(helicopter)
You know your problem? You're always talking about X but thinking about Y.
You've gotta learn to talk about Y. Forget about X. X is gonna take care of itself.
- What are you talking about? - Just hear yourself.
Listen to what you're saying under what you think you're saying: Control, control, control.
When are you gonna realize nothing can be controlled? We live in chaos.
It's the central issue in everyone's life.
Mack, look around you. Everyone in this parking lot is struggling for control.
And you know what it is they're trying to control, each and every one of 'em?
Fear. They're trying to control their fear.
- Thanks for the game, Davis. - You're my best friend. Let's talk tomorrow.
- Good night, Mack. - Good night, Vanessa.
I have more to say about this.
Why is it, when someone's successful in one field...
- ...they think they know about everything? - Drive carefully.
(helicopter)
(car horns)
(# "Lawyers, Guns and Money" by Warren Zevon on radio)
# I went home with the waitress
# The way I always do
# How was I to know
# She was with the Russians, too?
# I was gambling in Havana
# I took a little risk
# Send lawyers, guns and money
# Dad, get me out of this
# I'm the innocent bystander
(switches radio off)
(yelling nearby)
... to be heard on this subject.
Missiles can accomplish at a cheaper price...
... and with greater accuracy and fewer casualties...
... the mission that a pilot was supposed to carry out, and did in previous wars.
And the air force is very resistant to change.
Dad should be home soon. The game just ended.
- I thought you were studying for your exam. - I was. I had the game on the radio.
Oh, can you pick me up tomorrow at... 4.30?
4.30, behind the school? I thought you were gonna get a ride occasionally.
I try. It's just really hard to arrange to leave at exactly the same time as someone.
It's just really hard for me to arrange my afternoon around picking you up.
- I'm working at the senior center tomorrow. - If you can't do it, I can try to find a ride.
It's kinda late, but...
Thanks. Mom, I think you need to get organized.
(# rap music)
# And I'm hidin' in Honduras
# Desperate man
# Send lawyers, guns and money
Fuck! # The shit has hit the fan
(clunking)
God.
(car horn)
All right, all right!
(car fails to start)
God. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
- Operator 349. What city, please? - Yeah. I need road service for...
- ...I don't know, let's say Inglewood. - (static)
Hello? God.
Damn!
Yeah, Buckingham.
But remember, it's about a half a mile... west, I guess, of there.
Stay close to your vehicle, sir. It should be a 25-minute wait.
I understand but, see, if it takes that long, I might be, like, dead.
Should I call the police? Can they help?
The police?
No, nothing's happened. Just get the truck here as fast as you can.
Will do, sir.
(# rap music)
Mayday, Mayday. We're going down.
(car stops)
- Hey, man, you need some help here? - Nice car. This one of them new Jap cars?
- Yeah. - Yeah, you need some help...
...or yeah, this is a Jap car?
Thanks, no. I've already called for the tow truck and the police.
You called the police? What?
On that phone there you called all those people?
Who else you call, your mama?
- He been busy, man. - I see.
You know, this is a nice car, mister. I could use me a car with a phone in it.
Maybe you want us to gi' you a ride. You want a jump-start?
Yeah, man. How about a jump-start?
(thud)
He nervous, y'all. What you so nervous about, man?
Maybe he carryin', Jim. Maybe he scared we gonna bust him.
Bust his ass.
Leave that man alone!
OK, Grandma. Whatever, baby.
Why don't you get outta the car, mister?
You want me to have Jimmy take you outta there?
Or how about this? Do you ever wanna get outta that car again?
What do you want? You want my wallet? You want my watch?
- It's a shitty watch. You're welcome to it. - What I want is you get outta the car.
- Come on! Let's get this shit over with! - Now, motherfucker.
- Which one of you called for the truck? - Me. That was me.
This is it. It just sorta died on me here.
I'm the one that called.
- Well, I guess it was you, huh? - Yeah.
Hey, man, we was doin' fine here.
- Is it the battery? - Huh?
Were you stopped and it wouldn't start again?
