Would you like to have a drink? I just finished a game and could use a beer.
Ah, no, I can't. My wife is...
I don't pick up people in drugstores every day.
- You think I'm gay? - Aren't you?
What's the matter? I look gay to you?
Do I look gay to you?
- Relax. - I ought to kick your faggoty ass.
Take it as a compliment. Geez!
That is exactly the kind of bullshit that makes people hate your...
faggoty ass.
You want to try and kick my ass, Joe?
- Asshole. - No, you're the asshole, buddy!
Please continue, Ms. O'Hara.
We were going crazy looking for this complaint.
I felt like I was in the twilight zone.
Mr. Beckett was screaming at everybody and he just...
He looked so freaky.
Mr. Kenton kept saying, "You lost the Highline complaint?"
And he called Mr. Wheeler, and all of a sudden...
Jamey comes in with the complaint in his hand.
- He says, "It was in central files." - Central files?
Central files is a place where paperwork is sent when cases are closed.
Jamey ran it over to the court just in time...
and everybody just stood there completely wasted.
And Mr...
And Mr. Beckett just kept saying...
"I'm sorry. Sorry. I don't understand this."
Thank you, Ms. O'Hara.
No further questions at this time, Your Honor.
All right. Mr. Miller.
- May I? - Certainly.
Thank you.
- You okay? - Yes.
- You want a glass of water? - No.
Was Andy a good boss?
Yes.
He was very sweet.
How would you characterize his work as an attorney?
How would I know? I just worked for him.
Excuse me, Your Honor, but is this for the record?
Mr. Miller, perhaps you should return to counsel's table.
Yes, sir.
- Miss O'Hara? - Yes?
Were you aware...
at any time of any problems that the senior partners had...
with the quality of Andrew's work prior to this missing file episode?
No, I wasn't.
Thank you. No more questions, Your Honor.
Is Andrew Becket the kind of lawyer who misplaces crucial documents?
Not to my knowledge. No.
If you wanted to make a lawyer look incompetent, would this be a good way?
Hiding an important document maybe for a few hours...
and then making it look like the responsible lawyer misplaced it?
Why would Mr. Wheeler and the others behave so outrageously?
Because they found out Andy was sick?
- He's not answering the question. - Perhaps.
We've had lawyers with heart attacks, ulcers, prostate cancer, leukemia!
No one sandbagged them.
Did you have something to do with this file being lost accidentally on purpose?
- Objection. - I'll rephrase.
Did you have anything to do with this file being misplaced?
Absolutely not.
Are you a homosexual?
- What? - Answer the question! Are you a homo?
A faggot? A punk?
A queen, pillow biter, fairy?
Bootie snatcher, rump roaster? Are you gay?
- Objection! - Order!
Where did this come from? Suddenly counsel's attacking his own witness?
Mr. Collins' sexual orientation has nothing to do with this case.
Please have a seat, Miss Conine.
Would you approach the bench, Mr. Miller?
Could you kindly share with me...
exactly what's going on inside your head...
because at this moment, I don't have a clue.
Your Honor...
everybody in this courtroom...
is thinking about sexual orientation, sexual preference...
whatever you want to call it.
Who does what to whom and how they do it.
They're looking at Andrew Beckett. They're thinking about it.
They're looking at Mr. Wheeler, Miss Conine, even you, Your Honor.
They're wondering about it.
Trust me, I know they're looking at me and thinking about it.
So let's get it out in the open. Let's get it out of the closet.
Because this case is not just about Al DS, is it?
So let's talk about what this case is really all about:
the general public's hatred, our loathing...
our fear of homosexuals...
and how that climate of hatred and fear...
translated into the firing of this particular homosexual...
my client, Andrew Beckett.
Please have a seat, Mr. Miller.
Very good.
In this courtroom, Mr. Miller, justice is blind...
to matters of race, creed, color...
religion and sexual orientation.
With all due respect, Your Honor...
we don't live in this courtroom, though, do we?
