Over There (2005): Season 1, Episode 8 - Situation Normal - full transcript

Previously on Over There.

- Are you okay, Mrs. B.?
- Yeah.

Y'all think you got grabbed by some maniac,
you'd done better than me, is that it?

- Private Mitchell?
- Goddamn, that was fast.

The bad news is your son's
got an illness.

The army will fly you home to see him.
You wanna go?

Absolutely, sir.

Bartender, drinks on the house.

Mrs. Frank Dumphy,
you have to come with us, ma'am.

- I'm the, uh, base drug counselor.
- You're a crackhead?

That was... seven years ago.
I've been sober ever since.



Go to hell, crack boy.
You leave us regular people alone.

Hi, sweetheart. It's me again.

I'm sorry to leave
so many messages. I just

I really wanna hear your voice.

Really, I just think he
just misses his mom.

- No, I don't wanna make you feel-
- No, don't go.

I've been looking forward
to this.

You didn't go see your boy?

I'm going right now.

I need the documents, Wade.

I got everything you asked for.
Driver's license, Social Security.

Hell, they even threw in a library card.

For a 100-pound blonde female?

You goin' somewhere?



How come we gotta guard
these pipeline dudes, man?

Guarding these dudes is like guarding
a goddamn Suge Knight.

It's like painting a goddamn
bull's-eye on your ass.

These dudes get blown up
all the time.

That's why we
have to guard them.

Don't they have their own
security forces?

- Yeah, they're making 30 grand a month.
- They're making what?

Thirty grand a month.

- Where'd you hear that?
- From my friend who was a ranger in Desert Storm

got offered to come back here as
a member of a private security force.

- Are you serious?
- Yeah, and not only that,

but they offered him one month
off every two months.

- Jesus.
- That's like 20 times what we make for doing the same thing.

Only with adequately armored
trucks instead of these... pieces of shit.

- Did he take the job?
- No.

- Why not? He rich?
- No, he's just.

He's sane, man.

Hey, here you go.

Hey, cool it, Dim.

All right. Let's get on
with the introductions.

Tell him we're here to protect them
while the pipeline's being constructed.

Tell them their valley may be the target
of insurgent activity

because of the presence
of the American workers.

Tell 'em we'll be digging in
right over there.

Tell 'em we'll do everything we
can to stay out of their way.

Tell 'em we're earthlings.

Tell 'em we come
to their planet in peace.

You in charge?

- He's the imam.
- The what?

- The spiritual leader of the community.
- Priest?

- Yeah, sort of.
- Well, I need the mayor.

- He's sort of the mayor too.
- Is he the mayor, or is he not the mayor?

Sergeant, can I just tell this guy
to stick it up his ass?

Or do I have to explain the idea
of cultural differences to him?

You have to translate.
That's all.

Sergeant, I can report your men
for insubordination.

Well, there's Captain Baron.

He's in charge of flogging.

- Am I talking to the right guy? That's all I need to know.
- Yeah.

We're putting our oil pipeline
through your little valley here.

We want you to know that if you
have any security concerns

the soldiers here
will protect you.

But we'll only be here as long as
the workmen are here. Understand?

- When they move on, we move on.
- Captain, you're not helping.

Sorry. Just trying to be honest.

Is that a problem?

- I'm just trying to do my job, Captain.
- So am I, Mr. Parker.

I can have transcripts
of these conversations

sent via satellite to our company's
headquarters in Dubai.

I love Dubai.

If you don't want the pipeline
run through your valley, sir

now is the time to register
your objection.

They don't want the pipeline run
through their valley, sir.

They've been safe so far
in spite of the war.

And they feel that if the pipeline comes,
that's gonna change.

Wherever the pipeline goes,
someone blows someone up.

It looks like you have a P.R. Problem
on your hands, doesn't it?

Well, I'm an engineer, not a P.R. Guy.
The P.R. Guy quit.

Good luck.

You tell him we're putting
the oil pipeline here in this valley

no matter what he says.

You tell him we'll build
his village one building.

One building.

Tell him to think about
what kind of building he wants.

A medical center,
a school, whatever he wants.

But one building.

L-I need to know what it's gonna be
by tomorrow morning.

That imam's
a mean old bird, huh?

Yeah.

What do you think
he's gonna ask for?

- You mean what kind of building?
- Yeah.

Well, he's a very
traditional guy.

- He's very religious.
- He gonna want a church?

Little man, you have no idea
how close you just came.

- "Thank you, Angel."
- Thank you, Angel.

Tell him to get his butt home.

He's just like his old man. Not.