No, no. It just died on me.
We're gonna have to take it in.
- You dissin' me, man? - You bet he is. You're sayin' it now.
- That's right. That's what he's doin'. - Is that right? You dissin' me?
No, I'm not. Nothin' like it.
I'm doin' a job here, fella. This is how I make my living.
I just ride out there and do the job.
I want it to go as smooth as it can be.
I don't like it to be any harder than it already is.
You wanna make sure you're in neutral and the parking brake is off?
That's bullshit, man. He talkin' bullshit.
Yeah, man, what's goin' down? This is fucked up.
Get in the truck. You'll ride up with me.
- Are you the one I'm talkin' to? - Hey, we all decide what goes down.
- So don't fly that shit. - Yeah, man, fuck you!
Am I talkin' to the right man?
That's what I thought.
Look, I gotta ask you a favor.
I gotta ask you to let me go my way here.
Now, this truck is my responsibility.
Now the car's hooked up to it, I'm responsible for that, too.
Any shit comes down now, it's my ass. You follow me?
Do you think I'm stupid? Just answer me that first and then we can talk.
I don't know nothin' about you, you don't know nothin' about me.
I don't know if you're stupid or some kinda genius.
But I do know this: I gotta get outta here and you got the gun.
So I'm askin' you a favor for the second time.
Let me go my way here.
I'm gonna grant you that favor.
And I'm gonna expect you to remember this if we ever meet again.
- Yeah. - But first...
...you gotta answer one more thing for me, and you gotta tell me the truth.
Are you askin' me a favor as a sign of respect...
...or are you askin' me a favor cos I got the gun?
Man, the world ain't supposed to work like this.
I mean, maybe you don't know that, but this ain't the way it's supposed to be.
I'm supposed to be able to do my job without asking you if I can.
That dude is supposed to be able to wait with his car without you rippin' him off.
Everything's supposed to be different than what it is.
So what's your answer?
You don't have the gun, we ain't havin' this conversation.
That's what I thought. No gun, no respect.
That's why I always got the gun.
(# rap music)
Thanks.
You saved my ass.
We both got lucky. It could have gone different.
What's goin' on in the world?
This neighborhood has gone to shit.
This country has gone to shit.
My sister and her kids live near here.
(TV on)
Hey, listen, nobody's really interested about your little motor trip.
We're talking about my upcoming surgery. So, now, where was I?
- So you gonna see the Grand Canyon? - Don't miss Yosemite.
If you go to the alligator farm outside Tallahassee, tell Ivar Woody says hey.
Hey, Ma.
- Hey, baby. How you doin'? - I'm all right.
- (mother) What time is it? - 11.30.
- What's up? - What's up?
Kelley's gonna be in the Girl Scouts next year.
Yeah?
I have to get her a uniform.
I'm goin' to bed.
- Sleep tight, baby. - Goodnight, Ma.
(TV in background)
... far-fetched. There was more slow time than showtime this season.
The Lakers were simply out of sync.
But a stifling defense and the return of the running game...
... has catapulted LA back into serious contention now in the West.
They're now just a game and a half back from the Blazers.
The Magic came out hot, as they were putting up everything. Dennis Scott hit six straight.
Dunleavy wanted a time-out. His team was down by ten.
Here's Earvin Johnson missing the lay-up. Divac can't jam it back. Magic breaking out.
This is Sam Vincent of Orlando. Three on one. The Iceman.
Jerry Reynolds stuffing over Teagle. Matt Guokas has done a great job.
(phone rings)
- Hello? - Hello?
- Hi, guys. - Mack. What's wrong?
- Nothing, I'm fine. The car died on me. - (son) Where?
- Down near the Forum. - Oh, shit.
- Roberto. - On Manchester?
No, no. Like an idiot, I took a short cut and got all turned around.
- You've never been where I broke down. - (Roberto) Shit! Are you outta there now?
- Yeah, I'm at a gas station. - (wife) Good.
You're lucky you got out with your life.
- Roberto, could I talk? - See you tomorrow, Dad.