No, we don't.
However, as regards to this witness...
I'm going to sustain the defense's objection.
How many weeks would you be out to sea without stopping at port?
Oh, anywhere from two weeks to several months.
Any women on board?
Not when I was in the navy.
So, during these long voyages...
months at a time out to sea, no women in sight...
hundreds of hardworking, robust young men in the prime of their lives...
at the peak of their natural appetites and desires...
their God-given hormonal instincts, anything going on?
Going on? Like what?
Like two sailors down below making flippy-flop.
- Objection. - Mr. Miller.
We had one guy like that.
You haven't ruled on my objection, Your Honor.
Go on, Mr. Miller.
You had one guy like that. You mean a homosexual?
He strutted around quarters naked trying to get everybody to notice him.
Made everyone sick.
He was destroying our morale.
So we let him know this kind of behavior was not acceptable.
How'd you do that? Wrote him a letter?
We stuck his head in a latrine after ten of us had used it.
- You taught him a lesson, didn't you? - Yes, we did.
- Like firing Andrew taught him a lesson. - Objection.
I withdraw. You were aware when you worked with Melissa Benedict...
that she had Al DS, correct?
- She didn't try to conceal it. - So you are aware...
of the difference between a bruise and a lesion. Correct?
Beckett told me he had been hit by a racket ball, and I believed him.
Did you avoid contact with Ms. Benedict after you found out she had Al DS?
She says and I quote, that you were repulsed by her. Is that correct?
I felt, and I still feel nothing...
but the deepest sympathy and compassion for people like Melissa...
who contracted this terrible disease through no fault of their own.
Don't move now.
Okay.
Boy. It's not going through.
We may have to flush it out again.
The vein's closed.
We've got to call Barbara.
- Nurse Ratchett. - Wait a minute.
Yeah. Tell her to come over.
Look, I've... There's so much stuff that I need to get done.
Can we... Can we just skip the treatment for tonight?
No. We are not skipping this treatment.
It's my arm, and it's my treatment, and I say skip it.
Well...
You know something?
That stuff is saving your life.
What's the matter with you tonight?
Close the law book.
Will you just...
The least you can do...
is look at me...
and give me a little of your time, man.
Got it?
You are worried...
we don't have very much time left, now, aren't you?
No. No.
I'll tell you what I'm gonna do.
I'm going to start planning my memorial service.
I'm going to start preparing for the inevitable.
Maybe you should think about it.
No.
I've got a better idea.
- Hi, Andrew. Hi, Miguel. - Hey, hey!
- Oh, Joe Miller, Counselor. - My wife, Lisa.
- Are you Lisa? Nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
- You look wonderful! - Maria, Lisa.
- Miguel's sister, Maria. - How are you, Maria?
- Do you care for something to drink? - I'll take care of Joe.
You're looking, uh, alive tonight!
I had a blood transfusion, and I feel great.
So, you like it? I'm a lawsuit.
You get it? I'm a lawsuit.
- It's not bad. - Lawsuit.
- What are you drinking? - Wine is good.
Can I have some of the red, please?
We've got to get to this Q and A sometime tonight, you know?
Sure. Just one problem.
- I'm at a party right now. - Fine. Whatever.
- We'll get to it, just later. - Thank you.
Hi, Joe Miller.
- Do I know you? - Mona Lisa.
Ah. Uh, lawsuit.
Nice. Have fun.
Mr. Sandman
Bring me a dream
Make him the cutest boy that I've ever seen
Give him two lips like roses in clover
Then tell me that my lonesome nights are over
Mr. Sandman
I'm so alone
Don't have a boyfriend to call my own
Oh, won't you please turn on your magic beam
Mr. Sandman, bring us a dream
It is hard to imagine
Oh, that nothing at all
Could be so exciting
And so much fun
Oh, heaven
Is a place
Where nothing Oh, nothing
Can go wrong
Thank you.
- Thank you. - Sure.
Congratulations, Counselor.
Congratulations?