How you get to Hollywood?

Hollywood, the city of dreams?

Doesn't exist.
It died a long time ago.

Ain't nothing left
but the junkies.

Can you tell me how to get
to Hollywood and Vine?

You take the Big Blue Bus.

It says "Big Blue Bus"
right there on the side.

- Miss?
- Yeah?

- You checking in?
- I'm just looking at these pamphlets.

You can check in and take all the pamphlets
you want to your room.

- Really?
- Yeah, you can have one of each, in fact.

I'll put 'em all together
for ya.

Oh, thanks a lot.

Yeah, anytime.

- How far is Sea World anyways?
- That's San Diego.

- That's a ways.
- What do you recommend I do around here?

- Are you, um-Are you on a budget?
- Oh, yeah.

Then I recommend this map
of the stars' homes.

It's only three bucks, and some of these
homes are just a short walk from here.

- Will you be, uh, paying with a credit card?
- No.

I hope you have a picture I.D.
The cops don't like it

if I check people in
without a picture I.D.

- I have picture I.D.
- Good.

"Norma Jean Baker."
You're kiddin', right?

- It's a stage name.
- No shit.

- Your mom's a whore.
- She gives good head.

- Her legs are spread.
- Shut up!

- Oh, my gosh! You knocked him out!
- You knocked him into the pole.

Jesus Christ, Eddy! Goddamn it!

Get the hell into Room 15
and wait there for me! Now!

- Somebody call 911 now!
- I got the phone. I'll do it.

Oh, my God!

Mrs. Dumphy, 85 percent of the boys
in this school have fathers in Iraq.

- It's his stepfather.
- Each one of them are under the same kinds of pressure.

How could you possibly
know that?

And yet Eddy is the one who's
constantly getting into fights.

- Constantly?
- This is the third time we've met, Mrs. Dumphy.

And this time he hurt somebody.

I understood that the other kid
ran into a pole.

- He was pushed into the pole.
- Eddy may have pushed him, but he didn't put the pole there.

- The boy went to the hospital.
- He was a bully and a prick.

I'm suspending Eddy
for five days

pending an inquiry by the board,
at which time he may be expelled.

This is a very serious matter,
Mrs. Dumphy.

The only reason the other boy's mother isn't
pressing charges is because of your situation.

My situation?

I took the liberty of explaining
to her that you lost a baby.

- And-
- And what?

You have to think about
where else you can place Eddy.

Place him? He is not a job applicant.
He is my son!

Where else you can
send him to school.

This is his school!

- You're shouting, Mrs. Dumphy.
- You're an asshole, Mr. Howard.

In five minutes, I won't be shouting,
but you'll still be an asshole.

- Hey.
- Hi. You going out?

Yeah. The question is where.
Where can you eat around here cheap?

Oh, you don't have to worry about that.
Around here everything's cheap.

I'll buy you dinner.

- No, thank you.
- Come on.

A beautiful girl like you
shouldn't have to eat alone.

I like to eat alone.

You ever heard of Spago? Hmm?

I'll take you there. It's famous.
All the movie stars eat there.

I hate movie stars.

Nobody hate movie stars.
Not in this country.

I'll make you a deal.
First I'll buy you an outfit.

I get Versace for next to nothing.
Then I'll take you to e-Spago.

No strings attached.

You must think
I just fell off the turnip truck.

- I like turnips.
- Yeah?

You think you could fit one
up your ass?

I think I killed a cousin of yours
last week in Iraq.

I am Persian.

I'll kill you too if you like.

Raise your hand to me again,
and I know you wanna die.

- You make a big mistake.
- I make a lot of 'em.

Cops!

I'll see you around.
You can count on that.

Nice to meet you too.

There weren't really any cops.

- Thank you.
- You should go though. He's.

- You dissed him bad.
- I'll be all right.

- Kentucky?
- West Virginia.

But the west side of the state
though, right? West of Charleston?

I'm a hundred miles off,
I'll kiss your ass in a window.

- There'll be no need for that.
- I knew it. C.C.

I'm Norma Jean.

Norma Jean. Jesus.

It's a hell of a name, ain't it?

Let's get out of here,
Norma Jean.

Okay.

All right. This is the protocol.
We have the town meeting.

The town decides what kind of building it
wants, we build it, we get back to civilization.

The sooner we're done,
the sooner yourjob's done.

Do you mean to use the word "protocol" the
way they use it in medicine, Mr. Parker?

- When they treat disease?
- That's right, Captain.

That's exactly the way
I meant to use it.