Good night, pal.
- Do you want me to come and get you? - No. If they don't finish it, I'll take a cab.
I'll tell you all about my adventure in the morning.
Adventure? Mack, what happened? Are you all right?
I'm fine. Go to bed, honey.
- I love you. - Love you, too.
Bye.
(sighs)
You can go swimmin' in the ocean every day and be perfectly cool, you know.
Then one day, just one particular day, you bump into the big shark.
The big shark don't hate you. He's got no feelin' for you at all.
You look like food to him. You don't hate a hamburger, do you?
Yeah.
Those boys back there, they got nothin' to lose.
If you just happen to be swimmin' along and bump into 'em, well...
It might not be worth worryin' about. It's like bein' in a plane crash.
Well, that's comforting. I'm glad you brought that up.
There just seems to be so many ways to buy it.
Particularly in this city.
I'm amazed at the end of each day that anybody's alive.
Then other days I think maybe people aren't so fragile.
Things have always been kind of brutal, and people just keep on going.
You ever been to the Grand Canyon?
- I always meant to go. - I was there.
- Only takes about nine hours from here. - I know. We were planning to take my boy.
- How old is he? - 15.
15? Probably won't wanna go with you now.
Probably go with his friends and his chick now. You've missed that boat.
- What's his name? - Roberto.
- After Roberto Clemente.
No shit?
Man, get yourself to the Grand Canyon.
- Beautiful, huh? - It's pretty, all right.
But that's not the thing of it. You can sit right on the edge of it. I did that.
I did everything. I went down in it, I stayed overnight there.
But the thing that got me was sitting on the edge of that big old thing.
Those rocks. Man, those cliffs and rocks, they're so old.
It took so long for that thing to get to look like that. And it ain't done, either.
It happens right while you're sitting there watchin' it.
It's happenin' right now while we're sitting here in this ugly town.
When you sit on the edge of that thing, you just realize what a joke we people are.
What big heads we got, thinkin' that what we do is gonna matter all that much.
Thinkin' our time here means diddly to those rocks.
It's a split second we've been here, the whole lot of us.
And one of us? That's a piece of time too small to get a name.
- You trying to cheer me up? - Yeah.
Those rocks were laughing at me, I could tell.
Me and my worries. It was real humorous to that Grand Canyon.
You know what I felt like? I felt like a gnat that lands on the ass of a cow...
...that's chewing its cud next to the road that you ride by on at 70 miles an hour.
- That's small. - Yeah. It's small.
My name is Mack.
Simon.
I said left! I told you left!
- You scum-sucking pig! - Sorry, mister. I must've heard you wrong.
Get outta there, you piece of shit!
I told you not to move!
- Where's the shot? - What shot?
- You took out the shot. - Which shot is that?
The money shot. The bus driver's head.
The brains-on-the-window shot. The viscera-on-the-visor shot.
- We thought we'd show it to you without... - Put it back. Don't show me anything.
You don't need it. You're not even giving it a chance.
How's the rear-view-mirror gag supposed to work without it?
Am I the only one here who respects the writing?
I gotta help these kids on the bus.
Right, the counselor in training.
When I get back from camp, I'm gonna practice driving every time we get in the car.
That gives me a month to relax.
- Have a great time, pal. - You, too.
- I'll write a lot. - Yeah.
15 seconds to tell me all the mother stuff one more time.
Sunscreen, hat, allergy pills, summer reading, floss.
Watch out for poison oak, Lyme ticks...
...bears, dragons... pestilence.
Just be careful, OK? Write if you need anything.
Mom, I'm going to camp, not the army.
- I love you, sweetheart. - Me, too.
Be happy.
# He's leaving home, bye-bye
- I gotta go. You OK? - Mm-hm.
- OK. Call you later. - OK.
- OK, Robby. You ready for an adventure? - Mm-hm.
We're gonna figure this town out, you and me. Here we go.
- You ride shotgun. - OK, Mommy.
- Hey. - Fuck! You scared the shit out of me.