You've survived what I assume to be your first gay party intact.
Let me tell you something.
When you're brought up the way most people are in this country...
there's not a whole lot of discussion about homosexuality...
or what do you call it, alternate lifestyles.
As a kid you're taught that queers are funny, queers are weird.
Queers dress up like their mother, that they're afraid to fight...
that they're a danger to little kids.
That all they want to do is get into your pants.
That pretty much sums up the general thinking, if you want to know the truth.
- Thank you for sharing that with me. - You're very welcome.
Let's go over this testimony. We've got a big day on Monday.
Okay. First I'll ask you...
"Can you describe the circumstances in which...
you joined the firm Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown?"
Miller?
Do you ever pray?
Andrew, that is not the answer to the question.
But, yes, I pray.
- What do you pray for? - What do you mean?
I pray that... I don't know!
I pray my baby is healthy. I pray my wife made it through delivery.
I pray the Phillies win the pennant.
Now, can we go through these questions?
Number one: "Can you describe the circumstances in which...
you joined the firm Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown?"
Can you do that for me?
There's a possibility I won't be around to see the end of this trial.
Yes, I've considered that.
I've made some provisions in my will for some charities.
Miguel will need a lawyer. I know it's not your area.
I know a good probate lawyer.
- Thank you. - You're welcome. Now...
"Can you describe the circumstances in which...
you joined the firm Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown?"
Do you mind this music? Do you like opera?
I am not that familiar with opera, Andrew.
Oh, this is my favorite aria.
It's Maria Callas.
It's Andrea Chenier.
Umberto Giordano.
This is Madeleine.
She's saying how...
during the French Revolution the mob set fire to her house.
And her mother died, saving her.
She says, " Look!
The place that cradled me is burning.
I am alone."
Do you hear the heartache in her voice?
Can you feel it?
Now, in come the strings, and it changes everything.
It's like the music... it fills with a hope.
And that'll change again. Listen.
"I bring sorrow to those who love me."
Oh, that single cello!
"It was during this sorrow that love came to me.
A voice filled with harmony.
It said, 'Live still.
I am life.
Heaven is in your eyes.
It's everything around you. It's the blood and the mud.
I am divine!
I am oblivion.
I am the god...
that comes down from the heavens to the earth...
and makes of the earth a heaven.
I am love.
I am love."'
Geez, I better get out of here.
Lisa's... I told her that, you know...
I'll look over the Q and A.
No, you're ready.
Jesus.
God.
Yes, baby.
Oh, I love you, little Larice.
Place your left hand on the Bible. Raise your right hand.
Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?
- I do. - Please be seated.
Andrew, can you describe the circumstances in which...
you joined the firm Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown?
Wyant, Wheeler aggressively recruited me.
They were the most prestigious firm in Philadelphia...
full of opportunity.
And I was impressed with the partners.
- Including Charles Wheeler? - Particularly Charles.
What impressed you about him?
He was the kind of lawyer I thought I wanted to be.
What kind of lawyer is that?
Possessed of an encyclopedic knowledge of the law...
a razor-sharp litigator, genuine leader.
Gifted at bringing out the very best in others...
and an awesome ability to illuminate...
the most complex of legal concepts to a colleague, a courtroom...
to the man in the street.
The kind of person who can play three sets of tennis...
but doesn't sweat.
Underneath an elegant surface...
he has an adventurous spirit.
In the years you worked at Wyant, Wheeler...
did you ever tell Charles Wheeler you were gay?
No, I didn't.
Why not?
You don't bring your personal life into a law firm.
You're not supposed to have a personal life, really.
Anyway, I did plan to tell Charles eventually.
But then something happened...
at the racket club...
about three years ago.
Somebody started telling some jokes.
What do you call a woman who has P.M.S. and E.S.P. at the same time?
I don't know! What do you call her?
A bitch who knows everything.
Sounds like someone I know.
Hey, Walter, how does a faggot fake an orgasm?
He throws a quart of hot yogurt on your back!