The thing is, I don't think these people
think they're sick.

He says this meeting is a waste
of the villagers'time.

He said these people are farmers.

They have no daylight hours to devote
to anything but work and prayer.

Tell him it's a waste of my time too,
but here we are all the same.

Private?

- You sure you want me to say that?
- Just translate, okay?

- Okay.
- I'm supposed to have a company translator,

but like a fool,
he went and got himself killed.

- You want me to translate that?
- No.

Just tell him
with all due respect

we're here and we're
going on with the meeting.

- We want a mosque.
- What a surprise.

Are there any other suggestions?

Nobody's got any other ideas
at all, huh?

Like maybe a larger barn
or a health center?

God forbid, a school?

What's the problem now, Private?

If I say "God forbid," we might have problems
getting through the rest of this meeting.

Leave it out.

You want a school?

Is nobody gonna speak for the village?

- I speak for the village.
- Yeah, maybe you do, maybe you don't.

We'll see about that.
Miss. Miss. Miss.

Do you want us
to build you a school?

Madame.

We need a school.

We only have this barn
in which to teach our children.

- What'd he say?
- He didn't know they teach them anything but the Koran.

We teach them to read.

We teach them math and science.

I think we made progress today.

Hell, I've been done
every which way by guys.

- You're talking to a pro, sweetie.
- Sorry.

- I've been done inside and out.
- I just meant I've been used.

- Mmm. Me too.
- No, I mean.

Hell with it. Me three.

I keep thinking about that,
I'm gonna stop having a good time.

- You are having a good time, aren't you?
- Yeah.

- Been a while, ain't it?
- Yeah.

Whoo.

Man, I'm dirtier than a bird dog.

I'm gonna take me a shower.

Whoa, girl.

Hey, boys, how goes it?

Sixteen, 17.

- Hey, you got a letter.
- Oh, yeah?

- It's from Dim in Iraq.
- Who's Dim?

There's this famous documentary
about the Spanish Civil War

where this guy's dying,
and they don't help him.

- They just watch him die.
- Who does?

The documentary filmmakers.

- Which were who?
- I don't know.

Man, everybody says things are famous when
they're the only ones who ever heard of it.

- It is famous.
- Man!

Whenever people talk about whether or
not to help in these kinds of situations

that movie comes up.

- Well, you ever seen Chinatown?
- Of course.

Well, in Chinatown, Jack knows
you don't know what's going on.

I mean, you think you do,
but you don't.

- So?
- So then he forgets,

and he tries to fix everything, and
instead, he screws everything up.

Now, that's famous.

Thank you, Angel.

Thank you, Angel.

I don't wanna hear it. I know I'm
an idiot, but I don't wanna hear it.

- You don't even wanna know what the father said?
- No! Definitely not.

Oh, shit!

- This is bad duty, Dim.
- I know.

- This company guy's a fool.
- That's right.

'Cause he doesn't understand
these backward villagers,

but he still thinks
he can help them.

Remind you of anybody?

Yeah. Let's at least not make it
any worse than it is, okay?

Mommy?

Mommy?

Mommy, are you all right?

- What happened?
- I can't get drunk anymore.

I've been drinking all day,
and I can still list

every single thing that's
gone wrong with me.

Oh, sweetie.

Here we go. Right over here.

Hang on, Vanessa. All right?

Okay.

I gotta go.
This is a woman's meeting.

Hey, you're gonna be all right.

Someone's gonna give you
a ride home in about an hour.

I'm gonna stay with Eddy
until you get back.

Okay?

Whoa.

Well, she's in the right place.

Welcome to the Sober Goddess
meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.

My name is Claire,
and I'm an alcoholic.

- Hi, Claire.
- Are there any other alcoholics in the room?

If I call some of these references,
they gonna check out?

Sure. Yeah. Some of 'em.

Some might be old numbers.
But, yeah.

Give me a minute, will you?

Get out!

Get out! For Christ sakes!

I can't leave you alone for 30 seconds
without you stealing from me?

Jesus Christ! Get out!

You done? Another?

- I can't pay you.
- Come again?

I can't pay you
for the burger and the beer.

I'm starving,
and I don't have any money.

Lady, what are you doing to me?

I'm Private Brenda Mitchell.
U.S. Army.

3rd Infantry Division,
Motor Transport.

I'm here on leave, and I got robbed.
Don't ask me how.

I'm stationed in Daglesh, Iraq,

and I'm going back
just as soon as I can.

I'll send you the money
when I get there.

I already have your address.
Just tell me your name.

Or I can call the cops.