- The Rolex. - What? The car? You want it? You got it.
(car alarm)
Asshole. I told you I wanted the watch.
- The bleeding's under control. - Just barely.
- What have we got here? - Gunshot wound to the thigh.
Bone, muscle and arterial damage.
- Is he conscious? - In and out. Looks like he's coming out now.
Severed the sartorius muscle, the anterior gracilis and partial trauma to the rectus.
Femoral artery?
Jesus, what a mess. Did the femur just shatter?
See if it's even possible to save the leg here.
(baby crying)
You have a soapy head. You do.
What's that?
Yes, I know, I know. OK.
There we go. Right here where you can see everything.
Yum, yum, yum, yum.
(humming)
Where's that toe?
Here it is. Look at this.
This is gonna look very good on you, I can tell.
I know. Come here.
Upsy-daisy-doo. OK.
- Who's up? - Mrs. Flores and her three sons.
- Then what? - At 4.30, Mr. Duk.
- Mr. Duck? - Mr. Duk.
Mr. Daffy Duk?
You're awful.
That's why I can't stand you.
(phone rings)
- (whispers) Hello? - (Mack) Honey?
- Hi, Mack. - How you doin'?
- (whispers) Good. I'm having a good day. - Why are you whispering?
Am I whispering? I guess I'm feeling quiet. I'm sitting out back.
- I talked to Davis. - How is he doing?
Terrible. Apparently the bullet just tore the shit out of everything.
It's gonna take a long time to recover, and then he may have a limp.
- That's awful. - I can barely hear you, honey.
- I said that's awful. - Yeah.
- Listen, do you still wanna go out tonight? - No, we can't. I don't feel like it.
- I'll make something here. - I like the sound of that. I gotta go.
- Mack, don't work late. - I won't.
Bye, baby.
Surprise, surprise.
Yes, yes.
How's my girl doing today?
Why aren't you...
...out on a date, beauty?
What's with school?
- So? - Mm?
- Come on, don't give me a hard time. - Dee, no one knows less about men than me.
You do all right.
OK, let me ask you one question first. Do you like your job?
- I know what you're gonna say. - You can kiss it goodbye.
It never fails. I absolutely guarantee you the thing ends with you losing your job.
And not because you're the misses now, livin' in the big house.
I don't think that. I wouldn't even want that. Give me a little credit, will you?
One thing I think is so great about him is how devoted he is to his wife and kid.
You are so full of shit, you know that?
You may not even know, but you really are.
You're sayin' what they all say at first.
I've seen it many times, honey.
If he is so devoted to his wife, what's he doin' messin' around with you?
- He hasn't done anything. - You told me you were holding hands today.
Big deal. I shouldn't even have told you.
You gotta tell somebody that shit. That's how you know it's happening.
Otherwise it's too goddamn lonely.
We must be going about this whole thing wrong or something.
- What thing? - The love thing.
The touch thing.
Where there's somebody to touch you, real nice and gentle.
- It doesn't have to be that gentle. - Whatever.
Jane, do you ever feel like you're just this far...
...from being completely hysterical 24 hours a day?
Half the people I know feel that way.
The lucky ones feel that way.
The rest of the people are hysterical 24 hours a day.
- Claire, I'm here. - Hi, Mack.
You forgot to bring in the mail. There's something here from Carol.
Mack, come on up here. I wanna show you something.
Is something wrong?
- Whose is it? - She's beautiful, isn't she?
Is that the Wilson kid?
- Who? - I don't know.
- What do you mean? - I don't know who the parents are.
Come on, Claire. Don't make me guess. Where did it come from?
So? What's the story?
I found her. I was jogging, and I heard this crying, and I looked under these bushes...
- Wait. Where was this? - On Carmelina, just around the corner.
I looked under the bushes and there she was.
- When was this? - This morning.
- This morning? What time? - Around 9.30, I guess.
- What did the police say? - Mm?
My guess is the police did not say "Mm?"
So I guess my next guess is you haven't called the police.
Claire, it's possible this baby was kidnapped and someone's been looking for it all day.