That reminds me...
How'd that make you feel?
Relieved...
that I never told him I was gay.
Just very relieved.
All right.
Are you a good lawyer, Andrew?
I'm an excellent lawyer.
What makes you an excellent lawyer?
I love the law.
I know the law.
I excel at practicing.
What do you love about the law, Andrew?
I... Many things.
What I love the most?
Yes.
Is that every now and again...
not often, but occasionally...
you get to be a part of...
justice being done.
That really is...
quite a thrill when that happens.
Thank you, Andrew.
You said earlier...
you aspire to be the kind of person who had an adventurous spirit, correct?
Something like that.
Do you take risks?
In my work, yes. Calculated risks.
You have to.
Did your doctor ever tell you to reduce stress?
That long hours and stressful working conditions...
might damage the immune system...
and speed up your illness?
My doctor mentioned the impact Al DS... Excuse me.
My doctor mentioned the impact stress could have on the immune system.
Have you ever been to the Stallion Showcase Cinema...
on 21st Street?
I've been to...
that...
I've been to that theater...
three times in my life.
What kind of movies do they show there?
Gay movies.
Gay pornographic movies?
Yes.
Objection, Your Honor.
Your Honor, this line of questioning is vital to the issue of credibility.
Let's see where this is going. Continue, Counselor.
Do men have sex with each other in that theater?
Some men.
Have you ever had sex with anyone in that theater?
I'm Robert.
Andy.
Yes.
Once.
When? Approximately what year did that event take place?
I guess it was 1984.
'84, '85.
Were you aware in 1984, '85...
that there was a fatal disease out there called Al DS...
and that you could contract it through sexual activity?
I'd heard of some... I'd heard of a thing.
The gay plague, the gay cancer.
We didn't know how you could get it...
or that it killed you.
Do you need a break, Mr. Beckett?
No. I could use some water, though.
John, would you bring Mr. Beckett some water?
While you were employed at Wyant, Wheeler you did everything you could...
to make sure no one knew that you were an active homosexual.
Correct?
No.
That's not correct. I never lied about it.
As a homosexual...
one is often forced to conceal one's sexuality.
Isn't that right?
In some circumstances, yes.
Isn't it true you've spent your life pretending to be something you're not...
so much so that the art of concealment and dishonesty...
- has become second nature... - Your Honor, I object!
I'll withdraw it, Your Honor.
Mr. Beckett, were you living with...
Miguel Alvarez...
in 1984 or '85 when you had your...
anonymous sexual encounter in the porn theater?
Yes.
So you could have infected him, isn't that right?
Miguel has not been infected.
You didn't answer my question.
You could have infected Mr. Alvarez at that time. Is that correct?
Yes.
You've testified that the lesions on your face...
were visible to the people that you worked with, correct?
That's right.
And you contend that when the partners were made aware of the lesions...
that they leapt to the conclusion that you had Al DS and fired you.
Is that correct?
As painful as it is...
to accuse my former colleagues...
of such reprehensible behavior...
it is the only conclusion I could come to.
Do you have any lesions on your face at this time?
One here...
right by my ear.
Your Honor, may I approach the witness?
Yes, you may.
Remembering that you're under oath...
answering truthfully...
can you see the lesions on your face in this mirror...
from three feet away?
Answering truthfully.
Well, I... At the time I was fired...
I had four lesions, and they were much bigger.
Could you answer the question, please?
Well, no. No, I can't really see it.
No more questions, Your Honor.
This would be a good time to break for today.
- We can reconvene in the morning. - I hate this case.
Your Honor, may I have five minutes in redirect?
Mr. Beckett, can you go on for five minutes?
- Three minutes. - Yes.
May I borrow your mirror, please?
Do you have any lesions on any part of your body at this time...
that resemble the lesions you had on your face...
at the time that you were fired?
Yes. On my torso.
Your torso. If it please the court...
I would like to ask Andrew to remove his shirt...
so that everyone could get an accurate idea of what we're talking about.