Or you can call the cops.

Hell with it.
I can buy a soldier a meal.

Don't get killed, all right?

You want pie? It's pretty good.

Thank you.

Can you help me?

As a general rule,
I don't give money to panhandlers.

I'm not a panhandler.

Maybe you have to rethink
your look.

Staff Sergeant,
I need your help.

All right. You're not a panhandler,
and you read rank.

Shit.

Yeah, I'm AWOL.

52nd Motor Transport Battalion,
3rd Infantry Division.

Miss, are you determined to dump this particular
pile of warm steaming shit at my door?

- I gotta find someone to help me.
- I'm not even a soldier.

- You know that. I'm a marine.
- I'm begging you.

Bang!

Bang!

There's a guy who runs here.
He has a false limb.

A false limb, huh?
That's a little old-fashioned, ain't it?

- Who taught you to call it that?
- My grandfather.

- He has a false limb.
- Sorry.

Why? It's not your fault.

Some Vietcong did it.

- Who's the guy?
- My grandfather?

The guy who runs.
The one with the false limb.

I don't know, but he's here every day.
And, man, he can run.

- Oh, yeah?
- I seen him once running here on my way to the mall.

- He was still running when I came back.
- How long was that?

- Gosh. Two hours at least.
- What time of day does he run?

All times. It's been hot lately.

- I seen him here in the evenings a lot.
- Like 6:00?

Like 8:00.

Thanks. Thanks a whole lot.

- For what?
- For not laughing at me.

Nothing to laugh at, soldier.

Your grandfather army?

- Your dad too?
- He was.

He died in Iraq.

- I'm sorry.
- Why? It's not your fault.

No, I know. I know that.

Just people say they're sorry
like that, it's just

it's 'cause they're sorry
things went the way they went, okay?

They don't mean they
personally did anything.

- What?
- You have kids.

You can tell, huh?

People have kids, they right away think
they can explain everything

when half the time, they don't know why
things went the way they went

any better than anybody else.

All right.
We're here tonight to decide, uh

whether you want us to build
the mosque that the imam wants,

or the school that his wife
and the other women of the village want.

I think the, uh, imam should
speak on behalf of the mosque,

and, uh, his wife should speak
on behalf of the school.

And, uh, then we're gonna
put it to a vote.

Mr., uh, Imam?

He says the company
will build us a mosque.

He says it's God's will.

All right. Mrs. Uh.

Will the, uh,
imam's wife speak now?

Wha-What are they saying?

They disagree about
whether or not she can speak.

Well, you tell them now
that democracy has come

she has the right to speak.

You tell them I personally
guarantee her right to speak.

She says if you teach us only fear...

If you teach us only hatred...

If you teach us only that
the modern world conspires against us

if you teach us only
that we are embattled and alone

then we'll always be angry,
and we'll always be ignorant.

We need a school where we
can teach our children hope.

He says repent, and she says no.

- What's he saying?
- He says she's the infidel.

She's unfaithful
to what we believe.

She says you don't know
what we believe.

She smiled at the American.

She touched him in public.

He says he'll prove
she's the infidel.

Say for the village...

What the infidel
taught you to say.

- Thank you, Angel.
- Shit.

- Say it again.
- Thank you, Angel.

He says the infidel walks amongst us.

She says it's hatred that walks amongst us.

He says she's a whore!
Are you gonna do something?

You said you'd protect her.
Now's the time!

You wanted to take over?
Take over!

- Now, goddamn it!
- Get your hands off me!

- Angel, stop this.
- Yes, sir.

You wanna give these people
a lasting gift?

- Get the hell out of their lives, you dumb asshole.
- Captain!

- Yes?
- Get this maniac off me!

- He appears to be searching you, Mr. Parker.
- Yeah, what the hell for?

- Weapons of mass destruction.
- He's clean, sir.

Good work, Sergeant.

I'm recommending to my bosses
we're pulling out of this valley

'cause it was a close call between
this valley and the next one,

and these people are crazy.

You just signed
that woman's death warrant.

- I did nothing of the kind.
- The second we leave, she's dead.

I'll be on the phone with
the general in five minutes.

We're pulling out tonight.
You're coming with us.

The day is comin'

The drums are drummin'

If you know one say a prayer.

There's mothers cryin'

And fathers sighin' Uh-huh.

War is in the air.

The trains are fillin'up
with boys.

Who've left behind
their favorite toys.

They're goin'over there.

Over there.

Where someone has to die.

Over there.

Over there.

Where ours is not to reason why.

Over there.

Over there.

Where someone has to die