I don't think so. I could tell. But I listened to the news. There wasn't a thing about it.
They may not have announced it, or they're waiting to hear from the kidnappers.
This baby wasn't kidnapped, I can tell you that, Mack.
This baby was deserted by its mother and it's going to need a new one.
Claire...
- Are you OK? - I'm fine.
You do know that we have to call the police right now?
Of course, Mack. I haven't taken leave of my senses.
I just wanted you to see her, so I waited till you got home, that's all.
She's so beautiful.
I just wanted you to see her.
I told you that baby wasn't kidnapped.
I said "Mister, there's no way this vehicle is worth as much as you gonna pay to tow it."
But he didn't care. He tells me "It got sentimental value!"
What's so funny about that? Maybe it did.
- Yeah, maybe he got his first piece in there. - Otis, watch your mouth.
- What did he say, Mama? - Nothin', baby. Just bring me that meat loaf.
Also, this was the car he was sittin' in the first time he was ever shot.
Man! He had some good times in there!
Are we gonna play Roundy-Roundy, Uncle Simon?
- Uh-uh. Time for bed, little girl. - One game. Come on, Mama.
You said we could play one game.
(Simon) One game, Mama, please.
In your pajamas, teeth brushed. Go on.
Get ready to get whipped, home.
Don't you wanna stay home and be with your uncle?
I gotta go out. I gotta meet some people. Take it slow, Simon.
- From the shoulders! You still got it! - I ain't over yet, baby.
Be back soon, Ma.
OK.
Anybody come from the shoulders any more, huh? Anybody got the hands, huh?
Man, I wish. Seem like every time you turn around...
...some sucker's comin' from the pocket... and he's strapped.
You know, I never laid any shit on you, did I?
I love you, Otis. And I love my sister.
I don't want her to have any more pain than she's already had.
You know, she's suffering here every night till you come home.
We don't even get into that no more. When we're together, we try and have it be good.
If we ain't talkin' about it, why you gotta talk about it? It ain't gonna change nothin'.
You sure? Maybe we can figure out... something together.
What, man? You gonna figure out somethin' that nobody else around here thought of?
- Later, Simon. - Hey. Hey.
Plenty have gotten out, Otis.
- I don't want out. - Bullshit.
Without my set, I'm nothin'. They care about me, man.
Hey, you wanna be gangbanging when you're 25?
Shit.
I'll never live to be 25.
I gotta roll.
I'll call you Friday.
Drive safely.
Kelley!
Mama!
Well, look who's up and at 'em. Somebody leave your curtains open last night?
I asked them to. I wanted to see this.
City of the angels.
I have seen the light.
Mazel tov.
I'll be right back.
Hi, Jackson.
Let me see that elbow. Go on, just one look.
I wanna see if it's as good as my knee.
This is just a scrape, man. Shit, my knee was a real mess. This thing is just half-bad.
Did Adam push you?
Should we talk to him?
- How come? - He's an asshole.
Maybe, but... we could discuss it.
You havin' a bad day?
Did you get a letter from your mom today?
Did she say she missed you?
Oh, man. My mom used to do that. Made me nuts.
They love you so much, they don't even know it's gonna make you feel terrible.
I missed my mom so much the first year I came here.
And then when she wrote me and said she missed me... I felt so lonely.
Is that how you feel?
Well, you got me.
(Mack) "Just don't tell him." So Harlan told him anyway. What else would Harlan do?
The only way he wouldn't have told him is if I had told him to tell him.
I don't think I can talk about Harlan again tonight.
I've been begging you to get away from him for eight years.
What, so I can go start a new immigration practice on my own?
The night when I thought those boys were gonna kill me, I realized...
...I hate fucking immigration law.
No, you don't. You like it and you're good at it.
What you hate is being partners with an asshole like Harlan.
- We don't have to talk about this. - Maybe you hate some other part of your life.
What? What did you say?
When a person thinks they're about to die, nothing looks like it was worth their time.
- That's not what you were gonna say. - Then I guess I don't have to say anything.