Objection.
Your Honor, it would unfairly influence the jury.
Your Honor, if Andrew was forced to use a wheelchair due to his illness...
would the defense ask him to park it outside...
because it would unfairly influence the jury?
We're talking about Al DS, about lesions. Let's see what we're talking about.
I'll allow it.
Mr. Beckett, would you please remove your shirt?
My God, what a nightmare!
He asked for it.
Can you see the lesions on your chest in this mirror?
Yes.
Thank you.
Do you swear to tell the whole truth, so help you God?
I do.
Please be seated.
Mr. Wheeler, were you aware that Andrew Beckett...
was suffering from Al DS at the time of his departure from Wyant, Wheeler?
- No. - For absolute clarity...
did you fire Andrew Beckett...
because he had Al DS?
No, I did not fire Andrew Beckett because he had Al DS.
Mr. Wheeler, can you explain, in a way that leaves no doubt...
why you promoted...
Andrew Beckett through your firm?
And then, most importantly...
why you eventually asked him to leave?
If you're the owner of a major league ball club...
you recruit the hot rookie.
And Andy was tremendously promising as a young attorney.
Fresh out of Penn. Crackerjack.
That's why we went after him. That's why we hired him.
And that's why we stuck with him year after year.
Why did you give him...
opportunity after opportunity?
Well, when you groom someone...
the way we groomed Andy, nurturing him...
lavishing all kinds of special treatment on him...
you make quite an investment.
We were waiting for the promise to kick in and deliver.
But ultimately we could no longer...
ignore the gap between the reality and the promise.
Thank you, Mr. Wheeler.
No more questions at this time, Your Honor.
Mr. Miller?
Objection!
- Your Honor, objection. - All right, Mr. Miller.
- That'll be sufficient. - Mr. Wheeler, you are magnificent.
You are my hero.
Andrew is right. You are the greatest.
Are you gay?
Objection.
How dare you!
Witness will kindly answer.
No, I am not a homosexual.
Isn't it true that when you realized...
Andrew Beckett... your golden boy, your future senior partner...
was gay and had Al DS...
it drove a stake of fear right through your heterosexual heart?
Remembering...
all the hugs and handshakes, the intimate moments in the sauna...
the friendly pats on the backside that you and Andrew exchanged...
like guys exchange.
It made you say, " My God!
What does this say about me?"
Objection, Your Honor.
The witness will please respond to the question.
You may tap dance around me all you wish...
with your innuendoes and locker room fantasies.
But the truth still remains that your client...
worked when he wanted to work...
telling us what he thought we needed to know about who he really was.
Andy insisted on bending the rules...
and his work suffered tremendously in the long run as a result of that.
Explain this like I'm a six-year-old, 'cause I just don't get it.
Who makes these rules that you're talking about? You?
Read your Bible, Mr. Miller, Old and New Testament.
Pretty valuable rules in there.
Excuse me.
Excuse... I can't...
Excuse me!
Christ's sakes, somebody get a doctor!
What is it? Turn over now.
- Call an ambulance, please? - Right away.
An ambulance, please! Let him breathe.
Please make room for him.
It's not working.
- Please, sir! - It's not working!
- They know how to save him. - It is making him worse!
Did you notice any changes whatsoever in Andrew's appearance...
over the course of the year leading up to his termination?
Yes. I did.
Were these changes for the better or for the worse?
Sometimes for the better, but generally they were for the worse.
Mr. Seidman, what did you think caused these changes in Andy's appearance?
I was afraid.
I suspected Andy had Al DS.
- Order. - Thank you. Your witness.
- Miss Conine? - Mr. Seidman...
did you share your suspicions with Mr. Wheeler...
or any of the other managing partners at any time...
before the decision to fire Andrew Beckett was made?
No. I didn't.
I didn't mention it to anyone...
not even Andy.
I didn't even give him a chance to talk about it.
And I think I'm going to regret that...
for as long as I live.
- Any more questions, Miss Conine? - That's all, Your Honor.
