But then he disillusioned you.
Joshua, like so many
men in and out of public life,
had a weakness.
He found a soft woman
to be very appealing.
He had an affair
with your wife Anna.
Joshua would, would never
do such a despicable thing.
You know, when
I, when I realized
you were the one
who brought the tea,
I had to find out everything
I could about you.
So I went to see Patrick Morris.
And what does he know about me?
Not much.
Not much, not much,
but he-he did suggest
that I go see your
former wife Carrie.
Pleasant woman, pleasant woman.
She told me what she could
about the, about the, uh, cult,
and she asked me about
your life now, and in passing,
I told her that your
present wife Anna
was gonna have a baby.
Well, she was
shocked. You know why?
Please don't do this.
You and Carrie didn't
have any children, did you?
No.
You took those
tests to find out why.
And those tests proved that
yours was the
infertility problem,
and it was uncorrectable.
That right?
And Anna, Anna didn't know that.
So when she told
you she was pregnant,
you knew you
were not the father.
And you knew that Joshua
was the only other person
she'd be that intimate with.
That's a lie!
You knew Joshua was the father,
and that's why you killed him.
Dennis, tell him it isn't true!
Dennis knows his father
did not kill Joshua Bradbury.
Dennis can remember...
what he actually saw.
Now he can look
back and remember.
No. No!
No, it was you!
It was you!
It's all over, son.
Your Honor, in view
of the circumstances,
the State moves to
dismiss all charges
against William Austin.
Case dismissed.
This court is adjourned.
Thank you, Ben.