Look, Mack, I don't even know what I'm gonna say from one second to the next.
The world doesn't make any sense to me any more. What's going on?
There are babies lying around in the streets. There are people living in boxes.
There are people ready to shoot you if you look at them.
And we're getting used to it.
The world is so nuts, it makes me wonder about all the choices that we've made.
- Jesus Christ. - What?
Oh, shit!
Let's see what you... Wow.
Agh! Damn! That smarts!
- Hold it up. Apply pressure. - Pressure, pressure.
- The hospital are gonna have to sew that up. - No. Really? I don't think it's that bad.
Here. Let's see. Take it off.
Oh, God.
- Look at this. - Under the water.
- See what happens when you yell at me? - Never again, baby.
Maybe next time you'll be a little more understanding when I bitch about my life.
Ow, ow, ow! Here. Let me, let me.
I'm gonna get my purse. I'm gonna take you to St John's.
- You better sit down for a second. - I don't think I need to get this sewn up.
Mack, are you afraid of a few stitches?
I'm not afraid of anything. I just think we oughta discuss this.
You're kidding, right?
What, are you going into shock?
I just hate seeing my blood spill out of me like that. Does everybody...
Earthquake!
Big one. Let's get outta here. Run!
(Claire) Aren't we supposed to?
(Mack) I don't care!
- I'm sorry. I'm never complaining again. - Bullshit.
- No, no. I swear. - You'll forget about all this tomorrow.
Did you feel that? I think there's an aftershock coming.
Sally! Did your chandelier fall down again?
- No. - Oh, good!
(woman) Claire! Claire!
- What's the matter? - Claire!
It's Byron. I don't know what's wrong with him. I dialed 911. The line's busy.
- I don't know what's happening. - It's gonna be OK. We'll be right there.
- He's bleeding! - No, he's not. That's Mack.
(Claire) Come on, come on, come on.
Yes. I need an ambulance right way. 222 Avondale.
What?
Yes. Yes.
Male. 79.
Heart attack maybe.
(Simon) Hey, Mack!
Mack!
Over here! Come on!
Give me a flyby!
Yeah!
(baby crying)
(distant voice)
(baby screaming)
(baby gurgling)
(baby crying)
(flies buzzing)
Mack.
Mack, wake up.
So, now, tell me that again. You have the baby at home now?
- Mack, that's wonderful. - No, that's not what I said.
- I said Claire wants to adopt the baby. - Claire is so great.
So what's the problem? You're not allowed to just keep every baby you find.
- Aren't there laws about that kind of thing? - There is a process you can go through.
And Claire has already started collecting the forms.
She is the most self-actualized person I ever met.
She is this week.
- Home sweet home. - Mr. Davis.
Hiya, Leonard. Good to see ya. All right, just toss me in.
- Just roll me back and just flip me in. - I'm gonna go check the car, OK, sweetie?
See you back at the house, OK, Tony?
Mabel, I am never gonna forget the times we had.
- As you know, my name is Esther. - My mother's name was Esther...
...and since you have been kinder than my mother was, I have given you a better name.
When I think of the experience that changed my life, I will think appreciatively of you.
You are very kind. Remember, if you start to feel some pressure in there...
...it's time to get the pus drained.
I love it when you talk that way about the pus!
Don't you have a favorite charity to give this to? A favorite child?
A favorite horse? This is very unusual for me.
- I'm notoriously cheap. Ask anyone. - (Mack) It's true.
- Goodbye, Davis. - OK, a hug. Come on, a hug, a hug.
- OK. - There we go. OK.
- So long. Bye. - Take it easy.
(Davis) Leonard, get me outta here.
So, tell me about this life change.
It's not a life change. I had some kind of vision...
...some insight, but I don't wanna talk about it.
- Tell him. He's your best friend. - We're talking about his new baby.
Besides, if you talk about stuff, maybe that takes the place of doing it.
- That's never been one of your big problems. - No kidding.
So... Claire wants this baby, but you're not too high on the idea.