They are sayin' he wasn't a good lawyer. He was mediocre.
And the fact that they gave him the most important lawsuit they ever had...
for one of their most important clients...
They say that doesn't prove anything because that was just a test.
- What'd they call it? A carrot? - Yeah. "What's up, Doc?"
To see if he'd rise to the occasion. Okay.
Say I gotta send a pilot into enemy territory...
and he's gonna be flyin' a plane that costs $350 million.
Who am I gonna put in that plane?
Some rookie who can't cut it so I can see if he is up to the challenge?
Or am I gonna give that assignment to my best pilot...
my sharpest, my most experienced, my top gun...
the very best I got?
I just don't get that.
Would somebody please explain it to me...
like I'm a six-year-old?
- Juror number six? - I agree.
- Juror number seven? - I agree.
- Juror number nine? - I agree.
Juror number ten?
- I disagree. - Juror number 11?
- I agree. - Juror number 12?
Agree.
Have you awarded any damages?
Yes, Your Honor, we have.
For back pay and loss of benefits we award $143,000.
For mental anguish and humiliation we award $100,000.
And for punitive damages we award $4,782,000.
You may record the verdict.
Everyone remain seated until the jury is removed.
How could they do that?
This trial is now concluded.
Congratulations!
We'll strain ourselves getting a reversal on this one.
- We'll get started in the morning. - Well, that's that.
Congratulations, Mr. Miller. I'll see you at the appeal.
Congratulations. Well done.
Oh, man. Thanks a lot.
- I'll see ya at the hospital. - Okay.
Oh, Mr. Miller. Hi. How you doin'?
- You know where the room is? - Down the hall.
- Right there. - The one off...
Thanks.
If he leaves the hospital, which is unlikely...
don't expect him to be remotely like he was before this crisis.
He's lost the vision in his right eye...
and because of the C.M.V. he will not regain his vision.
- Next door, to the right. - The C.M.V. has ravaged his body.
Hi. Congratulations.
Hey. Way to go.
Man of the hour.
Hey, Joe.
We are so grateful to you. You were wonderful. Thank you so much.
- Can I take that for you? - Yeah. I brought some...
- Oh, wonderful. - cheese and stuff.
How ya doin'?
What do you call a thousand lawyers...
chained together at the bottom of the ocean?
I don't know.
A good start.
Excellent work, Counselor.
I thank you.
It was great working with you...
Counselor.
I'd better go.
Yeah. Sure thing.
I'll see you later?
Thanks for stopping by.
I'll see you again.
I'll keep it on ice for you.
See you.
I just want to say thank you.
We really appreciate it. We'll see you again?
He's a fighter.
We just want to get him home.
Thank you, Joe.
What do you call a thousand lawyers chained at the bottom of the ocean?
- A good start? - Very amusing.
I'll see you tomorrow, buddy. Okay?
God bless you, Andy.
Good night, son.
Try to get some rest, okay?
I love you, Andy.
I love you too, Dad.
See you first thing tomorrow.
Hey. It's okay.
- Don't worry. - I'll see you tomorrow.
Come on, sweetheart.
It's all right. It's okay. Don't worry about it.
Good night, my angel.
My sweet boy.
No, let me help you.
Miguel...
I'm ready.
Hello?
Joe, it's Miguel.
Hello?
- It's nice to see you. - Everybody's upstairs.
Sometimes I think that I know
What love's all about
And when I see the light
I know I'll be all right
I've got my friends in the world
I had my friends
When we were boys and girls
And the secrets came unfurled
Look at my boy.
Oh, hi. Yes, I know.
City of Brotherly Love
Place I call home
Don't turn your back on me
I don't wanna be alone
Love lasts forever
Someone is talkin' to me
Calling my name
Tell me I'm not to blame
I won't be ashamed of love
Philadelphia
City of Brotherly Love
Sometimes I think that I know
What love's all about
And when I see the light
I know I'll be all right
Philadelphia
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